Morning Reading - Inaugural Entertainment

If it's Andy Borowitz, you know it's to laugh.  Under the headline, "Putin To Sing At Trump Inauguration," he "reports":

After having difficulty persuading prominent entertainers to participate at the event, the Trump transition team announced on Sunday that the Russian President Vladimir Putin would sing at Donald J. Trump’s Inauguration next month.

Facing criticism that Putin is neither a singer nor an experienced performer,

The Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway pushed back against such criticism during an appearance on CNN. “If we limited ourselves to people who had talent and experience, that would disqualify half of our Cabinet,” she said.

In reality, neo- fascist toxin Donald "Rump" Trump is having problems getting "A-list" entertainers to scuttle their careers by performing at his installation as unpresident, even after going so far as dangling ambassadorships as incentives. In the end, he may be stuck with shitstain supporters like Kid "Dumb As A" Rock and Ted "I Crapped My Pants" Nugent. We don't think they would need an ambassadorship to perform, but if they do, Rock could be ambassador to "Dumbf--kistan," a place he's intimately familiar with.  We'd suggest Nugent for Russia.

BONUS: This won't happen because of logistics and prior commitments, but wouldn't it be a hoot to have  an alternative, nationally-televised event/concert on January 20 involving yuge performing acts during the inauguration and subsequent balls? It would suck some oxygen from Rump's special day.

Across The Universe (Cont.)

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From NASA/ ESA, December 12, 2016: In 1900, astronomer Joseph Lunt made a discovery: Peering through a telescope at Cape Town Observatory, the British–South African scientist spotted this beautiful sight in the southern constellation of Grus (The Crane): a barred spiral galaxy now named IC 5201.

Over a century later, the galaxy is still of interest to astronomers. For this image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope used its Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) to produce a beautiful and intricate image of the galaxy. Hubble’s ACS can resolve individual stars within other galaxies, making it an invaluable tool to explore how various populations of stars have sprung to life, evolved, and died throughout the cosmos.

IC 5201 sits over 40 million light-years away from us. As with two thirds of all the spirals we see in the Universe — including the Milky Way, the galaxy has a bar of stars slicing through its centre.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Photo Of The Day - Heroes Of Motherland Russia

Russian nesting dolls currently on display and for sale in Red Square, Moscow: l. to r. Putin, Trump, Lenin (h/t LGF).

Is good, nyet?

Sunday Cartoon - The Trump White House

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(Tom Toles, once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle)

Russia, Trump and Treason

Not surprisingly, neo-fascist demagogue and "useful idiot" Donald "Rump" Trump has been disparaging the U.S. intelligence community's common conclusion that Russia purposefully hacked our e-mail and data systems and otherwise meddled in the 2016 elections for the purpose of electing him. He's opposed to any investigations into the matter, and is trying to rewrite history about when he knew about the Russian cyberattacks.

In an opinion piece in this morning's Boston Globe, John Shattuck, a former Assistant Secretary of State, explores four areas that would explain Rump's adamant refusal to support an investigation into a hostile foreign power's attack on our democracy:

"First, he may be trying to shore up his political standing before the Electoral College vote on Monday. Second, he may be attempting to undermine the credibility of US intelligence agencies in advance of his taking office so that he can intimidate them and have a freer hand in reshaping the intelligence product to suit his objectives. Third, he may be testing his ability to go over the heads of intelligence professionals and congressional critics and persuade the American public to follow his version of the truth about national security threats. And finally, he may be seeking to cover up evidence of involvement or prior knowledge by members of his campaign team or himself in the Russian cyberattack. In each case the president-elect is inviting an interpretation that his behavior is treasonous." (emphasis added)

Rump is known to have significant amounts of Russian money invested in his organization, and Russian banks and oligarchs don't make a move without the approval of their autocrat Vladimir Putin. Refusing to release his tax returns, he invites further doubts as to his financial dealings with the Russian government, and with corrupt individuals within the Russian oligarchy (not to mention other unfriendly countries).

In the past few weeks, Rump has shown that he intends to use his newfound political power to advance his business interests, even if they are in direct conflict with U.S. interests. As we get closer to the inauguration, those "interpretations" of his behavior may get wider acceptance. After he takes the oath of office, without a complete reversal by him, it would be hard to view his behavior as anything but treasonous.

SNL Feasts On Rump/Putin Bromance

If narcissistic buffoon and Putin Pooch Donald "Rump" Trump was displeased with last week's SNL treatment of him, last night's skewering will have his tiny fingers twit twittering furiously. The cold open skit features "Vladimir Putin" and Secretary of State nominee "Rex Tillerson" (in a great portrayal by John Goodman) plotting new oil fields "once the embargo is lifted," while "Manchurian candidate" Rump looks on cluelessly. Piranha / human hybrid Kellyanne Conway, Rump's wife Plagiaria, "energetic" Rick "Oops" Perry, and Rump's failure to get top names in entertainment for his inauguration are also spoofed. Enjoy.

