In The News (4)

Fight for Senate majority boils down to Georgia https://t.co/I97yqchDpQ pic.twitter.com/FEOTCDpNQe

— The Hill (@thehill) November 6, 2020

Fight for Senate majority boils down to Georgia The dual runoffs, with the Senate majority on the line, would set the stage for a nail-biting finish to an already chaotic, historic election year, with millions already set to pour into the state. ............. The dynamic will put Georgia at the center of the political universe for roughly the next 60 days with two races that are already being nationalized. Multiple officials who will be involved in the race declined to put a price tag on the runoff, but one GOP official didn’t rule out that it could top $100 million. .............  Winning both Georgia Senate races if they go to runoffs will be tough. ........ the path for Democrats would rely heavily on high turnout in Atlanta and the suburbs. ........... “If there are any Republicans out there that think this is going to be a cake walk, I think they should pay more attention to the fight that’s happening right now at the presidential level and understand what’s coming”

Stacey Abrams lauded by Democrats for mobilising black voters in Georgia Voting rights activist credited as architect behind grassroots efforts to turn state ‘blue’ ......... It was an endorsement in February from Jim Clyburn, the veteran black Democratic congressman, that resurrected Joe Biden’s flailing presidential primary campaign.  ..........  “As Democrats chart a course forward as a party, the first person they should turn to is Stacey Abrams.” ..........  Voter registration figures, early voting data and county-level election results suggest similar patterns helped Mr Biden edge out Mr Trump in other battleground states, notably Pennsylvania and Michigan. ..................... a surge of black people signing up to cast ballots in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the start of the summer. ......... “The truth of the matter is when democracy needed recalibration, it was the most consequential voting bloc in American history.” 

Trump Moves Into the Burn-It-Down Phase The president’s White House press conference showed that he knows his reelection prospects are fading, and he’ll try anything to keep power. .............  Trump is a showman who prizes presentation above everything else, who watches his interviews with the sound off, who critiques appearances with precision, who famously mocks his opponents as “sleepy” and “low energy.” When Trump goes back to watch his performance tonight, he’ll see a salesman who wasn’t selling. ......... On Fox News, John Roberts described Trump’s remarks as the words of a man who was losing and trying to hold on to power. Even the loyal New York Post described the president as “downcast” and his charges as “baseless.” The talkers on CNN were even more withering: Jake Tapper deemed the appearance a disgrace. “We knew the president wasn’t going to lose gracefully, if he lost,” he told viewers. “But frankly, watching him flail like this is just pathetic.” Trump’s lone nominal defender on the network, former Senator Rick Santorum, said the president’s accusations were without merit and “dangerous.” Anderson Cooper likened the president to “an obese turtle on his back, flailing in the hot sun.”  .......... Among conservatives, there is already talk of asking Republicans in the Pennsylvania state legislature to overrule the popular will and submit their own electors on Trump’s behalf. 

Georgia preps for war with Senate majority on the line Both parties are getting ready to dump millions into the two Senate runoffs.  

To Counter Some Of Paul Ryan's Most Extreme Ideas

I guess there is always the Senate Democrats and the filibuster.  

What Is Racism?

In Jeopardy, why do contestants have to answer in the form of a question? Is there some background to this quirky / obscure feature of the TV quiz show? Does it help quiz dynamics somehow? Is it simply a marketing device to differentiate the show from others? Do people like it?

I was Barack Obama's first full time volunteer in all of New York City. In some other country I might have been a Head of State myself. But I don't have a country. And I don't see me ever run for public office. I did not volunteer because I had political ambitions. I did not volunteer because I wanted to go to the White House, get a political job. Nothing like that. For me it was about 500 years of world history. I had been the only full timer Nepali in America to have worked for Nepal's spectacular democracy movement in 2005-06. And then the Madhesi Movement that followed. For me Obama 2008 was a continuation. I was going to put in my effort and then I was going to do tech entrepreneurship. When they nabbed me the precise day Hillary lost, my tech startup had 100K in the bank. The round 1 goal was 100K, and the goal had been met. The goal had been met months ago. But I wanted to see it through. I could not tear myself apart from the primary process unless I had seen Barack through. It was an entrepreneurial mistake: my then tech startup died in the process. But that's okay. It is not like I had a choice.

