"Restoring Democracy"

The damage being done every day by existential threat Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump and his rotted- out party of enabling cynics will take years to undo -- if it can be fully undone at all.

One of the first priorities of the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives was to pass H.R. 1, the "For the People Act of 2019." The bill recognized the broken state of our democracy, rendered so by decades of Republicans putting their thumbs on the scales through voter disenfranchisement, gerrymandering and voting fraud, and proposed action in several areas:

1.  Put restrictions on campaign financing, particularly undisclosed "dark money" funneled through super PACs;

2.  Require release of tax returns by presidential and vice presidential candidates; and

3.  Create a national voter registration program and make Election Day a national holiday, and create nonpartisan commissions to draw election districts.

Many progressives, ourselves included, believe this is just the starting point to restore American democracy, and that even bolder actions need to be taken.  (This, of course, presumes that a Democrat wins the presidency in 2020 and that Democrats hold the House and take the Senate, all becoming more realistic by the day.)

Infidel 753 has some additional measures Democrats must take to restore majority rule in this country should they regain power.  Go to the link for how he fleshes them out, but briefly they are,

1.  Abolish the Senate filibuster;

2.  Pass legislation to expand the Supreme Court;

3.  Pass legislation eliminating state- level gerrymandering and voter suppression laws; and

4.  Pass legislation guaranteeing election security.

We, too, think that a comprehensive attack on the systemic biases Republicans have introduced into election processes is overdue, especially given the example of the past nearly 2 1/2 years of where such biases can lead us. When it's easier to vote -- through automatic voter registration, voting by mail, etc. -- turnout goes up, and Democrats are generally the beneficiaries.  Moreover, there's a strong public hunger for the corruption that election reform addresses to be cleaned up.

Democrats need to be uncharacteristically bold in taking this on, should they sweep in 2020.  H.R. 1 laid down a minimal marker for the restoring democracy agenda;  additional reforms such as the ones Infidel lays out must also be part of the package.  We can't flinch when we get this opportunity, because we can never be sure we'll get another chance.

BONUS:  As if on cue, Senate Democrats are introducing a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the Citizens United abomination.  Largely symbolic right now, but it has to start sometime.

Media Fails to Cover Rulings Upholding Health Reform

As we predicted, the "mainstream" media hasn't been so fair and balanced in reporting the three rulings upholding the constitutionality of the health reform act, versus the two that didn't. They need to be careful not to get a hernia carrying so much Rethuglican water.

(Image: Politico, AP and the Kaplan Daily)

Another Ruling Supporting Health Reform Law

You are very unlikely to hear it in the mainstream media, but U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler became the third Federal judge to rule in favor of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, which has been President Obama's signature achievement thus far. Two Federal judges appointed by Rethuglican Presidents have ruled against the Act. Guess which rulings captured vastly more media attention?

As more and more provisions of the Act take effect, the public will notice that they are not being marched off to socialist concentration camps to be interviewed by death panels. Sadly, the good news that the law is being upheld isn't considered as "newsworthy" as victories by the wingnuts and their backers in the private health insurance industry.