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Malice in Blunderland - Good News for Bluesday, July 11th [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-07-11
What’s the difference between the Mad Hatter and the Red Hatters? — The Mad Hatter talks a lot more sense. Plus, the Mad Hatter, unlike any of the Red Hatters, was at least able to admit, “I haven’t the slightest clue.”1 The March Hare is also so much more together than the Orange Hairbrain.
How did so many of our relatives and neighbors descend into such madness? I find it difficult to equate some of the folks who fawn over Pressley (the ones who vote (R)) with the worst people in the country. How many reams of pixels have vanished into the ether, postulating reasons for their mass psychosis? There is a gaping abyss between what’s in their best interest and the politicians they support. It’s a case of hypocritical blindness.
We talk hopefully about them, often referring to a bridge in the Netherlands2, or that one extra straw, but epiphanies are rare, and excuses legion. Logic and reason appear meaningless, probably seen as foreign gobbledygook. We keep expecting them to come to their senses, but it appears they don’t have any left to come to.
The republican party currently exists to protect the interests of the uber-wealthy, and to hell with everyone else. The policies they promote and legislation they enact supports no other narrative. All the performative culture wars nonsense is just camouflage for lining rich peoples pockets. The incessant cries of “Hunter Biden’s laptop” serve to keep their voters distracted from the otherwise easily observed instances of naked greed.
And then there’s the fear. Part of their hold on their voters is through the histrionics they use to terrify them. They use fear to form a shared bond around a common defense against the artificial enemies they’ve created, conveniently neglecting to mention the greatest danger the country faces originates with those selfsame republican politicians.
With republicans we don’t have to worry about Artificial Intelligence. Their problem is, in addition to Natural Stupidity, the rise of Imaginary Intelligence. [Math joke warning] Researchers at Boise State have discovered the average intelligence of a republican stalwart is most easily expressed as the square root of negative one — √-1. Put that in their permanent record and smoke it.
Still, even with a base of mostly mindless, slack-jawed nincompoops, bolstered by Russian bots, not all is well in MAGA country. Republicans have introduced new debate procedures amongst themselves. If they disagree over what book to ban next, or whether Mr. Potatohead has an actual gender, they have decided to open negotiations by kicking each other in the balls. Okay, so far only one set of balls has been kicked, but it does give rise to an important question: “WT holy F?” I think we are about to find out how many assholes can dance on the head of an elephant.
Conservative Xtians and flag waving Nazis should not be able to share the same agenda. Stress cracks in the Coalition of the Bumbling are growing. And golly gee willikers, the worst people in the country are more and more clawing at each others throats. Looking down from up here on the viewing platform, aka the moral high ground, the spectacle is glorious. May it grow and grow and grow, consuming the entire basket of deplorables in its fury.
We have the power. We have the ability. We can and we will do this.
Slava Ukraini!
Remember the Children
Screw you, Samuel Alito (and your little putz Clarence Thomas, too)!
1 The exact passage referenced appears in Chapter VII — A Mad Tea-Party from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 1865:
“Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again. “No, I give it up,” Alice replied: “what’s the answer?” “I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter. “Nor I,” said the March Hare.
2 Arnhem, a small town on the Dutch-German border was the site of one of Field Marshall Montgomery’s miscalculations during the Market-Garden assault on bridges over the Rhein on September 17th, 1944. A fragment of a conversation between Lt. Gen. Frederick “Boy” Browning and Montgomery, during the run up to the attack, is used as the title for the film depiction of the fiasco at Arnhem.
Browning: “How long will it take for the armor to reach us?” Montgomery: “Two days.” Browning: “We can hold it for four. But, sir, I think we might be going a bridge too far.”
The Studio Heads are still in their fully rectally inverted state, meaning no material from the late night crowd. It’s a good thing we have Don Caron to stand in for them.
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Now for all the news that’s fit to read.
Here Comes Sweden
The Turkish roadblock has finally been worn down to a former speed bump.
BBC News: Turkey backs Sweden's Nato membership
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join Nato, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg says. He said the Turkish leader would forward Sweden's bid to parliament in Ankara and "ensure ratification". Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "I am very happy, it is a good day for Sweden."
Remember This Schmuck?
Ouch. That’s it, just ouch. Rudy’s going to need a lot of ointment to take out the sting. I suppose taking away his ability to practice law won’t be that much of a burden — it’s clear he was extremely practice averse.
