Thanks for the detailed explanation of "congressional earmarks," Heather. I will try and read more about these and hope they make a difference for the American people. Very interesting.
As to the other portions of your letter, this was EVERYTHING:
"Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne noted that the adherence of all but seven senators to Trump “should end the absurd talk that there is a burden on President Biden to achieve a bipartisan nirvana in Washington. If most Republicans can’t even admit that what Trump did is worthy of impeachment, how can anyone imagine that they would be willing and trustworthy governing partners?”
Dionne added that the acquittal made an overwhelming case for getting rid of the filibuster, which in its current incarnation effectively means that no legislation can pass without support from 60 senators. Thanks to the 50-50 split in the Senate, getting to 60 means getting 10 Republican votes. This is impossible, Dionne says, because clearly “There are not 10 Republican Senate votes to be had on anything that really matters.”'
This is so true. Republican senators who did not vote for conviction are as bad as T---- and the insurrectionists themselves. Maybe worse. . .because of the power they continue to hold. As far as I'm concerned, they wanted the insurrection--even though they were in danger--because they do not like that Congress--the House especially--is looking more and more like America. They fear the loss of white supremacy. How do we work with people like that? We don't. We work right through them, we don't give up, give in, or go away. I am emboldened everyday by the younger people from every background in this country who are being elected into positions of power. If each one of us commits ourselves to work hard in our own communities to dismantle systemic racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and sexism, white supremacy as a power structure will collapse. White supremacists will never completely disappear, but white supremacy as a power structure MUST. That and only that will move us toward achieving this experiment we call Democracy. Only then can we begin to distribute wealth and power in this country.
Thanks again, Heather. This American needs your daily letters.
I agree, this is a good place to start if you're a middle aged white person. Please consider buying it from a locally owned independent bookstore, or if you don't have one near you, one that ships (many do!), rather than from Amazon. We need to keep these places open and Amazon has profitted enough from the pandemic.
It was my intention to promote the book, not the source. It's an excellent book that helps white people better understand White Privilege. This white author spent 25 years with best intentions-- wasted. Learn from other's mistakes. Let's not repeat them over and over.
Thank you, Beth, for that reminder. So many of my friends with the means to do so have upped their usage of Amazon during the pandemic. It's hard to convince them to give up funding Bezos' tax-free life completely, so when they are resistant, I suggest they at least order through smile.amazon.com - which provides the opportunity to donate a percentage of every purchase to a charity or non-profit of the buyer's choice.
Frugal Bookstore is a family-owned, small but high-quality Black-owned bookstore in Boston's Nubian Square. They will order and ship titles not in stock. The staff is VERY nice. Support the "rebels" against Amazon's evil empire!
It also explains the lack of partisanship. If there is nothing in it "for me" why would the other side buy in. Clearly moral reasons are not enough. Follow the money.
In different areas, power is still out here in North central Texas. Dallas/Ft Worth area. It hasn’t been discriminating, rich and poor alike are hit by it. The affluent area of Southlake had to open a warming station. All hotel rooms sold out. My friends, a family recovering from Covid, didn’t have electricity to run the husband’s breathing treatments. They did get a hotel room.
There are people on Facebook saying this is all Biden’s fault. Because he’s proposed alternative energy to the beloved oil. But the council , ERCOT, formed to prevent this said they weren’t given the funds needed to fix these problems from Gov. Abbott. The energy company Oncor says as areas get back online they’ll start rolling blackouts again!
So many thanks to Biden! For being a president! No thanks to Abbott who continues to play the party politics.
Thanks for the summary, Heather! News here is all about the weather! ❄️
I'm in rural Texas about 70 miles northwest of San Antonio. It is 7 degrees right now and expected to go down to 4 degrees. Our rural electric cooperative seems to be doing an amazing job of keeping the electricity on. We've had a few flickers but no outages for which I am very grateful. The one thing I haven't heard anyone say to day is this storm which is setting records would seem to me to be part of the climate crisis. Global warming means storms become more and more intense and larger. We should be talking about the climate crisis while the weather has our attention. In my twenty years in Texas I'm never seen but a dusting of snow that melted almost as soon as it touched the ground. Now we have about three inches of snow which won't get a chance to melt for several more days. And we had an ice storm that has covered the trees with about 1/2 inch of ice around the branches and two inch icicles hanging on each and every leaf. The sparkle of the ice was beautiful in the sunshine this afternoon but this is very hard on the trees. Even when I lived in New England I remember some ice storms but never one that created so much ice on the trees. Let's start talking about the climate crisis!
My friends from that area of the country are braying about how Global Warming is being disproven by the situation of today, because it is really cold. What maroons, to quote the philosopher of my childhood, Bugs Bunny.
Yup! I hear that all the time too. They don’t read or choose to inform themselves about why these extremes are happening. As you kindly put it, what maroons. And we are stuck living with such idiots. Mother Earth has every right to kick us off.
Ice storms are more the norm for Ft Worth. It’s definitely extreme that it’s cold all the way to Galveston! I do remember snow here as a kid that would last a day or two every few years. But a week? Still I have relatives that think this is all just nature’s way and global warming isn’t real. Maybe nature’s way of getting rid of humans!
I don’t understand why some people jump right to “blame” when something bad happens. How is this in any way Biden’s fault?!?!? And more importantly, why even try to blame the effects of a major weather event on a person unless the ultimate desired outcome is to fuel hatred and division. Then that begs the question- why are so many people so eager to promote hatred and division?? I just don’t get it 😢.
The distinction between blame and responsibility is an interesting one. I've seen blame be integral to abuse. It directs a lot of hostility at pushing its target down relative to the blamer. Caught up in that hostility is the energy that could have been used to address whatever the problem might be.
The last 40 years of radical right "conservatism" has made extensive use of that pattern. Drain resources toward the rich, then harness the frustration over lack of resources to demonize the Dems and get votes from the very people being harmed. The disgraced former president extended the practise to a virtual art form, collecting money from his voters based on his big lie that they were aggrieved and helpless while he shafted them along with everyone else.
You make a very compelling point. I have not been able to wrap my mind around the fact that the very people who suffer the most under republican leadership are the ones who continue to vote them in to power.
And this is the problem, in a nutshell. No matter what the reality is... if people are already indoctrinated to find fault with their perceived enemy (President Biden in this case) and they blame him, EVEN as that person works to help him, it seems as if there is no way to reach them. It’s incredibly frustrating.
Points to the need for the Democratic Party and the Biden administration to aggressively publicize all the things they do that make people's lives better -- and what the Repubicans do to try to prevent that.
Because their N°1 principle is that it can't be their fault....therefore it is someone else's. It's a lot easier to moan than to get yourself off your backside and get the problem fixed.....and in this case it sounds like underinvestment in the electrical distribution system and poor management of the maintenance and repair services.......a local affair!
Isn't it fascinating that they don't want the federal gubbament messing with their sovereignty, stay out of state affairs and block aid to local/state governments!! But as soon as a crisis hits their state it's all the FEDS FAULT for not jumping in to help them.
Agree. With events like this one, I tend to cancel out all the chatter and cacophony and turn immediately to this issue: power grids are very outdated forms of electricity; TX and other ‘sunny’ states should already be converting to solar power; climate change. These are the current issues. What am I doing in my life to address these and how may I support the hardest hit parts of America right now?
It does me know good, or solving the issue really, to blog are argue in real life with people about party politics, POTUS, etc etc.
Hmmm, more and more extreme weather events .... Maybe it has something to do with climate disruption. and maybe we should tackle it properly. For now nonpartisan assistance to Americans is the right move by the Biden admin.
And if it stays cold, swinging along to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys always heats things up. Aaah-HAAAH!!!
"Everbody complaining about the weather but nobody doing anything about it" is an old way of thinking. We can deal with climate change resulting in historically unusual weather by reducing fossil fuel usage as a start and it has to be on a world-wide basis. Rejoining the Paris accords is good.
Thanks, Denise, for keeping us informed. I was struck by the news that Texas was experiencing sub-freezing temps. To me that's what makes power outages so frightening.
I haven’t been struck by the rolling power outage. But yes! 1 degree right now. Yikes! Snow all the way to the beaches of The Gulf. Freezing ice/sleet/snow predicted for Tuesday night. Every county affected.
Schools had to give up on remote learning since power has been out. Don’t mess with Snow Days! Nature will find a way to make it happen!
Same as last year, being isolated doesn’t really change my lifestyle all that much. Thanks! I’m good! Me and my pets! 😊
We didn't fare so well in the greater Houston area. 12+ hours without power today - it got down to 44 in our house. Worse for many households in Houston proper. Truly a disaster.
Thanks for the well-wishes! We are warm at the moment. I’m sure our house would have been in the 30’s by morning if our power hadn’t come back up shortly before midnight.
Several areas came back up and went back down. People without heat are saying their house is in the 30s today. It is a huge disaster. The news report said ERCOT tried to pull Texas off the national grid so we don’t have any support system. They have failed epically! Stay Safe!
The high today here in central Texas was 21 degrees and the low is going to be about 4 degrees. Tomorrow will be better. The low predicted to be 23 degrees will be higher than today's high at 21 degrees. Rather twists the mind's logic, doesn't it.
Welcome to New England! Although it’s warmer in Boston this week than Texas. Sorry to you all. We expect that type of weather and are insulated against it.
Virginia, where I live, has its share of power outages, and has experienced single digits and even negative digits on occasion. A sure-fire way to prevent that (while we're waiting for a climate change correction) is to invest in a whole-house generator. After experiencing a six-day outage some years ago, we finally bought one. Since then our outages have been reduced to momentary blips, the longest having lasted an hour.
We bought a small generator after the derecho tore through the mid-Atlantic, leaving us without power. It will hold us long enough to transfer everything to family with a whole house generator, in case of major long-term winter outages.
I have family and friends in DFW. Some have heat, some don't. It's frightening. What I don't understand is how a power grid that can handle Texas summers can't handle a few days of freezing cold. WTF?
That's what I assumed -- that's how it happens here in Connecticut-- but I hadn't read anything in the local or national news explaining that. The rolling blackouts make it sound like the utility companies are doing this arbitrarily.
A friend down in Rockport has been without power during the entire time and they are not expecting to have any power for several more days. The town is almost out of gas. He is in a motel where there are only three people remaining; it is 40 degrees inside and they just got water back this morning.
