Right now in America we are facing a grave crisis. Trump is attempting to turn our government into his own personal mafia and the GOP is trying to bring fascism to America. The wealthy class and the Russian government are engaged in an active and deliberate effort to undermine our democratic institutions as complicit mass media attempt to create mass support for their efforts.
The GOP has become an enemy of our country, and our most important goal right now must be defending America against its enemies. There are many issues facing our country and many things we can do to make our country better, but none of them are as important as that. In fact, none of them are possible until that goal is achieved.
That’s why I have decided to vote and work for the Democratic nominee no matter who it turns out to be. The election of any Democratic candidate for President is preferable to another four years of Trump.
I believe that the current political crisis affords us a golden opportunity to elect a truly progressive President for the first time in 75 years. Trump and the GOP are losing support by the day, and I believe most Americans are willing to vote for almost anyone who opposes them. But if the Democratic party passes on that chance and nominates someone too far to the right for my taste, I will still give the nominee my support, my money, and my vote. Because the election of any Democratic candidate for President is preferable to another four years of Trump.
There are some truly terrible people who are realistic contenders for the nomination, and if any of them win I will spend the next four years opposing their terrible policies. But I know that even the worst of the Democratic field will be fundamentally better than Trump.
To decide that you will never vote for candidate A or that you will just not vote if candidate B is nominated is a decision not to oppose Trump’s re-election. The same is true of down-ballot races—deciding to withhold your vote in a congressional race if the Democratic candidate is too far left or not left enough is deciding to allow the GOP to control Congress or your state legislature. It is providing aid and comfort to America’s enemies.
Nobody in the field is far enough to the left for me. But I know that the best way to take America in the direction I want it to go is to first get rid of those who are trying to drive it off a cliff. The house is on fire. Let’s put the fire out and worry about the broken sewer lines and the cracked driveway later.
OK, that’s the end of the lecture. I’ll just close by recommending that you read Goodie’s diary about the Warren-Sanders “conflict,” and add my own opinion that the whole thing is the media’s attempt to make their supporters fight with each other and I hope they’re not suckers for it.
My friends, this is the first in a series of MANY things that will happen in this primary season that have the potential to tear us apart and let Trump win re-election. If this event made you like Sanders or Warren less because they had a spat with Warren or Sanders, I beg you to reconsider.
These kinds of disagreements happen among the best of friends.
And this kind of argument is going to happen more and more among the candidates as we get closer to just one person.
It is human nature to start to hate a competitor. In other words, it is in our very nature to start hating Warren if you love Sanders and start hating Sanders if you love Warren.
Fight against that nature. Keep reminding yourself of the great things about every single person who was on that stage last night. We need to stay united to win.
Eyes on the prize.
Now here’s some music for you, and then it’s on to the good news.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG SAYS “BLUE NO MATTER WHO” AND WILL PUT HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS
Many people have been asking why Michael Bloomberg is running for president and what he hopes to accomplish by doing so. It appears that his goal is a good one—getting Trump out of the White House. And he’s prepared to help make that happen even if he isn’t the nominee.
President Donald Trump has been raising ungodly amounts of money for his reelection campaign, but billionaire Michael Bloomberg is vowing to bleed him dry to assure he’s defeated.
Since jumping into the 2020 race in late November, the former New York mayor has elbowed his way into the conversation by pouring huge piles of cash into stunning ad buys. And he says he'll keep it up through November — even if he’s not the nominee.
Bloomberg says he will continue to pour money into the campaign no matter who eventually gets the nomination.
Mike Bloomberg will pay for the nearly 500 staffers on his presidential campaign to continue working through November to support whoever wins the 2020 Democratic nomination, even if it's not him
- The billionaire has also established a large tech operation, which will help the future nominee compete with Trump's digital prowess.
- Bloomberg has pledged to spend $15 million on efforts to drive voter turnout, and his staffers could help that push effort in key states.
VIRGINIA IS THE 38TH STATE TO RATIFY THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
The fight’s not quite over (although having a Democratic US Senate would certainly help) but the ERA, which would guarantee equal rights to women and LGBTQ people, has now been ratified by enough states to become part of the Constitution.
