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Video: At Buena Vista Labor Day Event, Sen. Tim Kaine Calls Out GOP Opponent for Continuing to Not Show Up, Says “Democrats deliver” While Trump Just Likes to “complain”

By
lowkell
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3

At yesterday’s Buena Vista Labor Day event, at which Democrats appeared to outnumber Republicans despite Buena Vista being “Trump country,” there was a lot going on, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin practically getting booed off the stage; Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears delivering a bizarre tirade/speech that has to be seen to be believed; the VA GOP’s 2024 nominee for U.S. Senate, Hung Cao, simply didn’t show up; etc.

On a more positive note, Sen. Tim Kaine spoke – see below for video and highlights, including the part where Kaine had the following to say about his AWOL opponent:

“I had hoped to meet my opponent today. I have not met my opponent. I was supposed to meet him on July 20th at the first debate of the season in western Virginia but he cancelled. I understand he was at the parade today and he was invited to speak to you, but he decided he had better things to do. In this month of September he has cancelled a debate before the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, he’s cancelled a candidate forum before the AARP, he’s canceled a candidate forum between me and him at Virginia FREE. It doesn’t seem like he wants to meet up with me and have a conversation and answer questions that Virginia voters would have about him. This would have been a great event. What’s wrong with Buena Vista? What’s wrong with Buena Vista? I don’t think Buena Vista is Podunk. Hung Cao called Staunton Podunk. Maybe he thinks Buena Vista is Podunk. Buena Vista is just great. And if you want to represent Virginians, you should show up for Virginians in every part of the state.”

Also from Sen. Kaine:

  • “When I came in 2001, Virginia had not voted for a Democrat for president for nearly 40 years. Now, the last four elections, Virginians have overwhemingly voted for Democrats to represent us in the White House and we’re going to do it for the fifth time in a row on November 5th. On November 5th, Virginians are putting their votes behind Kamala Harris and Tim Walz…We want to vote for Democrats in the White House and the reason is simple – Democrats deliver, Democrats deliver! Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, unemployment is at near-record lows, the stock market is near-record highs, the uninsured rate is at the lowest it’s been in the history of the United States, America is building again, America is manufacturing again – Democrats deliver!…”
  • “For years, insurance companies could discriminate against you because you had pre-existing conditions. Democrats fixed that without a single Republican vote. For years, pharmaceutical companies could charge us whatever the heck they wanted, especially to seniors under Medicare. Democrats fixed that – we’re negotiating prescription drug prices, we’re saving American taxpayers and seniors $7.5 billion a year; we
    couldn’t get one Republican vote for that. We couldn’t get one Republican vote for $35/month insulin. Democrats deliver.”
  • “Democrats, we deliver in Western Virginia. Folks, we’re repairing I-81, we’re building the Coal Fields Expressway. We’re expanding the Volvo plant in Dublin. I just got $2.5 million to build a new health clinic in downtown Buena Vista with Rockbridge and Lexington. We’re supporting student loan relief. We’re supporting improvement to water and wastewater systems all over this Commonwealth and in Western Virginia. Do you guys remember when Donald Trump used to talk about about infrastructure week and never did a damn thing to build anything in the infrastructure? We we only realized later when Donald Trump talked about infrastructure week, he was spelling it w-e-a-k. That’s why he never did anything. But under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, roads, bridges, airports, rail, public transit, ports, broadband. We are expanding rural broadband all over western Virginia because of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Democrats deliver.”
  • “And Democrats believe in democracy. You never would see a Democrat inspiring a violent attack on the United States capital to overturn the peaceful transfer of power. Democrats believe in democracy. I’m glad believing in democracy is an applause line for half the room, that is good to know. It ought to be an applause line for the entire room.”
  • “And look, Gov. Youngkin was good to stand up and talk about the fact that one year that he was governor, Virginia was named the best state for business in the United States. When I was governor, all four years we were named the best state for business in the United States.”
  • “Democrats put bipartisan immigration reform proposals on the table and then Donald Trump says vote against them, we don’t want to fix the problem we want to complain about the problem. America needs people who will fix the problem. Democrats deliver.”
  • “So I’m going to just conclude with a couple more things. It is Labor Day. We are celebrating hardworking people. Andwhat I would like to ask of my opponent were he here – he came out against the infrastructure bill that is leading us to build roads, bridges, broadband, ports, airports, rail all across the Commonwealth. What was his reason? He said he was against the infrastructure bill because it helped labor. Wow, happy Labor Day! Something that helps working people, that employs good Virginians in high-paying, high-benefit and yes often union jobs? That’s bad? No it’s good; it’s good for the Commonwealth, it’s good for the economy, it’s good for the country, it’s leading us to have the strongest economy on the planet Earth. There’s more work to do. Elect more Democrats and we’ll get more done. It’s great to be with you here in Buena Vista. Thanks and have a great Labor Day!”

Video: The Buena Vista Labor Day Speech By Virginia LG Winsome Sears Has to Be Seen to Be Believed. WTF???