That is probably due to transformers, which are above ground, being damaged. Most homes in our area have underground utilities, but ours are above ground because the builder would have been forced to blast through solid granite, at huge expense, in order to bury them. We've had neighbors' homes with underground utilities lose power while we kept ours, and it was due to their houses being serviced by different transformers from ours, and ours dodged the bullet.
Placing power and phone lines underground is a sensible precaution to ward off disaster. But the greater expense is an incentive to cut costs. leaving people vulnerable as in TX right now.
I have memories of ice similar storms in Montréal which was supplied by only three major high tension lines from Hydro sources in the north. Ice builds up, breaks the line in remote forest areas. When you only have 3 sources, losing one is difficult...but when 2 or more go down, you're in real trouble. Blackouts don't always have such happy outcomes as the rise in the birth-rate 9 months after the fabled black out of New York State a generation ago.......got to keep warm somehow!
I'm one of the lucky people who still has power (it was a whopping 14F degrees in Austin earlier and is 20F as I write this). I just received an email from the gas company, stating that some of the storage gas wells are freezing and there is now a possibility of a shortage. I do have a small space heater, but not many people have those on hand, and if there is no gas, then we're without heat and hot water.
Beginning Saturday, the night temperatures will remain above freezing, so that will help, but wow. This weather extends to the Gulf, and the beaches of Galveston are covered in ice and snow. Crazy weather!
Thank goodness, an end to the ban on earmarks! Before the ban, members of Congress could bargain with each other for real, tangible things that could benefit their districts, exhibiting the "self interest" deliberately harnessed by the Founders. In an excess of moralistic zeal, such earmarks were abolished. (Except for the billions of dollars granted by the Department of Transportation annually, most recently by Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao.)
After the earmarks ban, and with the advent of near-universal media, there were no more "backroom deals," and everything was aboveboard and before the camera. The only things a Congressperson could trade were soundbites, or protests of fealty, or demonstrations of loyalty to party or ideology.
Yay. Ideology has become paramount, and actually getting work done has become "giving in to the enemy," or "betraying one's principles." Frankly, I'd much rather one Member trade, for instance, free feed for llamas in Tennessee, to another Member in exchange for a vote for easier voting registration, like, everywhere. It's a manageable corruption, where taxpayer money is funneled to local projects that seem like nonsense everywhere else, but it still leads government onward and toward the needs of the people.
A fairly recent example is the "Bridge to Nowhere," where Sarah Palin sold out her own state in her hopes of national advancement. I was there, in Ketchikan, and saw that the proposed bridge, partially funded with federal funds, was actually the connection between the city of Ketchikan and it's international airport. Without the bridge, travelers had to board a ferry and cross a river to reach the airport. Calling it a "Bridge to Nowhere" made an ideological sham of the needs of the local community, and made fodder for sloppy journalists and venal politicians.
Please, let's restore earmarks and give Members of Congress real money to trade with each other. Without earmarks, competence in Congress, especially on the Republican side, has become measured by how little one can accomplish, all in the name of "purity" of values and ideology. Government, declared by Reagan to be the "problem," has become the whipping boy of the Right, instead of the valuable player in our society it rightfully is. Perhaps if we give to Congress, the Right as well as the Left, the power to grant governmental benefits, we can get them to agree that government, like business or religion, is simply a powerful social tool, useful for dealing with certain social ills.
And if it's accurate, so much the better! Please do fact check me -- I'm one of those odd fellows who laughs out loud when one of my premises is shown to be bogus. So many of my views are based on a lifetime of news observation, a process that guarantees a constant injection of bias and prejudice. I'm dying to find the "truth" behind modern conservative philosophy; what if there isn't any? Surely it's impossible that there is no valid opposition, no fact-based disagreement on social policy. Isn't it?
Kentucky profited from earmarks that McConnell used extensively. If earmarks are reinstated maybe McConnell will be less obstructionist so the Senate can actually do their job.
McTurtle's campaign benefited from Goodwife Chao's Labor budget dump right before the election. That and getting more votes than the number of voters. There's something rotten in the state of Kentucky.
Some of the rot is most likely related to the "curious" decision on the part of the Rusal oligarchs to build an aluminum processing plant within 3 months of the sanctions against Russia being dropped...Just sayin'
The phrase that summed it up for me in this Letter was quoted from The Washington Post,
"If most Republicans can’t even admit that what Trump did is worthy of impeachment, how can anyone imagine that they would be willing and trustworthy governing partners?”
Thanks your clear presentation of facts. Slightly off topic: during the impeachment trial, Rep. Ruskin read from the preamble of the Constitution. The phrase “promote the the general welfare”struck a cord. If that isn’t saying in clear language that the tole of government is to help the people, I don’t know what is.
Absolutely! I’ve long been cognizant of that phrase; it’s a gentle reminder that we are a work in progress. But for so long, I’ve been hearing that the Constitution is more about business and than people. So when Rep. Ruskin quoted the Preamble, I read the Constitution again.
I love what our new president is doing in so many ways. Going to Republican states to talk directly to the people, reevaluating earmarks to benefit state localities and non-profits, but not private companies.
I do wish he'd reconsider the way the $1,400 checks would be distributed. I'm one of millions of people who has not been affected financially by the pandemic and who lives comfortable on far less than $75,000. Many of us just don't need the check. It's a place where I think there is room to negotiate with Republicans.
I have friends who live in NYC who are desperate for the extra funds--because as academics they are making crap wages (for NYC) and they are paying student loans. I am single and I a not eligible for one of the checks--didn't get one the first time either--(I hold an endowed chair that tips me just over the limit) and I fell into the chasm of the Trump tax "cuts" so my tax bill has actually been about 20% higher than it was before Cheeto's shenanigans. But if you have any disposable income you feel you can do without, giving it to people in need is, in my opinion, the way to go: political activists, food banks, academic and arts institutions (who are keeping dancers and musicians on the payroll but without the benefit of ticket sales: this is employment for thousands and thousands of people)--whatever you feel strongly about. I have, this year, actually donated more than 25% of my annual income to charity because I am privileged and I can afford it.
I’m not rich by any stretch but I donated several chunks to feed and clothe those less fortunate from the last stimulus thru a friend who heads a charity at her church. I’ll do the same with the next one. It just feels right to me.
A couple I know in Schenectady,NY cashed their check and chose key bus stops where essential workers were arriving or leaving for work and handed out $50 bills and thanked them.
While I did donate to the arts and organizations, I should donate to the woman who paid for the plane-pulled banner in the sky over Mar-a-Lago that read "Trump is guilty lock him up"! Brilliant.
Hey, Pam. I, too, am not affected financially and have wondered how to give the money back that I have received. The best I came up with was upping my donations to the charities I support who are distributing groceries to the many in need.
Maybe donate to Stacey Abrams's Fair Fight or to Common Cause. These organizations are working hard to make the democratic reforms most people on this forum long for.
Lynell, yes! We did this as well, most focusing local organizations. In addition to our food bank, we chose a local organization that has long been providing emergency financial assistance (& more) focused on keeping families in their homes. (MetMin) This one may be off the critical path, but I thought that supporting a local organization that provides free long-term birth control to any woman in our area would help. (A Step Ahead Chattanooga) We did one disaster relief donation.
We did too. I gave my money to a local activist for some who needed a new furnace and to my pastor friend to use his discretion with people who need food, heating assistance or whatever. He is excellent in “qualifying” requests and stretching money as far as possible.
There is no need to support local performing arts groups so long as there are plenty of Trumpublican acting groups performing in State legislatures throughout the country before ignorant, gullible and bigoted audiences.
We are also financially ok so we donated every dime of our stimulus checks, and more, to food banks. Individuals can help get the federal money to those who need it most.
Thank you, Lynell and Jan and Marcy! Everyone who feels they don't need the Federal dollars/checks should take your lead and donate it to their local food bank or other charities. It's nice to think GOP members might want to negotiate on the COVID rescue package but we need to move that money to people ASAP
Yep, donated mine to Northwest Harvest here in Washington state. That was the first go ‘round. I haven’t seen one this cycle, yet. I am grateful every day I remain employed during these challenging times. And grateful I have a desk job I can do from home. So many others not able to.
So touched by this and by all the comments in this thread! I believe we're going to be alright when I see all the generous souls connected through HCR's community
If you have more to donate, here in Olympia, Olympia Mutual Aid Partners (OlyMAP) is raising emergency funds for replacement tents, tarps, heaters, and survival necessities for our houseless neighbors who have been affected by the unusually heavy snowstorms over the last week. Here's the link, if any others in WA state are looking for ways to help out close to home.
I did much the same. Bought meals and supplies for healthcare workers (from local restaurants, so a win-win), bought supplies and made masks Will do the same with any additional $$
I gave my first one right back to the IRS to pay the mountain of back taxes I owe for my failed small business due to Covid. Will do the same with 2nd check if it ever arrives.
I am so sorry, Tricia, for you and the other innumerable small business owners and their employees who have suffered from the necessary quarantine and lockdown measures. It is unconscionable that Congress is quibbling over helping states, local governments, and small business owners while continuing to shovel truckloads of corporate welfare to large corporations through tax cuts.
I also closed my small business because of COVID, but was very fortunate in not having any employees or much to pay in taxes for the short time in 2020 I was still working. I had already planned to retire in December 2020, so was not affected too badly. In order to better appreciate our own fixed but adequate retirement income, my spouse and I are donating monthly to a few non-profits we support and occasionally in other places where we can. I suspect that if the actually wealthy were willing to let as large a percentage of their inflated incomes go to benefit others as the less moneyed of us are, we wouldn't have any more unhoused and unfed children or adults.
Thank you for such a kind comment and thank you for your acts of civic kindnesses to others. It’s heartening to hear stories like yours.
My small business was only 5 years old and it was my retirement supplement as a single person who wanted to take early retirement at 62 (5 years from now). But alas I’ll most likely be working until 65 now. Not sure if my mental health and wellness can make it.
Thank you for words of encouragement. I appreciate it. I worked endlessly for 5 years to get it at a good place. I don’t think I have the energy to go at it again.
Since the Confederate White People's Treason and Insurrection Party only represents around 25% of the national electorate not, losing 20% of their voters puts them under 20% of the national electorate, leaving them an "outlier".
Even so, continue to treat them as the Dangerous Enemy they are. Whatever Democrats are going to do is going to have to start showing results a year from now if there's hope of holding the House and Senate. Start donating to and working for Democratic House candidates and state legislature candidates NOW.
