Can you believe it? We’re almost half way through summer! The days are shorter. Kids are talking about returning to school. I for one can hardly wait for the cooler weather of fall! But until then, I’ll enjoy fresh fruit sorbets to cool me off, and perhaps a “run” through my neighbour’s sprinkler which he only turns on at dusk.
Short Takes
Alternet — People are wondering out loud about the parallels between today’s Republican Party and organized crime, and whether “Teflon Don” Trump will remain unscathed through his many scandals, ranging from interactions with foreign oligarchs to killing tens of thousands of Americans by denying them healthcare to stepping up the destruction of our environment and public lands.
History suggests – even if treason can be demonstrated – that, as long as he holds onto the Republican Party (and Fox News), he’ll survive it intact. And he won’t be the first Republican president to commit high crimes to get and stay in office.
In fact, Eisenhower was the last legitimately elected Republican president we’ve had in this country.
Since Dwight Eisenhower left the presidency in 1961, six different Republicans have occupied the Oval Office.
And every single one of them – from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump – have been illegitimate – ascending to the highest office in the land not through small-D democratic elections – but instead through fraud and treason.
(And today’s GOP-controlled Congress is arguably just as corrupt and illegitimate, acting almost entirely within the boundaries set by an organized group of billionaires.)
What a storied history for the Grand Old Party, and certainly nothing of which to be proud. Yet Republicans continue in their errant ways as if nobody is watching. Perhaps voters are not watching, or perhaps they just don’t care. This is a sad commentary on American democracy, such that it is.
YouTube — Of course, for the past week we have been hearing how Anthony Scaramucci was going to clean things up by plugging leaks at the White House. He provided plenty of fodder for comedians in his short White House stay. According to news today, he was fired from his position as communications director by the Orange Ogre with the inappropriateness of his profanity laced tirade about Reince Priebus given as the reason. Hmmmm . . . I wonder how that squares with Trump being called the Pussy Grabber. More over, Scaramucci was fired before he officially started. Damn, and I had just finally remembered how to spell his name!
John Oliver — Anthony Scaramucci
Stephen Colbert Monologue — The Mooch Mokes
Raw Story — Speaking by phone on MSNBC, a former U.S. Attorney walked host Joy Reid through the legal ramifications if it turns out to be true that President Donald Trump personally dictated his son’s statement that contained lies about his meeting with Kremlin-connected Russians back in June of 2016.
According to Barbara McQuade, if Trump did dictate the statement then he was trying to mislead the public and the government.
Trump might just keep Robert Muller permanently employed. With his continuous lying and highly questionable acts, Trump is shooting himself in the foot, and you know who he’ll try to blame . . . anyone but himself.
Well this little fiasco should attract Robert Mueller’s attention at the very least. In my opinion, Trump is guilty of corruption, collusion and obstruction of justice. I guess we have to wait for Mueller’s investigation to conclude.
Resist, Persist and Remove!!!
My Universe
7 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 31 July 2017”
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AN: Excellent article. Yes, RESIST all the way!!
John O/Stephen C: Well done, gentlemen, well done!! lol
RS: Why does this not surprise me? The hole gets deeper and deeper w/each passing day. Thank God, we have Mr. Mueller uncovering these incidents through his investigations.
My Universe: Sweet! I could watch this all day long!
Thank you, Lynn for post.
AlterNet – Of the six, probably the cleanest was Gerald Ford, who ascended not through his own fraud, but through someone else’s. But no wonder Dolt.45 feels victimized. There was very little complaining about his predecessors who were almost as bade getting installed. Of course they were not QUITE as bad at governing as he is. That makes a difference.
YouTube – I was meaning to watch John – had I known it was under five minutes, I would have watched it sooner. (The internet will NEVER firgive Scaramucci for that visual. Brain bleach anyone?)
Raw Story – The big surprise here is that Dolt.45 is capable of crafting ANY statement. (And that there is one still that could have come straight from “The Godfather,” if Brando were blond. Well, maybe that’s not surprising.)
Alternet – The Mafia may sue the author for defamation of character.
YouTube – Scary Muck was even worse than Shitty Spice!
Raw Story/MSNBC – Do you think there is the slightest possibility that it ISN’T true?
Horses, Cows, Goats, Birds, reptiles, and even Dawgs?!!? Why pollute kitty comedy with food?
Great job, Squatch!!
Goats sure have weird eyes. And I LUVVED the ostrich doing his mating dance. (But why he wants to mate w/ a car I’ll never know)
He probably doesn’t know either. And I’ll take your word for it that was a mating dance. It was definitely – interesting.
I Googled it – at least they looked similar.
Sorry to be in so late with my comment on your excellent post, Lynn, but I’ve missed it while traveling and returning to a state in which I can process information and comment.
Alternet: Shocking to read that it has now become apparent that both Nixon and Reagan managed to secure their election victories through treason; the Bush re-election victory with the help of “some friends in the right places” was already a known fact. Drumpf may have gotten his election victory possibly though treason (collaboration with Russia’s Putin) and in spite of being 3 million votes short on the popular vote; something that history needs to make clear in time. That those three (or four) Republican presidents got themselves into the Oval Office through fraud and treason is bad enough; however it doesn’t warrant the title’s 5 presidents as Ford legally inherited his job. I can understand the 5 Republican presidents in a row makes for good reading, but with the situation as bad as it is, there’s hardly need to blow it up.
Oliver/Colbert: Both always a pleasure to watch. John must be thanking his lucky stars that The Mooch was fired after his show, so John can do another one on the quick demise of this unripened Drumpf clone. Stephen was lucky enough to get a few stabs at The Mooch in a number of shows; and get Queen’s record sales soaring again.
Rachel Maddow: The connection here is too slow/bad to download the video, so I can’t watch it. Apparently it was already clear that Drumpf had signed off on this statement, which in itself is misleading the public and the government. I doubt that Drumpf is capable of dictating a statement that has any coherency, but it hardly matters, signing it makes him owner. And adding just another act for which he should be held accountable but won’t be until the GOP is up for it. As Drumpf is now also turning many Republicans in Congress against him, that moment may come. Soon, I hope.
My Universe: Couldn’t see all of it, but what I saw lovely. Thanks, Lynn.