On That Note...

Dear @FLOTUS, here's a great idea if you have an empty corner in the White House. We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Early Holiday Decor Edition

By Zamboni

Is it just us, or are the Christmas decorations busting out early this year? It's not even December yet, and plenty of houses around us are sporting twinkle lights, wreaths and (GURK!) cheesy inflatables. But thank goodness, at least after years of dystopian holiday hellscapes wrought by Moose & Squirrel, the White House is back to normal again. (Now, FLOTUS, please put Jackie Kennedy's rose garden back.)

Meanwhile, here's what else is going on in the news.

After plugging his book on practically every talking-head show on the planet, Chris Christie's sales are, to put it charitably, underwhelming. The stupidly named tome (we won't repeat its title) has sold only 2,289 copies in stores, and ranks 15,545th on Amazon Kindle. This is so great. Look for it to join Benedict Donald's ridiculous covfefe-table book on the remainder shelf. Any time now!

It's also impressive that people appalled by the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Wisconsin are already working hard to make the little brat's life hell. Astoundingly, for someone who murdered two people and paralyzed a third, Rittenhouse thinks he'd make a good RN. So students at Arizona State University are loudly protesting his enrollment in nursing classes there. May Rittenhouse never enjoy normalcy for the rest of his days. He needs to be hounded forever.

Another truly despicable person hogging the headlines these days is super-bigot Lauren Boebert, Republican from Colorado. It's hard to know whether we should comment or just ignore her latest outrages, because obviously she's doing it to get attention and raise money. (Except some of it seems to be backfiring on her.) We just wish Boebert would call us so we could hang up on her, too.

Finally, while we're not panicking about the omicron COVID variant, we sure hope that the Canada-US border doesn't close again. But there are actions we all can take. If you haven't gotten vaccinated yet, do it — and if you have, get that booster shot! We cats PURR.

What's Cooking?

By Baxter

There's a new COVID variant lurking about, but we cats are choosing to look on the bright side of life. We just got back from Montreal, where people are très compliant about vaccine passports and masking. It's hard to describe how relaxed one feels in a restaurant or pub when you know everyone's gotten their shot(s) and only remove their masks when they're seated at their table or the bar.

And as long as we're on the subject of consuming edibles and beverages — both of which are exquisite experiences in Quebec — we guess (sigh) we have to say something about the right wing's attempt to make Vice President Harris's purchase of cookware in Paris a thing.

As with the Lauren Boebert Islamaphobe scandal (which we're convinced she did just for the attention), we're loath to join the cookware conversation, because it's silly. But there's an obligation to not only call bullshit on the Trumpsters' attempt to undermine Harris — they're clearly afraid of her — but to stand up for the right of people to cook food using the right tools.

It's actually not clear to us what Vice President Harris bought. We saw video of her pointing to a wall filled with copper pieces, and asking for a certain piece en français. Since then, it's morphed into a social media meme in which she bought Le Creuset. It doesn't matter — you can be sure that whatever she bought was quality.

Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are serious cooks. Our humans are not, so much. But they love good food, and they cook so much better when they do it with Le Creuset. It actually improves their kitchen performance! So there.

By the way, at $375 a piece, it would take the Vice President buying nearly 350 Le Creuset pieces to equal the amount of money Benedict Donald paid Stormy Daniels for 10 seconds of bad sex. Just sayin'. We cats PURR.

His Music Was Great. His Lyrics Were Greater.

By Sniffles

This is not an entertainment blog, but Stephen Sondheim transcends entertainment.

We've long thought that the great Judi Densch gave the most intelligent performance of "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music. Unlike the mundane covers by the likes of (yes, really) Frank Sinatra, Densch clearly knew what the song was about: people who were destined to be happily-ever-after lovers, except, of course, they weren't.

But that's okay. The most important thing is that America and the world appreciate the genius that Sondheim graced us with for the duration of his very long life. He learned at the feet of the master — Oscar Hammerstein II — and he took musical theater to the next level and then some. We all have our favorite Sondheim moments. Let's treasure them all as we salute him, and everything he brought us:

"Pantaloons and tunics! Courtesans and eunuchs! Funerals and chases! Baritones and basses! Panderers! Philanderers! Cupidity! Timidity! Mistakes! Fakes! Rhymes! Crimes! Tumblers! Grumblers! Bumblers! Fumblers!" We cats PURR.

