Glenn Kirschner – Will J6 committee make criminal referrals of lawmakers: McCarthy, Jordan, Perry, Biggs & Brooks?
Thom Hartmann – Trumps Real GOP Rival Is Worse Than DeSantis
Farron Balanced – Former Advisor Torches Trump For The ‘Insanity’ Of His Judgement
Ojeda Live – Boebert vs. MTG in a Battle for Stupid-Supremacy
Guy Promises He’s Not Going To Keep His Foster Dog…
Beau – Let’s talk about Texas wanting to remove teens from social media….
Yesterday, as I’m sure everyone knows by now, the January 6 Committee voted to send criminal referrals to the Justice Department for Donald J. Trump**, John Eastmaan, “and others.” It also voted to refer to the Hoouse EthicsCommittee four Congressmen; these were not identified in the hearing, but Politico says they are Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, and Andy Biggs.
And now for something completely different – The New Yorker has a new puzzle. It’s a jigsaw puzzle, 36 pieces and I can’t say it’s teribly difficult – it isn’t time-limited, though it will tell you your time. But after it’s done, there’s a second challenge – to name 8 famous New York buildings. That’s probably not much challenge if you live there, but I could only name one; though I found several which were distinctive, I didn’t know their names.
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Short Takes –
Common Dreams – The 50-Year Takeaway From Middle-Class America
Quote – Instead, through decades of financial manipulations orchestrated by neoliberal economists and financial experts and political leaders, the tremendous wealth generated by our country’s productivity has been redirected to a special few who deem themselves innovators and self-made success stories. To add to the insult, business-backed media has convinced many Americans that this is the beauty of capitalism, that any hard-working individual can be a billionaire, and that any concession to social responsibility is anti-American, bordering on communism. So, as a result, many of us accept our grotesquely unequal distribution of wealth as a natural result of progress.
Click through for article. Yet another issue which could have been avoided through education. Public education needs to be defended as fiirecely as does democracy – because, without the one, we will lose the other, and with it, everything.
New Mexico Political Report – How anti-abortion pregnancy centers can claim to be medical clinics and get away with it
Quote – The women later discovered they weren’t at the abortion clinic they’d intended to visit, but at the similarly named Women’s Help Center, one of more than 2,500 crisis pregnancy centers across the country that aim to discourage people from getting abortions. Henderson, then in her early 70s, wasn’t a “cancer doctor,” as she allegedly informed one client, or indeed any type of licensed medical professional. Her only medical experience was as a radiation therapy technologist, and her license had expired 10 years earlier…. [A]s the newly unearthed Jacksonville case highlights, beneath the veneer of medical professionalism is an industry that state and federal authorities have done almost nothing to regulate. Only a few states require pregnancy centers that provide medical services to be formally licensed as clinics, a Reveal investigation has found. And, because their views are grounded in a particular ideological viewpoint, the centers aren’t subject to many other rules designed to protect patients – rules that would require them to be transparent about their operations and medical credentials.
Click through for details. This is likely to get worse before it gets better (which it will not do at all withot a lot of work, investigation, and legislation.)
The Daily Beast – Want to Win in Politics? Be More Like Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell.
Quote – Establishment elites may not be popular, but they get shit done. And my unpopular hot take is that we need more of them to win elections, not to mention to grease the gears running our governmental machine. Recent events underscore this reality. Yet, take a close look at how the two major parties treat their elites. Are they vilified or celebrated? Look no further than the difference between how Republicans are treating Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and how Democrats are treating outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Click through for full argument. I know, it would be challenging to find two people more different (restricting the pool to non-criminals). But there are parallels. And while I couldn’t be like Nancy myself, I can recognize her qualities and aregue for them to be demanded whe selecting our leadership.
Food For Thought
(Yes, that’s Theodore Roosevelt)
Glenn Kirschner – Special Counsel Jack Smith RAMPS UP criminal investigation of Donald Trump’s crimes
Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Marjorie Taylor Greene talking to Young Republicans about Dildos (from the cussing pond – bleeped)
MSNBC – Jan. 6 Committee To Hold Public Meeting On Dec. 19
Rocky Mountain Mike – Trump In Jail Rock (full transcript at YouTube)
People Rescue A Mama Osprey After She Gets Attacked
Beau – Let’s talk about Trump not being in contempt….
Glenn Kirschner missed another day (I hope he’s alright), and I can’t find him on Political VOices Netwrok either. So here is Lawrence with Neal Katyal, who aregued the right side of Moore v Harper before SCOTUS last week.
The Lincoln Project – Marjorie Taylor Greene Says The Quiet Part Out Loud
Meidas Touch – Top Democrat [Ted Lieu] FACT-CHECKS Republicans on their Vile and Deranged Conspiracy Theories (repetetive, but not terribly long)
Parody Project – Ambrose
Woman Rescues A Very Angry, Growly Feral Kitten And Earns Her Love
Beau – Let’s talk about Republicans assessing Biden….
Yesterday, Steve Schmidt posted some history, apropos of the Macron-Biden meeting. I’m sure everyone who reads this blog knows who Lafayette is, but you may still learn some details (including the French for “Lafayette, we are here,” if you don’t speak French.) And I can’t even read the full article (not being a paid subscriber.) Also, I did finish sorting my meds for the coming two weeks.
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Short Takes –
Mother Jones – We Found the Guys Behind the Hunter Biden Porn That Elon Musk Won’t Shut Up About
Quote – I have previously reported on various messages and recordings detailing what Guo and Bannon and their backers were up to in 2020. One thing this material shows is that in October 2020, Bannon—working with Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer—arranged for Guo and his followers to spread salacious videos and pictures from Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Click through for tedious details. Surprise, surprise! (NOT) – Republican dirty tricks.
