A New Age Of Jackson (With A Better Jackson)

By Baxter

Tomorrow is Canada Day, the front bookend of the long July 4 weekend. And with the recent revelations about Indigenous children dying in residential schools, Canadians are trying to decide if their national day should be for celebrating, or reflecting.

Result: It's about 50-50 between "We should both celebrate and reflect" and "Just break out the beer already, eh?"

The poll was interesting — because after the brutal Supreme Court decisions that Americans were just subjected to, we cats are not in the mood for a party on Monday. We're frankly surprised that the newly minted Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson still wanted her job. (But we're glad she did.)

So yeah, things are pretty dark right now, but dammit, we're Americans! Let's pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and focus on something cheerful — like the noose that's tightening around Benedict Donald's, shall we say, clavicle?

Trump World clearly believes that Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony to the January 6 Committee was damaging. Because, wow — did they go after her. We're not sure they've rushed to trash any of the previous witnesses, but then, those were almost all men.

The box-wine-drinkers on Fox "News" started a relentless campaign to demote Hutchinson to a coffee girl, and Tony Ornato, a Trumpster to the nth degree, thought that denying her testimony in a flustered aside to the press would carry equal weight to Hutichinson's testimony under oath. (Sadly, some so-called journalists failed to see the distinction.) Others tried to make the ketchup on the wall and Trump's tiny hands attempting to grab the steering wheel the main stories.

They're not. The main takeaways are:

• Trump knew the crowd was armed, and he still wanted them to march to the Capitol.
• Trump wanted to go to the Capitol, too, whether he grabbed the steering wheel or not.
• Trump didn't care if the Vice President or members of Congress were killed. 
• Members of the Cabinet considered invoking the 25th Amendment, but they decided to just resign instead.
  
• Mark "Scrolling the Phone" Meadows is worthless and uncaring — a completely frozen, stupid and useless person, both in a crisis and, actually, all the time.

Oh, and the closed-caption software that translated "Pat Cippolone" as "Patsy Baloney" is our new favorite person of the year. And yes, we know it's not a person. We cats PURR.

A Short Detour Into Canada

By Sniffles

We're all consumed with the Trumpy Supreme Court and the January 6 Committee hearings, but let's take a moment to focus on what's happening in Canada with the so-called "Freedom Convoy."

Trumpy truckers are threatening to invade Ottawa again on Friday, which is Canada Day. The Ottawa police is pledging they won't get far — or be able to take over the city the way they did this winter — but nevertheless, it's alarming. Their goal is allegedly to force Prime Minister Trudeau to resign. Over what, is not clear.

In a related incident (we believe), the cops have arrested Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the Ottawa demonstrations in February, for breaching her bail conditions. Why do we think she's been organizing the upcoming July 1 "protests"?

Despite all their screaming about "freedom," none of these guys respects how a free democratic government works — not even their own.

Canada has national elections, during which voters determine which party should have a majority in Parliament. If a party doesn't command a majority, but comes close, that party forms agreements with minor parties to craft a governing coalition. That's what happened last fall. And in the words of Clarence Thomas, people who don't like outcomes they don't agree with still have to accept them. We cats HISS.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Cassidy Hutchinson Edition

 

By Hubie and Bertie

This texted response from Moose & Squirrel on January 6 pretty much sums it up, don'tcha think?

It certainly does, but more remains to be said. Here are some feline takes on today's hearing. Call it Cassidy Day. Whew!

We cats have nine lives, of course. But we can't imagine ourselves at age 25, in any of our lives, having the poise and unflappability that Hutchinson displayed today. It's going to be very hard for the Trumpsters and Trump-compliant Republicans to undermine her. (Of course, they're desperately trying.)

"General" Michael Flynn is asked whether he believes in the peaceful transfer of power, and he has to plead the Fifth? We'll remember that for a long, long time.

Listening to the stories of Mark Meadows scrolling through his phone, unmoved that people with weapons were storming the Capitol, and later seeking a pardon makes us think that Madison Cawthorn was a real upgrade for NC-11.

Ketchup hasn't taken so prominent a role in political discourse since Richard Nixon put it on his cottage cheese. Prove us wrong.

