It’s been a crazy busy day, but I just took an hour to check out what’s been going on in the world.
BREAKING: Senate Republicans just blocked legislation to protect a woman’s right to travel across state lines to get the health care she needs.
Make no mistake: right now in America, MAGA Republicans are trying to hold women who need abortion care captive in their own states.
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) July 9, 2024
A good case for NATO, which just turned 75.
Happy to see Blinken not looking so exhausted!
As we prepare to welcome leaders to DC for the Washington @NATO Summit, here are a few things you should know. pic.twitter.com/r6bpyENiJC
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 9, 2024
This says it all.
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) July 9, 2024
Joey Jobs on the offensive.
NEW: President Joe Biden himself called into the @HoustonChron today saying he’s been trying to “track down” the governor to get the necessary requests to release the federal aid, which includes manpower and supplies.
Abbott of course has been in Asia. https://t.co/relqQZ4SBj
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) July 9, 2024
It’s only a minute or two and it’s really good.
Justice Thomas’s revised financial disclosures still don’t reflect all the gifts he’s received.
And we aren’t just missing one or two. pic.twitter.com/n41aUICZX4
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) June 20, 2024
Just for fun.
🤠 https://t.co/USV1LdirOr pic.twitter.com/jSGuayRQ0O
— Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@MaxwellFrostFL) July 9, 2024
So happy to see this. Their corruption is undeniable. Make them try to deny it.
HOLY SMOKES. From @SenWhitehouse to Merrick Garland: “We write to request that you appoint a Special Counsel to investigate possible violations of federal ethics and tax laws by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas. Over the past year, public reporting and…
— Jen “I dissent ” Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) July 9, 2024
North Carolina, sleeper state?
North Carolina has 8 pro-voting cases and 1 anti-voting case currently in court. @marceelias breaks down the lawsuits and the impact they could have on voters ahead of the 2024 election.
Watch the full video:https://t.co/PIqTiQhDK0 pic.twitter.com/hLc64tl1pl
— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) July 9, 2024
I love Jasmine Crockett.
Rep. @JasmineForUS: I don’t have time to play games. We need to know what’s at stake. In Texas, we have a state legislature that wants to institute the death penalty for women seeking abortions. I need to know that the Democrats will have control of the House, Senate, and White… pic.twitter.com/uyheOh9CPr
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 8, 2024
I will never get tired of this.
Biden is too old, Hillary was too shrill, Obama was too aloof, Kerry looked French, Al Gore sighed too much, Clinton was too sleazy, Dukakis looked funny in a tank, Mondale said he’d raise your taxes, Jimmy Carter wore a cardigan. Why can’t Democrats field a good candidate?
— New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) July 4, 2024
Open thread.
S Cerevisiae
Love the toddler cartoon and Rep Frost on the scooter, very cool.
Frost!
gene108
https://x.com/RoseSer38526924/status/1810694548365947177
Trump’s sister resigned from the federal bench, when questions about their tax payments on Fred, Sr. estate was reported in the NYT.
Garland’s not going to do it, but I thought it’s an interesting point.
WaterGirl
@S Cerevisiae: Yeah, I love the newest class of young Democratic representatives.
Mousebumples
I’m off to bed, but I’m excited to postcard this election cycle!
I was busy with work and just got caught up on blog stuff, but I saw commenters asking about where to postcard and how to get involved. (use your nervous energy to support Biden and Dems across the county!)
1. Mobilize.us – lots of volunteer opportunities, including virtual options
2. Postcards to Voters – my usual postcarding preference (if some of you have anxiety to burn off while waiting for Postcards to Swing States, consider writing a few for PtV! Start with 1 postcard to become an approved writer, and then you can do a few more as time and supplies allow… Including for, probably, the 2025 Wisconsin SC race)
3. Postcards to Swing States – haven’t done this one, but it’s been recommended by others in the comments. I think someone else reported there’s been tons of interest, so there’s a backlog to getting supplies out
I’m excited to do more “Jackal Postcard/Activism Threads” this year. Is it too soon to get that started? (WI hasn’t even had our primary yet… Coming up in August)
But I’m excited to do the work and to show the FTFNYT they don’t know shit. Fuck em!
laura
Looks like Uncle Ruckus is about to go through some things. It’s a good start, and he’s always welcome to step down from the Court and RV off into the sun
set.WaterGirl
@laura:
Love to see it!
