Like Maria Said Paz

Thursday, November 21, 2024

He was always useless

People need to know their lane. Grifter and carnival barker Nate Silver never has known his lane. Ariana Baio (INDEPENDENT) notes:

Political pollster and writer Nate Silver suggested President Joe Biden is unfit to remain in office for the next two months and should allow Vice President Kamala Harris to take over for the rest of the term.

In response to a Washington Post article that claims Biden, 82, has avoided public appearances and reporters’ questions since the election, Silver wondered if he is competent.

It's time for people to stop listening to Silver. He's just a carny that needs to hit the road already.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Mika and Joe soil themselves while nut jobs like Francis Boyle harm the left.

Did Mika and Joe destroy MSNBC this week?

I heard what they'd done Monday afternoon and immediately removed their video from the snapshot -- they were talking about Pete Hegseth. When the shock faded, the anger remained. And I wasn't a big fan of MORNING JOE. Two cowards went and sucked up to save their own asses and their viewers b e damned.

There was no excuse for it. It tars them as traitors -- they betrayed the audience -- and as liars because how could you say all that they have said about the great Satan and then turn around and make nice with him?

They now make clear that, at least their section of MSNBC, is nothing but posing and acting -- and that's really not something a so-called news network wants to be known for.

Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Ari, Chris Hayes, all of them are now suspect.

I'm not saying they should be -- I can't imagine a time when I won't applaud and defend Chris -- someone who actually keeps their word and has a record for doing so -- but I am saying that two on airs embarrassed the network and put a question mark over the network and the other on air personalities.

Ron Filipkowski (MEIDASTOUCH MEDIA) notes:

After social media across multiple platforms erupted over Joe and Mika’s trip to MAL to kiss the ring, or, as Joe put it, “restarting my communications with Trump,” the response this morning was to insult the critics. Scarborough opened the show with this:

“Yesterday, I saw for the first time what a massive disconnect there was between social media and the real world because we were flooded from phone calls from people all day, literally around the world, very positive, very supportive.”

So, the millions of people who expressed outrage that J&M went to the home of the man they have called a serial sexual abuser of women and the second coming of Hitler are disconnected from the real world, but J&M’s friends calling them from around the world have their finger on the pulse? I guess we will find out when the ratings from this week come out whether this is just cranks on social media or real people who used to watch their show. (The show’s ratings had already tanked since the election even before this).

Sure, the consensus of the opinions on social media don’t always reflect society as a whole or the views of the entire country. I get that. But that’s not really the issue here. Morning Joe’s audience is largely the very same people who are complaining on social media - educated, sophisticated people who follow the news very closely and are on social media. So, with this dismissive statement, Joe insults his own audience yet again.

I guess I’m just not sophisticated enough to understand why a TV host would go to someone’s house to kiss and make up who accused him of murdering a staffer to cover up an extramarital affair (with no evidence). Or who viciously insulted his wife over her intellect, looks, and plastic surgery. I guess those of us in the imaginary social media world don’t get the nuance of how it is necessary to kiss the ring of that person in order to provide TV commentary to a largely progressive audience.

People around the world? Joe is such a damn liar. No one gives a damn about MORNING JOE in Japan or France or any country that has their own media. There is no excuse for what took place.

While Joe lied and invented world wide fans, MEIDASTOUCH actually polled:

After we reported that Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski admitted to bending the knee to Trump at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend, we decided to conduct a survey to see if it impacted viewers of Morning Joe. We were Morning Joe fans, and it made us not want to watch them again. We wanted to see if MeidasTouch viewers felt as we did.

We surveyed 9,686 people, and the results were shocking: 90.3 percent of those surveyed say they will not watch Morning Joe ever again. It’s sad that Morning Joe screwed over its audience like this and lost the credibility and trust it had gained from us and others

Mika and Joe are exposed as actors, not as journalists. They will say and do anything for a check.

They are not alone.

Remember that as you read over Lynda Williams (COMMON DREAMS):

As a physicist and concerned citizen, I find myself outraged every time I scroll through social media and encounter tweets from the Department of Energy, or DOE, and the Office of Nuclear Energy, or ONE, touting nuclear power as “clean, safe, and carbon-free.”

