Congressional Record—Senate S2685

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Congressional Record—Senate S2685 May 6, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2685 Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Without objection, it is so ordered. to bring to a close debate on the nomination question is on agreeing to the motion. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME of James D. Peterson, of Wisconsin, to be The motion was agreed to. United States District Judge for the Western The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under District of Wisconsin. f the previous order, the leadership time Harry Reid, Patrick J. Leahy, Mazie K. is reserved. Hirono, Dianne Feinstein, Al Franken, EXECUTIVE SESSION Under the previous order, the time Jack Reed, Amy Klobuchar, Robert P. until 11:15 a.m. will be equally divided Casey, Jr., Sheldon Whitehouse, Ben- between the two leaders or their des- jamin L. Cardin, Tom Harkin, Barbara NOMINATION OF ROBIN S. ROSEN- ignees. Boxer, Richard Blumenthal, Edward J. BAUM TO BE UNITED STATES The assistant majority leader. Markey, Richard J. Durbin, Charles E. CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE ELEV- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I note Schumer, Elizabeth Warren. ENTH CIRCUIT on the floor the presence of Senators Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- MORAN, CORNYN, and WARREN. May I imous consent that the mandatory Mr. REID. I now move to proceed to enter into a consent agreement as to quorum under rule XXII be waived. executive session to consider Calendar The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without No. 690. the sequence of speaking? I ask unani- objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mous consent that after I have spoken, question is on agreeing to the motion. Senator WARREN be recognized next on f The motion was agreed to. the Democratic side, and I ask which LEGISLATIVE SESSION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican Senator would like to be Mr. REID. I now move to proceed to clerk will report the nomination. included and in what order? legislative session. The legislative clerk read the nomi- Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nation of Robin S. Rosenbaum, of Flor- sponding to the question of the distin- question is on agreeing to the motion. ida, to be United States Circuit Judge guished majority whip, through the The motion was agreed to. for the Eleventh Circuit. Chair, it would help if we could alter- f CLOTURE MOTION nate between sides, if that is accept- Mr. REID. If the cloture motion is at able. EXECUTIVE SESSION Mr. DURBIN. It is agreed. Who would the desk, I ask that it be reported. be first on the Republican side? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- Mr. CORNYN. My understanding is NOMINATION OF NANCY J. ture motion having been presented Senator MORAN would be first. Then we ROSENSTENGEL TO BE UNITED under rule XXII, the Chair directs the would go to the Democratic side and STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR clerk to report the cloture motion. then back to me. THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IL- The legislative clerk read as follows: LINOIS The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without CLOTURE MOTION objection, it is so ordered. Mr. REID. I now move to proceed to We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I was executive session to consider Calendar ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the going to ask for a specific time for No. 657. Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move each, but I am going to try to be brief The PRESIDING OFFICER. The to bring to a close debate on the nomination and yield more time for comments question is on agreeing to the motion. of Robin S. Rosenbaum, of Florida, to be The motion was agreed to. United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh from others because I am sure time The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Circuit. will be expiring. clerk will report the nomination. Harry Reid, Patrick J. Leahy, Mazie K. The issue we are trying to move to is The legislative clerk read the nomi- Hirono, Dianne Feinstein, Al Franken, called the Energy Savings and Indus- nation of Nancy J. Rosenstengel, of Il- Jack Reed, Amy Klobuchar, Robert P. trial Competitiveness Act. Whenever linois, to be United States District Casey, Jr., Sheldon Whitehouse, Ben- we talk about energy and the environ- jamin L. Cardin, Tom Harkin, Barbara Judge for the Southern District of Illi- ment, the Senate is up for grabs. There Boxer, Richard Blumenthal, Edward J. is a divided opinion as to what to do nois. Markey, Richard J. Durbin, Charles E. CLOTURE MOTION Schumer, Elizabeth Warren. with the energy policy of America. Mr. REID. I send a cloture motion to There are sincere and profound dif- Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent ferences between the two political par- the desk, Mr. President. that