Saturday, August 3, 2019
QOTD -- House Afire
“The house is on fire. Tell us what this president has done to set this house on fire, and how you are going to put it out. When the house is on fire, you don’t discuss what kind of begonias you’re going to plant in the wind sill because the house is on fire.” -- Joy Reid, this morning advising Democratic presidential hopefuls not to get bogged down trading fire over details in their health care plans when an imminent, existential threat must be soundly defeated.
Today's Cartoons
(click on images to enlarge)
(Bruce Plante, Tulsa World)
(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)
(Ken Catalino, gocomics.com)
(Scott Stantis, Chicago Tribune)
(Dave Granlund, davegranlund.com)
(Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain Dealer)
(Bruce Plante, Tulsa World)
(Gary Clement, National Post, Toronto)
Tweets Of The Day -- Melting Away
This is a roaring glacial melt, under the bridge to Kangerlussiauq, Greenland where it's 22C today and Danish officials say 12 billions tons of ice melted in 24 hours, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Rl2odG4xWj— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) August 1, 2019
That's almost 72 degrees Fahrenheit. In Greenland. Meanwhile, here's Trump's dimbulb new U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.:
This is our new UN Ambassador, Kelly Knight Craft on climate change: “I believe there are scientists on both sides that are accurate....I think that both sides have their own results from their studies, and I appreciate and respect both sides of the science.” (via @CBSNews) pic.twitter.com/9TRZTskZmY— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) August 2, 2019
Friday, August 2, 2019
Today In Moscow Mitch
Moscow Mitch is starting to sweat:
The #MoscowMitch label that sprung up this week thanks to the traditional media finally recognizing that Mitch McConnell is standing in the way of protecting our elections from the Russians has enraged the Kentucky senator and majority leader. The guy who normally relishes a political fight and turns criticisms into a big joke can't do that this time. That could be because the moniker is hitting him at home.
Kentucky political reporter Philip Bailey, who writes for the Louisville Courier Journal reports that as of Thursday night, the Kentucky Democrats have raised more than $120,00 off of #MoscowMitch T-shirts and other merchandise—in just one day. It's not national sales driving that either; people from more than 64 Kentucky counties bought the shirts. In contrast, McConnell made about $70,000 off of his joke #CocaineMitch shirts in a two-week period. On MSNBC's The 11th Hour, Bailey told Brian Williams that he's talked to McConnell aides and confidants and they "all say this has gotten to him" and that the "issue and the tag line of Moscow Mitch has gotten to Sen. McConnell in a way that previous criticisms have not."This tag line narrative, which has the benefit of truthfulness (and we know the truth hurts Moscow Mitch), needs to be repeated and amplified at every opportunity from now until election day 2020. Moscow Mitch is facing a strong candidate in Amy McGrath. It's a daunting prospect, but defeating him must be a high priority, and it looks like Kentuckians will be getting the message loud and clear:
The attention to the issue in Kentucky isn't going to go away, and will only intensify for this month that McConnell is home. In Friday's Courier Journal Joseph Gerth's opinion column is titled "Why is McConnell so upset about being called Moscow Mitch? Maybe it hits too close to home." He writes "And if you believe this isn't going to come up repeatedly at Fancy Farm this weekend, I've got some ocean-front property to sell you in Severo-Yeniseysky."The Moscow Mitch tag line needs to stick to him like stink on shit for the rest of his rotted- out life.
BONUS: Dana Milbank dives a little deeper into who's been contributing to Moscow Mitch's PAC, and other smarmy details.
