Open Thread–2/6/2020

Posted by TomCat at 8:57 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 062020

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. Store to Door is delivering groceries some time this afternoon. I hoped to get an early nap., My stomach acted up all day yesterday, and Stumpy has been underdoing a rare bout of phantom nerve pain for over 24 hours. It feels like someone is stabbing my left ankle with a knife, but I don’t have a left ankle. I hoped to get an early nap, but that appears unlikely. ARGH!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:03 (average 6:51). To to it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: In the aftermath of Pete Buttigieg’s strong showing in the Iowa caucuses, Donald J. Trump accused the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor of engaging in “suspicious travel” to Afghanistan.

“People are saying that he went to Afghanistan for seven months in 2014,” Trump told the hosts of “Fox & Friends” in a phone call. “Seven months is a long time to be running around in a Muslim country full of terrorists, don’t you think?”

He added that Buttigieg reportedly had a gun with him while he was in Afghanistan, a fact that Trump said “sounds fishy to me.”

“Let’s see, you fly all the way to a Muslim country full of all of these terrorists who need guns, and you’re bringing a gun into a country like that?” Trump said. “Who was he planning to give that gun to?”

“I don’t know if he was part of some caliphate or just helping them out, but we ought to find out,” he said. “I have a call in to the President of Afghanistan.”

Dang Andy! Do you think he was part of an evil conspiracy with gay Muslim terrorists? Far more likely, Trump* will get a second asterisk on his name from his coming “perfect” call to President Ashraf Ghani! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Trae Crowder Channel): Liberal Redneck – Pelosi Disrespects Trump

FOMCPIMPROTFLMAO! I could not agree more! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Jeff Merkley Channel): Statement on the Senate Impeachment Vote of Donald J. Trump

Spot-on, Jeff! Once again I’m proud to have volunteered for his campaign. Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Good, the Bad and the Ugly • Main Theme • Ennio Morricone

Ah… the spaghetti westerns! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

The State of the Republican Reich

Posted by TomCat at 9:20 am Politics

Feb 052020

Last night, Nancy Pelosi told a lie. She said, “the President of the United States”. I looked at the screen, but there was no President there, just the criminal Resident Donald Trump”* Then his lies began, as soon as he began to speak, and I knew this would be no SOTU. It was the State of the Republican Reich.

Nancy Pelosi’s hands told the story of a nauseating night in Washington.

As Donald Trump took his place at the front of the House chamber for his third and possibly final State of the Union address, the House speaker and most senior Democrat in Congress reached out for a handshake, only to be rebuffed.

Seventy-eight minutes later, Pelosi, as she often tends to, got her revenge by ripping up her copy of the president’s speech while still in her position on the dais.

You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Pelosi was the mastermind of Trump’s impeachment in this very chamber just weeks ago, staining his record in future school textbooks for all time.

But somehow, with seven of the Democrats who had pressed the impeachment case against him as impeachment managers glaring up at him from a prominent position, the president, like Bill Clinton before him, managed to resist using the “i” word throughout his speech. That, at least, was a departure from his gloves-off campaign rallies.

Yet Trump being forced to suppress his id was somehow even worse. The tension, grievance and resentment seething below the surface was almost palpable. The president’s tissue of lies and partisan swipes left Democrats heckling, throwing up their hands or walking out of the chamber in despair… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <The Guardian>

Fuhrer Trump’s* speech was wall-to-wall lies!

Here are seven notable lies that Trump told during the speech:

1. “We will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions.”

This one was flagged by CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale before Trump began speaking. Republicans, despite claiming credit for President Barack Obama’s achievement at passing into law protections for people with pre-existing health conditions, are in fact backing a lawsuit that seeks to dismantle those protections.

2. “Thanks to our bold regulatory reduction campaign, the United States has become the #1 producer of oil and natural gas in the world, by far.”

Dale flagged this one as false too, explaining: “The US became #1 in 2012, under Obama, though its advantage has grown under Trump.”

