Monday, August 03, 2026

Moving The Overton Window

Some clever dick in Twitter replies to Talarico (not this post), pointed out that Paxton was a lawyer before he was the State AG; and yes, he was. Wikipedia tells me he worked for Strasburger and Price out of law school, and then as general counsel for JCPenney. After 11 years of that, he opened a “boutique” firm doing probate and real estate work. Then he was in the Texas House and Senate for 13 years; but that’s part-time work, 6 months every two years. So he was still running his legal practice; but he wasn’t a rain maker partner at a major firm, so he wasn’t making (honest) money to afford houses like that.👆

Evidence of his corruption and how he lived large in houses his AG full-time salary couldn’t afford came out in his impeachment trial. Paxton owns 15 houses. He hasn’t worked as a private lawyer for 11 years. He was never making “fuck you” money. The lawyers I knew in Austin making real money were too busy year round to spend 6 months down the street at the Capitol, much less move to Austin from parts beyond every two years. Lawyers don’t make “fuck you” money unless they are attached to major firms with major clients paying major $$ for the representation. Lawyers are not CEOs. They don’t get paid by the corporation, they get paid by their billable hours. No work, no money. Paxton didn’t wisely invest some nest egg he made over a decade ago. Not running an estate planning firm.

The problem of the tolerance for corruption, or rather the lack of tolerance, is what Trump hath wrought. And I think, now, that just as it’s right to see WWII as the conclusion of WWI, just interrupted by the time between those wars (what led to the first one, and especially what wasn’t resolved about Europe until the end of the second; a resolution only finally completed by the collapse of the USSR allowing for the establishment of the EU), on a much smaller scale, as what happened after 1968 in America, where Covid is analogous to WWI, and now we’re finally ending what that started, with WWII. Not in terms of armed conflict, but in terms of who we are as Americans, and whether we want to live in the world 1968 promised, or return to the 1950’s; maybe even the 1920’s.

We’re still fighting what Covid (right now) started, IOW. You may recall one result of Covid was hints that the poorest paid (garbage collectors, waitstaff) would not return to their poor income positions, without at least better income. Unfortunately, that pseudo-labor union hope never materialized; but the desire was awakened. I don’t think we should discount that as dead and gone. And like the Germans accepted Hitler because of the dolchstosslegende (to grossly oversimplify), so we reaccepted  Trump because Biden didn’t save us from the economic crisis Covid prompted (we blamed Biden for not saving us. Which may indicate how bad things were beyond the statistics and the people pundits talk to.  I think that explains a great deal now, too.) We only had two choices, so we overlooked the fact we were relying on the guy who created this mess.

Now we’re paying attention to that little problem.
Q: You’ve been Republicans for most of your voting lives. Who’s voting for James Talarico?

Republican moms: *all raise their hands*

“I like him. He was a middle school teacher in a public school in Texas, and they started cutting all his funding and he said, ‘Well, if I can’t change my school, then I’m gonna need to change my state.’ And that’s so becoming of a leader.

I want a middle school teacher who’s like, hey, this is broken. Somebody needs to fix it. Why not me?”

“This is not what I signed up for. Give me somebody who’s not extremist. I don’t care what party they are. I’m going to vote for whoever is the most common sense and who I think would be the most likely to protect my kids.”

“You’re never going to vote for a candidate that thinks exactly like you… You need to get on the bus that’s driving closest to where you want to end up. Talarico, I find him to be pretty moderate, and I think that is telling of what’s happening in the state of Texas. The Republicans should be worried.”
Trump did that, too.

Me, I think Talarico is “moderate” the way Mamdani is moderate. 
@JamesTalarico on Texas officially banning THC:

“This bill is insane.

Texans aren’t going to stop smoking weed and eating edibles because politicians in Austin say so. Texans will still use THC — but instead of getting it safely from a local small business, they’ll go back to getting it from the black market. From the drug cartels.


This ban is a gift to the cartels.

We are now telling full-grown adults how to live their lives. This is the nanny state at its worst; this is big government at its worst.

