Michael Hits Florida Republicans Hardest
Politico: “…one Republican familiar with the affected counties said the party is bracing for a net loss of 20,000 votes that [Gov. Rick] Scott or Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis would otherwise receive.”
and
“Days after the storm hit, it became clear that its damage was largely limited to one media market, Panama City, and affected Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty and Washington counties. The counties of Gadsden, Leon and Wakulla in the Tallahassee media market were also affected, but not as badly.
Together, the 11 affected counties have 465,000 of the state’s 13 million active registered voters. In 2016, they voted overall for President Trump over Hillary Clinton by 9 percentage points, or by 32,181 votes. Trump’s winning margin statewide: 112,911.”
——————
Fighter jets worth billions left in harm’s way — USA Today
more hurricane politics in florida, just not the same hurricane
usatoday
Midterms: Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria may prove pivotal in Florida elections
WASHINGTON – In the year since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, political parties, candidates and voting rights groups have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to court residents who fled to the mainland, hoping to register them and get them to the polls.
Though some displaced Puerto Ricans relocated to Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York, most settled in Florida, where get-out-the-vote efforts have been intense.
Advocates and national political groups say the tens of thousands of islanders who have settled in Florida are a potentially vital voting bloc in a swingstate that’s crucial in the midterms and known for razor-thin margins.
“The truth is that Florida elections are so tight that any group could have an impact,” said Dario Moreno, a political scientist at Florida International University. “The question for many of the displaced Puerto Ricans is whether they have organized themselves politically … registered and are ready to vote in November because they’re new residents, they’re trying to put together their lives and all those concerns.
“It’s very hard to tell at this point … what impact (they) will have,” he said.
[….continues…]
Willie said: “Take it home with you, spread it around.” so these guys are doing just that. hope it becomes a hit nationwide.
sturge, how can he lose with kinky AND willie behind him?
from offthecuff’s “Musicians for Beto”
The Willie Nelson event was this past Saturday, and as I understand it there were some 25K people in attendance. Here’s a report from Texas Monthly from a reporter who attended. Kinky Friedman had his share of support from the music scene, but this is another yet another example from this year for which the phrase “we’ve never seen anything quite like this” applies. My way of looking at it is this: Musicians have the capability to reach audiences that are harder for political campaigns to communicate with. There’s a lot of young people, and a lot of people who aren’t terribly engaged, at concerts. Maybe these particular events will mostly draw in a crowd that’s already all about Beto, but it seems to me if you wanted to get your less-engaged friend fired up, this would be a great opportunity for you to do that. I think we all learned a lesson a couple of years ago not to underestimate a politician who can draw crowds.
Like pogo said….smart money’s on Cruz.
So the stupid money must be on Beto
meanwhile, other sinister plots afoot according to the guardian:
The Trump administration is moving to restrict the release of information about its decisions on endangered species, according to a confidential internal document obtained by the Guardian.
It comes as wildlife advocates and scientists accuse the government of attempting to weaken protections for wildlife, including wolves, grizzly bears and sage grouse, while boosting domestic energy production and mining in crucial animal habitat.
In a private September guidance sent to offices around the country, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, or FWS, recommended that employees with its Ecological Services program – which administers the Endangered Species Act – take a less transparent approach when responding to certain Freedom of Information Act requests from the public.
The guidance contains a list of records that “should be considered for withholding in full or in part” from the public, including draft versions of policies and rules; internal Power Point presentations and webinars; deliberative email communications and meeting notes; and others.
Such records should be carefully reviewed and possibly withheld, the guidance suggests, if they might hamper the defense of the government’s decisions in certain court cases and cause “foreseeable harm” to the federal government by sowing “public confusion” or subjecting officials to public scrutiny and thereby creating a “chilling effect” on internal decision making processes.
[….]
“I think what you are seeing right now from Interior Department political leadership and by extension Fish and Wildlife Service leadership,” said Yogin Kothari, a staffer at the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy, “is an attempt to leave no stone unturned to undermine the implementation of the Endangered Species Act.”
oh my, yes, whatever you do trumpland, don’t let the folks know what you’re up to and sow “public confusion” or subject officials to public scrutiny!!! ignorance is bliss, motto of the twit-in-chief
wapo:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that Republicans may try again to repeal the Affordable Care Act after the November midterm elections, reviving an issue that polls show has swung sharply in the Democrats’ favor.
