To Whom do you Pledge Allegiance?

MoonHowler

Unfortunately, way too many people are confusing nationalism with patriotism. Nationalism is what led countries like Germany, Japan and Italy down that slippery slope–that slope that led to the slaughter of millions of people during WWII. The same misplaced nationalism had reared its ugly head prior to WWI. We all know how that worked out. The “War to End all Wars’ simply provided a petri dish for evil to germinate.

Are we on the cusp of this same destructive national phenomena? Did January 6, 2021 not show us clearly what was headed our way if calmer, wiser heads don’t prevail? I might not agree with much of anything that comes out of Liz Cheney’s mouth from a policy standpoint but I respect her for her tough stance on the truth and her efforts to preserve our democracy.

While we are on the topic of Steve Schmidt calling out Trump….

MoonHowler

Steve Schmidt, as David told us, is a founder of the Lincoln Project. The Lincoln Project formed to inform the American people of the betrayal of Donald Trump.

Steve Schmidt is correct. Trump’s behavior, as it relates to our military, is deplorable, despicable, and disgraceful.

This election, November 3, 2020, will be the most important election of the past 150 years. Don’t be mislead. Vote Trump and his cohorts out of office. To do otherwise imperils this nation’s very core.

“MAGA Church” takes aim at hypocritical evangelicals

MoonHowler

Axios

“MAGA Church,” the first digital video from the Lincoln Project, a group of anti-Trump Republicans, takes aim at President Trump’s standing with evangelical voters —interspersing clips of him talking about faith with videos of him speaking crudely.

Why it matters: Trump has recently taken steps to shore up his evangelical base after an editorial in Christianity Today, a magazine founded by the late Rev. Billy Graham, attacked his “gross immorality and ethical incompetence.”

His latest move was an “Evangelicals for Trump” event last weekend at one of the largest Latino evangelical churches in Miami.
The state of play: In the video, the group warns evangelicals to “beware of false prophets.”

“IF THIS IS THE BEST AMERICAN CHRISTIANS CAN DO,” it says, “THEN GOD help us all.”
The big picture: The Lincoln Project, which announced its creation last month, aims to persuade “enough disaffected conservatives, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in swing states and districts to help ensure a victory in the Electoral College, and congressional majorities that don’t enable or abet Mr. Trump’s violations of the Constitution.”

The Lincoln Project’s advisory board consists of George Conway, Reed Galen, Jennifer Horn, Mike Madrid, Steve Schmidt, Ron Steslow, John Weaver and Rick Wilson.

How on earth can people of faith support a serial liar, serial womanizer, serial adulterer? Good for those former Republicans who want to reclaim their party. Whatever happened to the family values crew? They have obviously lost their way if they do not see the folly in worshipping this extremely incompetent, flawed man. It makes you wonder if some sort of possession hasn’t taken over.

I was pleased to see the names of George Conway and Steve Schmidt on this list.

Do not call for my tolerance….

MoonHowler

THE RESISTANCE
“I listened as they called my President a Muslim.
I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.
I listened as they said he wasn’t born here.
I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.
I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.
I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.
I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog.
I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.
I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.
I watched as they did just that.
I listened.
I watched.
I paid attention.

Now, I’m being called on to be tolerant.
To move forward.
To denounce protesters.
To “Get over it.”
To accept this…
I will not.
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Pink Pussycat hats soften the message!

MoonHowler

From the Washington Post  by Petula Dvorak:

The Women’s March needs passion and purpose, not pink pussycat hats

Please, sisters, back away from the pink.

Pink pussycat hats, sparkly signs, color-coordinated street theater, all of it is gleefully in the works for the upcoming Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21.

And that scares me a little. Because all of this well-intentioned, she-power frippery can make this thing more Lilith Fair than Lilly Ledbetter. And the Women’s March of 2017 will be remembered as an unruly river of Pepto-Bismol roiling through the streets of the capital rather than a long overdue civil rights march.

This is serious stuff.

It’s about human rights. It’s about the way 51 percent of our nation’s population still gets less pay, less representation in elected office and in corporate corner offices, less access to health care, less safety and less respect that the other 49 percent of our deeply divided nation.

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The War on Women now recognized by GOP women

MoonHowler

war-on-women-banner-text

Washingtonpost.com:

A growing number of prominent Republican women are worried that as members of their male-dominated party step up to defend Donald Trump against accusations of sexual assault, they are causing irreparable damage to the GOP’s deteriorating relationship with female voters.

Trump has faced questions throughout his campaign about his crass comments about women, but concern escalated this month following the release of a 2005 video in which Trump boasted that he had sexually assaulted women and subsequent allegations by 11 women that Trump had inappropriately touched or kissed them. A series of mostly male Republicans have come to Trump’s defense — dismissing the accusers as liars and, some worry, further alienating the female voters that the party desperately needs to survive.

“For next-generation professional women, the party is going to have to do something very, very drastic to change the course of where this candidate has taken us,” said Katie Packer, a deputy campaign manager for Mitt Romney in 2012. “I think the leaders in our party are going to have to aggressively reject this. Come November 9, they better be prepared to make very strong statements condemning all of Trump’s behavior.”

This division within the Republican Party comes as polls suggest the nation is on the verge of electing its first female president even as misogyny remains a part of American life and culture. Ironically, it is Trump’s candidacy rather than Hillary Clinton’s that has brought sexism to the forefront of political debate.

Finally!  It’s about time the problem was seen by all women.  Non-GOP women have always recognized that there was a war on women.  This issue became very apparent when  various  issues involving reproductive rights were in the forefront.  There was great denial amongst Republican males.   “War on women?” they scoffed.  “Nonsense!”  Then numerous reasons were given to negate when we knew.

GOP women now see  instance after instance of disrespect shown to women, starting with the trashing of Megyn Kelly,and on to the  fat-shaming of Miss Universe.  They heard  the famous bus genital-grabbing remarks with their own two ears.  The bad behavior has been verified by  11 women who stepped forward so far to discuss in detail, their own personal experiences with Mr.  Trump.    They also see men who so far have refused to  denounce much of the personal behavior of the GOP candidate.  These same women also see  many other examples of creepy behavior   far too numerous to list  that just shouldn’t be acceptable in the year 2016.

Listening to leadership as well as Trump supporters minimize or deny allegations of sexism and misogyny has made GOP women nervous.  It has made them realize there really is a war on women.  In 2016, we shouldn’t even be having these conversations.  Yet alas, we still are.

 

Voting rights restored–No contempt of court for McAuliffe

MoonHowler

felony-voting-rights

Washingtonpost.com:

RICHMOND — Virginia’s highest court on Thursday turned down a request from Republicans to find Gov. Terry McAuliffe in contempt of court over his efforts to restore voting rights to felons.

The ruling clears the way for McAuliffe (D) to continue a fast-paced effort to grant clemency to 200,000 violent and nonviolent felons. It also gives McAuliffe at least a temporary win in one of the most bitter battles of his administration, in which he has repeatedly called Republicans racists while the GOP has accused him of administrative bumbling and violating the law.

“I am pleased that the Supreme Court has dismissed the case Republicans filed in their latest attempt to prevent individuals who have served their time having a full voice in our society,” McAuliffe said in a written statement. “It is my hope that the court’s validation of the process we are using will convince Republicans to drop their divisive efforts to prevent Virginians from regaining their voting rights and focus their energy and resources on making Virginia a better place to live for the people who elected all of us to lead.”
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Time for the GOP to tell Trump to straighten up and fly right or else

MoonHowler

It’s time for Republicans to stop equivocating.  They need to call Trump out for his racist remarks and tell him to stop or they will retract their endorsements.  They need to stop hiding behind Hillary.  Right now many of them have put themselves in the untenable position of a self-avowed racist or Hillary.  Those really aren’t their only choices.

Republicans have a choice.  They can pour their efforts into the Senate and House races as well as the various gubernatorial races around the country.  If they do not, they will lose it all.   If they lose it all, they risk losing the party of Lincoln now and forever.

Virginia Republican Convention: WTF?

MoonHowler

corey2

Washingtonpost.com:

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Supporters of Ted Cruz dominated a slate of delegates that Virginia Republicans chose Saturday at their state convention, further demonstrating the Texas senator’s mastery of the delegate-selection process.

Of the 13 national delegates picked by party activists here, 10 are Cruz supporters and three support Donald Trump. The tally represents the biggest chunk up for grabs of the 49 total delegates who will represent the state at the national convention in Cleveland this summer.

Despite bruising primary ­losses around the country, Cruz is betting that Trump will not make it to the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the party’s nomination, and he is working to woo delegates who would be loyal to him at a brokered convention.

Cruz came in a distant third in Virginia in the March 1 primary but had enough supporters among the 2,610 party activists who filled an arena at James Madison University on Saturday to win critical delegates.

 

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Bathrooms: What’s all the hoopla about?

MoonHowler

 

 

pee 2

Why do politicians involve themselves in these issues?

If a girl becomes a boy, unless he has had surgery, he can’t use the urinal.  Therefore, he goes into the stall.  The door is closed, what’s the issue?

If a boy becomes a girl,  then she goes into the girls’ room where there are stalls with doors.  There are no urinals.  Close the door, do your business and leave.  No politician needs to be involved.

If we are speaking of school environment, if the Moon-Howler solution doesn’t work, then build a unisex bathroom with a single stall.  One at a time.  Mission accomplished.

We don’t need 500 rules to govern bathrooms.

For people who want less government interference, the Republicans in North Carolina have really out-done themselves in the invasion department.

elephant pee

Secret Service nixes firearms at the RNC

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

The Secret Service on Monday quashed the hopes of gun rights advocates who were pushing for the open carry of firearms to be allowed at this summer’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

An online petition in support of the effort rapidly gained signatures and attention in the past week, applying pressure to pro-gun Republican officials and presidential contenders to walk the walk when it comes to guns. But on Monday, the Secret Service said that only law enforcement personnel will be allowed to carry firearms at the event.

“Title 18 United States Code Sections 3056 and 1752 provides the Secret Service authority to preclude firearms from entering sites visited by our protectees, including those located in open-carry states,” Secret Service spokesman Robert K. Hoback said in a statement. “Only authorized law enforcement personnel working in conjunction with the Secret Service for a particular event may carry a firearm inside of the protected site.”

Ticket or not, any unauthorized person with a gun will not be allowed into the event, he said.

Why on earth would any of the candidates want guns inside the convention center?  There are enough fruits and nuts wandering around as it is.  Arming them would surely spell trouble for someone.

If the Secret Service says no, then that’s that.

McConnell refuses to hold hearings on Garland nomination

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

Mitch McConnell is not budging.

No matter how much pressure President Obama and Democrats try to apply, McConnell’s allies say the Senate majority leader will never agree to hold hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland, a federal appeals court judge, to succeed Antonin Scalia as a Supreme Court justice.

Even Republicans who disagree with him think that McConnell (R-Ky.) will not retreat from that defiant stance. “I don’t see the majority leader changing his mind on this issue. He believes strongly that this should be a decision made by the next president,” said Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of two Republicans to call for hearings on Garland.

Since Scalia’s death, and McConnell’s pronouncement hours later, Democrats have been stunned by the senator’s determined position not to consider any nominee — and his flat-out refusal to extend the traditional courtesy of meeting with the nominee.

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The Republican Brand?

MoonHowler

elephant boxing shorts

From the Washington Post:

“Republicans in general tend to be a group of people who like to view themselves as serious, having decorum, being orderly, being thoughtful,” said Roger Porter, who served as a senior policy official in the White Houses of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and who is now a professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

But, he said, Thursday’s debate “was the culmination of a long process of the people running for president this year finding themselves drug into a maelstrom in which they look anything but serious and calm and thoughtful and responsible. That’s very distressing for most Republicans. How did we get to this situation?”
More urgent, many Republicans say, is the question of how they get out of it.

1.  Does this description fit members of the Republican party?

2.  Can they get out of this maelstrom and if so, how?

When I was a young woman I had the view expressed in the first paragraph of Republicans.  They were the grown ups.  The Democrats were the party boys and girls.   The Democrats had to sit things out for a while.  It wasn’t until Bill Clinton ushered in a new era.  It looks like the GOP didn’t learn from the mistakes of their arch enemies.

I personally think this is what happens to political parties when there is one set group-think.  when people are ridiculed and all required to think alike, things break down.

Americans weren’t made to do group-think.  That’s why I won’t belong to a political party.  I don’t have one belief system that matches everyone else.

Guiffré saga continues–fighting the forces of voter fraud???

MoonHowler
Old Ballot Application
Old Ballot Application

 

Reprinted with permission from Jill Palermo

Insidenova.com:

An unauthorized investigation aimed at uncovering possible voter fraud might cost Prince William County Electoral Board Chairman Guy Anthony “Tony” Guiffré his job.

The Virginia State Board of Elections took a rare vote Friday to initiate steps to remove Guiffré from the county electoral board over allegations he compromised voter privacy and might have broken state and federal laws. The allegations stem from his efforts to determine whether absentee ballots were improperly requested for the Nov. 3 election.

The three-member state board, which includes two Democrats and one Republican, voted along party lines during a meeting in Richmond to ask Attorney General Mark Herring (D) to begin the removal proceedings.

Guiffré’s fate will ultimately be decided by the Prince William County Circuit Court.

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Trump making Republicans nervous now summer is over

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

Summer is over. And Donald Trump is — still — at the top of the 2016 Republican primary field.

That makes lots and lots of Republicans with an eye on winning the White House in 2016 (or even 2020) very, very nervous. That unease — and its origins — are explained brilliantly in this paragraph, taken from a broader piece entitled “The GOP is Killing Itself,” by former Bush administration official Pete Wehner:

The message being sent to voters is this: The Republican Party is led by people who are profoundly uncomfortable with the changing (and inevitable) demographic nature of our nation. The GOP is longing to return to the past and is fearful of the future. It is a party that is characterized by resentments and grievances, by distress and dismay, by the belief that America is irredeemably corrupt and past the point of no return. “The American dream is dead,” in the emphatic words of Mr. Trump.

 

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