Sunday, May 17, 2020

Sunday "Maskuline" Funnies




Major League Baseball's proposed safety protocols call for no finger licking; no spitting; no mascots; no bat boys/girls; no swapping of lineup cards; no high-fives or fist bumps; no restaurants for road teams; and showers at the ballpark are discouraged.

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Thursday, May 14, 2020

Race for the White House Update


-- Anybody else watch "Bernie Blackout" last night?


Bernie missed it; he was doing a town hall on climate.


Some people are wishing he'd been busy doing something else.

The Senate on (Wednesday) took up a key bill to reauthorize domestic surveillance programs while making changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, with several substantial amendments on the line. One of the amendments, introduced by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Republican Sen. Steve Daines, would have required authorities to obtain a warrant to access internet users’ search histories and browsing information. Uh, yes, pass that??

The amendment, however, met an extremely Senate grave: It “failed” with 59 yeas to 37 nays, one short of the 60-vote threshold it needed to overcome the streamlined vestigial filibuster. The splits didn’t fall neatly along partisan lines: 24 Republicans voted for it, while 10 Democrats voted against it. (Would you like to see the names of the Democrats who voted against it? Their names are: Tom Carper, Bob Casey, Dianne Feinstein, Maggie Hassan, Doug Jones, Tim Kaine, Joe Manchin, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, and Sheldon Whitehouse.)

But where was Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member of the HELP Committee and assistant Democratic leader, or Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats and also constantly comes in second place for the Democrats’ presidential nomination?

Murray, a spokeswoman told me after the vote, was “flying back to D.C. from Washington state today. She isn’t in quarantine; she’s just been working remotely.” An aide confirmed separately to Politico that Murray would have supported the Wyden–Daines amendment had she been there.


Bernie is, as usual, getting more of the blame here than he deserves.  But that's his lot in life.  He's not going to be able to please anybody at the rate he's going.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday named the co-chairs and members of their joint task forces meant to shore up Democratic Party unity ahead of November’s general election.

The announcement follows through on a pledge the two men made last month — when Sanders, the runner-up in the Democratic presidential primary, endorsed Biden, the party’s presumptive nominee — to establish working groups to advise the Biden campaign on six key policy areas: climate change, criminal justice reform, economy, education, health care, and immigration.


Neither is AOC.  Click the link if you don't already know.  It's hard to be a revolutionary who wins; becoming part of the establishment you fought against.  (Some would say Fidel Castro was able to pull it off, but as we know he killed a lot of people in order to stay in power.  That's a digression.)

Our progressive idols also aren't mentioning the obvious shortcomings of the presumptive nominee, and we can only hope that has a underlying agenda: to make a case for Sanders, as the candidate with the second-most delegates, to be the party's choice.  Fat chance.  Let's briefly rehash.


-- What Should Be Bad Enough to Make Politically Savvy People Abandon Joe Biden?

-- Trump vs. Biden is the 2020 election nightmare women like me warned America about

-- This poll number shows something very important about the Tara Reade allegation

If you read those first two, you'll understand what Cillizza at CNN is referring to in the third.

-- Voters Sour on Biden as Reade Allegations Find Higher Platform

Some early polling shows strength for Biden.  Some doesn't.  If you needed a reminder NOT to put any faith in polls this cycle, there you go.  Same goes for consultants.


These are the kind of folks -- please don't pick nits between political advisers and lobbyists, FFS -- that are being bailed out by Nancy Pelosi in the latest corona-stimulus bill, and if that isn't enough to prove the Jackass Party is irredeemable, then maybe this is.

The minute Old Joe gets his running mate chosen for him, the powers that be will put him out to pasture.  Today my money is going on Kamala.  This shades-of-1944 business is why the DNC wants to move their convention online.  No protests for the cameras.

-- So where does that leave those of us in the #NeverBiden #NeverTrump caucus?  Same as it ever was.  Larry Sabato says so, after all.  With some extra motivation to have it better in four years.

He makes a logical case but it's not what I am seeing or sensing.  Twitter doesn't translate well to real life either, however.  So there's just too much uncertainty, especially with the variable of COVID-19's effects still to be factored.

-- Does Trump (or Jared Kushner) actually entertain thoughts of postponing or canceling the November election?  I would be more inclined to believe that the Mango Megalomaniac would simply be unable to process losing to Biden (if that happened, which IMO, today, is not likely) and refuse to vacate the office or the White House or something.  Talk about your constitutional crises.

On the other hand, there will be lots more machinations like this, and Ken Paxton's latest, that are designed to not simply obstruct and suppress the vote but to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the outcome, enough so to give a few kooks with guns a bit of impetus to "defend freedumb" or such.

-- I am really impressed with Howie Hawkins' running mate, Angela Walker.


-- And I like that Mark Charles is calling out the MSM for ignoring his campaign.

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Tuesday, May 12, 2020

TexProgBlog Wrangle II

This edition of the best of the left of, about, and from around the Great State was composed entirely without duress from any murder hornets.



Beyond Bones would also like to put your mind at ease about those fearsome flying insects.

With some updates to yesterday's Wrangle ...



Here are some of the latest COVID-19 developments:



And some Texas business news that doesn't mention oil companies or Shelley Luther.


Odessa's police department objected to patriots protesting for freedom with their firearms visible, so they sent SWAT to break up an anti-coronavirus shutdown rally at a bar in that city.



