PBS Poll: Whitmer, Buttigieg tied for VP among Dems

A new PBS Poll shows that 21% of democrats favored choosing Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for Vacant Vice President Candidate slot, and 21% of democrats favored Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Who should be Harris’ VP? Here’s what Democratic voters say
Laura Santhanam, PBS NewsHour

As Harris surpasses the number of pledged delegates she’ll need in order to secure the Democratic nomination, attention has also turned to Harris’ running mate. According to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, one of Democrats’ top choices is Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has already vowed to stay in her home state.


Here’s what Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents in our latest poll said about who they’d like to see on the ticket.

21 percent of likely voters said Harris should choose Whitmer to be her running mate.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was met with the same enthusiasm – 21 percent – in this survey.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was supported by 17 percent of voters.

Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former astronaut, was backed by 13 percent.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore received single-digit support among likely voters.

PBS News, NPR and Marist Poll conducted a survey on July 22 that polled 1,309 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points, 1,117 registered voters with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, 846 registered voters who definitely plan to vote in November’s general election with a margin of error of 4.0 percentage points and 515 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents with a margin of error of 5.2 percentage points.

More: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/poll-who-should-be-harris-vp-heres-what-democratic-voters-say

Dumb question: where is the Kamala for President official

Act blue page?

How do I know it is the real page, and how do I donate?

Link please.

Thank you.

Trump wants to reinstate a spoils system in federal government by hiring political loyalists regardless of compet

If elected to serve a second term, Donald Trump says he supports a plan that would give him the authority to fire as many as 50,000 civil servants and replace them with members of his political party loyal to him. Under this plan, if he eventually deemed those new employees disloyal, he claims he could fire them too.

The United States has tried such a plan before.

As we write in our book “How Government Built America,” newly elected President Andrew Jackson, after he took office in 1828, fired about half the country’s civil servants and replaced them with loyal members of his political party.

The result was not only an utterly incompetent administration, but widespread corruption.


More:
https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-wants-to-reinstate-a-spoils-system-in-federal-government-by-hiring-political-loyalists-regardless-of-competence-233760


Excellent article about why it’s a terrible reason to partisanize the civil service. People die.

Trump wants to reinstate a spoils system in federal government by hiring political loyalists regardless of compet

If elected to serve a second term, Donald Trump says he supports a plan that would give him the authority to fire as many as 50,000 civil servants and replace them with members of his political party loyal to him. Under this plan, if he eventually deemed those new employees disloyal, he claims he could fire them too.

The United States has tried such a plan before.

As we write in our book “How Government Built America,” newly elected President Andrew Jackson, after he took office in 1828, fired about half the country’s civil servants and replaced them with loyal members of his political party.

The result was not only an utterly incompetent administration, but widespread corruption.


More:
https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-wants-to-reinstate-a-spoils-system-in-federal-government-by-hiring-political-loyalists-regardless-of-competence-233760


Excellent article about why it’s a terrible reason to partisanize the civil service. People die.

DOES IT BOTHER ANYBODY ELSE

THAT THE QUALITY OF MARKSMANSHIP HAS DECLINED SO STRONGLY AMONG YOUNG AMERICANS?


We really need the NRA to work on improving rifle marksmanship. We used to be really good at it.

Black Farmer's Association calls for Tractor Supply CEO's Resignation

NEW YORK (AP) — The National Black Farmers Association called on Tractor Supply’s president and CEO Tuesday to step down after the rural retailer announced that it would drop most of its corporate diversity and climate advocacy efforts.

The resignation demand emerged as Tractor Supply, which sells products ranging from farming equipment to pet supplies, faces a deepening backlash over its decision, which itself came after conservative activists spoke out against the company’s work to be more socially inclusive and to curb climate change.

