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Jack Burgess| Correspondent

President Bidens recent meeting with Russias Putin was an apparent success.Bidens an experienced leader, and he puts America first, not personal gain or ego. Our nation does best when we focusas Bill Clinton said, like a laser, on the economy. In 1992 Clinton defeated incumbent President G.H.W. Bushwhod led us into war in Iraqwhile unable to keep his promise of no new taxes. Clinton got re-elected in 96, even as Republicans smeared him with impeachment over his private life, mainly because real wages were going up for everybody, includingfor the only time since the 60s---lower-income groups.

Republicans, whove saddled themselves with the philosophy of mostly helping the wealthy, with tax cuts and deregulation, have trouble winning majorities because of that, and the unemployment and poorer government services that result. Most voters know that tax cuts are not generally good for working folks. So, Republican strategists have often used the Southern strategy, developed by Nixon, to scare ordinary white folks into believing people of color and foreigners are taking over our country.

Going back to the 1940s, Republicans have often tried to scare folks with communism and socialism.They blamed Democratic President Truman for losing China to communism, and for the Korean War.

Republican Eisenhower steered clear of sending troops to Vietnam, but Kennedy did send a small force, and Johnson sent 500,000 Americans in a losing battle to convince the poor people of S.E. Asia theyd be better off on our side than Chinas. We know how that ended, with over 50, 000 Americans killed, and Vietnam becoming communist,---though ironically theyre now a significant trading partner.

And even though Johnsons Great Society programs were generally successful, Democrats lost the 68 election to Nixon, mainly because of the disastrous Vietnam War.

Wars are often popular at their beginnings.Both Bushes got a big political lift from their attacks on Iraq.But Bush Sr.s war ended a bit too soon for his 92 election.His sons invasion and occupation of Iraq, looking for the fictional weapons of mass destruction, lasted long enough to get him past Sen. Kerry, whod been unfortunately for his political status on both sides of the Vietnam War.Kerry was reviled as a flip-flopper, and it was all over.

Forward to 2008.Democrats had a choice between two firsts a black man, and a woman.Obamas natural assets were partly why he edged out Hillary Clinton.But so was the fact that he seemed less warlike on foreign policy.Obama admitted Americas role in overthrowing the government of Iran in 1953, which spiraled our relationship with that nation into endless conflict.Hillary, as Sec. of State, pushed for overthrowing Gadhafi in Libya and Assad in Syria, and she lost the sizeable peace vote in the Democratic primaries of 08. She never regained that vote in losing to Trump in 16, who took the stance that we should get along with Russia.

He was right about that. Russia has never attacked America, though we invaded them in 1917, trying to put down their budding revolution.Weve also pushed NATO ever closer to Russias borders, in spite of Reagans promise to Gorbechev that we wouldnt. Russia is defending Crimea-Ukraine, with its only warm-water port, even as we blockaded Cuba in 1962. Russia is a smaller country than us in population and economically, but they have more nuclear weapons. Enough to blow up the world, and us with it. So Trump and Biden are both right that we need to get along. Putin seems to agree, though he may well have sanctioned the hacking of our cyber networks. In fairness, our spies are everywhere, too, and it would be nave to think we dont try to interfere in their internal affairs.

So, lets hope President Biden and the Democrats stay focused on building America back, better, as they promised. While were at it, we could invest more in cyber security, but not more bombs or more wars.

Jack Burgess is a retired teacher of American & Global Studies, and a member of Veterans For Peace.

Original post:
Burgess: Democrats right to focus on economy, not Russia and China - Chillicothe Gazette

Former President Donald Trump has offered a new explanation for his claims of voter fraud, saying his political opponents "used COVID" to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

The former president, who has made frequent claims of widespread voter fraud despite federal and state election officials assuring that the votes were secure, said the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic afforded his foes the opportunity to cheat.

"They used COVID in order to cheat. They used COVID in order to rig the election and in order to steal the election. They used COVID," he said during the Saturday night rally in Ohio. "That's as simple as it gets."

TRUMP SLAMS WISCONSIN GOP LEADER WHO HIRED RETIRED POLICE TO INVESTIGATE 2020 ELECTION

Several states took steps toward allowing for remote voting, such as vote-by-mail, in the 2020 election in an effort to curb the transmission of COVID-19, which the former president argued allowed for malfeasance because mail-in ballots are "treacherous."

Trump praised the new moves taken by Republicans in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to reexamine the results of the 2020 presidential election, calling those leading the investigations "patriots."

