If Lightfoot's inaugural was filled with images like this one, I could see why so many eyes were filled.

 

Ann Lightfoot, 90 watches on as her daughter, Lori Lightfoot is sworn in as the 56th Mayor of the City of Chicago.

Mayor Lightfoot is the first African-American female and first openly gay Mayor of Chicago.#ChicagoInaugural @LightfootForChi @chicagosmayor pic.twitter.com/QbmSAEdbq9

— Vashon Jordan Jr. (@vashon_photo) May 20, 2019

#BREAKING: All remaining ministers of Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) will resign from their government posts, a party spokesman announces. pic.twitter.com/tHFhwYccni

— dpa news agency (@dpa_intl) May 20, 2019

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-documents-reveal-desire-sow-racial-discord-violence-u-s-n1008051

The documents contained proposals for several ways to further exacerbate racial discord in the future, including a suggestion to recruit African-Americans and transport them to camps in Africa “for combat prep and training in sabotage.” Those recruits would then be sent back to America to foment violence and work to establish a pan-African state in the Southern U.S., including South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

There is no indication that the plan — which is light on details — was ever put into action, but it offers a fresh example of the mindset around Russian efforts to sow discord in the U.S.

The blueprint, entitled “Development Strategy of a Pan-African State on U.S. Territory,” floated the idea of enlisting poor, formerly incarcerated African-Americans “who have experience in organized crime groups” as well as members of “radical black movements for participation in civil disobedience actions.”

Senior members of Judiciary Committee who are also in leadership broached the idea tonight. Rep. Raskin took the lead.

Reps. Cicilline and freshman leadership Rep. Neguse also on board.

Meeting grew tense as Raskin kept returning to idea, irritating Pelosi

— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) May 21, 2019

The meeting then devolved into a heated back and forth as members on both sides of the issue were chiming in.

“It was insane,” said one source who was in the room.

— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) May 21, 2019

MORE Pelosi: “We still have unexhausted avenues her,” she said referencing inherent contempt.

“We have invested this much time. I don’t know why we would say McGahn, that’s it.”

— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) May 21, 2019

But other Dems including senior Judiciary members, like Cicilline and Raskin, think this is the path forward, the way to force the administration to cooperate, don’t want to face 1.5 years of stonewalling and litigation

— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) May 21, 2019

I understand Pelosi's take and her position re: waiting on impeachment, but I think we're about out of options in this particular moment in history, with or without enough ammo. There are no longer any good options.

When impeachment fails they'll go right back to blaming Pelosi. Then we'll lose the House and the Repubs will be in charge of redrawing districts again, then we're done.

I'm starting to have mixed feelings about impeachment, mostly because of us being at the point where he just repeatedly strongarms the House on all levels and there is nothing done to fight back, but I can see why Pelosi still doesn't want to do it. 

 

Anyway:

 

 

8 hours ago, ReddFoxx said:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-documents-reveal-desire-sow-racial-discord-violence-u-s-n1008051

 

Yes, the plans seem very amateurish and lack some basic understanding of the demographics of black people living in the U.S. but this quote from the article hold some deep truths.

 

“Russia understands how critical the African American vote is to determining the outcome of elections,” said Demings, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. “And because we have not effectively dealt with racism as a country ourselves, I believe we've made ourselves vulnerable to foreign powers like Russia to continue to try to undermine.”

Who needed "Game of Thrones," when we have the ongoing debate over whether to impeach our sitting president?

 

I agree that too many people who are demanding that Congress begin impeachment proceedings are reacting on pure outrage (and a need for vengeance) and nothing more.  It's unfortunate that we, as a nation, have far too much to lose should this end in failure (and it WILL end in failure, mark my words) but that's where this administration and the GOP have brought us.  Attempting to impeach Trump now or at any other time, rather than simply doing whatever we can to vote him and the rest of the Republican Party out of office come 2020, just isn't worth it.

Edited May 21, 20196 yr by Khan

41 minutes ago, Khan said:

Who needed "Game of Thrones," when we have the ongoing debate over whether to impeach our sitting president?

 

I agree that too many people who are demanding that Congress begin impeachment proceedings are reacting on pure outrage (and a need for vengeance) and nothing more.  It's unfortunate that we, as a nation, have far too much to lose should this end in failure (and it WILL end in failure, mark my words) but that's where this administration and the GOP have brought us.  Attempting to impeach Trump now or at any other time, rather than simply doing whatever we can to vote him and the rest of the Republican Party out of office come 2020, just isn't worth it.

I'm following black women. I know Maxine Waters is for impeachment but she's been that was for 2 years and I don't hear her screaming like some of the others. I trust Pelosi. Part of it is the media egging democrats on. THEY want this and they are pushing democrats in that direction. Pelosi is going to hold her coalition. 

This feels like clumsy pandering to me, even though I agree with them about the writing for women. 

 

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/21/warren-and-aoc-diss-game-of-thrones-finale-1337234

This entire administration under Trump is simply awful.  Almost too awful to contemplate on a daily basis.

 

Rep. Katie Porter: "Do you know what an REO is?"
Secretary Ben Carson: "An Oreo?"
Porter: "No, not an OREO. An REO. R-E-O."
Carson: "Real estate?"
Porter: "What's the 'O' stand for?"pic.twitter.com/9dTw0xtNRm

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 21, 2019

 

 

The one thing this article really fails to mention is that Obama's earliest supporters before the Democratic debates and primaries were mostly white voters because many black voters were dubious about his ability to get elected.  Many black women did indeed vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary for this same reason-- Hillary appeared to be the solid choice to many.  As the Obama campaign began to raise more money than the Clinton campaign (along with some missteps Clinton campaigners and surrogates), black voters began to coalesce around Obama.

This is perhaps an uncomfortable aspect that many people (including those in the black community) don't want to acknowledge but it would be absolute amnesia to forget about this.

 

"Interviews with dozens of black voters found a sense that past political engagement has been met with broken promises and little progress for struggling communities." https://t.co/zFAssc3mge

— Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) May 21, 2019

Ben Carson and Betsy DeVos make Rose Nylund look like a Rhodes Scholar.

I'm surprised he didn't say "A speedwagon?"