FairAndUNbalanced.com

 
From Tommy Christopher:

It has been two weeks since James Shaw, Jr. heroically risked his life to stop a mass shooting. But even after a promise from the White House, Trump has still not contacted him.

Earlier this week, reporter April Ryan called Trump out for praising other heroes while ignoring Shaw, an African American man who disarmed the shooter who killed four people at a Waffle House in Tennessee on April 22.

“Is the President himself going to reach out to him? Will he come to the White House?” Ryan asked Sanders on Tuesday.

“My understanding is that there has been an outreach effort to bring him here to the White House,” Sanders replied.

But by the end of the week, Trump still had not contacted Shaw.

– More –
 

 
From Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson:

I get asked sometimes about the toughest races I’ve covered as a newspaper columnist or as a blogger. The toughest for me and my family, believe it or not, was a city attorney race where I reported that one of the candidates had been reprimanded for telling a client to alter evidence.

That one became personal. The candidate even came to my house to see the political yard signs in my yard (put there by my wife) and then proceded to publicize my home address and gave false information about my wife’s voting record. In those kinds of races, that’s when you discover who are your real friends.

Compared to that race, the GOP Senate primary is a group hug (so far).

But it’s been interesting to watch as Kevin Nicholson still can’t let go of Thursday night’s debate. To be fair, in every interview since Nicholson has been asked about the last ten minutes when state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield) asked for an apology from Nicholson for implying that Vukmir doesn’t respect his military service.

“My track record? My track record? I would look to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan if you want it. That’s where I’d look first,” Nicholson said at the debate. “I know that doesn’t mean much to certain politicians. I know that darn well.”

Vukmir started shaking her head at this point and said, “That’s wrong. That’s, that’s wrong.”

“For those that have said that leading Marines in combat during the course of two wars does not qualify as conservative credentials need to look inside them and decide what they think conservative credentials are,” Nicholson said at the debate.

After Vukmir’s demand for an apology, Nicholson said at the debate, “If it makes you feel better, I feel respected.”

– More –
 

 
From Camilla Brannen Baker at MadMikesAmerica:

I’ve had cats all my life. The ones who have had good, long lives are the ones who lived indoors. They are my pets, very much like my children. When I lived with parents and other guardians, who didn’t love cats the way I did, they were consigned to live outdoors, and their lives were pretty short, compared to the ones who were mine alone.

Here’s the thing: There are long-held, and erroneous, myths about feline behavior which say that cats are happiest when they can “roam.” Cats who have homes with access to food roam for one reason, and that’s sex. They are incredibly prolific beasties and will mate whenever they can. Females will become pregnant while they still have nursing babes. Interesting fact: so will human females. Cats who have been raised as indoor pets have no “need” to roam outside. Humans who live with indoor cats will learn very early that females need to be spayed as soon as possible. The corollary to the “need to roam” myth for males goes something like this: If you have a male cat, he can’t get pregnant, so you’re not responsible for what he does when he’s on the run. All that is is irresponsibility.

– More –
 

 
From author John Scalzi:

Bill asks:

Given the attachment we humans tend to have with our pets, how do we rationalize the treating them as commodities, food, or things (rather than beings)?

I mean, Bill, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but have you seen the way humans treat other humans? On balance I’m not entirely convinced that humans in fact treat our pets any differently than we treat humans, who we have both historically and, yes, currently, often treat as commodities, food and things.

I’m going to argue to you that what really matters to humans in terms of how we treat others is not species, per se, but otherness — that is, whether we see someone (human or otherwise) as part of our in-group or tribe or family or however you want to call it. Or more simply, if you’re in, you’re in, and you’re one of us — but if you’re not in, then it doesn’t matter what you are, because you’re not one of us, and therefore you can be a thing, or a commodity, or a thing.

– More –
 

 
From libertarian Michael A. LaFerrara:

As to the Daily Kos article Enjoying a better quality of life with Democratic Socialism linked to above, “Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public roads, bridges, schools, parks, water treatment facilities, and more”; yes, they are “all socialism”. And all dependent on exploiting capitalism—that is, on exploiting productive, self-responsible individuals.

Every dime that funds those (and like) government programs is taken by force of taxation from private individuals who earned it. Just look at your paycheck. You can see it. And more is taken stealthily, through corporate and business taxation, or by inflationary central bank money expansion. That money collected by government from private producers is then paid out to private individuals and companies to build and maintain the roads and parks, etc.; or paid out in the form of “government benefits” for retirement, old age healthcare, or “charity” healthcare for the poor.

– More –
 

 
From Max’s Dad:

Catholicism is a double edged sword. On one hand its is a social justice organization and on the other hand its an archaic hiding place for sanctimonious assholes bent on self aggrandizement.

Paul Ryan (Go Away-Wi) is one of those pious pricks who hide behind the religion as a kind of justification for his Randian dismissal of that social justice wing of the cult organization.

Father Pat Conroy is the kind of Catholic that can take the Paul Ryans of the cult religion and eviscerate them on a cross of righteousness.

Father Conroy is a Jesuit. The kind of Catholic who doesnt stay on the abortion train 24/7 and actual transfers to the Social Justice Express to make himself whole.

Paul Ryan (POS-Wi) is fighting a battle that he may win in the short term by firing the Reverend Pat Conroy SJ from his job as House chaplain. But in the long run, Ryan’s anger at a priest caring for the pesky poor will result in his demise.

– More –
 

 
From David Maloniez at Anything Political:

Michelle Obama recently spoke about what she considered a big mistake by American women. She said that she still reflected on the election outcome and said women were responsible.

Obama had received much criticism in the past during her husband’s Presidential office and after. She didn’t allow this to hamper her in any way and had much to say about how Trump was running the Country.

This in light of what happened recently with Sarah Sanders was ironic. Her reputation and integrity faced much criticism after a statement she made proved false.

– More –
 

 
From driftglass:

As America’s Leading Brooksologist I can report to you that, as of this morning, Mr. David Brooks’ track record of being spectacularly wrong about the nature and trajectory of both the Left and the Right remains unbroken.

Which, for anyone else, would be a helluva trick. I mean, just the law of averages would suggest that once in great while, as he beats the mean streets of the Acela Corridor Quiet Car, Mr. Brooks would occasionally stumble across some fact about American politics which had some bearing on the real world.

But of course, Mr. Brooks is not just anyone else.

– More –
 

 
From Andy Borowitz:

According to the source, Trump spent more than an hour angrily trying to spell the legal term before giving up in disgust.

“I’ve never seen him so enraged,” the source said. “He hates the word ‘subpoena’ more than the E.P.A. hates the words ‘climate’ and ‘change.’ ”

– More –
 

 
From Joe Gandelman at The Moderate Voice:

The bottom line is that Trump has been shattering the kinds of norms that McCain observed and defended all his life. Trump skipping the funerals of TWO important national figures will underscore how isolated he is from the rest of America’s political history. It’s a cliche but, no, the “new normal” is never really “normal.” What America is witnessing now is McCain not just battling Trump to his dying breath but making sure even when he is gone there he can land one more blow. History will note Trump’s being persona non grata two key Republican families.

Meanwhile, McCain’s views on Trump and his conclusion that picking Palin was a mistake will get high profile exposure in coming months.

– More –