A majority of people who register Independent lean Republican. That’s how Trump got 74 million votes and a few million more votes than that were cast for GOP congressional candidates, so there are a lot more than 25% who are likely to vote Republican. That’s one reason you’re right that now is the time to start working on 2022 at all levels. Invest in getting people to the polls. It takes ten to 100 times less effort to make sure a person who is likely to vote Democratic (as opposed to autocratic) is registered and casts a vote than it does to convert a misguided (to put it kindly) person with anti-Democratic inclinations.
No, a majority of Independents lean Democratic - these are the voters that gave wins to Dems in GA and AZ, where Repubs have a greater registration edge over the Dems. Secondly, the luster of conservatism has been bought by only a small segment of Indepdendents - this is how JoeB scored more than 82M votes, and trump popularity numbers never exceeded 42%. THIS is the ceiling of conservatism.
On issue after issue, whether it be universal health care, women’s rights to choice, care of the planet, tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, fair elections - conservatism will NOT score higher than 40%, in MOST polls.
So, well over half of the voters lean Democratic, this is why the Democratic Party has won the majority or plurality of votes in EVERY election but one since .... 1988!!
You’re right that people inclined to vote Democratic outnumber the rest of the electorate, but just by barely enough to overcome the advantages the Constitution gives Republicans in the Senate and Electoral College and the advantages they get by intentionally disenfranchising people in Democratic districts (manipulation of voting roles, limited voting days, placement of polling locations, gerrymandering, etc, all endorsed by the Roberts court). Dems have the numbers, but cashing in on them requires a monumental effort. Start now for 2022.
Down ballot republican candidates generally did better than Trump in the 2020 elections. More people liked their republican representatives than favored Trump - look at voting results in mostly White, wealthy suburbs. 3rd generation minority voters have been leaning more Republican in identification with White America. Pieces of the voting pie are movable.
I agree w the movability of the electorate, but the general trend is that the country is becoming more Democratic and liberal in composition, and therefore the “Blue” nature of once Republican strongholds like VA, CO, NM, NV and the movement in GA and here in AZ.
imho, we have suffered, in the lifetime of baby boomers, because the Democratic Party has NO underlying ethical or moral underpinning. We have an assortment of policies, seemingly unrelated. But conservatives have successfully framed our views in a derogatory manner, as “Big Govt”
Instead of saying, “We see big problems that necessitate BIG GOVERNMENT”, dems and liberals have cowered to an unrecognizable mish-mash of special interests, like environmentalists, feminists, minorities and some of the labor movement that is still left. Bernie Sanders always has a wonderful laundry list of the special interests of the FDR era 😂. The problem is, we number too few, and the vast majority does not IDENTIFY with these special interests
Left-of-center thinking sees the value of government, to address societal problems which are created by the free market. So, let’s trumpet our solutions.
I believe Joe Biden will do just this. And I hope we are behind him, and out in front in a sensible manner
The Democratic Party is underpinned by a belief in treating all Americans fairly. The Republican Party is underpinned by a belief in white supremacy, which makes the GOP the party with no ethical or moral underpinning.
Thank you, Professor Richardson for that bristling indictment of the current crop of Republican legislators, "... young Democrats have quite a deep bench of talent, especially in contrast to the younger Republicans, who seem to excel in media appearances more than in policy."
It conjured up an idea for a new campaign slogan: Results trump Rhetoric: Vote Democratic for Results!
The "young Democrats have a deep bench" statement was key for me as well. Those Young Democrats are our future. Older, long serving Democrats must now be willing to step aside and allow the young to step into leadership roles. They are bright, knowledgeable, capable and completely up to the task.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Just zeroing in on Biden's immediate support for
Texas as it confronts nature's wrath. While I surmise this will not change the minds of many "conservative" Texans, it still was IMHO the right and moral thing to do.
No reason to be up at this hour but the dog barked because the newspaper arrived hours ahead of schedule trying to beat the snow. Friends in Texas are worrying about pipes freezing.
So many numbers in today’s letter but they tell the story. Interesting contrast between Democratic rising stars and Republican. Biden reaching out to mayors and governors because they are- Americans.
I would not have given the former president credit for knowing that there were state Republican committees much less how to pack them. Always learn something here.
Right all you have to do is read the WSJ today and fear what Mitch has planned! It’s terrifying if he comes close to pulling it off! Much 2 be afraid of if he flips back the Senate in ‘22!
I'm seeing rumors of Lara Trump running for Richard Burr's seat. As my Aunt Mary used to say. "Give me strength!"
After the disaster Cal Cunningham's candidacy turned out to be, I hope the NCDP can find a squeaky-clean, unimpeachable (sorry) candidate to run against whomever the GOP puts up.
This is from an email that came to me from the owner of a brewery in Wisconsin. I live in Florida but somehow I received this and I’m glad I did. It is a company that is putting its money where its mouth is and is taking its business out of a bank that supported Republicans who voted to acquit Trump. If more businesses can be pressured in this way and if it can make a difference, maybe that’s one way to affect the system. I applaud this business!
“What do Incredible Bank and Aspirus have in Common?
They have branches and hospitals all throughout Central and Northern Wisconsin and are considered anchors of their communities.
In short, everyone who lives "Up North," which, because it's a red area in a swing state, has an undue amount of influence on the makeup of the U.S. Senate and future presidential elections, recognizes the names of these two businesses.
Unfortunately, they are also among the top 10 institutions who have donated to Congressman Tom Tiffany and Senator Ron Johnson, traitors to our country.
We’ve talked about Incredible Bank for two weeks now, and it’s time to for us to close the chapter on their support for Tom Tiffany and move onto Aspirus and its support of Ron Johnson, because Johnson’s vote to acquit Trump this weekend demands our attention and disgust.
But in order to close the Chapter, we must take action.
Today, the Minocqua Brewing Company and the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC will be moving its money out of Incredible Bank forever because they’ve failed to pledge that they will never again donate to the campaigns of Congressman Tom Tiffany, who signed onto a Texas lawsuit against Wisconsin and voted to overturn the results of our election, with no evidence that our election was rigged and after Trump lost 60 out of 62 lawsuits at all levels within our judicial system.
We have been chastised by the bank and the GOP for condemning the company based on the donations of the Nicklaus Brothers, Todd Nagel, and Glendon Peterson-- the owners, president, and CFO, respectively.
“Everyone has the right do donate privately to any politician, regardless of party. These are the actions of private citizens, not Incredible Bank as a whole,” said the Incredible Bank public relations department.
Pardon our French, but that’s bullshit, and everyone reading this email knows it. The actions of a company’s leaders, rightly or wrongly, reflect upon the company itself. As the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, I know all too well that what I do directly effects the health of my business. Lord knows I’d love to be more anonymous, but I’m not because my company is a very public part of my community.
Incredible Bank should stand for stability in the Northwoods, and the refusal of its four top leaders to make the simple pledge to stop donating to a congressman who voted to destabilize our democracy and in turn, our economy, doesn’t deserve to be the stewards of our money.
It’s that simple. If you’re an Incredible Bank customer and agree with our assessment, we encourage you to follow us and put your money in another bank that actually cares about stability, or at least has the foresight to understand that tacit support of sedition is destabilizing and should demand a public rebuke.
Now let’s move onto Aspirus.
Why on earth would the largest hospital chain in the Northwoods, whose nurses have been pushed the limits both physically and emotionally by a global pandemic and immense death, be donating so heavily to Ron Johnson, a man whose Covid denial is 2nd only to Donald Trump’s?
It’s the doctors.
Doctors Mark Hoffman, Joseph Gelling, David Tange, and Timothy Logemann have collectively donated over $38,000 to Johnson since 2016.
Do we condemn them for these donations? No. They primarily gave this money before the pandemic and before Johnson voted to acquit Donald Trump of impeachment, and we don’t care that these guys are Republican or that they have donated to Republicans in the past.
But we think that for the sake of their colleagues and patients, they need to collectively sign a pledge to never donate to Ron Johnson again.
Healthcare workers and patients have died unnecessarily because Ron Johnson and Donald Trump denied Covid and failed to protect us from the virus. These doctors, who took the Hippocratic oath to “do no harm,” can no longer donate to a man who has indirectly killed Wisconsinites by lying to them about medical science.
If they continue to donate to Johnson, they are showing that they care more about their pocketbooks than their patients, and we could never entrust our bodies to doctors who hold that philosophy.
And now that Johnson has voted to acquit Donald Trump after a slam-dunk case that proved he led an insurrection against his own country, it is morally imperative that the leaders of Aspirus Hospital, as well as the other companies in the Northwoods listed in the enclosed graph that have donated to Johnson in the past, pledge to no longer support him.
And we ask you, as people who have a choice in how you spend your money, and who hopefully have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare, use your voice and demand these companies do the right thing for their state and country and abandon politicians who lied to us and hurt us.
We've given you phone numbers and email addresses. Please use them.
Thanks for reading,
Kirk Bangstad, Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company
P.S. If you like the work we're doing as progressive watchdogs in Northern Wisconsin, and want to see more billboards, radio ads, and research that sheds a light on Republican corruption and insanity, please consider contributing to our Super PAC.
Thanks again for yet another informative letter. One additional item to supplement the message:
Of the seven Reps who voted guilty, if memory serves (which it doesn't always these days) none face re-election in 2022, either because they had chosen to retire (e.g. Burr) or because they are not up until later. These Senators, in other words, had no reascon to fear "getting primaried", as T. has explicitly said would be the fate of "weak" Rep Senators. "Getting primaried" is a recent addition to political English; it means the Trumpistas (earlier it was the Tea Party so-called "Freedom" Causcus) will find someone to oppose you in the Rep primary and knock you out before the general election. Due to ordinarily low turnout at primaries, the fanatics tend to have the upper hands, so this is not an empty threat. My guess is that, while an appallingly large number of Rep Senators are true Trumpistas, the majority, or at least enough to assure a "not guilty" verdict, were quaking in fear for their poor little political lives. Nancy Pelosi put it with characteristic clarity and bluntness at the press date for the House managers. She pointed out that many prople who are approached to run for Congress say they have "other options" to consider - which is why they were asked in the first place. "We don't want people in Congress who have no other options. So why is it that so many Republican Senators are afraid of losing their jobs?"
They all need to read Shirley Chisholm's Unbought and Unbossed. We need representatives like her, people with integrity who do what's right, people who will not sell their vote and who are not afraid of anyone.
For the most part the Dem establishment treated Bernie fairly. Remember, it would be easy to pass a rule requiring anyone seeking the party's nomination to be a member of the party. I honor Sen. Sanders for his principles, but refusing to join the party one wants to lead takes a certain amount of gall.
