Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)


(Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer)


(Dave Whamond, caglecartoons.com)


(Paul Szep, gocomics.com)


(Matt Davies, Newsday)


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


(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Steve Breen, San Diego Union-Tribune)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)


(Scott Stantis, Chicago Tribune)
 
(Dave Granlund, davegranlund.com)

Now A Parnas Bombshell

Lev Parnas' attorney has sent a "shot across the bow" letter to Moscow Mitch McConnell and Sen. Chuck Schumer signalling what Parnas is prepared to testify to (in a Senate trial or some other venue):

Mr. Parnas would testify to the efforts he and a handful of Republican operatives engaged in over a period of months, to remove Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and gather ‘dirt’ on Joe and Hunter Biden. Mr. Parnas would testify that those holding various roles in this plot included GOP super PAC America First, President Trump, Vice President Pence, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Attorney General Bill Barr, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Congressman Devin Nunes, Nunes’ Staffer Derrick Harvey, Journalist John Soloman, Attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, Mr. Giuliani, and others. He is prepared to review and explain relevant phone records, text messages, and other evidence in connection with these activities.

This is exhibit infinity why Republicans are moving forward without witness testimony. This is exactly what "the truth will come out" means, and why those Republicans who think they can "wrap this up" by a quick cover-up acquittal vote are in for some rude awakenings.

A Bolton Bombshell, Part Infinity

As corrupt Senate Rethuglicans rush to close the impeachment trial before more damage is done to their Dear Leader, former National Security Advisor John Bolton's book manuscript keeps dropping bombs on demagogue and mentally unstable Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump's defense. While it won't matter to the eventual acquittal Trump will receive from his stooges, Bolton's now claiming that last May, Trump asked him to call Ukrainian President Zelensky and to make sure lunatic and conspiracy nut Rudy "Rudy Colludy" Giuliani would get a meeting with him to discuss dirt on Dems, in particular former VP Joe Biden. That would represent the earliest confirmable time that the Ukrainian shakedown scheme was discussed. Of great interest, included in the meeting that Bolton attended in the Oval Office in addition to Trump were Giuliani, Mick Mulvaney, and (surprise!) White (Supremacist) House counsel Pat "Slippery" Cippilone, who's conducting Trump's defense in the Senate.  Gordon Sondland's memorable phrase "everyone was in the loop" was absolutely true.

With cowardly Sen. Lisa "Murky" Murkowski announcing this morning that she's a "no" vote on calling witnesses, the Dems will have no opportunity to do so. Like Tennessee fossil Sen. Lamar "Lamar!" Alexander, who is retiring, Murkowski punted badly and to her lasting shame. Of course, their calculation isn't patriotism, or adherence to the rule of law or their oaths. It's more pecuniary:

I’ve spent a LOT of time with retired (and retiring) congressional Rs since 2016. Most feel zero sense of liberation to bash Trump on the way out. If anything, they’re even more cowed & cautious, fearing that being out of favor w: POTUS (and his party) limits their earning power.

— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) January 31, 2020

Their "earning power." Their power to lobby for special interests, be hired by right-wing media outlets, and collect all that sweet Washington, D.C. swamp money. Spectacular.

Weekend Music

Bonny Light Horseman, an indie folk trio comprised of singer Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats, The Shins), singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown), and instrumentalist Josh Kaufman, have a new song, "Deep In Love," from their just- released self- titled debut album "Bonny Light Horseman." The vocals of Johnson and Mitchell, separate or intertwining, are quite striking.  Rudi Greenberg at the Washington Post writes,

With Bonny Light Horseman, Johnson, Mitchell and Kaufman have taken living, breathing folk songs and injected new life into them while also revealing how emotions and feelings that existed centuries ago are still relevant. 

Hope you enjoy.

Chief Justice Roberts Trolled At Impeachment Trial

Late yesterday afternoon, Sen. Elizabeth "She Persisted" Warren sent a question to Chief Justice John Roberts to be read aloud, and it was priceless:

“At a time when large majorities of Americans have lost faith in government, does the fact that the chief justice is presiding over an impeachment trial in which Republican senators have thus far refused to allow witnesses or evidence contribute to the loss of legitimacy of the chief justice, the Supreme Court and the Constitution?”

"Yes," Roberts didn't reply.  Treasonous Trump toadie Sen. Moscow Mitch McConnell must have filled his Depends on hearing that question.

