TomCat

Open Thread – 5/26/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:45 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 262017

Please pardon my brevity. After yesterday, I’m exhausted, and the muggy heat has returned.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:31 (average 5:12). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Real Time Channel): F**k Mars

I agree that Mars cannot save us from climate change, and our resources are far better spent in rehabilitating earth. However, e3xploring our solar system is still necessary, not as a place to live, but as a source of raw materials to use here. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Full Frontal Channel): Web Extra: A Brief History Of Florida’s Felon Voting Ban

Here in Oregon, prisoners with outside addresses can register to vote as part of the prerelease program, and have their ballots mailed to those addresses, allowing them to vote the day after release. Oregon leads the way! The best way to encourage felons to commit more crimes is to tell them they have no stake in the community. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: The health-care bill passed by House Republicans earlier this month offers no coverage for injuries suffered as a result of body slamming, according to a report issued on Thursday.

The report, released by the nonpartisan Center for Comprehensive Health Coverage, warns of sharp increases in health-care costs for the nation’s body-slamming sufferers.

Costs associated with body slamming, such as X-rays to the elbow and other injured body parts, would have to be paid for out of pocket under the G.O.P. plan, the report says.

In a separate finding, the report indicates that the Republican health-care bill’s vision-care option does not offer replacement eyewear in the case of glasses being smashed or otherwise demolished in an unprovoked body-slamming incident.

Dang Andy! And Montana is a state of rabid fools too! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

0526Cartoon

Trump won’t be.

Open Thread – 5/25/2017

Posted by TomCat at 3:15 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 252017

I have a short time to write before I have to break to dress for my Prosthetics appointment, and I shall append this before I return.

My appointment with Amanda went quite well. She adjusted George and took an impression of my foot for new diabetic shoes. I'll set an appointment to return in about three weeks. TriMet, on the other hand, was horrible. The got me to my appointment an hour early, so i had a long wait. My return driver went to the wrong location and reported that I was not there. At the end of my window, I called to see where my ride was. Dispatch implied that I was not being truthful that I was there, and told me I had to wait several hours for another ride. I asked for customer service to complain. She was skeptical, but said they have software that takes a picture of every no show, and she would download the picture. When she came back, she had changed her tune, because the picture proved me right. She said that the software almost always proves the driver was right and apologized. She sent a free to pick me up at their expense, but I still returned home over two hours late. ARGH!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 4:31 (average 5:58). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): 40 Shady Things We Now Know About Trump and Russia | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

We know enough to realize that there is treason afoot. The problem is that Republicans have become the Know Nothing Party. RESIST!!

From Fox News: …Ben Jacobs of The Guardian — walked into the room with a voice recorder, put it up to Gianforte's face and began asking if he had a response to the newly released Congressional Budget Office report on the American Health Care Act. Gianforte told him he would get to him later. Jacobs persisted with his question. Gianforte told him to talk to his press guy, Shane Scanlon.

At that point, Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, "I'm sick and tired of this!"

Jacobs scrambled to his knees and said something about his glasses being broken. He asked Faith, Keith and myself for our names. In shock, we did not answer. Jacobs then said he wanted the police called and went to leave. Gianforte looked at the three of us and repeatedly apologized. At that point, I told him and Scanlon, who was now present, that we needed a moment. The men then left.

I bet you never thought I would ever post a Faux Noise piece, but they were the only ones there. It clearly demonstrates that Gianforte's version of what happened is a lie. He said, they said? If anyone would be biased in favor of the Republican, it's Faux. Furthermore, on the air, Faux is hyping Gianforte's lies and ignoring their own reporters. The pig has been charged with assault. Republicans love violence. RESIST!!

From Think Progress: Israel is altering how it shares intelligence with the United States after President Donald Trump shared classified information with Russia in the Oval Office two weeks ago.

Trump, who was meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak, Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, told both men about a believed threat from ISIS involving bombs buried inside of laptops. That information, the New York Times reported, came from Israel — something that was unconfirmed officially until Trump himself seemingly let it slip while speaking in Israel on Monday, ironically while attempting to defend himself on the issue to the media.

“I never mentioned the word or the name ‘Israel’. Never mentioned during that conversation,” Trump said. “They’re all saying I did, so you have another story wrong. Never mentioned the word ‘Israel.’”

