April 18, 2024

'We waited for hours': Law enforcement testify that Trump outright rejected sending help on Jan. 6'

&t=262s

'Congressman Eric Swalwell of California and Tim Heaphy, former lead investigator for the January 6th Select Committee join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to today's testimony from law enforcement about their readiness on January 6th, and how they were ready to defend the capitol but did not have the necessary authorization from then commander in chief Donald Trump.'

My words: Chilling. Please watch.

April 10, 2024

'Is the Anti-Democracy Movement Reaching a Tipping Point in the US & Around the World?' Thom Hartmann

https://hartmannreport.com/p/is-the-anti-democracy-movement-reaching-877

'The real question at the core of the Ukraine conflict, is simple & straightforward: “What’s the best way for humans to govern themselves?”'...Yesterday, Politico published an interview with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy titled “Zelenskyy warns Russia has penetrated U.S. politics, invites Trump to Ukraine.” It’s a chilling read...

Freedom House reported in 2021 that:..One of those countries they identified as a place where democracy itself is under assault is the USA, where virtually the entire Republican Party has rejected supporting democracy at home and supporting democratic governments abroad...

Donald Trump openly admired strongman autocrats the world over while denigrating and ridiculing the leaders of democratic nations...The same is apparently true of authoritarian-loving Fox “News” hosts, a perspective that appears to come down on high from the authority to whom they answer: Rupert Murdoch himself and his son, Lachlan...

Australia’s former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd documented Murdoch’s profitable career undermining democracy first in Australia, then the UK, and now here in the US after the Reagan administration granted him expedited citizenship so he could set up his television empire...Prime Minister Rudd characterized Murdoch’s empire in an op-ed for The Sydney Morning Herald as the “Cancer eating the heart of Australian democracy.”..

Right now they are embracing Vladimir Putin instead of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of our Democratic ally. The Putin Caucus in the House is willing to overturn Mike Johnson‘s speakership in service of Putin...They’ve joined the side of Russia and China in this debate, openly asserting that political power should flow from the top down; in our country’s case, they’ve embraced a ruling class of morbidly rich American oligarchs...

A “hot” war across greater Europe may be on the way if Ukraine falls, perhaps followed by China seizing Taiwan once the precedent of “reclaiming former territories” has been set...No matter how the crisis in Ukraine works out, the underlying dispute will remain: should humans govern themselves democratically from the ground up, or with oligarchy from the top down? ...The future of democracy is hanging in the balance, not just in Ukraine and Taiwan but here in the US, as well.'

My words: This is my feeble attempt to provide you a glimpse of the peril Mr. Hartmann warns us we are in. Please read the entire article for the full force of Mr. Hartmann's words.

April 6, 2024

My words: Two Articles About USPS and DeJoy that matter to the upcoming election... It's complicated, people.

First there is this:
https://www.rawstory.com/louis-dejoy-ballots/

"A noticeable slowdown in mail delivery by the US Postal Service (USPS) is becoming a significant concern for democracy advocates, as millions of Americans will be voting by mail this year. There's growing worry about whether mail ballots will be counted in time — particularly in swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

NBC News reported that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy — a GOP donor who has been in his position since a Republican-controlled USPS Board of Governors put him there in 2020 — is being blamed for mail delays due to his 10-year restructuring of the USPS. DeJoy's plan, dubbed "Delivering for America," involves consolidating all mail-sorting operations to 60 regional distribution centers.

In a a letter to DeJoy last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) led an effort with nearly two dozen Senate Democrats to publicly condemn DeJoy's USPS overhaul and its effect on mail delivery. They warned that under the plan, "outgoing mail processing will move hundreds of miles to a regional facility, outside reasonable commuting distance and, in some cases, to another state entirely."

And then there is this:
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/13/how-louis-dejoy-went-from-democratic-nightmare-fuel-to-biden-clean-energy-player-00110945

'Louis DeJoy: From Trump villain to Biden’s clean energy buddy'

"During the summer of 2020, there were few bigger Democratic super villains than Louis DeJoy. The postmaster general was accused of masterminding an attempt to steal the election for former President Donald Trump by subverting mail-in voting in the midst of the pandemic. He was hauled up to Capitol Hill to defend his policies. When Joe Biden won, it was generally assumed that his days were numbered.

Now, nearly three years later, DeJoy isn’t just still standing atop the U.S. Postal Service, he’s become a critical player in Biden’s environmental agenda, striking a partnership with the president’s green guru, John Podesta, as USPS considers an environmental renaissance of its fleet.

It’s a remarkable change of script for one of the more memorable side characters of the Trump years. And it produced one of the most unlikely pairings in Washington D.C., something that the camps will privately acknowledge even as they’re loath to discuss it personally. Asked repeatedly about their good-natured relationship, both DeJoy and Podesta declined to comment."

