Remember that 2009 Dept. of Homeland Security report about Rightwing Domestic Extremism that Republicans forced the Obama Administration to retract?
We do — once again — on today’s BradCast, particularly in the bloody wake of this week’s domestic terrorist attack at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church. For some reason, Rightwingers don’t want to remember that report, much less describe this week’s attack at “terrorism”. Wonder why. And so does Jon Stewart.
Then, speaking of extremist Republicans, the state of Texas has overruled a voter-approved ban on fracking in the city of Denton and declared such local control illegal. TX Gov. Greg Abbott actually says, with a straight face, that, in fighting for fossil fuel industry profits over people, he’s protecting private property rights from the “heavy hand of local regulation.” (Yes, he actually said that.)
Adam Briggle of FrackFreeDenton.com joins us to discuss how Denton hopes to fight the GOP’s Big Government attack on democracy, local control and private property rights across the state — ya know, all that stuff Republicans like to pretend they believe in.
“The industry went to the legislators that they have bought and paid for, and they wrote a new law for them to change the rules,” Briggle tells me. “They just bought a new law that changed the standards by which you evaluate the constitutionality of local ordinances.”
Finally, Desi Doyen joins us for the latest Green News Report, on the Pope’s climate encyclical and Donald Trump’s global warming denialism…
When will you mention the paid actors in Trump’s campaign-launch speech? Has your opinion of Trump’s presidential run changed since Tuesday’s bradcast? Please tell me he didn’t buy you for $50.
Oh, come on Alex @1. Do you really think that Brad’s warning to beware of a fascist clown like Trump amounted to an endorsement?
Get real!
Brad: I know it would be easy for listeners to overlook in the midst of your much needed commentary on right-wing white terrorism, but your interview of Adam Briggle was truly informative on a variety of issues pertaining not only to Denton, TX and fracking but to the hazards that accompany that particular exercise in oligarchic corporate power.
Alex asked @ 1:
Actually, after learning about it Wednesday night, had planned to talk about it both on Thursday and Friday’s shows, but it got bumped both days due to breaking news out of Charleston which seemed a tad more important.
Only slightly. If the “paid actors” thing had been picked up and reported widely on RW media (Fox, Rush, etc.), as it had been carried on MSNBC, I think it would hurt Trump’s chances considerably.
That said, I haven’t noticed the RWers making much of the embarassment to Trump. Thus, particularly if he can stay in long enough to make it to the debates, I think he may well surge among Republican base primary voters.
I wish! I could use that $50!
Oh…and just to underscore Ernie’s point: Did you really take my coverage of Trump’s entering the race as an endorsement?!
Thanks for addressing my concerns Brad. I was just being snarky with the $50 closing remark.
Your appraisal of Trump’s chances was imo a bit bold, overestimated. So I assumed your incentive was to followup as soon as news broke about the paid actors. I was concerned when you still had not followed up by Friday yet had a mention of Trump in Friday’s GNR.
People are talking about the connection between KKK-style racist terrorism in the American South, of which the assault on the church in Charleston last week was a classic example, and the Confederate “battle flag,” or whatever it is, that you see flying everywhere in the region.
Something which I have not heard anyone mention is that federal officials currently take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” which specific phrase was added to the oath during the Civil War era, 150 years ago, the specific “domestic enemies” referenced at the time being the exact people who are still running around loose flying that flag.
Non-KKK politicians, if there are any in this country, should not be wringing their hands and mumbling about free speech, they should be sending troops to Columbia with explosives to put that flagpole on the ground.
Maybe, Nemo @7, it would create a better visual to see the Confederate Flag and pole toppled in the same manner as Saddam Hussein’s statute.
No, no, there is also an actual statue right next to the Battle Flag, which, yes, should definitely be torn down by a Marine Corps ARV in as disrespectful a manner as possible.