Sunday, July 15, 2018

We Cannot Allow This Nomination To Proceed


A lightning-quick campaigner, Napoleon claimed to set the record for speed crowning. Before some doddering old Pope pronounced the sacred words, “Receive the Imperial Crown,” our man crowned himself instead, and before crowning Josephine he took her crown for test drive too, to make sure it worked.” The question historians like to ask is: “Didn’t the Emperor look undignified with two crowns on his head?” They forget he didn’t mind them stacked.

Author of the P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act, John Ashcroft became the first American statesman to uphold the democratic version of imperial tradition by anointing himself with Mazola whenever he took office, but in his defense, he used the economy size, upholding family values that make American Democracy so great.

And now, in that same exalted tradition, we have Brett Kavanaugh. He veers away from the low brow economies of the family size, favoring instead the more expensive live interactive model. While giving lip service to such small gestures as gaveling down Roe vs. Wade, upholding the Janus vs. AFSCME ruling and Pennsylvania’s gerrymandering, shreading voting rights, abolishing any kind of healthcare, putting women in their place, enforcing anti-immigrant policies, sticking the Betsy DeVoz brand of Christianity in public schools, and re-establishing Jim Crow, the real reason for picking Kavanaugh is he can be counted on to crown our very own fearless leader with his get-out-of-jail-free card while taking great pains not to muss up his hairdo. And, for the next thirty years or so, crown all succeeding emperors separately but equally.

The man himself
Said Corey Booker on Rachel Maddow: “We cannot allow this nomination to proceed.” A big player in the Starr impeachment proceedings against poor, cigar-famished Bill Clinton, (from Time magazine:) “In a 2009 law-review article, Kavanaugh called for Congress to pass a law stating that sitting Presidents should not be subject to criminal investigations or civil suits while in office, adding that the Constitution prescribes the impeachment process as the remedy for ousting a wayward President….If the Justices are asked to decide whether Trump can be subpoenaed or charged with a crime in office, it’s clear where Kavanaugh is likely to stand.”

And from the Breakfast Report/Progressive Action quoting the Daily Beast: “When President Donald Trump nominates a justice to the Supreme Court on Monday night, he will be carrying out the agenda of a small, secretive network of extremely conservative Catholic activists already responsible for placing three justices (Alito, Roberts, and Gorsuch) on the high court. And yet few people know who they are—until now. At the center of the network is Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society, the association of legal professionals that has been the pipeline for nearly all of Trump’s judicial nominees. (Leo is on leave from the Federalist Society to personally assist Trump in picking a replacement for Justice Anthony Kennedy.) His formal title is executive vice president, but that role belies Leo’s influence. Directly or through surrogates, he has placed dozens of life-tenure judges on the federal bench; effectively controls the Judicial Crisis Network, which led the opposition to President Obama’s high court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland; he heavily influences the Becket Fund law firm that represented Hobby Lobby in its successful challenge of contraception; and now supervises admissions and hires at the George Mason Law School, newly renamed in memory of Justice Antony Scalia.”

Imperial court of idiots facing the wrong way
And Ron Paul issued his warning:
“Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court will likely determine the direction of the court for decades to come on a number of key issues, including:
***  Privacy  The recent Carpenter decision was a good first step to establish Fourth Amendment limitations to the government’s surveillance power in the modern age.  But there will certainly be more cases like it in the years to come;

***  Free Speech  After Citizens United, statists across the country have ramped up efforts to place new restrictions on speech.  It likely won’t be long before a new case on so-called campaign finance “reform” finds its way to the Supreme Court;

***  Property Rights  Justice Kennedy was absolutely terrible on the issue of eminent domain.  And with President Trump having first-hand experience using eminent domain to try and seize private property, he could try to appoint another Justice who will have an expansive view of eminent domain powers to the detriment of Americans’ property rights.

A Swamp Creature like Judge Kavanaugh isn’t going to come down on the right side of many of these issues.”

Hurry up, Robert Mueller, time’s almost up!

 

Take to the streets by joining demonstrations when and wherever they’re held. If you are physically unable, donate to MoveOn

Consider organizing and joining a general strike.

Lean hard on your Senators with letters, phone calls, town halls, and office visits.








 

Immigration


More than 10,000 people sign ACLU’s abolish ICE petition

New Jersey to set aside $2 million to help immigrant families.

Resistance

Hundreds of thousands in the largest demonstration since the Iraq war II,  in a “Carnival of Resistance” march against Blimp Baby in the UK.

The General Convention of the Episcopal Church votes to divest from companies involved in Israel’s violations of Palestinian hum rights.

Ireland passes bill boycotting Israeli occupied territory goods.

