Well, here I am again. It's TC's birthday and you may have seen the cartoon on his personal update which says "Crappy Birthday!" He is still under the weather and is curled up in his cat bed where he belongs right now. That means you're stuck with me. Today has been very rainy. I'm in the living room with one cat on the ottoman draped over my feet and my little girl curled up in the rocking chair. I think my other boy is upstairs in bed, his favourite snuggling place.
Short Takes
Second Nexus — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau further won the hearts of feminists and liberals by pledging $650 million of the national budget to sexual and reproductive health and rights initiatives. The funding would support contraception, reproductive health, legal abortion, sexuality education, and advocacy work worldwide, and it aims to make up for the loss of U.S. leadership and financial support in the wake of President Donald Trump’s global gag order.
The plan, proposed on March 8, International Women’s Day, could use advocacy funds to fight for abortion rights in the 125 countries where abortion is illegal, according to The Globe and Mail. …
Trudeau was clear in his statement announcing the Canadian plan:
“Like men, women should be able to choose when they want to start a family, how big their family should be, and who they want to start that family with. When women have equal power and equal weight and equal leadership influence, the kinds of decisions are better.”
This came in an e-mail from George Takei. There sure won't be a bromance between Trudeau and Drumpfenfarten! Trudeau is far from perfect, but I am proud of him for standing up to this insanity called Drumpf's global gag order. Kudos Mr Prime Minister!
Distractify — … there's a good chance that some people are being a little too overly sensitive about Donald Trump's St. Patrick's edition, "Make America Great Again" hats. But then again, considering his overly critical and oftentimes hypocritical speech, can you really blame people?
The green MAGA hat features Reagan's campaign quote that Trump appropriated on the front, and a four-leaf clover on the back. There's only one problem.
The three-leafed shamrock is the official symbol of St. Patrick's Day. Four-leaf clovers have nothing to do with Ireland.
This too came in an e-mail from George Takei. So much for Drumpfenfarten making America great again, eh! Not only did he steal Reagan's slogan, but he screwed up the shamrock! I wonder if that is anything like breaking a mirror . . . seven years of bad luck? LMAO!!!
The New Yorker — The middle-school student who wrote the Republican health-care bill that was unveiled earlier in the week complained on Friday that he still has not been paid for his work.
Kevin Tenco, a seventh grader from House Speaker Paul Ryan’s congressional district, in Wisconsin, said that Ryan hired him two weeks ago to write the American Health Care Act with the promise that it “wouldn’t be too much work” and that he would be paid handsomely for his effort.
“He said I would get paid, like, five hundred dollars, and I could buy a Nintendo Switch,” Tenco said.
Taking Ryan at his word, the thirteen-year-old, from Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, “pulled several all-nighters” to complete the health-care bill in time for its Monday unveiling.
“I basically went to the Wikipedia page for Obamacare, cut and pasted a bunch of stuff and then threw in some tax cuts and whatnot,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like a lot of work, but I was super tired by the end of it.”
Given the rancour and rush over the American Health Care Act just within the Republican party alone, it would seem to have been written by a 13 year old.
Daily Kos — House Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) just nailed the Republican Party with another example of their blatant ACA v. Wealthcare hypocrisy.
In 2009 and 2010, when President Obama and Democrats were seeking the passage of the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare, Republicans including Paul Ryan viciously accused Democrats of trying to ram the healthcare plan through — without any participation from the public. Oh!
Fast forward to the present. The newly elected Maryland Congressman Raskin presents the truth with facts — something America is starving for right now and can’t seem to get from Trump-loving Republicans.
Another Republican lie debunked! Kudos to Jamie Raskin (D-MD)!
Think Progress — During the presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump said he would turn down any salary as President. Then, in his first big interview as President-elect in November, he again insisted, “No, I’m not gonna take the salary. I’m not taking it.” Instead of accepting the $400,000 presidents get paid each year, Trump would take just $1 a year.
Well, it’s been almost two months and President Trump has received at least one paycheck — and he kept it.
Part of his struggle to keep his promise is that the Constitution gets in his way. It requires the president to receive compensation and prohibits the amount from being changed (in either direction) during the course of a presidential term.
In light of this, the White House tweaked the promise in February, with spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders explaining to Politifact, “He is required to get a paycheck but will be giving it back to (the) treasury or donating.”
But there has been no evidence to support this claim, and this week the White House refused to provide NBC News with any documentation that he’s taken such actions.
Even I, as a Canadian, know that Drumpfenfarten is restrained by the Constitution from doing anything with the presidential salary other than donating it to charity after the fact. But I'm not holding my breath on this "promise"! As my momma would say, he lies like a rug! Mind, in 7 weeks as POTUS, when ever did an insignificant thing like the Constitution ever stop Drumpfenfarten from doing what he wanted?
Resist and Persist!!!
My Universe
Happy Birthday TC
Happy Birthday Uncle TC
from the Squance kids + 2 friends
Happy Birthday TC
from all of us!
