Tag Archives: Georgia runoff elections

A Few Thoughts From The Bouncing Mind

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, education, Election 2022, Election 2024, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

I don’t know if it’s the weather, the holidays or what, but I cannot seem to concentrate on any single topic long enough to write a more in-depth post for the past few days.  I need to have a heart-to-heart talk with my brain, I think.  Or would that be a heart-to-brain talk?  Is the brain even available for a chat, or is it out to lunch?  For now, though, I will share with you just a few of the thoughts that bounced around in my brain last night!

Today’s the big day!!!

The runoff election in Georgia will determine whether Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock or Republican challenger Herschel Walker will take their seat in the United States Senate on January 3rd. My fingers are so tightly crossed that they’ve lost all feeling in hopes that the people of Georgia are smarter than the Republican nominee and will vote for a man who has a proven track record in the Senate, a man with integrity and values.  Let Mr. Walker go back to his vampire movies while Senator Warnock helps make the laws that will govern us all.

Will the Court do the right thing?  Don’t hold your breath

Will they rule for or against the LGBTQ community?  It seems to me that if you own a business, you welcome customers … all customers.  What savvy business owner would turn away a paying customer because of the colour of his skin or his religion?  Or his gender identity?  Remember the Masterpiece Cakeshop case in 2018 where a Colorado bakery refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple because the owner of the cakeshop thought same-sex marriage was a sin?  What is it with Colorado, anyway?  The latest case before the Supreme Court is about whether a Colorado web designer, a woman who creates websites for a living, can refuse to create a website for a same-sex couple simply because their life choices go against her narrow-minded religion.  

I have little trust of today’s Supreme Court, which is tragic in itself.  It has been hijacked by rigid right-wing partisans who are more likely to rule in favour of the web designer.  Since the additions of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Barrett, a number of unjust rulings have been issued, not the least of which was the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade and set women’s rights back 50 years or more.  So, I will be shocked … pleasantly so … if the Court tells the web designer that she cannot discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. 

For what it’s worth, here’s my two cents.  If you own a business that is open to the public, it is open to ALL the public, including LGBTQ+ people.  To decide otherwise would be to throw wide open the doors of discrimination in every venue across the U.S.  Imagine, if you will, a nation where Black people are banned from Kroger or Safeway grocery stores, or where Jews are not welcome in certain clothing stores or restaurants.  If you are in business, you serve one and all.  Remember the days, not all that long ago, when in the South there were signs on doors, “Whites Only”?  Do you want to see signs on doors that read, “Straight White Christians Only”?  If your prejudices are so severe that you cannot open your mind and the doors of your business to people who are different, then you have no business being in business.  Full Stop.

It’s all relative

There was a time when Florida’s Ron DeSantis would have been viewed as terrible material for a presidential candidate.  And now … he seems to be garnering support from some in the GOP, as well as the voting public on the right.  What changed?  Did DeSantis become more ‘acceptable’ through some actions of his own?  No.  He became more ‘acceptable’ as an alternative to the madman who once occupied the Oval Office and who is running once again.  If you have no other points of comparison, and you put Trump and DeSantis side-by-side, then yes, DeSantis looks pretty damn good.  But then, compared to Trump, Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie The Shining looks pretty good!

I firmly believe that Donald Trump’s name will not be on the final ballot in November 2024, but even so, I would also hate to see DeSantis as the GOP nominee.  Like Trump, DeSantis is a bigot in most every way, but unlike Trump, he is relatively intelligent and knows how to obtain what he wants.  And, for some reason that escapes me, he has gained a significant amount of popularity, though none of my Floridian friends have any use at all for him.  Fortunately, 2024 is almost two years away and a lot can happen in two years, so I’m not going into panic mode yet, and neither should you.

