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.

Friday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us about Kellyanne Conjob typically ducking a straight Yes or No question on whether or not Lev Parnas was lying when he said he knew Mango Mussolini…



…and the Morning Joe gang opine on Parnas’s recent interview on Rachel Maddow (implicating Nunes and Pence also of course…and don’t say “bedbug” to Bret Stephens…I know Rev. Al is just loving to dump on Rudy 9iu11ani like this, and it’s all deserved)…



…and it’s time once more for another installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” (more or less), with a really neat clip IMO on the rise of ultra-right-wing nationalism from 1/18/16 (still timely, unfortunately...may have to crank the volume)…



…ant this is a continuation of another typically great segment from Thom Hartmann about how millennials, and younger Americans actually, are being held back by debt and poverty, which leads to the stuff noted in the prior video (oh, but now it’s time for more wingnut hagiography about The Sainted Ronnie R – and I typically ignore BoBo in the New York Times on the subject of inequality and pretty much everything else, but apparently he vomited another ridiculous column on the subject today as noted here)…



…and speaking of The Old Gray Lady, I thought this was a great clip from filmmaker Ken Burns about the history of the 19th Amendment, which is 100 years old this year – yeah, the Equal Rights Amendment is WAY overdue, and I would argue that the 28th is too…more here…



…and I thought this was a nice mellow tune that may be a bit topical to help us slide into the weekend.

Wednesday Stuff

David Doel gives us Bernie Sanders giving a typically great answer to the question about “Socialism” from Anderson Cooper – personally, as far as I'm concerned, I think the next person who asks about that should have the 16-ton weight fall on them like in a Monty Python episode…



…and Thom Hartmann gives us some disheartening data on the effect of Reaganomics on this country over the last 40 years – THIS is the stuff that really matters as far as I’m concerned instead of who’s hand got shook at the 4852nd Democratic candidates debate last night…



…and it looks like our friends across the pond are abandoning the Gropenfuhrer, and us, over all the Iran stuff – can’t say I blame them, as David Pakman explains…



…and Sam S. and the crew from “The Majority Report” discuss an ad put out by The Lincoln Project, a group of “Never Trumper” Repugs…not sure how Sam could have screwed up Martha McSally so badly…always amazes me how the Repugs have no problem going for the jugular, even against each other, while too many "centrist" Democrats are busy “triangulating” and ultimately capitulating instead…



…and Robert Reich calls out Big, Dangerous Lies – I totally agree with breaking up FB and Twitter, but to me, too many people shouldn’t be so willing to allow themselves to be lied to either…besides, the next logical step is to try and do that to YouTube, which would really screw up their monetization…



…and it looks like, in addition to Todd Rundgren not getting admitted to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame (again), Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo got the same treatment – ridiculous.

Monday Stuff

Joy Reid talks with Dem Congresswoman Barbara Lee about Mango Mussolini selling out our military to the highest bidder, in this case, our “good friends” the Saudis…



…and Cenk and Ana of TYT tells us about the inflammatory markings on Uday Jr.’s gun (including HRC on the grip…yeah, what a “pretend” hero Fergus Laing The Younger truly is)…



…and I’m sure Repug U.S. Senator Mike Lee will be genuflecting before the Gropenfuhrer again before long, but for now, I give you this from Brian Tyler Cohen…



…and when it comes to historical Repug idiocy on the question of presidential impeachment, Rachel Maddow brings us the saga of Earl Landgrebe (who?) and Tricky Dick’s resignation…



...and RIP Buck Henry...



…and I have to admit that it's been a long time since I’ve seen somebody look at a drum kit in such a forlorn manner.

Friday Stuff

Thom Hartmann tells us about the Gropenfuhrer kicking off his re-election campaign – with war vs. Iran, or at least one hell of a try at it (and Bill Maher lost his ABC show because of what he said about the 9/11 terrorists, which was an unpleasant truth but he was contextually right…more here)…



…and aside from Jeh Johnson, Ana and Jayar Jackson of TYT call out the warmongers appearing on our “influencer” media, including Gen. Jack Keane on Fix Noise (citing a Lee Fang story…and great job by Ana to attack that wingnut lie about Obama giving Iran money for the hell of it; Iran’s assets were unfrozen to sign the nuke deal, and legally they were entitled to that…GREAT commentary related to sports with Jayar at the end)…



…and John I. and Brett Erlich of The Damage Report tell us about more lies from Sect’y of State Mike Pompeo; must be a day of the week with a “y” in it (and only in Trumpworld would the SOS be the point person on military stuff…and sure, Repugs in the Senate thought offing Soleimani would be a distraction from impeachment – typically disgusting – and yeah, the attacks were “imminent” but they supposedly don’t know when or where? And I think Erlich is pretty spot-on here, as well as John particularly at the very end)…



…and this CBC report has more on the shooting down of Flight PS752 – God, I hope and pray the Trump gang had nothing to do with this…the investigation is unfolding (more here)…



Update 1/11/20: Cold comfort in the wake of this terrible tragedy, but just setting the record straight (here), though only a Fix Noise lunatic would think that this totally absolves the U.S. from escalating hostilities...