By
lowkell
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10

This lie-filled, wildly-over-the-top speech (see video and transcript, below) by right-wing-Republican Virginia LG Winsome Sears at the Buena Vista Labor Day event yesterday really just has to be seen to be believed (and even then, you might not believe it! LOL), because it’s almost impossible to even describe it in words. For an excellent summary, though, see Jade Harris’ writeup at Daily Kos:

“Lt. Governor Winsome Sears was next to take the stage, and what followed was approximately ten minutes of some of the most awkward tryhard performance art I’ve ever had the misfortune to witness. If she was auditioning for a comedy in the vein of 19th century minstrel shows, she would have nailed the part. I knew we were in for a show when she screamed “Good morning BWAYNA Vista” and when the audience groaned (as they should), she repeated her mistake even louder.

Devoid of any class, reason, or respect for her office, Lt. Governor Sears launched into a tirade of one liners and squeals so loud she nearly caused the speaker system to malfunction. As we laughed at her little show, she repeatedly kept throwing her arms to the wind and gyrating as she gave her best telenovela impression of Kamala’s iconic “I’m speaking” line. Finally, in a sorry attempt to repeat her 2021 lie (bestie needs to get some new material), she claimed that the Democrats told her to “go back to Jamaica” and that the entire city of Buena Vista was racist for telling a Black woman to get off the stage. As I stood in the very front, a Black woman standing side by side with another Black woman, looking Lt. Gov Sears and the Republicans in the eye as she claimed that WE were the racist ones for telling her to stop lying for once in her life, I found myself feeling a deep and profound sadness for her. It was an absolute caricature of a political speech, and I wish Winsome Sears all the best in her quest to gain some self respect without making a spectacle of herself.”

And remember, Sears is quite possibly going to be the Virginia GOP’s nominee for GOVERNOR next year.  Yikes. With that, check out the video and transcript of Sears’ wild-lie-filled tirade…

“[BOOO.] Four years later, they’re removing body parts from our children and calling it freedom. Four years later the border is wide open and criminals are coming across and they’re calling it freedom. Four years later, we’re paying more in food and they call it freedom. Freedom, my friends, ain’t free because people have died when they pulled us out of Afghanistan. Marines. And you call it freedom? I’m telling you what take down that weird sign cuz y’all are the ones who are weird. That’s not freedom! [BOOOO.]

Freedom is not free! And I’m not playing around, because we have to win, because nobody knows who’s in charge in the White House right now. [BOOOO.] And that’s a national security issue. Let me – wait a minute, did I hear somebody say go back to Jamaica where you came from? I just want to be sure. I just want to be sure. Because I understand that y’all are the tolerant people. So I want to know. I just want to be sure. Because the vice president’s father was from Jamaica.

Folks, we got to win in November. I want to vote for the person other nations are afraid of…Donald Trump he didn’t start no wars. I am speaking! I am speaking! I am speaking! USA USA USA USA! USA USA USA! We’re going to win in November. We’re going to win in November! We have to win! We got to keep the White House! We’re going to win! God bless you! God bless you! And God bless America!

And one more thing. One more thing. They’re telling a Black woman to get off the stage. They’re telling a Black woman to get off the stage. The Democrats are telling a Black woman to get off the stage. Why didn’t you tell that to Kamala Harris? Why didn’t you tell that to Kamala Harris? The Democrats are telling a Black woman to get off the stage. It was the Republican Party who nominated me, a Black woman, to be lieutenant governor of Virginia. And it was the Republican party that voted for me, the first female Black immigrant Marine lieutenant governor of Virginia. God Bless America.”

Tuesday News: “Biden and Harris rally in battleground Pennsylvania as Trump sits out Labor Day”; “The Soft Bigotry of No Expectations on Trump”; VA Dems Fired Up in Buena Vista, Newport News, etc, While Youngkin Booed Off Stage and Cao “opts out of speech”

By
lowkell
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13

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, September 3.

The Harris-Walz Ticket’s “Joyful” Strategy Helps Produce Historic Voter Registration Surge and Enthusiasm Among Key Constituencies

By
Blue Virginia
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29

From the Harris-Walz campaign:

The Harris-Walz Ticket’s “Joyful” Strategy Helps Produce Historic Voter Registration Surge and Enthusiasm Among Key Constituencies
Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have continued to mobilize and unite Democrats representing every part of America, and their “politics of joy” is already translating to results on the ground and paying off in a big way among key constituencies. According to new data from data firm Target Smart, in comparison to the same time in 2020, states have seen an incredible surge in voter registration — particularly among young Black women and young Latina women, who have surpassed their voter registration rates from 2020 about 175% and 150% respectively. Meanwhile, Democrats’ enthusiasm hit historic levels that haven’t been reached since Obama’s campaign in 2008. While these data points show how fired up voters are about the Harris-Walz ticket, we aren’t taking a single vote for granted. Democrats remain focused on our tireless work to earn and turn out every last vote – ensuring our collective joy and energy translates to victory this November.

