Perfidy Of The Year

By Hubie and Bertie

It's hard not to agree with Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-RI), who has asked House leaders not to seat any member who has joined with Benedict Donald's fruitless attempt to overturn the election. Pascrell is basing it on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which "disqualifies from service any individuals who seek to attack American democracy."

Sounds about right.

Team, this is today's GOP: Instead of adhering to their oath of office, they bend a knee to an autocrat who won't accept the cleanest election in American history. It's pathetic, disgusting and, yes, disturbing.

Our own House member, the ever-Trumpy Elise Stefanik, signed on, too. We can only hope that the New York State Legislature will redistrict her farther northward into the wilds of the Adirondacks, and give us a good Congressman, like Anthony Delgado or Paul Tonko. You know, somebody who won't subvert the Constitution.

Upstate newspapers that made the right call in the Stefanik-Cobb NY-21 race are probably patting themselves on the back that they don't have to do what The Orlando Sentinel just did: rescind a Congressional endorsement. "We apologize to our readers for endorsing Michael Waltz in the 2020 general election," the Sentinel said, referring to the area's GOP House member. "We had no idea, had no way of knowing at the time, that Waltz was not committed to democracy."

Wow. We cats never thought we'd see the Sentinel, part of the Chicago Tribune newspaper family, which used to be straight-up, Republican chamber-of-commerce-type conservative, do such a thing. But apparently, open sedition can send even right-wing Colonel McCormick's children into the light.

It's impossible to believe that the United States of America would allow itself to be driven into a Constitutional crisis by a person as small and worthless as Donald Trump. But when one of its political parties decides to self-destruct over him, that could still happen. Still, there's no doubt that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in on January 20 — especially since the Supreme Court just told all those Republican traitors to take a hike. We cats HISS and PURR at the same time.

Cat Fight! State Attorneys General vs. State Attorneys General

By Miss Kubelik

Just when we thought Republican perfidy knew no bounds, we encountered a shaft of hopeful light. Dave Yost, the attorney general of the state of Ohio, officially came out in opposition to the ridiculous, Trump-appeasing plea to the Supreme Court by Texas AG Ken Paxton to overturn the election.

Yost is not a Democrat.

Meanwhile, 22 other state attorneys general have also filed briefs against Paxton's hail Mary. "This represents a profound and outrageous rejection of democracy with no precedent in our nation's history," tweeted AG Josh Stein of North Carolina. "It would also violate some of our nation's most basic Constitutional principles, including federalism and respect for state law."

AG Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was even tougher. He called it a "seditious abuse of the judicial process." Drag 'em, Josh!

It's obviously more important to the GOP to pacify the malevolent 74-year-old toddler in the White House than to protect American democracy, because if this stupid suit somehow succeeded, it would throw the United States into its worst Constitutional crisis in 150 years. And if they're doing it because they know it will fail, their cynicism is almost even worse. Never mind that 3,000 Americans a day are dying from COVID, and this is what they're occupying themselves with.

Could the Republican Party hurry up and destroy itself already? Because the collateral damage is starting to be felt. We cats HISS.

A Tale Of Three Veeps

By Zamboni

Nearly every time Joe Biden has hosted an announcement event from the Office of the President-Elect, he has turned the lectern over for significant periods to Kamala Harris, his Vice President-Elect. It could be possible, in fact, that Harris has had more speaking time in the presence of her boss than Vice President Poonce has had in his entire four years as Toady-in-Chief.

Has Poonce noticed? If so, is he jealous?

It's also a reminder that the Poonces have not had Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff over to the Naval Observatory for lunch and a tour, the way the Bidens did for them one week after the election in 2016. It's not only an egregious violation of manners, it's (Benedict Donald's favorite word) nasty. But then, if you scratch the surface of right-wing Christians, you'll find that none of them are nice people.

Will the press start running articles soon about the outgoing Trumps and Poonces snubbing the incoming Bidens and Harris-Emhoffs? Even better, will they do any comparison stories about how Biden treats Harris with dignity and respect while Trump side-eyes Poonce with looks of barely concealed disdain? If they don't, we cats will HISS.

Joe Biden Is Perfect

By Baxter

No, not perfect all around. Just a perfect President at this time and place. Let us count the three biggest ways.