E & E News – Attacks on grid infrastructure in 4 states raise alarm
Quote – The incidents in the Carolinas followed attacks at six substations in Oregon and Washington in October and November. Local news outlets reported on those events this week. Grid security experts said it’s too early to tell whether the incidents were related or unusual in number, but said they showcase a need for the energy industry to be vigilant and prepared. “It remains troubling and highlights how vulnerable is our critical infrastructure,” Richard Mroz, a senior adviser at the grid security advocacy group Protect Our Power, said in an email, referring to the string of incidents.
Click through for details. You are probably thnking cyber attacks – I certainly was – but it turns out guns can kill people just as effectively when used on power infrastructure which people need to survive.
Democratic Underground (kpete) – A little girl wrote to Los Angeles Dept of Animal Control asking if she could have a pet unicorn
Quote – Thank you very much for your letter requesting permission to have a unicorn in your backyard. I am pleased to tell you that the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control dies license unicorns under the following conditions:
1. The unicorn must be cared for in compliance with all animal caretaking regulations set forth in Los Angeles County Code Title 10….
5. Any sparkles or glitter used on the unicorn must be nontoxic and biodegradable to insure the unicorn’s good health.
Do click through. This is a feel good story we all need – especially after those first two short takes. And there’s more to the story – not to mention some delightful comments.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Will Oath Keepers convictions ultimately take down Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Mike Flynn and others?
Meidas Touch – Special Counsel Jack Smith GETS TESTIMONY from Former Top Trump Aide Stephen Miller
Ring of Fire – Laptop Repairman Says He’d Testify To Republican House About Hunter Biden
Larry & Paul – Every Political Debate. Ever. (And this is exactly why I don’t watch debates.)
This Baby Husky Thinks She’s Invisible
Beau – Let’s talk about MTG and the marketplace of ideas…. (Empty Greene thinks Communism and Authoritarianism are the same thing. They are not. Theye are not even on the same axis, nor are they even compatible – although Communism is vulnerable to being subsumed by Authoritarianism because ot requires so much mutual trust, which is susceptible to abuse.)
Yesterday, I tried to rest as much as possible.I did manage to get a prison email off the Virgil with some pictures of Joyce Vance’s chickens – and a couple of other pictures – that should lift his spirits when he gets it, although he will still be envious of anyone who can get close to silky chickens. No matter how well it goes, am always wiped out after any of my visits Of course, when I was in my teens and even my twenties, driving used to energize me. That has not been so for many years, and that’s probably a big part of it.
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Short Takes –
The Daily Beast – Republicans Lost the Races Where They Spent the Most
Quote – The Daily Beast reviewed the most expensive House and Senate races in the country, and found that, with a few exceptions, Republican candidates were on the losing end. Republicans lost three of the five most expensive Senate races, per CRP data, with Democrats clinching the top three—Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona. (The Georgia contest, where Sen. Raphael Warnock received the most votes, is headed to a runoff.) While Republicans [won] a slim majority in the House—far below their expectations—Democrats took all five of the most expensive races, according to CRP data.
I’ve never believed that money won elections. Granted that it doesn’t hurt, elections are decided by human beings, and, unless you are paing them directly for their votes, you can’t buy their support with campaign money. Good candidates, creatively promoted, and short, catchy, accurate slogans (“In January, I’ll be better. He will still be a con man”) work better. Some money is needed in order to maximize communication – but after a certain point, the law of diminishing returns hits.
Crooka and Liars – City Of Brotherly Love Welcomes Immigrants That Texas Governor Dumped
Quote – [On the] morning [of November 16], despite earlier denials that this was indeed his plan, Greg Abbott, the wizened little nominal governor of Texas, dropped a busload of immigrants in my city…. “The bus was sent by Gov. Greg Abbott in what he said was an effort to bring the challenges of the border to northern cities. Immigration advocates in Philadelphia called the bus ride a cruel trick played on innocent people who are legally in the United States.”
Click through for story. Susie Madrak has some words for Abbott and other Republicans. Does anyone thnk that Abbott and DeSanctimonious will ever get a clue, no matter how often and how dramatically their cruel stunts backfire?
Colorado Encyclopedia – Amendment 2
Quote – Amendment 2 was a ballot initiative passed by Colorado voters in 1992 that prohibited the state from enacting antidiscrimination protections for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals…. Passage of the controversial amendment set the stage for a national debate over the rights of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, while the ensuing legal struggle was the first legal case affecting homosexuals to reach the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court eventually declared the amendment unconstitutional, setting a precedent for the current struggle for LGBT rights in the United States.
Click through for complete history. The Q-Club massagre immediately beought me back to 1992 (although I had to look up the year.) This horrendous vote showcases the worst of our state – and a past the Supreme Court would live to bring us back to. I believe we are better than that, and offer as evidence the fact that we just RE-elected an openly gay governor. But here, and alas world wide, the struggle is far from over.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s lawyers believed Clarence Thomas was their best shot at overturning the election results
The Lincoln Project – Country Over Party
Ring of Fire – Popular MAGA ‘Hot Babe’ Influencer Turns Out To Be Chinese Spy (It’s not just because they are easy to fool. It’s because MAGA weakens our democracy. And the more our democracy is weakened, the more of a superior position they are in with regard to us.)
Robert Reich – Debunking the Big Lies Coming From Republicans
Beau – Let’s talk about a message for this week….