Major DOJ Epstein Files Coverup Underway

 

The "Justice" Department is performing exactly as expected, engaging in a massive coverup of the Malignant Fascist's mentions in the Epstein files:

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to confirm that the Justice Department plans to withhold millions of files on Jeffrey Epstein, an admission forced from ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.

On Friday, Blanche revealed that the DOJ planned to release around 3.5 million Epstein files later that same day, but acknowledged that the agency has “identified over 6 million” pages it may be required to release under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Appearing on ABC News Sunday, Blanche was asked point blank by Stephanopoulos whether there “will be more releases,” a question Blanche initially dodged, and instead spoke to concerns from Epstein victims who say they were unlawfully identified in the DOJ’s Friday release.  [snip]

Stephanopoulos pressed Blanche again on whether the DOJ planned to release any more Epstein files, to which Blanche appeared to suggest that the agency wouldn’t, outside a “small number of documents.” [snip]

After the DOJ’s Friday dump of Epstein files, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) slammed the DOJ for its incomplete release of files.

“They say they collected 6 million pages, but they’re only releasing 3 million,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Friday. “What happened to the other three million?” (our emphasis)

Well, sentient people know they must contain even more damaging information about the Malignant Fascist than the scrubbed and redacted material that's been released to date.  The decision's been made to try to bum rush and distract their way through this scandal via a "limited hangout" strategy, popular with other crooked Republicans like Richard Nixon.

We also find ourselves in agreement with seedy seditionist Steve Bannon for the first time in this reported text exchange with child sex trafficker Epstein:

Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former White House chief strategist, accused the president in 2018 of being “beyond borderline” and fit to be removed from office under the 25th Amendment, a newly released text exchange with Jeffrey Epstein has revealed.

“He is really borderline,” Epstein wrote to Bannon on Dec. 31, 2018, referring to Trump.

Bannon not only agreed with Epstein’s assessment of Trump, but took his own take of the president's fitness further, suggesting he was fit for removal from office under the 25th Amendment, which allows for Congress to remove a president should they be “unable to discharge the powers and duties of [their] office.”

“I think it's beyond borderline -- 25 amendment,” Bannon responded.

A leader of the MAGA movement, Bannon has been among Trump’s most loyal supporters, and despite being fired from the first Trump administration. In the years since, he’s fiercely defended Trump on his “War Room” podcast, and has openly supported Trump for a third presidential run, and in spite of the Constitution strictly forbidding it.

The text exchange was released Friday as part of the Justice Department’s publication of around 3.5 million Epstein files, of which journalists and analysts continue to scour through. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, however, revealed Sunday that some 2.5 million Epstein documents still in the possession of the DOJ would not be released.

Previous releases of Epstein files from the DOJ have revealed that Bannon maintained a close and personal relationship with Epstein, with Epstein revealed to have coached Bannon on how to defend Trump. Bannon was also revealed to have worked to help rehabilitate Epstein’s public image in the wake of his 2008 conviction on child prostitution.   (our emphasis)

When the truth does come out (and it will in the end), there must be no rehabilitation for these soulless, malevolent ciphers.  We need the biggest junkyard dog Democrat to put these fascists where they belong.

(Image:  the MF, his corrupt consigliere, and the child sex trafficker / via McGill Media facebook)

Bannon Again Vows To "Break" Musk

 

In "even a stopped clock is right twice a day" news, MAGAt human/pig hybrid Steve Bannon comes to the correct assessment about skipping dipshit Elon "Harry Bolz" Musk (and his oligarch parasite country- destroyers) in his on-going feud with the un-elected President:

Former White House chief adviser turned conservative commentator Steve Bannon blasted billionaire Elon Musk over his efforts to reduce the size of the federal government and gain more power in the U.S.

“Musk is a parasitic illegal immigrant,” he said during an interview with the website UnHerd. “He wants to impose his freak experiment and play-act as God without any respect for the country’s history, tradition or values.”

Bannon, a staunch populist who has used his widely followed “War Room” podcast to rail against the “elites” in society, has sharpened his attacks on Musk as the tech billionaire has grown closer to President Trump.

