#Robert Gillibrand

[saydams]

the usa senate passed the budget that banned all aid to UNRWA and Biden signed it.

the senators who voted for this budget (preventing usa from funding UNRWA) are under the readmore. if your senator is on this list, call (202) 224-3121 and demand they find another way of funding relief to palestine.

Tammy Baldwin Wis.

Richard Blumenthal Conn.

Cory Booker N.J.

John Boozman Ark.

Katie Britt Ala.

Sherrod Brown Ohio

Laphonza Butler Calif.

Maria Cantwell Wash.

S. Capito W.Va.

Benjamin L. Cardin Md.

Tom Carper Del.

Bob Casey Pa.

Bill Cassidy La.

Susan Collins Maine

Chris Coons Del.

John Cornyn Tex.

C. Cortez Masto Nev.

Tom Cotton Ark.

Kevin Cramer N.D.

Tammy Duckworth Ill.

Dick Durbin Ill.

Joni Ernst Iowa

John Fetterman Pa.

Deb Fischer Neb.

Kirsten Gillibrand N.Y.

Lindsey Graham S.C.

Chuck Grassley Iowa

M. Hassan N.H.

Martin Heinrich N.M.

John Hickenlooper Colo.

Mazie Hirono Hawaii

John Hoeven N.D.

Cindy Hyde-Smith Miss.

Tim Kaine Va.

Mark Kelly Ariz.

Angus King Maine

Amy Klobuchar Minn.

Ben Ray Luján N.M.

Joe Manchin III W.Va.

Edward J. Markey Mass.

Mitch McConnell Ky.

Robert Menendez N.J.

Jeff Merkley Ore.

Jerry Moran Kan.

Markwayne Mullin Okla.

Lisa Murkowski Alaska

Chris Murphy Conn.

Patty Murray Wash.

Jon Ossoff Ga.

Alex Padilla Calif.

Gary Peters Mich.

Jack Reed R.I.

Mitt Romney Utah

Jacky Rosen Nev.

Mike Rounds S.D.

Brian Schatz Hawaii

Charles E. Schumer N.Y.

Jeanne Shaheen N.H.

Kyrsten Sinema Ariz.

Tina Smith Minn.

Debbie Stabenow Mich.

Dan Sullivan Alaska

Jon Tester Mont.

John Thune S.D.

Thom Tillis N.C.

Chris Van Hollen Md.

Mark R. Warner Va.

Raphael G. Warnock Ga

Elizabeth Warren Mass.

Peter Welch Vt.

Sheldon Whitehouse R.I.

Roger Wicker Miss.

Ron Wyden Ore.

Todd Young Ind.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

📃 Megalist of 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 and Other 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 in H&M’s Political Orbit 📃 by u/SeptiemeSens (Part 3 of 3)

📌 Link to Tumblr post Part 2 of 3

📌 Link to Tumblr post Part 1 of 3

10. Kerry Kennedy - Daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, former wife of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. In 2022, H&M were awarded the "Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope" human rights award. According to Kerry, H&M were given the award for "standing up to structural racism" [source]

11. Members of Parliament (MPs) - In 2019, more than 70 women MPs signed on to a letter of support for and solidarity with the Duchess of Sussex. Their letter was in “solidarity” with Meghan Markle, as she waged a legal battle against the “often distasteful and misleading” press [source 1 // source 2]

12. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer - In 2021, Meghan sent an open letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) advocating for Congress to pass a federal paid parental leave program, even though Congress had already passed the program by the time M released her open letter [source 1 // source 2 // source 3]

13. Ndileka Mandela - In 2023, Nelson Mandela's granddaughter and social activist criticized H&M for using the former South African president’s name to pull in Netflix audiences in their Netflix documentary Live to Lead, saying: “It’s deeply upsetting and tedious.” [source 1] Shortly thereafter, Ndikeka clarified her comments saying that she was misquoted by international media and that she actually supports H&M for the courage of their conviction towards social activism [source 2]

14. Peter Cosgrove, Governor General of Australia and his wife Lady Lynne Cosgrove - In 2018, H&M undertook an official tour of Australia. The Governor General of Australia and his wife and family live in Admiralty House in Sydney. Harry and Meghan were accommodated in the guest wing, as is customary for visiting guests. Meghan demanded the whole house for her and Harry, and when refused, allegedly told Lady Lynn Cosgrove: "Don't you know who I am?" [source]

15. Rory Kennedy - Youngest daughter of Robert F Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, sister of Kerry Kennedy. Together with Liz Garbus, they run Moxie Firecracker Films, a film production company. Liz Garbus was the director of Harry and Meghan's Netflix docuseries [source 1 // source 2]

16. Susan Collins (Republican Senator of Maine) and Shelley Moore Capito (Republican Senator of West Virginia) - In 2021, Meghan cold-called Senators Collins and Capito on their private numbers, using her Duchess of Sussex title to lobby for paid paternity leave. She was given their private numbers by Kirsten Gillibrand, Democratic Senator of New York. Meghan wanted to be part of a Senator Gillibrand's 'working group' to formulate policy [source]

17. Zwelivelile "Mandla" Mandela - In 2022, Nelson Mandela's grandson and the tribal chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council criticized Meghan for suggesting that South Africans celebrated her wedding the same way they rejoiced his grandfather Nelson Mandela's release from prison after 27 years. Mandla said: "Overcoming 60 years of apartheid is not the same as marrying a white prince" [source 1 // source 2 //source 3]

📌 Notes:

Originally inspired by South Park's sweet 'n savage takedown of Meghan as ‘First Lady Botherer’ [source 1 // source 2], I then fell down the rabbit hole when I came upon so many other notable names. So, I thought it would be a good idea to keep track of "who's who" in H&M's political orbit and get a bigger (and better) picture of H&M's political motivations and machinations: past, present, and future

A LOT of sources come from our amazing SMM community here but unfortunately, SMM subreddit post links are not allowed as they are automatically removed by Reddit -- ARGH 😖

Thanks again for all the great comments and feedback on my previous popular post: "Megalist of everyone associated with MM via ARO, Archetypes Podcast, and 40x40"

If there are any notable names in H&M's political sphere missing from these lists, please comment below 👇

post link

author: SeptiemeSens

submitted: June 04, 2024 at 11:46AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[mariacallous]

Top 5 U.S. Senators (current)

Top 5 U.S. Senators (all time) if you’re feeling frisky.

Top 5 current US Senators in no partic order:

Tammy Duckworth

Kirsten Gillibrand

Mazie Hirono

Catherine Cortez Masto

Tina Smith/Amy Klobuchar

Top 5 US Senators of all time:

Barbara Mikulski

Daniel Inouye

Lyndon Johnson

Charles Sumner

Robert La Follette

[thxnews]

American Rescue Plan Transforms Education and Workforce

Exact Transcription of Speech by First Lady Jill Biden.

Thank you, Robert. Secretary Cardona – Miguel, thank you for your tireless advocacy for our nation’s students and workers. Isn’t it great to have a public school educator as our Secretary of Education? First Gentleman Hochul, it’s always wonderful to see your passion for the people of this state. Congressman Ryan, you are an incredible champion for this community. Joe is grateful for your partnership. Executive O’Neil, and all the state and local leaders joining us, thank you for supporting this groundbreaking project. Dr. Jordan, Dutchess Community College is lucky to have your leadership. Robert, it’s students like you that are on my husband’s mind each day as he’s working to grow our economy. You’re who he’s thinking about when he meets with cabinet members like Secretary Cardona or talks with your representatives in Washington or your governor or mayor. Joe’s father used to say: a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity. Joe watched his dad struggle to find good work. He saw how a job could change a family’s path. I saw it too. My dad came from a family of Italian immigrants. His father delivered furniture for a living. Thanks to the G.I. Bill, my dad was able to get a degree and carve out a good life for my four sisters and me. Joe and I understand the middle class, because we’re from the middle class. That’s why Joe’s working so hard to invest in America. Joe’s leadership has helped transform our economy, with more than 13 million jobs created, unemployment under four percent, and hundreds of billions invested in growing industries like clean energy and semiconductors. He’s creating new opportunities for hard-working families, and building our economy from the middle out and the bottom up. He and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, along with Congressman Ryan and many others in the New York delegation fought hard to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, so the Hudson Valley can be a leader in manufacturing. He made sure federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan could go to programs like this one. Because employers need skilled workers to fill all the jobs being created. And leaders like all of you – employers, high schools, community colleges, unions, and community organizations have come together to bridge the gap between learning and earning. This new mechatronics lab will help students get the skills they need for the growing businesses here – preparing them for careers making everything from display screens to jet engines to semiconductors. As a community college professor myself, I’m so excited to see how this work changes people’s lives. Because for most people, a high school diploma alone isn’t enough to find a great career. But that doesn’t mean there’s only one path to success. Students can take college courses in high school, enroll in Registered Apprenticeships, or earn associate degrees. That’s the Biden Education Pathway. It starts with free, high-quality, universal preschool and creates a high school experience that prepares students for their next steps. It provides two years of affordable community college and opens up avenues to a four-year degree. Things like unemployment rates and jobs created aren’t just numbers to Joe and me. They represent real people – families trying to make a good life. Like Joe’s. Like mine. Maybe like yours. A job is about more than a paycheck. It’s a path – a way to build the lives we want. And everyone deserves the chance to do just that. Thank you for making that possible right here in the Hudson Valley. Joe and his Administration see all the work you’ve done and they’re grateful to partner with you today, tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Together, we can fundamentally transform what it means to make a living and make a life here in America. Thank you.   Sources: THX News & The White House. Read the full article