This narrative not only misrepresents the dirty reality of nuclear power but also obscures the significant environmental and health risks associated with its production and waste. It’s infuriating to see government agencies knowingly lie and promote such misleading information, while ignoring the pressing issues faced by communities affected by the toxic reality of the nuclear power industry—propaganda paid for by U.S. taxpayers!

Oh, Canada! Leading the Charge Against Nuclear Greenwashing

Finally, someone is doing something about it—but not in the U.S., where you’d expect it. In Canada, a coalition of seven environmental organizations recently filed a formal complaint with the Competition Bureau against the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), accusing it of misleading the public by marketing nuclear power as “clean” and “emissions-free.” Based on Canada’s Competition Act, the complaint challenges the CNA for violating provisions related to false or misleading advertising, similar to greenwashing regulations in other countries, where deceptive environmental claims distort market competition and misinform consumers.

The complaint argues that the CNA omits critical information about the environmental damage and health risks associated with the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, radioactive waste management, and the impacts on communities near nuclear facilities. By selectively framing nuclear power as a climate solution, the CNA diverts attention and resources away from truly sustainable alternatives like solar and wind energy.

In confronting the extremism of a potential Trump administration, it’s more vital than ever to collaborate with Canada and other nations committed to challenging nuclear misinformation.

In the U.S., similar deceptive practices could be challenged under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act, which includes the FTC’s Green Guides. These guidelines require that any environmental claims be substantiated, transparent, and not misleading about the overall environmental impact. Yet, organizations like the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) continue to promote nuclear power as a “clean” energy solution while conveniently ignoring the lifecycle emissions, radioactive waste, and long-term environmental costs.

Leading the charge in Canada are groups such as the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), Environmental Defence Canada, and the Sierra Club Canada Foundation. Here in the U.S., organizations like the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Sierra Club could take similar action against the NEI and ANS by leveraging the FTC’s guidelines to expose deceptive marketing practices in the nuclear sector.

Let’s Be Real: Nuclear Power is Not Clean or Green

Sure, nuclear fission may not produce direct carbon emissions, but the nuclear fuel cycle—including uranium mining, reactor construction, radioactive waste management, and decommissioning—creates significant greenhouse gas emissions. In places like the Navajo Nation, uranium mining has already caused immeasurable harm. Over 523 abandoned uranium mines and mills continue to contaminate the land and water with radioactive waste, leading to severe health problems that affect multiple generations. The DOE’s failure to address these ongoing harms while simultaneously promoting the narrative of “clean, safe, carbon-free” nuclear power is not just unethical—it’s a dangerous distraction from real solutions for our energy needs and the fight against climate change.

Nuclear energy is not safe. The byproduct of it is not safe and is deadly for millions of years. A nuclear plant makes a much better target for terrorism than a world sky scraper. It is a danger to all of us.

Some people got taken in by Oliver Stone. He's a pig and he lies. But some on the left treated him like a god.

Words? Pretty words trick a lot of people. Equally true, there are a lot of sell outs.

And there is just the grotesque. That would be people like John Stauber who made their money and name on the left but turned out to be psycho nut jobs who now platform and embrace Laura Loomer and other hate merchants.

I'm not in the mood to play. What John Stauber puts on his social media is disgusting but the left -- even those who promoted him -- looks the other way and refuses to call out what he's become -- a racist troll.

I'm not playing that game.

Francis A. Boyle is a legal professor who once had a working brain. He's repeatedly sent stuff to this site over the years and I've tried to include it where possible. Didn't mean I agreed, didn't mean I disagreed.

But we're done.

I knew of him through members of Congress -- including John Conyers.

He keeps sending garbage and doesn't seem to realize that it's not being missed in the inbox. That can happen. That's not what's happening with him.

I don't care that he wants to impeach Joe Biden.

That is his 'new' and 'productive' effort.

Joe Biden steps down in January, it's almost Thanksgiving, buy a damn clue, read the room. Francis is a damn loser. Maybe he always was, maybe he just became it.

But not only do I not have time for that garbage nonsense, I also don't have time for Alex Jones. Is this the first time his name has appeared here in our two decades? Ava and I covered his nonsense for a media piece at THIRD.

But Francis has sat down with Alex Jones and done a great interview on impeaching Joe Biden and . . .

