Before we get started today, I’d like to address an issue that comes up from time to time around here.
Every once in a while someone shows up in comments determined to convince us that the whole concept of a Good News Roundup is misguided. They want to inform us that we are naive, that we are whistling past the graveyard, that we are distracted from the real threats facing us and our country. Often they want us to believe that there is nothing to be done about those threats.
Now, it’s against the Rules of the Road to call these people trolls or accuse them of spamming so we won’t do that.
It’s never clear just what these folks want us to do other than WAKE UP SHEEPLE. Sometimes their intent is to discourage us by persuading us that there’s no point in trying. Of course, that’s the kind of thing a troll would do, but we’re not allowed to call them trolls, so we won’t.
Other times they want to argue that there is only one way to overcome the dark forces we face. Their position is that the One True Strategy has not been adopted, and that therefore the good news about Democratic victories either can’t be happening or don’t matter. We must ignore the dozens of electoral victories and all the favorable poll numbers and accept the One True Strategy. Of course, this is what a spammer would do, but we’re not allowed to call them that so we won’t.
A few of them seem to have no purpose except to provoke a fight. They want to see us stirred up enough to argue with them, and they will continue to argue long after the weakness of their argument has been exposed, often resorting to poorly written insults to keep the ruckus going. But even though this is classic trolling behavior, we’re not allowed to call them trolls, so we won’t.
It is clearly very rude and inconsiderate to invade our diaries with their silly arguments for surrender. And it is a direct, vicious attack on those who come here for encouragement and reassurance when all the bad news gets them down. But pointing this out to them has no effect on them, any more than it would have on any troll (which we are totally not calling them.)
So here’s what I’m going to do. Whenever one of these unpleasant people crawls out from their rock, I will engage them, not in an attempt to convince them that they are wrong (they know that) but to remind everyone that defeatism and capitulation are not correct responses to what is going on around us. They will almost certainly respond by ignoring what we say, pretending that the contents of the diary don’t exist, and with insults to our intelligence and supposed lack of pragmatism.
And that’s when the mockery and derision will begin. But I won’t call them trolls, because that’s against the Rules of the Road.
So don’t let the prophets of doom get you down. Just enjoy as we have fun with them. Join in if you like—it’s easy and enjoyable to take them down. Just remember not to call them trolls.
And now, here’s some solid reasons why the Debbie Downers are flat wrong.
Election News Was Good For The Second Straight Week
A lot of good stuff happened in Tuesday’s primaries. I’m a bit disappointed that only two major candidates I liked in Texas were victorious, but at least I got to vote for both of them. And there was plenty of encouragement to be had in the elections returns, from Kentucky’s state House Floor Majority Leader losing his job after being primaried by a teacher, to Democrats in that same state’s 6th Congressional district picking Amy McGrath as their nominee, to Georgia Democrats nominating Stacey Abrams to become the nation’s first African-American woman governor, to Texas Democrats nominating Lupe Valdez to become the nation’s first lesbian Latina governor.
But the best news can be seen in the pattern to all of those results. In Democratic primaries and runoffs, 24 non-incumbent women won their primaries, including two for governorships and five for US Congressional seats. The numbers are higher if you count GOP primaries (although sadly Bunni Pounds lost her runoff). These results are a continuation of a trend that’s been clear all year of women taking greater control of Democratic politics, and the party is and will be better for it.
Here in Texas, another interesting pattern has emerged.
Texas GOP Crazy Caucus Holds Its Own In Primaries Against Batshit Crazy Challengers
In the last session of the Texas State Legislature an epic battle was waged between regular corrupt business-oriented Republicans and the truly insane religious Republicans, led by State House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Dan Patrick respectively. The main staging ground was the state’s proposed Bathroom Bill, an obviously discriminatory measure which was opposed by the state’s entire business community and, therefore, by Speaker Straus. When the bill went down in flames Patrick vowed to strike down on moderates with a great vengeance and a furious anger. It didn't quite work out that way.
At the end of last summer’s special legislative session, an angry Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vowed that the Texas House members who blocked his agenda — especially the so-called bathroom bill and a measure restricting property tax increases — “are going to have to explain that to the voters.”
But in Tuesday’s runoff elections and in the March 6 primary, GOP voters overwhelmingly rejected candidates aligning themselves with the agenda Patrick pushed in the state Senate, which he leads, and instead chose business-backed centrist Republicans associated with retiring House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio.
The results mean that when state representatives choose a new House speaker in January, the House majority will likely look a lot like it does now: friendly to big business and solidly conservative, but leery of some of the social issues prioritized by Patrick and his allies. The GOP majority could be smaller, however, because midterm elections usually favor the party out of power in Washington.