Whether it jogs Roberts' sense of legacy / honor is not likely, but the fact that he and Rethuglican Senators were confronted with the question publicly was a special moment.

The Acquittal Cover-Up

As sure as crime family boss Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump will be acquitted today by his Republican henchmen in the Senate, just as sure will be the judgement of history and a reckoning for his craven, unprincipled, rotted- out party:

“The idea that somehow testifying to what you think is true is destructive to the system of government we have — I think, is very nearly the reverse — the exact reverse of the truth.”-- John Bolton, last night.

"... There is no precedent for an impeachment trial without testimony. If the Senate refuses, it will ratify a coverup, making any acquittal of Mr. Trump meaningless." -- Washington Post editorial board.

"... Whatever Bolton knows needs to be part of the official record of this impeachment. If the Senate decides not to hear from him, it won’t prevent politically damaging information from becoming public (Bolton’s book is due out in March). It will only ensure that the trial will not be the fair proceeding that the Constitution calls for and that the American people have the right to expect."-- Boston Globe editorial board.

"...With the Senate Q&A completed, the impeachment trial of Donald Trump reaches a critical and possibly final phase. Friday, the Senate will vote on the need for more witnesses — most notably, former national security adviser John Bolton — and documents. Republicans, in a rush to shut down the proceedings, look prepared to bar additional testimony and move to acquit the president.

"If so, they will perpetrate an everlasting shame on their institution and the nation at large."-- New York Daily News editorial board.

By refusing to have witnesses the GOP (1) assured that Trump’s acquittal is not an exoneration, (2) defies overwhelming public support for hearing witnesses (3) puts senate majority at risk by forcing vulnerables to cast toxic vote for coverup.....

— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) January 31, 2020

I realize all of you are feelings the SADs right now. Even though an outcome is expected, small hope is always there. And when that hope gets crushed, people get pissed. Which is why I've argued the acquittal, although expected, is still going to PISS people off & add to D adv.

— Rachel "The Doc" Bitecofer 📈🔭 (@RachelBitecofer) January 30, 2020

We'll have more to say once the cover- up is finalized.  But one more thing is certain: the truth will come out.

Tweets Of The Day -- Impeachment Q&A

Question:

Question for GOP senators: If you don’t want a fair trial, why should anyone think you want a fair election?

— Windsor Mann (@WindsorMann) January 29, 2020

Answer:

Republican leaders in Congress believe—and privately say—that they fear the country is quickly changing in ways that may soon deprive them of power, and that they must use the power they have now to delay it as long as possible, even by harming the Republic if necessary.

— Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) January 30, 2020

Walls And Tunnels: Stable Geniuses Never Learn

As we pointed out in our first post today, ranting buffoon and racist sociopath Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump's wall along the southern border (that Mexico was supposed to pay for) is vulnerable to breezes. It's also a fact that you can go around, over, and, as BBC News reports, under walls:

"Stretching for 4,309ft (1,313m), the tunnel had a lift, rail track, drainage and air ventilation systems, and high voltage electrical cables. 

The passageway connected an industrial site in the Mexican city of Tijuana to the San Diego area in California. 

There were no arrests made or drugs found. Authorities did not say who they suspected of being behind the tunnel."

The ironic twist is that Mexican officials, often excoriated by Trump and not our Border Patrol, found the tunnel's entrance last August. The tunnel was an average of 70 ft. below the surface and 5.5 ft. high, and there's no indication of when it was built, or how long it took to build it.

It's worth noting that the tunnel was constructed with U.S. dollars, provided by our drug dealers and ultimately drug users in the U.S.: another thing that Mexico's not paying for.

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star)


(Ken Catalino, gocomics.com)


(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)


(Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Rob Rogers, robrogers.com)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
 
(Jeff Danziger, The Rutland Herald, VT)


(Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer)


(John Cole, Scranton Times-Tribune)


(Jimmy Margulies, jimmymargulies.com)


(Oliver Schopf, Der Standard, Vienna, Austria)


(Stuart Carlson, gocomics.com)

QOTD: Deadly Virus Will Help U.S.

There are so many examples of the rotted-out core of the Trumpist Party. Vicious treatment of families at the southern border, cuts to the social safety net, the effort underway to make demagogue and fraudster Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump a virtual dictator through his impeachment trial, etc.

