Republican Party Wingnuts of the Week

Actual things these people, these 6 Republicans said and did this past week. As always, click on picture for larger view, easier reading.

If they weren't members of today's Republican Party, we'd never believe they said it. Sadly if not also not surprisingly, our own Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is in the bunch, too. We have got, got to vote these people out of office, America.

Quote of the Day -- Conservatives and Coronavirus Edition

"Mask refusers appeal to liberty. But even staunch libertarians know that checking the spread of disease is a legitimate government function. The hostility to masks isn't libertarian. It's nihilistic. Nihilism has come to characterize a significant part of today's 'conservatism.'" --Bill Kristol @BillKristol

Quote of the Day -- Prescient, Prophetic Edition

Who knew Senator Lindsey Graham would be so prophetic about this Republican Party President Donald J Trump?  

Well, who but so many of us out here, anyway?

“If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…and we will deserve it.”  

 

--Senator Lindsey Graham, 2016

Personally, I'm loving it, loving it all.

Well, except the insurrection and treason and traitorous attack on our nation's Capitol, of course.

Our Next National Hurdles Once Trump Is Gone

This is what I've said for some time. 

From The New Yorker yesterday.

The Next Big Challenge: 

Trump-Proofing the Presidency

Along with cleaning up so very many messes after this President and his presidency, we need to make sure that nothing, nothing even remotely close to Donald J Trump ever, ever happens again in America. And the way we do it is by, first, overturning Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court and then ending campaign contributions entirely in our nation. After that, also outlawing gerrymandering and voter ID laws that disenfranchise fellow American citizens from voting. Finally we need to bring back the Fairness Doctrine in our government and media.

I'm not hopeful. We could do it, we could it all but no, I'm not hopeful.

Links:

Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government

Outlaw Gerrymandering and End Voter ID Laws

Bring back the Fairness Doctrine

The Insane, Bizarre, Ugly and Now Dangerous World Into Which This President and HIs Political Party Have Brought Us

 I can honestly still not believe the things this Republican Party President keeps saying and doing. Now we're here:

2020 is the deadliest year in US history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time

What the sorry excuse for "leadership" from this Republican Party President Trump and his political party has gotten us all, gotten the nation. Is it any wonder we wanted to vote him out and so badly? Thanks, Republicans. Thanks so very much. This man Trump and all he has wrought this last 4 years is on you, all on you---forever.  This last fact and statistic is the worst, of course, but it's followed by this beauty, too.

For the 40th consecutive week, Americans file more than a million claims for jobless benefits

Then this happened.

Trump Demands $2,000 Stimulus Checks, Imperiling Covid-19 

Forget that these negotiations have been going on in Congress for months and that Americans are hurting. Millions of us are going hungry, millions more are already facing possible eviction from their homes and consequential homelessness. Oh, yeah, forget all that. Republicans and Democrats finally hammered out a deal to get assistance out to us all and this President, at the last minute, decides the checks--at $600 to us schmoes out here--aren't large enough and the threatens to veto the whole thing. Things you can be sure of just now because of this move by the Trumpster:

1. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are rightly overjoyed and loving this President's insanity 
2. Mitch McConnell and the Republicans are about to pull their hair out because of their own President's wildly contradicting excuse for "leadership" on COVID assistance issue and
3. No one, no one still knows what goes on in Donald Trump's mind

Minutes ago, he, Trump, did this.

Trump Vetoes Defense Spending Bill

This took place 2 days ago.

House Republicans meet with Trump to discuss overturning election results

Forget that we voted. Forget that more than 50 different judges and their courts found zero proof of vote fraud. Forget that all those lawsuits by this President Trump and his attorneys were all thrown out. Forget all that. They want to overturn our vote, our votes, our election.

Naturally, it's Donald Trump so it gets worse.

As Trump meets with QAnon influencers, the conspiracy's adherents beg for dictatorship

Of course, they won't think of it as "dictatorship." They'll say they're just trying to reseat the current President because he won this election. Which of course he didn't.

At this stage, we are 27 days from Joe Biden's inauguration.

It can't happen soon enough.

I so hope this doesn't get crazier.

Or uglier.

Suddenly Embarrassed to be from Missouri

 I'm stunned.

GOP Lawmakers in Missouri Propose Bills Making It Legal to Hit Protesters With Cars

This President and His Supporters Have Become Dangerous

 I mean every word of that headline of this article. This President has gotten dangerous. Here's how.

