Open Thread – 1/4/2020

Posted by TomCat at 7:58 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 042020

It’s a tired Saturday here in the CatBox. I had a kink in my back last night that was so severe, that I finally gave up at around 2:00 AM and took an Oxycodone. The Republican war to retain power still dominates the news, and since I covered that yesterday, this is my only article today. Today and tomorrow are Holy Days in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, the Festival of Cards Gone Wild. Good luck, Pat! Tomorrow is also a WWWendy day to de-stink the rancid TomCat. We have lots of chores to do do, so please expect no more than a Personal Update from me. Have a peaceful weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:03 (average 5:11). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: The reasons that Donald Trump would need a massive distraction at this point are numerous. Every day seems to produce fresh evidence that the White House was fully aware that Trump’s delay of military assistance to Ukraine was simply against the law, and that multiple officials engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover up for Trump and retroactively create an excuse for an inexcusable act. Somewhere right now, Mitch McConnell is probably drafting a statement claiming that the Senate could not possibly consider an impeachment trial “during a time of war.”

But onto that stack of dog-wagging rationales add this one: According to Forensic News, Trump’s loans from Deutsche Bank were underwritten by a Russian state-owned bank. That news reportedly comes from a whistleblower with access to documents from both Deutsche Bank and Russia’s state-owned VTB Bank. VTB Bank was also the proposed lender on the never-completed Trump Tower Moscow project.

The question of why Deutsche Bank would extend a series of huge loans to Trump has been dangling since before he ever announced his candidacy for president on a golden escalator ride. When Trump first went to Deutsche Bank, he was worse than broke. He had just finished bankrupting multiple casinos in New Jersey, and then had convinced investors to back a takeover of those casinos at a fraction of the original value. Then Trump deliberately allowed the investment group to go bankrupt so he could grab the whole deal himself at a fraction of what his investors had paid. Then he went bankrupt. Again. And along the way he was socked with a massive fine for money laundering at his now bankrupt (again) casino.

Trump was so fiscally radioactive that no American bank would let him in the door. But Deutsche Bank turned around and gifted Trump with loans that gave him a fresh start and an apparently miracle turnaround of his New York real estate empire. Those loans have always been the subject of head-scratching over just what Deutsche Bank could have been thinking. But if Forensic News is right, what Deutsche Bank was thinking was that it wasn’t risking a damn thing, because the Russian government was actually vouching for Trump through VTB Bank. If Trump didn’t come through, Vladimir Putin was offering to make it good.

As I have said for over a year, Trump* is Putin’s Pet Pervert! RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Erin Burnett calls Trump’s 2011 video about Obama and Iran ‘unbelievable’

Is that projection or what? To be fair, if the Reich can show evidence that the “immanent threat” they claim is real, and that assassinating a leader of one sovereign nation in the territory of another sovereign nation can ameliorate that threat, I’ll be the first to say I am wrong. In the interim, the Republican track record for lying us into three wars, and the Trump* track record for lying about virtually everything, demand disbelief of every claim they make without proof. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Doors – Riders on the Storm (Official Audio)

I can’t stand the words to this song, but the music is incredible. Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Just Like GHW Bush

Posted by TomCat at 8:55 am Politics

Jan 032020

GHW Bush needed something to increase his popular support to aid his reelection. When Saddam Hussein decided to invade Kuwait over an oil dispute, he notified the US Ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie. She told him the US has “no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait” and that the US has “no special defense or security commitments to Kuwait.” That’s diplo-speak for, “Go for it”. When Saddam invaded, the Bush administration paraded the Kuwaiti Ambassador’s daughter, who had been here in the US for over a year, before Congress. She pretended to be a nurse in a Kuwaiti hospital and lied that Iraqi troops had pulled babies from incubators and murdered then. Bush had his war. It’s a standard Republican tactic. Unfortunately for Bush, Gen. Collin Powell defeated Iraq so quickly that the war was over too soon, and Bush lost his election anyway. This is exactly why Donald Trump*, impeached Resident, is now trying to start a war with Iran.

MSNBC’s James Stavridis warned that President Donald Trump’s order to kill Iranian general Qassim Suleimani would dangerously escalate tensions in the Middle East — which could blow back on the United States.

The retired U.S. Navy admiral and supreme allied commander of NATO told “Morning Joe” that Suleimani, who led the clandestine Quds Force, was dangerous — but he said the killing would inflame an already tense situation.

“Suleimani is an evil person, he’s a villain,” Stavridis said. “We are better off tactically for his piece being taken off the chessboard. He was smart, he constructed very clever attacks on us, so tactically this is a positive.”

The retired admiral agreed that Suleimani was the most significant military figure in the Middle East over the past generation, but he worried about the president’s strategy.

