With Mary Angela. Better Politics. Better Living. Wellness.
Lush Left heartland correspondent Laura Belin of Bleeding Heartland writing on an issue near and dear to my heart puppy mills. As a dog lover and rescue dog enthusiast I find the brutality of puppy mills deeply heart breaking and an important political issue for Democrats.
Iowa remains one of worst states for puppy mills
— Read on www.bleedingheartland.com/2018/05/18/iowa-remains-one-of-worst-states-for-puppy-mills/
Groups sue to block abortion ban; Iowa AG won’t defend law (updated)
Groups sue to block abortion ban; Iowa AG won’t defend law (updated)
— Read on www.bleedingheartland.com/2018/05/15/groups-sue-to-block-abortion-ban-iowa-ag-wont-defend-law/
This playlist has some of our interviews with the smartest political thinkers in the country working in politics and policy. Interviews include Matt Breunig, Matt Stoller, Michelle Diggles, Laura Belin, Alex Lawson, Corey Pein, Jonathan Smucker, Gaius Publius, Dr. Jim Zogby, and
Progressive policies only get enacted if we have progressive candidates win, getting the most progressive candidates elected in primaries helps make that happen. Here is a playlist of interviews with great progressive Democratic candidates running across the country. Listen to what they have to say and you’ll feel a little more hopeful about politics in America. Kaniela Ing, Laura Moser, DuWayne Gregory, Dan Canon, Jenny Marshall, Rico Franco, Derrick Crowe, Austin Frerick and more.
They need your help give to their campaigns!
Have you seen Cynthia Nixon’s campaign advertisement announcing her run for Governor of New York? If somehow you missed it, here it is:
How
It’s amazing to me that I had not only an apartment in the Village ALONE for $825/month, I also had a loft overlooking the East River in Brooklyn for just over $1200/month. As I put my daughter in the NYC public school system, the gratitude I always felt for the dedication of the teachers, the special needs department, well, to say they are doing the Lord’s work, is an understatement. I also, along with thousands of parents fought charters like Success Academy in their quest to try and take over public schools.
The city I love, the mom and pop stores, too many replaced. Chain stores everywhere. The charter industry growing. It’s heartbreaking.
When I saw that ad, I was excited. I saw a celebrity I liked talking about issues that resonated with me in a personal way. That made me have a better understanding of why many were excited about a possible Oprah run. As I previously outlined in my piece for Washington Babylon, Oprah has deep ties to the charter school industry, That is just one of many problematic issues with her positions, and the history of her show. In contrast, Nixon has a clear vision and advocacy for public schools and public school teachers. Now as a Democrat, I always thought that was our stance. I saw many of my fellow Democrats, many of which claim to be progressive, embrace Oprah and now are dismissing Cynthia Nixon.
And no one questions this.
As Democrats or left-leaning voters, we have to start asking ourselves an important question every day. And the question is this: we all know that public education is the great equalizer. Obama made a huge mistake by embracing, and taking campaign cash from entities like Democrats For Education Reform. Some centrists Democrats like Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand vying for a possible 2020 presidential run are clearly moving left on issues like Medicare For All and that’s a great start. Unapologetic support for public schools, public school teachers, and public school children MUST be a bare minimum for running as a Democrat. Why should we settle for less?
Thank you, Cynthia Nixon.
Wanted to give a little plug for the other show I produce The Michael Brooks Show that airs on the Majority Report w/Sam Seder network every Tuesday at 7PM. Really excited about tonight's show and I recommend you check it out. Here's a rundown and background on some of the topics to be covered on tonight's show.
Activist and writer Natalie Shure will be talking about #MedicareForAll and the Democrats. In addition to being a great writer she is a story producer for Adam Ruins Everything on TruTV and contributes to the new hilarious sketch show Happy Endings with Nando Vila.
Here's a hilarious clip from Happy Endings that sums up some of the problems corporate Dems like Joe Kennedy have with Medicare for All.
"Joe Kennedy III's Commitment to Health Care and His Campaign Donors"
Nomiki Konst of The Young Turks and the Democratic Unity Reform Commission on the lessons the Democrats can learn from Labour's People's Momentum.
