Mid-Week Silk Song

Jazz trumpeter Rick Braun's smooth playing style has given him a number of number one songs on the jazz charts.  He plays the kind of mellow, laid-back jazz that you can end a day with.  Here's his most recent single hit, "Silk," performed in studio.  Enjoy.

Clinton: "Support And Stand With Planned Parenthood"

Hillary Clinton name-checks some of the "talent" and "well-qualified"  numbnuts candidates running for the Republican Presidential nomination on their records on women's health:

Speaking of Polls….

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With Congressional Rethuglicans* trying to defund Planned Parenthood, even to the point of shutting down the Government again, it's worth considering how the public views various organizations (and one clown in particular).

* And two "Democrats", Sens. Joe Donnelly (IN) and Joe Manchin (WV) -  two reasons not to contribute to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

All Fuxed Up

The Republican clown car bus will be pulling into Cleveland this Thursday for the Fux "News" debates, but it's unclear which clowns will be on stage to join carnival barker and mega-mouth Donald "Rump" Trump in the messy poo-flinging.  Certainly Rump will be joined by several of his nearest rivals for the honor of losing in 2016, like Bush Dynasty heir John Ellis "J.E.B.!" Bush, Koch Industries' front man Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker, and nutty conspiracist Ben "On Meds?" Carson.  But the bottom couple of slots are undetermined, thanks to Fux's Byzantine method of choosing the participants by poll data and the number of clowns who are tied in single digits.

Nothing would be more delicious than a fight at the auditorium door among some of the wannabes trying to get on the stage.  There will certainly be some bad blood created and charges of Fux's sinister head Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes rigging the final selections to comport with his liking.  All in all, a well deserved mess for those who have no business running this country.

BONUS:  The New Yorker's Andy Borowitz gives his take on the process.

Who's A Tool?

In one of his final "Daily Show" episodes, Jon Stewart responds to a recent Howie "Get That Job?" Kurtz segment on Fox "News" in which he and the Baltimore Sun's David "Cue Ball" Zurawik tried to make the case (without evidence, of course) that Stewart was a "tool" of the Obama Administration.  See what Stewart does to show who the real tools are:

The Daily Show
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Photo Of The Day - "You Saying I Can't Cash The Check?"

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(Photo by Sabrina Siddiqui for The Guardian)

That's Koch brothers employee of the year puppet Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland), another "talent" and "well-qualified" candidate for the Republican presidential nomination clown car bus, getting punked by activists in Manchester, NH, today, holding a "check" for $900 million made out to Walker from the Koch brothers for "Presidency."

What a dimbulb.

Horse's Ass Unwelcome At Horse Race

Yesterday's Haskell Invitational horse race at Monmouth Park, NJ was easily won by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.  There to present the winner's trophy and to bask in the reflected glory of the magnificent horse was New Jersey Governor and man-who-will-never-be-President Chris "Krispykreme" Christie.  However, when the capacity crowd of nearly 61,000 fans saw Krispykreme step into the winner's circle to present the trophy, loud and sustained booing rained down on the unpopular Governor.  Later, during remarks by the horse's trainer and owner, when Krispykreme's name was mentioned, the loud, sustained booing started again.  They know their governor well (unlike Beltway political analysts, who would consider him a "talent" and "well-qualified.")

Krispykreme is vying for a spot on stage at Thursday's Rethuglican poo-fling, along with other failed governors like Louisiana's economy-wrecking Gov. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal and former Texas Gov. and future LensCrafter spokesman  Rick "Oops" Perry.  It would be satisfying to see all three miss Fux "News'" 10 candidate cut-off and wind up at the "kid's table" debate leading up to the main event, where they can discuss each others' sorry records in their states.

Administration Releases Ambitious "Clean Power Plan"

The announcement today:

The "Clean Power Plan" is the final version of regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency, which President Barack Obama called "the biggest most important step we've ever taken to combat climate change," in a video released by the White House on social media Saturday night.

Under the plan, the administration will require states to meet specific carbon emission reduction standards, based on their individual energy consumption. The plan also includes an incentive program for states to get a head start on meeting standards on early deployment of renewable energy and low-income energy efficiency.

"Power plants are the single biggest source of harmful carbon pollution that contributes to climate change," Obama said in the video. "Until now, there have been no federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution plants dump in the air."

In addition to a fact sheet, the Administration also released this video:



Meanwhile, the utilities, fossil fuel industry and big business are fighting the regulations, and naturally their contribution-loving pals in the Republican Party are urging states not to comply.  Here's a handy reference from the Natural Resources Defense Council that rebuts many of the climate change deniers' talking points.