That's Why They Call It "Vendredi Fou"

 

No, really... that's what they call it. We cats PURR.

Stuff To Be Thankful For

By Hubie and Bertie

We cats are searching for better ways to get our news. We've given up on cable TV, even the "liberal" channels, because we're tired of the bothsidesism, the gloom-and-doomism, and the hosting of execrable Republicans who are trying to rehabilitate their images. (And of their refusal to call out Trumpster GOPers who couldn't care less about democracy.) So maybe it's a good thing that we get five hard-copy newspapers delivered to our home every day.

In the meantime, we're finding some glimmers of light on (GASP!) social media. They come with a big caveat, of course: You have to check your sources. Your follows should include MSM accounts, and you need to avoid the nutcases. And of course, question every image you see (and sometimes, when the GOP is involved, the audio).

Today, with weekly unemployment claims falling to 199,000 (the lowest in 52 years), we found a Congressman from Illinois with a refreshingly reasoned analysis of where the country is today. So we're going to turn the rest of this post over to him. Enjoy!

"Less than two years ago, the economy was in freefall, unemployment rising to Great Depression levels, workforce participation falling, GDP collapsing and unconstrained disease spreading. Electing responsible adults matters.

"Our 30-second news cycle forgets this too quickly. We had a President suggesting COVID would just go away. Entire sectors of the economy were shut down. Childcare was gone. The architects of the 2008 bailout were advising us that this was going to be much, much worse, and all were keenly aware that 2008 was over-reliant on monetary policy. It got money to banks, but left a generation behind. It would have been stressful in any environment, but all the more when we knew the White House was inept and in full denial mode.

"The actions taken — the Family First Act, the CARES Act, the American Rescue Plan — were all designed to get money into the economy and use as much fiscal (versus monetary) policy to get money to those in the most need.

"The direct Economic Impact Payments to individuals, the PPP program to get money to businesses (and make those loans forgivable if they used funds on payroll), the expansion of the Child Tax Credit and making it refundable — those trillions of targeted dollars were intentional.

"Some, but not all was bipartisan. Sadly, the support for states — for our teachers, sanitation workers, police, firefighters — was purely partisan. But the people affected didn't care why they got help. What mattered was that they got help.

"We still have a long way to go. Workforce participation, especially among women, is still too low thanks to gaps in the childcare system. Access to healthcare is still woefully uneven. And yes, the jolts to the global economy have caused supply chain disruptions that need fixing.

"But NONE of this happens without good, ethical people in the White House and Congress who understand their duty to the American people and put facts over politics, hard work over lazy soundbites.

"If anyone had told you two years ago that in November 2021 we would be facing labor shortages and inflationary pressures from surging consumer demand and supply bottlenecks, you would have reasonably asked them what they were smoking.

"Things aren't perfect. But thank goodness we are here instead of there." We cats PURR. 

A Delicious Development

By Miss Kubelik

You may never have heard of this brand of ice cream, but it's apparently a staple here in Canada. They're also a responsible employer.

Recently, Chapman's offered a raise to its hourly workers who got double doses of the COVID vaccine. They figured it was a win-win: Employees would stay safe and well, they'd get more money, and everybody would enjoy a feel-good story about beating the virus. Right?

Hm, maybe not. Because nutcase anti-vaxxers — who, sad to say, inhabit the True North as well as that crazy place down south — were so outraged at all the good will and civic responsibility that they tried to organize a boycott. (It's not clear how they planned to convince people to give up ice cream for politics. Come on — it's ICE CREAM.)

Anyway, the better news is that the boycott has fizzled faster than a punctured Thanksgiving Day parade balloon: "A call to boycott Chapman’s Ice Cream by groups opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates has actually led to a groundswell of support for the [Ontario]-based ice cream company," Canadian media report.

