Trump Threatens to “Bomb the Shit Out of” Ally Oman. Rachel Chason of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump on Monday threatened to bomb Oman, which has been in talks with Iran about a solution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.... Asked [during a Fox 'News' interview] about the negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding control of the strait, Trump said, 'If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s--- out of them,' according to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, who was recounting his conversation with Trump. According to Yingst, Trump also said that Iran should 'wave the white flag of surrender,' but the president indicated he did not have a timetable for ending the war.” ~~~
~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “The latest threat toward Oman, which has facilitated talks between the United States and Iran for years and maintains that it is still a neutral mediator, came as Mr. Trump found himself without much leverage to reach the goals he set out at the start of the war.... It was the second time this year the president has threatened the country. After it emerged in May that Oman had discussed partnering with Iran to charge fees for ships to pass through the strait, Mr. Trump snapped. 'Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up,' Mr. Trump told reporters that month. 'They understand that. They’ll be fine.'” The link is a gift link.
Ann Marimow of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court for a second time refused a request by ... [Donald] Trump to review a $5 million civil judgment against him after a jury found in 2023 that he had sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll. The announcement on Monday did not include the justices’ reasons, which is typical when the court issues routine orders. There were no noted dissents. Mr. Trump paid Ms. Carroll in July, a few days after the court initially turned away the president’s appeal. He also made a long-shot request to the justices that they reconsider, which the court formally declined on Monday. The president has separately asked the Supreme Court to overturn a much larger award of $83.3 million that a jury ordered him to pay in 2024 for defaming Ms. Carroll in 2019, after she accused him of a decades-old rape. The justices are on summer recess and not expected to consider whether to take up that case until late September at the earliest.” The link is a gift link. An ABC News story on the ruling was linked earlier today.
Owen Scott of the Independent: “Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff hit out at the commander-in-chief’s priorities in a scathing rally speech in Atlanta Sunday, criticizing the handling of the Iran war, the recently revealed decoy Air Force One operation and alluding to morale issues on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. 'While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings, Ossoff said. 'He golfs and trades stocks. See, he doesn’t want to do his job.... He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar,' Ossoff added to a roar of applause.” ~~~
~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM: "Given that Natalie Harp is not only a conventionally attractive women but also Trump’s type, there’s an obvious and understandable inclination to imagine that they are involved in a sexual relationship. Perhaps they are.... If they are having an affair, mostly who cares? There are so many other higher priority dangers this rapidly-fading, degenerate man-child poses to our country and our future.... The more public-relevant issue with Harp is that she appears, from pretty credible reporting, to be a key vector for Trump’s incoming and outgoing information. She notoriously carries with her a portable printer and batteries so she can print out flattering press coverage.... Then Trump ... adopts [the far-right absurdities] as his own.... Harp seems to be the vector for a lot of that." ~~~
~~~ So then watch this video, which obviously was recorded during the 2024 presidential campaign. That's Harp sitting next to Trump and typing up his social media posts: ~~~
~~~ Marie: So who do you suppose is typing out those infamous 500-word social media posts at 2:00 in the morning? I'm guessing it's not the author of COVFEFE....
U.K. Sam Blewett of Politico: “... Prime Minister Andy Burnham engaged with messages ... with someone posing as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles before becoming suspicious that the contact was illegitimate, the officials said.” MB: Uh, excellent security system you Brits have there.
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When Calling for Invocation of the 25th Amendment Is No Longer a Joke.
Choe Sang-Hun of the New York Times: “The South Korean and United States militaries view their annual drills in South Korea as more critical than ever. The stakes have risen dramatically as North Korea has gained battlefield expertise with drones and modern warfare by deploying troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. The summer exercise had barely begun on Monday when ... [Donald] Trump denounced it, dealing yet another blow to the seven-decade-old alliance between Washington and Seoul. Under Mr. Trump, bilateral relations have already come under immense strain from his punishing tariffs on South Korean exports. And his transactional diplomacy has frustrated South Korea, most recently when he appeared to put Saudi Arabia on the path to enriching nuclear fuel on its own soil, a demand Seoul has made for years. In recent years, North Korea has not only expanded its nuclear arsenal but also repeatedly threatened to use it against South Korea, labeling its neighbor a 'most hostile enemy.' Its leader, Kim Jong-un, has also forged a mutual defense treaty with Moscow, dispatching troops and weapons to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. Despite these escalations, Mr. Trump, in a social media post, characterized North Korea as 'unthreatening and respectful' while boasting of his 'very good relationship' with Mr. Kim.” The link is a gift link.
