A lot of people keep asking in comments to posts, including the one where I tried to put oil on the water I had troubled and then you all decided to go after each other in comments you special people, what we can do. That is both a good question and a problematic one. Because a good chunk of the historic and traditional way you resolve the problem we’re facing is not something that is polite or pleasant or that I’m posting on the front page of John’s blog.
However, there is something I think we can do. Those of you in North Carolina will know and some of the rest of you might recall that in 2010 a wealthy North Carolinian named Art Pope leveraged his fortune to take control of North Carolina. Pope, through direct donations to candidates and campaigns, and indirect ones through his and other’s political action committees and through the conservative, free market promoting think tank, Civitas, that he funded and ran in North Carolina. Pope is, of course, not the only one who has done this. Every state, especially those now controlled by Republican majority legislatures even if they no longer have Republican governors – Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina – have one or more wealthy citizens, usually tied into the Koch’s and Leonard Leo’s and other’s dark money networks who are funding and/or running state level conservative, free market promoting think tanks.
This is how we got the mess in Wisconsin that is Wisconsin. Charlie Sykes, who has now gone apostate, was the front man for this there through the Badger Institute, Right Wisconsin, and his talk radio show. The Badger Institute used to be known as the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Texas has one of these, The Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has recently jumped into the astroturfed anti-CRT bullshit with both feet. Almost every state has one. They all have innocuous sounding names. The big one in Florida used to be Jeb! Bush’s James Madison Institute, which he leveraged to get himself elected governor. They’re either predominantly funded by one wealthy conservative person or family in that state or by the usual funders like the Kochs, the Mercers, the Uhliens, the Friesses, the Popes, etc.
These think tanks, which are basically state level versions of the Heritage Foundation, serve as a key node in creating the conditions allowing for the anti-democratic voter suppression and electoral manipulation that is threatening America both as a whole and state by state. Organizing against them, shining some sunlight on them, would be very effective civic action.
So if you know the name of the think tank or think tanks in your state, like Civitas, the Badger Institute, or Texas Public Policy Foundation, sound off in the comments. If you’ve got a link ready to hand, through that in too. I’ll come along later and make a master list and put it up as its own post so that people know who to organize against.
Until then, Open Thread!
PS – I’m fine. Thanks for everyone asking in comments or emailing. Really. I’m not depressed. I’m not suicidal. The jury is out regarding homicidal… (this is sarcasm) I’m not quitting. I’m not leaving. I am frustrated. But I’m fine. Though if you see news reports of a Florida man who looks to be part susquatch on a tri-state homicide vacation, it might be me… (this is also sarcasm!)
raven
hang tough brah
sixthdoctor
This was the first place I looked, digging now:
https://www.opensecrets.org/states/
patrick II
I like th idea of not just working against the politicians but the money men behind them. We should encourage our politicians to do the same, because the real political opponent of democracy are the Kochs and the Mellons and a bunch of other guys who I don’t know the name of and they should be better known and their contributions through dark money publicized.
Tony Jay
Have you considered relaxing by listening to the music of…… Showaddywaddy?
Other than that, I got nuthin.
VOR
Minnesota has the Center of the American Experiment. Also the Taxpayers League of Minnesota.
Yutsano
We got a list of em. And now I have a better understanding of how that toad* Tim Eyman keeps himself rich. It’s not just his business acumen.
*with all apologies to toads, who are wonderful creatures and do not deserve to be lumped in with that joik.
UncleEbeneezer
I like this idea but aside from advertiser boycotts I’m not exactly sure what we can do to fight them. I would welcome guidance from people with experience in that.
PS- much as I don’t like $ buying influence, I wish some of our more liberal-minded billionaires would lobby Manchin/Sinema and other Dems with cold feet. Dangle some major $, factories, jobs etc. for their states.
CaseyL
@sixthdoctor: Wow – I knew Washington State (well, Western Washington) was Democratic/Blue/liberal, but am still impressed that all of the major donors are, too.
Considering how quickly and completely the GOP in Eastern Washington went down the GQP rabbithole, it’s reassuring to know that, for now anyway, GQP dark money hasn’t been a factor here.
@Yutsano: Ah. The source I looked at just lists PAC contributions. Still, none of the RW thinktanks made the list.
dmsilev
How can we tell whether it’s you vs. some other typical Florida Man? I mean, your description doesn’t narrow things down much.
Red Hot Mess
In WA state there are 3 that I know of: the Discovery Institute (the Intelligent Design folks), Washington Policy Center, and the Freedom Foundation.
mvr
In Nebraska, I think one of them is the Platte Institute (https://platteinstitute.org/about/) which I believe is connected to our governor’s family. Wikipedia confirms this at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platte_Institute_for_Economic_Research
Yutsano
@CaseyL: I was actually surprised how blue Spokane is turning. It doesn’t seem to be enough to throw out Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (spit) yet, but it does give me some hope. The Tri-cities is still a lost cause it seems even with our massive influx of population*.
*Inb4 H.E. Wolf tells me I’m giving up too easily.
Fake Irishman
Michigan: Mackinac Center for Public Policy
(Mackinac.org)
“Think tank” linked with the noxious DeVos family (eg Betsy and Dick), puts on a “conference” every year at the resort on Mackinac island that hosts every Michigan politician of Republican persuasion. Anti-labor. anti-choice. Antitax. Anti-labor. Anti environmental regs. Anti consumer. Anti public transit. Anti-labor. Anti-Medicaid. Have I mentioned they hate unions? My old union local was on the receiving end of one of their astroturf campaigns in 2010-2012. Not fun times.
geg6
RIP Rich Trumka. The best union leader of my adult lifetime. A big blow to organized labor.
White & Gold Purgatorian
In Alabama, the Alabama Policy Institute has long been a source of right wing “thought,” distributing their “unbiased” editorials to every newspaper in the state, most of which are happy to have a freebie to fill some space. They are also very good at providing nicely dressed right thinkers when local news needs a reaction to Obamacare, immigration, taxes, etc. It looks like the Alabama Center for Law and Liberty is another one to watch, with a focus on legal action as opposed to just propaganda. I used to have a good idea who was the money behind a lot of the bought and paid for politicians in Montgomery, but have sort of fallen out of the habit of looking at that. Could do some digging if it seems worthwhile, but in this state it feels rather pointless. Feel free to inspire me …
Edited to fix typo.
jeffreyw
@Yutsano:
sixthdoctor
In Maryland, the Maryland Public Policy Institute:
https://www.mdpolicy.org
Info on them from Sourcewatch:
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Maryland_Public_Policy_Institute
Also, the Calvert Institute:
http://www.calvertinstitute.org
Another Scott
Thanks for this.
Jane Mayer’s latest long piece at TheNewYorker is another good example of shining light in the dark places:
(quasi-repost)
Everything is a battle for political power for them. A science-based response to a global pandemic? That’s a Democratic plot!!11ONE.
These rich kooks are using the tax system to protect and perpetuate their fortunes, and preventing disclosure of what they’re doing with their protected money to undermine our system of government. They’re buying politicians through their successful blocking of contribution limits and prevention of even seriously talking about public financing of campaigns. Congress should get onto reining in these abuses. If I have to disclose a $200 donation to Mr. Smith in his campaign for Congress, and am limited in my total donations, then these bazillionaires should not be able to abuse loopholes to donate whatever they want and hide what they’re doing with their millions.
Cheers,
Scott.
BC in Illinois
Missouri has Rex Sinquefield.
“Philanthropist.”
Funds the “Show Me Institute.”
Whatever is bad in the State of Missouri, Rex Sinquefield funds it.
He also endows the St. Louis Chess Club. Which does good things.
cain
@Red Hot Mess:
You can always tell a right wing organization because they use terms like “freedom”, ‘patriot”, and other terms that they subvert. Literally, even our country’s flag has been co-opted by right wingers.
Fake Irishman
Ohio: buckeye institute
Wisconsin: Bradley Institute
Martin
California has a few
Notably, these have almost zero influence in state politics any more. We just export the bullshit to the rest of the nation. You’re welcome.
JoJo
@Another Scott: I was just about to post about Wisconsin’s own Bradley Foundation, which has been a toxic force in both Wisconsin and the US for quite some time. And there they are in your quote!
If anyone has ideas as to how to shine a light on the wretched Bradley Foundation and destroy them, I will gladly take such advice.
narya
In Illinois: The Heartland Institute. (Note: NOT Heartland Alliance, which is a large social service organization that does much good work.)
DFH
@narya: What about the Illinois Policy Institute? Local paper runs a IPI columnist, who seems reasonable but in the end always comes out as a winger.
Martin
Adam, keep us informed as best you can. I’m in the process of deprogramming a few relatives and I’m really alarmed. I think I have a new understanding of things, and there’s just nothing happening to take off the strain. It’s a ratchet that just keeps cranking down – from both the left and right – and the only resolution is for the thing to break.
Betty Cracker
There’s a “Badger Institute” in Florida too, and it’s run by this shady, paparazzi-resistant character:
Don’t let the dapper attire and bug-eyed choirboy presentation fool you. He is ruthless and determined to monopolize all the cheese, even if he has to subvert democracy to do it.
jeffreyw
JaySinWa
@Yutsano: Thanks,
I was trying to remember the name of the anti union group Freedom Foundation and Washington Policy Center. Discovery Institute had totally slipped my mind.
