The debate of whether to enact strict(er) gun laws should have ended years ago. It would have if not for National Rifle Assn. head, Wayne LaPierre, and his gun nut minions. ABC reports...
"There have been more than 500 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to a tracker from the Gun Violence Archive. Two of those shootings -- one at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York and the other at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas -- sparked nationwide outrage and debate about gun violence."
And we finally have a response from the state of Oregon where voters will consider a gun reform measure on the ballot this year. It's a start and, hopefully, other states will take notice after a year of unnecessary gun violence resulting in 37,018 deaths so far and 32,962 injuries. We've even had feedback from a "drugged" Congress in the passing of red flag laws, closing the "boyfriend loophole" and enhancing background checks for potential gun buyers under the age of 21.
Gun violence in America shows no sign of slowing after new
spate of mass shootings...
Here's Rev. Mark Knutson, one Oregon's chief petitioners behind Measure 114 and chair of the group Lift Every Voice...
"It's been called the Oregon model," Knutson said, adding, "I think it'll give a lot of courage to state legislatures, if they can see a major victory come out of Oregon."
Gun control is not a priority issue today, which is unbelievable to me when you consider the above statistics. For the upcoming election the economy and abortion are on the top of the list. Issues we have to address but with minimum attention to gun violence, we can expect over 3,000 otherwise avoidable gun deaths each month. Think about it.
The state of Arizona is now a dead-center on the issue of our loss of democracy. This honor results clearly from the candidacy of the lunatic, Kari Lake, who is running for governor. Frank Bruni of the New York Times dubs her as part of, "The Republican Double Standard That’s Endangering American Democracy. Here's the scenario...
"A Republican victory in a tightly contested race means that Democrats’ desires or schemes to corrupt it didn’t pan out. Let freedom ring! A Democratic victory means that George Soros cast a magic spell over voters while a global cabal of socialists and pedophiles used space beams to scramble the results that voting machines spit out."
Kari Lake doesn’t commit to accepting Arizona election
result if she loses...
This is the result of Bruni's analysis of Lake's interview with Dana Bash on CNN. In her appearance with Bash, Kari Lake made it clear she would accept no result except her win against Democrat opponent, Katy Hobbs. Lake later softened that stand. I live in Arizona, moved here from California some 25 years ago. We were blind-sided by the radical politicians, we were more concerned with affordable housing in the move. I have been a liberal activist since the first day.
Kari Lake was skewered on the latest Saturday Night Live, and her misguided rants over a fixed 2020 election and sophomoric idolatry of Donald Trump makse her a laughingstock among the thinking population. But many Arizonans are flocking to her side, making the competition with Hobbs very close. Bruni exclaims...
"Republicans are fashioning a politics without accountability. They’re rigging reality itself. And Lake’s interview with Bash was one of those moments that captured, in miniature, the broader dynamics and dysfunctions of its time."
Bruni continues...
"Look at all that doubt! It’s a garden, it’s a thicket, it’s a wild anti-Eden all its own. It must be tamed — and you know how? Elect Kari Lake. Bow to Ron DeSantis. Because they’re spotlighting that doubt. They’re boldly confronting it. They’re not letting evidence, or the lack thereof, get in the way of emotion."
GOP governor says Trump-backed candidate is misleading voters... Even current Arizona GOP governor Doug Ducey said Kari Lake is full of misinformation and fully rejected her in the primary against Karrin Taylor Robson. Lake did win but Ducey wasn't sure whether Republican governors would support her. The gov has finally decided to support Lake, which indicates what kind of leader Arizona has had the last eight years. Bruni quips, "This is no laughing matter," continuing...
"If enough Americans exalt feelings over facts, insist on their preferred version of events rather than the actual one, refuse to subjugate their personal wants to any public good and reject the processes and institutions that enable group decisions, we have chaos. We all lose."
Bruni says he won't accept that result and neither will I.
I guess I am picking on Republicans but what can you say with the antics from those like Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ron Johnson, to name only a few. The first three are members of the House, Johnson a Senator. Don't get me wrong, there are accusations of Democrat lunatics. Googling that, one in particular came up in the search. Congressman Steve Cohen from Tennessee. Didn't find much more than an incident in Trump's impeachment.
So, I decided to see what Cohen stands for and found his issues far from lunacy. As an example, Cohen supports Biden's Student Loan Debt Relief; also for the President's pardons for marijuana possession; the congressman wants to name Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. Whatever Cohen says, it can't compare with statements like "the Lord has washed me in the blood of Jesus," from Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker. Bill Maher dubs him an "idiot."
But it is Arizona's gubernatorial candidate, Kari Lake, who takes the cake. Her
“I’m a true believer that if MLK, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, if JFK were alive today, if our founding fathers were alive today, they would be America First Republicans,” Lake promised. “I really believe that.”
"despite Greene’s apparent rush to pay her respects to what she believed was a Confederate monument, the monument actually pays tribute to Union troops that battled the Confederates."
"Two factions within the Republican Party are fighting for dominance right now, and the lunatics are winning by a lot. The Gaetz’s, Jordan’s, and Gohmert’s are the ones making the rules now, as they are the ones with the biggest reach and the ones being amplified by right wing media."
