Personal – Page 398 – Politics Plus

Open Thread – 5/17/2017

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

May 172017

I'm writing late today to be sure that I'm up when Store to Door delivers my grocery order. Wendy is coming this evening to de-stink the over-humidified TomCat and help with chores. Tomorrow, please expect no more than a Personal Update tomorrow. Comcast is coming in the early morning to install an upgraded cable modem and make sure all my wireless devices function properly with it. Neighborhood House, the Nonprofit that covers around 15% of Wendy's care, is coming in the late morning for me to sign some paperwork.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 3:50 (average 4:42). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): What’s Happening in Donald Trump’s Head? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

I have no doubt that Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten suffers from severe, acute Narcissistic Personality Disorder. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Amid concerns about Donald Trump’s fitness to be President, former President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that he was willing to serve as “temp President” while Trump undergoes psychiatric evaluation.

“It would just be a temp thing,” Obama told reporters. “As soon as psychiatrists determine that Donald Trump is mentally stable and fit to serve as the most powerful officeholder in the world, I’d step aside.”

Obama said that he was a “logical choice” to serve as temp President because of his eight years in the White House. “For starters, I know how the light switches work,” he said.

Obama said that, once installed as temp President, he would look after the day-to-day running of the White House: “You know—vetoing bills, naming Supreme Court Justices, that kind of thing.”

From Andy's keyboard to God's eyes! RESIST!!

From Washington Post: Since entering office, President Trump has faced accusations that his District hotel is profiting from his presidency.

For a few minutes Monday night, projection artist Robin Bell tried to bring attention to the issue by shining light on it — a big, blue light.

Bell parked his van about 9:15 p.m. on 12th Street NW across the street from the west entrance of the Trump International Hotel. Bell and two friends then turned on a projector in the van and displayed animated anti-Trump messages about the president’s alleged conflicts of interest onto the upscale hotel’s facade.

Hotel security ordered him to shut off the projections after only a few minutes, but it was enough time for the messages to go viral on social media, garnering thousands of posts on Twitter and Facebook.

Kudos to Robin Bell. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Cartoon 5 years old today. Republicans have not changed.

Open Thread – 5/16/2017

Posted by TomCat at 12:53 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 162017

It’s another day, and I was busy this morning with paper work. I also composed my grocery order in time for Store to Door to call for it. As usual, another day in the Republican Rectum Reich has brought a new scandal.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today;s took me 4:50 (average 6:32). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): Here’s How Trump Could Already Be Prosecuted | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Nixon was impeached and almost charged for covering up corruption and a 3rd rate burglary. Slick Willie was impeached and almost charged for covering up a BJ. What does Trump deserve for covering up high treason? That’s right, but Republicans refuse to obey the law. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Three men alleged to be prominent Russian spies inexplicably gained access to the Oval Office last week and held a high-level meeting there, according to reports.

Eyewitnesses to the meeting said that the three Russian agents spoke at length and shared sensitive intelligence material, at times laughing uproariously.

After approximately an hour, the meeting broke up, with two of the spies leaving the Oval Office and the third remaining behind.

News that agents of the Russian Federation had somehow eluded the Secret Service in order to hold a meeting in the Oval Office sent shock waves through Washington on Monday evening.

Andy, there is no satire there. RESIST!!

From NY Times: President Trump boasted about highly classified intelligence in a meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week, providing details that could expose the source of the information and the manner in which it was collected, a current and a former American government official said Monday.

The intelligence disclosed by Mr. Trump in a meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, was about an Islamic State plot, according to the officials. A Middle Eastern ally that closely guards its own secrets provided the information, which was considered so sensitive that American officials did not share it widely within the United States government or pass it on to other allies.

Is this why Russian press was allowed in, but US press was not? Were it not his right to declassify, this would be high treason. After this, no sane leader will share intelligence with the US again . RESIST!!

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Open Thread – 5/15/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:24 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

May 152017

I rescheduled my Oncologist appointment for next Monday. It's to set up a series of annual exams to make sure there was no metastasis from the choroidal melanoma in my eye, now in remission. In addition I had to make a few other phone calls that burned most of my morning.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 4:15 (average 4:43). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos (Classic 5/2014): A threatening "Mother's Day" video aimed at women calling for gun. reforms

This clip is three years old, It demonstrates that Trump is just a symptom of the diseased Republican Party. They were hateful and violent long before Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten. RESIST!!

From Think Progress: President Donald Trump outlined a deeply religious vision of America while speaking to graduates of a conservative Christian college on Saturday, invoking his own version of Christian nationalism and touting policies friendly to right-wing faithful.

