Category Archives: JOEY B SHARK

Apr 29 2021
3 Comments
Adrastos, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, Music, Political Crack

Long Time Gone

“It’s been a long time coming. It’s going to be a long time gone.”

David Crosby, 1969

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Timing is everything in both politics and life. This is Joe Biden’s time. He proved it again last night.

It was a conversational speech that was somehow still inspirational. It was full of the sort of bold policy prescriptions that Democrats haven’t offered since Fritz Mondale lost 49 states to Ronald Reagan. 1984 was the year Democrats lost their nerve. 2021 seems to be the year in which they’ve recaptured it.

It’s been a long time coming, it’s been a long time gone. I cleaned up the grammar of the classic CSN song by David Crosby. I might like Westerns as a movie genre, but I’m not big on dropped Gs. I leave that to sidekicks like Ward Bond, Andy Devine, and Walter Brennan; all of whom, I might add, were members of the proto-Dingbat Right.

It’s time for our de facto theme song:

David Crosby may be an asshole, but he’s a talented asshole. Before Biden spoke MSNBC’s Joy Reid said that “Joe Biden is like Lyndon Johnson without the swearing.” Say what? Remember: “This is a big fucking deal.”

Joe Biden also swears, but unlike Lyndon Johnson he’s a nice guy, not an asshole. If Biden were a member of CSNY, he’d be nice guy Graham Nash. LBJ was like Crosby: a talented dick, but a dick nonetheless.

Since I’m casting politicians as members of CSNY, I see Bernie Sanders as Neil Young: fundamentally an outsider but when he works with others the results can be remarkable. We’re seeing Team Player Bernie in 2021 much to the chagrin of some on the Hipster Twitter Left. I’ve always thought that Senator Sanders was better than the worst of his supporters and he’s proving that this year. Thank you, sir.

That was an epic tangent. What can I tell you? My specialty as an internet pundit is digressive tangents. I believe in playing to my strengths.

“Speak out, you got to speak out against the madness
You got to speak your mind if you dare.”

That’s what President Biden did when he addressed the Dipshit Insurrection and the madness of the Trump regime. He didn’t have to mention the Kaiser of Chaos by name. We all knew who he was talking about.

One of the most effective parts of the speech was when the president linked his ambitious plans to expand the safety net to the fate of democracy itself. It evoked the founder of the American welfare state: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR, too, spoke in a conversational tone as he advocated radical change in his Fireside Chats.

FDR used the necessity for massive wartime spending as a tool to achieve economic justice after the war. The GI Bill Of Rights is one of FDR’s least discussed accomplishments, but one of his most important. It helped educate a generation who had served their country. It was a well-deserved reward for defeating fascism abroad. Biden is intent on defeating it at home.

“Turn turn any corner
Hear you must hear what the people say
You know there’s something that’s going on around here
The surely, surely, surely won’t stand the light of day, no.”

Any long Biden speech is something of an adventure. His lifelong battle with a stutter sometimes gets the best of him. But when Biden gets stuck on a word, he moves on without missing a beat.

What you see is what you get with Joe Biden. Like Harry Truman, he served under a hyper articulate president. Unlike Truman, the vice presidency prepared him for this moment. Barack Obama wasn’t as good a president as FDR (who was?) but he treated his Veep with respect. We’re reaping the benefits of that relationship in 2021.

My original title for this post was Give Me That Old Time (Democratic) Religion. I kept thinking of Biden’s fellow Veeps: Hubert Humphrey and Fritz Mondale; both of whom would recognize their ideals and policy ideas in Biden’s speech, especially the passage about the right of labor unions to organize. To paraphrase Paul McCartney, it’s time to get back to where we once belonged.

In his farewell letter to former staffers, Mondale wrote: “Together we have accomplished so much and I know you will keep up the good fight.  Joe in the White House certainly helps.”

It certainly does. I was cautiously optimistic that Joe Biden would rise to the occasion as president, but he has exceeded my expectations. It was imperative; for as Crosby wrote back in 1969:

“But you know
The darkest hour
Is always, always just before the dawn.”

That’s what it felt like before Joe Biden’s inauguration. His predecessor was as phony as his laughable claims to be a man of the people. Joe Biden is the real deal: What you see is what you get.

The last word goes to The Dramatics:

Apr 05 2021
Adrastos, Books, Congress, Current Affairs, Economy, Film, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, New Orleans, Political Crack

Soak The Fat Boys & Spread It Out Thin

Hack Looks Askance At Hick Schtick.

Repeat after me: Soak The Fat Boys & Spread It Out Thin.

Thus spake Willie Stark in Robert Rossen’s brilliant film adaptation of Robert Penn Warren’s All The King’s Men. The line was adapted from advice Willie’s fixer Jack Burden gave him in the book after Willie delivered a dull speech:

“Just tell ’em you’re gonna soak the fat boys and forget the rest of the tax stuff…Willie, make ’em cry, make ’em laugh, make ’em mad, even mad at you. Stir them up and they’ll love it and come back for more, but, for heaven’s sakes, don’t try to improve their minds.”

I realize that sounds like something that pardoned felon Steve Bannon would have said to the Impeached Insult Comedian, but it’s sound advice for any politician even an honest one like Joe Biden. It certainly fits the time we live in:

Quite literally, the super-rich got richer, and the poor got poorer during the pandemic.

Repeat after me: Soak The Fat Boys & Spread It Out Thin.

One way to do this is to enact the Biden administration’s increase in corporate taxes. Another more satisfying way is to enact the Wealth Tax proposed by Senator Professor Elizabeth Warren. It will make the fat boys squeal like the pigs they are.

But will the Emperor of the Senate Joe Manchin support such a surtax? He’s from one of the poorest states in the Union but raising taxes became heresy for Blue Dogs after Mondale was blown out in the 1984 election and reinforced by the Gingrich wave election in 1994.

in 1984, Fritz Mondale made it a point of honesty in his acceptance speech:

‘Mr. Reagan will raise taxes and so will I. He won’t tell you. I just did.’

When I searched for the exact quote, it turned up articles warning Democrats not to raise taxes. All were written before the boom, bust, and boom of the pandemic.

Income inequality began its rise in the Reagan era, and exploded last year. Since the right no longer has an appealing salesman like Ronald Reagan, that makes it time to:

Biden’s infrastructure bill *should* be enormously popular. We can all cite crumbling infrastructure in our states and communities. In New Orleans, the greatest infrastructure need involves our water system. The vast majority of the pipes are over 100 years old. They burst with alarming regularity, which leads to frequent boil water orders. The city needs federal money to replace the system. It will take many years, but we need to get going as soon as possible.

I, for one, am relieved that Mitch McConnell has declared his entire caucus against the American Jobs Act. That means there will be no bad faith negotiations with Republicans as Leader Schumer plans to use the filibuster proof reconciliation process again. As with the COVID relief plan, I consider McConnell’s move to be cynical: GOPers will pop up to support projects if the bill passes.

