Open Thread November 16 2024

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Politics
Nov 162024
 

Yesterday, I was shocked to learn that I apparently agree with John Bolton, of all people, on something. He appears to have gone on record that Trump’s nominees, including Gaetz and Gabbard by name, need to be fully investigated by the FBI *before* any nomination hearings are held. “We need to know exatly what we’re dealing with.” [as quoted by Crooks and Liars]. Also this article from TFN is interesting, although so dripping with sarcasm that when yo read it, try not to get any on you.
https://thefuckingnews.substack.com/p/rfk-jr-to-reduce-number-of-vaccine

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/veterans-day-and-project-2025-on
I admit that this week I’ve not pushed at all to share things that are brand new, and that will continue for a while, because in the days leading up to the transition, there is going to be a great deal of analysis which looks ahead, and most of it will be important, and publication date won’t have much effect on that. This by Joyce Vance is no exception. It’s no longer Veterans’ Day, but Vance’s thoughts on the military are timeless, and her thoughts on Project 2025 are pertinent.

https://www.wonkette.com/p/republican-who-fought-aca-wants-you
Well, this is different. Not that it could not have been predicted, of course. That’s how Republicans roll, and Wonkette knows it as well as anyone.

Belle SS

Squirrel

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Video Thread 10/28/2023

 Posted by at 11:51 am  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 282023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Jack Smith goes hard after gag order AND sets Trump up for pre-trial detention if he violates

The Lincoln Project – The Last Sane Republican

Thom Hartmann – What Are ‘Catfood Commissions’ and Why Does the GOP Love Them? w/ Alex Lawson

Armageddon Update – Republicans in SHAMBLES as Jim Jordan LOSES AGAIN! (Yes, a few days old – but still good)

Dog Reunited With Foster Mom For The First Time Since Her Adoption

Beau – Let’s talk about Trump, Pratt, and recordings….

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Video Thread 10/25/23

 Posted by at 12:02 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 252023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Another Trump lawyer – Jenna Ellis – pleads guilty & flips in GA; throws Rudy Giuliani under the bus [Has anyone ever heard before of an actual lawyer putting forward an “advice of counsel” defense?]

The Lincoln Project – Jim Jordan on Social Security

MSNBC – ‘Political earthquake’: Mark Meadows has been granted immunity according to ABC News

Liberal Redneck – The House GOP is Incompetent

Woman Spends 6 Months Getting Stray Cats To Trust Her

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden, hot takes, and security….

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Open Thread July 29, 2023

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 292023
 

Yesterday, President Joe signed an executive order establishing military Offices of Special Trial Counsel, which will be responsible for all prosecutions of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other violent crime – taking those prosecutions out of the chain of command (under which so many cases have died.) About damn time. And good forJoe! Of course MAGA s furious. Also, a superseding indictment came out in the Trump** documetns case, over which people who are interedted in law and crime are salivating. And my area had a little power failure. Annoying – but didn’t last long, and it came with lightning which came with rain and cooled things down a bit. I had had to break out a couple of the knitted bands I keep (wet) in thr refrigerator and put one around my neck and one around my forehead while all the fans were stopped.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Associated Press News – Biden chooses former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley to lead the Social Security Administration
Quote – President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley to lead the Social Security Administration…. “Governor O’Malley is a lifelong public servant who has spent his career making government more accessible and transparent, while keeping the American people at the heart of his work,” Biden said in a statement. “As Governor, he made government work more effectively across his administration and enhanced the way millions of people accessed critical services.”
Click through for details. I haven’t heard his name for a long time, but Iseem to recall my impression was positive.

The 19th – Newly disabled people aren’t given a ‘how-to’ guide. Disability doulas are closing those gaps.
Quote – Stefanie Lyn Kaufman-Mthimkhulu began doing disability doula work long before they ever heard the term. From the time they were in middle school, they remember “being responsible for big, intense crisis situations” with their friends. Throughout high school, a close friend self-injured. Kaufman-Mthimkhulu would drive to her house and listen. They would also take care of their friend’s wounds, spend time watching bad TV shows and eat ice cream. What they didn’t do is blame or shame their friend. Now, years later, disability doula work is a core part of both Kaufman-Mthimkhulu’s personal practice and their job as director of peer support organization Project LETS, which works to organize community-based mental health support for people with disabilities.
Click through for story. I applaud their work. I hope they are allowed to continue and to grow.

