"Republicans Have Made It Very Clear What They Want to Do if They Win Congress." Ezra Klein, Opinion Columnist for the New York Times, sets the stage. It is an extremist agenda that...
"would fall to President Biden’s veto. What Republicans could do is trigger crises they hope would give them leverage to force Biden to accept this agenda or perhaps force him out of office. And even where Republican leaders do not actually believe that crisis would win them the day, they may have to trigger it anyway to prove their commitment to the cause or to avoid the wrath of Donald Trump."
"‘These are conditions ripe for political violence’: how close is the US to civil war?" The Guardian says...
"Nearly half of Americans fear their country will erupt within the next decade. Ahead of the midterm elections this week, three experts analyse the depth of the crisis."
And...
"Barbara F Walter: ‘Judges will be assassinated, Democrats will be jailed on bogus charges, black churches and synagogues bombed’" American political scientist and author of How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them (Viking)
The one clear fact of the dilemma we are in is that it was all caused by the Donald Trump administration and his minions, with near-complete agreement of the Republican Party.
"DeSantis releases ad suggesting God created him on the eighth day as he needed ‘a fighter’" Bizarre as this may sound, this moron has a solid following in the state of Florida. Of all the political maniacs out there, placing Trump as number one, this one must be stopped. Here's the ad,,,
"As images of Mr DeSantis appear onscreen, the ad’s narrator states: 'And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a protector. So God made him a fighter.'”
This is beyond believable but clearly shows this authoritarian clown is serious and that is disaster for Floridians and the United States.
"The results of the midterms may determine if American democracy endures." I am a staunch Robert Reich fan and have been carefully following and posting his views on America's crisis with democracy. We are losing it, thanks to the Republican Party and Reich believes the midterms could set the cursor on the direction the U.S. could take. He says...
"I’m worried that a majority of Republican candidates are telling voters, without any basis in fact, that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump."
And...
"I’m worried that if elected, many of these Republicans will make it harder to conduct elections in the future, allow or encourage endless audits of election results, and even refuse to sign off on them."
These are only two of Reich's five "I'm worried that..." comments and the other three are equally chilling.
People are still making up their minds before going to the polls next Tuesday. Over 20 million Americans have already voted and the U.S. Elections Project reports that more Democrats than Republicans have voted early. With a turnout of 154.8 million (66.8% 18+) in 2020, and with expectations higher for the 2022 midterms, there should be an onslaught on Nov. 8. Michael Moore says it will be a blue tsunami. It should be, based on the accomplishments of the Biden
You also must credit certain Democrat congressional members for their support of the President's agenda; and then there are others like Sen. Krysten Sinema of Arizona and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia that fought Biden all the way. However, the Biden administration hasn't done a good job of communicating their record achievements, an effort I hope to rectify here to the best of my ability. So, just before that surge to the polls, here are the real facts on Joe Biden.
Let's start with jobs: The greatest single year of job creation in American
history, more than 6 million in 2021, a decrease of 16 million receiving
unemployment benefits, and the biggest drop in the unemployment rate in history. Including manufacturing jobs, the biggest yearly increase in US manufacturing jobs in nearly 30 years. Democrats’ new incentives for key industries have already led to announcements of thousands of new manufacturing jobs.
The covid pandemic: Biden executed the most successful American
vaccination program in history – from under 1 percent of adults fully vaccinated to over 75 percent, with over 500 million shots administered – and from less than half of schools open to almost all of them.
Budget: Jerome Powell has been in a year-long effort to lower the inflation with some success. And, there is the Inflation Reduction Act which reduces the deficit by $300 billion.
For Safety: The President passed the biggest anti-violence measure in decades,
including the Gun Safety bill and strengthening the Violence Against Women Act.
Protecting America and our allies: No country has been more active in the support of Ukraine and its fight against the Russians. Biden also kept the NATO alliance together in support of Ukraine following the Russian invasion, brought in two new countries and took out the world’s number one terrorist, Ayman al-Zawahri.
Top Moments of Joe Biden's Presidency...
For diversity and equality: Democrats made lynching a federal hate crime, made Juneteenth a federal holiday and Biden appointed more Black women to the US Court of Appeals in one year than any president in history.