[80smovies]

[ovnihoje]

EUA: Indicado para Inspetor Geral do DoD promete avaliação sobre OVNIs

EUA: Indicado para Inspetor Geral do DoD promete avaliação sobre OVNIs

Robert P. Storch, o indicado do Presidente Biden para ser Inspetor Geral do Departamento de Defesa (DoD) dos EUA, declarou durante uma audiência do Senado na terça-feira que, se confirmado, ele seguirá com os esforços atuais envolvendo a “avaliação abrangente” de fenômenos aéreos não identificados (UAPs/OVNIs) . No entanto, ele admitiu não conhecer atualmente a questão. Robert P. Storch, atual…

[politiciandirect]

WATCH -- Kirsten Gillibrand 'Still Angry' with Uncles Who Voted for Trump

WATCH — Kirsten Gillibrand ‘Still Angry’ with Uncles Who Voted for Trump

Democrat presidential hopeful Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said Tuesday she is “still angry” with her uncles after they voted for then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

“I hate to admit this fact, but I have uncles who voted for Trump,” Gillibrand told the Washington Post‘s Robert Acosta, before letting out a sigh.

Pressed on her families voting record later in the…

[crocgirl420]

LMAO did anyone else just see John Roberts visibly flinch while Kirsten Gillibrand was clearly giving him a fucking earful?

[plsbyallmeans]

14 of Hillary Clinton's Major Accomplishments

Hillary Clinton's accomplishments have been centered around health care, the military, and families, especially women and children. The first two affect the economy because health care and defense are the two biggest expenses in the federal budget. The combined costs of Medicare, Medicaid, and military spending are $1.757 trillion or 42% of total government spending.

Key Takeaways

As First Lady, Hilary Clinton worked tirelessly to introduce legislation helping at risk populations

As a Senator, she helped give health benefits to the first responders of the 9/11 attacks and those serving in the National Guard.

As Secretary State was instrumental in getting the raid to go after Osama bin Laden approved.

First Lady

Hillary chaired the Task Force on Health Care Reform that drafted the 1993 Health Security Act. Although Congress didn't pass it, it laid the groundwork for the Affordable Care Act. It also cleared the way for the Children's Health Insurance Program.1 She worked with Senators Edward Kennedy and Orrin Hatch who sponsored the bill. It received $24 billion, paid for by a 15-cent tax on cigarettes. She added $1 billion for an outreach program to help states publicize the program and sign up recipients. It provides health care to more than eight million children.

In 1994, she championed the Violence Against Women Act.2 That provides financial and technical assistance to states to help them develop programs that stop domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In 1995, she also helped create the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women.

She supported the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act. Representative Nancy Johnson, a Republican, sponsored the bill. It facilitates the adoption of foster children.3 It also allows states and local agencies greater flexibility on how to spend federal funds.

She lobbied Congress for the 1999 Foster Care Independence Act.4 Senators John Chafee, R-RI, and Tom DeIay, R-TX, sponsored the bill. The Act almost doubled federal spending for programs that help teenagers leave foster care after they turn 18. The programs help them complete their education, find jobs, and become self-sufficient.

U.S. Senator

Urged ratification of the START treaty in 2010.5 The treaty limits the United States and Russia to 1,550 strategic deployed nuclear warheads.6 That's down from 2,200. It limits the number of deployed heavy nuclear bombers and missiles to 800. That's down from 1,600. Russia was already within those limits, but the United States was not. The treaty went into effect in 2011, will be fully implemented by 2018, and will remain in force until 2028.

Introduced the Pediatric Research Equity Act with Senator Mike DeWine, R-OH.7 This law requires drug companies to research how their products affect children. The Act changed drug labeling to disclose safety and dosage for children. That's lowered the danger of over-dosage for children with chronic diseases like epilepsy and asthma.

Worked with fellow New York Democrat, Senator Chuck Schumer, to get $21 billion in federal aid to help New York rebuild after the 9/11 attacks.8 She wrote the bill to get health care coverage for 9/11 first responders. That included health research related to the attacks. The rescue operations forced many police and firefighters into early retirement with debilitating chronic injuries and illnesses. Her successor, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, got the bill passed.

Worked with Republicans to achieve full military health benefits to National Guard members and reservists.9 Expanded Family Medical Leave Act to families with wounded veterans.

Secretary of State

Took the lead on drafting and negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Once ratified, it would increase U.S. exports by $123.5 billion annually by 2025.10 Industries that benefit the most include electrical, autos, plastics, and agriculture.

Successfully concluded bilateral trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama in 2011. The Korea agreement removed almost 80% of tariffs and increased exports by $10 billion. The Colombia agreement expanded U.S. exports by $1.1 billion.

Negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in 2012.11

Called for the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.12 Sided with CIA Director Leon Panetta who first told her it was possible. Overcame opposition from Vice-President Biden and Defense Secretary Robert Gates who were worried about political backlash if the raid failed.

Pushed the United Nations to impose sanctions on Iran in 2010. That created a recession in Iran. The economy shrank 6.6% in 2012 and 1.9% in 2013. That's because they cut Iran's oil exports in half. Clinton was personally involved in these diplomatic efforts and pushed them publicly.13 The sanctions made Iran agree to stop building nuclear weapons in 2015.

Instrumental in negotiating the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Accord.14 15 The developed and major developing nations agreed to limit global temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius over the pre-industrial level. They also agreed to pay $100 billion a year by 2020 to assist poor countries affected the most by climate change.

Timeline and Additional Accomplishments

1977: Founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.16 It did research and educate the public on children's issues. Joined Rose Law Firm. Appointed by President Carter to chair the board of the Legal Services Corporation.

1979 to 1982: First Lady of Arkansas during Governor Clinton's Administration. Became first woman partner of Rose Law Firm.

1982 to 1992: First Lady of Arkansas. Chaired Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, which created new state school standards. Founded Arkansas Home Instruction Program for Pre-School Youth. Helped created Arkansas' first neonatal intensive care unit. On the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Legal Services and Children's Defense Fund. Corporate board member of TCBY and Lafarge. First female board member of Wal-Mart from 1986 to 1992. Chaired American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession from 1987 to 1991. Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983. Arkansas Mother of the Year in 1984.

1993 to 2001: First Lady during the Clinton administration. Chair of the Task Force on National Healthcare Reform. She continued to be a leading advocate for expanding health insurance coverage, ensuring children are properly immunized, and raising public awareness of health issues. She was the first First Lady with a postgraduate degree.

2000 to 2008: U.S. Senator from New York. Senate Committees: Armed Services; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Environment and Public Works; Budget; Aging. Member of Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. She also led the charge on the Lilly Ledbetter Pay Equity Act.

2009 to 2013: U.S. Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Opened Chinese markets to U.S. companies.

Amadeo, Kimberly. "14 of Hillary Clinton's Major Accomplishments." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/hillary-clinton-s-accomplishments-4101811.

[peachyteabuck]

treason against kingly youth, pt i of ii

summary: somehow, you survived the 2020 election. now, all you have to do is get a know-nothing white man into the senate. should be easy enough. 

pairing: chris evans x reader

words: 3223

trigger warnings: rpf, white dudes doin White Dude Things

ask box / masterlist / commission info / ko-fi

For a moment, just a moment, you allow yourself to breathe, really breathe. One, big breath in that clears the stress from your muscles, drops your shoulders, lets your whole body sag against the decade-old chair that you’re surprised hasn’t crumbled under the weight of your ever-tense body and its corresponding sins.

It’s a mere six feet away that everyone else you’ve worked with for the past three years with – the people you went through sleepless nights, long road trips, greasy food from mom and pop diners with the middle of assfuck nowhere, registering voters and writing up another plan for every fucking thing wrong with America (low teacher pay? Check. Electoral college ruining democracy? Check. Criminalization of homosexuality? Check. Private school sucking the life out of public schools? The monopoly artificially inflating prices on glasses up to 400%? The disparity between the number of men’s and women’s bathrooms in federal buildings? Check, check, check) – each and every person celebrates with wine and whiskey and any other alcoholic beverages they can get their underpaid hands on. It’s not even the cheap stuff, no, this is top shelf liquor. This is D-Day, “we’ve got an hour before the nuclear missile hits” liquor.

