The Freedom to Vote Act just introduced in the Senate would strengthen our democracy by making it easier for people to vote and harder for politicians and special interests to drown out the voices of ordinary Americans. I support it, and every Senator should do the same.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 14, 2021
108 Responses to “Freedom To Vote Act”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight
- Ignore the bait: Why it’s the right strategy for Democrats to focus SCOTUS fight on health care
- BIG: Judge halts Trump administration attempt to shortcut the census
- Trump doesn't want peaceful transition of power. Legally, it doesn’t matter.
- Fauci goes off on Rand Paul
- Rule 44: Why Obamacare is not lost even in a deadlocked Supreme Court, but only if Biden wins
- Time to suit up. This is war.
- BREAKING: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed
- Bothsidesism comes to fact-checking: CNN's “fact-check” calling Biden ad 'misleading' proves the opposite
- Pardon me: How Donald Trump's stooges conspired with Julian Assange to exonerate Russia and undermine US Intlligence
Smartypants
- Durham to Right Wingers: "Blame Hillary"
- That Time When Refusing to Negotiate With Hostage-Takers Worked
- The Other Christian Nationalists: Leonard Leo and Opus Dei
- Hawley Demonstrates That He's an Ignorant Liar
- DeSantis Board Votes to Counter-Sue Disney Over Something...Anything
- Hunter Biden's Laptop Is a Total Nothingburger
- What DeSantis Couldn't Say in Response to Disney's Lawsuit
- Disney Skewers DeSantis With His Own Words
- Populism Without Civil Rights Is Fascism
- Glenn Greenwald gets triggered by smart competent women like Rep. Stacey Plaskett
Steve Benen
- Joe: Sometimes grown ups are in charge in D.C. and things get done
- Are the anti-Trump Republican forces starting to implode?
- Ben Platt returns to Broadway in Tony-nominated 'Parade'
- Dick Gephardt: I am hopeful Congress will get a debt deal done
- Sen. Hawley responds to column about 'petty trolling' with 'petty trolling'
- James Comey: Trump poses a near-existential threat to the rule of law
- 'A win for all Americans': Head of National Economic Council praises debt agreement
- Head of conservative think tank makes 'bizarre and dangerous' comments about FBI
- House member looks for debt ceiling bill to 'cross the finish line' this week
- As president, DeSantis said he would 'destroy leftism' and 'woke ideology'
The Obama Diary 
Good West Coast morning Nerdy & TOD family.
WOAH!
Eric Holder On Battling Gerrymandering And GOP Voter Suppression Laws:
“Gerrymandering and how it could lead to GOP minority rule nationwide are discussed by former U.S. Attorney general Eric Holder, as states are now in the process of redrawing their electoral districts based on last year’s census”. (ReidOut)
The US is relaxing its Covid travel restrictions, ending an 18-month ban on UK and EU passengers.
From November, passengers will be allowed to travel to the US if they are fully vaccinated and undergo testing and contact tracing, the White House said.
Donald Trump introduced the travel ban in March 2020.
There had been much speculation in recent months about when President Joe Biden would change the rules.
White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the “new international air travel system” on Monday, explaining that the country would be opening up to fully vaccinated passengers.
“This is based on individuals rather than a country based approach, so it’s a stronger system,” he said.
He said vaccines were the “best tool we have in our arsenal” to keep people safe.
The new rules don’t affect land travel. The order restricting overland travel to the US from Mexico and Canada is still in place.
Under the current rules, only US citizens, residents and foreigners with special visas are allowed to enter the US from the majority of European countries.
One British official told the BBC that the decision had come completely out of the blue. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been planning to raise it on Tuesday in his meeting in the White House with the president, but with little hope of making progress, the official said.
Airline shares rose following reports of the new travel rules.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58628491
WHO does this serve?
America is in Covid Emergency in some states, losing children, rationing health care.
–thx amk.
Apple, Google, Cowed By Putin,
Remove Russian Protest Voting App As Election Begins
“Rachel Maddow reports on a campaign by supporters of Alexei Navalny to expose corruption in Vladimir Putin’s regime and to encourage votes against candidates in Putin’s United Russia Party in the parliamentary election. Under pressure from Russian authorities, Google and Apple reportedly removed an app meant to coordinate those protest votes. “
Full Moon in Pisces, today, 3:56pmPDT..
