Category: 2020 election

Posted on

Thrice Divorced Opioid Addict Promotes Sexist Smears Against Kamala Harris

Rush Limbaugh (screen capture)
Folks are seeing Rush Limbaugh’s name trending on Twitter, and this is why. Sadly, I think I’m so used to Limbaugh’s grotesqueness that this doesn’t surprise me. Limbaugh, currently on his fourth wife and an admitted opioid addict, would be ill-advised to pretend some ‘moral high ground’ in regard to Harris. Media Matters reports on Limbaugh going on an unsavory rant last Friday pushing right-wing stories calling Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), the presumptive Democratic vice presidential candidate, a ‘hoe’ and a ‘mattress.’

“The NBA has fired a freelance photographer because he insulted Kamala Harris. His name is Bill Baptist. He posted an image that read ‘Joe and the Hoe.’ H-O-E. Now, what do you think that’s about, ‘Joe and the Hoe’?

[snip]

“Well, that takes me to the second story. ‘It’s no secret, but public knowledge that Kamala Harris slept her way up into California political life by being a very public escort and mattress for California Democrat kingmaker Willie Brown.’

“Now, some people read this story, ‘Mattress? Didn’t he mean mistress?’ No, I think they meant ‘mattress’ here.

“So we have two different stories here that are trading off the known fact that she was Willie Brown’s mattress, and that he has written about it, and that he has talked about how it propelled her — that he ended up being one of her mentors.”

Posted on

Newsweek Offers Limp Apology For Birther Op-Ed Against Harris

Sen. Kamala Harris suspends her presidential campaign

Sen. Kamala Harris suspends her presidential campaign
Sen. Kamala Harris
Newsweek has offered a weak tea apology after publishing a racist op-ed by John Eastman meant to gin up birtherism against Kamala Harris, who was born in Oakland, California, in 1964 and fully eligible to run for and become vice president or president of the U.S. Instead of removing the op-ed, though, they left it intact with this disclaimer at the top of the webpage:

This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia. We apologize. The essay, by John Eastman, was intended to explore a minority legal argument about the definition of who is a “natural-born citizen” in the United States. But to many readers, the essay inevitably conveyed the ugly message that Senator Kamala Harris, a woman of color and the child of immigrants, was somehow not truly American.

The op-ed was never intended to spark or to take part in the racist lie of Birtherism, the conspiracy theory aimed at delegitimizing Barack Obama, but we should have recognized the potential, even probability, that that could happen. Readers hold us accountable for all that we publish, as they should; we hold ourselves accountable, too. We entirely failed to anticipate the ways in which the essay would be interpreted, distorted and weaponized.

As we said in our earlier note, this essay was an attempt to examine a legal argument about the difference between “natural born” and “naturalized,” the latter being ineligible to hold the office of president. In the days since the op-ed was published, we saw that it was being shared in forums and social networks notorious for disinformation, conspiracy theories and racist hatred. All of us at Newsweek are horrified that this op-ed gave rise to a wave of vile Birtherism directed at Senator Harris. Many readers have demanded that we retract the essay, but we believe in being transparent and are therefore allowing it to remain online, with this note attached.

Posted on

More Wit & Wisdom From Andrew Joseph Duffer

Andrew Joseph Duffer (via Twitter)
Our guy Andrew Joseph Duffer serves up some more southern-fried critical thinking from Texas as he breaks down everything from how the US is currently the world leader (well, at least in terms of COVID-19 and divorce) and how Donald Trump has succeeded in dividing the country for his own gain. Duffer walks his talk and fits in a LOT in only four minutes. I’m pretty much in agreement with everything young Andrew has to say here.

(h/t Gerald with a hard ‘G’)

Posted on

How To Avoid Lines During Voting & Make Sure Your Ballot Gets Counted

Voting

Photo showing a hand dropping a ballot in a ballot box at the polls My friend Jerome shared this advice on Facebook for people who might feel unsafe about voting in person but now fear the USPS will be unable to deliver a “mail-in” ballot in a timely fashion. There is a way around it: 1. Request a mail-in ballot. 2. Do not mail it. 3. Google your supervisor of elections to see where you can drop off your mail-in ballot. Its usually NOT THE POLLING PLACE. All states allow this! Here is what you’re accomplishing by doing this: 1. Your ballot gets in on time no matter what happens to the USPS. 2. You don’t have to worry about standing in long lines and risking infection. You’re just stopping by to drop it off. 3. You still voted! Hooray! Also, when you drop it off, find out how to track it online to make sure it is verified. California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado have systems that can track your ballot just like tracking a package from Amazon. All CA vote centers (which are open for weeks to a month before election day) have ballot drop-off boxes too! Many government buildings have them as well, so there’s no need to wait until election day when it’s crowded to drop them off. The list of drop-off sites is always posted on each county’s voter info website.

Posted on

Campaign Ad: Biden Calls For More Decisive Action Against COVID-19

In a new campaign ad, former Vice President Joe Biden calls out Donald Trump’s failure to lead in the COVID-19 pandemic and says he would ask governors across the nation to support mandates to wear face masks. “We’re seeing it again: the virus spreading out of control,” begins the narration of the 30-second spot. “The president once again failing to act.” The ad announces that Biden is prepared to “take action now,” which would include “expanding testing, calling for mask mandates nationwide, starting immediately, and producing more protective gear here at home.” “Fighting this virus and rebuilding our economy will take a president who’s ready to lead.” Y’all – just wear the damn mask. It costs you nothing.