It’s up to Democrats to find middle ground between AOC and the Man of La Manchin. It may sound hard but it’s easier than getting libertarian creeps like Aqua Buddha to agree to a spending proposal that’s guaranteed to attack income equality while improving roads, bridges, and the like across the country. It’s ironic that the original proponent of internal improvements, Henry Clay, hailed from Kentucky given the Turtle and Aqua Buddha’s posturing but he was a Whig, they’re Trumpified Republicans.

The Republican attack on the COVID relief plan was muted because they knew their states would benefit. I expect the same dynamic to play out here. Besides, the faux populism of Trump has seeded the ground for more government spending. Infrastructure week may have been a running joke under Trump, but President Biden hopes to make every week infrastructure week.

Willie Stark was famously based on Huey P. Long who was a blowhard with authoritarian tendencies, but he was big on infrastructure before it was called that. He talked a lot of rubbish, but delivered massive projects throughout the Gret Stet of Louisiana.

Joe Biden seems an unlikely heir to Long but the mere fact that he’s regarded as a moderate helped pass the first huge spending bill and will help pass the next spending bill if the Man of La Manchin allows it. He should follow the example of former West Virginia Senators such as Jennings, Byrd, and Rockefeller and take the money and run.

Make it so, Joe, make it so.

Soak the fat boys by passing a wealth surtax and/or corporate tax hikes, then spread it out thin by passing the American Jobs act.

The last word goes to the Steve Miller Band:

 

Mar 12 2021
5 Comments
Adrastos, COVID-19, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack

Finding Light In The Darkness

On the 50th day of his administration, President Biden delivered his first prime time speech and delivered on his promise to sign a COVID relief package into law. Anyone who knows anything about the legislative process, knows that this is a remarkable accomplishment. Complex bills such as this typically take much longer to reach the president’s desk. Kudos to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer for making this possible.

The speech was a strong one. It was vintage Joe Biden complete with Truman-like plain speaking and soaring Humphrey-esque rhetoric. Unlike Biden, Hubert Humphrey’s timing was off, but he remains the American politician most like President Biden. That’s high praise indeed: HHH was the best president we never had. Joe Biden has a shot to be one of the best. As the man himself would say, “that’s not hyperbole.”

In addition to plugging his achievements, Biden displayed the sort of humility that his predecessor was incapable of. Joe Biden is all about we, former President* Pennywise is all about me.

The President warned us that beating the pandemic won’t be easy but that if we stick together, life will return to something approaching normality by Independence Day. Given the amount of vaccine in the pipeline, I think he’s right.

It’s refreshing to see the return of the can-do attitude that reflects America at its best. Happy Warriors are back in style. Whiny Impeached Insult Comedians are out.

I took the post title from one of the soaring passages of Biden’s speech:

Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do. In fact, it may be the most American thing we do, and that’s what we’ve done. We’ve seen frontline and essential workers risking their lives, sometimes losing them, to save and help others. Researchers and scientists racing for a vaccine. And so many of you, as Hemingway wrote, being strong in all the broken places. I know it’s been hard. I truly know.

It’s been one year since an international pandemic was declared. It shouldn’t be odd to have a president who cares if we live or die: Donald Trump did not, Joe Biden does. As the man himself would say, “that’s a big fucking deal.”

Americans are a restless, impatient people. We’ve seen that time and time again in the last year. Patience is called for as we round the homestretch and head towards the finish line. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let’s not blow it America.

Finally, I’m tired of people damning Joe Biden with faint praise. As I said on inauguration day, this is his time. Who cares if he wasn’t your first choice in 2020? Politics is about helping people, not pleasing the cool kids of the Twitter left. Joe Biden has moved left with his party. Hopefully, we can nudge the nation in the same direction. We’re off to a helluva good start.

The last word goes to George Harrison and Leon Russell with Beware of Darkness:

 

Mar 10 2021
Adrastos, Art, Congress, COVID-19, Diary, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack

Things Are Looking Up

I made a Magritte joke this morning in my album cover art post. This time it’s a sight gag: the featured image is a Magritte painting called The Therapist, which is, in turn, a joke on the surrealist movement’s passion for psychologically provocative images. And some think Francophones have no sense of humor.

The lockdown phase of the pandemic began a year ago. It’s been tough. We’ve all despaired and been distressed. Things began to improve with the presidential election. There was a major setback with the Dipshit Insurrection, but things got better after the inauguration.

In my last 13th Ward Rambler column for the Bayou Brief I declared February to be the 14th Month Of 2020. That’s NOT how I feel about March 2021. It feels like a new era has begun. In the immortal words of the Brothers Gershwin, Things Are Looking Up.

The first verse of that song says it all:

If I should suddenly start to sing
Or stand on my head or do anything
Don’t think that I’ve lost my senses
It’s just that my happiness finally commences
The long long years of dull despair
Are vanishing into thin air
And it suddenly seems that I’ve
Become the luckiest man alive

Congress is on the verge of passing the most important piece of progressive legislation since the ACA in 2010. I would argue that it’s even more important because it was done without giving an inch to Republican “moderates” who sought to water it down. The MSM is obsessed with that point but they’re wrong. History will see that as a footnote and a minor one indeed. In the immortal words of Joey B. Shark, “This is a big fucking deal.”

I’m hoping that the COVID relief bill is a sign that Democrats have got their mojo back. The dual Reagan landslides in 1980 and 1984 were traumatic. They were really based on Reagan’s persona and extraordinary communication skills, but Democrats care about policy, so they convinced themselves it was about the prose of governing, not the poetry of campaigning. Are we still allowed to quote Mario Cuomo despite his jerk son’s malakatude?

Ronald Reagan was fundamentally a salesman. He gave his party the gift of messaging; something they still excel at, which can’t always be said for Democrats. Our mojo may be back, but our branding remains shaky. Repeat after me: The label on the package is just as important as the contents.

And now for a brief musical interlude:

In other optimistic news, things are looking up on the COVID front. It helps to have an administration that believes in government.  Team Trump dropped the ball on handling the pandemic, but Team Biden has recovered the fumble and done a helluva job at getting the vaccines out there.

The several states are ramping up their vaccination efforts thanks to the administration’s hard work on distributing the vaccine and ensuring adequate supplies. The Merck-Johnson & Johnson agreement is another big fucking deal. It shouldn’t be smercked at…

On the personal front, I got my first haircut in a year last weekend. Not much grows on top but the back gets bushy and curly. Who the hell wants this guy on the back of their head:

I don’t have that shocking contraption on my head. It was the weirdest GIF I could find so I went there. Poor Curly. I bet it was Moe’s fault.

Back to the real world. I’m getting vaccinated at the Morial Convention Center on Saturday. I qualified under the Gret Stet’s phase-2 guidelines since I’m old and overweight. Not long after I made my appointment, the governor loosened the requirements since the vaccine is flowing like wine. I’m not sure what that means, but it’s better than spilling it:

Now that there’s adequate supply, the several states should jab anything that moves. It should be like Word War II era draft boards who inducted anyone that could stand up even if Mr. Potter rejected Slacker George Bailey.

We need to vaccinate 75% of the population before things can get back to Gamalian normalcy. We’re finally on our way but there will likely be speed bumps ahead. Shorter Adrastos: DON’T SPIKE THE BALL.

