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You are here: Home / Healthcare / WV Wingnuts Rush to the Bottom

WV Wingnuts Rush to the Bottom

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It was not done in the “regular” session. They called a special session ostensibly to deal with taxes a couple weeks back, debated abortion the entire time, couldn’t get anything agreed upon, so called another one today and did this:

The West Virginia legislature on Tuesday passed a bill to prohibit nearly all abortions, making it the second state to pass a new ban since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in June.

The State Senate passed the bill 22 to 7, after a brief debate Tuesday afternoon. The State House concurred and passed the bill with a 78 to 17 vote. The ban will take effect 90 days after passage.

West Virginia Republicans moved forward with the strict ban despite signs in other parts of the country that many American voters do not support the Supreme Court’s ruling and largely oppose the harshest restrictions on abortion. A similar effort to pass a near-total abortion ban in South Carolina fizzled out last week and voters resoundingly rejected a ballot measure in Kansas that would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution.

WV already has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, as well as is one of the unhealthiest states in the country, which should probably get worse when all the OB/GYN’s leave because who wants to deal with this bullshit?

In other news, a the closeted Trumpist popinjay from South Carolina brought this into the public forum:

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina introduced legislation on Tuesday that would institute a federal ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, reigniting debate on an issue that Republicans have worked to confront before midterm elections in which abortion rights have become a potent issue.

There is no chance that Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, would allow such a bill to receive a vote in the Senate, where his party has been focused on preserving abortion access after the Supreme Court’s ruling in June ending the constitutional right to abortion.

And the proposal quickly divided Republicans, splitting their leaders and reflecting the difficult politics of abortion for the party in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, who has previously said his party was unlikely to pursue an abortion ban, told reporters on Tuesday that he thought the issue should be left up to the states and that most members of his conference agreed. When pressed on the details of Mr. Graham’s bill, Mr. McConnell sought to distance himself, saying, “You’ll have to ask him about it.”

Let’s all take a moment to mourn the untimely death Republican reverance states rights.

At any rate, this has been the plan all along, and as I noted on the twitter machine, the funeral dirge for the death of this nation will be “Republicans Would Never Do That” sung by the Centrist Independent I Don’t Pay Attention to Politics Choir of America, musical accompaniment provided by the Chuck Todd Sunday Morning Band featuring the NYT Editorial Board.

In some good news, purse-lipped panty sniffing concern troll Ken Starr died, so the day was not a total loss.

Reader Interactions

155Comments

  3. 3.

    Sister Golden Bear

    Meanwhile in California, Gov. Newsom launched a new website on Tuesday with information about abortion access and reproductive health in the state.

    Make no mistake–Lindsey Graham’s new national ban on abortion is about controlling women. That’s their agenda.

    CA’s fighting back.

    Today, we’re launching a NEW website to provide resources for women to get reproductive care — no matter where they live. pic.twitter.com/O7scuoJ32N
    — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 13, 2022

    http://abortion.ca.gov

  5. 5.

    Baud

    West Virginia lawmakers are working to ban abortion in our state, dragging us back to the 19th century,” said Margaret Chapman Pomponio, executive director of WV Free, the state’s largest abortion rights advocacy organization. “They’re plowing ahead, despite recent polls showing that nearly half of West Virginians identify as pro-choice, and a strong majority oppose this draconian legislation.”

    I bet those numbers increase.

  7. 7.

    Urza

    @Baud: Only matters if those that oppose it actually vote against the politicians pushing it.  I don’t see it happening since they hate socialism more (most likely).

  8. 8.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud:   Joe Manchin is thinking “Damn.  Maybe I can go for another term.”

    I hope we see a lot of (good!) reshuffling as a result of Dobbs, and TFG’s assault on the courts and government.  Can no longer hide that.

    Except from the Chuck Todds of the world.  And it’s possible he gets a big salary to remain that obtuse.

  10. 10.

