Showing posts with label Ron DeSantis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ron DeSantis. Show all posts

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Kari Lake Turns On DeSantis

 

Most Arizona voters have gotten over Kari Lake and just want her to go away. I am one of those, but, and this is a huge BUT. Daily Beast says she...
"once fawned over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for having the “BDE [Big Dick Energy] that we want all of our leaders to have,” is now spreading conspiracy theories about the Republican darling."

We need a good liberal strategist, like James Carville, to put together a blueprint to wreck DeSantis' drive to the White House in 2024 and send him back to Florida where he can continue to ravage that state.  

Friday, February 10, 2023

DeSantis Is An Ideological Fascist And Racial Authoritarian

 

These are the words from Salon's Senior Writer Chauncey Devega's piece on February 7th of this year. I mention all this due to the importance and timeliness of this issue. It comes at a time when Donald Trump is losing his power and the Republican presidential primary emphasis is swinging toward the despot DeSantis. I cannot think of anything, including Donald Trump, that would be worse for this country...most certainly democracy.

There was a story back in November of 2022 on RawStory, "'Oddball' Ron DeSantis might not be a hit on the national stage: former GOP insiders." First of all, calling DeSantis an "oddball" falls way too short of describing this autocratic dictator whose actions caused 7,443,954 Covid cases resulting i84,927 deaths. Teachers have only the books on their shelves allowed by DeSantis or face jail time. A Florida teacher rips DeSantis’ censorship, criminal threats as outrageous.

One can only hope he won't play well nationally keeping him isolated in a Florida that has so far supported his dictatorial prowess with cracks appearing recently. Here is an excerpt from a recent RawStory essay by Thom Hartmann...

"Historians and political observers have been predicting that America would get our very own Mussolini ever since the days of Barry Goldwater. And there's been no shortage of candidates: bribe-taking Nixon; Central American fascist-loving Reagan; Gitmo torturing and war-lying Bush; and, of course, Trump."

 Has Ron DeSantis Turned Florida into Fascist Paradise?


And, of course, what we have been given to fill this Mussolini niche is Ron DeSantis. Hartmann makes a statement that is disturbing but not unexpected...
"But with Ron DeSantis, we may finally be facing an all-American politician who has Mussolini's guile, ruthlessness, and willingness to see people die to advance his political career..."

OMG, a willingness to let people die is just what this ogre did, along with his bogus Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, in spewing misinformation over Covid. DeSantis and fellow Republicans are described as proclaiming Florida a bastion of "freedom" and "liberty" when in reality Hartmann calls it a laboratory for fascism. My interpretation of this comment indicates plans by this deranged group of autocrats to take their tyrannical movement national in 2024.

This country cannot survive another dictator. Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis must be cut off at the knees and we must do it today!

Monday, February 6, 2023

Florida's Big Brother Says Hide Those Books Or Go To Jail

 

You would think that George Orwell had Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in mind when he wrote 1984. Of course he didn't, but like a painter who has found a perfect model, DeSantis would have been Orwell's ideal standard for Big Brother. Yes, the despot DeSantis is a certified dictator borne out by the fact that in this case, Florida teachers have to hide perfectly acceptable books to a fair-minded person, but not to the unbalanced bunch that governs the dubious sunshine state. 

Here's the scenario from The Washington Post...

"Students arrived in some Florida public school classrooms this month to find their teachers’ bookshelves wrapped in paper — or entirely barren of books — after district officials launched a review of the texts’ appropriateness under a new state law." 
It seems, "the State Board of Education ruled that a law restricting the books a district may possess applies not only to schoolwide libraries but to teachers’ classroom collections, too." It "mandates that schools’ books be age-appropriate, free from pornography and 'suited to student needs.'” Get this, they have to "be approved by a qualified school media specialist." This person apparently receives training from the duly appointed minions of, who else, Ron DeSantis.

'Outrageous': Don Lemon reacts to Florida book law championed by DeSantis...


This all comes down to the fact that these frustrated teachers cannot order books for over a year. And in many cases it is the interpretation of the law in what is bad and what is good by a radical right that confuses teachers. And would you believe, if any teacher errs in the display or use of books, DeSantis the destroyer doesn't approve of, they could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine? And here are the results...
Marie Masferrer, a board member of the Florida Association for Media in Education and a school librarian. says former colleagues have told her that students are struggling.

First, Ron DeSantis aids and abets in the deaths of 84,927 Covid pandemic deaths, along with 7,443,954 cases of the virus. Now, the delusional DeSantis wants to put teachers in prison for teaching their students. According to Market Realist, Florida faces a teacher shortage of over 9,000 unfilled positions. It can only get worse as long as Florida is run by a dictator.

READ MORE...

 

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Will Extremism Haunt The Republican Party To Self-Destruction?


New York Times columnist, Charles M. Blow, says, "Extremism Is on the Rise … Again." And here I thought it had never abated. But Blow, being the excellent journalist he is, qualifies his headline, written before the Nov. 8 elections, citing one startling fact...
"There are 291 election deniers on the ballot."

You can see the 291 deniers in the "on the ballot" link, above, with names you will recognize like Kevin McCarthy, Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ron DeSantis, Kari Lake, Herschel Walker; you get the idea. But Blow reports...

In a major speech Wednesday night, President Biden described election denial as “the path to chaos in America.” “It’s unprecedented,” he said. “It’s unlawful. And it’s un-American.” But in truth, the extremism, racism and white nationalism are neither un-American nor unfamiliar.

There are comparisons with the William Howard Taft administration in 1908, later Woodrow Wilson, who campaigned on an “America First” platform, which soon became "associated not just with isolationism, but also with the Ku Klux Klan, xenophobia and fascism." Wilson was a racist from the South and is measured against Donald Trump who Blow says...

"is one of the worst presidents — if not the worst — that this country has ever had."