Instead of fully funding our schools, guaranteeing healthcare, or making childcare more affordable — this Legislature is focused on banning a product that gives people a little peace.

We’re making people’s lives harder, not easier.

I want to leave you with a quote: ‘It is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use.’ That wasn’t a Democrat. That was President Donald Trump.

To my Republican colleagues, I’m asking you to oppose the cartels, stand with President Trump, and vote no on this insane bill.”
Not so long ago, banning THC in Texas WAS the moderate position. Seems that Overton window moves in both directions.
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Me? Or Your Lyin’ Eyes? 👀

If Trump thinks his claims are bullshit, what do they get him?  Where’s the benefit to appearing so but of touch with reality? Saying to yourself, “This is fine,” is a coping mechanism that may be self-delusion, but may be the last alternative to “run in circles, scream and shout!”

But to scream to the world “Everybody loves me and everything I do makes them love me more!” is not a rational strategy. It’s not even Nixon’s “madman theory,” that foreign countries wouldn’t fuck with him because he might be mad enough to launch the nukes. (A theory that overlooks:  a) the cost of total war, and b) that North Vietnam was never that impressed. (Yes, Nixon thought he was keeping Russia (mainly) at bay, but he was just keeping the elephants away. In the real world, his “theory” had no purchase at all. Nixon was a Red-baiter, and he died a Red-baiter. Leopards don’t change their spots.) Nixon knew he wasn’t mad (well, not that mad). The problem with his theory was, so did the rest of the world.
Does it really matter that he “believes” stuff like this? Or does it matter that he says it? Hearne wasn’t charged with pissing on the grass (I’m pretty sure that’s the “secret ingredient.”)

“Moving cameras”? Like, what, a kinetoscope?  Funny none of that evidence showed up in response to Hearne’s motion to dismiss. Or any time at all, really.

And does he think box cutters have twelve inch serrated blades?
His last redoubt is always “it’s very complicated,” as if you’re too dumb to understand the complexities of the subject, though Trump is a master of all things! Why argue with this stuff?  It’s too damned pathetic, whether he thinks he’s gaslighting you (“who you gonna believe? Me, or your lyin’ eyes?”) or he really is that delusional. In the end, it’s a distinction without a difference. Trump says objectively insane things. “Bonkers,” as one Twitter reply says. Is Trump bonkers because he believes this nonsense? Or is he bonkers because he thinks, like Nixon, that he’s fooling people to his advantage? Either way, more fool him.

I’ll just end by pointing out Nixon was the last President we had who was so far over his level of incompetence he had to look up to see bottom. And he envisioned his second term as securing his legacy, too, which, with his landslide victory in ‘72, he had some cause to think was his due. But he was wildly wrong, and it doesn’t matter if his fatal flaw was hubris, or delusion brought on by incompetence. The end was the same; and Trump will be no better off.

History doesn’t really care if Nixon was mad, or venal. The general consensus is: “Yup.” Trump won’t fare any better.
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A Buncha White People Sittin’ Around A Table

Tucker Carlson, MTG, Thomas Massie, Joe Kent, Brian Glenn, all planning what Politico calls a “political earthquake.”

If this was a group of disaffected Dems, it would be Dems in disarray, plotting political socialist suicide.

Instead, it’s Republicans planning to be more MAGA than MAGA, just as even Trump voters are disgusted with MAGA’s cruelty and indifference towards anyone who isn’t a rich, white man.

“Political earthquake,” indeed. This is at Carlson’s house in Maine. There’ll be more notice if Collins loses her seat.
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The Jawbone Of An Ass

"Trump told reporters a negotiation would begin on Monday afternoon but did not provide details of where it would take place or ⁠who would be involved."

I'm am confused. Iran is talking w/Oman re SoH. Iran won't talk w/US about nuclear until MoU is fully implemented. So what is the US going to be negotiating w/Iran about?
Iran says no negotiations are underway with the United States and no meetings are planned, directly contradicting President Trump's claim that talks would begin Monday after his decision to call off planned military strikes on a scale not seen since World War II.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the only ongoing discussions involve Oman and concern management of the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior Iranian source also told Reuters that no U.S.-Iran talks are scheduled. President Trump has repeatedly cited diplomacy as a reason for pausing planned military action during the five-month conflict.