As Cousins exclaims the lunatics are winning, he adds more to the gang: "your Josh
Hawley’s and your Ted Cruz’s and of course your Rand Paul’s." The proliferation of these whackos, of course, started with the administration of Donald Trump. With his continued help, these crazed individuals, and many more like them, have managed to nearly bring down the nation. The epitome of this movement was the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol. According to Time...
"More than 840 people have been arrested for storming the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, with charges ranging from obstruction of an official proceeding to assault. But 17 months after the attempted insurrection, a significant number of rioters are still awaiting their sentencing."
One interesting comment is that, although there may be some crazies in the Democrat Party, this list is Republican-heavy; the reality is that Democrats just aren’t keeping pace right now in the crazy department. But one looney stands out in the areas of stupidity and lunacy, Lauren Boebert, Rep. from Colorado, most recently when she proposed an amendment in the House with the result...
"Lauren Boebert's legislation got blocked thanks to House panel's rule targeting 'lunatics.' House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA) has a new rule on his committee for people like Boebert. McGovern explained to Republicans that his new rule for his committee says if you're "batsh** crazy, you're not getting an amendment" after he blocked one of Boebert's amendments from going to the House floor."
Biden accuses Trump, "MAGA Republicans" of threatening democracy in prime-time address...
Turning now to the instigator of all this mayhem, Donald Trump's latest rally "Flies off the Rails," as reported by The Daily Beast...
"The QAnon-peppered programming frequently flew off the rails Saturday, as speakers took severe issue with everything from McDonald’s being part of the 'deep state' to “demonic satellites” controlling the voting system in the United States."
And here's a Tweet from the rally...
Opening prayer today at Eric Trump and Michael Flynn’s QAnon event: “God, open the eyes of Pres Trump’s understanding, that he will know how to implement divine intervention. And you will not surround him with RINO trash, in the name of Jesus.”
There is no doubt at this point that Donald Trump's input to these irrational
supporters is what keeps them flying off the rails. And the fact that he continues his terrorist activities, plus the fact he is threatening to run for President again in 2024, should chill the bones of any American who is in his or her right mind. Before I close, a return to Arizona where the politics are sown with lunatics and fertilized with the idiocy of Republican radicals.Arizona's unesteemed chairperson of the Arizona Republican Party, Kelli Ward, has "lost her attempt to block a House committee subpoena for her phone records in connection with an investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol building and other events related to the 2020 presidential election," according to Politico. There are also a couple of daffy dingbats worth mentioning--that's all since they haven't been important enough to get a lot of media coverage.
They are Debbie Lesko and Andy Biggs, both full of misinformation and conspiracies but no substance. And the closing act is something I described as un-freaking believable. Wendy Rogers, an Arizona state Senator, urged voters to lie to poll workers on election day. E.J Montini, a local columnist, describes Rogers as a liar, sleezy and "the most unhinged member of the Arizona Legislature (which is saying A LOT).
But, one of the best comments comes from the local paper's opinion column. Dan Peel of Phoenix suburb Scottsdale who said in comparing the races of Katy Hobbs (D), and Kari Lake (R), commenting on Hobbs' accomplishments and Lake whose only real issue is Donald Trump, "just step back and see the big picture. Even if you can only support Hobbs as the ant-Lake candidate, do it. Our democracy and state truly depend on your vote."
YES, not only the state of Arizona but the entire country depends on your votes for Democrats if we are to save our democracy. GO TO THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER 8, AND ENCOURAGE ANYONE YOU SEE OR TALK TO TO VOTE. LIKE MICHAEL MOORE SAID, THIS COULD BE A DEMOCRAT TSUNAMI.
LATE FLASH...
We had another governor in Arizona like Kari Lake wants to be...the bigoted Evan Mecham. Arizona business detested him, and his discrimination of Martin Luther King Day made the state a national embarassment as well as losing the Super Bowl in 1993. Kari Lake, the right-wing conspiracy theorist, follows in his footsteps with her latest salvo aimed at major league football and...
"Dares the NFL to Pull the 2023 Super Bowl from Arizona if She Becomes Governor and Declares Border ‘Invasion’"
It is common knowledge that it is Republicans that have put more guns on the street; more than the U.S. population. Here is the scenario...
"While violent crime rose 28% from 2019 to 2020, gun homicides rose 35%. States that have weakened gun laws have seen gun crime surge. Clearly, a major driver of the national increase in violence is the easy availability of guns."
And lack of police funding...
"While violent crime rose 28% from 2019 to 2020, gun homicides rose 35%. States that have weakened gun laws have seen gun crime surge. Clearly, a major driver of the national increase in violence is the easy availability of guns."
These scripted conversations on gun rights come direct from Wayne LaPierre and his NRA minions who favor guns over innocent lives.
Analysis: The three things Republicans are betting on in the midterms...
Inflation
It isn't Biden’s spending, and wage increases that have caused domestic inflation. It is greedy U.S. Corporations that are "taking advantage of inflation by raising their prices higher than their increasing costs." This also includes things like food and gas during the Covid pandemic. And blaming heavy spending on Biden, not so...
