(click on images to enlarge)
(Drew Sheneman, The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ)
(R.J. Matson, CQ/Roll Call)
(Marian Kamensky, caglecartoons.com)
(Patrick Chappatte, Le Temps, Geneva)
(Paul Noth, @PaulNoth)
(Ann Telnaes, Washington Post)
(Bart van Leeuwen, Oedipoes.com)
(Matt Davies, Newsday)
(Christopher Weyant, caglecartoons.com)
(Dave Whamond, caglecartoons.com)
(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)
(Ellis Rosen, @EllisRosen)
Squeaker McCarthy (who may not be Squeaker for long after this) needed all House Democrats to pass a temporary continuing resolution to keep the Federal Government open for another 45 days. Now, the Senate needs to act:
House Republicans, after a week of struggling, found a bipartisan path to keeping the government open past tonight: jettisoning aid to Ukraine in a move critics say will embolden Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The House voted 335 to 91 for a temporary funding bill to keep the government open until Nov. 17 and also fund disaster assistance. Two hundred and nine Democrats joined all [sic] 126 Republicans in voting for the package.
It now heads over to the Senate, where a bipartisan plan to keep the government open was stalled by Republicans who wanted to see what the House sent over. [snip]
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has said there is enough Ukraine aid still in the pipeline for another 45 days. Aid could be attached to another bill later on, but would probably have to be more than the $6 billion that was at issue here and it’s unclear what bill it would have to be attached to in order to pass.
We hope this ends the current brinksmanship, at least until November, when the GQP crackpot caucus will again try to sabotage government operations. The aid for Ukraine needs to get passed, though, as Democrats will demand.
How this will affect the Squeakership of Kevin McCarthy remains to be seen, but alleged child sex trafficker Rep. Matt Gaetz (MAGAt- FL) already has threatened to file a Motion to Vacate if McCarthy introduced a CR (you know, the one Gaetz left in the bathroom). So that bridge has been crossed. Ninety-one MAGAt Republicans voted against their Squeaker, following orders from the Malignant Loser, who has been pressuring his MAGAt followers to not pass a CR. The ketchup will be flying this afternoon.
Have any deals been made with House Democrats to give McCarthy cover for
doing the CR? It would be irresponsible not to speculate!
UPDATE: The Senate passed the House CR and President Biden signed it before midnight. Next deadline: November 17.
UPDATE II: Gaetz says he'll file a Motion to Vacate this week, to oust Squeaker McCarthy.
Shut. Him. Up. --
MAJOR BREAKING: In a late-night filing, Special Counsel Jack Smith cites Trump's recent threats against General Mark Milley and others to support his request for a limited gag order, arguing that Trump has bolstered his argument for the order. https://t.co/IhJmA8vDzo
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) September 30, 2023
NEW: In 22-page Friday night filing in support of a limited gag order in Trump’s 2020 Election conspiracy case, Special Counsel Jack Smith includes this image ====> pic.twitter.com/6uWryST0Y8
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) September 30, 2023
The dominoes are beginning to fall. First defendant in Georgia RICO case has entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate against his co-defendants. He was part of the Coffee County voting equipment tampering scheme with Sidney Powell. https://t.co/fqs4ivNCes
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) September 29, 2023
weird how no one wants to go to prison for Donald Trump. I look forward to watching Scott Hall sing his heart out on the witness stand. tick fucking tock, Donny
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) September 29, 2023
It's not the only thing the Malignant Loser overstates the size of --
REPORTER: So did you overstate the size of your apartment?
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) September 30, 2023
TRUMP: *Complains that NY AG Letitia James is racist against White-Americans* @atrupar
pic.twitter.com/JrPYSYY8Y0
The Malignant Loser's most despicable statements downplayed by our broken media --
that this speech is getting such little attention compared to Biden’s gait or footwear is proof positive of the media’s double standard. https://t.co/wnNZKw4o2S
— Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz) September 30, 2023
One candidate floated executing America’s top general, jokes about a man getting his skull bashed in with a hammer, incited an insurrection to overturn an election, committed fraud, is liable for rape, and is facing 91 indictments.
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) September 29, 2023
The other is 80 years old.
