CNN and Jake Tapper report on the recent hacking into our infrastructure by the Russians, which, when all is said and done, may turn out to be the more important “Russia-gate,” if you will (“The perpetrators...got into everyone’s home,” according to Dem U.S. House Rep Jim Himes...terrific – I think Himes is a pretty bright guy and I generally trust him; THIS should be the big news story, you might say, as opposed to Toomey, RoJo and other stupid Republicans quibbling over whether people out of work from COVID should get a $600 or a $900 payout...about the bounties Russia allegedly put on our troops – the last I heard on that was that it wasn’t substantiated by our military leadership, which is good I’ll admit, so I’m not sure why Himes is mentioning that now – not a time to score political points given a story of this magnitude, even at the expense of Combover Caligula)...
...and once more, to support Jon Ossoff running against the corrupt David Perdue, and Raphael Warnock running against the at-least-just-as-bad Kelly Loeffler, click here...
...and it sounds like the SCOTUS recently took a pass on the Trumpian garbage policy of trying to deduct undocumented immigrants from the census; the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR dismissed a challenge to Trump’s awful policy in an unsigned opinion with Breyer, Kagan and Sotomayor dissenting (I’m sure we’re likely to see a lot of 6-3 decisions like this...hopefully this Trumpian idiocy will be overturned by the incoming Biden Administration)...
...and under the heading of acrimonious presidential transitions, I though this was an interesting Rachel Maddow segment about the handoff between Herbert Hoover and FDR...
Apparently, CNN’s John Harwood wrote a column alleging that Mango Mussolini may try to sink David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia special elections as a way to get back at Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao for the majority leader’s recognition of Joe Biden as president-elect; that’s a nice thought, but I don’t think we should assume anything and just support Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock as if we’re 10 points down at least (to do so, click here; Kyle K. has more – a brief NSFW/H moment)...
...and with the GA special elections in mind, this makes me wonder how the hell David Perdue was even elected to the U.S. Senate in the first place...
...and this clip from David Pakman gives us more information on the COVID-19 bill that is apparently still in the works (and again, the only reason Turtle McConnnell is making any noise at all about this is to try and influence the outcome in GA)...it should be beyond obvious by now that the Repugs absolutely don’t care if “the rabble” live or die, and as flawed as the Dems are, they have to operate on this thoroughly skewed playing field, which is that way primarily because of the south and west and rural voters (“being cheap is really expensive” indeed...interesting point about spending more $$ up front on relief that allows people to buy more in bulk and save $$ as well as doing a better job of controlling the COVID spread than we’ve done thus far)...
…and why does it not surprise me in the least that “No Corporate Tax” Pat Toomey (R-Elevator) managed to gum up the works, as noted here?...
...and in the matter of the COVID-19 vaccine, Rachel Maddow tells us that 71% of those polled want to be immunized, and of course the Trump White House just started working on some kind of communications plan a couple of days ago, apparently...heckuva job...yet another weird MSNBC video edit...oh, and since we’re talking about the cabal of Our Treasonous Orange Pustule, OF COURSE that means that they screwed up the rollout/delivery, as noted here...
...and I’m definitely not the biggest fan of Nicolle Wallace (a typical clunky intro from her to invoke Caribou Barbie, who Steve Schmidt helped back in the day), but apparently Schmidt is now officially a member of the Democratic Party...politics is full of people changing allegiances for whatever reasons – glad to have Schmidt on board...
...and here are more seasonal selections, including the Florin Street Band clip which was produced 10 years ago, believe it or not (only a week until the "big man" arrives...ho ho ho).
(If you click on the image, it's easier to see the wording...definitely fits.)
OK, last I checked, there was still a bit of wrangling going on about whatever package Congress may or may not pass to help people in dire straits related to COVID, as noted here ($900?$600? Really? That’s it??!!), both from a health perspective and economically – I don’t know anything about this commentator (NSFW/H at end), but he makes a great point about Stephanie Ruhle and that nonsense attack on Bernie Sanders...there are a lot of reasons why only 7 of 400-something bills that Sanders sponsored or possibly co-sponsored didn’t get signed into law, but again, since we’re talking about that allegedly scary socialist, there’s a different set of media rules...again, I don’t know anything about the guy in this video, but boy, is he right to lay the blame of the thus-far failed stimulus negotiations at the feet of Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao (I say the only reason why he cares about this at all is to try and help Perdue and Loeffler in Georgia)...
