Update: See for comments for a KKK debacle in NC.
Update: Kudos to commenter Anon for keeping the blog alive while I'm in recovery. Crazy In NC continues (see comment below for links): "But the threat of using the pain of hurricane victims for an outrageous power grab remains. Last year, Senate Leader Phil Berger manipulated the rules to help his son get elected to the Court of Appeals. Now he apparently wants to undermine the voters' decision by moving the Board of Elections and other agencies under the control of his friends and out of the control Governor-Elect Roy Cooper."
10 comments:
I know in all the awfulness that's happened and the craziness that's ongoing, the current NC governor's evident intent to hijack the election is just another little bit of mayhem, but I thought I'd post this, because you're one of the few people I've seen online that would get the full extent of this hypocrisy.
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2016/11/22/meet-people-challenging-election-fellow-voters-eligibility/
Turns out that all those civic minded citizens challenging Cooper's by now over 7,700 vote lead and alleging fraud (not just asking for an audit, mind you) in half of NC's 100 counties, well, 71% are officials of the Republican party. Of the remaining 11, four were McCrory campaign volunteers, four more are registered Republicans, and one has recently run for office as a Republican. Of the remaining two, one ran for office as unaffiliated and the other filed a protest based the board's -denying- a relative's absentee ballot due to late return.
So of those 50 counties where yet more time, money and electoral integrity is being wasted, all but two of the challengers shouting "Fraud!" are Republicans with a stake in overthrowing the election and of those two, one was a candidate in a nonpartisan race.
McCrory's filed for a recount, of course (he doesn't have to pay for it, does he?). I guess he's making sure he gets in before Cooper goes over the 10,000 ballot threshold, as it looks like he might - if those electoral boards every get around to counting all the ballots. Like me when I took the racing school and was the slowest person on the track, they may just get lapped by the recount.
Makes me feel a lot smugger about the recount Jill Stein got going in Wisconsin and may get in Pennsylvania and Michigan. And she's just asking for a recount -and- is paying for it. McCrory gives me a nice little target to point all the whiners about Wisconsin at.
Update on NC (still keeping in mind that compared to the national disaster, this is basically just a small ray of hope) - Cooper closing in on that 10,000! As of Nov. 28th, as of 6:00 pm, he's 9,716 votes ahead.
http://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/08/2016&county_id=0&office=COS&contest=0
Not going to make any difference as to whether there's a recount, I guess. The rThugs have already filed every legal challenge in the book, but this is good for morale going into the mess that follows this one: getting through all the rThug trickery and getting a decent governor confirmed. Also, it may mean those rich rThugs will have a little less pocket change if they have to pay for this. And it keeps getting better as a place to point rThug whiners to.
Thanks for the shout-out, Bob. Crazy in NC is right!
As of November 30th, Cooper's passed the 10,000 vote limit, at 10,257. Bladen, Graham and Lenoir counties are still outstanding, though, and they're Rethug leaning.
In other crazy news, yesterday a federal court's ruled that the gerrymandering was indeed illegal in 28 counties and there has to be yet -another- election in 2017 for those. That is if Obama gets off his posterior and appoints Garland as a recess appointment. Otherwise, the Supremes will just overturn all of that ASAP, make voting rights history and everything -so- much easier for NC Rethugs.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a51104/north-carolina-voting-rights/
I'm somewhat confused, though, because various news outlets are saying that it's already been appealed to the Supreme Court. It looks like a lower court than the 4th circuit decided this just yesterday, so I thought by law it had to go through the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals first.
http://www.southerncoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Ordering-New-Elections-11-29-2016-.pdf
On Sunday, Dec. 4th, the State Board of Elections voted 3 to 2, with 1 Republican siding with the 2 Democrats, to not throw out 400 Bladen County absentee ballots from a predominately African American community, submitted by a group formed to help said community with voting, thus keeping McCrory from grabbing back enough votes to demand a recount.
The account of the meeting here, while factual, is also amusing in a CrazyInNC way:
http://blog.wataugawatch.net/2016/12/miracle-on-north-harrington-street.html
More CrazyInNC news:
If I'm reading these two articles correctly, (timestamp on the first is Dec. 3rd, 6:33pm, on the second, same day, 9:53pm. Same name in both articles, same ignominious title in same deranged organization) a Trump-inspired KKK group had a stealth parade in Roxboro, rather than the previously announced Caswell county. Then the grand PooBah went home and got slung in jail for stabbing someone at a followup meeting at his house. Temper? Hatred? Saying It With Knives? Who'd a thunk such things would happen at a KKK meeting???
http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/20161203/kkk-parades-through-roxboro-for-trump-victory
http://myfox8.com/2016/12/03/2-men-arrested-after-man-stabbed-at-kkk-meeting-at-nc-home/
Yay!! I know you probably already know this, but this small ray of light just happened:
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2016/12/05/gov-mccrory-concedes-election-video-message/
Net gain of 2 votes for Cooper in Durham County, after all that hooforoar.
NC also kept it's AG Democratic, thank goodness. The only office to stand up Pat McDuke, Duke itself and the more insane of the lege's bills. Gonna be weird, though, having a Republican Lieut. with a Dem. gov.
Thanks for letting me comment on here. I really hope things will turn out better for us all in the future.
I'm sorry, I know I implied I'd stop commenting, but this...I just can't help it!
"But the threat of using the pain of hurricane victims for an outrageous power grab remains. Last year, Senate Leader Phil Berger manipulated the rules to help his son get elected to the Court of Appeals. Now he apparently wants to undermine the voters' decision by moving the Board of Elections and other agencies under the control of his friends and out of the control Governor-Elect Roy Cooper."
http://bluenc.com/content/live-blogging-special-session-0
Were Republicans always this low down and dirty and I just didn't know it?? Using every possible trick to claw the infamous vote-supressing Board of Elections back into Republican control, even though they lost the governorship and therefore, the unchecked power over these boards they wielded so unapologetically as the thugs they were in 2016.
The blogger James gives these phone numbers to call - even if they don't make a difference, at least I'll get to blow off some live steam.
Senate Pro Tempore Phil Berger
919-733-5708
House Speaker Tim Moore
919-733-3451
Well that went well - the Repubs succeeded in reaching a new low, even for them. If they wanted NC to be famous worldwide, they're succeeding. This evil unashamed power grab is making news not just nationwide but in the usual non-US outlets reporting on this sad country. No noticeable effect of all the calling, BTW - of course not, it's probably just victory notches for them.
This tweet from Mrs. Betty Bowers seems to apply:
North Carolina Legislature is like the family who steals your appliances and spray paints obscenities on your walls when they lose the lease
https://twitter.com/BettyBowers/status/810586196502056961
Thanks again for letting me blow off steam. This time I really am gone. Physically, too, soon I hope. Either a west coast or east coast state that went solidly Dem this year - just can't keep up a Yossarian for the the next several years, walking around trying to face enemies on every side.
I've been in it 70 years so hang in there. I'd sure hate to see another friend disappear. But if you do go, keep giving us updates from where ever you land.
Thank you. I'm sorry that the good people I've met here have to contend with this, some of the very worst unethical politics I've ever seen.
I'm looking at something like this small retirement complex, but on the west coast. Ideally, I'll be able to trade my tiny car for a more travel friendly vehicle and do a last tour through the National Parks on the way there, before they're sold off to tRump's buddies.
I do hope the political climate improves and that your roots in this beautiful area protect you from the worst of it. I'll definitely keep you posted once the migration begins.
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