Tag Archives: Electoral College

Beware The Snarky

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

You know how some days you just wake up in a mood?  Well, far too many days lately I wake up with a head full of sarcasm and snark that needs a vent, needs to be let loose and shared.  So, lucky for you, I’m sharing it with you, dear friends!

Teaching them young

Last night I was literally sickened when I read that some teens in a local high school, Colerain High School, a school about 15 miles from my home and attended by some of my own friends’ children, had done this …

And meanwhile in West Palm Beach, Florida, kids at Hidden Oaks Middle School did this …

In both instances, I am told the kids were punished, but with what … a slap on the wrist?  A soft-voiced “Now that wasn’t very nice, little Johnnny.”  And what about the parents?  The kids weren’t born knowing how to be grade-A assholes … they learned it somewhere, most likely at home!  And these are not isolated incidents.  According to The Washington Post …

“Last month, a student at a Chicago-area high school wrote a racist comment about picking cotton on a “prom-posal” sign. In the past few months, student-athletes in several states, including Georgia, Washington, Vermont, Minnesota and California, have reported hearing competitors or spectators yelling racial slurs at them during or after games.”

Damn it, people … 🛑STOP IT!  Republicans, evangelicals, and whoever else is playing the racist game, just effing STOP IT!  You’re causing untold grief and sooner or later you’re going to get somebody killed, maybe your own kid!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

A really bad idea

I’ve said it often enough – I do not like the Electoral College.  The idea of the Founders was that it would keep the people from electing some really unqualified madman at some point, but instead, it has worked in the opposite way and caused a madman who was NOT elected by the people to slither into the Oval Office in January 2017.  The Electoral College is one of the worst conventions in our Constitution, second only to the 2nd Amendment, and it needs to go.  Fortunately, at least it only applies to the presidential election, not elections for members of Congress or state offices.

But a Republican candidate for governor in the state of Colorado wants to change that.  Greg Lopez says Colorado should create an electoral college system for electing candidates to statewide office, which would be the first of its kind on the state level and would give far more voting power to Coloradans in rural, conservative counties and dilute the voting power of Coloradans in more populous urban and suburban areas, heavily favouring Republicans.  Surprise.  It’s doubtful his plan will gain momentum, but just the fact that it is being proposed is enough to make my skin crawl.

Kellyanne wrote a book?  I didn’t know she could even read!

You all remember Kellyanne Conway, right?  She was advisor, if you can call it such, to the former guy, despite the fact that her hubby, George Conway, was a full-blown anti-Trumpeter and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an organization “dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy.” Remember how I used to muse about how their dinner table conversations might go, given they were politically and ideologically 180° apart?  Well, next Tuesday, May 24th, for the price of $21 for a hardcover or $14.99 for the ebook, you can read her new book and find out about those supper table conversations!

In a brief excerpt, she writes …

 I had already said publicly what I’d said privately to George: that his daily deluge of insults-by-tweet against my boss—or, as he put it sometimes, “the people in the White House”—violated our marriage vows to “love, honor, and cherish” each other. Those vows, of course, do not mean we must agree about politics or policies or even the president. In our democracy, as in our marriage, George was free to disagree, even if it meant a complete 180 from his active support for Trump-Pence–My Wife–2016 and a whiplash change in character from privately brilliant to publicly bombastic.

“Whoop-de-do, George!” I said to him. “You are one of millions of people who don’t like the president. Congrats.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got better ways to spend $21, not to mention my time than reading her drivel.  Now, if George writes a book, I might consider it.

Wifey is back in the news

Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is back in the news.  You’ll remember that she was in communication with the former guy’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, after the 2020 election attempting to convince him to illegally overturn the election, to render the people of this nation voiceless.  Well, new information shows that Ms. Thomas also sent emails to at least two Arizona legislators urging them to overturn the election in that state and choose their own ‘clean slate’ of electors, completely disregarding the vote of the people.

Fortunately for the nation, the two lawmakers chose not to break the law and violate their position of trust, but the fact remains that Ms. Thomas attempted in more instances than one to destroy this nation, to rob We the People, the taxpayers who ensure her cushy lifestyle, of our voices!  It is my hope that when all is said and done, Ms. Thomas will see the inside of a prison cell, for what she did was in fact criminal, felonious, and We the People are the victims of her crime.

