Bill Maher captures the zeitgeist at the Republican National
We all need a shower and delousing after the last 4 days.
More to follow ...
Friday, July 22, 2016
The Banana Republicans' "Noxious Gathering Of Short Bus Lynch Mob People"
Bill Maher captures the zeitgeist at the Republican National
We all need a shower and delousing after the last 4 days.
More to follow ...
Last Night's Ewww Moment
Notice how she recoils?what is wrong with this man pic.twitter.com/svd4zLpunk— Maryellen Stewart (@Maryellen) July 22, 2016
We joke about all of his creepy incestuous fantasies, but this is not something normal dads do. pic.twitter.com/MztJUNdR72— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) July 22, 2016
Very creepy and degenerate. It recalls the time when he said if she weren't his daughter, he'd be dating her.
Then there's this summation from chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov:
I’ve heard this sort of speech a lot in the last 15 years and trust me, it doesn’t sound any better in Russian.— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) July 22, 2016
We believe it was translated from the original German....
More reactions to come.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Today's Cartoon Threefer - The Republican National Sh*tshow
(Darrin Bell, via gocomics.com)
(Matt Davies, via gocomics.com)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
If you've been looking for "ideas" or "policies" from the podium of the Republican National
BONUS: John Avlon echoes the mood at the sh*tshow:
And the illusion of being a party built on policies and principles, rather than cultural and economic resentments, seems lost to the latest generation of Know-Nothings. Free trade has been all but abandoned but the anti-gay platform has been enhanced.
Hating Hillary, a time-honored pastime in conservative circles, has become the glue that holds this motley crew together. But even that partisan emotional outlet has crossed the line from typical team-ism to something darker and more surreal. A recurring theme in the convention hall is the chant to “Lock Her Up” while wearing T-shirts that say “Hillary for Prison.” There are countries where political opponents are threatened with imprisonment. America hasn’t traditionally been one of them.
But this time it feels different. America is on the knife-edge of something dangerous.
Official: Roger Ailes Out At Fox "News"
Fox "News" Chairman and CEO Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes is officially done at the Republican propaganda arm:
21st Century Fox today announced that Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, and Chairman of Fox Television Stations, has resigned from his role effective immediately.
Rupert Murdoch will assume the role of Chairman and acting CEO of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network.Not a word in the statement about the sexual harassment suit and allegations leveled by multiple Fox female employees, of course. It remains to be seen whether Jabba acolytes and defenders Bill "O'Liely" O'Reilly, Sean "Heil" Hannity and Greta Van
(Image: Possibly the last time we'll get to use this, so let's blow it up!)
Ban On Russian Dopers Upheld
Russia has lost its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), international sports' highest tribunal, over the ban of its track and field team over doping its athletes. This paves the way for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Russian athletes from the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro beginning on August 5, if the IOC so chooses. Even without a blanket ban on Russia for the Rio Olympics, track and field events were at the core of their Olympic hopes.
An independent report last fall by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) asserted that there was "rampant state-sponsored doping in Russian athletics." At the time, Russia pledged to clean up the problem, but in June the international federation ruled that progress had not been sufficient to lift the ban on the track and field athletes. Russia Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, a crony of Russian leader and Trump fave Vladimir "Vlad the Invader" Putin, claimed that the ban harmed athletes that weren't doping, although the independent report was clear that the doping was supported by the Russian government itself through its Ministry of Sport and was "rampant."
Reverting to their default "slander against Russia" mode, the Sports Ministry has called CAS's ruling a "crime against sport," while Russian pole vaulter Yelena "I Can Vault Without A Pole" Isinbayeva claimed that it was a plot to keep the mighty Russkies from winning: "They have always feared (our) strength." Well, Yelena, strength through chemistry it seems. Spasibo for (not) playing.
The Extremist Republican Platform
... Loosen gun controls nationwide: "We support firearm reciprocity legislation to recognize the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms to protect themselves and their families in all 50 states. We support constitutional carry statutes and salute the states that have passed them. We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle."
... Pass an anti-choice constitutional amendment: "We assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth."
... End federal funding for Planned Parenthood: "We oppose the use of public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations, like Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts rather than provide healthcare."
