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Aug 16, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

Thinking today of women and the 19th Amendment, and yes folks it was only 100 years ago. Women were no longer barred from voting, not given the “right” supposedly bestowed by men. Anyway here is a great quote from Margaret Chase Smith that is applicable to our times. She spoke against McCarthyism “But I don’t want to see the Republican Party ride to victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear.” I feel like that’s all the GOP has left in the tank right now.

We’re used to heat in Palm Springs but NOT with humidity. We’re getting humidity this week (30-40% when our normal is 3-5%) plus hot temperatures and it’s awful. So staying inside and making cool dishes for dinner. Pets are fazed.

Also wondering as is everyone if Trump’s brother died of COVID.

Anyway, Can’t wait for next week, Mike do you have a preview for us of what guests you will have during the Convention?

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What really bothers me is the removal of high-speed mail sorters. They can process 100,000 pieces of mail every hour. I remember a summer job I had at the Univ. of Nebraska in the 70s. We had to take 13,000 grade reports sorted by last name, and sort them by zip code for the post office. A team of 6 of us did this by hand. It took a week to get all 13,000 sorted.

If that is what post offices are now faced with after losing their sorting machines, God help us. Ballots will never get delivered by election day.

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The US was founded on and has profited from racism, bigotry and misogyny so the desperate actions the GOP are committing to continue to disenfranchise and deprive those who are perceived as lesser beings isn’t really that shocking. Particularly to an “angry Black woman” such as myself.

What really makes me angry is the mainstream media continuing to spend 24/7 focusing on Trump, Trump, Trump. Trump’s brother died. Trump croney is orchestrating the disappearance of mail boxes? Why is Covid-19 just a minor headline now? Why is our government not able to get it’s act together and pass a plan for helping Americans? We have a disease that continues to ravage ALL American communities (not just the minorities Republicans were hoping it would only affect), millions are still unemployed and on the verge of becoming homeless, small businesses have been shuttered and children are unable to go back to school.

Our government needs to help people NOW!

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A few things:

1. Montana lawmakers and citizens complained so loudly that DeJoy decided not only to stop pulling blue USPS mailboxes off the street in that state, but USPS now suspended the inane action nationally. As Rachel Maddow said, we should thank Montana for leading the way. USPS says they now won't start removing them until after the election but how much you wanna bet they'll ditch that? I mean, ALL of these cuts shouldn't have started until Nov. 4th, right? What president starts doing drastic changes like this in what could be their last six months? One thing about the mailboxes though — we just need to make sure that USPS will still 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 the mail from those boxes!

2. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) made a criminal referral to the New Jersey Attorney General to empanel a grand jury to look at electoral subversion by Donald Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for what he calls their “accelerating arson” of the post office: “We simply cannot be polite to corruption.” Fingers crossed this will balloon all across the country. AGs and Election Chiefs from as many states as possible need to ban together as very soon as possible this upcoming week and make statements and announce actions like the one in NJ. I realize we're not gonna get all of them, those Repub AGs who are Trump loyalists, but I'm sure there would be many who would participate, no matter what their party is.

3. Today lots of great pieces in the LA Times and other papers about workarounds to some of the challenges that Trump and DeJoy are throwing on us insofar as mail-in voting. One thing I particuarly liked is an opinion piece on CNN.com from David A. Andelman, Executive Director of The RedLines Project who is promoting what he calls 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟱𝟱¢ 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗡. Because DeJoy has changed the longstanding rule that all ballots are automatically first class mail to instead what will now be 3rd class mail, Andelman says the best thing you can do is use a stamp and that automatically makes the ballot First Class! I think it's worth 55c to save our democracy, don't you think? Still, you shouldn't wait to mail it any later than Oct. 31st, if that, to give it time to get through. Of course, the best way is to hand-deliver it to a polling station, if you can.

4. My favorite story of this morning, however, is that people are protesting ... outside Louis DeJoy's condo in DC! They're taping oversized ballot replicas to the front door of his building. Oh, are his neighbors gonna be pissed! But, I mean, power to the people, right..?!

Thanks, Michael — looking forward to what is no doubt going to be a VERY packed show on Monday! :)

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My mom is elderly and she even said what does he know about law and order .

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I was listening to The Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" live album yesterday (and today as well) and the lyric "Our president's crazy. Did you hear what he said." from the song "Making Flippy Floppy" seems to apply today as well.

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Fortunately, the post office is not removing any mailboxes in Seattle yet.

I do plan to drop my voting ballot in a drop box this fall rather than mailing it through the post office.

Our Attorney General Bob Ferguson Is consulting with other attorney generals on the legal options available. He has already filed over 50 lawsuits against Trump and has won most if not all of them. (See his FB page for more insight).

We’re having a small heat wave but I’m spending most of my days down at a local marina on Puget Sound walking and reading While sitting on a blanket, watching sailboats and kayakers.

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Is he nuts

She was born in Oakland California

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What DeJoy is doing may hurt Republicans around the country even more than Democrats. Is anyone saying anything about that?

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Michael trump must go. This whole postal con job is ridiculous. He can take his law and order bullshit and ram it

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Went to my post office to ship out my boxes and only one window open

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Find a USPS action near you: act.moveon.org this Saturday, August 22! Protect and Defend the USPS and your right to vote.

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Anyone living in the Washington, D.C. area. There will be a save USPS protest at the Old Post Office aka Trump Hotel on Pennsylvania Ave in D.C. this weekend. People will gather at 11am on Saturday, August 22 at the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Ave. Bring your signs, noise makers and passion to save the USPS and protect and defend our right to vote!

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This whole law and order nonsense is stupid .

Trump is going to save me from the bad guy

Really

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