Newspaper Coverage of Barr Boondoggle is What You'd Expect

I blame Gov. Cuomo.
Mario, that is.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the man who ran my home state of NY from the mid ‘80s to the mid ‘90s, but there’s one thing for which I can never forgive him.

Rupert Murdoch purchased the New York Post in 1976; 12 years later, having acquired various TV stations in order to build what is now Fox, he was forced to sell the Post due to federal cross-ownership regulations. A couple of owners later, in 1993, the Post was in the red and was facing surefire oblivion. I remember folks of all political persuasions here in NYC lamenting how the closing of the Post would be a loss to the local news landscape. I, on the other hand, could not wait to see that racist rag burn to the ground. Fuck that PoS.

And that’s where Gov. Cuomo comes in.

Facing an imminent demise, the Post was rescued when Murdoch was allowed to purchase it again. How? Well, folks in high places, including the beloved governor, petitioned the FCC to give Murdoch a permanent waiver from the cross-ownership rules. The same rules he had to abide by in 1988, of course. Isn't that swell?

(Fun fact: to this day, the Post operates in the red—conservative papers don’t do well in NYC—but is funded by News Corp. aka Fox, as the print arm of the local right-wing propaganda machine. Awesome, right?)

I was reminded of all of this when I saw the Post’s headline re Barr’s disgraceful and treasonous dog and pony show. “And to think we were thisclose to not having the Post anymore. Grrr.”

[Digg: How Major Newspapers Covered the Mueller Report]

I Am Done

Because the separation of church and state is now a quaint little custom we once observed, a recent NYT article, The Rapture and the Real World: Mike Pompeo Blends Beliefs and Policy, points out how "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has linked Christian beliefs with foreign policy, raising questions about the extent to which his evangelism is influencing American diplomacy."

All I can think of when I read something like this is how angered I am by the selfish, holier-than-thou, fucking purists who couldn't vote for HRC for all kinds of bullshit reasons, up to and including some childish nonsense as not liking the sound of her voice. (Yes, a former colleague actually said this to me, in public, on FB.)

Would we have a member of the American Taliban handling our foreign policy? Right-wing, troglodyte judges with lifetime appointments deciding cases? A barrage of ignoramuses heading our institutions? And most importantly, would we not be in this position had this purist bullshit not made it possible for a bigoted, narcissistic, treasonous, con man and thief to become POTUS?

So, what have we learned from all of this? How are we addressing this fiasco of epic proportions and making sure it doesn't happen again? We're comparing Joe Biden's alleged inappropriate behavior with Schlitz Kavanaugh's assault on Dr. Ford.

I'm fucking done.

God help us all.

A Few Thoughts on the Mueller Report from Just a Regular Dude

Right now plenty of folks on our side are feeling despondent or very ambivalent, at best, about this whole situation.

On the one hand, it seems like Robert Mueller did what he was supposed to and left investigations to be taken care of by Congress, the SDNY and others. (There are plenty of sealed indictments and more than 18 open investigations on Trump, his family and associates.) But knowing that AG Barr would likely censor the report and the GOP senate majority would block its publication, we can't help but feel he should’ve taken steps to have it find its way into the public sphere. Of course, those of us not in the know aren't even sure if that could've been done without leaking the report, and if that's even legal.

The other thing is that the GOP is falsely taking a victory lap and the press is playing along. I would never stoop as low as the Orange Turd and call the press the enemy of the people but their dereliction of duty is both breathtaking and maddening in this case. What they should be doing is clearly specifying that WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IN THE MUELLER REPORT BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T SEEN IT AND THE ONLY ONE WHO’S SEEN IT AND PUBLICLY SPOKEN ABOUT IT, IS A TRUMP-APPOINTED LOYALIST WHO IS NOT ONLY BIASED BUT HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE BELIEVES THE POTUS IS ABLOVE THE LAW.

Let that sink in for a minute. OK.

