Open Thread September 11 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 112025
 

Yesterday, I learned that the (Democratic) Governor of Kentucky was on Seth Meyers the night before. I don’t hav time to watch Seth much, and when I do, it’s usually just “A Closer Look. But I looked up this segment. It’s just under 11 minutes. If the Mango Monster gets wind of it, he’ll be calling for Seth Meyers to be fired along with Colbert and Kimmel.

Well, this is discouraging. I have not yet felt the consequences of DOGE in my Social Security checks – probably no one who has been receiving it electronically for over a decade and has no changes recently or in the near future has felt it, since the cuts so far have been personnel cuts which affect people dealing with new claims or claim changes. Or people receiving paper checks might be affected. Someone in the organization with more brains than God gave lettuce has set SSA’s computer to sent electronic checks early but make them “pending” until the day they are due – mine is due the second Wednesday of each month – but I could see it Monday and Tuesday as a “pending” transaction. There are cuts in the “Big Brutal Bill” but those have been set not to take effect at least until 2026 – possibly even after the midterms – Republicans know perfectly well how unpopular cuts to vital programs, not just SS, are and don’t want to lose their majority. Think that one through. They know they are not electorially safe in 2026 but think they will be in 2028.

There’s a good point being made here. And I’m sure everyone can think of multiple historical examples. If we do not have a way to hold someone accountable for a particular action, we are saying “Go ahead and do it” even if that is the last thing we intended. And it’s not as if we didn’t realize this could happen. My Lai was 57 years ago. We have had plenty of time to figure out how to deal with this. And we didn’t even try.

There’s really no need for me to comment on this article from The Root. It says it all. (Daily Kos covered it also, but it shouldn’t be missed.)

A guest video today – Heather Cox Richardson Longer than usual, but under ten minutes

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Video Thread 10/28/22

 Posted by at 12:13 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 282022
 

Glenn Kirschner skipped a day (I hope he’s all right.) Harry Litman will stand in.

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – October 25, 2022

MSNBC – Rep. Himes: The U.S. Has To Decide We Won’t Allow The GOP To Mess With Election

Ring of Fire – Journalist Claims Trump Conned His Son Barron With COVID Misinformation

Cole and Marmalade – MEET MAZ AND CALYPSO! (Cole left for the Rainbow Bridge last year)

Beau – Let’s talk about whistles, DOD policy, and what’s next….

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Video Thread 10/19/22

 Posted by at 12:19 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 192022
 

Glenn Kirschner – What will J6 committee do if Trump defies subpoena? Rep Adam Kinzinger answers that question

Meidas Touch – Ron Johnson gets UTTERLY HUMILIATED with the MOST SAVAGE Response During Debate (Not sure you can humiliate someone who has no shame – but it’s short at least)

The Lincoln Project – Protecting The Capitol

Robert Reich – Election Deniers Could Pick the Next President Without You

Crooks and Liars – A Ukrainian Boy Laments Attack On His Playground (hanky alert)

Beau – Let’s talk about hybrid Abrams…. [nothing to do with Stacey]

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Video Thread 8/1/22

 Posted by at 11:58 am  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 012022
 

Glenn Kirschner – How to disqualify insurrectionists from Congress: interview w/John Bonifaz of Free Speech 4 People

Meidas Touch – SHOCK: Justice Alito disgustingly MOCKS critics of repeal of Roe v. Wade

The Lincoln Project – Trapped

MSNBC – Former Marine Dismantles Right-Wing Arguments On The Second Amendment

Randy Rainbow Re-Run – Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley! – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Beau – Let’s talk about Republicans bizarre request of DOD….

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Video Thread 1/18/2022

 Posted by at 11:46 am  Open Thread, Politics
Jan 182022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Short: Trump’s Foot Soldiers are Indicted. Now It’s Time to Indict the Command Structure.

The Lincoln Project – Tribute

politicsrus – Betrayal

Rebel HQ – US Army Offers $50K Bonus To New Recruits

MSNBC – ‘Part Of A Much Larger Conspiracy’: Investigation Into 16 Michigan Republicans

Liberal Redneck – President Sinema?? (Naw)

Beau – Let’s talk about political and military wings again….

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Open Thread for December 22, 2021

 Posted by at 6:44 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 222021
 

Yesterday, I slept in. However, I had done enough extra the day before I that I didn’t fall behind.

22 1222Cartoon.jpg

Short Takes

Newsweek – Millions of Angry, Armed Americans Stand Ready to Seize Power If Trump Loses in 2024
Quote – One indication of how far Republicans may be willing to go in violently opposing the government is their sanguine reaction to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Republicans by and large see no problem with a mob of hundreds swarming and forcing their way into the seat of American government. Half of Republicans said that the mob was “defending freedom,” according to a CBS/YouGov poll taken just after the insurrection. Today two-thirds of Republicans have come to deny that it was an attack at all, according to an October survey by Quinnipiac University. “There’s been little accountability for that insurrection,” says UCLA’s Winkler. “The right-wing rhetoric has only grown worse since then.”
Click through for the full story.  The consensus at DU is that these “warriors” are all hat, no cattle. And don’t exist in the numbers claimed. (And even it they did, “millions” in a nation of 330 million people is in the neighborhood of 3% looked at generously, which would give us the advantage.)

