#not a gop calendar

[yakkolicious]

I got bluebonnet (or lupin)! Very pretty flowers, here's their Wikipedia page image:

look at the republican calendar and see which animal/plant/item is associated with your birthday ok. if you're born january 14 you get the day of the cat

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

On August 20, a little before dawn, 87 year-old Lidia Martinez was abruptly jarred awake by an unexpected knock on her door. The longtime activist who for over 35 years has worked to expand voter registration among seniors and veterans in south Texas, cautiously peered out the door. Standing on her doorstep were nine police officers dressed in tactical gear and carrying firearms. After showing her a search warrant, Martinez’s home was searched as she was forced to stand outside in her nightgown in her driveway in full view of her neighbors. Martinez was later questioned for three hours after which the police seized her phone, computer, personal calendar and more.

[...]

These bad faith searches orchestrated by Paxton were predicated on the claim that the people being investigated were registering non-citizens to vote—despite zero evidence presented of wrongdoing. Very alarmingly, if Donald Trump and House GOP have their way, these types of raids would be happening nationwide with federal law enforcement under a GOP President.  That is why GOP House Speaker Johnson is now demanding the proposed SAVE Act be included in any deal to provide funding to keep the government open.

To be clear, federal and state law already makes it a crime for non-citizens to vote. But this new federal legislation would establish criminal penalties for registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentation proving U.S. citizenship.  That means that what we are seeing in Texas is coming attractions of what the GOP wants to do nationally.

Keep in mind despite Texas AG Paxton’s two year investigation, no charges  have been filed against any of the people whose homes were searched.  Indeed, there may never be charges because even Paxton’s basis for the search is BS. In his press release announcing the investigation, the Texas AG presents no evidence of wrongdoing. Instead, Paxton makes baseless claims like these organizations have set up voter registration booths outside state agencies where people could register inside. Paxton’s press release literally includes this question with no answer: “Why would they need a second opportunity to register with a booth outside?” But nowhere in his press release does he even allege any criminal conduct—only questions.

And Paxton—a close ally of convicted felon Trump—showed his bad faith earlier in August on a radio show when he peddled lies about non-citizens voting. Paxton declared, “There’s a reason Joe Biden brought people here illegally. I’m convinced that that’s how they’re going to do it this time, they’re going to use the illegal vote. Why were they brought in, why did he bring in 14 million people?” adding, “He brought them here to vote.”   That is nothing more than the type of BS you hear on Fox News. But now Paxton has weaponized government by targeting people registering those he believes will vote for Democrats. The backlash to Paxton’s actions have been swift. LULAC requested that the Department of  Justice investigate Paxton's office for Voting Rights Act violations. LULAC CEO Juan Proaño and the group's national president, Roman Palomares, summed up well what is really going in their letter to the DOJ: "These actions echo a troubling history of voter suppression and intimidation that has long targeted both Black and Latino communities, particularly in states like Texas, where demographic changes have increasingly shifted the political landscape.”

The Texas GOPs voter intimidation tactics are based on the faux outrage campaign against noncitizen voting.

[the-cimmerians]

At midnight on Saturday, more than 20 anti-LGBTQ+ bills died in West Virginia after the legislature adjourned sine die. Bills that did not pass included the misleadingly named "Women’s Bill of Rights," which would have ended legal recognition for transgender people in the state, as well as a bill that would have prohibited gender-affirming care for all transgender youth. West Virginia is the second state in a week hinting that anti-transgender legislative attacks are encountering resistance. Last week, Florida's legislature also adjourned, effectively killing dozens of anti-transgender bills.

One bill that failed to pass as the West Virginia legislature adjourned was House Bill 5243, also known as the misleadingly-named "Women’s Bill of Rights" by its proponents. The bill primarily aimed to exclude transgender individuals from all legal gender protections in the state. Riley Gaines, who heavily promoted the bill, joined Governor Jim Justice at a press conference where it was announced as a major policy priority. The proposed legislation would have led to bathroom restrictions, prohibitions on driver's license and ID changes, and the elimination of legal recognition for transgender people's gender identities. Despite frantic, last-minute efforts by some Republicans to pass it, Democratic lawmakers countered by proposing dozens of amendments for debate. As a result, Republicans placed it at the bottom of the calendar.

“HB 5243 offered no real tangible protections for cisgender women, all while punching down on another marginalized community, and sought to erase protections for transgender West Virginians,” says Ash Orr, a trans organizer in West Virginia, “Essentially, it amounted to yet another culture war bill designed to divert attention from genuine issues affecting all residents of West Virginia.”

