Glenn Kirschner – Rep. Scott Perry Refuses to Provide Information/Evidence to the Jan. 6 Committee; Subpoena Time
politicsrus Manchin 2 HD
Robert Reich – The Columbia University Strike: My Son Gives an Insider’s Look
Caffeinated – What To Do with Joe Manchin & Krysten Sinema…
The Lincoln Project – Who GAF About Christmas?
Parody Project – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like – Uh-Oh! (I wanted a Chrsimas song here – this wasn’t it. But I’ll get to the other one before New Year’s.)
Beau – Let’s talk about Biden, Hunters, and trophies….
Glenn Kirschner – Trump Weaponizes Courts, Again: Sues NY AG Tish James in Effort to Stop Investigation of Trump Org
Thom Hartmann – Manchin Sours Bill But Biden Has Powerful Option
No Dem Left Behind – Happy Holidays from Richard Ojeda and NDLB!
VoteVets – Maj.Gen.(Ret.) Paul Eaton Discusses WaPo Op-Ed & 2024 Insurrection Threat With Chris Hayes on MSNBC. MGen Eaton has a good point. Sane people don’t tend to imagine the unimaginable (and aren’t very good at it when we try.) It comes much easier to wingnuts. I do thing the Pentagon’s announcement about revising rules and regulations with the goal of eliminating “expremists” is probably in part a response to that Op-Ed (or at least the announcement is; they were probably already working on it.) VoteVets has a series of clips on two of the three generals discussing this OpEd. I may post more.)
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party
Really American – Manchin BACKSTABS His Own Consituents
Beau – Let’s talk about BBB, the GDP, and Manchin….
Yesterday, although I had slept reasonably well, I couldnt seem to get in gear. I don’t know why that sometimes happens, but it certainly does. But I did get everything done eventually.
Cartoon –
Short Takes
npr: A tantalizing clue to why omicron is spreading so quickly
Quote – “Strikingly, Omicron was 4-fold more infectious than wild type [the original version of the virus] and 2-fold more infectious than Delta,” Garcia-Beltran and colleagues wrote in their study. The data suggests omicron may be able to infect people at a lower dose than delta or the original variant, Garcia-Beltran says. “That’s a very far-out interpretation,” he cautions. “But we think it will probably pan out that way, given that we’re looking at a variant with more efficient entry into human cells.” Click through for details. Please ne careful out there.It might be well to go to N95 masks, if you haven’t already. Please stay safe. We need you. (And, no, I don’t know why they call the section “Goats and Soda.”)
The 19th – It’s OK to cut back on the holiday gifts this year. Here’s why.
Quote – At the end of the day, [Dr. Michelle Martel, director of clinical training at the University of Kentucky’s psychology department] said she always reminds people struggling during the holidays that they’re not alone — because a lot of people are struggling right now, whether it’s due to loss or financial stress or being overwhelmed by plans to meet loved ones in groups, and it’s only been made worse by the pandemic. And when so many people are carrying emotional and financial burdens, many of them made worse by a pandemic that they didn’t expect to be enduring for another year, it makes sense to find one less thing to worry about. Click through for full analysis. There’s a fine line between responsibility and guilt, and it’s not always easy to stay on the right side of it.
Bloomberg – Biden’s Economic Performance Has Proved Unbeatable
Quote – All of which makes Biden’s first year in the White House the standout among the seven previous presidents, based on 10 market and economic indicators given equal weight. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, no one comes close to matching Biden’s combination of No. 1 and No. 2 rankings for each of the measures: Click through for the measures and the stats. You get one or two free articles a month. If anyone needs a copy, I’ve printed a pdf. No one here needs me to tell tham about Manchin. But you might need some help on responding to it.
Rebel HQ – Mark Meadows Is SCREWED As Text Messages Surface (Ordinarily I don’t use material that jumps to conclusions – such as Mark Meadows being screwed – but there is good factual stuff in here.)
Robert Reich – Can Congress Really Use Insider Information to Trade Stocks?
Liberal Redneck – War on Christmas
Beau – Let’s talk about semantics, Shepherd’s Pie, liberals, and leftists….
Glenn Kirschner – Mark Meadows’ Treason-Dream PowerPoint and His Upcoming Contempt of Congress Charge
Meidas Touch – Treason Texts
Thom Hartmann – What Should Liberals Do About Rural America?
Taylor Mali – What Teachers Make (a classic)
Transcript: He says, “The problem with teachers is what’s a kid gonna learn from someone who decided his best option in life is to become a teacher?” [Laughs] He reminds the other dinner guests that “It’s true what they say about teachers – that those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach.” [Laughs] I decide to bite my tongue instead of his and resist the urge to remind the other dinner guests that it’s also true what they say about lawyers, because we’re eating after all, and this is polite conversation. “I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor. Be honest – what do you make?” and I wish he hadn’t done that – asked me to nebe honest – because, you see, I have a policy about honesty and ass-kicking, which is if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make an C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor, and I can make an A- feel like a slap in the face – “How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.”
You want to know what I make? I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. “No, you cannot work in groups…. Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom? Because you’re bored and you don’t really have to go.”
You want to know what I make? I make parents tremble in fear when I call home at around dinnertime. “I just want to talk to you about something that your son did. He said, ‘Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes. Don’t you?’ and it was the noblest act of courage that I have ever seen.” I make parents see their children for who they are, and who they can be. can be
You want to know what I make? I make kids question. I make them criticize and make them apologize. I make them read, I make them write write write, I make them spell “definitely beautiful” over and over and over until they can never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math, and then hide it on their final drafts in English. I make them realize that if you’ve got this [points to head] then you follow this [points to heart] and if somebody tries to judge you based on what you think you give them this [shows middle finger].
Let me break it down for you so you know what I say is true: I make a goddamn difference now what about you
Really American – Misinformation leads to GOP Deaths