And I have stayed away in the aftermath. People don't think immigration detention. People think jail. I was obscure before, during and after. But I did not want to become an issue, however small. Being behind bars is politically radioactive. But I was done. As long as he got sworn in, that is all I had wanted. And I got it.

You can't put anyone behind bars for more than 24 hours unless you sentence him, so it was a human rights violation by international standards, but who cares about human rights, right? They did not read me my Miranda rights, either. China was known to snoop on citizens. Ends up America does it too! The scales don't even compare!

They had me disappear the precise day Hillary lost. The Machine did not lack poetry, did it? They let me out a few days after McCain was beat. It felt so political.

What I was accused of was considered light. The accusation was wrong. It talked of "hundreds of emails." If that phrase ever entered the judicial process, that was material for the crime of false allegation. There might have been 10 emails. After they got me out, the system had another guy go before me, he was sentenced to 10 hours of community service, something like that. Even if what I was accused of had validity, the system made a point to show me, it was light. But the system never intended to prove I was guilty.

There was a court order to not contact the person. I never did. I sent an email to these two other individuals -- I must have attended 100 plus events organized by the two during the preceding years -- and that email was interpreted as a court order violation.

The court appointed attorney belonged to the machine, not me.

For a harassing communication charge that they never had to prove, for a court order violation I never committed, they nabbed me. The idea was to get me in the immigration net and drop the light charge they never intended to prove.

Suddenly I am a petty thief to the system, rubbing shoulders with murderers, drug lords, mischiefs, bank robbers.

When they first came for me, the police officers were talking among themselves: "Who IS this guy?" As in, why are high level police officers and politicians' offices interested in him?

Top police officers downtown were involved. Charlie Rangel's office was involved. And if he was not personally involved, he should say so, I have badmouthed him in the loudest terms to give him an opportunity to come clean. Say you were not involved.

2008 immigration detention was the worst experience of my life. Nothing worse has ever happened to me. But I will take it. If I can put a black guy in the White House. Which I did. To me it is about 500 years of world history, although I like the guy plenty. I feel love for him. And he has been a great president.

Once they let me out, I get an email from a Co-Chair of the New York State Democratic Party inviting me to an event, if I show up, now that would have been a court order violation. Why would she do something like that?

And if she would, why are my fellow Obama 2008 volunteers not seeing this? And if they are not seeing this, do they mean anything to me anymore? I stayed away from Obama 2012. I did not have comrades. I might as well face the fact.

The recession feels like it might be over. And it bit me hard. I was not exactly living fancy before, but the recession years were tougher. But this year feels different. Things are beginning to happen. I am laying the foundations for the SuperEntrepreneur thing. All the motherfuckers who were involved in 2008, I have a message for you, you got yourself a script for Slumdog Billionaire. Just like those kids, I was also born in Bihar. Democracy gets rough in Bihar. You don't know rough. It is still Gangs Of New York time in Bihar. I will tough it out.

And I have to let it out, because I am sick and tired of these white tweedle dee tweedle dums in the US Senate projecting crash, crude racism at the black guy in the White House. You mean, you are going to act racist when you meet the black guy in the streets of Ferguson, and you are going to act racist when you meet the black guy in the White House! Nah! Not taking it lying down. There will be a fight. If we fought you in 2008, and 2012, we will fight you into infinity. So help me God. It is one of those things. Some of us paid a pretty steep price to get this guy into the White House, and don't you disrespect! We live in a global world now. It is not your mama's world we live in.

Barack Obama And Africa
Obama On Kimmel
Dear Ayatollah
A Racist Act By The US Senate

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Barack Obama And Africa

Barack Obama has been a successful president by any measure. But one place where he has missed the mark is in actively being the first black president.

The African American salvation does not lie in America. It lies in Africa. Unless the continent of Africa does what China has done, the African Americans will continue to be a sorry lot inside this country. It is sad that a black man can be in the White House, supposedly the most powerful office on the planet, and apparently be helplessly at the receiving end of the most open, the most stupid, the most crude racist attacks by the white guys in the US Senate. The whole world is watching. The message to black America can NOT be, racism is just reality, just put up with it. That defeats the purpose of putting a black guy in the White House.

