2022 Midterms

[Rasulis]

The GOP is probably not too happy about this.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® increased in September for the second consecutive month. The Index now stands at 108.0 (1985=100), up from 103.6 in August. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—rose to 149.6 from 145.3 last month. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—increased to 80.3 from 75.8.

“Consumer confidence improved in September for the second consecutive month supported in particular by jobs, wages, and declining gas prices,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The Present Situation Index rose again, after declining from April through July. The Expectations Index also improved from summer lows, but recession risks nonetheless persist. Concerns about inflation dissipated further in September—prompted largely by declining prices at the gas pump—and are now at their lowest level since the start of the year.”

“Meanwhile, purchasing intentions were mixed, with intentions to buy automobiles and big-ticket appliances up, while home purchasing intentions fell. The latter no doubt reflects rising mortgage rates and a cooling housing market. Looking ahead, the improvement in confidence may bode well for consumer spending in the final months of 2022, but inflation and interest-rate hikes remain strong headwinds to growth in the short term.”

[Shadowferal]

Kevin McCarthy Helped Sink Madison Cawthorn’s Re-Election Bid in Effort to Remove Ultra MAGA from GOP Caucus: Report

A new report from the Washington Post reveals that McCarthy and his top allies launched an effort “to purge the influence of Republican factions that seek disruption and grandstanding,” all while boosting candidates likely to fall in line with McCarthy’s leadership. To that end, McCarthy’s faction launched a secret reported effort to deny Cawthorn a second term while the former representative was bogged down in scandal.

"GOP lobbyist Jeff Miller, one of McCarthy’s closest friends and biggest fundraisers, and Brian O. Walsh, a Republican strategist who works for multiple McCarthy-backed groups, were both involved in an independent effort to oppose Cawthorn as part of a broader project to create a more functioning GOP caucus next year,” the Post reported. “The allies close to McCarthy have sometimes taken steps to conceal their efforts, as they did in the Cawthorn case, with money passing from top GOP donors through organizations that do not disclose their donors or have limited public records, federal disclosures show.”

The reported goal of McCarthy’s secret political operation is to weed out GOP candidates “who could either cause McCarthy trouble if he becomes House speaker or jeopardize GOP victories in districts where a more moderate candidate might have a better chance at winning.” Cawthorn established himself as a hard-right firebrand while in office. Even though he was given a vote of confidence from former President Donald Trump, his relationship with McCarthy had been fractured by the point of his race for re-election.
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The GOP either eats their own, or bloodies their own nose

[Edge-]

The GOP either eats their own, or bloodies their own nose

Honestly, if credit can go to McCarthy for sinking Cawthorn - and I'm skeptical because Cawthorn seemed to be doing an excellent job tanking his political career all on his own - I'll give him some props.

That's objectively a good thing overall given how absolutely batshit insane Cawthorn is and how it's unlikely he'll be replaced with someone as/more extreme as him, and that would be the first "meaningful" political accomplishment I've seen outta McCarthy his whole career. At least not directly involving his own political career and job security, that is.

[Shadowferal]

McCarthy...Cawthorn, an uncomfortable choice of devils. Still, the former recognizes the political reality.

[CastletonSnob]

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...M-17469644.php

"Voter suppression isn't real, guys!".

[Edge-]

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/09/...-pediatrician/

Apparently slandering doctors and calling them pedo's and child abusers is the Republican campaign strategy nowadays. Even if said doctor doesn't actually prescribe hormone blockers to young children, nor does the hospital she works at provide gender-affirming care for minors.

Republicans really just want to paint targets on these folks backs.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/u...tampering.html

A Michigan poll worker in the Aug. 2 primary has been charged with tampering with an election computer at a voting precinct, a breach that those in charge of elections said highlighted the insider threats to the system’s integrity that have proliferated since the 2020 election.

While state and local officials emphasized that the breach had no influence on the outcome of the primary election, they said that the equipment involved would no longer be used.

The episode happened after the polls closed in Gaines Township, south of Grand Rapids, where a person saw a Republican-affiliated election worker insert a personal USB drive into a special computer known as an electronic poll book, the Kent County Clerk’s office said on Wednesday.

Chris Becker, the county prosecutor, identified the poll worker as James Donald Holkeboer.

The computer stores voter registration data, including confidential, personally identifying information about all voters in the precinct, but is not connected to any of the tabulation equipment or to the internet, according to Lisa Posthumus Lyons, the county clerk.

Man, when are Republicans going to try to stop interfering with and trying to alter the outcomes of our elections?

