Jul 162021
 

[EDITOR”S NOTE: While I don’t think this posting is “Fun” in the usual sense – I do think it has some satisfying qualities.]

WOW!  This week has been one revelation after another documenting what we all knew all along: Trump is Batsh!t Crazy Demagogue!  However, it’s hard to believe that Donnie’s final days as Oval Office occupier were far worse than we ever imagined!

One book after another has come out to show just how unhinged Donnie was during his final days.  Starting with “I Alone Can Fix It” by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker.  From it we learn that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley and his allies were so distraught about Donnie spreading the Big Lie about the election that they thought there was a distinct possibility that he might try a coup when he lost.  As a precaution to save the country they devised contingency plans to prevent any Trump illegal power grab.

One was that they would all sequentially resign, one after the other, rather than carry out a clearly unconstitutional order from The Former Guy.  Sort of like Richard Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre – but in reverse.

Gen. Milley shared his concerns about a possible coup with his military colleagues, legislators and friends:

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, likened Donald Trump’s effort to hold on to power after the 2020 election to Adolf Hitler, saying the president was preaching “the gospel of the Führer” with his lies about the election being stolen.

“They may try, but they’re not going to f\/cking succeed,” Milley told his officers.  “You can’t do this without the military.  You can’t do this without the CIA and the FBI.  We’re the guys with the guns.”

Milley was disturbed by the sight of Trump supporters rallying to his cause in November, calling them “Brownshirts in the streets….”  Milley “believed Trump was stoking unrest, possibly in hopes of an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act and call out the military.” The general likened the U.S. to Germany’s fragile Weimar Republic in the early 1930s. “This is a Reichstag moment,” he said, referring to the arson attack on Germany’s Parliament that Hitler used as a pretext to assume absolute power and destroy democracy.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/i-alone-can-fix-it-mark-milley-likened-trump-to-hitler.html

But what I find fascinating is The Former Guy’s inability to just keep his yap shut, let things settle down and NOT make matters worse.

But no – he always has to have the last word.  And so we now have what will be two of his Top Ten Punchlines: “If I Was Going To Do a Coup …” and “I’m Not Into Coups”

It comes from a statement he released on 7/15/21:

Despite massive Voter Fraud and Irregularities during the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, that we are now seeing play out in very big and important States, I never threatened, or spoke about, to anyone, a coup of our Government.  So ridiculous!  Sorry to inform you, but an Election is my form of “coup,” and if I was [sic] going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley.

[snip]

I’m not into coups.

 https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/statement-by-donald-j-trump-45th-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-07.15.21-04

[NOTE: It would be too time-consuming to markup all his juvenile random capitalizations and insertion of commas haphazardly.  But one of my pet peeves is using “were” when writing in the subjunctive mood – and his was an appalling abrogation of the subjunctive.  It should be: “If I WERE going to do a coup.”

[Here endeth today’s pedantic grammar lesson.]

The Former Guy trying to deny he would ever do a coup (but failing) is the exact same defense he used in trying to deny his sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll by claiming “She’s not my type.”

But let’s note that Trump did NOT say “I would never have raped Ms. Carroll because I think it’s a despicable act, and I’m opposed to all violence against women.”  It was simply “She’s not my type.”

So he virtually confesses that he would have raped her … IF she were his type.  So he would have led a coup … IF he were able to find someone other than Gen. Milley.  Damned by his own words.

And of course the Twitterverse was not going to pass on the chance to weigh-in on Former Guy’s “confession”.

Former Guy’s actions since his loss on 11/3/2020 were actually all part of a multi-faceted Coup attempt:

 

 

 

And I particularly enjoyed the Dr. Seuss style parody of Donnie’s “confession” at Slate.

 

I do not like you General Mark

I did not like you in the park

I did not ever do a coup

I did not ever coup with you

I would not could not coup with you

 

Not in a park, or in a shoe/

Not wearing gray or wearing blue

General Mark, you’re soft as goo

I would not could not coup with you

 

Oh, and if Donnie’s statement reminded you of OJ Simpson’s book …

 

You’re not alone!

 

PS:

I’d be curious and grateful if you would indicate which classic punchline from Former Guy’s statement you prefer:

[1] If I Was Going to Do A Coup

 Or …

[2] I’m Not Into Coups

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Jul 162021
 

Glenn Kirschner – General Mark Milley Was Prepared to Stop Trump’s Attempted Coup/Unlawful Efforts to Retain Power

An appearance by Glenn Kirschner on another show … even more passionate than on his own.

Ring of Fire – Tucker Carlson Gets Schooled By His First Grade Teacher After Lying About Her

Robert Reich – Don’t Buy Into the Inflation Scare

Decency United – “Oh No He Didn’t!” – Will Donald Trump Leave the Republican Party?

Cat Learns To Open Door To Meet New Foster Kittens – POKEY

Beau – Let’s talk about me being “giddy like a schoolgirl” over corporate tokens….

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Jul 162021
 

Yesterday I got a grocery order delivered and put away (which I did just manage to get in on the previous night.) And I made an appointment for my annual checkup which would normally have happened last November but was delayed by the pandemic. And that is just about all I accomplished. Incidentally, I probably will be phasing out Samantha Bee and Bill Maher (if somebody else wants to do them I’ll gladly help), but that’s not why there are none this week. There are no new vids on her channel, and he is still on vacation for another week or two.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Above the Fray: Changing the Stakes of Supreme Court Selection and Enhancing Legitimacy
This is a readable but also a searchable report from the Project on Government Oversight which is a real keeper. I seldom agree with POGO on every single point and I’m sure this is no exception. But I can’t fault their research
Click through for the full report. IMO it’s a keeper.

Reuters – AG revives immigration judges’ power to postpone deportation cases
Quote – Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a ruling on Thursday restoring the ability of immigration judges to postpone deportation cases while awaiting rulings in related proceedings, which had been eliminated by Trump-era AG Jeff Sessions.
Click through for details (somewhat technical.) Bottom line: People are rightly complaining that immigrants are still being ill-treated. Still having Trumpian regulations on the books is one big reason why. Getting rid of those regulations is a good thing.

AP News – Biden’s Census nominee promises independence, transparency
Quote – President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the U.S. Census Bureau told a Senate committee on Thursday that he would bring transparency and independence to the nation’s largest statistical agency, which was challenged by the pandemic, natural disasters and attempts at political interference while carrying out the 2020 census.
Click through for story. I hope it’s not too late.

Food for Thought:

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Jul 152021
 

Glenn Kirschner – DOJ Press Release: Insurrection Investigation Update. Here’s How Prosecutors are Building the Case. !!THIS!!

Michael Wolff on Lawrence O’Donnell (even pros have internet glitches, but it’s a short glitch)

Robert Reich – Why Expanding the Supreme Court is Not Radical

Vote Vets – Texas Veteran Timothy Beauchamp Praises Democrats For Leaving The State To Protect Voting Rights

Liberal Redneck – Caitlyn Jenner Booed at CPAC

Keith Olbermann – yes, two days in a row – another righteous rant.

Beau – Let’s talk about Trump’s buyer’s remorse over Kavanaugh….

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Jul 152021
 

Yesterday I woke up, logged in, and realized the Open Thread had not published when I wanted it to because I had a typographical error in the schedule. Sorry to all. I’ll try to proofread better! Otherwise, the day went fine.

Cartoon – blood wedding

Short Takes –

Fascist Goons Disrupt Katie Porter Town Hall, Welcome To Post-January 6 GOP Politics
Quote – Yes, she ran toward the trouble to protect people. She’s even a hero when she doesn’t have her white board handy. Porter told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell Monday night that she was worried for the safety of a couple of attendees “who were using walkers, who couldn’t move out of the way,” and that she simply wanted to be sure they weren’t knocked over while police were on the way.
Click through for details and for a short video from Lawrence O’Donnell. Katie is a superb negotiator. But no one can negotiate with these – people. Holding back tears of anger.

Daily Beast – Lego Tells U.S. Company to Stop Making Gun That Looks Like Child’s Toy
Quote – Culper Precision of Utah has been producing a pistol that looks like a kid’s toy made of Lego blocks, saying that its “Glock 19” weapon was made to show people that firearms are “for everyone” and that shooting things is “SUPER FUN!”
Click through for more, including actual photo and link to Washington Post. Unbelievable.

The Hill – US to evacuate Afghans who assisted US military
Quote – Flights out of Afghanistan for those who are already in the process of obtaining special immigrant visas (SIVs) will start in the last week of July, a senior administration official said in a statement.
Click through for what details are available. We knew this was going to be done, but there were no details available, and only a few now, but it’s clear the dates have been moved up.

