Across The Universe, Cont. -- Starburst Galaxy

(click on image to enlarge)


From NASA/ESA, June 17, 2019:  This image shows an irregular galaxy named IC 10, a member of the Local Group — a collection of over 50 galaxies within our cosmic neighbourhood that includes the Milky Way.
 

IC 10 is a remarkable object. It is the closest-known starburst galaxy to us, meaning that it is undergoing a furious bout of star formation fueled by ample supplies of cool hydrogen gas. This gas condenses into vast molecular clouds, which then form into dense knots where pressures and temperatures reach a point sufficient to ignite nuclear fusion, thus giving rise to new generations of stars.  

 

As an irregular galaxy, IC 10 lacks the majestic shape of spiral galaxies such as the Milky Way, or the rounded, ethereal appearance of elliptical galaxies. It is a faint object, despite its relative proximity to us — just 2.2 million light-years. In fact, IC 10 only became known to humankind in 1887, when American astronomer Lewis Swift spotted it during an observing campaign. The small galaxy remains difficult to study even today, because it is located along a line-of-sight which is chock-full of cosmic dust and stars.

A version of this image was entered into the Hubble's Hidden Treasures image processing competition by contestant Nikolaus Sulzenauer, and went on to win tenth prize.

Credit: NASA, ESA and F. Bauer

Happy Fourth: Trump's Celebration of Himself

The Fourth of July in the nation's capitol has been a non-partisan celebration of our nation's birth for decades. Vile crook Richard Nixon tried to appropriate it during his first term, and now malignant narcissist and would-be dictator Donald "It's About Meeeee" Trump has decided that the celebration should center around him. He's obsessed with military parades and celebrations of him ever since he was feted by the corrupt Saudi regime in his first year in office, and when he witnessed France's Bastille Day parade in Paris. Sane heads at the Pentagon were able to deflect his megalomaniacal request for a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue for two years, but this year under more compliant management, we'll see a flyover of military jets and some military bands and units parading for Mango Mussolini. It's a Trump rally disguised as a Fourth of July celebration.

The celebration of Trump will require the Lincoln Memorial to be fenced off for dignitaries, friends and family, who will receive special access tickets from the White (Supremacist) House. Trump plans to address his faithful cult near the spot where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech in 1963; talk about desecration. It looks like all the kinks have not been worked out:

"On Friday morning, bleachers had been set up on the plaza below the Lincoln Memorial, and workers were erecting other structures. Seats faced away from the memorial and toward the Washington Monument, making it unclear where exactly Trump plans to stand while giving his speech."

The local forecast is for scattered showers and thunderstorms on the Fourth in DC. Let's pray for rain.

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)


(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)


(Ken Catalino, gocomics.com)


(Steve Breen, San Diego Union-Tribune)


(Marty Two Bulls, m2bulls.com)


(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)


(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)

"Abe vs. Trump: Who Said It Better?"

Something you'll not find easily in the "democracy dies in darkness" Washington Post on- line edition (the print version is in the "Outlook" section on B3) is this Lincoln vs. Trump comparison on certain topics. Of course, no big surprises here;  the contrast is self- evident.

The comparison is by Ted Widmer, a distinguished lecturer at the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York.  These are just a few examples of how far we've fallen:

Education

When I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher to the Rule of Three; but that was all – I have not been to school since – The little advance I now have upon this store of education, I have picked up from time to time under the pressure of necessity.

Autobiographical sketch, Dec. 20, 1859

I went to an Ivy League college. I was a nice student. I did very well. I’m a very intelligent person.

Remarks to press, Oct. 25, 2017

*  *  *

Modesty

Though the people have made me, by electing me, the instrument to carry out the wishes expressed in the address, I greatly fear that I shall not be the repository of the ability to do so. Indeed I know I shall not, more than in purpose, unless sustained by the great body of the people, and by the Divine Power, without whose aid we can do nothing.

Speech at Steubenville, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1861

I’ve done more in 500 days than any president has ever done in their first 500 days. There is nobody close and that’s not, that’s a lot of people saying that. That’s people that would rather not say it are saying it, and I really think that we’re going to do very good.
On Fox News, June 13, 2018

The Civil War

Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.

Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865

People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War, if you think about it, why? People don’t ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?
Media interview, April 30, 2017

*  *  *

Immigration, Part 1

I regard our emigrants [immigrants] as one of the principal replenishing streams.

Annual message to Congress, Dec. 6, 1864

Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?
Oval Office, Jan. 11, 2018

You get the idea.  Amusing, sad and disturbing all at the same time -- much like the times we're living in.

(Image:  Theo Moudakis, Toronto Star)

Trump Gets His Photo-op With Kim

Demagogue and dictator-admiring sociopath Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump continued on his kowtow tour of Asia with a photo-opportunity at the Demilitarized Zone with North Korean despot Kim Jong Un. Eager to be "first" at anything, Trump loped up to the demarcation line and greeted Kim, who has been sending him flattering "love letters" designed to provide cover for his continuation of his nuclear weapons program. Again, Kim will claim a propaganda victory as Trump invites himself to the DMZ to praise the dictator responsible for the death of Otto Warmbier, and abandon any pretense to representing American values of universal human rights.

Imagine, if you will, the volcanic outrage of Rethuglicans if this had been President Obama or President Hillary Clinton engaging in this debasing performance, not only at the DMZ, but snuggling up with Saudi Arabia's murderous Mohammed bin "Bone Saw" Salman or his benefactor, Russian thug and autocrat Vladimir Putin a day earlier in Osaka, Japan for the G-20 summit. Worse still, he was accompanied by his lusted-after daughter Ivanka, swanning around with her consort Jared Kushner while being ignored by the adults, and white nationalist propagandist Tucker "Mothertucker" Carlson. Such despicable people.

(photo: ABC News)

Tweets Of The Day -- An Idiot Abroad

(Spoiler alert!) When he's not selling out America and palling around with dictators, Putin's useful idiot Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump is busy making an ass of himself on the world stage:

This was his response to a @jonkarl question about whether he agreed with Biden or Harris on federally mandated busing.

"I will tell you in about four weeks."

— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) June 29, 2019

Asked again about busing, Trump says: "It has been something that they've done for a long period of time. There aren't that many ways of getting people to schools."

— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) June 29, 2019

HARRIS: Busing was necessary to secure the full integration of public schools across America.

BIDEN: While I backed integration, busing struck me as an overreach.

TRUMP: The wheels on the bus go round and round. Many people are saying that. Round and round, round and round.

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) June 29, 2019

DEMS: There are a lot of great candidates but we need to pick the smartest one with the exact right views on every issue

GOP: Our guy knows what a school bus is. Good to go https://t.co/H5OuLyQU35

— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) June 29, 2019

Peter Baker asks Trump if he agrees with Putin about demise of "Western-style liberalism." Trump then criticizes LA and SF run which are "sad to look at" because they are run by "liberal people" ... which was not the question.

— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) June 29, 2019

Trump thinks “Western-style liberalism” refers to liberals on the West Coast, not the form of government of the country he is currently president of  https://t.co/S0UhzVYqUH

— Adam Serwer🍝 (@AdamSerwer) June 29, 2019

If you're shocked that Trump thinks "western-style liberalism" is a reference to California Democrats and "busing" is just about school buses in general, remember that he has repeatedly stated that stealth planes are literally invisible to the human eye. https://t.co/RjptGBnHDZ

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) June 29, 2019

At the rate this trip abroad going, Trump is going to sell South Dakota to the Japanese in exchange for some magic beans.

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) June 29, 2019

At least one American performs well overseas. https://t.co/4w1vnEVeXa

— Mike Barnicle (@mikebarnicle) June 29, 2019

Rest assured none of the idiocy will be reported on the corporate news networks tonight, just as most ignored E. Jean Carroll's rape accusation, or made it a one- day story.  Access assholes.

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)


(Drew Sheneman, The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ)


(Walt Handelsman, The Advocate, New Orleans)


(Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun)


(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Federal Judge Blocks Funds For Border Wall

U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam, Jr., has issued a permanent injunction against construction of priority sections of the border wall that bigot and demagogue Donald "Individual-1" Trump illegally diverted funds for under an "emergency" declaration. He also expanded the injunction to cover 79 miles of construction near El Centro, CA, and Tucson, AZ, in addition to some 50 miles of construction near Yuma, AZ, and in New Mexico he enjoined last month. So far, Gilliam has blocked $2.5 billion in funds that Trump diverted from military construction and other projects, without seeking Congressional approval. In his ruling, Gilliam pointed out that the "emergency" Trump had claimed was undercut by his own actions:

"When Congress declined to sign off on spending at the levels sought by the president, Trump eventually declared a national emergency in February to redirect mostly military-designated funding to pay for the project.