Another bill that did not pass in West Virginia was House Bill 5297, which sought to entirely prohibit gender-affirming care for all transgender youth. The state had previously enacted a ban on gender-affirming care, but it included an exception for transgender youth experiencing "severe dysphoria." HB 5297 aimed to eliminate that exception. More than 400 health care providers signed a letter opposing the bill, describing gender-affirming care as lifesaving and urging the legislature to reject it. The bill failed to pass before the legislature adjourned, meaning that at least some transgender youth in the state will continue to be able to receive care, making it one of the few red states where this is still the case.

The state is the latest in a series of developments suggesting that the anti-transgender panic gripping the GOP may be diminishing in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. Florida also recently adjourned without passing numerous anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Recent elections have raised questions about the effectiveness of anti-transgender policies in driving voter turnout. In 2023, more than 70% of Moms for Liberty candidates were defeated. The Virginia legislature shifted to Democratic control, despite Governor Youngkin's efforts to campaign for Republicans by emphasizing anti-transgender politics as a policy priority. Governor Andy Beshear was reelected in Kentucky despite substantial ad expenditures attacking him for vetoing anti-transgender legislation.

When asked about the failure of these to pass, Orr stated, “The truth is, transgender people of all ages are living happy, complete, and beautiful lives - this contradicts the false narrative created around our community by anti-transgender politicians.”

The only bill that did pass in the state was a bill that would stop non-binary gender markers on birth certificates, though it is unclear what effect the legislation would have given that the state did not have a history of issuing such birth certificates.

Although these bills are failing to pass in states that have historically targeted transgender individuals, it remains unclear whether their failure signifies a genuine shift away from targeting LGBTQ+ people or merely a pause in anticipation of the 2024 election outcomes. The threat remains significant in many areas, with a few extreme bills being enacted this year, including a gender-affirming care ban in Wyoming and an adult bathroom ban in Utah. Additionally, some new states have witnessed the successful advancement of anti-trans legislation, such as a "Parents Rights in Education" bill in Washington, which could lead to forced outings, and a bill in New Hampshire that permits sports and bathroom bans. The national budget debate also includes anti-trans provisions that are still under negotiation.

Nevertheless, activists in states that have experienced the most severe attacks see reasons for celebration and hope. The failure of dozens of bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community means that residents in these states will have another year to prepare and strategize. If the 2024 elections yield unfavorable results for Republicans who have advocated anti-transgender legislation, similar to the outcomes in 2022 and 2023, it could further argue against the political viability of making these bills a policy priority. Most importantly, transgender individuals in these states are granted the valuable gift of time to catch their breath following the relentless barrage of legislative efforts that have dominated political discourse over the past five years.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Chaos

December 19, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

On Wednesday, Elon Musk instructed congressional Republicans to walk away from a bipartisan agreement to fund government operations through March 2025. Congressional Republicans dutifully obeyed Musk even though he hasn’t a clue about the consequences of his actions. Musk ordered Republicans not to pass “any bill” until Trump is sworn in on January 20, 2025. If Republicans follow Musk’s command, there will be no government funding for a month (at least)--from Friday, December 20, 2024, through Monday, January 20, 2025.

If that happens, chaos will ensue.

The urge to pick a newsletter headline of “President Musk” or “The Musk Administration” was strong. But, in truth, Musk is not in charge; he is an agent provocateur of chaos. Musk lobbed a political hand grenade into the GOP congressional caucus and ran in the opposite direction.

There is much to unpack in today’s events, which will dominate the headlines for days (if not weeks). So, let’s examine today’s events to understand the chaos that Musk has inflicted on the GOP and the American people.

How the budget process is supposed to work.

There is a rhythm to the federal budgeting process that is more honored in the breach than in the observance. Understanding that rhythm is key to understanding just how disruptive Musk’s order to Republicans will be.

Congress has the “power of the purse.” “Section 9 of Article I states that funds may be drawn from the Treasury only pursuant to appropriations made by law.” See Congressional Research Service, Introduction to the Federal Budget Process.

The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 requires the President to gather requests from agencies for funding, which are then collated into a consolidated request for funds that is submitted to Congress. The President is required to submit the consolidated funding request at the beginning of the calendar year. President Biden submitted the FY 24-25 request in March 2024.

The federal fiscal year is October 1 through September 30. In a perfect world, the budget would be passed by Congress before the beginning of the fiscal year (i.e., October 1).

Taken together, the above deadlines drive the schedule set forth below:

For clarity, the “bipartisan” funding bill killed by Elon Musk on Wednesday was the bill for the fiscal year October 2024 through September 2025.

Continuing resolutions—a patchwork remedy when Congress fails to pass a budget

In reality, Congress rarely passes a budget “on time” to begin the new fiscal year (Oct – Sep). To keep the government running in the absence of a budget, Congress passes a “continuing resolution” that funds agencies at the funding levels of the prior fiscal year.

