Skip to content

Month: September 2022

A semi-fascist hissy fit

Published by digby on September 2, 2022

The right and the press react to Biden’s speech

I have often referred to what I call “The Art of the Hissy Fit,” defined as the right using “faux outrage to get the media to press the Democrats to disavow or apologize for something they were perfectly entitled to say or do. Most often, it’s something extremely mild compared to what Republicans say and do every day.”

One example of this play to work the refs from the past was the GOP’s flamboyant pearl-clutching over the Democrat’s behavior at the funeral for progressive Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota who died in a plane crash during the 2002 election season. Democrats held a memorial service/celebration of life in which people eulogized Wellstone and also rallied for his political cause (as he would have wanted) with some stemwinding political speeches. The right went nuts, cynically decrying the event as being “disrespectful” and calling for the Democrats to apologize over the alleged insult to Real American values — which they dutifully did.

It was a crock, obviously, but those who’ve been around long enough to remember that event will recall that the pundits went crazy, demanding that the Democrats answer for the outrage while the Republicans snickered behind their backs. It was a minor incident but it illustrates this ongoing tactic of the right wing which has been on display again over the past few days after Joe Biden described the “MAGA Republicans” as “semi-fascist.” The hand wringing and rending of garments by Donald Trump’s minions has been a sight to behold.

So-called GOP moderate New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu called for Biden to apologize as did House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy in a pre-buttal speech on Thursday in which he said:

“In the past two years, Joe Biden has launched an assault on the soul of America, on its people, on laws, on its most sacred values. He has launched an assault on our democracy. President Biden has chosen to divide, demean, and disparage his fellow Americans — Why? simply because they disagree with his policies. That is not leadership. When the president speaks tonight at Independence Hall, the first lines out of his mouth should be to apologize for slandering tens of millions of Americans as ‘fascists'”

And yet:

It’s enough to make you dizzy, isn’t it? Here we have evidence of Republicans routinely calling Democrats fascists (and communists and even pedophiles etc.) yet they are, once again having a hissy fit over Biden using the same word to describe them, as if he’s the one beyond the pale.

Meanwhile, this week their leader Donald Trump demanded to be reinstated as president and went on a podcast Thursday morning to declare that he is financially supporting the January 6 insurrectionists with plans to pardon all of them and have the government offer them apologies if he becomes president again. I don’t know if that’s fascist but it certainly is demented.

Normally the Democrats immediately fall all over themselves backtracking and apologizing in these situations but they have been remarkably stalwart this time. In fact, on Thursday night President Biden gave his speech in Philadelphia expanding on his judgment of the MAGA movement’s turn toward fascism (although he did not use the word again) and he was unsparing in his description of what a toxic dangerous movement it has become. He said:

For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not. We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us. MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people and refuse to accept the results of a free election.

Biden said, correctly, that “they see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power … as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections,” quoting conservative former federal judge Michael Luttig. And he noted that they are working “in state after state to give power to decide elections in America to partisan and cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself.” And he rightly pointed out that “they promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.”

He made a distinction between these “MAGA Republicans” and mainstream Republicans, suggesting that the latter were to whom he was addressing this speech. I’m not sure the difference is as obvious as he would like to think, however.

Mainstream Republicans who are still backing the party after January 6 and the leadership’s ongoing endorsement of Trump, despite his obvious unfitness, probably aren’t going to be persuaded. But it needs to be said anyway. As Biden put it, “too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal” — and it’s important to keep reminding people of that.

It’s still hard to believe that a president of the United States is compelled to give such a speech but here we are. Biden stood at Independence Hall and warned that we have a powerful fascist movement in this country and exhorted the American people to fight back.

Journalists, meanwhile, were hand wringing over this:

Why am I not surprised? Here we had a serious speech warning about a real threat to democracy and the press decided the optics of the marines standing behind Biden was an equally important issue that needed airing. As usual, the Democrats are held to a different standard as if this triviality is the equivalent of Trump holding the Republican Convention at the White House or bringing a bunch of military gear onto the Washington Mall for his tacky 4th of July celebration. You see, Biden pledged to “do better” so really, it’s even worse.

