The Journal of Unpopular Opinions (Chapter 4)

When a president, congressman, senator, governor, state legislator, or anyone else tells you that the only way they can ‘protect you from the other side’ or ‘continue serving you to the best of their abilities’ is to treat you as if you haven’t got an independent thought in your head, run screaming from the room.

*****     *****     *****     *****     

Off-cycle Congressional redistricting by Republicans, like that done (so far) in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and soon Indiana, which will tackle it starting Monday, has nothing to do with what voters want and everything to do with what the politicians want: to protect their longevity by caving to a president who clearly knows he is as unpopular as we the people believe he is.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for similar redistricting efforts by the Democrats, such as those under consideration in Maryland, Illinois, and New York (so far). Some consider these noble efforts, from a 'we can't let them rig the election' or whatever the logic is, but I disagree. It's a shameless attempt to grab power, to protect their longevity, and to cheat the system, which is exactly what the Ds claim the Rs are doing.  

California's goal is the same, but the process is different, so I dislike it slightly less than I do the blatant stuff being done elsewhere. The Golden State has an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, so the legislature needs voter approval to bypass that group and institute its own maps - and I hope voters reject the Prop 50 ballot initiative. 

Why?  Because we should be demanding the right to choose our politicians, rather than letting them choose us. We should never give a politician our vote simply because we share a party affiliation. We should be making them work for every vote they want and earn every vote they get. 

And we should never stand for them giving in to the narcissistic, panicked demands and threats of the person at the top of their party, no matter how high the throne upon which that person sits.

For too long, we have acted as if the term ‘voting rights’ only applies to ensuring access to voting.  For years, we have sat by, watching the people who have been trusted to represent us:

• make it harder for us to vote by taking away options like early voting, mail-in ballots, and other changes, and by implementing ridiculous rules that directly and negatively impact women, the elderly, and economically disadvantaged voters, because 'those people' are more likely to vote against a certain party;

• constantly bang the drum about all kinds of voter fraud, ignoring years of evidence that there is negligible impact from the extremely limited fraud that occurs, and complaining that elections they don't are rigged, and threatening states, which have constitutional control over their voting rules, with all kinds of retribution if they don't change their ways to diminish or exclude certain voters;

• allow our voices to be overshadowed and overwhelmed by the tens of millions of dollars politicians of both parties receive from corporations, political parties, unions, lobbyists, PACs, and super-rich donors, in return for who knows what legislative promises; and

• blatantly look away from - heck, they run away from - our legitimate concerns about the direction of our country, their policies, and their ineffectiveness.

And here we are today, 

• letting them disrespect us even more by rearranging us into districts they assume will give them an advantage; 

• letting them assume we’re nothing but sheep that will vote for a party rather than for our issues and interests; and 

• letting them assume they no longer have to work for our votes.  

You know what they say about people who assume, right? That old line about 'making an ass...'?

Don’t let them get away with it.

• If your state asks you to vote for off-cycle redistricting, vote no.

• If your state just goes ahead and redistricts off-cycle, let the folks who represent you know that you’re unhappy about it, and that you’ll vote against them at the earliest opportunity. And then, do exactly that.

• And if they’re not talking about it, or have decided not to play the game, thank them – and remind them that they still have to work for – and earn – your vote, every single election.

It's time we fully use our voting rights - and there's no better time to start than this Tuesday, Election Day. 

OrangeVerse LXII: Brief But Derogatory

The PBS Newshour has a recurring feature called Brief But Spectacular, where people from various walks of life spend two or three minutes talking about something important to them, or interesting about them. 

With a slight modification (and an apology to the wonderful folks at the Newshour), I offer you this bit of verse from the Former Guy. 

I can't help noticing that, as is often the case when he accuses someone of something, it's usually done by exhibiting the same behavior he's complaining about. 

No Camp for YOU!

Nikki 'Birdbrain' Haley 

is very bad

for the Republican Party

and indeed,

our 

Country.

