Republicans, Our Votes and Our Democracy

Where we stand, Mr. and Mrs. America. They and their csandidates and office holders and platforms and political party are so very unpopular with most of Americans, all they have is still more, heightened vote suppression.

And so, our nation, that Democracy I was talking about?

Vote suppression.Of fellow, tax paying American citizens. It's all they've got. #VoteThemAllOut

Kansas Lowers Concealed Carry Age to 18??

Couldn't believe what I read. And it took place at the beginning of the month. I don't know how I missed it. Yes, the Kansas statehouse overrode Governor Kelly's veto and lowered the concealed carry age to 18 years. Insane.

And they're not--repeat NOT--putting any exceptions on college campuses or universities. That's going to be a really good mixture right there, isn't it? No permit required and it can't be open carry--big deal--and the students don't have to be registered with the school. Brilliant. Let's have the administration fly blind as to who may or may not have a weapon. Can you imagine if you had a student who clearly didn't seem to care for you and who also might not have a good, stable emotional base but you don't and can't know if maybe he's carrying a weapon? That's brilliant right there. If they do conceal carry on campus, they do have to be 21 but other than that, Katy bar the door. And if they don't have to register anyway, who's to say an 18 to 20 year old isn't going to carry? Legislators? Republicans? Do you ever really think these things out?

They're fighting citizens being able to vote over there, they're that unpopular, but hey, more guns! is always an answer, right? Not be outdone, Missouri Senate approves a bill seeking to nullify federal gun laws. It's that terrific? God help us all. We have GOT to vote out Republicans, state to state, all across the nation. Let's do this.

Why We Need the For the People Act--What It Does

Please contact your Senators this week and ask them to support, vote for the For the People Act.

Explaining Fox, the Right Wing and Today's Republican Party

Carl Sagan said it so right and true, all those years ago. And now it's all made worse, much worse, with Donald Trump and his supporters.

Don't think it's true? Search the headline: Republican reps declare Jan.6 insurgency 'a normal tourist visit' from 'peaceful patriots'

The Craziness That is the GOP Now

So it's been done. Republicans voted to oust Lix Cheney from her positino in their party because she wouldn't support the lie that Donald Trump won the election last November. Insane that's still going on. So here we are.

I love quoting Republicans themselves on this situation.

The insanity that is today's Republicans Party.

Joe Walsh has been speaking up about them for some time.

We must vote them all out.

Kansans! Last Week in Topeka!

Once again, Davis Hammet of Loud Light does an excellent job of summarizing last week in the Topeka, Kansas Statehouse. It happened to be the last week of the session this year. You can follow him on YouTube and Facebook at Loud Light. If possible and you can support him, you might make a one time contribution to his work and efforts and reporting or, even better, a recurring, monthly contribution.

Let's Be Clear About What the Republicans Are Doing to Our Elections and Vote

I hadn't heard of this man or his quote but it certainly seems to describe the Republicans' efforts, individually as well as by the political party, across the nation, to disenfranchise likely millions of fellow, taxpaying citizens.

Stop vote suppression.

What Gives Me Hope

This is, of course, what's happening to the GOP, the Republican Party presently and it's from the inside. They're doing it to themselves.

I just hope they collapse before they bring down the nation.

Things You Think You Know

I was sure, once Richard Nixon was gone, that Republicans had done their worst and we would never again, at least in my lifetime, ever do as badly as that man in the White House again.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The Republican Party's Big Lie

The bad news, the Republicans' Big Lie is an attack on our vote, our votes, our election, our democracy and so, our nation and people.

The good news, it's one more thing, along with the former President, that's tearing down and apart the Republican Party.

Americans Need to Know and Understand and Fight What the Republicans Are Doing

From Heather Cox Richardson, once more. No one evaluates what's going on politically in America currently any better and informs, instructs us all.

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo articulated today what many have been reluctant to say: What is at stake in the Big Lie and all the Republican efforts to keep it in play—the shenanigans in the secret Maricopa County, Arizona, recount; the censuring of Republicans who voted to impeach the former president; the expected removal of Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney from a leadership role in the party; and so on—is not the past election of 2020, but the upcoming election of 2024.

The Republican Party has demonstrated that it intends to control the government in the future, no matter what most Americans want. Iowa, Georgia, Montana, and Florida have already passed voter suppression laws, while other states are considering them. (Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s bill yesterday live on the Fox News Channel.)

As Marshall points out, though, making sure that states return only Republicans to Congress is also about controlling the White House. Republican lawmakers are purging from state election machinery members of their own party who refused to change the outcome of the 2020 election and give a victory to Trump. The former president has fed speculation that he still hopes to overturn the 2020 election, but Marshall looks forward: Is it really possible to think that in 2024, members of the new Trump party will protect the sanctity of any election that gives a victory to a Democratic candidate? If Republicans capture the House in 2022, will they agree to certify electoral votes for a Democrat? In 2020, even before the current remaking of the party in Trump’s image, 139 House Republicans contested them.