    Tony G

    @Baud: This is why Republicans throughout the country are trying their best to suppress voting and, they hope, allow unrepresentative state legislatures to override votes that are cast.

  14. 14.

    Splitting Image

    Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, who has previously said his party was unlikely to pursue an abortion ban, told reporters on Tuesday that he thought the issue should be left up to the states and that most members of his conference agreed.

    In other words, polling is suggesting they may not win either house and making an issue out of abortion isn’t looking like a winner this year.

    They’ll do the ban in January if they win. No need to talk about it now.

  15. 15.

    SpaceUnit

    At first glance I thought Graham was proposing his abortion ban bill in order to give some Republicans a chance to vote against it.

    I gave that dixie shitbird too much credit.

  17. 17.

    Baud

    @Splitting Image:

    I don’t know when it will ever not be an issue.  The only thing stopping them from a total nationwide ban is their need to control both houses of Congress and the White House.  They can’t hide behind the Supreme Court anymore.

  18. 18.

    Old School

    This was from the NYT this weekend (via Atrios):

    And in Texas, oncologists say they now wait for pregnant women with cancer to get sicker before they treat them, because the standard of care would be to abort the fetus rather than allow treatments that damage it, but a state law allows abortion only “at risk of death.” Some hospitals have established committees to evaluate whether a pregnancy complication is severe enough to justify an abortion.

  19. 19.

    Chief Oshkosh

    I do not understand why Schumer doesn’t allow Lindsey’s bill to come up for a vote. Make them own it.

  21. 21.

    Brent

    So I am not sure I totally get the politics here.  Why wouldn’t Schumer want to this to go up for a vote and put Republicans on the records voting for a National ban?  It’s not like there is any chance such a bill would pass.

  24. 24.

    Baud

    @Brent:

    Besides the floor time issue, it’s easy for a GOP Senator to vote against this on the grounds that it isn’t draconian enough.

  25. 25.

    Brent

    @Baud: I mean, sure.  But having Republicans on the record on this is also pretty valuable.  What else is a priority at this stage?

  26. 26.

    J R in WV

    John, Thanks for the wrap up of the bad news. I think it would be wise if ALL the doctors did a strike for medical freedom immediately. I say this as an old white guy with an appointment for a Cat Scan next week. But if no one could see a doctor, be admitted to a hospital, for at least a few days it might, maybe wake up some people with regard to the crazy in the legislature.

    And also thanks for the use of the old but great term popinjay for Sen. Graham, who I described in an earlier thread as needing to roll in a puddle of despicable every morning after his shower. Perfect for him!

  27. 27.

    Cacti

    I have to say…

    I do appreciate Lindsey dispensing with the “return the issue to the states” pretense and cutting to the chase of wanting to force minority religious views on the rest of us.

  29. 29.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Danielx: It’s Ken Starr, it’s not like a rabid possum or something equally sympathetic has died.  Ken Starr’s funeral is a funeral I approve of.

  30. 30.

    MattF

    No proof… but it’s quite possible that Joe Manchin saw this coming. And decided to preserve his own butt by supporting Biden’s legislative agenda. We shall see.

  31. 31.

    Brent

    @Baud: Sure.  But thats not an advantage for them.  They are either at odds with the anti-choice people for voting against a ban or at odds with the pro-choice people for publicly staking a more draconian position.  Right now,  they can at least pretend that they might support some moderate ground.

  32. 32.

    Baud

    I’ll say for the third time today that this is one of the dumbest political moves I’ve seen someone make. I just don’t get it.

  33. 33.

    topclimber

    Somehow the AP thought the teeny weeny detail that this ban would only allow further restrictions, rather than establish a national floor or honor states who currently have longer limits, did  not merit mention until paragraph 17.

  37. 37.

    J R in WV

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    One fact they included is that Starr died after a lengthy illness. Good!

    They also barely mentioned that his leadership at Baylor ended because the football team was allowed to run wild over the coeds, sexually wilding among them. Quite a change from his blowjob work on Bill Clinton.

    Ken Starr is dead after a long illness. Good!

  39. 39.

    Brent

    @Baud: As I suggest,  it’s probably likely that I am missing some political nuances here but whatever it is we need I am not sure why the default assumption is that this vote something we don’t want.  To extend your boxing analogy,  you don’t let up when a boxer is “on the ropes.”  Thats when you pour it on.

  40. 40.

    Cacti

    I hope that Bill and Hill are both enjoying a big glass of wine over the news of the late independent counsel.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    @Brent:

    Agreed about pouring it on, but I don’t know if a vote adds much pour. Maybe if they couple it with the Dem’s bill, which they’ve already voted on, it’ll have more oomph.

    But I could be wrong about all of that.

  43. 43.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    I’m beginning to wonder if there is a bottom they can rush to. They just keep sinking ever lower with no end in sight.

  46. 46.

    CaseyL

    It only takes 40 Senators to filibuster a vote.  The Dems would filibuster Graham’s bill, and it would never come to a vote. So there is no point to bringing the bill up for a vote.

    (If the Demos don’t filibuster, that would be a PR nightmare of epic proportions.  None of this “let them hang themselves with their own rope”:  all the MSM would report, and all that people would see, is the Dems refusing to filibuster a sweeping, draconian abortion bill.)

  49. 49.

    lamh36

    Hello BJ…are we talking healthcare?  Ok, let’s talk COVID

    I just was asked about my professional opinion on COVID precautions by a friend so I decided to share it with you:

    COVID is def here to stay. I can tell you we have seen a decline in positive cases, not nearly at the high level it was, but still out there.

    If you are older or immunocompromised def take the extra precautions or if you just want to feel safer.

    Here is my professional but if advice for the best way to to handle the new normal…

    1) vaccination…I know there are deniers, but as with the flu vaccine, doesn’t mean you won’t get the virus but you if do, symptoms are milder and less harmful

    2) always social distance if you can…I mean everywhere. Even before COVID I was never one to be standing so close to folks in I don’t know anyway, so social distancing come natural to me.

    3)wear masks if you want in mixed company or people you don’t know, especially if not in a well aerated area. The more air between ya the better

    4) Many respiratory viruses survive on surfaces for some time after leaving a host. For example: influenza A and B viruses survived for 24-48 hr on hard, nonporous surfaces such as stainless steel and plastic but survived for less than 8-12 hr on cloth, paper, and tissues. So always always wash your hands or even sanitize after touching public surfaces and stuff especially places where you can’t be sure the cleaning process are up to standard.

    5) don’t be afraid to wear masks if places wheee you don’t feel comfortable being unmasked it’s your health and your life and who wants to trust other folks to do the right then so protect yourself.

    Right now, It’s def giving me the same feeling as how the flu (which is still out there BTW) season operates. Respiratory virus season tends to be when respiratory viruses prosper…let people outdoors, more people indoors. As this point, I think this is currently where we are at with COVID, unless some really bad strain really picks up

    As some of ya’ll may recall, Microbiology literally is my life’s work…so I’m always ready and willing to give my professional opinion bout it all!

  50. 50.

    Baud

    @Martin:

    That would be my best guess too, but I can’t see that many R voters getting excited about 15 weeks with a rape and incest and life exception.

    The only reason they went with 15 weeks in the first place was to appear reasonable to the Supreme Court, but that proved unnecessary.

  53. 53.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Baud: Graham isn’t up for reelection this year, so he can get away with shit talking. Maybe there is a fellow GOP senator who polling isn’t looking good,  Graham don’t like and he is throwing the guy a weight.

    I imagine for the rest they really have no choice at their point but to double down on the Death Cult nonsense.

  58. 58.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Baud: I’m not sure that Warnock embracing the pants-free lifestyle would endear him to his constituents.

  61. 61.