More matching between Wilson and Trump...

It was Wilson who screened “The Birth of a Nation” at the White House, a film that pushed the “Lost Cause” narrative and fueled the rebirth of the Klan.

 Assessing threats of political violence and rising extremism on the far-right...


Trump hosted a screening of “2,000 Mules” — a fact-checker-debunked documentary that purported to show widespread voter fraud carried out by “mules” who stuffed ballot boxes with harvested ballots during the last presidential election — at Mar-a-Lago, which Trump has called the Southern White House. That film has helped boost his followers’ belief in his lie about the 2020 election.

Civil war has been talked up by Republicans and now they are targeting their own with in-fighting over the upcoming Dec. 6, runoff between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. This is a must win for the GOP and it all boiled over recently between Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott of Florida...

"A long-simmering, mostly private tension between the two men and their allies came to a head this week as their respective political consultants resorted to publicly insulting each other, particularly over how each was approaching the upcoming Georgia election."

Democrats would welcome Republicans keeping their extremism internally as long

as there is no spillover to the rest of the country. Annihilating each other could be the answer to saving our democracy. Neither Trump nor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has offered Walker help, and some say the GOP big guns are not so enthusiastic about Herschel Walker because his win will not give them control of the Senate. And finally, more talk of civil war, this time between Republicans...
"Marjorie Taylor Greene says she is ready [to] unleash a civil war in the Republican Party after its poor showing in the midterms.
"The Georgia congresswoman also indicated she would throw her support behind House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in an interview with Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast."

Have you heard the talk recently from a past GOP congressman who said Kevin McCarthy will be Speaker of the House in name only? He said Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the actual Speaker.

Did anyone see that coming? 

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

With 2022 Almost In The Books, What's Next

 

Some of the most undone work is the Arizona governor's race between Democrat Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake. Hobbs leads the Trump lunatic Lake by only one point and Arizona is taking forever for the final vote count. This race has national ramifications in that a Lake win could boost her into the national picture. Rather than document the insanity of her campaign, you can see a compilation of my posts here. It is astonishing to me Lake has gotten this far.

Now, back to the national scene with a tug of war between Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis for 2024. The Daily Beast says, "Trump Would Easily Crush DeSantis in Battle Today." That's today but in two years this country could be in a new civil war if the hate-mongers don't back off their rhetoric. 

Majority Of Trump Voters Say Civil War ‘Likely’ In Next Decade...


I recently finished The Next Civil War by Stephen Marche and it is frightening. One of the author's findings describes how the next one won't be fought on the battlefield, rather it will be neighbor against neighbor, depending on your political stand. Just think of the consequences especially if you live in a radically right area and you are on the liberal left. I urge you to read my post and if you really want a scare, read Marche's The Next Civil War.

And right in the middle of all this altercation is a war between Donald Trump and

Ron DeSantis that might just surpass 'winner takes all' to a conclusion of 'self annihilation.' It is an unfortunate fact but with the current situation in America this may be the happy ending. If this could take down the Republican Party to a point where they have to negotiate, we have saved our democracy. A recent Mother Jones headline: "The Party of Don’t Say 'Democracy'” says it all...
"Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) sent out a campaign with a solemn, all-caps heading: PARTICIPATING IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC.

"As I read the email, I noticed that Boebert’s campaign uses a lot of words here to describe our form of government. It’s a “constitutional process.” It’s “representative.” But one word is glaringly absent: “democracy.”

Of course, Lauren Boebert is an idiot but her words reflect the position of the Republican Party. There's more...
Indeed, Republicans across the country are removing the word “democracy” from their lexicon. My colleague Pema Levy reported today that in Arizona, Senate candidate Blake Masters argued that the United States is not a democracy but a republic. “It sounds like a nerdy takedown,” she writes, “but it’s being bandied with frequency by Republicans who also support minority rule and supported overturning President Biden’s 2020 victory.”

Robert Reich says, and I agree, Democrats Can No Longer Compromise with “Authoritarian” Republicans. Republicans no longer understand or condone the word "compromise." From the right, no one since Everett Dirksen, U.S. Senator from Illinois, has mastered his ability to negotiate and compromise for the good of the U.S. Reich says...

President Biden must “push back as hard as he can” if Republicans take control of even one chamber in Congress following Tuesday’s midterm elections. He says the administration needs to be clear there is no compromise on the debt ceiling, which he expects a Republican-controlled Congress would challenge, potentially triggering a repeat of the political crisis in 2011 under former President Obama.

Well, the Democrats still hold the Senate and that position could strengthen if Warnock wins in Georgia. The House is still up for grabs but, at best, Republicans will end up with a small majority. The focus is then on 2023, then 2024 with plenty of time for the left to build momentum.

Monday, October 3, 2022

Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis Threatens Looters With 2nd Amendment

 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis makes the uninformed statement in the aftermath of hurricane Ian that it wasn't heading to Ft. Meyers, where it was definitely aimed and there was extensive destruction, but rather to Tampa. Florida Attorney General candidate Daniel Uhlfelder has spent the weekend sounding the alarm against these comments...
"claiming that it was well-known where the storm was headed and well in advance. He told Raw Story on Sunday that he thinks DeSantis was too distracted to better prepare for the storm."

INCOMPETENCE! 

And then, "There are indications that Lee County's (Ft. Myers) comprehensive emergency management plan was ignored." Apparently Lee County didn't order evacuations until Tuesday with Ian due to hit on Wednesday. This while other nearby jurisdictions took such action one or two days earlier.

DeSantis Puts Looters On Notice After Hurricane Ian...

