With Trump out of the way, cultist took over creating chaos at every level of society. It seems "freedom" and "liberty" is convenient excuse to act crazy, threaten people's lives including their families, and turn "other" Americans into communist socialist traitors.
Looking back on a year of headlines, here's proof:
...it's as if a one-size-fits-all "conservative movement" would be embraced by half the voting public in a purple state.
It's the Republican Party of Contradictions! And it's lazy media reporting that's letting it all happen.
Love Capitalism, Hate Price increases? This is one of the big contradictions you're seeing more and more of these days. Gas prices, appliances, used cars...companies see a chance to exploit "inflation" by raising prices. Conservative capitalists are so oblivious to the inherent downside to corporate greed - rising prices - that they've convinced themselves that it must be the Democrats fault:
Republicans, meanwhile, are using inflation as a political cudgel against Democrats' midterm hopes. The GOP has blamed their counterparts for rising prices through much of the year and frequently linked inflation to Biden's spending plans.
They sound gleeful that they get to run against Biden on the issue. Soaring prices are a "gold mine" for Republicans as they look to wrest control of the House and the Senate, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida recently told The Wall Street Journal.
Supply chain disruptions, increased labor costs, and surging demand all play a role. But one factor driving inflation is seldom discussed: mega-corporations with massive market power. As prices have increased in recent months, corporate profits have surged to record highs, according to data from Bloomberg:
Corporations are not being forced to raise prices to stay afloat. They are choosing to raise prices to maintain large profit margins because they have enough market power to do so without losing customers. Corporations that are raising prices are also amassing huge profits and spending billions of stock buybacks.
Chief executive officers have cut costs and boosted prices for their products. ...“To a fundamental analyst, inflation is called ‘pricing power,’” said Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek Research.
"Companies are extracting from their consumers using the excuse of inflation -- all while lining their shareholders' and CEO's pockets," Rakeen Mabud, Chief Economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, told Popular Information. "This has nothing to do with inflation, and everything to do with corporate greed by those who are focused on enriching themselves at the expense of workers and families."Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen was quite open about his intention to exploit inflation to increase profits. "A little bit of inflation is always good in our business."
The GOP's dismal sentiments could lead to diminished spending. That would starve the economy of much-needed activity. Higher inflation already risks cutting spending, and a sudden pullback would halt the incomplete recovery. Despite news of the omicron coronavirus variant spreading and rising inflation, consumers appear to be not all that shaken. Confidence even improved a bit this month, to 115.8 from 111.9 in November.To sum it up...
Fake Electors? Sure, and no blowback for our gerrymandered Republican authority. And WI Supreme Court says politics ain't none of their business, doesn't affect democracy at all...
Vos-Republicans can't Govern 101: Labor Shortages: It's a continuing theme here at Democurmudgeon the mainstream media is only now catching onto. It's something Scott Walker perfected when he was governor; pass Republicans ideological theories, ignore real statewide social problems, and punish anyone and anything not on the same page through coercive threats of defunding.
Even worse, Republicans are playing this game at a time when the population growth has hit a record low, meaning labor shortages will continue and get worse long term. More on that at the bottom.
Power Mad Republican Tantrum Continues: Still angry over the Covid Relief funding Governor Evers refused to hand over to the legislature, Vos-Republicans keep finding ways to force Evers to spend that relief money the way they think it should be spent. No matter who gets hurt. They brutally used school funding as a wedge. This time it's at the expense of prison staffing:
Almost a fifth of the jobs and a quarter of officer and sergeant positions within the state Department of Corrections are unfilled, according to agency data. About 1,100 correctional officer and sergeant jobs remain open, and maximum-security facilities in Portage and Waupun are operating with only half their staff.Long-Term Pay Raise with One-time Relief Funding Scheme: It's crazy to use one-time money to pay for wage increases, but gerrymandered safe politicians can do anything they want.
WisPolitics.com, Republicans voted on a motion that included an additional pay increase for prison guards and sergeants at maximum-security prisons in addition to what was approved during the state budget process. (An) extra $2 an hour for those at maximum-security prisons, pay increases for some nurses that had been expected to cost $424,300, but provided no funds for the Department of Corrections to cover the costs. Instead, the agency will be expected to pay for the raise through existing (Covid Relief) funds. The committee motion also included.Assembly Speaker Robin Vos argued Evers is free to pay for the other raises he requested for prison guards by using federal COVID-19 funds at his disposal.Rep. Gordon Hintz (D) argued it made no sense to use one-time money for an ongoing cost. In this segment, Hintz and Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) debate the motion during the executive session.
