Daily Nuze

Good Morning Zoosterians.

This is my first attempt at a daily thread, hope it works.
Well, aside from the new editor page not working to show the anchors, I guess this is OK. I’ll try to get the HTML working for the next post. Let me know if the links don’t work…

I will have several posts a week if all works out, including topics such as Daily Nuze, The Jobs Aren’t Coming Back, and What the H*ll.

This morning’s top articles:

Who the hell would want to work for This Guy

Trump faces shrinking talent pool for new hires. No kidding. As the new press secretary, your prelim meeting goes something like:

Now remember, the truth is what is between the Prezidunce’s ears, nothing else should concern you, now get out there and defend his misquotes and fabrications, dammit!

ht/ The Hill

 

And, in the same vein:

‘Who wants to sign up for crazy?‘: Trump looks to GOP establishment — but they want no part of him

h/t Raw Story

 

And, one more story of interest this AM

 AP: Trump Has Been Giving World Leaders His Cellphone Number

That’s one way to try to be popular, albeit a somewhat risky one…

h/t TPM

RUCerious @ TPZoo

 

The Watering Hole, Monday, May 15th, 2017: Commence[IMPEACH]ment

On Saturday, Donald trump gave the commencement address at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Here’s the entire transcript, courtesy of Time Magazine. I’ll just provide this one excerpt, the opening of trump’s remarks:

“Thank you very much. everybody. And congratulations to the class of 2017. That’s some achievement.

This is your day and you’ve earned every minute of it. And I’m thrilled to be back at Liberty University, I’ve been here, this is now my third time, and we love setting records, right. We always set records. We have to set records, we have no choice.

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve spoken on your beautiful campus and so much has changed. Right here, the class of 2017 dressed in cap and gown, graduating to a totally brilliant future. And here I am standing before you as President of the United States, so I’m guessing — there are some people here today who thought that either one of those things, either one, would really require major help from God. Do we agree? And we got it.

But here we are celebrating together on this very joyous occasion, and there is no place in the world I’d rather be to give my first commencement address as President than here with my wonderful friends at Liberty University. And I accepted this invitation a long time ago. I said to Jerry that I’d be there, and when I say something I mean it.”

That’s more or less representative of how the rest of the address goes. There’s some semi-coherent and event-appropriate sentences, obviously written by someone other than the usual trump spokesvermin. But then trump’s off on tangents (the most lengthy one being about football), and the trump brand limited-edition, limited-vocabulary, limited-attention-span WTFery. I lost count of the lies and ignorant statements; however, I do recommend reading the entire thing. [WARNING: for those whose health (mental or physical) might be at risk, ask your doctor if reading trump’s commencement address is right for you. Your doctor may suggest adding a low-dose Xanax to your current medications.]

In better news, here’s something from the NY Daily News.

And here’s a website to track impeachment efforts.

This is our Open Thread–have at it!

TWH; May 10 2017; The Apostatic Creed

After Comey’s firing, White House openly pushes for conclusion of FBI’s Russia investigation

Gripping headline, that one. Made me think that before all this Trump Reign (Trump Rain??) is over, he may declare it mandatory that all of us “skeptics” had better switch tracks and spout our allegiance to the genius and grandeur of our new Führer, the former Orange Shitgibbon, or “It vill be da verse for you.”

So. Here it is. My effort to help each and all of Progressive mindset become the equivalent of a religious Apostate, to offer (at no charge!) the means to demonstrate abandonment and renunciation of those core beliefs, of that Democratic Credo, to substitute the pretense of embracing the contrasting stupidity of, for lack of a better word, Trumpissm.

Please understand the difficulty of the process, how hard it is to spout the pure BS demanded by illiterate ‘strongmen’ such as those who define today’s Republican Party. I know there must be the occasional faux pas embedded, but since only Progressives have the mentality to spot a faux pas in the first place, there’s no need to worry.

Good luck, and remember: this is to make HIM feel good, not you!

******

THE APOSTATIC CREED

I believe!

I believe in the Donald J. Trump!

(May, 2017)

I believe in Donald J. Trump, our almighty  Prophet  Profit who sitteth on the Throne of his Sainted Peter, aka the Throne of Amurkkka!

I believe in the Holy Ghosts of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan! I believe that their collective  dementia  wisdom persisteth through this very day and prospereth well in other equally  hollowed  hallowed minds including (but clearly not limited to) those named Pence, Ryan, McConnell, Bannon, Chaffetz, Nunes, Issa, Cruz, Sessions, DeVos, … the list of Grand Republicans is interminable!

