Thursday, October 8, 2020
Poll: Majority believe Harris won VP debate against Pence
Nearly 6 in 10 voters who watched Wednesday's vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Vice President Pence came away with the impression that Harris had outperformed Pence, according to a poll.
In the CNN/SRSS poll of registered voters who watched Wednesday's matchup, 59 percent said that Harris had performed better onstage while 38 percent said that it was Pence who had outperformed his opponent.
Perceptions of the debate were split along gender lines, with 69 percent of female debate watchers saying they thought Harris had won, compared to 30 percent for Pence, while 48 percent of male debate watchers said that Harris had performed better, with 46 percent siding with the vice president.
Pence's favorability among respondents, who skewed Democratic according to CNN, remained at 41 percent after the debate while Harris's favorability rose from 56 percent to 63 percent.
While 55 percent of voters added that the outcome would likely have no effect on their vote, a majority of those who said it would have an effect reportedly indicated that the debate made them more likely to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden (D), Harris's running mate.
The CNN/SRSS poll contacted 609 registered voters in the hours after the debate, and the margin of error is 5.3 percentage points.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/520162-poll-majority-believe-harris-won-vp-debate-against-pence?__twitter_impression=true
Opinion: The Plot Against Gretchen Whitmer Shows the Danger of Private Militias
These groups have no constitutional right to exist.In the swirls of disinformation that now pollute our political discourse, one is particularly dangerous: that private militias are constitutionally protected. Although these vigilante groups often cite the Second Amendment’s “well regulated militia” for their authority, history and Supreme Court precedent make clear that the phrase was not intended to — and does not — authorize private militias outside of government control. Indeed, these armed groups have no authority to call themselves forth into militia service; the Second Amendment does not protect such activity; and all 50 states prohibit it. The danger of these groups was brought home on Thursday with the announcement that the F.B.I. had thwarted a plot by people associated with an extremist group in Michigan to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the government. Court documents say that the group discussed trying the governor for treason and murdering “tyrants.” Six men now face federal kidnapping conspiracy charges, but unauthorized militia activity continues in Michigan and elsewhere. The unnamed militia involved in the kidnapping plot is part of a growing number of private paramilitary groups mobilizing across the country, wholly outside of lawful authority or governmental accountability. These organizations — some of which openly refer to themselves as “militias,” while others reject the term — often train together in the use of firearms and other paramilitary techniques and “deploy,” heavily armed and sometimes in full military gear, when they deem it necessary. Sometimes they want to fight against the perceived tyranny of the states, as when they stormed the Capitol in Lansing, Mich., this spring to demand the end of the governor’s pandemic shutdown order, egged on by President Trump’s tweets to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”
Sometimes they want to usurp the functions of law enforcement, as they’ve done in Kenosha, Wis., and elsewhere, purporting to “protect” property during racial justice protests, often in response to false rumors about leftist violence, rumors stoked by the president’s calls to designate “antifa” as a terrorist organization.Most alarmingly, some of them are planning their own poll-watching and openly training in preparation for the post-election period. Whatever their stated purpose, their conduct is unlawful and not constitutionally protected. Even before the adoption of the Constitution, the colonies recognized the importance of a “well regulated” militia to defend the state, in preference over standing armies, which they perceived as a threat to liberty. The militia consisted of able-bodied residents between certain ages who had a duty to respond when called forth by the government.But “well regulated” meant that the militias were trained, armed and controlled by the state. Indeed, 48 states have provisions in their constitutions that explicitly require the militia to be strictly subordinate to the civil authority.Likewise, state constitutions and laws then and now generally name the governor as the commander in chief of its armed forces — and only the governor or a designee has the power to call forth the able-bodied residents for militia service. Emerging from the American Revolution, the founders reasonably were wary of insurgencies that could threaten the stability of the new Union. Shays’ Rebellion and other early armed uprisings against the states only solidified those fears. Thus, the “well regulated militia” in the Constitution’s Second Amendment refers to the militia once called forth by the government, not by private vigilante organizations deciding when and under what circumstances to organize and self-deploy. The federal and state government control of the militia has also been confirmed by the Supreme Court. In 1886, the court upheld the constitutionality of a state criminal law that made it unlawful for “any body of men” outside state or federal governmental authority to “associate themselves together as a military company or organization, or to drill or parade with arms in any city or town of the state.” This criminal statute and others were enacted after the Civil War and are on the books of 29 states. The Supreme Court said without question that