dailykos--2020-08-08--Book Review of Rodham –
an Insight on How Hillary Became President and Bill Did Not

Hillary Clinton is the most famous woman politician of the twenty-first century , despite not becoming President of the U.S. Curtis Sittenfeld ’ s novel Rodham ( Random House $ 28 ) creates an amusing and yet personal portrait of her playing off of the “ what if ” scenario of Hillary never marrying Bill .
As with all uplifting fiction , it has a happy ending : Hillary Rodham , unlike Hillary Clinton , does becomes president .
The author describes fictional incidents that mirror real ones , with Hillary narrating her inner thoughts as she strives to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , plain-spoken with a bit of self-doubt , is nicely captured .
They give weight to what could have been a tinsel-esque embellishment of her psyche .
But this is no political melodrama : It is a personal story and it is entertaining .
There are three elements that generally influence who people vote for : policy issues , group identity and a candidate ’ s personality , which may be the most important factor .
“ Rodham ” is a masterpiece for understanding how personality may just be at the heart of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill and Hillary underlies the novel ’ s story .
Sittenfeld ’ s portrait of the nearly married couple will have you believing you actually heard their conversations .
Although the first quarter of the book is not focused on politics , it left me with a better understanding of the couple ’ s motivations for jumping into that arena .
They are portrayed with such ease and empathy that you see how fiction can be more revealing than the fractured truths some in the media toss out as fact .
Most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hillary grows up in metropolitan Chicago , going to Wellesley College and then meeting Bill at Yale Law School .
He did go back to Arkansas right after graduating to run for Congress , and he did later become the state ’ s longest-serving governor .
The novel is sharpest when Sittenfeld weaves these real events in with incidents so believable that the reader wonders where reality and fiction diverge .
This is most effective for many of the smaller scenes that reveal the personal tug and pull between Bill and Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of only from a distance .
Bill proposes to Hillary but is unfaithful , and ultimately , they mutually recognize that his sexual behavior will not change , so she goes her own way .
Yet she continues to be emotionally connected to him , despite considering him to be a sexual predator .
She becomes a senator from Illinois , Bill becomes a billionaire from his high-tech corporate connections , their lives go on in different directions .
The last section of the book has fun with Hillary running for president in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms , when Bill jumps into the primary .
In a chilling nod to the reality of the 2016 presidential election , Bill ’ s supporters chant “ Shut her up !
” at his rallies , which he ignores , but allows to continue .
Donald Trump plays a role as an unsolicited supporter of Hillary because he dislikes Bill so much .
Sittenfeld pulls off this fantasy by capturing his political posturing and using Trumpian talk .
He tells Hillary in a casual conversation that he will not run for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people beg me to run for president.
” This novel could have become a fanciful farce or just boring given that the Clintons have been covered so much .
And throwing Trump into the mix could have made it even less credulous .
But the characters are so perfectly tuned that they perform as an ensemble , drawing the reader ever deeper into their play , making it difficult to put down the book .
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist , and has served 5 terms on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of Local Progress , a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials .
Subscribe to Licata ’ s newsletter Urban Politics

Hillary Clinton is the most famous woman politician of the twenty-first century, despite not becoming President of the U.S. Curtis Sittenfeld’s novel Rodham (Random House $28) creates an amusing and yet personal portrait of her playing off of the “what if” scenario of Hillary never marrying Bill. As with all uplifting fiction, it has a happy ending: Hillary Rodham, unlike Hillary Clinton, does becomes president.
The author describes fictional incidents that mirror real ones, with Hillary narrating her inner thoughts as she strives to make the right choices. Her public persona, plain-spoken with a bit of self-doubt, is nicely captured. They give weight to what could have been a tinsel-esque embellishment of her psyche. But this is no political melodrama: It is a personal story and it is entertaining.
There are three elements that generally influence who people vote for: policy issues, group identity and a candidate’s personality, which may be the most important factor. “Rodham” is a masterpiece for understanding how personality may just be at the heart of our political landscape.
The relationship between Bill and Hillary underlies the novel’s story. Sittenfeld’s portrait of the nearly married couple will have you believing you actually heard their conversations. Although the first quarter of the book is not focused on politics, it left me with a better understanding of the couple’s motivations for jumping into that arena. They are portrayed with such ease and empathy that you see how fiction can be more revealing than the fractured truths some in the media toss out as fact.
Most of the principal locations and events are true. Hillary grows up in metropolitan Chicago, going to Wellesley College and then meeting Bill at Yale Law School. He did go back to Arkansas right after graduating to run for Congress, and he did later become the state’s longest-serving governor.
The novel is sharpest when Sittenfeld weaves these real events in with incidents so believable that the reader wonders where reality and fiction diverge. This is most effective for many of the smaller scenes that reveal the personal tug and pull between Bill and Hillary, which the public was made aware of only from a distance.
Bill proposes to Hillary but is unfaithful, and ultimately, they mutually recognize that his sexual behavior will not change, so she goes her own way. Yet she continues to be emotionally connected to him, despite considering him to be a sexual predator. She becomes a senator from Illinois, Bill becomes a billionaire from his high-tech corporate connections, their lives go on in different directions.
The last section of the book has fun with Hillary running for president in 2016 following Barack Obama’s two terms, when Bill jumps into the primary. In a chilling nod to the reality of the 2016 presidential election, Bill’s supporters chant “Shut her up!” at his rallies, which he ignores, but allows to continue.
Donald Trump plays a role as an unsolicited supporter of Hillary because he dislikes Bill so much. Sittenfeld pulls off this fantasy by capturing his political posturing and using Trumpian talk. He tells Hillary in a casual conversation that he will not run for president, but says, “Every day, people beg me to run for president.”
This novel could have become a fanciful farce or just boring given that the Clintons have been covered so much. And throwing Trump into the mix could have made it even less credulous. But the characters are so perfectly tuned that they perform as an ensemble, drawing the reader ever deeper into their play, making it difficult to put down the book.
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist, and
has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council, 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.
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Urban Politics


Save Florida

You are invited to an event in support of Dolores Guzman ’ s campaign for FL State House !
Dolores @ @ @ @ @ guest Representative Anna Eskamani .
Born and raised in Orlando , Representative Anna Eskamani is @ @ @ @ @ , elected to serve District 47 in the Florida House .
Authentic , vocal , @ @ @ @ @ a champion for LGBTQ Tequality , the environment , affordable housing , increased access to @ @ @ @ @ .
Information for the zoom call will be provided once you have purchased a ticket @ @ @ @ @ can not attend the event but still would like to support , checks can be @ @ @ @

You are invited to an event in support of Dolores Guzman’s campaign for FL State House!
Dolores will be joined by special guest Representative Anna Eskamani. Born and raised in Orlando, Representative Anna Eskamani is the daughter of working-class immigrants, elected to serve District 47 in the Florida House. Authentic, vocal, and effective, she is a champion for LGBTQ Tequality, the environment, affordable housing, increased access to healthcare, and public education.
Information for the zoom call will be provided once you have purchased a ticket through this link .
If you cannot attend the event but still would like to support, checks can be made payable to:
Dolores for 27
P.O. Box 771,
Edgewater, FL 32132


dailykos--2020-08-09--The Revised Version of the Pledge of Allegiance
(original blog -The Lemon Pledge of Allegiance)

In the earlier days of the COVID Shuffle , I had made a blog that no one paid any mind to since it was titled , The Lemon Pledge of Allegiance .
It had the face of the main character in the movie , Network , and also ended with an American flag that had one revision ... a swaztika in place of the stars in blue .
It is a darkly funny view , though I wanted to show how mad and active we could get with the Network bit and the flag was to illustrate what it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had their way with so called White Supremacy .
Many took it the wrong way and thought I was endorsing Nazism .
Nothing could be further from the truth .
My late mother endured the cruelties of Nazi Germany , then split when the Russian Communists took over at the end of World War II .
Dad was G.I .
Joe in post war West Germany and brought her to America in 1956 .
I have a recent blog titled , How Tyranny Works and Doesn ’ t Work !
.
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else and was like that until her passing at 83 in February 2012 .
All the males in my family on both sides , served in the military .
All four branches at that too !
I was Army in ‘ 84 .
Anyway .
I felt it time to dig up this and see how it applies and is at least , remotely funny .
We need a laugh in the mist of all the shenanigans taking place at the moment .
Always , no matter what , enjoy the lighter side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is something no one can , or should even , take away from you .
I pledge of allegiance to the graft of the United Fakes of America and to the corporations , of which it stands , one so called nation , under President Trump ’ s so called ‘ God ’ , totally divisible , with selective liberty and some justice for all…those that are rich and powerful !
I defy anyone to argue that all said is not the truth !
We have a system of graft ( underhandedness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who , for the lack of better words…fakes , and of course the corporation control of things , we are now being viewed as ‘ less than a nation ’ , with a cryptic interpretation of ‘ God ’ , polarized and separated from one another , and liberty with restrictions on all sorts of folks , and true justice for those with highly paid attorneys and connections with high places !
IF that isn ’ t America right now , I don ’ t know what is !
Time for a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that one ?