At this point, I see no option other than for Justice Thomas to step down from his position on the Court.  He may or may not have been directly involved with his wife’s treason, but his integrity is certainly questionable, to say the least.

And just to give you a smile after all the snark …

Don’t Burn it — FIX IT!

Posted on by under guns, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Yesterday, I shared George Will’s idea that the U.S. Constitution needs to be amended to prohibit members of the Senate from seeking the presidency.  But y’know … there are times that I think we should be seriously considering a major overhaul of the Constitution.  It is, after all, some 232 years old and the framers of that document could not possibly have foreseen what would happen, how life would change over the centuries.

But, in todays politically charged environment, I have trouble picturing any changes that could be agreed on.  Even the simplest things, such as verbiage …

Person #1:  Let’s change the word ‘He’ to ‘They’

Person #2:  Hell no!  That would open the door to women and we don’t want women to get the idea that they are somehow the equal of a man!

A few off-the-top-of-my-head things that I think need either alteration or clarification are found in the first 10 Amendments, the Bill of Rights.  As I’ve said many times before, the 1st Amendment right to ‘free speech’ needs to have ‘responsibility’ and ‘accountability’ added.  The 2nd Amendment should either be ditched altogether, or have restrictions, such as no more than one gun per household, and no assault weapons at all, and limits on the type and amount of ammunition that can be purchased.

I would also like to see term limits established for members of Congress:  no more than three two-year terms for Representatives and no more than two four-year terms for Senators.  And, while I don’t fully agree with George Will that no senator present or past should ever be able to run for the office of president, I do think they should not be able to transition … in other words, there should be a full term between the end of their term in Congress and their presidential bid.  That way, they wouldn’t be spending all their time campaigning (on our tax dollar) while they are supposed to be doing the work of the Senate.

I would also like to see additional qualifications required to run for president or Congress.  At the time the Constitution was written, it made sense to place minimal requirements, for few people had the opportunity for higher education, and even fewer had government experience … this was, after all, a new nation.  But today, we find ourselves saddled with the likes of Donald Trump, Madison Cawthorn, Margie Greene, Lauren Boebert, and many others who had literally no prior government experience and no relevant education.  Those I just mentioned have never even read the Constitution that they have sworn to uphold!  We had a president [sic] for four years who had never read the document to which he swore an oath, and refused to listen to advisors who had!

I also wouldn’t mind requiring a test of constitutional law for candidates for any of the three branches of government.  Right now, even a clown in a circus act can run for – and win – the presidency, as was proven in 2016.  I want to know that the people running this show at least understand the foundation of our government!

And speaking of the Judiciary branch … I think that rather than the entirety of the Senate confirming nominees to the Supreme Court, a committee consisting of an equal number from both parties should have the responsibility of confirming or denying a nominee.  Partisanship has gone too far and has nearly destroyed the integrity of the Court today, with such inappropriate Justices as Kavanaugh and Barrett.

I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I think the Electoral College system has long outlived its original purpose.  It has, in recent years, done the exact opposite of what it was intended to accomplish.  The Founders believed it would help stop a madman from being elected, that sane electors would override the popular vote if the people got too wild.  Instead, it put a madman into office despite the fact that he lost the people’s vote by nearly 3 million votes!

So yes, I think the Constitution is a sound and solid document that has been a reliable foundation for centuries, and I do not advocate trashing it and starting over.  However, times changes, situations change, and the Constitution was intended to be able to grow and change with the times.  That is precisely what the Founding Fathers expected!  Trial and error has shown us some ways that the Constitution is insufficient to maintain our democratic republic.  We are on the brink, it seems, of becoming an autocratic, fascist country and I don’t think that is what most of us want.

Your thoughts?

A Response …

Posted on by under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary

Yesterday morning I contacted my Republican representative, Warren Davis and Republican senator, Rob Portman, sending both the following short email …

As a representative of the district (state) in which I live and pay taxes, I expect you to support the will of the people.  Joe Biden won the office of president on November 3rd in a fair and honest election.  Donald Trump’s claims of voter fraud are lies and are in themselves fraudulent.  Joe Biden will take the Oath of Office on 20 January, and I fully expect you, Mr. Davidson (Mr. Portman), to vote to certify the electoral results on Wednesday.  If you do not, then you are trying to undermine democratic processes and take away the people’s right to choose their leaders.  Think about that and think about your responsibility to We the People.