The conflicting public statements leave the status of diplomacy unclear as both sides continue to exchange military pressure while the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz with a “wall of steel,” so time to jawbone oil prices.
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The Wisdom Of Crowds*

Exclusive: The request from a senior officer at the US military command carrying out President Donald Trump's war with Iran came in an email: We need ideas.

"We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran," an officer in US Central Command's intelligence branch wrote in a message sent Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts, according to a source.
Trump: I was asked by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran. We were all set to go just about at this time right now, and it would have been a massive attack. We were all set to go, but when our allies ask to call it off, you sort of have to say, “Well, let’s see.”

And the reason they asked is they think there’s a deal. There’s a deal on Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear—or you might call it the denuclearization of Iran. I call it the denuclearization of Iran….

So, we had an attack planned that would have been the biggest attack since World War II, and it would have been disastrous for them. They didn’t want us to do it. And frankly, Saudi Arabia didn’t want it either. I thought a deal was imminent.
*Crowds elected Trump. Twice.
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Because The Incubation Period For Measles Is…

... seven years?
RFK Jr. just said on national television that Lyme disease and RSV came from gain-of-function research.

“Lyme disease almost certainly came from these experiments and is now devastating our country.”

“RSV came from a laboratory, which is now the biggest killer of children in our country.”

“And of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a trauma for the whole globe.”

“All of those have been linked credibly to gain-of-function research.”

“It’s something with enormous costs and no proven benefits.”
He really is as bad as his family warned us he would be.
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Chickens Coming Home To Roost

Maggie Haberman spent an hour with him in the Oval Office in March and came away with a number. Seventy percent of his mind share, by her estimate, goes to the renovations. The ballroom. The arch. He interrupted an unrelated meeting to call Emmanuel Macron and ask what it is like to stand under the actual Arc de Triomphe, whether it has a visitor's desk, whether people jump off it. Someone had asked him what should go on top of his own version. He was deciding between that and a giant gold cast of his own fist from Butler.

Meanwhile nobody around him seems fully certain he understands how depleted American munitions are after this war he started with Iran, a live open question from a reporter who has covered him for a decade.

There is no policy agenda left, by Haberman's own account. No immigration bill in the works, no legislative program, nothing beyond retribution and construction. He is not governing a country right now so much as decorating a legacy he has already decided he deserves.
And Republicans are enabling him even as he kicks them out the door. Cornyn didn’t blink. It was kabuki all along. Trump may have scrapped the slush fund plan (emphasis on “may”), but he’s never let go of the IRS immunity. 

There was a time I’d have thought it too simplistic to blame one political party for all the country’s problems. But now it’s perfectly clear one party wants to govern, and the other party just wants to grift. Maybe that’s just the outcome of the past 100 years of the GOP, starting with Hoover and only mildly interrupted with Eisenhower’s identification of the “military industrial complex.”

Trump didn’t invade the GOP. Trump didn’t take over the GOP. Trump is the culmination of the GOP. It’s MAGA all the way down. And always has been.
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Sunday, August 02, 2026

First: What Did Trump And Burgum Say?

Because in the GOP, the facts are what Trump says they are. And the Emperor’s clothes are always fabulous!
Trump: “The Winning Shot in the Bedminster Club Championship! Thank you very much to all of those who participated. I won with a score of 70, and am so honored in that, unlike the rest of the field, I’m given very little time to practice, because I’m focused on many other things. It’s called TALENT, and I have it, and they don’t! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Trump has played golf every 4.5 days on average in 2026. So, roughly 6 times a month; or almost every day of every weekend of every month. Most working people would call that a lot of practice. My father was an avid golfer, especially after he retired. He might have played that regularly; but only because he was retired, and had nothing better to do.
Does he have any idea how many evangelicals are freaked out by this? Does he have any clue why? Well, that and: Or just: Yeah, he just doesn’t want to talk about that. Now it’s too dark to practice his golfs, so he uses his important executive time to oversee the country single-handedly: Given the futures markets have yet to figure out Trump’s pronouncements are wholly unreliable and always the work of a fabulist, I’m sure he’ll still find buyers for his latest corrupt scheme. 