‘Stop The Steal’ Rallies Now Feature ‘Lock Him Up!’ Chants Aimed At Georgia Guv Brian Kemp

This is outrageous. Some of the article:

The pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood proclaimed near the end of a “Stop The Steal” rally in Georgia Wednesday that he had seen the “real” results of the 2020 election.

“He won over 410 electoral votes,” Wood said, referring to President Donald Trump. “He damn near won every state including California!”

That about summed up the day’s proceedings. Wood and co-counsel Sidney Powell — formerly of the President’s campaign, now leading a bustling fundraising-based legal effort to somehow deliver Trump a second term — riled up the crowd with tempting promises that Trump would, indeed, remain President on Jan. 20.

The pair trotted out the same old nonsense they’ve been riding for weeks in light of Joe Biden’s electoral victory: The communists have infiltrated America’s election infrastructure! They’ve bought off Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State!

The effort has never been legally rigorous: Powell and Wood’s filings have included clumsy typos and embarrassing errors; a recent federal suit to overturn the results in Wisconsin, for example, sought video footage from the TCF Center… which is in Detroit, Michigan.

But even now, the movement appears to be growing more aggressive.

Wood and the recently pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, for example, called on the President to declare martial law Tuesday over the supposedly stolen election. Powell has boosted calls for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act.

On Wednesday, at least one person in attendance carried an actual pitchfork. Wood, rallying the crowd, seethed at outsiders.

“We’re not going to vote on your damn machines made in China,” he said at one point.

“Get out of our country, George Soros!” he yelled separately of the American citizen and Jewish bogeyman for the right.

The pair even turned on Republicans deemed insufficiently fervent in supporting Donald Trump’s inevitable second term. “Lock him up!” Wood said of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R).

Forget, ignore this, the facts--

Georgia's GOP Secretary of State Says No Widespread Voter Fraud

Fortunately, going back to that first, original article I posted above, the following may well take place.

Both attorneys on stage agreed that voters should not participate in the upcoming runoff elections for U.S. Senate in Georgia — at least, not on communist-controlled voting machines. That dynamic threatens the Republicans’ chances for both Senate seats.

If they, Republicans in Georgia, don't vote---God love 'em---it's more likely the Democrats' candidates for the Georgia Senates seat would get put in, they'd win, of course.

Wouldn't that just be a dang shame?

What isn't reckless to the point of, again, dangerous and frightening could be to love about these irrational knuckleheads. If you go to Trump's Facebook page, there are all kinds of people on there, all excited and ginned up about seeing him get this election, in spite of his decisive loss across the states, across the  nation.

For now, we need to get this President to concede, first, and then have all his other fellow Republicans stop ginning up their followers.

These people all need to figuratively come down off the edge. They all need to calm down, get rational and accept this President Trump's defeat in our election. They need to stop referring to their guns and whatever other insanities they might threaten or dream up.

And their leader in all this, their President, needs to get them there.

More dangerousness, recklessness and irresponsibility:

Trump backers, including Flynn, edge toward a call to 'suspend' Constitution to head off Biden taking office

Trump rehashes baseless election claims in 46-minute video

Flynn shares petition urging Trump to suspend the Constitution and hold an election re-vote overseen by military

Florida GOPer tries to commit voter fraud in Georgia runoff, gets caught

Trump Supporters Pledge To Do Us All a Favor If He Loses

 Check this out. This is magnificent.

From MSN today:

A viral video of protesters, as well as posts on social media platform Parler, indicate that Trump supporters are looking to boycott the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff elections.

Trump supporters in Georgia vow to destroy the Republican Party if Trump doesn't win pic.twitter.com/04dPRQFfC0

— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) November 21, 2020

A video, shared on Twitter on Saturday, shows a protester speaking into a mic criticizing Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who are both Republicans. The protester calls them "traitors."

Seemingly reacting to certification from Georgia election officials that President-elect Joe Biden had indeed won the Peach State following an election recount, the protesters disavowed the GOP.

"Any Republican who allows this to happen is complicit, and we will finish you," the protester, donning a camo sweatshirt with an elephant on it, shouts into the microphone. "For any Republicans not explicitly helping Trump to 'stop the steal,' we will make sure you are never elected ever again."

How great, how fantastic is that?

They're going to do us all the favor.

What isn't to fear or loathe is to love. 

Word of the Day/Month/Year

 

Thanks, Republicans.

Now, let's #throwthebumout 

We Can't Have Universal Health Care

 No, universal health care will never work here. Not in the United States. It's just not workable.

(Click on picture for easier reading).