Then there's this from Trump's ghoulish and soulless Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross speaking on the Fux Bidness channel:

"Every American’s heart goes out to the victims of the coronavirus, so I don’t want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate and very malignant disease, but the fact is it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain on top of all the other things. [snip] I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, some to U.S...."

Ross is one of the most demonstrably corrupt members of Trump's corrupt regime, with holdings in shady foreign banks, links to Russian oligarchs and more.  The fact that he's counting the growing number of dead human beings to calculate some sort of "benefit" to the U.S. is thoroughly sick, but totally fitting for a loyal Trumpist.

(photo: "This is a guy that's almost as corrupt as I am" he didn't say.)

Dersh For The Defense -- Of Dictatorship

One of many stunners from yesterday's question- and- answer session in the impeachment trial was flailing Claus von Bülow O.J. Simpson Jeffrey Epstein Trump mouthpiece Alan "Dersh" Dershowitz's outrageous claim of unfettered presidential power:

For more than a week, House managers prosecuting the impeachment case against Trump have argued that the Senate’s failure to convict him would make Trump an unaccountable leader; in effect, a dictator or a king. When Dershowitz spoke, it was if he completely agreed with them. Two days earlier, Dershowitz had told senators that Presidential “abuse of power” should not be considered an impeachable offense under the Constitution. On Wednesday, he took that further—much further. “If a President does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment,” he argued. Dershowitz was offering Trump—and all future Presidents—a free pass. His argument seemed unbelievable: as long as the President thinks his reëlection will benefit the country, he can do anything in pursuit of it without fear of impeachment. Really? (our emphasis)

According to reports, the verbalization of this totalitarian wet dream caused some of the fascism- curious members of the banana Republican caucus in the Senate to slither away when asked to comment on it.  They need to pull Dersh aside and remind him not to say the quiet parts out loud. Republicans would rather pursue the same end by other means:  encouraging and accommodating foreign interference in elections, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and if all else fails, sabotaging elected Democratic officials at every opportunity.  Because, to them, the only legitimate election outcome is a Republican victory.

There is no higher calling for a patriotic American citizen than to vote for every Democrat on their ballot in November.

BONUS:  Stephen Colbert spent the first half of his monologue last night skewering the "aging underwear model." 

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

The border wall construction (that Mexico was going to pay for) that sociopathic moron Donald "Rump" Trump is overseeing not only shares some attributes with him -- it's generating lawsuits,  it doesn't do what it's supposed to do -- but also serves as a nice punch line:



Here's the link to the story.

Winning!

The Fix Is In -- Repubs Will Vote To Acquit On Friday (UPDATED

Democracy destroyer Moscow Mitch McConnell has apparently found the right number of spineless charlatans to complete the cover- up of crime family boss Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump:

It was clear to Senate Republicans on Wednesday after a morning meeting between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that the question of having additional witnesses is settled, and the Senate will vote Friday to wrap up the impeachment trial of President Trump.

There was no discussion of witnesses at a Senate GOP lunch meeting Wednesday, which was held a couple hours after McConnell and Murkowski met for about 20 to 30 minutes

That was seen as a sign by several senators that Democrats will fail to convince four Republicans to join them in calling for witnesses. Without a vote to hear from witnesses, the trial could end as soon as Friday.

“We’re going to get it done by Friday, hopefully,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said following the meeting.

Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), emerging from the lunch, said, “I think I can say the mood is good.”

Braun expressed confidence that McConnell will be able to keep his conference unified enough to defeat a motion to consider subpoenas for additional witnesses and documents.

“If I had to guess, no witnesses,” he said.

You don't object to calling witnesses unless you've got something to hide, and most Americans can see that clearly (and 75% of Americans want to hear from witnesses).  You don't try to stop a book from being published unless you've got something to hide, and most Americans see that, too. Short- circuiting the impeachment trial in the face of mounting evidence against Trump is apparently Moscow Mitch's idea of making the best out of a bad situation.  But, we're inclined to agree with Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog, who argues:

Democrats have made their case. They'll be better off if the trial is over soon, and is perceived as one-sided and unfair. Anti-Trump voters -- who are still a majority -- will feel that the president got away with something, and will presumably take out their anger at the ballot box, just the way voters who thought Bill Clinton got away with something in his impeachment trial voted Republican in sufficient numbers to give the GOP full control of the government in the 2000 elections.

