US Politics

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, Mark F said:

maybe you all are related to ...

 

"Blue Fugates

The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the "Blue Fugates" or the "Blue People of Kentucky", are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin.Wikipedia"

If you can say "methemoglobinemia" quickly, three times in a row.... you will be fine.

 

saw a comment by Senator d. feinstein.... she sees no evidence of any threat to American Democracy.

Feinstein said that Trump learned his lesson after his first impeachment, so you know how keen her judgment is. 

BTW: there is also a village in Spain whose inhabitants are all blue- the Blue Man Group?

[HardCoreBlue]

2 hours ago, Tracker said:

Feinstein said that Trump learned his lesson after his first impeachment, so you know how keen her judgment is. 

BTW: there is also a village in Spain whose inhabitants are all blue- the Blue Man Group?

Of course Feinstein would say these things. That’s her MO. She regular shows her true colours. At this stage this is not a political party problem, it’s a people problem regardless of any banner one flies under. Throw Feinstein in with the others who drive and support the nonsense and absurdity that is wrapped around the neck of sanity.

[Tracker]

3 hours ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Of course Feinstein would say these things. That’s her MO. She regular shows her true colours. At this stage this is not a political party problem, it’s a people problem regardless of any banner one flies under. Throw Feinstein in with the others who drive and support the nonsense and absurdity that is wrapped around the neck of sanity.

She presents as someone who is of limited intellectual capacity with the integrity of a bowl of watery Jello. 

[Tracker]

Mike Pence Heckled As A ‘Traitor’ On Stage At Conservative Summit

Former Vice President Mike Pence received a chilly reception from some when he took the stage at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual conference on Friday. 

There were some cheers, but Pence was also heckled by audience members echoing criticisms he had received from former President Donald Trump.

“It is great to be back with so many patriots dedicated to faith, freedom and the road to the majority,” Pence said as he began his remarks at the event in Orlando, Florida. 

Several loud calls then rang out: “Traitor!”

Pence gets drowned out by hecklers at the Faith & Freedom Coalition summit, some of whom appear to be chanting “traitor!” pic.twitter.com/pAQxavsK3O
Some people yelling at Pence were escorted out of the venue, while others left on their own, according to Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel.

Mike Pence Heckled As A 'Traitor' On Stage At Conservative Summit | HuffPost

[bustamente]

Pence so desperately wants to become POTUS but that at this point its a pipe dream

[HardCoreBlue]

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

Mike Pence Heckled As A ‘Traitor’ On Stage At Conservative Summit

Former Vice President Mike Pence received a chilly reception from some when he took the stage at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual conference on Friday. 

There were some cheers, but Pence was also heckled by audience members echoing criticisms he had received from former President Donald Trump.

“It is great to be back with so many patriots dedicated to faith, freedom and the road to the majority,” Pence said as he began his remarks at the event in Orlando, Florida. 

Several loud calls then rang out: “Traitor!”

Pence gets drowned out by hecklers at the Faith & Freedom Coalition summit, some of whom appear to be chanting “traitor!” pic.twitter.com/pAQxavsK3O
Some people yelling at Pence were escorted out of the venue, while others left on their own, according to Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel.

Mike Pence Heckled As A 'Traitor' On Stage At Conservative Summit | HuffPost

This Republican party is so divided into differing factions that it’s becoming more and more obvious why voter ‘integrity’ is their leading platform. 

[Tracker]

Arizona election audit takes wild turn: Voter data is transported to a "secret" lab in another state

The Republican-led Arizona audit being conducted by the Florida-based tech company Cyber Ninjas took an unexpected turn after voter data was transported to a mystery "lab" in Montana to be "forensically evaluated" by a third party.

At some point during the audit, CyFIR — a digital security firm subcontracted by Cyber Ninjas — was enlisted to examine ballots. But it wasn't until Arizona Republic reporter Jen Fifield started digging through a state-run "SOS" website posting audit updates that she noticed "copies" of data were being "sent to a lab in Montana."

Upon further research, the Arizona Republic traced the data's whereabouts back to a Montana property whose owner was listed as CyFIR CEO Ben Cotton on public records.

Cotten is also the CEO of Cyber Technologies (CyTech), the parent company of CyFIR. Both companies are based out of Virginia, but they also share the same northwest Montana "Bigfork" address on documents. 

At the time, Ken Bennett, an audit official, informed the Arizona Republic that he wasn't aware of how the data in the hands of Cotton and his firms was being kept safe. Weeks later, Bennett told CNN that CYFIR was allowed to send copies of voter data to Montana on a truck. 

