On 60 Minutes, Donald Trump evidently claimed that “repealing” Roe v. Wade would be a priority.
Among the many, many things our next President does not understand is how government actually works. He may be surprised to discover that Congress–even one dominated by GOP culture warriors–cannot “repeal” a Constitutional right.
That is not to say that Roe is safe, only that it will take several years and some fairly creative judicial legerdemain to completely reverse current case law.
Here is how it will play out.
Trump will have an immediate appointment to the Supreme Court, and may well have one or two others during a four-year term. He has pledged to appoint a social conservative, and that’s a pledge he’s likely to keep. Once a case implicating reproductive choice works its way up to the Supreme Court, that newly conservative Court will take the opportunity to further limit what previous Courts have confirmed: it is a woman’s constitutional right to control her own body. Perhaps the newly constituted Court will reverse Roe outright, perhaps not–but the effect will be the same.
Reversing Roe entirely would leave the legality of abortion up to the individual states. We would go back to the time–a time I vividly remember– when women who could afford to do so traveled to states where abortion was legal, and a significant number of the women who couldn’t afford to do that died in back-alley, illegal operations.
As my friends at Planned Parenthood like to point out, women didn’t begin getting abortions after Roe v. Wade. They just stopped dying from them.
The only thing prochoice Americans can do to thwart this cynical and theocratic agenda is work tirelessly to prevent their state legislatures from passing new, restrictive measures that are intended to provide the Court with an opportunity to “revisit” the issue. (Here in Indiana, a State Representative has already announced his intention to submit a bill that would criminalize abortions and punish the women and doctors who participated in them. I’m sure theocrats in other states are equally eager to test the anticipated new boundaries.
Given the number of deep red states populated by religious fundamentalists, the odds of defeating all of these throwbacks aren’t good. So while Trump cannot “repeal” reproductive liberty, he can sure eliminate it.
I think the legal terminology is: we’re screwed.
This thought comes to mind – How about we create demands on ways to control men’s bodies and then demand that they be legislated. I have some ideas in mind, but would like to hear the suggestions of other readers. I am angry enough to start a movement.
Also, if we are going to legislate that women must give birth to children that they prefer not to, then we must demand that the taxpayers are forced to pay the bills and take iver responsibility for thise children.
‘Over’
Sheila,
“I think the legal terminology is: we’re screwed.”
It sure looks that way from a legal perspective. But is that the only perspective? The game has changed; maybe women need to change their strategy and tactics for the new reality. The new game isn’t over, it just started. Don’t react like the leadership of the Democratic Party.
Nancy,
“I am angry enough to start a movement.”
Then do it.
Marv, it’s not so easy. That takes skills and resources, and we end up with a zillion little disorganized movements that make a bit of noise and then fall apart. Wouldn’t it make more sense to work with existing powers (Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW, etc)?
I’m wondering how the advent of the “morning after” pill will play into this. I’m lead to believe the vast majority of abortions in American are actually achieved chemically.
For all of the lawyers out there, please tell me if I have this wrong. I have always argued for a woman’s right to choose because I believe that if the government is given the right to legislate against abortion then we have given them the right to someday in the future to legislate that women will have an abortion.. Like in China. Am I wrong here?
My other thought on this subject is that pro-choice advocates have not spent enough time “following the money” as JoAnn would say. By that I mean exposing all of the individuals and not for profits and consultants that the State of Indiana pays to write and then defend these unconstitutional measures. My guess is that it is way beyond what that cracker jack news source the Indianapolis Star makes it out to be.
Theresa, that is a very good point and an argument that gets right back in the face of Roe foes.
