Sunday, July 6, 2025

Natural Disasters Are The New Mass Shootings

 Every time that there is a mass shooting and people want to discuss reasonable gun laws, the Republicans always say that "it's too soon to talk about that" as they offer up their useless thoughts and prayers" instead of doing anything to actually help save lives.

Now, it's apparently the same for natural disasters.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) 'was on CNN on Sunday mornint to talk about the horrible flooding in Texas that has already claimed over 70 lives.  Castro pointed out that former President Elmo and The Orange Felon slashed funding for the National Weather Service and for DHS, which used to house FEMA.  These cuts prevented accurate forecasting or a coordinated alert system that could have helped prevented much of the disaster in the first place.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (MAGA-TN, who appeared on Faux News later in the day, didn't even hesitate to play the "it's too soon" card:

Blackburn responded to Castro in a Sunday afternoon appearance on Fox News.

"Those are issues that will be addressed by DHS and NOAA and other components as they move forward," Blackburn insisted. "Now is not the day for that type of conversation."

"I would encourage the congressman to be wrapping his arms and his heart and his prayers around these families and to stand with them at this point," she added.

For a party that claim to be all for personal responsibility, the Republicans sure do go out of their way to avoid it.

DVO Against Third Party Because Trump Might Be Held Accountable

 If the gentle reader hadn't heard, former President Elmo wants to create a second party that caters to billionaires because the Republicans were no longer enough or something like that.

Trump's Little Bitch, Rep. Drunken Van Orden decried the thought because he doesn't want to see his sugar daddy being held accountable:


And, of course, it Sugar Daddy Trump is held accountable, that means that Little Bitch Van Orden might also be held accountable for his actions.

It's only a matter of time before something - or someone - breaks.

Remember When The Social Security Administration Was A Non-partisan Agency That Helped ALL Americans Insure Their Retirement?

Or are you one of the millions of Americans. like me, who received this email a few days ago? : Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors.


 

 

"The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.

The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation's economy.

“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned."

The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.

Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them."

But my friends...not only is this email directly partisan and politically motivated, it isn't even true. But why would I expect anything different from the Trump administration. But once again silence from the GOP as the administration lies and disinforms the American public:

" The Trump domestic policy package, which Congress sent to his desk on Thursday, extends the president’s expiring tax cuts he enacted in 2017, and also creates a temporary tax deduction for earnings from tips and overtime.

But it does not eliminate federal taxes on Social Security. Budget reconciliation, the arcane process Senate Republicans used to pass the bill while avoiding a Democratic filibuster, does not allow changes to be made to Social Security.

The Trump package does, however, include a temporary tax deduction of up to $6,000 for seniors ages 65 and older, and $12,000 for married seniors. Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers argued last month that nearly 9 in 10 seniors would not pay any federal taxes on their Social Security benefits because the new deduction would eliminate their tax burden. "

So you might still pay federal taxes on your social security of your income exceeds that allowed under the earnings deductions...but for most of us things haven't changed much...well unless we itemize and forgo the new deduction limits.

BTW: for those of you who pay state taxes on your social security, you still will pay state taxes on your social security. 

and I surrender to Blogger and give up trying to get the color editing right today. yikes...

 

 


JHC? When Will The GOP Make This Insanity Stop? Now It's A FAKE FLOOD?

 My apologies for using that lead-in acronym for those of you are observant on this summer Sunday. But this continued ignorance and criminalization of science has gotten totally out of hand. When will the GOP actually decide that this has gone on far too long. 

One of the largest news stories of the weekend has been about the catastrophic floods in Texas and the tragic loss of life.I can't quite ponder how devastating this has been for the many families involved and the communities involved. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has kept on top of the events and says that rescue efforts will continue until everyone is accounted for. As I write this, the death toll has reached 69. 

Appropriately President Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday morning, although I haven't heard if he plans to visit Texas to review the scene or if he will help direct federal rescue efforts there. 

But we have heard from two MAGA whackos who seem totally insensitive to the gravity of the situation. First Georgia Republican Congressional candidate, Kandiss Taylor:

" 'Kandiss Taylor, who is running to represent Georgia in the House of Representatives, posted on X Saturday: “Fake weather. Fake hurricanes. Fake flooding. Fake. Fake. Fake.' " 

And again later:

" 'This isn’t just ‘climate change.’ It’s cloud seeding, geoengineering, & manipulation,“ she added. ”If fake weather causes real tragedy, that’s murder. Pray. Prepare. Question the narrative.' "

Well, at least she reminded us to pray. 

