This week at progressive state blogs is designed specifically to focus attention on the writing and analysis of people focused on their home turf. Let me know via comments or Kosmail if you have a favorite state- or city-based blog you think I should be watching. Here is last Saturday's edition. Inclusion of a blog post does not necessarily indicate my agreement with—or endorsement of—its contents. |
lowkell at Blue Virginia writes—Ken Cuccinelli’s Group Backs Lunatic in CO, Makes Dem Takeover of US Senate More Likely:
Yes, Ken Cuccinelli’s “Senate Conservatives Fund” is backing this nut job.
Colorado Republicans nominated El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn, a former Colorado Springs councilman and self-described “unapologetic Christian constitutional conservative pro-life second amendment-loving American,” for U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Despite his paltry campaign fundraising and his vow to oppose keeping Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as his party leader, Glenn easily beat the establishment favorite. He received endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who he has said he would like to see appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK).
And “Senate Conservatives Fund” President Ken Cuccinelli, who called Glenn “a pro-life candidate who opposes taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, and will fight for conservative values in Washington.” [...]
On the positive side, the nomination of Glenn for US Senate from Colorado essentially guarantees reelection for Sen. Michael Bennet (D), and makes it that much more likely that Democrats will take back control of the Senate. And for that, we have Ken Cuccinelli in part to thank. Good job, keep it up Cooch!
DocHoc at Blue Oklahoma writes—Oklahoma Conservative Congressional Delegation Rolls In Primary:
The most depressing news for progressives about Tuesday’s primary election results is that all the incumbents of Oklahoma’s archconservative Congressional delegation won their races in what media outlets described as “blowouts.”
The numbers support that description. U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine won with 80 percent, U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin won with 63 percent, U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas won with 77 percent, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole won with 71 percent and U.S. Rep. Steve Russell won with 80 percent. (I’ve rounded the numbers.)
What this means is that there’s probably little to no realignment or major dissatisfaction happening among the Republican electorate here, and hope for progressive victories, especially at the Congressional level, remain slim. This could also be a sign that Republicans will continue to dominate Oklahoma with large majorities in the House and Senate at the state Capitol.
Trish Nelson at Blog for Iowa writes—Stopping The Bakken Pipeline – Pledge Of Resistance Now Over 800 Strong:
Led by farmers, landowners, tribal communities, environmentalists and a dedicated legal team, we have so far prevented billionaire Kelcy Warren and Energy Transfer Partners from tearing through the heart of the best farmland in the world to build a pipeline that threatens to cause so much harm.
In a couple days, Bold Iowa and its allies will announce a powerful action after Independence Day — one we hope will ignite a prairiefire to inspire new allies in the battle to stop the Bakken Pipeline.
For now, there is one thing I ask you to do: Sign the PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE and grow our ranks to one-thousand strong by Independence Day. [...]
All across America, the linked battles of climate action and the abuse of eminent domain are at the point where civil disobedience is needed.
If you haven’t already signed the Pledge of Resistance, please take a few minutes to read it over and consider in your heart if you want to look back at this epic moment in history and realize that you could have but didn’t stand with those of us risking arrest in this cause.
WillKay at Show Me Progress of Missouri writes—Eric Greitens: Clean-cut hero turned yob:
Missouri Governor wannabe, the hitherto impeccably clean-cut, former Rhodes Scholar, Republican Eric Greitens, is evidently inspired by the head of his party ticket, Donald Trump. His campaign philosophy seems to be “go big, go loud, and to hell with facts.”
First, he released an ad that showed him blowing up “politics as usual” with a military-style assault weapon. His campaign has now followed up that opus with a fund-raising stunt offering campaign contributors bumper stickers that read “ISIS hunting permit 2016” for a $10 donation, and “stickers signed by a former Navy SEAL who claims he killed Osama bin Laden” for $100. So only two steps into the campaign and you’ve got all the elements of a fourteen year old boy’s wet dream: guns, explosions, intellectually lazy but very macho slogans. Just the ticket for the Missouri GOP base.
The Greitens approach can be summed up by the comments of British big-money man and Brexit campaign funder, Arron Banks, who described the Brexit effort as an “an American-style media approach”:
What they said early on was ‘facts don’t work’ and that’s it. The remain campaign featured fact, fact, fact, fact, fact. It just doesn’t work. You have got to connect with people emotionally. It’s the Trump success.