Trump received a warm welcome at Liberty University, the largest Christian college in America, where most students claim a conservative evangelical faith. The venue was an especially safe one for the president, as white evangelicals offered Trump resounding support on Election Day and still view his presidency favorably. What’s more, Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr. has been a longtime backer of Trump — recently describing him as a “dream president for evangelicals” — and lauded the businessman during his introduction for taking action on issues dear to right-wing faithful such as appointing a conservative Supreme Court justice.

FYI, "Christian Nationalism" is just a sneaky way to refer to Anti-American Dominion Theology. RESIST!!

From Robert Reich: The question is no longer whether there are grounds to impeach Donald Trump. It is when enough Republicans will put their loyalty to America ahead of their loyalty to their party.

Trump’s statements last week about his firing of former FBI director James Comey provide ample evidence that Trump engaged in an obstruction of justice – a major charge in impeachment proceedings brought against Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton.

It’s worth recalling that the illegality underlying Nixon’s impeachment was a burglary at the Watergate complex, while the illegality underlying Clinton’s was lying to a grand jury about sex with an intern in the White House.

Trump’s obstruction is potentially far more serious. It involves an investigation about whether Trump or his aides colluded with Russia in rigging a presidential election – the most direct assault on American democracy in history.

I agree with Robert Reich, but believe that Republicans will never put country ahead of party. That's why every Republican in office is one Republican too many. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Have you heard from Patty?

Open Thread – 5/14/2017

Posted by TomCat at 12:19 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 142017

I’m trying to finish as much as I can early, because Wendy is due soon to de-stink the sticky TomCat and help with household tasks. I’ll probably publish this shortly after Noon, about four hours from now.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:58 (average 5:02). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (SNL Channel): Lester Holt Cold Open – SNL

Dang! I never expected SNL to do straight news, but it’s all so accurate! RESIST!!

From Mediaite: Per their report, Chaffetz has actually been telling his Republican colleagues he’s heading for the Donald Trump-approved universe of Fox News.

Here’s what Elaina Plott wrote:

According to two GOP lawmakers who have spoken to Chaffetz directly and four senior House Republican aides, Chaffetz has been telling people he’ll take on what one source calls a “substantial role” in on-air talent at Fox News Channel, possibly as early as July, amplifying whispers that Chaffetz will not finish out his current term.

What landing strip could be more appropriate than the Republican Reichsministry of propaganda, Faux Noise, for the Republican coward, who ran from the House pseudo-investigation of Trump treason. RESIST!!

From NY Times: What do Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders think a president may say or do and still deserve their enthusiastic support? We offer this handy reference list in hopes of protecting them from charges of hypocrisy in the future. They can consult it should they ever feel tempted to insist on different standards for another president. So, herewith, the Congressional Republican’s Guide to Presidential Behavior.

If you are the president, you may freely:

• attack private citizens on Twitter
• delegitimize federal judges who rule against you
• refuse to take responsibility for military actions gone awry
• fire the F.B.I. chief in the middle of his expanding investigation into your campaign and your associates
• accuse a former president, without evidence, of an impeachable offense
• employ top aides with financial and other connections to a hostile foreign power

I shared just the first six abominations. Click through for the other eleven. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Open Thread – 5/13/2017

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

May 132017

i was up late again last night. First I was trying to wrap myself around understanding the day’s abominations by the walking urinal and his Republican Reich. Then my computer notified me that I needed to restart to update Windows 10. I insist on having my computer ready to go in the morning, and thinking it would only take a few minutes, I did it. If you have Windows 10 and have not done the latest update, be warned! That SOB is HUGE! Almost two hours and several restarts later, I finally got to bed. Also, the update reset several of my defaults to MS Apps. GRRR!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:40 (average 4:36). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, Donald Trump boasted that, if he is impeached, the television ratings will be higher than those of any other impeachment in history.

“Everywhere I go, people tell me that if I am impeached, they’re going to watch it,” he said. “The ratings are going to be through the roof.”

He said that he expected his impeachment ratings to be “many, many times” the size of the audience for Bill Clinton’s impeachment, in 1998.

“It’s not even going to be close,” Trump said. “The ratings for Bill Clinton’s impeachment were a joke.”

Dang, Andy! Would that it were so! RESIST!!

From Zero Hedge: The Senate Intelligence Committee requested the records from Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, late last month, the WSJ reports although it did not elaborate on the nature of the records. One person cited by the WSJ said that without them the committee wouldn’t be able to reach a conclusion on whether there was collusion between Trump associates and Russia during last year’s campaign. [emphasis original]

Since with these records the committee can prove whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, and since the absence of examples could not prove the negative, this is an implicit statement is that the records will enable the committee to prove Trump’s treason. RESIST!!

From MSN: Comey declined an invitation to speak to the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed door session next week.

