May 24, 2023
"Nebraskans... watched as she recounted the plot of Penguins of Madagascar. As she made a case for the Oxford comma ('Clarity is key')."
"As she listed her favorite things to put in salads ('Nothing better than a fresh tomato'). As she held forth on the history of the word queue, shared a memory of her mother trying to teach her how to play bridge, and explained, in exhaustive detail, the rules of the legislature that allowed her to take up so much time. She took up more time still by decrying the legislation she opposed — not only LB 574 but also a bill that would ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. She filibustered almost every bill that came to the floor, preventing the legislature from voting on almost all of the 812 bills introduced this year, including some she supported. 'I’m not going to discriminate,' she said.... From the beginning, Cavanaugh knew she could lose and probably would. She had accepted that. What she wanted, at a minimum, was to make the Republicans suffer for their victory.... 'If you want to inflict pain upon our children, I am going to inflict pain upon this body,' she promised on the floor in February. 'People are like, "Is she threatening us?" Let me be clear. Yes, I am. I am threatening you.'"
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She filibustered almost every bill that came to the floor, preventing the legislature from voting on almost all of the 812 bills introduced this year, including some she supported.
They were likely happy about her filibusters, as they probably didn't want more laws. It was a feel-good, vacuous, self-indulgent, and pyrrhic victory. Our unserious, reckless era continues.
When I first saw this bat-shit crazy loon doing her performative art in the Nebraska legislature, I thought, "Well...she's pretty typical. Nuts. Whining because she isn't getting her way. Making others miserable in her presence. Pretty typical progressive." That she was a state senator was no longer surprising, given our current standards for Senators (Fetterman), Veeps and Presidents.
My second thought was that she was auditioning. She knew that when you fail miserably on the Left, you're prime pickin's for promotion and a larger audience. And, as if on cue comes Jen Psaki on MSNBC and NY Magazine to thrust this nutcase into the national light.
Nothing like tuning into MSNBC and seeing her sitting next to John Brennan. The Left has fallen so far in our country. There is no character left to cling to. Just craziness. Random craziness one-upping the other. Machaela Cavanaugh has a future as a university professor. She'll be an instant star there. Such is the state of our education system.
'If you want to inflict pain upon our children..
i guess, you'd START by cutting off their breasts.. or penis?
She must be happy even if she isn't.
Pro-abortion?
Anti-trans/homosexual?
She's confused.
Filibusters are an anti-democratic vestige of a less-enlightened time allowing one person to obstruct the important work of representative government--it's horrible that a single selfish individual can abuse their position and thwart, even for a short time, the will of the people.
Oh, wait, this one is by a Democrat?
What a brave, noble individual taking a stand against the oppressive forces of tyranny!
Yeah, she's crazy.
In that same story she said she wants to slap people who disagree with her. I imagine she'd like to take a hammer to my head.
Recently, Sen. M. Cavanaugh said she will continue her filibuster with the NE Jacobins which is contrary to her original threat. She also says she will keep it going next year.
There is no way the Speaker and the rest of the body will allow her to grind business to a halt next year. She's an idiot to think otherwise. The rules will be changed. I'm surprised her dad and senator brother haven't talked some sense into her.
What her performance has done for people in Nebraska is to show how unreasonable and insane the Left is. There's great overlap between members of the Cult of Transgenderism and the Cult of Net Zero. That will help me pass a bill to stop OPPD from spending $28b plus and tripling our rates.
The insufferable Chris Hayes had her on. Among other lies and misrepresentations she made was that she insinuated that the Unicam wasn't doing its job because so few bills have been passed. She created the problem with her filibustering every single bill.
So, in other words, Machaela Cavanaugh sees herself as a vengeful god-like figure.
She - and only she - knows the "truth" and anyone who dares to disagree will be punished for failing to see her brilliance and courage.
In her view, she needs to destroy democracy in order to save it.
I confess to not finishing the article. I've grown up around farmers and blue collar workers and get tired of people implying they act as they do because they are ignorant. If you actually believe in inclusion, you accept that someone else may have a principled disagreement with you based on the facts of the case. Hating them - and being proud that you hate them - speaks about you, not them.
