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You are here: Home / Politics / America / Senator Heitkamp Makes a Stand!

Senator Heitkamp Makes a Stand!

by Adam L Silverman|  October 4, 20182:22 pm| 122 Comments

This post is in: America, Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Popular Culture, Post-racial America, Women's Rights Are Human Rights

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New: Dem Senator Heidi Heitkamp, facing a tough re-election fight, tells North Dakota station WDAY she will vote No on the Brett Kavanaugh nomination

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 4, 2018

The question is whether this will be her last stand as a senator.

If Doug! wants to come along and add an ActBlue for her to this post as an update, that would be good.

Update at 2:46 PM EDT:

For those wanting to donate to Senator Heitkamp’s reelection fund, here’s the direct link.

Update at 2:50 PM EDT:

Here’s Senator Heitkamp’s statement on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination (also putting it up top).

My statement on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh: pic.twitter.com/exZcK78JtF

— Archive: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) October 4, 2018

Open thread!

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Previous Post: « About Those Recent Polls
Next Post: Your Daily Reminder That Nothing Is Going to Stop Kavanaugh From Being Confirmed »

Reader Interactions

122Comments

  1. 1.

    hueyplong

    October 4, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    Well done, Senator.

  2. 2.

    lamh36

    October 4, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    just saw this too.

    Good for Heitkamp

    if she can then surely Manchin, who polls show is at better numbers than Heirkamp, sure can too.

    if he votes YES…there should be fuqn consequences…but of course there won’t be

  3. 3.

    Kay

    October 4, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    Oh, I’m pleased. Such a bright spot in a day dominated by cowards and liars and cynical operatives.

    Good job, Senator.

  4. 4.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 4, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    Good. If she is going down, she will at least be able to face herself in the mirror.

  5. 5.

    Corner Stone

    October 4, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    Katy Tur gettin’ schooled by Joel Heitkamp! (The Senators brother.)

  6. 6.

    zhena gogolia

    October 4, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    I’ll send her a contribution later today.

  7. 7.

    The Moar You Know

    October 4, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Good. She loses nothing, no Republican, not one, would have voted for her anyway.

  8. 8.

    randy khan

    October 4, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Good for her. She deserves a thermometer of her own for this.

  9. 9.

    sgrAstar

    October 4, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    Wow! Very impressive display of integrity. Ley’s get that actblue gadget up for her, doug.

  10. 10.

    schrodingers_cat

    October 4, 2018 at 2:33 pm

    Good for her!

  11. 11.

    kindness

    October 4, 2018 at 2:35 pm

    Yeay for her.

  12. 12.

    JMG

    October 4, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    Compare and contrast with Jeff Flake.

  13. 13.

    lamh36

    October 4, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    Excerpts from Heitkamp’s full statement on her no vote. “Our actions right now are a poignant signal to young girls and women across our country. I will continue to stand up for them.”

  14. 14.

    Kay

    October 4, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    There was very little discussion of K’s far Right views – his work- because everyone had to wade through a thicket of (probably deliberately) distracting lies to get any meaningful responses from him at all, but I wonder how much this matters:

    Zombies LoveOfBrainsies ?‍♂️
    ‏Verified account
    @kombiz
    2m2 minutes ago
    More Zombies LoveOfBrainsies ?‍♂️ Retweeted Derek Wallbank
    North Dakota has a serious native american population. Kavanaugh is offensive to many native ameicans because he has been dismissive of tribal sovereignty.

    “Dismissive”. Yup. That certainly fits. But I don’t know the first thing about North Dakota.

  15. 15.

    VeniceRiley

    October 4, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    Let’s all donate today if we can so she knows for sure why. Yay. And she’s could really use the help right now.

  16. 16.

    germy

    October 4, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    The FBI report on Judge Kavanaugh is entirely incomplete and insufficient. There are dozens of witnesses who have not been interviewed. This is for a lifetime appointment. The American people deserve to have all the facts.
    — Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) October 4, 2018

  17. 17.

    Corner Stone

    October 4, 2018 at 2:39 pm

    No Grassley. It’s 3 weeks longer than three or four of the last SCOTUS nominees that actually got a hearing. Convenient of you to excuse Garland from your timetable.

  18. 18.