Company vice president Ashley Chapman summed it up well. "There is a certain percentage of the population where there is nothing you can say and nothing you can do to appease them," he said. "They are going to attack you until they are blue in the face, and I am telling you there are a lot of anti-vaxxers that are blue in the face right now because whatever they are trying to do about boycotting Chapman’s is falling flat." We cats PURR.

Lest We Furr-get: JFK 58

By Zamboni

Please add to the list of respected political norms violated by Republicans and Qidiots the solemn meaning of November 22, 1963. Every year on this date, we pause and remember what was and what might have been, and it all makes us very sad.

But today, QAnon fools gathered in Dallas to greet the (most recent) expected appearance of John F. Kennedy, Jr. — who, they're convinced, will run with Trump on his 2024 return-to-glory ticket, even though he tragically died with his wife and sister-in-law in 1999.

We don't get any of this Q crap, since John Jr. was a Democrat and definitely not a Trumpster. But nevertheless, there in Dallas they were.

Before any young people get weird ideas about what the Kennedy assassination did to America, and are tempted to think that it was just a thing that nutcases were able to warp into meaninglessness nearly 60 years later, allow us cats, who have nine lives, to assure them: Today is the anniversary of an event that scarred us forever, as a nation and as individuals. Many Americans who were children at the time (and who were too young to understand the Cuban Missile Crisis, one year earlier) learned on November 22 that the world was not a safe, friendly place. The rest of the decade went downhill from there.

And by the way, we'd really appreciate it if the Q nuts would let up on the JFK Jr. stuff. His death is depressing enough already. We cats HISS.

Report Card

By Baxter

Our humans tell us that colonoscopies can be wonderful. Sure, the prep is unpleasant, but once you roll into the surgical center, it's a whole different story. You're the center of attention, the procedure is serious enough for anesthesia and yet safe and routine, and you come out all pink and clean (and, hopefully, negative). Then you can go out for breakfast. The whole time, you have the perfect excuse to tell everyone you're off the grid for the day. Heaven!

Unless of course, you're President of the United States, and you have to pardon some turkeys in the afternoon.

According to Kevin O'Connor, DO, Joe Biden's personal physician, 46 is currently up to all that and more. Not only did Biden get evaluated by a real doctor yesterday, but that doctor issued a summary that was informative, professional and White-House-worthy. What a refreshing change from the bullshit that the previous Administration shoveled out about the obese, unhealthy and wildly paranoid Former Guy.

Did Trump really undergo a colonoscopy without anesthesia so he wouldn't have to transfer his Presidential power to Mike Pence? Personally, we don't believe anything Stephanie Grisham says, because like all Trumpsters, she's a liar. We're just glad those nightmare days are over, and that we have a transparent White House again. Congratulations on your small diverticula and single benign-appearing polyp, Mr. President — and happy birthday! We cats PURR.

K&J

 

We love this photo of the Vice President with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the balcony of her OEOB ceremonial office. Don't tell people who are afraid of her (and we know a few), but Harris is assuming Presidential powers today while Joe Biden undergoes a routine colonoscopy. We can feel their panic! We cats PURR.

Great (For Us), Terrible (For Them)

By Sniffles

You might not know it if you only watch the gloom-and-doom talking heads on cable news, but we Democrats have had a fantastic week.

We kicked it off with the sun-dappled signing of the Infrastructure Bill on the South Lawn of the White House. Then stuff just kept happening. While some of it was maddening and alarming, it quickly became apparent how awful it was for the Republican Party.

Like the clownish antics at the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. They were a huge reminder of what Donald Trump's America was like, and why, thank God, we voted a year ago to rid ourselves of it.

Then there was the admission by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that it had grossly under-counted the number of jobs created over the summer, by 626,000 (!). Add to that the latest easing of supply chain backups at our ports (the congestion in Los Angeles is down 29 percent), and the expected positive jolt from the Infrastructure Act, and we'd say that economically, things are looking up.

Finally, the icing on the cake: The House of Representatives just passed Build Back Better.

