TomCat

Mar 072016
 

To be honest, although it was an excellent debate, I was so tired that I fell asleep midway.  but I caught the rest this morning.  If you missed, I have both the complete video and the transcript.  (Thanks Nameless).  In my opinion, Bernie was the clear winner, but I realize that my opinion is based on my depth of knowledge, and recognize that people, who are depending on the media for their context are likely to come away with a distorted view.

0307debate

Senator Bernie Sanders, anxious that the Democratic nomination is slipping away from him, launched a series of cutting and sarcastic attacks against Hillary Clinton over trade, welfare reform and Wall Street in a debate Sunday night that often felt like a war over Bill Clinton’s legacy and the moderate Democratic policies of the 1990s.

Even Mrs. Clinton joined in the repudiation of her husband’s 1994 crime bill and 1996 welfare law, which both disproportionately harmed African-Americans. Both she and Mr. Sanders are aggressively courting black voters in Michigan, Ohio and other racially diverse states that hold primaries over the next nine days, but Mr. Sanders has an urgent need to cut into Mrs. Clinton’s support among African-Americans.

Mr. Sanders, who has fallen far behind Mrs. Clinton in their all-important race to accumulate delegates to clinch the party’s nomination, has rarely been so aggressive. He portrayed Mrs. Clinton as an unapologetic champion of free trade for much of her career, in hopes of hurting her with Rust Belt Democrats. He tied her aggressively to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mr. Clinton’s signature trade policy, and to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, President Obama’s 12-nation trade pact, which she supported as secretary of state but then denounced as a presidential candidate.

Mr. Sanders also attacked Mrs. Clinton’s support of the federal Export-Import Bank, the credit agency that antigovernment populists on both sides have called an instrument of “corporate welfare,” and he feigned amazement when she expressed criticism of some trade deals…

Inserted from <NY Times>

Here’d the video:

Or, if you prefer, click here for the debate transcript.

OK, I told you what I think.  What is your take on it?

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Mar 072016
 

I screwed up.  I thought my grocery delivery this week was tomorrow.  Instead, it’s today, so I have to juggle my plans.  I’m getting Safeway.com, because I have an appointment on Wednesday that conflicts with my normal Store to Door delivery.  I’m in a rush.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:07 (average 4:54).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Godwin's Law officially suspended for the duration of the 2016 presidential cycle

0307trumpnazi

Godwin's Law – a common meme used by Republicans, other fascists, pseudo-intellectuals, and people with their heads in the sand or in smellier places, whenever anyone points out the verifiable commonalities between today's Republican Party and Germany's National Socialist Party, just before Hitler became dictator.

From NY Times: Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos quarterback and Super Bowl 50 victor who amassed a passel of records and was among the N.F.L.’s most popular players in his 18 seasons in the league, will retire, hobbled by several career-threatening injuries.

Manning was to speak to the news media on Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern time at the Broncos’ facility south of Denver. ESPN was the first on Sunday to report the news of his retirement.

Sad smileCrying faceSad smileCrying faceSad smile

From TPM: An Idaho pastor was shot in the parking lot of his church on Sunday afternoon, one day after delivering a prayer at a campaign rally for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), NBC News reported.

Police told NBC that Rev. Tim Remington, the 55-year-old senior pastor of the Altar Church in Coeur d’Alene, was in critical but stable condition after suffering multiple gun shot wounds to the skull and back.

Couer d’Alene police identified the suspect as Kyle Andrew Odom, a white male in his mid-30s who they said was last seen driving a 2004 silver Honda Accord. In a press release posted to the department's Facebook page, police said they were working to obtain a warrant for Odom’s arrest and warned that he should be considered “armed and dangerous.”

The associate pastor of Altar Church, John Padula, told NBC that surveillance video showed a man sitting in a silver car in the parking lot waiting for Remington to exit the building.

Police did not offer a motive for the shooting.

If I had to speculate, I'd say that Odom is a Republican who supports Hateful Hairball, but that's just an educated guess. If, God forbid, he's a lefty, I condemn his violence and ask him to defect to the Republican Party. There's no pace for such violence on the left.

Cartoon:

0307Cartoon

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Mar 062016
 

Almost every week, Republicans join a competition to see who can say the most outlandish things, and in the process, they push the envelope on just how vile InsaniTEA can become.  I trust that you will believe it, when I tell you that last week was no exception.