I’ll never forget going to Chicago on a bus in mid-December in a snow storm (actually that is true and not embellished) with a high school friend to get her abortion. She was a year older than me so 17. The guy that got her pregnant was my old boyfriend and I broke up with him because I refused to have sex with him. His family were holy rollers at the local church and I couldn’t believe he would spout Jesus in one breath and try to force himself on me whenever we were alone. My Dad had died by then and my Mother would not agree to let me go until I told her the truth why we were going and, of course, she thought it was actually me that was pregnant and not my friend. She asked me about it afterwards especially when the weather was so bad. I don’t remember what I told her but I’ll never forget it was her worst fear (that I would get pregnant) and I doubt I’ll ever forgive her for not trusting me but she was a widow with 3 teens at home so…
My reproductive health is nobody’s business but somehow these old white guys want to determine what I can and cannot do with my life and when and if I’ll have a family. We have got to stop this madness. Well after 40+ years we only put “a hold” on making sure women don’t die ending their pregnancies and I’m sure that making America great again in their eyes is making sure to punish women that do get pregnant. And the guys? No fault of theirs, is it? Rape gets you a 3 month sentence in CA and we voted for a sexual predator to live in the WH.
That friend of mine eventually married and had 3 boys. One is gay and serving in the Navy. One other son has also served and she has grandkids now. We’re still friends on facebook and she has no regrets, still thanks me for standing with her, holding her hand on the bus on the way home and hugging her while she cried in pain. Physical pain, emotional pain and the pain of maturity knowing she was in no way prepared for a child in high school. Her Mother would have thrown her out of the house.
Women have the right to be trusted to make their own decisions and I will fight until my last breath to make sure that we are not robbed of this very basic right to our own health care decisions even when I couldn’t get pregnant myself. Ever. Sadly. (And Planned Parenthood was there for us back then too, please support them). Sorry for the long post /end rant
There will probably be more abortions as the new regime rolls back sex education and birth control. So there have to be efforts to protect these or provide them outside of schools. States that do a better job on these have fewer teen pregnancies. Teens are also less likely to realize they’re pregnant in time for a morning after pill, or know it’s an option or have the money to buy it.
The “Roe” issue is but part of the problem; a major part of a major problem and one with greater chances of being foremost in the new American fascist regime after January 20, 2017, due to Indiana’s own Mike Pence being the “man behind the man”. I commented on a pro-choice Facebook post about the requirement of my husband’s signature on a legal document allowing me to have a tubal ligation and 18 months later a life-saving hysterectomy. One foolish woman believed I was “gloating” – her word – regarding the requirement. Her view, like the man who thought I was afraid of the “Trump” yard signs shows the basic mentality level of the people who continue to support Trump’s determination to control (and grab when possible) women’s most personal and private body parts. They will also force upon this nation countless numbers of babies and children who cannot be fed, housed and clothed and access to their medical care will soon be taken away from those of us who are not wealthy enough to afford it. That IS a major part of the “Roe” issue because abortion and birth control are medical decisions as well as personal.
Leonard Pitts has a kick butt column in the Indianapolis Star today; “Come together — for people, issues at risk”. It is a must read; you can probably access it through the Miami Herald if not the Star. The column next to it by senior rabbi Dennis Sasso confuses me with it’s title “It’s time to let tolerance replace hatefulness” and last paragraph which seems to be in opposition. “Democracy is the right to choose. Freedom and liberty are the results of how faithfully we act upon our choices. In this post-election season, let us upend animosity and competitiveness, xenophobia and hatefulness. With discipline,love, tolerance and hope, let us resume the duties and responsibilities, the privileges and demands of American citizenship.”
Rabbi Sasso does not seem to be aware of the daily news during this “post-election season”; the hatefulness and destruction of the rights referred to in that last paragraph is the work of the incoming political party and will be denied “our right to choose “by our new “leader” and the Republican Congress as fast as they can pass the necessary laws. He is asking us to tolerate the coming hatefulness of our own government which will bear no resemblance to Democracy as provided in the Constitution. If Trump gets his way and all Muslims in this country will be required to register with the government; can registration of all Jews be far behind?
Aimee,
“Marv, it’s not so easy. That takes skills and resources, and we end up with a zillion little disorganized movements that make a bit of noise and then fall apart. Wouldn’t it make more sense to work with existing powers (Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW, etc)?’
Only if they reorganized? Organizations like NOW are too hierarchical. Someone like Nancy has little or no voice. It’s impossible for her to actualize her leadership skills. The center of America is no longer the New York/Washington corridor. If there is a center it’s probably closer to Indianapolis, Indiana.
Barbara Ireland was a terrific President of NOW in the 90’s. Women need her type of leadership to emulate. She took on Jerry Falwell one on one. I’ve had two long discussions with Barbara in the 90’s. Nancy has much in common with her.
