Tidbits And Cat Treats: V-E Day (And Other Victories) Edition

By Hubie and Bertie

Today was not a good day for Benedict Donald — his "big trade announcement" with the UK was not big (at least, the details are murky), and ended up being completely overshadowed by the new Pope. An American Pope! Trump was so upset about all this that he toddled out onto the West Colonnade to beg some attention from the press. We consider this a win. And in fact, here are some more:

Robert Francis Prevost is not just American, he's Peruvian — the second Pope from Latin America, since he served many years in Peru and holds citizenship there. So, okay, he's not going to be a trailblazer on issues like women and gay rights, but he's berated JD Vance on social media and is a champion of migrants. Consider him a Trump nemesis (as nemesis-y as pontiffs can be, that is). We didn't get the progressive Filipino guy or the Italian named Pizzaballa (we kid you not), but that's all right, we're not Catholic. So we'll take Prevost.

Also pleasing is Prevost's choice of name — first, because the most famous Leo is a cat (Leo the Lion, of course), but also because the most recent Leo was known as "the social Pope" and "the Pope of the Workers." Leo XIII supported workers' rights, trade unions, and fair wages. He must have been a real shocker in the late 19th century! (Not to mention today, because the MAGAts are not, not, not happy. Yay!)

All that serious stuff aside, the Pope jokes on the interwebs today — most of them Chicago-themed — were top-drawer. (Our favorite is "And also with youse.") Well, done, everybody.

Meanwhile, amid all the pope-y excitement, Benedict Donald folded on his revolting nomination for US attorney in Washington, DC. Ed Martin was a Jan-Sixer who was fomenting violence at the Capitol that day, for God's sake! He was truly one of the worst nominees Trump could have possibly come up with (with the possible exception of Jeanine Pirro, rumored to be Martin's replacement, but we'll see how far Judge Box o' Wine gets). Bottom line? If there was ever any doubt that Martin critic Thom Tillis of North Carolina would get a Trump-endorsed primary opponent, this pretty much seals the deal.

Finally, let's not forget that today is the 80th anniversary of the Allies' victory in Europe in World War II. Trump observed it idiotically, as you'd expect, with a post featuring a famous image from the Pacific theater. But who cares about him? The important thing is that the West defeated fascism once before, and if necessary, we can win the battle once again. The recent elections in Canada, Australia — and even the freaking College of Cardinals — give us hope. We cats PURR.

(PHOTO: Celebrations in London, 1945 — Getty Images)

"Crazy Eyes" Griffin Throws In The Towel

By Miss Kubelik

If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he'd be suing Jefferson Griffin for unlawful use of his name. We've always wondered how a Republican nutcase who refused to abide the will of the people could be linked in any way to the author of the Declaration of Independence. (You know, that document that slams princes who impose their "arbitrary will" over the rule of law? That one.)

Anyhoo, Not-Jefferson Griffin has finally, finally, finally admitted that he lost the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race to Democratic Justice Allison Riggs. Republicans will no doubt praise Griffin for his patriotism and selflessness — completely ignoring the fact that he, and they, have spent the last six months trying to overturn a fair election.

Which means the headlines that say "Griffin concedes" should actually be "Republican Stops Attempt to Steal Supreme Court Seat." Or, the press could compare Griffin's behavior to Al Gore's in 2000 — except for the fact that Gore accepted a judicial decision immediately, whereas Griffin... didn't. He tried to toss out thousands of cast ballots, including those from military members serving overseas.

Nevertheless, it's a relief, because had the situation gone the other way, it could have been disastrous for American democracy. And not just here at home, because antidemocratic behavior is sadly contagious. For example, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in Canada still has not called Liberal Bruce Fanjoy to concede defeat in his Ontario riding. It's not just pathetic, childish, and disgusting, but the first step to unraveling our electoral systems. We cats HISS.

Carney Meets The Carny

By Zamboni

This photo of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with Benedict Donald outside the West Wing is hilarious. Carney looks happy. Donald just looks annoyed. (Or maybe he's having a real Admiral Stockdale moment: "Who am I? Why am I here?" It would be nice if the press were as interested in Trump's cognitive abilities as they were obsessed by Biden's.)

But back to today's meeting. Some in the Canadian media speculated that however the encounter goes, Carney wins. If Donald behaves well, he's been cowed. If he doesn't, he just makes Canadians mad all over again and re-rallies them around their new government.

It also gives Carney the opportunity to employ a "gray-rocking" strategy, which some folks adopt when they encounter narcissistic (i.e., Trumpy) personalities. Narcissists manipulate people with deliberately outrageous behavior because they get off on others' reactions to it. Gray-rocking, however, short-circuits the process.

Gray-rocking narcissists "involves making all interactions with them as uninteresting and unrewarding as possible," one medical site explains. "In general, this means giving short, straightforward answers to questions and hiding emotional reactions to the things a person says or does... [to] cut off a person’s 'narcissistic supply' and cause them to lose interest in their target."