Confronting poverty: The Democrats' child tax credit created the largest-ever one-year decrease in childhood poverty in U.S. history, around 3 million kids were affected. Households saying they didn’t have enough to eat dropped by a third.
Healthcare: Democrats’ new tax credits resulted in a record 14.5
million Americans signing up through the ACA, including 5.8 million new people
getting coverage. They forced drug companies to negotiate prices for the
elderly and capped costs at $2,000 per year. This will save elders thousands annually.
Support the police: Democrats passed 4 bills supporting both police and
crime victims. During Biden's administration he has had to contend with Republicans, especially Donald Trump, advocating violence.
For Veterans: Democrats allocated funds for hundreds of thousands sickened by burn pits in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Climate Change: The Inflation Reduction Act includes the largest investment in history to address global warming. Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Accords and the EPA established strong new fuel economy standards.
Roads, bridges, energy: the bipartisan infrastructure bill will finally fix America’s infrastructure. In 2022 alone, repairs are starting on 65,000 miles of roads and 1,500 bridges, with thousands of jobs created.
As you can see, there is something for everyone. Joe Biden may be softspoken and laid back but he acts with the forceful action this country needs to move back into its place in the world as a leader. We need Biden and supporting Democrats to get the job done after the damage the Republican Party has wreaked on America, led by Donald Trump. We need Joe Biden as president to protect our democracy.
As I said in my blog post yesterday, "Kari Lake, Potentially Most Dangerous Politician in America," this country has a desperate problem on its hands if this lunatic is elected to any government office. Republicans are having a field day with the Paul Pelosi assault, with Elon Musk doing his own muckraking, and Lake is licking her conspiracy theory chops as usual. She expects to win the Arizona governor's office Nov. 8, with her special brand of misinformation.
The Republican disinformation machine is never silent, it purrs right along and has picked up significant speed before the elections. Paul Pelosi, the husband of Nancy Pelosi, Democrat Speaker of the House, is the perfect target. Beyond tasteless, Lake is not alone, Yahoo!News reports, "Prominent Republicans push conspiracy theories about attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband." Some of those mentioned are Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. and Virginia Gov. Republican Glenn Youngkin.
There are more, and of course...
Donald Trump Jr., meanwhile, shared an Instagram post on Sunday night featuring a photograph of a hammer on top of a pair of Hanes underwear that he captioned, “Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready.” Trump Jr. doubled down on Monday, reposting the meme and adding the comment, “The internet remains undefeated… Also if you switch out the hammer for a red feather boa you could be Hunter Biden in an instant.” He also shared on Instagram a meme that showed two men having sex and the older one on the phone telling police he’s being attacked.
We expect this kind of nonsensical nonsense from the Trump family but not from elected officials the American public should be able to expect civility from. But, there is no civility left in the Republican Party and that, folks, is the problem. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, "but Paul Pelosi, 82, suffered a fractured skull and underwent surgery at a local hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery." Yet the GOP has chosen to do their smearing at the bottom of the barrel on this.
She just flat-out lied': Cooper calls out Kari Lake's false
claim about Paul Pelosi...
Here is Elon Musk's statement with added comment from Yahoo...
“There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye,” Musk tweeted, along with a link to an account of the attack in the Santa Monica Observer, a site with a history of posting right-wing misinformation.
Musk subsequently deleted the tweet, but he did not post any admission that it was false or apologize for defaming Pelosi. Instead he mocked the New York Times for accurately reporting what he had done.
Saying he is not attached to either political party, he sure sounds like a Republican
to me.
Heading back to Arizona, another political freak...
Wendy Rogers, a Republican state senator in Arizona, shared a phony Amazon listing for a “Paul Pelosi Fake Attack Plastic Novelty Item” that included a blood-stained hammer. Anthony Sabatini, a Republican state legislator in Florida, posted “RELEASE THE PELOSI TAPES” on Twitter. (It’s not clear what tapes he is referring to.)
But here is the ultimate of bad taste...
"Last Wednesday, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., posted on Twitter a video of himself firing a rifle and the hashtag #FirePelosi. In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Emmer was asked if he would take down the tweet and if he would stop running ads focused on Pelosi. He declined to do either."
