Friday, June 10, 2016

Happy Friday!

Well whaddayagno, everyone--we survived another week and are now free to enjoy Friday, the Pastafarian high holy day. Woo hoo!

Again, I'm not up to an essay today; again, I think today's post speaks for itself. The summary for those with short attention spans (as if you'd be here in the first place if you had a short attention span!) is that Donald Trump sucks, and Hillary ain't much better.

Specifically, there is the USA News investigation of hundreds of claims that Trump doesn't pay his workers, contractors, etc., on top of the TrumPEW scam--showing Trump's clear history of openly screwing rather than helping the common man, and that is on top of estimates of Trump's net worth only being around $250 MILLION--and all the allegations that Trump won't release his tax returns because they show how low his net worth really is, which, if proven, would really take the shine off his appeal to his base. But there's a history on the Democratic party side that can't be ignored.

Here's what I mean.

I was listening to "Democracy Now!" earlier this week (link below)--Amy Goodman was interviewing Jill Stein, a medical doctor who's running as the presidential candidate on the Green party ticket. Stein makes some interesting points. We all know that Trump is running as a populist, often to the left of Hillary, and we all know that there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that he'd keep any of the promises he makes to ordinary Americans. But what about Hillary? If you listen to what she and Obama say, they definitely sound more populist than the Republicans, who are unabashedly against helping the middle and lower classes. But what about what Hillary and Obama actually do? Do their rational, compassionate words really drive their actions and their voting records? No, according to Stein--they are just as corporatist as the Republicans if you look at their voting records. (The Silenced Majority, by Amy Goodman, bears this out with the example of Obama's outright obstruction on climate change. Now there's a conversation I can't believe we're still having.)

My Tea Party Christian friend, who thinks O'Bama is a far-left Marxist communist socialist weak dictator, would choke on the reality of that statement, which is obvious to us Bernie supporters. (Maybe he believes that Hawaii is in Kenya just like Trump believes that Indiana is in Mexico. But I digress.)

As Stein points out, the Democratic party has been as resistant to change as ever we've accused conservatives of being--remember Ralph Nader's many presidential runs, trying to pull Democrats back from the right to the center? If a movement as strong as Bernie's isn't even causing them to flinch, then nothing will. Democrats have proven for the past thirty years that they're not friendly to the middle and lower classes--remember Bill Clinton's welfare cuts and repeal of Glass-Steagall?--which means that it's going to take a third party for progressive agendas to see the light of day in any meaningful way beyond mere lip service for the masses, be the speaker Trump or Hillary.

So, Stein presents the dilemma: keep voting for the lesser evil--Hillary--or start voting for the greater good, be that writing in Bernie or voting for Stein herself.

Stein makes some powerful points that have not escaped me--in fact, those same points have been giving me agita. But I do feel like Hillary would at least give us some breathing room once Trump is dispatched back to the funny pages where he belongs.

And, like Bernie, I do NOT want to be responsible for a Trump presidency.

Kyle Kulinski of Secular Talk offers the following suggestion: if you're in a swing state, vote Hillary; if you're in a clear red or clear blue state where your vote is not going to make a tremendous difference, then vote your conscience.

I think that's pretty good advice, and I plan to follow it simply because the specter of a Trump administration is just too ghastly to consider. I do NOT want him or any other Repube picking SCOTUS justices.

And, if we prevail, I will turn my efforts full force into getting Bernie or someone like him into the White House in 2020.

Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:

Daily Kos
AlterNet
Democracy Now!
Slate
Vox
Conservatives are Destroying our Future
Conservative Clown Car
Americans Against the Republican Party
Americans Against the Tea Party

...And, whatever you do, please keep supporting Bernie's "revolution"--back to the center. Send him a buck o' five if you can. At the very least, I'm gonna send $15 to Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Democratic primary opponent, Tim Canova, on Bernie's behalf. That woman needs to GO!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being good to yourself and your loved ones. If you have a senior friend or rellie, please visit, bring cookies, or take him or her out for a meal if you can. They and I will love you for it! And don't forget to sleep in tomorrow!

