Insurrection Hearings Continue (& More)

This past week, our nation commemorated those whose lives we lost in our many wars over the last century, on Veterans Day. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which first held the remains of a World War I veteran when the government built it one hundred years ago, allowed visitors to place flowers to honor a century of remembrances. One commentator I heard on TV–and I do not remember whom-mentioned that this was the first Veterans Day in recent memory when our country did not have troops in active combat in a war zone. I believe that this is a positive occurrence.

I dislike thinking of our country as a warrior nation, despite our many years of warring conflict. I would rather think of us as the peacekeepers, the arbiters of dissent between warring parties, rather than those who are killing others, too often those who are not white. I mourn those many thousands who have died in our wars and regret even more thousands who bear the scars from those wars, both physical and emotional. I thank the families touched by these sacrifices for the pain they have shouldered, often silently.

But now that we have this pause in our conflicts, let’s work even harder to keep peace at hand. I know that there are bad actors out there; even as I write, Putin is again threatening Ukraine, the Saudis are still fighting in Yemen, and tribal and religious warfare continues in Africa. The dictator in Belarus is flooding Europe with refugees and Cubans are trying to march for democracy. Afghanistan remains unsettled. China is menacing Taiwan and others in the South China Sea and brandishing new weapons of warfare. The world is not a simple place.

But, as we also saw last week, representatives from more than 200 countries met in Scotland to try to combat rising world temperatures and sea-level encroachment on coastal lands; we all have a common enemy.  Let’s try to focus our energies on reducing carbon, replacing coal as an energy source, and working toward renewable energies.

And, on Capitol Hill, the House Select Committee on the January 6^th Insurrection, notes that hearings continue behind the scenes, issuing subpoenas for those who did not answer their requests to provide documents and testimony. To date, the committee has issued 35 subpoenas to individuals involved with the White House and with the planning for the protests on January 6^th. Most recently, Mark Meadows, the chief of staff for the former president, declined to appear or provide documents. However, the criminal indictment handed down on Friday by the Department of Justice against former White House aide Steve Bannon might give pause to some of those who have refused to appear and cause them to reconsider their defiance.

A federal appeals court placed a hold on the release of documents that the former president has tried to restrict claiming presidential executive privilege. A lower court had ordered their release. As pointed out by the Washington Posts’ Ruth Marcus, the constitution does not mention executive privilege; this right belongs only to a sitting president. Marcus further explains that according to the Presidential Records Act, the release of the documents can proceed if the sitting president allows their release unless a court rules otherwise. So, we shall see what the next steps will be. The former president has said he will go to the Supreme Court if the appeal is denied; expecting that “his justices” will rule his way.

A Republican attorney representing Mark Meadows, George Terwilliger III, has argued just the opposite and claims that President Biden, by not granting this exception, is going against 200 years of history. Biden has claimed that the extraordinary circumstances of the insurrection require finding out the truth behind who planned, organized, financed, and perpetuated these actions.

Congressman Jamie Raskin spoke about the committee hearings recently to NPR and noted some of the personnel moves that were made by the previous administration, especially after the election. This was troubling to the committee as experienced persons were dismissed and others with little expertise, especially in the defense department, were placed in positions of great authority. Some were known to be quite loyal to the then-president and would likely not question his demands.

Others have asked who funded all the buses and made hotel arrangements for the thousands who came to the protests in the months after the election and for the January 6^th rally. Open Secrets described many of the layers of funding and dark money that contributed to these events; other Trump-affiliated groups such as Women for America First, Rule of Law Trust, and Turning Point USA, also funded many events. Amy Kremer, a co-founder of Women for America First, and her daughter were scheduled to testify before the committee on October 29^th. Previously, she worked as a leader with the Tea Party Express. Several others who were paid by the former president’s political operation also helped organize the rally; the committee has also asked many to testify.

In the book, “I Alone Can Fix It” by Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker of the Washington Post, report that the first impeachment emboldened the president. When he placed inexperienced people in the Pentagon, that lack of continuity actually delayed the deployment of the National Guard to the Capitol. These new people at the Pentagon did not understand the chain of command and military protocols. General Milley worried they would use the military after the election to enact a coup since the president could not accept his loss. The Pentagon officials finally released the Guard to defend the Capitol after a phone call with orders from Vice President Pence.

Just before the insurrection (on January third) a letter signed by 10 previous Secretaries of Defense warned the president to not involve the military to address his grievances over the election results. They also denounced comments made earlier by General Michael Flynn that the government should invoke martial law and demand that the election be rerun in battleground states.

These circumstances explain why the select committee wants to hear from Bannon, Flynn, Meadows, and others such as Kash Patel who was at the Pentagon, and Johnny McEntee, a 30-year-old director of presidential personnel, whom Jonathan Karl, writing in The Atlantic, describes as the “deputy president who made January 6^th possible”. According to Karl:

 “The director of presidential personnel is responsible for vetting and hiring everybody, including ambassadors, Cabinet secretaries, and top intelligence officials.” 

When a background check by the then chief of staff John Kelly revealed that McEntee, who in 2018 was serving as the “body man or personal aide” to the president, had many suspicious debts because of gambling, he fired him as a security risk, but after Kelly left, Johnny returned to the inner circle. According to the Atlantic, when administration officials were telling the president he had to accept the election results, McEntee was finding others who reinforced conspiracy theories. He was a true loyalist and when he became the director of presidential personnel, he forced others on the White House staff or elsewhere, whom he considered insufficiently loyal, to leave or had them fired.

The fact that this inexperienced zealot could have so much authority and be so close to the seat of power is, to me, scary. After you read the Atlantic article, I guess that you, like me, would feel some relief that we dodged a genuine threat to our democracy. News reports indicate the committee has received many of the requested documents from governmental departments and those interviewed. Over 100 interviews have been conducted so far. I hope these committee interviews and subpoenas will soon bring more information about some of these situations to light in open hearings.

***********************************************************************

David Leonhardt writing in the New York Times this week noted that before the vaccine, deaths in red and blue states were roughly equivalent. After the vaccine, the statistics are starkly different:

“In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000)."

He further notes that this is the fifth month in a row with such findings. Currently, 10% of Democrats are unvaccinated while 40% of Republicans are.