[CastletonSnob]

https://twitter.com/scottbraddock/st...91301642584065

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/scottbraddock/st...91301642584065

lol, someone is scared they won't get applause lines.

[cubby]

https://twitter.com/scottbraddock/st...91301642584065

Abbot doesn't really need to do much to win, aside from continue his march on destroying civil liberties and the right to vote. Texards love him for it.

(plus - Beto just keeps trying to lose with his anti-gun positions)

[Edge-]

aside from continue his march

I wouldn't say he's marching anywhere, but he is on a roll.

[Shadowferal]

Republicans suggest defunding Veteran Affairs even though it helps 9 million vets

An Arizona legislator, captured on video participating in a mock congressional hearing, said he supported shutting down the department.

“That’s sort of what I’m thinking because … I hear no good stories. I had zero in my district,” the legislator said in a video posted by the far-right watchdog group Patriot Takes. “So I guess it’s a matter of us leading the fight to defund it.”

A second video, posted by the same account, showed Republican Florida Representative Matt Gaetz advocating for defunding the VA while speaking at an event held by FreedomWorks, a conservative and libertarian advocacy group.

a face begging to be punched

“This is my question to the group. Is it savable? Why not abolish the VA, take all of the money that we are otherwise spending and go to an any willing provider system inside of our communities?” Gaetz says in the video. “And then, if people get bad care, they can vote with their feet and you don’t have a two-tier system of healthcare in this country with our veterans and then with everyone else.”

Generally speaking, Republican policies favor the privatization of all government functions, thinking that a “small government,” “free-market,” “for-profit” privatization provided by a corporation can solve any market ill.

In reality, if entire communities are deprived of VA access, U.S. military veterans will be left largely on their own to get their life needs met after militaries service. Those who lack money or transportation won’t be able to “vote with their feet” and find a local care provider to handle their specific issues… they’ll either have to spend massive amounts to get such essential care or just go without.

In late July, 41 Senate Republicans voted against a bill aimed at protecting veterans exposed to toxic materials during their military service. The legislation would have expanded care to 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. It would have also added 23 toxic and burn pit exposure-related illnesses to the VA database, Newsweek reported.

After massive blowback, Senate Republicans re-voted on the bill and helped it pass.

Patriot Takes posted the video hoping that it would encourage veterans and military members to vote in the upcoming mid-term elections.

[Twdft]

Nothing says "thank you for your service" like taking away your healthcare.

[Poopymonster]

Nothing says "thank you for your service" like taking away your healthcare.

"Thank you for your service, why didn't you die there?"
They somehow keep the second part silent.

[Kaleredar]

Telling people to "vote with their feet" is extra hilarious given that some of them may literally no longer have feet.

And by "hilarious" I mean "incredibly tone-deaf and detached from the situation." But that's the GOP in general, these days.

[Corvus]

"Thank you for your service, why didn't you die there?"
They somehow keep the second part silent.

Hey, it works for the Russians they love so much.

[CastletonSnob]

RIP Voting Rights Act.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ng-rights-act/

[Ivanstone]

RIP Voting Rights Act.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ng-rights-act/

“ Alabama Republicans are now arguing that it’s discriminatory to prioritize race over other traditional redistricting techniques, such as having compact districts, contiguous boundaries or avoiding crossing county or town boundaries. ”



Yes, these districts are very compact and contiguous.

[Edge-]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/03/polit...box/index.html

“But what about education?” Jensen said. “What are we doing to our kids? Why are we telling elementary kids that they get to choose their gender this week? Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry? We’ve lost our minds. We’ve lost our minds.”

I swear, is there a single hoax that Republicans won't fall for? And keep falling for year after year despite it being repeatedly debunked?

Spoilers: The "litter boxes in schools" is a meme/hoax that's literally never happened and there's no actual evidence of outside of some chain-email making the claim, but that hasn't stopped multiple Republicans from being very, very, very, very concerned about it for the past few years.

This shit is so absolutely deadbrained. At least that's on-brand for Republicans, just believe what reinforces your worldview and don't bother verifying a piece of information as a result.

[CastletonSnob]

GREAT news for Democrats.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/1...t-gop-00059876

[Milchshake]

Glad I stopped buying Nike years ago.

Phil Knight has spent $2 million to help Oregon Republicans regain power in the state Legislature.


I thought the idea of a human-turkey hybrid trying to destroy the US ... was just the stuff of absurdist animation.
Phil Knight also sending $1.75 to "independent" Betsey Johnson to ratfuck the OR governor's race.

Wish this guy would just focus on his semi-pro football team.