The backdrop of everything political these days is the 2022 midterm election. The most immediate story in the country is that coronavirus infections are rising rapidly. The seven-day average of Covid-19 cases is rising about 37,700 cases per day, and the seven-day average of hospital admissions is about 35,000 per day. The seven-day average of daily deaths has also increased to 237 per day, about 19 percent higher than it was in the previous seven-day period.
Delta variant is rampant now in all 50 states. We are returning to being masked and cleaning our hands with antibacterial soap more often. Quite frankly, I personally never want to see one Repub ever win anything ever again
I hope news organizations and the Democratic party are stockpiling footage of anti-vax comments and statements emitted by hypocritical GOP politicians to use against them in upcoming election campaigns. Voters must understand how utterly dishonest these people are, and how false is their appparent change of heart.
Good morning all! I'm going to lighten the tone a bit here, mostly because I think we are both in a terrible place and in a hopeful one and I am too wary about getting het up concerning either. I admit that Friday is my favorite day of the week (even though I am sort-of retired now this is still the truth) in part because I can almost ignore the news at the weekend, so the anticipation of some relief is great. Also, for those who are not aficionados of KC public radio, Friday evening includes the fabulous local program The Fish Fry with my colleague (he is the director of the amazing Marr Sound Archives) Chuck Haddix. https://www.kcur.org/show/fish-fry If you like blues, jazz, zydeco, funk--on public radio (!)--check it out.
So the death-eater cult of the Ghastly Obstructionist Party is now moaning about the non-vaccinated because they have come to realize that their own voters are now the most vulnerable to the disease they have spent the last 18 months pretending doesn't exist. It is amusing to see the deeply stupid MO governor, Mike Parson, looking a wee bit nervous now that his fave white supremacists in southern MO and his own district in the northern rural counties are overwhelming the health system. Parson's idiocy means that we in KC are also vulnerable because the dumbasses in the surrounding suburbs and exurbs have not been vaccinated either. Yesterday, 200+ "pastors and ministers" started pleading with "Christians" to get vaccinated--the irony of this has not escaped me, as they are claiming it is the "Christian duty" of all of their congregations to get vaccinated for the "good of the community". https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article252898078.html This after how many years of claiming that radical individualism is the way to go? Also, the subtextual messages are super interesting: are they implying that Jews and Muslims have already been vaccinated or are they hoping that we'll all get infected and die, leaving the Christian idyll they dream of? The group clearly did not include rabbis and imams in their messaging. Missouri remains weird.
In the meantime, some better news: the MO Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, smacked down the MO legislature and we are finally getting the Medicaid expansion the voters overwhelmingly supported in 2020. So at least something is happening that should happen.
None of this means anything to Trump supporters. They live in their own world where every argument in support of their political heros can change with the weather.
It's the determination of the rest of us, Republicans without a party, Independents, Democrats, moderates and progressives of every type to be a coalition for democracy with solutions to our growing existential challenges.
Splitting our vote or staying home worrying that someone isn't or is too progressive is like turning down the covid19 vaccinations because they were created quickly and haven't been around as long as the smallpox and polio vaccines.
I guess now that Republican politicians and pundits realize that their anti-vax position is killing off their revenue stream they're urging their faithful to get vaccinated. It's all about the money...
The stock market responded negatively to the news of increased COVID infections throughout he United States. That's what caused GOP legislators to call for increased vaccinations among the MAGA crowd. Increased infections are not good for business and campaign donations.
What is the procedure for impeaching a sitting Supreme Court justice? If McGahn is behind gagging the FBI, he should be disbarred. And, Susan Collins better be hiding in the corner hoping her constituents will not remember her vote in the Kavanaugh hearings, etc.
Meanwhile, and on a related topic, Terry Gross had a captivating interview with Ron Brownstein of The Atlantic regarding the GOP state voter laws. Most importantly, and apparently, to address THESE laws, our ONLY course of action is at the federal level. For states not yet affected, we must elect Dems to control as many state legislatures as possible. This is very problematic, because of the gerrymandered boundaries for state house and senate seats.
On the federal level, to address those states who have already acted, Brownstein stated that Dems and liberals must support the Manchin compromise in order to enlist SInema AND make the serious effort to recruit the necessary 10 Republicans WHILE at the same time holding the card labelled ‘Fillibuster’ as the last card on the table, should the Manchin compromise fail to garner the necessary Republican support. Apparently, we have no other choice re: these statewide attempts.
