dailykos--2020-01-14--RE: This Country is tearing itself apart at the very seams.

NOTE : This started off as a comment to This country is tearing itself apart at the very seams .
But it got too long for a comment so I ’ ve promoted it to an article of its own .
Frank Vyan Walton is dead-on and I share his concern .
Well done .
I hope what I write below fills in some blanks and adds some perspective .
Sometimes we can not see the way ahead through the fog and noise .
That is ok because there is a way even if we don ’ t see it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpack a few quotes Frank uses : When Trumper # 2 says “ … of the people ” one must ask , “ Which people ” ?
This goes along with the whole myth of the “ Real American ” .
You don ’ t have to poke very deep , in fact Amy Klobuchar uses it as a tag line all the time to prove her bonafides .
A “ Real American ” is White , mid-Western , probably male , and working class or rural .
Maybe that was the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in 1906 when 85 % of the population lived in small , rural towns .
But that metric flipped a long time ago .
By the numbers of today the “ Real American ” lives in a coastal metro area , is female , buys her food at Costco , and commutes to a job at a major international corporation .
In the not-to-distant-future she will also be a person of color .
The people Trumper # 2 is speaking of are all white and rust belt , and probably retired .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 complains about a “ socialist country ” what they are really saying is that any program ( s ) that help “ those people ” is socialism .
One other Trumper was quoted a while ago as complaining that some of Trump ’ s policies were “ not hurting the right people ” .
Huh ?
We got Social Security because the price for FDR was the exclusion of Black domestic and agricultural workers .
It was more important to exclude others than to gain a much needed help for themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with any specific policy or service but it has everything to do with who is allowed in and who is excluded .
That matters to a Trumper and it has for a long time .
In pre-MAGA times , everyone was also for Public Schools , a social good , aka “ socialism ” so long as they were for Whites and Protestants .
I and my siblings all went to Catholic parochial schools , most of us through college because the public schools in L.A. and elsewhere were hostile to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandparents .
Now , the Trump administration does everything it can to dismantle the Dept of Education and promotes charter and religious schools which are currently exempt from state and federal laws .
It is more than profit as a motive .
His followers haven ’ t liked public schools ever since they could not exclude people of color or mandate ( Protestant ) “ prayer ” in school .
Note that the first case Engle v Vitale was brought by a Jewish man whose objection was that the prayer was a Protestant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School District v Schempp , Edward Schempp was a Unitarian Universalist who objected to Protestant Bible reading as part of the school curriculum .
The key is in what Trump said in 2016 : What did he mean by that ?
Simple .
Starting with Brown v Board of Education , the wall protecting White Southern privilege , aka Jim Crow , started falling down .
The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act a decade later finished the job , at least legally .
As one Southerner pleaded with LBJ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t you know Mr President ?
If you sign this you will end our way of life.
” The “ Southern Strategy ” of Nixon , perfected and mainlined by Reagan was to appeal to this disaffected group which , by the way , was not geographically confined to the old Confederacy .
For example , Orange County , CA was the destination of a large number of those white refugees from the South .
The hatred of the Clintons was and still is because that Arkansas boy was a “ traitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not only fine with civil rights enforcement but “ mingled ” .
Trump has been a more or less successful con-man his whole life .
Note that most con-men are terrible in most other aspects of business .
They have to keep the con going because all their schemes eventually blow up in their faces .
The good ones , like Mafia bosses , once they get the capital they need , go “ legit ” which is why Las Vegas casinos are on the stock exchange and Trump ’ s casinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his line to these folks has been , “ I am your last chance.
” Reaganism , and its more subtle propping up of White Privilege has been fading , if not outright dead .
Obama made that clear .
In other words , if Hillary , the Chicago Methodist Liberal who corrupted Bill was elected , there would not be enough clout left to protect what was left .
This also explains the fierceness of Trump ’ s demographic as they fight over what is left of the ( white ) life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is not all that anomalous .
Fifty years ago , he could have done what he is doing now and no one would have noticed .
Rep. Jere Cooper ( TN ) and Rep. Wilber Mills ( AR ) both held the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee , the gatekeeper for all House legislation , from 1955 to 1975 when the seniority system was changed by the Democratic membership and Mills was pushed aside .
They both did what Mitch does to bills that advanced anything that threatened the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that no one expected anything else .
Look closely at the pictures ( other than Biden or Steyer ) .
They are all old white men ( and some women ) .
This is Trump ’ s main demographic .
They are clustered around my age ( 73 ) but what age were they in 1965 ?
They were teenagers when Daddy and Grampa were wailing and howling about “ the end of our way of life ” .
They were old enough to see the privilege wall come down .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sons and daughters who are in their late 40s-50s who heard the same thing from these old guys , you have a big chunk of the Trump demographic .
Their problem is relatively simple .
There was a time , the mythical time of MAGA , when just being white “ mattered ” .
Note that this was not restricted to their place relative to African Americans .
It also included Catholics like my parents who were both teachers in L.A. starting in the late ‘ 30s through the ‘ 60s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1938 in Ventura , near Santa Barbara , CA because everyone “ knew ” that Inglewood Unified did not hire Catholics .
Dad was later denied a high school principalship in L.A. Unified some time in the late ‘ 40s/early ‘ 50s because he was not a “ Mason in good standing ” , i.e .
he was a Catholic .
And yes , I remember the ugly stuff thrown at JFK , an obvious Irish Catholic .
Eventually we could pass because our grandparents lost their Irish or German accents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How the Irish Became White ” .
Not so easy if you are Black… An African American friend and professional colleague once told me about his experience with this demographic , and he should know , “ They drink it in with their mother ’ s milk ” .
There is a point here that should give us both hope and urge patience while we persist : • This too will pass .
Trump ’ s promise is also a curse .
MAGA , from the MAGA-hatter ’ s viewpoint is a rearguard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rearguard actions if you are winning .
They know they are not .
There is another name for the fanatic behavior and belief : panic and “ bunker mentality ” .
One does not live in bunkers if all is well .
• What do they fear ?
— the loss of dominance .
Once they were 60 % + of the population .
They are now down to 40 % and falling .
Whites in general are a minority in California .
Demographics are not on the side of those whose identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You will notice that prominent White Evangelical preachers pray over Trump at the beginning of his rallies these days .
This is no accident as Trump ’ s GOP and White Evangelicals become more and more the same group .
However , Orange County , CA used to be both bright “ red ” and Evangelical .
Robert Schuller ’ s Chrystal Cathedral was in Orange County , a mainstay of TV mega-churches .
But it went bankrupt and the building is now the Christ Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue ” due to the Vietnamese ( Catholic ) and Latinx immigrant populations that are now demographically dominant in the area .
• The WASP demographic is in decline , both culturally and demographically .
See The End of White Christian America by Robert Jones .
This decline is twofold .
First , the demographics of immigration and reproduction are relentless .
We “ white people ” are just not having as many babies as we used to and immigration from all the areas of the world that Trump et al are trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population drivers .
Second , and more important , whereas the elderly and middle-aged MAGA cohort remember and grieve the good old days when being “ White ” meant something , their kids and grandkids , only know it as history or the rantings of Grampa .
As noted in Jones ’ book , the congregational decline is mostly at the younger end of the demographic .
The decline of the mainline Protestant denominations used to be a point of pride and propaganda in Evangelical circles ( those preachers at Trump rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emptythepews movement started showing up in their churches too .
The largest “ denomination ” at this point is “ declined to state ” .
It was only a matter of time and … In other words , this is the behavior of a group whose world is closing in .
American Christian and ( white ) Catholic congregations are in decline .
As this has happened over the last 60+ years , the median age has also increased to the point that most mainline Protestant and Catholic churches are mostly empty on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pews are on Medicare .
Evangelicals had a “ bump ” into the ‘ 90s as conservatives and traditionalists migrated from the “ Liberalizing ” mainline denominations but that one time event is gone and now , as White Evangelicals get more radical and political , the younger cohort to whom things like “ Whites-Only ” are but history or the rantings of crazy uncles , are walking away .
Some years back a friend of mine , a female Episcopal Priest , told me a story related to the congregational issues I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a personal retreat ( time of prayer and reflection ) during a difficult time in her tenure at a local parish .
She met a retired bishop at the retreat who had served in the Church of England in ‘ 60s and ‘ 70s during the time of its major decline in church attendance .
He told her of many parishes that gradually failed with some of them becoming toxic as church attendance dropped .
The dynamic was that prior to that time when the congregation was integral to and matched the demographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active and healthy .
One could consistently find competent and dedicated people to fill the various posts in the organization .
There were always the malcontents and distruptive people around but they were the minority and were pushed to the side by the rest of the congregation , i.e .
the “ better angels ” prevailed .
But as times changed and church became less central and people stopped attending , it was the “ better angels ” group who moved .
First , the marginally committed good people just had other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divisive ones got more vocal and numerically stronger in the now smaller group , the more dedicated ones got tired of what was happening and also moved on .
Before long , the malcontents were in charge of what was left .
As the good bishop described it , “ Congregations are like the coffee made for the coffee hour time after the service .
The pot is full and the coffee is tasty and good for the 8am congregation .
But once it has been boiling for a couple of hours and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cup , the bottom of the pot gets pretty nasty .
This is a parable of American politics as our demographics naturally shift .
We can also see this process act itself out in the GOP .
The “ Bipartisan ” , mostly pro-business moderates have up and left .
They are now “ Independents ” although they have not set up any alternative party apparatus .
What is left are the crazies who now have positions of power because the GOP Senators and Congressmen of days gone by are no more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the late Wilbur Mills except that he is now the exception rather than the rule .
The GOP of Trump is but the bitter crud at the bottom of the over-boiled pot .
Like the coffee pot in the parish hall , this too will eventually be scrubbed out .
It is only a matter of time .
This leaves two questions .
First , can we make it that far without the really crazy ones invoking their “ 2nd Amendment Rights ” to regain dominance by gunfire ?
I hope so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they could do a lot of damage but in the end , like all rearguard actions , they will fail .
The only issue is how much damage would they do on the way out .
You can see this behavior in the national self harm Trump ’ s administration is doing in agencies like the EPA and USDA and in the elevation of the NRA to sacred status .
Second , the demographics and history is on “ our ” side .
The beginning of the end had already started long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump really their last chance .
We need to remember that in the history of the decline of White Christian denominations , the decline is not in the overall population of the European ethnic group whose percentage of the expanding national population may be declining but whose absolute numbers are still increasing .
It is the percentage and number of us who still participate in Christian congregations that is in decline as the number of “ declined to state ” or “ unaffiliated ” grows .
The same applies the movement of Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift — a shift in both cases to a better civic and cultural/religious place .
This is not to say that the whole country will suddenly become Liberal/Progressive and all things will be socialist with blossoming blue flowers everywhere .
We will still need to deal with neo-liberal economics and its resultant environmental , justice , and inequality challenges .
But perhaps we can finally get things like Medicare for All and other social and education programs implemented because we would no longer have to cater to a demographic group that has an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still has enough political clout to gum up the works until their demands are met .
We don ’ t really solve all problems , we only trade in the old ones for new ones .
But even that can be progress .

