Joe Biden for Speaker of the House

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Tuesday June 26, 2018 · 1:43 PM PDT

2018/06/26 · 13:43

Over the years the Republicans have succeeded in vilifying Nancy Pelosi. Republicans now prefer the murderous dictator Kim Jong Un to Nancy Pelosi. It is essential that democrats take the majority in the house of representatives in the fall. Republicans will try to associate democratic candidates to Nancy and use that to attempt to destroy them. Especially if they broach the idea that Nancy Pelosi could even possibly become president.

My understanding is that the House Majority Leader/Speaker of the house does not actually need to be elected to that body. I think that the House democrats and candidates should pledge to support Joe Biden as speaker if they retake the majority. Having been a federal legislator Joe Biden is familiar with the traditions, politics, and protocols of the House. In addition, in case of impeachment (of both the president and Vice president) Joe Biden is totally prepared to step into the job of president on day one.

Just a thought.

P.S. I love Nancy Pelosi. Sometimes I just think we need to be pragmatic.

Maybe we should just call them Putin's Comrades"

shrinkandhammer

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Wednesday March 21, 2018 · 10:17 AM PDT

2018/03/21 · 10:17

This morning my 91year-old mother said to me “maybe we should just call them Putin’s Comrades.” She continued, “after all the GOP appear to be taking their orders from Putin.” Earlier in the week Paul Krugman referred to the entire GOP as “apparatchiks.” I think it is a great term, more apt, but also less accessible than comrade. So, as my mother suggests I think we should start talking about Putin’s Comrade Trump, Putin’s Comrade Ryan, and Putin’s Comrade McConnell and sadly Putin’s Comrade Graham.

Some AHCA Cartoons and Graphics

shrinkandhammer

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Friday May 05, 2017 · 11:56 AM PDT

2017/05/05 · 11:56

Or should we call the bill the first of many republican tax breaks for the millionaires and billionaires. I thought I would pass along some topical graphics/cartoons drawn by my friend Katherine Kramer Waters in the last few days. You are welcome to pass them along with attribution.

Bombing as President

shrinkandhammer

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Wednesday April 26, 2017 · 1:01 PM PDT

2017/04/26 · 13:01

Right after the Syria bombings and the MOAB drop an artist friend of mine, Kathryn Kramer Waters, sent me this political cartoon. The combination of the absurdity of Trump bragging about his 100 day accomplishments, Trump’s poll numbers, and my anxiety about what Trump might to do in North Korea, make this cartoon apropos. Sigh. Fingers crossed about North Korea.

FYI: Kathryn is fine with cartoon being shared, she would just like credit. So feel free to pass it along. (More of Kathryn’s political cartoons can be found at her twitter feed and website).

We need to start talking about the Oklahoma City bombing and domestic terriorism

shrinkandhammer

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Monday September 19, 2016 · 9:46 AM PDT

2016/09/19 · 09:46

Today when we are discussing the terrorism, the suspected terrorism, and the attempted terrorism of the past weekend we need to remember Oklahoma City and Domestic Terrorists. After all many of the perpetrators are affiliated with groups that are actively supporting Trump. Domestic terrorists affiliated with the “Alt Right” routinely commit crimes against members of the LBGTQ community, against people of Jewish Faith, against people of the Muslim faith, against Abortion Clinics and Abortion Providers, against people of color, against government workers, against….. Trump is proud of the these deplorables, enables these deplorables, encourages these deplorables. While we don’t know for sure that the person who murdered 20 children at Sandy Hook was a member of the Alt Right, it is clear that participants in the Alt Right movement murdered nineteen children and 149 adults in Oklahoma City. We need to call Trump out of this loudly and clearly. We need to talk about Oklahoma City.

African Americans, Jews, and Bernie

shrinkandhammer

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Wednesday February 24, 2016 · 11:20 AM PST

2016/02/24 · 11:20

When I was in high school in the early seventies, I took short seminar about the conflict between Blacks and Jews. I don’t remember much about the course, which was given not that long after the sixties civil rights activism. What I do remember is being surprised that there was so much animosity in the Black community towards Jews. Didn’t Jews support the black community during their civil rights actions. (There is a freedom rider in my parent’s congregation today.).

Later, when I worked in a school which served many African American children and children of color, we did a lot of work on issues of racism and institutional racism and the privledge of whiteness. I learned one issue was that many African Americans resented the recognition of the role and deaths of Jewish participants while many African American leaders and participants were forgotten and obscured. I am sure there were/are other issues that complicate the relationship between African Americans and Jews as well.

As a white Jewish American I cannot know all the reasons that Hillary is the preferred candidate of so many African Americans, nor is it appropriate for me in any way to speak for them. However, I cannot help but wonder if the old historic struggles, animosities and distrust between African American and Jews is in some way contributing to their strong preference for Hillary over Bernie.