Devin Dwyer of ABC News: "The Supreme Court on Monday declined ... Donald Trump's attorneys' petition for a rehearing of its denial to review E. Jean Carroll's 2022 defamation case.... This is a developing story."
In today's Comments, Akhilleus cited some source who wrote, “I’m really glad President Obama rid the world of Osama Bin Laden before Donald Trump had the chance to befriend him.” And RAS suggested, "The big question would be if Bin Laden could buy a pardon this term from Trump." Marie: I'm not sure either of those remarks is so absurd anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~
Aaron Boxerman of the New York Times: “The United States and Iran on Monday missed their 60-day deadline to reach a deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear program under the terms of the cease-fire they agreed to in June, underlining the breakdown of a truce that ... [Donald] Trump promised would end the war. Mr. Trump had announced the so-called memorandum of understanding between the two countries with great fanfare two months ago. But the short-lived agreement failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively blockaded after Israel and the United States attacked in late February, or end a conflict that has entered its sixth month. The expiration of deadline is largely symbolic, as both Mr. Trump and Iran’s leaders have said in recent weeks that the deal is basically dead. But the milestone nonetheless shows how Mr. Trump has struggled to achieve his war aims ... and how emboldened the Iranian government feels, with the two countries at risk of further military conflict.” The link is a gift link.
Barak Ravid of Axios: "In mid-May, U.S. negotiators trying to reach a deal with Iran to end the war ... couldn't tell if the people across the table actually spoke for the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). So Trump administration officials did something unconventional — they went around Iran's negotiators and reached out directly to IRGC leadership. The person they tapped for the backchannel was Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, who had something very few others do: the trust of both U.S. and IRGC leaders.... The episode, which was detailed by three sources with direct knowledge and has not been previously reported, shows how tricky it's been for the U.S. to negotiate with a country where Washington isn't sure who exactly is in charge."
Trump (2024): "Gasoline will be back to $2, and maybe even less than that." Trump (2026): "For you to pay a tiny, little bit more for your gasoline…You're at $4, it's okay, I'll never apologize."
— Home of the Brave (@ofthebraveusa.bsky.social) August 14, 2026 at 4:52 PM
[image or embed]
~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link.
Aaron Boxerman & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: “Jared Kushner ... met with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday.... Mr. Kushner’s visit to the Middle East comes as the U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hamas has appeared to hit a dead end. Last month, Mr. Trump announced that his Board of Peace had reached an agreement with Hamas that aimed to strip the Palestinian group of its weapons. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel later said he rejected the deal, appearing to put it on ice. After the meetings with Hamas on Sunday, Mr. Kushner was expected to travel to Israel to meet with Mr. Netanyahu to discuss the situation in Gaza.” The link is a gift link.