And the Republicans? While our side was taking action for the American people, the GOP was busy defending the indefensible Paul Gosar, tripping all over themselves to admire Kyle Rittenhouse, and giving nonsensical eight-hour speeches on the House floor that only served to push the BBB vote till now — thus ensuring coverage this morning, all day, and into the Sunday shows.

Speaking of those shows, we must say that it wasn't a stellar week for the media, either. We haven't seen either The New York Times or The Washington Post correct their Gosar censure stories to reflect the fact that the disgraced, committee-less Congressman retweeted his offending anime after the vote. And CNN, prior to its whiny "Americans aren't feeling the effects of the Infrastructure Bill yet," did a disgraceful hit job on Vice President Harris's trip to France, which in reality was a succès extraordinaire. We think we're done with them.

But nothing can dampen our smugness now. Just one reminder: Team Biden is accomplishing terrific things. Now go out and sell it, Democrats. We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, the greatest Speaker of the House of modern times.)

Justin Meets Nancy

By Hubie and Bertie

On a day when the House of Representatives voted to censure and strip Republican Congressman and traitorous insurrectionist Paul Gosar of his committee assignments, Speaker Nancy Pelosi also met at the Wilson Institute with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who's in town for tomorrow's Three Amigos meeting.

We'll comment more substantively at some point on the talks — something serious about electric vehicle tax credits, eek — but for the moment we just have to compliment Justin's spats (and, we hear, his McGill University socks).

Expect more fun images tomorrow morning, when he visits a middle school with Vice President Kamala Harris. We cats PURR.

Destination: Sanity

By Miss Kubelik

We cats are heading for Canada soon, and we're looking forward to it. It'll be fun to watch the Three Amigos confab through the eyes of Canadian media, and there's some amusing fighting going on within the out-of-power Conservative Party (a Senator has called for a review of the ever-unappealing Erin O'Toole's leadership, and in response, O'Toole has tossed her out of the caucus). Plus, the food in Montreal is good.

It will also be a relief to be in a country that doesn't have a ton of folks carting AR-15s around. (We have no prediction on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, except to say that we're braced for a travesty. In the meantime, we're awfully tired of seeing his bratty little face in our news feeds.)

The Globe & Mail nailed the whole Rittenhouse situation in their editorial yesterday. Happy to share it while we head off to pack.

"In the Canadian context, [what happened in Kenosha] is utter madness. It is also completely illegal.

"Yes, several million Canadians own firearms, and hunting is a popular and legitimate activity. There are hurdles to be cleared before owning a rifle, including a safety course and background checks. There are additional hurdles to acquire restricted weapons, such as handguns.

"But if a Canadian goes to a public place while carrying a firearm — if they take their legal rifle anywhere other than hunting or to the shooting range — they are going to be arrested, charged and convicted so fast it will make their head spin. Every legal gun owner knows that, and the vast majority have no problem with it. There are strict rules on storing and transporting guns — and a ban on carrying in public, whether openly or concealed. That doesn’t end all crime or prevent the smuggling of illegal weapons, but on balance, it makes interactions with our fellow citizens less fraught with danger.

"That’s the Canadian verdict on Kenosha." We cats PURR.

Endorsed By Fastidious Felines Everywhere

Beto O'Rourke is running for Governor of Texas. The media appear to agree that the odds are stacked against him. (Nevertheless, we'd like to remind them that Democrats won in New Jersey two weeks ago by a larger margin than Republicans did in Virginia.)

Greg Abbott, though, is vulnerable on COVID, guns, and the sorry state of the Texas power grid. We hope Beto runs the kind of campaign he ran three years ago, when he visited every one of the Lone Star State's 3,000 counties, and came this close to unseating Rafael Cruz. That would make us cats PURR.

Signing Ceremony, Part Deux

By Zamboni

It really is Infrastructure Week!  How great is that? The deal that Benedict Donald, the king of the empty boasters, always said he would do but never did is done — by Joe Biden. Not even Kyrsten Sinema showing up in some sort of strange bedquilt can dampen our spirits. (And look at the glow of that late-afternoon autumn sun.)

Now we have some advice: Mr. President, sell the hell out of this thing.