But Israeli officials seem concerned less about being named as the intelligence source and more about the information leaking in general. Intelligence officials reportedly shouted at their U.S. counterparts over the leak, worried that a vital source might have been compromised to Russia — notably an ally of Israel’s regional foe, Iran. Now, the country is taking steps to ensure that the problem doesn’t happen in future.

This is a terrible development for US intelligence. As much as I have opposed Israel's horrid policies toward Palestinians and shall continue to do so, Israel has been our best source of middle eastern intelligence. Where we have only SigInt, Israel has HumInt. Trump has made us all less safe. RESIST.

Cartoon:

0525Cartoon

Brennan Adds Fuel to the Fire

Posted by TomCat at 2:15 pm Politics

May 242017

Former CIA Director, John Brennan testified before the House Intelligence Committee yesterday. He added fuel to the fire building under Donald Trump, aka Putin’s [R-RU]. Equally important, he resisted attempts by House Republicans to twist his testimony into providing a false appearance of innocence for Trump.

Former CIA Director John Brennan told the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday that Russia "brazenly interfered in the 2016 election process," despite U.S. efforts to warn it off. Brennan testified in an open session of the committee, one of a handful of congressional committees now investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Brennan said he told his Russian counterpart, the head of Russia’s FSB, last August that if Russia pursued its efforts to interfere, "it would destroy any near-term prospect for improvement in relations" between the two countries. He said Russia denied any attempts to interfere.

In his opening statement, Brennan also recounted how he had briefed congressional leaders in August of last year, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees about the "full details" of what he knew of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Brennan said he became convinced last summer that Russia was trying to interfere in the campaign, saying "they were very aggressive."

Brennan said he is "aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign." Brennan said that concerned him, "because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals," and that it raised questions about whether or not the Russians "were able to gain the cooperation of those individuals." Brennan added he didn’t know if "collusion existed" between the Russians and those he identified as involved in the Trump campaign… [emphasis added]

From <NPR>

First, note that the "gang of eight" know about both Russian interference and Trump campaign Russian contacts in August, and Republicans refused to release the information to the public.

Second, note that the CIA does not investigate crime. They gather intelligence and turn it over to the people who do investigate crime, the FBI. Brennan would not know if collusion existed, because even considering that determination was outside of his purview.

Lawrence O’Donnell covered Brennan and interviewed former CIA Acting Director John McLaughlin.

Note how Trey "Benghazi Barf Bag" Gowdy tried to get a No from Brennan, trying to box him in.

I think Trump was "suborned" before the urine was dry on the hotel room sheets.

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 5/24/2017

Posted by TomCat at 2:15 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 242017

We have a couple days of cool weather, and they couldn't have come soon enough for me. I expect Store to Door to deliver my groceries between now (12:15) and 3:00 PM. This evening Wendy will be here, and has plenty of stink to remove from the heat-waved TomCat. Please expect no more than a Personal Update tomorrow, as I have an an appointment with a new Prosthetist. My old one moved out of town, so the new one will need to familiarize herself with George, Stumpy and me in order to get approval for my annual upgrades.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 2:54 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): So, What About Those Oval Office Tapes? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

For us, the best option may be impeachment in 2019, if we can take the House. Presenting Trump's agenda is a less difficult win that stopping the same agenda under Pence. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump’s foreign trip hit a snag on Tuesday, when the remaining countries on his itinerary announced that they would rather “wait a month” and meet with the next President instead.

“It makes no sense for us to roll out the red carpet for Trump when there is going to be a completely different guy in the White House in a month,” Hendrik van der Valde, a travel minister for the Belgian government, said. “We very much look forward to hosting the next U.S. President, be it Mike Pence or Paul Ryan or whoever.”

Citing the exorbitant costs of hosting a President, the Belgian said it “would be insane” to spend such sums on someone who “only has a few weeks left” in office.

LOL Andy! Those foreigners sure are smarter than we are! RESIST!!

From CNN: Conditions are right for a major Democratic wave to sweep out the House Republican majority next fall, according to Nathan Gonzales, who runs the "Inside Elections" campaign tipsheet.

"The midterm elections are still nearly a year and a half away, and the political dynamics could yet change, but we shouldn't ignore the fact that history and the current environment are merging together for a potentially great set of elections for Democrats in November 2018," writes Gonzales in a piece published Wednesday morning.

