GOP Sen. Lankford apologizes to Black constituents for opposing election results

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) on Thursday wrote a letter apologizing to Black constituents for opposing the Electoral College results, saying he didn't realize the attempt would cast doubt "on the validity of votes coming out of predominantly Black communities." In a letter addressed to "My friends in North Tulsa" obtained by Tulsa World, Lankford acknowledges that his actions "caused a firestorm of suspicion among many of my friends, particularly in Black communities around the state. I was completely blindsided, but I also found a blind spot." Lankford last month signed onto a letter from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) saying he would vote against the Electoral College results unless a commission was formed to provide a 10-day audit of President Trump's debunked claims of voter fraud. He later backed down from attempts to continue the challenge after a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol.

The senator wrote in his letter that it was never his intention to "disenfranchise any voter or state" but that he wanted to resolve "any outstanding questions" before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Wednesday. "What I did not realize was all of the national conversation about states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, was seen as casting doubt on the validity of votes coming out of predominantly Black communities like Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Detroit," he wrote. "After decades of fighting for voting rights, many Black friends in Oklahoma saw this as a direct attack on their right to vote, for their vote to matter, and even a belief that their votes made an election in our country illegitimate," he continued. Lankford acknowledged in his letter that 2021 will be the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, where at least 300 Black Tulsa residents were killed by a white mob on June 1, 1921. Black leaders in Tulsa have called for Lankford's removal or resignation from the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Committee because of his support for the Electoral College challenge, The Tulsa World reported. "I can assure you, my intent to give a voice to Oklahomans who had questions was never also an intent to diminish the voice of any Black American. I should have recognized how what I said and what I did could be interpreted by many of you," he concluded. "I deeply regret my blindness to that perception, and for that I am sorry."

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/534376-gop-sen-lankford-apologizes-to-black-constituents-for-opposing-election?amp

Disclose.tv 🚨

NEW - BLM Plaza was repainted today in DC before the inauguration.

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1350125707859546112

Italy's Conte looks for outside backing after Renzi quits government

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resisted calls to resign on Thursday after a junior coalition party pulled out of his government, stripping him of a parliamentary majority in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Conte signalled he wanted to take his fight for survival to parliament, with his main coalition partners backing plans to try to find so-called “responsible” lawmakers from among opposition ranks to prop up the administration. On Monday he will address the Chamber of Deputies on the crisis and what is sure to be a fiery debate will be followed by a vote of confidence that should provide an indication of whether he can battle on.

If he survives that vote, an even tougher one will come the following day in the upper house Senate, where cobbling together a majority looks more difficult. “Government majorities are put together in parliament, openly, in the light of day and without shame. This is what we will do now,” said Dario Franceschini, the culture minister and a leading figure in the co-ruling Democratic Party (PD). Former premier Matteo Renzi plunged the country into political chaos on Wednesday when he withdrew his two ministers from the cabinet, presenting a long list of grievances over how Conte had handled the health emergency and the economy. Renzi has left open the door to returning to the fold so long as a new policy pact could be worked out, but his one-time partners said they wanted nothing more to do with him.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-politics/italys-conte-looks-for-outside-backing-after-renzi-quits-government-idUSKBN29J159

Biden picks Whitmer for DNC vice chair

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is nominated as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, according to a press release from President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team. The team announced a number of nominations for incoming DNC officers, led by Chair Jaime Harrison, formerly the leader of the South Carolina Democratic Party and a current DNC officer. Whitmer, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela Jr. of Texas are nominated to serve as vice chairs, while Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is nominated to serve as vice chair of civic engagement and voter protection. Jason Rae is nominated as secretary, Virginia McGregor as treasurer and Chris Korge as national finance chair.

Previous vice chairs have maintained other full-time positions and focused on particular areas of strategy for the DNC. “This group of individuals represent the very best of the Democratic Party,” said President-elect Joe Biden in a press release. “Their stories and long histories of activism and work reflects our party’s values and the diversity that make us so strong. As our country faces multiple crises from systemic racism to the COVID-19 pandemic, working families in America need and deserve real leadership. We need to elect Democrats across our country and up and down the ballot. To do that is going to take tireless leadership, committed to strengthening Democratic infrastructure across our states. These leaders are battle-tested and ready for this immense task. I know they will get the job done.” The DNC will vote for its officers on Jan. 21. The term runs from 2021-2025. Whitmer has risen in national popularity over the past year, speaking at the Democratic National Convention over the summer and delivering the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address. She has picked up national roles along the way, serving as co-chair for Biden’s presidential campaign and later being named to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

https://www.mlive.com/politics/2021/01/biden-picks-whitmer-for-dnc-vice-chair.html