This, That, And The Other

Posted on February 27, 2022 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Global Issues, History, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

The news out of Ukraine tonight isn’t good, but yet it could be worse. Those Ukrainians have spunk and are standing up to Putin and the Russian military in every way possible. One of my favourite stories is about the 13 Ukrainian soldiers who, when asked to surrender, told the Russian warship crew to “go fuck yourself”. It was initially reported that the soldiers had been killed, but late last night it was said they are still alive. And the other story that makes me tip my hat to the people of Ukraine was the elderly man who said to the invading Russians …

“Russians invading Ukraine is so fucked up! What are you doing here? We have our life and you have yours. I’m Russian too, but I live in this country. You have your own country and we have ours. Don’t you have any problems in your own country? Are you all rich there? Shame on you!”

If Putin thought he would simply storm the capital city of Kyiv, capture or kill President Zelenskyy, and then wipe his hands clean, he is finding that not to be the case. Ukraine is admirably fighting back. I know we are all keeping the Ukrainians in our hearts and thoughts each day. I only wish there was something that we could DO. Meanwhile, on the home front …

The GOP doesn’t know what the people really want!

We are told by Republican politicians that the people in this country do not want their children to learn the truth about this nation’s past, do not want them to be taught about such things as slavery, Jim Crow, the KKK, the brutal treatment of indigenous people, and the Japanese internment. We are told that parents are up in arms over ‘Critical Race Theory’, which is NOT taught in schools and few people even understand. We are told that parents want books that talk about any of the aforementioned subject matter banned. But maybe … just maybe we’ve been lied to. Oh sure, there are some people who are themselves uncomfortable with the subject of race relations and don’t want to be put in a situation whereby their children might just take a viewpoint opposite their own. However, it seems the majority of people in the U.S., whether Democrat or Republican, don’t want books banned and do want their children to learn the true history of their home country. Hmmmm … verrrrry interesting! 🧐

A recent CBS poll on race and education revealed some fascinating facts that run counter to everything the Republican politicos tell us. In his column yesterday, opinion writer Jamelle Bouie wrote …

“The survey, conducted this month, asked respondents to weigh in on the impact of teaching about race. When asked if “teaching about race in America makes students understand what others went through,” 68 percent of Americans said yes. When asked if this teaching made students “feel guilty about past generations,” 23 percent agreed. Just 16 percent of respondents said that teaching about race makes current students “less racially tolerant.”

When asked if books should ever be banned for “discussing race” or “depicting slavery,” an overwhelming 87 percent of Americans said no. A similarly large percentage said no when asked if books should be banned for “criticizing U.S. history” or sharing “political ideas you disagree with.” And 58 percent of Americans, including 52 percent of white Americans, say that racism is a “major problem” in America today.”

It would appear that the Republican politicians need to listen to the voices of ALL the people, not just the handful of radicals who have been fed a steady diet of Fox propaganda.

Remind me why we pay her a salary?

Ol’ Margie Greene is at it again and this time she has crossed a line as far as I’m concerned. On Friday, she addressed a group of white supremacists, telling them that …

“You’ve been handed the responsibility to fight for our Constitution and stand for our freedoms and stop the Democrats who are the communist party of the United States of America.”

The event was America First Political Action Committee’s conference, organized by none other than white supremacist (today’s polite name for the KKK) Nick Fuentes. Call it what you will – ‘white supremacy’, ‘white nationalism’, ‘Ku Klux Klan’ … a rose by any other name …

Margie Greene has been useless since the day she first set foot in the Capitol. She has no committee assignments due to her incendiary comments and support of violence against Democrats. The only thing I can figure she spends her time on is giving inflammatory, racist speeches like the one on Friday. For a while, she and the equally conscienceless Matt Gaetz were touring the country … the Matt & Margie show … but that was cancelled due to lack of interest.

Another speaker at the Klan rally on Friday was Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona. One speech I found should be grounds for imprisonment, for threatening a person’s life, for inciting violence, was that of far-right podcaster Stew Peters who called for lynching Dr. Anthony Fauci, saying …

“Tony Fauci literally unleashed a bio weapon on the world. Why is this man running around free instead of hanging on the end of a noose somewhere?”

