November 22, 2018

From Al Franken with Thanks.

From his Facebook account, no link for those who wish to stay away from Facebook today! Hope this is OK:

I’ve always really loved Thanksgiving. There’s the food, obviously. Franni makes her gigantic apple pie, and I make this great stuffing with wild rice – the real stuff from northern Minnesota. And, of course, there’s family. Franni and I have two beautiful kids (with two wonderful spouses), and we’ve been blessed with three perfect grandkids to spoil, with a fourth on the way. It seems like, every year, our table gets a little bigger.

But I also love Thanksgiving because I believe there’s power in giving thanks. I know it sounds like something Stuart Smalley would say – “That attitude of gratitude – it ain’t just a platitude!” – but taking a moment to be grateful really can make you a happier person. Also, a better person.

Last Thanksgiving, though, wasn’t much fun. I tried to be thankful for my family, my friends, and my health, but those weeks were incredibly difficult for us Frankens.

Over the last year, I’ve heard from so many of you – kind notes, supportive comments here on Facebook, people coming up to me at the grocery store or the gas station or the Vikings game to say hi. And it’s meant a lot to me and my family. Representing Minnesota in the Senate was the greatest job I’ll ever have, and I miss it more than you know.

I’ve also spent a lot of time over this past year thinking about the broader conversation we’ve been having about the experience of women in this country. I know that, for so many people, this issue raises a lot of powerful and painful feelings. This conversation can also be incredibly complicated. I don’t think it’s my place to weigh in on all the debates – but I will continue to listen and learn.

What I will say, though, is that, after a year of reflection, I’m finding it a lot easier to be grateful this Thanksgiving. Grateful for having had the chance to help make a difference on issues I care about. Grateful to all my supporters in Minnesota and across the country who made that journey not just possible, but joyful. Grateful to everyone who has reached out to wish me well – and, more importantly, kept carrying forward the fights I was proud to lead as a Senator.

And, most of all, grateful to Franni, who continues to be a rock, and to the family and friends who have always been there for me in good times and in less-good times.

As we gather around the table this year, we have a lot to celebrate, including a whole bunch of thrilling Democratic victories. But we also have a whole lot to worry about when it comes to our country. For me, and for so many of you, politics has always been about the improvement of people’s lives, just like Paul Wellstone said. And there’s so much more work left to do. I still miss being in the fight every day, and while I’m certainly not running for anything, I hope that, in the next year, I’ll have the chance to help make a difference again.

For a lot of Americans, this Thanksgiving comes during a time of real struggle. Men and women serving abroad are eating their turkey off trays at bases a world away from their families. Out in California, many victims of the horrible wildfires have no home in which to gather. And for some families, there will be an empty seat at the table.

So I know this isn’t a happy holiday season for everyone. But regardless of whether this past year has brought you joy or pain, I hope you’ll be able to take a moment this Thanksgiving to tell the people around you that you love them and give thanks for the good things in life. Franni and I wish you all the best.

With an attitude of gratitude,

Al

November 15, 2018

11/14 Newsweek Article on the Cretins newest claim. Voters changing clothes to vote again.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-illegal-voters-republican-disguise-1215632

-Illegal voters, after having already cast their ballots, head to their cars and change outfits in order to vote again, according to President Donald Trump in an interview released Wednesday. The president also stressed what he believed to be the necessity for voter IDs in elections.

The president made his claims just over a week removed from major Republican losses in the House and in governor’s races, with Democrats picking up 33 seats in the House and flipping control for the first time since 2010....

(Snip)
“The Republicans don’t win and that’s because of potentially illegal votes,” Trump said in an interview with The Daily Caller, a conservative news and opinion site. “When people get in line that have absolutely no right to vote and they go around in circles. Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again. Nobody takes anything. It’s really a disgrace what’s going on.”

There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the United States.

Several reports have indicated the president was angry over losing the House to Democrats, and a week ago he even called out Republicans who lost their seats for not accepting his “embrace.”-

...
Seriously. Certifiable.