…and Brian Tyler Cohen has more “then vs. now” stuff from Huckleberry Graham on impeachment, as well as potentially calling “Blow ‘Em Up” Bolton to testify…



…and while Mango Mussolini and his pals continue to blunder on the world stage, they keep trying to do stuff when they think no one else is looking, such as to try and gut NEPA (Chris Hayes interviews former Obama EPA head Gina McCarthy… and yeah, more silence from our “faith leaders” in response)…



…and I now give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy Histroy” from 1/10/11, with K.O. giving an abbreviated version of a “Special Comment” on the conviction of “The Bug Man” (more here – yeah, the Repug sliming of the opposition is pretty much “evergreen” then as now, isn’t it?...more here)…



…and RIP Neil Peart of Rush.

Wednesday Stuff

Yeah, leave it to that pompous idiot Mike Pompeo to blow off questions about the Gropenfuhrer trying to drag this country into war with Iran...



…and Sam and the TMR crew tell us that Pete Hegseth of Fix Noise is excited about Mango Mussolini’s war crimes (no exaggeration; that’s literally what we’re talking about – big problem when targeting cultural sites of course…I’m sure that Hegseth and his fellow cretins would be the first to scream if, say, St. Patrick’s Cathedral was hit by a ballistic missile, and yes, that would still be terrible and no sane person wants to see that)…



…and I never really imagined that any of the “Mad Max” movies would actually be documentaries, but I guess we’re getting to that point unfortunately (to help out, please click here)…



…and there are times when I just don’t have a response for anything but to put up this tune.

Monday Stuff

To say I had many, MANY disagreements with former Bucks U.S. Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is an understatement (some examples are noted here). One of which was highlighted in a post I wrote years ago when he ran for re-election in the 2006 midterms and said that, were it not for President Bush, he would win re-election by 10 points. I was pretty infuriated by that quote at the time, though, upon further consideration and the unfolding of subsequent events, he may very well have been right. Democrat Patrick Murphy won that fall, but what was incredible about that to me was the fact that, despite the fact that Fitzpatrick the incumbent was tethered to a historically unpopular president (with higher disapproval numbers than the one we have now, believe it or not – recalling this from memory because these posts are buried somewhere in a Google search), he STILL barely won Bucks County (the margin of victory for Murphy was in the comparatively tiny pieces of Philadelphia and Montco that were in the district before the Repugs redrew them in 2010 to favor Fitzpatrick – as well as his brother as it turned out...of course, the PA Supreme Court redrew the district again in February 2018 to put back the Montco piece).

I’ve groused forever, and rightly so I believe, over the fawning editorials, to say nothing of accepting the advertising, on behalf of both Fitzpatricks, but I also realize that they’re well thought of in Bucks for good reasons. I once saw Mike Fitzpatrick coming out of the YMCA in Morrisville, and I was tempted to tee off on him, but I kept my mouth shut because I knew he was there to do good work (I was there also as part of a community cleanup effort – long story). And I’m sure that wasn’t the only time he showed up to help out at that location and others.

I’m sure you can guess where I’m going with this (especially if you’ve seen the local news today). It was announced that Mike Fitzpatrick died recently after a long struggle with colon cancer (here). I am genuinely sorry to hear the news, and I wish to extend my sympathies to his family and friends (56 is way too young to go).

Now onto other stuff – I thought this was an interesting roundtable discussion moderated by David Gura of NBC News about potential repercussions to the killing of Iranian general Suleimani (a little unnerved by Gura's smiling here, I have to admit) – among other good points, I think it’s important to note that this move all but wipes out any influence that Iranian moderates might have…between this is and the Trump gang walking away from the Iranian nuclear treaty and re-imposing sanctions, yeah, this eliminates a lot of reasonable alternatives to the situation we have now…



…and Ana and the TYT crew tell us how our media is utterly failing us yet again on potential (probably likely) conflict with Iran (yeah, I’ve seen the typical gaggle of Repug warmongering life forms appearing on the Sunday shows and elsewhere to “get their war on,” and I’m sure you have too)...



…and speaking of conservative “influencers,” John of The Damage Report tells us that, despite (or maybe because of) what he has done, apparently the disgraced Eddie Gallagher is now looking to “get paid,” you might say, with his own line of clothing and apparently other products (were he still alive, Stanley Kubrick would probably reject this as a movie plot because it’s too absurd)…



…and Thom Hartmann tells us about an analysis of what Democrats do when they run states/commonwealths vs. Repugs (I’m sure a “deeper dive” on the differences can be performed by someone, but this isn’t bad for starters)…



…and Farron Cousins tells us about the Gropenfuhrer ragging on CA and NY because of the legal stuff in NY and impeachment with Pelosi in CA...and yeah, homelessness is a problem in those states, but as Cousins states, we have problems EVERYWHERE IN THIS COUNTRY! And I’m sorry that the answers are too complicated to fit on a bumper sticker, which apparently is more information that a Trumpist brain can actually process (actually, I’m not sorry)…



...and by the way, I can't think of a way to directly work this into this post, but I think it's too important to ignore...