"Bennett tells us he doesn't know where the so-called 'lab' is," CNN reporter Gary Tuchman said during the televised report. "It is apparently a secret."

A request by Salon for comment from CyTech President Timothy Poole and Cotton went unreturned.

While local news reports on the matter have been circulating over the past few weeks, the story didn't catch wind until Tuchman took viewers to Cotton's Montana address on Wednesday.   While the CNN reporter got within eye-shot of a cabin on the Montana property, he could not walk beyond that point due to a "private property" sign that warned against trespassing.

According to additional reporting conducted by CNN, the sprawling property owned by Cotton has numerous structures on site. It remains unclear whether the "lab" is actually located on the property — or if it even exists. 

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs shared the feature report, which has since caught the attention of many on social media.

"You can't make this stuff up," Hobbs told CNN. "If it wasn't happening right in front of our eyes, we wouldn't believe it was happening."

Arizona election audit takes wild turn: Voter data is transported to a "secret" lab in another state | Salon.com

[the watcher]

10 hours ago, Tracker said:

Arizona election audit takes wild turn: Voter data is transported to a "secret" lab in another state

The Republican-led Arizona audit being conducted by the Florida-based tech company Cyber Ninjas took an unexpected turn after voter data was transported to a mystery "lab" in Montana to be "forensically evaluated" by a third party.

At some point during the audit, CyFIR — a digital security firm subcontracted by Cyber Ninjas — was enlisted to examine ballots. But it wasn't until Arizona Republic reporter Jen Fifield started digging through a state-run "SOS" website posting audit updates that she noticed "copies" of data were being "sent to a lab in Montana."

Upon further research, the Arizona Republic traced the data's whereabouts back to a Montana property whose owner was listed as CyFIR CEO Ben Cotton on public records.

Cotten is also the CEO of Cyber Technologies (CyTech), the parent company of CyFIR. Both companies are based out of Virginia, but they also share the same northwest Montana "Bigfork" address on documents. 

At the time, Ken Bennett, an audit official, informed the Arizona Republic that he wasn't aware of how the data in the hands of Cotton and his firms was being kept safe. Weeks later, Bennett told CNN that CYFIR was allowed to send copies of voter data to Montana on a truck. 

"Bennett tells us he doesn't know where the so-called 'lab' is," CNN reporter Gary Tuchman said during the televised report. "It is apparently a secret."

A request by Salon for comment from CyTech President Timothy Poole and Cotton went unreturned.

While local news reports on the matter have been circulating over the past few weeks, the story didn't catch wind until Tuchman took viewers to Cotton's Montana address on Wednesday.   While the CNN reporter got within eye-shot of a cabin on the Montana property, he could not walk beyond that point due to a "private property" sign that warned against trespassing.

According to additional reporting conducted by CNN, the sprawling property owned by Cotton has numerous structures on site. It remains unclear whether the "lab" is actually located on the property — or if it even exists. 

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs shared the feature report, which has since caught the attention of many on social media.

"You can't make this stuff up," Hobbs told CNN. "If it wasn't happening right in front of our eyes, we wouldn't believe it was happening."

Arizona election audit takes wild turn: Voter data is transported to a "secret" lab in another state | Salon.com

It's insanity.  The fact that it's being allowed just shows how far down the fascist rabbit hole they have already gone. I've said it before and I'll say it again , the USA is pooched. The only questions in my mind are how ugly it gets and how bad will it be for Canada being their next door neighbor. 

[Mark F]

1 hour ago, the watcher said:

how bad will it be for Canada being their next door neighbor. 

they have pissed away much of their water.

irrigating the desert, growing subsidized gm corn to dump in Mexico.,  hay to sell to Asia.

American do not conserve resources.

They will be taking ours one way or the other. 

thats one thing we can expect.

As the planet heats, expect America to be more like a third world country, than it is already.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2021 by Mark F

[Tracker]

3 hours ago, Mark F said:

they have pissed away much of their water.

irrigating the desert, growing subsidized gm corn to dump in Mexico.,  hay to sell to Asia.

American do not conserve resources.

They will be taking ours one way or the other. 

thats one thing we can expect.

As the planet heats, expect America to be more like a third world country, than it is already.

 

 

None of this will change so long as money is to be made destroying the Earth with no consequences.

[Tracker]

Georgia GOP has a new voter suppression tactic: Here's how they are targeting Black election officials
   
Republicans in the state of Georgia are making arduous efforts to further contribute to voter suppression across the state. In addition to enacting laws to make it more difficult for people of color to vote, they are now targeting Black election officials.

According to The New York Times, Republican lawmakers are laying the foundation to expand their own power over election processes in states across the country.

Lawmakers' actions in Georgia are a prime example of what may be seen in many states in the very near future. Per the publication:

"Across Georgia, members of at least 10 county election boards have been removed, had their position eliminated, or are likely to be kicked off through local ordinances or new laws passed by the state legislature. At least five are people of color and most are Democrats — though some are Republicans — and they will most likely all be replaced by Republicans."

"Ms. Hollis and local officials like her have been some of the earliest casualties as Republican-led legislatures mount an expansive takeover of election administration in a raft of new voting bills this year."

The reports about Georgia's targeting of Black election officials come as similar actions are being taken in other Republican-led states like Arkansas, Kansas, and possibly Arizona. Over the last year, there have been more discussions about Republican lawmakers' efforts to chip away at the United States' democracy.

In some states, controversial voting laws have already been passed but what's worse is that some of the bills include provisions that grant election power to politicians; many of whom have biased political agendas.

Georgia GOP has a new voter suppression tactic: Here's how they are targeting Black election officials - Alternet.org

[Tracker]

Driver Crashes Into Two People At Pride Parade In South Florida

A driver slammed into spectators Saturday at the start of a Pride parade in South Florida, injuring at least two people.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis confirmed the crash occurred Saturday evening at the Stonewall Pride Parade in the nearby city of Wilton Manors, WSVN-TV reported.

WPLG-TV reports that the driver of the truck was taken into custody. Authorities did not immediately give details about the victims’ injuries or say whether they believe the crash was intentional.

Photos and video from the scene showed Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in tears while in a convertible at the parade. A spokesperson for Wasserman Schultz did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Wilton Manors police tweeted Saturday night that the parade was canceled due to a “tragic event.” The department said the public is not in danger.

[the watcher]

7 hours ago, Tracker said:

Georgia GOP has a new voter suppression tactic: Here's how they are targeting Black election officials
   
Republicans in the state of Georgia are making arduous efforts to further contribute to voter suppression across the state. In addition to enacting laws to make it more difficult for people of color to vote, they are now targeting Black election officials.

According to The New York Times, Republican lawmakers are laying the foundation to expand their own power over election processes in states across the country.

Lawmakers' actions in Georgia are a prime example of what may be seen in many states in the very near future. Per the publication:

"Across Georgia, members of at least 10 county election boards have been removed, had their position eliminated, or are likely to be kicked off through local ordinances or new laws passed by the state legislature. At least five are people of color and most are Democrats — though some are Republicans — and they will most likely all be replaced by Republicans."

"Ms. Hollis and local officials like her have been some of the earliest casualties as Republican-led legislatures mount an expansive takeover of election administration in a raft of new voting bills this year."

The reports about Georgia's targeting of Black election officials come as similar actions are being taken in other Republican-led states like Arkansas, Kansas, and possibly Arizona. Over the last year, there have been more discussions about Republican lawmakers' efforts to chip away at the United States' democracy.

In some states, controversial voting laws have already been passed but what's worse is that some of the bills include provisions that grant election power to politicians; many of whom have biased political agendas.

Georgia GOP has a new voter suppression tactic: Here's how they are targeting Black election officials - Alternet.org

Shortly after Trump was elected I remember telling my sister that the big problem wouldn't be what Trump did but rather what it/ he allowed other people to do. What social morals  his followers felt they were free to disregard. What deep seated prejudices and hatreds they would feel free to promote. Q anon , the Capitol attack,  are good examples. Now we see it has moved fully into their political system and has totally taken over the Republican party. And like it or not they represent about half that country. So half of the USA is just fine with this. Its telling that their latest boogieman is Antifa and we can't forget that stands for  Anti-Fascist . I have reminded several people that my Uncle was Antifa when he died in his bomber in 1944.

[Tracker]

13 hours ago, the watcher said:

Shortly after Trump was elected I remember telling my sister that the big problem wouldn't be what Trump did but rather what it/ he allowed other people to do. What social morals  his followers felt they were free to disregard. What deep seated prejudices and hatreds they would feel free to promote. Q anon , the Capitol attack,  are good examples. Now we see it has moved fully into their political system and has totally taken over the Republican party. And like it or not they represent about half that country. So half of the USA is just fine with this. Its telling that their latest boogieman is Antifa and we can't forget that stands for  Anti-Fascist . I have reminded several people that my Uncle was Antifa when he died in his bomber in 1944.