the mandatory quorum under rule The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- ties. We recently had an all-night ses- XXII be waived. ture motion having been presented sion talking about the issue of global The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without under rule XXII, the Chair directs the warming and climate change and there clerk to report the cloture motion. objection, it is so ordered. was a real division between Democrats The legislative clerk read as follows: f and Republicans about this issue. CLOTURE MOTION I had a statement early in the ses- LEGISLATIVE SESSION We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- sion, and I come to the floor and renew ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Mr. REID. I now move to proceed to it today in the hopes one of my two Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move legislative session. friends on the other side of the aisle to bring to a close debate on the nomination The PRESIDING OFFICER. The can respond to this. My statement is of Nancy J. Rosenstengel, of Illinois, to be question is on agreeing to the motion. this: The only major political party in United States District Judge for the South- The motion was agreed to. ern District of Illinois. the world that denies the existence of Harry Reid, Patrick J. Leahy, Mazie K. f global warming and climate change is Hirono, Dianne Feinstein, Al Franken, the Republican Party of the United Jack Reed, Amy Klobuchar, Robert P. ENERGY SAVINGS AND INDUS- States of America. I am waiting for Casey, Jr., Sheldon Whitehouse, Ben- TRIAL COMPETITIVENESS ACT some Republican to come forward and jamin L. Cardin, Tom Harkin, Barbara OF 2014—MOTION TO PROCEED— refute me. Someone said there is a Boxer, Richard Blumenthal, Edward J. Continued Markey, Richard J. Durbin, Charles E. small party in Australia that doesn’t Schumer, Elizabeth Warren. Mr. REID. Mr. President, because of accept global warming and climate Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the conversation with Senator MCCON- change. That may be true, but I am that the mandatory quorum under rule NELL and me, the time ran much longer looking for evidence of another major XXII be waived. than it normally does, so I ask unani- political party, other than the Repub- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without mous consent that the vote occur at lican Party of the United States of objection, it is so ordered. 11:15 rather than 11. Senator DURBIN is America, which denies the fact that here, as well as Senator WARREN, with f our human activity on Earth and the Senators CORNYN and MORAN, so we pollution we are creating is changing LEGISLATIVE SESSION will divide the time equally until then. the world in which we are living. Mr. REID. I now move to proceed to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there I think there is ample evidence. Inci- legislative session. objection? dentally, 98 percent of the scientists VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:03 May 07, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G06MY6.026 S06MYPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S2686 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 6, 2014 who look at it conclude the same—that There is a Republican Senator who our State, I hear the stories about we are going through climate change in stopped this bill last week from coming their VA claims process—from sys- this world. Look around. Glaciers are up because he wants to debate—are you temic issues with the back-and-forth of melting, the weather is changing, we ready—ObamaCare. Fifty times the how the claims are handled, to absurd have more extreme weather events, and House of Representatives has voted to waiting times in Washington. I hear our planet is heating up. Some people repeal ObamaCare. It is going nowhere. from veterans organizations that come say: That is just an act of God. It hap- Yet they continue to come back to it. from Kansas—the American Legion, pens every few centuries. That is the So this Senator said we can’t take up Disabled Veterans of America, Con- way it goes. energy efficiency because he wants to cerned Veterans of America, and Vet- I don’t think so. I think what we are debate one aspect of ObamaCare again. erans of Foreign Wars—and they bring doing on Earth has something to do Please, save it for another day. Let their stories of other veterans to me, with it. us do something in a bipartisan fashion outlining the problems the veterans This debate could go on all day and that can guarantee 190,000 people in back home are facing. The reality is there would be severe differences of America a good-paying job. that our veterans are losing hope that opinion on each side of the aisle as to Wouldn’t that be something we can the VA will care for them. whether what I have said is true, but talk about when we come home at the here is something we should not dis- end of the week instead of the fact that Americans recently heard the story agree on—the pending legislation.