... Oppose stem cell scientific research: "We oppose embryonic stem cell research. We oppose federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. We support adult stem cell research and urge the restoration of the national placental stem cell bank created by President George H.W. Bush but abolished by his Democrat successor, President Bill Clinton. We oppose federal funding for harvesting embryos and call for a ban on human cloning."
... Allow states to shut down abortion Clinics: "We condemn the Supreme Court’s activist decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt striking down commonsense Texas laws providing for basic health and safety standards in abortion clinics."
... Bible study in public schools: "A good understanding of the Bible being indispensable for the development of an educated citizenry, we encourage state legislatures to offer the Bible in a literature curriculum as an elective in America’s high schools."There's so much more frankly frightening nonsense about the usual right- wing hobgoblins (ignore global climate change, gut environmental regulations, repeal Obamacare, build a wall, support "clean" coal mining and fracking, etc., etc.) that we urge you to look at the list and see just how insane these people are. It's not the Party of Lincoln. It's not even the Party of Reagan. It's the Party of Trump in all its bug- eyed, frothing, Nazi- saluting horror. Chew on that if you will.
BONUS: Here's your typical Party of Trump delegate. She seems nice.
Trump: I Might Not Defend Baltic States Against Russia
He even called into question whether, as president, he would automatically extend the security guarantees that give the 28 members of NATO the assurance that the full force of the United States military has their back.
For example, asked about Russia’s threatening activities that have unnerved the small Baltic States that are among the more recent entrants into NATO, Mr. Trump said that if Russia attacked them, he would decide whether to come to their aid only after reviewing whether those nations “have fulfilled their obligations to us.” (our emphasis)Whether this is just another example of Rump's impulsive, bottomless ignorance of American foreign and defense policies, or if it's because he's a "
BONUS: Steve Benen's post on Rump's trashing the moral authority of the U.S. (and links he shares on Rump's coziness with Putin's crowd) is well worth the read.
Images From The Dark Side
At last night's
BONUS: He watched so we didn't have to: Charles Pierce has more on the frothing and the hypocrisy.
Cruz Missile Hits Convention
Last night's Rethuglican Convention was disrupted by the speech given by Texas sociopath and 2020 Presidential wannabe Sen. Ted "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz, who not only failed to endorse neo-fascist goon Donald "Rump" Trump, but told the audience to "vote their conscience." That was not only a reference to Monday's blocked roll-call vote that crushed dissent from non-Trumpists, but to the primary election, where the Tailgunner had finished in second place in the delegate vote. Furious Trumpshirts booed and catcalled from the floor, and Tailgunner Ted's wife had to be escorted from the convention floor by security.The scene afterward wasn't pretty, and contrasted starkly with the Tailgunner's entrance on stage to cheers.
Source tells @DanaBashCNN behind the scenes people called Cruz "a disgrace" to his face. One state chairman had to be held back— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskCNN) July 21, 2016
What a disaster. Everyone watching this prime time just saw a speaker at Trump's convention refuse to endorse him and luxuriate in it.— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) July 21, 2016
It was an ugly scene (from the Rethug point of view) which demonstrated that, aside from their pathological Hillaryhate, they're as divided as they were during the primaries. It's wonderfully ironic that the theme of tonight's finale is "Make America One Again." We're hoping this is the real takeaway from this sh*tshow of a convention:
A vote for Trump means your country will be run like this convention.— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) July 21, 2016
(photo: Better chyron: "We stand here tonight a party divided.")
BONUS: The convention takeaway begins:
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Trump Thinks Presidentin' Is Beneath Him
Neo- fascist con artist Donald "Rump" Trump's oldest son,
... Did he [Kasich] have any interest in being the most powerful vice president in history?
When Kasich’s adviser asked how this would be the case, Donald Jr. explained that his father’s vice president would be in charge of domestic and foreign policy.
Then what, the adviser asked, would Trump be in charge of?
“Making America great again” was the casual reply. (our emphasis)So, while Rump's busy branding the Washington Monument and looking for other merchandising opportunities here and abroad for his classy name (and otherwise making America great again!), his Vice President would be in charge of ... basically everything. In other words,
Don't worry America, Trump doesn't want to do the job, he just wants the perks, like every Republican in congress.— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) July 20, 2016
Pence is lucky, usually the guys who do the real work for Trump don't get letters that big. pic.twitter.com/j85JKE4bIt— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) July 20, 2016
(Image: Who's the dummy again? via Wonkette)Trump is used to ghost writers doing all the work. From here on out, Mike Pence's title should be "Ghost President." He's got the coloring.— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) July 20, 2016
Aggrieved Republican Economics: It's The "Lazy Welfare Moochers" Problem!
In fact, the most common economic critiques I heard from delegates — more common than taxes, trade, unemployment, the national debt, or immigration — were variants of Mitt Romney’s “free stuff” critique of Obama, the notion that Obama is expanding the welfare state for lazy moochers. They said Obamacare is increasing premiums for the middle class, although premiums actually are growing more slowly than they were before Obamacare, in order to extend insurance to the poor. McNulty, the Republican activist in Iowa, compared the Obama approach to feeding homeless people under the bridge, so they remain comfortable under the bridge.There's a condition known as "confirmation bias," which translates as "a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore, not look for, or undervalue the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs." It's a condition that is endemic in the "minds" of Republicans when it comes to any analysis of information that might suggest something positive about, say, Democrats or progressive policies. Grunwald's interviewees provide clinical proof of this. It's also proof that, when it comes to almost any topic, you can be assured that racially-charged code words like "welfare" and "lazy moochers" will work their way into the discussion.
Keep that thought and these numbers in mind, as you hear the bullshit being catapulted every night about the "disastrous" economy of President Barack Hussein =cough= black Muslim =cough= Obummer:
Unemployment rate under Republican George "Dumbya" Bush in January 2009: 7.8 percent
Unemployment rate under Democrat Barack Obama today: 4.9 percent
Jobs created during the record 76 straight months of job growth under Obama: 14.8 million
Dow Jones average in January 2009: under 8,000
Dow Jones average today: 18,600 plus
If that's "disastrous," we wonder how one would characterize the last two days of the Republican National
(h/t Wonkette and P.E.C.)
(Image: A generic Republican.)
Cartoons Of The Day: Imitation's The Sincerest Form of Flattery
(click to enlarge)
Day Two after Ms. Rump's embarrassing plagiarism and no one's been fired from neo-fascist narcissist Donald "Rump" Trump's pathetic campaign. "Never admit a mistake" is apparently a new slogan of theirs. Also, "take no responsibility." (Update: Meredith McIver, a campaign speechwriter says Ms. Rump read portions of Ms. Obama's speech to her as an "example" of what she wanted to say, but she took the words and used them without editing).
As someone pointed out yesterday, it's not so much that she or her speechwriters lifted several lines directly from Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic Convention speech, it's that the description of her husband by way of those lines is so jarringly dishonest and opposite of the selfish, petty and born-to-the-manor reality of Rump.
BONUS: For good measure, you have to see this satire from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The actress that impersonates Ms. Rump is phenomenal. (It's actress/singer Laura Benanti).
(cartoons: top, Steve Breen, bottom, Nick Anderson, via Gocomics.com)
Day Two after Ms. Rump's embarrassing plagiarism and no one's been fired from neo-fascist narcissist Donald "Rump" Trump's pathetic campaign. "Never admit a mistake" is apparently a new slogan of theirs. Also, "take no responsibility." (Update: Meredith McIver, a campaign speechwriter says Ms. Rump read portions of Ms. Obama's speech to her as an "example" of what she wanted to say, but she took the words and used them without editing).
As someone pointed out yesterday, it's not so much that she or her speechwriters lifted several lines directly from Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic Convention speech, it's that the description of her husband by way of those lines is so jarringly dishonest and opposite of the selfish, petty and born-to-the-manor reality of Rump.
BONUS: For good measure, you have to see this satire from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The actress that impersonates Ms. Rump is phenomenal. (It's actress/singer Laura Benanti).
(cartoons: top, Steve Breen, bottom, Nick Anderson, via Gocomics.com)
Another Rage-gasm At The Republican Sh*tshow
Ben "On Meds?" Carson:
“One of the things I have learned about Hillary Clinton is that one of her heroes is Saul Alinsky,” Carson said.
