From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Energize An Ally Tuesday: the Sunrise Movement
"If you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either." ---Leo Burnett
The goals of the Sunrise Movement to get this country's ass off the climate-change dime by embracing the Green New Deal are lofty, paradigm-shifting (yeah, I hate that phrase, too, but it fits), a little mind-boggling and, yeah, definitely star reachy. I especially like their awareness of the importance of building political power, something I always thought seemed to be a leg of the stool missing from the grassroots Occupy movement. Says co-founder Varshini Prakash in yesterday's interview with Meteor Blades:
We’ll be using the same tactics we’ve used these past few weeks to put the Green New Deal on the map to ramp up the pressure...to support a plan that’s actually in line with what the science and justice demand.
During the push to repeal Obamacare, we saw just how powerful everyday people can be when we unite and push for what we need. The protests all across the country made it politically toxic to vote for the repeal and, against all odds, the bill failed in the Senate.
That’s what we have to do---make it politically impossible for a Democratic lawmaker to vote no on the Green New Deal. And we do that by building power. We get droves of constituents to light up the phone lines, we get colleagues in Congress to reach out, we show up at their offices, we become inescapable. And if they don’t move, we’ll consider supporting a primary challenger to them in 2020 or 2022.
In other words, they dovetail with the Indivisible tactics. Excellent. They work. The Green New Deal, by the way, at its core "recognizes that economic stability is not independent of environmental sustainability." Imagine that: save the planet, energize a huge jobs sector, restore the middle class...what's not to love?
I like what the Sunrise Movement is doing, and it's nice to see them gaining new attention and traction. So I'm making my 2018 War on Christmas donation to those darn young'uns hellbent on fulfilling their dastardly mission of saving the planet for future generations while improving the economic standard of living for millions. If you feel so inclined, you can toss in a few bucks at their Act Blue donation link here, and/or support the Green New Deal by signing our petition here.
More info? Glad you asked! Read about the Sunrise Movement Plan and its principles, and get a look at the Green New Deal. Certainly a big challenge to achieve, but, pardon my French, pretty f*cking inspirational. And follow ‘em on Twitter here and on the evil Facebook here.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Note: Gotta have all the Christmas carols pumped directly into your brain stem right now? Tune your dental fillings to C&J Radio, where we're playing every single Christmas song at the same time 24 hours a day for the next two weeks! Now you can enjoy Rudolph, Frosty, Silent Night, Good King Wenceslas, Carol of the Bells, Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, Santa Baby, the Hallelujah Chorus, and all the rest in one great big ball of holly jolly cacophony! And it’s FREE! C&J Radio---all the holiday hits pathologically cranked up to eleven. You’re welcome!
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til Saturnalia: 6
Days 'til the end of the Greenwich Reindeer Festival in Connecticut: 13
Years since the U.S. has been a net oil exporter, as it so became last week: 75
U.S. trade gap in October, the highest in ten years: $55.5 billion
Percent of Americans who approve of the way Trump is handling the fallout from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to a YouGov poll: 26%
Percent of adults who believe Donald Trump only hires the best people, according to a new Monmouth University poll: 30% (i.e. his base, and only his base)
Percent of adults who have never disclosed their income to a live-in romantic partner, according to USA Today: 31%
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Saved!!!
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CHEERS to a peace-full moment. Yesterday the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded by the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of King Harald V of Norway (not to be confused with grifter Harold Hill of River City). This year's winners are Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, who were recognized "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict." Applause, applause, applause…
The gold medals were presented to Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecologist who has spent his career treating tens of thousands of rape survivors, and Murad, a Yazidi woman from Iraq who was kidnapped and kept as a slave by an Isis judge, raped and beaten every day, before she escaped and became a human rights campaigner.
Both laureates said the reason atrocities such as those they had witnessed still occurred in the 21st century was because perpetrators were not brought to justice.
“So far, the perpetrators of the crimes which led to this genocide have not been brought to justice. I do not seek more sympathy; I want to translate those feelings into actions on the ground,” [Murad] said. “The international community must be committed to providing asylum and immigration opportunities to those who have become victims of this genocide.”
More than 6,500 Yazidi women and girls have been kidnapped, raped, bought and sold, and Murad pointed out that the fate of 3,000 women and children was still unknown.
It was fitting that they received their Nobels on International Human Rights Day. But, as usual, the day passed with plenty of humans and not enough rights.
CHEERS to order in the court. Joltin' wheels of justice, Batman! It's another black eye for the conservative Jesus freaks in Kansas! Yesterday the Supreme Court let stand five circuit court rulings that said state laws there (and Louisiana) banning the use of Medicaid money for non-abortion-related Planned Parenthood services are unconstitutional. Even more wild: the angry conservative black-out drunk---aka Boof Kavanaugh---sided with the liberals, as did Chief Justice Roberts. That has Daily Kos Judicial Affairs Editor Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza wondering if maybe we're seeing a shade-left-of-the-wackos alliance in the making, as a way to prevent a full-scale revolt on hot-button issues (i.e. abortion, LGBT rights) that they know are supported by huge majorities in this country:
[T]he prospect of a Kavanaugh who aligns himself more closely with Roberts than Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch is an intriguing one. It’s in line with the image he cultivated on the D.C. Circuit, with his careful acquisition of allies on both sides of the aisle, if not the persona he presented before the Senate Judiciary Committee. […]
Until now, Roberts has been the sole hope for moderation, based largely on his vote to save the Affordable Care Act. The existence of a slightly more moderate dyad, especially one routinely alienated by the far-right triad, bodes far better for moderation than a single voice capable of moderation. It’s also a position that those justices could come to enjoy. […]
[T]wo justices banding together could reinforce one another’s logic, provide cover to one another, and acquire the same prominence and respect as Kennedy---every brief would be written for that pair, every argument prepared in relation to their views.
