It’s time to make some noise. The fix is on. Republicans have stacked the deck in ways never seen before to enable the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.

On August 26, in more than 100 cities across the country, people will be attending rallies and protests against a nominee with ultra-conservative legal views on a range of issues. He has repeatedly argued the Supreme Court should put the president above the law. Given that Donald Trump is at the center of a criminal investigation he should not be allowed to pick his own judge and jury.

Kavanaugh’s vote on the court would enable reactionary policies on reproductive freedom, health care, the environment, voting rights, workers’ rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant rights for generations.   [Read more…]

San Diego’s Deputy Sheriffs Association has rescinded an earlier endorsement of former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, the Republican candidate in the race for Fourth District Supervisor.

Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, the Democratic candidate, now holds the title of ‘law enforcement’s choice,’ according to a press release landing in my inbox this morning. 

Miss Cleo’s fortune-telling hotline has been strangely silent for me since she died two years ago, but I can say for sure the people who normally support Republicans are acting like they’ve seen the future. This endorsement, my friends, is kind of a big deal. I know the election isn’t over until the ballots are counted, but this switcheroo was a jaw-dropper.   [Read more…]

Once again, an ongoing protest has changed the political landscape. Court documents filed by the National Rifle Association reveal an increasingly desperate financial situation for one of the most powerful political institutions in the U.S.

Pressure from New York State regulators in the wake of the Parkland, Florida massacre — including a letter asking financial institutions to heed “the voices of the passionate, courageous, and articulate young people who have experienced this recent horror first hand” — has led the National Rifle Association to plead in court that it will “be unable to exist… or pursue its advocacy mission.” They say the organization may be forced to shut down NRA TV or its print publications.

The lesson here about persistence should be taken to heart. Congressman Darrell Issa gave up after weekly protests outside his offices. The future of politics in National City will be changed for the better, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the folks standing up for Earl McNeil. And elected Trumpistas everywhere are looking over their shoulders, fearing a Blue Wave made possible by thousands of organizing efforts.

There are less than 100 days until the General Election. Now–not later–is the time to stand up and be counted. Candidates and causes need your time, your energy, and your support. There are many opportunities to join the fray in this week’s Progressive Calendar.   [Read more…]

Congresscritter Duncan Hunter certainly looks and acts like a man in legal trouble. An ongoing Justice Department investigation into questionable campaign spending practices has been threatening to derail the East County Republican for over a year.

On Thursday, Rep. Hunter took to the floor to denounce the Justice Department, starting off with “…imagine living in a country where the federal government decides whether you’re jailed or set free based on your politics.”

He went on to support the now-dead bill to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, saying the DOJ is“corrupt, answers to no one and uses the law to corrupt countless others…” Maybe he was just in a hurry to join the gang for cocktails. Maybe not. It’s weird how all these Republicans are up in arms over the actions of an agency when they control all three branches of government.     [Read more…]

Local Indivisible chapters have joined forces with democracy-loving cultural celebrities at this year’s Comic-Con as it stages its 48th annual exposition of comics and related popular artforms in San Diego.

A team of more than fifty people has been recruited to register voters for the 2018 midterm elections inside and outside the San Diego Convention Center.  Indie comic book publisher Matteo Pizzolo of Black Mask Studios has partnered with Indivisible to reach guests from all across the country using an app that facilitates online registration.

Using the theme “Voting Is My Superpower”, volunteers in T-shirts and capes are conducting what observers believe is the first time an organized drive has taken place within Comic-Con. The drive is nonpartisan.   [Read more…]

As we survey the admittedly depressing landscape of politics in this country, this weekend provides the opportunity to observe some of the accomplishments of the past few decades by activists and allies in the LBGTQ movement.

San Diego Pride festivities have grown from a small grassroots march for equal rights in the 1970s into the largest civic event in the region, with activities spanning a full week. The organizers of San Diego Pride have donated over 2.5 million dollars to LGBTQ-serving nonprofits and runs multiple year-round education, advocacy, and community service programs.

This year’s theme is Persist With Pride, a slogan that should serve to remind all of us of the long and winding road we’re traveling.   [Read more…]

Sometimes loser’s names in political races aren’t on the ballot. These folks are behind the scenes players working to advance their causes, some with less than sterling intentions. At the top of my losers column is Mickey Kasparian, the now-marginalized labor leader whose choices in the June primary amounted to a revenge campaign.
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The R in tRump stands for Racism.

Let’s face the facts: the President is really good at generating outrage (see low-lights from his Montana speech) and making good on his promise to Make American White Again. If the elimination of barriers to discrimination, the cozying up to nativists, and the cruelty to children weren’t enough evidence, perhaps the purges of immigrants from the military will be enough to convince you.

  [Read more…]

It ain’t over till it’s over. Protests, rallies, and phone calls continue as people express their outrage at inhumane and racist policies.

San Diegans protesting the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy towards immigrants and separation of families at the border picketed the Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Sector Headquarters in Chula Vista yesterday.

CBP security personnel by the entranceway heard 2+ hours a recording of the children crying after being forcibly taken from their parent(s). An 800# was prominently displayed offering free legal advice for employees refusing to separate families.

Nearly 600 women were arrested in Washington DC on Thursday, as they staged a sit-in in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office building.   [Read more…]

Protests Set for Three Cities in San Diego County As Trump’s Psychosis Continues

The Trump administration’s policies on immigration have fired up local activists, with protests set for Escondido, San Ysidro, and downtown San Diego this weekend.

Another round of demonstrations is in the works for next weekend, coinciding with actions in over 400 cities being organized by Move-On. See calendar further down in the story for details.

And while a substantial part of the U.S. looks on in horror at the cruelty and chaos within the administration, the rest of the world is taking notice.   [Read more…]

“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart. O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!” – The Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene 3

The last time I checked, the ultimate authority on the law in the United States is the Constitution. In their quest for rationalizing cruel and unusual treatment of migrants, Trump’s officials have decided to bypass this document, claiming the moral high ground by using biblical verses.

There is a larger point besides the inappropriateness and sordid history of this particular verse, namely that the Attorney General has chosen to make a theocratic argument. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, creating a theocratic state is the ultimate goal of a majority of conservative Republicans in government.

  [Read more…]

Advocates for traditional political parties all-too-often have a vested interest in convincing the public the next election is going to change the way things are. It’s understandable, I suppose, for them to want to keep the attention and donor dollars focused on their mission.

The reality is that elections don’t mean squat without other forms of political expression. Rallies, protests, educational events, letter writing, and plain ol’ organizing are what drive the electoral process. Voting –especially in the primaries– ultimately amounts to a bargaining session, where we’re asked to make choices somewhere between what’s desired and what’s doable.

I’ve noticed over the years the choices get better as the political noise gets louder.   [Read more…]