A couple more special elections tonight, one in New Hampshire in a heavy GOP district, and one in Florida what was a key race, both won by democrats

 

 

 

On to Puerto Rico

Seriously while Trump is busy having a twitter war with the @NFL, there are now 16 deaths in Puerto Rico. The mayor of San Juan was on TV being interviewed tonight crying and begging for help. She said there are FEMA folks there but no leadership or direction, so they are basically waiting for orders from someone at FEMA to know where they are to be deployed.

 

The 5 Presidents effort is being expanded now to include Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands

 

 

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by JaneAusten

^ Trump and Stern were a match made in hell for sure.  I know Stern is not sincere in what he says. I feel that way about half of conservative radio, but the fact that he's a smart guy and just faking the a-hole routine makes him all the more despicable to me. Back when I was dating Stern was a great litmus test.  Women on the dating scene right now are even luckier. There's no better litmus test than 45.

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by Juliajms

More awful news. Fetal deaths caused by the water in Flint. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/09/21/flints-lead-poisoned-water-had-a-horrifyingly-large-effect-on-fetal-deaths-study-finds/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.6cc073a5e23a

 

 

Annette Taddeo ran for Congress 5-10 years back - if I remember correctly there was a lot of speculation that Debbie Wasserman Schultz kneecapped her along with others running for Congress in certain districts. Apparently this popped up again a few years later.

 

http://progresoweekly.us/debbie-wasserman-schultz-still-sandbagging-taddeo/

 

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/debbie-wasserman-schultz-blocks-miami-democratic-leader-annette-taddeo-goldsteins-bid-for-state-chair-6559697

 

As for Alabama, I don't know if that has much to do with Trump either way. Roy Moore (who terrifies me, but sadly is now part of the GOP "mainstream") is beloved in Alabama and nationwide. Luther Strange had a cloud hanging over him due to the nature of his appointment. This is likely going to bring a lot of headaches for McConnell in 2018 primaries, although what will likely bring him more headaches is that anyone who replaces someone like Bob Corker will be much more destructive, because the days of the GOP base electing anyone who seems relatively reasonable or establishment are long gone. 

Trump owes Puerto Rico $33 million but the island never got paid due to Trump's numerous bankruptcy protection stays.

Speaking of Puerto Rico's debt coming at the hands of the U.S., Trump's refusal to wave the Jones Act, as it did with states affected by Harvey and Irma, no doubt helped contributed to some of the 16 deaths (and rising) on the island.

 

Trump administration denies Puerto Rico's request to waive the Jones Act, which it did for Harvey and Irma. https://t.co/dm2tcMfm2x pic.twitter.com/2O69ESjABV

— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) September 26, 2017

There is an Op-Ed in the NYT that posits that the Jones Act is one of the main reasons why Puerto Rico is being crushed by debt in the first place.

 

The Law Strangling Puerto Rico

 

While I've disagreed completely with the methods employed by Puerto Rican nationalists, I do have to wonder whether Puerto Rico would've fared as an independent nation, rather than a commonwealth.

 

I've noticed that the majority of the islands that are commonwealths of other countries have struggled this hurricane season, often unable to get valuable resources for days from "Mother countries" due to distance and a lack of understanding of what was truly happening on the ground.

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by DramatistDreamer

7 hours ago, DRW50 said:

This is likely going to bring a lot of headaches for McConnell in 2018 primaries, although what will likely bring him more headaches is that anyone who replaces someone like Bob Corker will be much more destructive, because the days of the GOP base electing anyone who seems relatively reasonable or establishment are long gone. 

 

As it is written: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

 

IOW, the GOP sowed crazy because they didn't care for the HNIC, and now, they're experiencing a bumper crop, as seen last night with Roy Moore's victory in a Republican runoff which, frankly, was about as unappetizing as those things can get.  So they've only themselves to blame.

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by Khan

Speaking of Republican leaders sowing the seeds of chaos, the DEA Chief is resigning.