Here’s an example of the respectful tone by the Republican leadership in the wake of the speech:

Here’s another:

Satanic, Hitler, Nazi, that’s all fine. Just don’t call it semi-fascist. That would be wrong, very wrong. And having those Marines standing there was a dangerous threat to all we hold dear so I’m sure they’ll be calling for Biden to apologize for that too. Some things never change. 

Update—

Greg Sargent makes a similar point:

Oz goes mean

Published by digby on September 2, 2022

The MAGAs will love it. Will the suburbs?

Trump mocking a reporter’s disability on the campaign trail

Oz and his people don’t seem to know the difference between trolling someone for being an out-of-touch elitist and making fun of someone’s disability. Most of us were taught that sort of thing when we were children. Why am I not surprised? Trump is their inspiration:

The Dr. Oz campaign turned up the heat and the rhetoric heading into Labor Day Weekend and the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania has taken a turn into the mud.

John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for the open Senate seat in the Commonwealth, rejected Mehmet Oz’s offer to hold a debate next week in Pittsburgh, saying the Republican candidate’s campaign thinks “it is funny to mock” his recovery from a stroke.

On Tuesday, Oz’s campaign put out a tongue-in-cheek list of “concessions” it was willing to make to accommodate Fetterman in a debate, including:

-Doctor Oz promises not to intentionally hurt John’s feelings at any point.

-We will allow John to have all of his notes in front of him along with an earpiece so he can have the answers given to him by his staff, in real time.

-At any point, John Fetterman can raise his hand and say “bathroom break!”

-If the topic of his pardoned murderers comes up, we will allow extra time for him to explain that second-degree murder is “not as bad as” first-degree murder.

-We will pay for any additional medical personnel he might need to have on standby.

He is being a snotty bitch and it’s going to backfire:

Fetterman’s campaign responded in a not-surprising manner.

“Today’s statement from Dr. Oz’s team made it abundantly clear that they think it is funny to mock a stroke survivor. I chose not to participate in this farce. Any sense that these “challenges” were done in good faith is damaged.

“My recovery may be a joke to Dr. Oz and his team, but it’s real for me.”

The war of words continued from the Oz camp.

“We were just informed by Jon Delano at KDKA that the Fetterman campaign is declining to attend the KDKA debate on September 6. John Fetterman is a liar, a liberal, and a coward,” said Brittany Yanick, Communications Director.

Earlier today, the Oz campaign continued to taunt the lieutenant governor, releasing its Top Ten reasons why Fetterman pulled out of the debate:

-Scared of Doctor Oz

-Campaign staff are worried Fetterman might talk about releasing convicted murderers from prison (again).

-“Taking questions from reporters IN PERSON…ICK!” John Fetterman hasn’t done that in months!

-Scared of Jon Delano

-Might accidentally reveal a health condition that’s worse than previously disclosed!

-Debate takes place after 7pm — way too late!

-Debate would have lasted 60 minutes — way too long!

-Scared of Ray Petelin

-Stretching Labor Day into a FOUR day weekend!? Alright!

-Parents refused to pay for the gas to drive to debate.

This will not please the suburban moms they are all trying to woo. And Oz’s snotty comment that if Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable he wouldn’t have had a stroke won’t play well among the men.

Fetterman explained his physical condition on MSNBC last night. He seems fine:

A tale of a tell

Published by Tom Sullivan on September 2, 2022

Marc Elias documents the atrocities

Independence Hall South Facade. Photo by Peetlesnumber1 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

“Talk about a tell,” @chrislhayes said last night about Republicans keeping an citizen-led abortion rights initiative off the ballot in Michigan.

Democracy Docket’s newsletter this morning takes up that decision while confirming the threat to voting President Biden warned of last night in Philadelphia.

Word spacing?

Two Pro-Voting Ballot Measures Kicked off the Ballot

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a conservative organization and disqualified a pro-voting ballot initiative. The ballot measure aimed to safeguard mail-in voting, expand early voting, improve voter registration, prevent the state Legislature from overturning presidential election results and more. Although nearly half a million Arizonians signed the petition to get the measure on the ballot this fall, the plaintiffs alleged that there were legal deficiencies associated with a large number of signatures that should disqualify the ballot initiative altogether. The measure will unfortunately not appear on the November ballot.