And shut the hell up.

Seriously, you embarrass yourself. You shame yourself.

I am appalled that no one calls out John Stauber. But when I saw all the e-mails of Francis trying to promote himself and Alex Jones, my first response was to just ignore it. So maybe that's why some on the left who were so cozy with John Stauber have refused to call him out for the hate merchant he's become? I don't know but I'm not playing that game.

Francis A. Boyle is nuts and has no place on the left. He can join the other grifters like Glynneth Greenwald and Fatt Taibbi in promoting and defending Alex Jones.

We won't miss him. If you're looking what's going on in this country right now and your 'answer' is to impeach Joe Biden? You're beyond insane.

People are living in fear of what's coming.

And your answer is to defocus with a bunch of nonsense while you play footise with Alex Jones?

You're a disgrace and a good reason why our country is at the point it is right now and why so many Americans rightfully are worried about what's coming after the January inauguration.

Senator Elizabeth Warren issued the following:

Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to the news that President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. poses a danger to public health, scientific research, medicine, and health care coverage for millions of Americans. RFK Jr. wants to stop parents from protecting their babies from measles and his ideas would welcome the return of polio. He has spread conspiracy theories on everything from COVID to mass shootings. I will have a lot of questions about Mr. Kennedy’s fitness to serve as health secretary when he appears before the Finance Committee.”

###

Senator Ron Wyden issued the following:

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on Donald Trump picking Chris Wright to be nominated for Department of Energy secretary and Doug Burgum to be nominated for Department of Interior secretary.

“It’s sadly not the least bit surprising that Trump’s picks to do his bidding at the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior have long track records cheerleading for Big Oil, corporate America, and the ultra-wealthy gas executives plotting to fill their already over-stuffed pocketbooks,” Wyden said. “These nominees were selected with the goal of taking our country back in time and rolling back climate progress. American workers and families will pay a steep price as Trump's agenda destroys jobs and shuts down renewable energy projects all over the country that Americans overwhelmingly support.

“But make no mistake: as a senior member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will watchdog the Trump administration’s every move. Oregonians voted for elected officials who will stand up to Trump’s climate denying policies and keep fighting to protect our state’s beloved public lands from being pillaged for profit. That’s exactly what I’ll do–all while keeping a spotlight on the urgent need for climate action so all Oregonians have a bright and better future.”

###

Senator Richard Blumenthal issued the following:

[HARTFORD, CT] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and all Senate Judiciary Democrats in a letter to the House Ethics Committee urging the House Ethics Committee to preserve and transmit to the Senate Judiciary Committee all relevant documentation on former Congressman Matt Gaetz, including the report that the House Ethics Committee was reportedly prepared to vote to release tomorrow. The letter follows Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from Congress yesterday after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Mr. Gaetz to serve as Attorney General.

The Senators wrote, “The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings. We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people, given that it is directly relevant to the question of whether Mr. Gaetz is qualified and fit to be the next Attorney General of the United States.”

The Senators continued, “The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees, and it is crucial that we review all of the information necessary to fulfill this duty as we consider Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. We thus request that you immediately provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee your Committee’s report and all documentation related to your investigation into Mr. Gaetz’s alleged misconduct. The Senate Judiciary Committee will accept this information in any format that accords with your Committee’s rules, but please include all underlying source materials on which you relied, including interviews and contact information for any of these sources.”

In April 2021, the House Ethics Committee announced that the Committee was “aware of public allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct,” and as a result, the Committee had “begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations.”

In June 2024, the House Ethics Committee issued a statement noting that the Committee had “determined that certain of the allegations merit continued review” and that “the Committee has also identified additional allegations that merit review,” including allegations pursuant to Committee Rules 14(a)(3) and 18(a) that Representative Gaetz may have: engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”

There is substantial precedent for the release of such materials in both chambers of Congress. In 1987, the House Ethics Committee released a preliminary report about former Rep. Bill Boner after he left Congress, stating: “In the Committee’s view, the general policy against issuing reports in cases such as here involved is outweighed by the responsibility of the Committee to fully inform the public regarding the status and results of its efforts up to the date of Representative Boner’s departure from Congress.” Similarly, in 2011, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics released its preliminary report on former Senator John Ensign after he resigned from Congress. The House Ethics Committee has also continued investigations after Members have left Congress, such as in 2010 when it twice reauthorized its investigation into former Rep. Eric Massa after his departure.