One more quote from Ira Gershwin:

Bitter was my cup
But no more shall I be the mourner
For I’ve certainly turned the corner
Oh, things are looking up

The last word goes to dueling divas: Billie was a bit subdued whereas Ella was exuberant. I’m somewhere in between.

Feb 23 2021
1 Comment
Adrastos, COVID-19, JOEY B SHARK, R.I.P., So Called Liberal Media

I Read The Daily News Today, Oh Boy

We move from the elegiac tone of Cassandra’s post to the sarcastic tone of the New York Daily News front page this morning:

The Kaiser of Chaos wrong? Always.

For those who missed President Biden’s moving speech marking this grim milestone, here it is:

Biden is the best mourner-in-chief since Bill Clinton. Nobody does empathy better than Joe Biden. That’s why it’s his time.

The last word goes to The Beatles:

Feb 04 2021
2 Comments
Adrastos, Congress, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack

Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe

I was always baffled by articles that claimed that the previous president* was difficult to satirize. Say what? The Impeached Insult Comedian, his corrupt cronies, and awful family were low hanging fruit who often provided their own punch lines. Punditry is much harder when you’re in broad support of an administration. That’s where I find myself right now. To paraphrase the Arlen-Harburg song that gives this post its title, happiness is a thing called Adrastos.

The Biden administration is off to a fast start. With the stroke of a pen, the new president has undone some of the worst things done by his predecessor. That’s the problem with using executive orders, they can be undone rather quickly, which has led conservative pundits to decry Biden’s so-called rule by decree. Funny thing that Trump’s reliance on executive orders never bothered them.

It’s time to praise the new asterisk-free president for dumping so many Trump policies so quickly. Gone are:

  • The Muslim ban.
  • Team Trump’s fuckery with the census.
  • The 1776 commission.
  • The Keystone XL pipeline.
  • The withdrawal from the WHO and Paris climate accord.
  • The ban on transgender folks serving in the military.
  • The ban on funding for international nonprofit groups that perform or promote abortions.
  • The order separating families at the border.

They’re gone, gone away:

The devil is in the details on many of these issues, but the White House has gone from being a nest of intrigue to a beehive of activity. Another day, another mixed metaphor.

Joe Biden has only been president for 15 days, but he’s accomplished a great deal. We now have a national COVID strategy. Imagine that. Team Trump had taken us back to the laissez faire days of Herbert Hoover with its stress on a state and local response to the pandemic. That led to chaos. That’s why I call him the Kaiser of Chaos.

The most encouraging signs have been in the president’s dealings with Congress. Many expected him to roll over and seek bipartisanship for its own sake. That was not how I read his stress on unity, which to Senate Republicans means letting them set the agenda with faux compromises.

Biden politely listened to proposals advanced by ten Senate GOPers and just as politely rejected them. This has led to considerable whining on their part about how Biden’s mean old staff won’t let him compromise. Kudos to chief meanie Ron Klain. He was there when Republicans led President Obama down the primrose path of faux compromise before leaving him at the altar with no GOP votes for the ACA. I’m glad they’re not repeating those mistakes.

The media coverage of the budget reconciliation process is driving me crazy. It does not mean that Democrats are going it alone. It means that they’re using reconciliation as a way to avoid a filibuster. Republican senators are free to vote for the COVID relief package, which is popular with voters. If only they would show some gumption and stop marching in lockstep with Mitch McConnell, but we know they won’t. Sycophancy is what they do best.

I’m in broad agreement with the goals of the Biden administration. There will be times when I disagree about means, but they’ve moved quickly to undo the worst excesses of Trumpism. American politics often works in 40-year cycles. Trumpism was the last gasp of Reaganism. The GOP went from a party with an appealing leader selling appalling policies to an appalling leader selling himself as the sole solution to the country’s problems.

It’s Joe Biden’s time to clean up the mess left behind by his predecessor. It won’t be easy but he’s the right man for the job. His age has gone from being a liability to an asset. The older you get the less you care about the conventional wisdom. Joey B. Shark is out of fucks to give and he doesn’t care who knows it.

Happiness truly is a thing called Joe. The last word goes to Ella Fitzgerald:

Jan 25 2021
2 Comments
Adrastos, COVID-19, JOEY B SHARK, Music, Political Crack, Science

Jab Jabber

Hands by Max Ernst.

When I say jab, I don’t mean Jabberwocky, Jabba the Hutt, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or a punch. Jab is what the Brits call a shot in the arm administered by a medical professional. That’s right, this long punny intro leads to a post about our hope to vaccinate our way out of the pandemic.

COVID is the David Bowie of viruses. It keeps morphing and changing like crazy. Scientists are cautiously optimistic that the various vaccines can keep up with the virus, but I have the jab jitters as we move from the Ziggy Stardust phase of the virus to the Thin White Duke phase. The good news is that Bowie lived a long life, the bad news is that we’re stuck by analogy in his most decadent phase: the mid-1970’s.

It’s unclear how well the Bowie analogy holds up but what is clear is that the Trump Regime like its leader was not big on planning. Team Biden is left with a mess that requires their immediate attention. It’s one of many. I think there will be days where President Biden will say to his estimable chief of staff Ron Klain, “Remind me why I wanted this job again.”

The good news is that Joe Biden is not a quitter. In fact, he’s a tougher sumbitch than given credit for.  This toughness is epitomized by a man with a serious stutter going into a line of work that requires public speaking. You can still see him struggle with his stutter then overcome it by force of will. This is not a man easily deterred by setbacks. It’s just what the doctor ordered at the end of the Trump error.

The headline on an article by TPM’s Josh Kovensky says it all: How Trump Left The Country With No Real Vaccine Distribution Plan. Make sure you read the whole damn thing. You’ll alternate between moments of schadenfreude and worry about how we’ll get out of this mess. Mercifully, Team Biden is imbued with the can-do spirit that America was known for before wallowing in white Trumper angst for four years.

Under the previous administration, we were neck deep in shit and sinking fast, but help is not only on the way it’s here.

The last word goes to David Bowie with a song that name checks the Thin White Duke:

Jan 25 2021
4 Comments
Free Republic, JOEY B SHARK, Q, The Darnold, Tommy T

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “The Beginning Of The End” edition

I have to admit – I’m a 50s horror movie buff. I used to sneak out of bed at midnight, tune in to the distant (distant from Waco, anyway) DFW channel 11, adjust the rabbit ears, and sit in front of the TV for movies like “The Giant Claw” and “The Crawling Eye”.

Another fave was “The Beginning Of The End”, which featured giant grasshoppers (harvested,  coincidentally, from the farmland around my Dad’s farm) attacking Chicago as a finale’.

Apparently, hundreds of thousands of the Qberts tuned into GAB to watch The Darnold swoop down upon the Inauguration ceremony, arrest/execute all of the libtards, and save the day just like “Q” promised he would.

Nope. Not even one giant grasshopper.

.

My beat, of course, is Free Republic, and I’m here to document what was the beginning of the end of all their shit-stupid LARPing fantasies.

Let’s get started, shall we?