We all need to calm the fuck down and not get bogged down in bullshit. That’s the GOP plan. Let’s not help them.

This is no joking matter. It’s likely the biggest crisis and moment of truth congressional Democrats have faced in our lifetime. They need to be step up or we will be fucked for decades. We need to hold their feet to the fire and DEMAND they do EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER to make the report public. This is no time for the classic Democrat milquetoast wussiness. It's not a spirited debate, it's a cage match.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the current Republican party, from top to bottom is a corrupt, immoral, unpatriotic cesspool. We can’t let them drown us with them.

Fear of a Brown Planet

Because he fears their programming will give me a heart attack one of these days, an old, dear friend has warned me not to watch the endless parade of demagoguery and propaganda that is Fox “News”. And, frankly, I think his concern is warranted.

Watching a reel of Fox AOC-bashing compiled by MSNBC’s ‘The Beat’, I came across a recent clip I’d missed that really pissed me off because it went beyond attacking the congresswoman and questioned the loyalty of us brown folk to this country. That it came from a supposed learned person aggravated me even more.

Peter Morici, a University of Maryland professor who is a go-to guy for Fox on those rare occasions when they’re not railing against the evils of academia and getting an education, and a hot take from an academic will be acceptable to their viewers, appeared on the Varney & Co. show a few weeks ago to call AOC a demagogue and demonize the Green New Deal. Fine. Par for the course. But then, this asshole went THERE:

“[W]hat you have in Ocasio-Cortez are Latin American values. Instead of us assimilating them, they are assimilating us. And they want to bring the kind of socialism that destroyed Venezuela, and frankly Mexico, here. You know, it isn't that we're going to become Venezuela, but we could easily become Mexico, and you won't be able to go outside your door without getting shot. And if you say, ‘Hey Peter, boy aren't you really going over the top,’ think about what the last eight or ten years have been like in Chicago.” 

Yes, this PoS spewed that kind of bullshit and smeared all of us with a Spanish-derived surname. And to boot, he used someone who is an incredible example OF assimilation: NYC-born, college educated, and more accomplished within our system of politics and government before the age of 30 than the vast majority, if not all, of her colleagues in Congress. Then there’s the ‘Venezuela = Socialism’ fallacy. It’s communism, and this fuckwad knows it but calling it socialism plays better to the low information Fox viewers. And then he ties in with Chumpy the Clown’s ‘Mexicans are criminals’ narrative, which glaringly omits that cartel violence is drug trade fueled and our drug consumption here in the US is what drives it. And, finally, Morici dovestails this with Chicago gun violence, made possible in large part by the flow of illegal guns from surrounding states with laughable gun laws.

Defamation, lies, and misinformation: it’s all part of the ride on the Fox bullshit train. And the brainwashed audience is all too happy to come aboard.

 

Gillette in Hot Water For Asking Men to Be Righteous

So, Gillette just released an ad chastising bad behavior by men in society while exhorting us to be the best we can be and the apologists are already trotting out the tired epithet acronyms they love (“PC”, “SJW”, etc.) to boycott the company and decry the subjugation of men by the liberal media, blah blah blah.  What these folks fail to realize is that with these knee-jerk reactions they are, in fact, proving the point of the ad and those who share in the sentiments expressed by it.

The problem, as I see it is, in essence, this: there is no gray area.

Just like the blinded nationalists who believe the US hasn’t, can’t and won’t ever do anything wrong, there’s a contingent of men (and women, too) who are convinced that short of you being a serial rapist, your inappropriate behavior towards women is nothing to be all up in arms about; that the respective outcries and movements spawned from this climate are simply the handiwork of oversensitive hags and girly men looking for time in the media spotlight.

What these folks fail to grasp (and let’s be honest, plenty of liberals, as well) is that you can proudly carry with you all of the traditional attributes of masculinity and still refuse to be an abusive, ignorant, condescending jerk. But we live in a time when many who’ve benefitted from the status quo are threatened by the possibility of adopting a different thought process, seeing this is as a sure sign of weakness and defeat, while deeming the middle ground a forsaken place to be avoided at all costs.