Helene Cooper of the New York Times: “... the head of United States Central Command... on Sunday ... visit[ed] the beleaguered U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, the latest American aircraft carrier to report poor living conditions and poor morale after months in the Middle East. The Lincoln, a San Diego-based carrier with a crew of about 5,000 sailors, is supporting U.S. operations in the Middle East against Iran. Democratic lawmakers have cited reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues and deteriorating mental health aboard the carrier, which has been deployed for almost nine months. But Admiral Brad Cooper insisted in a statement posted on social media post that 'the Lincoln currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health' among the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers. 'That doesn’t mean that all is perfect,' Admiral Cooper acknowledged a day after his visit to the carrier. He said that a long deployment at sea 'is uniquely challenging and tough, and every single one of us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Helene Cooper of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said on Sunday that he had instructed the Pentagon to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, a longtime U.S. ally and a linchpin of America’s national security strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. The announcement may heighten growing worries among Asian allies over what the United States is now willing to do to deter China, given the enormous distraction and resource drain of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. The United States is running low on critical weapons and has been moving military resources out of Asia to the Middle East. In a convoluted social media post, Mr. Trump complained that Seoul did not 'join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' In the same post, he said that North Korea under Kim Jong Un had been 'unthreatening and respectful' while he has been president.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Ali Bianco & Leo Shane of Politico: “'These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,' Trump wrote on Truth Social, while emphasizing his 'very good relationship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.... North Korea launched its latest round of ballistic missile tests just last week, seen in part as a response to the announcement of the U.S. and South Korea’s planned military exercises. The U.S. and South Korea have held joint military exercises for more than 70 years.” MB: That is, it is “totally inappropriate and hostile” to Trump's boyfriend Kim Jong Un. On top of that, the message is to Hegseth. Why would a president* communicate with his secretary of defense over social media? ~~~
~~~ Update. Looks as if Tom Nichols has this all figured out. Thanks to akaWendy for the gift link. ~~~
~~~ Tom Nichols of the Atlantic: “Last winter, Donald Trump plunged recklessly into war with Iran. The United States is now losing that conflict. Iran remains defiant, much of the world economy is more threatened now than it was six months ago, U.S. military resources are overextended, and munition stores are dangerously depleted. Trump and the United States have suffered one embarrassment after another.... And so the president of the United States has taken the logical next step: He is punishing South Korea, a loyal American friend.... Scaling back the [joint U.S./South Korea] exercise is, of course, an insane decision, which does nothing but hurt an ally, and tempt an adversary to think — correctly — that American leadership is feckless.... When things go wrong, someone must be held responsible — and that someone is never Donald Trump. America and the rest of the world are now witnessing a public exhibition of narcissistic rage.” Read on.
More Murder on the High Seas. Imogen Piper, et al., of the Washington Post: “The mysterious strikes targeting multiple Ecuadorian fishing boats near the Galápagos Islands this year were carried out as part of a covert CIA program, The Washington Post has learned. While many details about the agency’s involvement were not clear, one person with knowledge of the matter said the strikes were part of a “covert action” program, a type of secret operation overseas that is approved by the president but where the role of the U.S. government is not publicly acknowledged.... No agency or government has claimed responsibility for the incidents, including the disappearance in January of a fishing vessel and eight of its crew members. The CIA’s involvement adds a new and secretive dimension to the Trump administration’s otherwise highly publicized campaign against alleged drug traffickers at sea.” The link is a gift link. Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: If you have access to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which I do not, Will Bunch writes that this campaign may be Trump's worst war crime yet.
Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump initially insisted that he needed to build a White House ballroom to entertain VIP guests. The president and his deputies have lately focused on a different argument: It’s crucial for national security. The 'desperately needed National Security structure' must be completed, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Friday night, hours after administration officials asked the Supreme Court to let them finish the controversial project. The lengthy post never mentioned the word 'ballroom.' Instead, it focused on the military complex being constructed underneath and called the preservation group that brought the suit that blocked construction “‘TREASONISTS” who revealed Top Military Secrets!'... On Sunday, Trump followed up with an AI-generated video depicting himself walking with the nation’s first president, George Washington, through the planned ballroom, stocked with dining tables. 'Thank you, George, for some of your brilliant ideas on this great Military Complex/Ballroom!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform....” ~~~
~~~ Dancing in Circular Illogic. Chris Geidner: "In a Truth social post, Trump posts language as his own that comes from an April DOJ brief that sounded like a Truth social post. The Friday night social media rant came as Solicitor General John Sauer is asking the Supreme Court to let Trump build his ballroom now." In the social media post, Trump called the the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States "TREASONISTS." (Also linked yesterday.) MB: When you accuse the National Trust of treason, you sort of dilute the effectiveness of the accusation, don't you? See also Akhilleus's commentary near the end of yesterday's thread.
Who is more likely to have damaged the lawn on the National Mall? (a) a couple of people who touched the peeling lining in the nearby Reflecting Pool, or (b) tens of thousands of people stomping on the grass at a Trump rally? Let's ask Donald, who says, "I know more about grass than any human being, I think, anywhere in the world." ~~~
~~~ Owen Scott of the Independent: Donald “Trump has blamed the appearance of swathes of dead grass at the National Mall on 'vandals.' The accusation comes just weeks after the president began to allege that algae blooms and peeling pool lining in the waters of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool were the result of vandalism. On Truth Social, Trump shared an aerial image of the grass at the National Mall which appeared to have large, dead patches in the same area that he held his July 4 celebration. 'Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool, which will be opened again, and better than ever, shortly,' Trump wrote on Sunday night. 'Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn’t vandalized should go back to Law School!' The spot ... played host to more than 400,000 people ahead of his July 4 speech, Trump has previously claimed.” MB: Okay then.