The joy the Harris-Walz ticket has brought to this election is a mobilizing force helping lead to historic voter registration:

@Tom Bonier: “The Harris Effect – in the 13 states that have updated voter files since July 21st, we are seeing incredible surges in voter registration relative to the same time period in 2024, driven by women, voters of color, and young voters.”

On CBS News, Tom Bonier: “It is incredibly unusual to see changes in voter registration that are anywhere close to this… Democrats are saying, ‘I’m fired up, I want to participate.’ And since then, you’ve seen Democrats outregistering Republicans.”

NewsOne: “Black Voter Registration Rates Surge Amid Kamala Harris’ Historic Candidacy, Data Shows”

“National voter registration data is the latest evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidency has particularly inspired Black voters to participate in the upcoming election at unprecedented levels, according to a new report.

“Specifically, young Black women voters are leading the overall rate of new voter registrations, and it’s not even close.

“Among all voters in 13 key states, the voter registration rate for Black women is up more than 175% compared to the same period in 2020, data firm Target Smart found in its analysis. That’s nearly triple what it was four years ago.”

The New Republic: “Bad News for Trump: Surprise Data Shows Pro-Kamala Surge In New Voters”

The enthusiasm surrounding Harris’ campaign goes beyond just a surge in voter registration — Americans of all walks of life are fired up and mobilizing to help elect Vice President Harris and Governor Walz:

The Guardian: “2024 US presidential polls: Harris taps into near-record levels of enthusiasm”

“Kamala Harris’s entry into the presidential race has given a shot in the arm to Democratic voters, who are now expressing near-record enthusiasm levels, fresh polling data shows.”

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider: “The last time Democrats were this excited about voting was 2008, per new Gallup polling.

Aug 2024: 78%
Feb 2008: 79%”

The Hill: “Black women motivated to vote this year, say 2024 most important election of their lives: Poll”

“Black women overwhelmingly believe this year’s election is more important than previous elections, with saving democracy and preserving freedoms as their top issues, according to a new survey. 

“The Black Women in America national poll, conducted by the Highland Project and Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies, found that 71 percent of Black women voters said this is the most important election of their lifetime. As such, Black women are increasingly motivated to vote this year…

“Black women rated their favorability of Harris at 83 out of 100. They rated Trump a 10.9 out of 100.”

CNN: “Black women are quickly joining forces to support Kamala Harris’ presidential bid. Here’s what that looks like”

“The women in Eaddy’s group chat started discussing how they could mobilize as many Black women as possible around Harris, she said. They agreed to spend the next five hours spreading the word about their weekly Sunday night Zoom call.

“That call ended up attracting some 44,000 attendees — with 50,000 more listening on other platforms when Zoom reached capacity. It raised $1.5 million for Harris’ campaign, Eaddy said.

“The call, activists say, was the start of a brewing movement of Black women who are quickly joining forces to help Harris secure a historic win in November. Thousands of Black women organizers across the country are mapping out voter registration efforts and planning conference calls, campaign events and fundraisers.”

Associated Press: “‘We were built for this moment: Black women rally around Kamala Harris’”

“On Sunday night, an estimated 90,000 Black women and allies logged on at the same time to support her brand-new presidential campaign…

“‘We’re together. We’re beautiful, we’re strong, we’re capable. We’re ready. We have incredible power in this group,’ she said. ‘People just were so hungry for that community and for that feeling of hope.’”

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta on MSNBC: “You do have people, since Kamala Harris [has] officially become our nominee, who are embracing the fact that we have a candidate for president who doesn’t spend every single day bullying people, who doesn’t spend every single day talking about themselves, but who is actually laying out a vision about how we make life better for working people. I know, like what an idea, but we see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz doing that every day. But that joy, that energy is really materializing in terms of volunteers that we’re seeing on the ground. You know, just today, the 50th [Pennsylvania] campaign office has been opened for the campaign.”

The 19th: “From dosas to comadres, enthusiasm for Harris spills out on mega Zoom calls”

“Within a few hours of Vice President Kamala Harris launching her bid for the White House, 44,000 Black women raised $1.6 million dollars to fuel her campaign during a longstanding Sunday night Zoom meeting hosted by the organization Win With Black Women.

“But that was only the start.

“In the days that followed, organizers — largely, but not exclusively, women — convened call after call. On Tuesday and Wednesday, 7,500 Latinas joined two calls focused on organizing support for Harris. More than 9,000 women signed up for a two-hour Zoom on Wednesday targeted at South Asian women and about 4,000 people were on the call at any given time, raising close to $300,000. Then, on Thursday, White women — who make up the largest voting bloc by race and gender — assembled for the largest Zoom in the platform’s history with 164,000 participants; by Sunday, fundraising from that call topped $11 million, part of the $200 million overall raised by the Harris campaign in its first week of existence.”

NBC News: “Democrats and progressives see more Latino young voters mobilizing for Harris”

“Some of them [young voters] told Noticias Telemundo that they were more politically motivated after Vice President Kamala Harris entered the presidential campaign following President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out.

