Va-Va-Voom Vermont

By Zamboni

"The most recent University of New Hampshire Green Mountain State Poll released this week reported that 49 percent of Vermonters support [Democrat] Amanda Janoo in the November election, while 43 percent support incumbent [Republican] Governor Phil Scott," VTDigger said.

"The 6% margin led UNH pollsters to declare the governor's race a 'statistical tie.' In a July poll released by the same group, Scott led Janoo by 15 percent, meaning the recent numbers account for a 21-point swing."

Holy smokes. If Phil Scott is in trouble, that says a lot: First, that voters are sick of Republicans in general. Second, Scott's been in office long enough that "it's time for change" applies. Also, Vermonters are unhappy with the kerfuffles at their border with Canada, and with Trump holding up FEMA money because they don't vote for him. Phil Scott could bear their wrath for that.

PS: "The poll also reported former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray leading Republican incumbent John Rodgers 54 percent to 35 percent in the lieutenant governor race. US Rep. Becca Balint, D-VT, comfortably leads the state's one Congressional race with a 35 percent margin against Republican nominee Gerald Malloy." We cats PURR.

Pure Evil

This chilling photo of Benedict Donald and Moose & Squirrel is making the rounds on the interwebs —and no wonder. It no doubt will serve as a symbol of these horrible times of Trump 2.0. The only question is whether we'll be looking back on it from a country whose democracy has died — so let's make sure that doesn't happen. Vote in huge numbers, everyone. We cats switch our tails, and wait.

(PHOTO: Getty Images)

"Oh, What a Beautiful Moron"

Great idea: When our long national nightmare is over, Randy Rainbow needs to stage a Broadway musical of all the anti-Trump song parodies he's done to document Donald's many tyrannies. We cats PURR.

A Bad Ad

By Baxter

So, okay, our tax dollars are being used to air a pro-Trump, anti-communist political ad on TV. "Paid for by the United States government" appears at the bottom of the screen. An outrage, to be sure.

And when the Democrats get back into power, this needs to be investigated, and people need to be hauled off to the hoosegow. No question about it. Still, a couple of questions come to mind.

Why are the Trumpsters airing an ad that screams "communism is terrible" on the same day that Donald rolled out the red carpet (and held a very tone-deaf state dinner) for Chinese President Xi Jinping?

And why is that despicable ad being aired on Fox? Do they think they're in trouble with their own voters? Apparently yes. We cats PURR.

New Map

By Sniffles

The run-up to the midterms is starting to solidify, and for the Trumpsters and the GOP, not in a good way.

Larry Sabato and his Crystal Ball just moved a few more races in the Democrats' direction: the open Senate seat in Iowa from "Leans Republican" to "Toss-up," Roger Marshall's quest for re-election to the Senate from Kansas to "Leans" from "Likely" Republican, and — maybe the most dispiriting for them — the Michigan Senate race between Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed from "Toss-up" to "Leans Democratic."

That's even as Sabato and other analysts still expect El-Sayed to underperform what a Democrat "should" get in Michigan in a year like this. But a win for him would be one of the biggest "F yous" to Republicans that we can think of at the moment. The GOP has worked hard to make him a bogeyman for silly reasons, appealing to people's worst instincts (which, to be sure, they're very good at).

Meanwhile, Republicans are reading the writing on the wall and starting to distance themselves from Trump — pusillanimously and hypocritically, as you'd expect, since they've all enabled Donald for years. They include Rogers and Senate candidate Ashley Hinson in Iowa, both of whom have suddenly decided that an Iran war they've consistently supported is a bad idea. Even gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds of Florida has — gasp! — removed any mention of Trump from his campaign website. And of course Maria Elivra Salazar started the trend by launching an ad against Trump's immigration policies.

Benedict Donald has helped these ratings changes by behaving like the disgusting idiot he is. Nobody is controlling him. Maybe a lot of voters don't get the ins and out of how the White House press pool works, but they definitely know what they're paying at the pump, and are rightly insulted when Trump tells them the cost of gas is just an "inexpensive price to pay" for corralling Iran (which, by the way, he's not doing).