There are two times people go this all-out on their spirits – the end of the world, and the end of an election (though, to some, they’re the same thing).

But not you. Never pitiful little you. Pitiful little campaign manager you doesn’t rest, doesn’t get to stop pulling rabbits out of hats and money from single moms and votes out of college students.

There’s three TVs in front of your desk, each playing a different news station and each anchor drowning the others out. It’s a cacophony of white noise, and not because

The only voice, the only singular voice that has cemented itself into this far, previously blissfully unattended corner of your brain. You can hear her, feel her own on your shoulder – you can see her leaning against her old desk nestled in her home back in Massachusetts.

“I want you to be my chief of staff. You ran my campaign better than I could have asked for, and I would be incredibly lucky and blessed to have you run my White House.”

Your own voice rings next, always shakier than the time previous.

“I can’t do that,” your sigh gets deeper each time, too. “You know I can’t.”

Somehow, her voice always gets more confident. It’s one of those things about her, about the way she carries herself. If she’s faking that confidence you’d never know. “I know, but I’ll always tell you that there’s a place for you at the White House as long as I have something to say about it.”

In the sea of blue and red and white confetti and streamers and all the other shit people use to celebrate when their party wins an election, the thick, bleached white of your laptop screen stares back at you more menacingly than any Republican – winning or losing - you’ve ever met.

You’d like to think you are the kind professional that is never caught off guard, the kind of woman who can expect anything. But as the email that’s derailed your plan for the next four years stares back at you, the all-caps subject line feels more like the headlights of an 18-wheeler to a deer in the middle of a highway than an excellent career opportunity.

Still, with malt liquor in hand, you allow yourself a moment to breathe. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll make all of this just a little bit easier.

A little less than five hundred miles away, Christopher Robert Evans is the drunkest he’s ever been, surrounded by the same men he’s known since his freshman year of high school, yelling nonsensically as one of his current senators becomes the president-elect of the most power country on Earth.

The only coherent thing to leave the man’s mouth the entire night is oh so wonderfully caught on a friend’s iPhone and will – quite likely – be posted to some social media site by the next morning.

The video (which you will eventually be seeing at your first meeting with the Boston native) shows him in a Harvard sweatshirt (a university he did not attend), deep blue skinny jeans, and a Patriots hat balanced just enough to show his (possibly) thinning hairline. There, between his two best friends, he screams in his played-up Boston accent at the top of his lungs:

“I’M GOING TO BE A SENATOR, BITCHES!”

But you, back in D.C., are blissfully unaware of the long road ahead of you. So, you enjoy your malt liquor, and your small bit of quiet on election night – a sign of the muted calm before the political shitstorm ahead of you.

You end up not replying to said email the next morning (see: seven hours later after falling asleep in your chair for about five hours and then browsing angry GOP Twitter accounts while cackling into a cup of the blackest coffee you’ve ever tasted for the other two), confirming you’d be willing to work for Christopher Robert Evans’ campaign to run for the current president-elect’s soon-to-be open senate seat.

Or, at least confirming you’d speak to the Evans family to talk about running the campaign of the whitest man under the age of forty you’ve ever seen. Whether or not you ended up attempting to control what is likely another dumpster-fire campaign in a series of dumpster-fire campaigns. Harris is the one that comes to mind, but drawing any parallels between that woman and this man feels borderline offensive.

Plus, her senate run was successful. And she held elected office before that.

Why did you agree to do this again?

Right, you need money. So much money. All of the money. At least enough money that you can be bought from straight under the White House, which just so happens to be the amount the Evans estate offered you in exchange for your services.

Maybe that’s why you’ve found yourself in a conference room in an expensive office building, looking up at Chris Evans as his face turns red and your heart rate picks up.

“I’m Massachusetts’s best choice!” he screams, slamming his hands onto the table – a rich brown you sort of wish you could afford to have in your own home back at the capital. Your estate sale table, even with the coat of white paint you gave it after buying it, still can’t hold a candle to the beautiful grooves and smooth top.

But this isn’t time to yearn for better interior design prospects. Now is the time to put this moderate democrat man-child in his upper-middle-class place.

“Chris, you’re the best choice for an internship for the fucking EPA,” you nearly hiss. “You’re in the intern in Vice who watched Dick Cheney make deals with those fucking oil businessmen. You’re the shiny faced bastard who watched the world burn while listening to a Walkman. Do you understand me?”

His teeth are barred like he’s about to bite at your face; luckily that man comes with an electric collar and you’ve got the controller.

“Your biggest qualification is you got a five on the AP Gov exam. You have a single living family member who has held elected office in the last five years, and he was in the House of Representatives. The House! He wasn’t even in the chamber you’re gunning to be a part of. You were an econ major with a minor in, what? Poli sci? At a mid-tier university because your family doesn’t have Kushner money to bribe your acceptance letter out of a better one. Your main job after college was working as an accountant for old fraternity because they get audited so often the IRS had to release a public statement saying they were changing their processes for such matter on college campuses. You’re so moderate you’re in the aisle playing legislative mad-libs while everyone fawns over your B+ facial hair and C- chest tattoo. You’re a cute puppy at a for-profit rescue, you’re eye candy on a political television show.

“You’re the type of person who didn’t think that Gillibrand was done for before the second debate. That’s the problem with you. I mean there are lots of problems with you, but that’s the one I’m most annoyed with right now. It’s not that you can’t understand patterns or see what’s going on around you. It’s that you were never forced to. When you walk outside in the dark, I bet you don’t look behind you, you don’t clutch your keys like claws to protect yourself. You know how much pepper spray costs? Do you know what a noisemaker does? No, you’ve never had to. You’ve never had to shield yourself from danger because the rest of the world did that for you.”

It’s then that you realize you’re both standing, your finger jabbed into the Windsor knot of his tie. Still, you don’t stop.

“You are the shell of an actual politician; you represent a safe option for right-adjacent Democrats and moderate Republicans who hate the president’s coalition and women. Especially women of color. You’re the perfect option because you stand for nothing of substance, you do nothing on your own. You’re a cover for old racist white men and moderate white women who need something to attatch their lack of political knowledge to during dinner conversations. Either you shape up, or I’m leaving this campaign and watching your inevitable fall from my office in the White House. I will drink a martini in the West Wing the day you lose, I will release a glowing endorsement of the first liberal who so much as whispers about taking your ass down. Do you understand me?”

The longest few seconds of your life pass with bated breath as you two stand there, chests rising and falling in a synced rhythm with your jaws set. It’s a stand off, neither of you willing to look away from the other’s eyes.

“Do you understand me, Evans?” you bite, getting angrier at each passing Chris says nothing. It’s not the self-reflective kind of silence, it’s the generic peanut butter when you’re too broke to afford the real stuff. It’s pasta before a marathon. It’s ads the radio station plays when they’re out of loops of the latest rape-adjacent pop hit.

It’s a filler. And it’s a bad one.

“¿Te comprende?” You’re almost yelling now, screaming in his face louder than you’ve ever screamed before. “¿Me necesitas para decirlo de nuevo?”

Another heavy pause. Chris’ voice is rough as he speaks, like ten grit sandpaper. “Yeah, I get it. I fucking get it.”

And with that, he grabs his side bag and stomps out of the conference room, grumbling something about high school Spanish and Despacito. You ignore his tantrum – unlike his father, who moves to run after him. You shoot daggers into the silver-haired ca, and he sits back down.

You push the too-sweet aftertaste of canned fruit to the back of your mouth. The thick resume paper slides out of your laptop-case-slash-important papers-folder with ease, the heavy five-hundred word essay on why you hate your job detailed in 12-font Times New Roman, pristine black letters nearly shining in the low light.

“That’s my letter of resignation,” you say, looking your boss dead in the eyes. With his jaw set the way it is, you expect to hear his teeth cracking before you could leave the boardroom.

“You know we can’t accept this,” his father says with a tone that’s much too close to a laugh. A nervous laugh, but one that makes you feel like he’s treating you as if you were a joke nonetheless. “You’re our only hope for this race.”

The second sheet of paper - or, rather, the small stack with a staple in the top right corner perfectly perpendicular to the nearest corner - hits the table next. “Then, these are my demands. Let me know by midnight tonight if you can meet them or not so I know whether or not to accept a job somewhere else.”

With that, you pick up your coat and leave.

The driver, a single mom in her mid-forties who is helping put her only son through college, laughs when you enter the backseat of her vehicle. It’s not condescending, not something you feel offended by. Rather, shame paints your face.

“Did Mr. Evans-Junior snap?” She asks as she pulls away. Her tone is knowing, too knowing. How long has she worked for the Evans anyway?