I would suggest using Barbara Ireland as the model for new leadership. I’m on way to a doctor’s appointment.
Listen to JoAnn.
Nancy, in line with your suggestion that men be subjected to similar restrictions, and in keeping with theocratic principles, I propose requiring a man seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction medications be required to prove he is married to a woman of childbearing age who has given her consent for him to receive treatment.
Wow, it’s almost like women get pregnant all by themselves.
Parceling out the federal constitutional “right” to an abortion to the states is a bad idea and perhaps unconstitutional in its own right. It is not the right of divisions of the federal entity (states) to determine who is to enjoy or not enjoy rights conferred by those who enjoy federal constitutional rights; to provide a patchwork of jurisdictions which leave states in charge of determining which federal constitutional rights apply and which don’t in order to serve what I have always called “savage regional interests.” The Tenth Amendment doesn’t go that far! Thus, for instance, are we going to allow Indiana or any other state to decide if the First and Second Amendments apply within their borders? How about the Fourth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth, or the amendment limiting presidents to two terms? This is a tail wagging the dog situation and is clearly in opposition to Madison’s idea of federated states and represents a return to Articles of Confederation thinking (an abiding disaster of the first order).
I think (without knowing, of course) that the only real way Roe will disappear will be via outright reversal. That will require that a case comes before the court on “all fours,” i.e., same or very similar facts as Roe etc., a case which anti-abortionists are likely to find in short order to get the ball rolling from trial court to the Supreme Court. My guess (and it’s only a guess) is that a newly reconstituted Supreme Court would not reverse Roe but rather narrow its impact, which is a reversal lite in legal reality. In such a case, perhaps some of those (along with those complicit in their pregnancies) who are in need of abortion services and who voted for Trump will experience a bit of buyer’s remorse as they learn that “elections have consequences.”
I’m betting each woman who remembers the time before Roe v. Wade, has a story similar to AgingLGrl’s. We had friends going for back alley abortions, for the coathanger solution, and even for the falling down the stairs solution.
Keep in mind that the theocrats driving this are also driving an anti-birth conrol agenda, as well. This should tell us all that it isn’t about the life of the unborn child. It is totally about the lives of women.
JoAnn Green:
“If Trump gets his way and all Muslims in this country will be required to register with the government; can registration of all Jews be far behind?”
I think the answer to your question is a resounding YES – very, very far behind, for this reason: the Jews are educated and organized. They have learned and kept alive the lessons of history. They know the suffering resulting from tolerating obscene fascist bullies.
On the other hand, Muslims are evidently viewed by Trumpists as needing bullying. Watch to see the Jews oppose all intolerance and wait to see blocs of American Jews abandon the Republican Party.
I’m going online now to make my contribution to Planned Parenthood in the name of Mike Pence.
As Trump is well known to be an amoral person in the extreme he clearly has no real issue with this right.
It must be completely explained by his deal with Pence.
Pence agrees to do all of the work of the Presidency. Trump agrees to look the other way on separation of church and state.
JoAnne >>> If Trump gets his way and all Muslims in this country will be required to register with the government; can registration of all Jews be far behind?
Can anyone who opposes the Theocracy and the Police State be far behind might be more to the point. Given what Snowden revealed to the world we probably all have a dossier buried some where in the government archives.
Pence is probably working on some plan now with the Bible Thumpers – more religious schools funded by tax payer dollars, and some scheme to deny woman access to birth control, etc.
Women have much more power than we realize. We need to follow Iceland’s playbook, and go on strike for a few days. Our country runs on our unpaid and poorly paid labor. Single moms don’t have the luxury of refusing to do anything at all, but the rest of us could bring this country to its knees within a very short time.
Louie: Pence has already said he doesn’t approve of the use of condoms (I believe his God told him they are bad). Can a law outlawing the sale of condoms in the U.S. be far behind? So not only would we have more unwanted pregnancies, but condoms also help prevent the spread of STD’s and HIV.
Ginny F: I’ve only heard snippets about it, but I’ve heard that someone is planning for a Million Women March in D.C. sometime next year. That might be an organizing start for your strike suggestion.