...and happy belated 75th birthday to Stephen Stills.

Friday Stuff (updates)

Admiral James Stavridis comments on the targeted U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani on “Morning Joe” – absolutely infuriating to see more Repug neocons carry out this shit, then let the carnage unfold at the expense of other people’s kids, and then watch those who perpetrate this insanity skate away and be rewarded with cushy book deals and non-stop appearances in “smart” conservative circles of media and academia – the “pay no price, bear no burden” crowd strikes again…



Update: Yep, when all else fails, we can always count on President Shithead to double down (here).

Update 1 1/4/20: This definitely nails it as far as I'm concerned; and why am I not surprised by this?

Update 2 1/4/20: Vox populi indeed (here)

Update 3 1/4/20: I guess it's all about baby steps for the host of the White Power Hour on Fix Noise, but grudging credit where it's due here.

Meanwhile, from the world of reality, I offer this...

When car bombs start exploding at outdoor cafes and landmarks, what's Trump's move then? When an American military base is decimated by missiles, what then? If you're applauding Soleimani's death but you're not thinking about next steps in the escalation, you're as dumb as Trump.

— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) January 3, 2020

…and I had the following clip very much in mind after the Iran story unfolded, presenting a case study in how presidents are supposed to act when faced with the most dire possible consequences (kind of cringed a bit in response to Tweety’s remark at the end about leadership in touch with the people – I think we had that when he spoke those words in 2012, but I definitely don’t think we have that now)…



…and yeah, the MoDo pic above is meant to incriminate one of our worst pundit offenders, but she has plenty of company, and Thom Hartmann asks a more basic media-related question here (of course, if our citizenry as a whole weren’t so jaded/uninformed/distracted/whatever, they’d be screaming over getting lied to as much as Chuck Todd should be)…



…and when it comes to those looking to replace Mango Mussolini, I have to admit that I was a little behind on some of the stuff involving Joe Biden, but yeah, I think we can expect a nonstop onslaught of clipped quotes and badly edited videos to try and incriminate the Dem nominee, whoever that person may be (I think Farron Cousins is a little more PO’ed than usual because he knows he got played too – can happen to anybody)…



…and this “Now This” clip tells us about the Kansas cop who claimed that a McDonald’s employee wrote “f*cking pig” on his coffee cup – I thought the official statement from the police department on this was BS…this pabulum of “oh, our community has to heal and this reflects badly on all of us, blah blah”…if this had happened FOR REAL, the cops would be picketing this McDonald’s night and day…not saying it would be right for a McD’s worker to pull a stunt like that, but just saying there’s a double standard, that’s all…



Update: Hey, for anyone who doesn't like this attempt at humor - well, all I can say is that the cops should stop giving us (ahem...) ammunition.

...and here's another great, relatively new tune to help kick-start our first post-holiday weekend of the new year.

Thursday Stuff

I don’t believe Brian Williams actually took a ride in an Iraqi helicopter before he hosted this segment – might as well start the new year with a little snark…Jason Johnson is exactly right of course, and shockingly, Bill Kristol may have actually stumbled onto some truths, though of course, being the pissant he is, he tries to sneak in a bit of a dig at “the left”…I’m presenting this as a reminder that, yes, impeachment is still in play (even though #MoscowMitch will construct a show trial to absolve the Gropenfuhrer), as well as a reminder of the life forms we have to contend with as the 2020 elections ramp up still further…



…and David Pakman takes a look at the cross-tabs, if you will, on the performance of our economy (I thought this was kind of an interesting analysis)…



…and keeping with money matters, I thought this was another good segment by Robert Reich on how Citizens United led us to Mango Mussolini…



…and Lawrence O’Donnell interviewed New York Times reporter Jesse Drucker on the 2017 tax cut scam (hold every Repug accountable for this, people, including this guy)...



…and Pap and Farron Cousins talk about Google playing both sides of the fence when it comes to donating money to politicians and campaigns, including climate change deniers (and I'm the last one to praise "centrist Democrats," but to say you can't tell the difference between a "cent-Dem" and a Repug is nonsense...and yeah, Kamala Harris had issues, but THEY ALL have issues, and she got crowded off the stage because of our corporate media loving Mayor Pete, Klobuchar, and this week's millionaire running for the Dem nomination - just offering an explanation and not crying about it because, as a notable politician once said, politics ain't beanbag...and once more, I'm not crazy about linking to The Putin Network, but it looks like the reporting holds up...and "biostitutes"...good one)...



...and yeah, with the holidays over, I need to start paying attention to new music again, so let me begin with this selection.