DNC and DNCC Chairs Announce Results of Presidential Nominating Petition Process and Opening of Virtual Roll Call on August 1; Only VP Kamala Harris Qualifies for Ballot
From the DNC:
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From the DNC:
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The following press release from the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis illustrates a point that is completely lost on xenophobes, Republicans, right wingers, etc. – that immigration is a *huge* net benefit to our country, almost any way one looks at it. And yes, that includes immigrants’ economic contributions, which are huge (e.g., just imagine who would plant/harvest our food supply, who would take care of the elderly, etc. without immigrants); the fact that undocumented immigrants commit crimes – including violent crimes – at a FAR lower rate than native-born Americans; etc. Of course, that won’t stop Trump and his ilk from demonizing immigrants, but the rest of us should be aware that that’s all it is – demonization, without any basis in fact whatsoever…and even worse, for calculated/cynical political purposes.
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This tweet by the VA GOP (“Democrats are OBSESSED with dividing Americans by race and gender“) is really rich coming from a party whose Virginia General Assembly makeup is almost monolithically white (and overwhelmingly male), and whose U.S. House makeup from Virginia is – yep, all white/mostly male (Rob Wittman, Jen Kiggans, Bob Good, Ben Cline, Morgan Griffith), and whose national party leader (Donald Trump) is a virulent racist/misogynist/etc., and whose movement is comprised of many who proudly describe themselves as white nationalists, etc. (Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats look like the demographic makeup of Virginia, while national Democrats reflect the demographics of America)
Also, note that reactions like this one demonstrate that Republicans are freaking out over the success of VP Kamala Harris, the shift in polling/fundraising/enthusiasm levels (in the Democrats’ direction) since President Joe Biden passed the baton to Harris, etc. That includes a bunch of wildly successful Zoom calls, including last night’s “White Dudes for Harris” call, which raised over $4 million and had over 120,000 RSVPs after just a few days of organizing. Plus, can you even imagine Republicans having the type of lineup we saw on the “White Dudes for Harris” call? Hell, if they had a call like this, they’d have…what, Don Jr., Eric Trump, Tucker Carlson, Hulk Hogan, Charlie Kirk, David Sacks, etc? What a joke.
With that, see below for video and highlights of the amazingly successful “White Dudes for Harris” call…and just imagine the extremist weirdo/freak show the Republicans would have if they tried something like this (e.g., “White Dudes for Trump/Vance?”)! LOL
Jeff Bridges: “I’m white, I’m a dude and I’m for Harris!”
Pete Buttigieg: “to address this convening of dudes right after THE dude is definitely one of the honors of my life”
Bradley Whitford: “We’re really trying to stay OUT of the ‘Handmaid’s Tale'”
Mitch Landrieu: Trumpism is a “manifestation of what I think is the root of a poisonous tree…a complete rejection of really what America was about…essentially what they’re saying is…really some of us are created more equal than others”
President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Jimmy Williams Jr.: “We’re proud to be united…to support VP Harris in what is absolutely the most important election of our lifetime…We cannot just sit by quietly…”
Josh Groban: “That very unity that I cherish in being able to perform is at risk in the country that I also live in…there is a real age-old drum that is being played on the other side right now that is oversimplifying something…based on fear…this idea that to celebrate the beauty of our similarities and…our differences is somehow a scary thing…”
Sean Astin: “Everyone is welcome” with Kamala Harris; “to me, there’s reverence…for women…when I think about smashing the donation button, I think of honoring them”
Sen. Gary Peters on the crucial important of unions – “that’s what freedom is about…to collectively bargain…to fight for fair wages…retire with dignity…that’s what Kamala Harris all about”
MN Gov. Tim Walz: “There’s one golden rule in a small town…mind your own damn business…Who’s asking for this crazy stuff that they’re pushing…to ban birth control…to raise the price of insulin…to cut veteran’s benefits like Project 2025 does…”
IL Gov. JB Pritzker: “Afterward, of course, there’s another Zoom that I invite you all to, called ‘Couches Against Trump’, better known as CATs” – lol
NC Gov. Roy Cooper: “Real men respect women – their decisions, their careers – and it’s pretty clear that Donald Trump and JD Vance don’t – from Trump’s sexual assaults to Vance’s misogynistic comments, it’s pretty clear that disrespect for women permeates Donald Trump land and MAGA Republicans”; “A DEI candidate? Here’s what [MAGA Republicans] are saying: that women and people of color don’t deserve to lead. We know better than that, guys.”
