Quote of the Day -- Crazy Political Party Edition

"The GOP is now the party of grifters and kooks" --Juan Williams. Keeping in mind, too, Mr. Williams is a journalist and political commentator from very Right Wing, Republican Party supporting Fox.

Sadly so very true. Think of it. Donald Trump. Mitch McConnell. Ted Cruz. Missouri's own insurrectionist Senator Josh Hawley. Matt Gaetz, Jim "Gym" Jordan. Marilyn Taylor/Traitor Greene. More. Sadly, still more. #VoteThemAllOut http://hill.cm/cdta1Qh

Entertainment Overnight -- Birthday Edition

Yes! Happy birthday today to Joel Gray, actor, singer, performer extraordinaire, born this day, April 11, 1932. And thank you so much for all the great music and performances!

Kansans! This Week In Topeka!

If you haven't already seen this, Kansans, you need to. Once again, Davis Hammet's Loud Light summary of the week's events in the statehouse. It's difficult to believe what the Republicans in Topeka push and try to push.

Entertainment Overnight -- Best Awards Show Opening Ever

Yes, best, most fun, surprising, energetic, talent-filled awards show opening ever, hands down.

Three Intelligent Programs TV Needs to Bring Back

Herewith, 3 intelligent, entertaining programs TV studios should bring back, for our entertainment and their revenue. First up, an intelligent late night talk show. Please. Next up, a great song and dance program with great characters, writing and character development. Wouldn't that be nice? It also had a rather huge benefit and attraction of being really inclusive with And finally, they should bring back "Smash" or a version of it. Rather an adult form of "Glee" but again, with great characters, writing and character development. This adds the setting of New York City. Fantastic. By redoing these shows or doing versions of them, they'd be successful, very successful and gain viewers and so, revenue and we'd all have good things to watch again. Instead of "reality" shows. Ugh.

Imagine Indeed

Imagine if Republicans put the same energy into doing good, positive things for the people and nation that they do fighting good things for us all. Imagine if they stopped only working to help the already-wealthy, corporations, their own political party and themselves

Be Aware, Missourians---Republicans In Jeff City Are Also Working on Vote Suppression Here

From NPR today: The same day last month that Georgia's legislature passed a controversial new voting bill, Missouri's Republican-led House approved one of its own. It would impose strict photo ID and other requirements on voting. Both bills are part of a wave of measures proposed across the country after the 2020 elections, and reflect a deep partisan divide over who has access to the polls and how. The divide is not new, but the sides have become increasingly entrenched.

Understand, folks. The Republicans and their ideas and work is so very unpopular with the rest of us out here in America that they have found the only way they can get or stay in government offie is to HAVE FEWER AMERICANS VOTE. They are actively working, now in 47 states, to disenfranchise fellow working, tax paying American citizens, voters. This cannot stand. We mustn't allow this. Call your government representatives. Tell them to support HR1 in the House and S1 in the Senate. We must stop all attempts at vote suppression.

The Kansas Senate Majority Leader Is Going Down

There is new information out today, this morning about Kansas Republican Party Senate Majority Leader Gene "Great Judgment" Suellentrop.

Two things, actually. First, it's found his blood alcohol level while he was driving that day---or trying to drive, anyway, however wrongly---was twice, literally twice the legal limit. Insane. Then, second, it's reported that he, Mr. Suellentrop, called the arresting officer "doughnut boy." How's that for some serious respect for our law enforcement out there keeping us all safe? It's not enough he was driving drunk, not enough he drove the wrong way on the hhighway, not enough he drove like that, the wrong way for 10 minutes, possibly, if not likely threatening other people's lives who were driving correctly, the right way on the highway. Not enough he evaded the police, no. He had to try to insult the officer while doing his job, too. Oh, yeah. Wait for it. Count on it. Gene Suellentrop is going down. He'll be out of that position shortly now. Aren't Republicans wonderful?

The GOP, the Vote, Guns and You, America

Guess which it wants to have less of, if not even do away with?

Fantastic News for the Nation, for the People Today!

Yes sir and ma'am! Check out this fantastic news today: Record number of people now identifying as Democrats while GOP backing slumps. A double whammy of good news.

Democrats up, Republicans, understandably, down. More: The nine-point boost to Democrats is the largest since 2012. And the thing is, the Republicans are, thank goodness, doing it to themselves. They have wildly unpopular ideas for our people and nation and then, those ideas and the political party are so bad, so poor, so unpopular, they want to do all they can to disenfranchse us, keep us from voting or being able to vote, fellow taxpaying citiaens just so they can either get or stay in government office.