The price we pay for declining education

I’ve written many times of late about the efforts, primarily by evangelicals and Republicans to whitewash the history of the United States.  I have argued that we need to keep that history — the good, the bad, and the ugly parts — in the forefront of our children’s education so they can ensure we NEVER return to the days of slavery, of Jim Crow, of the KKK.  I’ve also argued against book bans, yet today school districts are banning more and more books, further narrowing the minds of the next generations!  I think the following chart makes my point perfectly …

Need I say more?

And now for just a few ‘toons that highlight the news of the day …

 

Herschel Walker HUMILIATES himself unlike ever before in DISASTROUS appearance

Posted on by under education, Election 2022, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry over this video clip of the very unqualified-for-senate candidate Herschel Walker. There will be a runoff election in Georgia on December 6th between Senator Raphael Warnock and this former footballer … let us hope that common sense prevails!!!

Scottie's Playtime

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This, That, and ‘TOONS!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2022, Environmental Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, religion, Social commentary

Until the past week, I was generally able to focus on a single issue or topic for an entire post, but my mind seems to be made of rubber these days and just bounces all over the place, hence I have done a number of posts with a variety of ‘mini-thoughts’.  This afternoon’s post is yet another such …

Apparently, some people wish to live in a nation where all people are controlled by a single religious belief set.  To those people I say, “Then please, feel free to relocate to Iran.  I would caution you, though, if you are a woman, you will be controlled, manipulated, and killed if you break the religious laws. If you are a gay person, you will be killed if it is discovered, no questions asked.”  Meanwhile, here in the United States, women are, at least in theory, given equal rights, although only for the past 100 years or so.  We now have the right to divorce our spouse, to own property in {gasp} our own name, receive equal pay for equal work, and even to … VOTE!  Okay, so we’re still working on that ‘bodily autonomy’ thing, but we’ll get there, because it’s important enough for us to fight tooth and nail for.  That’s not quite how it works over in Iran, but hey … if people want religious laws to dominate the people, they’ll just have to … get over the level of bigotry that is the foundation of such a society.  Meanwhile, here in the U.S. the majority of us fully support women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and realize it is nobody’s business whether a woman chooses to have children or who a person chooses to love.

I respect every person’s right to believe as they wish, to adhere to the religion of their choice or no religion, if that is their choice.  But what I cannot tolerate is people trying to force everyone into their own narrow-minded box.  One of the things that the United States is noted for is freedom of religion, freedom to believe as you choose.  You have the right to attend the church, mosque or synagogue of your choice and participate in the various rites & rituals of your religion. BUT … when politicians pander to a religious group that wants to impose their will on the entirety of the nation, they are attempting to rob us of one of our most fundamental constitutional freedoms.  Be a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew or a Jain, but don’t tell me that I have to believe as you do.  Freedom OF religion must also include freedom FROM religion as an option.  The United States is not and should not become a ‘Christian nation’ but is founded on the basis of welcoming people of ALL beliefs.

A reader recently commented the following in regard to my concern for the environment:

“Time for the USA to get the message. As far as destruction of the enviro, humans cause somewhere i between 0.00020% and o.00034% of global warming. We’ve seen far bigger periods of gobal warming and ice ages throughout recorded history. Guess why the ice desert Greenland is called Greenland. It was fuxn green when the first settlers arrived there. In late Roman times they made wine in England! And we had periods of unusual warm weather but also mini ice ages and freak storms not too far in the past. Vineta (Atlantis) happened in medieval times, Tenerife will probably split in two during our lifetimes. With or without our ‘help’.”

How does one even converse with someone who is so convinced their ignorant views are correct and who looks down their nose at those of us who believe the science that tells us human activities, particularly continually increasing emissions of CO2 are creating an environment that will no longer be able to sustain human … or most other … life within a relatively few short years?  I have come to the point that I no longer bother to respond to such, for there is no give-and-take, no meaningful dialog, just arrogance and an unwillingness to consider facts.