NOTE: This started off as a comment to This country is tearing itself apart at the very seams. But it got too long for a comment so I’ve promoted it to an article of its own. Frank Vyan Walton is dead-on and I share his concern. Well done.
I hope what I write below fills in some blanks and adds some perspective. Sometimes we cannot see the way ahead through the fog and noise. That is ok because there is a way even if we don’t see it yet.
First, let’s unpack a few quotes Frank uses:
Trump Supporter #2: This is the hunger of the American people. That’s all our president is. Our president is a man of the people. ... Trump Supporter #4: I personally feel that if we don’t stand, and we don’t re-elect Trump we’re gonna be a socialist country and that’s not a country I want my grand-children in.
When Trumper #2 says “… of the people” one must ask, “Which people”? This goes along with the whole myth of the “Real American”. You don’t have to poke very deep, in fact Amy Klobuchar uses it as a tag line all the time to prove her bonafides. A “Real American” is White, mid-Western, probably male, and working class or rural. Maybe that was the case when my father was born in Minnesota back in 1906 when 85% of the population lived in small, rural towns. But that metric flipped a long time ago. By the numbers of today the “Real American” lives in a coastal metro area, is female, buys her food at Costco, and commutes to a job at a major international corporation. In the not-to-distant-future she will also be a person of color. The people Trumper #2 is speaking of are all white and rust belt, and probably retired. No one else.
When Trumper #2 complains about a “socialist country” what they are really saying is that any program(s) that help “those people” is socialism. One other Trumper was quoted a while ago as complaining that some of Trump’s policies were “not hurting the right people”. Huh? We got Social Security because the price for FDR was the exclusion of Black domestic and agricultural workers. It was more important to exclude others than to gain a much needed help for themselves. The word “socialist” has nothing to do with any specific policy or service but it has everything to do with who is allowed in and who is excluded. That matters to a Trumper and it has for a long time.
In pre-MAGA times, everyone was also for Public Schools, a social good, aka “socialism” so long as they were for Whites and Protestants. I and my siblings all went to Catholic parochial schools, most of us through college because the public schools in L.A. and elsewhere were hostile to “papists” like my parents and grandparents. Now, the Trump administration does everything it can to dismantle the Dept of Education and promotes charter and religious schools which are currently exempt from state and federal laws. It is more than profit as a motive. His followers haven’t liked public schools ever since they could not exclude people of color or mandate (Protestant) “prayer” in school. Note that the first case Engle v Vitale was brought by a Jewish man whose objection was that the prayer was a Protestant Christian prayer and the plaintiff in Abington School District v Schempp, Edward Schempp was a Unitarian Universalist who objected to Protestant Bible reading as part of the school curriculum.
The key is in what Trump said in 2016:
...he was the “last chance” to fix a broken country
What did he mean by that? Simple. Starting with Brown v Board of Education, the wall protecting White Southern privilege, aka Jim Crow, started falling down. The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act a decade later finished the job, at least legally. As one Southerner pleaded with LBJ to veto the CRA said, “Don’t you know Mr President? If you sign this you will end our way of life.”
The “Southern Strategy” of Nixon, perfected and mainlined by Reagan was to appeal to this disaffected group which, by the way, was not geographically confined to the old Confederacy. For example, Orange County, CA was the destination of a large number of those white refugees from the South. The hatred of the Clintons was and still is because that Arkansas boy was a “traitor”, a Southern white guy who was not only fine with civil rights enforcement but “mingled”.
Trump has been a more or less successful con-man his whole life. Note that most con-men are terrible in most other aspects of business. They have to keep the con going because all their schemes eventually blow up in their faces. The good ones, like Mafia bosses, once they get the capital they need, go “legit” which is why Las Vegas casinos are on the stock exchange and Trump’s casinos are gone.
Never the less, his line to these folks has been, “I am your last chance.” Reaganism, and its more subtle propping up of White Privilege has been fading , if not outright dead. Obama made that clear. In other words, if Hillary, the Chicago Methodist Liberal who corrupted Bill was elected, there would not be enough clout left to protect what was left. This also explains the fierceness of Trump’s demographic as they fight over what is left of the (white) life preservers. BTW, “Moscow Mitch” is not all that anomalous. Fifty years ago, he could have done what he is doing now and no one would have noticed. Rep. Jere Cooper (TN) and Rep. Wilber Mills (AR) both held the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, the gatekeeper for all House legislation, from 1955 to 1975 when the seniority system was changed by the Democratic membership and Mills was pushed aside. They both did what Mitch does to bills that advanced anything that threatened the hegemony of Jim Crow. It is just that no one expected anything else.
Look closely at the pictures (other than Biden or Steyer). They are all old white men (and some women). This is Trump’s main demographic. They are clustered around my age (73) but what age were they in 1965? They were teenagers when Daddy and Grampa were wailing and howling about “the end of our way of life”. They were old enough to see the privilege wall come down. If we factor in the next generation, the sons and daughters who are in their late 40s-50s who heard the same thing from these old guys, you have a big chunk of the Trump demographic.
Their problem is relatively simple. There was a time, the mythical time of MAGA, when just being white “mattered”. Note that this was not restricted to their place relative to African Americans. It also included Catholics like my parents who were both teachers in L.A. starting in the late ‘30s through the ‘60s. Mom had to get a teaching job in 1938 in Ventura, near Santa Barbara, CA because everyone “knew” that Inglewood Unified did not hire Catholics. Dad was later denied a high school principalship in L.A. Unified some time in the late ‘40s/early ‘50s because he was not a “Mason in good standing”, i.e. he was a Catholic. And yes, I remember the ugly stuff thrown at JFK, an obvious Irish Catholic. Eventually we could pass because our grandparents lost their Irish or German accents and we could blend in. See “How the Irish Became White”. Not so easy if you are Black…
An African American friend and professional colleague once told me about his experience with this demographic, and he should know, “They drink it in with their mother’s milk”.
There is a point here that should give us both hope and urge patience while we persist:
This too will pass. Trump’s promise is also a curse. MAGA, from the MAGA-hatter’s viewpoint is a rearguard action. You don’t have rearguard actions if you are winning. They know they are not. There is another name for the fanatic behavior and belief: panic and “bunker mentality”. One does not live in bunkers if all is well.
What do they fear? — the loss of dominance. Once they were 60%+ of the population. They are now down to 40% and falling. Whites in general are a minority in California. Demographics are not on the side of those whose identity is closely tied to being WASP. You will notice that prominent White Evangelical preachers pray over Trump at the beginning of his rallies these days. This is no accident as Trump’s GOP and White Evangelicals become more and more the same group. However, Orange County, CA used to be both bright “red” and Evangelical. Robert Schuller’s Chrystal Cathedral was in Orange County, a mainstay of TV mega-churches. But it went bankrupt and the building is now the Christ Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The county is also turning “blue” due to the Vietnamese (Catholic) and Latinx immigrant populations that are now demographically dominant in the area.
The WASP demographic is in decline, both culturally and demographically. See The End of White Christian America by Robert Jones. This decline is twofold. First, the demographics of immigration and reproduction are relentless. We “white people” are just not having as many babies as we used to and immigration from all the areas of the world that Trump et al are trying to stop will continue. These are the population drivers. Second, and more important, whereas the elderly and middle-aged MAGA cohort remember and grieve the good old days when being “White” meant something, their kids and grandkids, only know it as history or the rantings of Grampa. As noted in Jones’ book, the congregational decline is mostly at the younger end of the demographic. The decline of the mainline Protestant denominations used to be a point of pride and propaganda in Evangelical circles (those preachers at Trump rallies) until they started noticing the #emptythepews movement started showing up in their churches too. The largest “denomination” at this point is “declined to state”. It was only a matter of time and …
In other words, this is the behavior of a group whose world is closing in. American Christian and (white) Catholic congregations are in decline. As this has happened over the last 60+ years, the median age has also increased to the point that most mainline Protestant and Catholic churches are mostly empty on Sundays and most of those in the pews are on Medicare. Evangelicals had a “bump” into the ‘90s as conservatives and traditionalists migrated from the “Liberalizing” mainline denominations but that one time event is gone and now, as White Evangelicals get more radical and political, the younger cohort to whom things like “Whites-Only” are but history or the rantings of crazy uncles, are walking away.
Some years back a friend of mine, a female Episcopal Priest, told me a story related to the congregational issues I just brought up. She was on a personal retreat (time of prayer and reflection) during a difficult time in her tenure at a local parish. She met a retired bishop at the retreat who had served in the Church of England in ‘60s and ‘70s during the time of its major decline in church attendance. He told her of many parishes that gradually failed with some of them becoming toxic as church attendance dropped. The dynamic was that prior to that time when the congregation was integral to and matched the demographic of the area, the congregations were active and healthy. One could consistently find competent and dedicated people to fill the various posts in the organization. There were always the malcontents and distruptive people around but they were the minority and were pushed to the side by the rest of the congregation, i.e. the “better angels” prevailed. But as times changed and church became less central and people stopped attending, it was the “better angels” group who moved. First, the marginally committed good people just had other things to do and later as the more divisive ones got more vocal and numerically stronger in the now smaller group, the more dedicated ones got tired of what was happening and also moved on. Before long, the malcontents were in charge of what was left. As the good bishop described it, “Congregations are like the coffee made for the coffee hour time after the service. The pot is full and the coffee is tasty and good for the 8am congregation. But once it has been boiling for a couple of hours and the 10am folks have had their first cup, the bottom of the pot gets pretty nasty. This is a parable of American politics as our demographics naturally shift.
We can also see this process act itself out in the GOP. The “Bipartisan”, mostly pro-business moderates have up and left. They are now “Independents” although they have not set up any alternative party apparatus. What is left are the crazies who now have positions of power because the GOP Senators and Congressmen of days gone by are no more. Moscow Mitch is really no different than the late Wilbur Mills except that he is now the exception rather than the rule. The GOP of Trump is but the bitter crud at the bottom of the over-boiled pot.
Like the coffee pot in the parish hall, this too will eventually be scrubbed out. It is only a matter of time. This leaves two questions. First, can we make it that far without the really crazy ones invoking their “2nd Amendment Rights” to regain dominance by gunfire? I hope so. If they do go for their guns, they could do a lot of damage but in the end, like all rearguard actions, they will fail. The only issue is how much damage would they do on the way out. You can see this behavior in the national self harm Trump’s administration is doing in agencies like the EPA and USDA and in the elevation of the NRA to sacred status.
Second, the demographics and history is on “our” side. The beginning of the end had already started long before Brown v Board of Education. Trump really is their last chance.
We need to remember that in the history of the decline of White Christian denominations, the decline is not in the overall population of the European ethnic group whose percentage of the expanding national population may be declining but whose absolute numbers are still increasing. It is the percentage and number of us who still participate in Christian congregations that is in decline as the number of “declined to state” or “unaffiliated” grows. The same applies the movement of Republicans to Independents. This is a demographic shift — a shift in both cases to a better civic and cultural/religious place.
This is not to say that the whole country will suddenly become Liberal/Progressive and all things will be socialist with blossoming blue flowers everywhere. We will still need to deal with neo-liberal economics and its resultant environmental, justice, and inequality challenges. But perhaps we can finally get things like Medicare for All and other social and education programs implemented because we would no longer have to cater to a demographic group that has an adamant need to be ethnically dominant and still has enough political clout to gum up the works until their demands are met.
We don’t really solve all problems, we only trade in the old ones for new ones. But even that can be progress.