However, The New York Times reports that a source says Comey is willing to speak if it’s a public hearing.

Comey does not want to give Senate Republicans an opportunity to hide his testimony from the American people the way they hid Russia’s interference before the election. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Open Thread – 5/12/2017

Posted by TomCat at 2:17 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 122017

When it rains it pours. I was up late last night just trying to figure out what the Rectum Reich is up to. All I can say is TGIF!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:13 (average 5:54). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): We Need the Help of Intel Agencies Around the World | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Keith raises an excellent point, to which I would add one caveat. The release of foreign intelligence must come in the form of leaks. If, for example, a European government were to expose Trump officially, they would put themselves at risk of nuclear retaliation from the Tantrum Traitor. RESIST!!

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): How is this not Obstruction of Justice?

Kudos to Jeff Merkley. Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From NY Times: President Trump on Thursday named Kris W. Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who has pressed for aggressive measures to crack down on undocumented immigrants, to a commission investigating vote fraud, following through on his unsubstantiated claim that millions of “illegals” voted for his Democratic rival and robbed him of victory in the national popular vote.

Mr. Kobach, who has championed the strictest voter identification laws in the country, will be the vice chairman of the commission, which will be led by Vice President Mike Pence and is expected to include about a dozen others, including state officials from both political parties, said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the deputy White House press secretary.

Mr. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday creating the commission, which Ms. Sanders said would have a broad mandate to review policies and practices that affect Americans’ confidence in the integrity of federal elections. Marc E. Lotter, Mr. Pence’s spokesman, said that voter suppression would be among the topics studied by the commission, which he said would take a wide-ranging look at problems at the state and national levels. But the order makes no mention of suppression or voting restrictions, specifying only “improper” or “fraudulent” registration and voting as issues to be explored.

OMG! Kobitch?!!? Want to know what I think of Kobitch? Click here, here, here and here. This will be a new high for voter suppression. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

0512Cartoon

Name them after Republicans: Hurricane Ammosexual, Hurricane Bankster, Hurricane Criminal…

Open Thread – 5/11/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:53 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 112017

It should be much cooler today, giving me a chance to catch up on sleep. Between groceries, housework, and Republicans, I’m feeling pretty frazzled.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:11 (average 4:51). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): You Can’t Fire the Person Investigating You | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Keith’s summary was perfect. Either the Trump Reich must fall or America will. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Betsy DeVos went to Bethune-Cookman University on Wednesday, knowing her first commencement address as secretary of education could get ugly at the historically black institute of higher education.

It did — fast. Over sporadic heckling, and at some points to the backs of gown-clad graduates refusing to face her.

The greeting she deserved was to be mooned by the graduates. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: Popular vote loser Donald Trump abruptly fired the guy who was leading the very investigation that could lead to the downfall of his presidency. Speaking to reporters from the Capitol Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that Trump is already searching for James Comey’s replacement:

Already this morning, the president is in the process of evaluating individuals who will be able to fill that spot, lead the FBI and restore the confidence of the American people.

Let’s be clear: NO ONE TRUMP NOMINATES WILL BE SEEN AS LEGITIMATE, IMPARTIAL OR CAPABLE of carrying out the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to steal the election.

In a word… Amen! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Open Thread – 5/10/2017

Posted by TomCat at 2:44 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 102017

For those who did not see it until today, the Care2 Glitch Monster ate my Personal Update yesterday, and I had to upload it again this morning. I’m working late because I expect a grocery delivery after 3:00 and Wendy comes this evening to de-stink the TomCat.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:00 (average 5:26). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): On Russia, Let’s Follow the Money | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

No matter what you follow, you find corruption and treason all along the Republican path to power. RESIST!!

From Think Progress: A reporter has been arrested for pressing Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to say whether or not the Trump health care bill would make it harder for domestic violence survivors to obtain insurance.

West Virginia police arrested Dan Heyman at the state capitol Tuesday as he walked with Price and White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, holding a recorder out and asking Price repeatedly about claims that insurers could refuse to serve survivors of familial abuse. That claim is based on inference from the bill’s provision allowing states to abandon consumer protections from Obamacare with federal permission.

Heyman had sought out Price on his way into the capitol.

“At some point, I think [they] decided I was too persistent in asking this question and trying to do my job, so they arrested me,” Heyman told West Virginia Metro News. Heyman was later charged with “willful disruption of a governmental process,” according to the news service.

Republicans hate the First Amendment. RESIST!!

From Reuters: U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday to discuss Syria and a wide range of international issues, a senior U.S. official said.

It will be the highest-level contact between Trump and the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin since Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Putin’s Pervert has to check in with his boss’ representative. RESIST!!

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