There are no words that can define how pitifully dumb America is right now. After yesterdays disastrous showing in the Senate, we are truly being led by morons. Someone suggested that Schumer knows what he’s doing. OK. Explain his reasons like I’m in 2nd grade…cause I dont see it. Damn.
there is a line of thought that shutting the govt down will just make it easier for the space nazi to wreck shit even faster. I don't agree, but at least it's a point of view
I have seen more than 1 pundit say that when the fascists are taking over, the sooner you stand up to them, the more likely you can prevail against them.
I actually can see that point of view. If the govt shuts down, it may never reopen. This way, in six months, maybe something will change if Republican lawmakers become more afraid of losing votes than of trump. I know a lot of damage will happen in six months. The CR sucked. But closing down might suck more.
Until they ( MAGATS) feel the pain, there is no "waking up" from this. Bring on the pain to minimize to tsunami of bloodshed it will take if we don"t turn this NOW !
It's like choosing between a firing squad and a rope. They got us boxed in a corner. I do think Biden knew this was coming. That's why he was trying to install as many judges as possible. And put up as many guardrails as he could. We need to get out of the emotional lane. Be pragmatic. Layout our 2028 plan. Shitpants and his love knuckle buddies are shitting in high cotton now. We'll see how long the public's tolerance holds out. There's no way this kind of criminal dysfunction can last 4 years.
Tough getting a read around the chaos and confusion of this Alexsandr Dugin inspired Putin autogolpe Lisa! We know that many of our duly elected are traitors, blowing the whole damn thing up might be the best alternative available! Putting this country in the rear view mirror is my preference, but difficult not knowing if SS payments will soon disappear. Perhaps communal living will make a return, I’ll be damned if I can figure out a solution to the willfully ignorant problem that plagues’Merikka!!
My limited understanding is only "essential" federal courts would be functional. No Civil cases. That's due to limited funding. Could Shitpants tell the DOJ which court cases are essential to him? Today we have access to the courts. Tomorrow maybe not. None of this is looking very good.
It won't. We'll be in Russia's hands long before the 4 years is up. Putin's counting on that anyway - he, like us, doesn't see trump still having cognizant thoughts in 4 years. (Or even 4 months.)
Or you could see it like the sooner it shuts down the sooner people wake up. That is all that WOKE is, is being alert and figuring out what is going on. No wonder MAGA leaders are against it. They want their voters to be dazed and dumb. A shut down government is going to take care of that, sooner or later. Now, we have punted things down the road and allowed Musk and Trump to continue implementing Project 2025, ignoring the courts, and daring someone to do something about them making these totally illegal and treasonous moves to help Putin out.
Only, I don't know if Putin is helped out. Putin just poked the sleeping giant. The rest of Europe is waking up, people are taking to the streets as they feel their governments are being influenced by Putin's propaganda and his alliance with Trump. France has stationed a nuke by Canada. Guess who it is easily aimed at? Trump is having too much time on his hands to deal with getting the US into foreign messes, and I live in Germany. A shut down might have occupied him domestically. No one is helped by nuclear war, but there is nuclear escalation because of what Trump is saying and doing.
Like the rest of Europe, Merz got Trump's number. Others in Germany did too. I may not like Merz, but I recognize that he is getting into the mode of okay, Donald Trump does not know why Germany is not supposed to have a strong military, and be a leader in military conflicts, so we will go ahead and be that again. I am sure Putin remembers. So, does everyone else in Europe, and now Europe is going to lean into developing a competitive force and weapons. May not be there now, but they have a great role model in Ukraine.
Look at Ukraine. They have been amazing with what they have had to work with, helped by having a leader who is really bright. When I listen to European leaders I feel like I am listening to adults sizing up the situation. When I listen to Trump and his acolytes, I feel like I am listening to the dumb junior high bully and his dumb followers.
But what about meeting the moment? We've had 3 solid weeks of enraging bullshit from Trump and musk and the GOP are literally on the run from their angry constituents, the EU and Canada now see trump (not all the people here because they are rational) as an axis leader selling out his people and country, and the markets are tanked in correction territory. But they haven't had time to push enough people out of the military to assure an illegal order to move on citizens would not be refused. Wait six months, will it really be easier to kill the dragon? We just gave the GOP time to refuel at the frontline. Just for this moment, Schumer and 9 other Senate Dems any 5 of them could have voted no and right now Brian Schatz or Murphy could be giving a civics class filibuster on why this is the GOPs fault and what their voters should be able to expect from them and what they should do about being left behind. They had the moral high ground, one small point of leverage, and a willing electorate of all stripes out on the pavement every day, vets protesting in DC and 50 states this weekend. They failed to meet the moment because they have the illusion of time on their side and aren't up to the fight. Six months from now let's check in to see if they were able to shut the gvmt down slowly anyway and if the opposition hasn't been crushed. We had the momentum and they killed it. It's going to suck hard either way - at least this would have been the peaceful first attempt at real opposition. We gave up and gained nothing and now have no leverage or voice.
Yes, JoAnn, it probably will be declared. No doubt President Elmo will be pushing his puppet in that direction. What about the majority of our military that is not insane like their commander in chief? How will they respond to orders for attacking US citizens?
Keep in mind that on all the military bases, the news station that is watched in the mess hall, etc, is Fox News. I wouldn’t count on the military being totally up to date on the true state of affairs in the government these days.
This year's Neville Chamberlain Award for outstanding achievement in the fields of appeasement and capitulation goes to US Senate Minority Leader (sic) Chuck Schumer for his cowardly vote against cloture on March 14, 2025.
At some point, the opposition has to stand up to bullies. Better to do it when you have some leverage.
Yes, I have read several of these points of view also. Look, it’s a case of “damned if we do, damned if we don’t”. Lose-lose situation all the way around. Did Chuck take the lesser of the two evils while he’s now on book tour? And, did you see Donnie say this:”Schumer used to be Jewish. Now he’s a Palestinian”. These are words sent out to his thugs to threaten Chuck. Wonder if that is why he took the stance that he did. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/12/trump-chuck-schumer-palestinian-slur?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
The 5-8 made mention of a crypto exchange with the 2 NY senators, both voted for the destruction to continue at its torrid pace Marlene!! The fact is 10 democratic senators refused to take a stand against the Russian destruction of our Republic!!
I don't think so Marlene. Do you think some of us in Northern California should try to meet for an afternoon...assuming we're all still here after the rainy season ends...
I understand that point of view, and yet it presumes a majority of Senate Rs want a shut-down. In 2021, Rs denied cloture on a CR & negotiated a clean one. Schumer didn’t even try. So now how do we explain to disillusioned Dem voters that they need to vote, that the 37 senators who opposed Schumer need to be rewarded with expansion of their numbers. Presuming, of course, there’s ever another election. Speaking of, in reconciliation they can add such gems as a national abortion ban and the SAVE (aka deny women & poor rural voters their vote) Act to the CR for an up-or-down vote. Stopping that possibility was worth the risk, too.
He’s uttered the same tired response, which could possibly be true. However, what appears to any person with a semblance of thought, Trump/Musk are destroying this republic in plain sight! “We the Serfs” need to stop this transnational criminal syndicate from destroying our democracy period Susan!!
It is a point of view that in the worst case scenario Trump, Musk and the other Kleptocrats now have the opportunity to ignore whatever they told Schumer they were going to do, and then suck even more money from the US taxpayers, and run up debt endlessly so that the US becomes a third or fourth world country, with no money, humongous debt, no governmental structure because everyone is laid off or fired, and no assets because Trump is going to sell them off. So, in other words a failed state, which means that the US passport isn't going to mean anything and people may be stuck in hell. In addition, as the state fails, and there is no oversight whatsoever to protect anyone for food, water, air, products, services, bodily harm, etc... who comes flooding to the US? The nefarious people. The money launderers, the human traffickers, the cybercriminals, the environmental criminals, the child enslavers, the gun runners, the illegal arms sellers, etc...
Probably not an option in California. We can stand on our own, and the Portland and Seattle areas probably can too, especially since we can be the 11th (?) province.
Well, it is certainly true that in government shut-down, the courts wouldn't operating so any illegal shit could be ongoing but the sane people would have to wait before getting TRO's and other courtly stuff. So yeah...that is a gruesome possibility.
