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Anthony Weiner Has A New Twitter Account Which Means He’s Definitely Running For Mayor Of NYC

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Anthony Weiner, the former disgraced U.S. Congressman who resigned after admitting to tweeting images of his “surname” to several women, although he is married, had also “resigned” from Twitter — but he has returned, two years later.

Weiner, married to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Huma Abedin, was considered a powerhouse within Congress and won every election with at least 59 percent of the vote. A progressive attack dog, Weiner tried to expand Medicare to all Americans before the House ultimately voted to pass Obamacare.

Weiner’s new Twitter account, @AnthonyWeiner, has attracted over 5000 followers in the few hours since it was established.

His bio reads, “Fighting to keep New York City the Capital of the Middle Class,” which is ironic since a new report came out showing half of New York City’s residents are poor.

“In a study that surprises almost no one, the Bloomberg administration has found that half of New York City residents are ‘poor’ or ‘near-poor’ meaning that they were ‘making less than 150 percent of the poverty threshold,'” Gawker notes. “This is a small rise in the amount of poor from 2009, when the recession officially ended. But as New York City has made abundantly clear, the recovery has not been shared by all (or even many).”

So, it’s likely Weiner will be running for Mayor of New York. He just spent $100,000 on a new poll that puts him in striking distance of Christine Quinn.

His first tweet?  A link to his policy paper, “Keys To The City: 64 Ideas to Keep New York the Capital of the Middle Class.”

Weiner’s position paper is filled with both disappointing and interesting ideas.

A few bad ideas:

Make Catholic School Preservation a Tweed Mission. Between 2000 and 2011 the city lost 63 Catholic Schools with another 24 eliminated in 2012. The Parish school is not only an asset in the teaching of values that underpins our society, but it’s also an important practical circuit breaker on another major problem—overcrowding in our public schools. Considering how much attention we pay to the debate over charter schools, the lack of conversation about disappearing Catholic Schools is disheartening.

Let Empty Schools Bustle After Hours — Even for Churches. Given how much we ask of our schools, it makes sense to keep them open as commu- nity centers as much as possible. Civic groups should not be charged to hold neighborhood meetings and local churches that need space should be able to use empty auditoriums for a fee.

Take DNA from More Arrestees. As a matter of course, the NYPD takes fingerprints from all people they arrest. They should also take a DNA swab from as many of those under arrest as practicable. This common sense step would help solve cold cases and clear the innocent.

A few good ideas:

Permit Gay Men to Donate Blood. It’s a relic from a time of fear and misinformation, but it’s a dangerous one. Men who declare that they are gay on appli- cations to donate blood are routinely denied, even though all blood donors are screened for HIV. This not only stigma- tizes a whole class of well-intentioned citizens, but it is foolish in an era when blood shortages are routine.

Bring “Mayor’s Question Time” to the Proceedings of the City Council. Reengaging the public in civic affairs means looking for new ways to spark interest in the debates of the day. Modeled on the British House of Commons custom of having the Prime Minister field questions from legislators, a similar challenge for the Mayor may be enlightening and would give rank-and-file City Council members an unfiltered way to bring issues to the executive branch.

End Prohibition on Hybrid Cabs. The so-called “Taxi of Tomorrow” will soon become the only cab that a hack can drive in New York City. It is not a hybrid or electric or any other forward-looking technology. This would have the effect of forcing many hybrid cabs off the road at a time when we should be using more. The push for a “one size fits all” approach should be scrapped in favor of incentives for driving the most environmentally sound cabs.

Conquer Congestion. Or at Least Try. The dust has settled on the plan to tax outer borough drivers who drive into Midtown. “Congestion Pricing” with its giant government approach of hundreds of cameras and huge overhead is dead. But the conversation about conges- tion should not be. “Smart” parking meters that raise costs based on demand and location, and a renewed focus on stemming the more than 30% increase in truck traffic should be getting civic attention.

The last page reads:

This document, which was paid for by “Weiner for Mayor,” may be reproduced. For more information or to submit your own ideas, contact me at anthonyweiner@aol.com.

— Anthony Weiner

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Congressman Pummeled for Praising Students Mocking Black Protester With Monkey Sounds

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U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, Republican of Georgia, is under fire after praising University of Mississippi students, some wearing American flag outfits, mocking a Black woman protester by making monkey sounds and shouting, “lock her up.”

“Counter-protestors at the University of Mississippi made racist remarks — including monkey noises and comparisons to Lizzo — towards a Black woman who was part of a planned protest against the war in Gaza,” Los Angeles Magazine reported Friday.

Collins, who tried to defund Vice President Kamala Harris’ Office in November, declared his support for the counter-protesters at “Ole Miss,” as the University is called.

“Ole Miss taking care of business,” he wrote on social media, atop the video (below).

The counter-protesters, as evidenced in the video, appear to be mostly white.

A large number of users on the social media platform X responded, accusing the Congressman and the counter-protesters of racism.

“When is the inevitable ‘I don’t have a racist bone in my body’ tweet coming,” wondered Rewire News Group editor-at-large Imani Gandy.

“Which part is your favorite, Mike?” asked Fred Wellman, the former executive director of The Lincoln Project. “Is it the white kid acting like a monkey at the black woman or the white security guy acting like she’s a threat? I’m trying to figure out which flavor of racism has you all excited the most?”

READ MORE: MAGA State Superintendent Supports Chaplains in Public Schools – But Not From All Religions

Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic clinical instructor Alejandra Caraballo responded to the Georgia GOP congressman, “Thanks for confirming you’re a massive racist piece of sh*t.”

