Category Archives: Democrats

Jim Crow never actually died

Fierce Planet Posted on by

And we’re definitely seeing a resurgence in Tennessee where three state legislators joined in a protest against gun violence, and only the two young black men were stripped of their office. (gift link) Justin Jones (front) and Justin Peterson,currently not members of the Tennessee Legislature Tennessee vote marks latest GOP move to stifle dissent, experts say Tennessee Republicans’ dramatic expulsion of two Democrats who agitated for gun control in the state Capitol after a mass killing is the latest move by Republican state leaders around the country to stifle dissent and expand their power base, free speech experts say. In … Continue reading →

The next threat to abortion rights

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I’ve pulled together many more articles on the fight over abortion rights as it continues here in the States. Some are quite positive from a pro-choice point of view, as states set themselves up to be abortion sanctuaries. Some showcase the continuing efforts to further force all states to comply with the forced-birth agenda of anti-choice activists. As I have pointed out before, anti-choice activists continue to look for ways to restrict access to abortion pills in particular, since most abortions these days are medication abortions. Since the postal service is federal, there is no easy way to keep pills … Continue reading →

Respect the Daily Kos Guild, engage with the union

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Friends and kindred spirits wandering by this site probably have heard of DailyKos, the ur-parent blog of the US progressive sphere. Just last year, DKos (as the place is often known) celebrated the site’s 20th anniversary. Personally, I’ve been a member there for 18 of those years. I’m not entirely sure who makes up “Daily Kos Management” (DKM) these days, but a number of the workers at the site are represented by the Daily Kos Guild (DKG), a Pacific Media Workers Guild member and certified as the bargaining unit of represented staff. DKM recently announced layoffs that would affect more … Continue reading →

Republicans are a mess

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But Democrats are doing just fine. Earlier I mentioned that House Democrats had completed a shift of leadership for their caucus, with Hakeem Jeffries becoming caucus Leader. He was easily voted in by his caucus, and in fact won more votes in the Speaker’s race than poor, miserable Kevin McCarthy, though like McCarthy, Jeffries has no obvious path to taking over as Speaker. I said this version of Congress was going to be a mess, but I have to say the mess is already more spectacular than I ever imagined, and the whole thing completely belongs to the Republicans. Overall, … Continue reading →

Respect for Marriage

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To the ones who can imagine, respect oh yeah. This bill is far from perfect, and I definitely wish for more. But it is an important step nonetheless, to kill the hated Defense of Marriage Act and establish in law the principle that all marriages are equal. Biden makes a case against all forms of bigotry before signing the Respect for Marriage Act pic.twitter.com/Zm8lWg2xIU — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2022 If there is one message that breaks through from today, it's that this law – and the love it defends – strikes a blow against hate in all its … Continue reading →

Two podcasts ~ Choose a side

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This weekend I caught up with a couple of podcasts, and I’d like to highlight a few things. First is a segment on Pod Save America. I’ve set this up so it goes directly to an interview with Strict Scrutiny‘s Kate Shaw, a lawyer talking here about the Supreme Court hearing Moore v. Harper last week. (Strict Scrutiny itself is another excellent podcast, if you’re looking for some top-notch legal minds discussing the issues of the day.) This case presents the “Independent State Legislature Theory”, which you will no doubt hear about a lot in the near future. It is … Continue reading →

A change of Democratic leadership in the House

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The entire top tier of Democratic leadership will turn over soon. Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer have both announced they will not run for leadership positions again. And Jim Clyburn, who would otherwise move up, announced he is instead stepping down into the fourth place position. This makes way for an entire team of new, younger leaders. As ever Nancy has perfect timing, and I’m very glad that she and Hoyer plan to remain in Congress for now. I haven’t heard a lot about Hakeem Jeffries, who they’ve recommended for Leader, though I knew he was sort of “in training” … Continue reading →

Where we stand

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I still feel good about the election this week, though the Congressional side of things will remain unsettled for a while longer. But democracy has survived to fight another day, and that matters a lot. Women in particular turned out in defense of abortion rights and every state that had a vote on the issue upheld the right to choose. There is also a strong likelihood that Democrats will continue to hold the Senate, and there was no red wave in the House or anywhere else. The Secretary of State positions have been kept out of the hands of the … Continue reading →