David Lynch of the Washington Post: “The United States and Canada are moving closer to a deal to avert the imposition of punitive 50 percent tariffs on such Canadian products as hockey sticks, wine and cement.... Details remain fluid, and recent talks were contentious as both sides race to make a deal ahead of an early-Wednesday deadline. But the emerging accord could pair Canadian tariff concessions along with commitments on energy, defense and critical minerals in return for the U.S. agreeing to shelve ... Donald Trump’s new Section 338 tariffs and relax levies on steel and aluminum, according to those following the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential deliberations.... If a deal is reached, it is expected to provide momentum for the ongoing renegotiation of the North American trade deal reached in the president’s first term. An accord would also spare the administration one more legal battle over the president’s tariff powers.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: This story is insane. Grown men and women -- half of whom work for Donald Trump -- are engaged in some kind of dystopian race against time to meet an arbitrary deadline imposed by the Mad King to punish us little Suckers and Losers of the Realm, all because the king has torn up a treaty he previously negotiated.
Christopher Black, on Threads, writes a brief history of Donald Trump's excellent business career. Thanks to akaWendy for the link.
Tom Sullivan of Hullabaloo, with an assist from an essay by Jim Stewartson: “The program of social re-engineering pursued by Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, and Russ Vought involves not just dehumanizing opponents — black and brown immigrants in particular — but stripping supporters of their dignity.... Trump luxuriates in his followers’ humiliation. He expects and receives skin-crawling displays of praise from Cabinet members as signs of submission.... [Stewartson] cites Trump’s discomfiting (okay, icky) tale told to hand-picked New York police officers of 'young, beautiful girls' lavishing him with praise and thanks. He fabricates praise for himself and expects his audience to dutifully smile and applaud. They do.... You feel the assault in the facile lies of the administration’s spokespeople. You watch it in real time when reporters fail to challenge them.” Read on. Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: This is a phenomenon I had not figured out, probably because I lack sympathy for Trump supporters. For instance, I considered Trump's Cabinet secretaries to be operating under their own volition and capable of choosing their own words. Most of them, after all, had received some level of recognition for their achievements: they are former governors, members of Congress, successful businesspeople. But the truth is -- as Sullivan points out -- they are acting as mere submissive stooges, jumping through the hoops Trump holds in front of them. Even MAGA supporters -- the dimwits who show up at Trump's rallies -- often acknowledge he is lying to them. But they take it. They literally cheer him even as he lies to them and worse -- makes policies that hurt them and help only his small circle of super-wealthy friends & family. Remember that Congressman who muttered to Liz Cheney, "The things we do for Orange Jesus"? That is an acknowledgment that Trump was humiliating all the Republicans in Congress -- and they were bowing and scraping, as required. At least when Trump insults us, we get to thumb our noses at him, insult him back and make fun of him.
Lord Advocate Kisbutt Again Pledges His Fealty to the Mad King. Matthew Choi of the Washington Post: “Attorney General Todd Blanche rejected the idea of a Justice Department independent from the White House, saying he would take into account ... Donald Trump’s views when directing federal law enforcement. 'Will I take the president of the United States’ view on something into consideration? Yes, of course. And I hope every attorney general in history would not answer that question differently,' Blanche said Sunday on NBC News’s 'Meet the Press.' Post-Watergate norms have largely shielded the Justice Department’s work from the White House’s interference, but Blanche has often defended the president’s right to weigh in on the department. In April, he told reporters the president had a 'right' and a 'duty' to offer opinions on criminal prosecutions.” The New York Times story is here; the link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) The Guardian's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Alexandra Marquez of NBC News: “Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday there’s a 'possibility' that the Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to intervene in dozens of cases where judges have ruled against the federal government’s efforts to gain broad access to state voter rolls ahead of November’s midterm elections. 'Absolutely, it’s a possibility,' Blanche told NBC News’ 'Meet the Press' when asked whether he’d appeal the 22 cases the Justice Department has lost so far to the Supreme Court.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Bruce Weber of the New York Times: “Tommy John, a canny left-handed pitcher who won nearly 300 major-league games, more than half of them after recovering from the innovative, often career-saving elbow surgery that came to be known by his name, died on Saturday at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. He was 83.... John pitched for 26 seasons; only Nolan Ryan lasted longer in the big leagues in the modern era.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
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Hawaii. The New York Times has liveblogged the progress of Tropical Storm Lala. From the pinned item at 3:45 am ET: “Emergency workers in Hawaii combed through wreckage on Sunday in an effort to assess the damage wrought by Lala, which weakened to a tropical storm and continued westward away from the islands. Lala, which was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane early Sunday morning, did not make landfall as it passed south of Hawaii. But the storm’s path was close enough to flood roads, wreck homes and topple trees. Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii said that at least 100 homes had been damaged or washed away on the Big Island. Some of the worst damage may have occurred in rural areas along the southern edge of Hawaii’s Big Island, but fallen electrical lines slowed traffic to the area. Mr. Green said later Sunday that the state would be effectively closed on Monday, with schools, state and county offices, and courts shut across the state.” The link is a gift link.