And in an attempt to save his credibility, DeSantis told looters they had better stay away from Ft. Myers because Florida is a 2nd Amendment state. In effect admitting that he can't protect Floridians' property so he urges homeowners to shoot looters. All this while the state is now reporting 88 deaths from the hurricane.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Fla. Gov. DeSantis turns his state into "international embarassment"

 

It is a well-known fact that the former White House lunatic made the United States the laughingstock of the world. That's right, world-wide, America was known as the country with a leader who was generally certified as mentally unbalanced. Donald Trump played this out daily during his administration and continues his maniacal antics today in a futile attempt to prove he actually won the election in 2020. He didn't by all measures, and now he has another unbalanced clone.

Florida Gov. Ron 'the despot' DeSantis, according to MSNBC "The ReidOut" blogger Ja’han Jones, is...

"turning Florida into an "international embarrassment" after a United Nations racial justice committee flagged the state leader’s anti-riot legislation for supposedly restricting free speech."

Since being elected, DeSantis has passed a multitude of absurd legislation in his state stigmatizing the the residents of Florida. As an example, a federal judge declared his ludicrous "Woke Indoctrination" law unconstitutional. Further, Florida residents have sued DeSantis over revoking Disney’s Special Tax District; LGBTQ groups have sued Florida over the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law; and Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit over the Florida congressional map signed by DeSantis.

Passage Of Gov. Ron DeSantis' Anti-Riot Law Met With Harsh Criticism...


These are only three of the bizarre moves made by the tyrant who wants to take over this country in 2024. Do you really want this Trump twin to set up his radical hijinks in our nation's capital? And this international incident is an unconscionable event in U.S. history as America continues its fight against the anti-democracy wave passing through the U.S like DeSantis' legislation. Here's the scenario...


"The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Tuesday issued a report examining discrimination across the globe that name-checked Florida House Bill 1, an oppressive anti-protest law pushed by DeSantis, the state's Republican governor."

According to Jones... 

"The Florida law, referred to as “anti-riot” legislation by its supporters, is a product of right-wing fearmongering."

Fearmongering has been a regular tool of Republicans to criticize or block anything coming from Democrats. The people of Florida cannot “willfully participates in a violent public disturbance involving an assembly of three or more people.” I get the violent part but who knows if a demonstration is going to turn violent, and I don't really think most Floridians would condone this. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote in a ruling...

“If this Court does not enjoin the statute’s enforcement, the lawless actions of a few rogue individuals could effectively criminalize the protected speech of hundreds, if not thousands, of law-abiding Floridians.”

I cannot understand the political climate in the state of Florida re. its support of a clearly defined dictator. But, it is politically compelling that the people of Florida understand what the despot DeSantis is doing to their state and the U.S. and do something about it in November. 

VOTE FOR CHARLEY CRIST!


Monday, March 28, 2022

THE AGONY OF BELTWAY POLITICS...Florida's Despot Gov. Ron DeSantis and a SCOTUS Insurrectionist Wife

 

From the words of the Washington Post's Dana Milbank: "Living in states run by a Republican governor is dangerous to your health." The Post article says...
"Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consultant Doug Haddix reported Sunday that since July 1 (when the lifesaving vaccine was widely available), the 14 states with the highest death rates were all run by Republican governors."

There is no worse GOP governor in this country than the master of tyranny, none other than Florida's demented Ron DeSantis. But there is more to the story, according to the CDC study...

"This [CDC data)] included Florida (at about 153 deaths per 100,000 residents), Ohio (142 deaths per 100,000), Arizona (138) and Georgia (134). Contrast that with the deep-blue District of Columbia (only 27 deaths per 100,000) and California (58 per 100,000)."

That's right, Florida leads the way in U.S. states for governors who have royally botched the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in their state. To date Florida has 5,877,973 cases, 72,704 deaths, but the lunatic DeSantis thinks he is doing a great job. Moreover, there are double-digit Floridians who agree with him. And...this moron wants to run for president in 2024. On the other hand, Milbank reports...

"The states with the lowest death rates, by contrast, were all run by Democrats — or, in the case of Vermont, Maryland and Massachusetts, by moderate Republican governors who had heavily Democratic legislatures and embraced vaccines and masks. The best jurisdictions were D.C., Vermont, Hawaii and California. Looking at data from the period since May 1 (by which time all U.S. adults theoretically could have been vaccinated) produced similar results."

Texts Show Wife of Justice Thomas, Ginni, Urged Mark Meadows To Overturn Election Results...


The problem is that Republicans have decided they can do anything they want to, this logic ushered in by Donald Trump's former administration, and for the last five years have proceeded to do as they please with that edict. Case in point, Ginni Thomas...
"The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot has in its possession more than two dozen text messages, 29 in total, between former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas [a radical conservative], according to multiple sources familiar with the messages. 

Thomas said "she "played no role" in planning the events of that day. However...

"The text messages, reviewed by CNN, show Thomas pleading with Meadows to continue the fight to overturn the election results."

Not only does Thomas think she can get away with this insurrection, she's convinced she can lie, like the infamous Trump, to get away with it. Here's more...

"Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!! ... You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America's constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History," Thomas wrote on November 10, 2020.

And then blatantly lying, saying she "played no role." Pathetic! 

President Biden has a wobbly Congress holding a close majority and two Democrats who should be on the other side of the aisle, namely, Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. This position, unfortunately, ties Biden's hands at a time when he needs the cooperation of the Senate and the House in addressing this dilemma, plus a lot of other major issues on the President's plate, all to improve this country. But if the people do want things the DeSantis/Thomas way, God help us.

SUPPORT UKRAINE  


Monday, February 14, 2022

Are Red States Pursuing Apocalypse?

 

The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin explores this concept in an opinion column that should rattle the cages of all Democrats, Independents and Republicans. The title of her piece is, "Republicans are trying to turn red America into a dystopia," and is, as all honest journalism is today, frightening in its prediction of the destruction of American democracy. I must say, for a conservative, Rubin takes the GOP to task with unusual insight and objectivity.