God knows we need it! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Republicans still don't believe it.

Liz Slams DeVos

Posted by TomCat at 2:13 pm Politics

May 232017

For many years the Republican Party has done everything in their power to deprive poor and middle class children of their right to an education. Then they get to spend the money educating rich kids. Also, the ignorant are more easy to control, and the only chance Republicans have to stay in power long term is to create an electorate with no critical thinking skills, one that will react as programmed to mindless Republican propaganda. Sadly, that is now possible, and Elizabeth Warren thinks it stinks!

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos finds herself under fire once again, this time for a proposed $10.6 billion budget cut to her department. And much as she did during DeVos’ confirmation hearing in February, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is leading the opposition.

Since January, when DeVos was handpicked for the role, "the big complaint was that this is a woman who does not believe in public education," Warren argued Monday. "Well she just proved it."

"They want to take away 22 programs that help kids K through 12," she continued…

From <Alternet>

Here’s her video.

The Trump-DeVos Budget: An All-Out Assault on America’s Kids

We must not allow this to happen.

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 5/23/2017

Posted by TomCat at 2:13 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 232017

It’s another hot humid day, and I did not get much sleep last night. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be cooler, but it will take a day or too for the excess heat in the interior hallways and bathrooms of the building to moderate. After my morning Trump making on the throne at 5:45 AM, I had to change my shirt, as the one I had on was wet. I have a reason for not covering the Manchester Arena attack. I had MSNBC on for three hours last night through Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell, and none of them covered any other news. They repeated mostly the same information over and over and over again. I would never downplay the tragic loss suffered by the dead, the injured, the traumatized and their families. They have been in my thoughts and prayers. However the losses from that one incident cannot begin to compare to the tragic losses of both life and human suffering that the policies Republicans have wanted for many years will bring. Therefore, I’ll cover other things that need covering.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:07 (average 5:15). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): This is How Low the Trump Apologists Will Stoop | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Republicans could not be more desperate to project their Fuhrer’s treason away. One cannot stoop lower than fronting the story with Scumbag Sean and Newtered. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: Because he never stops being an entitled jackass:

President Trump’s first major budget proposal on Tuesday will include massive cuts to Medicaid and call for changes to anti-poverty programs that would give states new power to limit a range of benefits …

… The White House also is expected to propose changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, though precise details couldn’t be learned. SNAP is the modern version of food stamps …

Every penny spent to provide for the needs of sick seniors or hungry children is a penny Republicans can’t give to a billionaire. RESIST!!

From NY Times: The Trump administration, in a significant escalation of its clash with the government’s top ethics watchdog, has moved to block an effort to disclose the names of former lobbyists who have been granted waivers to work in the White House or federal agencies.

The latest conflict came in recent days when the White House, in a highly unusual move, sent a letter to Walter M. Shaub Jr., the head of the Office of Government Ethics, asking him to withdraw a request he had sent to every federal agency for copies of the waivers. In the letter, the administration challenged his legal authority to demand the information.

Mr. Shaub returned a scalding, 10-page response to the White House late Monday, unlike just about any correspondence in the history of the office, created after the Nixon Watergate scandal.

“O.G.E. declines your request to suspend its ethics inquiry and reiterates its expectation that agencies will fully comply with its directive,” Mr. Shaub wrote in a letter he also sent to every federal agency ethics officer, six members of Congress who oversee government operations and the inspector generals from agencies governmentwide. “Public confidence in the integrity of government decision making demands no less.”

Kudos to Schaub and O.G.E. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Open Thread – 5/22/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:12 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 222017

I figure I can get this started before leaving to my Oncologist and finish up when I return. This is today’s only article.

I was very pleased with my Oncologist. His preventive strategy is exactly what I wanted and expected. I’ll set up the cat scans and his office will call me the next day with the results. Here he is.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:30 (average 4:46). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: A large crowd of students walked out of the Notre Dame commencement ceremony on Sunday in protest of the speaker, Vice President Mike Pence, who delivered a speech that mixed platitudes about bright, dream-filled futures with a lengthy rebuke of political correctness on college campuses.