    The Moar You Know

    October 4, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    Also:

    1. I haz an edit button! Don’t know if it works, but it’s there. Oh edit button, how I have missed you.
    2. It looks like Dems are on track to get at least 5 and possibly as many as 7 governorships. The importance of this can’t be overstated. It prevents a constitutional convention being called, which we are one governor’s seat away from being a reality. I don’t want to think about what the Confederacy would come up with to replace our current one, but you know damn well it wouldn’t be good. Also, governors are the vast majority of folks who win the presidency, and we need a far deeper bench than we have. This is really good news.

    A good start. But we can’t stop like we did after Obama got into office. This is a decades-long effort. It took the GOP 80 years to get here. It may take us the same amount of time to get us back. But get back we must.

  19. 19.

    evap

    October 4, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    I just made a donation. I tried to call and say thanks, but phone lines are busy.

  20. 20.

    MazeDancer

    October 4, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    You can’t get on the website to donate to Heitkamp. I tried. Had to go straight to ActBlue

  21. 21.

    FlipYrWhig

    October 4, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    I don’t get why this was ever in question. It seems like *even if her goal were maximum butt-covering* she could say something like “even though I am still not sure about the truth of these allegations, in the hearings Judge Kavanaugh belittled my colleagues and diminished the gravity of the occasion and the importance of his position, and it would be sad to see a person who behaved this way making decisions that affect all Americans.” Or, less politely, “I can’t support this man, he’s acting like a dick.”

  22. 22.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    The question is whether this will be her last stand as a senator.

    At the very least she’s given her Democratic base a reason to come out voting.

  23. 23.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    @Kay:

    But I don’t know the first thing about North Dakota.

    Its better then South Dakota.

  24. 24.

    JPL

    October 4, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    @Corner Stone: Don’t tease Tell us more.

  25. 25.

    chopper

    October 4, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    ah good news. nice of her to stand up.

  26. 26.

    Cheryl Rofer

    October 4, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    @Kay: Kavanaugh’s hostility to Native Americans has been noted by both our senators in New Mexico. They are, of course, voting NO.

  27. 27.

    JPL

    October 4, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    @MazeDancer: I read that the website crashed.

  28. 28.

    FlipYrWhig

    October 4, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    @TenguPhule: The Democratic base of… North Dakota?

    “That’s not enough. I need a majority.” #adlai

  29. 29.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    Cake or Death
    @Johngcole
    Jehovah’s Witness knocks on my door…

    “Hello, we’d…”

    Me: “man are you at the wrong house.”

    Especially today of all days.

  30. 30.

    zhena gogolia

    October 4, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    @MazeDancer:

    Why is it that when I go there, my info isn’t already there?

  31. 31.

    MazeDancer

    October 4, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    At the very least she’s given her Democratic base a reason to come out voting

    Which was her only play. She was going to really lose if she voted Yes and the base stayed home. Which would screw up the down ballot races.

    And, now, if she turns lobbyist, Dems going to be welcoming her through the door.

    Still, her wanting to do right by women and girls has uplifted my spirits immensely.

    Doesn’t matter if it was enlightened self-interest, at least someone is out there doing the right thing.

  32. 32.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    I’ll put this up top as an update:

    Here's the direct donate link, if you're trying to get throughhttps://t.co/k8qoRkBpL5

    — Eric Schmeltzer (@JustSchmeltzer) October 4, 2018

  33. 33.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    @FlipYrWhig: Touche.

  34. 34.

    Mnemosyne

    October 4, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    @Kay:

    I was wondering if the Native American vote was going to change her mind since there was so much buzz about that group pressuring Murkowski in Alaska. Good for Heitkamp.

    I can’t imagine that Manchin would be dumb enough to vote yes when he’s 9 points ahead in the polls, but I guess we’ll see.

  35. 35.

    The Moar You Know

    October 4, 2018 at 2:46 pm

    Edit button does not work. We’re all going to die.

  36. 36.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    @MazeDancer: Either way, pragmatism or honesty, I’ll take it.

    The least we can ask from the Democratic party is a united front against Kav. This shouldn’t be a hard decision.

  37. 37.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    I can’t imagine that Manchin would be dumb enough

    Let me stop you right there.

  38. 38.

