Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star)


(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)


(Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News)


(Matt Wuerker, Politico)

Tweet: CNN Claps Back At Greasy Don Jr.

The petroleum that corrupt Donald Trump, Jr. uses on his hair, à la Gordon Gekko, may be affecting his brain (and given his lineage, it's probably negligible to begin with). Greasy Don throws a slow pitch to CNN, and they clobber it:

CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist. When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined. Those are the facts. 🍎

— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 3, 2018

Radical, Racist Republicans In Down-Ballot Contests

It's vitally important to vote on the entire slate of officials at the polls, from Governor and Senator, down to school board and local initiatives. State legislatures are particularly pivotal in determining Congressional district boundaries, and we've seen the effects of Rethuglican-held state legislatures over the past decade gerrymandering Dems into homogenous ghettos in order for Rethugs to win Congressional as well as statewide elections.

Moreover, it's important to know about who is representing you at the state legislative level. Case in point: Rethuglican Washington State Rep. Matt Shea. According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, Shea has been deeply involved in far-right "Christian identity" politics embraced by so-called Aryan Nation neo-Nazis. Shea's been promoting the "Christian nation" ideology, and a screed called the "Biblical Basis for War" which advocates violence:

The document is organized in 14 sections with multiple tiers of bullet points and a smattering of biblical citations. Under one heading, “Rules of War,” it makes a chilling prescription for enemies who flout “biblical law.” It states, “If they do not yield – kill all males.”  (our emphasis)

The sheriff of Spokane County, WA wasn't too happy with the screed that Shea was distributing:

“The document Mr. Shea wrote is not a Sunday school project or an academic study,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich wrote in an email. “It is a ‘how to’ manual consistent with the ideology and operating philosophy of the Christian Identity/Aryan Nations movement and the Redoubt movement of the 1990s. Knezovich said he had obtained the document and other materials on a flash drive about six weeks ago. “I gave it straight to the FBI,” he said. (our emphasis)

There's also the case of Rethuglican Missouri State assembly candidate Steve West, whose own son and daughter have denounced his racist and homophobic views and urged voters to reject him:

"A lot of his views are just very out there," Emily West told the Kansas City Star. "He's made multiple comments that are racist and homophobic and how he doesn't like the Jews."

The Star reports Andy West said electing his father to the Legislature would legitimize his views.

"My dad's a fanatic. He must be stopped," Andy West said. "His ideology is pure hatred. It's totally insane."  (our emphasis)

Again, there are these types of lunatics all over the country, emboldened by the racist demagoguery of Donald "Rump" Trump, running in elections below the radar. They must be exposed and stopped at the ballot box.

Tweets Of The Day -- Saying The Quiet Part Loud

Trump noted Donnelly will campaign with "Barack H. Obama" this weekend -- writing out the "H" with his finger in the air.

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) November 3, 2018

On the one hand, she holds a BA (magna cum laude); a public policy masters on a prestigious Truman Scholarship; a Yale law degree; was a CEO; and served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. On the other hand, she's black, so Trump says: https://t.co/YpKBa5w1qP

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) November 1, 2018

I’m starting to suspect this Donald Trump might be a racist.  https://t.co/YnWPYt2qEM

— Molly Jong☠️Fast (@MollyJongFast) November 2, 2018

A Community United

The front page of today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the headline in Hebrew which translates, "Magnificent and sanctified be Your name" from the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer of mourning. Tomorrow's shabbat marks one week since the massacre of 11 congregants at the Tree of Life synagogue by a white nationalist, anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant gunman.

Ol' Crazy Eyes Meets Crown Prince Bone Saw

A delegation of far-right, Trump-supportng religious hucksters, led by former Rethuglican Representative and holy-rolling loon Michelle "Crazy Eyes" Bachman, is in Sawdi Arabia to meet with murderous Crown Prince Mohammed "Bone Saw" bin Sultan. While Bone Saw's conversion to the prosperity gospel is probably not on the agenda for the amoral and venal Bible humpers, they would certainly like a "gift" of some sweet Sawdi loot in their deep pockets. Crown Prince Bone Saw apparently sees it as an opportunity to gain needed allies on the American right as the investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month closes in on him and his circle.

The hucksters, most of whom are "end-times rapture" fanatics who believe Israel will be destroyed before Jeebus returns, are also aligned ironically with the far-right in Israel, with the common enemy being Iran. No word on whether Bachman wore a hijab for her audience with Bone Saw.

UPDATE: As a moral antidote to the vile opportunism of Crazy Eyes, her Trump-aligned Bible humpers, and the Trump crime organization itself, Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz writes today in the Washington Post:

"Of all nations, the United States should be leading the way. The country was founded on the ideals of liberty and justice for all, the First Amendment enshrining the ideals personified by Jamal. But the Trump administration has taken a position that is devoid of moral foundation." (our emphasis)

They're hoping it blows over and they can resume cashing in on their corrupt Sawdi connections.

