Friday Stuff

I think The Lincoln Project cuts right to the proverbial chase with the question asked in this clip; just how many Americans have died from anti-vax nonsense propagated by Fix Noise (and laying blame primarily at the feet of Rupert The Pirate of course)...



...and this recent clip from CBS This Morning takes us to a COVID ward in Louisiana (and I’m glad this Scott Rowe person – I believe that’s his name – is doing better, but if he doesn’t get the vaccine, and he’s medically able to get it, then he’s a goddamn idiot...and here is another Republican who "got the memo")...



Update: I just don't understand how Clapton doesn't see this for the public health emergency that it truly is - not enraged at him (maybe I should be), but disappointed more than anything else (here).

...and in keeping with this theme, Jonathan Capehart (sitting in for Joy Reid) speaks with Dean Obeidallah and Dr. Bernard Ashby from Miami on the challenges we face with the leveling off of vaccinations because of resisting idiots and the subsequent threat primarily from the Delta variant (and after reading this, I wonder if we’ll EVER get over this horror show)...



...and Farron Cousins of Ring of Fire tells us about the hissy fit U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy threw when Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she didn’t approve of Gym Jordan and Jim Banks named to the 1/6 commission – more here.

And in case anybody thinks Cousins is exaggerating about how important it is for the Dems to get out in front on the messaging on this issue, I give you the following...

Pelosi shows Banks the door, denies him perch on the most important Congressional investigation in a decade and the press spins that as win for Banks

classic https://t.co/Kcb4V3Oxxv

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) July 23, 2021

...and John and Ben Dixon of The Damage Report tell us about AOC’s quite commendable frustration with her fellow U.S. House Republican members who didn’t take the time to read her bill on community banks, which, in addition to being economically just for “left behind” poorer communities primarily with people of color (as opposed to dealing with the “banksters” and their ridiculous charges including overdraft fees), would also be economically stimulative (Dixon makes a GREAT point about the stupidity of the “R” party which ends up as a BIG obstacle for people who need gov’t help from getting that help...actually, I wonder if there's a way to partner with credit unions on something like this...just a thought, as Beau would say)...



...and I know I haven’t included a clip from Kyle Kulinski for a little while, but I thought this was a good commentary on Ben and Jerry’s not selling ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories (mentioning GOOD corporate behavior for a change, and of course there’s predictable whining from Israel in response...very NSFW/H)...



...and I’m chastising myself a bit here because I failed to note that Wednesday would have been the 70th birthday of Robin Williams; to say he’s still needed now is as big of an understatement as anyone can imagine of course, but more than anything else, we should be grateful for his gift for the time that we had it...clip is extremely NSFW/H, but funny as hell of course (on fatherhood)...



...and I’m definitely in the mood for a chill summer tune like this one – hope you are too.

Wednesday Stuff

I don’t know who Colby Hall is, but this is a good Rebel HQ clip on The Swanson TV Dinner Heir telling people not to get the COVID vaccine ...and this may come as a shock, but Carlson is actually right about the SCOTUS ruling by Oliver Wendell Holmes (Buck v. Bell), but of course to conflate it with getting the two shots (or one for J&J) is typically disgusting and thoroughly disingenuous (and good for Carl Cameron for finding his way to the light, you might say)...



...and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Peter Doocy and another idiot in the White House briefing with Jen Psaki who apparently think that Our Former Treasonous Orange Pustule deserves “an embroidered invitation” to tell people to get their shots...



...and cause, meet effect – David Pakman tells us about the looney anti-vax opinions that are out there (don’t know what the optimistic news on the vaccine was that he teased at the end)...



...and Ana and Wosny Lambre tell us about Huckleberry Graham threatening to leave D.C. like the Texas Dems did to deny a quorum and not let the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill pass (of course, the Dems did that to prevent that horrible anti-voting bill from passing)...and when it comes to an infrastructure grade for South Carolina, I think we should keep this in mind (from here)...

While the nation’s infrastructure earned a C- in the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, South Carolina faces infrastructure challenges of its own. For example, driving on roads in need of repair in South Carolina costs each driver $564 per year, and 8.4% of bridges are rated structurally deficient. Drinking water needs in South Carolina are an estimated $6.1 billion. 359 dams are considered to be high-hazard potential. The state’s schools have an estimated capital expenditure gap of $90 million. This deteriorating infrastructure impedes South Carolina’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Success in a 21st-century economy requires serious, sustained leadership on infrastructure investment at all levels of government. Delaying these investments only escalates the cost and risks of an aging infrastructure system, an option that the country, South Carolina, and families can no longer afford.

