In the Good News group we are getting our trampling shoes on for the elections. Nobody deserves trampling more than ersatz Sen. Martha McSally of AZ, who couldn't get elected, and is losing bigly after being appointed. And no wonder.
I'm just going to be frank with you guys, okay. This is not the time for states and cities—unlike Arizona, unlike Surprise—who have mismanaged their budgets over the course of many decades, for them to use this as an opportunity to see you, as a taxpayer in Arizona, as a cash cow for them in whatever city you want to talk about, whether it's Chicago or New York or whatever.
Our Joan points out what is fairly widely known, but evidently not widely enough.
For every $1 paid in federal taxes by residents as of last year, Arizona got back $1.72.
Benjamin Franklin claimed
Experience teaches a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.
Sorry, Ben, apparently we have evolved a better class of fools since your day.
Now, I will admit that plenty of Wrong-Wingers deserve a political trampling as much as McSally. And plenty of them are going to get one. But we are at the ideological level of arguing whether Hitler was nastier than Stalin, or any of the other genocidal murderers of the 20 century.
As a continuation of that thought, I would note that Albert Elnstein did NOT say
Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome, is the definition of insanity.
It was invented by Al-Anon.
Einstein did apparently say
Only two things are infinite, the Universe and human stupidity. And I have my doubts about the Universe.
But the first saying has much merit, no matter who said it. It is the definition of Cognitive Dissonance, the increase in devotion When Prophecy Fails (book by Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter). Racists have been promoting White Supremacy for centuries. Mysogynists have been promoting male entitlement for centuries. The End Times (Christian, Muslim, and Jewish) are being continuously predicted. The Road to Majority Conferences are notable for recommending throwing out RINOS as a way to recreate the Republican majorities of Nixon and Reagan. Aristotle and Aristophanes, in very different ways, wrote about the political lunacies rampant in Athens way back when.
OK, fine, they are all insane. They have always been insane.
Now, let's see about this Martha McSally person.
Martha McSally
She was not, on the face of things, a total loss starting out.
McSally served in the United States Air Force from 1988 to 2010 and was the first female commander of a USAF fighter squadron. In 2001, McSally sued the United States Department of Defense in McSally v. Rumsfeld, challenging the military policy that required United States and United Kingdom servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia to wear the body-covering abaya when traveling off base in the country.
In her freshman term in Congress, McSally had seven bills approved by the U.S. House.[33] Among all members of the U.S. House, McSally was tied for third as of 2016 in the number of bills she had authored that have made it through the House. Her bills were generally "narrowly drawn proposals to improve homeland security or to help veterans."[30]
During her first years in Congress, McSally had a reputation as a political moderate.[34] According to The Arizona Republic, McSally was "one of the most prolific fundraisers among House members not holding a leadership role, while cultivating a reputation as a conscientious and moderate lawmaker."[35]
But then came Trump.
On January 12, 2018, McSally announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of U.S. Senator Jeff Flake. McSally announced her campaign in Tucson, then flew to Phoenix and Prescott for subsequent campaign announcement rallies.[36][37] An online video announcing McSally's campaign featured her telling Washington, D.C. Republicans "to grow a pair of ovaries." The announcement represented a "sharp right turn" from McSally's centrist reputation.[38][39]
McSally had previously distanced herself from Trump, choosing not to endorse him in 2016 and calling his comments about sexual assault "disgusting" and "unacceptable."[42] But in the lead-up to announcing her candidacy for Senate, McSally began to embrace Trump, running ads echoing his conservative immigration policy positions.[43] Politico wrote: "Martha McSally wants to make one thing clear before she launches an Arizona Senate campaign: She's a big fan of President Donald Trump."[44]
McSally has repeatedly praised the Trump administration's response to the pandemic.[74][75] On March 6, 2020, in an interview on Phoenix station KNXV-TV, she urged Arizonans against taking action to prevent spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus, even though the disease had already begun spreading in Arizona.[76] Her comments drew criticism and have been featured in television ads critical of McSally's "go on spring break" comments and votes to cut funding from the Centers for Disease Control.[77] On April 2, 2020, McSally called for the World Health Organization director general to step down.[78]
LOL.
Yes. THAT Martha McSally.
Sen. Martha McSally: Next coronavirus relief package should not be a 'cash cow' for mismanaged cities
Sen. Martha McSally won’t commit to backing additional financial support for state and local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying taxpayers should not bail them out for years of mismanagement.
"Years of mismanagement" is a standard Republican Starve the Beast Dog Whistle for helping the poor and needy, especially
- Blacks and other minorities
- Women
- Immigrants
- LGBTQs
and for relying on science rather than Creationism, Voodoo Economics, and Global Warming Denial.
Martha McSally makes wild claim about COVID-19 on Fox: "Asymmetric people are spreading this virus"
McSally apparently wanted to warn that asymptomatic individuals can still spread the virus, which is why social distancing is so important to slowing its spread.
"Asymmetric people are spreading this virus," McSally said. "If they keep spreading it fast, the nursing home workers, nurses and doctors are going to get it, and it could overwhelm our health care industry. America is amazing, but we need to do our part. Do your part, young people. Stay home, stay away from people and let's save the greatest generation."
Um, Martha? Do you mean asymptomatic people?
There is lots more of this stuff out there, but this will do for today.