Farron Cousins brings us the story of a certain Treasonous Orange Pestilence trying to extort 2024 prez endorsements from willing lackeys U.S. Senate Republicans, and that would be Cancun Cruz and “Running Man” Josh Hawley, and the tactic actually worked in the latter case... I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am in a way (and to do something about the Texas mistake, click here...to do something about Brave Sir Josh, click here)...
...and Jesse Dollemore tells us about yet another fundie assclown who tells us to vote for Combover Caligula or there will be “punishments and retribution”...try bringing it, wingnut (“evangelical nutter butter”....good one)...
...and speaking of manufactured outrage, it looks like the ammo-sexuals out there are all in a snit over this ad from Mothers for Democracy, timed for the recent 11th anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre...those kids would be teenagers now...
...and it looks like “MAGA Mike” Johnson was crowing against “single party impeachments” four years ago, but whoopsie! It looks like we have a “Seinfeld” one against Dark Brandon now (meaning that it’s about nothing)...every U.S. House Republican voted for it, including this guy, and to do something about our wet noodle PA-01 rep, click here (NSFW/H)...
...and I know some of this stuff makes it hard to get into the mood for the season, but I'm going to keep presenting these tunes to help that process anyway.
David Pakman brings us this clip of Ron Johnson doing his best to keep the unofficial title of Biggest Idiot in the U.S. Senate by alleging that the “D” party uses fake electors in an interview with Kaitlan Collins of CNN (here), which actually is a violation of federal election law as noted here... I agree with Pakman – Collins pushed back, but she definitely could have done a better job of it IMO (and Democrat is of course a noun and not an adjective...not that Rojo cares about that I realize)...
Update 7/15/24: Just say "oops" and get out, RoJo (here).
...and Robert Reich reminds us about the Moore v. U.S. case on the SCOTUS docket that could potentially lead to the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR tying Congress’s metaphorical hands when it comes to enacting a wealth tax on the increased value of investments...and yes, “Strip Search Sammy” and Almost Silent Clarence Thomas should recuse if they had a speck of integrity, which they don’t, so they won’t...and when it comes to replacing our U.S. House Rep in PA-01, please click here...
...and Mike Figueredo brings us the story of Evangelicals furious at Iowa governor Kim Reynolds for allowing a holiday display from the Satanic Temple in the state’s rotunda...hey, this is what happens when you go for all of this “religious liberty” stuff...and I agree; that Iowa rep who is also a minister said that this whole discussion should be guided by the First Amendment, and he’s right (NSFW/H)...
Update 12/16/23: I wonder if this Michael Cassidy idiot realizes how much free publicity he has given to the Satantic Temple by his ridiculous act of vandalism (allegedly, of course).
...and I’m a little late with this I know, but I didn’t want to forget it; Lewis Black on “The Daily Show” looks back at ’23 like only he can (w/Charlamagne tha God)...
Kyle Kulinksi tells us the latest on “MAGA Mike” Johnson and all of the legal work he did for the looney tunes who lose what’s left of their minds over gay people and drag shows (here)...and let’s not forget that Johnson took advantage of an exception in Louisiana state law that allowed him to make “tens of thousands of dollars” as part of the legal team representing the state in a federal court trial over abortion clinic restrictions (noted here...a pretty rank case of double-dipping as far as yours truly is concerned)...and yeah, I think “Grant Storms” sounds like a porn star too...
...and Brian Tyler Cohen brings us this clip of Brianna Keilar of CNN trying to brings facts and logic to the claims of wingnut Tim Burchett about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden BLAH BLAH FREAKING BLAH!...OMIGOD, #46 WAS PAID BY HIS SON FOR A CAR LOAN!!! WHAT A “SCANDAL”!! And boy, is Cohen ever right about the wingnuts trying to own the narrative, facts and logic be damned...makes me recall this post (NSFW/H)...
...and given all of the garbage allegations against Hunter Biden, I think it’s called for to give the man the opportunity to speak for himself, which he did yesterday...
...and Farron Cousins tells us that, while it’s great that Adam Frisch running against Bo-Bo Boebert in CO-14 has raised a lot of dough from Hollywood types (4X the amount it seems), Frisch needs to downplay that a bit; yes, it shouldn’t matter, but unfortunately it does...I know what Cousins is talking about when it comes to getting people riled up over celebrities like that; it’s pretty blue where Le Manse Doomsy resides, but there are definitely red pockets too (I’ll admit that I’m not completely sure what the answer is to that either, people getting worked up over famous donations I mean)...
...and ready or not, it's time for more seasonal selections.
Mike Figueredo tells us about Kate Cox, the Texas woman who was at first granted an abortion because her fetus was diagnosed with something called Edwards Syndrome, which is an almost assuredly fatal condition, but was then denied the abortion by Ken Paxton and the ghouls of the Texas Supreme Court, forcing her to flee the state to get the health care she needs, also to save her own reproductive health...as the clip informs us, it tells you how toothless the exception provision is in these monstrous laws, and these battles are playing out in at least 14 states as Cox’s lawyer points out (more here - NSFW/H)...
...and as someone who has journeyed “across the pond” like millions of others I’m sure, I can tell you that I have had to avail myself of Britain’s National Health Service, and I have been satisfied with the care I received as well as the affordable cost...this New York Times video tells us how it has recently fallen into decline; basically, when you don’t invest in something and let the privateers from this country take over (with the all-too-willing help of the Tories), you get the predictable result...
...and Richard Ojeda of Rebel HQ brings us a clip of Adam Mockler doing his best to reach the brainless bipeds still supporting Our Ochre Abomination...want to know why Ukraine funding has been in trouble recently? Because of these knuckle draggers who actually think Vlad The Butcher is acting in our interests, that’s why...
...and I’ll loop Ana and Cenk of TYT back into this...they inform us that Hannah Giles of Project Veritas recently stepped down and pretty much spilled the beans on James O’Keefe and the other bottom feeders at that wretched outfit...allow me to pass the popcorn while I watch those guttersnipes eat each other alive...
...and I hope you find these seasonal tunes to be a little more enjoyable and/or fulfilling somehow.
This video from Chris Hayes tells us about the Biden Administration quietly doing its job on the economy – lots of “sky is falling” BS from Fix Noise of course on housing costs, eggs, gas as well, and the supply chain overall (and the stuff about Biden supposedly being the grinch who stole Christmas is just so “on the nose” for this bunch)...to be fair, no president is 100 percent at fault on these issues, but if you’re going to give the “R” guy credit for this stuff when it’s good, he should get the blame for it when it goes bad, and that’s right for the “D” person also (more on Biden and the economy is here...and by the way, the baby formula shortage had more to do with monopolies than anything else as noted here)...
Update 12/13/23: Yeah, that stinky Biden economy does it again (#joke), with the Dow breaking 37K for the first time (here).
...and though I believe #46 deserves credit for the reason previously stated, I also think he deserves blame for the reason Beau points out in this clip...as we know, the proverbial buck stops with the person in the big chair, but I also wonder if Biden is getting sold down the river by this Brett McGurk guy who he apparently is relying on for foreign policy advice...for all kinds of reasons, I believe it’s wrong to oppose a ceasefire in Gaza, and I also agree that 46’s diplomatic team has a really heavy lift here to get “Bibi” to stop indiscriminately bombing the crap out of Gaza so some kind of international coalition can restore something approximating order in that area of the world (to say nothing of freeing the remaining hostages and bringing the Hamas murderers to justice)...
...and with the prior clip in mind, David Doel informs us of a recent debate of sorts on CNN between Jamaal Bowman and Mike Lawler on Israel’s latest incursion into Gaza...I agree with Doel; kudos to Bowman for speaking about the reality of the West Bank and Gaza, which should be the rule for our corporate media instead of the exception...I know Abby Phillips has done good work in the past, but once again, her somewhat passive blaming of Bowman tells you what kind of a hold the everything-Israel-does-is-100-percent-right caucus has on our politics and our discourse (mildly NSFW/H)...
...and I give Krystal Ball so much credit for this commentary on the targeted IDF killing of Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer (and yes, I believe that’s what it was for the reasons Ball states); although Hamas is nothing but a bunch of murderous cowards for launching the attack on the music festival and taking hostages that started all of this (well, let’s just say it greatly exacerbated it anyway), it’s long past time for this to be turned over to international mediation since, as far as I’m concerned, Israel will never be honest actors in this barbarity (and oh yeah, what about "free speech warrior" Bari Weiss on this? Do you even need to ask? And call me a pointy-headed lib if you want, but I could care less about Saagar Enjeti)...
...and staying with the Israel/Hamas war and Gaza incursion, Ana of TYT tells us about a recent confrontation between “Bibi” and the freed Israeli hostages and some family members, with the latter making the pretty damn obvious point that bombing the crap out of Gaza isn’t going to do a hell of a lot for anyone’s safety, whether they’re Israeli captives or Palestinians...
Update: Definitely a tactic of an outlaw regime IMO (and I mean Israel) here.
...and while I know that it’s pretty difficult to feel festive in light of the war in the Middle East (as well as this example of disgusting cowardice), I’d like to present the following seasonal selections anyway.