(Oh, and by the way, not to be snippy, but it's "Lindsey" - in the video I mean :-).



...and gee, maybe we ought to DO SOMETHING about this climate change thing, huh (K.O. tells us that the smoke from fires in the Pacific Northwest has made its way to Manhattan, as well as our beloved commonwealth of PA...and yes, addressing this is part of infrastructure as far as I’m concerned)...



...and speaking of The Keystone State (which really isn’t a state, but nevermind), Ali Velshi speaks with Dem House Rep Malcolm Kenyatta about the garbage anti-voting bills that Harrisburg is trying to pass (and just consider that, as I’ve previously noted, if Scott “Stomp On Tom Wolf’s Face With Golf Cleats” Wagner were somehow our governor, which would be truly awful, all of this sludge would be signed into law...more here)...



...and I would humbly ask that you keep this in mind the next time you’re tempted to buy a bag of Fritos or Doritos...



Update 7/24/21: Awesome!

...and it looks like the rain has retreated for now in these parts – maybe it will still be possible to get in an hour of beach time or two if you can...here’s a song with that in mind.

Tuesday Stuff

(The card reads "White Privilege" in case it's hard to see.)

Lawrence O’Donnell speaks with attorney Joyce Vance on the FBI thwarting a plot to plant pipe bombs at the Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento, as noted here (with the alleged culprits leaving a “White Privilege” card linking themselves to Our Treasonous Russian Operative of a Former *president).

Oh, and by the way, I saw this in the writeup accompanying the clip (recalling this).

Do MUCH better next time, @MSNBC.

Assholes...

...and I can't believe it's already been a year since Michael Brooks left us; here is what I believe is his final clip once more about the Trump regime snatching up Portland protestors with no warning or advance notice, with Jamie Peck, who left the show a few months ago...NSFW/H...and I don’t have any information on a response from Biden AG Merrick Garland by the way...



...and kudos to K.O. for blasting MLB athletes, including a few on the @Phillies, for not getting their COVID shots (NSFW/H)...



...and sticking with MLB, David Doel brings us the clip of the 8-year-old girl who left the game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres that was recently interrupted by a shooting outside the stadium, and her matter-of-fact response, which should shame everyone in this country (of course, the wingnuts overall are incapable of shame, which has a lot to do with the problems we currently face)...



...and speaking of guns, John and Ana of TYT bring us this clip of toy guns apparently covered in Legos for the kids to play with; what could possibly go wrong I wonder (yeah, the “super soaker” stuff was funny, but I’m glad John and Ana returned to make a serious point at the end)...



...and yeah, I don’t suppose it would be summer if I didn’t include this video at some point.

Monday Stuff

Chris Hayes speaks with Julian Castro, former HUD secretary under Obama as well as former mayor of San Antonio, TX, about Dem U.S. Senator Joe Manchin attending a fundraiser held for him by the Texas GOP; that nutty ruling against DACA by that judge appointed by Dubya is discussed also, and as previously noted here, the Biden Administration will quite rightly appeal the ruling...



...and I definitely have issues with Repug former PA U.S. House Rep Charlie Dent, but it looks like he managed to “find the nut” on CPAC, as Farron Cousins tells us – I’m old enough to remember when the GOP utterly worshipped Jack Kemp and Paul Ryan for supposedly having worthwhile policy ideas, though they were utterly wrong too, but at least there was the PRETENSE of policy, but yeah, even THAT is now gone also (mildly NSFW/H)...



...and Beau of the Fifth Column takes on Tucker Carlson and “vaccine hesitancy”...and with all due respect to Beau, I’ve heard Rachel Maddow issue clarifications and/or retractions a few times, but I don’t think his comments are primarily aimed at anyone on the left (I believe "Dietrich" is a nurse who Beau refers to in the clip for sound advice on COVID)...



...and Sam and Emma of The Majority Report tell us about Sherrod Brown attacking Senate Repugs for opposing Biden’s child tax credit (Brown may be the most consistently correct Dem U.S. Senator on the issues)...



...and I don’t know who this guy is, but he consistently has been nailing it on these “Second Thought” videos; this one addresses the topic of whether or not capitalism is efficient (the stuff about Amazon destroying products is particularly galling, though the whole “waste” section of this clip is definitely disturbing)...



...and happy belated 80th birthday to Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas.