Friday Stuff

Chris Hayes interviewed Dr. Reed Caldwell of NYU Langone about the Coronavirus (as someone once said, knowledge is good, especially when it comes to this outbreak)…



…and Sam Seder, Michael Brooks and the crew from The Majority Report tell us about Dr. Anthony Fauci trying to straighten out Sean Inanity on this subject (kudos to Fauci for trying, but good luck with that – I heard this referred to as the “boomer flu,” and I don’t think that’s too far off actually)…



…and not to be outdone by her Fix Noise counterpart, Kyle tells us about Trish Regan’s recent rant on this subject, which is utterly bonkers even by the standards of The Roger Ailes BS Factory (I think that deserves to be memorialized in the prior pic)…



Update: Sweet Mother of Abraham Lincoln...I have to admit that I was shocked by this.

…and I pray to God that Katie Porter serves as long as she possibly can in the U.S. House, or the Senate if she so chooses to run – to say we need someone like her, especially now, is an understatement…



…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about the recent horrific move by Repug U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander to deny paid sick leave to people who may come down with Coronavirus and would need it the most – monstrous cruelty even by their despicable measure…



…and I now give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” (more or less, and keeping with the theme of this post) from 3/10/14, with former Louisiana guv Bobby “Don’t Call Me Piyush” Jindal denying Medicaid expansion to his state’s poorest residents…even though he’s gone, it’s another case of “what’s past is prologue” as far the “party of Lincoln” is concerned based on this…



…and by the way, I haven’t forgotten about this date on the calendar…



…and with all due respect to RT (definitely not the Putin Propaganda Network, usually), I would say that the “storm” is here.

Update 3/15/20: Even thought the Coronavirus is quite rightly the top story, I still think it needs to be pointed out when philly.com (or inquirer.com, whatever it’s called) engages in its typical politicization crap over stories that, though still important, are now of a lesser priority.

As “Tail Gunner Joe” McCarthy once said, always emphasize the “rat.” (more here - and these cretins still give Christine Flowers a paycheck).

I will continue to NOT be a subscriber.

Wednesday Stuff

Well, as long as it looks like “Malarkey Joe” has taken the lead in the Democratic presidential primary, don’t you think it would be a good idea to consider his potential cabinet nominees should he manage to win the whole proverbial enchilada, as it were, in November (a prospect that, sadly, I believe is currently beyond his reach, though I would LOVE to be wrong)? That’s what TYT tells us about here…



…and Rachel Maddow tells us that the tip that older Americans shouldn’t fly was initially spiked by the Trump regime (though, apparently now based on this, a lot of other folks won’t be allowed to fly to this country either – I’m sure, however, given the incompetent bungling of this regime of grifters and frauds, more people than ever will now avoid this country anyway)…



…oh, and by the way, on Covid-19 (and pretty much everything else as far as the Gropenfuhrer is concerned) it is ALL Obama’s fault anyway (Brian Tyler Cohen explains)…



(And I’m a little shocked by this, to be honest, but better to be safe – and at least the Sixers don’t have to worry about trying to win on the road anymore...and maybe it's not "a beautiful day in the neighborhood" after all in light of this.)

…and I know I put up the McCoy Tyner clip a couple of days ago, but I’d like to stay in a Philly music vein for this, which is a story about the effort to save Sigma Sound Studio as a music museum, which I personally think is an awesome idea – the following track is just one of the many memorable tunes produced at that location.

Monday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us about the Florida Republican who changed voter registrations from Democratic or Independent to Republican – whaddaya know, honest-to-goodness voter fraud for real, and from the party that screams the most about this supposedly being an issue for the other side…shocking I realize…



…and I thought this was an interesting history lesson that, if nothing else, we can use as a response to anybody who says that Bernie Sanders has never done anything in Congress, or words to that effect (trying to re-introduce the “reasonable price” rule on drugs developed with public $$)…



…and as if to put a bit of an exclamation point on that, as it were, I give you this from David Doel (with the Fix Noise audience tuned into what Bernie is saying, as opposed to news mannequin Martha MacCallum)...



...and RIP Philly jazz legend McCoy Tyner.

Friday Stuff

Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Willard Mitt Romney doing his Rand Paul impression, trying to be enlightened on the whole Joe Biden/Hunter Biden/Burisma stuff (but don’t be in too much of a hurry to give credit to the Utah Republican since, as noted here, Mittens caved anyway)…



…and Dr. Irwin Redlener of Columbia University talks about the level of incompetence coming from the Trump Regime on the Covid-19 outbreak (elections do indeed have consequences)…



…and Thom H. gives us the latest on the “party of Lincoln,” including President Fergus Laing, continuing their war on science as they try to march this country back to the 12th century (I’m sure they’ll recommend leeches to be placed on people’s skin as a remedy next)…



Update 3/7/20: At a certain point, I swear there are just no words...

