Amy Boney Carrot

Today, the Senate, on a completely partisan vote, confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. We all knew it would happen. It was inevitable. Still, it is a gut punch to every Dem and liberal in the United States.

The Courts are supposed to be non-political. This is the supposed reason for lifetime appointments. We do, however, know that this is not how things work in the real world.

Justices may refuse to speak about anything “controversial,” but it is not hard to figure out the biases of a nominee through their decisions and their writing. It is quite obvious why Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to the Supremes.

Next week, there is an important vote on the survival of the ACA, better known as Obamacare. Without Barrett on the Supreme Court, it is very probable that Chief Justice Roberts would have voted with the liberals on the bench, creating a 4-4 tie. When that happens, the decision of the lower court stands. That would mean that the ACA would survive.

Trump’s ego could not stand that. His signature move for his entire presidency was nothing more than to destroy Obama’s legacy. If the ACA survives, no credible claim to that end can be made.

There is another, far more sinister (if that is possible), reason Trump needs her on the Court. Trump hopes that, if he loses the election, it will be by a close enough margin that he can challenge the result in the courts. This way, when it goes to the Supreme Court, he can “legally” steal the election, much in the same manner George W. Bush did.

None of this happens without a tie-proof court. In other words, none of this happens without Amy Boney Carrot. Two GOP Senators opposed the nomination in the first place. Only one, Susan Collins, voted against her final nomination. I will assume this was a choice to try and keep her seat.

Susan Murkowski, who voiced her dissent on the nomination so close to an election, decided that she needed to vote to affirm her in the full Senate vote. In an interview, she tried to play circumspect about it. She noted that, in her opinion, the ACA should survive. She also felt that Barrett was a qualified choice for the court, even though she has minimal experience as a judge.

Basically, one of two things are happening with Murkowski. One thing for sure is that she is walking a tight rope. She is polling at a loss in a tightly contested Senate race. She may be pandering to Trump’s base, which is, for the most part, her base, to gain momentum. If so, she has lost any left-leaning, and some independent, constituents who may have voted for her in the past. The other possibility is that she knows she will lose and has decided to join in on the scorched earth policy.

None of that really matters. The Dems can take the White House, the Senate, and keep the House. However, the devils deal the GOP made with Trump ensures that the courts belong to them for the next 20 years at a minimum.

Civil Service Protections

Trump’s latest executive order should really freak everyone out. Donald Trump now has the ability to do serious damage within the government service. If he wins the election, he effectively controls the government narrative ala 1984. If he loses the election, he poisons the well for Biden coming into office.

Trump has signed an order that moves many career government employees into a new category that strips them of employment protections. The new category affects government scientists, economists, managers and other key decision makers who would have previously been in protected career positions. Now, Trump would be able to fire them at will.

For those not paying attention, this would include Dr. Fauci, who has been able to push back against Trump because of the current protections for his job. Now, Trump could just fire him for not towing the government (read: Trump’s) line. That should terrify everyone.

Basically, if Trump wins the election, this allows him to create a government filled with his political appointees. Appointees that will fill positions once held by non-partisan, career employees. This will also allow Trump to control the government narrative. His reality will be the reality that the government feeds us. 2020 and beyond will all become 1984. Remember, Trump has already stated that we should not believe our lying eyes.

If Trump loses the election, this executive order allows him to create chaos on a level we have never seen. The election is Nov. 3, 2020. The new government would not take office until Jan. 20, 2021. In the intervening months, Trump could fire anyone in the government he wants and shut down the entire apparatus. He could cripple government services for months.

Yes, there would be no doubt that Biden will reverse this, and many other of Trump’s executive orders, but he will not be able to prevent the damage, especially during a pandemic. We already know the GOP will just sit by and watch him do it, providing the cover he needs. Given that they are about to take the same shellacking from voters, they have no impetus to do anything but help him.

California GOP Ballot Boxes, pt. 2

I have been away for a few days. Even I need a break. But, I am back.

So, I think I have figured out the end game for the election ballot boxes that the GOP is putting out in SoCal. The prevailing thought process is that the majority of the ballots put in boxes will be from voters supporting the Biden/Harris ticket.

The GOP is making a concerted effort to intercept ballots with their own boxes. In CA, ballot harvesting is legal, however, the voter must be informed that a third-party is taking their ballot. This is not the case is CA, and thus, what the CA GOP is doing is illegal. They have refused to stop.

What is the endgame here? Are we supposed to believe that the GOP is working hard to ensure that everyone who votes is able to vote? If this is the case, it would be the first time in modern GOP history.

