It’s another painful/tired day here in the CatBox. I’ve had several trips to the throne room, and while it’s not Republicosis per se, the twisting, pushing and straining is really hard on my back. Tomorrow, please expect no more than a Personal Update. WWWendy is coming in the morning and we have lots of chores to do.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:15 (average 4:48). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Republicans who want to distinguish themselves from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene or the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol should understand something: They’re going to need to distinguish themselves from the Republican Party itself. Because in the wake of Donald Trump’s time in the White House, Republicans had a decision to make. They could have tried to revert to being the party they were in 2015 and 2016—far right, ragingly hypocritical, and ruthlessly committed to partisan power, but with some basic allegiance to reality—and instead they have chosen to stay on the Trumpy road with the conspiracy theorists and the flagrant racists.
In recent weeks, Republicans have provided a long list of examples of how extremist the party is going to be going forward. Oregon Republicans passed a resolution saying that the attack on the Capitol was a “false flag” by leftists trying to make Trump supporters look bad. Arizona Republicans censured Gov. Doug Ducey, former Sen. Jeff Flake, and Cindy McCain for insufficient loyalty to Trump and for defending the integrity of the state’s election. Rep. Matt Gaetz went to Wyoming to rally support against Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House, for having voted to impeach Trump for inciting the insurrection. Don Jr. is also engaged in the attacks on Cheney.
The party’s treatment of Greene is another key example. It’s not hard to find a Republican who will say they oppose Greene’s conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook or Parkland school shootings, or her repeated expressions of interest in assassinating Democratic political leaders. But far from being marginalized over it, she is on the House Education and Labor Committee, which House Republican leadership would have had to agree to. In other words, it’s a repeat of “responsible” Republican responses when Trump would say or do something especially outrageous—they’d claim to be appalled, but go right on embracing him in every way that mattered. And Greene won her primary in Georgia with the backing of Rep. Jim Jordan and Debbie Meadows, the wife of former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
At this point, as never-Trump Republican Bill Kristol put it, House Minority Leader “Kevin McCarthy has been more critical of Liz Cheney than he has been of Marjorie Taylor Greene.” Kristol claims to be astonished by that, but he shouldn’t be. This is the Republican Party right now.
I hoped the party might split between old style Republicans and the Trump** party. It looks like that won’t happen. It appears the KKK, Nazi, TEABuggery branch has won the day. RESIST the Republican Reich!!
From The New Yorker: In what is being hailed as an amazing act of canine heroism, President Joe Biden’s two German shepherds have dug up Donald J. Trump’s tax returns on the South Lawn of the White House.
According to sources, shortly after the President let Champ and Major out to play in the snow, they started sniffing one small patch of the lawn and digging intently.
Within minutes, the two White House pooches had unearthed twenty years’ worth of Trump’s federal tax returns, which they eagerly deposited on the Oval Office carpet for their master’s perusal.
Dang Andy, those dawgs need to take a vacation to Mar-a Lago, where they can pee on Trump**! RESIST the Republican Reich!!
From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Democrats Nurse Fresh Memories Of Bad Faith Republican ‘Bipartisanship’
The Republican Reich has not changed. Rachel is saying the same things I said yesterday. She knows what Republicans mean when they say bipartisanship.
RESIST the Republican Reich!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River (Official Lyric Video)
Ah… the memories! RESIST the Republican Reich!!
Build the Future. It Belongs to YOU!!
14 Responses to “Open Thread – 2/2/2021”
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Cartoon: More winter weather ahead. Punxsutawney Phil said so.
DK: I think they’ve gone to hell, and not come back. What a shame they’ve become. Or have been all along. They have no feelings for anyone except themselves. Oh! and to kiss the loser’s arse. Best thing to do, imho, is get a 10 foot pole, and stay away from the R’s.
NYer: I’m sure they dug up some other stuff, as they have incredible noses. I love the sweet pictures of the two dogs, Champ and Major that are currently residing in the WH. Great GS’s!
MSNBC: Good video to watch. What you said, Tom.
Early HI’s to Wendy! Hope that your pain at least diminishes somewhat and goes away, and that your back starts getting better for you. Take good, good care, Tom. and Thanks!
*This just in: “Mitch McConnell speaking out against Marjorie Taylor Greene likely won’t matter much because she is more representative of the GOP than he is.” ~ Joy Reid, MSNBC ~
2. “Yes, I did call on her to be expelled from the House. I will be introducing a resolution to investigate and expel Majorie Taylor Greene.” ~ Congressman Jimmy Gomez ~
3. “They let Hitler slide, with a slap on the wrist, after his Putsch in 1929, after convicting him of treason instead of executing him. We all know what followed.” ~ John P. ~
4. “I was about to start tonight telling you about ‘you know who’ – but it doesn’t matter. It’s done. He is done. He is the past. ~ Anderson Cooper ~ (the media should follow his example) *pb*
5. “Dolly Parton says she has turned down trump’s offer of the ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’ twice.
~ Robert H. ~
TJI #2 – We certainly have to try.
TJI #3 – One wonders why they were so lenient. Were they more afraid of his followers than of him? Were they so anti-Semitic that they secretly approved? Or was there something else that I am missing?
TJI #4 – Unfortunately, he is not past. He not loerallt has an asmy of supporters. And they should not be ignored, if onlt in self defense. Yes, his name should not be mentioned more than is necessary, but we forget about him only at our peril. See TJI #3.
TJI #5 – Dolly has standards. Trump** would not know a standard if it bit him on the butt.
TJI1#: Sadly true.
TJI#: Right on!