As of 2022, the federal government had operated under continuing resolutions for all but 3 of the last 46 years. See General Accounting Office, Federal Budget: Strategies to Manage Constraints of Continuing Resolutions

The current continuing resolution expires this Friday, December 20, at midnight.

What happened on Wednesday

On Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced they had negotiated a continuing resolution that would have funded government operations until March 14, 2025.

The GOP House caucus is a fractious majority that has failed to pass budgets or continuing resolutions on their own at any point in the 118th Congress. So, Speaker Mike Johnson has relied on majority support from Democrats to pass continuing resolutions and budgets during the 118th Congress.

Because Mike Johnson needed help from Democrats to pass the bill, Democrats were able to include new spending in the continuing resolution for the following items (per CBS News)

Disaster relief “$110.4 billion in disaster aid: $29 billion for FEMA's disaster relief fund; $8 billion for federal highways and roads; $12 billion for the Community Development Block grants and disaster relief.”

Baltimore Bridge Rebuilding

Health care policy extenders and reforms

Transparency in ticket and hotel prices

Transfer of ownership of RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia

As usual, some member of the GOP House caucus objected to the continuing resolution, but passage seemed assured because Jakeem Jeffries promised to deliver sufficient Democratic support.

Elon Musk tweets, “This bill should not pass.”

On Wednesday, Elon Musk tweeted that “This [bill] should not pass” and that “no bill” should pass until Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2025. Musk also tweeted that

Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years

It is not clear whether Elon Musk understands that the bill he killed was designed to keep the government open until March of 2025. In tweets throughout the day, Musk betrayed a shocking but unsurprising ignorance of the federal budget process or the consequences of the federal government not having money to operate. See Politico, Elon Musk fueled backlash to spending plan with false and misleading claims.

Per Politico,

Musk didn’t seem to think a government shutdown would have significant consequences for the country. He responded “YES” to a post that read, “Just close down the govt until January 20th. Defund everything. We will be fine for 33 days.” Another Musk post said a shutdown “doesn’t actually shut down critical function.

While it is true that some “critical functions” will continue during a shutdown, many critical government employees—like US military members—will not be paid even though they are expected to remain on duty. About 800,000 workers went without pay for a month during the last shutdown (2018). Although Musk could survive without a bi-weekly paycheck for a month, millions of Americans could not.

Trump reacts, rather than leads

Trump remained on the sidelines of the budget debate until after Musk tweeted “This bill should not pass.” Trump posted a statement that “Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried.”

But then Trump threw a curveball. He also posted, “Unless the Democrats terminate or substantially extend the Debt Ceiling now, I will fight 'till the end.”

Increasing the debt ceiling is something that does not need to be done until June of 2025. But Trump doesn’t want a debt ceiling increase to happen on his watch. We know this because Trump said so in a post on Truth Social:

If Republicans try to pass a clean Continuing Resolution without all of the Democrat ‘bells and whistles’ that will be so destructive to our Country, all it will do, after January 20th, is bring the mess of the Debt Limit into the Trump Administration, rather than allowing it to take place in the Biden Administration,”

The reason that Trump wants to force a debt limit increase under Biden is that Trump needs a debt limit increase to pay for the proposed extensions of his 2017 tax cuts for millionaires and corporations. See The Hill, Lawmakers caught off guard by Trump debt ceiling demand.

Per The Hill,

And in a post on X, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) accused Trump of wanting Democrats “to agree to raise the debt ceiling so he can pass his massive corporate and billionaire tax cut without a problem.”

“Shorter version: tax cut for billionaires or the government shuts down for Christmas,” he added.

The fallout

Trump looks like he is subordinate to Elon Musk.

JD Vance has been “disappeared.”

Musk has—for now—seized momentum from Trump as the dominant political force in the second Trump administration.

It is difficult to see how Mike Johnson survives as Speaker—or why he would want to. Johnson has been humiliated and back-stabbed by Trump and Musk. Mike Johnson’s credibility with his own caucus and Democratic counterparts is non-existent. It is a waste of time to negotiate with Johnson.

The chaos caused by Musk foreshadows a second Trump administration with unelected, unaccountable billionaires mucking about in the people’s business. What could go wrong?

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[mugiwara-lucy]

This....is huge! Or as Franky from One Piece would say; this is SUPER!!

However like I've said NUMEROUS TIMES THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER YET! Trump's camp is going to pull out EVERY underhanded tactic to try to make him the winner of the election because they're all crooks:

The ONLY way to win is to VOTE and VOTE OUR HEARTS OUT!! The voting deadlines are down below:

And if you don't want to vote on November 5th because of MAGA fuckery (understandable), you can do Early Voting of which the deadlines are down below:

OR you can do Mail In/Absentee Ballots and register here:

Although if you want to do Mail In Ballots, like I've said, take them to the USPS center and MAIL IT IN THERE to avoid any GOP fuckery!