No, this is not their plan. I have an idea as to what their plan is, but this is strictly supposition. The reason for these boxes is as nefarious as it comes, if my theory is correct.

It is no secret that the Trump campaign is imploding, partly, because they expect to lose the election. It is no secret that they have discussed various ways to steal the election should Trump lose. One of these ways is for state legislatures to appoint Trump supporting electors even if the popular vote goes to Biden.

Another way that Trump believes he can win the election is through the courts. Trump has flatly stated that one of the reasons he needs to have Amy Coney Barrett confirmed before the election is because he wants a conservative Supreme Court to hand him the election win. But, the only way this can happen is if the election is contested.

How do you create an environment to contest the election? Trump has said that the only reason he could lose is if the election is fraudulent. Trump has been pushing this agenda with statements that mail-in ballots are rife for fraud, and that the Dems will use them to steal the election.

Ballot box ballots are mail-in ballots. Historically, there is absolutely no evidence of mass fraud in the mail-in system. Well, if there is no fraud, then maybe the GOP needs to create some fraud.

Let us say that the GOP has every intention to deliver these ballots to the state election commission. Let us say, however, that the GOP plans holds onto these ballots until the very last minute. Congratulations, GOP, you are creating an environment where the appearance of fraud will likely happen.

Someone drops their ballot into one of these boxes. Then, they keep checking through the state system to see if their ballot has been accepted and counted. However, since it is in the hands of the GOP, it is not shown as accepted and counted.

The hope, by the GOP, is that the individuals, whose ballots have been illegally harvested by the GOP, will now fill out a second ballot. This can happen either by going to an early voting center, voting on election day, or dropping another mail-in ballot.

Now, they have a counted, and accepted, ballot. But, late on election day, the GOP now drops off the harvested ballots at the state election commission. Suddenly, hundreds, maybe thousands, of people have voted twice. That would appear to be election fraud.

It would also give the Trump campaign a lifeline to grab should the popular vote go to Biden. Now, Trump has an avenue to take the election to the courts. Specifically, he has a way to take the election to the Supreme Court. A 6-3 conservative court is not likely to hand the election to Joe Biden.

So, for those of you who have faith in our election system to remove Trump, remember that Trump counts on it too. What you should really count on is Trump’s many attempts to circumvent the system. His history would back this up.

Ballot Boxes

In the city of Baldwin Park, in LA County, an arsonist tried to destroy an official ballot box. The did manage to set the box on fire, but they did not destroy it completely. Unfortunately, there were somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred ballots in the box.

How many were damaged beyond use has not yet been reported. What has been reported is that this was not just an act of childish mischief. Whoever did this had to work to get the box open enough to set the fire.

I imagine, as early voting continues, this will not be an isolated incident. It should be noted that most people who use the ballot boxes are likely Democratic voters. Donald Trump has never let up on his rhetoric about mail-in voter fraud. As well, when the State of California sent a cease and desist letter to the CA GOP, in regards to the ballot boxes they set up, the state Republican party just said no.

There is no longer a sense of order within the GOP. They take their lead from their “dear leader” and his only instinct is to foment violence. Well, he is succeeding. There is mental violence, physical violence, and moral violence against all established norms.

If you can, drop off your ballot at an early voting location. Drop it off at your local election commission. Trump will only ramp up the rhetoric in the next two weeks. That means the craziest of his followers will ramp up their efforts to disrupt the election process. We already know they are willing to use violent means.

Trump’s Town Hall

Too many of my friends have told me not to watch Trump’s town hall on NBC. Watching it would give Trump a win by giving him ratings. Let me be the first to say… Shut the fuck up.

I love my friends. However, most of them don’t pay attention to politics outside of Presidential elections. Some of them pay attention every two years for Congressional elections. However, only one of my friends comes anywhere near as close as I do to paying regular attention to the politics of the United States.

I pay attention to what happens in Washington DC EVERY SINGLE DAY. It might be why I am always so morose. The majority of our nation either finds politics too hard or too boring.

That is the problem. That is why our politics are so corrupt. That is why a Donald Trump can find his way into the White House. We are asleep when it comes to our national, and local, politics.

It is also why we are so divided. We live in political bubbles. What we understand about “the other side” we get from commentary made by talking heads within our respective bubbles. To some extent, I fall into the talking head category. My audience is liberal Democrat and progressive. I do not pretend that I am trying to talk to conservatives. But, I listen to them.

To defeat an enemy, you must understand an enemy. So, yes, as hard as it is, I will listen to Donald Trump when he holds a town hall. He is not a smart man. He is, however, a cunning man. He knows that people underestimate him. He hates it, but he knows how to use it. This is the secret to his success over the entirety of his career, in business and in politics.