The significance of all this is that Patrick and his band of Christianist extremists will continue have a difficult time waging jihad against the forces of darkness conjured by their fevered imaginations. While the state leg is going to remain Republican, it will not be eager to push the most extreme legalized hate the Patrick has spent his career advocating for.
And speaking of Texas (as I am wont to do)—
Pajama Model Blake Farenthold May Be Out Of Another Job
I’m sure you all remember my former congressman, the corrupt and disgraced Blake Farenthold. You may also be aware that after he was forced to leave office he was almost immediately got a $160,000/yr gig as a lobbyist for the the Calhoun Port Authority in Port Lavaca. Well, as you might expect with Farenthold, he may have been hired illegally.
Disgraced former Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) may have been hired illegally at his new job at a Texas port authority, and a local newspaper on Monday filed a lawsuit that could result in his being ejected.
Farenthold, who abruptly resigned from Congress last month while under investigation for sexual harassment, announced last week that he landed a gig as a lobbyist for the Calhoun Port Authority in Port Lavaca, Texas.
The problem is that the local government entity did not give public notice that it was hiring Farenthold or that it was creating a job for him that pays $160,000 a year. Under the Texas Open Meetings Act, public entities must give notice of actions being taken at upcoming meetings and allow for public comment. The port did give notice of its May 9 meeting, after which Farenthold was hired, but it used vague language about personnel matters.
“They didn’t even talk about the fact that they were hiring a lobbyist, much less that it was Blake Farenthold,” said Joe Larsen, a Houston-based attorney who serves on the board of directors for the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. “Specificity has to match the level of public interest.”
If the lawsuit against the Port Authority prevails, it will be the first time Farenthold has lost a job for reasons other than sexual harassment and assault.
And one more from Texas—
Texas Governor Expresses Support For Modest Gun Safety Regulations
Yes, you read that right. Responding to the appalling epidemic of mass shootings, including the murders of 36 people in two incidents in the Lone Star State, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said he would support rudimentary gun safety requirements.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that there are several modest gun regulations he could support, including stronger requirements for reporting lost or stolen firearms.
Abbott also supported requiring judges to more quickly report court orders that deny people access to guns for safety reasons.
“In the state of Texas right now, that report can be delayed for as long as 30 days, which is incomprehensible. I think the time period for that can be shortened to at least no more than 48 hours,” he said.
Other ideas will need further discussion, Abbott said, including whether to expand the use of protective orders to address mental health concerns. Known as red-flag warnings, the court orders allow guns to be confiscated and can ban firearms ownership for a set amount of time. Texas law currently allows for such orders after an arrest for family violence, Abbott said.
Proposals to require enhanced background checks before gun sales also will need more discussion, he said.
The governor’s statements are notable because it is the first time a Texas NRA employee Republican in statewide office has taken the “radical” step of suggesting support for even these minimal proposals. What was also notable was what led to the softening of Abbott’s pro-gun stance.
Wednesday’s three-hour, closed-door session at the Capitol included experts on mental health and school safety, but it gained additional attention by featuring opposing sides of the gun regulation debate as well as a governor who is a staunch advocate for Second Amendment gun rights.
When it was over, Abbott said the discussion produced some consensus on addressing guns, particularly on the need to ensure that firearms are safely stored to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
For a long time we have been wondering how many kids would have to die before the ammosexuals were forced to acknowledge the problem with their worship of firearms. In Texas it looks like we may have an answer. And if the gun nuts in this state are being forced to have this discussion, it can happen almost anywhere.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, things have gotten even worse for the Governor and the state GOP
FBI Investigating Possible Threats And Bribery In Missouri Governor’s Attempt To Avoid Impeachment
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is not going to leave office without a fight. It appears that that may include fighting dirty.
FBI agents have been questioning Missouri lawmakers about possible coercive tactics by associates of Gov. Eric Greitens, as the state legislature is set to consider impeaching the embattled governor.
Two state Republican lawmakers told CNN they were contacted and interviewed in recent weeks by FBI agents, who asked whether they were aware of any threats and bribes made on behalf of the governor regarding an impeachment vote.
One of the lawmakers, who met with an agent in Jefferson City, said they told the FBI they were not directly aware of any such incidents. The second lawmaker declined to discuss their responses to FBI questioning.
The second lawmaker also said the FBI's questioning suggested investigators' interest is not limited solely to possible threats and bribes, although that was one focus.
No matter how much the state GOP tries to distance themselves from this guy, he is the leader and the face of their party. Claire McCaskill is looking less vulnerable by the day.
And things are looking better for Democrats from coast to coast.
