Thom Hartmann gives us a bit of a preview of what a fascist America could look like, which to me is even MORE of a reason (as if we needed it) to make sure that it NEVER comes to pass (and let's not forget this too, or this)...
...and Jordan Uhl of Rebel HQ tells us how the Repugs perpetrating this monstrous betrayal are continuing to cast doubt on the U.S. elections and democracy as a whole, including in Arizona (and Tuckums is still crying about the Brazilian vote that elected Lula over Bolsonaro...oh, and of course Carlson mentions da Silva’s conviction, though The Swanson TV Dinner Heir didn’t also tell us that the conviction was overturned as noted here)...
...and I know I’m behind on my Second Thought videos again, but here’s the latest one in which we learn Why the U.S. is Not a Democracy (“Feeding for the poor is never going to be as profitable as over-producing for the wealthy.” And “The capitalist system cannot do anything but corrupt democracy.” – uh, yep)...
...and John and Brett Erlich of the Damage Report tells us about Oprah Winfrey endorsing John Fetterman over Mehmet (“CALL ME DOCTOR, DAMMIT!”) Oz – welcome to the fight!...
...and this More Perfect Union clip tells us about the backlash against Repugs and their attacks on public schools, including Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma (and of course Betsy DeVos is right in the middle of this mess, as you might expect)...
...and this song applies on a few different levels I know - I just felt like the time was right to add it here.
Farron Cousins brings us this clip of Arizona wingnut Kari Lake saying that, if we believe and acknowledge objective reality about the 2020 election, then we’re the ones who are conspiracy theorists...yeah, I think the crazy train is barreling out of control all right; to help Lake’s opponent, Dem Katie Hobbs, click here...
...and Ana and John of TYT tell us about departing Repug U.S. House Rep Adam Kinzinger calling out his own party for their typical wingnuttia in response to the Paul Pelosi attack (and good point by Ana to bring up the peaceful protests at the home of “I Like Beer” Kavanaugh and the pearl-clutching that resulted from that)...
...and Jesse Dollemore tells us about The Swanson TV Dinner Heir crying about voter fraud and how there should be a protest over the Brazil elections, because of course the conservative Bolsonareo LOST...yeah, I would say this sounds like a broken record for "Tuckums" (a related post is here)...and with all due respect to Jesse, the Repugs DID file to have pointless vote recounts in red states, including Oklahoma I believe, which is particularly ridiculous because Trump won those states handily in ‘20, unfortunately...I believe it was Rachel Maddow who made the astute observation that, even though the red state recount wouldn’t change the outcome, it would still sew doubt in the minds of gullible fools over our elections, which was probably the ultimate goal in the end...
Update 11/9/22: As far as I'm concerned, the Ohio man killed here is (tragically) someone else you can add to Carlson's unofficial body count (more violence related to Tuckums is here and here).
...and I realize there’s really nothing funny about the U.S. Senate candidacy of Herschel Walker in Georgia, but I give Jimmy Kimmel credit for trying here (to help incumbent Dem Raphael Warnock running against Walker, click here)...
...but to be deadly serious about next Tuesday, I present the following from here (an incredibly important message that may indeed fall on deaf ears when it comes to the life forms who need to hear it the most, but it’s certainly worth it to keep trying to speak truth to stoo-pid...more here)...
...and happy upcoming 75th birthday to Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits.
Mike Figueredo of The Humanist Report discusses an alleged study about cats on college campuses and how that’s supposed to help with stress... a typically tone-deaf response from this network on what kids deal with in the cost of education including housing, books, trying to hold down a job while in school...you name it (and when this hairdo in the blue dress says kids need to get slapped, another one of these harpies chimes in with “good point” – the violence used to be hidden with a thin veneer of sorts, but Trump made everything “right” for them so now it’s all out in the open...NSFW/H)...
...and I’ve been waiting for someone to present a story about red state crime with the treatment that the Roger Ailes BS Factory routinely gives to similar stories in blue states (quick cuts, scary pronouncements whether they’re real or not, all kinds of dramatic graphics, etc.), and to his credit, Chris Hayes does that here, along with more evidence that crime is indeed a nationwide problem, but it actually is statistically worse in red states, as Dem gubernatorial candidate in Oklahoma Joy Hofmeister, among others, has pointed out...