New York. Grace Ashford of the New York Times: “From the moment the video dropped showing Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York looking direct to camera and speaking surprisingly good Mandarin, it created buzz online.... Mr. Mamdani had studied Mandarin, but it was a while back — at the Bronx High School of Science, an elite public school that he attended from 2006 to 2010. Mr. Mamdani made the video, which was posted on Saturday, with the Theater Development Fund to amplify a lottery that offers 2,000 free Broadway tickets for high school students in the five boroughs. Versions of it were also produced in English, Spanish and Bangla. But it was Mr. Mamdani’s accent in Mandarin, with its multiple tones, that attracted the most interest online.... State Senator John Liu, a Democrat who is fluent in Mandarin, said the mayor should get a 'solid B,' noting his pronunciation, 'proper tones and effective emphasis on various clauses.' But he added that the mayor should get an 'A+ for effort.'” The link is a gift link. Video here.
Texas Senate Race. Here's an ad from James Talarico. He won't steal your pen. Pretty, pretty good: ~~~
Texas House Race. All the Best Candidates. Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “A self-described gun-rights absolutist and YouTuber known for his inflammatory humor, [GOP Congressional candidate Brandon] Herrera, 30, was initially opposed this year by both [Speaker Mike] Johnson and ... [Donald] Trump as he challenged the district’s Republican incumbent, Tony Gonzales, for a second straight time. Mr. Gonzales and his allies spent millions painting Mr. Herrera as extreme, highlighting old videos in which he made wildly offensive jokes like saying that a Nazi-era submachine gun was 'the original ghetto blaster' and 'Hitler’s street sweeper.' But after a sexual misconduct scandal forced Mr. Gonzales out of the race and then out of Congress this year, top Republicans quickly closed ranks around Mr. Herrera.... The district leans Republican — Mr. Trump carried it by 15 percentage points in 2024 — but Democrats believe Mr. Herrera’s polarizing nature could give their nominee, Katy Padilla Stout, a chance.” The link is a gift link.
22 comments:
Tom Nichols, for The Atlantic, cover the "insane decision," thatT**** Will Make South Korea Pay for His Iran Humiliation
"Early Sunday evening, Trump instructed the Defense Department to “substantially reduce” its participation in an annual joint military exercise with the South Koreans. He did this, he said in a post on Truth Social, in part because such activities are expensive, but worse, they are insulting to his friends in North Korea, a country that has been “unthreatening and respectful” while he’s been in office.
....
Scaling back the exercise is, of course, an insane decision, which does nothing but hurt an ally, and tempt an adversary to think—correctly—that American leadership is feckless. You could be forgiven for wondering why South Korea and the rest of the free world must pay for Donald Trump’s failures. Such confusion is understandable, except that in Trump’s world, every loss, every defeat, is a personal insult. When things go wrong, someone must be held responsible—and that someone is never Donald Trump.
America and the rest of the world are now witnessing a public exhibition of narcissistic rage. Trump embarked on a war for personal glory, and what he got instead was ongoing humiliation. He clearly finds it all unbearable."
Tom Sullivan and Jim Stewartson at Mind War.