TJI#3: We do not have to execute Dumpness, but exclude him from any involvement in the political world, while behind bars.
TJI#4: Yes, Cooper’s got it wrong. Dumbness and his followers, his entire legacy, needs to be kept in mind, as a defensive maneuver for safety. A vicious, marauding dog that has not been seen in your neighborhood for a day or two, is best not forgotten the next time you venture out for a stroll.
TJI#5: Dolly has brains, and Trump probably just wanted to get his hands near her bod.
I hope sometime down the line Pres. Biden will offer Dolly the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Too close to her turning down Trump – TWICE – to do it now. But in a year or so …
TJI#1 True, but nothing to be proud of.
TJI#2: Hope he follows thru.
TJI#3: They better not let tRump get away with all that happened on January 6. He needs to pay for all that he’s done.
TJI#5: Smart move Dolly. She above tRump gimmicks.
Yeah. Pain hurts. So sorry. Rest-o mucho.
Cartoon – I’m expecting another 10 weeks, possibly 11 – it’s Colorado, after all.
DKos – Oh, yes, Laura Clawson – another dependable Staff writer. Yes, she’s correct, I don’t actually think Bill Kristol was shocked, but that he’s pretending to be shocked hoping to show other Republicans how shocking it ought to be. I’m not a Star Wars follower, but I have been bemused that people have been referring to Liz Cheney as “Darth Vader’s daughter.” No one seems to have noticed that that would make her Princess Leia. Sadly, compared to the rest of the party, she probably is just now, but I’m sure that’s temporary.
Andy – An amazing accomplishment. It’s probably a good thing Winston has not yet been inaugurated – he might have peed on them, which would be a lovely gesture, but might make them illegible (and useless.)
Rachel – Bad faith indeed. But those were the days when a few could still show flashes of honesty. Grassley would not admit that today. I hope we can learn. There are some small signs that our learning is possible.
Blast – I knew a girl who had a cat named Creedence. She also had one named Fang, and they were BFFs. It was a great group (both the cats and the band).
‘Toon: Aside from it being a cross quarter day, Phil knows his GOPIGGIES, can probably smell them a mile away.
DK: They have become saturated with the Kool-Aide that dumpy served!
New Yorker: Either dog is smarter than the average Trump-thing.
MSNBC: There has been no “good faith” within the GOP since before Boehner was on the scene, that other orange clown. So, I sincerely hope that Biden knows just who it is with whom he is dealing, congresspeople deep in elephant feces!
BFP: Love CCR!
small typo in the email address.
My first response has disappeared, again.
‘Toon: It is a cross quarter day, but Phil can smell Republican vileness from his underground hideout.
DK: The GOP is so saturated with the Kool-Aide Trump fed them that they may never become a shadow of their former selves.
New Yorker: Either of the dogs has more brains than Trump, by far. But, they should have called in SDNY.
MSNBC: I do hope that Biden, as he seems to now see, really sees the GOP as anything but the “Loyal Opposition.” They do not know what good faith negotiating, do not know good faith from the holes in their heads.
BFP: Love CCR!
I’m all for bipartisanship – but not if it continues to mean Rethuglicans get what they want while Democrats have to compromise.
No more of Lucy pulling the football away from poor old Charlie Brown!
Cartoon: Darn…Punxsutawney Phil seen his shadow, 6 more weeks of Winter.
DK: Despicable that these rotten R’s still stand behind tRumpism. You’d think they’d wise up. Now with gReene and her off the wall fake theories, they’ll be facing all sorts of other ridicule. Hopefully with enough, it will be the end of their political futures.
TNY: Smart dogs indeed. Maybe they got a special treat.
MSNBC: Great video with Rachel. So true.
Sure hope you get to feeling better, Tom. Hope you got some rest. Sleep well too.
Tell Wendy “Hello” tomorrow morning.
Take care. Thanks TomCat
I don’t think anyone has ever called you spineless, TomCat, but with this persistent back pain, you must sometimes wish you were.
3:33 It shouldn’t have mocked me.
Cartoon: No it’s not! Biden spring is coming soon.
DK: No, your hope hasn’t come through, TomCat. The fascists have taken over and are here to stay. And it gets worse if you realise that they are backed by 70 million Trump voters. Why would they change their ways? Thinking Republicans have left the GOP’s fold by now and the result is a country split in half and on the brink of civil war. Because I haven’t heard the fat lady sing yet.
TNY: Strange that those dogs could find what no one else could in those four too long years.
MSNBC: When will Democrats finally realise that they serve the country best if the stop playing the Republican game, stop being nice to them and stop appeasing them instead of their electorate. There are signs that the new generation of Democrats are ready to play it hard but with so many ‘oldies’ at the helm, they may not succeed.
Play it by your own rules, Democrats, and you may win the next election in Congress too.
BFTP: CCR’s Green River never invoked the American images it was supposed to in this Dutch girl but it brought back a lot of my own memories. Thanks.
Re: Cartoon—-well, we have our own Ohio official groundhog,”Buckeye Chuck” & s/he said opposite of “Phil”, so there’s that,too, LOL! Of course,we seem to have opposing electoral outcomes lately,also. Colleen–yes, we must have justice for unity;never forget Jan.6 events. Saw Pres. & Dr. Biden paid respects to Officer Sicknick last night at Capitol. TC, hope you start to feel better NOW. Stay safe,all. PS My county now #! in state for COVID cases per 100K pop.——sooo glad had clown puppet super-spreader rally in OCT.——-WTH Great place to social-distance!
Thanks and Hurried Hump Day Hugs to all!