September 28, 2018

Republican white males have just publicly gang raped every female in the United States. N/T

September 7, 2018

Opinion: Al Franken on the Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearings.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/09/07/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearings-showcase-republican-hypocrisy-column/1215578002/

“Recall that, in his opening remarks at the White House ceremony announcing his nomination, Judge Kavanaugh praised President Donald Trump’s diligence, declaring that “no president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.”

Kavanaugh's lie should disqualify him
This was extremely untrue. President Barack Obama, for example, had taken a month or close to it to pick both Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Trump had taken just 12 days to make his pick. And, of course, he made that pick from a list of 25 names presented to him by the right-wing Federalist Society.


If judgment matters, and if we want judges who make their judgments based on a full and fair understanding of the facts, a big, fat, easily debunked lie like Kavanaugh’s should have been instantly disqualifying. Instead, it became just the first example of how Kavanaugh’s selection to the Supreme Court represents a perfect illustration of what the conservative movement has been doing to the judicial system for decades.

Kavanaugh is the very model of a young, archconservative judge who has been groomed for moments like this one precisely because conservative activists know that he will issue expansive, activist rulings to further their agenda. Advancing the goals of the Republican Party and the conservative movement — starting by lavishing obviously nonsensical praise on a president whose own staff, per this week’s anonymous New York Times op-ed, considers him to be an unstable idiot who operates out of whim — that’s what Kavanaugh is there to do.

And no matter how much civics-class pabulum we get from Republicans on the Judiciary Committee this week, make no mistake: They’re in on it.”

August 25, 2018

President Trump speaks at Ohio Republican Party state dinner - as it happened AUG 24, 2018 6:44 PM

Source: CBS News

“Trump goes after Democrats
Mr. Trump criticized the opposition party, saying that he refused to say the 'Democratic Party' but instead would say the 'Democrat Party.'

"I always hate to say the 'Democrat Party,' it doesn't sound good. That's why I say it," Mr. Trump said.

He railed on the leaders of the Democratic Party: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Maxine Waters, who Mr. Trump called the "de facto head" of the Democratic Party. Mr. Trump and Waters have been feuding.”



© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/president-trump-in-colombus-ohio-republican-party-state-dinner-hosts-president-today-live-updates/

---

He was staining the Columbus Convention Center. Vocal and non-violent Protesters outside were kept well across the street while they slid him into the dinner/fundraiser for Renacci.

August 8, 2018

Observations of an Ohio12 Poll Worker...

Very long day. Hotter, mostly sunny, but not oppressive weather.

My “report” from an extremely gerrymandered, small, half-old-established families- rural/half new wealthy white yuppy, Franklin County precinct constituency.

I’m going to stay as flat line unemotional as possible (as poll workers everywhere are trained and expected to be!) We are workers who simply do the job. Civility. Follow the well written rules explicitly, professional demeanor insisted upon. No drama. No mention of politics with voters. No candidates signs, pins, posters anywhere. We are paid for our day’s work and the training leading up to the elections.
Solidly equal, bipartisan participation. Purposefully.

OK. This is a small precinct. Heavily gerrymandered, as are many Franklin County precincts. The craziness of the political lines in Columbus are head-rattling. I don't live in this Franklin CountyPrecinct but in a similarly gerrymandered precinct that borders this area. I, like most of my other poll workers, was not voting in this election due to the crazily established precinct lines. Many people in the different counties were still confused about IF they even could vote. It varied house by house, street by street. So here goes:

Hugely Republican Red precinct. Voters mostly Old Republican generational white rural families and working white country-dwelling yuppies but with small patches of older, educated/sophisticated hippy liberals (especially women) and a smattering of fresh young voters (again, mostly female that showed up) and a few minority citizens mixed in.

As per Board of Election rules, three times during the day public lists printed from the actual roster machines are clearly posted with the names of who has voted (never HOW they voted), number of votes already cast and a percentage of the registered voters in the precinct who are voting.
The final, actual numerical results of votes for all the candidates are posted publicly at the end of the day.

