(click on images to enlarge)
(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)
(Andy Marlette, @AndyMarlette)
(Chris Britt, gocomics.com)
(Tim Campbell, Counterpoint)
(Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain Dealer)
(Kevin Kallaugher, Baltimore Sun)
(Pat Byrnes, caglecartoons.com)
(Dave Granlund, politicalcartoons.com)
(Niels Bo Bojesen, politicalcartoons.com)
(Brooke Bourgeois, @bro_bourgeois)
Weeks after the election results determined that Dem Governor-elect Katie Hobbs had won the governorship of Arizona over radical right- wing Trumpist election denier and loser Kari "Fake" Lake, two election-denying Republican county supervisors in Cochise County who refused to certify their county's election results now face investigation and prosecution for violating state election law. The rogue Republican supervisors, Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd, refused to perform their duty in the certification process, and jeopardized not only their county's ballots but the overall certified count for the state:
"Crosby and Judd threw the state certification process into disarray last month when they delayed their official canvassing of the midterm election results in Cochise County, citing bogus claims that electronic tabulators didn’t meet state or federal standards. It was only after a court ordered them to complete their statutorily mandated duties that they did so on Dec. 1, days after the Nov. 28 deadline." (our emphasis)
Hobbs, the current Secretary of State for Arizona, has the statutory responsibility for the state's overall election certification. Ironically, all of the ballots of heavily Republican Cochise County would have been set aside and would have helped to flip some races to the Dems:
"Their actions put the official statewide canvass in jeopardy, as Hobbs must meet a Dec. 5 deadline to certify the results. She can only push that deadline as far as Dec. 8. If she decided to go ahead with the process without the results from Cochise County, a heavily Republican region, more than 47,000 voters could have seen their ballots ignored and a number of races would have flipped in favor of Democratic candidates."
The penalties for Crosby and Judd, if they are prosecuted and found guilty, could range from misdemeanors to felonies. Interestingly, if found guilty of a felony, the two morons would have their right to vote revoked and could lose their elected positions. Sad!
Here's colorized film with sound added of Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1907, with views of the Hotel Vancouver, Carnegie Library, and Hudson's Bay Store. Throughout, there's a notable reliance on horse- drawn conveyances, bicycles, streetcars and shoe leather.
"I am a Partner at Kamerman, Uncyk, Soniker, & Klein, P.C., counsel to many of the employees you recently laid off from Twitter, Inc. (Twitter"), and I'm sure you've been expecting this. Ever since you took over Twitter, you've been attempting to tap-dance your way out of Twitter's binding obligations to its employees, which include paying the agreed severance to the thousands of people you laid off just in time for the holidays. If basic human decency and honor isn't enough to make you want to keep your word, maybe this will: ..." -- the opening paragraph of a letter addressed to "Elon Musk, Chief Twit" from attorney Akiva Cohen on behalf of Twitter employees being screwed by same Chief Twit. Cohen goes on to drolly detail the actions his firm will take (and win) if the Chief Twit doesn't abide by his obligations to his former employees by December 7. (The letter is a hoot by legal standards and worth checking out.)
(click on images to enlarge)
(Paul Fell, @DailyFeltoon)
(Clay Jones, claytoonz.com)
(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)
(Rob Rogers, Tinyview.com)
(Jeff Danziger, The Rutland Herald, VT)
(Nick Anderson, Reform Austin News, TX)
(Pedro Molina, Counterpoint)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)
(Asher Perlman, @asherperlman)
Judge sanctions dead- ender Kari "Shallow" Lake for lies about Arizona election 😁 --
‘False, Misleading’ Accusations: Federal Judge Sanctions Kari Lake For Challenging Arizona’s Voting Procedures https://t.co/CmvnFeKHr6 pic.twitter.com/khhX1nHXNj
— Forbes (@Forbes) December 1, 2022
The coup leader expresses solidarity with his insurrectionists (again) --
Trump expressed solidarity with the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol, sending a video of support to a fundraising event Thursday hosted by a group called the Patriot Freedom Project that is supporting families of those being prosecuted by the government. https://t.co/yM31t0ESb7
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 2, 2022
MAGA man Kanye has heroes besides Trump --
Kanye: "They did good things too, we've got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time."