Murkowski from Alaska is the only Republican Senator up for reelection in 2022. But I read somewhere that she has a strong following in her state so she may not face backlash. Rumor has it that many who voted to acquit were fearful of theirs and their families' literal lives. Not cool.
Yes, I believe the militias played a significant part in many decisions. Hopefully, something can be done to designate them as terrorists, subject to federal charges, if possible.
Both are equally repulsive. I think independent voters of FL would reject Ivanka. But then, Rick Scott moved here from TN and bought the governorship. I'm just thinking a Dem could beat Ivanka. And removing Rubio's influence over the Cuban Americans in Miami would help.
Thanks for this, I had heard that Murkowski was up in 2022, so now the situation is clear. Apropos fear for your life - that was House Reps who claimed they'd been threatened, but maybe some Senators have gotten this also. Sad to say, death threats from fanatical Trumpistas have been coin of the realm for some time. T's defense attorneys might actually have known that, but that did not prevent them from dishing up the old line that it's the Dems who are trading in hate.
NPV is an attempt to repair the electoral college, by getting states that represent a majority of electoral college votes to agree to dedicate those votes to whoever wins the national popular vote.
Ranked choice voting is a change from the simple, winner-take-all systems we have in most states. With RCV, you rank all the choices in order. If no one gets a majority of first-choice votes that way, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated. Every vote dropped is redirected to the voter's second choice candidate. That keeps happening until there are however many winners are wanted. Usually that's one winner, not always.
In Alaska, there will be an open primary for all parties. The top four go to the general election. It's a great idea, because it benefits candidates with popular support rather than those with extremist support within one party.
Thank you, Joan. This is what I was looking for. My research did not produce the clarity about the NPV as you do here. Would a nation of RCVers eliminate the need for state legislature types who could possibly overturn voters' ballots?
If the Democrats don't kill the filibuster they will lose the House in 2022 b/c Republicans will say Democrats did nothing.
They still may lose the House if they do kill it but they might get the Senate so overloaded with Democrats they could tell the good filibuster loving Senators from AZ and WV to go take a flying .... at a rolling donut.
Plus look at all the stuff they could repair from the past and prevent from happening in the future.
E.J. Dionne lays it out perfectly. #killthefilibuster
On that same note, if ever there was a time to get statehood for Puerto Rico and/or Washington, D.C., this is it. It could help eliminate the Republican veto power and automatic structural advantage that the Republicans have in the Senate.
In addition, the voting rights acts (HR 1 and S.1) will only pass if the filibuster is removed as an obstacle. These acts are crucial as they expand voting in federal elections and block a lot of the voter suppression and gerry mandering that the R's are counting to expand minority rule.
Morning everyone! Stay warm! It is negative-10 here in KC; never got above 0 yesterday and they are very worried about our electric and gas grids because of the huge load on them. Fingers crossed we make it to the afternoon when finally things are going to start improving (a balmy 10 above 0 for this afternoon--which will feel a lot better when walking the dog!!)
This is the sentence in today's letter that flummoxes the daylights out of me: "Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly stand against the bill, in part because it calls for $350 billion to provide aid to states and cities." The execrable senators from Texas, who claim to hate "socialism," just hounded the POTUS about immediately sending emergency aid to TX to deal with the very real crisis of this insane weather mess. But these same execrables think that helping states and cities whose budgets have imploded because of the massive economic crisis caused by their Dear Leader is somehow a bridge too far??? What the heck???
I know that this has been a debate for months but what I do NOT understand is WHY IS THIS A DEBATE?
The Repugnicans have been blocking desperately needed aid to cities and states through the entire pandemic crisis. They keep calling it blue state bailouts. Never mind all those blue states consistently send more money to Washington than they get back, which is the opposite of red states.
I seem to remember HCR making the statement a while ago that the Repubs wanted blue states to fail so that they would go bankrupt and have to change the amount of aid given to the poor and contributions to their state pension systems.
The Senate adjourns with no COVID relief in sight. The $2000 checks, inadequate though they are to meet the need, we’re promised “immediately” and are no closer to reality. All of the political gamesmanship is fascinating, but will be lost on those who are not helped.
The term Immediate Relief has a very different meaning for The Haves and The Have Nots. The former, for the most part, don't understand what actual need is...what's another week here or there?
Oh please! I expected better of you , TC.. you may be educated and knowledgeable, but class and kindness are far more important values than your smug self satisfaction. Some people are in desperate need of the funds promised to them.. they needed them yesterday, not today. Some are losing homes and can’t afford to eat or pay bills. Some of us have been out of work for almost a year. As for the public school jab, I went to a very expensive private school and I wasn’t taught a single class about politics, government, or civics. You often have many valid contributions but please check your meanness at the door.
Appreciate your wit and educational corrections, but think your caustic barbs should be directed at elected officials and media who signed up and get paid to handle public praise and criticism. ❤️🤍💙
You really ought to know what the hell you're talking about before stepping up and publicly celebrating your political illiteracy - that's the crap Republicans do.
In fact, while the Senate was distracting your attention with the impeachment, and while the country thinks nothing is happening with the President's Day adjournment, Actual News is that the various House Committees wrapped up their work on the relief bill last week without the over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployables of the Washington Press Corpse knowing anything was happening. This week, the Budget Committee is meeting and putting all the pieces together into the comprehensive bill, which will go to Ways and Means next week and will be voted on shortly after the House returns on Monday. Then it goes to the Senate, where hopefully the signal McConnell sent Saturday will actually mean less obstructionist amendments to fight over, then it's voted on there. If there is any word change in the Senate, it has to go back to the House for a re-vote (this is what happened in 2010 with the ACA, which is how the public option was lost, thank you very much, alleged "Democrats" Joe Lie-berman and Max Balk-us).
If you hadn't slept through what passed for How A Bill Becomes A Law during your 12 years of having Public Miseducation inflicted on you, you would understand this. Hopefully, now you do. The legislative process is designed to be as difficult as possible, one of the not-so-beneficial benefits of our democratic government.
Are we supposed to look away from this rudeness? Do you plan to insult me, too, for calling you out for it? This is how Democrats lose elections. They turn on one another. Stop it.
Thanks for the info. This exactly the kind of lecture that means nothing to the people that heard “immediately” stated over and over at the first of the year. Have fun giving your civics lectures when the republicans take back the house and senate in 2022 after two years of non movement on real emergencies. I’m sure at least your smugness will survive the collapse of democracy.
TCinLA: Interested in your thoughts on the filibuster. If you have already expressed, please note date of HCR post. Or link to other writings. Thank you. ❤️🤍💙
Thanks for the detailed explanation of "congressional earmarks," Heather. I will try and read more about these and hope they make a difference for the American people. Very interesting.
As to the other portions of your letter, this was EVERYTHING:
"Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne noted that the adherence of all but seven senators to Trump “should end the absurd talk that there is a burden on President Biden to achieve a bipartisan nirvana in Washington. If most Republicans can’t even admit that what Trump did is worthy of impeachment, how can anyone imagine that they would be willing and trustworthy governing partners?”
Dionne added that the acquittal made an overwhelming case for getting rid of the filibuster, which in its current incarnation effectively means that no legislation can pass without support from 60 senators. Thanks to the 50-50 split in the Senate, getting to 60 means getting 10 Republican votes. This is impossible, Dionne says, because clearly “There are not 10 Republican Senate votes to be had on anything that really matters.”'
This is so true. Republican senators who did not vote for conviction are as bad as T---- and the insurrectionists themselves. Maybe worse. . .because of the power they continue to hold. As far as I'm concerned, they wanted the insurrection--even though they were in danger--because they do not like that Congress--the House especially--is looking more and more like America. They fear the loss of white supremacy. How do we work with people like that? We don't. We work right through them, we don't give up, give in, or go away. I am emboldened everyday by the younger people from every background in this country who are being elected into positions of power. If each one of us commits ourselves to work hard in our own communities to dismantle systemic racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and sexism, white supremacy as a power structure will collapse. White supremacists will never completely disappear, but white supremacy as a power structure MUST. That and only that will move us toward achieving this experiment we call Democracy. Only then can we begin to distribute wealth and power in this country.
Thanks again, Heather. This American needs your daily letters.
Excellent! As a recovering racist (I was born/raised in Alabama, and the first step to recovery is admission), I highly recommend this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0991331303/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_8M2RDMFAZDZNJS10KWQS
I agree, this is a good place to start if you're a middle aged white person. Please consider buying it from a locally owned independent bookstore, or if you don't have one near you, one that ships (many do!), rather than from Amazon. We need to keep these places open and Amazon has profitted enough from the pandemic.
It was my intention to promote the book, not the source. It's an excellent book that helps white people better understand White Privilege. This white author spent 25 years with best intentions-- wasted. Learn from other's mistakes. Let's not repeat them over and over.
Thank you, Beth, for that reminder. So many of my friends with the means to do so have upped their usage of Amazon during the pandemic. It's hard to convince them to give up funding Bezos' tax-free life completely, so when they are resistant, I suggest they at least order through smile.amazon.com - which provides the opportunity to donate a percentage of every purchase to a charity or non-profit of the buyer's choice.
Frugal Bookstore is a family-owned, small but high-quality Black-owned bookstore in Boston's Nubian Square. They will order and ship titles not in stock. The staff is VERY nice. Support the "rebels" against Amazon's evil empire!
https://frugalbookstore.net/
The Frugal children's section is particularly strong.
Amen! "Congress - the House especially - is looking more and more like America." You nailed it right there.
It also explains the lack of partisanship. If there is nothing in it "for me" why would the other side buy in. Clearly moral reasons are not enough. Follow the money.
In different areas, power is still out here in North central Texas. Dallas/Ft Worth area. It hasn’t been discriminating, rich and poor alike are hit by it. The affluent area of Southlake had to open a warming station. All hotel rooms sold out. My friends, a family recovering from Covid, didn’t have electricity to run the husband’s breathing treatments. They did get a hotel room.
There are people on Facebook saying this is all Biden’s fault. Because he’s proposed alternative energy to the beloved oil. But the council , ERCOT, formed to prevent this said they weren’t given the funds needed to fix these problems from Gov. Abbott. The energy company Oncor says as areas get back online they’ll start rolling blackouts again!
So many thanks to Biden! For being a president! No thanks to Abbott who continues to play the party politics.
