** Can I just say that bleach blonde, bad built, butch body is a hard act to follow? **
I want to share a little bit about our zoom with VAAC. (Voting Access for All) If you want to learn more about VAAC, click on the targeted fundraising category under the post title, and it will bring up several posts that will tell you more about VAAC.
One of the BJ peeps at the zoom said I should include this video in every VAAC post, so here you go!
VAAC is all about voting access, but their work isn’t only about voting.
A few things that I learned at the zoom.
It’s a while different world out there if you’re poor and you’re black. I mean, I knew that was true, but holy shit, it’s different hearing about it up close.
One person at the zoom had been sentenced to 25 years – as a teen – for stealing a purse from a white woman, after having gotten in some mild trouble before that. To go through that and not come out bitter? These are special people. I have no words.
One person said that Danny was her brother – not literally, but figuratively, and she continues this work in his name, carrying his work forward. She talked about “Danny’s Law” – legislation that folks at VAAC are pushing forward.
They are also working on a law that requires that young offenders have to be provided with an education while they are incarcerated.
Toward the end of the zoom, E.B. chimed in with one final comment. (We first met E.B. at our zoom in 2022.) She said she is grateful for our support – well, okay, many of the VAAC folks who were there said that – and then she talked about how other groups support them and it’s “one and done”. Some groups donate once so they can get a tax write-off, and then they move on.
Though she didn’t say it in so many words, I was left with the impression that some other white liberal groups donate once so they can “check the box”, pat themselves on the back, and then move on. E.B. seemed moved by the fact that we came back, that we are still here, that we are their partners in every sense of the word. I was touched by that, and I know at least one of the other BJ peeps felt the same.
Putting in a plug for our fundraising.
We have $130 left on our current angel match, and then we have one more angel waiting in the wings. These are 4x matches up to $100 per person, and the match will reset as soon as we finish the current match.
We are out of angels for the time being. So now it’s just the single match from the external donor.
We are just $3,955 $1,550 away from meeting our $25,000 goal, and I’m hoping we’ll get there this weekend.
Anyway, back to the zoom, those were my takeaways, what were yours?
WaterGirl
I will say again: bleach blonde, bad built, butch body is a hard act to follow!
rockstar
In for $25, thanks WaterGirl!
SiubhanDuinne
Just donated $50.00. That was an excellent call with VAAC. I was very privileged to be part of it.
Jackie
@WaterGirl:
Is very hard to say without tongue-twisting! Try saying that three times!😂
MTG will never match that! And that pisses her off, I bet!🤭
WaterGirl
This, by the way, is the video that shows exactly who started this.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: I’m curious. What was your reaction to the comments from E.B. at the end? Similar to mine, or different? I teared up when she was speaking.
Almost Retired
It was an excellent zoom – with compelling personal stories and SiubhanDuinne’s trademark giant wine glass. EB’s “one and done” words got to me as well.
I’m also happy that they’re getting involved in legislative advocacy while the Democrats have all three branches of Michigan state government.
I’m in for another $50.
WaterGirl
@Almost Retired: I don’t think Subaru Diane had a wine glass in this zoom.
But I loved the GIANT spoon that E.B. was eating her ice cream with before the zoom actually started. It’s an optical illusion, of course, just like SD’s “giant” wine glass.
Subaru, care to take a position on that?
WaterGirl
@Almost Retired: Okay, your $50 finished off the first of the two angel matches.
Let the next angel match begin!
same as before, up to $100 matched if in the comments or an email message to me.
Jackie
@WaterGirl: Our favorite Jared Moskowitz has produced a rap video of Crockett’s now infamous literation! Scroll to the end for the video!
https://www.rawstory.com/jasmine-crockett-mtg/
TaMara
@WaterGirl: I really want a t-shirt now.
WaterGirl
@Jackie: I started to link directly to that video, but decided against it.
I don’t know how anyone can read on RawStory with all the flashing and the videos and the ads everywhere. Yikes. They won’t let you view with an ad blocker on.
WaterGirl
@TaMara: I would bet money that there is already a t-shirt like that, as of this morning.
edit, okay, so no t-shirt yet. I am shocked! I ddi find a cute “behind every bad bitch is a car seat” t-shirt, though.
And I fund this tweet.
sab
Not that anyone cares, but I am a white women whose ancestors came over soon after the Mayflower, but to Maryland and Virginia before we moved on. Others came later to Connecticut. Then later to Ontario and Quebec.
New to my family, we are now multiracial. The British WASPs have married Irish Catholics, Chinese Communists and Chinese Confuscianists, and African Americans from all over the South and the Caribbean.
I am a very casual about my European ancestry, but the not White ancestry scares me every day. Will this kid be safe going out into the world today?