Along with Blumenthal, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA).

Full text of today’s letter is available here and below:

November 14, 2024

Dear Chairman Guest and Ranking Member Wild:

In light of President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of his intent to nominate former Congressman Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General, we request that the House Committee on Ethics immediately preserve and transmit to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary all relevant documentation on Mr. Gaetz, including the report that your Committee was reportedly prepared to vote to release tomorrow.

In April 2021, you announced that the Committee was “aware of public allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct,” and as a result, the Committee had “begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations.”

In June 2024, the Committee issued a statement noting that the Committee had “determined that certain of the allegations merit continued review” and that “the Committee has also identified additional allegations that merit review,” including “allegations pursuant to Committee Rules 14(a)(3) and 18(a) that Representative Gaetz may have: engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”

The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings. We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people, given that it is directly relevant to the question of whether Mr. Gaetz is qualified and fit to be the next Attorney General of the United States.

The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees, and it is crucial that we review all of the information necessary to fulfill this duty as we consider Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. We thus request that you immediately provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee your Committee’s report and all documentation related to your investigation into Mr. Gaetz’s alleged misconduct. The Senate Judiciary Committee will accept this information in any format that accords with your Committee’s rules, but please include all underlying source materials on which you relied, including interviews and contact information for any of these sources.

Thank you for your time and prompt consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,

US House Rep Joaquin Castro's released this:

WASHINGTON — Today, Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the release of a new report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) that examines the role of U.S. firearms in Caribbean arms trafficking. The report found that nearly three-quarters of firearms recovered from the Caribbean and traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) could be sourced back to the United States, with many originating from U.S. retail sales.

A bicameral group of top Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Judiciary Democrats joined Castro, Meeks, and Durbin in releasing this report, including Reps. Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Lou Correa (CA-46), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement, Dan Goldman (NY-10), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus.

Key findings in today’s report include:

73% of firearms recovered from 25 Caribbean countries and tracked by ATF’s eTrace system between 2018 - 2022 could be sourced to the United States. Among these firearms, 45 percent could be sourced back to an initial retail purchase in the United States, with most sales originating in Florida, Texas, and Georgia.

Handguns represented the majority (88 percent) of firearms recovered and traced from the Caribbean. During the study period from 2018 to 2022, the number of long guns submitted for tracing across the Caribbean nearly tripled from five percent to fifteen percent of all weapons examined.

A full copy of the report can be found here.

“The most effective way to address violence and instability in the Caribbean is to prevent U.S. guns from falling into the hands of criminals,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “During my time on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I’ve met with dozens of leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean who plead with the United States to stop the gun trafficking that is wreaking havoc on their countries. Today’s report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office demonstrates how criminal organizations across the Caribbean source their weapons from the United States in a deadly trade that has contributed to the collapse of Haitian society and devastating loss of life across the region. The Biden-Harris administration has taken important steps to curb gun trafficking, including through strict enforcement of penalties in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the subsequent establishment of a Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions at the Department of Justice. To continue this progress, Congress must pass my Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, which mobilizes resources across the federal government to disrupt firearms trafficking from the United States. No approach to the challenges facing our hemisphere can be complete without a comprehensive strategy to end gun trafficking. I hope the next administration will treat this issue with the gravity it deserves.”

“Leaders across the Caribbean have long called on the United States to address the pernicious effects of arms trafficking from our shores to their countries. These weapons destabilize communities and compound the challenges faced by our Caribbean neighbors, enabling gangs and transnational criminal networks to perpetrate crime that undermines U.S. national security and regional stability. We must invest in efforts to stem the flow of illicit weapons from our shores to the Caribbean. Doing so will protect communities in the United States, Caribbean and wider Western Hemisphere,” said Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks.

