In today’s news - Part 4

05-16-2022

Just another former 'pnly the best'... Not that Mace is the cream of the crop....

According to a report from Politico's Olivia Beavers, aides and colleagues of Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) -- who incurred the wrath of Donald Trump for becoming one of his critics within the Republican Party -- aren't sure about her political future after one term, with insiders saying they are unsure of what she stands for anymore.

Mace, who is facing a stiff challenge after the former president threw his support behind Kate Arrington, who served in his administration before being dismissed after accusations she misused her position, has reportedly thrown her office into turmoil as she seeks to hang onto her job.

www.rawstory.com/nancy-mace-2657327463/

What is wrong with these people... your white son goes after a Black classmate, a little girl,  with a damn whip...
Too bad dad, you got arrested.... Not for the whip though..

Another SCOTUS decision. Kagan writes scathing dissent.

The high court's 6-3 decision strikes another blow to the nation's campaign finance restrictions, which were already weak and rife with loopholes that big donors readily and frequently exploit.

"This extreme Supreme Court continues to erode our remaining campaign finance rules and enable even more corruption," Sean Eldridge, founder of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, tweeted in response to the decision.

"Big Republican donor interests built their supermajority to deliver wins like this one."
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In her dissent, Kagan argued that the court's ruling will make even more common the kinds of "crooked exchanges" that have long sullied the U.S. political system, which is awash in money from corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals.

"Political contributions that will line a candidate's own pockets, given after his election to office, pose a special danger of corruption," Kagan argued, pointing to the issue of recouping personal loans. "The candidate has a more-than-usual interest in obtaining the money (to replenish his personal finances), and is now in a position to give something in return. The donors well understand his situation, and are eager to take advantage of it. In short, everyone's incentives are stacked to enhance the risk of dirty dealing."

Kagan went on to contend that quid pro quos—political favors carried out in exchange for money, in this case post-election donations—could become more rampant thanks to the Supreme Court's new ruling, which was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, who helped orchestrate the high court's infamous Citizens United ruling and other attacks on campaign finance law.

"Post-election donors can be confident their money will enrich a candidate personally," Kagan wrote. "And those donors have of course learned which candidate won. When they give money to repay the victor's loan, they know—not merely hope—he will be in a position to perform official favors. The recipe for quid pro quo corruption is thus in place: a donation to enhance the candidate's own wealth (the quid), made when he has become able to use the power of public office to the donor's advantage (the quo)."
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" Whitehouse (D-R.I.) voiced
"Big Republican donor interests built their supermajority to deliver wins like this one," Whitehouse added, "wins that help special interests skirt our democratic process to achieve what they want."

www.rawstory.com/kagan-pens-scathing-dissent-as-supreme-court-kills-another-campaign-finance-rule/#cxrecs_s

DeSantis appointed judge has ordered the legislature to fix the gerrymandered map!!!

On Monday, according to The Tributary, a Florida judge in Tallahassee ordered state election officials to move forward with a court-picked remedial congressional map to fix a racial gerrymander recently signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"This only affects the North Florida congressional districts, re-instating a Duval-to-Gadsden 5th Congressional District to protect Black voters’ ability to elect their preferred candidates," reported Andrew Pantazi. "The new map, drawn by a Harvard professor, mostly follows an earlier version preferred by the Legislature."

Circuit Judge J. Layne Smith ordered the new map last Wednesday, saying that he found 'the enacted map is unconstitutional because it diminishes African Americans’ ability to elect candidates of their choice,'" said the report.

The map was initially ruled unconstitutional by Judge Layne Smith, herself an appointee of DeSantis.

www.rawstory.com/florida-gerrymander/

DeSantis considering changing the first amendment for reporters.. yes there is a draft...

On Tuesday, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) considered pushing legislation that would have rolled back a critical First Amendment protection for journalists — with an eye toward getting the Supreme Court to undo a landmark ruling that limited when reporters can be sued by public officials.

The idea didn’t make the 2022 legislative session’s agenda. A bill was never filed, according to Florida’s First Amendment Foundation," reported Skyler Swisher. "But public records show Stephanie Kopelousos, DeSantis’ legislative affairs director, shared a draft proposal and briefing document just before lawmakers kicked off their annual session on Jan. 11. Those documents targeted New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, a 1964 landmark Supreme Court decision that made it extremely difficult for public officials to win a libel case."

"The draft bill proposes considering 'a failure to validate or corroborate the alleged defamatory statement' as evidence of actual malice in defamation cases, a lower standard than 'reckless disregard' for the truth," said the report. "It revises the definition of a 'public figure' to exclude people whose notoriety arises solely from defending themselves publicly against accusations; granting an interview on a specific topic; public employment other than elected or appointment by an elected official; or a video, image or statement uploaded on the internet that has reached a broad audience."

According to the report, the ultimate goal of the legislation was to get the Supreme Court to overturn that decision, allowing states to enact their own standards for when reporters can be sued for libel — the draft singled out Sullivan as “a dramatic departure from the original understanding of the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

Prior to the Sullivan ruling, Southern states in particular used libel laws to terrorize and harass journalists attempting to cover the injustices of Jim Crow laws.

www.rawstory.com/revealed-ron-desantis-considered-pushing-legislation-to-roll-back-first-amendment-rights-for-reporters/

Trump endorsed Vance. That’s what pushed him over the field with a whole lot of Trump supporters in the race. I don’t think he was a bad pick for the Republicans. Trumpnaupporters will vote for him because of Trumps endorsement and his “change of views” on Trump, non Trump supporting Republicans will vote for him under the delusion that he won’t be that bad due to his previous anti-Trump comments. I think Ryan will have a very hard time winning even though he is an excellent candidate in the mold of Sherrod Brown.