In Michigan, a pro-voting measure was also rejected this week, but with a more problematic backstory. Organizers for Promote the Vote had gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, but the Michigan Board of State Canvassers did not advance the measure to the November ballot. The group pushing a rival ballot measure — which aimed to enact a strict voter ID requirement but failed to gather sufficient signatures — challenged the way Promote the Vote organizers circulated petition forms. In light of this challenge, the two Republican members on the board voted against advancing the pro-voting measure to the ballot while the two Democratic members voted for advancing it. The deadlock typically means Michigan voters will not see the measure come November, but Promote the Vote has already challenged the decision in the Michigan Supreme Court, arguing that the canvassing board violated the group’s right to due process.

  • There’s a distinction between the legitimate removal of a ballot measure (often for issues like insufficient or fraudulent signatures, misleading descriptions or unauthorized spending requirements if passed) and what the Michigan Board of State Canvassers did here. In Michigan, the board approved the Promote the Vote initiative before petitioners began circulating the language and no legal challenges were raised then. The state’s election bureau also declined to make a legal recommendation regarding the last-minute challenge, but the Republican board members still took matters into their own hands. 
  • In the same fell swoop, the GOP members of the board prevented a ballot measure to codify the right to abortion from making the ballot. The reproductive freedom group behind the measure had collected a record number of signatures, but the board members disqualified the measure for issues with “word spacing,” a made-up problem. Direct democracy belongs to the people, not to the whims of GOP official
  • Heads up: This two-two partisan board will ultimately take a central role in certifying statewide post-election results. We narrowly avoided disaster in 2020 when one of the Republicans refused to certify Biden’s win in the state. (The Michigan GOP has since replaced both GOP members with canvassers of their choice.)

It’s Labor Day weekend. Volunteer for a campaign, willya?

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Request a copy of For The Win, 4th Edition, my free, countywide get-out-the-vote planning guide for county committees at ForTheWin.us.

Biden bumps back

Published by Tom Sullivan on September 2, 2022

At things that go bump in the night

Whaddya know? The anti-democracy, pro-insurrection, authoritarian cult of personality that gleefully brands Democrats America-hating, child-trafficking, Marxist pedophiles can dish it out but can’t take it.

Thursday night, President Joe Biden dished back in a primetime speech outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. I guess I’m in synch with Never Trumper Rick Wilson on this one.

Biden did what Wisconsin Democratic state chair Ben Wikler told an August Netroots Nation panel he’d heard from a former Republican debate champion [timestamp 54:30]:

“What you want to do is draw the circle that includes you and your audience around values, things that you all agree on, and then push the other side out of the circle.”

“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,” Biden began and then pushed. Hard.

“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”

Biden then tried to separate what normal Republicans remain in the party from MAGA cult members. It remains to be seen if he succeeded. What he did succeed at was making MAGA heads explode:

And here, in my view, is what is true: MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution.  They do not believe in the rule of law.  They do not recognize the will of the people. 
 
They refuse to accept the results of a free election.  And they’re working right now, as I speak, in state after state to give power to decide elections in America to partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself.
 
MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards — backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.
 
They promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.
 
They look at the mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6th — brutally attacking law enforcement — not as insurrectionists who placed a dagger to the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots.

Biden violated the rules of the extremists’ game that say Republicans get to use Democrats as punching bags and Democrats must never punch back. Biden did.

If you missed the 30-minute speech last night, here it is. There was much more:

I will not stand by and watch — I will not — the will of the American people be overturned by wild conspiracy theories and baseless, evidence-free claims of fraud. 
 
I will not stand by and watch elections in this country stolen by people who simply refuse to accept that they lost.  (Applause.) 
 
I will not stand by and watch the most fundamental freedom in this country — the freedom to vote and have your vote counted — and — be taken from you and the American people.  (Applause.) 
 
Look, as your President, I will defend our democracy with every fiber of my being, and I’m asking every American to join me.  (Applause.)

Biden is not a great orator. The speech contained “no rhythm, no metphor, no storytelling,” as historian Rick Perlstein observed. But Biden rose to the occasion and said what needed saying.

Former Republican congressman (and former Republican) David Jolly added, “A historic moment. A sitting US President accepting the burden of admonishing his predecessor’s powerful cultural movement, doing so honestly and resolutely, and framing it as a threat to the country.”

