US Politics

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Oh ****, some better tell him about guns.

 

 

[do or die]

Good ole Alabama...

Alabama Republican Party to gift Trump with resolution acknowledging him as one of the 'greatest' presidents
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/543086-alabama-republican-party-to-gift-trump-with-resolution-acknowledging-him

So, at least Donald will have something to put up on his wall.....along with his fake Time Man of the Year Awards.

[Tracker]

Republican-led states had highest COVID cases and death rates: study

A new study found that while states with Democratic governors suffered from higher COVID-19 incidences and fatality rates at the outset of the global pandemic, states with Republican governors suffered more severely as the COVID-19 crisis continued throughout the second half of 2020.

The analysis published on Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Medical University of South Carolina reviewed 19 COVID metrics across 50 U.S. states between Mar. 15 and Dec. 15.

"From March to early June, Republican-led states had lower COVID-19 incidence rates compared with Democratic-led states," stated the study. "On June 3, the association reversed, and Republican-led states had higher incidence."

The researchers noted that Republican states reached up to 1.8 times the amount of deaths in Democratic states by Aug. 5. The test positivity discrepancy peaked on June 23, when it was 1.7 times higher in Republican states than that of Democratic states.

The study also theorized that the reason for these discrepancies is because Democratic-run states, namely New York, New Jersey, and California, were "home to initial ports of entry for the virus in early 2020," welcoming more people abroad who had already contracted the disease.

Republican-led states had highest COVID cases and death rates: study - Alternet.org

Greg Abbott bizarrely suggests Democratic election reform allows 'using cocaine to buy votes'
   
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) suggested over the weekend that a Democratic effort to improve access to elections would lead to "using cocaine to buy votes."

During her Sunday morning program, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked Abbott about legislation known as H.R. 1 that aims to improve election integrity.

"Before I was governor, I was the attorney general of Texas," Abbott explained. "And when the Obama administration tried doing things like this, I filed 31 lawsuits against the Obama administration. The strongest tool that we have is the litigation tool."

"And when you look at some of the things that they are talking about with regard to H.R. 1, they are trying to institutionalize voter fraud in the United States of America," he continued. "They want to make mail-in ballots permanent. Everyone knows -- including Democrats in Texas -- have said that one of the easiest ways to cheat in elections is through these mail-in ballots."

According to Abbott, Democrats want to "protect ballot harvesting."

He then recounted an "amazing story" about people "using cocaine to buy votes" during his time as attorney general.

"It was Barack Obama himself who knew about the dangers of ballot harvesting in the state of Texas," Abbott said, "because under his administration, he sent his U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas as well as the FBI to south Texas to arrest and to prosecute people who were involved in ballot harvesting that were using cocaine to buy votes through the ballot harvesting process in the state of Texas."

Greg Abbott bizarrely suggests Democratic election reform allows 'using cocaine to buy votes' - Alternet.org

"It is a way to commit voter fraud and it cnnnot be al

[Tracker]

Dog Rescue Charity Linked To Lara Trump Funneling Money Into Donald Trump’s Pocket

A dog rescue charity with links to Lara Trump has spent as much as $1.9 million at former President Donald Trump’s properties over the last seven years and will drop an additional quarter-million at his Mar-a-Lago country club this weekend.

According to a permit filed with the town of Palm Beach, Florida, Big Dog Ranch Rescue estimates it will spend $225,000 at the club where Donald Trump has taken up full-time residence since leaving the White House. All the profit from that spending winds up in his pocket.

Internal Revenue Service filings show that the group has spent as much as $1,883,160 on fundraising costs at Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s golf course 18 miles north in Jupiter starting in 2014. Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, started being listed as a chairwoman for charity events in 2018, and the group’s president, Lauren Simmons, visited the White House in 2019 for the signing of a bill addressing animal cruelty.

Late Friday night, Simmons issued a statement defending her association with Lara Trump, whom she described as a great advocate of dogs, and her use of Donald Trump’s properties.

“The quality of service, beauty of the venue and excellent rate provided us as a nonprofit as well as the generosity of supporters who sell-out our event there every year allows us to rescue and home thousands of dogs. Our investment there and at the other venues mentioned in the article has netted more than $12 million over an eight-year period which allows us to continue our mission,” Simmons said.