I agree. His argument was actually valid. Between a rock and a hard place is no place to make a decision from that will please everybody. And I really do believe if the shut down had happened, trump would be wetting himself trying to hurry up and blame Democrats, totally and completely. But instead he had to suddenly start acting nice, for a minute. It makes me want to vomit, but so would the other scenario.
To deny President Elmo and his smelly sock puppet this victory would have given Americans a rallying point. What the actual fuck is wrong with Chuck Schumer?
Ann, Schumer is not what I believe to be an evil man like the Bloated Yam of Scam. He has made a horrible decision , but, I’m not quite ready to put him in the Samuel Alito category. However, when you find yourself siding with that Fetterman fool, you better check yourself.
He may be too courteous and protocol-oriented to deal effectively with the USA branch of the Politburo. I hate this aphorism but he may have brought a knife to a gun fight
I left his office a VM yesterday thanking him for his service and asking him to step down as minority leader for someone younger and angrier to lead the opposition.
He cannot be sincere. He's sold his soul and is selling us down the drain. No way this man is too stupid to see what all of us Non law educated, non senate ensconced Americans see clear as day. Give me a frigging break !
I loved the subtitle" beware of the ides of stupid " 😂😂😂 and everything else after, a great this week in stupid-I was surprised I was able to laugh at existing in the stupidest time in history, but laugh I did. Anytime Bobert is ridiculed, it is a great read. Also, it brings back a bittersweet memory of visiting my parents in CO when the Beetlejuice scandal just hit. I was asking my dad if he'd heard about it and he surprisingly hadn't. So I was trying to explain it with great hilarity (my family is silly and we have this saying about "pulsing lions (which obviously=loins)", so to get him to understand, I'm like "Dad, she was filmed grabbing for pulsing lions!!!" And he was both laughing and shocked and then I'm telling him "this can be better explained if I read you Jeff Tiedreich's post", and by the time we were finished with that, we were both laughing and crying with laughter 😂. And thus brought the tradition of reading these posts to mom & dad on Sundays on the phone, or every morning when visiting. And this is bittersweet because my dad passed away 3 weeks ago 💔😢
I don't see where the Republicans threw even a tiny crumb of a bone to the Democrats in the 6-month CR, just threats. So Emperor Maximus Farticus is preening over his victory and GOP enabling continues unabated.
Showing respect for for traitorous politicians, who’ve been paid via the SCOTUS Citizens United decision has never been a thing for me Kay-EI… putting faith in a fractured system of governance isn’t healthy!!
I am, too. I don't like his decision. I just recognize that I don't have access to all the information and there is a real possibility that there is something to be afraid of.
When it comes to trust, I know I can trust the chessboard pigeons to be shameless and evil every time. Sometimes I find out much later that elected Democrats were right and I was wrong. :)
Schumer’s not playing some three dimensional chess with some kind of “secret” info that none of us, including the US House members that stuck their necks out and voted against the CR, are privy to. He caved and needs to go for this and many other reasons. Sell out!
If he does know that, Lynn, he sure could have done a better job of explaining it. There are no 💯 percent solutions right now, but, we do need to fight the tyranny and do it quickly. Waiting for “a good pitch to hit” will leave the majority of Americans “on the bench.”
Maybe most of those here don’t read it, but a hell of a lot of others still do…and I am not defending the NYT one iota, but they still have an oversized voice and audience.
What resistance have these Russian puppets met in the destruction of our country at this point? They’ve hacked our Social Security system funding… what’s stopping them from filching the $ trillions “we the serfs” have already contributed???
Social Security has a 2.9 trillion dollar secured draw plus additional interest paid on the bonded loans, a huge chunk of cash that DOGE hackers appear to have gained access to Lynn. Who have these pimple faced mothers basement dwelling techies shared their hacked information with is troubling!!
Yes Crom, this is the worst thing I think, the Treasury hack, laying AI code with backdoors so they can stop pmts and shuffle funds without being traced, probably same at SSA by now, they could just back it up like a brinks truck right into the crypto strategic vacation slush fund portal and wheeee. Even the newly minted Dogestooge at SSA said he was concerned, when asked why, he said something like my boss is manic depressive...
Yes, and I, at least have seen the run up to that, and so have black people in Watts, Detroit, and several other cities in the mid Sixties. Maybe you ought to look at Malcolm Nance.
That's the argument I've seen. An awful choice, but maybe he did the right thing. The bigger question is WHY are Dems in the position of getting fucked coming and going? The opening video with that fade-cut young imbecile tells us one reason.
He does not care about us or our Republic. He isn't stupid and cannot deny impending Fascism. And capitulates. No excuses, the stakes are astronomical for humanity
So give them more leeway to continue and do worse, AND blame the dems for a shutdown? It was a shit sandwich thanks to the REPUKES. The blame must be placed squarely on THEM. This infighting only serves to weaken us right before we have some crucial elections in April.
There are a lot of people who have taken up Residency in the head of the ORANGE MESS: LIVING RENT FREE..and torturing him...we know because who the fuck cares where Rosie O'Donnell lives..
Ask yourself what Mitch McConnell would do in similar circumstances. I'll tell you what he wouldn't do, and that's cave like spineless Schumer did. Chuck has a history of this which you might recall led to the 6:3 fascist majority on the Supreme Court. Like most of his party's so-called centrists he falls to understand that we are at war.
And if you're going to capitulate, GET SOMETHING FOR IT!! Something, anything; like not Medicaid cuts, restore USAID, don't fire NOAA (OK and TX might appreciate that right now). We got nothing! Except shame.
In 1787 Patrick Henry warned that the proposed Constitution could lead to a Bad Man becoming President and would use the Executive and Commander in Chief powers to take control of the entire government. Trump fits his prophecy as the Bad Man.
Musk is also a Bad Man. He's a Liar. The stated purpose of DOGE is a deception. Musk's purpose is to crash the government so he can exert his personal control over all of it. Elon is the smartest and richest human on Earth (he believes) so he deserves to Rule America and later the World.
With Dumb Donny's blessing, Elon controls government funding and payments at the Treasury. This is the former role of 535 humans in Congress. Who needs them when we have Elon making the spending decisions?
The Press is good at reporting What just happened. They are dropping the ball on WHY. And they are lousy at looking down the road to see what's coming next.
Absolutely Burke, Musk openly weeps, Donnie pats and rubs his shoulders while claiming Elons emotional…bullshit! Musk is playing Donnie like the stunod fiddle he happens to be, while stealing every penny from our republic!!
Chucky knows exactly what he’s doing. His BS is all about an attempt to cloud the fact that he’s a coward. He’s too afraid to say NO! It’s past time for a leadership change! WE NEED THE OLD GUARD TO STEP ASIDE!
Possibly four years ago but definitely at the midterm elections in 2022…where are ANY of the former presidents opinions on this threat to our democracy with the current shitshow of an administration?!
Idk I think he's old but was also bullied from both sides. Reports that Gillebrand was heard screaming from behind closed doors at her colleagues about how terrible a shut down would be. The moment you are screaming and bullying your colleagues is the moment you need to step back and take a moment to put on your big people pants and rethink your position because you've already given your power away. I think that tells us all we need to know about how it happened and if she isn't completely bought I'd be surprised - all the way back to Al Franken. I'm not end irritated at Pelosi re AOC assignment but she would never have fallen for a false choice when the house was already whipped tight. She would not have accepted Gillibrand freaking out and sinking the opposition by taking others to cynicaltown with her.
I don’t think his logic makes sense - that keeping the government open and passing all the junk in that piece of legislation will enable transparency.
Musk and DOGE will do whatever wrecking and be paid regardless. Even if the government was shutdown, it wouldn’t stop lawsuits that seem to be the only recourse at the current moment in time against the targeted dismantling of government departments and agencies and stealing of data that will not likely be recovered, to be used later against the public.
They targeted the money systems first. Let that sink in. They targeted the destruction of knowledge systems. Simultaneously, they are going after Trump’s enemies. Blondi walks beside himself in some ceremonious intro and lauds him, ahead of his deranged discourse, all the while people stand smiling and nodding.
Democrats yesterday who voted for the spending bill are not brilliant strategists - they’re freaked-out, afraid, and not willing to stand up and push back - not willing to say, “nope, we want a better deal for The People.”
I’m totally disgusted right now. At least Jeff can help us see the lunacy.