Her infantile behavior is now SOP for the Progs, alienating almost everyone. She's done her opponents a big favor.
Was the left always bat shit insane or did it only become glaringly obvious after Trump’s election?
This is the legislative equivalent of those total maniacs who lie down in front of traffic to protest . . something or other. It's probably a good thing for them I'm fuzzy on exactly what their political objective is, because this kind of tactic is self-discrediting and self-defeating.
It would be one thing if there were a nexus with the cause she's trying to promote. I may not sympathise with the Democrats who filibustered civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s, but there was a clear link between what they were doing and what they wanted to accomplish politically. Same with Democrats filibustering the nomination of Miguel Estrada -- less a matter of principle than politics, compared to the old segregationists like Byrd and Thurmond, but still understandable. This indiscriminate filibuster has the virtue of pissing everyone off and -- I would hope -- alienating her potential allies. Like lying down in the street to block people from getting to work. And ambulances from responding to medical emergencies.
“She did not believe Kauth, who was also raised Catholic, was genuinely concerned about the fate of kids who suffer from gender dysphoria. “I call bullshit on that,” Cavanaugh said. “I can see very clearly she is trying to set us on a path to eliminate trans people from existence by eliminating the health care that helps them exist.””
The many anti trans bills across the country are also trying to eliminate the existence of trans people, but all the anti trans laws they pass won’t erase these trans humans. Just like the anti gay laws in Florida try to erase the existence of gay humans, gay people won’t disappear either. Disguising discrimination as “care” is flimsy, millions of Americans can see through it and there will be a price to pay.
There really is something despicable about people that are so ignorant about biology as to deny the existence of gay and trans humans and then use laws to discriminate against even children who may be trans or gay. People don’t suddenly CHOOSE to be gay or trans when they hit puberty, there are signs that the child is gay or trans early on in many cases, maybe most cases. You can try to pray away the gay or trans, make laws that try to erase the existence of them, but they EXIST. These laws take away the right of the parent to seek medical care for their child which is tantamount to the government taking the role of parent, something that traditionally was rejected by conservatives. Making laws to control women’s autocracy over her body (the 12 week abortion law that was passed at the same time)and taking away the right of parents to care for their children, is this what conservatism is all about now? What happened to you people?
Levine... Cavanaugh's Dreaams of Herr Mengele #HateLovesAbortion
That said, at least wait until boys and girls pass the period of confusion, and reach the age of consent, before treating them through surgical, medical, or psychiatric corruption.
I agree with her about the Oxford comma. Disagree on probably everything else, though.
I watched her "tear-and-rage-filled" meltdown on video. I'm not certain that she advanced her cause in any way with that freakout. It left me thinking that maybe "those people" she's trying to protect are every bit as crazy as they come across, if this is the person they entrust to advance their cause.
What a nutjob!
Also: who are her constituents? Did they have any warning signs (other than the "D" on her party affiliation) of her lunacy? Will this meltdown in favor of trans people help her get re-elected? Seems unlikely, but then again, so does so much of what's happening today, at least to me!
Mutilation, amendment, and sterilization are bloodless choices. Just do it.
performative art
Anti-war... bring forth the [ethnic] Springs and other Democratic/Decepticon legacies of CAIR.
We've all seen the 3-minute viral video of Cavanaugh shouting repeatedly “Transgender people belong here, we need trans people, we love trans people.” It reminded me this Carl Sandburg quote:
“If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell.”
Cavanaugh is the keynote speaker at the June Pride event in my town. I'm curious about what she'll say, but not enough to attend.
In that same story she said she wants to slap people who disagree with her.
It could be worse, some wield scalpels, some carry machetes, some throw Molotov cocktails, some hang an AK47, while others demand people take a knee, beg, etc.
Hormone blockers and surgery for minors should be banned via constitutional amendment.
Why isn't this being introduced by a sane politician?
It would never pass the states, but it would be a great wedge issue.
Preventing the legislature from doing the people's business? Deliberately and indiscriminately? What are the rules on impeachment?
Then along comes Inga to prove that leftists have left logic far behind in service of an ideology whose name they still refuse to whisper.
