Lesser Evils

If you know a little about me, you know I’m very willing to overlook prior bad acts by candidates in order to ensure Democratic control of our bodies of government. The electability of a moderate Democrat with a less-than-perfect record was one of the primary motivators behind my support for Hillary Clinton. And if you’re one of my friends on the farther left, I’m sure you’re thinking “Bella really will just shill for any empty suit that calls themselves a Democrat. Is there a floor on this thing, or will we have to re-educate her when the revolution comes?”

I’m proud to report to you, my left friends and all other readers of the blog, that we found the floor. The floor named Joe Manchin.

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Unofficial and Totally Subjective Guide to the NYC Primaries

It's that time of year again! The time for the complicated New York state and local primary system! This year, our primary elections is going to be held on Thursday, September 13th, because the Tuesday when the election normally would have been held is September 11th. I understand not having an election on September 11th, but I don't know why they decided to hold the election on a Thursday instead of the next Tuesday. But I don't pretend to understand how New York decides their many primary dates.

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Unhappy Families

As others have observed, keeping up with political commentary in the Age of Trump is a challenge. I work on blog posts, only to have their relevance wiped out before I finish my edits. Some weeks, nuanced political happenings are overshadowed by tweets that carry no actual policy directives. Sometimes, the President brings us to the brink of a possible nuclear war. It's hard to figure out what line to walk.

But I started this blog primarily to explain Congress, and that's what I will continue to do, even if this may be our last week on earth. Since the healthcare bill failed spectacularly only several weeks ago, President Trump has expressed frustration with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the Majority Leader's inability to bring key legislation to his desk.

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Advice on Going Green

I'm not going to start this post with a list of reasons about why it's bad to vote for a third party candidate. We've all seen enough of those articles, and frankly, they don't seem to be persuading anyone, and it can feel condescending. People have valid and legitimate reasons to vote for third party candidates, and I have never been in the business of talking people out of voting. So if you want to vote third party, godspeed my little involved citizens. Live your truth.

But think twice before you vote for Jill Stein.

Not because she's in the Green Party, but because of who she is as a candidate. If Jill Stein were running in a Democratic primary, I would also advise you to vote against her, because she is in no way qualified to be the president.

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An Undue Burden

I know Super Tuesday just happened, and we all want to talk about how well Donald Drumpf is doing, and Clinton's impressive victory, and Sanders' win in Colorado, but right now I want to talk about something more important.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, which is challenging a Texas law that, if it goes into effect, would close clinics across the state. The law would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital no more than thirty miles away, and mandate that clinics meet the standards of an ambulatory surgical center. 

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Hyde Your Amendments

There has been gridlock around the anti-human trafficking bill in the Senate, and I promise that is the last traffic-based pun I will make at the expense of human trafficking.

The debate about the anti-human trafficking bill came to a standstill today when the Senate failed to achieve the necessary 60-vote cloture to end debate on the bill, and put the bill up for the real vote. Unlike the cloture votes of years passed, this one was tanked by Democrats, not Republicans.

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The Trouble With 20-Week Abortion Bans

On November 19th, my hometown of Albuquerque New Mexico will vote on a 20-week abortion ban, similar to the one that was passed in Texas last summer. As someone who has been pro-choice since before I knew what an abortion was, I am enraged by this and am discussing it with anyone who will listen.

Usually, when I bring up this topic with friends and acquaintances, the conversation goes something like this:
 

            Me: They’re trying to pass a 20-week abortion ban in my hometown.

            Friend: Really? Wait…how many months is 20 weeks?

            Me: Five.

            Friend: Five months? That sounds pretty standard for an abortion ban.

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