In an interview with Reuters, McConnell said that his party’s failure last year to repeal the health-care law, also known as Obamacare, was “the one disappointment of this Congress from a Republican point of view.”
“If we had the votes to completely start over, we’d do it. But that depends on what happens in a couple weeks. . . . We’re not satisfied with the way Obamacare is working,” McConnell said.
[….]
Polls show that health care is a top issue for voters, and many GOP candidates have begun campaigning on a longtime Democratic theme — protecting people with preexisting medical conditions — despite the fact that congressional Republicans have voted time and again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which provides those protections.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday showed Democrats hold an 18-point advantage over Republicans on the question of which party voters trust to do a better job of handling health care. Eighty-two percent of respondents cited health care as either “one of the single most important issues” or “a very important issue” in their vote for Congress this year.
[…continues…]
🙂
Well, today was the first frost of the year here. not a hard one but a sign that the more pleasant weather is almost behind us.
I’m happy to report that I missed the Pence/Morrissey/Justice event here in our area yesterday – Pence flew the lot in on AF2, which made the evening news. BFD. Can’t imagine there was any official business during this stumping for Morrissey – wonder who paid for the trip. Hmmm, let me guess – we did.
Update: Shit. Checked to see what the local paper coverage of the event was and the main event is Saturday – they are selling tickets to it. Be interesting to see how that works – it’s to be held at the airport – which has very little parking.
about willie nelson’s new GOTV anthem, am sure he wrote the lyrics but the tune sounds reminiscent of the old song “momma don’t allow” by charles cow cow davenport. here are the muppets and Dudley Moore on it for comparison purposes and for some good music
A question for those who watch network and cable television programs. I try to catch up on television programs I missed during the last fifty years. The Hulu plan I have puts a few commercials in, which I don’t mind as I don’t watch them most of the time. Something I have noticed is many of the commercials, automobile as an example, have mixed race couples and gay couples in them. Do the live running network and cable programs have the same progressive commercials?
Mitch must be worried about this election if he is talking about Obamacare again. Must be trying to fire up the base. All the more important that demstake at least one chamber. Maybe Mitch will energize a few more dem voters with his drivel.
I’d like to put some stupid money on Beto. I wish it would help.
I do wish the folks on the panhandle the best and that they get the help they need. Hopefully this event also woke them up that sometimes one does need the government.
patd…. love that sign!
I am sick and tired of Florida being the turd in the electoral punch bowl.
Rick Scott is no less slimy or dishonest than Trump. How in the hell does he even come close to winning a senate seat?
Come on Florida if you can’t do better than that just sit it out altogether. The rest of us will learn to get by without you. You gave us Bush and Trump little more need be said about your political judgment.
Hurricane politics?
When Obama was in office there was a chorus of deficit hawk Republicans who regularly insisted on spending off sets to pay for relief during natural disasters.
Now we hear no talk of off sets even though the deficit has continued to increase.
Democratic deficits, baaad! Republican deficits, mother’s milk.
BlueB, yes I have noticed that trend on those channels on our DirecTV, even a local furniture ad features a gay couple. I’d say society is over the hump on this issue, but ground gained can always slip away. Ole Ben Franklin said it best — liberty “if you can keep it”
Does anyone have a credible update on the AZ senate race? The dems have a good candidate who is working hard, but I fear that it is still going to be a heavy lift. Hoping for a big turnout as a result of Trump immigration policies, but don’t know if that will be enough to overcome republican money and votes in the states outlying areas. If she is going to win she has to win big in the urban areas.
What we need is an October surprise. Any ideas?
Personally I would just settle for a Mueller document dump.
Jace
I’d say Dems have a good chance since McSalley is trying to turn herself into a Democrat and lying to smear her opponent.
Too bad the media is too shallow to do the work to print stories that would have an impact
The race is currently rated as a toss up so the Dems in AZ need to get out the vote and run ads showing Trump for the golfing fat ass loser that he is —
So, does the far right think Michael was God’s punishment for Trump voters?
BB – Yes, even here in TX, on channels received by digital antenna. It’s not just straight, white folks with 2 kids in ads.
jace – Bobby III will wait until the election is over, so as not to be accused of interfering.
KGC,
Thanks for the update. McSally is just another slash and burn republican despite what her adds might say. She would have voted for Kavanaugh and would vote repeal Obamacare nothing new there.