You sigh, then scream into your hands. The woman in front of you doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move a muscle as she waits for your reply. “He’s an idiot.”

The woman laughs. “That’s not what I asked, and I know you know that.”

You’re tempted to scream again, only a little louder. You don’t. “He snapped. I snapped,” you sigh again as you watch out the window. It’s late, too late for traffic to be like this. Fuck Boston. “Now I want to go home and take off my bra and wash off my make up and ger super drunk and shave all my hair off and quit my job and become a sheep herder in Iceland.”

The woman doesn’t disagree, doesn’t negate. She gives you the wonderful gift of silence until she drops you off, waving you goodbye.

“You have a good night,” she calls.

“I’ll do my best,” you shout back.

You’re alone in your apartment, dressed in the most comfortable (and expensive) pair of pajamas you own with red wine and some playlist titled an artsy version of “my life is very sad and my world is falling apart so I bought a $200 bottle of alcohol and hope I cry off my name-brand make up before I have to reemerge into the eyes of polite society,” when you get the text you’ve been dreading. It’s Chris, with his perfect capitalization and punctation and lack of emoji use. You’ve seen the way he texts the rest of the team, his family, his friends. He only pulls that shit with you.

Fuck, you think as you open the message. That kid’s really gotta loosen up. Isn’t weed legal in Massachusetts? He’s a Democrat, there’s no excuse.

He’s asking if he can come over, because of course he is. You’re just lucky the message is something closer to “I feel bad and wish to speak about it with you in person” instead of the crass “u up” you expected. Still, when the three dots at the bottom of the screen appear once again, you assume it’s going to be a picture of his junk that loads.

“Please,” is all the text says.

You acquiesce, sending him something akin to a “Fine but if you step out of line again your ass is going to be explaining why you fucked up to the cold-as-fuck pavement outside.”

You hear the knock at your door thirty minutes later (you often forget how shitty Boston traffic is), opening it to reveal the saddest white boy you’ve ever seen in your short life.

His chestnut hair is disheveled enough to indicate he’d had half of a sleepless night. This is the most casual you’ve seen him – basketball shorts with another Godforsaken Harvard hoodie with Nike sneakers – bags under his eyes completing the “sad frat boy who probably just flunked a chem exam” kind of look.

“Can I come inside?” he asks.

You sigh, trying to figure out how your life came to this. A jerk of your chin allows him entry into your small apartment, every surface littered with physical copies of presentations and a map of Massachusetts covered in stickers and sticky notes and scribbles of poll numbers from past campaigns. To Chris’ untrained eye it all looks like the homestead of a serial killer, but to anyone else on his campaign it’s his ticket to the senate. Politics is a game, a game with very public winners and losers and those who fall between; anyone who doesn’t study all of those outcomes is destined to find themselves either a) in a vacation home in the hills of Vermont drunk as hell, or b) running for president.

(You’ve considered how likely both of those possibilities are, and part of you fears he’ll do both).

There’s a heavy, awkward silence that falls over the room as you both sit down, facing each other.

“So,” you ask awkwardly. “Do you want, uh, a beer…or something?”

Chris shakes his head. “No, I’m, uh, I’m alright. Thanks.”

You sigh a little, relieved. “Good, because all I have is very expensive red wine and judging by our past interactions it is not worth having it spilled all over my white carpet.”

For a moment it’s obvious he doesn’t realize that you’re kidding, but after a few seconds of a facial expression that’s a perfect blend of concerned, rejected, and confused – he lets a little smile get past his façade.

“Yeah, uh,” he laughs. “That sounds like a bitch to clean up.”

What follows is a few minutes of incredibly awkward silence as he looks around your house once more and you take the opportunity to look at him.

It’s weird to see him in this state – it’s weird to see him as something human.

Still, you want to snap at him when he breaks the quiet.

“I want to do better,” he says, voice small. He avoids meeting your eyes, wrings his hands while he looks at the floor. “I thought about what you said and I,” he sighs. “I’m sorry. I want to do better…for you.”

You sigh, placing your red wine on the side table next to you before clasping your hands together. “Look, if you’re winning this election for me-“

“I’m not,” Chris says way too defensively. You let it slide for your own sanity.

“If you’re doing this for me, you’re going to be disappointed. Mostly because what your father wants and what I want are two very different things,” Chris opens his mouth to speak again but you hold you hand up to silence him. “Listen, I have a few rules with my clients. The first one is don’t lie to me. We can talk around this all day outside the boundaries of this home, but if you can look me in the eye on my couch while I drink my wine and tell me you’re doing this for a love of the people or whatever, I’m going to need you to leave.”

Chris gives you a single silent nod.

“But, if you want to win this shitshow…” you drink the rest of the glass in a single gulp. “Then, yeah. Let’s fucking do this.”

Chris lights up.

“But, I have some rules.”

He nods silently, allowing you to continue.

You count off on your fingers. “Don’t lie to me. When I ask a question, answer it. If I don’t ask a question, answer it anyway. I want to know everything, got it?”

Chris nods.

“The only time I don’t want you to speak is when I tell you to shut the fuck up. You got that, too?”

Chris nods again.

“Good, then I have a sneaking suspicion this will work out just fine.”

[brooklynmuseum]

Stronger Together

Hey Brooklyn, 

We know that this is a precarious time in New York, and we want you to know we got your back. The Brooklyn Museum has been keeping the community at the center of our heart and mind. We are here to support you with art, culture, and most importantly love. During this time, it is important we continue to uplift and love each other, because to love is necessary work, and it is in love that we learn to build community, thrive, and lead under any circumstances. So, you know what to do! Check out the resources below, and tell a loved one to tell a loved one. 

If you have questions, or have more you wish to see or to spotlight, reach out. We want to hear from you! Please email stay.connected@brooklynmuseum.org. 

Text 'COVID' to 692-692 to get important COVID-19 related updates sent straight to your phone. You can text 'COVIDESP' to get updates in Spanish.

Local Business Highlights of the Week: 

Our quick fix for all flavors of chicken and waffles, Sweet Chick, is finally open for takeout and delivery only noon - 9pm everyday!  

Sweet Science is a warm neighborhood eatery where you can always enjoy a quality meal and a great drink.Though we're missing their hip-hop gallery, takeout & delivery food and cocktails (try their frozen drinks!) menu available Tuesday - Sunday,  2:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

Census

Complete the 2020 Census today at my2020census.gov! 

Resources for artists, freelancers, and gig workers

Freelancers Union Freelancers Relief Fund will offer financial assistance of up to $1,000 per freelance household to cover lost income and essential expenses not covered by government relief programs.

The Artist Community Relief Fund supports artists and arts workers in the Lower East Side and Chinatown community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides unrestricted $250 emergency grants. 

BxArts Factory Emergency Fund to Support Artists / Volunteers: an emergency fund through Go Fund Me, which will make proceeds available to artists directly connected to BxArts Factory in the Bronx.

Freelance Audio Fund provides emergency relief to the professional audio community impacted by COVID-19.

Facebook Small Business Grants Program - Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where they operate. 

Food Resources

These guides by the Hunter College Food Policy Center list all food options (including stores that offer delivery and take EBT), by neighborhood.

Find resources like how to get funding for food and where to go to find food. 

For LGBTQIA+ Communities

Black Excellence Collective: Black LGBTQIA+ mutual aid relief fund for vulnerable community members, including older adults, people with disabilities, those who engage in sex work, people who are undocumented, and those who are housing insecure. Black Trans Media: provide Black TGNC people and low-income communities of color in Brooklyn with supplies, cooked meals, groceries, and support as well as digital spaces for organizing and documenting communities' response to the pandemic. Fearless Femme 100: provides free mental health services to queer Black and Indigenous residents in Brooklyn.

People Who Are Formerly or Currently Incarcerated Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions provides post-release support for returning citizens in Brooklyn, including legal advocacy and community connections. 

Support  Release Aging People in Prison - RAPP to advocate for the release of older adults in prison, who are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

For Sex Workers

SWOP Brooklyn created this relief fund that will be providing monetary aid to sex workers in the New York City area who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. SWOP Brooklyn also has a panel discussion Saturday, May 23 at 6:00pm on Sex Workers during this pandemic, and resources that can be given to them. 

Undocumented Citizens

The New York State Youth Leadership Council is compiling this live document of resources in NYC around COVID19 support efforts. We are prioritizing resources open to undocumented people. 

Guidance for People Who Use Drugs and Harm Reduction Programs

These guides for people who use drugs and harm reduction programs were created by: Higher Ground Harm Reduction, Reynolds Health Strategies, Harm Reduction Coalition, and Vital Strategies.

For Workers Who Need Childcare

Are you a parent who needs childcare while you work during the COVID-19 outbreak? Our volunteers are here to help you find the safest, lowest-cost options for your family. 