Lindsey Graham said that if Catherine Cortez Masto beats Adam Laxalt in the race for the senate seat from Nevada, then it was fraud.  So, let me get this straight:  If the candidate Lindsey likes loses, it was fraud, but if his candidate wins, it was a fair and honest election.  Sounds to me like a rather juvenile viewpoint, rather like the ten-year-old child turning over the checkerboard and running in tears to her room and slamming the door because her dad won the game.  “No fair!  You cheated!”  But then, I guess the ten-year-old mentality is in keeping with the Republican modus operandi of late, ever since they decided to make a ‘man’ with a funny creature atop his head, a pocky complexion, a contorted mouth, and lies flowing from his mouth their “Supreme Leader”.  As of 8:49 p.m. last night, Cortez Masto is the projected winner of the race for the senate seat from Nevada, giving the Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate.  I wonder what ol’ Lindsey will have to say this morning?  Will he have the decency to keep his mouth shut, or will he whine and demand that the election be overturned?

My jaw dropped last night when I logged onto Twitter and found that an off-the-cuff remark I had left on someone’s tweet had gained 1,281 likes, 92 retweets, and 51 comments!!!  I’M A TWITTER CELEBRITY!!!  (just kidding)  I have never had more than 30 or so likes on any tweet or tweet comment I’ve made.  Never!  This is the tweet and my response that gained so much notoriety …

And I conclude with a few political ‘toons I’ve run across over the past few days …

Snarky Snippets With A Twist

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

There is much I could find to write a scathing rant about today, but there is also some good news, so I thought just for once I’d try to focus on that.  Don’t expect this to become the new norm, though!

Score one for justice!

On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.  Garland is politically moderate, and Obama’s hope was that he would not be found offensive to either side, particularly Republicans in the Senate led by Mitch McConnell.  His hopes were to be dashed, for McConnell was determined that President Obama would not be allowed to fill that seat.  Period.

Republicans themselves had spent years suggesting Garland as an acceptable Democratic choice for the Court, and it is said that Mitch McConnell and Merrick Garland were friends.  However, McConnell and other Senate Republicans refused to even so much as hold a hearing or vote on the nomination, claiming that with only eight months until the presidential election, the seat should remain open for the incoming president to fill.  Some even said that if Hillary Clinton were elected, the seat should remain open for four years … or forever!

It had nothing whatsoever to do with Merrick Garland’s qualifications, and everything to do with partisanship.  The Senate Republicans wanted only an ultra-conservative to fill that seat, not a liberal or even a moderate.  Why?  Their goal was to gain a conservative majority in the Court that would be willing to overturn two previous Supreme Court decisions if the opportunity arose:  Roe v Wade, and Obergefell v Hodges.

Well, today it is Merrick Garland who will have the last laugh, for President-elect Joe Biden, who will take the Oath of Office in just two weeks from today, has announced his intention to nominate Merrick Garland as United States Attorney General!  From what little I know of Garland, I think he will be a fine Attorney General, and I’m admittedly not above being thrilled to know that Mitch McConnell and his uber-conservative cronies must be pulling their hair out … or will be once today’s circus in Congress has finished.

Score two for justice!

And in other positive news, the Georgia runoff elections for Georgia’s two seats in the U.S. Senate was yesterday.  While the count is only about 98% complete as of this writing, Raphael Warnock, the democratic candidate, has been declared the winner over Kelly Loeffler, although by a narrow margin of 1.2%.

The other race, being even closer, has not yet been called as of this writing, but Democrat Jon Ossoff is leading over David Perdue by about .4%, or 17,567 votes.  I fail to understand how so many people in Georgia could vote for Loeffler and Perdue, both of whom have allegations of insider trading and other criminal conduct in their past.  However, a narrow win is better than no win.  For the sake of my own health, I have stayed largely off of Twitter today, so haven’t seen any of Trump’s tweets, but I’m sure he is crying “Foul” as loudly and ignorantly as usual.  However, his voice is becoming less and less relevant, even to many Republicans.