"Trumpism Strip-mines Your Dignity
The program of social re-engineering pursued by Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, and Russ Vought involves not just dehumanizing opponents — black and brown immigrants in particular — but stripping supporters of their dignity.
Trump luxuriates in his followers’ humiliation. He expects and receives skin-crawling displays of praise from Cabinet members as signs of submission. Stewartson: “Trump forces his followers to bury their own dignity just to see themselves as part of the in-group. He requires that they drop their own boundaries.”
Anti-dignification is the process of stripping people of their status as worthy human beings with relationships of their own, and reorganizing them into objects controlled through dominance and submission.
Human dignity is not about glory, dominance, or victory. It is the state of not needing those things in order to feel worthy."
What the puck! A 50% tariff on hockey sticks?
Couldn't he find something more obscure, like banjo picks, shoe strings or toupees?
What an idiot.
From Digby's blog Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò regarding the Arday - Cambridge scandal that just lead to his suicide.
"Plenty to reflect about re: the Arday affair, but I'm going to repeat this one thing. The playbook the right used here is effective even though it's not especially sophisticated, as it relies on the audience to do the dirty work. I've been calling it "Trojan horse propaganda",
All you have to do is find things that cue up the bigotry you want to promote, and make them salient – preferably, while avoiding the same for context that would complicate your intended narrative (in a distracted, low-participation political culture, the last bit comes practically for free).
The upsides of the strategy are clear: if you use Trojan horses, you not only do not have to defend the ideas you are promoting, but you don’t even have to cop to promoting them. Because, in an important sense, you aren’t – you are relying on history and your audience to do it for you."
Insane Republicans
"SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis announced he will be replacing current Assistant Registrar of Voters Brent Turner with Tina Peters next month. Curtis confirmed his plans with Action News Now in a text message.
Peters is the former county clerk in Mesa County, Colorado who was convicted on 7 counts of election interference in August 2024. She had her 9-year prison sentence commuted by Colorado's governor after President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding."
Love that "He won't steal your pen" spot. Not only funny, but memorable, and more importantly, an open window into the character of this evil prick. Sure, he's got a mountain of other much more serious charges that could/should be offered as proof of his astonishing unfitness not just for the job of a senator, but for his present position. Swiping a pen might not seem like a big deal, but even when standing at a counter at a pharmacy or bank or somewhere else with a container full of pens, I make sure to return the pen I used to sign something, as I'm sure most people do, simply out of habit. Most people wouldn't make off with a cheap fifty cents Bic pen, and they certainly wouldn't steal a $1,000 Mont Blanc. But Ken Paxton isn't most people. He's a thieving rat bastard who'd steal a lollipop out of a baby's mouth.
It's an easy thing for people to remember. It's like all the lies Trump tells. It's a window into the soul of a person. You cheat on a test, you might cheat on your wife. You steal an expensive pen, what else wouldn't you steal?
Nice job by Talarico's people. Now if only the people of Texas see it that way. There will always be Kool-Aid guzzlers who will stick with the most vile scumbag even in the face of incontrovertible evidence. But maybe others will finally say "Fuck this guy. Let's try Talarico. At least he won't steal your pen.
On another grudge, Nick Miroff & Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, for The Atlantic, cover ways T**** Left America Vulnerable to Cyberattacks
"President Trump had created CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] as a stand-alone agency within the Department of Homeland Security during his first term to give cybersecurity more institutional heft, and it had grown quickly with support from lawmakers of both parties. But after CISA declared the 2020 presidential election to be “the most secure in American history” and the agency’s director, Christopher Krebs, refused to back Trump’s claims that the vote had been stolen, Krebs became a target for the president’s fury and a seething grudge.
....
CISA was meant to provide nonpartisan, technical expertise and function like the Transportation Security Administration or the Secret Service. It has no regulatory authority, so it relies on the trust of state and local officials who want its support and advice. But the hope that it would float above politics was damaged after the 2020 presidential election. Republican lawmakers erupted at the Biden administration’s attempts to enlist CISA against foreign misinformation campaigns, accusing the administration of “weaponizing” the agency to pressure social-media companies and censor conservative speech."
The 5 AM paper.