Yes, but even after, I'm 57 and we wanted to know, we started an amnesty intl chapter at our milk toast campus and wrote letters for dissidents and studies the oil crises, and the CIA ops in central america and read everything we could find about Iran contra as it was happening and then GWB stepped in pretending to be a country bumpkin in Texas "I love to cut wood", chuckle chuckle. And every anti-intellectual remark out of his mouth gave people who didn't give a shit absolution for hating smart people and not bothering to think for themselves at the same time, a la MAGA - these people and their now adult children. Uugh.
Schumer says, I haven't read Project 2025, and I don't understand how fascism works, so I am going to ignore it and act like Donald Trump can be trusted to give me the straight dope. Have we checked Schumer's mental acuity lately? I would put him out to pasture before I would put Biden out to pasture. What has Schumer gotten done lately? Nothing! Nichts! Nada! As Nancy Pelosi supposedly said, step aside and let the women lead! I would say that to my senator Dick Durbin. I have to admit I wrote an unkind email to him yesterday, letting him know that I had wanted to write in my 23-year-old nephew who just got out of chef school's name instead of voting for Durbin, but I did not. NOW I REGRET IT AND WILL START A WRITE IN CAMPAIGN NEXT TIME. At least my nephew, who is disgusted by the mainstream Dems, as much as the Repubs, has goals for truth, and justice.
I am still pissed at Durbin over him not even trying to impeach Thomas and Alito. Not even trying. So, I told him to retire. I hope that it is not considered a threat. Kinda glad I am not in the US if it is. The first amendment is looking kinda shaky right now.
Thanks, Jeff, for including Schumer and other Senators' point of view even though you don’t agree.
I’m interested that so many places I love to read and interact with are so very pro-shut down the government. I’m not sure the rest of the people are with us/you.
PLEASE: I’m not including MAGA. Of course Trump acts like we’re playing into his hands.
I think shutting down is playing dead — what so many of my colleagues accuse Schumer of doing. It would amount to allowing the Executive (Trump, Musk) take charge. Whew!
The Rs left us with this choice. Blame them! We’re on the same side, against facism.
I don’t get it either, Susan, but some Dems think he did the right thing. The poison pills in the bill are just making it easier to screw We the People.
Katy Britt gonna come up with some sorta Trad Wife elixir to brainwash more women. a $$$ maker. like so many Xtian schemes. She'll prolly make it a multilevel marketing company
So these fools can't date the daughters of other "godly christian men" because they get a 12-gauge pointed at their heads when they come calling and have to download porno blocking apps on their phones, maybe.
How would BoBo know what a “pimp cane” looks like? I don’t remember one in Beetlejuice, maybe she knows from direct experience from the truck stop on I-80.
I'm proud to be an un-godly, un-Christian American woman.
It's astonishing, but every sociopath, religous fanatic, grifter and dumbass from all points of the compass converged on DC and joined Trump 2.0. If history is written by the winners, MAGA's will be a pop-up book.
Hi Walt. Forgive me for not following back. I see that someone may follow me from time to time which I don't really get, but it's sort of a policy of mine to keep this Substack thing within some limits. So many notifications as it is. Later gator
I have remarkable restraint. I do not become disinhibited. But, I have been known to binge on rare occasions, but being thin, I can afford to. Don't hate me for my dietary issues. I was anorexic, then bulimic for many years. Got therapy, got better .😊
Never do hallucinogenics, especially LSD, when you are feeling sad or distraught. Under such circumstances, it is unbelievably easy to emotionally fall into a very bad place. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to snap someone out of a bad trip or anxious experience by giving them a nice cold, fat wedge of lemon to suck on. Snaps them right out of it to enable them to be helpfully redirected towards a happier mien. Otherwise LSD25 is a life changing opportunity to experience pure wondrousness and self reflection. Life changing.
Well, Jeff, you nailed it, but you left Saturday wide open. So I give you our beloved Crusader SecDef Hegseth. He has made it his cross to bear (maybe bare?) to weed out the unmanly, the heathen, and the sodomites from the military. Of course, this poses a problem since “girls” alone represent 17.5% of military personnel filling a range of mission critical billets. Some of the “sodomites” (impolite, I apologize, only for effect) are also battle hardened, tested, and essential to train replacements will be lost. His firing of the CJAG (the lawyers) because, well they just muck things up, pretty much says Nuremberg Trials be damned—the notion of lawful orders. The firing of the CJCS and Navy CNO scream “DEI” in the GOP definition: to fire a highly person (General Brown) and replace with a inexperienced, statutorily unqualified person (LTGEN Cain) because he fits the inclusive need — a) ideologically pure—MAGA, and b) white).
Now the real issues lay just beyond the former Fox talking head’s grasp. Such as material readiness such as over five years for an aircraft carrier to refuel and refurbish. Or excessive pilot training times (over two years) and limited flight time once operational. The depletion of military munitions in support of Ukraine, but limited industrial base to replenish. A focus on plans to invade Panama in lieu of the more existential threat of a renewed Soviet empire.
I will defer comment on the disaster of Trump at DoJ on Friday. It is worthy of your commentary Jeff, because his comments were a slap in the face of our Constitution and law.
I will close with one of my Navy phrases: Screwed and tattooed.
@David, All true, and 3/4 of fighting age men and women don't qualify for entry into the armed forces because they were raised on a couch eating processed food. They couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Also, any kid nowadays thinking about serving, just has to see how these dipshits treat military veterans. Strategy isn't the MAGA strong suit now, is it? Semper Fi brother.
I served 26 years as a Naval Aviator. While I cannot utter Semper Fi as a Marine, you have my utmost respect. No, starting with the CinC and SecDef there is only arrogance, prejudice, and an egregious lack of strategic knowledge or the use of all elements of national power. We are poised to pay a heavy price IMHO.
USMC DI Sargents are devil spawn. My first encounter in the USN (preflight)was before their perfect cadence delivered vulgarities and threats to my mortal body, perhaps soul. They do a damn good job of turning couch potatoes into lethal units. I often heard and loathed the term, they don’t wind them(recruits) as tight. This when my fellow airmen were flying, and in some cases, dying in the skies over Vietnam. And, later when the younger Airmen took to the skies over the Mideast and Afghanistan. I note with great pride the men who worked on the very hazardous flights decks—they too sacrificed. My take, the military starting with the DI’s do a damn good job of hammering out the Civilian and forging the fighting men & women in the military. I will add this observation. The young replacements are dumb as rocks (I know from my experience), absolutely immortal in their arrogance, and all too willing to give last full measure for our country. As you said, if may borrow, Semper Fi.
Is it beyond the possibility that a military unit could lead the revolution? Isn't this the point we find ourselves? "Legal" means and future elections are delusions. The sooner the better.
Back in the day, many if not most presidents had risked their lives in combat for America. Many were bona fide heroes. Even Poppy Bush was a Naval aviator who narrowly escaped death over Iwo Jima. After Vietnam and the end of the draft, presidents who served are almost a thing of the past. In fact, we now have an active draft dodger. But as leader of our nation, that position is in command of our military. Scary when you have a crooked, traitorous idiot Russian asset in the WH
John Kerry was a legitimate war hero that was slimed by the Republicons. The lies about him reached their apex and we wound up with Bush. This, if I remember correctly, was when Rush Limbaugh was spewing more crap than a broken garbage disposal, controlling the AM airwaves and promoting many of the lies that haunt us to this day.
I could not agree more with your comment re: Kerry. Politically, I wasn’t too wild about him. But the Swift Boating was disgusting politics demonstrating what total assholes the Republican were becoming then and have fully succeeded to now. Go no further than their idolization of Cadet Bonespurs.
The "swift boating" of John Kerry is a perfect example of conservative dirty tricks and effective lying. Same when they smeared TRIPLE AMPUTEE Vietnam veteran Max Cleland in the 2002 senate election for Georgia's seat. And it worked with these idiot rube gullible dumbass voters. Unbelievably shameful behavior but hey, anything to win. Nothing is too low for the repube party, now what I call POOP, the Party of Obsequious Putinism. As far as Limbaugh goes, I hope he's burning in whatever place he certainly deserves to be
I think he may have thought he was best to handle it. I don't believe he was one to do more than for he would be responsible. He refused to be king, remember.
Emplacing command in Executive and placing the Military under civilian control (Washington presented his sword to Congress epitomizes it) makes absolute sense to assure a responsive command structure. What doesn’t make sense is over empowering the Executive to all but declare war. Declaration, large or small, police action (Korea) or direct military action (Vietnam/Desert Storm) should have had explicit and limited Congressional authorization not just an open justification of military force (better than nothing I guess).