“Historically, the only way to contain movements like MAGA that rely on bullying and thuggery is to stand up to them,” tweeted Daily Beast columnist David Rothkopf, “to deliver as Biden did, the unmistakable message that their opponents (that’s us) are stronger in every way and that we will not stop until they are defeated.”

“Putting aside the question of whether Biden’s speech was presidential or campaign … it was a banger of a speech,” tweeted author and columnist Michael Cohen. “The WH has clearly decided that they are leaning into making 2022 a referendum on Trump.”

In the distance, a heckler with a bullhorn tried to disrupt Biden’s flow. He responded.

“Notwithstanding those folks you hear on the other side there.  They’re entitled to be outrageous.  This is a democracy.  But history and common sense — (applause) — good manners is nothing they’ve ever suffered from,” Biden said.

That response distills the difference between MAGA Republicans and real Americans who are real Americans, tweeted The Nation justice correspondent Elie Mystal:

Biden saying that the heckler is “entitled to be outrageous” is the difference, right there between Biden and Trump. Or liberals and MAGA.
Trump and MAGA would call for that heckler to be beaten.

Esquire‘s Charlie Pierce anticipated the discomfort that the “both sides” media would have in stating the facts as bluntly as Biden did:

Here’s the problem for the elite political media: To cover the threat to the republic truthfully, they’re going to have to write/broadcast things that have collateral benefits to the Democratic Party. No way around it. The point is not to worry about that.

And, oh, did the memes and outrage flow Thursday night. Wingnuts circulated photoshopped images of Biden with the background dimmed to an ominous black. Here’s a sampling of the responses:

Finally, this quote from Hellboy comes to mind:

Professor Trevor ‘Broom’ Bruttenholm : In the absence of light, darkness prevails. There are things that go bump in the night, Agent Myers. Make no mistake about that. And we are the ones who bump back.

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Request a copy of For The Win, 4th Edition, my free, countywide get-out-the-vote planning guide for county committees at ForTheWin.us.

Russian falling window syndrome

Published by digby on September 1, 2022

What a weird coincidence. Another Russian dies from falling window syndrome:

The chairman of Russia’s Lukoil oil giant, Ravil Maganov, has died after falling from a hospital window in Moscow, reports say.

The company confirmed his death but said only that Maganov, 67, had “passed away following a severe illness”.

Russian media said he was being treated at Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital and died of his injuries.

Maganov is the latest of a number of high-profile business executives to die in mysterious circumstances.

Investigating authorities said they were working at the scene to establish how he died. Tass news agency quoted sources saying he had fallen out of a sixth-floor window early on Thursday morning, adding later that he had taken his own life.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Lukoil board called for the conflict to end as soon as possible, expressing its sympathy to victims of “this tragedy”.

Its billionaire president, Vagit Alekperov, resigned in April after the UK imposed sanctions on him in response to the invasion.

Several Russian energy oligarchs have died in unusual circumstances in recent months:

The body of millionaire Novatek former manager Sergei Protosenya was found alongside his wife and daughter at a Spanish villa in April

A former vice-president of Gazprombank, Vladislav Avayev, was found dead with his wife and daughter in their Moscow flat, also in April

In May, a former Lukoil tycoon Alexander Subbotin died of heart failure, reportedly after seeking alternative treatment from a shaman.

Falling window syndrome is an epidemic in Russia:

In December 2021, Yegor Prosvirnin—the founder of nationalist website Sputnik and Pogrom—died after falling out of a window of a residential building in the center of Moscow.

He allegedly threw a knife and gas canister out of the window before the fall, BBC News reported.

Prosvirnin had supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 but later began to predict a civil war and the collapse of the Russian Federation.

On October 19, 2021 a Russian diplomat was found dead after a fall from a window of the Russian embassy in Berlin, Der Spiegel reported.

The man was a second secretary at the embassy, but German intelligence sources told the newspaper they suspected he was an undercover officer with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Investigative outlet Bellingcat said it used open-source data to identify the deceased man as Kirill Zhalo, the son of General Alexey Zhalo, deputy director of the FSB’s Second Service.

In late December 2020, Alexander “Sasha” Kagansky, a top Russian scientist reportedly working on a COVID-19 vaccine at the time, was found dead with a stab wound after falling from his high-rise apartment in St. Petersburg.