Fatty is whining and whining and whining about how he has already "won" Iran. But now the deadline he set up in that laughable Memorandum of Misunderstanding has passed and we're still in the deep shit. All because we have a whiny infant in charge. Details matter. But not to the small fingered vulgarian. All his life he's gotten away with crap because he could brass his way through or bully or sue the other side. But not here. Not now. The Iranians knew from the get go that this memorandum thingie was bullshit.
Some years ago, back in my teaching days, I collected papers from students at the end of a class. The next class, I pulled one student aside and asked him a question. "Did you start writing this paper at 4 AM or 5 AM? It has more of a 5 AM feel, but I could be wrong." He gave a head down, sheepish grin. I told him to take this embarrassing piece of crap back and gave him 24 hours to bring back a real paper, you know, one with a point, without all the typos and no references, and not something copied straight from Wikipedia". The paper he returned with wasn't a Montaigne essay, but at least it wasn't a pile of crap.
This is Trump. Always. No details, just the shadow of an outline. The concept of a plan. The concept of an idea of a sort of a plan that wouldn't withstand a three second skim. And yet, he believes everyone should just "get" what he means and do what he demands.
Had that student been Trump, he would have been screaming that I was no kind of teacher and run to the department head demanding I be fired for insulting his wonderful work.
But this is what that memorandum was. A pile of crap. No details, no ideas, no work behind it.
Just another 5 AM paper.
And a failing grade.
The Super Patriot
“I’m really glad President Obama rid the world of Osama Bin Laden before Donald Trump had the chance to befriend him.”
The No-Bid Contract Dictator
Take a gander at the long list of no-bid contracts handed out by Fat Hitler to pals, hangers-on, suck-ups, donors, and MAGA incompetents. So far in his second term, the Fat Dictator has waddled past federal laws for awarding contracts to the tune of over $34 billion. And that's just in 18 months. By the team his fat ass is rolled out of the White House, it could easily be well over $100 billion in taxpayer money squandered on losers and frauds (see Pool, Reflecting). His typical excuse is NATIONAL EMERGENCY!!!
Here's just one little example:
(From the 3/18/26 NY times)
"The Trump administration has bypassed regular procedures to award more than $13 million in contracts to the company that helped organize President Trump’s rally on Jan. 6, 2021, repeatedly creating hidden business opportunities that only one firm could win.
Those contracts have transformed Event Strategies Inc., staffed by veterans of Mr. Trump’s campaigns and first White House, from a minor federal contractor into the government’s highest-paid event planner. The firm has arranged celebrations of the Navy’s 250th birthday and a Treasury Department event to tout new savings accounts for children, called “Trump accounts.”
By law, federal agencies are generally supposed to seek competing bids before awarding contracts, to get the best value for taxpayers. Event Strategies won contracts that were particularly lucrative, the kind that other companies say they would have liked to win.
In at least five cases, other firms never got the chance."
Fatty's Treasonous Guv;mint Overthrow Rally was a NATIONAL EMERGENCY?
It created one, but...
And so it goes.
Akhilleus,
The big question would be if Bin Laden could buy a pardon this term from Trump? You know that at least one of the lackeys would take the rich guy's money and be willing to spread it around and make a case. Would Trump's racism be too strong to give a pardon to a Muslim or would his greed and seeing a fellow guilty rich guy prosecuted be enough to help out Bin Laden? It is a tough call.
Christopher Armitage
"History Says Most Trump Supporters Will Never Turn On Him. No Matter What.
I recognized a pattern that history demonstrates repeatedly but that contemporary Americans persistently ignore. We assume Trump supporters will abandon him once conditions deteriorate enough, once policies fail badly enough, once reality becomes undeniable enough. History shows us something quite different about how people behave inside sealed information environments designed to maintain belief through disaster."
Regarding election security, Judge J. Michael Luttig, on substack, joins "David French, Tim Snyder, Joyce Vance, Heather Cox Richardson, and others, [in issuing] powerful and eloquent warnings about the evident intentions of Donald Trump and the United States Government to interfere in what otherwise could be expected to be the free and fair congressional elections in America on November 3. Five Alarm Fire
"Last week the Center for American Progress released its own comprehensive report titled, “The Trump Administration Is Interfering in the 2026 Midterm Elections to Entrench the Imperial Presidency,” which was itself a five-alarm fire alert about the imminent attempts by Trump and our United States Government to meddle unconstitutionally in the mid-term elections toward the end of ensuring that Republicans retain their majority in the House – regardless of the voting of the American People on November 3."