Housing for Frontline Workers

Let’s find you a place to call home during your COVID-19 support work.  AirBnB partnered with hosts to connect 100,000 healthcare staff and first responders with frontline stays so they can be close to their patients and safely distanced from their own families.

Internet and Technology

To help students stay connected during emergencies, the NY Department of Education is lending internet-enabled iPads to support remote learning for students. If you would like to request a device for a NYC student in your family, please fill out the form. The DOE will use the contact information you provide to get in touch with you to discuss when and where you can pick up a device. Priority will be given to students most in need, and all devices are granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. There is a limit of one device per student. List of U.S Providers offering free Wi-Fi or special accommodations for 60 Days.

Remember to Follow Our Elected Officials For News:  

See what NY Senator Gillibrand is advocating for in Capitol Hill for New Yorkers on Twitter! We are Tremendously thankful for her support for Culture during this time. Thank her for us too! 

What’s going on da Hill? Follow our Senator Chuck Schumer on Twitter. We thank him for supporting NY through this pandemic, and supporting all valuable institutions in the Senate. Thank him for supporting the Brooklyn Museum so we can continue to support you! Don’t forget to @ him!  

Stay up to date with information provided by Governor Cuomo. Follow our New York State governor on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for up to date information regarding new health guidelines closures, and executive orders. 

The Mayor has a new Daily Message available on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube every morning. If your constituents have questions, comments or concerns, they want him to respond to, they can send them using the hashtag #AskMyMayor 

The City Comptroller’s COVID-19 Resource Center contains critical information on the many government programs available to assist New Yorkers in need, recent policy changes regarding health and safety, options for financial support for residents and businesses alike, and organizations to reach out to for additional assistance.

The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President provides the most up-to-date information and resources to Brooklynites. Follow these pages regularly and follow Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on social media for real-time updates.

Congresswoman for the 9th District, Yvette D. Clark is working hard in Congress to support our local communities. Follow the Congresswoman on her Twitter to receive updates on what is going on in Washington DC and resources available in your ‘hood! Thank her for supporting the Brooklyn Museum during this pandemic. @ her on at twitter, you heard?!

Follow updates and news from Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo on Facebook and Twitter. Cumbo serves as the Council Majority leader for Brooklyn’s 35th District- Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Bed-Stuy.

Check out New York City Council Member Brad Lander’s resource page aimed to help NYC-based freelancers and artists navigate these uncertain times. Have your voice heard, fill out the survey and explore what benefits might be available to you. Follow him on Twitter for important updates.

Follow updates from the NYC City Immigrant Affairs office on Twitter interested in renewing your DACA application form. Call ActionNYC at 1-800-354-0365.

Ay-O (Japanese, born 1931). Basket of Fruit with Flowers, 1971. Color serigraph. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Poster, 77.279.7. © artist or artist's estate 

[zekedms]

Votes to confirm or deny Amy Comey Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court

YEAs ---55

Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Capito (R-WV) Cassidy (R-LA) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Cotton (R-AR) Crapo (R-ID) Cruz (R-TX) Daines (R-MT) Donnelly (D-IN) Enzi (R-WY) Ernst (R-IA) Fischer (R-NE) Flake (R-AZ) Gardner (R-CO) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Heller (R-NV) Hoeven (R-ND) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johnson (R-WI) Kaine (D-VA) Kennedy (R-LA) Lankford (R-OK) Lee (R-UT) Manchin (D-WV) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS) Murkowski (R-AK) Paul (R-KY) Perdue (R-GA) Portman (R-OH) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rounds (R-SD) Rubio (R-FL) Sasse (R-NE) Scott (R-SC) Shelby (R-AL) Strange (R-AL) Sullivan (R-AK) Thune (R-SD) Tillis (R-NC) Toomey (R-PA) Wicker (R-MS) Young (R-IN)

NAYs ---43

Baldwin (D-WI) Bennet (D-CO) Blumenthal (D-CT) Booker (D-NJ) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Coons (D-DE) Cortez Masto (D-NV) Duckworth (D-IL) Durbin (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Harris (D-CA) Hassan (D-NH) Heinrich (D-NM) Heitkamp (D-ND) Hirono (D-HI) King (I-ME) Klobuchar (D-MN) Leahy (D-VT) Markey (D-MA) Merkley (D-OR) Murphy (D-CT) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Peters (D-MI) Reed (D-RI) Sanders (I-VT) Schatz (D-HI) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-NM) Van Hollen (D-MD) Warner (D-VA) Warren (D-MA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2

McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ)

55 REPUBLICANS VOTED TO CONFIRM. 0 DEMOCRATS.

THE PARTIES ARE NOT THE SAME.

VOTE.

[whitehotharlots]

Handicapping the 2020 Dem primary

Tier Four

The Tom Vilsack Memorial “No Chance in Hell” Tier

These are the candidates whose family members won’t even vote for them. They will drop out either before or immediately after Iowa. Some of them will be working specifically to plant the seeds of a 2024 run, while others are auditioning for an MSNBC gig.

Joe Kennedy

Any person who is simultaneously old enough and illiterate enough to have any fondness for the Kennedys is 100% in the Trump camp. Joe has zero appeal outside of this voting bloc, which literally does not exist. He won’t even win Massachusetts--won’t even be in the top five in Massachusetts.

Michael Avenatti

My man ain’t even announced his run and he’s already facing domestic assault charges. A potential Avenatti run had a mystical WWF vibe to it. I will admit, I was excited, the same as I’d be excited to finally pull alongside the accident that caused the pile up. No one has any idea what his policies are, because neither does he. He might honestly beat Trump in the general, as he is far and away the most likely candidate to physically assault Trump if the two ever share a stage (any Dem who punches Trump will be automatically 100% guaranteed to win the election). But he probably won’t even run.

Mitch Landrieu

Mitch will appeal to that small demographic of erstwhile independent voters who were drawn to Trump solely because he is an openly corrupt grifter. By May he will be a panel participant on a new MSNBC show that’s like Shark Tank but but all the contestants are trying to get the panel to fund their medical gofundme’s.

Eric Holder

Like every other member of the Obama administration, his faults are glaring and the relatively good stuff he did takes way too much context for most voters to understand. Under his leadership, the DoJ began began to litigate hate crimes, which had been almost completely neglected under Bush. That’s good. Also, under his leadership, the DoJ stalwartly refused to prosecute the war criminals who lied us into Iraq or the bankers who tanked the world economy. That’s bad. Politically, he has the platform of a Republican circa 1992. Personally, he has the charisma of a very dry snail.

Steve Bullock

He looks and sounds like the dumb guy sidekick of an old cartoon villain. He is therefore the Bebop/Rocksteady of the field. His policies are indistinguishable from any other civil moderate/fiscal conservative candidate, and his moistness will drive away both donors and media . (NOTE: With Bullock, the Avenatti Rule applies: if he threatens to physically assault Trump or any member of Trump’s family--especially including Baron--he will rocket to the top of the pack. If he actually assaults them, he will win the general election and usher in a glorious Centrist Utopia)

Kristen Gillibrand

She was once considered a front-runner for the same reason Corey Booker kinda sorta still is a frontrunner--because she looks similar to a previous Dem nominee, and many liberal strategists and commentators cannot conceive of a politics beyond identity markers. Trouble is, unlike Booker, Gillibrand pissed off her donor base by leading the the charge against Al Franken. I don’t for a second think that Gillibrand’s efforts had anything to do with principles. She just leaned into the wrong direction of the skid of cynicism: if there’s one thing Democrat donors hate, it’s a candidate who appears to adhere to any kind of moral framework. And Gillibrand is not the sort of candidate who stands a chance without full institutional support.

Tier Three

The “Gormless Dweebs” Tier

These people might stick around until late in the game for the same reason they’d stay at a house party until well after they were no longer welcome. Each also possesses a very particular strain of weirdness that might resonate with voters in New Hampshire enough that they’d finish in the top 3, but none has a realistic chance to live past Super Tuesday.

Martin O’Malley

O’Malley is the Democrat John Kasich. He’s mostly running because he wants to have people to talk to. Several New Hampshire people will nod at him and that will be it. 

Terry McAuliffe

Imagine if Joe Lieberman were a governor and slightly less physically repulsive. He is still a very moist man, and his only moments of attention will come when he criticizes one of the more left-leaning candidates after they point out that the Iraq war didn’t go so good. (Let me ask Senator Sanders a question. We he says that global warming is the biggest threat we face... has he ever heard of ISLAM?” *Tufts University crowd goes wild*)  Terry might come in top 3 in Virginia, and he also might stick around if a frontrunner is facing some kind of big scandal. But his main effect on this debate will be that of a zebra mussel on the side of a leaky rowboat, hoping it fills with just enough water that he’ll be able to slither aboard for the last few minutes before it sinks.