In the immortal words of Mr. Spock: fascinating.
P.S. Oh dear. It looks like the Putin operative who bored her way into the Republican party via the NRA like a termite tearing through balsa wood is flipping. Wow---never underestimate how persuasive the promise of two-ply toilet paper can be to a Russian.
JEERS to cutting and running. White House chief of staff John Kelly is leaving his post at the end of the year, although no one knows if he was fired or quit.
During his brief, sad tenure of shame, he turned out to be just another Republican creep who disgraced the military uniform he once wore---a feckless hothead willing to vilify immigrants and put words into a respected congresswoman's mouth that she never spoke, while shrinking like a water-deprived violet from the combined 30 pounds of bodyweight that make up his overlords Jared and Ivanka. His replacement was supposed to be Mike Pence's "wunderkind" chief of staff, but that's been ruled out as Nick Ayers says he wants to spend more time with his family. (Translation: he wants to spend less time with the crabby baby with the red Diet Coke button on his Oval Office desk). The job will instead go to the first person Trump saw on Fox News this morning. So let me be the first to say: congratulations, catheter sales commercial guy!
CHEERS to the Crossroads of America. Happy birthday to the home of 6.7 million clean-cut, "basketball ring"-dunking patriots in the heartland! On December 11, 1816, Indiana (or as we say in Maine: "Indianer") became our nation's 19th state. I grew up next door in Ohio, so naturally I'm legally obliged to look down my designer reading glasses at you "Hoosier types" because I’ve been indoctrinated to believe that your corn is inferior and you stole our state bird, the cardinal. (I still say the Buckeye State should build a big, beautiful border wall and make Kentucky pay for it.) But I'll give you this: any state that produces David Letterman (Indianapolis), Eugene V. Debs (Terre Haute), Kurt Vonnegut (also Indy), Larry Bird (West Baden Springs), Florence Henderson (Dale), and all these other VIPs can't be all bad. But we only have two words for the folks in Columbus, where Mike Pence cultivated his obsession with Puritanism: thoughts and prayers.
CHEERS to amigos in high places. If what I read is true (and it must be because I read it), Mexico got its first left-leaning president in 70 years last week. Here are some facts you might find handy about Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who snagged 53 percent of the vote, which was 30 points higher than the #2 candidate:
» He was born on November 13th, 1953 in the state of Tabasco, and his mom knew he was destined for politics when he popped out of her womb wearing a sash.
» His nickname: "AMLO." I've spent the last 18 hours trying to figure out what the hell it means, but darn if I know how to decipher those secret Mexican codes.
» Graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico with degrees in political science and public administration
» Was head of the government of Mexico City
» Head of the National Regeneration Movement, whose goals include a commitment to "support ethnic, religious, cultural and sexual diversity, respect for human rights and environmental care."
» Says he's a Catholic, has been "accused" of being a protestant, but prefers to be referred to as a generic Christian "in the broadest sense of the word."
» Plans to prove is frugality by selling the presidential plane and living at home, not the presidential palace.
» Ain't gonna pay for no f*cking wall
» Biggest challenges: fighting corruption (aka "the dishonesty of the rulers") and drugs. His preferred weapons in the latter are better jobs, wages and some legalization and amnesty, not military force.
His swearing-in was attended by Ivanka Trump. But everyone had a good time anyway.
CHEERS to great moments in feeling good. On December 11, 1844, laughing gas was used by a dentist for the first time. They don’t use it as much these days. They achieved better results by putting TVs on the ceiling tuned to Fox News.
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Ten years ago in C&J: December 11, 2008
CHEERS to magic words. I know you're sitting on pins and needles waiting to see what the “fastest rising” Google search terms were in 2008. Well, your wait is over:
Obama
Facebook
ATT
iPhone
YouTube
Fox News
Palin
Beijing 2008
David Cook
Surf the channel
Poor John McCain...shut out again. And Fox News is only there because the network's viewers have trouble remembering "foxnews.com" (it is a long and confusing URL). But the most unintentionally funny search term of the year has to be: Did you mean Glenn Beck Plain Stupid? I didn’t know there was any other way to describe him.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to whispering sweet somethings in our ear. Slowly but surely, the brilliant nerds at NASA are giving us multi-tentacled earthlings a full sensory experience of our neighbor 100 miles (give or take) to the east (give or take). I'm speaking, of course, of Mars, where the just-landed InSight probe has given us a tantalizing taste of ear candy to go with the eye candy provided by its predecessors. I was expecting to hear a bunch of angry "Ack Acks," but that doesn’t mean I'm disappointed in the least by the gentle whoosh I heard instead…
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I hope smell-o-rama is the next sensory experience they treat us to next. I've got fifty bucks riding on paprika.
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
In his ongoing effort to remain relevant, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci is dipping his toes into the Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool. And it’s really hard to say that with a straight face.
---Splinter
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