And just to come back to this:
Because, of course he did. Because, of course he did. (Your regular reminder that Trump was Epstein’s wingman.)
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If Democrats Want A National Issue To Run On

I volunteer this. ☝️ Uncompromising in his determination to help the American people. I would probably shoot 52 over par in three rounds if I played today, mostly because I haven’t played in decades, and never played well when I did. That’s not a handicap, that’s a “get off the course and let everyone else play through.”
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Rep. Max Miller (R-Mad Men)

He seems nice.
As a father and husband, I can tell you the last two years have been pure hell for my wife Bridget, our daughter Emily, me, and our entire family in the aftermath of Emily's divorce.

It has been horrific to watch this play out in full public view, all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle. Our priority has always been protecting our daughter and our granddaughter. Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible.

As he has admitted privately, Max Miller needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.

If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives. I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does.

I ran for office because I wanted to make a difference for the country that gave me every opportunity to succeed, and to leave this nation better for my children and grandchildren. That sacrifice has been especially hard on my wife Bridget, whose big heart and steady support have never wavered. I owe it to her, to Emily, and to my granddaughter to speak the truth now.
"Now"?

And as a former family law practitioner, I’m a little surprised this “pattern of abuse” wasn’t used to curtail and supervise child custody. (Perhaps it was. Been there, done that. Sometimes the wife just wants out, not the courtroom fight. It can be hard for some parents to overlook their own emotions and think of their children’s best interests. In fact, children are usually the battleground of the divorce, but in matters of abuse, the mother needs to put her children first. That’s not as easy as conventional wisdom says it is. I had one case where we went to court because Dad was abusing the kids in his custody. It was a short hearing, and the only time I had a hearing end with the father being taken directly to a jail cell. The courts DO NOT like that shit. I had another case where Mom should have let me present evidence of child abuse (Dad beat his teenage son with a golf club. It triggered the divorce.), but she just wanted out ASAP.)

Child abuse is inexcusable.
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Senators Have Thoughts

You and what military, Sen. Leghorn? Certainly not the one run by Trump and Hegseth. You know, the guy who just announced another ceasefire, after announcing a major escalation, which he almost immediately cancelled. So, the fund would just be for Trump?

Follow up: given the way Trump has reappropriated funds authorized by Congress for other purposes (national parks entry fees), misappropriated other funds (the “ballroom,” the reflecting pool), and flat refused to spend others (DOE), what’s to keep Trump from simply pocketing the slush fund if he gets it? The threat of impeachment?

Don’t make me laugh.😹 
The nation grows anxious when it’s so clear the President is disconnected from reality. We have a constitutional institution meant to correct for precisely that situation. Why won’t it, Senator? Actually, the immediate issue of the moment is the price of gasoline, inflation, and economic growth (there isn’t any).  I know Israel is the topic du jour among online cognoscenti. But I doubt it’s top of mind among voters who don’t spend their days obsessing over D.C. gossip. (I can’t vote for or against Fetterman. I don’t give a wet snap how often he’s on Fox News), and who don’t know who Netenyahu is. Or much care.

But do know the Trump economy is beating them like they were a rented mule. These people:
"You do not know what you're doing to people who are struggling to live," Oklahoman Trinity Goodman said in comments directed at Trump. "You got money in the bank. You don't know how it feels to struggle. Live in my shoes for one day. You wouldn't be able to handle it."

Goodman told Kristof that she had less than $4 in her checking account and a cent in her savings account to keep it open, calling it her full assets. She said that her food stamps can't go toward buying toilet paper or feminine hygiene products.

She survives by selling her blood plasma twice a week, she said.

"I've never been to a barber or any of those places," Goodman said. "Never. I don't have that luxury."