Would hope that Kirsten would do well among women, only time will tell.
Blue,
Mueller should just pull a Comey. The stakes are high enough and he knows it. That much is certain. I would rather have Mueller influence the election than the Russians.
I want to know who is behind the trashing of Elizabeth Warren
The reporting on the DNA test is largely bogus and when facts are checked she is not the fool she is being made out as\
Another example of the sheep-like behavior of the media — between all of them they get one idea and then jump on for days ..just the headline no actual reporting is done. What passes for news these days is mostly the opinions of journalists who don’t have real jobs
McSally-R-Liar
she tried to pretend she supported protections for people with pre-existing conditions but she voted to repeal Obama care as often as she could
I am tired of texts from Team Beto, though. I’m not the one they need to convince.
Early voting starts here on Monday, and with the rain we’ve had this autumn…
kgc, wapo’s fact checker at least apologized for their part with the mistaken reports in today’s
“Just about everything you’ve read on the Warren DNA test is wrong”
After being egged on by President Trump, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the results of a DNA test Oct. 15 that indicated that she had a Native American ancestor.
The results — which identified Native American DNA from six to 10 generations ago — were immediately misinterpreted.
[…]
… it turns out reporters and politicians are not very good at understanding genetics. So we will set the record straight, after reviewing the results in detail and consulting with genetics experts.
[….]
The most important point is this: The results in Warren’s DNA test are static. The percentage of Native American DNA in her genome does not shrink as you go back generations. There could be one individual in the sixth generation — around the mid-1800s, which is similar to Warren family lore — or possibly a dozen or more ancestors back to the 10th generation, which would be about 250 years ago. The results are consistent with a single ancestor, however.
[….’
We are not trying to defend Warren’s decision to release the test, just to set the record straight about what the test shows. The media bungled the interpretation of the results — and then Warren’s opponents used the uninformed reporting to undermine the test results even further. We fell into this trap as well, and were too quick to send out a tweet (now deleted) that made an inaccurate comparison. We should have not relied on media reporting before tweeting.
Warren’s Native American DNA, as identified in the test, may not be large, but it’s wrong to say it’s as little as 1/1024th or that it’s less than the average European American. Three Pinocchios all around — including to our tweet.
Three Pinocchios
BiD, please please vote even if you have to swim there to do it.
in the meantime hope you are safe far from the floods.
It looks like New Jersey is not going red for senate. that is good news.
Looks like the Kavanaugh bubble of enthusiasm has bubbled away
Speaking of New Jersey, whatever happened to the fat guy who was governor. His name escapes me now how quickly we forget. It must be terrible for him not to be in the Trump orbit any longer. Irrelevance is a terrible fate unless your name is Chris Christie then it is a fate richly deserved.
–
Patd, ghoulish, but perfect.
Please, before savaging McSally as an enemy of human rights and dignity, delve into her military record. All through her service, she put her (distinguished) career on the line in championing equal rights for women in uniform.
Trump/Tedious rally moved to Toyota Center in Houston.
BOYCOTT TOYOTA?!?
TeeVee alert: Beto-Cruz debate tonight CNN 7p EST
Hope Beto takes it to him.
Dont have CNN will have to rely on trail mixers for their take on the event
Flatus,
Perhaps it is time for McSally to continue championing women’s rights from the private sector god knows they need it. We just don’t need her or her republican voting proclivities in the senate.
Talking about someone’s voting record, notable lies they have told — in other words talking about facts is not savaging them. Or is that the facts around McSally’s record make it seem like a savage attack — that’s kind of sad
No one has said she didn’t do a good job in the military we are talking about her voting record in Congress which is right wing all the way.
Flatus you said you favor expanded and easily available birth control and she has voted against that funding and of course is anti-abortion
It’s a town hall. Not head to head. Beto looks fine, but he sure doesn’t look a bit Hispanic.
Yep pogo, I misheard CNN promo. Was supposed to be a debate, but Cruz wimped out . Did he just apologize for saying “lyin Ted”??? Nothing to apologize for.
And Cruz wussied out and Declined CNN’s invitation so it ain’t even an A versus B town hall. I say that Beto won it.
I’m of the opinion that Dana would have squeezed his balls so hard over his shifting position regarding Trump that he knew he had a no-win situation on his hands.