I have thought a lot about racial issues my whole life, but it only gets really really real when you have a child or grandchild involved. Something every black parent has known for 400 years, that I am only now getting a visceral feel for.
rikyrah
You all are awesome.
Torrey
In addition to what others have noted, Rob said that he really enjoyed canvassing. They get those who are non-voters to take an interest by pointing out the importance of local elections. Often people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system will be more interested in voting if they can vote out the police chief who is more interested in racking up the numbers than doing justice or the unjust judge. One problem they observed is that it is recommended but not required to have a parent present when a juvenile is being questioned. I believe this is something they are working on. Bonnie’s son was impacted by this.
A couple of impactful statements. Booker T. Walker remarked that “those closest to the problem are closest to the solution.” And Charles Thomas pointed out that one way of getting reluctant voters to vote is to remind them that the value of the vote is measured by the fact that they were never intended to have the vote at all. They also work with high schoolers, since in Michigan people can register to vote at age 16–they have to wait until they are legally of age to do the actual voting, but getting the registration done is a step forward. Also the research shows that if you can get people to vote in their first two elections as a young person, they are more likely to become voters for life. (I’m not sure what the cause/effect relationship is there). Rob noted that the low income community needs to have a voice, regardless of the demographics of that community.
It was an amazing meeting, and I’m glad I was able to attend the Zoom. Thank you, WaterGirl, for setting that up.
smith
And of course, the Preacher of the House had some sniffy comments:
Trying to remember what he said when Empty G put up a poster of Hunter Biden’s penis…
rikyrah
Chris Swart (@BwanaChris) posted at 8:11 AM on Fri, May 17, 2024:
The intricacies of this insurrection were orchestrated to buy time for Justice Alito’s intervention. How delightfully Machiavellian. The audacity and ineptitude interwoven in this plot is nothing short of a tragicomic marvel.
Sidney Powell’s latest revelations serve as the punchline to this ludicrous coup attempt. The strategy was to delay the certification, to obstruct the democratic machinery just long enough for a Supreme Court justice to intervene. Yet, their plan failed to anticipate one crucial variable: Nancy Pelosi’s indefatigable resolve.
It’s almost endearing, really, how they believed all contingencies were covered, only to be blindsided by the Speaker of the House, who refused to let democracy be hijacked. @SpeakerPelosi reconvening Congress that very day was an act of defiance, a stark rebuke to the insurrectionists who fancied themselves puppeteers.
In their deluded minds, the scenario was meticulously planned, the players strategically positioned, and the legal cavalry poised to charge in. Yet, like an ineptly written farce, reality proved far less strategic and far more chaotic, with would-be tyrants outsmarted by the very system they sought to subvert.
Powell’s revelations expose not just a plot but a profound miscalculation of their adversaries. They presumed they could circumvent constitutional safeguards with brute force and legal manipulations, but were ultimately thwarted by the resolute will of democratic institutions and their unwavering leaders.
It is a sobering illustration of the lengths to which these individuals were prepared to go, juxtaposed with the steadfast resilience of those who opposed them. Powell’s interview adds a new layer to this sordid narrative, revealing the hubris and folly that characterized the masterminds of this insurrection.
(https://x.com/BwanaChris/status/1791456548968927686?t=hm-gOtJ-0Gh_W1oHwHp91w&s=03)
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Oh, I absoLUTEly had the giant wine glass! (And yes, the giantness is an optical illusion. That’s my story and I’m committed to it.)
As for E.B.’s closing comment, my reaction was much like yours. It was very moving, and made me proud to be associated with the BJ fundraising initiatives you have identified and managed over the last several election cycles.
WaterGirl
@Torrey:
Thanks for mentioning that! I thought that was so interesting, and I made a mental note to include that in the post.
You can see how effective my mental note was! :-)
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: I wonder if it didn’t look quite as giant to me because you were on a computer or a tablet and not a phone?
Brooklyn Dodger
In for $50. Happy Friday all!
Dean g fitzgerald
@WaterGirl: Just donated $10 to VAAC.
Dean
WaterGirl
@smith: I want to call him a prissy little bit, and an arrogant prick, but I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be politically correct.
thruppence
Usually work nights, so I missed the Zoom, but I’m in for another $50
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: I feel sick to my stomach after reading that.
We came so close to losing it all.
WaterGirl
@Brooklyn Dodger: @Dean g fitzgerald: Thank you both!
WaterGirl
@thruppence: Thank you!
What time do you start work?
BenInNM
In for $25
WaterGirl
@BenInNM: Thanks, Ben!
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
Makes the upside down flag at Alito’s make all the more sense.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Probably. I think bringing anything close to the phone camera (even my index finger when I touch the screen to mute or unmute my mic, or put a comment in chat — let alone drinking from a wine glass) wildly distorts and embiggens things. But I was using the desktop monitor Wednesday night. BECAUSE I FINALLY OWN A DESKTOP COMPUTER!!!
