U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar will mark Hitler’s birthday by attending white nationalist bash



Prescott Republican Congressman Paul Gosar is set to be a “special guest” with the white nationalist American Populist Union at an event that will be on a date popular among white nationalists and Neo-Nazis: Hitler’s birthday.

The American Populist Social will be held in Tempe on April 20, a date revered by white supremacists and Neo-Nazis.

The American Populist Union is closely aligned with groypers, a group of white nationalists who strive for their ideas to become a part of the Republican mainstream and are largely followers of 23-year-old white nationalist Nick Fuentes. In 2021, Gosar was the first elected official to speak at Fuentes’ America First Political Action Conference in 2021. This year, the conference saw speeches by Gosar, Rogers and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Earlier this month, Gosar said his March video message to attendees of AFPAC was the fault of a staffer who sent his video message to the wrong group. He distanced himself from Fuentes, telling Politico that the young Holocaust-denying racist  “has a problem with his mouth.”

Fuentes shared the story on the encrypted messaging app Telegram with the message “April Fool’s!” and later said in a livestream that he and Gosar will continue to “collaborate behind the scenes.”

The group which Gosar will be joining later this month has connections to Fuentes ideologically and through its members. The group hobnobbed with Arizona politicians in December when it held an event across the street from Turning Point USA that attracted a slew of fringe activists and groypers.

The other featured guest at the event, John Doyle, has allied with and promoted groypers, and he organized a “Stop the Steal” rally in Michigan with Fuentes. Doyle, a YouTube personality who runs a show called “Heck off Commie,” regularly advocates far-right ideology. He has said that Martin Luther King was “not a hero” and has claimed that liberalism is linked to satanism.

Doyle has also posted highly misogynistic content, such as saying that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote, and he once called for “low IQ offenders” to be executed in response to a story about a Black man committing a violent crime. Doyle, along with other members of APU, were also in attendance at the first 76Fest which was dubbed “Hitler Youth, without the Hitler” by one of its organizers.

Arizona state Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, is also listed as a featured guest, but he told the Arizona Mirror he is not attending.

“When they first contacted me, I thought it was a County Young Republican event,” Petersen said. “After I realized it was an organization I was unfamiliar with, I respectfully declined to speak.”

APU did not respond to a request for comment asking it chose April 20 — a Wednesday — for its event. The organization still lists Petersen as a “special guest” at the event.

Gosar’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

https://www.azmirror.com/blog/paul-gosar-to-attend-white-nationalist-social-gathering-on-hitlers-birthday/

[Rick Plant]

Why do  Tennessee Republicans want to marry kids?

Proposed legislation could legalize child marriage in Tennessee

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Some Tennessee Republicans want to make common law marriage legal. But the bill being pushed through the legislature this week doesn’t have any age requirements and opponents say that paves the way for allowing child marriage.

Twenty-four Tennessee Republicans are sponsoring this legislation and right now it is making headlines around the world. Newsweek, The Hill and The Daily Mail in the U.K. have all written about it, Twitter is all abuzz about it, and all eyes are on the Volunteer State as people wonder if the state’s lawmakers are about to legalize child marriage.

State Rep. Tom Leatherwood, the Republican from Shelby County who represents Arlington, sponsored House Bill 233, introducing it in the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on April 23. The legislation is designed to legalize common law marriage in Tennessee as a way to push back against the LGBTQ movement.

“I’ve seen a change in the tide, and if there’s any hostility, it’s against those people who do believe marriage comes from God, not from government and do believe it’s between a man and a woman,” said Leatherwood.

“What’s the age limit on this bill?” inquired Rep. Mike Stewart, a Democrat from Nashville, “My concern would be you’re changing the law and we have strict age limits on marriage in Tennessee and I don’t think we want to get away from that.”

“So your current language does not have an age limit? You’re aware our current law does have an age limit and you know what that age limit is?” Rep. Torrey Harris of Memphis asked Leatherwood.

Current Tennessee law states you can get married as young as 17 if you have parental consent. Critics worry House Bill 233, if passed, would pave the way for child marriage and child sex abuse.

“What in your legislation would stop a 16-year-old from going down with someone else to the courthouse and getting this done, since there’s no age restriction within your law?” asked Rep. Harris.

“I think it would be construed that minors would not be able to enter into this,” Leatherwood replied.

“So it would be assumed?” said Harris. “So we’re going to take the assumption that minors would not be included in this?”

Rep. Rush Bricken, a Republican from Tullahoma, said HB 233 simply creates new paperwork for couples to fill out if they want their union to be a common-law marriage, and not a marriage requiring a license from the state.

“We’re making a whole bunch to do and getting off in the weeds here when this strictly is a form, and we should give our citizens the right to choose,” said Bricken.

Harris said if the bill ultimately passes, it would likely lead to a 14th amendment court challenge.