Peas!

- Dot Calm's shadow

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Mailbag

From EMILY'S List via Daily Kos--support women voters with pro-choice Democratic women

Women voters have the power to spark true change by electing pro-choice Democratic women at the local, state, and national levels – including the opportunity to elect the first woman President of the United States.

By helping pro-choice Democratic women win races at all levels, women voters can make 2016 the year we take back the Senate, send even more women to the House, champion greater diversity in our government, and finally shatter the biggest glass ceiling of them all.

In an election year where the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said that “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who have abortions, it’s more important than ever for women to flex their voting power and make sure their point of view is represented.

Women make up about 53 percent of voters in this country, but less than 20 percent of the U.S. Congress. If our government looked more like the people it represents, we wouldn’t be caught in uphill battles over issues like paid family and medical leave, equal pay, or a woman’s right to make choices about her own health.

This year, women voters can play a historic role in one of the most important elections of our time – because when women vote, women and families win. Join EMILY’s List to support pro-choice Democratic women and make history this year.

Keep Fighting,
Carissa Miller

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Now that Donald Trump is attacking a federal judge over his Hispanic heritage, Mark Kirk is finally trying to hide from previously endorsing Trump.
 
It shouldn’t have taken this long. Kirk told a reporter Tuesday that Trump’s latest remarks were “too racist and bigoted” -- as if a little less racism and bigotry were just fine. 
 
Illinois deserves a senator who didn’t need to face a massive political backlash to know that Donald Trump is unfit for the presidency. Contribute now to send Tammy to the U.S. Senate:
 

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Here are just a few of the things Mark Kirk was apparently fine with when he endorsed Donald Trump: 
 
- Referring to Mexicans as rapists
- Proposing to ban Muslims from entering the country
- Calling women fat pigs and dogs
- Mocking a reporter’s disability
- Leading the birther movement
 
It’s no surprise, really. Earlier this week, we emailed you about a new quiz testing whether voters could tell the difference between Mark Kirk and Donald Trump’s sexist and racially insensitive remarks. 
 
A typical response: “Kirk sounds even worse than the Donald!”
 
Regardless of whether he’s still endorsing Donald Trump, Mark Kirk is supporting and enabling Trump’s shameful and bigoted agenda. Contribute now to replace Trump sympathizer Mark Kirk with a senator who will stand up to Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric:
 
 
Thank you,
 
Kaitlin Fahey
Campaign Manager, Tammy for Illinois

But wait--there's more!


How much racism and sexism is acceptable to Mark Kirk?
 
Kirk is finally backing away from his endorsement of Donald Trump, after Trump’s racist attacks on a federal judge. But Donald Trump made a whole lot of other racist, sexist and bigoted remarks before these latest comments, and Mark Kirk was apparently fine with all of that when he endorsed Trump in March.
 
We can’t let Kirk hide from his months of support for Trump’s hateful rhetoric. 
 
We just released a new video highlighting a few of the worst Donald Trump moments that didn’t cost him Mark Kirk’s support. Contribute now to help us get the word out and hold Mark Kirk accountable for failing to denounce Donald Trump’s hatred and bigotry for far too long. 
 

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Tammy Duckworth sacrificed, Mark Kirk lied
 
When Donald Trump called Mexicans rapists, Mark Kirk was apparently fine with that. When Trump proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States, Kirk -- who once said “I’m OK with discrimination against young Arab males” -- didn’t let it stop his endorsement. When Trump advocated punishing women who have abortions or attacked Megyn Kelly, Kirk didn’t object. When Trump mocked a journalist with a physical disability, that still wasn't offensive enough to cost him Kirk’s support. 
 
Kirk himself said the latest Trump comments were “too racist”, implying a little racism or sexism is okay with him. Apparently for Kirk, racism, sexism and bigotry cross the line only when there’s a political cost. That’s not leadership. 
 
