Friday Stuff

Chris Hayes brings us the story of outgoing Repug U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis caving over the nomination of Trump fixer Todd Blanche as Attorney General...looks like Blanche came up with two memos which were pretty much fig leafs without much substance in the matter of Our Treasonous Orange Pustule suing the IRS for $10 billion for some alleged defamation (which exists only in the calcified cranium of #47 and not in the real world in any way whatsoever), and also, this $1.8 billion insurrectionist slush fund is apparently not happening, maybe (though payouts are going to 1/6ers as Hayes notes), and it looks like that was enough for Cornyn and Tills to abdicate any responsibility whatsoever...oh, and did I mention retroactive immunity for Trump, his family/sons and his business, which was part of this disgusting deal also? (pretty much drowning in corruption at this point)...”it’s not just Trump – the whole party is rotten” indeed (an important update is here)...



Update: Yeah, this figures – Cassidy, Cornyn and Tillis have nothing to lose politically, but they still couldn’t muster the courage to stand up to Combover Caligula on Blanche.

...and this clip is a little behind the news cycle I’ll admit, but I think it needs to be mentioned – as we learn in this Ring of Fire segment, #47 endorsed Amir Hassan for the Repug nomination in the contest for Michigan’s 8th district U.S. House seat; Hassan probably had some political baggage if he got the nod from the Gropenfuhrer, but Hassan apparently raised about $750K, which isn’t chump change, and Hassan also served our country in the U.S. Navy (he's also a self-professed Christian)...none of that was apparently good enough for Repug voters, however, who let their intolerant freak flag fly a couple of days ago and voted instead for a guy who had dropped out of the contest weeks earlier, proving once more that racism and hatred of brown-skinned people, for the most part, is truly the factor that animates Republican voters more than anything else (here and here)...



...and David Shuster of Rebel HQ tells us that Trumpster Matt Whitaker recently went on Fix Noise and tried to spout this BS that we’re negotiating with Iran – uh, no; there apparently are negotiations going on with Oman, though...CNN’s Harry Enten brings us more polling data on how unpopular Dementia Donnie’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Iran is (minus 40 at the moment)...also, the numbers are somehow even worse when you compare this mess to the last forever Mideast war under Dubya in Iraq...good point about our current economic stagnation also...on top of that, apparently the global gas supply is running dangerously low also, with gas potentially hitting $7 a gallon – are you tired of the winning yet? Oh, and Rand Paul sounds a bit logical on this issue, as opposed to the caterwauling lunatic he acted like at that mess of a hearing with Dr. Fauci...we’re also reminded once more what a lying weasel “Human Capital Stock” Kevin Hassett is (4% growth imagined versus 1.5% actual growth, which is barely anything), as if we didn’t know that already...



...and Farron Cousins informs us about red state food shortages tied to the Big Beautiful Clusterf*ck and even more strict work requirements for SNAP benefits, which were already at the Dickensian level of about a couple of hundred bucks a month...all of this has made it harder for food pantries, funded by the states and the feds (particularly in West Virginia), with that awful bill cutting the amount of food going to these places as Cousins points out...another “miracle” of Repug governance, people...

...and Luke Beasley brings us this video of Stephanie Penn, communications director for Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao, running away from and stonewalling a reporter when Penn was asked about “Weekend at Bernie’s” McConnell’s health (maybe Penn thought she was trying to perform a Jedi mind trick or something...”this is not the Kentucky Republican senator you’re looking for”)...oh, but McConnell just released a statement saying he's heading home, huh? Well, I'll believe it when I see it...



...and Tennessee Brando gives us his take on that numbskull James Carville carrying on about not being in the same political party as Hasan Piker, or something, and I know I touched on this already but I wanted to hear Brando’s take on it...1) Carville spouts this nonsense on Fix Noise, which checks a big box for conservative “moderate” suburban boomers of course, and 2) If Carville seriously thinks that the DSA wants to seize the means of production or whatever nonsense he comes up with, then he needs to reserve his place in an old age home right now...I forgot about Carville pushing out David Hogg from Dem party leadership, which on balance is another mark against Carville IMO...and oh yeah, Laura Ingraham of all people cares SO MUCH about the future of the “Democrat” Party, doesn’t she (SMDH)...NSFW/H...