Trump spokes-clown insists the Klan killed black people to "further the progressive agenda."

GOPRacismDonald is not entirely alone in his narcissistic, self-reinforcing bubble. And he can’t be everywhere at once. So, he has his minions and sycophants to help make his bizarre case to the world.

One of these mouthpieces is a helmethead by the name of Jeffrey Lord, who went on CNN to make the most specious of claims about the KKK in a discussion with Van Jones.  The utterly reasonable and ever sane Jones did nothing but speak sense, patiently explaining to Lord that the KKK is a terrorist organization that kills people on the basis of their race, and Donald Trump, proud anti-terrorist that he is, ought to acknowledge that.

Inarguable, right?

Not to Lord, who used his TV time to claim that it is Democrats who divide people on the basis of race, and that the Klan "killed black people to further the progressive agenda.

We, and all the world’s reasonable people, (and Trevor Noah) call bullsh*t.

Just stop, fool. Just stop.

Inserted from <Alternet>

This is just the fifth of five listed vile Republican moments from last week alone.  Click through for thew other four.

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Mar 062016
 

Except for chores that I’m trying to make routine, and a huge backlog of paperwork, it looks like I have a relatively light week ahead, and that means, barring the unexpected, I’ll have time to write, most days.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 6:32 (average 8:31).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Tales:

From Media Matters: Donald Trump’s presidential campaign gave press credentials to the white nationalist radio program The Political Cesspool, which says it will soon air an interview with Donald Trump Jr. National civil rights groups have criticized the program for supporting anti-Semites, Holocaust deniers, and white supremacists like David Duke. The show openly states on its website that it’s a "pro-White" program that wishes "to revive the White birthrate above replacement level fertility." It is hosted by white nationalist James Edwards, who has claimed that Martin Luther King Jr.’s "dream is our nightmare," "interracial sex is white genocide," and "slavery is the greatest thing that ever happened to" African-Americans.

The reason the Republican Establishment fear Hateful Hairball so much is that he proclaims openly the hatred they imply, dog whistle to promote, and finally deny to escape their just culpability for the violence they inspire.

From Real Clear Politics: Latest delegate count.

State

Date

Delegates

Clinton

Sanders

Delegate

Allocation

Open/

Closed

(2,382 Needed to Win)

4763

1121

481

Delegates Won

4051

651

456

 

 

Superdelegates

(712)

458

22

 

 

Iowa

February 1

44 (8)

23

21

Caucus

Semi-open

New Hampshire

February 9

24 (8)

9

15

Primary

Semi-closed

Nevada

February 20

35 (8)

19

15

Caucus

Closed

South Carolina

February 27

53 (6)

39

14

Primary

Open

Alabama

March 1

53 (7)

44

9

Primary

Open

American Samoa

March 1

6 (4)

 

 

Caucus

Closed

Arkansas

March 1

32 (5)

22

10

Primary

Open

Colorado

March 1

66 (13)

28

38

Caucus

Closed

Democrats Abroad

March 1-8

13 (4)

 

 

Primary

Closed

Georgia

March 1

102 (14)

72

28

Primary

Open

Massachusetts

March 1

91 (25)

46

45

Primary

Semi-closed

Minnesota

March 1

77 (16)

29

46

Caucus

Open

Oklahoma

March 1

38 (4)

17

21

Primary

Semi-closed

Tennessee

March 1

67 (9)

42

22

Primary

Open

Texas

March 1

222 (30)

145

74

Primary

Open

Vermont

March 1

16 (10)

0

16

Primary

Open

Virginia

March 1

95 (15)

61

33

Primary

Open

Louisiana

March 5

51 (8)

35

12

Primary

Closed

Nebraska

March 5

25 (5)

10

14

Caucus

Closed

Kansas

March 5

33 (4)

10

23

Caucus

Closed

Despite Bernie’s two wins last night, Hillary increased her lead.

From Crooks and Liars: The Donald" got the treatment he deserved in this parody from this weekend’s Saturday Night Live mocking the support he’s gotten from the likes of the likes of the Klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists that he’s been cozying up to since he launched his presidential campaign:

 

LMAO!!  Both funny and totally accurate!!