Elizabeth Warren

Warren is one of small handful of Dem candidates whose economic politics fall to the left of Margaret Thatcher. That doesn’t really work for her, though, because it’s hard for a quiet dweeb to project any sense of populism. She’d be a significantly less horrible president than most on this list, probably. But there’s no way she would beat Trump head to head. He can bait her with literally any claim and her response will always be “golly gee I will refute this man with logic and evidence and then those who repeated his taunts will surely see the error of their ways.” By August, it would get to the point where she’d be sending out topless pics to prove she really doesn’t have several teats and therefore is not a pregnant dog, as Trump suggested. But thankfully she will have flamed out long before that.

Tier 2

The “Viable Candidates Who Are Gonna Get Rat Fucked Really Hard” Tier

Sherrod Brown

Same general platform as Bernie, only without the voting record, name recognition, or widespread appeal. We are also living in an age where crudity is now taken for a sign of sincerity, and while he does kinda give off a “disheveled history teacher” vibe, that’s not enough to really combat Trump. Trump can only really be beaten by a platform, not a personality, so Brown might have a chance. But he’ll also almost certainly bow out before Super Tuesday. My guess he won’t be able to take the heat nearly as well as Bernie and he’s gone before Iowa.

Bernie

Bernie will win New Hampshire. He will win for the same reason he won it in 2016: he’s well-known there, he will be the only believable candidate running on a civil libertarian platform. He will win it by a bigger margin, because the Establishment field will be more split. He will win Iowa for the same reasons: much more name recognition now. Pledged delegates-wise, he will be far and away the frontrunner after the first two contests, although on-screen graphics will continue to present him as a longshot, due to superdelegates. He will then square off in a contest between 1-2 of the following candidates, whom the establishment will rally behind. He could win the nomination, but you and I literally cannot imagine the absurdity of the smears he will face. If he wins the nomination he wins the general Reagan vs. Mondale-style, and we might narrowly avoid civilization collapse. There’s only about a 25% of that happening, though.

Tier 1

The “If the Establishment Unites Behind Any One of These People They Will Beat Bernie for the Nom Then Get Stomped by Trump” Tier

None of these candidates would have a realistic chance against Trump, but each of them is well positioned to take advantage of the unique corruption of the Democratic Party. Our only real hope--as a society and a species--is that they manage to split the vote between themselves.

Kamela Harris

Did you watch HBO’s The Jinx? It’s about a weird, repulsive millionaire serial killer who keeps evading justice. She was the prosecutor who tried to convict him. To stress: she could not convict Robert Derst. She’s running in the right direction, though, (disingenuously) espousing some populist positions while hoovering up donor cash. She could very well wait this thing out and then see the donors line up behind her enough so that he "victory” is called by the AP right before the California primary.

Beto

Centrism couldn’t win in Texas, even with a candidate who was immensely more appealing than his opponent. That’s exactly what Centrism is designed to do, and it didn’t do it. It failed. It will always fail. Still, Beto is very handsome and very shameless and not Republican-level evil, which means he will make some money and also sway some idiots. But he’s not nearly connected enough, yet, to win the nom. He will come close however, and bow out at the right time so as to not burn any bridges. Beto will be the nominee in 2024, when he will narrowly win the popular vote but lose the electoral college to Immortum Joe.

Corey Booker

Laugh if you must, but Booker appeals strongly to the exact strain of idiocy that controls the strategy within the Democratic Party: He is a black male...  like Obama! That means he will win, since Obama did. Yes, anyone who spends a few minutes studying Booker will realize he lacks Obama’s intelligence, wit, and oratorical ability. But that’s not how the Democratic establishment understands politics: they believe, genuinely, that the way to win is to raise the most money while being in possession of the correct identity markers. Should a candidate do this and lose, as Hillary did, it was the inevitable result of machinations outside of their control. Ergo, we must appoint the anointed one and see if he pleases the gods. Plus, if you mute the TV and squint, Booker totally looks like Obama!

Hillary

The main benefits of wokeness--why it has so many adherents, so far as I can tell--is that it allows certain people to skirt all responsibility for everything they say and do, even as it forces others to attempt to adhere to literally impossible programmatics of speech and comportment. And so Hillary’s recent nativist turn will be forgiven (it will most likely go unmentioned), while Bernie’s wardrobe and posture will be used as evidence of his sexism. She can continue making jokes about Colored People Time, while any of her competitors will be crucified for not using the exact right terms in describing whatever happen to be the Woke Cause of the Day. This insulation from criticism is Hillary’s biggest strength with the Democrat electorate, while her fiscal conservatism will continue to help her with donors. She will get beaten horribly in the general, but still stands a strong chance in the primary.

Joe Biden

I have no idea how this man is leading in some polls other than name recognition. Which--don’t get me wrong, name recognition is huge, especially in early goings within a crowded primary field. But what does Biden bring to the table, policy-wise or personality-wise? I realize the people who bleat about how they don’t want any more OLD. WHITE. MALES. running for president are just trying to make their cruel centrist politics appear radical--but could they be shameless enough to actually throw their support to Biden? Biden, the dude who most certainly would have been MeToo’d were he still in a position of power? Biden, the pro-war economic conservative who repeatedly says that young people just need to stop whining? That’s the guy you’re gonna run against Trump? Probably. I would take a 50/50 bet on him winning the nomination.

Final odds:

Biden: 1:1

Hillary 1.5:1

Bernie 4:1

Booker 8:1

Beto 10:1

Harris 12:1

Field (including only aforementioned candidates): 30:1

[guccifloralsuits]

ON THIS PRIDE MONTH PLEASE URGE YOUR SENATOR TO PASS THE EQUALITY ACT

If passed, the Equality Act would ban discrimination on the basis of sexuality. The immediate implication: lgbtq+ people could not be denied service on the basis of who they love. 

You can read the full text of the Equality Act Here. 

Alexander, Lamar - (R - TN): (202) 224-4944 Baldwin, Tammy - (D - WI):  (202) 224-5653 Barrasso, John - (R - WY):  (202) 224-6441 Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO):  (202) 224-5852 Blackburn, Marsha - (R - TN):  (202) 224-3344 Blumenthal, Richard - (D - CT): (202) 224-2823 Blunt, Roy - (R - MO):  (202) 224-5721 Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ):  (202) 224-3224 Boozman, John - (R - AR):  (202) 224-4843 Braun, Mike - (R - IN):  (202) 224-4814 Brown, Sherrod - (D - OH):  (202) 224-2315 Burr, Richard - (R - NC):  (202) 224-3154  Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA):  (202) 224-3441 Capito, Shelley Moore - (R - WV):  (202) 224-6472 Cardin, Benjamin L. - (D - MD):  (202) 224-4524 Carper, Thomas R. - (D - DE):  (202) 224-2441 Casey, Robert P., Jr. - (D - PA):  (202) 224-6324 Cassidy, Bill - (R - LA):  (202) 224-5824  Collins, Susan M. - (R - ME):  (202) 224-2523 Coons, Christopher A. - (D - DE): (202) 224-5042 Cornyn, John - (R - TX): (202) 224-2934 Cortez Masto, Catherine - (D - NV):  (202) 224-3542 Cotton, Tom - (R - AR):  (202) 224-2353 Cramer, Kevin - (R - ND):  (202) 224-2043 Crapo, Mike - (R - ID):  (202) 224-6142 Cruz, Ted - (R - TX):  (202) 224-5922 Daines, Steve - (R - MT):  (202) 224-2651 Duckworth, Tammy - (D - IL):  (202) 224-2854 Durbin, Richard J. - (D - IL):  (202) 224-2152 Enzi, Michael B. - (R - WY):  (202) 224-3424 Ernst, Joni - (R - IA):  (202) 224-3254 Feinstein, Dianne - (D - CA):  (202) 224-3841 Fischer, Deb - (R - NE):  (202) 224-6551 Gardner, Cory - (R - CO):  (202) 224-5941 Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY):  (202) 224-4451 Graham, Lindsey - (R - SC):  (202) 224-5972 Grassley, Chuck - (R - IA):  (202) 224-3744 Harris, Kamala D. - (D - CA):  (202) 224-3553 Hassan, Margaret Wood - (D - NH): (202) 224-3324 Hawley, Josh - (R - MO):  (202) 224-6154 Heinrich, Martin - (D - NM):  (202) 224-5521  Hirono, Mazie K. - (D - HI):  (202) 224-6361  Hoeven, John - (R - ND):  (202) 224-2551 Hyde-Smith, Cindy - (R - MS):  (202) 224-5054 Inhofe, James M. - (R - OK):  (202) 224-4721  Isakson, Johnny - (R - GA):  (202) 224-3643  Johnson, Ron - (R - WI):   (202) 224-5323 Jones, Doug - (D - AL):  (202) 224-4124  Kaine, Tim - (D - VA):  (202) 224-4024  Kennedy, John - (R - LA):  (202) 224-4623 King, Angus S., Jr. - (I - ME):  (202) 224-5344 Klobuchar, Amy - (D - MN):  (202) 224-3244 Lankford, James - (R - OK):  (202) 224-5754 Leahy, Patrick J. - (D - VT):  (202) 224-4242 Lee, Mike - (R - UT):  (202) 224-5444 Manchin, Joe, III - (D - WV):  (202) 224-3954 Markey, Edward J. - (D - MA):  (202) 224-2742 McConnell, Mitch - (R - KY):  (202) 224-2541 McSally, Martha - (R - AZ):  202-224-2235 Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ):  (202) 224-4744  Merkley, Jeff - (D - OR):  (202) 224-3753 Moran, Jerry - (R - KS):  (202) 224-6521  Murkowski, Lisa - (R - AK):  (202) 224-6665  Murphy, Christopher - (D - CT):  (202) 224-4041  Murray, Patty - (D - WA):  (202) 224-2621  Paul, Rand - (R - KY):  (202) 224-4343 Perdue, David - (R - GA):  (202) 224-3521  Peters, Gary C. - (D - MI):  (202) 224-6221 Portman, Rob - (R - OH):  (202) 224-3353 Reed, Jack - (D - RI):  (202) 224-4642 Risch, James E. - (R - ID):  (202) 224-2752 Roberts, Pat - (R - KS):  (202) 224-4774 Romney, Mitt - (R - UT):  (202) 224-5251 Rosen, Jacky - (D - NV):  (202) 224-6244 Rounds, Mike - (R - SD):  (202) 224-5842 Rubio, Marco - (R - FL):  (202) 224-3041  Sanders, Bernard - (I - VT):  (202) 224-5141  Sasse, Ben - (R - NE):  (202) 224-4224  Schatz, Brian - (D - HI):  (202) 224-3934  Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY):  (202) 224-6542  Scott, Rick - (R - FL):  (202) 224-5274 Scott, Tim - (R - SC):  (202) 224-6121 Shaheen, Jeanne - (D - NH):  (202) 224-2841 Shelby, Richard C. - (R - AL):  (202) 224-5744 Sinema, Kyrsten - (D - AZ):  (202) 224-4521 Smith, Tina - (D - MN):  (202) 224-5641 Stabenow, Debbie - (D - MI):  (202) 224-4822 Sullivan, Dan - (R - AK):  (202) 224-3004 Tester, Jon - (D - MT):  (202) 224-2644 Thune, John - (R - SD):  (202) 224-2321 Tillis, Thom - (R - NC):  (202) 224-6342 Toomey, Patrick J. - (R - PA):  (202) 224-4254 Udall, Tom - (D - NM):  (202) 224-6621 Van Hollen, Chris - (D - MD):  (202) 224-4654 Warner, Mark R. - (D - VA):  (202) 224-2023 Warren, Elizabeth - (D - MA):  (202) 224-4543 Whitehouse, Sheldon - (D - RI):  (202) 224-2921 Wicker, Roger F. - (R - MS):  (202) 224-6253  Wyden, Ron - (D - OR):  (202) 224-5244  Young, Todd - (R - IN):  (202) 224-5623

What to say: “Hi, my name is ______, my zip code is______. I am calling to urge Senator_____ to vote yes for H.R. 5, the Equality Act. Thank you.”

The opinions stated on this post are mine alone, and do not represent the office I work for. 

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Democrats running for president in 2020 are faced with a choice when making their pitch to voters: make attacking President Trump a key part of their message or ignore him and focus on introducing themselves and their ideas.

On the one hand, criticizing Trump could help candidates convince primary voters that they’re able to defeat him, but depending on what shots they choose to take, they could risk alienating voters in the general election. So we wanted to see how the candidates tackled this choice by looking at one of the most direct ways they regularly communicate with voters — their emails.

Lindsey Cormack, who runs the DCinbox project, a public database of email newsletters sent by members of Congress, says emails, like tweets, can give us insight into how politicians try to brand themselves. “They don’t have to deal with editors at the paper. They don’t have to deal with booking an agent to be on a TV or radio program. They can really say anything they want.”

So to get a better sense of what the candidates told their followers about Trump, we subscribed to the mailing list of every candidate that FiveThirtyEight considers “major” and looked at all the emails they sent in the month prior to the first Democratic debate. (Though, for a variety of reasons — including email targeting practices, engagement testing techniques and the fact that we haven’t given money to any of these campaigns — we may not have received all the emails sent by all the campaigns.1)

Overall, the candidates have taken very different approaches. Some candidates, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, seem to be ignoring Trump almost entirely, while others, like former Vice President Joe Biden, are heavily peppering their emails with invocations of Trump. Even some lesser-known candidates like Montana Gov. Steve Bullock are going all in on Trump — every email we received from his campaign during this period contained a reference to the president.2

Biden’s emails contained the second-most mentions of Trump. In total, we received 27 messages from his campaign that referenced the president by name. This strong focus on Trump seems aimed at portraying Biden as a strong general election candidate, which makes sense, as his perceived “electability” has been a central argument of his campaign.

In his emails, Biden has attacked Trump’s campaign tactics, his policy stances and his values. Biden has even sent an email that, rather than concentrating on his campaign, asked readers to sign a petition to “tell Donald Trump that welcoming foreign interference in our elections is unacceptable.” Even many of Biden’s fundraising emails are all about Trump, asking readers to “imagine the shock on Trump’s face” when they hit their fundraising goal and collect enough to “compete with Trump’s fortunes.”

While Biden mentions Trump often, his emails completely ignore the rest of the primary field — none of his messages mention another Democratic candidate by name. Another thing Biden never mentions? Impeachment.

Biden also sent the most emails with “Trump” in the subject line.

And that’s a telling omission, because many other candidates have called for Trump’s impeachment and are renewing those calls in their emails. The move could help them in the primary election, as impeachment is popular among Democrats, but could prove risky in a general election because most polls find that more Americans oppose impeachment than support it.

In the month leading up to the first debate, Sen. Kamala Harris, former Cabinet secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Cory Booker, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Gov. John Hickenlooper all sent at least one email entirely devoted to calling for Trump’s impeachment. O’Rourke, for example, sent a long email on May 30 explaining why he thought Trump should be impeached, and then a punchier one about two weeks later with “Donald Trump” as the subject line and “… should be impeached” as the only text in the body of the email, with a link to a petition.

While Warren was the first 2020 Democratic candidate to call for Trump’s impeachment — she publicly embraced that stance after the April release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election — we didn’t receive any emails from her campaign that mentioned the topic in the month before the first debate. Likewise, Sanders has also called for Trump’s impeachment, but didn’t send us any impeachment emails during the period we looked at.

Some candidates largely avoided talking about Trump at all in the month before the debate. For example, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg only mentioned Trump in one email, when he called Trump’s tariffs on Mexican goods “politically-motivated gamesmanship.” Warren also was largely silent on Trump in this period. Of the 56 emails she sent us that month, only four mentioned Trump, and of those four, only one focused on him for the bulk of the message.3 That email explained, “Our campaign isn’t about Donald Trump. That’s because he’s just the symptom, not the cause, of the crises we face as a country.” And Rep. Tim Ryan, who sent us 78 emails — the most of any candidate — didn’t mention Trump even once, although he, too, has called for Trump’s impeachment.

Bullock, on the other hand, mentioned Trump in every single email, often as part of a formulaic reminder to subscribers that he is the only presidential candidate to have won statewide office in a state Trump won.4

Candidates who have a harder time making an “electability” argument than Bullock varied widely in the tenor of their emails that mentioned Trump. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, for example, sent us fewer emails in the month leading up to the debate than most candidates, but he mentioned Trump in five of the seven emails he did send us. (And one the two that didn’t mention the president’s last name still used the hashtag #ConDon, which showed up in six of de Blasio’s emails and is meant to imply that Trump is a con man.) In many ways, De Blasio seemed to be trying to out-Trump Trump, aggressively attacking him and using name-calling tactics that the president is known for. In one email, for instance, he called Trump a “New York con man who’s just been made to smell his own BS” and referred to Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer, as Trump’s “lapdog,” whose insults were “even lamer than his boss’s.” But unlike de Blasio, most of the Democratic contenders seemed to have heeded former First Lady Michelle Obama’s advice to “go high” when their opponents “go low” and are trying to strike a different tone than the current president, rather than trying to outdo him.

So what does this tell us about how Democrats are crafting (or not crafting) their campaigns around Trump? Well, a few candidates, like de Blasio, Bullock and Biden, are at one extreme — mentioning Trump at practically every opportunity — and a few, like Ryan and Buttigieg, are firmly planted at the other extreme, remaining largely silent on Trump. But perhaps unsurprisingly, most candidates fall somewhere in between, striking a balance between talking about Trump and focusing on their own message. It’s early yet, though, and some candidates’ communication strategies might change as the primary progresses. Still, with so many Democrats running, the party will have collectively tried out many different avenues of attack before the general election. Ultimately, however, there will only be one Democratic nominee, and whoever that is, he or she will have a wide pool of pre-tested approaches to draw from.