Food for Thought (probably not true. I have changed a little bit – but not much – possibly not even all in the same direction.):

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Jul 142021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Donald Trump Breathes New Life Into Need for an Investigation into Justice Brett Kavanaugh

Meidas Touch – EPIC RANT: The GQP Stands for NOTHING! (no shouting)

Armageddon Update: Bothsiderism – . Best of Mitch McConnell. The first of the two episode(s?) is one to bookmark, IMO

Bruno For Congress | Rise – He is running against Kevin McCarthy in California’s 23rd District. I checked a map but can’t be sure whether Bakersfield is in it, party in it, or just outside it. Theere are a couple of National Forests in it certainly. Too bad the trees can’t vote. https://crooksandliars.com/2021/07/endorsement-california-bruno-amato-v-kevin

Vote Vets – VoteVets – Traitor Oath

Keith Olbermann – Stephen A Smith righteous rant

Beau – Let’s talk about Democrats walking out in Texas….

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Jul 142021
 

Yesterday was kind of uneventful. I discovered an unopened bottle of salad dressing I had thought I was out of – a quite new bottle, not an old expired one. I need to place a grocery order but I don’t like to do so on Tuesday for Wednesday because that’s when theprices change. I kind of like to know what I am spending. Maybe today.  It’s not urgent to within a day or two.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Hill – Biden rips Trump’s ‘big lie’ in voting rights address
Quote – Republicans vehemently oppose the For the People Act, calling it a blatant power grab by Democrats. The wide-reaching bill would mandate a federal threshold for certain voting rights, such as universal by-mail voting, early voting and same-day voter registration. It also addresses gerrymandering and campaign finance reform.
Click through for full story. Maybe we should be saying yes, it is a means to grab power away from those who hold it illegally and immorally and return it to the people to whom it rightly belongs. Maybe it’s just me – but I think we need to get better at turning their own words back on them. And we need to do it fast.

Politico – Opinion | The Democrats Need a Reality Check
Quote – But the FDR and LBJ examples show conclusively why visions of a transformational Biden agenda are so hard to turn into reality. In 1933, FDR had won a huge popular and electoral landslide, after which he had a three-to-one Democratic majority in the House and a 59-vote majority in the Senate. Similarly, LBJ in 1964 had won a massive popular and electoral vote landslide, along with a Senate with 69 Democrats and a House with 295. Last November, on the other hand, only 42,000 votes in three key states kept Trump from winning re-election. Democrats’ losses in the House whittled their margin down to mid-single digits. The Senate is 50-50.
Click through for his rather depressing reasoning. I wish I had an idea how to make it happen.

Slate – What the Rogue Texas Democrats Did on Their First Day in D.C.
Quote – They’d come to D.C. to take the last (and most dramatic) action available to them to stop their home state of Texas from passing sweeping restrictions on voting rights. The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature is ready to pass the bill, so more than 50 Democrats in the Texas House fled to D.C. to withhold the quorum required to pass a bill. They must stay out of the state for the rest of the 30-day special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. Their plan for their first day included a short press conference, then lobbying senators and members of Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation that would supersede what the Republicans in the Texas Legislature are trying to pass.
Click through for more story, opinion, and analysis. It is simply heartbreaking that they need to do this. They are all heroes in my book. But they shouldn’t have to be, and wouldn’t if too many Republicans weren’t weasels (no insult intended to four-legged, furry weasels.) I wanted to be sure to post this story today and not behind Pat’s back – she’s on vacation for four days starting tomorrow (so don’t worry about her.)

Food for Thought: Three Borowitz Headlines
Democrats Agree to Return to Texas if Greg Abbott Leaves

Texans Nostalgic for Wisdom of Rick Perry

Greg Abbott Tries to Lure Back Democratic Lawmakers by Offering NPR Tote Bags

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Jul 132021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s CPAC Speech and the Reaction of his Adoring Fans. Hate Sells as our Nation Suffers

Meidas touch – Arrest Trump Now

MSNBC – Texas Charges Man Who Waited Six Hours To Vote With Illegal Voting

Now This News – Dr. Fauci Slams CPAC Attendees Applauding Low Vaccination Rates

Rebel HQ – Trump ADMITS To Peddling Election Lies

Rocky Mountain Mike – Big Lie. This may be his best ever.

Beau – Let’s talk about that statue coming down and defending history….

Beau – Let’s talk about politicians writing unconstitutional laws….

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