Let’s make sure Illinois voters know the truth about Kirk’s shameful support for Donald Trump. Contribute now to spread the word:




Thank you for your support,
 
Matt
 
Matt McGrath
Deputy Campaign Manager, Tammy for Illinois

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CREDO action
Tell Congress: Do not block the new Maine Woods national monument
Tell Congress:
“Oppose House Republicans’ attempt to block the designation of a new national monument in the Maine woods.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

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From LGBTQ Democrats--stop Cresent Hardy, who wants to turn back the clock on marriage equality


Your contribution will help us defeat this anti-gay Congressman and elect a true progressive who will always fight for LGBTQ equality.

Happy Pride 🌈!!

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From Daily Kos--no lame-duck vote on TPP!

Sign the petition urging Nancy Pelosi to oppose a lame duck vote for the TPP.

The recently-signed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was negotiated behind closed doors with hundreds of corporate advisors. It would make it easier to offshore good jobs, push down our wages, and undermine essential climate policies, affordable medicines, safe food, human rights & an open Internet.

It should not be approved, and certainly not during a “lame duck” session of Congress after the November election—when members are the least politically accountable to constituents.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both announced opposition to a lame duck vote on the TPP. But House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has refused to take a position. Her public position will have enormous influence on how other House Democrats vote.

Sign the petition by Daily Kos, Campaign for America's Future, People Demanding Action, CREDO, Open Media & Corporate Accountability International to Nancy Pelosi: No Lame Duck vote on the TPP!

Keep fighting,
Paul Hogarth, Daily Kos           

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Crowdpac #VPDraft

Finally, it's official - it's Hillary vs. Trump.

But who should Hillary pick for VP?

Some are saying it could be Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard or Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

But who would you choose? Tell the Clinton campaign who the people's pick for VP is by voting in the Crowdpac #VPDraft.

Click the links below to endorse your favorite candidate or candidates, then make a pledge to move them up the leaderboard.


Click here to view the full list.

Don't leave the veepstakes to Washington insiders. Crowdpac's #VPDraft is the only place where you can have your say before the Convention.

Thanks for all you do,
The Crowdpac team


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CREDO action
Tell consumer watchdog: Get tougher on payday lenders.
Submit a public comment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
The proposed payday lending rule is a major step forward but should be strengthened to better protect American consumers from predatory lenders. The CFPB should apply ability-to-repay requirements to every loan, limit total indebtedness, increase protections against loan flipping, and broaden the rule to cover any loan that enables lenders to coerce repayment from borrowers.
Take action now ►

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From CREDO--how we won the fight on Social Security

Do you remember 2010?

Just six years ago, the movement to expand Social Security was virtually invisible. President Obama had empowered a fast-track commission that was dead set on cutting Social Security and Medicare. The Washington consensus was that Social Security benefit cuts were inevitable – the only question was how big the cuts would be.

Back then it was pretty lonely in D.C. to be standing against the Democratic president’s commision. We had to push back not only against a popular Democratic president, but against the mainstream Democratic establishment that wanted to give him leeway to cut other deals. In 2010, it was like pulling teeth to get Democrats to pledge “no cuts” to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.

But CREDO Action and Social Security Works weren’t interested in being popular in D.C., we were interested in what was right. And so from day one we opposed any and all efforts to cut benefits.

Whether we faced fast-track commissions like Bowles-Simpson, debt ceiling hostage crises, or supercommittees, we collectively raised our voices and stopped these attempts to dismantle our earned benefits. The plain fact of America’s retirement security crisis was powerful enough that the same arguments against cuts were also arguments FOR expanding benefits. We didn’t rest in victory – we kept fighting. And six years later, the president announced that he supports increased benefits to address the retirement security crisis. We did that together. Our voices changed the conversation.

Working together, Social Security Works, CREDO Action and other key partners in the progressive movement determined that the best defense would be a good offense – and that our Social Security system needed to be expanded.

Along the way, we changed the entire debate. Social Security expansion became the official position of the Democratic Party. President Obama, both remaining Democratic presidential candidates, and over 90 percent of Senate Democrats are now on record supporting expansion. And Republicans who want to cut our earned benefits are scared and desperate.