Her False Statements,

Derogatory Comments, 

and Humiliating Public Loss, 

is demeaning to

True 

American 

Patriots.

Her anger should be aimed at 

her Third Rate Political Consultants

and, more importantly

Crooked Joe Biden and those

who are destroying our Country - 

NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL SAVE IT.

I knew Nikki well, 

she was average

at best,

is not the one

 to take on

World Leaders,

and she never did.

That was up to me

and that is why

they respected 

the United States. 

When I ran for Office and won,

I noticed that the 

Losing Candidate's Donors

would immediately come to me

and want to 

'help out.'

This is standard in Politics,

but no longer with me.

Anybody that 

makes a

'Contribution'

to Birdbrain

from this moment forth

will be permanently banned

from the MAGA camp.

We don't want them, 

and will not accept them.

because we Put America First

and ALWAYS WILL.

I'm not sure if the MAGA camp has a gate at the end of the driveway, but if there was one,  I'd guess it would be both decidedly non-pearly, and garishly orange.

Quick Takes (v65): Disrespecting Campaign Donors

Most people don't pay a lot of attention to the Federal Election Commission or its members. And, it would seem, at least one of the FEC commissioners doesn't pay a lot of attention to how campaign funds are used. 

Here's the background: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) asked the FEC for a ruling on whether he can use campaign funds for childcare "when campaigning or traveling in his capacity as a member of Congress." I added the emphasis so folks don't have to spend a lot of time telling me that candidates can use campaign contributions for child care when they're running for office.

Now, before I get to the meat of this post, I'll share aa comment from the meeting to consider Swalwell's question. It's from Trey Trainor, one of the commissioners,  who thinks it's beyond the pale for a Congressman to want to, you know, do his job, even when it includes taking a foreign trip. Here's what Trainor said about that.

To be really honest with you, I’m actually going to pass judgment on it. I think it’s abhorrent that Congressman Swalwell would have such a young child and want to leave them in the care of someone else for a weeklong trip overseas.

Egads! In this day and age, that's the conversation Trainor wans to have?  

Well, it got worse. After the meeting a fellow commish, Ellen Weintraub, tweeted about Trainor's comment, saying in part

I have never seen a requestor treated so disrespectfully by a member of this Commission. We do not 'pass judgment' on the personal lives of those who come before us asking for guidance.

And, because #thisisus, Trainor responded, misspelling Swalwell's name in the process.

I've never seen campaign donors treated so disrespectfully! The Republic will persevere even if Swallwell (sic) doesn't get all the junkets he'd like.

Way to adult there, Mr. Trainor.

Now, I don't know what Trainor did before joining the FEC, but based solely on this exchange, I'm guessing it  didn't have much to do with campaign finance stuff. So, in the interest of furthering his (and everyone else's) knowledge,  I'm happy to share some examples of campaign donor abuse. 

Oh, wait, sorry - campaign donors "being treated so disrespectfully!" 

Below are just a few of the itemized expenditures reported by the Onondaga County District Attorney - my very own DA-for-Life - William Fitzpatrick, back in 2005 - 2013. Fitz was first elected as DA in November of 1991.

• Restaurants and bars: at least $63,000
• Golf courses, golf clubs, golf tournaments: at least $57,000
• Donations to other political campaigns or political parties: at least $53,000
• Polls, political consultants: at least $10,000
• Ads: at least $64,000

But wait - there's more!

• Over $93,000 of the expenses were paid outside of Onondaga County; of that, close to $37,000 was spent outside New York State, in places like New Mexico and Idaho and Hawaii, Virginia and Tennessee and Florida (and, oddly, in Canada).
• One restaurant - Peter Lugar's Steakhouse in Brooklyn - received over $29,000 of Fitz's campaign funds.
• Fitz reimbursed himself over $61,000 out of campaign funds.

If Trainor's got himself all tangled up in a knot over Rep. Swalwell's junkets, I wonder what he'd think of stuff like this.

  

Maybe these'd be OK with him, as long as there were no babysitters involved?