By the way, I should note that I didn’t see the testimony of the 3 Ivy League presidents before Congress about antisemitism (the one where Elise Stefanik apparently got her shorts all knotted up). As far as I can tell, all the umbrage had to do with calls for violence against Israel and/or Jews. And that’s bad of course; nobody should be issuing calls for violence against anybody or any group. However, aside from grabbing some headlines and trying to own the news cycle, I cannot possibly understand why this story is a big deal.
And yes, I know Penn president Liz Magill resigned as a result of the fallout. And I think that was the point from these U.S. House idiots – to manufacture someone as a boogeyman and deflect away from the ongoing nonsense from the ruling clowns in that governmental body.
So let’s play a little game of “what if” here, OK? Suppose one of those universities had tried to prosecute a student for objectionable speech. Do you honestly believe that a student attending these schools WOULDN’T have the financial means (likely through their parents) to file suit, and likely win on free speech grounds? And yes, I realize that not every Ivy league-school student is rich, but I would guess that most of them are. And if a university president knows that, how much sense does it make for them to file a lawsuit in response to objectionable speech that they would likely lose?
As noted here, this congress is on a pace to be the least productive of any (in terms of legislation put forward and bills passed) since the Great Depression. And while that’s partially the fault of the Senate also I know, it is OVERWHELMINGLY the fault of the House. But sure, go ahead and stage some ridiculous hearing about antisemitism instead of securing women’s health care, trying to pass common-sense gun reform, ensuring college affordability or doing relatively nothing while our planet continues to melt.
What a bunch of goddamn idiots! And more from Will Bunch on this is here.
To begin the videos...Jesse Dollemore tells us about some of the likely cabinet picks in the terrible event that, somehow, a certain Treasonous Orange Pestilence were to return to An Oval Office in ‘25 (“a menagerie of dum dums” indeed, though I don’t mean to trivialize the importance of this matter by noting that...and I share Jesse’s concerns about “Tuckums” as a VP candidate – I share concerns about ALL OF THEM, actually, but particularly The Swanson TV Dinner Heir, and yes, this is an “all hands on deck” moment to get anyone registered to vote that we possibly can to prevent all of this...slightly NSFW/H)...
...and Thom Hartmann has a pretty direct related message here for the “party of Lincoln,” namely, that you’ll never rid yourself of the stink from the Gropenfuhrer (here)...
...and Sam and Emma of The Majority Report discuss Ryan Grim pushing back on pro-Israeli “disinformation” with Erin Burnett of CNN (trying to get Grim to pile onto Pramila Jayapal also based on that Dana Bash interview...and AIPAC and their pals spent $40 to $50 million purging critics of Israel from the Democrats, huh? I think that’s a typically disgusting amount of money that definitely could have been put to use in myriad other, better ways...and NOW they’re going to spend $100 million in this upcoming cycle? Once again, thank the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR for Citizens United...and I think Sam in particular is exactly right here on CNN trying to create some kind of schism within “the squad,” and I think Sam is also right in saying that that effort will not succeed...discussion ends at about 13:52 before they go to a news wrapup)...
...and this video from More Perfect Union informs us of how the NFL is choosing concerts over player safety, and it’s ending careers...former player J.C. Tretter is interviewed on the impact of playing on grass vs. artificial turf...and I can’t think of a word to describe how disgusting it is that NFL owners won’t commit to grass, let alone the fact that Jerry Jones and his pals will go to grass for the World Cup but then go back to turf for the NFL, and at taxpayer expense to boot...apparently, Met Life Stadium in the Meadowlands must be the worst place of this sorry lot...and yes, I’m completely aware of the fact that the Birds did not have a good game yesterday...
...and like it or not, it's time for more seasonal selections.
Hey, it’s “Dictator For A Day” Donnie...yeah, he only wants to run the country “for one day”...uh huh – I guess he believes a “day” has an indefinite time period...and as Farron Cousins notes, if God forbid he ended up back in charge, he would be able to enact a bunch of stuff with the typical presidential power, though Mango Mussolini would go waaay beyond that of course (and what’s at least as vile and repugnant to me, as opposed to the treasonous words of Our Traitorous Orange Meat Sack, are the life forms in the audience who applauded when 45 said this garbage...somewhat NSFW/H)...
...and according to a survey in the WaPo I believe, women are getting more and more disgusted with Trumpers and not wanting to date them, and of course these Fix Noise harpies are big mad about that (Ben Gleib of Rebel HQ fills us in on the details)...
