Take a Deep Breath...the Shutdown Has Been Avoided

There was some late-night drama in the Senate when the vote to keep the government open was stalled by a Democratic senator concerned about no funding for Ukraine.

Colorado Sen. Bennett wanted assurance the senate would still fund Ukraine and make it a priority immediately after voting to keep the government open.

Senate leaders McConnell and Schumer pledged their support for funding Ukraine satisfying Bennett's concern and the vote was taken up.

The bill was passed 88-9 to keep the government open for another 45-days. Time that will be hopefully productive and produce a full budget agreement for the next year.

As it stands, it goes to show there's still hope for what's been a crippled Congress. 

House Passes CR: The Senate has Hours Left to Close the Deal

The Titanic didn't sink.

A runaway high-speed train didn't go off the tracks in the House today and a last-minute bill to keep the US funded was passed. It's a 45-day stopgap funding measure. 

Isn't that great?

All eyes are on the Senate now to avoid a catastrophic government shutdown by taking the bill to the finish line - President Joe Biden's desk. 

The good news is Republican senators are signaling that they think they can keep the government open. Even dour Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell assured reporters after the House vote, "There is a growing hope we may actually avoid a shutdown."

That's encouraging. But the clock is ticking towards midnight and any disruption in the Senate could turn the bill into a pumpkin.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in an awkward position. If he doesn't bring the House bill up the whole narrative changes and it becomes Schumer's shutdown instead of McCarthy's shutdown.

One possible hurdle for a quick consideration is GOP Sen. Rand Paul who vowed to slow down any bill with Ukraine funding has been solved. 

The House bill doesn't have Ukraine funding in it and Paul said he wouldn't object to a time agreement which means the Senate could beat the midnight deadline and keep America open for business.

As it stands, yesterday I said it would take a miracle to avoid a shutdown. However, if the Senate passes the goal line tonight, it'll be because the Democrats had the high ground all along.

Our House is a Very, Very, Very Dysfunction House...

Our House is a very, very, very dysfunctional House

With a spineless Speaker in the yard

Life use to be easy now it's so hard...

(Apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)

The U.S. House of Representatives is more like an insane asylum where inmates run free and form caucus's than a governing body. 

The MAGA inmates are calling the shots while millions of Americans lives stand to be disrupted by an inevitable shutdown caused by their stunts.

It's the ultimate Carnival of Corruption as MAGA minions put on theatrical performances designed to please Trump and his mindless minions.

The latest attempt by Speaker McCarthy to pass a CR with a conservative wish list failed horribly. Here's the clincher... even if it would have passed it was dead on arrival in the Senate.

As the deadline approaches for a government shutdown the GOP crazies continue to head for the cliff like lemmings on crack cocaine. Trump's words are their marching orders and he's demanded they shut down the government.

The so-called Mainstreet Republicans find themselves in straightjackets struggling to avoid a catastrophe for the country and themselves at the ballot boxes. 

One Republican lawmaker, Tim Burchette, admitted to a reporter, "We're dysfunctional right now." 

Another disgusted Republican lawmaker, Mike Lawler, unloaded on his fellow party members after the last failed vote. "Just throwing a temper tantrum and stomping your feet, frankly, not only is it wrong - its' pathetic."

It's apparent to the whole country, and world, that our House is a very, very, very, dysfunctional House. With MAGA inmates in control it doesn't bode well for a last-minute miracle solving the problem.

Even if McCarthy were to grow a pair at the 11th hour it isn't clear what he would/could do. Asking Democrats for help in passing a clean bill will come at a price.

But McCarthy is going to face that price regardless of what he does because Matt Gaetz and cronies want him out of the Speaker's office. 

A showdown is inevitable for McCarthy and might even work out for him if he beats back Gaetz and company's efforts to unseat him, proving he's in full control of his party from there on out.

As it stands, I'm trying to be optimistic despite the odds. The last thing we need is a former president having so much power he can shut down our government.

Fear and Loathing in Congress: Why a Shutdown is Inevitable

You could feel the fear in the room during the House impeachment inquiry hearing as Republicans repeated the same old lies and accusations hoping they would suddenly become true.

Little chance of that happening. The House MAGA minions were so afraid of Trump that they willingly put their careers (and honor) in jeopardy trying to defend him with debunked accusations against President Biden and son Hunter.

As Democrats skillfully parried their accusations you could see the desperation and fear growing in the room as each realized they were getting crushed because they had no evidence. Not that they ever did. 

Instead, GOP members like Marjorie Taylor Greene were showing pornography, or getting fact checked by the Democrats for lying.

How could anyone take people like Lauren Boebert (caught sexually fondling her boyfriend in a public place) seriously? It's impossible if you look at her stunts in Congress and public places.

