Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Iraq snapshot

Tuesday, November 5, 2024.  Vote for your future.


It's come to this finally, the official election day, the last day to vote in the 2024 US presidential election.  Sarah K. Burris (RAW STORY) reports on Convicted Felon Donald Trump's mood:


Donald Trump is in a bad mood, and it is reflected in his closing message, said one reporter. 

Trump was in Raleigh, North Carolina, Monday around lunch, where he spoke for over 90 minutes to a crowd that was about only 70% full, MSNBC reported.

Journalist and author Tim Alberta said that he has spent the past year speaking with sources inside the campaign, and things have been growing worse over time. 

"There has always been this strange disconnect in the sense that people around Trump recognize that this election, certainly more than the other two, carries a certain existential consequence for Trump," Alberta said, in reference to the fact that if he loses, Trump may be facing jail time. 

"So, in one sense, you're looking at that and thinking, well, nothing should concentrate the mind like the possibility of going to jail," Alberta continued, noting that people around Trump haven't made that clear to him directly. 


He should be scared.  The people didn't want him in 2016 (Hillary got more votes) and they didn't want him in 2020.  Now that he's a convicted felon who tried to overthrow the country, even fewer people are behind him.


We have the numbers.  We just have to make sure we are voting.  If you can give a person a ride to the polls, if you can sit with their mother or father long enough for them to go vote, if you can be a good neighbor, a good friend or a good relative in any way, that's what we need to do today.


This is the most important election of my lifetime.  Democracy is on the line.  We have got to make our voices heard.

Trump and his MAGA crazies need to be sent packing.  That's how we save our democracy and how we save our country.


Although some don't care about our democracy or our country.


For example?


Tonight, DEMOCRACY NOW! will do four hours of live programming during which, we assume, racist Amy Goodman will continue her attacks on Kamala Harris.  In July, there was one episode where she brought on a Kamala supporter.  In August?  None.  In September?  None.  In October?  One on the last day of the month.  That's how it's gone this year.  Now racist whore Amy could -- and did -- promote the campaign of the ultimate Karen -- Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein.  

Those Karens have to stick together, after all.  


Which is why Amy Goodman has refused to note that Rudolph Ware -- he goes by "Butch" because he thinks he's still in pre-K -- is a transphobe who wants to restrict abortion.


Kind of big detail to her audience that's indulged her in her active racist attacks on Kamala.





Jill Stein won't be forced to address that anymore than she's forced to defend the Lockheed Martin money or any of her other dirty secrets.  


That's in part because Amy has spawned a lifetime of idiots and that would include her former cohort Aaron Mate.  Aaron spent this week denying that January 6th was an issue -- and Barbie bimbo sat right by him nodding along.  Katie Halper, what a joke.  But Katie only gets worse.



The lunatics are out in full force.  

Clark County Sheriff's Dept should have immediately fired Lt John Rodgers.  Yesterday morning, we noted:

 David Edwards (RAW STORY) reports:


An Ohio sheriff's office official has reportedly told Democrats that he would not respond to their emergency calls because of their party affiliation.

In the days leading up to the November presidential election, Clark County's Lieutenant John Rodgers said he would use voter registration records to determine which calls he responded to.

According to WHIO, Rodgers' posts had been shared over 250,000 times on social media as of Friday.

The station reviewed social media posts with the threats from Rodgers.

"I am sorry. If you support the Democrat Party I will not help you" and "The problem is that I know which of you supports the Democratic Party and I will not help you survive the end of days," he reportedly wrote.

[. . .]


The Clark County Sheriff's Office told WHIO that an investigation had been launched into the social media posts.

"It is understood that while these comments are highly inappropriate, they in no means reflect the Clark County Sheriff's Office delivery of service to ALL our community and does not reflect the mission and values of the Sheriff's Office. The community has a right to be upset over the actions of Lt. Rodgers and he, as well as the Sheriff's Office in general, will have to work even harder to replenish the trust of members of our community," a statement from the department said.


No, you uninformed asshole, that's not how it works.  How it works is that Rodgers is placed upon immediate suspension and then he's removed.  These are his posts and once that's established beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, he has to be removed.  You don't get to pick and choose who you defend.  And if you think you do -- and are stupid enough to express that publicly -- you're not fit to serve.  





Lt John Rodgers, a 20-year sheriff's veteran in Clark County, where Springfield is the county seat, made the statements in several posts on Facebook, WHIO-TV reported. In one post, he reported
 
Rodgers said he sometimes takes a prescribed sleep aid that can cause him to send “out of character” texts, phone calls or other forms of communication as a side effect. The lieutenant said that as soon as he learned of the messages on Tuesday, he deactivated his Facebook account and stopped taking the medication, the newspaper reported.

“We’ve been in this battle over the last few months, with the attacks on the Haitian community and other immigrants, and we protect people’s rights and we don’t support the conduct to the contrary,” Mike Young, the county’s chief deputy, told the newspaper. “I can’t go back in time and take that post away; the lieutenant made the post and he has received consequences for that.”