dailykos--2020-01-13--The American Democratic Fairy Tale- Part 2: The US Senate and the Tyranny of the Minority

The United States electoral system doesn ’ t work .
In this series you will learn why this is , and can ’ t be sustained in its current form if providing fair representation , where the will of the people is honored , is what American citizens expect to happen consistently .
We shouldn ’ t have to rely on an occasional fluke in elections to be able to deliver the best outcome .
( Obama only had two years available to him to carry out his policy agenda for example ) As our Republic was originally constructed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of corruption , but it has breached that wall .
The game is been purposefully tilted and over protracted time the odds always favor the house .
I call it a fairytale because many of us seem to be ignoring the reality and often rhapsodize about the sanctity of the American model of governance as if we just tweaked some things , elected the right people it would magically be fixed .
Changes in society have created fissures that are now being exploited .
The purpose of this series is to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will of the people .
The way out of this mess is not clear however .
Two Senators Per State Is A Built In Problem For The Future Of A Democratic Republic After 1920 , more people lived in and around cities that in rural America The Constitution of the United States protects the provision that each state shall have two Senators per state and immune from the amendment process to try to change this .
When the constitution was written America was primary a rural/agrarian society .
Today only 1 in 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and non-rural voters have long maintained different world views and priorities , that divide is even wider today , not all of it organic .
The exodus of the population from states built on farming and later manufacturing have taken a double hit in an economy that is less reliant on either .
Populations have dropped consistently over the past 70 years and those that remain have generally gotten progressively more conservative and religious in their orthodoxy .
These differences were the premise of Thomas Frank ’ s 2004 best selling book , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
and more recently JD Vance ’ s Hillbilly Elegy .
As we look at the map , it appears mostly red .
This displays influence of land mass on national policy , not actual people .
The result of a smaller more culturally conservative population occupying so much land in the states between coasts is that the majority of the people don ’ t live there and the ones that do don ’ t tend to represent the same interests of a vast majority of the population on key matters that impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will use the state of California as an example .
California has a population of roughly 37 million people .
More than the next 22 smallest states combined yet it has two Senators verses the 44 senators that represent those other 22 states .
Just the city of Los Angeles has more people than those individual states .
Out of those states , 16 are reliably what we might call “ red ” in that their representation in Congress , both the Senate and House are Republican dominated .
This means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their constituency .
This is the polar opposite of a what fair representational government is supposed to look like .
One house of Congress can completely stop the wheels of the government , which is what is happening right now in the Senate as over 400 bills sit without a vote .
Republicans understood long ago the reality that as the population became more diverse , urban and less culturally conservative , their hold on power would become more tenuous .
A plan was devised to help hold Congress using the natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Civil War and exacerbated post Reconstruction .
Religion , abortion , nationalism , racial issues are emotional charged topics and Republicans have convinced these folks they are under attack .
We watched this plan play out transparently over the past 50 years as Republicans aligned themselves with Christian conservatives in the 1970 ’ s and the rise of groups like the Moral Majority .
These cultural campaigns were targeted at rural and Southern states .
Conservative think tanks like the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation housed the incubation for separate media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
The birth of conservative talk radio came and later Fox News were part of the strategy to dominate the public airways with conservative ideas and influence opinions .
I think people were surprised that during the Obama administration Republicans in the Senate so routinely blocked any legislation , even policies which they had championed in the past , that were in alignment with the dominant will of the electorate .
The most blatant act being the refusal to conduct a hearing for Merrick Garland ’ s nomination for a seat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrupt hand and yet the people didn ’ t rebel and the media treated it as business as usual in partisan politics .
So emboldened by this , it continues under Donald Trump .
Senate Republicans and their artificial majority are now blocking every house bill , even though most Americans , even Republicans , want new policies on climate change , gun safety , election security and immigration .
This defiance is directly related to their lack of concern over losing their base in reliably conservative states .
They realize time is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigged in their favor .
As some of the southern states start to defect , the strategy for dominance in the courts will provide a substantial buffer .
In future series posts , I will address how gerrymandering has added to the issue of disproportionate representation in the House of Representatives .
Thank you for taking the time to read this series .