"heavy spending by the US government began in 2020, before the Biden administration, in order to protect Americans and the economy from the ravages of Covid-19 – and it was necessary."
And American workers getting wage increases...Reich says...
"American workers getting wage increases? Wages can’t be pushing inflation because wages have been increasing at a slower pace than prices – leaving most workers worse off."
Hiring an Army of IRS Agents to Harass the Middle Class
Pure bunk. Why would Biden go after the middle class when they are a big part of his plan to improve the economy. No, it is rather the wealthy and tax cheaters that are the target...
"The extra staff are needed to boost efforts against high-end tax evasion – which is more difficult to root out, because the ultra-wealthy hire squads of accountants and tax attorneys to hide their taxable incomes."
If you think Donald Trump is still the biggest liar in the GOP, and that could be what Republicans want, you must consider this wave of misinformation from the right when you go to the polls next month. I urge you to read Robert Reich's post because there is much more than I covered. VOTE DEMOCRAT ON NOV. 8!
If the Trump minions' response after the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago documents Donald Trump took from the White House illegally is any indication, we can expect action in the near future, Ken Bensinger and Sheera Frenkel of the New York Times report. It all began after the FBI completed its search of Mar-a-Lago where the social networks lit up like the 4th of July...
"Posts on Twitter that mentioned “civil war” had soared nearly 3,000 percent in just a few hours as Mr. Trump’s supporters blasted the action as a provocation. Similar spikes followed, including on Facebook, Reddit, Telegram, Parler, Gab and Truth Social, Mr. Trump’s social media platform. Mentions of the phrase more than doubled on radio programs and podcasts, as measured by Critical Mention, a media-tracking firm."
And then it continued a couple weeks later when President Biden branded Trump and “MAGA Republicans” a threat to “the very foundations of our republic.” The NYT warns with the midterms coming, the threat could be compounded significantly. Here's a shocker that probably really isn't...
"Polling, social media studies and a rise in threats suggest that a growing number of Americans are anticipating, or even welcoming, the possibility of sustained political violence."
Majority Of Trump Voters Say Civil War ‘Likely’ In Next Decade...
But what should we expect? While the radical right calls for an organized battle for control of the government, according to the Times...
"Others envision something akin to a drawn-out insurgency, punctuated with eruptions of political violence, such as the attack on the F.B.I.’s Cincinnati field office in August. A third group describes the country as entering a “cold” civil war, manifested by intractable polarization and mistrust, rather than a “hot” war with conflict."
I am reading 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 the NYT article and if you really want a scare, read Marche's The Next Civil War.
It is downright heartbreaking to find out your local animal humane shelter is not providing the care mandated for the animals under their control. It is even more heartwrenching to learn the shelter management refuses volunteer help. Like walking dogs regularly. Employees, volunteers, and the community have repeatedly observed incompetence and lack of transparency from the Maricopa County, AZ, Animal Care and Control (MCACC).
My wife has worked with animals for years in the Tellington T-Touch program, retiring only a couple of years ago. She is still very sympathetic toward animalwelfare; as a matter of fact it was she who thought of and recommended that I do this post. I have helped out over the years and twice have witnessed on my own the politics of management in animal rescues. It is disgusting when you observe an ego for power replace the daily care for their animals.
Lorena Bader has started a petition aimed at Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Jack Sellers and 7 other decision makers. They have 22,156 signatures so far and are striving for 25,000. You can sign the petition by going here. The petition is a no-confidence plea in the ability of the elected Maricopa County Board of Supervisors...
Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin, Bill Gates, Clint Hickman, and Steve Gallardo, appointed Maricopa County Manager, Joy Rich, Maricopa County Assistant Manager, Valerie Beckett, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) Director, Michael Mendel, and MCACC Deputy Director, Crystal Enojos to run MCACC effectively and to provide proper medical and behavioral care for the animals in their charge.
The petition states residents' "efforts have largely been ignored or met with outright
disdain and obfuscation by MCACC leadership and the BOS (Board of Supervisors)." Examples include...
"The BOS refuses to communicate with concerned citizens by ignoring telephone calls and emails and by refusing to meet with individuals or a group. The BOS refuses to place MCACC concerns on its formal meeting agenda. Citizen recourse is limited to speaking (2 minute limit) during public comments of board meetings, expressing concerns on social media and going to the media. Even recommendations from a 2015 Task Force the BOS itself commissioned have been largely ignored. Repeated requests to meet with MCACC leadership and pleas for responsible course correction have been met with silence."
A classic example of the total problem is an accusation, "Michael Mendel Cancels Public Dog Walks to Spite Four Paws and Friends." Lorena Bader claims...
"Dogs sit in their kennels for up to a week without getting out for a walk or yard time. MCACC volunteers only filled 17% of the available shifts in August. The shelter desperately needs help to meet the needs of the animals in their care."
