If yesterday's US Senate race had been in North Carolina instead of Georgia, today would NOT be filled with celebration. We'd be crying in our beer instead, wondering how a decent Democrat could be stomped by another lunatic Republican.
Not a day goes by without GOP leaders spinning their toxic Wheel of Hate in search of someone, anyone, worthy of disdain. For the past century, the wheel has been stuck on Blacks and Women, where it still lands as often as not. Spouting misogynist and racial slurs, Republicans leaders have chosen Women and Blacks as two of the big "others" they can use to divide.
WHO WILL TED BUDD REALLY BE WORKING FOR IN THE U.S. SENATE? When Republican Ted Budd takes his seat in the United States Senate next month who will he be representing? If you say North Carolina, don’t bet on it. The people who will really get his attention will be the handful of billionaires who, through dark money campaign operations and super political action committees (super PACs) , accounted for 85% of the $83.2 million raised and spent to get him elected. The folks behind these organizations have little connection to North Carolina or the needs of the state. Top donors to Club for Growth, that spent $11.7 million to get Budd elected, are billionaires Richard Uihlein, an Illinois packaging magnate and billionaire investment trading executive Jeff Yass of Pennsylvania. Other PACs are financed by Las Vegas hotel fortune heiresses and investment tycoons from New York and Miami. In politics, it’s a truism that: “You got to dance with them what brung you.” That means, as the great commentator Molly Ivins says: “When you get to public office, you vote with the folks who put you there. And that used to mean your constituents, the people who voted for you. But more and more what it means is you vote with the special interests who put up the money to get you to public office.” In the Senate, don’t look for Budd to be tripping the light fantastic with many partners who have tar on their heels -- $70 million is a very exclusive dance ticket. Bought and paid for. And the sad part is, NC voters were told who was buying these ads. At the end of every radio and TV ad, and at the bottom of every mailer. Maybe not the people, but the organizations. And a quick Google search would have answered the people question. But that is apparently expecting too much. https://www.wral.com/editorial-who-will-ted-budd-really-be-working-for-in-the-u-s-senate/20609060/
“Edward received a Russian passport yesterday and took the oath in accordance with the law,” lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. “He is, of course, happy, thanking the Russian Federation for the fact that he received citizenship,” he continued. “And most importantly, under the Constitution of Russia, he can no longer be extradited to a foreign state.”
Snowden, 39, is wanted by Washington on espionage charges. He argues that his actions were in the interests of the United States. In any case, his revelations exposed the breadth of U.S. digital spying programs and altered the public’s understanding of technology, privacy and digital security.
Whether you consider him a hero or a traitor, the fact he's being treated so well by Putin while Brittney Griner is struggling to survive in a gulag in Mordovia should at least raise one eyebrow. But maybe not. Americans love to compartmentalize. This is as good a time as any to review what Snowden did to earn his notoriety:
Pay attention to Mark Robinson. Watch what he says and does. You'll be shocked by the level of his hate. For women. For gays. For teachers. For Native Americans. For the truth.
There's an old saying we don't think about too much these days: 'He's loyal to a fault.'
Most of us value loyalty. We are loyal to our country, to our family, to our friends, and to our faith.
In Jonathan Haidt's book, The Righteous Mind, he lists Loyalty amongst the 6 most important values held by humans. Haidt's research further breaks down the importance that individual Americans place on each of his 6 virtues by political party. And it turns out that Republicans place more importance on Loyalty than Democrats do. Much more importance.
Latest reader comments