Things Will Likely Start Hitting the Fan for the Trumpster

Sure, we've all seen and heard this in the last 24 hours. The District Attorney of Manhattan has received The Donald's tax returns.

Added to that, however, is this added note from his own former attorney, Michael Cohen. Mr. Cohen says it's very likely he, Trump, if not also Ivanka and Donald Jr, his kids, will do jail time.

Oh, yeah. It looks like it's going to start getting really good. Pass the popcorn.

This President and his Political Party are More and Yet More Reckless and Dangerous

 Now he's up to this today. Still pushing this.

Trump, attorneys step up efforts to reverse election's outcome

Not done there, he's also doing this.

Trump invites Michigan Republican leaders to meet him at White House as he escalates attempts to overturn election results

And then check this out. Rudy Giuliani did this. And this is actually what he looked like while he was.

Giuliani, flailing, says Venezuela, Clinton and Soros hatched 'centralized plan' to steal election for Biden

In another bizarre press conference, the president's personal lawyer lobbed unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in a desperate-sounding bid to overturn election results.

It's not bad enough the President is crazy but his attorney and supporters are, too. Look at that photo of Rudy Giuliani. His eyes, his hair color running down his face, his cheek.

This is how desperate he and they all are.

The Trump Campaign Can’t Find a Judge Who Will Ignore Facts — but It’s Trying

Fighting and denying our vote, our election is Trump's and his administration's top priority so all else goes to heck.

White House chief of staff ‘can’t guarantee’ U.S. government will avert December shutdown

Congress, White House have until Dec. 11 to reach spending deal in middle of coronavirus pandemic

Then this President did this.

Michigan Republican who balked at certifying election results says Trump called her

Hey, if it's good enough for Senator Lindsey Graham to do, it should be okay for the President. Right?

Trump and his people no way lack for chutzpah.

Trump campaign asks Pennsylvania court to declare Trump winner

Meanwhile...  Remember that pandemic?

U.S. surpasses 250,000 COVID deaths as pandemic rages

This happened today. Finally.

White House holds first coronavirus task force briefing in months

Only World War II and the 1918 flu pandemic have cost more American lives. And it's not over yet, obviously. Heavens help us.

250,000 lives lost: How the pandemic compares to other deadly events in U.S. history

Thanks, Mr. President.
Thanks, Republicans.

And help? Maybe? From Congress?

Covid-Aid Talks Remain Stuck Amid Surge in Cases

Fuggedaboudit.

Insane.  Insanity.

But that's this President and that's his Republican political party.

Into what bizarro, alternate universe have we fallen that we have a President and most of his political party that is so opposed to doing what's right for the people and recognizing our vote, votes, election and Democracy? Especially during the most deadly, killing international pandemic in the last more than 100 years?

Again.  God help us. God help us all.

#Throwthebumout 

Link:

Use It Or Lose It: Parents Set Wages Aside For Child Care. Now It's At Risk

President is wild card as shutdown fears grow

Atlanta mayor: Trump would 'eat his own children' if it helped him

Judge dismisses Arizona GOP lawsuit seeking audit of county's ballots

Wisconsin election official: We shouldn't water Trump's 'plant of baloney'

Trump's election lawsuits plagued by elementary errors

This President Has Now Become Dangerous, Part II

Further proof, if you haven 't already seen or heard it, that this Republican Party President, Donald Trump, is, in face, beyond his now-usual reckless but become dangerous, no overstatement.

Trump’s ‘LIBERATE MICHIGAN!’ tweets incite insurrection.

Federal law bans advocating the overthrow of government

What he did yesterday.

President Trump incited insurrection Friday against the duly elected governors of the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. Just a day after issuing guidance for re-opening America that clearly deferred decision-making to state officials — as it must under our Constitutional order — the president undercut his own guidance by calling for criminal acts against the governors for not opening fast enough.

Trump tweeted, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” followed immediately by “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” and then “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” This follows Wednesday’s demonstration in Michigan, in which armed protestors surrounded the state capitol building in Lansing chanting “Lock her up!” in reference to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and “We will not comply,” in reference to her extension of the state’s coronavirus-related stay-at-home order. Much smaller and less-armed groups had on Thursday protested on the state capitol grounds in Richmond, Va., and outside the governor’s mansion in St. Paul, Minn.

This President has been a lot of things these past 3 years, most of them reckless, ill-advised, wrong, impetuous---a lot of things. But with this, as with, as I wrote here earlier, his call to de-fund the World Health Organization during this most deadly pandemic in the last 100 years, with this he has now become dangerous. 

Literally dangerous.

At least we have this from yesterday.

Trump's Gallup approval rating sees the sharpest decline of his presidency

And this, today. Even this Republican Governor agrees with us.

GOP Gov. Hogan: Trump’s ‘LIBERATE’ tweets about coronavirus lockdowns aren’t helpful

He's never been popular, overall, period but at least we have this.  He doesn't know it but he does damage to himself.

Some hope.

Be well. Stay safe. Stay home.

It Looks Very Bad This Weekend For the Trump White House

There have been a few articles that came out this weekend about Trump's White House and Robert Mueller's investigation of any illegality and possible collusion with the Russians to win the presidency.

Here's the first and it's pretty huge:

Mueller just obtained a warrant that could change the entire nature of the Russia investigation

Here's just a part of it. It seems to implicate Trump's son-in-law, too, on influencing the election, first, but with and through Facebook and the Russians as well as the Republican Party:

"'This is big news — and potentially bad news for the Russian election interference 'deniers,' said Asha Rangappa, a former FBI counterintelligence agent.

Rangappa, now an associate dean at Yale Law School, explained that to obtain a search warrant a prosecutor needs to prove to a judge that there is reason to believe a crime has been committed. The prosecutor then has to show that the information being sought will provide evidence of that crime."

It goes on:

"The Facebook warrant "means that Mueller has concluded that specific foreign individuals committed a crime by making a 'contribution' in connection with an election..."

Here's another.

New details about major Russian money laundering probe raise the stakes of Trump Tower meeting

The Russian lawyer who met with President Donald Trump's son, son-in-law, and campaign manager in June 2016 was representing a client under scrutiny in an ongoing criminal investigation related to a money-laundering case opened in 2013 by former US Attorney Preet Bharara.

Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian prosecutor with ties to the Kremlin, was representing the real-estate company Prevezon Holdings in a civil suit filed by the US government in the Southern District of New York when she visited Trump Tower on June 9, 2016.

Prevezon, which is owned by the son of a powerful Russian government official, was part of a parallel criminal investigation, according to court documents filed late last year. A person familiar with the matter told Business Insider that the criminal case was ongoing, corroborating a Bloomberg report published earlier Friday.

The criminal investigation had not yet been disclosed when Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired Bharara in March, and there was no mention of it when the civil case was settled in May for $5.9 million.

The Bloomberg report mentioned broke Friday.

Russia Laundering Probe Puts 

Trump Tower Meeting in New Light

Not stopping there, hopefully there will be an examination of the end of a money-laundering case by someone in this administration--Trump's own Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

House Democrats want to know why a major Russian money-laundering case was abruptly settled

And let's not forget this, from just back in July:

Trump dictated son's misleading statement 

on Russian meeting

It looks for all the world as though we may very well be starting to see the end of this presidency, fellow Americans.

Day 5 Of This New Administration

What he did most recently.

• Trump will keep James Comey as head of the FBI
• Congressional Budget Office projects $8.6 trillion increase in federal deficit
• Trump clears way for Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline to go forward
• Lawsuit against Trump, filed Monday, alleges Trump's foreign investments are a violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause. 
• EPA ordered to freeze grants, not talk about it
• Multiple federal agencies ordered not to speak to press
• Spicer continues to defend illegal ballot lie and state that it is a long-held belief of the President
• No evidence that Trump has actually sold off his shares in Energy Transfer Partners, which owns the Dakota Access Pipeline
• Nikki Haley confirmed as UN ambassador
• The twitter account for Badlands National Park tweeted facts about climate change. Tweets were deleted and the account has gone silent. 
• House passes bill to bar federal funds for abortion and block tax credits for individuals and businesses buying abortion coverage under health care law. 

Who can say what to expect next? There's nearly no telling.
Links:   Trump Tracker

Trump campaign promise tracker

Proof Donald Trump Is Going To Fail Miserably, Completely, Wonderfully

Herewith are just a few examples of why and how Donald Trump is going to fail and fail "yoooge" and miserably this November 8 in our election for the next occupant of the White House.

More than 30 former GOP members of Congress oppose Donald Trump, call his candidacy 'disgraceful'

Donald Trump Makes History With Zero Major Newspaper Endorsements

There is even a website, for pity's sake.

Republicans Against Trump

This broke yesterday. Even the economy is, thankfully, against him.

Jobless claims fall near lowest level since 1973

It's well known that, if the incumbent President, of the opposing political party is doing well, the outsider, running for the office, again, from the other political party, will not do well. These articles came out a day ago.

Obama approval hits new high

Obama's approval ratings at 55% 

— close to his highest marks

The Atlantic magazine came out with not just an endorsement of Hillary Clinton but a rebuke to Donald Trump and his candidacy.

This is only the third time in the magazine's history they've endorsed a candidate for the ofice. The first was for Abraham Lincoln, the second for LBJ.

Not only did they come out strongly for Mrs. Clinton but they said Mr. Trump is "...the most ostentatiously unqualified candidate" for the presidency in the nation's history.

'The Atlantic' Editors Endorse Hillary Clinton for President

William F. Buckley's old magazine, the very traditional and Conservative "National Review" came out solidly, strongly and clearly against him.

Donald Trump -- Conservatives Should 

Stand against Him

Again, the very Conservative Dallas News newspaper, that never supports Democrats, as a rule, came out squarely for Hillary Clinton. They hadn't endorsed a Democrat for 75 years but did now.

We recommend Hillary Clinton 

for president

Not to be done there, in Texas, anyway, the also traditionally Republican and very Conservative Houston Chronicle came out for Hillary.

These are unsettling times that require 

a steady hand: That's Hillary

A traditionally always Conservative, Republican-supporting Arizona newspaper came out for Hillary and strongly. Just check out that headline. And as the article states, since the paper began, in 1890, they "have NEVER endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president" but did now.

Endorsement: Hillary Clinton is the 

only choice to move America ahead

Yet another reliably, traditionally Conservative, Republican paper, the Cincinnati Enquirer did the same thing and came out with an endorsement for Mrs. Clinton over Donald Trump.

Enquirer: It has to be Hillary Clinton 

- Cincinnati Enquirer

NPR made a terrific point about all these newspapers coming out for Hillary Clinton and against Donald Trump, too.

Newspaper Endorsements Matter Most 

When They're Unexpected : NPR

Folks, this just never happens. And by never, I mean it hasn't taken place in endorsements like these in the history of the nation. No candidate for the presidency has had so much lack of support from the very people that should be his own base. But then, no other candidate has been like Donald Trump. No other candidate attacks his own political party and the people in them the way he has and repeatedly.

Finally, there is this terrific, pretty incredible article I only found today, from a young Conservative, berating his Conservative elders, whoever they are, if they endorsed Mr. Trump.

Betrayed by Our Leaders: A Young Conservative Responds to Endorsements of Donald Trump

Briefly but importantly and even wisely, he points out:

The leaders of organizations that have shaped a generation of young conservatives are now endorsing Donald Trump, a man who is the antithesis of the values held by each of these institutions.

This article, from The New Yorker, only came out yesterday and points to how The Donald is failing just now in the polls.

Trump in Deep Trouble on Eve of Second Debate

This article came out this afternoon. If true, they're actually pulling ads precisely when he and his team need to be getting them out.

Trump In Collapse As Campaign Cancels Ads In Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina

Finally, this story also came out today. We can only hope it's true, that The Donald is still being the petulant, proud, foolish, stubborn person he has shown himself to be.

Trump Is Throwing Tantrums And Refusing To Prepare For Second Presidential Debate

So if you should see any polls on this race and they show The Donald leading or that the contest is close, ignore it.  Don't ignore the election box that day, November 8 this year. By all means, vote. We cannot take anything for granted. But if anyone says Donald Trump has this won or that it's even close, show them these articles.

It's going to be a thrashing.

Have a nice day folks and get out there and vote!

