A Big Day for Biden

Posted by TomCat at 10:29 am Politics

Mar 182020

As a Bernie supporter, I hate to say it, but barring some completely unexpected miracle, Bernie has virtually no chance to win.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. easily defeated Senator Bernie Sanders in three major primaries on Tuesday, all but extinguishing Mr. Sanders’s chances for a comeback, as anxious Americans turned out to vote amid a series of cascading disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Biden, the former vice president, won by wide margins in Florida and Illinois and also carried Arizona, sweeping the night and achieving a nearly insurmountable delegate lead. The emphatic outcome could greatly intensify pressure on Mr. Sanders to end his campaign and allow Democrats to unify behind Mr. Biden as their presumptive nominee.

The routs in Florida and Illinois, two of the biggest prizes on the national map, represented both a vote of confidence in Mr. Biden from most Democrats, and a blunt rejection of Mr. Sanders’s candidacy by the kind of large, diverse states he would have needed to capture to broaden his appeal beyond the ideological left…

Inserted from <NY Times>

Biden Sweeps Sanders In 3 States On One Of The Strangest Primary Days In Recent History

At this point, two things are self-evident. First, all primaries (and the general, if need be) must be vote by mail, like Oregon. Second, Bernie’s hope is virtually a pipe dream. Progressives like me need to commit to vote Blue, no matter who, top to bottom!

RESIST!!

Open Thread–3/18/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:28 am Open Thread, Politics

Mar 182020

It’s a hectic day here in the CatBox, as I try to get my head around the notion that my cancer is stage IV and metastatic, and that I’m very likely to die, before a year is up. I see Evelyn (my Oncologist) again next Tuesday. If my cancer tests amenable to immunotherapy, I’ll go that route. Evelyn wonders whether I can handle chemo. It causes severe Republicosis, and if it hits after I’m in bed, the time it takes to get my leg on and get to the throne is likely to be too long to hold it. I’ll need to do a pain/problem/benefit analysis and decide if the time is worth the decreased quality of life. I will be getting radiation for my spine. She also gave me liquid Oxycodone. Tonight is a WWWendy night. She was very upset to learn of this. Happy Hump Day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:27 (average 4:59). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0318TrumpVirus

0318TrumpVirusTesting

Short Takes:

From Alternet: As nations around the world buckle down amid coronavirus outbreaks, approaches to isolation and social distancing are inconsistent, at best, in the United States. While some cities and states are implementing bans on restaurants and bars staying open and capping the number of people in a space, some groups are moving forward with, ahem, business as usual. One example from last Sunday morning? Pastor Guillermo Maldonado, of King Jesus International Ministry, a megachurch in Kendall, Florida, encouraged his congregation to keep coming to service, downplaying concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by the Miami Herald.

“Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not,” Maldonado, a Trump supporter, said to his congregation, as reported by the outlet.

“This service is usually packed. So now they’re home in a cave afraid of the virus, that you want to transmit the virus,” Maldonado continued. The Herald noted the venue “appeared half empty…

…“If we die, we die for Christ,” Maldonado told parishioners. “If we live, we live for Christ, so what do you lose?”

The Jesus that I worship does not call us to be this stupid. I hate to say it, but this is an appropriate strategy for Republicans only! RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump has tested negative for empathy, the White House doctor confirmed on Monday.

In an official statement, Dr. Sean Conley said that Trump submitted to the empathy test even though, in the physician’s opinion, “it was not really necessary.”

“I expected him to test negative,” Conley said. “Empathy-wise, he has been entirely asymptomatic.”

The White House doctor attributed Trump’s empathy-free status to his established practice of social distancing from anyone showing even the faintest sign of compassion, kindness, or humanity.

Dang, Andy! I have zero trouble believing that! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Association – Windy (1967 Ravinia Festival – Highland Park IL )

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Biden vs Sanders Debate

Posted by TomCat at 11:18 am Politics

Mar 162020

I watched the debate last night. I could tell that both candidates were uncomfortable, as they are so accustomed to working a crowd. With tough contests coming up, Bernie needed a strong win to overcome Joe’s lead and momentum. Here are the opinions of a group pf panelists from The Guardian.

Jessa Crispin: ‘Sanders was too gentle on Biden’

Throughout this primary, I’ve heard supporters of other candidates complain about Bernie Sanders’ tendency to raise his voice. Where the hell was that yelling Bernie on Sunday night? His tendency to try to keep an undignified process dignified and his discomfort with going for Joe Biden’s throat were on clear display. If Biden wins the nomination, he’s going to have to debate the least classy man ever to appear in World Wrestling Entertainment. Bernie would have been doing us – and frankly, Joe as well – a favor by channeling gay rights king Stone Cold Steve Austin and pinning Biden on issues like how the 2008 bank bailout was disastrous for homeowners, or how his warmongering has stuck us in an endless war, or how the Violence Against Women Act that he loves to brag about did basically nothing to prevent violence in relationships…

Art Cullen: ‘The debate was a first step to bringing the Democratic party together’

Bernie Sanders did Joe Biden and the nation a great favor by serving as an amiable sparring partner on Sunday evening, exposing the former vice-president’s weaknesses as this race is about to turn to the general election. On healthcare, the Middle East and the power of corporate influence, Sanders tried to help Biden open himself up to the progressive wing – while at the same time showing Biden the areas where he may be vulnerable to the Trump assault…

Benjamin Dixon: ‘The coronavirus crisis was the question above all others’

Coronavirus weighed heavily on the entirety of the Democratic debate this evening. Both Biden and Sanders gave their best suggestions for fighting the pandemic. The approach of each candidate shows you why their campaigns are fundamentally different, even though both candidates are running under the banner of the Democratic party…

Jill Filipovic: ‘Americans deserve leadership. Instead they got an embarrassing squabble’

Well, that was possibly the worst debate of the entire Democratic primary.

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. We are facing down a pandemic that could kill more than a million Americans. A great many of us are self-isolating at home, made even more anxious by the fact that our current government has totally botched the coronavirus response, putting us all at tremendous and unnecessary risk. We don’t have the most basic faith that, despite living in one of the most prosperous societies in the history of the world, our leaders will keep us safe. We have a president who has failed us at every turn, and then throws up his hands and says he does not take responsibility…

Lloyd Green: ‘Sanders’ luster is gone. The Democrats must rally around Biden’

On Sunday, America caught a glimpse of the coming campaign: two septuagenarians battling each other without a live audience applauding and goading. The debate changed nothing, but at the end of the evening Joe Biden was sitting on the cusp of the Democratic nomination. Come Tuesday, the former vice-president is poised for lopsided wins in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio…

I urge you to click through and read the rest, as there is so much more great material there.

My opinion was closest to Dixon’s and furthest from Filipovic’s. I thought the debate was dead even, until this happened.

Joe Biden commits to having woman as vice president

This is what won the debate for Joe. That’s a hard statement for me, because I want Bernie to win. Not only should Bernie have already committed to nominating a woman for VP, but worse, he appeared unprepared for Joe’s commitment.

Given Bernie’s failure to win this debate, Joe’s 21% lead in the polls, and Joe’s significant lead, barring a major unforeseen development, Joe is on track to win the nomination.

RESIST!!

Open Thread–3/15/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 152020

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy is due in about ten minutes, so I’ll have to finish this after I am de-stunk. This is my only article today.

Jig Zone:

Today’s took me 2:56 (average 5:10). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoons:

Vintage 2018 and unchanged, except Lyin’ Ryan is flushed.

Trump* Virus Update:

0315TrumpVirus

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Raw Story Channel): Fauci refuses support Trump lie that Obama is to blame for coronavirus testing failures

Whose fault are all of Fuhrer Trump’s* crimes? Someone else’s! RESIST!!

From CNN: The nation’s top infectious disease expert on Sunday did not rule out supporting a temporary national lockdown of the country’s restaurants and bars in order to curb the spread of coronavirus, saying he’d like to see a “dramatic” reduction in activity in order to fight the disease.

Asked by CNN’s Brianna Keilar on “State of the Union” if he’d like a “national lockdown” where people are being told they need to stay home and out of restaurants and bars, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said he’d “like to see a dramatic diminution of the personal interaction that we see” in those places.

“Whatever it takes to do that, that’s what I’d like to see,” Fauci added.

I think it needs to be done, in addition to locking Trump* in a Mar-a-lago rest room. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the Past): Simon and Garfunkel – Homeward Bound (1966 – Live)

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Bill Maher from 3/13

Posted by TomCat at 11:31 am Politics

Mar 142020

It’s that time of week again, so here are five video clips, from Bill’s show last night, four of which I liked. Enjoy!

Monologue: Surreal Time

Dang, Bill! If you want a print edition of the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, the TP shortage must be desperate! Trump’s* dick didn’t fall off. It was ALWAYS that small. Just ask Stormy!

David Ropeik: How Risky Is It, Really?

Taking necessary precautions and worrying are two different things. The second is almost as bad as failure to take necessary precautions, as the Republican Reich has done, which is worst of all and most dangerous for all of us.