The “biggest” venue they could find holds about 18,000 people according to the report that Trump/Tedious will be held at the Toyota Center in Houston.
The previous venue only held 8,000.
Is it better optics to have a smaller venue with overflow or a larger venue that’s sparsely occupied?
Either way, Beto/Willie was about 25,000, wasn’t it?
Let us hope voter turnout for Beto is also larger.
Beto isn’t Hispanic.
Ted has a lot to answer for. No way does he want a head to head debate.
Hope Beto has a good town hall and that Willie’s song is played on a continuous loop
LOL I got a letter from Jim Jordan to (you guessed it – a fundraising solicitation) me, who it identified as “Dear West Virginia Conservative” (they should spend more on their development firms if they identified me as conservative), seeking my support for Alex Mooney, Rep in the second congressional district of WV who ran for Congress in both New Hampshire and Maryland before moving to Charlestown West Virginia in 2014 and running for Congress. The guy is so fucking slimy that shadows won’t stick to him. And to add insult to injury, he’s a member of the house freedom caucus. If it didn’t cost me $.49 to send $.02 as a protest to the fucker I would do it.
Cruz epitomizes the typical gutless republican politician.talks a great game right up to the point when the game is actually on then he disappears. This the first and most important play in the Republican play book. They know it by heart.
BiD, my tongue was firmly in cheek, or whatever the blogging equivalent of that is.
Is there any poll that accurately tracks the Trump Disgust Factor TDF for short?
the guardian:
Donald Trump’s lawyer argued vehemently in a New York appeals court on Thursday that the president has immunity from state lawsuits – despite failure of this argument in a lower court in the case involving the one-time Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos.
Summer Zervos has alleged that Trump sexually “ambushed and assaulted [her] on multiple occasions, including attacks at both his office and in a hotel room”, according to court papers.
She is claiming defamation, stemming from Trump’s denials on the campaign trail of any such abuse involving the former contestant on his reality TV show. She charges that by calling her a liar, the president wrongly maligned her, a paper filed in her January 2017 Manhattan supreme court lawsuit says. Trump’s lawyer in the case, Marc Kasowitz, has repeatedly argued that the president cannot be sued in this way.
The US constitution “bars state court actions against a sitting president”, he argued on Thursday before a panel of New York state appeals court judges.
Kasowitz’s point reiterates one that he unsuccessfully made in the lower court previously. He had claimed the constitution’s supremacy clause, which holds that federal law “shall be the supreme law of the land”, insulates a person in Trump’s position from state lawsuits, the defense of which could impede his official duties.
Justice Cynthia Kern, one of the five judges hearing the appeal, asked Kasowitz how a state court proceeding could interfere with a president’s responsibilities.
“Exercising any jurisdiction over a party is exercising control over a party,” Kasowitz replied, adding: “The state court has no power, no authority under the constitution.”
Kasowitz also attempted to advance his claim that the US supreme court decision enabling federal lawsuits against presidents does not apply to state cases.
[….]
In court on Thursday, Mariann Wang, who represents Zervos, argued that while Clinton v Jones does not give a definitive answer on a president’s possible liability in state court, the decision by no means prohibits it.
Wang told the appeals panel that Trump “is not above the law”.
“There’s no coherent argument” that protects Trump based on the US constitution, Wang said.
The justices also pressed Wang about whether a state court judge could arrest a president who had been held in contempt for not complying with judicial orders.
If a president could be held in contempt and subsequently arrested, wouldn’t this interfere with presidential powers?
Wang demurred, and said that state court judges had many avenues of enforcing contempt orders that did not involve arrest.
The appeals panel will issue a decision at a later date.
Kasowitz previously said in relation to immunity claims that “this issue will likely reach the supreme court of the United States”.
[….continues…]
pogo – Sorry. Cruz accused Beto of trying to co-opt Hispanic culture by using the name Beto instead of Robert or Bobby. Beto responded by releasing a pic of himself as a toddler wearing a sweater emblazoned with BETO on it.
Obviously, Beto has been pandering to syphilis-raddled, drug-smuggling, Muslim terrorists since he was 3.
Blue, but Cruz is a shit.
“Trump’s wordsmiths have determined that the journalist was not seen but he was sawed.”
– Lynn Lindsay
The Red Sox are going to the World Series!
THE RED SOX ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!