So when you saw President Obama say Social Security should be expanded, yes, it was a victory for CREDO, Social Security Works, and leaders like Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Harkin, Sherrod Brown, Reps. Keith Ellison, Raul Grijalva, and other progressive champions in Congress. But that victory would never have been in reach without you and everything you’ve done with us since 2010.

The emails, the calls to Congress, the meetings in district offices, the protests at town hall meetings. You made President Obama change over the course of these last six years. Now it’s up to us to make the next president and the next Congress do it.

We know the American people are on our side. In fact, polling shows that 79 percent of likely voters – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – support expanding Social Security benefits and paying for it by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share. And when we do, we’ll be able to increase benefits for millions of Americans and extend the lifespan of the Social Security trust fund.

Thank you for helping us get this far.

Nancy Altman, President
Social Security Works

Murshed Zaheed, Vice President and Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets

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CREDO action
What Congress can do to fight campus sexual assault
Tell Congress:
“Pass the Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency (HALT) Campus Sexual Violence Act to strengthen efforts to combat the epidemic of sexual violence on college campuses.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

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From Ruben Kihuen--keep public lands in public hands


Tea Party Republican Cresent Hardy calls Cliven Bundy his “good friend” and wants to sell our cherished lands to the oil companies who fund his campaign.

We have the opportunity to defeat Hardy, but first we must nominate the strongest Democrat to defeat Hardy in November.

President Clinton, Sen. Harry Reid, and over a dozen labor unions agree that Democrat Ruben Kihuen is our best shot at defeat Hardy. The Primary to nominate Ruben is on Tuesday.



- Keep Public Lands in Public Hands



Paid for by Ruben Kihuen for Congress

But wait, there's more on Cresent Hardy...he sure has been, er, popular today!

His name is Tea Party Hardy - and he is the most vulnerable Republican in Congress.

Not only is Hardy falling far behind in fundraising, but he continues to trump Trump by bullying the disabled, calling those with disabilities "a drain on society."


Hardy's floundering campaign is calling in favors from the Walmart heirs, his Tea Party allies like outlaw rancher Cliven Bundy and big Super PAC lobbyists from DC.


It takes 100 grassroots donors giving $5 each to match just one of the checks Hardy's campaign has cashed from the Koch Brothers and the Waltons. Will you be the fist to pitch in today?

- Democrats 2016



Paid for by Ruben Kihuen for Congress

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From Avaaz--good news on Monsanto...time for some well-deserved optimism

Dear Avaazers,

18 months ago, Monsanto's vast chemical-agricultural empire was rock solid.

Now, after over 2 million of us ran 20 campaigns, with millions of signatures, messages, phone calls, stunts, advocacy meetings and media stories... the future of the 'Monsanto model' is actually in question!!

The European Union just refused to grant Monsanto a new license for its flagship product - the pesticide glyphosate. This is massive - glyphosate accounts for up to a third of all Monsanto's revenue!

"Looking to where we were in the beginning of this year and where we are now, Avaaz is indisputably the driving force of the fight for glyphosate discontinuance."
Pavel Poc, Vice-Chair of the EU Parliament's Environment Committee, and key leader of the glyphosate fight

Collage Monsanto model

This is far from over. But it's an utter game-changer for countries like Germany, France and Italy to challenge the basis of Monsanto's entire business model.

Avaaz delivers glyphosate petition at the EU parliament
Avaaz petition delivered to European Parliament
We haven't been knee-jerk anti-pesticide. Our campaign calls for a suspension until independent science determines the safety of glyphosate. We'll keep fighting, but if the EU allows 18 months for a new scientific process to weigh in, and we can ensure that process is truly independent, we could win this!!

We can also use the next 18 months to focus scrutiny on the global environmental impact of the Monsanto model, which is turning the surface of our planet into strange, toxic "biodeserts" where only one genetically modified Monsanto crop can grow.

Like with climate change and the Paris agreement, Avaaz has mobilised people on this issue at an unprecedented scale - we've taken the fight against Monsanto to a whole new level, and now it's up to all of us, over the next 18 months, to win it.

First big oil, now Monsanto. We are taking on the dragons of our world. But if we stick together, and choose to believe and act, we can do anything.