Thanks for the summary, Heather! News here is all about the weather! ❄️
I'm in rural Texas about 70 miles northwest of San Antonio. It is 7 degrees right now and expected to go down to 4 degrees. Our rural electric cooperative seems to be doing an amazing job of keeping the electricity on. We've had a few flickers but no outages for which I am very grateful. The one thing I haven't heard anyone say to day is this storm which is setting records would seem to me to be part of the climate crisis. Global warming means storms become more and more intense and larger. We should be talking about the climate crisis while the weather has our attention. In my twenty years in Texas I'm never seen but a dusting of snow that melted almost as soon as it touched the ground. Now we have about three inches of snow which won't get a chance to melt for several more days. And we had an ice storm that has covered the trees with about 1/2 inch of ice around the branches and two inch icicles hanging on each and every leaf. The sparkle of the ice was beautiful in the sunshine this afternoon but this is very hard on the trees. Even when I lived in New England I remember some ice storms but never one that created so much ice on the trees. Let's start talking about the climate crisis!
My friends from that area of the country are braying about how Global Warming is being disproven by the situation of today, because it is really cold. What maroons, to quote the philosopher of my childhood, Bugs Bunny.
Yup! I hear that all the time too. They don’t read or choose to inform themselves about why these extremes are happening. As you kindly put it, what maroons. And we are stuck living with such idiots. Mother Earth has every right to kick us off.
Exactly - "How can global warming cause freezing cold, silly!" Maroons for sure.
Ice storms are more the norm for Ft Worth. It’s definitely extreme that it’s cold all the way to Galveston! I do remember snow here as a kid that would last a day or two every few years. But a week? Still I have relatives that think this is all just nature’s way and global warming isn’t real. Maybe nature’s way of getting rid of humans!
Exactly. See my comment up thread.
I don’t understand why some people jump right to “blame” when something bad happens. How is this in any way Biden’s fault?!?!? And more importantly, why even try to blame the effects of a major weather event on a person unless the ultimate desired outcome is to fuel hatred and division. Then that begs the question- why are so many people so eager to promote hatred and division?? I just don’t get it 😢.
The distinction between blame and responsibility is an interesting one. I've seen blame be integral to abuse. It directs a lot of hostility at pushing its target down relative to the blamer. Caught up in that hostility is the energy that could have been used to address whatever the problem might be.
The last 40 years of radical right "conservatism" has made extensive use of that pattern. Drain resources toward the rich, then harness the frustration over lack of resources to demonize the Dems and get votes from the very people being harmed. The disgraced former president extended the practise to a virtual art form, collecting money from his voters based on his big lie that they were aggrieved and helpless while he shafted them along with everyone else.
You make a very compelling point. I have not been able to wrap my mind around the fact that the very people who suffer the most under republican leadership are the ones who continue to vote them in to power.
There 'tis in a nurshell. We the People, All of Us This Tme, have so much work to do.
WTPAOUTT
Great phrase
And this is the problem, in a nutshell. No matter what the reality is... if people are already indoctrinated to find fault with their perceived enemy (President Biden in this case) and they blame him, EVEN as that person works to help him, it seems as if there is no way to reach them. It’s incredibly frustrating.
Points to the need for the Democratic Party and the Biden administration to aggressively publicize all the things they do that make people's lives better -- and what the Repubicans do to try to prevent that.
YES!
Because their N°1 principle is that it can't be their fault....therefore it is someone else's. It's a lot easier to moan than to get yourself off your backside and get the problem fixed.....and in this case it sounds like underinvestment in the electrical distribution system and poor management of the maintenance and repair services.......a local affair!
Isn't it fascinating that they don't want the federal gubbament messing with their sovereignty, stay out of state affairs and block aid to local/state governments!! But as soon as a crisis hits their state it's all the FEDS FAULT for not jumping in to help them.
Not much you can do with bad faith.
And yet they blame Biden, who is providing aid. The madness continues.
Agree. With events like this one, I tend to cancel out all the chatter and cacophony and turn immediately to this issue: power grids are very outdated forms of electricity; TX and other ‘sunny’ states should already be converting to solar power; climate change. These are the current issues. What am I doing in my life to address these and how may I support the hardest hit parts of America right now?
It does me know good, or solving the issue really, to blog are argue in real life with people about party politics, POTUS, etc etc.
When ya got nothin' practical or helpful, blame's the only game.
Stay safe and warm, Denise. I'm sorry Texas is in such a terrible situation right now.
Thanks! So far I’m pretty toasty so far!
Hmmm, more and more extreme weather events .... Maybe it has something to do with climate disruption. and maybe we should tackle it properly. For now nonpartisan assistance to Americans is the right move by the Biden admin.
And if it stays cold, swinging along to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys always heats things up. Aaah-HAAAH!!!
"Everbody complaining about the weather but nobody doing anything about it" is an old way of thinking. We can deal with climate change resulting in historically unusual weather by reducing fossil fuel usage as a start and it has to be on a world-wide basis. Rejoining the Paris accords is good.
Or Asleep at the Wheel!
Oh yeah
Thanks, Denise, for keeping us informed. I was struck by the news that Texas was experiencing sub-freezing temps. To me that's what makes power outages so frightening.
Hoping for the best for you in the coming days.
I haven’t been struck by the rolling power outage. But yes! 1 degree right now. Yikes! Snow all the way to the beaches of The Gulf. Freezing ice/sleet/snow predicted for Tuesday night. Every county affected.
Schools had to give up on remote learning since power has been out. Don’t mess with Snow Days! Nature will find a way to make it happen!
Same as last year, being isolated doesn’t really change my lifestyle all that much. Thanks! I’m good! Me and my pets! 😊
We didn't fare so well in the greater Houston area. 12+ hours without power today - it got down to 44 in our house. Worse for many households in Houston proper. Truly a disaster.
Take care Judy! And be safe!
Thanks for the well-wishes! We are warm at the moment. I’m sure our house would have been in the 30’s by morning if our power hadn’t come back up shortly before midnight.
That's a relief!
I hope you and yours are not suffering!
Several areas came back up and went back down. People without heat are saying their house is in the 30s today. It is a huge disaster. The news report said ERCOT tried to pull Texas off the national grid so we don’t have any support system. They have failed epically! Stay Safe!
Good to hear, Denise!
The high today here in central Texas was 21 degrees and the low is going to be about 4 degrees. Tomorrow will be better. The low predicted to be 23 degrees will be higher than today's high at 21 degrees. Rather twists the mind's logic, doesn't it.
Welcome to New England! Although it’s warmer in Boston this week than Texas. Sorry to you all. We expect that type of weather and are insulated against it.
Virginia, where I live, has its share of power outages, and has experienced single digits and even negative digits on occasion. A sure-fire way to prevent that (while we're waiting for a climate change correction) is to invest in a whole-house generator. After experiencing a six-day outage some years ago, we finally bought one. Since then our outages have been reduced to momentary blips, the longest having lasted an hour.
Part of the problem in OK is that gas pipes are freezing, cutting off supply and raising rates to as high as they can legally go.
We bought a small generator after the derecho tore through the mid-Atlantic, leaving us without power. It will hold us long enough to transfer everything to family with a whole house generator, in case of major long-term winter outages.
International Falls MN is temporarily located in TX this week.
Wood stove here in Michigan. And long underwear. Wishing you sunshine and warmth.
What a great way for the people in Texas to start to understand CLIMATE CHANGE! If they can stop blaming Biden who has been in office a mirror month!!
I have family and friends in DFW. Some have heat, some don't. It's frightening. What I don't understand is how a power grid that can handle Texas summers can't handle a few days of freezing cold. WTF?
I just read a story that stated the generating equipment is literally shutting itself down because of the extreme cold. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2021/02/15/dallas-winter-storm-freeze.html
That's what I assumed -- that's how it happens here in Connecticut-- but I hadn't read anything in the local or national news explaining that. The rolling blackouts make it sound like the utility companies are doing this arbitrarily.
It's a question of "load mnagement"....shring out a reduced power level so everyone gets a bit.
If I understand the theory of rolling blackouts - I may be wrong - the goal is to reduce excess demand in a way that equalizes the harm over time.
Yes, but some friends report no rolling at all, just hours and hours of blackout.
A friend down in Rockport has been without power during the entire time and they are not expecting to have any power for several more days. The town is almost out of gas. He is in a motel where there are only three people remaining; it is 40 degrees inside and they just got water back this morning.
Also, a friend who lives in a relatively new community outside Dallas where the power lines are underground, is still suffering blackouts.
really. I was just wondering about underground lines. But I guess they still connect somewhere and transformers are going out so all power goes down.
That is probably due to transformers, which are above ground, being damaged. Most homes in our area have underground utilities, but ours are above ground because the builder would have been forced to blast through solid granite, at huge expense, in order to bury them. We've had neighbors' homes with underground utilities lose power while we kept ours, and it was due to their houses being serviced by different transformers from ours, and ours dodged the bullet.
Also, the generators are apparently shutting themselves down. They are not sufficiently insulated, I guess. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2021/02/15/dallas-winter-storm-freeze.html
Placing power and phone lines underground is a sensible precaution to ward off disaster. But the greater expense is an incentive to cut costs. leaving people vulnerable as in TX right now.
I have memories of ice similar storms in Montréal which was supplied by only three major high tension lines from Hydro sources in the north. Ice builds up, breaks the line in remote forest areas. When you only have 3 sources, losing one is difficult...but when 2 or more go down, you're in real trouble. Blackouts don't always have such happy outcomes as the rise in the birth-rate 9 months after the fabled black out of New York State a generation ago.......got to keep warm somehow!
It's my understanding that heating in Quebec is mostly electric because of the availability of hydro power. So power outages would be severe/
I'm one of the lucky people who still has power (it was a whopping 14F degrees in Austin earlier and is 20F as I write this). I just received an email from the gas company, stating that some of the storage gas wells are freezing and there is now a possibility of a shortage. I do have a small space heater, but not many people have those on hand, and if there is no gas, then we're without heat and hot water.
Beginning Saturday, the night temperatures will remain above freezing, so that will help, but wow. This weather extends to the Gulf, and the beaches of Galveston are covered in ice and snow. Crazy weather!
Thank goodness, an end to the ban on earmarks! Before the ban, members of Congress could bargain with each other for real, tangible things that could benefit their districts, exhibiting the "self interest" deliberately harnessed by the Founders. In an excess of moralistic zeal, such earmarks were abolished. (Except for the billions of dollars granted by the Department of Transportation annually, most recently by Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao.)
