Since June, Republicans in the North Carolina House have been searching for the votes necessary to override Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of the state’s budget. Republicans hold 65 of the chambers 120 seats but need the backing of two-thirds of state representatives for a veto override. The Republicans failed to attract the necessary support. So they decided to cheat. … Read More
Huge Win: NC Court Strikes Down GOP-Gerrymandered Districts; Orders New Map
In a 357-page decision, a unanimous three-judge panel on Tuesday ordered drawing of new legislative maps in North Carolina, ruling in Common Cause v. Lewis that the current maps constitute “extreme partisan gerrymandering” and violate three separate provisions of the state constitution. “The 2017 Enacted Maps, as drawn, do not permit voters to freely choose their representative, but rather representatives are … Read More
Mitch McConnell Block Bills To Ensure Election Security
Election security is national security. Right now, election security is all done at the state and local level, and many districts and states simply do not have the money or technology to stop hackers. This not only includes Russia, but China, Iran, and even domestic ne’er-do-wells. AP: Robert Mueller warned that Russian interference is still happening “as we sit here.” … Read More
DOJ Swaps Out Lawyers In The Citizenship/Census Case
The Department of Justice switched up the team of lawyers representing the Trump administration in its push to get a citizenship question on the 2020 census, according to the Washington Post. The DOJ announced the decision in a statement after the Post asked the department about the move. A person familiar with the matter told the Post that some career lawyers … Read More
Trump Administration Flips Again On Citizenship Question As Lawyers Scramble For A Justification
The news Tuesday that the Trump Administration was giving up on adding a citizenship question to the census came as a surprise, it seems, to Trump, who tweeted a denial: And Trump’s assertion that the news was “fake” cam as a surprise to the judge overseeing the case, who was told differently. Justice Department lawyers told United States District Judge … Read More
Trump Administration Caves On Citizenship Question On 2020 Census
And like that, they lose: There will not be a question asking about citizenship on the 2020 census, the Trump administration said Tuesday. The decision comes less than a week after the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the administration from adding the question, saying it did not provide an adequate explanation for the addition. “We can confirm that the decision has … Read More
SCOTUS WrapUp: Trump Denied Citizenship Question In 2020 Census; On The Other Hand, Democracy Is Screwed
The last day of the term meant the handing down of two critical and important opinions. The first, Department of Commerce v New York, was a blow to the Trump administration. The issue involves the inclusion of a question non the census about citizenship. It was challenged on the grounds that it was arbitrary and capricious — in essence, that … Read More
NC-09 Scandal Leads To Indictments
From the New York Times: The North Carolina political operative who oversaw a fraud-ridden voter-turnout effort on behalf of a Republican congressional candidate was arrested on Wednesday, a prosecutor said, after a grand jury accused him of a series of felonies. The campaign contractor, L. McCrae Dowless Jr., was among five people charged in Wake County, N.C., in connection with … Read More
NC09 Follies
It is hard to describe the craziness going on in the Ninth District of North Carolina. But I will try. We really need to start in December 2016. Following a bitter gubernatorial campaign where incumbent Republican Pat McCrory is defeated by Democrat Roy Cooper, the GOP NC General Assembly holds special sessions before the new Democratic governor comes into office. … Read More
NC-09 Update
So many political scandals, but this one is local (although making national headlines). And it get more bizarre as time goes on. The man at the center of the obvious election fraud is as guy named Leslie McCrae Dowless. He recruited and paid an army of workers to go door-to-door in minority neighborhoods and collect absentee ballots. Many of the ballots … Read More
“Shaken Us To The Core”
What is happening in NC-9 even has Republicans upset. Yesterday, Dallas Woodhouse, Executive Director of the North Carolina Republican Party, and the North Carolina GOP were calling for the results to be certified. But that’s different now…. Breaking: Executive Director of NC Republicans says he’s open to new election in NC-9 Congressional race. Dallas Woodhouse told CNN’s Drew Griffin he was … Read More
The Lame Duck Power Grabs
The entire country is witness to the blatant attempts by Republicans to break the rules — or worse — change them, in the interests of maintaining power despite the will of the people. It is brazen and in the open. It is happening in this state (again) and now in Michigan and Wisconsin. A Slate article sums it up: In … Read More
Yup. There IS Such A Thing As Voter Fraud In NC
TheWe may have to do a “do-over” in the North Carolina 9th Congressional District. It is alleged that – shock! – Republicans cheated in order to prevent black voters from casting their ballots. But the cheating goes far beyond the everyday voter suppression rampant in red states. It is alleged that those who wanted the Republican in the race to … Read More
What The New Dem-Controlled House Should Do Out Of The Gate
Dear Dem-Controlled House and Nancy Pelosi: Don’t let Trump bait you into go whole hog on investigations of him. That’ll come in time. No talk of impeachment. And let Mueller do his thing. In the meantime, act for the American people. The new Democratic House majority should devote its first 100 days to passing five pieces of legislation, then dare … Read More
Got One
From the Department of Justice, just now: Russian National Charged with Interfering in U.S. Political System ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A criminal complaint was unsealed here today charging a Russian national for her alleged role in a Russian conspiracy to interfere in the U.S. political system, including the 2018 midterm election. “The strategic goal of this alleged conspiracy, which continues to … Read More