...and when it comes to our thoroughly compromised SCOTUS, Ali Velshi informs us about a case from some self-entitled jagoff with apparently too much time and money on his hands, and that would be this George Jarkesy guy who brought suit against the SEC and its governmental tribunal, a group which provides an important function as noted in this clip including an interview with author and NYU law professor Melissa Murray...this case could indeed potentially upend our government and the “administrative state” that actually does the important legwork providing for our quality of life...the wingnuts have been going after governmental regular bodies ever since the Teahadists swept into power in 2010 (mainly Chucky and Davey Koch attacking the EPA), and maybe even earlier than that, and this is just the latest assault...yeah, this whole case has “bad idea” written all over it IMO, so OF COOURRSE the wretched Court of Hangin’ Judge JR leapt into action...
...and as long as we’re talking about The Supremes, I should include this video from Leeja Miller, telling us that the proposed ethics code from this bunch is worse than we think (hinging on the difference between the words “should” and “shall”)...lots of interesting background IMO on what judges and lawyers can and can’t do, and Miller gets to the SCOTUS at about 10:50...legal trickery is highlighted I know, but it’s important to mention...also, more weasel wording is discussed that allows justices (according to their joke of a code) to speak at what amounts to right-wing advocacy groups, codifying their existing garbage behavior as Miller points out...yeah, these “carve outs” stink to high heaven as she says...also, nice work to point out that separation of powers in the Constitution does NOT mean that the branches of government can’t regulate each other...I believe it was mentioned in one of the obits for Sandra Day O’Connor how important it is for justices to have served in a governmental capacity before they were elevated to the SCOTUS (which O’Connor did in the Arizona state senate...Earl Warren was a Republican governor of California, which was a credential that appealed to President Eisenhower, who nominated him); I think this bunch we have now is pretty much proof positive of how out of touch you can be without that important experience (well, for six of the nine anyway)...
...and I now present the following seasonal selections, including our annual remembrance.
(Yes, I know that GOP clown show was last night, but for now I'd rather focus on more important stuff.)
Sam and Emma of The Majority Report comment on the horrific reports of civilian casualties coming out of Gaza...like many of you I’m sure, I feel compelled to say something about this gut-churning slaughter, though that doesn’t mean that I’m willing to give Hamas a pass on their brutality under any circumstances...and Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave a speech where he basically told Netanyahu to limit civilian casualties, which I’m sure “Bibi” categorically ignored...as far as I’m concerned, Netanyahu is as bloodthirsty as Hamas, and it’s pathetic that he’s not getting called out enough for it IMO; tells you what a stranglehold AIPAC has on our politicians and the allegedly sane corporate media discourse on this carnage...
Update 12/10/23: Yeah, this sure figures, doesn't it?
...so what do our corporate media cousins do instead when it comes to civilian deaths in Gaza? Why, that means it’s time to attack Dem U.S. House Rep Pramila Jayapal, who happens to be on the COMPLETELY CORRECT side of this issue (as is Bernie), as David Doel tells us...Netanyahu wants to bomb the Palestinians into extinction...I would say that we’re looong past the point of international mediation, not only on the war but the whole matter of a Palestinian state, Jerusalem as a shared capital and negotiating right of return (as much as any of that can actually take place now given what that area of the world has turned into)...
...and Mike Figueredo brings us the story of Jewish Americans and others condemning this garbage resolution that just passed the U.S. House equating Anti-Zionism with antisemitism (with some Repug U.S. House idiot named Max Miller cheering on the ruin in Gaza...and yes, I agree that this is comparable to accusing someone of being anti-Catholic if they criticized the Church for covering up the abuse scandal...NSFW/H)...
...and speaking of U.S. House idiocy, Speaker “MAGA Mike” Johnson sez in this clip that the Repugs are the “rule of law team” while they plan to go ahead with the Biden impeachment inquiry (oh, and does that have anything to do with Hunter Biden wanting a public hearing which James Comer refuses to give him for some reason, I wonder? And yeah, Johnson is a lying sack of sh*t on the two impeachments of #45, but we knew that – Jesse Dollemore tells us about it...NSFW/H also)...
...and I realize that it may be pretty hard to feel like watching some of these seasonal numbers (including a song to commemorate the beginning of the "festival of lights"), but I hope these tunes can lift our spirits up somehow anyway.
Retired Army Major Richard Ojeda brings us this video of Michael Shure interviewing Trump supporters at his most recent hate fest in Iowa...I give Shure credit for exercising the proverbial patience of Job while trying to reach these life forms, which is more than I can do for certain...
...and as a bit of a follow-up, Farron Cousins tells us that Fix Noise had to cut away from broadcasting #45 and his antics at the rally noted above because his lies were so awful (I think Cousins is exactly right in that The Roger Ailes BS Factory didn’t want to get sued again...aside from ratings, I can’t think of another reason why they would bail on Combover Caligula like that)...