    Scout211

    O/T but Cannon  a federal judge released a version of the search warrant with less redactions.
    Link

     

    A newly unsealed version of the affidavit that federal investigators used to secure a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago revealed some previously unknown details about the classified materials that former President Donald Trump gave to the Justice Department under subpoena in June.

    The less-redacted version of the previously released affidavit was unsealed Tuesday by a federal judge in Florida.

    It was previously known that Trump’s lawyers provided one envelope to investigators, which contained 38 unique documentswith classification markings, according to court filings. But the newly lifted redactions in the search warrant affidavit indicate that some of those classified files contained markings for “HCS, SI and FISA,” according to court filings made public on Tuesday.

    These classification markings indicate that the documents were connected to extremely sensitive government programs. “HCS” refers to human sources, or spies, that often work with the CIA. “SI” refers to signals intercepts that are typically handled by the National Security Agency. And “FISA” refers to domestic surveillance and wiretaps related to counterintelligence.

    These new revelations confirm for the first time that documents related to these sensitive programs were returned to the US government as part of the June subpoena. Previous court filings indicated that when Trump voluntarily returned 15 boxes of materials to the National Archives in January, they contained 184 classified documents, including some with the same HCS, SI and FISA labels, as well as other classification markings..

  69. 69.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Martin: According to the Google, Brett Favre has a net worth of $100 million and makes $7 million per year in endorsements. But he had to steal TANF funds to build a volleyball facility for his kid?

    I can only hope the well sourced story I linked to at comment 16 gets more exposure. Be a shame if anything happened to that endorsement income.

  72. 72.

    Scout211

    @Baud: Oh, who released the less redacted version? I just assumed it was Cannon.  Sorry.

    ETA:  the CNN article said “a federal judge” so I changed the comment to a federal judge rather than Cannon.

  73. 73.

    prostratedragon

    @Baud: Do you have missionaries who canvass on Sunday mornings?

    I’m reminded of the two Witness ladies who canvassed our neighborhood. They made the mistake of accosting my father one Sunday morning. While he was going out to start the car. Wearing his clerical collar. Now that was a man whose religion got challenged, and barely survived (paraphrase: What do you think this is I’m wearing?).

  75. 75.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @lamh36:  Thanks for sharing the advice but one question:

    “4) Many respiratory viruses survive on surfaces for some time after leaving a host. For example: influenza A and B viruses survived for 24-48 hr on hard, nonporous surfaces such as stainless steel and plastic but survived for less than 8-12 hr on cloth, paper, and tissues. So always always wash your hands or even sanitize after touching public surfaces and stuff especially places where you can’t be sure the cleaning process are up to standard.”

    I thought it was fairly well established that there is no evidence of significant Covid transmission via surface-contact?  That was one of the early worries that didn’t turn out to be true.  Has that changed with new variants?

  78. 78.

    GibberJack

    Republicans still revere states rights but as we see only when it involves subjugating certain groups of people. “The state should decide!” was the same strategy they used for Jim Crow and now women.

    They are all for federal rights when it can be used to make discrimination legal or to subjugate democracy. See religious “beliefs” of corporations and money as free speech.

  81. 81.

    PaulB

    I’ve never bought into the idea that we should not speak ill of the dead. That they are dead does not mitigate the harm that they did while alive, nor should we ignore that harm, particularly if they never repented or did anything to mitigate that harm, which happens to be the case for Starr.

    So yes, absolutely, point out the harm that Starr caused. The more we do this when public figures die, the more we shine the light on the harm they caused, the better, as far as I’m concerned. I’m sick and tired of whitewashing someone’s record. If you don’t want people to speak ill of you, then don’t do ill while you’re alive. It’s not complicated.

  83. 83.

    piratedan

    @Brent: never underestimate the opportunity for the MSM to frame this as “bad news for Dems/both sides” no matter what it says.

  86. 86.

    Another Scott

    @Scout211: Thanks for the pointer.

    I get very annoyed by reporting like that CNN story.

    1) Does the judge have a name?