    Corner Stone

    October 4, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    I can’t imagine that Manchin would be dumb enough

    Someone has never seen or heard Sen Manchin.

  39. 39.

    zhena gogolia

    October 4, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    Just sent her a contribution.

  40. 40.

    khead

    October 4, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    @The Moar You Know:

    This.

  41. 41.

    zhena gogolia

    October 4, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    So what’s your take on the FBI sham investigation?

  42. 42.

    Fair Economist

    October 4, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    ActBlue for Heitkamp is working if her website is still flaky. Just made a donation there myself.

  43. 43.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    Just added Senator Heitkamp’s statement up top:

    My statement on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh: pic.twitter.com/exZcK78JtF

    — Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) October 4, 2018

  44. 44.

    Corner Stone

    October 4, 2018 at 2:55 pm

    @JPL: Briefly, Joel Heitkamp (JH) has a talk show in ND. He said he did not speak for Sen Heitkamp (his sister). But that she had spent her entire career standing up for and with women so he knew she was doing the right thing (this was before her statement was released).
    JH told Tur, respectfully but forcefully, that her and colleagues get “married” to these polls that have nothing to do with what’s going on in ND. JH said last election they had her down 10 a week before election and she won. That there was still a story to be written here.
    JH was, IMO, forthright about what’s important to ND’ers, how impactful Kavvy may be (he said about a week’s worth), and why ND went for Trump (outsider change agent). That soybeans and tariffs are hurting people and everyone is talking about pre-existing conditions. He didn’t outright say it but he said everyone hated Obamacare and Obama (because he was black was the unspoken part), but if you notice, they call it Affordable Care or ACA and it’s popular and they like most of it!
    Anyway, he seemed honest and pretty plugged in, IMO.

  45. 45.

    hedgehog mobile

    October 4, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    Donated. Thank you, Senator.

  46. 46.

    NotMax

    October 4, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    Might one also suggest donating to NARF (Native American Rights Fund, among other things conducting registration on reservations).

    On September 27, NARF, on behalf of its clients, a group of Native American voters in North Dakota, filed an emergency appeal to the United States Supreme Court. They are asking the court to stay a recent Eighth Circuit decision that allows the State of North Dakota to impose new voter identification and residential address requirements in the upcoming election, even though early voting already has begun. Earlier this week, a divided panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit removed a lower court’s order, which was put in to place in April of this year to protect Native American and other voters in North Dakota. The order barred the enforcement of a voter ID law that the District Court identified as discriminatory and unconstitutional. This week’s order from the Eighth Circuit allows North Dakota to begin using the discriminatory new law in the upcoming election. It not only changed the rules of the election after early voting had begun, it created a situation where several thousand people in North Dakota, who are qualified to vote in North Dakota, will be unable to vote in this year’s election simply because they do not have a residential address or because they lack the documentation and/or funds to obtain the required voter identification.

  47. 47.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    @zhena gogolia: The parameters for these background investigations, whether they’re initials, renewals, or, as in this case, supplementals are determined by the principal – in this case the White House. The FBI can only do what it is tasked to do in these things. Which is what they did. From the reporting and the leaking, they’ve also done all the documentation by the book. They requested every instruction in writing, only communicated with the White House in writing, etc. Should there be a proper investigation into all of this if the Democrats take one or more chamber of Congress in the midterms? Yes. Should that attempt to determine and bring out into public view exactly what the FBI’s orders were? Yes. Is the FBI, in and of itself, the issue/problem here? No.

  48. 48.

    Leto

    October 4, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    OT but this is of major, major concern: The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies: The attack by Chinese spies reached almost 30 U.S. companies, including Amazon and Apple, by compromising America’s technology supply chain, according to extensive interviews with government and corporate sources.

    Not only is this a major, major security flaw with private sector companies but:

    Public documents, including the company’s own promotional materials, show that the servers have been used inside Department of Defense data centers to process drone and surveillance-camera footage, on Navy warships to transmit feeds of airborne missions, and inside government buildings to enable secure videoconferencing. NASA, both houses of Congress, and the Department of Homeland Security have also been customers.