“‘Kamala Harris is really a symbol for us. She is the American dream,’ said Carolyn Salvador Avila, national chair of the College Democrats of America…

“Santiago Mayer, who founded Voters of Tomorrow, a progressive organization aimed at politically mobilizing Gen Z voters, said he’s seeing young voters ‘everywhere’ excited about Harris’ campaign.

“The enthusiasm has been so great in the last three weeks that ‘the biggest challenge we are facing right now is that we have too much interest,’ Mayer said. ‘We have received more applications to join our chapter network in the last three weeks than we have received in the entire year.’”

Vice President Harris and Governor Walz continue to criss-cross the country making their case to voters with a campaign centered around delivering for hardworking families and protecting our freedoms.

Associated Press: “Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, dropped in on a high school band practice Wednesday as part of a two-day bus tour through southeast Georgia, a critical battleground state that Democrats just narrowly won four years ago. […]

“‘We’re so proud of you and we’re counting on you,’ Harris told the students, some shrieking with excitement at the sight of the vice president. ‘Your generation … is what is going to propel our country into the next era of what we can do and what we can be.’”

NPR: “Next stop: Sandfly Bar-B-Q in Savannah, a restaurant decorated with license plates from various states. Harris and Walz were greeted by the restaurant’s owner, employees and local patrons. Walz sought out a group of teachers and praised their ‘noble’ work. He talked about the importance of optimism and insisted, ‘Our politics can be hopeful.’”

News & Observer: “Walz chatted with the 30 volunteers who were gathered around a handful of tables. Walz brought them decorated cookies he picked up in Savannah, Georgia, from Cookie Queen Savannah…

“As the governors worked the room, Walz took over a phone call from one volunteer and began talking to the voter himself.”

Savannah Morning News: “Mashama Bailey, co-owner of The Grey, greeted Vice President Kamala Harris as she entered the former Greyhound Bus station turned restaurant. VP Harris meet with campaign volunteers, who were at The Grey for an appreciation gathering. She thanked them for their work and took time to greet each one and take photos before leaving for the rally.”

DNC War Room on “the Most Anti-Worker and Anti-Union Ticket in American History”; “GOP Propping Up Stein and West In Key States”

By
Blue Virginia
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2

See below for two press releases from the DNC War Room. The first is on “the most anti-worker and anti-union ticket in American history,” the other on how Republicans are propping up Jill Stein and RFK Jr. to siphon off votes from Kamala Harris.

Happy Labor Day to Everyone Except Donald Trump and JD Vance – the Most Anti-Worker and Anti-Union Ticket in American History
As Americans celebrate Labor Day, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump and JD Vance have been absent from the campaign trail this Labor Day weekend because they know their anti-worker agenda is extreme, unpopular, and would devastate America’s working class. The Trump-Vance Project 2025 playbook would make it harder for workers to form unions and gut overtime pay – all while raising taxes on the middle class and rigging the economy for billionaires and big corporations. Americans are fired up to elect Vice President Harris and former union member Governor Walz because they are champions for labor who will stop the most anti-union ticket in American history.”

Donald Trump was one of the most anti-worker and anti-union presidents in American history – and his running mate JD Vance stands firmly against working people and has opposed legislation to protect unions.

Politico: “Vance has consistently opposed the PRO Act, the ‘holy grail of pro-union labor reform’ that organized labor and its allies on the Hill have been fighting for over two years to get passed. … Vance’s skepticism of the PRO Act is part of a more fundamental skepticism that he harbors toward organized labor.”

Fast Company: “Vance also voted in favor of a resolution to strike down the NLRB’s updated joint-employer rule, which would have given workers more leverage when organizing at companies—like Amazon—that rely heavily on third-party contractors, by forcing both employers to participate in labor negotiations.”

Trump: “I know the unions. They’re dues-sucking people. They just want their dues and they couldn’t care less.”

New York Times: “Does [Trump] support unions? He has had ‘great success’ in New York building with unions and also in Florida without unions. ‘If I had my choice,’ he said, ‘I think I’d take it without.’”

Associated Press: “During Trump’s presidency, the National Labor Relations Board reversed several key rulings that made it easier for small unions to organize, strengthened the bargaining rights of franchise workers and provided protection against anti-union measures for employees.

“The Supreme Court’s conservative majority — including three justices that Trump nominated — overturned a decades-old pro-union decision in 2018 involving fees paid by government workers. The justices in 2021 rejected a California regulation giving unions access to farm property so they could organize workers.”

Trump recently celebrated firing striking workers, and Vance shamelessly defended his comments.

Newsweek: “Donald Trump Cheers Elon Musk Over Firing Workers: ‘You’re the Greatest!’”

Politico: “Vice presidential candidate JD Vance defended Donald Trump’s comments about firing striking workers during a rally in Michigan.”

New Republic: “J.D. Vance Makes Huge Mistake Trying to Defend Trump’s Workers Comment”

Trump has repeatedly broken his promises to workers across the country.

