Friday, November 1, 2019
QOTD: Projecting
Q: [Trump]’s said you and Schiff are guilty of treason. Is he guilty of treason?
PELOSI: I don’t know. But I do know that he projects. Everything he says - ‘She’s in meltdown’ - means that he’s in meltdown. Everything he says, understand that he’s projecting.” -- (our emphasis) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi interviewed in The Atlantic.
Trump Cultists Flail Desperately On House Floor
During yesterday's House floor session to vote on moving forward with a formal process (ironically devised by Rethuglican House members years ago) for the impeachment inquiry, numerous House Rethugs rose to oppose transparency and to question what everyone has seen with their own eyes: their Dear Leader withheld military aid from an ally under attack from Russia to obtain political dirt on a possible 2020 opponent. Among the Trump cultists was the sniveling messenger boy for the White (Supremacist) House, Rep. Devin "The Farmer" Nunes, who compared the closed sessions that have been hearing depositions to a "cult." Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who was wounded 5 times at the Jonestown site in 1978 when Rep. Leo Ryan was assassinated by Jim
Devin Nunes calling the Intelligence Committee’s fact-finding mission a cult is dispicable. I know about cults. Cults are led by maniacal narcissists who expect complete adoration and relinquishment of independent thought. I suggest Mr. Nunes look elsewhere.— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) October 31, 2019
Along with Nunes, the Trump cultists were in full projection mode yesterday, even claiming that the rules that they adopted years ago were somehow reflective of the Soviet Union, a charge that they may want to reconsider given the affection of their Dear Leader for ex-KGB officer Putin's Russia. So many rakes to step on, so little time.
Texas Poll: Plurality Favor Impeachment Inquiry
Texas has long been a solid Republican state, voting for demagogue and pathological liar Donald "Impeachable Me" Trump by a 9 point margin in 2016. So it was something of a surprise to see the new University of Texas / Texas Tribune poll of Texas voters favor the impeachment inquiry by a margin of 46% to 42%. Also interesting is the number of independent voters, who also favor the inquiry by 46% to 32%. The poll also indicates that 43% favor his removal from office, with a slightly larger 44% saying "no."
As the inquiry moves into the open hearing phase, expect more of the "unsure" voters to see the evidence against Trump and decide that not only is impeachment warranted, but also his removal from office before he further corrupts the 2020 elections.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Meet The Newest White House Hire
It's Donald "Beelzebub" Trump's "spiritual advisor" (let that register), prosperity gospel grifter Paula White! What will she be doing while on the public payroll?
Paula White, a televangelist based in Florida and personal pastor to President Trump whom he has known since 2002, has joined the Trump administration in an official capacity, according to a White House official.
As you might expect, she's been having some pretty strong hallucinations that she can now have in the White (not Paula's) House:Ms. White will work in the Office of Public Liaison, the official said, which is the division of the White House overseeing outreach to groups and coalitions organizing key parts of the president’s base. Her role will be to advise the administration’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative, which Mr. Trump established last year by executive order and which aims to give religious groups more of a voice in government programs devoted to issues like defending religious liberty and fighting poverty.
Paula White, a televangelist who is a key spiritual adviser to and supporter of President Donald Trump, appeared on “The Jim Bakker Show” today, where she declared that Christians will stand accountable before God if they don’t vote for Trump in 2020, because he is filling the federal judiciary with judges who will not allow states to outlaw the Bible. [snip]
“If we can change the Supreme Court,” White said, “you don’t think all Hell is trembling right now?”
“They have already passed legislation in states that says the Bible is a book of hate speech,” she baselessly claimed. “It is only a matter of time. Those laws are already passed.” (our emphasis)Get the net!
Then there's this:
Donald Trump's spiritual adviser has suggested that people send her money in order to transform their lives, or face divine consequences.
Paula White, who heads up the president's evangelical advisory committee, suggested making a donation to her ministries to honor the religious principle of "first fruit," which she said is the idea that all firsts belong to God, including the first harvest and, apparently, the first month of your salary.
"Right now I want you to click on that button, and I want you to honor God with his first fruits offering," she said in a video shared to her website, in which she encourages her followers to donate to her ministries to get blessings from God.
"If God doesn't divinely step in and intervene, I don't know what you're going to face—he does," she said. [snip]
In her newest video, the pastor encourages people to send her money, stating, "Each January, I put God first and honor him with the first of our substance by sowing a first fruits offering of one month's pay. That is a big sacrifice, but it is a seed for the harvest I am believing for in the coming year. And God always provides!" (our emphasis)"Send me your money, or God knows what'll happen to you!" So that's how the prosperity gospel works!