I think the problems arose in the Trump administration when he told his fellow parasites, "Now, don't do anything I wouldn't do" and they took him at his word.

[TrueBlue4ever]

15 hours ago, the watcher said:

Shortly after Trump was elected I remember telling my sister that the big problem wouldn't be what Trump did but rather what it/ he allowed other people to do. What social morals  his followers felt they were free to disregard. What deep seated prejudices and hatreds they would feel free to promote. Q anon , the Capitol attack,  are good examples. Now we see it has moved fully into their political system and has totally taken over the Republican party. And like it or not they represent about half that country. So half of the USA is just fine with this. Its telling that their latest boogieman is Antifa and we can't forget that stands for  Anti-Fascist . I have reminded several people that my Uncle was Antifa when he died in his bomber in 1944.

In a weird way, Trump’s election was a big boon to those who feel emboldened to let their real prejudice show, and also may be their biggest detriment. 
 

The TV show “The Good Fight” did an alternate reality episode where Hillary Clinton won the election, and it starts by painting a rosy picture of the world (rainforests saved, polar bears not endangered any more, Merrick Garland and Liz Warren on the Supreme Court) but then shows Harvey Weinstein still in power in Hollywood and no #Metoo movement. Women don’t want to speak out because to sell Hillary as President the male voters cannot see women being angry and vengeful. 

Without Trump coming to power, yeah, we may not have seen a white supremacist March in Charlottesville or a Capitol attack, at least not this soon, but the hatred has always been there. And maybe instead of hoping it creeps back into the shadows to lurk is not better than seeing it exposed and being ready to face it head on. Without Trump backlash, do we see the outrage over George Floyd and the true rise of the BLM movement? Racism has not really waned since the end of slavery, or the exposing of the KKK and lynchings in the south, or the Civil Rights movement, or Rosa Parks, or MLK. We still had the Central Park 5, Fruitville Station, Rodney King, Trayvon Martin and literally thousands of others nameless black victims that no one saw as the tipping point. But the climate Trump engendered has raised awareness to a new level - the racist behaviour has not really grown or changed, it is just more acknowledged and decried more vociferously. 

[Mark F]

another day in America:

 

 

"'Mass Casualty Incident' after F-150 runs over bicyclists in Arizona — driver shot by police: report"

 

Politico.

[Tracker]

Trump Wanted to Send COVID-Infected Americans to Guantánamo Bay, Book Says

Former President Donald Trump was so frightened that rising coronavirus cases would hurt his polling numbers that he suggested a group of infected Americans being brought home from Asia should be sent to Guantánamo Bay. “Don’t we have an island that we own?” Trump reportedly asked aides in February 2020, at the start of the pandemic. “What about Guantánamo?” The story features in Nightmare Scenario, a new book by Washington Post journalists Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta, capturing the chaos of the Trump White House as COVID-19 hit.

The pair report that Trump was incensed that official testing was boosting case numbers and shouted at Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar: “I’m going to lose the election because of testing! What idiot had the federal government do testing?”

“Uh, do you mean Jared?” Azar responded, referring to the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

According to the Post, the book suggests that the president’s own infection was “far more serious than officials acknowledged.”

Read it at Washington Post

(unfortunately not serious enough because he survived)

[17to85]

16 minutes ago, Tracker said:

According to the Post, the book suggests that the president’s own infection was “far more serious than officials acknowledged.”

No ****. You don't give the kinds of treatments he got to people not that sick. 

[Tracker]

4 hours ago, 17to85 said:

No ****. You don't give the kinds of treatments he got to people not that sick. 

And yet the SOB was willing to let the COVID pandemic "just wash over the country" killing millions. That is nothing short of sociopathic.  His inaction was the direct cause of the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Interesting article on the weaponization of "Smokescreen Trolling" (or the “authoritarian mullet”: culture wars in the front, attacks against democracy in the back.) 

 

 

[Tracker]

Trump wanted DOJ to stop 'Saturday Night Live' from mocking him: report
   
For 46 years, "Saturday Night Live" has lampooned U.S. presidents — and many of them, from Republicans George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Gerald Ford to Democrat Bill Clinton — laughed at the joke. Former "SNL" cast member Dana Carvey even became friends with the Bush family because of his Bush 41 parody. But former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, was furious with "SNL" over Alec Baldwin's impression of him — and according to Daily Beast reporters Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley, Trump, in 2019, even wanted the U.S. Department of Justice to look into possible ways to stop "SNL" from mocking him.