With hope and determination,

Ricken, Alice, Bert, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team

PS - For more detail on all the tactics, meetings, and story of Avaaz's glyphosate campaigning in the last year, here's a summary.

Avaaz.org is a 44-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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CREDO action
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an environmental disaster.
Petition to Congress:
"The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a disaster for our environment. It would increase greenhouse gas emissions, undermine our transition to clean energy and give foreign corporations power to oppose our efforts to protect our air, water and climate. You must reject the TPP."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

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Editor's note: the minimum sentence for rape in California is two years. The actual sentence of six months, with three of those months suspended, is ludicrously lenient. Can you imagine what the sentence would have been if Brock Turner had been Black?
-- Dot Calm's shadow

Change.org
Trending petition
Last week Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Stanford student Brock Turner to six months in jail after he was convicted of three felonies in the rape of a young woman. Thousands of people think his sentence was far too lenient and are calling for the judge’s removal.
Petitioning California State House, California State Senate, Ted Gaines, Cristina Garcia, Kristin Olsen, Roger Hernandez, Rich Gordon, Jerry Hill, Mark Leno, Marty Block, Fran Pavley, Zoe Lofgren, Barbara Boxe...

Remove Judge Aaron Persky from the Bench For Decision in Brock Turner rape case.

Petition by maria ruiz
miami, Florida
834,934
Supporters
We the people would like to petition that Judge Aaron Persky be removed from his Judicial position for the lenient sentence he allowed in the Brock Turner rape case. Despite a unanimous guilty verdict, three felony convictions, the objections of 250 Stanford students, Jeff Rosen the district attorney for Santa Clara, as well as the deputy district attorney who likened Turner to " a predator searching for prey" Judge Persky allowed the lenient sentence suggested by the probation department. Turner has shown no remorse and plans to attempt to overturn his conviction. Judge Persky failed to see that the fact that Brock Turner is a white male star athlete at a prestigious university does not entitle him to leniency. He also failed to send the message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of social class, race, gender or other factors. Please help rectify this travesty to justice.
 
*****Please also sign the White House Petition. If it reaches its goal of 100K signatures it must be addressed by the current administration within 60 days. https://wh.gov/isMlY******
 
Please also go fill out the form in the link below: http://cjp.ca.gov/res/docs/appendix/complaintform%20fillable.pdf The information you will need is as follows: Name of Judge: Aaron Persky Court: Supreme Court County: Santa Clara Name and case number: State of California vs. Brock Allen Turner Case #B1577162 Please specify: Appearance of bias toward a particular class: Pensky sentenced fellow alumni and athlete Of Stanford university to an unusually lenient sentence of 6 months for a unanimously guilty verdict on three counts of sexual assault. Despite Mr Turner showing no remorse and despite being caught in the act. Inappropriate comments on the bench: "a prison sentence would have a severe impact on him(Brock Turner)" in relation to why this convicted rapist would serve such a short sentence. Present parties include Brock Turner/ Aaron Persky/ Jeff Rosen/ Mike Armstrong/ Emily Doe/ others. If you would like to contact the judge, Aaron Persky's courtroom clerk # is 650-462-3880 IMPORTANT 
Want to change something?
Start a petition
And here's another petition on the Stanford rape
--this time, aimed at Stanford--from Change.org. My view? Women deserve better.

Change.org
Trending petition
A freshman who was convicted of assaulting a woman during a Stanford frat party was recently sentenced to 6 months in prison. Students are now calling the university out for its silence regarding the case, and asking that it commit more resources to preventing sexual assault and supporting survivors.
Petitioning Stanford University