More articles from Conservatives and a Conservative source, on why Donald Trump should no way be elected:

The Problem of Character: Why Conservatives Must Reject Donald Trump 

Donald Trump, George Will, and the Crisis of American Conservatism 

Democratic vs Republican Economic Policy and Recent, Obvious Results

Things that happened under President Barack Obama and his economic policies. All these reports came out just this week.

 

Americans' household wealth rises to $89.1 trillion

Income and Health Insurance Coverage in the US Rise as Poverty Drops

The number of people on food stamps is plummeting at the fastest rate ever

Missouri incomes grow at fastest rate in years

Imagine how much better our economy would be if we and President Obama had 2 houses of Congress that worked together, with the President, for the betterment of this same economy and the American people. Imagine if they weren't trying to block any and every good thing he's tried to do.

Meanwhile, in sharp, sharp contract, Republican, "trickle down economics" is famously getting these results, right next door, in Kansas.

Ignore Brownback's delusions: New report shows jobs down, unemployment up

An acquaintance of mine has insisted for the last 7 years, and still does, to this day, that President Obama is out to destroy the United States. If that's the case, he's surely going at it completely backwards.

It seems clear who to vote for this November and who to vote against.

Leawood, Kansas?

So a new ranking list came out last week. It was this:

2015's Best & Worst Small Cities in America

And that's all well and good and you wouldn't maybe think much about it but look what small city made the number 5 spot on the "best" list:

The best small cities in America:

1. Princeton, N.J.

2. Littleton, Colo.

3. Dublin, Ohio

4. Brookfield, Wis.

5. Leawood, Kans.

6. Southlake, Tex.

7. Westfield, Ind. 

8. Northampton, Mass.

9. Ankeny, Iowa

10. Crystal Lake, Ill

Leawood, Kansas?

Leawood freaking Kansas?

One of the best small cities in America?

For what? It's cozy, old downtown area?

Here's at least part of what the rankings were based on--

Overall Rank	City	Overall Score	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Economic Health’ Rank	‘Education & Health’ Rank	‘Quality of Life’ Rank
1	Princeton, NJ	61.90	1144	1	7	41
2	Littleton, CO	57.62	742	331	54	28
3	Dublin, OH	57.22	171	43	112	190
4	Brookfield, WI	57.18	206	169	8	248
5	Leawood, KS	57.09	77	14	123	523

So... wait. 

Let's start right here with "affordability."

Affordable?  Leawood?  Anyone and everyone in the Kansas City metro knows Leawood is anything but affordable. It's one of the most expensive and exclusive cities in the area. I guess if you compare it to San Francisco or New York, it's affordable.

And the rest of the these rankings, above? Economic health, education and health and quality of life ratings?

Well of course they're all high numbers in Leawood! The people out there are loaded! And not just with booze.

How insane.

If you just put cities on paper, I guess you can come up with rankings and ratings totally disconnected from the actual world out here. The next area city on the list was Wildwood, Missouri (?) at number 30. Shawnee, Kansas, 54. Liberty, Missouri----131. (ouch). Lenexa, 223. Nothing to advertise about, for sure. Blue Springs?  615.  Yowza.

Side note: Also surprising, at least to me, is that all 10---all 10---cities on the "worst" list are from California.

That's got to have 10 different City Halls and Chambers of Commerce scrambling to change things, I would think.

Westport Gets National Kudos

Yahoo put this up a few days ago.

Where the Hipsters Are: the Brooklyn of Every State

And for Missouri, it's Westport, they say.



Missouri

Westport (Kansas City)

 A big thumbs-up to Cherokee Street in St. Louis for its Brooklyn-esque qualities, but Westport on the other side of the state is the spot. Westport is, first and foremost, an entertainment district. It’s where you party and eat like a king — at Port Fonda for Mexican, at Dave’s Stagecoach for the jukebox and a beer, at Kelly’s for a Guinness in a pub that’s been around forever but where the clientele has, well, shifted, and at Julep for a cocktail with an egg white in it. During the day there’s plenty to do as well, whether you want to search for an album at Mills Record Company to throw on your portable record player, grab a coffee at the 20+ year and still going Broadway Roasting, or get secondhand threads at Arizona Trading Company.