He has told Trump’s supporters Musk is not to be trusted and has argued there is a “fundamental chasm” between the billionaires who have aligned themselves with the president and his “Make America Great Again” movement.

“We will break these guys,” Bannon said during a recent episode of his podcast centered on Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other leading tech moguls...

We wish both parties much success in cutting each other down, because it can only be good for us (and U.S.).

Bannon Moves Closer To Jail Time

Derelict impersonator and the Malignant Loser's fascist Rasputin Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon's appeal to have his conviction for contempt of Congress was dismissed by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  The ruling moves him one big step closer to jail time for his lawless behavior and refusal to cooperate with Congress when they conducted their January 6 hearings. The sinister Bannon was a key strategist and mover for the Trump-led insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. From the Politico report:

"Bannon was sentenced to four months in jail in 2022 by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols after a jury convicted him of two counts of contempt of Congress. But Nichols, a Trump appointee, agreed to postpone the jail term while Bannon appealed the decision, agreeing that the complex mix of laws that govern executive privilege and testimonial immunity for White House aides could be overturned by higher courts. But a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Bannon’s argument, saying the former aide and prominent podcaster had no legal rationale for his blanket refusal to appeal before the Jan. 6 committee — and that long-standing case law." (our emphasis)

Bannon's refusal to cooperate with the January 6 Select Committee of the House marks him as a conspirator with other Trumpists to overthrow the 2020 election by force. Using judicial appeals as a shield to avoid imprisonment, Bannon will appeal to the full, 11 member D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is likely to uphold his conviction. The Supreme Court will be his next stop, in hopes that the Republican majority will reverse the earlier rulings.

As one of the Malignant Loser's final acts in the White House, he pardoned his ally Bannon, who had been charged with a scheme to defraud MAGAts by collecting contributions to support the southern border wall, which were then pocketed by Bannon and his business partners.

(photo: Ladies, we hear he's single and ready to mingle/ CNN)

 

Scammer Bannon Introducing "Chaos" In 2024

 

Evil puppeteer and deranged derelict Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon should have been in jail by now for scamming the Red Cap Cult by collecting money for building the southern border wall, which he and his partner pocketed. The Malignant Loser pardoned him on his way out the door on the Federal charges in 2021, but the Manhattan DA's office indicted him for the same scam on State charges in October 2022.

Now, CBS News reports that Bannon is planning to interfere in the 2024 elections, after being a key player in the insurrection and promulgation of the Big Lie leading up to it. His harebrained scheme is to push the candidacy of anti-vax loon Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for President in 2024 as a Democrat. Bannon's malicious intent is to create "chaos" in the nomination process, something he helped the Malignant Loser with in 2016:

"Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon had been encouraging Kennedy to run for months, believing he could be both a useful chaos agent in the 2024 race and a big name who could help stoke anti-vaccine sentiment around the country, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News' Robert Costa.

His push against the COVID-19 vaccine has linked him at times with anti-democratic figures and groups. Kennedy has appeared at events pushing the lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and with people who cheered or downplayed the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. [snip]

Kennedy has repeatedly invoked Nazis and the Holocaust when talking about measures aimed at mitigating the spread of COVID-19, such as mask requirements and vaccine mandates. He has sometimes apologized for those comments, including when he suggested that people in 2022 had it worse than Anne Frank, the teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp after hiding with her family in a secret annex in an Amsterdam house for two years."  (our emphasis)

Kennedy would seem to be a perfect fit as a candidate for the extremist Republican / COVID-spreading / Shooters party. His chances for the nomination, aside from his name recognition as the son of Bobby Kennedy (who is spinning in his grave), are between none and none. But if Bannon and his rat-fucking colleagues (Roger Stone, etc.) can throw a little sand in the gears of the Dem Party through an absurd candidate like this, they'll give it a shot in the arm. As his sister noted:

"His sister Kerry Kennedy, who runs Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the international rights group founded by their mother, Ethel, said her brother has at times removed some of the content at her request.

