DL Open Thread: Friday, October 15, 2021
BREAKING: Rep. Paul Baumbach Running For Reelection. I wrote a speculative piece, turns out it was fiction. At least in part:
I am running for re-election, to continue to serve the residents of the 23rd RD
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/committee-to-elect-paul-baumbach-1
I do not know Rep Ramone’s plans.
That National Ecumenical And Non-Partisan Prayer Breakfast? Not so non-partisan or ecumenical:
Although the National Prayer Breakfast bills itself as nonpartisan and ecumenical, its sole benefactor is anything but: Franklin Graham.
The son of breakfast co-founder Billy Graham, Franklin Graham is openly anti-LGBTQ, anti-Islamic and partisan. He is also, according to a source close to The Family, the only source of revenue for the NPB aside from ticket sales.
Publicly available IRS records are consistent with the source’s account. Graham runs two massive organizations that have disclosed funding The Family’s legal entity, the Fellowship Foundation, according to filings made available online by ProPublica.
Like Graham, both organizations have ample records of anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The breakfast, which purports to be run by Congress, also discriminates against LGBTQ people, as TYT has previously reported, largely excluding LGBTQ leaders and activists, and serving as a hub and spawning ground for global right-wing networks opposed to abortion and LGBTQ rights.
Chris Coons announces he will no longer attend the breakfast–never.
NFL Buried Massive Workplace Violations By The Washington Redskins. Why? To protect one of their own–franchise owner Daniel Snyder. Yes, they were the Redskins when this took place, they’re not gonna skate that easily. Jon Gruden can be excised. Thankfully. But one of our own? No way:
The league remained unwavering in that stance Tuesday even as the NFL Players Association and others connected to the investigation sought access to more information about a trove of emails obtained by attorney Beth Wilkinson during her probe of the team’s workplace.
The NFL took over the investigation from Wilkerson and–never even released a report. The initial investigator was told to provide an oral report of her findings, but to not put it in writing. Why? We’ll let Tex Schramm, the original Dallas Cowboys’ owner, explain the ‘facts of life’ to then-NFLPA President Gene Upshaw:
“You guys are cattle and we’re the ranchers. And ranchers can always get more cattle.”
He could have just as easily used the word “chattel”. Speaking of “chattel”:
Melanie Coburn, a former cheerleader and the squad’s marketing director from 2001-2011, wrote an op-ed for USA Today that the lack of a public report on the investigation into the Washington Football Team after accusations of sexual misconduct has made her and others feel “deflated” and “marginalized” while mentioning that the league previously published a public report following a controversy stemming from equipment manipulation.
“We feel invisible. Deflated. Marginalized. Diminished. I gave 14 years of my life to the WFT, and I couldn’t even get a written report. Did you know the Wells Report was 243 pages? Two hundred and forty-three pages for deflated balls, but we have sexual harassment, assault, abuse over decades, and no written report? We’ve asked the NFL to meet and discuss the findings of the investigation and they have not agreed,” Coburn wrote.
Perhaps deflated balls is what the owners fear most?
The vast majority of NFL owners belong in a rogues’ gallery. We haven’t gotten that from the people ‘covering’ the sport. Hey, why lose your best sources? Man, if I were in charge of Sports Illustrated, I’d authorize a massive investigation into the wrongdoings of that rogues’ gallery of owners. There’s already plenty in the public record, you just won’t hear about it on Sundays.
Why Are The People Who Are Silent On L’Affaire McGuiness Remaining Silent? What’s most newsworthy to me about this interesting article is that the press has finally caught on to the machinations of Speaker Pete and Our PAL Val:
Both routes would likely require House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, a Democrat from Rehoboth Beach, as well as Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, a Democrat from Bear, to instigate. In their Wednesday statement, they acknowledged that they had multiple avenues to remove McGuiness from office, but stopped short of saying whether they would support doing so.
“Speculating on a course of action would be inappropriate at this time,” their statement said.
The situation may present a personal conflict for Schwartzkopf and Longhurst. Schwartzkopf is a longtime associate of McGuiness, who served as his campaign treasurer dating back to 2002, and Longhurst controversially endorsed McGuiness in her bid for auditor.
Of course, the House Press Office is telling caucus members to ‘remain tight-lipped’ about McGuiness lest they some day be called upon to consider her impeachment. Bullshit. So far, only Reps. Madinah Wilson-Anton and Eric Morrison have called for her impeachment. No Rethugs have, the Rethug reticence being the other interesting aspect to this story.
Anti-Vaxx Flat-Earther (No, Really) Needs Your Prayers. Me? I’m an agnostic.
Rethugs Eating Their Own In Nevada. Of course, the D’s were more ‘civilized’ in their own crushing of opposition:
The intraparty friction is not unique to Nevada Republicans. Earlier this year, Democrats in Washoe County, aided by national Democratic leaders, wrested control of the state’s midterm campaign operation away from the state party after a slate of Bernie Sanders allies endorsed by the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America won control of it.
Critical Race Theory? No. ‘Opposing Views’ On Holocaust? Yes. Texas. Of course.
What do you want to talk about?
A little late Senator Coons. You fucking Dupe
I made that up. No way Coons would ever skip a National Prayer Breakfast.
and thanks to UD for another glaring example of why frats need to be closed down
Here’s some more about the cozy relationship between the Redskins (they weren’t the WFT at the time) and the NFL power elite:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/sports/football/nfl-washington-emails-jeff-pash.html
Some highlights:
“For nearly a decade, the president of the Washington Football Team sent emails to a friend in which he casually joked about Native Americans and racial and political diversity, griped about referees and league initiatives to improve player safety, and arranged tickets and perks for his correspondent. He also thanked the man for getting a fine lifted and for understanding the team’s thorniest troubles.
That man was Jeff Pash, who — as the longtime general counsel of the N.F.L. and a top adviser to Commissioner Roger Goodell — would become responsible for investigating the team that had been run by the very executive he grew close to.”
Oh, that team president? Bruce Allen? Yep, the brother of Virginia’s ‘Gov. Macaca’, George Allen. There’s more:
“When the N.F.L. fined the Washington Football Team $15,000 for manipulating its player injury report, Allen reached out to Pash and the penalty was rescinded, a routine outcome, the league said. In another email, Allen expressed concern that the commissioner would accuse him of breaking rules on the signing of free agents, prompting his friend to reassure him, “He knows who it is and that it is not you.”
And after a crisis erupted over allegations of sexual harassment of the Washington cheerleaders, Allen contacted Pash, who offered reassuring words.
“I know that you are on it and would not condone something untoward,” he told Allen.
In emails not involving Pash, however, Allen, Gruden and other men had shared photos of women wearing only bikini bottoms, including one picture of two Washington team cheerleaders.”
The Redskins were a cesspool, and the NFL covered up the illegal stench.
Maybe DOJ should get involved…