Dr. Steve Schwartz, a University of Washington medical researcher, created this blog to discuss campus issues, and it soon expanded to a wide range of subjects. Although he’s no longer with us, a longtime contributor still posts articles which readers may find informative, interesting, or simply entertaining (read statement of purpose here). Use search term “handbill.us” to find this page on the internet.
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“I support Hamas.”
He didn’t say that. It’s a GOP lie.
The Oct. 7, 2021, terror attacks were an obscene atrocity. A military response by Israel was justified and to be expected. But reasonable people can protest the war in Gaza, and doing so doesn’t ipso facto make them “Hamas supporters.” (I’m not saying all the protesters are reasonable.)
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY, photo above) isn’t a protester, but the GOP’s congressional campaign committee put words in his mouth. They posted that he said “I support Hamas.” Of course he did nothing of the kind. Why would they spew such a lie? Because he voted against a GOP bill attacking President Biden’s arms delivery pause. Most other Democrats voted against that bill, too.
Those are Republican words, not his. Ryan supports the U.S.-Israel relationship. He voted for the aid package to Israel. He’s a West Pointer and veteran, raised Jewish children, and campaigns against antisemitism. He’s among the last people anyone should call “pro-Hamas.”
This is gutter politics, sewer politics, and it’s sick. It seems like every time Republicans hit a new low and you think they can’t go any lower, they go lower. Decent people should want nothing to do with this or with them. Read story here.
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Here come the filibuster killers
BUT WILL THEY HIT A WALL?
“The fate of the Senate filibuster is on the ballot in the 2024 election,” NBC News declared today. The filibuster isn’t in the Constitution; it’s a Senate rule a majority of Senators can change. Democrats don’t have enough votes to remove this blockage to high-priority legislation like abortion rights, civil rights, voting rights, gun control, and Supreme Court reform; and keeping their majority may be a tall order. Among Republicans there’s probably not enough support for a rule change even if the GOP sweeps Congress and Trump’s, not Biden’s, agenda is being blocked. So the filibuster may not go away. Read story here.
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Why you don’t share social media pleas to help
find missing children’s parents
It’s a scam. Details here.