She told the Associated Press in a 2021 interview her brother is 'completely wrong on this issue and very dangerous.'" (our emphasis)

Wrong and dangerous, indeed.

QOTD: Drinking His Own Kool-Aid

"It's kind of remarkable It's a huge comedown for Bannon. You know, we started this process last October, when he was hit with a subpoena, vowing to 'go medieval' on his enemies, that was his quote. He said he would make it a 'misdemeanor from hell' for the Biden administration. But he wound up not even taking the stand in his own defense today, and wound up with two guilty charges. So, I think it shows the bubble that he's been living in for the past six months, where you know, all the misinformation, all the kinds of things he has been propagating, I think he's sort of drank his own Kool-Aid in the end, and didn't understand, or didn't want to face the fact that he is in a court of law and that sort of thing isn't going to fly, and the judge made that clear, the jury made that clear." -- Bloomberg Business Week reporter Joshua Green, on MSNBC, describing fascist derelict impersonator Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon's guilty verdict for two counts of criminal contempt of Congress. The unkempt, sinister propagandist for the Malignant Loser faces from 30 days to one year in prison on each count. He laughably threatened to "go medieval" before the trial, but didn't present witnesses or testify himself. He'll be sentenced in October, and has indicated he will appeal. Let's hope he gets the maximum on each count, given the gravity of the situation regarding the January 6 violent insurrection. Lock. Him. Up.

(photo: Kenny Holston / New York Times)

Bannon Verdict: Guilty On Both Counts

 

Fascist flotsam and Malignant Loser whisperer Steve Bannon was found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress this afternoon;  the jury deliberated a mere 3 hours before reaching its verdict. Sentencing is on October 21.  He faces from 30 days to two years in jail.  Expect the fascist flotsam to appeal.

Nevertheless, "Lock him up! Lock him up!"

(Photo:  wish coming true?/ Kenny Holston, NY Times)

Bannon Trial For Criminal Contempt Begins

Fascist provocateur and January 6 conspirator Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon goes to Federal court today for ignoring a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. The first item of business is jury selection, but many legal experts are saying that Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, has wiped away most of the legal defense arguments that Bannon was prepared to make:

"A series of pre-trial rulings has left Bannon virtually defenseless, precluding him from presenting a number of arguments his defense lawyers hoped to raise. At a hearing in Washington, DC, last week that eviscerated many of Bannon's planned defenses, US District Court Judge Carl Nichols ruled that his lawyers could not argue that executive privilege excused his refusal to sit for questioning or turn over records to the House January 6 committee.

Nichols, a Trump appointee confirmed in 2019, similarly prevented Bannon's defense team from arguing that his past role as former President Donald Trump's chief White House strategist justified his defiance. The judge also forbade Bannon's lawyers from pointing to internal Justice Department memos describing limits on congressional subpoenas, and he extinguished the onetime Trump advisor's hope of calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers to testify."

Bannon is still hoping to turn this trial into what he called the "misdemeanor from hell," using delay tactics and anticipating appeals when he's convicted. He'll certainly use the attention to theatrically propagandize against his political enemies, real and imagined. But the sooner this dangerous right-wing demagogue is behind bars, the better for this country.

(photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters)

 

Bannon: Trump Was Going To Declare Victory Regardless

 

A leaked audio obtained by Mother Jones has fascist flotsam Steve Bannon previewing the plan for the Malignant Loser to declare victory and stay in office, no matter what the voters decided:

On the evening of October 31, 2020, Steve Bannon told a group of associates that President Donald Trump had a plan to declare victory on election night—even if he was losing. Trump knew that the slow counting of Democratic-leaning mail-in ballots meant the returns would show early leads for him in key states. His “strategy” was to use this fact to assert that he had won, while claiming that the inevitable shifts in vote totals toward Joe Biden must be the result of fraud, Bannon explained.

