Shit that Pissed me Off – 2/10
Senate Silences Elizabeth Warren
Prior to the Senate vote in which Jeff Sessions was expected to be confirmed as Attorney General, Elizabeth Warren was reading a few remarks about Sessions penned by Coretta Scott King. They pointed out that Sessions didn’t have the best record when it came to protecting the rights of his black constituents.
As is the case when this sort of thing is happening, the Senate floor was mostly empty. Senators like to talk but they aren’t particularly interested in listening.
This is a non-partisan issue.
Anyway, because she said some bad things about now former Senator Sessions, the Republicans chose to censure her. You just don’t say bad things about senators, you see. That’s the rules.
Warren, of course, has become a hero of the left and she’s fine.
This T-shirt slogan was written by Mitch McConnell. Well done, Mitch.
The problem here is the fact the Republicans have basically served notice that they don’t give a flying fuck what the other side says and if they are tired of it, they will just force the other side to shut up. I mean, this isn’t much of a shock but frankly, all they needed to do was let her talk.
It didn’t fucking matter. Sessions was going to be AG and the words Warren was reading were already out there. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone on the Senate floor.
What took place was the Republicans reminding Senate Democrats (as well as the rest of the country) that they don’t matter. When they tire of Democrats chatter, they can shut them up.
I don’t like that precedent. And neither should anyone else.
Shit that Pissed me off – 3/18
Reporter Arrested at Trump Rally For…Doing his Job
This is the kind of thing that happens when your front-runner is a racist asshole*. Thing start to get out of hand.
Am I happy that counter protests turned violent at a Trump rally this week? No. I don’t know if anyone knows who threw the first punch but the point is that nonviolent protest should, ideally, remain nonviolent.
As soon as things get violent, it doesn’t matter who started it. People get hurt.
Note also some of the things that Trump supporters have shouted at this Reporter, who is Indian. Things like “Go Back to Iraq!”
It is possible that the statement was misinterpreted and he was being courted by a travel agent.
Trump is the kind of polarizing figure who tells people it is OK to judge people because their skin is the wrong color. He tells people it is OK to punch someone because they don’t like what Trump has to say.
And look – I know the Republican party is freaking out over the possibility of Trump being their flag bearer but they need to realize that they created this monster. The rhetoric of their party that includes people talking about “legitimate rape” and “religious freedom” is a rhetoric of intolerance that completely undermines any rhetoric about smaller government.
This guy is dangerous. And so are his followers.
Grail Diary 