Oh, and for the record, it was the more entertaining of the two town halls. My only complaint with it is NBC deciding to go head-to-head with Biden. But, if you want to feel better tonight, the Trump town hall is the way to go.

Savannah Guthrie was an amazing moderator. I have a real political news crush on her right now. From minute one, she put Trump on his heels, and she kept him on the defensive for the entire town hall. She gave him no quarter to freely spew the bullshit we have grown so tired of. She has done, in one night, what the news should have been doing since he came down the escalator: making him justify himself. It was beautiful.

If you think you are not in a bubble because you have conservative friends and family on your Facebook friends list, you are living a delusion. Please stop. Most of all, please stop telling people, especially me, that I have to follow political rules designed to put me into your bubble.

I am a progressive. I see Trump as the second most dangerous man in the USA. (McConnell will always be #1) As far as I am concerned, voting for Biden is a moral imperative. But understand, Biden is a means to an end. If you think I am hard on Trump, wait until Biden gets into office and I begin to push a progressive agenda designed to help ALL Americans.

In the meantime, vote for Biden and shut the fuck up about ignoring “them.” That is why we are where we are in the first place.

Supreme Court Nominations…

I do not understand why the Senate conducts confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees any more. They are so coached any more that nothing is ever learned from questioning them other than what a nominee’s children are doing. It is safe to say that we learned more about PJ, Tobin, and Squee than we did about Brett Kavanaugh’s actual judicial opinions.

The last three days of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearing has taught us almost nothing more than that, if she needs to have an opinion on something, she first needs to consult almost everyone in the world before rendering said opinion. We also learned that she will not commit to recusing herself from any decision on the election without consulting her village either. Of course, we already know that she has been selected to help keep Trump in office.

The GOP is proud that she can credibly say that she has never consulted with the President about any issues. It means nothing. She has already been vetted by the Federalist Society. Every Republican judicial nominee is vetted by the Federalist Society.

I do not understand why the Democrats are still playing in this pool. I can only assume it is to continue trying to delay her nomination. To really convey her judicial viewpoints to the American people, the Dems should take a page from Al Franken during her nomination hearings in 2016. He knew he would get no substantive answers from her, so he just kept pressing on the stuff he knew she wouldn’t tell him. It was damning.

The best quote I have seen on this comes from The San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial board: Amy Coney Barrett’s elevation to the Supreme Court is proceeding with all the inevitability of a contagion.

Let’s Steal an Election!

Right now, in California, the state GOP is putting out ballot boxes in various locations. Then, they are putting information out on social media as to where to find these boxes. On the surface, this is not an illegal activity. However, the way the GOP is presenting them is very much illegal.

Again, on the surface, this can be legal. A 2016 law, that the GOP has been fighting for four years, allows a third-party to be designated to deliver their ballots. The key word here is designate.

The voter must be aware that they are not dropping their ballot in an official ballot box and that their ballot will be delivered to the state election commission by a third-party. This is not what is happening in California.

The GOP is not only putting out boxes that say, “Official Ballot Box,” but they are then using social media to direct people to these boxes. This is illegal. The CA Secretary of State has put out guidance stating that this is not only misleading, but it is a violation of election law.

A box placed in front of Freedom’s Way Baptist Church, in Castaic, has been removed since it has been brought to the attention of state election authorities. It was, however, in place for four days. The pastor of the church, Jerry Cook, put out a Facebook post letting people know they could use the box, which was labeled as official. The pastor is refusing to comment to the state election officials and news sources.

There is no answer as to what has happened to any ballots that were placed in the box while it was up. It should be noted that the church has previously held events that can be deemed pro-GOP. We all know the GOP has been looking for ways to cry fraud on mail-in ballots. Is actually committing said fraud their way of proving it? Or, are they making changes to the ballots they are harvesting? Again, showing fraud and criminality in the system.

Let us hope the State of California comes down on the state GOP, and Pastor Jerry Cook, with the full force of the law.

Vote 2.0

Vote like the last Democratic candidate was predicted to have a 90% chance of winning and still lost to Donald Trump.

Vote like Joe Biden is in the same place as Clinton was in 2016.

Vote like Biden is actually an inspiring candidate and not just a bulwark against the loss of democracy in the United States.

Vote like you understand that it is easier to effect change in a democratic republic than a dictatorship.

Vote like one of the candidates was endorsed by the KKK and the Taliban.

Vote like almost 215,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, so far, and up to 400,000 are predicted to die before this is “over.”

