What A+ Voting Rights/Election Law Looks Like
As the parasitic Confederate Party—now comfortably residing inside the hollowed-out shell of the old Republican Party—continues its mad state-by-state dash to pass laws in which only Confederates can win political races, it's worth noting that many states still believe in free and fair elections regardless of party. C&J is happy to count Maine among them, as The Portland Press Herald points out:
During a year of pitched partisan battles elsewhere over voter rights and election processes, Maine lawmakers made it easier to register to vote and permanently adopted some election measures that had been implemented temporarily during the pandemic.
Continued…
“I was glad that, with what we are seeing across the country with measures to restrict access to voting, here in Maine we actually took steps to increase access,” said Sen. Louis Luchini, D-Ellsworth, sponsor of several bills and co-chair of the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, which oversees election issues. […]
[Anna Kellar, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Maine] said the pandemic forced the state to go through the state’s election laws with a proverbial fine-toothed comb and resulted in bills such as L.D.s 1575 and 1363 to provide municipal clerks with clearer guidance on issues like drop boxes, required posting of general information about upcoming elections and ballot curing.
“(Maine has) been a leader in this regard for a long time and there is a lot of pride on both sides of the political divide in that Maine has good elections,” Kellar said.
When slimeball Governor Paul LePage tried to put the brakes on absentee voting and same-day registration a decade ago, we the unwashed rabble rose up and overturned him via a citizens veto. So we’re very happy with our election system here, although we understand that’s cold comfort to people who live in suppressionist states. Today President Biden is giving what’s being billed as a major speech on voting rights. Let’s hope he speaks softly and carries a Big Bertha.
And now, our feature presentation…
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Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Note: Today is Tuesday the 13th. Not as unlucky as Friday, but we still recommend you take your lance with you when you leave the house. There's crazy people out there. —Mgt.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til the next full "Buck" moon: 10
Days 'til the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis: 23
Percent of Americans 50+ polled by AARP who are concerned they will not be able to afford prescription drugs: 58%
Percent who support allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices: 87%
Registered North Carolina Democratic and Republican voters, respectively, polled by Carolina Forward who believe the government should be involved in a woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy: 6%, 35%
Temperature in Death Valley on Friday: 130F
Years as of today since analog television signals have been extinct: 12
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Double spa day…
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CHEERS to extraction from no-win scenarios. Hey, everybody, we're getting out of Afghanistan. Can't imagine why, given the recent historical pattern there:
USA helps the rebels kick the Russians out of Afghanistan after 10 years of quagmire.
Russia helps the rebels kick USA out of Afghanistan after 20 years of quagmire.
Anyone else want to up the stakes and play this dumb game for, say, 30 years? France? Germany? Russia again? Australia? Didn’t think so. Good call, Joe.
JEERS to the fossil fuel industry. It created the climate change reports that denied the damage being done by climate change as climate change was doing the damage anyway and now the latest victim of climate change is the fossil fuel industry. Good luck putting this smelly, toxic toothpaste back in the tube up Alaska-way if something goes kerflooey:
Thawing permafrost threatens to undermine the supports holding up an elevated section of the [Alaska Trans-Alaska] pipeline, jeopardizing its structural integrity and raising the potential of an oil spill in a delicate and remote landscape.
This appears to be the first instance that pipeline supports have been damaged by “slope creep” caused by thawing permafrost, records and interviews with officials involved with managing the pipeline show. […]
“This is a wake-up call,” said Carl Weimer, a special projects adviser for Pipeline Safety Trust, a nonprofit watchdog organization based in Bellingham, Washington. “The implications of this speak to the pipeline’s integrity and the effect climate change is having on pipeline safety in general.”
The two active partners on the pipeline are BP and Exxon Mobil. To prove that they're taking the situation seriously, just to be safe they’ve have airlifted in several rolls of paper towel. (And not that cheap shit—we’re talkin’ Brawny.)