    So what was going on:

    … they were capable of doing two very important things: telling the device to communicate with one of several anonymous computers elsewhere on the internet that were loaded with more complex code; and preparing the device’s operating system to accept this new code. The illicit chips could do all this because they were connected to the baseboard management controller, a kind of superchip that administrators use to remotely log in to problematic servers, giving them access to the most sensitive code even on machines that have crashed or are turned off.

    Hopefully some more of our IT Juicers can further explain this (from a security IT perspective) but from what I’m reading this is just… bad. Bad bad. I’m also thinking about the further ramifications because the USAF has been discussing moving more of our data storage/network to a private company cloud style system. Personally I thought that was bonkers, but I think this just takes it several steps further.

  49. 49.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:01 pm

    @NotMax: Obligatory. Also, another good example (like the Environmental Liberation Front, the Animal Liberation Front, the Spanish American League Against Discrimination) why name choice for acronym conversion is an exceedingly important, and too often ignored, dynamic.

  50. 50.

    retr2327

    October 4, 2018 at 3:01 pm

    @VeniceRiley: Exactly right. Time to reward good behavior; I’m so tired of Democrats trying to get Republican votes by taking Republican positions. It’s never going to work. So she needs the money to get out the Democratic-leaning voters; that’s the path to a possible win.
    I sent her $100. I want her to feel the support TODAY, bigly.

  51. 51.

    germy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:02 pm

    @Leto: Republicans are getting ready to blame the November blue wave on the Chinese.

  52. 52.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    @Leto: This, however, was the most important paragraph in the entire report (emphasis mine):

    Elemental servers sold for as much as $100,000 each, at profit margins of as high as 70 percent, according to a former adviser to the company. Two of Elemental’s biggest early clients were the Mormon church, which used the technology to beam sermons to congregations around the world, and the adult film industry, which did not.

  53. 53.

    jacy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    Yeah, I thought he was pretty impressive — and honest. I hate Kasich with the heat of a thousand suns, but one thing he has said often I think is true: people will vote for you if you are genuine. Don’t worry about triangulating a response to things — just stand for what you stand for unapologetically, even if some people you’re trying to reach disagree with you.

    Somebody explain this to me: the Republican senators seem to be doing a fuckton of talking. My instinct is if they had this, they’d shut the fuck up. But they keep talking and talking and talking. What are they worried about? I genuinely want to know.

  54. 54.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 4, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    Called my senators one more time.

  55. 55.

    rikyrah

    October 4, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    Good for the Senator.

  56. 56.

    ruemara

    October 4, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    And MIchael Moore is on the twitters blaming Dems. Can we never hear from most of the Bernie brigade again?

  57. 57.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 4, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Thomas Levenson
    ‏ @TomLevenson
    2m2 minutes ago

    Thomas Levenson Retweeted Jennifer Bendery

    Dear Senator Coryn: you didn’t, and history will so note.

    It may add the following footnote, though: Intercourse yourself sideways with an oxidized farm implement, you hypocritical servant of thugs.

    Thomas Levenson added,
    Jennifer Bendery
    Verified account @jbendery
    Q: How is history going to judge what Christine Blasey Ford has done?

    Cornyn: “I hope what history documents … I hope, we did the best we could under those awful set of circumstances.”…
    0 replies 1 retweet 4 likes

  58. 58.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Norm Ornstein’s take (full disclosure: Norm is a friend):

    What Heidi Heitkamp has done-announcing a No vote on Kavanaugh-is gutsy and principled. She sees the misogyny, lying and the lack of judicial temperament, and the dishonest way McConnell and Grassley have dealt with this. I have no doubt she is doing this for the right reasons.

    — Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 4, 2018

    I want to add that I know Heidi. She is one terrific person. She has views on things like climate and energy that I do not share. She represents a conservative red state. She is straightforward, tough and thoroughly decent, with a great sense of humor. She is a keeper!

    — Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 4, 2018

  59. 59.

    Ocotillo

    October 4, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    @The Moar You Know:

    Also, Governors are a firewall against GOP state legislatures that want to further entrench gerrymandering in 2020.

  60. 60.

    germy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    A Former Obama Operative Built a New Anti-Republican Attack Machine

    John Burton hopes an army of dirt diggers can deliver an October surprise for Democrats.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-10-04/a-former-obama-operative-built-a-new-anti-republican-attack-machine

  61. 61.