Roger that, David. Among the many lessons the US has failed to learn from the Russian war on Ukraine is the need for a capacity for truly mass production of conventional weapons and ammunition. We spend $1.7 Billion for a single F35 fighter while the Ukrainians are demolishing the Russians with $10 thousand drones. We are spending $300 Billion on the destabilizing and dangerous Sentinel ICBM; the list goes on.
In fairness to the current administration the previous one was not much better in these regards.
Actually, I just noted today recruitment and retention improved dramatically in 2024. I think the larger issue is the old dilemma of guns and butter. It is transcendent of R or D. Over 60% of discretionary spending is on the military. Do we direct GDP to military or civilian? Do we raised taxes? I fully agree, our weapon system costs are unsustainable. The use of UAV’s and drones strikes me as the future. As for munitions, when stocks are full do we continue to build more bombs?. And when they deplete, do we build new munitions plants? The latter are not turn key operations. They require facilities and experienced personnel. It is a wicked problem unsolved by sound bites and heroic talk.
Yes, why aren't "single, godly women" making an effort to meet whiny a*s men who think the world revolves around them? Can't imagine why they wouldn't flock to them. 😂
Right? Wanna be enslaved to a ChristoFascist insecure as hell loser who wants to own his dutiful wife ? Domestic doormat and willing access to procreation. Sure sounds fab to me
Exactly. Who in the hell cares unless you get stuck with the new MAGA asshole who moves on to your block. Thankfully that hasn't happened but the more people you talk to, the more you hear about people wanting to relocate across the pond. You can't blame them since the level of fear and uncertainty has reached an all time high.
And what a stupid fucking embarrassing question to ask Ireland's Prime Minister, with the world watching. Right out of run-down trailer park south. Guess the Newsmax dullard with the face that looks like a can of exploded Pillsbury biscuits thought he was "owning the libs" with that.
I'm still cracking up after reading: "Five-time international lap hockey champion, Loren Boebert"... Thank you for a great start to my day. Your humor is much appreciated.
There are no words that can define how pitifully dumb America is right now. After yesterdays disastrous showing in the Senate, we are truly being led by morons. Someone suggested that Schumer knows what he’s doing. OK. Explain his reasons like I’m in 2nd grade…cause I dont see it. Damn.
there is a line of thought that shutting the govt down will just make it easier for the space nazi to wreck shit even faster. I don't agree, but at least it's a point of view
https://bsky.app/profile/rachelbitecofer.bsky.social/post/3lkechrof3s2c
I have seen more than 1 pundit say that when the fascists are taking over, the sooner you stand up to them, the more likely you can prevail against them.
Yes that is the common thread in what they say, stand up, do it right away before consolidation of power and purges.
True Stephen, Lucid readers are well versed on this!!
Makes sense to me sooner rather than later
I actually can see that point of view. If the govt shuts down, it may never reopen. This way, in six months, maybe something will change if Republican lawmakers become more afraid of losing votes than of trump. I know a lot of damage will happen in six months. The CR sucked. But closing down might suck more.
Anne, things are pretty sucky now. How will things ever improve if we don’t fight like hell to prove them wrong?
Walt Svirsky, Repulsives blame Democrats NO MATTER WHAT! Trying to avoid that trap is futile. Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!
I've heard that the modern, profane new military version of that saying is FIDO, as in Fuck It Drive On
Ha Ha HI2thDoc! I'll pass that on to my retired Navy, husband.
👍👍
Oh! As in FIDO DOG_E
What happened to FUBAR? That seems more descriptive of the times we’re living in.
FIDO goes back at least as far as Vietnam - as does FUBAR.
Hard to fight the rw propaganda machine - ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THAT :/
😢😢😢😢😡
No fucking prisoners!!
I understand the POV of people who wanted to let it shut down. Glad I didn't have to vote.
Until they ( MAGATS) feel the pain, there is no "waking up" from this. Bring on the pain to minimize to tsunami of bloodshed it will take if we don"t turn this NOW !
It's like choosing between a firing squad and a rope. They got us boxed in a corner. I do think Biden knew this was coming. That's why he was trying to install as many judges as possible. And put up as many guardrails as he could. We need to get out of the emotional lane. Be pragmatic. Layout our 2028 plan. Shitpants and his love knuckle buddies are shitting in high cotton now. We'll see how long the public's tolerance holds out. There's no way this kind of criminal dysfunction can last 4 years.
I'm thinking the public tolerance is already sinking fast....
Tough getting a read around the chaos and confusion of this Alexsandr Dugin inspired Putin autogolpe Lisa! We know that many of our duly elected are traitors, blowing the whole damn thing up might be the best alternative available! Putting this country in the rear view mirror is my preference, but difficult not knowing if SS payments will soon disappear. Perhaps communal living will make a return, I’ll be damned if I can figure out a solution to the willfully ignorant problem that plagues’Merikka!!
You're not wrong. I can't even think today. I need a nap.
I agree. My question is, can we do better in the Fed. Dist. Courts? Do we shutdown the Courts in Gov't shutdown??
My limited understanding is only "essential" federal courts would be functional. No Civil cases. That's due to limited funding. Could Shitpants tell the DOJ which court cases are essential to him? Today we have access to the courts. Tomorrow maybe not. None of this is looking very good.
The sooner the "tolerance" tanks, the better for humanity and life on this planet
It won't. We'll be in Russia's hands long before the 4 years is up. Putin's counting on that anyway - he, like us, doesn't see trump still having cognizant thoughts in 4 years. (Or even 4 months.)
Or you could see it like the sooner it shuts down the sooner people wake up. That is all that WOKE is, is being alert and figuring out what is going on. No wonder MAGA leaders are against it. They want their voters to be dazed and dumb. A shut down government is going to take care of that, sooner or later. Now, we have punted things down the road and allowed Musk and Trump to continue implementing Project 2025, ignoring the courts, and daring someone to do something about them making these totally illegal and treasonous moves to help Putin out.
Only, I don't know if Putin is helped out. Putin just poked the sleeping giant. The rest of Europe is waking up, people are taking to the streets as they feel their governments are being influenced by Putin's propaganda and his alliance with Trump. France has stationed a nuke by Canada. Guess who it is easily aimed at? Trump is having too much time on his hands to deal with getting the US into foreign messes, and I live in Germany. A shut down might have occupied him domestically. No one is helped by nuclear war, but there is nuclear escalation because of what Trump is saying and doing.
Like the rest of Europe, Merz got Trump's number. Others in Germany did too. I may not like Merz, but I recognize that he is getting into the mode of okay, Donald Trump does not know why Germany is not supposed to have a strong military, and be a leader in military conflicts, so we will go ahead and be that again. I am sure Putin remembers. So, does everyone else in Europe, and now Europe is going to lean into developing a competitive force and weapons. May not be there now, but they have a great role model in Ukraine.
Look at Ukraine. They have been amazing with what they have had to work with, helped by having a leader who is really bright. When I listen to European leaders I feel like I am listening to adults sizing up the situation. When I listen to Trump and his acolytes, I feel like I am listening to the dumb junior high bully and his dumb followers.
I think you're giving drumpf too much credit there at the end, Linda. If there's such a thing as a two-year-old bully, that would be mango man.
But what about meeting the moment? We've had 3 solid weeks of enraging bullshit from Trump and musk and the GOP are literally on the run from their angry constituents, the EU and Canada now see trump (not all the people here because they are rational) as an axis leader selling out his people and country, and the markets are tanked in correction territory. But they haven't had time to push enough people out of the military to assure an illegal order to move on citizens would not be refused. Wait six months, will it really be easier to kill the dragon? We just gave the GOP time to refuel at the frontline. Just for this moment, Schumer and 9 other Senate Dems any 5 of them could have voted no and right now Brian Schatz or Murphy could be giving a civics class filibuster on why this is the GOPs fault and what their voters should be able to expect from them and what they should do about being left behind. They had the moral high ground, one small point of leverage, and a willing electorate of all stripes out on the pavement every day, vets protesting in DC and 50 states this weekend. They failed to meet the moment because they have the illusion of time on their side and aren't up to the fight. Six months from now let's check in to see if they were able to shut the gvmt down slowly anyway and if the opposition hasn't been crushed. We had the momentum and they killed it. It's going to suck hard either way - at least this would have been the peaceful first attempt at real opposition. We gave up and gained nothing and now have no leverage or voice.
An excellent summary
Martial Law could be declared.
