All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[worstblogever]

It's Florida. The win not by getting more votes, but by making sure their opponents get less votes.

I detect no lies in this post.

[Mister Mets]

To me?

Not even close.

This is the sort of garbage that you make somebody famous over.

Past that...

The initial call on the guy to step aside at the state level?

Even if I personally feel like it was not enough, that does not somehow magically make it into a reaction to Fairfax's reaction to it.

The "A..." instance was already damning. The "B..." instance that just took place?

It is a separate thing. Never mind being a separate instance that should have resulted in the gloves coming off.

The people calling for him to resign aren't appearing with him in political events.

For example, the New York State Senate majority leader is appearing with Cuomo, months after calling for his resignation over sexual harassment and massaged death statistics.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...vcq-story.html

Pete Buttigieg and Northam appeared at a ceremony to announce a new Amtrak plan.

https://tinyurl.com/pd89nchs

Buttigieg was one of the Democrats who called for Northam to resign.

https://tinyurl.com/38tmmrfh

I don't see the same stuff with Fairfax. No one's making press conferences with him.

* Edit- For whatever reason, links involving Virginia get turned into ****, so I changed a PBS and CNN link to tinyurl links.

[Amadeus Arkham]

DOJ Considers Charging Derek Chauvin in 2017 Incident Where he Allegedly Beat Black 14-Year-Old and Knelt on Him for 17 Minutes

[Malvolio]

On this date in 2020, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Tim Eyman, a 2020 Republican candidate to try and become the next Governor of Washington state. Eyman graduated from Washington State University at Pullman in 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree in business after a career as a collegiate wrestler. For ten years out of college, Eyman didn’t turn up much in the news, but after a decade of trying to make a living as a watch salesman (now there’s a niche market that’s gone by the wayside in the digital age), he emerged as what can only be described as a professional ballot initiative lobbyist. With cartoonish glee, at different points he’s dressed up as a gorilla or even Darth Vader (yes, the enforcer of Emperor Palpatine who’s one of the biggest bad guys in film history) as has made a living overseeing these political ventures, and has managed over the past 22 years to get 17 initiatives on the ballot. Of those, 11 have been voted to be approved… but 8 of that 11 have been completely or partially overturned by courts as unconstitutional (at this time). Which would probably be something to consider before you lobby for it… Unless you’re financial well-being is centered around working to get anything on the ballot, regardless of whether it’s a good idea or not. Now, Eyman’s political affiliation has traditionally been more of an “independent conservative populist” that if you squint, you would identify as somewhat libertarian, given his overall distaste for taxation of any kind, but there also seems to be a pattern of him wanting to place ballot initiatives in place to eliminate workplace protections for the LGBTQ community that perhaps would indicate a pattern of homophobia in his “small government” focus. As early as 2002, however, experienced political wonks in Washington noticed a pattern in Eyman’s activities… he frequently diverted campaign money into his own pockets. When caught, the state would fine him, and ban him from serving as a treasurer on any political campaign, and… that’s about it. But yet, he stuck around, and kept making a living with more and more filings. And thus he was a nuisance for another thirteen years… That is, until 2015, when an investigation by the state (that Eyman fought every step of the way) found that again, Tim Eyman was self-dealing. That allowed Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to file a $2.1 million lawsuit against Eyman in 2017, And those legal woes meant Eyman would be facing more fines and be forced to pay back money he illegally procured… which of course, he was spending hand over fist. To the tune of $24,000 a month. Forced to pay those large sums, including up to $77,000 in legal fees, he was now going to be forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His wife soon left him. Judges have upheld the state’s filings, and he was still looking at massive debt. Now, you’re probably thinking this would be the end of his story, and wondering how someone who never ran for public office got a CSGOPOTD profile… And this is where we remind you how insane the Republican Party and its candidates are these days. Because Tim Eyman decided all of his legal woes could be solved if he mounted a run and could win election to be the next Governor of Washington as a Republican in 2020. Go figure, the guy who turned around and filed for bankruptcy and thus would be asking taxpayers to already pay for his idiocy would be a long-shot if trying to run as a populist, but Eyman was going to try. Could a man with so little to show for over two decades of political activity except illegal personal enrichment win the governor’s race and use the power of the office to sole all his problems? Any hope of that happening probably fell by the wayside on March 14th, 2020, when after an executive order by Washington Governor Jay Inslee to ban gatherings of more than 250 people (quite reasonable for the moment) to stop the spread of Covid-19. Tim Eyman chose to respond like a douchebag on “The Price is Right” by putting out a press release that he would be hosting a campaign event where 251, we repeat TWO-HUNDRED AND FIFTY ONE people were invited, and he would be serving Corona beers to them. That… was a choice. As more and more people were dying from Covid-19 every day than died on 9-11. Eyman’s corruption and Covid-19 stupidity ended up getting him a fourth place finish in the open primary, to the tune of 6.4% of the vote. As she is now out of office, we will set aside her profile at this time to take a look at a different wacky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 979-50, since this was established in July 2014.