Twit Tweet, Thwap -- What A Fool Believes
Twit tweet:
....Chariman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019
Thwap:
'great and beautiful vision for his country'https://t.co/CVfBgyGPBu— Schooley (@Rschooley) August 2, 2019
This is an example of how @realDonaldTrump’s narcissistic personality disorder adversely affects the national security of the United States of America. https://t.co/1XIcm6NldP— George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 2, 2019
"Stand by your Kim!— David Frum (@davidfrum) August 2, 2019
Stand by your Kim,
And show the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your Kim!" https://t.co/IL1mfFRiBl
Kim is laughing his ass off right now. You don’t know how stupid you look, calling yourself a friend of a murderous dictator.— IMK (@Insuremekevin) August 2, 2019
Otto Warmbier.— April (@speakout_april) August 2, 2019
BREAKING: Trump Bails On Ratcliffe
By tweet, of course:
....John has therefore decided to stay in Congress where he has done such an outstanding job representing the people of Texas, and our Country. I will be announcing my nomination for DNI shortly.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019
The blowback was too much, apparently. Meanwhile, Rep. Devin "Mooo" Nunes is reportedly warming up in the bull- pen (jk?).
Today's Cartoons
(click on images to enlarge)
(Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer)
(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
(Walt Handelsman, The Advocate, New Orleans)
(Stuart Carlson, gocomics.com)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Rob Rogers, robrogers.com)
(Lalo Alcaraz, LA Weekly)
(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Weekend Music Twofer
After a too- long hiatus, indie band Wilco is releasing a new album, "Ode To Joy," in October. It's first single, "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)", is just a beautiful Jeff Tweedy song, almost worth the wait.
It seems this is the year of folk- rock documentaries. In May, we had "Echo In The Canyon," a look at the L.A. music scene centered around Laurel Canyon in the 60's. Now, "David Crosby: Remember My Name" is in theaters, and we were inspired to go back to one of his songs featured in "Echo..." from his days with The Byrds, "What's Happening?" It features some signature Byrds guitar euphoria and Crosby's great honey tenor. Hope you enjoy.
QOTD -- Theory And Reality
"Folks: Whether to achieve fully universal health
care through a pure single-payer system or an expanded version of
Obamacare is an interesting theoretical discussion. Neither is remotely
possible until a Democrat replaces President Trump and another replaces
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"Some of you candidates need to focus on Trump. Some of you others need to go home and run for the Senate." -- Eugene Robinson in today's Washington Post. Couldn't put it better.
"Some of you candidates need to focus on Trump. Some of you others need to go home and run for the Senate." -- Eugene Robinson in today's Washington Post. Couldn't put it better.
"Those Racist Chants Rally Put The Asses In The Seats"
Stephen Colbert gives us a taste of Trump's "Chopper Talk" about racist chants at his rallies, and some thoughts on the Democratic field (his Bernie impression is hilarious).
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Racism Has Always Been In Republican DNA, Ronnie Reagan Edition
Following release of a 1971 audio recording of then- California Gov. Ronald "St. Ronnie of Hollywood" Reagan making a racist comment to President Richard "I'm Not A Crook" Nixon about African delegates to the U.N., at least one newspaper from Reagan's home state has weighed in on a long, vicious strain of white supremacy in the Republican Party:
In the shocking conversation, first revealed by The Atlantic, Reagan refers to African delegates to the United Nations as “monkeys” and says “they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes.” Nixon guffaws.
The two men – one a governor of California, one a president from California – were upset that the African delegates had voted to recognize the People’s Republic of China. So, in response to this political disagreement, two of the most powerful men in the world resorted to racist invective. Nixon, recounting his conversation with Reagan to a White House staffer, referred to the African delegates as “cannibals.”
President Donald Trump’s increasingly racist rhetoric has stunned political observers, yet he’s simply playing to a constituency that was cultivated over decades by people like Nixon and Reagan. They may have operated on a more subtle level, saving the worst of their bigotry for private conversations instead of declaring it in tweets. Yet the core principle remains the same: racism. (our emphasis)The link embedded in the editorial provides the audio recording of Reagan's racist remarks and Nixon's approving reaction. Please read the entire editorial for the historical references demonstrating the Republican Party's following a racist agenda from the "Southern Strategy" to Trump's white nationalism. Here's The Atlantic's transcription of the Reagan remarks:
“Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did,” Reagan said. “Yeah,” Nixon interjected. Reagan forged ahead with his complaint: “To see those, those monkeys from those African countries—damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!”The Sacramento Bee is right: the core principle of the Republican Party is racism. If you support them, you support that.
