Republicans Don’t Seem To Be Able To Distinguish Between Rights... And Wrongs

Does it suddenly seem to you that Republicans are all about curtailing peoples' freedom? They don't just want to leave it up to the state governments in tragically backward places like Oklahoma to decide on abortion rights. They want to outlaw abortion across the country. And not just abortion; they want to ban contraception. They want to ban books. They want to force schools to teach ideologically pure bullshit. They're back on their crusade against pornography and against the LGBTQ community. Significant numbers of Republicans want to prevent interracial marriage. These are sick people who need psychiatric care and shouldn't have a role in steering society. But... listen to one of their leaders babbling her nonsense yesterday about meat in peach tree dishes. This is total projection (click on it to listen):

Click the image to hear one of the most shockingly stupid people to ever be elected to Congress spout off

Tom Nelson is the progressive candidate taking on Putin-lovin', Trump-worshippin' Ron Johnson for the Wisconin Senate seat in November. "For years, Republicans have laid claim to the basic American value of freedom," Nelson told me yesterday. "Not any more. Are we truly free when a parent cannot send a child to school and not wonder if they will return home alive? Are we truly free when women and doctors could go to jail when a woman exercises her right to reproductive choice? Are we truly free when 44 percent of LGBTQ+ community members report suffering from a serious mental illness-- three times the rate as their straight counterparts? This. This is Ron Johnson's America."

Another Senate candidate, former Orlando Congressman Alan Grayson has a similar problem with his state's two senators, Rick Scott and his own opponent, Marco Rubio. "These are people who are seriously confused about rights," he said. "They think that the right to an assault rifle is more important than the right to run away from someone who is shooting at you. They think that the right of a blastocyst is more important than the right to control what’s happening inside your own body. They think that the right to decide whom you want to marry is their right, not your right. They don’t seem to be able to distinguish between rights, and wrongs." Please consider contributing both to Alan Grayson's and Tom Nelson's Senate campaigns here-- one page 2 great candidates who would make the Senate so much more productive.

Yesterday, The Hill reported that Colorado Governor Jared Polis talked about how independent-minded people are in his own state and how they don't like being bossed around and told what to do. "They value accurate information, they value facts, and people should be empowered to make their own decisions, whether that’s marijuana, whether it’s wearing a mask-- we’re a state that values freedom." He noted that the current tendency of Republicans trying to "manage everybody’s lives [doesn't] play well with voters." Democrats who "espouse responsibility and empowerment," could see voters "flocking from the Republican Party," if the GOP continues "telling them how to live their lives and when and if they can have children."

"Unlike many of my Democratic colleagues, I am running against a Republican incumbent," wrote Christine Olivo, referring to Mario Diaz-Balart in her south Florida district. "My district is predominantly Latino, majority of Cuban descent. As a candidate, I have a responsibility to make the connection between a dictatorship and Republican leadership. The Republican Party has built a message centered on control. They want to control how we vote, who we love, what we learn, our healthcare decisions including our reproductive rights, our safety and God knows what else. These voters believe that they are maintaining their conservative values when in fact they are being brainwashed into electing authoritarians. If we don't create a clear and unified message, then we are in serious trouble."

Next Tuesday, the new and improved CA-27, a nice blue district with a left-over Trump-Republican, Mike Garcia, will have a jungle primary pitting Garcia against another right-wing Republican, two right-wing Democrats (Quaye Quartey and Christy Smith) and one progressive, Ruth Luevanos. "Mike," she told me yesterday, "has supported legislation banning abortion and most forms of contraception, demonstrating how out of touch he is with the needs of his voters in the 27th congressional district. He forgets that he is a public servant and that was elected to serve the people, not impose his personal beliefs on working residents and families who have the ability to make their own choices when it comes to family planning. He is fine with upholding freedom for himself but not his constituents as he has shown by voting against the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act which would protect women's freedom and liberty to live without domestic abuse. Time and time again he is only 'fighting' for his own freedom and no one else's. That's why we need to vote him out and elect one of us to replace him in Congress and flip this seat for the people, ALL the people to choose when to have a family, to be safe at home, to love whoever you want, read what you want and really fight for the freedoms and liberties for all, not just a select few."

Also a week from today Derek Marshall will be battling it out in the jungle primary with Trumpist incumbent Jay Obernolte in the new 23rd district mostly San Bernardino and north into the sparsely-populated High Desert. Last night Derek told me that since Obernolte got to DC, "he has continuously acted in lockstep with the extreme right wing that has worked day and night to strip Americans of their rights, their safety, and their freedoms. Jay has voted against the Equality Act, the Women's Health Protection Act, the Violence Against Women Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and so many other policies that would help and protect people. Instead Jay Obernolte continues to votes in the interests of his and his party's corporate donors as we saw when he voted against the bills to end price gouging at the fuel pump and to address the baby formula shortages. We must work even harder to elect new representatives up and down the ballot and across the country that will fight for working people, not the wealthy." Derek is one of those candidates. Please consider contributing to his campaign and to Ruth's and Christine's campaigns here.