TomCat

Open Thread – 2/7/2019

 Posted by at 11:33 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 072019
 

WWWendy was tied up at her day job, so she  arrived about 40 minutes late last night.  I got to bed late, and I’m feeling very tired.  It’s currently 27° F.  This is the warmest day until late next week.  Brrrr!!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:37 (average 4:53).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Daily Kos Channel): During hearings on Gun Violence, Republican gets smashed by audience and Democrats

Barf Bag Alert!!

Damn Ammosexual Republican Racist! Put a .50 cal. with a drum magazine and a bump-stock up his butt and pull the trigger! RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): House Intel Outlines Parameters Of Donald Trump Investigations (18+ min.)

 

When Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten threatened Democrats over investigation, he waved a red flag at a bull. Charge! RESIST!!

From NY Times: The third-ranking elected official in Virginia, Attorney General Mark R. Herring, acknowledged Wednesday that he had worn blackface at a party as an undergraduate student, deepening a crisis that has engulfed the state’s Democratic leadership.

Then, just two hours later, a woman came forward to describe in detail her accusation that Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax had sexually assaulted her in 2004, an accusation he denies.

The back-to-back revelations threw the Capitol into a state of uncertainty about who would lead Virginia, coming less than one week after the disclosure of a racist photograph on the yearbook page of Gov. Ralph Northam led to demands for his resignation. Grim-faced legislators rushed through the hallways, shaken by a series of allegations and confessions that threatened to cripple the Virginia government’s three leading officials.

Amid the tumult, Democratic lawmakers were all but paralyzed in the face of a deeply painful sequence of events that could undermine their hopes of reclaiming the State Legislature, the Republicans’ last remaining foothold of power in Virginia, in the fall. The party has not lost a statewide election here since 2009, and Virginia was the only Southern state President Trump lost in 2016.

I see the case of the AG differently.  First, he was in college, not med school. Second, he came forward to apologize without having been caught. Third, after admitting it, he isn’t claiming that it wasn’t him. In such cases, the authentic contrition he demonstrated could occasion forgiveness without derailing his career. However, if he does step down, he should do so before Northam, so Northam can appoint a new AG, ideally a black woman. If all three resign, without replacing the AG, the next in line for Governor is a very racist Republican. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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The State of the Union is Buried

 Posted by at 12:50 pm  Politics
Feb 062019
 

Last night the Resident of the United States delivered one of the longest SOTU speeches in US history.  It’s length, made it like a root-canal when the dentist substituted Eau de Flatulence for nitrous oxide.  I watched the whole thing, and I’m afraid George is mad at me again.  To all other and my fellow Americans: The State of our Union is buried up to our eyeballs in the vile excrement of the Republican Reich.

0206sotu

President Donald Trump told Congress on Tuesday that the economy would crash and no policy work could be done if lawmakers investigate his administration or stand in the way of his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Syria.

The lines, delivered early in his State of the Union address, were so clearly designed to draw cheers from his Republican allies that they even included a rhyme scheme.

"An economic miracle is taking place in the United States — and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations," he said, eliciting an ovation from the GOP.

But then, as he asserted himself further on matters of war and the separation of powers, Trump went a bit too far.

"If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation," he said. "It just doesn’t work that way!"

Instead of applause, Trump was met at first with a brief moment of lightly scattered laughter and a few lonely claps — and then came steely silence as the president stood at the podium looking at lawmakers… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <NBC News>

In spite of the threat that summarizes the character of his speech, he did say he wanted unity and bipartisanship.  He was actually telling the truth, as long as he was using the Republican definition of bipartisanship.

If you are a masochist, you may watch the entire speech here.

On the other hand, Stacey Abrams’ response is worth watching.

So is Bernie Sanders’ response.

The El Paso Sherriff blasted Trump’s lies about his city.

Here’s more about Trump’s threats.

Here’s some fact-checking.

For more extensive fact checking of Trump’s Republican lies, click here.

The speech makes one thing clear.  We need to…

RESIST!!

