Trump's Reckless Phone Habits

It was reported yesterday that unfit buffoon Donald "Rump" Trump was continuing to violate national security protocols by using his personal phone to call friends and others, and that the Chinese and Russians were able to listen in.

Trump has been told that Chinese and Russian spies are listening in on his cell phone calls, but he refuses to use secure landline: "White House officials say they can only hope he refrains from discussing classified information when he is on them." https://t.co/aaifyv4pfU

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) October 24, 2018

In response to the concerns that Rump was leaking classified information (like he did to Russian officials in the Oval Office last year), the White (Supremacist) House had a statement that was both disturbing and reassuring:

"Administration officials said Mr. Trump’s longtime paranoia about surveillance — well before coming to the White House he believed that his phone conversations were often being recorded — gave them some comfort that he was not disclosing classified information on the calls. They said they had further confidence he was not spilling secrets because he rarely digs into the details of the intelligence he is shown and is not well versed in the operational specifics of military or covert activities." (our emphasis)

The reckless behavior continues, and while we can be grateful that his lack of interest in his job may protect most national security secrets, it only takes one slip to cost lives.

(Photo:  "Russia, if you're listening...")

"At Our Doorstep"

An additional explosive device has been found following the neutralization of several bombs sent to Democratic leaders and critics of dangerous demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump. Early this morning, a package delivered to Rump critic Robert De Niro was removed by NYPD bomb experts. In addition, Federal and state authorities are searching for a similar package addressed to former Vice President and possible Rump 2020 challenger Joe Biden. 

Last night at his Nuremberg campaign rally in Wisconsin, Rump addressed the bomb attempts in a perfunctory manner, before launching into his standard stump rant against Dems and the media. This morning, he tweeted that the "mainstream media" is responsible for "a big part of the Anger we see in our society today," refusing to acknowledge his central role in stoking fear, anger and violence over the past three years among his cultish followers.

Commenting on the bomb attempts, John Heilemann spoke on MSNBC this morning:

“It did not succeed on its terms, but the thing we all feared, something like that that we predicted, is at our doorstep. (Trump) did not pour gasoline further on the fire yesterday, but if you watched him in his prepared remarks at the White House and his rally in Wisconsin, you did not sense, I think, someone who grasped the gravity of it and certainly not someone who was taking extraordinary measures to try to calm the waters.” (our emphasis)

He won't take any measures that he believes will undermine him, including genuine demands for followers to exercise calm and respect. His malignant narcissism won't allow him to do that. His insecurities block him from any sense of anything greater than satisfying his own damaged ego. We're in for some rough road ahead.

"Inconceivable"

Tuesday, Flunky defends nonsense pulled hot out of a Very Stable Genius' ample ass:

"Well, it’s inconceivable that there are not people of Middle Eastern descent in a crowd of more than 7,000 people advancing toward our border," [VP Mike] Pence said in an interview with Washington Post reporter Robert Costa at an event sponsored by newspaper.  (our emphasis)

A few hours later on Tuesday, a Very Stable Genius kneecaps Flunky:

[P]pressed for the proof of Middle Eastern individuals in the caravan by CNN's Jim Acosta, Trump said "there's no proof of anything." 

"There's no proof of anything but they could very well be," Trump said.  (our emphasis)

It's "inconceivable" that these vicious morons are in the positions they're in, but that's where we are for now.

Tweets Of The Day -- But Her Emails!

Your "liberal media," ladies and gentlemen:

Why does the @nytimes story about an assassination attempt against the Clintons need to include a paragraph about Terry McAuliffe and the “significant debts from the legal troubles that dogged Mr. Clinton’s presidency”? pic.twitter.com/R1SBiU9c4n

— Benjamin Landy (@Ben_Landy) October 24, 2018

The @nytimes is more critical of Hillary Clinton in its article about a BOMB DELIVERED TO HER HOUSE than it is toward Donald Trump's racist panic incitement about Honduran migrants.

— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) October 24, 2018

Holy shit this totally gratuitous last graf of an article about a frigging bomb sent to the Clintons. Surprised they didn't go all the way and bring up her email server. pic.twitter.com/Dj7Kyai8Zi

— Daniel Radosh (@danielradosh) October 24, 2018

The New York Effing Times just can't help themselves, can they?  (The offensive paragraph has reportedly since been removed -- we won't give them the satisfaction of a click to verify.)