Recommended publications
  • Annual Report 2017-2018
    US Governor Philip D. Murphy (New Jersey) Annette Riedel, Senior Editor, Deutschlandfunk Kultur Berlin Transatlantic Forum 2018: “Present at the New Creation? Tech. Power. Democracy.” October 16, 2018 3 4 PREFACE Dear Friends of Aspen Germany, In 2017, we also had three US mayors in quick succession as guests of Aspen Germany: Mayor Pete Buttigieg of 2017 and 2018 were years of world-wide political and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, economic changes. The international order, established and Mayor Rahm Emanuel from Chicago. All three events 70 years ago under US leadership after World War II, is attracted high-ranking transatlanticists from the Bundestag, now being challenged by the rise of populism, the rise of think tanks, and political foundations as well as business authoritarian regimes from Russia, China, Turkey, and representatives. The goal of these events was to facilitate a fundamental changes in US policy under President Donald transatlantic discussion about the future course of the Trump. United States after Trump’s election. In the last two years, we have seen an erosion in the core of Throughout both years, we have also continued our our transatlantic alliance. From NATO and our common transatlantic exchange programs. The Bundestag and security interests to our trade relations, from our approach &RQJUHVV6WD൵HUV([FKDQJH3URJUDPEURXJKWVWD൵HUVIURP to climate change to arms control – everything we have WKH86&RQJUHVVWR%HUOLQDQGVWD൵HUVIURPWKH*HUPDQ taken for granted as a stable framework of transatlantic Bundestag to Washington, D.C.. Over the years, we have relations is now being questioned. These dramatic changes built a robust network of young American and German did not go unnoticed by us.
    [Show full text]
  • Overseas Friends of the BJP, the Web, and the Power of the State in The
    The Report Committee for Isaac Kent McQuistion Certifies that this is the approved version of the following report: Overseas Friends of the BJP, the Web, and the Power of the State in the Diaspora APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE: Supervisor: Sumit Guha Madhavi Mallapragada Overseas Friends of the BJP, the Web, and the Power of the State in the Diaspora by Isaac Kent McQuistion, B.A. Report Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts The University of Texas at Austin May 2017 Dedication For Lindsey Abstract Overseas Friends of the BJP, the Web, and the Power of the State in the Diaspora by Isaac Kent McQuistion, M.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2017 SUPERVISOR: Sumit Guha In this examination of the web presence of OFBJP.org, I show first how Overseas Friends of BJP fit into expanded definitions and conceptions of nationalism. The modern nation-state is reaching out beyond its territorial boundaries, bringing in migrants in the diaspora and reorienting their gaze back towards India. It is part of a larger strategy built around dominating cyberspace and exercising power over minds instead of bodies. A critical discourse analysis of OFBJP.org shows the priorities of the organization. It is built around recreating the hierarchy of the BJP and playing on migrants’ emotional attachment to India to compel them to donate money and invest in the country in exchange for cultural capital. In doing so, it helps (re)produce a particular vision of India.
    [Show full text]
  • Libertarian Party of Nevada Hosted "Speed Dating" Events Over 2 Days at Different Venues in Las Vegas
    Endorsement Committee This year, we formed an Endorsement Committee comprised of 18 members plus additional Libertarian leadership; the “Committee.” The Committee members conducted their own independent research on each of the candidates and asked them questions at our events. The Committee members took notes and made recommendations on grades and endorsements. Endorsement Committee Chair: Jason Weinman Committee Members: Jason G Smith Jim Duensing Jason Nellis Lesley Chan John McCormack JD Smith Lou Pombo Brady Bowyer Scott Lafata Tim Hagan Brett H. Pojunis Brandon Ellyson Debra Dedmon Nick Klein Andrew Lea Ross Williams Tarina Dark Steve Brown Format - Why "Speed Dating?" The Libertarian Party of Nevada hosted "Speed Dating" events over 2 days at different venues in Las Vegas. The goal was to meet as many candidates as possible in a format similar to speed dating. LPNevada endorsed Candidates in non‐partisan races and graded Candidates in partisan races for the 2014 General Elections. Most organizations do not get one‐on‐one interaction with the candidates; we felt this is important. Endorsements and Grading Non‐Partisan candidates received either a positive (thumbs up) or negative (thumbs down) endorsement from the Committee. Partisan Candidates received a grade of 1 to 5 stars. Candidates who received 1 star were not very Libertarian and candidates who received 5 stars were very good in regards to their position on issues important to Libertarians. The Libertarian Party of Nevada has the following 15 Candidate on the 2014 Ballot. Adam Sanacore, Assembly District 21 Lou Pombo, Assembly District 37 Chris Dailey, White Pine County Commission Louis Gabriel, Assembly District 32 Donald W.