CNN: “Trump told GM workers he could save their plant, but it’s gone for good”

Washington Post: “Trump promised this Wisconsin town a manufacturing boom. It never arrived.”

Fox Business: “Electric truck company touted by Trump as ‘an incredible concept’ files for bankruptcy”

Detroit Free Press: “Trump, tweets couldn’t save U.S. auto jobs in 2017”

“In March 2017, [Trump] praised General Motors when he flew to Detroit to highlight the importance of American manufacturing. That same day, GM announced plans for 900 new or retained jobs in Michigan within 12 months. This week, GM confirmed a net loss of 3,500 hourly manufacturing jobs in 2017.”

MLive: “On the 2016 campaign trail in Warren, Trump pledged ‘you won’t lose one plant’ if he were elected. GM announced last year it would end production at five North American plants.”

New York Times: “After Years of Growth, Automakers Are Cutting U.S. Jobs”

Wall Street Journal: “President Trump’s trade war against China didn’t achieve the central objective of reversing a U.S. decline in manufacturing, economic data show, despite tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods to discourage imports.”

The Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda would raise taxes for the middle class while gifting tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and threatening to supercharge inflation.

Center for American Progress: “Project 2025’s Tax Plan Would Raise Taxes on the Middle Class and Cut Taxes for the Wealthy”

“In [Project 2025], far-right extremist plans are outlined that raise taxes on low- and middle-income households to finance tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations. Project 2025’s tax plan includes an ‘intermediate tax reform’ that includes changes to tax brackets and corporate tax cuts that would shift the tax burden toward middle-income households …

“The shift toward a flat consumption tax while eliminating income taxes would lead to an average $5,900 tax increase for the middle 20 percent of households and an average $2 million tax cut for the top 0.1 percent. … Project 2025 does not stop at cutting taxes for wealthy individuals; it also proposes an array of tax cuts for corporations. … This would amount to a $24 billion tax cut for the Fortune 100, the 100 largest companies in America.”

CBS News: “Millions of low- and middle-class households would likely face significantly higher taxes under the Project 2025’s proposals.”

New York Times: “Senator JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, denied in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that tariffs had caused higher costs for Americans, as economists have documented.”

Vance on Trump’s plan that would raise tariffs and raise costs for hardworking Americans: “This is a fascinating proposal and we could talk for a while about it.”

Project 2025: “The corporate income tax rate should be reduced to 18 percent.”

Vance: “I’ve reviewed a lot of [Project 2025]. There are some good ideas in there.”

Axios: “Sixteen Nobel prize-winning economists are jumping into the presidential campaign with a stark warning: Former President Trump’s plans would reignite inflation and cause lasting harm to the global economy if he wins in November.”

Wall Street Journal: “A drumbeat of reports from Wall Street economists have warned that Trump’s plans could substantially slow economic growth while driving up consumer prices.”

The Atlantic: “Trump’s Plan to Supercharge Inflation”

Washington Post: “Trump and his advisers have discussed deeper cuts to both individual and corporate tax rates that would build on his controversial 2017 tax law … Further cutting corporate taxes … would primarily benefit large firms.”

Trump’s failed economic agenda resulted in broken promises, a skyrocketing deficit, and new incentives for companies to ship jobs overseas.

Vance: “The left attacked Donald Trump for those tax cuts said they would make the deficit worse when in reality we took in more revenue because the government got out of the way on the regulatory side and the tax cuts spurred a lot of growth which means more people working, which meant more economic production which meant the entire economy was healthier … I think we have a pretty common sense regulatory and tax agenda.”

New York Times: “The 2017 corporate tax cuts signed into law by Mr. Trump have not increased government revenue … In fact, they have had the opposite effect.”

Washington Post: “Trump promised this Wisconsin town a manufacturing boom. It never arrived.”

The Guardian: “Donald Trump’s $1.5tn tax cuts have helped billionaires pay a lower rate than the working class for the first time in history.”

CBS News: “Two years after Trump tax cuts, middle-class Americans are falling behind”

Washington Post Analysis: “One of President Donald Trump’s lesser-known but profoundly damaging legacies will be the explosive rise in the national debt that occurred on his watch. The financial burden that he’s inflicted on our government will wreak havoc for decades, saddling our kids and grandkids with debt. The national debt has risen by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. … The growth in the annual deficit under Trump ranks as the third-biggest increase, relative to the size of the economy, of any U.S. presidential administration.”

Washington Post: “Trump promised ‘America First’ would keep jobs here. But the tax plan might push them overseas.”

ICYMI: Associated Press: GOP Propping Up Stein and West In Key States, Hoping to Siphon Off Harris Votes
This week, new reporting from the Associated Press deep dives into the GOP’s efforts to prop up third-party candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein to help them spoil the election for Donald Trump.

This follows recent reporting from USA Today that a Republican-aligned canvassing firm, Blair Group Consulting, helped West gather signatures in Wisconsin.

Associated Press: GOP network props up liberal third-party candidates in key states, hoping to siphon off Harris votes

By: Brian Slodysko and Dan Merica

  • Across the country, a network of Republican political operatives, lawyers and their allies is trying to shape November’s election in ways that favor former President Donald Trump. Their goal is to prop up third-party candidates such as West who offer liberal voters an alternative that could siphon away support from Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
  • Trump has offered praise for West, calling him “one of my favorite candidates.” Another is Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Trump favors both for the same reason. “I like her very much. You know why? She takes 100% from them. He takes 100%.”
  • One key figure in the push is Paul Hamrick […] Hamrick serves as counsel for the Virginia-based nonprofit People Over Party, which has pushed to get West on the ballot in Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as North Carolina, records show.
  • […] Hamrick voted in Alabama’s Republican primary in 2002, 2006 and 2010, according to state voting records maintained by the political data firm L2. He was tapped briefly in 2011 to work for the Alabama state Senate’s Republican majority. And since 2015, according to federal campaign finance disclosures, he has contributed only to GOP causes […]
  • For years, he was a consultant for Matrix LLC, […] Matrix LLC was part of an effort in Florida to run “ghost candidates” against elected officials who had raised the ire of executives for Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest utility.
  • Daniella Levine Cava, the current mayor of Miami-Dade County, was a target. As a county commissioner, Levine Cava had fought with FPL. When she ran for reelection in 2018, Matrix covertly financed a third-party candidate they hoped would siphon enough votes to tip her seat to a Republican challenger, The Miami Herald reported in 2022.
  • Hamrick was deeply involved. A company he created paid the spoiler candidate a $60,000 salary and rented a $2,300-a-month home for him, according to the newspaper and business filings made in Alabama.
  • Now Hamrick is playing a prominent role to place West’s name on the ballot in competitive states. Hamrick surfaced in Arizona two weeks ago after a woman told the AP that a document was fraudulently submitted in her name to Arizona’s secretary of state in which she purportedly agreed to serve as an elector for West. She said her signature was forged and she never agreed to be an elector.
  • After the AP published her account, Hamrick said he spoke to the woman’s husband, trying to rectify the situation and “gave some information.” Hamrick declined to say what information was shared. He also tried to persuade another elector who backed out to recommit to West, according to interviews and voicemails.
  • The next day, with the deadline to qualify for the Arizona ballot just hours away, Brett Johnson, a prominent Republican lawyer, and Amanda Reeve, a former GOP state lawmaker, made house visits to each as they tried to persuade both to sign new paperwork to serve as West electors.
  • Johnson and Reeve work for Snell & Wilmer, which has done $257,000 worth of business for the Republican National Committee over the past two years, campaign finance disclosures show.
  • In Georgia, Bryan Tyson, a partner at the Election Law Group, represented the state Republican Party as it tried to keep West on the ballot. The firm has collected $60,000 in payments from the RNC since April, campaign finance records show.
  • In North Carolina, Phil Strach, a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association, successfully challenged in court a North Carolina State Board of Elections decision to bar West from the ballot.
  • In Michigan, John Bursch, a senior lawyer for the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal group that helped overturn Roe v. Wade, successfully fended off a challenge to West’s placement on the ballot. Bursch’s firm, Bursch Law PLLC, was paid $25,000 by Trump’s campaign in November 2020 for “RECOUNT: LEGAL CONSULTING,” according to campaign finance disclosures.
  • In Pennsylvania, a lawyer with long-standing ties to Republican candidates and causes, unsuccessfully argued in August for West to stay on the ballot. […] People Over Party, the group Hamrick is affiliated with, had tried to get West on the ballot. None of these actions was funded by West’s campaign, though he and his “Justice for All” party have coordinated at times with Hamrick’s People Over Party, according to legal filings, a news release and social media posts.
  • In North Carolina, People Over Party, worked with Blitz Canvassing and Campaign & Petition Management — two firms that routinely work for the GOP — to gather signatures for West.
  • In Wisconsin, Blair Group Consulting oversaw West’s petition signature drive to qualify for the ballot, as previously reported by USA Today. David Blair, the firm’s president, was the national director of Youth for Trump during the 2016 campaign and was a spokesman in the Trump administration.
  • Mark Jacoby, whose signature gathering firm Let the Voters Decide often works for Republicans, was involved in the failed Arizona push to get West on the ballot. The California operative was convicted in 2009 of voter registration fraud, court records show.
  • Jefferson Thomas, a longtime Republican operative from Colorado, submitted petition signatures that his firm, The Synapse Group, gathered on behalf of Stein in New Hampshire, records show. 
###

Video: Anti-Labor, Pro-Trump MAGA Glenn Youngkin Booed at Buena Vista Labor Day Festival; Crowd Chants “We’re Not Going Back!”

By
lowkell
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17

Anti-labor, anti-worker, pro-Trump, right-wingnut, failed Gov. Glenn Youngkin getting booed at the Buena Vista Labor Day festival, as well he should! Also, great to hear the chants of “we’re not going back!” As for Youngkin’s comments about “this is right and that is left” are typically obnoxious by our ever-divisive governor.