 

Of course, the Malignant Loser did, in fact, follow Bannon's script, as laid out on October 31:

The nearly hour-long audio obtained by Mother Jones is new evidence that Trump’s late-night diatribe—which came a few hours later than Bannon had anticipated—followed a preexisting plan to lie to Americans about the election results in a bid to hold onto power. The new recording stands out for the striking candor and detail with which Bannon described a scheme to use lies to subvert democracy. Bannon also predicted that Trump’s false declaration of victory would lead to widespread political violence, along with “crazy” efforts by Trump to stay in office. Bannon and his associates laughed about those scenarios at various points in the recording.

"Lock them up!  Lock them up!"

Bannon's "Last-Ditch Attempt To Avoid Accountability" (UPDATED)

The Malignant Loser's "brain" (and hoo-boy what a void that is to fill!), Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon is hard at work injecting as much chaos as he can into the January 6 insurrection investigation (in collusion with the Malignant Loser, of course):

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has said that Donald Trump never invoked executive privilege with regards to Steve Bannon and the former White House adviser's apparent willingness to testify to the January 6 committee is merely a "last-ditch attempt" to avoid accountability.

Bannon, who is charged with contempt of congress for defying a subpoena issued by the panel investigating the insurrection, is reported to now be prepared to testify at a public hearing after the former president said he would waive executive privilege.

In a July 9 letter to Bannon and his lawyer, Robert Costello, Trump said he would waive the privilege as he had "watched how unfairly you and others have been treated" by the "Unselect Committee of political Thugs and Hacks."

Costello added in a letter to rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the January 6 panel, that his client has "not had a change of posture or of heart" but claimed that "circumstances have now changed" since Trump announced he would waive the privilege.

However, in a motion filed on Monday, the Department of Justice said that Trump's attorney Justin Clark told the FBI in a June 29 interview that the former president "never invoked executive privilege over any particular information or materials" related to Bannon.

The DoJ said the claim that Bannon is now only willing to testify because Trump waived executive privilege is disputed because that line of defense for not complying with the subpoena "never provided a basis for total noncompliance in the first place."

Prosecutors added that Bannon's "eleventh-hour efforts" to appear willing to testify to the January 6 committee does nothing to "begin to cure his failure to produce records" related to his subpoena issued in September 2021.

"All of the above-described circumstances suggest the Defendant's sudden wish to testify is not a genuine effort to meet his obligations but a last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability," the motion adds.

Bannon argued that executive privilege—which keeps communications between the president and executive branch secret—could be extended to private citizens, as he was at the time of the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 attack.

Prosecutors have previously accused Bannon and his legal team of launching a series of "frivolous" legal complaints in an attempt to delay his case heading to court.

In late June, Bannon filed a legal complaint in an attempt to get the DoJ to hand over records explaining why former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and ex-Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino escaped prosecution for not fully complying with their congressional subpoenas, despite facing trial for similar offenses.  (our emphasis)

The January 6 committee needs to tread carefully in dealing with a treacherous true believer like Bannon.  They should forgo any offer to provide "testimony" in the absence of Bannon producing the documents and records that they've subpoenaed.  In any regard, there's really no value to any "testimony" from this dangerous, fascist flotsam, as he's shown a willingness to lie and distract in the service of his greater goal of destroying the so- called "administrative/ deep state."  To allow him to wiggle off the hook at the last minute would be yet another deflating example of the worst of the worst not facing any accountability for their seditious actions.

UPDATE:  The brain's ploy didn't work with the judge.  His trial is going forward without delay and his delay/distract tactics were quashed.

(Photo:  The brain at rest/ Jeremy Liebman, Bloomberg Businessweek)

Trump Insiders Subpoenaed By January 6 Committee

 

The first subpoenas have gone out to four Trumpers who would have intimate knowledge of the malignant loser's words and actions on and before the January 6 insurrection:

Four former Trump administration officials have been hit with subpoenas by the House select committee investigating the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol building.

The first four officials receiving subpoenas are former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former political strategist Steve Bannon, former social media director Dan Scavino, and former defense official Kash Patel.

The group as a whole has until October 7th to respond to the subpoenas. Bannon and Patel are being ordered to appear before the committee on October 14th, with Meadows and Scavino slated to appear before the committee a day later.