The Virginia Senate voted 28-12 and the House of Delegates voted 59-41 to approve the Constitutional amendment which includes a provision that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."
With Virginia's vote on Wednesday, the resolution has reached the 38-state minimum for it to be enacted in the U.S. Constitution, with Nevada and Illinois also voting to ratify the amendment since 2017.
A DOZEN GOP SENATORS MAY VOTE TO RESTRAIN TRUMP FROM GOING TO WAR WITH IRAQ
It looks like maybe the intelligence briefing on the Soleimani assassination pissed off more than Mike Lee.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s briefing to legislators last week went so badly that it may have galvanized Republican support to restrain President Trump from war with Iran, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told The Daily Beast on Tuesday.
Kaine, who will soon introduce a resolution to require Congress’ approval before any such escalation of hostilities, now believes there are as many as a dozen potential GOP votes in the Senate—far more than expected, and also far more Republicans than were willing to vote on a similar initiative to get the U.S. out of the Saudi-led war in Yemen in 2018.
MIKE LEE (R-UT) CO-SPONSORS BILL TO REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FOR IRAN WAR FUNDS
Did you ever think you’d see a Utah Republican co-sponsoring a bill by Bernie Sanders? It happened.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has agreed to co-sponsor Sen. Bernie Sanders' legislation that would freeze funding for any military action in Iran without express approval from Congress.
In a joint statement to CNN, the two senators said that while they don't agree about much, this is an issue where they have common ground.
"As United States Senators, we often disagree on many issues. But standing up for the Constitution is not about partisanship. The Founding Fathers were absolutely clear. They wanted to ensure that our country avoided needless conflict and they understood that presidential war-making would be harmful to our democracy," they said in the statement.
TEXAS’ CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONDEMN GOV. ABBOTTS BAN ON ADMITTING REFUGEES INTO STATE
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has accused Governor Greg Abbott of acting against church teaching in his decision to make Texas the first state to deny initial entry to refugees.
In a joint statement by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, which includes leaders from Texas’ 15 dioceses, the group called the decision “discouraging and disheartening.”
“While the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops respects the governor, this decision is simply misguided,” the group wrote. “It denies people who are fleeing persecution, including religious persecution, from being able to bring their gifts and talents to our state and contribute to the general common good of all Texans.”
"As Catholics, an essential aspect of our faith is to welcome the stranger and care for the alien," the statement said.
Gov. Abbott is a Catholic, and this statement by the bishops could erode Republican support in the state.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING STATES TO BLOCK ENTRY TO REFUGEES
I guess Gov. Abbott doesn’t get to make Texas officially xenophobic after all.
State and local officials cannot block refugees from being resettled in their jurisdictions, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, finding the Trump administration’s new refugee policy is likely to be “unlawful” and “does not appear to serve the overall public interest.”
U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte of Maryland temporarily halted President Trump’s executive order requiring governors and local officials nationwide to agree in writing to welcome refugees before resettlements take place in their jurisdictions.
“Giving states and local governments the power to consent to the resettlement of refugees — which is to say veto power to determine whether refugees will be received in their midst — flies in the face of clear Congressional intent,” Messitte wrote in a 31-page decision.
The judge said the administration’s grant of a veto power is “arbitrary and capricious as well as inherently susceptible to hidden bias.”
OK, let’s all pour ourselves a little more coffee, tea, or whatever, take a break, and listen to another tune.
oh please, oh please, oh please
Rudy Giuliani really wants to join the Trump defense team for the upcoming impeachment trial. Can you imagine?
Giuliani has pressed Trump to make him part of the team of lawyers who will argue the case against his removal from office on the Senate floor, a White House official and two sources close to the President told CNN. Giuliani has argued that he knows the case against the President inside-out.
The White House declined to comment.
Well, I got a late start on this because I spent a good part of the evening watching Rachel Maddow’s incredible interview with Lev Parnas (part two of that interview is on MSNBC tonight at 8:00 CST). So I’m going to go ahead and wrap up for today with this little story of a wonderful man and his wonderful friend.
I’m off to get some sleep, so I’ll miss out on the early comments today. But you know what to do. And you know that if this isn’t enough good news, go out and make some of your own.
Be kind to each other, and be kind to yourself.
Play us out, boys.