I noted both of these topics yesterday, but I think they need some more context; first, Mike Figueredo tells us more on the SCOTUS hearing related to the utterly ridiculous and dangerous “independent state legislative theory” BS from Moore v. Harper, which has its origins in the eternally wretched Bush v. Gore ruling (which I thought was supposed to be a one-off, but I guess the joke is on us on that one)...best to kill this bogus nonsense outright, but even if it is eventually decided to apply to North Carolina only (which would still make me greatly uncomfortable), that would be a bit of a pyrrhic victory (and you can rely on “Strip Search Sammy” Alito to push for as broad an application as possible to utterly screw over the most people)...
...and Thom Hartmann gives us more on “Curtsy Kyrsten” and her decision to file as an independent (GREAT point about how Sinema can forget about Dem support...it’s possible that she could siphon enough votes in ’24 from likely Dem challenger Ruben Gallego which would help that loon Kari Lake, who likely will be the Repug nominee, but we’ll see – and that would be awful for the Dems of course if Lake or one of her same-party pals were to actually win – but I think the wildcard is how deeply unpopular Sinema is...it make’s Gallego’s job tougher, but not insurmountable IMO)...
...and here are a couple of more seasonal selections.
So it appears that “Curtsy Kyrsten” has registered as an independent, even though she said she’ll caucus with Democrats (here).
I think it’s pretty damn obvious by now what kind of a thoroughly selfish political opportunist Sinema truly is, but she’s also figured out that she will get primaried for sure (probably from Ruben Gallego, but we’ll see) and she has no chance of winning. So, in a twisted way, I can see the logic to this (and yes, the Dems will still have their Senate majority). So yeah, this move makes things a little more interesting, but Sinema is completely toxic and running in a purple state. If I were to bet, I definitely wouldn’t want the odds of her getting another term because they’re pretty bad.
Now onto other stuff...Chris Hayes tells us in this clip that the SCOTUS heard arguments in a case this week from a Colorado web designer who doesn’t want to make web sites for “teh gay,” even though NO LGBTQ PERSON HAS ASKED HER TO DO THAT!!! (yep, High Council of Fox News Viewers sums it up, unfortunately...and yeah, I can sure as hell see how this case was “created in a lab” to find its way to the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR...with Melissa Murray and Elie Mystal...interesting point by Mystal about “content-based” vs. ”status-based” discrimination...and yeah, that “reeducation camps” line from Gorsuch does indeed give away the game – oh, but we’re supposed to be happy that, apparently, the Supremes are leaning against this “independent legislative theory” BS as noted here...how pathetic a circumstance is it that, because of Republicans, we’re at the point where we have to hope and pray that the SCOTUS doesn’t take away our hard-earned rights)...
...and Cenk and Ana tell us about the conservative freakout in response to the news that WNBA star Brittney Griner will be coming home from her imprisonment in Russia (for possessing a jar of cannabis oil, to emphasize how ridiculous her capture was once again) in exchange for a Russian arms dealer, with Marine Paul Whelan’s case still up in the air...I realize we’re talking about right-wing bottom feeders like Steven Crowder and others, but the racism and sexism still takes your breath away as far as I’m concerned (unbelievable story about that bitch Karyn Turk at the end...and I don’t recall a word of criticism aimed at Our Treasonous Orange Pustule for doing exactly nothing to help Whelan...and oh yeah, Kari Lake would agree to be imprisoned at exactly half past freaking never!)...
Update 1 12/10/22: And for the reality-based perspective, I give you this.
...and David Doel tells us about Repug Vicky Hartzler losing it on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as she spoke out against a bill codifying marriage equality...Doel brings us the back story of Hartzler’s gay nephew, and given that, you’d think she’d be supportive, but (and I'm absolutely shocked that @RepBrianFitz voted Yea as noted here - do NOT count me as a supporter of this guy, but to be fair, he's cast a string of good votes recently)...
Update 2 12/10/22: Another country heard from, you might say (here).
...and this Daily Show clip with Desi Lydic is ostensibly humorous I realize, but it plays up a serious issue that, unfortunately, isn’t going to go away now that our most recent elections are FINALLY OVER!!, and of course that has to do with harassment and threats aimed at election officials (and I’m glad this included an extended clip of Al Schmidt...and nice job on the Philly “wuh-ter” thing, I have to say...very mildly NSFW/H)...