How stupid do I/We feel about what happened today??
Nascar Dad ^ | 01/20/2021 | Nascar Dad

Posted on 1/20/2021, 6:29:44 PM by Nascar Dad

So I have been duped by Conservatives and Q Followers alike. Trump was supposed to be soooooo close to dropping info to prove Biden stole the election. What happened? Biden is now our president. Nothing on Horowitz. Nothing on Durham. Nothing on Declass. Nothing on stolen elections. Trump packed it up, split town and left us with Biden. Brilliant! It feels like I’ve been punched in the gut. I’m sure there are others out there that feel the same way. I listened, and bought into, the BS about saving the world… Yadda Yadda Yadda. I am done. I believed the hype and have nobody to blame but myself. That is all. It was fun while it lasted.

1 posted on 1/20/2021, 6:29:44 PM by Nascar Dad
To: Nascar Dad

Yup, it was like the proverbial carrot in front of the donkey.

4 posted on 1/20/2021, 6:32:02 PM by joma89 (Buy weapons and ammo, folks, and have the will to use them.)

To: Nascar Dad

True that. Remember when we were told Sidney Powell was the smartest lawyer in DC? Yeah I didn’t believe it either

18 posted on 1/20/2021, 6:37:34 PM by STXOUTLAW

To: Nascar Dad

Only the Q morons are surprised by what happened today.

The rest of us knew Trump was leaving weeks ago.

Only the tik tok crowd was surprised that the latest declass was a bust.

I think it will be a while before we can really see what worked and what didn’t for the Trump administation.

But one thing I can see:

epic “owns” on twitter are no substitute for getting loyal and competent appointees confirmed.

and insulting the media is not adequate compensation for not passing significant legislation and changes to laws.

31 posted on 1/20/2021, 6:40:16 PM by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)

Ouch.
.
People, this is going to be a long one – there are tens of thousands of gallons of Freeper tears to consume, so follow me below the fold to read more, and put your wet suits on.
.

Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 20 2021
5 Comments
Adrastos, COVID-19, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack

Joe Biden’s Time

Timing is everything in life. This is Joe Biden’s time.

His inaugural address was excellent but the most important thing that has happened in the last few days was the COVID memorial on Inauguration Eve as seen above. It’s the first time a president has acknowledged the horrors of the pandemic instead of shirking blame. Thank you, Mr. President.

President Biden’s speech was the opposite of triumphalist. He knows that he has a hard row to hoe, but he’s equal to the challenge. He made it clear that the unity he mentions is aspirational. It’s also imperative to end what he accurately called our “uncivil war.”

I’m exasperated with the people who insist on damning Joe Biden with faint praise. It’s unclear if any other Democrat could have defeated Trump. Cross-over votes from suburban women and conservative leaning independents carried the day. I think we should thank the President for coming out of retirement at an advanced age to rescue our imperiled democracy.

A reminder to those who worry that President Biden will relapse into his supposedly centrist ways:

Franklin Roosevelt was regarded as a lightweight when he was elected president. Nobody thought he would be a transformational leader. He rose to the occasion.

Harry Truman desegregated the military and saved Western Europe from starvation and Soviet domination. This from a man who used the N word and made ethnic jokes in private conversation. He rose to the occasion.

Jack Kennedy was all profile and no courage when it came to McCarthyism and its creator. Joe McCarthy was popular with JFK’s Irish Catholic base so JFK pandered to them. As president, he proposed sweeping Civil Rights legislation, which was passed by his successor. He rose to the occasion.

Lyndon Johnson voted against every Civil Rights bill until 1957. As president, he passed Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, and Voting Rights Act. He rose to the occasion.

I believe that Joe Biden will rise to the occasion. He certainly did in his historic selection of Kamala Harris as his vice president.

America also rose to the occasion. Security was tight today but we did not cower and move the ceremony indoors.

Times are tough but hope is back in fashion. Thanks Joe and Kamala.

Finally, I’d like to thank Joe Biden for allowing me to remove the asterisk from the word president. It’s been a long time coming.

The last word goes to Paul Simon:

Dec 21 2020
5 Comments
Congress, Free Republic, JOEY B SHARK, Tommy T

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Free Beer Tomorrow” edition

I may have to take a short break between now and inauguration day.

As much as I enjoy watching the Freeperati strangle as they run out of air, this is getting a bit depressing and hard to watch.

Russell Ramsland: “I think there will be huge evidence coming forward in the next couple of days that will drastically change the playing field. The question is will anyone report on it.” at minute 6:00 in the video link.
Populist Press/Newsmax ^ | 12-18-2020 | NewsMax

Posted on 12/19/2020, 8:57:25 AM by PK1991

Russell Ramsland: “I think there will be huge evidence coming forward in the next couple of days that will drastically change the playing field. The question is will anyone report on it.” at minute 6:00 in the video link.

Ramsland: The courts aren’t going to help us. All the case dismissals are not related to evidence. Not one court has looked at any evidence yet.

Ramsland also talks about his forensic examination of the Antrim county voting machines report.

Ramsland responds to Dominion CEO’s denial that the system can flip votes or uses fractional voting. “He needs to go back and look at his own machines and read paragraph 11.0 of his own user manual.”

Ramsland: In his report the Michigan Secretary of State after asking that the whole report not be released asked that the computer logs that were part of the report be redacted. The Judge ordered the computer logs redacted form the report. Then after it is released they say there is no evidence in the report.

1 posted on 12/19/2020, 8:57:25 AM by PK1991
But it’s from “Newsmax”. It’s gotta be true!!
To: PK1991

“I think there will be huge evidence coming forward in the next couple of days..”

**************

More free beer — tomorrow.

3 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:01:13 AM by Starboard

To: PK1991

Lucy/football/us.

5 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:01:50 AM by dynachrome ( “The people have spoken . . . and they must be punished.” Ed Koch)

To: BobL

Why, why, have we not seen any evidence of this????I’m tired of all this “evidence” that is supposed to be boom, huge breaking news, colossal, etc…..and yet…..nothing is ever dropped.

4 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:01:20 AM by ealgeone
To: PK1991

I think it’s the Kracken!!

11 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:06:31 AM by 2big2fail

To: PK1991

BOOM POW BANG !!!! WE GOT’M NOW !!!

23 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:25:55 AM by devane617 (…)

(Tommy T puts on oxygen mask to keep from drowning in sarcasm)
To: 2big2fail
35 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:34:12 AM by DoodleBob (Gravity’s waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
See what I mean?   And I am SO stealing that meme!
“If it was anybody else, I’d say what’s going to happen to you would be a lesson to you. Only you’re going to need more than one lesson. And you’re going to get more than one lesson.”
Ray Collins, in “Citizen Kane”
To: ealgeone

“I’m tired of all this “evidence” that is supposed to be boom, huge breaking news, colossal, etc…..and yet…..nothing is ever dropped.”

How would Hannity stay in business? After all, each night he opens with wild claims of new “bomb shell” information/proof and then. . . .nothing.

42 posted on 12/19/2020, 9:41:11 AM by Hulka ( )

And of course :
To: crz

I doubt they will ever look at any of it.You and me both. From this point forward, it will take bloodshed. And from what I have seen, we are up to that. A few are, but not enough. I only hope that there is enough of us to give a good account of ourselves.

