Politics Plus

It’s another warm, sunny day here at the CatBox.  I have not recovered from sproinging yet, so I’m going to get as much rest as I can, until my routine follow-up appointment on Friday.  I got my test results back.  My A1C is 7.0, which is a tiny bit high, but very well controlled for a diabetic.  My Cholesterol and Lipids are in the ideal ranges.  I may live to see 70.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:52 (average 4:43).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Huffington Post: Donald Trump has backed down from making the sweeping changes to US gun laws he mooted in the wake of the Florida school shooting last month and will instead support a modest set of fixes.

Opting for a plan the administration officials described as “pragmatic,” Trump backs legislation proposed in Congress aimed at providing more data for the background check system – a database of people who are not legally allowed to buy guns, reports Reuters.

More contentious proposals, such as raising the minimum age for buying guns to 21 from 18, or requiring background checks for guns bought at gun shows or on the internet, will be studied by a commission headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the officials said.

The change of heart is in stark contrast to a combative televised meeting where he chided lawmakers for being afraid of the National Rifle Association [terrorist Republicans delinked](NRA), one of the most powerful lobbies in the US.

I told you it was all an act. With DeVos heading the commission, it might as well be headed by the NRA. RESIST!!

From Fortune: Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice is said to be close to completion, but he may set it aside while he finishes other key parts of his probe, such as possible collusion and the hacking of Democrats, according to current and former U.S. officials.

That’s because Mueller may calculate that if he tries to bring charges in the obstruction case — the part that may hit closest to Trump personally — witnesses may become less cooperative in other parts of the probe, or the president may move to shut it down altogether.

The revelation is a peek into Mueller’s calculations as he proceeds with his many-headed probe, while pressure builds from the president’s advisers and other Republicans to show progress or wrap it up.

The obstruction portion of the probe could likely be completed after several key outstanding interviews, including with the president and his son, Donald Trump Jr. The president’s lawyers have been negotiating with Mueller’s team over such an encounter since late last year. But even if Trump testifies in the coming weeks, Mueller may make a strategic calculation to keep his findings on obstruction secret, according to the current and former U.S. officials, who discussed the strategy on condition of anonymity.

Any clear outcome of the obstruction inquiry could be used against Mueller: Filing charges against Trump or his family could prompt the president to take action to fire him. Publicly clearing Trump of obstruction charges — as the president’s lawyers have requested — could be used by his allies to build pressure for the broader investigation to be shut down.

As much as I want to see Mueller hump on Trump NOW, I see the wisdom in waiting. RESIST!!

From NY Times: The Trump administration is putting the finishing touches on its long-awaited Middle East peace plan, three senior officials said on Sunday, and President Trump is likely to present it soon, despite risking swift rejection by the Palestinians and having already taken on another of the world’s thorniest disputes, with North Korea.

While the exact timing of the plan’s release is still not set, these officials said, the most immediate challenge for the White House is how to roll it out so that it is not proclaimed dead on arrival.

This is why it will be dead on arrival.  The Trump plan would do for Palestinians what the Wannsee Conference did for Jews. RESIST!!

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I don’t have my test results, but they didn’t strike oil.  It’s a warm day here in the CatBox.  I have my window wide open and my door open for cross ventilation.  I’m feeling quite tired after my busy week, and I had to do some paperwork and some computer maintenance this morning.  Tomorrow is a WWWendy day, and I need to get rest, because we’ll be busy.  Nevertheless, I’m back in the saddle.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:20 (average 4:36).  To do it, click here.  Hoe did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): Illinois needs Marie Newman

I trust that the staff will agree that Politics Plus proudly endorses Marie Newman for Congress. RESIST!!

From LA Times: Pressed by President Trump, the Pentagon is proposing to stage a military parade in November with veterans in historic uniforms and warplanes, but no tanks — a scaled-down version of the grand display of military might the president envisioned, according to a memo released by the Pentagon on Friday.

Veterans in “period uniforms” from past wars would march from the White House to the Capitol on Nov. 11 — Veterans Day — joined by “wheeled vehicles only, no tanks,” to “minimize damage to local infrastructure,” the planning document says.

Trump asked the Defense Department to plan a parade of the U.S. armed forces to celebrate military strength…

If the parade consists of two recruits on KP, that’s far more parade than Trump deserves. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Only months ago, Mr. Bannon was forced out of the White House and Breitbart News, the alt-right news empire he helped make into a political force, for the sharp criticisms of President Trump’s children attributed to him in a book. “He’s lost his mind,” Mr. Trump said at the time.

But now Mr. Bannon, the architect of Mr. Trump’s populist campaign message and the president’s former chief strategist, has returned with an international mission.

On Saturday, he is set to headline the annual conference of France’s far-right National Front in the northern city of Lille, where he will be introduced by its leader, Marine Le Pen. People with knowledge of Mr. Bannon’s itinerary suggested that he might meet later in the weekend with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, but Mr. Bannon declined to say whether or not he would, only saying that he admired Mr. Orban as a “hero” and “the most significant guy on the scene right now.”

In Zurich, Mr. Bannon says, he had a “fascinating” meeting on Tuesday with leaders of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.

Watch out Europe! Bullshit Alert!! RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Kim Jong Un has revealed to close associates that he has offered to meet Donald J. Trump only as a means of achieving his real goal: meeting the former adult-film star Stormy Daniels.

