Robert, you did not point out that on the same day that 192 House Republicans voted against money to get formula to infants, 203 of them voted against a bill to fight domestic terrorism. So Republicans are on record as opposing healthy food for babies, but in favor of domestic terrorism. Let’s get that message out!
And the basis of the baby formula debacle is not so much FDA mishandling of its inspection of that plant in Michigan as it is the fact that four companies control 90% of the formula market in the US. Antitrust should be a top priority for the Biden administration and all Democrats.
May 20, 2022·edited May 20, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I see a lot of articles saying the GOP will turn us into Hungary. But America is far more diverse than Hungary, with a population that is 98% larger. The far-right appeals to a tiny minority and they would have to constantly keep the general public satisfied. Hungary is able to do this because much of the country is socially conservative and against western values. So the government is able to keep the people satisfied with soccer stadiums and a business-as-usual attitude. But Hungary is not America, and it never will be. Orban is an evil tactician, while Trump is an aging man who loves to act tough and say stupid things.
The GOP can try to wave all the magic wands it wants. The people will win. Things may get worse before they get better, but I have faith in us winning.
America was already a far-right autocracy in the 1800s and the early 1900s. Women couldn't vote, people of color were beaten and prevented from voting, there were Jim Crow laws (that were WAY worse than what we have now), gays were completely hidden, and Christianity ruled everything. If we could overcome that, we can truly do anything.
Thank you once again for your fact-based reporting of the current news.
Regarding polling: I am tired of the daily reporting that Biden has tanked in the polls. I think part of the problem is the high expectations that immediately after Biden took office , like day #2, he could reverse everything that Trump had done. Another issue I have is with the MSM not reporting on the positive improvements that Biden has made, but instead still giving too much attention to every little lie that Trump utters. Like you pointed out, many things are going to happen between now & when voting takes place that will influence how people will vote. Less emphasis on the polls! *steps down from soapbox*
Thank you for making the essential point that Democrats and Progressive Independents do not “surrender the field” to Republicans even in deep red districts. It is also essential that we field strong candidates for all offices including a focus on local offices. We must remember that the only truly unwinnable races are those in which we fail to compete. There are entirely too many local races in red districts nationwide in which there are no Democratic or Progressive Independents on the ballot.
Here in Texas we have formed Blue Horizon Texas (https://www.bluehorizontexas.org/). The purpose of this organization is to recruit, train, and help build support networks for Democratic and Progressive non-partisan candidates for local offices statewide in Texas. With a focus on R+10 districts we have in our first year over 50 candidates we are helping in districts where in some cases it has been decades since a Democrat competed for that office. We are working also with Run for Something (https://runforsomething.net/) and local Democratic and non-partisan civic groups to recruit, train, and support candidates. We are also in the process of forming a Texas General Purpose Pac that will allow us to help with fund raising for the candidates and support networks we are helping to build. This is a great team doing the hard work and we constantly hear from folks “we did not realize how many more of us there were in our area who felt as we do.” There are many who feel they have been too long forgotten and ignored by the state and national party organizations as being in “unwinnable” districts. They are excited by finding those with the message that the only unwinnable districts are those in which we fail to compete. We can help recruit, prepare, train, and support strong candidates to provide real competition in the arena of ideas.
We are hoping the model we are creating here will provide an example for others. Democrats need to understand the importance of running everywhere to win anywhere.
As I learned from a Tweet from Rep Val Demings (FL-10) last week: "The same baby formula producer that had contaminated product and lead to this shortage used billions of dollars to buy back stock instead of investing in their product safety". American capitalism at it's "finest"- making money off the backs of our youngest, even neonates! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/20/abbott-baby-formula-shareholder-profits
I couldn't understand why Republicans would vote against domestic baby formula and favor foreign baby formula. Then I read the WaPo article. This is not about baby formula. Their no vote was a slam of the FDA. Like the recent court decision against the EPA, this too is a step in the direction of dismantling and eliminating US government administrative departments.