Yes, JoAnn, it probably will be declared. No doubt President Elmo will be pushing his puppet in that direction. What about the majority of our military that is not insane like their commander in chief? How will they respond to orders for attacking US citizens?
That is also my question, Walt.
The military takes an oath to protect the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic. It appears we have a domestic enemy threatening us.
But Hegseth is the Secretary of Defense, and I don’t see him defying Dumbass.
People violating that oath in droves. Not holding my breath
Keep in mind that on all the military bases, the news station that is watched in the mess hall, etc, is Fox News. I wouldn’t count on the military being totally up to date on the true state of affairs in the government these days.
Interesting, Sandra. How do you know this? And who besides new recruits uses the mess hall?
Are they a majority?
Critical and existential question
Fuck it, we fight.
That's what I'm expecting to happen. The question is, will the orange blob's handlers step in before he can make it official?
In his first term the Cabinet members would have. Now the Cabinet secretaries are all cult members.
The one month CR was taken off the table by whom, for what reason, it was acceptable to every democratic leader I’ve followed???
This year's Neville Chamberlain Award for outstanding achievement in the fields of appeasement and capitulation goes to US Senate Minority Leader (sic) Chuck Schumer for his cowardly vote against cloture on March 14, 2025.
At some point, the opposition has to stand up to bullies. Better to do it when you have some leverage.
Exactly, it’s likely long past the point of no return Harry!!
cowardly vote *for cloture
Yes, I have read several of these points of view also. Look, it’s a case of “damned if we do, damned if we don’t”. Lose-lose situation all the way around. Did Chuck take the lesser of the two evils while he’s now on book tour? And, did you see Donnie say this:”Schumer used to be Jewish. Now he’s a Palestinian”. These are words sent out to his thugs to threaten Chuck. Wonder if that is why he took the stance that he did. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/12/trump-chuck-schumer-palestinian-slur?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
The 5-8 made mention of a crypto exchange with the 2 NY senators, both voted for the destruction to continue at its torrid pace Marlene!! The fact is 10 democratic senators refused to take a stand against the Russian destruction of our Republic!!
I don't think so Marlene. Do you think some of us in Northern California should try to meet for an afternoon...assuming we're all still here after the rainy season ends...
That would great..yes!
I understand that point of view, and yet it presumes a majority of Senate Rs want a shut-down. In 2021, Rs denied cloture on a CR & negotiated a clean one. Schumer didn’t even try. So now how do we explain to disillusioned Dem voters that they need to vote, that the 37 senators who opposed Schumer need to be rewarded with expansion of their numbers. Presuming, of course, there’s ever another election. Speaking of, in reconciliation they can add such gems as a national abortion ban and the SAVE (aka deny women & poor rural voters their vote) Act to the CR for an up-or-down vote. Stopping that possibility was worth the risk, too.
He’s uttered the same tired response, which could possibly be true. However, what appears to any person with a semblance of thought, Trump/Musk are destroying this republic in plain sight! “We the Serfs” need to stop this transnational criminal syndicate from destroying our democracy period Susan!!
It is a point of view that in the worst case scenario Trump, Musk and the other Kleptocrats now have the opportunity to ignore whatever they told Schumer they were going to do, and then suck even more money from the US taxpayers, and run up debt endlessly so that the US becomes a third or fourth world country, with no money, humongous debt, no governmental structure because everyone is laid off or fired, and no assets because Trump is going to sell them off. So, in other words a failed state, which means that the US passport isn't going to mean anything and people may be stuck in hell. In addition, as the state fails, and there is no oversight whatsoever to protect anyone for food, water, air, products, services, bodily harm, etc... who comes flooding to the US? The nefarious people. The money launderers, the human traffickers, the cybercriminals, the environmental criminals, the child enslavers, the gun runners, the illegal arms sellers, etc...
Probably not an option in California. We can stand on our own, and the Portland and Seattle areas probably can too, especially since we can be the 11th (?) province.
Maybe but it still would have been illegal. Schumer just voted to make it legal now. Good job dem dipshits.
Well, it is certainly true that in government shut-down, the courts wouldn't operating so any illegal shit could be ongoing but the sane people would have to wait before getting TRO's and other courtly stuff. So yeah...that is a gruesome possibility.
I agree. His argument was actually valid. Between a rock and a hard place is no place to make a decision from that will please everybody. And I really do believe if the shut down had happened, trump would be wetting himself trying to hurry up and blame Democrats, totally and completely. But instead he had to suddenly start acting nice, for a minute. It makes me want to vomit, but so would the other scenario.
What respect I had for the 10 went straight down the crapper. A sad time to be an American.
To deny President Elmo and his smelly sock puppet this victory would have given Americans a rallying point. What the actual fuck is wrong with Chuck Schumer?
He's rich. Won't feel any pain from Trump 2.0.
Ann, Schumer is not what I believe to be an evil man like the Bloated Yam of Scam. He has made a horrible decision , but, I’m not quite ready to put him in the Samuel Alito category. However, when you find yourself siding with that Fetterman fool, you better check yourself.
I think Chuck is sincere. I also think he's out of touch and far too complacent about the moment we're in.
He may be too courteous and protocol-oriented to deal effectively with the USA branch of the Politburo. I hate this aphorism but he may have brought a knife to a gun fight
He does have to answer to Wall St…(NY)
I left his office a VM yesterday thanking him for his service and asking him to step down as minority leader for someone younger and angrier to lead the opposition.
He cannot be sincere. He's sold his soul and is selling us down the drain. No way this man is too stupid to see what all of us Non law educated, non senate ensconced Americans see clear as day. Give me a frigging break !
He's bought
Probably get a tax break hisself
He certainly is NO LEADER. Just white, rich, elderly, flaccid. Fucking useless.
And in our darkest hour.......
I loved the subtitle" beware of the ides of stupid " 😂😂😂 and everything else after, a great this week in stupid-I was surprised I was able to laugh at existing in the stupidest time in history, but laugh I did. Anytime Bobert is ridiculed, it is a great read. Also, it brings back a bittersweet memory of visiting my parents in CO when the Beetlejuice scandal just hit. I was asking my dad if he'd heard about it and he surprisingly hadn't. So I was trying to explain it with great hilarity (my family is silly and we have this saying about "pulsing lions (which obviously=loins)", so to get him to understand, I'm like "Dad, she was filmed grabbing for pulsing lions!!!" And he was both laughing and shocked and then I'm telling him "this can be better explained if I read you Jeff Tiedreich's post", and by the time we were finished with that, we were both laughing and crying with laughter 😂. And thus brought the tradition of reading these posts to mom & dad on Sundays on the phone, or every morning when visiting. And this is bittersweet because my dad passed away 3 weeks ago 💔😢
I’m sorry for the loss of your beloved father. May your memories of laughing together be a comfort.
I agree Walt, the one month CR was all the time anyone of our democratic representatives should have accepted!!
I don't see where the Republicans threw even a tiny crumb of a bone to the Democrats in the 6-month CR, just threats. So Emperor Maximus Farticus is preening over his victory and GOP enabling continues unabated.
Ooo, that name is going on my list. So now, when we need a Spartacus, we have only an Emperor Maximus Farticus.
Kompromat?
The days of Schumers type of polite politics was over 30 years ago and the repthugs know it and play our dems hard.
Damnit stand up and fight.
Showing respect for for traitorous politicians, who’ve been paid via the SCOTUS Citizens United decision has never been a thing for me Kay-EI… putting faith in a fractured system of governance isn’t healthy!!
Schumer knew that with a government shut down, Musk & Trump could freely dismantle what’s left of the Federal Government
He and others have access to information that we do not. He didn't survive in politics this long without knowing how to weigh competing costs.
Blame the Republicans, who decreed that the previous CR would end at midnight their last day at work before a two week break.
We have all seen what the Felon Melon and the Space Nazi can do in two weeks.
If it is a question of whose motives are better even if I disagree with their decision, I will take Schumer over those chessboard pigeons any day.
I hope you're right. I think we're all very disillusioned in Democratic leadership right now.
I am, too. I don't like his decision. I just recognize that I don't have access to all the information and there is a real possibility that there is something to be afraid of.
When it comes to trust, I know I can trust the chessboard pigeons to be shameless and evil every time. Sometimes I find out much later that elected Democrats were right and I was wrong. :)
Schumer’s not playing some three dimensional chess with some kind of “secret” info that none of us, including the US House members that stuck their necks out and voted against the CR, are privy to. He caved and needs to go for this and many other reasons. Sell out!
