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:
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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| 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:
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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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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.
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Sen. Elizabeth Warren for Vice-President
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Sen. Cory Booker for Vice-President
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Sen. Sherrod Brown for Vice-President
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for Vice-President
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Sen. Tim Kaine for Vice-President
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Labor Secretary Tom Perez for Vice-President
-
Endorse if you agree: Hillary Clinton should pick Sen. Amy Klobuchar for Vice-President
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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| 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.
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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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| 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:
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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
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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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| 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:
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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
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--this time, aimed at Stanford--from Change.org. My view? Women deserve better.
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Democracy Now!
Stories |
As California Admits 2 Million Ballots Remain Uncounted, Sanders Pushes for Changing Primary Process
On Thursday,
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said at least 2 million
votes cast in California's presidential primary election have yet to be
counted. So far Hillary ... Read More →
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President Obama met Thursday
with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in the Oval
Office and then endorsed his rival Hillary Clinton in a video posted on
... Read More →
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Dave Zirin, sports editor for The Nation
magazine, joins us from Muhammad Ali's hometown, Louisville, Kentucky,
where he will attend Ali's funeral. Zirin recounts Ali's ... Read More →
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As
the Democratic platform committee meets in Washington, we speak to
Michelle Chan, spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Action. She is
working on ... Read More →
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Don't De-Islamicize Muhammad Ali: Scholar Says Muslim Faith was Central to His Views on Racism & War
Thousands
have gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, hometown of Muhammad Ali, to
mourn the death of one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century.
Ali was ... Read More →
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Stories |
As
Bernie Sanders prepares to meet with President Obama, we speak to Green
Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, who has also been reaching out
to the Vermont senator. ... Read More →
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Green
Party presidential candidate Jill Stein takes aim at the presumptive
nominees of both major parties, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. "Trump
says very scary ... Read More →
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New
York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued the first-ever executive order
forcing state agencies to divest from any organizations aligned with the
Boycott, Divestment and ... Read More →
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More
than 60,000 people have signed a petition calling for Stanford
University to apologize publicly to the woman who was raped on campus
last year by a Stanford University ... Read More →
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Daily Kos
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AlterNet
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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