[creepingsharia]

A Month of Islam in America: March 2019

A Month of Islam in America: March 2019

When Democrats took over the House after the 2018 elections, the House Homeland Security monthly report on terror, aka the Terror Threat Snapshot, was not only discontinued but previous reports were deleted from the government website. This is our version with a focus on Islamization in the U.S. that is much broader than just terror (jihad).

This month’s theme is one liberals and Muslims claim to champion: Diversity. As seen below, they are indeed diverse, but they all have one thing in common: Islam.

Links below may not work unless you know how to find archived posts because the tech police are now enforcing sharia law on Americans. You can easily search the names of the perpetrators and find articles on mainstream news sites or search for the described incident for more details. We likely won’t have time to rebuild all the links but are posting here for reference.

Future generations will thank you!

March 2019

Jihad & Terror

New Jersey: Muslim Sentenced to 16 Years Prison for NYC Bomb Plot on Behalf of ISIS

Gregory Lepsky, 22, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for planning to construct and use a pressure cooker bomb in New York on behalf of a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Wisconsin: Muslim convert in Milwaukee who tried to join ISIS gets seven years

Jason Ludke pleaded guilty in October. He committed the crime while on supervision for threatening to kill a federal judge and bomb a Green Bay courthouse. He had cut off a GPS monitoring bracelet before leaving for Texas.

Georgia: Muslim Woman Arrested For Conspiring To Provide Material Support To ISIS

KIM ANH VO joined the United Cyber Caliphate (the “UCC”), an online group that pledged allegiance to ISIS and committed to carrying out online attacks and cyber intrusions against Americans.

New Mexico: Muslims who ran Islamic compound charged with planning terror attacks in the U.S.

A federal grand jury sitting in Albuquerque, New Mexico returned a superseding indictment on March 13 charging Jany Leveille, 36, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40, Hujrah Wahhaj, 38, Subhanah Wahhaj, 36, and Lucas Morton, 41, with federal offenses related to terrorism, kidnapping and firearms violations.

The superseding indictment charges all of the defendants with participating in a conspiracy from October 2017 to August 2018 to provide material support and resources, including currency, training, weapons, and personnel, knowing and intending that they were to be used in preparation for and in carrying out attacks to kill officers and employees of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A.

Sidebar: Terror-linked CAIR offered them condolences (pic at right)

California man threatens to kill First Baptist Dallas pastor ‘in the name of Allah’

“I will assassinate your pastor in the name of Allah,” said a portion of the letter quoted in federal court documents. “I will burn down Christian churches … this is a threat.”

Missouri: Muslim Refugee Pleads Guilty to Providing Material Support to Terrorists

Armin Harcevic, 41, pled guilty today to an indictment in this case that charged him with one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and one count of providing material support to terrorists.

Wisconsin: Muslim woman pleads guilty to providing support to ISIS

Waheba Dais used social media sites to promote ISIS ideology.

Prosecutors say the 45-year-old woman hacked at least five Facebook accounts. She allegedly used them to pledge allegiance to ISIS and attempt to recruit others to join and conduct attacks on the terror group’s behalf.

Court documents go on to say Dais posted videos with instructions for making explosive vests and bombs — and exchanged information with other suspected ISIS sympathizers on how to make poison.

North Dakota: Somali Woman Charged With Terrorizing Neighborhood Was Previously Tied to Human Sex Trafficking Case

Hawo Osman Ahmed, 26, is charged with a Class C felony of Terrorizing stemming from an incident last November 29 when she confronted three women from her Grand Forks apartment complex with a knife. According to a Grand Forks Police Department affidavit filed in the case, Ahmed said to the women “I’m going to bust all your tires on your car and windows,” “Come over here I’m going to cut you,” and “I’m going to slice your neck,” all while holding the weapon.

North Carolina: Jordanian Muslim who tried to access Fort Bragg special ops facility faces 7 charges, deportation

Court proceedings for Nouran Ahmad Shiba Sueidan were held before Judge Robert T. Numbers in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

″[ICE] will seek to take him into custody for removal proceedings following the resolution of the criminal charges he currently faces,” Bryan Cox, a spokesman for the agency’s southern region, said last week.

Illinois: Bosnian refugee woman pleads guilty to funding fellow Muslim who died waging jihad in Syria

An Illinois woman on Thursday pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists for her role in funding a St. Louis County man who fought and died in Syria.

Mediha Medy Salkicevic, 38, of Schiller Park, Illinois, agreed with prosecutors’ claims that she sent money via PayPal to co-defendant Ramiz Hodzic, who then used the money to buy supplies that he sent to Syria. Salkicevic could face up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing in June, although defense lawyer Joan Miller said she expected a lot less. Salkicevic, originally from Bosnia, is now a U.S. citizen, Miller said.

Philadelphia: Mosque under investigation after child bride says “husband” sexually assaulted her 10-year old sister

Police are now investigating whether child weddings are being conducted at a Philadelphia mosque after a sexual assault victim comes forward to Action News.

In a Facebook video posted two weeks ago, one of the alleged victims describes her ordeal. She’s 17 now but says she first became a child bride at 14.

She says it didn’t last. And in 2016, she says she was married off to Rajmann Sanders, a man more than twice her age who then allegedly began sexually assaulting her and her 10-year-old sister.

Islamic Rape & Violence Against Americans

Dem Senator Kirsten Gillibrand fires Muslim aide after Politico investigates sexual harassment claims against him

Minnesota: Muslim immigrant who raped 10-year old girl gets just 12 years prison

Immigration Jihad in America

California: How did a Muslim refugee – arrested for ISIS cop killing – get into the U.S.? (VIDEO)

New York: “In Collaboration With NYPD,” Muslims Begin Muslim Community Patrol

Kansas: Overland Park Planning Commission Approves Muslim Brotherhood Mosque Expansion Next to Public Schools

Sharia in Your Community

Illinois: Chicago imam says Islamic caliphate our ultimate aim

Dallas: Outfront Media Refuses Billboard Offering Help to Muslim Girls at Risk of Honor Violence, Runs Ads Promoting Hijab

Minnesota: New task force led by Muslim AG and terror-linked Muslim groups may get opportunity to enforce Islamic blasphemy laws

Amazon Bans Tommy Robinson’s Book, ‘Mohammed’s Koran’, Mein Kampf Still Available

Sharia in American Education

Houston: Muslim Children Sing: ‘Allah Akbar, Khamenei Is Our Leader…We Are Your Soldiers’ (VIDEO)

Tennessee: Nashville charter school uses supremacist hadiths to teach Islam

Arkansas: Public high school teacher uses art project to indoctrinate students in Islamic faith

Student-housing deal structured to comply with Islamic sharia law includes 911 units in five U.S. cities

Sharia Adherents in Elected Office

San Francisco: Judge frees Muslim terror suspect who had one-way ticket, talked of killing U.S. soldiers

Virginia: Anti-Semitic Tweeting Muslim Democrat with Hamas-linked Donors Wins Special Election

Special election results in first Muslim woman “hijabi” in Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Florida: Terror-Connected Muslim Lawyer Running for City Commissioner of Coral Springs

Tennessee: Days before inauguration, Gov. Bill Lee prioritized meeting Muslim Council while denying requests for meetings with non-Muslim groups

Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar Holding Secret Fundraisers with Terror-linked Islamic Groups

Minnesota: Bill Will Ban Driving With Mobile Phone…Unless Phone is in a Hijab or Scarf

Arizona: Democrat Senate Candidate Mark Kelly Returns Thousands To United Arab Emirates

Pennsylvania: Dems, Specially-Elected Muslim Lawmaker Decry Opening Prayer as Divisive; Applaud Koran Reading

New Jersey Politicians Blind to Travel Agent’s Muslim Brotherhood Connections

Fraud for Jihad in America

Connecticut: Syrian Psychiatrist Agrees to Pay $3.38 Million to Settle Medicare, Medicaid Fraud

Louisiana: Muslim – who plotted to kill girlfriend’s unborn baby – arrested in $1.2M food stamp fraud

Florida: Davenport doctor settles health care fraud lawsuit for $2.2M

And last, a rare month where the sharia onslaught was halted, albeit temporarily, in multiple cases:

California: Anti-Islamophobia Settlement Bars Terror-linked Muslim Group CAIR from Indoctrinating Students in San Diego School District

Idaho: Bill to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) clears state Senate

Pennsylvania: Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Filed By Islamic Group Against Lutheran Pastor

Federal judge strikes down request to expedite case of ISIS bride who wants to come to U.S.