Gilliam said the administration’s plan to transfer counterdrug funding appeared to be illegal because the law the administration invoked applies only to “unforeseen” needs, whereas Trump had demanded funding since early 2018 and even in his campaign."

In announcing the "emergency" in February, Trump stupidly stated that "I didn't need to do this," providing opposing lawyers with evidence straight from the horse's ass that the emergency was contrived.

The judge also cleared the way for the Government to appeal his ruling, which would likely be handled by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has not been a friendly venue for Trump. Stay tuned.

(photo: CNN)

Trump Continues To Undermine U.S. Security

Like a shamelessly crude guest that pees in the punchbowl, incompetent sociopath and Kremlin asset Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump told his Japanese hosts while at the G-20 summit in Osaka that the U.S.-Japan defense treaty needs to change because it's "unfair" to the U.S. The treaty obligates the U.S. to defend Japan in case of an attack, but is not reciprocal. That's apparently all Trump knows about the treaty, which also gives the U.S. military bases on Japanese soil, including Okinawa and the Yokosuka naval base, allowing the U.S. to deter potential military action by hostile nations. As the article states,

"An end to the security pact is widely seen as raising the risk of forcing Washington to withdraw a major portion of its military forces from Asia at a time when China’s military power is growing."

Put another way, for the tangible bases and infrastructure support provided by Japan, they get a promise to defend them against the very remote likelihood of an attack. Sounds like a good deal for the U.S., but don't tell that to the ignorant Dealmaker-In-Chief.

BONUS: Exhibiting his deference to North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un, Trump suggests a photo-op with him at the Demilitarized Zone to "shake hands."  Always a showman/ conman, he believes that his twisted personality will charm dictators (who already have his number).

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. -- Concentration Camps

From today's Washington Post:

Call them concentration camps. The detention centers at the border are, by dictionary definition, concentration camps. Calling them so isn’t inflammatory; it is accurate.

I used to wonder, how on earth did the Holocaust happen? How did people stand by? How did people participate? I see now how easy it is. We all know about the concentration camps at the border, and yet we minimize and justify them at best, defend and praise them at worst.

The Nazis didn’t start with Auschwitz. They started with dehumanizing. Jews weren’t people. We were illegal. We stole jobs and businesses. We were dirty. We were rapists. We were immigrants who didn’t belong. Sound familiar?

We aren’t shooting, gassing, starving or overworking immigrants at the border. But we don’t give them soap or water, or a place to sleep that isn’t an overcrowded concrete room with the lights on all night. They don’t have adequate access to doctors or medicine. (Many people in Nazi concentration camps died from disease and overcrowding. Anne Frank and her sister died from typhus.)

And now justify sitting idly by, as we advance our concentration camps. We all like to think we would have spoken up; we would have attempted to stop the Nazis. But by sitting here, we prove we wouldn’t have. We would minimize and justify them at best, defend and praise them at worst.

Call them concentration camps. And end them. Or “never again” will mean nothing.

J.M. Van Pelt, Burke

We're living in that historical moment where horrors are being minimized and justified by some, and we need to realize that we're all involved in those horrors whether it suits us or not.

"Very Fine" Person Sentenced To Life

Racist James Alex Fields, who rammed his car into a group of anti-Nazi demonstrators in Charlottesville, VA in 2017 killing Heather Heyer, was sentenced today to life in prison on 29 of 30 Federal felony hate crime charges. Fields was in Charlottesville as part of a "Unite the Right" rally in August, 2017. Here's a little more about Fields:

"Prosecutors have said that Fields intended to kill more people in the cluster of counterprotesters and had a history of racist and anti-Semitic behavior.

Gasps could be heard Friday among a packed courtroom, which included Heyer's mother, when prosecutors told the judge that a classmate of Fields had testified that during a high school trip to a German concentration camp, Fields had remarked: 'This is where the magic happened.'