Vote like the GOP is pushing a horrible Supreme Court pick that may help one candidate steal the election if they think they have a chance to contest it.

Vote like you understand we are a democracy, not a theocracy.

Vote because you know women have a right to make their own decisions for their own bodies.

Vote because you understand love is love.

Vote like you are not afraid of who is in the bathroom.

Vote because you know Donald Trump is an existential threat to half the citizens of this country.

Vote because Concentration Camps on US soil is an outrage we can not let become normal.

Vote because there are thousands of children who will never see their parents again.

Vote because religion belongs in the church not the classroom.

Vote because militias “observing” election polling places is intimidation we don’t need.

Vote because mail-in voting is not fraud.

Vote because one ballot drop box per county is election interference.

Vote because orange is not the new black.

Is Trump Truly Evil?

There has been a lot of talk lately about Trump’s last negative Covid test. White House spokespeople seen on various news shows have done nothing but prevaricate when asked. Even when the question is repeated.

It opens up several questions. The biggest question is when did Donald Trump know he was Covid positive? Another question is why he did not get tested prior to the first Presidential debate?

What if he did get tested? What if he knew that he had Covid before the debate? These are questions that are being asked right now.

There is a lot of talk that, if Trump was positive during the debate, that he could have infected Joe Biden (and a lot of other people). Talking heads all over the news are calling him selfish. They are questioning his level of care for other people. Personally, I am not sure why. We all know he cares about nothing beyond himself and his daughter/wife Ivanka.

We have plumbed depths we never thought we could reach with Donald Trump. We all know that, whenever we think we have reached the bottom of the pit, Trump shows us a whole new bottom. I think that is what has happened with his Covid diagnosis.

No, I do not mean that he has shown us his disregard for the safety of others. We knew that already. I think he has shown us a new depth to his depravity.

I think Donald Trump knew he was Covid positive before the debate. I think he went to the debate hoping that he could infect Biden. He knows that, if Biden gets Covid, it would harm is ability to campaign. Heck, Biden might even die. Wouldn’t that be good for the Trump re-election campaign?

But, Trump has Covid, too, you say? Yes, but he is already showing us that it won’t stop him from campaigning. He has shown that he has no qualms about putting other people at risk just so he can get fan adoration. Just ask his Secret Service detachment.

There may never be any way to prove it, but this is the question that needs to be asked. Donald, did you purposefully try to infect Joe Biden with Covid-19?

Covid?

The format for the South Carolina Senate debate between Lindsey Graham and Jamie Harrison will now be changed. It will go from a debate format to an individual interview format. Why? Because Lindsay Graham, who has recently tested positive for Covid-19, refuses to take a pre-debate coronavirus test.

Harrison stated that he would not allow politics to put his family and campaign staff at risk. Graham has stated that he already has a negative test, but would abide by agreed-upon safety rules. The question becomes, why won’t Lindsey Graham take the test?

The answer is simple and very political. Three GOP Senators have already tested positive for Covid alongside Graham. If he tests positive, it puts the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court at risk. It should be noted that Graham is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Without him, a committee vote cannot be taken up.

This is just another example of Republicans putting party above the safety and well-being of the nation. Of course, they are just parroting the behavior of their “dear leader,” Donald Trump.

Trump tested positive for Covid. Currently, thirty-four people connected to the White House have tested positive as well. The irony is that it appears to be the official nomination ceremony for Barrett that was the super spreader event that caused all this.

It is a rational thought to believe that, now that Trump has contracted Covid, he would take the pandemic far more seriously. The opposite is true. Since Trump has left Walter Reed Medical Center, he has been more cavalier about the pandemic than ever. In fact, he seems to be trying to make a connection between him and deification. His base, as usual, is eating it up.

There is no updated information about his current Covid status, but it is less than ten days since his diagnosis, so it is very likely that he is still contagious. He does not care. He has continuously put his staff, and the Secret Service agents tasked with his safety, at risk for their lives. Now, he wants to hold rallies again. I can only imagine that each of these will become super spreader events of their own.

This brings up more questions. During the Vice-Presidential debate, Mike Pence had an issue with his left eye. His spokesperson put out a statement that he just had a broken blood vessel in his eye. Given the propensity of the Trump administration to straight up lie, can we trust that statement? Today, Pence spent the day in Florida, at The Villages, the largest senior retirement community in the United States.

I suppose we will find out soon enough if Pence just had a broken blood vessel. I cannot think of anything more horrible than the virus spreading through this community, home to more than 100,000 of the most vulnerable of our citizens. All for political theater.