...and as we know, our ruling cabal has no problem whatsoever throwing its female cabinet members under the proverbial bus, and it looks like Judge Winebox may have her turn coming up soon – with that in mind, Mr. Newberger gives us the following...



...and I think we should likely bring the week to a close with a newer and more positive musical number (about a year old) – I hope you agree.

Wednesday Stuff

Tennessee Brando gives us a commentary of how “trickle-down economics destroyed my hometown”...yep, the minimum wage at “the buckle of the Bible belt,” as Brando puts it, is $7.25 an hour...I didn’t know that James Talarico said that trickle-down “isn’t a theory, it’s a theft”; damn straight!...”if they let you get ahead in this world, they’ll cut you down to size to stop you from getting ahead in this world” – hard to argue with that...interesting Ali/Frazier story also IMO (NSFW/H)...



...and Farron Cousins discusses “Dr. Crudite” deciding to increase the monthly cost of Medicare health and drug coverage for seniors by getting rid of subsidies for Part D...I thought this was a pretty good analysis by Cousins about why, even though we do indeed hate insurance companies, we’re stuck with them until the blessed day comes when we have single payer at the point of service for health care (and yeah, I know it’s a pipe dream, but we need to keep beating that metaphorical drum for it anyway)...



...and Rachel Maddow tells us that the Consumer Product Safety Commission under the leader of Cult 45 wants our ER records now; what a mental patient this guy is...clip starts with an overview of the importance of the CPSC, so now, our ruling regime is going to take the commendable mission of that important government agency and twist it to suit their nefarious ends...



...and I know we’re focused on elections in this country now, and rightly so (and congratulations to Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, and get ready for a never-ending onslaught of garbage like this now), but this report from ABC News in Australia presents a profile of the British bi-election in Clacton-On-Sea between Nigel Farage and Count Binface (definitely reminds yours truly of that old Monty Python bit)...looks like the Count would have to “un-bin” himself were he to actually win, however...I know I had this yesterday, but I pulled it for the Damage Report clip on El-Sayed and Haley Stevens...



...and Steve Harness of Really American informs us that some protest art against Our Ochre Abomination is making an impact globally, including an image in horse manure (the “Don of Dung,” which sold for about $1,800...spot-on)...also, there are what look like blow-up figures of #47 and his Russian benefactor, among MANY others works lampooning Cheetoh Benito (NSFW/H also)...



...and here is another seasonal selection.

Tuesday Stuff

This recent news report describes the “muted” celebration in Detroit over the opening (at last!) of the Gordie Howe Bridge (quite another story in Windsor, Ontario of course)...exasperation has to do with the typical antics from Our Treasonous Orange Pustule over this...GREAT job by the Michiganders and that sign of apology...and by the way, here is more context on this supposed great deal on the bridge from the Gropenfuhrer (among other things, it should be pointed out that Canada apparently paid ALL of the upfront $6 billon or so cost for bridge construction, so it would make sense for them to get a better deal initially...a related item is here)...



...and Brian Tyler Cohen talks about Brave Sir Mike Collins of Georgia, campaigning for the Senate against Jon Ossoff, doing his very best RUN AWAY RUN AWAY RUN AWAY!! bit before a press conference in which journos tried to ask Collins about his son-in-law’s online activity (some creep named David Alan Scheer II), which included sharing anti-Semitic and white nationalist stuff because of course...and the era prior to the Holocaust supposedly wasn’t so bad? Yeah, I must have missed out on that Nazi musical where the Third Reich launched a jaunty song-and-dance number after the “Night of Broken Glass” (and I realize I’m venturing into territory best lampooned by Mel Brooks)...oh, and leave it to Collins to wrap himself in the flag of Israel in Fetterman-esque fashion when asked about his odious relative, which is kind of a non-answer, actually...and oh yeah, let’s also not forget about that corrupt Repug man-baby (no, the other one), and that would be Ken Paxton, refusing to answer a reporter’s question about Paxton having millions of dollars of property spread out all over the place...we’re reminded once again about Max Miller of Ohio, who’s a freaking maniac (allegedly!), and leave it to Gym Jordan to “wrestle,” with Miller’s situation, if you will (I realize we don’t have bragging rights in PA, but what the f*ck is up with “The Buckeye State”??)...NSFW/H...



...and Kyle Kulinski brings us some updated polling numbers courtesy of Harry Enten of CNN, starting at about 2:15...yes, somehow, Repugs being trusted on #47’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Iran AT ALL is very concerning, though two points in any direction is not a reason to “go to the mattresses”...however, that being said, what matters are the trend lines over time, and yes, this is indeed what happens when THE OPPOSITION PARTY REFUSES TO ACT LIKE AN OPPOSITION PARTY, though they’re NEVER shy about putting the bite on yours truly for a donation (especially at the end of the month/quarter), and I know this is very definitely a recording...good for Kyle to mention once more the JCPOA under Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry...that minus 24 number, however, is a blaring red siren for yours truly; if this projected blue wave turns into a trickle somehow, don’t say we weren’t warned (I definitely hope Kyle is right about the collapse in MAGA support more than offsetting this)...I’d much rather fill up this space with commercials for the “D” team if possible, but I think a little “tough love” is warranted from time to time also...NSFW/H also...



...and John and Jayar of The Damage Report give us their take on that boomer bumpkin James Carville losing his sh*t over the rise of progressive Abdul El-Sayed (and El-Sayed getting an assist from Hasan Piker) in the contest to run for the U.S. Senate...and oh yeah, Carville saying this on Fix Noise is a little too “on the nose” as far as I’m concerned...I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to this race to be honest, but my early impression of Haley Stevens is that she’s a corpora-Dem stiff likely recruited by Schumer and that crowd, and her remark about too much stinking PAC money infecting our political campaigns being an “educated issue” as John points out just emphasizes that (primary is today of course)...



...and Mr. Newberger gives us his response to last week’s insane U.S. Senate nonsense against the guy who kept millions safe during the COVID plague...



...and yesterday marked what would have been the 100th birthday of the incomparable Tony Bennett.

Will Bri-Fi Withstand a "Blue Wave" in '26?

With the fall mid-term elections coming up, it’s time once more to engage in my bi-yearly ritual of taking a look at the voting record of our PA-01 U.S. House Rep Brian Fitzpatrick. So, without further ado, I give you the following:

Here, Fitzpatrick voted for a bill to let Generalissimo Trump arbitarily decide whether or not nonprofit groups would lose their tax-exempt status, giving them 90 days to fight this (which means the affected groups would have to expend massive amounts of dough for a court fight they’d probably lose...think Planned Parenthood probably, under the guise of fighting “terrorism” of course). This also includes any group supporting DEI or the BDS movement against Israel as well as supporting Palestine (and yes, I know 52 alleged “Democrats” voted for this mess also). I believe this needed unanimous consent the first time it was introduced, which is why it failed (here), though it was reintroduced and Bri-Fi voted Yes again (more here, here and here).

Also, Fitzpatrick supported the Social Security Fairness Act to repeal the so-called Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Provision, which, according to Bri-Fi, “unfairly reduced (Social Security) benefits for our retired firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other public servants” (vote is here).

Hmmm, public servants...you mean, like Bri-Fi himself? And yes, this is particularly ridiculous when you find out how Bri-Fi puffs himself up by saying “Oh, I voted against pay raises.” What the hell do you call this, then?

And I’ll admit that you have to be a real Grinch, you might say, to criticize this (supported in overwhelming bipartisan numbers in the House...71 Repugs opposed it). But here’s the thing...this is expected to cost about $196 billion, and there’s no “pay-for” provision to this. And this affects a relatively small number of Social Security recipients.

Also, there were 4 Dems who opposed it, including John Larson of Connecticut (here), who said...

"While I am glad to see the House take up the issue of Social Security, we need to take comprehensive action to enhance benefits and extend the program's solvency, something the United States Congress has not done in more than 50 years," Larson said in a statement.

So you know what, Bri-Fi? Get back to me when you and your pals come up with legislation to FULLY FUND SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE (preferably removing the cap on earning subject to S.S. withholding, which is about $176K) and which also prohibits privatizing it, or making it “discretionary spending,” or turning it into some kind of a ”block grant” program or some such nonsense, OK?

Also, do you remember that infamous showdown between Don The Con and Couch Boy on one side, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine over funding that nation’s brave battle against Vlad The Butcher (where our “accordion hands” *preznit kept telling Zelenskyy “you haven’t got the cards” among other insults)?

Here is the obsequious, cowardly response from our PA-01 rep:

"It was heartbreaking to witness the turn of events that transpired in today's meeting regarding Ukraine's future. It is time to put understandable emotions aside and come back to the negotiation table."

If you want any further proof that Bri-Fi does the bidding of the leader of his party at all costs, there you have it.

Bri-Fi also voted for that garbage Republican budget to extend tax cuts at the expense of cutting Medicare/Medicaid 217-215 (here)...all Repugs voted Yes (except Thomas Massie of KY...Massie would end up paying for courageous votes like this, as well as keeping up the drumbeat on the Trumpstein files)...and just for good measure, Fitzpatrick voted for it again here.

Here, Bri-Fi voted for cuts to Medicaid and school lunches, a move which will undoubtedly hurt kids and cost lives and will likely lead to the closure of community hospitals and facilities for elder care (more here and here).

And just for good measure, Bri-Fi was NOT one of the 12 U.S. House reps who opposed Medicaid cuts in a letter to MAGA Mike Johnson here.

Bri-Fi also voted for the utterly wretched SAVE Act here (along with four alleged “Democrats”), which is a “solution” in search of an actual problem – as I and MANY others have pointed out, actual voter fraud takes place on a truly microscopic level (and often committed by Republicans), and when it DOES occur, it’s caught by election officials. The purpose of the SAVE Act is to disenfranchise individuals (including out-of-state students, married women, and anyone without a valid passport, which covers about 146 million people as noted here) who often vote for Democrats (more here).

He also voted for the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” because of course (here)...among the MANY cruelties in this bill, it guts Medicaid and takes billions from Medicare also and hammers SNAP benefits, though it DOES include a tax break for...wait for it!...gun silencers, and in the process of rewarding the “pay no price, bear no burden” bunch once more, it blows up the debt by at least $3.8 trillion...to be fair, Bri-Fi, along with Thomas Massie, voted No on the final version of the BBB on 7/3/25, but as far as I’m concerned, the damage was already done since he voted Yes for EVERY PROCEDURAL VOTE leading up to that (and Bri-Fi says the House version never would have cut Medicaid – uh, no).

Bri-Fi also voted for the so-called GENIUS Act here, which legalized a lot of the crypto nonsense that, among other things, helped enrich #47 by putting this damn “stablecoin” token into a black box where it will ultimately go right into Dementia Donnie’s pocket with no oversight (and I know a lot of Dems voted for this mess also, probably because they saw the role the crypto industry played in sinking the re-election campaigns of Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester as noted here).

Along with every other U.S. House Republican, he voted against releasing the Trumpstein files (here).

Fitzpatrick also voted in favor of HR 4371, the so-called Kayla Hamilton Act (here – more from the ACLU is here and here...more here).