What is People's Momentum?
Momentum is a grassroots campaigning network of over 31,000 members, 200,000 supporters and 170 local groups that evolved out of Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 election campaign. Momentum is mobilising the mass campaigning movement that we need to get Labour into government.
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Essentially People's Momentum is doing much of what organizations like Our Revolution are doing in the US. They are trying to push progressive left policies in the party, push candidates who support those policies and keep party leaders accountable to people not corporate interests.
There is a lot to learn from their tactics given they are dramatically changing the political landscape in the UK. Tune in to the episode to learn more about how that can be done in the United States.
Here is Nomiki's fantastic interview with Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn on TYT Politics:
Nomiki was also a Bernie Sander's appointee to the Democratic Unity Reform Commission where she made waves with her famous take down the failure of the Democrats to present a budget and keep account of their spending on expensive lobbyists:
To learn more about what the Democratic Unity Reform Commission accomplished and to tell the DNC to adopt all the reforms click the button below!
For tonight's shout out segment Michael will be showing his respect for the West Virginia's Teacher's Strike. Here's a good background on the strike from Democracy Now! Featured in this video is past guest Mike Elk of Payday Report.
For the opining commentary Michael will be covering North Korea, imperialism and the nuclear negotiations it's going to be a great show!
Tonight @tmbsfm w/ @_michaelbrooks! We have @nataliesurely on #MedicareForAll & @TheDemocrats, @NomikiKonst on lessons Dems can learn from @PeoplesMomentum, 2020 & the future of the Dems. Shout out to #55Strong! DPRK, imperialism & negotiations. https://t.co/MkR0y4XIIX pic.twitter.com/10LMs29QrC
— David Slavick (@davidslavick) March 6, 2018
This a tale of Russian shenanigans and mental munchkins. Both probably failed but stole our attentions.
As the Tracksuit 13 played patriot games the Queen’s loyal knight Sir Philippe Reines lost his brains, embracing Neocons because his campaign was lame!
“It can’t be me you see, must be Russia, must be Bernie!”
Sure Russians creeped but the campaign was asleep,
Spending a billion but running field on the cheap!
Our once bright knight had gone dull and full of dread. He and his friends had said “Let’s kill dastardly Bernie dead!
Geniuses they were not and finally they got caught, everyone saw the Clinton Jobs Program was all for naught!
Here’s the good news, the world ensues despite Hillary Men Peter Daou and Tom Watson’s constant boos!
Bernie might have won, maybe he would have not
But he changed the conversation, filling our head with thoughts!
Medicare for all, ending corporate welfare, even Kirsten and Corey now give a care!
So stop Putin your foot in your mouth because real Democrats are back and we are cleaning up our house!
I have had family members and friends who are alcoholics my entire life. I am no stranger to Al-Anon. 12-Steps in program have saved me more times than I can count. I have said many times that the 12 steps can be applied to anything. Well, I didn’t say this, it’s what you learn by regularly going to the rooms. The gun violence in our schools rests fully at the feet of the GOP in America. They need to undergo a massive moral inventory.
Just seven weeks into 2018, there have been eight shootings at US schools that have resulted in injury or death.
How many US school shootings have there been in 2018 so far?, The Guardian, Lois Beckett
Yes, that's more than one school shooting a week THIS YEAR.
“At least 17 people were killed when a teen opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Fourteen others were wounded, five of whom suffering life-threatening injuries, hospital officials said. Authorities said the suspect, identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, concealed himself in the crowd fleeing Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He was arrested in nearby Coral Springs and later charged with 17 counts of murder.
17 killed in mass shooting at high school in Parkland, Florida., NBC News, Elizabeth Chuck, Alex Johnson, Corky Siemazcko
"You come to the conclusion this is just absolutely pure evil," said Florida Gov. Rick Scott, his hands clutched over his chest.
Scott, a Republican whom the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund gave an "A+" rating, didn't address reporters' questions about how the gunman was able to obtain a semiautomatic rifle.”
Well, rest easy, folks. Rick Scott thinks the shooter is evil and sends his thoughts and prayers to the families.
