Emil Amok’s Takeout, Emil Guillermo’s micro-Asian American Talk show, can be heard M-F on FBLive @2pPacific streaming on emilguillermo.media Facebook.
Posted here on www.amok.com in the evening.
Read all Emil’s columns on the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund website.
Roughly one-third of Asian Americans backed Trump in November. I wonder if they heard the “Georgia Shakedown” call?
Early voters in today’s Georgia runoff couldn’t have heard it. They were mostly Democrats. But I wonder how many voters came out today because of that call? And if they voted against the president and the Republicans, for the Democrats.
The votes are being counted now. Despite an early lead for Democrats, Republicans have inched ahead just now.
Will follow.
UPDATE:
Woke up and it appears reddish folk did go blue in Georgia.
I went to sleep after Warnock made history.
But Ossoff was still waiting for votes to be counted. By this morning, there were enough Democratic votes to put
him ahead ever so slightly over Perdue. Ossoff has made a statement this morning confident that more blue strongholds counted will add to his number.
But no one in the media is calling it for Ossoff officially yet.
Meantime, the pro-Trump folks are in DC waiting to egg on the Congress to do something unconstitutional.
CNN used the word “coup” in a banner headline.
What other options are there for Trump except to do what he has made the unthinkably thinkable.
UPDATE
Well at 10:12a.m., it looks like VP Pence is holding steady and will play by the rules. Trump is at his rally mouthing lies. But it looks like adults are regaining control of our poltiical environment.
At this point. The move to object to Arizona’s count for some apparent reule breaking has been announced. Spoke too soon. The food fight has begun again.
UPDATE:
Joint session is a good civics lesson for the country. This is how rancorous members throw a monkey wrench in the proceedings. People can see what a charade it is. Founding fathers didn’t intend on making this a joke if one doesn’t agree. But this has become how people act when they lose. They obstruct, they go to disharmony as their only hope. They could easily try to work together. That would be better for the country. Instead, we have this nonsense. People protecting their selfish interests when they have lost. For Republicans to talk about rule of law to disenfranchise the counting of electoral votes in order to obstruct democracy is a joke.
Sad.
UPDATE:
We are witnessing the GOP trying to steal the election in Congress.
This is the attempted “soft coup.”
UPDATE:
10:46 am.
Does seeing McConnell give his floor speech make him a hero or a hypocrite?
Where was his spine the last four years?
UPDATE 11:23am
Protesters are inside the Capitol building. Trump should call off his dogs. But doubtful if even he has any control. If these were people of color, the military would have been out in full display. America is degenerating before our eyes.
UPDATE 11:35am pacific
Trump supporters storming the Capitol and Trump saying nothing. This is Trump’s farewell? Scary.Disgusting. “Soft Coup” is getting more “hard.”
UPDATE: 11:47am pacific.
Trump sets off anarchy, then calls for “martial law”? I wouldn’t put it past him now. He’s the American mad man.
UPDATE: 1:54 p.m. Pacific
Just stunned by what has transpired at the Capitol. Was watching it all transpire, wondering where was law enforcement? The double standard between this and the BLM protest in June is an outrage. This is the Trump “White America” party being formed before our eyes.
UPDATE:
I had to stop and just watch what was happening. Heartaching. I used to work in that building. Then I watched CSPAN and all the speeches and laughed at Sen.Lindsay Graham’s attitude. It makes you hate politics. Got to process all this before I become I really explode. MORE TO COME.
Read my column in the Inquirer.net
See my columns at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
I know the presser is a 100-day marker. But the WHCD was such a stark contrast. It’s definitely back to the somber stuff today. Brief mention of the WHCD at the start, but Syria is the lead. Obama still unclear on what the U.S. should do. And even support efforts announced today seem to be a token gesture. A delicate fluid situation.
President was more clear on the sequester and defining the dysfunctional government and putting blame on Congress and its failure to do its job.
“It’s not my job to get them to behave,” said the president.
Obama’s example of the FAA instance exposed the short-sighted nature of the GOP. All it’s done is borrow money from airport improvements in the future, which hurts the U.S. long term. Obama said the best strategy is to address issues through a broader deal.
Obama mentioned a “permission structure,” that may allow those scared of their political base to reach compromise on budget issues.
It was as blunt and detailed an answer, of the conseqeunces of sequester and how it has hurt the country. No pussyfooting here.
“We are using our seed corn, short term.And the only reason we’re doing it is because right now we have some folks unwilling to make some simple changes to our tax code, for example to close loopholes that aren’t adding to our competitiveness and aren’t helping middle-class families,” said the president. “There are common sense solutions to our problems right now. I cannot force Republicans to embrace those common sense solutions. I can urge them to, I can put pressure on them, I can rally the American people around those common sense solutions. But ultimately they themselves are going to have to say we want to do the right thing.”
The president indicated he understood Congress’ political dilemma. “It’s tough,” he said. “Their base thinks that compromise with me is somehow a betrayal. They’re worried about primaries. And I understand all that, and we’re going to do everything we can to create a permission structure for them to do what’s best for the country. But it’s going to take some time.”
Permission structure? Does he mean political cover so that conservatives can hide behind a tough vote?
The president also weighed in on what is could be the signature accomplishment of this term: Immigration.
The president praised the Gang of Eight’s efforts, saying it may not have been what he would have done, but it did meet the criteria: Border safety, strong employer provisions, improvements to the current bureaucracy, and that pathway to citizenship.
Obama praised the pathway as one where people can earn the right to legalize their status over time.
But that’s one of the contentious issues in the plan.
Obama said he’s open-minded. He’ll need to be. Already some House members have said they don’t want a big package but would rather take up the issue piece meal.
Sound precarious? It is. And this is the President’s best issue going forward.
Obama was almost out the door when he came back to the podium to discuss Jason Collins’ coming out statement.
Said the President:
“Yeah, I’ll say something about Jason Collins. I had a chance to talk to him yesterday. He seems like a terrific young man, and, you know, I told him I couldn’t be prouder of him. You know, one of the extraordinary measures of progress that we’ve seen in this country has been the recognition that the LGBT community deserves full equality, not just partial equality, not just tolerance but a recognition that they’re fully a part of the American family.
And, you know, given the importance of sports in our society, for an individual who’s excelled at the highest levels in one of major sports go ahead and say, this is who I am, I’m proud of it, I’m still a great competitor, I’m still seven feet tall and can bang with Shaq and, you know, deliver a hard foul — and for, you know, a lot of young people out there who, you know, are — are — are, you know, gay or lesbian, who are struggling with these issues, to see a role model like that who’s unafraid, I think it’s a great thing. And I think America should be proud that this is just one more step in this ongoing recognition that we treat everybody fairly. And everybody’s part of a — part of a family, and we judge people on the basis of their character and their performance, and not their sexual orientation.”
That was a question the president was glad to answer.
See my latest at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund blog.
