Tim Canova

There are a lot of very insistent voices out there clamoring for Democratic Party unity in the face of the very real dangers posed by Trump and Trumpism. I couldn't disagree more strongly-- at least now, at the time when the Democrats are looking for candidates.

I wouldn't call Comey's testimony yesterday "a distraction," but it sure did distract a lot of people from watching the Dodd-Frank repeal debate in the House that was going on roughly at the same time. The Republicans passed it 233-186. Every Republican voted for it except Walter Jones (R-NC) and all the Democrats who voted, voted NO.

In 2008, when Obama faced off against John McCain, turnout for an American presidential election was relatively high-- 63.7%. This past year it fell to 55%. France's voter turnout ion their presidential election earlier this month was also down-- to around 65%. Yesterday Iran voted. The voter turnout was around 70%, higher than turnout in any US election since 1900. Why is that? Well there could be a number of reasons-- some existential, but in Iran Election Day is a national holiday; people get off work to vote.

Recently I was getting to know two new congressional candidates running for seats held by Republicans in California. I asked one why he had donated so much money to John Kasich's presidential campaign in 2016. He told me he "used to be" a Republican. And now he wants to be in Congress... as a Democrat?

Wasserman Schultz is one of the slimiest politicians in the country-- and she's entrenched. But Tim Canova challenged her in a policy-focused campaign and nearly beat her. She spent over $4,000,000 in mostly special interest money and Tim was able to go toe-to-toe with her in grassroots small dollar contributions ($3,785,044).

Wednesday House Republicans rolled back another Obama rule so that-- after Trump signs it-- when people file for unemployment compensation they will be able to be drug-tested. Looks like the GOP is eager to ramp up the War of Drugs again-- and fill those private prison jail cells for their campaign donors. Kevin Brady's blil passed 236-189.

By the final week of the FL-23 congressional primary, blockheads in the media didn't want to talk about anything substantive, nothing about issues or about Debbie Wasserman Schultz's hideous record in Congress or at the DNC. To the small pack of jackel-like reporters covering the race in the final week it was all about one non-issue: "where was Bernie?" Why wasn't he in the district campaigning for Tim?

If you're a party functionary (or Democratic Party zombie or a drooling villager), Alan Grayson's remark Tuesday night-- "I'm not going to be endorsing Patrick Murphy for sure; he's a Republican"-- was beyond the pale.

Tuesday is primary day in Florida and-- thanks to ActBlue-- it isn't too late to help progressive champions like Alan Grayson and Tim Canova overcome steep odds and beat the corrupt establishment candidates they're battling. Both Grayson and Canova are in the midst of intense Get Out the Vote efforts right now-- as are Blue America's other candidates in the state-- and any contributions made this weekend will go right into those efforts.

A few months ago, a radio interviewer asked me why I wasn't calling out Rachel Maddows' biased anti-Bernie reporting. I said I didn't think Maddow was biased, just being a fair and balanced reporter. The interviewer laughed (at me) and sent me some video clips to watch. She was right and I was wrong. Rachel came off as a turd, slanting her reporting against Bernie and in favor of Hillary. It didn't take much longer before I stopped watching her show altogether, breaking a habit of many years.