The truth will continue to come out, whether or not Moscow Mitch or Trump want it to.  Others with first- hand knowledge may also speak out about Trump's unethical and illegal behavior as Bolton has (we're waiting, Gen. Mattis).  As events unfold, it will become more and more untenable for Republicans, especially the "unbiased jurors" in the Senate, to defend to anyone outside of the Red Hat Cult their allowing this threat to our national security to, once again, escape justice.  Republicans have been exposed once and forever as being a gathering of the lowest common denominators in American life, whose only purpose is to hang onto power, whatever the cost and by whatever means necessary. 

UPDATE:  A fly got into Moscow Mitch's ointment;  the vote to acquit is now scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, the day after the State of the Union address by Dear Leader.

So Much Winning: Heigh-Ho Huawei Edition

Occasionally, the consequences of demagogue and mentally unstable genius Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump's bluster and threats on trade matters don't directly impact our farmers, manufacturers and consumers. Sometimes, they express themselves as a slap in Trump's face by our closest allies, who have grown sick and tired of Trump's buffoonish, lying threats from trade to NATO to the scrapped Iran nuclear deal.

Today, there's reporting that the UK has decided to work with Chinese telecom giant Huawei in developing a European 5G network, something that Trump has vigorously opposed. Led by his erstwhile friend, UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, other European countries are expected to follow suit and engage with Huawei over Trump's objections:

"Trump had ordered his European allies to impose a blanket ban on Huawei's 5G involvement.

However, Johnson's decision provides cover for other European countries — many of whom are minded to allow Huawei to help build their own 5G networks — to defy Trump themselves. [snip]

Individual countries across the continent are likely to follow the UK's lead and allow Huawei a role in their future 5G networks, despite being on the end of intensive lobbying efforts from the Trump administration.

Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands are leaning toward allowing Huawei a role in future telecoms networks, while the French government confirmed in November that it was 'not following the position of the United States' and refused to exclude Huawei from bidding for its 5G network."  (our emphasis)

At the 70th anniversary celebration in London last December, several of our allies were videoed laughing at Trump, showing that they see him as a clown who's damaging our long-held and beneficial alliances. That shouldn't surprise anyone but his Red Cap Cult members, but his off-putting clownishness is giving our adversaries an edge that we may not soon recover from.

(photo: Never ask him if you can pick his brain)

Missile Attack Casualties Now Up To 50 -- Thanks, Trump! (UPDATED)

First it was "All is well!" from Cadet Bone Spurs.  "So far, so good!"  No casualties reported in the January 8 Iranian missile attack in retaliation for Cadet Bone Spurs' assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani!  It was a Trump miracle!

... But later we heard that 11 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries sustained during the attack.  Oops.

No worries, though!  According to Cadet Bone Spurs, they weren't much more than "headaches," "not serious."

... Wait -- recomputing.  It's up to 34 service members with TBI??  Double oops.

Well, just give them some aspirin and get them back on duty, right Cadet Bone Spurs?!

... Wut?  Now, it's up to 50?  It's a Trump bull market in TBIs!

Well, that's a small price to pay for getting impeachment news off the front page for 48 hours!

BONUS:  Gene has some thoughts about the value placed on service members' lives by the likes of Trump and his rotted- out party.

UPDATE:  Did they say 50?  They meant 64.  Yeah, 64 -- that's it, for now.  All is well!

(Image:  Cadet Bone Spurs with non- combat- related traumatic brain injury.)

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)


(Marshall Ramsey, Mississippi Today)


(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune)


(Christopher Weyant, Boston Globe)


(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)


(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)
 
(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)


(Chris Britt, gocomics.com)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)


(Gary Clement, National Post, Toronto, Canada)


(David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star)


(Milt Priggee, caglecartoons.com)

Mid-Week Song

The Grammys were awarded on Sunday, and the big winner was the sensational Billie Eilish, the 18- year- old singer / songwriter who won four of the five major awards (for Song, Record, and Album of the Year, plus Best New Artist). We featured her hit song "When The Party's Over" a few weeks ago, from her award-winning album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" Another favorite of ours, former First Lady Michelle Obama, also won for the Best Spoken Album for her audio book memoir "Becoming," something that we can't imagine the current First Second Third Lady doing in her lifetime.

