Politics-What's on your mind?

[BullDog]

Originally Posted by Cin

I totally agree that in-fighting is counter productive. I don't know how it will happen but Democrats need to find a way to compromise. I think there is a much better chance for Democrats to find common ground with each other than with Republicans. A focus on Bipartisanship will lead Democrats down a dark path and is an object lesson in futility.

But I don't think constantly pushing for a move away from over focusing on choices that serve Wall St and Silicon Valley, addressing overwhelming income inequality and taking action by putting more money in the hands of the middle and working class, raising the minimum wage, caring for the poor and the homeless, fixing a broken healthcare system, demilitarization, slashing the trillion-dollar-plus annual military budget, putting an end to the country's endless wars, embracing nuclear disarmament and being a part of the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, etc... means you are not clear what a huge problem white nationalism is in the US. It just means we need to keep the focus on what really matters for the average American.

I also don't think calling out the Democratic Party elite for blaming progressives for down ballot losses means you aren't clear on the huge problem white nationalism is in the United States. On the other hand pandering to the white nationalist party, better known as the Republican Party, does make it seem as though the huge problem of white nationalism in the US isn't clear to the Democratic Party. It isn't a good plan to focus on compromising with Republicans. And it doesn't makes it seem as though there is a lot of clarity as to what the huge problem in the US right now is if we chose to do that. We will not win the hearts and minds of the white nationalists who make up most of the Republican Party, so it would be better to focus on the needs of the people who put Biden in power. Don't make choices with the Republicans in mind, they will not make concessions, they do not compromise. Bipartisanship forces Democrats to blur lines and compromise values and the end result allows both parties to only focus on the interests of their donors and not the American people.

The Democratic Party needs to focus on getting those 2 Senate seats. If that doesn't go our way we will have to do the best we can with what we have and forget about the Republicans, we can't ever get them to compromise. All of the democratic party needs to work together, progressives and centrists, left and right, whatever you want to call them. It is a war for our for nation's soul, but it is NOT going to be won through bipartisanship. Working with a party whose agenda is white nationalism and causing chaos will not get us anything. They are not interested in working together and they are not interested in what is good for all Americans. Democrats working together for the common good and letting the American people, who are crying out for change, see that the Biden Administration is interested in bringing that change will do a lot to clarify a Democrat Party agenda so that voting Democrat isn't just voting against something, against Trump, against white nationalism, but voting FOR something, real change, systemic change. It is playing the long game, but it will go a lot further toward winning hearts and minds than focusing on making compromises and concessions that will never happen with the Republican (white nationalist) Party. The Republican party's idea of compromise is that the Democrats roll over every time.

Yes, I think it's noble that Biden wants to work with everyone but he needs to be disabused of the notion that Republicans will work with him ASAP and not waste a second on it. They won't even acknowledge that he won a clear-cut victory.

I agree. Focus on the needs of those who support you. One place where Democrats I think could improve is with Latino voters. Biden is going to sign an executive order to protect the Dreamers and has pledged to try to reunite the children who are separated from their parents. Obviously, these things should be done because they are the right thing to do but hopefully, it will also show the Democrats commitment and they will continue to work on issues that impact Latino lives.

Of course, African American interests should be front and center. They are the backbone of our party.

Biden, of course, needs to focus on the coronavirus and beyond that, I say really basic economic issues that affect the lives of working-class and middle-class Americans. Get money into people's pockets and focus on job opportunities. I think an infrastructure plan would also be great because our roads, bridges, etc. are crumbling and it would create jobs. These things have nothing to do with progressive versus moderate or whatever. People need to be able to pay their bills and support their families.

I get irritated with the media about how the Democrats are supposed to better understand the Trump voter and that the messaging is all wrong. That's not to say Democrats can't do better but I sure as hell don't hear anyone saying now that Trump has lost that the Republicans really need to reach out to Democrats and understand their voters. The fact of the matter is during this crisis the Democrats tried to pass legislation to help people in need and the Republicans got rewarded for being obstructionists. It's disgusting.

Anyway, we need to continue to grow our base and just outnumber them.

[Kätzchen]

I am resonating greatly with posts by Cin & Bulldog.

