February 12, 2024

Monday, February 12, 2024. Annette’s News Roundup.

I think the Roundup makes people feel not so alone.

To read an article excerpted in this Roundup, click on its blue title. Each “blue” article is hyperlinked so you can read the whole article.

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Warnings against Trump returning to the Oval Office are coming from all sectors.

Here is one from Mike Esper, Trump’s Defense Secretary. Share it on Social Media.

Writer and Broadcaster Medhi Hassan made the situation we face clear:

“Don’t say you weren’t warned. Don’t pretend this isn’t fascism. Don’t act like his second term will be the same as his first.”

He is responding to this post by Atlantic writer Murahed Zaheed 👇.

There are many more warnings too, because of Trump’s remarks on Saturday that he would (not “might” as some media wrote) stand with Putin if he attacked a NATO country.

For example, retired General Wesley K. Clark, who was a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, denounced Trump’s attack on NATO and support for Putin with these words:

"It is the kind of statement that can only come from a deranged and twisted mind. I do not say this lightly: The lives of every American, both in uniform and civilian, are at severe risk if Donald Trump wins this election."

Here again are Trump’s treasonous words:

One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, Well, sir, if we don't pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? I said.. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.

Under President Harry Truman, in 1949, the United States entered the NATO Treaty, which guarantees, “. .. an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all . . . “(from Article 5 of the Treaty).

That commitment has kept us safe against possible aggression from first the USSR and now Putin for 75 years.

The former guy stands with Putin, ready to disassemble NATO, which now consists of 31 nations, committed to peace. Finland was just admitted. Sweden will enter soon. And then will come Ukraine. There will then be 33 nations, committed to the mutual safety and protection of all, a bulwark against imperial aggression and war.

One further note - As the conservative commentator Bill Kristol wrote, “… it may be worth pointing out no ‘president of a big country’ ever said any such thing to him.”

Trump’s words of this weekend underscore what Hillary warned in 2016, Trump is Putin’s Puppet.

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One more thing.

When you remember this 👇 , it puts you light years ahead of the ignorant, dangerous front runner for the Republican nominee for President .

The Senate passed a bipartisan law, Section 1250A of the National Defense Authorization Act, in December 87-13 which prevents presidents from leaving NATO.

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Repeated from February 11th to highlight.

Andrew Weissman, NYU Professor of Practice, Former FBI Counsel, and MSNBC Legal Commentator, wrote,

The press needs to not fall for the Hur executive summary the way it did for Barr’s “summary” and Comey pressers on Hillary. We have seen this show before. And the public needs to not overact to another political prosecutor’s spin.

For a corrective ⬇️

The Real “Robert Hur Report” (Versus What You Read in the News)

"What the Hur report actually says is there is insufficient evidence of criminality, innocent explanations for the conduct, and affirmative evidence that Biden did not willfully withhold classified documents."

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About the New York Times.

What more can be said. Shame! Shame!

Here is the link to send complaints to the Times: 👇

https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015385887-Contact-Us

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New Jersey and New York Elections this week.

New Jersey.

Andy Kim sinks first lady Tammy Murphy in NJ Senate race’s first Democratic convention.

One of the New Jersey Senatorial races seems to be open.

The State’s Senior Senator, Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, have been indicted for accepting bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car. He is also accused of being an unregistered agent on behalf of Egypt and Qatar. But this seems not to bother the Senator who has faced corruption charges before in 2015 and escaped punishment, thanks to an indecisive jury. He has not ruled out a run in 2024.

Still the Senatorial race to replace him is on.

This post is an account of where we are now in the race between the top Democratic contenders, Representative Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy, wife of the state’s Governor.

LONG BRANCH, New Jersey — Rep. Andy Kim on Saturday won by a wide margin in New Jersey’s first Democratic convention in the Senate primary to replace indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, handing first lady Tammy Murphy a stinging defeat in her home county.

Murphy has been presumed the frontrunner because of her high-profile status as the first lady, her massive fundraising capabilities and, most importantly, the early support she’s received from county party leaders in the state’s most Democratic-rich areas. But she failed to lock up support in Monmouth County, located along the Jersey Shore.

Kim won the contest in a blowout, winning 56.8 percent of the vote. Murphy won 38.8 percent while another candidate, progressive labor activist Patricia Campos-Medina, won 4.2 percent. There were 466 votes cast.

Kim, speaking with reporters after the vote, said he came into the contest and “legitimately did not know” what the outcome would be.

“It shows there’s nothing inevitable about this race,” Kim said. “There’s nothing inevitable. There’s no sense anybody is destined to be able to win this thing. It confirmed what I’ve always thought — we’re the campaign that has the momentum.”

Murphy briefly spoke with Kim after his victory and promptly left the convention. Her campaign highlighted Murphy’s endorsement from Passaic County Democrats the same day, no surprise since that county’s chair endorsed her in November.