From what we've seen so far, it's working. Carney is calm, reasonable, and restrained, refusing to be baited by demented Donald comments like "51st state" and "We don't do much business with Canada."

His facial expressions as Trump blathered do give away some of his feelings, though. (Hilariously, and social media has noticed.) It's like watching Ron MacLean's reactions when Don Cherry spouted his racist, hateful, nationalistic bullshit on "Hockey Night in Canada." But all in all, we'd say Carney has outskated Trump today. We cats PURR. 

UPDATE: At his presser this afternoon, Carney was asked, "What was going through your mind when Trump talked about erasing the border?" Carney replied, "I'm glad you couldn't tell what was going through my mind." LOL! (Oh, no, Mark — we could. We cats PURR again.)

A Fairy Good Take On Our Long National Nightmare

Randy Rainbow does it again. We cats PURR.

Kemp v. Ossoff Is Off

By Baxter

Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has a big fan club, and no member of it is more devoted to him than the wildly entertaining social media influencer who's dubbed him "Senator My Boo." We agree. Ossoff/My Boo is attractive for a lot of reasons, from the personal to the political. (Sartorially, we cats like him in glasses for that Clark Kent-y/Jeff Goldblum-y look, both on and off the job. )

Senator My Boo got some excellent news today: Republican Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia will not run against him in 2026. Kemp was the GOP's best hope to unseat Ossoff, but it seems he didn't relish the idea of running in a year when everyone will be throwing up on Benedict Donald's sucky economy. Which leaves Georgia Republicans with a bunch of nutbags and crazies with no statewide appeal (think MTG).

It's also a win for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — but nobody will spin it that way, of course. Oh, well. We cats PURR.

The Down-Under Horse Race That Wasn't

By Sniffles

Is there cosmic significance that yesterday's Kentucky Derby winner was a horse named "Sovereignty"? (Benedict Donald, take note — if you're not too busy upsetting Catholics with fake-Pope images.)

But there was another race this weekend that was more important.

The Australian election was supposed to be a photo finish. Guess again! As Australian media put it, it was a thumping win for the center-left Labor party. And how weird is this? Just like in Canada, the leader of Australia's Trumpy official opposition lost his parliamentary seat — which he's held for 24 years. Peter Dutton, welcome to the PP Club.

So, add another Western ally to the countries that have rejected Donald and Donaldism: France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and now Australia have all definitively rejected the MAGA-ization of their politics — and recommitted themselves to coalition building in defense of democracy around the world. We cats salute them, and we PURR.

P.S. Did you know that Australia has a Katter party? We didn't, either! We cats PURR again.

(IMAGE: Just a cat and a kangaroo, chillin'.)

Wir Sagen STFU, Baby Marco

By Hubie and Bertie

Of all the craven Trumpsters who have turned coat and gone over to the dark side — and yes, we're including Elise "Elsie" Stefanik in this group — the most reprehensible may be Baby Marco Rubio. Was T.S. Eliot thinking of him when he wrote "We are hollow men"? Baby Marco has sold what little soul he ever had to Benedict Donald, and the effects, as we've all seen, are aging him in real time.

Politicos and pundits are said to be doubly shocked, because they once considered Rubio to have character and principles. We cats are happy to say that we never once thought that he did. We'd love to say "We told you so" now that Marco — whose family fled either Batista or Fidel (both dictators, so take your pick) — has turned on his fellow immigrants and now supports shipping them off to third-country prisons. Despicable. Revolting. Turn-your-back-on-him-if-you-meet-him-in-public-level stuff.

However, on the good news side, Baby Marco got the smackdown of his life today — from none other than the German government.

What set Marco off was the German domestic intelligence agency's designation of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, as a bunch of extremists. Which they are. But Rubio is just beside himself to think that this means Elon Musk's favorite political party in Deutschland might be subjected to increased governmental surveillance. (You know, like we Americans were doing to terrorist groups after 9/11.)

"Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition," Rubio bleated on social media. "That's not democracy — it's tyranny in disguise." Hah! He — or his State Department minions — must have felt really good when they hit the "publish" button on that one.

But the German Foreign Office wasted no time in posting back:

"This is democracy," they said, for all the world to see. "The decision is the result of a thorough and independent investigation to protect our constitution and the rule of law. It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped."

Wow. We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped. It's a new world, Marco — one in which you're getting embarrassing lessons from the Germans — and wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome to it. We cats HISS and PURR at the same time.

The Mirror And The Blight

By Miss Kubelik

Today is no ordinary International Workers' Day — the nation is in a state of emergency. That's why thousands marched in anti-Trump protests across the country today — the sixth major day of demonstrations since early February, and with many more no doubt to come. (For information on the movement and upcoming protests, click here.)

The first 100 days of Donald 2.0 have been so relentlessly dark that it's hard to imagine they will ever end. But our destiny lies in our hands. The midterms aren't until next November, but these elections will take place before then, with the Virginia and New Jersey Governor's races the key events. In the meantime, we can organize on the ground: registering voters, building networks, turning out at town halls, and fielding candidates at the local level, like for school boards, county commissions, and city councils.

