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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
November 10, 2012
It’s been a brutal election season. It seems that our nation is irreparably divided, but we are still good people. Sometimes you have to look for it and sometimes you accidentally find it. With security cameras everywhere, they are bound to find people at their best as well as at their worst.
Watch this video and enjoy. And next time you see a security camera, let them catch you doing something really awesome.
Security Cameras Capturing People In The Act – Of Being Awesome
It’s been a brutal election season. It seems that our nation is irreparably divided, but we are still good people. Sometimes you have to look for it and sometimes you accidentally find it. With security cameras everywhere, they are bound to find people at their best as well as at their worst.
Watch this video and enjoy. And next time you see a security camera, let them catch you doing something really awesome.
November 9, 2012
Finally, the Republican Party has to set a tone that is more respectful, positive and inclusive. The immigration rhetoric that came out of the Republican primary seemed harsh, unwelcoming and offputting to many minority voters. Obama increased his share of the Hispanic vote and won it 69 percent to 29 percent (per The New York Times exit poll); likewise he built a huge margin among Asian voters, 74-25, almost doubling the margin of his support compared to 2008. Both of those constituencies are hardworking, upwardly mobile, family-oriented, and should be open to Republican appeals if we don’t make them feel unwelcome.
And if another Republican man says anything about rape other than it is a horrific, violent crime, I want to personally cut out his tongue. The college-age daughters of many of my friends voted for Obama because they were completely turned off by Neanderthal comments like the suggestion of “legitimate rape.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83632.html
We've written about the problem that talking about abortion has caused for Republicans this cycle. Hughes' comments reflect a broader concern within the party, and an issue Republicans have to address.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/11/karen-hughes-ill-cut-out-the-tongue-of-gopers-talking-149146.html
Karen Hughes: I'll 'CUT OUT' The Tongue Of GOPers Talking RAPE
Former George W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes dissects the lessons learned from the 2012 race on our home page, and cites a key one for the Republican party:
Finally, the Republican Party has to set a tone that is more respectful, positive and inclusive. The immigration rhetoric that came out of the Republican primary seemed harsh, unwelcoming and offputting to many minority voters. Obama increased his share of the Hispanic vote and won it 69 percent to 29 percent (per The New York Times exit poll); likewise he built a huge margin among Asian voters, 74-25, almost doubling the margin of his support compared to 2008. Both of those constituencies are hardworking, upwardly mobile, family-oriented, and should be open to Republican appeals if we don’t make them feel unwelcome.
And if another Republican man says anything about rape other than it is a horrific, violent crime, I want to personally cut out his tongue. The college-age daughters of many of my friends voted for Obama because they were completely turned off by Neanderthal comments like the suggestion of “legitimate rape.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83632.html
We've written about the problem that talking about abortion has caused for Republicans this cycle. Hughes' comments reflect a broader concern within the party, and an issue Republicans have to address.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/11/karen-hughes-ill-cut-out-the-tongue-of-gopers-talking-149146.html
November 9, 2012
Vote these Weasels OUT!!
Florida Secretary of State A$$-Crack Rick Detzner
Florida’s GOP Secretary Of State Has NO REGRETS, Won’t Say He’s SORRY For Massive Voting Lines
In an interview with CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield earlier today, Florida’s Republican Secretary of State Rick Detzner tried to defend his states dysfunctional election process, which led voters waiting up to six hours in line just to cast their vote. Indeed, as Banfield told Detzner, she spoke to many voters who “tried twice to vote early,” but had to abandon those attempts due to long lines, only to wait another three hours to vote on election day. Yet Detzner appeared completely without remorse for the widespread barriers to voting he presided over.
In what was perhaps the most significant exchange, Banfield asked whether Detzner regrets a Florida law rolling back the number of days when voters could cast an early ballot. Detzner was unremorseful:
BANFIELD: Look, you all decided, with a Republican legislature to cut the early voting days from 14 to 8. For whatever reason you did that, do you regret making that choice, so that all of those people who didn’t get to the polls early stuck themselves in line and wound up waiting so long that many people walked away and were disenfranchised?
DETZNER: Well, let me point out that, while the days were cut, the number of hours were not. We still maintained 96 hours of voting, and it created greater flexibility for the supervisors. Uh, for the first time ever voters could vote during the day for 12 hours during the day, and I can tell you I heard feedback from voters going into election day that they liked the opportunity to vote either in the morning before work or after work. And frankly, I think the turnout is a good representation of the fact that people liked the voting hours and the flexibility that the supervisors had.