Prosecutors said they were told Fields was "'like a kid at Disney World"'during that trip. They had earlier said that Fields had revered Adolf Hitler, keeping a picture of him next to his bed."  (our emphasis)

Fields still faces sentencing on state charges, including first degree murder, which the jury recommended that he serve life in prison plus 419 years. He will be sentenced on the state charges on July 15.

Demagogue and neo-fascist Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump infamously called the neo-Nazi marchers in Charlottesville "very fine people" after he attacked the counter-demonstrators. Today, one of those "very fine people" got justice.

(photo: Trump's base marches in Charlottesville in August, 2017)

Tweet Of The Day

All the biggest Trump scandals are concentrated into this week. His administration is torturing children. He's credibly accused of rape. He's joking with Putin about murdering journalists. And our political system has lost the capacity to respond.

— Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn) June 28, 2019

Today's Cartoons

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(Mike Thompson, USA Today)


(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Matt Davies, Newsday)
 
(Kevin Siers, The Charlotte Observer)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)


(Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)

QOTD: The Rethuglicans' Religious Hypocrisy

Mayor Pete Buttigieg had one of the good nights in the second round of Dem debates last night. He took the time to attack the gross "religious" hypocrisy of the Rethuglican / New Confederate / Russia First Party:

“And for a party that associates itself with Christianity to say that it is ok, to suggest that God would smile on the division of families at the hands of federal agents, that God would condone putting children in cages has lost all claim to ever use religious language again.”

The evangelical right's cult-like support of a sexual predator, pathological liar, bigot and greedy s.o.b. that they put in the White (Supremacist) House won't waver, because they're wrapped up in the vile philosophy that the Rethugs peddle.

Weekend Music Tribute

We recently saw "Echo in the Canyon," (a look at the musical scene centered around the Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles in the mid= '60s) and were going to feature a few of its songs today. Given the events of the week along the border, we scrapped some of the songs in favor of one that's briefly covered in the movie, one that we've featured here in the past.  It's lyrics are by Welsh poet Idiris Davies and it's music is by Pete Seeger. "The Bells of Rhymney" is about a Welsh mine disaster, ticking off the names of towns whose bells are ringing for the victims.

In our inadequate way, we'd like to offer this song, in all its ethereal beauty, in tribute to the memories of Oscar Ramirez and his daughter Valeria, as well as to all the other victims of the Trump regime's cruel immigration policy.

He's Still Moscow's Man In Washington (UPDATED)

There was a jovial meeting at the G-20 summit yesterday between cocky Russian thug Vladimir Putin and his asset in Washington, sexual predator and con man Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump. At one point, a reporter shouted whether Trump would ask Putin not to meddle in the 2020 elections. Trump grinned and said in a flat, sarcastic voice:

"Yes, of course, I will. Don’t meddle in the election, please. Don't meddle in the election.”

Putin smiled as if to get the joke. That follows by a day his response to the question about what he'd be discussing with Putin. Trump responded by saying, "It's none of your business."

As in last year's Helsinki kowtow to Putin, he's not trying to hide his fealty to his benefactors.

UPDATE:   The merriment also extended to an exchange about "fake news" and Trump saying of reporters, "Get rid of them."  This on the anniversary of the murder of 5 journalists at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, MD.  He can always be counted on to say the quiet parts out loud.

A columnist responds:

This happened on the anniversary of the deaths of five colleagues at the Capital Gazette. Reporters, editors and photographers cannot and will not publicly share their opinions.

As a columnist, I can share mine.

Mr. President: You endanger the lives of journalists. Go to hell. https://t.co/Ia4wqDTGck

— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) June 28, 2019

UPDATE II:  The Russians aren't afraid of mocking his fealty to Putin --

#Russia's state TV revels in the idea that Trump arrived early & had to stand around waiting for Putin, along with Ivanka, Kushner, Bolton and Pompeo. To make fun of Trump, they show an Internet meme that depicts Trump welcoming Putin with Russian karavai on an embroidered towel. pic.twitter.com/Ruef0h2H8l

— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) June 28, 2019

Warren Denied Access To Migrant Children

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) attempted to enter the detention prison for migrant children in Homestead, FL yesterday. She was not allowed to enter the facility, at which conditions are degrading:

Homestead is hot and barren, with a completely enclosed fence. I saw children being marched from one building to another in single file lines. No laughing, no playing. These are children who are prisoners. pic.twitter.com/7WB4G8sI5n

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) June 26, 2019

“What did they do wrong? Why are they locked up?” [Warren] said her grandson Atticus asked. “I don’t have an answer for him. I could tell him about the bigger policies, about Donald Trump … I could talk to him about the claims of caravans and people stacking up at the borders. I can talk to him about mommas wrapping up their babies and running for their lives ... but none of that would explain why these children are locked up in this place.”