Starfish
@Martin:
Did you read this by an author who is a guardian of her nieces and nephews because their parents religious-kooked themselves into early graves?
Starfish
@Betty Cracker: Would donate treats to his PAC.
Another Scott
IANA Tax Lawyer, but I would hope that those that are are looking at abuses of the 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), etc., parts of the tax laws.
IRS.gov (2 page .pdf)
I hope that Biden’s increasing the number of inspectors in the IRS includes increasing the number of people looking at things like these. We know that the GQP is scared of people actually looking at what they’re doing – witness the 2013 IRS “targeting” “scandal”…
They wouldn’t scream about it if they thought it was a nothingburger…
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev: It’s the part sasquatch that gives it away…
jimmiraybob
Are we talking garrotes and shivs?
zhena gogolia
@Betty Cracker:
How cute!!!!
wjs
Red state governors are doing an excellent job of killing as many of their own voters as possible.
I am neither endorsing or celebrating this fact; I think it should be factored into the next set of elections. They are, literally, Gerrymandering themselves into a situation where they still won’t be able to steal elections.
Eljai
@Betty Cracker: Oh, dear. I think I just donated my life savings to the Badger Institute. I wondered why I haven’t received my collectible Badgercoin yet.
H.E.Wolf
@Yutsano: I haven’t yet seen any reasons to tell you that. I know we’re both in the long game. :)
And I haven’t given up hope of recruiting you as a Postcards To Voters writer – it really didn’t seem like the time, though, while you were in the midst of a health situation.
Very glad to know you’re on the road to recovery, by the way!
(Also, won’t it be a Day of Jubilee when WA-05 flips to blue….)
Andrya
Adam
Please don’t ever apologize for being a Cassandra. Your doom and gloom warnings are providing a valuable public service. And may I remind you of the original (mythical) Cassandra? She warned the Trojans “do NOT bring that wooden horse inside the city walls!”. They did not listen…
Andrya
Fake Irishman
@Martin:
isn’t there a Jarvis Institute too?
Reason can be quite weird and sometimes very damaging, occasionally they do some good work on criminal justice or free speech though
Betty Cracker
Viktor Orbán is getting a lot of attention from MSM and lefty media now that American wingnuts are openly making pilgrimages to Budapest to study his model of democracy subversion. I’m not familiar with the details on how Orbán’s party pushed Hungary down the autocracy chute, but from what I’ve read, it’s eerily similar to what we’re seeing here, complete with culture war argle-bargle, gerrymandering power-grabs, court-stacking, kleptocratic relationships, etc. I wonder if think-tanks played a role. Probably!
Betty
Sheldon Whitehouse is working this beat. He has a lot of information on the big spenders.
schrodingers_cat
@Betty Cracker: Obey the paw.
cwmoss
@Starfish: Bad link. Can you fix?
Fair Economist
@Starfish: Fix for Starfish’s link. Pretty interesting; scary how crazy right-wing religious people can be.
Benw
@Betty Cracker: does the Badger Institute have any good white pawpers?
Betty Cracker
@geg6: I don’t know much about Trumka, but my impression is he was an old-time labor leader in the best sense. His death is a tragedy for his family and also for organized labor.
Starfish
@Fair Economist: Thank you.
piratedan
Adam, thank you for the guidance and constructive feedback… just like we’re being proactive on donating cash and helping to get people to the polls, anything we can do to drag these disingenuous fucks into the light is a good thing. The other side wants to dox people and make their lives a living hell, I see no reason why we can’t return the favor in some small capacity.
SFBayAreaGal
@Martin: Do you know who is behind the recall for Newsom?
lurker
Re:
So the sarcastic part is you are not limiting it to three states? Cuz I understand various people have various lists relevant to this whole thing. Also, Florida and Kentucky are just two states and that potentially goes somewhere right there.
Ok, enough of the dark humor for now.
Mike in NC
The loathsome Art Pope bought a cabinet post under our terrible Governor Pat McCrory, who got dumped like Trump after one disastrous term. But Fat Art is still out there stinking up the state.
Hildebrand
I think that this kind of proactive, constructive suggestion should be required of every doom-singing post. If an action item were tacked on to such posts, I wouldn’t complain (as much). We have agency, and I appreciate it when we are encouraged to use it, and how to use it, even in the face of the knavery we are confronted by every day.
I know some folks slag on the ‘Obama Bros’ around here, but they have been determined, from the beginning, to offer constructive suggestions of what each of us can do in the face of Republican perfidy. That is a huge help in the midst of the ongoing crisis.
