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He Has Been A Good President

https://digbysblog.net/2024/07/22/he-has-been-a-good-president/
Created
Tue, 23/07/2024 - 06:30
Sen. Chris Murphy: On this historic day, I want to tell you a story about Joe Biden, and what he did behind the scenes to make the historic 2022 gun bill – the first major gun safety legislation in 30 years – a reality. 1/ It starts with a phone call he made to me days after the Uvalde shooting.  2/ After the tragic Uvalde and Buffalo shootings, Biden wanted to give a prime time address to push the Congress to act. But several of his advisors told him not to waste one of his few prime time speeches on guns. Congress will never pass a gun bill, they told him.  3/ He called me to ask my opinion. In 2013, he and I had sat for hours with the Sandy Hook parents, and parents of kids killed in Hartford and Bridgeport. I knew how personal those families’ pain was to him. “I want to give this speech, even if a bill is a long shot,” he said.  4/ Days later, he called back and told me he had made up his mind to give the speech – bc he worried if he didn’t, the urgency would dissipate (Congress was on recess that week) and our chance to do something would be lost.

The Kamala Attack Book

https://digbysblog.net/2024/07/22/the-kamala-attack-book/
Created
Tue, 23/07/2024 - 05:00
Then there’s this, which I saw all over twitter yesterday: And this disgusting piece of misogyny: That’s an illustration of this from the Dear Leader. This is what we can expect from that pig and his henchmen. Just thought you should know. And by the way, I truly doubt the suburban moms Trump needs to win in those big midwest states are on board with this crap.

The Un-Vance

https://digbysblog.net/2024/07/22/the-un-vance/
Created
Tue, 23/07/2024 - 03:30
I know Tom is for N. Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper for Veep and he makes good points. If he put the state in play he’s obviously the front runner. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is also mentioned frequently and he’s very good. He’s also from a state that knows from Appalachia and can counter JD Vance’s gross propaganda which I think is useful. I have no dog in this fight. There are a number of excellent choices. I just thought I’d feature this one since he’s on the short list.

The Béchamel Test

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-bechamel-test
Created
Tue, 23/07/2024 - 03:00

In 1985, the cartoonist Alison Bechdel first published her friend Liz Wallace’s joke that she wouldn’t watch a movie unless it had two female characters who exchanged dialogue about something other than men. Over the last forty years, the Bechdel Test has proven far too challenging for films to pass. We suggest replacing it with the easier Béchamel Test. To pass it, a movie only needs to fulfill one of the following:

They Thought They Had It In The Bag

https://digbysblog.net/2024/07/22/time-to-prosecute-the-case-against-trump/
Created
Tue, 23/07/2024 - 02:00
Sunday July 21st was one of those “where were you when you heard” days that you’ll remember for a long time to come. I was online and I saw the news that President Joe Biden was withdrawing from the presidential race come across my social media feed in real time. A friend texted me “You were right, it wasn’t going to happen until the moment it happened.” That’s what I’d been saying for the past couple of weeks when people would get anxious whenever Biden would say that he was absolutely not dropping out. No candidate would ever say “well, I’m thinking of giving up.” They’re all in until they’re not. Since the night of the debate I was fairly convinced that the Biden candidacy was over. I kept an open mind, thinking maybe he really was just under the weather that night but it had opened the floodgates of concerns that had been out there for a while. The presidency ages everyone who is in it, even the younger ones, and it has clearly taken a toll on the president.

Stephen Miller Loses His Sh#t

https://digbysblog.net/2024/07/22/stephen-miller-loses-his-sht/
Created
Tue, 23/07/2024 - 00:30
Not that he had it to lose President Biden upset someone’s evil plans by handing off his party’s (presumptive) presidential nomination to VP Kamala Harris. “Discount Goebbels” has a sad. Trump adviser Stephen Miller is freaking out. This is absolutely delicious. I could have stripped naked and danced in the street. Christmas came early. Miller is as vile as Trump, but far more strategic. He relished the idea of running Trump against Biden almost as much as sending troops to round up immigrants in detention camps and deporting them by the millions. The prospect of Biden resigning and handing Harris the presidency meant she, not Trump, would be president No. 47. All that Trump 47 merch would be instantly obsolete. But with Biden’s withdrawal, a whole lot more MAGA gear is obsolete as well as demolishing Miller’s and Trump’s campaign plans. Miller and Trump are furious. They now have to heavily retool their campaign with only months to go. Trump hates losing money almost as much as he hates America. (He could declare bankruptcy on the Taj Mahal, and did, one of several Trump bankruptcies.) But never fear.

Roy Cooper for VP?

https://digbysblog.net/2024/07/22/roy-cooper-for-vp/
Created
Mon, 22/07/2024 - 23:00
North Carolina is in play “Sunday was the single biggest day for online Democratic donations in years, reads the subhead at The New York Times this morning. With President Biden’s withdrawal Sunday, with his endorsement of his vice president as his replacement, and with Kamala Harris the clear pick of multiple state Democratic delegations, now comes the veepstakes. An avalanche of cash for the Harris coffers followed the announcement — more than $50 million. Endorsements flooded in as well, including 50 state Democratic chairs, members of Congress and governors. A palpable sense of relief flowed through the Democratic Party. The next big question, and Harris’s first big decision, will be her vice presidential pick. Swing state governors are clear favorites. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (46), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (51), and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (52) are in Slate’s Tier 1. But Whitmer has said she doesn’t want it. When did Kentucky become a swing state? Donald Trump won it with over 62 percent in both 2016 and 2020. Shapiro is a possible. He could bring with him 19 electoral votes.

Until the Pips Squeak

https://www.monbiot.com/2024/07/22/until-the-pips-squeak/
Created
Mon, 22/07/2024 - 22:54
Here’s why the government should tax the rich and tax them hard. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian  14th July 2024 Never let your opponents define the terms of a debate. All too often, Labour has allowed the Conservatives and the billionaire press to demonise the notion of “tax and spend”. It went to […]

Here at VeriMark, Our Home Page Tells You Nothing About Who We Are

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/here-at-verimark-our-home-page-tells-you-no…
Created
Mon, 22/07/2024 - 22:00

VeriMark. Welcome to Us. This is our website. Here you will come to find who we are. Because you’ve seen our name. Somewhere.

VeriMark. A trusted name. Because it’s so ambiguous and strong, you won’t question it. You’ve got your veri, and you’ve got your mark. As in, we very much hit the mark. Exactly where that is? That’s up to you to find out.

See that background image of the guy climbing a cliff free solo? That’s the American spirit right there. That’s VeriMark. Do we sell mountaineering gear or something? No, you didn’t come to us for that. Besides, that’s way too niche for us. We’re clearly a huge company. And seriously, look at the guy. He’s climbing with his bare hands. That’s not much gear on him. That wouldn’t be a good ad for a climbing gear store, now, would it? Come on, now, think.

Be like that climber. Achieve your dreams all on your own. But with VeriMark behind you.

See, our logo is sort of a hot-air balloon, but not. It could just be a teardrop upside down. Maybe we do something with oil? But again, think of us as more than that. You’re being too specific.

Our Mission:

The Years of Trying

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2024/07/the-years-of-trying/
Created
Mon, 22/07/2024 - 20:35

On 17 December 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight in a government office in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. Regularly harassed by the police, the street vendor’s self-immolation tapped into widespread discontent against the government; shared widely on social media, it sparked the first protests of what was to become the Arab Spring — a movement which, […]