...and speaking of red states, props to this librarian in Columbia, Tennessee for saying she was never sexually assaulted at a drag show, but twice at a church (sorry to hear – hope the perpetrators were prosecuted for it), and also saying that we should be leaving the gays and the trannies alone – she’s 100 percent right; and yeah, what’s going on in Ron #DeathSantis-stan is pretty damn disgusting all right (mildly NSFW/H as well)...
...and Beau tells us about the U.S. helping Ukraine with using and keeping track of our arms that we supply to that country, at Russia’s request (keeping track of the weapons that is, to make sure our stuff doesn’t end up on the black market...and I’d imagine that Vlad The Butcher “saw this going differently” also)...
...and this clip from the German news service DW is a few days old I know, but in it, host Sarah Kelly brings us the story of rebuilding Ukraine, with correspondent Nina Haase...
Update 11/5/22: And why am I not the least bit surprised by this? And why the hell does that lunatic at Mar-a-Lago STILL have classified documents? WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T THEY BEEN FORCIBLY REMOVED?
...and this may be one of my more autobiographical musical selections, but I'm OK with that.
Jesse Dollemore is BACK! Best wishes for a full recovery from his cancer surgery...this video also includes some commentary on the wingnut response to the Paul Pelosi attack (and yes, as far as I’m concerned, this is a result of the 1/6 insurrection...and we know that Fix Noise is the media wing of the Republican Party, but do you HONESTLY BELIEVE there would have been a measured response from that guttersnipe Bret Baier if, say, this alleged person had broken into the home of #MidnightMoscowMitch and attacked Elaine Chao with a hammer, to the point where SHE was the one who required brain surgery? And no, I’m not condoning violence AGAINST ANYONE...and ESPECIALLY not Dollemore and Brittany Page, who are doing tremendous work).
(As a personal aside, I just want to note that I attended my nephew’s championship football game against Pennridge last Sunday in Quakertown; he played for the Lenape Valley Indians. Both teams played exceptionally well and should be proud, but Lenape Valley lost on the very last play of the game, which was pretty much a “Hail Mary” pass – heartbreaking for the kids, I realize, but I’m sure the coaches were encouraging – they absolutely should have been anyway. I’m just pointing this out because I had the occasion to drive all over the vicinity to get to the field. It’s a beautiful area, but I absolutely could not live there. I know it’s bedrock Republican to the point of a religion - probably like youth football also – and also to the point where you’re supposed to shut up, get in line and don’t you dare ask a question about it. This was reinforced with some billboards urging anyone who viewed them to “Vote Republican, For Freedom,” with a portrait of an American eagle painted onto the display (God, country and the whole nine yards). There were also plenty of oversized message boards for Doug Mastriano, which fit the profile, sadly.
The people who ingest that stuff like a drug will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the cold light of day, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s the future they chose for themselves.)
...and John and Maz Jobrani of The Damage Report tell us more about Paul Pelosi’s (alleged) attacker David DePape (and no disrespect to John, but unfortunately, I think he’s right; after horrible stunts like this, I’m sure there will be more than a few people who will say, “You know what? Screw it. I’m not going to run for elected office because of this madness.” And that is also terrible, and absolutely the fault of wingnut Republicans, which is almost a redundant term at this point...and yeah, I’m not the least bit surprised by this either, or this unfortunately)...
...and as far as the head of Not Your Father’s Republican Party is concerned, Farron Cousins tells us that the fraud trial for the Trump org went “off the rails” almost immediately, so much so that their lawyer’s opening statement had to be stopped by the judge and the jury sent out of the room...why should I be surprised at this point?...
...and turning briefly to world stuff, David Doel tells us that LULA WINS! In Brazil over Trumpist wingnut Jair Bolsonaro in a close election (and the last I heard on this was that Bolsonaro was actually going to help with the transition and not be a whining little bitch yelling about election fraud like Our Ochre Abomination...and yeah, I think, somewhere, Michael Brooks is smiling)...