    NotMax

    October 4, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    Imagining Pence now changing his undies hourly as it dawns that it could well come down to him.

  62. 62.

    JPL

    October 4, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    @Corner Stone: Thank you, and that was quite informative. I didn’t realize she was down in the past election.

  63. 63.

    Middlelee

    October 4, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    Done for $50

  64. 64.

    NotMax

    October 4, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    Called my senators and implored that they talk with Manchin. They have access to him that we don’t.

  65. 65.

    randy khan

    October 4, 2018 at 3:12 pm

    @Leto:

    Both Apple and Amazon have released extremely detailed denials – not just “this story is wrong,” but a fair amount of chapter and verse. And Amazon did it through a named person high up in the right part of the company. It’s going to be interested to see how this plays out.

    ETA: Just testing the edit button.

  66. 66.

    jacy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:12 pm

    @ruemara:

    I really am growing to hate Michael Moore. He seem like a Sully-level contrarian, ‘cept he pretends he’s liberal.

  67. 67.

    Mnemosyne

    October 4, 2018 at 3:13 pm

    @NotMax:

    You mean because he’s so excited at the prospect of being God’s Hand in ushering in Gilead?

  68. 68.

    Origuy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    I got a post on my Facebook feed this morning from Heitkamp’s campaign. I said if she voted for Kavenaugh, she wouldn’t get any money from me. So I have to put my money where my mouth is; I kicked in a few bucks.

  69. 69.

    randy khan

    October 4, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I dunno. I think some people find porn to be a religious experience.

  70. 70.

    JanieM

    October 4, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    @germy: Are you sure the Russians, with their R collaborators, aren’t going to prevent a blue wave from happening?

  71. 71.

    Zelma

    October 4, 2018 at 3:16 pm

    Just donated $100 to Heidi. I had given her money earlier in the year. Indeed, I gave her money 6 years ago. She’s a Democrat and represents her constituents well. That was a powerful letter.

  72. 72.

    ruemara

    October 4, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    @jacy: Growing? You have more patience than I do. I’ve written off whole swaths of “the left” because I see now that attacking Dems for profit is what they’re about – especially when Dems are out of power.

  73. 73.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: In other words, FBI didn’t want to be left holding the bag of shit was left holding the bag of shit.

  74. 74.

    jacy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:20 pm

    @ruemara:

    Well, I never really liked him, but I’m at the point where he shows up and I turn off the channel. I truly do hate contrarians, what-abouters, and both-sidesers. We know that Republicans are evil, but they’re abetted by a lot of people who talk a good game about being “progressive” but then do fuck-all to reach progressive goals.

    You know what Micheal Moore really cares about? Hearing Michael Moore talk.

  75. 75.

    germy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:21 pm

    @JanieM: I’m hoping our numbers are too great for them to ratf*ck.

  76. 76.

    Mnemosyne

    October 4, 2018 at 3:22 pm

    I just donated $50 to Heitkamp to encourage any other D waverers.

  77. 77.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    @TenguPhule: What I’m saying is the FBI can only do what it is tasked to do in this type of investigation. They knew they were being set up by the President and Don McGahn, so they did everything by the book, documented everything, and then leaked to get it out into the news reporting what was going on.

  78. 78.

    jacy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:24 pm

    Flake is a theater major dressed up like an IBM Executive circa 1985— Burkean ‘Ball Coach (@SirEdmundBurke) October 4, 2018

    I can both edit and embed a tweet. I feel so accomplished. Maybe I should just eat some cake, go back to bed, and call it day.

  79. 79.

    skerry

    October 4, 2018 at 3:25 pm

    Donated.

  80. 80.

    Mnemosyne

    October 4, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    @germy:

    I keep thinking of the Doug Jones victory in Alabama, where national Republicans were rumbling about wanting to investigate if there were any voting shenanigans, and the AL Secretary of State was like, “No, no, we’re good, no need for that.” He knew that any investigation would show that local Republicans had tried to tip it to Moore and he didn’t want that information getting out there. ?

    The best way to prevent shenanigans is a high-turnout election, so let’s do that.

  81. 81.