Food For Thought

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Video Thread 2/5/2023

 Posted by at 12:18 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Feb 052023
 

Glenn Kirschner – McCarthy wields speaker gavel for political revenge; removes Schiff, Swalwell & Omar from committees

The Lincoln Project – Nikki Haley

Thom Hartmann – The Racist Origins of the Anti-Abortion Movement Exposed (are there any American laws that are NOT racist?)

MSNBC – Rep. Plaskett: We’ll be a “truth squad” on Congress’ new Weaponization Committee

Tiny Feral Kittens Learn To Accept Love

Beau – Let’s talk about Social Security and why the GOP is going after it….

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Video Thread 6/12/21

 Posted by at 1:00 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jun 122021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Rep. Ted Lieu & House Judiciary Committee Urges AG Garland/DOJ to Reverse Course in Carroll Case

Meidas Touch – THIS Is How You Fight For a Living Wage

Now This News – Why Japanese American Internment Still Matters Today

Thom Hartmann – His title is a bit misleading; makes it sound like SS is treacherous, when it’s actually Republicans – as always.

What Happens When You Leave a Tetherball Hanging in a Forest

Beau – Let’s talk about Snake Eyes and woke GI Joe…. This certainly explains a joke (which I’ll put in a comment in a little while.)

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Trump* Lies about "Relief" Plan

 Posted by at 11:05 am  Editorial, Politics
Aug 102020
 

Last weekend, Resident Donald Trump*, Fuhrer of the Nazi Republican Reich, promised a press conference in which he would explain how he would provide his own relief plan for the American People.  It was really a campaign rally, delivered at taxpayer expense from his own Bedminster, NJ country club, while greedy Republican billionaires cheered him on.  Everything he said and everything his supporters, like Larry Kudlow, said later were lies.

According to the Washington Post, his so-called unemployment relief created a whole new program that would take months to set up.  States would have to pay $100 of the $400 per person per month payments, and pay for the administration of the program.  Trump also said he would suspend payroll taxes.  These are not taxes at all, but the entitlement payments that fund Social Security and Medicare.  He said he will terminate those “taxes”, if reelected.  The so-called rent relief provides for studies, but no relief at all. The measure on student loans is just a two month extension of the relief Democrats passed in March.

According to the NY Times, the Trump* plan included no relief for small businesses, schools, or state and local governments.

According to Market Watch, workers would still be on the hook to repay the payroll tax relief by April 15.  Unless governors request the unemployment relief and can afford to pay their share, workers will receive nothing.  Since Republicans are funding the program with money repurposed from from disaster relief funds, the program will run out of money in two months and leave nothing for disaster relief during hurricane season.

On the other hand, if Trump steals the White House again, and eliminates the “payroll taxes” permanently, Republicans will have an excuse to cut Social Security and Medicare, as they have wanted to do for years.

In short, this is nothing but a dog and pony show, intended to make Trump* look good before the election, but providing virtually no relief.

I’ll leave you with wise words from Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi calls Trump’s executive actions ‘absurdly unconstitutional’

 

RESIST!!

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Seniors, Disabled and Poor: Beware!

 Posted by at 8:48 am  Politics
Jan 242020
 

Since Vladimir Putin [R-RU] and the Republican Reich helped Donald Trump* steal the White House, he hasn’t changed much.  He has a penchant for saying whatever he thinks his audience want to here.  On the campaign trail in 2016, his handlers knew that he could not endorse Paul Lyin’ Ryan’s standard Republican plan to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  If he had, he could never have gotten close enough to steal the election.  However, at Davos, talking to fat cats, he forgot that he’s campaigning again, and said what he really thinks.

When President Trump suggested to an interviewer at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that he would, “at some point,” look at cutting entitlement programs, his Democratic critics seized on the comments as evidence that Mr. Trump would gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in a second term.

“Even as the impeachment trial is underway, Trump is still talking about cutting your Social Security,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said at the beginning of a news conference that was ostensibly about the Senate impeachment trial.

The Democratic super PAC Priorities USA posted on Twitter about Mr. Trump’s remarks, and others contrasted his statement with his 2016 campaign pledge not to touch entitlement programs…  [emphasis added]

Inserted from <NY Times>

Is President Donald Trump Open To Making Medicare Cuts?

This was an obvious gaffe. While running off at the mouth, Fuhrer Trump* confirmed his support for Republican dogma. He and the rest of the Republican Reich want to give seniors the RepubliCare Death Benefit. If seniors can’t pay for care, or for rent or for food, Republicans will allow to die for free! However, they will charge for corpse disposal.

RESIST!!

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