1,400 people march in Brussels to remind Trump he’s not welcome.

A small Baltimore group of Target workers demands accountability from local store managers.

In a court filing, the Southern Poverty Law Center argues that Duran was arrested and detained by the Department of Homeland “Security” in order to punish him as  a journalist in violation of the First, Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

The Center for Constitution Rights files a legal challenge arguing the court should end the perpetual  Detention of “Forever prisoners.”

Mitch McConnell is confronted by protestors  outside a Kentucky restaurant demanding “Where are the babies, Mitch.”

Hundreds of cancer cases against Monsanto set to go to trial.

Sacramento County supervisors end contract allowing ICE to rent local jail beds.

Prosecutors drop all remaining charges against inauguration protesters.

Over 60 Argentinian social movements protest U,.S. military base in city of Neuquen.

Activists help free Liu Xia


Environment

Navajo Nation’s first solar project now produces electricity for 13,000 homes.

Ecuador’s Constitutional Court rules against Chevron in favor of indigenous communities.

In a stunning victory for the Finger Lakes region, a controversial gas storage project is halted.

In China, an entire province the size of Texas is powered on 100% renewables.

New Zealand announces plans to transition to 100% renewables by 2035.

Iceland is running 100% renewable energy, mostly through geothermal plants.

Norway produces 98% of its power needs through renewable energy.

Holland’s entire train system runs on wind power.

Sweden expects to reach its renewable energy target for 2030 some time this year,

The lower house of the Irish legislature passes a divestment bill ensuring that Ireland will become the world’s first nation to fully divest public money from the fossil fuel industry.

Irish Government approves a  ban on the cultivation of GMOs.

Ghana is building roads out of plastic bags.

An Arizona ballot initiative requires 50% renewable energy by 2013.

A Japanese company creates a vertical axis wind turbine that could power the country for decades.

The Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations have won a $17 million settlement to reduce the environmental impact of two proposed freeway projects in Riverside County (but why are freeways being designed anyway?)

Real-time daily radiation monitoring to become part of Edpson’s program at San  Clemente reactor, San Onofre.

Over 65 cities, among them, Atlanta, Madison , Dan Diego, San Francisco, and Palo Alto, five counties and one state commit to 100% clean  energy. Five og them hav e already hit their targets.

American Airlines bans plastic straws.

Smithfield Foods enjoined to pay compensatory damages and $50 million  in punitive damages in a lawsuit filed in Bladen Country, N.C. over the environmental impacts of a hog farm.    
  
Politics

Democratic lawmakers and liberal  groups hold boisterous late-night rally on Supreme Court steps opposing Kavanaugh.

Alabama, George, and Louisiana are being sued over racial gerrymandering.

Legal scholars warn claims that ICE agents were ‘just following orders’ won’t exonerate the from liability for the suffering of immigrant children.

A DNC panel approves plan to gut the power of super delegates, The plan would end their ability to cast votes for the presidential candidate on the first ballot at the party’s convention.

The House Appropriations Committee passes a spending bill that includes public media funding.

Sanders urges Trump, instead of telling Europe to buy more guns like the U.S., joining  Europe in guaranteeing healthcare for all.

A bill signed into law July 9 enables federal employees to file appeals on Merit Systems Protection Board decisions to any federal appeals court of competent jurisdiction.

Planned Parenthood sues Trump over abstinence=only sex education.

Federal judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit against California sanctuary laws.

House Democrats introduce five articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, including charges of obstruction of justice, undermining the judiciary, and undermining the freedom of the press.  (Lots of luck with that.,)

Agreements between SB 822 authors Senators Weiner and de León and Assembly Communications Chair Santiago restore net neutrality, despite fierce opposition from AT&T, Verizon, and the rest of Big Telecom.

Contra Costa County Sheriff Livingston announces that in the face of a seven-year campaign by activists, he is ending the ICE contract to house federal immigration detainees at the West County Detention Facility.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem, 12-year veteran of the D,A.’s Office has been suspended after targeting Maxine Waters, Michelle Obama, Mexican immigrants and a victim of a police shooting.

Judge grants standing to a lawsuit against the administration over the census citizenship.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy approves $5 million for reviving and strengthening journalism around the state.

Caribbean Natiions to consider reclassifying marijuana.

Education

In India, a teacher buys a bus, driving to keep rural children in school.

Peace

20-year conflict ends as Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders embrace peace.

In a day of action at Buechel Are Force Base organized by regional Protestant churches and Pax Christi, the treaty to ban nuclear weapons was signed by hundreds of demonstrators before being sent to Chancellor Merkel.

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