In the earlier days of the COVID Shuffle, I had made a blog that no one paid any mind to since it was titled, The Lemon Pledge of Allegiance. It had the face of the main character in the movie, Network, and also ended with an American flag that had one revision...a swaztika in place of the stars in blue.
It is a darkly funny view, though I wanted to show how mad and active we could get with the Network bit and the flag was to illustrate what it would like if President Trump and the Trumpsters had their way with so called White Supremacy. Many took it the wrong way and thought I was endorsing Nazism. Nothing could be further from the truth. My late mother endured the cruelties of Nazi Germany, then split when the Russian Communists took over at the end of World War II. Dad was G.I. Joe in post war West Germany and brought her to America in 1956. I have a recent blog titled, How Tyranny Works and Doesn’t Work!. She was and more like an American than anything else and was like that until her passing at 83 in February 2012. All the males in my family on both sides, served in the military. All four branches at that too! I was Army in ‘84.
Anyway. I felt it time to dig up this and see how it applies and is at least, remotely funny. We need a laugh in the mist of all the shenanigans taking place at the moment. Always, no matter what, enjoy the lighter side and have a sense of humor. That is something no one can, or should even, take away from you.
I pledge of allegiance to the graft of the United Fakes of America and to the corporations, of which it stands, one so called nation, under President Trump’s so called ‘God’, totally divisible, with selective liberty and some justice for all…those that are rich and powerful!
I defy anyone to argue that all said is not the truth! We have a system of graft (underhandedness), and have those in office who, for the lack of better words…fakes, and of course the corporation control of things, we are now being viewed as ‘less than a nation’, with a cryptic interpretation of ‘God’, polarized and separated from one another, and liberty with restrictions on all sorts of folks, and true justice for those with highly paid attorneys and connections with high places!
IF that isn’t America right now, I don’t know what is! Time for a real change!
We the People! Remember that one?


dailykos--2020-08-10--Allen Ellison, CD-17 Democratic Nominee hosts Honorable Judge Arthur Burnett Sr

Friday , August 14 , 7:00 pm .
EST , Allen Ellison , Democratic nominee for Florida ’ s 17th Congressional District , will host special guest , Honorable Judge Arthur Louis Burnett Sr. , for the Getting Social with Allen series .
Judge Arthur Louis Burnett Sr. comes with great experience as he began his career studying at Howard University , and New York University where he received his Juris Doctorate degree .
His accomplishments include , but are not limited to : prosecutor for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice , Assistant U.S. Attorney for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal advisor for the Metropolitan Police Department , U.S. Magistrates for the District of Columbia and first African American to serve as a Magistrate Judge in the U.S. , Assistant General Counsel at the United States Civil Service Commission , advisor to Presidents : John F. Kennedy , Jimmy Carter , Ronald Reagan , William Clinton , and advisor/mentor Barack Obama , and served as DC Superior Courts ’ Chief Justice .
Currently , Judge Burnett is an adjunct law professor , and works with organizations to address the crisis of drug use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the National Executive Director , National African American Drug Policy Coalition .
Throughout his tenure , Judge Burnett has received numerous honors , accolades , and awards from many esteemed global organizations .
In their conversation , Judge Burnett will build a historical perspective that will shed light and connect Allen Ellison ’ s social causes and plans to improve the livelihood and environmental conditions to benefit District 17 constituents .
About Allen Ellison for Congress Campaign Committee Allen Ellison for Congress Campaign Committee ( AEFCCC ) is formed to elect Allen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to represent Florida ’ s 17th Congressional District .
The Allen Ellison for Congress Campaign Committee brings fresh ideas and positive solutions to our government .
Election day for the 2020 General Election is Tuesday , November 3 , 2020 .
For more information , please visit : `` ) ; background-size : 1px 1px ; background-position : 0px calc ( 1em + 1px ) ; background-repeat : repeat no-repeat ; '' > http : //ellisonforcongress.com/

Friday, August 14, 7:00 pm. EST, Allen Ellison, Democratic nominee for Florida’s 17th Congressional District, will host special guest, Honorable Judge Arthur Louis Burnett Sr., for the Getting Social with Allen series.
Judge Arthur Louis Burnett Sr. comes with great experience as he began his career studying at Howard University, and New York University where he received his Juris Doctorate degree. His accomplishments include, but are not limited to: prosecutor for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the first legal advisor for the Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Magistrates for the District of Columbia and first African American to serve as a Magistrate Judge in the U.S., Assistant General Counsel at the United States Civil Service Commission, advisor to Presidents: John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, William Clinton, and advisor/mentor Barack Obama, and served as DC Superior Courts’ Chief Justice.
Currently, Judge Burnett is an adjunct law professor, and works with organizations to address the crisis of drug use and abuse in minority communities and serves as the National Executive Director, National African American Drug Policy Coalition. Throughout his tenure, Judge Burnett has received numerous honors, accolades, and awards from many esteemed global organizations.
In their conversation, Judge Burnett will build a historical perspective that will shed light and connect Allen Ellison’s social causes and plans to improve the livelihood and environmental conditions to benefit District 17 constituents.
About Allen Ellison for Congress Campaign Committee
Allen Ellison for Congress Campaign Committee (AEFCCC) is formed to elect Allen Ellison to the US House of Representatives to represent Florida’s 17th Congressional District. The Allen Ellison for Congress Campaign Committee brings fresh ideas and positive solutions to our government. Election day for the 2020 General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2020. For more information, please visit: "); background-size: 1px 1px; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat no-repeat;">http://ellisonforcongress.com/
Campaign Manager Contact: Aisha Alayande, aalayande@ellisonforcongress.com
Press Secretary Contact: Guernica D. Williams, press@ellisonforcongress.com


dailykos--2020-08-11--We're Coming for Them - Good News Roundup, Bluesday August 11th, 2020

