• Welcome to Christmas Season.  Thanksgiving doesn’t get a “season.”  It barely gets an aisle at the grocery store.
• Terry McAuliffe’s loss in Virginia is a slap to the face of Democrats:  The Culture War is alive and well and living in the GOP in the form of the boogieman “Critical Race Theory”–a dog whistle for racism.  Dems need to prep for this non-factually-based attack, and the GOP will use their campaign of figurative book-burning in 2022.
• If Democrats played as dirty as Republicans, they would plant excitement for a few actual book burnings outside school board meetings in the next year, and then let the Radical Right pick up the idea.  The visual of actual books burning might alert Independents about what they’re actually supporting by voting for the GOP.
  Read More ▶ “Random thoughts Friday, Volume XLIII”

I am urging all members to vote for both the rule for consideration of the Build Back Better Act and final passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill tonight.

I am confident that during the week of November 15, the House will pass the Build Back Better Act.

— President Biden (@POTUS) November 6, 2021

BBC:  “A man has been rescued after being trapped inside the walls of a theatre in Syracuse, New York state.  Firefighters were called at about 07:30 local time (11:30 GMT) after someone was heard banging on the wall and pleading for help.  It is believed the man was stuck inside a crawlspace for two days.

“Rescuers cut through the theatre’s walls and found him naked, local media said. He is being treated at a local hospital.  In a statement on Facebook, Syracuse fire department said it was not clear how he’d gained access to the crawlspace behind the wall.

“Speaking to Syracuse.com, a local news outlet, Landmark Theatre director Mike Intaglietta said the man had been seen wandering around the building earlier in the week.  Employees who saw him lost track of his location and assumed he had left, Mr Intaglietta recalled.  ‘I don’t know if he was entering to keep warm or to use the bathroom. I don’t know,’ he added.

I have soooooo many screen shots like this. #CancelBusinessInsider https://t.co/ti1i4GY7Ul

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 6, 2021

“The hottest topic at the Oroville City Council meeting Tuesday was whether or not to make Oroville a constitutional republic city. At least 10 members of the community addressed the council during public comment in support of the resolution, making impassioned pleas to pass the agenda item. Most were unhappy with governmental policies such as the COVID-19 mask mandate and believed that people as citizens have rights under the U.S. Constitution to make their own decisions about our health. Mayor Chuck Reynolds said that a republic is what the city is under.”

“People and representatives make decisions for the community. ‘We are living under a constitutional republic,’ he said. Reynolds also said that attention should be paid to the language. When a state is declared an emergency, it puts one person in charge and we should pay attention to who that person is. ‘Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts,’ Reynolds said. ‘A constitutional republic makes America a successful nation. Rights are by the people, for the people.’ Councilor Scott Thomson said that staff and students at schools should choose whether or not to get vaccinated. ‘Every entity should stand up. Silence is compliance,’ Thomson said. After much discussion and comments, the motion passed 6-1 with Krysi Riggs the lone nay vote. When the motion passed, the room was filled with applause and cheers” the Chico Enterprise-Record reports.

It is unknown what if any next steps Oroville will take toward establishing an independent constitutional republic within city limits. Founding a sovereign nation is a massive logistical undertaking requiring a lot of commitment, even when the ruling power willingly grants and recognizes independence, which the United States of America almost certainly won’t, much less the state of California. Mayor Reynolds should establish diplomatic relations with the heads of state of internationally unrecognized breakaway republics in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus such as Transdnieper and South Ossetia to get some feedback if he’s really serious about this. They can probably work out a deal to supply Oroville with AK-47s and anti-tank weapons for Oroville’s national defense, but he should be cautious about offering them OroBucks as payment.

“The White House says President Biden and the First Lady are no longer traveling to Rehoboth Beach tonight” reports Wall Street Journal White House Correspondent Ken Thomas.

Washington Post: “After a week of controversy and pushback from faculty, alumni and academics across the country, the University of Florida on Friday said three political science professors should not be barred from testifying in a voting rights lawsuit against the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). UF president Kent Fuchs wrote in a campuswide email Friday that he was asking the school’s Conflicts of Interest office to allow the professors, all of whom are experts in their fields, to testify in a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit by voting rights groups challenges a new state law, championed by DeSantis, that puts new limitations on ballot drop boxes and vote-by-mail practices. After Fuchs’s announcement Friday, Kenneth Nunn, a law professor at the university, called it a welcome development. ‘I think it’s great that the president saw the university’s reputation was being damaged by their unfortunate decision to restrict those three faculty members from testifying in their case.'”