God help and forgive us.

Forgive our stupidity. Our inhumanity. Their greed.

Excellent Article Out Now Far Too Many Americans Won't Get

 There is an excellent article out from last July at The Atlantic that, as I said above, far too many Americans won't even understand, let alone accept.

Do Americans Understand How Badly They’re Doing?

In France, where I live, the virus is under control. I can hardly believe the news coming out of the United States.

This is a great question and I'm certain the answer is no, Americans no way know how badly they're, we're doing. It mostly covers here how awful our situation is regarding this President, our/his "leadership" and this pandemic but there's so much more we are doing and do so very badly, so poorly. Here are some of the worst.

• This President and election alone have put us in "banana republic" territory with his trying to deny our vote, our votes and election
• There there is our only-nation-with-it, for-profit health care system and our bankruptcies from it all and then our really obscene and grossly immoral wealth inequality
• Because of our health care system, Americans go bankrupt from those costs and expenses. So much so that it's the number one reason and source of bankruptcies in the nation
• And don't get me started on our insane number of guns and weapons and shootings and killings for no reason whatever
• Additionally, there's this idiot, self-possessed, self-absorbed, greedy, ignorant, reckless, literally dangerous President we've had ostensibly leading us these last 4 years
• Then we far outspend what we should on what we call "defense", bankrupting us in other ways so we can't and don't take care of our infrastructure. More insanity.
• We have horrible wealth inequality
• We nearly literally shovel yet more money, and great quantities, at that, to the already-wealthy and corporations

No. No way Americans have any idea we have it bad, badly and so wrong. So stupidly wrong. So unnecessarily wrong.

Links:

U.S. becomes first nation to cross 10M COVID-19 cases as third wave of infections surge

Things I'll never get used to in the USA

Lots of Big News This Morning

 Yes, lots of breaking news today. Lots of good, it seems and yes, some bad.  First the good.  If not even great.

Pfizer says virus vaccine 90% effective

Fantastic great news. Very hopeful for us all.

And that got us this.

Dow and S&P 500 hit record highs at open

With that great news on a possible vaccine, the markets went nuts. All time highs. Excellent. (Thank goodness it didn't come out last Monday, huh?).  

And then the bad news. This just broke in the last hour.

Ben Carson: Trump official tests positive for Covid after attending White House election party

I swear these people don't learn. Incredible. With any other administration, this would be unbelievable. And I don't know what's more ironic, that he's a doctor or that he apparently contracted this COVID from a White House election party, given the now known results. Wow.

Then there's this.  It's not bad enough he won't recognize our vote, our votes and our election. It's not bad enough he won't man up, be an adult, a responsible adult---for the first time in his long life--no. 

Trump Campaign Adviser Denies Split Over Concession, Plans for Recount Rallies

No, that's not enough or bad enough. Now he also, along with all that, says he wants to have "recount rallies" across the nation. Terrific.  Not only deny our election and the results but have yet more pandemic superspreading events, just when we're hitting every higher highs in COVID cases. Sure, why not, right? Why should this man or his administration make sense NOW?

Unfortunately, there's yet more bad news from this President and his White House today, however.

Trump fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the first in an expected purge

This administration hasn't been enough of a revolving door, the President had to add yet more to it. Worse than firing him in these, the last 72 days of this administration, he had to also do it as the coward he is.

Trump fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a tweet

This horrible and sad news hit yesterday.

U.S. becomes first nation to cross 10M COVID-19 cases

To maybe try to lift us back up and give us a bit of encouragement today from the Republicans, there's this.

Collins becomes third GOP senator to congratulate Biden

I saw where son in law Jared Kushner had advised Trump to accept the election. Now this.

Melania Trump among those telling Trump to accept the election loss

This, however, is starting to make me mad.

A Government Official Is Holding Up Trump-Biden Transition Process

A Trump-appointed government official currently holds the power to release $9.9 million of 

federal funding and access to a plethora of government information for President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, which is already at work.

But the official is not opening the door just yet — citing an ambiguity about the election results advanced by the Trump administration.

A spokesperson for the General Services Administration says Emily Murphy, the GSA administrator, hasn't signed off on the transition yet because she's waiting for an “ascertainment” about who officially won the 2020 presidential election, which President Donald Trump is contesting without evidence.

it's one thing for the Trumpster to deny reality. It's a whole 'nother thing for even one of them to start blocking this transition.

And as expected and thought.

Georgia Lt Gov Geoff Duncan: No Examples of Voter Fraud

Finally, today, folks, there's this.  Keep in mind this big bit of great news.