Inserted from <Raw Story>

I shared two. Click through for the other five.

Joe Scarborough covered Trump’s* lies and more.

Joe: How Do You Call It A Good Speech If It’s Fed By Lies?

Spot-on! As for Flush Limbarf, soon he’ll get to show his medal to Injustice Antonin Scalia!

CNN had a good panel, with one thoroughly vile exception!

Acosta: A state of the base speech, not a State of the Union speech

They had Frothy, aka “Man on Dog” on the panel?!!? Santorum is “the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex”. Otherwise it was a good panel! And it was the State of the Republican Reich!

Finally, not everyone there was evil.

Here’s why Democrats chanted ‘H.R.3’ in the middle of Trump’s State of the Union speech

The women in white, including Nancy Pelosi, were the heroes of the event. Trump* and his Republican Reich were the villains.

RESIST!!

Open Thread–2/5/2020

Posted by TomCat at 9:19 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 052020

It’s a hectic day, here in the CatBox. I still haven’t recovered from Monday’s ordeal. Last night, I accidently heard part of Trump’s* address, almost lost my supper, and felt nauseous for the rest of the evening. This morning, I broke through three days of Republicitis. I’m hoping Republicosis does not follow it, as it often does. WWWendy is coming this evening, and I’m totally ready for de-stinking. Happy Hump Day!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:55 (average 4:26). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: The Rotating (Regional) Primary Plan

Recommended by the National Association of Secretaries of State in 2000, this plan would divide the country into four regions—Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. There would be four primary days, one for each region. They would rotate every cycle. The original plan preserved the Iowa/New Hampshire duopoly, but just ditch it and rotate. Would work fine. Perhaps my favorite.

I guess I wasn’t the first to think of the idea I proposed yesterday. Great minds fall in the same ditch, after all. Please click through to see four more primary scheduling plans. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Calling the delay in the release of the Iowa caucus results “a threat to democracy,” the state of Florida has offered to help Iowa with the vote-counting process.

Harland Dorrinson, a spokesman for Florida’s official electoral commission, said on Tuesday morning that “Florida stands ready and willing to restore credibility to Iowa’s vote-tabulation procedures.”

Dorrinson added that Katherine Harris, Florida’s former secretary of state, was eager to “roll up her sleeves and clean up Iowa’s mess.”

“Just say the word, Iowa, and Katherine Harris will be on the next plane out,” he said.

Dang, Andy! Are you sure that’s Harland Dorrinson? I heard it was his brother, Chad! Or did they hang him? RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence – Madison Square Garden, NYC – 2009/10/29&30

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Removing Iowa’s Favored Status is Long Past Due

Posted by TomCat at 10:21 am Politics

Feb 042020

For I long time I have proposed removing Iowa’s favored status in Presidential candidate selection. They have all the candidates crisscrossing the states for several months. My state, Oregon, virtually never sees a candidate before the convention, because our primary is in the last weeks of the season, and the nominee is virtually always decided before that. Now, beyond any shadow of a doubt, Iowa has demonstrated that they do not deserve to be first all the time.

…The first goal — and, really, the only goal — of election officials in any race is to ensure that the voters and the candidates believe in the fairness and the accuracy of the result even if it’s not what they had hoped for. Is there any way that any of the candidates will feel that way when the Iowa Democratic Party announces the results from Monday night?…

…It’s simply hard to imagine, given what we all witnessed play out on national TV Monday night, that some campaigns won’t try to cast doubt upon the numbers in a way they would not have been able to if the reporting of the tally had been seamless…

That’s obviously problematic for the candidates who appeared to be be overperforming and potentially headed to a victory. But it’s an even bigger problem for faith in our democratic institutions — for us to be able to trust that when we vote, that vote will be accurately counted and reported.

When you consider that Trump suggested with zero proof that 3 to 5 million illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election — an election he won! — you can see where a broad erosion in our elections could have disastrous consequences moving forward in 2020. [emphasis added]

Inserted From <CNN>

I just heard that there will be a conference call between the Femocratic Party of Iowa and the various campaigns at 11:00 AM PDT and that they hope to release the results later today.