Has anyone read the column regarding Curt Nisly position on aborion posted in today’s Star? Another small man telling women what they are going to do.( and from his picture he looks well fed)
Roe v. Wade was confirmed by a majority of Supreme Court judges, FIVE (5) of whom were Republican-appointed judges. There were Democrats in the majority also, and one Democrat and one Republican in the “no” column.
History might not repeat itself. But then again, it might.
I remain hopeful but not complacent and will begin supporting Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence’s name. They do a lot of good work, including but not limited to the abortion issue.
The Million Woman’s March is scheduled for January 21, 2017, the day after inauguration at the DC mall.
No doubt progress is at a halt. But that doesn’t mean we have to go backward. However, we have to do much more than Million Woman’s Marches to deliver the message. The African-Americans have marched, recently too, and it hasn’t gotten them very far. They’ve forgotten how much things have changed for the worse since the 60’s in relationship to the underlying systems that support democracy. Marches do well in an era where democracy is in an advancing stage. That’s not America in 2016. Democracy is now close to a total eclipse because of serious systemic problems. Democracy and Civil Rights are two different things. Civil Rights in order to progress need a strong democracy.
My daughter (who works for a federal agency in Washington) tells me she already has a shortage of floor space due to the number of women who are coming from her home state of Indiana to participate in the march on the day after inauguration which, by the way, could be an inauguration that won’t happen if we could persuade enough Republican electors to withhold their votes for Trump at the meeting of the college on December 19 since there is no constitutional requirement that electors keep their pledges. Grasping at straws on the third time down? Sure, but maybe we will find a buoyant straw since there are many Republicans who detest Trump and it would not take that many electors to overturn last week’s results. After all, Hillary won the popular vote. The identity of such Republican electors is required to be known no later than 6 days before their meeting, or December 13 or earlier, so perhaps we could organize an effort to implore such electors to withhold their vote for Trump and thus afford us an opportunity to reverse last week’s mistake. The addition of racist neo-Nazi to Trump’s inner circle during this interim should give us additional ammunition with which to persuade Republican electors to withhold their votes for Trump, that in addition to the fact that the Bushes did not vote for him. Worth a try? Why not? Desperate times require desperate measures.
David F; Pence stated, “…condoms are too modern for birth control”. If you have any idea what that means, please enlighten me.
Louie; Trump has a vast number of entire “groups” of Americans he may get to later to require registration. Regarding the possibility of dossiers on the rest of us; the government had one on me and my husband at the time during the mid-to-late 1970’s (he is an occasional commenter on this blog). We were never sure why we were on an FBI list of possible subversives; a good friend of our’s had a friend who had a friend who found our friend’s name on the list and sent him a copy. Friend was very active in the anti-Viet Nam war movement. He found it very funny to see our names also listed so showed us the list. I had ordered a copy of “Mien Kampf” from the Doubleday Book-of-the-Month club (a vast waste of money), husband subscribed to “Soviet Life” magazine for the photography. We had a Russian friend whose family were Russian political prisoners of the Nazis after being removed from the Russian prison. We also had a minister friend arrested and convicted for holding a prayer service in the downtown draft induction center with two other ministers. Husband and I held the “coming out” party when they completed their prison sentence in Work Release Center. The ministers were also very active in AIM. We broke no laws, we harmed no one,; but we were considered to be possible subversives by the FBI. So was Hillary Clinton; if we are still on the FBI list, I consider we are in good company.
Regarding our reading material; if you have seen the old Robert Redford movie, “Three Days of the Condor”, the basis for the movie was the little known government department which does flag readers of specific materials. The department is also briefly referred to in the movie, “Seven”. No idea if they only track subscriptions or purchase of new reading materials or also those used book web sites are also on the government list.
Marv and Gerald; there must already be a list of accepted inaugural parade participants, any way to know who is scheduled? I would be interested in the number of KKK, white supremist, skinhead, militant Patriot groups, etc., who have applied for parade permits. Isn’t that public information?