And then there is the den mother of MAGA loonies, Marjorie Taylor Greene, incidentally also from Georgia:

"...the far-right Republican announced that she was introducing a bill that prohibits “the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity.”

“It will be a felony offense,” she said. 

“We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering,” she concluded.

Though she didn’t mention the tragedy directly, the post seemed to be a response to the horrific flash floods which killed at least 66 people after sweeping through central Texas on Friday. "

Needless to say both have drawn their fair share of fair criticism so far. But this thinking is dangerous and intentional DISinformation. When will the GOP have enough of this nonsense. When will their party finally disown them?


Friday, July 4, 2025

Celebrating The 4th of July with: The Historic Document That Angered The First Trump Administration!

 My memory doesn't respond with the alacrity that I have come to expect but I do remember this: during the first Trump administration, the NPR on air staff celebrated the 4th of July by taking turns reading the Declaration of Independence. And the Trumpsters mistook it as an oped attack on his administration. So today's post:


In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Eighteen Years

 


Eighteen years ago, I used to like to read the blogs that were around then.  Then I started commenting nn some of them.  Before I knew it, I got an email from a guy named Jay, who ran the folkbum blogsite.  He told me he collected writers like he collected campaign buttons and invited me to join his site.  (Yes, Jay, I remember. That's how much impact you had on me with that simple gesture.)  

Well, I accepted Jay's offer.  And people actually like me! 

One thing led to another and before I knew it, I joined Whallah!, which was aimed at conservative squawkers like Chuckles the Clown Sykes and Jessica McBride, the Lauren Boebert of journalism.

Then I took over Whallah!

Then, seventeen years ago, this here blog was born

In the ensuing years, people have come, and people have gone.  Sometimes to bigger and better things.  Sometimes because they got burned out.  Sometimes because it turned out that this wasn't what they wanted to do.

The hardest loss to take was when cancer stole my blogging partner and dear friend, Jeff Simpson.  I lost a part of myself when I lost my friend.  

But after a longer than intended hiatus, I'm coming back. Well, I was always around, just spending it all with my other family at Crooks and Liars. It's a cool enough place, even though they don't really appreciate cheese the way they should.

I can't thank you enough for your patience.

But now, if you haven't noticed, gentle reader, the wolves are at the door again. It's time to take it to them.  I hope that you will join Ed and I and whoever else may join us in the future, as we do what we do best.

Because, as always, this site destroys fascism.

PS: As always, all complaints about me being the Cheddarsphere should be directed to Jay.


Monday, June 30, 2025

The White House Continues To Declare The Big Bill Protects Medicaid. So Dems, Where's The Proof??

Really, where is the actual rebuttal?? I certainly believe that this bill will be devastating to the health and welfare for may ordinary Americans. But...as the MAGAts continue to tout it, can someone on the left please SHOW America just exactly what is going to happen? Just sayin' it's bad ain't gonna get it done.

Once Again, All Of This Angst Around Medicaid Could Be Avoided If Only,,,

we had actual single payer health care in the United States like every other civilized industrial nation.

YES : Big Brother Is Truly Upon Us: Trump is building a national citizenship data system

 From a bit on NPR this morning

"DHS, in partnership with the White House's Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) team, has recently rolled out a series of upgrades to a network of federal databases to allow state and county election officials to quickly check the citizenship status of their entire voter lists — both U.S.-born and naturalized citizens — using data from the Social Security Administration as well as immigration databases.

Such integration has never existed before, and experts call it a sea change that inches the U.S. closer to having a roster of citizens — something the country has never embraced. A centralized national database of Americans' personal information has long been considered a third rail — especially to privacy advocates as well as political conservatives, who have traditionally opposed mass data consolidation by the federal government."

There are many kinds of privacy concerns here. Particularly given that this was done without public input and apparently without Congressional approval or even knowledge. Haven't Republicans and others on the right been the staunchest supporters of personal privacy? And given that anything and everything touched by DOGE is suspect (dodgy), there is trouble a brewing for you and me here. 

A state election official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the development told NPR: "The question is, is the data usable? And [usable] in a way that I'm not going to jeopardize people who live in my jurisdiction?"