Geoduck
@gene108: They’re not gonna resign while Biden is President, no matter what horrors come to light.
SpaceUnit
Establishment Republicans are terrified. They’ve got nothing but their crazy cult.
That party is going to devolve into naked raging cannibalism when trump loses in November.
Ohio Mom
Had to chuckle when Blinken pointed out the huge increase in the number of NATO members who began paying their full share AFTER Biden became president.
As I’m sure everyone hear remembers, that was one of Trump’s shticks, that NATO members weren’t paying their fair share. Like Infrastructure Week and so many other things, Biden got done what Trump only sputtered about.
That video on Justice Thomas really brings home how corrupt he is but I wish I had a way to slow it down so I could read it all.
Finally, it’s very scary that thanks to Republicans, Congress can’t pass a law protecting women’s right to cross state lines for abortion care. It’s obviously something that can’t be solved with a lawsuit considering the state of the Supreme Court.
Gin & Tonic
That’s not a scooter.
Old School
That Sheldon Whitehouse video is very good.
I see Abbott is going with that they were trying to determine if they needed anything for the past couple of days.
Poe Larity
It’s summer, why hasn’t Biden worn a tan suit yet?
Jackie
Trust Marc Elias! If he says NC is a Battleground State, it’s a Battleground State. Plus, NC has a batshit crazy anti-woman racist MAGAt running for Gov.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: what makes a scooter a scooter?
it looks like the big white thing that says lime on, it might be something that gives it power, yes?
WaterGirl
@Jackie: plus they have our help this year. :-)
CaseyL
@Mousebumples:
I just sent out a small batch of postcards for Postcards to Patriots, and requested a second batch of addresses, for a School Board election in Florida.
I signed up for Swing State postcards. Thanks for mentioning the backlog: I haven’t gotten my kit yet and wondered if they were just waiting until closer to November…?
It does work off some nervous energy.
Peke Daddy
@Old School: Can’t Lieutenant Governor Patrick take the call?
Old School
Chet Murthy
@WaterGirl: It’s an e-bike. But sure, whatevs, let’s call it a scooter, whynot.
Sure Lurkalot
@WaterGirl: It’s got pedals so I’d say bike, “e” or manual.
ETA ChetMurthy for the win.
TBone
It’s an E-bike.
Chet Murthy
@Old School: “par for the course”. 10/10 no notes!
WaterGirl
@Peke Daddy: it would appear that perhaps the Lieutenant Governor didn’t want to take the call.
TBone
I’m really surprised no one is talking about President Biden’s barn burner speech to NATO today. 🙄
Medal of Freedom to Stoltenberg was a nice touch!
piratedan
@WaterGirl: it’s an e-bik
and I would be more impressed with Garland if he got off his ass and started indicting previously unnamed co-conspirators. These assholes DO NOT HAVE any presidential immunity. Let’s get them prosecuted shall we?
WaterGirl
@Chet Murthy: i’ve never seen fuck you spelt quite like that before!
Chet Murthy
@TBone: It was a great speech, eh? It reminded me of why we sometimes can be proud of what our country does and can do. I hate that I have to put “sometimes” in that sentence, but … it is what it is.
Ishiyama
I’m listening to my CD of the Beatles’ No. 1 hits; I cannot feel despondent about this year’s election. A little bird whispers to me that we will be united in November, and victorious: Stand firm and see the salvation of the People!
Lincoln said it: Keep faith with the people and they will keep faith with you.
Ryan
IIRC Kerry also took provolone with his cheesesteak, unlike Cheese-Whip, like a true American.
TBone
@Chet Murthy: it was rousing!
Chet Murthy
@TBone: And I choked up a little when he called Stoltenberg up and awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Chet Murthy
@Ishiyama: As much of a pessimist as I am, I know that if we do not try, we cannot win. So we must try. We must try.
At the very least, if we fail, we must be able to look back without regrets.
TBone
@Ishiyama: 💙
Hope is the thing with feathers
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Emily Dickinson
Jackie
@TBone:
That brought tears to my eyes.
