Dark Qiviut

Say what you will about Roger Craig Smith. He's been the voice for Sonic for many years now. Lots of fans literally grew up identifying his voice for the blue blur. The news of him retiring from his role the first time sucked, but it's great that Sega agreed to bring him back!

Ro Khanna was absolutely right to call out the Senate Parlimentarian for having so much power to advise against giving 32 million Americans more of a wage. Jayapal was right to call out this shit excuse then and now after the ruling, too. Poverty is a policy choice. Establishment Dems and the Biden administration are fighting twenty times harder to try to get one Republican to confirm Neera Tanden than to raise the wage. It's one thing to fight equally hard for both. But to surrender the fight on the wage is stupid. Voters care more about the results than the process; they want the folks they voted for to get the job done, and they need help NOW. If Biden and Harris care about raising the minimum wage and helping millions of desperate Americans, then the VP should overrule Elizabeth MacDonough and dare Manchin and Sinema to go against her and their constituents. If nothing gets done and the excuse they give to their constituents is the Parlimentarian ruled against it on technicality, you're only telling them you care more about your career and your donors than the people who voted for you, and you don't deserve to be in politics. Unless the Republican Party splinters into two, Dems will LOSE in 2022 and/or '24 if popular progressive legislation like the minimum wage increase doesn't get passed, and they'll deserve it.

So deliciously aggressive. XD On another note, Savali, Danielle, Mondaire Jones, and the Sunrise Movement are all on point. When people complain that progressive politicians are activists are pressuring Biden and claim that they should "wait," they're telling them "Lower your head, be a follower, or go home." They don't want to hear anyone pushing the president, VP, or their cabinet protest and demand them to do better. The last time activists quieted and waited after a Dem was elected, then-Citigroup exec Michael Froman had already suggested potential picks for Obama's cabinet, but it was too late for activists to respond. The Squad and the Sunrise Movement comprehended this mistake. Biden's currently vetting people into his cabinet, and several serious contenders are corporatists and/or have ties to Big Oil: Rahm Emanuel for Transportation Secretary. The most corrupt corporate Democrat in the last thirty years. Cedric Richmond as a liaison between climate crisis activists and Big Business. He's taken more than $340K and about $149K from the Big Oil and Big Chemical, respectively, to lie and deny the deadly pollution from factories killing people in his district; and he voted with Republicans to increase fossil fuel exports, oil pipelines, and a GOP bill to scale back Obama's more stringent fracking regulations. Heidi Heitkamp for USDA. As senator, she accepted more than $640K, ~$725K from lobbyists and voted against cutting greenhouse gases. An alternative to Heitkamp — in the same Mother Jones link — is Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, who progressive activists and Rep. Clyburn support. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti for HUD. This blog has a long list of why he's disqualifying, including increased gentrification in Black and brown neighborhoods, harassing the homeless population (which has grown under his tenure), refusing to build public and affordable housing throughout the city, and shutting down COVID testing centers as cases rose. Michael McCabe is both on Biden's transition team and a potential FDA pick. While working for DuPont, he defended their use and dumping of an extremely toxic chemical, C8, into the WV Appalachians and fought off Bush's EPA from regulating its use and potentially forcing them to spend a fortune cleaning up the water supply. That's why they're calling for and protesting for Biden to be bold and act now. If you "wait," it's already too late. The cabinet is every bit as important as the president, if not more so, because they indicate the direction the president will take in his policies. Defeating Trump isn't even 1% of their battle. The rest of it began the day after Election Day and the minute news organizations called the election for Biden. As for Trump's attempt of a coup and the runoffs, organizations and politicians can walk and chew gum at the same time. They can support the runoffs, raise awareness of Trump's (and the fascists') threat of a political coup, and pressure Biden-Harris simultaneously. In the 1980s, the late James Baldwin had a response to those who told him to "wait" for progress, and his words ring true more than thirty years later. Neither the planet nor tens of millions of people can afford to wait. Bold leadership is needed now. Holding them accountable and putting the heat on them reminds them they're watching and will put pressure on him.

*taps mic* Is this thing working? *hears feedback*

Local and congressional races matter. Aside from the General and the Senate, I'm paying attention to some local races throughout the country. Portland mayor: Current mayor and police commissioner Ted Wheeler won the primary in May, but didn't hit 50% +1 to avoid the general. Because of the cops' sheer brutality on the protesters, his race is now a tossup. His competitor? An Antifa-indentified Democrat named Sarah Iannarone, who was recently endorsed by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty (after rescinding her endorsement of Wheeler last month) and Bernie Sanders. LA County DA: Jackie Lacey, the incumbent, has a history of scandal ever since she took over the job. LA has a massive mass incarceration problem; Lacey has seeked the death penalty and harsher sentences to people of color; earlier this year, her husband pointed a gun at BLM protesters and was charged. Many folks that originally backed her, including mayor Eric Garcetti and Ted Lieu, swapped endorsements to her challenger, former San Fran DA George Gascón, instead. Gascón has the progressive contingency and California governor Gavin Newsom behind him. Texas's 25th District: Current incumbent Roger Williams is being challenged a second time by Julie Oliver, a former healthcare industry employee. Combine her committment to fight for progressive policies like Medicare for All, she rejects all PAC money. So no money from plain PACs, unions, and so on. Here's her story: Nebraska's 2nd District: Aside from being one of only two states that breaks state delegates down by districts, there's a big fight for the Congressional seat. The incumbent, Republican Don Bacon, squeaked out a win by two points against Kara Eastman, a progressive with the backing of Justice Democrats. Unlike last cycle, the DCCC is supporting her general run, too. However, not all Democrats are. Brad Ashford, the last Democratic congressman from there, is still sour from Eastman barely beating him two years ago and Ann Ashford (his wife) getting crushed in May; so he endorsed Don Bacon — who beat him for that very seat — instead. TYT called Ashford out for being the corporate traitor that he is.

HUGE bump! After nine long years, I FOUND IT! Now it's time to catch up after trying to find this song for so long!