Ukai
Just chipped in $50.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: Corruption in the House, corruption in the Senate, corruption in the Supreme Court.
It’s sickening. And scary. We have to fight like hell for everything in November.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: I am excited for you that you have the computer now.
WaterGirl
@Ukai: Thank you!
WaterGirl
It costs about $25 an hour for the folks who are out there canvassing and connecting with people in jails, etc. Without those funds, those peeps would have to be getting other jobs that would interfere with the time they dedicate to VAAC.
With a commitment of $25,000 – that’s essentially 1,000 hours of people time doing all this work within the communities.
We are making a difference. I know we are!
TBone
@rikyrah: holee shit. I wonder if there is any hard evidence linking the Supremacists Court traitors to the coup plot (oops, besides Ginni Thomas texts with Mark Meadows). Seems like the biggest news of this century, if so…
ETA The Kraken is not to be trusted with anything as important as the truth.
Mercy
I have just chipped in $25.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Me too! Although the learning curve is more like a climbing wall challenge.
WaterGirl
@Mercy: Thank you!
I’m a little concerned that we aren’t going to be able to hit the $25,000 in the time that we have, so everything helps!
EighthCousin
Just added another $100.
I “attended” the zoom–silently–but listening to everyone was inspiring! Happy to support such a worthwhile project!
smith
Another $100 from me as well.
WaterGirl
@EighthCousin: Glad you were able to make the zoom! In the end, I thought we had a good turnout on both sides, VAAC and BJ.
Inspiring to see people who love canvassing, love getting out there and talking to people. You will never see my picture in the dictionary next to “loves canvassing”! I’ve done it, but I sure don’t love it! :-)
WaterGirl
@smith: Thanks so much!
The Pale Scot
I threw in 50, Break the chains of Babylon man.
SuzieC
In for another $25.00.
The Pale Scot
@WaterGirl:
I would have thrown in “Golem Faced” in the traditional Hebrew sense of the word
pat
In for another $100.
Chief Oshkosh
@rikyrah: Nothing that came out of Powell’s piehole makes sense with regards to the 12th Amendment. For any of her word salad to make sense, Alito would have had to argue that every presidential election since 1804 was unconstitutional.
Of course, I’m sure Alito would have happily done that, and at least a few of his fellow travelers would have nodded sagely.
scribbler
Just donated $50.
smith
I don’t know if ths was covered here before, but it’s new to me: Those bibles that the Defendant was selling, the ones include the Constitution as Jesus commanded, omit the amendments abolishing slavery and enfranchising women. When they tell you who they are, believe them…
WaterGirl
@The Pale Scot: Indeed!
Thank you.
WaterGirl
@SuzieC: @pat: @scribbler:
Thank you all!
WaterGirl
@smith:
Wow. They really want to roll back the clock.
KrackenJack
@TBone:
Well, I can’t argue with that…
Imprison the Kracken!
ETA: No. The other one.
la caterina
Thanks for the post, WG. Dang- gotta show that we are not “one and done.” Just put in $200. I hope that gets us over the top with the angel match.
smith
@WaterGirl: Originalism run amok. I’m surprised they didn’t just stop with the 2nd.
Spanish Moss
Donated.
TBone
Paul Pelosi assailant DePape sentenced to THIRTY YEARS. Good! 😊
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/politics/paul-pelosi-attacker-david-depape-sentenced/index.html
Madeleine
I just added $75.
buddhacat
I put in 100, hope it works for the matching donation.
pika
In for $100. Thank you so much everyone!
sab
@TBone: Very good. Too bad murder in Texas gets less, but that is just Texas, and Palosi lives in CA, still subject to rule of law.
I am actually horrified about Texas, but nothing south of the Mason Dixon line fails to horrify me.
TBone
@sab: Paxton and Abbott need the comeuppance they are spoiling for. A good, hard comeuppance with rusty farm implements or the ravages of untreated syphilis. Or both.
VFX Lurker
In for $100.
Thank you for organizing this, WaterGirl. You rock.
eponymous
In for $100.
WaterGirl
@smith: I believe their motto is:
lowtechcyclist
@sab:
Just a reminder that the Mason-Dixon line is the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania.
H.E.Wolf
Thank you to WaterGirl and all the other Zoom attendees who shared their impressions of the event with VAAC. I would have loved to have been there! It’s great to hear about it afterwards; and I’m glad Balloon Juice is not “one and done” with our support of their work.
WaterGirl
All of you guys were angel matched, so your donations were 4x your donation amount up to $100 per person.
@la caterina:
@Spanish Moss:
@Madeleine:
@buddhacat:
@pika:
@VFX Lurker:
@eponymous:
Thanks, everybody!
We have just completed the second angel match!
So going forward, we have the external match that VAAC found for us, so for now, donations are 2x rather than 4x.