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) December 1, 2022
"Gym" Jordan wrestled with this for two months --
The House Judiciary Committee Republican account appear to have finally deleted the "Kanye. Elon. Trump." tweet it sent in early October. pic.twitter.com/KmmPkMh4cz
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) December 1, 2022
What's that Musk-y smell? The latest Musk purchase? --
Did Elon just buy Coca-Cola pic.twitter.com/pqvLBqng2p
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) November 30, 2022
Jake's bad takes, Mar-a-Lago Special Master edition (has Jake apologized to MSNBC yet?) --
not aging well https://t.co/TnPKyRAiLY
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 2, 2022
Walker, Texas Danger, gets roasted by the best --
Obama: Mr. Walker has been talking about issues that are of great importance to the people of Georgia like if it’s better to be a vampire or a werewolf.. This is a debate that I must confess I once had myself.. when I was 7 pic.twitter.com/TonaibyZ1u
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 2, 2022
From the pen of a master comes the thoughtful classic "Happy Friday!" --
Ha ha!!! pic.twitter.com/UFibADl2A2
— Elaine Owen (@OwenElaineowen1) November 30, 2022
Most believe that the real "Mac" in British-American band Fleetwood Mac turned out to be singer/ songwriter/ musician Christine McVie, née Perfect (!), who passed away after a short illness on November 30 at the age of 79. McVie's songs powered the group through its most creative years as a rock/pop band, with hits like "Say You Love Me," "Think About Me," "Hold Me," "Everywhere," "Little Lies," and "Don't Stop," which was the theme song for Bill Clinton's campaign ("don't stop thinking about tomorrow..."). In her honor, we're offering several of her most memorable songs: "Over My Head" from the band's 1975 self-titled album, and "You Make Loving Fun" and "Songbird" from 1977's "Rumours" album, the latter often servingas the band's closing song. R.I.P.
With the Georgia runoff election for Senate next Tuesday -- and early voting ending today -- new allegations involving the damaged Republican nominee, hypocrite and pathological liar Herschel "How Many Abortions" Walker have been made by a former girlfriend. The Daily Beast broke the story:
"A former longtime girlfriend of Republican senatorial candidate Herschel Walker has come forward to detail a violent episode with the football star, who she believes is 'unstable' and has 'little to no control' over his mental state when he is not in treatment.
The woman, Dallas resident Cheryl Parsa, described an intimate and tumultuous five-year relationship with Walker in the 2000s, beginning shortly after his divorce and continuing for a year after the publication of his 2008 memoir about his struggle with dissociative identity disorder (DID), once known as multiple personality disorder."
Ms. Parsa has put details of her troubled relationship with him in writing, too.
"Parsa, who has composed a book-length manuscript about her relationship with Walker, says she is speaking out because she is disturbed by Walker’s behavior on the campaign trail, which she claims exhibits telltale flare-ups of the disorder she tried to help him manage for half a decade.
'He’s a pathological liar. Absolutely. But it’s more than that,' Parsa, who last had regular contact with Walker in 2019, told The Daily Beast. 'He knows how to manipulate his disease, in order to manipulate people, while at times being simultaneously completely out of control.' She said that when she was with Walker, he used his diagnosis as an 'alibi' to 'justify lying, cheating, and ultimately destroying families.'
Parsa provided a detailed account of a 2005 incident that turned violent after she caught Walker with another woman at his Dallas condo. She said Walker grew enraged, put his hands on her chest and neck, and swung his fist at her. 'I thought he was going to beat me,' she recalled, and fled in fear." [snip]
“He is not well,” Parsa said. “And I say that as someone who knows exactly what this looks like, because I have lived through it and seen what it does to him and to other people. He cannot be a senator. He cannot have control over a state when he has little to no control of his mind.” (our emphasis)
Of course, this will mean nothing to Republican voters, those who know of his abusive past and will vote for him anyway. That's because, as misogynists, most believe that the female victims of his abusive behavior "had it coming to them," and because Walker is a Republican, so his disgusting behavior gets a pass from them in favor of gaining power.