From what I read about this, it appears that the Kayla Hamilton Act is a version of the Laken Riley bill, meaning that the R team has chosen to exploit an awful tragedy to pass just-as-awful (and-maybe-worse) legislation that, among other things, subjects immigrant kids to body cavity searches (Stephen Miller will get his jollies over this for sure). It would also subject immigrant children to prolonged detention instead of unification with families in this country while their legal case proceeds (especially if the children pose a “flight risk” or present themselves with “gang tattoos” as determined by our cretinous ruling cabal...and did I fail to mention that we’re talking about children??!!).

Bri-Fi also voted to fund the government for fiscal year ending 9/26 (here), which sounds benign except for the fact that that includes still more funding for the ICE Gestapo. Let’s not forget, though, that Fitzpatrick said that ICE agents should be unmasked (here)...instead, how about DOING AWAY WITH ICE ENTIRELY SINCE THEY’RE A ROGUE AGENCY AND PUNISHING EVERYONE IN THAT BUNCH GUILTY OF A CRIME???!!!

He also voted in favor of a bill that would have blocked legislation challenging those beyond ridiculous Trump tariffs (here)...fortunately, the bill failed because every Dem voted against it along with 3 Repugs; Thomas Massie, Kevn Kiley and Don Bacon (but not Bri-Fi...I would ask that you keep this in mind the next time you hear Bri-Fi trying to sell himself as a moderate problem solver, or some such nonsense...our wet noodle PA-01 rep was willing to cede tariff power, which rightfully belongs to Congress, to our ruling criminal cabal).

However, to be fair, “Both Sides Brian” also voted for a bill to “disapprove” of #47’s tariffs with Canada here (I guess, since the head of the “R” party is in the White House, a “disapprove” resolution is the best we can get from MAGA Mike Johnson and his minions).

Maybe the worst of Bri Fi’s nonsense is his being utterly mute during the worst excesses of the Trump regime, including the destruction of US AID, DOGE and Project 2025 in general wrecking our government, along with the previously mentioned ICE horror show, in particular the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, to say nothing of all of the kids captured and held by ICE, some of whom have died, that stinking ballroom and the “Arch De Trump” on the way to Arlington, Our Ochre Abomination playing games with disaster aid to blue states, those horrible tariffs (and I know Fitzpatrick opposed Canada’s as noted, but I mean the others too), turning our backs on Ukraine, blowing up the South American fishing boats, unilaterally declaring war on Iran and Venezuela, antagonizing our trade partners including Canada and Denmark/Greenland, etc. (here and here)

Also, I couldn’t find any response from Fitzpatrick concerning the “VIP snorkeling” event around the U.S.S. Arizona that FBI head Kash Patel participated in (here). I mean, Bri-Fi was once an FBI agent – you would THINK he’d have something to say about that.

Oh, and for the record, Bri-Fi was also mute when Cantaloupe Capone said he didn’t care about people’s finances or his previously noted war of choice against Iran (here).

Also, Bri-Fi has actually tried to legislate about getting PFAS chemicals out of our environment, though the head of his party couldn’t give a fig about the danger from PFAS of course (here). However, to be fair, Fitzpatrick has pushed back on that, somewhat (here – I won’t give Bri-Fi credit for much, but I will for that).

Also, Bri-Fi and Tom Suozzi in the House introduced a bill to keep Bronzer Beelzebub from paying off the 1/6 insurrectionists #47 pardoned from this “anti-weaponization” fund BS (another point in his favor – here).

It should also be noted that Bri-Fi said that a War Powers Resolution over Iran must be brought to Congress if the 60-day limit from the date of declaring hostilities is reached (here)...true, but that’s a pretty milquetoast response as per usual to the insane, delusional demagoguery from The Orange Demon *preznit Who Must Not Be Named (and I’m sure you can imagine what the response was from Cheetoh Hitler to THAT).

By the way, I know Bri-Fi was endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the largest PA union representing teachers and support staff (here)...

“We value the relationships you have built with the public school employees throughout the district and your efforts to support policies that strengthen public education and protect the rights of working people,” wrote Aaron F. Chapin, the president of PSEA, which is also the largest labor union in Pennsylvania (in explaining the endorsement).