Mississippi Free Press news editor Ashton Pittman wrote: “Rep. Mike Collins, R-Georgia, praises a video showing a University of Mississippi frat boy dancing like a monkey and making monkey noises near a Black woman student who was protesting for Palestine while other frat boys chant ‘lock her up.'”

In a separate post describing a separate video taken of the same group Pittman wrote: “Frat bros at @OleMiss chant, ‘Lizzo! Lizzo!’ and shout, ‘F**k you fatass, f**k you b*tch’ at a Black woman who was protesting for Palestine. Do people really think these counterprotestors are doing it to support Jews?”

Journalist John Harwood did not mince words, writing, “Congressman proud of the racism.”

“Okay, Mike. We get it,” wrote podcast host, documentary director, and author W. Kamau Bell. “You want to be famous for being a racist. Fine. I’ll help you become a famous racist. You’re welcome.”

The original video is here.

See Rep. Collins’ post and the video below or at this link.

Caution: the video is disturbing.

READ MORE: Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’

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Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’

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Amid more damning revelations from her soon-to-be released book, embattled South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem will head to Mar-a-Lago this weekend as ex-president Donald Trump auditions potential vice presidential picks in front of high-dollar donors. Noem was also slated to attend a Republican fundraiser in Colorado this weekend but it was canceled over alleged safety concerns after news broke she had bragged about shooting her 14-month old dog.

While Noem’s shooting to death of her wirehaired pointer, Cricket, which she detailed in the book, is still making headlines overnight a new revelation made news: Noem falsely claims in her book she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

A spokesperson for Noem “seemed to concede that the Kim story was false Thursday night,” and notified her publisher, Politico’s Ryan Lizza reported in his exclusive.

But less noticed appears to be the actual text of Noem’s false story, in which she brands children she ministered in church “little tyrants,” and compared them to the murderous North Korean dictator.

READ MORE: RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties

“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee,” Noem wrote, according to Politico, “I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders. I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”

CNBC reported this week Trump “will mingle with potential vice presidential running mates and wealthy Republican donors at the Republican National Committee’s spring donor retreat. The meetings are likely to act as informal tryouts for a short list of politicos in the running to join the Trump ticket.”

The list of Republican “special guests” includes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance, Rep. Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

Also expected to attend are House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Wesley Hunt of Texas, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and other elected Republicans along with RNC co-chair Lara Trump.

READ MORE: Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

NBC News, which says Rep. Donalds is also under consideration, on Friday added there will be “a fundraising retreat that could serve as a screening session” for potential vice presidential running mates.

Meanwhile, the Jefferson County, Colorado Republican Party chair announced a fundraising dinner Noem was slated to attend was canceled after threats were made, The Denver Post reports.

“We understood there was a planned organized protest outside of the hotel, led by Progress Now,” Nancy Pallozzi said. “I felt that our event would be negatively impacted, and we could not take the risk that those who made threats would cause physical harm.”

 

 

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RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties

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Over the weekend independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke at a fundraiser for a far-right anti-government group in Erie County, New York – a slice of the country that had a large proportion of residents arrested and charged for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine denialist, increasingly is embracing the far-right.

“That group, Constitutional Coalition of New York State, has founders who not only have ties to Donald Trump but are also connected to the stop-the-steal movement through their activist network, which includes groups that had a presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6,” The Daily Beast reported Friday. “It’s yet another instance of Kennedy—who is mounting one of the most well-funded third-party presidential threats in decades—serving as a peculiar bridge between his own anti-establishment movement and Trump’s.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center includes the Constitutional Coalition of New York State (CCNYS) on its page of anti-government groups. Political Research Associates, which detailed the high proportion of January 6 residents arrested and charged, included the Constitutional Coalition of New York State in its February report on “The Rise of the Far Right in Western New York.”

READ MORE: Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

“If you don’t think the government is lying to you, you’re not paying attention,” Kennedy told attendees at the CCNYS fundraiser, The Buffalo News reports.

“CCNYS founders Nick and Nancie Orticelli are also affiliated with the Watchmen, a nearby militia who Nick has encouraged his social media followers to join. The Watchmen had several members at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and one member, Pete Harding, is still facing charges for violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” The Daily Beast noted. “Nancie Orticelli has also hosted the Watchmen’s founder, Charles Pellien, on her weekly radio show on several occasions.”

One of Kennedy’s goals in traveling to New York was to get on the ballot for the November presidential election. Various polls show him taking votes from both President Joe Biden and ex-president Donald Trump, but Kennedy currently has only qualified to be on the ballot in three states, Utah, Michigan and Hawaii, the newspaper reported.

But The Washington Post on Thursday reported The American Independent Party of California, which has a history of “far-right ties,” and “backed segregationist and former Alabama governor George Wallace in 1968, nominated Kennedy for president.”

Kennedy “said this week that he has qualified to be on the ballot in California and will accept the nomination of the American Independent Party, which has a history of associating itself with far-right figures and individuals who have expressed racist views.”

Some news reports and RFK Jr. himself say the Trump campaign was actively courting Kennedy, attempting to convince him to consider being the ex-president’s 2024 vice presidential running mate.

“That MAGA dalliance with Kennedy could be coming back to bite the Trump campaign, some Republicans close to the former president worry,” The Daily Beast also reported.

“’They can only blame themselves,’ a Trump-aligned strategist told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations about the risk Kennedy poses, ‘because they cozied up to him and thought it was funny.’”

Watch WIVBTV’s report on Kennedy’s trip to New York below or at this link.

READ MORE: Trump Won’t Commit to Accepting Election Results if He Doesn’t Win State He Falsely Claims He Won

 

 

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