19 More House Seats Rated As Friendlier To Democrats
According to Roll Call, Inside Elections has shifted their ratings of 19 more House seats to the left. This doesn’t mean that all 19 are now competitive—some changed from Solid Republican to Likely Republican. But it’s another sign the the Blue Wave is coming, no matter what the doomsayers and the horserace obsessed media try to tell us. Consider this:
After the latest round of changes, Inside Elections now has 68 Republican seats rated as vulnerable compared to just 10 vulnerable Democratic seats. And there are at least a couple dozen more GOP-held seats that could develop into competitive races in the months ahead.
That discrepancy in the playing field is reminiscent of previous “wave” elections. In April 2010, there were 68 vulnerable Democratic House seats and 11 vulnerable Republican seats. Republicans gained 63 seats later than year. And in May 2006, there were 42 vulnerable Republican seats and 11 vulnerable Democratic seats. Six months later, Democrats gained 30 seats.
68 GOP seats are vulnerable. The Dems could lose all 10 of their vulnerable seats (they won’t) and would still have 58 weak Republicans to beat. We only need 24 to retake the House. So forget what the panic-stricken keep saying about Trump’s supposed uptick in popularity (which isn’t a thing—fight me). Trump isn’t running for anything this year, 68 GOP Congressman with a good chance of losing are.
All of Inside Elections House competetive ratings can be found here. Read ‘em and smile.
And here’s a few more items of good news that just came down in the last couple of days.
Michael Cohen’s Business Partner Has Flipped
The Taxi King has decided to cooperate with federal prosecutors as part of a plea deal.
A longtime business associate of President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen has reportedly agreed to cooperate with government prosecutors as part of a plea deal.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Evgeny Freidman agreed to cooperate with state and federal prosecutors, potentially raising pressure on Cohen to assist in the special counsel investigation into Russia's 2016 election meddling.
this is going to increase the already intense pressure on Cohen, and when he flips we all know where that will lead. And Friedman’s conviction will be another notch in Mueller’s belt.
Federal Judge Rules Trump Can’t Block Twitter Users For Political Views
You can still get blocked for calling him a bloated corrupt tiny-fingered traitor, but yesterday a judge ruled that Trump can’t block you if you say his political positions sound like those of a bloated corrupt tiny-fingered traitor.
Blocking users from viewing his Twitter account — a feature offered by the social media platform — is unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment, Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote in her ruling.
"While we must recognize, and are sensitive to, the President’s personal First Amendment rights, he cannot exercise those rights in a way that infringes the corresponding First Amendment rights of those who have criticized him," Buchwald wrote.
No word yet on whether the Resident will appeal.
Kris Kobach’s Appeal Of Contempt Citation Fails
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Kansas Secretary of State’s clumsy appeal of his contempt of court citation.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach ran into another hurdle Tuesday in his ongoing court battle with the American Civil Liberties Union.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Kobach’s appeal of a contempt order handed down by a federal judge last month, finding that Kobach erred by filing his appeal before the judge had made final sanctions.
U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson has held off on imposing sanctions until she issues a final ruling in the case that will determine whether thousands of Kansas residents can vote in November when the state chooses a new governor.
Don’t forget to help out the ACLU as they continue to fight—and win—this and other voting rights cases.
New York Jets Chairman Says Players Are Still Free To Protest
In the wake of NFL action imposing fines for player protests during the national anthem, Jets chairman Christopher Johnson said yesterday that any fines imposed on protesting players would be borne by the team organization.
“I do not like imposing any club-specific rules,” Johnson said. “If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don’t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won’t. There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear.”
And finally
Harvey Weinstein About To Be Arrested
From the biggest man in Hollywood to just another inmate. Harvey Weinstein is going to jail.
The New York Police Department is ready to arrest former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, two NYPD officials told The Wall Street Journal, as federal prosecutors have opened a probe into some of the sexual assault allegations against him.
The NYPD is reportedly just waiting for approval from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., whose office has been criticized for not previously charging Weinstein after allegations were brought against him in 2015.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan began a criminal investigation into the multiple sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein amid heightened tensions between police and the Manhattan district attorney’s office, sources told the Journal.
It’s hard to imagine that Vance will be able to continue his collaboration with Weinstein in the face of this new investigation. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Well, it’s 4:30 in the morning CDT, so it’s time for me to put this Roundup and myself to bed.
We must never relax, and we can never rest as long as actual Nazis are running the country. But we can take heart in knowing that battles can be won, and those opposing justice are on the run. People comment each Thursday on the length of my Roundups, but you have no idea how many stories I have to leave out each week. Maybe you know of a few you can share with us.
As usual, I will be asleep when this goes live in 90 minutes, but every comment will be read. “Let the words be yours I’m done with mie.”
And as always, if this isn’t enough good news, go out and make some of your own.
Here’s a little love song for you. Play us out, Jerry…