Florida Has NO REGRETS Over Voter Suppression
Vote these Weasels OUT!!
Florida Secretary of State A$$-Crack Rick Detzner
Florida’s GOP Secretary Of State Has NO REGRETS, Won’t Say He’s SORRY For Massive Voting Lines
In an interview with CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield earlier today, Florida’s Republican Secretary of State Rick Detzner tried to defend his states dysfunctional election process, which led voters waiting up to six hours in line just to cast their vote. Indeed, as Banfield told Detzner, she spoke to many voters who “tried twice to vote early,” but had to abandon those attempts due to long lines, only to wait another three hours to vote on election day. Yet Detzner appeared completely without remorse for the widespread barriers to voting he presided over.
In what was perhaps the most significant exchange, Banfield asked whether Detzner regrets a Florida law rolling back the number of days when voters could cast an early ballot. Detzner was unremorseful:
BANFIELD: Look, you all decided, with a Republican legislature to cut the early voting days from 14 to 8. For whatever reason you did that, do you regret making that choice, so that all of those people who didn’t get to the polls early stuck themselves in line and wound up waiting so long that many people walked away and were disenfranchised?
DETZNER: Well, let me point out that, while the days were cut, the number of hours were not. We still maintained 96 hours of voting, and it created greater flexibility for the supervisors. Uh, for the first time ever voters could vote during the day for 12 hours during the day, and I can tell you I heard feedback from voters going into election day that they liked the opportunity to vote either in the morning before work or after work. And frankly, I think the turnout is a good representation of the fact that people liked the voting hours and the flexibility that the supervisors had.
November 9, 2012
According to Fox News’ Fox Nation website, the re-election of President Obama has triggered a wave of layoffs across the country. Fox Nation is featuring the claim prominently on its website (screenshot above). The evidence? One Utah company owned by a prominent Romney supporter has decided to lay off workers in the wake of election day:
Fox also linked to a series of other unrelated layoff stories, including those announcing layoffs in other countries, as if they proved the point. There are hiring and firings at firms all the time, and Fox presented no evidence that these layoffs were either related to the election or unusual in any sense. Also, the claim that Obama has launched a “war on coal” is nonsense: coal employment hit a 15 year high last November, and coal jobs are either higher or at the same level as four years ago in West Virginia, Virginia, and Ohio.
The coal CEO laying off workers is the same one who forced his workers to attend a Romney rally in August. Those workers had to forgo a day of pay in order to attend the rally. In the past, Murray has also forced his workers to make campaign donations to Republicans.
UPDATE:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/11/09/1171301/fox-news-obama-layoffs/
Fox News CLAIMS Obama’s Win TRIGGERED ‘Massive Layoffs Across America’
According to Fox News’ Fox Nation website, the re-election of President Obama has triggered a wave of layoffs across the country. Fox Nation is featuring the claim prominently on its website (screenshot above). The evidence? One Utah company owned by a prominent Romney supporter has decided to lay off workers in the wake of election day:
A Utah coal company owned by a vocal critic of President Barack Obama has laid off 102 miners.
The layoffs at the West Ridge Mine are effective immediately, according to UtahAmerican Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corp. They were announced in a short statement made public Thursday, two days after Obama won re-election.
The layoffs are necessary because of the president’s “war on coal,” the statement said. The slogan is one used frequently during the election by Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray, who was an ardent supporter of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
The layoffs at the West Ridge Mine are effective immediately, according to UtahAmerican Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corp. They were announced in a short statement made public Thursday, two days after Obama won re-election.
The layoffs are necessary because of the president’s “war on coal,” the statement said. The slogan is one used frequently during the election by Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray, who was an ardent supporter of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Fox also linked to a series of other unrelated layoff stories, including those announcing layoffs in other countries, as if they proved the point. There are hiring and firings at firms all the time, and Fox presented no evidence that these layoffs were either related to the election or unusual in any sense. Also, the claim that Obama has launched a “war on coal” is nonsense: coal employment hit a 15 year high last November, and coal jobs are either higher or at the same level as four years ago in West Virginia, Virginia, and Ohio.
The coal CEO laying off workers is the same one who forced his workers to attend a Romney rally in August. Those workers had to forgo a day of pay in order to attend the rally. In the past, Murray has also forced his workers to make campaign donations to Republicans.