A confidant of the North Korean dictator said that Kim revealed his true intentions behind the Trump invitation at a high-level government meeting on Thursday night. “Kim said that he was a big fan of Stormy’s, and he decided that meeting with Trump would be a ‘necessary evil’ if he wanted a chance to meet her,” the confidant said.

According to the confidant, Kim first attempted to arrange a meeting with Daniels through his close friend, the former N.B.A. player Dennis Rodman, “but, when Dennis said that he didn’t know Stormy, Kim was, like, ‘Oh, well, I guess I’ll have to go through Trump, then.’ ”

Andy, I have no doubt that Stormy would hook-up with Kim. Since she did Trump, she’ll do anyone. RESIST!!

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Like other sheeple, this Republican is too stupid to realize the truck is approaching at high speed.

This hectic week continues here at the CatBox.  Please expect no more than a Personal Update or an Open Thread from me tomorrow.  I have my routine, semi-annual fasting labs for Megan, my PCP, tomorrow morning.  Labs are a pain, but fasting labs are the pits.  I already made a turkey sandwich to take, so I can drown my kitty sorrows in bird, as soon as the labs are done.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:10 (average 4:56).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Senator Elizabeth Warren: I Want To See A Democratic Party That Picks Fights | All In

I love and agree with Liz, but I want to clarify one thing she did not explain. What some Democratic Senators voted to do is to open debate on the bill, not pass it. That gives them the opportunity to fight to remove those elements we don’t want and include the ones we do. In my opinion, they were foolish, because they based that vote on the hope that Republicans will negotiate in good faith. That will not happen, but some Senators are stuck in the mindset of collegiality. It will take another supermajority vote (60) to close debate, before it can be passed by the Senate. Any Democrats that vote for it then should be exposed, berated and primaried, but let’s not knee-jerk ahead of time foolishly. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Vox Channel): Guess Who will leave the Trump White House next

He didn’t mention that replacements hired are increasingly more incompetent, because competent people don’t want jobs, where the boss does not return the loyalty he demands, where the jobs may be permanent black marks on their resumes, and where the jobs may cost them millions in legal fees. RESIST!!

From Raw Story: [E]arlier this year, a report emerged claiming that President Donald Trump would personally rig the Miss Universe pageant to benefit contestants from countries where he had business relationships.

Now a new report published by Michael Isikoff and Mother Jones’ David Corn claims that Trump would also veto certain contestants if he deemed them to be “too ethnic.”

Specifically, one former Miss Universe staffer tells them that Trump would personally “make changes” to the list of finalists “if there were too many women of color” on it.

Another former Miss Universe staffer similarly tells them that Trump would weed out candidates who were too “dark-skinned.”

“He often thought a woman was too ethnic or too dark-skinned,” the staffer explains. “He had a particular type of woman he thought was a winner. Others were too ethnic. He liked a type. There was Olivia Culpo, Dayanara Torres [the 1993 winner], and, no surprise, East European women.”

That’s the Fuhrer! Today, that bigotry is the basis for Republican immigration policy. RESIST!!

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I’m waiting for Amazon Prime Now to deliver groceries between 8:00 and 9:00 this morning.  Tomorrow I have an appointment that will tie me up all morning, so please expect no more than a Personal Update or an Open Thread.

The groceries came, and I have put them away, so I’ll publish early and try to enjoy a restful afternoon.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 7:29 (average 8:31).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): The real story about ICE

Isn’t it time to put ICE on ice? RESIST!!

From CNN: North Korea is willing to talk to the United States about giving up its nuclear weapons, South Korea said Tuesday, in a remarkable development that followed unprecedented meetings in Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also agreed to refrain from conducting nuclear and missile tests while engaging in dialogue with South Korea, Seoul’s national security chief Chung Eui-yong said after returning from talks with Kim.

Chung said Pyongyang expressed willingness to talk to the United States "in an open-ended dialogue to discuss the issue of denuclearization and to normalize relations with North Korea."

North Korea clarified that it had no reason to retain nuclear weapons if "the military threat to North Korea is resolved" and the country’s security can be guaranteed, Chung said.

It’s a startling statement from a nation that only months ago declared it could wipe the United States off the face of the Earth.

Poor widdle Donnie Tiny Hands, etc.! If the peace efforts he and his Republican Reich tried to prevent bear fruit, he may not get to play with his button and make the world go BOOM. RESIST!!

From DC Report: When our children are massacred we get “thoughts and prayers” from members of Congress instead of action to save lives.

But when it comes to their own safety, lawmakers act swiftly–and at our expense.

The House passed a resolution allowing them to use our tax dollars to buy bulletproof vests. And that’s not all. They can use their expense accounts to pay for security guards at official events or just to hang out in their district offices.

They can even use the money to install bulletproof glass in their district offices, although that has to be embedded in the rent, not paid for separately. One might read that provision as the first move on a slippery slope toward hiding security expenses.

So, is there a pressing need for this use of taxpayer dollars to protect our lawmakers from people with guns hell-bent on murder?

David Cay Johnston is spot on. Click through for more. Frankly, I think anywhere a Republican Politician is appearing should be an Open Carry zone, until they protect the children. RESIST!!

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