Reality Check Chat: Recent Episodes
Liz, Judy, Barb
Even though this podcast is a little obsolete, we're putting it out there.. We talk from the hip about our predictions and our reactions to President Biden's decision not to run. "I was sad for about three seconds, then -- Holy Cow this could be really cool." Walz makes our Democratic principles sound very mainstream which is what they are of course. Feeding the hungry, Healthcare for all. And, we're already setting forth some ideas for a Harris cabinet!
"We're the 99%. We should 'expletive' start acting like it." We think we could fix a lot of "stuff" in one election if given the chance. Which we're not sure people want to give us. Liz makes an outrageous bet and Judy takes her up on it! And the three of us wonder why people are still sticking to former president Trump like glue.
We tried not to complain about former President Trump, somewhat successfully, but not really. We did squeeze in 30 good things President Biden has accomplished for the American people though. Things like birth control pills available over the counter, a push for renewable energy, the new Office of Gun Violence Protection creating $286 million for mental health in schools. While Republicans are going for legislation that requires guns in the classroom and supporting the January 6th violence. Also, it seems that if the Heritage Foundation posts BS on social media they get 9 million views in no time and MTG decides to weigh-in in her Congressional role like it’s fact. And of course we talk about more but you need to listen to hear our full conversation.
Judy, Liz and Barbara are joined by a guest for this podcast. Debbie is a former Republican, now a Democrat, and she tell us why she changed parties. Also, in our attempt to be optimistic we encourage the “Swifties” to come out and vote, the Parkland shooting survivors who are now of voting age, and all women because “Republican family values are to put women in their place.” And our rights remember, women’s rights, are on the line right behind the LGBTQ community’s. We are all upset by the innocents killed in Israel and Gaza! But we encourage you not to take the U.S. policy out on Biden when his reelection and so much more is at stake!
Judy and Barb talk about their big concerns should the unthinkable happen and Trump get reelected. Because…he will never leave office, he’ll start arresting all of those whose last names are Biden, and who will stop him? The military hierarchy? Liz should be returning for Podcast number 3 of the 2024 big election year. Judy admits going sometimes to the dark side, Fox News, and some crazy Facebook pages, to listen to conspiracy theories like Taylor Swift’s hair parting habits! And we celebrate Arizona State Senator Eva Burch for sharing her abortion story with the Arizona Senate body she is a part of. Please listen!
Since the Independent Democratic Women no longer exists, (the group, not the women) we are just a few (3) “screwball Democrats.” This means that we will not be able to afford to renew our website as of May 26th. However, you should still be able to listen to our podcast through Spotify, Apple, and other places. Let us know if you have problems!
Barb, Judy (from Pennsylvania), and Liz (now from West Virginia) complain and moan but encourage listeners engagement in this year's high stakes! presidential, and congressional election cycle. High stakes and potential obstacles. Many high stakes but women's reproductive health rights are at the top of the list.
Women's rights are being progressively hacked away from Republicans on the right. Doctors are moving away from states with abortion bans and restrictions, leaving women without medical care whether they are 19 or 90. Most Americans overwhelmingly are for legal reproductive freedoms like trust in doctors, birth control options, as well as abortions. We ponder what "abortion reversal" even means and caution listeners that "post birth abortions" are not happening, even if this is a term you may have heard. And, it sounds like an oxymoron anyway. No one is killing babies that are born alive! As Liz says, "Who wins when Americans fight with each other?" We're sure you agree, "No one!"
Barb and Liz amuse each other while Judy's not really on vacation. Hee Hee. Just kidding. She's working hard and vacationing from us. We found the idea of the Republicans who want to prevent Trump from running because he tried to overturn the election vis a vis the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution interesting. Especially since some in NH want to keep him off their primary ballot so the Supreme Court, that non-partisan body, can decide the issue of whether or not he is eligible to hold office before their early primary. We're curious about how the Supreme Court will rule on this in the unlikely event that they take up the case! We talk a bit and more about our favorite actors: Trump, DeSantis, Haley and Mitch (who by the way is one year older than Mick Jagger). Let us know what you think!"
