Happy Tuesday, Newsies!
Before I get into the good news today, I’d like to have a quick word with you about the illegitimate “president” and his supporters.
45 is a malignant narcissist. I know we have all heard that a million times, but I don’t know if most of us can really wrap our minds around what that means. Narcissistic Personality Disorder does not come and go. A person with NPD is utterly devoid of human empathy. No exceptions. A person with NPD lies without compunction and, in many cases, without awareness. Lies are often simply his alternative reality; when he thinks of what he wants the truth to be, that is what it becomes to him. Until of course he wants it to be something else. There is no fixed truth, no empathy for other human beings and a tendency to live in shifting alternate realities, including in some cases literally a double life.
People with NPD tend to be excellent readers of other people, and quickly figure out what weaknesses they can exploit to use other people to fulfill their need for attention and admiration. They are able to get away with this for so long because they are also able to mimic regular feelings and reactions — most people are fooled, some for a very long time — he can seem like a “great guy” and people in his life simply cannot believe that he’s been conning them.
The way a person with NPD achieves that is by lying constantly about who he is, what he cares about (himself, exclusively; believe it) and what he is doing. He will assert that he is a great businessman, as if merely saying it makes it true. Because to him — a person with a severe personality disorder — it IS true. Truth is whatever he wants it to be. And for the people around him who haven’t quite, fully, really got it yet about NPD, it seems like whatever he says with such apparent conviction — and which often has a tiny kernel of truth that triggers other people’s guilty weaknesses — must be true, too.
But it isn’t. Saying a thing does not make it true. NPD people do this incessantly — it is a hallmark of the disorder. Saying “I’m a good businessman”, “I am not a crook”, “There is a silent majority of “law and order” conservatives in America”, “the base is huge, most of your neighbors are MAGAts” does not make these assertions true. But, in a country which has been moderately gaslit by Republicans for decades and more intensely in the past 2-3 years, like abused spouses of NPD people, we believe the lies too. The fabrications, built one on top of the other, are so convincing.
But it is all an illusion. It is an assertion without foundation. It is alternative truth created from what he (and the Republicans who enable him) want it to be. It is a house of cards, smoke and mirrors.
Yes, there are genuine MAGAts, genuine racists, genuine white supremacists and genuine fascists. Their numbers are likely far fewer than we have been gaslighted into believing. Far fewer. Remember the pathetic turnouts at the Nazi rallies. Remember how often the same faces turned up again and again in the pathetic rallies and “proud boy” (aside: how infantile!) violence. Even the tragic Charlottesville nazi march involved just a few hundred who had to come from all over the country to form even that small crowd. Torches and spectacle, smoke and mirrors.
These guys have one talent for sure — an ability to spread a tiny number of nazis around the country to give the illusion of a nationwide presence. But it is the same fellows everywhere. Someone is, of course, financing their travel and co-ordination (and it may turn out to be another thread involving Russia, given how many Russian connections the group’s leadership has — I am confident that Robert Swan Mueller lll is on it), but it is essentially a Bugs Bunny play where Bugs fools Elmer Fudd by running circles around him, then dashing into a house, donning a dress and wig, and running back out to convince Elmer that there are two of him — Bugs and a cutie lady rabbit. Imagine that sort of thing times about a hundred or so guys. Maybe two hundred. Plus perhaps some mercenaries (rent-a-nazis) for their attempts at bigger events.
Newsies, a movement that actually has a huge following and lots of enthusiasm would be able to drum up a crowd in any state from its own population. These nazis have to drive or fly in from Oregon, Montana, Ohio, Texas and Arizona. The same ones show up all the time.They are pretending to be a mass movement but it is an illusion.
Once we understand and believe the truth about DT and his NPD — and the enabling gaslighting of the Republicans — the fog starts to clear and the whole illusion of a country where we fear that half our neighbors must be MAGAts can be shattered and the dread so many of us have been feeling can be dispelled.
It’s getting late and I have to cue the GNR up to post, so I’ll stop this ramble here. I hope it’s helpful. On to the good news!
🔎 The Mueller Investigation 🔍
Looks like Roger the artful dodger may get his comeuppance soon:
Special counsel examines conflicting accounts as scrutiny of Roger Stone and WikiLeaks deepens, Carol D. Leonnig, Manuel Roig-Franzia and Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post, October 21, 2018.
In recent weeks, a grand jury in Washington has listened to more than a dozen hours of testimony and FBI technicians have pored over gigabytes of electronic messages as part of the special counsel’s quest to solve one burning mystery: Did longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone — or any other associate of the president — have advance knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked Democratic emails in 2016?