...and transitioning to the economy under #46, this clip from More Perfect Union discusses how clean energy companies rely on contracting firms to staff and frequently underpay an exploitable workforce, citing one particular case in Buckeye, Arizona...when picking produce is a more desirable job than installing a solar panel, I think something is seriously wrong; fortunately, there is a unionization effort underway...regardless, the jobs created here are another success story of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act IMO...
...and RIP Norman Lear, and I don’t think it’s an overstatement to call him a great American for a few reasons (I thought this was an excellent appreciation)...like many of you I'm sure, I can remember the guts it took for Lear to found People For The American Way and stand up to Jerry Falwell and The Sainted Ronnie R when both were riding high, to say nothing of revolutionizing TV sitcoms...we can all profit from Lear’s courageous example...
...and RIP also Denny Laine of Wings and the original version of The Moody Blues; he was famous for this tune, which was actually a cover...the original was performed by R&B singer Bessie Banks...
Thom Hartmann discusses a report from Pro Publica and Lever News on the rip-off of Medicare Advantage and our scammy for-profit health care system in general – Thom cites a story of a guy in Michigan with an aggressive form of lymphoma, but Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan won’t pay for the treatment because it’s over $100 grand...his outrage is completely justified, and I can use a few words here myself to say what I think of this that probably would get me dinged for content moderation (and I'm pretty sure the open enrollment period for Medicare is almost done)...
...and Beau gives us his take on the Senate Judiciary Committee issuing subpoenas to Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow for the SCOTUS nonsense (and no, I don’t see 60 votes coming to enforce a subpoena...and I agree with Beau; just put forward the damn SCOTUS ethics code and let that stand or fall, but if it goes down, get those Senate cretins on the record for voting against it...of course, Biden and the Dems should be well on their way to packing the Court by now, particularly in light of this, and this also has to do with Moore, but we are where we are - sigh)...
...and Mike Figueredo of The Humanist Report informs us of “Meatball Ron” lying again, this time about banning gender studies for grades pre-K through 3rd, when in reality he’s trying to ban these studies through grade 12 in Flori-DUUH!...oopsie! And yeah, that transphobic idiot Michael Knowles really does give away the game here as Figueredo says...the goal is to do everything possible to erase trans and queer individuals entirely (mildly NSFW/H)...
...and moving a few degrees west, Farron Cousins lets us know that former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabilly sez that impeaching Biden would be a disaster...yeah, Huckabilly kind of stumbled into the truth here (though not for the reasons he points out), but as Cousins tells us, there’s plenty of historical precedent behind the argument that impeachment (based on zero evidence to date) would definitely be a boon for #46...
Gee, it looks as if a certain Treasonous Tiny Handed Former *preznit doesn’t have immunity from prosecution for 3 separate civil lawsuits holding Our Ochre Abomination liable for the 1/6 insurrection, as ruled by a U.S. appeals court; Rayy Vana, Cenk Uygur and Jordan Uhl bring us the details...I thought Rayy Vana’s analysis was solid, Cenk’s was interesting a bit – and he may be right in his pessimism, sadly – but Jordan Uhl might as well not even have bothered to show up...
...and Lawrence O’Donnell starts off here by discussing a passage in Liz Cheney’s new book (and you just KNEW that was coming in time for the holidays, right?) where Combover Caligula is referred to as “Orange Jesus,” which, as far as I’m concerned, is pretty damn blasphemous; I really wish she had found a way to attribute that quote to an individual or individuals...and by the way, don’t think I’m anywhere close to climbing onboard some kind of Liz Cheney bandwagon, because I’m definitely not; she was right about #45 but absolutely 100 percent dead wrong on everything else...it takes awhile for O’Donnell to get to the point, but it’s worth it when he does...probably the most damning indictment of our corporate media that I’ve heard from someone on an actual corporate media channel...
...and from one extreme of a TV network doing the right thing to the exact opposite in the other direction, Farron Cousins tells us about Brian Kilmeade of Fix Noise praising slaveowners in an interview with the equally odious Charlie Kirk, because of course - and yeah, most of the northern states managed to do just fine without slavery, but I guess they don't count somehow...
...and Sam and Emma of The Majority Report bring us the clip of Mehdi Hasan interviewing Israeli diplomat Mark Regev that, in all likelihood, led to Hasan losing his show on MSNBC... I guess the “back and forth” offended people’s sensibilities or something (and I know Hamas started this with that horrible attack on the music festival including taking the hostages, but I thought Regev’s responses along the lines of “yeah, I know those are pictures of kids that got bombed, but why aren’t you showing dead Hamas soldiers instead?” was pretty damn weak...I know MSNBC’s sucky ratings particularly on weekends played a part here also, but like the TMR panel, I thought the main reason Hasan lost his show was the Regev exchange)...