Sunday Reflection - "Identity Politics"

Michael Eric Dyson writes in the New York Times about "identity politics," neo- fascist white nationalist Donald "Rump" Trump, and progressives:

... The real unifying force in our national cultural and political life, beyond skirmishes over ideology, is white identity masked as universal, neutral and, therefore, quintessentially American. The greatest purveyors of identity politics today, and for the bulk of our country’s history, have been white citizens.

A must- read.

Unprecedented Stupidity And Irresponsibility Tweet Of The Day (UPDATED)

From the Giant Toddler* at 6:30 in the morning:


The ignorant twit is referring to this incident, which is already being dealt with -- diplomatically.

A few reactions (mostly h/t Crooks & Liars):

It took Trump and his team 87 minutes to fix the word "unpresidented." pic.twitter.com/Bz7NxSqwlo

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 17, 2016

#Unpresidented [uhn-pres-i-den-tid] - lacking presidential skills and exhibiting disregard for autocorrect

— Maciej Kuziemski (@kuziemsky) December 17, 2016

What better, more organic, Orwellian outcome than for an authoritarian ditz like @realDonaldTrump to coin it? "He was then #Unpresidented" pic.twitter.com/dEzVCYm9hP

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) December 17, 2016

Donald Trump: The Unpresident

— Schooley (@Rschooley) December 17, 2016

Remember, Trump doesn't need daily intelligence briefings because, as he tells us, "I'm, like, a smart guy." (h/t Mickey in comments)

UPDATE:  The most recent unprecedented stupidity from the twitter twit here.

*h/t Quinn Cummings.

Hackwhackers' Movie Time

This time of the year, the movie studios release their biggest projects, both to capitalize on the vacation time and spending around Christmas and to set up their promotion for spring's film awards. One film that's gotten attention is "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", which is now playing in theaters. A clue that it's a special film are the attacks from white supremacists who accuse it of being too "multicultural," and who are boycotting the film. We're not Star Wars fans, and this reportedly isn't another film along the lines of the George Lucas / J.J. Abrams franchise (it's produced by Disney studios), although it does tie into those classics. What drives the white supremacists rage is that a collection of courageous non-whites, women, and even aliens battle a white, reactionary force bent on dominating the universe (a little too close to home, wingnuts?)

The film is not overtly political or religious, but manages to subtly infuse many positive and heroic themes and values into the film that progressives would appreciate. And it manages to do that in an epic way, with excellent writing, acting and effects. Think Progress' Jack Jenkins has a worthy review of the film, and concludes:

"It’s an awe-inspiring moment of cinema that depicts — in visceral fashion — the grim reality of what heroism often looks like to those who live it. Not only is this misfit band of wounded warriors fighting an unimaginably powerful war machine that can destroy planets, they are also given the harrowing responsibility of confronting an evil, cape-wearing demon with god-like powers and seemingly no sense of empathy. Yet over and over again, the sacrifice of Rogue One’s characters — be it Saw Gerrera, Jyn, or pretty much every major character in this film — drive the same point home: at times, to resist power is to stare death and certain defeat in the face and not just accept it, but embrace it. Sometimes that means not succeeding, or even knowing if you will — not everyone gets the applause and acclaim enjoyed by Luke Skywalker. But the effort alone is worth it all the same, because maybe, just maybe, it will make all the difference. 

It’s no wonder white supremacists would boycott such a film. Although wrapped in a fictional universe, it’s a reminder of what real-life humanity was willing to sacrifice to defeat them in the first place, and why those who mire themselves in such wanton hatred — no matter what weapons they construct or how powerful they become — will always lose." (emphasis added)

You may want to add it to your holiday to-do list. You'll see a memorable film while pissing off the white supremacists.

Today's Cartoons - Aleppo

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(Gary Markstein, via gocomics.com)


(Clay Jones, www.claytoonz.com)

Clay's cartoon is an homage to Kiwi/ British cartoonist David Low, who drew this famous cartoon of Hitler and Stalin greeting each other over the "body" of Poland in September 1939:



Infidel 753 has a sobering read on Putin's and Assad's "rendezvous" in Aleppo. These are heinous actors responsible for mass murder, and things could get worse with Putin pal Trump in office.

Morning Read - Keep The Pressure On Schumer

Jonathan Chait is keeping an eye on Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D- Wall Street), and isn't liking what he's seeing:

There are good, sound reasons why Democrats in Congress might want to cut some deals with Donald Trump. Maybe they can persuade him to stay in the Paris climate accords, or to preserve Obamacare with some tolerable revisions, in which case giving him bipartisan cover might be worthwhile. But Charles Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, seems to have a completely misguided understanding of how the calculation works. Obviously Schumer is not providing candid accounts of his political strategy to the public. But a series of reports from Democrats who have spoken with him paints a consistent account of a leader who thinks his party’s best chance of survival lies in working with Trump.  (our emphasis)

Chait goes on to outline the basic elements of a "stop Trump" survival strategy for Democrats, one that Schumer, a retail pol who values dealmaking over standing up for principles, is already in danger of abandoning. It's worth a read.

We admit we're not fans of Schumer's to begin with (to say the least). We were disheartened when Senate Democrats, perhaps swayed by Schumer's ability to dole out campaign funds in his role as DSCC chair, was elected Minority Leader rather than Sen. Dick Durbin, or any other plausible candidate for that matter.  To us, the turning point was Schumer's stabbing President Obama in the back on the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, a disqualifying act of cowardice and petty calculation for a party leader. Beyond that, Schumer's cozy ties to a particular home constituency -- Wall Street -- are sending the wrong signals at a time when the plutocrats are already in full sway in neo- fascist oligarch Donald "Rump" Trump's emerging administration. Ideally, a progressive fighter in that position would have been better suited for these times, but...

Chait concludes,

If Schumer wants to prevent bad outcomes, he might cut some deals with Trump. But those deals are going to put his members at risk. If he wants to protect his red-state seats, he needs to drive down Trump’s approval ratings, which means fighting Trump on everything. It’s unfortunate for the Democratic Party that its most powerful elected official does not seem to understand the basic political dynamic.  (our emphasis)

Given his track record, we don't think Schumer is going to be the rock that garbage scow Trump founders on. That's why we all need to keep relentless pressure on him to stand up for progressive principles in this dangerous environment.

Weekend Passenger Song

Brother Hackwhacker has posted several songs in the past from Passenger, once a British indie folk rock group and now just Mark David Rosenberg.  We heard this song, "Somebody's Love," released this past summer and thought we should feature it today (better late than never). Hope you enjoy.

"Useful Idiots Galore"

Paul Krugman's op/ ed today is about "useful idiots galore" and is worth a read.  Here's an excerpt:

The pro-Putin tilt of Mr. Trump and his advisers was obvious months before the election — I wrote about it in July. By midsummer the close relationship between WikiLeaks and Russian intelligence was also obvious, as was the site’s growing alignment with white nationalists. 

Did Republican politicians, so big on flag waving and impugning their rivals’ patriotism, reject this foreign aid to their cause? No, they didn’t. In fact, as far as I can tell, no major Republican figure was even willing to criticize Mr. Trump when he directly asked Russia to hack Mrs. Clinton. 

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. It has long been obvious — except, apparently, to the news media — that the modern G.O.P. is a radical institution that is ready to violate democratic norms in the pursuit of power. Why should the norm of not accepting foreign assistance be any different?

Krugman offers some "now what?" ideas that are crucial, starting with the observation that "the first step is to admit the awful reality of what just happened," especially by the media that played useful idiots to Rump and his Russian partners' subversion of the election. (Good luck with that.)

BONUS:  Stormtrumpers ("useful idiots") have fallen in love with Putin, too. The triumph of tribe over country:

Horses Escape Barn, Barn Door Now Closed

In an interview with National Public Radio today, President Obama said that the U.S. will take action against Russia for its interference in the 2016 elections, which now appear to have been personally directed by Russian autocrat Vladimir "Vlad the Invader" Putin. Obama said that action would be

"...at a time and place of our own choosing. Some of it may be explicit and publicized; some of it may not be."

In the five weeks remaining in his Presidency, Obama's options may be limited, and his actions reversible by his successor. Prior to the election, it was well known by the Administration and its intelligence services that Russia's hacking was damaging the Clinton campaign to the benefit of neo-fascist con man and Putin puppy Donald "Rump" Trump. Obama reportedly gave Putin a talking-to in September about the hacking at the G-20 summit, a talking-to which Putin apparently laughed off. Perhaps action "at a time and place of our own choosing" should have been back then, well before the election, to bring Putin and his intelligence apparatus to heel. As we've said, any action that Obama takes now will almost certainly be temporary and reversed by the Putinist Rump Administration after January 20, and with it any disincentives for Russia's future meddling.

Tweets Of The Day - The Trump Crime Family

News tonight:

- Access to Ivanka being auctioned off
- Don Jr. helping pick cabinet members
- Trump will NOT divest from his business

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) December 16, 2016

Trump spokesman says corruption is legal if you do it in the openhttps://t.co/xR1lgHdDeR pic.twitter.com/zPYxVdDhh5

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) December 15, 2016

Here's the quick link to the Ivanka auction story, the quick link to Don Jr.'s cabinet selection, and the quick link to the Think Progress story.