Here are three video clips from three different sources.

State Party Hung Up On Campaigns During Conference Call

Who can blame the campaigns for being upset. Hanging up on them is unconscionable!

Cuomo scolds Iowa Democratic Party: You had one job

We need to differentiate between party workers and party brass. Kudos to the workers! Screw the brass!

In Iowa, A Shitshow

The answer should be No. Iowa has proven that they don’t deserve special status in the primaries.

Here is the solution I propose:

First, scrap the caucus system. It excludes far too many voters. Have primaries in all states.

Sided the states into four groups, each with approximately the same number of delegates to apportion. NE, SE, NW and SW would be one possibility.

Schedule primaries for each group on the same day. Schedule groups one month apart.

Rotate the groups every four years so evert group gets equal turns to be first, second, third, and last.

That system is both fair and efficient.

RESIST!!

Open Thread–2/4/2019

Posted by TomCat at 10:20 am Open Thread, Plus, Politics

Feb 042020

Yesterday’s trip to the hospital was gruesome. TriMet Lift got me there an hour early, so I had to wait there for an hour. The tests, as I had told the doctors all along, was fine. Unlike my fart, my heart is completely healthy. They got done with me two hours early, so I called TriMet to see if I could get an earlier ride. No. In fact, they screwed up and did not pick me up for my 3:34 – 4:04 PM window until 6:10. That Lift Bus was crowded, so I did not get home until 7:25 PM, 25 minutes after my winter bedtime. Needless to say, I’m so pooped, I’m bleary eyed.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:49 (average 5:54). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

I’m on O₂ too. I’m not a Republican, so I’m not a moron.

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): In What Amounts To GOP ‘Bluff-Calling,’ Joe Manchin Proposes Senate Censure Trump

I must be hallucinating from being over tired. I actually agree with DINO Joe! After the conviction vote fails, a foregone conclusion, I would support a censure vote, as a way to further embarrass Republicans, most of whom would goose-step with criminal Fuhrer Trump*. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Late Show Channel): GOP Senators Give Lame Excuses For Voting Against Witnesses In Trump Impeachment Trial

Lame excuses? Since when has the Fascist Republican Reich given any other kind? RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Mamas & The Papas – Monday Monday

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Personal Update–2/3/2020

Posted by TomCat at 6:15 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 032020

I have a very busy day with my cardiac stress test When I return home at supper time, I’ll eat and go right to bed. Woe is me! The Holy Ellipsoid Orb has gone dark, depriving the earth of its blessings until pre-season late in the Summer. Oh God! It’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:00 (average 4:48). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Take:

From YouTube: 49ers vs. Chiefs | Super Bowl LIV Game Highlights

I’m going to miss that Orb! Nameless may crow until it returns. Winking smile

RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread–2/2/2020

Posted by TomCat at 8:19 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 022020

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy will be here in about an hour, and this TomCat needs to be de-stunk Big Time. It’s also the highest Holy Day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, the day of Super Blessing. I will be keeping Mahomes as my fantasy QB next year and will meditate on a Chiefs win. However, if they do, Nameless may not stop crowing for months. Tomorrow please expect no more than a Personal Update. I’ll be gone all day getting a cardiac stress test at the hospital. Ellipsoid Orb Hugs to all!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:22 (average 5:11). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From The Daily Beast: “Hillary Clinton is back in the news—and this time, she’s coming for Bernie [Sanders],” said The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah Tuesday night.

Yes, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote her upcoming 4-hour Hulu docuseries, which is bowing this week at the Sundance Film Festival, the former secretary of state hit out at the Vermont senator’s “Bernie Bro” supporters, wouldn’t commit to backing him or campaigning on his behalf against Trump if he were the Dem nominee (she later said she would), and said of Sanders in the doc:

“He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It’s all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.”