According to Russian outlet Fontanka, the suspect, a childhood friend of Kagansky, told police that Kagansky stabbed himself then jumped to his death.

There were also reports of health care workers falling out of hospital windows—some to their deaths—in Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two Russian doctors died and another was seriously injured after falls from hospital widows over a two-week period between April and May 2020. Reports said two of the doctors had protested working conditions and the third was being blamed after her colleagues contracted the virus.

And in July, Dan Rapoport, a 52-year-old Latvian-American investment banker and outspoken Putin critic, died after a fall from a luxury apartment building in Washington, D.C.

Police say they didn’t suspect foul play, Politico reported, but the case remains under investigation.

Rapoport’s friends fear he was assassinated, with one telling The Daily Beast that the circumstances of his death are “highly suspicious.” Rapoport had made a fortune working in Moscow before falling out of favor with the Russian government, according to reports.

Rapoport’s former business partner, Sergei Tkachenko, fell to his death from a Moscow apartment building in 2017.

If you wonder why America’s right wing loves Putin so much, I think this is one of the reasons. He takes care of political business the way they would like to take care of political business.

“He has guests frequently there”

Published by digby on September 1, 2022

His lawyer Alina Habba is right about one thing:

It appears Trump hosted Kyle Rittenhouse (and many, many others) in the room where he was holding Top Secret documents he stole.

Here’s Marjorie Taylor Greene in the room where Trump kept stolen Top Secret documents

Lauren Boebert, a ridiculous dress and a room full of stolen Top Secret documents

Michael Flynn probably should not be around stolen classified information

Originally tweeted by Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) on August 31, 2022.

(Not so semi) fascism alert

Published by digby on September 1, 2022

Trump 2.0 rolls around in the mud and loves it

Bookmark this for when someone tries to tell you that DeSantis is somehow better than Trump. There is no daylight between them when it comes to lying and character assassination. Popular Information reports:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), his campaign, and the Florida Republican Party have launched a coordinated attack on Karla Hernández, the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Florida. They claim Hernández, as president of the United Teachers of Dade (UTD) union, “protected a sexual predator for years and accompanied him through numerous investigations into his sexual assaults of multiple students.” This claim, Popular Information has learned, is false. 

The allegation against Hernández appears to have originated on Twitter from a notorious right-wing disinformation account, Libs of Tik Tok. News of Hernández’s selection as the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, running on a ticket with Charlie Crist, was first reported on August 26 at 2:01 PM Eastern. At 8:36 PM, Libs of Tik Tok posted that Hernández was involved in a coverup “for a teacher who pled guilty to sexual assault of a student.” The tweet claimed, “there were allegations against him for 12 YEARS & the union she was in charge of protected him.”

Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktokCharlie Crist just picked Karla Mats as his running mate for Gov. She’s the president of a teacher’s union who covered up for a teacher who pled guilty to sexual assault of a student. There were allegations against him for 12 YEARS & the union she was in charge of protected him August 27th 20224,874 Retweets12,711 Likes

In a follow-up tweet, Libs of Tik Tok stressed that Hernández “protected a pedophile for 12 YEARS while he was working in a middle school.” 

Libs of Tik Tok provided no substantiation for these claims. (A Miami Herald article the account linked to does not support the allegations.) And it’s unclear where Libs of Tik Tok was getting its information. But the next day, the Florida Republican Party created a webpage attacking Hernández that contained similar allegations. 

As president of UTD, Karla Hernandez Mats protected a sexual predator for years and accompanied him through numerous investigations into his sexual assaults of multiple students at a Miami-Dade middle school. The rapist, Wendell Nibbs, was a high-ranking UTD member and strong supporter of Hernandez Mats. He pled guilty to child sexual assault and was sentenced to 8 years in prison in January 2020.

Wendell Nibbs, a former middle school teacher, was arrested in November 2017 and pled guilty to child sexual assault in January 2020. The allegations against Nibbs date back to 2004, and it is appalling that he was able to remain a teacher for so many years. 

But it is false that Hernández “protected” Nibbs or “accompanied him through numerous investigations.” The known allegations against Nibbs span from May 2004 to May 2016. Hernández did not become president of UTD, which represents more than 28,000 educators, until May 2016. 

