Store to Door is closed for the holidays, so I have a Safeway.com grocery delivery coming this morning. It includes the food for Christmas (Holiday, if you're a Republican) dinner, so it's a big order, Unlike Store to Door, Safeway doesn't help. (I wouldn't 't expect them to do so.) Therefore I expect to be quite pooped by the time everything is stowed. We are now Reich -1 month. Cry havoc and unleash the dawgs of war! Cats too! Later: They're all put away.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today's took me 3:08 (average 5:12). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Full Frontal Channel): A Very Special Legislative Session
She makes a good point. However, it's difficult for me, because I have already flushed all my Republicans, except for the one that snuck in as Oregon Secretary of State, because billionaires financed a fake scandal publicized by a late massive ad buy.
From Think Progress: On Monday, ThinkProgress reported that, after receiving pressure from the Trump organization, the Embassy of Kuwait moved a major event to the Trump International Hotel.
Kuwait’s National Day celebration, scheduled to take place at the Four Seasons prior to the election, will now take place at the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, a source direct with knowledge of the arrangements told ThinkProgress.
Several legal experts say that the allegations would constitute a violation of the Constitution. Larry Tribe, a Harvard Law Professor and one of the nation’s foremost constitutional scholars, called the scenario a “paradigm impeachable offense.”
It is clearly impeachable, but we need the votes to impeach!
Win 2018! Impeach 2019!
From TPM: Eric and Donald Trump Jr. are behind a newly-founded non-profit that is hosting a charity event over inauguration weekend offering top-tier donors access to the President-elect and themselves, the Center for Public Integrity reported Monday.
An invitation for the Opening Day Foundation’s “Opening Day 2017” event, first reported by TMZ, offered donors who spend $250,000 or more a “private reception and photo opportunity with President Donald J. Trump,” as well as other prizes. Those who fork over $500,000 or more would also receive a “multi-day hunting and/or fishing excursion” with Trump’s adult sons, according to the invitation.
Unlike many of my friends, I am a meat eater, and in my youth, I hunted for food, although never for trophies. I have always objected to trophy hunting, To celebrate Trump's Fascist coup by murdering a trophy animal is without merit and should be stopped, unless the trophy animal is the Fuhrer itself. After weeks of disinfecting, the tangerine pelt would make an excellent cat box liner. 
Cartoon:
\
12 Responses to “Open Thread – 12/20/2016”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
4:52 At least he didn't melt.
YT/FFC – Well, yes, if there is one thing that Republicans have in abundance, it's gall. All gall is divided into three parts (nerve, cheek, and guts), and they really only have two of them, but they have so MUCH of those two! (P. S. – Are you going to post the one with Glenn Beck?)
TP – We need the votes to impeach, yes, but we also need the evidence. Don't let it get it away. We need depositions while it is fresh in everyone's minds. And those depositions need to be safely preserved.
TPM – You have to grant them that they know their audience. Despicable with money, despicable with trophy hunting.
Cartoon – It's definitely a thought.
FF: Spot on, Sam. Hope the repeal of HB2 goes through too. Best to Gov Cooper!
TP: Emoluments are expressly prohibited by Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution. Of course, he'll try and get away with this, either by lying, or tweeting about how mean people are these days, or whatever. Let's get this done!!! RESIST!!!
TPM: Deplorable!!! u.g.h.!!
*Animae, signed the petition, Thanks.
Glad that you got your groceries stowed. Now you can rest/relax. It's a beautiful day here, still chilly. Hope that you have a good evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
The Kuwait Embassy has for years held their annual event at the Four Seasons in Georgetwon.
They had a CONTRACT to do so again this year. They "canceled" it to move the event to the Trump Hotel.
This most assuredly gives the Four Seasons standing to sue Trump under the Emoluments clause.
JUST DO IT!
Breach of contract is a tort, and the Four Seasons would unquestionably have standing to sue the Kuwait Embassy for it, without regard to where they moved the party, or whether they had one at all. How would a breach of contract suit under the emoluments clause work? Or would it be a different tort? Or some kind of theft? Misappropriation? IANAL, but I did take a college-level course on tort law as part of my insurance qualifications, and I am confused.
Be careful witrh thed word tort. The Tangerine Traitor will mistake it for tart and think it has something to grab.
Looks like you're getting ready for Chistmas, TomCat. I hope the weather isn't too cold so your hands won't hurt, but just cold enough for you to roast whatever you like. And don't forget to take all the rest you need in between blogging and preparations!
Can't watch video's while I'm Down Under, but I've heard about this power grab and I can just imagine what Bee has to say about that. Better brace yourselves, progressives. This is what the next four years are going to look like.
TP: Sure it's impeachable and needs to be acted upon. But by 2018 this will have become so normalized that nobody could be bothered to impeach him for it. By then it'll probably just a minor transgression, with much worse to worry about.
TPM: A trophy hunt organized by his sons as a "charity" event to raise a million bucks to honor Drumpf senior's inauguration? I'm surprized my rickety laptop hasn't died on me while typing this one sentence that is wrong on soooo many levels.
Cartoon: How about the progressive coastal states giving it a go in 2017?
Secession of the progressive coastal states?
Alaska wouldn't go.
Hawaii has one seat in the House.