She wades right into Florida with one of the state's most dictatorial moves yet in a bill, fully supported by the demented Gov. Ron DeSantis, explained by Robert P. Jones, head of the Public Religion Research Institute ...

The most pernicious part of the bill is its bizarre definition of “individual freedom,” consisting of eight principles plainly written to protect white people. The final one is the most sweeping: “An individual should not be made to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race.” The bill then proceeds to define “discrimination” under Florida state law as a violation of “individual freedom.”
This provision effectively gives any single white person veto power over the content of history curriculum in schools or trainings in the workplace. White discomfort governs historical truth.
DeSantis has commented he wants to put the people in power, which the above

certainly does, but it is still this maniac who calls all the shots. I wonder about those poor souls in Florida who are Democrats, or lean to the left, and disagree with DeSantis. The breakdown is 5,080,697 registered Democrats, 5,123,799 registered Republicans and 4,083,215 voters without a party affiliation or registered to one of the more than two dozen “minor” parties in Florida.

Rubin cautions...

"Keep in mind that Florida Republicans have no problem making gay children uncomfortable. They have also introduced legislation that would hobble education about gender identity and sexual orientation. The Tampa Bay Times reports, “Critics, who call the measures Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ bills, argue the measures are an attempt to weaponize the idea of parental rights to marginalize LGBTQ people.”

And here's the rub, "The legislation would encourage parents to sue if they find school curriculum, even at the high school level, is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate." The LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida's Nadine Smith, is in opposition to the bill, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The TBT says further, we're dealing with a "Non-existent problem...

"There is no developmentally inappropriate curriculum about sexual orientation or gender identity being taught to young kids, she contended.”

The Dictator DeSantis in Action...


 The South and Southwest are leading the fight in the removal of famous names and books from school curriculums with Texas eliminating Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan from teachings. Tennessee recently banned the book, Maus, because it was "inappropriate for 13-year-olds based in part on its inclusion of swear words and drawings of nude figures." I grew in in Tennessee in the 1940s and in either of these cases most of us wouldn't even blush.

Rubin agrees that, as in other cases of misdirected advocacy, the ones who win are the lawyers...

"The bills also encourage frivolous litigation that would make trial lawyers blush. Incentives to harass teachers and tie up schools in endless litigation suggests that Republicans would rather spend time and money fighting these legal battles than on education. It’s a peculiar position for a party that used to look askance at tort litigation."

The Republican Party has no direction, no agenda; their only mission being the destruction of anything proposed by Democrats, and the complete annihilation of democracy. And the tragedy in all this...the American public is supporting it.



 


Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis Destroyed by Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom

 

With Florida's demented governor, Ron DeSantis, spewing bullshit over his new budget and his recent "successes," California governor Gavin Newsom stepped up to the plate and ripped him to pieces...

"They're [DeSantis, Abbott, etc.] performance artists, some of these people,” the governor snapped. “All you have to do is watch Fox and then just decide to plug in. I mean, it's about the easiest thing I've seen in politics. It's just, ‘What's the ticker on Fox primetime?’”

“With respect, we'd have 40,000 more Californians dead if we took [DeSantis's] approach,” Newsom continued.

“I do not look for inspiration to that particular governor … to not only the pandemic, but to other policy, including the absurdity that was his ‘woke’ initiative and the laughability around stopping something that doesn't exist, around critical race theory — just playing in and placating the right-wing punditry. It’s the CPAC primary. It’s rather absurd. And that's why I respectfully submit that so much of this is pure performance.

What is most frightening is the fact that this moron, and I am talking about

DeSantis, wants to run for president. We've just had one Republican imbecile in the White House, and this country cannot stand another one. 'But wait,' as the TV commercial says, there's more. Nikki Fried, who has served as the 12th Florida commissioner of agriculture since 2019, a Democrat, has repeatedly criticized Ron DeSantis comparing him to Adolph Hitler on several occasions.

According to Florida Politics, Fried believes that Donald Trump is now officially after DeSantis...

"Fried thinks the booster shot back-and-forth is only the beginning of issues between the Governor and his erstwhile political patron. In Jacksonville Thursday for gubernatorial campaign events, Fried predicted the former President would complicate DeSantis’ re-election prospects, potentially trying to “destroy” the Governor."

DeSantis' term as Florida's governor ends this year, meaning, if he at least wants to hang on to the top spot in the sunshine state, he has to run in November. But if he is serious about the presidency, he has to throw his hat in the ring now. Fried says...

“What I think is going to happen is we all know President Trump wants to run for President again, and so does Gov. DeSantis. And so you’re going to have two individuals that are going to hit heads.”

There's more...

“And Trump is not somebody who’s going to sit back. He created DeSantis. And he fundamentally believes that he can destroy DeSantis.”

 Gov. Gavin Newsom Compares CA & FL COVID Response...


But it is entirely possible that someone like Gavin Newsom will do the job before Trump has the chance. While DeSantis talks of putting a band aid on Florida's problems (Florida has had a total of 5,039,887 Covid-19 cases, 63,084 deaths), both 3rd highest in U.S., Newsom shows how it's done in California...

"Making use of a massive budget surplus, Newsom also proposed spending another $2 billion to address his state’s homelessness crisis (on top of the $12 billion in last year’s budget); investing $22.5 billion over the next five years to fight climate change; paying health care expenses for every low-income adult in the state regardless of their immigration status; and devoting $102 billion to help schools deal with the ongoing pandemic and expand early childhood education and child care programs."

With plans like this, people have a tendency to listen to the positive and to success. But California does have its coronavirus problems with 6,635,535 cases of the virus and 77,928 deaths. The huge difference is that Gavin Newsom is using

proven scientific protocol to fight Covid-19, not the fake science used by Ron DeSantis. Florida Politics reports...
Trump has predicted that if he runs for President again, DeSantis will not run. But DeSantis has not promised he will not run for President, apparently irking Trump. Instead, DeSantis has tended to deflect the question.