The bigger question is why isn’t Mr. Peters in prison somewhere? I guarantee that if you or I uttered such a hateful, felonious statement, it would be a matter of minutes before the FBI showed up on our doorstep! Are the rules different for bigoted Klansmen?

Making A Mockery Of Our Lives …

Posted on June 15, 2021 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Of late, the Republican Party, aka GOP, have done most everything in their power to make a mockery of this nation, of the democratic underpinnings in our very foundation, and of the U.S. Constitution. They have tested the limits of lunacy and it almost seems as if their entire goal is to prove that nothing really matters, that people don’t matter, the environment doesn’t matter, our very lives matter little to them. Now, it’s easy to brush off their lies, their conspiracy theories as being beneath our dignity to even discuss. And in one sense that’s true, but in another sense … their constituents listen to them, hang on their every word, believe them, and in far too many cases, such as January 6^th of this year, act upon their words. This means that yes, we must pay attention, we must be prepared to tell the truth, to counter their ignorance. I have a few recent examples to share with you …

Last month, before Mitch McConnell and his band of senatorial thugs killed any hope for a congressional investigation into the lead-up and events of January 6^th, the uneducated Margie Greene posted her argument against such an investigation on her social media accounts.

“They’re only going to use the January 6 Commission to tear down Trump’s legacy, tear down and smear him if he runs for president again in 2024. And it will be used to demoralize Trump supporters and people that loved attending rallies and loved the MAGA movement and love America First policies, and it will be used to demoralize them and paint them as if they’re horrible people that entered the Capitol — breached the Capitol on January 6.”

Excuse me, Margie, but they are horrible people, else they would not have hung a noose outside the Capitol, would not have busted windows, pooped on the walls and floors, destroyed property, chanted ‘Hang Mike Pence’, and killed a Capitol policeman while injuring 140 others. If this isn’t the definition of ‘horrible people’ then I don’t know what is.

Climate change is no laughing matter … with every passing day, the hope for a continuation of human life beyond the end of this century grows dimmer. Scientists are working diligently to find ways in which we can slow or reverse the damage that has been done by people in industrialized nations. They have some, but not all of the answers. Enter U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert who claims to have the only answer we need.

Mr. Gohmert attended a House Natural Resources Committee hearing a week ago where he posed the following to Jennifer Eberlien, an associate deputy chief of the Forest Service …

“I understand, from what’s been testified to the Forest Service and the BLM, you want very much to work on the issue of climate change. I was informed by the immediate past director of NASA that they’ve found that the moon’s orbit is changing slightly and so is the Earth’s orbit around the sun. We know there’s been significant solar flare activity. And so, is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moon’s orbit or the Earth’s orbit around the sun? Obviously, that would have profound effects on our climate.”

A lot of people found Gohmert’s remarks humorous … I did not. They show a profound ignorance that should have disqualified him from holding a seat in the House of Representatives long ago. He is an attorney and a former judge who has held a seat in the U.S. House, representing Texas, since 2005. Listening to him, I would have guessed he had but a sixth-grade education. Like Ms. Greene, he has made a mockery of a very serious issue. And also like Ms. Greene, Gohmert is a follower of the conspiracy theory group QAnon.

And then there is the first-term U.S. House Representative from Georgia, Andrew Clyde, who along with Gohmert, has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that having to pass through a metal detector each day like his 434 colleagues do, largely without complaint, is a violation of … something. His civil rights, perhaps?

“Unconstitutional!” “Authoritarian conduct!” “An active ongoing attack on our democracy!”

Oh for Pete’s sake! Grow up, Andy … grow a pair!

Although he has been in Congress for only six months, Mr. Clyde has already been fined some $15,000 for refusing to cooperate with Capitol Police’s efforts to ensure the safety of every member of Congress. If he is such a crybaby that he cannot man up and walk through a metal detector without having a meltdown, he surely does NOT belong in the United States House of Representatives any more than his two aforementioned colleagues do! Mr. Clyde is a former gun shop owner back in Georgia who wears a tie clip in the shape of an automatic weapon. Nice … real professional.