Letter to Stanford University in Support of Survivor of Brock Turner case

Petition by Stanford Association of Students for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP)
30,817
Supporters
On January 18, 2015, a woman was brutally assaulted on Stanford’s campus during a Kappa Alpha Fraternity party. Brock Allen Turner, who at the time was a Stanford freshman, was found thrusting himself into an unconscious woman on the ground behind a dumpster. Two Stanford graduate students witnessed the incident and stopped the perpetrator. In March 2016, Turner was found guilty on three felony counts, facing a punishment of a maximum of 14 years in state prison. On June 2, 2016, Turner was sentenced to only six months in county jail and three years probation. Now, he is expected to serve only three months with good behavior.
On Friday, the survivor released the letter that she read to Brock Turner during the sentencing. To describe the letter as anything less than heroic would be a disservice to her bravery and to every survivor. However, she still did not receive the justice she deserved. While her story is unique, the outcome of the sentencing is one that happens much too often. If anything, the results of this case set the precedent that even when the legal system finds guilt, it does not provide the justice that survivors deserve. While this case, like many others, demonstrates the problems of the legal system and the prevalence of rape culture, there are still ways in which Stanford University can step up and support the survivor.
This petition is in support of the survivor in this case. We are asking that Stanford:
1. Immediately and publicly apologize to the survivor based on the fact that the attack happened on Stanford’s campus and express support for her bravery and suffering.
2. Publicly offer accommodations including counseling and other supportive services to the survivor.
3. Increase the amount of resources allocated for sexual assault prevention, adopt evidence-based prevention programs, and introduce new university requirements on sexual assault education that students must complete during their time at Stanford.
4. Increase its counseling resources for all survivors on campus and address the longstanding issues with CAPS so that students who are suffering from sexual assault have the help that they need.
5. Administer a national, uniform climate survey like that developed by the AAU and in use in our peer schools which asks about the incidence of sexual violence occurring in fraternities. 

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Democracy Now!

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  • Iraq: More Than 20 Killed in Baghdad Bombings

  • U.N. Says Up to 90,000 Civilians Trapped in ISIS-Held Fallujah

  • Syria: Airstrikes Hit 3 Hospitals in Rebel-Held Area of Aleppo

  • Israel: 4 Killed in Attack on Restaurant in Tel Aviv

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  • U.N. Says Eritrean Gov’t Committed Crimes Against Humanity

  • U.S. Says 2 Al-Shabab Commanders Killed in Somalia

  • CIA Officer Faces Extradition to Italy over Role in Rendition of Cleric

  • New York: Correction Officers’ Union Leader Arrested on Corruption Charges

  • Judge Who Sentenced Stanford Rapist to 6 Months Quietly Starts New 6-Year Term

    • ********************************************

    Daily Kos

  • Obama's daughter one of 4 million millennials eligible to vote for the first time this year!
  • Vice President Biden pens open letter to Stanford rape survivor: 'I will never forget you'
  • Hillary deserves credit for a superb campaign
  • Stephen King drops a bucket of blood on Donald Trump and his supporters
  • Queen tells Trump he's not a 'Champion' so stop using their music
  • Federal appeals court rules that the 2nd Amendment doesn't give you a right to carry a concealed gun
  • Sign the petition: I agree with Hillary: America is already great. sponsored
  • Sign the petition: Stand with Ted Strickland in support of overtime pay! sponsored
  • Hillary super PAC launches utterly devastating TrumpLies.com
  • Opinion: Let's put immigration reform on the agenda with Xavier Becerra for VP
  • The predictable happens: Elizabeth Warren's Facebook page fills with angst from Bernie supporters
  • The loss of a trailblazer for women, minorities, and spaceflight
  • Opinion: Warren is clearly the best choice for VP, everyone else is subpar
  • Hillary's team has become pretty good at this Twitter thing
  • A USA Today investigation that should surprise nobody
  • Sanders key campaign staff prepare to help Clinton win the General Election and unify the party
  • Why Trump University is even worse than you thought
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorses Hillary Clinton for president
  • Barack Obama endorses Hillary Clinton: 'I'm with her'
  • Bernie is in the House! The White House!
  • Bernie's speech after meeting with President Obama (FULL VIDEO)
  • Trump abandons fundraising. Did he just put the House in play?
  • I cried like a girl
  • Oklahoma has started using device that can take money out of your bank account and off credit cards
  • Sign if you agree with the Democratic Governors Association: Voting should be easier—move Election Day to a weekend. sponsored
  • Elizabeth Warren just wiped the floor with Paul Ryan's new 'poverty agenda'
  • I have no daughters
  • Trump laid his Midas touch on exactly one candidate and she promptly lost her primary
  • Elizabeth Warren to endorse Clinton, won't rule out VP nod
  • President Obama's answer to 'good' gun owner about gun laws and the NRA is brilliant
  • Republican congressman: You could 'easily argue' that Barack Obama 'is a racist'
  • Sign if you agree with Everytown: McConnell and Ryan should support efforts to repeal PLCAA - the law passed in 2005 that gives gun and ammunition manufacturers blanket immunity. sponsored
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  • Jimmy Carter and The Carter Center are just 2 cases away from ending Guinea Worm Disease (from 3 million)
  • 'Grace'—First major anti-Trump ad is out and it is devastating
  • Trump loses his cool on Fox News

