Thursday, March 14, 2024

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Dennis Goris, @DennisGoris)

(Rob Rogers, Tinyview.com)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Nath Paresh, Khaleej Times, Dubai)

(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Steve Breen, Creators.com)

(Monte Wolverton, caglecartoons.com)

(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)

(Jimmy Margulies, jimmymargulies.com)


(Joel Pett, Tribune Content Agency)

(Pedro Molina, Counterpoint)

(Ruben Bolling, DailyKos.com)
 

(Walt Handelsman, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans)

(Lars Kenseth, @larskenseth)


Tweets / Xeets Of The Day

 

Invade other nations, murder more opponents, lead the Republican party.... --



Insight into the Georgia racketeering case against the Malignant Loser -- 



The tick tock on TikTok --  


 


His rabid followers are beyond reach and reason -- 



MAGAt Congresscritters keep claiming credit for projects they voted against. -- 

 

 

Aaron Rogers on RFK Jr.'s list of possible VP candidates. Sandy Hook father burns him. -- 


 

 

It's the kind evangelical Christofacists use -- 



Some π  to go with that? --


 

Court Hears Case For Dismissal Of Docs Case




The Malignant Loser appeared in the Florida District court of his fan girl Judge Aileen Cannon this morning to hear his team's arguments that the criminal classified documents be dismissed on frivolous grounds. He's hoping that his appointed judge will further drag out the proceeding that should have been well on its way to resolution by now. From Forbes.com reporting:

Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend a court hearing in Florida Thursday, as U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon considers several of the ex-president’s requests to have most of his criminal charges for allegedly mishandling White House documents thrown out. [snip]

Cannon will hear arguments on two of Trump’s motions to dismiss the charges against him, one alleging they’re invalid under the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and another trying to have them thrown out for “unconstitutional vagueness.”

Trump alleges he was allowed to designate White House records as personal under the PRA, a 1978 law passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, and thus didn’t illegally willfully retain national security information, as he’s been charged with.

The Justice Department says Trump is wrong and the PRA does not give him that authority, writing the documents Trump possessed at Mar-a-Lago are 'indisputably presidential, not personal.'” 

He's also said the Espionage Act didn't apply to his case, an argument vigorously rejected by the Justice Department. Legal experts agree that the Malignant Loser's case is flimsy at best (although Cannon may not see her patron's arguments that way):

"Some legal experts have been heavily skeptical of Trump’s PRA claims, with Jason R. Baron, the former director of litigation at the National Archives, telling The Washington Post the ex-president’s argument is 'absurd.' 'A president cannot designate records about White House official business — classified or unclassified — as personal,' Baron told the Post, slamming Trump’s claims that 'merely … transferring boxes to Mar-a-Lago converts the legal status of their contents from presidential records to personal.' Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance also criticized Trump’s legal motions Thursday morning, tweeting, 'I've handled a lot of motions in criminal cases. These are barely better than frivolous.'” 

Despite the obvious absurdity of the Malignant Loser's arguments, Cannon will likely drag out a ruling as long as possible helping him run out the clock, or unless and until Special Counsel Jack Smith takes the matter up with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse her.

(photos: Trump and his appointee)

 

Trump In The Eyes Of Former Allies

 

We missed this release last month, but Brave New Films has a short collection of the views of some of the highest officials of the Malignant Loser's administration, ranging from "Donald Trump is not fit to be President" and that foreign leaders think he's a "laughing fool," to him being "a person who has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution and the rule of law."  We and our readers have long known all of this to be true, but for some (Haley voters, Republican- leaning independents, amnesiacs, etc.) it might take a reminder of what the Malignant Loser's own closest "best people" think of him, and why he can't be allowed to be in power ever again.  Feel free to share, of course.

Arresting The Insurrectionists -- They Got Him Babe

 



Another MAGAt insurrectionist gets his comeuppance:

A Florida man who posed for a selfie on a window ledge in a U.S. Capitol office during the Jan. 6 insurrection and was identified when a relative tipped off the FBI that he posted about being there on social media has been arrested.

Joseph Julius Lapoint, 43, faces charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct, according to a complaint unsealed on Tuesday. The charges — all misdemeanors — carry a potential combined sentence of three years behind bars.

Authorities allege he was among thousands of Donald Trump supporters attending the “Stop the Steal” rally that day, authorities said.

He allegedly went with his girlfriend into the Capitol building at 3:07 p.m. According to prosecutors, Lapoint climbed on a windowsill in an office and posed for a photo before the couple left at 3:27 p.m. — spending about 20 minutes inside, court documents said.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Lapoint emerged as a suspect in January 2021 when a relative tipped off FBI agents that he had posted videos of himself claiming he entered the Capitol building that day.

The tipster told agents Lapoint had videos of himself and his girlfriend approaching and entering the Capitol, documents say.

Authorities said Lapoint also marked the anniversary of the riots in a TikTok video called “HAD A BLAST one year ago.”

“Me and babe stormed the Capitol with the rest of America,” the caption read.

Law enforcement used facial recognition software to compare videos and photos of the riots online and found additional images of Lapoint and his girlfriend on the Capitol grounds and inside the building, court documents said.