While outwardly quiet for the last month, Robert S. Mueller III’s investigators have been aggressively pursuing leads behind the scenes about whether Stone was in communication with the online group, whose disclosures of emails believed to have been hacked by Russian operatives disrupted the 2016 presidential campaign, according to people familiar with the special counsel probe.
By the way, speaking of Wikileaks — whatever happened to Julian Assange’s “imminent eviction” from the Ecuadorian embassy? That story just slipped right off the news cycle and disappeared. Funny that… 😏
👀 Former White House lawyer: Mueller probe isn't a witch hunt, Dan Merica, CNN, October 22, 2018. (video at link).
Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb said Monday that he does not believe the ongoing special counsel probe led by Robert Mueller is a "witch hunt."
The comment puts him at odds with his former boss, President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called the probe into possible ties between his campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election a "witch hunt." ✂️
Later, Cobb lauded Mueller, the former head of the FBI and a Vietnam War veteran.
"Bob Mueller is an American hero in my view," Cobb said, noting his service as a Marine.
The following essay touches on a theme that I have seen several times from IC people on twitter and in op-eds in reference to the Special Counsel’s investigation. As a Marine and a career lawman, Robert Mueller has a long record of leadership, discipline and strategic intelligence that makes this educated guess about his strategy very convincing:
⚖ Mueller’s Art of War, Ryan Casey, Medium, October 11, 2018.
Will Robert Mueller indict Trump? Speculation has been rampant, though insiders don’t expect the special counsel to contravene a DOJ legal opinion that seems to preclude indictment of a sitting president. But the will-he-or-won’t-he dichotomy asks the wrong question. Using strategies of warfare, Mueller has likely already conceived an endgame, setting the stage for Trump’s downfall. ✂️
Mueller’s investigation can be seen as an extended battle against both a hostile foreign power and a lawless, belligerent president. “War is not some separate realm divorced from the rest of society,” Greene contends. It brings out the best and the worst in human nature, and reflects society’s trends. As institutions and norms unravel periodically, human competition in its various forms mirrors this evolution, as in the case of guerilla warfare, terrorism, industrial espionage, cybercrime, and the kind of slash-and-burn politics that Newt Gingrich, Mitch McConnell, and now Donald Trump have used to great effect. ✂️
Mueller’s strategy turns Trump’s impulsive aggression against him. In jujitsu, a weaker fighter can defeat a more powerful opponent by manipulating the enemy’s force and energy. Already we are seeing how Mueller, operating in the background, remains several steps ahead of Trump using subtle, indirect moves. Meanwhile, Trump’s arrogance has led him to underestimate the threat of his own legal exposure. Instead of hiring top-flight defense attorneys and heeding their advice, he has opted for a chaotic carousel of mediocre lawyers and frequently ignored them. The following five strategies of war, as described by Greene, help explain how Mueller will outmaneuver and ultimately defeat Trump — even without indicting the president. (click link above to read the whole thing — it’s worth it!)
Goodie talked about this on Saturday and I am re-upping it because it is a great synopsis of the investigation so far:
Mueller's quiet period has not been very quiet, Katelyn Polantz and Evan Perez, CNN, October 17, 2018.
September and October at first glance appear to be quiet periods for the investigation, under the Justice Department's guidelines to avoid public political acts before the midterm elections. But the quiet period has seen a persistent murmur of activity, based on near-daily sightings of Mueller's prosecutors and sources involved in the investigation.
In addition to Manafort, Mueller's team has kept interviewing witnesses, gathered a grand jury weekly to meet in Washington on most Fridays, and kicked up other still-secret court action. Plus, the discussions between the President's legal team and the special counsel's office have intensified in recent weeks, including after the special counsel sent questions about possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government. The President's attorneys are expected to reply to the questions in writing.
In unrelated news 😉, the Hunter’s Moon is fast approaching, so today’s first musical interlude is inspired by the Mueller Investigation Moon. The full moon will be tomorrow morning, but tonight at sunset you should be able to see a big, nearly full moon rising on the eastern horizon. I encourage you to allow these restful notes to wash away anxiety like a cleansing wave on a moonlit seashore, whenever the pre-election tension gets to be a little too much.
🎶 Musical Interlude 🎶
Young People Are Stepping Up
700,000 Protesters March in London To Demand Brexit Revote. This is How you Fight Russia, ericlewis0, DailyKos, October 21, 2018.
(quoted from the BBC) Protesters seeking a referendum on the final Brexit deal have attended a rally which organisers say was the biggest demonstration of its kind.
Young voters led the People's Vote march to London's Parliament Square, which supporters say attracted approximately 700,000 protesters.