Biden surely remembers 2010, when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law and the Democrats got shellacked in the midterms a few months later. We allowed the Republicans to frame the ACA as "Obamacare" (a pejorative that we later claimed for ourselves, too late). And because it took time to implement, it wasn't real to voters going to the polls in November. The onus was on the Administration to explain it to the American people, and they failed. The website troubles when it finally did roll out didn't help, either.

Today, though, most Americans like Obamacare, because they've had time to benefit from it. Since hundreds of highways and bridges won't be built in time for the 2022 midterms, Team Biden needs to hit the road (no pun intended) with an infrastructure cat-and-pony show immediately. Make people understand the fabulous effects it will have on their lives. Tout its bipartisan support, and shame any cretin who threatens the Republicans who voted for it.

And put Secretary Pete in charge of the show. We know he's a new father, but he's the best Official Explainer of Stuff since Bill Clinton. So Pete, don't wait: Pack up the babies and barnstorm. We cats PURR.

Signing Ceremony

 

One of the things that (GURK!) the Reagan Administration was good at was celebrating their accomplishments — even those that weren't BFDs, like this is. It's great to see Team Biden stealing a page from that book. Now what they have to do is keep selling it — through the midterms, and 2024, and beyond. We cats PURR.

And Have The Media Noticed?

Vice President Harris has spent the last five days in France on a diplomatic mission. It appears that it was a grand success. So will the Second Gentleman be tweeting, "I am the man who accompanied Kamala Harris to Paris, and I have enjoyed it"? We cats PURR.

A Quickie: BBC Drumathon

We love the looks on their faces at the end, when they know they've nailed it. We cats PURR.

P.S. Here's the story behind the story.

Just A Quick Note About Remembrance Day

In case you thought no media could be worse than ours, the Canadian press jumped all over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Governor-General for "skipping" or "showing disrespect" to the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

In reality, their appearance was delayed due to a suspicious package that was found nearby by the RCMP.

Pardon our français, but we're really sick of this merde. We cats HISS.

The Message Going Forward

By Baxter

Carl Bernstein just said that we have one year to figure out what happened on January 6, because in the 2022 midterms, the Republicans will win the House and shut all these investigations down.

So that's pretty scary. But what if that doesn't happen? What if the Democrats buck historical trends like they did in 1998, and the Trumpsters don't win one of the houses of Congress?

We're not pie in the sky, but that's certainly possible. Thing is, Democrats have to stop wringing their hands and start amplifying our message. Here's are some talking points.

The Biden-Harris Administration's first year — which isn't even over yet — has been one of the most consequential in Presidential history. In case you forgot:

Democrats — and Democrats alone — passed the COVID relief bill last March, and it's a really good thing that they did. Because those $1,400 checks, child tax credits and other supports are coming in really handy now that we're dealing with pandemic-related inflation. Note to voters: Republicans don't give a rat's ass about the financial challenges you deal with every day.

The Biden Administration has gotten nearly 200 million Americans vaccinated against COVID, and isn't finished yet. Our only way out of this economic and medical mess is for everyone to get the vaccine. Biden-Harris is getting it done.

Democrats got the infrastructure bill through Congress, and it's going to President Biden's desk for a celebratory signing event on Monday. It's going to build roads, bridges and airports, yes — but it's also going to expand broadband access to all those Trumpy rural areas who could use a bit of enlightenment. Longer term, it boosts clean energy investments. (Nineteen Senate Republicans voted for this legislation, as did 13 House Republicans. Those 13 are facing death threats from the Trumpster mob now — but it's a bipartisan bill.)

Biden ended the 20-year war in Afghanistan, which means that yesterday was the first Veterans Day in ages on which we didn't have any troops in combat abroad.

Biden has created more jobs in his first year than Trump and Bush did in their entire Presidencies.

Never mind that all this has happened while the world has been reassured to see that America is back. Our shattered reputation in the global community is under repair.

Yes, it's taking some time. But you know what? At the same time, it's happening fast. Kind of like the indictment today of Steve Bannon: By the standards of social media, it took forever — but in the real world, with a new US attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, only just confirmed on October 28, and with a grand jury empaneled to consider the charges against Bannon, it's remarkably swift. We cats counsel patience and perspective, and we PURR.