Investigations into teacher conduct can be civil or criminal. According to reports, the criminal investigation into Nibbs’ conduct that resulted in his arrest began in mid-2015. When an investigation into a teacher is criminal, UTD does not play any role, a union spokesperson told Popular Information. UTD confirmed that, after Hernández became president in 2016, UTD had no involvement with the investigation into Nibbs.

Civil investigations are conducted by Miami-Dade Public Schools (MDPS) district. UTD cannot obstruct the investigation. UTD cannot determine whether a teacher should be hired or fired; that is a decision made by the school district. In civil investigations, at a teacher’s request, a UTD staff member will accompany a teacher during a proceeding to ensure procedures are followed. A union spokesperson told Popular Information that Hernández never accompanied Nibbs to any proceeding or had any other role whatsoever in MDPS’ civil investigations of Nibbs. 

Prior to the criminal investigation that began in 2015, all the allegations of sexual misconduct were determined by police or school administrators to be “unsubstantiated.” (Nibbs was reprimanded once for failing to report that a girl was being bullied in class.) The dismissal of numerous complaints against Nibbs by investigators was a terrible mistake that resulted in more girls being assaulted. But none of those investigations involved Hernández. 

The Florida Republican Party also falsely claimed that Nibbs was a “high ranking member” of UTD. Nibbs was a building steward. In the MDPS district, there are more than 800 stewards. The building stewards are selected by union members at individual schools. Union leaders like Hernández are not involved in selecting stewards. 

The fact that the allegations against Hernández are false has not prevented them from being promoted extensively by the DeSantis campaign. Christina Pushaw, who recently left DeSantis’ official office to become Director of Rapid Response for his campaign, tweeted that Hernández “protected” Nibbs “through years of investigations and student rape allegations.” (In her role in the Governor’s office, Pushaw asserted that anyone who opposed DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which prohibited many teachers from acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people, was “probably a groomer.”)  

A week ago, Pushaw established a new Twitter account, DeSantis War Room. That account has been used repeatedly to smear Hernández with allegations that she protected a sexual predator. 

Pushaw is a monster. A truly despicable piece of work. Just like her boss.

According to a source familiar with DeSantis’ campaign strategy, the DeSantis campaign has also been aggressively pitching the false allegations about Hernández to Florida reporters.

But the effort to push the smear against Hernández into the mainstream media was apparently unsuccessful. So during a media event Tuesday, DeSantis pushed disinformation about Hernández himself. “You do not put union politics ahead of middle school students who are in danger of being sexually abused,” DeSantis said, “That’s disqualifying to be in any political office, much less Lieutenant Governor of Florida.” DeSantis also falsely characterized Nibbs as UTD’s “top union henchman.” DeSantis “left without giving reporters a chance for a followup about his accusations.”

This is DeSantis road testing his Orbanesque modern fascism attacking institutions to see how much the public will tolerate. Teachers are on his list because parents have been programmed into believing that the schools were closed not because a novel virus caused a global pandemic that was filling up hospitals and morgues all over the world but because lazy pedophile teachers wanted to hang out at home and eat bon bons.

This point can’t be made enough:

DeSantis targets teachers because they are educated, mostly female, members of a public employee union who often vote for Democrats. He’s leveraging the frustration parents felt over the school closings to do it. And he’s going as dirty as it gets, pushing this grotesque “grooming” smear which has to be one of the grossest attacks I’ve ever seen. Sickening.

Independent women move to the Dems

Published by digby on September 1, 2022

I think you know why

The latest:

Democrats are entering the homestretch before November’s election in better shape than earlier this year, boosted by gains among independent voters, improved views of President Biden and higher voting enthusiasm among abortion-rights supporters, a Wall Street Journal poll shows.

Republicans have electoral fuel to tap into if they can keep the debate focused on the economy and what has been the highest inflation in four decades. Nearly two-thirds of registered voters say the economy isn’t good or poor—a larger share than in the last Journal survey, in March—and close to two-thirds say the pain of higher costs makes them more likely to cast a ballot.

Democrats hold a slight edge over Republicans, 47% to 44%, when voters are asked which party they would support in their congressional district if the election were held today, a lead that is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. Republicans had a five-point advantage in March.

The Democratic gains come from increased support among independents, women and younger voters. Black and Hispanic voters, who have traditionally favored Democrats heavily, are also more solidly supportive of the party than they were earlier this year.