"I hear now that Wisconsin is looking very, very seriously [into the allegations of voter fraud], and I respect Wisconsin so much. It's a great state. They're looking very seriously. Pennsylvania is really starting to take this very seriously," he said, thanking legislators in both states for their efforts.

Pennsylvania has signaled an openness to ordering an audit of its 2020 election results, with state Sen. David Argall, who heads a committee that oversees elections, telling local outlets last week that a forensic audit similar to the one being conducted in Arizona is now a "very real possibility."

Wisconsin's state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced in May that he would hire police officers and an attorney to investigate parts of the November 2020 general election. Contracts obtained by the Associated Press reported this week show that he has already hired some people to investigate "potential irregularities and/or illegalities" in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump's support for the Wisconsin investigation was an apparent reversal from his position on Friday, when the former president chastised Vos by name for "working hard to cover up election corruption in Wisconsin."

Trump contrasted his praise of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin with condemnation for other states, such as Michigan, where "the [Republicans in Name Only] in the Michigan Senate" recently released a report confirming Biden carried the state in 2020.

"Michigan is not [taking the allegations of voter fraud seriously]. You can't get those Republicans. Some are great, by the way, but Michigan is not doing the job. ... How do you win Ohio by so much, record numbers, and lose Michigan?" he said during the rally, suggesting that the only way would be through voter fraud.

Trump also singled out Georgia for criticism, saying Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's decision to remove 100,000 "out of date" names from the state's voter rolls came too little, too late.

"Now, they're saying they're going to delete over 100,000 names. I said, 'Why the hell didn't you delete them before the election, not after the election?'" he said of Georgia.

The former president accused his political adversaries of a double standard, saying former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Georgia's Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams did not attract the same criticism for failing to accept their electoral losses.

"Stacey Abrams goes around saying she won the election. Nobody says anything. Hillary Clinton says she won the election. Nobody says anything. I say we won the election. 'That's terrible. That's terrible,' [they say]," he said. "Isn't it a terrible situation?"

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Both Clinton and Abrams contested their respective losses, with Clinton calling for recounts in several swing states after her 2016 loss and Abrams refusing to use the word "concede" when acknowledging that Brian Kemp would become the governor of Georgia following the state's 2018 election.

Trump, who continues to assert there are "mountains of evidence" of widespread cheating in the 2020 presidential contest, filed several claims alleging massive voter fraud, most of which were tossed by federal courts.

Original Location: Trump says opponents 'used COVID to steal the election,' applauds election investigations in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin

Continued here:
Trump says opponents 'used COVID to steal the election,' applauds election investigations in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - Denver Gazette

June 28

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT

2000

Seven months after he was cast adrift in the Florida Straits, Elian Gonzalez was returned to his native Cuba.

ALSO ON THIS DATE

1838

Britains Queen Victoria was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

1863

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Maj. Gen. George G. Meade the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, following the resignation of Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker.

1914

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, were shot to death in Sarajevo by Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip an act which sparked World War I.

1919

The Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, ending the First World War.

1940

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Alien Registration Act, also known as the Smith Act, which required adult foreigners residing in the U.S. to be registered and fingerprinted.

1950

North Korean forces captured Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Radio performers Freeman Gosden (left) and Charles Correll (right) reading a script for their situation comedy Amos 'n' Andy.

1951

A TV version of the radio comedy program Amos N Andy premiered on CBS. (It was the first network TV series to feature an all-Black cast, but came under criticism for racial stereotyping.)

1964

Civil rights activist Malcolm X declared, We want equality by any means necessary during the Founding Rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity in New York.

1978

The Supreme Court ordered the University of California-Davis Medical School to admit Allan Bakke, a white man who argued hed been a victim of reverse racial discrimination.

2000

Seven months after he was cast adrift in the Florida Straits, Elian Gonzalez was returned to his native Cuba.

2010

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., the longest-serving senator in the nations history, died in Falls Church, Virginia, at 92. The Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that Americans had the right to own a gun for self-defense anywhere they lived.

2013

Tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi rallied in Cairo, and both sides fought each other in the countrys second-largest city of Alexandria, where two people including an American were killed and scores injured. The four plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Californias same-sex marriage ban tied the knot, just hours after a federal appeals court freed gay couples to obtain marriage licenses in the state for the first time in 4 1/2 years.

2019

Avowed white supremacist James Alex Fields, who deliberately drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a young woman and injuring dozens, apologized to his victims before being sentenced to life in prison on federal hate crime charges.

Ten years ago: Taliban fighters raided an international hotel in Kabul and killed 10 people on the eve of a conference to discuss plans for Afghan forces to take over security when international troops left by the end of 2014.

Five years ago: House Republicans concluded their $7 million, two-year investigation into the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya, with fresh accusations of lethal mistakes by the Obama administration but no smoking gun pointing to wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton, who said the report found nothing, nothing to contradict the findings of earlier investigations.

Three suicide bombers armed with assault rifles stormed Istanbuls Ataturk airport, killing 44 victims and wounding nearly 150; no one claimed responsibility, but Turkish officials said they suspected the Islamic State group.

Death claimed Pat Summitt, the most successful coach in major college basketball history, at age 64; former pro football coach Buddy Ryan at age 85; and pioneering rock guitarist Scotty Moore at age 84.

One year ago: A St. Louis couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, waved guns at protesters who marched on their private street amid the national racial injustice demonstrations. (The McCloskeys, who were initially indicted on felony charges including unlawful use of a weapon, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and agreed to give up the weapons they used during the confrontation.) Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars that had opened in seven counties to immediately close, and urged bars in eight other counties to do the same, amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus in parts of the state.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS

Comedian-movie director Mel Brooks is 95. Former Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., is 87. Comedian-impressionist John Byner is 84. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is 83. Rock musician Dave Knights (Procul Harum) is 76. Actor Bruce Davison is 75. Actor Kathy Bates is 73. Actor Alice Krige is 67. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway is 61. Jazz singer Tierney Sutton is 58. Actor Jessica Hecht is 56. Rock musician Saul Davies (James) is 56. Actor Mary Stuart Masterson is 55. Actor John Cusack is 55. Actor Gil Bellows is 54. Actor-singer Danielle Brisebois is 52. Jazz musician Jimmy Sommers is 52. Actor Tichina Arnold is 52. Actor Steve Burton is 51. Entrepreneur Elon Musk is 50. Actor Alessandro Nivola is 49. Actor Camille Guaty is 45. Rock musician Tim Nordwind (OK Go) is 45. Rock musician Mark Stoermer (The Killers) is 44. Country singer Big Vinny Hickerson (Trailer Choir) is 38. Country singer Kellie Pickler is 35.

The rest is here:
Today in History, June 28, 2021 - News-Herald.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio The race to succeed Marcia Fudge in Congress is rapidly coming down to two candidates, each boasting a hefty amount of national, state and local backing.

Big name figures have endorsed both former state Sen. Nina Turner and Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown in the Democratic Primary, a sign of the dividing line thats sprung up. However, the endorsements show that contrary to the national media description of the 11th Congressional District being a Biden-versus-Sanders type race, theres more nuance.

Turner, an ally of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, did garner his endorsement earlier in the race while Brown recently logged that of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, giving more fuel to this being a showdown of the establishment and liberal wings of the party.

But both candidates boast a healthy amount of congressional and local backing that doesnt fit neatly into that mold.

Of the two largest cities in the district Akron and Cleveland Turner and Brown are roughly split on local government endorsements.

Turner has the backing of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland City Council members Blaine Griffin, Kerry McCormack and Brian Mooney and Akron City Councilmembers Phil Lombardo, Shammas Malik and Tara Samples who was also on her campaign payroll as of the last filing deadline in April.

Supporting Brown are Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, former Mayor Don Plusquellic and Akron City Councilwoman Ginger Baylor and Cleveland City Council members Joe Jones, Kevin Bishop, Basheer Jones, Anthony Hairston and Brian Kazy.

Brown has a clear edge in Cuyahoga County government, with County Executive Armond Budish, County Council President Pernel Jones Jr. and County Council members Dan Brady, Scott Tuma and Sunny Simon.

Turner does not have any members of county government listed in her endorsements on her website, but does boast the backing of the Black Elected Officials of Summit County.

Brown also leads handily in terms of the number of mayors who have endorsed her candidacy, which includes:

-Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell

-Seven Hills Mayor Anthony Biasiotta

-Woodmere Mayor Benjamin Holbert III

-Warrensville Heights Mayor Brad Sellers

-Shaker Heights Mayor David Weiss

-North Randall Mayor David Smith

-Solon Mayor Ed Kraus

-Orange Village Mayor Kathy Mulcahy

-Glenwillow Mayor Mark Cegelka

-Highland Hills Mayor Michael Booker

-Brooklyn Heights Mayor Michael Procuk

-Broadview Heights Mayor Samuel Alai

-Bedford Mayor Stanley Koci

Although logging the mayor of the largest city in the district in Jackson, Turners only other mayoral endorsements are University Heights Mayor Michael Brennan and Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins who was also on Turners campaign payroll as of April.

