Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Another person who apparently wants to overthrow the US (and he's in the military)

Two Tweets from Paul Rudnick.




Next, C.I. may have already noted this at her site.  She put a mutual friend on speaker phone and she said she'd note it at THE COMMON ILLS and I said I'd note it here.  This is from the US Justice Dept:




RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Aug. 14, charging Kai Liam Nix, also known as Kai Brazelton, 20, with unlawful firearms trafficking, including the sale of two stolen firearms. Nix was also charged with making a false statement to the government. Nix is an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, stationed at Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was arrested on Aug. 15 and made his initial appearance in court today.

According to the court documents, Nix made a false statement on his Security Clearance Application Standard Form (SF) 86 when he claimed he had never been a member of a group dedicated to the use of violence or force to overthrow the U.S. Government.

Nix was also charged with one count of dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of selling a stolen firearm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

The FBI, ATF and U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Department are investigating the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###



As January 6, 2021 made clear, we need to be very careful about the people wanting to overthrow the country.  Communists were not trying to overthrow the government during the McCarthy Red Scare.  However, many claimed that -- right and left people claimed it -- or right and center-left -- and I wonder if those on the right, were they alive today, would they speak out about these attempts to destroy our country?  There are members of the police who participated in the insurrection -- THE WASHINGTON POST just noted one who's been arrested -- and members of the military as well as members of militias.  These people are a threat to democracy.  


"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Tuesday, August 21, 2024.  Michelle Obama delivers the speech of the convention and there are still two days left, Teamsters take to the stage to show their support for Kamala Harris, a member of the Trump administration reveals why she's supporting Kamala, Robert Kennedy Junior's sad, sad campaign grows more desperate with rumors that he will soon be throwing in the towel, and much more.


The Democratic Party's convention continued in Chicago yesterday and the big speech of day two was Michelle Obama's "Hope Is Making A Comeback."




OK! We got a big night ahead. Thank you all so much. Thank you so much.

OK. Hello Chicago!

Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn't it?

You know we're feeling it here in this arena, but spreading all across this country we love. A familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for far too long.

You know what I'm talking about?

It's the contagious power of hope!

The anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.

The chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division, and hate that have consumed us and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation-the dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for.

America, hope is making a comeback!

But to be honest, I'm realizing that until recently, I have mourned the dimming of that hope.

Maybe you've experienced the same feelings; it's that deep pit in my stomach, a palpable sense of dread about the future.

And for me, that mourning has also been mixed with my own personal grief.

The last time I was here in my hometown was to memorialize my mother-the woman who showed me the meaning of hard work, humility, and decency. The woman who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my own voice.

Folks, I still feel her loss so profoundly. I wasn't even sure if I'd be steady enough to stand before you tonight.

But my heart compelled me to be here because of the sense of duty I feel to honor her memory and to remind us all not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.

You see, my mom, in her steady, quiet way, lived out that striving sense of hope every single day of her life.

She believed that all children, all people, have value, that anyone can succeed if given the opportunity.

She and my father didn't aspire to be wealthy. In fact, they were suspicious of those who took more than they needed.

They understood that it wasn't enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning.

So my mother volunteered at the local school. She always looked out for the other kids on our block.

She was glad to do the thankless, unglamorous work that for generations has strengthened the fabric of this nation.

The belief that if you do unto others, if you love thy neighbor, if you work and scrape and sacrifice, it will pay off-if not for you, then maybe for your children or your grandchildren. You see, those values have been passed on through family farms and factory towns, through tree-lined streets and crowded tenements, through prayer groups and National Guard units and social studies classrooms.

Those were the values my mother poured into me until her very last breath.

Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values.

Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.

That's why her mother moved here from India at 19.

It's why she taught Kamala about justice, about the obligation to lift others up, about our responsibility to give more than we take.

She'd often tell her daughter, "Don't sit around and complain about things-do something!"

So with that voice in her head, Kamala went out and she worked hard in school, graduating from an HBCU. Earning her law degree at a state school. And then she went on to work for the people.

Fighting to hold lawbreakers accountable and strengthen the rule of law, fighting to get folks better wages, cheaper prescription drugs, a good education, decent health care, childcare, and elder care.

From a middle-class household, Kamala worked her way up to become Vice President of the United States of America.

My girl Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment.

She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And she is one of the most dignified, a tribute to her mother, to my mother, and to your mother too. The embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country.

Her story is your story. It's my story. It's the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life.

Look, Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what's in your bank account we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued.

Because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American. No one!

Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open for others.

She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.

If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don't get a second, third, or fourth chance.