So, both sides.
but the major media run story after story that Biden is old. OK, Trump 3 years younger and mentally, morally and emotionally broken. They cannot say so unless they subscribe to "truthfulness, not neutrality." But they won't. https://t.co/yUxNl3Jiv4
— Jennifer Truthful, Not Neutral Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 30, 2023
That same broken media needs to come clean on the Government shutdown --
political media: if only we could figure out who’s responsible https://t.co/ySQadX0Gey
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 30, 2023
The 5 longest government shutdowns in US history all happened in the last 30 years.
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) September 30, 2023
ALL of them hurt America -- and ALL of them were caused by Republicans in Congress.
1) 2018-19 - 35 days
2) 1995-96 - 21 days
3) 2013 - 16 days
4) 1995 - 5 days
5) 2018 - 3 days
Climate crisis evidence, part infinity --
tell me now that climate issues are just in our imagination here in brooklyn pic.twitter.com/oIoIJ086AY
— Caroline Hagood (@CarolineHagood) September 29, 2023
🚨BREAKING: New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency in New York as NYC is inundated with over 4 inches of rain.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) September 29, 2023
The last time I saw flooding like this was Superstorm Sandy.
Climate change is only going to make it worse.pic.twitter.com/eYw6CehPBD
More cases of vodka to Russian air defense units in Ukraine, stat! --
The Russian air defense shot down one of their own Su-35 planes last night near Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Confirmed by both sides.
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) September 29, 2023
Source: https://t.co/2IacQlOm1A#Ukraine #Zaporizhzhia #Tokmak pic.twitter.com/wHUXRAw78i
Aww, just stop and give the little guy a hug --
Can’t stop laughing.. 😅 pic.twitter.com/PSbIkEHdfv
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) September 29, 2023
A lawsuit filed yesterday in Michigan seeks to bar the Malignant Loser from appearing on their 2024 ballot, citing the 14th Amendment prohibition against anyone who swore an oath to the Constitution and subsequently engaged in insurrection or rebellion. The Malignant Loser led the attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential election, culminating in the attack on the Capitol to obstruct the electoral count. From the Associated Press:
"A liberal group on Friday filed a lawsuit in Michigan contending that former president Donald Trump is disqualified from regaining his old job based on a rarely used, post-Civil War provision in the U.S. Constitution.
This is the first time an organization with significant legal resources has sought to block the GOP frontrunner’s campaign in a swing state.
Free Speech For People argued that Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and encouragement of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol violated section three of the 14th Amendment, which holds that anyone who swore an oath to uphold the constitution and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against it is barred from holding office." (our emphasis)
In September, a group of Minnesota citizens filed a petition with the Minnesota Secretary of State seeking to bar the Malignant Loser from the ballot in that state. The Secretary of State said he would honor the court's ruling on the petition.
With the expectation that the issue will ultimately be decided by the right-wing dominated Supreme Court, the likelihood of him being barred from ballots is almost nonexistent. Legal scholars from conservative Judge Michael Luttig to progressive Professor Laurence Tribe argue that the provisions must be applied to Trump. But to repeatedly take note of his sedition in the historical record, and to provide him and his cult with additional legal / political headaches, is worth it.
(photo: Trump exhorting his violent mob to "fight like hell" to overturn the election)
Former Federal prosecutor Joyce Vance discusses the significance of the plea agreement made by one of the Malignant Loser's co- defendants in the Georgia election RICO case:
The standard practice for prosecutors who are trying to hold the leaders of a group of criminals accountable is to “go up the chain.” In a drug trafficking case, that means you start with lower level defendants, perhaps people engaged in hand-to-hand drug buys that are readily provable. Then the prosecutor “flips” that defendant to help prosecutors make a case on his supplier. They continue up the chain as far as they can, reaching larger and larger dealers, regional suppliers, and hopefully, depending on the type of case, they end up able to prosecute the leaders of the drug trafficking organization. [snip]
That brings us to today and Scott Hall, an Atlanta-area bail bondsman who was facing seven charges in the Fulton County case, including a RICO violation and conspiring to steal sensitive election data in Coffee County. This afternoon, with little advance notice, Hall pled guilty to five misdemeanors, will serve five years of probation, pay a $5,000 fine, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. It’s the sort of deal that is so beneficial to a defendant that it suggests prosecutors believe his cooperation is valuable enough to merit the bargain.