UPDATE:
One of the laid off workers took to Reddit today to answer questions. He said, “Despite the fact that nothing has changed in the two days since the election they decide to lay off employees. I’ve seen how corrupt the company can be over the years and am fairly certain the layoffs are just a way to make the President look bad.”
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/11/09/1171301/fox-news-obama-layoffs/
November 9, 2012
The proverbial “Morning in America” dawned brightly for President Barack Obama’s supporters when they woke upon November 7th — after a long and tumultuous campaign — to a world their chosen candidate will preside over until 2016. Yet, none of us could have possibly looked more triumphantly beautiful and radiant than our beloved progressive media angel Rachel Maddow — who opened her post-election day show by giddily proclaiming, “That HAPPENED … it REALLY happened!” She even adorned her customarily austere eyelids with a festive dash of purple eyeshadow for this august occasion.
Maddow then got serious and launched into a litany of horrible things that would have happened if Mitt Romney had won and Barack Obama had lost. I had long known this already, but still got caught up with the outrage and subsequent shudders of relief. For anyone who does NOT fully understand the full extent of horrors our country has — thankfully — rejected, I have transcribed, compiled, and organized Maddow’s quotations into an easy-to-read list format we can all easily appreciate and share:
(1) “We are not going to have a Supreme Court that will overturn Roe vs. Wade. There will be no more Antonin Scalias and Samuel Alitos added to this court.”
(2) “We’re not going to repeal health reform. Nobody’s going to kill Medicare and make old people in this generation — or any other generation — fight it out on the open market to try to get themselves health insurance. We’re not going to do that.”
(3) “We’re not going to give the 20% tax cut to millionaires and billionaires, and expect [cutting] programs like food stamps and kids’ health insurance to cover that tax cut.”
(4) “We’re not going to make you clear it with your boss if you want to get birth control with the insurance plan that you’re on.”
(5) “We are not going to redefine rape.”
(6) “We are not going to amend the constitution to stop gay people from getting married.”
(7) We’re not going to double down on Guantanamo.
(8) “We’re not eliminating the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, or Housing at the Federal level.”
(9) “We are not going to spend two trillion dollars on the military, that the military does not want.”
(10) “We are not scaling back on student loans because the country’s NEW plan is that you should borrow money from your parents.”
(11) “We are not vetoing the Dream Act, we are not ‘self-deporting.’”
(12) “We are not letting Detroit go bankrupt.”
(13) “We are not starting a trade war with China on Inauguration Day in January.”
(14) “We are not going to have — as a president — a man who once led a mob of friends to run down a scared gay kid to hold him down and forcibly cut his hair off with a pair of scissors while that kid cried and screamed for help. (And there was NO apology, not EVER.)”
(15) “We are not going to have a Secretary of State John Bolton. We are not going to bring Dick Cheney Back. We are not going to have a foreign policy shop stocked with architects of the Iraqi war, we are not going to do it … We had the choice to do that if we wanted to do that, as a country, and we said no, last night, loudly.”
Yes, Ms. Maddow, we said “NO” as loudly as we could, and hopefully even these kinds of retrogrades know by now that “NO” means “NO!”
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/11/08/looking-forward-rachel-maddows-15-sucky-things-prevented-by-obama-winning-his-2nd-term/
Rachel Maddow’s 15 Sucky Things PREVENTED By Obama Winning His 2nd Term
The proverbial “Morning in America” dawned brightly for President Barack Obama’s supporters when they woke upon November 7th — after a long and tumultuous campaign — to a world their chosen candidate will preside over until 2016. Yet, none of us could have possibly looked more triumphantly beautiful and radiant than our beloved progressive media angel Rachel Maddow — who opened her post-election day show by giddily proclaiming, “That HAPPENED … it REALLY happened!” She even adorned her customarily austere eyelids with a festive dash of purple eyeshadow for this august occasion.
Maddow then got serious and launched into a litany of horrible things that would have happened if Mitt Romney had won and Barack Obama had lost. I had long known this already, but still got caught up with the outrage and subsequent shudders of relief. For anyone who does NOT fully understand the full extent of horrors our country has — thankfully — rejected, I have transcribed, compiled, and organized Maddow’s quotations into an easy-to-read list format we can all easily appreciate and share:
(1) “We are not going to have a Supreme Court that will overturn Roe vs. Wade. There will be no more Antonin Scalias and Samuel Alitos added to this court.”