We agree that whether or not a judge “leans conservative” as Judge Canon in Florida for Indictment number 2 the “Documents” case or “lean liberal” as Judge Chutkan in D.C. for Indictment number 3 the “January 6th” case, doesn’t matter. The law is the law. Judy shares the “buzz” that Ivanka and Jared have thrown daddy under the bus. That of course remains to be seen literally if the trial is televised. Which we hope it is. We transition to a conversation about the death penalty fluctuating between views on this and whether life in prison without parole might be a worse punishment. Winding up with some good news about all the millions of 18 year olds eligible to vote in 2024 and finally with Willie Nelson!
Once again our illustrious Supreme Court teases us with some voting rights decisions the American people agree with and then dumps three very contentious anti diversity, pro Christian, anti Constitutional (in the words of Justice Kagan) decisions on us. Where do we go from here? We, along with the majority of us and the majority of our elected officials, have no idea. Can we even fix this court? Sadly, probably not.
Indicted by the U.S. Justice Department Former President Trump is determined to darken the already dark times in a Republican America where minority politics rules. For Republicans, loyalty to party rules over the established rule of law and the threat to our democracy is as real as ever.
Judy, Liz and Barb talk about a range of issues, most of which make them crazy. The activist Republican (versus conservative) Supreme Court heads the list. Followed by the erasing of our history of enslavement, Jim Crow, the Holocaust, and more and how it's tied to new white supremecist laws in states like Florida and Texas and the banning of books. We talk about rising female syphilis rates. Listen to these topics and more and be sure not to miss our condom discussion through the generations (three).
SPECIAL EDITION, The IndictmentWhen money and power are involved “they” get rid of their conscience and accuse 92 year old George Soros of pulling D.A. Bragg’s Black strings. Dog whistle time. Can we please leave a holocaust survivor alone so he can give money to any racial justice PAC he feels like? Judy is expecting a surprise at the trial on the 34 charges, Barb and Liz are hoping but not so sure. We all agree on what we think would be the best sentence: A LIFETIME GAG ORDER.
We know we’re preaching to the choir, but here are a few talking points for our listening friends. And, if you’re not a listening friend, it’s easy to become one! Subscribe. Today we address the bias against the LGBTQ Community, the proliferation of anti-life laws across this country, President Biden’s Budget, John Fetterman’s courage and Mitch’s hypocrisy, and more. Listen wherever you listen or at our website realitycheckchat.com.
"So we're about to go back to SNAP benefits that run out after 20 days and require unhealthy eating habits for seniors and single parents and other low income families to survive! Sad that we can't keep these benefits for our country's poorer citizens. And we are glad that our county jail is not like the Harrison County Indiana Jail where jailors act more like inquisitors from the Middle Ages than protectors of citizens."
Congresswoman Brobert won by 546 votes in the Colorado 3rd. Is that a mandate? No. Congressman Santos lied about just about everything. "Who doesn't lie on their resume?" The three of us! Do we really need a congressional investigation at taxpayer expense on school boards that don't allow right wing white supremacists to VIOLENTLY disrupt their meetings to see if they are picking on conservatives? We think not, but, "Let's not get upset until we know more," says Judy.
Democrats are not "devilcrats" who eat babies. We're just neighbors to everybody. We're just people who want the same things as everyone else. We feel we shouldn't hate each other. We should disagree, there's a difference. Why do Democrats in rural "red" areas feel that they have to hide their political preference? Politics is about good governance. Isn't it?
We start off crowing and feeling, "Blessed to have a 'friggin' governor-elect, Josh Shapiro, who is respected and appeals (for now anyway) to a wide electorate. Not to mention, but we do, our new Senator from Pennsylvania, thanks to help from rural counties, John Fetterman. And, we float onto other topics like the possibility of an autocrat elected in 2024? YIKES!
You may not hear from us again if you don't get your friends to vote with you Tuesday (or before). So much is at stake. Also, Judy, Barb and Liz talk about misinformation, Russia's agenda with regard to our midterm elections, and doctors leaving states that now ban reproductive healthcare, Judy's nails and our cute purple glasses.
From abortion bans and criminalization in the U.S. to the murderous morality guards in Iran, the right wing movement in Italy and on on goes the great march backwards for women and children especially.
As women podcasters we are teetering between hope and hopelessness as "our" Supreme Court runs amuck. We are grateful that we dodged the "administrative coup" bullet in 2020 but only if Democrats get out in droves and vote for Democrats this November. After all, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate was endorsed by President Trump and is a purveyor of snake oil and the Republican candidate for governor is a Jan. 6th "stop the steal," alternate slate of electors advocate who tried to toss out our votes from 2020. How are we laughing at anything? I don't know but we are!
Ukraine we're on your side. We think we Americans must show a united front against Putin no matter who we think is to blame. Let's try to undermine Putin's agenda by talking up the benefits of living in a liberal society like ours. (Though it's sagging a bit.)
Judy, Barbara and Liz each take a topic: "Gas prices are not Biden's fault and he can't fix them; Polarization is not Biden's fault and although we don't discuss this, he can't fix this either, it's us versus them and they must win; and a pipe dream regarding "billionaires," let's reduce them to "billionaire." And, finally for Ukraine, we do not have high hopes."
https://www.realitycheckchat.com
Judy, Liz and Barb talk about the attacks on our voting rights and some of the ramifications with a subplot discussion of whether we will suffer a new Civil War as some think. In the words of our 39th President Jimmy Carter, "I fear for our democracy."
Podcasters Judy, Barb and Liz debunk conspiracy theories and agree with FORMER President Trump (who lost the 2020 election decisively) when he says, "People aren't dying when they take the vaccine."
Our pledge is to get more volunteers in our little rural county of Susquehanna Pennsylvania to work to persuade nonvoters and sometime voters who are Democrats and left leaning Independents to be sure to get out and vote and if possible volunteer to help in that endeavor. November is CRUCIAL!
Gun rights seem to outweigh abortion choice rights and Barb and Judy do not think that that is right! In fact they are so outraged that they frequently neglected to finish their sentences. Also, Blow's Op-Ed, Omar's death threat and more!
The Republicans are winning the media messaging. We want to send a winning message with the BIF (Infrastructure) Bill. CRT vs. BIF. BIF is For the People. CRT is a dog whistle. Road and bridge repair across the country, drinking water infrastructure, broadband for all including our rural county of Susquehanna in Pennsylvania.
Wouldn't it be nice if Democrats could actually pass some form of President Biden's Build Back Better and Infrastructure bills? We think so too. Democrats need to VOTE and they need to pass legislation for ALL AMERICANS once they are elected.
Trusted medical professionals in our Senate, in our country, are spreading misinformation throughout the internet and all over social media. A very small group of doctors, some in our own rural Pennsylvania community, are advocating anti-vaccine and anti-mask positions that go against what doctoring is all about.
Does abstinence work? NO! Will making abortion illegal make abortions stop happening? NO! Don't women have a right to plan families that the can support? Will antiabortion legislators support unwanted babies until they are adults? NO!
Judy, Barbara and Kate delve into Jane Mayer's August 9th, 2021 New Yorker article THE BIG MONEY BEHIND THE BIG LIE
Judy and Barbara talk about how important the Child Tax Credit portion of the American Rescue Plan is to our struggling families with children and to our nation as a whole!
Unions are not responsible for "lay-offs and bankruptcies of businesses." Businesses are responsible for lay-offs and bankruptcies of businesses.
As members of Congressman Keller's 'special interest' group, Barb, Liz and Judy lay out all the wonderful attributes of the American Rescue Plan. Goodbye foodbank austerity. Goodbye trickle down. Goodbye it's all your fault you're poor, sick, hungry and uneducated.
Let's pass the 'For the People's Act' because after all voting rights are non-partisan, or at least they should be.
Our founding fathers were deists. It's a myth that America is a 'Christian Nation.' And, we are the PARTY OF LOVE aren't we?
Listen to how our Voter Suppression Topic made us wander into race relations, the Civil War, and, the confederate flag suit worn by a history teacher at Robert E. Lee High School.