    [Show full text]
  • Addendum a to Resolution to Reestablish Republican Unity and Principles
    Addendum A to Resolution to Reestablish Republican Unity and Principles Note: This addendum is attached to the Resolution to ensure clarity and justification for the claims and appeals made within the Resolution. Towards Integrity, Then Unity We, the Nevada Republican Central Committee make it known that we delayed presentation and publication of this Resolution until after the 2012 Presidential Election to unmistakably demonstrate support and respect for our Republican candidate. Unlike events at the 2012 Republican National Committee (RNC) Tampa Convention, we demand integrity and sincere unity in Republican Party affairs. The RNC silenced the delegates, and therefore, all Republicans, during the vote to accept the RNC Rules Committee Report, in violation of RNC Rules, specifically, our Preamble. The Preamble of our RNC Rules sets out a clear vision for the Party to function properly. The leadership of the Party exercised exceptionally poor judgment in their decision making, clearly violating that Preamble. As members of the Republican Party it is our duty to take actions necessary to ensure that our Party respects our rules. Specific Grievances 1) The report of the 2012 RNC Convention Rules Committee was not accepted properly. Legitimate cries of “Division” were heard, clearly requiring actions which were not taken (see Rules of the House of Representatives, Rule XX, 1. (a) Voting and Quorum Calls) 2) Therefore, Rule 40 (b) could not have been amended and the original requirement for five states remained the criteria. Considering this and that the RNC Secretary was handed candidate nomination forms in accordance with the rules, there should have been a nomination from the floor.
    [Show full text]
  • Tonia Khouri Illinois House District 49
    As state-level Republicans have reached modern highs in legislative majorities and statewide offices held, the RSLC has brought attention to outstanding Future Majority Project (FMP) and Right Women, Right Now (RWRN) candidates running in critical races by highlighting them through the “Races to Watch” program since 2014. In years past, candidates featured in our campaigns proved to be essential majority makers and this cycle is no different. In Kentucky, 16 in ‘16 featured candidate Melinda Prunty helped Republicans flip the Kentucky House for the first time in 95 years. In Connecticut, 16 in ‘16 candidates Heather Somers and George Logan helped Republicans achieve split control in the state Senate, bringing Republicans to 69 chambers controlled. Meanwhile, candidates in Colorado, Maine, New York and Washington all played integral roles helping Republicans retain crucial Senate majorities in 2016 and expand our map. This round of “Races to Watch” includes LGBTQ candidates and incumbents in competitive races alongside female and minority candidates and incumbents. In total the RSLC featured 90 down ballot candidates with its five editions of the “Races to Watch” list who are changing the face of the Republican Party at the state level and are breaking barriers in state legislatures and statewide offices. www.RSLC.gop California Ronda Baldwin-Kennedy California Assembly District 44 Members of the California Assembly represent approximately 465,000 people making it the largest population-per-representative ratio of any state’s lower chamber. voterbk.com Ronda Baldwin-Kennedy is a wife and working mom who believes California has all of the potential to be an amazing place where she can continue to raise her children, and where they can build wonderful lives for themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • Jews, Israelis FEAR Fallout from Bomb Hoax Arrest
    SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017 INTERNATIONAL School rape fuels Trump-era debate on immigration WASHINGTON: A rape at a Washington News reports say Sanchez Milian was like Sanchez Milian, can be placed in a often links immigration to higher crime area high school has drawn intense scruti- born in Guatemala and in August 2016 public school in contact with much rates, although no serious studies back up ny as part of the immigration debate crossed the Rio Grande separating Mexico younger people. Fox News, which is pop- this claim. In announcing his candidacy in launched under President Donald Trump, from the United States, as do many ular with conservatives, has provided June 2015, Trump famously said that since the two alleged attackers are Latinos seeking to escape poverty and blanket coverage of the rape in all its ugly, some of the Mexicans who cross the bor- Latinos who entered the United States find a better life in the United States. He violent detail. The television network also der illegally are rapists and drug dealers. illegally. Under normal circumstances, a was picked up by border control agents. A claimed there were links between the He has also called Latino migrants “bad case like this would not make national few days later, he was let go to join his rape and so-called sanctuary cities, where hombres.” The controversy deepened headlines. But these are not normal times father, who was living in Maryland while local authorities do not cooperate with when the Republican governor of in America. The attack feeds perfectly into the youth waited to appear before an their federal counterparts on immigration Maryland, Larry Hogan, urged the Trump narrative that the United States immigration judge.