We can NOT let up UNTIL we WIN! Which we CAN AND WILL!!!!!!!!!!!

[odinsblog]

I told y’all about the Krassenstein brothers: Elon Musk has monetized their twitter accounts and now they’re singing the “both sides” bullshit for clicks. It’s only a matter of time until they round the corner into Libertarian, GOP-lite, Bill Maher + Glenn Greenwald territory.

As far as the Kyle Rittenhouse case goes, it’s extremely disingenuous for Ed to omit the fact that the judge bent over backwards to help Rittenhouse, and inexplicably threw out the charges that would he would have almost certainly been found guilty of—as a minor, 17-year-old Rittenhouse did not, by law, have a legal right to have that gun on his person. Not to mention, he crossed state lines to “protect” 🙄 a store where he was recorded days earlier saying how he wished he had a chance to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters. (Judge Schroeder didn’t allow that part in either).

Does anyone else remember how Judge Bruce Schroeder allowed Rittenhouse to hand pick his jurors??

Or does anyone else remember how Bruce Schroeder casually allowed a person who killed two people to stand directly behind him—without handcuffs? Tell me that image didn’t influence the jurors.

There was sO fucking much wrong with that case. The judge practically instructed the jurors to find Rittenhouse not guilty. It was anything but a fair trial.

Anyway, it might take years for the Krassenstein’s to completely show their true conservative neoliberal colors, but 1) it IS coming, and 2) don’t say you weren’t forewarned.

Related posts beneath the cut

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/722670201637896193/finally-someone-put-it-into-words-they-want-to

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/725376945094787072/mark-this-on-a-calendar-the-krassenstein-brothers

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/711429140382990336/imagine-calling-other-people-disgusting

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/668456167955185664

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/668436797559341056

👉🏿 https://www.tumblr.com/odinsblog/668350399412060161

[beardedmrbean]

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s attorney general on Monday ordered national Democratic party leaders to stop calling the state’s unsanctioned presidential primary “meaningless,” saying doing so violates state law.

The cease-and-desist notice came three days after the co-chairs of the Democratic National Committee’s rules committee told New Hampshire party leaders to “educate the public that January 23rd is a non-binding presidential preference event and is meaningless.” In a letter to Chairman Ray Buckley, they also called the primary “detrimental” and said “non-compliant processes can disenfranchise and confuse voters.”

But Attorney General John Formella said it’s the DNC that is in danger of harming voters. Formella, appointed by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, did not say whether he is considering criminal charges, but his office later said he hasn't ruled it out. He released a statement saying the comments amount to an illegal attempt to deter voters from participating in the primary and cited state laws against criminal solicitation and voter suppression. The latter, a felony, makes it illegal to attempt to deter someone from voting based on fraudulent, deceptive or misleading information.

“Regardless of whether the DNC refuses to award delegates to the party’s national convention based on the results of the January 23, 2024, New Hampshire democratic Presidential Primary Election, this New Hampshire election is not “meaningless,’” Formella said. Statements to the contrary are false, deceptive and misleading.”

New Hampshire’s secretary of state scheduled the primary in accordance with a state law that requires both the Republican and Democratic primaries to be held at least seven days before any similar contest. But that put the state at odds with the DNC’s calendar, which starts with a primary in South Carolina on Feb. 3 followed by Nevada. Aimed at giving Black and other minority voters a larger, earlier role, the schedule also moves Michigan into the group of early states voting before Super Tuesday on March 5, when most of the rest of the country holds primaries.

President Joe Biden, who sought the changes, kept his name off the ballot in New Hampshire, though Democrats have organized a write-in campaign on his behalf.

Republicans will kick off the nominating process with the Iowa caucus on Monday. New Hampshire’s primary eight days later will be a crucial opportunity for GOP candidates to show they can remain competitive against former President Donald Trump, the early front-runner for their party’s presidential nomination.

A spokesperson for the DNC declined to comment Monday. Buckley, the New Hampshire chairman, released a statement reiterating that the secretary of state followed the law in picking the date.

“Well, it's safe to say in New Hampshire, the DNC is less popular than the NY Yankees,” he said. “Nothing has changed, and we look forward to seeing a great Democratic voter turnout on January 23rd.”

[tomorrowusa]

Senate Republicans choose the least bad candidate to succeed Mitch McConnell

The MAGA/Musk favorite, Rick Scott of Florida, was eliminated early.