On the lighter side, check out the Antifa Communist Socialist Democrat Ninja Foundation. You too might want to join!
Looks like this lady may have been part of the Antifa Communist Socialist Democrat Ninja Foundation, but maybe she needed a few more lessons from Kevin and that invisibility belt would have been a big help.
What do sailors need power or working toilets for?
"A US Navy guided-missile destroyer spent four days last month without working toilets, galley services and air conditioning in the blistering heat of the South China Sea after the warship lost power. The incident was due to an engineering failure aboard the warship, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement to CNN, another setback as concerns mount over the heavy strain on the US Navy due to the Iran war and global commitments."
RAS,
Fatty has accepted a trillion dollars from MBS. His religion and ethnicity were no barriers to that "deal" which allowed the Orange Monster to tout his exceptional "leadership" and beat back questions of this specious dealmaking ability. Of course MBS also handed a few billion to his son-in-law, the ubiquitous-with-his-hand out 666Jared. And don't forget, Osama Bin-Laden gave Fatty instant bragging rights to owning the tallest building in lower Manhattan after the World Trade Center collapsed, a claim he insisted on when calling in to a radio station mere hours after the buildings were flattened, proving once again that no tragedy is more important to Trump than his own status. So sure, Osama could have bought his way out. In fact, Fatty would have found a way to blame Biden for the attacks.
Naval vessels floating around with no power and no toilets? Thousands of sailors on an aircraft carrier with dozens of operational problems because of its marathon deployment in service of stoopid, poorly thought out war? No biggie. What's MOST important to Drunk Pete is that everyone in the military has High-T, is clean shaven, no pot bellies, and can appear in workout videos with the soused secretary who cheats while doing pull. ups to prove his manliness. More important to look good than to actually be able to, ya know, protect the country.
That 25th Amendment alarm bell has been going off for a long time. Way back in January, Fatty held a press conference to celebrate his first year back in office (the grift was already in high gear). Instead of keeping to talking points, he veered off script as is his whacko wont to talk about how when he was in Little League, his mother told him he should be a professional ballplayer. "Thanks mom, I said. But what is that big building with bars on the windows? Very scary place." Which led his wandering mind into talking about mental institutions . '
Um...what? Oh yeah. Mental institutions, where he should be right now.
But of course, he made sure to blame Democrats for blowing up all the mental institutions and allowing mentally disturbed people to walk around annoying the sane people. The sad thing is that most annoying mental patient was the one jabbering on about how he should have played pro ball, but look! A mental institution.
What the actual fuck? If this had been Biden talking ragtime like this, Fox would have raced to Congress demanding the 25th amendment be triggered immediately, but here we are six months later and he's saying "Oh, North Korea? Such nice people. Let's not bother them with military exercises. Now excuse me while I shit my diaper, again."
Yup. A sterling example of mental and physical acumen.
Little donnie trumpie. Math genius.
Little donnie sez, "Yeah, I promised $2 gasoline by now, but it's $4. Just a tiny little increase."
No, donnie. It's a 100% increase, you dim butthead. Wharton School, my ass.
I guess he comes by it naturally. If a bank (a stupid one) loaned this imbecile a billion dollars and the interest charge was 7 1/4 %, he'd be paying about $200,000 a day. So the bank calls him up and tells him sorry, we're adding a teensy bit more. You're now paying $400,000 a day. Would Fatty refer to that increase as a "tiny bit" more?
Oh, wait. He never repays loans anyway.
Never mind. Stupid AND crooked.
Orange Turd may be full of it
"Lagoogoo Doll
As a proctologist, this looks like a fecal extrusion device, although it appears he's using a fairly heavy duty model. We only prescribe these to patients who diarrhea themselves 24/7."
Fatty is threatening to “bomb the shit” out of Oman? With what? Jelly beans? Half eaten Big Macs? He and Drunk Pete have depleted the country’s stockpile of weapons to a point where wasting any more would put us seriously at risk of not being able to defend the nation from attacks.
Oh, wait…maybe what he meant was he would bomb Oman with shit, all the diarrhea in that giant poop container he’s got strapped to his fat ass.
Yeah, that’ll do it.
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