Drivers can be so ‘funny,’ sometimes. I know you have seen it. A car in front of you accelerates away from the stop light with the brake lights on. Or rides for miles down the highway with the brake lights on. 99 times out of 100 it isn’t a brake lights malfunction, it is the driver keeping a foot on the brake while driving.
Brake parts are expensive, wear and tear on engines is expensive, fuel is expensive, exhaust from internal combustion engines is environmentally problematic. You know. And you know the kind of lousy driving ‘habits’ and practices so many drivers employ.
More below.
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So, why think of them tonight, BeninSC?
It’s because of a political advocacy ‘situation’ I have written about a number of times in Top Comments.
As a political activist getting along in years, I pay attention to issues with significant geriatric impact. The AARP, led by a fellow named Fred Griesbach, sends voluminous emails to AARP members about such ‘advocacy.’ But, like drivers who can’t seem to remove their foots from the brakes while going forward, the AARP totally guts and undermines its supposed advocacy by endless lies of omission.
This is a link to an AARP page ‘informing’ members about the votes of their Senators on the ‘skinny repeal’ bill back in July.
And here is a partial screenshot from that page. What strikes you about it?
Right. The page posts the names of Senators, and NOT their party affiliations. Their mailings on that vote (and that tally page) made absolutely ZERO mention of party affiliation, down to and including beside the names of the Senators in the tally. True, three important Republican votes were critical in scuttling that atrocious bill. But one of the most important FACTS any TRUE political advocate MUST provide is that Democratic Senators were UNANIMOUS in voting against the bill. That the consistent, ever present advocates for us are ALWAYS Democrats. Unanimously Democrats. And with few and rare exceptions (that bill was one such exception, granted), exclusively Democrats.
Finally, look at the wording atop the screenshot I provided.
This was an important vote – we need to make sure that everyone who voted on it knows that AARP advocates like you are monitoring their choices.
In some mailings (though NOT in the passage, above), there is mention of ‘holding’ our elected officials ‘responsible’ for their votes on these 45 era bills. But the only time we can really hold them accountable is during election season. And it is precisely then that the AARP goes most conspicuously silent. As if they hope that the possibility of our ‘monitoring’ things in non-election times will intimidate these conscienceless Republicans into pro-constituent votes, when it never does.
That’s because organizations like AARP keep their feet on the brakes with their LIES of omission. For refusing to hold elected officials from THAT party accountable for their endless series of votes against the elderly, and, in fact, against the majority of ALL US citizens.
In full disclosure, yes, I have made these arguments quite a few times in emails and telephone calls with that organization. It is clear to me that their investment in partisanship (It is NOT NON-partisanship, because it protects and provides informational ‘cover’ to only one party!!) is much greater than their interest in effective advocacy will ever be. They want it to appear as if they are committed advocates, when in fact, they are not.
ALL Republican representatives KNOW that they’re not serious. Not to be taken seriously. They have literally no fear of ‘advocacy’ initiatives of such groups, because they know there will be no accountability. They know there will be no ‘price to pay’ on election day.
That’s why WE have to do the fighting. And tell the truths so many others decline to tell.
On to tonight’s comments, formatted by Top Comments’ own brillig!
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From Wee Mama:
In the cityduck diary F*U*C*K the Antifa/Anarchist/Black Bloc, MB offers measured advice on defensive versus offensive responses, and the risk of following agents provocateur.
From edrie:
About those "christians" like joel osteen who locked the doors of his megamillions church during harvey, heiderose had the best explanation of all those christians who put words before actions (i.e. pray instead of acting)
TOP MOJO
Top Mojo for yesterday, August 27th 2017, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
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