Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Let there be snark.

“More of this”, i said to the dog.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

We still have time to mess this up!

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

John Fetterman: Too Manly for Pennsylvania.  Paid for by the Oz for Senator campaign.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

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Domestic Politics

Putin versus the West

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Adam will probably cover this later with far more insight and geopolitical acumen than I can summon, but Putin gave a speech this morning to commemorate the bogus referenda in the Ukrainian territories Russia occupies (for the moment), and I was reading commentary on it from Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief for FT, on Twitter. The tweets that summarize the speech start here.

In one of the earlier threads, folks who were paying attention before I did noted the homophobic, transphobic, macho nonsense in the speech, and there was plenty of that:

Putin may have lifted whole sections of the speech from a Tucker Carlson episode earlier this week:

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Red Lights Blinking

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Marco Rubio is a boring, incurious, unprincipled hack who first gained state-level political office in South Florida by telling big fat lies about his family history. He slithered into the U.S. Senate only because of some epically dumb fuckery from opponents. Once in office, he hoovered up millions in NRA money and then cynically used the tragedy at the Pulse Nightclub to renege on his promise not to run for reelection after Trump curb-stomped his ass in the 2016 GOP presidential primary.

His conversion from snarly Trump critic to obsequious Trump boot-licker is perhaps second only to Lindsey Graham’s for spit-take inducing shamelessness, and that’s in a very crowded field. Rubio is an empty suit, a phony Christian and completely useless in every sense except maybe one: he’s a flaccid windsock who reliably reveals which way the wind is blowing in mainstream Republican Party politics. And he recently confirmed it’s blowing in a dangerous direction. From Florida Politics:

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has largely expressed faith in America’s electoral system, but recent comments he’s made — and declined to make — indicate he might be thinking of adopting rhetoric similar to that of former President Donald Trump if things go poorly for Republicans this November.

Rubio, Florida’s senior U.S. Senator, is facing his stiffest test in years in Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings. Polling shows the two candidates are in a statistical tie.

When asked Sunday by the Washington Post if he’d accept the outcome of the Nov. 8 election, Rubio joined 11 other GOP candidates — including Gov. Ron DeSantis — declining to answer the question.

As we discussed in a thread downstairs, Trump seems to be fading as a political force, which is perhaps why he’s openly embracing the loony cult he inspired. That’s dangerous because according to a 2021 PRRI survey, approximately 17% of Americans are in the Qanon cult. That’s more than 50 million people!

The survey says a quarter of Republicans are in the cult, which is a problem in a country with just two viable political parties. We all hope this lunacy redounds to the benefit of the one party that isn’t living in a delusional fascist cuckoo world, i.e., Democrats. But if milquetoast Republican nonentities like Rubio are now embracing lies about stolen elections in the year of some people’s lord 2022, it’s hard to see how the country continues to function as a going concern.

Joe Biden knows this, which is why he’s trying to divide Republicans into MAGA and non-MAGA factions to see if the latter can prevail over the former. Nancy Pelosi knows this, which is why she underscored the need for a strong opposition party in much-misinterpreted remarks and urged Republicans to “take back your party from this cult.” Rubio’s slide tells me only another consecutive whupping will do the trick.

Open thread.

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Odds & Ends Open Thread

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Double-decker shirted pustule Steve Bannon was indicted for fraud for the We Build the Wall scam — this time at the state level, where the Trump pardon won’t be enforced: [WaPo]

Bannon’s case will be handled in New York Supreme Court by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In a statement issued after the indictment was unsealed, Bragg said Bannon “acted as the architect of a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of donors across the country – including hundreds of Manhattan residents.”

Bannon “took advantage of his donors’ political views to secure millions of dollars which he then misappropriated,” James said in her own prepared remarks. “Mr. Bannon lied to his donors to enrich himself and his friends.”

The list of scammed donors is pure fucking gold! Imagine being stupid enough to believe contributing a portion of your social security check or Walmart greeter earnings to Steve Bannon would result in the construction of a multi-trillion-dollar, barbed-wire topped wall from sea to shining sea?

It’s a certainty that shady fraudsters nationwide are willing to auction off their mothers and first-born children to get their grubby mitts on that list!

Next up, some personal news:

I half-way hope the Republicans who run the county elections weed me out as a donkey crank, maybe due to my bumper sticker that says, “No, really. HE LOST, and you’re in a cult.” The job sounds horrific. But Jesus, that CNN clip is scary. Someone’s gotta do something, and here and now, it might as well be me.

Also, this made me laugh:

So true. Open thread.

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Bill Barr Is A Lying Liar Who Lies

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Bill Barr is a lying liar who lies.  It’s a travesty that the media gives him credibility by interviewing him – when he deserves to be shunned (and prosecuted) for helping to undermine democracy and the rule of law?

God help us if his redemption tour actually works.

Bill Barr Is A Lying Liar Who Lies

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Biden the Uniter (Open Thread)

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Rarely has a snapshot of Memeorandum so starkly depicted the current state of play in U.S. politics:

About last night...

