Hi, all, and happy Wednesday! Lots going on at the moment, so there’s a lot packed in to today’s newsletter. I’ll start with the bad news: Gigi Sohn, President Biden’s stellar nominee to chair the FCC, withdrew her nomination yesterday. To say that this is disappointing is a breathtaking understatement. Sohn, a long-time consumer advocate and Big Cable foil, was the dream candidate. Net neutrality, affordable broadband, privacy protections—all of it was within reach. But Sohn was on the receiving end of a truly dastardly and coordinated smear campaign powered by Rupert Murdoch, the entire Republican party, Big Telecom, and even a few Democratic Senators (Sinema, Tester, Cortez-Masto, Rosen, and especially Manchin, to be precise). Dark money and lobbyists won the day; Americans lost.
3/8/23 But Jessica, we DO have very intelligent and informed media: Thom Hartmann!!! The program for people who do NOT believe that WalMart is a person!
Thom Hartmann live on Facebook 5 days a week, free
Thom Hartmann live on Free Speech TV, free, 5 days a week
He's been a progress talk radio host since Air America, over 20 years, amazing man, has been all over the world, owned diverse businesses, volunteered with international rescue, and has written myriad books.
There is also Randi Rhodes, tough broad from the Bronx, who really digs into issues and wants her listeners to do their own homework--she has (or had) a podcast and is on Facebook live. Also a former Air America host.
See you this afternoon for the phone bank, Jessica. I am running once again for precinct chair (was one for several years) but on my own terms. No canvassing except in my precinct, and no county Dem meetings. Sick of those two activities after 24 years at age 73. Time for new people to step up. Starting to connect with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, lots of young people and I agree with their philosophy.
The Republicans are stone cold psychopaths and the Democrats are luke warm corporate shills--and whew are there a lot of egos on the local county Democratic level. They treat their unpaid volunteers--doing all the work and taking all the risk and making donations--like serfs.
There needs to be a union for political volunteers.
Can anything be done to get Biden to reconsider whether to veto the bill that's gone thru Congress blocking the adoption of the D.C. city council's rewrite of the criminal code for the nation's capital?
He seems to have bought into the "tough on crime" talking points if he follows through on signing this.
The revised code is not, "soft on crime" - it's a much needed revision and updating of a code that's well over 100 years old. "The D.C. bill is the product of a years-long review that involved various stakeholders in the criminal justice system. It passed the D.C. council unanimously...
At issue in what was a sweeping but otherwise noncontroversial effort to overhaul D.C.'s criminal statutes are provisions to reduce the maximum penalties for crimes like armed carjacking from 40 years down to 24, which supporters argue is in line with the actual sentences handed down in court in recent years. "
Catherine Cortez-Masto was preferable to Adam Laxalt, yet she has taken a page from our own Kyrsten Sinema-get elected as a Progressive, then show your true colours. Jackie Rosen is no better, but at least in the near future, voters will get a chance to weigh in on her-and on Ms. Sinema.
Thank you once again for making it so easy to get involved
3/8/23 But Jessica, we DO have very intelligent and informed media: Thom Hartmann!!! The program for people who do NOT believe that WalMart is a person!
www.thomhartmann.com
www.hartmannreport.com
Thom Hartmann podcast 5 days a week, $59 per year
Thom Hartmann on YouTube, free
Thom Hartmann live on Facebook 5 days a week, free
Thom Hartmann live on Free Speech TV, free, 5 days a week
He's been a progress talk radio host since Air America, over 20 years, amazing man, has been all over the world, owned diverse businesses, volunteered with international rescue, and has written myriad books.
There is also Randi Rhodes, tough broad from the Bronx, who really digs into issues and wants her listeners to do their own homework--she has (or had) a podcast and is on Facebook live. Also a former Air America host.
www.randirhodes.com
Wake up, wake up, wake up!
See you this afternoon for the phone bank, Jessica. I am running once again for precinct chair (was one for several years) but on my own terms. No canvassing except in my precinct, and no county Dem meetings. Sick of those two activities after 24 years at age 73. Time for new people to step up. Starting to connect with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, lots of young people and I agree with their philosophy.
The Republicans are stone cold psychopaths and the Democrats are luke warm corporate shills--and whew are there a lot of egos on the local county Democratic level. They treat their unpaid volunteers--doing all the work and taking all the risk and making donations--like serfs.
There needs to be a union for political volunteers.
Can anything be done to get Biden to reconsider whether to veto the bill that's gone thru Congress blocking the adoption of the D.C. city council's rewrite of the criminal code for the nation's capital?
He seems to have bought into the "tough on crime" talking points if he follows through on signing this.
The revised code is not, "soft on crime" - it's a much needed revision and updating of a code that's well over 100 years old. "The D.C. bill is the product of a years-long review that involved various stakeholders in the criminal justice system. It passed the D.C. council unanimously...
At issue in what was a sweeping but otherwise noncontroversial effort to overhaul D.C.'s criminal statutes are provisions to reduce the maximum penalties for crimes like armed carjacking from 40 years down to 24, which supporters argue is in line with the actual sentences handed down in court in recent years. "
https://popular.info/p/a-crime-against-democracy
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/08/1161902691/d-c-crime-bill-biden-overturn
Thank you Jessica. I am on it!! You make it so easy for me respond with actionable responses. We are empowered. 😘
🙏🙌💕☮️
Catherine Cortez-Masto was preferable to Adam Laxalt, yet she has taken a page from our own Kyrsten Sinema-get elected as a Progressive, then show your true colours. Jackie Rosen is no better, but at least in the near future, voters will get a chance to weigh in on her-and on Ms. Sinema.
Do you mean March 2023 executive order?