In short, we're in it for the long haul, folks. Democracy will not be reclaimed overnight, but through the slog, it will be good to remember the words of Frederick Douglass: "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: Michael de Adder, deadder.net)

PP: Rotten To The Core

By Zamboni

One more post about the Canadian election, and then we'll move on.

The political chatter is starting to turn against Monday's big loser, Pierre Poilievre, even though some Conservatives had made early noises about keeping him on as party leader. They must feel reality crashing down upon them. Since PP lost his own seat in Parliament on Monday, the logistics of keeping him on have begun to get complicated.

Voters also started questioning if Poilievre would — or could — stay in Stornoway, the residence of the leader of the official opposition. Many suggested he should clear out. Not the best week for PP!

But the coup de grâce was delivered by the journalist who tried to interview Poilievre back in 2023, a video that went viral for all the wrong reasons. Poilievre showed his contempt for the reporter by eating an apple throughout. PP's adoring fascist fans loved it, but most Canadians must have been turned off. (Especially all those folks in Poilievre's riding who voted for Bruce Fanjoy this week instead.)

Today, the journalist, Don Urquhart, issued this statement. Here's one of the juiciest parts:

"[Poilievre's] utter disrespect for the media and by extension Canadians themselves — whether it be apple munching, refusing to allow reporters to travel with him on the campaign trail, or limiting access and vetting of questions with no follow-ups — took a direct page from Trump’s playbook and raised many questions about his ability to represent Canadians. As for the viral ‘apple clip’ from fall 2023, it was an undeniably clear reflection of his character.

"This surely won’t be the end of Poilievre or the masterminds of his political persona, but at least for now, Canada has dodged a bullet."

Delicious! We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: "ReinCarneyated" Edition

By Baxter

In case you were wondering how that $60 million fighter jet "fell off" one of our aircraft carriers, here's the obvious answer.

But we digress. Everyone is agog about the results of yesterday's election in the True North. Before we dive into the details, here are a couple of housekeeping notes: In Canada, the Liberals are red, the Conservatives are blue. And a riding is their version of a Congressional district. S'aright? S'aright.

1. So now the Liberals have won four elections in a row. Last night's took us back to the first one, in 2015. That year, Team Trudeau's crushing of the Conservatives started early on when Atlantic Canada came in as a stunningly solid sea of red. This time, the Liberals got off to a nerve-wracking slower start. There were rumors that the seven million early votes from the Easter weekend were counted last, which could explain why we spent the first part of yesterday evening feeling a tad stressed.

2. With the annexation threats from Benedict Donald, Quebec ended up handing 43 seats to the Liberals, at the expense of the separatist Bloc Quebecois. (But the Bloc didn't do so bad — in fact, they're probably going to be the Liberals' main dance partner in Parliament.) Quebecers apparently realized that their language and culture wouldn't stand a chance in a "51st state," and they voted accordingly. But it was Ontario that cost the Liberals their majority — they lost four ridings there that they probably should have won.

3. Which makes Pierre Poilievre's loss in his Ontario riding all the more embarrassing. Yep, PP lost his seat — which he's held for 20 years — to a Liberal with the fun name of Bruce Fanjoy. (Poor Pierre! How simply frightful! How humiliating! How delightful!) Fanjoy had been knocking doors, raising money, and organizing for two years, and yesterday all the hard work paid off. Now PP is making noises about staying on as party leader, but some MP would probably have to resign and let him run in a by-election for his or her seat — but not for in 180 days. Wouldn't it be great if the Liberals could knock Poilievre off again?

4. Another fun development from last night was Trumpy MP Jamil Jivani going after Ontario Premier Doug Ford in his victory speech. Don't bother to look Jivani up, because you already know his type — a physically unappealing MAGAt who has palled around with JD Vance since their Yale law school days. Jivani accused Ford of being a "hype man" for the Liberals. We won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that the Conservative infighting has begun, which is great. Watch also for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's next move. She's been doing a nod-nod-wink-wink at Albertan separatists for a while now, but may not be able to get away with that for much longer. 

5. Before we forget, here's a shout-out to Justin Trudeau, who nobody thought understood when to stay and when to leave. He stuck around long enough to call Benedict Donald out on his shenanigans (pulling his own poll numbers up in the process), and left as soon as his party chose a new leader. Good job, Justin — your dad would be proud of you.

6. Finally, word from the PMO is that Mark Carney chatted with Benedict Donald today. Of course! That's what smart businesspeople do — they take care of their most disagreeable tasks first. And nobody said Carney isn't a good manager. Just ask the folks at the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada.

We have no doubt that the Prime Minister will be in the driver's seat when he has to deal with Trump. In fact, with his resume and pleasant but no-nonsense demeanor, Carney seems pretty Trump-proof. We cats congratulate him and the True North, and we PURR.