“Without antagonizing Trump” is literally the most appalling reason not to tell the truth and not to act. What a banana republic we have become. pic.twitter.com/aG4wbmY08j

— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) March 7, 2020

…and as long as we’re discussing Mango Mussolini, Farron Cousins tells us that Rick Gates of the Trump campaign described to the FBI how Our Pumpkin Pestilence and Sean Inanity coordinated their messaging during the 2016 election…



…and turning to this year’s presidential contest, Michael Brooks of The Majority Report tells us about David Frum going after Bernie and his supporters (yep, another “Never Trumper” showing his true colors, I would say)…



…and David Doel tells us about the latest ads from the Sanders campaign (I think Doel’s analysis here is 100 percent correct – unfortunately, unless the bottom is falling out of the economy, which no one wants to see I’ll admit, it’s going to be hard for older, suburban Democrats to come around to Bernie, though I believe it can happen)…



…and happy 75th birthday to drummer Hugh Grundy of The Zombies…



...and happy upcoming International Women's Day.

Wednesday Stuff

Like you I suppose, I have a few observations about yesterday’s Super Tuesday results, which definitely were surprising:

African American voters are the most reliable Democratic Party voting constituency, and while I haven’t seen all of the “cross tabs,” if you will, I know they stepped up for Biden big time yesterday (and in the event that Biden wins the nomination, that should cement Kamala Harris’s spot as VP on the ticket if she wants it). That's not meant as a judgment - I'm just stating a fact. On the one hand, Biden won a lot of states that will probably go for Trump, sadly, in the general (but again, we’ll see), but on the other hand, credit where it’s due for coming back.

About Bernie…he decried the Democratic Party “establishment” coming after him, and based on the candidates dropping out and supporting Biden, it’s hard to see that he’s wrong. However (and again, preliminarily from what I’ve seen so far), it doesn’t look like he’s building a big enough coalition to win the nomination (and believe me when I tell you that I want to be wrong on that). If he does go down to Biden, then the fatal mistake will be that he and Elizabeth Warren didn’t find a way to team up. And I don’t necessarily mean that Bernie should be at the top of that possible ticket. I saw some good policy ideas coming from Warren, and I think she has a better record on that over Bernie. The two of them could be absolutely dynamite as a combination, but she would never get the VP slot, especially since she wasn’t able to deliver her home state. It’s just pretty unbelievable that there were three serious Democratic women running (four if you count Fox News “Democrat” Tulsi Gabbard), and while I definitely wasn’t a fan of Klobuchar, it looks like all four will be shut out. It gives me a bit of pause to consider that, if this country ever DOES elect a woman as chief executive, it could be a Republican, which would be terrible (not because she’s female, but because she’d belong to the party of Trump, Dubya, Tricky Dick, and The Sainted Ronnie R).

Finally, a lot of us laughed at Generalissimo Trump for going after Biden on the Ukraine thing (“what a maroon…Biden is done”). Well, as wrong as it was to pull that move on Ukraine, what does it tell you about the regime of the Gropenfuhrer that they ended up being right about how formidable Biden would be? I detest everything about Cult 45 of course, but let’s have no illusions about how ahead of the proverbial curve and data driven they are when it comes to trying to inflict four more years (at a minimum) of this pestilence on us.

And with that in mind, I thought this was a pretty smart take from former Obama ’08 campaign manager David Plouffe…



…and David Pakman tells us about how Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Russian Stooge is playing down The Virus That Apparently Shall Not Be Named, according to YouTube (unbelievable, though he does let it slip a couple of times; hope he doesn’t end up demonetized for it)…



…and I thought this was a particularly good Inequality Media video from Robert Reich about the awful exploits of Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao…



…and I’m sorry I’m a few days late for this video; it would have been a better selection for last Saturday (NSFW).