The MAGAts had spears. Spears! These jerks thought they were in Braveheart.

This hearing was a welcome reminder that democratic government can work. But we're still mad about Roe v. Wade. We cats HISS.

Don't Miss Our Next Exciting Episode: "Surprise Witness"

By Miss Kubelik

Can you define "unprecedented"? The January 6 Committee has suddenly scheduled a pop hearing for tomorrow at 1 PM, citing "recently obtained evidence" as the reason. "Witness testimony" is also expected. 

This is a big deal. Congress is in recess, and staffs are scattered. And a lot of the Washington media are already in Fourth-of-July-skeleton-crew mode — so whether they're in BC, Nantucket or The Hamptons, they'll have to come rushing back. We bet they're furious.

Knowing all this, though, means that the Committee must be getting ready to deliver something big. They wouldn't risk incurring everyone's wrath otherwise.

We cats have a few ideas on what the topic is, and who will be making a surprise appearance. Our theories:

It's Pat Cippolone. Since Liz Cheney just called him out publicly.

A member of Congress is stepping forward. Mo Brooks has apparently already taken himself out of the running, so if it's a member, it has to be someone who either isn't running again or who was already defeated (Madison Cawthorn comes to mind).

It's something related to national security. That would justify an urgently scheduled hearing. And Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, who has natsec credentials, has been announced as one of the questioners. Was Benedict Donald caught on the phone by the British filmmaker Alex Holder, ordering the military to seize voting machines? Is it about the Secret Service?

It's something they found on John Eastman's phone or in one of Jeffrey "Pajama Man" Clark's devices when they raided them. We already know that neither of these gentleman was shy about spelling their treason out in emails and texts. What else lurks there?

It has something to do with Clarence and Ginni Thomas. In light of the Supreme Court's tossing of Roe, this would be both maddening and supremely satisfying.

It's Mark Meadows. Nah.

It's a member of the Trump family, coming clean. Maybe Ivanka? That's a long shot, but we'll mention it anyway. We cats PURR.

UPDATE: The surprise witness will be Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Mark Meadows.

A Pastor Speaks

"It is going to take more than a generation to restore this country to some semblance of sanity and compassion, but that return to being [a] 'shining city on a hill' will only happen if people will begin to vote and worship as if their rights and their very lives depended on it.

"Americans simply must take a fearless look into the mirror to see what has happened to this nation, because they have continued to vote for racists, misogynists...and homophobic and xenophobic candidates.

"It is difficult to fully understand the love affair between Catholics and evangelicals and fascism, but — and this isn't easy for me to say — please, people, stop supporting and attending churches that condemn your gay sons and daughters. Stop perpetuating the churches that teach that women cannot control their own bodies (the way men always have). Literally, stop buying bullets for your own assassins."

—Dr. Roger Ray, Community Christian Church, Springfield, Missouri

Here's How We Fix Things (Senate Version)

By Zamboni

Let's channel our shock and anger into action.

There are two things we Democrats have to do this fall: Expand our Senate majority, and keep the House. Here are some key Senate races that 1) we can flip, and 2) we have to hold.

Seats to flip are: Pennsylvania (John Fetterman, who's ahead of Mehmet Oz by nine points), Ohio (Tim Ryan, an old-fashioned, working-class Democratic candidate), Wisconsin (Democratic nominee TBD, but goodness gracious, Ron Johnson is looking bad), Florida (Val Demings, when she wins on August 23), and North Carolina (former state supreme court justice Cheri Beasley is up against a Trumpster).

We cats would also add Iowa, where a super-interesting Democratic candidate, Admiral Mike ("Not Al") Franken, is running against Chuck Grassley. Franken is just the kind of guy who could appeal to voters afflicted with a terminal case of "Iowa Stubborn." And Grassley is not only 100 years old — we expect him to be caught up in the January 6 scandals when the Select Committee resumes its hearings next month.

Seats to hold are: Arizona (Mark Kelly), Nevada (Catherine Cortez Masto). Georgia (Raphael Warnock), and New Hampshire (Maggie Hassan).

These are the races. Pick one or more. And here's what to do: If you can afford it, contribute to these campaigns. If you have the time to do so, volunteer. (You can phone bank remotely if you don't live in these states.) If nothing else, share and retweet these campaigns on social media so people get informed and aware.

