Please help me make a list of "blue" songs for my election day playlist!

As much as I like Willie Nelson's "Blue Skies", I think I need a few more tunes to hum along with.....

Broward County - check to see if your absentee ballot was counted!

Andrew Gillum is Florida's Homecoming King!

You can call him Homecoming King, Prom King, King of Hearts etc etc - just as long as I get to call him Governor on Tuesday!

(article from the Atlantic Monthly)

There’s nothing quite like the cacophony of the homecoming parade at a historically black university. Here at Florida A&M, children run between floats, yelling and laughing as they chase down pieces of hard candy. Bass from car speakers and from roadside DJs rattle trunks and ear drums. Frying fish crackles and street vendors hawk orange and green shirts. And at the center of it all is the marching band, the legendary Marching 100. Shiny trumpets blare, drum majors strut, and dancers twirl. That’s what people come to see.

But this year, at Florida A&M’s homecoming, things are different. It’s Andrew Gillum who gets most of the applause. Tallahassee’s mayor and one of FAMU’s most famous sons has turned the Saturday-morning parade into his own campaign rally. Gillum, the Democratic nominee for the state’s governor, is at ease in the electrified atmosphere of his alma mater. He and his wife, R. Jai Gillum, take turns pushing their 1-year-old son, Davis, in his stroller, in front of dozens of volunteers who march behind. Children yell “There he go!” from blocks away. Gillum kisses babies, shakes hands, and takes selfies. Among the masses of black people lining the street, several tell me it’s been a decade since they’ve been this enthusiastic about a candidate.

Lost in much of the national coverage of the Florida governor’s election is the fact that, well, it’s about Florida. In a bellwether election year, where the effectiveness of President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant, white-backlash-fueled nationalism is being put to the test as a top-to-bottom electoral strategy across the country, Gillum has emerged as one of the favorite figures among the opposition. A black man who has faced a slew of blatantly racist attacks and who, in a viral moment during a debate, said that racists believe that his opponent, Ron DeSantis, is a racist, Gillum reflects a new potential pathway for that opposition, one that sees combating racism and bigotry as an opportunity and not as a political minefield.

But here in Florida, his potential reflects the deeper possibilities of the state’s electorate. There are few politicians of prominence—in Florida or otherwise—who share comparable life experiences with Gillum. Born in Miami to a lower-working-class family, he has intimate experience with the safety-net, health-care, and criminal-justice systems that he has pledged to reform. Four of his brothers—Terrance, Eric, Chuck, and Patrick—have faced serious criminal charges and convictions. “Most would say I probably shouldn’t have made it out of the neighborhood,” he told me. In the language common to many black working-class neighborhoods, where relatively few young men manage to maintain the escape velocity needed to leave, Gillum is chosen.
(read more)

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/gillums-campaign-about-expanding-floridas-electorate/574777/

The only thing Trump seems to fear is running out of fear itself

(Article from The Guardian)

For most politicians, this would be a frabjous day of well-nigh full employment and fatter paychecks. But there are no calloohs or callays in this Trumperwocky.

There are just rock-wielding caravans of disease-plagued murderers invading a fragile nation at risk of imminent collapse from the enemies within: notably the media and a bunch of radical leftwing mobs in cahoots with a suspiciously Semitic man called Soros. If you haven’t already spat out your dentures, you’re not watching Fox News.

This is not a small challenge for Republicans across the country and for the Trump campaign as it looks to 2020. Much has been made of Trump’s determination to play to his base and alienate suburban voters – especially Republican women – who could, you know, decide these contests.

But Trump has an even greater limitation than his love of his own loving base. He is the candidate of crisis: not just a smash-mouth street-fighter but a peddler of the impending apocalypse.

This type of candidate gains traction after a genuine crisis, such as a once-in-a-lifetime financial collapse whose suffering lingers on for many years into the recovery. Such a candidate might live off the fumes of crisis as long as distant terrorists unsettle us.

However, it’s hard to keep a good crisis going when your voters are feeling pretty secure, at a time of relative peace and prosperity. You end up grasping at Halloween ghouls that make you look weak and out of touch. This kind of populism is only popular when things are truly scary.

