Looks like no one has a post up for the convention, so I guess this is it.
I wish them all the “best” with their convention.
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics
Looks like no one has a post up for the convention, so I guess this is it.
I wish them all the “best” with their convention.
by Betty Cracker| 122 Comments
This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity
Via CSPAN’s Jeremy Art on Twitter, this comparison snapshot of the roll call of states at the Dem (left) and Rep (right) conventions speaks a thousand words:
Speaker Pelosi has a favorite saying: “Our diversity is our strength, and our unity is our power.” I like that. But you can’t say the Republicans aren’t diverse. Sure, it’s four older white men in that picture, but only half wear glasses. And while three have dark suits with white shirts, the Hawaii delegate appears to be wearing an aloha shirt.
I’m not watching the convention, but from clips I’ve seen on Twitter, it’s clear that whichever one of y’all said it would be like CPAC on steroids was dead right. One speaker said, “Joe Biden is hiding in the dark, waiting to take the lives of our unborn babies.” Seriously — that’s a direct quote. Video here. (I personally think “Joe Biden, Baby Assassin” will be a tough sell…)
Someone on Twitter noted that Trump’s speech today went on twice as long as Biden’s acceptance speech last week (and Trump’s was still going on when that report was filed). It’s all grievances (they spied on meeee!) and self-aggrandizement (I’ve done more for The Blacks than anyone!).
In other news, kick-ass Attorney General of New York Letitia James is investigating charges that Trump inflated his wealth on lender documents, which I’m told is a big fat no-no. Details at The Post. An excerpt:
In the filing, signed by a deputy to Attorney General Letitia James, the attorney general’s office said it is investigating Trump’s use of “Statements of Financial Condition” — documents Trump sent to lenders, summarizing his assets and debts.
The filing asks a New York state judge to compel the Trump Organization to provide information it has been withholding from investigators — including a subpoena seeking an interview with the president’s son Eric.
The attorney general’s office said it began investigating after Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” Michael Cohen, told Congress in February 2019 that Trump had used these statements to inflate his net worth to lenders.
That’s going to leave a mark. And so much for an “upbeat” convention.
Open thread!
by WaterGirl| 43 Comments
This post is in: Political Action, Politics, What We Can Do / Playing to Win
Not quite two weeks ago, I put up a post called What We Can Do: 85 Days, 85 Things and asked you to help come up with a list of 85 things we can do for the 85 days that were left.
Thanks to all of you, we now have a list of 81 things on that list, and 72 days left to do everything we can to save our democracy.
You can find the full list under Featuring in the sidebar.
By the way, is anyone even looking at that list for ideas? There’s no point in my adding to the list if no one is looking at it. :-)
Today we are featuring the action group Election Protection.
Election Protection (information supplied by Winston)
Watergirl asked me to write up a blurb about this information, so without further ado:
I was reading the comments in this WAPO article:
and felt compelled to post my own comment to the effect that democrats ought to raise their own army to monitor Trump’s army. I immediately was replied to that we already had such an organization and it was called ELECTION PROTECTION. Tens of thousands of volunteers. So I checked it out and signed up.
Per their web page:
The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition was formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Made up of more than 100 local, state and national partners, Election Protection works year-round to advance and defend the right to vote.
Election Protection provides Americans from coast to coast with comprehensive voting information on how they can make sure their vote is counted through a number of resources including:
1) a suite of voter helplines: 866-OUR-VOTE (administered by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law), 888-VE-Y-VOTA (administered by the NALEO Educational Fund), 888-API-VOTE (administered by APIAVote & Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC), and 844-YALLA-US (844-925-52872) Arabic language hotline (administered by Arab American Institute);
2) voter protection field programs across the country; and 3) digital tools including 866ourvote.org, @866ourVote, and facebook.com/866OurVote
Volunteer Opportunities with Election Protection – Educate. Empower. Protect.
Election Protection – led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – is the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition. Through the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and our voter assistance field program, Election Protection helps ensure eligible voters are able to participate in our democracy while collecting data for meaningful reform so that our elections are free, fair, and accessible.
We are currently recruiting volunteers in a number of states across the country to help voters in 2020. Please note that we recruit volunteers in the states where they live and cannot support deployment to other states.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
This post is in: 2020 Elections, GOP Death Cult, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, Trump Crime Cartel, Lock Him Up...Lock Them All Up
The vast majority of Republican voters approve of the U.S. economy’s state and how the government handled the coronavirus, saying the level of deaths has been “acceptable,” a new poll shows https://t.co/WumDBTdVbX
— Bloomberg (@business) August 23, 2020
Ordinary mortals may not agree, but the Loyal 32% love their Dear Leader! And their fellow Death Cultists, too also!
