Amaryllis
Amaryllis's JournalOregon legislature passed National Popular Vote today! This makes 14 states + Wash. D.C.
Today the Oregon legislature passed National Popular Vote legislation -- an agreement between states to ensure that the national popular vote decides who wins in U.S. presidential elections.
The bill will now head to Governor Brown's desk for her signature.
Oregon will join 14 other states (and Washington, D.C.) that have already signed this agreement, representing a combined total of 189 Electoral College votes -- nearly 3/4ths of the Electoral College votes needed to put this reform into effect.
Americans generally assume that majority rules in choosing U.S. presidents, but as weve seen in multiple presidential elections -- including the most recent one -- it's possible to win the Electoral College vote without an actual majority of votes.
The National Popular Vote interstate compact provides a simple solution. States agree to allocate their electoral votes differently -- casting them for the winner of the national popular vote rather than state by state, winner-take-all. The compact will only take effect when enough states who together control a majority of Electoral College votes sign on.
The Oregon legislature passed the National Popular Vote bill through the House chamber today, having already passed it through the Senate chamber. It now goes to the governor for her signature.
From a Common Cause email today.
For anyone who would like some background, thanks to Pat k: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/
Very sweet video of OUR President. Caution: it will make you both happy and sad.
I'd seen many of these photos already, but there are also many I have never seen, even in Pete Souza's book.
No need to explain why it will make you both happy and sad.
Robert Mueller appreciation thread.
Whatever you may think about everything he's done and may wish he'd done differently, I believe he has always acted with the greatest integrity and with the intent of serving the best interests of the country. He has been in a very difficult position. He looked weary to me today when he was speaking. It's been a long and very intense road he's travelled.
And what he did today took a great deal of courage; essentially challenging the AG. I also believe he is strategically brilliant.
And this was extremely important, especially given Congressional Rs obstruction on doing anything about election attacks: "I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments that there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. That allegation deserves the attention of every American." This puts it in the face of the entire country. He made it clear it was vastly more than "meddling."
Justin Amash kept saying READ THE REPORT!
And that few members of Congress had. WHich is basically what Mueller said today. It's all in the report. WAsn't it #1 on Amazon when it first came out?
Someone today on DU said people who won't read the book will watch the movie.
I hope Mueller at least will testify to House Intel about the counterterrorism aspect.
Howard Stern to Anderson Cooper: Trump was traumatized in childhood & needs therapy
Radio host Howard Stern told CNNs Anderson Cooper in an interview this week that President Donald Trump experienced a traumatic childhood and probably needed psychotherapy to recover.
Stern has known Trump for decades and frequently interviewed him on his show before he entered politics. In his new book, Howard Stern Comes Again, he details some of his experiences with Trump.
From what I know of Donald and his relationship with his father, it sounds traumatic. It sounds like the father was very domineering. The father expected a lot of him. And the father, I dont know, there was military school. You know, you read these drips and drabs and you go wow, Stern explained.
I can assure you hes been traumatized. Because, you know, Donald, you know, his level of narcissism is so strong. He has troubled with empathy. We know that. And I wish hed go into psychotherapy. Id be so proud of him if he did, and he would flourish.
But Stern said there was no way that Trump would actually ever attend psychotherapy sessions.
He also told Cooper that he doesnt believe Trump enjoys being president.
More at video and at link:
https://www.alternet.org/2019/05/howard-stern-diagnoses-trumps-narcissism-he-was-traumatized-in-childhood-and-needs-therapy/
What does it take to remove a U.S. president from office?
Excellent article on details about impeachment I haven't seen before, by a law professor who has a book coming out on the history of impeachment. From a month ago but worth reading.
U.S. Legal News
April 26, 2019 / 7:11 AM / a month ago
Explainer - What does it take to remove a U.S. president from office?
Snip
"Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law professor and author of a forthcoming book on the history of impeachment, said Congress could look beyond criminal laws in defining high crimes and misdemeanours. Historically, it can encompass corruption and other abuses, including trying to obstruct judicial proceedings.
HOW DOES IMPEACHMENT PLAY OUT?
The term impeachment is often interpreted as simply removing a president from office, but that is not strictly accurate.
Impeachment technically refers to the 435-member House of Representatives approving formal charges against a president.
The House effectively acts as accuser - voting on whether to bring specific charges. An impeachment resolution, known as articles of impeachment, is like an indictment in a criminal case. A simple majority vote is needed in the House to impeach.
The Senate then conducts a trial. House members act as the prosecutors, with senators as the jurors. The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presides over the trial. A two-thirds majority vote is required in the 100-member Senate to convict and remove a president from office."
And SCOTUS can't overturn. So when Trump suggests there is any judicial remedy for impeachment, he is just wrong.
More at link:
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-impeachment-explainer/explainer-what-does-it-take-to-remove-a-u-s-president-from-office-idUSKCN1S20YS
Rachel on Moscow Mitch and Deripaska connection on now!! Finally...
Reporting on it right now. And DAvid Vitter's highly unqualified wife getting appointed fed judge after they put the aluminum plant in KY and voted to life sanctions on Russian company who owns it...can't get it all down here as she's talking - too much too fast. Anyone else getting it? I tuned in halfway thru.
I've been waiting a long time for them to start reporting on Mitch's Russia connections. It explains EVERYTHING about him.
Comey explains to CNN audience just how Trump "eats your soul in small bites."
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/05/10/comey-trump-soul-lies-town-hall-sot-ac-vpx.cnnCouldn't get direct link to video but it's at the link. If anyone can find a direct link to the video clip, please post.
Anderson asks Comey how Trump eats your soul. The audience laughs but Comey is dead serious and proceeds to explain just how Trump eats your soul, and how when he didn't go along with the process, it was the end of their relationship.
Klobuchar on Rachel: "This wasn't meddling. It was an invasion." Finally.
This is the truth and it needs to be the narrative. I know many here have been saying this for a long time.
Rachel: Opening impeachment inquiry could help give House access to info currently
being withheld: Testimony, docs, etc. Whether or not they decide to proceed with impeachment may be a strategy to help get all the info being withheld currently.
Adam Schiff on now.
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