John Thune elected to Senate leadership in rebuke to Trump allies Elon Musk was among those pushing for Florida senator Rick Scott to get top job

South Dakota senator John Thune will be the next Republican leader in the Senate and the most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill, after garnering the support of a majority of the party’s lawmakers in the upper chamber of Congress. Thune was selected to replace Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell as the Senate’s top Republican in a secret ballot on Wednesday morning. The result is a rebuke to allies of president-elect Donald Trump, including billionaire Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk, Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk and former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, who had all pushed for Florida senator Rick Scott to get the top job. Scott was eliminated in the first round of voting, and Thune defeated Texas senator John Cornyn in the second round to secure the backing of the majority of his colleagues.

This is an early indication that Trump won't get all he wants in the Senate.

Take a look at the political calendar. If you count the impending vacancies for Vance and Rubio, 22 GOP Senate seats will be up for election in 2026; for Democrats, the number is just 13. Also, Donald Trump is a lame duck. His influence on 2026 midterms will be similar to George W. Bush's influence in 2006 when Dems flipped the Senate.

So with the Thune election, Republicans may already be contemplating the post-MAGA era.

[mariacallous]

NEW YORK (AP) — Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel will leave her post on March 8, having been forced out of the GOP’s national leadership as Donald Trump moves toward another presidential nomination and asserts control over the party.

McDaniel announced her decision in a statement on Monday morning.

“I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing,” McDaniel said in the statement. “The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”

The move was not a surprise. Trump earlier in the month announced his preference for North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley, a little-known veteran operative focused in recent years on the prospect of voter fraud, to replace McDaniel. Trump also picked his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to serve as committee co-chair.

The 50-year-old McDaniel was a strong advocate for the former president and helped reshape the GOP in his image. But Trump’s MAGA movement increasingly blamed McDaniel for the former president’s 2020 loss and the party’s failures to meet expectations in races the last two years.

In addition to McDaniel, RNC co-chair Drew McKissick said he would also leave.

The leadership shakeup comes as the GOP shifts from the primary phase to the general election of the 2024 presidential contest. While former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has remained in the race, Trump has won every state in the primary calendar and could clinch the Republican nomination by mid-March.

Trump cannot make leadership changes without the formal backing of the RNC’s 168-member governing body, but McDaniel had little choice but to acquiesce to Trump’s wishes given his status as the party’s likely presidential nominee and his popularity with party activists. RNC members from across the country are expected to approve Trump’s decision in March.

McDaniel was the the committee’s longest-serving leader since the Civil War. The niece of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and a former chair of the Michigan GOP, she was Trump’s hand-picked choice to lead the RNC chair shortly after the 2016 election. Her profile as a suburban mother was also considered especially helpful as the party struggled to appeal to suburban women in the Trump era.

McDaniel easily beat back criticism from opponents within the “Make America Great Again” movement to win reelection as party chair a year ago. But her opponents’ voices are carrying more weight. The party is also struggling to raise money. The RNC reported $8.7 million in the bank at the beginning of February compared to the Democratic National Committee’s $24 million.

As Trump’s grip on a third presidential nomination tightens, his allies are moving to direct the party’s resources and activists around his campaign.

Lara Trump has suggested that GOP voters would likely want the RNC to cover her father-in-law’s legal bills given that they see the 91 felony counts against him as an example of political persecution. It’s unclear whether the RNC’s 168 members will eventually agree.

And Trump also wants allies who echo his false theories of voter fraud.

That’s a key reason why Trump is believed to have tapped Whatley, currently the North Carolina GOP chair and general counsel to the RNC.

Trump won North Carolina in 2020 by just over 1 percentage point and the state is expected to be highly competitive again this year.

Whatley has taken credit for hiring an army of lawyers ahead of the 2020 election, which he has said stymied Democratic efforts to commit voter fraud that year. There was no evidence of any intentional efforts to commit widespread voter fraud in multiple investigations and court cases.

Whatley also has strong connections to the political establishment. His resume includes experience as an oil and gas lobbyist and links to establishment figures like George W. Bush and former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C.

[vomitdodger]

And yet ANOTHER supposed “bombshell” article. Anyone remotely aware of Epstein, his flight logs, and White House visits, has know this for years and years. It’s a sad running joke with all the memes having been made of it:

Granted, some of the above might not have actually been there and need to be verified…it is just a meme remember, but let’s be honest…90% or more went…and went multiple times. The logs have been circulating for years. Bill Clinton went dozens of times. Ditched his secret service to do so. Yet nothing is questioned seriously by the media or the GOP or the DOJ. The silence is deafening. And not a single person came back saying “hey that was creepy I’m not going back”. Not a single person. They are all in on it. This article is just more controlled opposition and distraction.