Suebsaeng and Rawnsley explain, "It was, on its face, a ridiculous question and threat, as 'SNL' is obviously satire and therefore, a form of protected speech in America that pissed-off commanders-in-chief have no authority to directly subvert. However, then-President Trump went farther than simply tweeting his displeasure with the late-night comedians and 'SNL' writers' room. The internal discussions that followed, between the former leader of the Free World and some of his political and legal advisers, once again underscored just how much Trump wanted to use the full weight and power of the U.S. government to punish his personal enemies."

Trump wanted DOJ to stop 'Saturday Night Live' from mocking him: report - Alternet.org

[Tracker]

DOJ National Security Chief: I Almost Resigned Over Trump’s Election Lies

The Department of Justice official who led the crucial national security division has revealed how he almost resigned when his boss came under pressure to investigate Donald Trump’s stolen election claims. Assistant Attorney General John Demers is the most senior DOJ official to have served under both Trump and Joe Biden but is finally moving on this week. In a farewell interview with the Wall Street Journal, Demers said the only time in his three years at the DOJ that he considered resigning was in early January when acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen was in Trump’s firing line, leaving him wondering who would be left to sign requests for foreign intelligence surveillance and handle the espionage threat from China and Russia. “I didn’t know what was going to happen, I thought that there was a real chance that would be my last day in the department,” Demers, 49, told the Journal. In the event, Rosen resisted the pressure from Trump and Demers stayed in his job.

DOJ National Security Chief: I Almost Resigned Over Trump’s Election Lies (thedailybeast.com)

[JCon]

37 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Trump wanted DOJ to stop 'Saturday Night Live' from mocking him: report
   
For 46 years, "Saturday Night Live" has lampooned U.S. presidents — and many of them, from Republicans George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Gerald Ford to Democrat Bill Clinton — laughed at the joke. Former "SNL" cast member Dana Carvey even became friends with the Bush family because of his Bush 41 parody. But former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, was furious with "SNL" over Alec Baldwin's impression of him — and according to Daily Beast reporters Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley, Trump, in 2019, even wanted the U.S. Department of Justice to look into possible ways to stop "SNL" from mocking him.

Suebsaeng and Rawnsley explain, "It was, on its face, a ridiculous question and threat, as 'SNL' is obviously satire and therefore, a form of protected speech in America that pissed-off commanders-in-chief have no authority to directly subvert. However, then-President Trump went farther than simply tweeting his displeasure with the late-night comedians and 'SNL' writers' room. The internal discussions that followed, between the former leader of the Free World and some of his political and legal advisers, once again underscored just how much Trump wanted to use the full weight and power of the U.S. government to punish his personal enemies."

Trump wanted DOJ to stop 'Saturday Night Live' from mocking him: report - Alternet.org

To be fair, it was a horrible parody. 

[17to85]

1 hour ago, JCon said:

To be fair, it was a horrible parody. 

And to be even more fair, it wasn't really parody. They were really lazy and basically just transcribed the stupid **** Trump said.

[Tracker]

Trump's former bodyguard becomes latest from Trumpworld entangled by Manhattan DA's probe
Report: on New York prosecutors' advice, Trump's former bodyguard lawyer's up

New York prosecutors are probing whether a former bodyguard of Donald Trump's benefited from tax-free corporate benefits as part of the city's broader investigation into whether the Trump Organization skirted its tax obligations. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, which interviewed several unnamed sources, the inquiry is centered on Matthew Calamari, who started working for Trump back in 1981 and now holds a position as a top executive at the Trump Organization.

In his 2004 book "Trump: How to Get Rich," the former president claimed that Calamari, then his bodyguard, "had a lot more to offer than his job title warranted." Calamari would be promoted to Chief Operating Officer years later. 

Calamari reportedly lives in an apartment at Trump Park Avenue and drives a Mercedes leased through the Trump Organization. His son, Matthew Calamari, Jr., currently resides in another Trump-affiliated luxury apartment called Trump Parc East, where his rent is subsidized by the Trump Organization. The young Calamari graduated from college in 2011 and was promoted to corporate director of security six years later. 

New York prosecutors have reportedly instructed both Calamaris to retain legal services.

Trump's former bodyguard becomes latest from Trumpworld entangled by Manhattan DA's probe | Salon.com