Slate: Jeremy Stahl: The D.C. Bar’s Dry Takedown of Rudy Giuliani Is Brutal
On Friday, a three-member panel of the Bar of the District of Columbia recommended unanimously that Rudy Giuliani be disbarred for his role filing “frivolous” litigation on behalf of former President Donald Trump following the 2020 election. The recommendation comes one year into a disciplinary process that has been unfolding in D.C. and two years after New York suspended the former New York City mayor from practicing law in the state for similar impropriety. The D.C. allegations focus on Giuliani’s efforts in Pennsylvania to overturn Biden’s roughly 80,000-vote victory in the state based on nothing more than conjecture. While an investigatory panel issuing a pitiless smackdown of Giuliani’s 2020 post-election conduct is nothing new at this point, this latest recommendation (much like the previous New York ruling) shines a spotlight on how corrupt Giuliani’s litigation strategy for Trump in 2020 was and offers an appropriate remedy. Also like in the New York case, many of the panel’s admonishments of Giuliani—and of his absurd defenses for his behavior—are quite funny. [List below modified from original format] Rudy Reinserted False Voter Fraud Claims that Had Been Removed by other Lawyers
Rudy’s Basis for the Lawsuit Was Thoroughly Without Merit
Rudy Says That Even Though He Didn’t Have Proof, He Was Required to Prematurely Sue
Rudy Further Argued That Legal Filings Themselves Are Really Just Meant to Be Wild Guesses
The Panel Disagreed With This “Prediction” Standard of Evidence
Rudy Turned Over Discovery After It Was Due and Midhearing
After It Was Due and Midhearing Rudy Claimed to Have Filed Evidence That Was Never Actually Filed, Then Admitted It Wasn’t Actually Real Evidence
The Panel Did Not Buy the “Dog Ate My Evidence” Claims
Some of the Missing Evidence Supposedly Came From Disgraced Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik
Giuliani Was Unclear Whether He Actually Had the Kerik “Evidence” in Hand When He Originally Filed the Lawsuit Under Scrutiny, Though
Neither Rudy Nor Kerik Would Actually Say if the Kerik Evidence Was True
Either Way, the Kerik Evidence Wasn’t the Best
The Other “Evidence” Rudy Did Turn Over to the Disciplinary Panel Was Not the Best Either
Rudy’s Defense for Filing Such a Frivolous Lawsuit Was “Singularly Unimpressive”
Rudy Thought an Appropriate Punishment Might Be a Slap on the Wrist
Because Rudy Refuses to Admit He Did Anything Wrong, the Panel Disagreed About the Slap on the Wrist
Remember This Other Schmuck?
At least one person in the party of “stiffing the people who work for them” will have to pay up. He’ll probably get all shirty about it. Of course, the proper penalty for this particular refugee from ethics and morals would be his entire net worth, plus one billion and being put on a personal hygiene regimen.
Salon: Sophia Tesfaye: Despite Trump pardon, Steve Bannon finds himself in deeper trouble
Steve Bannon, the supposed Svengali of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, received a presidential pardon for his actual and alleged federal crimes during Trump's final days in office. Now Bannon, a one-time White House strategic adviser, is being forced to pay up — literally — for the effort. On Monday, a New York judge ordered Bannon to pay nearly half a million dollars in legal fees for a variety of services, including the effort to secure his pardon. Bannon was initially sued in February by his former law firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP. A partner in the firm, Robert Costello, reportedly angered Bannon by speaking to federal authorities about the House select committee investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Bannon is currently appealing a federal court conviction and related four-month jail sentence for contempt of Congress for refusing to appear after being subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee. In her six-page ruling, Judge Arlene Bluth dismissed Bannon's objections to his former legal representation because, she said, he "did not adequately assert that he timely objected to these invoices." Under Bluth's order, Bannon is required to pay $480,487.87 in unpaid bills as well as "reasonable legal fees."
How About This Other Schmuck?
I look forward to the day when his commercials no longer appear on my television set.
AlterNet: Maya Boddie: 'I will be vindicated': MyPillow CEO scrambles to auction items as company’s revenue plummets
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell's company, MyPillow, is auctioning hundreds of "surplus equipment" as a result of "loss in revenue," Star Tribune reports. This comes after the MyPillow Chief Executive Officer, in May, "asked the public to buy stock in his business, Lindell TV, to gain back the millions he spent in an effort to overturn the 2020 election." The auction also comes after an arbitration panel ordered Lindell, in April, to pay $5 million to a software developer who debunked his false 2020 election claims.
Would Someone Please Tell This Schmuck to STFU Already
I am stunned he’s still in Congress. The republicans have no excuse. None. Not one. He’s turned effrontery into travesty.