After the earmarks ban, and with the advent of near-universal media, there were no more "backroom deals," and everything was aboveboard and before the camera. The only things a Congressperson could trade were soundbites, or protests of fealty, or demonstrations of loyalty to party or ideology.
Yay. Ideology has become paramount, and actually getting work done has become "giving in to the enemy," or "betraying one's principles." Frankly, I'd much rather one Member trade, for instance, free feed for llamas in Tennessee, to another Member in exchange for a vote for easier voting registration, like, everywhere. It's a manageable corruption, where taxpayer money is funneled to local projects that seem like nonsense everywhere else, but it still leads government onward and toward the needs of the people.
A fairly recent example is the "Bridge to Nowhere," where Sarah Palin sold out her own state in her hopes of national advancement. I was there, in Ketchikan, and saw that the proposed bridge, partially funded with federal funds, was actually the connection between the city of Ketchikan and it's international airport. Without the bridge, travelers had to board a ferry and cross a river to reach the airport. Calling it a "Bridge to Nowhere" made an ideological sham of the needs of the local community, and made fodder for sloppy journalists and venal politicians.
Please, let's restore earmarks and give Members of Congress real money to trade with each other. Without earmarks, competence in Congress, especially on the Republican side, has become measured by how little one can accomplish, all in the name of "purity" of values and ideology. Government, declared by Reagan to be the "problem," has become the whipping boy of the Right, instead of the valuable player in our society it rightfully is. Perhaps if we give to Congress, the Right as well as the Left, the power to grant governmental benefits, we can get them to agree that government, like business or religion, is simply a powerful social tool, useful for dealing with certain social ills.
Thanks, Dan. Your explanation of earmarks informs me immensely.
And if it's accurate, so much the better! Please do fact check me -- I'm one of those odd fellows who laughs out loud when one of my premises is shown to be bogus. So many of my views are based on a lifetime of news observation, a process that guarantees a constant injection of bias and prejudice. I'm dying to find the "truth" behind modern conservative philosophy; what if there isn't any? Surely it's impossible that there is no valid opposition, no fact-based disagreement on social policy. Isn't it?
Stuart Stevens said, “It Was All a Lie.” His book about the Republicans is quite interesting.
Kentucky profited from earmarks that McConnell used extensively. If earmarks are reinstated maybe McConnell will be less obstructionist so the Senate can actually do their job.
As long as he's in a minority and the process is open and well managed
McTurtle's campaign benefited from Goodwife Chao's Labor budget dump right before the election. That and getting more votes than the number of voters. There's something rotten in the state of Kentucky.
Some of the rot is most likely related to the "curious" decision on the part of the Rusal oligarchs to build an aluminum processing plant within 3 months of the sanctions against Russia being dropped...Just sayin'
Thanks, B. We need details on other states and locales. Keep sharing.
Thank you, Dr Heather.
The phrase that summed it up for me in this Letter was quoted from The Washington Post,
"If most Republicans can’t even admit that what Trump did is worthy of impeachment, how can anyone imagine that they would be willing and trustworthy governing partners?”
Smh.
Right smh! R we Doomed?
Only if we don't act to save our democracy.
BTW, which one is you in the photo, Donald? (I bet you do the blocking.)
It's absolutely appalling. Smh right along with you.
Thanks your clear presentation of facts. Slightly off topic: during the impeachment trial, Rep. Ruskin read from the preamble of the Constitution. The phrase “promote the the general welfare”struck a cord. If that isn’t saying in clear language that the tole of government is to help the people, I don’t know what is.
It's a most important phrase. As is "a more perfect Union," a goal to always pursue.
Absolutely! I’ve long been cognizant of that phrase; it’s a gentle reminder that we are a work in progress. But for so long, I’ve been hearing that the Constitution is more about business and than people. So when Rep. Ruskin quoted the Preamble, I read the Constitution again.
I love what our new president is doing in so many ways. Going to Republican states to talk directly to the people, reevaluating earmarks to benefit state localities and non-profits, but not private companies.
I do wish he'd reconsider the way the $1,400 checks would be distributed. I'm one of millions of people who has not been affected financially by the pandemic and who lives comfortable on far less than $75,000. Many of us just don't need the check. It's a place where I think there is room to negotiate with Republicans.
I have friends who live in NYC who are desperate for the extra funds--because as academics they are making crap wages (for NYC) and they are paying student loans. I am single and I a not eligible for one of the checks--didn't get one the first time either--(I hold an endowed chair that tips me just over the limit) and I fell into the chasm of the Trump tax "cuts" so my tax bill has actually been about 20% higher than it was before Cheeto's shenanigans. But if you have any disposable income you feel you can do without, giving it to people in need is, in my opinion, the way to go: political activists, food banks, academic and arts institutions (who are keeping dancers and musicians on the payroll but without the benefit of ticket sales: this is employment for thousands and thousands of people)--whatever you feel strongly about. I have, this year, actually donated more than 25% of my annual income to charity because I am privileged and I can afford it.
I’m not rich by any stretch but I donated several chunks to feed and clothe those less fortunate from the last stimulus thru a friend who heads a charity at her church. I’ll do the same with the next one. It just feels right to me.
A couple I know in Schenectady,NY cashed their check and chose key bus stops where essential workers were arriving or leaving for work and handed out $50 bills and thanked them.
While I did donate to the arts and organizations, I should donate to the woman who paid for the plane-pulled banner in the sky over Mar-a-Lago that read "Trump is guilty lock him up"! Brilliant.
Hey, Pam. I, too, am not affected financially and have wondered how to give the money back that I have received. The best I came up with was upping my donations to the charities I support who are distributing groceries to the many in need.
Maybe donate to Stacey Abrams's Fair Fight or to Common Cause. These organizations are working hard to make the democratic reforms most people on this forum long for.
Lynell, yes! We did this as well, most focusing local organizations. In addition to our food bank, we chose a local organization that has long been providing emergency financial assistance (& more) focused on keeping families in their homes. (MetMin) This one may be off the critical path, but I thought that supporting a local organization that provides free long-term birth control to any woman in our area would help. (A Step Ahead Chattanooga) We did one disaster relief donation.
We did too. I gave my money to a local activist for some who needed a new furnace and to my pastor friend to use his discretion with people who need food, heating assistance or whatever. He is excellent in “qualifying” requests and stretching money as far as possible.
Marcy, so wonderful to hear!
We donated ours to local performing arts groups that are in danger.
There is no need to support local performing arts groups so long as there are plenty of Trumpublican acting groups performing in State legislatures throughout the country before ignorant, gullible and bigoted audiences.
I get the joke, but the performing arts are always scrambling for funding, and now without audiences, they must be in extremely dire straits.
Of course. Locally, performing arts groups are right in line behind food banks in priority lists for those able to donate.
It's a good joke without mentioning actual arts groups.
Good on you, Jan!!
We are also financially ok so we donated every dime of our stimulus checks, and more, to food banks. Individuals can help get the federal money to those who need it most.
Hey, Jackie, if we're not careful, this could turn out to be a trend going forward!
Make it so.
Thank you, Lynell and Jan and Marcy! Everyone who feels they don't need the Federal dollars/checks should take your lead and donate it to their local food bank or other charities. It's nice to think GOP members might want to negotiate on the COVID rescue package but we need to move that money to people ASAP
A humble thanks, Claire!
Ditto!
Yep, donated mine to Northwest Harvest here in Washington state. That was the first go ‘round. I haven’t seen one this cycle, yet. I am grateful every day I remain employed during these challenging times. And grateful I have a desk job I can do from home. So many others not able to.
So touched by this and by all the comments in this thread! I believe we're going to be alright when I see all the generous souls connected through HCR's community
If you have more to donate, here in Olympia, Olympia Mutual Aid Partners (OlyMAP) is raising emergency funds for replacement tents, tarps, heaters, and survival necessities for our houseless neighbors who have been affected by the unusually heavy snowstorms over the last week. Here's the link, if any others in WA state are looking for ways to help out close to home.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/snowstorm-support-our-houseless-community?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cp_guide_do&memberId=8662430
So glad to hear. We're on a roll here!
Multigrain, I hope ... more diverse and inclusive.
I did much the same. Bought meals and supplies for healthcare workers (from local restaurants, so a win-win), bought supplies and made masks Will do the same with any additional $$
I gave my first one right back to the IRS to pay the mountain of back taxes I owe for my failed small business due to Covid. Will do the same with 2nd check if it ever arrives.
I am so sorry, Tricia, for you and the other innumerable small business owners and their employees who have suffered from the necessary quarantine and lockdown measures. It is unconscionable that Congress is quibbling over helping states, local governments, and small business owners while continuing to shovel truckloads of corporate welfare to large corporations through tax cuts.
I also closed my small business because of COVID, but was very fortunate in not having any employees or much to pay in taxes for the short time in 2020 I was still working. I had already planned to retire in December 2020, so was not affected too badly. In order to better appreciate our own fixed but adequate retirement income, my spouse and I are donating monthly to a few non-profits we support and occasionally in other places where we can. I suspect that if the actually wealthy were willing to let as large a percentage of their inflated incomes go to benefit others as the less moneyed of us are, we wouldn't have any more unhoused and unfed children or adults.
Thank you for such a kind comment and thank you for your acts of civic kindnesses to others. It’s heartening to hear stories like yours.
My small business was only 5 years old and it was my retirement supplement as a single person who wanted to take early retirement at 62 (5 years from now). But alas I’ll most likely be working until 65 now. Not sure if my mental health and wellness can make it.
Good luck Tricia, and hopefully your business comes back. If still operating, LFAAers may well give you the business, in the good sense.
What does LFAA mean? I've seen it used a few times here & haven't been able to decode it.
Letters from An American .. the name of this blog.
Thank you for words of encouragement. I appreciate it. I worked endlessly for 5 years to get it at a good place. I don’t think I have the energy to go at it again.
I'm really sorry to hear this, Tricia. Hoping 2021 will be a better year for you
Since the Confederate White People's Treason and Insurrection Party only represents around 25% of the national electorate not, losing 20% of their voters puts them under 20% of the national electorate, leaving them an "outlier".
Even so, continue to treat them as the Dangerous Enemy they are. Whatever Democrats are going to do is going to have to start showing results a year from now if there's hope of holding the House and Senate. Start donating to and working for Democratic House candidates and state legislature candidates NOW.