As several dozen students in caps and gowns quietly exited the graduation ceremony, the vice president praised Notre Dame, one of the nation’s most prominent Catholic universities, as “a vanguard of freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas…

…The protest began as Mr. Pence began his remarks at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., where degrees were conferred on 2,081 students. Online video of the ceremony showed a large number of young people filing out of the stadium as the vice president began to congratulate the graduates and their families. Around them, the audience erupted into a mixture of boos and applause.

Kudos to the students. Follow their example. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: 26 Year Old H.S. Teacher Wins Primary Against Democratic PA. Mayor Who Backed Trump.

Click Through for details. Kudos! Wonderful!! This, not voting for Russia’s tools like Jill Stein, is how to RESIST!!

From Washington Post: U.S. Rep. Al Green said the phone calls came in not long after he called for the impeachment of President Trump.

“Hey, Al Green, we got an impeachment for you. It’s going to be yours,” one caller said. “Was actually gonna give you a short trial before we hang your n—– ass.”

“You’re not going to impeach anybody, you f—— n—– … You’ll be hanging from a tree,” another one said. “I didn’t see anybody calling for the impeachment of your n—– Obama when he was born in Kenya. He’s not even an American. So f— you, n—–.”

Aha! Reaching out to minorities, the way Republicans do it. I bet AG KKK Beauregard squealed with hooded glee! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

2017 Pact of Shit between Trump and Putin.

What the Fuhrer Does Not Know About His Job

Posted by TomCat at 12:57 pm Politics

May 212017

I seem to be spending most of my time documenting Trump scandals involving his status as Putin's [R-RU] Pervert Pawn, and that is a full time job! However, there is one area in which Trump's performance is as bad as it is for treason: incompetence. The following article by Jefferson Morley lists and documents six things the Fuhrer does not know about his job.

For President Trump's admirers, his disregard for the traditional ways of Washington is just his way of getting things done. “To the new president, Washington niceties are cobwebs on a summer porch, distracting, inconvenient, in the way of his higher purposes,” writes Robert Charles on Town Hall.

But in the past week, Trump’s “higher purposes” have been all but eclipsed, by a week of low deeds that mired his already embattled presidency in a swamp of dysfunction. He fired former ally James Comey as FBI director, all but admitted obstruction of justice by saying he acted to end the FBI investigation into his dealings with Russia, and then shared classified information with the Russian foreign minister. Along the way, he contradicted his own aides’ explanations of his actions, confirming that White House statements cannot be trusted.

All of a sudden, the cobwebs of Washington seem more like spiderwebs, and Trump resembles nothing so much as the fly who can’t extricate himself from its sticky strands.

What Charles calls “niceties” are, in fact, a set of laws and customs that empower and constrain the American president. Imagining that these arrangements are liberal trickery, Trump thinks what he has thought all along: that he can ignore them and achieve his goals.

That was true when his goal was winning the presidency. Now that he is trying to deliver action for his voters and allies in Congress, Trump is learning the price of ignorance: he cannot achieve his “higher purposes" because he doesn't understand the nature of his job.

1. The president is not a CEO.

Trump seems to believe what UN Ambassador Nikki Haley told ABC’s “This Week": “The president is the CEO of the country. He can hire and fire whomever he wants. That’s his right."

Actually, the president is not the chief executive officer of the government. Unlike a corporate CEO, Trump has no ownership rights in the enterprise he runs, the federal government. The executive branch is not a family business, despite Jared Kushner’s determination to give Chinese investors a different impression.

The president does have the right to fire the director of the FBI, but the Bureau’s employees do not work for the president. As James Hohmann of the Washington Post notes, FBI agents swear to uphold the U.S. Constitution, not serve the president. The Bureau’s website explains why:

“It is significant that we take an oath to support and defend the Constitution and not an individual leader, ruler, office, or entity. … A government based on individuals — who are inconsistent, fallible, and often prone to error — too easily leads to tyranny on the one extreme or anarchy on the other. … The American colonists were all too familiar with the harmful effects of unbalanced government and oaths to individual rulers.”

In other words, the authors of the U.S. Constitution wanted to make sure the president was not a king or a CEO. Oblivious to this historical truth, Trump fired FBI director Comey, transforming a man who helped him get elected into an enemy who now wants to go public.

From <Alternet>

I shared just the first of six things listed. Click through for the other five. My favorite is 6.

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