This week at progressive state blogs is designed specifically to focus attention on the writing and analysis of people focused on their home turf. Here is the August 11 edition. Inclusion of a blog post does not necessarily indicate my agreement with—or endorsement of—its contents.
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At Show Me Progress of Missouri, Willy Kay writes—Josh Hawley: Not as smart as they thought?
So what about Josh Hawley? There’s this little morsel (as noted by Michael Bersin here) which indicates that perhaps the guy just isn’t working with all the lights burning:
In Missouri’s U.S. Senate race, Josh Hawley (R) slammed Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) this morning for “hiding out” in Washington, D.C. For the record, the Senate is in session, which means McCaskill just went to work.
One twitter commentator suggested that Hawley might need a tutorial on how government works. In fact, lots of folks have been wondering this summer if Hawley’s really up to speed when it comes to “work,” and “politics” stuff – an impression that this post-primary awkwardness reinforces. Perhaps a tutorial would be just the thing.
Want more evidence that our hero is a little slower on the uptake than we’d expect from a Yale and Stanford graduate? How about Hawley’s inability to let us know what he thinks about major issues in Missouri politics like the ballot initiatives that will come before the voters this November: we’ll vote on a higher minimum wage, clean government measures, including fair redistricting reform, increases to the gas tax to pay for sorely needed infrastructure improvements, and legalization of medical marijuana.
“Yes” or “no” stuff for any thinking politician, right? But Hawley seems to be a little worried that he might get somebody’s dander up if he expresses a real opinion on possibly controversial topics, which may be why he’s so willing to temporize. [...]
At Blog for Iowa, Paul Deaton writes—Irony About Climate Change In New Orleans:
It is no surprise the Heartland Institute hosted a conference called “The America First Energy Conference” for climate change deniers on Aug. 7 in New Orleans.
Heartland is the libertarian think tank that teamed up with Philip Morris to deny the health impacts of tobacco use. Climate change denial is high on their priority list. [...]
The rise of a conference like this is attributable almost entirely to the rise in prominence of libertarian billionaires with a long range plans to re-make American society to their liking. They believe their liberties have been infringed upon by government regulations and the Trump administration has been removing barriers to the practice of unfettered capitalism. That’s not good for you, me, or the people of New Orleans.
It is shocking how much the Trump administration has deregulated government in less than two years. The fact the Environmental Protection Agency is deregulating asbestos, a known carcinogen banned in 55 countries, is a sign of how far they will go. The only check on such behavior is for Democrats to win a majority in at least one chamber of the next Congress during the 2018 midterm elections, or to vote Trump out in the 2020 general election. Much damage has already been done. Some of it can’t be reversed.
At Louisiana Voice, Tom Aswell writes—Is Omarosa an opportunist? You bet. Is Trump a pathological liar? Of Course. Are there any good guys in this story? Nope:
So, he paid her 179,700 U.S. taxpayer dollars per year “because she only said GREAT things about me,” only to end up calling her “a lowlife” and “wacky.”
Good God.
I’ve heard more intelligent taunts on an elementary school playground.
People, this is the so-called leader of the most powerful nation with the biggest and baddest military might on the planet reduced to exchanging insults on social media with a subordinate he hired for no other reason than she said nice things about him—and he let you pay her salary.
It just doesn’t get any more embarrassing than this.
Or does it? He has brought on board the weirdest assortment of amateurs to ever grace the West Wing, appointees whose job it is to always tell him how brilliant he is and to never tell him he’s wrong or that he should cancel his twitter account. I know this is sacrilege to those who voted for Trump, but Bill Clinton has co-authored a pretty good book with James Patterson called The President is Missing. A single sentence on page 192 caught my eye, a sentence most likely written by Clinton: “Surrounding yourself with sycophants and bootlickers is the surest route to failure.”
At Juanita Jean’s of Texas, Juanita Jean Herownself writes—Just When You Thought Steve Bannon Was Oh So 2017 …:
The New York Times is announcing that Steve Bannon is back and has formed a new group to save Trump and Republicans in the mid term elections.
The group, Citizens of the American Republic, is Mr. Bannon’s new vehicle after he was pushed out of the White House last summer and then parted ways with the conservative website Breitbart.
Mr. Bannon declined to describe his donors or how much money the group has raised.
Well, let’s guess.
Russians? Probably. His former money bags was Rebekah Mercer but she says she has no role in this effort. The Kochs don’t like Bannon.
There’s one other possibility. The New York Post (I know, I know) reports that Bannon paid a visit to Jeffrey Epstein last week at 7 am. Bannon doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who gets up at 7am unless there’s something for him in it.
Steve Bannon shared a secret meeting with reviled billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein at the financier’s notorious Upper East Side mansion.