The United States electoral system doesn’t work. In this series you will learn why this is, and can’t be sustained in its current form if providing fair representation, where the will of the people is honored, is what American citizens expect to happen consistently. We shouldn’t have to rely on an occasional fluke in elections to be able to deliver the best outcome. (Obama only had two years available to him to carry out his policy agenda for example)
As our Republic was originally constructed, it had safeguards to withstand a certain amount of corruption, but it has breached that wall. The game is been purposefully tilted and over protracted time the odds always favor the house.
I call it a fairytale because many of us seem to be ignoring the reality and often rhapsodize about the sanctity of the American model of governance as if we just tweaked some things, elected the right people it would magically be fixed. Changes in society have created fissures that are now being exploited.
The purpose of this series is to help explain the challenges that have undermined the will of the people. The way out of this mess is not clear however.
Two Senators Per State Is A Built In Problem For The Future Of A Democratic Republic
After 1920, more people lived in and around cities that in rural America
The Constitution of the United States protects the provision that each state shall have two Senators per state and immune from the amendment process to try to change this. When the constitution was written America was primary a rural/agrarian society. Today only 1 in 5 voters live in rural America. Rural and non-rural voters have long maintained different world views and priorities, that divide is even wider today, not all of it organic. The exodus of the population from states built on farming and later manufacturing have taken a double hit in an economy that is less reliant on either. Populations have dropped consistently over the past 70 years and those that remain have generally gotten progressively more conservative and religious in their orthodoxy. These differences were the premise of Thomas Frank’s 2004 best selling book, What’s the Matter With Kansas? and more recently JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. As we look at the map, it appears mostly red. This displays influence of land mass on national policy, not actual people.
The result of a smaller more culturally conservative population occupying so much land in the states between coasts is that the majority of the people don’t live there and the ones that do don’t tend to represent the same interests of a vast majority of the population on key matters that impact our lives in a modern society.
I will use the state of California as an example. California has a population of roughly 37 million people. More than the next 22 smallest states combined yet it has two Senators verses the 44 senators that represent those other 22 states. Just the city of Los Angeles has more people than those individual states. Out of those states, 16 are reliably what we might call “red” in that their representation in Congress, both the Senate and House are Republican dominated. This means that their influence is disproportionate to the size of their constituency. This is the polar opposite of a what fair representational government is supposed to look like. One house of Congress can completely stop the wheels of the government, which is what is happening right now in the Senate as over 400 bills sit without a vote.
Republicans understood long ago the reality that as the population became more diverse, urban and less culturally conservative, their hold on power would become more tenuous. A plan was devised to help hold Congress using the natural divisions that have been around since before the Civil War and exacerbated post Reconstruction. Religion, abortion, nationalism, racial issues are emotional charged topics and Republicans have convinced these folks they are under attack.
We watched this plan play out transparently over the past 50 years as Republicans aligned themselves with Christian conservatives in the 1970’s and the rise of groups like the Moral Majority. These cultural campaigns were targeted at rural and Southern states. Conservative think tanks like the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation housed the incubation for separate media initiatives that crafted specific messaging for these states. The birth of conservative talk radio came and later Fox News were part of the strategy to dominate the public airways with conservative ideas and influence opinions.
I think people were surprised that during the Obama administration Republicans in the Senate so routinely blocked any legislation, even policies which they had championed in the past, that were in alignment with the dominant will of the electorate. The most blatant act being the refusal to conduct a hearing for Merrick Garland’s nomination for a seat on the Supreme Court. They showed their corrupt hand and yet the people didn’t rebel and the media treated it as business as usual in partisan politics.
So emboldened by this, it continues under Donald Trump. Senate Republicans and their artificial majority are now blocking every house bill, even though most Americans, even Republicans, want new policies on climate change, gun safety, election security and immigration. This defiance is directly related to their lack of concern over losing their base in reliably conservative states. They realize time is on their side because the system is rigged in their favor. As some of the southern states start to defect, the strategy for dominance in the courts will provide a substantial buffer.
In future series posts, I will address how gerrymandering has added to the issue of disproportionate representation in the House of Representatives. Thank you for taking the time to read this series.


dailykos--2020-01-14--[IA-SEN] *URGENT* - Iowa Governor Proposes Constitutional Ban on Access to Abortion Services

And when I say all stages of life , I mean to include the unborn .
We must protect life @ @ @ @ @ an amendment , that our constitution does not grant a right to abortion .
— @ @ @ @ @ @ IAGovernor ) January 14 , 2020 Governor Reynolds has been working with our current @ @ @ @ @ abortion and restrict access to Planned Parenthood services ever since they served together in the @ @ @ @ @ ACT to stop them .
Join us and our efforts to protect reproductive freedom for @ @ @ @ @ next November .

x And when I say all stages of life, I mean to include the unborn. We must protect life by making clear, through an amendment, that our constitution does not grant a right to abortion. — Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) January 14, 2020
Governor Reynolds has been working with our current Senator Joni Ernst to ban abortion and restrict access to Planned Parenthood services ever since they served together in the legislature.
We need to ACT to stop them. Join us and our efforts to protect reproductive freedom for everyone and defeat Joni Ernst next November.


dailykos--2020-01-15--Please Listen to Original Song "Tweeting Again" - on GreenDealAdvocates.com

I ’ m trying to find a way to contribute to progressive causes and here are the three main issues to me in order .
1 ) Climate Crises because nothing else ( really ) matters if we don ’ t stop burning filthy-oil now .
2 ) Medicare For All — For all the obvious reasons and as you know M4A will help every non rich group and that ’ s partly why the rich are against it .
So , in addition to starting my new company , Green Deal Advocates , LLC which I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I wrote and performed a song entitled “ Tweeting Again ” .
The song , in the spirit of Woody Guthrie — can be heard on my website greendealadvocates.com and is in the middle of the first page .
You ’ ll see the graphics and can click to listen .
Will you please listen to it at least once ?
I ’ m trying to contribute at my strengths and in ways not necessarily being done now and hope Tweeting Again may contribute in some way .
If you like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help to any progressive , or for any reason I ask you to please share it .
If by some miracle , a candidate were to want to use the song for campaigns , and I know it ’ s a long shot .
I know it ’ s a silly little song , but maybe it ’ s hook is enough to get traction through this election .
but still — permission is required just so I can ensure I get credit for it and to advertise my new business .
Finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than yourselves and Green Deal Advocates , LLC is not about getting rich , it ’ s to change to Solar , Wind and Battery now .
My point is if GDA can assist anyone in anyway please contact me through the website and I ’ m sure we can find an agreement .
I hope you like the song at the least and if so , please share it .
Thank you .

Hi,
I’m trying to find a way to contribute to progressive causes and here are the three main issues to me in order.
1) Climate Crises because nothing else (really) matters if we don’t stop burning filthy-oil now.
2) Medicare For All — For all the obvious reasons and as you know M4A will help every non rich group and that’s partly why the rich are against it.
3) Racism and Systemic Injustice.
So, in addition to starting my new company, Green Deal Advocates, LLC which I’m going to launch in a month or two, I wrote and performed a song entitled “Tweeting Again”.
The song, in the spirit of Woody Guthrie — can be heard on my website greendealadvocates.com
and is in the middle of the first page. You’ll see the graphics and can click to listen.
Will you please listen to it at least once? I’m trying to contribute at my strengths and in ways not necessarily being done now and hope Tweeting Again may contribute in some way.
If you like the song and think it may be of help to any progressive, or for any reason I ask you to please share it.
If by some miracle, a candidate were to want to use the song for campaigns, and I know it’s a long shot. I know it’s a silly little song, but maybe it’s hook is enough to get traction through this election.
but still — permission is required just so I can ensure I get credit for it and to advertise my new business.
Finally, thank you all for caring about more than yourselves and Green Deal Advocates, LLC is not about getting rich, it’s to change to Solar, Wind and Battery now. My point is if GDA can assist anyone in anyway please contact me through the website and I’m sure we can find an agreement.
I hope you like the song at the least and if so, please share it. Thank you.


dailykos--2020-01-15--Did Trump/Giuliani Goons Threaten To Assault An American Ambassador?

Marie Yovanovitch is the former United States Ambassador to Ukraine .
We already know that Rudy Giuliani , working with others ( including now indicted criminals ) , initiated a smear campaign of lies to have her ousted from her position .
Trump supported the smear campaign and even bad mouthed Yovanovitch , calling her “ bad news ” and further claiming “ the people she was dealing with in the Ukraine were bad news , ” in his now infamous phone call to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy .
The question now is whether Giuliani and/or Trump went even further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was removed from her position via a dark-of-the-night ( 1 am Kyiv time ) phone call from State Department Director General of the Foreign Service Carol Perez .
This was after a 10 pm call from Perez giving Yovanovitch a “ heads up ” and warning her that she might have to react quickly to something the State Department was concerned about .
At 1 am Perez called Yovanovitch back stating it was imperative she be on the next plane out of Kyiv because the State Department had concerns for her security .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was removed from her position , but instead repeatedly emphasized Yovanovitch needed to be on the next plane out of Ukraine .
The transcript of Yovanovitich ’ s testimony was noted for its chilling nature at the time .
YOVANOVITCH : Around 1 o ’ clock in — in the morning , she called me again and she said that there were great concerns .
There were concerns up the street and she said I needed to get on the — home — come home immediately .
Get on the next plane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why .
And she said she wasn ’ t sure , but there were concerns about my security .
I asked her , my physical security , because sometimes Washington knows more than we do about these things .
And she said , no , she hadn ’ t gotten that impression that it was a physical security issue .
But they were concerned about my security and I needed to come home right away .
You know , I argued .
This is extremely irregular and — and no reason given .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did get on the next plane home .
GOLDMAN : You said you — there were concerns up the street .
What did you understand that to mean ?
GOLDMAN : Did she explain in any more detail what she meant by concerns about your security ?
YOVANOVITCH : No , she didn ’ t .
I — I did specifically ask whether this had to do with the — Mayor Giuliani ’ s allegations against me and so forth .
And she said she didn ’ t know .
It didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she seemed to be aware of that .
No — no — no reason was offered .
GOLDMAN : Did she explain what the urgency was for you to come back on the next flight ?
YOVANOVITCH : The only thing that ’ s pertinent to that was that , when she said that there were — there were concerns about my security , that ’ s all .
But it was not further explained .
That testimony has become much more chilling with revelations this week that Rudy Giuliani was having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with indicted criminals to have still unknown figures surveil Yovanovitch .
The surveillance included discussing her security and discussing a price to do .
.
.
well , we don ’ t know what .
On October 9 , 2019 Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested at Dulles International Airport , attempting to flee the country just a few hours after having lunch with Rudy Giuliani .
These two Soviet born naturalized Americans , longtime close associates of Giuliani , were the key Ukraine connection cogs in his smear campaign to against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their role in ousting her .
Since his arrest , Parnas has indicated a desire to cooperate .
He voluntarily turned over to House investigators phone records , texts , emails and personal notes previously seized by the FBI .
These documents contain disturbing new details of the Giuliani-backed team tailing Yovanovitch , even making a statement that can be interpreted as an offer to assault her .
The document dump shows that Parnas , under the direction of Rudy Giuliani , had Marie Yovanovitch , the American ambassador to Ukraine , surveilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked with a Trump-supporting Republican candidate for Congress named Robert Hyde .
Hyde , a retired Marine , apparently had associates in Ukraine surveilling the American ambassador as he relayed information back to Parnas by text .
Hyde ’ s rather chilling text comments include : This surveillance included detailed evaluations of the level of her security , with such comments as : “ Her phone is off .
Computer is off.
” For further context , other texts by Republican Congressional Candidate Hyde refer to Yovanovitich as a “ bitch.
” Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Parnas .
“ They will let me know when she ’ s on the move… They are willing to help if you/we would like a price .
Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money… what I was told.
” “ She ’ s talked to three people .
Her phone is off .
Her computer is off .
She ’ s next to the embassy .
Not in the embassy .
Private security .
Been there since Thursday.
” “ Nothing has changed she is still not moving they check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a person inside.
” “ If you want her out they need to make contact with security forces .
From Ukrainians.
” “ Wow .
Can ’ t believe Trumo [ sic ] hasn ’ t fired this bitch .
I ’ ll get right in that.
” We ’ re talking about shadowy , still-unknown figures secretly communicating with a close associate of the President ’ s personal attorney .
These shadowy figures are preoccupied by her levels of security .
The communications include cryptic statements about getting “ her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a person inside , ” and a chilling offer to “ help ” for a price since you can do anything in Ukraine for money .
Those still-unknown figures are apparently working for the personal attorney of the President of the United States .
For further context , the State Department calls her at 1 am to urge her to take the first plane out Ukraine and return to the United States because of concerns for her security .
In a rational world this would be getting investigated .
In a rational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a rational world , State Department Director General of the Foreign Service Carol Perez would already have testified under oath to explain in detail the basis for her concern for Yovanovitch ’ s security .
In a rational world Republican Congressional Candidate Robert Hyde would already have been called to account to name who he had tailing a United States ambassador and to explain his potentially threatening descriptions of that surveillance .
In a rational world Rudy Giuliani would have already been compelled to explain , under penalty of law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a United States ambassador .
In a rational world , Republicans would be demanding all of this .