(2) “We’re not going to repeal health reform. Nobody’s going to kill Medicare and make old people in this generation — or any other generation — fight it out on the open market to try to get themselves health insurance. We’re not going to do that.”
(3) “We’re not going to give the 20% tax cut to millionaires and billionaires, and expect [cutting] programs like food stamps and kids’ health insurance to cover that tax cut.”
(4) “We’re not going to make you clear it with your boss if you want to get birth control with the insurance plan that you’re on.”
(5) “We are not going to redefine rape.”
(6) “We are not going to amend the constitution to stop gay people from getting married.”
(7) We’re not going to double down on Guantanamo.
(8) “We’re not eliminating the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, or Housing at the Federal level.”
(9) “We are not going to spend two trillion dollars on the military, that the military does not want.”
(10) “We are not scaling back on student loans because the country’s NEW plan is that you should borrow money from your parents.”
(11) “We are not vetoing the Dream Act, we are not ‘self-deporting.’”
(12) “We are not letting Detroit go bankrupt.”
(13) “We are not starting a trade war with China on Inauguration Day in January.”
(14) “We are not going to have — as a president — a man who once led a mob of friends to run down a scared gay kid to hold him down and forcibly cut his hair off with a pair of scissors while that kid cried and screamed for help. (And there was NO apology, not EVER.)”
(15) “We are not going to have a Secretary of State John Bolton. We are not going to bring Dick Cheney Back. We are not going to have a foreign policy shop stocked with architects of the Iraqi war, we are not going to do it … We had the choice to do that if we wanted to do that, as a country, and we said no, last night, loudly.”
Yes, Ms. Maddow, we said “NO” as loudly as we could, and hopefully even these kinds of retrogrades know by now that “NO” means “NO!”
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/11/08/looking-forward-rachel-maddows-15-sucky-things-prevented-by-obama-winning-his-2nd-term/
November 9, 2012
If you just lost the Presidential election, and had to scramble to write a concession speech because you were so cocksure that you’d win that you didn’t bother to write one in advance, you might have a lot on your mind. Maybe you’d take a minute to thank your tireless campaign workers. Maybe you’d say, “What the heck, let’s eat that Victory Cake; it’ll just go to waste if we don’t!”
Maybe you’d call Karl Rove at FOX News and bawl him out for not winning the election for you. Perhaps you’d call your webmaster and tell him or her to take down your pre-prepared “President-Elect Romney” website, which you’d been proudly showing off to the world even before Election Day. Maybe you’d console your wife, telling her that moving into the White House would only have been downgrading, and that public housing was really not good enough for you, anyway. Maybe, after calling the President to congratulate him on his win through gritted teeth, you’d take a minute to phone your sons and break the bad news to them personally. Maybe you’d loosen your tie, announce that those grapes were probably sour anyway, and go take a nap. There are any number of things a losing candidate can do to wind down a long and exhausting campaign, and Mitt Romney probably did some of the things above.
Mitt Romney also made sure to cancel all Romney campaign staff business credit cards–in the middle of the night–which meant that some staffers, newly unemployed and straggling home after an emotionally devastating loss, discovered that their taxicab drivers were really pissed off because their Romney campaign credit cards were being declined.
Forbes reports:
No doubt a whole host of Boston taxi drivers found themselves stiffed when it came to tips early Wednesday morning. That’s what happens when the money trickles up, not down.
This is why healthy economies don’t depend on the trickle down whims of overlords. The minute Richie Rich decides he doesn’t need all that staff … well, that’s that.
In case you are wondering, this did not have to happen. The Mitt Romney for President campaign does not end with Romney’s Tuesday night loss. There are bills to be paid, and papers to be filed with various federal commissions. But clearly not those taxi bills.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/helaineolen/2012/11/08/mitt-romneys-campaign-cancels-staffers-credit-cards-in-the-middle-of-the-night/
cont
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/11/08/romneys-priority-after-losing-election-cancel-staff-credit-cards/
.
Romney’s Priority After LOSING Election: CANCEL Staff Credit Cards
"...What a guy. Sure, you’ll always “be part of [...] the Romney family”, but you leeches can’t do anything for Mittens now that he’s lost, so you can suck it up and pay for your own transportation home..."