Dog Rescue Charity Linked To Lara Trump Funneling Money Into Donald Trump’s Pocket | HuffPost Canada Politics (huffingtonpost.ca)

[Tracker]

Bombshell claim alleges FBI produced 'fake' background check on Brett Kavanaugh


The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is facing stark criticism for its handling of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's background check. According to The Guardian, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-N.Y.) alleges that the bureau's investigation into Justice Kavanaugh may have been "fake."

On Monday, March 15, Whitehouse penned a letter to newly-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland as he called on him to "help facilitate 'proper oversight' by the Senate into questions about how thoroughly the FBI investigated Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing."

The background check came came after Christine Blasey Ford and several other women accused the eventual Supreme Court justice of sexual misconduct. Although Kavanaugh denied the accusers' claims, the bureau was called on to conduct a background investigation during the Senate confirmation proceedings but, at the time, some Democratic senators accused the bureau of having an incomplete background assessment.

For example, two key witnesses within the case were not interviewed. Whitehouse also noted that there were a number of witnesses who wanted to have their account included "could not find anyone at the bureau who would accept their testimony and that it had not assigned any individual to accept or gather evidence."

Whitehouse said, "This was unique behavior in my experience, as the Bureau is usually amenable to information and evidence; but in this matter, the shutters were closed, the drawbridge drawn up, and there was no point of entry by which members of the public or Congress could provide information to the FBI."

Bombshell claim alleges FBI produced 'fake' background check on Brett Kavanaugh - Alternet.org

[HardCoreBlue]

38 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Bombshell claim alleges FBI produced 'fake' background check on Brett Kavanaugh


The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is facing stark criticism for its handling of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's background check. According to The Guardian, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-N.Y.) alleges that the bureau's investigation into Justice Kavanaugh may have been "fake."

On Monday, March 15, Whitehouse penned a letter to newly-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland as he called on him to "help facilitate 'proper oversight' by the Senate into questions about how thoroughly the FBI investigated Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing."

The background check came came after Christine Blasey Ford and several other women accused the eventual Supreme Court justice of sexual misconduct. Although Kavanaugh denied the accusers' claims, the bureau was called on to conduct a background investigation during the Senate confirmation proceedings but, at the time, some Democratic senators accused the bureau of having an incomplete background assessment.

For example, two key witnesses within the case were not interviewed. Whitehouse also noted that there were a number of witnesses who wanted to have their account included "could not find anyone at the bureau who would accept their testimony and that it had not assigned any individual to accept or gather evidence."

Whitehouse said, "This was unique behavior in my experience, as the Bureau is usually amenable to information and evidence; but in this matter, the shutters were closed, the drawbridge drawn up, and there was no point of entry by which members of the public or Congress could provide information to the FBI."

Bombshell claim alleges FBI produced 'fake' background check on Brett Kavanaugh - Alternet.org

Ho hum is the way these types of ‘bombshell’ ‘breaking news’ reports seem to land. Even stuff like the attack on Capitol Hill that happened in real time right in front of all our faces isn’t enough to say stop this madness. We’ve seen Kellyanne Conway’s ‘Alternative facts’ phrase back in 2017 gradually take complete hold of this country and is strangling the life out of it one unchecked (other than twitter shaming)blatant lie after the other.

Edited March 16, 2021 by HardCoreBlue
Forgot to add unchecked.

[Tracker]

Four Tennessee Republicans voted against removing slavery exception from the state’s constitution
   
Although Tennessee abolished slavery after the Civil War, an article in the state's constitution says that "slavery and involuntary servitude" are allowed for someone who has been convicted of a crime. Understandably, there's a strong push to strip that language out — but four Republicans in the Tennessee Senate have voted against removing it.

The bill to remove that article from the Tennessee Constitution was sponsored by Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat who serves in the Tennessee Senate. When the bill came up for a vote, Sen. Brian Kelsey and three other Republicans voted against it.

Four Tennessee Republicans voted against removing slavery exception from the state’s constitution - Alternet.org

[JCon]

1 minute ago, Tracker said:

Four Tennessee Republicans voted against removing slavery exception from the state’s constitution
   
Although Tennessee abolished slavery after the Civil War, an article in the state's constitution says that "slavery and involuntary servitude" are allowed for someone who has been convicted of a crime. Understandably, there's a strong push to strip that language out — but four Republicans in the Tennessee Senate have voted against removing it.

The bill to remove that article from the Tennessee Constitution was sponsored by Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat who serves in the Tennessee Senate. When the bill came up for a vote, Sen. Brian Kelsey and three other Republicans voted against it.