Just as I call out these same people when they act in ways that are unconscionable, I thought it only fair to commend them when they do their job and actually represent We the People.  I share a portion of the response I received later that afternoon from Senator Portman …

In accordance with the Constitution and federal law, the Electoral College cast their votes for President on December 14, 2020. I think we need to respect this process the Founding Fathers established, and we must respect the will of the voters.

The orderly transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy, and although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect.

The presidential election was contentious and hard fought. Roughly half of America was bound to be disappointed with the outcome. My hope is that all of us, as Americans, regardless of who we supported in the campaign, will be willing to accept the result because a thorough process was followed, and the final vote count was clear.

Our country faces serious challenges, from the public health and economic crises brought on by COVID-19, to an epidemic of drug addiction, to our growing national security threats. To solve these problems, we need to come together and rise above the dysfunction in Washington. I know if we work together, we can deliver results and make a real difference in the lives of Ohioans and all Americans.

Though I quite often disagree with Senator Portman, I greatly appreciate his views on the election certification, and he has gained a bit of respect in my eyes.  Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson, Marsha Blackburn and many others could take a lesson from Senator Portman.  As of this writing, I have not had a response from Warren Davidson, which is fairly typical … perhaps he only responds to favourable comments.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …

Posted on by under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Rants, Social commentary

Okay, folks … I’ve been nice for several days now, but I have my limits, y’know.  Something in tonight’s news sent me into a rage such that my heart rate still hasn’t returned to normal, some three hours later!  So, it’s back to my usual snarky, grumpy self.  Vacation’s over!

What part of “Trump Lost” do they not understand?

The last thing this dangerously divided nation needed was more chaos, but it seems that there are still a handful of Republicans out there who cannot understand the results of the election and seek to overturn it without cause, without justification, sans rationale.

The latest in this Trump circus train is none other than Louie Gohmert, who has crossed the snark-o-meter no less than ten times in the past few years.  Louie, you see, is a man who operates on emotion rather than intellect – largely because he has little intellect on which to operate.

gohmertGohmert is a U.S. Representative from Texas since 2005, and the first time he flew onto my radar was in 2016 when in a speech he gave to the House of Representatives he claimed that in the event of an asteroid hitting planet Earth, we would need to form a ‘space colony’ similar to the one in the movie, The Martian, and that no gays would be allowed on this space colony.  So now you have a bit of an idea of the intellect of Mr. Gohmert.

The latest in his idiocy is the lawsuit he filed to try to force Mike Pence to ignore the electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden when Congress meets to certify the electoral votes on January 6th.  Yes, my friends, you heard me right!  With no reason, no evidence of malfeasance, he wants Vice President Mike Pence to break his oath of office and go against the law, against the U.S. Constitution.  Now, I would bet my life that this lawsuit stands zero chance of coming to fruition, BUT … it will force Pence to either contest the suit, which would put him even more in Trump’s line of fire than he already is, or to agree to forsake his duty and interfere with what is largely intended to be a formality, the final step in the process of the election.

The vote count has been certified by each district, then by each state.  The Electoral College then met and cast their votes according to the choice of the people … that’s We the People!  Every step has led to the pure and unadulterated fact that Joe Biden won the damn election!  Pence’s role in the January 6th dog and pony show is largely ceremonial … he isn’t there to decide who should be president … WE decided that already!   He is only there to rubber stamp the results, not to challenge them, nor to stomp on the Constitution with spiked boots.

Now, enough about ol’ Gohmert and his delusional ideas, but I want you to think about something … in fact, I wish I could urge every person in this country to think about this.

What would happen if somehow Congress could get the votes to overturn the election results, or somehow Pence could interfere as Gohmert suggests, and Donald Trump were to be declared president for the next four years?  I do not see any chance of that happening, but ask yourself … what if?