    [Show full text]
  • Southern Hills Republican Women Mission Statement DIRECTORS the Southern Hills Republican Women’S Club Believes in American Exceptionalism
    Volume 7 Issue 4 APRIL 2014 Southern Hills Republican Women Mission Statement DIRECTORS The Southern Hills Republican Women’s Club believes in American exceptionalism. We are President: committed to supporting and advancing the Republican Party, and its candidates, at the local, Lynn Armanino state and national level. To fulfill this mission we will: [email protected] 248-1414 • provide information on current political and community issues, • organize members and coordinate efforts to promote and elect Republican candidates, Interim1st V.P: • maintain our commitment, passion and knowledge in support of the Republican Party and Nickie Diersen conservative issues, [email protected] • influence policy making at all levels of government. 897-4682 2nd V.P: Angela Lin Greenberg- nd [email protected]; Tuesday April 22 269-5557 Guest Speaker Senator Barbara Cegavske Treasurer: Susan Tanksley Candidate for Nevada Secretary of State [email protected] 487-6418 Secretary: Barbara has served for 18 years in our state legislature and has worked very Linda Schlinger hard to enact legislation in support of families and businesses in our great state of [email protected] rd 896-9829 Nevada. She just completed her 3 and final term in our State Senate (District 8) and held the following leadership positions: Senate Minority Whip (2009) and Communications Director: Assistant Senate Minority Leader (2011) along with other chairmanship and Nickie Diersen committee membership positions. [email protected]; 897-4682 Prior to this she served in our State Assembly (District 5) for 6 years and held Events Director: numerous legislative leadership positions including Assistant Assembly Minority Anne Danielson [email protected] Whip (1997) and Assistant Minority Leader (1999 – 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Placewomenrep00benerich.Pdf
    University of California Berkeley of California Regional Oral History Office University The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Women in Politics Oral History Project Marjorie H. E. Benedict DEVELOPING A PLACE FOR WOMEN IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY An Interview Conducted by Miriam Stein 1977-1978 Underwritten by a research grant from the Research Collection Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities of the University of California Copyright (7) 1984 by the Regents All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between the Regents of the University of California and Marjorie H.E. Benedict dated April 2, 1984. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, 486 Library, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. The legal agree ment with Marjorie Benedict requires that she be notified of the request and allowed thirty days in which to respond. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Marjorie H.E. Benedict, "Developing a Place for Women in the Republican Party," an oral history conducted 1977-1978 by Miriam Stein, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1984.
    [Show full text]
  • Sexual Assault in the Political Sphere Robert Larsen University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Program Spring 3-12-2018 Sexual Assault in the Political Sphere Robert Larsen University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/honorstheses Part of the American Politics Commons, and the Politics and Social Change Commons Larsen, Robert, "Sexual Assault in the Political Sphere" (2018). Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 46. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/honorstheses/46 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE An Undergraduate Honors Thesis Submitted in Partial fulfillment of University Honors Program Requirements University of Nebraska-Lincoln by Robert E. Larsen, BA Political Science College of Arts and Sciences March 12, 2018 Faculty Mentors: John Gruhl, PhD, Political Science 1 Abstract This project sought to analyze how sexual assault in the political sphere is perceived and treated in contemporary society in the United States of America. The thesis analyzed eight cases of sexual misconduct, including six from the past thirty years. In each case, the reaction of party and social leaders, of the politician’s constituents and of the politician himself were looked at, as well as the consequences the politician faced. The results were then analyzed side-by-side to discover similarities and differences between ho cases of sexual assault allegations were treated and in terms of what happened to the politician after the allegations came out.
