Apr 082022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Ivanka Trump testifies to Jan. 6 committee. If truthful, her testimony would incriminate her father

Meidas Touch – Republican SHAMED for most racist campaign ad to date!!

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party

MSNBC – GOP Smears Political Opponents As ‘Pro-Pedophile’: The QAnon Part Out Loud

Robert Reich – Full Testimony Regarding Corporate Profits and Inflation to Senate Budget Committee (Yes, this is long for this thread. But it is under 20 minutes, and the circumsytances are special.)

Stray Labrador Won’t Let Rescuers Near Her Puppies

Beau – Let’s talk about crime and peacekeepers in Ukraine….

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Apr 082022
 

Yesterday, I took out a 30 gal trash bag, and then ran the car for about 20 minutes.  It started right up this time.  Once I’m seeing Virgil regularly, I won’t have to worry between trips, since that is plentty driving to charge it for two weeks. even three.  Also, while browsing the web, I found a (free) pattern for what the designer calls a “mask extender.”  It’s just a little strip of knittine abour 3.5″ x 1.25 ” (which of course can be adjusted to the size of one’s head, and also stretches a little) with a button at each end, and it doesn’t actually extend anything – it just takes the elastic off the ears.  Since I wear glasses, the mask elastic on the N95 really does annoy my ears.    I don’t know whether they will allow me to take one in to see Virgil, but I intend to try.

Cartoon

Short Takes –

Daily Beast – DOJ Moves to Investigate Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Stash of Presidential Documents, Report Says
Quote – Sources close to the matter told The Washington Post that the procedures had just begun. The decision to investigate follows Chair of the House Oversight Committee Carolyn B. Maloney’s call for the DOJ to either act or allow the National Archives to disclose an inventory of the boxes so that her investigation into the incident can move forward.
Click through for abbreviated story. The full story (such as it is at this point) is in the Washington Post so I’m paywalled out.

CNN – UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council
Quote – “The General Assembly has sent a crystal-clear message to Russia’s leadership that a government whose military is routinely committing horrific rights violations has no business on the UN Human Rights Council,” Charbonneau said. “Gruesome images from Bucha have shocked people around the world. Victims and their families deserve to see those responsible held to account. Investigators from the UN and International Criminal Court should set the wheels of justice in motion by moving swiftly to gather and preserve evidence of war crimes.”
Click through for story… which is being updated as necessary. Of course the ambassador from Russia objected.  (Anyone know the Russian for “Karen”?)

Robert Reich – Why Republicans are obsessed with pedophilia, gender identity, gay people, and abortion
Quote – Most importantly, a culture war over sex allows Republicans to sound faux populist without having to talk about the real sources of populist anger — corporate-induced inflation at a time of record corporate profits, profiteering and price gouging, monopolization, stagnant wages, union busting, soaring CEO pay, billionaires who have amassed $1.7 trillion during the pandemic but who pay a lower tax rate than the working class, and the flow of big money into the political campaigns of lawmakers who oblige by lowering taxes on the wealthy and big corporations and doling out corporate welfare.
Click through for column and podcast. Would it hurt to start calling them on it?

Food For Thought:

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Apr 072022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump admits: “I didn’t win the election.” How this & other statements will be used against him

Meidas Touch – Anthony Scaramucci: Here’s why Ron DeSantis will LOSE

The Lincoln Project – Serious Times

Robert Reich – How Corporations Could Make Your Life More Dangerous

Now This News – Texas Mom of Trans Son Gives Tearful Speech After Investigation

Liberal Redneck – Tennessee Republicans’ New “Gay Marriage is Bad, Child Marriage is Fine” Bill

Beau – Let’s talk about why Ukraine is getting more coverage…. (see also “FFT” in the open Thread)

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Apr 062022
 

Glenn Kirschner (Jonathan Capehart) – “The Supreme Court Can’t Be Trusted to Police Itself.” (and 2 more shorts)

American Bridge – Ron DeSantis Breaks Law to Shield Appointee Tied to Sex Crimes Investigation

VoteVets – Profiteers

Now This News – Why the Filibuster Has to Go, By Adam Jentleson

Ojeda Live – Top 5 Most Evil Televangelists

Randy Rainbow – GAY! – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Beau – Let’s talk about gas, insulin, and republican strategy….

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Apr 052022
 

Glenn Kirschner – NYT: President Biden says Trump is “a Danger to Democracy” and “Should be Prosecuted”

The Lincoln Project – Genocide

Meidas Touch – Trump’s Fake News Rally FACT-CHECKED in real time!

American Bridge – Ron DeSanits: At War with the LGBTQ Community

Ojeda Live – Republicans and Their Aversion to Education

SNL Cold Open 4/2/22

Beau – Let’s talk about some good climate news….