Sorry, I do not agree. It is not as simple as that.
They got no "Dawg"! Totally fucking unacceptable!
It's telling that many of those who voted with him are from safe blue states, including one of mine. They apparently see Schumer's argument as valid
EXACTLY!!!
If he does know that, Lynn, he sure could have done a better job of explaining it. There are no 💯 percent solutions right now, but, we do need to fight the tyranny and do it quickly. Waiting for “a good pitch to hit” will leave the majority of Americans “on the bench.”
He wrote an op-ed in the NYT. I don’t understand why people on our side are falling for the right wing narrative.
Most people do not read NYT nor WaPo anymore so that piece in NYT is moot. Who did he think he was talking to? Certainly not to common folks!
I agree...I'd like to read it, but I cancelled both the Times and WaPo.
I cancelled because of Judith Miller, and I haven't missed it. I think it's been two decades.
Maybe most of those here don’t read it, but a hell of a lot of others still do…and I am not defending the NYT one iota, but they still have an oversized voice and audience.
The New York Times…where all clear thinking Americans go for the truth. Geez, Chuck!
Best way for Chuck to reach his primary constituents and underscore that he's still a Jew and not a Palestinian.
Hard to believe, but there are some stupid Democrats out there.
I don’t know if he was right ( I’m inclined to think the opposite). I just know that’s the alternative explanation
Love the metaphor Walt!!
What resistance have these Russian puppets met in the destruction of our country at this point? They’ve hacked our Social Security system funding… what’s stopping them from filching the $ trillions “we the serfs” have already contributed???
Nothing. I’m sure filching part of the $2.7 TRILLION SS fund is part of the plan
Social Security has a 2.9 trillion dollar secured draw plus additional interest paid on the bonded loans, a huge chunk of cash that DOGE hackers appear to have gained access to Lynn. Who have these pimple faced mothers basement dwelling techies shared their hacked information with is troubling!!
Yes Crom, this is the worst thing I think, the Treasury hack, laying AI code with backdoors so they can stop pmts and shuffle funds without being traced, probably same at SSA by now, they could just back it up like a brinks truck right into the crypto strategic vacation slush fund portal and wheeee. Even the newly minted Dogestooge at SSA said he was concerned, when asked why, he said something like my boss is manic depressive...
Like they already are??
The Civil Service is a guardrail against corruption that undermines democracy. Three guesses why MAGA wants to shut it down?
But, we’re not dead yet, Jeanne. Let’s rise up!
Churchill said "If our island story ends here, it will be with all of us lying on the street choking on our own blood."
Yes, and I, at least have seen the run up to that, and so have black people in Watts, Detroit, and several other cities in the mid Sixties. Maybe you ought to look at Malcolm Nance.
And the current lawsuits would be held up, allowing them to forge ahead with all the illegal agency moves they've made.
That's the argument I've seen. An awful choice, but maybe he did the right thing. The bigger question is WHY are Dems in the position of getting fucked coming and going? The opening video with that fade-cut young imbecile tells us one reason.
He does not care about us or our Republic. He isn't stupid and cannot deny impending Fascism. And capitulates. No excuses, the stakes are astronomical for humanity
They're doing it anyway!
So give them more leeway to continue and do worse, AND blame the dems for a shutdown? It was a shit sandwich thanks to the REPUKES. The blame must be placed squarely on THEM. This infighting only serves to weaken us right before we have some crucial elections in April.
There are a lot of people who have taken up Residency in the head of the ORANGE MESS: LIVING RENT FREE..and torturing him...we know because who the fuck cares where Rosie O'Donnell lives..
I know that Dumbass and Rosie had a long-standing feud, but what started it?
Ask yourself what Mitch McConnell would do in similar circumstances. I'll tell you what he wouldn't do, and that's cave like spineless Schumer did. Chuck has a history of this which you might recall led to the 6:3 fascist majority on the Supreme Court. Like most of his party's so-called centrists he falls to understand that we are at war.
And if you're going to capitulate, GET SOMETHING FOR IT!! Something, anything; like not Medicaid cuts, restore USAID, don't fire NOAA (OK and TX might appreciate that right now). We got nothing! Except shame.
Schumer doesn't know how to negotiate. Sometimes still waters don't run deep, they're just stagnant.
Apparently Chuck never purchased a copy of Art of The Deal!!
Those damn Republicons vote in lock-step. None of this tyranny is possible without 💯 percent capitulation by every one of them.
True! McConnell blocked so much of Obama’s agenda as MINORITY leader! Why can’t Schumer??
Straight truth Stephen!!
In 1787 Patrick Henry warned that the proposed Constitution could lead to a Bad Man becoming President and would use the Executive and Commander in Chief powers to take control of the entire government. Trump fits his prophecy as the Bad Man.
https://www.redhill.org/speeches-writings/liberty-or-empire/?srsltid=AfmBOopKRjT59QCRAMTvSsTdSn-EfgiSbngBF9k4AUJ3bCTNjjZcUang
Musk is also a Bad Man. He's a Liar. The stated purpose of DOGE is a deception. Musk's purpose is to crash the government so he can exert his personal control over all of it. Elon is the smartest and richest human on Earth (he believes) so he deserves to Rule America and later the World.
With Dumb Donny's blessing, Elon controls government funding and payments at the Treasury. This is the former role of 535 humans in Congress. Who needs them when we have Elon making the spending decisions?
The Press is good at reporting What just happened. They are dropping the ball on WHY. And they are lousy at looking down the road to see what's coming next.
Absolutely Burke, Musk openly weeps, Donnie pats and rubs his shoulders while claiming Elons emotional…bullshit! Musk is playing Donnie like the stunod fiddle he happens to be, while stealing every penny from our republic!!
Second graders are smarter than that…..let’s go with preschool age!!
I hear you Tess, however, the school in this town is K-12, the whole lot, have little grasp of language, culture, or much of anything beyond football!
Good thing they’re shutting down the Dept. of ED! OMG!!!! I am in an uproar!!!!!
LOL! True.
They certainly are more familiar with right & wrong at that age
Chucky knows exactly what he’s doing. His BS is all about an attempt to cloud the fact that he’s a coward. He’s too afraid to say NO! It’s past time for a leadership change! WE NEED THE OLD GUARD TO STEP ASIDE!
That should have happened 4years ago.
Possibly four years ago but definitely at the midterm elections in 2022…where are ANY of the former presidents opinions on this threat to our democracy with the current shitshow of an administration?!
Idk I think he's old but was also bullied from both sides. Reports that Gillebrand was heard screaming from behind closed doors at her colleagues about how terrible a shut down would be. The moment you are screaming and bullying your colleagues is the moment you need to step back and take a moment to put on your big people pants and rethink your position because you've already given your power away. I think that tells us all we need to know about how it happened and if she isn't completely bought I'd be surprised - all the way back to Al Franken. I'm not end irritated at Pelosi re AOC assignment but she would never have fallen for a false choice when the house was already whipped tight. She would not have accepted Gillibrand freaking out and sinking the opposition by taking others to cynicaltown with her.
Gillebrand? Never good even when she started.
I don’t think his logic makes sense - that keeping the government open and passing all the junk in that piece of legislation will enable transparency.
Musk and DOGE will do whatever wrecking and be paid regardless. Even if the government was shutdown, it wouldn’t stop lawsuits that seem to be the only recourse at the current moment in time against the targeted dismantling of government departments and agencies and stealing of data that will not likely be recovered, to be used later against the public.
They targeted the money systems first. Let that sink in. They targeted the destruction of knowledge systems. Simultaneously, they are going after Trump’s enemies. Blondi walks beside himself in some ceremonious intro and lauds him, ahead of his deranged discourse, all the while people stand smiling and nodding.
Democrats yesterday who voted for the spending bill are not brilliant strategists - they’re freaked-out, afraid, and not willing to stand up and push back - not willing to say, “nope, we want a better deal for The People.”
I’m totally disgusted right now. At least Jeff can help us see the lunacy.
It would shut down the courthouses & therefore the trials trying to hold Musk/Trump accountable
I'm thinking they were bought. Tech and big pharma, AIPAC. Thanks to the Supreme Court, bribery is legal. Money corrupts both sides.
I'm thinking the same thing... damn, our government is so corrupt.
