Friday, February 3, 2017

This Cover Of The New Yorker Speaks For Us


The latest issue of the The New Yorker has a cover that speaks to the un-American actions in the first two weeks of the administration of neo- fascist white nationalist Donald "Rump" Trump, especially his ban on refugees from seven predominately Muslim countries:

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Liar Lies About Non-Existent "Massacre"



White (supremacist) House liar-for-hire Kellyanne "Orwellyanne" Conway was interviewed yesterday on Chris "Tweety" Matthews' program and, in trying to defend bigot Donald "Rump" Trump's refugee ban, uncorked a couple of alternative facts lies which an unprepared Tweety failed to question. The moron's most egregious lie was her claim that two Iraqi refugees who had entered the U.S. legally conducted a "massacre" in Bowling Green, KY in 2011, something that never happened. Two Iraqi men were arrested by the FBI there for planning to purchase and ship arms to al Qaeda in Iraq, not a domestic terror attack. They are now serving life sentences. She went on to state that "most people don't know that because it didn't get covered." The media doesn't cover landings of space ships from Neptune either.

Orwellyanne's other alternative fact lie was that President Obama ("we screwed up, but blame him!") imposed a six-month ban on refugees in 2011, a statement which has been debunked. Obama ordered a slowdown on the processing of refugees from Iraq after the Bowling Green arrests, not a ban.

They will lie and lie, then wake up the next day and lie again.

Here are some of our favorite Twitter reactions (more here):






 BONUS:  Laura Clawson on why this shouldn't (but probably will) happen again with Conway.

BONUS II:  Go here to "contribute" to "The Bowling Green Massacre Victims Fund."  #NeverRemember!
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels:

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Tweets Of The Day



Check out all his masterpieces ("They're much better than that loser Picasso's!") here.

Also, Bloomberg Businessweek is having a go at it with this cover:


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Today's Cartoon Threefer - Malevolent Incompetence And Hypocrisy Edition


(click on images to enlarge)


(David Horsey, Los Angeles Times)

That would be, l. to r., Rump, Kellyanne Conway, Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, Sean Spicer, Stephen Miller, and Michael Flynn.


(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune, w/ apologies to M.A.S.H.)


(Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

BONUS: Headline of the Day --  Is Having a President With the Knowledge and Temperament of a Dim, Petulant Second Grader a Problem?

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Supreme Court Nominee Gorsuch Was President Of Prep School's "Fascism Forever Club"




Well, this certainly comports with the tenor of the Russo- Republican Trump administration (h/t Daily Mail.com):
Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch founded and led a student group called the ‘Fascism Forever Club’ at his elite high school, DailyMail.com can reveal. 
The club was set up to rally against the ‘left-wing tendencies’ of his professors while attending a Jesuit all-boys preparatory high school near Washington D.C. [snip] 
Gorsuch founded the ‘Fascism Forever Club’ during his freshman year at Georgetown Preparatory, a now-$30,000-a-year private Jesuit school that is one of the most selective in the United States. 
He served as president until he graduated in 1985, according to his senior yearbook.
What a scamp! Youthful indiscretion no doubt! Witty!  We're certain these people would get a chuckle out of this "Fascism Forever Club" lark, but for one small detail.

A thoroughly vetted candidate for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court -- riiight!
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , ,

Quote Of The Day: Trump and Insufficient Intelligence


"U.S. military officials told Reuters that Trump approved his first covert counterterrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations." -- from a Reuters article on the deadly U.S. Navy Seal raid on an al-Qaeda compound in southern Yemen, which killed a Navy Seal and 30 people, including 10 women and children. There's a very disturbing pattern with the incompetent nitwit-in-chief in the White House that's now cost lives: fire, aim, ready.

It's also revealing that the military brass is leaking this to the media. But Rump knows "more than the generals," so everybody relax.

Waiting with baited breath for the House Benghazi!! committee to begin its years- long investigation.
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: ,

Today In "Draining The Swamp" - Better Living Through Pollution And Bribery


Amidst all the disturbing chaos emanating hourly from neo- fascist authoritarian Donald "Rump" Trump's executive branch, we pause to take a look at how his Republican partners in the legislative branch are helping him "drain the swamp" of those nasty special interests. How's that coming along?

Well, all you Trump voters in mining country in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, rest assured that Republicans are looking out for your best inter... wait, what's that?
Moving to dismantle former President Barack Obama's legacy on the environment and other issues, House Republicans approved a measure Wednesday that scuttles a regulation aimed at preventing coal mining debris from being dumped into nearby streams. [snip]
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, senior Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said repealing the stream protection rule would "sicken and kill the very people Donald Trump falsely promised to help," coal miners in West Virginia and other states.

