Category: Commentary

I do not understand why the Senate conducts confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees any more. They are so coached any more that nothing is ever learned from questioning them other than what a nominee’s children are doing. It is safe to say that we learned more about PJ, Tobin, and Squee than we did about Brett Kavanaugh’s actual judicial opinions.

The last three days of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearing has taught us almost nothing more than that, if she needs to have an opinion on something, she first needs to consult almost everyone in the world before rendering said opinion. We also learned that she will not commit to recusing herself from any decision on the election without consulting her village either. Of course, we already know that she has been selected to help keep Trump in office.

The GOP is proud that she can credibly say that she has never consulted with the President about any issues. It means nothing. She has already been vetted by the Federalist Society. Every Republican judicial nominee is vetted by the Federalist Society.

I do not understand why the Democrats are still playing in this pool. I can only assume it is to continue trying to delay her nomination. To really convey her judicial viewpoints to the American people, the Dems should take a page from Al Franken during her nomination hearings in 2016. He knew he would get no substantive answers from her, so he just kept pressing on the stuff he knew she wouldn’t tell him. It was damning.

The best quote I have seen on this comes from The San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial board: Amy Coney Barrett’s elevation to the Supreme Court is proceeding with all the inevitability of a contagion.

Vote like the last Democratic candidate was predicted to have a 90% chance of winning and still lost to Donald Trump.

Vote like Joe Biden is in the same place as Clinton was in 2016.

Vote like Biden is actually an inspiring candidate and not just a bulwark against the loss of democracy in the United States.

Vote like you understand that it is easier to effect change in a democratic republic than a dictatorship.

Vote like one of the candidates was endorsed by the KKK and the Taliban.

Vote like almost 215,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, so far, and up to 400,000 are predicted to die before this is “over.”

Vote like the GOP is pushing a horrible Supreme Court pick that may help one candidate steal the election if they think they have a chance to contest it.

Vote like you understand we are a democracy, not a theocracy.

Vote because you know women have a right to make their own decisions for their own bodies.

Vote because you understand love is love.

Vote like you are not afraid of who is in the bathroom.

Vote because you know Donald Trump is an existential threat to half the citizens of this country.

Vote because Concentration Camps on US soil is an outrage we can not let become normal.

Vote because there are thousands of children who will never see their parents again.

Vote because religion belongs in the church not the classroom.

Vote because militias “observing” election polling places is intimidation we don’t need.

Vote because mail-in voting is not fraud.

Vote because one ballot drop box per county is election interference.

Vote because orange is not the new black.

There has been a lot of talk lately about Trump’s last negative Covid test. White House spokespeople seen on various news shows have done nothing but prevaricate when asked. Even when the question is repeated.

It opens up several questions. The biggest question is when did Donald Trump know he was Covid positive? Another question is why he did not get tested prior to the first Presidential debate?

What if he did get tested? What if he knew that he had Covid before the debate? These are questions that are being asked right now.

There is a lot of talk that, if Trump was positive during the debate, that he could have infected Joe Biden (and a lot of other people). Talking heads all over the news are calling him selfish. They are questioning his level of care for other people. Personally, I am not sure why. We all know he cares about nothing beyond himself and his daughter/wife Ivanka.

We have plumbed depths we never thought we could reach with Donald Trump. We all know that, whenever we think we have reached the bottom of the pit, Trump shows us a whole new bottom. I think that is what has happened with his Covid diagnosis.

No, I do not mean that he has shown us his disregard for the safety of others. We knew that already. I think he has shown us a new depth to his depravity.

I think Donald Trump knew he was Covid positive before the debate. I think he went to the debate hoping that he could infect Biden. He knows that, if Biden gets Covid, it would harm is ability to campaign. Heck, Biden might even die. Wouldn’t that be good for the Trump re-election campaign?

But, Trump has Covid, too, you say? Yes, but he is already showing us that it won’t stop him from campaigning. He has shown that he has no qualms about putting other people at risk just so he can get fan adoration. Just ask his Secret Service detachment.

There may never be any way to prove it, but this is the question that needs to be asked. Donald, did you purposefully try to infect Joe Biden with Covid-19?

Last night, Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice-President Mike Pence met for the only VP debate scheduled for this election cycle. Today, I began reading social media posts from people who were happy that, at least, the debate was civil. To call last night’s debate civil just reminds me how low the bar has been set.