Alinsky has been a popular target for the right and his ideas have been tied to President Obama and Clinton. Carson said Alinsky acknowledged Lucifer in one of his books.That's Ben "On Meds?" version of six degrees of Kevin Bacon, except he cut out four degrees.
Then, Donald "Rump" Trump's personal valet and Big Mac fetcher Gov. Chris "Krispykreme" Christie:
Christie said “every region of the world has been infected with her flawed judgment,” citing Clinton’s resistance to adding Boko Haram to the terrorist watch list.
“What happened because of this reckless action by the candidate who is the self-proclaimed champion of women around the world? These terrorists abducted hundreds of innocent young girls two years ago,” Christie said. “These schoolgirls are still missing today.Debunked!
Krispykreme also led the frothing mob in call- and- response chants of "Guilty or not guilty" over delusional examples of Hillary Clinton's ethics. That's from Mr. Bridgegate. Or, as Hillary herself puts it:
BONUS: As usual, Charles Pierce nails "Big Chicken."If you think Chris Christie can lecture anyone on ethics, we have a bridge to sell you. https://t.co/c1nkZojJFL #RNCinCLE— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 20, 2016
BONUS II: To quote Big Chicken, "We are about to be led by not only a strong leader but by a caring, genuine and decent person". But enough about Hillary Clinton. Bada boom.
BONUS III: Rude Pundit reviews Big Chicken and Il Douche, Jr. (salty but appropriate to the occasion).
Mid-Week Reverie Song
Anglo-Trinidadian jazz singer Tessa Souter is known for taking standards from the blues, rock and even classical genres and making them unique and memorable. Here, she's taken French impressionist composer Claude Debussy's classic "Reverie," giving it lyrics and a soft jazz twist. Enjoy.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Cartoon And Read Of The Day - Trump's Sh*tshow
(Brian McFadden, via gocomics.com)
Frequent blind squirrel and Reagan/ Thatcher Tory Andrew Sullivan had some thoughts in his live blogging of the sh*tshow last night:
Just mulling over the events tonight, there’s one obvious stand-out. I didn’t hear any specific policy proposals to tackle clearly stated public problems. It is almost as if governing, for the Republican right, is fundamentally about an attitude, rather than about experience or practicality or reasoning. The degeneracy of conservatism – its descent into literally mindless appeals to tribalism and fear and hatred – was on full display. You might also say the same about the religious right, the members of whom have eagerly embraced a racist, a nativist, a believer in war crimes, and a lover of the tyrants that conservatism once defined itself against. Their movement long lost any claim to a serious Christian conscience. But that they would so readily embrace such an unreconstructed pagan is indeed a revelation.
If you think of the conservative movement as beginning in 1964 and climaxing in the 1990s, then the era we are now in is suffering from a cancer of the mind and the soul. That the GOP has finally found a creature that can personify these urges to purge, a man for whom the word “shameless” could have been invented, a bully and a creep, a liar and cheat, a con man and wannabe tyrant, a dedicated loather of individual liberty, and an opponent of the pricelessly important conventions of liberal democracy is perhaps a fitting end.
This is the gutter, ladies and gentlemen, and it runs into a sewer. May what’s left of conservatism be carried out to sea.First of all, cheers to that last graph.
To be specific though, the "conservative movement" Sullivan says began in 1964 with Barry Goldwater was undeniably founded on "mindless appeals to tribalism and fear and hatred." It has always been a white nativist movement, exclusionary in its "patriotism," authoritarian at heart, comforting the comfortable. To imagine there wasn't a "cancer" at its heart when it ejected Rockefeller Republicans in San Francisco in 1964; when it opted for the racist "Southern Strategy" in 1968; when Reagan kicked off his campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1980; when Poppy Bush ran the Willie Horton ads in 1988; with the 7- year- long campaign to delegitimize President Obama and cast him as somehow not American; to imagine ALL THAT just happened to spring up personified in the form of Donald "Rump" Trump is to be in profound denial and profoundly ahistorical.
But, hey, welcome to reality anyway.
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