Another month is almost gone, and it’s medical mayhem time again. Today is grocery order day. Tomorrow is shower, collect data for Monthly Report, change Poll, and grocery delivery day. Thursday is Monthly Report, Bank Trip, and CAT Scan day. Friday is pre-surgery physical day. Saturday is shower, dreaded task and cleaning day. Finally Monday is Radiation Oncologist day. Two outpatient surgeries for eye cancer will follow soon after. Yes. My plate is full.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:39 (average 4:19). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Alternet: Trump has cast doubt on the presidential eligibility of not only Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada to a U.S. citizen, but also Marco Rubio, who was born in Miami, Florida.
As Garrett Epps writes in The Atlantic, Trump did so in the same evasive way that he floats other conspiracy theories:
Trump’s challenge to the U.S. Constitution is only one subchapter of that story; but the damage he is doing is real, and he’s not finished yet.
Consider that last weekend, Trump began to deploy his birther libel — first wheeled out against Barack Obama and then Ted Cruz—against Marco Rubio. His claims are only increasing in scope. Obama, Trump claimed, was not born in the United States. (He was.) Cruz was born (to an American citizen mother) in Canada. Trump says that means he’s not a natural-born citizen. (He is.) No one questions that Rubio was born in the United States. His parents were lawful permanent residents. The Constitution, on this point at least, is blessedly clear. To be born in the United States is to be born a citizen. Trump doesn’t question that. Not quite. Not yet. But late last week, he retweeted a supporter who suggested that Rubio is ineligible for the White House. When George Stephanopoulos asked him why he had done that, Trump responded: “Because I’m not sure. I mean, let people make their own determination.”
This is the way that Trump insinuates lies and libels into the discussion. It’s not me, he feigns, others have questions about Rubio, I’m just saying it could be a problem, and maybe we should look into it. Similarly, after repeating a supporter’s invective against Cruz, Trump shrugs:Hey,I didn’t make the indecent and sexist commentabout Cruz. What can I do? My supporters are passionate. But that was just the start. By the Iowa caucuses, he was calling the Texas senator “the Canadian anchor baby.”
This is only the 58th of 58 conspiracy theories promoted by Rump Dump Trump. Click through for the other 57.
From Crooks and Liars: CNN reports:
At least four people at a Bernie Sanders rally in Oakland rushed the stage Monday evening, spurring Secret Service agents to jump onto the raised platform and protect him.
The Democratic presidential candidate was uninjured and continued speaking, but not before several agents hugged him and pushed him away from the microphone. The identities of the individuals, who yelled as they approached the stage, were not immediately known. They were apprehended and led away by Secret Service from the podium at the Frank Ogawa Plaza, where the rally was being held.
After the events of Monday night in Northern California, Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said, "It was handled professionally by the Secret Service."
It turns out that the activists approaching the stage were not rabid Clintonistas as some Bernie Bots are claiming, but animal rights activists. Bernie’s discussion with an animal rights activist in Portland, OR was far more pro social.
From Common Dreams: Tim Canova, the progressive challenger running to unseat embattled Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, on Friday was endorsed by the grassroots advocacy group Democracy for America (DFA), which called Canova a "political revolutionary."
In a statement on Friday, DFA chairman Jim Dean criticized Wasserman Schultz for allying with "wealthy interests" that fuel inequality and said that "if Democrats are going to be the party that confronts the wealthy and powerful who dominate our political process and enable growing income inequality, we need political revolutionaries like Tim Canova in the U.S. Congress."
I also endorse Tim Canova for many of the same reasons. However, if DWS retains her seat, she must be ousted as head of the DNC. Her handling of the primary season has been not only biased, but also, sufficiently inept to transform a virtually assured Democratic landslide into a life or death struggle.
Cartoon:
10 Responses to “Open Thread – 5/31/2016”
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4:31 I didn't look up to see whether they are edible.
AlterNet – I don't think I can do much better than to quote what I said at the site –
I am reminded of the Muslim standup comic, the one who works with the rabbi standup comic (sorry I'm bad with names today), who remarks about the looks he gets in airports, and points out, "If I were really a terrorist, intent on blowing up a plane, this isn't EXACTLY the disguise that I would choose." You know, if liberals and progressives were competent enough to get together and put aside our differences long enough to accomplish an actual conspiracy – it certainly wouldn't be any of those.
C&L – As things are today, the Secret Service did the right thing – and the right thing for everyone else to have done, including us, would be to wait until full information was available. But it's human to speculate.