Trump's Farm Bailout Was A Ripoff?!?!
The f*ck you say!
Just like the 2017 trillion dollar tax cut for corporations and the wealthy, the farm bailout to ameliorate the pain from nitwit narcissist Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump's trade wars will benefit the part of the Republican base that matters most:
The Trump administration last week revealed details of a $16 billion aid package for farmers hit in the U.S.-China trade war, with key provisions meant to avoid large corporations scooping up big payouts at the expense of small farmers.
According to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), most of the $8.4 billion given out so far in last year’s farm bailout went to wealthy farmers, exacerbating the economic disparity with smaller farmers.
An EWG analysis found that the top one-tenth of recipients received 54 percent of all payments. Eighty-two farmers have each so far received more than $500,000 in trade relief.
One farm, DeLine Farm Partnership of Charleston, Mo., has so far received $2.8 million.
Not sure what the "patriotic" small farmers Trump expects to soldier on can do with $5,000. That might just cover a month's operating expenses on a small farm. Meanwhile, markets that these farmers used to sell to are being lost forever, all thanks to the Very Stable Genius's ignorance about how tariffs work.The top 1 percent of recipients of trade relief received, on average, $183,331. The bottom 80 percent received, on average, less than $5,000, EWG said. (our emphasis)
Winning!
Today's Cartoons
(click on images to enlarge)
(Tom Toles, Washington Post)
(David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star)
(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
(R.J. Matson, Roll Call)
(Bill Day, caglecartoons.com)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Finally, Trump has destroyed whatever vestigial moral standing we may have had in the world, so much so that even the Chinese -- a Chinese Communist Party organ ffs -- can rightfully mock the U.S.:
(Luo Jie, China Daily)
Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. -- Pull Yourself Together Edition
In today's Washington Post:
She speaks for a lot of Democrats who don't particularly like what they're seeing on the debate stages and media appearances. Winnowing the field down in the coming months will help reduce the noise level and concentrate voters minds more. But Democrats savaging each other -- or, worse, the most recent, popular Democratic president and his achievements made under the most difficult circumstances -- is a recipe for disaster.I agree with Colbert I. King’s July 27 op-ed, “Despairing over the Democrats,” and his concern that the trajectory Democrats are on might end up with history repeating itself next year. The sorry state of Democratic politics is that there are clearly too many Democratic candidates for president, all pulling money from one another and criticizing each other and their platforms — instead of focusing on a president who has consistently undermined our democratic principles.
All Americans concerned about the state of our democracy should take heed of Mr. King’s warning that the Democratic Party needs to quit “pulling itself apart over political agendas having less to do with defeating Trump and more with scoring ideological victories among themselves.” We need to send a very clear and strong signal to our Democratic candidates to set their egos aside and focus on changing the president in 2020. I hope I echo the concern of many who want to see the Democrats start pulling together, weeding out the field of candidates to a few and stop drawing money from one another. Let’s concentrate on winning our country back to the democratic principles that we have had for more than 200 years by defeating President Trump in 2020.
Nancy Kegan Smith, Alexandria
BONUS: More blowback on cannibalism.
Tweets Of The Day -- Media Hot Takes
Waking up to hot takes about a "meh" debate. You wanted entertainment from politics and you got Trump. Have you learned nothing?— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) July 31, 2019
(Spoiler alert: No)
On the other hand --
i am......baffled because I have truly never once heard a moderator ask republicans how they are going to sell their cockamamie nonsensical ideas to progressives?— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) July 31, 2019
Imagine CNN asking in a Republican debate: "Democrats want to ensure health care for all Americans. You want to kill people. Care to respond?"— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) July 31, 2019
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