That Hillary Clinton, a career politician and one of the most divisive political figures of our time, accused Bernie Sanders of being a “career politician” and unlikable is, well, pretty astonishing—as is the claim that she wouldn’t support him as the nominee over Trump, thereby prioritizing petty jealousies over the fate of the country. [emphasis added]

After Obama beat Hillary, she appeared in only eight campaign stops in his support for President. After Hillary beat Bernie, Bernie made almost forty campaign stops supporting her. I am not a Bernie Bro. I support Liz Warren, so I have no dog in this hunt. But Bernie deserves far better. Shut the fuck up, Hillary! You didn’t even visit the Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, before the election. If you showed them you care about them, instead of assuming you owned their votes, you may well have won in spite of traitor Jill Stein and Russia. Leave this election to the candidates, who can beat Trump, unlike you. RESIST!!

From YouTube (SNL Channel): Impeachment Fantasy Cold Open

I knew that someday I would see an SNL sketch, in which the actual events are far more incredible and ludicrous that the actors’ fine satire. Now I have seen it. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Jefferson Airplane – Somebody to love

Ah… The memories! RESIST!!

Criminals to Call Out

Posted by TomCat at 9:42 am Politics

Feb 012020

0201Pigs

Yesterday the Republican Caucus of the US Senate betrayed the people of the United States by depriving us of our right to hear witnesses and see documents in the impeachment trial of criminal Donald Trump. Watch and burn with righteous anger!

See how each senator voted on witnesses at Trump’s trial

Here is a complete list of the total and two partial traitors.

Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)

Barrasso, John (R-WY)

Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN)

Blunt, Roy (R-MO)

Boozman, John (R-AR)

Braun, Mike (R-IN)

Burr, Richard (R-NC)

Capito, Shelley Moore (R-WV)

Cassidy, Bill (R-LA)

Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)*

Cornyn, John (R-TX)

Cotton, Tom (R-AR)

Cramer, Kevin (R-ND)

Crapo, Mike (R-ID)

Cruz, Ted (R-TX)

Daines, Steve (R-MT)

Enzi, Michael B. (R-WY)

Ernst, Joni (R-IA)

Fischer, Deb (R-NE)

Gardner, Cory (R-CO)

Graham, Lindsey (R-SC)

Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)

Hawley, Josh (R-MO)

Hoeven, John (R-ND)

Hyde-Smith, Cindy (R-MS)

Inhofe, James M. (R-OK)

Johnson, Ron (R-WI)

Kennedy, John (R-LA)

Lankford, James (R-OK)

Lee, Mike (R-UT)

Loeffler, Kelly (R-GA)

McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)

McSally, Martha (R-AZ)

Moran, Jerry (R-KS)

Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK)

Paul, Rand (R-KY)

Perdue, David (R-GA)

Portman, Rob (R-OH)

Risch, James E. (R-ID)

Roberts, Pat (R-KS)

Romney, Mitt (R-UT)*

Rounds, Mike (R-SD)

Rubio, Marco (R-FL)

Sasse, Ben (R-NE)

Scott, Rick (R-FL)

Scott, Tim (R-SC)

Shelby, Richard C. (R-AL)

Sullivan, Dan (R-AK)

Thune, John (R-SD)

Tillis, Thom (R-NC)

Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS)

Young, Todd (R-IN)

*Safe vote Susan and Little Lord Willard did vote to include witnesses, but would not have done so, if their votes would have made a difference.

I’ll have to call these traitors Republicans. I’d call them excrement, but to do so would be too great an insult to shit!

Do any of these Senators represent you? If so, show them your wrath. Go to their town hall meetings and shout them down. If you see them getting haircuts, ask the barber to scalp them. If you see them in a restaurant, tell them your taxes paid for their food. Say you want it back. If you see them on the street, ask a dog to mark their path before them. They didn’t care enough to represent 75% of American voters. Make their lives miserable, as long as they are in office. The time for forgiveness is after they are defeated and unemployable!

RESIST!!

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