Today's Cartoon And Read - The Fat Cats Candidate Cattle Show

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(Tom Toles, once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle)

The Republican fat cats (led by the ultra-right Koch brothers) had their candidate cattle show over the weekend, and they seem to think they're on the right side of history:

Five Republican presidential candidates [Fiorina, Walker, Rubio, Cruz and Bush] wooed donors at a weekend retreat where billionaire industrialist Charles Koch warned America is “done for” if conservatives don’t rally others to their cause by demanding a smaller, less-intrusive government.

“History demonstrates that when the American people get motivated by an issue of justice, that they believe is just, extraordinary things can be accomplished,” he said on Sunday, going on to reference the American Revolution, abolition of slavery and women’s and civil rights movements. “We, too, are seeking to right injustices that are holding our country back.”
 
Listening intently inside a tightly guarded luxury resort in Southern California were 450 business leaders — many among them top political contributors — and the elected officials who receive that largesse. They’ve been strategizing with officials at the education, policy and activist groups that Koch and his brother David have spent years building up and funding.
 
That network has a budget of $889 million through the end of 2016 — and much of it will be directed at electing a Republican to the White House.  (our emphasis)

We wonder what "injustices" the Kochs and their 450 fellow oligarchs would like to right.  The tyranny of Medicare and Social Security?  The obscenity of clean air and clean water?  Voting rights for minorities?  A Democrat ever holding national office again?

Make no mistake;  beyond their election-season rhetoric (and the one issue they're apparently in synch with Democrats - criminal justice reform), these one per centers have zero interest in seriously addressing issues such as income inequality, living wages, climate change, regulating pollutants, safeguarding minority voting rights, etc.  These are people with the darkest of motivations and goals, and anyone foolish enough to take at face value their obscene attempt to liken what they're up to with the civil rights and anti-slavery movements is in desperate need of adult supervision.

BONUS:  Our noble media took the pledge not to reveal any of the oligarchs at the cattle show... because Morally and Professionally Obtuse!

Insipid Political Analysis At The Washington Post

We offer two recent examples of what passes for political analysis by the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle, discussing the Republican presidential field clown car bus.  Note the dogged determination to ignore the biggest political story of the past 40 years:

Dan "I Got No" Balz:

... On the positive side, they control Congress and enjoy political dominance in the states. Their 17-candidate presidential field, with exceptions, is better than four years ago, stocked with talent and plausible party standard bearers.  (our emphasis)

Amber "Waves of Grain" Phillips (The Monday Fix):

... Democrats are all too happy to let the spotlight stay off the field's extraordinary amount of well-qualified Republican candidates and keep shining on the party's laughingstock.  (our emphasis)

Where to start?  How about just letting the names of some of the "well-qualified" "talent" roll off the tongue:  Jindal... Perry... Rubio... Walker... Christie... Huckabee... Carson... Fiorina... Cruz... Jeb!  There's actually many more than "one laughingstock" there, Amber.

Q. What manner of "political analysis" deems this collection of yahoos, sociopaths, grifters, and theocrats to be talented and well-qualified to be President of the United States?

A. It's the kind of "political analysis" that has allowed the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party to careen to the extreme right without paying any political price ("On the positive side, they [Republicans] control Congress..."). 

Arguments For The Iran Nuclear Deal

As noted in the post below, the Iran nuclear deal is under heavy fire from well-financed lobbyists representing dead-end Republicans and Likudniks.  But, there's some good reading this morning on why the Iran nuclear deal is the best option for the region and the world.  Here are snippets to whet your appetite:

Vali Nasr, Dean of the School of International Studies, Johns Hopkins University on the deeply flawed thinking of opponents of the deal:

Opponents of the nuclear agreement with Iran see it as a license for Tehran to wreak havoc in the region. Freed from economic pressure and flush with financial resources, the thinking goes, Iran can be expected to unleash its emboldened minions upon Israel and Arab states and undermine U.S. interests. However, contrary to what the critics say, the nuclear deal is far more likely to curb Iran’s regional ambition. It is rather the instability that would follow the failure of the deal that should worry them.

The New York Times on the fact-free assault on the deal by ideologues and dead-enders here and in Israel:

What should be a thoughtful debate has been turned into a vicious battle against Mr. Obama, involving not just the Republicans but Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The unseemly spectacle of lawmakers siding with a foreign leader against their own commander in chief has widened an already dangerous breach between two old allies.

Policy considerations aside, what is most striking about the demagoguery is how ahistorical, if not downright hypocritical, it is. Negotiating with adversaries to advance a more stable world has long been a necessity, and Republican presidents have been among its most eager practitioners.

Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Policy, on the dire consequences that scuttling the deal would lead to for America's strategic and national security interests:

To the extent that the campaign against the agreement goes beyond posturing, though, and aims to actually muster the votes to defeat the agreement, the effort risks doing enduring damage, not just to the drive to defeat Iran’s nuclear program but also to U.S. strategic interests and power writ large. While the administration has rightly focused its case to Congress tightly on the effects of the congressional vote for Iran’s nuclear program, the implications of achieving a veto-proof majority opposed to the deal will reverberate far more widely. Though the prospect may seem relatively remote, the ripple effects of the deal’s defeat — not just for America’s national security, but also its global diplomatic and political clout — are grave enough that they should be weighed by every member of Congress before they cast this historic vote. 