David Doel comments here on the expulsion of “George Santos” from the U.S. House...I know I said before that Santos, barring a conviction, should remain in office until the voters have their say, and part of me still feels that way to be honest...this way, “MAGA Mike” Johnson can say, “See? We expelled one of our own, while those dastardly Dems continue allowing Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to represent here” (definitely tongue-in-cheek on that one), and also, by getting rid of Santos before he’s convicted, the Repugs have created a precedent that they DEFINITELY will use against Dems...in a weird way I admit, I’ll actually miss Santos and his ridiculous, brazen lies, acting as a walking, talking endorsement to NOT vote for Republicans...and I think Doel is right to point out that Santos’s offending his corporate sugar daddies was the straw that broke the metaphorical camel’s back here...
...and Jesse Dollemore brings us a clip of Bo-Bo Boebert doing what she does best, and that is acting like a total idiot, this time with an official from the Social Security Administration about productivity of folks working from home...and yeah, I think you can see already where this is going (a guy named Orrin Hank McKnelly from the SSA testifies...yeah, Bo-Bo throws around a lot of numbers here to try and sound smart, but fortunately McKnelly, the actual adult in this situation, backs up his own argument beautifully...note to Jesse, however; Louie Gohmert is no longer in the U.S. House, fortunately...to do something about Boebert, click here)...
...and I thought this was a pretty balanced tribute to SCOTUS Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was definitely conservative, but also tried to balance that I believe with some common sense rulings as noted in the clip...and call me a pointy headed lib if you want, but I honestly do not believe that she would have supported the Dobbs decision...
...and just in time for the holidays, it looks like Fix Noise is fighting the “war on Christmas” once more, as Jordan Klepper and Desi Lydic of The Daily Show tell us...
...and with the big day in mind, I present the following seasonal offerings...
...including this one as a tribute to Shane MacGowan of The Pogues.
Looks like it is time to play catch-up once again...to begin, Mike Figueredo tells us about King Elon I endorsing antisemitism on Twitter/X/the bird app/whatever the hell it is, and hemorrhaging advertisers as a result, apparently...and despite that, OF COURSE Musk is welcomed with open arms by “Bibi” for PR purposes, as Figueredo says, and yeah, that audio clip shows just how nutty Netanyahu is; he’s never going to stop trying to sucker the U.S. into another war in the Mideast...and I also think that Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL is a little ”out to lunch” here also, to put it mildly...I totally agree with Figueredo; it’s wrong to blame all Jews for Netanyahu’s carnage in Gaza, and it’s wrong to blame all Palestinians (or their supporters) for the cowardly atrocities of Hamas...and unfortunately, the truce is over and the wholesale ruin in Israel and Gaza has resumed as noted here (NSFW/H...more here)...
Update 12/2/23: I have to admit that I didn’t pay a lot of attention to Musk’s recent interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin (and seriously, can you think of an individual who’s likely to give you more in the way of softball questions than business apologist Sorkin?), but I recently watched some of this segment on it with Vaush, and I honestly think Musk is mentally ill...and no, I’m not a life sciences professional and I’m not qualified to seriously make that claim. However, it’s been a looong time since I saw an interview that was this much of a train wreck...the closest I can think of is Tom Snyder talking to Charles Manson (or trying to, actually) many moons ago.
...and as long as we’re discussing the latest war in the Middle East, I should bring you this clip from Sam Seder refuting the beyond-ridiculous claim from U.S. senatorial mistake Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma (do I really need to mention the political party?) in an interview with David Asman of Fix Noise about how the employees of (presumably) Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza knew there were incoming IDF fighters??? Huh??? And by the way, I would call this linked article a voice of sanity on this issue (and this doesn't surprise me in the least)...
...and David Doel gives us his take on the cancellation of Mehdi Hasan’s show on MSNBC...and yeah, access, ratings and framing the stories a certain way for the audience is a big freaking deal...granted, Fix Noise does this on a much bigger (and more propagandistic IMO) scale, but MSNBC does indeed do a variation of the same thing...and yeah, I understand the ratings argument, but Michael Steele USED TO BE THE FREAKING HEAD OF THE RNC AND IS BASICALLY A NEVER TRUMPER!! And Alex Witt is also a charter member of the “both sides corporate media” club...ugh (I wish Doel had included a clip of a Hasan interview, but there could be a licensing/copyright issue there, as well as the timeframe of trying to get this video ready I realize...more from Dan Froomkin on this is here)...
...and when it comes to the economy and the positive impact of the Biden Administration IMO, Farron Cousins tells us about #46 visiting the Colorado district of Lauren Boebert to take a tour of a company called CS Wind, the largest producer of wind towers in the U.S (here)...got millions to expand business through the Inflation Reduction Act (which Bo-Bo Boebert called “garbage”...figures – to do something about the U.S. House mistake from CO-14, click here...and more good related stuff is here).