The entire ceremony and President Biden’s speech had me visualizing the acute difference had TCFG won in ‘20… and hoping this moment in NATO history will wake up on the fence voters!
Jackie
@Ryan:
ANOTHER reason I voted for Kerry! Blech to canned cheese!
I guess that makes me an elitist?
Ishiyama
G-d helps those who help themselves!
H.E.Wolf
@Mousebumples:
Thank you for listing so many options for folks who might want to write postcards!
As CaseyL said (I’m paraphrasing), it’s a good way to settle one’s nerves. Truly. Give it a try if you don’t believe me.
cain
@Jackie: I find it weird you would use cheezwiz. That stuff tasted fake when I had it as a kid.
Odie Hugh Manatee
I saw a picture of Sulzberger over at the Great Orange Satan and I couldn’t stop laughing for a few. THAT is him?! I’ve never seen his mug before but what a dorky looking fuck. I saw that mug and thought “That guy will never be called “Sully”…lol!
He’s being petulant and going after Biden because his dorky ass wasn’t kissed.
sdhays
@Old School: It would be funny to see Biden tell Donnie, “Sure, I’ll play 18 holes with you, as long as it’s not on one of your shitty golf courses and we both have to walk the whole way. No golf carts.”
Donnie might have heart attack just at the suggestion.
chemiclord
@gene108: And even if Garland did it, I can promise you exactly zero justices are resigning over it.
Splitting Image
@Ryan:
The same people who have been experts on epidemiology, Middle Eastern politics, cognitive decline, email security best practices, and gender identity over the years became experts in local food preferences in Philadelphia for about a week.
wjca
It’s not entirely clear that they, or at least some of them, aren’t there already. See, for example, the infighting and bankruptcy of various state parties.
But yeah, it will get far worse when Trump loses.
piratedan
@chemiclord: granted, but it’s taking actions like that, using the tools that are in place that allow other responses to follow. As much as I would enjoy Green Lanterning the other side, we have rules and protocols so we should use them. All because the other side uses them in bad faith, frequently.
Kelly
The Senate committee chair joining Sen Whitehouse calling for an investigation of Justice Thomas is my Senator Wyden. I shall bask in reflected glory.
Jackie
@sdhays:
AND INDEPENDENT score keepers!!!
Barbara
@TBone: I’ve been on a bit of a news embargo. Is it safe to come out yet?
Ishiyama
@piratedan: I believe that the Statute of Limitations on Conspiracy to Cross State Lines with Intent to Incite a Riot, and Use of Interstate Communications for the same, is Five Years. Nixon went after the Chicago Seven – using what was called the H.Rap Brown Act.
SFAW
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
On the other hand, “Pinche” (as I’ve been calling him since shortly after he took over) is appropriate. Although, given his blatant support for The Head Insurrectionist, maybe Putsch Sulzberger is a better nickname?
Barbara
@Kelly: I have friends who work for federal agencies who won’t even let me buy them a coffee. Thomas and Alito are disgusting and they really think they are better than the rest of us when they are 100 times worse.
wjca
Perhaps he was afraid of what Abbott might do to him if he did.
SFAW
WaterGirl –
Why are you bigfooting Adam?
[Just kidding; I briefly skimmed the “ragefarm” silliness from earlier today.]
SFAW
@Barbara:
Well, maybe that’s because you offered them the dishwater known as Starbucks, instead of Real American Coffee from Dunkie.
Incoming!
Barbara
@SFAW: Nope. They’re just too honest.
opiejeanne
@Jackie: Yes, because we all know TFG cheats at golf.
opiejeanne
@Barbara: So far it’s been very pleasant. We’ve reverted to discussing the shortcomings of TFG and that he cheats at golf..
SFAW
@Ishiyama:
TCFFG will re-purpose it into the Fred Hampton Act, so that he won’t have to bother with a trial before executing his enemies.
cain
@opiejeanne: Pretty much cheats on anything. Wife, golf, businesses etc.
SFAW
@Barbara:
Yes, I assumed as much. I was just trying to
piss offget a reaction from the Starbuckers.opiejeanne
@cain: yes. The one vendor that was cheated that really bothered me was a piano supplier. Of course there were others, just as bad, but not paying for those pianos just struck a nerve.