Blessed be ~ a day of meditation for wmpw
Big hugs all around
{{{NW}}} {{{TOD}}}
🕊💕🕯💕🕊
Hugs to you, WMPW!
{{{💕JO’B💕}}}
https://www.stonekettle.com/2021/09/recap-september-20-2021.html?m=1
It’s all right here, just as we remember too clearly, eh, JO’B? The writing has been on the wall for our entire lives ~
New Book Alleges Zuckerberg Agreed Not to Fact Check Trump’s Political Posts
As Part of Deal with Trump Administration
““Facebook had long seen itself as a government unto itself,” wrote author Max Chafkin,
“now, thanks to the understanding brokered by Thiel, the site would push what the Thiel confidant called ‘state-sanctioned conservatism.’”
(https://www.politicususa.com/2021/09/20/new-book-alleges-zuckerberg-agreed-not-to-fact-check-trumps-political-posts-as-part-of-deal-with-trump-administration.html)
The FaceBook con — such a dangerous money making, personal information gathering, political manipulation scam. Why keep sheep-ing along with it. How are you OK with it?
bbc: we need this rethug leaning pos with horrible grammar as our north america reporter pronto.
I voted last Monday for Trudeau. I am quite nervous- wish he hadn’t called for an election. Oh well, guess we will find out … most likely tomorrow, which is what CBC is saying.
The Liberals have lost seats in the east coast compared to the last election. Keeping fingers crossed.
yup, I don’t know what trudeau was thinking by calling for a very premature election during a pandemic. let’s see.
yussssss.
Yes … thank God. A minority govt but … hey, ban on assault weapons stays!!
yup, tg indeed.
Congrats, very happy it is PM Trudeau. However like so many before him the Environment is the problem.
Oil and pipelines. Cuting down trees. It is a wonder if any First Nations voted for him.
bbc is no different from murkan msm.
A win for liberals of a loss for liberals and a win for the cons. Pathetic.
cbc live link
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2021/results/
I really thought Trudeau was going to get his rear end handed to him. He has to do a better job. I hope the Liberals and NDP can work together to push for a progressive agenda. Safe drinking water in first nation communities will be a good start.
yup, it was a wasteful exercise. just like CA recall.
cbc
All of Justin Trudeau’s cabinet members, except for Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, are leading or elected.
So, it wasn’t anti incumbent or anti govt vote. Despite the claims from media minions.
and the canucks get it right, red for libs and blue for cons.
It’s a muted atmosphere in Oshawa. Conservative party members have started to trickle in, some wearing blue or white baseball hats.
Val Davis, 56, a teacher who lives in leader Erin O’Toole’s riding, says she’s “shocked” by the results.
O’Toole “was going to help middle income families”, she said, holding a Conservative party sign.
yeah, no, val, he isn’t gonna.
Exactly. I don’t understand why they would think that. The gun lobby lost too !!!
I pity her students.
Ok … time to hit the sack. As my roomie said … we can sleep easy tonight.
sleep tight. It’s a relief.
bbc
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole has hung on to his parliamentary seat in Durham, Ontario.
It’s not a surprise: O’Toole has held the seat since 2012 and the riding is a Conservative stronghold.
Here at the Conservative party headquarters, the news was met with some cowbells and slightly lackluster cheers.
lol @ last line
the icing is the ppc aka canuck magats got thrashed everywhere ending up with zero, nil, nada, zilch seat.
And their dear leader got thrashed in his own home riding/district. The best outcome of today’s poll.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PPC became a home for those who oppose vaccine mandates, and who hold other right-wing positions including lowering the number of immigrants and refugees accepted to Canada and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord.
A former Conservative cabinet minister, Bernier has spent much of pandemic fighting COVID-19 health measures such as mask mandates, public gathering restrictions and vaccine passports.
Good riddance. Go Canucks.
Alberta is their Florida – now implementing vaccine passports and bring back mask mandates.
Got rid of all restrictions in June and stopped testing and tracing, declared the pandemic over.
Led to lowest vaccination rate and highest infection rate in Canada.
—-Unlike FL they didn’t stick with a losing strategy.
Goodnight, NW and TODville – and all the ships at sea!
bbc’s hot take – a la murkan msm – on the canuck magats just last week and a fail as per norms.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58573878
6 weeks max of electioneering. Over 60% turnout despite a pandemic. No long lines. Early mail in votes. Same day results. Loser concedes immediately without any temper tantrums. Way, way better than the murkan ‘democracy’.
That’s all folks!
said Bugs Bunny
🕊💕💤💕🕊
Communist Party of Canada
Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
Animal Protection Party of Canada
Free Party of Canada
Parti Rhinoceros Party
Marijuana Party
LOL. Love these parties.
lol
The ‘right to vote’ is why many Canadians stayed in line for hours.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-election-lineups-voting-waiting-1.6183333
The arrogant self entitlement to do all sorts of illegal shit and trying to frame it as his right.
audio is knockout…incredible story…don’t miss! Best wishes to Neil Rafferty and Michael Rudolph.
(thanks Obama!)
Good Morning Folks! Today’s earworm is brought to you by, you know who. 🎶😎
That’s our song 🎵 Everyone born in September
Woooot! 💃🏾🕺🏾
The fifth columnists from within in cahoots with a corrupt traitorous thug.
👁👁
Traitorous thug fired so many good people and replaced then with his poison pills. What is stopping Biden from reversing it? There are trumpturds still on every level.
LIVE NOW:
typical rethug projection.
garland?
DENZEL WASHINGTON AND FRANCES MCDORMAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Where shall we three meet again in thunder,
lightning, or in rain?
When the hurlyburly ‘s done,
when the battle ‘s lost and won.”
–our magical Shakester.
–remembering…directed ‘Macbeth’ with some truly stunning high schoolers…unforgettable…happy.
Today.
“NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other senior agency leaders will host
an employee town hall for all civil servant and contractor employees at noon EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 21,
to provide updates about the agency’s human spaceflight programs, projects, and activities to the workforce.
The town hall will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, the agency’s website,
and multiple agency social media platforms.”
(https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-discuss-future-of-nasa)
Event just ended. Marvelously inspiring…humanity going out into the solar system, saving the earth,
doing the work to take us there. Will lift up the Artemis generation, go back to the Moon, and on to Mars. (paraphrasing) NASA is a famously incredible workforce and team, doing what they love, voted best place to work in the federal government.
2:30 p.m.
Future of NASA Media Teleconference
Flipped to whom? Traitorous thug who ‘won’ the state? Nuts.
The corruptest and most traitorous regime ever.
Happy 9/21!
The Verge: Demi Adejuyigbe reminds us that, once again, it’s September 21st.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/21/22686047/demi-adejuyigbe-september-21st-earth-wind-fire
Everything – including the very seat of govt – is held to ransom since the treasonous seditious party is never held accountable.
yup, they are just anti traitorous thug.
Time and opportunities pass by.
Soon, statute of limitations will also pass by.
Ya think, chucky boy?
hayes. uugghh.
Good Morning Everyone! ☀️
Piss poor English from Kyle.
Yup. The traitorous thug is the poisonous fruit of a very, very poisonous tree.
Mary Trump:
“I think he is a fucking loser, and he is going to throw anything against the wall he can,”
said Mary Trump of her uncle’s new suit. “It’s desperation. The walls are closing in and he is throwing anything against the wall that will stick. As is always the case with Donald, he’ll try and change the subject.”
(https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-sues-new-york-times-and-his-niece-mary-trump-over-tax-story)
“Florida has reported 6,250 COVID-19 deaths since the start of September. T
hat means that, since the start of the month,
about 15 people in the state have died of COVID-19
every hour.”
(Newsweek)
—One in 400 Floridians have died – highest death rate of any state – passing 50,000 deaths.
Death Santis still out there? How? hello…the future of America?
Same playbook he used with Pres Obama…never had a problem raising the debt limit when /trump was Pres
“In addition to placing abortion and voting rights in peril,
making routine governing all but impossible,
and allowing Republicans to sabotage the economic recovery,
the filibuster now threatens the centerpiece of President Biden’s agenda.
Will that be enough to convince Senate Democrats to do away with it?
Guys, it’s time for some game theory.
House Democrats will pass legislation to extend funding for the government into December,
ahead of a September 30 government-shutdown deadline.
Their bill will include disaster-relief funds for hurricane, flood, and fire-ravaged states across the country,
and a provision to lift the national debt limit, which Congress must increase, suspend, or repeal by mid-October, before the U.S. begins defaulting on its financial obligations, thus wrecking the economy. No pressure!
Enter the filibuster:
Senate Republicans have said they will refuse to help Democrats increase the debt limit so long as they have the gall to keep advancing Biden’s Build Back Better bill. I
n other words, they’ll hurt the country unless Dems agree to abandon their agenda.
The threat means they will filibuster the government funding bill, risking a government shutdown,
unless Democrats strip the debt-limit increase from it.
It also means they’ll filibuster a stand-alone debt-limit increase, risking global economic calamity,
unless Democrats agree not to tax the rich, not to make prescription drugs cheaper,
not to extend Biden’s child tax credits, and so on.
That leaves Democrats three options that don’t involve testing whether Republicans would actually hurt the country unless they get their way:
1. Jump through a bunch of time-consuming, politically fraught procedural hoops to include a debt-limit increase in the Build Back Better bill, which is filibuster-proof;
2. Cave to Republicans and abandon their agenda;
3. Just do away with the filibuster already and neutralize this tool of GOP sabotage!
There are some signs that the obvious appeals of option three have started to dawn on Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer threatened (implicitly, but pretty unambiguously) to change the filibuster rules if Republicans abuse them to block voting-rights legislation in the coming days.
“It is my intention to hold a vote for the Freedom to Vote Act here on the Senate floor,” he said.
“If Republicans are unwilling to move forward, Democrats will have to move on our own.”
….Democratic leaders should be clear with their members that Republicans have taken the economy hostage
and are demanding Biden’s agenda as ransom.
Centrist Democrats would then be on notice
that blocking Build Back Better would amount to paying the ransom,
and it would underscore the urgent need
to get rid of the filibuster.
That’s the only way to make sure
the hostage survives
without rewarding its captors.”
(Thank you Brian Beutler & Crooked Miedia)
Responding to GA Secretary of State Raffensperger saying “We’ll just have to wait and see”.
“Congressman Adam Schiff to Chris Hayes:
“In terms of what the Georgia Secretary of State said, and I did hear where he talked about
how he might cooperate with the select committee now that we have Republican staff as well as Democratic staff. Look our committee is bipartisan.
Our members are bipartisan, our staff is bipartisan, and our work is nonpartisan.
And there’s no reason that the Secretary should not cooperate with us.
I think he’s got an important story to tell the American people.
But I will say this, you don’t get to pick and decide ‘I like this committee, I don’t like this committee, I like this composition or I don’t.
When you get a congressional subpoena, you have to comply with it.
When you get a request for information, we would hope you would do so voluntarily.”
“House Democrats Are Moving Forward with Legislation to Limit Presidential Powers”
(https://www.politicususa.com/2021/09/21/house-democrats-are-moving-forward-with-legislation-to-limit-presidential-powers.html)
Leader Schumer
“Chuck Schumer Vows Democrats Will Pass Voting Rights Bill On Their Own”
(https://www.politicususa.com/2021/09/21/chuck-schumer-vows-democrats-will-pass-voting-rights-bill-on-their-own.html)
“Former Rand Paul And Mitch McConnell Staffer Charged With Funneling Russian Money To Trump”
(https://www.politicususa.com/2021/09/21/jesse-benton-paul-mcconnell-trump-russia.html)
Interview between cybersecurity expert and Rachel Maddow
(otherwise blocked)
(https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-release-the-hounds-ransomware-attacks-prompt-calls-for-aggressive-u-s-cyber-response-121666629508)
‘Rank vigilantism’ of first application of Texas abortion ban invites court challenge
“Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney, explains why someone actually suing an abortion provider under the new Texas abortion ban law not only exposes the crass absurdity of the law but makes it easier to challenge in court now that it has real-world consequences.”
Here: (https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-rank-vigilantism-of-first-application-of-texas-abortion-ban-invites-court-challenge-121667653513)
Trying to copy the New GA Project in PA…
House Republicans Know
That Voting NO on Debt Ceiling Is a Vote to Stop Paying Our Troops
& Stop Social Security & Medicare Payments
Full: (https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/92121-2)
New post.