Maryland has started vaccinations for children in the elementary school age group; its total vaccination rate has ticked up to 67%.

Minnesota, North Dakota, and New Mexico show the highest numbers of new cases statistically this week, although Alaska remains high as well. The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently remarked that with still high numbers of unvaccinated Americans, a winter surge is expected in colder areas.

COVID stats: NYTimes:

US Totals: Total Cases: 47,036,751. New Cases: 80,885.

                   Total Deaths: 761,980. New Deaths: 1,133.

Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 571,857. New Cases: 792.

                            Total Deaths: 11,061. New Deaths: 12.

***********************************************************************

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to manufacture reasons they cannot vaccinate him after the league learned he was untruthful in claiming he was immunized by treatments his physician gave him. His recent positive COVID test ruled him out of eligibility to play until his quarantine was up. His team lost the game where he was absent. So much for team spirit!

On the National Zoo news, I just had to share a photo of twin golden-headed lion Tamarins born recently at the zoo. They are unique and you can see them here: Tamarins are native to Brazil and are considered endangered because of loss of habitat. They can weigh up to 24 ounces and, excluding their tail, adults can be about 12 inches long.

“Til next week-Peace!

Next Steps for Democrats?

 

November came in with cold weather and high winds and brought the first frosts to our area. The Democrats certainly felt those frosty breezes as they watched the election returns come in on Tuesday evening.

The "off-off-year" governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey were certainly not good news for Democrats. Republican Glenn Youngkin beat Democrat Terry McAuliffe by two percentage points with a 66,119-point difference. In New Jersey, the Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy beat challenger Jack Ciattarelli by 2.6 percentage points or about 60,000 votes. Ciattarelli has not yet conceded; Eric Trump claimed fraud even though there was no evidence to say so. Polls had shown Murphy ahead by as much as 8 points shortly before the election. There has been no explanation for the differences. The Virginia polls showed Youngkin pulling ahead just before election day, so were more accurate. Preliminary analyses for both states showed that rural voters and independents went for the Republican candidates while turnout for Democrats and younger voters was not as robust as it might have been. Does that mean Democrats were unenthusiastic or lazy and Republicans were eager to get back in charge? As it is early days, I do not believe that answer is clear cut.

538 seemed to feel that the shift in Virginia was among suburban non-college-educated voters and voters who were concerned about the economy and education. Disapproval of President Biden also drove some voters, although those who approved of the job he was doing also voted for McAuliffe overwhelmingly. Strangely, many voters who supported abortion rights also voted for Youngkin, even though he had announced he opposed such rights. The Democrats did not make these differences clear enough; it seems. Youngkin also kept the rural MAGA base, and, while he did not disavow the support of the former president, he did not campaign with him; he did, however, voice many of the same coded messages and race-baiting. In Virginia, Republicans swept all the higher offices and took control of the Virginia House, although Democrats hung on to keep the Senate.

Although many voters mentioned the economy, gains made by the Biden administration do not appear to have trickled down to the voters' minds. Recent unemployment is at 4.6, one of the lowest rates since before the pandemic, while they claim to have created over five million jobs. Wages are up 5.9% but gas prices have also risen, so maybe that increase is not realized by workers. Fears of inflation remain, supply chain concerns have not yet been resolved, so these are difficult fixes and not issues that can be discussed by a smart quip despite what politicians running for office might say. High taxes were prominent Republican issues in both states.

Republicans also did better than expected in local and state races in New Jersey. What does this mean for 2024? Traditionally, the party in power loses seats in the off-year races between presidential years. The website for 538 discusses next year's elections here:

They conclude with this statement:

"Nothing about 2022 is written in stone, and there's no guarantee that a red-wave election will come to fruition. But the historical expectation with a Democratic president has always been that Republicans would have a good election cycle, and the evidence for that is mounting. The Republican overperformance in the 2021 elections is simply a reminder of how bad things could get for Democrats."

So, are the Democrats reading these results and weeping or are they seeing them as a wake-up call for actions now to change the momentum? It certainly seems that running against the former president will not be a winning strategy for Democrats while Republicans have now road-tested their CRT and school bashing enough to see that they work. I think it might be time for the Democrats to toot their horns and showcase just how many changes have already taken place at their urging. Since the House passed the Infrastructure Bill after many delays this week and, in a compromise, agreed to vote on the Build Back Better proposal by November 15^th, there is potential for more positive change. No one knows exactly what will happen in the Senate with this bill, but the anticipation for approval is high. But any vote which depends upon the way the winds are blowing (as it so often seems with Senators Manchin and Sinema) cannot be considered a slam dunk. I will keep my fingers crossed, virtually, that this bill will become reality. Would I place money on this passage by the 15^th, were I a betting person? The simple answer is no.

If either bill had passed earlier, would that have helped the Democratic Governors in Virginia and New Jersey? The pundits say no, but I cannot help but think that might have helped the Presidents' approval ratings, which would then have given the campaigns a boost. Who really knows?

The Infrastructure Bill passed in the Senate with a bipartisan vote that included 19 Republican Senators. In the House, six progressive Democrats (known as the Squad) voted against it, claiming that they felt it was not strong enough environmentally. But, Despite Minority Leader McCarthys' opposition, thirteen House Republicans also supported it and cast their votes in favor. (Speaker Pelosi must have had these votes quietly in her pocket, so she was certain of the outcome!) Eight Republicans who were members of the Problem Solvers Caucus voted for it because they said these were programs needed by their states; they were joined by five others (including the oldest House member, Representative Young of Alaska) who also felt the needs of their states demanded this legislation. Young also noted that previously Infrastructure Bills would have had overwhelming support. So, Americans across the country can look forward to improved highways and bridges, repairs to aging water and sewer lines, increased rural broadband, and improved options for electric vehicles and school buses, to mention a few items on the 1.2 trillion-dollar lists. Hopefully, some of these are shovel-ready and can get going. In the real world, that should improve outlooks for Democrats, but probably we will see Republicans again take credit for improvements that they did not vote for!