It also had support from a number of MPs who want a fresh vote.
They’re Young and They Want Change. Now They’re Ready to Vote for the First Time. Dan Levin, New York Times, August 25, 2018.
Weary of a political system that many young Americans see as rigged against their generation, and fired up to elect candidates who they believe support the issues they care about, a surge of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 have registered to vote this year, according to data from 39 states compiled by Targetsmart, a Democratic polling firm.
Pennsylvania is leading the groundswell, with registered voters 34 and younger now outnumbering those 65 and older, according to the latest statistics from the Pennsylvania State Department issued Aug 13. States like Arizona, New York, Florida and Virginia have also seen sharp increases.
⚖ Justice ⚖
Speaking of young people: one thing that has hampered their efforts to vote has been Republican schemes to disenfranchise them. In particular, college students who attend schools out of their home states have been targeted by Republican state legislatures and declared ineligible to vote. Rachel Maddow featured a college in Texas last week that has experienced this in a long-running, determined campaign by state Republicans. New Hampshire is another state that is known to have this issue. Today, according to Kossack Stephen Wolf, a New Hampshire court struck a blow against voter suppression just in time for students to vote in the 2018 midterms. Read the whole diary — it’s great and full of links, including to the actual decision. (BTW, the case was another one filed by the League of Women Voters)
New Hampshire court strikes down GOP law that aimed to suppress Dem-leaning college student voters, Stephen Wolf, DailyKos, October 22, 2018.
In a victory against Republican-backed voter suppression in a key swing state, a New Hampshire state court struck down a law the GOP had passed in 2017 to impose additional residency restrictions on voters that was crafted to suppress the votes of Democratic-leaning college students after Republicans narrowly lost the 2016 presidential and Senate races yet gained full control of state government. This law had required voters who had registered within 30 days of an election to show additional documentation that they indeed lived day-to-day at the residence they claimed as their “domicile" and intended to do so long-term.
Voters who had lacked suitable documentation would have been be able to cast provisional ballots, but they’d still have had to provide documents proving their residency meets the state’s new requirements at a later date. If they hadn’t, this law would’ve empowered state election officials to visit their homes and refer them to the office of Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who has had no qualms about backing these restrictions, for potential investigation, which many voters may have found intimidating. ✂️
This court ruling is also a major victory for preserving same-day voter registration: Since New Hampshire does not permit early voting, same-day registration is only available on Election Day itself. That means election officials would have had to verify all the extra documents provided by new registrations at the same time they would’ve been conducting what’s shaping up to be a historically high-turnout election, which could’ve led to longer wait times to vote—delays that could’ve further hampered voters.
🌊 Election News 🌊
When people start in about the blue wave diminishing or whatever, because maybe the Democrats won’t take control of the Senate, or maybe won’t win as many House seats as hoped or whatever the freakout for today may be — remember the gubernatorial and state leg races. That’s how the Republicans began their reign of terror over this country — at the local and state levels — and that is how we are going to push them back and bring back a blue wave of progress. Resist the temptation to focus solely on federal government. Obviously, we keep working like honeybees to GOTV and win back the House and the Senate, but keep an eye on your local and state races and make sure you and everyone you know votes all the way down the ticket. There are legislators, councilpersons, sheriffs, school board members, judges, attorneys general and secretaries of state on the ballot in most states, too! They are the foundation of the country, it is states who draw district lines; local governments who control schools, state courts and jails, local infrastructure, social services and the daily operations of cities and towns that affect every one every day. We are on track to get many of those vital positions back in Democratic hands.
For help with “down ballot” voting, the League of Women Voters has a great voting 411 guide. You just put in your address and up pops a page with all the important races in your district and state listed. You can click on each one for information about candidates and positions. There are also other resources listed if you cannot find what you need on that site.
Also (click for thread with a ton of resource links):
Check out this great little guide to eleven toss-up gubernatorial races. (Note: Even this recent analysis may now be slightly outdated due to the withdrawal of Alaska’s governor from his bid for re-election. In a stunning and unexpected move, Bill Walker (I) announced he was suspending his campaign last Friday and threw his support behind Democrat Mark Begich). I think these forecasts are pretty conservative and still it looks good for Democrats.
11 Tight Governor’s Races Will Shape America’s Political Landscape, Ed Kilgore, Intelligencer, October 21, 2018.
The pre-midterm obsession with trends in close House and Senate races is so powerful at the moment that elementary school kids in metro Washington can probably cite Beto O’Rourke’s quarterly fund-raising haulor the latest polls from California’s 48th district. But an unusually large number of gubernatorial barn burners may have a more immediate and practical effect on the 260 million or so Americans who live in the 36 states whose governorships are at stake on November 6.