You could feel the loathing in Rep. Pramila Jayapal's speech as she described all the constituents that would be affected by a government shutdown. 

Greene interrupted her and said she was lying but was immediately fact checked by Jayapal who produced documents showing who would be affected by not funding government programs for the poor and low income in Greene's district.

No one watching the hearing will come away thinking it had any merit and was more important than dealing with a government shutdown.

How could anyone watching take the Republicans seriously? Many of the members had already decided to shut the government down, and that this clown act was good PR for their crazy creds. 

They want to burn the House down. They are cult members seeking a government of one...Trump. And they don't even deny it when publicly confronted!  

As it stands, today's charade is just a prelude to what McCarthy and his dysfunctional members plan on doing to please their master, the Orange Disaster!

Late Night Laughs Return on Oct. 2nd

It's been five months since my favorite late-night comedy The Late Show with Stephan Colbert went off the air due to a writer's strike.

It feels like it's been five years! Late night TV has been boring without the comedic relief of Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, and Jimmy Fallon.

But THEIR BACK! Or will be on Monday Oct. 2.

My favorite comedian has been busy during the forced hiatus and launched the Strike Force Five podcast with the other comedians I mentioned above.

I'm really excited to see Colbert's take on what has been happening with Trump lately. I expect he'll go for his jugular and also destroy the MAGA clown caucus in Congress.

It's been excoriating the last five months watching the growing takedown of Trump in the courts and no Stephan Colbert to comment on each criminal indictment. I expect he'll do a summary show where he runs down some of the past highlights.

There won't be a shortage of new comedic material following those stories as they continue to evolve. It's what the country needs right now... comic relief.

Laughing is a great stress-reducer and God knows this country needs to take a time out from the culture wars and political corruption for a good laugh or two.

One of my favorite sections of Reader's Digest is Laughter is the Best Medicine. It's no joke, however. When it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and guffaws are just what the doctor ordered. Here's a link to an article from the Mayo Clinic on the subject.

It's really going to be fun breaking out the popcorn again and watching late night comedies throughout the week.

As it stands, I'll see you there on Monday!

It's Official: Trump and Sons are FRAUDS!

Trump's entire life has been a fraud. 

A fairy land where he's the best at everything and knows more than anyone else.

But reality has been closing in on him this year as he's been charged with 91 felonies in four jurisdictions. The latest slap to his orange face came from a judge who ruled that Trump, and his adult sons, are liable for fraud.

A judge's ruling came days before Trump was set to go to trial where other issues are determining liability on other claims in the lawsuit, as well as how much Trump and the other defendants should pay.

The Trump Crime Family knows all about fraud. They've been convicted of other frauds from a fake university to ripping off charities for veterans. 

New York Judge Arthur Engoron granted AG Letitia James's motion for a summary judgement, that found Trump, his sons, and others to be liable as a matter of law for persistent violations of New York State Law.

The judge ruled that they all "repeatedly engaged in fraud" for a decade.

Time for consequences. Trump is going to lose his New York businesses and Trump Org is ordered to be dissolved as a financial fraud. He loses $250 million dollars and has already been referred to the Manhattan DA and IRS for criminal charges.

As it stands, Trump might as well get use to the fact that he's going to be convicted in future trials because evidence trumps lies.

Who's the Craziest Lawmaker in Congress? Hint, it's Not Greene or Boebert

Mirror mirror on the wall

who in Congress

is the craziest of them all?

It's difficult to pinpoint the leading GOP lunatic in Congress because there's at least two dozen candidates that are certifiably crazy. The rest are sniveling cowards who fear Trump's shadow.

At first glance one might think the choice would be between Marjorie Taylor Greene or Lauren Boebert. But keep looking. There's another sicko that poses a bigger threat to democracy than those two sorry excuses for women and lawmakers.

I'll give you a hint...

Do you remember the congressman who posted a doctored animation of himself killing Democratic lawmakers?

That's right. Paul Gosar.

After his most recent attack against reality, he's once again showing what a vile individual he is by spreading liars about Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And threatening his life.

Gosar openly called for Milley to be executed (repeating his master Trump). He called him a "homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist" who delayed the national guard from coming to the Capitol during the Jan. 6 coup attempt. 

He also baselessly accused Milley of coordinating with Nancy Pelosi to hurt his idol Trump by treasonously working behind his back and sharing intelligence with the Chinese military. His fact-free rant was typical of him.

He's a white supremacist who hangs out with Nazi's (even attending their meetings) and is a vile antisemitic who never misses a chance to attack Jews.  

What we have here is a vicious pattern - wanting to kill enemies, a white supremacist, and someone who ignores reality claiming Trump didn't lose in 2020. And that the election was stolen by the Democrats. When in fact Trump tried to steal the election.