What? My daughter supports Bernie to meet men?

shrinkandhammer

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Saturday February 06, 2016 · 3:52 PM PST

2016/02/06 · 15:52

There is a rumor going around that young women are supporting Bernie because they want to meet men. I don’t think so. My daughter, a Physics major at a progressive college, finds that mainly men are in her physics and advanced math classes? Maybe she supports Bernie because she isn’t a feminist? Again I would argue her primary passions in life are women’s equity rights, women’s health care rights, and women’s issues in general so that’s clearly not the reason? Well should we go back to the argument that she really just wants to meet a lot more men. Since she’s a lesbian, I don’t think that argument holds a lot of water.

Many of my peers seem confused about why a young woman would support Bernie after Hillary has done so much for woman. I would certainly agree, and my daughter would too, that Hillary has been a huge and effective supporter of woman both here and abroad for many many years. While Bernie is also a very strong supporter of woman, he doesn’t always seem to get some of the subtleties of complex feminist issues. However, my daughter is supporting Bernie for the totality of his positions and her belief that he is the one to move us forward. She respects Hillary, but is currently supporting Bernie. As a college aged feminist she would ask that Hillary and her supporters respect her as well.

P.S. Also, Madeline Albright, again please respect my daughter. Just because she is not currently supporting Hillary does not mean she does not support women.

Abortion Restrictions Inversely related to the Health of Women and Children

shrinkandhammer

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Wednesday October 01, 2014 · 9:15 AM PDT

2014/10/01 · 09:15

Let us put an end to the lie that abortion restrictions are to protect the health of the mother. Let us put an end to the lie that abortion restrictions are to protect the health of children. A new report by the Center for Reproductive Rights, details how the women and children in states with more abortion restrictions are less healthy than states with fewer abortion restrictions.

We found that the more abortion restrictions present, the worse a state performed overall on indicators of
women’s and children’s well-being (see Figure 1). Among the 23 states with 0-6 abortion restrictions, 18
(78%) were above the median overall score for well-being. In contrast, only eight of the 28 states with 7-14
abortion restrictions (29%) were above the median.

I would recommend reading the entire report.

At least the Ferguson Police Chief didn't wear an "I am Darren Wilson" arm band when he apologized

shrinkandhammer

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Thursday September 25, 2014 · 9:18 AM PDT

2014/09/25 · 09:18

More than six weeks after events unfolded in Ferguson, the Police Chief
apologized to Michael Brown's parents in a video released by the public relations firm. (Ferguson's public relations firm that appears to be all white).

Wouldn't his apology seem more genuine if uniformed police officers were not walking around Ferguson wearing "I am Darren Wilson" arm bands. Wouldn't it seem more genuine if the St. Louis County wasn't giving highly entertaining training classes on how to win the media using Ferguson as the case study. This canned apology is way to little-way too late.

Why I find the Adrian Peterson Story much more upsetting than the Ray Rice Controversy

shrinkandhammer

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Tuesday September 16, 2014 · 11:20 AM PDT

2014/09/16 · 11:20

Adrian Peterson should understand the consequences of Child Physical Abuse. He had a two year old child, albeit one he had never met, die at the hands of another man. Last year he allegedly struck one of his children and was investigated for child abuse. Now we have a four year old child who was not just spanked, but allegedly injured from the beating. Through it all Adrian Peterson maintains “I am not a perfect parent, but I am without a doubt, not a child abuser.” He believes because he does not intend to abuse the child, he is not abusive.

As Adrian Peterson plays on, what would it take for him to rethink his behavior? What would it take for his defenders to question his actions? What would it take for the NFL to take action? What does it take for all of us to take a stand against beating four year old children?

Should Pregnant Women Marry their Rapists? Just Asking...

shrinkandhammer

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Friday October 26, 2012 · 11:35 AM PDT

2012/10/26 · 11:35

Lately I have been hearing that a pregnancy as a result of rape is "a gift from God" or "God's Will." Romney in the second debate implied that single moms pay a significant role in contributing to the problems of gun violence (and I would imagine other societal ills). In many religious countries, rape victims are pressured or mandated to marry their rapists. So, I think it is important to pose the question: Do Romney and other conservatives believe that women should marry their rapists?

40 years after Munich, a Jew wins Gold to the Tune of Hava Nagila

shrinkandhammer

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Tuesday August 07, 2012 · 9:59 AM PDT

2012/08/07 · 09:59

The Olympic Committee refused calls to have a moment of silence during the opening ceremonies as an official tribute to the eleven Israeli Jews killed in Munich 40 years ago. There have been unofficial tributes; Bob Costas led his own tribute and the Italian Olympic team did as well. I am not sure Aly Raisman intended it as such. However, I see a Jewish woman leaping to gold to the tune of Hava Nagila as a tribute to those Jews that perished forty years ago and to the power of the human spirit.

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