Vos-Republican Whine about Labor Shortages, do Nothing to Attract People to Wisconson: Republicans honestly think a failed ad campaign under Scott Walker is the solution to the labor shortage that stretches across the US? Forget about raising the minimum wage, paid sick leave, or investing in tech and clean energy businesses. AP
1. According to census data released in September, the population of the United States grew more slowly in 2021 than in any other year on record.2. That will increase the need for immigration by younger workers whose taxes can support programs such as Social Security.3. “COVID really was a stress test of our whole system and how it fails to support women and families,. Women were much harder hit in the pandemic. They lost their jobs at greater rates and had to give up their jobs, often to do home-schooling. The pressures on women were enormous and there’s really no safety net in the U.S.” - Prof. Linda Kahn
4. International migration dropped by about half from the previous year because of COVID-19 restrictions, such as borders being closed for nonessential travel and the closure of many consulates abroad where visas are issued. As recently as 2016, the U.S. had a net increase of more than 1 million international migrants.5. In more than two dozen states, most notably Florida, deaths outnumbered births. Deaths exceeded births in Florida by more than 45,000 people
2021 could permanently shift power from bosses to workers.
A bill authored by state Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, aims to fill Wisconsin’s labor shortage in part by letting 14- and 15-year-olds work until 9:30 p.m. on school nights, instead of the current 7 p.m. limit.
Immigration?
“Our systems right now allow for the free movement of capital and not for the free movement of labor,” Michael Childers, a business and labor education professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said. “That's one factor that's probably exacerbating the shortage of qualified people for certain positions here in Wisconsin.”
Notably, Trump gets jeered by his audience after he announces he's boosted https://t.co/AylZkdIIxE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 20, 2021
Bonus cultist celebration and dance recital...
what in the hell did i just watch pic.twitter.com/kKXxI4rpJ4
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 20, 2021
Because of the mainstream media's constant Biden bashing over every little manufactured Republican criticism, voters don't know how well things are going. Wonder no more. The Biden administration put out a "memo" detailing every accomplishment. Maybe Biden should have a rally instead?
Again, these are all well-thought-out actions, called governing. Here's the list after just 11 months:
In spite of unprecedented crises and opposition from Congressional Republicans, the President and Congressional Democrats got an enormous amount done for the American people in 2021.
Following the Science to Beat Back the Pandemic: The Administration stood up a historic COVID-19 vaccination program – funded by the American Rescue Plan - that’s gotten 490 million shots in arms, and saved 1.1 million American lives and prevented 10.3 million hospitalizations.
• Fully Vaccinated: At this time last year: less than 1% of Americans were fully vaccinated. Today: More than 71% of American adults are fully vaccinated.
• First Shot: At the start of the year: just one-third of adults were eager to get vaccinated. Today, 85% of adults have had their first shot.
• Schools Open: When POTUS and VPOTUS took office, only 46% of schools were open. Today, 99% of schools are open. *Historic Economic Growth and Americans Back to Work: The President and Congressional Democrats acted quickly to *pass the American Rescue Plan (ARP), jump starting our economic recovery. And, they worked across the aisle to *pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild roads and bridges, replace lead pipes, and create millions of good-paying jobs.
• Unemployment Rate: The economy added nearly six million jobs this year – the most of any first-year president in history. When POTUS took office, the unemployment was 6.3%. Today it’s 4.2%. Before the American Plan, the US was not projected to reach 4.2% unemployment until 2025.
• Unemployment Claims: The average number of Americans filing for unemployment over the last four weeks is at its lowest level since 1969. When POTUS took office, over 18 million were receiving unemployment benefits. Today, only 2 million are.
• Child Poverty: Because of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and historic economy recovery, child poverty was cut in half. • Disposable Income: Americans on average have about $100 more in their pockets each month than they did last year, after accounting for inflation.
• GDP: Without the ARP, Moody’s estimates 2021 growth at 2.9%. After ARP: On pace for growth of 5-6 percent – best since 1984. U.S. was only G7 country to surpass pre- pandemic output by Q2 2021 and keep growing. No other G7 country had reached pre- pandemic output by end of 3Q 2021.
• Leisure & Hospitality Jobs: In final 3 months of Trump administration, on average 170,000 leisure/hospitality jobs were lost per month. Under President Biden, close to 2.5 million leisure and hospitality jobs (~250K a month) were added.