Lapoint was booked into the Broward County Jail and released to the U.S. Marshals, officials said.

In the 38 months since the attack, more than 1,358 people have been charged in cases related to the insurrection, according to the DOJ. About 1,276 people have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds.

Hey, "Babe," maybe now it's time to turn yourself in!  

Though he's not facing any felony counts, any brush with justice at this point for this dimbulb means accountability.

Let's bring more of these treasonous MAGAts to justice. The FBI is still looking for January 6 insurrectionists, and they continue to be arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.  If you recognize anyone not yet apprehended, do your country a favor and pick up the phone. 


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)

(Dave Whamond, caglecartoons.com)

(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Kevin Necessary, gocomics.com)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

(Matt Wuerker, Politico)


(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(Jeff Danziger, The Rutland Herald, VT)

(Paul Noth, @PaulNoth)


QOTD: That Cracking Sound




"The MAGA movement’s final purity purge may prove to be one too many. It’s worth asking how competitive a national party can be when its platform excludes everyone from Mitt Romney in the moderate wing to Ken Buck on the hard right, from conservative establishment royalty like Liz Cheney to anti-government insurgent Marjorie Taylor Greene. It’s getting awfully hard to be a Republican in good standing, and even the former faithful are starting to feel the burn. 

Republicans have built themselves a party whose sole purpose is to appease and gratify Donald Trump. In the process, they’re quickly losing appeal to anyone else in America, including some of the party’s most faithful warriors. Buck and Romney may be the first Republican leaders to walk out of Congress before being tossed, but they won’t be the last.  

The MAGA movement, once so skilled at enforcing loyalty, is cracking. What’s left of the Republican Party is cracking with it. The sooner it shatters, the better." --  Dem strategist Max Burns, writing for The Hill

Burns covers the complete absorption of what was the Republican / Forced Birth / Shooters party into the Malignant Loser's play pen, along with his corrupt family and fanatic sycophants. But the fracture lines are growing ever more evident, with resignations, bitter internal battles and blood feuds, and defending the Malignant Loser's unpopular positions. Burns points to the 20 to 30 percent of Republican voters who say they won't vote for him again (Ed. -- actions speak louder than words), and we hope that holds, while fully expecting many to return to the MAGA cult.

The Malignant Loser's increasing cognitive impairment is also on display at his rallies and appearances, despite the right-wing echo chamber refusing to acknowledge it. As he runs out of multiple appeals and is force to cough up huge sums of money or assets, his derangement and desperation will worsen. It may convince a critical few, at long last, to abandon his fracturing cult.

 

Emergency Ukraine Aid Sent, Petition For Vote On Larger Aid Bill Filed

 



Welcome news, but no substitute for the billions in aid Ukraine desperately needs to fight war criminal Putin:

The Biden administration said Tuesday that it will send an additional $300 million in security assistance to Ukraine, an “extraordinary measure” being taken as President Biden’s request for billions of dollars more remains stalled in Congress.

The emergency package, announced by the White House, will be funded by “unanticipated cost savings” from contracts the Pentagon had brokered to replace weapons previously provided to Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. The aid will include artillery shells, anti-armor weapons, antiaircraft Stinger weapons and other arms, as well as spare parts, U.S. officials said.

The munitions include medium-range cluster rounds from the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which Ukrainian forces have used repeatedly to target Russian headquarters units and troop formations, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The United States has previously sent the rounds, which have a range of about 100 miles. U.S. officials declined to say whether they also are sending long-range ATACMs munitions, which Ukrainian officials have sought for months.

“It is assistance that Ukraine desperately needs to hold the line against Russian attacks and to push back against the continued Russian onslaught in the east and in other parts of Ukraine,” Sullivan said.

A pause to remember how we got here:

Ukraine’s momentum in the war, now in its third year, has begun to flag as its front-line units face dwindling weapons supplies and Russian forces make a renewed push to break through defensive positions. In his State of the Union address last week, Biden implored lawmakers to pass legislation that would unlock an additional $60 billion to assist the government in Kyiv, but the bill, which also includes money meant to help Israel and counter China, has stalled amid a bitter debate in the Republican-led House.

The $95 billion measure passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis in February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has refused to hold a vote on it. His tenuous hold on the speakership has come under threat from members of his party who have sought to condition any additional aid for Ukraine on the adoption of new immigration measures that Democrats say are too severe. Former president Donald Trump also has encouraged House Republicans not to pass the bill, despite the significant bipartisan support it has in the Senate...  (our emphasis)

Smarmy Christian nationalist Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson and his Republican Putin caucus have played with Ukraine's desperate need for munitions for far too long.  Democrats are now moving forward with a discharge petition to force a vote in the House:

U.S. House of Representatives Democrats began collecting signatures on Tuesday for a potential bid to sidestep Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and force a vote on a $95 billion security assistance package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

A spokesperson for Representative Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee, said he had filed a discharge petition on Tuesday morning and had started to collect signatures.

McGovern filed legislation on Feb. 15 that could be used as a vehicle for the discharge petition, a rarely used procedural tool that eventually could force a vote on the bill if at least 218 House members - a majority of the chamber's 435 voting members - sign it.

Months after Democratic President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve more foreign security assistance, the Senate last month approved the package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and to replenish U.S. weapons stocks by an overwhelming 70-30 vote. Twenty-two Republicans joined most Democrats in voting "aye."...
Time to get it done. 
 
(Photo:  more, please! / Claire Harbage, NPR)


Tweets / Xeets Of The Day

 

Management style of crime family boss "Honest Don"...  --


 

... Who's also a psychopath ... --

 

 


... And a Putin puppet --

 


ETTD, National economy edition --

 

 

The unbearable whiteness of being the RNC --

 


Anti- Trump Republicans $50 million "permission structure" ad buy  (more testimonials here) --

 

 

And one from VoteVets targeting the House Republican Putin caucus --

 

 

Republican Rep. Buck bolts, shrinking House Republican majority, damaging theater fondler Boebert's prospects --


 

Fummmble!!  --

 

 

We would take this ride all day --


 

 

Mid-Week Songs: James Taylor

 

We can't let yesterday's 76th birthday of singer / songwriter James Taylor go by without acknowledging his contribution to music. The six time Grammy award winner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and had a string of hits, including the two from his first album "Sweet Baby James" that we're featuring today: "Fire and Rain," and "Sweet Baby James." Enjoy.



Putin's Thugs Attack Navalny Aide

 



In a sinister sign that Russian thug and war criminal Vladimir Putin will continue to send his goons to attack his opponents abroad, Leonid Volkov, a former chief-of-staff to slain hero Alexei Navalny was attacked yesterday in Vilnius, Lithuania. The attackers used a hammer to injure Volkov, who suffered a broken arm and multiple injuries to his body, survived the attack. According to CNN:

"Lithuanian authorities are investigating Tuesday’s attack, the country’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said in a post on X. 'Perpetrators will have to answer for their crime,' Landsbergis said, describing the attack as 'shocking.'

The attack comes days before Russia’s presidential election, seen as a constitutional box-ticking exercise where President Vladimir Putin is all but certain to win a fifth term.

Volkov, who had served as chairman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation until 2023, dismissed the elections in February as a 'circus,' saying on social media they were meant to signal Putin’s overwhelming mass support.

'You need to understand what the March "elections" mean for Putin. They are a propaganda effort to spread hopelessness' among the electorate, Volkov said."   

Putin's record of assassinating opposition figures and others both inside Russia and overseas is stunning. Using methods like poison, radiation, beatings and falls from windows, his assassins have been prolific as he continues in office, now into its second decade. Fake elections, now just a rubber stamp for his authoritarian rule, are set for March 15 - 17, and apparently Putin's message to his opposition is run for your life. 

(photo: Volkov, right, marches with Alexei Navalny, center, and Yulia Navalnaya, left, in 2018)

 

Prison Tips For Honest Don

 

Jimmy Kimmel, fresh off his Oscars hosting, covers the Malignant Loser's latest risible nickname for himself, his weirdness and that of a "talented" cultist, testimony from a former employee at Merde-o-Lardo, and a sit down with former prison inmates to discuss what situations the Malignant Loser might face in the slammer.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)


(Paul Fell, paulfellcartoons.com)

(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)

(Lalo Alcaraz, LA Weekly)

(Jeff Danziger, The Rutland Herald, VT)

(Jeff Stahler, gocomics.com)

(Andy Marlette, Creators.com)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Nick Anderson, Reform Austin News, TX)


(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)


(Rob Rogers, Tinyview.com)

(Mort Gerberg, @mortgerberg)



Tweets / Xeets Of The Day

 


Looking at President Biden's worst Cabinet pick and Hur's sabotage --


 

 


"Gym" Jordan's hearing today gets reality check from Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) -- 



The Malignant Loser wants to free his felonious January 6 friends. Maybe he'll join them. -- 



 

Don't let the Malignant Loser memory - hole this dystopian plan of his. -- 



RNC being turned into an ATM for the Malignant Loser after staff fired. --



History lesson. -- 



Drone strike hit Russian oil refinery and storage. More please. Slava Ukraini! -- 



A great seller at those American Psychiatric Association meetings. -- 


 

QOTD -- Do Your Damn Job... The Right Way

 

"... Biden’s agenda calls for making the super-rich pay more taxes, capping prescription drug prices, restoring abortion rights, addressing the climate crisis and creating stronger alliances to confront the growing threats facing the world’s democracies.

"Trump’s agenda calls for him to become a dictator and create alliances with other dictators, as well as to harass his opponents with the Justice Department, send troops into American cities, put millions of immigrants in camps and crack down on the press.

"The future of a 248-year-old democracy is at stake. From a political perspective, it’s the most crucial year of our lifetimes.

"If you’re a journalist and you find this election boring, you’re in the wrong damn business." -- Mark Jacob at Stop the Presses, on how it appears the puerile corporate media is, once again, ignoring "the biggest story of our lifetimes" in favor of its prized narrative of "the two old white guys rematch nobody wants."  Turns out, once again, we citizens get the media rehash nobody wants while we fight to save democracy.