What this means to me is to rally my friends and family to call their Dem Senators to publicly state their support of Manchin’s efforts while stating the threat to Democracy of these state efforts. As well, we must call Republican Senators to support this compromise, and state the same. Regarding the Republicans, imho, calls would be most effective to specific Republican Senators in AL, ME, NC, LA, NE, UT, PA, FL (Rubio), OH, and WI.
Also, I feel it worthwhile to connect with one’s local Dem party, where others may feel inspired to launch a campaign to save our Democracy by tackling this specific effort. A letter written to the editor of the regional daily newspaper would be helpful, as well as calls to the producers of the local NPR outlet, to cover the story from its state perspective, or have the local call-in program feature this issue.
Of all of the above action items, I feel it most valuable to become active in your upcoming, local Democratic Party meeting, to express your willingness to help organize all of the above.
I'm reminded of the story of the American Communist leader who picketed the White House weekly opposing US involvement in World War II during the period of the Stalin-Hitler Pact. He was out front of the White House on picket duty on June 22,. 1941, when a friend came up and told him the news that Hitler had just invaded the Soviet Union. He left and was back 30 minutes later with a new sign: "Second Front Now!" Given how totalitarian the collection of clucks we have to be embarrassed to call "opponents" are, they operate like Big Brother's party: "We have always been at war with East Asia." And Trump forces them to say he's raised four fingers when he's only raised three.
I think if we don't lose heart - and we stop listening to the over-educated under-intelligent over-privileged white boys of the Washington Press Corpse and the Cretin News Network - that we will beat them. Look at how Pelosi has in 24 hours turned the Okiefornian Dumbass McQarthy into what James Carville tonight called "a quivering mass of protoplasm" as she continues to walk all over him while he steps on his own wee-wee. In World War II we were lucky to be fighting the Nazis, who were led by a moron. This time the enemy is led by another moron. By this time next year, El Blobbo del Mar A Lardo is either going to be sitting in court charged with one of his numerous crimes, in the looney bin after the Alzheimer's he's following his father with becomes even more prominent, or six feet under from that one too many hamberders. He and fellow sex offender Bill O'Lielly aren't selling too many tickets to their Fleece The Rubes Tour.
I'm currently reading James Holland's "The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History May-October 1940" (which is where all the recent references to bamboozled French generals have been coming from). We're not facing anything as bad as they did, or the Union did in the first six months of 1863.
True story... Waiting for my partner to exit from the clinic after a Dr. appointment yesterday, I got into a conversation with an older gentleman in a wheelchair. "I can't understand," he said, "why people won't get vaccinated." The conversation ended with a thud when I replied, "It's a religious thing. They're following the teachings of Saint Donald."
Those Republicans choosing trembling fealty to Trump in the hope he will help fund their electoral campaigns are delusional. His well documented history of a lack of interest in funding anything beyond his own self-interests should be clear to all. I am however unsurprised their lemming like eagerness to hurl themselves off the cliff of irrationality. It seems this is now qualifying characteristic of membership in the Republican party.
$75 million in Republican donations since Jan 6th. But the former guy has not funded anyone else’s campaign with any of it yet. And he alone controls that money. so it’s no wonder why the sycophants keep towing his line of demagoguery, they are desperate for funding dispersal to execute their campaigns.
I don’t think he will fund anyone. No banks will lend to him. Loans payments are due. Under Federal and NY scrutiny he’s not able to sell grossly inflated condoS to dark foreign shell LLCs (Russian oligarchs/Putin’s cash). He’s under indictment and hated in NYC. He’s using that 75 million for living expenses and debt service like a snorkel. But the traffic cone of treason is headed for the deep waters of bankruptcy. He has de frauded the entire country. Sorry Republicans but you have been played.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! For me, it's all about this November's election for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General in the State of Virginia.
Terry McAuliffe(D) is challenging Glenn Youngkin(R) for Governor of the state. Also on the Democratic ballot will be Hala Ayala for Lt. Governor and Mark Herring (incumbent) for Attorney General. If they have a "D" next to their name, I will vote for them.
McCaullife(D) served as Governor from 2014 to 2018, but Virginia law allows you can hold office for only one term, so he could not run in the 2018 election. This is Youngkin(R)'s first entre into politics. He is an independently wealthy guy who has poured mega bucks into his campaign. You can see the results of this by his tv ads on display several times a day, with McAuliffe notably absent on the screen. Still, I am hopeful.
My eyes are really on the battle for House of Delegates in my district, 33. Paul Siker is the Democratic challenger to incumbent's Dave LaRock (R) who has served since I believe 2014 in that seat. Among his accomplishments, he was present on the Capitol grounds January 6, calling for VP Pence to nullify Virginia's electoral college votes. Basically, though, LaRock believes in less government, preferring to block legislation rather than pursuing programs to help Virginians (my take).