I wonder if Chapin is aware of the fact that, by voting for the Big Beautiful Clusterf*ck, Bri-Fi helped kick-start what is in essence a national school voucher program, with the impact not scheduled to hit until January ’27 based on this (how con-vee-nient)...

“What is clear, is that in any state that wants to do so, the program can be used to support private school choice, and that's what makes it significant,” (Professor Martin) West says. “It really does have the potential to turbocharge the movement to expand private school choice in the United States, which already had significant momentum at the state level.”

I also would SERIOUSLY like to know what the rank-and-file of Chapin’s union thinks of this endorsement. It’s possible that they may go along with this, but somehow I doubt it.

Also, here is something else from Our Demented Orange Lunatic of a *preznit (this corrupt-as-hell nuclear deal with the Saudis) that Bri-Fi has been absolutely mute about.

Fitzpatrick has also voted against the right to contraception for his PA-01 constituents, along with voting against codifying Roe v. Wade protections, as well as supporting a nationwide abortion ban and so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” which “manipulate women seeking care with unproven and dangerous medical misinformation.” He has also voted against capping the cost of prescription drugs, failing to support extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, and supported cuts to common-sense energy tax credits (that and MUCH more is here).

With each passing year, it becomes more and more obvious to yours truly that Brian Fitzpatrick, having perfected the art of the meaningless gesture (in terms of improving the quality of life for those he ostensibly represents), will never provide anything more than half-based “solutions” to the important needs that require the skill and commitment of a U.S. House rep committed to his constituents.

So, given all of this, what kind of campaign is Bri-Fi running against his Dem opponent Bob Harvie? Well, given that Fitzpatrick has made the beyond sleazy charge that Harvie is the target of an FBI investigation (which even the Huffington Post says is nonsense here), that should tell you that Fitzpatrick has dragged this campaign directly to the gutter in a truly vile manner (which, again, isn’t surprising given Fitzpatrick’s failure to make substantive accomplishments over the years of his representation in Congress).

Oh, and Bri-Fi has frequently tried to criticize Harvie as a “career politician.” Given that Fitzpatrick has held his seat for 10 YEARS, what the hell does that make him?

To vote for new representation at long last, click here to support Bob Harvie, so Brian Fitzpatrick can continue his servile fealty to Donald Trump and launch mud-slinging attacks at Democrats merely as a private citizen instead of an elected representative to the U.S. Congress.

Update 8/7/26: The CBO originally said the Medicare fund could run out in 2052. Well, under Repug “governance,” now the fund could run out in 2040. I seriously hope no one is surprised.

Update 8/9/26: Like a hell of a lot of other people, I find myself driving around PA-01 for all kinds of reasons, and given the election this fall, there are signs all over the place saying “Bob Harvie gave himself a pay raise” (as if no other politician has ever done that) and “Bob Harvie raised your property taxes.” That may or may not be true, but I’m not going to waste my time trying to investigate either of those claims because, as far as I’m concerned, they don’t have to do with the most important issues we face, which I’ve tried to point out in this post.

However, what really tears it for yours truly is concerned is what I linked to above, namely, this garbage that Bob Harvie is apparently the subject of an FBI investigation. You can read about this here, and you’ll learn that Harvie was never the subject of an investigation and was never charged with a crime. He testified five years ago before a federal grand jury as a witness in a federal probe involving Falls Township (where Harvie used to be a supervisor); the Pennsbury School District; and a local union. That didn’t stop this Defending America PAC Inc. and its president, Chris Pack, from publishing false statements on electronic media to voters labeling Harvie an “FBI corruption subject” and “under FBI investigation.”

Brian Fitzpatrick isn’t named in the defamation suit Harvie has brought against Defending America PAC, but since he’s the beneficiary of this garbage attack against Harvie, he might as well be as far as I’m concerned.

The voters of this district deserve better than this, Bri-Fi. Try manning up and disavowing this horrible “astroturf” crap.