Bader exclaims the public dog walks were held weekly and could get 100 dogs out for a 30 minute walk in about 3 hours. However, Michael Mendel made the rash decision to cancel the Four Paws and Friends Mutt Strut. Bader says Mendel did it to spite Four Paws and Friends. Bader adds...
"I am personally so disappointed that the management would make the dogs suffer just to retaliate against me and my non-profit."
Protest takes place at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control...
And a tragedy did occur at MCACC that was preventable. In June of this year, a veterinarian employed at MCACC for 9 years was mauled by a dog who was exhibiting signs of extreme kennel deterioration. The dog Kronk's condition was due to neglect at the shelter and when brought to the deputy director's office for examination but was not leashed, a ridiculous decision knowing Kronk's status.
The dog attacked the vet and was pulled off by Michael Mendel, who was also bitten. This was Michael Mendel’s second bite in his short tenure as director from a dog showing serious, documented signs of deterioration. An issue that had existed for some time but apparently ignored by management. Lorena Bader asserts...
"this would look like an unprovoked attack however there were clear indications that Kronk was mentally struggling and should never have been placed in this situation. Instead of looking at management’s responsibility in this tragedy, they immediately banned any dogs from being in offices and started labeling more dogs as deteriorating and placing them on the euthanization list."
In this particular case Kronk was euthanized, in my opinion an inhumane act by this supposedly humane shelter. Bader says controversy has plagued MCACC for years and lists the following complaints...
-Basic medical needs of the animals are not met resulting in a year-long distemper outbreak, botched surgeries, and an excessive number of dogs becoming sick in the shelter or actually dying in their kennels. -Basic behavioral needs of the animals are not met resulting in dogs not being assessed with other dogs, dogs only getting out of their kennels for exercise approximately 20 minutes per week and some dogs not getting out for weeks, staff lacking skills and training to handle fearful dogs or any with behavioral needs. High quality, in-kennel enrichment is sporadic and not funded by MCACC. -Frequent firing of volunteers and silencing of those who speak up about inhumane conditions. -Putting up roadblocks for community members, non-profits, and rescues willing to help. -Toxic work environment that results in a high turnover and hiring practices that indicate nepotism and favoritism. -Failure to be transparent and excessive efforts to find information leaks, including obstruction and delay of public record requests. -Inability to identify all stakeholders and refusal to allow stakeholders any voice in decision-making that directly affects them.
Apparently this whole charade is no secret...
"Employees, volunteers, and the community have repeatedly observed incompetence and lack of transparency from MCACC. Those who speak up are faced with bullying, discrimination, and retaliation. Those who are incompetent at their jobs remain employed. Those who put ego, power, and control above saving lives are in charge."
Yet, this is the result...
"Mismanagement, nepotism, and unprofessionalism continues at the highest level. The most qualified are not hired to the top positions. Those who are true animal advocates and move the shelter forward are either forced out or fired. Management monitors communication by both employees and volunteers and threatens them if they speak publicly."
It is beyond belief that...
"In the past 3 months, under the direction of Michael Mendel, the pattern of poor decision-making continues, bullying and intimidation tactics have increased, employee and volunteer morale has decreased, and effective communication and transparency are at an all time low."
You can see a collection of Michael Mendel's questionable decisions here. The petition makes its demands but only time will tell if changes will be made at MCACC's top management. You can do your part by signing the petition and letting the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors know how you feel about this untenable situation.
The question I still have...is this happening all over the country?
I did not know there was anything more concerning than Trump's MAGA minions. They are, of course, also Republicans. But the frightening part is fifty-five percent of the American public cares less about MAGA's treasonist antics, like the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, than what they view is a Socialist left agenda threat. A new Harvard-CAPS Harris poll asked respondents...
“Are you more concerned about the Socialist left in America and the power they are gaining or more afraid of MAGA Republicans and the power they are getting?”
And more frightening, only 45 percent of respondents said they are more concerned with MAGA Republicans. As a matter of reference, many of these "Socialists" counted in the poll are actually Democratic Socialists. There is a big difference. A true Socialist believes in rebellion through violence. Democratic Socialists do not believe in violence, rather, accomplishing change through legislation with an emphasis on equality.
Biden: US democracy cannot survive threat of MAGA Republicans...
A majority of Americans believe the number of “dangerous MAGA Republicans” is “grossly exaggerated.” Again, referring to Jan. 6, with the violence resulting in death and the intimidation of the members of Congress. The MAGA gang threatened to hang Vice President Pence and Donald Trump gave his approval. Here's the scenario...
The poll was conducted September 7 and 8, one week after President Biden gave a speech in Philadelphia saying former president Donald Trump and the ‘MAGA Republicans’ represent “an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”
Brittany Bernstein, in Yahoo! News proclaimed, "not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans are MAGA Republicans,” also confirmed in Biden's remarks. The President also recounts his ability to work with mainstream Republicans but adds...
"the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans and that is a threat to this country.”
And that, folks, should be the concern of Americans if they don't want to lose their rights and democracy under a totalitarian government.
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.