Empathy — America has been through the COVID year from hell, after nearly four years of insults, near-autocracy and cold Trumpian transactionalism. We could all use a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on. Who would be better at that than Joe?

Experience — Biden's been in Washington for 100 years and knows everybody. Even when Emily Murphy at the GSA blocked him from transition access and funding for three weeks, it caused him only a hiccup. He deftly worked around her, making good use of his long contact list and chatting up Obama folks who, after only four years out of office, hadn't strayed far. 

Expertise — Back in 2009, Joe managed America's recovery from the 2008 financial meltdown. He knows how to deal with Republican-induced economic disaster. And thanks to his service on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his eight years as Vice President, he knows the world, and the world knows him.

P.S. On a lighter note, it doesn't matter one bit that lowlife sore losers Benedict Donald and Moose & Squirrel have refused to have the Bidens over to the White House for a coffee klatsch. Joe and Jill don't need an orientation session — they've hung out at the White House plenty of times before. And they can tell Kamala and Doug everything they need to know about the Veep's house at Observatory Circle. So who needs Trump? We cats PURR.

Seal Off The Seal

By Sniffles

America only has one President at a time. This is a mundane rule that usually doesn't have negative ramifications for the country — except for times like now. It would be great if Joe Biden's team could take over the COVID response immediately, for example. Instead they have to wait until noon on January 20 to put their plans for testing, tracing, masking and vaccinating into action.

In normal times, though, "one President" means that only a single individual has the right to, say, fly on Air Force One or speak from behind a lectern bearing the Presidential seal. And that individual is the current chief executive — not a future one, like Joe Biden, and not a former one, like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Smirky Bush and Barack Obama. Those guys make due with other logos and letterhead and lectern decor. (And private planes. Carter is the only one we can think of who's been known to fly commercial.)

Since Benedict Donald has been flouting all Presidential protocols (not to mention the rule of law) ever since he set foot in the people's house on January 20, 2017, what do you want to bet he'll keep doing it after January 20, 2021? He'll insist on the Presidential seal and the Presidential flag for whatever events or "shows" he holds to bankroll his shady PAC. (And when he doesn't get them, he'll have someone make knock-offs, like those Chinese purses his daughter sells.) He'll probably demand that the government make Air Force One available to him at the drop of a hat. And when the government refuses, he'll probably repaint his ugly Trumpy plane to look like it.

Trump is famously devoted to protecting, promoting and profiting from his brand, and only his brand. Which means he'll surely violate the Presidential copyright. We cats HISS.

Yes, Georgia Republicans, Please Do This.

This is just thrilling to see, even if there's no write-in opportunity on Georgia's January Senate runoff ballots. As the Trumpy dude promoting this on Twitter says: "It doesn’t matter if there’s no line for it. Make a statement! Stop disloyal Perdue and Loeffler!" We cats heartily endorse this game. It makes us PURR.

Simple Steps

By Hubie and Bertie

It's astounding how reckless and irresponsible and just plain stupid the Republicans (and yes, some Democrats) are about spreading the coronavirus. Fat Mike Pompeo is inviting 900 people to the State Department for a holiday party. L'il Nazi Congressman Matt Gaetz just attended a maskless GOP party in New Jersey, for which Governor Phil Murphy has told him never to set foot in the Garden State again. (And now the restaurant that hosted it has been shut down.)

For every Democrat like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock who has been a dumb COVID hypocrite, the Republicans have at least a dozen more egregious examples. Worse, they are unrepentant. But occasionally, karma catches up with them: The associate pastor of a San Bernadino mega church that insisted on reopening without restrictions is dead now, from the virus.

Team, if you're reading this, you're probably a Democrat and COVID-responsible. But for those of you out there who are not, please think about this: The last thing you want to see on this earth is a physician hovering over you and shoving a ventilator tube down your throat. 

There's no guarantee that if you get the coronavirus you'll end up that way — but there's also no guarantee you won't. The ICU is not a fun place. You don't want to be there (if, indeed, you can even get in). Take that to heart, and mask up — it'll be good practice for Joe Biden's first 100 days. We cats PURR.