So what might Hall be able to do? It’s not clear how important of a role he played in the overall scheme, and who he might have had direct communications with. But Hall was in the thick of things with Sidney Powell when she went to Coffee County, Georgia on January 7, the day after the insurrection, to carry out her scheme to illegally access voting machines. Hall’s cooperation is a bad sign for Powell. And Powell, in turn, had conversations about pursuing the Big Lie with others in the group and was in the room with Trump during some of the key conversations.
Sidney Powell isn't the only Trump co-defendant who should be concerned by Hall’s plea deal. Hall reportedly had an hour long call with Jeff Clark on January 2nd. That’s a long time for the Georgia bail bondsman to have been on the line with the Attorney General-wannabe who wanted to push states Biden won to call those results into question based on untrue allegations of fraud to try and swing the electoral vote call to Trump. It’s unlikely the call was just an hour of pleasantries. Precisely what was said and how good Hall’s recollection is—and whether or not he has contemporaneous notes or other verification of what took place during the call—remains to be seen...
Hall is unlikely to be the only co-defendant to accept a plea agreement in exchange for testimony. As the smaller fish look around and see others taking the off ramp while their personal resources dry up and blow away and prison terms loom, the compulsion to protect the Malignant Loser will fade quickly. That's the beauty and brilliance of Fani Willis' bringing a racketeering case against this collection of seditionist misfits. One by one, the misfits cut deals and the case gets stronger.
(Photo: Hall / Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
Gen. Mark Milley, speaking at his retirement ceremony yesterday, spoke forcefully about defending democracy and the proper role and allegiance of the military (excerpts):
The Malignant Loser on the person he chose to be UN Ambassador, Nimarata"Nikki" Haley, today:
MAGA, or I, will never go for Birdbrain Nikki Haley. No loyalty, plenty of lies! “I will never run against our great President,” she said,“he has done an outstanding job.” To which I responded,“How nice of you to say, Nikki,” knowing full well that her words mean nothing. She even came to Mar-a-Lago with her family, “bearing gifts.” Anyway, Birdbrain doesn’t have the TALENT or TEMPERAMENT to do the job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Well, as we always were told, it takes one to know one. Haley was one of the six craven candidates at the first Republican "debate" who said she'd still support the Malignant Loser even if he was a convicted felon, so...
We love birdbrain- on- birdbrain verbal violence!
(click on images to enlarge)
(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)
(Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)
(Walt Handelsman, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)
(Rob Rogers, Tinyview.com)
(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)
(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)
(Tim Campbell, Counterpoint)
(Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun)
(Pedro Molina, Counterpoint)
(Peter Steiner, @plsteiner)
ICYMI (as we did), President Biden gave what many believe was one of his best speeches yesterday in Tempe, honoring the late Sen. John McCain and blasting the MAGA movement and its leader as a danger to the Constitution and to democracy itself. Watch the video (Biden's remarks begin at approximately 4:25, following an excerpt of Cindy McCain's lovely introduction):
The shutdown about nothing (cue "Seinfeld" theme music) --
"Amid GOP confusion, U.S. braces for 'first-ever shutdown about nothing,'" by @JStein_WaPo: https://t.co/Smvk1G6IK2 pic.twitter.com/ea3cIDeAbi
— Michael R. Strain (@MichaelRStrain) September 29, 2023
Obstructing justice for their cult leader --
If you were wondering why trump ordered the house republicans to shut down the government and kick children and infants off assistance and not pay our troops - here’s why: https://t.co/RLFzHK0a3G
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) September 29, 2023
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) puts Republicans' impeachment inquiry in context --
hilarious and insightful stuff from Moskowitz. The whole clip is worth watching pic.twitter.com/8QCarqxbuU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 28, 2023
House Republican Putin caucus numbers 117 --
It’s official. More than half of the GOP House caucus is against Ukraine. Putin must not believe his luck. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/REZGs5zrI2
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 29, 2023
Fani is! --
Who wants to tell her? https://t.co/wxmVgKVyRv
— Mike Madrid (@madrid_mike) September 29, 2023
Can I get a witness? --
New York Attorney General Letitia James has revealed her planned witness list for Trump's civil fraud trial. Names include:
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 28, 2023
Donald Trump
Donald Trump Jr.