“There’s some illegal hugging going on,” @HenryBarbour tells @anniekarni. “We all feel very safe because we all took a test before we came and when I got to the hotel, a lovely lady stuck a cotton swab into my brain.” https://t.co/QUGkZGkQYl
— Michael Kruse (@michaelkruse) August 23, 2020
(Write your own ‘tests came back negative’ joke)
… Keeping in place at least a piece of an in-person convention, in the original host city, has been a priority for the Republican National Committee, both symbolically and procedurally. The various R.N.C. committees must meet to complete the formal paperwork to nominate Mr. Trump by the coming deadlines. For example, Delaware, has a Tuesday deadline. And an in-person formal roll call on Monday, when 336 delegates representing 50 states, six territories and Washington, D.C., will formally renominate Mr. Trump from inside the convention center, was seen as a statement of where the party stands on lockdowns. The president and Vice President Mike Pence are expected to attend.
Even the scaled-back event has been tricky to pull off. The delegates participating were required to take at-home tests before arriving, and are being tested daily now that they are here (two people who planned to attend tested positive before traveling, and had to stay home). The R.N.C. has spent half a million dollars on tests and safety measures, according to officials, drafted a 42-page health plan, and still had to get an exemption from the state to host a large indoor gathering of out-of-towners. Convention participants on Saturday were all wearing privacy-hardened safety fobs, which are supposed to provide notifications if they come into close contact with someone infected with the coronavirus.
And they still have to abide by the rules of a city that is only in Phase 2 of reopening. Bars in Charlotte are still closed. Restaurants are allowed to open only at 50 percent capacity. Delegates are being told they can’t necessarily bring their spouses to planned dinners, and masks are required at all times, even outdoors.
But once they have entered the safe zone, delegates in town said they are here to experience a little slice of life as it used to be.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for months,” said Henry Barbour of Yazoo City, Miss., whose uncle is the former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. “I want to be part of this. For those of us who are really engaged, this is a reward.”…
The Republican National Committee doesn’t expect people to sit in their hotel rooms ordering room service once they are here and has tried to make the trip worth it for its members. It has rented out four venues for attendees to choose from for each night they are here: the Billy Graham Library; a tour of a local brewery; a night at Middle C Jazz, a live jazz venue; and an evening at TopGolf, which has a high-tech driving range…
They’ll have time to spare, because there won’t be any wasted on hammering out a platform:
I mean, seriously, what the hell is this? pic.twitter.com/1BDIgLSziG
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) August 24, 2020
Kneel before Zod. https://t.co/n9xuVbMWaj
— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) August 24, 2020
Criticism of Democrats: “You’ve got to run on more than just ‘we’re not Trump’”
Meanwhile, Republicans: “We believe in nothing and are running on literally nothing more than just supporting whatever the Mad King decides he believes in on a particular day.” https://t.co/iF5HwURBE8
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) August 24, 2020
Leaving more time to document the latest Emmanuel Goldstein…
The Republican National Committee is set to approve a resolution at its meeting in Charlotte "Refuting the legitimacy of the Southern Poverty Law Center to identify hate groups," saying the group "puts conservative groups or voices at risk of attack"
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) August 23, 2020
And commit acts of self-pwnage.
The official operating platform of the Republican Party in 2020 declares: "The current Administration has exceeded its constitutional authority, brazenly and flagrantly violated the separation of powers, sought to divide America into groups and turn citizen against citizen." pic.twitter.com/4e05FSs28b
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) August 24, 2020
And they love and admire Him for it!
Trump has no second-term goals other than getting a second term, and Republicans have no interest in antagonizing him by saying he has goals he doesn’t.
So both parts of the party—the Trumps & their servants—have settled on a cult of personality as a matter of convenience. https://t.co/v2kxHVsq29
— Matt O'Brien (@ObsoleteDogma) August 24, 2020
RNC Con Open Thread: What of the Lowliest Minions, in Charlotte?Post + Comments (154)
by John Cole| 85 Comments
This post is in: Republican Venality, Clown Shoes
Cleek is a visionary:
i can do it in one word: ~liberal
or, for those of you who don’t grok the boolean: today’s conservatism is the opposite of what liberals want today: updated daily.
or: cowardly authoritarians pretending to be individualists.
or: the cynical leading the stupid.
or: I Got Mine
or: who said we weren’t tolerant? we tolerate racists just fine!