Citizens United allowed so much money to flow into our government that it became about money & power, not public setvice
It's amazing how stupid my country has become. Or has the stupidity been dormant all this time, just waiting for validation?
It's new. There was a time, up through the start of television, when knowledge was sought after.
Yes, but even after, I'm 57 and we wanted to know, we started an amnesty intl chapter at our milk toast campus and wrote letters for dissidents and studies the oil crises, and the CIA ops in central america and read everything we could find about Iran contra as it was happening and then GWB stepped in pretending to be a country bumpkin in Texas "I love to cut wood", chuckle chuckle. And every anti-intellectual remark out of his mouth gave people who didn't give a shit absolution for hating smart people and not bothering to think for themselves at the same time, a la MAGA - these people and their now adult children. Uugh.
Schumer says, I haven't read Project 2025, and I don't understand how fascism works, so I am going to ignore it and act like Donald Trump can be trusted to give me the straight dope. Have we checked Schumer's mental acuity lately? I would put him out to pasture before I would put Biden out to pasture. What has Schumer gotten done lately? Nothing! Nichts! Nada! As Nancy Pelosi supposedly said, step aside and let the women lead! I would say that to my senator Dick Durbin. I have to admit I wrote an unkind email to him yesterday, letting him know that I had wanted to write in my 23-year-old nephew who just got out of chef school's name instead of voting for Durbin, but I did not. NOW I REGRET IT AND WILL START A WRITE IN CAMPAIGN NEXT TIME. At least my nephew, who is disgusted by the mainstream Dems, as much as the Repubs, has goals for truth, and justice.
I am still pissed at Durbin over him not even trying to impeach Thomas and Alito. Not even trying. So, I told him to retire. I hope that it is not considered a threat. Kinda glad I am not in the US if it is. The first amendment is looking kinda shaky right now.
I wrote the same type of email to Durbin & said I would be voting for whoever primaried him
Thanks, Jeff, for including Schumer and other Senators' point of view even though you don’t agree.
I’m interested that so many places I love to read and interact with are so very pro-shut down the government. I’m not sure the rest of the people are with us/you.
PLEASE: I’m not including MAGA. Of course Trump acts like we’re playing into his hands.
I think shutting down is playing dead — what so many of my colleagues accuse Schumer of doing. It would amount to allowing the Executive (Trump, Musk) take charge. Whew!
The Rs left us with this choice. Blame them! We’re on the same side, against facism.
Latest: avoid a market crash 😒
He's playing four-dimension chess with the professionals. /s
I don’t get it either, Susan, but some Dems think he did the right thing. The poison pills in the bill are just making it easier to screw We the People.
To the " godly " christian " men ".So you can't find a good woman to date ?
THE FREE MARKET HAS SPOKEN
🎯
Katy Britt gonna come up with some sorta Trad Wife elixir to brainwash more women. a $$$ maker. like so many Xtian schemes. She'll prolly make it a multilevel marketing company
They have a plan for that
Handmaids Tale?
Next season airs April 4! Timely?
So these fools can't date the daughters of other "godly christian men" because they get a 12-gauge pointed at their heads when they come calling and have to download porno blocking apps on their phones, maybe.
You win the entire internet 🤣🤣🤣
I love this Kristy!!
How would BoBo know what a “pimp cane” looks like? I don’t remember one in Beetlejuice, maybe she knows from direct experience from the truck stop on I-80.
And Jeff misspoke by referring to the recipient of her Handy ministrations in a public place as her boyfriend. It was actually their first date!
If it had been her boyfriend she might have been getting Lippy with him.
He is a Dem, too. I guess he was going for the easy pickings. Or should I say loose pickings
🤣🤣🤣
No !!!!!!!!
😂🤣😂
Perhaps because of her alleged
" canoodleing " with Cancun Ted ?
EW!!!!
That’s a nasty visual.
That must be a false rumor. Even Ted's own wife doesn't wanna bang him
😂😂
🤮🤮🤮
Can you say "Lot Lizard"? Sure. I knew you could.
Oof
Anybody remember James O'Keefe, Mr. Veritas' pimp outfit when he did a so called "sting" on ACORN?
Yes and he looked like some 70’s ghetto pimp.. right out of SuperFly
Nicely played Fastball!!
Every idiot in This Week wins a coveted pigeon shit covered trophy. I can’t even with these dumbfucks.
Jeff should do a special edition on interviews with the red rubes. A book would be good. He could spend a lifetime on that project.
And accurately misspell their idiotic responses
That is NOT a bad idea‼️ Ms Spouse goes along for ‘safety’…
Do pigeons also ‘flip the board’ if they’re losing?…
Lol, winning or losing, I think.
OK there’s a weird innocence in that… I’ll allow it
I'm proud to be an un-godly, un-Christian American woman.
It's astonishing, but every sociopath, religous fanatic, grifter and dumbass from all points of the compass converged on DC and joined Trump 2.0. If history is written by the winners, MAGA's will be a pop-up book.
I’m now happy to “follow” you, Ann. We are kindred spirits.
Hi Walt. Forgive me for not following back. I see that someone may follow me from time to time which I don't really get, but it's sort of a policy of mine to keep this Substack thing within some limits. So many notifications as it is. Later gator
No worries. You do you.
I don’t understand what the ‘Follow’ thing is, either. The ways of Substack remain mysterious to me.
I'm following Ann now too.
Ha! Pop up book! 😆
A board book at that
I could enjoy collaborating on one of those! My high school skills might be a bit rusty.
Why we day drink
And lean into our cannabis edibles.
In my case, both. How do sober people handle this shitweasel cavalcade?
Deep breathing and lots of stress-reducing swear words.
And focusing on how much I enjoy hanging out with my soul mates in places like this.
Lotsa F bombs
Don’t bogart that edible my friend, pas it over to me ..
The more the merrier!
So I VAPE, yeah ! No calories or carbs, so I can keep my girlish figure 😉🤣
No calories, but, damn those munchies will get ya!
I have remarkable restraint. I do not become disinhibited. But, I have been known to binge on rare occasions, but being thin, I can afford to. Don't hate me for my dietary issues. I was anorexic, then bulimic for many years. Got therapy, got better .😊
Munchies are my Achilles heel, dammit.
Poor Kristy!
😂😂
Hallucinogenics are becoming more popular and acceptable again Kristy!!
Is this America ? Or am I having an Acid flashback ? If so, it's a really BAD TRIP.
😵💫
Never do hallucinogenics, especially LSD, when you are feeling sad or distraught. Under such circumstances, it is unbelievably easy to emotionally fall into a very bad place. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to snap someone out of a bad trip or anxious experience by giving them a nice cold, fat wedge of lemon to suck on. Snaps them right out of it to enable them to be helpfully redirected towards a happier mien. Otherwise LSD25 is a life changing opportunity to experience pure wondrousness and self reflection. Life changing.
Ah, never had a bad trip. No flashbacks either...
Some of us don’t stop there Walt, obviously!!
Well, Jeff, you nailed it, but you left Saturday wide open. So I give you our beloved Crusader SecDef Hegseth. He has made it his cross to bear (maybe bare?) to weed out the unmanly, the heathen, and the sodomites from the military. Of course, this poses a problem since “girls” alone represent 17.5% of military personnel filling a range of mission critical billets. Some of the “sodomites” (impolite, I apologize, only for effect) are also battle hardened, tested, and essential to train replacements will be lost. His firing of the CJAG (the lawyers) because, well they just muck things up, pretty much says Nuremberg Trials be damned—the notion of lawful orders. The firing of the CJCS and Navy CNO scream “DEI” in the GOP definition: to fire a highly person (General Brown) and replace with a inexperienced, statutorily unqualified person (LTGEN Cain) because he fits the inclusive need — a) ideologically pure—MAGA, and b) white).
Now the real issues lay just beyond the former Fox talking head’s grasp. Such as material readiness such as over five years for an aircraft carrier to refuel and refurbish. Or excessive pilot training times (over two years) and limited flight time once operational. The depletion of military munitions in support of Ukraine, but limited industrial base to replenish. A focus on plans to invade Panama in lieu of the more existential threat of a renewed Soviet empire.
I will defer comment on the disaster of Trump at DoJ on Friday. It is worthy of your commentary Jeff, because his comments were a slap in the face of our Constitution and law.
I will close with one of my Navy phrases: Screwed and tattooed.