Perspective

By Sniffles

Today, Ponto — the cute little Montreal construction cone — wears the poppy. It's Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada, so poppies abound. And for the first time in decades, the day is being observed without troops deployed in an active war. (Thanks, Joe Biden!)

It's also a day to think back on the last few weeks and take stock. We cats have actually avoided cable news like the plague lately — because we know that since their ratings have tanked, they're glooming and dooming to keep us all scared and watching. We're not saying there's nothing to be worried about — we just want to keep things in perspective. So if you're wringing your hands about Election Day and the midterms, take Canada as a case in point.

After the Canadian federal election in September, you would have been hard-pressed to find any home-based media who thought things were going well for Justin Trudeau. He didn't win a majority government. He took a personal trip to British Columbia on Truth & Reconciliation Day. He was shuffling his Cabinet. Would he even be Prime Minister in a few years? Oy, the negative waves.

Today, no one is talking about Justin's trip to BC anymore, and the Liberals are in close talks with the third-party NDP to make legislation happen on a case-by-case basis. (An outright coalition is probably out, but the prickly NDP leader Jagmeet Singh surely knows that his path to continued influence rests on delivering good policy for Canadians.) The Cabinet looks pretty swell, and a well-respected woman is now Deputy Prime Minister. And oh, yes — the opposition Conservatives are eating each other alive on stupid stuff like vaccination mandates.

It made us think of the stories that are coming out about the GOP, which is starting to commit intraparty suicide over the 13 House Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill.

There was a point — specifically, after the Virginia election results — when we thought maybe the fractures in the Republican Party would hold. But now, with GOP Congress members facing death threats for delivering for their constituents, we're not so sure. If these stories keep coming, the GOP might very well go the way of the Whigs.

In short, let's keep producing for the American (and the Canadian) people. And let's not forget the thousands of service members whose sacrifices to defend our democratic way of life have made all these political fights possible. We cats PURR.

Truth.

Are You Angry At Doctors?

 

Bienvenue!

By Hubie and Bertie

The US border opened to vaccinated Canadians and other international travelers yesterday. Hooray! We look forward to seeing cars with Quebec license plates on our highways again, so we can wave and meow hello.

One small wrinkle: Even though they're citizens, Canadians have to show proof of a recent, negative COVID test to go home. Members of Congress with districts on the border are complaining about that (particularly one Democrat from Buffalo), because it's sure to dampen the number of crossings. But it's unclear what they can do short of moving to Canada, changing their citizenship and running for Parliament.

Other news is on the march up there, too. You probably haven't heard any of it because US media couldn't care less about the True North. But Montreal had a mayoral election (felicitations, Valerie Plante), and the CEO of Air Canada really, really stepped in it last week.

"Michael Rousseau, who has headed the Montreal-based airline since February, ignited the controversy last Wednesday by giving a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce almost entirely in English. Later, he was unable to answer a reporter’s question posed in French: 'How does one live in Montreal for more than 14 years speaking very approximative French?' Mr. Rousseau responded after asking for a translation: 'I’ve been able to live in Montreal without speaking French. And I think that’s a testament to the city of Montreal.'" Rousseau added that he's been "too busy" to learn.

The guy is a moron — doesn't he remember that Canada came this close to breaking apart with a sovereignty referendum in 1995? And now, he's made life a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Quebec has been itching to tighten its language laws in objectionable ways, and Rousseau's insults will just make them double down more.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has said that bilingualism should be required for CEOs at Rousseau's level. Nous sommes d'accord, Madame. We cats HISS.

As Joe Would Say...

By Miss Kubelik

Happy Infrastructure Week at last! Joe Biden got a huge win last night on legislation that Benedict Donald blustered on but never did actually anything about. As we all know, Trump's so-called negotiation abilities are a mirage. Turns out that Biden, with his centuries of service in Washington, was the perfect President to make it happen.