There is a NE native on MSNBC: Simone Sanders. She's a Creighton alum. Ugh!
Inga, until five minutes ago the percentage of trans humans was a few decimals shy of 1%. In England, where they can keep track of these things, trans identification is up 4000% since 2019. We also find evidence that young people are, at the moment, in serious trouble, suicide ideation, loneliness, anxiety as never before. I have read somewhere that the vast majority of male to female trans are autistic. Inga, do you think these are healthy matrices? We should not be normalizing and valorizing mental illness. Sorry inga but that is what is. Ramming the gay and the trans down our throats 24/7, pushing it on the kids, that’s the real objection. Trans should be as visible as their cohort. They are over represented in our national discourse. And we want it to stop.
I applaud the proper use of legislative office and parliamentary rules of behavior on the floor of the legislature by this legisator. She used proper behavior to make her point.
One reason we have rules for how to run a debate in a legislature is so we don't end up with irreconcilable breaches of society over policy differences. That the opinion of the filibustering legislator is orthogonal to mine makes her appeals, done under the rules of the state congress, all the more admirable, as others supporting her positions have decided that rules of parliamentary and social behavior don't apply to them. She can continue after this event to serve as a respected legislator who understands and follows the rules of her legislative body.
Her shtick needs work if she plans to keep up with the BSCP (Bat S*** Crazy Progs). As others note, it is now fashionable to glue oneself to something: a work of art, a highway. Here, she could have bonded herself to the podium? Even more drama!
There's a reason that cyanoacrylate is called Crazy Glue...
IF it were me, I would organize for a brass band to be led into the balcony section, to grace the filibuster nonstop with the marches of John Philip Sousa - just for counterpoint.
Trans-groomer apologist Inga: People don’t suddenly CHOOSE to be gay or trans when they hit puberty...
--------------
No, nowadays their parents choose for them long before then.
Making laws to control women’s autocracy over her body (the 12 week abortion law that was passed at the same time)
Women give up their "body autocracy" as part of the social contract, just as men do.
and taking away the right of parents to care for their children, is this what conservatism is all about now? What happened to you people?
Which side is passing laws allowing children to have abortions and transgender surgery without the knowledge or permission of parents, and which side is passing laws protecting parents' control of their children?
Sounds like Wendy Davis in Texas some years ago. She got nominated to run for Governor, but lost by 20 points. I believe she is out of politics at the moment, having lost at least one more election.
These laws take away the right of the parent to seek medical care for their child which is tantamount to the government taking the role of parent, something that traditionally was rejected by conservatives.
It is interesting, now that you mention it, that the common position of the Left seems to be that "conversion therapy" should be made illegal but "gender affirming care" up to and including radical surgery should be not only legal but in many cases subsidized by the State.
The rationale that the concern is just about the government coming between a parent and child doesn't work: if a parent wants to address their child's problem with conversion therapy but can't because it's illegal that's as much of an imposition as if a parent wants to allow their child to have a double mastectomy at 13 but can't because it's illegal.
There really is something despicable about people that are so ignorant about biology as to deny the existence of gay and trans humans
Trans humans exist and have always existed, is the argument I hear. Oddly enough waaaaaay back in 2006 there weren't any pediatric gender clinics in the United States. The first one opened in 2007. Today there are more than 110--so many have opened in the last 3 years it's tough to get an accurate count but it's probably about 115 today.
From the founding of the nation until 2007 there wasn't enough of a need for a single pediatric gender clinic, but apparently trans children "have always existed" and the explosion of such cases now definitely isn't the result of social contagion and a Left-driven cultural push aimed directly at CHILDREN, no sir.
RoseAnn:
Right you are. Some of the Omaha and Lincoln senators mock the other senators because they are not polished speakers. My view is that these rural Senators are good people who really want to do something positive for the state. I have a great deal of respect for the farmers and ranchers of NE.
Our Gov. is a former pig farmer who earned his Vet. degree. Super smart (and rich!) guy. And one of the nicest people I have ever met. Solid conservative. Well liked. Also a Husker football hero.
are there enough straight jackets, she does live up to the mputh of the platte reputations (what they said of bryan)
To the Althouse community.
