Last week, I did three new comics at THE COMMON ILLS:
They're about Bill de Blasio, Elizabeth Warren and Steve Bullock -- three candidates for the Democratic Party's presidential nominations.
I've already done comics on Joe Biden, Beto O'Rourke, Mayor Pete and Tulsi Gabbard (and I've done Elizabeth before). 2008 was a good year to do primary and general election candidates because there were so many. I did Rudy G, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich. I might have done more but that's who I remember. When there are a lot of candidates, that helps. In 2016, I did Hillary, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley. I wasn't very interested in the GOP candidates -- not even for comics. I don't think I ever even did one on Mitt Romney in 2012 but I wasn't interested in that election at all from a humor point.
To be honest, I have to follow a campaign to some extent to find a joke. If I don't care enough to even follow it, unless a story consumes a lot of non-political press, I'm not seeing it.
I followed Hillary in the 2008 and the 2016 campaign. I don't buy her being a victim of sexism in 2016. I do absolutely believe she was attacked daily in 2008 because of her gender and that these were sexist attacks.
I will give her credit for 2008, a lot of credit, for staying in that race and for standing up to sexism. No one will ever have it that bad again, no woman, because Hillary fought it in 2007 and 2008. And I don't have a lot of respect for liars who try to play she faced sexism in 2016. These same liars were not defending her from sexism in her earlier run.
To be clear, a lot of that sexism came from Barack Obama and his supporters. The 2016 nonsense about "Bernie bros"? Just shut up because I'm not buying your crap. Your liars and you were too damn scared -- if you were paying attention -- to call out Barack in 2008 when he would say things about how when Hillary was "periodically" feeling down "the claws come out" and doing so much more crap.
Anyway . . .
So in this election? If the primary were today, I'd be voting for US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard.
Like Mike and Trina, I did a house party with that video this weekend, inviting friends over and watching this while we ate and snacked and discussing it.
Give the Joe Rogan interview with Tulsi a stream and see if it doesn't speak to you.
Lastly, make a point to check out Kat's latest album review "Kat's Korner: Dionne's back and she's better than ever" about Dionne Warwick's new album SHE'S BACK which is really great.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Friday, May 17, 2019. There are now 24 candidates for the Democratic
Party's presidential nomination, Iraq finally has a US Ambassador, war
on Iran continues to loom, and more.
Yesterday, Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "The Prisoner de Blasio: Number 24" went up, noting that NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio just became the 24th candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
What can you say about de Blasio? He's a uniter?
He's a safety first kind of guy?
Yesterday, Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "The Prisoner de Blasio: Number 24" went up, noting that NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio just became the 24th candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
What can you say about de Blasio? He's a uniter?
He's a safety first kind of guy?
i’m voting for bill de blasio because i think he’s the guy who tells me “stand clear of closing doors, please” every morning. he has saved my life hundreds of times
de Blasio himself maintains his campaign will be about putting working people first.
Today I am proud to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America, because it's time to finally put working people first.
youtu.be/GHDhsPyJzvk
Join me: act.billdeblasio.com/join #BdB2020
Again, he is the 24th candidate in the race.
Some are complaining. Senator Cory Booker's campaign feels he would have gained traction in the race long ago if there weren't so many other options. Which, if you think about it, may be true. If it was just Cory up against one person, he probably would have double digit support of some form. And, were Cory the only candidate in the race, he'd probably also be in the lead.
Some may remember in the 2008 race, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton were caught on an open mike insisting there were too many candidates on stage and that something needed to be done. Unlike her later comments that she was staying in the race because RFK was assassinated in July so who knows what might happen, those comments by Hillary were not perceived as a death threat, just a complaint.
At this point, the race is fueled solely by name recognition. The debates are when people begin to pay more attention. And they are when flaws emerge.
Debates tend to pull the rug out from the earlier press declared front runner. Currently, the front runner is Joe Biden. Debates?
Debates tend to sink Joe. He either comes off baffled or angry on a crowded stage. With one other candidate, he can work to tailor his presentation in mock debate practice. Otherwise, he either turns viewers off or they forget he was even on the stage.
Senator Kamala Harris' campaign thinks she will benefit from being on the stage with Senator Elizabeth Warren because viewers can see a contrast -- Kamala firm but relaxed, Elizabeth "like a frightened cat ready to pounce." (When I was told that by a friend with Kamala's campaign last night, I did say I was putting in a snapshot. You were warned.) All the female candidates -- Elizabeth, Kamala, Tulsi Gabbard, Marianne Williamson, Kirsten Gillibran and Amy Klobuchar -- have cross gender support. There is not a 'woman's candidate' that has emerged among the six women -- or for that matter, among the 24 candidates. When all six are part of the debates, that might change and GRRL Power (or what passes for it in electoral politics) might elevate one of the six.
A lot can happen in the debates -- including boneheaded mistakes -- no, Joe Biden isn't the only one that has to worry about that. de Blasio and everyone else, still has time to make a case to the American people. If he keeps his focus on working people, he might actually gain some traction in the race. Too many candidates, however, are defining themselves against Donald Trump -- often by being Donald Trump-like with one explosive moment after another. "I'm not Donald Trump" did not prove to be a winning strategy for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Let's hope this round of candidates makes an effort to explain who they are and what they will do.
What will Congress do?
Finally, get off their ass apparently.
The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Ambassador Matthew Tueller to be the Ambassador to Iraq. The U.S. Mission in Baghdad sends its congratulations and warm wishes to Ambassador Tueller and looks forward to his arrival.
Since the end of January, Iraq has been without a US ambassador. Tueller was nominated by President Donald Trump back in November. Foot dragging meant his confirmation hearing did not take place until March. It's now the middle of May and finally Congress has voted.
And all it took was weeks and weeks of the administration pushing for further war in Iraq, right? That is where the battle would start, according to administration sources and Senator Marco Rubio (FYI, Ken Silverstein explores Marco's life when he's not screaming for war). Iraq would be caught in the middle and the battlefield.
Makram Najmuddine (AL-MONITOR) reports:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decided May 8 to cancel his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and instead head to Iraq. The top US diplomat made it clear that he was visiting Baghdad to discuss increasing tensions with Iran.
An Iraqi official told
Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Pompeo, in fact,
delivered Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi a flash drive with
recordings of pro-Iranian Iraqi groups preparing to attack US interests
in the country. And, following Pompeo’s meeting, some Iraqi sources have
indicated that the United States may consider Iraq as a bridge to an
eventual dialogue with Iran — a role the Iraqis may be willing to play.
According to the Iraqi official, the Iraqi prime
minister wants to play a serious role in de-escalating tensions with
full backing from the highest Shiite religious authority in Iraq, Grand
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who believes Iraq is capable of emerging as a
fair mediator, not only between Iran and the United States, but also
Tehran and its regional rivals.
- Trump promised to get the US out of “stupid wars.” But now he and John Bolton are on the brink of launching us into a very stupid and costly war with Iran. Join me in sending a strong message to President Trump: The US must NOT go to war with Iran. #TULSI2020
Tulsi is an Iraq War veteran. Seth Moulton is also a member of the House of Representatives and also an Iraq War veteran. He, too, is seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
They said the Iraq War would take two weeks. It’s still going on two decades later.
This type of rhetoric gets people killed.
We’ve done this before. We can’t do it again.
Meanwhile, RUDAW reports:
Anti-corruption protests called by firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf turned violent on Wednesday night resulting in the death of four people.
Four people were killed and 17 wounded, according to Najaf’s Hakim Hospital, when security guards outside a mall owned by a former Sadrist opened fire on the crowd.
Sadr, who leads the Sayirun alliance, the biggest bloc in the Iraqi parliament, had called on his supporters to take to the streets to protest against corruption within the ranks of his own Sadrist Movement.
AP adds, "The Najaf province’s security command said security forces arrested five mall guards who had fired at the demonstrators, killing and wounding several." KURDISTAN 24 notes, "The owner of the busy commercial center is Jawad al-Karawi, according to locals. Karawi, also known as Abu Aktham, was the deputy head of Najaf International Airport and a former member of Najaf Provincial Council. In a videotape, Karawi appealed to Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to intervene in the situation." SPUTNIK offers, "Although Sadr had not specified any Names, his supporters took the protest to Al-Bashir mall, which is reportedly owned by a former Sadrist named Jawad al-Garawi, who was allegedly expelled from the movement on charges on corruption."
Najaf, 3 killed severa injured, the Al Basheer shopping center is burning as you read this. Al-Sader supporters are attacking the mall that belongs to a close person to the group who ventured off and made money using their name.
Four killed as anti-graft protest rocks Iraq's Najaf #Business #Crime #MiddleEast thefactexpress.co.in/four-killed-as…
Four people killed in protests against "corruption" in Najaf, central Iraq bit.ly/2WWE2jy
4 killed as anti-graft protest rocks Iraq's Najaf diplomacypakistan.com/main-front/4-k…
The following sites updated:
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