Democrats are almost sure to make some kind of net gains in total governorships, given a landscape in which Republicans are defending 26 seats in the midle of a midterm pro-Democratic trend. Indeed, according to the Cook Political Report, Democrats are favored to hold onto their own states and take back GOP governor’s offices in Illinois, Michigan and New Mexico. (Republicans are favored to oust Alaska’s independent Governor Bill Walker). ← see note above
Further to the analysis above, both Scott Walker (WI) and Kris Kobach (KS) have some trouble within their own ranks which is just peachy news for the good guys! Former GOP colleagues are coming out and endorsing the Democratic challengers! It’s true! As Rachel Maddow pointed out last week — these are people who know the R candidates well and have seen how they behave out of the public eye. And the former colleagues are waving red flags, giving the thumbs down, sounding alarms — doing everything they can to say “We know these assh*les: for the love of dog, do NOT vote for them!”
Walker’s hand-picked secretary of economic development, Paul Jadin, felt so strongly about this that he resigned his lucrative post so as to avoid conflict of interest before speaking out publicly against Walker:
Fourth former Scott Walker secretary comes forward to criticize governor, Matthew DeFour, Wisconsin State Journal, October 18, 2018.
On Thursday, (former secretary/CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Paul) Jadin released to the Wisconsin State Journal an open letter, co-signed by former Corrections Secretary Ed Wall and former Financial Institutions Secretary Peter Bildsten, slamming Walker and endorsing Walker’s Democratic opponent, state Superintendent Tony Evers. Both Wall and Bildsten have recorded videos for Evers’ campaign.
Another ex-Cabinet official, former Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb, has also come out against Walker in recent months, saying the governor hasn’t been telling the truth about road funding. Gottlieb didn’t sign the letter and hasn’t endorsed Evers.
In their letter, the three former secretaries say they joined his administration with a “fervent belief” that Walker shared their desire to improve the state. But over time, they said, “it became clear that his focus was not on meeting his obligations to the public but to advancing his own political career at a tremendous cost to taxpayers and families.”
Another former GOP governor of Kansas just endorsed Dem Laura Kelly over Kris Kobach, Hunter Woodall, Kansas City Star, October 19, 2018.
Former Kansas Gov. Mike Hayden, who served from 1987 to 1991, announced on Thursday that he is endorsing Kelly’s run for governor. He becomes the latest major GOP official along with former Gov. Bill Graves and former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum to support the state senator from Topeka.
Every living ex-governor of Kansas — except for Republican Sam Brownback — now supports Kelly over Kobach.
Let’s hope voters in Wisconsin and Kansas trust these guys and listen to them — and vote accordingly.
Speaking of gubernatorial races, this seems like an appropriate...
🎶 Musical Interlude 🎶
👀 From Jennifer Rubin, who has apparently switched from the WAPO “Right Turn” columnist to the “U-Turn” columnist (not that I am complaining! Welcome aboard, Jennifer!):
A Stacey Abrams win in Georgia may rewrite the political rule book for Democrats, Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post Opinion, October 22, 2018.
The prevalence of early voters who didn’t turn out in 2014 suggests Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams’s strategy to appeal to irregular voters may be producing results. An Abrams win, which would make her the first African American female governor in the United States ever, would instantaneously vault her to the top ranks of a new generation of Democratic political stars. The victory of a nonwhite, non-Republican, non-male governor in the Deep South who eschewed middle-of-the-roadism would have ramifications for 2020 and beyond.✂️
This is hardly a new phenomenon, but for Democrats who have lived in fear of being written off too “radical” or “outside the mainstream,” an Abrams victory would remind Democrats (unless they didn’t learn the lesson of 2016) that moderation combined with personal aloofness is not a winning recipe. Look for an Abrams win to embolden the dynamic progressive 2020 contenders.
Another Democrat Shines in Debate
Sunday night in Florida, Mayor Andrew Gillum (Tallahassee) totally outshone Rep Ron Desantis with his sincerity, his superior knowledge and his consistency. DeSantis looked so uncomfortable, eyes darting around or staring ahead like the proverbial deer in the headlights, tremulously smiling (when he remembered to do so, which was worse than his resting scared face), shifting from foot to foot, grinding his teeth (WTF was up with that?) — it was just incredible how outmatched he was by the far superior candidate, Andrew Gillum. Viewers commenting in real time — even those who were already inclined to vote for Gillum — were blown away by Mayor Gillum’s excellence in the debate. Lots of excitement for the start of early voting Monday in Florida, which is great news!