Kristof noted Trump's cuts to benefits, including to Medicaid, food stamps, and early childhood education, adding the push to cut benefits for struggling Americans is "hard to square with the expense of the Iran war, as well as subsidies for private planes and tax cuts for the wealthiest."

The columnist said he was stunned by trip through America and the pressure caused by inflation and social benefit cuts.

"I talked to so many people who are losing food stamps and other benefits and increasingly desperate — and resentful, understandably, of elites who seem indifferent to their struggles," Kristoff said.

Latoya Foster, 31, a single mother raising six children in Arkansas, told Kristoff she was among those to lose food stamps before she broke down and wept.

“I hit rock bottom daily,” she told Kristoff. “The more I work, the harder stuff gets.”
No mention of “But American support for Israel is my biggest concern!,” there. So many voices claiming they know what the central Democratic message should be. Might I suggest this one?

IDEAS DON’T MATTER. THINGS DON’T MATTER. PEOPLE MATTER.
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Pepperidge Farm Remembers

Or when Iran replied that Trump was, again, full of 💩. Man bites dog.
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We Are Still In The Shadow Of Covid

And the government still wants to have the same pointless arguments. 

Follow the bouncing non sequiturs:
The Secretary is still fighting the previous topic. Because what he said was not accurate. And the only reason the death toll from Covid started declining was: a vaccine.
BASH: How do you prepare for the next pandemic? That's part of your job now

RFK Jr: We did almost everything wrong

BASH: But what about now?

RFK Jr: We need to protect our constitutional rights

BASH: What does that mean?

RFK Jr: During covid we completely dismantled our rights

BASH: But I'm asking what *to* do during a public health crisis

RFK Jr: You were part of the problem

BASH: You want to sit here and attack me?
We suspended habeas corpus? The First Amendment? (Freedom of worship and freedom to engage in dangerous activities are two different things. Endangering others is not overriden by being part of a religious service. Freedom to assemble is always regulated and subject to public health concerns.) The 4th, 5th, and 14th amendments?

I’m still looking for the constitutional right to endanger public health. Quarantines have long been accepted public health measures in America.

And the cherry on top: when you got nothin’, attack the interviewer.

Then he descends into raw Trumpism, playing to the Audience of One.
If you listen carefully, you can almost hear Trump applauding.
Who does he think he is he talking to? I’ve seen more intelligible conversations among bickering 5 year olds. To be fair, I’ve never seen a 5 year old be such a consistently condescending prick.
RFK Jr: President Trump wanted to end the lockdowns. In Fauci's diary, he talks about how President Trump was calling him every day trying to get him to reopen the country

BASH: The lockdowns were down by governors

RFK Jr: They were doing it citing Fauci

BASH: Governors were hearing from hospitals that their ICUs were overrun

RFK Jr: That's not true
"History is bunk.”

“Who you gonna believe? Me, or your lying memory?”
The difference between RFK, Jr. and a rabid dog is… RFK, Jr. wears a suit. And doesn’t believe in the rabies vaccine.

Lagniappe:
 
I have to add this, because of my respect for Dr. Hotez.
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Saturday, August 01, 2026

“…asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries….”

Trump: The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL. The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
And Trump decided this all by himself because Iran is so anxious to make a deal. He didn’t decide for any other reason. Trump is just going to have to declare victory and go home. It’s the only way out of this, and he’s practically done that every time he’s declared a ceasefire or an agreement since March 1.
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Trump REALLY Wants That Money

Name one thing Trump has ever fought for that would only benefit someone else. The tax protection is a given until January 20, 2029. In fact, I can see a scenario where that part of the “settlement” becomes an argument for tolling the applicable statute of limitations, because it’s evidence of corrupt purpose (putting your corruption on paper).

The slush fund needs to be banned by Congress, not left to the peculiar whims of the Sinister Six.
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“America Doesn’t Hate Donald Trump Enough”

Seriously?
I don't think Trump matters that much anymore. I think he's a washed up, fat, old man,” Carville said, appearing on MS NOW’s “The Beat: Weekend” program. “I think he's gonna have a massive loss in November, and I've said this repeatedly: I think he's going to walk away. I don't think he's capable of leading this country, I don't think he has the energy, I don't think he has the intellect.”