Common Dreams – You nay have noticed I am also pushing Tim Canova. If he wins the primary, that automatically removes the present DNC chairman – just as when Eric Cantor lost his primary. Her replacement may not be any better (his wasn't), but at least it would end one infighting problem that is tearing us apart when we need to be united.
Cartoon – Yup.
One more thing on Trump – I put this link on Lynn's post also, but it's just too good to miss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XriXDtfqCg
Thanks for that link, Joanne. Wonderful, spot on parody.
Wonderful clip!!
Will keep you in prayer next week.
Thank you so much!
AN: What's that saying? "Round and round 'he' goes, where 'he' stops nobody knows". ?? *C. Ledoux
C&L: Just doing their job, as Secret Service. Love the OR picture!
CD: Glad to read this. Hope that he wins. Good Luck, Mr. Canova!
*Joanne: Video is spot on!! (giggling!)
You do have a full plate/week lined up, and I hope that all goes well for you. Hope you get a chance to take a breather, and relax a bit. Take good care, and thanks, Tom.
Puzzle — 5:39 Another laptop w/o a mouse time.
Alternet — "Trump, for his part, says he was simply asking the question." Trump IS the question! Anyone who listens to and supports Drumpf should be considered certifiably NUTS!
Crooks and Liars — I love that picture of Bernie and the little bird! I guess we could say that Bernie's campaign was going to the birds at that time. When it comes to protecting presidential candidates, the SS must be conservative in their threat assessment. Go Bernie!
Common Dreams — As Canova "… has spent his life challenging the power of Wall Street banks, multinational corporations, and the systemic political corruption that keeps them profitable at the expense of everyone else," " AND because he has the backing of Bernie, I would think that any thinking Democrat would support Canova. From everything I have read over the past several years about Wasserman Schultz, she is republicanesque and needs to become politically extinct.
Cartoon — … and go with the Canadian system where they are appointed by the administration for terms that end with the senator's 75th birthday? So much for government of, by and for the people! Good luck with that Republicans . . . NOT!!!
Would you like me to do the month end report or do the primary Open Thread this coming week to give you some time with all you have on your plate? Let me know. I am here. I lit a candle at church for you last Sunday.
A yummy bug for me!
I think I have it covewred for now. We're looking at surgery on the week of the 20th or of the 27th, so there's a good shot that I'll need you to do the Open Thread then and the report next month., Thank you!!
Sounds like a very busy time ahead indeed, TomCat. Make sure that you stay on top of it and keep your priorities straight, which means you and your health come first, you feeling as comfortable as possible in your fur comes second and your blog last, but not least of course.
Alternet: Really…58 conspiracy theories, and probably one more as I write this.There's nothing to be said about it that hasn't already been said. Except that left media can spend all the time they want digging up more of them and make lists as long as your arm, but nobody who doesn't already think Drumpf is a danger to the world is going to read it. For his followers it's only more proof of how great he is. The only way to stop this man from campaigning and doing more damage is to find evidence of criminal activities in his past, and I'm sure the anti-Drumpf Republican establishment would have come up with that by now if there was anything to find, as I'm sure they've been looking for it very hard indeed.
C&L: Bernie being jumped on by activists shows how heated this primary has become. And although some of it is due to Drumpf's, and other Republican candidates', rebel rousing, not all of it is. The standoff between Sanders' and Clinton's campaign teams and supporters is just as much to blame and are making a number of people lose their last bit of trust in the democratic process and anything to do with government. It doesn't do for Bernie's bots to jump the gun and accuse Hillary activists of the rush at the stage as it doesn't do for Hillary bots to throw all kinds of accusations around about Bernie activistsand it certainly doesn't do for animal rights activists to disturb either candidate's rally. It's very counter-productive for ll involved and splits the Democratic party even further. As I've said before, and I know I'm not making myself popular with this, if this continues and Democratic voters will not unite behind one nominee, THEY will be responsible for handing the presidency to Drumpf on a platter, not Drumpf's rabid base.
CD: I don't know much about Tim Canova yet, but I'v read enough about Debbie Wasserman Schultz to know she needs to be ousted as soon as possible if this election is to be stopped from going downhill even further for Democrats. I'm not sure "revolutionary" is what is needed right now, I would have thought someone who can unite the party and make it start to turn around towards progressiveness with most everyone on board would be the best thing now, but – as it seems to always be the case these days – Canova may be the next best thing and far mor preferable than Wasserman Schultz.
Cartoon: I don't think the Republicans want to repeal the 17th amendment at the moment. Just look how many of them have been chosen by the people, or by people who have been led to believe they have chosen a senator. If there's indeed a Democratic landslide in the coming election, THEN they will want to repeal it of course.
Thanks all!! Hugs!!