Here is what I think needs to be dealt with, head on. White Nationalism, toxic white priviledge, and the cancerous hold it has on those who espouse these tenets and values. Every time i see McConnel's face or Graham's face, i see the embodiment of White Nationalism and the racist choices both make in the name of the Republican (White Nationalist) party.

They are both creepy, and people like them and stand beside them are equally creepy and toxic and (...).

I am beyond grateful for the sledgehammer effect of those who voted for the Democratic party.

And, yes, we got to keep on top of this situation until every last breath of White Nationalism is eradicated from American society.

[~ocean]

trump wanting to pardon himself along with known criminals ~ is an admission of guilt ~ he needs to be brought to justice no more allowances .the administration regardless of party, needs to intercept all of the actions of a crazy dictator named DONALD TRUMP . without these actions they are enabling a this man to jeopardize our security and needed actions to act on the pandemic. TRUMP doesn't care who dies or suffers. this virus is going to leave millions of people mentally disturbed. Including himself even more than he is now. What does this say about the AMERICAN government ? I ponder this argument constantly to myself. This is my own theory... WE ARE NOT FREE. This tyrant has us up against the wall. The people don't want him to stifle us when it comes to the pandemic. WE want to be saved. WE built this country it's ours. not HIS or a government that bends over for fear. He can't handle money ~ or the lives of the Americans. TRUMP bends over for evil leaders . He disrespects woman. TRUMP is a sexual deviate. ALL we know about him and we let him run OUR COUNTRY... Where is our legal justice ?? I'm not for violence, but we need to take TRUMP out of the WH physically. with OUR military behind us. The military is OURS . They are tax paying citizens who chose to uphold justice. OUR HEROES not TRUMPS TOYS. CIVILIAN TAKEOVER ... citizens arrest. He needs to GO. This is what casts over my daily thoughts. I am a creative person who is being robbed of my freedom, to feel and think of all of life's aspects because of the shadow that engulfs us. I have tried to preoccupy my thoughts. I can't when every part of thinking refers to business, health , freedom of going OUTDOORS to shop or walk ~ smile at a stranger and make their day or mine. YOU can't see a smile under a mask. TRUMP took our living daily lives away. TRUMP needs to GO. ~ and with this I need to go wash the escarole for tonight's soup. sorry for the rant ~

[Vincent]

fri DN
https://www.democracynow.org/shows/2020/11/13

[homoe]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the election has entered a more dangerous phase as he stokes resistance and unrest among his supporters and spreads falsehoods aimed at undermining the integrity of the American voting system.

More than a week after President-elect Joe Biden was declared the winner, Trump continues to block his successor’s transition, withholding intelligence briefings, critical information about the coronavirus pandemic and access to the vast machinery of government that Biden will soon oversee.

Some former top advisers to Trump have said that his refusal to cooperate is reckless and unwise. John F. Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, called it “crazy” on Friday. John R. Bolton, the president’s former national security adviser who wrote a scathing memoir about his time in the administration, said the refusal “harms the country.” “Every day that he delays under the pretense that he’s simply asking for his legal remedies ultimately is to the country’s disadvantage,” Bolton said on ABC’s “This Week” program on Sunday morning.

[~ocean]

Trump is going to flee. He knows he lost. He can't live in the US a free man so he's going to flee after a violent act. Many will lose their lives . National Security along with world security are watching him and his children. I feel for Giuliani's children will have to lose their father He will either go with Trump or he will be a subject of Trump's fleeing. I dunno , maybe I'm writing my own movie in my head lol ~~ or ? lol oy vey . That insane mind of his is throwing up all these smoke screens by not conceding and false accusations for an exit only he knows how it will be. The whole time Trump is watching TV or reading tweets he is scheming , and pre meditating is deff. his forte'. I don't know if Trumps not attending the virus briefings is illegal not to do his job, and where is Mike Pence if the president isn't going . The pandemic was put in his hands.

[Orema]

What Happened in California Is a Cautionary Tale for Us All

A voter-approved measure strips gig workers of basic protections enjoyed by employees in other businesses.

