The View From Kentucky
Submitted by phillybluesfan on Sun, 02/14/2021 - 12:27am
No words strong enough
By Bruce Maples -February 13, 2021
At this point, there are no words strong enough.Donald Trump attempted to overturn the election, and overthrow our democracy. His guilt is clear. And he is an ongoing threat to our democracy.
And yet … and yet … forty-three Republican senators, led by our own Mitch McConnell and egged on by our own Rand Paul, voted to acquit.
They chose Trump over our democracy. They chose Trump over the rule of law. They chose Trump over the lives of their fellow senators.
No matter what else happens in the future, their names will forever be stained by their vote today.
There are truly no words strong enough for the shame they have brought on themselves, our state, and our nation.
No words strong enough.
Comments
Mr. Maples
Your words, Mr. Maples, have increased my esteem for the Bluegrass State and its people by several orders of magnitude. Kentuckians should be orgulously proud of you, and this Coloradoan gathers considerable pride by calling you an American.
Now if we could just get two Kentuckians like you into the Senate.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Good News and Bad News
During my years in Kentucky, the state Dems have run terrible bland candidates against Mitch. Two outstanding progressives were overwhelmed by Schumer's choice and a flood of out of state donations into her account. She, Amy McGrath, ran a terrible campaign talking about little beyond how much money she had received and asking for more. Mitch swamped her easily.
Watch for Charles Booker and Mike Broihier to oppose Rand Paul
Repubs control top heavy control of the state legislature as well as a Trump friendly African American attorney general who is under heave criticism for his handling of the B. Taylor shooting by police.
A bright spot is Governor Andy Beshear. He has done an extraordinary job responding to Covid-19 in the state (among other things) ... during which time he has faced continuing attack from Republicans and an attempt is being made to impeach him.
Louisville and Lexington (easily the most populated) are solid blue. The rest of the state has been Trump territory.
Few are guilty, but all are responsible.”
― Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets
Schumer is a one man
Democratic wrecking ball. He is also terrified that some up and coming progressive will primary him in 2022. I believe that is what is behind the pile up on
Rep. Ocassio-Cortez--not that she can't be criticized, because of course she can--which, IMHO, is intended to discourage her from running against Schemer as well as diminish her prestige and effectiveness. Please note that the memes targeting AOC began right after Engels lost his primary. I doubt not that there will be such a challenge, but I don't think AOC will be the candidate to oppose Schemer. Letitia James perhaps, who has shown ability to win state wide. I tend to think that Rep. Antonio Delgado could do very well against Schemer. He represents a part urban part rural district in the Hudson Valley and has exerted himself to learn about and understand rural issues. Delgado could challenge Schumer with statements like "People in my district have to drive 200 miles to have a baby delivered and what have you done for them?"
Mary Bennett
The view from ‘Iolani Palace
https://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/images/pic10.php
Oh, FFS...
Were you worried about the lives of senators when Rep. Scalise was shot and Rand Paul well in the field of fire by a leftist wacko? When Paul was attacked and seriously injured by his liberal next door neighbor? When McConnell was harassed in public by leftist demonstrators? When Paul and his wife were surrounded and threatened by leftist thugs in front of the White House?
And spare us the "overturning the election" and destroying democracy hype. If there is no election integrity there is not much in the way of democracy to overthrow - Pelosi/Clinton/SchumerWyden and the like reserve their concerns about election integrity solely for when they lose (as, in fairness, do all too many Republicans).
Voter and election fraud concerns have not been allayed or disproven because court cases have not been allowed to, or are only now proceeding, state election officials have not been forthcoming with critical information and meaningful audits have yet to be conducted in key states.
So a whole lot of people are unconvinced - nor should they be - that the election was not stolen *for* Biden. Or more accurately, for whoever is pulling his strings. If Democrats want to have any credibility about their concerns for democracy they could start by actually practicing it within their party and by showing some commitment to meaningful audits and transparency around the 2020 and other recent elections.
For some legitimately brighter news from Kentucky, the heavily white (mostly 95+) SE KY Appalachian counties that went from over 70 to nearly 90 percent for Trump in 2020 also went heavily for Daniel Cameron in 2019 - leading to his becoming the first black Attorney General in Kentucky history. For example, Clay County: population 94% white. Cameron 2019 - 80.4%, Trump 2020 88%.
Not exactly the results you might expect, what with those Trump voters all being white supremacists...
FWIW - Mitch is widely detested among Republicans, also - unfortunately, not much to be done about that since he was just re-elected.
Thomas Massie would be my pick for replacing him.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvEvbAzuII]
Appalachian Man - "They don't mess with me and I don't mess with nobody."
Yes, claims like the affidavits that allege that the
affiants knew with certainty that certain software not even in use in certain counties was used to steal the election in those counties and many others have not been adjudicated. There is relly no point in wasting money on giving them, or, in fact, any of the numerous wild claims a hearing because no minds would be changed whatsoever by the result, just as no minds were changed by the fact that some cases were dismissed on the grounds that even if the claims weere true so few votes were at issue relative to the margin of victory that nothing would change. Many, many people know that the election was stolen because they were told so innumerable times, and they will know that for their entire life, regardless of any evidence or facts, just as no audit, such as many of those that have already been done will satisfy those same people unless it is done by Ted Cruz himself.
So, why bother, it is done, an established fact, the election was stolen and the traitor Pence refused to overturn it.
The election was a fraud before it was even counted thanks to the fraudulent disenfranchising of huge numbers of legitimate voters by the GOP. Oh, wait, that doesn't count. Ah well.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --