Russ is right - Republicans are fine with racism

In case you've been wondering what Russ Feingold has been up to lately, he's been heading up an organization called "LegitAction" whose largest emphasis seems to be election and courts issues.

And Russ came out swinging this weekend, pointing out that Donald Trump's acceptance (if not outright approval) of racism and racist acts is not something he does in isolation. Feingold connected the dots in an awesome article in the Guardian called "How the Republican party quietly does the bidding of white supremacists."

The lesson from Charlottesville is not how dangerous the neo-Nazis are. It is the unmasking of the Republican party leadership. In the wake of last weekend’s horror and tragedy, let us finally, finally rip off the veneer that Trump’s affinity for white supremacy is distinct from the Republican agenda of voter suppression, renewed mass incarceration and the expulsion of immigrants.

There is a direct link between Trump’s comments this week and those policies, so where is the outrage about the latter? Where are the Republican leaders denouncing voter suppression as racist, un-American and dangerous? Where are the Republican leaders who are willing to call out the wink (and the direct endorsement) from President Trump to the white supremacists and acknowledge their own party’s record and stance on issues important to people of color as the real problem for our country?...

Gerrymandering, strict voter ID laws, felon disenfranchisement are all aimed at one outcome: a voting class that is predominantly white, and in turn majority Republican.

The white supremacist chant of, “you will not replace us,” could easily and accurately be the slogan for these Republican politicians. Their policies will achieve the same racial outcome as Jim Crow – the disenfranchisement and marginalization of people of color.

It is a sad day when more CEOs take action by leaving and shutting down Trump’s Strategy and Policy Forum, and Manufacturing Council, than elected officials take action leaving Trump’s “election integrity” commission.

Bringing it!

Now THAT'S the Russ that made him my political hero. Calling out BS by name, standing up for what is right, and not apologizing for it. If this Russ was allowed to run for Senate, instead of being neutered into "generic Democrat" by Team DNC/Hllary, he'd have won last November.

Which means we wouldn't have (mo)Ron Johnson "representing" Wisconsin when he whined to reporters "You tell me what (Trump) needs to say so we can move beyond this?" But it shouldn't surprise us that (mo)Ron Johnson and Scott Walker won't call out Trump's racism by name. You've probably seen righties on Facebook going out of their way to try any kind of "the left is violent too" meme, because it deflects from what the disgusting, racist crap that they approve of.

And it's a big reason why Trump's approval has yet to tank after the "both sides" comments that he made this week, because the Washington Post's Greg Sargent says that type of "divde and conquer" racism triggers support among certain dipshits.

Wow.

GOP strategist says that after Trump's weak condemnation of white supremacy, his support among base went UP:https://t.co/1mbsEaKrxc pic.twitter.com/PeGshL0pVS

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 20, 2017

Which led me to reply

Huh, it's almost like racism and white supremacy and playing victim are part of today's GOP "base." https://t.co/LTcCJPAnm1 #resist

— JakeEdwards (@JakeMadtown) August 20, 2017

And note the likes and retweets in a matter of hours.

THIS IS WHO TODAY'S GOP IS. A "win-at-all-costs" bunch of thugs who do not care about gaining actual legitimacy through consent of the governed, and doesn't care who is hurt in their attempts to grab and maintain power. And if it means they attract racist votes, that's perfectly fine with them. But even worse, these guys also love to play victim and complain about being called out.

Which is why Dems should push back even harder. Expose them as the whiny bitches that they are, and that they are amoral bastards that no decent American should support. The good people in Boston showed the way yesterday, showing who the real "silent majority" is. The ones who oppose Trumpist hate and bigotry.



Russ is right. The real reaction to the sickening events in Charlottesville isn't to spend lots of time and energy taking down Confederate monuments. It is to go after the condoners of racism that are part and parcel of today's GOP, and end these racist voter suppression laws and "punish the poor/punish the cities" mentality that grows out of this.

Read Russ's article again, and pass it on.