If things don't go our way, we don't have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead, no. We don't get to change the rules so we always win.

If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.

No, we put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something.

And throughout her entire life, that's what we've seen from Kamala Harris: the steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light.

It couldn't be more obvious: of the two major candidates in this race, only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.

Now, unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth.

My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this.

For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.

See, his limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happened to be Black.

I wanna know, I wanna know: Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those "Black jobs"?

It's his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people's lives better.

Because gutting our health care, taking away our freedom to control our bodies, the freedom to become a mother through IVF, like I did-those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters.

Shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books-none of that will prepare our kids for the future.

Demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love-look, that doesn't make anybody's life better.

Instead, it only makes us small.

And let me tell you this, going small is never the answer.

Going small is the opposite of what we teach our children.

Going small is petty, it's unhealthy, and quite frankly, it's unpresidential.

So why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize this type of backward leadership?

Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics. It only serves to further discourage good, big-hearted people from wanting to get involved at all.

America, our parents taught us better than that and we deserve so much better than that.

That's why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big-hearted people. There is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz! No other choice!

But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt. Let us not forget what we are up against.

Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great right now. They're packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized, we are feeling good.

But remember there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome. Who are ready to question and criticize every move Kamala makes, who are eager to spread those lies, who don't want to vote for a woman, who will continue to prioritize building their wealth over ensuring everyone has enough.

So no matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle. So folks, we cannot be our own worst enemies.

No, the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, we cannot start wringing our hands. We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right.

And we cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.

Kamala and Tim, they have lived amazing lives. And I am confident they will lead with compassion, inclusion, and grace.

But they are still only human. They are not perfect. And like all of us, they will make mistakes.

But luckily, y'all, this is not just on them.

No, uh-uh, this is up to us-all of us-to be the solution we seek. It is up to all of us to be the antidote to all the darkness and division.

I don't care how you identify politically; whether you're a Democrat, Republican, independent, or none of the above, this is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right.

To stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for decency and humanity, for basic respect, dignity, and empathy. For the values at the very foundation of this democracy.

It's up to us to remember what Kamala's mother told her: Don't just sit around and complain - do something!

So if they lie about her, and they will, we've got to do something!

If we see a bad poll, and we will, we've got to put down that phone and do something!

If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we've got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our faces what? [Crowd: Do something!]

We have only two and a half months to get this thing done. Only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan.

So we cannot afford for anyone, anyone in America to sit on their hands and wait to be called upon. Don't complain if no one from the campaign has specifically reached out to ask for your support; there is simply no time for that kind of foolishness.

You know what we need to do.

So consider this to be your official ask: Michelle Obama is asking y'all - no I'm telling y'all - to do something!

Because-You all, this is going to be close.

In some states, just a handful, listen to me a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner.

So we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt. We need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us.

Our fate is in our hands!

In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division, and smallness of the past.

We have the power to marry our hope with our action.

We have the power to pay forward the love, sweat, and sacrifice of our mothers and fathers and all those who came before us.

We did it before, y'all, and we sure can do it again.

Let us work like our lives depend on it.

Let us keep moving our country forward and go higher - yes, always higher - than we've ever gone before.

As we elect the next President and Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz!

Thank you all, God bless.


She then introduced her husband, former President Barack Obama.



The roll call vote took place on Tuesday.  Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the ticket.  In March of 2003, the US invaded Iraq.   that's twenty-one years ago.  And this is the first time since the start of the Iraq War that the Democratic Party has had a presidential ticket not containing at least one person who voted for the Iraq War.  (2004's ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards had two people who voted for the Iraq War.) 


Yesterday also included Stephanie Grisham who was then-President Donald Trump's press secretary.




The Teamsters turned out with a strong presence onstage as Kenneth Stribling spoke about the need for organization and the importance of fighting for your rights.



Under the ridiculous (mis)leadership of Sean O'Brien, the Teamsters proper has yet to endorse in this election.  O'Brien made a fool of himself at the GOP and is said to be angling for a post in a Trump administration.  The Black Caucus of the Teamsters has refused to be silent or to sell out and they have endorsed Kamala Harris for president.  Listening to Kenneth Stribling's speech, O'Brien's silence is only more appalling.


Ratings for last night's prime time events are not in yet; however, yesterday the DNC released the following regarding Monday's viewership:

CHICAGO – Yesterday, tens of millions of Americans tuned in to watch and engage with content from the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention – hearing directly from President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and voices across the Democratic coalition about the Harris-Walz vision for the future. Democrats are meeting people where they are, making the convention available to Americans inside and outside the hall as we tell our story to the country.  