April 6, 2024

'The Differences are Bigger Than You Think Medicare Advantage vs Supplement'

'Looking for an unbiased, comprehensive review of Medicare Advantage and Supplement plans? Look no further! In this video, we'll discuss the pros and cons of each type of plan, and help you make an informed decision about which is best for you.

Medicare Advantage and Supplement plans are a big part of the healthcare system in the United States, and it can be difficult to understand the different options available to you. In this video, we'll provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about Medicare Advantage and Supplement plans. We hope this video will help you with your Medicare decisions.'

My words: This is an excellent analysis of both types of plans that will help folks understand the differences and help them make a better informed decision about which type of plan is best for them.

April 6, 2024

'The Differences are Bigger Than You Think Medicare Advantage vs Supplement'

'Looking for an unbiased, comprehensive review of Medicare Advantage and Supplement plans? Look no further! In this video, we'll discuss the pros and cons of each type of plan, and help you make an informed decision about which is best for you.

Medicare Advantage and Supplement plans are a big part of the healthcare system in the United States, and it can be difficult to understand the different options available to you. In this video, we'll provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about Medicare Advantage and Supplement plans. We hope this video will help you with your Medicare decisions.'

My words: This is an excellent analysis of both types of plans that will help folks understand the differences and help them make a better informed decision about which type of plan is best for them.

April 5, 2024

'Joe: If we're going to guarantee Israel's existence, then we need a responsible partner' Morning Joe: 12 min.

'Israel committed to opening additional aid routes to allow for increased assistance to flow into Gaza after a call with President Joe Biden warning of a potential shift in U.S. policy after a strike this week killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. The Morning Joe panel discusses.'

My words: For the good of Israel, Netanyahu needs to go.

April 5, 2024

'Maine just took America one giant step closer to ending the GOP's grip on our elections'

https://www.rawstory.com/popular-vote/

'Wednesday, the State of Maine took America one giant step closer to ending the antidemocratic grip the GOP’s had on our presidential elections. Even though George W. Bush lost the 2000 election by a half-million votes nationally and Donald Trump lost in 2016 by 3 million votes, both ended up in the White House because of the Electoral College.

Right now, all but two states give 100% of their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who won the most votes in the state (Maine and Nebraska split their states in two but assign all electoral votes to whoever won the most popular votes in each region).

Yesterday, Maine’s legislature passed (with votes of both Democrats and Republicans) a bill joining the compact, bringing the total number of electoral votes now held by Compact states to 209. With Michigan, we’ll be at 225'

My words: This is a history lesson, people. Well, worth reading the entire article..

April 4, 2024

"'I want a drug test': Trump floats idea President Biden is using cocaine"

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-biden-cocaine/

'There’s something going on there. I want to debate. And I think debates, with him, at least, should be drug tested. I want a drug test," he (Trump) added.'

My words: You first, Trumpy.

April 4, 2024

' Navarro is having a shitty time in prison. boo fucking hoo' JEFF TIEDRICH

https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/peter-navarro-is-having-a-shitty?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

'pour one out for Peter Navarro, the poster boy for the mediocre entitled white male dipshit. Pete’s having the saddest of sads right now, because he’s currently in prison, and guess what: prison fucking suuuuuuuuucks.

it’s only been 16 days, but already Pete’s been whining to all who will listen. the food sucks. the cell sucks. the guards suck. all the other inmates suck. the lack of privacy sucks. waking up at 4am sucks. having no control over your life sucks. it’s not fair! oh, boo fucking hoo. here’s your binky, dumb-ass.

April 3, 2024

'Is the Republican Argument Against Women Voting Getting New Traction?' Thom Hartmann

https://hartmannreport.com/p/is-the-republican-argument-against-cf9

'The Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina this year, Trump-endorsed Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, knows how to fix America’s political and social problems: prevent women from voting...“I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn’t vote,” Robinson argued. “Do you know why? Because in those days, we had people who fought for real social change, and they were called Republicans. … That’s the America we want to bring back. We want to bring back the America where Republicans and principles and true ideas of freedom rule.”...

The calls to disenfranchise women have been growing among Republicans in recent years. Just a few months ago, Ann Coulter was blunt: “Once again, it is time to reconsider our rash experiment with women's suffrage.”

Michigan Republican John Gibbs, it was revealed when he ran for Congress in 2022 as the official GOP candidate for that state’s 3rd congressional district, was ahead of the curve. The former Trump administration official had created a website two decades ago that laid out the conservative argument against women voting:

My words: Speaking as a woman, the GOP has once again poked the sleeping tiger. See you at the polls.