Whatever you do, don't give up. We are not helpless. And Republicans are more scared than they're letting on. We're sure of it. We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: The Fall Of Roe Edition

By Baxter

It was a relief yesterday to cross into a country that still recognizes a woman's right to bodily autonomy. But the reverberations over the SCOTUS decision on Roe know no borders: Protests are taking place this weekend here in Montreal and across Quebec. Pretty amazing when you remember this is a Catholic province that didn't even give women the right to vote until 1944.

Anyway, suffice to say everyone's appalled. We cats have some thoughts about the political implications, which for the GOP are not good:

The decision is tainted. Not just because, as we observed before, the draft opinion was leaked — but because Benedict Donald's court-packing, and his sedition, as exposed by the January 6 Committee, has made this version of the Roberts Court compromised and suspect. Suffice to say it's not a glorious outcome that the evangelical Christians may have imagined.

On that note, aren't we all thrilled and relieved that Trump is no longer in the White House to celebrate? Just imagine him basking in the East Room, with all his right-wing allies popping champagne corks, throwing confetti and blowing noise-makers. Instead, he's stewing down in Mar-a-Douchebag. What a comedown.

Meanwhile, out in the states, chaos reigns. Not just among women who are trying to determine their reproductive destiny. But think of the businesses that want to attract top talent to red states that now will dub women as second-class citizens. States like Texas, Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee won't be able to recruit teachers and, crucially, nurses. Note to residents of red states: Don't plan to get sick any time soon.

But her emails. We're not sure we'll ever forgive The New York Times and the rest of the media for this. And yes, we're NYT subscribers.

The Roberts Court has embarrassed itself with contradictory decisions in the space of a week. They just said that states have no rights when it comes to regulating guns — but they have every right to control uteruses? So, in other words, love of macho guns, hatred of women?

Somewhere in hell, William Rehnquist is relieved that he's no longer the worst Chief Justice in the history of the United States. (And yes, we're including Roger Taney in that list.)

This decision is the electoral wake-up call that Republicans were dreading. The Democrats' message for the midterms must be: Choice. Guns. January 6. If we can't message on this, we don't deserve to win. But we think we can. We cats PURR.

The End Of Roe, The Beginning Of Something Else

There's a lot of rage in our corner of Twitter this morning against the liberal losers who couldn't bring themselves to support the email lady in 2016, and thus prevent the Trump-packing of the Supreme Court. (Susan Sarandon, for example, is trending.)

So it may be surprising — or maybe not — that we found this post by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of Congress's leading Bernie Bro-ettes, to be steadying. She's right. We cats PURR.

"My honest view is that things are likely going to get harder before they get better, and we will need to stick together.

"What is important in moments like these is to not think in binaries. Good/bad, screwed/non screwed. There is no doubt that things are bad. And they may likely get worse. But that does not preclude the fact that slowly but surely, some good can be growing as other things fall apart.

"This is not some syrupy-sweet, silver-lining case for optimism. Rather, it is really about a choice all of us will have to make in life...Will I be a person who is safe and creates good for other? Will I be a person who stands up?...Or will I just be a passive, 'neutral' observer of it all?

"What I sometimes tell my staff is that the world we are fighting for is already here. It exists in small spaces, places, and communities. Much of our work is about scaling existing solutions, many created by small, committed groups of people, that others haven't seen or don't even know are around the corner. So while we can't change the world in a day, we can and do have the power to make our own world within our four walls, or our own blocks. We can grow from there with the faith that somewhere out there, everywhere, others are doing the same. And we will come together...

"You are allowed to be scared. To grieve. To be angry. But you are also allowed to create good, to be soft, and enjoy the small reprieves. Struggle lasts as long as we do."

Hillary Clinton Was Right About Everything

This Supreme Court is going to ruin all our lives. We cats HISS.

Regrets, They Have A Few

By Sniffles

Benedict Donald is furious that the January 6 Committee hearings have become such compelling television. Which means that we're seeing headlines like this.

