From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Energize An Ally Tuesday
The California primaries are over, and now C&J can say it: we want Democrat Andrew Janz to knock American traitor Devin Nunes---Putin’s #2 puppet in Congress after Dana Rohrbacher---into the middle of Ex-Congressman Land November 6th. It would be sweet justice for the Republican to go down to defeat at the hands of a steely-eyed prosecutor:
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Janz is dedicated to saving and expanding the Affordable Care Act, neutering Citizens United, protecting DREAMERS and treating immigrants humanely, treating climate change as, y’know, a thing, and taking progressive action on a whole host of other issues you can read about here.
Granted, his main focus will be on local issues in his district (CA-22), like aquifers and storage systems in the Valley. But Janz will also give Nunes plenty of hell over his single-minded dedication to putting party over country, by which I mean the All-Russia People’s Front party over America.
The CA-22 race has already been downgraded by Larry Sabato’s operation, showing weakness in Comrade Nunes’ defenses. So now is the time to help rev up Janz’s campaign. If you can toss a few bucks into his campaign hat, the donation link is here.
Follow Andrew Janz on Twitter here, on Instagram here, and on evil Facebook here. A Janz victory on November 6 would be particularly sweet. Or in Devin Nunes’ preferred tongue: “milaya.”
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold...[Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Note: Look, I have no problem lathering and rinsing, but I draw the line at repeating.
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By the Numbers:
Weeks 'til the midterm elections: 21
Days 'til the Anchorage PrideFest Parade: 4
Percent slower that tropical cyclones are moving now than they were in the 1940s, according to the National Hurricane Center: 10%
Percent slower Atlantic storms become now when they hit landfall: 20%
Gallons of surplus milk dumped by U.S. farmers last year: 100 million
Percent of all American deaths in 2016 attributed to opioids, according to JAMA: 1.5%
Current voter preference for Tony Evers (D) and incumbent Scott Walker in the Wisconsin governor’s race, according to PPP: 49%, 45%
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NEW Tuesday Feature: “I Love New Orleans!”
Brought to you by the 2018 Netroots Nation Convention in New Orleans, August 2-4. No doubt the French Quarter will be a popular destination for Netroots-goers. But just what the heck is it? Sacre bleu! I need answers!!!
The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carré ("Old Square") or Vieux Carré Historic District, is the oldest section of the City of New Orleans.
Founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, New Orleans developed around the Vieux Carré, the city's central square. Today, the district is commonly known as the French Quarter, or simply "the Quarter," a reflection of the diminished French influence after the Louisiana Purchase.
Most extant historical buildings were constructed in the late 1700s, during a period of Spanish rule, or during the early 1800s, after U.S. annexation and statehood. The district is a National Historic Landmark, and numerous contributing buildings have received separate designations of significance.
To this day I’m surprised that the Bush II administration didn’t force the city to rename it the Freedom Quarter during the Iraq War. Talk about missing an easy layup.
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Hello…
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CHEERS to primary day! Yes, folks, it’s another round of elections to decide which Ds will run against which Rs on November 6. Five states to watch today:
Maine: Seven candidates are vying to be the next Democratic governor (replacing teabagger Paul LePage, who brought our state to a standstill for eight years and made us the laughingstock of the republic). Four Republicans are running. Ranked choice voting---our grand new experiment in majority rule---will come into play, and since no Dem will hit 50 percent, it could be a real jostling match. (Ooh…suspense!) There’s also a primary to pick the Democrat who will face the most spineless congressman in Washington these days: District 2 Representative Bruce Poliquin, who was so scared to talk about his vote repealing Obamacare that he once avoided the press by ducking into the ladies bathroom.
South Carolina: Yes, folks, the day has come when Republicans consider Mark Sanford to be too much of a Marxist libturd for them, so the infamous hiker of the Appalachian Trail (snicker snicker) may go down in defeat tonight after two terms.
Virginia: Republicans will pick a candidate to lose in a landslide to Senator Tim Kaine. And watch for women to win their nominations in the 7th and 10th districts, where GOPers Barbara Comstock and Dave Brat could be sent packing in November.
Nevada: Democrats will pick their challenger to Senator Dean Heller, who spends most of his time these days begging for jobs on K Street in anticipation of his imminent defeat in increasingly-blue Nevada, which is, of course, properly pronounced “NAY-vay-DAY.” Also: six Democrats and seven Republicans are clawing each other’s eyes out for the chance to sleep under high-thread-count sheets in the governor’s casino. (I just assume it’s a casino.)
North Dakota: A dozen candidates are vying to be crowned King and Queen Fracking Well 2018. Go, Gary and Gladys!!!
Stick close to the Great Orange Satan tonight as the Daily Kos Elections Team brings you all the results, along with complementary Chex Mix and gin and tonics. (A $150 gratuity will be added to parties of one or more.)
P.S. There are also a couple special elections (one for state Senate, one for state House) in Wisconsin today. In the 42nd District House race, Republicans sent out a mailer to their gun nut list, announcing that the election is Friday. Well, shoot!
JEERS to the singabore in Singapore. Here’s the entire transcript of the Trump-Kim-Rodman summit yesterday:
“Hi.” “Hi.” “Hi.”
“Bye.” “Bye.” “Bye.”
Feel the Nobel Prizementum.