I have to admit that just watching Gosar talk creeps me out. I know he can't help it, but watching his head swivel around when he talks reminds me of Linda Blair in the horror film Exorcist. 

Because he's a GOP representative from Arizona I can understand why the creep keeps get re-elected (He's been there since 2010). The state is in competition with Florida for having the most political fact-free freaks.

As it stands, once upon a time Gosar would have been run out of Congress by his peers, along with the rest of the MAGA parasites befouling the halls of Congress. Sadly, this is our new reality.

It's Time 'Dark Brandon' Steps Up and Takes Trump Head On!

In the age of memes President Joe Biden's nickname "Dark Brandon" is the best.

Like the meek and mild Clark Kent who fronts for Superman, Biden can transform into a political superhero whenever the country calls on him in a crisis.

His track record as a productive president proves his enemies underestimate his abilities when they mock him with memes like "Let's Go Brandon" a code phrase meaning "F**K Biden." Frankly, that's all his enemies can do. Spread lies and try to be cute about it.

The time's come for Dark Brandon to make daily appearances to turn back the assaults Trump and his lawmaker minions are waging against him and our democracy.

Thus far Biden the nice guy has stayed away from criticizing Trump very much because of the felony trials he's facing and wanting to appear neutral during the avalanche of 91 criminal charges in four jurisdictions.

Think about that for a moment. MAGA morons are already saying it's part of Biden's presidential campaign and he's weaponizing government.

Set that aside for a moment. What good is it doing being so cautious when Biden's enemies are controlling the public narrative right now? There's no need to wait until next year to fight back. It might be too late by then.

Dark Brandon needs to take on the MAGA narrative of gross misinformation and lies every day from now until next November.

Americans deserve the truth about what Trump's efforts are doing to the rule of law and be reminded of the crimes and corruption he's already committed and his ongoing crimes against the judiciary system.

Trump committed media outlets are turning out lies on a daily basis and need to be countered with facts and the truth daily by Democrats.

The best man to do that is Dark Brandon who does have, after all, the presidential bully pulpit to expose the lies made by Trump and his law firm in Congress.

These are strange days we live in. We have nothing to compare them too in the past. What once worked is no longer working in our government that's been reduced to two warring tribes unwilling to come together and compromise.

As it stands, that's why we need Dark Brandon to step up and fight fire-with-fire and stop bringing a knife to the gunfight.

There Are Some Republicans with the Guts to Challenge Trump: Let's Give Them Some Credit

At first glance the entire Republican party is a cult of one thanks to the gutless majority of members who are afraid to get in the ring with Trump.

The good news is there's actually some Republicans willing to stand up and challenge Trump's lies and his culture of corruption. I know. They're a minority right now but that is slowly changing as events make Trump more vulnerable to attack.

I'd say 91 felony counts (and counting) in four different jurisdictions is not a positive sign but rather an opening... especially if he gets convicted in even two of the cases. 

That's a conservative guess. If our court systems hold up, he'll be convicted in all four trials. Running a campaign from jail is a no-starter in any general election.

Here's a look at Republicans who are standing up to Trump along with others moving in that direction:

Editor's Note - I'm not endorsing any of the following Republicans. This is just a simple a list of resisters making news.

* Chris Cristie

Right now, Cristie is leading the charge against Trump and spends every moment attacking him while running for president. 

Easily the most outspoken of Trump's opponents, Cristie's verbal assaults seem to be motivating other Republicans to grow a spine.

* Mitt Romney

The elder statesman has decided to retire because he no longer recognizes the current version of the Republican party. He's been consistent in his efforts to hold Trump accountable for his crimes since he voted to impeach Trump twice.

His exit from the party will be a loss and another sign that real Republicans with values are leaving their elected positions because of the chaos in Congress.

Here's two other Republicans who've opposed Trump during their time in office who are also retiring because of disillusionment with the party:

* Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger

Both members have voted for both of Trump's impeachments and were active on the Jan. 6 Committee exposing his crimes and his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election.

Needless to say, they'll be missed for their courage and honesty. They've chosen to retire rather than be associated with a cult. 

Former Republican Lawmakers Against Trump

* George W. Bush, former President

* Dick Cheney, former Vice-President

* Bill Barr, former Attorney General

* John Bolton, former National Security Advisor

* Mark Esper, former Secretary of Defense

* Nikki Haley, former Ambassador to the United Nations, and currently running for president against Trump.

* Mick Mulvaney, former White House Chief of Staff.

* Rex Tillerson, former Secretary of State.

For the sake of space that's all I'm going to list here. There are many more Republicans who do oppose Trump but they're still a minority.

As it stands, here's a link of Republican Voters Against Trump. The website features Republicans, former Republicans, conservatives, and former Trump voters who won't support him for president in 2024.