[vote-democrat-president-congress]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/11/19/donald-trump-insults-vulgarities-republicans/

Trump swooped into Iowa for his own event — where he lobbed insults, made crude references and casually tossed out baseless and false claims designed to belittle his opponents and critics in vicious terms. Children wandered around in shirts and hats with the letters “FJB,” an abbreviation for an obscene jab at President Biden that other merchandise spelled out: “F--- Biden.”

During his speech inside a high school gym in Fort Dodge, former president Trump called one GOP rival a “son of a b----,” referred to another as “birdbrain” and had the crowd shrieking with laughter at his comments on Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), who he called “pencil neck” before asking, “How does he hold up that fat, ugly face?” He brought the house down while mocking Biden, at one point baselessly suggesting Biden is using drugs and can’t get offstage “by the time whatever it is he’s taken wears off.”

One of Trump’s introductory speakers from the Iowa state legislature declared anyone who kneels for the national anthem is a “disrespectful little s---,” quickly drawing a roaring response. And outside the packed venue, vulgar slogans about Biden and Vice President Harris were splashed across T-shirts: “Biden Loves Minors.” “Joe and the Ho Gotta Go!” One referred to Biden and Harris performing sexual acts.

Trump’s coarseness and cruelty have come to define the Republican Party since his rise to the presidency — and many GOP voters relish and emulate the approach, while others tolerate it. The split-screen on display in Iowa on Friday and Saturday highlighted one of the defining dynamics in the Republican race, in which Trump is the dominant polling leader overshadowing a roster of candidates running more traditional campaigns.

Offered the chance to support other presidential hopefuls who champion similar agenda to Trump in a less abrasive package, Republicans are for now sticking with the former president — underscoring how his personality and shattering of behavioral norms have long been a major part of his appeal. Conservative evangelicals influential in Iowa — the first state in the GOP nominating calendar — have previously set aside some distaste for Trump’s personal behavior as he took up their causes, including appointing antiabortion judges to the Supreme Court, and next year’s caucuses will test whether anything has shifted.

[jamieroxxartist]

✔ Mark Your Calendars: Thurs June 1 on 🎨#JamieRoxx’s Pop Roxx Radio 🎙️#TalkShow and 🎧#Podcast w/ Featured Guest: #JenSenko, #Director, #Author (The Brainwashing of My Dad documentary) ☎ Lines will be open (347) 850.8598 Call in with your Questions and Comments Live on the Air. ● Click here to Set a Reminder: http://tobtr.com/12227736 Pop Art Painter Jamie #Roxx (www.JamieRoxx.us) welcomes Jen Senko, Director, Author (#TheBrainwashingofMyDad) to the Show! ● WEB: www.thebrainwashingofmydad.com ● FB: @thebrainwashingofmydadmovie ● TW: @BrainwashingDad ● IG: @the_brainwashing_of_my_dad ● TB: thebrainwashingofmydad.tumblr.com ● YT: @jensenko6987 As filmmaker, Jen Senko, tries to understand the transformation of her father from a non political, life-long Democrat to an angry, right-wing fanatic, she uncovers the forces behind the media that changed him completely: a plan by Roger Ailes under Nixon for a media takeover by the GOP, The Powell Memo urging business leaders to influence institutions of public opinion -especially the universities, the media and the courts, and under Reagan, the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine, and The Telecommunications 'Reform' Act signed by Bill Clinton. As her journey continues, we discover that her father is part of a much broader demographic, and that the story is one that affects us all. ● Media Inquiries: www.thebrainwashingofmydad.com

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ansev Demirhan at Ms. Magazine:

The anti-feminist Independent Women’s Voice/Forum (IWF/V) has officially launched its 2024 election agenda. An internal fundraising document provided to True North Research shows one way it is putting that agenda into action is by continuing to try and blunt the horrific repercussions of the Supreme Court overturning Roe, while deploying their veneer of independence to sway centrist and independent voters.  The document details a two-phase plan and a budget that is almost twice the amount it proposed in its 2022 midterm fundraising documents, as reported by The Washington Post. Despite claiming to take no position on abortion, IWF/V launched a PR campaign ahead of the 2022 midterms—the first election cycle following the Dobbs decision—which included advertising trying to convince younger women that reproductive rights were less important than other issues the group listed. 

One way IWF/V’s agenda for this election cycle stands out from its previous midterm action plan is its emphasis on reassuring women that access to contraception is not in jeopardy—despite key voices in the anti-abortion movement making it clear otherwise. The group is a member of Project 2025, a MAGA blueprint that includes detailed plans to attack contraception access, promote the rhythm method, deploy the CDC to increase “abortion surveillance” and data collection and much more.  IWF/V also has a long history of undermining contraception access, though the group has a talking point about supporting over-the-counter availability of the contraception pill.