120 posted on 12/19/2020, 12:46:10 PM by sport
The “Bloodshed bullshit” fantasies below the fold…

Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Dec 13 2020
3 Comments
Campaign Notes, Free Republic, JOEY B SHARK, Stupid Republican Tricks, Supreme Court, The Darnold, Tommy T

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “STOP – in the name of lawve” edition

So, Freepers – how did that that Ken Pax-Man Supreme Court lawsuit that was going to save The Darnold even better than a Sidney Powell Kraken work out for ya?

 

 

 

SCOTUS Denies Texas
legalinsurrection.com ^ | 12/11/2020 | Staff

Posted on 12/11/2020, 5:37:10 PM by jroehl

Fox news:

155, ORIG. TEXAS V. PENNSYLVANIA, ET AL. The State of Texas’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections. All other pending motions are dismissed as moot. Statement of Justice Alito, with whom Justice Thomas joins: In my view, we do not have discretion to deny the filing of a bill of complaint in a case that falls within our original jurisdiction. See Arizona v. California, 589 U. S. ___ (Feb. 24, 2020) (Thomas, J., dissenting). I would therefore grant the motion to file the bill of complaint but would not grant other relief, and I express no view on any other issue.

1 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:37:10 PM by jroehl
To: jroehl

That’s it then

2 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:37:58 PM by Mmogamer (I refudiate the lamestream media, leftists and their prevaricutions.)

Pretty much, yeah.
To: jroehl

Damn them!

3 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:38:13 PM by Texan

To: jroehl

Then we no longer have a Constitution.

8 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:39:09 PM by Ben Hecks (Don’t Google it – Duck it!)

Nope – I just had a look – it’s still right there in the Rotunda at the National Archives.  Where were you looking?
Under your bed?
To: PghBaldy

Just elect Perdue and the lovely Kelly Loeffler. That will fix everything.

22 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:41:20 PM by lodi90

To: jroehl

To Hell with these black robed demons. It is time to water the tree of liberty.

24 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:41:33 PM by diplomatic_immunity

With the blood of “patriots”?  I agree completely.  Just lean over the nearest tree and open up your veins.
To: o2bfree

Quite believable, actually. Too many keep denying the impact of the Deep State. People were told Trump would never be allowed to be re-elected by the Deep State. No one should be surprised that’s where we’re headed.

35 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:42:30 PM by CatOwner

Well, it’s official.
.
Everyone except The Darnold is now the Derp State.  Took a while, but you finally got there.
To: jroehl
How the heck is this even possible?!?!

Um – one state can’t dictate election terms to any other state? I know it’s a shocker….

 

One thing for certain I will not be voting again, it’s just not worth it!

36 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:42:36 PM by existentially_kuffer

Promises, promises.
To: jroehl

Lawless country. I want a divorce. Irreconcilable differences.

40 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:42:53 PM by rigelkentaurus

Works for me.  Of course, you know she’ll get everything, including your house and car, child support (for all the children torn from their parents’ arms at the border), and a restraining order preventing you from coming any closer than the ten-mile offshore limit…
To: jroehl

The Soap BoxThe Ballot Box

The Jury Box<———you are here

The Cartridge Box<———you are here – fire at will

54 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:44:22 PM by rockrr ( Everything is different now…)

.

Which one’s Will?

.
To: jroehl

Actually, I predicted that the matter of standing would block this case from consideration.My fellow Freepers, while I acknowledge the moral righteousness here and also acknowledge that “no standing” is a typical judicial dodge to avoid making controversial rulings, we have to ask ourselves if one state really has standing to sue over how another state runs its business.

Common sense and morality are not necessarily the basis on how The Law works.

70 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:45:39 PM by Lysandru
To: Mmogamer

No use following laws Should be open season on Commie Dems

74 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:46:03 PM by Renegade

Feel free to try it, shit-for-brains.  But you’ll do nothing, just like you didn’t do anything the last ten times you threatened to grab a gun and start shooting.
To: jroehl

Civil war… the only solution left. Time to mobilize and resist the criminal US Government.

82 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:46:42 PM by DesertRhino (Dog is man’s best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. …. )

.
WOLVERINES !!!! Mount UP!!!
To: jroehl

OK, well, I don’t know about anyone else, but as for me – I’m going to war.- Mike out.

83 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:46:44 PM by grobdriver (BUILD KATE’S WALL!)
You’re not going anywhere, you blithering buffoon – except to bed to cry yourself to sleep.
.
.
To: alternatives?

Sorry, you’re right. It was the three Trump appointees who stabbed us in the back. So now I do believe that “Justice” Kavanaugh, whom we all fought so hard for to less than no avail, did in fact rape that woman.

99 posted on 12/11/2020, 5:48:10 PM by laconic

Welcome to the party, moron.
More after the “more” thingy

Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Dec 11 2020
1 Comment
Adrastos, Film, Fog Of Scandal, JOEY B SHARK, Language, Political Crack

Biden To Delouse The White House

After Joe Biden debated Paul Ryan in 2012, we had a lot of fun with then Veep’s use of figuratively and literally. In this case, it’s both a literal *and* figurative delousing. Who’s a bigger louse than President* Pennywise?

President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team are reportedly already making plans to ensure that the White House, which has been plagued with a series of COVID-19 infections thanks to President Donald Trump’s disregard for protective measures against the virus, is safe enough for the 78-year-old Biden to move in come January 20.

According to Politico, Biden’s transition team will have the White House fully cleaned by General Services Administration (GSA) staffers hours after Trump leaves the building.

A spokesperson for the GSA told Politico that the staffers will “thoroughly clean and disinfect” every area of the East and West Wings that people have touched, including furniture and doorknobs.

A private contractor will also reportedly provide “disinfectant misting services.”

You say disinfect, I say delouse. Let’s call the Trump presidency off.

I hope they plan to tent the place for literal insects and set extra-large rat traps just in case some human vermin linger. I’m speaking figuratively.

Since Joey B Shark is a good Catholic, he should have the house blessed and an exorcism performed if need be. Literally or figuratively.

The last word goes to Father Merrin of The Exorcist. He might be needed in case Ivanka refuses to leave:

Dec 03 2020
2 Comments
Adrastos, Fog Of Scandal, JOEY B SHARK, Law/Justice, Legal Docket, Political Crack, The Darnold

Unshy Trump Shysters On Parade

For the “cleanest man in America” Donald Trump sure has a lot of lawyers. They keep popping up like kudzu, making extreme statements and preposterous arguments from which they should shy away but Trump’s shysters are unshy. Word Press is convinced that’s not a word but Merriam-Webster begs to differ. I’m not gunshy about using unshy. If Word Press continues to object, I’ll cross that abridge when I get to it. It’s clearly over troubled waters…

Team Trump’s shyster’s arguments have become increasingly unhinged as they continue to lose cases. Even some Trump judicial appointees have expressed outrage over this abuse of the legal process. Judges have the temerity to expect evidence in their court rooms. Evidence? What the hell is that?