Talking Points Memo: Emine Yucel: Santos Compares Himself To Rosa Parks, Saying He Refuses To ‘Sit In The Back’
Embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) compared himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks during a podcast interview last week, saying as “a Latino gay man” he will not “sit in the back.” During an appearance he made on the far-right, MAGA talk show host Mike Crispi’s “Unafraid” podcast, Santos went on a long rant about what he called “sellout” Republicans. “They come for me, I go right back for them because I think for far too long they’ve gotten away with going along to get along. So no, it’s not going to stay that way anymore,” Santos said. “I’m gonna call them out. You want to call me a liar? I’ll call you a sellout.”
Zelenskyy Calls BS on the Former Guy
The former guy makes claims he could never actually accomplish almost as much as he lies. It’s refreshing to see him called on it.
Huffington Post: Lee Moran: Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Shuts Down Trump's Boast About Ending War In 1 Day
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday cast doubt on Donald Trump’s claim about being able to end Russia’s war on Ukraine in just one day, should the former president win the 2024 election. “The sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful but this desire should be based on some real-life experience,” Zelenskyy told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, via a translator, in an interview that aired Sunday. “Well, it looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time,” Ukraine’s leader continued. “We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal, but he must have had some other priorities.” Link to a video of the interview.
Today’s Edition’s Featured Borowitz Piece
Andy just keeps tweaking the targets of our ire with his patented, sharpened satirical stakes.
The New Yorker: Satire from the Borowitz Report: Americans Shocked by Audiotape Appearing to Prove Trump Capable of Reading
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (The Borowitz Report)—Americans are expressing astonishment and disbelief after the release of an audiotape that seems to prove that Donald J. Trump is capable of reading. On the tape, in which Trump is showing associates a series of classified documents, the former President appears to demonstrate reading comprehension at a rudimentary level, decoding letters as they combine to form words and sentences. This implausible performance dumbfounded many Americans, like Carol Foyler, who resides in Akron, Ohio. “This defies everything I thought I knew about Donald Trump,” she said. “If he can read, what else is he capable of?”
Some More Medical Progress
Anything to stave off losing our minds is a very good thing.
Smithsonian: Will Sullivan: FDA Fully Approves First Drug Meant to Slow Alzheimer’s Disease
In a first, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved a drug to slow the advance of mild Alzheimer’s disease last week. The drug, called Leqembi, slowed the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s patients by five months over a period of 18 months in a clinical trial. But some experts say its potential side effects—which earned it a “black-box warning,” or the most serious level of caution from the FDA—need to be weighed against its benefits.✂️ Though the drug does not reverse or halt cognitive decline, “it’s a first step for hopefully more therapeutics in the future,” Ronald Petersen, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, said in an email to NBC News’ Berkeley Lovelace Jr. Leqembi, also called lecanemab, had received accelerated FDA approval in January based on its ability to reduce amyloid plaques, or abnormal buildups of proteins found between neurons in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Researchers are not sure whether these plaques cause the disease or are merely a side effect.
Musical Interlude
A Rolling Stones classic performed with that unique Songs Around the World touch.
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Music from Ukraine
I haven’t featured DakhaBrakha for a while now. Here’s their song, Yelena. I think this was recorded back in 2012. I haven’t been able to find a translation, so it’s just beautiful sounds.
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On the Lighter Side (with an Edge)
The Hunting Pressley Report
Musings from the desk of Pressley T. NotEver
Pressley surrounded by her diverse security detail
Dateline: (Impatiently insisting on going for a walk at Chez NNNE). In today’s edition, Pressley speaks out on press(ley)ing issues faced by Doggie Nation. The microphone is all yours, Pressley.
Maybe republicans are so ill-tempered because they know they’ll never be the pick of the litter. Or, maybe they’re avoiding their distemper shots so they can all froth at the mouth together.
They spent years chasing the judicially parked car of Roe v. Wade. Now that they’ve caught it, they’ve moved on to a frenzied spate of chasing their own tales of fire and brimstone. They insist on barking up the wrong tree — the one filled with repression, bigotry and hate, with not a squirrel in sight. It’s enough to make a cat blush.
Remember, as Bob Barker used to say, “Your vote can neuter a republican today.”
Ah, enough yapping at the haters. How about a nice video about a big dog to brighten your day?
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Closing Notes
In 1972, the Dead headed for Europe. The result was the iconic Europe ‘72 album. This cut, Truckin’, was recorded April 14th at the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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