    • ********************************************

    AlterNet
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Thursday night, Warren finally endorsed Clinton—and ramped up attacks on Donald Trump. READ MORE»
    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    This one is not disappearing under the radar. READ MORE»
    By Janet Allon, AlterNet
    One thing is certain, "it's going to be ugly." READ MORE»
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The president's favorite new show: "Orange Is Not the New Black." READ MORE»
    By Gary Legum, Salon
    Donald Trump somehow he thinks he can swipe the bluest of states, including California and New York, from Hillary. READ MORE»
    By David Ferguson, Raw Story
    More than 3,500 lawsuits over the past three decades, many involving ordinary Americans who say Trump or his companies refused to pay them. READ MORE»
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Colbert hosts two former Republicans, Gary Johnson and William Weld, and realizes he's part of the problem.  READ MORE»
    By Paul Jay, The Real News Network
    Actor-activist Danny Glover and Paul Jay discuss how Sanders will balance stopping Trump with differences of interest and principal with Clinton. READ MORE»
    By Clark Mindock, International Business Times
    New research finds no serious long-term consequences from using marijuana, but it does find a link between pot smoking and poorer gum health. READ MORE»
     
    By Michael Bader, DMH, AlterNet
    The two candidates have more in common than one might think. READ MORE»
    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    Psychologists in New York City screened out the poor and African Americans from their client base. READ MORE»
    By Peter Dreier, AlterNet
    There is a way to unify the party without losing the Bernie-or-Bust progressives. READ MORE»
    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    Hugh Hewitt wants to derail Trump by changing convention rules—but few are brave enough to join his fight. READ MORE»
    By Rebecca Gordon, TomDispatch
    The architects of Operation Condor are finally being brought to justice. U.S. officials are due a similar reckoning. READ MORE»
    By Lex Pelger, AlterNet
    The use of opium-based analgesics to treat pain is quite a conundrum. Can we find a better way? READ MORE»
    By April M. Short, AlterNet
    Millennials have come of age amid the bursting of the housing bubble, perpetual war and the Great Recession. READ MORE»
    By Eric Boehlert, Media Matters for America
    Some key conservative voices agree with Democrats that Trump U. has fraudulent practices. READ MORE»
    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    It's Martin Shkreli's world and we're just paying 5,000 percent more to live in it. READ MORE»
    By Norm Stamper, Nation Books
    It's time for reform: Cops are shooting and killing unarmed black men, and the chasm between many citizens and their officers grows deeper. READ MORE»
    By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet
    Refugee numbers are surging. READ MORE»
    By Carrie Weisman, AlterNet
    A new survey finds that, for some, there is such a thing as too many. READ MORE»
    By Capital and Main Staff, Capital and Main
    Why do so many charter advocates embrace privatization? They don’t trust democracy. READ MORE»
    By Sarah K. Burris, Raw Story
    His dad fights the feds' inquiry. READ MORE»
    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    Sanders said he will soon meet with Clinton. READ MORE»
    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    Looking to get away from the stresses of daily life? Try buying a second house 50 blocks downtown! READ MORE»
    By Janet Allon, AlterNet
    Here's the key difference between men who manage not to rape women and those who do. READ MORE»
    By Gary Legum, Salon
    Cotton's spiteful blockade of recently deceased Obama nominee Cassandra Butts sums up what's wrong with the GOP. READ MORE»
    By Janet Allon, AlterNet
    It's called a "yell-a-prompter" and you won't believe what it says. READ MORE»