...and if you’re looking for something inspirational for our own elections next Tuesday, I offer the following (from here)...
...and happy 75th birthday to Dave Pegg of Jethro Tull (the '80s version) and Fairport Convention.
Some point after the end of these every-other-year electoral contests (the major ones for president and the less-major-but-still-important off-cycle ones for the U.S. House and Senate also), I weigh in (for whatever my opinion is worth) about what has transpired, good and bad, about the election cycle that has just concluded. I usually hold off on that until after Election Day because I don’t want to say or do anything that could hurt Dem chances on November 8th (and yes, I realize I’m a miniscule player in all of this and probably couldn’t have much impact regardless).
However, I’m going to break with tradition a bit and comment a bit here because I think it’s necessary. I’ll give the glass-half-full perspective first and commend all of the hard work going on with everybody on team “D” doing the canvassing, phone calls, Emailing, texting, putting up signs, etc. for a whole slate of great candidates, including (but not limited to) John Fetterman, Ashley Ehasz, Josh Shapiro, Steve Santarsiero, and Perry Warren. I’m grateful to do whatever I can to try and move our politics towards representing folks in our communities who need services as a “hand up” and not a “hand out” for the sake of themselves, their families and friends. THAT should be the focus to which we are all committed, regardless of how big or small our impact may be in that enterprise.
And saying that, I can’t help but feel a bit of a churn in my guts over what passes for “leadership” on the part of the national Democratic Party.
As far as I’m concerned, these alleged political/media/Beltway geniuses could not have made more of a mess of our campaign if they tried. If I had the opportunity to say this to @harrisonjaime and @SenSchumer, I might be inclined to quote Burt Lancaster as Gen. James Matoon Scott to Fredric March as President Jordan Lyman from the film “Seven Days In May” and say to both of them, “You’re not just a weak sister. You’re a criminally weak sister.” (no chauvinism is implied in that, by the way).
I see virtually no engagement on social media concerning what could pass for a Democratic Party platform, included supported positions and legislation passed over the prior two years (such as COVID relief, the American Rescue Plan and the infrastructure reconciliation bill...and yes, President Manchin and Vice President Sinema made sure that Build Back Better was eviscerated, but do you SERIOUSLY BELIEVE that a Republican congress and president would have passed and signed into law the legislation I just noted, imperfect as it was?). I see virtually NO FIGHT from our side on this stuff on the national level. None. I barely look at Facebook regardless of whether or not we’re in an election, but I can tell you that Twitter has become an utter cesspool of Republican bullshit. And yes, there are plenty of folks pushing back, but (with the commendable exception of Dem U.S. House Rep Bill Pascrell, Jr. of NJ) there is NOBODY from the national political organization engaging in this exercise (and if you want to get an idea of the mindset that we’re up against, take a good look at the picture).
I don’t know what’s going to happen in a week, but let me just say this to these alleges “geniuses” at the DNC; do you want to know the main reason why Democrats lose? IT’S BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU STAND FOR, that’s why! And yes, I’m complaining about Democratic “messaging” (or the lack thereof) for the umpteenth time!
If nothing else, this is a sickening betrayal of the “foot soldiers” doing the great ground work that is needed for our campaigns to succeed. And it would be a lot easier to tolerate the non-stop appeals for money from phone calls, Emails, texts, you name it, if the people asking for my hard-earned dough had enough determinaton, courage and fortitude to merit a recurring contribution.
(And by the way, it’s unintentionally humorous to get appeals for donations also from Steve Bullock, who has written a few columns complaining about Dems allegedly not caring about the “heartland” and pretty much writing off Team D as a bunch of the dreaded “coastal elites.” I mean, Bullock could actually TRY AND ENGAGE THE OTHER SIDE in the battle of ideas...I mean, sure, the Dems can ALWAYS do more, but how about a little credit for what has transpired so far? And I know he has a bit of a point, but a circular firing squad will accomplish EXACTLY NOTHING to help us win elections.)
