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This is for all of those who are not in the MSNBC orbit. Of course, many of you probably already know this, but for a movement that stresses diversity and talks about bringing all people together to fight racist, misogynist, and xenophobic Donald Trump, its pretty much a band of white, wealthy, and overly educated progressives who are still stung that Hillary Clinton is not president, or at least thats the case in the D.C. area, which accounts for one-third of those who have taken part in the protests against President Trump. The Washington Post noted the disparities in education, income, and race over these protests earlier this month. They also noted that for Black residents, theyre use to government falling short, and they theyre facing bigger obstacles in life than having their candidate lose an election:

One out of every three Washingtonians has marched in protest against President Trump or his policies at least once since January, making the District the capital of national dissent, a new Washington Post poll finds.

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According to the Post poll, 53 percent of white residents participated in a march or demonstration in opposition to Trumps policies since the start of the year, compared with 16 percent of African Americans and 36 percent of Hispanics and those of other racial and ethnic groups.

The overwhelmingly African American residents of Wards 7 and 8 are the citys least likely to protest Trump, with only 12 percent saying they had. By contrast, 54 percent of residents in overwhelmingly white Wards 1 and 3 in Northwest Washington say they have protested the president.

High-income residents are among the most likely Trump protesters this year.

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Mark Woodard, a black hospital technician who lives in Kingman Park in Northeast, said he has not felt compelled to protest because his life has not changed much under the new administration.

Im kind of waiting to see he hasnt made an impact yet, Woodard said. Im able to go to my job; my benefits are fine. Hes not doing anything to affect me, so Im not going to support any protests.

Justina Jackson, 28, a black assistant pastry chef in Brookland who voted for Hillary Clinton, said that she is accustomed to being disappointed in government, no matter which party is in the White House, and that Trump is no different.

Im used to stuff not going my way, she said. Theres always some kind of obstacle I have to overcome just because Im a young African American female. I dont have a lot of sympathy for people who are upset about Trump."

Also, those in lower income brackets dont have time to protest. The Post also found that among Black voters, even if those who disagreed with President Trump, were not motivated to protest against him. One of them, Raynard Styles, voted for Trump on the basis of change. He questions his vote now, but concerning demonstrating, its a no-go.

Hes still my president, and Im an American first, he told the paper.

Five of the ten wealthiest counties are in the DC area, so I guess rabid liberals protesting Trumps win is a given consequence. In the D.C. area, the so-called resistance is whiter, financially well off, and highly educated; its the archetypal urban professional. Im not saying theres anything wrong with that, but dont go off marketing yourselves as some diverse coalition. The next time someone spouts how the GOP is so white; just remind them the heart of the D.C. resistance is just thatwhite people who can step away from work, whereas everyone else has more important stuff to worry about other than who won the 2016 election. In the meantime, this rabid cohort ofliberal condescending busybodies will continue to bash Trump, protest him, and take comfort in telling his supporters that theyre racist, deplorable, misogynist, sexist, xenophobic, and homophobic (Trump is the most pro-LGBT Republican ever elected, by the way). If they want to keep losing elections, yeahkeep doing that.

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ICYMI: The Heart Of Anti-Trump Resistance Is Mostly A Bunch Of White Progressives Who Can Take Off Work - Townhall

This is symbolically big. According to the e-mail the progressive radio station KPFA, the events sponsor, sent out explainint its decision:

We had booked this event based entirely on his excellent new book on science, when we didnt know he had offended and hurt in his tweets and other comments on Islam, so many people.

KPFA does not endorse hurtful speech. While KPFA emphatically supports serious free speech, we do not support abusive speech. We apologize for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkins views much earlier.

Ladies and gentlemen, the vanguard of Progressivism.

It is interesting to know that in the eyes of progressives like these, some religions are more worthy of consideration than others. Islam, generally speaking, is vastly more illiberal than Christianity. Somehow, though, Islam falls under the protecting veil of progressivism.

Mind you, I havent seen Dawkinss tweets on Islam, but based on some of his past tweets about Christianity, I would not be surprised if he were bigoted against Islam. But then, Dawkins hates all religion, so at least hes consistent. Anyway, in no way should Dawkins be silenced. Let him speak his mind, and let us meet him with better arguments.

It is interesting that a Berkeley church agreed to host one of the worlds best-known atheist abusers of Christianity. Within another decade or two, that church building will probably be turned into condos.

Is there a place in the US less open to free speech than the San Francisco Bay Area? Serious question. Richard Dawkins could come speak in Baton Rouge, where I live, and get a respectful hearing even here in the heart of Trumpsylvania. But not Berkeley. What does that tell you?

Read more here:
Richard Dawkins Now A Heretic To Progressives - The American Conservative

commentary By Brad R. Fulton | 16 hours ago

Clergy leaders with PICO Action Fund and their local federation, Faith in New York, demonstrate outside the hotel in New York's Times Square, on June 21, 2016, where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to meet evangelical clergy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (RNS) Religious progressives made their displeasure with the Senate Republicans health care bill clear.

From the Presbyterian Church: Draconian cuts to health care are an unacceptable threat to Gods people. From the Church of Christ: Drastic Medicaid cuts will only create more chaos and pain for those already facing challenges. What would Jesus do? He would champion health care for all.

While such denouncements likely contributed to the bills imminent demise, religious progressives were by no means an organized force rallying in opposition to this bill. Why arent they more effective at engaging social policy discussions, mobilizing their base and influencing public policy?

Before we get to remedies, here are three factors that got religious progressives to this point:

It doesnt have to be that way. Religion is not condemned to being a politically conservative force, and progressive politics are not condemned to thin moral ground without recourse to the deep ethical traditions that flow in American life. We know this from the example of faith-based community organizing (FBCO) organizations. As detailed in our comprehensive National Study of Community Organizing Organizations, the FBCO field is growingsubstantially as it promotes democratic engagement across a diverse base of constituents and as it influences policy decisions at all levels of government.