Personally, I am glad that he refused to resign. Among other things under his leadership, Virginia has abolished the death penalty, repealed voter ID laws, made Election Day a state holiday and expanded access to early voting.
So that's what's going on (politically) in my neck of the woods.
This reflection was written by a local Mérida woman, Rosa Soares. Rosa has been providing daily Corona Virus updates for the state of Yucatán, in translation, since the beginning of the pandemic. Rosa provides these daily updates as a commitment to the community. When the pandemic struck, Rosa was forced to close her Market Tour business, transitioning her business page to a page devoted to solid Corona Virus information. Today, Rosa devotes her energy to her family, including schooling her son, and her community. No matter where on earth you live, Rosa's efforts exemplify and define what it means to be a patriot.
"My reflection of the day:
Many have ancestors who went to fight in wars and battles, in hope for a better future for their family, country and world.
Many have parents and ancestors who voyaged across stormy oceans, both literally and metaphorically, to immigrate to a new land for a better future for their family.
Many wake up and go to work, stick at a job that they hate to provide for their family.
Many have taken the covid-19 vaccine for a better future for their family, friends, work colleagues, and humanity.
We might not be on a battlefield in trenches fighting against an enemy, fearing death by a bullet. We might not have braved the sea and new cultures for a better life for our family. We might not even hate the job we go to everyday but what we can do today is take a vaccine for the greater good of humanity. Taking two vaccines is minimal compared to the wars our ancestors fought so you and I, could live a better life today.
Today is time to repay our debt to humanity, by trying to do what is best.
No one wanted to risk their life to go to war... but they did.
No one wants to leave their homeland... but they do.
No one wants to have a vaccine... but we do, because it is the least we can do to honour the better life our ancestors fought for in wars, and in turn we have the vaccine hoping for a better future for our children.
So step up and take one for a better future, which we may not ever see."
Republicans and their cheering section at Fox News will find it very difficult to walk back their anti-science/anti-vaccination positions. The damage is done and the next wave of the Covid pandemic is now upon us.
Delta variant is rampant now in all 50 states. We are returning to being masked and cleaning our hands with antibacterial soap more often. Quite frankly, I personally never want to see one Repub ever win anything ever again
I hope news organizations and the Democratic party are stockpiling footage of anti-vax comments and statements emitted by hypocritical GOP politicians to use against them in upcoming election campaigns. Voters must understand how utterly dishonest these people are, and how false is their appparent change of heart.
Good morning all! I'm going to lighten the tone a bit here, mostly because I think we are both in a terrible place and in a hopeful one and I am too wary about getting het up concerning either. I admit that Friday is my favorite day of the week (even though I am sort-of retired now this is still the truth) in part because I can almost ignore the news at the weekend, so the anticipation of some relief is great. Also, for those who are not aficionados of KC public radio, Friday evening includes the fabulous local program The Fish Fry with my colleague (he is the director of the amazing Marr Sound Archives) Chuck Haddix. https://www.kcur.org/show/fish-fry If you like blues, jazz, zydeco, funk--on public radio (!)--check it out.
So the death-eater cult of the Ghastly Obstructionist Party is now moaning about the non-vaccinated because they have come to realize that their own voters are now the most vulnerable to the disease they have spent the last 18 months pretending doesn't exist. It is amusing to see the deeply stupid MO governor, Mike Parson, looking a wee bit nervous now that his fave white supremacists in southern MO and his own district in the northern rural counties are overwhelming the health system. Parson's idiocy means that we in KC are also vulnerable because the dumbasses in the surrounding suburbs and exurbs have not been vaccinated either. Yesterday, 200+ "pastors and ministers" started pleading with "Christians" to get vaccinated--the irony of this has not escaped me, as they are claiming it is the "Christian duty" of all of their congregations to get vaccinated for the "good of the community". https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article252898078.html This after how many years of claiming that radical individualism is the way to go? Also, the subtextual messages are super interesting: are they implying that Jews and Muslims have already been vaccinated or are they hoping that we'll all get infected and die, leaving the Christian idyll they dream of? The group clearly did not include rabbis and imams in their messaging. Missouri remains weird.
In the meantime, some better news: the MO Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, smacked down the MO legislature and we are finally getting the Medicaid expansion the voters overwhelmingly supported in 2020. So at least something is happening that should happen.
Happy Friday, all.
None of this means anything to Trump supporters. They live in their own world where every argument in support of their political heros can change with the weather.
It's the determination of the rest of us, Republicans without a party, Independents, Democrats, moderates and progressives of every type to be a coalition for democracy with solutions to our growing existential challenges.