Today's Cartoons

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(Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer)


(Drew Sheneman, The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Ann Telnaes, Washington Post)

Weekend Vote Music

We were moved hearing Oprah Winfey's account yesterday of the father of Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., walking 18 miles over the course of a day, dressed up in his only suit, shunted from one polling place to another in a vain attempt to exercise his right to vote by the white racist precursors to vote suppressing Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp.

How far would each of us walk to the polls in this, the most important mid- term election in our lives, if not in the history of our country?  How much effort is it worth to put an obstacle in the way of Trump and his Republican Party?

Here are The Proclaimers with a little walking/ driving/ busing to the polls music to get your feet in gear.

Closing Arguments

Eugene Robinson nails the contrast between the Republican Trumpist closing mid- term argument and that of the Democrats:

The Republican Party’s closing argument for the midterm election is a bit confusing: 

“It’s all about President Trump — unless he angers, appalls or disgusts you, in which case we’ve never heard of anyone named Trump. We have also never heard of policies we’ve voted for repeatedly, such as eliminating the guarantee of health insurance for those with preexisting conditions, or slashing vital programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Please forget that we cut taxes for millionaires and corporations but not for you. And please, please , be terrified of a few traumatized refugees, mostly women and children, somewhere in southern Mexico.” The party then pulls down its pants and babbles unintelligibly before being gently led offstage. 

The Democratic Party’s closing argument, by contrast, is simple and compelling: “Stop the madness.” 

Just stop it. Vote to give Democrats control of the House, the Senate, governorships, state legislatures, everything. Take a stand for decency, for civility, for sanity — and, in the long run, help the GOP recover the mind it has lost and the soul it has surrendered.

Frankly, we'd rather not "help the GOP recover" anything.  They're a bankrupt, rotted- out collection of cowards, sociopaths, misogynists, racists, homophobes, authoritarians, etc., etc., and we don't see any reason to believe that either their "mind" or "soul" are recoverable.

Paul Krugman looks at the lies Republicans are telling about menacing caravans supported by Jewish financiers, protecting the health insurance of people with pre- existing conditions, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and their wealthfare tax cuts for the rich and corporations:

The crucial thing to realize is that these aren’t just ugly, destructive lies. Beyond that, they shape the G.O.P.’s nature. It is now impossible to have intellectual integrity and a conscience while remaining a Republican in good standing. Some conservatives have these qualities; almost all of them have left the party, or are on the edge of excommunication. 

Those who remain are either fanatics willing to do anything in pursuit of power, or cynics willing to go along with anything for a share of the spoils. And it’s foolish to imagine that there are any limits on how far a party of fanatics and cynics will be willing to go. Anyone who might have had a sticking point, some uncrossable red line of bad behavior, has already taken the offramp. 

That’s why a Republican campaign built entirely on lies should itself be a political issue — a reason to vote Democratic even if you want tax cuts. For we’re not just talking about a party selling bad ideas on false pretenses. The addiction to lies has also — let’s be blunt — turned it into a party of bad people.

How could a party that has enabled and embraced the likes of Donald "Rump" Trump be anything but a party of bad people?

We have to believe there's still a majority of voters who don't want the Republican madness to continue and that they will take the time to cast a vote to save American democracy on November 6.  If anyone sits this one out for whatever reason, or worse, if they vote to keep any Republican in office, they're complicit in the damage that has been and remains to be done by these bad people.

As Robinson said, "Take a stand for decency, for civility, for sanity."

BONUS:

If Republicans have a good night on Tuesday and think they won the midterm on the basis of immigration/xenophobia/race-baiting, just imagine how much Trump is going to turn the dial up in 2020.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 1, 2018

BONUS II:  Remember their depravity --

Republicans,

11 people were KILLED. It was the largest antisemitic attack in US HISTORY.

Your monster of a President is complaining their deaths slowed his MOMENTUM. https://t.co/S3gu2pHWFD

— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) November 2, 2018

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Walt Handelsman, The New Orleans Advocate)


(Nick Anderson, Washinton Post Writers Group)


(Rob Rogers, robrogers.com)


(Peter Kuper, The New Yorker)

Tweet Of The Day: Birthrights

ivana trump wasn't a u.s. citizen until 1988. she gave birth to don jr in 1977, ivanka in 1981, and eric in 1984. let's cancel their birthright citizenship first.

- denizcan grimes

— Tina Smiph (@tinasmiph) November 1, 2018

The mango-hued shitgibbon didn't think this one through, apparently. Maybe someone should point it out to him. Or not.

Young Voters Surge In Early Voting

The mobilization of young voters this year will be a critical factor in the mid-terms. In Texas, Dem Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke has been focusing on college voters across the state in rallies and town hall sessions, and is seeing a surge of early voting for that normally disengaged demographic.

Nationally, the trend is encouraging for Dems:

Over 1.5 million people under the age of 30 have already voted in this country, despite many states making it near impossible for younger people to vote early. This is compared to only 563,000 votes cast in the same time period in 2014.

— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) October 31, 2018

Many are energized by the candidates themselves: O'Rourke in Texas, Gillum in Florida, and Abrams in Georgia. They are also opposed to the Rethuglican agenda on climate change, gun safety and the treatment of immigrants, among other issues.

While these are good indicators, never be lulled by predictions or forecasts. How many Dem and Dem-leaning voters sat out 2016 because they thought Secretary Clinton had the election already won? That mistake has cost this country dearly. Many states' early voting timeframes are closing soon. Get. Out. And. Vote.

Trump's Racist Ad (UPDATED)

There's no bottom for them:

In the most racially charged national political ad in 30 years, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party accuse Democrats of plotting to help people they depict as Central American invaders overrun the nation with cop killers. 

The new web video, tweeted by the President five days before the midterm elections, is the most extreme step yet in the most inflammatory closing argument of any campaign in recent memory. 

The Trump campaign ad is the latest example of the President's willingness to lie and fear-monger in order to tear at racial and societal divides; to embrace demagoguery to bolster his own political power and the cause of the Republican midterm campaign. 

The web video -- produced for the Trump campaign -- features Luis Bracamontes, a Mexican man who had previously been deported but returned to the United States and was convicted in February in the slaying of two California deputies. (our emphasis)

We're purposefully not linking to the video;  you may have already seen it anyway.  It's pure filth. It appeals directly to the most bigoted, darkest corners of the American id.  In other words, it's pure white nationalist Trump Republicanism.  All Americans should be revolted by this naked display of bigotry and fear- mongering -- especially the race- baited Hispanic population.

The only way to stop this corrosion in our country is to vote these Republican bastards out at every level of government.  Every one of them.

Some reactions:

So WH is closing with straight-up racist incitement not less than a week after a MAGA cultist tried to assassinate 13 officials and critics and 4 days after a Nazi cited WH-led immigration propaganda as his cause for committing slaughter.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 31, 2018

Imagine Trump popping Starbursts and saying, “That Willie Horton ad, that was a good ad.”

— Schooley (@Rschooley) November 1, 2018

Not linking to this ad but it’s not a shock.

It’s his only political strategy. If it’s not working, he just increases the volume.

Trump thinks racism is the most powerful force in American politics

Tuesday we get to see if he’s right. pic.twitter.com/H8xBtIIvxQ

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) November 1, 2018

Glad everyone has come around to using the word ‘liar’ to describe Donald Trump.

Now use ‘racist.’

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) November 1, 2018

UPDATE: 

The cop-killer featured in Trump's incendiary video blaming Democrats, was actually released by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the man Trump pardoned. He was deported by President Bill Clinton and re-entered the US under President Bush. https://t.co/tN8oMDH4W0  pic.twitter.com/txuA1LpNO8

— Amee Vanderpool #WaveCast (@girlsreallyrule) November 2, 2018

QOTD -- Sick And Tired

We're Hackwhackers and we endorse this message:

If you’re sick and tired, too, here is what you can do. Vote for Democrats on Tuesday. For every office. Regardless of who they are. And I say that as a former Republican. Some Republicans in suburban districts may claim they aren’t for Trump. Don’t believe them. Whatever their private qualms, no Republicans have consistently held Trump to account. They are too scared that doing so will hurt their chances of reelection. If you’re as sick and tired as I am of being sick and tired about what’s going on, vote against all Republicans. Every single one. That’s the only message they will understand.

That's from Max Boot, former Republican neo- con, in today's Washington Post.  It's never too late to come over from the dark side (and we don't check past ideological transgressions when we're sharing a foxhole facing a common, existential neo- fascist threat).

Anti-Semitic Vandalism In CA

Vandals painted anti-Semitic slurs on a synagogue in Irvine, CA early Wednesday morning, in the aftermath of last Saturday's massacre of 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. Apparently, the Beth Jacob Congregation has been hit before by anti-Semitic vandals.

"In April, Nicholas Rose was charged with attempted hate-crime threats for possessing anti-Semitic literature, including “kill lists” of Jewish people and a step-by-step guide to 'killing my first Jew.' Also among Rose’s possessions were papers referencing Beth Jacob and two churches, according to Orange County prosecutors. 

In a 2017 report, the Orange County Human Relations Commission found that hate crimes in the county had increased nearly 30% over the previous two years, with Jews making up 9% of the victims."

Neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's toxic hate speech directed at "globalists," immigrants, and George Soros in particular are a standard feature of his Nuremberg rallies campaign speeches. The Anti-Defamation League notes that anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic views are often intertwined. The ADL also catalogues all of the anti-Semitic hate activities across the U.S., which have grown dramatically since the Electoral College handed Rump the presidency.