Larry Norman

Welcome to what is the 979th profile here at “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day”, where we’ll be profiling Larry Norman, who was a 2020 candidate for District 18 of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Perhaps the campaign issue that was most troubling to everyone regarding Norman was his unique stance on abortion. Unlike most Republicans, Norman was fine with children getting sex education that included discussions of contraceptives, but he also volunteered another option to prevent pregnancies… STERILIZATION.


For those not in the know, North Carolina has a revolting history of eugenics and sterilization being used against minorities, so this isn’t a good thing to just casually bring up as a solution. Then again, we can’t be shocked that a guy would be racially insensitive like that when his political role model is Jesse Helms and says “liberals and progressives want to take God out of our Schools”.

Larry Norman lost in the general election, getting only 44.4% of the vote. We hope this is the first and last time he ever runs for office.

I don't have a problem with teaching about sterilization as part of sex education. People who know that they would not make good parents should know about vasectomy and tube-tying as options. That said, when it comes from a guy like this, it sounds suspicious. Suspiciously racist.

[Tami]

Capital-Star Q+A: Rep. Seth Grove on election hearings, voter fraud, and the future of reform in Pa.

The Pennsylvania House finished a set of 10 hearings diving into the nitty gritty of the commonwealth’s election law last week.

The hearings were overseen by Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, the chairman of the House State Government Committee.

First elected in 2008, Grove has built a reputation as a fiscal hawk, even winning an award from the American Legislative Exchange Council — a national conservative business lobbying group — as legislator of the year in 2018.

He’s served as chair of the State Government Committee since last November, first jumping on as an interim chief in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election.

In that role, he appeared at a conspiratorial press conference about Dominion Voting Machines, but did not join some of his conservative colleagues in calls for a legislative audit of the election, or a late December letter that falsely claimed that “the numbers don’t add up” in the state’s vote tally.

“Our caucus was a mess,” Grove told reporters of the internal dissension over how to respond to former President Donald Trump’s push to stay in office despite losing the election.

C-S: Was there election fraud in 2020?

SG: Yes, there was. They have confirmed cases of election fraud.

C-S: Who committed that fraud in Pennsylvania?

SG: Right, Republicans. But it’s still election fraud. It doesn’t matter who [commits] it. We don’t want that fraud to occur. And to say there wasn’t any is a lie.

[worstblogever]

I don't have a problem with teaching about sterilization as part of sex education. People who know that they would not make good parents should know about vasectomy and tube-tying as options. That said, when it comes from a guy like this, it sounds suspicious. Suspiciously racist.

I feel like the "forced" part of sterilization is the part to take issue with.

[Gray Lensman]

It seems that being unreliable, unpredictable, and flirting with copying up to Russia has backfired on Erdogan, as Biden finally gives official recognition to the Armenian Genocide.

[Tami]

'It's not safe': Parents of transgender kids plan to flee their states as GOP bills loom

George and Emily Spurrier are leaving their home of 16 years in central Arkansas due to a new law that will ban the health care that they say their 17-year-old transgender son needs.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, vetoed the measure earlier this month, calling it “a vast government overreach.” But the Arkansas General Assembly overrode the veto, and the bill will become law this summer.

Emily Spurrier said when her son heard the news, he sat in her car and cried for an hour.

“It was just kind of a wave of emotions, thinking about moving and then him worrying about some friends that he has here in the Little Rock area,” she said. “And then just the thought that this is really the only place he ever remembers living.”

Another Arkansas family is also facing a deadline. Amanda Dennis, who has lived in the state for most of her life, said her family has about two to three years to figure out how they’re going to get care for their transgender 8-year-old, Brooke, by the time she begins puberty.

“I will have to fly to another state — and the problem is we're surrounded by states that are doing the same thing,” she said, adding that Kansas, Missouri and Texas are all considering similar bills.

Texas mom Amber Briggle, who lives north of Dallas, testified against the bill last week.

“I’m afraid that by speaking here today my words will be used against me should SB 1646 or SB 1311 pass, and my sweet son, whom I love more than life itself, will be taken from me,” she said.

Briggle said taking away her son’s access to care would “destroy him.”

“We gave him the support that he needed, and it was like a light switch turned on and like my baby came back to me and was perfect again,” she told NBC News, adding that the 13-year-old is a straight-A student and a great musician. “He can play the opening riff to ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ on his ukulele — I will say I taught him that.”

[Tami]

Virginia deputy gave Black man a ride home, then shot him after 911 call

Authorities in Virginia have released disturbing body camera video of a deputy shooting a Black man who was holding a cordless phone and who had just received a ride home by the same law enforcement officer.

Isaiah Brown, 32, survived more than six rounds fired at him Wednesday and was in a hospital "fighting for his life," said a spokesman for the law firm representing him. The deputy was not named by the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.

Brown was holding a house phone when he was shot, said Ryan Julison, spokesman for the Cochran Firm in Los Angeles.

When Brown got home, he dialed 911 because he said his brother wouldn't let him into his mother's room to retrieve his car keys and other items, according to audio of the dispatch call. The sheriff's department categorized it as a domestic disturbance call.