Today's Cartoons

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(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Stuart Carlson, gocomics.com)


(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune)


(Rob Rogers, robrogers.com)


(Bas van der Schot, De Volkskrant, Amsterdam)


(David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star)

Partisan Gerrymandering OK With SCOTUS

In a 5 to 4 decision along partisan lines, the Supreme Court decided that they would not intervene in cases of obvious gerrymandering in states to give an electoral advantage (nearly always Rethuglican) to the party with the majority in their state legislatures. The decision opens the door to Rethug politicians who have been redrawing Congressional districts following the 2010 Census to isolate Dem voters in discrete, oddly-shaped districts, avoiding serious challenges to their incumbency. The next Census is in 2020, so if Dems are to reverse the gerrymandering that's disadvantaged them, they need to focus much more attention on electing Dems in state legislature races. The ruling is another example of why elections matter, not just in Presidential elections but at the state level. In North Carolina alone, the Dems were cheated out of several Congressional districts in an increasingly purple state.

Speaking of the Census, the Court also ruled that, for now, the Trump regime was prohibited from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, something that was clearly aimed at suppressing responses from Hispanic and other immigrant families who may have undocumented family members in their households that would have to be identified. Federal resources decisions are based in many cases on Census data, and if minority populations are undercounted, it means fewer resources. There's also the fear that the data could be used for deportation activities. A temporary win, but this Court has shown its right wing partisanship repeatedly, so nothing is safe.

BONUS: Justice Elena Kagan dissented from the majority opinion, and concluded her dissent with these words:

“Of all times to abandon the Court’s duty to declare the law, this was not the one. The practices challenged in these cases imperil our system of government. Part of the Court’s role in that system is to defend its foundations. None is more important than free and fair elections. With respect but deep sadness, I dissent.”

BONUS II: Trump's reaction to the Court's ruling on the Census -- "delay the Census" -- says everything about his attempt to use it for naked political and racist motives.

Trump Rape Victim's Witnesses Come Forward

The New York Times is reporting that the two women that journalist E. Jean Carroll confided in after sexual predator and sociopath Donald "Grab 'Em" Trump raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-90s have come forward to corroborate her story in an interview. Carol Martin, a former anchor on WCBS-TV, and author Lisa Birnbach. They both described the conflicting advice given to Carroll, Martin telling her Trump was too powerful to accuse, and Birnbach saying she should report the rape to the police. She chose to remain quiet until recently. As with so many victims of sexual assault, Carroll came to blame herself for the attack.

The Times story indicates that a fuller account of the interview of Carroll's contemporary witnesses will be published later today, so this post will be updated as appropriate.

UPDATE: The Times' expanded article.

QOTD -- Our Deformed American Conscience

"The day after these two people perished in the Rio Grande, the president of the United States dismissed an accusation that he had sexually assaulted a prominent author and columnist in the 1990s. He used a phrase similar to ones he has used in the past to deflect similar allegations: 'She’s not my type.' It is a terrible thing to say, with a specifically misogynistic meaning in the context of how men practice violence against women.

"But it is a perfect summation of our new and deformed American conscience. It is pithy and dismissive, an invitation to look at people who have been victimized and see only otherness. It shuts down any understanding of trauma before empathy has begun to interrogate how trauma is felt and experienced. It is about looking without seeing, judging without understanding. For anyone who wants an off-ramp to the moral demands made by this image, this could be the universal caption: 'They weren’t our type.'” -- Philip Kennicott, in today's Washington Post.  (Be advised that the picture of the father and daughter who perished are included in the linked article.)