Of the mayors who have endorsed, Turners oversee a population of 395,524 while Browns represent 334,396 including Akron, which is not fully in the district.

Turner has a slight edge when it comes to members of the state legislature:

-Ohio Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko

-State Sen. Sandra Williams

-State Sen. Nickie Antonio

-State Rep. Phil Robinson Jr.

-State Rep. Janine Boyd

-State Rep. Stephanie Howse

-State Rep. Juanita Brent

-State Rep. Mike Skindell

-State Rep. Tavia Galonski

Brown counts the backing of state Reps. Terrence Upchurch and Kent Smith.

Both Turner and Brown have received support from members of Congress as well, though Turner has logged more. Turner has often been backed by all six members of The Squad, a group of the most liberal members in Congress, as well as the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a group of 91 House members that make up the most liberal branch of the House Democratic Caucus.

Those supporting Turner include Sanders, California Reps. Ted Lieu, Ro Khanna and Katie Porter, Michigan Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Andy Levin, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, New York Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones, Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan.

Brown counts the backing of Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Columbus Democrat and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Rep. Pete Aguilar, a California Democrat and chief deputy whip of the House Democrats.

While not listed on her website, multiple U.S. House members also headlined a Washington fundraiser for Brown, including G.K. Butterfield of Arizona, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Robin Kelly of Illinois, Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Marc Veasey of Texas and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.

Both Turner and Brown also boast a bevy of faith leaders, crucial to political success in the district, especially on the East Side of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Labor has also split on the two, with SEIU Local 1 and 1199, the Communication Workers of America District 4 and Local 4340 and the Amalgamated Transit Union among those supporting Turner. The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, United Auto Workers Regional 2B, Pipe Fitters Local 120, Laborers Local 310, Boilermakers Local 744, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 38 and Bricklayers Local 5 are among the unions that support Brown.

While both have raced to gather as many endorsements as possible, several high-profile endorsements are still sitting the race out.

The most notable name who hasnt endorsed as of yet is Fudge, one of the highest profile political names in the area who represented the district in Congress for a decade. Fudge was recently named President Joe Bidens Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

While she has not offered her insight into the race, Fudge and Brown have a close relationship. However, a recent violation of the Hatch Act by Fudge and a desire to work with whoever wins the race may prevent her from attaching her name to a candidate.

Other national figures have remained mostly quiet on the race as well, including Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, perhaps not wanting to alienate the eventual winner should they choose the losing candidate.

Locally, Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who lives in the district, has said he has no plans to endorse either.

Shontel Brown, who chairs the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, has said there are currently no plans for an endorsement since the party has never endorsed in congressional primaries in the past. Vice-chairman and City Council President Kevin Kelley, an influential figure in Democratic politics, is also staying out of the race, as required by the by-laws of the party.

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat who at one point was considering a run for herself, also hasnt made it known who she is supporting.

None of the other 11 candidates have tallied significant national, state or local endorsements.

Ohios 11th Congressional District includes the eastern portion of Cuyahoga County stretching south to Summit County and the West Side of Akron. It is gerrymandered to heavily favor Democrats.

The registration deadline to vote in the Aug. 3 primary is July 6. Early voting for the contest starts July 7.

See more here:
Who is winning the endorsement race in the 11th Congressional District special election? - cleveland.com

Prince Harry (Photo by Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

As some of you may remember, Prince Harry was a guest on Dax Shepards podcast last month. During the appearance, Harry provided his thoughts on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, stating, Ive got so much I want to say about the First Amendment as I sort of understand it, but it is bonkers.

However, Harry admitted he was no expert in constitutional law.

I dont want to start going down the First Amendment route because thats a huge subject and one which I dont understand because Ive only been here a short time. But, you can find a loophole in anything. You can capitalize or exploit whats not said rather than uphold what is said. I believe we live in an age now where youve got certain elements of the media redefining to us what privacy means.Theres a massive conflict of interest.

You should know that Harry and I go way back, as I had once watched him plant a tree outside my former office in the Financial District. (Coverage of this momentous moment in 2011, including quotes by yours truly, can be found here.)