Tidbits

Rumour had it that Trump was planning to head for his golf course in Scotland on the 19th, the day before Joe Biden will be sworn in as President of the United States.  However, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says that Trump will not be allowed into Scotland, for the country is in strict lockdown and nobody is allowed to enter, including Trump!  Guess he’ll just have to settle for Mar-a-Lago for a while.

We all need a chuckle today.  You’ll love this parody of Trump’s felonious phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger last Saturday, put to the Stevie Wonder song, I Just Called to Say I Love You …

♫ Georgia On My Mind ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under music

Today, all eyes are on the runoff elections for Senate down in Georgia, and my friend Brian mentioned that he would have “Georgia on my mind” in a comment yesterday.  Naturally, this song popped into my head and I thought … PERFECT!  The perfect song for the day!  My friends, let’s keep Georgia on our minds today, for the very future of our nation may depend on the outcome of today’s elections.  Meanwhile, listen to Ray Charles and let him fill your heart with soul!

This song was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930 and although others have recorded it, my favourite, and the one it’s most well-known for, is by Ray Charles.  In 1979, the State of Georgia designated it the official state song.

GorrellIt has been asserted that Hoagy Carmichael wrote the song about his sister, Georgia. But Carmichael wrote in his second autobiography Sometimes I Wonder that saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer told him he should write a song about the state of Georgia. He jokingly volunteered the first two words, “Georgia, Georgia…”, which Carmichael ended up using while working on the song with his roommate, Stuart Gorrell, who wrote the lyrics. Gorrell’s name was absent from the copyright, but Carmichael sent him royalty checks anyway.

Ray Charles, a native of Georgia, recorded a version that went to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100. On March 7, 1979, in a symbol of reconciliation in the aftermath of years of activism and national legislation resulting from the Civil Rights Movement, he performed the song before the Georgia General Assembly. After this performance, the Assembly adopted it as the state song on April 24.

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named the Ray Charles version of Georgia on My Mind the 44th greatest song of all time.  I also like Willie Nelson’s version, which he sang at Ray Charles’ funeral, but for me … nobody does it quite like Ray — he puts himself into it.

Georgia on My Mind
Ray Charles

Georgia, Georgia
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)

I said Georgia
Georgia
A song of you
Comes as sweet and clear
As moonlight through the pines

Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you

I said Georgia
Ooh Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)

Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you

Whoa, Georgia
Georgia
No peace, no peace I find
Just this old, sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind

I said just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind

Songwriters: Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorell
Georgia on My Mind lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Campbell Connelly France

Here comes the challenge to presidential pardon powers

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

Our friend Brosephus has hit the nail on the head when he says Trump is a criminal and should go to prison. Listen to this short clip from Trump’s call to bribe and/or blackmail Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday. What he did was a crime, a felony. He should be hauled out of the White House today and taken to jail to await trial. Listen to the clip … I think you’ll agree. Thank you, Brosephus, for posting this and for allowing me to share it with my readers.

The Mind of Brosephus

Leave it to the Washington Post to break the news on Watergate 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Throughout the call, Raffensperger and his office’s general counsel rejected Trump’s assertions, explaining that the president is relying on debunked conspiracy theories and that President-elect Joe Biden’s 11,779-vote victory in Georgia was fair and accurate.

Trump dismissed their arguments.

“The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry,” he said. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you’ve recalculated.”

Raffensperger responded: “Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong.”

At another point, Trump said: “So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.”

So, at what point do we honestly admit that Trump is a criminal and deserves to go to prison?…

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Snarky Snippets For A Dreary Grey Day

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

Okay, folks, the holidays are over and I for one am more than ready to return to my normal routine.  Let’s get the tree down, pack those decorations away, finish all those leftovers, and get back to whatever passes for ‘normal’ in your household!  My psyche doesn’t handle disruptions well at all.