Think happy thoughts, campers.

And have a great day and week.

And remember!  72 days!! (to inauguration!)

Additional links:

What Biden's Election Means For U.S. Health Care And Public Health

Fauci Excited to Have Someone to Talk To

What to Know as ACA Heads to Supreme Court — Again

The Nearly Unbelievable Things Coming Out of The Orange One Now

Honestly, it's difficult to believe what's coming out of Donald Trump's mind and social media accounts these last 2 days. First this. This was today.

Donald J. Trump    @realDonaldTrump

How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?
_________________________________

Unreal.

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES asked this. Today. This morning.

Unreal. With anyone else asking it, it would be unbelievable.

How about they count them BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR AMERICAN CITIZENS VOTES? You know? Us? The taxpayers out here? The citizens?

You dolt.

Yesterday, he wrote this.

Donald J. Trump   @realDonaldTrump

They are finding Biden votes all over the place — in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. So bad for our Country!

This orange buffoon clearly doesn't understand how elections, our elections and our votes work. Unreal.  Again, if it were from anyone else but this daft old bloated cream puff, it would be unbelievable.

#throwthebumout

I Can't Believe This Man Ever Became President

 Geeminy, God. 

Look at this post, y'all. From what is supposed to be our President. He put this on Facebook, at least, yesterday, last night.

Every corrupt force in American life that betrayed you and hurt your are supporting Joe Biden: The failed establishment that started the disastrous foreign wars; The career politicians that offshored your industries & decimated your factories; The open borders lobbyists that killed our fellow citizens with illegal drugs, gangs & crime; The far-left Democrats that ruined our public schools, depleted our inner cities, defunded our police, & demeaned your sacred faith & values; The Anti-American radicals defaming our noble history, heritage & heroes; and ANTIFA, the rioters, looters, Marxists, & left-wing extremists. THEY ALL SUPPORT JOE BIDEN!

Seriously. This is pitiful. And Pathetic. It just shows all the more reasons why he should never have been in the White House in any government capacity and why he should be voted out now.

Thanks, Republicans. Again, thanks so very much for this man, this buffoon of a President.

Vote, folks. And VOTE BLUE.

#BlueWave2020

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BYEDON

What Our Current Excuse for "Leadership" is Getting Us Presently

Check out this latest, breaking statistic on the coronavirus pandemic here in the US today.

US records 99,000 COVID-19 cases Friday, setting new world mark

The U.S. rocketed to a new daily high for coronavirus cases Friday as many states report record surges of COVID-19

Makes you want to vote to continue the current leadership because we're doing so well, right?

Thanks, Mr. President!

Thanks, Republicans!

A great deal of this is on you, all on you.

#VoteBlue

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BYEDON

Vote. Him. Out.

 Seriously.

How he got the Presidency.

How anyone, anyone thinks he should have.

How anyone, now, thinks he should get it again for another four years.

Wow.

Let's do this, folks. #Votehimout

Heck, #Votethemout

Vote blue.

#BlueWave2020

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BYEDON

Another Conservative and Republican for Biden, Against Trump

Another conservative and Republican comes out publicly, very publicly for Joe Biden and against this sitting, Republican Party President Trump. From the Detroit News yesterday.

Opinion: As a Republican, I'm tired of Trump's division, discord, vitriol and hate

A bit from the article.

I am a lifelong Republican. And I am exhausted.

Nearly all my career, I have worked for Republican candidates and conservative causes, managing campaigns, organizing coalitions and raising money. In 2010, I helped lead the Michigan Republican Party to its most successful election cycle in history. And for nearly two years, I served as U.S. Department of Education chief of staff in the Trump administration.

But this is 2020, so of course this year is different. I cannot vote for the Republican nominee for president. For the good of the party I have supported my entire life, but more importantly, for the sake of the country I love, I implore all patriotic Republicans to join me.

Let's be clear on this. 

Never, in the history of our nation, have so many people from THIS OWN SITTING PRESIDENT'S SAME POLITICAL PARTY come out against him, publicly. Going further, no other sitting President had this many people, again, from his own same political party, FORM THIS MANY FORMAL, FUND RAISING FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS to defeat him and to see to his defeat. 

It's that historic. 

And it's deserved. It's for good reason. He's earned it. All of it.

Let's do this.

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BYEDON

And he's running his reelection campaign the way he runs our national campaign against this pandemic.