It remains the best bet at this point that the Obama Administration will prevail in saving the agreement.  But with universal Republican opposition, it would only take a handful of spineless Democrats to pass a bill over the President's veto.  Make sure you contact any home-State Democratic Senators who are officially "on the fence" (we're thinking of you, Sens. Cardin and Mikulski), and let them know you'll be taking note of their vote.

UPDATE:  Many former Israeli military and intelligence chiefs are now urging Netanyahu to accept the deal.

Sunday Funnies - War Is Their "Better Deal"

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The TV ads opposing the Iran nuclear deal have been running incessantly, quoting misleading data and presenting half-truths. "Citizens for a Nuclear-Free Iran" is one group running the ads, with support from Israel's lobby organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).  It's a multi-million dollar effort to derail the agreement -- a goal of the Likudnik government of the execrable Bibi "Bomb Bomb" Netanyahu.  The ads' mantra of going for a "better deal" is deceptive nonsense, intended only to derail the agreement that took years of negotiation (starting during Dumbya's term).  The six powers that negotiated the deal with Iran certainly don't think they could have gotten a better deal after all this time, with severe sanctions on Iran applying pressure.

The vote on the agreement will be a test for Dems to stand their ground with the President -- and with our allies and negotiating partners -- and to reject the alternative of an attack on Iran, with ominous repercussions throughout the world.

(cartoon:  Jim Morin, Miami Herald, via Gocomics.com)

Republican Crime Blotter - Straight But Crooked Edition, Cont.

As we noted last month, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken "Doll" Paxton has been under investigation by the Texas  Rangers for securities fraud.  Well, seems the scourge of environmentalists, Messican immigrants and Teh Gayz has been indicted by a grand jury on three felony counts:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has been indicted by a grand jury, multiple outlets reported on Saturday.

The indictments were handed down on Tuesday and will be unsealed Monday. Paxton faces three felony charges: two counts of first-degree securities fraud and a third-degree charge of failing to register with the state securities board, The New York Times reported.

Paxton's office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Paxton is accused of misleading and encouraging investors to put over $600,000 in a technology company without disclosing that he received a fee on their investment and while serving in the Texas House of Representatives, The New York Times reported.  [snip]

Paxton has sued the Obama administration multiple times on issues such as immigration, the environment and benefits for same-sex couples.

In related Texas Republican crime news, former Gov. Rick "Oops" Perry is still facing a felony abuse of power charge, which leads one to wonder, what kind of yahoos vote these ethically- challenged shysters  into office over and over?  (Rhetorical question - we already know.)

(Photo:  That's Paxton's (s)mug shot.)

Today's Cartoon - The Republican Platform

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"Make no progress, Improve no planet, end no suffering."  Exactly.

(Rebecca Hendin, via gocomics.com)

Washington Post Reporters Fed Republican Magic Beans, Flatulate Accordingly

Once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle reporters think they've found the magic beans that just might lead Republicans to the White House in 2016:

Following President Obama’s reelection in 2012 — a win powered in part by historic black voter turnout — Republicans launched an aggressive outreach effort aimed at African American voters. Never again, they vowed, would they concede that sort of overwhelming demographic advantage to Democrats.

Now, heading into an election without Obama at the top of the ticket, many Republicans say they are positioned to make inroads with black voters.

Yes, that's been some Republican minority outreach, there!  In what elephant dung fertile soil are these magic beans supposed to sprout?  Why, Republican edumacation reform!  Here's Bush Dynasty scion John Ellis "J.E.B.!" Bush:

“If we don’t create an education system that allows young people to reach [the rungs on the ladder of success], we’re setting them up for a lifetime of failure,” he said. “So you and I have to call this situation what it is: the worst inequality in America today, and the source of so many other inequalities.”

Bush, and his party, think that sort of pitch may resonate with black voters. Some Democrats worry they may be right.

Of course, the "education system" reform Bush and his fellow Republican wingnuts want to create involves busting teacher unions (see:  Walker, "Koch Head" Scott), slashing education spending (again, see:  Walker, "Koch Head" Scott), eliminating Common Core, and pushing vouchers to dilute support for public schools. In other words, "Mississippi." 

Also, "Some Democrats worry they may be right."  Those illusive but oft-quoted "Some Democrats" are, of course, not named or otherwise brought up again in the article.  Why have any countervailing opinions quoted when your thesis is "Democrats in trouble!"?  We will bet these crack reporters that ate up the Republican magic beans that the Democratic nominee (=cough= Hillary Clinton, wife of "the First Black President" =cough=) will have no problem reaching a similar high level of African American support as every Democrat who has run for President in the last 40 years.