“Enabled by the NRA and Republican extremists, our country’s lax gun laws have created a vicious cycle of firearms trafficking to international drug cartels and criminal organizations, recklessly destabilizing countries throughout the region. Today’s report demonstrates the severity of this phenomenon, which unleashes violence, drug trading, and chaos in its wake. We need to stem the ‘iron river’ of firearms trafficking and pass additional commonsense gun safety legislation. I stand ready to do so with any of my colleagues ready to fight this fight,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“As this report shows, the overwhelming majority of guns recovered in the Caribbean were trafficked from the United States. We need to ensure that guns from the U.S. are not getting in the hands of the cartels and criminal organizations. Our homeland security depends on it,” said Congressman Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee.

“As this nonpartisan report highlights, nearly three-quarters of firearms recovered in the Caribbean can be traced back to the United States, underscoring the urgent need for stronger action to combat arms trafficking. We must strengthen screening and enforcement at our ports and hold bad actors accountable for smuggling firearms into the region. That’s why I introduced the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causing Harm (CATCH) Act — to build on the progress we made with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by specifically targeting illegal gun exports to the Caribbean. Together, these efforts will help curb the flow of deadly weapons, reduce violence, and enhance security for our neighbors and ourselves,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus.

“Illicit firearms trafficking from the U.S. is fueling violence in Caribbean countries including Haiti, destabilizing the region and causing a growing number of people to flee their home countries for their safety,” said Congressman Seth Magaziner, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence. “We need double down on efforts that will crack down on illicit firearms trafficking and stop cartels from spreading violence using U.S. weapons.”

"American firearms traffickers aren’t just fueling a gun violence epidemic here at home, they’re also arming cartels abroad and contributing to the drug and human trafficking operations at the border, including the fentanyl crisis,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “The GAO's startling report drives home the urgent need to crack down on the trafficking of American firearms abroad. Congress must pass legislation like Congressman Castro's ARMAS Act and my Disarming Cartels Act – to keep these American manufacturers from fueling the crisis at the border.”

Background

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Caribbean countries accounted for six of the world’s 10 highest national murder rates in 2021, with the majority of homicides stemming from gun violence. Data from the Small Arms Survey indicates that legal civilian firearm ownership rates in the Caribbean are relatively low, with gun laws and regulations that are restrictive by global standards. Nevertheless, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has reported a significant increase in the quantity, caliber, and type of firearms illegally trafficked from the U.S. to the Caribbean. Particularly in Haiti, the flow of illicit firearms from the United States has facilitated the growth of violent gangs and contributed to increasing displacement and U.S.-bound emigration.

In 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which created new federal criminal offenses for firearms trafficking. More than 500 defendants have been charged to date under these new provisions. In 2023, the Department of Justice appointed a Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions to elevate regional firearms trafficking investigations and prosecutions. In today’s report, GAO recommended that the State Department additionally establish indicators specific to firearms trafficking in the Results Framework for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a longstanding security cooperation partnership between the United States and thirteen Caribbean countries. The State Department has concurred with GAO’s recommendation.

But we've got nut jobs like Boyle taking up oxygen with nonsense about impeaching Joe?

The left is never wrong to promote the expansion of civil rights and liberties and that battle does not hurt election results. What does hurt is nut jobs and not calling them out to make clear that we do not stand with them.

The following sites updated:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Only tin foil hat wearing Lisa Pease is impressed with Junior

Robert F. Kennedy was a great man. His son Junior is just an overgrown boy. An embarrassment. A joke. The biggest disappointment anyone could ever imagine. Grace Harrington (THE DAILY BEAST) notes:

Democratic-leaning healthcare groups discussed strategy for stopping Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Health and Human Services secretary, Politico reported Monday. “We’re nowhere near conceding he’s going to be the next HHS secretary,” said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care. On a call with over 200 people from dozens of healthcare organizations, Protect Our Care launched the “Stop RFK War Room,” which aims to convince moderate Republicans to block Kennedy’s confirmation.

Our health system is about to crumble and, sorry, I'm not nutty Lisa Pease who has wasted her entire life on Kennedy assassination research. I care about our healthcare. But crazies like Lisa are thrilled that the unqualified Junior plans to wreck our health system. Northwestern University's Seema K. Shah actually has an education and, at THE HILL, she writes:

In other words, Kennedy is prepared to gut the National Institutes of Health, which is the largest funder of health research in the world, by immediately replacing experienced and qualified workers with his own people.

