Hitler Love, Unlawful Justice, Unjust Judge, Trump Decoded, MAGA Beer

Right after election 2020 as President Biden bounced mr Trump, we were given scholarly research on how the founders would have reacted:

  • Vixen Strangely at Strangely Blogged explains how Justice Clarence Thomas is receiving substantial financial, travel, and gifting benefits from a right-wing ideologue. But, says Justice Thomas, he and his extremely generous donor are not really in a corrupt relationship:
    We’re just good friends.
     
    To the uninitiated, it does seem like heavy dating.
     
    Key defense:
    Now, Thomas has assured us that he isn’t the kind to be swayed by the temptations of his wealthy friends, that he prefers the simple pleasures of the RV parks, the Walmart parking lots.
     
  • Julian Sanchez, of Cato Institute, offers a close to perfect explanation of why the relationship between Justice Thomas and his just-friend mega-donor is corrupt, even if he doesn’t issue rulings against his core beliefs:

  • So the ultra generous friend of Justice Thomas collects Nazi stuff, especially canvases painted by Hitler, books signed by Hitler, and materials just personally held in the hands of Hitler. That doesn’t mean he actually admired Hitler, right? It doesn’t mean he’s a Nazi.
     
    Dave Columbo explains a bit about personal values. Obsessively pursuing a collection deserves a little more than quick dismissal:
     
  • Hackwhackers brings us satirist Alexandra Petri, rewriting for clarity Justice Clarence Thomas preference for the simple Walmart life. He reluctantly sacrificed the simple existence he would rather have lived to hang at exotic locations with a billionaire friend who collects Hitler souvenirs.
     
    Kind of noble, if you think about it.
     
    And, of course, we are also gifted with pointed Clarence cartoons.
     
  • Andy Borowitz reports as Ginni Thomas vows not to let her husband’s problems interfere with her work on the Supreme Court.
     
    Key Satire:
    Calling her post as Associate Justice “a job I’ve loved for the past three decades,” she said, “I’m hopping mad that Clarence would do anything to jeopardize that.”
     
  • The Palmer Report explores why formerly Republican state legislative strongholds around the nation are flipping to Democrats.
     
    Key political malpractice:
    After the downfall and ouster of Trump two years ago, the lesson Republicans should have learned was that if you quietly hold more power than you should, and you intend to use it for corrupt or evil purposes, flaunting that power is not a smart idea.
     
  • Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire News Group explain how Gen Z Saved Abortion—and Democracy—in Wisconsin. You can also choose podcast or transcript.
     

     
    Key description:
    Abortion. Voting. Trans rights. Clean water. The Wisconsin Supreme Court race had all the rights on the line. This week, Jess and Imani break down how liberals took back the Badger State’s highest court for the first time in 15 years.

Continue reading “Hitler Love, Unlawful Justice, Unjust Judge, Trump Decoded, MAGA Beer”

Arraigned, Rallied, Threats, Tennessee, Drag Dragged, Murder Votes, Censored

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz finally accepts a hug, and gets surprised.

  • Nojo projects a marketing shortage and encourages us to stock up.
     
  • Green Eagle is sickened by media and blogs (uh oh) and a District Attorney who devote themselves to the 34 most petty selections from the long, long list of Trump crimes.
     
    Key additional point:
    Let me make a point here: “innocent until proven guilty,” the phrase we hear over and over again, is not true. The real phrase is “presumed innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty.” If you are guilty, you are guilty, regardless of whether you manage to escape legal consequences.
     
    Kind of like OJ.
     
  • Here’s hoping such power doesn’t fall into the wrong hands! Iron Knee at Political Irony publishes cartoons about mr Trump that come true the next day. Yikes.
     
  • So mr Trump is finally charged by a grand jury and arraigned. News Corpse covers the coverage as the Fox Network accuses those Radical Left, Soros-sponsored communists who pulled the strings to bring the charges. They, which is to say we, are endangering mr Trump’s life.
     
    Key Fox logic:
    You’re putting Donald Trump’s life in danger. You’re setting him up and advertising [to] the entire world, [that] the former president of the United States, the Republican nominee for the presidency, is going to be at this location, at this time, on this date. And you’ve got towers, and you’ve got windows.
     
    I confess that had never occurred to me. Imagine doxing a former President by taking him to court for his crimes. I suppose it does force mr Trump out of his well known very private, reclusive, avoid-all-notice, Howard Hughes type of existence.
     
  • Republicans who once shouted Lock Her Up at Trump rallies now explain to us that charging mr Trump with …well… anything damages our image with other countries. At The Moderate Voice, foreign affairs expert Brij Khindaria makes the case that the opposite is true.
     