CHEERS to portable suds. On this most important date in 1568, a sudserrific scientific breakthrough was made:
Dr. Alexander Nowell, Dean of St Paul's is reputed to have discovered the benefits of bottled beer by accident. According the History of the Pint, the Dean had decanted some beer into a bottle for a fishing expedition in 1568. He lost a bottle in the grass and, "when he came upon it again quite by chance a few days later, found it was still perfectly drinkable."
The news of bottled beer was hailed as a major breakthrough among the clergy. Try stashing a keg under your robe during morning prayers sometime and you'll see why.
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BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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CHEERS to moolah matters. As we rocket-ship our way through another week that refuses to slow down because a) it's summer and b) time always flies during Democratic administrations, here are some of the latest economic headlines that run the gamut from fiduciarily fiendish to numismatically nutso:
» China vows retaliation after U.S. blacklists companies
» U.S. average mortgage rates continue to fall
» Frito-Lay workers are on strike—this should be bigger news
» Federal Reserve pledges powerful support for economy
» New child tax credit payments start this week
» G-20 finance ministers plan to stop use of tax havens
» Restaurant workers are quitting in droves
» Hiring crunch is boosting pay for restaurant workers
» Canada recovers 2.65 million of the 3 million jobs lost at the height of the pandemic
» Post-quarantine retail therapy: teeth whitener, wigs, and camping gear
» Biden to take executive action to lower shipping costs amid rising consumer prices
» Wells Fargo shutting down all personal lines of credit
» Northwest strengthens heat protection for workers
» Average price of gas $3.21
And then there's this headline: Unopened Super Mario 64 game from 1996 sells for $1.56M. On our agenda this morning: dust off our 1990 NES system, shrink-wrap it, and open the bidding at a cool eleventy grand.
JEERS to petty politicians. (Sorry, is that redundant?) Forty-nine years ago today, the late George McGovern became the Democratic presidential nominee at the convention in Miami Beach. A while back some secret Nixon tapes were released, revealing #37 as that rare breed of paranoid—the sore winner:
Several hours after the election, after 1:00 am, when vote totals are known, Henry Kissinger calls Nixon to congratulate him on the landslide victory: "It's an extraordinary tribute," he said. [...] Then they go after the loser, George McGovern:
Nixon: "You know this fellow, to the last, was a prick. Did you see his concession statement?" [...] Nixon says speechwriter Ray Price urged him to send McGovern a message that he looks forward to working with him and his supporters for peace in the years ahead.
Nixon: "And I just said hell no, I'm not gonna send him that sort of wire.
I'll say this. Dick sure knew how to live up to his name.
P.S. They say only the good die young. Henry Kissinger is currently 329.
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Ten years ago in C&J: July 13, 2011
CHEERS to friends dropping in. International Space Station, Sunday, 11:07am Outer Space Time:
[Ding Dong!]
"Who is it?"
"Shuttle!"
"Shuttle who?"
"Shuttle yer pie hole and let us in!"
After drawing straws to see who got to use the toilet first, the crew of Atlantis got down to work. Among other duties, yesterday they opened up the hatch to the Rafaello logistics module. After inspecting the contents, they all greed that the chili needed to simmer for another hour.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to echoes of the sweet sound of defeat. I imagine that the moment Mitt Romney decided it would be a good idea to warble through "America the Beautiful" at a campaign stop in 2012 was the same moment the Obama team knew they'd be using it to create a killer TV ad juxtaposing his patriotism with his record as a job killer. When they released it nine years ago this week, it was guaranteed to be talked about for decades. In fact, it's the only campaign ad of 2012 that generated a rare public display of affection for its technical merits, especially the audio mix. For old time's sake, crank up your speakers and annoy your neighbors:
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Also for old time's sake: Obama 332, Romney 206. Oh, beautiful.
Have a tuneful Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
Matt Damon Says Preparing For His Role in Cheers and Jeers as Bill in Portland Maine Was ‘Eye-Opening’
—Mediaite
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