Former White House chief strategist Bannon was spotted stepping out of his SUV and entering the registered sex offender’s sprawling 21,000-square-foot mansion at 9 E. 71st St. shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday.
I’m real sorry that I looked under that rock.
At Blogging Blue of Wisconsin, Ed Heinzelman writes—President Trump’s New “Space Force” is just another money making con!:
No really! Just hours after Vice President Michael Pence outlines the Trump regime’s plans for a ‘Space Force’, my email inbox receives a missive from the Trump/Pence 2020 campaign asking me to vote for a ‘Space Force’ logo so they can start selling swag. NO. Really!
And what an incredible collection of amateurish logos. I thought Space Force was supposed to be a new department within the Armed Forces. Why is there a Mars Awaits motto on one of them? And the Star Trek people might have an issue with a couple of these as well. Don’t you think?? Sheesh!
At Blue Delaware, Cassandram writes—Dear Democrats: We Have Charts! Charts That Demonstrate the Scam of the Tax Cuts for the Wealthy:
Two charts went into circulation this past week and both tell the tale of how American workers have been left behind as a matter of policy for decades. The first two charts make it really clear that while workers wages have been relatively flat for decades, corporate profits have taken off. That is because — as a matter of policy — governments have actively sided with corporations in suppressing wages. Between corporate tax cuts, artificially low minimum wages, the undermining of unions and other anti-worker actions workers are mainly no longer in a position to participate in all of the productivity they produce.
Take a look:
Which shows that the sense that some middle class Americans have that they are no longer middle class OR that they are working much harder to stay middle class is true. And this is government policy too.
Huge majorities of Americans rightly see the tax cuts as a scam. Most saw little benefit and when April 15 rolls around next year, many will find themselves owing the IRS for the first time.
So my fellow Democrats — here are the visual aids you have been waiting for. Let’s talk about this AND talk about specific policy that makes sure that working and middle class people get a fair shake in this economy.
At Colorado Pols, Jason Salzman writes—Tancredo To Appear With Stapleton As “Special Guest” At Sept. 1 Fundraiser:
If you’ve been following Colorado’s governor’s race, you know that former Congressman Tom Tancredo gave Republican Walker Stapleton his full-throated endorsement during the GOP primary, embellishing Stapleton with Tancredo’s ultra-conservative imprimatur and delivering primary voters to Stapleton, who’s connections to the Bush Dynasty were viewed with skepticism by Tea Party types.
In the past few months, after Stapleton became the Republican nominee for governor, political observers have been asking whether Stapleton will try to distance himself from Tancredo, who wants to expunge our country of all undocumented immigrants and suggested we bomb Mecca, among other things.
Well, Stapleton’s embrace of Tancredo isn’t loosening.
Tancredo is a “special guest” at a Sept. 1 fundraiser, where the former Congressman and Stapleton will be raising funds “to help Colorado WIN in November.”
To be fair, the speculation that Stapleton would reverse course and dump Tancredo isn’t consistent with how Stapleton has been running his campaign so far.
Stapleton embraced Trump, for example, during the primary, and he’s sticking with the unpopular president, even going so far as to invite Trump to Colorado to campaign with him.
If Stapleton isn’t running away from Trump, you wouldn’t think he’d run away from you, I told Tancredo.
“Right,” Tanc replied. “It would be interesting to know who’s hated more in Colorado. Me or Trump.” [...]
At Plunderbund of Ohio, Cliff Schlecter writes—Health Care Voters Clap Back In Ohio. Will the GOP Listen?:
Ohio’s special election in District 12 last week was never supposed to be even close.
Republicans have held the Ohio-12 House seat for over thirty years. Trump won the district by eleven points in 2016. And yet, the people who actually live in the district–yes, this even includes those scoundrels in Franklin County–turned those numbers on their head and sent a message to Congress: We are watching the Republican assault on the middle class, working families, those suffering through poverty, children, teachers, veterans—and we will march to the polls to make our voices heard.
Center stage in this parade to the polls: Healthcare.
There are 4.8 million Ohioans—over 40% of the state’s population—who are living with a pre-existing condition like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. I know, because I am one of them. I was a perfectly healthy–as far as I knew–29-year old working out in the gym one moment. The next I collapsed, a friend helped rush me to the hospital, and I found out I had Graves’ Disease. I also found out I would be treated with something called radioactive iodine, and have a thyroid condition for the rest of my life. Also known as a pre-existing condition.
I can tell you from not only my experience, but those of my family, friends and colleagues, we are tired of Republicans’ nonstop campaign to strip away our access to care. [...]