(snip)

Trump thinks that “shocking” is a good thing. That sentiment echoed his tweet about the jobs numbers on Friday, which expressed his surprise at the data: “Wow! The US added 250,000 Jobs in October – and this was despite the hurricanes.”

He could have said the jobs numbers were thanks to his own deficit-busting tax cuts or his environment-crushing deregulation. But no. He did tweet, two hours later, a photo of himself in a Game of Thrones design, warning darkly about sanctions against Iran. So let the good times roll!

In between tweets, he continued to stoke outrage and concoct crises by blaming the media for domestic terrorism and saying it was OK for US troops to shoot migrants who might throw rocks. Trump has neither political quality; he is a one-dimensional politician. He can’t or won’t keep the nation safe against domestic terrorists whose twisted ideology he has tolerated and even endorsed. He can’t or won’t inspire the nation to optimism because he is animated by a sense of impending doom. (read more)





https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/03/donald-trump-midterms-fear-immigration-fox-news

What to do if you are turned away from the polls

If you are a registered voter and you are turned away at the polls because your name is not on the register, don’t walk away. Tell them "Give me a provisional ballot and receipt as law requires.”


It depends on the state you live in, but here are steps you can take in any state to make sure you can vote in this election:

Check your registration now. While the voter registration deadline has passed in many states, it is still important that you double-check and make sure you are still properly registered to vote. Plus, 17 states allow for Election Day registration—check here to see if your state is one of them.

Find your polling place before Election Day. You can be turned away if you attempt to vote at the wrong location, so make sure that you know where to go. You should also be aware of the polling place hours and make sure that you arrive before they close. Remember that if you are in line at the time the polling location is set to close, you still have the right to vote and they cannot legally turn you away. Call the nonpartisan hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE if you run into any problems.

Make sure you have the required voter identification with you when you vote. Different states have different standards about what identification they will accept, so make sure to check in advance. Check now, that way if you don't have the required identification, you may have time to obtain it before Election Day.

Vote early if that option is available. If you have been falsely removed from the rolls, you will find out sooner rather than later and can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to connect with a voter protection volunteer who can help you figure out what to do next.

If you are not on the voting rolls at your precinct or are turned away, election officials are required to give you a provisional ballot. (Some states call it a “challenge ballot” or an “affidavit ballot.”) Ask for one and request a receipt or other information about what you need to do to be sure your vote is counted.

If you have any problems that you can't work out, call the toll-free, nationwide, nonpartisan hotline 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) and talk to a trained volunteer for voting assistance.

You can learn more about your local laws and find other election protection news and information at 866OurVote.org.

https://aflcio.org/2018/10/24/what-do-if-youre-turned-away-polls

This piece of garbage (the mail bomber) was picked up in my county, 15 miles from my home

They found his van just west of Ft Lauderdale in the city of Plantation where my friends, coworkers, relatives, and even one of my kids live... to think that they might have crossed paths with this dangerous man at a local grocery store, gas station or post office just sickens me and chills me to the core!
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article220672300.html

Suspicious Package at Sunrise, FL Office of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Police confirmed they're investigating a possible suspicious package at the Sunrise offices of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Wednesday, on the same day that suspicious packages were addressed to Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.

Sunrise Police said they responded to the office of the Democratic rep for Florida's 23rd congressional district. No other information was immediately known.

The news comes as two "potential explosive devices" addressed to Clinton and Obama were intercepted by the U.S. Secret Service. Meanwhile, another suspicious package forced an evacuation of CNN offices at the Time Warner Center in New York Wednesday morning.

*Sunrise, Florida is west of Ft. Lauderdale about ten miles from Parkland, FL in Broward County

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Police-Investigating-Suspicious-Package-at-Sunrise-Office-of-Congresswoman-Debbie-Wasserman-Schultz-498423081.html

Andrew Gillum was fantastic and he won the debate last night!

