Monday Stuff

So it now looks like we are engaged in the ritual courtesy of our political/media/industrial complex of redeeming a controversial individual (he was at least to me anyway) who has recently passed, and this time around, we’re talking about Huckleberry Graham, who has departed after a brief illness (here)...to begin, I’d like to ask if we can please dispense with the fiction that Graham was some kind of a military expert? Yes, he served in the JAG office, and that’s better than I did I admit, but then again, I never passed myself as an elite warmongering Beltway insider either...Graham never met a conflict he didn’t like, being continuously generous with the blood of other people’s kids...switching topics a bit, in this clip from TMR, Graham tried to get his own anti-abortion bill passed, which pretty much blew up in his face...interesting how quickly a “state’s rights” issue morphed into a “human rights” issue as far as Graham was concerned...as Sam Seder says, it was a typical lie from Graham to claim that 47 of 50 European nations ban abortion at 15 weeks...oh, and did you know that California and Oregon were adopting a “Chinese” abortion policy? Nothing like a little xenophobia from Graham on top of the sexism, is there (Graham segment ends at about 5:25, and then they go to Ronna Romney McDaniel, who’s just as bad, maybe worse)...”due date abortion” isn’t an actual thing, and neither is “gender selection abortion,” at least not in the U.S...and I know the Repugs will be screeching about “DEMS ARE SOFT ON CRIME!!!” heading into the fall, but they’re really going to end up twisting themselves into knots if they try to make this election about Trump’s wretched economy...



...and John and Aida Rodriguez of The Damage Report discuss the killing (in all likelihood) of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE...oh, this man was trying to use his vehicle to hurt an ICE thug (where have we heard this before? And with not a shred of evidence of course)...as we learn, Araujo had picked up some co-workers and was on his way to a job site when the shooting took place... John and Aida’s barely controlled rage and disgust is commendable; would that we all felt that way...more here...



...and as we learn in the following clip, these “Freedom Fuel” gas stations are apparently popping up in PA...the last guy interviewed is nuts IMO, but I thought the other two were pretty clear-headed...I definitely would like to know how the cheaper gas is subsidized also (maybe if, God and the voters willing, we have a Democratic House and/or Congress, then maybe they could investigate with subpoena power)...and the fact that this is happening a few months before the election should tell you just how much of a play for suckers this really is...



...and Farron Cousins informs us that the “party of Lincoln” is collectively freaking out because they don’t have enough money for campaigning, supposedly (barring that sweet, sweet dark dough that always seems to arrive at the last minute courtesy of Hangin’ Judge JR and Citizens United)...however, they could seriously be looking at a money issue this election cycle, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch...those crocodile tears from this Repug strategist are unintentionally hilarious, I have to say (but the “D” team had still better be prepared for the inevitable wingnut BS of, “oh, the Dems are soft on crime and they want open borders and transgender for everyone...and oh yeah, high taxes also”...more here)...



...and Jordan Klepper of The Daily Show gives us an update on what AI is doing to our political campaign ads (I know I had that Sean Astin clip a few days ago, but this is of course a more humorous take)...boy, this Mark Coester sure sounds like a prize, running to replace great Dem U.S. House Rep Becca Balint in “Varmont”...the prize for the stoo-pidest AI slop, though, has to go to Repugs in “the land of the yellow rose” for that James Talarico/”Sound of Music” mess...also, that Julia Letlow flip flop ad, weird as it is, was apparently featured in a Repug primary contest for Letlow’s Louisiana seat in Congress...



...and this great newer number should help us all ease into the week, highlighted by the MLB All-Star Game in these parts tomorrow – wonder if a certain Ochre Abomination will make an appearance? Hopefully not, because that will automatically mean that the NL will lose...we’ll see.