This might all be humorous if it weren’t truly a threat to our way of life, to the government we rely on in so many ways. Is this, then, the face of the new Republican Party? I still shake my head in amazement to remember that GOP once stood for Grand Old Party. No more can they claim that title, for they have sold us downriver a thousand times over in the past decade. These three examples are but a small sampling of the sheer ignorance that now dominates the GOP, the mockery they are making of our lives.

A ‘Statement Of Concern’

Posted on June 9, 2021 by jilldennison under education, Election 2020, Election 2022, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

The actions of Republican state legislators to curtail absentee voting, limit days for early voting and seize control of local election boards have prompted 188 scholars to sign a “Statement of Concern: The Threats to American Democracy and the Need for National Voting and Election Administration Standards.”

Their words are wise and prophetic …

Statement of Concern

The Threats to American Democracy and the Need for National Voting and Election Administration Standards

STATEMENT

June 1, 2021

We, the undersigned, are scholars of democracy who have watched the recent deterioration of U.S. elections and liberal democracy with growing alarm. Specifically, we have watched with deep concern as Republican-led state legislatures across the country have in recent months proposed or implemented what we consider radical changes to core electoral procedures in response to unproven and intentionally destructive allegations of a stolen election. Collectively, these initiatives are transforming several states into political systems that no longer meet the minimum conditions for free and fair elections. Hence, our entire democracy is now at risk.

When democracy breaks down, it typically takes many years, often decades, to reverse the downward spiral. In the process, violence and corruption typically flourish, and talent and wealth flee to more stable countries, undermining national prosperity. It is not just our venerated institutions and norms that are at risk—it is our future national standing, strength, and ability to compete globally.

Statutory changes in large key electoral battleground states are dangerously politicizing the process of electoral administration, with Republican-controlled legislatures giving themselves the power to override electoral outcomes on unproven allegations should Democrats win more votes. They are seeking to restrict access to the ballot, the most basic principle underlying the right of all adult American citizens to participate in our democracy. They are also putting in place criminal sentences and fines meant to intimidate and scare away poll workers and nonpartisan administrators. State legislatures have advanced initiatives that curtail voting methods now preferred by Democratic-leaning constituencies, such as early voting and mail voting. Republican lawmakers have openly talked about ensuring the “purity” and “quality” of the vote, echoing arguments widely used across the Jim Crow South as reasons for restricting the Black vote.

State legislators supporting these changes have cited the urgency of “electoral integrity” and the need to ensure that elections are secure and free of fraud. But by multiple expert judgments, the 2020 election was extremely secure and free of fraud. The reason that Republican voters have concerns is because many Republican officials, led by former President Donald Trump, have manufactured false claims of fraud, claims that have been repeatedly rejected by courts of law, and which Trump’s own lawyers have acknowledged were mere speculation when they testified about them before judges.

In future elections, these laws politicizing the administration and certification of elections could enable some state legislatures or partisan election officials to do what they failed to do in 2020: reverse the outcome of a free and fair election. Further, these laws could entrench extended minority rule, violating the basic and longstanding democratic principle that parties that get the most votes should win elections.

Democracy rests on certain elemental institutional and normative conditions. Elections must be neutrally and fairly administered. They must be free of manipulation. Every citizen who is qualified must have an equal right to vote, unhindered by obstruction. And when they lose elections, political parties and their candidates and supporters must be willing to accept defeat and acknowledge the legitimacy of the outcome. The refusal of prominent Republicans to accept the outcome of the 2020 election, and the anti-democratic laws adopted (or approaching adoption) in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Montana and Texas—and under serious consideration in other Republican-controlled states—violate these principles. More profoundly, these actions call into question whether the United States will remain a democracy. As scholars of democracy, we condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms as a betrayal of our precious democratic heritage.

The most effective remedy for these anti-democratic laws at the state level is federal action to protect equal access of all citizens to the ballot and to guarantee free and fair elections. Just as it ultimately took federal voting rights law to put an end to state-led voter suppression laws throughout the South, so federal law must once again ensure that American citizens’ voting rights do not depend on which party or faction happens to be dominant in their state legislature, and that votes are cast and counted equally, regardless of the state or jurisdiction in which a citizen happens to live. This is widely recognized as a fundamental principle of electoral integrity in democracies around the world.