Eric Trump
Ivanka Trump
Michael Cohen
Allen Weisselberg
An RBG- level disaster? --
Feinstein was the tie-breaking vote on the Judiciary Committee, which approves judicial nominees. The GOP will likely refuse to seat her replacement on the committee.
— Zach Fisch (@ZachFisch) September 29, 2023
Pres. Biden’s ability to confirm federal judges will be severely curtailed. An RBG-level disaster. https://t.co/s4GQ2LBNJY
All the lies and both- sidesism fit to print --
Everyone's right that @peterbakernyt should correct his egregious lie about Trump speaking to strikers (which must be NYT's 3rd or 4th repetition of similar lies).
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) September 29, 2023
While he's correcting his work, maybe he could stop both-sidesing democracy (again). https://t.co/8WOSrAtkKB pic.twitter.com/vJEyzJYRFo
Don't sleep on racist radical Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin --
All true. He is also a racist radical whose policies parallel , but does it with smoothness and a faux "Dad" demeanor. https://t.co/TeSy2BaL2e
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) September 29, 2023
What's that Musk-y smell? All hat (worn backwards), no cattle immigrant Elon --
Elon is on border patrol today. pic.twitter.com/2vlws8SVvX
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 28, 2023
Probably because they know something you don’t. Because the understand the risks of Russia winning and Ukraine loosing this war. Maybe you should do a “fact finding” trip to Ukraine and let us know what you find? https://t.co/EMB115B9Zt
— Alexander S. Vindman ❎ (@AVindman) September 29, 2023
On the cutting edge of ugly (Happy Friday!) --
The lack of style costs extra but it’s so worth it to drive an eyesore like this.
— 𝙎𝙋𝙊𝙊𝙆𝙔 𝙁𝙊𝙍𝘾𝙀 𝙁𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙄𝙎 AF XXX🇺🇸 (@FrancisWegner) September 28, 2023
pic.twitter.com/UkeAPb0x1A
Ed. note: a quick advisory that the days of this Hackwhackers feature may be numbered, due to the ongoing genius of the Chief Twit:
Elon Musk said Monday he's moving to require all users to pay a monthly fee to use his social media site X, previously called Twitter.
No. Nope. Non. Nein. Nyet.
In 1966, Manfred Mann had a modest hit in the U.S. with the power pop anthem "Pretty Flamingo" (the recording did much better in the UK and Ireland, where it hit #1). The song has been covered by such artists as the Everly Brothers, Gene Pitney, and (in concert) Bruce Springsteen. We especially like this live version performed at Montreux in 1989 by Elvis Costello, with a backup band consisting of Nick Lowe on bass, and Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford on guitars and Gilson Lavis on drums. "She's out of reach, and out of sight." Hope you enjoy.
It looks like his fellow right-wing Republicans are highly displeased with Kentucky MAGAt bumpkin Rep. James "Homer" Comer's ludicrous opening act in the show trial / impeachment inquiry of President Biden:
"The Thursday hearing began with the Republicans' own witness, lawyer Jonathan Turley testifying that he doesn't believe there's enough evidence to impeach President Joe Biden.
Stephen Neukam of The Messenger tweeted on Thursday afternoon that anger is growing within the GOP as Republicans flail – and Democrats appear to have their act together.
'Republican aides tell me the impeachment hearing is being overshadowed by spending battle,' Neukam posted on social media. 'A House GOP aide told me this would be the biggest story in the country, but is being overshadowed. I asked another if he was paying attention. The answer? 'Spending spending spending.'
He went on to quote another house staffer: Chairman James "Comer (R-KY) and staff botched this bad."
The aide said the information from the Republicans has been 'confusing,' while Democrats appear 'on message.'
'How can you not be better prepared for this?' the staffer lamented." (our emphasis)
You could be better prepared if you had some actual evidence, rather than air blown at you from the hind quarters of the fascist right. When the weaselly law professor and professional shill on Fox "News" Jonathan Turley says you have bupkis, you need to go back to the manure pile and look for that pony. With the infighting in the Republican caucus over the Government shutdown as their template, this farce promises to be one long series of face plants and finger pointing by House Republicans. Loving it!
The California Democrat and oldest member of the Senate passed away last night:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a vocal advocate of gun control measures who was known for trying to find common ground with Republicans during her three decades in the Senate, has died, according to several sources familiar with the matter.