...and here are more seasonal selections (and the first one if a bit of a back-handed tribute in light of this).
David Pakman brings us this clip of Laura Ingraham going off on why U.S. Senate Repugs didn’t support “Erections Have Consequences” Herschel Walker for the U.S. Senate in Georgia...once more, John Fetterman’s win in PA cemented Dem control in the “upper chamber,” and given that, Repugs aside from Cruz and Huckleberry Graham didn’t see the point of besmirching their own reputations (bad as they already are) and helping a candidate as awful as Walker as Pakman says...kind of funny indeed for Ingraham to get cut off in mid-rant with the news that Warnock won...
...and Sam and Emma V. of The Majority Report give us this segment (a few days old now I realize) of Repug U.S. House Rep David Joyce of Ohio “bending the knee” to the leader of Cult 45 when it comes to suspending the Constitution in response to questions from George Stephanopoulos (who, commendably, doesn’t let up on Joyce for a change...the clip leads off with the idiocy of Matt Taibbi and Hunter Biden’s laptop; there was a time when I respected Taibbi because he’s done solid reporting in the past, but he’s basically burned all that to the ground IMO, which is a shame, really)...
...and Thom Hartmann tells us about all of the ways Repug U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas tried to avoid the issue of Our Treasonous Orange Pestilence and his Thanksgiving dinner with “Ye” and Nick Fuentes (including pulling the elevator trick perfected by “No Corporate Tax” Pat Toomey of PA, who can’t depart soon enough) before he finally settled on a defense of more or less saying “oh, that’s so silly” to think he’d agree with #45 and his pals, which shows the strength and resolve of a piece of overcooked linguine (preach, Thom!)...
...and Hartmann, in the prior clip, commendably goes down the list of awful, wretched behavior from Our Ochre Abomination, including his neglect of the COVID catastrophe; here is a reminder...
And by the way, I don’t have a video on this item, but I think it deserves mention anyway. As noted here, apparently, 13 states have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to hold a hearing over investments in renewable energy by The Vanguard Group....
The states, whose utilities use coal and natural gas, accuse Vanguard of kowtowing to climate activists to actively manage utilities it invests in to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, raising utility bills for consumers in those states.
In their complaint, the attorneys general for Utah, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas allege Vanguard has gone back on its 2919 (sic) promises to FERC not to interfere with the management of these utilities. They ask that FERC hold a hearing rather than simply agreeing to approve Vanguard’s latest request for a three-year approval for an extension of its investments in utility companies.
(I'm sure the above year is supposed to be 2019, FWIW.)
OK, here we go...”Vanguard is being ‘woke’.” “Vanguard is catering to a socialist agenda from AOC.” “Vanguard hates capitalism” (which, if you knew anything about how the company operates, is a statement you would find to be truly hilarious).
Well, I’m sure you can see where this story is going, and an update from earlier today appears below (behind the Inky’s wretched paywall)...
Terrific. So, in addition to Republicans thinking they know more about mutual funds and other investments than Vanguard does (last I checked, the Malvern company had about 7.2 trillion dollars of assets under management), they think that promoting dirty energy is more profitable than renewables (here – I think the whole “net zero” thing is a sham, but the BP link does provide some useful info). And actually, dirty energy has done well financially lately, more due to price gouging than anything else.
But if the day comes when the climate crisis overtakes your neighborhood and streams/creeks where you live are dried up for good, the air is hopelessly fouled and your formerly picturesque suburban community full of green vegetation is now a desert, remember that 13 Republican states thought it was a better long-term strategy to pad the pockets of their donors than to give a damn about being “stewards of the earth” and preserving life on this planet.
(Of course, part of me wonders how such a dim bulb as Herschel Walker could have STILL gotten as many votes as he did - about 1,719,000 or so, believe it or not - but as others smarter than I have already said, Republican fall in line, and they proved it again, and they'll do ANYTHING to protect their privilege. Fortunately, though, it didn't matter.)
