It’s another 90° day with 50% humidity. I never thought I’d say that I’m ready for winter, and I’m really not sure. Before global Republication caused the climate to change, Oregon had blissfully moderate weather year round. Now summer is too hot, winter is too cold, and spring and fall last less time than a fart smells. OGIM! (Oh God It’s Monday!)
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:05 (average 5:14). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: All is not well in Republicanville. No matter how slavish the Fox News segments become, it ain’t working; it is slowly dawning on powerful Republicans that the president they are so dutifully protecting and sucking up to may, in fact, be an idiot.
Trump’s struggles go beyond health care. More than six months into Trump’s presidency, Republicans have no legislative accomplishments other than the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, a confusing foreign policy, and a White House that is perpetually in damage-control mode. From lawmakers and governors to donors and foreign policy experts, a certain realization is sinking in within the party, based on more than a dozen interviews in recent days: Donald Trump has been a historically weak and ineffective president.
That it took six months to start wondering whether the man who talked about grabbing women, who discussed his penis size during a presidential debate, who sent his press secretary to baldly lie about the size of the crowds on his inauguration day, and who is currently engaged in a public defense of his campaign team openly seeking the assistance of the Russian government during a period of unprecedented assault on our election systems by that government, is perhaps not the brilliant world-shaping genius he made himself out to be.
This is the problem with the Republican Party. They don’t catch on too quick.
I disagree with this author. I think they knew he was an idiot from square one. They just don’t care, or even welcome the distraction his idiocy brings to voters, as long as they get to gut the safety net and steal billions from the poor and middle classes to fund welfare for billionaires. RESIST!!
From CNN: Democrats will unveil an economic agenda Monday that leaders hope will bring together the progressive wing of their party and Democrats who voted for President Donald Trump, creating a united front and platform ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The plan — under the slogan "A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future" — is a three-pronged approach that focuses on improving wages, lowering costs of everyday expenses and boosting job-training opportunities.
Top Democrats will release the agenda Monday at an event in Berryville, Virginia, located in the congressional district represented by Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock — a target seat that Democrats hope to flip in their favor next year.
Following their party’s disastrous presidential loss in November, Democrats have been in a period of soul-searching as they seek a new message and cohesive identity in the Trump era.
"The number one thing that we did wrong is we didn’t have — we didn’t tell people what we stood for," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday in an interview on ABC’s "This Week."
In this rare instance, Schumer is right. Democratic leaders were too busy railing against what we stand against to present what we stand for effectively. I think it’s a good idea, but I’ll reserve judgment, until I actually see what’s in the plan. Regardless, it will be better than the Republican plan: right to life that ends at birth, hate for all but Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians, and welfare for billionaires. RESIST!!
From Media Matters: Pro-Trump internet trolls claimed that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was a "terrorist organization" and compared the group to Nazis after ADL identified some of the biggest online personalities of the “alt-right” and “alt-lite” movements and called them out for spreading hateful rhetoric.
The ADL recently published a list of “alt-right” and “alt-lite” figures, identifying key players in both the white supremacist “alt-right” and the fringe right-wing media landscape of media trolls and smear merchants it inspired, which the ADL called the “alt-lite.” It included internet troll and Infowars contributor Mike Cernovich; smear merchant Jack Posobiec, who once received a temporary White House press pass; disgraced Breitbart provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos; The Gateway Pundit’s Lucian Wintrich; and Rebel Media’s Gavin McInnes, using the “alt-lite” banner to describe their prior affiliation and promotion of “alt-right” figures and ideologies. In a Periscope live stream, Cernovich responded to the list’s publication by urging his followers to spread the hashtag “#ADLTerror” [Republican terrorism delinked] on Twitter. Cernovich also called ADL “a terrorist organization” that had “targeted” him and his family for “murder and assassination” by including his name in the list.
While I’m not always a big fan of ADL, because they tend to turn a blind eye, when Israeli Republicans persecute innocent Palestinians in retribution for acts of guilty ones, they did a super service to humanity by helping expose these Republican Nazis. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
15 Responses to “Open Thread – 7/24/2017”
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5:00 I was starting to think I’d never get out.
A brand new Randy Rainbow, featuring Junior – and, as a bonus, music from HAMILTON!
DKos – It’s likely powerful Republicans did know from the get-go. But his voters – they didn’t – and still don’t. He has sunk to blaming Democrats for failing to confirm nominations he never made. And they are eating it up.
CNN – It’s a promising development. I do hope it keeps its promise!
MM – Yes, ADL can be paranoid, though it’s not too hard to see why. But this is a good job they’ve done. One question – Mike Cernovich is claiming the outing is targeting him for “murder and assassination” – but who does he think is going to do this? All the murders and assassins are in HIS pocket!
Cartoon – Is this an older cartoon? I thought they were doing this directly onto people’s legs now.
I do love me some Randy Rainbow!
Thanks for Randy Rainbow, Joanne. The way he gets his message across is a joy to watch.
Thanks for Randy.
They are as likely to take a dump on your foot as pee on your leg.
DK: The repugs know, and unfortunately, still licking his boots. When will this debacle end?? Not likely, but I can dream, can’t I?
CNN: Good points, I’m behind them, as it sounds good! (especially in my state).!!
Cartoon: Yep, everyday!!
I think we’re @102 today. I don’t mind heat, but this is ridiculous! Humidity is just as bad. Hope that you can get some rest though. Enjoy your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
*Joanne: Love Randy! Thanks for putting this in your comment.