Twelve weeks from today the voting part of the 2020 contest for America ’ s soul will wrap up .
We have a lot to do between now and then to insure a satisfactory outcome .
The republican FUD machine ( generating fear , uncertainty and doubt ) is about to go into overdrive .
Gloom and doom prophets and their Russian backers will assail us from all angles through their networks of paid trolls and dupes .
Conspiracy theorists will suggest new outlandish absurdities every hour .
The spokesweasels over on Fox will grow apoplectic spewing their increasingly desperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innovative about their game plan .
It ’ s what they do .
For more than 50 years the party over country crowd have managed to do a lot of damage to our political processes .
The one positive side effect of tRump ’ s unraveling psyche and mind-numbing incompetence is that he ’ s managed to strip any pretense away from the empty republican agenda .
Their racist dog whistles are no longer silent .
Their hypocrisy is no longer masked .
Their corruption happens in plain sight .
They can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There aren ’ t enough fig leaves on the planet to cover their transgressions .
The emperor has no clothes and neither do his sickophants , toadies and enablers .
We are coming for them .
They know it and they are terrified .
They will thrash and spit , fighting to keep their places at their slop trough .
We have one job right now .
We need to make sure we get out the vote .
Whether your district is red , blue or purple doesn ’ t matter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t cheat their way to another election theft is our task .
We need to inspire our friends and acquaintances to do their part .
We need to be relentless .
Cajole , jolly , browbeat , convince … it doesn ’ t matter .
We need to run up the score .
I want to be sure I can say I did my part .
I hope we all feel the same .
GOTMFV I like to insert a little bit of musical derision into these roundups as a bridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Randy Rainbow dropped birthday wishes to Chris Cuomo overnight , but it wasn ’ t quite what I was looking for .
Our musical parodists refuse to produce new material to suit my schedule , so here ’ s something I used over in Evening Shade a couple of days ago .
If you are also a reader of that series , think of this as an encore performance .
And , it ’ s on to the news .
Why am I not surprised ?
tRump probably wears six athletic supporters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being a small man .
He still manages to step on himself every single time he tries to do something .
You would think with all his claimed deal making skills , he could have done better .
It looks like the only deal left for him to make will be his plea deal ( and I ’ m betting he screws that up too ) .
The entire shit show they are running out of the White House must be ecstatic that they can identify pictures of elephants .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Biden is that Joe makes some verbal missteps .
I think they are completely out of mirrors over there .
Perhaps , tRump breaks them in fits of rage when they show him his orange tint and tiny hands ?
What the Magastapo did in Portland was unconscionable .
What the people of Portland did to stand up in the face of oppression was heroic .
tRump tried to channel Nixon from 1968 and managed to invoke the 1974 version instead .
This long Rolling Stone article by Tim Dickinson made me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Won the Battle of Portland ?
...
The pretext for the incursion of federal forces into Portland — where unidentified armed agents in fatigues snatched protesters and shoved them into unmarked vans — was defacement of this courthouse .
But the criminal mischief against the building was modest , according to the government ’ s own reckoning : “ in excess of $ 50,000 ” — or roughly the cost of a used Winnebago .
...
The grotesque optics generated a nationwide outcry , giving Gov .
Kate Brown the upper hand to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an unaccountable “ occupying force.
” The front page of the French newspaper Le Monde on August 1st captured the embarrassing setback for the 45th president : “ Trump , Grand Perdant de la Bataille de Portland ” ( “ Trump , Big Loser in the Battle of Portland ” ) .
...
When Trump deployed federal agents to Portland in mid-July , the objective was not to defuse tensions in the restive city but to inflame them .
“ It was an escalation on top of escalation , ” says Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ACLU in Oregon .
At the president ’ s direction , DHS deployed agents from an alphabet soup of federal agencies to Portland , including members of BORTAC , the border patrol ’ s SWAT team , despite an internal memo warning that these agents were not trained in crowd control .
Repeating a tactic that local police had admitted was a mistake , DHS erected a fence between the courthouse and the street , creating a front line for battle .
... Public outrage grew with video of nonviolent protesters being abducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Barr would insist those snatched were suspected of having shined laser pointers at agents . )
“ I was afraid for my life , ” Mark Pettibone , one of those captured , later told Congress .
“ They didn ’ t tell me who they were with or why I was being detained .
They simply forced me into the back of the van.
” The sweeps brought condemnation from the GOP ’ s libertarian wing , and the nation ’ s first Homeland Security chief , Tom Ridge , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ personal militia.
” The republican playbook for how to offend swing voters is getting a heavy workout this year .
Going after Michelle Obama for comforting people suffering through the mismanagement of the tRumpVirus has to be among the dumber ways they ’ ve tried to exonerate tRump .
Mother Jones : Michelle Obama ’ s Show of Vulnerability Is a Balm for Millions .
Naturally , the Right Is Throwing a Fit .
“ I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression , ” Obama told her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s All Things Considered Michele Norris in the second episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast .
“ Not just because of the quarantine , but because of the racial strife , and just seeing this administration , watching the hypocrisy of it , day in and day out , is dispiriting.
” ...
In her conversation , Obama was also performing a kind of public service .
Since the start of the pandemic , countless news stories have emphasized the importance of being open about one ’ s mental health struggles in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so much a part of anxiety and depression .
Not to mention remove the stigma that is so often attached to mental health issues .
But of course , it didn ’ t take long for some on the right to weaponize Obama ’ s candor since it included a slight dig at President Donald Trump .
Containing the lyric `` ... tear down the wall , motherfucker , tear down the wall.… , '' here ’ s a little extra inspiration ( suggested by the EDiting department ) The Idiot Continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s called overreach .
tRump acts like a dictator .
People get pissed off because of it .
tRump ’ s chances to steal the election go down .
Wonkette : Trump Plans GOP Convention At White House Because F*ck It , If You 're Gon na Steal , STEAL BIG !
See , Trump failed to do jackshit to stop COVID from shutting down America , and then he stomped out of North Carolina because the governor would n't let him jam 15,000 MAGAts into an arena to belch 'rona germs into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida turned into a COVID hotspot , so he could n't have his convention there , either .
So now you , the American taxpayer , get to host this party for him .
Hooray !
This morning , RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel previewed this argument for the Kurvy Kouch Krew , saying , `` Here is my personal opinion : If Joe Biden can live in his basement , the president has every right to talk in front of his house , which is the White House . ''
Which makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to disregard the fact that Joe Biden owns his home and can use it as he pleases ; Donald Trump does n't own the White House , it belongs to all Americans ; and , while the president and vice president are not covered by the Hatch Act , all other federal employees are prohibited from using government resources for campaign activities .
But other than that , it 's totally fine !
Who Says Satire Is Dead ?
Pretty much everyone .
Except Andy Borowitz .
He soldiers on in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Huzzah , Andy Borowitz .
New Yorker : The Borowitz Report : Trump Accuses Biden of Dragging out V.P .
Search Instead of Picking First Clown Who Says Yes Just a quick reminder : It ’ s not all about the politics ( even though I act like it is ) .
GoodNewsNetwork : Box of Stained Glass Bought at Auction Solves 80-year Mystery of Church Windows Gone Missing During WWII A wood carver who bought a box of stained glass at auction was shocked to discover he had unwittingly solved the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church during WWII .
Colin Mantripp , 63 , purchased what he thought was a box of fragments of stained glass when it went up for auction , intending to use it to create original windows in his handcrafted doors .
But when he arrived in July last year at Roseberry ’ s Auctions in London to pick up what was sold as “ a box of stained glass ” , he was shocked to find an eight foot long and three foot wide box which weighed over 600 pounds .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchased were actually the windows from St Mary ’ s church in Sheffield , South Yorkshire , which had gone missing during the war .
If you see this text it means WineRev hasn ’ t posted his history lesson yet .
Once he does it will be added in this space .
Yosef 52 ’ s latest guide to how to help get rid of republicans : Vital Information About Voter Registration and Suggestions for Getting Out the Vote

