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On Deck: 2022

What lack of transparency? He had a mild stroke caused by a fibrillation. He had a pacemaker/defibrillator installed and he should be fine.

BTW, back when I was Chargemaster for the hospital system, those things cost forty to fifty thousand bucks. Can't imagine what they cost now.
 
Michigan GOP needs an intervention.

www.bridgemi.com

FBI arrests Ryan Kelley, Michigan GOP governor candidate, over Capitol riots | Bridge Michigan

The FBI executes search warrant on Kelley's home in Allendale; he has been charged with multiple misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots.
www.bridgemi.com www.bridgemi.com

Earlier.

www.michiganradio.org

Five Michigan GOP candidates for governor disqualified by state board

The Board of State Canvassers deadlocked on each candidate. That means the candidates will have to go to court if they want to get on the ballot.
www.michiganradio.org www.michiganradio.org
 
Blake Masters, Republican Trump-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona, assaults 73 year old man:
 
The Republican candidate for the Ohio Senate:
J.D. Vance On Porn: Ban It To Save Families | HuffPost Latest News
Going beyond even the GOP’s own platform, Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance told a Catholic magazine last year that pornography should be banned because it’s stopping Americans from getting married and starting families.

“I think the combination of porn, abortion have basically created a lonely, isolated generation that isn’t getting married, they’re not having families, and they’re actually not even totally sure how to interact with each other,” Vance said in a newly unearthed interview with Crisis Magazine from August 2021.

The writer spoke with Vance at a gathering for young conservatives where Vance was a keynote speaker. She wrote that after asking him “his thoughts on porn and birth control and their effects on familial decline, Vance admitted he wants to outright ban pornography.”
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That article: The Political Path Forward: Get Married and Have Kids in Crisis magazine
In 2016, the GOP, in its own official platform, declared porn “a public health crisis,” but stopped short of calling for it to be outlawed completely.

Vance, who wrote in his memoir about witnessing firsthand poverty and addiction and their impact on families in Ohio, has made conserving “traditional families” and ending abortion main planks of his conservative platform.

In his statement on the Uvalde school shooting, Vance cited the absence of strong family values — and not the lack of gun control — to explain why a gunman would murder 19 children and two teachers.

“We need to address the culture of fatherlessness and drug addiction in our country, focus on the importance of family so that our next generation is guided and empowered with strong support systems,” Vance said.
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Another politician has expressed similar sentiments:
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who endorsed Vance, hasn’t explicitly called for a porn ban. But at last year’s National Conservative Conference, Hawley argued that porn and masturbation were creating a national crisis for men.

“Can we be surprised that after years of being told they are the problem, that their manhood is the problem, more and more men are withdrawing into the enclave of idleness and pornography and video games,” Hawley said.
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Back to JD Vance.
Last year, Vance said the country was run by left-leaning “childless cat ladies,” a swipe at Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a stepmother, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has since adopted twins with his husband.
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Seems like these politicians want sex to be regulated much more tightly than guns.

The Political Path Forward: Get Married and Have Kids
So instead, they see this as an opportunity for conservatives to change their family policy and find incentives that will better financially support families and encourage them to have more children. But one thoughtful panelist, Helen Andrews, pointed out that most of our declining births are coming from a lack of family formation in the first place. These declining numbers are coming specifically from the unmarried and childless. Being that millennials are getting married less and later in life than any previous generation, it’s already expected that a quarter of my generation will never marry.
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But if people are refusing to have children because it is too expensive to do so, then they are doing what many right-wingers claim that they want. That's from their criticism of welfare mothers, that those women are having children that they can't afford.

Then this grumbling.
When you raise a generation to be irreligious, that thinks sex is casual recreation and an entitlement that one’s owed, that worships at the altar of their own orgasm, that thinks marriage is obsolete or doomed to fail because they grew up in divorced families, that assumes children are an accessory to one’s career or a burden to avoid altogether, that thinks it’s trendy to have baby mommas and daddies and “co-parent,” that believes getting a dog and living together is the best way to “try it out,” and to whom dating apps are preferable to forming real in-person connections—you will inevitably deter a marriage culture.

And what’s important to understand is that it’s the relaxing of laws surrounding marriage that got us here. No-fault divorce, legalized obscenity, birth control, abortion, and gay marriage have all contributed to this calamity.

And further, for Catholics, there’s a lack of men in the Church, skewing the ratio between men and women.
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Then noting that the fraction of Americans who meet their partner in church has dropped from 12% in 1940 to 4% today.

I find it curious that neither she nor JD Vance mentioned alternative sex acts, though Sen. Hawley did mention masturbation.