A new voting rights law (such as that proposed in the John Lewis Voting Rights Act) is essential but alone is not enough. True electoral integrity demands a comprehensive set of national standards that ensure the sanctity and independence of election administration, guarantee that all voters can freely exercise their right to vote, prevent partisan gerrymandering from giving dominant parties in the states an unfair advantage in the process of drawing congressional districts, and regulate ethics and money in politics.

It is always far better for major democracy reforms to be bipartisan, to give change the broadest possible legitimacy. However, in the current hyper-polarized political context such broad bipartisan support is sadly lacking. Elected Republican leaders have had numerous opportunities to repudiate Trump and his “Stop the Steal” crusade, which led to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Each time, they have sidestepped the truth and enabled the lie to spread.

We urge members of Congress to do whatever is necessary—including suspending the filibuster—in order to pass national voting and election administration standards that both guarantee the vote to all Americans equally, and prevent state legislatures from manipulating the rules in order to manufacture the result they want. Our democracy is fundamentally at stake. History will judge what we do at this moment.

Full list of signatories

What The GOP Looks Like In The 21st Century

Posted on May 4, 2021 by jilldennison under Environmental Issues, History, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Is there a single member of the former guy’s inner circle who isn’t in deep legal doo-doo? First, there’s Giuliani whose home and office were raided by the FBI last week and who is in more than one pot of boiling water. Then there’s Jared Kusher whose apartment company has been charged with repeatedly violating state consumer protection laws by collecting debts without required licenses, charging tenants improper fees and misrepresenting the condition of rental units. Former Attorney General William Barr is being investigated for a possible conflict of interest in the case against heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., and the list goes on. Hopefully, at the end of the day, charges and indictments come down against the former guy himself, for he is undoubtedly at the helm of most of these issues. It is my fondest hope to see the former guy in an orange jumpsuit and behind bars for the rest of his life.

And yet, the GOP goes on, producing more, nastier criminal types like Kevin McCarthy, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Margie Greene, Matt Gaetz and more. In my mind, I can almost hear Richard Nixon loudly asserting that, “I am not a crook!” In truth, Nixon was no more a crook than some 90% of today’s GOP … but he paid the price, while today’s lot are applauded. The difference? Probably the likes of Fox ‘News’, the New York Post, and other Murdoch-owned outlets that wouldn’t recognize truth if it hit them in the patootie, and the influence of social media. Compared to Nixon in 1973, today’s liars and crooks have nearly unlimited coverage ‘round the clock … Twitter, Fox, Newsmax, Facebook … they are all complicit in giving voice to the lies, to giving the crooks a megaphone with which to make their meritless case. To be a star on Twitter or Facebook, you needn’t be honest or intelligent … you only need to have a huge number of followers, which you can get by being off-the-wall outrageous. Integrity? Not necessary. Honesty? Not a requisite.

You’ll hear, from many on all sides of the fence, that “both sides do it”. No, my friends. While the Democrats are not beyond party loyalty, and while no doubt they tell a lie or two here and there, they are in no way the accomplished Pinocchios that today’s GOP is home to. One single example: The GOP and its right-wing media arm have put out the completely baseless lie that Joe Biden is “coming to take your beef burger”! Biden has never, to the best of my knowledge, even mentioned cutting beef consumption, and he’s a smart enough man to know he’d find his head on the chopping block if he did. Now personally … my family and I eat beef maybe once a month, so I really don’t care if the powers that be stop slaughtering cows, but that’s just me.

But you’ll hear it on Fox, you’ll hear it out of the mouths of the Republican fools … and there is not a single element of basis in fact for that outright lie. It bears as much merit as if the Democrats put out the lie that Republicans are going to force every person over the age of 18 to own a gun. But see, we don’t need to make up lies about the Republicans, for they make themselves look bad every day without our help! They think we sit around trying to find ways to make them look like idiots, but they’ve done that job for us!

But let us talk about substance … if the Republicans don’t like President Biden’s ideas, why don’t they come up with alternate policy proposals, meet at the table, and give a little, take a little, ending with a compromise that benefits the nation? Why don’t they propose ways to ensure that everyone, regardless of employment, gender, ethnicity, or religion has affordable health care? Why don’t they give us their ideas for how to repair the damage done to the Earth’s environment by humans? Why don’t they propose ways to meet the challenges that face us in the 21^st century? Why? Because they have none, because they are too busy being the party of racism, of negativity, of conspiracy theories, to actually propose meaningful, useful, legislation. Does anybody doubt that they have spent more time promoting the Big Lie than thinking about how to help the people of this nation?

