Remember, this is what we’re fighting against:
HOLD ON – Clarence Thomas, someone whose wife plotted to overturn the 2020 election, just blocked a Georgia grand jury subpoena seeking testimony from Lindsey Graham related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election?
And this is just somehow ok?
Are you fucking kidding me?!?— Jo 🌻 (@JoJoFromJerz) October 24, 2022
Can we do one last push this week for candidates who can still use some help?
Winnable House Races in Purple Districts – we have winnowed the list down to 10.
Election Protection – winnowed down to the 10 who can use it the most.
Down-Ballot Races in Super Swing Districts – use customize amounts
For this one, please selected just one or two or three candidates who you want to contribute to because this thermometer seems to do a separate transaction for each person who gets a split of the donation.
After that, the best use of our money is funding boots on the ground in AZ. Crossing my fingers that we might have some angels to match this. We have already funded about 10 people for AZ.
If we want to fight for 15 – no, the other fight for 15 – to help counteract the hacks that have been added to the Supreme Court – we have to win this.
Let’s win this!
West of the Cascades
If we could somehow harness the energy people are spending getting irate at a bog-standard ex parte appellate stay order (the respondent’s brief is due Thursday), we could probably cool the planet by a couple of degrees. There are far better (and more important) things to motivate voters. Kagan, Sotomayor, or Brown Jackson would have issued the same stay if the request had been from a Circuit they’re responsible for
ETA there are many, many things to be upset at the Supreme Court, and Thomas specifically, about — this is not one of them.
WaterGirl
Down-Ballot when this post went up:
UncleEbeneezer
Omnes Omnibus
@UncleEbeneezer: Nevertheless, people will freak out.
Dangerman
Could Thomas have recused?
ETA: In my aerospace days, long, long ago, it was drilled into us to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
cain
@UncleEbeneezer: why stay it at all? What constitutional decision is the court supposed to make? This feels like tampering.
WaterGirl
Winnable Purple House Races when this post went up:
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: I thought a stay was common IF there was a good chance that something would succeed on the merits?
WaterGirl
Election Protection when this post went up:
NEVADA
Steve Sisolak (Governor)
Cisco Aguilar (SOS)
Aaron Ford (AG)
ARIZONA
Katie Hobbs (Governor)
Adrian Fontes (SOS)
Kris Maes (AG)
TEXAS
Rochelle Garza (AG)
GEORGIA
Jen Jordan (AG)
OHIO SUPREME COURT
Jennifer Brunner
Marilyn Zayas
Terri Jamison
WaterGirl
@Dangerman:
It was drilled into all of us! Now that’s just for Democrats.
Eolirin
Here’s hoping the response they give Graham is similar to the one they gave Trump.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: This isn’t a regular stay. This is “I am going to have the whole Court look and see if they want to do anything with this. Don’t do anything while we take a look.” Justices have done this and then voted against taking the case. It is a procedural thing that people should not read anything into right now.
WaterGirl
You know who’s running against Paxton for Attorney General in Texas?
Rochelle Garza (AG) – she is in the Election Protection thermometer in case anyone wants to donate to her.
Mousebumples
Had this typed up before the post went poof!
Also, if we don’t Zoom, there’s a Town Hall with Brad Pfaff on Tuesday night (though that’s 8pm central) . Monthly WisDems contributors should get access. Otherwise, you can get more info here. I know he’s on the purple House race list, and I think on Maze Dancer’s postcard page for addresses too.
https://twitter.com/WisDems/status/1584228172933255171?t=tRHweHqDz7u4YD-8mHTyFg&s=19
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: How quickly does the whole court make a decision in a case like this?
UncleEbeneezer
Matt McIrvin
@Dangerman: The current feeling among Republicans is that the ostentatious appearance of impropriety is a power move.
WaterGirl
@Mousebumples:
For the Tuesday postcard writing party, we’ll do a music post like we did on Saturday – and a ZOOM – so people can connect in any way they like.
Plenty of people on Balloon Juice zoom with video off.
UncleEbeneezer
For anyone in the Pasadena, CA area, our UDH has 550 postcards for nearby Swing District Dem House candidates that need to be written and mailed by the end of the week. You can request them here. There are pickup options in Sierra Madre and S. Pasadena and if needed they can even be delivered to your home.
mrmoshpotato
So Shithead Ted was in New York last night.
Mousebumples
@WaterGirl: sounds like a plan!
narya
@UncleEbeneezer: I have a suspicion that some part of that is people who are voting early in case someone tries to challenge their vote or voter status. Showing up now means they can sort it out, rather than doing a provisional ballot on election day. Either way, I’m very glad to see that!!
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: Usually just a few days.
Dangerman
@Matt McIrvin: Well, I have a powerful “movement” for them (could be last nights Taco Bell run).
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Maybe this could open a few eyes and impact the election, so it feels like every day matters.
zhena gogolia
OT, Leslie Jordan RIP. I loved him.
Old School
@zhena gogolia: I wouldn’t have guessed he was only 67.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: I was merely pointing out that this was not necessarily something nefarious. That doesn’t mean it is optimal.
zhena gogolia
Ugh, Jamie Raskin, WTF???
zhena gogolia
Gin & Tonic
@zhena gogolia: Gee, maybe Ukraine should have a say?
Fuck these morons.
ETA: Bravo, Kirby.
la caterina
@WaterGirl: This an “administrative” stay, so that Thomas can refer to to the full court and the GA prosecutor can respond to the stay petition,
zhena gogolia
@Gin & Tonic: Gallego didn’t sign on. But Jayapal, Omar, Saint AOC.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: Wow, every single person who signed that just took a free-fall nosedive in my estimation. I thought better of several of those people.
Fuck every single one of them. I know it helps nothing, but I am furious. I like the White House response, though.
Immanentize
@zhena gogolia: The reporting on this is intended to get Democrats’ panties in a twist. The actual letter was basically:
Which is what the Biden administration is doing. And from some of the military to military contacts on the last couple of days, may be bearing a bit of fruit?
It seems the Progressives are saying: “we support our military support for Ukraine, but let’s do all we can to stop the killing.”
I’m down with that.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic:
That feels like a slam and a shiv, both well-deserved, is that how you took that?
WaterGirl
@Immanentize: How do you possibly reason with a government that is committing genocide, that doesn’t even recognize Ukraine’s right to exist?
When that is the starting point, there no one / nothing to negotiate with on the other side.
Citizen Alan
@Dangerman: That’s why I’m so angry at the Dingbat from Florida! Short of a case involving a relative or a former client, I literally cannot conceive of a conflict more obvious than a case involving The President who nominated someone to the federal bench to sit in the district where he was domiciled when everyone knew there were going to be civil and maybe criminal actions against him when you were nominated!
zhena gogolia
@Immanentize:
Gin & Tonic
@WaterGirl: Sounds to me like a knife between the ribs.
Citizen Alan
@zhena gogolia: For the longest time, I thought Leslie Jordan and Leslie Jones were the same person which caused me all kinds of confusion.
zhena gogolia
Baud
@Immanentize:
That language isn’t in quotes, so I’m wondering if it’s journalistic spin.
Does anyone have a link to the letter itself?
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: Good. I hope it hit a vital organ.
zhena gogolia
@Baud:
Link to PDF
Haven’t read it yet.
zhena gogolia
zhena gogolia
@Citizen Alan: That sometimes happens to me too.
Heidi Mom
@WaterGirl: Same here.
Gin & Tonic
This may not be 100% verbatim.
Josie
The idea of peace negotiations with Putin brings to mind John’s example of dining on tire rims and anthrax. How are these politicians missing that? I am ashamed of all of them.
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
Thanks. The language I quoted is journalistic spin. It’s not from the letter
ETA:
It looks like “unprecedented” is the spin.
Matt McIrvin
@Citizen Alan: I recently saw a discussion of Jordan Peterson seriously confusing some people who had him mixed up with Jordan Peele.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: I don’t see very much spin there. Just the word “unprecedented.” The implied threat is still in the letter.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
@zhena gogolia:
do you have a link to the letter?
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: That was my exact thought!
“But we’re doing it anyway.”
Baud
@zhena gogolia: Yes, I searched for “unprecedented” and didn’t see it, but the rest of the langauge is there.
Gin & Tonic
Ruben Gallego gets it:
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@zhena gogolia: I’m surprised at Jayapal and Raskin, the others, not so much
Baud
@Gin & Tonic:
Yeah, the letter is mush. It’s like trying to somehow support Biden while assuaging Tulsi Gabbard. Not a good look.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Same.