Posted on

Former Trump Lawyer Alleges ‘Golden Showers In A Sex Club’

Michael Cohen being sworn in to testify before Congress (screen capture)
Donald Trump’s personal attorney for years, Michael Cohen, has fought with Trump’s legal team for years attempting to release a tell-all book about his experiences as a close adviser to Trump for years. With legal battles apparently behind him, Cohen released a preface to his upcoming book titled Disloyal, A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump. From the official website for the book:

When Trump wanted to reach Russian President Vladimir Putin, via a secret back channel, I was tasked with making the connection in my Keystone Kop fashion.

I stiffed contractors on his behalf, ripped off his business partners, lied to his wife Melania to hide his sexual infidelities, and bullied and screamed at anyone who threatened Trump’s path to power.

From golden showers in a sex club in Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump’s clandestine lovers, I wasn’t just a witness to the president’s rise—I was an active and eager participant.

Posted on

#ThrowBackThursday: The Real Numbers From Obama/Biden Administration

L-R Former President Barack Obama, Donald Trump
I saw some folks trashing the results of the Obama administration years, so just a reminder here. For instance, unemployment dropped from nearly 10 percent o 4.7 percent. The current unemployment rate under Donald Trump is 10.2 percent. The Dow Jones had increased by 63.6 percent at the 43-month point in Obama’s administration, while the Dow has increased much less at 40.8 percent. Overall, by the time Obama left office, the Dow had jump 143.8 percent. We’ll have to see how that shakes out for Trump. Oh, and Obama was never impeached. There’s always that… More at FactCheck.org.

Posted on

Biden/Harris Campaign Pulls In $26 Million In One Day

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (via Instagram)
The Biden/Harris campaign scored $26 million in one day following the announcement of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) joining the ticket as running mate. From Politico:

Joe Biden’s campaign raised $26 million in the 24 hours after he selected Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate — an eye-popping total that shows the campaign’s growing fundraising strength as the election draws nearer.

Biden announced the fundraising total during the ticket’s first virtual grassroots fundraiser on Wednesday evening, immediately following Biden and Harris’ first joint campaign event in Wilmington, Del.

The massive cash haul, which included 150,000 first-time donors, is a signal of Harris’ ability to generate enthusiasm for the campaign and the history-making moment of her selection, as the first woman of color named to a major party presidential ticket.

Posted on

Meltdown: Tucker Carlson Can’t Pronounce Kamala Harris’s Name

Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson (screen capture)
Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson wet his diaper Tuesday night after a guest, political consultant Richard Goodstein, attempted to teach Carlson how to pronounce Sen. Kamala Harris’s first name. Goodstein began his appearance saying to Carlson, “Tucker, can I just say one quick thing because this is something that will serve you and your fellow hosts on FOX. Her name is pronounced ‘Comma’ — like the punctuation mark — ‘la.’ ‘Comma-la,’ okay?” Carlson, whose face is often the picture of confusion, shot back, “So what?” Explaining the obvious, Goodstein shared, “I think out of respect for somebody who is going to be on the national ticket, pronouncing her name right is kind of a bare minimum.” Considering Carlson is probably going to be saying Harris’s name quite a bit over the next several months (if not years), surely he can muster enough respect to pronounce the name of the first Black woman, and first Asian American woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket? Cue the predictable meltdown. “So I’m disrespecting her by pronouncing her name unintentionally?,” bellowed Carlson. “So it begins. So I’m not. You’re not about to criticize (pronouncing it wrong again) ‘Ka-MAL-a’ Harris or ‘CAMEL-a’ Harris or whatever.” “Okay look, I unintentionally mispronounced her name, but I love the idea that she is immune from criticism,” continued Carlson’s indignant rant. “On this show, nobody in power is immune from criticism. Our political leaders must be held to account. That’s our job.” Please note – being corrected on how to pronounce the name of a vice-presidential candidate is NOT the same as saying you can’t criticize them.  

Posted on

Barack Obama On Harris For Running Mate: ‘Joe Biden Nailed This Decision’

Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden (public domain)
From former President Barack Obama: Choosing a vice president is the first important decision a president makes. When you’re in the Oval Office, weighing the toughest issues, and the choice you make will affect the lives and livelihoods of the entire country – you need someone with you who’s got the judgment and the character to make the right call. Someone whose focus goes beyond self-interest to consider the lives and prospects of others. Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president. They’re requirements of the job. And now Joe has an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead. I’ve known Senator Harris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. Her own life story is one that I and so many others can see ourselves in: a story that says that no matter where you come from, what you look like, how you worship, or who you love, there’s a place for you here. It’s a fundamentally American perspective, one that’s led us out of the hardest times before. And it’s a perspective we can all rally behind right now. Michelle and I couldn’t be more thrilled for Kamala, Doug, Cole, and Ella. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing.

View this post on Instagram

Choosing a vice president is the first important decision a president makes. When you’re in the Oval Office, weighing the toughest issues, and the choice you make will affect the lives and livelihoods of the entire country – you need someone with you who’s got the judgment and the character to make the right call. Someone whose focus goes beyond self-interest to consider the lives and prospects of others. @JoeBiden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator @KamalaHarris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president. They’re requirements of the job. And now Joe has an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead. I’ve known Senator Harris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. Her own life story is one that I and so many others can see ourselves in: a story that says that no matter where you come from, what you look like, how you worship, or who you love, there’s a place for you here. It’s a fundamentally American perspective, one that’s led us out of the hardest times before. And it’s a perspective we can all rally behind right now. Michelle and I couldn’t be more thrilled for Kamala, Doug, Cole, and Ella. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing.

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama) on