Does this mean that the wall of partisanship is crumbling? I really doubt it, but I think maybe a crack or two might be formed as some members think back to why they ran for office early in their careers and bring to mind their past speeches about service to their constituents. Maybe, at one point, they ran for Congress to really make a difference, not just be in opposition?

After the votes, many in their own party castigated these Republicans, including outlier Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene who accused them of "selling out to Joe Biden's communist takeover of America." She just cannot understand democracy, it seems.

Other important legislation remains to be addressed, as does the filibuster. While the filibuster has been around for over 100 years, in recent years, the use has been extreme and it prevented the Senate from functioning as an effective legislative body. It seems as if the only way that immigration reform and voting measures will get passed in the Senate is if they can set aside the filibuster momentarily to allow passage on a vote of a simple majority. Senator Manchin proposed a modified voting rights bill and claimed he could get bipartisan approval, but he could not. Again, this week, the John Lewis Voting Rights measure failed cloture and so did not even reach the floor for a discussion of its merits; Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican vote in favor.

President Biden attended the G20, met the Pope, and spoke at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, so he had a busy few days recently. Small island nations spoke of the dangers they are facing with rising seas and increasingly severe storms that threaten their very existence. Over 100,000 young people marched in Glasgow claiming that world leaders are not taking this issue seriously enough and are not changing behaviors rapidly enough to slow down the effects of rising atmospheric carbon and temperatures. They demanded that stronger measures be agreed upon by world leaders. The question remains-how close to the tipping point will we go before world behaviors change? I so do not have the answer to that query.

*******************************************************************************

Children in the US received the modified Pfizer Covid vaccination this week soon after the CDC allowed its use. According to the government, there are 28 million children in the eligible cohort. But, given all the issues with this vaccine, these kids also fall into the groups of "Oh yes, give it now, never, ever for my child, and maybe" by parental responses, so it may take a while before they vaccinate enough children to establish a significant number. They announced a second oral drug this week to treat COVID infections. However, it must be given soon after the patient is afflicted, which may reduce the use. Maryland vaccination rates remain steady at 66%; western MD is the current hot spot.

Sadly, the US passed the incredible number of 750,000 known deaths from COVID, one of the highest numbers in the world for a country–that number is greater than the entire population of Washington, DC. Accurate numbers for China, Russia, and India are unknown.

COVID stats NY Times:

US Totals: Total Cases: 46,449,331. Total New Cases: 72,051.

                  Total Deaths: 754,051. Total New Deaths: 1,217.

Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 566,313. New Cases: 687.

                            Total Deaths: 10,974. New Deaths: 11.

*************************************************************************

OSHA finally released the rule to follow President Biden's workplace mandate requiring COVID vaccination or weekly testing at workplaces with over 100 employees. It was to start in January, but because of appeals from Texas (where else?) and some other Republican states to the 5^th Circuit, it has been stayed pending a hearing next week for the government to show cause for this effect on private businesses. Big corporations are mostly in favor of the mandate as it makes their workplaces safer if more employees are vaccinated. There is precedent for federally mandated vaccinations, so hopefully, the government will prevail.

"Til next week – Peace!

Build Back Better, Lite* (*Joe Manchin version 2.0)

 

As I write on this Sunday evening, it is Halloween, and trick or treaters are finding their way through our decorated neighborhoods. I am glad for them that this night of merriment has returned to normalcy despite the continued presence of COVID. Goodies are often being given out with a no-contact routine; one nearby family even rigged a chute from a second-story window to deliver candies when the ground-level lever was depressed. There is no shortage of American ingenuity, it seems!

The Congress, on the other hand, seems to have been captivated by gremlins; it cannot seem to fashion a bill to move President Bidens’ program to “Build Back Better (BBB)” into reality. Despite having set many schedules for a vote in the House, even the extraordinary skills of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the entreaties of their very own President, the House Democrats, and the two recalcitrant Democratic Senators cannot seem to find common ground on a proposal that is overwhelmingly supported by Democrats and even most Americans. The bi-partisan infrastructure bill, passed months ago by the Senate has not yet had a vote in the House because the Progressives have said they would only vote for it when it was paired with the social spending issues laid out in the Presidents’ bill.

Senators Manchin and Sinema were on the bi-partisan committee that got the infrastructure Bill passed in the Senate. I think they thought they could point to this spending program and say–okay, over and done–we do not need to rush on the other soft programs. Manchin even proposed at one point putting discussion of the BBB off until next year. That delay is precisely why the Progressive Caucus has said “no” and causally linked the passage of the two pieces of legislation. Despite the president indicating he had the okay of the two senators and had seen a framework of the bill, few others had seen the actual wording of the proposals. Finally, on Friday, there was a draft copy of the legislation. It is well known that legislation is best made by compromising and trust on both sides. There appears to be little of that in evidence here. So, without seeing the final drafts, in what I mention below, I summarize best guesses from multiple sources about the draft.

Several provisions which the progressives held dear appear, according to several news reports, to no longer remain as part of the legislation. It is unclear how drug costs will be reduced, but they will still forbid Medicare from negotiating costs, it seems. There will be no free community college. Taxing the rich is apparently also out, which takes away the proposed funding mechanisms. So, Family and Medical Leave, which had first been proposed for twelve weeks, was reduced to four weeks, then cut altogether, if reports are correct. Manchin was said to oppose it because it did not contain a work requirement. That seems absurd–one cannot take leave from a job if there is no job! He also opposed innovations in alternative energy and reducing drug costs under Medicare and has not supported Senator Sanders’ ideas for Medicare expansion-added vision or dental benefits were not allowed-but hearing aids are in. He tried to cut back many of the climate change suggestions in the BBB.

On the positive side, expanded universal pre-K remains in, as does an immigration overhaul, funding for some clean energy programs and electric vehicles. Also, the child tax credit is extended for one more year (the original proposal was for ten years.) There are billions for energy tax credits and some affordable housing initiatives. There will be a minimum 15% tax on corporations and some stock transactions.

The Senator said that West Virginians dislike entitlement programs: “Last month, Manchin told reporters he cannot accept our economy, or basically our society, moving towards an entitlement mentality” and called for Democrats’ social welfare proposals to only benefit those in desperate need.”