(PHOTO: Mark Lennihan, AP)

Feeling Much Better Now

By Miss Kubelik

It's been a month since the election, and most of the news coverage has been about Benedict Donald's attempted coup, his refusal to concede, and his grifting off his supporters to the tune of more than $200 million. But in a parallel world of sanity, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been putting together the next Administration, which will be chock-full of competent people who know how to fix things. 

Good! We need folks like that. But one of the best things is that the rest of us can take a deep breath and let our blood pressure go down. In fact, Joe and Kamala are on CNN right now, in their first joint interview since they won. They're talking sensibly, intelligently and compassionately about the challenges they'll face come January 20. What a relief to hear grownups again. We cats PURR.

Trumpism Is A Cancer

By Zamboni

It's time for the Trumpy COVID deniers — from Benedict Donald himself to that nutcase QAnon Congresswoman to idiots who berate doctors and nurses on social media — to sign a paper saying that if they contract the virus they will forego medical help.

And when they sign that paper, they should be given some sort of bracelet that IDs them in case they break down and show up at the ER. Why are we being so harsh? Because we're sick of seeing signs like this, posted (no doubt) by a Trumpster against an infectious disease specialist at the University of Vermont.

"My partner, Tim Lahey, MD, is on call today, taking care of people hospitalized with infectious diseases, including COVID," tweeted Lahey's wife, author Jessica Lahey. "He has been concerned enough over rising numbers in our area that he regularly does TV and radio spots to advise people about how to stay safe and healthy.

"This is where we are as a society, thanks to Trump and his efforts to undermine science, demonize healthcare workers and fuel conspiracy theories," she said.

The Lahey story is mild, however, compared to this: Benedict Donald has retweeted a moronic broadside against a critical care physician in Reno, Nevada, which alleged that the doctor's medical center's new ICU, built in a parking garage (yep, a parking garage) to treat overflow COVID patients, was fake. Added Trump in the retweet, "Fake election results in Nevada also!"

The doctor in question and Nevada's Governor, Steve Sisolak, fired back. But what kind of people are these Trumpsters? Who would go after the very folks who are risking their lives every day to take care of us if we get the virus? And who will care for us when all those awful long-term effects start making themselves felt?

We've got 270,000 Americans dead from this thing, with a lot more to come — but it's Donald Trump and his acolytes who are truly sick. We cats HISS.

"It's All Gone Too Far"

By Baxter

Kind of a big day in Trump World today, but maybe not in the way they'd want. The first story that caught our eye was about a long-married Michigan couple in their 70s who died of COVID within seconds of one another. According to their daughter: "They were both extremely regretful because they didn’t really take their own words to heart that it would actually take their lives." How did they get the virus? They got impatient with having to stay home all the time, and decided to eat in a restaurant where no one was wearing masks.

In short, Gretchen Whitmer was right about everything. It's a damn good thing she didn't get kidnapped, but these two constituents of hers are still dead.

Then this news just broke: A pay-for-pardons scandal is erupting in the White House, wow! The details are heavily blacked out and no conspirators are yet named, but a few do come to mind: Giuliani, Manafort, Gates, Bannon, Kushner... and, of course, Individual 1. More to come, no doubt — but this unexpectedly unsealed order should throw a monkey wrench into whatever nefarious shenanigans Benedict Donald has been plotting. In fact, he probably already pocketed some cash from Joe Arpaio, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. Stay tuned.

Until that story exploded, the biggest news of the day was a guy no one's ever heard of before: Gabriel Sterling, Georgia's voting implementation manager, who is fit to be tied over the death threats people like his boss, Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger, has been receiving from Trumpsters. The best thing about it: He calls out both Benedict Donald and Georgia's two repugnant Republican Senators. The worst thing: He still calls himself a Republican and says he's still voting for those Senators. But his words to Trump speak for themselves:

"Mr. President, it looks like you likely lost the state of Georgia... And you have the right to go through the courts. What you don't have the ability to do — and you need to step up and say this — is stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someone is going to get hurt. Someone is going to get shot. Someone's going to get killed. And it's not right. It's not right.

"Be the bigger man here... Tell your supporters: Don't be violent. Don't intimidate. All that's wrong. It's un-American." We cats PURR.