Here's what fashion boot enthusiast and GOP beltway wunderkind had to say.
Just spoke to Broward School Superintendent. Today is that terrible day you pray never comes.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 14, 2018
In fact, nearly ALL republican elected officials said basically the same thing. But that's not surprising given the outsized influence the National Rifle Association has on the GOP.
But the real influence is in the use of outside spending:
Rubio himself has received more than three million dollars over the course of his horrible career from guns rights groups. Governor Rick Scott made history signing 5 pro-gun bills!
But thank GOD for thoughts and prayers! Nah, as we speak, I’m not thinking about my daughter who is about to catch the bus for middle school. Nah, there aren’t countless moms and dads feeling the EXACT same way I am right now.
I truly thought after Sandy Hook, there would’ve been massive reforms and regulations. Nope! Columbine wasn’t enough, Newtown wasn’t enough, the multiple mass shootings after, just WERE NOT ENOUGH.
So, I’m circling back to the 12-steps. This country needs a MASSIVE, COLLECTIVE moral inventory. Whether ALL OF US demanding inequality be majorly addressed or gun control, AND mental health services available to EVERYONE, REGARDLESS of income or anything else.
Step One says we must ADMIT we have a problem. Clearly we do. The Fourth Step for the unfamiliar, is as follows: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
This step requires self-examination that can be uncomfortable, but honesty is essential in this process. The key is to identify any areas of past regret, embarrassment, guilt or anger.
Yep! I’m going there. If we can AS A COUNTRY can honestly look at our children’s faces today and say we’ve don’t need help as a nation; need to look within ourselves, I’m at a loss.
My daughter just asked me if I think her school is safe and “will a bad person come and hurt people? How do you know, Mom?”
After reassuring her, the truth is, I don’t know.
And THAT is where we are.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has just announced as of February, 13th, 2018 she will no longer take PAC money. Here's Gillibrand's statement she made via Twitter:
I will no longer accept donations from corporate PACs, and I wanted to share why I’ve made that decision. I hope you’ll join me in doing everything we can to fight to reform our broken campaign finance system. pic.twitter.com/v2oWvEiUCe
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 13, 2018
Gillibrand went on to say:
“We won't be able to bring down Medicare drug prices, stop companies from outsourcing our jobs or start to rebuild the middle class until we can stem the unlimited influence special interest money applies over politicians.”
Along with cosponsoring Sanders’ Medicare For All Bill in the Upper Chamber, she’s currently at number five as the most progressive senator
There was absolutely a time when Gillibrand, a blue dog democrat during her time in the House of Representatives had an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. She was also not great regarding immigration. A piece from The Atlantic outlines how she shifted once she became a senator,
“Once the proud owner of an A rating from the National Rifle Association, Gillibrand watched her grade plummet to an F after she was appointed to the Senate and began supporting bills to curb gun trafficking. She has shifted her stance, too, on immigration, moving away from the hard-line positions she adopted as a member of the House of the Representatives.”
There’s no question she has a centrist background. Clearly, she has taken a lot of cash from PACs before. According to Roll Call,
“PACs have amounted to about 15 percent of donations over her career in the House and Senate, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. A majority of that political money, 65 percent, has come from business PACs. Labor PACs represented about 14 percent of Gillibrand's PAC dollars, while ideological or single-issue PACs amounted to more than 20 percent, the center’s data showed. She did not say that she would return past donations from corporate PACs.”
So with this announcement, and as more elected officials seem to be taking on a…BERNIE SANDERS stance, even if it’s one issue or position at a time, the question remains for the left/progressive wing of the Democratic Party & left-leaning independents:
Do we forgive? Do we trust?
In my view, the answer is a cautious YES. After all, isn’t the goal of calling one’s representatives, organizing, activism to change the positions of elected officials? Last time I checked, it was. So we can stay cynical at politicians like Gillibrand or be glad they are moving in the right, progressive direction. That means PRESSURE ACTUALLY WORKS.
And, hey! If they go back on their promises- we will give ‘em hell. And that includes Senator Gillibrand.