...and speaking of the January Senate contests, John and Frederick Joseph have more on GA's early voting, as well as Loeffler posing with the KKK guy...oopsie! (and this guy Joseph should assume ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about how the Repugs will or won’t turn out to vote – always assume worst case...I trust John’s instinct on this; to help Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, click here)...
...and David Doel tells us about this life form named Paul Alexander who was telling the HHS Department to push “herd immunity,” regardless of the costs (here); even if the hearings come after January 20th, we should have them over the catastrophic failure of the Trump regime in response to the COVID pandemic, and this guy should be front and center in the middle of everything...
...and I wanted to wring Gary Peters’ neck more than a few times over the last year (and as far as I’m concerned, he should make a pilgrimage to Detroit once a month since those folks saved his butt in November), but he did a good job standing up to that clown RoJo in that “kangaroo court” hearing on the election (here)...
The trail of ooze from Repug U.S. Senator David Perdue gets more odious by the day; to help Jon Ossoff running versus Perdue, along with the Rev. Raphael Warnock running to unseat the also-awful Kelly Loeffler, click here...
...and this “Now This” clip tells us about the wave of eviction notices set to go through the proverbial roof as of 12/31/20...and all the while, that death eater Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao chooses to do nothing...yet another reason to support Ossoff and Warnock in the GA special elections on 1/5/21...
...and Cenk and Ana tell us that longtime Repug fixer Bill Barr is out as the Gropenfuhrer’s AG; I think Cenk’s analysis here is pretty spot-on...thankfully the Biden vote was so huuuge, you might say, or else Barr and McConnell would have tried to find a way to fix the outcome, but that was a proverbial bridge too far, even for Barr...in addition to Barr’s garbage related to the impeachment and the Mueller Report (and clearing out the Lafayette Square protestors so Combover Caligula could hold that Bible, badly), let’s not forget that Barr goes back also to covering up during Iran-Contra and the days of The Sainted Ronnie R...
...and though there have been plenty of examples of utter, disgusting cowardice in the antics after last month’s vote, a few people in my mind have stood tall; one is Gabriel Sterling in Georgia, and PA AG Josh Shapiro is certainly another one – so spot-on with his observations about getting rid of the electoral college (along with Joy Reid) and that ridiculous lawsuit by Texas AG Ken Paxton, which was just a stunt to try and wangle a pardon from Our Soon-To-Be-Departing Russian Operative of a *President...and don’t get me started on those 126 methane dispensers in the U.S. House Repug caucus that signed that equally seditious amicus brief, as noted here...
...and Farron Cousins tells us about the Parler idiocy in support of Our Orange Pustule, calling for a “civil war”...and please, by all means, they should boycott the GA elections in January to “own the libs”...and yes, I realize some of the people Cousins is talking about actually DO need help, but I think they also need to take a number and sit down while we deal with more immediate priorities, such as the crisis of separated families on our border...
...and Kyle tells us that Foxconn in Wisconsin (emphasis on “con,” apparently) went down the drain, with 13K promised jobs turning out to yield only about 231...
...well, in spite of all of this misery, I'm going to try and keep things upbeat somewhat with these seasonal selections, including a regional weather forecast - enjoy.
This ABC News report from Sunday tells us about the rollout, at long last, of the COVID vaccine nation-wide - actually, this is a stunning achievement when you consider how long it usually takes to conduct clinical trials and get regulatory approval for medications...and the system is set up that way for good reasons...and when it comes to COVID-related idiocy, I don't think it's a surprise that FL Repug Guv Ron "DeathSantis" is involved (here)...
...and returning to more political COVID fallout, John and Brett Erlich tell us that Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao continues to do everything humanly possible to make sure victims of the health care and economic crises don’t get a damn thing from the U.S. Senate; the only way this will change is to vote in Ossoff and Warnock (help by clicking here - and of course, AOC is the only one of our politicos talking about actual reality..."Your check is not worth your life," indeed.)...
...and this item is a few days old I know, but Farron Cousins tells us about a group called Lawyers Defending American Democracy (about 1500 people) that wrote a letter calling for sanctions against the legal team of Our Treasonous Orange Pustule for their ridiculous antics to try and overturn the election...