“We have no age limit in this legislation and that’s very much a problem,” said Harris.

State Senator Raumesh Akbari from Memphis told Action News 5: “It’s ugly enough Republicans are advancing an unconstitutional bill to undermine marriage equality, but the fact that this bill reopens the debate on child marriage is outrageous. Kids need time to grow and mature. Kids need to be kids, not brides and mothers.”

The bill passed the House subcommittee and now goes before the House Civil Justice Committee on April 6, and the full Senate will hear the bill on Thursday, April 7.

https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/04/06/proposed-legislation-could-legalize-child-marriage-tennessee/

[Rick Plant]

Rick Scott throws Ron DeSantis under the bus over his war on Disney



On Wednesday, POLITICO reported that Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) refused to back up Gov. Ron DeSantis over his threats to revoke special protections in law for the Walt Disney Corporation, in retaliation for their criticism of the "Don't Say Gay" law recently passed in Florida.

"Scott said he supports the legislation and complained during a lengthy television interview on Bloomberg Television and also on Twitter about 'woke companies' such as Disney, which also came under fire for not taking a stance on the bill until Florida lawmakers approved it," reported Gary Fineout. "But the former two-term governor sidestepped a question on whether Florida legislators should repeal a half-century state law that created a special district for the theme park that allows it to essentially establish its own independent government. DeSantis previously said he’d be 'receptive' to making changes to that law."

"My experience with Disney had been positive," Scott told POLITICO.

The law in question is the Reedy Creek Improvement Act of 1967, which basically allowed Disney to operate the public services in the area that would become the Walt Disney World resort complex. Prior to Disney taking over the land, it was considered uninhabitable.

For years, reporting has suggested that Scott and DeSantis have a hostile and adversarial relationship, with both seeing the other in conflict with their own presidential ambitions. In 2019, Scott even left DeSantis' inauguration speech early, prompting him to ad lib out the parts of his speech in which he would have thanked Scott for his service as governor.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/06/rick-scott-fissures-desantis-disney-00023582

[Rick Plant]

If Rick Scott and Republicans get their way they will tax working class Americans $4500. Also, ending social security and Medicare is part of their 2022 plan as well. That's all in Rick Scott's 11 point plan to destroy America. We finally dug out of the ditch Donald Trump put us in, and Republicans want to put us back in there again, but this time even further. I don't know of anybody who wants to pay Rick Scott's $4500 tax. Do you?     



Rick Scott Can’t Even Get Fox News to Buy His Lies
“It’s not a Democratic talking point. It’s in [your] plan,” host John Roberts scoffed at the senator’s attempts to deny reality

Republican Sen. Rick Scott couldn’t convince Fox News host John Roberts to buy his ridiculous 11 point “Plan to Rescue America,” which includes proposals to force all Americans to pay income tax, sunset all federal legislation within five years, and complete the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico to name it after former President Donald Trump.

“You recently put out an 11-point plan to rescue America,” Roberts said when interviewing Scott on Fox News Sunday. “Two of the big points are, quote: ‘All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount.’ Currently, over half of Americans pay no income tax. It also says: ‘All federal legislation sunsets in five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.'”

"Sure. John, that’s, of course, the Democrat talking points. It’s… ” Scott began, but Roberts interrupted.

“No, it’s in the plan. It’s in the plan,” Roberts insisted.

Undeterred by Roberts’ fact checking, Scott continued pushing back. “Also in the plan, it says we ought to, every year, talk about exactly how we’re going to fix Medicare and Social Security,” Scott said. He then pivoted to defending his plan to increase taxes for the 57 percent of Americans who did not pay federal income tax last year.

“Here’s what’s unfair,” Scott continued. “We have people that don’t — that could go to work and have figured out how to have government pay their way. That’s not right. They ought to have some skin in the game. I don’t care if it’s a dollar. We ought to all be in this together.”

To be clear, millions upon millions of Americans both work and do not pay income tax, many of them because they qualify for enough in deductions and credits to zero out their tax bill. One way to have more Americans pay income tax to this would be policy efforts to make help low-income workers earn more, but that isn’t a part of Scott’s plan.

But you don’t have to take our word for it, or even just the Democrats (and the Fox News host) who have criticized Scott’s 11 points. Roberts noted that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dissed Scott’s plan for exactly the reasons Roberts stated: it would raise taxes while threatening Social Security and Medicare.

“Let me tell you what would not be a part of our agenda,” McConnell said earlier this month. “We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years. That will not be part of the Republican Senate majority agenda.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1508086607269830667

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/rick-scott-fox-news-taxes-medicare-social-security-1328178/

[Rick Plant]

President Biden
@POTUS

"America is stronger than we were a year ago, but we are still recovering from the pandemic and the unprecedented economic disruption it caused. Today’s extension of the pause on student loan repayments will provide a continued lifeline as we recover and rebuild from the pandemic.