She was 90.
Feinstein, the oldest member of the Senate, the longest-serving female senator and the longest-serving senator from California, announced in February that she planned to retire at the end of her term. She had faced calls for her resignation over concerns about her health. [snip]
Feinstein faced some pressure to resign in recent years to make way for younger lawmakers. Last April, Feinstein pushed back against a news report in the San Francisco Chronicle citing multiple anonymous colleagues expressing worries that she was mentally unfit to serve. “I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was re-elected in 2018: fight for Californians,” she said then.
Democratic Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee are running for Feinstein's seat...
Gov. Newsome will now appoint someone to fill the remainder of Sen. Feinstein's term.
Justice won't be delayed in the State of New York's fraud (and more) case against the Malignant Loser (our emphasis):
An appeals court Thursday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay a civil trial in a lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, allowing the case to proceed days after a judge ruled the former president committed years of fraud and stripped him of some companies as punishment.
The decision, by the state’s intermediate appellate court, clears the way for Judge Arthur Engoron to preside over a non-jury trial starting Monday in Manhattan in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil lawsuit.
Trump is listed among dozens of possible witnesses, setting up a potential courtroom showdown with the judge. The fraud ruling Tuesday threatens to upend his real estate empire and force him to give up prized New York properties such as Trump Tower, a Wall Street office building, golf courses and a suburban estate. [snip]
Engoron’s fraud ruling resolved the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but six others remain. They include allegations of conspiracy, falsifying business records and insurance fraud. The judge will also decide on James’ request for $250 million in penalties...
The Malignant Loser's loser legal team will attempt engage in the type of futile delaying maneuvers that have become the standard for this career con man. The latest one has failed, but they'll keep trying and, we trust, failing.
The basic finding has already been made: the Malignant Loser "committed years of fraud."
An insurrectionist fugitive from justice has been arrested. This time, Lock. Him. Up:
The FBI has arrested a member of the Proud Boys who went missing just before he was set to be sentenced for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a spokesperson for the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
"We can confirm the arrest of Christopher Worrell," the spokesperson told ABC News in a statement Thursday evening. "The FBI arrested him and the Collier County Sheriff's Office assisted."
Worrell, a 52-year-old from Naples, Florida, went missing in August just before he was going to be sentenced for several felonies he was convicted on over his conduct during the Jan. 6 riot.
A judge found Worrell guilty in May 2023 of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon, obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, and obstructing, impeding, or interfering with officers during the commission of a civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, engaging in physical violence with a deadly or dangerous weapon all felonies, and an act of physical violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings, a misdemeanor. The verdict followed a five-day bench trial. [snip]
After the judge in his case was informed that Worrell had gone missing, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Worrell had been on house arrest after court records show he complained about the treatment at the Washington D.C. jail. The federal judge allowed him to await sentencing while on house arrest.
Prosecutors had sought a 14 year prison sentence for Worrell. [our emphasis]
A lot of "deadly or dangerous weapons" there. Now tack on some more years for flight.
These violent, white nationalist bums should never be on bail, house arrest or anything short of a jail cell awaiting trial. Have judges learned their lesson?
(Photo: neither proud nor a boy Worrell / FBI)
Our Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), in his opening statement at the clown show "impeachment inquiry" today:
...To delay justice, Donald Trump would cut off paychecks to a couple million service members and federal workers, and furlough more than a million workers and pay them later for having not worked. They would halt food assistance to millions of moms and kids, and keep NIH, in my district, from enrolling any more patients in life and death clinical research trials.
Trump's convinced that if we shut the government down, his four criminal prosecutions on 91 different charges will be defunded and delayed long enough to keep him from having to go before a jury of his peers before the 2024 election. And like flying monkeys on a mission for the Wicked Witch of the West, Trump's followers in the House now carry messages out to the world: Shut down the government. Shut down the prosecutions...
With a government shutdown looming, these flying monkeys are wasting the public's money and time running cover and trying to even scores for their cult leader. Raskin has it exactly right, as usual.