Monday Stuff

Brian Stelter of CNN gives Fix Noise the treatment it deserves for trying to turn the Coronavirus into a political weapon here (I know we knew this anyway, but there truly is no bottom for these life forms – also, I saw the headline of an article on the Murdoch Street Journal about how hand sanitizers are flying off the shelves, especially if they have any alcohol component at all, and boy, they aren’t kidding – went to Rite Aid, Walgreens, Target and BJ’s Wholesale, and I found some alcohol disinfectant wipes at BJs, but that’s about the best I could do for now – and if you want to order hand sanitizer with alcohol online, you’ll be paying a minimum of about $20…good luck; Lowe’s had some hand soap without alcohol, which can’t hurt I guess…and yeah, this figures too I suppose, as does this)…



…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about the dustup between that insufferable toad Mike Pompeo and Dem U.S. House Rep Ted Lieu over the typically idiotic propagandizing from the Trump regime over the Coronavirus (yeah, Heaven forbid that Pompeo has to answer a difficult question before he heads over to CPAC to spout more blather for the idiot masses)…



…and Thom H. speaks with an ER doc of 28 years with recommendations to combat the virus…



…and it looks like Mayor Pete is dropping out of the Dem primary - I have to admit that I underestimated the guy, and my bad for that, and I still think his campaign was full of platitudes and way short on specifics, but he definitely took the classy way to exit...I would say he has a formidable political future (and I guess at this point it’s only a matter of time before everyone joins Biden to gang up on Bernie – wonder if “cornpone” would approve, or whatever that nonsense was)…



...and I wonder if this had anything to do with Amy Klobuchar also dropping out - just sayin'...



…and while I’m sorry for the family and friends of Jack Welch, don’t expect me to feel any tug of nostalgia whatsoever; he was a rapacious capitalist who helped to codify a brand of corporatism which has been utterly ruinous for this country overall…I was actually able to find a segment with Jimmy Dore that is tolerable, partly because Michael Shure is there also, but since we’re talking about Dore, we’re also talking about some gratuitous “F” blasts also, so be warned…



Update: It was probably about time for this from Matthews, though I'm not celebrating - definitely stepped on a few rakes, as it were, but also did some good work as noted in the prior clip.

…and I thought this was a nice bit where Jimmy Kimmel turned the tables on “Calgary” Cruz (beyond belief how badly those in the second clip did on some pretty basic geography)…



…and I thought this was kind of a catchy, rockabilly-ish tune…neat to see this guy doing the “one-man band” thing.

Saturday Stuff

And what would Life In These United States be like anymore without our almost-weekly mass shooting? This time, it took place in Milwaukee, as noted in the clip (and more on that is here)…



Update 3/5/20: What an utter POS this guy is (here).

…and turning to the most recent South Carolina presidential candidates’ debate, Kyle tells us about Bernie on stage with those other Dem knuckleheads, trying to clarify his remarks on Cuba, which I never had a problem with, to be honest - actually, I LOVE the way Bernie called out the life forms in the audience who razzed him (slightly NSFW)...



…and John tells us about AOC, killing it for the second day in a row, at a meeting of the House Oversight Committee on the absolutely awful voter suppression in GA during the '18 gubernatorial election between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp (perpetrated by Kemp himself as Secretary of State, and somehow that was legal)...



…and Jeff Waldorf of TYT Nation tells us about the numbskull MAGA crowd booing Garth Brooks because he recently wore a “Sanders” jersey at a Detroit concert…ummm, it was for Barry Sanders, you assclowns…just say “oops” and get out…



...and Kansas school teacher Amanda Coffman is my new hero (heroine?) for this...



…and sadly, this tune is timely again given the first video of this post.

Friday Stuff

Chris Hayes tells us all about the humanitarian disaster going on in Syria, again (and yeah, Stephen Miller, as someone from your party once said previously in another context, you "built this"...and in addition to the "party of Lincoln," a pox on the Democratic "leadership" for their silence also in response)...



…and Farron Cousins tells us that the Gropenfuhrer has put “Onward Christian Soldiers” Mike Pence in charge of the response to the Coronavirus, who of course is perfect for this regime of grifters and lowlifes since he completely and utterly denies science also (interesting speculation about an attempt to throw Pence under the proverbial bus and drop him from the ticket)...



…and in a related story, Thom Hartmann speaks with Dem U.S. House Rep Mark Pocan of Wisconsin on Mango Mussolini and his minions tripping all over themselves in their attempts to do their jobs on this potential public health calamity (though of course, their notion of "doing their jobs" is markedly different from what I'm sure a reasonably sane person would consider an acceptable standard)...



…and this clip from Brian Tyler Cohen about AOC speaking up for Dems and religion (and how overdue is THAT, I ask myself? Maybe about 30 years??!!) also includes Pence typically obfuscating when George Stephanopoulos asks him a yes or no question a three-year-old could probably answer…



…and sticking with the Trump gang, Robert Reich reminds us that we shouldn’t lose sight of what longtime Repug fixer and AG Bill Barr is doing in support of Generalissimo Trump and his pals…



…and David Doel tells us about suspended ABC journalist David Wright, who apparently committed the unpardonable sin of speaking honestly about his profession – instead of being punished, Wright should be promoted (and for more on the garbage life forms behind Project Veritas, I give you this)…



…and I realize I haven’t put up a video by Seth Meyers for a little while partly because I find it harder to find humor in this stuff, but kudos to him for turning this dross into comedy gold (the subject is our corporate media not quite knowing what to say or do about Bernie Sanders – and as many of us know by now, Chris Matthews apologized for his most recent idiocy...I have a feeling Biden will take South Carolina, but that will end up as an outlier - all Bernie has to do is make a respectable second-place showing, and I think that's totally within reach)…



…and I was intrigued by this story of a proposed national women’s strike in Mexico on March 9th in order to send a clear message of condemnation against gender-based violence – in response (and I know I’ve put up this tune before), I give you Todd from 2016 performing a song about another women’s protest of a fashion (with the former resident from Upper Darby, PA bringing music to people who might not otherwise have access to it in South Bend…hmmm, isn’t there a notable politician from that area too?).

I firmly believe Rundgren will be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame one day, which is long overdue, and that for sure will be an occasion for celebration.

Wednesday Stuff

John I. and Jayar Jackson give us their take on last night’s Democratic candidates’ debate in South Carolina, which apparently was an utter train wreck…



...and uh - yep...

I’ll say it til I’m blue in face....give all debates bsck to League of Women Voters https://t.co/q1KOBOsgOG

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) February 26, 2020

…and gee, maybe we ought to do something about this Coronavirus thing (which makes me recall this recent exchange - and how sadly predictable is this?)…



Update 2/27/20: This is humor of course, but with all due respect to Wonkette, I'm definitely not laughing over this, and I don't think they are either.

…and David Pakman gives us the typically wrongheaded take on our recent wild stock market ride from Charles Payne of Fix Noise (who, by the way, was also once responsible for this)…



…and I now give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 2/26/10, in which the late, great Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York advocated for coverage for pre-existing conditions in the legislation that eventually became the Affordable Care Law – I think many of these same arguments still apply on the subject of Medicare for All…



…and while we're on the subject, I get it when Kyle lays into the Democratic “establishment” on policy the way he does here, in particular concerning Bernie Sanders and M4A, but I still think he needs to tone down that stuff a bit…yeah, being trapped in a ‘90s mindset is no good for now, but he shouldn’t gloss over recent Democratic accomplishments either…you could argue over “Obamacare,” but like you I’m sure, I remember the sausage-making to enact it and propaganda against it and what a battle that was…we should have no illusions of what we’re up against here…single payer and Medicare for All is the way to go, but it will be a pitched battle for some time, which will not be for the squeamish or faint at heart…



…and five years ago yesterday, on what would have been George Harrison's 72nd birthday, a new tree was planted in his memory in Griffith Park in Los Angeles to replace one that was earlier killed by a (wait for it…) “beetle” infestation (truly, you can’t make this up). The new yew tree had been chosen to replace the original, as it was far less susceptible to insects.

So, with that in mind, I now give you this, one of my all-time favorite music videos (a typical Harrison response to this, I would say).

Monday Stuff

Michael Brooks of The Majority Report brings us a clip of Jumaane Williams on MSNBC reminding us how bad Michael Bloomberg really is…



Update 2/25/20: You are sooo toast for this, Mikey.

Update 2/28/20: Why even pretend Bloomberg is a Dem at this point...

“The answer is not to radically downsize or privatize the Postal Service. The answer is not to eliminate good-paying jobs. The answer is not to devastate rural communities by closing post offices."
— @BernieSanders on the future of the postal servicehttps://t.co/Uy5yDkNqN3

— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) February 28, 2020

...and Brian Tyler Cohen on more Trump insanity against “Obamacare” (and yeah, trying to get Obama impeached after he’s been out of office for three years is a whole other brand of crazy, even for the Gropenfuhrer)…



…and Farron Cousins tells us how Mango Mussolini Trump and his pals are spending about $10 mil to make sure people can’t vote…



…and I guess if there was ever a music video (I thinks that’s what they were once called) emblematic of our Trumpian times, I would say that this is it (NSFW).

Saturday Stuff

Farron Cousins of Ring of Fire tells us about how Generalissimo Trump was notified of Russian interference in our elections – again – and was enraged, but for exactly the wrong reason, and being the clueless, blundering man-child that he is, of course reacted with exactly the wrong response…



…and John I speaks with Norman Broderick, a man whose vote was disenfranchised and who was profiled in a new Brave New Films clip on the subject (more here)…



…and I didn’t want to let the week come to an end without including John Oliver’s fine recent segment on Medicare for All (NSFW)…



…and as long as the weather is cooperating in these parts, I thought I’d feature something a little breezy, if you will, in anticipation of spring – far away still I know, but we can hope and look forward all the same.