He should look no further than his own state, which has dismal social problems and a floundering economic program.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation report on West Virginia in 2017: 29% of the states’ population is on Medicaid, the highest in the nation. The per capita income is the second-lowest of the fifty states. The report indicates:
“West Virginia had the highest opioid death rate in the country in 2015 (36 deaths per 100,000 population). From 2013 to 2015, West Virginia’s opioid death rate grew by 29%. West Virginia also has the highest obesity rate in the country (71.1%)”

Statistica reports that 44% of the state’s population receives employer-based health insurance, and 19% of the population is on Medicare; besides the Medicaid numbers noted above, about 7% of the population is uninsured.

The state has a population of 1.792 million (2019) and has had 4,426 COVID deaths, with approximately 227.000 reported cases; the vaccination rate is 43% fully vaccinated. None of these are positive numbers as I read them.

The Senators’ estimated wealth is approximately five million dollars; he has investments in the coal industry among other businesses. His daughter Heather is CEO of Mylan pharmaceuticals and is also a millionaire; his son manages a coal-related business.

Arizona was one of the last states to accept Medicaid after it was initially introduced. It accepted the expanded Medicaid program under the ACA but imposed a work requirement. This requirement was removed by President Obama, reinstated by his successor, and removed again by the Biden administration and COVID legislation. As of mid-2018,1,688,791 Arizonans were covered by Medicaid and the CHIP programs. To date, there have been 1.17 million COVID cases in the state which has had 21,153 deaths. Arizona has a population of approximately 7.729 million residents and has a fully vaccinated rate of 53%.

So, as you can see here, two senators who fully represent fewer than ten million people are holding up or reducing legislation that could benefit the other 320 million people in this country. Neither of their states is wealthy, and both receive Federal benefits in excess of their contributions. According to Wallethub, both Arizona, #7, and West Virginia #5, appear in the top ten states most dependent upon the Federal Government. (Maryland is ranked 19^th.)

So, what has remained of the $6 trillion (Sanders) $3.9 trillion (Biden), spending bill? It is now much closer to Manchin’s $1.5 trillion demands, with maybe a $1.75 trillion compromise agreed to by the president. Now, the legislators have to get their heads together and breathe some life into what has become a severely truncated bill. Not only have these ruminations and non-negotiations hurt the president, but they are also said to be hurting Terry McAuliffe in the tight Virginia Governor’s race since it looks as if Democrats cannot deliver on promises made. The polls have the president’s approval rating also falling. To me, this all seems to move in slow motion with hopes by some that the longer it takes, the less it might cost!

The Virginia Governor’s race has the Republican candidate attacking the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Beloved” by the renowned African American author Toni Morrison, who died in 2019. Her book, which discusses in detail the brutality of slavery, is not an easy read but many consider it an American classic. In this attack he gets to make many more cultural arguments–he attacks McAuliffe for vetoing a law which would have banned the book in schools, he scores points on banning books, and he also attacks a Black woman author and her descriptions of slavery–that part of history he also does not seem to want to be taught in schools. The polls currently consider this race too close to call with Youngkin said to be closing hard. I hope that the Democratic majority in Virginia turns out and makes a return cultural statement–that they do not choose to have a governor who is anti-abortion, anti-mask, tepid on vaccinations, who is pro-MAGA, and prefers to talk about critical race theory instead of the real problems such as housing, healthcare, and poverty which exist in the state. As some people say–book banning is the first step toward authoritarianism and restraining critical thinking is another. I have my fingers crossed on this race; I so do not want to see demagoguery win out.

**************************************************************************

We expect that preliminary approval will be given for children 5-9 to receive two separate reduced doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week by CDC. Montgomery County dropped the indoor mask mandate for a few days because the incidence of recent cases was under the threshold established for several days; a couple of days later, the rule was reinstated as cases again rose. The Frederick County rate remains high. Such is the path of this virus–so frustrating. The US is reporting that 192 million people are fully vaccinated, but that is only a rate of 66%. Maryland remains at 66% fully vaccinated as well.

Total COVID Stats – NY Times

US Totals: Total Cases: 45,935,095. New Cases: 72,961.

                   Total Deaths: 745,535. New Deaths: 1346.

Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 561,501. New Cases: 741.

                               Total Deaths: 10,895. New Deaths: 13.

***********************************************************************************

This week the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the Texas vigilante abortion law and the Alabama law which restricts abortions after 15 weeks. Expectations are that they will not outright ban abortions but may impose restrictions that will gradually erode rights American women have had for almost half a century. They will probably delay decisions in the Mississippi case, but one might be given in a timely fashion for the Texas case. Justice Thomas will finally get to hear another gun rights case as an appeal of personal carry regulations in the State of New York will be heard.

‘Til next week – Peace!

Youngkin Adds Anti-Semitism to His Cultural War Chest

It wasn't enough that Glenn Youngkin, the mega-rich retired Carlye executive who is the Republican candidate for Governor in Virginia, has been stomping the state with false remarks about critical race theory, trans teens rights, and local school board members along with a wink and a nod to the last president, he has now added George Soros to his campaign comments. This recent article in the Washington Post noted that Youngkin, in remarks given in Burke VA, claimed that Jewish operatives working with Soros were infiltrating local school boards in attempts to perpetuate critical race theories in the schools. Virginia Democrat, Rep. Elaine Luria, who is Jewish, criticized these comments, and called Youngkin out for his remarks, saying: "Evoking George Soros as a shadowy funder is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. This is an unacceptable statement from Glenn Youngkin." 

George Soros is a wealthy philanthropist who has given generously to Democratic causes over the years. He is 91 years old and is an immigrant from Hungary whose family escaped the Nazis during the Second World War. After studying at the London School of Economics, he came to New York City in 1956, where he started the financial career and eventual hedge fund that has made him worth over 30 billion dollars. He has used his money to perpetuate democracy in many countries through his Open Society Foundation, to which he has given over 18 billion dollars. He gave 100 million dollars to fund the Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch. Because he has given generously to Democratic candidates and foundations, he has long been called out by the far-right conspiracy theorists and many of their anti-Semitic allies. Youngkin is echoing these tropes.