If you just lost the Presidential election, and had to scramble to write a concession speech because you were so cocksure that you’d win that you didn’t bother to write one in advance, you might have a lot on your mind. Maybe you’d take a minute to thank your tireless campaign workers. Maybe you’d say, “What the heck, let’s eat that Victory Cake; it’ll just go to waste if we don’t!”
Maybe you’d call Karl Rove at FOX News and bawl him out for not winning the election for you. Perhaps you’d call your webmaster and tell him or her to take down your pre-prepared “President-Elect Romney” website, which you’d been proudly showing off to the world even before Election Day. Maybe you’d console your wife, telling her that moving into the White House would only have been downgrading, and that public housing was really not good enough for you, anyway. Maybe, after calling the President to congratulate him on his win through gritted teeth, you’d take a minute to phone your sons and break the bad news to them personally. Maybe you’d loosen your tie, announce that those grapes were probably sour anyway, and go take a nap. There are any number of things a losing candidate can do to wind down a long and exhausting campaign, and Mitt Romney probably did some of the things above.
Mitt Romney also made sure to cancel all Romney campaign staff business credit cards–in the middle of the night–which meant that some staffers, newly unemployed and straggling home after an emotionally devastating loss, discovered that their taxicab drivers were really pissed off because their Romney campaign credit cards were being declined.
Forbes reports:
No doubt a whole host of Boston taxi drivers found themselves stiffed when it came to tips early Wednesday morning. That’s what happens when the money trickles up, not down.
This is why healthy economies don’t depend on the trickle down whims of overlords. The minute Richie Rich decides he doesn’t need all that staff … well, that’s that.
In case you are wondering, this did not have to happen. The Mitt Romney for President campaign does not end with Romney’s Tuesday night loss. There are bills to be paid, and papers to be filed with various federal commissions. But clearly not those taxi bills.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/helaineolen/2012/11/08/mitt-romneys-campaign-cancels-staffers-credit-cards-in-the-middle-of-the-night/
cont
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/11/08/romneys-priority-after-losing-election-cancel-staff-credit-cards/
.
November 8, 2012
FRC: Christians Must Prepare for Civil Disobedience, Persecution
&feature=player_embeddedFamily Research Council head Tony Perkins speaks to Tom McClusky, Jim Garlow and Rep-elect. Mark Meadows about their 2012 election failures
November 8, 2012
But Brant has yet to comment via the social networking site. As of Wednesday evening, his joint Twitter account with younger brother Harry contained only the dregs of last night's election tweets.
H:yay Obama and all, but am i the only person who is DYING for Hill DOG to run in 2016! that stylish mullet needs to be in the oval office.
— Harry & Peter Brant (@HarryPeterBrant) November 7, 2012
P tp H: Yr a Democrat? Ok Bye forever... hahahaha #FamilyPolitics
https://twitter.com/search/%23FamilyPolitics
— Harry & Peter Brant (@HarryPeterBrant) November 7, 2012
P: Congratulations to Obama: This Counrty has alot of serious problems, but I guess we can wait another four years to start fixing them.
— Harry & Peter Brant (@HarryPeterBrant) November 7, 2012
All "jokes" aside, making threats against the president is no laughing matter. Donte Jamar Sims, a 21-year-old from North Carolina, was arrested in September after threatening Obama in a series of tweets, including one that said “Ima hit president Obama with that Lee Harvey Oswald swag," The Smoking Gun reports.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/peter-brant-ii-teen-billionaire-jokes-about-contingency-plan-to-kill-obama_n_2090312.html
Billionaire Son Peter Brant II Jokes About 'Contingency Plan' To KILL OBAMA & Posts It On Instagram
SECRET SERVICE should be knocking on his door shortly.
As Americans across the country reacted to news about President Barack Obama's reelection, one young member of the 1 percent took to Instagram to make a very public, very unwise joke. It all started when Peter Brant II, the 18-year-old son of publishing mogul Peter Brant Sr. and supermodel Stephanie Seymour, began exchanging mocking text messages with friend Andrew Warren, Jezebel reports. Warren, whose location on Twitter is listed as "NYC/HAMPTONS," joked that the election results were going to make him "poor," to which Brant replied, "I have a contingency plan. Kill Obama hahaha." The remark was then followed by a joke about women's rights.
Not wishing this witty exchange to remain just between the two friends, Brant took a screenshot and posted it to his Instagram. Comments were mixed, with someone feeling the joke was hilarious, and others feeling very much the opposite.