JoAnn:
Even if I were able to, I wouldn’t admit to having any insight into a medieval and evil mind like Mike Pence’s. But to venture a guess based on my somewhat limited knowledge of Catholic theology:
As I recall, the only Pope approved method of birth control Catholics are allowed to use — to this day — without committing a mortal sin is the rhythm method — sure some of the older and Catholic women will recall what that entails and that it was and is a totally unreliable method of birth control. So extrapolating from that, I think he meant that anything other than the “natural” rhythm method is too “modern.” Of course, that begs the question that condoms have been around in some form or another for ages and ages. But again, he is an Evangelical, not mainstream Catholic.
In all the talk about overturning Roe and banning birth control, some of us may be — I am — old enough to remember that until 1965, it was illegal to sell and buy birth control devices, pills, etc. in many States. In 1965 in a pre-cursor to Roe, the U.S. Sup. Ct. in Griswold v. Conn. found a right to privacy in the “penumbra” of the U.S. Const., and it was this “right to privacy” that is the bedrock on which the Ct. later based it’s decision in Roe on.
Many legal scholars back then, and to this day, deny that there is any such “right to privacy” contained in the U.S. Const. So if Roe is eventually reversed on its merits, it will have to be on the basis that there is no guarantee of a “right to privacy” contained in the U.S. Const. As attorneys are want to say, it therefore follows that the basis for Griswold’s finding laws prohibiting birth control would be subject to being reversed as well. Leaving States and the Federal Gov’t. free to pass laws banning birth control.
Another sad history lesson for today given the results of last week’s elections.
JoAnn and Gerald,
Good points. So now we have a Million Women Marching. In the game of CAN YOU TOP THIS, unfortunately, a little less than 20,000 KKK, white supremacist, skinheads, militant Patriot groups, etc. ought to be an equalizer.
I believe we should strongly consider Gerald’s idea about the Electoral College. An all out effort challenging Trump and the baggage he is bringing with him will provide MOMENTUM for after November 20th even if the effort fails. Sometimes you win, even if you lose.
Once upon a time, I lost on appeal in a double murder case involving the insanity defense, but the issues I raised in the appeal were responsible for changing an important provision of the laws surrounding the insanity defense in Texas. As we all know, Gerald is an excellent writer; as well as, I am sure, a superb attorney.
We already have a website http://www.StandUpToPower.org if we need one.
ATTENTION!
I received an E-mail, yesterday, from a friend with the following attachment. It is a good starter. There will be multiple briefs filed with the Electoral College. We’ve been preparing ours for almost 18 months:
From: “Aimee H. Wagstaff”
Date: November 12, 2016 at 6:01:53 PM PST
To: womeninlaw@utlists.utexas.edu
Subject: [womeninlaw] Read me – Action Needed Now – Trump
Reply-To:
Good evening all,
Please read this entire e-mail, consider the extreme importance of acting now, and sign the following White House petition: https://wh.gov/ie80 r
Feel free to forward to any and all social/professional networks and post on social media.
Over the last few days, the following transpired:
Donald Trump claims ownership interests in numerous and anonymous companies, many of which proudly owe millions of dollars to foreign banks, have holdings in foreign countries as well as the United States, and that depend on government leases, contracts, and relationships. Several of his companies bear his name as its brand;
In the past, Presidents have placed their assets in “blind trusts” during their Presidency or divested (sold) their interests in the companies. In a true blind trust, the beneficiaries (here, Mr. Trump) would have no knowledge whatsoever about any of the companies during his Presidency and would have no ability to intervene in any business decisions of those companies during his Presidency. This makes sense, right? If otherwise, the potential conflicts of interest are in every single Presidential decision;
Two days ago, very quietly, and hidden behind all the hate filled rhetoric and media, Mr. Trump announced that he will ignore decades of precedent and prior Presidents’ sound practice of placing their assets in a true blind trust [not one merely denominated as one] or an equivalent arrangement or otherwise divesting their holdings in a manner that would avoid both actual conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety;
Instead, Mr. Trump announced on November 10, 2016 that his adult children will run and/or own and profit from his assets during his Presidency, many of which bear his name and which involve the licensing of his name;
Mr. Trump has also declared the same adult children will be on his Transition team, in charge of selecting his Cabinet and staff members;
These decisions have the effect of improperly and corruptly monetizing the Office of President of the United States for the benefit of Mr. Trump’s immediate family and expose that Office and President-Elect Trump to an unprecedented potential for conflicts of interest;
Further, the decision to place all of his adult children on his Transition Executive Committee makes each political appointee in his administration beholden to Mr. Trump’s children for his or her job (the same adult children who will be running his businesses);
Worse, Mr. Trump’s complete refusal to release any personal or business tax returns and their supporting documents leaves State Electors unable to conduct the appropriate “due diligence” on Mr. Trump that he himself would demand in his own businesses. Because of his flat refusal, we and the State Electors have no idea who he owes money to (and he brags about borrowing millions of dollars, from whom?), what foreign financial institutions have leverage or control over his businesses, or any other financial conflict of interest. We are only left to guess; and
Once the Electoral College has voted (currently set for December 19) and the Presidential vote is certified and announced (currently set for January 6, 2017), there will be no formal check on President-Elect Trump’s inevitable conflicts of interest short of impeachment and a constitutional crisis.