"Isaiah was on the phone with 911 at the time of the shooting and the officer mistook a cordless house phone for a gun," Julison said in a statement. "There is no indication that Isaiah did anything other than comply with dispatch’s orders and raised his hands with the phone in his hand as instructed."

WT_?

[Tami]

C.E.O. Pay Remains Stratospheric, Even at Companies Battered by Pandemic

Boeing had a historically bad 2020. Its 737 Max was grounded for most of the year after two deadly crashes, the pandemic decimated its business, and the company announced plans to lay off 30,000 workers and reported a $12 billion loss. Nonetheless, its chief executive, David Calhoun, was rewarded with some $21.1 million in compensation.

Norwegian Cruise Line barely survived the year. With the cruise industry at a standstill, the company lost $4 billion and furloughed 20 percent of its staff. That didn’t stop Norwegian from more than doubling the pay of Frank Del Rio, its chief executive, to $36.4 million.

And at Hilton, where nearly a quarter of the corporate staff were laid off as hotels around the world sat empty and the company lost $720 million, it was a good year for the man in charge. Hilton reported in a securities filing that Chris Nassetta, its chief executive, received compensation worth $55.9 million in 2020.

The divergent fortunes of C.E.O.s and everyday workers illustrate the sharp divides in a nation on the precipice of an economic boom but still racked by steep income inequality. The stock markets are up and the wealthy are spending freely, but millions are still facing significant hardship. Executives are minting fortunes while laid-off workers line up at food banks.

“Many of these C.E.O.s have improved profitability by laying off workers,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, who has proposed new taxes on the ultrawealthy. “A tiny handful of people who have shimmied all the way to the top of the greasy pole get all of the rewards, while everyone else gets left behind.”

“We’ve created this class of centimillionaires and billionaires who have not been good for this country,” said Nell Minow, vice chair of ValueEdge Advisors, an investment consulting firm. “They may build a wing on a museum. But it’s not infrastructure — it’s not the middle class.”

The gap between executive compensation and average worker pay has been growing for decades. Chief executives of big companies now make, on average, 320 times as much as their typical worker, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In 1989, that ratio was 61 to 1. From 1978 to 2019, compensation grew 14 percent for typical workers. It rose 1,167 percent for C.E.O.s.

The pandemic only compounded these disparities, as hundreds of companies awarded their leaders pay packages worth significantly more than most Americans will make in their entire lives.

[Tami]

Anti-vaxxers are wearing Yellow Stars of David to protest coronavirus vaccines: report

Anti-vaccine protesters likening themselves to Jews during the holocaust were harshly criticized on Saturday.

Nazis required Jews to wear yellow Jewish stars and other holocaust badges to the lands they controlled during World War II.

Twitter user Chloe Adelstone posted a picture of a man in the United Kingdom misappropriating the symbol. She said, "I shouted at them and they told me I was a Nazi for wearing a mask."

"Instrumentalization of the tragedy of Jews who suffered, were humiliated, marked with a yellow star, and finally isolated in ghettos and murdered during the Holocaust, in order to argue against vaccination that saves human lives is a sad symptom of moral and intellectual decline," the museum wrote.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaccine protesters were misappropriating the symbol.

[Malvolio]

Anti-vaxxers are wearing Yellow Stars of David to protest coronavirus vaccines: report

Seriously, if the Nazis were just forcibly vaccinating Jews or Gypsies or the disabled, I don't think we would have fought a war with them. No, what the Nazis did was kind of the exact opposite of getting everyone vaccinated against a deadly disease.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

It seems that being unreliable, unpredictable, and flirting with copying up to Russia has backfired on Erdogan, as Biden finally gives official recognition to the Armenian Genocide.

It was long overdue.

Turkey has run out of friends and found itself with burned bridges all around it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm-bK_ZMCxg

The EU, Russia and USA all had interests that Turkey could serve. To the EU it was a stopper keeping migrants from coming there, to Russia it was a rival but a dependable and predictable one with limited interests that occasionally complicated Western influence in the Middle East, and to USA it was a solid NATO ally, but the Syrian crisis, the backstabbing of Kurds, the various double dealing, and the creeping authoritarianism means it somehow managed to piss off and infuriate simultaneously everyone around it.

So Biden could do the right thing because everything else had been done all already and there was no more geopolitical blowback anticipated from this move.

[Tami]

Newark cops, with reform, didn’t fire a single shot in 2020

Newark Police officers did not fire a single shot during the calendar year 2020, and the city didn’t pay a single dime to settle police brutality cases. That’s never happened, at least in the city’s modern history.

At the same time, crime is dropping, and police recovered almost 500 illegal guns from the street during the year.

“This is significant,” says Aqeela Sherills, head of the Newark Community Street Team, a group of mostly former offenders who work to defuse violence in the city’s most violent wards. “It speaks to how reform has really taken hold in the city.”

[Farealmer]

1619296838978.jpg
Be careful out there everybody if you ever plan to confront people about social justice.