14 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 13 March 2017”
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Happy Birthday, TC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEc8rGonrQw
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Thanks for doing such a great job, Lynn.
S.N: Kudos to Trudeau for setting up this fund. It's very admirable but I have to take Trudeau down a notch because it was not his plan, but that of the a Dutch minister, Lilliane Ploumen. "January 27, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — Canada’s Liberal government is considering joining the Dutch government’s proposed international abortion fund, as part of its commitment to advance 'reproductive rights.'
After President Trump restored the Mexico City Policy on Monday, Dutch minister of foreign trade and development co-operation Lilianne Ploumen announced her government’s intention to launch the abortion fund." I think Trudeau got angered by the Dutch hesitancy to sign his trade agreements but thought the idea was good and adopted it for Canada. Ploumen's 'She Decides' initiative has now taken the governments of Denmark and Sweden on board and they have presented it to the EU on Women's Day.
I hope both initiatives help to turn back Drumpf's proposed ban on Planned Parenthood as much as possible and also that they work with each other, not against each other. This is not about egos and trade deals, but about the health and future of a lot of American women.
Distractify: LOL. Has anyone looked inside? They're probably made in China too. I think Drumpf and his henchmen are going to wear these a lot. They can do with a bit of good luck right now. By the way: has anyone bothered to follow the money and see where the proceeds end up?
TNY: Sounds very Drumpfian, doesn't it: no real content, stealing from the original with a load of copy and paste, but even more of deletes, and then of course not paying the subcontractor. Ryan is a just another Drumpf lite.
DK: If this is newly elected Maryland Congressman Raski's maiden speech, then Kudos to him! If it's not, then Kudos to him! So good to see that newly elected congressman/women for the Democrats are progressives who RESIST & PERSIST!
TP: So now Drumpf not only has retained all the interest in his businesses as if he wasn't in office, now he also holds on to the salary despite his promise he'd not take any; quelle surprise! How about starting with that monthly donation right now, Drumpf? I know the one for you: Planned Parenthood.
My Universe: Yes, Happy Birthday and Get Well Soon, TomCat
I did not know that the Netherlands hesitated to sign the Canada-EU trade agreement. I know that Wallonia, a state within Belgium, hesitated causing Canada's trade minister at the time, Chrystia Freeland, to walk out of the negotiations and go home. No matter who started it all, the abortion fund and defying Drumpfenfarten's global gag order was and is a MUST DO!
Thzanks and great job, Squatch, with one caveat. Any 13 year old that wrote RepubliVare would get an F.
Thanks. Any time!
YVW!
Well, you may THINK that the Twitler MAGA hat (they went for $50!!!), has a problem by using a four-leaf clover instead of a Shamrock – BUT in Kellyanne Conway's "Alternative Facts World" that error is easily solved:
LOL!!! That sounds about right for the clueless twit!
I also love the name of the brand (the back of the neck). It sounds like Der Fuhrer himself.
Second Nexus: While I am all with Trudeau, I wish to point out that Drumpenfarten's global Gag order is just the newest iteration of the Global Gag order first initiated, I believe, by that other deluded, imbecilic, Republican predident, G.W. Bush! This is a piece of the conservative agenda regarding creating a Christian Theocracy, despite the clear wishes of the Founding Fathers, here.
Distractify: Oh, is that where Schmuck a L'orange got that from? A jackass standing on the shoulders of a jackass seems to be the Republican way. Yeah, Conway will "know" all about the alternative fact, coming from her alternative universe. She even knows that microwaves can "turn into cameras."
New Yorker: Yes, a 13 year old with a huge zit for a brain!
DK: Lies, hypocrisy? Hey, that's what Republican DNA is made of!
TP: "Lies like a rug!" Smart Moma you had!
Actually, as I understand, the global gag order was a product of that Republican saint, St Ronnie Raygun. So you're correct, it was a Republican and every Republican has followed suit since. Drumpf just fattened it up some more.
Thanks. My momma was a smart woman.
Sounds like you are cozy!
2Nexus – I saw the headline somewhere that Trudeau was addressing the gag order, but I hadn't read the details. Wow! Good for him! I won't have to wear green on Friday; I will be green with envy of Canada! Which brings me to …
Distractify – OK, Emperor, I know Reagan is Dead – but between Bannon, Ryan, and McConnell, did you really not have ANYONE on your staff who knew about the shamrock? Of course, I suspect Irish people everywhere already knew that Bannon, Ryan, and McConnell are unworthy of Ireland.
TNY – Sorry, but I think both you and Andy are underestimating thirteen-year-old middle school students. I believe most could do a LOT better. If I had to guess, I'd say is was a six-year-old with a crayon. But maybe even that would be more competent.
DKos – Maryland has some darned good people. Sure sorry we (the nation) lost their Donna Edwards (the Congresswoman), though. Maryland, you need to fix that.
Universe – The rest of us are extremely happy that he is here to celebrate. TC, feel the love.
A six year old with a crayon . . . LOL! You could be very correct!
Thanks all!