PaulWartenberg
FLORIDA MAN HERE MYSELF, ADAM.
I MIGHT HAVE TO USE YOU AS AN ALIBI HOPE YOU DON’T MIND.
YES THIS IS ALL IN CAPS LOCK I AM A FLORIDA MAN AND HAVE GONE QUITE QUITE MAD.
Elizabelle
@Starfish: Needs a better link. Please fix.
JaySinWa
@Fair Economist: That story is literally god awful. A painful future ahead for all concerned.
O. Felix Culpa
In New Mexico, we have the Rio Grande Foundation, which is believed to be a Koch front. Fortunately we elected a Democratic governor and majority-Democratic state legislature, but that doesn’t keep these rightwing lowlifes from spouting their message to anyone who will listen.
We’re also home to insurrectionist and Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, who still has not resigned as far as I know.
narya
@DFH: Their website suggests they’re on the right (e.g., referring to last year’s protests as something like “riots,” which is no accurate), but kinda keeping full-on nuttiness on the DL. Very anti-pritzker. TBH, though, I don’t know them.
Major Major Major Major
oh shoot are we not supposed to harangue each other in the comments now?
MomSense
Maine Policy Institute – another Heritage Foundation joint.
https://mainepolicy.org/tag/heritage-foundation/
lurker
As I recall, Tim Eyman in WA has been mentioned – he has funded a lot of initiatives over the years to screw around with democracy in WA state. The steady blue heartbeat of King County seems to have blunted the worst of that, and slowly pumped out more blue into some of the eastern parts of the state, helping a little around Spokane, for example.
In CA, a number of things were mentioned and there are more on the ground. See, e.g., @Martin.
However, CA witnessed the steady march to the right and off the cliff of the Republican party, starting at least with Pete Wilson the Governor who would be President (and yet failed). Wilson led the anti-immigrant and ultimately racist moves of the Republican party as part of his ambition to move to the right for national political purposes, and the party kept on driving that bus even after Wilson exited from public view. So, as mentioned, we export our bad ideas elsewhere and the rabid Republicans in CA foam at the mouth but do not get statewide traction.
Coming out of this, you get things like Condi Rice coming from the Hoover Institution and Stanford to the Bush II admin, or machinations from Thiel.
Betty Cracker
@Hildebrand: Are you specifically talking about Adam’s posts, or do you mean doom-infused posts in general should contain action items? Either way, I think I disagree. There’s a difference between blogs and activist networks, Balloon Juice being an example of the former and the Obama Bros’ digital channels representing the latter. There are folks here who do a fair amount of site-based activism, political and/or humanitarian fundraising and sharing of specific expertise. That’s great, but I don’t see it as the site’s primary purpose.
laura
@Major Major Major Major: jumping in to harangue you about the severe shortage of photos of that jaunty fog pelted gorgeous beast you moved away with. Come on man, give the people what they want/need.
Yutsano
@Major Major Major Major: @laura:
Moar Samwise pics or GTFO.
misterpuff
@Betty Cracker: If you cropped that pic a little more, Badger’d be a fascist. I’m surprised his tags don’t have “88” on them.
IdahoHokie
The Idaho Freedom Foundation
https://idahofreedom.org
It is an absolute cancer on the state of Idaho.
Mike in NC
Speaking of Sasquatch, what’s up with Floriduh Man Brad Parscale?
glory b
Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
305 Mt Lebanon Blvd, Suite 208 Pittsburgh PA 15234
Kristine
@jeffreyw: Love it. Retweeted it.
No name
@Adam L Silverman: Looking forward to reading your post about upcoming August 13 debacle. Never viewed your posts as sky is falling doom mongering. I like knowing what could be the worst case scenario in any situation, especially when it’s provided by someone with your background. Who wants to be blindsided?
glory b
@Mike in NC: Last I heard, he left Caitlyn Jenner’s campaign broke and busted, and there are unconfirmed allegations that he absconded with campaign funds.
My sources are only social media, but it would seem to fit a pattern.
mrmoshpotato
@Betty Cracker: Hehe. BADGER! ???
misswhatsis
New Hampshire has the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy which is a specifically Free State right wing nuthouse. Because it’s not enough to have right-wingers we get to have Free Staters trying to get the state of NH to secede from the union and in the meantime lets us destroy public education and every public good.
Hildebrand
@Betty Cracker: I am speaking broadly – not just Adam’s posts.
Yes, I recognize that there is a difference between action posts and news or commentary posts – and yep, I understand that Balloon Juice has mostly been commentary and news.
That said, if a post is primarily focused on how the world is ending, I don’t think it is asking too much for our front-pagers to throw in a suggestion about how we slow down the impending armageddon.