We have lived in a nation of chaos for four years now, especially this past year, but if our voices are somehow silenced to give Trump another term, there will be chaos the likes of which you have never seen before.  Some right-wing groups said in late October that if Trump lost, there would be civil war … he did and there wasn’t.  In fact, barely a peep was heard, except from Trump himself.  But, if the election results are overturned … literally all bets for peace in this nation are off.  The gloves of Democrats both in Congress and in the populace will come off and there will be massive protests, some turning into riots.  Trump will have zero support from the majority of people in this nation.  We will stop paying taxes.  We will protest day and night.  We will shut down government offices.  We will happily go to jail to make our voices heard.

To overturn a fair and honest election is the ultimate slap in the face to the people who work hard to support this country.  The sane among us, while we don’t always agree with what our government does, are respectful, we accept what we must and move on.  We understand that we won’t always get what we want in a nation of 330 million people.  BUT THIS … if by some chance it flies … would be the ultimate abomination and we would NOT accept it lying down.  I’m not a violent person, but this would turn me into one very quickly … I would happily bash heads with my rolling pin, or light fire to Trump’s coattails.

We are past the point of no return; we are past the point where if Trump were declared the winner we would grumble but do little.  Trump could not govern this nation if he used illicit, illegal moves to stay in office.

Again, I don’t think these stupid moves will get far, but the mere fact that an elected lawmaker would take it upon himself to say “F*CK YOU” to the majority of people – citizens, taxpayers, and voters – in this nation is infuriating.  And … ask yourself another question:  does this set some sort of precedent for future elections?  Far too much credence has been given to Trump’s fraudulent claims of voter irregularities for which there was never a shred of evidence, only the ooze from Trump’s mind.  Must we go through these shenanigans every four years?  Think about it.

Bits ‘N Pieces of Snark

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

What, I wonder, would it be like to wake up one morning and find nothing to snark about in the news?  What would I do?  What would I write about?  Who would I curse under my breath as I go about my household chores?  Hmmmm … I wonder if that day will ever come … I think not likely in my lifetime.

Obstruction of transition

Remember that sigh of relief we all breathed when finally, Emily Murphy of the General Services Administration (GSA) released the funds for Joe Biden’s transition team to begin its work?  Hold that thought, for it’s not going quite as it should.  News today is that ‘Trump loyalists’ are interfering with the transition.  What a surprise, eh?

It was only this week that the transition team was allowed into the National Security Agency, and they are still being denied access to the Agency for Global Media, parent of Voice of America.  Typically, transition meetings take place between the civil service staff who currently hold the positions within the various agencies, and members of Biden’s team who will oversee or hold those positions.  But this time, Trump’s hand-picked political appointees are sitting in on meetings, often directing what information can or cannot be shared.

One glaring example is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which, under Trump, has been severely gutted and no longer serves much useful purpose.  Trump’s politicos have sat in on every single meeting between EPA staff and Biden’s transition team and have directed what could be said about such things as climate change and scientific research.  Meaning, that the people who fill positions in the EPA in Biden’s administration will likely have to start from the ground up.  It can be done, but it shouldn’t have to be … members of Trump’s administration and Biden’s should ALL be acting in the best interest of this nation, not of one leader or the other.  This is naught but blatant obstructionism on the part of Trump and his lackeys.

The Court says “nope”

The appointment of three Supreme Court Justices by Donald Trump has been weighing heavily on my mind, and probably yours too.  We like to think the Justices are fair men and women, well-versed in the law and who will vote according to the law, rather than their own prejudices, but we weren’t quite sure.  Yesterday, however, the Court did the right thing … apparently unanimously.

In the shortest ruling in the history of the Court, they refused a request from Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state:

SCOTUS-ruling

Most rulings, even on simple things, are 20 pages or longer, so just the brevity of this one speaks volumes.  Trump and his allies have lost all but one of the 50+ lawsuits they have filed attempting to still the voices of We the People.  And, the one they won threw out about 600 votes, not for fraud, but only because the ballots had such minor issues as an address spelled differently than on the registration, etc.  My fear had been that once a case reached the Supreme Court, with the latest addition of the highly unqualified Amy Barrett, the Court might rule against their conscience and in favour of Trump, but as there were apparently no dissenters to yesterday’s opinion, I am once again breathing a sigh of relief.  The courts, our last line of defense in maintaining a government of, by, and for the people, seems to be holding … so far.