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News)


(Jeff Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Clay Jones, via claytoonz.com)


(Matt Davies, Newsday)

Mid-Week Gaga Song

Exactly two years ago, mega star and active progressive Lady Gaga released her fifth studio album, Grammy-nominated "Joanne." It was an eclectic mix of songs, with some folk, soft pop and dance influences. She named the album after her recently deceased aunt, Joanne Stefani Germanotta. Here's the wistful, acoustic title track from "Joanne." Enjoy.

The "Mob" And Bombs (UPDATED)

It looks like members of neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's far-right cult are going from "lock them up," to "blow them up": "Explosive Device Found In Mail Sent To the Clintons."  A suspicious package sent to President Obama was also intercepted by Secret Service officials around the same time.  Just days before, progressive philanthropist and bogey man of the right wing George Soros was the target of a bomb found in his mailbox in suburban New York.

When you hear Republicans talk of a "mob," you should visualize the brown shirts at his rallies being motivated to try to assassinate Rump's political foes.

UPDATE:  Looks like they went after another one of Rump's "enemies of the people state," CNN:

Scene outside CNN NY HQ right now. #NYPD Bomb squad here. @CNNnewsroom pic.twitter.com/avUVaSKDRu

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 24, 2018

UPDATE II:  The package sent to the CNN New York Headquarters was specifically addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan.  The Florida office of former DNC Chair / Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also appears to have been targeted.

UPDATE III:  More explosive devices reported (the one found at Wasserman Schultz's office was originally sent to former Obama AG Eric Holder, with a Wasserman Schultz return address).

Lying Is A Preexisting Condition For Republicans

Rachel Maddow calls out the bald- faced, widespread lying by Republican candidates who are trying to hide their past and present opposition to coverage of preexisting conditions in Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act). From Republican Governors to Attorneys General to Senators to Congressmen, Maddow exposes the lying hypocrites one by one:

Tweets Of The Day

Fake billionaire w/fake tan, fake hair, fake Christianity & a fake mandate who launched campaign w/fake racist smear & has made over 5000 fake statements informs transgender Americans that they are not real.   #WontBeErased

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 22, 2018

there’s no new middle-class tax cut. there’s no terrorist caravan. there’s no GOP effort to save protections for pre-existing conditions

all these things are made up

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) October 23, 2018

Not only are these hypocritical sociopaths not trying to save protections for pre- existing conditions, they're actively attacking them:

Trump Administration Launches New Attack On ACA’s Pre-existing Protections https://t.co/cEOmIoHOSv via @HuffPostPol

— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 23, 2018

But, you see, it doesn't matter because mindless Schafe Menschen like these will still support Agent Orange:

"It doesn't really matter what he says, we'll support it." - Trump supporter on line for Trump/Cruz rally. Says it all. pic.twitter.com/oojPlMeFgD

— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) October 22, 2018

You can't talk to them, you can't reason with them, you can't win them over. You just have to defeat them at every opportunity. Have to.

Vote Democratic November 6 and get like- minded folks to vote, too!!

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer)


(Rob Rogers, robrogers.com)

And, a reminder for two weeks from today:


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Giuliani: Have Cash? Will Travel!

In the past year, there's been no more vocal panderer to neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump than his bumbling TV lawyer and sinister opportunist Rudy "Ghouliani" Giuliani. Loose cannon Ghouliani would dearly like a position in Rump's cabinet, if it weren't for the fact that he'd have a very hard time getting confirmed even by the Rethuglican Senate.

While he fruitlessly waits for that ship to come in, the disgraced former mayor has been filling his pockets on the speaking tour, shaking down the gullible who believe he has influence with Rump and Co. And Ghouliani isn't especially concerned about the company he keeps at these engagements. He's scheduled to speak today at the pro-Russian "Eurasian Week" conference in Armenia, along with the usual cast of Kremlin-connected stooges. One stooge in particular is noteworthy: Sergei Glazyev, a Russian advisor to criminal thug Vladimir Putin who's been sanctioned by the U.S. and our European allies for his role in Russia's invasion of the Ukraine in 2014.

What makes this engagement of Ghouliani's reek even more is who invited him. Ara Abrahamyan, a Russian-Armenian "businessman" who makes no secret of his allegiance to Putin:

"[Ghouliani] came to Yerevan at the invitation of Ara Abrahamyan, a Russian-Armenian businessman and head of the Union of Armenians of Russia, who prides himself on his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'He gives orders and I carry them out,' Abrahamyan has said of Putin." (our emphasis)

Got it. Putin wanted Ghouliani there, so done! Again, filling his pockets while he can seems to be the corrupt Ghouliani's only concern:

"It's not clear how Abrahamyan enticed Giuliani to Yerevan, but the American has a record of getting involved in other countries' politics for money. In August, Giuliani spoke out against an anti-corruption effort in Romania, contradicting the official position of the State Department. He later acknowledged that he did so after being engaged by a lobbying firm." (our emphasis)

Next stop, a bloody dinner with Mohammed bin Bone Saw?