So when will the showdown occur, and most of all, who will come out on top and who will end up all bloodied? 

Sunday, January 9, 2022

FINALLY...GOOD NEWS...About the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

Several of the media have published articles lately that purport to know both the current status of and projected direction of Covid-19. They are enlightening but don't carry the credibility of DATELINE'S, "What, Me Worry? Government Officials Downplay Covid-19 Panic Even As Case Counts Soar." Has someone finally discovered the approach to measuring and reporting the coronavirus pandemic? The analogy with the Stanley Kubrick film, Dr. Strangelove, strikes gold...

more and more of those with pandemic fatigue across the nation are starting to recognize the film’s sub-title as the way they should be carrying on: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

The author, Bruce Haring, sets the stage with comments like, "some officials appear to be tossing up their hands," and "The federal government has already said they have no solution, kicking the can to the states." Sounds like the wheels are coming off but in retrospect, we can actually see light at the end of the tunnel. That light comes from states with governors that realize the potential damage from Covid, but take a levelheaded approach.

It does not include governors like Florida's Ron DeSantis, Texas' Greg Abbott or South Dakota's Kristi Noem. Currently these states have a total of 4,610,197 cases of coronavirus, 62,625 total deaths, 5,003,717 cases, 76,838 deaths, 189,411 cases, 2,522 deaths, respectively. The recent antics of DeSantis and Abbott are ample

reason to brand these two lunatics, killing machines, their two states alone with a total death toll of 139,463. That's 16% of total U.S. deaths.

Here's the scenario from four governors, one, Phil Murphy, a Democrat...

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has suggested Covid-19 and its variants could be treated more like the flu. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is focused on voluntary mask wearing and vaccinations. “We don’t have the practical ability to really put on a statewide mask order at this point,” DeWine said in late December. “I don’t think it’s appropriate at this point. We have the vaccine. We have the tools.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy echoed that approach. “Here is what we need everyone to really take to heart — the need to mask up, to get boosted and to just practice common sense,” Murphy said.

South Carolina set a record for positive tests over the New Year’s weekend. But Gov. Henry McMaster took it in stride. “If you get real sick, there will be room in the hospitals,” he promised. “There’s no need to panic. Be calm. Be happy. We just had a great Christmas season. Business is booming.”

Haring calls California a "nanny" state where Gavin Newsom feels his people will "self-enforce and do the right thing.” However...

Over the last week, California has seen an average of 54,695 new coronavirus cases per day. That’s the highest rolling total of the pandemic. The previous high in the surge was about 46,000 cases per day last winter.
At least Newsom has his head on right and not up his hind end like Abbott and DeSantis. Continuing...
hospitalizations are also not skyrocketing in the big picture. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the rate of those infected with Covid-19 who are hospitalized has dropped 50 percent in many locations compared to the record highs seen a year ago. Three percent of cases are admitted to hospitals, the CDC data shows. While percentages may be up, that’s not indicative of imminent armageddon.
Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Assn., feels the recent events are a transition of the virus and that we will be able to live with it. Just like the bomb. This is somewhat confirmed by a number of recent assurances by experts that the major variant, Omicron, is peaking. This article supports these assertions. 



Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Is There Some Way to Get Rid of Governors like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott?

 

As if Donald Trump didn't do everything in his power to demolish democracy in the United States, the focus of late has shifted to states like Texas and Florida. The GOP governors from these two states, Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis, respectively, are now hammering away at our freedoms at an alarming rate. As an example, Abbott recently issued an Executive Order prohibiting vaccine mandates by any entity. And DeSantis refuses to address the current surge of the Omicron virus.

This is not contrary to their past deeds, rather, it just compounds what these morons have been doing to destroy their states during the Covid-19 pandemic. As of today, Florida has 4,213,301 coronavirus cases, 62,480 deaths. In comparison, Texas has 4,752,113 cases, 76,353 deaths. Between the two, 138,833 of their citizens have died, many of which were surely caused by the ineptitude of these two idiots who continue to deny the science of the virus.

Here's the overall picture from Greg Sargent, The Washington Post...

"As the political world stumbles into 2022, the GOP’s grip on state governments appears as formidable as ever. Republicans will fully control the governorship and legislature in nearly half of states, while Democrats will have less than one-third. Republicans control either legislatures or governorships in Democratic-leaning swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Virginia.

Remember Debbie Wasserman Schultz, when she chaired the Democratic National Committee, falling asleep at the switch while the GOP was doing their state-by-state takeover? This was between 2011 and 2016 and the Democrats have never caught up. Actually, they haven't really put in a lot of effort, concentrating, instead, on the national political scene. Sargent believes a host of factors are "dramatically raising the stakes" in this control including a threat to democracy.

Democratic super PAC Forward Majority warns the dems to do something now aggressively to recapture control among the states. However, a combination of Republican gerrymandering in drawing new political districts and a very worrisome 2022 midterm and 2024 elections are keeping them busy now. The Forward Majority study...
ran dozens of potential scenarios over the next decade, adjusting various factors, such as the national mood and support for Democrats among college-educated and non-college-educated voters. It concludes: “We anticipate a defensive map over the next decade.”

And here's a very productive idea...

"The report recommends a major effort to register millions of voters in states that show such growth opportunities. It also suggests a big push to focus more on the importance of suburban and exurban voters in state legislative contests, among many other things.

“There is so much unregistered opportunity,” from David Cohen, a co-founder of Forward Majority."

No matter what strategy the Democrats decide to use, for governors it must focus on the likes of Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas.

There is much more from Greg Sargent's opinion, which I urge you to read. 

 

 

 

Friday, December 3, 2021

UPDATE: If Austria can do it, why can't America?

 

Germany just joined Austria in a lockdown on the unvaccinated, initiating mandatory vaccines.