I keep waiting for someone to make this pun: they’re flipping their Wigmores over the paucity of proof. Here’s a visual cue to explain that pun:

Rumor has it that John Henry Wigmore had a mighty hammer. I seem to have woken up on the punny side of the bed this morning. Insomnia makes me punchy, what can I tell ya?

The craziest thing said by a Trump shyster was this gem from former US Attorney and Fox News personality, Joe di Genova about Chris Krebs:

The former DHS official, diGenova said, is “a class-A moron” who “should be drawn and quartered, taken out at dawn and shot.”

Say it ain’t so, Joe. This could get you sued, disbarred, or banned from the baseball hall of fame.

A Joe-less Say It Ain’t So is also the title of a swell Weezer tune:

If you didn’t get the baseball history reference, it’s about this guy:

Where was I? Lost in a field of dreams, puns, and obscure references. Pardon me for that lapse. Perhaps I should ask the Impeached Insult Comedian. He seems to be in a pardoning mood.

Speaking of pardons, the Failing New York Times reported:

President Trump has discussed with advisers whether to grant pre-emptive pardons to his children, to his son-in-law and to his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, and talked with Mr. Giuliani about pardoning him as recently as last week, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Mr. Trump has told others that he is concerned that a Biden Justice Department might seek retribution against the president by targeting the oldest three of his five children — Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — as well as Ms. Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, a White House senior adviser.

Projection thy name is President* Pennywise. That’s something he would do but not Joe Biden. He’s said repeatedly that he will not involve himself in DOJ business. A lesser man would want vengeance over the endless Hunter Biden smears, but this Joe says it ain’t so. But investigations by other arms of the DOJ seem likely. Come on down, Sovereign District of New York.

The Impeached Insult Comedian does not seem to understand that a pardon is an admission of guilt. If they ever appear in federal court, his chirren and Rudy might be required to allocute as to the nature of their pardonable offenses. That’s a cute way of saying that they can’t take the Fifth. In any event, a presidential* pardon doesn’t cover state crimes and the Manhattan DA’s office is Trump hunting. Stay tuned.

I’m not going to touch the idea of a presidential* self-pardon. I think it would fail a legal test, especially given the “quality” of Trump’s unshy shysters. I still think a resign and pardon scenario is more likely. For the petty Trumpers, it would have the virtue of making Mike Pence the 46th president and mess up all the 46 Joe memes out there:

It’s okay 47 rhymes with heaven. I’m in heaven when I dance cheek to cheek with the promise of the Biden administration.

Finally, the Kaiser of Chaos is so enraged by Bill Barr’s admission that there was no widespread election fraud that he may fire his ass. That would be good news for fans of the Trump-Hitler Barr-Goering analogy. Goering was fired by Hitler as he skulked in his bunker at the end of World War II. I’m too lazy to look into whether there’s a Trump-Barr Downfall video but I have this swell side-by-side picture of Wilhelm und Hermann:

I can’t let those two creeps have the last word. Instead, we should “talk to the lawyer, professional liar” as well as David Lindley and El Rayo-X:

Nov 30 2020
Adrastos, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack, Twitter

Women In The Room

Joe Biden knows who elected him. It was women voters, especially women of color. The latest wave of appointments totals 13 of whom 11 are women; 6 of them are women of color and 2 are lesbians. Of the two men appointed one is a black guy for a grand total of 7 people of color in this wave.

Biden is off to excellent start in keeping his pledge to have an administration that looks like America.

When I first heard Janet Yellen’s name mentioned I had a D’oh moment. What Democratic woman is better qualified that the former Fed head who will be only the second person to hold both jobs? Senator Professor Warren is equally qualified, but her state has a Republican Governor. That’s likely to rule out Senator Bernie Sanders for a cabinet job as well: GOPer Phil Scott is Governor of Vermont. They’re both moderates but unlikely to select a Democrat to replace a Senator appointed to the cabinet. As the old saying goes: you gotta dance with those who brung you.

The most controversial nominee is apt to be Neera Tanden who has enemies on both ends of the ideological spectrum. Her detractors dislike Tanden because of her close ties to Hillary Clinton and her bad ass persona on the tweeter tube. I wasn’t aware that mean tweets were disqualifying. I’m also glad that Biden is willing to nominate someone who will generate heat, not light. There will be many battles to fight in the next 4 years, so a bit of controversy is a good thing.

The best thing about the all-chick comms staff is that it provoked a tirade from Kayleigh McEnany. Anything that pisses her off is fine with me.

I’m tired of writing about Team Trump so I welcome the chance to celebrate Team Biden-Harris’ commitment to diversity. It doesn’t surprise me: Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris proved that he’s serious about having a government that looks like the country.

A final request. I wish people would stop freaking out every time a name they dislike is floated by the media. It’s best to look at the totality of the team not those rumored to join it. Besides, after 4 years of Team Trump, anyone is an improvement. Who could be worse than Ross, Mnuchin, or Miller?

Nov 29 2020
3 Comments
Athenae, Catblogging, JOEY B SHARK

Not Everything Sucks & Sunday Catblogging: CATS ARE BACK

Yeah yeah yeah, vaccines, world peace, whatever. WE’RE GETTING A FIRST CAT, AMERICA.

First it was announced that Champ and Major, the German shepherds belonging to the president-elect and future first lady Jill Biden, would roam the White House. And now, after an absence of more than a decade, a cat is set to also join the ranks of presidential pets, Jane Pauley of “CBS Sunday Morning” reported on Twitter on Friday.

In an interview with Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., Dr. Biden hinted that if her husband won the presidency, she would not mind getting a cat.

“I’d love to get a cat,” she said. “I love having animals around the house.”

The cat’s breed and name were not immediately available. Representatives for Mr. Biden did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

Literally one conversation in the car with Kick about who was voting for who and why involved which presidents had what pets, so you have no idea the stir this news created in my household. Even Thing One and Thing Two here approve:

A.

Nov 25 2020
3 Comments
Adrastos, Food and Drink, Gret Stet Politics, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack

Quote Of The Day: Diplomatic Gumbo

As I listened to the incoming UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, I was proud to be an LSU graduate.

Here are edited highlights of her remarks yesterday:

I learned from my family. Mr. President elect, thank you for those generous words that you said about me. My parents had very little back in Louisiana where I grew up, but they gave me and my siblings everything they had and I know how proud they would be of this day. On this day, I’m also missing my mentor, Ambassador Ed Perkins, who served as the US Ambassador to the United Nations under President George HW Bush and President Clinton. And who was also from Louisiana. He told me constantly, “Linda, don’t undersell yourself.” And he would always do everything possible to lift me up.

He passed away last week, but I know he’s here with us today. And on this day, I’m thinking about the American people, my fellow career diplomats and public servants around the world. I want to say to you, “America is back, multi-lateralism is back. Diplomacy is back.” Mr. President elect, I’ve often heard you say how all politics is personal, and that’s how you build relationships of trust and bridge disagreements and find common ground. And in my 35 years in the foreign service across four continents, I put a Cajun spin on it. I called that gumbo diplomacy.