I believe in the Holy Christer Nation called Amurkkka and in her God named Profit! I believe in the rape of the environment for our Profit’s sake! I believe in the oppression of we the people for Profit! I believe in the theft for our Profit of any and all resources public and private! I believe in the mining of wilderness, the logging-off of forests, offshore drilling, and the paving of land anywhere and everywhere when Profit is the reward! I believe in unlimited air and water pollution and in the tailpipes, smokestacks, sewer pipes, and politicians that produce same, all for our Holy Profit! I believe in our Great Profit’s future thanks to the sale of National Parks and wild lands to miners and drillers and developers! I believe that Saint Reagan’s Interior Secretary (and super-fine Republican) James Watt was spot-on correct when he said, “God gave us these things to use! After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back!” Yay!

I believe, too, in other  quasi-religious quackeries  Religious Freedoms, including Intelligent Design, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the prohibition of Birth Control, all together with a constitutionally-mandated hatred of Homosexuals and Transgenderinos! I believe Public Education is the Work of the Debbil! and must be treated as such! I believe in Junk Science, especially when it disavows global warming or quits protecting endangered species BECAUSE: there’s a lot more Profit to be made when there are no (legal) consequences that get in the way of the process of making money!

I believe in the Wealthy and in their right to destroy all else in favor of their own comfort! I believe in WAR!! I believe in imperialism, and in the theft of needed resources from any other land on the globe! I believe it’s the Right of the Wealthy to start wars even as it’s their right to avoid fighting in them! I believe it’s the Right of the Wealthy to force the poor and the powerless to fight in their place and to die, to be permanently maimed or driven insane in the process (I mean, who really cares, you know?)! I believe it’s the Right of the Wealthy to enjoy any and all privilege and to deny all others the same through any level of chicanery, legal or illegal! I believe that The Law applies NOT to the Wealthy, only to everybody else!

I believe in massive government Power! I believe in unlimited profligate and wastrel spending, and especially in the Orwellian doublespeak lingo it takes to cover up, to mask, and to always deny the Fascistic Union of Government Power with Corporate Profit! I believe it is the duty of the masses to work always on behalf of Power and Profit for the Few! I believe that unlimited Power of the Few is necessary to promote the unlimited Power of the State both at home and around the globe! I believe that the Power of the State and the Power of the Few are one with Profit, therefore are one with God Hisseff! (He who sits atop his Sainted Peter whilst on the Throne! Damn, that felt good!)!

I believe in the Second Amendment, but not the other twenty-six! Instead, I believe that the Constitution is exactly as Donald J. Trump has said, that “It’s really a bad thing for the country”! I further believe that the constitutionality of the words “high crimes and misdemeanors” (as reasons to impeach a President) refer only to Oval Office blow jobs and have nothing to do with political malfeasance of any kind, including the (warrantless) final and total theft of all liberties and freedoms of Americans everywhere, including taking health care away from its lazy bums!

I believe in the H-Bomb and in Amurkkka’s right to use it (or threaten to) on anyone who pisses us off, especially when those who piss us off ain’t white, and/or when they look like Chinamen! I believe that spending more money on “defense” (i.e. WAR!) than the next dozen nations combined is necessary to keep Amurkkka free and to ensure forever Yuge Profits! And we’re gonna BUILD THAT WALL And keep them Spics out of Amurkkka!

I believe that “thinking” is a left-wing-liberal-pinko plot! I believe in the emergent Teabagger Fascism which requires no “thinking” at all, only obedience: Amurkkka über alles!! (to coin a phrase)! I believe in NASCAR, Christmas, Columbus, and the Super Bowl (so long as some black chick doesn’t sing and dance in front of white folks), but not in Martin Luther King and all the dirt he done! I believe that guns, “quads,” dirt bikes, snowmobiles, and even the “Minutemen” are the greatest Creations in all of history! Gifts from God The Profit! YeeHaw!

I believe! I’m a Trumpisst! I’m a REPUBLICAN, and my slogan is
as Simple as ME:

I Got Mine!! Screw Everybody Else, and . . .

Make Amurkkka Great Again!

Amen!

Whew.

******

OPEN THREAD

The Watering Hole, Monday, May 8, 2017: Preserve Net Neutrality

The new FCC Commissioner, whoever he is, doesn’t believe in protecting net neutrality. And why not? He used to be a lawyer for Verizon. (The president who appointed him doesn’t even understand the concept of net neutrality, so there’s no help there.) On last night’s “Last Week Tonight”, John Oliver explained why ISPs were now able to be governed by the FCC. In short, ISPs were re-classified as businesses that could be governed under Title II of the Communications Act, instead of under Title I where the Supreme Court said the FCC lacked that authority. This new commissioner doesn’t seem to understand why it was necessary to do that, and thinks it’s really bad and should be changed. You must tell them No. In addition to contacting your Members of Congress, you can leave a comment on the FCC’s Comments page, if you can find it. Since it was changed from the much simpler comment system from three years ago, one has a right to assume they deliberately want to make it harder for you to complain and then say later, “Well, nobody used the comment system to complain.” This was how Fox News Channel defended their star host, Bill O’Reilly, from claims of sexual harassment – that nobody used the internal complaint system to complain, so they have a hard time believing any of it happened. John Oliver explained the tedious process of what you would now have to go through just to get to the FCC’s comments page. He and his great staff wanted to make it easier for you to get there, so they created this website:

go fcc yourself dot com

It skips through the confusing pages and inconveniently located links to get to where you can leave a comment to tell them to preserve net neutrality and Title II. If it works. I tried it and it seemed to go to a mostly blank page except for a little blue circle with a person’s outline in it. Maybe he crashed the FCC’s commenting system just like he did three years ago. Well, his viewers did.

Now, please go there and tell them to what to do, and then enjoy today’s open thread.

TWH; Tuesday May 2, 2017; Bill of Rights Revisions — For Trump!

I just recently ran across a pair of current blog posts that refer to Trump’s apparent disdain for certain Constitutional precepts along with possible (screwball) solutions that would solve his problems:

Historian Timothy Snyder: “It’s pretty much inevitable” that Trump will try to stage a coup and overthrow democracy

Sean Spicer Confirms White House Considering Destruction Of First Amendment

It’s also common knowledge that Trump wants to break up the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (which is NOT within Presidential purview) simply because they’re traditionally Liberal, and because they’ve ruled against one of his Executive Orders. Curiously enough, however, there are also faction(s) of the Republican Party that would like to set up a Constitutional Convention so they could rid the Constitution of stuff that does not, technically, allow or endorse their Fascist goals.

Coincidentally, I’ve spent the last month or two going through piles of stuff I’ve written in the past, trying to organize, etc., and in the process ran across something I penned back in ’06 as response to Dubya’s “Unitary Executive” (read: President Empowerment) hopes and plans. I thought it might help him and the GOP rewrite the Bill of Rights in a way that would accomplish their empowerment goals. I sent a copy of it to my then Senator John McCain along with the suggestion that he hand carry it to the White House. Since Bush’s second term was set to expire following the rapidly approaching ’08 election, however, I figured that was the reason why I never heard back.

Anyway, that was then and this is now, today — barely more than 100 days into Trump’s first term — so there should be plenty of time for them to get things done, to get rid of those always nagging Constitutional barriers. I decided, therefore, that I should once again offer my services, so here’s my 2006 rewrite of the Bill of Rights, slightly adjusted to help Trump with stuff that nags him more than it nagged Dubya, but all written with the most powerful version of the Unitary Executive in mind. (Further Suggestions Welcome, btw.)

******

Suggested Revisions to the Constitution’s Bill of Rights

(First Offered April 14, 2006; Revisions Updated May 1, 2017; by Frugalchariot)

Article I.

Congress shall make no law that doesn’t respect our established Christian religion, or prohibits mandatory exercise thereof; or any law that allows the freedom of speech, or of the press, to include criticism of the President; or that allows the people to peaceably assemble without being watched, or to petition the Government for a redress of faux grievances.

Article II.

An unregulated Militia, being necessary to deny freedoms in a secure State, mandates that the right of the people to keep and bear Arms can only be infringed when deemed necessary by the Unitary Executive.

Article III.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Article IV.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, is hereby denied, and no Warrants need issue, though upon probable cause and supported by Oath or affirmation of the Unitary Executive when particularly describing the place to be searched, any persons or things can be seized.

Article V.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless insisted upon by the Unitary Executive, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger, unless insisted upon by the Unitary Executive; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, unless insisted upon by the Unitary Executive; nor shall any person be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, unless insisted upon by the Unitary Executive; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation, unless insisted upon by the Unitary Executive.

Article VI.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence, unless or until challenged by the Unitary Executive.

Article VII.

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be waived, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States if it applies to any corporation with a net profit which equals or exceeds its annual contribution to the private account(s) of the Unitary Executive.

Article VIII.

Excessive bail shall be required on the written consent of the President, and excessive fines may be imposed along with cruel and unusual punishments inflicted on the whim of the President, the Unitary Executive..

Article IX.

The enumeration by legal counsel, of certain rights may be presumed the purview of the Unitary Executive, and shall always be construed to deny or disparage all rights retained by the people.

Article X.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for use only by the Unitary Executive at his sole discretion, and never to the people.

******

Note that I left Article III untouched. Trump hasn’t said anything about that particular provision yet, so I figured it’s best to let him decide on any changes.

OPEN THREAD; SUGGESTIONS, RANTS, WHATEVERS — HAVE AT IT!