As CNN puts it, Austria took an extraordinary step by ordering Covid vaccinations for the entire population. No one thought it could be done, throughout the entire world. Various absurd enticements have been used, especially in the United States, to coerce citizens to do what they should do without any urging. Austria first...
"introduced a lockdown for the unvaccinated — a restriction that went farther than other European nations in singling out the people who have been driving a worrying surge in hospitalizations."

The virus is soaring across Europe; "The continent is once again ground zero for the global pandemic, despite the widespread availability of vaccines." So far, the U.S. isn't in dire straits, but we are again experiencing a surge in both cases and deaths from coronavirus, and the new, more powerful variant, Omicron, hasn't even taken hold yet. So far, the U.S, has experienced 49,677,021cases, 806,194 deaths. We are well ahead in the world on most of the vital statistics...

#1 Total Cases; New Cases; Total Deaths; and #2 in New Deaths... 

Austria protests vaccine mandate...


 As the world leader in all the above, doesn't that indicate some kind of preventive strategy is called for? The biggest obstacles are Republican governors like Texas' Greg Abbott, Florida's Ron DeSantis and So. Dakota's Kristi Noem. There are others, all Republicans, but these are the most vocal. Abbott and DeSantis are known as the leading Covid-19 killing machines. With no regard for their residents and constituents, Texas has 74,429 total deaths, Florida, 61,630.

And now Republicans, headed up by the moron Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)...

seized on a fast-approaching fiscal deadline to mount fresh opposition to President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine and testing mandates.

Even Moscow Mitch is against a government shutdown, and has made this known to other Republicans. But this idiot, Ron Johnson, is doing his best to use an attack against coronavirus vaccine mandates combined with a potential shutdown to put mandates in a negative light. Okay, it may not be the time, yet, for a lockdown for the unvaccinated in the U.S., but the current trend of cases is up with 82,360 daily, unfortunately probably headed for another 100,000 per day again.

We hope we don't have another Austria, but we must be ready. However, it is, sadly, the unvaccinated in this country who are causing the spikes in cases and deaths. It is this bunch of imbeciles that was targeted by Austria, and maybe we should be thinking about it here.

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

MUST READ QUOTES...from...Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis...the killing machine

 

The science is clear from experts that tell us, yes, having the Covid-19 virus can establish a certain level of immunity, but one that needs the follow-up of vaccination to insure more solid protection. Here's the reasoning from the scientific community...
"how much immunity COVID-19 survivors have depends on how long ago they were infected, how sick they were, and if the virus variant they had is different from mutants circulating now. For example, a person who had a minor case one year ago is much different than a person who had a severe case over the summer when the delta variant was raging through the country. It’s also difficult to reliably test whether someone is protected from future infections."

Enter the demented DeSantis, Florida's governor who has to-date killed 61,081 of

his constituents by opposing coronavirus masks, vaccines and any other Covid protocol that the Biden administration calls for. Here's the quote...
“We recognize, unlike what you see going on with the federal proposed mandates and other states, we’re actually doing a science-based approach. For example, we recognize people that have natural immunity,”

His "science-based approach" apparently evolves from the twisted mind of DeSantis along with the moron he appointed State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who entirely supports the governor's policies. You would think Floridians would have the brains to simply look at the numbers: 3,726,720 coronavirus cases that represent 173,515 per 1000 population. The U.S. average is 146,761. What is even worse is the new Florida law this lunatic passed...

"The new Florida law forces private businesses to let workers opt out of COVID-19 mandates if they can prove immunity through a prior infection, as well as exemptions based on medical reasons, religious beliefs, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear."

By the way, it is Ladapo that "will have authority to define exemption standards." So far, Joe Biden has chosen not to interfere in Florida politics, although with the constant flow of DeSantis' deranged criticisms, he has certainly had the openings. The sunshine state twit back in July fundraised off t-shirts, "Don't Fauci my Florida." Now, 2 golf balls with the inscription, "Florida's Governor has a Pair." Now this is the kind of thing one would expect from a high school sophomore.

Just as it was with another maniac, Donald Trump, it is the supporters that are just as much at fault as the clown on parade. If you can look at those numbers, above, and not agree that he should be removed from office, well, you deserve what you get. After a number of protests from individuals and lawmakers over vaccine mandates, no one has come up with credible scientific facts that refute the fact there is anything better than a jab in the arm as the surest Covid-19 prevention.

Monday, November 22, 2021

Holding on to Democracy

 

It would appear that Donald Trump is slowly losing at least some of his appeal in the higher echelons of Republicans. Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox News misinformation network has regularly supported Trump since he came on the scene several years ago, is tiring of Trump's living in the past. In a recent speech Murdoch said...
the United States faces a number of major political decisions that conservatives will fail to shape unless Trump moves on. "The current American political debate is profound," he said, citing education, welfare and economic opportunity. "It is crucial that conservatives play an active, forceful role in that debate," he added, "but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past."

The media mogul is speaking of the fact that T-rump has dwelled on the fact that he refuses to accept the fact that he lost the 2020 election, and it is a fact that he has used every means possible, many blatantly illegal, to overturn the election. The

former White House maniac has clearly put himself in the forefront of the Republican drive to overthrow out democracy. Here's a comparison between parties by Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post...
"The Republican Party’s tolerance of violence is not matched by Democrats. Nor is the Republican Party’s refusal to recognize the sanctity of elections. Democrats did not call the elections they lost in 2020 and 2021 “rigged,” nor are they seeking to replace nonpartisan election officials with partisan lawmakers. Republicans’ determination to change voting laws based on their insistence that Donald Trump won the 2020 election is without historical precedent."

Another big threat to U. S. democracy is the corruptness in GOP gerrymandering. Here's an illustration of just how bad it has gotten from the New York Times...

"A year before the polls open in the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans are already poised to flip at least five seats in the closely divided House thanks to redrawn district maps that are more distorted, more disjointed and more gerrymandered than any since the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965."