    [Show full text]
  • AUGUST 2017 – the Elephant’S Tale
    C ELEBRATING 52 YEARS • 1965 - 2015 – AUGUST 2017 – The Elephant’s Tale V OLUME 24 • I SSUE 8 Please join us for A Summer Garden Party TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017 With Special Invited Guest Congressman Mark Amodei, Who will be introduced by our Secretary of State, Barbara Cegavske Where: Janet Pahl’s Garden, 1064 Lakeshore Boulevard, Incline Village | 5 to 8 p.m $50 with advance reservation, $55 without Members! This is our last chance this year to reach like - minded women who may have difficulty attending luncheon meetings. PLEASE invite your friends and contacts. Don’t forget to wear your club name badge! PLEASE RSVP to Shirley Appel at [email protected] or by calling (cell) 818 - 266 - 4402 or (home) 775 - 831 - 1505 by FRIDAY, AUGUST 4th AND Mail your check to: IVCBRW, PO BOX 3009, INCLINE VILLAGE, NV 89450 Your check is your reservation! Paid for by Incline Village/Crystal Bay Republican Women. Political contributions are not tax deductible. All solicitations of funds in connection with this event are being made by the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Republican Women and not by Congressman Amodei. Congressman Amodei is seeking only federal permissible funds subject to federal limitations, prohibitions and reporting requirements. Not endorsed by any candidate or candidate’s committee. T HE E LEPHANT ’ S T ALE • A UGUST 2017 with cocktails starting at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:00 PRESIDENT’S PM. Please make your reservations early. This is the MESSAGE annual “pay in advance” garden party. See the flyer in this newsletter to RSVP.
    [Show full text]
  • How America Lost Its Mind the Nation’S Current Post-Truth Moment Is the Ultimate Expression of Mind-Sets That Have Made America Exceptional Throughout Its History
    1 How America Lost Its Mind The nation’s current post-truth moment is the ultimate expression of mind-sets that have made America exceptional throughout its history. KURT ANDERSEN SEPTEMBER 2017 ISSUE THE ATLANTIC “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” — Daniel Patrick Moynihan “We risk being the first people in history to have been able to make their illusions so vivid, so persuasive, so ‘realistic’ that they can live in them.” — Daniel J. Boorstin, The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America (1961) 1) WHEN DID AMERICA become untethered from reality? I first noticed our national lurch toward fantasy in 2004, after President George W. Bush’s political mastermind, Karl Rove, came up with the remarkable phrase reality-based community. People in “the reality-based community,” he told a reporter, “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality … That’s not the way the world really works anymore.” A year later, The Colbert Report went on the air. In the first few minutes of the first episode, Stephen Colbert, playing his right-wing-populist commentator character, performed a feature called “The Word.” His first selection: truthiness. “Now, I’m sure some of the ‘word police,’ the ‘wordinistas’ over at Webster’s, are gonna say, ‘Hey, that’s not a word!’ Well, anybody who knows me knows that I’m no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They’re elitist. Constantly telling us what is or isn’t true. Or what did or didn’t happen.
    [Show full text]
  • POST-ELECTION CASES UPDATED 11/4/20 at 7:00 PM
    VOTING RIGHTS LITIGATION: POST-ELECTION CASES UPDATED 11/4/20 at 7:00 PM CASE ISSUE DEVELOPMENTS PENNSYLVANIA Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Trump campaign claims that state supreme Trump filed a motion to intervene before Boockvar, No. 20-542 (U.S.) court ruling that extended ballot receipt the Supreme Court. deadline to November 6 violates the Elections/Electors Clause. The Supreme Court has ordered a response to be filed by 5pm tomorrow (11/5) In re Canvassing Observation, No. 1094 CD Trump campaign argues that counting Trump campaign appeals ruling by Election 2020 (Commonwealth Ct. of Pa.) should temporarily stop until observers Day judge that denied greater access. A are given greater access to watch the hearing has been scheduled for 7pm on ballot count. 11/4. Contemporaneous coverage of proceedings here: https://twitter.com/broadandmarket/stat us/1323794598951587841?s=21 Hamm v. Boockvar, No. 600 MD 2020 Plaintiffs challenge guidance recently Filed late 11/3. Status conference (Commonwealth Ct. of Pa.) issued by the Secretary of the scheduled for 1:30 Wed 11/4. Commonwealth, arguing that her instruction that county boards of election communicate with voters whose ballots The Voter Protection Program (VPP) is a national nonpartisan initiative promoting election integrity and ensuring safe, fair, and secure elections. Learn more at voterprotectionprogram.org are found to be deficient during the pre- canvass process violates state law. In their view, this process, as well as any process for allowing voters to “cure” their vote with a provisional ballot, violates Pennsylvania law, and they ask the court to enjoin the Secretary from allowing invalidly “cured” ballots to be counted in the vote totals.
    [Show full text]