In a rebuke to both the Malignant Loser and Federal District Judge Aileen Cannon whom he appointed in the final months of his regime, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has stopped the "special master" review of documents seized during a lawful search of his Merde O'Lardo estate for highly classified documents. With Cannon's collusion, the Malignant Loser had hoped to stall the investigation into his possession of top secret classified documents, which involves violations of the Espionage Act, and his subsequent obstruction of the investigation. From the AP report:
"The decision by the three-judge panel represents a significant win for federal prosecutors, clearing the way for them to use as part of their investigation the entire tranche of documents seized during an Aug. 8 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. It also amounts to a sharp repudiation of arguments by Trump’s lawyers, who for months had said that the former president was entitled to have a so-called 'special master' conduct a neutral review of the thousands of documents taken from the property. [snip]
The decision was a unanimous opinion from the panel of Republican appointees, including two who were selected by Trump. In it, the court rejected each argument by Trump and his attorneys for why a special master was necessary, including his claims that various seized records were protected by attorney-client privilege or executive privilege."
The investigations into the Malignant Loser's handling of highly classified documents, along with his January 6 attempted coup / insurrection, are now in the hands of Special Counsel Jack Smith. There are signs that both investigations are moving along under his management, and the Court's ruling against the "special master" stall tactic will help greatly.
In a clear slap at Trump's colluding Judge Cannon, the Appeals Court judges wrote:
“The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so.
Either approach would be a radical reordering of our caselaw limiting the federal courts’ involvement in criminal investigations. And both would violate bedrock separation-of-powers limitations.”
Further appeals, if any, by the Malignant Loser's lawyers are expected to be dismissed.
We're sorry not sorry to see you go:
CNN’s Politics Reporter and Editor-at-Large Chris Cillizza has reportedly been let go from the network, where he has worked since 2017 after a long stint as a political commentator at the Washington Post.
At CNN, Cillizza’s “reporting lives under the brand, ‘The Point with Chris Cillizza,’ and includes a nightly newsletter and weekday Amazon Echo and Google Home flash briefings. He also hosts CNN Audio’s ‘Downside Up’ podcast.”
Parker Molloy had this assessment of Cillizza in 2020:
You know how in movies like Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30, and Big, there are always those scenes where the main character has to learn how to be an adult? They go to an office, they don’t know how anything works, and they generally fumble through the day, ordering things like jelly beans and chocolate milk for lunch while spinning around on a swivel chair? Well, the difference between those scenes and CNN analyst Chris Cillizza’s career is that at least the children in the movies eventually learn to do their job with some level of competence.
Cillizza is, at best, an overpriced embarrassment CNN has chained itself to. He treats politics like a game played for his entertainment, rather than something that affects the lives of everyone in the country. His Twitter feed is a mess of played-out memes that make his reaction to any given event as predictable as a talking doll with a pull string. Though he’s treated as an expert on the American political establishment, his analysis comes with the naivete of a newborn child. [snip]
The real shame of Cillizza’s success -- during a time when journalism is one of the only checks on power we have left -- is that there are so many talented, hard-working, fact-based journalists who’ve lost work in recent years. Columbia Journalism Review reported in December that 3,160 journalists were laid off in 2019. As we view Trump’s scandals and impeachment through Cillizza’s warped lens, it’s worth wondering how different things would be in our media and our democracy if news organizations rejected the sort of lighthearted hackery he peddles, instead of making it a highly sought commodity...
He was Hillary Clinton- phobic, and was instrumental in puffing up the Republican bullshit narrative about her emails(!). He was terrible. Now he's gone. Please don't come back.
BONUS: A quick look at a few of Cillizza's errant hot takes.
BONUS II: 😂 --
In the Cillizza kitchen, it was a morning tradition: fire up Twitter on the old iPhone over a cup of joe, make baseless, pithy comments about serious matters, then cash a check for millions. But now, the woke mob has taken all that away.
