Ex-RNC chair Steele ‘exasperated’ by ‘dumba–‘ Trump supporters who refuse to wear masks

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele said Wednesday he’s “exhausted” and “exasperated” by what he described as “dumbass” Trump supporters who refuse to wear masks.

“I’ve talked to enough of them over the last few days,” Steele said on MSNBC. “I’m exhausted, I’m exasperated. You know, at this point it’s like, save who you can save because there’s only so much you can do.”

“The fact that we have to literally beg people to wear a mask to save their own dumb ass from getting sick — I’m sorry, to me, it is beyond the imagination,” added Steele, who was RNC chairman from 2009-2011. Continue reading.

Justice Ginsburg’s Judicial Legacy of Striking Dissents

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She was part of the Supreme Court’s 4-member liberal wing throughout her 27-year tenure and led it in her last decade.

WASHINGTON — There was a framed copy of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 on the wall of the chambers of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday. She counted the law among her proudest achievements, even as it illustrated her limited power. As part of the Supreme Court’s four-member liberal wing, she did her most memorable work in dissent.

The law was a reaction to her minority opinion in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the 2007 ruling that said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 imposed strict time limits for bringing workplace discrimination suits. She called on Congress to overturn the decision, and it did.

On the court, however, her notable victories were few. As she put it in a 2013 interview in her chambers, she was fully engaged in her work as the leader of the liberal opposition on what she called “one of the most activist courts in history.” Continue reading.

DeJoy’s Postal Service policies delayed 7 percent of nation’s first-class mail, Senate Democrat’s report says

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The postmaster general suspended some cost-cutting maneuvers but not the moves experts say are behind the worst problems

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s controversial midsummer operational directives delayed nearly 350 million pieces, or 7 percent, of the country’s first-class mail in the five weeks they were in effect, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Senate’s top Democrat in charge of postal oversight.

A month after taking charge of the U.S. Postal Service, DeJoy implemented stricter dispatch schedules on transport trucks that forced workers to leave mail behind and prohibited extra mail trips, leading to well-documented bottlenecks. Managers under him also cracked down on overtime, which postal workers commonly rely on to complete routes, though DeJoy has denied having a role in those cutbacks.

The report portrays an agency whose leadership was barely prepared to implement the new policies, did not anticipate the upheaval they might cause and is still trying to find its balance as the November election draws near and millions of people continue to experience longer wait times for their mail and packages. Continue reading.

Trump, McConnell to move fast to replace Ginsburg

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President Trump will move within days to nominate his third Supreme Court justice in just three-plus short years — and shape the court for literally decades to come, top Republican sources tell Axios. 

Driving the news: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are ready to move to confirm Trump’s nominee before Election Day, just 46 days away, setting up one of the most consequential periods of our lifetimes, the sources say.

What they’re saying: “In the last midterm election before Justice Scalia’s death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president’s second term. We kept our promise. Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president’s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year,” McConnell said in a statement. Continue reading.

Trump undercuts GOP, calls for bigger COVID-19 relief package

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President Trump on Wednesday shook up the high-stakes debate over coronavirus relief, undercutting the Republicans’ long-held position by urging GOP leaders to go big.  

Senate Republicans had initially offered a $1.1 trillion emergency aid package, but subsequently voted on a proposal providing just $650 billion — only $350 billion of it in new funding. 

Democrats have howled at the GOP’s “emaciated” offer, arguing that it falls far short of the funding needed to address the dual health and economic crises caused by the deadly coronavirus.  Continue reading.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87, the Supreme Court announced Friday evening.

The big picture: Ginsburg had suffered from serious health issues over the past few years. As an attorney and then as a justice Ginsburg cemented a legacy as one of the foremost champions of women’s rights, raising gender equality to a constitutional issue. Her death sets up a fight over filling a Supreme Court seat with less than 50 days until the election. 

  • Just days before her death, Ginsburg dictated this statement to her granddaughter: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,” according to NPR. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Weekly Update

Friday, September 18, 2020

This week …

Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan continued their Statewide Safe Learning Tour, visiting schools in Albert Lea, Byron, and St. Louis Park. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are kicking off the start of the 2020-21 school year by visiting students and educators both in-person and virtually across the state. 

Governor Walz Authorizes Minnesota Support for Oregon Fire Response

Monday, Governor Walz announced 29 Minnesota firefighters and nine fire trucks will travel to Salem, Oregon on Tuesday morning to help protect structures threatened by wildfires across the state. The authorization follows a request from Oregon officials through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). “The Minnesota fire service is known for stepping up in critical situations, putting their lives on the line to save others. I am proud of the way they’ve answered this call to serve. My thoughts are with the residents of Oregon, California, and Washington during this harrowing time,’ said Governor Walz.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Weekly Update”

CDC director says coronavirus vaccines won’t be widely available till the middle of next year

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The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted Wednesday that most of the American public will not have access to a vaccine against the novel coronavirus until late spring or summer of next year — prompting a public rebuke from President Trump, who declared the CDC chief was wrong.

At a Senate hearing on the government’s response to the pandemic, CDC Director Robert Redfield adhered to Trump’s oft-stated contention that a safe and effective vaccine will become available in November or December — perhaps just before the presidential election seven weeks away.

But Redfield said the vaccine will be provided first to people most vulnerable to covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and supplies will increase over time, with Americans who are considered at lower risk offered the shot more gradually. For it to be “fully available to the American public, so we begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life,” he said, “I think we are probably looking at late second quarter, third quarter 2021.” Continue reading.

GOP votes to authorize subpoenas, depositions in Obama-era probe

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Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday to greenlight subpoenas and depositions as part of an investigation into the FBI’s Russia probe and the Obama administration. 

The 8-6 vote along party lines authorizes Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the chairman of the committee, to issue a combination of subpoenas and set up closed-door depositions with approximately 40 individuals. 

The vote comes less than two months before the November elections, injecting fresh acrimony into the Wednesday committee meeting where Johnson accused Democrats of a “coordinated smear” against his probes. Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.), the top Democrat on the panel, accused Republicans of a “partisan fishing expedition.”  Continue reading.

DFL Coordinated Campaign Launches Massive Early Voting Push Across Minnesota

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – To ensure every Minnesota voter has the freedom to cast their ballot early, the Minnesota DFL Party, DFL candidates, and the DFL Coordinated Campaign are kicking off a massive early voting push, with numerous voter outreach events scheduled across Minnesota.

“The DFL Party and our allies are pulling out all the stops to spread the word about the start of early voting in Minnesota,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. “To engage as many voters as possible, we’re mobilizing the thousands of volunteers across Minnesota that make up our robust grassroots campaign. In just a few short months, we’ve made over 2.5 million calls and sent over 1 million text messages to Minnesota voters. Our Party is committed to turning out every last DFL voter in the state to elect leaders who will get this pandemic under control and build our economy back better.”

The DFL Party and its allies are holding events throughout the state, both virtual and outdoors with both masks and social distancing. Below is a non-comprehensive list of campaign events taking place over the next several days:

Continue reading “DFL Coordinated Campaign Launches Massive Early Voting Push Across Minnesota”