These potential conflicts of interest are unprecedented. We need to act now.
Here is where we currently stand:
Each state has state Electors responsible for casting that state’s electoral votes. On Tuesday, November 8, the country voted to provide guidance to their respective state Electors on how to cast the state’s electoral vote (i.e., Colorado has 9 electoral votes; California has 55; Texas has 38). The electoral vote is currently scheduled for December 19, 2016. The constitution does not require adherence to any popular vote, state or federal, although Electors could surely be informed by it. However, in an election like this one, where 2 million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton nationwide (estimated that she will end up winning national popular vote by 5 million votes), the state Electors need to be informed voters now more than ever. Tellingly, no state Elector has ever been fined, prosecuted, other otherwise formally censured for failing to follow his or her party’s direction as to a vote or his or her State’s law requiring a certain vote.
OK – SO – NOW WHAT?
This evening, I filed a formal White House Petition asking that VP Joe Biden, as President of the Senate require that Mr. Trump provide to state Electors his federal income tax returns and supporting documents for 2006-2015 by December 12, 2016, to enable Electors, before they vote, to 1) assess his qualifications to serve as President without impeachable conflicts of interest or the appearance of impropriety given his adult children’s continuing association with his companies and Transition and his failure to release tax returns; or 2) switch their vote unless he places his assets in a true blind trust or otherwise properly divests them by December 19, 2016.
If my petition gets 150 signatures, the petition goes public on the White House website. BUT, if I get 100,000 within 30 days, the White House has to respond. Here is my concern, the White House says it will respond within 60 days of reaching 100,000 signatures. By that time the vote will have passed and we will have missed our opportunity to determine the depth of the conflicts of interest. My hope is that if we crush the threshold (at least 1 million signatures) the White House will require transparency prior to the vote. Because it is an official White House petition, after you sign, you have to verify your signature with the e-mail you used.
Petition: https://wh.gov/ie80r
We deserve to know this information before he is elected President by the electoral college.
Please forward this e-mail and link to all of your social and professional networks and also forward to media.
I should have added this to the above:
Aimee H. Wagstaff, Esq. | Attorney at Law | Andrus Wagstaff, PC
**Licensed and Practicing in Colorado & California**
7171 West Alaska Drive| Lakewood, Colorado 80226
Direct – (720) 208-9414| aimee.wagstaff@Andru sWagstaff.com
http://www.AndrusWagstaff.com
My advice: Identify the Republican electors to the college as soon as possible and implore them on bended knee (if necessary) to withhold their votes for Trump at the meeting of the college of electors come December 19. So far we haven’t had an election; we have had a popularity contest – and Hillary won it. The “election” happens on December 19. You and I don’t vote for candidates; we vote instead for electors pledged to vote for a specific candidate, but it is a pledge that can be (and has been historically) broken, and in this case should be given Trump’s inexperience, immoral conduct, appointment of a racist Nazi sympathizer to his inner circle, and general lack of the mental acuity necessary for the job. There will need to be some organization of your resources to take a shot at this endeavor, but as a resident of southwest Florida I cannot be of much help – but somebody take it on him or her self to just do it – with such an effort starting today.
There is also the information from Bipartisanreport.com I passed along yesterday regarding the 2 Democratic Electorals who decided to “dump Trump”.