Chef Andrew Zimmern

While I agree with him, in principle, the segment opened with the supposition that Trump* Virus originated from Chinese people eating weird infected animals. That supposition is both untrue and racist. I hope it was said in jest, but even if so, that was very poor taste.

Ass-Kisser of the Month: Mike Pence

Pseudo-Christian (the opposite of real Christian) Pence doesn’t bother kissing Trump’s* ass. He goes for the hole and dives right in.

New Rule: Port Reform

Cruise Ship companies must be desperate for passengers. I get several Robo-calls every week telling me I’ve won a free trip. Princess Line is the worst! That’s an industry we should NOT bail out! Take away their ships and convert them to hospitals.

I understand how difficult it is for a satirist to perform, when all the news is as horrific as Trump* and the Republican Reich have made this pandemic.

RESIST!!

Who is right on Trump* Virus: Bernie or Joe?

Posted by TomCat at 11:03 am Politics

Mar 132020

As Trump* virus is shutting down the nation, the criminal Fuhrer of the Republican Reich, Donald “the problem is fake news” Trump has demonstrated that he and his sycophant Vice-Fuhrer Pence are both not competent to manage the crisis. As they campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination, both Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden gave policy speeches to demonstrate that they are competent to manage the crisis.

Former vice president Joe Biden said Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak has revealed the Trump administration’s “severe shortcomings” as he delivered remarks on a subject that has rapidly come to dominate and reshape the Democratic campaign for the White House.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also delivered remarks on the health and economic effects of the outbreak, comparing it in scale to a major war. Later Thursday afternoon, Sanders’s campaign was given a boost when he was declared the winner of last week’s Super Tuesday contest in California.

Also Thursday, the Democratic National Committee announced that it was moving a one-on-one debate Sunday between Biden and Sanders from Arizona to a television studio in the nation’s capital “out of an abundance of caution” amid the outbreak…

Inserted from <Washington Post>

I’ll let you see the speeches so you can judge which one is right. I’ll embed Joe’s speech first, because he gave it first.

Joe Biden Gives Speech On Coronavirus Pandemic

Bernie Sanders makes address about Coronavirus

So, which do you think is right?

In my view, they both are!

RESIST!!

Open Thread–3/13/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 132020

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox, as back pain is slowing me down a bit. WWWendy is back to Sunday, as the Trump* virus is shutting down her school. Throw some salt over your shoulder, and stay away from Republicans. They bring bad luck! TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:10 (average 6:23). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0313TrumpVirus

This does not include the thousands of Americans that have Trump* virus, but can’t get tested.

Short Takes:

From NY Times: First came the tickle in the throat. Then, a hacking cough. Then, a shortness of breath she had never experienced before. Hillary King, a 32-year-old consultant in Boston who lives down the street from a hotel where dozens of Biogen executives contracted the new coronavirus, decided that she had better get tested.

But getting tested is far easier said than done, even as testing slowly ramps up nationwide. Five days after President Trump announced that anyone who wants a test can get a test, Ms. King’s experience shows how difficult it can be in the United States to find out if you have the coronavirus.

Many who fear they have the virus have faced one roadblock after another as they try to get tested, according to interviews with dozens of people across the country.

Some have been rejected because they had no symptoms, even though they had been in proximity to someone who tested positive. Others were told no because they had not traveled to a hot spot abroad, even though they had fevers and hacking coughs and lived in cities with growing outbreaks. Still others were told a bitter truth: There simply were not enough tests to go around. [emphasis added]

This is exactly what I said yesterday. In spite of lies from the same Republicans, who turned down FREE tests from the WHO, there are far fewer tests than there is need. People are sickening and dying, because of Republican incompetence. RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): How A Country Serious About Coronavirus Does Testing And Quarantine

The Fuhrer of the Fifth Reich is handling the Trump* virus pandemic as well as the Fuhrer of the Fourth Reich handled Katrina. Republican incompetence kills! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Righteous Brothers – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Top Gun 1986)

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Samantha Bee from 3/11

Posted by TomCat at 10:59 am Politics

Mar 122020

It’s that time of week again, and here are three excellent video clips from Sam’s show last night. Enjoy!!

Coronavirus is Not an Excuse to Be Racist

Sam missed one key point in her excellent discussion that Trump* Virus is not an excuse to be racist. Trump* and the Republican Reich have NEVER needed an excuse to be racist!

Don’t Mess With Texas: The Longhorn State’s Tussle with Trump’s Border Wall