Can you spell “subpoena”?

18 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist, social media

Tags

#resist, Donald Trump, invetigation, Rusia, social media, subpoena, Twitter

Representative Adam Schiff (D) will most probably become Chair of the House Intelligence Committee in January.

This afternoon, via Twitter:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!
12:01 PM – 18 Nov 2018

A reply:

Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff
Wow, Mr. President, that’s a good one.

Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller’s questions, or did you write this one yourself?
[….]
12:36 PM – 18 Nov 2018

Donald Trump (r) ain’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Gerrymander

16 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri House, social media

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

CLEAN Missouri, gerrymandering, missouri, Ohio, redistricting reform, social media, Twitter

The intended results, in Ohio:

Alec MacGillis @AlecMacGillis
Stunning new stat out of Ohio:

We already knew that Republicans got 12 of OH’s 16 US House seats despite winning only 52% of total congressional vote.

But get this: Republicans also managed to hold supermajorities in the Ohio legislature despite LOSING the total state leg vote.
12:24 PM – 15 Nov 2018

In Missouri:

Gunnar Johanson @GunnarJohanson
A thread with some #MOleg facts:

Democratic candidates for the state’s House of Representatives received 44% of the popular vote in 2018 but only received 29% of the seats.
9:01 AM – 15 Nov 2018

The thread continued:

This is an increase of 10% of the electorate from 2016, yet only yielded one net seat gain from 2016 to 2018.

Meanwhile, the GOP lost 8% of the state house electorate but only lost one seat. One seat is .6% of the chamber.

Clear evidence that the system is rigged against 44% of the state house electorate in Missouri. Here’s to hoping @CleanMissouri is implemented and ends gerrymandering

That’s the practical impact.

Putin’s “useful idiot”

10 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

count the ballots, Donald Trump, election, Florida, Resist, Russia, social media, Twitter

Protesting Donald Trump (r) on the evening of November 8th, in the falling snow, at a demonstration with several hundred in attendance in front of the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Kansas City, Missouri:

“Россия” (Russia) – a variant of the Russian presidential flag – Kansas City, Missouri – November 8, 2018.

The flag of the United States is below it, in the configuration indicating distress.

This afternoon, via Twitter:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Trying to STEAL two big elections in Florida! We are watching closely!
1:09 PM – 10 Nov 2018

Yep, he’s a useful idiot.

Previously:

Back to the streets – Kansas City, Missouri – November 8, 2018 (November 8, 2019)

Dumber than a cinder block… (November 10, 2018)

Dumber than a cinder block…

10 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist, social media

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Arizona, count the votes, Donald Trump, election, Florida, Resist, sicial media, Twitter

…and twice as dense.

That’s you, too, if you buy into it.

Yesterday, via Twitter:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Just out — in Arizona, SIGNATURES DON’T MATCH. Electoral corruption – Call for a new Election? We must protect our Democracy!
2:33 PM – 9 Nov 2018

One of the responses:

Signatures not matching does not equal corruption or fraud. Everyone’s signature varies somewhat, and if one signature is on paper and the other is on a device, there can be a lot of variance, especially if the person doesn’t sign on devices often.

Read the sequence. This is all about counting the votes that have been cast in this election. For those of you who have difficulty with reading comprehension and facts (The Faux News Channel, for instance), read this slowly and out loud, that might help you understand it.

1. When voter turnout is higher than expected it takes longer to count the votes because of the volume of ballots which have to be processed.

2. States which have voting by mail have a very high volume. It takes a longer time to count and certify those results due to the very high volume.

3. News media does not count the votes, local election authorities do.

4. Media usually reports on the votes that have been counted, as long as their attention holds. They rarely report on the certified results.

5. Election races are “called” by the media when they believe that the outcome will not be changed by the ballots remaining which have yet to be counted. This is not a certified election result. It’s a bauble for people with short attention spans.

6. Elections are certified by election authorities when all of the votes have been counted.

7. Sometimes, when elections are really close, the media will not “call” the election until it has been certified. Sometimes media makes a mistake and “calls” the election anyway because math is hard for some people.

8. If, at any point, the number of ballots which have not been counted is greater than the reported margin between two candidates, then any media “call” of the race is worthless. That’s how math works.

Thus endeth the lesson.

You think maybe he’s just waiting for the subpoena?