Dan Pogreba at Intelligent Discontent writes—Gianforte-Funded Front Group Ignores Gianforte’s Discrimination Against Students with Disabilities:
In the past few days, the Gianforte-funded front group Americans for Prosperity has rolled out a coordinated attack against Governor Bullock, with mailers and paid canvassers spreading the dishonest claim that Governor Bullock “turned his back” on “special needs children.” The mailers and paid canvassers (who, according to the accounts of friends unfortunate enough to open the door to them, had no idea what they were talking about) claim that the Governor failed to support students with disabilities when he vetoed a bill in the 2015 legislative session.
The bill in question, HB 322, was presented as an opportunity to allow parents of students with special needs the chance to take the funding for the student and apply it to private programs for their education. Bullock rightly vetoed the bill, which was an effort establish “backpack” funding for education in Montana, allowing the dollars allocated to follow the student, not the schools that serve them. It had significant constitutional problems, and was little more than a Trojan horse for the school choice movement, who are seeking incremental steps to tear down Montana’s constitutional firewall that prevents state spending for religious instruction.
It was a bad bill, and the mailer is a dishonest attack against Governor Bullock on behalf of Mr. Gianforte, but it’s worse that, because Mr. Gianforte has been the primary funder and board chair of a school that has an explicitly discriminatory policy against students with disabilities, a story I broke here back in January.
Back then, I noted that the Petra Academy has an explicit restriction in its application against students with disabilities. It’s actually worse, as their Learning Disability Policy goes so far as to authorize kicking out a student who is discovered to have disability.
Carl Ballard at Horse’s Ass of Washington writes—Stop Giving Scam Artists Money, Everyone:
I should have more insightful commentary than comply with the subpoena, [right-wing agitator] Tim Eyman. You big ol’ horse’s ass. But I don’t.
At a certain point, a point long past, it became clear that Tim Eyman was more huckster than anything else.
I think it says something good about a society that a certain number of scams can survive. That people don’t just assume the worst, or that they’re forgiving is a characteristic that scuzzy people take advantage of. I’d rather have that and, some scam artists who take advantage of it, than people have their guard so up that they catch everything.
Far be it from me to tell asshole conservatives what to do with their money, but I’d think there must be a better deal somewhere else.
Donna at Democratic Diva of Arizona writes—Cathi Herrod’s Very Bad, No Good Monday:
Oh, Cathi Herrod and Center for AZ Policy, never change! Here is CAP’s statement on Monday’s 5-3 SCOTUS decision invalidating a 2013 Texas law that placed onerous restrictions on abortion providers, under the laughably transparent guise of “protecting women’s health”:
Phoenix – “Today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt means women undergoing an abortion will not have the same common-sense safety precautions in place as they would for any other medical procedure.
That’s a lie. The laws passed by anti-choicers in Texas and elsewhere requiring expensive outfitting of clinics that provide abortions, even if only via medication, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment and wide hallways, etc., were not applied to other medical facilities.
To give the abortion industry a blanket exemption from laws applicable to every other medical facility is unconscionable.
Nope. Didn’t do that. The Court found that the Texas law placed an undue burden on women seeking abortions and that the “protecting health” justifications were rubbish. [...]
While I do think that anti-choicers have convinced themselves that their cause is just and in the ultimate best interests of women—whom they believe uniformly have no legitimate aspirations in life aside from marriage and motherhood—it is clear that they never even believed their own bullshit on these “protect women’s health!” restrictions. So why should anyone else?
Juanita Jean Herownself at Juanita Jean’s of Texas writes—Adopting Britain:
Look, things are so bad in England right now that the only sensible and kind solution is for us to make them the 51st State. However, they don’t get two Senators or any House members at all. If you want to call it “payback” for taxation without representation that’s a little harsh. True, but harsh.
There are some drawbacks, however.
First, we’d have to decide once and for all what football is. Is it football or is it soccer? I think we need an answer.
We’d have to print ballots in two languages: English and whatever Harry Potter language it is that they speak.
The little prince will have to get involved with a Kardashian.
We get Dame Judith Dench. They have to take Kanye.
They can come to our horse races and they can even wear those hats, but none of that tea drinking. It’s Mint Juleps or go home.
You know those little sandwiches with the crust cut off filled with cucumber? No. Don’t do that. Come to think of it, we shouldn’t allow them to cook at all. [...]
countrycat at Left in Alabama writes—SCOTUS Abortion Ruling Was So Unambiguous That Even Luther Strange Got The Message:
The man who goes to work every day and “thinks up ways to sue President Obama” saw the handwriting on the wall after yesterday’s Supreme Court decision that struck down Texas’ restrictive TRAP law passed in 2014.
“While I disagree with the high court’s decision,” said Attorney General Strange, “there is no good faith argument that Alabama’s law remains constitutional in light of the Supreme Court ruling. Accordingly, my office will dismiss our appeal of a 2014 federal court ruling declaring Alabama’s abortion clinic law unconstitutional.”
