How about an ambassador for liberty and justice for all?
“Democrats plan to force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take extra procedural steps on” Gov. Sam Brownback’s confirmation “as ambassador for religious liberty because of his record on gay rights” (Kansas City Star), begging the question why a secular nation with a constitutional barrier between church and state has an ambassador for religious liberty.
You can have her
The L.A. Times reported House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi unsurprisingly “endorsed the reelection bid of longtime colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Monday, saying her seniority is a source of strength for the state.” The party overseers apparently view Feinstein as their strongest candidate at a time when the majority of Democratic voters is clamoring for change. If Feinstein does win, I predict she will serve a year or two, then retire, enabling the governor (Gavin Newsom, presumably) to appoint a reliably corporatist replacement who will then run to fill the remainder of the term with the advantage of incumbency.
Orange is the new Blue
Will Dana Rohrabacher surf to another term in Orange County's 48th congressional district (Seal Beach to Laguna Nigel)? He won handily last time with a little over 58%, but Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in CA-48 by 1.7%. This time the libertarian Republican has several well-funded challengers. If one of the Democrats is in the election-day runoff, “Putin's favorite congressman” as he's known (google it) could be in is last race.
Prophylactic
"We have so many people that are trying to position themselves to run for president, I think it's hard to say who is the leader, and there's a lot of angst about that," said Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill yesterday on Meet the Press, the angst stemming from the establishment's worrisome inability to control the process. You wouldn't want someone like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, say, winding up as the nominee, would you?
From the Liberté-égalité-fraternité Not! desk:
"Before we send a man to prison, shouldn't we at least be positive he isn't rich?"
A rose by any other name...
I was accused today of being a Berniac, plainly a creature of uncertain pedigree and ill repute. It left me wondering:
Is one who supports reducing the work week to 30 hours and expanding paid leave; providing guaranteed jobs at a living wage to all;
providing a decent standard of living to everyone; establishing a national child care system; reestablishing the right of all workers to join unions; providing affordable universal health care and free universal public education; and restoring the infrastructure while keeping it in public hands; and opposes the national security state, militarism, empire and endless war, is such a person a Berniac or a lifelong Democrat who wants to see the Democratic Party return to basic principles?
Extra credit:
A wage floor is an effective way to fight poverty -- and it would reduce government spending and intrusion: The Conservative Case for a Guaranteed Basic Income Creating by Noah Gordon (The Atlantic)
Giving everyone a job is the best way to democratize the economy and give workers leverage in the workplace: Why We Need a Federal Job Guarantee by Mark Paul, William Darity Jr and Darrick Hamilton (The Jacobin)
Working moms can have it all -- in France: Trapped by European-style Socialism -- And I Love It! by Claire Lundberg (Slate)
In 1971, a national day-care bill almost became law. Therein lies a story: Why America Never Had Universal Child Care by Nancy L. Cohen (New Republic)
The weakness of labor hurts all employees in every sector: The Decline of Unions Is Your Problem Too by Eric Liu (TIME)
A growing number of Americans support Medicare for All: A Canadian Doctor Explains How Her Country's Single-Payer Health Care System Works by Michel Martin and Denise Guerra (All Things Considered/NPR)
The US earns a D+. It is, in a word, a mess. It's Time to Fix America's Infrastructure. Here's Where to Start by Jordan Golson (Wired)
“Infrastructure is such a dull word. But it’s really an issue that touches almost everything.”: System Overload by James Surowiecki (The New Yorker)
A lack of transparency and oversight has led to abuses time and again, in every era: Why Does Anyone Trust the National-Security State? by Conor Friedersdorf (The Atlantic)
The military's evolving role in U.S. foreign policy decision-making: The Politics of American Militarism by Joshua Foust (The Atlantic)
Untangling truth and fiction in an age of perpetual war: American Imperium by Andrew J. Bacevich (Harper's Magazine)
Imagining the World in 2025: Empire of Madness by Tom Engelhardt (Truthdig)