(Photo: Rep. Raskin, with MAGAt meathead Republican Rep. Comer to his left, uses Republicans' words to good effect / AFP via Getty Images)
(click on images to enlarge)
(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)
(Andy Marlette, Creators.com)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Mick Stevens, The New Yorker)
(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
(Rob Rogers, Tinyview.com)
(Drew Sheneman, The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ)
(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)
(Gary Markstein, Creators.com)
(Ann Telnaes, Washington Post)
(Banx, Financial Times, London)
The Biden impeachment shit fling is off to a great start. Bwahahahaha! --
U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) melts down as an NBC reporter questions GOP claims of DOJ political interference in favor of Joe Biden before he was president. pic.twitter.com/Afm75G5CDq
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) September 27, 2023
And glorious Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is having none of it --
Omg wow this pic.twitter.com/fnYcAXzcNf
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 28, 2023
From the Malignant Loser's fake union rally yesterday --
Trump is pretending he's speaking to UAW workers even though he's at a non-union shop pic.twitter.com/19dCq3kZub
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 28, 2023
It's unclear how many auto workers attended Trump's speech.
— Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger) September 28, 2023
A person in the crowd with a "union members for Trump" sign acknowledged she wasn't a union member.
A person with an "auto workers for Trump" sign said he wasn't an auto worker. https://t.co/yWziQmqUSG
He planted supporters to hold up union signs at his non-union rally last night.
— Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) September 28, 2023
Fraudster gonna fraud. pic.twitter.com/DE0lnfG5JM
Republican "debate" vignettes --
Oh my, DeSantis did it again tonight: the rant, followed by the forced smile, followed by the grimace. Hilarious. He is beyond saving. pic.twitter.com/Uy7AmRDVcQ
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 28, 2023
I stepped away to watch the new episode of @ahsokaofficial and am just seeing this but what in the hell is wrong with these people? What is this obsession with sex? pic.twitter.com/S7mIFCFriy
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) September 28, 2023
The next time someone pretends only white people can spread or embrace white supremacy, show them this clip. https://t.co/GqiYWJbKL5
— @ijbailey (@ijbailey) September 28, 2023
Kari, in contrast, will "bond" with Trump at his residences for the VP spot --
Trump surrogate Kari Lake in the spin room calls tonight’s event “a d list debate with a bunch of people taking part in a vanity project.” pic.twitter.com/s2LTBtaYVS
— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) September 28, 2023
Biden notes one true statement from the "debate" --
That’s right. pic.twitter.com/SI9hNEOEEJ
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 28, 2023
Tears on his pillow --
Awwww https://t.co/gzYi0EgpjL
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) September 28, 2023
Russians taking a page from genocidal Nazi rhetoric --
In another chilling moment on Russian state TV, professor Sergey Luzyanin compares Russia's ongoing slaughter of Ukrainians to "a giant furnace," which burns them up and in that fire, the "strong and pure steel of a Russian nation is being forged."https://t.co/jeEIrnQeuR
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) September 27, 2023
Wow, Secretary of State Blinken has some blues chops for you --
Ladies and Gentlemen: Cleanse the GOP Debate from your timeline with Secretary Anthony Blinken playing AND SINGING "Hoochie Coochie Man."
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) September 28, 2023
Who knew the guy ROCKS? 🤯pic.twitter.com/qkqd0LISRu
Teamwork! --
— Out of Context Human Race (@NoContextHumans) September 28, 2023
The ridiculous canard that the Republican / Forced Birth / Shooters party has become the "working man's party" can be punctured by examining Republican tax policy for the past half century. Using trickle down economics as their lodestar, Republican lawmakers habitually protect the highest income earners (i.e. their donors) in the tax code, sticking it to the middle class when it comes to income taxes. A favorite tactic of theirs is creating loopholes for the very wealthy to slip through in avoiding taxes. But the newest game by right wing Republicans is to keep the Internal Revenue Service back on its heels, and not provide funding sufficient to go after high income tax cheats through audits and enforcement. From Greg Sargent writing in the Washington Post:
"Republicans have been amplifying the claim lately that their party has undergone a 'populist' makeover, rendering it both anti-elite and pro-working class. One way Republicans purport to illustrate this is by attacking President Biden’s expanded funding for the Internal Revenue Service, insisting that it empowers a strike force of bureaucrats to prey on ordinary Americans.