Thursday Stuff

Robert Reich appears in a “Now This” video on former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, giving him the treatment he deserves IMO (and good job by Elizabeth Warren to light up Bloomberg last night - here)…



…and John and Ana of TYT tell us about the Gropenfuhrer and his recent sentence commutations, in particular concerning “Blago,” who also performed this utterly repellent act (and again, Number 45 displays the “many people” tell of a liar)…



…and Sam and the TMR crew tell us about Dem U.S. House Rep Katie Porter of CA going after the director of the census over the RNC’s typically disgusting mailer disguised as a census form…



Update 2/27/20: Uh, yeah...the Trump Gang is approaching this with all of the "seriousness" you'd expect from these cretins (and a pox on our news organizations with initials for names also - here).

…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about AOC bringing some facts to the discussion on “The View” versus trust fund baby Meghan McCain…



…and Thom Hartmann tells us about viruses released from climate change (and yeah, Thom, I think it’s all pretty damn insane too, and our relative inactivity in the face of all of this is craziest of all)…



...and happy belated 80th birthday to the one and only Smokey Robinson.

Tuesday Stuff

Rachel Maddow tells us about how it seems like all of Mango Mussolini’s financial escapades end up with someone in court being brought up on charges or some other kind of criminal-ish intrigue – if it walks like a duckski, talks like a duckski and quacks like a duckski…



…and my biggest issue with Amy Klobuchar is that she’s nothing but a ‘90s centrist Dem politician above all else, but yeah, it’s pretty damn sad when you go on Mexican TV and you don’t even know the president of Mexico (and I totally agree with David Doel also on his comments about Tom Steyer – I basically don’t take him seriously, so that’s why I’m giving him a bit of a pass on this)…



…and Michael Brooks brings us this segment on an interview Anderson Cooper had with Bernie Sanders – what a dump the Carville/Matalin pad is, huh?...”looks like a Fruit rollup” – way too damn funny, and true! (slightly NSFW)...



…and John I. talks with Dr. Sweta Chakraborty about the Coronavirus (a response in part to this typical idiocy)…



…and this “Now This” clip tells us about a man who opened a cannabis school (didn’t know there was such a thing) for African Americans in Michigan (also didn't know recreational weed was legal there) – interesting, and yes, it is an emerging industry…I understand there could be pitfalls, but on balance weed is less dangerous than alcohol, which is one argument in favor…haven’t forgotten that this is Black History Month, which to me is a little dated because EVERY month should be a “history” month for EVERYONE, but the concept is positive overall I’ll admit…



…and the title of this song is the question I ask myself virtually every day.

Friday Stuff

I’ll be honest – I’ve been a little hot and cold on Kyle Kulinski lately; I think he’s right on the money when it comes to policy and how it affects people, whether you’re talking about our economy as well as our overseas military presence, but his punditry is a little off-base as far as I’m concerned (can say that about a lot of folks I know), but I think he hit the proverbial bullseye here commenting on Chuck Todd(ler) and Bernie Sanders (“rationalizing the status quo” indeed)…



...I had the prior video in mind after seeing this...

Wow this is bad news for Bernie Sanders when he runs against three people at once in the general. pic.twitter.com/t5mxnMPLwu

— jordan (@JordanUhl) February 13, 2020

…and returning to Mango Mussolini, Robert Reich tells us about the five ways Number 45 has in no way “drained the swamp,” but if anything made it worse (and I’m sorry, but with hindsight – 20/20 I know – I think Nancy Pelosi blew it by not going after the Gropenfuhrer on emoluments)…



Update 2/19/20: Exactly.

…and Rachel Maddow interviews former H.R. McMaster aide and NSA adviser Fernando Cutz concerning the reprisal against Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (and Vindman’s brother, oddly enough – even the mob doesn’t go after your family) in response to the former Vindman’s testimony during the impeachment…



…and Brian Tyler Cohen explains how we shouldn’t feel even the slightest bit sorry for Generalissimo Trump’s AG Bill Barr, who is now what he always has been – nothing but a Repug “fixer”…



…and in the manner of Trump apologists, I thought Chris Hayes hit it out of the proverbial park in this commentary on Gym Jordan (this topic needs a lot more time than 2:35, but given that we’re talking about The Comcast Network, it’s amazing to me that Hayes accomplished what he did here)…



...and I now give you the latest installment of "This Day In Doomsy History" from 2/14/13; Chris Matthews was quite rightly castigated recently for his idiocy on Bernie Sanders, but I thought this was a well-done commentary about this subject (kind of tied a bit to the holiday too)…



...and here is a tune for this day in the calendar...