(There's no additional content at the link.)

This is the equivalent of going for the jugular right out of the box, given the proximity of these four dead-ender bums to what we know was underway between the election and January 6;  Meadows and Scavino because of their positions in the White House and as purveyors of the Big Lie following the election; Patel because of his ties to the Pentagon and what role he might have played in delaying a National Guard response to the insurrection.  Bannon, as a planner of the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the assault on the Capitol, is of particular importance given his history of filling the empty head of the malignant loser with visions of autocratic grandeur.  These are the Four Horses' Asses of the Apocalypse, and the committee was right in targeting them with subpoenas, since they were highly unlikely to appear before the committee otherwise.

Bannon's "Gladiator School" For Alt-Right Gets Thumbs Down

Derelict coplayer and man in search of a balcony Steve Bannon has been trying to establish a "gladiator school for culture warriors" in Italy (insert Mussolini reference here).  The project was to attract budding populists fascists from all over Europe and the world and train them in the fine arts of populist mob violence fascist politics.  The future of the "school," to be located in the Trisulti monastery, was full of promise last December, but it appears to be doomed now due to =spoiler alert= fraud.

The Italian government has delivered a potentially fatal blow to Steve Bannon’s plans to transform a medieval monastery near Rome into a training academy for the far-right.

Italy’s cultural heritage ministry announced on Friday (May 31) that it would revoke a lease granted to Bannon after reports of fraud in the competitive tender process. The former Breitbart chief and aide to US president Donald Trump was reportedly paying €100,000 ($110,000) per year to rent the 13th Century Carthusian monastery, but now will have to search for another spot. [snip]

Italian newspaper Repubblica reported that a letter used to guarantee the lease was forged. The letter had the signature of an employee of Danish bank Jyske, but the bank said that employee hadn’t worked there for years, and called the letter fraudulent.

That a project associated with Bannon (eg., like Trump) would end badly and in the justice system shouldn't surprise.  But this is just the latest setback for Trump's former sloppy Svengali:

... His funding of extremist parties ended before it even started last year, after the Guardian revealed that foreign donations, like the ones the millionaire was planning to make, would break electoral laws in a dozen European countries.

We've been fortunate, so far, that these would- be Caesars of the far right are the bumbling grifters they are.  But, they also don't give up.  They'll adapt and resurface.  They're relentless, and so must we be.

(Photo: The Eminence Grease; Joel Saget/ AFP/Getty Images)

Tweets Of The Day -- "From Svengali To Boxcar Willie"

Harebrained News Item: Bannon pitches White House on plan to cripple Mueller probe and protect Trump

Great line this morning from @CNN contributor @JohnAvlon on the stunning decline of former Sarasota County resident Steve Bannon:  "He went from Svengali to Boxcar Willie.''

— Chris Anderson (@ChrisA0213) April 12, 2018

For those unfamiliar with the late country music performer ("America's favorite hobo") and, now, Bannon doppelgänger, here's a picture of Boxcar Willie:

We're sure no offense to Mr. Willie was intended.

Is Bannon Going To Flip On Trump?

NBC News is reporting this morning that former chief strategist and derelict cosplayer Steve Bannon, who has been subpoenaed  by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, will cooperate with the Trump- Russia investigation:

The subpoena compels Bannon to testify before a grand jury, skipping the voluntary interview with Mueller's team that many in Trump's orbit have elected to take. But Mueller may still leave open the option for an interview in lieu of grand jury testimony. Bannon is likely to accept such an option if it is made available, according to a source close to Bannon. 

Three people familiar with the special counsel’s investigation suggested Mueller moved to subpoena Bannon, rather than ask him to voluntarily appear for questioning, in order to thwart any potential attempt by the White House to pressure Bannon into refusing to cooperate. [snip] 

Bannon is expected to be more forthcoming with Mueller’s team. “He’ll answer any questions” Mueller wants, one source close to Bannon told NBC News.