    By Robin Scher, AlterNet
    A movement is growing to remove Judge Aaron Persky for handing down an extremely light sentence. READ MORE»
    By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch
    Even war crimes have their rewards, unjust as they may be. READ MORE»
    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    "You just can't equate the two," Grassley said after he equated the two. READ MORE»
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The actor reveals his backstory with NYU to Stephen Colbert. READ MORE»
    By Walter Einenkel, Daily Kos
    The device allows a law enforcement officer to scan any credit or ATM cards. READ MORE»
    By Bethania Palma Markus, Raw Story
    He believes that Trump is paving the way for the Second Coming.  READ MORE»
    By George Joseph, AlterNet
    The troubling parallels between Donald Trump and Carl Icahn, who used his charity to turn a profit, while enjoying massive tax-savings.  READ MORE»
    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    A longtime party activist says reach out, show respect and continue. READ MORE»
    By Adele M. Stan, The American Prospect
    A woman has just won the presidential nomination of a major political party. For all the women who come after her, that’s a good thing. READ MORE»
    By Andrew O'Hehir, Salon
    Yes, Bernie can and should push onward, even though it's over. It's time to face defeat, and fight for the future. READ MORE»
    By Roslyn Fuller, AlterNet
    Technology brings new ways of working, but what has really changed? READ MORE»
    By Robert Reich, AlterNet
    "Let me tell you this: You’ve already succeeded." READ MORE»
    By Tana Ganeva, The Influence
    Civil liberties advocates are highly skeptical of the idea that otherwise healthy people just drop dead in police custody for reasons that have nothing to do with the police. READ MORE»
    By Anis Shivani, Salon
    The rage driving our politics stems from cruelty of capitalism. So why do we vote for those who worship the market?  READ MORE»
    By Alex Demyanenko, Capital and Main
    The athlete's death provided a painful symmetry. READ MORE»
    By Michael Arria, AlterNet
    The TSA is in disarray. That's the neoliberal cue. READ MORE»
    By Stephanie Hallett, The Establishment
    Art using paper vulvas to address female genital mutilation. READ MORE»
    By Bethania Palma Markus, Raw Story
    The speaker canceled a Wednesday press conference... conveniently, as Pelosi pointed out. READ MORE»

    ********************************************

    Movies

    Seth Andrews's video sampling the 2016 Reason Rally. Ah, wish I'd been there!

    Secular Talk: how not to attack Donald Trump

    John Oliver: Trump-related litigation

    These next two John Oliver videos on TrumPEW have been clipped from a larger whole that must be somewhere on teh Intert00bs. I'll post that video as soon as I find it. Meanwhile, these two get the idea across. Hum, reminds me of an old classmate who promised his girlfriend a "toyota" if she solved a riddle. She solved it, and he gave her a "toy Yoda."


    Bernie goes after the corrupt Clinton foundation. He was too much of a gentleman. He didn't want to attack her--just her policies. Maybe he should have attacked her. Then we wouldn't be faced with such a grim choice.

    As I mentioned in the intro, Kyle's advice on how to handle Trump vs Clinton without sticking a gun in your mouth

    Whoopsie--Trump paid off Florida AG with campaign money so she'd drop her state's investigation of TrumPEW

    I'm just starting to watch Chris Hedges's (yes, it's Hedges's--there is only one of him) speeches. He's been on "Democracy Now!" a number of times, and I always found him interesting.

    Cringe-worthy but funny Handyman Corner on fixing dents

    Sorry, Loves--no cartoon today. I have a headache and a stomachache, so I need to just go rest right now. See you next week--hopefully fit as a fiddle and ready to blawg! As the Redneck Liberal says (but I really mean it with youse guys 'n' gals): Kisses!!

    posted by Dot Calm @ 3:35 PM