News bits: American CN theocracy; Vapor wins minds; Fact check update

The Friendly Atheist reports about something that has been a cherished Christian nationalist goal for years, namely Christian supremacy: 

Republicans in Arizona have introduced a bill that would ban Satanic displays in public spaces. It comes months after a Satanic display in the Iowa Capitol sent conservatives reeling, leading one man to vandalize it. (Just last week, he was charged with a hate crime.)

Titled the “Reject Escalating Satanism by Preserving Essential Core Traditions (RESPECT) Act,” SB 1279 would alter the law by adding the following line to three different parts of the state statute: 

SATANIC MEMORIALS, STATUES, ALTARS OR DISPLAYS OR ANY OTHER METHOD OF REPRESENTING OR HONORING SATAN MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED ON PUBLIC PROPERTY IN THIS STATE.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Jake Hoffman, a first-term senator and former member of the State House most (in)famous for being one of Arizona’s fake electors back in 2020 [i.e., he is a traitor].

Bills like this, though, aren’t introduced because there’s any chance of them passing. They’re introduced to placate conservative Christians who fantasize about living in a theocracy. They’re a reminder that Christians like Hoffman believe they’re superior to people who don’t share their faith, and they intend to use the government to codify that belief into law—or at least send that message.

We all knew this day was coming. One day one of these laws will pass and lawsuits will challenge this up to the USSC. At that point, the USSC could go full-blown Christian Taliban theocratic and establish Christiniaty as the supreme religion in the land. At present, that prospect looks to be at least 6 years off in the future, assuming it ever comes. After all, short of an outright declaration of supremacy, there are ways to make Christianity the supreme religious bigot in America. 

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An article The Hill published discusses the candidacy of RFK Jr. for president:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is poised to be a spoiler in the 2024 presidential election. In a poll conducted late last year, he was supported by 22 percent of respondents and a greater number of independent voters than either President Biden or former President Trump. In January, Gallup reported that 52 percent of Americans view him favorably, a higher percentage than either Biden (41 percent) or Trump (42 percent) received.

These results no doubt reflect the popularity of the Kennedy name and dissatisfaction with the likely nominees of the major parties; ....

Kennedy has declared, without evidence, that government officials knew that vaccines cause autism but “knowingly allowed the pharmaceutical industry to poison an entire generation of American children”; vaccines are “the only medical product that is not safety-tested prior to licensure”; chemicals in the water supply are “drugging” children and influencing transgender identity; Wi-Fi and 5G cause cancer; HIV is not the true and only cause of AIDS; more school shootings happened following the widespread use of Prozac and other anti-depressant drugs; COVID vaccines contain microchips to keep track of individuals and are “the deadliest vaccines ever made”; the COVID virus is “targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people and the people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”

Early on, he stated that anyone who wanted to close the U.S. border with Mexico was “probably a xenophobe and maybe a racist.” More recently, in a conversation that involved Elon Musk, he promised to “try to formulate policies that will seal the border permanently.”

The article goes on at length with other examples of RFK lies and blither. He is a QAnon-level conspiracy crackpot, but despite that millions of Americans see him favorably. The question is who might be spoil the election for, DJT or Biden? That is not so clear. 

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PolitiFact reports about something most Americans probably already knew:

We published our 1,000th rated fact-check of Donald Trump.

In classic Trump fashion, he claimed in his New Hampshire primary victory speech Jan. 23 that Democrats used the COVID-19 pandemic to "cheat" in the 2020 presidential election. Unsurprisingly to our regular readers, his claim was Pants on Fire.  

American fact-checkers have never encountered a politician who shares Trump’s disregard for factual accuracy. 

Hot pants Don -- he is on fire!

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The New Republic reports about the extreme partisan cynicism that killed a border deal they all wanted:

Shocker: Republicans Admit in Private That They Killed a Good Deal

Democratic Senator Michael Bennet says GOP colleagues have privately confessed that the now-dead immigration deal was the toughest one they’d ever get

In an extraordinary spectacle, virtually all Senate Republicans joined together Wednesday to block a bipartisan bill that would have given Republicans much of what they wanted on border security. Why? Because Donald Trump told them to.

The bad faith and ill-will that authoritarian radical Repubs operate in could not be much clearer. But, some sources are reporting that Putin is happy with this outcome. Killing the border deal also killed US military support for Ukraine. In the coming weeks, Ukraine is expected to weaken and then begin a slow collapse as it runs out of military supplies and personnel. Russian vengeance will be brutal. It will be a genocide on a par with what the Nazis pulled off in the 1940s.

News bit & some thoughts

Larry Motuz mentioned this 8 minute news video about Project 2025 and how Steve Bannon characterizes what the effort intends. In short, Project 2025 is reasonably described as an effort to replace professional, mostly honest and competent, bureaucrats in the executive branch with corrupt radical right bigots loyal to Trump and his rule. They will not be loyal to the Constitution, the rule of law or civil liberties. Trump will determine what is Constitutional, legal and a civil liberty. The anti-democratic, authoritarian intent behind Project 2025 cannot be much clearer. 