Cartoon:

0306Cartoon

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Poll Results–3/5/2016

 Posted by at 11:40 am  Blog News, Politics
Mar 052016
 

Here are the results of our “Justice Appointment” poll.  Politics Plus Polls are not scientific, because those who respond are not balanced according to demographic categories.   Therefore, we do not accurately reflect the makeup of the US population.  Nevertheless, our polls are usually factually accurate, and more often than not, they reflect thinking or will of the national majority.

0305Poll

Since our polling site no longer enables us to copy and paste your poll comments, you may read them here.

I voted for Hillary.I think Senate Republicans may pretend willingness to compromise as a stall tactic, but will not actually allow a vote on anyone left of TeaBag Thomas or Scalito.  Then, as much as I prefer Bernie, I think Hillary will be the nest President.

The New Poll is up and is designs to make you think.  Enjoy and VOTE!!

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Mar 052016
 

Lu was here this morning.  She cut my hair, spotted me while I walked around my hallways using a walker, stopping twice to sit and rest, and she helped me shower, leaving me as a perfumed puddy tat with soft, glowing fur.  I’m feeling tired, but I have two articles today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:18 (average 5:13).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Marco Rubio has lost Fox News.

[T]his alliance now seems to be over. According to three Fox sources, Fox chief Roger Ailes has told people he’s lost confidence in Rubio’s ability to win. "We’re finished with Rubio," Ailes recently told a Fox host. "We can’t do the Rubio thing anymore."

Which is bad news for Rubio, since his entire base of support is establishment and press Republicans who are willing to inexplicably pump up Marco Rubio. Apparently, though, Ailes has seen the writing on the wall; Rubio can’t win, and Fox News is only going to humiliate themselves pretending otherwise.

This leaves America’s Worst Network in an even bigger bind than before. The network that is used to playing kingmaker has no potential king to make—and the current front-runner, Donald Trump, is openly dismissive of the network and eager to pit his supporters against them. None of the corporate-friendly Republicans that Fox News would usually be hitching their wagon to, from Scott Walker to Chris Christie to Jeb Bush to, now, Marco Rubio, have gone anywhere. Suddenly rallying to podium barnacle John Kasich would be more humiliating than standing behind Rubio.

That leaves Ted Cruz, and while Ted Cruz is certainly a model of the sort of extremist burn-down-the-government type that Fox News has endlessly promoted, Nobody Likes Ted Cruz.

What will the Republican Reichsministry of propaganda do? I think Faux Noise will goose-step behind the Republican nominee, whoever or whatever that is.

From PRWatch: Hold onto your Prius!

The Kochs and their fossil-fuel-fed political network are reportedly gunning for the electric car.

According to an anonymous industry source who spoke to journalist Peter Stone, a new advocacy group will "make the public aware of all the benefits of petroleum-based transportation fuels."

If you think this sounds a bit nutty, you have to remember Koch front groups have also fought the implementation of street cars in city after city.

If the group follows the usual Koch playbook, expect bogus "research" studies by Koch-funded "think tanks," well-placed op-eds that repeat Koch talking points without disclosing ties to the network, and fear-mongering ads that hide their fossil fuel funding behind bland names like "Americans for Energy Freedom." (The group’s actual name has yet to be announced.)

The primary benefits of burning petroleum fuels are obscene profits for Big Polluters and the RepubliCare Death Benefit for everyone else.

From Crooks and Liars: This is a really fascinating video. Governor Kate Brown shows that real people have a need for increasing the minimum wage. She also shows how listening to the needs of various stakeholders gets things done. OregonLive:

The bill gives Oregon the highest statewide minimum wage rates in the nation, to $14.75 inside Portland’s urban growth boundary, $13.50 in midsize counties and $12.50 in rural areas by 2022.

President Barack Obama lauded Brown, saying in a statement: "I commend the Oregon Legislature and Governor Kate Brown for taking action to raise their state’s minimum wage…Congress needs to keep up with the rest of the country. They need to act, and finally give America a raise. And until they do, I’ll continue to encourage states, cities, counties and companies to act on their own to support hardworking families."

Kate, America’s only openly LGBT state governor, keeps doing good things for Oregon, and Oregon leads the way!!