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Apr 052022
 

Yesterday was thankfully quiet.  I took my time getting these posts ready for today, and di some knitting along the way.  My space heater in the computer room died, but I had recently gotten another one, planning to use it in the living room, but hadn’t placed it yet.  Now I’ll be bringing that one to the computer room So that worj=ked out.  Just after finishint today’s video thread, I found a new Randy Rainbow which will be in tomorrow’s video thread.  Oh, and I heard from Mitch – many if not all of you probably did too.  I told him to rest and just let me know when he was ready for more PP emails.

Cartoon

 

Short Takes –

Letters from an American – April 1, 2022 (not a joke)
Quote – But Republicans since the 1980s have rejected that “Authentic American Center” and argued instead that the way to build the economy is by putting the weight of the government on the “supply side.” That is, the government should free up the capital of the wealthy by cutting taxes. Flush with cash, those at the top of society would invest in new industries that would, in turn, hire workers, and all Americans would rise together. Shortly after he took office, President Ronald Reagan launched government support for “supply side economics” with the first of many Republican tax cuts.
Click through for history, along with the current economic picture. Could it possibly hurt to start talking about “demand-side” economics, using that term?

AP News – Black Democrats try to revive party in Trump territory
Quote – In years past, Democrats in the region usually tried to win over independent and moderate voters by running white establishment candidates. That approach produced little. Now they’re hoping to mobilize voters who haven’t been involved in the process, especially Black, Latino and younger people.
Click through for details. This is a long shot, but it is not insanity. Insanity would be doing again what has failed for us so many times over and expecting a differesnt result.

Law & Crime – Federal Judge Refuses to Grant Ghislaine Maxwell a New Trial Following Sex Trafficking Conviction, Finds Juror ‘Testified Credibly and Truthfully’
Quote – “For the reasons stated above, the Court concludes that Juror 50 testified credibly and truthfully at the post-trial hearing. His failure to disclose his prior sexual abuse during the jury selection process was highly unfortunate, but not deliberate,” U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan wrote on Friday. “The Court further concludes that Juror 50 harbored no bias toward the Defendant and could serve as a fair and impartial juror.”
Click through for story. You may or may not have known ths was happening (I didn’t.)

Food For Thought:

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Apr 042022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Legal Recap, March 2022: From Resignation of NY Prosecutors to DOJ Expanding Criminal Probe of Trump

The Lincoln Project – Trump and Russia: Partners in Crime

Thom Hartmann – Didn’t Putin Call for Regime Change in America?

The Ring of Fire – Biden Pushes For Wealth Tax On Obscenely Rich Americans

Rebel HQ – Mitch McConnell PROVES He’s A Partisan Hack

Cracked – If Insurance Companies Were Honest

Beau – Let’s talk about mom and social constructs…

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Apr 042022
 

Yesterday, I actually managed to place a grocery order in themorning and schedule it for this evening.  And it actually came a little after six (I asked fror a window from 6-8) and by 8 I hadeverything that neded to be put away, put awat.  And no substitutes.  A couple of things missing or shorted, and the dishwashing liquid leaked over a bunch of things, but didn’t actually destroy anything, just made them icky to put away.

Cartoon 04 MLK loaded

Short Takes –

Crooks & Liars – Fortenberry, Convicted Liar And Thin-skinned Bully, Resigns
Quote – Nebraska Republican Congressman Jeff Fortenberry is a convicted liar who has now resigned. Good. But he has never been held accountable for abusing the power of his office to hunt down and threaten the jobs of people who criticized him with a joke. You might remember his Chief of Staff made national news for threatening a state university professor for LIKING a Facebook post of a sign calling him Fartenberry.
Click through for more. While he heeds to be held accountable (and probably won’t) for his bullying, this is still good news. One down, 193 (or thereabouts) to go.

Letters from an American – March 31, 2022
Quote – Today, Judge Mark E. Walker of the Federal District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, struck down much of the new elections law passed by the Florida legislature after the 2020 election. This is the first time a federal court has sought to overrule the recent attempts of Republican-dominated state legislatures to rig the vote, and Walker made thorough work of it…. “This case is about our sacred right to vote,” Walker wrote, “won at great cost in blood and treasure. Courts have long recognized that, because “the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and meticulously scrutinized.”
Click through for story and sources. While we can’t depend on this not being appeales, not on keeping the ground gained if it’s appealed, it is still hopeful. Heather, BTW, has been on a roll. I’ll be sharing more of her in the next few days.

CPR – CU Boulder to host UN human rights summit on climate change
Quote – The University of Colorado Boulder will host a global climate summit in partnership with UN Human Rights. Thought leaders attending the gathering will examine climate change as a human rights crisis. CU Chancellor Phil DiStefano talked about the “Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit” in front of alumni and students in Washington, D.C. earlier this week. The idea for the summit came out of the UN climate change conference that took place in Glasgow last year.
Click through for story. This kind of thing is why Colorado MAGAts refer to the city of Boulder as “the People’s Republic of Boulder,” which certainly says at least as much about them as it does about Bloulder.

Food For Thought:

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