Fantastic, I tell you. Excellent. There are nothing but good words for these developments. Good on you, Americans, America. You can see these people for just precisely who and what they are. Kudos, y'all. Keep up the great, great work. Oh, and end vote suppression. And the filibuster---end the filibuster.Then, support the For the People Act and the American Jobs Plan. Let's do this! All of it!

Entertainment Overnight -- Birthday Edition

Happy birthday today to Janis Ian, born this day, April 7, 1951. And thank you for the music and memories, at least.

Perfect Example of Republican Party Strategy

For Republicans, perhaps especially Kentucky's Senator Mitch McConnell, it's always political party first and last. Forget the people, the nation, even Democracy, literally, at different times. Herewith, an excellent example.

Here's hoping our own Senators Blount and Hawley don't follow this example when it comes to President Biden's American Jobs Plan but I believe they are planning to vote against it.

Senator Hawley Has Outdone Himself Today

I couldn't believe Missouri's own Senator Josh Hawley and his Twitter post today: "MLB & the giant woke corporations keep telling Biden’s big lie about Georgia & election integrity. They want to run this country. They’ve been coddled by government for too long. We need to bust them up. Starting next week, I’ll introduce a trust busting agenda for 21st century."

Yes, corporations want to run America, all right. It's why they give Republicans hundreds of millions of dollars to put them in office. It's why and how we got the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, opening up our elections to yet more big, big money. Suddenly, the GOP is threatened because--whaddya' know?--Americans poured out to vote and their Orange Man lost the 2020 election. So now, those same Republicans in Georgia and 42 other states are trying to put into place laws to keep us, Americans, citizens, from voting. They and their ideas and policies are so unpopular, Republicans have found they can't get elected or re-elected unless or until they have fewer of us voting. So Jim Crow and more, here we go. Fortunately, some few corporate leaders have stood up and said they won't tolerate it. Consequently, suddenly Josh Hawley and the Republicans are against those corporations.

Kansans! Your State Legislature Last Week!

Once again, Davis Hammet of Loud Light gives a fantastic and even important, if also brief summary of what your legislators did in Topeka last week. God help us all.

Three Months Ago Today

Never forget.

We must never forget.

Don't Be Fooled -- Republicans Are Trying to Disenfranchise Fellow American Citizens

Remember, everyone. Keep in mind, the Republican Party and their ideas for us all are so very unpopular, they have to keep more of us from voting so they can get and stay in political office, in power. And they're trying to do it in 43 of the US states currently. They can't get any more un-American than that. This is, after all, supposed to be "representative government."

"Former Wall Street Journal correspondent Douglas Blackmon wrote a tremendously clear thread on Twitter spelling out how the Georgia law, for example, makes it illegal for Georgia voting officials to send absentee applications to each voter, and makes it harder to get absentee ballots. It eliminates most drop boxes for ballots, as well, and makes it harder for working people to vote." --Heather Cox Richardson

Quote of the Day -- Campaign Finance Reform Edition from the Wayback Machine

Check out this very appropriate quote today. More American history too many don't know.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt called for campaign finance reform. The result was the Tillman Act of 1907, the first law prohibiting corporate donations to national political parties. And note. Teddy Roosevelt was a member of the Republican Party. He'd no way be welcomed by them today.

Republicans? Americans? Those Migrants at the Border?

Republicans seem to only have one big issue presently and that is the migrants at our Southern border. Ignore and forget all the rest of President Biden's excellent work and even results already, in these first two months of his administration, just focus on the one problem. If you'll watch this brief video, you'll find one of the sources of the problem at our border. Brian Tyler Cohen describes it very well. Note, too, it's only an 8 minute video in length, too. So the fact is, of course, the administration of The Former Guy in the last 4 years and his work and directives led, no surprise, to our situation today. So much so that Joe Biden, long before he was President, warned that Trump's cutting of aid to these Southern nations, as this video shows, could and would likely lead to yet more migrants at our border. So once again, thanks, Mr. Trump. And to you, too, Republicans. Thanks so much.

Senator Hawley said WHAT??

Nearly unbelievably, our own Missouri Senator Josh Hawley posted this yesterday on Twitter: "Erin & I were sickened to hear of the violent attack at the Capitol yesterday by an extremist follower of Louis Farrakhan. We pray for the family of Officer Evans & for others injured in the line of duty. Thanks to the brave men & women of the USCP for their tireless service."

