IS VOTING ALONE ENOUGH?

Sorry for a lot of what appears to be radio silence on a busy news week. I had a long week at the paying job and didn't really have the time to comment on a lot of things.

By now you've heard more than enough people telling you that it's necessary to get as many people to vote in the midterms coming up in about nine days. Some go further in saying you should vote a straight party ticket regardless of who's on the ballot. In the meantime we've had a week that included mail bombs being sent to Democratic politicians and some other people important enough to be on electoral vote winner Donny's (a/k/a" the Mad Fuhrer of Mar-A-Lago) enemies list, which ended with the capture of Cesar Sayoc Jr in Florida (whose van was covered with a mix of Trump stickers and certain liberals with crosshairs on their faces) as well as yesterday's horrific shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Add to this Donny's implication that the media brought this on themselves by treating the right wing badly as well as voter suppression efforts hell bent on helping the Repubs and it seems that many of us are facing an uphill struggle.

It's in this framework that many on the liberal to left leaning side are focusing on the electoral side of things. While I agree that this election is important (we are not anywhere remotely near normal times) I do fear that the focus on elections overlooks the need for protesting the injustices around us. Yes, I get (and accept to a point) those who want to focus on turning out the vote. In this go round it's necessary to get as many people as possible to completely blindside the chance for stealing the election on the homefront. However, it's also necessary for people to peacefully protest and take to the streets since those in power aren't willing to listen to their constituents.

As for those claiming people need to suck it up and go Democratic, even volunteering to get out the vote for them, it's a noble thing to do but it's hard for some people given that the establishment Democrats are not making it easy given their tendency to cut deals with Repubs (such as Schumer agreeing to fast track conservative judges just around the time the Kavanaugh hearings happened) rather than do the work of fighting every little thing Donny wants (y'know - what the Repubs did under Obama). That's not to say that both parties are the same but people do want someone to vote for rather than against and that's something the Democrats should take into account in 2020 and beyond.

So should people vote if they're able to? Of course they should. Should they protest the policies of electoral vote winner Donny and his minions? Of course. What should be avoided is the impression that merely working on elections is more important and imply that there shouldn't be people protesting. That doesn't help anyone in these times.

SO KAVANAUGH'S A SCOTUS JUSTICE NOW - WHAT WE CAN SEE FROM ALL THIS

As you already know by now the Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court with Sen. Susan Collins (R, ME) being one of the two deciding votes along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D - WV).  Even after a week where it was delayed due to an FBI background check related to multiple sexual assault allegations, he managed to squeak through despite being unpopular with the majority of the American people.  He was officially confirmed Saturday night with a ceremonial swearing in by electoral vote winner Donny Monday.  There are some things that have come to light in the aftermath that we should remember going forward.

First, with Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court expect things to take a scary turn in this country, especially as it relates to the rights of women, racial minorities, workers - basically anyone who isn't a wealthy whit econservative christian with a penis.  Pro forced childbirth types are celebrating Bart O'Kav's being on the court hoping it will strip women of reproductive autonomy in not only the right to have an abortion but also the right to access contraception as well.  Kavanaugh's pro business stances means that odds are labor will be in for a rough go and the environment is probably going to get varying degreees of shittier as time goes forward.  I know some people have been saying that things might not be that bad but if Kavanaugh (or JOhn Roberts0 suddenly goes moderate it will definitely be a surprise - and it would be dishonest to assume otherwise.
However there are some things that I do find interesting in the wake of all this.  While the future is still uncertain with theese developments I do feel they should be noted.

First, I'm very curious about which Democrat will step into the well funded opposition slot against Susan Collins in Maine.  With her vote for Bretty Brett she's pretty much choked any proof she was a moderate Repub and left it for dead in a DC alley to choose the increasingly rightward tilt of the GOP against the American people.  Her refusal to understand that people are following through in anger to fund any opposition against her and acting like it's indignant or a form aof bribery is esecially ironic since she's been in office over 20 years and knows damn well how donors work (and what string lay with taking the cash).  Some say formed Obama administration official Susan Rice will step up, but since Collins isn't up for re-election until 2020 it's anyone's guess what will happen.