Cartoon:

0305Cartoon

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Mar 042016
 

I’m starting this article before leaving for my first outpatient PT/OT session.  Denizens of Care2, the e-card address book there is broken, so I’ll need to send regular messages tomorrow, unless they fix it.  I’ll finish this paragraph, when I return.  I’m back.  I like my new PT/OT, Courtney.  In my sick delirium, I had entered the appointment wring and I was scheduled for NEXT Friday.  She was very kind to squeeze me in today, instead.  She gave me a bunch of new exercises to do, wearing George in bed.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:57 (average 5:10).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: It's just hard to know where to start other than to say that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are this guy's heroes, so he's likely a glimpse of where the GOP is headed. Take it away, Texas Tribune:

The newly elected chair of the Republican Party in the county that includes the Texas Capitol spent most of election night tweeting about former Gov. Rick Perry’s sexual orientation and former President Bill Clinton’s penis, and insisting that members of the Bush family should be in jail.

He also found time to call Hillary Clinton an “angry bull dyke” and accuse his county vice chair of betraying the values of the Republican Party.

Robert Morrow won the Travis County GOP chairmanship Tuesday with 54 percent of the vote.

Another day, another average Republican voter.

From NY Times: Democrats on Thursday unleashed a furious assault on Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican and Judiciary Committee chairman who has become the face of his party’s refusal to hold a hearing on President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court.

As Mr. Grassley listened to his critics in the Senate chamber, a potentially strong Democratic challenger unexpectedly stepped forward in Iowa to run against him. It was another sign of increasing pressure on Mr. Grassley, whose bid for a seventh term had been all but assured before the Supreme Court vacancy arose.

On the Senate floor, several Democrats berated Mr. Grassley for a full hour as Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the minority leader, has done for much of the last two weeks. “This is obstruction and chaos,” Mr. Reid said…

…Then came word that Patty Judge, 72, a former Iowa lieutenant governor and state agriculture secretary, will seek the Democratic senate nomination to challenge Mr. Grassley.

Go Patty Go!! Snake in the Grassley has been around far too long!!

From Alternet: It was very important for Donald Trump to say on national TV that he does not have a small penis.

Marco Rubio earlier in the week made mention of Trump's small hands. This is a sore subject for Trump.

During the debate, the Donald wanted to make sure every one knows or believes he is in no way under-endowed in the manhood department:

"He referred to my hands, if they're small, something else must be small," Trump said. "I guarantee you there's no problem. I guarantee that."

In the coming days, look for Melania Trump to back up that assertion on the campaign trail.

This is only the first of six listed bizarre moments from the latest Clown Car Destruction Derby. Click through for the other five, if you dare.  PS – Hateful Hairball has nothing that even approaches t5he sheer magnificence  of my kitty dingles!!  Winking smileCat face

Cartoon:

0304Cartoon

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Mar 032016
 

I got through yesterday no worse for the wear, and feel good, albeit tired, today.  However, since I’ve been fasting since Midnight for my labs, I’m hungry enough to eat a dawg: a big one.  I’m taking a PB&J, so I’ll have a snack when I’m done, unless that Sasquatch foot-flattens it so thin that I can’t find it.  I’ll finish this paragraph when I return.  I’m back.  They got me right in and out,  Facing a two hour wait, before the beginning of my lift window, I called and cancelled that ride, and took the regular bus instead.  It went well.  I slept poorly last night, so I’m gong to post this, reach up, and grab a Lona nap.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:06 (average 5:28).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Upworthy: Samantha Bee spoke to one of the authors of one such law — Texas’ HB2 — which currently is being challenged at the Supreme Court. To hear him tell it, he’s just a sweet old guy who’s concerned for everyone’s safety. How considerate!

 

For my comment, a picture is worth a thousand words.

AbortionGOP

From Daily Kos: Democratic challenger Ann Kirkpatrick launched a gut-punch of an ad Monday against Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), showing how "The Maverick" is just another Republican when it comes to lining up behind Donald Trump.

 

A Hateful Hairball nomination could be the best thing that’s ever happened for the Democratic Party, because of the down ballot gains it would bring.

From NY Times: Ben Carson, the only Republican to have once threatened the lead of Donald J. Trump in national polls, said on Wednesday that he saw no path forward and would skip a debate on Thursday in his hometown, Detroit, signaling an end to his candidacy after paltry performances in the nominating contests.

Now that the Clown Car has barfed out Uncle Token, it appears increasingly likely that KKKasich amd Border Booter Bot won’t last long. I would have never predicted that it would come down to Hateful Hairball with TRUSed Uranus in distant second.

Cartoon:

0303Cartoon

Contrary to Republican lies, the the Founding Fathers were not involved.

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