As we speak, I am doing the math to see how far we are from our $25,000 goal. Be right back with an update.
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: Update.
We have $18,150 in the thermometer, plus $2,000 that will be in the thermometer from our two $1k angels, plus the $2,500 check from our angel who does paper checks.
That brings us to $22,650!
So we are just $2,350 short of our $25,000 goal for VAAC!
At this point, we have just the external match that VAAC found for us, so for now, donations are 2x rather than 4x.
TBone
@lowtechcyclist: I’ll grant the exception to this smart soul C-Span caller-in from Maryland
https://crooksandliars.com/2024/05/republicans-do-nothing-interfere-c-span
She spoke briefly about Maryland politics before returning her focus to the Republican Party.
BeautifulPlumage
Just sent $100.
I really appreciate that you vet these groups and organize the fundraising and matches so each individual’s donation has more impact, WaterGirl, thank you!
And heck yeah I’m supporting folks who WANT to be canvassing
WaterGirl
@BeautifulPlumage: Thank you! And you are welcome! :-)
Just wanting to be super transparent – we are without a BJ angel at the moment, so donations of any amount are matched by the external donor.
So it’s 2x, rather than 4x (that’s when we have an external match and a BJ angel).
Miss Bianca
For some reason I am having a really hard time doing this on my phone. I will have to wait to donate till I get home. Oh, bother…
WaterGirl
@Miss Bianca: I have the VAAC donation link in the hamburger menu on phones.
Are you trying from there?
Or from the sidebar, which is way down at the bottom on a phone?
Or from the link in the sidebar under Fundraising 2023-24?
WaterGirl
Exciting news on the Balloon Juice Angel front!
Almost Retired just wrote to say he would like to be a $500 Balloon Juice Angel!
He is matching up to $50 per person. Same as usual, to count toward the match, list your donation in the comments or send me email.
So we are back to 4x matches up to $50, and of course the external match for anything above $50.
Spanky
In for $100. That was startlingly easy.
WaterGirl
@Spanky: Thank you! Our first match for Almost Retired. :-)
What was startlingly easy?
Spanky
@WaterGirl: I clicked on the link above, clicked on the PayPal button therein, and I was done.
Louise B.
In for $50.
WaterGirl
@Spanky: Ah, got it! I don’t do PayPal, but it is also super easy if you set up an account with Act Blue.
Yeah, never make it hard for someone to donate money. :-)
WaterGirl
@Louise B.: Matched, thank you!
Torrey
I want to see journalists regularly asking Alito if he was knowingly a part of the conspiracy. And I want them to use that wording to ask the question.
WaterGirl
@Torrey: Make him deny it.
WaterGirl
Update: $200 left on this Angel match, and $1,550 to reach our goal.
WaterGirl
@Torrey: Regarding the Alito (apparent) lie about kids waiting for the school bus right by the Fuck Trump sign…
I thought this was great:
WaterGirl
I am not the only one who caught Boebert doing the sign of the cross, but I did not catch that she was doing it wrong.
buggrit
$25 from the left coast.
JPL
@WaterGirl: According to an article on the Washington Post, one neighbor said the sign was up from two to five days, so short is a relative term.. Also his wife stopped at the house and spoke to a daughter that does not live there. I don’t think it went well.
So now Alito is saying they called my wife a
cuntand I guess she cried cuz it what she does.note from WG: that is a forbidden word on Balloon Juice.
Another Scott
+$100 and a bit more.
Thanks everyone.
Forward!!
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@JPL: You have a stray “h” at the end of your email address, so you’ll want to fix that before you post your next comment. I fixed it on this one
Also, the c-word is a forbidden word on BJ.
JPL
@WaterGirl: We actually don’t know anyone used that word except Alito because he keeps adding to the story
not sure where the h came from..
WaterGirl
@JPL: Alito is a lying liar who lies.
JPL
@WaterGirl: Fox news is calling him restrained for not using his fist. Of course we have no idea what happened but do know most of what he said is a lie.
Baud
@JPL:
I heard antifa kidnapped Alito’s wife and demanded that he hang the flag upside down if he wanted to get her back.
JPL
@Baud: Tomorrow’s news on Fox tonight.
Baud
@JPL:
Assault would be more acceptable behavior than hanging an insurrection flag.
WaterGirl
They can play Lee Greenwood all day long, but this is America and now they seem to spit on it all day, every day. It’s beyond appalling, i have no words.
The call is definitely coming from inside the house.
WaterGirl
Just $75 left on the $500 match from Almost Retired!
PatrickG
Well, we’ll just see about THAT!
Sent you an email. Let’s match this shit!!!
Westyny
Just put in $50.
WaterGirl
@Westyny: You have been matched!
Jesse
In for $20.
StringOnAStick
Added another $25.