The debate was not civil. There might not have been any yelling, but there was certainly a ton of bullying. It was obvious from the get go that Mike Pence was not happy to be sharing the stage with two women. I would assume this has to do with his extreme evangelical views on the relationships between men and women.

This attitude also showed in his extreme disrespect for moderator Susan Page. Time and time again, Mike Pence just steamrolled over her attempts to cut him off when his time expired. Pence did not even acknowledge her attempts, but rather, just kept talking until he completed whatever thought he had. The most annoying part was that the thought usually had nothing to do with the question he was asked by the moderator.

I have to give credit to Kamala Harris for maintaining her composure and not biting into Pence’s obvious attempts to goad her into confrontation. Had she done so, Pence would have taken it as a victory akin to Trump’s attitude when he was able to goad Biden into confrontation. Harris was actually able to shut Pence down more than once when she would say, “Excuse me, I’m talking.” Pence was obviously upset when this happened.

Susan Page was not effective at all in reigning Pence in. Nor was she able to keep him “on topic,” no matter how hard she tried. The phrase, “Thank you, Mr. Vice-President…” became a common, and very annoying, refrain during the entire debate.

The first noticeable thing about Mike Pence was his left eye. It appeared that he had some form of conjunctivitus. This was concerning as it is a symptom of Covid-19. Given the current White House outbreak, the assumption of Covid must be forgiven. According to press reports today, his red eye was the result of a broken blood vessel. Maybe this is true, maybe not. This administration is not known for the truth.

The debate started with a discussion about Covid. Harris called out the administration’s response. Pence stated that they did the best job ever and claimed that it would have been worse had Biden been in charge.

The question was asked as to whether Presidential health information should be public. Harris stated that it should and then landed a solid body blow against Pence by noting that tax information should be public as well. The American people have a right to know who Trump is in debt to and whether his decisions were in the interest of the US or his own due to the debt. Pence claimed Trump paid millions in taxes and was transparent with his financial disclosures. Of course, he spoke past his allotted time and over the moderator.

The next topic was economic recovery. Is the recovery as good as the Trump administration says it is. Pence stated that tariffs have helped the economy and Trump’s tax cuts helped the average American over corporate interests. Pence bulldozed over the moderator when his time ran out.

Harris used her comments to insinuate that Pence was lying without actually saying it. Pence cut her off. Harris did not bite into the obvious attempt to goad her into confrontation. When she started her statements again, Pence attempted to speak over her again. She cut him off and told him she was speaking. She also noted that Trump has tried to take credit for the recovery that Obama and Biden put into place during the recession.

Climate change was the next segment. Pence went out of his way to claim that there were no more hurricanes right now than any time in modern history. He completely glossed over the fact that hurricanes are growing more devastating due to climate change. He state the US was better off outside the Paris Climate Accord. He stated that Biden would abolish fossil fuels. He stated that forest management would fix massive forest fires. He bulldozed over Susan Page’s attempts to reign him in on time.

This is where Harris was at her weakest point during the debate. Instead of talking about Biden’s ideas, she just went into defensive modes discussing what Biden wasn’t. Also, while they both argued about how Biden would not end fracking, this would have been a time to talk about whether fracking should be banned.

Harris called out Trump for losing the trade war with China, and the losses to American manufacturing. Pence stated that Biden would not have the guts to fight a trade war. Givne the damage, I hope Biden won’t fight a trade war.

Both candidates traded shots over American global leadership. They traded shots over the military and Harris landed a good shot with Russian bounties and traumatic brain injuries in soldiers. The moderator attempted to move onto other subjects, but Pence refused and stated he would respond to Harris. He bulldozed over her again by running over the time she allotted in exasperation.

This was the tenor for the rest of the debate. Pence would tout the administration line on the Supreme Court, the shooting of Breonna Taylor, and Trump’s refusal to condemn white supremacy. This was where Harris was at he strongest. She stated that justice was not done by the Taylor grand jury. She told Pence she would not be lectured by him, given her past as a prosecutor and the Attorney General of California.

The subject finally came up about the peaceful transfer of power. As VP, what would Pence do should Trump refuse to leave? He completely sidestepped the question by stating, and repeating, that Trump would win. Harris discussed the coalition of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans that backed Biden. Trump would not be allowed to subvert democracy.