Oh, and speaking of financial matters, it looks like New York Times politics reporter Katie Rogers was trying to be cute recently over the story of the White House Christmas tree falling down and acting like that was symbolic somehow of this administration’s handling of the economy (here).
Given that, do you want to know who Rogers links to in an effort to find proof of Biden’s alleged misdeeds on this issue? The Washington Post? The Financial Times? Fox “News,” even?
No. Some rando on Twitter named “DC_Draino.”
What’s the matter? Catturd wasn’t available?
If Rogers is interested in the opinion of an actual adult who knows something on this topic, she should consult her co-worker Professor Krugman here (Krugman has likely forgotten more on this subject than Rogers will ever know...and more on this subject is here).
Here’s the Cousins video...
...and I now give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 12/1/20, in which Chucky Koch whines to his preferred media lickspittles about how the politicians he paid for aren’t doing every damn thing he wants (and yes, to echo Kyle Kulinski’s point, I think “American Ayatollah” is about right – this clip is timely a bit given that Koch has apparently decided to fund the presidential candidacy of Nimarata Nikki Randhawa as noted here)...
...and David Shuster tells us about Flori-DUUH! Republican Party chair Christian Zielger, married to the head of a Moms for Liberty chapter...in another instance in the “do as I say, not as I do” annals of Repug Party garbage, it looks like Ziegler is facing charges of sexual battery for engaging in a threesome and getting a little out of hand it seems...more here (and I didn’t see the clip with Marjorie Trailer Park Greene – important to hold her to account of course, but to be honest, I can only deal with so much of this stuff)...
Update 12/7/23: There are folks making snarky remarks about this, but it is a seriously disturbing development in this already awful story...rest assured that, if anybody at any point ever mentions Bill Clinton and Monica Whatsername again, respond with this...basically, there's a very graphic cell phone video, allegedly, and I'll leave it at that.
Like you I’m sure, I was taught when I was brought up not to celebrate misfortune. And normally I would abide by that. But for this occasion, I think I should make an exception.
HE’S FINALLY GONE!!!
The Eternal Molly Ivins reminded us in December 2002 that “Dr.” Henry Kissinger “cannot travel to Britain, Brazil, and many other countries because they cannot guarantee his immunity from legal proceedings.” Ivins also pointed out that “Kissinger is wanted for questioning about the international terrorist network called Operation Condor, which conducted killings, kidnappings, and bombings in several countries, including (the U.S.), such as the 1976 bombing in Washington, D.C. that killed a noted Chilean dissident and his companion.” (stuff is all behind a paywall now). Also, as Ivins noted here, the noted political satirist Tom Lehrer basically gave up when Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973.
Continuing (as noted by journalist Christopher Hitchens), Kissinger and President Gerald Ford traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia in December 1975 (Kissinger was Ford’s Secretary of State); at the time, the U.S. was the primary supplier of Indonesian military hardware. After the visit concluded, Indonesia launched an invasion of nearby East Timor, which included a massacre in the capital of Dili affecting a quarter of the Timorese population. The U.S. announced a doubling of military aid to the region soon after the conflict began; according to Amnesty International, Asia Watch and even the Indonesian miliary, 200,000 people were killed in a conflict that lasted for 24 years until East Timor voted for independence.
Additionally, Kissinger was responsible for the infamous “salted peanuts” memo to Tricky Dick that he mentioned to Dubya in response to the quite logical calls to get us the hell out of #43’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Iraq, noted here (the memo was written by Kissinger in ’69 in response to calls to get us out of Vietnam).
I have no doubt that there will be a lot of Kissinger hagiography coming our way for a little while, but I would only ask that you consider all of this also (in addition to what is presented in this clip...there’s probably a bit of repetition, but I think that’s good under the circumstances...and let's not forget this too...more Kissinger stuff is here and here)...
...and turning to domestic matters, Brian Tyler Cohen tells us that Sen. Cornpone Kennedy of Louisiana recently confronted Dr. Megan Ranney about gun violence in Chicago; yeah, pretend hicks like Kennedy and his Repug party playmates just love to yammer on about how allegedly evil those dastardly blue states are...and yeah, gun violence is a problem all over this country, but try cleaning up the mess in your own backyard first before you try to talk down to anybody else (more here)...
...and given the prior clip, it may come as a bit of a shock (well, maybe not really) to learn that the “party of Lincoln” is running out of dough...yeah, as Farron Cousins sez, they haven’t done anything to benefit most of this country, which they just don’t do anymore anyway and haven’t done for awhile, but they haven’t even done anything to benefit their fat cat donors either, and that is REALLY the point of no return when it comes to financing these clowns, though I’m sure those sweet dark money donations will arrive in time for the next election cycle...