...and speaking of failed Republican U.S. Senate candidates, David Doel tells us that, apparently, Mehmet (“CALL ME DOCTOR, DAMMIT!”) Oz is trying and failing to get his old show back, so he may indeed end up on something related to Fix Noise or Newsmax...when you lie down with the political dog of Our Ochre Abomination, so to speak, you get up with fleas, and it looks like Dr. Crudite is finding that out now – c’est dommage...
...and Ana and Cenk of TYT discuss the individuals who received gold medals for the sacrifices on behalf of family members who bravely helped to secure our democracy on January 6th and how these folks snubbed incoming U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao...Cenk is spot-on IMO at the end when it comes to trying to deflate the bubble of our corporate media press corps (more here)...
...and speaking of domestic terrorism, Rachel Maddow brings us the story of the white supremacists who (allegedly) are linked to an attack on a power substation in North Carolina, using assault weapons to attack fiberoptics and cut off communications (sounds like these folks, if convicted, need to go to prison for a looooong time)...
...and in addition to the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, today would have been the 80th birthday of Harry Chapin...
Jesse Dollemore tells us of Mango Mussolini defending his 1/6 insurrectionist pals, along with earlier videos of Our Former *President who claims to support the rule of law or whatever...sorry to bring you so many clips of this festering orange sore on the butt of our republic, but it’s necessary to point out what an unprincipled, narcissistic liar he truly is, especially in light of this (and that goes for the silence from just about his entire party in response, with the commendable exception of Sen. Lisa Murkowski here)...
...and Ana and Ben Gleib of TYT tell us about Herschel Walker saying he had to “rent a kid” to go watch “The Jungle Book” with him, along with apparently declaring a war on pronouns (I think comparing this to the Biden “leg hair” anecdote is a little weak, and last I checked, only President Manchin and Vice President Sinema supported the filibuster; I get a little tired of Ana painting the whole Democratic Party with a broad brush on that issue...and I get it that Gleib is a little tongue-in-cheek at the end, but we can’t take anything for granted of course – today is runoff vote day, and to help Raphael Warnock, click here)...
...and David Pakman reports that the U.S. House race between Adam Frisch and Lauren Boebert is going to a recount mandated by state law because of the narrow percentage of Boebert’s victory...yeah, it would be beyond awesome if somehow she got the boot, but that really isn’t likely, especially since Frisch has already conceded...
...and mentioning Boebert and her nuttiness is a good lead-in I think to this video of Farron Cousins telling us that the CO-03 U.S. House mistake, along with Marjorie Traitor Greene, Gosar and others, apparently want to investigate Republican Party donors...yeah, this story will last for a news cycle or two before it’s forgotten I’m sure...
Ana and Cenk of TYT discuss Dem U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut saying he doesn’t want to fund law enforcement that doesn’t enforce red flag laws (for these supposed “2nd amendment sanctuary” places...Murphy’s right, but I can tell you right now what will happen...Repugs will yell ”DEMS WANT TO DEFUND THE POLICE!” and voters will lose their minds as Cenk says – I think Ana had a great idea to try and pass a law to get the damn cops to enforce red flag laws like they’re supposed to; that might be an easier “sell,” along with increased mental health funding, which Republicans of course will oppose)...
...and I realize tomorrow is the Georgia runoff between Herschel Walker and Dem incumbent U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, and I think this ad provides some necessary perspective; we know what’s being mentioned already, but it’s an important reminder (to help Warnock, click here)...
...and Jesse Dollemore brings us what I guess are the departing words from “Cry more, lib” Repug U.S. House Rep Madison Cawthorn, who whines about “the softness of men in America” on his way out the door (mildly NSFW/H)...
...and this CNN clip with Don Lemon tells us about LeBron James chiding reporters a bit over the lack of questions on the Jerry Jones photo (more here – Jones was part of the crowd that blocked 6 black students from entering North Little Rock, AK High School); I definitely think James has a point, but to be fair to Jones, it’s not like he did anything to prevent the African Americans students from entering the school either, which would have been exactly the wrong thing to do of course...but yeah, there is a bit of a double standard I can see with the Kyrie Irving thing (I thought it was hysterical, for example, when then-presidential candidate Barack Obama gave that “clinging to guns and religion” speech in San Francisco, and in response, meatheads like J.D. Mullane of the Bucks County Courier Times said the speech was “racist”... Obama was right then and he remains right to this day)...