Warren took to Twitter to defend himself on Wednesday.
People seriously need to take a joke, the instagram obviously wasn't serious. Everyone can move on now I obviously believe in women's rights
— Andrew Warren (@adwnewyork) November 7, 2012
https://twitter.com/adwnewyork/status/266258416002027520
— Andrew Warren (@adwnewyork) November 7, 2012
https://twitter.com/adwnewyork/status/266258416002027520
But Brant has yet to comment via the social networking site. As of Wednesday evening, his joint Twitter account with younger brother Harry contained only the dregs of last night's election tweets.
H:yay Obama and all, but am i the only person who is DYING for Hill DOG to run in 2016! that stylish mullet needs to be in the oval office.
— Harry & Peter Brant (@HarryPeterBrant) November 7, 2012
P tp H: Yr a Democrat? Ok Bye forever... hahahaha #FamilyPolitics
https://twitter.com/search/%23FamilyPolitics
— Harry & Peter Brant (@HarryPeterBrant) November 7, 2012
P: Congratulations to Obama: This Counrty has alot of serious problems, but I guess we can wait another four years to start fixing them.
— Harry & Peter Brant (@HarryPeterBrant) November 7, 2012
All "jokes" aside, making threats against the president is no laughing matter. Donte Jamar Sims, a 21-year-old from North Carolina, was arrested in September after threatening Obama in a series of tweets, including one that said “Ima hit president Obama with that Lee Harvey Oswald swag," The Smoking Gun reports.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/peter-brant-ii-teen-billionaire-jokes-about-contingency-plan-to-kill-obama_n_2090312.html
November 8, 2012
SHADENFRUEDE: 2012 Fox News Election Night Edition
Dedicated to the memory of the Tea Party and their GOP puppets.
November 8, 2012
The Democratic Party made modest gains Tuesday, in the U.S. House:
Some argue the chances of larger gains ended in the 2010 state-level elections that brought the GOP in control of enough legislatures that they drove the post-census redistricting process out of reach for Democrats in hundreds of state legislative, and scores of national legislative districts.
Inveterate Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee critic, Howie Klein, watched the performance of DCCC-backed candidates this year, dating back to his coverage of the Democratic Party primaries from early spring through the summer. His early post-electon assessment of DCCC Chairman, Rep. Steve Israel, is as withering as were his critiques through the year. Here is Klein, damning Israel for using DCCC-related money to take out ads against a progressive Democrat in West Virginia:
If Howie Klein isn’t the only articulate critic of Rep. Israel, he is the most persistent:
We’ll get more into this is the coming days but every single Blue Dog Israel recruited– and wasted so much money on (money that could have gone to help progressives win)– has either lost or is losing tonight, as did Blue Dog incumbents Ben Chandler (KY) and Larry Kissell (NC). It’s like a redux of the Great Blue Dog Apocalypse of 2010. When will the corrupt Inside-the-Beltway Democratic Establishment learn that actual Democratic voters don’t want Blue Dogs and that Republicans have their own reactionaries so they don’t need them? These were the Blue Dogs Israel was trying to get over:
• Dave Crooks (IN)- LOST!
• Pete Gallego (TX)- undecided but losing narrowly
• Pam Gulleson (ND)- LOST!
• Nick Lampson (TX)- LOST!
• Gary McDowell (MI)- undecided but losing narrowly
• Brendan Mullen (IN)- LOST!
• Sal Pace (CO)- LOST!
• Hayden Rogers (NC)- LOST!
• Rob Wallace (OK)- LOST!
• Charlie Wilson (OH)- LOST!
When will Israel tender his resignation? With Obama, Senate Democrats and House progressives all doing so well, Steve Israel (and his allies Joe Crowley and Steny Hoyer) were the skunks at tonight’s party.
http://my.firedoglake.com/edwardteller/2012/11/07/will-obama-encourage-a-purge-at-the-dccc-in-a-push-to-take-back-the-house-in-2014/
Will Obama Encourage A PURGE At The DCCC In A PUSH To Take Back The House in 2014?
The Democratic Party made modest gains Tuesday, in the U.S. House:
History shows us that it’s hard for the incumbent president’s party to pick up a huge amount of seats when he’s up for reelection.
But Republicans under Ronald Reagan (16 seats) and Richard Nixon (12 seats) both gained more than Democrats under Obama. And perhaps most importantly, Democrats went into the 2012 election with their smallest minority in 60 years and had lots of ground to gain, given all the tea party-backed freshman Republicans who won in 2010.
