Nice work by Jimmy Kimmel here to give Slimy Sean Inanity the treatment he completely deserves (and I realize this isn’t funny, but to see how the Fix Noise propagandist lied to his audience about ‘Rona and no doubt had a bit of a hand in getting some of them killed with his propaganda, click here)...
...and Ana and Cenk of TYT tell us about the latest wingnut idiocy from Texas guv Greg Abbott, this time on supposedly busing/flying illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C. – but gee, it looks like taxpayers in “the land of the yellow rose” would have to pay for that, wouldn’t they? Just say “oops” and get out...and to do something about Abbott, click here...
...and Ari Melber speaks with Prof. Paul Krugman about the importance of unions in our economy, in light of the unionization of Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse (and I’m convinced that, if Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao actually told the truth about something, he would turn into a pillar of salt...he indeed has "sold his soul for a tax cut")...
...and I keep waiting for the Democrats to crank out “quick response” ads like this one, this time with Dem U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii quite rightly giving it to that treasonous POS Josh Hawley, but fortunately The Lincoln Project took care of that...
...and Jayar Jackson and Adrienne Lawrence bring us this clip of Tulsa, OK police taunting and arresting a 70-year-old woman in the bathroom of a Habitat for Humanity Re-store who was having some kind of a mental breakdown (here)...hard to imagine how this could have been handled worse; all the people who act like police budgets in this country are sacrosanct should try explaining that in good faith after watching this...
...and that clip definitely put me in the mood to hear this tune.
...and Robert Reich tells us why the KBJ confirmation matters so much, namely because the SCOTUS and its “shadow docket” poses all kinds of ways to potentially make our lives worse, as Reich explains...
...with the culprits on the High Court being confirmed under Republican presidents, from the party that apparently wants to “leave democracy,” as Beau explains (also noting that those wretched CPAC mongrels want to have their next gathering in Viktor Orban’s Hungary, given their love of right-wing authoritarians)...
...and as a bit of a companion piece to Beau’s commentary, Jessica Burbank of Rebel HQ points out how our wingnut media is committed to fascism, with Burbank reminding us that, basically, it’s the “center left” against the wingnuts who want to drive the metaphorical bus of democracy over a cliff (more on the U.S. House Repugs opposing the NATO resolution is here)...
...and I know I’m pretty late with this installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 4/4/16, which has to do with a video for the film “The Brainwashing of My Dad” by Jen Senko (concerning the insidious effect of right-wing media), but the main reason why I’m presenting it now is because Senko will be interviewed about it this Sunday 4/10 on KSQD community radio (5 PM PST – can be livestreamed...more here)...
...and this video from More Perfect Union has to do with the efforts of Capitol Hill congressional staffers to unionize, led by Dems Andy Levin in the House and Sherrod Brown in the Senate (I’m sure this is an issue where you REALLY CAN say it’s “both sides”)...
...and a few of the clips in this post have to do with the pernicious effects of right-wing media in our lives, and I can think of few other people who fought that more valiantly than Eric Boehlert...there’s no way I could bring this week to a close without including this segment (unless I post tomorrow – not sure yet)...I think Chris Hayes spoke eloquently for millions here in tribute to Boehlert (he definitely did for me)...
...and I had a few tunes in my head that I thought were appropriate for this occasion, but I settled on this one (yes, we can’t help but be mournful, but we also should reflect on how fortunate we were to have Boehlert and his courageous work for a time and try to pick up his mantle, if you will, as best we can).
Beau of the Fifth Column discusses what comes next for the “party of Lincoln” in the wake of three Republican U.S. Senators (Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitt Romney) saying they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court; this is kind of a “glass half empty” perspective I’ll admit, but it tells you how much the proverbial deck is stacked against us that we have to fight so hard for an incredibly qualified person to be confirmed while “I Like Beer” Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Amy Coney Island Baby Barrett basically skated onto the High Court (some blow back against a particular Republican U.S. Senator is noted a litle later...and speaking of nutty Republicans, I also give you this...and to be honest, this isn't surprising to anybody out there paying attention)...