Wherever I was posted around the world, I’d invite people of different backgrounds and beliefs to help me make a roux and chop onions for the Holy Trinity and make homemade gumbo. It was my way of breaking down barriers, connecting with people, and starting to see each other on a human level. A bit of lagniappe is what we say in Louisiana. That’s the charge in front of us today. The challenges we face, a global pandemic, a global economy, a global climate change crisis, mass migration and extreme poverty, social justice are unrelenting and interconnected, but they’re not unresolvable if America is leading the way. Thank you.

I come from a food-oriented family and live in a food-oriented city, so this was a perfect message for this season. It’s also a refreshing antidote to the nonsense spouted for four years by Team Trump on the foreign policy side. To paraphrase Gordon Ramsey, isolationism can piss off out of my kitchen.

The entire Biden event was a refreshing antidote to the weeks of crazy following the election. The grown-ups are back in charge. Imagine appointing people on the basis of their qualifications, not on how they look. That’s what gave us the Exxon CEO as Secretary of State and he was by no means the worst appointee. He did, however, provide me with Tea for the Tillerson puns so it wasn’t all bad.

Speaking of puns, I’ve heard before that the incoming Secretary of State is a fellow punster. He certainly has a punworthy name: Blinken. I hope he does the pun community proud and doesn’t get in too much trouble with the media for having a sense of humor. It will be a refreshing change from the ponderous pomposity of Pompeo.

The appointment that pleased me the most was that of John Kerry as the climate guy. Appointing someone who’s an equal is a sign that Joe Biden is comfortable in his own skin and that the incoming president is serious about climate change, which is some serious shit.

Team Biden has a mess to clean up but it’s what Democratic presidents do. The magnitude of Team Trump’s corruption and incompetence makes it an even bigger challenge but most of it is reversible. Repeat after me: help is on the way.

Back to Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. She’s from Baker, Louisiana, which is right next to Red Stick, but I won’t hold that against her. I eagerly await the inevitable “she’ll be good for Louisiana” pieces from the Gret Stet punditocracy. In this case, they might be right. She does present a refreshing stylistic contrast to the cornpone shtick of our fake hick junior Senator, John Neely Kennedy.

The last word goes to Little Feat with the number 8 song on my Louisiana Top 50:

Nov 15 2020
5 Comments
Athenae, COVID-19, JOEY B SHARK

Grown-Ups Are On It

God, it’s amazing how small a move this actually is, and how great it is at the same time: 

Today, I met with the co-chairs of the transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Dr. David Kessler, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.

They briefed me on the accelerating public health crisis. The facts they presented were alarming. Our country is experiencing surges in reported infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities all over the country, with virtually nowhere getting spared. Our doctors, nurses, and other health care workers are under enormous — and growing — strain.  This week’s news on progress toward a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is positive, but it will be many months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.

This crisis demands a robust and immediate federal response, which has been woefully lacking.

Here in Illinois we’re on the brink of another total shutdown, and all our extracurricular activities got axed this weekend, closing the park district fieldhouses and all the programs that were keeping us sane. I am pricing out ice rinks for our backyard, but somehow I’m still less panicked than I was back in March, because: in 8 weeks this will be run by adults and not a bunch of idiot reptiles.

Adults we may give a hard time to, adults we yell at lot, adults who might not do everything right the first time around but goddamn, adults we can trust to return a phone call and give a shit when somebody — millions of somebodies — is sick and dying.

I mean, read that over, above, and keep telling me both parties are the same. One has … scientists, that they’re listening to, and a plan to get things under control that will actually be carried out without constant drama. Another has Marjorie Taylor-Greene out here screaming about the tyranny of closing down Crossfit, what the actual fuck, government shutdowns are not causing these problems, A QUARTER OF A MILLION DEAD PEOPLE AND TEN MILLION CASES of a preventable disease are causing these problems.

And if I read one more op-ed citing “personal responsibility” and “local control” for a disease that cannot be prevented by either one, that crosses state lines and doesn’t care who your fucking mayor is, I’m going to lose my mind in several languages. There are things that are so big we can’t do them alone, people. That’s what a system of government is for.

We’ve spent the past four years in an experiment that says we don’t need a federal government. We’ve spent the past four years without one, actually, without any national leadership on anything at all. It’s not just that that leadership has been dumb and bad; that we’ve seen before. It’s that we’ve taken the GOP at its word, that government is useless, and we’ve erased it entirely.

It’s very clear now that there are times we DO need to be one country. When we do need to give California and North Dakota the same thing, which is a rule to wear masks and money to keep people home and out of the shopping mall hacking germs all over each other. When we ARE all affected equally by the actions of others, and there is no reason to pretend help has to stop at the state border when the problems don’t.

No one state can do this without closing its state borders. We almost did that last spring, and had we kept it up I doubt Illinois would be as big a trash fire as it is, thanks a lot Indiana and Wisconsin, but this is the point. We CAN’T close ourselves off from one another or the world. We have to be responsible for Indiana and Wisconsin even as they’re led by absolute nuclear-grade jackwagons. Our fate is your fate. There’s no other way to do this. We don’t have any other choice.

And in eight weeks we’ll have leadership that understands that, that fills jobs that need filling, that can distribute any vaccine in a coordinated, reasonable, scientific manner. And yes, the screaming Trumper morons we’ll always have with us, but remember the way you feel whenever a new announcement comes out of the Biden team. Read that statement up there. Think of what it will be like when the loudest voices in the room aren’t the morons anymore.

Hold fast, help one another when you can, and whatever you do, hold on. We’re almost there.

A.

Nov 11 2020
Adrastos, Bayou Brief, Campaign Notes, Fog Of History, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack

Bayou Brief: Nice Guys Don’t Always Finish Last

My latest 13th Ward Rambler column is up at the Bayou Brief. I’m proud of this one. It’s something only I could have written. Who else would have brought Mel Ott and Leo Durocher into a discussion of the 2020 election? Whether that’s a good thing is up to my readers.

Here’s the tagline:

Peter Athas on the 2020 election, Steve Kornacki, baseball history, and why Joe Biden is like nice guy Mel Ott and Donald Trump is like Leo “The Lip” Durocher.

The last word goes to Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly:

Nov 09 2020
2 Comments
Elections, Free Republic, JOEY B SHARK, The Darnold, Tommy T

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “This is the song that never ends” edition

Actually, I feel a bit like Brak :  Pretty much burned out from watching too much news lately.

.

(If you missed Saturday’s Bonus “Obsession”, please click here for the fun and schaudenthingy.)

.

Good Monday morning, all!  Remember Mittens’ loss to Barack Obama in 2012?  The despair and hysteria among the Freeperati at the thought of being forced to have health insurance, and the realization that they had lost?

Go to the link above, if you will, and look at the quick progression along the Five Stages to Acceptance when Obama won.

It’s different this time.

Really different.

Weirdly different.

The cult has backed itself into a corner that has no exit. The Darnold said that he really won, and that Joe Biden cheated.

That Biden managed to fabricate 75 million votes, because of course he did.