You are all thoughtful and creative writers, with a deep reserve of education and experience, why not, after a good round of doom-singing, bring some of those gifts to bear on what might be done. I see it as taking the next step in the process of working through the regular calamities wrought by right-wing knaves.
Some of the front-pagers already do this, as do many of the commenters (all brighter and savvier than me). I simply appreciate when the collective wisdom of this place is aimed at ways we can take steps to get things done.
I understand that this is not the raison d’etre of this place, that doesn’t mean its an unwelcome addition to what this community can do.
Leto
@Betty Cracker: Ben Rhodes last book, “After the Fall”, as well as Madeline Albright’s “Fascism: A Warning”, both offer pretty good explainers of how Orban came to power. Like you said, very similar to what Repubs are doing now.
zhena gogolia
@Betty Cracker:
I used this article for my students a couple of years ago. It gives a good account of his rise and how he changed from a Soros-funded democracy advocate to a strongman. New Yorker, probably paywall:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/viktor-orbans-far-right-vision-for-europe
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
Seething…
For those of you who’ve had the misfortune to read my posts over the years, you know me as a general practice lawyer who generally tries to stick with family law. For those of us who work in Louisville, we generally cover several counties within about an hour’s radius. This is primarily because the Southern Indiana cities across the river make up a not insubstantial lump of the metro area; Indiana has some onerous residency rules about admission, so we compensate for that loss by spreading south and east. Kentucky and Indiana’s COVID rates related to the Delta variant are squeezing this city – outside Jefferson County, positivity is blazing red.
Our first, most basic rule as family law practitioners is to expect judges to “do no harm”. This means “if presumptively fit and experienced lawyers agree about either procedure or something substantive, don’t fuck it up with useless surplusage”. This rule got tossed out the window today in an exurban county.
Making a long story short, I’m the subsequent lawyer on a fraught case involving a manipulated 4 year old, domestic violence allegations, and a metric fuckton of crazy. The other party is a malicious moron, the mom of the kid is a hot mess, and her dad is rightfully pulling his hair out over the malicious party accusing him of everything under the sun while withholding the child. The fraught aspects of the case were brought about in two parts – some ridiculous surplusage which had been expected of prior counsel, but without telling her about it, and the court’s refusal to deal with a problem summarily.
Today, we came in with an agreement that 1) killed both DV cases and 2) set some mild conditions on grandpa’s contact pending CPS concluding an investigation. It also immediately restored mom’s time. Keep in mind that biodad somehow decided that he needn’t show up, but I honor my agreements even when somebody fucks up. I’m there with grandpa, and have been authorized by mom to do an agreed order. Other lawyer has been authorized to sign it, so we’re all good.
Then, the dipshittery started:
What an irresponsible piece of shit – she’s putting four people into a crowded room that don’t otherwise have to be there. Everybody despises her for her snits, her laziness and her general levels of gross stupidity; sadly, she’s not up again for re-election for three more years. She’s been sitting on ruling on one case of mine for 8 months – stuff has changed on both sides, and both parties have new gripes. Other people have reported that she is a year late.
I did go ahead to apply for an open Court of Appeals nomination this year. The governor probably won’t appoint me, but I want my name out there in the hunt. I think I could actually file for the seat and win it from whoever gets named (nobody cares about intermediate appellate races – but its a cool title and a really easy workload for decent pay and fantastic benefits). Ideally, I’d use my appellate power to concentrate on punishing this particular judge…..
mrmoshpotato
@glory b:
Just to clarify. Parscale fleeced Jenner’s campaign. (SAD!)
zhena gogolia
Somewhat OT except wannabe strongman, but a cute 24 seconds from Pompeo here:
Another Scott
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: Sorry for the aggravation today. :-(
Best of luck getting the appointment!
Cheers,
Scott.
rikyrah
@Starfish:
got a 404 error message with that link
Elizabelle
@rikyrah: Here’s a better link. Worth reading; still thinking on this story. Author is Jessica Ripka.
https://lyz.substack.com/p/cicada-season-pandemic-faith-and
Ksmiami
It wouldn’t be that hard to hack their family office accounts… just saying
Betty Cracker
@zhena gogolia: Bookmarked — thanks!
Roger Moore
@Martin:
Don’t forget the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Association.
Leto
@zhena gogolia: Who did it better? Gym Jordan or Pompeo?
RaflW
@VOR: That hideous woman who basically has made it her life’s work to immiserate LGBTQ people gets her checks from the Center of the American Experiment (oy, that name).
When my partner worked at the Star Tribune, I wanted him to sue them for ‘hostile work environment’ because K. Kersten had a cubicle within visual range of his.
It would of course have made his work life awful to do it. She just wrote such garbage lies about us queers. And the fking paper printed them. In the Opinion section, of course, so a suit would not likely have worked. But it would have/should have embarrassed Strib management.
John Revolta
We should also mention the Republican Governors Association, a wretched hive of scum and villainy which among other things financed several busloads of “patriots” to the party on Jan. 6th.
John Revolta
@Andrya: Yeah, the thing people generally forget about Cassandra is that everything she said was correct (not that it made her any more popular).
Roger Moore
@mrmoshpotato:
Yet another grifter getting grifted.
RaflW
@zhena gogolia:
“I have no idea how the State Department lost this thing, although I saw enormous incompetence at the State Department” — Mike Pompeo
Hey, Mike. You ran State for two years and nine months. You saying you ran an incompetent agency for nearly three years isn’t the win you think it is!
Glidwrith
@Betty Cracker: I don’t remember exact details but Krugman did a whole series of guest posts from someone that was living through it in real-time and yes, it always looked like a dress rehearsal on how to take us down.
edmund dantes
Trump Is Planning a Much More Respectable Coup Next Time (msn.com)
Good article laying down what the plan is for next time. This is why “Vote” is not a viable strategy.
Elizabelle
@Glidwrith: Paul Krugman? Did the guest posts appear in his NY Times column? I’d be interesting in finding those …
RaflW
@John Revolta: Yep. RGA is a cesspool.
Roger Moore
@RaflW:
ALEC also, too.
germy
schrodingers_cat
He used to blog here. I wonder why he doesn’t anymore. In this tweet he accurately describes a threat closer than Orban.
dengre
@denngree
·
4m
“Leftists” never abandoned the “Bernie or Bust” strategy. They’re still all about attacking/undermining Democrats whenever possible. They *never* challenge GQP officeholders. And they care less about winning races against Democrats than inflicting as much damage as they can.
Old School
@Elizabelle:
Not in his column, they were in his blog. Luckily, CrunchyFrog posted a link to one over at LGM earlier today.
Yutsano
@Old School: FTFNYT and their stupid paywall.
Old School
@Yutsano: Sorry. The link worked for me, but because of the paywall, I rarely go to the NYT website.
rikyrah
@Mike in NC:
Brad is a crook.
nothing complicated about Brad.
trollhattan
@mrmoshpotato: @Roger Moore:
Current poll leader is guy who wants to restore (establish?) slavery to California.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article253095738.html
The takeaway: ‘Tis better to have a wingnut radio talk show than to be a Kardashian.
schrodingers_cat
People who are asserting here that turning out to vote is not going to help with 100% conviction are helping in voter suppression tactics of the Republican party. Why vote when Rs are going to cheat anyway is the message sent.
At this rate we will suppress our own vote like we did in 2010 so Rs won’t have to lift a finger as we deliver an own goal and give them the control of the House and the Senate.
Elizabelle
@Old School: Perfect! Thanks to you and Crunchy Frog.
Guest writer was Kim Lane Scheppele of Princeton; December 2011.
Elizabelle
@schrodingers_cat: Agreed. That is too broad a statement. Vote, always vote.
schrodingers_cat
Another Squad member is out there giving the Rs their talking points.
Private security for me but no police for thee.
RaflW
BTW, in the sickening decay of our country theme, here’s US Senator Rand Paul helping set the state for attacks on immigrant children (for being disease vectors. Now, where has that rhetoric been used in history?).
And how it is that the head of his caucus, Mitch McConnell, isn’t hounded for such outbursts from his members speaks volumes to our perverted press incentives.
topclimber
@schrodingers_cat: Agreed!
Roger Moore
@schrodingers_cat:
What I would say is that turning out the vote is a necessary but not sufficient condition to win. We will obviously fail if everyone stays home; we will also fail if the Republicans are allowed to cheat wholesale. So we need to do both things: get our people out there to vote and keep the Republicans from rigging the election.
Mike in NC
@trollhattan: Hey, maybe Dinesh D’Souza should run for governor of California!
Carol
In Colorado
Here’s a list of Colorado think tanks published by Colorado Politics, a publication owned by far right billionaire Philip Anschutz. https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/cover-story-colorados-think-tanks-put-ideas-into-action/article_8560fe0c-c8fb-11e9-8659-63f163b831a9.html
The conservative tanks mention here are:
Independence Institute https://i2i.org/
Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian College https://centennial.ccu.edu/
Focus on the Family https://www.focusonthefamily.com/
These are the obviously conservative organizations. The article lists other entities that are more business oriented, or sound either neutral or left leaning.
prostratedragon
@DFH: I was going to name IPI if no one else had, and DFH describes precisely their tactic as I’ve encountered it on local talk shows. If you’ve developed enough of an ear to suss out the come-on, you won’t be disappointed. What I don’t know or recall is how much impact they had on getting Bruce Rauner elected governor 7 years ago.