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Open Thread – 2/6/2019

 Posted by at 12:49 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion
Feb 062019
 

I watched the whole thing so you didn’t have to.  Thank God it’s a shower day with WWWendy!  After that, I feel like I’ve been living in an outhouse basement.  It’s also a very busy day, as I have to unpack and stow my groceries, when they are delivered.  It’s also a frigid day: currently 27°.  Brrrr!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:31 (average 6:51).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address and Hannity commentary mirror each other

Barf Bag Alert!!

It looks like the Fuhrer stole half his SOTU lies from a Faux Noise sphincter. RESIST!!

From The Borowitz Report: Vice-President Mike Pence has begged Donald J. Trump not to make him sit next to a woman during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, sources confirmed on Monday.

According to those sources, an emotional Pence came close to breaking down in tears as he explained that being seated next to a woman other than his wife was a violation of his personal code of behavior.

Pence offered Trump a variety of solutions to the problem, including introducing a third chair between him and the woman where his wife, Karen Pence, could be seated for the duration of the speech, “to make sure that that woman doesn’t try anything.”

“Let Mother sit next to me, or let me sit on Mother’s lap, but don’t make me sit next to that woman alone,” Pence reportedly sobbed.

Oh, Andy! Trump made him do it! The poor, pseudo-Christian misogynist! RESIST!!

From Alternet: Senator Lindsey Graham once said, “It’s really American to avoid paying taxes…It’s a game we play.”

There are many good reasons why Americans should be paying those taxes, and why there should be even higher taxes on the richest individuals and corporations. Of course, these arguments have generally been ignored. But there are several good personal reasons for wealthy Americans to reconsider the tax issue, to start focusing on the importance of a more equal society, and to trust the democratic system to make that happen.

1. They Should Be Scared to Death about Potential Threats to Their Personal Safety

A new industry has developed in doomsday shelters for rich people awaiting Armageddon. But bunkers and security forces won’t be much defense against viruses and microdrones. Or against all-out war or revolution.

Lindsey Poo is a turd. I shared part of the first of three included reasons. Click through for the other two.  RESIST!!

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Inaugural Committee Will Be Busted

 Posted by at 11:36 am  Politics
Feb 052019
 

Before Putin’s Puppet was even sworn in as Resident (He never was, is not, and never will be President).  I wrote about the obscene amounts of money being raised for his inauguration celebration.  I remember discussing how cheap the actual inaugural was.  The crowd was nonexistent, the celebrities were unknowns, and except for billionaires only parties, the venues were cheap.  I wondered where all that money came from, what it bought in quid pro quo, and what happened to the millions that could not have been spent.  I’m not the only one.

0205Trumpinaug

Federal prosecutors in New York on Monday delivered a sweeping request for documents related to donations and spending by President Trump’s inaugural committee, a sign of a deepening criminal investigation into activities related to the nonprofit organization.

A wide-ranging subpoena served on the inaugural committee Monday seeks an array of documents, including all information related to inaugural donors, vendors, contractors, bank accounts of the inaugural committee and any information related to foreign contributors to the committee, according to a copy reviewed by The Washington Post.

Only U.S. citizens and legal residents can legally donate to a committee established to finance presidential inaugural festivities.

“We have just received a subpoena for documents. While we are still reviewing the subpoena, it is our intention to cooperate with the inquiry,” a spokesman for the committee said in a statement.

The subpoena — issued by the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York — indicates that prosecutors are investigating crimes related to conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud, false statements, wire fraud and money laundering… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Click through.  There’s much more to learn there.

Here’s video analysis by Lawrence O’Donnell, Rosilind Helderman, Tim O’Brien and David Cay Johnston.

The Beauty here is that, no matter what Republicans do to Mueller, this will live on.  Drip… drip… drip…

RESIST!!

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Open Thread – 2/5/2019

 Posted by at 11:35 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 052019
 

It’s a frigid day here in the CatBox.  The weather snuck up on me.  It’s 9:30 and it hasn’t even climbed to freezing yet.  It will get colder for the next ten days.  Now this is nothing compared to the polar weather a lot of you had last week, but if I’m getting this here, you’re in for a lot worse when this moves east.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me  2:44 (average 4:26).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: A leak of Donald J. Trump’s official White House schedule has left millions of Americans deeply relieved that Trump spends approximately sixty per cent of each day not using his powers as President.