Bannon is represented by the same attorney (William Burck) as former chief of staff Reince Priebus and current White (Supremacist) House Counsel Don McGahn. You'll remember Priebus was un- ceremoniously dumped in a power struggle with Bannon, and McGahn is at the center of the obstruction of justice efforts by un- indicted co- conspirator Donald "Rump" Trump to keep AG Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III from recusing himself. That's an interesting trio of clients you have there, Mr. Burck.

One- by- one, Mueller is getting sworn testimony by members of Rump's inner circle. Beyond the collusion investigation, Bannon seems to have knowledge about the money laundering businesses of Rump and his son- in- law Jared "Mr. Ivanka Trump" Kushner, given his comments in Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" book. If he does "answer any questions" from the Mueller team, it would be the biggest threat to Rump so far (we sincerely hope).

On Bannon, The Unraveling, And The Bogus Voter Suppression Commission (UPDATED)

Let's catch up on some of the latest from the Thunderdome that is the regime of neo- fascist nitwit Donald "Rump" Trump:

The Bannon Bombshells in Michael Wolff's upcoming book "Fire and Fury."  Rump's mouthpieces issue a "cease and desist" letter and threaten to sue Steve Bannon:

In the letter, attorney Charles Harder, accused Bannon of breaking his nondisclosure agreement, “by, among other things, communicating with author Michael Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members, and the Company [the campaign], disclosing Confidential Information to Mr. Wolff, and making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements to Mr. Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members.”

Smart move, Rump mouthpieces!  Keep the story going through possible extended legal action (which is not likely to succeed anyway).

Also, from the book,

Wolff book on how top aides regard Trump:  “For Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, he was an ‘idiot.’ For Gary Cohn, he was ‘dumb as shit.’ For H.R. McMaster he was a ‘dope.’ The list went on.”

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) January 3, 2018

Which is pretty strong proof to us that these remora were/ are knowingly serving an unfit, unstable menace to America and the world mostly for their own $elfish, cynical reasons. (Jared Yates Sexton has a thread on just this point.)

Lawmakers were briefed in December on Rump's mental state. The 25th Amendment (removal of president due to mental or physical unfitness) is still the most ephemeral option given Rump's loyal following in the Cabinet (see above), but interesting to note nonetheless:

Lawmakers concerned about President Donald Trump’s mental state summoned Yale University psychiatry professor Dr. Bandy X. Lee to Capitol Hill last month for two days of briefings about his recent behavior. 

In private meetings with more than a dozen members of Congress held on Dec. 5 and 6, Lee briefed lawmakers — all Democrats except for one Republican senator, whom Lee declined to identify. Her professional warning to Capitol Hill: “He’s going to unravel, and we are seeing the signs.”

Rump disbands his bogus Voter Fraud Suppression commission. This one's mercifully dead, but don't expect Republicans to give up trying to disenfranchise Democratic- leaning voters:

President Trump on Wednesday announced that he is disbanding a controversial panel studying alleged voter fraud that became mired in multiple federal lawsuits and faced resistance from states that accused it of overreach. 

The decision is a major setback for Trump, who created the commission last year in response to his claim, for which he provided no proof, that he lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 because of millions of illegally cast ballots. 

The commission met only twice amid the series of lawsuits seeking to curb its authority and claims by Democrats that it was stacked to recommend voting restrictions favorable to the president’s party.

We worry, though, about the voter data from those states that complied with Kobach's requests -- and what mischief can still be accomplished with that.

UPDATE:  Rump's mouthpieces are also trying to stop publication of Wolff's book --

NEW this am: Trump attorneys send cease-and-desist letter this morning to Wolff and book publisher @HenryHolt  demanding they stop publication and issue an apology to @realDonaldTrump for defamatory statements made thus far.

— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) January 4, 2018

Reportedly, Wolff has interviews on tape.  This won't end well... for Rump.