Days After Hypothermia Fiasco, Add Heat Stroke to 'Things You Can Get at a Trump Rally': Supporters Hospitalized During Event in Florida

The Trumpster Takes Yet Another Big, Big HIt

Yes Mr. and Mrs. America, this President took yet one more political hit today. This came out.

Wall Street spent over $74 million to back Joe Biden’s run for president, topping Trump’s haul

From the article:

• People employed in the securities and investment industry will finish the 2020 election cycle contributing a notch above $74 million toward Biden’s candidacy, according to new data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics
• The sum includes millions given during the first two weeks of October to Biden’s joint fundraising committees and outside super PACs backing his run.
• Biden’s haul from Wall Street easily tops what Donald Trump and Barack Obama raked in...

People in the securities and investment industry will finish the 2020 election cycle contributing over $74 million to back Joe Biden’s candidacy for president, a much larger sum than what President Donald Trump raised from Wall Street, according to new data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The sum includes contributions that began in 2019 and continued through the first two weeks of October to Biden’s joint fundraising committees and outside super PACs backing his run. Former Goldman Sachs President Harvey Schwartz gave $100,000 this month to the Biden Action Fund, a joint fundraising committee for the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties.

Biden also received a ton of financial support from leaders on Wall Street in the third quarter. Going into the final two weeks of the election, Biden, the DNC and their joint fundraising committees had over $330 million on hand. That’s $110 million more than for Trump, the Republican National Committee and their joint committees. Biden’s campaign is on track to raise $1 billion in the six days until Election Day.

It seems clear even Wall Street wants our nation to also have calm, clear, steady, intelligent, informed leadership again.

Let's do this, folks.

Vote.

And vote blue.

#BlueWave2020

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President Joe Biden's First Speech

A snippet of the first speech President Joe Biden makes next January to the world:

"Look, y'all, we're sorry. We apologize. Our bad. Sorry for that 4 year detour we took. We'll straighten it all out now. Sorry we 'went there.' No more craziness. We're back, we're back."

Vote blue, folks!

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BYEDON!

Psychology Today Asks an Excellent Question

 I saw this headline of this article from the magazine Psychology Today and was taken aback.

Are Americans Just Stupid?

As I said, I was taken aback. My first response was a bit of shock. But then I got to thinking about it, which is what the author intended, without doubt.

Seriously. Think about it.

Think about what we've been through with this President.  Think about what he's taken us through. And our system, our systems, our political and electoral systems allowed it.

First, a bit from the article:

Be honest. As an observer of American society, the thought may have crossed your mind at one time or another – at least for a fleeting moment or two – that the nation's dysfunctional state of affairs is the result of widespread stupidity. The people, too often misinformed and poorly educated, are getting exactly the democracy they deserve.

Perhaps that thought arose last week as you watched the cringe-worthy presidential debate, which pundits have called "a disgrace" and "an embarrassment for the ages." Our public discourse has been in decline for so long that it was bound to come to this, right? Effective self-government requires an intelligent and engaged public, and it seems the American electorate falls woefully short. With large segments of the population brazenly rejecting facts and science – whether the issue is climate change, evolution, the coronavirus, or the latest conspiracy theory – it's no surprise that social and political dysfunction are rampant.

Seen this way, it’s tempting to chalk up the clown car of American democracy to the collective intellectual deficit of its population. In truth, however, there is little evidence to support the notion that the American people are stupid. Objective measurements of intelligence can be controversial, raising questions of true objectivity and cultural bias, but it is difficult to find any that suggest Americans are lacking in IQ compared to those in other countries.

The conclusion I come to is not so much that we're dumb or stupid but that money, big money is pushing and has been pushing our government and for far too long. It's what got us to this point with this terribly--stupid?--man in our White House. Instead of doing what's best for America, what's best for the people and nation, they give money in the form of campaign contributions--our legalized bribery--to their/our government representatives and lo and behold, they get what they want for themselves and for their companies and corporations. It's people last, if at all.

Where I think potential stupidity comes in, to me, is in our for-profit healthcare system in our nation. Consider the following 3 simple, fast facts about our American health care system:

--Most expensive health care system in the world, far and away

--Only nation where citizens go bankrupt for health care costs

--Number one reason or source for bankruptcy in the nation is bankruptcy at 40% of all bankruptcies

With all of this, way too many of us defend and support the system. It's insane. It makes no sense whatever.

I can't imagine what else you can call this support but stemming from pride.

Or stupidity.

Then there's our ignorant money paid out for defense spending.

And this Republican Party President's continued support. 

Wow.