Mayor Gillum’s stirring closing remarks:
(Nifty note: YES, I saw the report from Manu Raju of the CNN poll (Oct. 16-20) showing Gillum up 12 points over DeSantis (and Nelson up 5 pts over Scott), but polls don’t vote; people do. GOTV).
Endorsements For Democrats, even in So-Called “Red States” and “Red districts”
Well, Florida is theoretically a “swing state”, but let’s start off here, since we just heard from their amazing gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. The Miami Herald has also endorsed a whole slew of candidates for various positions including Bill Nelson for U.S. Senator and Sean Shaw for FL Attorney General. Here’s a bit from the lengthy and thorough Gillum endorsement:
Andrew Gillum will be a governor for all Floridians, Editorial Board, Miami Herald, October 21, 2018
Andrew Gillum is the best candidate to pull Florida back to the center, back to making sure the middle class and working class don’t continue to bear the brunt of Tallahassee’s misguided spending; back to acting on behalf of the Floridians denied health insurance by the current administration; back to putting public schools, which serve the majority of the state’s children, in the spotlight; back to being a leader in the fight against sea-level rise and the degradation of the environment.
The tenacity, political smarts and commitment to public service that propelled this Tallahassee mayor to victory from the bottom of the pack of better-known candidates in August’s Democratic primary speak volumes. We think that each quality will serve him well as he likely confronts and negotiates with a Republican-dominated Legislature. These lawmakers were used to falling into line behind a governor whose often skewed sense of public service too often matched their own.
Endorsement editorial: Richard Ojeda is not afraid to fight for what WV needs, Editorial Board, The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, WV), October 20, 2018.
No one should doubt Richard Ojeda's determination or his passion. Old-timers might say he's as subtle as a chain saw. He's a fighter. He is someone who is not afraid of putting himself forward and accepting the risks that come with it. That's what West Virginia needs in the U.S. House of Representatives, and it's why The Herald-Dispatch endorses him in the race for the 3rd District.
Conservative New York Post endorses Nathan McMurray over Chris Collins, Jerry Zremski, The Buffalo News, October 21, 2018.
Democratic congressional candidate Nathan McMurray got an endorsement Sunday from the most unusual of sources: one of the nation's largest conservative newspapers.
The New York Post made McMurray the lone Democrat in the state that it endorsed. The reason? McMurray's Republican opponent in New York's 27th Congressional District, Rep. Chris Collins of Clarence, faces federal felony insider trading charges. ✂️
“Voters from all backgrounds can’t run away fast enough from Chris Collins,” McMurray said. “Every day I meet more regular folks who believe in putting country over party. They’re sick of the fighting, sick of being lied to, and embarrassed to be represented by a man out on bail." 🔥 👀 😁
👏 And check this out: Not only is it an enthusiastic endorsement fro Beto O’Rourke, but this paper’s editorial board went on to publish a blistering criticism of Cruz. I can’t quote all of it here, so I am going with the good news about Beto and you can find the rest at the link (well worth reading!)
For U.S. Senate: Beto O'Rourke, The Editorial Board, Houston Chronicle, October 19, 2018.
With eyes clear but certainly not starry, we enthusiastically endorse Beto O'Rourke for U.S. Senate. The West Texas congressman's command of issues that matter to this state, his unaffected eloquence and his eagerness to reach out to all Texans make him one of the most impressive candidates this editorial board has encountered in many years. Despite the long odds he faces – pollster nonpareil Nate Silver gives O'Rourke a 20 percent chance of winning – a "Beto" victory would be good for Texas, not only because of his skills, both personal and political, but also because of the manifest inadequacies of the man he would replace✂️
What sets O'Rourke apart, aside from the remarkable campaign he's running, are policy positions in keeping with a candidate duly aware of the traditionally conservative Texas voter he would be representing in the U.S. Senate. Representing a congressional district that includes Fort Bliss and numerous military retirees, he has focused on improving the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with special attention to mental health. He's a strong believer in free trade and global markets, an economic position that should appeal to pragmatic Houston business interests.✂️
While the bloviations emanate from the arena next week, imagine how refreshing it would be to have a U.S. senator who not only knows the issues but respects the opposition, who takes firm positions but reaches out to those who disagree, who expects to make government work for Texas and the nation. Beto O'Rourke, we believe, is that senator.
🌵Meanwhile, in Arizona it pained them to do this (haha read the story) but the Arizona branch of USA today, azcentral, reluctantly endorsed Kyrsten Sinema because no matter how badly they wanted to support Rs, they could not endorse the awful Martha McSally. Good.