By Terri Gerstein. Ms. Gerstein is the director of the State and Local Enforcement Project at Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program.


An anti-Proposition 22 protest, last month.Credit...Mike Blake/Reuters

What happened in California? Despite the state’s liberal reputation, voters there last week approved Proposition 22, a ballot initiative exempting many gig companies from state workplace laws and stripping their workers of basic, essential protections.

Uber, Instacart, Lyft, DoorDash and other on-demand providers of ride-shares and food and grocery deliveries spent $200 million pushing the proposal, an astounding sum that workers and their allies couldn’t remotely hope to match. Not surprisingly, Californians were misled by an avalanche of claims about the proposal’s impact on workers. The measure, which takes effect next month, was approved with 58 percent of the vote.

Emboldened by the results in California, Uber and friends are apparently planning to take the show on the road. Potential targets could include Massachusetts or New Jersey, where state regulators have pursued them, or New York or Pennsylvania, where courts have rejected the argument by gig companies that workers run their own independent businesses. The rest of us need to understand what happened in California.

What was at stake with Proposition 22 was whether workers for app-based driver and delivery companies would be considered employees under California statutes, which like workplace laws nationwide, cover only employees, or whether they should be classified as independent contractors. Proponents argued that requiring gig companies to follow current laws would badly damage their on-demand business model and result in longer wait times, higher prices and the loss of countless jobs. These were the same bleak prognostications gig companies made about the minimum wage for drivers that New York City enacted two years ago — predictions that did not come to pass.

What they didn’t say was that it was a terrible deal for workers. Allowing companies to write their own exemption from California law is also a cautionary tale for our fragile democracy.

Now, workers for these gig companies in California will not have a right, as employees do under state law, to paid sick days, overtime pay, unemployment insurance or a workplace covered by occupational safety and health laws.

How did these companies persuade California voters to approve this snatching of rights from thousands of vulnerable people? They used a deluge of money to convince voters that the proposal served workers’ interests by preserving their flexibility, ensuring a guaranteed level of pay and providing them with “portable” benefits.

Their claims were deceptive.

There’s no law prohibiting flexible or part-time hours for employees. Millions of employees already work part-time or flexible hours. Indeed, these particular industries (ride-share and food delivery) would be unlikely to hire only full-time employees because of the ebb and flow of customer demand.

Under Proposition 22, gig companies will have to pay their contractors 120 percent of the state or local minimum wage. In addition, companies must pay 30 cents per mile for gas and other vehicle-related expenses, adjusted annually for inflation.

But here’s the catch: Workers will be paid only for “engaged time,” defined as the time between receiving a request and dropping off the passenger. This is far less than what’s required under laws for employees, who must be compensated for all work time. About a third of drivers’ work time wouldn’t fall within this definition of “engaged time,” according to a study funded by the companies themselves. Workers will not be paid for time spent getting gas, waiting for a ride request or cleaning and sanitizing their cars.

Plus, 30 cents per mile doesn’t cover all vehicle-related expenses; by comparison, the Internal Revenue Service’s optional standard deductible rate for the costs of operating a car for business is 57.5 cents per mile. And as independent contractors, drivers won’t have a right to overtime pay for long workweeks, as is required for employees. In light of all this, a study by three research groups at the University of California, Berkeley, found that Uber and Lyft drivers would be guaranteed only an estimated $5.64 per hour. This no doubt would have surprised 40 percent of those in a survey of early voters who said they had supported Proposition 22 to ensure workers earned livable wages.

Finally there is the issue of benefits. Gig companies have used snazzy “portable” benefits language, but Proposition 22 gives workers crumbs compared to what it takes away. Companies must provide a “health care subsidy” to people working at least 15 hours of “engaged time.” At 30 weekly hours, the subsidy would average about $1.22 per hour, or just over $36.00 a week, according to one analysis, a paltry sum compared with what workers would receive as employees who are paid for all of their work time — not just two-thirds of it.

And of course, rights are meaningful only if they are enforceable. If a company pays less than what’s required, shaves hours or doesn’t pay the health care subsidy, Proposition 22 is silent about what mechanism workers can use to enforce those pay and subsidy rights.