Just don't hang around late, after midnight, likely.

The Embarrassing States Of Missouri and Kansas State Legislators and Legislatures

It's difficult to see which is worse, frequently.

First, from Missouri, rather famously:

Missouri House speaker resigning after intern text messages

Kansas legislators, after slashing taxes for the wealthy and corporations and increasing them for the middle-, lower- and working-classes, hurting the state's credit rating and wiping out their budget, tries to raise some money. Once again, it would be on the backs, largely, of the lower, middle and upper classes but that should be no surprise. And even that failed.

Kansas House rejects proposed sales tax increase

Kansas needs to take care of its fiscal house and isn't, can't, it seems. 

Missouri needs to do all kinds of things, not least of which is work to get a fix for the infrastructure of the state. The highways, bridges and roads and the budgets for them need attention and fixing. The legislature is nowhere close to addressing and fixing that problem alone.

Shameful.

Winstead's No, Town Topic Yes

From Yahoo News yesterday:

21 Essential American Hamburgers

Town Topic on the list. What they had to say:

Town Topic — The classic “slider” has nothing to do with a burger’s diminutive size: Although the term was made famous by White Castle, sliders refer to thin patties cooked on a griddle atop (and below) shredded raw onion. As the onions cook, they release water, creating additional steam heat that helps shape the flavor of the beef — a process that Solares calls “steam griddling.” At Kansas City’s 24-hour icon Town Topic, those sliders are available as single, double, and triple burgers (with our without cheese). And though the restaurant also offers “bigger”-sized burgers, Solares calls its real-deal sliders “the most elemental of burger forms.” 2021 Broadway, Kansas City MO 64108

As I said, no Winstead's.  

And no Westport Flea Market...

Screw you, America

What the Republicans did yesterday:

$478B Infrastructure Bill Blocked by Senate GOP

Americans need jobs.

America and Americans need improved, updated infrastructure.

The American economy needs a boost.

You think the Senate Republicans would have any of that?

Oh, hell no.

Republicans don't want you to have better infrastructure, more jobs or any such economic boost.

At least, they don't want you to have any such thing while this president is in the White House or likely, until one of their own is there.

Screw you. It's political party first.  You have to wait, America

Kansas City? Weird?

Yes, Kansas City is on a list recently of the top 10 weirdest cities in the nation:

They're Weird and Proud: America’s Quirkiest Cities

Kansas City? Weird? Number 8 of 10?

What they had to say about us:

These Midwesterners may have struck readers as thrifty and no-nonsense, but that doesn’t make them dull. The city ranked highly for both its museums and its sense of history—though some of that history is distinctly outside the box. TakeThe 1950s All-Electric House, which was originally built to be a glimpse of the future (when everyone, for instance, would have electric curtain openers). Or you can explore the Arabia Steamboat Museum, where you can see a fascinating array of pre-Civil War artifacts, recovered 132 years after the boat sank in the Missouri River. The city also ranked in the top 10 for its coffee, exemplified nicely at Oddly Correct, where cream and sugar are verboten.

I ask again, weird? Kansas City?  It's Independence that has the Hair Museum.

The Best Burger in Missouri?

There's an article out today from Yahoo ranking the best burger in each of the 50 states:

Are These the Best Burgers in All 50 States?

And their pick for the number one burger in Missouri knocked me out:

Westport Flea Market Bar and Grill
Kansas City
The burger: Patty melt
The burger at Five Bistro in St. Louis was hard to beat. But Westport Flea Market, which is really less a flea market (check out the wacky cages in the front!) and more of a bar, just managed to take the top spot with their McGonigle’s Market beef burger. I like the patty melt here because it takes 5.5oz of that McGonigle beef and throws it on toasted rye with Swiss and grilled onions. But if you want a challenge, the Super Flea is five 10oz burgers topped with bacon, cheese, and 2lbs of fries. Eat it in 30 minutes and you’ll get a T-shirt, your picture on the wall, AND ALSO MAYBE DIE. Which is maybe why, as I said, we’re fans of the patty melt.

Pretty cool. Doubly great since McGonigle's Market also got a mention.
So now you know. Want the best burger in town? In the state? Here's your place. To Yahoo, anyway.