The Republican candidate in the Governor's race in Virginia is, as I mentioned last week, stoking fears about schools and changing cultural issues instead of debating policies and programs. If he wins, this will surely be the Republican playbook for next year's mid-terms. As is seen, his campaign is divisive, pitting parents against school boards that try to protect the rights of trans teens who might want to play on a sports team. That school board might try to present equality as a trusted value, but this is being used against Black children by invoking the specter of Critical Race theory (which is not being taught) and claims that such a lesson might make a white child feel inferior. Youngkin has also supported charter schools that do not have to address the State School Board policies. He and others such as Gov. DeSantis and Senator Crawley have falsely claimed that Biden is setting the FBI against local parents and School Boards. In reality, the National School Boards Association had asked the Department of Justice to investigate organized violence against school boards across the country, and Attorney General Garland set forth guidelines for the FBI to ensure protection at local meetings.

Now, remarks about Soros add to the scare tactics against frightened and frustrated parents who have had months of difficult schooling by video during the pandemic and whose anger is easy to rouse. We are not so many months away from the riot in Charlottesville, VA and the white nationalist marchers who chanted "Jews will not replace us" along with the Nazi slogan 'Blood and soil', which referred to the purity of the Aryan race. The last president did not disown these remarks and, in fact, said that there were good people on both sides of this uprising. To many, this is now seen as a precursor of the insurrection as he nodded to the white supremacists, the Proud Boys, and militias who supported these ideologies.

Parents in Loudon County VA do not differ from those elsewhere- they care about their children and the education they receive. But in other ways, Loudon County differs from most of the US; the median income in 2019 was $142,299. Lands that were once plantations with slave-holding families are nearby. This county is now about 60% white; the white numbers are declining since it was 85% white in 2000. The population in the county has increased over 150% over that period, with a lot of the increase by 2020 being persons of color or immigrants. Originally, this area was a conservative enclave and one entrenched in resistance to integration in the schools. So many of the school battles in Loudon are symbolic of the old guard versus the new arrivals. Basically, the old guard does not like the changes it is seeing, so this is juicy fruit for a challenger such as Youngkin, who does not rely on facts for his rhetoric. They estimated the total population of the state of Virginia to be about 8.5 million people; approximately 1.6 million or about 19% are Black residents.

Therefore, using critical race theory or acceptance of gender changes is not what many residents want to see in their schools and are issues that can and are being demagogued. So, we should promote what type of education? First, it should not be issues that are not related to education. Acceptance of trans teens should be the same as acceptance of all students and those who have physical or emotional concerns – accept the student as they are. Then give them a well-rounded education based on a sound, well-developed curriculum. But students should learn history as it was, not as some wish it to be. Students in Loudon should not receive a history of the Civil War based on the dreams of the confederacy. But do parents want the history taught to be the sanitized version as promoted by changes in Texas law where the racial history of the United States is not mentioned and they said the Civil War was not about slavery but states' rights? Or do they want their children to be taught critical thinking skills, learn to respect, but sometimes question authority; thus ultimately to have the ability to do enough research to pull apart propaganda from history?

The Terry McAuliffe campaign, (he is the Democrat opposing Youngkin since the incumbent Democrat cannot run for a consecutive term) is raising the links Youngkin has to the former president, who has endorsed him, as a negative in the race. This endorsement was one he quietly accepted in public but endorsed in private. Youngkin did not admit that President Biden won the last election until after he achieved the Republican nomination in May.

McAuliffe, who supports abortion rights, is also using the abortion matter as one which would motivate suburban women voters, as Youngkin has said he is opposed to allowing abortion in Virginia, but could not speak out against it before the election. Terry was supportive when he was governor four years ago and also worked to expand Medicaid, which happened finally in 2020 when the Democrats took over the Virginia Assembly. Youngkin has not addressed this matter, preferring to focus on "election integrity" in a state that had no issues in the 2020 presidential election. Democrats point out that were he elected, the governor appoints all the boards of elections across the state, and scenarios such as those seen in Arizona or Texas could happen in Virginia, especially if he pulls in more Republican state legislators.

Democrats want to keep this state, which has been trending blue in recent years but are fearful that the controversies promoted by the Republicans are finding fertile grounds as negatives are reinforced. An aggressive protestor at a local school board meeting recently was forcibly removed by Sheriff's deputies and charged as a disruptive and threatening presence, but after Youngkin announced that (a duly elected prosecutor), a Muslim woman was prepared to prosecute this man, she started receiving hateful calls and messages. Did he have to mention that she was Muslim and a woman?

McAuliffe needs Black voters to turn out for him to win since their votes are usually Democratic. In recent days, Stacey Abrams and former President Barack Obama have appeared with McAuliffe at rallies; Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and President Joe Biden are each expected to appear at an event soon, as election day is November 2^nd. He has said that he is still supporting the issues he ran on and is trying to get the economic measures passed that should raise all people's lives. Others are faulting the Democrats' inability to pass the Voting Rights bills, which many consider imperative if this country is to stay democratic.

Some are wondering if Biden's decrease in popularity will limit turnout and have asked if Democrats are as hungry for this win as Republicans are. (538 lists the Presidents' current approval in an average of polls as 43.4% with 50.7% disapproval.) Too bad, no one seems to chastise the Republicans who, under McConnell, are opposing much of the Presidents' agenda. They again opposed even bringing the voting rights bill, sponsored by Senator Machin as a compromise, to the floor of the Senate for discussion. Of course, since the MAGA crowd is supporting Youngkin, they would claim validation for their Stop the Steal rants should he win.

As of today, 538 lists the race as quite close with McAuliffe at 47.9% and Youngkin at 45.6%.

The race has been close for several weeks, ever since the issues with school boards came to wider notice, so we shall see if appealing to the lowest common denominator is a winning plan.  I certainly hope not and I am obviously supporting McAuliffe. It may be that the 2022 mid-terms might become the most divisive election since the rise of the Tea Party.

******************************************************************************************

COVID continues to ravage our country, but vaccinations continue at about one million a day. Admittedly, some of these might be booster shots, but the steady pace is a hopeful sign. As we move closer to approval for elementary school-age children, we could add over 20 million more vaccinated residents to the totals. Delta appears to be waning in most of the country but an offshoot of Delta currently accounts for 20% of the new cases in England. Currently, Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have the highest percentages of cases. Their vaccination rates are 52%, 50%, and 43% respectively. Maryland counts its vaccination rate as 66% at this time.