Broadcast:

  • On TV, the first night of the DNC averaged 20 million viewers across 13 networks.
    • This was well above the first night of the Republican National Convention, which averaged 18.1 million viewers on its first night on the same networks.

Streaming:

  • Across DNC/Harris-Walz online platforms, over 7 million people streamed the first night of the convention.

Digital Content:

  • Through partner-created content, there were 30 million views on content created from night one alone.
    • The 2024 Democratic National Convention credentialed over 200 content creators with a cumulative reach of 169 million people. 
    • There have been over 2,200 downloads of DNC-provided content over the past week. 

“Tens of millions of voters across America are tuning in, and here is what they’re watching: a united Democratic party with a vision for an America where we build up the middle class, we protect our democracy, and we create a future of opportunity and more freedom, not less,” said DNCC Senior Director of Communications Matt Hill. “That stands in stark contrast to the very sad and smaller audience who watched Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans push their unpopular Project 2025 that will rip away reproductive freedom, take health care away from millions, and cut taxes for billionaires at the expense of the middle class.”   

As the numbers continue to come in, it’s clear that the combined viewership of the first night of the Democratic National Convention reached over 57 million Americans with numbers to only grow over the week. 

The 2024 Democratic National Convention is giving Americans more ways to watch and engage than ever before. The 2024 Democratic National Convention is being streamed on over a dozen platforms as a part of its efforts to reach Americans everywhere they are. For the first time in convention history, the convention is hosting vertical streams across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, in addition to the convention being streamed online on a variety of platforms including Amazon Prime Video, TV device apps such as Apple TV and Roku TV, and traditional television broadcasts.


While Kamala Harris' campaign ascends, others struggle.

Such is the case of Robert Kennedy Junior.  A campaign that initially showed promise and interest has sunk into despair and he's gone from motivational to pathetic.  In the last six days, his campaign has sent out 20 urgent e-mails to supporters -- like a stalker -- with increasingly dramatic subject headings -- such as "This is personal for me" and, especially, "I will not be deterred."  

Junior has morphed into Glenn Close's character Alex in FATAL ATTRACTION.

"I will not be deterred." 

He sounds like he's about to boil a bunny -- and I'd laugh it off but, remember, this guy's already eaten dog and dumped the corpse of a bear cub in Central Park.

 
As Elaine noted in "Robert Kennedy Junior exposes his ass yet again," Junior's said to be about to drop out and endorse Donald Trump.   I will note that he has no ethics.  He said he'd run as a Democrat.  Then he ran as an independent promising he'd be on the ballot in all 50 states.

How'd that work out?  

He's on 19.  

And how many laws did he have to break for that to happen? Last week, a court ruled he couldn't be on the ballot in New York because he lied don his campaign filings.  A huge and stinging rebuke and all the testosterone he had on hand for injecting couldn't rally him.  He staggers like the old fool he is.   Rebecca Davis O’Brien (NEW YORK TIMES) reports on the failed efforts to get on the ballot in Arizona:


In February, the PAC announced it had gathered enough signatures for ballot access in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and South Carolina — an effort that cost at least $2.4 million, campaign finance filings show.

Three weeks after the announcement, the PAC said it would no longer pursue ballot access. The decision came after the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission over the PAC’s ballot-access effort, and a Democratic super PAC, Third Way, filed complaints with state elections officials.



That's apparently why the campaign is  shutting down.  Grasp that.  He lied (and broke the law) in New York state with his false filings claiming to live in New York.  And despite the fact that it is illegal "Among other prohibitions, super PACs are not allowed to give “in-kind” contributions to a campaign -- basically, providing services free of charge."

As I've noted repeatedly -- here and with Ava at THIRD -- there are rules in place.  It's not Democrats throwing up road blocks, it's Democrats asking that the rules and laws be followed.  If you don't like those rules and laws?  Organize and change them.  But it's so much easier to do nothing so you can play the victim every four years instead.

Jill Stein does nothing for three years and then shows up every fourth to make another of her never-ending failed runs for president.  You shouldn't be waiting until months ahead of an election to whine about the rules already in place.  You should be doing everything you can to change them.  


And Junior grossly miscalculated when he named Nicole Shanahan his running mate because he thought she'd use some of her own millions -- her own after she bilked husbands and lovers out of the money.  Silly, Junior, gold diggers don't hand money to you, they just take it from you -- hence the term "gold" "digger."

 Isaiah's latest THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Miss Sassy Puts Junior On Blast" went up last night.


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