Dan Solomon at Texas Monthly hands out some awards for coronavirus performance, and Paul Basaldua at The Rivard Report shows how recovered COVID-19 patients can help others by donating their plasma.

And a couple of updates from the Lege.


And some posts to mark Mothers Day -- Mother Earth specifically.


The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is one of the year’s most exciting film events. We always look forward to it. Living here in the city, we can learn about, explore, and vicariously adventure all over our wild world.
Locally presented by the Bayou Land Conservancy -- and sponsored by Save Buffalo Bayou (among others) -- this year’s film event has gone online, like so many other events.  [...] All you have to do is sign up for the Bayou Land Conservancy’s newsletter, which you would want to do anyway, and they’ll send you a link to watch the films.
Among this year’s winners is the Texas-produced The River and the Wall, in the category of Most Inspiring Adventure Film.



Allen Young at The Rag Blog examines Planet of the Humans, the climate crisis film produced by Michael Moore, which has received some scathing reviews from climate activists.

Two old adages are perfect for analyzing the controversial new environmental documentary film, Planet of the Humans.
One saying is, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
The other is, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”


In his Earth Day post three weeks ago, David Collins -- the Texas Green Party's US Senate nominee -- also had some thoughts about the movie.

Another Wrangle in the books with some lighter fare.

Paradise in Hell brings us an important butt-shaking legal update.

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Monday, May 11, 2020

The Weekly Wrangle *updates

This installment of the weekly Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup opens once again with the crimes against humanity committed by our governor.


Schadenfreude enthusiasts were able to take some consolation in Abbott's self-own later in the week.


Dos Centavos tells about his hometown's battle with COVID-19, and how their experience with Greg Abbott isn't much different than that of big city leaders.  Scott Braddock chronicled Abbott's various power moves during the crisis, and Lisa Gray, in her HouChron column Gray Matters, interviewed Braddock about the "full-on culture war" that Abbott and others are leading over COVID-19.

In a surprising development over the weekend, Harris County Clerk (and elections administrator) Diane Trautman announced her resignation, effective at the end of the month.


In Congressional candidate follies, Kuff adds Chip Roy to the active roster of death squad enthusiasts.  Kim Olson, in the Democratic runoff in TX24, draws more unfavorable media attention, this time for her tenure at the Dallas ISD.

The SD14 special election has seen some late scratches and adds to the field.

Austin attorney Adam Loewy announced he would not seek the seat vacated by former Sen. Kirk Watson. Austin physician Jeffrey Ridgeway established a campaign committee for the race. Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin); former Lago Vista council member Pat Dixon, as a Libertarian; and Austin attorney Waller Burns II, as an independent, have filed for the July 14 special election. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has announced for the seat, triggering the constitutional resign-to-run provision. Former Austin council member Don Zimmerman is considering the race, and Austin council member Greg Casar recently announced he would not ...



A recent poll from The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler shows Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn has a solid lead over two Democratic challengers in the Texas race for Senate. MJ Hegar of Cedar Park and Royce West of Dallas will meet in a July runoff election. But Cornyn’s lead isn’t insurmountable.

Bob Garrett, Austin bureau chief for The News, told Texas Standard Friday that both Democrats trail Cornyn in the poll by “low double-digits.”

“In November matchups, Cornyn [beats] Hegar by 13 points and West by 11,” Garrett said.

Between the two Democrats, Hegar leads West among several demographics: white voters, independent voters who lean Democratic and seniors. Hegar has also raised more money than West, and has been endorsed by Texas Cong. Veronica Escobar and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

But West leads among black and young voters. Prominent Democrats have also endorsed him, including former DNC chair Howard Dean, and West's challenger in the March primary, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez. The race also seems to be much closer in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where West is from.

“West seems to have a few pockets of strength,” Garrett said.

The pandemic has made it hard for both candidates to campaign since they aren’t holding public events. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have an opportunity to beat Cornyn, since a large portion of the Texas electorate – 34% – are undecided, Garrett said.


Update:


With the latest on the race for the White House, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs had Trump's visit to a mask factory where the background music was "Live and Let Die", Bernie Sanders being reinstated to the New York primary ballot, Jesse Ventura declaring he would not be a Green candidate for president, and several Libertarian and other minor party presidential candidate developments.

Socratic Gadfly blogged twice about the Jesse Ventura nuttery.  He first mentioned how much this shows Jesse is Just.Another.Politician.™   In a follow-up, he wanted to see exactly what was in the "letter of interest" that Jesse's minions sent to the Greens and who signed it, as the GPUS risks looking like Just.Another.Political.Party™.

Billionaries Mark Cuban and Elon Musk had differing reactions to the COVID-19 lockdown/restart.


More on the Proud Boys' legal troubles.


And the Sinclair media group, which owns a large number of television stations across the state, set a dubious record last week.


With a wrap to this first edition of the Wrangle, let's drive out to the end of the universe, aka River Oaks, for a cup of coffee.  There's still one Starbucks left out there.


There will be several environmental blog posts and Tweets as a commemoration to Mother Earth, and some lighter news items and late-breaking developments in the next edition of the Wrangle, later today or tomorrow morning!
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Sunday, May 10, 2020

Sunday 'Treated Worse than Lincoln, Mom' Funnies


Kroger will discontinue "hero" pay for front-line employees on May 17
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