Rep. Adam Schiff: “There’s nothing inevitable…every generation…has to struggle to preserve democracy…all we need to do is get ourselves to the polls…participate in our democracy…what did we do when our democracy was at stake?”
From the Harris for President campaign:
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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, July 30. Also, check out last night’s “White Dudes for Harris” call, featuring Roy Cooper, JB Pritzker, Pete Buttigieg, Steny Hoyer, Mitch Landrieu, Adam Schiff, Tim Walz, Jeff Bridges, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Groban, David Hogg, Bradley Whitford, Rory O’Malley, Paul Scheer, Adam Conover, Sean Astin, Michael Kelly, Lance Bass, Tim Daly, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Hamill, Ben Wikler, Josh Gad, etc. Amazing call – raised around $4 million for the Harris campaign! A few great quotes include:
MN Gov. Tim Walz: “There’s one golden rule in a small town…mind your own damn business…Who’s asking for this crazy stuff that they’re pushing…to ban birth control…to raise the price of insulin…to cut veteran’s benefits like Project 2025 does…”
IL Gov. JB Pritzker: “Afterward, of course, there’s another Zoom that I invite you all to, called ‘Couches Against Trump’, better known as CATs” – lol
NC Gov. Roy Cooper: “Real men respect women – their decisions, their careers – and it’s pretty clear that Donald Trump and JD Vance don’t – from Trump’s sexual assaults to Vance’s misogynistic comments, it’s pretty clear that disrespect for women permeates Donald Trump land and MAGA Republicans”
Jeff Bridges: “I’m white, I’m a dude and I’m for Harris!”
Bradley Whitford: “We’re really trying to stay OUT of the ‘Handmaid’s Tale'”
Mitch Landrieu: Trumpism is a “manifestation of what I think is the root of a poisonous tree…a complete rejection of really what America was about…essentially what they’re saying is…really some of us are created more equal than others”
Sean Astin: “Everyone is welcome” with Kamala Harris; “to me, there’s reverence…for women…when I think about smashing the donation button, I think of honoring them”
Josh Groban: “That very unity that I cherish in being able to perform is at risk in the country that I also live in…there is a real age-old drum that is being played on the other side right now that is oversimplifying something…based on fear…this idea that to celebrate the beauty of our similarities and…our differences is somehow a scary thing…”
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The worst thing about alcohol-related crashes is that they are 100 percent avoidable, yet they continue to kill and ruin lives every year.
Washington, DC, treats DUI offenses seriously, with convictions resulting in some pretty harsh penalties depending on the circumstances of your arrest.
If you have been arrested for DUI, this guide can offer you tips on getting out of your predicament, so keep reading to learn more.
Law enforcement has to follow protocol when stopping vehicles. The standard is reasonable suspicion. For example, if a law enforcement officer notices a driver overspeeding, weaving between traffic, tailgating, or driving too slow for the posted limit, they have reasonable suspicion for pulling you over.
If the police can’t prove they had a reasonable suspicion for stopping you, your lawyer can use unlawful stop or arrest as a defense.
Law enforcement officers rely on some standardized tests to prove a DUI. The police can charge you with a DUI even when you are under the legal limit if they deem you too intoxicated to drive a car after a field sobriety test.
If the tests involved deviated from the standards, then you can use the deviation as a defense. Police body cameras and dashcam footage can help prove your case under such circumstances.
Most DUI charges are based on breathalyzer test results indicating blood alcohol level above the legal limits of 0.08 for drivers 21 or over, 0.02 for drivers under 21, and o.o4 for CDL drivers.
Failing a breathalyzer test doesn’t mean you are guilty of DUI. You can challenge the results if there is evidence to show that the equipment was poorly maintained at the time of administration, the test was administered improperly, or you have a health condition that could influence the results.
It is almost impossible to use the defenses cited in this guide independently, so you should consider hiring a lawyer.
“The court will assign you a lawyer if you can’t afford one. However, public defenders have huge workloads and may not have the time to investigate your case to give you the best outcomes,” says criminal defense lawyer David Benowitz.
In most cases, public defenders are only there to satisfy the legal requirement. If you want specialized attention, go for a private lawyer.
A conviction with DUI will result in criminal penalties that differ with the circumstances of your arrest, including your level of intoxication, whether or not your intoxication results in injury or death, and prior conviction with a DUI.