One of the things that I can't understand is how the polls and public opinion can have President Biden and the Democrats doing so badly when the Republicans are an abomination in every respect. Then I watched a clip of Elise Jordan's focus group in Georgia. The clips they showed were primarily Republicans...MAGA Republicans at that...but when asked if they would consider voting for Stacy Abrams against Brian Kemp they were horrified. They said a vote for any Republican would be better than voting for a Liberal, Communist Democrat. That alone shows how poisonous the Republican messaging, via Fox, is. To paint all Democrats as Communists or Socialists is standard fare but the fact that it is now gospel to so many is just unbelievable. Luckily (I hope), these were primarily MAGAs and we know we cannot reason with them, so I just hope that moderate Republicans and Independents won't fall for this.
I Chair Women for Beasley in NC. It will be a fight to the finish against Trumper Ted Budd who voted against Medicaid expansion in NC, baby formula, loves his guns, votes no if Dems vote yes consistently etc. so if you can help us in NC get Cheri Beasley to the Senate please help. You can respond to this with your email and I can reach out or go to cheribeasley.com to donate and/or volunteer. Republicans already bought close to $7m in advertising!!!
On the Oklahoma Abortion Law, I’m old enough to have been involved in the original fight for reproductive freedom. Before Roe, researchers were looking for contraceptives that did not produce abortions. The pill was one of those. IF a fertilized egg is a fetus upon fertilization, then quite a number of our current contraceptives probably immediately also become illegal. Seems to me that might be a problem for a much wider slice of the population than the abortion issue alone.
May 20, 2022·edited May 20, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Lawrence O'Donnell night before last had quite a segment on the importance of Pennsylvania electing Josh Shapiro Governor. He called Shapiro the man who could save democracy. His MAGAette opponent, Mastriano, would do extensive damage to the electoral process to ensure only the former guy or another MAGAette wins the Presidency. Pennsylvania is a critical swing state which can swing the outcome one way or another. So, it is critical we all get behind Mr. Shapiro's campaign! We, the People, all of us this time! Here is the link to that segment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaUQBRSZ7No
RE the baby formula problem, I’m surprised at the virtual absence of coverage of the proportion of mothers who breast-feed (and therefore usually have no “shortage” issue) vs. those fo depend on baby formula. It’s long since I had my babies, but I remember vividly the efforts of baby-formula manufacturers who came to me in hospital offering samples of the stuff, and the absence of hospital breast-feeding advice or programs. I remember the nurse who came in with a bottle in hand, and exclaimed, when I declined the offer and said I was going to breast feed, “you mean you’re going to starve your baby!”. I was terrified, but luckily had an obstetrician from Argentina who knew all about breast feeding and who had encouraged and coached me ahead of time how to go about it. (There IS a technique!). That was 50 years ago, and some things have changed. But clearly not enough. I’m curious to know the proportion of women who bottle feed by choice rather than from physical necessity. Of course formula is handy in certain circumstances even when breast-feeding, and some women cannot breast-feed, but the convenience of immediate access for the baby, the convenience when traveling, and the advantage to the baby — absorbing the mother’s immunities — is unsurpassed. So why has this been left out of the story as a formula for preventing such a shortage again?
Yours is the only newsletter I read on a regular basis. Thanks for all the hard work putting this together so reliably. I think it's your positive spin that we CAN do this if we can enliven the Democratic base. And I agree that abortion is in fact a bigger deal than pollsters know. They don't account for the privacy of the voting process and what women will do independently when in the voting booth or privacy of their own home.
I live in a deeply red state (AL) but have never voted republican. However, I intend to vote in the republican primary next Tuesday. I need a list of the least trumpest republicans who will likely be elected in Novenber when I will of course vote for Democrats! At the moment, I'll probably vote for Kay Ivey and Katie Britt but have no clue past them. Thanks, "Life Long Democrat in the South (since 1972)".