Puzzle — 3:53 In case of fire, women and Sasquatches first!
Daily Kos — Republicans may have recognised him as an idiot and did not care, or they could have recognised him as a corrupt business person who would help them with their pandering to the elite. Of course, with his tweeting etc, that could only help to distract voters while Republicans gutted the social safety net. In any event, the whole Republican mess must be cast out in 2018, or at least all those up for re-election. By 2020, 2/3 of the Congress could be progressives as opposed to regressives as it is now.
CNN — “A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future” — This almost sounds like FDR’s New Deal, and I suppose in a way, it is. Republicans have ridden roughshod over the very people they are supposed to represent, in essence throwing them to the wolves with everyone else except their elite. I agree with you TC that Schumer is correct. Like a lot elections, and not just in the US, politicians try to assassinate each other’s character and proposals with distortions and lies so it becomes very negative. Too often, all the electorate gets is a plank from the platform that is vague. That’s not enough. How things will shake out in 2018 will be dependent on Dems articulating what they stand for, having some plans in place, and how badly Drumpf screws the country, including his base.
Media Matters — Cernovich is a little thin skinned — he has no problem exposing people even using lies and deception against progressives and their agenda. I highly doubt that the ADL has literally targeted him for assassination — that kind of action is in the Republican realm — think Bullseye Barbie painting a target on Giffords — and not a tactic associated with liberals.
Cartoon — A rerun but still just as applicable now as it was when first used, if not more so! To follow up on JD’s comment, it would make sense for the dog to use a leg, but also squat to shit all over the foot attached to the leg!
Resist, Persist and Remove!!!
It is 27 C (81 F), 42% humidity, and 15 km/hr winds from the west. The result is a very pleasant house unless doing house cleaning. I feel for you Puddy Tat with your heat and humidity. The dreaded task is getting done and later this evening, I will be going through my closet for things I no longer wear and donating it to the Canadian Diabetes Clothesline Project. They pick up so no lugging the bags around.
Hope you don’t mind but I added the link to JigZone for the puzzle.
Did I forget to add it? Thanks!
DK: “Idiot” is precisely the word! And, I agree with you about the GOPigs,: They just want to get their agenda completed, and give no thought to any damage he may be creating, anywhere.
CNN: I’m afraid that the Dems have been asleep at the wheel for too long.
MM: It is a shame that there are people who even need calling out in this manner! It’s kind of proof that there is no god!
Now Mitch, God man neither be proved, now disproved. However to imply that Republicans personify faith is irrational.
One obfuscation after another… sigh. I’m leaving it all, regarding Drumpf and his family, minions, GOP up to the pros: Robert Reich, Keith Olbermann, Robert Mueller and others to connect the dots.
As far as zero legislative accomplishments, Drumpf, with the help and assistance of the GOP, billionaires and many other people, have wrecked havoc in many of the cabinets. Drumpf is not that smart nor intelligent to know how to revamp, destroy the many regulations in the various aspects of the federal government. Drumpf is taking orders from those who want to roll back regulations, to privatize many areas of the government to private corporations. Profiteers before the government. Profit before the people. Is it an “Oligarchy Fascism”?
The republican party knew exactly what Donald Trump was before he was “elected” president with the help, not only from the Russians, but with many other factors which allowed him to steal the 2016 election including with the help from the Electoral College.
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Below is the opinion of Noam Chomsky, I agree with him.
“What’s going on is a very systematic two-tiered operation. One of them is Trump, Bannon, the effort to try to make sure you capture the headlines, that you’re top of the news, one crazy thing after another just to capture people’s attention. And the assumption is ‘Well they’re gonna forget later anyway.’”
While everything is focusing on that, the Paul Ryan republicans, who are, in my view, the most dangerous and savage group in the country, are busy implementing programs that they have been talking quietly about for years. Very savage programs, which have very simple principles. One, be sure to offer to the rich and powerful gifts beyond the dreams of avarice, and [two], kick everyone else in the face. And it’s going on step by step right behind the bluster.”As evidence, Chomsky points to the configuration of the cabinet:“Take a look at the cabinet. The cabinet was designed that way. Every cabinet official was chosen to destroy anything of human significance in that part of the government. It’s so systematic that it can’t be unplanned. I doubt that Trump planned it. My impression is that his only ideology is ‘me’. But whoever is working on it is doing a pretty effective job, and the Democrats are cooperating – cooperating in a very striking way.”
This, to me, is worse, knowing those who should be looking out for us deliberately hanging us out to dry.
DK: TomCat, you’re spot on and that was
CNN: Good to see Democrats finally focus on three targets instead of the 50 odd points each running Democrat thought up for himself and tried to get votes on. Personally I don’t see much difference between “better jobs” and “better wages”, as one follows the other, and they left out the all important health care, so “better jobs, better healthcare, better lives” may have been a bit more catching, but it is a start, a good start. Now I hope somebody prevents them from splitting this up in 50 odd subcategories again.
MM: These alt-right and alt-light spokesmen, i.e. trolls, who now have their names published by the ADL have tried to get that ADL on the list of terrorist organizations before and again are trying to get the attention of the Drumpf administration by the usual fascist projection methods, but the WH is too busy with Russia-gate at the moment, and Bannon doesn’t seem to have Drumpf’s ear either. So Sad!
Cartoon: I think it feels like this most of the time:
Dang! I’ve been dawg piddled!
Thanks all! Heat wave hugs!