Sen. M. Cavanaugh is not typical or representative of the Nebraskans I know.
I've traveled the entire state which is kind of unusual for an Omaha person. One of my best friends is from a small town in northeast Nebraska. My experience is that most Nebraskans are smart, hardworking, honest and friendly. You can drop into a cafe in Broken Bow or Nebraska City and talk to some nice people.
I think we have been blessed to have good public schools (true in Omaha until recently) and good religious background.
As much as I hate to admit it, the University of Nebraska has been a positive and good thing for the state. The football team's past glories are still important. I'm very impressed by the new AD and football coach.
Creighton University and Creighton Prep have also been a very positive force for the City and the State. Without those two Jesuit schools, things wouldn't be the same.
Yeah, I'm kind of tribal about my state but I do love it so.
Let me be clear. Yes, I am. I am threatening you.
Talk’s cheap. Bring it.
A few questions to Inga:
1) Do we have "Napolean Confirmation Therapy"?
2) Do we have "Slender Confirmation Therapy"?
If not, why not?
A 14 year old girl believes that she is too fat and we recognize that as a body image issue but address it as a mental issue and work with them to accept who they are and learn to live with it. The same 14 year old girl believes that she is actually a boy and it's off to the races with permanently life-altering drugs and surgical procedures that WILL NOT actually make that girl a boy.
Is it really so wrong to want to stop and reconsider this when we as a society are still convinced that a 14 year old is not capable of deciding whether they should get a tattoo or not?
"Yes, I am. I am threatening you.'"
They haven't yet released the manifesto of the trans-mass-shooter from a few weeks ago, have they?
If non-progressives had any influence, this politician would be a pariah. But they don't.
The many anti trans bills across the country are also trying to eliminate the existence of trans people, but all the anti trans laws they pass won’t erase these trans humans. Just like the anti gay laws in Florida try to erase the existence of gay humans, gay people won’t disappear either.
How does that work? DO the bills set laws to kill these gay and trans people? How are they eliminated? I think y9ou conflate the restriction on teaching and promoting gay and trans ideology in public schools with the elimination of people. Millions of Americans apparently can see through THAT. If you cannot be honest about the terms of the debate, you will not win people to your cause. And yes we care about the rights of parents to take care of their children, which is why we oppose laws that allow states and government agencies to perform surgeries on kids despite their parent's wishes. You want it both ways. You want to deny parental rights when it suits your cause but claim we are anti-parents' rights because we oppose radical surgeries on children who are not able to make life altering decisions in another other aspect of their lives. The trans surgery "solution" creates a false dichotomy of either mutilate or they are less than human.
“There really is something despicable about people that are so ignorant about biology as to deny the existence of gay and trans humans and then use laws to discriminate against even children who may be trans or gay.”
There really is something despicable about someone who would lump in gay with “trans,” or claim there was a biologically defensible “trans” category at all, save for the biological component there is contributing to any other mental illness.
Actually, more than despicable: evil.
To be clear, Inga, yes - I’m saying you’re evil.
- Rafe
Inga said..
Just like the anti gay laws in Florida ...
Inga? which 'anti gay laws in Florida'? could you be more specific? I'm not aware of any.
I have a hard time getting to concerned about a legislative body being slowed in creating new laws. Republicans have a get out of jail free card. They only have to point out that democrats prevented them from addressing the needs of the citizens. The solution, is to elect more Republicans at the next opportunity.
"Just like the anti gay laws in Florida"
Can you provide us with one of those anti gay laws? We'll wait.
"There really is something despicable about people that are so ignorant about biology as to deny the existence of gay and trans humans"
Show us how BIOLOGY confirms the existence of gay and trans humans. We'll wait.
Who's "perpetually angry and conflict-savoring" now?
Inga absorbs lefty talking points so that she can vomit them out, any place, any time. I admire her commitment.
But in the extreme, she's advocating for children to receive surgery that creates open wounds on their bodies. See this lovely video from the Mayo Clinic, which teaches "trans women" about all of the fun dilation they must do for the rest of their miserable lives.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/vid-20517182
NY Mag decided that it would look too fatphobic if they didn't profile her. See fawning coverage of abortion Barbie and that trans lawmaker in Montana.