states had authority to control and regulate military bodies and associations as “necessary to the public peace, safety and good order.” The court’s 1886 decision was reaffirmed in 2008 in Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller. That case established that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms for self-defense, but “does not prevent the prohibition of private paramilitary organizations.” Although there are many gray areas about Second Amendment rights, this is not one of them. Which brings us back to the authority of the states. In addition to state constitutional and statutory schemes by which only the governor may activate “able-bodied” residents for militia service, other laws also forbid paramilitary activity and the usurpation of law enforcement and peacekeeping authority. Twenty-five states prohibit teaching, demonstrating or practicing in the use of firearms or “techniques” capable of causing injury or death for use during a civil disorder. Eighteen states prohibit either the false assumption of the duties of public officials, including law-enforcement officials, or the wearing of uniforms similar to military uniforms. All these laws point to a single conclusion: There is no right in any state for groups of individuals to arm themselves and organize either to oppose or augment the government. Now, more than ever, state and local officials must enforce these statutes. In battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as other hotbeds of militia activity like Oregon, Idaho, Virginia and Texas, they must ready themselves for unlawful private militias showing up at the polls and on the streets during ballot counting and beyond.Those groups, like the Three Percenters, Oath Keepers and others that claim to be “patriots” but answer to their own interpretation of the Constitution, are likely to hear the president’s unsupported claims about election fraud as their license to deploy to the polls to “protect” or “patrol” the vote. Their armed presence not only would violate state anti-paramilitary laws, it would likely violate laws against voter intimidation as well. State attorneys general, secretaries of state, local prosecutors, law enforcement officers and election workers must know about these laws and be prepared to enforce them. They should announce this in advance and consider taking pre-emptive action through attorney general legal opinions, cease and desist orders, and prosecutions or civil litigation. These efforts must continue after the election, when the threat of civil unrest could be at its greatest. State and local leaders, in both parties, must denounce armed militia activity, whether from the right or the left. These leaders may also have to take swift action to protect public safety and preserve constitutional rights. But the law is on their side — private armed militias find no support in the U.S. or state constitutions or in American history. They must not be tolerated in our society.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Links Kidnapping Plot To Trump’s Hate Rhetoric
By Sara BoboltzWhen leaders “encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit,” Whitmer said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drew a strong line between an alleged plot to kidnap her and the rhetoric of President Donald Trump, whose recent comments have been interpreted by right-wing militia groups as encouragement.
“Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups,” Whitmer, a Democrat, said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
Six men involved with a militia group called Wolverine Watchmen are facing federal charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and an additional seven people are facing state charges in connection with the alleged scheme. The men wanted to “storm” the state Capitol in Lansing with 200 men to take hostages including the governor, court documents say.
Whitmer said Thursday that the suspects aimed to “possibly kill” her.
Trump failed to speak out against hate groups during his first presidential debate with Democratic contender Joe Biden last Tuesday. Pressed to condemn the Proud Boys, a group of violent right-wing extremists, Trump replied: “Proud boys, stand back and stand by.” Members of the Proud Boys quickly turned the president’s words into a T-shirt and other merchandise.
Trump also deflected criticism at the debate by claiming ― against the analysis of his own top law enforcement officials ― that the problem comes mainly “from the left wing, not the right wing.” The FBI warned as recently as two weeks ago that right-wing militia groups pose a “violent extremist threat,” particularly as the election approaches.
“Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry — as a call to action,” Whitmer said.
She continued: “When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany responded to Whitmer in a statement claiming that Trump “has continually condemned white supremacists and all forms of hate,” and that the Michigan governor was “sowing division.”
Trump has danced around hate groups that profess to support him throughout his presidency; it took him two days after the debate to say the words “I condemn all white supremacists,” which he eventually did on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program.
Whitmer had been attacked by the president at the start of the coronavirus crisis for issuing strict lockdown orders that are credited with preventing statewide outbreaks. In April, Trump reacted to news of Michigan lockdowns by tweeting, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN.” Heavily armed Michiganders began showing up in Lansing around that time to intimidate lawmakers and demand an end to lockdown measures.
When asked by reporters whether he thought Trump’s tweet had influenced militias like Wolverine Watchmen, Biden responded Thursday afternoon, “Yes, I do.”
“Why won’t the president just say ‘stop. Stop, stop, stop,’” Biden said.
One of the men charged with plotting against Whitmer, Adam Fox, called her a “tyrant bitch” in a private Facebook group, according to the FBI.
“Snatch and grab, man. Grab the fuckin’ Governor. Just grab the bitch,” Fox allegedly wrote. He is currently facing life in prison.
Whitmer called the decisions she has had to make in the pandemic “gut-wrenching,” adding that “2020 has been a hard year for all of us.”
“It’s been hard for the teachers, students and parents. Hard for those who have had to stay isolated to stay safe. But here’s what I know. We are Michiganders. We have grit. We have heart. And we are tough as hell,” she said.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-connects-kidnapping-plot-to-trump_n_5f7f6546c5b664c95bd6cb58
#Book - The Nine Lives of Pakistan by Declan Walsh review – first-rate reportage
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/08/the-nine-lives-of-pakistan-by-declan-walsh-review-first-rate-reportage
پی ڈی ایم کی تحریک کو منطقی انجام تک پہنچاکر دم لیں گے، بلاول
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا کہنا ہے کہ پی ڈی ایم کی تحریک کو منطقی انجام تک پہنچا کر دم لیں گے۔
لاہور میں پیپلز پارٹی پنجاب کے صدر قمر زمان کائرہ سے ملاقات کے دوران بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ عوام کو پیغام دیں کہ اس حکومت کا خاتمہ بہت قریب ہے۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ عوام کی امنگوں کے مطابق جلد نئی منتخب حکومت قائم ہوگی، عوام حکومت سے تنگ آچکے ہیں، پنجاب کے تفصیلی دورے پر آرہا ہوں۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ گوجرانوالہ اور ملتان کے جلسوں کو کامیاب بنانے کے لیے جیالے بھرپور شرکت کریں۔
قمر زمان کائرہ نے کہا کہ گوجرانوالہ جلسہ کو کامیاب بنانے کیلئے پیپلز پارٹی پنجاب تیار ہے، حکومت کے فاشسٹ ہتھکنڈوں کے خلاف جیالے پہلے ہی متحرک ہوچکے ہیں۔
قمر زمان کائرہ نے کہا کہ مزاحمتی تحریکوں کو کامیاب بنانے کا تجربہ صرف جیالوں کے پاس ہے۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/829463
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی نے ایم آر ڈی اور اے آر ڈی کی طرح پی ڈی ایم کے قیام میں کلیدی کردار ادا کیا، چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری
کراچی/اسلام آباد( – ) پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا ہے کہ پی پی پی نے ایم آر ڈی اور اے آر ڈی کی طرح پی ڈی ایم کے قیام میں کلیدی کردار ادا کیا، پاکستان ڈیموکریٹک موومنٹ عوام کی امید بن چکی ہے،
چیئرمین پی پی پی نے کہا ہے کہ عمران خان کی حکومت مکمل طور پر ناکام ثابت ہوچکی ہے، اب عوام نہیں بلکہ عمران خان کے گھبرانے کا وقت ہوچکا ہے، انہوں نے یہ بھی کہا کہ عوام دشمن حکومت کے پاس ماضی کی حکومتوں پر الزام دھرنے کے سوا بتانے کو کچھ بھی نہیں، چیئرمین پی پی پی بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے یہ گفتگو اپنی سربراہی میں بلاول ہاؤس کراچی میں ویڈیو لنک کے ذریعے ہونے والے ایک اجلاس میں کی، ورچوئل اجلاس میں پاکستان ڈیموکریٹک موومنٹ کے بیانئے کی تشہیر کے حوالے سے تفصیلی مشاورت کی گئی،
اس ویڈیو لنک اجلاس میں ڈاکٹر نفیسہ شاہ، مولا بخش چانڈیو، چوہدری منور انجم، پلوشہ خان، عاجز دھامرا، حسن مرتضی، سربلند جوگیزئی، روبینہ خالد، نوابزادہ افتخار، سعدیہ دانش، جاوید ایوب، سعید غنی، ناصر شاہ، شرجیل میمن، مرتضی وہاب، بیرسٹر عامر، سسی پلیجو، شاہین ڈار اور نذیر ڈھوکی موجود تھے۔
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/23874/