The Beltway talking heads say, "But it took so long!" — and they're yammering about Manchin and Sinema and the progressives and AOC and the Democrats being in disarray — but they fail to remember that the Republicans have abrogated their responsibility to govern. So the process, if not the final vote, ended up being intraparty, contributing to its general unsightliness. 

(Side note: Sorry about all this, Terry McAuliffe. But OTOH, we don't think an infrastructure bill would have overcome the GOP's appeal to racism in Virginia.)

In the old days, a bill like Biden's would have gone through the usual sausage-making, with Congressional committee hearings and Senators like Romney and Murkowski working with the Democrats to see what they could get out of it. Not now. The GOP is one big party of nope-nope-nopety-nope, leaving us to deliver for the country on our own.

We hear that Biden called Congresswoman Jayapal's mother in India last night to celebrate. A brilliant, classy move. Although we can all be frustrated at the perfidy of the Republican Party, let's savor the fact that this year, the Democrats have vaccinated the heck out of people, provided COVID relief, cut child poverty in half, created more than five million jobs, and now have passed a trillion-dollar investment in America. Benedict Donald and the GOP gave a trillion bucks to rich people. We cats HISS and PURR at the same time.

Faulkner Was Right*

By Zamboni

Holy smokes, what a rough night last night. It's not that we weren't ready for it: The media had been beating the pro-Youngkin drums for months. But we can't place all the blame on the press, as culpable and disappointing as they are. The Virginia results boil down to this: Never underestimate the power of American racism.

So, what do Democrats do? We need to reckon with the fact that the GOP has what Greg Sargent of The Washington Post calls a "carefully targeted subterranean communications strategy" — fueled by right-wing cable networks and aimed very specifically at white people. Until we figure out how to counter that, we will lose.

But another thing we can do is continue to pass legislation that will make a difference in people's lives. Let's vaccinate kids, get them back in school, and end these silly mask wars. Let's fix the supply chain. Let's pass Biden's agenda and get cracking on climate. (We'd say let's pass voting rights, too, but the GOP has just blocked it again.)

Maybe delivering for people will help them forget their own worst instincts. But even if not, and Democrats still get punished at the ballot box, we'll go down knowing that we did the right things for America. (Like confirming all those fabulous judges.) We cats PURR.

*("The past is never dead. It's not even past.")

The 34

By Baxter

Here's a handy reminder that when Terry McAuliffe last won the governor's race in Virginia, he did it by only three points. But three points was more than enough.

It's good to remember this because the media have been drumming into viewers' and readers' brains lately that a 10-point win by Biden-Harris in the Commonwealth in 2020 should logically lead into a... well, what, exactly? They never say, but the implication is there. Lazy narratives are so easy, aren't they?

Then there was this little gem in The New York Times this morning: a dire article quoting a "Hillary-Biden" voter who was supporting Glenn Trumpkin tomorrow. The problem is, the voter was hardly a typical man on the street: He is a Republican donor and activist. Times reporter Jeremy Peters didn't bother to ID him as such.

Boy, are we tired of this.

When you read something like The Washington Post's series on the January 6 insurrection, it hits you all over again that aside from clear-thinking Americans who believe in democracy showing up at the ballot box, the only other defense we have against autocracy and fascism in this country is a free press. But that press also has to be responsible. It needs to report the news — not just live for clicks and retweets.

The latest case in point were the screaming headlines we've seen over the last few days that "thousands" of New York police were going to walk off their jobs and go on unpaid leave instead of complying with the city's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, which went into effect today.

How many actually did? Thirty-four.

Yes, many officers are in negotiations for exemptions. But we predict that in the end, most of them will roll up their sleeves and get the shot, like 85 percent of their colleagues have done.

No matter what media we're watching or reading — even if it's the storied Newspaper of Record digested over a leisurely cup of coffee — we need to treat everything with skepticism and measured judgment. And remember: Although reporters are under pressure to produce content like never before, there is still no excuse for laziness or overhype. Chasing clicks and likes is never worth it, because by the same time tomorrow, the story will change. We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: An anti-vax demonstration, New York Daily News. Looks like a big crowd, doesn't it? Guess again.)