For more on the new White House employee pulling down a taxpayer- funded paycheck, just Google "Paula White grifter." A great fit.
(Photo: Is that what's called "laying hands on"?)
Tweets Of The Day -- Lackey Says Wut?
McCARTHY: "This is the moment that history will write. History will ask you, when you cast this vote, when you cast a vote to justify something that has gone on behind closed doors, I want you to ask the historian & answer the question- what do you know that happened there?" #wut pic.twitter.com/87gAnGzpcy— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 31, 2019
I did not think better of Kevin McCarthy. He is a total embarrassment as a leader and as a member of the House. No moral standards, no honesty, a lackey of a corrupt president and party. Shameful.— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 31, 2019
History will remember, Kevin... just not the way you think— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 31, 2019
Kevin McCarthy is a magnificent example of the Great American Arse.— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) October 31, 2019
WEIRD COINCIDENCE ALERT:— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) October 31, 2019
"Kevin McCarthy is implicated in the scandal he doesn’t want investigated."https://t.co/vPoCRWdlwX
Rethugs Lie About "Do Nothing" Dems In House
In addition to cynically whining about the process of the impeachment inquiry, which House Dems have more than addressed, a recurring line from the White (Supremacist) House and their Rethug stooges is what a shame those Dems are focused on impeachment rather that the public's business. People that have been watching Congress over the past 18 months have surely noticed that the House Dems have passed a slew of legislation -- ranging from voting rights and election security to environmental and climate change protections -- only to be ignored by the despicable, evil nihilist Senate Majority Leader, Sen. "Moscow Mitch" McConnell who won't bring them up for a vote. "Do Nothing" is a label best applied to Moscow Mitch and his Rethugs. You can find the list of bills passed by the House and awaiting Senate action here, and it's a long list of more than 200 bills.
Knowing that their party / philosophy / record is built of a network of lies and distortions, it's no surprise that Rethuglicans are lying about this, too, and should be called on it every time it's brought up. Their Dear Leader in the Oval Office is the perfect manifestation of the dishonest, rotted out, shameless crew that they are.
House Authorizes Formal Impeachment Process
A short while ago, on a largely party line vote (232- 196), the House of Representatives passed H.Res. 660, "Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes." You can read the resolution here (pdf).
Every Republican who voted against the resolution (as well as two spineless, careerist Democrats) voted against the national security interests of the United States, against free and fair elections, against accountability in government, and against the founding principles of our country as expressed in the Constitution. History will remember, we will remember, and they will pay.
Today's Cartoons -- Boo!
(click on images to enlarge)
(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)
(Matt Davies, Newsday)
(Stuart Carlson, gocomics.com)
(Nick Anderson, Counterpoint)
(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)
(Andy Marlette, Pensacola News Journal, FL)
(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)
(David Horsey, Seattle Times)
(Tom Toles, Washington Post)
(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)
(R.J. Matson, Roll Call)
(Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News)
Now Trump Is Tampering With His "Jury"
The role of the Senate in the impeachment process is to consider the articles of impeachment brought by the House, and to act as jurors in a trial to determine whether to remove a sitting President, while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides. Since pathological liar and corrupt con artist Donald "Very Stable Genius" Trump started soiling the Oval Office, he's been his own witness for the prosecution against himself. First, openly bragging that he removed former FBI Director James Comey because of "the Russia thing," then obstructing the investigation of the Russia interference scandal some 10 times (according to volume 2 of the Mueller Report), and then publicly calling for Ukraine and China to manufacture dirt on his political opponents.
Now, it's being reported by Politico that Trump is getting his fundraising operation to provide resources to a number of Rethuglican Senators who will be sitting as "jurors" in the expected Senate trial:
"President Donald Trump is rewarding senators who have his back on impeachment — and sending a message to those who don't to get on board.With public opinion shifting in favor of impeaching and removing Trump, the infusion of cash into the reelection campaigns of key Rethug Senators is intended to buck up their support for Trump in the coming trial. Senators Gardner (CO), Ernst (IA), and Tillis (NC) are all in tight reelections, and may have considered splitting off from Dear Leader. But with his bribes, they are more likely to support the corrupt Trump as the evidence of his illegal activities mounts.
Trump is tapping his vast fundraising network for a handful of loyal senators facing tough reelection bids in 2020. Each of them has signed onto a Republican-backed resolution condemning the inquiry as 'unprecedented and undemocratic.' [snip] Trump is exerting leverage over a group he badly needs in his corner with an impeachment trial likely coming soon to the Senate — but that also needs him.