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., displayed a bottle of brownish water he said came from a constituent's well near a surface coal mine. He challenged lawmakers to drink from it and said the stream rule was one of the only safety measures protecting people in coal country.
It's not "brownish water," it's alternative clean water!  Bottoms up!

At the same time they were passing that "Feel Free to Pollute Act of 2017," House Republicans also decided we've got to allow our fossil fuel industry to bribe away unfettered: 
On the same day the Senate confirmed Rex Tillerson as Donald Trump’s secretary of state, the House voted to kill a transparency rule for oil companies that Tillerson once lobbied against while CEO of Exxon Mobil. 
So all in all, a good day for America’s largest oil and gas firm. 
Using the little-known Congressional Review Act, the House GOP voted on Wednesday to kill an Obama-era regulation that would require publicly traded oil, gas, and mining companies to disclose any payments that they made to foreign governments, including taxes and royalties. 
The rule itself dates back to the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act — when senators from both parties included a provision requiring greater disclosure from mining and drilling companies working abroad. The hope was to cut down on corruption in resource-rich developing countries by increasing transparency.
After all, how are Russian kleptocrats supposed to survive without all that sweet sweet Exxon skid greasing?

The Era of Epic Corruption is in full swing.
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , ,

Trump Slaps Another U.S. Ally (UPDATED)


News of ignorant buffoon Donald "Rump" Trump's hostile phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday has added to the deep concerns about Rump's stability, grasp of foreign policy, and his bullying of a longtime U.S. friend and ally. Rump's abrupt termination of the call was reportedly the result of the discussion over 1,250 refugees that the U.S. agreed to take from Australia under an agreement reached with President Obama. Rump reportedly told Turnbull that Australia was trying to send the U.S. the "next Boston bombers." When the Australian Prime Minister tried to shift the discussion to Syria, Rump cut the conversation short and hung up.

If we treat our allies like enemies (Australia, Mexico, Germany, and a growing list), our adversaries like friends (Putin's Russia, Assad's Syria), and stumble around major points of dispute (irritating China over Taiwan), we'll end up alone the next time we need to put an international coalition together. That only delights our adversaries.

BONUS:  Some further insights into the calls Rump's made --
At one point, Trump informed Turnbull that he had spoken with four other world leaders that day — including Russian President Vladi­mir Putin — and that “this was the worst call by far.” 
Trump’s behavior suggests that he is capable of subjecting world leaders, including close allies, to a version of the vitriol he frequently employs against political adversaries and news organizations in speeches and on Twitter. [snip] 
Even in conversations marred by hostile exchanges, Trump manages to work in references to his election accomplishments. U.S. officials said that he used his calls with Turnbull and [Mexican President] Peña Nieto to mention his election win or the size of the crowd at his inauguration.
He's several cards short of a full deck.  How long before he hits the tripwire?

UPDATE: Sen. John McCain's increasingly looking like the Republican foil to Rump. He called the Australian ambassador to convey this message:
“I asked Ambassador Hockey to convey to the people of Australia that their American brothers and sisters value our historic alliance, honor the sacrifice of the Australians who have served and are serving by our side, and remain committed to the safer, freer, and better world that Australia does far more than its fair share to protect and promote.”
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Trump On Black History Month


Friend of The Blacks Donald "Rump" Trump speaks on Black History Month. Laugh or cry?  You tell us:
Last month, we celebrated the life of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., whose incredible example is unique in American history. You read all about Dr. Martin Luther King a week ago when somebody said I took the statue out of my office. It turned out that that was fake news. Fake news. The statue is cherished, it’s one of the favorite things in the—and we have some good ones. We have Lincoln, and we have Jefferson, and we have Dr. Martin Luther King. But they said the statue, the bust of Martin Luther King, was taken out of the office. And it was never even touched. So I think it was a disgrace, but that’s the way the press is. Very unfortunate.

I am very proud now that we have a museum on the National Mall where people can learn about Reverend King, so many other things. Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I noticed. Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and millions more black Americans who made America what it is today. Big impact.
You can read the whole sorry transcript here if you have a high tolerance for babbling narcissism and dimwittedness.

Some reactions on Twitter:









Oh, he's totally normal.

BONUS:  Wonkette has the perfect characterization: "Black Appreciation of Donald Trump Month."
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Mid-Week Bury It Song


Glasgow, Scotland's own synth / indie pop trio CHVRCHES has been around the British music scene for nearly six years, and have hit all of the major international music venues from Austin's SXSW, to Leeds in England, to California's Coachella Music Festival in between recording sessions. Their musical style has echoes of everyone from the Eurythmics to Depeche Mode. Lead singer Lauren Mayberry is a journalist by training and freelanced before forming the band. Here's the newest single from their album "Every Open Eye," the driving, beat-heavy "Bury It."

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Let Them Hear You!


Here's a valuable, ongoing resource (h/t Balloon Juice): Townhall Project 2018 is providing a list of upcoming town hall meetings being held by members of the House and Senate. Please get out if you can (and bring your friends) and let your representative (Democrat or Republican) know face- to- face where you stand on the issues. Marches and demonstrations will continue and are excellent means of achieving media coverage and letting elected officials know that this is a powerful movement that's not going away. As we saw to our detriment in the Obamacare rollout in 2009, town hall meetings are also a very effective way of influencing your Congresscritter.  We just need to show up in force.

Always remember:  a majority (54%) did not vote for Trump, he's historically unpopular after just under 2 weeks in office, and we progressives have the moral high ground and momentum.  Have your facts in hand, go and participate!

To provide updates to the list linked above, please go to townhallproject2018@gmail.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Trump's Supreme Court Reality Show Reveal


Jimmy Kimmel has fun with the "reality show" spectacle of neo- fascist dimbulb Donald "Rump" Trump introducing his stolen pick for the Supreme Court in prime time last night:

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

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.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Tell Us Again Why Democrats Should "Play By The Rules"


Here's more reason, if any were needed, for Democrats to forget the old rules and "comity" and resist these illegitimate f*ckers by any and all means possible:



This would be after Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee sent a letter to Republican chair Sen. Orrin "Nut" Hatch (Hypocrite-UT) asking that both Treasury nominee and "foreclosure machine" villain Steve "27 Cents" Mnuchin and HHS nominee and corrupt inside trader Rep. Tom "For Sale At Any" Price (Teabagger-GA) be called back to the committee to answer for their dishonest answers to questions in previous testimony.  Let's pause to hear more about how Congressional Republicans would be a "brake" on the worst features of neo- fascist authoritarian chaos moron Donald "Rump" Trump's administration =crickets=.

With complete control of government, Republicans are running roughshod over the legitimate concerns and rights of Democrats both in Congress and in Rump's White (supremacy) House. As we quoted Dave Leonhardt below, "The only thing worse than the system that the Republicans have created is a system in which one political party volunteers to be bullied." Should Democrats not be quick enough to realize this paradigm, they will not only lose to Republicans, they will lose their base (a base that's energized and several miles ahead of party "leadership") in the process.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Don't Reward Them For The Stolen Seat (UPDATED)


Last night, in an East Room filled with Rethuglican politicians, and right wing operatives, neo-fascist fraudster and sexual predator Donald "Rump" Trump announced his Supreme Court nominee to be Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch. Rump fumbled through his introduction of Gorsuch, at one point identifying him as a Supreme Court justice, and awkwardly embraced the judge's wife planting a kiss on her cheek (how would any woman with self respect let that happen?). Gorsuch thanked President P*ssygrabber, who just last month settled a fraud lawsuit over his bogus Trump University and whose executive order detaining Muslim travelers is likely to be found un-Constitutional...for now.

Gorsuch is a clone of the late Antonin Scalia, whom he's modeled his judicial philosophy after, and an extreme conservative. He's opposed to Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood, collective bargaining and union rights, gun safety measures, and protection of voting rights for minorities and the disenfranchised. At 49, he could impact Court rulings for another 35 years.

This is also about a stolen seat on the Supreme Court. Last year, when corrupt human/turtle hybrid Sen. Mitch "Missy" McConnell blocked even a hearing on Obama's nominee, Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland, he denied a President (who had won in 2012 with a significant majority of the popular and electoral vote) the right to appoint Scalia's replacement. In doing so, he cynically provided a rallying point for every wingnut to get out and vote. As Scott Lemieux notes in his article in The New Republic,
"Gorsuch is a bad choice to fill a vacancy that should never have been Trump’s to fill in the first place. Democrats probably can’t prevent him from being on the Court, but they should make his nomination as difficult as possible. McConnell’s Supreme Court blockade played a significant role in Trump’s upset win, and Senate Democrats should act to help liberal voters adopt a similar focus on the Court in 2018 and 2020."
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer will often stick his finger in the wind to see which way it's blowing, and last night a huge crowd of demonstrators gathered outside his Brooklyn apartment building to tell him to block this and other Rump nominations. This should serve as notice to other Dems who might be weak in the knees that their careers are on the line, too, if they don't show some spine. For starters, they should follow Bob Schooley's suggestion:
And Dan Pfeiffer's:

UPDATE:  What Dave Leonhardt says --
... Democrats should not weigh this nomination the same way that they’ve weighed previous ones. This one is different. The presumption should be that Gorsuch does not deserve confirmation, because the process that led to his nomination was illegitimate. [snip] 
... Democrats simply cannot play by the old set of rules now that the Republicans are playing by a new one. The only thing worse than the system that the Republicans have created is a system in which one political party volunteers to be bullied.
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)