Marie Yovanovitch is the former United States Ambassador to Ukraine. We already know that Rudy Giuliani, working with others (including now indicted criminals), initiated a smear campaign of lies to have her ousted from her position. Trump supported the smear campaign and even bad mouthed Yovanovitch, calling her “bad news” and further claiming “the people she was dealing with in the Ukraine were bad news,” in his now infamous phone call to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. The question now is whether Giuliani and/or Trump went even further, delving into true mobster tactics.
Yovanovitch was removed from her position via a dark-of-the-night (1 am Kyiv time) phone call from State Department Director General of the Foreign Service Carol Perez. This was after a 10 pm call from Perez giving Yovanovitch a “heads up” and warning her that she might have to react quickly to something the State Department was concerned about.
At 1 am Perez called Yovanovitch back stating it was imperative she be on the next plane out of Kyiv because the State Department had concerns for her security. Perez didn’t actually tell Yovanovitch she was removed from her position, but instead repeatedly emphasized Yovanovitch needed to be on the next plane out of Ukraine. The transcript of Yovanovitich’s testimony was noted for its chilling nature at the time.
YOVANOVITCH: Around 1 o’clock in — in the morning, she called me again and she said that there were great concerns. There were concerns up the street and she said I needed to get on the — home — come home immediately. Get on the next plane to the U.S. And I asked her why. And she said she wasn’t sure, but there were concerns about my security. I asked her, my physical security, because sometimes Washington knows more than we do about these things. And she said, no, she hadn’t gotten that impression that it was a physical security issue. But they were concerned about my security and I needed to come home right away. You know, I argued. This is extremely irregular and — and no reason given. But in the end, I — I did get on the next plane home. GOLDMAN: You said you — there were concerns up the street. What did you understand that to mean? YOVANOVITCH: The White House. GOLDMAN: Did she explain in any more detail what she meant by concerns about your security? YOVANOVITCH: No, she didn’t. I — I did specifically ask whether this had to do with the — Mayor Giuliani’s allegations against me and so forth. And she said she didn’t know. It didn’t even actually appear to me that she seemed to be aware of that. No — no — no reason was offered. GOLDMAN: Did she explain what the urgency was for you to come back on the next flight? YOVANOVITCH: The only thing that’s pertinent to that was that, when she said that there were — there were concerns about my security, that’s all. But it was not further explained.
That testimony has become much more chilling with revelations this week that Rudy Giuliani was having a pro-Trump Republican candidate for Congress work with indicted criminals to have still unknown figures surveil Yovanovitch. The surveillance included discussing her security and discussing a price to do . . . well, we don’t know what.
Let’s step back a bit.
On October 9, 2019 Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested at Dulles International Airport, attempting to flee the country just a few hours after having lunch with Rudy Giuliani. These two Soviet born naturalized Americans, longtime close associates of Giuliani, were the key Ukraine connection cogs in his smear campaign to against Ambassador Yovanovitch, and their indictment discusses their role in ousting her.
Since his arrest, Parnas has indicated a desire to cooperate. He voluntarily turned over to House investigators phone records, texts, emails and personal notes previously seized by the FBI. These documents contain disturbing new details of the Giuliani-backed team tailing Yovanovitch, even making a statement that can be interpreted as an offer to assault her.
The document dump shows that Parnas, under the direction of Rudy Giuliani, had Marie Yovanovitch, the American ambassador to Ukraine, surveilled by still unknown shady characters. Parnas worked with a Trump-supporting Republican candidate for Congress named Robert Hyde. Hyde, a retired Marine, apparently had associates in Ukraine surveilling the American ambassador as he relayed information back to Parnas by text. Hyde’s rather chilling text comments include:
“They will let me know when she’s on the move… They are willing to help if you/we would like a price.”
This surveillance included detailed evaluations of the level of her security, with such comments as: “Her phone is off. Computer is off.” For further context, other texts by Republican Congressional Candidate Hyde refer to Yovanovitich as a “bitch.” Here are some of the texts from Hyde to Parnas.
“They will let me know when she’s on the move… They are willing to help if you/we would like a price. Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money… what I was told.” “She’s talked to three people. Her phone is off. Her computer is off. She’s next to the embassy. Not in the embassy. Private security. Been there since Thursday.” “Nothing has changed she is still not moving they check today again. It’s confirmed we have a person inside.” “She [sic] under heavy protection outside Kiev.” “If you want her out they need to make contact with security forces. From Ukrainians.” “Fuck that bitch.” “Wow. Can’t believe Trumo [sic] hasn’t fired this bitch. I’ll get right in that.”
We’re talking about shadowy, still-unknown figures secretly communicating with a close associate of the President’s personal attorney. These shadowy figures are preoccupied by her levels of security. The communications include cryptic statements about getting “her out,” while boasting of having “a person inside,” and a chilling offer to “help” for a price since you can do anything in Ukraine for money. Those still-unknown figures are apparently working for the personal attorney of the President of the United States. For further context, the State Department calls her at 1 am to urge her to take the first plane out Ukraine and return to the United States because of concerns for her security.
In a rational world this would be getting investigated. In a rational world, it already would have been. In a rational world, State Department Director General of the Foreign Service Carol Perez would already have testified under oath to explain in detail the basis for her concern for Yovanovitch’s security. In a rational world Republican Congressional Candidate Robert Hyde would already have been called to account to name who he had tailing a United States ambassador and to explain his potentially threatening descriptions of that surveillance. In a rational world Rudy Giuliani would have already been compelled to explain, under penalty of law, his role in the threatening surveillance of a United States ambassador.
In a rational world, Republicans would be demanding all of this.


dailykos--2020-01-15--Elizabeth Warren is the best candidate: Ezra Klein makes the case

Writing for Vox , Ezra Klein lays out The case for Elizabeth Warren , and it ’ s a solid one .
I ’ m just going to quote a couple of paragraphs here , from the beginning , middle , and end , and encourage everyone to go read the article .
The case for Warren over her competitors is threefold .
She understands America ’ s problems better than anyone else in the field , in part because it ’ s her research and analysis that now forms the base for much of the policy debate .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers of the regulatory state better than anyone else , because she ’ s actually done it , and because it ’ s core to her political project .
And she is , far and away , the candidate with the clearest plan for making ambitious governance possible again .
A key part of Warren ’ s case is her success in setting up a new and incredibly successful administrative agency , the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .
She built her reputation first as a lawyer and then as an academic , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ the extraordinary job she did setting up the CFPB as its first director ” : “ She did an effective job starting up that organization by almost any measure , ” Jake Siewert , a former senior adviser in the Obama Treasury Department who now heads corporate communications at Goldman Sachs , told Vox .
“ Even the people who hate the CFPB think it ’ s too effective.
” I have never covered an agency where the morale was as high , the sense of mission as clear , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the CFPB under Warren .
During those years , I spoke with CFPB employees ranging from senior leadership to midlevel lawyers to junior communications staffers , and you couldn ’ t make it three minutes into those conversations without getting some aphorism from Warren , or anecdote about Warren , quoted back to you .
Her ability to inspire not just loyalty but a sense of mission in her staff was unique .
“ When we got started on the CFPB adventure , there was no reason that you ’ d say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a chief executive , ” says Raj Date , whom Warren attracted to serve as deputy director .
“ But she was !
From a skill set and capability view , it ’ s all there.
” As Klein reminds us , every politician knows the mantra that “ personnel is policy , ” but Warren is one of the very few who turn that mantra into action and who do so to further progressive goals .
I won ’ t quote this part here , but he details the way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Obama and ( as a candidate ) Hillary Clinton in their choices of potential appointees .
Rebuilding the government after 4 years of Trumpian vandalism is going to be crucial .
Warren has the chops to get the job done .
She has repeatedly proven her ability to master complex topics , comprehend impenetrable systems , run tricky bureaucracies , recruit and retain excellent staff , build unexpected alliances , persuade the public of what she ’ s learned , and turn those learnings into power and policy .
The case for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She is simply the best person for the job .
Yes .
Yes .
Yes .