But, today we're featuring a jazz piano solo by Brad Mehldau entitled "Finding Gabriel," from his album by the same name which won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. We hear broad echoes of Erik Satie and Duke Ellington in this lovely song. Enjoy.

Can I Get A Witness?

With demagogue and election cheat Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump's D-team lawyers wrapping up their hand shadow defense yesterday, all they seemed to have was "look at Joe and Hunter Biden....please!" Their summation calling for a quick acquittal of the demonstrably guilty Trump was undercut beyond the confines of the Senate chamber by leaks from former National Security Advisor John "Super 'Stache" Bolton's book manuscript that places the corrupt Trump at the center of the Ukraine shakedown conspiracy.

Senate Majority Leader and evil Trump toady Sen. Moscow Mitch McConnell assembled his team yesterday to count snouts and found that he lacked the 51 votes necessary to deny witnesses from testifying (Bolton prominently). That means that at least 4 Republican senators are -- for now -- going with 75% of the public that wants witnesses to testify. The White (Supremacist) House is arguing that they will go to court to block Bolton and others from testifying on the sham excuse of "executive privilege," which would face big roadblocks in court.

The latest gambit by Trumpist Republicans is to offer a one-for-one witness deal, in which they would call Hunter Biden immediately, even though he's not remotely a fact witness. But it would be the Joni Ernst move: create a circus in the Senate, smear the Bidens, and drive down Joe Biden's polls in Iowa and beyond, all the while diverting from Trump's clear extortion of Ukraine to cheat in the 2020 elections. In other words, finish what Trump attempted with Ukraine, letting corrupt Senators do the job.

BONUS: Trump's clearly rattled, and he's slurring his words more frequently, showing signs of further mental deterioration. Even Fux commentators can't resist chuckling at him:

If you listen closely, you can hear someone with a hot mic at Fox News laugh as the President slurs his speech pic.twitter.com/UdUgvL3SWE

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) January 29, 2020

(photo: Shaking on the "fix". Jim Lo Scalzi EPA/EFE/Shutterstock)

"The Age Of Impeachment"

Let the sunshine in?

Twit Tweet, Thwap: Nepotism Barbie Edition

Twit tweet:

You consistently make fun of half the country and then complain that it is divided.

The arrogance, mocking accents and smug ridicule of this nation’s ‘Real Elites’ is disgusting. https://t.co/p3RQzymx4s

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 28, 2020

Thwap:

Ma’am, your dad shits on a gold toilet.

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 28, 2020

and many people are saying he takes golden showers.

— Sir Lex_Limbo (@crypotbird) January 28, 2020

Ivanka Trump speaks for the forgotten man. (As in the man she forgot while shoe shopping.)

— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) January 28, 2020

your dad was given a million dollars at age 4 and has never worked a day in his life and tweets from a gold-plated toilet so what was that you were saying about real elites

— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) January 28, 2020

“Those elites” pic.twitter.com/gam0dmsIOd

— GT (@RepealTrump25) January 28, 2020

pic.twitter.com/Kbwtj8q7VD

— Ceres Cromwell (@Ceres811) January 28, 2020

Glass houses baby. Glass houses. #BeBest #unwantedivanka pic.twitter.com/PQ1pMgQjYi

— M. Resists (@AngryFedupVtr) January 28, 2020

Your father baits his bamboozled base with racism, anti semitic tropes, bigotry and bullying to stoke the flames of dissonance, you brackish Bratz doll. #RemoveandIndictTrumpNow #LockThemAllUp

— Lesley Abravanel🆘 (@lesleyabravanel) January 28, 2020

If irony wasn't already dead, Nepotism Barbie here just smothered it with a silk pillow with this tweet.

Your father mocks Democrats, maligns journalists, and makes fun of people's looks and disabilities on a daily basis.

GTFOOH, you feckless...https://t.co/9V8a67j1QQ

— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) January 28, 2020

Your daddy puts people in cages

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) January 28, 2020

Then there's always this always this disturbing, gag-inducing image:

''oh daddy!'' pic.twitter.com/ZWf4I3P3eR

— Thomas Howard (@ThmsHoward) January 28, 2020

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(David Horsey, Seattle Times)


(Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe)
 
(Stuart Carlson, gocomics.com)


(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)
 
(Matt Davies, Newsday)


(Michael Ramirez, Las Vegas Review-Journal)


(Ken Catalino, catalinocartoons.com)


(Nick Anderson, Washington Post Writers Group)