Republican Representative Anthony Gonzalez, when asked about the beating of Representative Liz Cheney by other Republicans because she stood by her beliefs in voting to impeach the former guy, replied …

“If a prerequisite for leading our conference is continuing to lie to our voters, then Liz is not the best fit. Liz isn’t going to lie to people. Liz is going to say what she believes. She’s going to stand on principle. And if that’s going to be distracting for folks, she’s not the best fit. I wish that weren’t the case.”

And that, folks, sums it up in a nutshell … if you have a conscience, if you are honest and a person of integrity, then you are “not the best fit” for today’s Republican Party. Need I say more?

The Sedition Continues

Posted on January 3, 2021 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Never in my wildest imaginings could I have thought how terribly inhumane, corrupt, and unconscionable an entire half of the United States, including the entirety of the Republican Party, could become. I am sickened and disgusted by every single Republican in Congress today, and also by the 74 million people who apparently would prefer to chant “Heil Trump” than to have a real president. Jeff tells of some of the absolute inanity the “GOP” is attempting to take away the right to vote and have our vote tallied. He, like myself, is sick and damn tired of all the shenanigans. Thanks, Jeff, for this heartfelt post … I share your every thought on this.

On The Fence Voters

So another 11 senators signed on to the ridiculous challenge of what used to be a mere formality counting of certified state elector ballots on January 5, joining seditious and treason-like Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri.

Of course, this buffoonery follows on the heels of the idiotic Supreme Court challenge signed by 126 Republican House members that were utterly and swiftly dismissed a few weeks ago. You can now increase that list of treacherous scoundrels to 140, as that’s how many who are now saying they’ll also challenge the certification process.

Oh, and we might as well mention imbecilic Rep. Louis Gohmert’s lawsuit against Mike Pence, trying to force him into accepting other illegitimate elector’s ballots from rogue radicals in some of the swing states like Pennsylvania and Arizona. That one didn’t go anywhere either.

Once again, in the United States of America, we have a group of Republican lawmakers…

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Republican Hatred Is The New Party Line

Posted on December 13, 2020 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Even some republicans, conservatives, have questioned what values, if any, the Republican Party retains today. Ever since 2008 when Barack Obama was elected to the highest office in the land and the racists came out in droves to object to one of “those people” being elected, I have questioned what the GOP actually stands for today. From where I sit, it appears they stand largely for hate, for bigotry, for cruelty. And money. Let us not forget that profit is their ultimate goal, at the expense of all else, even our lives. An article I came across yesterday seems to confirm much of what I’ve thought. Paul Waldman is an op-ed columnist and senior writer for The American Prospect, as well as a contributor to The Week and a blogger for The Washington Post‘s Plum Line blog. Take a look at his view of today’s GOP …

Hatred of liberals is all that’s left of conservatism

Opinion by

Paul Waldman

Columnist

Dec. 11, 2020 at 12:45 p.m. EST

If you were dropped in from another country without knowing anything about the United States and surveyed our current political moment, what would you conclude about the Republican Party and the broader conservative movement it represents? As 2020 comes to an end, what is conservatism about?

After nearly four years of Donald Trump’s presidency in which no misdeed was too vulgar or corrupt for conservatives to defend, now culminating in an outright war against democracy itself, you might be tempted to answer, “Nothing.” Though that’s not quite true, the real answer is not much more encouraging.

Some years ago, I wrote a book arguing that Democrats should learn from the things Republicans did well. One of these was that the GOP had a simple foundation of shared beliefs that could be easily communicated to voters. Ask a Republican running for any office from dogcatcher all the way up to president what it meant to be a conservative, and they’d tick off some version of the same four pillars: small government, low taxes, a strong military and traditional social values.

Conservatives still believe in those things. But no one could seriously argue that they are any longer the animating purpose of the Republican Party. Instead, the one thing that unites the right and drives the GOP is hatred of liberals. That hatred has consumed every policy goal, every ideological principle and even every ounce of commitment to country.