Of course Republicans are ruing the day they flounced out of the room and refused to put even semi-serious members on the Committee. First, because Donald is giving them hell about it. Second, because their own culpability for the attempted coup is coming to light. (And you can tell they're feeling the heat — Mo "Body Armor" Brooks now says he'll cooperate with the Committee.)

Not to mention all those new subpoenas, FBI raids, and previously undisclosed video that British filmmaker Alex Holder has handed over. The insurrectionists may have erected a gallows outside the Capitol on January 6, but now the noose is tightening around them, Trump, his crime family, and Republicans at both the state and national levels.

It just makes you wonder why, if Donald Trump tried to overthrow the government, a Supreme Court packed with his appointees is allowed to overturn Roe v. Wade later today or tomorrow. Democracy indeed is the worst form of government (except for all the others). We cats HISS.

Lest We Furr-get: Freedom Summers

By Hubie and Bertie

Today, the January 6 Committee heard testimony about Benedict Donald's relentless campaign to get swing state officials and legislators to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

A couple of the witnesses were familiar, like Brad Raffensberger and Gabriel Sterling from Georgia. A new face was Rusty Bowers, the speaker of Arizona's house of representatives, who talked movingly about his devotion to the Constitution. (No, we don't think the Constitution was divinely inspired, but that's okay. Let him say it.)

The afternoon wrapped with testimony from a Georgia elections official who described how Trump upended her and her mother's lives by singling them out with his lies. Trump's abuse not only ran Shaye Moss out of her job and forced her mom, Ruby Freeman, into hiding — it drove every one of the Fulton County election staffers Moss worked with to seek other employment in fear and disgust.

So in other words, make it difficult for people to vote, scream fraud when they do, and depress election workers' willingness to make the nuts and bolts of democracy work. That's the full gamut of an autocratic voter suppression campaign. And even though Trump didn't succeed in holding on to power, his brand of suppression is continuing in red and swing states in full force.

How ironic that today is the 58th anniversary of the day Freedom Riders James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were murdered in Mississippi. The Trumpsters and the MAGA mob may not have shot, castrated and bulldozed the 2020 election workers they harassed into shallow graves. But the rage of today's GOP against Americans' right to register, vote, and have their votes count is just as brutal in spirit, and inspires the same kind of terror. We cats HISS.

Pence The Putz

By Miss Kubelik

It was pretty amusing how many pundits and columnists jumped on the "Mike Pence is a hero" bandwagon after last week's January 6 Committee hearing. Seems like somebody gets to be a hero by going above and beyond — not by doing the bare minimum.

Pence refused to go along with the crazy/Trumpy/criminal decertification scheme, which he knew was complete nonsense thanks to the counsel of Judge Michael "Slow Talker" Luttig. But you can't help wondering why he didn't speak out or push back or, say, call the FBI when he first got wind of the plan. Instead, he called Dan Quayle.

Ringing up the dude who couldn't spell "potato" to ask him if there were any way he, Pence, could obey Benedict Donald's unconstitutional order is not exactly a profile in courage.

Now, Pence is on Fox "News," saying rude things about Joe Biden to the idiot Larry Kudlow, because he thinks he can run for President in 2024, and he's trying to appeal to the neanderthals who wanted to hang him.

As Presidential historian Michael Beschloss has observed, "Never seen a President in history who seemed so relaxed about the possible imminent murder of his Vice President. Never seen a Vice President who went through that ordeal and yet will scarcely emit a peep against the President who was culpable." We cats HISS.

Silence About Violence

By Zamboni

This weekend, the Texas Republican Party convened in Houston, and take it from us, you don't want to know.

They backed a party platform that would take America back to the 1850s, never mind the 1950s — including the possibility of secession (we cats say, go for it, kiddos). As if that weren't bad enough, they got super-rowdy. Worse than rowdy, actually. They booed John Cornyn for even participating in Congressional negotiations on guns. But that was positively sedate compared to the in-your-face confrontations they had with Dan Crenshaw and Ted Cruz.

Such behavior is not confined to Texas. Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a member of the January 6 committee, has received alarming new death threats against himself and his family. And in Upstate New York today, we cats saw an SUV with multiple right-wing bumper stickers and a huge sign in the back window that said: "Proud White American." The fact that the driver made an illegal and dangerous left turn, as if he felt angry and entitled, did not surprise us in the least.