Twelve weeks from today the voting part of the 2020 contest for America’s soul will wrap up. We have a lot to do between now and then to insure a satisfactory outcome.
The republican FUD machine (generating fear, uncertainty and doubt) is about to go into overdrive. Gloom and doom prophets and their Russian backers will assail us from all angles through their networks of paid trolls and dupes. Conspiracy theorists will suggest new outlandish absurdities every hour. The spokesweasels over on Fox will grow apoplectic spewing their increasingly desperate vitriol. There is nothing surprising or innovative about their game plan. It’s what they do.
For more than 50 years the party over country crowd have managed to do a lot of damage to our political processes. The one positive side effect of tRump’s unraveling psyche and mind-numbing incompetence is that he’s managed to strip any pretense away from the empty republican agenda.
Their racist dog whistles are no longer silent.
Their hypocrisy is no longer masked.
Their corruption happens in plain sight.
They can’t hide from their crimes and cowardice.
There aren’t enough fig leaves on the planet to cover their transgressions.
The emperor has no clothes and neither do his sickophants, toadies and enablers.
We are coming for them. They know it and they are terrified. They will thrash and spit, fighting to keep their places at their slop trough.
We have one job right now. We need to make sure we get out the vote. Whether your district is red, blue or purple doesn’t matter. Running up the margins so that they can’t cheat their way to another election theft is our task. We need to inspire our friends and acquaintances to do their part. We need to be relentless. Cajole, jolly, browbeat, convince … it doesn’t matter. We need to run up the score.
I want to be sure I can say I did my part. I hope we all feel the same. GOTMFV
Up the Resistance!
I like to insert a little bit of musical derision into these roundups as a bridge between the intro and the news. Randy Rainbow dropped birthday wishes to Chris Cuomo overnight, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. Our musical parodists refuse to produce new material to suit my schedule, so here’s something I used over in Evening Shade a couple of days ago. If you are also a reader of that series, think of this as an encore performance.
x YouTube Video
And, it’s on to the news.
Why am I not surprised?
tRump probably wears six athletic supporters and a cup to protect himself from accusations of being a small man. He still manages to step on himself every single time he tries to do something. You would think with all his claimed deal making skills, he could have done better. It looks like the only deal left for him to make will be his plea deal (and I’m betting he screws that up too). The entire shit show they are running out of the White House must be ecstatic that they can identify pictures of elephants.
CNN: Trump's big power move leaves workers in limbo
(CNN)President Donald Trump's big executive power move ostensibly meant to support laid-off workers and stimulate the economy is already mired in confusion that threatens to leave millions of jobless Americans waiting in vain for help from Washington. White House advisers struggled to explain Sunday exactly what the flurry of presidential actions, signed by Trump after the breakdown of talks with congressional Democrats on a new coronavirus rescue package, actually do or how quickly they might work. But it's already clear the measures fall well short of the President's billing. In many ways, his intervention on Saturday is a typical Trump gambit. His executive actions appear hurriedly written and thought out — designed for a political flourish rather than as a sound foundation for governing.
(CNN)More pillars are fast crumbling in President Donald Trump's frantic and lie-strewn attempt to convince Americans the nation is back to normal before the election, with chaos already afflicting the return to school and a rite of fall -- college football -- on the brink. Trump's false insistence that children are "immune " from the coronavirus and can't spread it is being undermined by new figures showing that nearly 100,000 kids tested positive for the virus in the last two weeks of July. And some of the first schools that are following his calls to fully reopen are being hit by new viral outbreaks almost as soon as classes begin. The President, in demanding a return to class and for college football to kick off, is making education and collegiate sports the latest area of American life to be contaminated by his false narratives about the pandemic. Almost all of his assurances about the crisis -- which have tended to minimize its impact and ignore science -- have proven to be wrong.
Projection Is Spelled ‘t’, ‘R’. ‘u’, ‘m’, ‘p’
One of the tRump campaign’s main attacks on Biden is that Joe makes some verbal missteps. I think they are completely out of mirrors over there. Perhaps, tRump breaks them in fits of rage when they show him his orange tint and tiny hands?
Huffington Post: Trump Schooled Online After Claiming ‘1917’ Flu Pandemic ‘Probably Ended’ WWII
President Donald Trump got history wrong on multiple counts Monday when he claimed that the “1917” Spanish flu pandemic likely led to the end of World War II ― which began more than two decades later. “The closest thing is in 1917, they say, the great pandemic. It certainly was a terrible thing where they lost anywhere from 50 to 100 million people,” Trump said during his White House press briefing. “Probably ended the Second World War, all the soldiers were sick.” Leading up to that comment, Trump had been praising his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 160,000 people in the U.S., claiming without evidence that without his ban on foreign travelers, millions more would be dead. Trump has incorrectly referred to the year of the 1918 pandemic dozens of times, even though his own grandfather Frederick Trump died of it in New York City in 1918.
Law & Order, My Ass
What the Magastapo did in Portland was unconscionable. What the people of Portland did to stand up in the face of oppression was heroic. tRump tried to channel Nixon from 1968 and managed to invoke the 1974 version instead. This long Rolling Stone article by Tim Dickinson made me feel proud.
Rolling Stone: Who Won the Battle of Portland?
...The pretext for the incursion of federal forces into Portland — where unidentified armed agents in fatigues snatched protesters and shoved them into unmarked vans — was defacement of this courthouse. But the criminal mischief against the building was modest, according to the government’s own reckoning: “in excess of $50,000” — or roughly the cost of a used Winnebago. ...The grotesque optics generated a nationwide outcry, giving Gov. Kate Brown the upper hand to broker the withdrawal of what she blasted as an unaccountable “occupying force.” The front page of the French newspaper Le Monde on August 1st captured the embarrassing setback for the 45th president: “Trump, Grand Perdant de la Bataille de Portland” (“Trump, Big Loser in the Battle of Portland”). ...When Trump deployed federal agents to Portland in mid-July, the objective was not to defuse tensions in the restive city but to inflame them. “It was an escalation on top of escalation,” says Kelly Simon, interim legal director of the ACLU in Oregon. At the president’s direction, DHS deployed agents from an alphabet soup of federal agencies to Portland, including members of BORTAC, the border patrol’s SWAT team, despite an internal memo warning that these agents were not trained in crowd control. Repeating a tactic that local police had admitted was a mistake, DHS erected a fence between the courthouse and the street, creating a front line for battle. ...Public outrage grew with video of nonviolent protesters being abducted by camouflaged feds. (Attorney General Bill Barr would insist those snatched were suspected of having shined laser pointers at agents.) “I was afraid for my life,” Mark Pettibone, one of those captured, later told Congress. “They didn’t tell me who they were with or why I was being detained. They simply forced me into the back of the van.” The sweeps brought condemnation from the GOP’s libertarian wing, and the nation’s first Homeland Security chief, Tom Ridge, who blasted Trump for using DHS as a “personal militia.”
Whiners Gotta Whine
The republican playbook for how to offend swing voters is getting a heavy workout this year. Going after Michelle Obama for comforting people suffering through the mismanagement of the tRumpVirus has to be among the dumber ways they’ve tried to exonerate tRump.
Mother Jones: Michelle Obama’s Show of Vulnerability Is a Balm for Millions. Naturally, the Right Is Throwing a Fit.
“I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression,” Obama told her friend and former host of NPR’s All Things Considered Michele Norris in the second episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast. “Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting.” ...In her conversation, Obama was also performing a kind of public service. Since the start of the pandemic, countless news stories have emphasized the importance of being open about one’s mental health struggles in order to reduce the sense of isolation that is so much a part of anxiety and depression. Not to mention remove the stigma that is so often attached to mental health issues. But of course, it didn’t take long for some on the right to weaponize Obama’s candor since it included a slight dig at President Donald Trump.
Extra Bonus Musical Interlude
Containing the lyric "...tear down the wall, motherfucker, tear down the wall.…," here’s a little extra inspiration (suggested by the EDiting department)
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The Idiot Continues to Pervert Laws and Norms
It’s called overreach. tRump acts like a dictator. People get pissed off because of it. tRump’s chances to steal the election go down.
Wonkette: Trump Plans GOP Convention At White House Because F*ck It, If You're Gonna Steal, STEAL BIG!
See, Trump failed to do jackshit to stop COVID from shutting down America, and then he stomped out of North Carolina because the governor wouldn't let him jam 15,000 MAGAts into an arena to belch 'rona germs into each other's faces. But then Florida turned into a COVID hotspot, so he couldn't have his convention there, either. So now you, the American taxpayer, get to host this party for him. Hooray! This morning, RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel previewed this argument for the Kurvy Kouch Krew, saying, "Here is my personal opinion: If Joe Biden can live in his basement, the president has every right to talk in front of his house, which is the White House." Which makes complete sense, really. You just have to disregard the fact that Joe Biden owns his home and can use it as he pleases; Donald Trump doesn't own the White House, it belongs to all Americans; and, while the president and vice president are not covered by the Hatch Act, all other federal employees are prohibited from using government resources for campaign activities. But other than that, it's totally fine!
Speaking of fake news,
Daily Beast: Conservative ‘News’ Site’s Secret: It’s Run by Trump’s Super PAC
Donald Trump’s “official” super PAC has spent more than $25 million since last year to get the president re-elected. Now it’s trying a new tactic: the group, America First Action, has launched a news website. The site is called the American Herald, and it describes itself as “a conservative news platform designed to bring you all the news the liberal media doesn’t want you to know. We commit to cover national issues that impact all Americans, not just what fits the left’s political agenda.” The American Herald’s formation comes during an election cycle in which Trump’s political machine has sought to construct its own media infrastructure to combat and circumvent what it sees as endemic hostility from the political press. “Stop being told what to think,” the American Herald’s tagline declares.
Who Says Satire Is Dead?
Pretty much everyone. Except Andy Borowitz. He soldiers on in the face of being taken seriously every time. Huzzah, Andy Borowitz.
New Yorker: The Borowitz Report: Trump Accuses Biden of Dragging out V.P. Search Instead of Picking First Clown Who Says Yes
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Donald J. Trump ridiculed Joe Biden on Monday for dragging out his search for a running mate instead of “picking the first clown who says yes.” “Sleepy Joe is wasting time with all this vetting,” Trump told reporters. “Just pick someone who’s totally desperate.” “Find an elected official who doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting reëlected in his home state,” he said. “He’ll be overjoyed that you saved him from the junk heap.”
In Other Good News
Just a quick reminder: It’s not all about the politics (even though I act like it is).
GoodNewsNetwork: Box of Stained Glass Bought at Auction Solves 80-year Mystery of Church Windows Gone Missing During WWII
A wood carver who bought a box of stained glass at auction was shocked to discover he had unwittingly solved the 80-year mystery of their disappearance from a church during WWII. Colin Mantripp, 63, purchased what he thought was a box of fragments of stained glass when it went up for auction, intending to use it to create original windows in his handcrafted doors. But when he arrived in July last year at Roseberry’s Auctions in London to pick up what was sold as “a box of stained glass”, he was shocked to find an eight foot long and three foot wide box which weighed over 600 pounds. He was stunned to discover that the pieces he purchased were actually the windows from St Mary’s church in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, which had gone missing during the war.
Musical Interlude
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WineRev’s History Lesson
[Note from NNNE — Sorry for the slight delay getting this up here. I had too many tabs open and crashed my browser. So without further ado, the floor is yours, Lieutenant WineRev]
>» Prayers and yearnings for the people of Belarus as they try to pry themselves out from under Lukashenko….who announced he’d gotten 83% of the vote to be re-elected President…..except the announcement was made while 3 more days of voting were still going on. As a rule I am anti-coup when it comes to a change of government but I’ll gladly make an East European exception for this guy.
>>>>New idea to win several Midwestern states. Get hold of the season ticket holders list from every Big 10 University and send out postcards saying, “NO football. It’s Trump’s fault.” Now Biden is going to win Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Wisconsin anyway, but this is the sort of gut shot that can get college football fans so fired up it could be enough to swing Ohio and Iowa. In fact, they might be so mad Uncle Joe could carry Nebraska and Indiana by promising them Rose Bowl trips the next 2 years.
August 11ths (boy is that a hard word to say out loud) that have had their share of the Good and the Goofy so we can find the Good and the Goofy THIS August 11th (TODAY covering 5000 years!)
3114 BCE (A minus, BCE ,darn tootin’ early date!) Somewhere between present day Panama and Guatemala. There are calendars (Julian, Gregorian, Sumerian) and there are calendars. Useful for noting seasons, birthdays, and how many laps the earth has done around the sun since you appeared. On this day the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian civilizations (esp. the Mayans) begins ticking. Includes a symbol for “zero”, one of, if not the, oldest recorded uses of the concept.
1748 Dresden, Germany Birth of Joseph Schuster, composer. Son of a court musician, young Joseph was sent to musical academies in Italy. Composed several operas that were well received in Naples and Venice. Some of his compositions for ensembles and orchestras were attributed to Mozart but in recent years further research has gained credit to Schuster.
1874 Fair Haven, CT. Harry S Parmelee was an attorney and president of a piano factory. Improving on a design by Englishman Sir Hiram Maxim, on this day Parmelee receives a patent for a sprinkler head. He ran pipes and several of these heads throughout his piano factory, making it the first US building protected by an automatic fire suppression system.
1877 Washington DC On this evening at the US Naval Observatory on the northwest side of town, astronomer Asaph Hall, using the largest reflecting telescope in the world at the time, discovered the two moons of Mars. (They are tiny, so at a distance, nearly invisible.) Mars being the God of War, Hall named the two moon Phobos (“Fear”) and Deimos (“Terror”). Hall was highly respected in his day; in a mathematical journal he published an early version of the Monte Carlo method of random sampling (that was used in calculations for the Manhattan Project of World War II). He also refined the speed measurement of the rotation of Saturn. After retiring from the Navy, he taught celestial mechanics at Harvard for about 10 years.
1896 Bridgeport, CT Harvey Hubbell was an inventor and industrialist. In 1889 he had set up his own company, Hubbell Inc. (still extant) to make (and invent) machines and devices, first for business and later for consumers. He received 45 patents over his life, creating stamping machinery, die-making equipment and (still being made) a thread tolling machine (to make screws of all sizes.) On this day he received a patent for an electric light bulb socket with an on/off switch of a short pull chain. (Anyone here ever used one of those?) In 1908 he patented the electric plug and made the 2-prong, 120-volt device THE American standard. (Created other standards in other countries.) Put a whole new light on lamps and the uses of electricity.
1909 The Atlantic Ocean, off of Cape Hatteras, NC. The Carolina Outer Banks are stormy and treacherous, the graveyard of hundreds of ships over the years (the Roanoke colony disappeared from here; the USS Monitor, the Civil War ironclad, sank here.) So it is fitting that it was in a storm off this coast that the American ship, the SS Arapahoe, became the first ship ever (using that new-fangled “wireless telegraph machine”) to send the SOS distress signal , calling for help.
1919 Green Bay, WI. Chicago was a big town in 1919, but not big enough. The fledgling National Football League was getting off the ground and agreed to let George Calhoun and Curly Lambeau buy a Chicago team and move it Green Bay, Wisconsin. The townfolk agreed to build a stadium for them and named them after the Indian Packing Company on that part of town. (Some of the players got jobs there but were allowed extra time off for practices and games in the fall.) Still the only community-owned NFL team (so NOBODY will ever threaten to move the team. Its an idea the NFL has done its best to squash, just grandfathering Green Bay in for 100 years.)
1942 Hollywood, CA Actress Hedy Lamarr (Algiers, Ziegfield Girl, Samson and Delilah) and composer George Antheil (Ballet Mecanique, Jazz Symphony along with 80 other pieces) turned from film and music to something else. On this day they received a patent for preventing jamming of radio-controlled torpedoes. (Both the aiming ship and the torpedo were set with a series of different radio frequencies that rotated so the torpedo would stay on course while an enemy could not detect and jam the controlling frequency fast enough. Partly because Anthell was a pianist, they used 88 random frequencies, the number of keys on a piano.) The US Navy did not adopt it until the late 1950s. The idea expanded outside the military in the 1970s and ‘frequency-hopping spread spectrum’ communication is THE basis for cellphones, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.
In 1997 the Electronic Frontier Foundation jointly awarded Lamarr and Anthiel their Pioneer Award . Also in ’97, Lamarr (age 83) became the first woman awarded the BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, considered the “Oscar of Inventing.” In 2014, both Lamarr and Anthiel were posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for “frequency-hopping”.
May all your News be Good, comforting and inspiring.
Shalom.
On the Lighter Side
Quote(s) of the Day Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. — Martin Luther King, Jr. The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. — Steven Biko If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. — Desmond Tutu We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. — Elie Wiesel The American fascists are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. Their newspapers and propaganda carefully cultivate every fissure of disunity, every crack in the common front against fascism. — Henry A. Wallace Required Pet Photo That’s right. I’m gonna walk all over your sorry republican ass. Go ahead. Make my day! Closing Notes
To all of our fellow resisters, rounderuppers and gnusies recovering from illness or injury lots of hugs, including {{{{oldhippiedude}}}}, {{{{Msdude}}}}, our Tuesday partner {{{{niftywriter}}}}, {{{{karij}}}}, {{{{ElizabethinNYC}}}}, {{{{Arel1}}}}, {{{{Crankylib}}}} and to our entire {{{{Gnuville}}}} community during this time of uncertainty.
Yosef 52’s latest guide to how to help get rid of republicans: Vital Information About Voter Registration and Suggestions for Getting Out the Vote