Writing for Vox, Ezra Klein lays out The case for Elizabeth Warren, and it’s a solid one.
I’m just going to quote a couple of paragraphs here, from the beginning, middle, and end, and encourage everyone to go read the article.
Klein writes, at the top:
The case for Warren over her competitors is threefold. She understands America’s problems better than anyone else in the field, in part because it’s her research and analysis that now forms the base for much of the policy debate. She understands how to focus and wield the powers of the regulatory state better than anyone else, because she’s actually done it, and because it’s core to her political project. And she is, far and away, the candidate with the clearest plan for making ambitious governance possible again.
A key part of Warren’s case is her success in setting up a new and incredibly successful administrative agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She built her reputation first as a lawyer and then as an academic, so she surprised a lot of Washington types with “the extraordinary job she did setting up the CFPB as its first director”:
“She did an effective job starting up that organization by almost any measure,” Jake Siewert, a former senior adviser in the Obama Treasury Department who now heads corporate communications at Goldman Sachs, told Vox. “Even the people who hate the CFPB think it’s too effective.” … I have never covered an agency where the morale was as high, the sense of mission as clear, and the collection of talent as impressive, as the CFPB under Warren. During those years, I spoke with CFPB employees ranging from senior leadership to midlevel lawyers to junior communications staffers, and you couldn’t make it three minutes into those conversations without getting some aphorism from Warren, or anecdote about Warren, quoted back to you. Her ability to inspire not just loyalty but a sense of mission in her staff was unique. “When we got started on the CFPB adventure, there was no reason that you’d say this law professor will be very good as a chief executive,” says Raj Date, whom Warren attracted to serve as deputy director. “But she was! From a skill set and capability view, it’s all there.”
As Klein reminds us, every politician knows the mantra that “personnel is policy,” but Warren is one of the very few who turn that mantra into action and who do so to further progressive goals. I won’t quote this part here, but he details the way that Warren used her personal power to influence both Obama and (as a candidate) Hillary Clinton in their choices of potential appointees.
Rebuilding the government after 4 years of Trumpian vandalism is going to be crucial. Warren has the chops to get the job done.
Here’s Klein’s conclusion:
She has repeatedly proven her ability to master complex topics, comprehend impenetrable systems, run tricky bureaucracies, recruit and retain excellent staff, build unexpected alliances, persuade the public of what she’s learned, and turn those learnings into power and policy. The case for Warren, then, is clear: She is simply the best person for the job.
Yes. Yes. Yes.


dailykos--2020-01-16--Sanders: “Gloria Steinem Made Me An Honorary Woman Years Ago”

Elizabeth Warren has to know Bernie Sanders is as far from sexist as any man can possibly be .
He @ @ @ @ @ women ’ s rights for 60 years .
In this town hall YouTube clip he @ @ @ @ @ in the workplace and refers to himself as a “ strong feminist ” .
Reveals @ @ @ @ @ as an “ honorary woman ” when she campaigned for him .
I hope Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ this because she is behind .
It alters my opinion of her if it turns @ @ @ @ @ fodder for the election and turn it in to tabloid news .
CNN is on @ @ @ @ @ , they obviously don ’ t want Sanders to win and are playing the exchange @ @ @ @ @ .
This hurts the progressive cause .
Here is a clip that should convince any @ @ @ @ @ his stance on women ’ s place in society .

Elizabeth Warren has to know Bernie Sanders is as far from sexist as any man can possibly be. He has been a champion for women’s rights for 60 years. In this town hall YouTube clip he explains the plight of women in the workplace and refers to himself as a “ strong feminist”. Reveals Gloria Steinem once designated him as an “honorary woman” when she campaigned for him.
I hope Elizabeth Warren didn’t do this because she is behind. It alters my opinion of her if it turns out she would make this fodder for the election and turn it in to tabloid news. CNN is on this like stink on crap, they obviously don’t want Sanders to win and are playing the exchange between them on a loop. This hurts the progressive cause. Here is a clip that should convince any skeptics regarding Bernie Sanders and his stance on women’s place in society.


dailykos--2020-01-16--[IA-SEN] Endorsement: Ed Fallon and Kathy Byrnes Endorse Eddie Mauro for U.S. Senate

Des Moines area organizers , activists , small business owners and former elected officials Ed Fallon and Kathy Byrnes have endorsed Eddie Mauro for United States Senate in Iowa .
From their bios over at Bold Iowa : Ed Fallon served as a state legislator for fourteen years before running unsuccessfully for Governor in 2006 and U.S. Congress in 2008 .
Since 2009 , he has hosted the Fallon Forum , which airs on four Iowa stations .
Ed contributes to a sustainable world by walking and biking as his primary means of transportation and by growing much of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1995 he was identified by Cityview as Iowa ’ s No .
1 Hellraiser , which wrote , “ Ed Fallon has made a name for himself as the Legislature ’ s premier street politician and agent provocateur.
” Kathy Byrnes , a writer and editor , boasts a background in project coordination and event planning – projects that promote causes , and events that embrace fun .
Growing up during the Energy Crisis of the 70s , she learned to turn out lights , hang up laundry , and generally use fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her inclinations turned into activism in 2014 , when the Dakota Access Pipeline threatened her family home at the time .
Now a Des Moines resident , Kathy walks and bikes a lot , hangs out with her kids and grandkids as often as possible , enjoys feeding people , eats ice cream – sometimes twice a day – and can still turn a mean cartwheel .
She also believes that people are good , love is powerful , and you should always be prepared to be surprised by yourself and others @ @ @ @ @

Des Moines area organizers, activists, small business owners and former elected officials Ed Fallon and Kathy Byrnes have endorsed Eddie Mauro for United States Senate in Iowa.
From their bios over at Bold Iowa:
Ed Fallon served as a state legislator for fourteen years before running unsuccessfully for Governor in 2006 and U.S. Congress in 2008. Since 2009, he has hosted the Fallon Forum, which airs on four Iowa stations. Ed contributes to a sustainable world by walking and biking as his primary means of transportation and by growing much of his own food and raising hens. In 1995 he was identified by Cityview as Iowa’s No. 1 Hellraiser, which wrote, “Ed Fallon has made a name for himself as the Legislature’s premier street politician and agent provocateur.”


dailykos--2020-01-16--Book Review of Naomi Klein’s On Fire

Book Review of Naomi Klein’s On Fire

we must act now not just plan for the future Reading Naomi Klein ’ s new book , On Fire : The ( Burning ) Case for a Green New Deal , is similar to watching a mega-disaster movie in a theater .
Except , you can leave your fears behind when you exit the theater .
Klein ’ s message is that our human induced climate change is devastating our livable earth , we are stuck here , it is not safe , the house is on fire .
Klein does not harvest new horrors in her book , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her collection of writings and speeches over the span of a decade , the last entry being April of this past year .
The introduction and epilogue carry forward the book ’ s urgent advocacy to act now , in order to avoid our eminent extinction .
To shake us out of our slumber , she presents heroes who are sounding the alarm .
A prime example is Greta Thunberg , the 15 year old girl from Stockholm Sweden , who in a period of just eight months has sparked the creation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 2019 with nearly 2,100 youth climate strikes in 125 counties and with 1.6 million young people participating .
Thunberg said , “ We can not solve an emergency without treating it like an emergency.
” Along that line of reasoning , Klein argues that climate change efforts do not need to figure out every detail of the proposed solutions in advance , “ what matters is that we begin the process right away.
” The emphasis on action and not planning , may be why Klein recognizes that denialists have gained traction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change “ will destroy capitalism… killing jobs and sending prices soaring.
” The moderator at the 2018 Heartland Institute ’ s Conference on Climate Change put it bluntly , this issue could be “ a green Trojan horse ” filled with “ Marxist socioeconomic doctrine ” .
A senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute , sees that there is a push to remove freedoms that would stop government from imposing draconian measures to fight climate change .
The conference ’ s keynote speaker , Patrick Michaels , who is a senior fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , called the effort to support locally owned biofuels refineries akin to a “ Maoist ” scheme .
Although these statements are from a handful of right-wing institutions , Klein shows how public opinion has dramatically shifted .
From polls taken in 2007 and 2011 , the percentage of those that believe “ the continued burning of fossil fuels would cause the climate to change ” dropped from 71 percent to 44 percent .
Importantly , she adds that individuals can not win this struggle but only through a mass united effort .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the general population in winning World War II .
For instance , in 1943 , three-fifths of our nation ’ s population “ had “ Victory gardens ” in their yards , growing fresh vegetables that accounted for 42 percent of all those consumed that year.
” Unfortunately , Klein ignores the power of the presidency to sway public opinion and obstruct such unity .
In WWII we had a president who focused the public ’ s attention on winning a battle , today we have a president who denies that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Klein admits that the deniers realize something that many liberal politicians ignore , that to stop the earth from becoming an uninhabitable place there must be a radical reordering of our economic and political systems that are antithetical to the “ free-market ” belief system .
In particular , she calls for a new civilization paradigm that does not dominate nature but respects it by rejecting the “ growth imperative ” .
Her solution is to reduce the amount of material stuff that the wealthiest 20 percent of people on the planet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change , she supports publicly funded elections and stripping corporations of their status as “ people ” in this country .
For all countries , she suggests cutting military budgets by twenty-five percent and imposing a transaction tax on the financial sector .
However , as she recognizes , that just being a “ socialist ” country has not proven to be the solution : the Soviet Union had even higher carbon footprints per capita than Britain , Canada and Australia .
And a recent report says that Communist China is constructing over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations as a way of outsourcing a portion of its carbon emissions .
Regardless of a government ’ s ideology , Klein argues that “ we will not get the job done unless we are willing to embrace systemic economic and social change.
” The core of that change is adopting the head spinning notion that economic growth is the villain not the savior of mankind .
Unfortunately , she does not provide any country that rejects economic growth as a working model .
She concludes that incremental changes have not worked because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice struggles .
Working separately on each issue creates artificial boundaries between them .
Consequently , the single largest determining factor “ to pull us back from the climate cliff ” will have to come from “ actions taken by social movements in the coming years ” .
Klein provides the data and the vision .
Her hope is to see a coordinated global movement to successfully reverse carbon consumption within each country ; a challenge that will require something more than a book , like a future world-wide radical mass movement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Klein ’ s next book might want to present a plan for how that would happen .
Nick Licata , was a 5 term Seattle City Councilmember , named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of Local Progress , a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials .

Naomi Klein says to avoid our imminent extinction,
we must act now and not just plan for the future
Reading Naomi Klein’s new book, On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, is similar to watching a mega-disaster movie in a theater. Except, you can leave your fears behind when you exit the theater. Klein’s message is that our human induced climate change is devastating our livable earth, we are stuck here, it is not safe, the house is on fire.
Klein does not harvest new horrors in her book, plenty of them are presented chronically in her collection of writings and speeches over the span of a decade, the last entry being April of this past year. The introduction and epilogue carry forward the book’s urgent advocacy to act now, in order to avoid our eminent extinction.
To shake us out of our slumber, she presents heroes who are sounding the alarm. A prime example is Greta Thunberg, the 15 year old girl from Stockholm Sweden, who in a period of just eight months has sparked the creation of the youth climate movement that culminated in March 2019 with nearly 2,100 youth climate strikes in 125 counties and with 1.6 million young people participating. Thunberg said, “We cannot solve an emergency without treating it like an emergency.”
Along that line of reasoning, Klein argues that climate change efforts do not need to figure out every detail of the proposed solutions in advance, “what matters is that we begin the process right away.” The emphasis on action and not planning, may be why Klein recognizes that denialists have gained traction by arguing that efforts to halt climate change “will destroy capitalism… killing jobs and sending prices soaring.”
The moderator at the 2018 Heartland Institute’s Conference on Climate Change put it bluntly, this issue could be “a green Trojan horse” filled with “Marxist socioeconomic doctrine”. A senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, sees that there is a push to remove freedoms that would stop government from imposing draconian measures to fight climate change. The conference’s keynote speaker, Patrick Michaels, who is a senior fellow in environmental studies at the Cato Institute, called the effort to support locally owned biofuels refineries akin to a “Maoist” scheme.
Although these statements are from a handful of right-wing institutions, Klein shows how public opinion has dramatically shifted. From polls taken in 2007 and 2011, the percentage of those that believe “the continued burning of fossil fuels would cause the climate to change” dropped from 71 percent to 44 percent.
Importantly, she adds that individuals cannot win this struggle but only through a mass united effort. Klein notes that unity accomplished incredible feats among the general population in winning World War II. For instance, in 1943, three-fifths of our nation’s population “had “Victory gardens” in their yards, growing fresh vegetables that accounted for 42 percent of all those consumed that year.” Unfortunately, Klein ignores the power of the presidency to sway public opinion and obstruct such unity. In WWII we had a president who focused the public’s attention on winning a battle, today we have a president who denies that there is even a battle to be fought.
Klein admits that the deniers realize something that many liberal politicians ignore, that to stop the earth from becoming an uninhabitable place there must be a radical reordering of our economic and political systems that are antithetical to the “free-market” belief system. In particular, she calls for a new civilization paradigm that does not dominate nature but respects it by rejecting the “growth imperative”. Her solution is to reduce the amount of material stuff that the wealthiest 20 percent of people on the planet consume.
To accomplish such a sweeping change, she supports publicly funded elections and stripping corporations of their status as “people” in this country. For all countries, she suggests cutting military budgets by twenty-five percent and imposing a transaction tax on the financial sector. However, as she recognizes, that just being a “socialist” country has not proven to be the solution: the Soviet Union had even higher carbon footprints per capita than Britain, Canada and Australia. And a recent report says that Communist China is constructing over a hundred coal-fired power plants in poorer nations as a way of outsourcing a portion of its carbon emissions.
Regardless of a government’s ideology, Klein argues that “we will not get the job done unless we are willing to embrace systemic economic and social change.” The core of that change is adopting the head spinning notion that economic growth is the villain not the savior of mankind. Unfortunately, she does not provide any country that rejects economic growth as a working model.
She concludes that incremental changes have not worked because the climate change battle links all social justice struggles. Working separately on each issue creates artificial boundaries between them. Consequently, the single largest determining factor “to pull us back from the climate cliff” will have to come from “actions taken by social movements in the coming years”.
Klein provides the data and the vision. Her hope is to see a coordinated global movement to successfully reverse carbon consumption within each country; a challenge that will require something more than a book, like a future world-wide radical mass movement that will challenge every nation’s government. Klein’s next book might want to present a plan for how that would happen.
Nick Licata, was a 5 term Seattle City Councilmember, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
Author of Becoming a Citizen Activist. http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/changemakers/
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Urban Politics http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/


dailykos--2020-01-17--Who Are These Fans at Trump Rallies?

Who Are These Fans at Trump Rallies?

Who are the MAGA Trump supporters who show up at his rallies ?
After listening to video clips of what rally goes are saying about themselves and Donald Trump , and by observing their reactions to Donald Trump ’ s colorful commentary , a picture emerges of who these fans are .
Trump ’ s fan-base appears to be mostly low information voters who have avoided politics their whole life , who maybe never voted before 2016 or paid any attention to who was running .
They are people who feel they have been ignored , people for whom politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , in DONALD TRUMP they have found a politician who loves them unconditionally .
He embraces them .
He doesn ’ t care that they don ’ t know much .
He is rich and powerful and he is going to take care of them .
Donald Trump talks to his fans like no other politician before .
He doesn ’ t talk down to them or try to teach them stuff they don ’ t care to hear .
He says amazing and unexpected things , things that thrill them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He makes them feel politically alive for the first time in their life .
He doesn ’ t have to be accurate or truthful in his comments because they get what he is saying .
They don ’ t have to work hard to connect the dots .
No dog whistles are required !
Donald Trump has turned politics into this incredibly entertaining blood sport and his fans love it .
They have taken political sides for the first time .
They are standing up against the old guards of both political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past .
They are standing up for their race , their religion and their traditional “ American ” values .
They only support the Republicans today because the GOP itself has gotten fully on board with their champion , and THEIR GUY IS GOING TO WIN because he does what he says and keeps his promises .
He has made America Great Again .
This is what the American majority is up against .
A very large , cult-like block of highly motivated Trump followers who have no faith or trust in anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No amount of facts or logic can dislodge Trump 's loyal followers .
The best hope we have of defeating Donald Trump is to overwhelm his supporters at the polls .
For that to happen we need to put up the most exciting slate of Democratic candidates .
We need candidates with visionary messages that rekindles hope and expectation in every ELIGIBLE voter , not just likely Democratic voters within the Party .
We need to reach into the giant pool of those folks who do n't normally come out to vote and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's vision for America 's future as Trump 's supporters are for his outsized personality .