Here is a handy-dandy list of Dems to support, along with their Twitter handles (courtesy of Nick Knudsen):
PA Gov: @JoshShapiroPA
PA Sen: @JohnFetterman
PA Lt Gov: @AustinDavisPA
NC Sen: @CheriBeasleyNC
NC-01: @DonDavisNC
NC-13: @wileynickel
OR Gov: @TinaKotek
OR-04: @ValHoyle
OR-06: @AndreaRSalinas
https://twitter.com/NickKnudsenUS/status/1526995581834432512?s=20&t=oNLZ-2jiWksW-h_S8gH6Gw
Robert, you did not point out that on the same day that 192 House Republicans voted against money to get formula to infants, 203 of them voted against a bill to fight domestic terrorism. So Republicans are on record as opposing healthy food for babies, but in favor of domestic terrorism. Let’s get that message out!
And the basis of the baby formula debacle is not so much FDA mishandling of its inspection of that plant in Michigan as it is the fact that four companies control 90% of the formula market in the US. Antitrust should be a top priority for the Biden administration and all Democrats.
I see a lot of articles saying the GOP will turn us into Hungary. But America is far more diverse than Hungary, with a population that is 98% larger. The far-right appeals to a tiny minority and they would have to constantly keep the general public satisfied. Hungary is able to do this because much of the country is socially conservative and against western values. So the government is able to keep the people satisfied with soccer stadiums and a business-as-usual attitude. But Hungary is not America, and it never will be. Orban is an evil tactician, while Trump is an aging man who loves to act tough and say stupid things.
The GOP can try to wave all the magic wands it wants. The people will win. Things may get worse before they get better, but I have faith in us winning.
America was already a far-right autocracy in the 1800s and the early 1900s. Women couldn't vote, people of color were beaten and prevented from voting, there were Jim Crow laws (that were WAY worse than what we have now), gays were completely hidden, and Christianity ruled everything. If we could overcome that, we can truly do anything.
Thank you once again for your fact-based reporting of the current news.
Regarding polling: I am tired of the daily reporting that Biden has tanked in the polls. I think part of the problem is the high expectations that immediately after Biden took office , like day #2, he could reverse everything that Trump had done. Another issue I have is with the MSM not reporting on the positive improvements that Biden has made, but instead still giving too much attention to every little lie that Trump utters. Like you pointed out, many things are going to happen between now & when voting takes place that will influence how people will vote. Less emphasis on the polls! *steps down from soapbox*
Warnock in GA.
Thank you for making the essential point that Democrats and Progressive Independents do not “surrender the field” to Republicans even in deep red districts. It is also essential that we field strong candidates for all offices including a focus on local offices. We must remember that the only truly unwinnable races are those in which we fail to compete. There are entirely too many local races in red districts nationwide in which there are no Democratic or Progressive Independents on the ballot.
Here in Texas we have formed Blue Horizon Texas (https://www.bluehorizontexas.org/). The purpose of this organization is to recruit, train, and help build support networks for Democratic and Progressive non-partisan candidates for local offices statewide in Texas. With a focus on R+10 districts we have in our first year over 50 candidates we are helping in districts where in some cases it has been decades since a Democrat competed for that office. We are working also with Run for Something (https://runforsomething.net/) and local Democratic and non-partisan civic groups to recruit, train, and support candidates. We are also in the process of forming a Texas General Purpose Pac that will allow us to help with fund raising for the candidates and support networks we are helping to build. This is a great team doing the hard work and we constantly hear from folks “we did not realize how many more of us there were in our area who felt as we do.” There are many who feel they have been too long forgotten and ignored by the state and national party organizations as being in “unwinnable” districts. They are excited by finding those with the message that the only unwinnable districts are those in which we fail to compete. We can help recruit, prepare, train, and support strong candidates to provide real competition in the arena of ideas.
We are hoping the model we are creating here will provide an example for others. Democrats need to understand the importance of running everywhere to win anywhere.
As I learned from a Tweet from Rep Val Demings (FL-10) last week: "The same baby formula producer that had contaminated product and lead to this shortage used billions of dollars to buy back stock instead of investing in their product safety". American capitalism at it's "finest"- making money off the backs of our youngest, even neonates! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/20/abbott-baby-formula-shareholder-profits
I couldn't understand why Republicans would vote against domestic baby formula and favor foreign baby formula. Then I read the WaPo article. This is not about baby formula. Their no vote was a slam of the FDA. Like the recent court decision against the EPA, this too is a step in the direction of dismantling and eliminating US government administrative departments.