“Mr. Clark’s complete failure to cooperate today is unacceptable. His refusal to answer questions about the former President’s attempt to use the Department of Justice to overturn the election is in direct contrast to his supervisors at the Department, who have come in and answered the committee’s questions on these important topics. It’s astounding that someone who so recently held a position of public trust to uphold the Constitution would now hide behind vague claims of privilege by a former President, refuse to answer questions about an attack on our democracy, and continue an assault on the rule of law. As prescribed by the House Rules, I have considered Mr. Clark’s claim of privilege and rejected it. He has a very short time to reconsider and cooperate fully. We need the information that he is withholding and we are willing to take strong measures to hold him accountable to meet his obligation” – Rep. Bennie Thompson.

BBC:  “Eight camels and a llama were found walking the streets of Madrid in the early hours of Friday after escaping from a circus, police said.  Quiros Circus, their owner, blamed “sabotage” by animal rights activists. They were spotted at about 05:00 local time in the southern district of Carabranchel, near where the circus is based. Officers took care of them so they could be returned ‘safe and sound’, police said. Circus manager Mati Munoz told AFP that the electric fence around the animals’ enclosure had been cut. He pointed the finger at activists who he said protested against the circus every year. He said he was relieved the llama and Bactrian camels, which have two humps and thick shaggy coats, had been found. ‘Nothing happened, thank God,’ he said.”

“A Dane County judge on Friday ordered Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to turn over records within 10 days about a secretive review of the 2020 election that Republicans have been conducting since this summer. Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled the Rochester Republican and Assembly Chief Clerk Ted Blazel were required to release calendars, e-mails, internal reports and other documents maintained by the team conducting the election review. Bailey-Rihn accused Vos of trying to hide records by conducting a ‘shell game’ changing who was technically responsible for the records.”

“She ordered Vos to turn over records that were created between May and late August. She suggested he’d given up his opportunity to argue he could withhold a subset of the documents because of attorney-client privilege or other reasons. She said he’d likely waited too long to make such arguments. ‘These need to be produced unless there is a darn good reason why not and I don’t see one at this point,’ Bailey-Rihn said” – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Trump acolyte Jeffrey Clark reportedly presented a 15-page letter to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol stating that he would not testify due to executive privilege, conservative website AmGreatness reports.

“Because former President Trump was properly entitled, while he held office, to the confidential advice of lawyers like Mr. Clark, Mr. Clark is subject to a sacred trust—one that is particularly vital to the constitutional separation of powers,” says the letter written by Clark’s attorney.  “As a result, any attempts—whether by the House or by the current President—to invade that sphere of confidentiality must be resisted.”

Clark’s assertion has a number of significant hurdles to overcome.  First, Clark cannot make an assertion of executive privilege; that’s something only the sitting President of the United States can do, and the Biden Administration has made it clear it will not make any such assertion in the J6 investigation.

Thankful, relieved, and reflecting a great deal on the mixture of joy, terror, and love that is parenting. https://t.co/klA9hbhhOb

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) November 5, 2021

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten tweeted out a brief account of some of the harrowing incidents they lived as they welcomed newborn twins to their household.  As conservatives railed in the media that Buttigieg didn’t warrant paternity leave, Pete and Chasten were dealing with a health emergency with their son Joseph August “Gus” Buttigieg.

NBC Washington: “The 17-year-old son of Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin twice tried to cast a ballot on Election Day even though he is not yet eligible to vote, election officials confirm to News4. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to vote. News4 is not naming Youngkin’s son because he is a minor and has not been charged with a crime. Fairfax County election officials said the teen went to the Hickory precinct polling place at Great Falls Library. The location is not the polling place assigned to his home address. Election workers were able to determine he was not eligible to vote and didn’t allow him to cast a ballot. The Fairfax Elections Office is investigating the incident.”

“‘This morning, November 5, 2021, the General Registrar was made aware of concerns that a 17 yo male attempted on two occasions to vote on election day. The young man presented identification but was ineligible to be registered due to his age and was not permitted to vote. The man was given a registration form and encouraged to register for future elections,’ the office of elections said in a statement. Fairfax County Registrar Scott Konopasek said it’s unclear whether the teenager broke any election laws. Virginia’s criminal code makes it clear that it is a crime to use fraudulent information to vote, but attempting to vote when not eligible and not succeeding is not clearly addressed in the Virginia code, according to Konopasek.”