Also that they didn't mention artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization.
 
Michigan GOP candidate Jacky Eubanks says she would ban birth control
Jacky Eubanks says no society can succeed “outside of the Christian moral order.”
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Except that humanity has existed for long before Jesus Christ was born.
Jacky Eubanks, a Michigan Republican running for State House, said in a recent interview that, given the option, she would vote to ban all birth control because it violates her Catholic faith.

The Trump-endorsed conspiracy theorist made the comments during an interview conducted last week with Michael Voris of the aptly named site Church Militant.
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Left of Center MI on Twitter: "Trump-endorsed state rep. candidate Jacky Eubanks says that if it came to a vote in the MI legislature, she would vote to make birth control illegal. “Sex ought to be between one man and one woman in the confines of marriage…and open to life. Absolutely.” (vid link)" / Twitter
… You cannot have a successful society outside of the Christian moral order. And things like abortion, and things like gay marriage, are outside of the Christian moral order. And they lead to chaos and destruction and a culture of death…

…

[VORIS: How do you answer the local press person, who might be your age and just sees you as some loony who… that she wants to take away your birth control… in the state of Michigan?]

Sure, so, I guess we have to ask ourselves: Would that ever come to a vote in the Michigan state legislature? And if it should, I would have to side with: It should not be legal. And I think that people that birth control is… better… because, “Oh, then you won’t get pregnant and you won’t need to have an abortion.” But I think it gives people the false sense of security that they can have consequence-free sex. And that’s not true! And it’s not correct!

…

… Sex ought to be between one man and one woman in the confines of marriage… and open to life. Absolutely.
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What is supposedly so impossible about "consequence-free sex"?

"Open to life" is a right-wing-Catholic buzzphrase that seems to mean "must always be able to procreate". That means no birth control, and no nonprocreative sex acts.

That reminds me of what a certain rather feminist female online commentator said about the likes of her. "What if a woman wants to give her husband a blowie?" A woman referring to a "blowie"???

Returning to  J. D. Vance
Vance had been raised in a "conservative, evangelical" branch of Protestantism. By September 2016, Vance was "thinking very seriously about converting to Catholicism" and added he was "not an active participant" in any particular religious denomination.[56] In August 2019, Vance converted to Roman Catholicism at a ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio. In an interview with Rod Dreher after his conversion, Vance said he converted because he "became persuaded over time that Catholicism was true", and described Roman Catholic doctrine's influence on his political views.[57]
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Though as far as I can tell, Sen. Josh Hawley is an evangelical.
 
Primary Election Calendar 2022 - The New York Times

In the South Carolina primaries,

SC-01: Nancy Mace 53.1%, Katie Arrington 45.3%, other 1.6%

From the NYT: "Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican, garnered a Trump-backed challenge from Katie Arrington, a former state lawmaker who won the former president’s endorsement after Ms. Mace criticized him."

SC-07: Russell Fry 51.1%, Tom Rice 24.5%, others 12.3%, 7.1%, 2.5%, 2.0%, 0.5%

From the NYT: "Representative Tom Rice, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald J. Trump, is fending off a primary challenge from Russell Fry, a state lawmaker who has the former president’s endorsement. The winner will face Daryl Scott, a Democrat, in November."

NM survived but TR didn't.
 
Rep. Dan Crenshaw Called 'Eyepatch McCain' at Texas Republican Convention
Check it out ... Alex Stein -- who's a right-wing media personality -- tries to bum-rush Crenshaw, whose staff pushes him back. All the while, he's screaming "eyepatch McCain!"

...
Aside from the "eyepatch" barb, another man films him as well ... calling him a globalist, a RINO and a sellout. When Dan vanishes from the scene, you can see yet another guy come into frame, who appears to shout something to the effect of, "Dan Crenshaw is a traitor, he needs to be hung for treason."

Reports say some of these guys ran into law enforcement eventually as they were being asked to leave and ushered out, but it's unclear if any arrests were made in the end.
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Alex Rosen on Twitter: "I CALL OUT DAN CRENSHAW FOR HIS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM INVOLVEMENT AND SELLING US OUT WITH @Ccampbellbased #WEF22 #texasgopconvention (vid link)" / Twitter

Dan Crenshaw and Staff Assaulted at TX GOP Convention

Mediaite on Twitter: "BREAKING: Dan Crenshaw & Staff Physically Assaulted by Right Wing Attackers Shouting 'Eyepatch McCain' at TX GOP (vid link)" / Twitter
then
Dan Crenshaw on Twitter: "This is what happens when angry little boys like @alexstein99 don’t grow up and can’t get girlfriends… 🤷" / Twitter

Nana Gale from Hellberta ☮️ Victory to Ukraine! on Twitter: "@DanCrenshawTX @alexstein99 This is who started it." / Twitter
noting
Jonathan Karl on Twitter: "Tucker Carlson derisively refers to @DanCrenshawTX, who lost his eye while serving our country as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan, as “eye-patch McCain.” (vid link)" / Twitter
 
ZiprHead said:
"Pro-God, Pro-Gun, Pro-Trump" candidate seems to be Pro-Photoshop, too

GOP Senate candidate Josh Mandel is "fighting to protect the Judeo-Christian bedrock of America" one pixel at a time . . .
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I'm always bemused when right-wing haters invoke the term "Judeo-Christian." Many of them hate Jews as much as they hate Muslims and "queers." "Jews will not replace us" is the marching cry of their paramilitary wing, for heaven's sake. And as for "bedrock of America," was the Mayflower filled with Jews fleeing persecution? An important group of 18th-century immigrants were the Scots-Irish fleeing from violent Irish Catholics. I always thought the Scots-Irish were mostly Presbyterians — were they Jews instead?

No, they speak of "Judeo-Christians" because it sounds intellectual; and because it disguises the fact that promoting a single religion violates the freedom of religion so dear to the Founding Fathers.

And why separate "Judeo-Christian" from "Abrahamic" anyway? The first four of the five Ulul Azmi of Islam are Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. (The Jews don't even recognize Jesus as a prophet, let alone as an Ulul Azmi.)
 
www.bostonglobe.com

‘Eyepatch McCain’: Dan Crenshaw accosted by far-right protestors at Texas GOP convention - The Boston Globe

Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas, a Republican, was confronted by several far-right protestors at the state’s Republican Party convention over the weekend who targeted both his appearance and political views, according to videos that circulated across social media.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas, a Republican, was confronted by several far-right protestors at the state’s Republican Party convention over the weekend who targeted both his appearance and political views, according to videos that circulated across social media.
While walking with members of his staff on Saturday, Crenshaw — a former NAVY seal who lost his right eye in a roadside bomb blast during a deployment in Afghanistan — can be heard in one recording being called “eyepatch McCain” and a “globalist RINO [Republican In Name Only]” by a right-wing social media antagonist.
The taunt comparing Crenshaw to the late Senator John McCain originated from Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Other videos show Crenshaw being verbally accosted at the same event. Those filmed accuse Crenshaw of being a “fraud” and a “sellout,” while also questioning him about so-called “red flag” gun control laws and his involvement with the World Economic Forum, which has become a major target of online conspiracy theorists.
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Sen. Mo Brooks, R-AL - Mo Brooks REFUSES to apologize for urging 'patriots' to 'take down names and kick ass' before riot | Daily Mail Online and GOP Lawmaker Mo Brooks Wore Body Armor, Was Tipped Off to Risks at Jan. 6 Trump Riot | Watch

But more recently,
How Trump threw Mo Brooks under the bus - POLITICO - "The Alabama congressman and MAGA loyalist learned he had lost Trump's endorsement through a reporter’s tweet."
Trump’s decision, which dealt a serious blow to Brooks’ chances of succeeding retiring GOP Sen. Richard Shelby, marked the culmination of an increasingly rocky relationship between the former president and one of his staunchest supporters in Congress.

After squandering an early lead in the polls, Brooks’ floundering campaign fell behind GOP opponents Katie Britt and Mike Durant both in fundraising and polling, leading Trump to rethink his support.
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After calling MB "disappointing", Trump then decided
“Mo Brooks of Alabama made a horrible mistake recently when he went ‘woke’ and stated, referring to the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, ‘Put that behind you, put that behind you,’ despite the fact that the Election was rife with fraud and irregularities. If we forget, the Radical Left Democrats will continue to Cheat and Steal Elections,” Trump said in a statement Wednesday morning, referring to an August rally where Brooks said it was time to move on from 2020.
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He responded
“He didn’t have the courtesy or the chutzpah or whatever to let me know first, so somewhat blindsided me this morning,” Brooks said, still in shock from the surprise of hearing the news at the same time as everyone else. “But it is what it is. It’s not about what happened in the rally, because the rally speech that I gave on that particular subject was almost exactly the same as what I said on January the 6th.

“We’ve got to put our bad play behind us. We lost. You got to go to the next play, and the next play is 2022, 2024 elections.”

...
On Thursday, Brooks will launch his “Fire McConnell Tour,” featuring 100 stops around the state highlighting his position that Republicans need a change in leadership from McConnell.
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Sad Mo Brooks rages over not getting Trump's endorsement
noting
Mo Brooks on Twitter: "This is weird: ..." / Twitter
This is weird: last time Donald Trump talked about Katie Britt, he said she was unqualified for the Senate.

Donald Trump is the only man in American politics who could get conned by Mitch McConnell twice in an Alabama Senate race.

Let’s just admit it: Trump endorses the wrong people sometimes. He endorsed Mitt Romney, he endorsed John McCain and now he’s endorsed Katie Britt, who his own son, Don Jr. called “Alabama’s Liz Cheney.”

Alabama grassroots remember in 2017 when Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell got involved in a Senate primary in Alabama—and we rejected them.

The people of Alabama will decide.

-Mo
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Primary Election Calendar 2022 - The New York Times

Former President Donald J. Trump withdrew his early endorsement of Representative Mo Brooks after Mr. Brooks failed to separate himself from the rest of the primary field. Other contenders include Katie Britt, the chief executive of the Alabama Business Council, and Mike Durant, a military veteran best known as the pilot of the helicopter that crashed in “Black Hawk Down.”

Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama, a six-term congressman, is facing Katie Britt, a former lobbyist, in a runoff election. Former President Donald J. Trump rescinded his endorsement of Mr. Brooks as he slid in the polls before the May 24 primary election. After the primary, Mr. Trump endorsed Ms. Britt.
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The vote:
  • May 24: KB 44.7%, MB 29.2%, MD 23.3%, others 1.1%, 0.9%, 0.7%
  • June 21: KB 63.0%, MB 37.0%
 
Lauren Boebert won the CO-03 Republican primary: 65.3% vs. Don Coram 34.7%

Last month, Marjorie Taylor Greene won the GA-14 Republican primary: 69.5%, others 16.9%, 6.1%, 3.7%, 2.2%, 1.5%

So both of them are headed for the general elections this November.
 
link (gift WashPo link)

It is odd to see polls and the upcoming election and the generalized feel for things, but the Democrats might actually expand their Senate majority. It seems crazy, but Walker appears to be falling in Georgia, a place where the GOP should have pulled a Sen. Jones defeat with ease, but they selected an unwell and unqualified candidate. Ohio has nobody JD Vance verses purple Tim Ryan, and Ryan and Vance are neck and neck. Sherrod Brown won easily last time and Ryan is effectively another Sherrod Brown. Wisconsin is anyone's guess, as Sen. Johnson is skating between pizzeria conspiracy theorist and insane clown posse. Pennsylvania has a celebrity quack against a decently popular Democrat contender. I'd be a bit more worried Oz pulls it off because old people like that sort of programming and think Oz says some good things.

WI, OH, PA would be pickups. Georgia was supposed to be the weakest link, but the GOP voters in Georgia are apparently stupid. That leaves Arizona, which... still has an astronaut in office and astronauts are the coolest people on Earth, so it'll be tough to knock him down. Nevada could be close and while Colorado was purple, the growing Hispanic population there is turning it a darker shade of blue purple. Bennett is safe. New Hampshire, to me is a tossup.

So defending are:

GOP: OH, PA. WI, MO (three of those are going to be close, and the Dems could win two or three)
DEM: NH, GA, AZ, CO, NV (a few will be close, but the Dems could feasibly save them all).

All this with a Dem President at 33% in the polls.

Not uncorking the champagne, not even buying it yet. But the electoral map is definitely intriguing. And this is ignoring the impact of turnout due to Dobbs. I know, I know, people don't turn out for abortion, just the economy... except in this case, abortion was made illegal in several states and the threat is realized at this point. This isn't some theoretical support justice selections thing... it is a clear and present danger to their health thing.
 
www.thedailybeast.com

Cawthorn Campaign Illegally Spent Funds It Wasn’t Supposed to Touch

Madison Cawthorn’s campaign wasn’t supposed to touch the money it had for the general election. Guess what the campaign did.
www.thedailybeast.com
With two weeks to go until a primary election he was fated to lose, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) was already underwater. His campaign held more than twice as much debt as it had cash on hand, the donor well was dry, and he and his staff were months into a madcap spending streak that one campaign source called “baffling.”

And now, after indeed losing that primary, there’s no money to pay the piper.

Specifically, there’s no money to repay the supporters who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in advance to Cawthorn’s election efforts beyond the primary—to the general election he now won’t be competing in.

Cawthorn is required by law to refund those donations. Instead, according to a campaign source, the campaign already spent the money.

The public doesn’t know any of this yet, however, because the Cawthorn campaign is now a week late in submitting the quarterly Federal Election Commission report that would disclose the collapse. That delay will already trigger an automatic fine.
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