I am not sure if posting content like this is more harmful than helpful. By now, most people at DP are aware of the authoritarian radical right situation and Project 2025. Polling currently indicates that most people are either aware of the bigoted authoritarian threat and fear it (most Dems), or they are mostly unaware, don't know about it, don't care, deny it or support it (most Repubs). 

What do you think, mostly helpful, mostly harmful or ambiguous? Too repetitive or not repeated enough? 

Heads up...

Getting ready to listen to the arguments in the Supreme Court this morning, regarding whether or not Trump should be allowed on the Colorado ballot.

What do you think?  Yes, No, I don’t know, Other.

Does the 14 Amendment, Section 3 apply to him? Make your argument(s).

Personal note

Responses to the last few posts here have pushed me back into rethinking my own beliefs about politics and the human condition.

I need some time to step back and rethink. I need to take a few days off to reconsider my defense of, e.g., democracy, facts and "sound reasoning". I think I seriously misjudged the human condition, myself, or both. Probably both.

The best nature photo I ever took

Here we go, Snowy has a goofy idea ....................

I can already imagine the reactions to the follow suggestion, but here goes anyways:

Joe Biden might be old, but somehow he got a lot of bills passed. He did a decent job. In my opinion. Even on the border he has vowed to secure it if a bipartisan bill lands on his desk that includes funding for Ukraine. Well, Trump said no, because he didn't want Biden to have a "victory."

That aside, the perceptions against Biden are two-fold. He is too old and no one seems to want the idea of a Kamala Harris becoming President if something happens to Joe.

Not saying I have anything against her, but there is enough negative press and negative enthusiasm about her being VP, that it might be prudent for Biden to jettison her. However, if he does, he will be accused of dumping a woman of color. Well, I might have a solution.

Name Nikki Haley as his running mate. Yes yes, I know she might bulk. But would she? She wants to be President. She might have a better chance of getting there than sticking with the Republicans if Joe Biden can't complete his next term.

Many reasons I thought this might work. A woman of color. Someone not totally MAGA. She would bring a lot of independent votes into the Biden camp. Now don't be throwing any fits at my suggestion, because quite frankly - She definitely could. Maybe not a majority, but enough to turn the election. Also, consider the optics. A liberal President with a conservative VP. I mean even that Republican Abraham Lincoln picked a Democrat as his running mate - Andrew Johnson.

Now everyone on here, left OR right can tell me my idea is totally goofy. 

News bits: Choo-choo train company sleaze; Etc.

From the Corrupt Capitalism & Politics Files: A year after East Palestine derailment, rail industry blocks new safety rules -- The nation’s largest rail operators — including Norfolk Southern, the freight railroad behind the 2023 accident — have sought to weaken proposed regulations that might prevent chemical spills and other incidents .... Rail industry lobbyists also fought the Biden administration on even the most basic upgrades, from efforts to ensure that engineers have special breathing equipment onboard to new rules that would require miles-long trains to be staffed with more than one person. The staunch opposition has bogged down some federal action while leaving Congress unable to hold a single vote on rail safety legislation in the House or Senate.

From the Failing Rule of Law Files: Slowpoke federal appeals court puts 2024 election in jeopardy -- It is approaching four weeks since a federal appeals court considered Donald Trump’s audacious claim that he should enjoy absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for his actions as president. Under ordinary circumstances, it can take months for appellate judges to produce a ruling. In the current case, this delay borders on unconscionable. It plays right into Trump’s hands.

From the Well, Duh!, They Watch Faux News (or don't watch anything) Files:  Most Republicans aren’t aware of Trump’s various legal issues -- Polling released by CNN on Thursday shows that only a quarter of voters seek out news about the campaign; a third pay little to no attention at all. As it turns out, even major developments often fly under the average American’s radar. New polling conducted by YouGov shows that only a bit over half of the country on average is aware of the various legal challenges Trump faces. And among those Republicans on whose political support he depends? Consistently, only a minority say they are aware of his lawsuits and charges.

From the Why Republicans Hate Giving the IRS a Budget For Collecting Taxes Files: The IRS has collected more than $500 million in back taxes from delinquent millionaires -- On Friday, the IRS unveiled new numbers on the amount of back taxes paid by millionaire households ever since a 2022 upgrade brought tougher IRS enforcement on businesses and superwealthy tax delinquents and dodgers. IRS officials said they’ve pulled in a further $360 million from millionaire households with at least $250,000 in tax debts. That follows an October IRS announcement that $160 million in delinquent taxes had been raked back from wealthy households.

Hm, . . . .  $360 million from millionaire households with at least $250,000 in tax debts. . . . . YIKES!! Give the IRS a bigger budget to collect taxes. It is no wonder at all that the kleptocratic Repub Party hates the IRS collecting taxes.