“But Democrats hate conservatives, too!” you might say. Indeed they do. Negative partisanship — being more motivated by your dislike of the other party than by affection for your own — is a key feature of contemporary politics. But when 18 Republican state attorneys general, more than half of House Republicans and multiple conservative organizations all demand that the results of a presidential election where no fraud was found be simply tossed aside so that Trump can be declared winner, something more profound has been revealed.

The Republican Party has proved that its hatred of liberals is so foundational that it will abandon any pretense of commitment to democracy, if democracy allows for the possibility that liberals might win an election. They have come to regard Democratic voters as essentially undeserving of having their will translated into power, no matter how large their numbers.

They might have believed it before, but now they’re willing to proclaim it even after they just lost a presidential election by 7 million votes and a 306-232 electoral college margin. Forget all that inspiring talk about the genius of the Framers and their vision for democracy; if having an election means that the people we hate might win, then the election must simply be nullified.

You might say that the Republican officials signing on to this deeply anti-American crusade are doing so out of fear as much as conviction, but the two are not mutually exclusive. All elected officials worry about contradicting their base, but in today’s Republican Party, that worry is almost completely divorced from policy. Yes, you’d get flak if you voted to raise taxes, but the greatest danger comes from failing to fight the left with sufficient vigor.

That danger, furthermore, is not only electoral but physical; the Republican leader in the Pennsylvania state Senate said this week that if she refused to sign a letter demanding that Congress toss out her state’s votes in the presidential race, “I’d get my house bombed tonight.” It might not actually happen, but the point is that Republican officeholders understand well what their party values above all else and what kinds of transgressions will not be tolerated.

Trump has often cited the extraordinary loyalty he has received from his party’s voters; it’s one of the few things he says that’s true. But it isn’t because Trump signed a corporate tax cut and slashed environmental regulations.

When you ask the typical Trump supporter what they love about him, they don’t mention some substantive policy position; what they say is that he is a fighter. The petty squabbles, the insulting tweets, the deranged conspiracy theories — the things that the Never Trumpers and most other Americans find off-putting are exactly what endears him to the Republican base.

Trump fights and fights, angrily, bitterly, endlessly driven forward by his hatred of the people his supporters hate. That’s what the base loves, and every other Republican knows it.

Everything about the election that just ended reinforced for conservatives that nothing is more important than hating liberals. The rhetoric of the 2020 campaign, starting with Trump but going all the way down the ballot, was that if Democrats were elected, then it would not be suboptimal or bad or even terrible, but the end of everything you care about. Towns and cities would burn, religion would be outlawed, America as we know it would cease to exist. These horrors were not presented as metaphors, but as the literal truth.

In the face of that potential apocalypse, who could possibly care about mundane policy goals? So no Republican argued that if we didn’t cut the capital gains tax then it would be the end of life as we know it. They want to cut the capital gains tax, sure — but its importance pales next to the urgency of stopping the cataclysm that would engulf us all if Democrats were to hold power.

To be clear, there are still thoughtful conservatives out there trying to advance a coherent ideological project. But seldom have they mattered less to their movement and their party. They may produce white papers on free-market health-care solutions or innovative tax plans, but no one really cares.

If it doesn’t Own the Libs, it doesn’t matter on the right. That’s what the Republican Party and the conservative movement are about today, and it might take a long time for them to change.

The Week’s Best Cartoons ⚡ 2/22

Posted on February 23, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

And, to break the darkness of my last post, here is TokyoSand with the best cartoons of the week! Thank you, TS!

Political⚡Charge

Here are some of the best editorial cartoonists in the country with their visual opinions about this week’s news:

Trump Pardons / Roger Stone

By Steve Sack, Star Tribune

By Lalo Alcaraz

By Ann Telnaes, Washington Post

ByJim Morin, Miami Herald

Russia’s Back

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News

The Primary

By Signe Wilkinson, Philly Daily News & Philly Inquirer

ByDavid Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star

By Nate Beeler, The Columbus Dispatch

And Other News

By Nick Anderson

By Ed Hall

By Marc Murphy, Louisville Courier-Journal

ByDavid Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Daily Star

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

⚡

Want an email with the political cartoon roundup every Saturday? Subscribe today!