This afternoon, I signed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 into law. The bill recognizes that the Postal Service is a vital public service — one that we are ensuring can continue to serve all Americans for generations to come."

[Rick Plant]

President Biden continues to work hard for unions and blue collar workers who are the backbone of America.

Biden takes aim at Amazon as he touts unions



WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden drew loud applause at a labor event on Wednesday when he turned a spotlight on Amazon.com Inc while touting his administration's efforts to promote unions.

After highlighting a government task force on worker organization he launched a year ago “to make sure the choice to join a union belongs to workers alone,” Biden called out the online retail giant, whose own workers at a New York City warehouse voted last week to unionize.

“And by the way, by the way, Amazon here we come. Watch. Watch,” he said during a speech to the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference.

Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

Widely considered the most pro-union president in decades, Biden has swiftly ousted government officials deemed by unions to be hostile to labor and reversed rules of past President Donald Trump that critics said weakened worker protections.

Asked at a briefing with reporters whether Biden was endorsing unionization at Amazon, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said he was not sending a message that he or the U.S. government would get involved directly in such efforts.

"What he was conveying is his long-time support for collective bargaining, for the rights of workers to organize, and their decision to do exactly that in this case," she said.

Last week some 55% of workers at a warehouse in the New York City borough of Staten Island voted to form the first U.S. union at Amazon, America's second-largest private employer, building on recent grassroots successes by labor activists pushing into new industries.

Amazon has said it may file objections, due on Friday, before the election outcome is certified.

Employees at 10 U.S. Starbucks locations have likewise voted to unionize as well.

Biden's task force, which includes more than 20 heads of agencies and Cabinet officials such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, seeks to help reverse decades of declining union membership and power, labor experts said.

© Reuters

[Rick Plant]

Republicans have voted against Americans each and every time, and here's another perfect example with President Biden's Child Tax Credit. But Republicans falsely take fake credit when Democratic laws are popular with their voters. Their voters should be voting for Democrats because Republicans are giving them nothing.     

Child Tax Credit Payouts Biggest in GOP States, Despite No Republicans Voting for Bill


The expanded Child Tax Credit has benefited Republican states and is popular among the party’s voters, a new analysis found, despite the fact that it received no GOP support in Congress. In this photo, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks during a press conference on the Child Tax Credit at the U.S. Capitol on July 15.

President Joe Biden's expanded Child Tax Credit has benefited Republican states and is popular among the party's voters, a new analysis found, despite the fact that it received no GOP support in Congress.

Reuters, using data from the Treasury Department, found the top 10 states by average monthly payouts in August were Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, Alaska, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.

All of those states voted for Donald Trump over Biden in the 2020 election, and all but one, Kansas, is led by a Republican governor.

The news organization also found that the policy has broad support among the public: 59 percent of U.S. adults backed it in a recent poll, including 41 percent of respondents who identified as Republicans.

In fact, the Child Tax Credit was far more popular among Republicans than Biden, who in the latest poll garnered 11 percent job approval from self-identified conservatives.

But the benefit, which was part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, didn't receive a single Republican vote.

The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a party line vote, and the Senate used a process known as reconciliation to bypass the filibuster. The coronavirus relief package was ultimately signed by Biden in March with zero GOP support.

The expanded and advanceable Child Tax Credit—which bumped the payout from $2,000 to $3,600 for each child aged 6 to 17, or $3,000 per child under 6—began being dispersed among eligible households in July.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent out more than $15 billion in August in the second round of monthly payments for child tax credit. The payout went to families that include roughly 61 million eligible children.

The July payment was predominately used by households to pay for food, according to a U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. The benefit was also largely used to pay for utilities and clothing.

Some Republican lawmakers have touted the child tax credit and other aspects of the American Rescue Plan, such as restaurant relief and health funding, even though they rejected the legislation.

Biden mocked those promoting the bill they didn't support, holding up a list of names guilty of the behavior during a press conference.

"I mean, some people have no shame," the president said. "But I'm happy. I'm happy they know that it benefited their constituents. That's OK with me. But if you're going to try to take credit for what you've done, don't get in the way of what we still need to do."

Democrats are seeking to extend the Child Tax Credit expansion for an additional four years as part of a $3.5 trillion spending bill largely opposed by Republicans on Capitol Hill.

https://www.newsweek.com/child-tax-credit-payouts-biggest-gop-states-despite-no-republicans-voting-bill-1629809

[Richard Smith]

The media continues to celebrate the US governments seizure of assets from private individuals because they are: 1)  Russian and 2) wealthy.  Individuals are being fired from their jobs and subject to harassment due to their nationality.  Imagine the hue and cry if the US government had done this to Chinese citizens in response to the pandemic?  It would have been decried as racism.  An unbelievable overreach of governmental authority that hasn't occurred since the Japanese internment camps of WWII.