    2) Does the court have a name?

    3) Where’s the link to the source document so that I can read it myself?

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  91. 91.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @PaulB: I don’t really think that it is aimed at public figures so much.  It is more suited as an admonition not to go to someone’s funeral and bad mouth the deceased in front of their family and friends.  In other words, have due respect for the bereaved.  What respect is due may vary.

  93. 93.

    Percysowner

    Courtesy of Bette Davis

    “You should never say bad things about the dead, only good … Joan Crawford  Ken Starr is dead. Good”

  94. 94.

    Brachiator

    @lamh36:

    Hello BJ…are we talking healthcare?  Ok, let’s talk COVID

    Thank you so much for this.

    Please remind me, where do you do your health work? I have a family member who is interested in public health and related areas.

  96. 96.

    Citizen Alan

    @Cacti:  I was actually just wondering if it would be (a) crash or (b) illegal to send the Clinton’s a bottle of champagne.

  97. 97.

    lee

    I heard someone refer to the 15 week ban as ‘unrestricted abortions for the first trimester + 3 weeks’.

    I’m sure Chuck Todd would probably refer to it that way.

  98. 98.

    J R in WV

    @lamh36: ​
     

    Thanks you, dear, for your great advice. We will be getting newest booster this week!! Mask everywhere but in a sit down restaurant, where we eat way off schedule, so not so many people around.

  101. 101.

    Brachiator

    @GibberJack:

    Republicans still revere states rights but as we see only when it involves subjugating certain groups of people. “The state should decide!” was the same strategy they used for Jim Crow and now women.

    Republicans and Jim Crow??

  103. 103.

    GibberJack

    @Brachiator: Who do you think the dixiecrats are now?

    I should say, pretty much the old confederacy. The now republicans were the old southern democrats. Same in a lot of ways.

    But you are correct, it was the dixiecrats who were all in on Jim Crow. They had switched to republican after Johnson’s CRA and Atwater’s Southern Strategy.

    The labels changed, the race politics did not.

    I do think of republicans as in a direct line with Bull Connor’s race politics . Because they are. You’ve surely noticed the modern GOP maps overlap very well with the old slave states.

  106. 106.

    J R in WV

    @lee:

    I can’t seem to find an appointment for the new vaccine.

    Local health dept has it here in WV, on a walk-in basis. Will be going there asap.

    Cousin got his at Walgreens drug, downtown Charleston, WV, made an appointment on their web site.

    I hear on B-J that CVS has it as well, but their database info is F’ed up and they don’t care about fixing it at all. I wouldn’t go there in that case if any other option worked out, but if no other option, do it.

    Hope this helps!

  108. 108.

    Dan B

    @lamh36: We do as you’ve just reiterated.  It helps that my partner had pneumonia once a year when he was a kid and every few years until I insisted he take modern allergy drugs. Me because of chemist father who was interested in human physiology and biology.  We keep wondering who told people that Covid is over.

  111. 111.

    Dan B

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: Graham’s legislation will tar most of the GOP.  They cannot state that they support women’s right to abortion or to make their own decision with their doctor so are stuck seeming okay with Graham’s federal ban.  No vote is needed.  They’re already smeared with their extremism, or at least a good whiff of the stench.

  113. 113.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Baud: Republicans on Twitter are congratulating themselves about Lindsey Graham’s political masterstroke. What they imagine is that it’s a popular compromise position and Democrats will look like insane baby-butcher extremists to oppose it. They basically have not learned.

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I wonder if that matters to anyone.  Are 49, or 149, classified documents okay, but 55 or 155 is a bridge too far?  I even looked at the document with the newly unreacted stuff in yellow, and I still don’t see anything that’s really new.

    Unless actual numbers matter, which to me they do not.

  115. 115.

    lamh36

    @UncleEbeneezer: there is so much still unknown about COVID, so in the lab we try to treat if like we would for any other respiratory virus, it’s more a safety precaution than anything else.