A visibly taken aback Melber asked Carville to expand on his remarks.

“What does 'walk away' mean?" Melber asked. “Are you trolling? You're trolling. You think he's gonna quit?”

Carville confidently reiterated his prediction, clarifying that he did, in fact, believe Trump was poised to “walk away” from his presidential duties out of fear of facing a “massive” electoral defeat.

“Yes, 'Walk Away Renée,' you're too young to remember that song, but it was a great song. He is going to walk away!” Carville claimed. “He is not skilled enough, he is not tough enough, he is not going to be able to deal with the massive defeat coming his way!”
(Old man points for the song shade, there. It is a great song.) Well, I guess it could happen. 

“Days away from resigning.”  🤔

😈
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Cover Story

"It's insane," said one Wall Street executive, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Trump administration.

“I can say for myself and 200 of my friends in finance, we're not getting anywhere near this. In another administration, this would be considered criminal."—NPR
Although it does seem a sign that Trump is finally toxic.
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Tell It To The Judge

Trump: “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass, which had a big 86 47 emblazoned in giant letters on it, and other elements of the surrounding area. There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS! President DJT”
Although there is the minor problem which Trump never acknowledges, which the rest of us know as “evidence.” As in: there was no evidence of vandalism. No one has found a gash, 300 yards long, or shorter.

Which Pirro should have known before she even tried to charge a misdemeanor, much less seek a grand jury indictment.

Of course, the real problem is a President who insists on his own reality despite the evidence.
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🧐

Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, President Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against.

It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday.
Or you can let Blanche resolve it in court. Which is what he’s doing, as of yesterday. I wonder if that changes the Senator’s mind about Tuesday? 

🧐

By the way, Senator:
Who is that “incompetent personal advisor”? And when does it finally become clear this is exactly the slush fund Trump wants? Who is the person Trump thinks was most wronged by the criminal justice system because of January 6? Maybe Tillis can concentrate on making sure that slush fund CAN’T POSSIBLY HAPPEN! Because you know there won’t be any accounting for the money, and no chance it all goes to “victims” who aren’t named “Trump.” It’s not like Trump’s hiding his intentions.
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MAGA Forever

I think those horses done got out, and that barn done burned down:
GOP veterans have begun to fret that the pipeline feeding young conservative "talent" into government job has collapsed under the pressure of a Trumpist ideology that prefers sycophancy to smarts, Politico reported Saturday.

“We have a generation of rabid, incompetent idiots," a senior GOP congressional staffer told Politico. "The organizations that bring young staffers to Washington, D.C. have spent the last decade prioritizing blind ideological loyalty instead of competence or intelligence."
The guy in the hot dog suit says they’re still trying to find the guy responsible for the hot dog car accident.
Politco argues the concerns amount to more than middle-aged griping about "kids these days."

"Critics fear a decline of merit and skill," Politico reported, "along with a tolerance for darker ideologies that could cripple the party’s ability to govern in the long run."
And they’re figuring this out now? Are they so sure it hasn’t “cripple[d] the party’s ability to govern” already? Who could have done such an evil thing to the Grand Old Party? Who could be this Pied Piper of meritlessness and complete lack of ability?
Another source argued the problem is, as Politico described it, "a generation hooked on the conspiratorial musings of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens."
Who in the world rose to power on conspiratorial musings? Who deluded our youth? From whence came these alien invaders with their evil brain worms?
“Five, eight years from now," the source said, "if we’re reliant on people with this view of the world, we’re in serious trouble.”
I don’t think we have to wait that long.

The guy in the hot dog suit is going to be the new logo for the soon to be defunct GOP.  This level of cluelessness is unsustainable. Especially when they are using it to defend an indefensible status quo. There’s “blind ideological loyalty.” And then there’s blind refusal to recognize the source of the problem.
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“Old Testament Law”?