I think it’s only right that “children” should be made to put off elective surgeries as well as getting and ending pregnancy until they are adults.
What’s the hurry?
Amazing how easy it is to demonstrate that you have zero respect for people by preening about how much respect you have for only certain people.
Can I say a couple of words in favor of the filibuster? Not this one in particular but filibusters in general in the US Senate.
I am for them. As Madison said in the Federalist Papers, the Senate is the saucer in which the coffee is cooled. It is intended to obstruct and slow progress and stop spur of the moment legislation.
The filibuster as originally implemented in the early 1800s allowed one man to stop the Senate for as long as he could physically hold the floor. There was no cloture at all until, I think, the early 1900s. Then it required 75% to stop debate. It got lowered to 66% and now 60 over the years. It also stopped requiring holding the floor by actually speaking. Now it is just a procedural issue.
In 1963, a group of southern Democrat senators filibustered the Civil Rights act for several months. They took turns speaking, sleeping in the cloakroom in case of a quarum call and so on. In the end they ran out of steam and the act was passed. When you consider the ages and health of many of those senators, it was a pretty impressive physical act. Albeit in a terrible cause.
We need senators standing on their hind legs and stopping things til cooler heads prevail.
I think the longest filibuster for a single senator was Grand Kleagle Robert Byrd. He held the floor single handedly for 25 hours or so IIRC. Probably filibustering against somebody's civil rights.
We need more, not fewer, filibusters. We need to tighten, not loosen cloture. Require 75% again. Or even 90%.
David B, I know nothing about the Nebraska legislature but you said this woman held up 185 bills. How many of those bills were actually necessary and useful? In the US senate, holding up 185 bills at random would probably be a very good thing.
John Henry
Blogger Inga said...
...
The many anti trans bills across the country are also trying to eliminate the existence of trans people,...
The hate filled lies of people like this to perpetuate a myth and irreversibly damage children both psychologically and physically is sick in the head. You are a horrible human being.
There really is something despicable about people that are so ignorant about biology as to deny the existence of just two sexes. What happened to you people?
Democrats praised Wendy Davis for filibustering in Texas. Claimed she’d be the next governor of Texas. I suspect most of you have forgotten who she is or what she did.
Enigma nails the best part of this right from the top.
There is really something despicable about anybody that would encourage, support or accept cutting off children’s body parts, without the knowledge of the parents even. If they were a nurse (self proclaimed or otherwise) doctor or other medical professional , they would be evil Pieces of shit that deserve having their own damned body parts cut off.
John Henry:
Sen. M. Cavanaugh filibustered every single bill even bills introduced by her brother.
Over 800 bills were introduced this year; maybe 8-10 will pass because of time.
Some bills are big and important and some are small but important. I'm not in favor of more laws, but some laws do need to be passed and changed.
Next year the rules will be changed.
What do the ingas of the world have to say to the twenty year old's who want their missing body parts back; who want to know why the adults, especially those in the medical profession, didn't protect them when they were too young to understand what they were doing?
What do they say to them? The ingas of the world won't answer. They won't even acknowledge the mutilated young people. And for that the ingas of the world can go to hell.
Luke 17:2 "It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble."
Can Nebraska, this wonderful state that Begley is so proud of, have produced gay and trans people and their parents? Just where do these people come from? California? New York? Some liberal haven? Since when can Nebraska parents not be trusted to take care of their own children? So now Nebraska replaces parents with government. What’s next Nebraska? Taking custody away from parents who have trans or gay children? So now Nebraska will be itching to put a complete ban on abortion? These good wholesome Nebraskans cannot possibly be happy with the 12 week limit. Oh of course, I forgot, no wholesome Nebraskan women will ever seek an abortion.
Big government in red states is now acceptable to conservatives, the hypocrisy was always just laying slightly under the surface. No longer should parents feel secure with big government loving conservatives and their right to parent their children the way they see fit. No longer should parents feel secure in seeking medical care for their children. Now we know what you are all about.
These red states that are passing such laws with abandon are riding Christian Nationalism’s back over murky waters. Heed the fable of the scorpion and the frog.
“Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed a bill that prevents doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy or performing gender-altering procedures on people under 19 starting October 1, with some exceptions for people with “a medically verifiable disorder of sex development”—the bill also bans abortions after 12 weeks, effective immediately, in what Pillen called “the most significant win for social conservative agenda in over a generation of Nebraska.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/05/22/nebraska-becomes-latest-state-to-restrict-gender-affirming-care-here-are-all-the-states-with-similar-bans-or-restrictions/?sh=478722d68a8a
This new law taking away the rights of Nebraska parents concerns itself with medical care for trans children, it doesn’t only apply to prohibiting surgery. You people here seem to love repeating gruesome anecdotes of cutting off body parts, as if it is the only care trans young people would receive. Before this law surgery was limited to young people over the age of 18. So what is the purpose of this law in actuality?
How about we split the difference? No child mutilation, but you can have all the assisted suicide you want.
Democrats praised Wendy Davis for filibustering in Texas. Claimed she’d be the next governor of Texas. I suspect most of you have forgotten who she is or what she did.
@Leland, I remember the red Mizuno running shoes, does that count? (I wear Mizunos myself, but in grey.)
Inga goes on about parents’ rights for medical care for their kids but is fine with the school to mutilation center pipeline. Schools:we will help you keep your gender change from your parents and show you how to get hormones. Wink. Wink.” Mutilation center: your child will commit suicide if you don’t pop those thingies off.” Dysphoria solved! Oh wait…
Inga said...
Since when can Nebraska parents not be trusted to take care of their own children?
So... Inga? i'm ASSUMING that you do NOT think that Gender Affirming Care should be permitted WITHOUT the parent's consent? That Sure SEEMS to be what you're arguing for?
So, unless we hear different; we can take it as a given, that Inga is TOTALLY in favor of parental consent laws for ALL medical procedures.. Including Gender Affirming Care AND birth control.
NOT trying to put words in your mouth; so please correct me if needed. Otherwise, we'll Know you agree
Inga,
You still create the false dichotomy that our only options are to "eliminate" transgender people unless we medically intervene. I get that you are compassionate toward people and want them to thrive, but thriving does not always look like destroying their future selves in an blind rush to accommodate what they don't understand. We have no idea if alternative solutions can exist besides destroying their current gender. Because that is all that we can do. We cannot make them a new gender, we can only kill the existing one. Hormone and surgery change only outward appearances and do not affect biology. A boy can never be a girl. He can only mimic characteristics at an outward level. Maybe that is what he needs, or maybe the solution is to stop trying to mimic and instead embrace that they are a effeminate male. Maybe if all your attention and energy was focused on supporting that, he could live a happy healthy life without dangerous drugs and surgeries. Regardless, it is prudent for society to say that we will not do radical procedures on minors. We treat minors in many ways that assume they cannot decide critical things at early ages because they lack maturity and knowledge. Why would we make an exception in this case?
"@Leland, I remember the red Mizuno running shoes, does that count?"
Yes, because of all the things I remember of her actual filibuster, it's the red Mizunos, because my wife wears similar ones (not red) for work and my daughters went through several pairs playing softball.
Just like the anti gay laws in Florida try to erase the existence of gay humans, gay people won’t disappear either.
If you were firm in your position, you wouldn't have to flat-out lie in order to support it.
Funny how the media thinks this indiscriminate obstruction looks good. They were fooled by the lady with the sneakers in Texas too.
Inga
If your eight year old really really wanted a tattoo would you get her one?
John Hopkins established the science of transgender conversion therapy several decades earlier, distinguishing between stable (e.g. trans/homosexual) and unstable bands in the spectrum. Levine, Cavanaugh et al are placing unpredictable minority bets for a life of anguished "relief" and majority progressive dysfunction, even abortive intent (e.g. the confused female who aborted 6 people, including 3 children). The Pro-Choice ethical religion is a many selective anomaly with forward-looking collateral damage.
Wa St Blogger at 4:15pm: Full points.
Prediction: Inga will not respond on point.
If your eight year old really really wanted a tattoo would you get her one?
Only if it was on the pubic area and said "tuck it here."
I like what Vampire Weekend has to say.
I doubt she has never had a real job
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