Republicans Are Running Against Democracy Not Democrats | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

But getting rid of Donald Trump may not be the advantage it seems. Some pundits believe that Trump will not run because he is afraid he cannot win. He has crossed swords repeatedly with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida who has aspirations of a 2024 run. In the above scenario, we'll take Trump to lose. There are more in Ballotpedia's lineup like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Chris Christie and others. If I had to make a choice, the least undesirable would be Christie, but just barely.

However, the major roadblocks with any GOP candidate is simply, they are Republicans. If you look at Jennifer Rubin's assessment that chronicles how the party is anti-democracy: they tolerate violence, actually, in some cases promote it; refusal to recognize the sanctity of elections; determination to change voting laws based on their insistence that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Republicans are, just, Republicans which has become the party of anti-democracy.

Friday, November 12, 2021

Ron DeSantis vs. Roger Stone

 

Politico's Gary Fineout describes it "the MAGA civil war liberals dream' about. Roger Stone beating up on Ron DeSantis, with the corruption needle here hitting maximum. Both are Donald Trump minions, but, apparently, at least so far, the former White House maniac isn't commenting on the feud. More from Fineout...
"Stone, the long-time ally of Donald Trump and political provocateur in this state, [Florida] has been ratcheting up pressure against the governor. He's calling on him to audit the 2020 election — he hasn't — and then, this past weekend, saying DeSantis should promise now to not run for president if he wins reelection even if Trump doesn't seek another term."

They have both regularly discredited the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, plus pushing the Donald Trump lie of winning the 2020 election. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has turned his state into a killing machine with 60,418 Covid-19 deaths to his credit. In Newsweek, Roger Stone claims the COVID Vaccination Has 'Injured or Killed Millions of Americans.' Stone has threatened to run against DeSantis for governor but Fineout says...

"DeSantis as a Libertarian. DeSantis, in response, said that Stone can't run against him because he is a "convicted felon," but Stone is arguing that because Trump pardoned him for the federal crimes he was sentenced to federal prison for, his right to run for governor of Florida remains."

Roger Stone gives his reason for running for Florida governor against DeSantis...


 

 I did a blog post back in August citing how the demented DeSantis was destroying the state of Florida with the implication that despite the completely incompetent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the graves of his victims are something to laugh about. We then saw DeSantis demeaning the coronavirus vaccine in favor of a COVID-19 antibody treatment that a hedge fund run by one of his top donors invested big bucks in. That would be...

"Ken Griffin, whose hedge fund Citadel owns $15.9 million worth of shares in Regeneron Pharmaceutical Inc., donated more than $10 million to DeSantis through a political action committee."

However, back in July of 2020, Lawfare exclaimed...

"President Trump’s commutation of the prison sentence of his longtime confidante Roger Stone is wholly unsurprising. Indeed, given Trump’s repeated teasing of the matter over the life of the case against Stone, it would have been something of a surprise had he not intervened so that his felonious friend was spared time behind bars."

The article implies that Trump did what he did to save his butt from the Robert Mueller investigation...

"Trump publicly encouraged Stone not to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s investigation, he publicly dangled clemency as a reward for silence, and he has now delivered. The act is predictable precisely because the corrupt action is so naked."

So, what we have here are two deceiving individuals, Ron DeSantis and Roger Stone, both with connections to the most deceiving individual ever, Donald Trump, the two possibly going head-to-head for the top job in Florida. YES, we wanted to get rid of Ron DeSantis, but...Roger Stone???

Monday, November 8, 2021

HATE...HATE...HATE...The Trump Gang Motto

 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida's Ron DeSantis have held the title of "Killing Machines" for over a year now. This is due to the number of residents who have died from Covid-19 as these two dimwits fight masks, vaccines and any other virus protection protocols. The results: Texas 4,259,818 cases, 72,343 deaths; Florida 3,706,356 cases, 60,197 deaths. This qualified the two as the leading killing machines, based on numbers alone. However, there is another similar "killing" faction in motion.

It is Donald Trump and his demented followers, who threaten the opposition with intimidation like this directed against Arizona's Sec. of State, Katie Hobbs...

"I am a hunter — and I think you should be hunted.”

This is only one of several reported by CNN through Wash. Post coverage "in part

because Donald Trump and his movement continue feeding his lies about the 2020 election." Here's what Trump said to urge supporters to come to Washington for a “Save America March” on Wednesday, when Congress would ceremonially count President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s win...

be there, will be wild!” At a rally just before the violence, he repeated many of his falsehoods about how the election was stolen, then dispatched the marchers to the Capitol as those proceedings were about to start.
These double-digits eventually stormed the U.S. Capitol committing insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Here is an example of one of T-rump's remarks...

"Trump urged his supporters to ‘fight much harder’ against ‘bad people’ and ‘show strength’ at the Capitol."


It is no longer appropriate to ask, 'Oh, is Donald Trump still around?' Of course he is still around, and it is due entirely to these lunatic supporters who continue to goad him on. He barely urged non-violence in this comment...
“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

Considering, as WaPo put it "The president’s speech was riddled with violent imagery and calls to fight harder than before," the above was definitely not sufficient to sooth a crown he was moving to attack. Here's another threat from the CNN piece...

"Bullet," read one tweet reply to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, in September. "That is a six letter word for you."

Again...

"I'm really jonzing to see your purple face after you've been hanged."

Arizona Sec. State, Katie Hobbs, receives police protection due to threats...


 And the threats aren't from just Arizona and Colorado, they come from all over the country, clearly indicating it is a national movement, orchestrated by none other than...Donald Trump. So, what is the solution, and please don't suggest the obvious since this is not how a civilized nation works. There is a way. All you recluses on the left come out of your hiding places and be heard. That goes for 2022 and 2024. Reject conservative anti-democracy and put Democrats back in power.