So, where are all the Republican condemnations of all this? Sadly, it's crickets. The national GOP — including our own Congresswoman, Elise Stefanik, who has gone from self-styled across-the-aisle "reasonableness" to full-bore Trumpster — knows that Donald Trump gave these cretins permission to openly be their own worst selves. And they're just trying to ride out the consequences.

They might not succeed. "There is violence in the future, I’m going to tell you," Kinzinger said today. "And until we get a grip on telling people the truth, we can’t expect any differently." We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: This wasn't the car we saw. But it isn't far off.)

The Trumpization Of Canada

By Baxter

We cats have watched with alarm as Trumpy behavior has infiltrated Canada. You know from our coverage of the so-called "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa this past February that disruptive, antidemocratic right-wing behavior hasn't been confined to the US.

Now, they're threatening to re-invade Ottawa for Canada Day weekend (three days before the July 4 holiday in the United States). Why, or what their cause is, appears unknown. Is it still COVID-19 restrictions? Or something else? P.S.: It was never clear in the first place.

Thanks to their earlier antics, Canada has lost its top-10 spot on the 2022 Global Peace Index's list of the world's most peaceful countries. "Canada’s 4.8 percent deterioration was attributed to significant increases in 'political terror' and 'violent demonstrations' indicators, with the former doubling in a year," the Index reported.

This makes us sick. Not just because Canada has weathered COVID pretty well, but because we're seeing a lot of Trumpy rumblings elsewhere in the country. Right wingers in Alberta, for example, want to pass legislation that would allow the province to ignore federal law. Talk about a dagger to the heart of e pluribus unum, Canada-style.

Liberal democracies are only as strong as the unity of their people. Very scary that two major democracies in the North American continent are seeing big cracks in that unity. It's alarming, because it's Vladimir Putin's fondest wish. We cats HISS.

Turns Of Phrase

By Sniffles

The Watergate hearings nearly 50 years ago were only televised on a few networks — no interwebs or smartphones back then. But terms that participants used ended up seeping into the national language. "Modified limited hangout." "At this point in time." "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" And then, later, "Follow the money" and "expletive deleted."

Now, with the January 6 Committee's hearings everywhere(except Fox "News"), and enjoying robust ratings, we can already see the list of memorable quotes taking shape. Here are a few.

"Donald Trump and his allies and supporters are a clear and present danger to American democracy." (Retired Judge Michael Luttig, to the January 6 Committee)

"No more crazy people." (Sean Hannity, to Kayleigh McEnany)

"I don't want to be your friend any more if you don't do this." (Benedict Donald, to Mike Pence)

"You're an environmental lawyer. How about you go back to your office, and we'll call you when there's an oil spill." (Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, to Jeffrey Clark)

"I trust you, Tim, but you're not driving the car." (Mike Pence, to the head of his security detail)

"I've decided I should be on the pardon list, if that is still in the works." (John Eastman, to Rudy Giuliani)

"There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain." (Liz Cheney, to her fellow Republicans)

Show Your Colors!

We cats don't fly flags at our house, but if we did, WOW, we sure would fly this one. You can buy it here or here, and a percentage of sales go toward GlobalGiving to support Ukraine. That makes us PURR.

"What, The Curtains?"

Here's another fun photo from The Final Days (Trump Edition). It's the Pence family and an unidentified pal hiding from the mob on January 6. That's "Mother" Pence pulling the curtains closed so that nobody can see where Mikey is and drag him out to be hanged. And Daughter Pence looks pretty scared. 

This is today's Republican Party, folks. We cats HISS.

What A Swell Party This Is

No time to do anything more tonight than to post these satisfying photos of Team Treason, watching returns in the White House on Election Night and looking oh, so much not like the victors. We cats PURR.

Don't Miss Our Next Exciting Episode: "Orderly Transition"

By Hubie and Bertie

One consolation in this time of high prices: Even if you're paying more for food and gas, at least you're getting food and gas. Give your money to Donald Trump, and you get nothing.