...and for the opposing point of view, I give you this :-).

Wednesday Stuff (updates)

Farron Cousins tells us that we should be concerned about the dregs of lesser Trumpistan letting their hero remain in An Oval Office even if he loses in November (which isn’t guaranteed, people – even more of a reason why we need to do what we can to prevent that awful possibility...Mango Mussolini actually winning somehow I mean)…



...with a Trump loss bringing an end to travesties such as the one noted in this video...



…and I know I’m a little behind the news cycle on the whole thing with Tweety mistaking Bernie Sanders for Che Guevara or something, but I think it’s important to note Kyle’s reaction here (and good for Chris Hayes to say something in response)…



…and as a bit of a counterpoint, I give you this clip from David Doel with a commendably human response from Sanders, with a great sum-up at the end…by the way, I saw Cenk Uygur point out that the Elizabeth Warren campaign brought on some Obama folks and her campaign has started to tank as a result – I’m definitely not a pundit, but I’m just passing along what I hear…I think the damn cables, MSNBC in particular, are crowding her out a bit at the expense of Klobuchar and Mayor Pete – if Warren can find a way to hang around and make a respectable showing on Super Tuesday and latch onto an issue that resonates, I think she’ll be OK, but I know that’s a big “if”…looks like Dem voters so far want to settle on what I would call half-baked candidates aside from Bernie, though it looks like “Malarkey Joe” may be on the way out, which is an ignominious end I realize…



Update: I support her of course, but I'm not sure this will give Warren the bounce she needs (love to be wrong); my instinct is that she needs to return to an economic populist message.

Update 2/14/20: OK, more like this (this too)...

At a time when the Too Big to Fail banks – and their profits – are bigger than ever, the Fed wants to weaken its oversight of banks. Vice Chair Quarles' proposal to undermine the bank examination process is dangerous. Chairman Powell should abandon it. https://t.co/ICHD4ua2pk

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 13, 2020

…and Sam Seder talks with investigative journalist Mike Ludwig about the danger posed by PFAS, which appears to be all over the place in our drinking water (terrific)…I have issues with Bri-Fi to be sure, but apparently he has tried to rally support against this (here) – more on the legislation referenced at the end of the clip is here…

…and tomorrow marks the third anniversary of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; the vacancy created by Scalia’s death led to the showdown between President Obama and #MidnightMoscowMitch over whether or not a hearing would be granted for Judge Merrick Garland, Obama’s nominee, and I’m pretty sure we all remember what happened – with this anniversary in mind, I give you the aforementioned Cenk on Scalia, Roberts, Kennedy and what happened to the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby decision (more here)…



…and sticking with election stuff (and again as a counterpoint to the prior clip), I thought this was a great “Now This” video on how voter suppression targets college students and African Americans…



…and John Lennon performed this tune 50 years ago today on the BBC’s “Top of the Pops” program (and I'm sure Yoko was peeking :-).

Friday Stuff

I thought this was an interesting “Now This” clip comparing the post-impeachment speeches of Bill Clinton and the Gropenfuhrer…



…and Ana and John of TYT talk about House Dem Speaker Nancy Pelosi rebutting Trump on the SOTU – I would have liked to have seen a little more “fire in the belly” too, and on a more frequent basis also I’ll admit…I understand Ana’s point that maybe Number 44 didn’t go for the big structural change that many of us wanted, but I never have a problem when somebody responds to typical Repug BS with actual facts – but yeah, we need more evangelism from Dems and less triangulation, if you will…



…and if it’s a day of the week with a “y” in it, then you can count on Mango Mussolini to degrade the presidency in disgusting new ways, which he does yet again here, giving Flush Limbore the Congressional Medal of Freedom (and despite what he would wish for us, I also wish for him to have good health…NSFW)…



…and I hope you’re in the mood for a bit of Friday funk, because here it comes.

Wednesday Stuff (updates)

I agree with the assessment that this ad is quite good, though I still have a sick feeling that the Gropenfuhrer will get away with it…



…and I missed this great Lincoln Project ad on Cory Gardner from a few weeks ago (someone else who will no doubt vote to acquit), so here it is now…



…and I don’t have divine insight into what happened into the Iowa caucuses – apparently Mayor Pete and Bernie did OK and Elizabeth Warren is still in the picture but “Malarkey” Joe is having problems – but if most voters fit the profile of the woman in this video, then that would explain a few things, and not in a good way…



…and RIP Andy Gill of Gang of Four.

Update: There will never be another (here) - all hail the man who broke the blacklist, along with Otto Preminger.



Also, concerning the day's top story, I also posted here.

Monday Stuff

Robert Greenwald brings us another great Brave New Films clip about just how much the Gropenfuhrer is soaking the U.S. taxpayers as part of his presidential grift; disgusting that our lapdog corporate media, for the most part, refuses to hold him to account for this behavior…



…and john I and Brett Erlich tells us about Mango Mussolini’s typically gonzo interpretation of Article 2 of the Constitution, aided and abetted by Alan Dershowitz (and in a related Super Bowl vein, this is probably worth a cheap laugh or two – and by the way, congrats to Andy Reid and the Chiefs)…



…and oh yeah, does anyone besides Kyle K. and me remember the Afghan war?...



…and speaking of world matters, I had this tune very much in mind after reading this, and this.

Friday Stuff

Yeah, I know about the vote, and yeah, I know we can’t do anything in PA about “No Corporate Tax” Pat Toomey until 2022 – heckuva job, all you Keystone State numbskulls who voted for this soulless, craven shill.

Well, maybe there IS a thing or two we can do, such as continuing to replay this clip (and also to do something about Bri-Fi in the House, who also voted in favor of Trump…more here)…



..and John I., David Dayen and Jayar Jackson of TYT bring us up to speed (haven’t seen John this PO’ed before, and he’s spot-on, as is Dayen especially at about 15:00...and oh yeah, let's not forget about #SidekickSue either)…



…and kudos to the reporter who got after Repug U.S. House Rep (and pal of Mango Mussolini) Lee Zeldin here…



...and I can think of no more appropriate tune for this sorry occasion of pre-Trump-acquittal than this one.

Thursday Stuff

Yeah, there's some wingnut mythology going on here, particularly concerning Barry Goldwater, but I have to admit that this was a pretty good ad against Repug U.S. Senator Martha McSally...as I and other have said before, the Repugs have no trouble going for the jugular when they think they have to...Dems should learn that lesson at long last – more here...



...and kudos once again to Dem U.S. House Rep (and impeachment manager) Adam Schiff for turning the tables on the "party of Lincoln" with this reference...



…and Farron Cousins tells us how the regime of Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator is trying to gag government employees (particularly hilarious to hear them invoke The Hatch Act given this)…



…and I would say that “They’re not even bothering to lie to us any more” is about as damning of an indictment of this regime of fools and grifters as anyone can imagine (re, a Wisconsin family farmer saying he can’t take four more years of the Gropenfuhrer and his pals)…



...and happy 90th birthday to the one and only Gene Hackman (the only Marine I ever saw who could go toe-to-toe with the late Lee Ermey)...



…and to me, the title of this song sums up what I feel should be the next step in the Gropenfuhrer’s impeachment - sure it won't happen though (though, to be honest, it’s always a good time to hear SRV whatever the reason – check out his two-handed strumming at about 2:30-2:40…incredible).

Tuesday Stuff

If you’re like me, you probably had no idea what the “public charge rule” is, though, if it has anything whatsoever to do with immigration, you can rely on Mango Mussolini to try and wreck it, as Farron Cousins tells us, aided and abetted by the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR (yeah, it’s all about keeping out the darker-skinned “other” again)…



…and Brett Erlich and John I. discuss Ayanna Pressley taking on Betsy DeVos over the latter’s particularly stupid and fatuous remark about a pro-choice woman supporting slavery…



…and this is something a bit welcoming and uplifting with all of the insanity currently engulfing us (yeah, maybe a bit of mythology going on here, but I think it’s substantively true)…



…and apparently this guy is not due to come to a venue in these parts this year, which is kind of a drag because I thought this was a neat little tune.

Monday Stuff

Wouldn’t it be a kick if “Blow ‘Em Up” Bolton ended up sinking the Gropenfuhrer and his minions in pursuit of a lucrative book deal? Apropos for all of these bottom feeders to eat each other like this, as John I. tells us…



Update: Hey, Ari Ari Bobari, The House DID call John Bolton to testify (here - h/t @Atrios), but Our Treasonous, Tiny Handed Orange Dictator wouldn’t let him (here).

STOP LYING!!!

…and Brian Tyler Cohen reminds us that, if you ever find yourself needing legal representation, Alan Dershowitz is probably the LAST person you should seek out…



…and sometimes stuff happens that kind of stops you in your tracks, and I would say that the tragic news about Kobe Bryant definitely qualifies – he grew up in Lower Merion, PA, and he was the son of La Salle's legendary player and former Sixer Joe Bryant, though with all due respect, Kobe far outpaced his father on the court…so many life lessons to recall and celebrate…definitely the kind of once-in-a-generation talent who you rooted against when he didn’t play for your team, though you respected him as an elite player, and based on this clip, an elite person also…



…and happy belated 65th birthday to Eddie Van Halen.