There was a time when advances in health were seen as optional. In 1969, the philosopher Hans Jonas argued that society did not need research on many health conditions. Jonas felt that if research stopped on “cancer, heart disease, and other organic, noncontagious ills, especially those tending to strike the old more than the young … society can go on flourishing in every way.” Kennedy seems to want to return to an era when health research was not a high priority.

This kind of thinking ignores the fact that NIH has fostered countless technological advances in health. Based in no small part on research funded by the NIH, advances in cancer treatment have prevented 3.8 million deaths since 1991. For anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis, lost someone they love to cancer or, increasingly, for those who are grateful to see a loved one survive a diagnosis that once meant certain death, it is clear we cannot afford to turn back the clock.

NIH has proven to be a good investment from an economic perspective as well. The money it used to fund research generated over $95 billion in economic growth in 2022. New treatments for addiction that NIH has helped move into the real world saved lives, and have potential returns of $58 for every dollar spent.

The NIH employees Kennedy would terminate have a wealth of knowledge about how to support valuable research. Why would the next administration would simply toss this value to the curb?

Kennedy has also said that he wants to defund work on infectious diseases to free up more money for chronic diseases. While the COVID-19 pandemic fostered deep political divisions, it is beyond dispute that more than 1 million people have died from the disease in the U.S. Remarkably, an estimated 140,000 American lives were saved by the vaccines that the Trump administration invested in and brought to the public in record time.

Again, only a dumb groupie like Lisa Pease -- who wasted her life on 'research' -- would be impressed with Junior. AP notes:

Asked in Geneva on Friday about the nomination of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters it’s up to member countries — the U.S. is one of the biggest funders and sources of technical support to the U.N. agency — to decide who they appoint.

She also said vaccines were “absolutely critical” to good health outcomes.

Educated people know better. Jocelyn Kaiser and Meredith Wadman (SCIENCE) write:

Trump said days before he won the election that he would let Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, “go wild” on health, food, and medicines. But until now, it was unclear whether Kennedy would have an official position in the new administration. Transition co-chair Howard Lutnick even stated bluntly last month that Kennedy would not be HHS secretary.

Lutnick has been overruled. “I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump wrote in his announcement on Truth Social. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”

Since his star began to rise with Trump, after he dropped out of the presidential race in August and threw his support to the Republican, Kennedy has made a succession of pronouncements about his plans. He’s said he wants to see the end of fluoridation of water—a state and local prerogative—and to review all vaccine safety data with a view to the market removal of those he finds unsafe—both prospects that Trump on 3 November said he was open to. (Vaccines pass vigorous safety and efficacy reviews by panels of experts at FDA before they are approved for market. Scientific advisers to CDC then review data before recommending who should receive them.)

Kennedy’s views on vaccines concern current CDC Director Mandy Cohen: “I don’t want to go backwards and see children or adults suffer or lose their lives to remind us that vaccines work,” she said in an email to Science today.

Junior's disgusting. We get, right, that the only woman he's ever fooled is Cheryl Hines? We also get how disgusting Hines is, right? Lookit, she married him after his wife committed suicide when she learned of his vast cheating. Cheryl Hines is no innocent. She is his partner in crime.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Tuesday, November 18, 2024. The exodus from Twitter continues, the silence on Black women also continues, Hegseth is not qualified for the role of Secretary of Defense, and much more.

You ready to get off Elon Musk's plantation?

. Elon Musk was born and grew up in South Africa and he loved it. Until apartheid began to crumble. The thought of Black people having the same rights as he did caused him to flee South Africa. The racism is ingrained in him and that's the only 'free speech' that he ever tolerates.

THE GUARDIAN, The Free Press, Gabrielle Union, Jamie Lee Curtis and so many others are doing the right thing and leaving the racist's social media. He's lost money on Twitter but that doesn't matter to him because he has influence as long as he owns it -- if it remains popular. If we leave it, it's over. It's nothing but a nest of racists, sexists and homophobes and then it has no cachet and popularity.

Over on Blue Sky . . .

"I-I-I-I-I-I Ain't Gonna Tweet on TWITTER (Ava and C.I.)" -- let's all say goodbye to X and to Twitter and to racists who actively work to destroy our lives.