Thus, as one of Harrys oldest friends, I wish to take this opportunity to offer him - as well as anyone reading this article - some insight into the First Amendment. Although Harry admits he is no expert on the topic, I am. Much of my legal practice focuses on defamation and Title IX law, both of which are closely intertwined with the First Amendment. And it is quite all right that Harry hasnt studied the subject intently - we each have our own expertise, and I myself have never perfected a proper curtsy.

In response to Harrys expressed views, I will focus on the First Amendments freedoms of speech and the press, since I do not believe he is questioning American citizens freedoms of religion, association, or petition and assembly. However, Harry, if I am mistaken, please let me know, and Ill circle back around to cover those freedoms as well.

The entire First Amendment is a mere 45 words, but has resulted in centuries of debate and legal proceeding. Just to sufficiently explain the ins and outs of our freedom of speech would take an article longer than anyone is willing to sit down and read, so I will skim the surface and focus today on whether the government can limit our speech, in what circumstances they can do so, and why it is important. Because this is such a big topic, even skimming the surface of our free speech rights will take a few tries, so I will be following up with a second piece devoted to civil liability pertaining to speech and a third piece devoted to press rights and limitations. Yes, readers, you are indeed getting a three-parter. If Harry doesnt understand, I am here to explain.

In short, the First Amendment forbids the government from preventing or punishing anyone for what they say or write. The key word is government. Private citizens have legal recourse for things that are said or written about them (i.e., claims for defamation) and private companies can police the speech of their employees. That is why a tweet can get you fired so long as you are not a public employee. So when you see that an actor has been fired from their television show due to something they said, take note that the common argument pertaining to the actors freedom of speech is incorrect. The television network, a private entity, can fire that actor without violating their free speech rights.

And our rights are not absolute. The government can police language that is communicated with the intent of inciting violence. So while we have protection to utter hate speech, there is a limit. The courts have gone back and forth about this for almost 100 years. It started out broadly, with the Supreme Court deciding that the First Amendment doesnt protect statements that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. The issue has been brought back to the Supreme Court in numerous cases, with the court narrowing the exception over time. Eventually, the court developed the imminent danger test, holding that the government cannot punish inflammatory speech unless that speech is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action. Thats essentially where we stand now (with exception, because there are always exceptions). So, if the speech is hateful, it is protected by the First Amendment. If it poses an imminent danger of criminal action, it is not protected.

This distinction is actually a good thing for Harry. Although he finds the free speech protections in our nation to be bonkers, it is those same protections that would keep someone out of jail for, say, dressing up like a Nazi. While it is an act that I myself find reprehensible, the fact that this act is protected by the First Amendment is important. For instance, that same protection extends to religious garments such as yarmulkes and hijabs that some people in this country might decide offends them. Finding offense in such garments may sound ridiculous to you and me, but its a slippery slope for the courts.

Just a few years ago, Justice Kennedy addressed the importance of protecting speech, including hateful speech, writing:

A law that can be directed against speech found offensive to some portion of the public can be turned against minority and dissenting views to the detriment of all. The First Amendment does not entrust that power to the governments benevolence. Instead, our reliance must be on the substantial safeguards of free and open discussion in a democratic society.

That brings me to my main point about our free speech rights. It allows people in this country to express their ideas, even if others disagree with those ideas. No matter how unconventional, unpopular, or disliked those ideas might be, the government is prevented from infringing on our right to express them. Without such rights, only the most popular and mainstream ideas would be expressed, while dissent would be prosecuted. There are many countries where these rights do not exist, where people cannot participate in peaceful protests, wear certain symbolic clothing, or speak out against their government. Here, however, we are free to engage in discussion and debate without fear of penalty or censorship by our leaders. In my view, that is far from bonkers. It is a blessing that many people around the world do not have. It is the ultimate freedom.

I hope this helps shed some light on our free speech rights. I look forward to delving further into this topic with my next article, Defamation Law And The People Who Love It. (The title is a work in progress.)

Diana Warshow is Senior Counsel at Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP in New York, NY. Practicing law since 2008, Dianas work focuses on defamation and Title IX law. She represents clients in libel and slander claims against media companies, written publications, tech companies, blogs, and social media sites. She also represents students in disciplinary proceedings at high schools, colleges, and post-graduate institutions around the country. You can reach her by email at DianaWarshowEsq@gmail.com and connect with her on LinkedIn.

See the article here:
The First Amendment: Bonkers Or A Blessing? - Above the Law