Yup. Congressman Dwayne Duncan Hunter actually said that. As the saying goes, ‘it takes one to know one…’
I’m now officially back in the saddle (actually I’ve posted two other stories, but hey, they were just warm ups) after my California road trip, and the ol’ Starting Line Inbox is chock full of deserving stories.
At the top of my list will be continuing coverage of our Republican Congressmen, Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter. Or, as I like to call them, Frick and Frack. [Read more…]
Political reverberations following the incidents of right wing violence and terrorism in Charlottesville continued into this weekend.
Hundreds of San Diegans gathered in front of the Museum of Man in Balboa Park on Sunday, August 27 to make their voices heard. The rally and March Against Hate had a more militant tone than some recent post-election demonstrations. Signs and banners mentioning the dreaded “Socialism” word were to be found, and there were more people of color participating.
The rally at the start was short and sweet, kicking off with the joyful sounds of the Euphoria Brass Band. We were reminded of the white supremacist imagery all around us in Balboa Park by SDSU lecturer Ozzie Monge. Those lugging banners were invited to lead the march, which headed east on Laurel Street, turning toward downtown at Sixth Avenue, and ended at Horton Plaza. There were no incidents of violence, no counter-demonstrators, and the same handful of people identifying as Antifa who’ve shown up for many recent protests. [Read more…]
Be prepared to be very scared. Mask-wearing people clad in black are reportedly coming to a neighborhood near you very soon. You’ll want to clutch your pearls as they snarl at puppies, menace children, and spray paint obscenities in the neighborhood. Fox’s Sean Hannity will curl his upper lip, calling on milquetoast mayors for law and order in the streets.
Somewhere in the United States as I’m writing this, faux documentarian James O’Keefe is undoubtedly planning his next ‘gotcha’ production. I’m sure it will involve implied violence with not-so-subtle overtones of racism.
Something called Antifa has made itself known to fright wing activists desperate for any counterpoint to the inanity of the Fearless Leader and his feckless followers. [Read more…]
People gathered in roughly 700 locations around the U.S. over the weekend in response to violence in Charlottesville instigated by right wing extremists on August 12. Activist Heather Heyer died, and 19 others were injured in an act of terrorism perpetrated by a young Nazi sympathizer. Virginia State troopers H. Jay Cullen and Berke Bates died in a helicopter crash as the day came to a close.
The “Unite the Right” rally brought traditional white supremacist groups and militant members of the so-called alt-right together for what they hoped would be a clarion call to the darkest side of the American psyche. Years of dog whistles from the highest echelons of politics promoting fear of the ‘other’ paid off on Saturday, as advocates of hatred openly displayed their wares.
The President of the United States refused his staff’s entreaties to issue a statement directly condemning the far right, instead choosing to deflect blame using the “many sides” misdirect. [Read more…]
Bigots of many flavors were encouraged by the campaign and election of President Donald J. Trump. In the 10 days following November 8, 2016, almost 900 hate and bias incidents were reported nationwide, with the victims typically being those populations demonized during the campaign.
What was slated for Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, was a “Unite the Right” rally including a variety of far-right and alt-right extremists, ranging from anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant hate groups to neo-Nazis, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, and members of the Ku Klux Klan, anti-government militias, and newer groups like the Proud Boys, American Guard and the Fraternal Order of Alt Knights.
The flash point enabling [white supremacist organizer] Jason Kessler, with help from alt-right celebrity Richard Spencer, was the upcoming removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a Charlottesville park. Statues of Confederate leaders nationwide have been removed in recent years as communities have come to view them as symbols of slavery.
[Read more…]
The good news as I write this is that Dear Leader hasn’t declared war. Yet. The bad news is that worrying about armed conflict can be distracting as hell.
I compiled an extra long list of events this week proving that, whatever the challenges, people remain engaged in a big way.
And, this will be the last calendar this month because I’m going to Switzerland to pick up suitcases full of small bills from George Soros. We’ll be livin’ la vida loca in September, comrades.
I will not be off the grid, however, so if major news breaks and there is an activist response brewing, there will be something written about it at San Diego Free Press. [Read more…]
Republicans and their allies nationwide are taking the gloves off when it comes to voting. In 2017, at least 99 bills to restrict access to registration and voting have been introduced in 31 states, according to the Brennan Center.