No expectations of a Blue win here. None.

The figures: all public. At the end of the day, in person on site votes for O’Conner were tallied at almost exactly 1/3 of all votes cast. 2/3 went to the opposition.
(Three names on the ballot. Green Party received literally just a handful of total votes.)
Voting percentage of registered precinct voters was 34%
( it was 18% in the primary in May) predictions for the OH12 election had been 30%.
All records and numbers are cross checked and documented many given times during the day with bipartisan oversite.

Of my fellow poll workers, 75% were women. Vast majority over 55. (As per rules 50/50 bipartisan workers participated at every precinct).

The voters came in small, but fairly constant numbers throughout the day. No big lines or waiting. Easily could get in and out in a few minutes.
All voters were required to have a current, verifiable ID. Period. The qualifications and rules are printed in booklets at all roster tables.
No verifiable ID, no voting ballot for the machine. Options for qualified provisional voting, on site at every precinct.
Every voter is required to show their unexpired ID, then state their name and once electronically scanned or entered into the polling files, state their current address.

Personal behind the scenes Observations: This is a friendly group of conscientious, supportive poll workers. Lot’s of children/grandchildren bragging among the personal conversations. Good cooperative group. We’ve worked together before at other elections and probably all will return for the midterms to work the same precinct.

Not ONCE in a 15 hour work day, in quiet, private conversations among us did I hear anyone supportive of the Cretin. Just the opposite. A few Republicans were repulsed by what had become of their party. Some had voted for Clinton.

Of all the Voters, most were courteous and pleasant and friendly. Not a lot of random chit chat because of the serious reason they were in the room. None were there very long. Simple ballot.

There was, however, a certain “type” we all instantly recognized. We had a dozen of them throughout the day. Chip on their shoulder, swaggering, almost sneering attitude and making a snarky comment about how many illegal immigrants we were allowing to vote, Russia quips or getting pissy when asked to state their names again after handing us the legal ID.

All older white males... by coincidence I am sure.

One memorable voter, a rounded bellied, long bearded, older white male in a white t-shirt and jeans, complete with a big silver NRA belt buckle (no lie!), wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and fist on hip, planted himself in front of the roster table, blocking the next voter, literally tossing his drivers license at us. The aura all around him reeked of “bully creep”. Instantly in our face.
Asked to state his name, he snarled “it’s on the license”. Calm Smiling Reply...”It is the rule in Order to vote. Please state your name”
After a heavy, damning pause, he gave it with even more attitude and eventually getting his printed ballot ticket literally stomped over to the line of voting machines.

Shake our heads, small eye rolls. No audible comments. Breathe. Next voter, PLEASE. Thank-you.

No one was impressed. He had a definitive ugliness emanating around him.

This is a good example of what we are fighting against daily, not just at the polls.

End of the day thoughts: Borderline depressing result, though not at all a surprise in that particular precinct. More turnout is always a plus. Just too many are still doing nothing. Very “Close” still sucks if the final provisional and absentee ballots give us a loss...until November. This is a long, wearying battle. We did our job. Now, we still wait. We still grasp for little wins, holding on to hope.

I’ll take Wednesday to reconnect with some simple joys, try to avoid anything with the GD foul Cretins puke inducing vile name, hideous scowling degenerate face, wretched reeking soul, repulsive gut twisting repugnant voice or ignorant, bile raising, bilious BS attached. There will be plenty of it.

Damn, I really abhor this. I can’t respect people who still support this treasonous, corruption-riddled, soulless, graceless, calculatingly evil, anti-humanity, putrid, domestic and foreign terrorist enemy that has infected our country.

Oooppp, I got a tad emotional.

RESIST, REFUSE, REVOLT

July 29, 2018

Well, I am sure a new human low will be scraped off the bottom...

of their shoes today. They will continue to stain America. They will continue to foul the air from their cesspool of reeking souls, shred the character (what is left of it) and defecate on the decency of the United States domestically and globally.
It is the only thing they do. It is the only given on any day.
No accountability.
No morality.
No shame.
No conscience.
No consequences.
No dignity, integrity, class.