The RNC has released their 2020 platform, and boy howdy is it a doozy:
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM
WHEREAS, The Republican National Committee (RNC) has significantly scaled back the size and scope of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte due to strict restrictions on gatherings and meetings, and out of concern for the safety of convention attendees and our hosts;
WHEREAS, The RNC has unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform, in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new platform without the breadth of perspectives within the ever-growing Republican movement;
WHEREAS, All platforms are snapshots of the historical contexts in which they are born, and parties abide by their policy priorities, rather than their political rhetoric;
WHEREAS, The RNC, had the Platform Committee been able to convene in 2020, would have undoubtedly unanimously agreed to reassert the Party’s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration;
WHEREAS, The media has outrageously misrepresented the implications of the RNC not adopting a new platform in 2020 and continues to engage in misleading advocacy for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration, rather than providing the public with unbiased reporting of facts; and
WHEREAS, The RNC enthusiastically supports President Trump and continues to reject the policy positions of the Obama-Biden Administration, as well as those espoused by the Democratic National Committee today; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda;
RESOVLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention will adjourn without adopting a new platform until the 2024 Republican National Convention;
RESOLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention calls on the media to engage in accurate and unbiased reporting, especially as it relates to the strong support of the RNC for President Trump and his Administration; and
RESOLVED, That any motion to amend the 2016 Platform or to adopt a new platform, including any motion to suspend the procedures that will allow doing so, will be ruled out of order.
Also, all the speakers are either Trumps or married to Trumps. Interestingly enough, Tiffany is scheduled to speak, so apparently she is back in the will.
2020 Republican Platform Now Officially Cleek’s LawPost + Comments (85)
This post is in: A Woman's Place Is In The House, Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
In ABC Exclusive Interview, Joe Biden says he felt no pressure to pick a Black woman for VP. He selected Kamala Harris because she fit the closest and the best to what he was looking for in a Veep.
(??: this could choke you up ??) #BidenHarris pic.twitter.com/ERgA25WQsF
— ??? ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER ??? (@flywithkamala) August 23, 2020
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says he blames Donald Trump for "walking away" as COVID-19 ravaged the country, in a televised interview alongside running mate Kamala Harris on the eve of the Republican convention https://t.co/l27gNNSIxt pic.twitter.com/Z4HzbtVckH
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 24, 2020
31 years after they joined hands to demand freedom from Soviet oppression, citizens of the Baltic states formed a human chain in solidarity with Belarusians fighting to throw off the chains of dictatorship.
We stand with the people of Belarus as we stood with the Baltic nations. https://t.co/i1wVnU0wkZ
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 23, 2020
In interview, Biden says he will stick to his stay-at-home strategy https://t.co/H6J9XC83kY pic.twitter.com/2M1Phg0ELk
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 24, 2020
Here’s the Ohio version of the @JoeBiden campaign’s Goodyear ad, which features this quote from Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan: "When you come after Goodyear, you're coming after Akron.” pic.twitter.com/Z5RwHZkSW3
— Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) August 23, 2020
Monday Morning Open Thread: Great Week to Be A DemocratPost + Comments (99)
by Adam L Silverman| 28 Comments
This post is in: America, Civil Rights, Criminal Justice, Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Racial Justice, Silverman on Security
Kenosha, WI police shot a man in the late afternoon/early evening of 23 August (or earlier today for those of you not in the eastern time zone). The police had responded to a domestic disturbance call. The only video I’ve seen posted is a 20 second clip. I’m not going to post it, but here’s the link. The video is only 20 seconds and it shows three officers, surrounding a single African American man who does not appear to have anything in his hands. He walks around his mini-van, opens the driver door, and one of the three officers, holding the man’s t-shirt in his left hand, shoots him seven times in the back while one of the other officers covers the vehicle with his firearm. The third officer is off screen/out of view because the video was not taken in landscape mode. The man’s name was Jacob Blake and he was, eventually, flown to Milwaukee for medical treatment.
Update – man flown to hospital… pic.twitter.com/VbR1UIY5om
— Rex Chapman?? (@RexChapman) August 24, 2020
While one of the most prominent African American criminologists working on policing reform had tweeted that Mr. Blake had died from his wounds, that tweet has been deleted and a correction issued, and the last reporting from local news in Wisconsin, from 45 minutes ago, indicates that Mr. Blake is in critical condition.
From WDJT CBS58:
Man shot by police in Kenosha and left in critical condition; curfew in effect until Monday morning
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — A man identified as Jacob Blake was shot by police during a domestic call in Kenosha on Sunday, Aug. 23. A large crowd took to the streets afterward to protest.
Kenosha County declared a state of emergency curfew from 10:15 p.m. until 7 a.m. Monday.
The shooting happened near 28th Avenue and 40th Street around 5:11 p.m., after officers were called for a “domestic incident.”
Graphic video of the shooting circulated social media. It shows Blake walking away from police and getting into an SUV. One officer is seen holding Blake’s shirt, and then seven gunshots can be heard.
According to the Kenosha Police Department, officers provided immediate aid to the man after the shooting. He was transported via Flight for Life to Froedtert in Milwaukee in serious condition.
Following the shooting, protesters forced out more than a dozen officers guarding the scene. Right before, someone started a fire and an officer was attacked. A CBS 58 photographer was hit in the leg by a brick someone threw at an exiting police car.