No One of Consequence
@Barbara: I wouldn’t. Not much to be gained yet of great reassurance. Seems to this poor study that the tide has turned, at least somewhat. Unicorn chasers have been met with requests for logistics, I think cooler heads are prevailing. Some (not all) are doing their best to think things through, and NOT Joe and Kamala of any kind of flavor comes with significant (perhaps insurmountable) risks. Amongst them being a near-certainly of red states court malfeasance with any chicanery regards the established (as such) primary rules.
At least this is my best stab at $0.02.
-NOoC
Edited to add: will happily take a nice distracting Hard Bop artist(s) whom I haven’t heard of yet worth my exploration. Please and thank you.
divF
@Odie Hugh Manatee: And the photo of his father is one of a vacant stare and slack mouth, just this side of drooling. Makes one think that there is too much inbreeding amongst the elite classes.
The careful parsing of the family tree in the Wikipedia articles on Pinch and Dash (clearly written by family courtiers) reminds me of the joke whose punch line is, “I’m Anglican; what’s more, my father’s Anglican, and my grandfather – Zikhrono Livrakha – was Anglican.”
eclare
@Poe Larity:
I see Joe as more of a seersucker guy.
Geminid
I hope Rep. Frost has a long and productive career but if he wants to have one, he needs to start wearing a helmet.
Jackie
@cain: Somewhere I read that Marla Maples has forgiven TCFG and is willing to be his VP🤣 and campaign for him🤮
Chet Murthy
@Jackie: She must be running low on cash.
Geoduck
@wjca: It’s my understanding the Texas Lt. Gov. actually has quite a bit of power.
Roberto el oso
@wjca: Abbott’s absenteeism and Patrick’s dilly-dallying have been getting a LOT of attention here in Houston. 2 million-plus folks without power in SE Texas (including Houston Metroplex) after a ‘mere’ Cat 1 Hurricane. I’m sure it galls Abbott to have to accept the help, since he’d be perfectly happy to let us drown in darkness, but he’s not as stupid as he is evil.
eclare
I just signed up for 200 postcards for NC through Postcards to Swing States. This is new to me, but gotta leave it all on the field!
Jackie
@Chet Murthy: I found the link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/marla-maples-is-reportedly-ready-to-throw-her-hat-in-the-trump-vp-ring#:~:text=Marla%20Maples%2C%20Donald%20Trump's%20second,sources%20say%2C%20being%20his%20VP.
NotMax
@Roberto el oso
“Governor Abbott lowers electric bills for millions of Texans.”
//
eclare
@Roberto el oso:
I really feel for y’all without power. Mine was out for three days last July, and I ended up sitting in my car in the a/c and charging my phone every few hours.
eclare
@NotMax:
Hahaha…
Heidi Mom
@eclare: So did I! For PA.
rikyrah
@Mousebumples: Thanks
rikyrah
@laura:
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
NotMax
So long since made chopped liver from scratch I’d plumb forgotten how messy frying chicken livers can be. Head screwed on straight enough to saute them in the Instant Pot rather t=an on the stove top.
Still and all, result will be worth it.
eclare
@Heidi Mom:
I just googled, postage rates go up by .03 per postcard on July 14th.
rikyrah
@Old School:
BULLSHYT
They didn’t give a PHUCK, because it was Houston.
But, they were going to try and find a way to blame JoeyB😒😒
Prometheus Shrugged
@No One of Consequence: Patrick Bartley, to me, sounds like the lovechild of Kenny Garrett and Johnny Hodges, if that’s up your alley. Bruce Harris and Sean Jones on trumpet are awesome. Simon Moullier on vibes. Yotam Silberstein on guitar. All in the hard bop tradition and all maybe slightly under the radar? If you haven’t checked out the live streams from Smalls Jazz club and Emmet Cohen (Live from Emmet’s place), both are definitely worthwhile.
Kristine
@CaseyL:
I have an outstanding order and received an email from them today. They’ve been slammed with orders—they’ve received as many since June 28 as they sent out the entire month of June, more than 13,500. Orders of 500+ will ship within the next week; orders of 300 or fewer should be received by the end of July.
If you have an outstanding order, I am guessing you will receive an email with updated delivery info.