  116. 116.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211: I did read that and I still don’t think there’s anything particularly noteworthy in there.

    My comment at #114 was written before i saw your comment, but that shows more of my thoughts.

    I wonder why the DOJ wanted that stuff unreacted.  There must be some nuance I am missing?

  117. 117.

    Brachiator

    @GibberJack:

    Who do you think the dixiecrats are now?

    Democrats created, maintained and sanctified Jim Crow. I don’t play revisionist games with history.

    And when you get down to it, there was a time when both political parties were comfortable with Jim Crow.

    But I also note the battle within the Democratic Party, especially from 1948 to 1968, to neutralize or purge Southern racists and to clearly embrace civil rights.

     

     

  118. 118.

    Baud

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I could see the “compromise” gambit having some play if the bill preserved abortion rights for 15 weeks nationwide.  There’s no plausible way it can be considered a compromise if it allows states to be more restrictive. That’s what’s so nuts about it.

  119. 119.

    lamh36

    @Brachiator: I am a board certified Medical Technologist.  My speciality is in Clinical Microbiology.  I have worked in Clinical Lab setting (particularly Hospital medicine) for almost 20 years now.

    Research medicine is not my thing, but the nature of microbes means I do have to keep up with current research finding alot more than most.

  122. 122.

    kalakal

    @lamh36: Thank you for this. It’s how I’m operating, wasn’t planning to change soon, but it’s good to hear it from someone who knows what they’re talking about

  124. 124.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211: I hope it didn’t sound like I was being critical of you.  I desperately want there to be something new that will make it so this corrupt judge, or at least the 11th circuit, simply can not uphold her indefensible position.

  125. 125.

    Dan B

    @Baud: Yep.  Under Graham’s bill West Virginia’s ban would remain and Hershel’s wish for Georgia to ban all abortions from conception would stand if the leg and Gov passed it and signed it.

  126. 126.

    Brachiator

    OT, more or less. Film director Jean-Luc Godard, who spearheaded the revolutionary French New Wave of cinema, has died at 91. Apparently he died by means of assisted suicide.

    I did not love Godard as much as I loved Truffaut and Bergman, but I respected his influence on cinema. And I love that he and Truffaut and others blasted the stale and safe movie conventions of the late 40s and 50s. Challenged to do better, they said OK and then proceeded to revolutionize the art of cinema.

  129. 129.

    Brachiator

    @Baud:

    I could see the “compromise” gambit having some play if the bill preserved abortion rights for 15 weeks nationwide.  There’s no plausible way it can be considered a compromise if it allows states to be more restrictive. That’s what’s so nuts about it

    Republicans simply cannot be trusted here. The Supreme Court decision has encouraged an overreach that is actively hostile towards women. Conservatives believe that they have the right not only to restrict abortion, but also to interfere with women’s reproductive rights and health decisions. They are willing to sacrifice women in order to “save babies.”

    Fuck that shit.

  131. 131.

    Scout211

    @WaterGirl: Oh no, you didn’t seem to be critical of me at all.  No worries.

    You have the same questions that I do. Why release a few more lines, a few more top secret documents? Who asked the federal judge to do this? Or did the judge just decide to do it? Is this meant to force Cannon to see how egregious Trump’s crimes really were? That these documents could not possibly be Trump’s personal property or that Trump couldn’t possibly have declassified them? Who knows.

    The CNN article lists more documents and for what it’s worth, adds this at the end:

    A federal judge has previously said that this subpoena was served on June 24. The newly unredacted filing says the subpoena demanded that the Trump Organization turn over “any and all surveillance records videos images, photographs, and/or CCTV from internal cameras located on ground floor (basement)” between January 10 and June 24 of this year.

    Trump’s representatives complied with the subpoena on July 6 by giving a hard drive to FBI agents, according to the filing. It has been known that the Trump Organization handed over the surveillance footage, but the new filing adds some details about how and when they complied.

  133. 133.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Urza: ​
     

    Ken Starr died today.