Is one who supports reducing the work week to 30 hours and expanding paid leave; providing guaranteed jobs at a living wage to all;
Extra credit:
A wage floor is an effective way to fight poverty -- and it would reduce government spending and intrusion: The Conservative Case for a Guaranteed Basic Income Creating by Noah Gordon (The Atlantic)
Giving everyone a job is the best way to democratize the economy and give workers leverage in the workplace: Why We Need a Federal Job Guarantee by Mark Paul, William Darity Jr and Darrick Hamilton (The Jacobin)
Working moms can have it all -- in France: Trapped by European-style Socialism -- And I Love It! by Claire Lundberg (Slate)
In 1971, a national day-care bill almost became law. Therein lies a story: Why America Never Had Universal Child Care by Nancy L. Cohen (New Republic)
The weakness of labor hurts all employees in every sector: The Decline of Unions Is Your Problem Too by Eric Liu (TIME)
A growing number of Americans support Medicare for All: A Canadian Doctor Explains How Her Country's Single-Payer Health Care System Works by Michel Martin and Denise Guerra (All Things Considered/NPR)
The US earns a D+. It is, in a word, a mess. It's Time to Fix America's Infrastructure. Here's Where to Start by Jordan Golson (Wired)
“Infrastructure is such a dull word. But it’s really an issue that touches almost everything.”: System Overload by James Surowiecki (The New Yorker)
A lack of transparency and oversight has led to abuses time and again, in every era: Why Does Anyone Trust the National-Security State? by Conor Friedersdorf (The Atlantic)
The military's evolving role in U.S. foreign policy decision-making: The Politics of American Militarism by Joshua Foust (The Atlantic)
Untangling truth and fiction in an age of perpetual war: American Imperium by Andrew J. Bacevich (Harper's Magazine)
Imagining the World in 2025: Empire of Madness by Tom Engelhardt (Truthdig)
After five decades, change for California
The rest of the story:
Kevin de León, the California Senate president, is taking on the U.S. senator in next year's Democratic primary. The reward is much greater than the risk.: The Win-or-Lose Case for Challenging Dianne Feinstein by Graham Vyse (New Republic).
Many Calif. Dems silent on backing Feinstein by Mike Lillis (The Hill)
Kevin de León announces run against Dianne Feinstein, setting up Democratic clash in Senate race by Casey Tolan (Bay Area News Group)
Common Sense
Vijay Prashad talks to the poet Mark Nowak, founder of the Worker Writers School in New York City, about the political valence of socialist writing in a time of rampant populism, racism, and xenophobia. Their conversation, The Essentials in Socialist Writing, was published in Jacobin.
Song
Fill your heart with love today
Don’t play the game of time Things that happened in the past Just happened in your Mind Only in your Mind-Forget your Mind Then you’ll be free
The writing’s on the wall Free-yea’. And you can know it all If you choose. Lovers never lose ‘Cause they are Free of thoughts unpure And of thoughts unkind Gentleness clears the soul Love cleans the mind Makes it Free.
Happiness is happening The dragons have been bled loveliness everywhere Fear’s just in your Head The feels in your Head Only in your Head The feels in your Head So Forget your Head Then you’ll be free
The writing’s on the wall Free-yea’. And you can know it all Baby know it all If you choose. Just remember Lovers never lose ‘Cause they are free of thoughts unpure And of thoughts unkind Gentleness can clear the soul Love cleans the mind Then makes it Free!!
copyright 1968 Biff Rose & Paul Williams
Crazy is as crazy does
EPA's Scott Pruitt may have his high-tech sound-proof phone booth, but Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has his own flag.
“A security staffer takes the elevator to the seventh floor, climbs the stairs to the roof and hoists a special secretarial flag whenever [Zinke] enters the building," according to WaPo. "When the secretary goes home for the day or travels, the flag” is lowered (this is the same guy who said in a speech to oil and gas executives that 30 percent of Interior's 70,000 workers are “not loyal to the flag”; maybe this is the flag he meant).
Are cabinet officers just as nuts as their boss?
“A security staffer takes the elevator to the seventh floor, climbs the stairs to the roof and hoists a special secretarial flag whenever [Zinke] enters the building," according to WaPo. "When the secretary goes home for the day or travels, the flag” is lowered (this is the same guy who said in a speech to oil and gas executives that 30 percent of Interior's 70,000 workers are “not loyal to the flag”; maybe this is the flag he meant).
Are cabinet officers just as nuts as their boss?
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