Don’t eat cheeseburgers 🍔? Don’t do any work on the Sabbath? Take care of the widow and the orphan? Show hospitality to the alien among you, because a wandering Aramean was your father, and you were aliens yourself? Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God? Do to others what you want done to you?

Following the law of Moses leads to 7 years of “trials and tribulations”? According to the prophets, failure to follow that law, failure to seek justice for the least and the lowest, the alien, the widow, the orphan, the poor, is what led to the Exile. “Old Testament Law” was supposed to provide such a shining example of justice and equity it would produce Isaiah’s vision of God’s holy mountain, to which all nations would be drawn, and want to learn from as the way to live in peace and harmony. That’s the vision of the “Peaceable Kingdom” so prominent in early American Puritan history.

Boebert has no idea what she’s talking about.
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Friday, July 31, 2026

Old Times There Are Not Forgotten

Texas has, intentionally, a non-centralized system of state records. It’s largely a byproduct of Reconstruction. Which is why DHS is issuing subpoenas to all 254 Texas counties, for information on voter registration applications and signatures.

The subpoenas appear to be linked to a series of efforts by the Trump administration to verify the citizenship of registered voters. In December, Texas turned over the state’s voter roll to the Justice Department. The transfer included voters’ identifiable information such as dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial social security numbers. It did not include, however, voters’ registration applications or signatures — the state does not have access to that information, which is kept by county voter registrars.
Translation: DHS fucked up the first time with the information it got from Texas SOS, so they’re trying to get another bite at the apple. Now they have to go to each of Texas’ 254 counties, and ask for information. So far, they aren’t doing that very well.
Lubbock County’s elections administrator, Roxzine Stinson, said she met with a Homeland Security representative who informed her she would soon receive a subpoena seeking additional information for at least 10 voters, and potentially up to 30. Stinson said she’ll seek guidance from the county’s legal department on how to respond.

The Homeland Security representative told Stinson “all 254 counties will be contacted,” she said.

Election officials in Brazos County received a subpoena by email this week, Trudy Hancock, the county’s elections administrator, confirmed to Votebeat. Hancock said the subpoena specifically requests voter registration records, including voter registration applications, signatures, and voter history, but doesn’t list the names of individual voters. She said she’s asking for legal advice on how to respond “because the request is open-ended.”

Suzie Harvey, the election administrator in Montgomery County confirmed she has also received a subpoena that was delivered in person, but similarly to Hancock, it isn’t specific about which voters’ records it’s seeking.
This is the inverse of Trump’s demand of Raffensperger to “find” 12,000 votes. The DHS wants to “find” illegal voters, but without even a reasonable suspicion that such people exist. It’s a fishing expedition.  And it has to go county by county, requesting information 19 courts have already said it has no right to have.

The DOJ has lost 19 such attempts so far. I don’t know how they’ll fare in Texas. My guess is the larger counties, being “blue,” will probably defy the DOJ/DHS, especially since 19 states have spurned them successfully, so far. Smaller counties might be more reluctant, or more financially constrained. But they could band together and share the burden of going to court. And winning.

This is just a fucking fishing expedition: looking for people to call criminals. That’s such a violation of due process, it’s like due process has no purchase. I’d really like to see the courts disallow it 254 more times.

We live in hope, right?



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Straight Into My Veins 😈

She didn’t lie, she was misinformed. (How many Scaramuccis does she have left?) It was trivial. It still is. That Trump cared so much about it does not make it important. It shows how tiny a person he is. He diminishes the office. He diminishes the stature of the nation. At a minimum. And they went to court, and the court said: “THIS AIN’T HANNITY!” "We are through the looking glass here, people!”
Let's look back on this clip of these two liars. A short transcript:

Watters: A lot of people, when this first happened with the pool, didn't believe the president—that there was vandalism. That's not the case.

Pirro: Yeah. It's not the case at all. In fact, I was at the Reflecting Pool yesterday. There not only is the vandalism that is reflected in today's indictment, but there is a cutting of the liner of the pool at the base of the pool for several yards across the pool. And someone was intent on doing incredible damage to the pool.
LIAR!