Clark is not the only Ohio county dealing with controversial statements made by law enforcement officials on social media.

The U.S. Justice Department said its election monitoring efforts will include Portage County, where a sheriff was accused of intimidating voters last month, to make sure the county complies with federal voting rights laws during early voting and on Election Day.

The department's announcement came after Republican Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski posted on social media that people with Kamala Harris yard signs should have their addresses written down so that immigrants can be sent to live with them if the Democrat wins the presidency.



Anyone see a problem with that?  I'm not seeing any Tweets, for example, from Ambien about how a side effect isn't "racism."

So you're telling me that a comedian does a Tweet  and she loses everything over it -- I'm referring to Roseanne Barr -- but an officer of the law makes statements attacking Democrats and saying he will not defend them from violent assaults but  he gets to keep his job while claiming -- with no ridicule at all -- that a prescribed sleep aid caused his Tweets?

Again, Roseanne lost everything.  She lost her life's work, the characters she created based on her own life.  She was run out of the business.

And you're saying that ABC has higher ethical standards than law enforcement?

He needs to be fired.  And I don't believe his lie that this was caused by a sleep-aid but for those prone to believe liars, he's also saying this happened before.  So then he should have gotten off that sleep aid.

In what world is a member of law enforcement allowed to declare publicly that he will not protect one group of people from violence and he's still allowed to keep his job.

This member of law enforcement gets to skate?


But then, Roseanne didn't have a Republican protecting her the way Rodgers does:  Sheriff Deborah K. Burchett.  That's a fact that escaped AP's 'reporting.'  ATLANTA BLACK STAR NEWS covers the story here.





He should be fired and fired immediately.   This is not open to interpretation.  He cannot be seen as someone who serves the community.   The MAGA controlled sheriff's dept is not holding him accountable.  This is a preview of what will happen if Trump gets back in the White House.  Fairness and accountability will fly out the window.  Who you know will determine the treatment you receive and we will not be equal under the law.


Want to appeal that to the Court.  Lots of luck there.  Trump packed the Court with liars and crooks.  We can't let him appoint more MAGA judges who toss out settled case law to rule on a whim.




Speaking of disgusting, did you hear about Uline's hideos owners (and MAGA nuts) Dick and Liz Uihlein?   Stephanie Kirchgaessner (GUARDIAN) reports:


Asked whether the request for voting information might be seen as intimidating, Liz Uihlein responded in a statement to the Guardian: “This is stupid! The survey was for fun after enduring two years of this presidential election. The results were anonymous and participation was voluntary. This is completely benign.”

Danielle Lang, senior director of voting rights at the Campaign Legal Center, said she did not believe the request was benign.

“Employers should know to be very careful around pressure on employees, about whether they vote and certainly who they vote for,” Lang said.

“Regardless of intentions, this very clearly could create anxiety for many employees,” she said. “Employees rely on employers for their livelihood.”

Federal and some state laws protect employees from voter intimidation and coercion, including by employers. Under federal law, voters who need help at the voting booth because of a disability may choose so-called “assisters” under the Voting Rights Act. But those assisters may not be employers or union reps, Lang said.

“I think that is an implicit recognition of how much power employers can have over employees and the undue influence they can wield,” Lang said.

In Wisconsin, it is also criminal to solicit a person to show how their vote is cast.


This is a clear attempt to intimidate workers, don't pretend it isn't.  This is what the MAGA nuts think is fair.  They will destroy this country.


If you believe in Civil Rights, if you believe reproductive rights, if you believe that love is love and something to be sought (not run from), if you believe in the Constitution and in democracy, if you believe that we work for a better world -- not a return to the 1700s, if you believe that a convicted felon should be behind bars and not in the Oval Office, you vote for Kamala Harris.


And today's the last day to do that. 

Here's Kamala speaking yesterday in Scranton:


THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Scranton!  (Applause.)  Hey, everybody! 

Can we hear it for Glen?  (Applause.)  Let’s hear it for Glen.

Hi, Scranton.  Good afternoon, everyone.  Good afternoon.  It is so good to be with everyone.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

Are we ready to do this? 

     AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We- — we’re ready to get out the vote? 

     AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re ready to win?

     AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  All right.  Okay.  So, first, let me thank Glen.  I was — I was telling him when we were just hanging out backstage, so when I — my first office that I ran for was district attorney, and the Carpenters were the first union to endorse me.  (Applause.)  And — and I — and I’ve always — I mean, even before, but always — I will always and always have stood with labor. 

And so, I’m very proud to stand with you, Glen, with your members, with all the members of labor, as we do this together.  (Applause.) 

And as he pointed out, there’s a huge difference between me and the other guy, which everybody here knows, which is why you are here to help us get out the vote.  (Applause.) 