Labor Day News: “Nationwide strike in Israel as hostage killings spark fury”; “Harris and Biden Will Make a Labor Day Pitch to Union Voters”; Trump FALSELY, DANGEROUSLY Claims “He Had ‘Every Right’ to Interfere With Presidential Election”; “There Are No Backsies on Dobbs”

By
lowkell
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13

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Labor Day, September 2.

Video: Despite Relentless Right-Wing Framing by Fox “News” Sunday Host, Sen. Tim Kaine Sets the Record Straight, Particularly on Trump/Republicans Repeatedly Killing Strong Immigration Reform Legislation

By
lowkell
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3

Sen. Tim Kaine’s appearance on “Fox News Sunday” earlier today (see video and highlights, below) really illustrates why Democrats should shun this right-wing-propaganda network. Just a bunch of pro-Donald Trump/anti-Kamala Harris “framing”/”narrative,” relentless dishonesty, etc. from the most-definitely-NOT-journalists at Fox “News.”  So in general, if asked to appear on their shows, Democrats should tell right-wing-propaganda media (TV, radio, whatever) to jump in a lake, shove it where the sun don’t shine, etc.  Don’t legitimize them. Don’t play their game. Don’t fall into their trap.

Having said all that, obviously Sen. Tim Kaine – who is awesome, but who also clearly has a different media strategy than I’d prefer! – DID decide to appear on “Fox News Sunday” earlier today, as a surrogate for the Kamala Harris campaign (so most likely they asked him to do the interview?). The good news is that Sen. Kaine is great at this stuff, and also – even more importantly? – has the FACTS on his side, unlike the right-wing propagandist interviewing him.

In this case, Sen. Kaine pointed out to Fox “News” host Shannon Bream that:

  • When it comes to fracking,”[Kamala Harris] has “been part of an Administration that has rocketed ahead with alternative energy investments because of the Inflation Reduction Act, but has also used the production of natural gas to backstop our allies who are trying to wean themselves away from relying on  Russia…campaigning is one thing, governing is another, and what governing has shown with Vice President Harris is she’s going to try to bring the team together and make something happen.”
  • On the border/immigration: “I’ve watched it in real time from Congress; the Biden Harris administration has removed more people from the United States – about 4.4 million – than any administration except the second George W. Bush administration, which came in at about 5 million. So the actual practice…has been create some positive paths where people can come in, but when they come in the wrong way they’re being removed. And that’s been going on for the last year and a half – you really see the numbers improving now. The right answer, of course, is for Congress to finally engage in immigration reform, and Kamala Harris was very involved in the negotiation of a very tough border security deal with Republicans in late 2023 and early 2024. Donald Trump told Republicans… vote against this; we don’t want to fix the problem, we want to complain about the problem…When you see those numbers on deportations and removals, those don’t lie; I wish Republicans would quit repeating over and over again that borders are open because when they do that they make the problem worse by encouraging…and every time Donald Trump says the borders are open that message goes loud and clear, cartels get people to pay him thousands of dollars to bring them to the United States because that message…I was a missionary in Honduras in 1980 and 1981, I think I know why people come here – they come here
    because they they believe there’s opportunity in this country and they’re so tired of violence and corruption and lack of opportunity in their own. They come here for the same reason my eight great-grandparents came here from Ireland in the 1860s. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have rules and that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enforce them. I like what the Biden-Harris Administration has done with respect to not allowing people to cross the border between ports of entry and then claim refugee or asylum status if they are picked up – you you need to get an appointment, you need to go to a port of entry, you need to wait your turn, you may or may not be allowed in if you meet the standard or don’t. Putting that kind of order in place is important and that’s what the  administration has done. But again, Congress really bears the lion’s share of responsibility, and it’s three times since I’ve been in the Senate we’ve done bipartisan border security deals and Republicans have killed it each of the three times…I remember that part of 2018 very well, because we did a bipartisan deal in the
    Senate that gave Donald Trump every bit of his 25 billion and…also protected Dreamers, which he said he wanted to do. As soon as we put that bill on the table, he did a 180 and killed it…”

So again, Sen. Kaine gave it right back to the Fox “News” host – and definitely came out (by far) on top in the interview. But still, it seems like there’s got to be a better option for Democrats than to go on right-wing-propaganda media. If not, then we really need to work on creating a better media ecosystem…

Virginia Leaders Slam Trump’s Endorsement Of Extreme Florida Abortion Ban

By
Blue Virginia
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5

From the Harris/Walz campaign:

Virginia Leaders Slam Trump’s Endorsement Of Extreme Florida Abortion Ban

Virginia leaders are slamming Donald Trump’s endorsement of his home-state of Florida’s extreme abortion ban, which prohibits women from getting an abortion before they know they’re pregnant. Florida’s extreme ban is only possible because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, and if elected again, he and JD Vance will go even further. Under his Project 2025 agenda, Trump will ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to birth control, force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions, and jeopardize access to IVF. The New York Times reports that “a growing share of voters” “now say abortion is central to their decision.”