Among political independents, typically the key to victory in close elections, more voters now favor a Democratic candidate for Congress than a Republican, 38% to 35%. In March, Republicans led among independents by 12 percentage points.

Before the Supreme Court’s late-June reversal of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion ruling, the GOP had been more optimistic about its prospects, in part because the party that doesn’t control the White House typically makes midterm-election gains.

“Republicans were cruising, and Democrats were having a hard time,” said Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who conducted the survey along with Democrat John Anzalone. “It’s almost like the abortion issue came along and was kind of like a defibrillator to Democrats.”

At 60%, those who say abortion should be legal in all or most cases represent a majority of voters, up 5 percentage points from March. More than half of voters say the Supreme Court’s elimination of the federal constitutional right to an abortion has made them more likely to vote.

In a separate question, voters cited the court ruling as the single issue most likely to make them vote this November, ahead of four other issues tested, including inflation, border security, gun violence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home.

The court ruling was especially salient for white, suburban women, a group known for switching between the two parties in recent elections and who say they would back a Democratic candidate over a Republican, 52% to 40%.

Mr. Fabrizio said that, in the midst of the intensified feelings over abortion, the poll recorded a meaningful movement toward the Democratic Party among women in some groups, such as Hispanic voters and independents.

“Male independents did not really change,” said Mr. Fabrizio, who was Mr. Trump’s lead campaign pollster in 2016 and 2020. “Female independents, because of the abortion issue, changed their opinions and their votes.’’

The poll’s congressional-preference question measures the national political climate, rather than opinion in any one state or House district. Still, the survey’s findings add to a growing body of evidence—from other public surveys, recent special-election results and analysis by nonpartisan forecasters—that suggests a more competitive fight for control of Congress than expected earlier this year.

[…]

Some 62% say rising prices are creating major or minor financial strains on their budgets, up 4 percentage points from March. The 64% who say the economy is poor or not in good shape is up slightly from the prior Journal survey. Among independent voters, 69% rate the economy as poor or not so good.

Almost half of voters say the nation is in a recession, although one hasn’t officially been declared by the nonprofit group charged with making such determinations. More than three-quarters of Republicans say there is a recession, while only about a fifth of Democrats do.

Voters believe Republicans are better able to get inflation under control—by a 12-point margin—and by narrower margins think the GOP has the better economic plan and is most able to reduce the federal deficit.

In another sign that the final two months of the campaign will play out in the midst of a deeply negative mood, more than two-thirds of votes—68%—think the nation is headed in the wrong direction, including 73% of independents. That is even gloomier than the 63% recorded among all voters in March.

Voters are noticing that gas prices are on the decline, with 63% saying they have gone down in their area in the past month or so. But Mr. Biden, who has taken a variety of actions to try to lower prices, only gets credit from 18% of voters for the drop.

Mr. Anzalone, the lead pollster for Mr. Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, said he thinks the abortion ruling, a summer of mass shootings and additional information revealed about Mr. Trump through the congressional hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol have all contributed to improved feelings about Democrats.

“On all of those issues, the Republicans were on the wrong side of public opinion,” he said.

Mr. Biden looks like less of a drag on his party’s candidates than earlier this year. His job approval has risen to 45%, up from 42% in March, while 54% disapprove of his performance.

Midterm elections have traditionally been viewed as a referendum on the current occupant of the White House, but Mr. Trump’s high profile in the nomination season and the search of his Florida home have kept him at the forefront of the American political conversation.

Favorable views of Mr. Trump declined slightly, and Mr. Biden leads him in a hypothetical rematch of the last presidential election, 50% to 44%. The two men had been tied in March. In the test match-up, Mr. Biden leads among independents, 46% to 38%.

The survey was largely taken before Mr. Biden’s decision to cancel student debt for millions of Americans, a move Republicans have called a handout to college graduates at the expense of others that they hope to turn into a top line of attack. Many Democratic officials say the president’s move would create economic opportunity for Americans struggling to pay off college debts.

While both political parties are viewed more negatively than positively, the Democratic Party is slightly more popular than the Republican Party. Democrats have gained ground since March and are now viewed favorably by 44% of voters, compared with 40% for Republicans.

Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on ensuring that the rich and corporations pay their fair share in taxes, lowering prescription drug costs, reducing gun violence and improving education, the poll found. They trust Republicans over Democrats to reduce crime, secure the border and fix the immigration system.