With gun violence raging in America, this moron uses a gun to mock Nancy Pelosi. If the American public doesn't realize the dilemma we are in and correct it in the upcoming election, the U.S. is destined for disaster. VOTE DEMOCRAT NOV. 8!
What else do we expect from a Trump worshipper? More lies, of course. Here's the definition of a lie: "a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth." Precisely what Lake has been doing the entire campaign for governor with Katie Hobbs, her Democrat opponent. Here's the scenario from MEDIAite...
"Republican nominee for governor of Arizona, Kari Lake, joined Fox News’s America’s Newsroom on Tuesday and declared “it’s pretty much game over for Katie Hobbs” – her Democratic opponent. Lake boasted that recent polls showed her up 11 points and 9 points just before Fox News flashed a graphic of the latest New York Times/Siena College poll showing the race tied at 48 to 48 percent."
and, hopefully, will help Katie Hobbs improve her place in the polls. Lake says Obama's trip is no big deal, then rages on about Hobbs refusing to debate her. This is how Hobbs reacted to this claim...
"How do you debate someone who refuses to accept the truth, who doesn’t live in facts? Oh, she’s going to do a shout. Shout over me, interrupt me and spew lies."
Any well-balanced, fair-minded Arizonan would agree with Hobbs' statement, probably adding, Lake is a certified lunatic. It is obvious she was trying to jump on the bandwagon with Barack Obama, then six years later she has found a faster train with Donald Trump. She has no issues other than...Trump. There is no substance in her speeches and even less in the crowd she attracts. And, working for Fox News for 30 years was an excellent training ground for Lake's persistent lies.
Yahoo!News asks, "Is Arizona's Kari Lake the most 'dangerous' politician in America?" The article quotes from Atlantic Magazine and The Washington Post exclaiming the fact that Lake bets all her chips on Donald Trump and the 2020 election denial. But the article gets scary when top Democratic strategists "now believe Lake has the 'potential to soar to a vice presidential spot or a post-Trump presidential candidacy.'”
That isn't just scary, it is downright terrifying! VOTE KATIE HOBBS FOR ARIZONA GOVERNOR!
With the 2022 midterm election just a week away, and with the polls indicating, well, your guess on that is as good as mine. It all depends on who is doing the poll and sometimes there is no real conclusion. The one person who is sure about the outcome of the November 8 election is documentary maker, Michael Moore...
I did a blog post in May of 2008, fourteen years ago. At the time it was an attempt to compare the response of the American Idol TV show with the response to voters in American elections. Admittedly, it is a loose correlation, but one that shows the American public is more involved with its entertainment interests than it is with its civic interests. Here's my scenario...
In the 2004 Presidential election, 64 percent of the 197 million citizens age 18 and older (126 million) voted. But of the 72 percent that took the time to register (142 million), 89 percent indicated they voted. Big difference in those percentages, proving that to get out the vote, you have to get people to register first. Duh! Independents totaled 26 percent of the voting population; Democrats and Republicans were 37 percent each. So what’s the problem, you say? Looks like the apathetic way American voters have always approached their elections, and that, I tell you, is the problem.
And now the comparison...
Here are the statistics to prove it [the apathy]. The 97.5 million Idol votes in 2008 were 23.5 million more (31.8%) than the 74 million in 2007, when another very popular contestant by the name of Jordin Sparks won. Now compare that with Presidential voting in 2000, where the turnout was 60 percent, only increasing to 64 percent in 2004, an increase of only 6.7 percent. Keep in mind that in both 2000 and 2004, there were critical issues at stake to this country, and concerned Americans should have rushed to the polls in droves. But they didn’t. So they ended up getting what they deserved.
I made the comment that Idol does provide release, and Presidential elections only
give us decisions to make that will determine how the country is run. And this, too, is another problem in the U.S. voting process. On what do we make our decisions? I know what I do but it is painfully obvious that much of the American public makes their decision based on what the media tells them to do. Otherwise, why would candidates spend millions of dollars advertising?
If you don't yet get the idea, the conclusion is that the American public harbors a drastically high number of apathetics who either don't give a crap who runs this country or they are too dumb or lazy to do their homework before voting. In case you haven't realized, losing your voice in determining who runs the U.S. government is the same thing as losing democracy. THINK ABOUT IT AND VOTE NOV. 8!
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.