But I thought I would share with you — so, I was — when I was coming in, someone reminded me of — of a story I’ve shared, which is when I first ran for office as DA.  So, I — I started out at six points in the polls, right?  So, you kn- — for anyone who knows, that’s 6 out of 100.  (Laughter.)  No one thought we could win.  And I used to campaign with my ironing board.  (Laughter.)  Okay.  You are wondering, “Now, what is she talking about?”  (Laughter.)

So, I would grab my ironing board, a roll of duct tape, my pois- — my posters and my flyers, and I’d put them all in my car, and I’d drive to the local grocery stores.  And I’d pull out my ironing board and my duct tape and my posters and my flyers, and I’d walk to the front of the grocery store outside, and I’d stand up my ironing board, because, you see, an ironing board makes a really great standing desk.  (Laughter.)

And I’d use the duct tape to tape my posters on the outside of the thing, and I’d put my flyers on top of the ironing board.  And I would require people to talk to me as they walked in and out of the grocery store.  (Laughter.)

And I will tell you, that is how I love to campaign.  I don’t do it as much anymore, obviously.  But what you all are signing up to do today and what you’ve been doing, like, let’s enjoy it.  You know, and I know you do.  I can feel the mood in here.  Because it’s the best of who we are as a democracy. 

And I think we’ve kind of — (applause) — right?

And that’s what our campaign has been about.  We are a people-driven campaign, and we love the people.  And we see, in the face of a stranger, a neighbor — right? — and that’s the spirit of what we are doing. 

And over these last — you know, this whole era of this other guy, you know, it —  but it — what it’s done with all that talk that’s been about trying to have us point fingers at each other and divide each other, it makes people feel alone.  It makes them feel like there’s nobody standing with them. 

And so, the way I have always been thinking about our campaign and these next 24 hours is as we are getting out the vote, as we are canvassing, let’s be intentional about building community — about building community, about building coalitions, about reminding people we all have so much more in common than what separates us.  There is power in that.  There is power in that.  (Applause.)  And there’s lasting power in that, right?

It’s about the win, and it is about more.  It is about more.  It is about just strengthening our country and reminding each other we are all in this together.  We rise and fall together.  And that is the strength of who we are and everyone here. 

That’s the strength of Bob Casey.  We’ve got to get him back in the United States Senate.  (Applause.) 

That’s the strength of Mayor Cognetti and all that she has been doing.  Right?  (Applause.)

It’s about leadership that is the kind of leadership that we want.  Right?  They are leaders, we are leaders who understand that the measure of our strength is not based on who we beat down.  It’s based on who we lift up.  Right?  (Applause.)  And so, that’s what we’re going to do.  

And so, over these next 24 hours, I know everyone is here, including our youngest leaders — I see you over there.  I know you’re not ready to vote because you look like you’re about eight, but — (laughs) — but you tell the adults in your life why it’s important they vote.  Okay?  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

But over these next 24 hours, let’s — let’s enjoy this moment to knock on a neighbor’s door and in their face, even if we’ve not met them, know that we have a lot that we care about in common and that we are optimistic about the future of our country, that we love our country, and that that’s what this fight is about, and about the promise of America — and the promise of America being represented by everybody who is here.  

So, I thank you all for the time that you have taken out of your busy lives.  There are a number of things that each one of you could be doing right now and — but you’re here, and we’re all here together, under this one roof, as a community of people who care and who are dedicated to the hard work that it requires.  

You know, I — I like to say that you — you know, when you love something, you fight for it.  (Applause.)  And that’s what we’re doing.  And that’s what we’re doing.  We love our country, and we are fighting for the best of who we are.  And —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I love you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  I love you.

So —

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s vote.  Let’s get out the vote.  Let’s get out the vote.  Let’s get out the vote. 

AUDIENCE:  Let’s get out the vote!  Let’s get out the vote!  Let’s get out the vote!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s get out the vote.  Let’s get out the vote.  Let’s get out the vote.   Let’s win. (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

All right, let’s get to work.  Twenty-four hours to go.  And I — I so — I — I’m so grateful for everyone here.  I — I just — I’ll end with this point.  You know, I have the — I have the privilege, I have the blessing of being able to travel around our country.  And I’m telling you guys, we’re good.  We’re good.  We’re good.  (Applause.)  We really are.  

I mean, every — I s- — I go into rooms with people who s- — again, seemingly have nothing in common and have everything in common — rooms of people of all kinds of different backgrounds, of ages coming together in this sense of just the — the collective.  We’re good.

And so, we’re going to keep doing this work with the optimism that it requires to be strong.  Everyone here knows, in the context of your family, in your life, when you believe something is possible, you put in the hard work, and you know it’s good work — hard work is good work, it’s joyful work — and we get the job done.  

Let’s get this done.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)




Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Tucker Carlson's Sexual Demon" went up last night. The following sites updated:


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