About that orange secret document

Published by digby on September 1, 2022

Garret Graff tweeted out this interesting observation:

…The strangest document in this photo, the orange bordered “Secret//SCI” one in the foreground. “Secret//SCI” is an incredibly rare marking.

I checked today with three officials who have worked at the absolute highest levels of the US intelligence community and two of them had *NEVER* seen such a marked document in their careers.

“SCI” material is usually so sensitive that it is almost always “Top Secret”….

It’s impossible to know what type of document might be “Secret//SCI” but that highly unique combination of markings implies it’s a piece of intelligence where someone was paying extremely special and precise attention to the information inside.

“Secret” is less than “Top Secret” obviously and comes with a different test. “Secret” implies disclosure would cause “serious damage” to national security, while TS’s test is “grave danger”….

This is pure speculation on my part, but one thing that stands out to me as a possible “Secret//SCI” combo is gossipy intelligence about foreign officials or foreign leaders, potentially derived from a unique source or operation that would want to be protected.

One of the four example tests for a “Secret” classification is info that if disclosed would lead to “disruption of foreign relations significantly affecting the national security,” which you could read as something that would be more gossipy or embarrassing to, say, an ally.…

If we already know that some of the other info retrieved by the FBI was about the President of France, the idea that there’s other “Secret//SCI” info floating around about foreign officials in the Mar-a-Lago files would seem consistent….

Again, we don’t know what that “Secret//SCI” doc contains, but clearly it’s an incredibly rare & unique piece of intel, one someone—for some reason—paid an unusual amount of attention to classifying, which makes it intriguing why it’s one of the docs Trump held onto *longest*.

One thing that might fit that unique “Secret//SCI” category? Personal or financial gossip — e.g., potential kompromat! — about a foreign leader collected and reported by a US diplomat, e.g., a source who would not be considered “sensitive” and thus “Top Secret.”

One other theory, from some further investigation this am: A “SECRET/SCI” designation could come from an FBI interview of a source in a case related to national security or that references an SCI program (nukes!)….

But it would *incredibly* weird for FBI files to end up at the White House. The last time I can think of that happening? John Dean getting raw FBI files from Pat Gray in Watergate.

Originally tweeted by Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) on August 31, 2022.

I’m guessing it’s dirty gossip about foreign leaders. That’s exactly his speed. It’s very likely that at least some of these documents are blackmail material.

But yeah, is there any doubt that there are friendlies in the FBI who might have slipped him some files? None.

Oh Sarah

Published by digby on September 1, 2022

The most famous Alaskan in the world comes up short

Sad:

Democrat Mary Peltola won the special election to fill Alaska’s House seat for the remainder of 2022, according to unofficial results released by the Alaska Division of Elections, thwarting former Gov. Sarah Palin’s bid at a political comeback — at least for a few months.

Peltola emerged as the victor Wednesday when Alaska’s Division of Elections tabulated ranked-choice ballots in the state’s first use of the system.

With her victory, the former state lawmaker will flip the seat held for nearly half a century by the late GOP Rep. Don Young, and is set to become the first Alaska Native in Congress.

The race for Young’s seat had been viewed nationally through the lens of the attempted political comeback of Palin, who in 2008 became the Republican vice presidential nominee and, after losing, in 2009 resigned midway through her lone term in the governor’s office.

Palin had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. He called into tele-rallies for her campaign and appeared at an event in Alaska in July to back Palin and other Republican candidates he has endorsed in this year’s races.

Palin has not run for office since leaving the governor’s office. But she’ll get another chance at the House race — Palin and Peltola are also among those vying to fill the full term in a separate election in November.

Palin criticized ranked-choice voting in a statement after the results were released on Wednesday, calling it a “new crazy, convoluted, confusing” system.

“Though we’re disappointed in this outcome, Alaskans know I’m the last one who’ll ever retreat. Instead, I’m going to reload. With optimism that Alaskans learn from this voting system mistake and correct it in the next election, let’s work even harder to send an America First conservative to Washington in November,” she said.

Except, of course, she quit the Governor’s seat half way through in order to cash in as a reality TV star. But other than that, she’s totally devoted to the Alaskan people. And they know it.

Boo fucking hoo….