Update 1: Good advice from Mallory McMorrow (here - glad SOMEBODY is thinking about building up "the bench").
And now that that rant is done, allow me to provide some of my own reminders as to why the Dems should be returned to power; first, because the other side sponsored the treasonous insurrection of January 6th, 2021...this was brought to us by REPUBLICANS, aided and abetted by REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate who either encouraged it or, by their silence, condoned it...this is a toned-down video versus what I’d like to actually present, but I know YouTube has become total bastards about what they’ll allow to be posted on a humble blog like this one because of admittedly violent content, but I don’t know how the hell you present anything about the 1/6 insurrection WITHOUT showing violence...
...and this reminds us of the aftermath of the Dobbs decision, when SCOTUS justices nominated, voted for and confirmed under Republicans decided that they should have the final say on decisions pertaining to women’s bodily autonomy...
...and what do you think they want to do to Medicare and Social Security if they get power? Do you really need to ask? And by the way, how many goddamn times are filthy, unkempt liberal bloggers like moi supposed to point out that LEX LUTHOR SCOTT WAS FOUND GUILTY OF THE BIGGEST MEDICARE FRAUD IN HISTORY???!!!...
...and I realize this doesn’t really qualify as another “This Day In Doomsy History” entry from October 2013, but if you STILL need a bit of a preview as to what a GOP Congress would look like...well, we have recent history as an example as Ari Melber tells us, and with Greene, Boebert, Biggs, Gosar and the rest of our current bunch, you can add a whole bunch of “values” BS...going after gays/trans (including more dangerous nonsense such as high school kids allegedly using litter boxes), banning books, passing a nationwide abortion ban, and on and on and on...
...and I would agree very much with the “HELL, NO!” sentiment in this Lincoln Project video...
...and I realize that I haven't added a new tune here for a little while, so please allow me to make amends for that now.
Sam and Emma take a call from an individual describing what happened when the wingnuts lost it over a gay New York middle school teacher who displayed a pride flag...continually amazing to me that these life forms can do this stuff and still pretend to be Christian somehow...
...and David Doel tells us that Fix Noise is blaming Biden for the Paul Pelosi attack; figures...and of course, Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino are there to spread their BS false equivalency all over the place...”Well, shots were fired near the home of Republican Lee Zeldin of New York (here), so OF COURSE both sides are guilty of the same type of political violence”...GMAFB!...
...and when it comes to the ’22 campaign season (with about a week to go), Trae Crowder reminds us that Not Your Father’s Republican Party doesn’t have an answer for what to do about inflation, or an answer for much of anything really except to get their base worked up over “values” nonsense (NSFW/H)...
...and Cenk and Adrienne Lawrence of TYT present more evidence that Americans in red states are dying younger than in blue states (and this is all pre-COVID, so I can’t imagine how much worse it is now)...
...and the Dollemore Daily with Brittany Page brings us Fix Noise demonizing the homeless...and yeah, it’s apparently as low down as you can expect from this bunch...
...and turning for a minute to Vlad The Butcher and his war of choice in Ukraine, Beau tells us that Russia is constructing defense lines on its border...yeah, I get the whole “fog of war” thing, but even for someone like me who definitely isn’t a military expert, I don’t see how this can be a positive development for Putin and his dreams of empire...
...and turning briefly again to the elections, Brian Tyler Cohen tells us that Former President Hopey Changey was on the campaign trail for Dem incumbent U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia and had some good push-back against Warnock’s Repug opponent Herschel Walker (this was even better for Mandela Barnes against Rojo – PREACH!...and by the way, this tells us about Wisconsin’s U.S. Senatorial mistake and the whole “high school litter box” idiocy...kudos to Obama for doing this, but I think it’s needed because, once again, the national Democratic Party is doing yet another piss-poor job of messaging and reminding people that the Repug Party is THE PARTY OF TREASON AND INSURRECTION AND DENYING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO THEIR OWN BODILY AUTONOMY! – I’ll put up some stuff reminding people of that probably tomorrow, for what it’s worth)...
Update: Yeah, I think this says it about Herschel Walker.