And the examples are everywhere and out in the open. Sure, the SCOTUS confirmation process of Justice Kavanaugh was deeply entrenched in partisan ideology, as was the senate candidacy of Roy Moore from Alabama, and of course the presidential campaign of the current POTUS. Plenty held their nose and supported these men, despite their past sexual transgressions towards women, on the basis of politics. But a significant portion of the electorate condoned, if not celebrated, the disgusting exploits of these men because, after all, no matter their chronological age, they believe boys will be boys. And girls ain’t shit.

I don’t know if this newest controversy will serve to enlighten folks who need to understand how real men should act in a civilized society; if nothing will change; or if Gillette will suffer (or not) a significant commercial backlash for putting their necks out there. But as far as I’m concerned, by their reaction to this you can have a pretty good idea of where people stand on matters of fairness and equality. How ‘bout you?

Thanks?

From an email I got on Thanksgiving Day...

"First, just by reading this, you are more fortunate than close to a billion people all over the world who cannot read at all, due to a lack of educational resources. Think you don’t make much money? If your family income is at least $10,000 a year, you are wealthier than 84% of the world. If it’s $47,500 or more you are in the top 1% of the world. If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, that’s more than 75% of the planet can say. Similarly, if you have access to health care, air conditioning, clean drinking water, and a flushing toilet, you can make a claim that most of the world cannot. In reality, in comparison to virtually the entirety of humanity, you are a King." 

Yes, I am grateful for what I have. And I try to remember, when I'm unsatisfied with certain circumstances in my life, that I still have it better than the majority of my fellow humans on the planet. But at some point, that gratitude turns to anger and sadness and I think, "Wait, not sleeping on the sidewalk, in a modern domicile, with basic comforts makes me a king? What kind of a fucking world do we live in?!"

Trump Isn't The Rotting of Conservative Values Just Its Most Potent Symbol

You would think Cadet Bone Spurs would have, at least, a smidgen of respect towards the people who, unlike himself, put their lives on the line and oftentimes made the ultimate sacrifice. But as we've seen, time and time again, this narcissist PoS will retaliate against any perceived slight, no matter how inappropriate it would be to do so, regardless of circumstance.

And if that wasn't bad enough, his sycophants will defend him no matter how despicable the remark and who it's intended for: war heroes, Gold Star families...you name it. The military are just props for these people. Nothing more.

If there's one thing we can all be grateful to Trump for is the unmasking of legions of conservative hypocrites in Washington and around the country. The fake military supporters who never call him out on these transgressions; the so-called Christians who make excuses for the Pussy Grabber-in-Chief; and those defenders of the Constitution only when it's convenient and lines up with their partisanship, are all part of the same ratty tapestry of duplicity and hypocrisy that is eating away at the fabric of conservatism in this country.

They can never be the family/moral values, patriotism people ever again. They've shone their true colors and they have faded like a 50¢ t-shirt.

Recipe for Graham Cracker Pie

In a recent WaPo OpEd piece, conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin points out that Rep. Mark Sanford [R- SC], after mildly criticizing Chumpie, was primaried by a “cheerleader for President Trump” who was then in turn beaten soundly by Democrat Joe Cunningham in a county described by Sanford as the most “conservative district in the country to flip to the Democrats”.

So the local GOPers went for the Chumpbot but the overall populace went blue. Hmm. According to Sanford, one of the reasons for this is current, Trump-inspired, Republican incivility: “I heard it from young soccer moms and longtime Republican voters alike. They don’t want to condone behavior that is counter to what they’ve taught their children.”