Before we go, let’s look back at how we got here:
"Let's remember, first, they arrest David Hearn, they charge him initially by complaint with a misdemeanor," Honig said. "Then they upgrade it to a felony. They get a grand jury to indict him for that felony."
100% fail!

I’m really in favor of bringing back the pillory. But we’ll have to content ourselves with Twitter. No escape, either. This is your country on Fox News.

Does Pirro appear in public again before she’s fired? I should get on Polymarket….
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Trump Has Absolutely No Idea How This Is Done

For one thing, Greenland has a vote:
The Premier of Greenland has just posted the following on his Facebook page, accompanied by a photo of all members of Parliament (photo from 2025):

🇬🇱 I know that many people are following the situation closely. And I fully understand if there is concern.

That is why it is important to be absolutely clear.

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and part of NATO through the Realm. This means that our security and defence belong within NATO. This is a fundamental and firm line.

In these years, there is significant international attention on our country. Also within NATO. That in itself is positive. Our country has strategic importance, and our security matters. To us. To our allies. And to stability in the Arctic.

Naalakkersuisut (Gov. of Greenland) will therefore work to ensure that the development of defence in and around Greenland takes place in close cooperation with NATO. In dialogue with our allies, including the United States. And in cooperation with Denmark.

We are a democratic society that makes our own decisions. And our actions are based on international law and the rule of law 🇬🇱
And Greenland hasn’t changed its posture since January.

Congress also has a vote. And it’s not likely to approve “acquiring” Greenland between now and January 2029.

Trump is not the owner of a sole proprietorship. Not as POTUS.
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Entrapment?

Because I think a guy standing on the sidewalk dressed like a plant might be mildly distracting.
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America Is In A Golden Age!

And if you don’t think so, you’re a commie! But what does that have to do with the price of eggs?

“COMMIE!”

I’m sure we all misunderstand the nation’s concerns about keeping the elephants away, and Trump in his feral cunning will surprise us all. (Yes, I know, he means “Mooslems.” No, nobody but Trump (and Miller) are still living in the 1990’s.)
That’s what his Cabinet keeps telling him: But reality refuses to kiss Trump’s ass. Sooner than the military tells us we can’t stop their missiles anymore? Absolutely rent free. He’s confusing MAL with the Capitol building. And Iran will give us control of the Strait of Hormuz in perpetuity; and a percentage of its oil sales; and turn over all its nuclear dust. How rude of them!
Q: Can you rule out that Iran is behind the water attacks?

TRUMP: I don't think so. I think that Minnesota is behind it. You know who is behind it? Minnesota. Because they're grossly incompetent. I don't think there was an Iranian cyberattack. I think Minnesota ought to get its act together.
The Deep State’s not gonna fool him! Well, you know, if they all just hate Trump…. It’s like he’s looking in a mirror! I heard that about Vietnam until 1973. Poor, poor pitiful Trump. (Native Americans, Asians, and even the Irish, have entered the chat) 👆 Palate cleanser 
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Thursday, July 30, 2026

This Explains So Much

Shit happens, right?
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Wednesday, July 29, 2026

A Flaming Bag Of 🐕 💩

In his court opinion, Roberts clearly wanted the lower courts to chew over this issue of “official duties” (what are, what aren’t) for some time before returning the issue to the Supremes to answer in a particular case. Roberts could have answered it in the January 6th case, but he declined to be that autocratic.

And now Trump himself drops the flaming bag of dogshit on Roberts’ front porch. How appropriate.

(My guess is they find a procedural reason to put out this fire without getting their shoes dirty. But they’re only going to make Trump v U.S. look worse than it already does, whether they take it up for this case, or run away. For one thing, the immunity granted was supposed to be for criminal, not civil, liability. I’m sure they’ll decline the offer to expand their made up immunity. They can give that as a reason, or they can find a procedural reason, to reject this appeal. Either way, it again calls the whole concept into question.)
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