— New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) December 2, 2022
(Image: cause for rejoicing)
(click on images to enlarge)
(Rick McKee, caglecartoons.com)
(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
(DonkeyHotey, @DonkeyHotey)
(R.J. Matson, CQ/Roll Call)
(Tom Janssen, CartoonArts, Amsterdam)
(Matt Wuerker, Politico)
(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)
(Drew Sheneman, The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ)
(Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun)
(Dawn Mockler, @dawnymock)
Watch as Republicans deny paid sick leave to rail workers --
If and when this happens, I implore everyone to AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE. Paid sick days won't just die, they'll be murdered by a Republican filibuster, carried out by Republicans, because Republicans don't want rail workers to get a few lousy sick days. https://t.co/eWCVEaMyM3
— Paul Waldman (@paulwaldman1) December 1, 2022
Also watch "Manchema" side with Republicans on debt ceiling extortion --
A bad sign: Even as Republicans openly threaten debt limit extortion next year, pessimism is mounting that Dems will disable it during the lame duck. Aides tell me they're skeptical Manchin and Sinema will do this in reconcilation, because it's "partisan."https://t.co/sghf1OAOFm
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) December 1, 2022
220 pounds of twisted steel, sex appeal, and a slippery banana peel --
Newsweek: “Herschel Walker Calls Himself '220 Pounds of Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal'” #PatriotTakes https://t.co/Hcv2COyccb
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 1, 2022
We dub him DePlorable.... --
The New York Post has dubbed Ron DeSantis “DeFuture.” @MarkLeibovich would dub that DeBatable. https://t.co/NWGm2hOL2t
— Callie Khouri 🇺🇦 (@CallieKhouri) December 1, 2022
Because Ron "Bootsie" DeSantis has some interesting supporters --
#NeverForget https://t.co/lKK8JbpY4z
— Lesley Abravanel 🪩 (@lesleyabravanel) December 1, 2022
Sez the sheriff who must've had his ass cheeks torn off as a child --
Yikes. Florida sheriff holds press conference with new right-wing school board chairman to call for more severe discipline of students.
— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) November 30, 2022
Sheriff then laments that children no longer fear having "the cheeks of their ass torn off."https://t.co/s2Zzo0CFBP
Over 10 months of their aggression, Russia's losses are staggering --
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Dec. 1, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/hudsUmQyIv
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) December 1, 2022
A reminder to include leafy vegetables in your diet --
Bunny.. 🐰 pic.twitter.com/K2ebQtrZC2
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) December 1, 2022
"The United States remains in a heightened threat environment. Lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances continue to pose a persistent and lethal threat to the Homeland. Domestic actors and foreign terrorist organizations continue to maintain a visible presence online in attempts to motivate supporters to conduct attacks in the Homeland. Threat actors have recently mobilized to violence, citing factors such as reactions to current events and adherence to violent extremist ideologies. In the coming months, threat actors could exploit several upcoming events to justify or commit acts of violence, including certifications related to the midterm elections, the holiday season and associated large gatherings, the marking of two years since the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and potential sociopolitical developments connected to ideological beliefs or personal hostility. Targets of potential violence include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, the LGBTQI+ community, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents." -- summary of a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin, issued yesterday by the Department of Homeland Security. "...motivated by a range of ideological beliefs..." Bullshit. The "range" is from neo-Nazi to Christofascist white supremacist to far-right anti-government militias. DHS isn't doing anybody any favors by refusing to identify the unmistakable perpetrators of the vast majority of threats against the targets listed.
President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte on this chilly morning in Washington, DC, for the first state visit of Biden's Presidency. Both referenced the long standing alliance, and Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin's war of territorial expansion in Ukraine in their remarks on the South Lawn. Macron remarked that the U.S. and France must again be "brothers in arms" against the aggression. They are also expected to discuss climate and energy issues during Macron's visit. Last night, the four had a private dinner at Fiola Mare, an Italian restaurant in Georgetown.
(photos from top: CNN, NBC News, Doug Mills/NY Times)
LOL:
Ohio prosecutors in October 2020 charged right-wing operatives Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl with telecommunications fraud in connection with the scheme, and two years later, the two men pleaded guilty.
Now, they have their punishment: They must spend 500 hours helping register people to vote.
Judge John Sutula in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court also sentenced Burkman and Wohl to two years of probation, fines of $2,500 each and electronic monitoring from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. for six months, according to the county prosecutor’s office.
“I think it’s a despicable thing that you guys have done,” the judge said on Tuesday, comparing the robocall scam to efforts to suppress Southern Black voters in the 1960s, Cleveland.com reported... (our emphasis)
It's satisfying that, as part of their punishment, they'll be spending time helping register people to vote. That's what's called poetic justice.
Burkman and his protege Wohl have been engaging in "pranks" and spreading lies for years about, for example, Robert Mueller, Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and a (bogus) FBI raid on Burkman's home. Related cases in Michigan and New York are ongoing, and they face a $5 million fine from the FCC for the robocall scheme.
(Photo: Wohl and Burkman -- who's laughing now, asshole? / Cuyahoga Sheriff's Dept.)