Sorry, Louie, but the answer is ‘NO’

I told you earlier this week about a lawsuit filed by the ignoble representative from Texas, Louie Gohmert and others, that sought to attempt to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the election.  The suit was a bad joke, for there were no grounds whatsoever for it, and most every political analyst and constitutional law expert said it was doomed to fail.

Well, fail it did.  Yesterday, Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle of the Eastern District of Texas ruled that Gohmert and other republican lawmakers lacked the proper standing to sue Mr. Pence in the matter.  The real kicker in this ruling, though, is the fact that Judge Kernodle was appointed by Trump himself!  And, to heap insult onto injury in the eyes of Trump, the Department of Justice, representing Pence, had asked the Judge to reject the lawsuit.  I hear that Trump is not a happy camper about these latest developments, and Gohmert claims he intends to appeal, but with only five days before Congress meets to certify Joe Biden’s electoral win, I doubt there is time, nor is there willingness on the part of any judges to open themselves to what would follow if Pence were forced to take away the people’s will.

Score one for justice.toon-2

They never give up, do they?

This just in, as I was writing the above snippet – several republican senators, led by Ted Cruz of Texas, have signed a statement saying that they will refuse to certify the electoral votes for Joe Biden unless a ten-day audit is performed.

good grief

More grandstanding, and a move that is destined to fail, for frankly the votes of these idiots are not requisite for a majority vote to certify the results of the Electoral College.  The democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, and in the Senate, a number of republicans have already acknowledged Joe Biden’s win and will not align themselves with these spoiled brats.  The ones who have signed the statement are:

  • Ted Cruz – Texas
  • Ron Johnson – Wisconsin
  • James Lankford – Oklahoma
  • Steve Daines – Montana
  • John Kennedy – Louisiana
  • Marsha Blackburn – Tennessee
  • Mike Braun – Indiana
  • Cynthia Lummis – Wyoming (senator-elect)
  • Roger Marshall – Kansas (senator-elect)
  • Bill Hagerty – Tennessee (senator-elect)
  • Tommy Tuberville – Alabama (senator-elect)

And, of course, good ol’ Josh Hawley from Missouri said last week that he intends to contest the results.  These people make me literally sick.  They are elected to do what is in the best interest of the people of this country, not to kiss the ass of the idiot-child trying to hold on to the Oval Office by lying, cheating, and bullying.  They are perfectly willing to say to us … “you do not matter, your vote does not matter, we don’t feel one whit of responsibility to you”, for that is exactly what they are telling us!

Their efforts will fail, on Wednesday, January 6th, Joe Biden’s electoral win will be certified and two weeks later, on January 20th, Joe Biden will be inaugurated the 46th President of the United States.  However, what they ARE doing is demoralizing us, keeping our angst stirred, and slapping us repeatedly in the face.  They are putting their own desires and fortunes ahead of ours, and THAT is simply wrong!  I hope the people of those states begin demanding that they be held accountable, either through impeachment or other means.

He’s stabbing his own in the back

As you all know, the Georgia runoff races for the U.S. Senate are in just three days.  Polling is erratic, but one thing is for certain, that both races are looking to be remarkably close.  So, what does Trump do to help his side?  He basically tells republican voters not to bother, that the elections are “illegal and invalid”.  This is one time that I’m applauding his false claims, for if he convinces republicans to stay home on Tuesday, so much the better for the nation.

In addition, he has been verbally attacking Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both republicans, for the past month over their honesty in certifying the election in Georgia.  He claims they owe it to him to overturn the voice of the people, but both Kemp and Raffensperger remember that their loyalty is to the people of Georgia, not a two-bit madman who is attempting to hijack the election.

Last month, Trump attended a rally in Georgia (did he do any real work in 2020?) where he proceeded to spend most of his time lamenting his own situation, making his tiresome false claims about voter fraud, and yadda yadda yadda.  He did Loeffler and Perdue, the two republican candidates, no favours then, and he is doing them none now.  He’s scheduled to attend another rally on Monday, the day before the elections, where he is likely to further hurt their cause.  I suppose we ought to thank him for the help he is giving the two democrats, Warnock and Ossoff!