...and I haven’t checked in with Brian Tyler Cohen in a little while, not for any particular reason I should emphasize; here, he tells us of Maria Bartiromo being forced to admit a great recent jobs report from the Biden Administration...and no, I don’t think anyone at Fix Noise gives a damn about whether or not the job that’s created is “low paying” or not (mildly NSFW/H...clip ends at about 7:24)...
...and Sam and Emma talk about “Tokyo Rose” Gabbard and her infatuation with wingnuttery and our kids (a particularly good analysis here of this fraud IMO...of course, Gabbard provides NO SPECIFICS anywhere, such as actual citations of poor student performance from reputable sources – yes, I’m sure that’s a “thing,” but when you’re making the charges she makes, she should have some actual, y’know, DATA to support her argument)...
...and the latest from Second Thought tells us about the secret history of drugs and capitalism (no real big “gotchas” here, but a lot of important historical context on how the U.S. has crafted its drug policy to achieve maximum economic impact against less prosperous countries, to say nothing of pointlessly incarcerating certain demographics of the population versus providing common sense treatments for drug dependency, including needle exchanges)...
...and John I. and Dan Evans of The Damage Report tell us about Repug U.S. Senator Charles Grasshole really getting it from a voter in a town hall over the way the Senate Repugs acted during the KBJ circus (I’m starting to get REALLY fed up with the dreaded “CW” from EVERYBODY that the “party of Lincoln” is going to “run the table” in the midterms later this year...yes, I have a pretty good idea that there is reason to believe that, but we need to keep fighting as much as we can regardless...I don’t think it’s hyperbole at all to say that democracy itself is at stake)...
...and somewhat with the prior clip in mind, David Pakman tells us that it looks like COVID may have killed more Repug voters than Dems...it’s awful when ANYONE dies from COVID or any other reason, I hasten to add...
...and speaking of those who have departed, I have to tell you that it takes an awful lot to make me stop dead in my tracks over something, but that’s how I feel about the news of the passing of Eric Boehlert; I can’t freaking believe it, to be honest...my deepest sympathies to all concerned...ugh (here he is recently doing what he did so well, and that is to hold our utterly bought-and-paid-for corporate media to account, in the matter of the recent Ginni Thomas revelations)...
...and as long as I’m on the melancholy subject of people who have died, RIP Philly music legend Bobby Rydell (here).
Hey Democrats...while you’re busy bugging the living crap out of me for $$ by phoning me and texting me nonstop, why don’t you try showing a freaking spine to save our democracy by coming up with ads like this, calling out The Swanson TV Dinner Heir, Bannon and Combover Caligula (yes, I know The Lincoln Project is basically a bunch of grifting Republicans from an earlier era, but they’re doing good work yet again)...
...and on the subject of wingnut propaganda, Chris Wallace confirms once more why he left The Roger Ailes BS Factory (John and Francesca tell us more)...
...and in keeping with the theme of media idiocy, I guess you can consider this video to be a “clearing house” of sorts when it comes to the latest totally fake wingnut “scandals” (including AT&T bailing on OAN – sounds like a rare bit of corporate sanity prevailed for a change...you truly can’t be considered to be part of conservative media unless you nursing a grievance or peddling some kind of fake “outrage”...Caroline Johnson tells us more)...
...and speaking of Dems who are often too damn feckless for their own good (referencing the first clip), Sam and Emma tell us how the “D” party should HAMMER the Repugs over their apparent universal opposition (on the Judiciary Committee anyway) to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (including Huckleberry Graham, who does indeed "give away the game" a bit here...and yeah, I don’t give a crap about this alleged cordiality between the Dems and the “party of Lincoln,” even though it sounds like Murkowski, the Mittster and “disappointed” Collins may actually do the right thing...but I’m not holding my breath)...
...and sticking with the life forms on Capitol Hill, this Meidas Touch video tells us about 193 U.S. House Republicans who voted against capping the price of insulin (I know I alluded to this a bit yesterday, including this insufferable POS from Florida, but I think it bears repeating)...Bri-Fi voted Yes to be fair, but he also voted against the Dems’ bill on pot decriminalization...