Republican senators on the ballot next year are lagging in fundraising, stoking uncertainty about the GOP’s hold on the chamber, and could use the fundraising might of the president. Trump’s political operation has raked in over $300 million this year."
(photo: Fingering the guilty party)
The Smoking Gun
Seth Meyers covers the recent impeachment inquiry testimony, Republicans in disarray, nitwit crime family boss Donald "The Dumb Don" Trump's continuing self- incrimination, and more.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Twitter Banning Political Ads
Your move, Schmuckerberg --
We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought. Why? A few reasons…🧵— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
Internet political ads present entirely new challenges to civic discourse: machine learning-based optimization of messaging and micro-targeting, unchecked misleading information, and deep fakes. All at increasing velocity, sophistication, and overwhelming scale.— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
These challenges will affect ALL internet communication, not just political ads. Best to focus our efforts on the root problems, without the additional burden and complexity taking money brings. Trying to fix both means fixing neither well, and harms our credibility.— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
And, swiping Schmuckerberg,
For instance, it‘s not credible for us to say: “We’re working hard to stop people from gaming our systems to spread misleading info, buuut if someone pays us to target and force people to see their political ad…well...they can say whatever they want! 😉”— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
These are only a few tweets from Dorsey's thread; the entire thread is worth a read.
Whether this will resonate with the would- be Master of the Tech Universe Schmuckerberg remains to be seen (a small number of his employees have challenged his position on political ads), but it's a very welcome step in helping to put a dent in the flood of misinformation and the manipulation of our elections by malign actors here and abroad.
Rising Sea Level Impacts Greater Than Expected
In a new report from independent climate research organization Climate Central, climate scientists are now saying that the heat generated by human activity / climate change could push chronic floods further inland, impacting some 300 million people within 30 years. In addition, by 2100 roughly 200 million people could see a permanent loss of land to the sea.
The study notes that the threat is especially acute in coastal Asia, and could impact the economies and political stability of countries from India and Thailand to Indonesia and China. From the report:
"Start with mainland China. By 2050, land now home to 93 million people could be lower than the height of the local average annual coastal flood. Shanghai, which is the country’s most populous city, is projected to be particularly vulnerable to ocean flooding in the absence of coastal defenses. [snip]
Next, consider India’s situation in 2050. By that year, projected sea level rise could push average annual floods above land currently home to some 36 million people. West Bengal and coastal Odisha are projected to be particularly vulnerable, as is the eastern city of Kolkata. [snip]
Finally, take Bangladesh and Vietnam, where coastal land currently home to 42 million and 31 million people, respectively, could be threatened with saltwater flooding at least once per year at midcentury. By that time, average annual coastal floods are projected to rise higher than a wide swath of Bangladesh, including parts of the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong. In Vietnam, annual ocean floods are projected to particularly affect the densely populated Mekong Delta and the northern coast around Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, including the port city of Haiphong."It's an environmental and humanitarian disaster unfolding in front of mankind, and the U.S. fossil industry and their coin-operated Rethuglican Party are complicit in contributing to the climate crisis that's causing it.
(photo: Recent flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia)
Tweets Of The Day -- Stupid's Economy
So job growth is slower under President trump than Obama’s last three years. So is stock market growth. And now gdp growth is under 2%. All those folks who attacked Obama on the economy, what do you have to say about a worse one under trump?— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) October 30, 2019
"At least he's white."— Joshua (@LambdaHard) October 30, 2019
BINGO!!!— Brian Nichols (@Flroach) October 30, 2019
Just for context ... https://t.co/fvpHQl4Ecv— IAH — ∞time - J♡ 🧢 (@mea_mark) October 30, 2019
Trump is finally getting the economy he deserves, instead of the one he inherited.— Phydeauz (@Phydeauz) October 30, 2019
Today's Cartoons
(click on images to enlarge)
(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)
(Ann Telnaes, Washington Post)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)
(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)
(Tom Toles, Washington Post)
(Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe)
(Bob Englehart, caglecartoons.com)
(Bill Day, floridapolitics.com)
(Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain Dealer)
(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
(Jeff Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)
(Jeff Stahler, gocomics.com)
(Drew Sheneman, The Star Ledger, Newark, NJ)
Mid-Week Song
Brittany Howard, the talented lead singer of the blues / folk roots band Alabama Shakes, has her first solo album out, Jaime. Here is her acoustic version of her hit, "Stay High." Enjoy.
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