@David, All true, and 3/4 of fighting age men and women don't qualify for entry into the armed forces because they were raised on a couch eating processed food. They couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Also, any kid nowadays thinking about serving, just has to see how these dipshits treat military veterans. Strategy isn't the MAGA strong suit now, is it? Semper Fi brother.
“Also, any kid nowadays thinking about serving, just has to see how these dipshits treat military veterans.“
Exactly! You must be pretty damn close to desperate to join up now.
I served 26 years as a Naval Aviator. While I cannot utter Semper Fi as a Marine, you have my utmost respect. No, starting with the CinC and SecDef there is only arrogance, prejudice, and an egregious lack of strategic knowledge or the use of all elements of national power. We are poised to pay a heavy price IMHO.
USMC DI Sargents are devil spawn. My first encounter in the USN (preflight)was before their perfect cadence delivered vulgarities and threats to my mortal body, perhaps soul. They do a damn good job of turning couch potatoes into lethal units. I often heard and loathed the term, they don’t wind them(recruits) as tight. This when my fellow airmen were flying, and in some cases, dying in the skies over Vietnam. And, later when the younger Airmen took to the skies over the Mideast and Afghanistan. I note with great pride the men who worked on the very hazardous flights decks—they too sacrificed. My take, the military starting with the DI’s do a damn good job of hammering out the Civilian and forging the fighting men & women in the military. I will add this observation. The young replacements are dumb as rocks (I know from my experience), absolutely immortal in their arrogance, and all too willing to give last full measure for our country. As you said, if may borrow, Semper Fi.
Is it beyond the possibility that a military unit could lead the revolution? Isn't this the point we find ourselves? "Legal" means and future elections are delusions. The sooner the better.
How does Pistol Pete get women to marry and procreate with him? He's such a douchebag
Female douchebags?
As I always say ( to excess, I know )
Those " female douche bags " have
INTERNALIZED MISOGYNY.
Why the fuck is the POTUS the commander in chief of the military anyway? I question the intelligence of that setup.
Back in the day, many if not most presidents had risked their lives in combat for America. Many were bona fide heroes. Even Poppy Bush was a Naval aviator who narrowly escaped death over Iwo Jima. After Vietnam and the end of the draft, presidents who served are almost a thing of the past. In fact, we now have an active draft dodger. But as leader of our nation, that position is in command of our military. Scary when you have a crooked, traitorous idiot Russian asset in the WH
John Kerry was a legitimate war hero that was slimed by the Republicons. The lies about him reached their apex and we wound up with Bush. This, if I remember correctly, was when Rush Limbaugh was spewing more crap than a broken garbage disposal, controlling the AM airwaves and promoting many of the lies that haunt us to this day.
I could not agree more with your comment re: Kerry. Politically, I wasn’t too wild about him. But the Swift Boating was disgusting politics demonstrating what total assholes the Republican were becoming then and have fully succeeded to now. Go no further than their idolization of Cadet Bonespurs.
The "swift boating" of John Kerry is a perfect example of conservative dirty tricks and effective lying. Same when they smeared TRIPLE AMPUTEE Vietnam veteran Max Cleland in the 2002 senate election for Georgia's seat. And it worked with these idiot rube gullible dumbass voters. Unbelievably shameful behavior but hey, anything to win. Nothing is too low for the repube party, now what I call POOP, the Party of Obsequious Putinism. As far as Limbaugh goes, I hope he's burning in whatever place he certainly deserves to be
Washington took command of the Army twice during his presidency. The Whiskey Rebellion and Shay's Rebellion.
I think he may have thought he was best to handle it. I don't believe he was one to do more than for he would be responsible. He refused to be king, remember.
He enforced the law without brutality. Firm but excedingly fair.
Patrick Henry objected to this power at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
https://www.redhill.org/speeches-writings/liberty-or-empire/?srsltid=AfmBOopKRjT59QCRAMTvSsTdSn-EfgiSbngBF9k4AUJ3bCTNjjZcUang
Emplacing command in Executive and placing the Military under civilian control (Washington presented his sword to Congress epitomizes it) makes absolute sense to assure a responsive command structure. What doesn’t make sense is over empowering the Executive to all but declare war. Declaration, large or small, police action (Korea) or direct military action (Vietnam/Desert Storm) should have had explicit and limited Congressional authorization not just an open justification of military force (better than nothing I guess).
Everyone should Walt!!
‘Stewed, Screwed and Tattooed’ is how I always heard it. But either way you say it, here we are.
Had not heard ‘stewed,’ but seems about right—what do you do with a drunken sailor?
‘Put him in bed with the Captain’s daughter’ of course.
There's that rusty razor treatment, too, don't forget. P.S. - misplaced apostrophe ahead of Put might've better replaced H in him.
You’re giving me a grammar lecture at 2 in the morning!? And it’s not an apostrophe, it is to denote words/phrases which are not my own.
Roger that, David. Among the many lessons the US has failed to learn from the Russian war on Ukraine is the need for a capacity for truly mass production of conventional weapons and ammunition. We spend $1.7 Billion for a single F35 fighter while the Ukrainians are demolishing the Russians with $10 thousand drones. We are spending $300 Billion on the destabilizing and dangerous Sentinel ICBM; the list goes on.
In fairness to the current administration the previous one was not much better in these regards.
Actually, I just noted today recruitment and retention improved dramatically in 2024. I think the larger issue is the old dilemma of guns and butter. It is transcendent of R or D. Over 60% of discretionary spending is on the military. Do we direct GDP to military or civilian? Do we raised taxes? I fully agree, our weapon system costs are unsustainable. The use of UAV’s and drones strikes me as the future. As for munitions, when stocks are full do we continue to build more bombs?. And when they deplete, do we build new munitions plants? The latter are not turn key operations. They require facilities and experienced personnel. It is a wicked problem unsolved by sound bites and heroic talk.
When stocks are full, excess goes to Ukraine.
Pigeon chess…damn it, all this time those fuckers were playing pigeon chess and I was not knowing. It all makes sense now.
Yeah that one’ll get me through the week…
Yes, why aren't "single, godly women" making an effort to meet whiny a*s men who think the world revolves around them? Can't imagine why they wouldn't flock to them. 😂
Right? Wanna be enslaved to a ChristoFascist insecure as hell loser who wants to own his dutiful wife ? Domestic doormat and willing access to procreation. Sure sounds fab to me
They wouldn't want to pass up those micro penises, now would they?
Dumber than a bag of hammers!
I can't imagine what they would even talk about. Their favorite hymn? I thought singles events were about hookups.
Who in the hell cares where Rosie O'Donnell lives?
Wherever she is I hope she's happy. She never deserved to be harrassed by the EVIL CRIMINALLY INSANE SHITLER.
Exactly, Kristy.
Exactly. Who in the hell cares unless you get stuck with the new MAGA asshole who moves on to your block. Thankfully that hasn't happened but the more people you talk to, the more you hear about people wanting to relocate across the pond. You can't blame them since the level of fear and uncertainty has reached an all time high.
Humpty Trumpty does. He's had an ongoing battle with Rosie for years.
And what a stupid fucking embarrassing question to ask Ireland's Prime Minister, with the world watching. Right out of run-down trailer park south. Guess the Newsmax dullard with the face that looks like a can of exploded Pillsbury biscuits thought he was "owning the libs" with that.
Now I do care, Allan!
Looks like she still lives in MAGA;s heads
I'm still cracking up after reading: "Five-time international lap hockey champion, Loren Boebert"... Thank you for a great start to my day. Your humor is much appreciated.
Oh my God…can it get any STUPIDER?????!!!!!!!
Sadly, yes. Yes, it can.
Just wait, Tess, it will and you won’t believe it.
Oh yes I will!
It's The Ides Of March for god's sake. It' going to get stupider, but a howling wind is a bad omen.
Chessboard pigeon is spot on , and actually all too common . My high school football coach shared similar folk wisdom :
Don't get into a pissing contest with a skunk . The skunk wins every time ............because they are a skunk !
kakistocracy /kăk″ĭ-stŏk′rə-sē, kä″kĭ-/
noun
Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.
Government by the worst men.
Government under the control of a nation's worst or least-qualified citizens.
For the Ides of Trump, I made a YOU’RE FIRED! ResistBot petition. Text SIGN PLJFEU to 50409 or go to: https://resist.bot/petitions/PLJFEU
That exchange between Sam Seder and the MAGAT explains so much.
Shocking how few women want to attend an incelpalooza!!! This story really cracked me up! Thank you, Jeff!