Hat tip to Kossack smurf for pointing to these links in the GNR comments over the weekend. This community really rocks in many ways and one of the best is getting news on the ground in local and state races out to our wider audience. Montana view: Gazette backs Williams for House, Montana Standard Editorial Board, October 19, 2018.
Kathleen Williams will bring an even temper, analytical mind and thick skin to the U.S. House. She would be a strong voice for civility, bipartisanship and moderation. Combine that with her extensive knowledge of how to make government agencies work for average citizens, and Williams is an excellent choice to represent Montana in the U.S. House. She would be an especially valuable voice on issues of natural resources and public lands where she has camped, hiked and hunted – just like other Montanans.
🐩 The curlygirly liked the part in the article about how Williams is criss-crossing the state in her camper with her large dog. 🐩
From Bozeman, more details about the good work for regular people that Kathleen Williams does: Williams the moderate Montana needs, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, October 12, 2018.
Williams, a Democrat, is facing incumbent Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte. Williams has a long record of working in the Montana Legislature, both as a staff member and as three-term representative from Bozeman. During that time, she demonstrated a willingness to work with legislators from both parties to find common ground on important issues. The list of bills she has sponsored and cosponsored is long. Her professional and educational background in water science made her instrumental in the passage of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes water compact, which was essential to preserving water rights for many Montana farmers.
🐟 And just for the halibut … (sorry about the terrible pun; I blame jessiestaf) … here is a great read about Aftab Pureval (Dem candidate in OH-1), whose name we now know (thanks to Kossack livebychocolate) means “Sun” in Persian. CaffeineInduced then made the perfect connection which I present to you now as your next...
🎶 Musical Interlude 🎶
Democrats Work to Improve Peoples’ Lives
U.S. Sen. Heinrich Among Dignitaries Expected for Navajo Nation CPC, IWSH Foundation Press Release, PRNewswire, October 19, 2018.
"Access to water and sanitation is fundamental to public health. However, there is still much work to be done here in New Mexico to make universal access to clean water a reality," said Sen. Heinrich. "I am pleased to join with Navajo Nation leaders, IWSH, labor groups, plumbing manufacturers and other government officials who are working hard to find solutions on this critical issue and make a real difference in people's lives. I will keep doing everything I can to uphold our commitments to all of our tribes and fight for the funding, resources, and policies we need to ensure every New Mexican has access to clean water and sanitation in their homes."
Behold The Power of the People
They stood up in wind and cold and rain and snow to save our environment from a toxic pipeline scheme, and now they are standing up for voting rights. I am thankful for the dedication and hard work of Native Americans and that they continue to stand up for justice:
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Releases step-by-step graphic to help Native voters, Vincent Schilling, Indian Country Today, October 20, 2018.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has issued a step-by-step infographic detailing what Native voters can do to ensure they are able to vote on election day.
🚕 Remember this voter suppression story from Kansas last week? Check out how people power has responded:
Lyft Partners With Voto Latino to Help Get Dodge City Voters to the Polls, Natasha Bach, Fortune, October 22, 2018.
Since 2002, Dodge City had one polling place for its 27,000 residents: at the civic center. But ahead of next month’s election, officials moved it outside of the city, to a location that is more than a mile from the nearest bus stop. ✂️
So on Sunday, Latino activist group Voto Latino announced that it was partnering with Lyft to help bring Dodge City voters to their new polling place. The organization announced the partnership in a tweet, writing, “#DodgeCity #Kansas, is a Latinx -majority city that has had it’s ONLY polling location moved outside of city limits w/out access by public transportation. So we’re partnering w @lyft to provide rides to the polls!”
the power of Early Voting
Be prepared, Newsies. There’s going to be confusion about voter turnout. Media will go for the horserace angle as usual, partisan media will spin it up and down to try to manipulate their ideological bases (We’re ahead! Wait, they’re ahead!) and pollsters will continue to spew data like they know what will happen in this highly unusual year that may not work with existing polling models — alternately pretending to have the accurate forecast and cautioning that anything can happen. Pollsters are best at CYA, TBH. No matter what happens, they will say they predicted it — which will be true, although useless.
Block out the noise, Newsies. It’s OK to cheer about encouraging polls (we all need that!). Just keep working to get out the vote. Polls mean zip unless people vote.
Whatever it may mean, though, voter turnout IS up and that is exciting good news for democracy.
Tennessee: Early voting turnout on track to set new record, Elena Cawley, Manchester Times, October 22, 2018.
Texas: Shocking turnout for first day of early voting in Houston, Jeremy Wallace, Houston Chronicle, October 22, 2018.