...and apologies for being a little behind on this clip, but Leeja Miller discusses the pros and cons of term limits...and I agree with a good bit of what she says, but let’s not forget that Robert Bork got a vote in the Senate, which he lost...meanwhile, Obama’s SCOTUS pick Merrick Garland COULDN’T EVEN GET A FREAKING HEARING IN THE SENATE BECAUSE OF “GRIM REAPER” McCONNELL!...and I have to admit that it does give pause to yours truly to realize what Miller is saying about Bernie Sanders, AOC and term limits; great argument in her favor I must say, as well as what that would mean for congressional staffers and having to turn to lobbyists even more than we do already...and I think mandatory retirement ages for Congress and the judiciary on the federal level are something we should move forward on, to be honest, but good luck with that given the octogenarians in those bodies...and yes, our inability to amend the Constitution over about the last 50 years is very definitely baked in by the “one percent” and the “party of Lincoln,” and “Cancun Cruz’s” antics are part and parcel of that IMO...and boy, is she ever right about the corrupting influence of $$ in politics; I almost threw up when I heard that $10 million was spent on “I Like Beer” Kavanaugh (NSFW/H also at the end)...
Sean Morrow of More Perfect Union tells us that, with all of the global carnage going on primarily in Gaza, stocks in defense companies are doing pretty well, which is typically gross...didn’t know about the “NSC 68” memo...clip does a good job of pointing out the winners and losers in our out-of-control defense spending in this country...a select group of shareholders are the big winners of course, and regular consumers and our military personnel are each “the biggest loser” you might say...template for this was created by FDR during WWII as the clip notes, though I cannot possibly imagine that he envisioned what all of this would become in peacetime...Eisenhower, among others, saw this coming, which is why he made the speech about the “military industrial complex” of course...
...and related to what is going on in the Middle East (hopefully the cease fire in place will hold), Ana Kasparian of TYT tells us about the shooting of 3 Palestinians in Burlington, VT...suspect is someone named Jason Eaton...I thought this was a pretty good analysis by Ana, but then Wosny Lambre comes in and references “the so-called Hamas terrorists”??? What the hell is “so-called” for when THEY RAID A MUSIC FESTIVAL AND TAKE ISRAELIS HOSTAGE, INCLUDING WOMEN AND CHILDREN??!!...yet another reason why I’m careful about TYT clips, to be honest...this story is a littler personal for yours truly since we’ve been to Burlington a few times; it’s a beautiful little town nestled amidst the white mountains – just proves that random violence can strike anywhere, as if we needed to learn that lesson once again...Vermont has folks of all kinds of political affiliations, though, based on our experience, New Hampshire right next door has more folks who are inclined to side with the “R” party, and no, that’s not a blanket condemnation (I watched this clip twice to make sure I didn't screw this up, and yeah, Wosny Lambre really said "so-called" Hamas terrorists...and I thought this was a good column on the ongoing conflict)...
...and staying in New England for this one, Jesse Dollemore tells us about some Fix Noise guttersnipe named Lucas Tomlinson who cites a “reporter” yelling out that Biden is too old (in some place on Nantucket), when in fact, Tomlinson is the reporter doing that...yeah, “journalistic ethics”...what does that mean? And when it comes to Biden and the polls, I would ask that you consider this (and here is some reputable sourcing on the Rainbow Bridge story on the U.S.-Canada border)...
...and happy belated 80th birthday to Randy Newman...
John and Yasmin Khan of The Damage Report inform us that the leader of the Philadelphia Moms for Liberty chapter was busted as a registered sex offender...namely, this Philip Fisher, Jr. person, though there could be more of a backstory here to be fair...Fisher claims here that he’s being railroaded by Lyndon LaRouche, which would be a pretty neat trick since LaRouche DIED FOUR FREAKING YEARS AGO! (more here - and no, John, I don’t think this stuff is a coincidence either)...
...and David Pakman tells us about neo-Nazis marching in Wisconsin...namely, these “Blood Tribe” troglodytes (and I know this is a side note, but I wonder how many of these lunatics have infiltrated pro-Palestinian protests in response to the carnage in Israel and Gaza?)...
...and I know this clip is a few days old, but I didn’t want to ignore it; Repug U.S. House Rep Chip Roy of Texas recently blasted his own party for accomplishing nothing, which is exactly what the donor class pulling the puppet strings for his party wants...before anybody decides to feel sorry for Roy, though, allow me to present this (Farron Cousins explains...Roy's remarks should be included in every single damn campaign ad run by ANY DEMOCRAT running for the U.S. House, including this worthy choice)...