Splitting our vote or staying home worrying that someone isn't or is too progressive is like turning down the covid19 vaccinations because they were created quickly and haven't been around as long as the smallpox and polio vaccines.
I guess now that Republican politicians and pundits realize that their anti-vax position is killing off their revenue stream they're urging their faithful to get vaccinated. It's all about the money...
The stock market responded negatively to the news of increased COVID infections throughout he United States. That's what caused GOP legislators to call for increased vaccinations among the MAGA crowd. Increased infections are not good for business and campaign donations.
Just another bit of news these days..... It appears the FBI was "gagged" when investigating the sexual abuse allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. Only this week did they release findings to the Senators who asked for the info back in 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/22/fbis-investigation-kavanaugh-is-laughable/?utm_campaign=wp_todays_headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_headlines&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F34377aa%2F60fa93359d2fda945a138cbe%2F596b15a7ae7e8a44e7d151fe%2F38%2F59%2F60fa93359d2fda945a138cbe
What is the procedure for impeaching a sitting Supreme Court justice? If McGahn is behind gagging the FBI, he should be disbarred. And, Susan Collins better be hiding in the corner hoping her constituents will not remember her vote in the Kavanaugh hearings, etc.
Meanwhile, and on a related topic, Terry Gross had a captivating interview with Ron Brownstein of The Atlantic regarding the GOP state voter laws. Most importantly, and apparently, to address THESE laws, our ONLY course of action is at the federal level. For states not yet affected, we must elect Dems to control as many state legislatures as possible. This is very problematic, because of the gerrymandered boundaries for state house and senate seats.
On the federal level, to address those states who have already acted, Brownstein stated that Dems and liberals must support the Manchin compromise in order to enlist SInema AND make the serious effort to recruit the necessary 10 Republicans WHILE at the same time holding the card labelled ‘Fillibuster’ as the last card on the table, should the Manchin compromise fail to garner the necessary Republican support. Apparently, we have no other choice re: these statewide attempts.
What this means to me is to rally my friends and family to call their Dem Senators to publicly state their support of Manchin’s efforts while stating the threat to Democracy of these state efforts. As well, we must call Republican Senators to support this compromise, and state the same. Regarding the Republicans, imho, calls would be most effective to specific Republican Senators in AL, ME, NC, LA, NE, UT, PA, FL (Rubio), OH, and WI.
Also, I feel it worthwhile to connect with one’s local Dem party, where others may feel inspired to launch a campaign to save our Democracy by tackling this specific effort. A letter written to the editor of the regional daily newspaper would be helpful, as well as calls to the producers of the local NPR outlet, to cover the story from its state perspective, or have the local call-in program feature this issue.
Of all of the above action items, I feel it most valuable to become active in your upcoming, local Democratic Party meeting, to express your willingness to help organize all of the above.
I'm reminded of the story of the American Communist leader who picketed the White House weekly opposing US involvement in World War II during the period of the Stalin-Hitler Pact. He was out front of the White House on picket duty on June 22,. 1941, when a friend came up and told him the news that Hitler had just invaded the Soviet Union. He left and was back 30 minutes later with a new sign: "Second Front Now!" Given how totalitarian the collection of clucks we have to be embarrassed to call "opponents" are, they operate like Big Brother's party: "We have always been at war with East Asia." And Trump forces them to say he's raised four fingers when he's only raised three.
I think if we don't lose heart - and we stop listening to the over-educated under-intelligent over-privileged white boys of the Washington Press Corpse and the Cretin News Network - that we will beat them. Look at how Pelosi has in 24 hours turned the Okiefornian Dumbass McQarthy into what James Carville tonight called "a quivering mass of protoplasm" as she continues to walk all over him while he steps on his own wee-wee. In World War II we were lucky to be fighting the Nazis, who were led by a moron. This time the enemy is led by another moron. By this time next year, El Blobbo del Mar A Lardo is either going to be sitting in court charged with one of his numerous crimes, in the looney bin after the Alzheimer's he's following his father with becomes even more prominent, or six feet under from that one too many hamberders. He and fellow sex offender Bill O'Lielly aren't selling too many tickets to their Fleece The Rubes Tour.
I'm currently reading James Holland's "The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History May-October 1940" (which is where all the recent references to bamboozled French generals have been coming from). We're not facing anything as bad as they did, or the Union did in the first six months of 1863.
True story... Waiting for my partner to exit from the clinic after a Dr. appointment yesterday, I got into a conversation with an older gentleman in a wheelchair. "I can't understand," he said, "why people won't get vaccinated." The conversation ended with a thud when I replied, "It's a religious thing. They're following the teachings of Saint Donald."