More at the link.
As you can imagine, this shooting has sparked an immediate response from the local community.
UPDATE: The vehicle believed to be involved in this incident has been towed away.
There’s a few dozen people protesting. Some have stomped atop at least one cop car. Some tires slashed.
Officers are inside the tape. Some talking w/ crowd.
Watch @CBS58 tonight at 10 p.m. pic.twitter.com/kSGSvCkO7g
— Kim Shine (@KimShineCBS58) August 24, 2020
This is what it looks like at the scene of @KenoshaPolice officer-involved shooting where a large crowd formed with some people getting on top of squads and breaking the windows. #Kenosha @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/NElRFG0vDY
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
Our crew witnessed a law enforcement member get hurt after they were hit by something. Much of the crowd has dispersed from the scene of @KenoshaPolice officer-involved shooting with dozens of people marching on. @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/p6IYNZ0wzb
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
Large crowd of protesters just drove honking their cars through the intersection of 28th & 40th where the @KenoshaPolice officer-involved shooting happened. Looked like the group that’s been marching in #Milwaukee since #GeorgeFloyd’s death, saw some familiar faces @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/JAdmaStCM6
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
#BREAKING: Crowd has now moved to @KenoshaPolice where law enforcement told people on speaker to move back @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/PyKWKFVWp5
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
#BREAKING: Tear gas just deployed by law enforcement at @KenoshaPolice station. This is all in response to a man who police say was seriously injured in an officer-involved shooting this afternoon. @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/zoC8C79ILK
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
Crowd has moved in front of @KenoshaPolice where law enforcement is suited up in riot gear. @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/o2RqSuaW45
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
That changed quickly. Crowd getting bigger outside @KenoshaPolice as law enforcement line grows @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/JXe4SKf6Zt
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
It’s hard to see but there are multiple large fires in front of the Kenosha Police Department and courthouse. I’m very far away at a safe distance. pic.twitter.com/64v5wmjtgG
— Stephanie Haines (@TMJ4Stephanie) August 24, 2020
This is Kenosha right now.
This is a shot of the viewfinder very far away from the scene. pic.twitter.com/sYH6UlfCQk
— Stephanie Haines (@TMJ4Stephanie) August 24, 2020
I’ve watched the video several times. As I’ve noted here several times, I’m a criminologist by training, even if not by practice anymore. I’ve taught hundreds of law enforcement officers. I’ve even taught policing to them. I’ve consulted with law enforcement, I’ve trained law enforcement (Federal, state, and local) in continuing ed/inservices, as well as in my martial arts classes, and I’ve had tactical training from some law enforcement (my quarterly weapons training is supervised by a close friend who is a SWAT sniper). While we only have 20 seconds of video, so almost no context, there is nothing in that 20 seconds that should have resulted in shooting Mr. Blake, let alone shooting him seven times in the back. There are three officers. His back is too them, and at one point he is close to pressing himself agains the driver’s side front door of his mini-van. At that point the officer that had a hold of his t-shirt should have stepped forward and pressed Mr. Blake into the van with the other two officers providing cover and support. With Mr. Blake immobilized against the van, he could have then been taken into custody if he was either A) the person responsible for the domestic disturbance that they’d been called to deal with or B) someone else at the seen who had somehow interfered with their responding to the domestic disturbance call. Even if Mr. Blake had ignored their instructions – “lawful orders” – that is not a justification for this type of law enforcement response. There is no crime on the books in the US that allows for summary execution without judgement. In those 20 seconds, Mr. Blake had taken no aggressive actions towards those officers. He appears to simply be trying to get away from them and into his van. He hadn’t swung at them, kicked at them, charged at them. He certainly didn’t try to run them over as he wasn’t in the van yet.
As we wait for more news about both Mr. Blake’s condition and the context around what actually happened yesterday in Kenosha, the US is now faced with another example of how African Americans’ contacts with law enforcement, as well as those of other people of color, all too often end violently with the violence directed at the African Americans or people of color. And we’re faced with this example, and the responses it will engender, as the Republican Party begins its nominating convention. A nominating convention that was already expected to focus on unwavering, unflagging, and unconditional support for law enforcement and harsh condemnation of any criticism of law enforcement and how they actual interact with African Americans and people of color.
What has become exceedingly clear is that no one should be policed the way African Americans and people of color are policed. And by policed I do not just mean how law enforcement interacts and deals with them, but how our entire criminal justice system from law enforcement to the courts to corrections is applied. We are in serious need of reform across recruitment, vetting, hiring, initial education, continuing education, policing unions, as well as what prosecutors and judges authorize, tolerate, and do. And we certainly need to rethink how law enforcement should respond, and who within law enforcement should do the responding, to domestic disturbance and welfare check calls.
Open thread!