Four Tennessee Republicans voted against removing slavery exception from the state’s constitution - Alternet.org

The party of racist terrorists. 

[Mark F]

 

the South. bringing back the good old days. 

comedy noir in the usa.

 

[Tracker]

There Have Been Nearly 4,000 Incidents Of Anti-Asian Racism In The Last Year

For more than a year, Asian Americans across the country have faced an alarming deluge of racist attacks, and it shows no signs of abating.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic transformed every facet of American life a year ago, Asian American communities were already seeing the effects of the virus, which was first detected in China and began to spread in January 2020.

By then, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander individuals had started to experience racist harassment and attacks, such as being shunned, spit upon and denied services. Asian-owned businesses saw a precipitous drop in revenue and patronage.

Last March, several AAPI advocacy organizations and scholars formed a group called Stop AAPI Hate to create a database of reports of these incidents. As of Feb. 28, the group had received a staggering 3,795 reports of racist incidents against AAPIs, according to data released Tuesday. That includes 503 incidents in 2021. The last few weeks have brought a wave of high-profile incidents, including several violent assaults of Asian American elders that resulted in deaths.

The incident reports come from respondents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data is likely an undercount because the incidents are self-reported.

There Have Been Nearly 4,000 Incidents Of Anti-Asian Racism In The Last Year | HuffPost Canada Asian Voices (huffingtonpost.ca)

[17to85]

Guess the confederacy never actually stopped fighting the war.

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Guess the confederacy never actually stopped fighting the war.

Each contaminated generation inflect the succeeding one with the same diseases.

[Tracker]

3 hours ago, Tracker said:

There Have Been Nearly 4,000 Incidents Of Anti-Asian Racism In The Last Year

For more than a year, Asian Americans across the country have faced an alarming deluge of racist attacks, and it shows no signs of abating.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic transformed every facet of American life a year ago, Asian American communities were already seeing the effects of the virus, which was first detected in China and began to spread in January 2020.

By then, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander individuals had started to experience racist harassment and attacks, such as being shunned, spit upon and denied services. Asian-owned businesses saw a precipitous drop in revenue and patronage.

Last March, several AAPI advocacy organizations and scholars formed a group called Stop AAPI Hate to create a database of reports of these incidents. As of Feb. 28, the group had received a staggering 3,795 reports of racist incidents against AAPIs, according to data released Tuesday. That includes 503 incidents in 2021. The last few weeks have brought a wave of high-profile incidents, including several violent assaults of Asian American elders that resulted in deaths.

The incident reports come from respondents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data is likely an undercount because the incidents are self-reported.

There Have Been Nearly 4,000 Incidents Of Anti-Asian Racism In The Last Year | HuffPost Canada Asian Voices (huffingtonpost.ca)

Eight Killed in String of Shootings at Asian Spas in Atlanta, Suspect in Custody.  At least four of the victims were Asian women./

Reuters
At least eight people were killed in a string of shootings Tuesday that police said appeared to target Asian women at spas in the Atlanta area.

Violence first erupted at Young’s Asian Massage in Acworth, where two people were killed, one other person succumbed to their injuries en route to a nearby hospital, and one died while in treatment, according to the Cherokee County sheriff’s office. One other person was injured in the shooting, a spokesman for the sheriff said.

None of the victims were immediately identified. A suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was taken into custody following a police chase.

A 2018 video on the Crabapple First Baptist Church Facebook page features Long discussing his Christian journey toward baptism.

“As many of you may remember, when I was 8 years old I thought I was becoming a Christian, and got baptized during that time and I remember a lot of the reason for that is a lot of my friends in my Sunday school class were dong that,” Long says in the clip.

A student who graduated from Sequoyah High with Long in 2017 who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Daily Beast, “He was very innocent seeming and wouldn’t even cuss. He was sorta nerdy and didn’t seem violent from what I remember. He was a hunter and his father was a youth minister or pastor. He as big into religion.”

Eight Killed in String of Shootings at Atlanta Asian Spas, Suspect in Custody (thedailybeast.com)

 

 

[Mark F]

violent   Christians.

 

no problem there. 

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Mark F

[Mark F]

hold on to your hat: The Independent

"Mr Biden said he had warned his Russian counterpart about a potential response from the US during a call in January.

“He will pay a price,” Mr Biden said. “We had a long talk ... and the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, ( election interference 2020) then be prepared.