    Good riddance to bad rubbish. Whatever his fate in the next world, his departure improves this one.

  135. 135.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Ron Filipkowski@RonFilipkowski. 4m

    Mike Lindell just got searched by the FBI. His phone was seized.
    There are 200 MAGA influencers with MyPillow promo codes freaking out right now.

    is this new news? I’m sure this freak left a trail

  138. 138.

    GibberJack

    @Brachiator: I agree and acknowledge both the Dem role in Jim Crow, and that both parties were at one time ok with it.

    If the civil was ever about slavery it was also most certainly not about equality with the former slaves themselves. Free, yes. Equals, no.

    FDR made a deal with the devil for southern states’ support of the New Deal. I keep that in mind whenever I hear idiots talk about chasing after Republican votes by being conciliatory toward their racism.

    As you note some dems were not ok with the racism. They won control of the party as the republican party began to actively as policy accommodate the racists.

    There is a direct link between modern republicans and the losers of the battle for the soul of the dem party, the dixiecrats, the holdout proponents of Jim Crow. That is not revisionist. The Jim Crow dems are in fact now the Republicans.

    I did not make myself clear as I guess I internally think of them as very much the same except in name and I think of them mostly interchangeably. But I was born in an apartheid country, and living as I once did for years in the old confederate south, I noticed they really were and are the same. As the dem party abandoned racism as a platform they switched parties to the GOP, ironically the party of Lincoln, then dominated and controlled it.

    It is why when you find a group of MAGAs with trump flags you will surely find a confederate flag. It’s what is under the hood of the MAGA vehicle. Or, rather, a hood is under the hood.

    Thank you for your observations and response.

  139. 139.

    Baud

    This is about other countries, not US.

    Russia has secretly funneled at least $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates in more than two dozen countries since 2014 in an attempt to shape political events beyond its borders, according to a new U.S. intelligence review.

  141. 141.

    James E Powell

    @Baud:

    I’ll say for the third time today that this is one of the dumbest political moves I’ve seen someone make. I just don’t get it.

    They are setting their voters on fire and betting that ours won’t show up. I wish I had complete confidence that it will not work.

  145. 145.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @James E Powell:  I have no respect for Lindsey Graham, but I recognize he is not stupid. He has made his calculation that this is a net plus for him. It’s the same thinking as when he declared that the GOP can’t win without Trump. That was probably correct. Let’s hope this one is a mistake.

  147. 147.

    cain

    @Baud: This is one of those “please proceeed, governor” – changing the political calculus – hopefully it wakes the people up and we can start changing the state governments everywhere.

    That said, a lot of girls and women are going to be harmed by this act – and we’ll need to find ways for them to get the fuck out of the state.

  149. 149.

    Geminid

    @GibberJack: Virginia Governor Mills Godwin is good example of the party realignment in the South. In 1965 Godwin was elected Governor as a Democrat, with the support of the powerful Byrd machine. In 1973 Godwin ran for Governor again, and won as a Republican. The elites that dominated state politics switched parties with him.

  150. 150.

    Central Planning

    @J R in WV:  @lee:  I got mine yesterday at CVS. No side effects this time, except for maybe a tiny fever/joint aches maybe 18 hours after the shot. One dose of tylenol took care of that

  151. 151.

    Geminid

    • @Mr. Bemused Senior:  Mitch  McConnell’s tepid response to Graham’s proposal suggests that it may not be to the party’s advantage. McConnell is more shrewd a practical politician than Graham..
  153. 153.

    Tony G

    @Urza: Yeah, they really hate socialism in West Virginia.  On average, West Virginia gets $1.88 of federal benefits for ever dollar of federal taxes paid.  Residents of my home state (The Garbage State — New Jersey) is one of the states that subsidizes those ignorant, Bible-humping, Manchin-voting, oxycontin-gobbling hillbillies in West Virginia.  (Sorry, was that a rude way to say it?)

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