Virginia leaders immediately slammed Trump’s attack on reproductive rights:

Senator Tim Kaine:

“Of course Donald Trump, the man responsible for overturning Roe, is going to vote to uphold Florida’s cruel abortion ban. And if given the chance as President, he’ll ban abortion nationwide.”

Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton:

“Donald Trump is making it clear as day what’s at stake in this election. By supporting this extreme abortion ban, he’s previewing the danger his presidency poses for women’s health and reproductive freedom. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz trust women to make choices about their bodies.”

Congressman Don Beyer:

“Trump’s lies about supporting reproductive rights lasted all of three days.”

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan:

“Verbal gymnastics aside, Donald Trump has made one thing crystal clear: he supports the most extreme abortion bans. And that’s exactly what he’d push if elected president again.”

Congressman Gerry Connolly:

“Donald Trump appointed the justices who overturned Roe v Wade. In Florida, he’s voting to ban abortion after 6 weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant.

[Kamala Harris] is the only candidate we can trust to let women make decisions about their own bodies.”

Congressman Bobby Scott:

“Donald Trump is responsible for overturning Roe v Wade and he has now endorsed Florida’s extreme ban. If he wins, Republicans will use their Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion nationwide.”

VA Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg:

“When the Supreme Court reversed Roe they set off an avalanche of abortion bans in Republican controlled states. Rather than focus on job creation or affordable health care the GOP has focused on taking away womens’ freedoms. We can’t let that happen nationally.”

###

Paid for by Harris for President

President Biden, VP Harris, Virginians Condemn Hamas for Brutal Murders of Six Hostages, Including Former Richmond Resident Hersh Goldberg-Polin

By
lowkell
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2

See below for reactions from President Joe Biden, VP Kamala Harris and from Virginians to the brutal murders of six hostages – including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who previously lived in Richmond, VA – unjustly held by terrorist group Hamas. A few comments include:

  •  “We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin…Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.” – President Joe Biden
  • “Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world.” – VP Kamala Harris
  • “The United States must continue the work of supporting our Israeli allies in eliminating the ongoing threat of Hamas terrorists and bringing the surviving hostages home.” – Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)
  • “Hamas is responsible for the terrible suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people. Their reign of terror must be brought to an end and all of the hostages, including the seven Americans still held must be returned.” – VA07 Democratic nominee Eugene Vindman

 

Eugene Vindman Releases Statement on Murder of October 7th Hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Dale City, VA – Eugene Vindman, Democratic Nominee for Congress, released the following statement after the tragic news out of Gaza this morning;

“My heart grieves for the families of the six hostages whose bodies have been recovered in Gaza, amongst them American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose family has been working tirelessly to secure his release. Reports are that these hostages were brutally executed by Hamas terrorists shortly before they were recovered. May their memory be a blessing.

Hamas is responsible for the terrible suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Their reign of terror must be brought to an end and all of the hostages, including the seven Americans still held must be returned.”

###

Colonel (fmr.) Eugene Vindman, U.S. Army (ret.), was born in Soviet Ukraine. His family arrived as refugees with less than $800 in their pockets and worked hard to achieve the American dream. Vindman joined the U.S. Army after college, serving all across the world including a combat tour in Iraq. In 2019, while serving on the White House National Security Council as the senior ethics attorney, he blew the whistle on the infamous phone call in which President Trump attempted to extort Ukraine unless it investigated Joe Biden. Trump’s vengeance cost him his career. Now, Colonel Vindman is running to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, to preserve democracy and advocate for Virginia voters.

STATEMENT OF U.S. SEN. MARK R. WARNER 

~ On Hersh Goldberg-Polin ~  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on the death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin:  

“I am heartbroken for the Goldberg-Polin family, whose son and brother Hersh was brutally murdered by Hamas along with five other hostages abducted on October 7, 2023. Over the past 330 days, Rachel and Jon have demonstrated extraordinary strength and grace in the face of overwhelming personal devastation, drawing upon their love for Hersh to share his light and selfless spirit with the world and to advocate for his return. Hersh’s abduction while peacefully enjoying a music festival and subsequent murder is further evidence of Hamas’ violence and depravity, which have caused pain and suffering across the region for far too long. 

“Today my prayers are with the entire Goldberg-Polin family as they mourn. May Hersh’s memory be a blessing.”

Governor Glenn Youngkin Statement on the Murder of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin issued the following statement regarding the murder of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. His body was discovered by Israeli forces in a tunnel beneath the Gaza city of Rafah after he was held hostage by Hamas terrorists following the attack on October 7:

“After 330 agonizing days since the brutal terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th that left more than 1,200 dead and hundreds more held hostage, Johnathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg woke up to unimaginable news that no parent should ever receive. Suzanne and I are angered and heartbroken by the death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a senseless murder at the hands of terrorists. Today, Virginians, Americans, and the world join the Goldberg-Polin family and the Keneseth Beth Israel Synagogue in prayer.”

The Governor will order the flags to be flown at half-staff in memory and honor of Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

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