Because that's exactly what happened to the silly MAGAts who sent $250 million to Benedict Donald for his "official election defense fund." And that's probably the floor, not the ceiling, of what the Orange Grifter raised — and instead of making America "great again" for his delusional fans, he put it all into his pocket.

No doubt there's some nutcase Trumpster on a social media platform right now, saying, "It's okay that I gave him my life savings. I want him to have it." But it wouldn't be on Trump's "Truth Social," because Truth Social is suspending the account of anybody who dares to even mention the January 6 Committee.

Day Two of the committee's hearings focused on how Donald knew the Big Lie was just that (big, and a lie), and that he pushed forward with the grift anyway. That's who he is — and that may be enough to get him hauled off to the hoosegow for mail and wire fraud. But now, it sounds like things are going to get really scary.

From what Congresswoman Liz Cheney said in closing today, the next major supporting actor in this saga is about to step onto the stage. And we don't expect John Eastman will be nearly as much of a clown as Rudy Giuliani is. Terrifying. We cats HISS.

Brought To Their Knees

By Miss Kubelik

On this awful anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, it's chilling to think about what might have happened if the cops hadn't gotten a tip about white nationalists targeting a Pride parade in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Thirty-one idiots from the so-called "Patriot Front" were seen piling into a U-Haul and heading over to the parade when they got pulled over. They had concealed their faces, of course (although we thought right wingers didn't believe in masks). The local sheriff, who'd been dealing with questions about overcrowding at Kootenai County Jail, assured the public that "we will find room for these 31." HA!

So, thank goodness for observant tipsters. But since the plot was foiled, we have to say: To us, the big news out of this story is that there even was a Pride parade in Coeur d'Alene! So, progress. We cats PURR.

Fighting The Never-Ending Battle For Truth, Justice And The American Way

Busy day today — and tomorrow will be, too. But this badass photo of the Capitol defenders is too wonderful not to take a moment and share. Look out, insurrectionists! We cats PURR.

Top Take-Aways From The First January 6 Hearing

By Zamboni

Wow! Let's get right to it, shall we?

Tonight's hearing was tight, riveting TV. Started on time, wrapped up in less than two hours, and broke news. Benedict Donald must be pitching a fit at Mar-a-Lago right now, because he's supposed to know a good production when he sees it.

Bennie Thompson's opening statement, which tied January 6 back to the insurrectionists of the Civil War, was educational and brilliant. We feel like we need to revisit Ken Burns and all the War-Between-the-States books we have, because we'll be looking at it through a new lens.

Liz Cheney figuratively slashed Trump's jugular with a box cutter, many times. Ditto his slavish Congressional minions. "There will come a day when Donald Trump will be gone, but your dishonor will remain," she said. Elise Stefanik, are you feeling smacked down? Because you were.

The biggest news tonight, in our opinion, is that after the insurrection, Scott Perry and other Republican members of Congress asked the White House for pardons. Pardons! The list just writes itself (Greene, Boebert, Brooks, Jordan), but we'll be very interested to see whether a few surprising names are on it. (Stefanik?)

Jared and Ivunka are never going to the Met Gala again, and they know it. But wow, how is Daddy going to react to that testimony video? Father's Day is going to be... awkward!

So, Mike Pence was giving orders to send the National Guard that day? Kind of like Dick Cheney telling our military to shoot down hijacked planes on 9/11? More details, please.

Are we gonna hear more about Ginni Thomas?

At first, we weren't sure why Officer Caroline Edwards was called to testify, but now we do. We've heard from the guys (Dunn, Fanone). Time to hear from the woman.

Republicans know how much trouble they're in. 'Nuff said.

P.S. On a totally different topic, tomorrow is Judy Garland's centenary. Her talent and filmography exemplify the best of America, and in spite of everything, we still believe in the rainbow. We cats PURR.

All The Trumpsters' Toadys

By Baxter

We cats have decided that we hate the press.

Wow, what a change. We grew up despising Nixon and the Republicans, and cheering for The Washington Post, Kay Graham, Ben Bradlee, Woodward & Bernstein, The New York Times, Dan Rather, Daniel Schorr, et. al. They were the heroes, defending America, and Jason Robards won an Oscar to prove it.

We still believe that a free press can make a difference. However, we're not sure that the press believes in us.