It’s important to remember a decade ago not one state had one of these type laws on the books. In addition to legislative efforts, there are executive actions and judicial challenges underway.
Why is this happening? Because they can. Demographic trends are dooming the traditional conservative voting base, and, thanks (in part) to apathy on election days, the GOP now has the political power to suppress the voting rights of those who don’t fit their image of what a citizen should be. [Read more…]
Congressman Darrell Issa’s 49th District is one of a handful targeted nationally for a seven figure ad campaign by a coalition of groups demanding proposed changes to the tax code not provide giveaways to corporations and wealthy individuals.
The “Not One Penny” campaign will incorporate direct action and activism, building on the energy from last spring’s Tax March and the Our Lives on the Line national day of action in opposition to Trumpcare.
Ongoing protests aimed at Issa will focus on plans by Congressional Republicans and the White House to enact tax-reform legislation this year. Depending on the language in the final version, between 47.3% and 99.6% of the tax cuts under consideration will flow to the wealthiest 1% of the population. [Read more…]
At 9:01 pm on August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon went on TV to announce his resignation. Facing impeachment for his involvement in the complex series of events usually described as the Watergate scandal, he’d concluded that it was time to go.
I lived in Washington DC at the time. There was a late night party of sorts in the street outside the White House, with news crews filming young people spraying cheap champagne. A month later President Gerald Ford ended his own political career by issuing a “full, free, and absolute pardon,” eliminating any possibility of an indictment, trial, or legal sanctions.
People tend to forget the long and complex the process the nation went through before we were “free” of an administration that had gone awry. There were lots of days with explosive revelations many of us thought would certainly bring the 37th Presidency to an end. There were the nationally televised press conferences we feared would end with a declaration of martial law and a national roundup of dissidents. It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t easy. [Read more…]
The California Assembly will be considering legislation in just a few weeks holding drug makers accountable by demanding greater transparency in decisions leading to price increases. It’s a small, but necessary, step toward making health care more affordable, so pay attention when you hear about Senate Bill 17.
America’s Other Drug Problem, namely consumers all-too-often being gouged on the price of prescription drugs, has proven to be a tough nut to crack. “Everybody knows” drug prices are ridiculously high. Other developed nations average 41% of U.S. net drug prices (for the 15 companies marketing the 20 top-selling drugs).
Given that prescription drugs account for almost 10% of overall domestic health spending– totaling $263 billion annually– it’s no wonder 33 states have looked at legislation this year addressing some aspect of prescription drug pricing. Most bills will go nowhere. A much heralded 2016 law passed in Vermont requiring drugmakers to provide justification for drug price hikes has turned out to be a dud, thanks to poor wording companies have been able to exploit. [Read more…]
Two incidents reported by Voice of San Diego over the past week highlight the unfinished work of making sure the ‘justice’ part of criminal justice becomes a reality in San Diego. This coming week offers opportunities for activists to weigh in issues concerning both the Sd Sheriffs Department and the San Diego Police Department.
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department dropped a dime on a couple pulled over for a cracked windshield in Mission Bay, holding them until Border Patrol agents could detain them, despite a policy prohibiting deputies from stopping, detaining or questioning people for reasons related to immigration. A conveniently conjured up ‘ongoing felony criminal investigation’ (not mentioned in subsequent bail hearings) was all the deputies needed, apparently.
We also learned about a San Diego Police officer lying multiple times under oath thanks to body camera footage discovered by the city attorney’s office after a homeless man’s lawyer appealed his conviction. Sadly, after doing the right thing and filing a motion to throw out the conviction, they neglected to inform the SDPD about the officer’s perjury. [Read more…]
Let’s see…. Democracy under attack. Check. Racism rampaging. Check. Misogyny mounting. Check. Rich Getting Richer, Want Tax Cut. Check….
You get the picture, right? “We”–as in the people– are at a critical juncture in history. If we don’t collectively push back, chances are even worse things are going to happen.
So what is it with certain so-called Democrats who continue to say and do stupid sh*t? [Read more…]