Those Republicans choosing trembling fealty to Trump in the hope he will help fund their electoral campaigns are delusional. His well documented history of a lack of interest in funding anything beyond his own self-interests should be clear to all. I am however unsurprised their lemming like eagerness to hurl themselves off the cliff of irrationality. It seems this is now qualifying characteristic of membership in the Republican party.
$75 million in Republican donations since Jan 6th. But the former guy has not funded anyone else’s campaign with any of it yet. And he alone controls that money. so it’s no wonder why the sycophants keep towing his line of demagoguery, they are desperate for funding dispersal to execute their campaigns.
I don’t think he will fund anyone. No banks will lend to him. Loans payments are due. Under Federal and NY scrutiny he’s not able to sell grossly inflated condoS to dark foreign shell LLCs (Russian oligarchs/Putin’s cash). He’s under indictment and hated in NYC. He’s using that 75 million for living expenses and debt service like a snorkel. But the traffic cone of treason is headed for the deep waters of bankruptcy. He has de frauded the entire country. Sorry Republicans but you have been played.
The chances that Trump will use any of his war chest to help Republican candidates in 2022 are zero. Any money that comes his way stays with him.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! For me, it's all about this November's election for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General in the State of Virginia.
Terry McAuliffe(D) is challenging Glenn Youngkin(R) for Governor of the state. Also on the Democratic ballot will be Hala Ayala for Lt. Governor and Mark Herring (incumbent) for Attorney General. If they have a "D" next to their name, I will vote for them.
McCaullife(D) served as Governor from 2014 to 2018, but Virginia law allows you can hold office for only one term, so he could not run in the 2018 election. This is Youngkin(R)'s first entre into politics. He is an independently wealthy guy who has poured mega bucks into his campaign. You can see the results of this by his tv ads on display several times a day, with McAuliffe notably absent on the screen. Still, I am hopeful.
My eyes are really on the battle for House of Delegates in my district, 33. Paul Siker is the Democratic challenger to incumbent's Dave LaRock (R) who has served since I believe 2014 in that seat. Among his accomplishments, he was present on the Capitol grounds January 6, calling for VP Pence to nullify Virginia's electoral college votes. Basically, though, LaRock believes in less government, preferring to block legislation rather than pursuing programs to help Virginians (my take).
As for soon-to-be history, People Magazine recently published an article about Governor Northam and the "blackface scandal" of 2019. To me, it was a very balanced piece. https://people.com/politics/ralph-northam-says-his-2019-photo-scandal-opened-my-eyes-to-systemic-racism/
Personally, I am glad that he refused to resign. Among other things under his leadership, Virginia has abolished the death penalty, repealed voter ID laws, made Election Day a state holiday and expanded access to early voting.
So that's what's going on (politically) in my neck of the woods.
This reflection was written by a local Mérida woman, Rosa Soares. Rosa has been providing daily Corona Virus updates for the state of Yucatán, in translation, since the beginning of the pandemic. Rosa provides these daily updates as a commitment to the community. When the pandemic struck, Rosa was forced to close her Market Tour business, transitioning her business page to a page devoted to solid Corona Virus information. Today, Rosa devotes her energy to her family, including schooling her son, and her community. No matter where on earth you live, Rosa's efforts exemplify and define what it means to be a patriot.
"My reflection of the day:
Many have ancestors who went to fight in wars and battles, in hope for a better future for their family, country and world.
Many have parents and ancestors who voyaged across stormy oceans, both literally and metaphorically, to immigrate to a new land for a better future for their family.
Many wake up and go to work, stick at a job that they hate to provide for their family.
Many have taken the covid-19 vaccine for a better future for their family, friends, work colleagues, and humanity.
We might not be on a battlefield in trenches fighting against an enemy, fearing death by a bullet. We might not have braved the sea and new cultures for a better life for our family. We might not even hate the job we go to everyday but what we can do today is take a vaccine for the greater good of humanity. Taking two vaccines is minimal compared to the wars our ancestors fought so you and I, could live a better life today.
Today is time to repay our debt to humanity, by trying to do what is best.
No one wanted to risk their life to go to war... but they did.
No one wants to leave their homeland... but they do.
No one wants to have a vaccine... but we do, because it is the least we can do to honour the better life our ancestors fought for in wars, and in turn we have the vaccine hoping for a better future for our children.
So step up and take one for a better future, which we may not ever see."
Rosa Soares
Republicans and their cheering section at Fox News will find it very difficult to walk back their anti-science/anti-vaccination positions. The damage is done and the next wave of the Covid pandemic is now upon us.