    Leto

    October 4, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: That part did not go un-noticed, though porn does frequently have many people praying (Oh God is heard regularly), as well as many nuns. Just a simple observation.

    @germy: Definitely seen the uptick in this. I doubt Trumpov will try to connect the two at a rally, or other rambling speech type thing, but I could see the administration trying to connect the two when they lose in Nov.

    @randy khan: This will be because the article states this investigation has been ongoing from the US government since 2015. I can understand the companies PR spin (NO NO NO, OUR PRODUCTS ARE TOTALLY SAFE AND SECURE! KEEP USING THEM! IT’S ALL GOOD!) but the article also quotes 17 sources from the companies talking about either their cooperation with the investigation, or just confirming that yes they had these compromised products and were attacked. It’s just another revelation about the ongoing cyber war we’re having with everyone else.

  82. 82.

    zhena gogolia

    October 4, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    @Zelma:

    We’ll just overlook the phrase “both sides.” Otherwise it’s great.

  83. 83.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    What I’m saying is the FBI can only do what it is tasked to do in this type of investigation.

    It remains to be seen if this will ever be true when Democrats start giving them orders again. There is no trust anymore. The NY office has much to answer for and the rest of them didn’t break the Gray Wall Omerta.

  84. 84.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:28 pm

    @Leto: When I was a post-doc at UF and teaching Religion and Politics in the US, one of the assignment was a project that required that the students each pick a religion and denomination – approved by me for obvious reasons – that had a local congregation. They had to do archival research in the library on the religion and denomination, online research (this was early 00s so part of this was trying to teach them to how to properly use the Internet to do research, which didn’t always work so well…), and then do an onsite visit to observe a service. In all three components they were looking for political messaging/political positions from the religious denomination. This could be anything from official denominational positions posted on the national website or bumper stickers on the cars in the parking lot during the service. They then had to write it all up as the semester long written assignment

    One student picked The Church of Latter Day Saints. In his report he wrote the following sentence: “Young Mormon men spend up to a year abroad in the missionary position. Young Mormon women spend up to a year at home in the US in the same position.” I still have a copy of the paper.

  85. 85.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 3:28 pm

    @Leto:

    as well as many nuns.

    Sadly seems to have become so much harder to find these days.

    Or so I’m told.

  86. 86.

    gene108

    October 4, 2018 at 3:28 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    A lot of Democratic contenders are eschewing corporate and PAC money and going by grassroots donations and are staying competitive with Republicans in fundraising.

    I do wonder what will happen, when these Democrats win and how much influence K-Street type lobbyists will still have or will the new comers get corrupted?

    Hopefully the no corporate or PAC money will change things for the better.

  87. 87.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    @jacy: I think this is the more important bit, not that I don’t expect that Flake will either crack or fold under the pressure rather than stand fast.

    I’m told by source with direct knowledge that Flake is “still having issues” and that some colleagues are trying to “walk him through them.” Sen Coons tells me just now that Flake reached out to him and asked if they could speak at length later.

    — Elaina Plott (@elainaplott) October 4, 2018

  88. 88.

    gene108

    October 4, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    @jacy:

    Maybe I should just eat some cake, go back to bed, and call it day.

    That is always a good plan

  89. 89.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 3:30 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    “Young Mormon men spend up to a year abroad in the missionary position. Young Mormon women spend up to a year at home in the US in the same position.”

    I assume he got a passing grade.

  90. 90.

    randy khan

    October 4, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    @Leto:

    I hear you, but Amazon specifically denies any contact with the FBI, as a for instance. And it’s both companies, at a level of detail that’s surprising. I mean, Apple barely ever talks about anything in detail other than how carefully and beautifully designed its products are. That’s why I say it’s going to be interesting.

  91. 91.

    Emma

    October 4, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: OK, first real laugh of the day. Many thanks.

  92. 92.

    jacy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    There’s lots of muttering on The Twitter about something going on in the background. (And I maintain that if the Republicans were sure of the vote total they’d shut the fuck up). But I also think that a lot of the muttering is because people can’t believe that something so patently and visibly unreasonable is going to happen so they’re just clutching at straws.

    THANKS GOD HOCKEY IS ON TONIGHT OR I MIGHT JUST START DRINKING AND NEVER STOP.

  93. 93.

    Emma

    October 4, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    @germy: Oh YEAH!

  94. 94.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    @TenguPhule: There’s a difference between specific field offices, of which NY is one of the long standing problem children – the other being Boston with the Irish mob, and main FBI in DC. In this case, the entire thing was done by the section that does the background investigations, which is actually in HR.

  95. 95.

    germy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    @Leto:

    I doubt Trumpov will try to connect the two at a rally, or other rambling speech type thing,

    I made that comment because I remember seeing a clip of a tRump rally where he claimed the Chinese were trying to interfere in the midterms, on the side of the Democrats. I don’t have a link; I saw the clip somewhere on twitter.

  96. 96.

    J R in WV

    October 4, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    I kicked in $100 to Sen from ND. Well done, Senator!!

    No reason for Manchin not to support his fellow Democratic Senators in this issue. The Republicans will continue to lie about him 24/7 until election day is past. The commercials are unbelievable, and I don’t like Manchin personally, but I will vote for him if he votes down Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Otherwise I will consider not voting in the Senatorial race, no way I will ever vote for Morrisey for anything, not smart enough to be dog-catcher, plus EVIL in every way.

    I think Manchin is good for re-election this year.

  97. 97.

    Mary G

    October 4, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    I donated to her in 2012, even though I didn’t think she would win, because her commercials with her siblings complaining about stuff like getting out of laundry duty were so very good, and I watched the ND Secretary of State’s webside obsessively on Election Night, both marveling that the whole state had a tenth of the number of voters than my county, and that she actually had a chance to win.

    This cycle I didn’t include her in my donations at first, because she seemed a bit too cozy with Republicans and voted with them on a bill I thought was important. Then a couple of months ago I added her to my $5/month list, because her opponent is a nightmare. Just tweeted to her thanking her for affirming my faith in her and donated an extra $25 I don’t have. Running a balance on a credit card is anathema to me, but this election is so important I feel I have to.

  98. 98.

    delk

    October 4, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    Donated.

  99. 99.

    germy

    October 4, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    @Emma:

    Oh YEAH!

    In the article, their effort was compared to amateur astronomers who help in their small towns gather info for the scientists.

    It’s a fascinating thing, and I wonder if anything will come of it. I assume they’ll uncover all sorts of… things… with their digging.

  100. 100.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    which is actually in HR.

    I’ve worked with HR before. That’s not as comforting as you probably meant it to be.

  101. 101.

    hueyplong

    October 4, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    I donated as well. Difficult to argue with the logic that everyone doing so immediately sends a message worth more than the amount donated.

    [Prior to Trump’s election, if you had told me I’d ever give any amount to a politician in another state, I would have laughed myself unconscious. Sort of a blackout laugh.]

  102. 102.

    Elie

    October 4, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    I just made a contribution to her campaign…

  103. 103.

    Leto

    October 4, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: @Emma: Agreed; very hearty laugh had here. Hope that kid did well :)

    @randy khan: Agreed, definitely going to be interesting. I’m also wondering what our response (military/DoD) will be. Fun times ahead!

  104. 104.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    @jacy: A lot of what McConnell is doing is based on his assessment that Flake will fold because Flake always folds. And if Flake folds then Murkowski, despite it putting her crosswise with the Native Alaskans whose support allowed her to keep her seat, and Collins will fall into line.

    The question is how much abuse is Flake willing to absorb from McConnell? Has he finally reached the point where he’s had enough or does he have an infinite capacity for being humiliated. He wasn’t part of Grassley’s presser, which was, itself, nuts. Grassley was completely out of control.

  105. 105.

    TenguPhule

    October 4, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    or does he have an infinite capacity for being humiliated.

    Why is this even a question?

  106. 106.

    hueyplong

    October 4, 2018 at 3:43 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Wasn’t Flake’s picture embedded in the John Cole post below?

  107. 107.

    Leto

    October 4, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    @germy: No, I remember this too! I remember hearing it on the news and my face screwed up like, wtf is he trying to do now? It’s part of his punish the Chinese strategy but it’s also ludicrous. It’s projection combined with trying to mess with China.

  108. 108.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    @TenguPhule: It wasn’t meant to be comforting, that’s where this investigative section is located on the FBI org chart. That was my only point.