“Tactically, I’m glad he’s gone,” Stavridis said. “Strategically, however, we are pouring gasoline on a smoldering fire with no structure or strategy for where we’re going to take this thing next, and I’ll tell you the Pentagon today is going to be on all hands on deck doing the defensive measures all over the world to make sure that we’re prepared for the response, because there will be a significant response.”…[emphasis added]

Inserted From <Raw Story>

Here’s more:

Fareed Zakaria on airstrike: Iran will respond in some way

It is clear that Pompeo’s statement that this act of was was a deterrent is a lie. Throwing a stick of dynamite into a tinder box is an invitation to explode, not a deterrent. However, Trump repeatedly predicted that Barack Obama would attack Iran to ensure his reelection in 2012. That is what Trump has in mind. I hope it doesn’t work. I fear Iran’s retaliation will cause much suffering by innocents.

Trump was required by law to notify the gang of eight. I understand he notified only Lindsey Poo. He notified no Democrats, saying they would have leaked his plans. Liar!

RESIST!!

Bullshit*

Posted by TomCat at 8:44 am Politics

Dec 302019

Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten, aka Bone Spurs, aka Putin’s Pet Pervert will now be known throughout eternity as Trump*. Therefore is it not appropriate to identify the lame attempts by Barrf, Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch, Faux Noise, and the rest of the criminal Republican Reich to justify those crimes as Bullshit”?

The New York Times has a comprehensive look this morning at the timeline and actions surrounding the withholding of aid to Ukraine, and I strongly suggest you read it all. But this was the ultimate in political appointees (most with personal and professional ties to Mick Mulvaney) creating rationales to justify whatever Trump wanted: Just ignore the law! Like the political operatives they are, they had little interest in whether there was a valid legal basis for their arguments, they just wanted something that sounded good enough to sell, and came up with something that cemented Trump’s vision of himself as a monarch, unaccountable to anyone:

By late summer, top lawyers at the budget office were developing a proposed legal justification for the hold, based in part on conversations with White House lawyers as well as the Justice Department.

Their argument was that lifting the hold would undermine Mr. Trump’s negotiating position in his efforts to fight corruption in Ukraine.

The president, the lawyers believed, could ignore the requirements of the Impoundment Control Act and continue to hold the aid by asserting constitutional commander in chief powers that give him authority over diplomacy. He could do so, they believed, if he determined that, based on existing circumstances, releasing the money would undermine military or diplomatic efforts.

Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>

That certainly illustrated the need for more witnesses. The more we discover, the more pleased I an that Speaker Pelosi [D-CA] is standing up to Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch’s bullshit*!

RESIST!!

Biden Screws the Pooch Again

Posted by TomCat at 7:49 am Politics

Dec 282019

For those who do not know, “screw the pooch” comes from Tom Wolfe’s book, The Right Stuff, and means to commit a grievous, usually fatal, error. Joe Biden screwed the pooch by claiming that, if subpoenaed, he will refuse to testify in Trump’s* impeachment trial, as run by Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch.

Returning to the campaign trail after Christmas, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Friday stood by his comments that he would not comply with a subpoena to testify at President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

In a meeting with the editorial board of The Des Moines Register, whose endorsement in the Iowa caucuses is coveted by presidential hopefuls, Mr. Biden argued that complying with a subpoena and testifying would essentially allow Mr. Trump to succeed in shifting attention onto Mr. Biden and away from the president’s own actions.

“The reason I wouldn’t is because it’s all designed to deal with Trump doing what he’s done his whole life: trying to take the focus off him,” Mr. Biden told the newspaper. “The issue is not what I did.”

“This is all about a diversion,” Mr. Biden added. “And we play his game all the time. He’s done it his whole career.”… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <NY Times>

MSNBC has more.

Joe Biden Stands By Refusing To Testify In Trump Impeachment Trial

Here are the problems. First, by refusing to testify Biden would break the law. Second, refusing to testify gives the appearance that he has something to hide. Third, he is giving Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch an excuse to disallow all witnesses. Fourth, he would be doing exactly what Trump* is doing. How can a casual prospective voter tell the difference? Even though his reasons for wanting to refuse are spot on, this is NOT the behavior of a winning candidate.

That said, should Democrats be foolish enough to nominate Biden, I will support him 100%. Biden at his absolute worst is infinitely superior to Trump* at his absolute best.

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 12/28/2019

Posted by TomCat at 7:49 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 282019

It’s a queasy day here in the CatBox. I’m just barely in the saddle today, but I did manage to keep half a bowl of cereal down this morning. Tomorrow is a WWWendy Day, so please expect no more than a Personal Update. Tomorrow is also a Holy Day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. My Broncos are playing WWWendy’s team, the Raiders in the afternoon game. Miracle of miracles, the game will be televised here. May the divine Orb shine its blessed light on your team, unless they are pirates with patches. Have a great, safe weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:47 (average 5:48). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Paul Begala, one of Bill Clinton’s most trusted political strategists, has a metaphor to explain how the Biden campaign team views the choice voters should be given in the 2020 race. He calls it “the steaming pile of shit theory,” and he explained it to Ryan Lizza of Politico last week (Why Biden’s Retro Inner Circle Is Succeeding So Far):

“You’re sitting down for breakfast and there’s a steaming pile of shit on your table and you say, ‘Can we get this shit off of my table?’” he told me recently. “And Elizabeth says, ‘I’m going to build you a new house!’ And Bernie says, ‘I’m going to build you a new city!’ And I’m like, no, just get this fucking shit off my kitchen table and we’ll get back to normal life!”

You may think Begala’s theory is overly-vivid or disgustingly crude, but I think it is an accurate metaphor for how Joe Biden and his campaign believe that the only major issue Democratic voters are interested in is getting rid of Trump.

Biden has repeatedly stated that he thinks Trump as president is a temporary disturbance in the American political system. Once the aberration of Trump is gone, Biden believes, the Republican Party will return to “normal” — “have an epiphany” — and the supposed pre-Trump environment of bi-partisan comity and cooperation will return to once again make the nation’s capitol a fun place to reach across the aisle and practice the art of the deal.

The Biden campaign is so full of shit that we know where the steaming pile on the table went. Hillary Clinton partially ignored people’s needs to focus on defeating Trump*. That’s a significant reason why Trump* got close enough for Putin and the KKK to steal the White House for him. Also, “normal” for the Republican Reich, before Trump* was appointed, was for Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch to steal Obama’s Supreme Court appointment, voter suppression, racism, welfare, and more. A Republican epiphany is BS! RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Shocking Testimony About SEAL Pardoned By Trump Leaked To NYT

It wouldn’t surprise me, if Trump* makes Gallagher, a monster, who almost equals Trump* in evil, the next appointee for Sec. Def. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): graham nash- Chicago

I was demonstrating at the Democratic Convention in Chicago 1968. Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 12/26/2019

Posted by TomCat at 7:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 262019

It’s a queasy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy ran out of time, so instead of pressure cooking ham and beans for me, she brought me some of her Christmas dinner: standing rib roast and roast potatoes. They were a bit hard on my stomach, but when it came to her Marion berry cheesecake pie…, I was a ba-a-a-a-ad kitty! I’ve been paying the price since. Tomorrow I may run a bit late. Store to Door is closed for the week, so I’m getting my groceries delivered from Safeway.com. On the plus side, I have no medical appointments for the rest of the year. May America dump the Republican Reich in 2020!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:09 (average 5:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: Chuck Todd was very very Chuck Todd this year. And above, Chuck worries that Democrats are investigating too many things, and therefore have a “PR problem.”

Is that media bias or what? If Democrats’ investigate everything Trump* does, except one, that’s one thing too few! RESIST!!

From VOA News: Her husband’s steady shift to the political right during their 24-year marriage was a source of frustration and embarrassment for liberal Jennifer Merrill, but it wasn’t until the election of Donald Trump — and her husband’s support for the president — that she’d finally had enough.

Merrill moved out and filed for divorce.

“I just couldn’t see sharing a bed with somebody that agreed with what Trump was doing when I was so against everything that Trump represented,” says Merrill, a book editor for a trade association, and the mother of three children. “He had no sensitivity for how I felt, that I felt so strongly about it, especially when I was going out and doing protests … and he would just laugh about it and continue to defend [Trump]. So that just made me very, very angry.”

If ever there were just cause for divorce, marriage to a Republican is it! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 12/22/2019

Posted by TomCat at 8:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 222019

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy is due in about 90 minutes, and we have lots of chores to do. Tomorrow I have my GI appointment. I fear that they will just schedule me for tests at the lab. I so hope I’m wrong. I need some relief NOW! I should be back in the saddle on Christmas Eve. Go Broncos.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:37 (average 5:25). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From NY Times: American military and intelligence officials tracking North Korea’s actions by the hour say they are bracing for an imminent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching American shores, but appear resigned to the fact that President Trump has no good options to stop it.

If the North goes ahead with the test in the coming days — Pyongyang promised a “Christmas gift” if no progress had been made on lifting sanctions — it would be a glaring setback for Mr. Trump’s boldest foreign policy initiative, even as he faces an impeachment trial at home.

The score? Fat Korean Maniac 2 – Fat Russian-controlled Maniac 0. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): A REPUBLICAN CHRISTMAS – Parody | The Freedom Toast (Guest Post)

Magnificent! The Republican Reich hope they die soon. JD send me an update on them, please. RESIST!!

From TPM: According to newly released documents, the White House moved to freeze military aid to Ukraine less than two hours after President Donald Trump’s July 25th call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The documents were obtained with a FOIA request by the Center for Public Integrity and published Friday night.

“Based on guidance I have received and in light of the Administration’s plan to review assistance to Ukraine, including the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, please hold off on any additional DoD obligations of these funds, pending direction from that process,” Mike Duffey, an Office of Management and Budget official, wrote in a July 25 email to OMB and Pentagon officials. “Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute direction.”… [emphasis added]

So what we have here is an order from imFuhrer Trump* to hold up the aid and cover up the act of doing it. That’s a criminal violation of the Impoundment Act. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Rascals People Got To Be Free