According to Rolling Stone Magazine : Despite Trump’s Wishful Thinking, Andrew Gillum Won the Florida Debate

Trump acolyte Ron DeSantis appeared shell-shocked in the first Florida gubernatorial showdown Sunday night.

The race to become the next governor of Florida is among the most heated contests of the upcoming midterms. It may also be the most emblematic of the national political climate in 2018. Democrat Andrew Gillum is an unabashed progressive, supporting universal healthcare, higher corporate taxes and abolishing ICE “in its current form.” Republican Ron DeSantis has built his entire campaign around his allegiance to President Trump, right down to the xenophobia. On Sunday night, they debated for the first time, and as expected, it was pretty contentious. Gillum, the current mayor of Tallahassee, and DeSantis, a former three-term congressman, sparred over everything from climate change to gun control to how the president’s rhetoric is affecting children. Trump deemed DeSantis the winner shortly after the debate concluded.Trump’s tweet followed the proud tradition of being literally the opposite of truthful. From beginning to end, Gillum was calm, collected and specific in his responses while DeSantis was as fidgety, evasive and generally unsure of how to present himself, both physically behind the podium and in his responses. snip

Judging by their debate performances on Sunday night, it wasn’t hard to understand why Floridians seem to prefer Gillum.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/andrew-gillum-desantis-debate-745344/

Protesters Flood Into London To Demand New Brexit Vote

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday to call for a new referendum on Britain’s departure from the European Union.


Organizers want the public to have a final say on the government’s Brexit deal with the EU, arguing that new facts have come to light about the costs and complexity of Britain’s exit from the bloc since Britons voted to leave in 2016.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan from the opposition Labour Party was among those set to address the People’s Vote March, which will culminate at a rally in Parliament Square.

Organizers have brought in some 150 buses to ferry thousands of activists from across the country to the British capital.

Those in favor of pulling Britain out of the EU won by 52 percent in the 2016 EU membership referendum. Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the issue of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It will be the U.K.’s only land border with the EU after Brexit, for Ireland is part of the EU, and Northern Ireland is part of the U.K.
There are growing fears of a “no-deal” British exit, which could create chaos at the borders and in both the EU and the British economies.

May, speaking at an inconclusive EU summit in Brussels this week, said she would consider having a longer post-Brexit transition period — one that could keep Britain aligned to EU rules and obligations for more than two years after its March departure.

Pro-Brexit politicians in Britain, however, saw it as an attempt to bind the country to the bloc indefinitely.

“This week’s fresh chaos and confusion over Brexit negotiations has exposed how even the best deal now available will be a bad one for Britain,” said Andrew Adonis, a Labour member of the House of Lords. “Voters will neither forgive nor forget if (lawmakers) allow this miserable Brexit to proceed without people being given the final say.”

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/protesters-flood-into-london-to-demand-new-brexit-vote

Mueller Hits Snag In Russian Internet Troll Case

According to an article in Talking Points Memo: Special counsel Robert Mueller has run into some skepticism from the federal judge overseeing the case he brought against Russians allegedly behind a social media campaign to influence the 2016 election — skepticism that could lead to the dismissal of the count against a company run by the Russian oligarch known as Putin’s chef.

The company, Concord Management, surprised observers by hiring lawyers to show up in court to fight the charges. Mueller has already survived Concord Management’s challenge to his legal authority to prosecute the case. Now U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich is weighing a motion by Concord Management seeking to throw out one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States on the basis of that indictment itself doesn’t allege an actual crime.

The issue is a complicated point of criminal law, but it could jeopardize the only count in the indictment that implicates Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin. Concord Management, along with Prigozhin and his other company Concord Catering, are alleged to have funded the internet trolling effort, and have been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Unlike Concord Management, Prigozhin has not submitted to the court’s jurisdiction and is not actively defending the case.

In a troubling sign for Mueller, Friedrich on Thursday evening ordered prosecutors to file more briefings on the conspiracy to defraud the United States count. The judge’s order came after a hearing Monday, where she grilled prosecutors on what they would need to prove in court. (read more)
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/mueller-hits-snag-in-russian-internet-troll-case