Can’t wait until Saturday to see cartoons? Follow me on Instagram at @DHStokyo!

You can also find my…

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Today’s Toons To …

Posted on December 6, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary

I seem to have that mind bounce thing again, and am unable to focus on any one thing for more than 93 seconds, just over a minute-and-a-half, or even finish a thought. So … what better time for some ‘toons, eh? Perhaps a chuckle or two will clear out the cobwebs in my head!

Earlier this week, a law scholar mentioned Melania’s son’s name: Barron. He did not do any harm, did not criticize or say anything about the child. His statement was simply that Trump can name his son Barron, but he cannot make him a Baron. In other words, there is no royalty in the U.S., and Trump is not a monarch. But, Melania took umbrage.

The economy … it’s the only thing, really, that Trump has going for him, and frankly he had little or nothing to do with it, and in fact his widespread tariffs are taking a toll already. But, the fact that he touts a low unemployment rate … well, there’s another side to it all.

But of course, the main topic of the day is the impeachment process that is taking place in Congress, and the republicans’ attempt to denigrate the process and turn it into a carnival atmosphere. Frankly, I’m surprised they don’t have a popcorn vendor outside the door.

Have a great weekend! Hopefully my bouncing mind will settle soon!

Time For ‘Toons!

Posted on November 19, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

I thought it was about time for a ‘toon post … a bit of humour to dull the pain of the 24/7 news cycle where we are always being bombarded with some new abomination.

There was one bright spot last Friday, when Roger Stone was convicted on all seven felony counts with which he was charged. Now, if ol’ Roger had been charged and convicted for every crime he’s ever committed, according to my calculations, he would be serving a 2,347 year sentence. The truth of the matter is I won’t be surprised if Trump pardons him, but let’s enjoy his downfall while we can.

Only trouble with this one is they made Trump look slim …

The thing that is on everybody’s mind, of course, are the ongoing impeachment hearings, and the cartoonists on both sides are having a field day.

Rather than either shutting up, or having some logical rebuttal to the witness testimonies, the republicans, most notably Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes, and Trump himself, are engaging in a smear campaign. Why, Trump even tried to blame former Ambassador Marie Yovanovich for the Civil War in Somalia!

And speaking of Jim Jordan …

Some in the GOP seem to be having a hard time these days. It must be difficult to have to give full support to a ‘man’ who has no values, no integrity, lies, cheats and steals. Surely some of them are considering whether Trump is worth them throwing away their own careers.

The foundation for our government is the U.S. Constitution. Presidents take an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. The document has withstood many challenges over the past 232 years, but I have to question whether it can stand up to the constant shredding and burning it is being put through under Donald Trump and his cadre of oafs.

And just a few miscellaneous ‘toons …

Remember when the worst thing the opposition could find to criticize the president for was wearing a tan-coloured suit? I long for the good ol’ days.

‘Toons To Brighten Your Day … Or Not

Posted on October 30, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Political commentary, Social commentary

It is a dreary, dark, rainy day here today, and I thought a few cartoons might brighten the day, lighten the mood.

The big story of the day … every day for the past month or so, and for the foreseeable future … is that of the impeachment inquiries taking place in the House of Representatives, and the response by Trump and the republicans …

Ol’ Mick Mulvaney has been in the news a lot lately, since he did that “open mouth, insert foot” trick, and then tried unsuccessfully to remove his foot from his mouth …

Corruption runs rampant in Washington these days, from the “president” down through his rank of minions, and among some in Congress who feel compelled to defend Trump’s speech and actions, though for the most part there is no defense.

You all remember last week when Trump was giving a speech and he claimed that he’s building a wall … in Colorado!

Trump’s treatment of our Kurdish allies will not be forgotten any time soon. Pulling our troops out of Syria, leaving the Kurds vulnerable to Erdoğan’s brutal attacks, was beyond unconscionable, and has shown our allies around the globe that the U.S. can no longer be trusted.

The GOP once stood for “Grand Old Party”. Those days are long gone, and for the past ten years or so, it has stood for only the wealthiest in the nation, willing to abandon the rest of us. Still, I think they bit off more than they could chew when they nominated and later elected Donald Trump to the presidency, and they are now struggling to figure out how to support him, how to defend the indefensible.