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—My Article in The Hill: “Why Kaine is the right choice for Clinton”:
I wrote this piece (“Why Kaine is the right choice for Clinton“) earlier today for The Hill and they just posted it. Here’s an excerpt:
The selection of Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) as presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton‘s running mate has dismayed some liberals…who were hoping for a more progressive choice such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Sen. Al Franken (Minn.)…And it’s true; Kaine is not as progressive as any of those great people I just mentioned. However, having covered Kaine since early 2005, when I started the grassroots blog Raising Kaine to help elect him governor of Virginia, I can definitely make a strong case for Kaine as Clinton’s VP […]
desmoinesdem at Bleeding Heartland of Iowa writes—Breaking Iowa Democratic hearts, Hillary Clinton picks Tim Kaine for VP:
I suspect that the Bernie Sanders endorsement last week, combined with the mostly disastrous Republican National Convention, gave Clinton confidence to make a "safe" choice, rather than someone who would excite our party’s base, like Senator Elizabeth Warren or even Senator Cory Booker. Too bad Ohio has a Republican governor, otherwise Senator Sherrod Brown would have been an ideal running mate. Some pundits are calling Kaine a "governing pick," someone Clinton feels comfortable working with for the next four or eight years, as opposed to the person who can do the most to boost her campaign over the next four months.
Of all the people Clinton was considering, Kaine arouses the most antipathy from the Sanders wing for various reasons. His vocal support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement is just one of the problems. Kaine’s defenders point to his perfect voting record in the Senate on reproductive rights and LGBT equality, his near-perfect record on labor issues, his background as a civil rights attorney, and numerous accomplishments as governor. He is not outside the Democratic Party’s mainstream. On the other hand, the Progressive Punch database ranks Kaine the 40th most progressive among the 46 current senators who caucus with Democrats.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack was repeatedly named in news reports and commentaries about Clinton’s short list. He’s got an inspiring personal story and developed a tremendous grasp of public policy over his long career in local, state and federal government. By all accounts, he and Clinton get along very well, having been acquainted since Clinton became friends with Christie Vilsack’s brother Tom Bell during the 1970s. Like Kaine, he has a reputation for making few mistakes. I regret that Clinton didn’t choose Vilsack, though I would have been equally happy with Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Shamus Lynsky at Blue Oregon writes—Comcast Tax Break Screwing Over Consumers:
You can always count on two things to be true when it comes to Comcast:
- Their terrible customer service, according to real customers
- Their willingness to go to great lengths to avoid paying their fair share of taxes
If you’d like a refresher on why Comcast has such a poor reputation for service, listen to this poor customer's experience. And if you need to brush up on Comcast’s tax avoidance schemes in Oregon, here you go:
For years, Comcast got away with paying exceptionally low property taxes because the company claimed it did not provide a “communication service” subject to Oregon’s central assessment method of assessing taxes.
If you’re saying to yourself ‘Wait — doesn’t Comcast exclusively provide a communication service?’ then you’d be right. In 2009, the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) agreed that Comcast was in fact a communication service provider — its internet access and cable TV services fit the bill to a T — and the company was required to begin paying its fair share of taxes.
Apparently not wanting to end its free ride, Comcast sued the DOR over this decision, but Oregon’s Supreme Court rejected Comcast’s argument and sent the case back to tax court. The case is still dragging on, and the taxes that Comcast owes aren’t being paid — by now, more than $100 million in taxes have been held back. (And just because the company has saved millions in Oregon tax breaks doesn’t mean Oregonians are feeling the savings, too! Just this past year,basic rates in Oregon rose 4.5% — more than triple the rate of inflation in the Portland area.)