 Rubin suggests that by Sanford primarying the rat known as Sen. Lindsay Graham [R-SC], he “would do his party, state and country a service” and characterized Graham’s born again Trumpism as burning “with a fervor that stuns colleagues and friends of his former ally, the late senator John McCain (R-AZ)”, further bemoaning Graham’s vote in favor of “a budget-busting tax bill, but he’s also become an all-purpose apologist for Trump’s lawlessness (e.g., illegally putting an unfit acting attorney general in charge of the Russia probe, undermining the credibility of elections, smearing the FBI).” Rubin believes “Sanford has the unique ability to primary him from the right while bashing him for enabling Trump.”

The interesting thing is that those in the know not only agree with Rubin but have stated that Graham’s conversion to Chumpism stems from a fear of losing his seat, not to a Democrat but to a fellow Republican in the primaries. Sanford could be the one.

A Line of Blood in the Sand

I recently saw Dave Chappelle being interviewed on CNN and the one thing that stuck with me from that exchange was his assertion that he still could not understand how families and friendships had been frayed due to politics. What I don’t understand is how Chappelle could not comprehend such a thing.

We’re not in the realm of arguing over tax cuts and funding for Sesame Street and the NEA anymore; those quaint days are behind us. What we have now is a significant portion of our citizenry supporting a PROVEN bigot, con man, misogynist, sexual predator and thief who cannot and will not acknowledge his role in fanning the flames of hatred and division in this country, not in the furtherance of an ideology or philosophy but simply to pamper his fragile ego. A man whose increasingly despicable actions and pronouncements are seen as daily reminders of past authoritarian regimes by those who have managed to survive them, including Holocaust survivors. And listen, I don’t know about you, but if someone who lived thru the horrors of Nazi Germany tells me to pay attention to what’s going down, I’m gonna pay attention.

Trump has drawn a line of blood in the sand, one that dares decent people to continue to follow him. And for many of us who see this waste of human life for what he truly is, being apologists for his followers is simply not possible. In the end, my question is not why Mr. Chappelle doesn't understand the reason behind these aggressively divided families and friends, but why would he expect anyone to look the other way at an allegiance to the monster that has created this divide?

Who You Gonna Call?

We can criticize this individual all day for anonymously going to the NYT and denouncing the terrifying disaster that is the Trump presidency(not that anyone paying attention has been surprised), but where else could s/he go? To the borderline treasonous Congress? To the Pentagon to ask they stage a coup?

Congress was designed for instances in which a dangerously inept con man in the White House needs to be taken down. But who's gonna lead the charge? Paul Ryan? Mitch McConnell? Devin PoS Nunes? The fiasco and travesty that is the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings is proof we cannot trust the Republicans to do the right thing.

So, again, where was this whistle blower supposed to go?

With His Batman Now Gone, Sen. Graham's Robin Has Joined The Joker in the White House

WaPo:

"On Tuesday, [Sen. Lindsey] Graham took a seat on the couch of Fox & Friends, President Trump’s favorite show, and sealed his transition from apostate to Trump apparatchik...Having echoed Trump’s no-collusion line (as if that were the lone issue), Graham, a former military lawyer, picked up Trump’s attack on the justice system...From there, the South Carolina Republican echoed all of Trump’s attacks against the Russia investigation...Incredibly, Graham even joined the 'lock her up' movement...Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, could not have said it better." 

Watching the eulogies given by Meghan McCain and President Obama, I was wondering what the hell Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were doing at Sen. McCain's service. Later, I read Sen. Graham had asked Cindy McCain permission to invite them, who accepted his request.

First of all, it was terribly inappropriate for Graham to ask Mrs. McCain for such a thing and put her in such a painfully awkward and unnecessary predicament. To invite Trump family members who never uttered a peep of disapproval when that walking sewage drain in the Oval Office repeatedly demeaned John McCain's military service and attacked him personally, even as he fought a deadly disease, was naive and insulting, at best. But seeing it is part of his re-election process, in which he's obviously going all-in kneepads for Trump, is both incredibly craven and despicable.

Lindsey Graham, you are one toxic piece of shit, sir.