“[Tammy Murphy] is thrilled by the groundswell of support she has received from faith leaders, community members, elected officials, unions, and now Passaic County,” spokesperson Alex Altman said in a statement. “Tammy is grateful for all the votes she received today from Monmouth County and is thankful to all the delegates that stayed in the room during the long day. Tammy congratulated Andy on a hard fought win today in Monmouth and she looks forward to continuing her work to build a strong coalition across the state and earning the support of New Jersey voters.”

The victory has both practical and symbolic purposes. It shows that Kim’s candidacy has momentum and that he can foster support from rank-and-file Democrats, which will be critical to counter Murphy’s institutional support from Democratic party leaders across the state. While on the stump before the convention vote, Kim received raucous applause compared to tepid cheers for Murphy.

It also means that Kim will get the so-called county line in Monmouth — a unique feature of New Jersey’s primary ballot. Nearly the entire state — save for two counties — use the so-called party line system, where party-endorsed candidates appear on the ballot together in a single column, making them appear more legitimate to voters. Other candidates could theoretically form their own rival “line” of candidates on the ballot, although that seldom happens. Kim winning the convention means that he will appear with other party-endorsed candidates down the ballot.

Each county in the state differs in how their county party awards the line, although in some parts of the state the support of a single party leader is all that’s needed. Others, like Monmouth, host conventions where local party officials are able to vote on who they want to endorse.

Murphy already has the so-called line locked up in some of the most Democrat-heavy counties in the central and northern parts of the state thanks to the help of influential party leaders — several of whom have financial interest with Gov. Phil Murphy in office.

The governor himself was at the convention. As an elected official in Monmouth County, he is entitled to vote at the convention.

Menendez, who has not said whether he’s seeking reelection as he faces corruption charges, did not participate in the Monmouth convention because, an aide told POLITICO, “the process is likely to be predetermined.”

Monmouth is the first Democratic county organization in the state to host a convention. According to state data, there are 140,000 registered Democrats here, accounting for 5.6 percent of Democratic primary voters — making the party line here a key advantage.

Kim and Murphy both have roots here. Kim represents parts of Monmouth County in Congress while Murphy has lived in Middletown, the largest town in the county, since around 2000. Both campaigns courted support from Monmouth County Democrats ahead of the convention, unveiling lists of endorsements ahead of Saturday (Murphy unveiled an endorsement list that the New Jersey Globe reported included people who later said they did not support her candidacy).

“If we can win here where they’ve lived for decades, I think that sends a very strong message across all the counties,” Kim said. “The energy we have is real and should not be underestimated.”

The convention also previewed the Democratic competition to replace Kim in the third congressional district, where Assemblymember Herb Conaway trounced Assemblymember Carol Murphy, who is not related to Phil or Tammy Murphy. While the district is primarily based around Burlington County, it includes parts of Mercer and Monmouth counties in the southern and central portions of the state, respectively.

Tammy Murphy — a registered Republican until 2014 — has fashioned herself as a progressive, telling convention delegates before the vote that she supports abortion rights and that “it’s high time we pass ‘Medicare for All’ because health care is a right, not a privilege.”

Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone, a strong supporter of Murphy’s candidacy and a fellow resident of Monmouth County, introduced Murphy at the convention and said she was best equipped to handle abortion rights.

After the results were announced, Pallone said he was “disappointed” but was “100 percent” still supporting Murphy.

“We’re going to work hard in Monmouth County and throughout the state to make sure that she wins the primary,” he said. “And I believe that she will.”

Pallone, however, was non-committal about whether he would choose to appear with Murphy on the primary ballot, which could make her appear more prominently to voters. Such a move would mean him eschewing the county party endorsement.

“I haven’t made a decision about what I should do,” he told reporters.

Kim told convention goers before the vote that he wanted to codify and protect abortion rights and made a reference to Menendez’s indictment — saying that constituents wouldn’t have to question his integrity.

“You deserve a representative that you can trust,” he said. “I’m not perfect. I [may cast] votes that you’re not gonna be a 100 percent in agreement of. But you will never have to question why I do what I do.”

The next Democratic county convention is Feb. 24 in Burlington County, which Kim is favored to win. (Politico)

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New York.

This race to replace George Santos in the Congress is tight.

The race will be decided on Tuesday.

Who do you know in Congressional District 3 in NYS. The district includes part of the North Shore of Long Island. It expands across northern Nassau County and into far northeastern Queens. Long Island communities in the district include Oyster Bay Cove, Old Brookville, Levittown, Glen Cove, Roslyn, Manhasset, Plainview, Bethpage, Port Washington, Hicksville, Jericho, Syosset, Mineola, Farmingdale, Massapequa Park, and Great Neck. Queens. neighborhoods in the district include Little Neck, Whitestone, Glen Oaks, Floral Park, and Queens Village. (Source. Wikipedia)

Tom Suozzi must win this election, and add another Democratic seat to the House.

Vote! Get out the vote! Tuesday is the last day!

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After the George Santos implosion, Democrats tapped former Rep. Tom Suozzi as their pick to take control of the 3rd Congressional District back from Republicans, since Suozzi represented many of the same constituents before leaving Congress in 2023.

Meanwhile, the GOP picked newcomer Mazi Pilip, who just won a second term in the Nassau County Legislature. She is endorsed by Elise Stefanik and George Santos himself. That says enough.

Again Vote! Get out the vote! Tuesday is the last day!

TOM SUOZZI, FORMER CONGRESS MEMBER

Here are the endorsements for Suozzi.

Organizations: New York State United Teachers, New York City and State Building and Construction Trades Councils, Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, Jewish Democratic Council of America, United Auto Workers Region 9A, 32BJ SEIU, Communication Workers of America, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union, End Citizens United, Brady PAC, New York AFL-CIO, Amalgamated Transportation Union Local 1056, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, New York City District Council of Carpenters, New York League of Conservation Voters Federal Fund, The NRDC Action Fund, Sierra Club, Human Rights Campaign PAC, Reproductive Freedom for All, CSEA Local 1000, 2024 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate, Transportation Communications Union / IAM, Giffords PAC, New York State Laborers PAC / LiUNA! NY, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, ASPIRE PAC, National Postal Mail Handlers Union – Local 300, BOLD PAC, Italian-American Democratic Leadership Council, IATSE Local One, IBEW Local 1049, 1199SEIU, 32 BJ SEIU, NewDems, Alliance for Retired Americans, Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Elected officials: Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Grace Meng, former state Sen. Anna Kaplan, mayors of Farmingdale, Roslyn, Lattingtown, Sea Cliff, North Hills, Baxter Estates, Centre Island, Great Neck Estates, Cove Neck, Roslyn Estates and Manorhaven

Editorial Boards: New York Daily News, Newsday

(Source. Cityandstateny.com).

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Today, will the Supreme Court take Trump’s appeal on Presidential Immunity?

Last Tuesday, as you undoubtedly recall, the three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a 57-page decision unanimously declared that the Former Guy is not immune from criminal prosecution for his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This was a major legal setback for Trump.

They also held Trump on a short leash with regard to further legal options, giving him until today to appeal his case to the Supreme Court, or know the case would be returned to trial judge by February 13.

The panel wrote: “We cannot accept former President Trump’s claim that a President has unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralize the most fundamental check on executive power—the recognition and implementation of election results. Nor can we sanction his apparent contention that the Executive has carte blanche to violate the rights of individual citizens to vote and to have their votes count . . .

“Trump's stance would collapse our system of separated powers by placing the President beyond the reach of all three Branches,” the unanimous decision reads. “We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter.”

“For the purposes of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution….”

According to Just Security, the structure of the DC Circuit’s order on the stay affecting Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case against Trump means that Trump will most likely file his emergency application today, Monday, Feb. 12.

Trump’s emergency application to the Supreme Court will be handled by Chief Justice Roberts, who will have three options: (1) deny the motion himself (which we believe will not happen); (2) refer it to the full Court to act on, without acting on it himself; or (3) impose an administrative stay while the Court reviews the petition.

It would take four votes for the Court to hear Trump’s appeal, or the Court could decline to take the case and simply leave the Court of Appeals opinion in place. But perhaps they will want to put their own stamp on it.

Many legal pundits of the Supreme Court think the Court will not take the case, because, as Joyce Vance, Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in Law at the University of Alabama and MSNBC legal commentator, wrote of the immunity report, “the decision itself was so comprehensive, methodical, and covered all the bases so much so, it increases the chances the Supreme Court may not even take the case...”

Similarly Neal Katyal and Andrew Weissman, the legal advisory team boldly dubbed The Law Firm on MSNBC, have said they don’t think the U.S. Supreme Court is going to take this.

Linda Wharton, plaintiff lawyer on Casey vs. Planned Parenthood and consultant to the Roundup, said this - “Fingers crossed they don’t take it. Roberts likely wants unanimity in the Colorado case and perhaps there will be some horse trading.”

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Yesterday was the Super Bowl.

Unless you live under a rock, you probably heard.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22, in overtime. The Chiefs have won 3 of the last 5 Super Bowls, with yesterday’s 2 in a row win. This is the first time a team has repeated a championship win since the Patriots did it in the 2003-4 season.

A national phenomenon, the Super Bowl creates discussion about more than sports.

Here is one 30-second ad that was broadcast yesterday to encourage people to stand up against antisemitism and all forms of hate. It was viewed by more than 10 million Americans.

The one million dollar ad, funded by Robert Craft, owner of the Boston Patriots, includes lawyer and speechwriter Clarence B. Jones, who helped Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. write his “I Have a Dream” speech. #StandUptoJewishHate

Touch to activate. 👇

We undoubtedly will hear more from Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in the days to come. 🤞

He now has 3 Super Bowl rings, 2019, 2023, and 2024. Like his famous girlfriend, he also has strong political points of view to express.

This power couple is expected to be very visible during campaign 2024. They already ruined the football season for many MAGA folks.

Just for fun.

Here was the President’s greeting before the big game.

Here was the Vice President’s.

Touch to activate.👇