What the what?? Suddenly he's "sickened to hear of the violent attack at the Capitol"? First, this attacker was was out of his mind, google it, and second, it's no way even remotely close to the extent of the attack the previous President and this same Senator Hawley himself instigated at and against that same Capitol of ours January 6 this year. No way even remotely close. Shame on you, Senator Hawley. You're showing some serious chutzpah here, sir and we are no way fooled.

Happy Easter?

In most countries in Europe, the name for Easter is derived from the Jewish festival of Passover. "So in Greek the feast is called Pascha, in Italian Pasqua, in Danish it is Paaske, and in French it is Paques," Professor Cusack said.

But in English-speaking countries, and in Germany, Easter takes its name from a pagan goddess from Anglo-Saxon England who was described in a book by the eighth-century English monk Bede. "Eostre was a goddess of spring or renewal and that's why her feast is attached to the vernal equinox," Professor Cusack said. So sure. Happy Easter. Or whatever trips your trigger. Or floats your boat. Have a nice day.

Quote of the Day -- Cancel Culture Edition

"Cancel culture is when you lose an election and change the law so the legislature can cancel the will of voters in future elections." --Alex Cole @acnewsitics #EndVoteSuppression

We Need to Tax the Rich -- Here's Why

Yes, we need to tax the rich. Robert Reich spells out why and then how, too. This would be an excellent way to support and fix our infrastructure. Just look around the city, at, say, Ward Parkway, Wornall Road, 63rd Street, all across town and you can see how and where we need this. Let's do this, America.

Week 10 of This Presidency

Week 10 at the White House:

--Launched the American Jobs Plan! --20m Syringes in 7 days: a record! --11 judicial noms w/in 1st 100 days: most ever! --Offshore Wind Plan: powering 10m homes by 2030! --900K new jobs in March: first admin Heavy plus signover 1m jobs in first two months! --Ronald Klain @WHCOS

Responsible Tax Policy --- What We Should Do

7 necessary ways to tax the rich.

1. Repeal the Trump tax cuts. 2. Raise the tax rate on those at the top. 3. A wealth tax on the super-wealthy. 4. A transactions tax on stocks. 5. End the “stepped-up cost basis” loophole. 6. Close loopholes for the rich. 7. Audit the rich. --Robert Reich @RBReich Logical. Sensible. Responsible. Fair.

On Whose Side Will You Stand?

KCPT Week in Review--- 3 White People and a Token Black

Once more, one more time this week, KCPT, "Kansas City Public Television" and their "Week in Review" program has 3 white people and Eric Wesson, a token Black man, on their program. That's it. Three white people and a Black man.

Thank goodness, again, Eric Wesson shows up. Thank you, sir, for being there, time and again. To KCPT, "Kansas City Public Television", there are no Hispanic people in the community. Thank goodness they got 2 white women to appear on the program so they have at least SOME more minorities on the show. So hoping one day they fix this. Hey, we can hope.

Question of the Day -- Officer Chauvin Edition

If Officer Chauvin did nothing wrong and didn't, in fact, murder Mr. Floyd---which he did, the video shows it, of course--why did the city of Minneapolis give Mr. Floyd's family 27 million dollars?

Because they just had it lying around and wanted to be nice?

Republicans Threatening Our Democracy, State by State

Americans the nation over need to understand just what Republicans are doing or are trying to do, state by state, statehouse to statehouse, including Missouri and Kansas. Stop vote suppression, folks. We're under attack here and it's coming from fellow citizens, from Republicans and their Republican Party. They're attacking our votes, our elections, the election process and Democracy itself, all for their own political party. Their ideas and goals and candidates are so patently, reliably bad they have to do this, disenfranchise fellow Ameericans in order to get and stay in office. It is an assault on Democracy and certainly un-American. Contact your representatives and tell them this will not, this cannot stand. Stop vote suppression. Also, pass the For the People Act. It truly is for the people.

What Republicans Are Doing or Trying to do to Your, Our Vote, Votes and Elections

We must fight this assault on our elections state by state, the nation over as well as at the federal level in Washington. We must fight it in Topeka and Jefferson City and all over the nation, state by state.

End vote suppression. It's un-American.

From the "From Their Own Mouths" File

Breaking today, this morning, in the last half hour.

The Republican State Lawmakers Association today issued a statement asking all Republicans to wear masks and get vaccinated. “Otherwise, our efforts to suppress Democratic votes will be more than offset by losses of Republican voters,” the statement says, dated April 1. --Robert Reich @RBReich