Nevada: Clark County voters set record for early voting in midterm election, Natalie Bruzda, Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 20, 2018.
Virginia: Early Voter Turnout is Surging Across Virginia, Michael Pope, wvtf public radio, October 18, 2018.
North Carolina: First Day of Early Voting Brings Greater Turnout than Start of 2014 Election, Spectrum News Staff, Spectrum News Charlotte, October 19, 2018.
Florida: First day of early voting in Miami-Dade brings lines, enthusiasm and a campus party, Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, October 22, 2018.
Even Fox Nooz has to admit: Early voting points to massive turnout, potential warning signs for GOP, Greg Re, Fox News, October 22, 2018.
Potential warning signs for GOP? Maybe so, maybe not. GOTV and let’s MAKE IT SO!
And Now For A Word From The #BlueWave (Eleven Films)
Meanwhile, From The Schadenfreude File, This Assh*le…
Looks like even Ron DeSantis knows he bombed in the debate with Andrew Gillum last night. This article mentions that DeSantis’s campaign said there will “be a statement forthcoming” , so I will try to update before this goes live tomorrow morning. Remembering Ronny’s despicable “monkey it up” remarks, one lives in hope that the statement will be that he is withdrawing and/or endorsing his far superior opponent.
Racist assh*le.
Ron DeSantis cancels editorial board meeting with 6 Florida newspapers, James Call, Florida Today, October 22, 2018.
DeSantis had agreed last week to the hourlong discussion with editors and readers of the six newspapers that make up the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida:
• FLORIDA TODAY
• Fort Myers News-Press
• Naples Daily News
• TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers
• Tallahassee Democrat
• Pensacola News Journal
Also this assh*le
Poor old Rafael...er “Ted” Cruz. He just can’t get any love. First one of the biggest newspapers in his home state — who endorsed him in 2012! by the way — just published a glowing endorsement of his opponent, Beto O’Rourke. But they didn’t stop there. The Houston Chronicle editorial board seemed to have a lot to get off their chest. They excoriated Cruz. They lambasted him. They described him to a T:
Ted Cruz — a candidate the Chronicle endorsed in 2012, by the way — is the junior senator from Texas in name only. Exhibiting little interest in addressing the needs of his fellow Texans during his six years in office, he has kept his eyes on a higher prize. He's been running for president since he took the oath of office — more likely since he picked up his class schedule as a 15-year-old ninth-grader at Houston's Second Baptist High School more than three decades ago. For Cruz, public office is a private quest; the needs of his constituents are secondary.✂️
Voters don't send representatives to Washington to win popularity contests, and yet the bipartisan disdain the Republican incumbent elicits from his colleagues, remarkable in its intensity, deserves noting. His repellent personality hamstrings his ability to do the job. 🔥
To add insult to injury, Ted was just dwarfed and eclipsed at his own campaign rally!
Even Monday’s mega-rally suggested that Trump remains unimpressed with his one-time combatant. One White House official said that the president decided to go to Houston in large part because he wanted to bask in his adoring crowds rather than simply turn out Cruz’s.
“Where else is he going to get a crowd [that] gigantic and eager to have him there and speak?” the White House official asked rhetorically. Another source close to Trump said that the president has told people that he believed the Trump-Cruz rally would surely generate “big headlines, big crowd,” and wall-to-wall coverage on cable news, given Cruz and Trump’s famous past hostilities.✂️
Toward the end of the rally, Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale sent out a tweet alerting his followers to text the word “Texas” to a phone number. Doing so wouldn’t bring you to a Cruz donation page or get you on the Senator’s distribution list. Instead, it got you signed up to “receive recurring SMS/MMS messages from Donald J. Trump for President” and the chance to win some signed Trump shwag.
And These Assh*les...
It was irritating the heck out of me last month when the “Future Investment Initiative” 😏conference planned by the Saudis was being called “Davos in the desert”. In light of the egregious behavior of Saudi leadership (and their enablers in the USA), it looks like the World Economic Forum somewhat belatedly decided to draw a line in the sand (heh) and firmly distance themselves from the openly criminal elements in international financial circles. Better late than never, I suppose. But whatever the case may be, this kind of prestige branding matters a LOT to insecure, vicious despotic types, so the threat of legal action for using the brand name “Davos” will definitely sting the Saudis. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch.
World Economic Forum Objects to Misuse of the ‘Davos’ Brand, WEF Press Release, October 22, 2018.