The kicker? Unlike most laws, which require only a majority vote of the State Legislature to revise, Proposition 22 requires the vote of seven-eighths of the Legislature to make any changes.

These are the truths that can be buried by well-funded advertising campaigns of large corporations collaborating to write their own rules. And this, in the end, is what’s most dangerous about Proposition 22. Companies shouldn’t be able to do this. Surely, lots of other industries would like to avoid paying unemployment insurance taxes, sick days or overtime. Surely, food manufacturers would like an exemption from safety requirements and inspections, and chemical companies would save a bundle if they got an exemption from environmental laws.

But that’s not how our system is supposed to work.

California has always been a bellwether. This time, let’s not follow its lead.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/o...ore-in-opinion
______________
Link to related articleL https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ash-labor-laws

[dark_crystal]

Originally Posted by Orema

What Happened in California Is a Cautionary Tale for Us All

[...]here’s the catch: Workers will be paid only for “engaged time,” defined as the time between receiving a request and dropping off the passenger. This is far less than what’s required under laws for employees, who must be compensated for all work time. About a third of drivers’ work time wouldn’t fall within this definition of “engaged time,” according to a study funded by the companies themselves. Workers will not be paid for time spent getting gas, waiting for a ride request or cleaning and sanitizing their cars.

Plus, 30 cents per mile doesn’t cover all vehicle-related expenses; by comparison, the Internal Revenue Service’s optional standard deductible rate for the costs of operating a car for business is 57.5 cents per mile. And as independent contractors, drivers won’t have a right to overtime pay for long workweeks, as is required for employees. In light of all this, a study by three research groups at the University of California, Berkeley, found that Uber and Lyft drivers would be guaranteed only an estimated $5.64 per hour. This no doubt would have surprised 40 percent of those in a survey of early voters who said they had supported Proposition 22 to ensure workers earned livable wages.

Finally there is the issue of benefits. Gig companies have used snazzy “portable” benefits language, but Proposition 22 gives workers crumbs compared to what it takes away. Companies must provide a “health care subsidy” to people working at least 15 hours of “engaged time.” At 30 weekly hours, the subsidy would average about $1.22 per hour, or just over $36.00 a week, according to one analysis, a paltry sum compared with what workers would receive as employees who are paid for all of their work time — not just two-thirds of it.[...]

California has always been a bellwether. This time, let’s not follow its lead.

This is awful, and i do think that other states WILL follow California's lead. I feel like companies in general are trying to shed employees any way they can-- from outsourcing to gig-ification to independent contracting to adjunct faculty to part-time only.

After experiencing this pandemic as an essential worker, I'm to the point where i am not even sure we wouldn't have been safer if everyone WAS an independent contractor (assuming Dems get some protections in place). I don't know that we SHOULD be in monogamous employment relationships. Its supposed to provide security and stability, but it can become a hostage situation.

If the Dems are able to pass VERY meaningful health-care reform with a public option, a lot of people can be liberated from some extremely toxic employment situations.

[Orema]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

This is awful, and i do think that other states WILL follow California's lead. I feel like companies in general are trying to shed employees any way they can-- from outsourcing to gig-ification to independent contracting to adjunct faculty to part-time only.

After experiencing this pandemic as an essential worker, I'm to the point where i am not even sure we wouldn't have been safer if everyone WAS an independent contractor (assuming Dems get some protections in place). I don't know that we SHOULD be in monogamous employment relationships. Its supposed to provide security and stability, but it can become a hostage situation.

If the Dems are able to pass VERY meaningful health-care reform with a public option, a lot of people can be liberated from some extremely toxic employment situations.

I think other states will follow, too. If nothing else, the ads were very effective and constant. PlutoTV was swamped with ads and based on the ads, you would have thought it was the best thing for workers since sliced toast.

Having employees as independent contractors has been popular since the Reagan years. That’s when the “Temp Agencies” exploded and employers were able to avoid healthcare and unemployment taxes for employees.

Yes, good healthcare will help, but there needs to be more protection for independent workers.

