Month: December 2017

Political Calendar: Week of December 24, 2017

by

The Political Calendar is posted on Sundays. Please send us notice of your political events prior to the Sunday before your event (7 days would be most helpful). See the calendar icon in the right-hand column of the blog page for easy access to the calendar.

Send notices of your events to blogforarizona@gmail.com.

Note: For Event Notices and Fliers, click on the “Calendar” button in the menu options above.

Progressive_values

Political Calendar for the Week of December 24, 2017:

Sunday, December 24, 3:00 p.m.: [No meeting] Marana Democrats meeting, at the Continental Reserve Urgent Care, 8333 N. Silverbell Road, Tucson. For more information please contact Buddy Gill at
maranadems@gmail.com or (408) 806-2036.

Monday, December 25: Merry Christmas.

Monday, December 25, Noon: Democrats of Greater Tucson luncheon, Dragon’s View Restaurant (400 N. Bonita, South of St. Mary’s Road between the Freeway and Grande Avenue, turn South at Furr’s Cafeteria). New price: buffet lunch is $10.00 cash, $12 credit; just a drink is $3.50. No DGT in observance of Christmas Day. Next Week: No DGT in observance of New Year’s Day.

Monday, December 25, 6:00 p.m.: [No meeting] Legislative District 3 meeting, at the Pima County Housing Center, 801 W. Congress Street. Meet the fourth Monday of each month. For more information please contact Andrés Cano at andres@canoagroup.com or (520) 304-5778.

Read more

Sen. Mark Warner warns of the plot against Special Counsel Robert Mueller

by

This week, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to warn of threats to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and to highlight the constitutional crisis that would likely ensue if the President were to interfere in the Mueller probe.

In recent weeks, a growing chorus of irresponsible voices in Congress, the conservative media entertainment complex, and the White House have begun pushing a coordinated narrative designed to undermine the credibility of the Special Counsel’s investigation, the FBI, and of the Department of Justice itself. Sen. Warner responded to these “troubling” signs that the President may be considering firing Mr. Mueller or top FBI/DOJ brass, pardoning potential witnesses, or otherwise obstructing the Special Counsel’s investigation.

Watch the video.

Screen Shot 2017-12-22 at 2.31.07 PM

Transcript of prepared remarks:

Mr. President –

I rise today concerned about threats to the Special Counsel’s critical investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Over the last several weeks, a growing chorus of irresponsible and reckless voices have called for President Trump to shut down Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation. At first, these calls came from the fringes of our political discourse – those who would refuse to put our country and our security before base political instincts. Earlier this year, many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle were right to push back on those misdirected calls and urge that the Special Counsel be allowed to do his job without interference.

Read more

(Update) America’s descent into the darkness of ‘Trumpism,’ the new American fascism

by

Republicans lavished praise on President Donald Trump at a White House event on Wednesday to celebrate the passage of their “tax cuts for corporations and plutocrats” bill through both the House and Senate. They later posed for their mug shot of who is responsble for this crime for future historical reference.

GOP Mug Shot

Republicans lavish praise on Trump in marathon event to celebrate the passage of tax reform:

“Well, let me just say Mr. President, you made the case for the tax bill,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “But this has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump administration.”

Um, this tax bill is the only legislative “achievement” of the GOP this year. The Septuagenarian Ninja Turtle included his own unconstitutional blockade of President Obama’s nomination for the Supreme Court last year so that the GOP could install conservative justice Neil Gorsuch this year, and the ongoing GOP court packing scheme with judges who are rated unqualified to serve on the bench. The withdrawal of Trump nominees Jeff Mateer, Brett Talley and Matthew Peterson this past week, considered too unqualified even by the GOP’s low standards, is just the latest assault on the judicial branch. Trump judicial nominee who struggled to answer basic questions pulls out. McConnell threw in repealing government regulations for good measure, a favorite GOP talisman, but most of those regulations are in the admininstrative review process and public comment phase, not repealed merely with Trump’s signature.

Next up was House Speaker Paul Ryan, who praised Trump’s “exquisite presidential leadership.”

“Something this big, something this generational, something this profound could not have been done without exquisite presidential leadership,” said Ryan, who has fought to overhaul the tax code for much of his near-two decades in Congress. “Mr. President, thank you for getting us over the finish line, thank you for getting us where we are.”

The GOP’s alleged boy genius took out The Big Book of Adjectives and “exquisite” is what he came up with? Has he been living in a cave this past year? “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Read more

Mama Grizzly

With Massive Tax Cuts from Feds, Big Corps Don’t Need AZ Tax Giveaways (video)

by

Mama GrizzlyVice presidential candidate Sarah Palin called herself a “Mama Grizzly” because she said she would fight like a Mama Grizzly to protect her children.

Although “Mama Grizzly” was a catchy marketing slogan for the folksy rural mayor from Alaska, the Republican Party has never embraced the idea of protecting children after birth or helping families. Unfortunately, this week Congressional Republicans took their disregard for middle class families one step further by voting for billions of dollars in tax cuts for big corporations and for the richest Americans– while saddling our children and grandchildren with massive debt to pay the bills in the future.

Hmmm… let’s see… what to do… pass legislation that would actually help millions of Americans– like equitably funding public education across the country or fixing the Affordable Care Act (to make it affordable) — OR cut taxes for your rich donors? Cut taxes, of course! With party-line votes to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Congressional Republicans have shown that they are far more interested in enriching the billionaire class than in improving the lives of everyday Americans. Universal healthcare? Food Security? World-class public education? Safe roads and bridges? Financial stability for the middle class? Meh. Congressional Republicans don’t care about pursuing the People’s To-Do List.

Although the majority of Americans see the tax cut bill as unfair, Republicans are on course to deliver the biggest Christmas present… ever… to the 0.01%.

In my opinion, the passage of this massive wealth transfer bill underscores the need for a few new progressive action items…

Read more