Washington has 10.
Oregon has 5.
California has 53.
Secession of the four progressive coastal states would therefore give the house 69 more seats to distribute among 46 states.
Colorado MIGHT get one.
New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania would likely gain the most.
Arizona, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Tennessee would all gain more than South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, or Louisiana.
It would be rock solid that North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, and Vermont would not gain. And yes, I know that's not all of them.
Oh, yeah, and 538 would become 530.
As a dark blue person living in Colorado, I would not expect to see another Democratic President, Democratic majority in the Senate, or Democratic majority in the House, not just during my own lifetime, but during the lifetime of my BFF's grandson (who I believe is two – though he might be three, you know how time gets away from us old people.) A few Democratic governors, yes. Here and there.
This situation never came up, even as a matter of wild speculation, during the 1861-1865 conflict, because the House was not then locked at 435 members.
Puzzle — 3:08 Not so frosty!
Youtube — I saw this yesterday on Alternet. If there was ever any doubt in anyone's mind that Republicans are a nasty, nasty form of plague, this should change their minds. Republicans don't like to play fair and want everything their own way, and screw the interests of the people.
Think Progress — Shameful! Is this what Drumpf calls a blind trust, having someone else in his organisation doing his bidding?!? Impeach — yes — but with a Republican heavy Congress, it won't work. Is there any statute of limitations on the age of an offense that can be used in the impeachment process?. There is no doubt that there will be more of these types of things. As JD says, "…depositions while it is fresh in everyone's minds." Amen!!!
TPM — The presidency has officially become a carnival act! I wonder how much time will be spent actually
governingrunning the nation into the ground and how much time spent at the circus? As to the the weasely little Drumpf pups, they make me want to hurl, and not just because of their despicable killing of innocent animals.Cartoon — Perhaps SC could take a few more states with them . . . like hardcore Republican states!
Finally, warmer weather today — 10 C (50 F) this afternoon. Rain yesterday helped take a small amount of the piled up snow away, but there is more snow scheduled next week. Thursday is window replacement day so the furnace will be off all day, the cats locked in the bathroom, and me in a corner of the living room online so I am not in the way — 930 – 1500 . What a mess — good thing I don't have plans for Christmas other than putting the furniture in place again. I am making a nice vegetable barley soup for the workers so I hope they like it.
Full Frontal: The Republicans took over the House in Kentucky for the first time in 95 years, they all ready had the Senate and Governor's office. They were voted in by the same people who voted for Trump. Our Governor has pledged to get rid of the ACA and is working toward that, now that the same people who voted for them are noticing, they are upset. Many of them will lose their health insurance. People need to read and educate themselves and vote in local elections.
Think Progress: Trump hasn't even taken the oath yet and has all ready committed an impeachable offense, but I doubt it will happen.
TPM: After the outcry, the Trump brothers are walking away from this one, claiming they knew nothing about it.
Cartoon: It would not profit them very much to do it, since the states that would secede with them are the ones in dire financial trouble due to having Republican legislatures.
Lynn's point about the presidency having become a carnival act, is so spot on! Reagan did his bigest acting job, as president, and Rumpy is just making a joke out of it! But, we do need to be careful that we don't just due laughing! IMPEACH!
FF: If Edie is right about Kentucky: Voting Red, and lack of higher educatiion go hand in hand, though not every time. I'm going to guess that Kentucky is not far behind the wonderful example of Tennessee's, monkeyed with, educational establishment. Nonetheless Pew research, I believe it was, put out data about the connection, and it also connected religious affiliation to less educatioin, particularly among Christians, and these are the folks in the Evangelical crowd, who made the Rumpy victory a certainty, given the other crap tht went on. So, Kentucky went all red? Not a surprise to me. The surprise is that they had any blue representation previously. This is the state of Bought Bitch Mitch!!!
TPM: I do not think that Rumpy, and his boys, will be capable of maintaining ethical standards, probably could not spell the phrase correcctly, and will provide much ammunition for impeachment. But, the GOPigs own both houss of incompetent congress!!!! So, yes, vote blue for congress next time around! But, hell, I'm preaching to the choir.
Oh, TC. Sorry that you didn't have help with your groceries. I know the feeling. I well, we, live out in the woods. Works fine until we got to this age. Don't know anyone around us and don't want to. They are ALL repukkklican.
Sam Bee was good this week. She went a little light on the Orange-man. And those kids of his! Why isn't that impeachable BEFORE 2019? We may not have much of a country by then! And to have such SHADY, to say the very miniscule least, goings on at that DRUMPFENFARTEN HOTEL! PAY FOR PLAY!!! If Hilary had done even an even smaller fraction of the S#1? that Drumpfenfarten has done BEFORE he is inaugurated, the repukkklican would be stringing her up from the capitol steps!!!
The spawn of Drumpfenfarten are "asking" for half a million to go hunting with them brats would only be worth it if THEY are the quary!!! Better yet, Drumpfenfarten AND his WHOLE LOW-LIFE BUNCH!!!! Now THAT would be worth a MILLION A KILL!
Ah, Christmas. My least favorite time of the year. Haven't had one that was GOOD in many years. And with Drumpfenfarten coming in to office, I am just broken.
Thanks all Hugs!!