COVID stats—NY Times

US totals: Total Cases: 45,423,365. New Cases: 72,644.

                  Total Deaths:736,112. New Deaths:1,509.

Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 556,314. New Cases: 790.

                            Total Deaths: 10,806. New Deaths: 14.

**********************************************************************************

Well, they did not even discuss the voting rights bill in the Senate this week. I think it is time to somehow carve out an exception from the filibuster, wiser minds will have to figure this one out, but the Democrats have got to get this done. It is said that the Build Back Better Bill will get passed this week. We shall see. Now that Manchin has chopped off most of the environmental issues, it no longer shines as bright. Talk is that it might be around $1.9 Trillion, far short of what we had hoped to see—and that is mostly because of the machinations of Senators Sinema and Manchin. I am so not a fan of either; Sinema is trying to cut the taxes on the rich that should have funded these programs. Guess her lobbyists did their jobs well.

"Til next week – Peace!

They Are Coming for Our Schools Now!

Last week, Jennifer Jenkins, a duly elected school board member in Brevard County, Florida testified she was being harassed by community members who circled her home while carrying firearms, told her to beg for mercy, called child services, and filed a false report that she was abusing her daughter. Why? These actions were taken because she supported the wearing of masks in school for children and rights for LBGTQ children in schools. Jenkins added she supports the right of free speech, but that nothing she has done in the performance of her duties should lead to people following her car or entering her property.

The Washington Post reported this week that a group called Moms for Liberty attended one of the school board meetings in Brevard County and were so disruptive they were thrown out. According to the Post: “Launched initially in Brevard County to support “parental rights” in public schools, Moms for Liberty chapters have spread nationwide. Its leaders hope to convert brawlish pandemic-era cultural divisions into lasting political power.”

The Post also noted: Gary Shiffrin, head of the Brevard Association of School Administrators, who has been involved in public education since 1971, blames Moms for Liberty for the most disruptive educational environment he has seen, besides the lingering opposition to desegregation early in his career.

“They have decided they are going to be the spokespeople for conservatism, and this won’t end when covid ends,” said Shiffrin, a former teacher, and high school principal.”

 

Tina Descovich started the Florida group after she lost her board seat and was defeated for re-election to the Board seat by Jennifer Jenkins. They are being compared to Conservative Republican groups that supported the Moral Majority several elections ago. Some funds are thought in Florida to come from Governor DeSantis’ supporters. We also know that Koch-controlled funds are being sent to groups across the country who support anti-mask campaigns, gender identity issues, and oppose critical race theory. (I must repeat here that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not being taught in any grades in the US from K-12.)

The Moms for Liberty group, which now claims about 36,000 members across the country, stated that it hoped to have Mom in tee shirts at every school board meeting in the US over the next year. It is obviously being geared up as an issue for moms who feel powerless and who do not feel that they have been heard over concerns about their children’s education. These concerns were exacerbated over the long periods of virtual education under the COVID pandemic. Feelings of isolation most likely contributed to these frustrations. Whatever the causes, it is being now used as a tool on the right to stir up voters for the 2022 midterms. This, along with the folks supporting the Stop the Steal efforts, point to a very divisive election next year.

A local Virginia group Fight for Schools supported by a former Trump official, recently claimed credit when a Democratic school board member stepped down after they started a recall effort against her. They want to replace the entire school board based on decisions it has made on issues of gender identity and the curriculum, among others. School issues have also been a factor in the Virginia Governors’ race between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin. McAuliffe claims Youngkin would divert public money to private schools and claims that parents should not tell teachers how to teach. While technically that is true, as most parents do not have education degrees, the general substance of the statement gave Youngkin an issue to hammer McAuliffe with. The race is statistically close. At a rally held for Youngkin and other Republicans and attended in person, by Steve Bannon (who has refused to answer a House committee subpoena) and virtually, by the former president, the crowd spoke the Pledge of Allegiance to a flag said to have been present at the Insurrection/Rally on January 6^th. These people have seriously misguided loyalties.

I think parents should and do have a say in the education of their children by selecting the members of their local school board. However, some do not believe in allowing these properly elected members to use their best judgments in choosing school policies. This is the new battlefield. A viable board was elected, and these right-wingers do not wish to wait until the next election to vote them out. Just like the former president, they are sore losers and do not intend to play fair.

Jenkins is just one of many elected school board members, educators, and principals across the country who are being targeted by right-wing protestors in an organized “grass-roots” effort to stir up emotions on sensitive or conservative issues. Recent revelations about “both sidesing” every issue, dumbing down, and obscuring academic courses were spelled out in TV spots this week about discussions in a Texas School District over classroom teaching. The South Lake school district had a discussion that included the instruction to teach “both sides about the Holocaust”. Unbelievable!

Heather Cox Richardson wrote an excellent review of these topics in a column this week. Please read it here:

She concludes with these words: A curriculum that talks about individual courage and integrity while erasing the majority of us, as well as the rules that enable us to have a say in our government by voting, is deliberately untethered from national democratic principles.

Educators themselves are providing conservative causes as test cases in issues of free speech over rights for transgender students or teachers. A teacher in Virginia (in Loudon County as noted above) went to court to protest his suspension after he refused to address a transgender teen by the pronoun for his new identity, saying that his religion did not permit such recognition. In another case affirmed by the Federal Appeals Court 6^th Circuit, a Christian college professor refused to call a student Ms. (her new identity) and continued to refer to her as Mr., despite requests to do otherwise. The Court contended they denied the professor his right to free speech. Others have claimed that this opens the door to allow discrimination in other areas, such as race or ethnicity. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative Christian advocacy group, supported this cause.

Do you remember the Ditty?

“School Days, School Days,

Good old Golden Rule Days.

Readin’ ‘riting and ‘rithmatic

Taught to the tune of a hickory stick….