Barack Obama can do much to help the continent of Africa try and achieve China like, and now India like, economic strides. He has not done much at all.

You are not white. You are black. Let Africa see that.

Dear Ayatollah

My Dear Ayatollah.

Recently an online poll conducted by the leading contemporary American publication The Onion figured out I am the most appropriate candidate to represent the 300 million American people and the people of Laos in the international arena. I beat The Anonymous in the poll, mind you. That is no small feat. And in this day and age of email, who needs to spill ink, right? I don't know if you are dead or still alive, I have not had the chance to google you up yet. But either way, I bring peace. I come as a messenger of peace. Disregard the anti-peace email sent to you by a defunct American club called Da Senate Republicans. The only thing that group does these days is run a Whites Only golf club in Oklahoma. No, I don't know where that is either.

As you know, peace is all the rage these days. There is a Nobel Peace Prize Winner in the Black House, the formerly White House. (Ever since he moved in he has been spray painting the whole place, no wonder Da Senate Republicans are offended. He does not seem to realize it is a guest house, not his house, his house is in Chicago.) He gives good speeches. One of them was about getting rid of all of America's nuclear weapons. He gave THAT speech after he had already won the Nobel. Methinks he might be trying to win ANOTHER Nobel Peace Prize. But then, I digress.

I hope the email to you by Da Senate Republicans ended up in your spam folder where it belongs. And that is pretty much it. That one act alone will do much for world peace.

Peace Out.
The Opinion Man kept in high regard by The Onion

A Racist Act By The US Senate

Biden Rebukes Senate Republicans Over Letter to Iran

According to the US Constitution, it is for the President Of The United States to deal with foreign powers on behalf of the country. For that he/she gets an entire department, with presences all over the world. He/she is boss to them and works through a Secretary he appoints.

For the Senate Republicans to directly reach out to the Iranian leadership ---- first, it is an invalid step. I also would like to reach out to the Iranian leadership on behalf of America and Laos. What is the email address?

It is also racism. It is like saying, we don't care who is in the White House, because there is a black guy in the White House. And we don't accept blackness in the White House. Attitude!

These Senate Republicans might or might not be okay with blackness, but that they should think they actually have the option to not accept the US Constitution! And for avowed strict constitutionalists too! If you want the Republicans to stop being so anal about being strict constitutionalists, idea, put a black guy in the White House!

How many black guys do we need to put in the White House for them to get past the right to bear arms part! I want to know.


There are two Armageddon forces on the planet right now: ISIS and the Senate Republicans!

Barack Obama has done commendable work to deescalate the tension around that part of the world. Israel should appreciate. The Senate Republicans should get out of the way.

If The Senate Goes Republican

President George W. Bush (right) is greeted by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (left) and his wife, Supriya Jolly Jindal (center), on his arrival to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Monday, April 21, 2008, where President Bush will attend the 2008 North American Leaders’ Summit. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have not been following this election, but there is no missing the headlines. There is talk the Senate will go Republican. The Clintons have shown up plenty on the campaign trail. If the Senate goes Republican, I think that might be the end of Hillary 2016.

Maybe Hillary never intended to run in the first place. I think she is eager for family time.

Right now I don't see me following the 2016 election with any intensity, other than grabbing headlines here and there.

But I do watch elections. I will be watching Bihar next year with utmost interest.

I think of Bobby Jindal as the dark horse of 2016. The pendulum of democracy might swing, and after eight years of a Democrat, the country might opt for a Republican. That is not to say Obama has not performed well. He has. But the democracy pendulum likes to swing.

Elizabeth Warren is the dark horse on the Democratic side.

Will Hillary run? That still is the million dollar question for 2016.

Bobby has already said it is the White House or bust. Should Hillary run, I wonder what that match up would be like.

Should Bobby make it, I think a lot of people will take a fresh look at the conservative philosophy. Because, going by his face, Bobby should have been a Democrat, right? Not so fast, pal. The guy is whip smart. I find some of his social positions bizarre to fascinating. But as long as they stay in the live and let live category, I am just plain eager to see someone who will help create the industries of tomorrow.

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