All-in-all, it was a far more substantive debate than the first Presidential debate, but this is the lowest bar that can be set. The most entertaining part of the debate was the fly that took up residence in Pence’s hair for about two minutes. That fly now has a Twitter account. Either it was showing support for it’s preferred candidate, or, it was shitting in Pence’s hair. I would like to think the latter.

Once again, Donald Trump is playing with the lives of the American people. This time, however, he is playing with our finances and our futures. Donny was apparently feeling so good after his hospital stay that he had the energy to be wantonly cruel for the sake of cruelty.

Donald Trump instructed his administration to quit negotiating with the Democrats in Congress on a stimulus package. He further stated that he would not consider any package until after the election, when he would quickly approve money to help “small businesses and hard-working Americans.”

Even members of his own party were shocked at the statement. He apparently made the statement without consulting with the majority of Republicans. He did, of course, talk to Mitch McConnell about it. Mitch, of course, backed his play, stating that he approves of Trump’s plan.

Stimulus is an easy win and may have even given Trump some points towards the election. Americans are suffering. This package should have been approved months ago. As is, even a package now would be too late for millions of Americans who are set to lose homes, and who have, or are about to, lose their jobs. In Florida, Disney is laying of thousands of workers (in California, as well). Today, Universal Studios Orlando just announced another round of layoffs.

Add to that the second wave of Covid that is set to hit over the next couple of months. This wave is predicted to be worse than the first. I expect it to be. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (still read: DeathSentence) has refused to extend any moratorium on evictions. Without money, Central FL, at least, is set to become one huge homeless camp filled with former theme park workers.

There is some discussion that this stupid idea on the part of Donald Trump is actually related to one of the medications he is taking. He is taking the corticosteroid Dexamethasone, which can have an effect on a person’s critical thought processes. That is possible, but we must remember that this is Donald Trump we are talking about. His mentality has always been capricious at best. Whatever his whim is whatever he does.

As a publishing time edit, apparently, Trump has somewhat changed his course. He has recently stated that he will consider a stand-alone bill to give Americans the much needed second $1200 stimulus check. I would like to think his cooler head has finally taken over, but we know he does not have one. I am sure one of his advisors finally convinced him that he can take credit for a win if he does this. Or, he saw the stock market tank and realized that his cruelty would affect his bottom line.

So, tell me? Tired of winning yet?

Donald Trump has to create division and unrest. It is almost the air he breathes. Considering he is having trouble with the actual air he breathes, this makes sense in a strange way.

Trump was discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center today. However, before he was released, he went on a bit of a tweet storm. Now, I could go over every single one, but only one of them actually matters.

Anus Tangerinus tweeted out, “Don’t be afraid of Covid.” He stated that people should not let it dominate their lives. He then did what he is best at. He bragged about the things his administration is doing, or supposedly doing.

But still… don’t be afraid of Covid. That is possibly the most irresponsible tweet he has ever put out, and that is saying something for Trump. Covid has caused a worldwide pandemic. More than 200,000 American lives have been lost to the disease. At least a million more will be irrevocably changed.

But, Trump cannot allow his fragile ego to admit that he is sick. For him, that is the ultimate weakness, and Trump can never admit to that. The reality is that Trump is a very weak man. Therefore, in his mind, the projection of strength is tantamount to the breathing he is having difficulty with.

Trump does not care about anyone that isn’t him. He does not care if you die, as long as it is after you have cast your vote for him. In fact, that is basically what he is encouraging you to do. Don’t be afraid of Covid. Go vote (for Trump). If you contract the virus afterwards, you have already fulfilled your job. As far as Trump is concerned, your job is done.

We know he doesn’t care after yesterday’s stunt. I hope those two Secret Service agents don’t contract Covid. All so Trump can show how loved he is.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. No, you likely won’t die from Covid. But, it can destroy your health for the rest of your life. But, yes… you should vote. Vote the asshole out of the White House.

Today, Trump decided that he has had enough with be cooped up in his hospital room. Mind you, his room is a private suite designed for the President to be able to work and move about, so it is not as if he is confined to bed. But, of course, Trump’s fragile ego can only go so long before he needs to feel the adulation of the demented zombies who love him.