A majority of people who register Independent lean Republican. That’s how Trump got 74 million votes and a few million more votes than that were cast for GOP congressional candidates, so there are a lot more than 25% who are likely to vote Republican. That’s one reason you’re right that now is the time to start working on 2022 at all levels. Invest in getting people to the polls. It takes ten to 100 times less effort to make sure a person who is likely to vote Democratic (as opposed to autocratic) is registered and casts a vote than it does to convert a misguided (to put it kindly) person with anti-Democratic inclinations.
No, a majority of Independents lean Democratic - these are the voters that gave wins to Dems in GA and AZ, where Repubs have a greater registration edge over the Dems. Secondly, the luster of conservatism has been bought by only a small segment of Indepdendents - this is how JoeB scored more than 82M votes, and trump popularity numbers never exceeded 42%. THIS is the ceiling of conservatism.
On issue after issue, whether it be universal health care, women’s rights to choice, care of the planet, tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, fair elections - conservatism will NOT score higher than 40%, in MOST polls.
So, well over half of the voters lean Democratic, this is why the Democratic Party has won the majority or plurality of votes in EVERY election but one since .... 1988!!
You’re right that people inclined to vote Democratic outnumber the rest of the electorate, but just by barely enough to overcome the advantages the Constitution gives Republicans in the Senate and Electoral College and the advantages they get by intentionally disenfranchising people in Democratic districts (manipulation of voting roles, limited voting days, placement of polling locations, gerrymandering, etc, all endorsed by the Roberts court). Dems have the numbers, but cashing in on them requires a monumental effort. Start now for 2022.
Down ballot republican candidates generally did better than Trump in the 2020 elections. More people liked their republican representatives than favored Trump - look at voting results in mostly White, wealthy suburbs. 3rd generation minority voters have been leaning more Republican in identification with White America. Pieces of the voting pie are movable.
I agree w the movability of the electorate, but the general trend is that the country is becoming more Democratic and liberal in composition, and therefore the “Blue” nature of once Republican strongholds like VA, CO, NM, NV and the movement in GA and here in AZ.
imho, we have suffered, in the lifetime of baby boomers, because the Democratic Party has NO underlying ethical or moral underpinning. We have an assortment of policies, seemingly unrelated. But conservatives have successfully framed our views in a derogatory manner, as “Big Govt”
Instead of saying, “We see big problems that necessitate BIG GOVERNMENT”, dems and liberals have cowered to an unrecognizable mish-mash of special interests, like environmentalists, feminists, minorities and some of the labor movement that is still left. Bernie Sanders always has a wonderful laundry list of the special interests of the FDR era 😂. The problem is, we number too few, and the vast majority does not IDENTIFY with these special interests
Left-of-center thinking sees the value of government, to address societal problems which are created by the free market. So, let’s trumpet our solutions.
I believe Joe Biden will do just this. And I hope we are behind him, and out in front in a sensible manner
Simple, isn’t it? hahahaaa 😀
The Democratic Party is underpinned by a belief in treating all Americans fairly. The Republican Party is underpinned by a belief in white supremacy, which makes the GOP the party with no ethical or moral underpinning.
Thank you, Professor Richardson for that bristling indictment of the current crop of Republican legislators, "... young Democrats have quite a deep bench of talent, especially in contrast to the younger Republicans, who seem to excel in media appearances more than in policy."
It conjured up an idea for a new campaign slogan: Results trump Rhetoric: Vote Democratic for Results!
The "young Democrats have a deep bench" statement was key for me as well. Those Young Democrats are our future. Older, long serving Democrats must now be willing to step aside and allow the young to step into leadership roles. They are bright, knowledgeable, capable and completely up to the task.
I expect/hope it will happen in an organic way.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Just zeroing in on Biden's immediate support for
Texas as it confronts nature's wrath. While I surmise this will not change the minds of many "conservative" Texans, it still was IMHO the right and moral thing to do.
Just remember that Texas is turning blue ... both politically and with the cold weather!
LOL, Cathy. I am mindful of that! Will check on you all in 2022. Hope for now you are able to stay warm.
No reason to be up at this hour but the dog barked because the newspaper arrived hours ahead of schedule trying to beat the snow. Friends in Texas are worrying about pipes freezing.
So many numbers in today’s letter but they tell the story. Interesting contrast between Democratic rising stars and Republican. Biden reaching out to mayors and governors because they are- Americans.
I would not have given the former president credit for knowing that there were state Republican committees much less how to pack them. Always learn something here.
Stay safe everyone.
Steadily and surely, Biden follows a course that will win much of the country to his side.
I think you’re right about Biden.
Thanks Liz. Great minds think alike, and then there's us ....
He himself didn’t do it. Just like he didn’t actually choose judges to cram in or moles to burrow into our institutions. He let his gargoyles loose.
John M ...However, Moscow Mitch does know how to pack...(courts at least)Just sayin'!
Right all you have to do is read the WSJ today and fear what Mitch has planned! It’s terrifying if he comes close to pulling it off! Much 2 be afraid of if he flips back the Senate in ‘22!
I'm seeing rumors of Lara Trump running for Richard Burr's seat. As my Aunt Mary used to say. "Give me strength!"
After the disaster Cal Cunningham's candidacy turned out to be, I hope the NCDP can find a squeaky-clean, unimpeachable (sorry) candidate to run against whomever the GOP puts up.
I doubt 45 did know much about state Republican committees. I would guess someone in his orbit told him about them.
Yea, but would he have listened?
If he thought the idea was a means of vengeance on his “enemies” he’d probably listen.
Love your snark about T's knowledge about state committees.
This is from an email that came to me from the owner of a brewery in Wisconsin. I live in Florida but somehow I received this and I’m glad I did. It is a company that is putting its money where its mouth is and is taking its business out of a bank that supported Republicans who voted to acquit Trump. If more businesses can be pressured in this way and if it can make a difference, maybe that’s one way to affect the system. I applaud this business!
“What do Incredible Bank and Aspirus have in Common?
They have branches and hospitals all throughout Central and Northern Wisconsin and are considered anchors of their communities.
In short, everyone who lives "Up North," which, because it's a red area in a swing state, has an undue amount of influence on the makeup of the U.S. Senate and future presidential elections, recognizes the names of these two businesses.
Unfortunately, they are also among the top 10 institutions who have donated to Congressman Tom Tiffany and Senator Ron Johnson, traitors to our country.
We’ve talked about Incredible Bank for two weeks now, and it’s time to for us to close the chapter on their support for Tom Tiffany and move onto Aspirus and its support of Ron Johnson, because Johnson’s vote to acquit Trump this weekend demands our attention and disgust.
But in order to close the Chapter, we must take action.
Today, the Minocqua Brewing Company and the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC will be moving its money out of Incredible Bank forever because they’ve failed to pledge that they will never again donate to the campaigns of Congressman Tom Tiffany, who signed onto a Texas lawsuit against Wisconsin and voted to overturn the results of our election, with no evidence that our election was rigged and after Trump lost 60 out of 62 lawsuits at all levels within our judicial system.
We have been chastised by the bank and the GOP for condemning the company based on the donations of the Nicklaus Brothers, Todd Nagel, and Glendon Peterson-- the owners, president, and CFO, respectively.
“Everyone has the right do donate privately to any politician, regardless of party. These are the actions of private citizens, not Incredible Bank as a whole,” said the Incredible Bank public relations department.
Pardon our French, but that’s bullshit, and everyone reading this email knows it. The actions of a company’s leaders, rightly or wrongly, reflect upon the company itself. As the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, I know all too well that what I do directly effects the health of my business. Lord knows I’d love to be more anonymous, but I’m not because my company is a very public part of my community.
Incredible Bank should stand for stability in the Northwoods, and the refusal of its four top leaders to make the simple pledge to stop donating to a congressman who voted to destabilize our democracy and in turn, our economy, doesn’t deserve to be the stewards of our money.
It’s that simple. If you’re an Incredible Bank customer and agree with our assessment, we encourage you to follow us and put your money in another bank that actually cares about stability, or at least has the foresight to understand that tacit support of sedition is destabilizing and should demand a public rebuke.
Now let’s move onto Aspirus.
Why on earth would the largest hospital chain in the Northwoods, whose nurses have been pushed the limits both physically and emotionally by a global pandemic and immense death, be donating so heavily to Ron Johnson, a man whose Covid denial is 2nd only to Donald Trump’s?
It’s the doctors.
Doctors Mark Hoffman, Joseph Gelling, David Tange, and Timothy Logemann have collectively donated over $38,000 to Johnson since 2016.
Do we condemn them for these donations? No. They primarily gave this money before the pandemic and before Johnson voted to acquit Donald Trump of impeachment, and we don’t care that these guys are Republican or that they have donated to Republicans in the past.
But we think that for the sake of their colleagues and patients, they need to collectively sign a pledge to never donate to Ron Johnson again.
Healthcare workers and patients have died unnecessarily because Ron Johnson and Donald Trump denied Covid and failed to protect us from the virus. These doctors, who took the Hippocratic oath to “do no harm,” can no longer donate to a man who has indirectly killed Wisconsinites by lying to them about medical science.
If they continue to donate to Johnson, they are showing that they care more about their pocketbooks than their patients, and we could never entrust our bodies to doctors who hold that philosophy.
And now that Johnson has voted to acquit Donald Trump after a slam-dunk case that proved he led an insurrection against his own country, it is morally imperative that the leaders of Aspirus Hospital, as well as the other companies in the Northwoods listed in the enclosed graph that have donated to Johnson in the past, pledge to no longer support him.
And we ask you, as people who have a choice in how you spend your money, and who hopefully have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare, use your voice and demand these companies do the right thing for their state and country and abandon politicians who lied to us and hurt us.
We've given you phone numbers and email addresses. Please use them.
Thanks for reading,
Kirk Bangstad, Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company
P.S. If you like the work we're doing as progressive watchdogs in Northern Wisconsin, and want to see more billboards, radio ads, and research that sheds a light on Republican corruption and insanity, please consider contributing to our Super PAC.
Donate to SuperPAC”
Wow, that’s great! Hopefully this will get picked up nationally.
Thanks for the activism and the report from the north country.
Texas Republicans: We want to secede from the United States!
Also Texas Republicans: Hey, can we have some federal funds to help deal with cold and snow?
Also, as a state government, we're climate change deniers, but please send us money to deal with this weather we shouldn't be having.......again.
That was one of my first thoughts, too!!
Thanks again for yet another informative letter. One additional item to supplement the message:
Of the seven Reps who voted guilty, if memory serves (which it doesn't always these days) none face re-election in 2022, either because they had chosen to retire (e.g. Burr) or because they are not up until later. These Senators, in other words, had no reascon to fear "getting primaried", as T. has explicitly said would be the fate of "weak" Rep Senators. "Getting primaried" is a recent addition to political English; it means the Trumpistas (earlier it was the Tea Party so-called "Freedom" Causcus) will find someone to oppose you in the Rep primary and knock you out before the general election. Due to ordinarily low turnout at primaries, the fanatics tend to have the upper hands, so this is not an empty threat. My guess is that, while an appallingly large number of Rep Senators are true Trumpistas, the majority, or at least enough to assure a "not guilty" verdict, were quaking in fear for their poor little political lives. Nancy Pelosi put it with characteristic clarity and bluntness at the press date for the House managers. She pointed out that many prople who are approached to run for Congress say they have "other options" to consider - which is why they were asked in the first place. "We don't want people in Congress who have no other options. So why is it that so many Republican Senators are afraid of losing their jobs?"
They all need to read Shirley Chisholm's Unbought and Unbossed. We need representatives like her, people with integrity who do what's right, people who will not sell their vote and who are not afraid of anyone.
The Dems had someone like that, by the name of Bernie, and the party played bait and switch.
For the most part the Dem establishment treated Bernie fairly. Remember, it would be easy to pass a rule requiring anyone seeking the party's nomination to be a member of the party. I honor Sen. Sanders for his principles, but refusing to join the party one wants to lead takes a certain amount of gall.
Murkowski from Alaska is the only Republican Senator up for reelection in 2022. But I read somewhere that she has a strong following in her state so she may not face backlash. Rumor has it that many who voted to acquit were fearful of theirs and their families' literal lives. Not cool.
Yes, I believe the militias played a significant part in many decisions. Hopefully, something can be done to designate them as terrorists, subject to federal charges, if possible.
Marco Rubio is up for re-election. Here's the list:
"2022 United States Senate elections - Wikipedia" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_States_Senate_elections
Who would be worse, Rubio or Ivanka?
Both are equally repulsive. I think independent voters of FL would reject Ivanka. But then, Rick Scott moved here from TN and bought the governorship. I'm just thinking a Dem could beat Ivanka. And removing Rubio's influence over the Cuban Americans in Miami would help.
That makes sense. Honestly, the thought of the T name in any political forum makes my blood pressure rise. They are wearing me out!
Keep any and all members of the First Family of Crime as far as possible from the levers of power.
Neither will matter if we can get a strong Democrat to run. It can’t be Charlie Crist.
https://twitter.com/nikkifried/status/1361680517326917636?s=09
I was speaking of the Republican Senators who voted to convict. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
Sorry, I didn't focus. Needed more coffee. 🧐
We're good, Kelly...😉
Thanks for this, I had heard that Murkowski was up in 2022, so now the situation is clear. Apropos fear for your life - that was House Reps who claimed they'd been threatened, but maybe some Senators have gotten this also. Sad to say, death threats from fanatical Trumpistas have been coin of the realm for some time. T's defense attorneys might actually have known that, but that did not prevent them from dishing up the old line that it's the Dems who are trading in hate.
found this: https://ballotpedia.org/Ranked-choice_voting_(RCV)
Thanks, K8...I almost missed this.
Wow! I missed that Alaska has adopted RCV. It's a reform that could make all the difference vis-a-vis our extreme polarization.
Oregon is working on that too.
What is the difference, if there is one, between Ranked Choice Voting and the National Popular Vote?
My understanding is RCV, by allowing voters to rank their choices, tends to end up with voters feeling more empowered by their votes. This might be helpful, too. https://today.law.harvard.edu/ranked-choice-voting-explained/
Thanks, Mary Beth. I appreciate you took the time to answer!
They are very different.
NPV is an attempt to repair the electoral college, by getting states that represent a majority of electoral college votes to agree to dedicate those votes to whoever wins the national popular vote.
Ranked choice voting is a change from the simple, winner-take-all systems we have in most states. With RCV, you rank all the choices in order. If no one gets a majority of first-choice votes that way, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated. Every vote dropped is redirected to the voter's second choice candidate. That keeps happening until there are however many winners are wanted. Usually that's one winner, not always.
In Alaska, there will be an open primary for all parties. The top four go to the general election. It's a great idea, because it benefits candidates with popular support rather than those with extremist support within one party.
Thank you, Joan. This is what I was looking for. My research did not produce the clarity about the NPV as you do here. Would a nation of RCVers eliminate the need for state legislature types who could possibly overturn voters' ballots?
If the Democrats don't kill the filibuster they will lose the House in 2022 b/c Republicans will say Democrats did nothing.
They still may lose the House if they do kill it but they might get the Senate so overloaded with Democrats they could tell the good filibuster loving Senators from AZ and WV to go take a flying .... at a rolling donut.
Plus look at all the stuff they could repair from the past and prevent from happening in the future.
E.J. Dionne lays it out perfectly. #killthefilibuster
On that same note, if ever there was a time to get statehood for Puerto Rico and/or Washington, D.C., this is it. It could help eliminate the Republican veto power and automatic structural advantage that the Republicans have in the Senate.
Absolutely.
PR does not assure Democratic seats. DC does. If we're being cold-blooded...
I don't know that I agree about Puerto Rico, but regardless, this is still the time to get one or both of these territories into the Senate.
In addition, the voting rights acts (HR 1 and S.1) will only pass if the filibuster is removed as an obstacle. These acts are crucial as they expand voting in federal elections and block a lot of the voter suppression and gerry mandering that the R's are counting to expand minority rule.
Took the words right out of my mouth. H.R. 1 needs us to make it a movement
Morning everyone! Stay warm! It is negative-10 here in KC; never got above 0 yesterday and they are very worried about our electric and gas grids because of the huge load on them. Fingers crossed we make it to the afternoon when finally things are going to start improving (a balmy 10 above 0 for this afternoon--which will feel a lot better when walking the dog!!)
This is the sentence in today's letter that flummoxes the daylights out of me: "Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly stand against the bill, in part because it calls for $350 billion to provide aid to states and cities." The execrable senators from Texas, who claim to hate "socialism," just hounded the POTUS about immediately sending emergency aid to TX to deal with the very real crisis of this insane weather mess. But these same execrables think that helping states and cities whose budgets have imploded because of the massive economic crisis caused by their Dear Leader is somehow a bridge too far??? What the heck???
I know that this has been a debate for months but what I do NOT understand is WHY IS THIS A DEBATE?
The Repugnicans have been blocking desperately needed aid to cities and states through the entire pandemic crisis. They keep calling it blue state bailouts. Never mind all those blue states consistently send more money to Washington than they get back, which is the opposite of red states.
I seem to remember HCR making the statement a while ago that the Repubs wanted blue states to fail so that they would go bankrupt and have to change the amount of aid given to the poor and contributions to their state pension systems.
Sounds like people who are adamantly opposed to socialism but are outraged at the thought that their SS checks would be cut.
The Senate adjourns with no COVID relief in sight. The $2000 checks, inadequate though they are to meet the need, we’re promised “immediately” and are no closer to reality. All of the political gamesmanship is fascinating, but will be lost on those who are not helped.
The term Immediate Relief has a very different meaning for The Haves and The Have Nots. The former, for the most part, don't understand what actual need is...what's another week here or there?
Read my post above yours. I expected better of you.
Oh please! I expected better of you , TC.. you may be educated and knowledgeable, but class and kindness are far more important values than your smug self satisfaction. Some people are in desperate need of the funds promised to them.. they needed them yesterday, not today. Some are losing homes and can’t afford to eat or pay bills. Some of us have been out of work for almost a year. As for the public school jab, I went to a very expensive private school and I wasn’t taught a single class about politics, government, or civics. You often have many valid contributions but please check your meanness at the door.
Write on, Daria. I hope your locomotive has a cow-catcher. There's a load of bull blocking the track.
Appreciate your wit and educational corrections, but think your caustic barbs should be directed at elected officials and media who signed up and get paid to handle public praise and criticism. ❤️🤍💙
You really ought to know what the hell you're talking about before stepping up and publicly celebrating your political illiteracy - that's the crap Republicans do.
In fact, while the Senate was distracting your attention with the impeachment, and while the country thinks nothing is happening with the President's Day adjournment, Actual News is that the various House Committees wrapped up their work on the relief bill last week without the over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployables of the Washington Press Corpse knowing anything was happening. This week, the Budget Committee is meeting and putting all the pieces together into the comprehensive bill, which will go to Ways and Means next week and will be voted on shortly after the House returns on Monday. Then it goes to the Senate, where hopefully the signal McConnell sent Saturday will actually mean less obstructionist amendments to fight over, then it's voted on there. If there is any word change in the Senate, it has to go back to the House for a re-vote (this is what happened in 2010 with the ACA, which is how the public option was lost, thank you very much, alleged "Democrats" Joe Lie-berman and Max Balk-us).
If you hadn't slept through what passed for How A Bill Becomes A Law during your 12 years of having Public Miseducation inflicted on you, you would understand this. Hopefully, now you do. The legislative process is designed to be as difficult as possible, one of the not-so-beneficial benefits of our democratic government.
Are we supposed to look away from this rudeness? Do you plan to insult me, too, for calling you out for it? This is how Democrats lose elections. They turn on one another. Stop it.
Settle down, there TCinLA. JoeBurly may need to fact-check, but keep the corrections to just that. We're all frustrated.
TCinLA. I’m sending you a hug. We are all beyond stressed and your normal best self isn’t showing up today.
Love this, Jan. I took a long walk and reflected on this. Who knows what TCinLA is going through? Sending hugs and love TCinLA!
Teach, don't lecture.
TCinLA, how about volunteering information for other commentators here without being deprecating? Do you enjoy putting other people down?
True to form TC!....and not an expletif in the text. Excellent.
Thanks for the info. This exactly the kind of lecture that means nothing to the people that heard “immediately” stated over and over at the first of the year. Have fun giving your civics lectures when the republicans take back the house and senate in 2022 after two years of non movement on real emergencies. I’m sure at least your smugness will survive the collapse of democracy.
TCinLA: Interested in your thoughts on the filibuster. If you have already expressed, please note date of HCR post. Or link to other writings. Thank you. ❤️🤍💙
“ Their election will put an end to the block in Washington of that $2,000 stimulus check, that money that will go out the door immediately.”