Friday Stuff

Leave it the Roger Ailes BS Factory to do what it does best, and that's to try and de-legitimize the impeachment of Generalissimo Trump every way possible, as John I. and Jayar Jackson tell us…



…and I realize some of this “Now This” clip on Adam Schiff’s remarks at the impeachment trial is repetitive from the recent Brian Tyler Cohen clip (going up against Mango Mussolini’s lawyers) but I think it needs to be pointed out again…



…and I’m sure Susan Collins will be very disappointed to hear about this attack ad on her kow-towing to #MidnightMitch and the Gropenfuhrer (with Mika, Joe Scar and Rick Wilson…oh, and by the way, let’s cut it out with some of the Repug hagiography especially concerning Olympia Snowe…I’m a little uncomfortable with a Never Trumper like Rick Wilson who once invoked bin Laden in an attack campaign ad against former Dem GA Senator and disabled Vietnam vet Max Cleland, but Wilson is trying to move the ball the right way, you might say, to be fair…for now)…



…and I’ve absolutely had it with Tulsi Gabbard – I don’t care if she’s a veteran or not…yeah, HRC is acting like she’s some kind of Dem elder stateswoman or something and as far as I’m concerned, she definitely doesn’t have that kind of clout, but Gabbard’s lawsuit against her is beyond a joke (here)…here is a repeat of a TYT clip about Gabbard voting “Present” in the House on the impeachment of Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator (and as far as Gabbard sucking up to Fix Noise is concerned, take a look at all of the YouTube videos of her being interviewed by the previously mentioned Roger Ailes’ propaganda network…if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and quacks like a duck)…



…and Robert Reich and Inequality Media have made a lot of fine videos, but this may be the best of them all (about rebuilding our democracy by voting)…



…and to me, the title of this song is an apt explanation for all of the self-inflicted misery the Trump gang is wallowing in at the moment.

Wednesday Stuff

Brian Tyler Cohen tells us all about the idiotic, disprovable lies from Mango Mussolini’s legal defense team during the impeachment trial…



…and it seems like #MidnightMitch was in favor of impeachment trial witnesses before he was against them, you might say, as noted here…



…and Thom Hartmann tells us of one of two outcomes that may come from this (I think Thom means Trump losing control of Repugs in the Senate, not the House…and I think what Thom says at the very end is exactly why the Senate Repugs will continue to toe the line…given the Gropenfuhrer’s still rabid base and their fawning, idiotic idolatry of Our Orange Pestillence, I don’t see any Repug senators doing ANYTHING in response)…



…and oh yeah, it looks like the “ammo-sexuals” were at it again recently in VA, as Chris Hayes tells us…



…and I’m genuinely saddened to hear of the passing of Terry Jones, but he suffered for a long time and he doesn’t have to deal with that any more…in addition to being an hilariously funny member of the Pythons of course (along with the rest of the usual lot), he was also a thoroughly accomplished historian and spoke out eloquently against Dubya’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Iraq…RIP (here)…



…and I realize this tune was written in another context, but given the Chris Hayes clip, I think it fits (two Beatle-related tunes on consecutive days…can I stand it?? :-).

Tuesday Stuff

To mark the 10th anniversary of the truly terrible Citizens United ruling, I bring you once more this Special Comment from Keith Olbermann that aired after this calamitous decision was announced (more here and here)…



…and here is a clip from 2014 of former Dem Sen. Al Franken talking with Lawrence O’Donnell about the ruling, along with a report at the very end on the fight against ISIS (kind of painful to see how a real president acts versus the clown we’re stuck with now)…



…and with Mango Mussolini in mind, Robert Reich (in another encore video) tells us how Citizens United led us to Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Russian Operative (one way to fight back is to click here)…



…and if you’re looking for the lowest common denominator in all of this, I think this tune sums it all up.

Monday Stuff

More revelations continue to come out about the Gropenfuhrer from the new book by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig of the WaPo, and this time it has to do with our Russian operative in An Oval Office showing that he’s incapable of reading the Constitution, as Farron Cousins tell us…



…and as far as Florida Repugs are concerned, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, voting is a privilege, not a right (I must have been asleep for that lesson in civics class…and yeah, it’s all about making sure only the “R”s are able to cast their ballots of course)…



…and Ana and John I. of TYT tell us how the big banks are funding the climate crisis…



…and I thought this was an appropriate tune in recognition of the holiday.