dailykos--2020-08-11--About religious (in)tolerance in modern India…

Western news media take only a token notice of Indian politics ; but it would require a great ignorance not to notice an India torn into factions by the rabble-rousing of a nationalist party ( mostly called by its acronym of B.J.P . )
and its loud-mouthed leader , Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
This Modi , by his policy and its execution , merits all the comparisons in the world to figures like Hitler , Johnson , Bolsonaro , Trump , Mussolini , et al.
, and enjoys support among the most unlikely-looking people .
I have relatives myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the B.J.P.
’ s most obvious hypocrisies , is its invocation of the name of the legendary Prince Rám , the Indian original of the Greek hero ‘ Menelaus ’ .
The epic of the Ramayan ( India ’ s Iliad ) is too long to repeat here , but seeing it invoked by the zealots of the B.J.P.
, is an insult to anyone who knows it , and goes to inform my own response as well .
My response to the B.J.P.
, and to all self-proclaimed ‘ Hindu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we Hindus set ourselves up as the world ’ s elite ; –– Aryans as much in the Nazi , as in the original Sanskrit sense of the word ; –– if we say , in other words , We are right and everyone else is wrong , why then do we worship Rám , who accepted a hermitess ’ half-eaten fruit ?
Who went into exile , rather than fight his brothers for their father ’ s throne ?
If we make a cause of war over a simple choice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we honor Rám , who to rescue his kidnapped wife , teamed up with a subspecies of hominin ( called ‘ Vaanars ’ in the text ) , whom neither the sages of his day , or the scientists of ours , even considered human ?
I should go on to say : is it such a great offence , to worship the Creator alone , as Muslims do , and consider all the lesser immortals as His creations ?
Surely not .
Whom did the lesser immortals worship , long ago before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Age , if not Him ?
Allah or Brahman , or Ra-Atum or Ahura Mazda or the first of the Elohim : these are all names for Him to whom all the world , from Big Bang to Cosmic Contraction , is the blink of an eye .
Moreover , ecumenism is the distinguishing tradition of greatness in India .
All our greatest and most legendary rulers have been exemplars of it : the very idea of religious tolerance was created by such kings as Chandragupta Maurya , his descendant Ashoka , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mughal emperor , Jalal-al-din Mohammed Akbar .
Who is the hero , the very type and example of a good king , in Early Modern times ?
Akbar , who welcomed all faiths , all traditions , all customs , and suppressed nothing but cruelty .
Who is the archfiend , the very type and example of an evil king , in those times ?
his descendant Aurangzeb , who tolerated no faiths , no traditions , no customs but those he chose himself , and suppressed everything but cruelty .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern idea , nor was it imposed by the Occident .
It was an ideal embraced by all those good kings mentioned above : Rám , Chandragupta , Ashoka , Vikramditya , and Akbar , and many more .
It was introduced on the national scale , for the first time as far as we know , by Cyrus the Great , the first emperor of Persia .
Why was he the Great ?
I might ask .
Not because he conquered other kings ( though he certainly did ) ; not because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ) ; not because he built cities , roads , aqueducts , canals , and gigantic memorials ( though he indisputably did those things ) ; but because he allowed freedom of practice under his rule .
He said , more or less , to all newly-conquered peoples : you may follow your own laws , worship your own gods , live in your ancestral homes , hold your own festivals , etc.
, as long as you answer to me .
That made him the Great , and that made him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no better than to follow his example .
The descendants of his people still live among us ; they are the Parsi people , and they are as Indian as its food .
Not to flog a dead horse , I should refrain from the mention of Mahatma Gandhi , and the Buddha before him : liberators both , to whom we should not be ungrateful for our freedom , and yet to whom it is vilest ingratitude to show intolerance .
But so ends all I would say to the nationalists in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take heed of this message .