IWF/V’s “Hope Agenda”

Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), a 501(c)(3), and its 501(c)(4) the Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), are pay-to-play groups that use their “independent” branding to laud right-wing politicians along with the legislative wish lists of some for-profit corporations, such as Juul. Based on its most recent tax filings, the groups reported a combined $8.1 million in revenue. IWF/V has received money from the Koch network, Leonard Leo’s network and funds from secretive donor-advised funds, like the Bradley Impact Fund, the National Christian Charitable Foundation and DonorsTrust. 

[...]

But Americans are intimately familiar with the political reality of abortion access in this country. 

The majority of states have abortion restrictions or bans in place that make it difficult for pregnant Americans to receive essential healthcare. 

The U.S. Supreme Court continues to be deployed as a tool to potentially limit abortion access nationally (in the mifepristone and EMTALA cases). 

Over 64,000 unwanted pregnancies have been caused by rape in states with total abortion bans that were implemented post-Roe. 

Abortions increased in 2023, the first full calendar year following the Dobbs decision, because people continue to need and seek abortions despite the fractured abortion healthcare landscape unleashed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Americans are also faced with the political reality that the anti-abortion movement is coming for contraception. That is one reason why IWF/V honing in on messaging around birth control access as something that is safeguarded and supported by the GOP is so troubling. The group itself has a history of opposing contraception access. 

[...]

Anti-trans messaging is also central to IWF/V’s plan to ‘get out the vote’ in 2024, according to its “Hope Agenda.” IWF also attacked the Right to Contraception Act, using anti-trans scaremongering to falsely suggest that this legislation would “require doctors to sterilize minors.” This is not the only anti-trans tactic the group has used to detract from the devastating impact of the overturn of Roe.  IWF/V is also behind the anti-trans “model” bill the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” which enumerates no rights other than the right to discriminate against transgender people, especially transgender women. This model bill has ostensibly been used by so-called conservative or independent policymakers and groups that allegedly care more about American women, but IWF/V itself has repeatedly attacked pro-woman policies. IWF/V has opposed the Equal Rights Amendment,  federal paid leave, federally subsidized child care, the Violence Against Women Act and Title IX—though it recently backed a watered-down version of VAWA and for decades it sided with men’s sports teams against Title IX spending on women’s sports until it deployed anti-trans messaging about women’s sports.

Ms. Magazine exposes the right-wing Koch/Leonard Leo-funded antifeminist group Independent Women's Forum and their sister groups Independent Women's Voice and Independent Women’s Law Center. These groups claim to be pro-women, but in reality, the policies they support-- such as anti-trans "Women's Bill of Rights" and attacks on abortion access, contraception, and in vitro fertilization-- are harmful to women.

[progressivepower]

Trump criticizes Iowa's governor for staying neutral in 2024 GOP race. As Iowa put a date on the calendar for its 2024 caucuses, former President Donald Trump picked a fight with the state's Republican governor for staying neutral in the GOP... https://t.co/OEG1bNXEzJ http://dlvr.it/SrzvYB

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Dave Whammond

* * * *

Trump nominates Kari Lake to lead Voice of America

Voice of America is an international radio service run by the US government to help counter propaganda from other countries and to spread democratic ideals throughout the world. VOA broadcasts in 48 languages and reaches over 325 million regularly. According to its website, it seeks to tell the truth by protecting “the ability of our journalists to develop content that reflects the highest professional standards of journalism, free of political interference.”

Earlier this week, Trump nominated election denier and conspiracy theorist Kari Lake to become the new Director of the Voice of America.

Given that VOA’s mission involves telling the truth about America and foreign powers, appointing someone who has actively tried to deny the truth about American politics for four years is a very bad idea. See Forbes, Here’s Why Kari Lake’s Nomination As Voice Of America Director Is Raising Alarms.

See also, Kari Lake, Trump’s VOA pick, hates the “fake news” — and called Fox a “globalist network” | Media Matters for America.

But getting Kari Lake appointed as a director is not a simple task. Per Brian Stelter at CNN,

The Trump-era purge efforts led Congress to institute reforms. A bipartisan group called the International Broadcasting Advisory Board now works with the CEO of the U.S. Agency of Global Media. By law, the head of VOA can only be “appointed or removed” by a majority vote of the board.

So, it remains to be seen whether Trump will succeed in placing Kari Lake as Director of VOA. But consistent with Trump's other nominations, she is the antithesis of the agency she has been nominated to lead.