Trump couldn’t have more efficiently underscored the righteousness of Biden’s accusations if he had explicitly set out to do so. I assume that last item about Trump financially supporting the insurrectionists is a bald-faced lie since Trump doesn’t even support his blubbery orange self. But it’s unambiguous confirmation that he supports the violent overthrow of the democratically elected government.

The mister and I watched Biden’s speech last night and found ourselves cheering at several points, which is unusual for such a reticent pair of odd ducks. My inner theater critic is generally not a fan of Biden’s anger-bear mode; empathy is his métier, so sometimes anger can sound strained and cloud-shouty coming from Biden. But last night, it sounded genuine and righteous and timely.

The usual suspects sank into the usual fainting couches, but to quote a great man, “Fuck ’em!” And those meeping that Biden promised to be a uniter should understand that he is a uniter — he’s uniting people who support democracy against the fascists who are trying to destroy it.

Also, this headline makes me want to break shit:

About last night... 1

Sweet weeping Jeebus. How about this instead:

Opinion: How clickbait media hacks can avoid burning Cassandra at the stake for telling the goddamn truth next time

As Biden said, “it is within our power to stop this assault on democracy.”  Trump is certainly doing his part to demonstrate the urgency of the situation. The Beltway media is focused solely on theater criticism. All that remains is to see whether normie America will wake up to the peril and act accordingly.

Open thread.

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Florida Fascism Watch

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If I had more time, I’d probably start a separate blog called Florida Fascism Watch because there’s just so damn much fascism to watch! I wouldn’t blame readers from other states if they get tired of hearing about the fuckery going on in America’s Wang. But I offer these tidbits in the spirit of helping those living elsewhere to avoid our fate — at the state and national level.

First up, the Tampa Bay Times says some doctors are no longer offering gender-affirming care because they fear reprisals from the state. A 16-year-old trans boy who was scheduled for a double mastectomy at Tampa General Hospital this summer had his surgery canceled and went to Chicago for the operation instead. Other hospitals have quietly deleted web content about gender-affirming care after anti-trans activists like the “Libs of TikTok” asshole directed angry mobs at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Under the leadership of the kook DeSantis appointed as state surgeon general, the Florida Department of Health is now going after gender-affirming care with the gusto it once reserved for public health officials who recommended masks and vaccinations to contain COVID. From the TBT article linked above:

In April, the Florida Department of Health released new guidance against the use of treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children it described as “experimental and investigational.” It said social transition — the use of a different name, pronouns or style of dress — should not be a treatment option.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo also requested the state’s medical board create rules that could restrict access to certain gender dysphoria treatments. Last week, a rule denying Medicaid coverage for treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapies for all residents, regardless of age, went into effect.

This may get me crossed off a few Christmas card lists, but I think reasonable people can disagree on the concept of providing prescription medication and surgery as gender-affirming care for minors. But my attitude on this is similar to how I feel about abortion: If you think abortion is wrong, don’t have one, but you don’t get to tell me and mine what to do.

The mother of the kid in the article supports him, as do his doctors, who are following the guidance of the relevant medical academies, so it’s really none of anyone else’s damn business. It’s especially not the business of an authoritarian wannabe like DeSantis and his bureaucrats, who are interposing themselves between patients, families and doctors for political gain.

“This is another example of politics interfering with the inviolability of the doctor-patient relationship,” [Michael Haller, chief of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Florida] told the Tampa Bay Times in an email. “I expect to see additional situations in which patients are forced to seek care outside of our state.”

Yep. We can add abortion to the list if DeSantis is reelected. He’s ducking questions about abortion rights now because he knows he’s crosswise with Florida voters on the issue, and it’s less politically risky now to gin up outrage at the expense of a small and vulnerable group like trans kids than to further whittle away the rights of half the voting population. But if the sumbitch gets another term, he’ll further restrict women’s reproductive healthcare too.

Next up, in Sarasota, new school book fairs are off until at least spring 2023, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The new law DeSantis signed is basically designed to give “Moms for Liberty” political operatives/grifters a chance to ransack offered titles to make sure there’s no mention of people who aren’t straight and that books that accurately reflect our history don’t make white and/or male snowflakes feel uncomfortable. From the article:

The district said the freeze was implemented to allow the Florida Department of Education to give additional guidance and allow the district’s curriculum team to interpret the new law. The freeze also allows time for the district to hire three media specialists to comply with state standards.

Book fairs that are already scheduled are still on, said Kelsey Whealy, a district spokesperson. Schools that haven’t scheduled a book fair yet must wait to schedule them until the spring.

Scholastic Book Orders are still allowed as long as the form is reviewed by parents, books are taken home by students and not used in the classroom library or media center, Whealy said.

One of the things I most looked forward to as a Florida schoolchild (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) was school book fairs. It’s just mind-boggling to me that this is happening. But here we are.

Open thread.

 

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Student debt relief is popular

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Republicans hate it, Democrats love it and independents narrowly approve:

As Josh Marshall pointed out on Twitter, Republican critics like Jim Jordan who claimed massive numbers of black and brown people oppose student debt relief were…wrong. Or lying. Go figure!

Open thread!

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