Women And The Blue Wave

Watching the faces of the clueless cult at Nuremberg Trump rallies cheering his racism, lies and narcissism can be aggravating. You can shrug off the red hat-wearing boys and men as the hapless dolts / bigots / misogynists, etc., that they are, but seeing the women cheering President P*ssygrabber is always a bit (to say the least) annoying. That said, a story from Detroit caught our eye that may signal what's going to happen in just two weeks.

The Republican Women for Progress PAC is supporting the Dem candidates for U.S. House seats in the 8th and 11th Congressional districts of Michigan, taking out $50,000 in TV ads to support them. Dems Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens are running in tight races. The co-founder of the PAC, Meghan Melloy, described the mood among many Republican women:

“We think the best thing that we can do for the party and for the country right now is to make sure there are good women — Democrat or Republican — that are elected to office and who can serve as a check on this administration and on the president. [This effort] really was inspired by us talking to Republican women in these districts where they said there was just no way that they could vote for the Republican.” (our emphasis)

The blue wave -- and there will be a blue wave -- will be driven by women voters who are mad as hell at misogynistic sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump and his craven, spineless enablers. The unprecedented number of female candidates on the ballot has ignited grassroots movements all over the U.S. :

"Like the conservative tea party groups that rose up after Barack Obama was elected president in 2008 and that helped Republicans retake the House and gain power in state legislatures in 2010, this new liberal movement has emerged largely outside the traditional party structure.

It is led by hundreds of thousands of mostly white, college-educated, middle-aged women who trace their inspiration to the inaugural women’s marches in January 2017 and whose ambitions have only grown amid a succession of disagreements with Trump, including over the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh." (our emphasis)

If anyone reading this has any questions about how, when and where to vote, go to vote.org. We can stop Rump's malicious agenda only if we vote Democratic.

On Trump's Racist Caravan Fear-Mongering

Stephen Colbert nails sociopathic demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's racist "dog trombone" about the caravan of migrants heading to the southern border:

Giving A Lyft To Latino Voters

The other day we noted Republican voter suppression efforts ramping up as the mid- term election nears.  In one state, where Kris "KKK" Kobach (a.k.a., the King of Voter Suppression) is running for governor, voting rights activists are partnering with national brands to fight back:

Lyft is partnering with a Latino activist group to take voters in Dodge City, Kan., to the polls on election day.

Voto Latino announced the partnership after it was announced that the majority-Hispanic city would move its lone polling site outside city limits, more than a mile away from the closest bus stop. 

“Dodge City, Kansas is a Latinx-majority city that has had it’s [sic] ONLY polling location moved outside of city limits w/out access by public transportation,” Voto Latino tweeted. “So we’re partnering w Lyft to provide rides to the polls!” 

Voto Latino said that brands Steve Madden and Johnnie Walker are also helping sponsor the move, but the group is raising additional funds through ActBlue.

Dodge City is a 60 percent Latino community, a big target for the voter suppression efforts of Kobach and his white supremacist party.

Kudos to Lyft, Uber, Steve Madden and Johnnie Walker for helping negate the best efforts of those shitheels to keep Americans from exercising their right to vote.

Trump's "Very Major Tax Cut" Lie

Neo-fascist demagogue and habitual liar Donald "Rump" Trump has been lying his vast orange ass off on the campaign trail in an effort to save the Senate and curtail losses in the House. The most egregious are the lies about the "caravan" of Honduran immigrants seeking transit across Mexico to the U.S., including the one about Dems wanting "open borders."

His apparent fear that a Dem House will impeach him for his manifest corruption, tax cheating and servitude to the Kremlin and the sheiks of Araby is prompting him to lie about other things, too. For example, yesterday, while campaigning in Nevada for hack and buffoon Sen. Dean Heller, Rump said that he'd produce "a very major tax cut" for the middle class by November 1. Displaying both desperation and dishonesty, Rump probably knows that Congress is out of session, and won't be returning until later in the year. In his thinking, his gullible followers won't know that he's lying again, so why not go for it?

Rump and the Rethugs are obviously feeling the heat from taxpayers for the "billions for billionaires" tax cut for the 1% and the corporate world that the Rethugs enacted late last year. It's a loser with voters, so his alternative is to lie about a non-existent "tax cut" to fool the rubes into coming out to vote Rethuglican.

(photo: Would this man lie to you?)