Trump is systematically going after leading members of the Republican Party, determined to remake it into his own organization. Several former senior White House officials told Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post that “[t]he defeated ex-president is propelled primarily by a thirst for retribution, an insatiable quest for the spotlight and a desire to establish and maintain total dominance and control over the Republican base.” Republican strategist Brendan Buck noted that Trump seems to relish fighting, rather than victory to achieve an end. “Usually,” Buck said, “a fight is the means to an end, but in this case fighting is the end.”

The Republicans are consolidating their control over the machinery of government in a way that indicates they intend to control the country regardless of what Americans actually want, putting Trump and his organization back in charge. Democrats have proposed the For the People Act (H.R. 1 and S. 1), which would start to restore a level playing field between the parties. The For the People Act would sideline the new voter suppression bills and make it easier to vote. It would end partisan gerrymandering and stop the flow of big money into elections permitted after the 2010 Citizens United decision.

But Republicans are determined to stop this measure. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is especially engaged in its obstruction. He has called it a “partisan takeover” that would “give Washington Democrats unprecedented control over 50 states’ election laws.” He recognizes that restoring a level electoral playing field would hamstring the Republicans’ ability to win elections. Defeating the act is McConnell’s top priority.

The story of how Republican leaders embraced voter suppression and gerrymandering starts back in the 1980s, though the mechanics of overturning a presidential election are new to 2020. Still, their undermining of our democratic system begs the question: Why are leading Republicans surrendering their party, and our nation, to a budding autocrat?

Two days ago, when asked if he is concerned about the direction of his party, McConnell told reporters that he is not paying attention to it because the Democrats are trying “to turn American into a socialist country,” and that “[o]ne-hundred percent of our focus is on stopping this new administration.”

Still Wild About Harry

Wishing a posthumous very happy birthday today to Missouri's own Harry S Truman, born this day, May 8, 1884 and thank goodness.

One of his many great and so true quotes: He had these people down all that long ago. If anything, they've only gotten worse. “Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home--but not for housing. They are strong for labor--but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. They favor minimum wage--the smaller the minimum wage the better. They endorse educational opportunity for all--but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine--for people who can afford them. They consider electrical power a great blessing--but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. They think American standard of living is a fine thing--so long as it doesn't spread to all the people. And they admire of Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.” ― Harry S. Truman

America, Your Vote and Voting Rights Are Being Devoured

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. America, the Republicans and their Republican Party know they're so deeply umpopular with Americans across the nation, they have to make it tougher to the point of impossible for us, fellow taxpaying American citizens to vote.

This cannot stand. We cannot allow this. It's un-American and un-democratic. We must stop it, all of it, state to state across the nation. Vote them all out. Push to have Congress end the filibuster and pass the For the People Act so NO POLITICAL PARtY can gerrymander voting districts any longer. Please contact your Senators.Let's do this.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Today's Republican Party

Robert Reich rightly calls out the Republicans for who and what they are and work for. I love who he put on the opening screen, don't you?

The Republican Party/USA/Democracy Dilemma

People are fleeing the Republican Party. Democrats are as popular as they've been in a decade.

Missouri's Senator Josh Hawley Getting Real Coverage

Yes, Missouri's Senator Josh Hawley is getting coverage on media and social media---but it's not positive. It's fair but it's not in his favor. Here's one good example. Vote him out, Missouri. Let's get this known treasonous, traitorous, self-serving seditionist and insurrectionist out of office soon as possible.

Republicans' Right to Carry

Republicans across the country in different states are pushing for more "right to carry" laws so virtually any of us can have a gun, a weapon on us anywhere, everywhere, at any given place or time in our cities and on our streets. This is what that gets us.

The Republican Party Rebuttal to President Biden's Speech This Week

The Republican Party's response to President Biden's speech to Congress this week was given by Senator Tim Scott of South Carolins. He is Black, in case anyone doesn't know that and he said America isn't racist.Really, Senator Scott?

--Black Americans are far more likely to be stopped by police than white Americans, --far more likely to be arrested than white Americans, --more likely to be charged than white Americans, -- more than 3 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, --more likely to be found guilty than white Americans, --more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison than white Americans, --once sentenced, they get dependably longer sentences--for the same crimes--as white Americans. But not racist, you say?

What We Need In Washington

Two things, immediately, we especially need in and from Washington, besides the American Jobs Plan. The two things we need: First we must end the fillibuster at long last so minorities in Congress can't and don't block what most of the nation needs and wants. Second, we must follow that by passing the For the People Act. It would end any political party's ability to gerrymander voting districts for their own benefit, ends dark money in our elections and increases, adds ethics rules to our government. This is good for all and important for the nation. We must. Please sontact your Senators and tell them to vote for SR1 in the Senate. Thanks, in advance.

President Biden and Trickle Down Economics

A lot of people, myself included, weren't sure how far Joe Biden as President would go with Progressive ideas. Last night gave great hope. We saw the disaster trickle down economics was in Kansas. We knew better.