 


Saturday, June 28, 2025

the court’s (SCOTUS) “decision to permit the Executive to violate the Constitution with respect to anyone who has not yet sued is an existential threat to the rule of law.”

 this apparently is the actual quote from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in her dissent on the SCOTUS ruling on Trump's Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship. I tried to look it up because the version running around the social media posts seemed too provocative for a Supreme Court Justice...even in these insane times. This version is what came up in news reports...the other version only on social media sites. I am not going to repost it if it isn't true.

As long as we are renaming things: Let's Rename The Ukraine War:

as the Russian War. Yes it is being fought in Ukraine but let's give credit where credit is due...Russia invaded Ukraine...so it is the Russian War...or even better yet, Putin's War~

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Thank You, Reps Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan


Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) filed articles of impeachment against TACO Don for his violation of the War Powers Act.   Even though it wasn't going to go anywhere, it was nice to see someone taking a stand for once.

Sadly, 130 Democratic Congressmen and Congresswomen sold the nation out by refusing to take a stand.  The list of the standouts can be found here.

Fortunately, Wisconsin's own Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan are not on that list.  Thank you to both of them for standing up for Wisconsin and for the United States.

As for those 130 sellouts, they only prove that David Hogg was correct.

State Correction Officers Score Big Win In SCOWIS


Two Wisconsin correction officers filed a lawsuit against the state. The gist of the lawsuit was that correction officers should be paid for the time they go through security protocals when arriving at or leaving the worksite.  They filed this as a class action lawsuit on behalf of all of their fellow officers.

The state, naturally is fighting them on both the merits of the case and whether it should be a class action.  The officers lost the class action part in appellate court, but the supreme court corrected this injustice:

In a majority opinion written by Justice Janet Protasiewicz, the Court reversed the appeals court’s decision, stating that to certify a class action lawsuit a judge must determine if the group at issue has a common question without evaluating the answer to that question.

“There is a difference between identifying whether a common question exists and deciding its answer,” Protasiewicz wrote. “A court ‘must walk a balance between evaluating evidence to determine whether a common question exists and predominates, without weighing that evidence to determine whether the plaintiff class will ultimately prevail on the merits.’”

Protasiewicz’s opinion was joined by Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet, Brian Hagedorn and Jill Karofsky. Chief Justice Annette Ziegler wrote a partial concurrence, which was joined by Justice Rebecca Bradley. 

Of course, all this delay and added expense to the taxpayers could have been avoided if Scott Walker and the Republicans had not passed Act 10 so long ago.  This case not only restores some rights for the state correction workers, but also points out the folly and illegality of Act 10 to begin with.

A Prize For TACO Don

 Poor old TACO Don is really have a bad time lately.

First he says he'll take a couple of  weeks to decide what to do about Iran, even though there was nothing to do.

Then he forgot he said he would take a couple of weeks, and to get on Benji Nutty-yahoo's good side, dropped some bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities.  TACO Don claimed he "obliterated" the facilities.

About this time, TACO Don starts caterwauling that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize because he bombed the Middle East into peaces, or something like that.

But then it turns out his bombing run had bombed out.  Two of the facilities had been closed long ago.  The third one had been vacated long before the TACO bombs dropped and even then, damage was minimal.

While this news was coming out, a few Democrats and even a Republican or two said that this crossed the line and that TACO Don needed to be impeached.

Per his nature, TACO Don lashed out at everyone, including the media sources reporting his failure and the politicians calling for him to be held accountable.

To bury all this bad news, TACO Don claimed he brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.  The only thing is that neither Iran or Israel got the memo and kept on bombng the bejeezers out of each other.

TACO Don then displayed his tact, statesmanship, diplomacy and peaceful nature with this memorable scene (NSFW):


And where the hell was his freaking Nobel Peace Prize anyway.  

Well, sorry, TACO Don, but there will never be a Nobel Peace Prize in your future.  And before you get to it, your Truth Social posts are a good indication that you shouldn't hold your breath in hopes of a Pulitzer Prize either.

But because we don't want you to go away empty-handed as long as you just go away.  You can win the first and only official USA Booby Prize! Congratulations!  



Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Trump Wants Regime Change? Easy Peasy...Just Resign!

 and that will make America great again too!  that's the message.