Nearing the finish line …

The last two states have finally managed to certify their elections, and the final tally is, just as we expected …

final-tally

The Electoral College will meet next Monday and are predicted to vote as above.  Then, the last step is for Congress to certify the electoral vote and it will be official … no more bullshit from Trump & Co.  Right?  At this juncture, any slate of electors certified by states must be considered valid by Congress and the courts, according to federal law.  It’s a done deal.  Right?

With nearly all congressional republicans continuing their wall of silence, unable or unwilling to accept the fact that Joe Biden won the election and will take the Oath of Office on January 20th, chaos is likely going to continue for the foreseeable future.  In my mind, this nation no longer can be called the United States of America, for there are two distinct nations here … the “Republican Nation” and the “Everyone Else” nation.  Unfortunately, there is no nice, clean geographical line of demarcation such as the Mason-Dixon line back in the 1800s, so we have to live side-by-side with those who do not seem to share our values at all.  This nation is in a sad state, my friends.  I don’t know if Joe and Kamala, or ANY person can bring us together.

Something new

I had never heard of ‘Slate Political Gabfest’ before today.  It is a political podcast hosted by Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, where they discuss ongoing political issues.  Not got your interest yet?  Take a look at this clip with the three hosts and Stephen Colbert … some interesting discussion and thoughts on the subjects of Trump’s pardons and whether investigations should be opened into what has taken place ‘behind the curtain’ over the past four years.

I typically do not listen to podcasts, because there is no video and no closed captioning, meaning I’m not going to be able to hear well enough to understand what is being said, but each of the Gabfest podcasts also comes with a transcript, so those of us with hearing issues can follow along.  I’d still rather see them in person, see video, but they cover some fascinating topics, and I might just start following this one.

Oh Da Snark Keeps On Coming …

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Rants

How much snark can a snarkster snark?  A lot, it would appear.  Between the pandemic and the republicans’ refusal to accept reality, the snark buildup is something to behold.  If it were a tangible thing, it would tower over the tallest buildings and take a demolition crew at least a year to remove it.  Luckily, it isn’t tangible and exists only in the corners of my mind.  And so on it goes …

The honour is gone …

Yesterday, the outgoing ‘president’, Donald Trump, awarded another Medal of Freedom.  He has given these out willy-nilly throughout his tenure in office, the most ridiculous having gone to right-wing conspiracy theorist Rush Limbaugh in February.  The medal he awarded yesterday was to a wrestler.  What wrestler Dan Gable actually did to earn the medal is unclear … my best guess is he donated to Trump’s re-election fund.

Let me plainly state that at this point, the Medal of Freedom is no longer an honour, has no relevancy, no real meaning.  Those who actually earned the medal for their work in civil rights or other humanitarian causes should send their medals back to the White House with a note saying that the medal is severely tarnished and it is no longer the honour it once was.

During his awarding of the medal, Trump did not miss an opportunity to toot his own horn … falsely, as it happens, when he said …

“He won 117 consecutive matches and lost only one. Well, you know, in politics, I won two, so I’m 2-0, and that’s pretty good, too. But we’ll see how that turns out.”

No, you son of a bitch, you did not win 2!  You didn’t even win one, but through a fluke in the electoral college system you were installed into an office you never deserved!

Sports figures have been awarded the medal in the past for things they accomplished off the field, such as Jackie Robinson who was awarded the medal posthumously for his work in civil rights.  Gable apparently ‘earned’ his award simply for being able to fight people and come out on top.  Wow, huh?

Speaking of Trumps …Tennis Anyone?

Melania came under criticism yesterday when she announced that that a new tennis pavilion is set to be unveiled on the south grounds of the White House.  A f$%&ing tennis pavilion when more than a quarter of a million people in this country have died of the coronavirus this year and more than 2,000 are dying nearly every day!  A damn tennis pavilion!  But then, what do you expect from a nude model who married a circus master for his money and a path to citizenship and stays with him for the money.  What more could you expect from a woman who, when going to visit abused children being forced to live in cages wore a jacket that said, “I really don’t care do U?”

I wonder how much the damn tennis pavilion cost we the taxpayers?  The project has been ongoing for over a year, since October 2019, so I’m guessing it cost us a pretty penny!  According to Politico, “the White House did not disclose the cost”. 

Molly Jong-Fast, editor-at-large for the Daily Beast, had the perfect response:

“Oh good, those people in their ICU beds will feel so much better knowing that she has finished her tennis pavilion.”