Only in Alabama is it considered remarkable when state judges and high-ranking government officials announce that they’ll accept a federal court decision without a fight. Roy Moore, take note please. See how easy this is?
Meanwhile, clinic escorts in Montgomery took a little victory lap and celebrated at the POWER House. [...]
Don’t celebrate too much yet though. The lawsuits against Alabama’s 2,000 foot rule are still active. While the Hellerstedt decision set a higher bar for the “undue burden” test, we can expect Alabama to stubbornly play it out to the bitter end.
We can’t fund basic services in Alabama, but money’s no object when it comes to quixotic lawsuits.
Martha Jackovics at Beach Peanuts of Florida writes—"Inspired" To Run By Orlando, Marco Rubio's Caught Hiding From Gabby Giffords' Gun Control Organization:
Fresh from voting against keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists on behalf on the NRA, Marco Rubio "changed his mind" and decided to run for his Senate seat again, claiming he was "inspired" to do so in part by the mass shooting in Orlando earlier this month.
It's this kind of phony "inspiration" that exposes Rubio for the shameless panderer he is time and time again, something not lost on Floridians who recently said "no way" to his Oval Office dreams.
Now just days after his announcement, this faux inspiration is little but a memory from a media appearance somewhere, because when the gun violence prevention group led by former Democratic Rep. and gun violence victim Gabby Giffords came knocking at his door, he boldly hid behind his staff to avoid them.
And he got caught:
A top aide to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) directed staff not to let a prominent gun control advocate get on the phone with the senator to discuss a bill that would bar suspected terrorists from buying guns — less than two weeks after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history took place in the senator’s state. [...]
This isn't the first time Rubio has avoided meeting with gun-control advocates. He's also dodged Sandy Hook families in the past when they tried to reach out.
Sue Prent of the Green Mountain Daily of Vermont writes—Norm McAllister assaults the system…and gets away with it…again:
So, accused rapist/sex trafficker Norm McAllister will remain on the Republican primary ballot for senator even though his petition has been found to be deficient. I hear fellow Republican candidate Carolyn Branagan’s cry of indignation and I share it!
Mr McAllister must be some sort of human detector for weaknesses in Vermont’s judiciary and legislative systems. So far, he has succeeded in exploiting no less than five significant failures, and he hasn’t even come to trial yet to face accusations made by two more women.
1) The lack of meaningful protections for the vulnerable in the private workplace. 2) An apparent culture of “don’t ask; don’t tell” in the statehouse, where the extreme youth of Mr. McAllister’s omnipresent ‘intern’ should have raised concerns and led to timely interventions. 3) The lack of a meaningful ethics policy governing legislators. 4) The lack of adequate provision in court for the PTSD disability common to victims of sexual abuse. 5) The lack of effective vetting practices to validate candidate petitions.
I’m sure there are more, but these spring most quickly to mind. Do not look for a grasp of reality anytime soon from this man because both Franklin County and the state of Vermont have yet to demonstrate any ability to bring his arrogance and his appetites to heel.
cassandra_m at Delaware Liberal writes—500:
On June 26, 2016, a 15-year-old young man was shot in the arm in the area of 27th and Moore Sts in Wilmington. He was taken to the hospital and I presume he is recovering. You would be forgiven if you read that and thought that this is the normal flow of criminal activity in Wilmington. This young man was the 500th victim of a shooting in Wilmington since Mayor Dennis Williams took office.
500.
You can look at it as .7% of Wilmington’s population (I used 70,000) being directly victimized by gun violence. I couldn’t begin to guess at how many others are indirectly victimized — parents, siblings, children, neighbors who are directly traumatized by this violence. We already know that we don’t have enough resources to help these people through this trauma, so the effects of this violence go in Wilmington’s Violence Bank so that some of these folks experiencing this trauma — the sheer normalcy of this trauma — will certainly resort to this same violence when given the opportunity in a few years.
It’s completely heartbreaking. Because the thing Wilmingtonians know, is that while this Mayor came into office on a wave of belligerent assurance that everything will be different soon, this Mayor is now utterly overwhelmed by this problem. Overwhelmed enough to where he won’t appear in a public debate to account for his record. Overwhelmed enough to not accept money from the AGs office to help fund foot patrols because he doesn’t want to account for how the WPD is actually deployed. Overwhelmed enough essentially [to] eliminate the Community Policing unit at the WPD, now demanding that neighborhood leaders who want to discuss their crime issues present themselves at meetings at the new Data Center where you won’t be able to establish a relationship with your local officers.