In conversations across the country, Americans called the revelation that Trump devotes the majority of his day to “executive time,” a euphemism for watching TV and checking Twitter, the most reassuring news out of the White House in months.

“Like most of the people I know, the idea of Donald Trump sitting behind his desk doing things that affect the country has me in a state of mortal terror,” Carol Foyler, a resident of Minneapolis, said. “Just knowing that he’s spending sixty per cent of his time doing basically nothing makes me feel somewhat better.”

Amen Andy! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: How Trump Plays the Press

 

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. The media should inform us completely and truthfully. They should not just parrot the vile propaganda spewed from the Reich on the right, the Republican Reich. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): THE GAMBLER – Parody

 

As always, Don had pictured Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten perfectly. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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What is Executive Time?

 Posted by at 11:29 am  Politics
Feb 042019
 

Somebody on the staff of Putin’s Pervert have enraged and embarrassed him by leaking his secret schedule.  While most Presidents have worked overtime on the nation’s business, this Resident spends 60% of his day in "executive time".  That begs the following question.  What, pray tell, is executive time?  I have two suggestions, illustrated by the two graphics displayed  below.

0204trumphooker

Over the weekend, we got a closer look at President Donald Trump’s “executive time” thanks to a leak of his schedule from the White House.

Alexi McCammond and Jonathan Swan from Axios published three months of the president’s private schedule on Sunday after someone from within Trump’s orbit leaked the information to McCammond. The information shows that Trump has spent 297 hours — or 60 percent of his scheduled time — since around the midterms in so-called “executive time,” hours of the day when there’s nothing specific for him to do.

That doesn’t mean he’s not doing anything — a White House official told Axios that Trump is always calling and talking to people and “always up to something; it’s just not what you would consider typical structure.” The schedules published don’t list all of Trump’s meetings and activities.

The schedule is a big deal not just because of what it reveals of Trump’s activities but also, and perhaps even more importantly, because the leak even happened in the first place. It is a notable act of subversion for someone that close to the president’s orbit to send to a reporter three months of what is supposed to be private information.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman noted as much on Twitter. “A White House aide is weaponizing his schedules, which says a lot about how people in the White House feel about the man they work for,” she wrote…

Inserted from <Vox>

Here it is from CBS.

Finally, here is my other suggestion.

0204trump-toilet

RESIST!!

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Open Thread – 2/4/2019

 Posted by at 11:28 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 042019
 

It’s a slow day here in the CatBox.  As the Ellipsoid Orb passed under the horizon until Fall, it left us a bitter taste in our mouths.  The NE Trump-kissers won the game fairly.  It’s a slow day for news as we hope Northam steps down, and his Republican-like behavior dominates the airwaves.   But I did find material.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:56 (average 5:54).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Washington Post Channel): Washington Post Super Bowl message: Democracy Dies in Darkness

 

Super Bowl commercials like this are the reason to go pee when the game comes back on. RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Trump and the red button | Drawn by Jake Tapper

 

Interesting! How about making the Fuhrer’s red button a permanent off switch for the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise. RESIST!!

From Nation of Change: The first 2020 Democratic presidential primary is still over a year away, but Wall Street executives are reportedly already freaking out about two likely progressive candidates: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“It can’t be Warren and it can’t be Sanders,” the CEO of a “giant bank” anonymously told Politico, which reported on Monday that Wall Street executives are “getting panicked” about the presidential prospects of the Senate’s two fiercest financial sector critics.

Warren launched an exploratory committee for president last month, vowing to take on the “corruption” that is “poisoning our democracy.” Sanders, for his part, has yet to publicly announce a bid for the White House – but Yahoo News reported on Friday that the Vermont senator plans to launch his campaign “imminently.”

Both progressive senators have placed scrutiny of Wall Street’s size, record of large-scale fraud, exorbitant CEO pay packages, enormous political influence, and lack of stringent regulations at the center of their political agendas for years, and deep-pocketed bankers who have profited immensely from President Donald Trump’s tenure are worried that one of the two could ascend to the White House and threaten their pocketbooks.

I hope all Democratic frontrunners, and especially the eventual nominee, earn Banksters’ fear, not just Liz and Bernie. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

For the record, I’m on Oxygen.  Being a member of the Republican base makes one a moron. not a disability.

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