Tweets Of The Day - Bye Bye Bye

Peak schadenfreude:

This @NewYorker cartoon never goes out of style. pic.twitter.com/zfo80x9Pbs

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 18, 2017

Come on! What did Bannon ever do except promote racism, xenophobia, misogyny, anti-Semitism and white nationalism?https://t.co/XOAw4kijJp

— Jules (@jules_su) August 18, 2017

With Bannon's departure, the White House staff is now down to a measly 232 white nationalists

— "TBONE" O'Sullivan (@Bro_Pair) August 18, 2017

A source familiar with Breitbart's operations tells @jonathanvswan they'd go "thermonuclear" against "globalists" https://t.co/aymtPVGOam

— Axios (@axios) August 18, 2017

Godspeed, Sir: Steve Bannon Is Bravely Walking Into The Desert To Find A Gun He Saw In A Dream https://t.co/WoX8A5mEm0 pic.twitter.com/OrqjHxdzlR

— PatriotHole (@PatriotHole) August 18, 2017

pic.twitter.com/5S9YuTTROE

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) August 18, 2017

And...

This concludes infrastructure week.

— James Hamblin (@jameshamblin) August 18, 2017

Bannon Vs. Kushner - Trump Chooses (UPDATED)

Saturday Night Live's cold open killed:



UPDATE: "Sean 'Spicy' Spicer" delivers "his" Easter/ Passover message:

Quote Of The Day - The Forgotten Man Remains Forgotten By Trump

"It’s a very strange moment. Trump and Bannon are happy to expand the reach of the state when it comes to policing, immigration enforcement, executive-branch meddling in the work of investigative agencies, and the browbeating of individual companies that offend the president in one way or another. The parts of government they want to dismantle are those that stand on the side of citizens against powerful interests." -- E.J. Dionne, Jr., on the dangerous government "deconstruction" goal of neo- fascist dimwit Donald "Rump" Trump's commander- in- chief Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon, expressed at the recent gathering of loons known as CPAC. This is how far right "populists" propose to help the "forgotten man."

Tweets Of The Day - The Odd Couple

All the talk at the crusty white people's Conservative Political Action Conference today was about the joint appearance by the Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar of the alt- right, Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon and Reince "Prepuce" Priebus.  Fighting off rumors that they're continually stabbing each other in the back to gain more power in Trumpland, they may have taken the buddy buddy act a bit too far:

In case anyone's counting, Priebus has touched Bannon's leg four times during this 18 minute interview

— Olivia Becker (@oliviaLbecker) February 23, 2017

But, apparently, permission doesn't go both ways:

Please tell me somebody else saw Priebus' reaction to Bannon trying to touch him. #CPAC2017 pic.twitter.com/oNXGEvgNhv

— Kyle Alvarado (@KJAlvarado124) February 23, 2017

Perhaps this is why Priebus reacted as he did:

If you look closely you can see Bannon's hand up @Reince's ass.

— Christopher R Walker (@TheLoki47) February 23, 2017

Saturday Night Live Burns The Weenies

SNL's double- barreled shot at, first, neo- fascist puppet Donald "Rump" Trump and the Grim Reaper -- a.k.a., Steve Bannon --making phone calls to world leaders; then Melissa McCarthy doing a hilarious take on weenie "Baghdad Sean" Spicer's angry handling of the press (via Crooks and Liars). Notice the Russian flag pin in "Trump's" lapel -- nice jab.

Today's Cartoon Twofer - No Seeing, Hearing, Speaking Evil

(click on images to enlarge)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)


(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)

Jack Moore at GQ pulls no punches:

If Donald Trump has shown anything during his first eleven days in office, it's that he's a coward with no ideas of his own, who is more than happy to be a puppet for the true president of the United States: Steve Bannon. Sure, Trump acts like he's in charge, but that's because he's too dumb to realize that Bannon is so obviously pulling the strings that he's become a joke. A real, impressive winner (not a Fake! Sad! Loser! like Trump) would recognize he's being manipulated by a power-hungry jackass who is actively trying to destroy the founding principles of this nation. And what's truly crazy is that that statement isn't even slightly hyperbolic.

The Three Stooges (Ryan, Pence and McConnell, above) are fine with this as long as they can get the puppet to sign off on tax cuts for the wealthy.