An Image That Will Never Leave Us

You've likely already seen it.  If you haven't, fair warning.  It's a picture that's so disturbing that it physically sickens.  As fathers and grandfathers -- no, as human beings -- it shook us to the core.

We just won't post it here.

We want to wipe the image from our thoughts, but we also must remember it.

We must remember the trauma and suffering of the children.

We must remember those who have died trying to reach asylum or while in the custody of the Trump regime.

We must remember how innocent people are being used as pawns and are being treated like they're subhuman.

We must remember how families are being torn apart, some never to reunite.

And we must remember all the bastards whose callous, malignant evil has led us to this.  They must be held accountable.  They. must. be. held. accountable.

Damn them all.

(Again, here's a link to organizations that are working to help migrants, a task well beyond the moral scope of this administration.) 

BONUS:  There's a poem by Warsan Shire that valued commenter donnah has shared in the comments that we and donnah think is very compelling. 

On Mueller's Upcoming House Testimony

The impact of the upcoming testimony by Robert Mueller to the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on July 17 depends on how intelligent and probing the questioning is by Democrats. Mueller has already said that he "would not provide information beyond what is already public in any appearance before Congress” in his public statement on May 29. Of course, the point is that very few have read the 448-page report, and the televised hearings will be the first time most Americans will be exposed to its findings.

Mueller should be asked to explain certain findings in a way that the general public can absorb. This is the golden opportunity for Dems to explore on camera what Mueller meant, for example, when he said that if grifting con man Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump had clearly not committed a crime, the report would have said so. One question could be if Trump were not protected by the DOJ opinion that sitting Presidents can't be indicted, would Mueller have indicted him (spoiler alert: yes).  Greg Sargent suggests more lines of questioning here.

Dems should avoid overselling Mueller's appearance, in the way they oversold Mueller as the savior in the Russiagate scandal. Mueller likely won't say much if anything beyond the report, but the value of the hearings is that television-dependent Americans will hear details in it for the first time. That can't be good for Trump, who's become even more unhinged at the prospect than usual.

Today's Cartoons -- Rape, Murder, It's Just A Shot Away

(click on images to enlarge)


(Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader, KY)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Matt Davies, Newsday)


(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)


(Nick Anderson, Washington Post Writers Group)


(Kevin Siers, The Charlotte Observer)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Republican Crime Blotter -- Feds Dunk On Duncan Edition

The *good* Republicans of San Diego re-elected this rotted out POS last Fall, when he was already under indictment on 60 counts of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations, and conspiracy.  Prosecutors now have more deets:

Federal prosecutors have accused Rep. Duncan Hunter of improperly using campaign funds to pursue numerous romantic affairs with congressional aides and lobbyists, according to a new court filing late Monday night.

The Justice Department alleged that Hunter (R-Calif.) and his wife Margaret Hunter illegally diverted $250,000 in campaign funds for personal use, including to fund lavish vacations and their children’s school tuition. Monday’s court filings also spell out allegations that Hunter routinely used campaign funds to pay for Ubers, bar tabs, hotel rooms and other expenses to fund at least five extramarital relationships. [snip]

Hunter’s wife has pleaded guilty and agreed earlier this month to cooperate with prosecutors. Prosecutors also filed motions to permit Margaret Hunter’s testimony to be used at trial, which is slated for Sept. 10.  (our emphasis)

You may recall, Rep. "Horny" Hunter's initial defense was to blame his wife for any irregularities.  What a man! What a party!

(Photo:  "Horny" Hunter, his moral mentor Tinythumbs, and "Horny" Hunter's father Duncan)

Mid-Week Birds Song

The hugely popular alternative rock band Imagine Dragons have sold 12 million albums worldwide, garnering Grammy and American Music Awards along the way since they formed in 2008. They released their latest single, "Birds", last week. Enjoy.

Tweets Of The Day -- Pharisee Says What

Russell Moore is the President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention (in other words, hardly a secular liberal):

The reports of the conditions for migrant children at the border should shock all of our consciences. Those created in the image of God should be treated with dignity and compassion, especially those seeking refuge from violence back home. We can do better than this. https://t.co/Cv3AmJgypn

— Russell Moore (@drmoore) June 25, 2019

Here's a response from a loathsome "Christian" charlatan and hypocrite (screenshot, in case he subsequently deletes):

Some of our favorite responses at Pharisee Falwell's Twitter, where he's getting ratioed like the common grifter he is:

Have you ever hired a pool boy?

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 26, 2019

Have naked photos of your wife ever showed up on Michael Cohen’s computer?

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 26, 2019

I don't remember reading where Jesus made a payroll for his disciples or built an organization from scratch either but still spoke out against cruelty and I  think that's why the Romans executed him, but maybe you know something the rest of don't

— Kathleen Cosgrove (@katcoz) June 26, 2019

Gospel of Supply Side Jesus

— Thames Darwin 🐝 (@thamesdarwin) June 25, 2019

Don’t look now, but I don’t think you got your job on your merits, Jerry Nepotism Jr.

— Dale Houston (@wdalehouston) June 26, 2019

When this national nightmare is over, can we revisit the tax exempt status of these "built from scratch" fake Christian grifter organizations, that steal from the elderly and reject the teachings of Jesus.@LibertyU @LibertyUAlum @IRStaxpros

— 45* cheated, @gop complicit (@R5_2_Philly) June 26, 2019

Sara Gideon Running Against Susan Collins

In case you missed her announcement, Maine's Speaker of the House Sara Gideon is running against crypto Trumper and booster of sexual assaulter Brett "Kava No" Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Sen. Susan Collins. She has the support of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Emily's List. Here's the video:



Gideon is the best Dem candidate to take Collins down in a state that's turning bluer. You can contribute to her campaign at ActBlue.

QOTD -- Remember

Paul Waldman offers more on the topic of whether we've become numb to Trump's loathsomeness, and concludes with this segment on what to make of his collaborators:

...One of our great political parties selected as its champion the single most odious and immoral figure in American public life, then went to every length they could to defend him.

I have no illusions that Republicans will ever face the accountability they deserve for their tireless service to Trump, any more than he will face accountability for his own actions. But we can’t ever stop saying it, crying it, shouting it: This is who you gave us. You are complicit in all he is and all he has done. I’d say you should be ashamed, were it not for the fact that you’ve proved you have no shame.

History, at least, will remember — if we make sure it does. It’s not nearly enough, but it’s something.

More collaborators here.

BONUS: Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog has another recent example of the shamelessness of the Party of Trump and its media enablers.

Tweets Of The Day

Our Extremely Stable Genius speaks:

Trump said he's placing new sanctions on Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini — he died in 1989 pic.twitter.com/eyvenzcuNs

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 24, 2019

Hilarity, tinged with continuing embarrassment on behalf of our country,  ensues:

Me, an idiot: “You just sanctioned Ayatollah Khomeini? He died in 1989”

Trump, a stable genius: “Good! That shows the sanction is working” https://t.co/POrXzjKmfd

— Bethany Black (@BeffernieBlack) June 25, 2019

Hopefully the sanctions will convince the Ayatollah Khomeini to release our hostages from the American Embassy. 🤣 https://t.co/xEbLjj1fBp

— Kevin M. Levin (@KevinLevin) June 24, 2019

Somewhere in Hell, the Ayatollah Khomeini is outraged at Trump; but he’ll tell him when he sees him.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) June 25, 2019

BREAKING: Iran levies crippling sanctions against President Lyndon B. Johnson

— Judicious Adams (@jdarnbro) June 25, 2019

Next up: Idi Amin

— Allie Lipner (@alipner87) June 24, 2019

The Clueless, Shameless Mrs. Trump

With migrant children in cages at the southern border, subjected to inhumane treatment by her husband's government, former nude "model" and gold digger Melania "Melanie" Trump had the tone-deaf gall to tweet about "improving the lives of children everywhere" in relation to an "expansion" of her hollow "BeBest" farce.

Check out the responses below her tweet at the link, which are spot on and devastating. Perhaps the most poignant:

Start here👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/CAh5McJOQO

— Bud Crotteau (@bud_crotteau) June 24, 2019

When she wore the "I Really Don't Care, Do You" jacket to a border facility last year, she let us know who she was. Believe her.

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Steve Breen, San Diego Union-Tribune)


(Stuart Carlson, gocomics.com)


(Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)


(Chris Britt, Illinois Times)


(Jen Sorensen, gocomics.com)