In a public announcement last week, the company said it would eliminate all of its diversity, equity and inclusion roles, end sponsorships of “nonbusiness activities” like Pride festivals, and withdraw its goals for reducing carbon emissions. Critics of the new position argue that Tractor Supply is giving in to hate and harming its customers by abandoning crucial principles.

“I was appalled by the decision,” John Boyd Jr., president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, said in an interview. “I see this as rolling back the clock with race relations — because the country is so divided on race, especially in rural America.”

More:

https://apnews.com/article/bdd23385a21242cfcfcd4c3e0118c853

The day democracy died

Army stiffens rules barring extremists

Army stiffens rules barring extremist, gang activity among soldiers
By COREY DICKSTEIN
STARS AND STRIPES
• June 26, 2024

Soldiers cannot post, like or share any extremist or gang-affiliated content on social media or participate in other extremist activity even when they are off duty, according to new Army rules unveiled Wednesday. The new rules clarify soldiers — on active duty or in the Reserve or National Guard — cannot knowingly participate in or support any extremist activity in or out of uniform, according to two new memorandums that Army Secretary Christine Wormuth sent to the force Wednesday.

Those caught supporting extremist or gang activity — including wearing clothing, flying flags or sporting bumper stickers on their vehicles in support of extremist views — must be reported to their commanders, who are now required to report all such allegations to the Defense Department inspector general and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, according to the memos. “Active participation in extremist activities can be prohibited even in some circumstances in which such activities would be constitutionally protected in a civilian setting,” Wormuth wrote in one memo. “Enforcement of this policy is a responsibility of every command, is vitally important to unit cohesion and morale and is essential to the Army’s ability to accomplish its mission.”

The new rules released Wednesday bring the Army into compliance with a 2021 congressional mandate requiring the Defense Department and its services to standardize reporting processes to the inspector general so the watchdog could better gauge the military’s response to extremism within its ranks, said Bryce Dubee, an Army spokesman. In the inspector general’s 2022 report on extremist activity within the military’s ranks, the office reported 146 accusations of extremist activity among service members in 2021. Last year, the IG reported 183 allegations of extremist activity among U.S. troops in 2022.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2024-06-26/army-soldiers-extremism-gangs-14306596.html
Source - Stars and Stripes


Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2024-06-26/army-soldiers-extremism-gangs-14306596.html

Source - Stars and Stripes

Supreme Court tosses out "Gratuity Law".

The Supreme Court this morning threw out a law that prohibited "gratuities"- or payments to State and Local politicians AFTER an official act is performed.

Related to the BRIBERY statute, bribery is considered giving money to a politician BEFORE they act as an inducement to act, and "gratuities" is considered a payment made to a politician AFTER the deed, for which the money is given, is done.

So now it's legal to give money to politicians AFTER they do the event, as long as the event'/vote/action takes place first.


Talk about legalizing grift.

That's your 2024 US Supreme Court.

Link to today's decision: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-108_8n5a.pdf

As many as 10 shot at Rochester Hills splash pad, including an 8-year-old, police say

Source: Michigan Advance

Around 5 p.m. Saturday, a man is believed to have pulled up in a vehicle to Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills and fired around 30 times, shooting as many as 10 people, including an 8-year-old, law enforcement said.

Police have recovered a 9mm handgun and three empty magazines from the splash pad, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a news briefing after the incident, adding that the shooting currently seems random, with the suspected shooter having no connection to the victims.

The victims’ ages range, but Bouchard said at least one of the victims is 8 years old. The conditions of the victims are not being shared publicly yet.

The emergency alert cautioning residents to avoid the area issued by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has been lifted.

The male suspect is contained but not in custody, Bouchard said. Police have the house surround that the suspect is in, which is about a half-mile from the splash pad. Police don’t believe anyone else is in the house with the suspect and they are utilizing their resources to communicate with him, without success.

Read more: https://michiganadvance.com/2024/06/15/as-many-as-10-shot-at-rochester-hills-splash-pad-including-an-8-year-old-police-say/