Paul Tullis at Capital & Main of California writes—Trump Hotel Slapped With Labor Fines:
A settlement was announced today between Trump International Hotel Las Vegas and the National Labor Relations Board, adding to the multitude of citations, liens, judgments and lawsuits against Donald Trump and his real estate empire for failing to pay employees and contractors, and for other unfair labor practices. The company must pay $11,200 to two employees, one of whom was allegedly fired for his union support. The other worker, according to the NLRB complaint that led to the settlement, was denied a transfer to a full-time job. Trump International accepted the settlement, which averts a trial before an administrative law judge of the NLRB.
“After years of unfair treatment because I support unionizing Trump Las Vegas, I finally have justice,” Alma Zamarin, a food server at the property, said in a statement. “I will keep going until Donald Trump and his son, Eric Trump, sits down and negotiates a good contract with their employees.”
The settlement stems from an NLRB complaint issued March 2. In addition to the actions against the two workers, the complaint alleged the company that owns the hotel, Trump Ruffin Commercial LLC, promised more job opportunities to workers in exchange for their abandoning support of their union, a violation of theNational Labor Relations Act. More than 500 employees at the hotel were eligible to vote in December on whether to join the Culinary and Bartenders Union. When the unionization side won, the NLRB
DocHoc at Blue Oklahoma writes—No To Trump, No To Frack-Happy Hamm:
Before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appoints Harold Hamm as his possible energy secretary, he might look at what the oil and gas industry and the fracking boom has wrought in Oklahoma.
Earthquakes. Air pollution. A ruined economy. Underfunded schools and colleges.
It has been rumored that Hamm, chief executive officer of Continental Resources in Oklahoma City, might be considered for the cabinet position, although Hamm has told one media outlet he hasn’t “given it a minute thought.”
Hamm did speak at the recent Republican National Convention, tossing out gems like this: “Every time we can’t drill a well in America, terrorism is being funded.” That sounds like a huge exaggeration to me, but then this is Trump’s party now and gross generalizations and fear mongering are the non-substance of its warped ideology.
Let’s be clear: Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is not good for any economy. What’s good for the overall world economy is the move towards cleaner, renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, which is slowly happening. Fracking is not only harmful to the environment it also has created a huge world oil glut that has driven down prices and hurt our local economy, leaving Oklahoma exposed, once again, to the boom and bust cycle of the oil and gas industry.
Don Pogreba at Intelligent Discontent of Montana writes—Ryan Zinke Praises Saddam Hussein:
I am rarely astonished by anything that comes from the mouth of Congressman Ryan Zinke, but this exchange, captured by C-Span, was simply breathtaking. After offering the keen insight that he knew Saddam Hussein was a “bad, bad, bad, bad man,” Montana’s Congressman commended Saddam Hussein for his effective work at combating terrorists:
What made Saddam Hussein so effective at “hunting terrorists” is that he didn’t care if the people he killed and tortured really were involved in terrorism. He didn’t care if they were children. He didn’t care if they were proven guilty or had their fundamental human rights respected. He just killed and tortured people he defined as terrorists, even if that meant they were simply political opponents or obstacles to his quest for power.
Terrorism was, for Hussein, simply an effective rhetorical trick to justify indefensible actions, a concept Americans have become quite familiar with in the past two decades.
What, precisely, does Congressman Zinke admire about Hussein’s anti-terrorism efforts? His secret police? His use of torture? His sexual violence? His mass killings?
Cory A. Heidelberger at Dakota Free Press writes—Clinton Picks Kaine for VP, Invites EB-5 Cronyism Discussion:
Alas, Tim Kaine has some connection to Hillary Clinton’s own EB-5 scandal. In December 2009, on his way out as Virginia governor, Kaine wrote to Barbara Velarde, a USCIS official overseeing the EB-5 visa investment program, to support a letter from the Virginia Employment Commission certifying areas of Virginia as “Targeted Employment Areas.” In seeking that designation, the Kaine Administration was trying to lower the investment foreigners had to make to buy their green cards from $1,000,000 to $500,000. Lowering that investment threshold was meant to help GreenTech Automotive and investment firm Gulf Coast Funds Management secure EB-5 funds to build an electric car factory in Virginia. The Kaine Administration had information that the GreenTech/GCFM car plant was a train wreck.