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

He LOST … get over it!!!

As of midnight last night, only two states, Hawaii and Missouri, have yet to certify their state’s election results.  The current count stands at 302 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden and 222 for Donald Trump.  Nothing foreseeable is likely to change that result.  It is time, my friends, for our elected representatives to accept the election results, call Joe Biden to congratulate him, and let us move on!

Electoral

Last week, I wrote (again) to Ohio’s republican senator, Rob Portman, to tell him that I am disappointed in the fact that he is not supporting the election results, has not stated that Joe Biden is the President-elect.  Yesterday morning, I received a cordial response from him (again), basically admitting that there is nothing that is likely going to change the outcome, but still … he hesitates.  In his letter, he apparently thought I was something of a dumbo, and he proceeded to explain to me how elections work, as per the Constitution.  Given that I have both a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science and have studied Constitutional Law for many years, I was a bit offended by his condescension, but not enough to respond to him as such.

The bottom line is that he and likely the majority of the republicans in Congress are well aware that Joe Biden will be taking the Oath of Office at noon in just 43 days, regardless of what Trump tries to do in the interim.  They need to open their damn mouths and speak the truth … it would go a long way toward beginning to calm the ruffled feathers of the people in this nation.

And speaking of Trump’s shenanigans …

After his efforts to coerce Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to overturn the will of the people fell on deaf ears, now he turns his sights to Pennsylvania once again.  In the past week, he has twice called Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Brian Cutler, pleading with him to use the state legislature to override the will of the people.  Cutler turned him down, but … then Cutler implored the Pennsylvania representatives on Capitol Hill to object to the state’s electoral votes when Congress convenes to formally accept the votes of the Electoral College.  WTF???

baby-trump

This is beyond old, people.  This is the third time that Trump has, in violation of all federal ethics laws, attempted to subvert the voices of the people.  NO MORE!  Somebody shut this braying ass up and NOW!  He is doing more damage by the day to the people of this nation.  Maybe the republicans find some perverse humour in all of this, but it has given me stomach ulcers and cost me many night’s sleep.  Trump reminds me of a spoiled brat child who will upend the entire household in order to get another cookie.

Watch this asshole representative from Indiana prove just what a big idiot he is … George Stephanopoulos didn’t even have to help him!

The math is not hard.  7 million more people voted for Biden than Trump.  Biden won.  Trump lost.  End of story.  Grow up, America, and play by those rules you claim to believe in.  Stop supporting a wanna-be dictator who cannot accept his loss, cannot accept that we are tired of him destroying what’s left of the democratic principles in this nation.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

A Damn Shame

Posted on by under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

The Electoral College will meet in just ten days to cast their votes, per the popular vote in their states, for the next president of the United States.  Joe Biden has, as I’m sure you know by now, won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 … so there should be no question, right?  But, you need to know that there are a few shenanigans by people who are attempting to override the will of the people and keep Donald Trump firmly planted in the Oval Office.  Do I think this will work?  No … but I do think we need to be aware, and once again contact our elected officials to make sure they understand that we will not put up with having our voices erased.

Although the Electoral College will meet on December 14th and presumably the electors will vote in good faith, representing the will of the people, there is still one final step in the process.  Congress must certify the Electoral College vote.  Trump has, thus far, lost all but one of his lawsuits, and that one resulted in a negligible difference, especially as compared to the 40 he has lost.  So, his last best hope is for Congress to challenge the results of the Electoral College.  Typically, this wouldn’t be a concern, but this year is like no other in our history.

An obscure 1887 law called the Electoral Count Act, and several subsequent updates, spell out the process, setting January 6th after a presidential election as the official certification date and outlining vague, unnecessarily complex procedures. On that day, the House and Senate meet in a joint session at 1 p.m. — just three days after the newly constituted Congress is sworn in. One of their first orders of business is to pass judgment on the Electoral College vote.

If a single House member and a single senator join forces, they can object to entire slates of presidential electors. They must do so in writing and provide an explanation.  If they do, the House and Senate must retreat to their chambers and debate the outcome for up to two hours before voting on the matter. Each state’s electors are certified separately, meaning lawmakers bent on challenging the results have multiple chances to force lengthy delays.  If the Democrat-run House and GOP-controlled Senate disagree? That outcome has never been tested before, so we are in uncharted waters here.