LanceThruster
Blinken is both a genocide denier and enabler. As is his boss.
And as Caitlin Johnstone put it, “I guess blowing up hospitals is bad again.”
Chet Murthy
@LanceThruster: He’s baaaaack. Let’s not feed the troll.
bookworm1398
My reaction to the last tweet – so Mondale’s appearance was perfect, they had to criticize him on policy?
Steeplejack
@No One of Consequence:
Tina Brooks?
“Minor Move.”
prostratedragon
@Old School: Love it!
No One of Consequence
@Prometheus Shrugged:
Bless you kind soul. Much appreciated.
-NOoC
edited to say exploring those in the morning when I need the distraction
No One of Consequence
@Steeplejack:
And to you too, my thanks.
Edited to add: Listened right now. Was thinking too simple at the start, then the second movement set in. Great sax. Now the trumpet is on. Thanks for this, good stuff!
Gretchen
@Ohio Mom: Abortion is outlawed in Missouri. The Kansas City Planned Parenthood is on the Kansas side. The St. Louis one is on the Illinois side. Thousands of people in both cities cross the state lines to work, shop, and visit friends every day. Are they going to have checkpoints at the state lines to make sure those workers didn’t get lunch-hour abortions?
NotMax
Quasi-jazzy. Betty Hutton, Murder, He Says.
;)
Gretchen
Loved the NYT Pitchbot about the failings of all previous Dem candidates. One of the bedrocks of the dump Biden crowd is that a new nominee will sail to election because everyone will love them. Were these people born yesterday? They certainly haven’t been observing previous campaigns. When I say 1968 was a disaster of a contested campaign, they just blandly assert that it won’t be like that. Why not? Reasons.
Marmot
@SFAW:
Ha! Now that I’ve seen this, it’s forever Pinche!
cain
@Gretchen:
They should try – we could start using East/West Germany memes. Of course it would be lost on Millennials and younger, but us Gen Xers would totally get it.
cain
@LanceThruster: Nobody’s perfect.
Roberto el oso
@eclare: thank you! we’re among the lucky ones, as our apt. complex is apparently on the same grid as the Med Center just down the street, so we usually either don’t lose power or get it back pretty quickly, although it can be out for a couple of days after really bad hurricanes (Ike).
Because of the usual (sometimes understandable) delays when it comes to tree removal etc, one of the things I’ve noticed in the past couple of years is that there’s a lot of cooperation among neighbors, sharing chainsaws, generators, helping each other repair fences, clear driveways, etc. Some greater sense of collective good may turn out to be an unintended consequence for the GOP types whose local brand is mainly neglect/incompetence.
eclare
@Roberto el oso:
That’s good to hear, both that you have power and that there is more cooperation.
NotMax
@Roberto el oso
Personal injury lawyers salivating.
// ;)
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Gretchen: Like the saying goes, the perfect is the enemy of the good, and Biden, whatever his flaws, is pretty damned good.
Odie Hugh Manatee
I got my Dark Brandon sign wired up and settled on the eyes flashing when triggered by someone passing by. This is because the old trigger/power supply I am using sends a pulse of current and then 8 seconds later it sends another pulse but with the polarity reversed. So it only flashes the eyes on triggering but it actually looks pretty good. I have the LEDs coming in from the back of the sign behind the eyes, but I didn’t punch holes for them through the front.
The result is that the red print on the sign is illuminated with a bright red flash and it’s very noticeable. I’ll put the sign out tomorrow and see how it goes. :)
@divF:
Don’t want to breed with the commoners! Sounds like the family tree is more trunk than branches…lol!
@LanceThruster:
And you’ve got a porn star nym. You ought to put it to use.
NotMax
Head/desk head/desk head/desk.
Marco Rubio in Miami as a warm-up speaker to Felonious Stunk: “We don’t want paper straws in America.”
Citizen Alan
@Jackie: Marla Maples has gone stark-raving mad.
NotMax
@Citizen Alan
Doesn’t want to be buried in New Jersey?
//
frosty
Rep Frost on an eBike! My cousin twice removed!!!
frosty
@Ryan: Every cheesesteak joint gives you the choice. Along with mushrooms and hots and I forget what else. The guy serving it doesn’t think you’re an elitist. More made-up bullshit.