Let me note one more to join Bluesky.

I called Alyssa out two weeks ago for not being on BlueSky. Now the reason most give me is that they're afraid they'll lose their following. Most of the people refusing to budge -- racist Katrina vanden Heuvel of THE NATION, for example, don't have a following. Alyssa built up her TWITTER following and has huge numbers. Knowing Alyssa, I doubt she's stopped Tweeting but at least she's also gone to BLUESKY. And I will say thank you and I will applaud.

Or I will applaud those of you going to BlueSky.

If, on the left, we can't even do that -- and do it to oppose racism, sexism and homophobia -- it says a great deal about our lack of priorities.

Run X into the ground and Elon Musk is just another ugly man with ass hair implanted on his scalps and jowls.

Now let's note this from Reshonda Tate on THE DEFENDER NETWORK.

Community member Keesha weighed in on that video above noting that this is the big story of the post-election period "but no Democracy Now segment, nothing on The Majority Report or at The Progressive or In These Times or The Nation. The same outlets that ignored us in the lead up to the election are ignoring Black women after the election. I guess they couldn't do all their lying if they had to listen to Black women. So they just ignore us instead. I'm registering and I doubt I'm the only one who is."

It is very hard to ignore the silencing that's taking place.

An e-mail to the public account (common_ills@yahoo.com) is from a woman asking how long she should sit it out? You'll know when -- and if -- you're ready to take part again. Some will need longer to take care of themselves and to heal. Some will never come back (and I don't blame you if that's what you need to do).

This is a very important time and you need to take care of you because the 'left' has demonstrated that they won't -- not just before the election but also, as Keesha points out, after as well.

Don't let them steal your joy -- we've all heard it.

But damned if they didn't try, right?

Kamala was the first Black woman to run for the presidency on a major ticket. And to even be joyful about that brought attacks from others. Brought nonsense about Gaza.

Most political nominees aren't tasked with solving the world's problems before they're even elected president. Not so with Kamala. She had to solve everything and please everyone and do so before she was in the Oval Office.

Yeah, let's pretend like she was being judged by the same standard. That's what so many on the left who helped derail her campaign want us to believe.

We're not that stupid.

We grasp that every column attacking her, every segment attacking her, every speech attacking her was devaluing her -- intentionally devaluing her.

And they try to act like she's the failure.

My state's still got 6% of the vote to count but per the official results nationwide right now, Kamala got 48.3% to Trump's 50%.

That's a less than 2% difference. For a candidate who had to hit the ground running in August.

But don't the White men like Seth Prissy Moulton want to attack. Hey, Seth, unlike you, she had a general election opponent. You didn't. So you should have gotten 100% of the vote -- running uncontested. But you didn't, did you?

So maybe you're the last White windbag that needs to be speaking right now and maybe people need to grasp that when you speak -- running unopposed, he couldn't even get 100% of the vote this time.

Let's note Satanic Trump's unqualified nominees. Pete Hegseth is not qualified to be the secretary of any department. You didn't have to go left to find a qualified candidate. There are people serving in leadership of the military that could have been elevated. There are people in the Senate who are Republicans who would be qualified -- Joni Ernst, Mike Rounds, Roger Wicker, Bill Cassidy, etc.

They have the knowledge base. Hegseth doesn't have the knowledge base or the experience. What he does have is a sad and drunken assault. It was seven years ago. It is not the distant past. He was 37 years old. David Kurtz (TPM) notes:

More details emerged over the weekend about the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of defense.

The WaPo was first with extensive new information about the circumstance of the alleged sexual assault, based on (i) a memo it obtained that was provided to the Trump transition team late Wednesday by a friend of the victim; and (ii) a statement from Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore.

The woman later reported the alleged assault to police, but no charges were ever filed:

According to the police statement, the complaint was filed four days after the encounter, and the complainant had bruises to her thigh. The police report itself was not released.

Hegseth settled the woman’s claim for an undisclosed amount, and she signed a nondisclosure agreement.

Trump is standing by Hegseth in the face of the undisclosed settlement of the sexual assault claim.

That's reason enough not to confirm him.

But he's also not qualified for the job.