GreenTech was run by Terry McAuliffe, former DNC chair, co-chair or Bill Clinton’s 1996 campaign and chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign. GCFM was run by Anthony Rodham, Hillary Clinton’s brother.
A 2015 Inspector General’s report found Homeland Security deputy Alejandro Mayorkas had created “an appearance of favoritism and special access” in urging the Virginia EB-5 project along.
GreenTech ultimately picked Mississippi over Virginia for its car factory, thanks to lots of tax incentives from Republican Governor and former RNC chair Haley Barbour. The factory flopped.
John Michael Spinelli at Plunderbund of Ohio writes—John Kasich Extends Ohio’s Sub-Par Job Growth To 43 Straight Months:
The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released June 2016 data on Ohio employment and unemployment. While experts called the data mixed, what wasn’t mixed is that Ohio Gov. John Kasich has extended his sub-par job performance streak to 43 straight months.
According to statistical information analyzed by Ohio’s preeminent job number cruncher, the year over year June 2016 Ohio job growth rate is now 1.72 percent, just under the national rate of 1.77 percent. “Thus, by a narrow margin, June 2016 is the 43rd consecutive month when Ohio’s job growth was slower than the USA national average,” George Zeller said in Cleveland. “That unfortunate streak has now been extended to three full years and 7 additional months.”
In Ohio, the civilian labor force declined by 16,000 in June, while the national civilian labor force increased by a large 414,000. In the Ohio data, Mr. Zeller finds that the number of unemployed in Ohio fell by 9,000 in June 2016 while the number of employed Ohio workers fell by 7,000.
“Thus the 2,000 net improvement in this estimate is far below the 12,400 jobs that Ohio actually gained in June 2016,” Mr. Zeller said, adding caution, saying, “the June 2016 unemployment estimate in Ohio is far less accurate than the June 2016 Ohio job figure.”
Sean Kitchen at Raging Chicken Press of Pennsylvania writes—Pennsylvania’s 20 Week Abortion Ban Is Stealthily Making It’s Way to Governor Wolf’s Desk:
As the Pennsylvania General Assembly finished the budget earlier this month, the Senate began tostealthily move Representative Kathy Rapp’s 20 week abortion ban through the upper chamber. The bill, which originally originated in the House Health Committee, would be considered one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country. It would ban all abortions after 20 weeks and force women to give birth in the cases of rape, incest and medical defect. After the bill cleared the House, it was sent to State Senator Stewart Greenleaf’s Judiciary Committee. What does a 20 week abortion ban have to do with the Commonwealth’s judicial process? Absolutely nothing.
In our previous reporting on House Bill 1948, we talked about Representative Rapp’s abortion ban being linked to another piece of legislation that would allow victims of sexual abuse to sue their abusers decades after the crimes were committed. It would give the victims their day in court and put these crimes on the public record. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia mounted a large campaign against the sexual abuse legislation because of the Catholic Church’s involvement with covering up sexual abuse cases over the decades. [...]
There are a lot of “ifs” following this bill, but the way in which Republican Leadership have pursued this bill raises obvious questions of transparency, conflicts of interests and vote trading. The bill was initially fought off and taken off the table due public outcry. It then is voted upon months later under the cover of the budget in the House and passed through a Senate Committee where the committee has nothing to do with legislating public health and the chair has clear conflicts of interest with the Catholic Church and the appearance of trading votes with recusing oneself from previous debates.
Tom Von Alten at FortBoise of Idaho writes—Mike Pence turns out to be despicable:
Speaking of character—or the lack thereof—Mike Pence stood up on his hind legs last night and coolly read off his Teleprompter-scripted speech that
"It was Hillary Clinton who left Americans in harm’s way in Benghazi and after four Americans fell said, what difference at this point does it make?"