ETA: Welcome back. I hadn’t seen you in a while.
...now I try to be amused
@mrmoshpotato:
I trust he’ll get a proper Philly welcome too.
zhena gogolia
@David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch: It’s a PDF, in #45.
zhena gogolia
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m only surprised at Raskin.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Baud: thanks!
I’m traveling and found a quiet moment with good internet
Mike E
@…now I try to be amused: Being Canadian, he oughta dress up like that hitchhiker bot and see how that flies in Phila. Heh.
Immanentize
@zhena gogolia: we cannot know that and like I said we actually might be getting some where.
There is a link to the letter in this article:
Linky
My question is why did they feel the need to write this now? My only thought is that maybe they have an idea that a ceasefire is coming and they wanted to claim credit for it?
Immanentize
@Baud: i see ZG got to it first(I had a work call. It is pretty anodyne from my read.
zhena gogolia
@Immanentize: I’m pretty sure a ceasefire is not coming.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
Appeasers:Signatories:Pramila Jayapal
Earl Blumenauer
Cori Bush
Chuy García
Raúl M. Grijalva
Sara Jacobs
Ro Khanna
Barbara Lee
Ilhan Omar
Ayanna Pressley
Sheila Jackson Lee
Mark Pocan
Nydia M. Velázquez
Gwen S. Moore
Yvette D. Clarke
Hank” Johnson, Jr.
Rashida Tlaib
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Jamaal Bowman
Marie Newman
Alma S. Adams
Chellie Pingree
Jamie Raskin
Bonnie Watson Coleman
Mark Takano
André Carson
Donald M. Payne
Mark DeSaulnier
I’ve never heard of some of these, but the list is mostly “justice democrats/”tankies” types and sadly they’re responding to complaints they’re getting on social media. They make a mistake in viewing Twitter as representative sample of their communities.
On the other hand they’re about to be treated like royalty by Fucker Carlson, et. al.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
@Immanentize: They’re getting a lot of heat on social media from the “justice democrats/tankies” and they mistake twitter for real life.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
On the bright side, Pramila Jayapal is about to be treated like royalty by Fucker Carlson and Fox.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
There are exactly 100 House members in the Progressive Caucus and a super majority, 70 percent, refused to sign on to such silliness.
Geminid
@Baud: I have questions about this letter and one of them is: why now?
The content of the letter seems dubious to me. Putting it out 15 days before the midterms seems even more dubious.
Gin & Tonic
Gin & Tonic
@Immanentize: I’m glad you think it is anodyne. It is going up like a lead balloon in Ukraine. Universal condemnation is the best way I can describe it.
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
Thank you for this
Baud
@Geminid:
Yes, I have the same questions.
WaterGirl
@Geminid: Total agreement on both.
SuzieC
Donated another $100 to the winnable purple house seats. That takes me to over $1000 just for the month of October so I’m going to stop now. Still have a final Vote Forward packet and our Indivisible Central Ohio group has written 10,220 letters. I am positive that none of the polls are taking into account all the thousands of letter and postcard writing campaigns going on all across the country.
Geminid
@Gin & Tonic: Tankies are receiving this letter with joy. Anti-tankie @MichaelPaulauski has a long thread reporting their reaction.
I wish Ruben Gallego’s response would get as much circuation as the letter, but it won’t. And any forceful pushback by Democratic leadership will feed into the “Dems in disarray” narrative the letter has already started.
WaterGirl
@SuzieC: Wow. Thank you for everything you have contributed.
Matt McIrvin
@Immanentize: Maybe they have an idea that a nuclear attack is coming and they want to say they did something to try to prevent it.
Another Scott
Sec. Austin has been talking to his russian counterpart.
Also, from 22 hours ago:
Talking is important, even – make that especially – when wars are going on.
Cheers,
Scott.
zhena gogolia
@Another Scott: That was just to listen to Shoigu’s false allegations.
Another Scott
Relatedly, … Phys.org:
A good read.
Cheers,
Scott.
Gin & Tonic
@Another Scott: Serhii Plokhy’s Nuclear Folly is a very good history of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the first, as far as I am aware, to rely on former Soviet archives.