First-time offenders can get a maximum of 180 days in jail, but jail time is not mandatory. You can also face fines not exceeding $1,000. For a second conviction, you will be looking at mandatory ten days in jail up to a maximum of one year and fines not exceeding $5,000. For a third and consecutive conviction, you get mandatory 15 days in jail and a maximum of one year with penalties reaching $10,000.
Penalty enhancements also apply. For example, a first-time offender can get harsher penalties for higher BAC limits. Besides jail time and fines, you can also get a license suspension and be forced to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle.
A conviction can affect your life in ways beyond criminal penalties. For example, it can affect your chances of securing a job or getting child custody. These are more reasons you may want to hire a lawyer.
From the Harris for President campaign:
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See below for video of Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)’s interview this morning on “Morning Joe.” The bottom line, as Rep. Spanberger puts it:
“Virginians understand the stakes of November’s election.
Virginians know that reproductive rights are on the line.
Virginians know that the jobs of thousands of our fellow Virginians are on the line.
And Virginians know that the future of our healthcare system is on the line.”
More from Rep. Spanberger:
“I’ve been out and about across my district and across the greater Commonwealth, and what I’m hearing on the ground is a lot of excitement…about the Harris candidacy and excitement about taking affirmative steps forward to protect things like abortion rights, to ensure protections of our health care systems, to avoid ever coming close to enacting the dangerous and terrible policies that the Trump-Vance administration would push through Project 2025. And so I think Virginians know what’s at stake, we’re going to get out to the the polls and we’re going to vote here in the Commonwealth for vice president Harris to become president…for so many of us who have heard Senator Vance’s egregious statements related to access to abortion rights, certainly his egregious attacks on women who don’t have children, the contrast is is a clear one.”
From the DNC:
To: Interested Parties
From: DNC Chair Jaime Harrison
Date: July 29, 2024
Subject: Democrats Head into 100 Day Stretch on Offense with Momentum, Grassroots Energy, and Infrastructure to Win Up and Down Ballot in November
The DNC is crossing the 100 day benchmark on offense with robust infrastructure, booming grassroots fundraising, and unprecedented energy online and on the ground. From a surge in small-dollar donations to expansive organizing and data infrastructure across the states, Democrats are strong and only getting stronger.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump and the MAGA Republican Party’s embarrassment of a convention put their unhinged extremism on full display earlier this month at the RNC. It’s no wonder the ratings were so bad as the MAGA GOP did their usual song and dance, platforming the extremism that has taken over their party – from January 6 insurrectionists to union busters, to Project 2025 authors, to their creepy VP nominee JD Vance. The RNC was the GOP’s opportunity to reach more voters ahead of November, and they failed tremendously, accomplishing nothing other than making clear to the American people that Trump’s promise of unity was another empty promise and spelling out the gravity of the threat the Trump-Vance ticket and their Project 2025 agenda poses to our communities and democracy.
100 days from Election Day, Democrats are strong and getting stronger: Under the leadership of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the DNC has made unprecedented investments in the Democratic Party infrastructure, and as we ramp up ahead of Election Day, Democrats are poised to win big up and down the ballot in November with historic resources, robust infrastructure, a winning message (plus out-of-touch weirdos as opponents), and an unbeatable ground game – supercharged by an unprecedented and undeniable surge in grassroots energy, powered by our state parties, on-the-ground staff, and most of all our grassroots volunteers, donors, meme-makers, allies, and organizers.
Harnessing Grassroots Momentum with Record-Breaking Online Fundraising and Mobilization from Everyday Americans
Equipping our Grassroots Messengers Online and Beyond
Reaching Voters through State-of-the-Art Data and Technology Infrastructure
Investing in all 57 State Parties to Win Up and Down the Ballot
Building a Diverse Democratic Coalition to Win
Staying on the Offense with a Winning Message and Defining the Trump-Vance Project 2025 Agenda
Democratic voters, volunteers, and grassroots donors are fired up. We are confident that in our battleground states, Democrats will win up and down the ballot in November. Tied to an unpopular and dangerous Project 2025 agenda, the GOP is struggling to establish a ground game or make inroads with voters. It seems that GOP infrastructure issues are a feature — not a bug — of the Republican strategy this year, and it will hurt them on Election Day. Democrats answer to working people, not billionaires, and we will continue to engage communities block by block. That’s how we’ll win in November.
by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, July 29.