At The Last Ogle of Oklahoma, Patrick writes—GOP Gubernatorial Runoff Is Finally Getting Dirty:
Last Wednesday, Mick Cornett and Kevin Stitt, the two finalists in the GOP gubernatorial runoff, faced-off in a Republican gubernatorial debate awkwardly moderated by a gathering of News 9 and News on 6 All-Stars
If you suffered through the whole thing, congratulations, you’re the editor of Non Doc. It was a boring low point on what had been a very boring runoff campaign. The questions were about as soft and useful as a roll of toilet paper. The candidates deflected each one with the greatest of ease, incorporating “As mayor, Oklahoma City was named blah blah blah” or “As a C.E.O., I know what it takes blah blah blah” into every canned response. Neither went on the offensive. Neither went on the defensive. They were just there.
Around the same time as the debate, a couple of polls came out showing Kevin Stitt was either tied or leading Cornett amongst Republican voters. This was a mild surprise. Cornett received 25,000 more votes that Stitt in the primary, but it was starting to look like Todd Lamb’s voters – a coveted mix of churchy suburban whites, evangelical rural whites and backwoods racist whites – were going Stitt’s way. As a result, a Pro-Mick Super PAC finally injected some life into the runoff campaign and released the first negative ad. [...]
At Eclectablog of Michigan, Chris Savage writes—GOP candidate for MI-GOV Bill Schuette chooses a running mate nearly as contemptible as he is. Presenting: Lisa Posthumus Lyons:
If you were looking for a more reprehensible proponent of the worst of Republican ideology than Michigan Attorney General and Republican nominee for governor Bill Schuette, you’d have to work pretty hard. But Bill Schuette, who apparently spends more time off the job than on, apparently used that free time and came up with someone who is a perfect match for his extreme conservative demagoguery to be his running mate. Yesterday, Schuette announced that he has selected Kent County Clerk and former State House Representative (2011-2016) Lisa Posthumus Lyons to be the candidate for Lt. Governor.
Who is Lisa Posthumus Lyons (other than the daughter of former Lt. Governor Dick Posthumus)? Well, by now, you’ve probably heard about her characterization of public school teachers as “pigs” and “hogs” that should be “slaughtered”. But there’s ooo-ooh so much more. So, let’s take a look at some of her “greatest hits”.
First, let’s go back to 2012 when Michigan Republicans rammed through legislation during the lame duck session to make Michigan, the birthplace of the modern labor movement, a right to work (aka, Right to Freeload) state. Lyons, of course, voted for this terrible bill that was intended to kneecap workers and their ability to organize collectively for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. But she went further than that. She introduced an amendment that would have exempted her husband, a corrections officer, from the new law [...]
During that same lame duck session, Republicans went where few had ever thought to go before and passed legislation to allow the carrying of weapons in schools, daycare centers, churches, bars, and stadiums. Lyons, of course, voted to support that bill which was subsequently vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
At Dakota Free Press, Cory Allen Heidelberger writes—Russell May Survive Ballot Challenge Due to Plaintiff’s False Sworn Statement:
Well, Her Honor didn’t say that last part, but I get a bad feeling that, just as Judge Judge Patricia Devaney heard arguments in the Lance Russell ballot access case yesterday, but she said she needed another day to figure out how to help the another illegitimate candidate stay on the ballot.
Devaney last month allowed two illegitimate candidates to remain on the District 7 House ballot, despite obvious violations of petition law, I have a bad feeling she’s going to let Russell cheat his way back onto the ballot in contradiction to the plain language of election law.
And unfortunately for lovers of the law, the Republican challenging Russell’s renomination, Heather Boche of Hot Springs, made one little error that may allow Judge Devaney to rule on a technicality of standing and deny us all a straight reading of the law. Boche swears in her affidavit and application for writ of prohibition that she voted in the June 5 primary among Russell, Bruce Rampelberg, and Patricia Shiery. Boche’s lawyer admits that that sworn statement is false
At FortBoise of Idaho, Tom van Alten writes—Consumer protection is so outdated:
The president of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the for-profit industry’s trade association says the problems have all been fixed, thanks to the Obama administration's accountability measures, and the "implosions" of ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges, along with more than 2,000 for-profit and career programs.
“The other side should declare victory and go home,” he said. “The reality is every school that has a program that was failing gainful employment metrics — and they knew it couldn’t be fixed — they’ve already closed. The sector today is so much better.”
We can stipulate "better" and still want an independent assessment. The Secretary of Education has made a hobby career out of advocating privatizing schools for fun and profit, never mind results, and a plan to rescind existing regulations and rewrite some new ones later is a pig in a poke. Speaking of which, this, in Erica L. Green's report for the New York Times:
"Ms. DeVos has brought into her administration former for-profit leaders who are known for their strong opposition to the industry’s regulation. [...]