Washington state Brett Chiafalo and Colorado’s Michael Baca who have launched what they call “Moral Electors”. 37 electoral votes are needed to turn the election results from Trump to the popular vote winner. Like her or not; Hillary is qualified and will not destroy this country with racism and turning us against one another; neither will she turn the world against this country which Trump is in the process of accomplishing. President Obama is now trying to soothe world leaders and convince them to TRY to work with Trump – who works with and for no one but himself – he just doesn’t play well with others.
Gerald,
Like you advised, someone with means has started it. However, that doesn’t rule out others jumping in and assisting in the endeavor.
On Facebook, pull up the Politico page, the article, “Here are the people who will cast the formal vote for President next month”, by Kyle Cheney, dated 11/11/16. It lists all electorals state-by-state IF you are interested.
Indiana’s electorals are: Stephany Beckley, Kevin Steen, Kelly Mitchell, Daniel Bortner, Laura Campbell, Jeff Cardwell, Donald Hayes, Randall Kirkpatrick, Edwin Simcox, Ethean Manning and Chuck Williams. Sorry; only names are listed, no contact information.
JoAnn,
Trump’s in trouble. He’s already gone too far too quick.
Marv – I received Aimee’s piece yesterday or day before and she is right on. I am thinking that I am not ready to throw in the towel just yet, not with Hillary’s building popular vote and Trump’s appointment of a fascist to his inner circle. It could just be that there are more than sufficient Republican electors out there who are just waiting for an excuse to renege on their pledge, so let’s provide them with the rationale to renege. At the worst we fail and at the best we make history, and perhaps save our democracy in the process.
Marv; Pence’s abortion stand, locally and/or nationally, is fast becoming only one of a very long list of problems for Herr Trump. Was this current presidential trip planned prior to the election chaos and fiasco? Or is the primary reason President Obama’s last ditch effort to save diplomatic relations before he leaves the White House. I wonder how many racists in this country are now questioning their vote? There is only ONE Trump yard sign left in my neighborhood of the eleven; it is in the yard of my neighbor who is an over-the-road truck driver and is currently out of town. They have disappeared the past two days.
Gerald,
” I am thinking that I am not ready to throw in the towel just yet, not with Hillary’s building popular vote and Trump’s appointment of a fascist to his inner circle.”
I believe Trump is making a terrible mistake, He’s playing aggressively to his base and at the same time showing his hand to the MIDDLE, many of which are electors. As JoAnn has just reported, it appears two of the electors have already “jumped ship.”
I don’t believe he can now correct his course before election day. Two or three of my close friends have said, “I am waiting to see what he is going to do. How much more do they need to see?
Sorry, change “election” to inauguration. Please excuse me, I had a both a Colonoscopy and Panendoscopy this morning. I don’t believe the anesthesia has completely worn off.
Marv – Your friends should have seen enough before election day, but they apparently did not (assuming they were Trump voters). Surely with the appointment of a fascist to his inner circle they have seen enough. I spent some time in the South Pacific during WW II fighting fascism and I certainly did not ever think fascism would prevail in this country from within. It appears I was mistaken, and I think we have to do whatever we possibly can to somehow persuade Republican electors to renege on their pledges. Trump is not elected until the college of electors agree, and if he does not have a majority of electors, he may well be back where he belongs – building hotels and bullying wome.
Sorry for the last word of the foregoing – it should have read women. Mea culpa.
Aimee wrote at 6:46am “Wouldn’t it make more sense to work with existing powers (Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW, etc)? ”
I’m thinking that perhaps PP, NARAL, and NOW are viewed with a negative connotation among the states where abortion is not accepted with open arms. I’d go for a new group with a new narrative, a new spin on the same story of PP. More later as I leave for the season’s first round of parties.
JoAnn, how strange I also subscribed to Soviet Life. It may have been during the Raygun Presidency. So, I may have made the list.
Our time was during Nixon. Of course Reagan could have put you on the list; they all have a list. You must admit the photography in Soviet Life was beautiful but the articles, per my Russian friend, typical propaganda.
I just saw several references to Planned Parenthood getting 20k donation in the name of Mike Pence. Well done everyone.