CHEERS to keeping the party going. Netroots Nation may be the Big Kahuna of progressive get-togethers, but there are plenty of more modest meetups that bust out all year long. The next meetup here in Maine is Saturday, June 30 at Mayim's cottage by the lake about an hour northwest of Portland, from roughly noon to six:
I’ll cook some, as well as have beer and assorted non-alcoholic beverages. But my life has been a whirlwind recently {a good whirlwind, but a whirlwind!}, so if people want to bring a dish to share, that's more than fine. {One request: no pork or shellfish, please.} It will help with planning if you let me know the general type of dish {appetizer, side, salad, dessert} when you RSVP, as I’ll fill in the gaps.
We have a canoe, a kayak, and plenty of rocks to swim to (and to scrape knees on....). Dogs (well-behaved) more than welcome, but Hobbs, Penn, and Scout prefer to be the only felines.
It's a gorgeous location---quintessential Maine. Michael and I (and Haley the Wonder Dog) will be there along with other local Kossacks and we hope you'll be able to join us for what has become an annual DKos summer tradition. For more info or to RSVP, email Mayim at books.cats.knitting@gmail.com. As a special bonus, we'll teach you how to skip stones across the pond and into Old Man McGillicutty's clam chowder. He turns a funny color when he's mad.
CHEERS to a Loving legacy. When civil rights pioneer Mildred Loving died ten years ago at 68 ten years ago at 68, she left behind a milestone that reached its dramatic height 51 years ago. On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled on a case called Loving v. Virginia, striking down state miscegenation laws (Virginia's had been on the parchment since the mid-1600s). Since this is LGBT pride month, it's worth revisiting the statement Loving issued on the 40th anniversary of the announcement of its ruling in her case. When she fought for equal marriage rights, she meant for everyone:
The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.
Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.
I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.
And don’t get her started on wedding cakes.
JEERS to a new era on the World Wide W….[Buffering]…[Buffering]…eb. Yesterday, at the stroke of midnight, all the net neutrality rules were officially rolled back. As of today, the ISPs can determine what sites you can load, and how fast you can l…[ Buffering]…[ Buffering]…oad them. But with support for rules guaranteeing a free and fast internet at over 80 percent, this issue is far from settled:
The net neutrality debate could keep going for years. The FCC repeal is being challenged in court by state attorneys general, consumer advocacy groups, and tech companies. Democratic lawmakers are trying to reverse the repeal in Congress, and some states are imposing their own net neutrality rules. States that do so are likely to be sued by ISPs.
"The momentum around the country---from small towns to big cities, from state houses to courthouses, from governors' executive actions to action in Congress---is proof the American people are not done fighting for an open Internet," [Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica] Rosenworcel said. "I'm proud to stand with them in that fight. We won't stop today."
That reminds me of a funny joke: what do you get when you cross FCC chairman Ajit Pai with a diseased scrotum? Of course, you get a…[Buffering]…[Buffering]…[Page no longer available]
CHEERS to not burying the lede. The Wall Street Journal is behind a paywall, but they always let you see the first couple sentences of their stories. And two sentences is all it’s gonna take for their fossil fuel-loving readers to drop their monocles in their morning scotch when they read ‘em:
Global spending on renewable energy is outpacing investment in electricity from coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants, driven by falling costs of producing wind and solar power.
More than half of the power-generating capacity added around the world in recent years has been in renewable sources such as wind and solar, according to the International Energy Agency.
Time to send out another pack of reporters to Appalachian diners so we can all find out ASAP what the Trump supporters think of all this. I’m on pins and needles produced at a Chinese factory powered by solar. Really.
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Ten years ago in C&J: June 12, 2008
CHEERS to ramping up. The Obama campaign is in full general-election mode, and one of the many smart things they're doing is hiring staff to take baseball bats to all the email sliming that's been going on:
Brooks Jackson, director of the Washington-based FactCheck.org, an independent academic organization set up in 2003 to monitor the factual accuracy of statements made in elections, said yesterday there had been false rumours on the internet about George Bush and John Kerry in the 2004 election.
"With Obama, it is particularly vicious," Jackson said. He added that one of the most persistent is that Obama, a Christian, is "some kind of Muslim Manchurian candidate, planted by Islamic fundamentalists to betray the country and it is very widespread."
Perhaps they can start by pointing out that the Manchurian candidate was a white veteran who was brainwashed in a POW camp. And then they can state the truth: if elected, John McCain's mother will show him the Queen of Hearts, upon which he'll turn into a gay Lindsay Graham-marrying abortion doctor who wants to outlaw guns, slash the military, ban creationism in science class, grow weed and mandate comprehensive sex education. Cruel, I know...but they need to hear it before it's too late!
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And just one more…
CHEERS to #41. Happy birthday to George H.W. Bush, who turns 94 today---his first without Bar. I think he'll go down in history as the last of the congenial "country club Republicans." He was no saint (pardoning the Iran-Contra misfits was unforgivable, his kids turned out to be destructive jerks who made America worse, not better, and the recent groping accusations were disappointing), but he had the sense to bring our troops home from Kuwait swiftly, he served us well during World War II, he ripped up his NRA membership card, he refused to support Donald Trump for president, and can you imagine a Republican today who would support the icky socialist Americans with Disabilities Act? (Here’s a hint: earlier this year they voted to start gutting it.) Of course, the press will never admit that he was also the originator of the "terror fist jab," but here's the SHOCKING PROOF:
So happy birthday, Poppy. In lieu of a thousand points of light, today I’m filling your driveway in Kennebunkport with a thousand heads of broccoli.
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
Staffers tape back together Cheers and Jeers Trump rips up
---CNN
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