Why do I bring this up now?  Because at least a few republican members of Congress are trying to rally support for such a challenge.  Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama has been telling colleagues and allies that he plans to challenge the Electoral College votes when Congress officially certifies Joe Biden’s victory on January 6th, as long as a Senate Republican joins him in the long-shot effort.

“In my judgment, if only lawful votes by eligible American citizens were cast, Donald Trump won the Electoral College by a significant margin, and Congress’s certification should reflect that. This election was stolen by the socialists engaging in extraordinary voter fraud and election theft measures.”

Methinks Mr. Brooks has been drinking a bit too much of the Trumpade.  But, he is not alone … the ignoble Matt Gaetz, representative from Florida, unconscionable Warren Davidson from Ohio, and newly-elected Marjorie Taylor Greene, the QAnon follower/promoter, have all said they would seriously consider challenging the certification of the Electoral College.  So, all that’s left is a republican senator to jump on board … is it so hard to believe that Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, or Lindsey Graham might decide to play along?  They certainly haven’t shown any integrity thus far …

Even so, I think the odds of such a challenge succeeding are slim-to-none, however it is in our best interest to keep an eye open, for there are those who would deny the voice of the people, would instead opt for a government that does not consider the will or best interests of the people.  These are uncharted waters … this entire election and post-election period has been unprecedented in the history of this country. We can be forgiven for not having much trust in the system operating as it was originally intended … as it has for the past 233 years.  Corruption seems to be the name of the republican game and … the only thing I trust them to do is lie, cheat, and steal.

I don’t think the framers of the Constitution nor the people who fought for our freedom ever intended it to be like this.  It’s a sad statement that we cannot trust the people we elected and whose salary we work hard to pay.  Most people work hard all their lives and pay their taxes without question, so that we can support the lifestyles of these people in Congress, most all of whom are independently wealthy beyond our wildest imagination, and half of whom would throw us under the wheels of a bus if it suited their interest.  A damn shame.

Good Night

Posted on by under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Matt Gaetz, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst and many other horrendous, conscienceless, corrupt members of Congress have been re-elected.  Worse yet, at this point it looks very much like Herr Trump will continue as the Dictator of the nation formerly known as the United States of America.  As of this writing, there are at least 65 million very stupid people in this country who have just signed the death warrant for the country and its 330 million inhabitants.  Thank you, assholes.

Filosofa is OVER and OUT.

America’s Wake-Up Call — Table of Contents

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Jeff & Jill's Project, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

America’s Wake-Up Call — Jeff & Jill Are Baaaaack!!!

America’s Wake-Up Call — Is Joe Biden Worth Your Vote?

America’s Wake-Up Call – Joe Biden on the Issues

America’s Wake Up Call — Will Democrats Finally Take the Courts Seriously?

America’s Wake-Up Call – Voting & Voters – Part I

America’s Wake-Up Call — How The World Sees Us

America’s Wake-Up Call – Voting & Voters — Part II

America’s Wakeup Call-It’s we the People, not we the Donors

 

 

Wake up America

Posted on by under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Blogging friend Brosephus is an intelligent, reasonable man, not given to conspiracy theories or rumours. When he speaks, I listen … and what he’s saying today, I’ve seen said in several places over the past couple of days. Just something to think about, something to be aware of, for we all know that Trump is not an honest person and there is no low that he won’t stoop to in order to hold onto his power and unlimited source of funding. Thanks, Brosephus … let’s hope it never comes to this.

The Mind of Brosephus

I’m typically not an alarmist, and I’ve gone back and forth on writing this post because I hate sounding like a conspiracy theorist. However, I honestly think that Americans need to open their eyes to  all that’s happening around them.

This tweet made me really think about the context of what this would imply. This implies that a significant population of America would be perfectly okay with shredding any and all semblance of constitutional rule.

In ordinary times, you’d be hard pressed to convince me to even think about something of that magnitude. However, we’re not in ordinary times anymore, and conservatives have more than communicated their intent.

For example:

This screenshot from a Trump follower tells you all you need to know. It’s not about anything other than hatred that drives conservatives now. He tried to clean up his statement the next day, but the statement is clear. It’s…

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