One of the things that I can't understand is how the polls and public opinion can have President Biden and the Democrats doing so badly when the Republicans are an abomination in every respect. Then I watched a clip of Elise Jordan's focus group in Georgia. The clips they showed were primarily Republicans...MAGA Republicans at that...but when asked if they would consider voting for Stacy Abrams against Brian Kemp they were horrified. They said a vote for any Republican would be better than voting for a Liberal, Communist Democrat. That alone shows how poisonous the Republican messaging, via Fox, is. To paint all Democrats as Communists or Socialists is standard fare but the fact that it is now gospel to so many is just unbelievable. Luckily (I hope), these were primarily MAGAs and we know we cannot reason with them, so I just hope that moderate Republicans and Independents won't fall for this.
I Chair Women for Beasley in NC. It will be a fight to the finish against Trumper Ted Budd who voted against Medicaid expansion in NC, baby formula, loves his guns, votes no if Dems vote yes consistently etc. so if you can help us in NC get Cheri Beasley to the Senate please help. You can respond to this with your email and I can reach out or go to cheribeasley.com to donate and/or volunteer. Republicans already bought close to $7m in advertising!!!
On the Oklahoma Abortion Law, I’m old enough to have been involved in the original fight for reproductive freedom. Before Roe, researchers were looking for contraceptives that did not produce abortions. The pill was one of those. IF a fertilized egg is a fetus upon fertilization, then quite a number of our current contraceptives probably immediately also become illegal. Seems to me that might be a problem for a much wider slice of the population than the abortion issue alone.
Lawrence O'Donnell night before last had quite a segment on the importance of Pennsylvania electing Josh Shapiro Governor. He called Shapiro the man who could save democracy. His MAGAette opponent, Mastriano, would do extensive damage to the electoral process to ensure only the former guy or another MAGAette wins the Presidency. Pennsylvania is a critical swing state which can swing the outcome one way or another. So, it is critical we all get behind Mr. Shapiro's campaign! We, the People, all of us this time! Here is the link to that segment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaUQBRSZ7No
RE the baby formula problem, I’m surprised at the virtual absence of coverage of the proportion of mothers who breast-feed (and therefore usually have no “shortage” issue) vs. those fo depend on baby formula. It’s long since I had my babies, but I remember vividly the efforts of baby-formula manufacturers who came to me in hospital offering samples of the stuff, and the absence of hospital breast-feeding advice or programs. I remember the nurse who came in with a bottle in hand, and exclaimed, when I declined the offer and said I was going to breast feed, “you mean you’re going to starve your baby!”. I was terrified, but luckily had an obstetrician from Argentina who knew all about breast feeding and who had encouraged and coached me ahead of time how to go about it. (There IS a technique!). That was 50 years ago, and some things have changed. But clearly not enough. I’m curious to know the proportion of women who bottle feed by choice rather than from physical necessity. Of course formula is handy in certain circumstances even when breast-feeding, and some women cannot breast-feed, but the convenience of immediate access for the baby, the convenience when traveling, and the advantage to the baby — absorbing the mother’s immunities — is unsurpassed. So why has this been left out of the story as a formula for preventing such a shortage again?
Styra Eisinger
Yours is the only newsletter I read on a regular basis. Thanks for all the hard work putting this together so reliably. I think it's your positive spin that we CAN do this if we can enliven the Democratic base. And I agree that abortion is in fact a bigger deal than pollsters know. They don't account for the privacy of the voting process and what women will do independently when in the voting booth or privacy of their own home.
I live in a deeply red state (AL) but have never voted republican. However, I intend to vote in the republican primary next Tuesday. I need a list of the least trumpest republicans who will likely be elected in Novenber when I will of course vote for Democrats! At the moment, I'll probably vote for Kay Ivey and Katie Britt but have no clue past them. Thanks, "Life Long Democrat in the South (since 1972)".
Thanks for the specific list of candidates we should support and volunteer for to help impact outcomes in swing states.