Who are the MAGA Trump supporters who show up at his rallies? After listening to video clips of what rally goes are saying about themselves and Donald Trump, and by observing their reactions to Donald Trump’s colorful commentary, a picture emerges of who these fans are.
Trump’s fan-base appears to be mostly low information voters who have avoided politics their whole life, who maybe never voted before 2016 or paid any attention to who was running. They are people who feel they have been ignored, people for whom politics had no relevance to their lives. Now, in DONALD TRUMP they have found a politician who loves them unconditionally. He embraces them. He doesn’t care that they don’t know much. He is rich and powerful and he is going to take care of them.
Donald Trump talks to his fans like no other politician before. He doesn’t talk down to them or try to teach them stuff they don’t care to hear. He says amazing and unexpected things, things that thrill them and excite them. He is very entertaining. He makes them feel politically alive for the first time in their life. He doesn’t have to be accurate or truthful in his comments because they get what he is saying. They don’t have to work hard to connect the dots. No dog whistles are required!
Donald Trump has turned politics into this incredibly entertaining blood sport and his fans love it. They have taken political sides for the first time. They are standing up against the old guards of both political parties who have ignored them in the past. They are standing up for their race, their religion and their traditional “American” values. They only support the Republicans today because the GOP itself has gotten fully on board with their champion, and THEIR GUY IS GOING TO WIN because he does what he says and keeps his promises. He has made America Great Again.
This is what the American majority is up against. A very large, cult-like block of highly motivated Trump followers who have no faith or trust in anyone who isn’t Donald Trump. No amount of facts or logic can dislodge Trump's loyal followers. The best hope we have of defeating Donald Trump is to overwhelm his supporters at the polls. For that to happen we need to put up the most exciting slate of Democratic candidates. We need candidates with visionary messages that rekindles hope and expectation in every ELIGIBLE voter, not just likely Democratic voters within the Party. We need to reach into the giant pool of those folks who don't normally come out to vote and get them as excited about our candidate's vision for America's future as Trump's supporters are for his outsized personality.


dailykos--2020-01-17--With This Cast Of Characters, What A Movie The Trump Presidency Will Make

I loved All The Presidents Men , a film that brilliantly followed the Watergate scandal and the story about the fall of Nixon .
Who will make the movie about the presidency of Donald J. Trump ?
What actor could capture the goofy vapidity combined with the narcissistic cruelty necessary to play him ?
I was thinking about this tonight as I watched the Lev Parnas interview on Rachel Maddow , I thought what a great character he would be in a movie .
I then ran through the list of flaky , strange people who have been attached to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drafted out a rough screenplay in my head .
In another era , this movie would have been made by Oliver Stone with Martin Sheen probably playing Trump .
Martin Scorsese would have cast Robert De Niro and somehow made it work , with Joe Pesci as Parnas .
I think the right director for this wacky story has to be David O. Russell who created movies like American Hustle , The Fighter , Silver Linings Playbook , and Three Kings .
Based on his work , I believe he would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humor inherent in having a buffoonish sociopath somehow become the leader of the most powerful nation in the history of the world .
The best actor going right now , and one that seems able to transform himself in to any character , is Christian Bale .
I am thinking about his work in American Psycho , The Machinist and most recently Vice .
He could pull off a convincing Trump I think .
I would start the movie with the revelations of the Zelinsky call by the whistleblower , but have flash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide context for the audience .
Got to figure out how to work the tweets in , maybe they could serve as sort of the Greek chorus and a window in to Trump ’ s mind .
Here are some of the must have characters for the movie as it follows the story of Trump ’ s impeachment , the brutal end of his presidency and the fall of those around him : • Conway ( as a composite character for his surrogates ) Of course there ’ s the long list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning for the flash back scenes such as Putin , Kim , Daniels , Cohen , Mueller , etc , etc .
I bet someone has already commissioned the screen rights to this movie .
I predict before this whole thing is over it will one of the great stories of all time .
Nonfiction so bizarre that if it were pitched to Hollywood as a piece of fiction , it would be rejected as too implausible .
In comments feel free to add your own characters and who should play them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

I loved All The Presidents Men, a film that brilliantly followed the Watergate scandal and the story about the fall of Nixon. Who will make the movie about the presidency of Donald J. Trump? What actor could capture the goofy vapidity combined with the narcissistic cruelty necessary to play him? I was thinking about this tonight as I watched the Lev Parnas interview on Rachel Maddow, I thought what a great character he would be in a movie. I then ran through the list of flaky, strange people who have been attached to Trump during his presidency. I sort of drafted out a rough screenplay in my head.
In another era, this movie would have been made by Oliver Stone with Martin Sheen probably playing Trump. Martin Scorsese would have cast Robert De Niro and somehow made it work, with Joe Pesci as Parnas.
I think the right director for this wacky story has to be David O. Russell who created movies like American Hustle, The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and Three Kings. Based on his work, I believe he would be able to capture both the pathos and humor inherent in having a buffoonish sociopath somehow become the leader of the most powerful nation in the history of the world.
The best actor going right now, and one that seems able to transform himself in to any character, is Christian Bale. I am thinking about his work in American Psycho, The Machinist and most recently Vice. He could pull off a convincing Trump I think.
(Also, love to one day see a Quentin Tarantino version just to see how he would work in Samuel L, Jackson and a flame thrower as a prop.)
I would start the movie with the revelations of the Zelinsky call by the whistleblower, but have flash backs to lots of earlier scenes to provide context for the audience. Got to figure out how to work the tweets in, maybe they could serve as sort of the Greek chorus and a window in to Trump’s mind.
Here are some of the must have characters for the movie as it follows the story of Trump’s impeachment, the brutal end of his presidency and the fall of those around him:
Giuliani (Comic relief)
Schiff (hero)
Nunes (composite character for House enablers)
Parnas
Bolton
Graham
Pelosi
Conway (as a composite character for his surrogates)
Pompeo
Barr
Of course there’s the long list of all the strange people around Trump from the beginning for the flash back scenes such as Putin, Kim, Daniels, Cohen, Mueller, etc, etc.
I bet someone has already commissioned the screen rights to this movie. I predict before this whole thing is over it will one of the great stories of all time. Nonfiction so bizarre that if it were pitched to Hollywood as a piece of fiction, it would be rejected as too implausible.
In comments feel free to add your own characters and who should play them. Also, we need a title.


dailykos--2020-01-17--Democrats and/or reporters need to repeat this one simple question to Republicans

To all those Republican Senators stating that they won ’ t consider any new documents or witness testimony , simply @ @ @ @ @ we learn of new evidence that exonerates President Trump , you will fight and vote @ @ @ @ @ Senate can ’ t consider such evidence ?
That is it .
We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ than that one question to demonstrate the absurdity of their position , or to demonstrate @ @ @ @ @ struggle to answer .
And it is amazing and revealing that the Republican position is @ @ @ @ @ that any new evidence could only be bad for Trump .
That needs to be @ @ @ @ @ driven arguments .

To all those Republican Senators stating that they won’t consider any new documents or witness testimony, simply ask:
So, if we learn of new evidence that exonerates President Trump, you will fight and vote to make sure that the Senate can’t consider such evidence?
That is it. We don’t need anything more complicated than that one question to demonstrate the absurdity of their position, or to demonstrate their bad faith as they struggle to answer.
And it is amazing and revealing that the Republican position is driven by a bedrock assumption that any new evidence could only be bad for Trump. That needs to be highlighted above the current process driven arguments.


dailykos--2020-01-16--[IA-SEN] Wake up Iowans. We need to overhaul our criminal justice system.

When someone goes to prison for a small offense -- like drug use -- that criminal record is attached to them for life .
And they 're often required to disclose this offense -- no matter how small -- to potential employers , landlords , banks , and others .
This is just one of many ways that our criminal justice system operates as a failed institution , stigmatizing people for the rest of their lives .
I believe we need to overhaul our criminal justice system .
And if elected , I will support a movement to build a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- one that prevents crime and arms people with the tools needed to lead better lives .
Join me by signing our petition if you agree .
Here are just a few things that I would tackle as Iowa 's next U.S .
Senator : • Ending for-profit prisons -- businesses should not be able to profit off the incarceration of Americans .
• Ending minimum sentencing -- each case has a unique set of circumstances surrounding it .
One size does not fit all , and we must allow for differences in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug abusers -- these people are sick with addiction , a crime not deserving of a several-year prison sentence .
• Federally restoring voting rights to felons following their release .
People like Joni Ernst should be fighting for criminal justice reform day in and day out , but instead , establishment politicians continue to ignore these shortcomings .
We need leaders bold enough to fight for injustice especially when it 's inconvenient .
If you agree , sign our petition and join our call for sweeping criminal justice reform .
We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little help from people like you .

When someone goes to prison for a small offense -- like drug use -- that criminal record is attached to them for life. And they're often required to disclose this offense -- no matter how small -- to potential employers, landlords, banks, and others.
This is just one of many ways that our criminal justice system operates as a failed institution, stigmatizing people for the rest of their lives.
I believe we need to overhaul our criminal justice system. And if elected, I will support a movement to build a better, more rehabilitative system for Americans -- one that prevents crime and arms people with the tools needed to lead better lives. Join me by signing our petition if you agree.
Here are just a few things that I would tackle as Iowa's next U.S. Senator:
Ending for-profit prisons -- businesses should not be able to profit off the incarceration of Americans.
Ending minimum sentencing -- each case has a unique set of circumstances surrounding it. One size does not fit all, and we must allow for differences in sentencing where appropriate.
Stop imprisoning drug abusers -- these people are sick with addiction, a crime not deserving of a several-year prison sentence.
Federally restoring voting rights to felons following their release.
People like Joni Ernst should be fighting for criminal justice reform day in and day out, but instead, establishment politicians continue to ignore these shortcomings.
We need leaders bold enough to fight for injustice especially when it's inconvenient.
If you agree, sign our petition and join our call for sweeping criminal justice reform. We have the ability to make lasting changes with a little help from people like you.


dailykos--2020-01-16--Trial News: Graham and McConnell’s Shame Is On Display As They Lie Under Oath On Day One

Today on the Senate floor , all Senators signed an oath to be impartial during the impeachment trial of Donald @ @ @ @ @ the header graphic , the Republican head of the Judiciary Committee , Lindsey Graham and @ @ @ @ @ McConnell are shown signing the oath book .
Both have publicly said they have no @ @ @ @ @ they are obligated to do so under the rules of the Senate and the constitution @ @ @ @ @ record of their agreement to do so .

Today on the Senate floor, all Senators signed an oath to be impartial during the impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump. Depicted In the header graphic, the Republican head of the Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham and Leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell are shown signing the oath book.
Both have publicly said they have no intention of being impartial yet they are obligated to do so under the rules of the Senate and the constitution. This is a visual record of their agreement to do so.