Asked whether he believes Mr Putin is a “killer” in a pre-taped interview that aired on Wednesday, the president responded: “I do.”

“The price he’s going to pay, you’ll see shortly,” he said.

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Mark F

[Tracker]

There's a growing body of evidence showing the Republican Party has a paramilitary wing

   
United States Senator Ron Johnson said recently that he wasn't scared when, on January 6, armed insurgents sacked and looted the United States Capitol. They "love this country," the Wisconsin Republican said. But "had the tables been turned and President Trump won the election and tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa [stormed the seat of government], I might have been a little concerned."

That statement was disturbing not only for the implicit racism it carried, but for the stunning confirmation of what's becoming clear to those of us who are paying attention. The Republican Party has a paramilitary problem, and it isn't new.

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump alleged, without proof, that the electoral system was fraudulent, raising concerns about the impact that his false accusations would have in the event of his defeat. His unexpected victory opened the door to the far-right fringe and legitimized efforts that contributed to strengthening the ties between them. Many feared that this close relationship would be critical in the 2020 presidential election cycle, with rising domestic tensions and the role that paramilitaries would play in addition to Trump's false claims about the election.

It has been clear for some time now that the Republican Party had a more-than-welcoming attitude toward certain paramilitary groups. The deadly events in Charlottesville in 2017, although fundamentally led by white supremacists called by the former president "very fine people," also had protection services provided by paramilitaries. The following year, more signs of backing for their man in the White House came from Trump-supporting paramilitary groups targeting Muslims. In Oregon, a walkout staged by Republican state senators, in 2019, gained support from paramilitary groups that made credible threats against a planned rally.

For almost three decades, these paramilitaries (thought to be in the hundreds across the country) have viewed the government as the adversary. With a friend residing in the White House, however, these groups experienced an identity crisis. This need for an enemy explains the shift into targeting immigrants and religious minorities. It wasn't just to please their man. It was to embrace a cause allowing them to grow.

After Trump won, there was an increase in the number of paramilitary groups, but the GOP has been no stranger to them. In 2017, a local chapter of the Republican Party in Oregon passed a resolution allowing paramilitaries (the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters, for instance) to provide security at the local party events. These groups are part of the Patriot Movement, a loose far-right network affiliated with the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and armed confrontations in Nevada and Oregon in 2016.

The Republican Party seems to be very comfortable with these groups around, as we have seen in Nevada, Oregon, Michigan, and other states. However, this is not a recent venture, since the accounts of strengthening ties can be traced back even before Trump won the election in 2016. The openness about their common interests is perhaps new, but it's not surprising. Alarms were sounded when state Senate Majority Leader, Republican Mike Shirkey of Michigan, participated in a rally organized by paramilitaries that stormed the Michigan Capitol back in April 2020 alongside a member of a group involved in the planned kidnapping of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Though Michigan has a history of paramilitaries, the state GOP had tied itself to them, especially since the election as party co-chair of Meshawn Maddock. She organized a protest to interrupt ballot counting in Detroit, where paramilitaries were present.

There's a growing body of evidence showing the Republican Party has a paramilitary wing - Alternet.org

[Tracker]

Memo reveals the Army initially tried to deny request for National Guard on Jan. 6: report
   
The Army reportedly pushed back on the D.C. government's request for the National Guard to fortify the Capitol building during the lead-up to Jan. 6, indicating that top officials at the Pentagon had downplayed the potential threats of far-right extremism.

According to a memo obtained by The Washington Post, Army officials were primarily motivated out of fear of public perception when they told city officials that they would only deploy the National Guard if more than 100,000 demonstrators were expected to attend the rally. The memo detailed that the Army rejected the city's request for backup because the city had not exhausted the help of other agencies, a move that was out of the ordinary:

District officials routinely ask for help from the D.C. Guard for major events, mostly to help with traffic control to free up police officers for other duties.
The D.C. Guard, for example, helped with last year's July 4 event and aided the city in handling a march on Washington led by the Rev. Al Sharpton last August. The Guard even deployed to prevent large crowds from gathering and spreading the coronavirus during the 2020 cherry blossom festivities.
Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy was eventually pressured by defense secretary Christopher C. Miller and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, to grant the request on the condition that one federal agency was charged to lead the security and other agencies "exhausted their assets to support these events."

Memo reveals the Army initially tried to deny request for National Guard on Jan. 6: report - Alternet.org

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Dafuq is wrong with these representatives? Are they for violence against women?