Update on the Billionaire Boys Club a.k.a Trump Fanboy Club

Tim Cook of Apple and Sam Altman of Open AI have joined the list of white male billionaires lining up to kiss the ring and genuflect before Trump at Mar-a-Lago. See Bloomberg, Trump to Dine With Apple’s Tim Cook at Mar-A-Lago Friday, and NYTimes, Trump Transition: OpenAI Chief Joins Other Tech Firms in Donating to Inauguration.

GOP fails to appoint any woman to lead any House committee

The House GOP has appointed only males—almost exclusively white males—to lead the seventeen committees that run the House. See ABC News, No women will lead House committees for first time in 2 decades.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the absence of women in leadership roles in the House by saying,

We value those voices. And everybody has an equal say at the table. These are thoughtful elections. We have an embarrassment of riches, frankly.

Mike Johnson managed to squeeze several lies into his short statement. It is not true that “everybody has an equal say at the table.” Committee chairs set the agenda and control the calendar; they can unilaterally prevent legislation from moving forward, even if every woman on the committee wishes otherwise.

Nor is it true that the GOP has “an embarrassment of riches” that precluded appointing qualified Republican women. Committee chairs announced by Johnson include coup plotter Jim Jordan (Judiciary) and the laughably incompetent James Comer (Oversight).

The GOP war on women

Speaking of the GOP war on women, The Guardian is reporting that GOP members of Congress are targeting subsidies that primarily benefit women. See The Guardian, Republicans take aim at subsidies that help tens of millions of women.

And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a New York physician who prescribed and mailed mifepristone pills to a woman in Texas. New York passed a law that prohibits New York from cooperating with prosecutions and lawsuits by other states that conflict with New York’s abortion protections. See Chris Geidner on Substack, Texas A.G. Paxton sues New York doctor over medication abortion allegations.

Concluding Thoughts

I spoke to the Democrats of Red Rock (Sedona) earlier this week. As I spoke, I found myself saying, “This is more difficult than anyone expected, including me.”

For example, in late October, Trump distanced himself from Robert Kennedy Jr., recognizing that his dangerous ideas were a liability to the campaign. Today, Kennedy has a reasonable chance of being confirmed. Elon Musk is amplifying Kennedy’s anti-vaccine, anti-science theories on Twitter and pouring money into negative advertising attacking GOP Senators who are considering voting against Kennedy. Did not see that coming.

The situation is worse, in part, because Musk’s bottomless pockets are open to Trump and because the billionaire class has decided to protect their billions rather than the democracy that allowed their fortunes to spring into existence. It is reminiscent of pre-WWII America, in which the titans of industry either supported Hitler or argued that the US should remain isolated from world affairs.

It also reminds me of the beginning of Trump's first administration. Recall that he formed a “business round table” that attracted leaders from every major business in America. The round table met once or twice—and then Trump imposed his ban on travel from majority Muslim countries. The business leaders fled the “round table” as quickly as possible—largely because their employees rose in revolt within corporations, law firms, accounting firms, consulting firms, and banks.

In the early days of 2017, Trump was the darling and patron of business leaders until he became toxic. His agenda in 2025 is worse than in 2017. Bezos, Zuckerberg, Cook, and Altman may think it is all fun and games until—as in 1939—the invasion of Poland disabused everyone of the notion that Hitler was a harmless crank. As in 2017, Trump will do something that will make it no longer “cool” for Tim Cook of Apple to “dine with Trump on the patio at Mar-a-Lago.”

The billionaire class lives under the illusion that their money insulates them from negative public reaction. They are wrong, as 2017 demonstrated. Bezos, Zuckerberg, Cook, and Altman may think Trump's tough talk is performative politics. But when he cages his first family in a concentration camp euphemistically called a “detention facility,” they will have nowhere to run from the wave of public opinion that will mark them with the same badge of shame worn today by Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh.

So, yes, it is worse than I expected. But I firmly believe that the wave of support from business and billionaires seeking to curry favor with Trump is a self-limiting disease that will flare and subside when Trump tries to implement his agenda.

[Robert B.Hubbell Newsletter]

[mugiwara-lucy]

Trump and the GOP: Why are women voters so pissed at us and why are we doing so bad with them in the polls?!

To ensure we don't live in the Handsmaids Tale/Gilead for real, make sure you're all registered to vote. Tomorrow is the start of October which is the last day and these are the deadlines that vary by state and some of them end THIS WEEK so get on it!!

Early Voting has started and seems to be working for us so here's the dates for Early Voting!!

And here's the link to apply for Mail In Ballots but like I always say make sure to be CAREFUL AF with your Mail in Ballots and have them shipped DIRECTLY at the USPS Centers!!

NEARLY TEN FUCKING YEARS of Donald Trump. Let's show him the wrath of ROEVEMBER!!