• Long Term Unemployed: In the last 5 months of the Trump administration, 2.4 million Americans became long-term unemployed. In President Biden’s first 10 months, long- term unemployment fell by 1.8 million – the greatest drop in long-term unemployment in US history.
• State and Local Jobs: In the final five months of the Trump administration, 229,000 state and local jobs were lost. In the first 10 months of the Biden administration, 330,000 state and local jobs were added.
I thought the story I did about the Michael Gableman train wreck "investigation" was scary enough. Boy was I wrong.
As the whole Gableman fraudit fiasco went from bad to ridiculous, Rachel Maddow decided to cover this now national embarrassment. Here's a screen capture and video segment:
Besides energizing a gullible resentful base drooling for a Trump return, these investigations are meant to draw attention away from actual fraudulent votes by the party of projection. Beside the 5 Republican voter fraud cases in Pennsylvania, this trickled in...
Looking back now on this recent interview, Robin Vos looks even more arrogant, pathetic, and dug in to something he can't back out of now...
Speaker Vos also tells me he wants people who are questioning the election to be a part of Michael Gableman's investigation. https://t.co/OoiEn7yR2y https://t.co/jaQUCcLEN8
— Emilee Fannon (@Emilee_Fannon) December 9, 2021
And of course, this unimaginable partisan endorsement that no Democrat, liberal, or progressive could ever pull off if they were in charge...
Even though Democrats have been saying the Gableman fraudit should end now, supposedly for partisan reasons, they are now oddly proven right since a Republican has jump on board calling the 2020 election audit a fraud and should be stopped:
"Mr. Gableman is coming to my county and I will attend that meeting along with my concealed carry permit, to be perfectly honest, because (the election review) keeps jazzing up the people who think they know what they're talking about, and they don't," Bernier said.
Just to give you an idea of what this guy looks, this former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice (not kidding) here's a classic Gableman moment:
Gableman's seething outrage over the Mark Zuckerberg money that helped Democratic as well as Republican districts carry out the election is truly a surreal rage:
Court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in grants CTCL distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsin’s 70 counties, including many in areas solidly won by former President Donald Trump. Nor did CTCL turn down grant requests from any of the Wisconsin municipalities that made them.
JSOnline: "I knew there would be criticism. I did not know there would be this universal defense mechanism even among some people in the leadership of the Republican Party, who would rather just let — who would rather just let this go. But we can't let it go. We can't let it go. … They come for us in tiny, tiny steps. They come for us in millimeters. And if you give a millimeter, they're going to push and you've got to back up more. You back up, they're going to push you again and you've got to back up more. I am done backing up. And I hope you are, too."
Gableman made the comments at the Rock County Republican Party’s "Merry Politics" event. He's slated to attend a similar event on Dec. 20 with the Chippewa County Republican Party.
She was joined by Ben Ginsberg, who spent nearly four decades representing Republicans in election disputes. "We are here today because Wisconsin has found itself really in the middle of a harmful and disturbing national trend that involves the intimidation of election officials — the people who are supposed to call balls and strikes in our elections," Ginsberg saidBlame Democrats for Lousy Inept Gableman Fraudit? Sure, why not:
Bob Bauer, who served as White House counsel during Barack Obama's presidency said Gableman's comments — "and the partisan context in which he received this assignment" — show Gableman is not right for the job. The partisan reviews in Wisconsin and other states are “pseudo audits being organized for partisan political purposes by those who do not have the wherewithal to meet any kinds of standards whatsoever," Bauer said.
Robin Vos said it was Democrats who were preventing Gableman from completing his work sooner. "Instead, invoking McCarthyism has been their only motive, trying to discredit the investigation rather than finding ways to improve the system and prevent fraud going forward."
Milwaukee CBS58's Emilee Fannon asked the right question and got the ever-arrogant Vos to confidently...stop lying for one moment:
Reuters reported last week that an article on Gateway Pundit, the far-right website known for spreading hoaxes, alleging "thousands of fake votes" had been discovered in Madison resulted in angry calls and death threats against Madison city clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl. Witzel-Behl is among 25 election officials who have been targeted by more than 100 threats arising out of the Gateway Pundit post, Reuters reported. Messages to at least five of the officials, including Witzel-Behl, were deemed serious enough to report to law enforcement.
Gableman's "friendly court" to Arrest Madison and Milwaukee's Democratic Mayors? You can't make this up. From WPT's Here and Now:
Meme Governor Candidate Becky Kleefisch Blissfully sees no Problem: Kleefisch even "thinks" the investigation will restore confidence in Wisconsin elections, never mind that a Republican loss will only be reversed someday anyway:
