Democrats Aren’t Perfect, But At Least They’re Not Evil
Calling Feinstein’s Bluff, Defending Traitors, and Supreme Corruption
If you think things with the GOP are bad, a look behind-the-scenes along with future schemes will make you quiver. Come with me today for a glimpse of what could (but shouldn’t) be.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s gesture in response to the campaign to send her into retirement was to temporarily step down from her seat on the Judiciary Committee. The lack of her vote on judicial and executive nominations means otherwise worthy candidates are being held back: without her the committee has a 10-10 split.
But here’s the real deal: replacing her would require passing a consensus resolution on the Senate floor. A couple of decades ago, this would have been No Big Deal, an example of bi-partisan common courtesies.
Today, not so much.
Republicans have the power to block such a measure from passing unanimously, forcing a vote requiring 60 senators to get it across the finish line.
Calls for Feinstein to resign have prompted comments from women on Capitol Hill about double standards.
Via Politico:
Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) tweeted a wish for Feinstein to get well soon and added: “When women age or get sick, the men are quick to push them aside. When men age or get sick, they get a promotion.”
Separately, Pelosi told reporters, “She deserves the respect to get well and be back on duty and it’s interesting to me, I don’t know what political agendas are at work, that are going after Sen. Feinstein in that way.”
Feinstein confidants underscored that they are still hopeful she could serve out the nearly two years that remain in her term. But neither of those two people, who addressed the sensitive matter on condition of anonymity, indicated they were confident she would be able to do so from Washington.
Another Senator being mentioned as needing to retire is Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
He’s been absent since early March, having suffered a concussion and broken ribs from a fall. This isn’t the first time he’s taken leave for injury: McConnell fractured his shoulder after falling at his home in Kentucky in 2019.
The Minority Leader took to social media this week to assure voters in his home state that he was returning to work next week.
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Idaho was in the news recently after enacting legislation criminalizing aiding or abetting a minor traveling out of state seeking an abortion. While this seems like a no-brainer target for a supreme court ruling saying it’s unconstitutional, this legislation was written with today’s Supreme Court in mind.
The initial assaults on Roe v Wade by states involved legislation aimed at the rights of minors, something reactionaries considered low hanging fruit. Now that we’re in a post-Roe v Wade era, the process is starting all over again.
Here’s a quote from a Popular Information interview with UC Davis legal scholar Mary Zeigler
This is a model bill. It’s patterned on a proposal from the National Right to Life Committee, which is one of the major, national anti-abortion groups. It’s not some homegrown Idaho idea. It was intended to be copied by legislatures everywhere. I would expect it to be introduced elsewhere.
Idaho is the first to broach the topic. Once it happens there, other states will probably be more comfortable falling in line, especially because it’s in this framework of parental rights that’s animating a lot of stuff the GOP is doing in other areas.
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It’s not enough that House Republicans are making noises about defunding the Justice Department and FBI, now their cheerleaders are taking the next step: endorsing violations of the Espionage Act by Massachusetts National Guardsman Jake Teixeira.
HIs motivation for pilfering national security secrets was apparently to impress chat room followers about his foreign policy expertise. What makes this guy a candidate for a speaker slot at next year’s CPAC convention are videos showing firing weapons while making racist remarks.
Via Politico:
“Jake Teixeira is white, male, christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime,” tweeted Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.), without evidence. “And he told the truth about troops being on the ground in Ukraine and a lot more. Ask yourself who is the real enemy?”
Fox News’ TUCKER CARLSON sounded a similar note on his show. “What’s happening to this leaker now is what happens to anyone who contradicts the National Security State and their obedient servants in the media,” Carlson said, falsely. “You go to prison.”
Of course, KUSI jumps in:
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Showdown at the National Rifle Association leadership summit in Indianapolis.
A bevy of GOP aspirants for higher office will be there today, genuflecting to the Lords of Assault Rifles.
The speakers to watch are a certain former president and a certain former vice president.
Mike Pence is expected to walk on the right side of his former boss's policies by endorsing the elimination of Red Flag laws and other items on the Guns Rights agenda.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, is likely to continue his pity party crusade by denouncing much of the law enforcement establishment.
The White House is hoping for a mention in news coverage with a fact-filled memo. It’s too bad that facts don’t matter to the NRA crowd; they go with their gut and giddiness caused by pulling the trigger.
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It would be inappropriate of me to skip over some of the latest crime news involving Republicans.
Tennessee House speaker Cameron Sexton will have to cash in his Get-Out-of-Jail-Free cards as investigative reporters have sussed out that he actually lives outside his district, secretly bought a $600K house (that’s a big house in Tenn.), and collected $92K-plus in travel fees for not seeing his constituents. There’s no word of any mistresses getting abortions on his dime. Yet
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ relationship with authoritarian art lover Harlan Crow keeps getting more interesting, especially the justice’s forgetfulness about income declaration when it comes to the proceeds from sale of his part-ownership of his mother’s home in Savannah, Georgia. The buyer was Harlan Crow, whose subsidized entities have an 8-0 record before the nation’s highest court.
It’s really amazing to see the big-name opinionators flocking to Thomas’ cause.
From Men Yell At Me (A really interesting place to visit in the internet), responding to the disclosure of Crow’s collection of Nazi paraphernalia:
This revelation, caused Graeme Wood to write, OUT LOUD, in The Atlantic, “I don’t think table linen is the first sign that you’re in the presence of a Nazi.”
Truly one of the most incredible sentences of 2023. Like what is the first sign, Graeme? What would it be other than the overwhelming presence of Nazi imagery?
But he wasn’t the only one. Jonah Goldberg did so, and so did Charles Murray. And so did Ben Shapiro, but okay, we all knew that guy would take the side of the man with swastikas in his home.
Also, aren’t we asking the wrong questions here? Because, listen, if I walked into a home where a lot of Nazi memorabilia was displayed my first instinct would not be to parse out what the definition of a Nazi is. It would be to get the hell out.
News That’s Veeerrrry Interesting
Must-Read: The Republican long march to overthrow democracy is nearing the end stage Via Daily Kos. Soooo many examples, I couldn’t decide which one to share.
Donald Trump Reportedly Lied When He Told Tucker Carlson People Cried At His Arrest Via HuffPost. Ya think?
Republicans Are Forgetting One Crucial Truth About People and Their Bodies Via New York Times op ed by Lydia Polgreen. Republicans have lost the culture war by winning their most cherished goal. So now they are trying to whip up an anti-trans frenzy. It isn’t working.
Border Patrol Agent Shoots U.S. Citizen Point Blank Via ex-Senior Patrol Agent Jenn Budd
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Extra Credit Long Read : Star Trek Into Socialism. Hat tip to Cory Doctorow. Yes, I’m a trekkie.
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Who Is Tim Russ, you ask? The answer is very logical.
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I was correct in thinking there might be a mistress connected to the shenanigans of Tenn GOP House Speaker Cameron Sexton. She's a (blond) lobbyist who works for several companies doing business with the state... AND....WAIT FOR IT... is married to THE DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR
@GovBillLee. How is it that all these righteous a-holes are so hypocritical?
I have been saying since the Reagan administration that increasingly the Republicans are embracing evil. Every time they open their mouths more evil spews out. I am deeply in prayer about the 2024 election that there is a great big blue tsunami that wipes the GOP as much out of Congress as possible, that whoever gets the Democratic Presidential nomination wins. As soon as they are sworn in, I want the Democratic majority in the House to begin impeachment proceedings against all the corrupt members of SCOTUS.