While those days were not necessarily the good old days, they were from a different era. One then also studied history, science, and geography, maybe with courses in shop, or home ec or art and music as options once in high school. There was no controversy such as we are seeing now about masks in schools or attacks on school board members. While there have frequently been protests about certain books found in school libraries over the years, I do not remember violent confrontations or bullying of teens who testified in favor of keeping certain books, such as what happened in Loudon County in Virginia recently.

Do you remember the “Swift Boat” campaign and the “Defense of Marriage Act”? Both of these emotional issues were used by the George Bush/Karl Rove forces in the 2004 presidential campaign against John Kerry. Swift boat was a lie and was an attempt to take down Kerry’s claim of brave service during the Vietnam war. The Defense of Marriage Act was an anti-gay measure to counter moves toward civil unions and maybe even same-sex marriages which were underway at then. The Justices struck it down in the 2013 Supreme Court decision United States vs. Windsor that allowed same-sex marriage. Both these, plus the Moral Majority and the rise of the Christian Right, meant that they did not fight the election contest on political or policy concerns but cultural issues.

The far-right is trying to repeat these cultural wars with the efforts we are now seeing in the schools with the mom's groups and others. The right is using anti-vax and anti-mask campaigns to gain a foothold in local governments. First, the school boards, then the schools, then the minds of our children will be redirected almost without our notice. And, even though we are in an increasingly diverse country, if these boards have their way, schools will teach their white curriculums untainted by the history of enslaved people, indigenous or immigrant lives. Our children and grandchildren will grow up unprepared to live in a world they poorly understand.

So, these efforts must be opposed and loudly. We need to have a countering force to ensure that these methods cannot succeed. I am not sure what form it will take, whether the Democratic Party, the ACLU, or just other moms, but it should start now. The Democratic Party should support the schools in helping to present subjects and critical thinking that address the world our children will come to inhabit. Instead of forbidding teaching about climate change, students should learn about living in a world with rising seas, extreme weather, and decreasing water supplies, for example. They should not, as one parent requested, be sheltered from learning words such as quarantine, spinal tap, or racism which might be painful to understand.

***********************************************************************************

Booster shots continue to be rolled out. FDA is considering allowing the Johnson and Johnson vaccine a second shot which would serve as a booster. Finally, the Moderna vaccine is nearing booster approval. The reduced dosage pediatric vaccine is nearing approval. Things are improving, but Maryland is still seeing an average of over 1000 fresh cases daily as the US nears the three-quarter of a million total deaths statistic. Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming take the top three awards this week in cases per 100,000.

COVID stats: ,

Total US cases: 44,914,859.  New Cases: 83,576.

Total US Deaths: 724,499.  New Deaths: 1,528.

 Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 550,782. New Cases: 905.

                                Total Deaths:10,708.  New Deaths: 10.

******************************************************************************

In local political news, Prince George candidate for Governor Rushern Baker, lll named Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro (who is term-limited) to be his running mate. He is the first candidate to announce a candidate for Lt. Governor. Currently, there are at least 7 Democrats and 2 Republican candidates in the race.

In sad news, former Senator Karen Montgomery of Brookeville recently lost her husband Harry, 90 years old. I send condolences to Karen and her family. She was my Senator for a while when I lived in Montgomery County.

For our visit to the zoo this week, look at the newborn cheetah cubs and their Mom here:

“Til next week – Peace!

The Debt Ceiling is a Distraction

I had planned to start my discussions this week with some poetic words about the changing of the seasons, a few words about global climate change, and the increasing effects we are seeing with the high numbers of Atlantic hurricanes this year and the devastation which is seen when they hit land, but the news has intruded on my thoughts. SO…

Rights were given and then taken away from Texas women within fewer than 24 hours this past week when one Federal District Court Judge ruled against the Texas law banning abortions after a Justice Department appeal and a follow-up appeal by the Texas Attorney General to the 5^th Circuit Court which subsequently reinstated it. So, once again, the right to an abortion, which is a constitutionally protected right was denied to women in Texas and, given the geography of our second largest state, many will have to travel hundreds of miles over several hours to obtain these legal services.

Did you get caught up in the debt ceiling back-and-forth discussions in the Senate? It was a bit like a tennis match–as the future of the US economy was lobbed up and over the net of partisan wrangling. This game was all a show managed by the sinister machinations of minority leader Mitch McConnell. It did not matter that the approval of the debt was to pay for debts incurred from the previous administration and increased by the absurd tax cut they passed. Although the Senate had made such approvals routinely in the past under his leadership as Majority Leader, he took to the floor to decry such expenditures. He had a major confrontation within his caucus, according to reports in The Hill from Senator Cruz and others; Senator Graham called this move a capitulation. However, as reported in the Texas Tribune, both Cruz and his fellow Texas Senator Cornyn have voted many times to raise the debt ceiling, along with their party, under both Democratic and Republican presidents. Finally, once he was called out for his irresponsible comments and consequences were spelled out by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen–and Wall Street had a major down day, he must have realized he could take the blame, should calamity result, and agreed to negotiate a deal. So, eleven Republicans, mostly leadership, joined to prevent cloture but did not vote for the actual raising of the debt ceiling, so it passed with only Democratic votes. Following the vote, McConnell warned President Biden that he will not do this again. But don't go overboard with feelings of relief, the deal only goes until December when our country arrives back at this debt ceiling point once more.

Is this any way to run a country? According to an editorial in The New York Times today (Stop the Debt Ceiling Nonsense), Congress created the debt ceiling in 1917 to streamline federal borrowing, much like the ceiling on a personal credit card. It was not an effort to decrease spending because Congress has already voted to spend this money. The Times called for getting rid of the ceiling by replacing it with, as advised by Secretary Yellen, a simple law that allows legitimate spending and it castigates the Democrats for cowardice in not doing so. Since they have not removed the filibuster, and apparently cannot, as long as Senator Manchin opposes such a move, the only chance they have to change the debt ceiling would be by adding it to a reconciliation measure that could pass by a simple majority. However, reconciliation is allowed only once a year, so that would forestall other financial bills for 2022. The Democrats know their majority is tenuous and may not survive the 2022 mid-terms, so the only time they have to act is now.

