Layaway, on-time, and paying-something-down-on-it have been very familiar phrases in black, brown, and poor neighborhoods for generations; credit was for the people who did not need it. Financial freedom because of race, religion, and status was prohibitive for countless numbers of Americans and immigrants. The constant pressure of having to...
Voter ID
It depresses me to acknowledge this, but the Republicans’ commitment to blatant and serial lying, and Orwellian “make believe” governing, pose a real threat by overwhelming the public debate and individual’s efforts to stay grounded. While a bit well-worn (and of uncertain provenance), this quote is fundamentally true: “A lie can travel halfway around...
So this happened yesterday: Glenn Youngkin, a wealthy first-time candidate who walked a line between his party’s Trump-centric base and appeals to business interests, won the Republican nomination for governor of Virginia on Monday. He heads into a general election in one of only two states choosing their governors in...
Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden’s (D. OR) re-election campaign: The lies and violence of the last few months have made it clear: If we're going to carry forward as a democracy, we need to protect the integrity of every vote. That starts with secure, reliable election processes....
I know this New York Times article is a month old but I wanted to reference it for the purposes of this diary: More than 180 years ago, as part of the Trail of Tears, the United States military drove thousands of Cherokee and Muscogee people off the land they...
Watching the depressing and alarming spectacle of 17 Republican states joining Texas’s bad faith, frivolous Supreme Court application to overturn the election in favor of Trump, I am reminded that in September 2015 I wrote a post titled “The Sad Truth of John Boehner’s Resignation” — which received 1,275 Recommends, 789 Comments and,...
Trying to pick the lowest point of Rudy Guiliani’s election hearing in Michigan is a challenge. There was the racist woman who said we need voter ID because “all Chinese look alike” (which, using her logic, would negate the need for an ID) There was Giuliani yelling at a Republican during...
COVID-19 patients in American hospitals has surpassed 100,000 for the first time as supply networks will be attacked by gangsters hijacking supplies, and there will inevitably be the problems of guaranteed purity and authenticity. Distribution will get compromised and regulation will be stressed. CNN: The United States reported at least...
Other than delusions of victory, Trump is trailing and needs to win the debates. Yet Trump, as with his original 2016 plan, remains focused on surviving past inauguration day short of an indictment. Trump is desperate for a post-election deal that will cover his massive billion-dollar debts which he may cover...
Received this e-mail from John Hickenlooper’s (D. CO) U.S. Senate campaign: Hello, On this day in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law banning racial discrimination at the ballot box. Civil Rights heroes, like Representative John Lewis, risked their lives for the right to vote. They marched, bloodied and bruised,...
Received this e-mail today from former Presidential candidate, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D. TX), and his organization, Powered by People: We’re about to launch phase two, and we need as many people as possible on board. Our ultimate mission is simple, but huge: turn out enough voters in Texas to win a...
We already know why Donald Trump hates the idea of mail-in voting. If citizens can easily exercise their right to vote, Republicans won’t do so well. That’s why the GOP is the voter-suppression party. Voter ID is one method they’ve used to tamp down participation. Another recent (failed) tactic was forcing...
I shoudn’t let it surprise, shock, or bother me, but the fact that Kentucky Republicans are politicizing the coronavirus pandemic makes me very angry. We have already lost 23,000 people nationally, and we are most likely going to break a total of 100 deaths today in Kentucky. But never let...
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D. NY) nailed it yesterday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe: GOV. ANDREW CUOMO: I don’t think we ever get back to normal. I think this is one of the new normals now in public health, like we go through the environment, like we’ve gone through the economy. It...
The New Republic has a new piece out about the upcoming U.S. Senate race between U.S. Senator “Leningrad Lindsey” Graham (R. SC) and Jaime Harrison (D. SC), who has proven to be one hell of a fundraiser and formidable opponent. The piece discusses the dynamics of the upcoming race and...
Received this e-mail today from former Attorney General, Eric Holder, in support of Cal Cunningham’s (D. NC) U.S. Senate campaign: Our democracy is based on a simple concept: Voters should have a fair chance to elect candidates of their choice. Unfortunately, there is no clearer example of how that promise...
So here’s Donald Trump in Louisiana last night undermining public faith in our elections, self-aggrandizing like only a dictator can, and (for the umpteenth time) deliberately overlooking the fact that trees, dirt, and garden slugs don’t vote. (Though if they did, Trump might win every election in a landslide.) (Second...
Received this e-mail from U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D. MA) in support of Dan McCready’s (D. NC-09) campaign: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D. MA) Republicans love to pretend that “voter fraud” is a national crisis. They use it as an excuse to pass racist voter ID laws, purge voting rolls, and...
Here’s another crucial fight to protect the right to vote: The Senate postponed to next week the confirmation vote on Raleigh attorney Thomas Farr to be a federal judge in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The vote was scheduled for noon Thursday, but shortly after 11 a.m. it was...
“We won’t know the good our country is still capable of until our elections are honest.” — Mimi Kennedy, National Election Integrity Activist By Mike Hersh for Alan, Mike F., Dr. Bill, Deb, Janis, Dan, Kimberly, Bryan, and Shayna—Your PDA National Team Support Our Efforts To Protect Your Vote! As we...
As you read this today (I wrote this last night), we are 108 days away from the November 2018 midterm elections. Polls continue to show high levels of Democratic enthusiasm, and the future hold the prospect of a world class bummer for His Lowness and the GOP 109 days from...
If you live in Florida, you know Publix. It’s a large, regional grocery chain with the overwhelming majority of its stores located here in the Sunshine State. It’s typically more expensive than other grocers, and they don’t do discount cards like other stores. Yet people here don’t mind paying. We...
I'M a PA resident. This law SUCKS! It was, from the very beginning, designed and intended to disenfranchise minority and young voters in Pennsylvania. It has also threatened to disenfranchise older Pennsylvanians. People like my neighbor Ralph, who manned the radio in a B-24 over Italy, Germany, and the Pacific...
We all know that Republicans are working diligently to win a permanent majority by interfering with our voting process. Voter purges, reduced hours at the polls and voter ID laws are moving ahead at full speed. These efforts have been fought in court with mixed results while the traditional media...