Geneva, Switzerland, 22 October 2018 – The World Economic Forum objects to the proliferation of the use of the “Davos” brand for events that have nothing to do with its own activities. The Forum, together with the City of Davos, will use all means to protect the Davos brand against illicit appropriation. The Forum also draws attention to its policy not to organize conferences on behalf of a specific government, always preserving its independence and impartiality.
⚡️ Lightning Roundup ⚡️
⚡️ More of this, please: Nicola Sturgeon quits BBC event over Steve Bannon invitation, Lin Jenkins, The Guardian, October 20, 2018.
⚡️ And more of this, too (hat tip to chloris creator for pointing to this): Snap out of it! Stop the hand-wringing. The blue wave will be far bigger than polls predict, DaisiesArePretty, DailyKos, October 21, 2018.
⚡️ Ignore the handwringing, this case will proceed: Supreme Court Splits the Difference on Censusgate Scandal, Jay Michaelson, Daily Beast, October 22, 2018.
⚡️ 👀: Democrats mount a Midwestern comeback, Adam Wollner, McClatchey News, October 18, 2018.
⚡️ Desperate times, etc: Roger Stone Pathetically Tries to Walk Back His Prior Implication He Has Dirt on Trump as Mueller Closes In, Matthew Chapman, Alternet, October 22, 2018.
⚡️ Stopped clock, etc: Fox News’ Chris Wallace rips apart Trump claim that Democratic operatives are behind migrant caravan, Elizabeth Preza, Salon, October 22, 2018.
⚡️ No kidding! Trump’s Planned Nuclear Pact Withdrawal ‘Not The Work Of A Great Mind,’ Says Gorbachev, Mary Papenfuss, Huffington Post, October 22, 2018.
⚡️ Sorry, can’t get enough of this 😂: Trump Rallies With Cruz, Who No One Really Likes, Matt Lewis, Daily Beast, October 22, 2018.
⚡️ Bringing it: Obama Plays Offense in Las Vegas, Says Republicans ‘Can’t Help Themselves’, Gideon Resnick, Daily Beast, October 22, 2018.
⚡️ Miss You 💔: Barack Obama Throws Shade at Donald Trump: ‘Unlike some, I try to state facts.’, Jason Le Miere, Newsweek, October 22, 2018.
That last one is a good excuse for this...
🎶 Musical Interlude 🎶
💪 Action Roundup 💪
Job 1: Check your voter registration and make your plan to vote!
Here are a few helpful sites:
League of Women Voters Excellent resource for voting registration, finding your polling place, ballot info, etc.
Rock the Vote Geared toward younger voters.
Register to Vote and Confirm or Change Registration This is the U.S. government site.
Job 2: If you can spare a few minutes and a few envelopes and stamps, please consider signing up at Vote Forward to send letters of encouragement to inactive voters. It is a great way to help GOTV. Letters can be written now and mailed October 30, the date that research has shown will have the most beneficial impact/timing for encouraging people to go and vote. I saw it on Goodie’s GNR (You can check out peregrine kate’s diary about it here), signed right up and have now written eighty-five letters. I intend to write as many as I can before October 30. On Wednesday, a friend and I are going to do a letter-writing hour or two together. Here is a direct link to the site:
Vote Forward
Spread The Vote
Consider giving some support to Spread the Vote, which is working in several states to assist would-be voters without required ID’s. They take care of everything from obtaining necessary documents to providing transportation to necessary agencies, and they pay for everything. Even though most voter registration deadlines have passed for this year, Spread the Vote can continue to help people get ready to register so that we have a head start on the 2020 elections.
AND AS ALWAYS:
Please don’t forget the families who were forcibly separated by this evil so-called *administration*. Check out oldhippiedude’s action list here.
The ActBlue link is an easy way to contribute to 14 organizations, including the ACLU, who are working to help these families.
Also:
Donate to ActBlue
Donate to Swing Left
Send postcards to voters in other districts
Sign up to go door to door in your district
Sign up to drive people to the polls
Find your local Democratic Party and volunteer!
Plus! Check out Yosef 52's diaries, posted daily, chockerblock full of ideas and information.
And FreewayBlogger
chloris creator pointed to this hotline in yesterday’s comments. For anyone who runs into problems trying to vote:
Election protection: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
💚 Roundup Winddown 💚
Time for you regular reminder to take good care of yourself as we ride the roller coaster that is life in the dotard era. Eat well, get enough rest and make time every day for some activity that gives you peace and joy or at least a mental break. Know that there are fellow resisters who can take up your slack when you need a break, and then get back in the fight again. We are in this together.
I’ll send you on your way today with another lively piece of music that I associate with October, frosty nights and Hallowe’en. Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain”:
Happy Tuesday, Newsies!