  109. 109.

    J R in WV

    October 4, 2018 at 3:50 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    One student picked The Church of Latter Day Saints. In his report he wrote the following sentence: “Young Mormon men spend up to a year abroad in the missionary position. Young Mormon women spend up to a year at home in the US in the same position.” I still have a copy of the paper.

    Technically, that would be two sentences, actually, also, two too. ;-)

  110. 110.

    Adam L Silverman

    October 4, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    @hueyplong: Huh?

  111. 111.

    KBS

    October 4, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    Thanks for putting up the donation link. I tried to call her office to let them know that I donated because of her stand, but naturally, the line was busy. But kicking in a few bucks felt like the least I could do.

  112. 112.

    hueyplong

    October 4, 2018 at 3:59 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: The Cole thread below (The Gimp), not the one above with Cornyn and some fellow klavern members not named Flake.

    [Didn’t know there was a new Cole Surrender Monkey thread when I posted #101]

  113. 113.

    mali muso

    October 4, 2018 at 4:04 pm

    Clicked, donated. Even if it’s only $20, it adds to the whole and helps make the statement that doing the right thing counts with us little people.

  114. 114.

    Gravenstone

    October 4, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    @J R in WV:

    No reason for Manchin not to support his fellow Democratic Senators in this issue.

    It might not hurt for someone to mention to Manchin that Heitkamp’s servers are being overwhelmed by people wanting to donate after her announcement. A bit of positive reinforcement, backed by base greed will do wonders for his position.

  115. 115.

    RedDirtGirl

    October 4, 2018 at 4:09 pm

    I chipped in a little dosh.

  116. 116.

    Anonymous At Work

    October 4, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Heitkamp’s inclusion of Native Americans has another reason too. Domestic abuse and sexual assault are problem areas, and the recent influx of oil workers to ND and overcrowded towns probably don’t help. Subtle but powerful message.

  117. 117.

    Elie

    October 4, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    I haven’t given up but I cried this morning. I’m still aching inside, but we have an election coming up and there is work to do.

  118. 118.

    H.E.Wolf

    October 4, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    Faxed Sen. Heitkamp’s D.C. office this morning, urging her to vote no. Just phoned her local office in Minot, ND, and sent my thanks for her decision, via the staffer who answered the phone.

    Tomorrow I’ll get in touch with Sen. Manchin’s office(s) and ask him to match Sen. Heitkamp’s courage with a “no” vote of his own.

  119. 119.

    H.E.Wolf

    October 4, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    @Elie:
    Today I matched my 5000th volunteer for the Democrats in our beautiful shared state. Dedicating that milestone to you, and wishing you strength and fortitude.

  120. 120.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    October 4, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    Donated to Senator Heitcamp — she should be rewarded for her impressive statement AND her highlighting of Kavanaugh’s “performance” during the hearing. I hope her statement is able to connect with the Native Americans in North Dakota — my conclusion from reading Kavanaugh’s words on tribes is that 1) he thinks they just fake it to get federal recognition, 2) he believes the recognition the feds give can be taken away, 3) he has a very narrow definition of a Native Tribe — as in, they must have a reservation.

    Also, was at the rally today — I don’t know the numbers and left before the arrests, but it was energizing and impressive. May not help, but I feel better.

  121. 121.

    SFAW

    October 4, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    Just got done donating to Senator Heitkamp, thanks for posting the link

    Also tried getting through to Collins’s offices in Maine — Portland, Biddeford, Lewiston — all were busy. Tried a couple of hours ago, also without success. Not that the message will get passed along, but my comment(s) will focus on whether she wants her legacy to be that she put party before Country by voting to confirm someone clearly unfit for the job. [Based on his temperament and lying to her colleagues (and others) during his hearing (and elsewhere).] I have no idea if “please do your patriotic duty” is a message that will play well with her, but gotta try.

    ETA: Hey! Edit is back!! Thanks Alain! And why am I always the last to know?

  122. 122.

    WaterGirl

    October 4, 2018 at 8:01 pm

    I just donated $50 to Heidi H. even though I know nothing of her views on anything else.

    I have been so angry and discouraged all day — thank you, Heidi — a principled stand matters. You spelled out your position early so it gives all the cowards time to think.

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