...and in response to alleged wingnut umbrage over “woke” Disney (anything to avoid dealing with issues of actual substance such as our planet melting from climate change, taking care of families and kids, common sense gun laws, staying out of women’s healthcare, etc.), Stephen Colbert gives us this (and I thought this was a good comeback from "the city that never sleeps"...high time for Mayor Eric Adams to actually do something right)...
...and I’d like to more or less end this post with some good news, and with that in mind, David Doel tells us about the “opt out” app available on Apple and coming to the Google Play store on Android...Alex Kotch tells us more...
...and happy 80th birthday to Allan Clarke of The Hollies.
Chris Hayes brings us the latest on Ginni Thomas and her possible role in the hiring and firing of the grifters and various other hangers-on in the Trump admin, as well as the “running with one leg” quote from her husband Almost Silent Clarence Thomas, shedding some light on her influence – interesting differentiation between “Goldwater Republicans” and the Birchers...I realize that difference was once a “thing,” but it is no longer...the report also provides some background on “Lifespring” and how they manipulated people, including Thomas apparently, though she seemed to break free from it but turned from following one wrong-headed ideology blindly to doing the same for another one that was just as bad, if not worse...
...and since it’s another day with a “y” in it, it’s time to report on yet another mass shooting in this country, this time in Sacramento, where 6 have been killed and 10 injured – more here (community activist Barry Accius is interviewed)...
Update 4/5/22: And sticking with "crime blotter" stuff, I have to say that I wasn't surprised to hear this.
...and this DW report includes Craig Crowther reporting on Ukrainians fleeing the besieged city of Mariupol, along with a first-person account with resident Mariia Sirychenko and correspondent Amien Essif...
(And by the way, I know we basically don’t do self-reflection very well when it comes to coddling some of the worst regimes on earth, but for obvious reasons, we shouldn’t let Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Former “President” off the hook when it comes to dealing with Putin (given the horrors revealed here and here). And by the way, don’t think for a minute that I’m absolving Former President Highest Disapproval Rating In Gallup Poll History either, and that goes for President Hopey Changey too.)
...and returning to this country, Joy Reid brings us more on Repug U.S. House Rep Madison Cawthorn’s claim about D.C. coke orgies, or whatever that mess was (but yeah, unfortunately, this report quite rightly takes Merrick Garland’s DOJ to task...and I admit I didn’t have a clue as to what a “key bump” of cocaine was...and yeah, I know I'm a little late with this)...
...and Farron Couisns brings us the truly great news of Florida judge Mark Walker ruling that that state’s voting law was racist, and for that reason Walker re-enjoined Florida to the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act (more here)...yeah, I’m sure there will be more to this as the “party of Lincoln” continues fighting this ruling in the courts...if this gets to the SCOTUS, which is a real possibility, it will be darkly humorous watching the High Court tying itself into legal knots imposing federal will on behalf of the “party of states rights” considering that this is the same court who basically vacated the federal role in its horrendous Bush v. Gore ruling...
...and this TYT clip tells us about the pot decriminalization bill that recently passed the U.S. House (with Bri-Fi voting No of course...more important to keep anyone inclined not to vote for the Repugs cycling in and out of our corrections system I guess as far as he’s concerned...John, Francesca and Adrienne Lawrence tell us about it...and by the way, when it comes to drugs, it should be noted that all 3 sorry U.S. House Republicans included in the clip – Buddy Carter of GA, Gym Jordan, and the incredibly-inaptly-named Bob Good – all voted against capping the cost of insulin at $35 as noted here)...
Update: In response to this, I just wish that Matt Gaetz would shut his pie hole and only comment on stuff he actually knows about, such as underage sex trafficking (allegedly of course).
Update 4/5/22: I think this is an apt response to this garbage human being from Florida (and if Gaetz ever saw combat for real, outsaide of the cushy confines of Capitol Hill, he's soil himself).
...and I know I linked to this earlier, but once more, here is David Doel bringing us the great news of the successful vote to unionize the Amazon Staten Island warehouse (and yeah, if Jim Cramer is crying over it, you know it’s a good thing)...
...and today is the 54th anniversary of the assassination of MLK, which immediately brings this tune to mind.