Hi Congresswoman. I would encourage you to watch our 2 part @wsbtv investigation into the crisis inside prisons here in your own state – inmates can unlock doors, mentally ill don't get their meds, some inmates go months without showers or clean clothes https://t.co/tr6nfw2Jhd https://t.co/SD0kbIV7TR

— Justin Gray (@JustinGrayWSB) November 5, 2021

In the early morning hours, the hammering started as a crew from the City of Alexandria attempted to remove the historical marker in front of 607 Oronoco Street, which is on the market for $5.9 million.

The hammering proved unsuccessful during the 3:30 a.m. work detail, so the crew took out a saw and cut through the sign post.  Within minutes, the sign announcing the house was the birthplace of Confederate general Robert E. Lee had disappeared into the back of a departing city pickup, according to the Washington Post.

The fact that the house is on sale is coincidental to the removal of the sign, says the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which manages the placement and maintenance of the historical markers.  The issue was that the text on the sign, which had been erected in 1968, was inaccurate, a department spokesperson said. 

Says Ben Shapiro on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial: “We live in a society where the media would not allow a case not to be brought so long as the purported victimizer is of the wrong political persuasion. There is no way, that if this were a left-wing person who had shot a couple of Proud Boys in the street and the video were available like this, then there’s no way this prosecution is ever brought” which is bullshit because former Pinkerton Matthew Dolloff is currently facing trial on charges of second degree murder for canceling a right wing militia asshole who had been attacking him with bear spray at a protest in Denver last October.

Then there’s Antifa guy Michael Rienoehl, who was simply gunned down by federal marshals in a parking lot a few after he shot and killed Proud Boy Jay Bishop during a riot in Portland.

This morning at the airport a man starts yelling at me and tells me to put my mask on and calls me an idiot. I walked over to him and asked if he called me an idiot, he continued to yell at me. I pulled down his mask and said see, nothing happened. pic.twitter.com/8TrbQufECL

— Allen West (@AllenWest) November 3, 2021

Washington Post:  “In one of the latest demonstrations of the injection of partisan politics into the pandemic, conservative firebrand Allen West got in a physical confrontation with another traveler at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The spark for the incident: the Texas gubernatorial hopeful ‘being berated’ for his refusal to wear a mask, his campaign said in a news release.

“A top Trump Justice Department official who aided the former president’s quest to overturn the 2020 election met Friday with congressional investigators probing the Jan. 6 Capitol attack – accompanied by a lawyer who worked on a suit aimed at overturning the Georgia election results. Jeffrey Clark was photographed heading into and out of a brief deposition with the select panel investigating the insurrection. It was his first time facing any congressional probe related to the attack, and he was joined by a new lawyer: Harry MacDougald, an Atlanta lawyer who partnered with conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell to challenge the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.”

“It’s unclear if Clark answered the committee’s questions while he was behind closed doors, though he appears to have been with the panel for less than two hours – a fairly short appearance. A spokesperson for the select committee declined to comment. The Jan. 6 select committee subpoenaed Clark last month to compel his testimony. Clark had been scheduled to meet with the committee last week, but shortly before that date, he parted ways with his previous attorney and the deposition was delayed” – Politico.

The Justice Department executed search warrants on two locations associated with the conservative propaganda group Project Veritas as part of an investigation into a stolen journal owned by President Joe Biden’s daughter, Ashley, who reported its theft in October 2020, the New York Times reports.

FBI agents and federal prosecutors in Manhattan conducted the search, based on information that James O’Keefe and Project Veritas received the journal but opted not to publish it.  Handwritten pages from the book were later published on another website, which claims it received it from a “whistleblower” who worked at another media outlet that had opted not to report on the journal.

An investigation into the theft of the journal was opened in October 2020 when the Biden campaign reported the burglary to the FBI.  The pages from the journal were published on the website on October 24, 2020, about two weeks before the presidential election. 

Only 10% of Americans say they know what’s in the Socialist Spending Scam. NO ONE knows the final price tag, but it will likely come right as you get your enormous receipt for your Thanksgiving dinner. https://t.co/d2trTUfaDl

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) November 5, 2021