Donny decided that he needed to be close to his supporters and let them know that he loves that they love him. This meant that he entered an SUV to do a drive-by so they could see him. Video shows him waving from the window of the vehicle.

He was, in fact, wearing a mask inside the vehicle. However, it was a regular cloth mask. This is a man who supposedly has an active case of Covid-19. One, he should not be doing this. Two, why is he not, at the very least, wearing an N95 mask, which would provide at least some protection to the two Secret Service agents required to travel with him in the vehicle?

Let’s talk about the vehicle, as well. When the President travels, he does not just drive in a car bought off a dealer’s lot. No, the President is at high risk of assassination, so the vehicle must be built up for this.

First, the vehicle is armor-plated. This makes the panels bullet proof. The glass is also bullet proof. This means that the windows cannot be rolled down. But, in our modern times, this is not enough to ensure the safety of the supposed most powerful man in the world.

There are many chemical and nerve agents that can be used in an attack. To counter this, the vehicle that the President travels in is hermetically sealed. Nothing in, nothing out. This includes viruses.

Trump is wearing a cloth mask inside this hermetically sealed vehicle. He is putting two men, who are charged with protecting his life, in jeopardy of their own lives. The two Secret Service agents must now quarantine for 14 days to ensure he did not transmit the virus to them.

These men are someone’s sons. They may be husbands and fathers… brothers… To Trump, these men don’t count. They are just the help. They are there to die for him, so this is just the risk they are required to take.

The reality is, these men may get sick. These men may die. Why? So Trump can produce a little bit of political theater designed to do nothing more than assuage his massive, but fragile, ego.

This is one time I am actually hoping he is lying about something. Having contracted the virus in the first place. Sadly, I don’t think he is lying… for once in his life.

It is possible that Donald Trump was diagnosed with Covid as early as Wednesday. His doctor, Sean Conley, stated in a press conference, on Saturday, that Trump was 72 hours into his diagnosis. If that is true, Trump would have received his diagnosis on Wednesday. Conley has since tried to clarify (read: walk back) his timeline.

Another doctor, Brian Garibaldi, stated Saturday that Trump had been treated with an experimental therapy “about 48 hours ago.” This would have placed the treatment on Thursday, during the day. This statement was “clarified” as well.

Here is the problem. Donald Trump attended a fundraiser (actually three different events) at his Bedminster golf resort Thursday evening. It is reported that no masks were worn by Trump or any of the donors who attended. Social distancing was also not observed. Hours later, Trump announced his positive diagnosis.

If the above is even close to true, Donald Trump knowingly exposed donors and staff at his resort to Covid. He has always been cavalier in his treatment of the disease, but this would be a willful act. It should be noted that the intentional spread of a deadly disease is a felony in most states. I do not imagine that Trump would ever be charged with a crime, but I do imagine that, if any of his rich donors contract Covid, Donald will have a lot to answer for, including possible litigation.

Of course, Trump is not the only Republican acting badly when it comes to Covid. Minnesota Representatives Pete Stauber, Tom Emmer, and Jim Hagedorn all flew on Air Force One, with Donald Trump, to a rally in Duluth. They then all flew on a public flight on Delta Airlines on Friday night, knowing that they had been exposed to Covid. Delta requires passengers to confirm that they have not knowingly been exposed to Covid for at least 14 days prior to flying. That means these Congressional Representatives made fraudulent statements to board the flight.

It seems Republicans like Delta Airlines. I cannot blame them. Delta is a fantastic airline for customer service. On another Delta flight, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) was photographed flying with his mask basically being worn like a chinstrap. His spokesperson attempted to diffuse the situation by stating that he pulled it down to have a drink and forgot to put it back on. Supposedly, he placed it properly on his mouth after a flight attendant reminded him. However, eye witnesses, including the photographer, stated that his mask was chin strapped for most of the flight.

While it should be noted that the Senator has not attended any White House events recently, there was no statement as to whether he was in contact with other Republican Senators who have been diagnosed with Covid. Republican Senators frequently meet for lunch as a group, where no masks are worn and social distancing is not practiced.

Of course, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) didn’t seem to care either. On Friday, he was tested for Covid. While awaiting those results, he attended an Oktoberfest celebration that evening. The next day, his test results showed that he was, in fact, positive for Covid. He tried to justify his actions by stating that he did not expect to be positive for the virus.

This is the party that claims they have your best interests at heart.