The media played this like a tennis match, just as it did with the House's decision to vote on the bills for Infrastructure and the Build Back Better Bill. Will Pelosi win, is Biden down, Manchin up, moderates or progressives ahead; are we at match point yet? These are serious issues, not games. Distilling the discussions down to winners and losers distracts from an actual explanation of what benefits are genuine possibilities when these bills pass. The Democrats need to do a better job of explaining the policies and programs behind the ever-changing numbers, so real people can understand that there are major issues here that will improve lives if given the chance. The Child Tax Credit has already lifted thousands of children out of poverty; wouldn't it be great if we could continue it? That is in the bill, so let's do it!

What do you think about the filibuster? Shouldn't we allow majority rule? Why should it take 60 votes to pass any contested bill into law? The House votes on a simple majority vote, why should the Senate do differently? Although many do not understand the “filibuster rule", it is a custom, not something written into the Constitution, and was put in place to allow the minority to have a voice on measures many years ago. It wasn't in frequent use until the mid-1950's when it was used repeatedly, often by Southern Democrats, to deny votes on Civil Rights legislation. At one point 70 votes were needed and filibusters had to be held in person, with the Senator holding down the floor and speaking continuously for hours until a vote could override the effort. Did you ever see the movie classic "Mr. Smith Comes to Washington” starring Jimmy Stewart? In that movie, an idealistic freshman Senator tries to speak up for his beliefs and filibusters against corruption for many hours, finally collapsing in the effort. Now, no effort is required, just a notice that the opposition will invoke cloture is enough to deny a bill a presence or discussion on the floor of the Senate if the opposition does not have the votes to override it. We seldom hear the debates and discussions of former years in the so-called great deliberative body. Some say to be careful what you wish for as they say that cloture protects the minority, but now it seems to protect inaction as the Senate has passed few meaningful bills over the last several years, despite hundreds being passed in the House.

Hopefully, soon, the recalcitrant Democratic Senators (Sinema and Manchin) will see the light and allow the Democrats to pass the Build Back Better Plan and the Infrastructure bill together as originally planned before these prima donnas got in the way. Manchin has been speaking out that he does not want to create entitlements. The Progressive caucus speaks up for the needs of many, often women, in the middle and working classes who need child care and elder care relief so that they can work, and provide for their families. They speak of the need for Family Leave already found in many westernized countries after the birth of a child. This is not socialism, it is to benefit families. (Many mothers currently save their vacation days, if any, to take as maternity leave, then add on unpaid days, as desired, to stay with their newborns. I read recently that many Americans do not always take their full vacations for various reasons; however, 25% of American workers do not have any vacation benefits.) Many people do not realize that the Family and Medical Leave Act only allows for unpaid leave; the employer may require that any accrued leave be used before the unpaid days kick in.

The Progressives want the requested 3.5 Trillion-dollar package. Manchin wants 2 trillion less. Sinema is not talking, so they are still at a standoff. However, there are rumblings that maybe Manchin will come up a bit and the Progressives will come down a bit as suggested by President Bide; let's hope that happens. They projected the current finance package over ten years; perhaps if it were calculated out for fewer years, the benefits would remain and then need renewals earlier. It is not good for the Democrats to be fighting amongst themselves when what these two bills hold is so good for the country. It may not be as good for the top one percent, but I think it is time for them to give back to the country that has so generously allowed them to prosper. (I won't even mention the Pandora Papers discussed in the Washington Post this week, except to say that South Dakota is a major player in hiding possible taxable assets by the rich and famous.)

Maybe, once these bills pass, and I certainly expect that they will in some format, then the Democrats in the Senate can get onto passing the voting rights bills already passed in the House. Or, if not, maybe even the watered-down bill Senators Klobuchar and Machin have offered could be considered. Again, there is an effort to have this bill bypass the cloture/filibuster rule. I have few hopes for either option, although I remain optimistic. 

Without the passage of these two voting rights bills, there is little chance that we can see fair and free elections in many Republican-led states in 2022. I expect that the Justice Department will try to do something to restore rights where they are most egregiously restrained, but that may not get into voter nullification as proposed in Texas and Georgia by post-election denials of votes or subsequent "Stop the Steal" efforts.

Meanwhile, the former president tried to call for presidential privilege over members from his administration speaking to the Select Committee on the Insurrection, but it was determined the privilege is attached to the Office of the current President, not the former one.

The Bulwark (a conservative anti-MAGA group with many writers from the Weekly Standard) has an excellent discussion of this issue here. This article, written by Linda Chavez, discusses the original Voting Rights Act and its evolution over the years and she concludes lawmakers should look at those trying to overturn elections, saying: "The strength of democracy rests on the acceptance of election results, win or lose. Laws currently under consideration that would throw election results into question and allow state legislatures to reject them are a serious problem that undermines the future of our democracy."

So, last week I asked where are the voices on the right speaking up for our Democracy? I have found a few here, but obviously, more voices are needed. 

****************************************************************************************

Now to the latest news on the Covid front. They have released Pfizer booster shots to eligible recipients. Moderna has applied for booster status for its vaccine. Pfizer has submitted documentation to support a reduced dose for children 5-11 and it is under consideration by the relevant bodies. Montgomery County is now reporting 84% vaccinated, Howard 78%, and Frederick 72%. Alaska leads the states in incidence now; Minnesota is showing a recent rise in cases. Maryland has had an 8% decrease in cases and is showing 65% vaccinated overall. The US is seeing about 900,000 vaccinations a day now. With luck, Delta will be mostly gone before flu season hits. Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

COVID Stats - NYTimes

US Totals: Total Cases: 44,330,001. New Cases: 96,549. (back under 100,000!)

                   Total Deaths: 713,806. New Deaths: 2000.

Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 544,449. New Cases:1,138.

                               Total Deaths: 10,593. New Deaths: 16.

***********************************************************************************

On the good news/bad news scene–retirees may see up to a 6.1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase in their Social Security checks if expected projections, due this week, pan out. Rising prices have hit those on fixed incomes hard. However, others have noted that Medicare fees may also rise and wipe out that COLA benefit. Please, someone–explain the rationale of the give and take here.

Meanwhile, the rich get richer, mostly, although Forbes has removed the former president from its list of the 400 richest Americans–he no longer qualifies.

"Til next week - Peace.