05 Monday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, social media, US Senate

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Attorney General's office, Claire McCaskill, consultants, Josh Hawley, missouri, social media, Twitter, U.S. Senate

Today via Twitter:

Micheal Mahoney @KCMikeMahoney
Hawley took no questions from reporters at Blue Springs rally as GOP team leaves thru the same back door they entered from. On to another rally #MoSen #JoshHawley #MoGOP #kmbc
[….]
1:19 PM – 5 Nov 2018 from Blue Springs, MO

The responses:

There’s a reason for that Mike. He has no answers. Nothing on why he brought D.C. strategist to run his AG’s office or why he’s trying to eliminate healthcare protections.

Is this what you do when you’re proud of your campaign?

You don’t have to provide answers if no one can ask you questions.

Previously:

Josh Hawley (r): Who did you say was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (October 31, 2018)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (November 1, 2018)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? – Press Q and A – November 1, 2018 (November 1, 2018)

Josh Hawley (r): Ask me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies… (November 4, 2018)

Josh Hawley (r): afraid of playing softball with Chuck Todd (November 4, 2018)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): oopsie

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media, Town Hall

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Tags

4th Congressional District, missouri, Renee Hoagenson, social media, Twitter, Vicky Hartzler

Late last night, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler
While in Osceola earlier today I had the chance to sit down and discuss concerns facing #MO4
[….]
10:42 PM – 30 Oct 2018

You think that’s an open public town hall? Evidently not. Some of the comments:

Another 6 people? I am sure you hand picked like minded people. How can 6 people even begin to give you a consensus of your constituents concerns?[….]

I think folks are mostly concerned you’re going to continue to represent them.

You didn’t invite constituents? I was just a few miles down the road. I would have been happy to discuss education, sensible gun control, and healthcare availability. Too bad you aren’t interested.[….]

Main concern #MO4 is you Vicky, you have overwhelmingly voted against interests of your constituents and taking side with corporate lobbyists in DC

This isn’t a meeting about #MO4, it’s a photo op with Warren Love and office staff. Why are you such a scaredy-cat Vicky? Why won’t you meet with real people? Happy Halloween, btw. We know your tricks. On Nov. 6th, we’ll give you a treat…at the polls!

Oopsie.

I did recognize Warren…. Thanks for the heads up. I didn’t know the others were his staff.

At least one staff member. Others may be volunteers. I wonder what they’re really talking about? Certainly not how to represent the majority of #MO4. Otherwise the single sheets of copy paper on a wrought iron table would be full of notes.

Just another @RepHartzler photo op.

And a staged one at that!

Sad

See the guy on the hat?
State Rep. Warren Love [….]

You’re pretty good at photo ops, why can’t you hold a town hall?

No town hall…what are you afraid of???

Completely false and misleading …that’s Warren Love. The next time you stage a photo op make sure it’s people we don’t recognize ….

Nope, not an open public town hall.

Mike Pence (r) – servile sycophant

30 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

14th Amendment, 8 U.S. Code § 1401, Article VI, citizenship, Constitution, ICCPR, Mike Pence, social media, Twitter

digby @digby56
Pence says it’s never been decided whether people in the country illegally are subject to the 14th Amendment and the (stacked) Supreme Court finally needs to resolve it — as if this is a burning issue.

Has there ever been a more servile sycophant?
12:53 PM – 30 Oct 2018

Michael Bersin @MBersin
Title 8, Chapter 12, Subchapter III, Part I, § 1401.
“The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof…”

He’s also an asshole.
12:56 PM – 30 Oct 2018

One of the news reports:

The Latest: Pence discusses changing birthright citizenship
[….]
Vice President Mike Pence says potentially changing birthright citizenship is part of the Trump administration’s broad look at U.S. laws that draw people into the country illegally.

Pence said Tuesday the administration is looking at action that would revise birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment. The amendment’s Citizenship Clause says all people born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States.

Pence says the Supreme Court has never ruled on whether the language in the amendment applies specifically to people in the country illegally.
[….]

In the United State Constitution:

Article VI
[….]
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
[….]

In the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [ICCPR] [Treaty, entered into force for the United States, September 8, 1992]:

[…]
Article 16
Everyone shall have the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
[….]

In the United States Constitution:

Amendment XIV
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
[….]

In U.S. law:

8 U.S. Code § 1401 – Nationals and citizens of United States at birth
The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;[….]

We’re going to find out what kind of country we are on November 6th. Vote.