Dr. Carrie Barron wrote, in Psychology Today:

“You might hear a tale of woe, and just have the feeling that the teller is not all that woeful. Maybe there is a need to blame or malign for secondary gain: attention, fame, money, importance or drama. Maybe the person is not in touch with reality and is retaliating against an imagined transgression. Some seemingly intact people can have paranoid fears at the core. In order to “defend” themselves, they act against others. Maybe the goal is to take someone else down for competitive, regressed, or even unconscious reasons. They just want what the other one has.”

And if someone you praise and support denies the cheating?

STFU, Bibi !

Netanyahu congratulates Biden

Arutz Sheva ^ | 8/11/20

Posted on 11/8/2020, 2:03:45 AM by Eleutheria5

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning congratulated Joe Biden after US news outlets declared him the winner of the election.

“Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel,” he tweeted.

Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his friendship and actions taken during his presidency.

“Thank you Donald Trump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.”

********************

Outcome of election is still very much contested. So STFU, Bibi.
1 posted on 11/8/2020, 2:03:45 AM by Eleutheria5
To: Eleutheria5

Effing ingrate. No US President has EVER beeon(sic) a better friend to Israel. And this buttplug can’t wait to slide the knife in Trump’s ribs.

Lowlife move.

4 posted on 11/8/2020, 2:07:14 AM by DesertRhino (Dog is man’s best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ….)

“A lot of you are in the real estate business, because I know you very well. You’re brutal killers, not nice people at all,” he said. “But you have to vote for me—you have no choice. You’re not gonna vote for Pocahontas, I can tell you that. You’re not gonna vote for the wealth tax. Yeah, let’s take 100% of your wealth away!”
.
The Darnold, addressing the Israeli American Council in 2019
To: Tommy Revolts

WTF? After Trump saved his ass! This won’t age well.Trump saved Bibi’s fat ass multiple times.

All Netanyahu had to do was say nothing. What a schmuck.

21 posted on 11/8/2020, 2:39:44 AM by Right_in_Virginia
There’s no need for that kind of language.
To: Eleutheria5

All world leaders throwing Trump under the bus .

43 posted on 11/8/2020, 3:35:55 AM by sushiman (i)

To: Eleutheria5

Effing piece of SH*T

50 posted on 11/8/2020, 4:05:19 AM by toddausauras (How far will the left go in terms of destroying our personal freedoms?)

Next in the trail of traitors – Et tu, Red State?

RedState sells out The Fop Posted on 11/7/2020, 2:55:04 PM by The Fop

After HotAir went over to the dark side over the past 4 years, I started reading RedState again and was pleased to see that Erick Erickson was no longer associated with them.

But ever since Wednesday morning, I’ve been keeping an eye on the tone of Conservative blogs.

RedState seemss(sic) quite calm and unperturbed by the steal. Yes, they’ve done some stories about alleged voter fraud, but their heart doesn’t seem to be very into it.

So far they have no stories about Giuliani’s press conference today. But they did have a story sticking up for Dan Crenshaw in his Twitter spat with new GOP congresswoman, who criticised his lack of fight.

Free Republic is for the people by the people. Nobody here trying to make a living in journalism. At this point, I don’t trust anybody in the political class, and that includes many blogger’s(sic) too.

1 posted on 11/7/2020, 2:55:04 PM by The Fop

And the hits just keep on coming….
…after the linky thing below, of course…

Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Nov 05 2020
4 Comments
Adrastos, Campaign Notes, COVID-19, Fog Of History, Fog Of Scandal, JOEY B SHARK, Political Crack, The Darnold

The COVID Factor

The presidential election hasn’t even been definitively called and the circular firing squad is already forming. One could call it 1984 and 1988 in reverse. After those defeats, moderate and conservative Democrats turned on Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis for being too liberal.

In 2020, some are turning on Joe Biden for being too moderate. A reminder that Team Biden worked closely with the Sanders and Warren people to produce the most progressive platform in party history. I, too, am disappointed in the result but there was a big turnout, which theoretically should have resulted in a blue tsunami instead of a close presidential race and disappointment down the ballot. As I said yesterday, we’re a Fifty-Fifty Nation.

I’m convinced that COVID is the primary reason for our electoral issues. Not using it as a club to beat the Impeached Insult Comedian with, that was the right thing to do. I’m referring to the severe impact the pandemic has had on the country and how we vote. Two of COVID’S effects are to the Democrats credit and one was out of our control.

We’ll do the sub-header thing today.

Canvassing: Since Democrats believe that COVID is real and easily transmissible, our GOTV efforts focused on early voting and mail-in ballots. In 2008 and 2012, waves of Democratic canvassers hit the streets in the last week before the election. That didn’t happen this year because of COVID. That’s to the Democrats’ credit: we don’t want people spreading or catching the virus via canvassing.

Republicans were not similarly inhibited in their canvassing or campaigning. President* Pennywise held a series of super-spreader rallies and GOP door knockers hit the streets. This is to their discredit, but it helped them at the polls. Freedom, man.

COVID Denialism: The central theme of the closing days of the Trump campaign was COVID denialism. Since *everyone* is tired of the pandemic, it was an easy sell with the science-hating GOP base. Freedom, man.

Joe Biden told the painful truth about the pandemic.  That was the only responsible course of action but it probably cost the Democrats votes. I’d rather lose votes than lives.

The Count: States with long experience of mail-in ballots obviously handled the count with more aplomb than states new to the process. In Michigan and Pennsylvania, Democrats attempted to pass legislation to allow the sorting and counting of mail-in ballots on election day. Under the influence of Team Trump, Republican leges rebuffed these sensible attempts. Once again, this is to their discredit.

It’s hardly an original observation to say that 2020 was a weird election. America has held presidential elections during wartime in 1864, 1916, 1944, 1968, and 2004. The 2020 election posed a more immediate problem: voting safely because of a public health menace. Most of us did the best we could with a terrible situation. The Republicans chose to pretend it was no big deal whereas Democrats acknowledged how bad the situation was as records were set on the COVID front nearly every day before and after the election.

Democrats have gotten used to cleaning up Republican messes. The post-Trump mess is the biggest by far. It’s complicated by the likelihood that the GOP will continue to hold the senate. The Senate elections were both disappointing and weird: some excellent candidates were recruited but lost close races. They were swamped by the enthusiasm on both sides this time around. That’s a rare occurrence.

Here’s the deal: Democrats have done the right thing regarding  the pandemic. It may have cost us at the ballot box, but our candidates told the truth instead of peddling lies and fantasies like Republicans. This is an explanation, not an excuse.

It’s extremely difficult to defeat an incumbent president for re-election. It’s only happened four time since 1912. It’s slowly happening as I write this. While many chased white whales, Team Biden focused on rebuilding the blue wall. The 2020 campaign has also transformed Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina into battleground states. It’s time to break up with Florida and Ohio. The former will always be close but it’s a heartbreaker for Democrats.

Democrats should hold our heads up high and celebrate the fact that Donald Trump’s shitshow presidency* is about to become a sideshow, not the main event. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. We should follow Johnny Mercer’s sage advice and Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive. Mister In-Between can go fuck himself.

The last word goes to the late Johnny Mercer from the new swing state of Georgia:

 

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