"Inexpensive"? Maybe to him and his billionaire family of grifters. But not to truckers, farmers, exurban commuters, soccer moms, Door Dashers, and folks trying to make some extra cash driving for Uber. Keep being tone-deaf, Donald — you're doing our work for us. We cats PURR.

Journalists Find Their Balls

 

By Hubie and Bertie

Well, this only took six (cumulative) years. The networks have suspended pool coverage of the White House after Benedict Donald banned CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday. It's either a case of "About blankety-blank time" or "Too little, too late." (Probably a little of both.)

"This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” current TV pool chair Bryan Boughton wrote. "This follows the White House's position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place."

Bad timing for Trump, if he was banking on getting images of his Monday trip to the United Nations on the airwaves. CNN was scheduled to serve as the television pool today, BWAAHAHAAHAA — providing video to the participating networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, yes, Fox). Don't these Trumpsters think any of these things through? Imagine how much more damage they'd do if they were competent.

This is a developing story, so we'll keep our paws on it. But meanwhile, we're willing to salute the networks for finally locating their spines (or other parts of their anatomy). Yes, it's a delicate balance between covering legitimately important stories — like the UN — and First Amendment rights, but the press has needed to push back on this authoritarian, antidemocratic crap for a long time. We cats PURR.

Hmmm, What Will They Do?

By Miss Kubelik

The polls are so dire for Trump and the Republicans that they can't possibly win the midterms unless they resort to what a political acquaintance of ours politely calls trickery. The thought recurs anew as the GOP sends Benedict Donald to campaign in North Carolina. Why? Vanity, stupidity? Or did the underfunded Michael Whatley campaign fork over big bucks to bring Trump there? Whatever the explanation, it seems like a phenomenal waste of resources.

And Vance goes to Ohio... and Iowa... and other states that should be reliably red. They know they're in trouble.

So, what batshit crazy stuff will the Trumpsters pull between now and the election to make sure they don't get taken to the cleaners? Let us imagine the ways.

• Declare a national emergency
• Put ICE at major GOTV rallies
• Use nukes against Iran
• Up his $5,000 voter bribe to $10,000
• Fire the entire Federal Reserve Board
• Nominate three right-wing judges to replace Justices Sotomayor, Jackson and Kagan, and demand that the Senate come back into session and approve them
• Raze the Kennedy Center
• Rename Dulles International Airport
• Threaten to rename Lake Michigan if Abdul El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson win their races
• Demand that Canada hand over Newfoundland for national security reasons
• Order the Treasury to buy back $100 billion in Treasury bills
• Demand that the Bank of Japan take back their announced rate hike and cut another 1 percent

See, you can make this stuff up. Sadly, with Trump, none of these possibilities are completely off the wall. We cats HISS.

Hamilton (Yes, Hamilton)

By Zamboni

We cats don't usually post about races like this, but let's talk about Kansas.

Republican Senator Roger Marshall has already admitted that, as a medical doctor, he sued patients for payment, some for as little as $129. (On top of that — he's facing allegations that he doesn't really live in Kansas. Could be a problem.)

Just $129? What a POS. Really!

So, couple that with a recent poll that shows Democrat Adam Hamilton leading Marshall by two points. Want to show Hamilton some support at a crucial time? Click here. We cats PURR.

The Meaning Of The Kennedy Center

 "When at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us...our success or failure...will be measured by the answers to four questions.

"First, were we truly men of courage? Secondly, were we truly men of judgment? Third, were we truly men of integrity? Finally, were we truly men of dedication?"

—John F. Kennedy, 1961

Not What A Leader Does When Things Are Going Well, Just Saying

By Baxter

Benedict Donald has banned media from the White House Press Corps before, and nobody really noticed or cared. The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal... it was all Inside Baseball. Until today.

Now, Trump has banned CNN, MSNBC, and POLITICO. Really? These are news outlets whose banishments people will notice. "I don't get fair press," Donald said. "There may be others to join them."

So, we cats have one question, and it's an important one.

"THEN NONE OF THE PRESS CORPS SHOWS UP AT ALL, RIGHT?"

Right? We cats HISS.