Monday, November 1, 2021

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a "Fraud" and a "Phony"

This, according to the Orlando Sentinel while the Miami Herald reports this loser is descending into 'anti-vaxx Crazyville.' Any way you want to look at it, the state of Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis has had 3,695,945 COVID-19 cases resulting in 59,497 deaths. Here's what the Orlando Sentinel's editorial board hadto say...

"Between the start of July and the end of October, about 21,000 people died of COVID in Florida, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Those four deadly, tragic months accounted for one in every three of the total COVID deaths—nearly 60,000 victims — since the pandemic began 20 months ago," the board wrote.

The Sentinel added, "Compare that to California, a warm-weather state with nearly twice the population of Florida and a governor who believes in public health..." The fact is California had just 8,600 deaths compared to Florida"s 21,000 deaths in the same period, quoting Orwell by describing the Sunshine State as dystopian. There's more from this editorial, "Now, the do-nothing governor is trying to claim credit for this surge coming to an end..."

Florida doctor says Gov. DeSantis not responsible for Covid-19 imptovement...


The newspaper steps up its attack with what I call a comparison with the logic of the New York Times bestseller list. During Florida's summer of record coronavirus cases and deaths, a silent Desantis...
"The governor had nearly nothing to say about his state’s lengthy run as No. 1 in the nation in COVID cases, No. 1 in hospitalizations and No. 1 in deaths."
The Orlando Sentinel reports DeSantis "has the gall" to take a "victory lap" with

this release to the media...
“Florida Reaches Lowest Case Rate in the Nation,” trumpeted the headline of a Wednesday news release, which went on to say, “As a result of Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership and our data-driven approach free of mandates, the State of Florida has one of the lowest COVID-19 daily average case rates in the last 7 days per 100,000 residents in the United States.”

if the above weren't so disgusting, it would be laughable. And DeSantis isn't just deceiving the public on Covid-19, he is a racist reverting to typical radical right tactics preventing the minority vote...

"The University of Florida is prohibiting three professors from providing expert testimony in a lawsuit challenging a new law that critics claim restricts voting rights, saying it goes against the school’s interest by conflicting with the administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis."

 According to the Associated Press, the University is hiding behind the 1st Amendment saying...

“The University of Florida has a long track record of supporting free speech and our faculty’s academic freedom, and we will continue to do so.”

In other words, the despicable DeSantis has won again.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

UPDATE...Is it Unamerican to be Conservative?

 

UPDATE: 
In the dead of night the, Texas House approves GOP's gerrymandered map

This is a question that must be asked since it appears to be the goal of Republicans to thwart anything that comes from the Democratic Party, with no consideration as to how that will affect the good of the country. They appear to be anti-anythng good for the United States. Back in May, Senate Minority Leader Moscow Mitch McConnell said that he is...

"100 percent" focused "on stopping" President Joe Biden's administration.

Since Joe Biden is President of the U.S., this statement would indicate to most that Moscow Mitch is more interested in destroying Joe Biden and his administration than he is in helping this country solve its problems. This attitude by the former Senate head compares with another Democratic decree, namely former President Barack Obama, when McConnell said his number one priority was preventing Obama from getting a second term. He didn't, and miserably. Fully unamerican.

And then there is, of course, the administration of Donald Trump, a four-year term


that has no equal in U.S. history when it comes to the near-destruction of the American democracy. The then White House maniac did everything in his power to bring down all the good this country has built and stands for today in favor of an authoritarian state. He almost succeeded but fed up U.S. citizens in 2020 voted to block his evil plans.

But on the absurd side, there are a number of Republican wingnuts out there like Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, to name only a few. Their radical-plus- ignorant views illustrate the low mentality that conservatives have lowered themselves to in order to make their points. Points which go nowhere but are a constant barrier in bringing this country back to normal. A major example is the Covid-19 pandemic. The three above are firmly unamerican.

Republicans, led by T-rump's initial assessment of the coronavirus as a "hoax" has matured over the past four-plus years into a major blockade by the right. It is safe to say that anti-vxxers/maskers have been responsible for extending the spread of the virius in America, responsible for a great number of the 739,000 deaths from the disease. And the misinformation specialists, found primarily on social media, can take credit for this contravening movement.

Two of the major proponents against masking and vaccinations are Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. They are the killing machines of the U.S. having combined been responsible for a mjority of 126,000 Covid-19 deaths. This is unconscionable but finally teachers in Florida are rebelling by walking out and Texas businesses like Southwest and American Airlines are ignoring laws against vaccine mandates. Abbott/DeSantis solidly unamerican. 

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, published the 2018 book "How Democracies Die." According to Salon, it is a warning, "of the dangerous signs they saw in Donald Trump's presidency that followed the authoritarian playbook." Here's an update from one of the authors, Levitsky...
"Five years ago I would have laughed you out of the room if you suggested our democracy could die." But today, he added, we see the Republican Party apparently focused on breaking our democracy. In a nutshell, Levitsky believes the threat to our democracy is more acute today than when Trump was in the White House, since the GOP is desperate to retain its fading power in the face of hostile demographic change.

Watch Rachel Maddow: Republicans Are Running Against Democracy Not Democrats...



 CNN's Anderson Cooper calls the state of our losing our democracy, "terrifying." This reaction came, "Tuesday after two Harvard scholars explained how the Republican Party has radicalized itself against democracy." Again, political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt...

"It is pretty dark," said Levitsky. "When we wrote How Democracies Die four years ago, we were worried about the Republican Party because they allowed Donald Trump to be elected. They sort of dropped the ball and failed to protect our democracy from an authoritarian demagogue. But we did not expect that the entire Republican Party would evolve into an anti-democratic force, and that's where they are today."

Now, here is a new question: Are Republicans collectivively committing an act of treason?  But that's another story.



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