...and Vaush tells us that, as her legacy of sorts, Tulsi Gabbard is trying to pass what is basically a sports anti-trans bill (very NSFW/H...typically disgusting for Gabbard to be making common cause with Kelly Loeffler on her way out the door...Gabbard I mean, but hopefully Loeffler too...first 17:20 or so is setup)...
...and here are more seasonal selections (along with this).
What a shame “Mitch’s Tears” weren’t for the people in this country losing their health and potentially their lives from the COVID plague, as well as those facing economic hardship and potential catastrophe; if you’re not a big “bundler” for Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao, then you don’t exist as far as he’s concerned (and once more, heckuva job, all you biped life forms in Kentucky who just sent him back to D.C. for six more years of utter misery – a related post is here)...
...and even when I disagreed with him, I always gave the late PA Senator Arlen Specter credit for letting everyday people tell their stories in his ads; I think Jon Ossoff is taking a page out of that book here (to help Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in the January 5th Georgia runoff U.S. Senate election, click here...related posts on Warnock's opponent Kelly Loeffler are here and here.)...
...and this MSNBC report tells us about more violence encouraged by soon-to-be-departing Mango Mussolini (discussion with former FBI agent Clint Watts – yeah, tell me again what a threat Antifa is by comparison...once again, Brian Kilmeade of Fix Noise shows that he's dumber than a bag of rocks)..
...and Tiffany Cross and CBS Reporter Wesley Lowery tell us one thing Mango Mussolini apparently has a thing for now, and that is reviving federal executions, especially when minorities are involved (I admit that I've always been wishy-washy on the death penalty; I think it's generally applied poorly in this country, but I also don't feel like I have the right to tell a family or friends of someone who has been murdered in a crime that they don't have the right to seek that as a remedy...and after the Dems were apparently flummoxed in the 2020 elections over "defund the police" - again, I think that's a terrible slogan, but they should have been prepared for the push-back - I don't think you'll see them come anywhere near this issue, and we KNOW where Republicans stand on this)...
...and RIP country music legend Charley Pride, another COVID casualty (here)...
...and here are more seasonal selections (starting with a guy who I'm sure crossed musical paths with Pride back in the day).
David Doel tells us about a crack, however small, that’s starting to form in the wall of Fix Noise’s bedrock conservative viewership...but don’t worry; it looks like the lizard-brained humanoids ingesting the bile of The Roger Ailes BS Factory are merely looking for a crazier venue to help reinforce their twisted worldview...
......and K.O. brings us the news that the SCOTUS threw out that ridiculous lawsuit brought by the Gropenfuhrer and his minions to try and get the electoral results tossed in GA, PA, WI and MI (and as for these cretins, I’m formulating some kind of a response, but I admit that I don’t know what it will be yet...and this isn't surprising I know - to do something about it, click here)...
...and Chris Hayes brings us further commentary (I wholeheartedly agree with Dem U.S. Rep Bill Pascrell of NJ in the matter of not seating these traitors, as noted here, but the Dem congressional “leadership” has a way of caving on its alleged principles, so I’m not holding out hope..."A 9/11 every day for the next 2-3 months"...now try explaining to me why the hell I should EVER vote for a Republican again!)...
...and returning somewhat to the theme of the initial video here (re, media idiocy), John, Francesca and Mark Thompson tell us about Sidney Powell and Lou Dobbs and what they have in mind to try and breathe further life into this metaphorical corpse which is emblematic of Combover Caligula’s dying *presidency...
...and going from the ridiculous to the sublime (at least as far as I'm concerned), happy 80th to Dionne Warwick...
...and here are more seasonal selections (starting with another music legend sharing this birthday).
Rachel Maddow reports on Texas AG Ken Paxton’s ridiculous lawsuit to curry a pardon from Our Treasonous Orange Pustule, with Paxton facing charges of bribery and securities fraud (Texas vs. PA, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Wisconsin on Biden’s win in November, with Paxton' suit supported by 17 Republican-controlled states...when John Cornyn, of all people, actually looks like a statesman, you’ve definitely gone beyond the proverbial water’s edge...apparently 20 states support the 4 Paxton Is trying to sue, and as noted here, 106 Republican House members signed off on an amicus brief in support of Paxton – I wish I had the time to post on every single one of these lowlifes and point them out for the utter idiots that they are, but alas, I don’t...at least Bri-Fi had the good sense to stay clear of this, though he’s been wacky on other fronts of course)...
...and as K.O. points out, PA AG Josh Shapiro nailed this Paxton stunt for exactly what it is (and God Almighty, these Trumpian lunatics actually went all the way back to citing Brown v. Board in 1954 – in a lunatic logic kind of way, that actually makes sense, since that ruling was, in many ways, the genesis of movement conservatism’s outrage)...
...and Farron Cousins tells us that we need to remember politicians who supported direct stimulus payments from the beginning for the next election, as well as those who've opposed of course (sorry, though – I’ve been plenty pissed off with Nancy Pelosi also, but Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao is a whole other level of evil...if you want to go after a House Dem, here is a better candidate for that as far as I’m concerned)...
...and I think this segment goes on for about five minutes too long, but Kyle is substantively right...Ro Khanna talks with Laura Ingraham, of all people, about drawing down our military presence all over the world, with Kyle criticizing Aaron Rupar who went after Khanna, though I think it’s pretty rich for Kyle to criticize SOMEBODY ELSE on purity tests – Khanna is one of the very few politicians I don’t have an issue with when it comes to media appearances because, whenever I see him, he’s always prepared and acquits himself well in these situations (NSFW/H)...
Farron Cousins tells us about some Republican grifter in Arizona who pretty much asks people in that state who support 45 if they’re willing to die for Mango Mussolini (re, his ridiculously more feeble attempts to hang onto power despite the mounting court losses and the near-certification of all results, at least I think that’s where we’re at right now)...
...and more or less in response, I give you this from K.O...
...and related to the Gropenfuhrer (but by no means confined to him alone), Chris Hayes brings probably as much fury as he’s allowed to communicate as an employee of The Comcast Network over this country’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic (yep, I think “depraved indifference” captures it...no, the Dems haven’t covered themselves in glory either on this, but never forget this also)...
...and on the subject of grifting Republicans, I give you more on David Perdue, who feathered his own proverbial nest while the constituents of his state suffered – to help Jon Ossoff running against Perdue, as well as Raphael Warnock running against the equally odious Kelly Loeffler, click here...
...and here are more seasonal selections, including a tune to recognize the "celebration of lights" which begins tonight.
“Gulp,” indeed! (and this is from the White House Coronavirus Task Force – don’t know how it escaped the purview of Combover Caligula; maybe they hid it under a bag of Big Macs and some large Cokes)...
...and in a related story, it looks like Florida Repug Gov. Ron DeSantis sent out his jackbooted storm troopers with guns drawn after Rebehak Jones, which of course was necessary against this five-foot-six-or-seven inch lady scientist who of course is so threatening with her reporting and data and actual facts and stuff...removing my tongue from my cheek – to help with the web site she maintains to compile COVID-related data in The Sunshine State, click here - update is here...
...and John and Francesca tell us about another COVID-related development that may get the attention of the MAGA crowd; namely, that this is a super-charged vascular disorder that can cause related problems, including impotence (yeah, so basically, shit just got real for these life forms)...
...and let’s not forget about the Georgia special U.S. Senate elections in January (as if we can somehow, I know) – to help Jon Ossoff and especially Raphael Warnock vs. Kelly Loeffler (stop her before she does more monotonous droning of RNC and Frank-Luntz-approved talking points!), click here...
...and here are more seasonal selections (starting with a tune that takes on a whole new COVID-related meaning, I would say).
I would call this a bit of “tough love” from our friends up north, though it’s completely called for IMHO – would that politicians in this country were so direct (the “D” party does what it can I know, though I guess that's debatable, but the “R” party has pretty much taken a flyer, you might say, when it comes to common sense on this issue, as noted here)...
...and on this same subject, John and Brett Erlich tell us that The Swanson TV Dinner Heir basically told his audience to pretty much just die and deal with it...
...and David Doel tells us that Rick Santelli recently had a snit with Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC since Santelli was mad because indoor dining isn’t available due to COVID restrictions (keeping up with the theme of media idiocy – hard to garner sympathy for Sorkin I have to say, and we know what happened the last time Santelli went nuts on the air, though that was all staged of course – here)...
...and RIP Philadelphia Phillies legend Dick Allen (he also played for the Chicago White Sox) – I thought this was a pretty darn good overview of his career (he didn't make it to the HOF, which is a damn shame actually, though he may get in now); I’d forgotten just how good he was, and Dave Sims is right about the crap he had to put up with at that time, though I wish to emphasize that the Phillies as an organization, to say nothing of the fans, have come light years ahead of all of that...a little lost with some of the statistical acronyms, I have to admit...clip on Allen goes until about 4:45 – I’m sure it will be noted how much Allen gave back to the community, as well as being a maturing influence to players like Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski and Larry Bowa, who were brand new at around the time Allen’s career was winding down...
...and here are more seasonal selections...
...and I have to admit that this news story felt somewhat like a corkscrew to my heart, as somebody once said, though yeah, I realize it’s Dylan’s right to do what he wants with his catalogue...
...and concerning perhaps Dylan’s most famous devotee, I can't believe it's actually been 40 years, but it has (here - great remembrance by Will Bunch here).
Thom Hartmann discusses with a caller from Arizona the brainwashing that takes place from conservative media to its listeners, including Fix Noise of course, with talk radio in particular being a particularly awful offender...
...and in a related vein, Rachel Maddow points out how Mango Mussolini's outrage machine, which of course preys on gullible, donating saps, has turned out to be a cash cow...
...and It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like (a COVID) Christmas, as Brett Erlich and Nando Vila tell us (I’ve tried to avoid anything whatsoever to do with Kayleigh McEnany because I think she’s a certifiable psychotic, in addition to a typical garden variety liar for this regime, but yeah, that answer about burning stuff down, or whatever that idiocy was, was pretty bonkers)...
...and speak of the devil, it looks like Rudy has "the 'rona" (here)...
...and apparently Kelly Loeffler did her very best impression of a Stepford Wife reciting RNC talking points last night at that debate (here); to help Raphael Warnock running against her as well as Jon Ossoff versus David Perdue in the GA Senate elections, click here...
This Now This clip tells us about an ICU nurse whose mom decided to be a “good Samaritan” and pick up someone hitch hiking apparently (which you should NEVER do, by the way), and the person hitch hiking had COVID and ended up infecting the entire family, including the father who died – ugh; prayers for recovery to everyone (it’s turning out that, based on the body of evidence so far, that this thing may be a super-charged vascular disorder, and if you’re taking statins or blood pressured meds, that may help, though that definitely isn’t a cure-all, I wish to emphasize)...
...and for the utterly insane perspective on this, I give you Gov. Kristi ("Unsafe At Any Speed") Noem of South Dakota (just what the world needs - another clueless, entitled Republican)...
Update 12/8/20: Great related post by Mark Sumner of Daily Kos here...
...and speaking of the “party of Lincoln,” Farron Cousins tells us that U.S. Senate Republicans want to freeze the pay of federal workers in 2021 during an economic shutdown – if you’re not rich and you vote for these clowns anyway, you’re stoo-pid...
...and David Doel tells us about a Florida Republican attorney telling people how they can go to Georgia and vote for incumbent U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, basically committing voter fraud for real (to help Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in their contests, click here)...
...and RIP David L. Lander, with a bit of a seasonal item from Lenny and the Squigtones...
...and today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of cool jazz legend Dave Brubeck; I'm going to resist the most obvious musical selection for now (and happy 87th to this guy too).
This is a comparatively short (and highly NSFW/H) video from K.O. with the entirely correct response aimed at anybody who wants to, as Keith puts it, “give martial law a try”...
...and I can’t imagine 2022 or (God knows) 2024 at this point, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Repugs are trying to come up with some new election scam, especially since, as Thom Hartmann points out in this clip, Jeb Bush was ready to sign off on this scheme to have Repug legislatures decide how electors should vote in 2000, but the Supreme Court did his dirty work for him...just another reason to get rid of the damn electoral college once and for all...
...and speaking of corruption, Farron Cousins tells us that Mango Mussolini and his equally wormy son-in-law benefitted by more than $3 million in PPP loans through the CARES Act earlier this year...
...and yeah, “vote for the better Georgia” indeed; to help Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the upcoming January runoff U.S. Senate elections, click here...
...and don't think "chicken" Perdue should get a pass here either by any means...
...and I have to admit that I don't know what happened in the NY-11 election this year in which incumbent Dem Max Rose was defeated, but at least he used his opportunity as he departed to do good...
This Meidas Touch ad ties QAnon lunatic Marjorie Taylor Greene, recently elected to the U.S. House from Georgia, to incumbent Republican U.S. Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, with nary a word of reproach from either one; to be fair, I know Greene endorsed Loeffler, but I haven’t found anything similar on Perdue, though the worst issue with Perdue and Loeffler is their corruption of course...to support Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock for the U.S. Senate, click here...
...and I linked to a story yesterday about the latest utter freak show of a public hearing with the “mayor of 9/11” and the Wayne County, Michigan canvassing board I believe, but here is a video with the alleged “star witness,” this Victoria Jackson knockoff as someone described her, who apparently has her own issues – womp womp – as Brian Tyler Cohen tells us...
Update 12/5/20: Of everything I genuinely hate about the Trump era, maybe what I detest the most is their almost other-worldly ability to continually find these human miseries like Carone who are all too happy for their moment in the spotlight and the chance to do the bidding for Our Treasonous Orange Pustule (here).
...and John and Jayar of The Damage Report tell us how the utterly pathetic Dem U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (and I don't care how much he wins; he's a misogynist jerk) is STILL going after AOC and STILL looking stoo-pid as a result (the “munchkin” discussion at the end was disturbing, I have to admit).
(And by the way, I realize AOC doesn’t need help with this, but I’d personally like to see a non-squad member on the “D” team actually come to her defense once in awhile when this garbage happens. That’s what people who actually support one another do from time to time...un-freaking-believable!...and here is another example.)...
...and this Now This clip shows Janet Yellen, nominated by the incoming Biden administration as Treasury Secretary, with recent remarks of how she intends to conduct business; yep, the grownups are back in charge at the White House for sure (and this gives you the other extreme with the Trumpworld version...basically, aspiring Bond villain Steve Mnuchin is trying to transfer CARES Act funds, roughly about $400 billion, back into the general fund in violation of the law, which doesn't allow for that until 2026; Mnuchin is doing this to make it harder for Biden and co. to get the $$ for recovery, forcing the incoming administration to negotiate with that death eater Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao, who of course will refuse to budge)...
Robert Reich tells us of U.S. House and Senate Republicans (including our wet noodle PA-01 rep) utterly failing in the test of standing up to Our Traitorous Orange Weasel, though there are some rare exceptions like former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and election security head Chris Krebs (and apparently the “Mayor of 9/11” gave another utterly bonkers briefing, or something, to try and overturn certified election results).
(And speaking of illegal voting, isn't this just too precious?)...
...and concerning the Gropenfuhrer’s biggest failure among MANY, by far, Rachel Maddow speaks with science author Laurie Garrett, one of the people who has been absolutely correct about the COVID plague all along; this has to do with data compiled by HHS as opposed to the CDC (“Instead, we should think of this data as garbage.” – good God! And yet another utterly ridiculous edit of an MSNBC video; we need to hear SO MUCH MORE from Garrett on this)...
...and David Pakman tells us that Trump wants to bring back firing squads and the electric chair (and make chicken processing less safe, increasing the risk of food borne illness...he should just come right out and say he wants to kill more of us and be honest about it)...
...and Sam, Jamie and Emma Vigeland talk about Kelly Loeffler’s new ad where (of course) she supports school choice and allegedly knows something about running a business, and apparently they found an African American woman from central casting to speak about Loeffler in a positive light...WHAAAAA???? (to help Jon Ossoff running against the even-more-corrupt David Perdue and Raphael Warnock running against Loeffler, click here)...
Apparently Cenk and Ana of The Young Turks are going off again on Democrats capitulating on a COVID-19 relief bill allegedly brokered by the trio of Nancy Pelosi, our soon-to-be-departing Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Russian Operative of a *president, and Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao in the U.S. Senate (I'll include a link to a video when I find it).
I realize this is the rather predictable dance that we go through when it comes to any proposed legislation that, y’know, actually benefits real people (about 99 percent of this country) as opposed to the fraction of 1 percent that our government seems to enact at a moment’s notice. And usually I reserve comment on it, but I have to admit that I’m getting a little tired of it and I feel like I have to say something.
By the way, what I say here isn’t meant to absolve the Democratic “leadership.” This is part of the price that they pay for the absolutely atrocious job they do of not fighting enough for the people who need their help and the horrible job they do with messaging on the issues where they’re supposed to be providing solutions. And as for McConnell, hell, he doesn’t even bother to negotiate with Democrats on legislation! On whatever this most recent “skinny” bill of COVID relief allegedly is (I’ve lost count at this point), he consulted with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and left it up to the Democrats to reach out to the Trump gang on their own.
That tells you how seriously McConnell treats the Democrats. And he can afford to do this because he knows he will NEVER pay an electoral price for this (part of the reason why I honestly can’t understand how McConnell’s voters can sleep at night or even look at themselves in the mirror, but I know they do somehow. And yes, I know Amy McGrath ran a stunningly inept, “Republican lite” campaign, and she might have lost anyway running as a progressive also, but at least she would have gone down fighting).
Oh, and on this and so many other issues, our corporate media is beyond useless. I read a New York Times alleged “analysis” of this issue yesterday (COVID-19 economic relief, with a byline that included FIVE WRITERS!) and the article was as clear as mud. I read that dreck and learned absolutely nothing. And I’m not going to bother to link to it because I don’t want to reward them with click bait (though, given the miniscule profile of this blog I know, it would be a low number of hits).
I’ll tell you what – here is the latest information I have on what the Dems have proposed and what the Republicans are countering with (you might have better luck clicking on this image in your browser to make it easier to read):
If you can provide a similar breakdown somewhere from our corporate media cousins, please let me know, because I haven’t found it.
The argument from Cenk and Ana is that the Dems are caving again even though the Biden/Harris administration is due to be sworn in on 1/20/21 and the Senate is currently still up for grabs (which is true – David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are certainly beatable, but defeating one or both of them is by no means a certainty, though I give Stacey Abrams credit for putting up a good fight - click here to help Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock...if this were all up to Schumer, given his abysmal track record, I’d be writing both off as losses right now).
I know I’m taking awhile to get to the point, and I apologize, but the crux of what I’m trying to say is this...PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW! And I honestly believe McConnell gets his jollies over that, again, especially given that he apparently will NEVER pay an electoral price for it. This is a desperate situation for the following already-stated reasons:
The Democrats are rotten negotiators (I’ll cede Cenk and Ana’s point on that).
They also don’t have enough courage of their convictions to fight for what they believe in (and when someone who DOES comes along, like AOC, instead of being promoted, she’s vilified...this point has also been made by the Rev. William Barber, among others).
Republicans (led by McConnell) are utterly heartless monsters who don’t have a molecule of compassion for people who need help (and you would think that would make a difference particularly during this time of year and given the pandemic...you would think).
We have a departing *president who only wants to further trash the institutions of government and punish as many people as he can on his way out the door.
We also have way too many damn voters in this country who think bullets 3 and 4 are just okey dokey.
We have a beyond-useless corporate media that, in the name of preserving “balance,” is absolutely unwilling or unable to perform the task of objective reporting and analysis and thus inform readers so they make decisions that are in their best interests.
Given all of this, though, I think the Dems are right to accept something in the way of COVID relief, even though I will grant you that it is woefully insufficient. And if Cenk and Ana want to bitch at the Dems, fine. All I’m asking is that they and everybody else consider how truly stacked against them the metaphorical “deck” is. And I know this shouldn’t really be the barometer on legislation, but Wolf Blitzer and other talking heads will NEVER have a problem bitching out Nancy Pelosi vs. McConnell.
And don’t automatically think “Well, the Dems lost on the negotiations because, as usual, they weren’t progressive enough.” Going back a few weeks, A LOT of Dems lost in the election – some were conservative and some, like Scott Huffman in North Carolina, were progressive, and Huffman got clobbered. So being progressive by itself definitely isn’t a panacea.
Besides, Cenk Uygur ran as a progressive to replace Katie Hill, outed from the House related to some “revenge” sex scandal, and it didn’t go so well, did it (even though I think the chavinism charge against Uygur was BS).
Update 1 12/03/20: Damn straight (and again, WAY beyond pathetic that Democrats are apparently incapable of ads like this - if anything makes me want to say the hell with it and walk away from this blog once and for all, it is that simple fact).
Update 2 12/03/20: Another update is here (and I think Joan McCarter means the execrable "Josh" Hawley, not John).
Update 12/04/20: This is probably the best post I've read yet on all of this.
Rachel Maddow brings us this clip of Georgia elections official Gabriel Sterling, speaking yesterday with his thoroughly appropriate utter disgust over the threats to himself and others involved in the prior elections in that state as well as the upcoming runoffs between Raphael Warnock and incumbent Kelly Loeffler along with Jon Ossoff versus incumbent David Perdue...
...and speaking of Perdue, this tells us that he may be even more crooked than Loeffler (to help Ossoff and Warnock, click here)...
...and John and Jason Carter of The Damage Report tell us about the part-time deputy showing some “casual racism” in a Facebook post about VP-elect Kamala Harris with an image of a watermelon (what the hell is going on in Michigan?)...
...and David Doel discusses Neera Tanden, who the incoming Biden Administration intends to name apparently for the position of head of the Office of Management and Budget...I’ve heard some other criticisms of Tanden which are just stoo-pid, but Doel “brings the receipts” here on what Tanden has said about cutting entitlements...that brief segment of her talking on C-SPAN I believe was incredibly revealing, and not in a good way at all, basically acting like “well, OF COURSE we have to look at cutting Medicare and Social Security”...actually, no, we don’t; we need to look at removing the ceiling on earnings subject to SS withholding to make it completely sustainable...I’ve seen some comments along the lines of “well, if you criticize Tanden, it’s because you’re a chauvinist,” which is the wrong reaction too...I’m tempted to reserve judgement on Tanden for now, but the bottom line is that, if Biden does anything to cut Medicare and Social Security, especially in the middle of this pandemic along with the ensuing economic crisis, he most definitely will be a one-term president, which would truly be a shame...
I’ll be honest – I’ve been kind of pissed at Kyle Kulinski, particularly because he said he didn’t vote for Biden in the election (I realize it’s his right to do that, but I think you forfeit the right to complain about Our Orange Pustule if you do), but I think he’s right here in his analysis of Charles Koch...and let’s have no illusions about just how much of a monster this guy truly is, OK (Koch I mean)? I’m sick of our media treating old, rich white guys like him and Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao as some kind of eminences, when in reality they should be imprisoned in stockades in the town square so people can pelt them with random objects and give them the treatment they deserve (I think "American Ayatollah" says it)...
...and this is a pretty wonky discussion between Sam, Nomiki Konst and Emma Vigeland about AOC’s message to the Democrats (e.g., better voter canvassing/targeting, better messaging, etc.), but I think it’s also pretty important...as far as I’m concerned, regardless of what happens in Georgia in 2021, bring in Stacey Abrams to run the DNC and let her do what needs to be done...I agree with Sam that the DNC is pretty damn “sclerotic,” for lack of a better way to put it, and they need to be better all the way around (e.g., all politics are local, ultimately, and messaging on issues needs to reflect that), and that includes an overall better online media presence...no excuse whatsoever for falling down on that one...
...and concerning one of the upcoming Georgia special U.S. Senate elections, here is your reminder that “nobody likes Kelly,” as in Loeffler (to help her opponent Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossiff running against David Perdue in the other U.S. Senate election, click here)...
...and I now give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 12/1/08...before Perdue and Loeffler, Repug Saxby Chambliss was elected to the U.S. Senate (this video tells us about a portrait of Chambliss that was unveiled in the Capitol, which apparently isn't that unusual, but as far as I and others are concerned, it does reek of entitlement a bit given all the $$ Chambliss took from agribusinesses - more here)...
...and here are some more seasonal selections...
...and I know we can't have any scenes like this because of social distancing, shelter in place, etc., but I firmly believe we will see these days again - have to trod a hard road to get there the way things are, though, unfortunately.
Farron Cousins tells us how Generalissimo Trump is trying to depress turnout in the upcoming Georgia special U.S. Senate elections (that is, according to GOP maven Frank Luntz anyway – to help Jon Ossoff running against David Perdue, click here, and to help Rev. Raphael Warnock running against Kelly Loeffler, click here)...
...and this AM Joy segment features medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic – I don’t know how many more times people have to be told to shelter in place, social distance and wear damn masks, though I realize a lot of folks can’t social distance unfortunately, but if you can, you damn well should...
......and it makes me mad when Chuck Schumer in the U.S. Senate gets a pass, but if absolutely infuriates me when Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao is given the same treatment, for the reasons Robert Reich explains...
Update: Continuing to gnash my teeth as I read this...
...and this “Now This” Clip tells us about the departing “Trumpster fire” of an alleged presidential administration ...and let’s not forget Wilbur Ross (let's wake him up first), who told NOAA to redraw a weather map (i.e., “Sharpie-gate” and the hurricane that was alleged to hit the Gulf Coast), as well as Alex Azar (fighting the transfer of power to the incoming Biden/Harris Administration for as long as possible, as noted here), along with Trump solicitor Daniel Jorjani and Interior Secretary (the latest one) David Bernhardt for this...