Wonkette – Steve Bannon Isn’t Nearly As Smart As He Thinks He Is. And Neither Are His Lawyers.
Quote – Bannon’s legal team includes Trump impeachment lawyer David Schoen and Bannon’s old lawyer Robert Costello, the guy who told Bannon it was a great idea to give the House January 6 Select Committee two middle fingers and shout EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, MOTHERFUCKERS. And if his name sounds familiar, it’s because Costello is the one who tried to dangle a presidential pardon to Michael Cohen via a mangled Garth Brooks lyric.
Click through for more. Wonkette sourced this from The Daily Beast, but I think the sardonic style adds something.

AP News -Pentagon issues rules aimed at stopping rise of extremism
Quote – Officials said the new policy doesn’t largely change what is prohibited but is more of an effort to make sure troops are clear on what they can and can’t do, while still protecting their First Amendment right to free speech. And for the first time, it is far more specific about social media.
Click thrpugh for more specific info. This is a very good thing. The U.S. military may not even attempt to reach hearts and minds (probably futile anyway) but is very cpmpetent at defining activities and prohibiting harmful ones. And holding individuals accountble.

Food For Thought

 

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Saturday Smile: And His Wall Came Tumbling Down

 Posted by at 9:12 am  Politics
Aug 282021
 

When Trump announced his run for president in 2015, he (in)famously boasted:

“I will build a great wall—and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me—and I’ll build them very inexpensively.  I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.  Mark my words.”

https://time.com/5499391/donald-trump-border-wall-mexico-pay/

 

RIIIGGGHHHTTT …

Sadly, the courts had allowed Trump to ignore environmental laws during the wall’s construction, and that mistake proved to be its undoing.  As the old Chiffon margarine ad goes: “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”

Trump’s US-Mexico border wall was no match for the heavy rains and accompanying flooding that happened this past week in Southern Arizona.  They destroyed a large section of TFG’s wall along the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge.

Rain measurements near Douglas, AZ (closest town to the wall) showed 290 cubic-feet of water moving through the area every second – that’s equivalent to 112,200 gallons of water every minute.  And it was calculated the storm surge could have reached a height of 25 feet!

Flood gates are common across sections of the wall along the Arizona-Mexico border. Agents must manually raise the gates to protect the steel barriers from thousands of gallons of floodwater laden with sediment, rocks, and tree limbs that can otherwise pile up to create a dam, with the power of the water overwhelming and toppling parts of the border wall.

http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/082121_border_wall_damaged/monsoon-floods-damage-border-wall-near-douglas/

Gizmodo blamed the failure on rushed construction and an alleged bypassing of environmental regulations.  “Who could have predicted this?  Ah yes, just about everyone,” author Brian Kahn penned in the article.

https://gizmodo.com/trumps-border-wall-torn-apart-by-arizona-monsoon-rains-1847535174

[Not sure why, but this video showing the results of the flooding cannot be embedded.  You have to click on it to view it.]

https://youtu.be/rvPVYHeVaYc

I want to close on an upbeat note.  While things have not gone as well with our exit from Afghanistan as we would have hoped, there were some bright notes.

America’s men and women in uniform have, once again, covered themselves in glory with displays of care and compassion – particularly with Afghani children.

I could not find attributions for these – but I want to include them anyway:

Of course it wasn’t only with children that they displayed their compassion.  And I’m sure you join me in thanking them for their service – they did us proud!

 

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Open Thread for July 7, 2021

 Posted by at 7:17 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 072021
 

I have a technician appointment for tomorrow for the phone. The computer seems to stay connected better when it is not quite as hot. News from Carrie’s appointment yesterday: “Both growths removed and sent off to lab. They are probably benign, but a little concern about one that was changing.”

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Oxfam Denounces OECD Global Tax Deal as ‘Skewed-to-the-Rich and Completely Unfair’
Quote – While some tax equity campaigners applauded the agreement as a good start, Oxfam International executive director Gabriela Bucher slammed the deal as “no more than a G7 money grab,” referring to the seven wealthy nations that have helped spearhead the talks.
Click through for story.  to Mitch.

Crooks and Liars – Biden Quickly Nominates Diverse Slate Of Federal Judges
Quote – Thus far, Biden has tapped 32 judicial nominees, maintaining a rapid pace for both nominations and confirmations that is putting even what Sen. Mitch McConnell did on behalf of the Federalist Society and Donald Trump to shame. “That number is notable for its historical context: It puts Biden on the fastest pace for judicial confirmations in a first presidential term in more than 50 years. The last president to have seven confirmations by this point was Richard Nixon in 1969, according to a White House official,” CNN reports
Click through for details. Yes, it isn’t the Supreme Court. But it is a pool from which future justice will be drawn.and it’s a sign of a good attitude toward the Judicial Branch.

Wonkette – GOP Rep Pretty Sure Soldiers Can Just Quit Over Vaccine Requirements
Quote – There’s a wee bit of a problem with all of that though — as many people were happy to point out to Massie on Twitter, you can’t just “quit” the military, because when you sign up to join the military, you sign a contract and you are required, by actual law, to serve out your time unless otherwise dismissed by the Department of Defense. If you “quit,” that is called “going AWOL” or “desertion” and could result in “dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a one-year confinement.”
Click through for more of Wonkette’s inimitable style. Beau also has something to say on this topic in the video thread.

Food for Thought

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