As if... she were speaking about those American lives when she said that, testifying before one of the many pointless Republican-led fishing expeditions that produced great noise and thousands of pages of reports signifying nothing, burning up $7 million in 10 congressional committees and dozens of hearings.
As if... the ultimate price paid by Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, in service to their country, was his for the cherry-picking for a cheap-ass political talking point in demonizing his opponent in a political contest.
Mike Pence makes a big deal about being a Christian, first and foremost. But he doesn't seem to be keeping track of one the most basic of Judeo-Christian principles:
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
countrycat at Left in Alabama writes—The “Nightmare On Lake Erie” Is Finally, Mercifully, Over:
It was “Morning in America,” Reagan told us in 1984, but last night we heard a different description from Donald Trump. It’s “midnight in America” and the country is teetering on the abyss. Doom, gloom, and darkness at noon are in store for us unless we elect the One. Single. Person. who can solve it all personally. Don’t bother with the details; just lap up the bile and cheer for what remains of a major political party that was founded to oppose slavery.
Republican polling guru, Frank Luntz, predicted a large post-convention bounce for Trump. That’s hardly a bold projection: every candidate gets a bounce. McCain pulled even with Obama following the 2008 GOP convention and Dukakis led Bush for a brief, shining moment in 1988.
Even though Trump did everything but warn us about the menace of illegal immigrant Zuni dolls, it’s too soon to tell whether last night’s trilogy of terror speech did more than solidify Trump’s existing base of support. There’s a large cohort of people who just want their id channeled, and don’t care that Trump’s people are likely to run the White House the way they ran the convention – badly and with malice aforethought.
A more likely outcome is the distinct possibility that support for Hillary Clinton gets a lot more enthusiastic. Trump’s truly in a dream world if he thinks last night’s performance will attract anyone who cares about the issues Bernie Sanders promoted throughout his campaign.
Tom Sullivan at Scrutiny Hooligans of North Carolina writes—Reality show trial:
Soon after Republicans nominated reality TV star Donald J. Trump for president last night, New Jersey governor and failed Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie conducted a reality show trial for Hillary Clinton in prime time. It might have been less creepy if some faux cardinals burst onto the stage armed with soft cushions. But no, there was only one, soft Chris Christie repeating debunked allegations against Cinton and asking the mob(?) in the coliseum, “Guilty or not guilty?”
The theme for last night was Make America Work Again. Nobody seemed to speak to it. They were too busy attacking Hillary Clinton. [...]
I wondered when someone would call for her head. I didn’t have to wait long.
But just how bad were last night’s RNC convention festivities? On NPR this morning, National Review Senior Editor Jonah Goldberg quipped that if you watched House Speaker Paul Ryan closely during his address, he was blinking T-O-R-T-U-R-E. Conservative New York Times pundit Ross Douthat also weighed in:
Sue Prent at Green Mountain Daily of Vermont writes—Norm McAllister in the dock again. Son opens mouth, inserts foot:
Suspended Senator Norm McAllister is once again scheduled to answer charges of sexual assault and trafficking beginning on August 10 in the Franklin County Courthouse.
There is much fault that could be found with the way in which Mr. McAllister’s first trial was prosecuted, including the fact that the victim was forced to testify for many hours before the curious eyes of the press, while Mr. McAllister was allowed to sit the whole thing out without saying a word or even glancing at the assembly. It must be hoped that justice will be better served in the upcoming trial.
Norm Mcallister’s son Heath McAllister has, in the meantime, given us ample fodder for discussion with his comments to the media this week.
Defending his father, Heath is quoted as saying
“You’d have to believe he went from a loving husband of 43 years to some kind of animal…”
I agree that it is unlikely that Norm McAllister woke up one day at the age of 60+ and became a serial abuser. When an old man is discovered to be engaging in such behavior, it is almost certain that the pattern of abuse began many years earlier, and that there are other victims who simply have never come forward.