He shouldn't be confirmed. He shouldn't even be nominated. He's not fit to oversee the Pentagon -- he does not have the background. If the nomination was to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I'd have a few problems -- mainly around the issues of female veterans. And I would also question his ability to oversee any department because he just doesn't have that experience -- not in his military service and not in his civilian experience.

This is a huge department that is taxed with many, many duties including ensuring the US military is prepared.

What in Hegseth's past experience argues that he knows a thing about hiring or recruiting, for example?

The last Senate hearing on military readiness was eleven months ago.

At that hearing, US Army Maj Gen Johnny Davis spoke on a number of topics including the statements below:

Today's youth are far more likely to pursue education beyond high school. Currently,

high school seniors and recent graduates account for more than 50% of our annual

contracts. However, they only represent 15-20% of the labor market. We will transform

our prospecting to expand into a greater representation of the labor market and enter

the larger prospect pool. In addition to the high school market, we will target those with

more than a high school diploma, this includes a college degree, some college, or a

technical certification. By FY 2028, it is our goal for one third of new recruits to have

more than a high school diploma. We are growing our analytical capability to incentivize and position our recruiting force, tailor marketing based on segmentation, and place our recruiters in the right place with the right training, products, and tools. Our quarterly Industry Engagement Program allows us to identify new tools to improve operations across the enterprise.

As we transform how the Army prospects for talent, we will continue to innovate and

leverage data analytics, artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to quickly

identify the right talent and provide tailored messaging to potential talent. We are

expanding our presence on both social media and digital job boards to communicate the

Army's Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Expanding our market is critical to

accomplishing the mission today and in the future.

What does Hegseth know about hiring practices, recruitment and retention? Nothing. Can he address, off the top of his head, the issue of evidence-based learning capability? Does he know what a command wide retention surge is? If so, does he approve or does he think it's a waste of time. Each of the four branches needs to be adequately staffed (the Air Force didn't make the goal in 2023). How does Hegseth plan to address this. Does he have an overall plan or is he going to propose piece meal strategies?

He wants this office why? How does he see himself delivering in this office?

Where does he stand on waivers?

Due to his plethora of body markings, I'd assume he is okay with tattoos. But what about age restrictions -- what his top end for someone serving in combat? On drug tests, what's his wait window on retesting -- 60 days, 90 days, less, more? And why? Drug testing does include testing for alcohol.

ESaR has been a semi-successful recruiting tool for the Navy (Every Sailor a Recruiter). Is that a policy Hegseth agrees with? Why or why not?

The Navy's "Make Your Name" series has been successful in recruiting -- noting women's roles and experiences serving in the Navy. It's a fairly inexpensive recruiting tool and it has been successful. Does he endorse this recruiting tool? If not, why not? If not, is it because he has a limited view of what women can do in the military?

Grasp that -- without him -- women have been moving up in the ranks in the military. Are these women going to hit a glass ceiling if he becomes the Secretary? How is he planning to address these issues? How is going to maintain the US military's competitive edge?

Guess what, those are very basic questions about basic duties and that's before we get beyond workforce issues. I see nothing in his background that demonstrates experience with those type of issues.

Again, we still haven't gotten to other issues that include oversight, combat, military exercises and partnering with the VA to improve the transition from veteran to soldier. On that last one? I don't think he has expertise but I think his experience -- personal -- could compensate for the lack of expertise. I do not feel that way about any other responsibility that he would be tasked with should he become the Secretary of Defense.

The US Army is supposed to be refocusing with an emphasis on LSCO (Large-Scale Combat Operations). That is one of the defined 2025 goals. Hegseth will pursue that how?

These are not minor details. And you can't learn it on the job, not as Secretary of Defense. That means being over the defense of this country so Americans are entitled to expect someone in that role to have actual experience.

Hegseth has none.

Again, this isn't a right-or-left issue. There are Republicans who are qualified for this post. Hegseth is not one of them. Any sitting senator on the Armed Services Committee is qualified for the post.

They would know the issues needing to be addressed before they were even sworn into office.

Hegseth doesn't know the issues, he's never overseen any workforce -- let alone a workforce as large as the Defense Dept -- and he would put military readiness at risk as the whole world had to wait for him to learn on the job and familiarize himself with tasks and concepts that he's honestly not suited for.

The following sites updated: