brooklynite
brooklynite's JournalThe police helicopters are back....
Hovering within earshot. Whatever's happening could be in Lower Manhattan or on the Bridge or back in Brooklyn...
Protest Livestrams (Sunday)
Philadelphia: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com
Los Angeles: https://abc7.com
Chicago: https://chicago.cbslocal.com
NYC:
Why I'm likely to piss you off in the next six months...
June is the period when most Primaries are resolved (this Tuesday we'll know our Senate candidates in Georgia and Iowa) and we'll begin to focus more on the General Election. Folks here will advocate for candidates they think deserve support. And I will probably shoot some of them down.
Let's be clear: I would never advocate NOT voting for a Democratic nominee, or not volunteering for their campaigns. But the endorsements invariably come with a request to provide financial support. And that's where I have to draw the line.
I probably receive more requests for money from candidates than anyone else here, and I have multiples calls directly from the candidates each week. In order to have an informed conversation, I started to assemble data on the competitive races around the country, which has evolved into a programmable model that tracks the competitiveness of the district/State and the candidate, the impact of key endorsements, up and down-ticket synergies, and financial status. Broadly speaking, I don't want to give money to candidates who don't need my help, or candidates for whom my help won't make a difference.
Because I (like you) have a finite supply of money to spend on campaigns, I've learned a valuable lesson over the years: don't let emotion drive your decisions. I don't want a candidate to tell me: "I'm running against [insert name of Republican I don't like]". I want them to tell me that they can BEAT [insert name of candidate I don't like], and the explain why.
In the context of 2020, we have to 1) win the Presidency, 2) hold the House and 3) win the Senate. That calls for a lot of financial investment, and therefore some rational thought about candidate choices is necessary. The $50 you give to a hopeless but emotionally appealing candidate in a longshot race is $50 you can't give to a candidate who's more competitive.
Case in point: Kentucky Senate. I've seen a lot of posts about beating Mitch McConnell and encouraging support for Amy McGrath (whom I've met with). I, like you, would love to get rid of Mitch McConnell; but the way to do that isn't to beat McConnell, it's to give the Senate to the Democrats. To do THAT, we need to pick up 3-4 more seats. And the seats that are most likely to flip are AZ-CO-ME-NC. After that are potential reaches in GA (both seats)-KS-IA-MT. KY is WAY down on the list. McConnell has a huge war chest and despite his low approval rates, has been re-elected five times. Cold-hearted analysis would say that this isn't a race to support IF there's a race with a higher probability of victory.
Some of you will say that this attitude is unfair; that we should "compete for every seat"; that McGrath can't show if she can win without support. And you're right. But my response is: "too bad". If you can't support everyone, you have to make choices. And those choices should be made rationally. Some Democratic candidates have shown they can compete against Republican incumbents, and some have not. Nobody is suggesting that we go all in on defeating Mike Rounds in SD or even the open seat in Wyoming. The targeting of McConnell is because of how people feel about him, rather than his vulnerability.
So, going forward, be aware that I'll be opining on which races I think we can win, and which I think we can't. My goal is to maximize the return of my (and your) contributions to maximize the wins we need to achieve. Nothing personal.
W.Va. church may be only one to use robocalls for evangelism
But for about 800 people every day in West Virginia, the message — delivered in a warm, friendly voice — offers a different deal: salvation.
“We want to tell you how you can have heaven and know it, and cause true revival in America,” the voice says.
The 90-second message gives Bible quotes and an invitation to pray, and concludes: “God bless you is my prayer.” You can also leave a message after the beep.
https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/w-va-church-may-be-only-one-to-use-robocalls-for-evangelism/article_ca471ff4-64d5-5a4e-8a83-ebb49773a336.html
Just got this call. I have to believe they got my number from one of the Republican lists I appear to be on.
Voting is different in Philly this year. Here's what you need to know for Tuesday's coronavirus prim
Philadelphia InquirerVoting during this pandemic doesn’t look like anything we’ve seen before.
For in-person voters, there’s the potential for long lines and confusion over polling place changes. For mail voters, there’s a tight deadline that could make it impossible to mail ballots back in time.
But there are ways to avoid problems in Tuesday’s primary election. And the better prepared you are, the less likely you are to encounter issues.
City of Seattle: Responding to the Weekend Protests in Downtown Seattle
Earlier this week, an unarmed Black man named George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis. His tragic death is another recent incident of many that have resulted in the death of an unarmed Black American. It is right that the officer who killed Mr. Floyd was charged and will be prosecuted, and I believe the United States Department of Justice should also begin an investigation.
I have made clear that those standing by and failing to stop the actions should also bear responsibility. It’s up to all of us to fight for justice and equity and protect our vulnerable communities.
Today, community members across Seattle came together to grieve, to protest and to commit themselves to the cause of justice. Coming together is a right we all honor and cherish. For hours today, individuals marched and gathered peacefully. They grieved and built community that is so necessary during these trying times.
However, late this afternoon, some demonstrations swiftly turned violent and led to multiple fires being intentionally set downtown. In addition, demonstrators threw lit fireworks into peaceful crowds, Molotov cocktails were thrown into cars, and individuals threw boulders and bricks into dozens of windows.
I understand the immense rage, grief, and sense of betrayal felt by not only our community, but communities across our country this weekend. However, the escalated, destructive, and violent incidents that took place during today's demonstrations cannot, and will not, be allowed to continue. They jeopardize the health and safety of all those involved, from the demonstrators, to our first responders, to civilians just passing by.
To protect the health and safety of our residents, after consulting with both Chief Best and Chief Scoggins, I have issued the following Emergency Orders:
A Proclamation of Civil Emergency in Seattle related to the downtown demonstrations;
An Order prohibiting the use of weapons, both formal, like firearms, and informal, like pipes and clubs, throughout the city; and
An Order to establish a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, which will be in effect tonight and tomorrow night.
Right now, I’m asking residents to stay home to the extent possible and adhere to the curfew. Our ability to demand justice and hold each other accountable doesn’t stop because of a curfew. I hope that we treat each other with the kindness and compassion that we all deserve during this unprecedented and trying moment in our history.
You can find an FAQ document about the curfew and my emergency orders here.
Chief Best and I also requested 200 unarmed National Guard personnel from the State of Washington, and the request was granted by Governor Inslee. National Guard members will not be armed and will assist with protecting infrastructure and traffic and crowd management. Their primary role is help with the safe movement of people and ensure that people have the right to peacefully demonstrate. We expect some members to deploy this evening.
These are already difficult times, with COVID-19 keeping us physically distant from one another at a time when our nation needs to come together. I’m reaching out to let you know that these measures have been taken to keep everyone safe.
I think we will see the message of destruction and chaos is not as strong as the message of hope, love, and peace.
Please stay safe and healthy.
Jenny A. Durken
MEANWHILE...the COVID-19 death toll in the US is now at 103,000
The heaviest growth rate is in Alabama...
Question: almost every city where there's been police violence is under a Democratic Mayor...
Where has this been an issue in recent Mayoral Elections?
Fox News host joins other conservatives in urging Trump to give national address
“I really believe it is time for President Trump to do an Oval Office address,” Jenkins said on “Fox and Friends Sunday.”
“Remember George H.W. Bush’s address after the [Los Angeles] riots was one, by many political analysts’ reckoning, one of the most effective of his presidency,” Jenkins said.
Bush addressed the nation on May 1, 1992, just days after Los Angeles Police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King, a decision that sparked riots in that city. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to help enforce a Los Angeles curfew as violent demonstrations continued Saturday night.
Jenkins, like Trump, slammed the response of local officials in cities like Minneapolis who have failed to gain control of protests that continued to gain steam overnight Sunday in places like New York and California.
He called on Trump to be the “uniter in chief."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/31/george-floyd-protests-live-updates/#link-4UH4SS3K5BEO3HFWTUVU7FUFY4
Does he renember what happened when Trump was forced to give a speech about COVID-19?
Joe Biden: We are a nation furious at injustice.
These last few days have laid bare that we are a nation furious at injustice. Every person of conscience can understand the rawness of the trauma people of color experience in this country, from the daily indignities to the extreme violence, like the horrific killing of George Floyd.
Protesting such brutality is right and necessary. It’s an utterly American response. But burning down communities and needless destruction is not. Violence that endangers lives is not. Violence that guts and shutters businesses that serve the community is not.
The act of protesting should never be allowed to overshadow the reason we protest. It should not drive people away from the just cause that protest is meant to advance.
I know that there are people all across this country who are suffering tonight. Suffering the loss of a loved one to intolerable circumstances, like the Floyd family, or to the virus that is still gripping our nation. Suffering economic hardships, whether due to COVID-19 or entrenched inequalities in our system. And I know that a grief that dark and deep may at times feel too heavy to bear.
I know.
And I also know that the only way to bear it is to turn all that anguish to purpose. So tonight, I ask all of America to join me — not in denying our pain or covering it over — but using it to compel our nation across this turbulent threshold into the next phase of progress, inclusion, and opportunity for our great democracy.
We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us. We are a nation enraged, but we cannot allow our rage to consume us. We are a nation exhausted, but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us.
As President, I will help lead this conversation — and more importantly, I will listen. I will keep the commitment I made to George’s brother, Philonise, that George will not just be a hashtag. We must and will get to a place where everyone, regardless of race, believes that “to protect and serve” means to protect and serve them. Only by standing together will we rise stronger than before. More equal, more just, more hopeful — and that much closer to our more perfect union.
Please stay safe. Please take care of each other.
https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/we-are-a-nation-furious-at-injustice-9dcffd81978f
Profile Information
Name: Chris BastianGender: Male
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Home country: USA
Member since: 2002
Number of posts: 94,508