But new data on tax avoidance by the ultrarich badly undermines GOP claims to being an anti-elite, pro-worker party. It shows that if Republicans get their way with regard to the IRS, a nontrivial number of very rich Americans would continue to underpay taxes they owe, effectively making out like bandits — some literally so.
Nearly 1,000 tax filers who earn more than $1 million per year have still not filed federal tax returns for at least one year from 2017 to 2020, according to IRS data provided to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
What’s more, the 2,000 people who represent the highest-income non-filers in one or more of those years owe a total of more than $900 million in federal taxes, the data shows.
'These are people who essentially blow raspberries at the IRS,' Wyden told me. 'They’re sophisticated people. They know this is wrong, wrong, wrong. And they do it anyway.'
The data underscores that when the IRS is underfunded, wealthy tax cheats benefit in a big way. An underfunded IRS is what Republicans are advocating for." (our emphasis)
The lying Republicans know that by expanding funding to the IRS, it's their donors that will be forced to pay their fair share in taxes, not the Republican-voting small business owner in Lincoln, Nebraska. They have to lie, because undermining the IRS actually hurts that Republican-voting small business owner, who eventually has to pay higher taxes to make up for the wealthiest income earners who are avoiding theirs.
(image: Psychologs.com)
The combination of a radical right-wing Republican House caucus and spineless and powerless "leadership" to change course will almost certainly mean a shutdown of the Federal Government at midnight on Saturday. For those who wonder what the impacts would be not only on the civilian and military employees of the Government, but perhaps on their lives, the Associated Press has a primer:
Millions of federal workers face delayed paychecks when the government shuts down, including many of the roughly 2 million military personnel and more than 2 million civilian workers across the nation.
Nearly 60% of federal workers are stationed in the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.
While all of the military’s active-duty troops and reservists would continue to work, more than half of the Department of Defense’s civilian workforce, which is roughly 440,000 people, would be furloughed.
Across federal agencies, workers are stationed in all 50 states and have direct interaction with taxpayers — from Transportation Security Administration agents who operate security at airports to Postal Service workers who deliver mail. [snip]
Beyond federal workers, a shutdown could have far-reaching effects on government services. People applying for government services like clinical trials, firearm permits and passports could see delays.
Some federal offices will also have to close or face shortened hours during a shutdown.
Businesses closely connected to the federal government, such as federal contractors or tourist services around national parks, could see disruptions and downturns. The travel sector could lose $140 million daily in a shutdown, according to the U.S. Travel Industry Association.
Lawmakers also warn that a shutdown could rattle financial markets. Goldman Sachs has estimated that a shutdown would reduce economic growth by 0.2% every week it lasted, but growth would then bounce back after the government reopens.
Others say the disruption in government services has far-reaching impacts because it shakes confidence in the government to fulfill its basic duties. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned, 'A well-functioning economy requires a functioning government.'”
Our broken media will usually balk at specifically identifying the persons and party responsible, laying the blame on "Congress" not getting its act together. The first thing would be to select a more honest news source. The second would be to understand that this latest hostage taking by the Republican/Forced Birth/Shooters party won't be their last. Every year they've got majority power particularly in the House, expect the debt ceiling, the Federal budget and more to be held ransom to their outrageous demands, which the general public rejects by a significant majority.
We didn't watch the Christofascist Republican shitshow last night -- precious time we could never have gotten back. However, in reading some of the post- shitshow analysis, we find ourselves agreeing with some of the comments made by the various also- rans on the stage. It was sweet Republican- on- Republican verbal violence. A few favorites:
Bootsie DeSantis on the Malignant Loser's record
“He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record where they added 7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation that we have.”
Nikki Haley on Vivek "Ramasmarmy" Ramaswamy
"Honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say.” *
Chris Christie on the no- show Malignant Loser
“You’re ducking these things. And let me tell you what’s going to happen. [If] you keep doing that, no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore, we’re going to call you Donald Duck.”
More "debates" please!
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* A line that could apply to everyone on the stage, actually.
(click on images to enlarge)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)
(Chris Britt, Creators.com)
(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)
(Jeff Danziger, The Rutland Herald, VT)
(Matt Davies, Newsday)
(Bill Day, caglecartoons.com)
(Tim Campbell, Counterpoint)
(Robert Ariail, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, SC)
(Rob Murray, @RMurrayCartoons, UK)