On the Democratic side of the aisle, it may be too late now but Manchin's vote for Bretty Brett is proof that someone whould've primaried the living shit out of him.  The Senator form West Virignia has voted with Donny's ideas over half the time and, while the fact he was allowed to getaway with it also doesn't help the establishment Democrats, his current vote is a definite knife in the back to the party he claims to stand with.  The fact that his vote may take the Supreme Court and turn it into a hard righ tpartisan attack dog shows why not just Democrats but anyone who should be aware of what's going on should be angry - and rightfully so.

Then there's the FBI background check.  Called by Jeff Flake late on a Friday afternoon, it was given a week to wrap everything up.  While the time may or may not be an issue, the fact that electoral vote winner Donny and his minions set paramaters that wouldn't allow for a full investigation on the allegations of sexual assault - and didn't contact either Kavanaugh or Dr. Christine Blasey Ford - give this the appear of a sham to provide cover for Repubs to vote and claim their nominee was innocent (Flake's pretty much final act in the Senate showed his so-called never Trump stance to be media optics more than any real convictions).  While the FBI has done horrific things in the past (look up COINTELPRO for a big example), in this case it's up in the ari whether they were in the tank for Donny and his team in support for their candidate or had their hands tied (the fact they couldn't take info from people walking in with information only adds to the murkiness).

As for the establishment Democrats it's reaffirmed that they really should stop being so wishy washy.  Their tendency for decorum and civility had them holding back on questioning Kavanaugh on his stance on issues (especially in terms of lack of follow up questions) before the allegations hit.  In addition the fact that too many in that party are paid by the same donors means that some of them tend to dive when they should stand.  This is even more evident by seeming to refuse to fight fire with fire when Sen. Chuckles Grassley (R - IA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R - SC - and who seems to really want Attorney General Jeffy's job) got all indignant over Dems questions over lack of access to Bretty Brett's paper - and that was before Dr. Blasey Ford's allegations were released.  

This also makes some wonder how good establishment Dems are at deal making when Sen. Chuck Schumer (D - NY) to fast track a numebr of judges.  Normally a deal should imply that both sides get something but it appears that this time the Dems got screwed big time.  I hope I'm wrong about this but I fear I'm not.

At this point there is one thing that appears indisputable - any semblance that there are moderate Repubs is pretty much gone with this vote.  Even the people the mainstream media want to call opposition to Donny tend to vote with him almost all the damn time.  With this vote they've proved that they don't believe sexual assault providers and will choose any odious candidate or nominee who'll enforce their agenda regardless of whether it benefits the American people or not.  It also shows once again that the GOP seems to be incapable of acting in good faith and should be seen as incapable of doing so both by the media and the public.  Their complaints abotu obstruction over Kavanaugh when they refused to give Merrick Garlansd a hearing shows they still care more about their power and try ing to achieve Karl Rove (or as Dubay called him "Turdblossom")'s plan for a permanent Repub supermajority by any means necessary over anything that might actually help those people who aren't rich white conservative men, white conservative christians, or white supremacists.  
So far the Repubs are whining about "angry left wing mobs" (while overlooking hwo the Tea Party acted under Obama) and a lack of civility.  Sen. Majority Leader Mitch NcConnell (or Addison the Turtle, R- KY) thinks the anger will blow over.  If people really want change it shouldn't - and musn't blow over.

Will this lead to a blue wave in the midterm elections next month?  Some polls say yes but others claim Kavanaugh reaffirmed the Repub base.  Also, given that the Repubs use of voter suppression tactics shows they're perfectly willing to lie, cheat, and steal to win elections means Democrats and independents who are pissed over the GOP pushing Kavanaugh through in this way need to get out and vote in numbers.  They can't afford to take things for granted.


So Brett Kavanaugh is in the Supreme Court now?  While that will likely lead this country to some ugly places, we also have to take in the lessons we now have and do the political equivalent of fighting fire with fire.  That means voting but also watching politicians like hawks (even the ones you like) to make sure they're serving the public good, not th egood of their wealthy donors.