ETA links:
Illinois Policy Institute website
IPI entry at Wikipedia
Kay
It’s when I knew they would try it again.
schrodingers_cat
@Roger Moore: That’s going to be tough needle to thread. Its like telling a student you should study for an exam, but we are going to fail you no matter how well you do. And then tell the student that not only do they have to study for the test but that they have to monitor the people who set the exams
Also, this narrative that the Republicans always win no matter what is an insidious message to send. It also happens to be not true. Democratic wins are pooh-poohed and Republican threats are amplified to the maximum.
Mo MacArbie
Not a thinktank, to be sure, but I’m tempted to add the Westlands Water District to the CA list…
Elizabelle
@Roger Moore: Agreed. But messaging is important. Don’t let people seize onto the cynical there. Got to encourage them to come out and vote no matter what the obstacles.
If we continue to win, it will get easier.
Kay
They’ll absolutely do this to overturn an election, and there will be a substantial group of powerful people who will either immediately endorse it or insist it’s a close question and a reasonable result.
Betty Cracker
@schrodingers_cat: That depends on how you define “leftist.” If you mean Nina Turner, okay, but she’s not representative of all candidates commonly thought of as “leftist.” Take Jessica Cisneros, who, like Turner, was recruited by the dreaded Justice Democrats.
Cisneros is gearing up for a rematch against ConservaDem incumbent Henry Cueller, who narrowly beat her in the 2020 primary. I hope she kicks his anti-choice ass this time. [HuffPo]
As Armando on the Twitter put it, that’s a smart approach. It doesn’t alienate party regulars, whereas Turner had a dumb, alienating approach, which is why she lost.
sab
@schrodingers_cat: I think they are wrong. Things are being gamed against us, but thi is still a democracy. A lot of the problems are low turnout indifference, and also voter suppression. Voter supprssion varies by laws state to state. Indifference is a concern everywhere.
I am really heartened by the high turnout in Ohio 11th. August off-year election that only the political junkies knew was happening. They expected about 8% and got 20%.
DFH
@narya: Yup, trying to keep winger nuttiness muted, I’m sure. It is funded by Koch Industries… from Wikipedia:
IP has received $843,000 from Donors Capital Fund and $790,456 from DonorsTrust between 2010 and 2015.
Adios
hervevillechaizelounge
Oh my fucking god, not only do we have a right-wing think tank in Boston it’s a five minute walk from chez Villechaize; spitting on their sidewalk when I walk past will only be the opening salvo in my personal crusade against this wanton fuckery.
The fascist circle jerk is called the Pioneer Institute, btw. Not sure if posting this will work but I wrote them a one-star review on the googles.
schrodingers_cat
@Betty Cracker: I don’t trust anyone with the Justice Democrat label. YMMV.
sab
@Kay: So we need to be careful about throwing the book at protesters. I am fine with serious time for guys who bashed and injured cops, or damaged federal property.
I do not want them going after idiots who turned up at a protest, didn’t do much, and then other people elsewhere blew it all up. I went to a lot of anti-Vietnam war protests, and this could have been me in high school. Except that nobody attacked the capitol. But buildings across the country were burned by morons.
andy
Center of the American Experiment are the pieces of shit in Minnesota. They regularly have their propaganda published in small weeklies to keep the folks in Greater Minnesota hating the smarts. They also provide “experts” to local news shows and pods as well. You might notice on their website where they link to fellow traveler orgs in the other 49 states.
Kay
@sab:
Oh, it’ll be tiered and in a specific order because all US criminal law is. 1. voilence against a person, 2. damage property, 3. general disorder and/or stupidity. They will “throw the book” at injuring a cop because that has another “social order” dimension- that’s complete societal breakdown territory. I agree with that too- the cop is the state in this scenario. Sounds bad because as you know “all lives matter(!)” but that’s an important distinction in my view. It isn’t because cops are special people- it’s because they’re specifically tasked with restoring order. Attacking them is one step further and that’s how it’s treated.
Betty Cracker
@schrodingers_cat: As is your right, of course! I think some of them are way out there too, FWIW. C. Bush is definitely a mixed bag, IMO. Just wanted to point out that there are distinctly different approaches within that group. They’re not all out to destroy the party.
FlyingToaster
I just went through my local stuff, seeing if anyone even attempted to do GQP voter suppression here in the
People’s RepublicCommonwealth of Massachusetts, and, well, all of our groups are anti-gay oriented. To Wit:None of them have a deep pockets funder; they each seem to have a slow steady income stream that is naturally unexposed. None of them have any power with the Lege (currently H:129D;30R;1U & S:37D;3R). Every other group is a piece of a national organization (e.g., Patriot Front).
I suspect the Maine & New
HamsterHampshire orgs above are my best targets hereabouts.Dan B
@Hildebrand: Proactive suggestions are great but I hope they are not required. That would be a bar so high it can result in worse despair. I’m thinking of AIDS when the only things to do were to try to sort reality from rumor and endure the horror. Action emerged after many years and institutions evolved. Sometimes the only thing to do is rage against the onrushing cataclysm. And sometimes from the rage the solutions emerge. It’s rarely pretty in a crisis but trying to pretend there’s no crisis is to surrender more thoroughly than is otherwise possible.
Jim Vandewalker
@Adam L Silverman: in Florida you don’t get Sasquatches you get skunk apes. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/trail-floridas-big-foot-skunk-ape-180949981/
zhena gogolia
@Leto:
Close call.
FlyingToaster
I just found a Scribd page on funding for one of the “State Policy Network” groups:
MA – Pioneer Institute
And a SourceWatch page for another:
MA – Beacon Hill Institute
Their funders are all the usual (Kochs, Waltons, etc.). Yeesh.
hervevillechaizelounge
@FlyingToaster:
Will you please join me in leaving a one-star review for the Pioneer Institute?
The Beacon Hill Institute doesn’t seem to have a review option, unfortunately:(
Vengeance will be mine, sayeth this righteously pissed-off liberal.
Betty Cracker
@Dan B: Oh thank you! You summed up vague misgivings I had about the suggestion concisely and elegantly.
schrodingers_cat
@Betty Cracker: Since you like her I will give her another look.
FlyingToaster
@hervevillechaizelounge: Done!
Though I declined to write my actual opinion, since though they’re fully wingnut funded, the General Court sitting 166-33-1 means that they can’t really buy any legislation, plus Charlie Baker won’t take their calls (out of embarassment, I suspect).
My opinion: “All Dressed Up, but No One to Blow”
debbie
@zhena gogolia:
Have they bothered to check Pompeo’s broom closet? //
debbie
@Kay:
I’m listening to an interview on Fresh Air with Jane Meyer who has a new article in The New Yorker dealing with this. They’ve already absolutely done this. How did we let it get this far?
Geminid
@Betty Cracker: When Turner realized that the that the OH 11th was up for grabs, she pivoted and tried to present her self as a reasonable Democratic team player. But Turner had left a wide and long trail of incendiary statements that were used against her by Shontel Brown’s campaign and it’s outside supporters. When Brown pulled even with Turner, Turner reverted to a scorched earth approach and went down snarling.
The Cuellar-Cisneros rematch will be a real fight. Cisneros came within 3.6% of of beating Cuellar, and this probably was a surprise to him. But he’ll have had two years to get ready for next year’s primary.
There is somewhat of a Cuellar family machine based in Laredo. Henry’s sister is the Laredo Municipal Judge, and his brother is Sheriff of Webb County. Covering 3700 square miles, Webb County surrounds Laredo. Cisneros’ campaign workers had better make sure their car lights are in order when they go out campaigning. Dashboard cameras could come in handy if they are accused of swerving.
The Moar You Know
Carl DeMaio here in San Diego decided since we wouldn’t crown him mayor he’d burn down the state. “Reform California” is his operation. They’re bankrolling every dime of Newsom’s recall and trying to flip every school board in the state. All-out assault on democracy, this operation.
dp
In Louisiana it’s the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, a Koch/AFP funded outfit.
https://pelicanpolicy.org/
Hildebrand
@Dan B: @Dan B: Not a requirement, a suggestion, a hope.
Rage, anger, a deep well of knowing that something must change but not knowing how, these I can understand. That is not what I am referencing, it is the defeatism or fatalism that is most frustrating, and most unhelpful.
Nobody in particular
The jury is always out on “homicidal.”
Or It might be that new Epix Series about the Patrician Roman wives after the assassination of Caesar:
Domina.
Poor Cicero
Nobody in particular
It’s time for a rendition of HUAC. That’s my 2 cents.
SourceWatch is an excellent resource for rooting out the toxicity among us.
So is this, but it’s a forward looking path to sustainability, or authentic conservatism.
Posterity, The Stewardship Doctrine and intergenerational justice.
Burke never used the term “conservative.” It had not entered the political lexicon in any language until 1824. It was the Frenchman, Chateaubriand, a regular meathead. By 1830 it had popped up in England.
“People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.”
Edmund Burke
Bex
Bex
Way late, but have you seen this? theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/09/deznats/religious-extremists-mormon-vision