Karen Fann, radical conservative Republican, who ordered an audit of the election results in Maricopa County, hiring a firm that was founded by a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist who promoted false claims of fraud. It cost Arizona residents $5.7 million. Fann made a false allegation, later amplified by Trump that Maricopa County election officials deleted the voter database after the election. Another lie by Fann confirmed by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican who oversees elections. Fann is not running for reelection.
Kelli Ward, after losing three Arizona elections, was chosen as chair of the Arizona Republican Party in 2019. Following the 2020 United States presidential election, in which incumbent President Donald Trump lost in 25 states, including Arizona, she filed lawsuits seeking to nullify the state's (AZ) election results. She had no evidence of wrongdoing in the election and by December 9, federal and state judges had dismissed all challenges against President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Arizona. She was also involved in the state's fake electors scheme. Once endorsed by Steve Bannon, she continued to support the Trump lie, in defiance of Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.
Kari Lake, the armpit candidate and a not so good TV news anchor at a no-news Fox TV station. She turned politician in 2021, when Arizona welcomed its newest lunatic politician. Republican, of course. I did a recent post, "Kari Lake Invites Jesus Christ to Arizona," where I pointed out the fact that 'Kari Lake compared herself to Jesus." Earlier I did posts on Twitter and FB of how Lake accused her opponent in the governor's race, Katie Hobbs, of a vote on legislation, completely false, because Lake can't read a bill. She is, of course, an ardent Trump supporter.
Okay, this isn't a hanging but it is clear that these three totalitarians are doing their best to assassinate our democracy. Arizona is a hotbed of this kind of stupidity, as is Florida and Texas, with the GOP determined to take 2022 and 2024 elections and maneuver America to an eventual catastrophe. VOTE DEMOCRAT IN NOVEMBER AND AGAIN IN 2024!
In the Second Coming, the belief is that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. In a recent church setting, standing behind a pulpit, Kari Lake compared herself to Jesus. Trump did it and no one was surprised. Then why would it be different when a lunatic Arizona politician does it? This state seems to thrive with off-the-wall lawmakers and those who wanna be. Kari Lake wants to be governor and replace bush-league state head, Doug Ducey.
I don't want to be sacrilegious but I can't determine if Lake is "coming" or going. Here's the scenario...
While complaining about President Joe Biden’s speech condemning radical MAGA cultists, Lake said, “You can call us whatever you want, Joe. You can call us extremists. You can call us domestic terrorists. You know who else was called a lot of names his whole life? Jesus.”
Lake also compared the gang of misfit Republican MAGA thugs with Jesus, along with herself, which in itself is a sacrilege. Arizona columnist, E.J. Montini, goes on to paint the picture of a Christian turned un-Christian by saying and doing un-Christian things. Kari Lake clearly places herself in the latter category by her rants over migrants, Montini exclaims...
"As Lake did from behind that same pulpit, smugly echoing her Dear Leader’s disdainful remarks about migrants, saying, 'The media might have a field day with this one, but I’m just going to repeat something President Trump said a long time ago and it got him into a lot of trouble. They are bringing drugs. They are bringing crime. And they are rapists and that’s who’s coming across our border. That’s a fact.'”
To utter this rubbish in a church setting, supposedly populated by Christians, is beyond bizarre. Just as scary is Mark Finchem, Arizona candidate for Sec. of State, a position that gives him control over elections. This maniac joins with Lake in her never-ending accusation that the 2020 election was rigged. Here's Montini's take...
"When Lake and Finchem filed a lawsuit in federal court asking a judge to require hand-counting only for ballots in this November’s election – without providing proof that the system had been compromised – the judge tossed the case and let the less-than-dynamic duo know that they had wandered firmly into Lloyd and Harry’s simpleminded 'Dumb & Dumber' territory."
Kari Lake HUMILIATES Herself On Stage With Trump Supporter Comparison...
But it didn't stop there. They "appealed the judge’s ruling, saying they plan to take their case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals." As a result, "the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, dominated by Republicans, has asked that Lake, Finchem and their attorneys face financial sanctions." Note that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is dominated by Republicans. These two idiots are fighting their own party. Arizona residents are the losers...
"The taxpayer-funded hand recount conducted by the Cyber Ninjas, a group specifically selected by Republican Arizona Senate President Karen Fann with the expectation of finding fraud, instead found that President Joe Biden’s margin of victory was even larger than the official
"Kari Lake just demonstrated a level of ignorance about state government that is both astonishing and hilarious."
It seems that Lake promised an exposé about Katie Hobbs the former felt was so alarming she had her team triple-confirm; like a Republican ever confirms what they claim to be facts. And then came Lake's "Bad Stuff"...
"announcing that her opponent, Hobbs, fought to keep the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution out of Arizona’s classrooms."
Profoundly not true. Roberts confirms with the statement that Lake couldn't read, referring to the legislation she was quoting from. Then, Lake, in a campaign video "showed a document proving that Hobbs … did no such thing." It seems that Hobbs had voted no on an earlier bill, joined, by all other Democrats, re. religion that had nothing to do with what Lake was referring to. In other words, just adding to the many lies in her campaign. ARIZONANS VOTE FOR KATIE HOBBS!
...my forever family didn't want me anymore. Did you know that 47% of dogs and 42% of cats are abandoned by owners each year? The no-kill shelters try to save as many as possible--they strive for 9 out of 10--but approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized annually. Broken down this is about 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats. And do you really know what happens when you take your pet to a kill shelter?...
Typically, the holding period before euthanasia runs from five to seven days. However, it can be as short as 48 to 72 hours in some cases.
The answer is a combination of education, feral animal catch and neuter/spay, and supporting your local rescues and shelters so they can provide quality care for more animals. Think twice before abandoning a pet that is like another child to the family. Just imagine how they feel being dumped after believing they had their forever home.
I can understand why Katie Hobbs would refuse to debate an air head like Kari Lake. In a one-sided, no-substance quarrel, it would be Hobbs against a no-substance nonentity with Lake continuing to spout nonsensical illusions over a stolen 2020 election. It's a broken record and in this case the jabbering should be deep sixed. Yet, there is no depth where Lake's blathering would be accommodated. But, and there is a but here...is there a good reason for Hobbs to debate?
Katie Hobbs is currently struggling in the polls, and many believe a one-on-one with her would show Lake to be the idiot she is. Even in Arizona, Trump's backing could be a drawback for some as the undercurrent here is a softening on the former Oval Office maniac. After all, Joe Biden did flip the state in 2020, something that shocked Republicans as well as Democrats. Lake also has the repeal of Roe v. Wade baggage among confused Arizona voters.
"Kari Lake is underperforming the Republican performance in 2018. She is underperforming Doug Ducey by 3 points while Katie Hobbs is outperforming Democrat David Garcia by 4 points."
Should Katie Hobbs ditch debate with Kari Lake?...
I can see Hobbs now in her clash with her lunatic opponent, Lake, ranting and raving over the recent Mar-a Lago raid for Trump classified documents. She actually took a day off railing over the stolen 2020 election. Yahoo/News take...
"It was, Kari Lake told us, “one of the darkest days in American history”.
"Akin, apparently, to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King.
"Just like the disastrous day when the stock market crashed, ushering in the Great Depression. And that hideous day when the Twin Towers fell, ushering in an era of terrorism on our shores."
So much for the displaced drama. Meanwhile, Katie Hobbs quietly waits for
her moment in the debate and when she is able to jump in exclaims, 'why don't we talk about your issues for a better Arizona?' Kari Lake was stunned, as she began to wave her arms in the air exposing her Primary gimmick, armpits. But she couldn't utter a word, 'what the hell is this woman talking about, issues for Arizona?' she thought. Bewildered, overwhelmed, she remained speechless.
Katie Hobbs finished the debate laying out her plans for Arizona while a seething Lake seemed to just be "melting down" behind the podium.
...you find that forever family that believes, "Love has no age limit." Here is an industry norm...
"The decision to adopt an older animal can also take on lifesaving importance because they are usually the last to be adopted—senior dogs, for example, have a 25% adoption rate, compared to the 60% adoption rate of younger dogs and puppies."
I am 90-years-old and don't feel neglected or pushed into a corner, and that is because I have a loving family, especially a wife who takes care of me. But there are those in nursing homes with indifferent relatives and/or friends that let them just sit there and deteriorate. Just think of the animals in those same circumstances who are all alone and have no one to fight for them. They spend lonely years in shelters or are euthanized.
Here's a good reason to adopt a senior pet from Lollypop Farms...
"When you adopt a senior pet, you are giving a deserving pet a second chance at a happy life with a loving family. Senior cats and dogs have a lot of love left to give their new family, and will show their gratitude with love and affection."
And don't worry if you are a senior like my wife and I (78 and 90), American-Humane says...
"Choosing to adopt an adult cat or dog is generally a wise choice for seniors. Adult animals have fewer exercise and training demands, making them easier for seniors to keep up with. Additionally, older pets are also less likely to outlive their senior owner."
"For elderly pet owners, who often live alone or in group facilities, pets can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase social interaction and physical activity and help them learn. Supports health benefits of owning a pet. Pet ownership may be a factor in improved health of the elderly."
The wonderful outcome here is the fact two senior factions win, the senior adopter and the senior animal being adopted. Not to mention the rescues/shelters across the country that are caring for these animals. It's a love, love senior fest. Why don't you try it and see. But you don't have to be a senior to adopt a senior pet; no matter your age, just Google the rescue/shelter closest to you and ask about their seniors.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Sen. Susan Collins that he would not overturn Roe v. Wade. She voted for his court appointment then in June he and five other justices did in fact vote to overturn Roe. He lied and is he really fit to serve? Was Collins naive or did she just come dumb because there were signs all over the place what the decision would be. I know this is somewhat old news but it does reflect questionable acts of the conservative judiciary across the country.
Like Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, appointed by Donald Trump, who succumbed to his request for a "Special Master" to verify the Mar-a-Lago classified files that the former Oval Office lunatic had absconded with. Apparently the fact that the DOJ had already confirmed the fact they were all the way up to top secret and contained U.S. nuclear information did not register with Judge Cannon who recently was deemed "unfit for the bench," said political observers.
Conventional wisdom has it that the Roe decision will have an effect on the midterms, and that is already apparent considering my recent blog post, "Female Vote Could Decide Midterm Elections," which revealed that Roe's overturn...
"pissed off 67% of the female population that have been showing their opposition with demonstrations all over the country."
"By appointing a special master to review the Mar-a-Lago documents, Judge Aileen Cannon gave Trump the special treatment he asked for—and undermined the values of her profession."
In this article, by legal expert Andrew Weissmann, he says, "Her ruling is untethered to the law and presents a skewed recitation of the facts." That says a lot for Cannon's ethics and raises the question of whether this all could be "payback" for her appointment. More from John Stoehr in the AlterNet...
"His [Kavanaugh] confirmation is getting attention for another reason. It came before the 2018 midterms. The conventional wisdom is that the confirmation of a credibly accused sexual predator nominated by another credibly sexual predator [Trump] to a lifetime job on a court that would rule on Roe animated women to produce that year’s blue wave."
3 Years ago: Collins: Kavanaugh won't overturn Roe v. Wade...
And, Common Dreams avows "The Current US Supreme Court Is Not Constitutionally Legitimate." That's a pretty hefty statement but Common Dreams is a hefty organization, a newsworthy non-profit with advocacy in multi-dimensional categories. Here's their take...
"On Friday, June 24, an extremist majority of the U.S. Supreme Court overruled more than 50 years of legal precedent, taking away a previously recognized fundamental right for the first time in the court's history."
The article acknowledges the fact that Roe's overturning...
"unleashed the full force of a regressive, coordinated state-by-state attack on the already perilously eroded right to access an abortion, on women's rights, the human right to bodily autonomy, privacy, and control over our own lives and dignity, and to life-saving healthcare and freedoms."
There are 74 million women and girls throughout the U.S. who have been raising
their voice of concern for months. It is also a fact that poor women, women of color, transgender, and gender non-confirming people will suffer the most. What is most bizarre is Justice Alito's comparison between Plessy v. Ferguson, (an 1896 Supreme Court case), not completely applicable, and Roe v. Wade leading to the conclusion by Common Dreams...
"This decision—in concert with a host of inconsistent, constitutionally indefensible, and regressive jurisprudence from the Court targeting voting rights protections, our safety from gun violence, the rights of immigrants, housing, public health, and protections from police violence and the coercive power of the criminal legal system—further confirms what the Poor People's Campaign has already declared: the current U.S. Supreme Court is not a constitutionally legitimate body."
...I didn't think you would do this to me. Do you know that one animal is abused every minute; 10 million animals in the U.S. are abused to death annually; Laboratory testing uses 115 million animals in experiments every year; Dogs comprise 65% of all abused animals. These and more statistics come from Peta, like, 88% of people investigated for child abuse also hurt animals. 100,000 horses die in the US every year due to the demand for horsemeat.
These are all abominable facts and reflects on a society that does not respect life. As proof, 88% of people investigated for child abuse also hurt animals. Less fatal but still frightening...
"250,000 animals are hoarded each year. Cat and dog lovers can take it too far, gathering hundreds of animals in one place without proper care. That’s why many of them experience malnourishment and various medical issues."
The PACT Act (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture) was signed into law in 2019 making some of the most egregious forms of animal cruelty — specifically crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling or sexual exploitation unlawful, a federal crime. I recommend those interested go to the ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND for laws that protect animals. In the meantime, be on the lookout in your neighborhood and elsewhere for signs of animal abuse and cruelty.
Republicans were screwed royally when a conservative SCOTUS voted to repeal Roe v. Wade, enraging a universe of women who have declared all along that they should be in control of their bodies. The New York Times reported that "Decades Ago, Alito Laid Out Methodical Strategy to Eventually Overrule Roe." Well, it happened, and it pissed off 67% of the female population that have been showing their opposition with demonstrations all over the country.
In 1985 Alito "cautioned" President Reagan...
"against mounting a frontal assault on Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that declared a constitutional right to abortion. The Supreme Court was not ready to overturn it, he said, so urging it to do so could backfire."
Alito offered the suggestion of a "reasonable" response to the law allowing conservatives to pounce on the issue in the future. It took three decades but a Donald Trump administration would lay the groundwork by the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch. The former Oval Office lunatic could not have picked a more radically right trio. But the move could be the determining factor in the upcoming November elections.
Roe v Wade: Protests as Supreme Court overturns right to abortion...
The ladies could come out in huge numbers for the midterms and assuming they are all fired up over the Roe v. Wade fiasco, it is a reasonable assumption that the majority will vote Democrat. Tom Bonier, a Democratic political strategist and the C.E.O. of TargetSmart, a data and polling firm, revealed the progress Republicans had made since the first of the year. Then...
"But once the actual Dobbs decision came down, everything changed. For many Americans, confronting the loss of abortion rights was different from anticipating it. In my 28 years of analyzing elections, I had never seen anything like what’s happened in the past two months in American politics: Women are registering to vote in numbers I never witnessed before."
It started in Kansas where "voters there defeated in a landslide a constitutional
amendment that would have removed abortion protections in the state." There are Twenty-five states plus DC that have laws protecting abortion access. Bonier reveals in his article that in the state of Kansas, where the Republican Party has dominated politics since statehood in 1861, sixty-nine percent of the new voting registrants were women.
Continuing...
"In the six months before Dobbs, women outnumbered men by a three-percentage-point margin among new voter registrations. After Dobbs, that gender gap skyrocketed to 40 points. Women were engaged politically in a way that lacked any known precedent."
Kansas is an illustration of how the tide can turn so quickly on an issue that affects voters as Roe v. Wade has. It apparently has become serious enough that a GOP strategist warns the party is "getting killed among women over abortion." Brad Reed in RawStory comments...
“I’m convinced that, based on numbers we have, Republicans have to make some kind of leap on the abortion issue,” Arizona GOP strategist Chuck Coughlin tells Politico. “Because they’re getting killed among women.”
Reed uses Arizona Trump backed Senate candidate Blake Masters who "has consistently trailed incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ)." He adds...
Republicans are scared in Arizona and throughout the rest of the country because the SCOTUS conservatives led by Justice Samuel Alito opened a can of worms that could eat their midterm aspirations alive.
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.
It's not just a day off from work, folks, it is a day that represents a near rebellion over working conditions dating back to the 1880s. It was a Pullman strike in 1894 that started it when President Cleveland dispatched federal troops to Chicago to enforce an injunction against the strike...
"Illinois’ pro-labor governor, John Peter Altgeld, who had already called out state militia troops to prevent violence, was outraged, calling the government’s actions unconstitutional."
Continuing...
With the arrival of federal troops, the Pullman strike turned bloody, with some rioters destroying hundreds of railroad cars in South Chicago on July 6, and National Guardsmen firing into a mob on July 7, killing as many as 30 people and wounding many others.
The American Railway Union (ARU) had been formed earlier with 3,000 members and its head, Eugene V. Debs. Eventually, "125,000 American railway workers on 29 railroads had quit work rather than handle Pullman cars. The Pullman strike shut down rail traffic and commerce in 27 states stretching from Chicago to the West Coast, with Debs and four other ARU leaders arrested, later released on $10,000 bond. More on Eugene Debs later.
The Pullman Strike of 1894 Explained: US History Review...
I cannot begin to count the hours I spent in Pullman cars from a toddler up into my teens. My father was an executive on the Illinois Central Railroad and we always took this method to travel. I have to admit the clackety-clack of the steel wheels on the iron rails was very soothing and did put me to sleep. We relocated every two years as my father moved up the ladder, and also due to the fact he was instrumental in building railroad bridges across the country.
And back to Eugene Debs, following his arrest the ARU was disbanded. Debs, however, went on to become the leader of the nation’s growing socialist movement, running for president five times on the Socialist Party ticket. The railroads did survive, only to run into tough competition years later by the trucking industry and the airlines. But, railroads are expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4% from 2022 to 2030. My father would be pleased.
If you would still like more information on the real meaning of Labor Day, here are three sites:
UPDATE: The Daily Beast has confirmed what many thought about the Donald Trump special master appointment: "Trump Went Judge Shopping and It Paid Off in Mar-a-Lago Case." READ MORE...
Judge Aileen M. Cannon was appointed to the bench just two years ago by Donald Trump and, coincidentally, she is able to call for a "special master" to review Mar-a-Lago classified documents to determine potential attorney-client privilege and possible executive privilege. Once again another T-rump strategy, if you can't beat 'em, delay the whole thing. The Justice Dept. responded...
"a special master is unnecessary, and the unprecedented FBI search of a former president’s home was justified. The filing alleged that Trump and his advisers repeatedly failed to turn over highly classified government documents even after receiving a subpoena and pledging that a “diligent search” had been conducted, leading to the Aug. 8 raid that found more than 100 additional classified items."
"U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Donald Trump only two years ago, should recuse herself and not rule on Trump’s request for a special master to review the documents the FBI seized during its Aug. 8 search of Mar a-Lago."
Familiar Trump Stall Strategy Plays Out In 'Special Master' Gambit... Alan Feuer of the New York Times doesn't think all this furor will delay the DOJ and MSNBC reports...
"Not only is the Department of Justice investigating a former president and the acknowledged leader of the Republican Party, but it is also investigating a possible future presidential candidate. Thus, it’s vitally important that the public have no suspicion that those refereeing the case between Trump and the DOJ are being persuaded by their politics or personal ambitions."
Both sides are appealing to Judge Canon on Thursday afternoon with the government describing the case on NBC in "grave terms" with this retort from the opposition...
Trump lawyer Jim Trusty compared it to something more mundane. “We’ve characterized it at times as an overdue-library-book scenario where there’s a dispute — not even a dispute — but ongoing negotiations with [the National Archives] that has suddenly been transformed into a criminal investigation,” he said, sidestepping that the Justice Department had issued a subpoena for the documents earlier this year.
With this kind of argument, Donald Trump might want to make arrangements at home to spend this Christmas in prison...hopefully!