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by wanna-b-fanboy

[SpeedFlex27]

The Republicans are repugnant,

[Tracker]

On 2021-03-16 at 8:45 PM, Tracker said:

Eight Killed in String of Shootings at Asian Spas in Atlanta, Suspect in Custody.  At least four of the victims were Asian women./

Reuters
At least eight people were killed in a string of shootings Tuesday that police said appeared to target Asian women at spas in the Atlanta area.

Violence first erupted at Young’s Asian Massage in Acworth, where two people were killed, one other person succumbed to their injuries en route to a nearby hospital, and one died while in treatment, according to the Cherokee County sheriff’s office. One other person was injured in the shooting, a spokesman for the sheriff said.

None of the victims were immediately identified. A suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was taken into custody following a police chase.

A 2018 video on the Crabapple First Baptist Church Facebook page features Long discussing his Christian journey toward baptism.

“As many of you may remember, when I was 8 years old I thought I was becoming a Christian, and got baptized during that time and I remember a lot of the reason for that is a lot of my friends in my Sunday school class were dong that,” Long says in the clip.

A student who graduated from Sequoyah High with Long in 2017 who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Daily Beast, “He was very innocent seeming and wouldn’t even cuss. He was sorta nerdy and didn’t seem violent from what I remember. He was a hunter and his father was a youth minister or pastor. He as big into religion.”

Eight Killed in String of Shootings at Atlanta Asian Spas, Suspect in Custody (thedailybeast.com)

 

 

Georgia official who said Asian spa shooter was having a 'bad day' posted racist COVID photos: report
   
Captain Jay Baker, a spokesperson for the Cherokee County, Georgia sheriff's office, sparked outrage when he characterized Robert Aaron Long, the spree killer behind the shootings at a series of Asian spas on Tuesday, as having had a "very bad day."

But according to The Daily Beast on Wednesday, the controversy surrounding Baker may be just beginning — because he also has a history of racist anti-Asian content on social media.

"In a Facebook page associated with Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office, several photos show the law enforcer was promoting T-shirts with the slogan 'COVID-19 imported virus from CHY-NA,'" reported Pilar Melendez and William Bredderman. "'Place your order while they last,' Baker wrote with a smiley face on another photo that included the racist T-shirts. The photos on Baker's account were first spotted by a Twitter user."

Georgia official who said Asian spa shooter was having a 'bad day' posted racist COVID photos: report - Alternet.org

[JCon]

9 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Georgia official who said Asian spa shooter was having a 'bad day' posted racist COVID photos: report
   
Captain Jay Baker, a spokesperson for the Cherokee County, Georgia sheriff's office, sparked outrage when he characterized Robert Aaron Long, the spree killer behind the shootings at a series of Asian spas on Tuesday, as having had a "very bad day."

But according to The Daily Beast on Wednesday, the controversy surrounding Baker may be just beginning — because he also has a history of racist anti-Asian content on social media.

"In a Facebook page associated with Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office, several photos show the law enforcer was promoting T-shirts with the slogan 'COVID-19 imported virus from CHY-NA,'" reported Pilar Melendez and William Bredderman. "'Place your order while they last,' Baker wrote with a smiley face on another photo that included the racist T-shirts. The photos on Baker's account were first spotted by a Twitter user."

Georgia official who said Asian spa shooter was having a 'bad day' posted racist COVID photos: report - Alternet.org

And, no one was surprised that he's a racist POS. 

[bustamente]

Hey the Killer was having a bad day, the people he killed don't have to worry about that anymore, their dead, it's sad how casual Americans have become about mass murders 

[JCon]

10 minutes ago, bustamente said:

Hey the Killer was having a bad day, the people he killed don't have to worry about that anymore, their dead, it's sad how casual Americans have become about mass murders 

Only casual when it's a white person killing minorities. 

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

4 minutes ago, JCon said:

Only casual when it's a white person killing minorities. 

Kyle Rittenhouse approves.

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/7576204/kyle-rittenhouse-out-on-bail-flashed-white-power-signs-in-photos-at-bar-prosecutors/

[Tracker]

21 minutes ago, bustamente said:

Hey the Killer was having a bad day, the people he killed don't have to worry about that anymore, their dead, it's sad how casual Americans have become about mass murders 

After a while, repeated events become part of the culture-  like going to McDonalds, corrupt governments or killing people in large numbers. America is there and I pray we will never be.