How we got here as a power, a nation, a people will be discussed and debated ad nauseam and be written in history long after the oozing slime of this administration has done its filthy damage.

Our only recourse is to pummel them with our votes beyond any treason, corruption and collusion.
RESIST REFUSE REVOLT

And make them pay, one wretched, human scum at a time.

July 25, 2018

Being informed can be painful and frightening and most certainly...

Send the blood pressure to a scary high.
Rachel is the voice that informs, questions and warns. Will it be enough to sway the Stupid, ever?
I doubt it. They will eternally remain the intellectual dregs of humanity.

I cherish her, respect her and am in awe of her intelligence ...and am also sickeningly scared at what she dedicatedly informs us could so easily go down for our country if enough of us don’t use/keep our one weapon, our vote, in numbers too huge to hack or manipulate.

Saving this link for repeated sharing!

July 15, 2018

I can't pretend for a moment to be astute enough to understand the intricacies of...

These legal issues.

I do know that our country is under attack. Internally as well as from threatening foreign regimes. It is a multiplayer/multilayer heinous war on our Democracy, our freedoms, our lives, our earth and our livelihoods that has been in the planning for a very long time.

The Perfect Storm of the Perfect conman frontman of the Cretin has opened the floodgates of unchallenged corruption. He was the best gift wrapped in the most stained, fouled wrapping paper.

His public persona is genuinely and rightly one of an unfit egomaniacal charlatan who could quite possibly be proven mentally ill were it needed to defend him from any serious indictments. They gleefully promote his obnoxiousness and count on the media to chase the inane and repulsive.

They know this. He was/is the perfect tool for them. He plays to the truly Stupid, dense, thick -skulled and ugliest of Americans who have for a generation, at least, been soullessly primed on Reality Show ignoramus mentality.

The powers that are planning the take down of this treachery must be as perfect as the perfect corruption they fight.

Thank-you for your words and assurances to those of us who are reeling daily from the migraine level nightmare and bombardment from characterless thugs of this war.

June 26, 2018

The hideous administration and the equally as hideous supporters...

have practiced the bullying and destruction of decency and have openly and crassly mocked the rule of law and their “0pposition” with no accountability. None. It has been decades in the making and we have arrived at the Perfect Storm level of danger.

For whatever reasons high-road tactics legislative Democrats have embraced, it isn’t working. Mostly because Republicans and their repulsive followers don’t have ANY character or concern for American values as long as they get their putrid agenda passed and big money in the pockets of their gods.
They are quite at home on the pond scum levels they prefer.

Ms. “I’m too distant and mannequin-cool to be blamed for anything” Melania’s coat said everything we need to to know about the content of their character as well as giving us a very simple answer to their repulsive and arrogant...Do you?

The Republicans and Cretin supporters are getting away with murder. Figuratively and literally. They are thieves. They are cheats. They are the nastiest, soulless liars in our history ( and that history is rife with plenty of lies) They count on the less combative and higher road nature of Democrats to always back down or off.

If we as citizens and humans don’t get in their fucking faces and make daily existence out beyond the halls of their hallowed halls of horror in Congress and the foully stained White House extremely uncomfortable and angrily hold them rightfully accountable, we will LOSE OUR COUNTRY.
WE. The people. WILL LOSE. The domestic terrorists will win. What we have lost already is overwhelming while we wait.

Putting all the eggs into Mueller’s painstakingly slowly filling basket is not going to staunch the flow of reeking crap that is being hourly shoved down our throats until we choke.

Voting IS a must. Primo. And we have to vote in massive numbers to combat the corruption, treason, and foreign Control. But we have to make their shameful daily existence unbearable for them in non-violent, but relentless ways. We have the numbers. They can always go lower, as they prove time and again. We can always still stay on a higher ground than any of them. But we have to fight back!

In their faces. In their lives beyond reality TV sound bites. In the living, breathing world they love to destroy for everyone else. Now.