[Vincent]

https://www.democracynow.org/shows/2020/11/18

[nhplowboi]

So last night I heard a term on one of the shows I was watching..... "Trumpublicans". I think that is a pretty accurate word. Maybe I am wrong but I feel the GOP is crazy to be hanging their hat on the Trumpublicans. I think only about 50% of that base is going to continue to help the GOP if Trump is not actively running. As Trump loves to say...."We'll see.". [/I]

[Orema]

I think Trump, being as vengeful as he is, may very well start a new party with his base, the old Tea Party. He could do this through the media outlets he thinking of creating.

That would certainly shake things up in the Republican party and he knows it.

It would also cause Democrats to lean toward the center so it may shake up things in the Democratic party, too.

[Orema]

From Jimmy Kimmels YouTube page:
President Obama talks about his new book “A Promised Land,” selling more books on the first day than Michelle did, being scared of Sasha and Michelle, the alias his daughters came up with for him, the struggle of being a good father and husband while also being a good President, being on the cover of InStyle Magazine, sinking a three pointer while campaigning with Joe Biden, calling the election for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, getting Trump out of the White House, Joe Biden becoming President, resurrecting the Pandemic Task Force disbanded by Donald Trump, getting the Affordable Care Act passed, the work that still needs to be done, the best night of his Presidency, the Bin Laden raid, Donald Trump’s birther theory, and he surprises a totally unsuspecting fan.

[homoe]

This sounds about right for this SOB.......

Donald Trump is reportedly weighing whether to launch a 2024 re-election bid on the day of Joe Biden’s inauguration.

On Saturday, The Daily Beast cited three sources who confirmed he is considering a 2024 run, and two of them said he had floated the idea of holding an event on 20 January.

According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the president has privately bragged that he would still remain in the spotlight, even if Mr Biden is in the Oval Office, because the media finds Mr Biden “boring.”

The report comes after the Trump campaign suffered a humiliating court defeat in Pennsylvania, where Republican-appointed judges unanimously ruled to toss out the campaign’s attempt to challenge the election result there. “Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here,” judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in the court's ruling.

By Saturday evening the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had also dismissed a case brought by Congressman Mike Kelly and others to disallow millions of mail-in ballots in the state.

[C0LLETTE]

So, Biden just announced an all-female WH communications team plus 4 women to lead his economic team...

Gotta love the old guy!

[nhplowboi]

Happy Safe Harbor Day to us/U.S.!!!

[~ocean]

Originally Posted by homoe

This sounds about right for this SOB.......

Donald Trump is reportedly weighing whether to launch a 2024 re-election bid on the day of Joe Biden’s inauguration.

On Saturday, The Daily Beast cited three sources who confirmed he is considering a 2024 run, and two of them said he had floated the idea of holding an event on 20 January.

According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the president has privately bragged that he would still remain in the spotlight, even if Mr Biden is in the Oval Office, because the media finds Mr Biden “boring.”

The report comes after the Trump campaign suffered a humiliating court defeat in Pennsylvania, where Republican-appointed judges unanimously ruled to toss out the campaign’s attempt to challenge the election result there. “Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here,” judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in the court's ruling.

By Saturday evening the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had also dismissed a case brought by Congressman Mike Kelly and others to disallow millions of mail-in ballots in the state.

Trump is a spoiled child ~ by 2024 comes around he will have a new toy to play with ~ he will never get voted in again ~ I wonder how long it will take Melania to divorce his obnoxious large orange ass ?

[homoe]

~~~
That these pundits on MSNBC, CNN, etc just STOP already about Trump and especially about Trump 24! I am like a raving lunatic, screaming at the TV when they start up on this crap!

The best way to get Trump's goat is to ignore him!

It must of killed him to have had to post one of his rants on Facebook when no network would carry it!

[homoe]

~~~
Why is it women are always fair game when it comes to this sort of crap!?

Nobody pointed out Strom Thurmond or Robert Byrd mental decline and dollars to donuts, I doubt anyone will when Chuck Grassley does or hasn't already!

[Orema]

Just watched The Way I See It by Pete Souza, the Official White House Photojournalist for President Reagan and President Obama.

Saw it for free and without interruptions at peacocktv.com

Quite enjoyed it.