Western news media take only a token notice of Indian politics; but it would require a great ignorance not to notice an India torn into factions by the rabble-rousing of a nationalist party (mostly called by its acronym of B.J.P.) and its loud-mouthed leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This Modi, by his policy and its execution, merits all the comparisons in the world to figures like Hitler, Johnson, Bolsonaro, Trump, Mussolini, et al., and enjoys support among the most unlikely-looking people. I have relatives myself on both sides of the question.
One of the B.J.P.’s most obvious hypocrisies, is its invocation of the name of the legendary Prince Rám, the Indian original of the Greek hero ‘Menelaus’. The epic of the Ramayan (India’s Iliad) is too long to repeat here, but seeing it invoked by the zealots of the B.J.P., is an insult to anyone who knows it, and goes to inform my own response as well.
My response to the B.J.P., and to all self-proclaimed ‘Hindu Nationalists’ everywhere, is this: if we Hindus set ourselves up as the world’s elite;–– Aryans as much in the Nazi, as in the original Sanskrit sense of the word;–– if we say, in other words, We are right and everyone else is wrong, why then do we worship Rám, who accepted a hermitess’ half-eaten fruit? Who went into exile, rather than fight his brothers for their father’s throne? If we make a cause of war over a simple choice of what god to worship, why do we honor Rám, who to rescue his kidnapped wife, teamed up with a subspecies of hominin (called ‘Vaanars’ in the text), whom neither the sages of his day, or the scientists of ours, even considered human?
I should go on to say: is it such a great offence, to worship the Creator alone, as Muslims do, and consider all the lesser immortals as His creations? Surely not. Whom did the lesser immortals worship, long ago before human civilization was out of the Stone Age, if not Him? Allah or Brahman, or Ra-Atum or Ahura Mazda or the first of the Elohim: these are all names for Him to whom all the world, from Big Bang to Cosmic Contraction, is the blink of an eye.
Moreover, ecumenism is the distinguishing tradition of greatness in India. All our greatest and most legendary rulers have been exemplars of it: the very idea of religious tolerance was created by such kings as Chandragupta Maurya, his descendant Ashoka, the next dynasty’s Vikramditya, and the Mughal emperor, Jalal-al-din Mohammed Akbar. Who is the hero, the very type and example of a good king, in Early Modern times? Akbar, who welcomed all faiths, all traditions, all customs, and suppressed nothing but cruelty. Who is the archfiend, the very type and example of an evil king, in those times? his descendant Aurangzeb, who tolerated no faiths, no traditions, no customs but those he chose himself, and suppressed everything but cruelty.
The secular, ecumenical state is not a modern idea, nor was it imposed by the Occident. It was an ideal embraced by all those good kings mentioned above: Rám, Chandragupta, Ashoka, Vikramditya, and Akbar, and many more. It was introduced on the national scale, for the first time as far as we know, by Cyrus the Great, the first emperor of Persia. Why was he the Great? I might ask. Not because he conquered other kings (though he certainly did); not because he was generous (though he undoubtedly was); not because he built cities, roads, aqueducts, canals, and gigantic memorials (though he indisputably did those things); but because he allowed freedom of practice under his rule. He said, more or less, to all newly-conquered peoples: you may follow your own laws, worship your own gods, live in your ancestral homes, hold your own festivals, etc., as long as you answer to me. That made him the Great, and that made him a good king. We can do no better than to follow his example. The descendants of his people still live among us; they are the Parsi people, and they are as Indian as its food.
Not to flog a dead horse, I should refrain from the mention of Mahatma Gandhi, and the Buddha before him: liberators both, to whom we should not be ungrateful for our freedom, and yet to whom it is vilest ingratitude to show intolerance. But so ends all I would say to the nationalists in India, and I beg my readers to take heed of this message.


dailykos--2020-08-11--Southwest Florida's 19th congressional endorsement race: Who’s ahead and who’s endorsed whom

We ’ re in the final days of the primary races in Southwest Florida .
Early in-person voting is taking place and mail-in voting has been underway since ballots were mailed out in mid-July .
The race is down to inches—and insults .
With in-person campaigning and canvassing curtailed due to the pandemic , it ’ s a battle of clashing television ads and claims .
But one aspect of traditional campaigning that the pandemic hasn ’ t derailed is endorsements .
Endorsements are very important .
When made , campaign communication directors should blare them to the heavens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some do .
But equally important , they have a cumulative impact .
They can tell a lot about a candidate ’ s support and presumably an endorser brings a whole host of followers to the favored candidate ’ s camp .
In fact , so important are endorsements that FiveThirtyEight.com , the statistical journalism website , created a whole system for evaluating endorsements during the Democratic primary race beginning last year .
Endorsements are significant , wrote FiveThirtyEight ’ s founder Nate Silver , because while they don ’ t mean “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the nomination , or even necessarily be an odds-on favorite , ” endorsements are nonetheless an indicator of a political party establishment ’ s support for a candidate and the ultimate nominee is usually the one favored by the party leadership .
As it goes for the presidential primary races , so it should go for Southwest Florida ’ s 19th Congressional District primary race , which with 12 candidates , is one of the most crowded and contentious in the country .
This article looks at all the endorsements for congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsements are in four categories : organizations ; candidates ( meaning candidates in other races ) ; activists ( people who are active and prominent in pursuing particular causes ) ; and others ( by which are meant current and former officials ) .
Unlike FiveThirtyEight , this does not give numerical points to different endorsements .
It also doesn ’ t count ratings from organizations , which are usually given as grades from A to F. Endorsements counted here are specific to each candidate , although organizations often endorse numerous candidates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also important to note that the local political parties will not endorse candidates until after the primary and the party conventions .
We checked all the candidates ’ websites for lists of endorsements ( some seemed to actually hide their endorsements or make them as difficult to access as possible ) , included their press releases and invited all candidates to list any endorsements that are pending or might not yet be posted .
In the Democratic primary race , candidates David Holden and Cindy Banyai have both been endorsed by the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the environmental front , Holden has been endorsed by VoteWater Florida , a nonpartisan , grassroots organization designed to identify candidates supporting clean water initiatives .
Among other candidates , Holden , who ran in 2018 , has been endorsed by his former rival , Todd Truax , who is currently running for Lee County Board of Commissioners , District 3 ; Javier Estevez , running for state representative in District 105 ; and Sara McFadden , who is running for state representative in District 106 .
Among community activists , Holden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Community Forum Foundation , a community-building non-profit based in Fort Myers , and W. Earl Sparrow Jr. , a community activist and organizer in Fort Myers .
Banyai has been endorsed by : Lee County Young Democrats , No Dem Left Behind , a movement of Democrats running in heavily Republican districts , Moms Demand Action , an organization calling for an end to gun violence , Women for the Win , a coalition of media professionals helping female candidates , 90 for 90 , a voter registration organization , Peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gatherings group , and Boots of Recovery , a group that seeks to raise political awareness for recovery acceptance and solutions .
Candidates who have endorsed Banyai ( and whom Banyai has endorsed in turn ) are : Rachel Brown , candidate for state Senate District 27 ; Katherine Norman , candidate for state Senate District 23 ; state representative candidates Anselm Weber , District 76 ; Maureen Porras , District 105 ; Danika Fornear , District 79 ; Juan Gonzales , Lee County Commission District 5 ; and Connie Bennett-Martin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among community activists , Banyai has been endorsed by : Alexandra Anderes , a Fort Myers attorney ; Isaiah Carter , a campaign worker ; Johnnie Terrell , a Fort Myers social worker ; and Eddie Thinger , a Florida Gulf Coast University graduate , who serves as her press secretary .
Of the Republican candidates , state Rep. Dane Eagle ( R-77-Cape Coral ) has by far the largest number of endorsements .
Partially , this is a result of his prominence as Florida state House Majority Leader and his numerous connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 37 he ’ s been a prominent politician for a long time .
He ’ s also the candidate who has come closest to running a traditional campaign .
If not for the pandemic , he ’ d be the guy with the ground game ; volunteer door knockers , phone callers and envelope stuffers who have gotten people elected in the past .
Eagle started collecting endorsements immediately after his campaign announcement on Nov. 6 , 2019 and he ’ s made a real effort to solicit them .
Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
Despite slavish devotion and pictures of him with President Donald Trump from a single encounter appearing in all his campaign literature and media platforms , the Big Man has not reached down into this particular primary race to anoint Eagle his chosen one .
That one endorsement would probably have settled this contest long ago .
Despite what surely must be a disappointment , Eagle has racked up 22 endorsements from individuals , many sitting Republican officials , more than any other candidate .
The most prominent of these is Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rubio .
He has also been endorsed by Rep. Gus Bilirakis ( R-12-Fla. ) Of sitting state officials , Eagle has been endorsed by State Attorney Amira Fox ; state Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson ; and state Sen. Lizbeth Benaquisto , District 27 .
Sitting state representatives include : House Speaker-designate Chris Sprowls , Ray Rodriguez , and Spencer Roach .
Local mayors Kevin Ruane of Sanibel , JoeCovielo of Cape Coral , and Bill Ribble of Estero have endorsed him .
Local officials include : Sanibel Councilwoman Holly Smith ; Lee County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public defender ; Larry Hart , tax collector , and Linda Doggett , clerk of the court .
Nor has Eagle overlooked former officials , being endorsed by : Jeff Kottkamp , former lieutenant governor ; former state representatives Matt Caldwell , Gary Aubuchon and Trudi Williams ; former Cape Coral mayors Joe Mazurkiewicz and Eric Feichthaler ; former Lee County sheriff Mike Scott ; and former state attorney Steve Russell .
Eagle has also been endorsed by Doris Cortese , the “ godmother ” of Lee County Republican politics , who encouraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rooney announced his retirement in October 2019 .
In terms of organizations , Eagle has been endorsed by Florida Police Benevolent Association , Associated Builders and Contractors , the National Association of Home Builders and Personhood FL ProLife PAC .
The only other candidate who can count a US senator as an endorser is state Rep. Byron Donalds ( R-80-Immokalee ) , who has been endorsed by US Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) .
Donalds has also received endorsements from prominent national conservative organizations : Americans for Prosperity , Florida Family Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America and Club for Growth .
He is the only 19th District candidate to receive a full endorsement from the National Rifle Association .
The next most endorsed Republican is Dan Severson but his endorsements are from out of state .
Reflecting his time in the Minnesota state house , he has been endorsed by former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty , New Jersey-based Tea Party activist Michael Johns , and Texas-based Clint Lorance , a US Army officer who was court martialed and found guilty of second degree murder in Afghanistan and pardoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates in the field have received single endorsements or none at all : Casey Askar has been endorsed by the Everglades Trust ; William Figlesthaler has been endorsed by former Florida state senator Garrett Richter of District 23 ; and Darren Aquino has been endorsed by the New York Young Republican Club .
Candidates Randy Henderson , Daniel Kowal and Christy McLaughlin do not list any endorsements on their websites or other platforms .
Information on Independent Antonio Dumornay is not available .

The Paradise Progressive Analysis, Roundup August 7, 2020 6 Minutes
Aug. 7, 2020 by David Silverberg
We’re in the final days of the primary races in Southwest Florida. Early in-person voting is taking place and mail-in voting has been underway since ballots were mailed out in mid-July.
The race is down to inches—and insults. With in-person campaigning and canvassing curtailed due to the pandemic, it’s a battle of clashing television ads and claims.
But one aspect of traditional campaigning that the pandemic hasn’t derailed is endorsements.
Endorsements are very important. When made, campaign communication directors should blare them to the heavens. Do endorsements move voters? Well, some do. But equally important, they have a cumulative impact. They can tell a lot about a candidate’s support and presumably an endorser brings a whole host of followers to the favored candidate’s camp.
In fact, so important are endorsements that FiveThirtyEight.com, the statistical journalism website, created a whole system for evaluating endorsements during the Democratic primary race beginning last year. Endorsements are significant, wrote FiveThirtyEight’s founder Nate Silver, because while they don’t mean “the candidate leading in endorsements will automatically win the nomination, or even necessarily be an odds-on favorite,” endorsements are nonetheless an indicator of a political party establishment’s support for a candidate and the ultimate nominee is usually the one favored by the party leadership.
As it goes for the presidential primary races, so it should go for Southwest Florida’s 19th Congressional District primary race, which with 12 candidates, is one of the most crowded and contentious in the country.
This article looks at all the endorsements for congressional primary candidates of both parties. The endorsements are in four categories: organizations; candidates (meaning candidates in other races); activists (people who are active and prominent in pursuing particular causes); and others (by which are meant current and former officials).
Unlike FiveThirtyEight, this does not give numerical points to different endorsements. It also doesn’t count ratings from organizations, which are usually given as grades from A to F. Endorsements counted here are specific to each candidate, although organizations often endorse numerous candidates, whether competing or not. It is also important to note that the local political parties will not endorse candidates until after the primary and the party conventions.
We checked all the candidates’ websites for lists of endorsements (some seemed to actually hide their endorsements or make them as difficult to access as possible), included their press releases and invited all candidates to list any endorsements that are pending or might not yet be posted.
Democrats
In the Democratic primary race, candidates David Holden and Cindy Banyai have both been endorsed by the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.
Also on the environmental front, Holden has been endorsed by VoteWater Florida, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization designed to identify candidates supporting clean water initiatives.
Among other candidates, Holden, who ran in 2018, has been endorsed by his former rival, Todd Truax, who is currently running for Lee County Board of Commissioners, District 3; Javier Estevez, running for state representative in District 105; and Sara McFadden, who is running for state representative in District 106.
Among community activists, Holden has been endorsed by Crystal Johnson, president of the Community Forum Foundation, a community-building non-profit based in Fort Myers, and W. Earl Sparrow Jr., a community activist and organizer in Fort Myers.
Banyai has been endorsed by: Lee County Young Democrats, No Dem Left Behind, a movement of Democrats running in heavily Republican districts, Moms Demand Action, an organization calling for an end to gun violence, Women for the Win, a coalition of media professionals helping female candidates, 90 for 90, a voter registration organization, Peaceful Protests Lee County, a grassroots protest and gatherings group, and Boots of Recovery, a group that seeks to raise political awareness for recovery acceptance and solutions.
Candidates who have endorsed Banyai (and whom Banyai has endorsed in turn) are: Rachel Brown, candidate for state Senate District 27; Katherine Norman, candidate for state Senate District 23; state representative candidates Anselm Weber, District 76; Maureen Porras, District 105; Danika Fornear, District 79; Juan Gonzales, Lee County Commission District 5; and Connie Bennett-Martin, candidate for Fort Myers Ward 4.
Among community activists, Banyai has been endorsed by: Alexandra Anderes, a Fort Myers attorney; Isaiah Carter, a campaign worker; Johnnie Terrell, a Fort Myers social worker; and Eddie Thinger, a Florida Gulf Coast University graduate, who serves as her press secretary.
(Of note: The Paradise Progressive has endorsed in this race.)
Republicans
Of the Republican candidates, state Rep. Dane Eagle (R-77-Cape Coral) has by far the largest number of endorsements. Partially, this is a result of his prominence as Florida state House Majority Leader and his numerous connections. Even at the young age of 37 he’s been a prominent politician for a long time.
He’s also the candidate who has come closest to running a traditional campaign. If not for the pandemic, he’d be the guy with the ground game; volunteer door knockers, phone callers and envelope stuffers who have gotten people elected in the past.
Eagle started collecting endorsements immediately after his campaign announcement on Nov. 6, 2019 and he’s made a real effort to solicit them.
Of course, the big endorsement has to date eluded him. Despite slavish devotion and pictures of him with President Donald Trump from a single encounter appearing in all his campaign literature and media platforms, the Big Man has not reached down into this particular primary race to anoint Eagle his chosen one. That one endorsement would probably have settled this contest long ago.
Despite what surely must be a disappointment, Eagle has racked up 22 endorsements from individuals, many sitting Republican officials, more than any other candidate.
The most prominent of these is Florida’s senior US senator, Marco Rubio. He has also been endorsed by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-12-Fla.)
Of sitting state officials, Eagle has been endorsed by State Attorney Amira Fox; state Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson; and state Sen. Lizbeth Benaquisto, District 27. Sitting state representatives include: House Speaker-designate Chris Sprowls, Ray Rodriguez, and Spencer Roach.
Local mayors Kevin Ruane of Sanibel, JoeCovielo of Cape Coral, and Bill Ribble of Estero have endorsed him. Local officials include: Sanibel Councilwoman Holly Smith; Lee County Sheriff Carmen Marceno; Kathy Smith, public defender; Larry Hart, tax collector, and Linda Doggett, clerk of the court.
Nor has Eagle overlooked former officials, being endorsed by: Jeff Kottkamp, former lieutenant governor; former state representatives Matt Caldwell, Gary Aubuchon and Trudi Williams; former Cape Coral mayors Joe Mazurkiewicz and Eric Feichthaler; former Lee County sheriff Mike Scott; and former state attorney Steve Russell.
Eagle has also been endorsed by Doris Cortese, the “godmother” of Lee County Republican politics, who encouraged him to run the minute Rep. Francis Rooney announced his retirement in October 2019.
In terms of organizations, Eagle has been endorsed by Florida Police Benevolent Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, the National Association of Home Builders and Personhood FL ProLife PAC.
The only other candidate who can count a US senator as an endorser is state Rep. Byron Donalds (R-80-Immokalee), who has been endorsed by US Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Donalds has also received endorsements from prominent national conservative organizations: Americans for Prosperity, Florida Family Action, the Republican Liberty Caucus, Empower America and Club for Growth. He is the only 19th District candidate to receive a full endorsement from the National Rifle Association.
The next most endorsed Republican is Dan Severson but his endorsements are from out of state. Reflecting his time in the Minnesota state house, he has been endorsed by former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, New Jersey-based Tea Party activist Michael Johns, and Texas-based Clint Lorance, a US Army officer who was court martialed and found guilty of second degree murder in Afghanistan and pardoned by Trump in 2019.
The other candidates in the field have received single endorsements or none at all: Casey Askar has been endorsed by the Everglades Trust; William Figlesthaler has been endorsed by former Florida state senator Garrett Richter of District 23; and Darren Aquino has been endorsed by the New York Young Republican Club.
Candidates Randy Henderson, Daniel Kowal and Christy McLaughlin do not list any endorsements on their websites or other platforms. Information on Independent Antonio Dumornay is not available.
Liberty lives in light
© 2020 by David Silverberg


dailykos--2020-08-11--The Importance of a Woman on the 2020 Democratic Ticket

This year marks the 100th anniversary of American women winning their long and hard-fought battle for the right to vote .
Against this backdrop , we have the current occupant of the White House trying to turn back time and put women back into that “ suburban housewife ” role that makes him feel more comfortable .
It seems as though women with any power or authority pose such a threat to Trump that he feels the need to go out of his way to ridicule and denigrate them .
So it is not that difficult to imagine the type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately wage against Joe Biden , the Democratic candidate for president , and his running mate .
In the next several days , Biden has said that he will announce his choice for his vice president , and has said that he will definitely be choosing a woman .
This has led to much excitement and speculation , especially among Democratic women , who clearly might be eager for one of their own kind to actually win one of the top two spots this year .
Originally there appeared to be about 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the job .
When I made up my own list , I came up with seven strong contenders .
Everyone that I talked to has their favorite , and most of the time it turns out to be Senator Kamala Harris , probably the best known Black woman in politics today .
She is experienced and is able to get things done .
She also seems to appeal to voters across the board , from moderates to liberals .
Keisha Lance Bottoms is the Mayor of Atlanta , Georgia , and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the disastrous response to the Covid-19 Virus by the Governor of Georgia .
The Mayor of Atlanta seems to be able to grasp the situation and come up with her own plans as city executive .
Her leadership during this time was exemplary .
Val Demings is a well-known representative from Florida .
She attracted my attention during the impeachment hearings .
I appreciated the way she handled herself while questioning witnesses , not allowing them to fail to answer the question , which of course is sometimes a difficult task .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ known choice would be Susan Rice .
She was U.S. National Security Adviser to President Barack Obama , as well as U.S .
Ambassador to the United Nations .
She , however , has never run as a candidate for public office , which is a different kind of challenge .
And then there is the Governor of New Mexico , Michelle Lujan Grisham , the only Latina who is being considered .
She could bring to the ticket a special kind of diversity , which is very much needed in this day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-known Senator from Illinois , who while serving as an Army helicopter pilot in Iraq , lost both of her legs .
She comes from a military family and would be an asset to the ticket .
I first wrote about her when she ran for the House of Representatives and lost her bid .
I hoped that she would try again , and she did , and now she is a United States Senator , who would make an excellent vice president .
And rounding out my list is the Governor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contend with armed terrorists in the state capital building where she worked , who were being encouraged to cause “ bad trouble ” by Trump himself .
She stood her ground when it came to Covid-19 precautions and regulations , and was thereby labeled a “ strong woman , ” which for some reason terrifies Trump .
All of these women are politically gifted and have the intelligence and experience to help lead our country out of the quagmire that it has been thrown into .
But above those basic qualifications , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they bring to the job at this critical time in our history the ability to empathize with the citizens of our country in a way that is clearly lacking by the leaders on every level of the G.O.P .
I have listened to all of these women being interviewed and profiled on MSNBC News over the last two weeks or so , and they clearly have what it takes to step up and do an excellent job if they are chosen for this important job .
Joe Biden has been interviewing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best fit for him as a partner to lead our country back to greatness .
We need someone who will help Biden return America to its rightful place among world leaders .
Being the laughing stock of the Western World is not a good place to be .
And allowing the POTUS to cow tow to Putin or any other dictator is nothing but a humiliation .
The person who is chosen to be vice president will have the great honor of helping to restore and preserve democracy in our country .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the damage that has been done to the progress that women have made over the last 50 years but has been chipped away by the Trump Administration , will be put right again .
I think that any one of these women would make a great vice president , and one will .

This year marks the 100th anniversary of American women winning their long and hard-fought battle for the right to vote. Against this backdrop, we have the current occupant of the White House trying to turn back time and put women back into that “suburban housewife” role that makes him feel more comfortable.
It seems as though women with any power or authority pose such a threat to Trump that he feels the need to go out of his way to ridicule and denigrate them. So it is not that difficult to imagine the type of campaign a man like him will ultimately wage against Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for president, and his running mate.
In the next several days, Biden has said that he will announce his choice for his vice president, and has said that he will definitely be choosing a woman. This has led to much excitement and speculation, especially among Democratic women,who clearly might be eager for one of their own kind to actually win one of the top two spots this year.
Originally there appeared to be about 13 qualified women who were being considered for the job. When I made up my own list, I came up with seven strong contenders.
Everyone that I talked to has their favorite, and most of the time it turns out to be Senator Kamala Harris, probably the best known Black woman in politics today. She is experienced and is able to get things done. She also seems to appeal to voters across the board, from moderates to liberals.
Keisha Lance Bottoms is the Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, and has been given much camera-time of late, due to the disastrous response to the Covid-19 Virus by the Governor of Georgia. The Mayor of Atlanta seems to be able to grasp the situation and come up with her own plans as city executive. Her leadership during this time was exemplary.
Val Demings is a well-known representative from Florida. She attracted my attention during the impeachment hearings. I appreciated the way she handled herself while questioning witnesses, not allowing them to fail to answer the question, which of course is sometimes a difficult task.
Probably the most experienced and the best known choice would be Susan Rice. She was U.S. National Security Adviser to President Barack Obama, as well as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She, however, has never run as a candidate for public office, which is a different kind of challenge.
And then there is the Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, the only Latina who is being considered. She could bring to the ticket a special kind of diversity, which is very much needed in this day and age.
Tammy Duckworth is the well-known Senator from Illinois, who while serving as an Army helicopter pilot in Iraq, lost both of her legs. She comes from a military family and would be an asset to the ticket. I first wrote about her when she ran for the House of Representatives and lost her bid. I hoped that she would try again, and she did, and now she is a United States Senator, who would make an excellent vice president.
And rounding out my list is the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, who had to contend with armed terrorists in the state capital building where she worked, who were being encouraged to cause “bad trouble” by Trump himself. She stood her ground when it came to Covid-19 precautions and regulations, and was thereby labeled a “strong woman,” which for some reason terrifies Trump.
All of these women are politically gifted and have the intelligence and experience to help lead our country out of the quagmire that it has been thrown into. But above those basic qualifications, and just maybe because of their gender, they bring to the job at this critical time in our history the ability to empathize with the citizens of our country in a way that is clearly lacking by the leaders on every level of the G.O.P. I have listened to all of these women being interviewed and profiled on MSNBC News over the last two weeks or so, and they clearly have what it takes to step up and do an excellent job if they are chosen for this important job.
Joe Biden has been interviewing the candidates that he believes would be the best fit for him as a partner to lead our country back to greatness. We need someone who will help Biden return America to its rightful place among world leaders. Being the laughing stock of the Western World is not a good place to be. And allowing the POTUS to cow tow to Putin or any other dictator is nothing but a humiliation.
The person who is chosen to be vice president will have the great honor of helping to restore and preserve democracy in our country. And she will also need to ensure that all the damage that has been done to the progress that women have made over the last 50 years but has been chipped away by the Trump Administration, will be put right again. I think that any one of these women would make a great vice president, and one will.