Consider yourself warned

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

Our friend Brosephus is a mite grumpy today … and with good reason. Once republicans figured out the only way they could win is to cheat and disenfranchise those who are unlikely to vote for the ignoble republican candidates, they they did the inevitable — they cheated. And they are still at it today, even as the electoral college is verifying Joe Biden’s win. And down in Georgia … well, I’ll let Brosephus tell you why he’s grumpy today …

The Mind of Brosephus

I’m just a tad bit grumpy this morning. Maybe it’s due to cabin fever because of my current quarantine status. Maybe it’s due to other things. However, a tweet this morning from Jim Galloway pushed me over the edge and into that deep abyss where the Angry Black Man resides.

For a reference point, here’s three of Newt’s tweets within the past 24 hours.

Why, why, why? It’s a cold in Georgia this morning Newt, w so why don’t you enjoy a nice warm cup of Shut The F**k Up since we’re in a why mood. I’m tired of having to fight tooth and nail to protect my right guaranteed under the US Constitution from these a**holes. I’m also sick and tired of the media downplaying the dangers faced by my community.

This isn’t some new fangled GOP idea either. Remember this guy here?

Or, how about this guy here?

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All Eyes Are On Georgia — Part I

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

There are 26 days left until the two Georgia runoff elections to determine who will occupy Georgia’s seats in the U.S. Senate.  Ordinarily, those of us who don’t live in Georgia wouldn’t likely give more than a passing glance to these elections or the candidates, but with the demographics of the senate hanging in the balance, all eyes are on Georgia.  These two elections will play a huge roll in President-elect Biden’s ability to get his cabinet nominees confirmed, for starters, and down the road will be a determining factor in just how much of his legislation will be passed by Congress.  It will also determine whether the iron-fisted Mitch McConnell will continue to lead the Senate in his obstructionist manner.

So, let’s talk a little bit about the Senate candidates from Georgia, shall we?  This will likely be a two-part post, for I want to cover a bit about each of the four candidates … Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on the Democratic ticket, and David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler on the Republican side.  Let’s start with the race between Raphael Warnock and Kelly Loeffler.

warnockRaphael Warnock has been the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta since 2005, following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Dr. Martin Luther King. Warnock came to prominence in Georgia politics as a leader in the campaign to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.  Ordinarily, I would not favour a religious leader running for a seat in Congress, but everything I’ve heard and read about Warnock tells me that he would take seriously his oath to defend the Constitution and would always act with the interest of We the People in mind.

I often complain that our members of Congress were mainly born with a silver spoon in their mouth and cannot possibly understand the plight of the average people or the poor in this nation.  The same cannot be said of Raphael Warnock who grew up in public housing as the eleventh of twelve children.  He knows what it’s like to struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table.

In March 2014, Warnock led a sit-in at the Georgia State Capitol to press state legislators to accept the expansion of Medicaid offered by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He and other leaders were arrested during the protest.  Kind of reminds me a bit of the late John Lewis and Elijah Cummings, both Civil Rights activists.

LoefflerKelly Loeffler currently holds the Senate seat for which she and Warnock are vying, but she was never elected to that seat.  Rather, she was appointed a year ago by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after Senator Johnny Isakson stepped down due to health issues.  Far more is known about Loeffler than Warnock, none of it particularly impressive in my book.

Loeffler is, and has always been, a businesswoman, not a politician.  Which in and of itself would not disqualify her, but her bigotry and shady dealings should.

She was previously chief executive officer (CEO) of Bakkt, a subsidiary of commodity and financial service provider Intercontinental Exchange owned by her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher. She co-owns the Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Loeffler has strongly aligned herself to Donald Trump and frequently bragged about her “100 percent Trump voting record” during the campaign.  She and other senators, including the other republican in this runoff election, David Perdue,  took advantage of non-public information to sell stocks earlier this year before the pandemic caused the market to decline … insider trading.  On January 24, 2020, the Senate Committees on Health and Foreign Relations held a closed meeting with only Senators present to brief them about the COVID-19 outbreak and how it would affect the United States (would have been nice if they had briefed We the People, huh?). Following the meeting Senator Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeffrey Sprecher, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, made twenty-seven transactions to sell stocks worth between $1,275,000 and $3,100,000 and two transactions to buy stock in Citrix Systems which saw an increase following the stock market decline.

When she was asked about the Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump discusses groping women, Loeffler replied that she was “not familiar with that”. When she was separately asked about a recording of Trump telling Bob Woodward that he was intentionally downplaying COVID-19 in public, she responded that it was “fake news”.  Never mind, I guess, that it was a taped conversation?

Loeffler supports ending the Affordable Care Act that provides health insurance to millions who would not otherwise be able to afford it, and she is staunchly anti-abortion and anti-LGBT rights.  In fact, she is so opposed to women’s and LGBT rights that in the past year, she has donated large portions of her Senate salary to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ rights organizations.  Yes, you read that right.  Of course, she didn’t need the money, for with a net worth of $500 million, she is the richest member of Congress.

In October 2020, shortly after Donald and Melania Trump were diagnosed with the coronavirus after attending events where they closely interacted with other individuals while maskless, Loeffler, who often appeared at rallies and gatherings without wearing a mask, posted the following ignorant tweet:

“China gave this virus to our President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @FLOTUS. WE MUST HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.”

Never mind that as of today, nearly 300,000 people in the U.S. have died from the virus, and never mind that the Trumps were given treatments that none of the rest of us could possibly afford, and never mind that … oh never mind.  Kelly Loeffler is an ignorant, arrogant rich bitch.  Please, Georgians, DO NOT return her to Congress on January 5th!  She is the antithesis of what this nation stands for … or once stood for.

The latest polls show Warnock leading by 2-3 points … let’s hope it stays that way, or even that his lead strengthens … which could well happen, given that Trump is telling republicans not to bother to vote in the runoff elections, that they would be ‘rigged’ – one of his favourite words.  The election has been coloured with nasty, untrue ad campaigns by Loeffler, attacks against Warnock, and I’ll say no more on that, for I am sick and damn tired of hearing the republican lies and watching people fall for the conspiracy crap.  For my part, I will stick to facts.

I will write about Jon Ossof and David Perdue, probably tomorrow morning since this sort of post is better done late at night when I have some uninterrupted time to read and research.

The Radical Right

Posted on by under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

My political ideology was once considered ‘moderate’. My thoughts, ideas and beliefs haven’t changed in the least, but now I’m labelled a ‘Socialist’ or ‘radical leftist’. The further to the right the conservative movement goes, the further to the left common sense seems to be. What we need is some middle ground, a place for compromise, but it’s long since gone. Our friend Jeff puts all of this into context and shares his thoughts after watching part of the debate between two of the candidates in the Georgia runoff elections on January 5th. Good thoughts, Jeff … thanks!

On The Fence Voters

I caught roughly 45 minutes of the debate between Senator Kelly Loeffler and Reverend Raphael Warnock last night. They’re both set to compete in the Georgia Senate runoff election on January 5, 2021. Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Senator David Perdue are vying for the other Georgia Senate seat. The two were supposed to face off in a debate on Saturday evening, but the coward Perdue was a no-show. Instead, Ossoff debated an empty podium.

We all know how vital this runoff is, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. The moderators at the Loeffler/Warnock debate tried their best to get answers. I thought Warnock came across as genuine, decent, and thoughtful. Considering the attacks that came his way, it says a lot about the man.

I’m going to take some liberties here, for purposes of this post, and give you an idea of what most of Loeffler’s…

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