But we all knew that.
frosty
@SFAW: Burnt dishwater, right? I think you meant Real American Coffee from Tim Hortons, eh?
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@frosty: All I know from coffee is that if you go to Greece and order a Turkish coffee, your life insurance lapses so fast it violates causality.
frosty
@Bruce K in ATH-GR: That’s slightly less fatal than me sitting in an Edinburgh pub and calling the guys I was drinking with English. Oops! But hey, England, Great Britain, it’s all the same to us colonial bastards*
* Awesome insult from a drunk Englishman to drunk me, Aussies, and Kiwis at the Oktoberfest.
frosty
@frosty: Oops, not serious. I thought twice removed would be enough of a clue, but no, not related.
Roberto el oso
@NotMax: LOL
Princess
@LanceThruster: Caitlin Johnston, she’s the pro-Russian Tankie who was urging Americans to ignore SCOTUS and vote third party to keep Hillary, History’s greatest monster, out of the White House in 2016. Remind me, how did that work out for the entire free world?
Give me a break.
prostratedragon
@opiejeanne: Swinging by late to say that one really bugged me too. I suspect the margins are not that great and the market thin for the quality of the goods. And he just seemed never to have considered paying them.
TBone
@Barbara: only if you have American cheese on your cheesesteak. It is the way. The only way. Anything else is heresy and nothing else is ever even contemplated where I come from (DelCo), Philly’s sister county!
Mousebumples
@CaseyL: thanks for postcarding! I find doing *something* helps me. Glad to hear it’s helping you, too!
@H.E.Wolf: I love postcards. But there are so many options! I’m wondering if this July freakout will help bulk up GOTV volunteer efforts to help Dems up and down the ballot. Here’s hoping!
@eclare: happy postcarding! Glad to have you on the team.
@rikyrah: you’re welcome!
@Heidi Mom: welcome to the postcarding team!
@eclare: this is true! I have 400 more stamps arriving for me, hopefully tomorrow. Some other angels and I are working to get more postcard stamps ordered for Juicers that have time but are short on cash for postcarding. We’re hoping to get things figured out and ordered before prices go up. (contact WaterGirl if you want to be included)
@Kristine: thanks for the added details. Glad to have you on the postcarding team, too.
SFAW
@frosty:
The “eh?” was an excellent touch.
You hoser (not that anyone has used that term in the last 30 years, of course).
SFAW
@Marmot:
Re: “Pinche“: I was fortunate enough to have a bunch of Tejano amigos in college, first met them as a freshman. They taught me lots of “interesting” words. [I many-years-later learned that “pinche” does not necessarily mean the same thing outside of Mexico and south/border Texas.]
SFAW
@TBone:
The whole pretending-Cheezwiz-is-something-to-consume-willingly is yet another reason — right alongside their sports “fans” — to hate Philadelphia.
Yeah, there are some nice things about Philly and its environs, but those two things negate all the good.
SomeRandomGuy
@Chet Murthy: I thought trolls liked pie. Doesn’t everyone like pie?
(For those of you who hate *pi*, “How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics.” 15 digits of pi, encoded in the number of letters in each word. How = 3. How I want = 3.14, etc.. Now, you’re almost ready to be an engineer, but you still don’t know e. I won’t help you with that – it’s too easy.)
SomeRandomGuy
@TBone: As a Philly native, I’ll agree that a good, tangy, American cheese is fine on a cheese steak, because I haven’t found Cheese Whiz like it used to be. (By “tangy” I mean “salty” – if you’re not Philly born, don’t argue! It’s like arguing with an Italian guy over espresso vs moka.) I’ve always preferred provolone, myself.
There’s two traditional cheese steaks: provolone (with a bit of nutty, Italian flavor), or cheese whiz. Both can come smothered in fried onions – slightly charred, but fully wimpified (aka translucent).
At some point, traditional Cheese Whiz, and even Velveeta seem to have vanished. I’ve found both, but the Velveeta tastes different, and the Whiz no longer melts to liquid (probably due to no longer having transfats?). That leaves people looking for serious cheesy goo wanting, and sliced American is about as close as you can get, from a non-native foodie’s perspective.