A central player in the FBCO field is the PICO National Network, formerly known as the Pacific Institute for Community Organizations. Founded in 1972 by a Jesuit priest, PICO is not aligned with any one religion and its leaders come from a range of faith communities. Nor does PICO focus on a single issue; instead, it is organizing faith-based campaigns on immigration, health care, criminal justice and many other topics around this strategy. According to its website: PICOs path to building a more just world involves teaching people of faith how to build and exercise their own power to address the root causes of the problems they face.

The effectiveness and durability of faith-based community organizing underscores what we see as the two key commitments religious progressives must make if they want to be a force for good:

Making these shifts will be not easy. Moral sermonizing wont get much done. Conservative organizations like the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition redefined the way morality figures in U.S. politics in a way that freezes out progressives. Then there is the vast power of those whose wealth and privilege lead them to oppose all progressive socio-economic policy.

But religious progressives can overcome these challenges, whether by following our suggestions or a path of their own making. If they do, a decade from now our political landscape will be less distorted by economic inequality and more vibrant with a broader representation of democratic voices.

(Brad R. Fulton is an assistant professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.The views expressed in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service)

Continue reading here:
How religious progressives can be more effective - Religion News Service

Heres a good one: Some Democrats are looking to force breakaway state senators from their own party to come back or be cut off financially. The group of Dems, which calls itself the NY Progressive Caucus, wants the state committee to demand that breakaway members return to the fold or lose all support i.e., state-party donations and help from local Democratic clubs. They even got the committee to schedule a vote on the issue Wednesday.

Now, its no surprise that mainline Democrats are irked at the breakaways known as the Independent Democratic Conference and headed by state Sen. Jeff Klein. The IDC generally makes common cause with Republicans and avoids the mainline Dems.

Whats more, the progressives seem to regard the addition of three minority senators Marisol Alcantara, Jesse Hamilton and Jose Peralta to the formerly all-white IDC caucus as a particularly hurtful betrayal.

But the bid to pressure the IDC is laughable. For starters, theres really not much the progressives can do. After all, the IDC doesnt need and usually doesnt get financial support from the committee.

Moreover, Gov. Cuomo, who heads the Democratic Party and who himself often sides with the IDC and Republicans, has yet to express any support for the effort.

Still, the progressives and other Democrats sympathetic to their cause continue to look to make trouble. Recently, the mainline Dems tried to sic Albany DA David Soares and the US attorney on IDC members over legislative stipends.

Thing is, ever since their failed leadership of the Senate a decade ago, most of the mainline Dems have proved themselves unwilling to work with their Republican colleagues (or the IDC) in the broader interests of the state.

If anyone should be cut off, it should be the mainline Democrats not a group like the IDC thats willing to work cooperatively with the other party and put New Yorkers interests first.

Continue reading here:
Progressive NY Dems' nutty attack on their party mates - New York Post

Betsy Johnson

SEASIDE In a rallying speech to district attorneys from across Oregon, state Sen. Betsy Johnson on Wednesday chastised House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson and other progressives for their support of recently passed criminal justice bills.

One bill part of a larger effort to limit racial profiling by police and the justice system will classify first-time, low-level possession of illegal drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine as misdemeanors. Another intended to help curb an upward trend of prison use among women will lower presumptive prison sentences for theft and identity theft by nearly a third. Both bills await the signature of Gov. Kate Brown, who already has voiced her support.

Johnson spoke at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center to prosecutors gathered for a dinner reception, part of the Oregon District Attorneys Associations three-day summer conference.

If the safety and justice crowd keeps winning, there will be no safety, and there will be no justice especially for the poorer classes who are often preyed upon by criminals, Johnson said. To progressives, a victim and a criminal are moral equals.

Johnson, D-Scappoose, was the sole Senate Democrat to vote against the racial profiling bill and one of two to vote against the bill addressing women in prison.

Were looking the other way when drug addicts commit first-degree theft and identity theft, she said. And the victims? Theyre paying for these treatment programs and wraparound services.

While most Democrats and some Republicans across the country have conceded the war on drugs has failed, Johnson offered an alternative theory.

Actually, its been quite successful in the hands of the progressives, she said. They have used it to create one campaign after another to push their agenda.

Poke at House leadership

Johnson also excoriated Williamson, D-Portland, on several occasions during her nearly 20-minute speech for staunchly supporting both bills.

Johnson said her support for the bills was politically motivated and that, as a former defense attorney, the majority leader is not motivated to fight for crime victims.

Johnson, known for being more practical than idealogical, has a lengthy history of being thorny to fellow Democrats. She has blocked a number of bills by siding with Republicans and even considered switching to the Independent Party of Oregon in 2015.

She also has backed prosecutors throughout her time in the Legislature. In her speech, she praised Kevin Neely, a lobbyist for district attorneys who fought against the drug bills.

Prior to her speech Wednesday night, the district attorneys association surprised her with its Policymaker of the Year award.

She is the Oregon Legislatures most vocal and supportive advocate of prosecutors, said Rick Wesenberg, the Douglas County district attorney and the associations president.

Johnson challenged prosecutors to organize and fight back against progressives, who she says have put them on the ropes. She suggested sending out press releases to local constituents when they believe certain bills passed in the Legislature may make it more difficult to punish crimes.

What kind of world are we headed for when district attorneys are expected to act like defense attorneys? Johnson said. Who will stand up for victims? Not Jennifer Williamson and the Oregon Legislature.

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Sen. Johnson chides progressives on crime bills - Daily Astorian