  • CalicoJack in The Psy of Life ignores cooler heads and celebrates the arraignment, but warns that it ain’t over until it’s over (It being the fight for democracy).
     
    Key argument for joyful noise:
    You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t happy that the smug narcissistic jerk is finally get a smidgeon of the comeuppance he so richly deserves.
     
  • It’s true that some prominent folks, among those who should know, say that mr Trump is innocent. Some folks who should know say he is guilty. Ted McLaughlin at jobsanger has a shortcut for those too busy to look at evidentiary details: the main difference between the two groups.
     
  • Andy Borowitz reports on millions of Americans who have paid off porn stars and now feel under attack.
     
  • Dave Columbo watches the Trump arrest and wonders about the kind of a world in which we’re living:

     
  • It is no longer just powder and anonymous notes sent to the office of the Manhattan District Attorney. Tommy Christopher reports as the indictment prompts an escalation. Stormy Daniels is now receiving many more threats from Trump supporters including I’m going to murder you.

Continue reading “Arraigned, Rallied, Threats, Tennessee, Drag Dragged, Murder Votes, Censored”

First Charge, Trump Scare, Martyr, Rally, Ron v Mickey, Guns, Forgiveness

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Stormy Storm, Arrested Arrest, Threats, Captive GOP, No Pill, Erase Racist Past

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Climate, Woke, Bank Run, Fox, China, Russian Divers, Death for Abortion

  • Libertarian philosophy does not allow for any challenge to it’s basic premise: government is bad.
     
    So the logic on climate change is pretty much a straight line.
     

    1. Any fact that implies the necessity for government is not really a fact. It is bogus, generated for evil purposes.
       
    2. Climate change that originates with humans and that endangers human life strongly suggests the need for government regulation.
       
    3. So here it is, the straight line:
       
      Evidence of climate change has got to be bogus, part of a global conspiracy.
       

    Libertarian Michael A. LaFerrara complains that the
    climate propaganda cartel infects virtually everything in media, including weather reporting.
     
    But Michael has a reliable alternative:
     
    Key reliable alternative (in Michael’s words):
    A weather network, tied to one of Steve Bannon’s platforms.
     
    Yup. The reliably reliable Steve Bannon.
    Well, any port in a climate storm, I suppose.
     
    Key endorsement:
    I never heard of WeatherNation before coming across this article. But it’s refreshing to know that there still exists a weather outlet that actually sticks to verifiable facts.

  • Dave Dubya suggests that those who use woke as an insult have another problem.
     
  • PZ Myers watches the interview as conservative Bethany Mandel gloats about the defeat of woke. But when she is asked just what she means by woke, she suffers a stuttering, stammering brain freeze.
     
    And thus we have a new birth of viral video.
     

    I have a slightly different take. I don’t see an inability to define what she is against. I see an unwillingness to put it into real words. Anti-woke conservatives seem to be antagonistic toward what most Americans see as a fundamental ethic. She is struggles to keep from saying aloud that she is against basic fairness, equality, and compassion.
     
    A more coherent response might have pointed to one or more of the few extreme excesses that can endanger any social movement, and use them to characterize the entire movement.
     
    Kevin Drum lists a few possible extreme examples:
     
    My favorite:
    Race-Based Silencing – Telling a white person they don’t have the right to speak because they’re an oppressor.
     
  • Cato’s Julian Sanchez captures the essential point:
     
  • North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz has a thought about woke folk:

  • Scotties Playtime carries a series of sane responses after a Fox Network host blames the near collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on Pride Month.

Continue reading “Climate, Woke, Bank Run, Fox, China, Russian Divers, Death for Abortion”

Fox Exposed, GOP Truth, Denialism, CPAC, Jobs, Biden Budget, Mad Trump

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Florida, Crime, Biden, GOP, Dominion Dominates, Fox Outfoxed, Ukraine

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Ukraine Surprise, Jury Gossip, Train Tragedy, GOP Young Love, Soc Sec

HEY! I miss our pups, okay? (Damn early old age)

And we can’t go without a gratuitous slap at the head Twit:

Then down to business:

Continue reading “Ukraine Surprise, Jury Gossip, Train Tragedy, GOP Young Love, Soc Sec”

Wheeee! Plus Apologies!

A thousand miles from Missouri, I’m still helping with grandkids while parents work.

A slight head cold (vaccines don’t cure everything) gives me just enough excuse to postpone until next week.

Time to wuss out!!

Apologies, of course.
I do take responsibilities at least semi-seriously.

SOTU, Hecklers Played, Ex-Balloon, Guns, Debt Ceiling, Mental Health

One of the best moments this week came as President Biden played Republicans like a uke:

Continue reading “SOTU, Hecklers Played, Ex-Balloon, Guns, Debt Ceiling, Mental Health”