But Republicans under Ronald Reagan (16 seats) and Richard Nixon (12 seats) both gained more than Democrats under Obama. And perhaps most importantly, Democrats went into the 2012 election with their smallest minority in 60 years and had lots of ground to gain, given all the tea party-backed freshman Republicans who won in 2010.
Some argue the chances of larger gains ended in the 2010 state-level elections that brought the GOP in control of enough legislatures that they drove the post-census redistricting process out of reach for Democrats in hundreds of state legislative, and scores of national legislative districts.
Inveterate Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee critic, Howie Klein, watched the performance of DCCC-backed candidates this year, dating back to his coverage of the Democratic Party primaries from early spring through the summer. His early post-electon assessment of DCCC Chairman, Rep. Steve Israel, is as withering as were his critiques through the year. Here is Klein, damning Israel for using DCCC-related money to take out ads against a progressive Democrat in West Virginia:
So Israel, who “officially” left the right-wing Blue Dog caucus and New Dem Coalition when he decided to go for a Democratic Party leadership role, set about trying to make sure to leave a clear path for Oliverio in 2014. The problem was just some activist grandmother with a grassroots following, Sue Thorn. Needless to say, Israel directed the DCCC and its allies and affiliates to ignore her and he told big Democratic donors to not give her any money. But he didn’t stop there. Even though the Democrats hold a heavy registration advantage in WV-01 and even though Thorn outpolled McKinley in the primary this year (49,203 to 36,107), Israel connived with the Blue Dog PAC, Center Forward, to run TV spots against Sue Thorn. Yeah… read that again. He the chairman of the DCCC, who Nancy Pelosi admiringly describes as reptilian, watched with glee as his close allies at the Blue Dog Research Forum (now called Center Forward) took out TV spots not just for reactionary, anti-Choice Democrats like Joe Donnelly, Mike McIntyre, Jim Matheson, Ben Chandler and John Barrow, but also for reactionary, anti-Choice Republican David McKinley. Ever hear of anything like that before? Is that why Pelosi called him “reptilian?” No, she thinks he’s fabulous.
Or she did. I wonder what she thinks about the breathtaking incompetence so clearly demonstrated across the board last night. All his horrid Blue Dog recruits lost. And, tragically, he was the cause of so many progressives who had ZERO DCCC support losing as well. In WV-01 Sue was beaten out by McKinley– one of the few things that went the way Israel planned it– around 60 to 40%.
Or she did. I wonder what she thinks about the breathtaking incompetence so clearly demonstrated across the board last night. All his horrid Blue Dog recruits lost. And, tragically, he was the cause of so many progressives who had ZERO DCCC support losing as well. In WV-01 Sue was beaten out by McKinley– one of the few things that went the way Israel planned it– around 60 to 40%.
If Howie Klein isn’t the only articulate critic of Rep. Israel, he is the most persistent:
We’ll get more into this is the coming days but every single Blue Dog Israel recruited– and wasted so much money on (money that could have gone to help progressives win)– has either lost or is losing tonight, as did Blue Dog incumbents Ben Chandler (KY) and Larry Kissell (NC). It’s like a redux of the Great Blue Dog Apocalypse of 2010. When will the corrupt Inside-the-Beltway Democratic Establishment learn that actual Democratic voters don’t want Blue Dogs and that Republicans have their own reactionaries so they don’t need them? These were the Blue Dogs Israel was trying to get over:
• Dave Crooks (IN)- LOST!
• Pete Gallego (TX)- undecided but losing narrowly
• Pam Gulleson (ND)- LOST!
• Nick Lampson (TX)- LOST!
• Gary McDowell (MI)- undecided but losing narrowly
• Brendan Mullen (IN)- LOST!
• Sal Pace (CO)- LOST!
• Hayden Rogers (NC)- LOST!
• Rob Wallace (OK)- LOST!
• Charlie Wilson (OH)- LOST!
When will Israel tender his resignation? With Obama, Senate Democrats and House progressives all doing so well, Steve Israel (and his allies Joe Crowley and Steny Hoyer) were the skunks at tonight’s party.
http://my.firedoglake.com/edwardteller/2012/11/07/will-obama-encourage-a-purge-at-the-dccc-in-a-push-to-take-back-the-house-in-2014/
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