 

DEA Chief Chuck Rosenberg Resigns After Criticizing Trump Remarks on Police Conduct

As I see it, Alabama voters proved last night that the Trump brand isn't always a winning brand; and if it's true that Steve Bannon, who has openly criticized the Trump administration for allowing itself to be compromised by the establishment, has declared war on the GOP, then he's off to a roaring start.

9 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Speaking of Republican leaders sowing the seeds of chaos, the DEA Chief is resigning.

 

DEA Chief Chuck Rosenberg Resigns After Criticizing Trump Remarks on Police Conduct

 

Can't say that I blame him, lol.  I mean, Trump openly courted police officers to treat all suspects in custody like thugs, as if it were WWII-era Italy and he was Mussolini.  Explain to me how that's NOT having little respect for the laws.

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by Khan

I'm seeing a lot of chatter saying that running Moore could very well hand the seat to the Democrat. Independents and moderate Repubs aren't interested in Moore and willeither stay home or cross over. Doug Jones is a really strong candidate.

 

 We can expect the AL senate race to turn into a redo of what the GA-06 House race was.

58 minutes ago, Khan said:

As I see it, Alabama voters proved last night that the Trump brand isn't always a winning brand; and if it's true that Steve Bannon, who has openly criticized the Trump administration for allowing itself to be compromised by the establishment, has declared war on the GOP, then he's off to a roaring start.

 

Can't say that I blame him, lol.  I mean, Trump openly courted police officers to treat all suspects in custody like thugs, as if it were WWII-era Italy and he was Mussolini.  Explain to me how that's NOT having little respect for the laws.

 

Oh, who in their right mind would blame him? I meant that Trump is causing chaos as these lifelong civil servants and diplomats are fleeing his administration in droves!

 

And driving the acting head of the DEA to resign in the midst of the opioid crisis shows how bad things have gotten.

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by DramatistDreamer

Sometimes I forget it hasn't even been a year. I saw a report about Priebus trying not to get WH people to use private servers and I had almost forgotten that he was ever in the administration. It feels like a lifetime ago. 

 

I don't really know how we're going to make it. I honestly don't. I know there have been worse times in America and I know many people have suffered and are suffering in a way that doesn't involve wearing out a keyboard, but the combination of callousness and incompetence that we have at all levels of government is more numbing by the day. 

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by DRW50

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

I don't really know how we're going to make it. I honestly don't. I know there have been worse times in America and I know many people have suffered and are suffering in a way that doesn't involve wearing out a keyboard, but the combination of callousness and incompetence that we have at all levels of government is more numbing by the day. 

 

I understand how you feel.  As I said to Mama Khan several days ago, it'll take a generation or more to undo the messes that that man and his administration have caused this country.

36 minutes ago, Khan said:

 

I understand how you feel.  As I said to Mama Khan several days ago, it'll take a generation or more to undo the messes that that man and his administration have caused this country.

 

That's the sad truth. A lot of people think that once Donald is gone, everything will go back to "normal." Normal is gone.

3 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Sometimes I forget it hasn't even been a year. I saw a report about Priebus trying not to get WH people to use private servers and I had almost forgotten that he was ever in the administration. It feels like a lifetime ago. 

 

I don't really know how we're going to make it. I honestly don't. I know there have been worse times in America and I know many people have suffered and are suffering in a way that doesn't involve wearing out a keyboard, but the combination of callousness and incompetence that we have at all levels of government is more numbing by the day. 

I know this will make the trolls happy, but last night I really thought I was going to have a breakdown when I read that story about Flint.  It's one thing when people are suffering and there is hope of help.  Right now the Rohingya, Puerto Rico, refugees, and Flint. All of these people are screwed with little hope and it is not going to get better. Not any time soon.

Add to it the nightmare in Alabama with Roy Moore winning the Republican runoff, and it proves there are still A LOT of idiots out there.