Latest case in point: Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, husband-and-wife team who are reporting on Trump's rape of democracy. Except they're saving all their juicy bits for a book, which will be published in September. We're also not pleased to hear that Bob Woodward is going to release some more tapes of Benedict Donald, betraying the nation. Why didn't he release them before? Oh, because of a book deal.

JOURNALISTS, HEAR US: Report in real time, or don't report at all. You are despicable and pathetic, and we hate you. We cats obviously HISS.

The Other Franken

By Sniffles

If you faithful readers know us cats (and you do), you know that we're pretty lefty. But we have no patience for liberal politics that elevate the perfect over the good — or that insist on ideological purity when getting 80 percent instead of zero percent is a pretty good deal.

That's the one thing Ronald Reagan said that we endorsed: He didn't shun fellow Republicans who agreed with him 80 percent of the time.

So we're very interested in the Iowa Senate race. In last night's primary, a former admiral named Mike Franken beat an admired Democratic Congresswoman, Abby Finkenauer, and a rural doc named Glenn Hurst. None of these candidates was objectionable, mind you. We're just fascinated — and hopeful — that Franken won.

See, we like Finkenauer a lot, but in a massive screw-up, she almost didn't get on the ballot. For those of us who care about process, that was unimpressive. And Dr. Hurst only got 5 percent of the vote, so as swell as he may be, he never really was in the game.

Both Finkenauer and Hurst, to their credit, lined up behind Franken last night. And call us crazy — but we think maybe a white-guy former Naval commander might appeal to a ton of Iowans this fall who are fed up with Charles Grassley.

Iowa is a red state these days. We need to put up a candidate who is acceptable to Iowans and who can effectively use Grassley's advanced age as the cudgel he deserves. Politely, of course! We cats PURR.

"My Mother's Life Mattered"

And lest Matthew McConaughey steal all the headlines today, here is former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield, testifying to the Senate about domestic terrorism and about the death of his mother in the racist mass shooting on May 14. Let's make all their lives matter.

Lone-Star Star

By Hubie and Bertie

Unless we missed it, we didn't hear Matthew McConaughey call for the banning of assault weapons today. He didn't pound Republicans as much as we would have liked. 

And he's probably a lot more of a devotee of the Second Amendment than we are — but that wasn't the point, was it? Detestable GOP Senators aren't going to be moved by anything we cats say. But a voice with a Texas twang and a birth certificate (they're big on those) that says "Uvalde" will bring a lot more pressure to bear.

McConaughey also did two very important things: He talked personally about some of the victims and their hopes for the future. A girl who wanted to be a marine biologist. Another who dreamed of going to art school. A teacher who was using money from her summer jobs to paint her house, one side of it at a time. And he explained in graphic terms what an AR-15 does to the human body, particularly a small, 10-year-old one. The word "hollow" took on new meaning.

So perhaps McConaughey laid to rest the question of whether the crime-scene photos should be released. As master Hollywood filmmakers know, people's imaginations can be a lot scarier than the real thing.

Speaking of the movies, MAGAts and Fox "News" and doubtless the cretin from Newsmax who shouted "grandstanding" at McConaughey this afternoon are busy painting him as a Hollywood liberal daring to lecture Americans on how to live. (Why does Newsmax have White House press credentials to begin with?) But they're doing it because they have to — they're in trouble this time. At least, we hope. As for Matthew, we can only declare that, like that other guy married to someone named Camilla, he is a prince. (Except in Mrs. McConaughey's case, it's Camila.) We cats PURR.

78 Years Ago Today

 

Good thing Fox "News" wasn't around in 1944. We cats PURR.

Get Ready, Get Set

By Miss Kubelik

Happy January 6 Committee Hearings Week! Well, maybe not exactly "happy." Starting Thursday, the tale the hearings will tell is sure to be unprecedented and, to all of us who believe in democracy, deeply upsetting. The hearings also need to command America's attention — not easy when the gun debate is raging and we're all bracing ourselves for a brutal June, courtesy of the Supreme Court.

But Liz Cheney gave a sneak preview. Telling CBS that Trump's sedition is a conspiracy, she said, "It is extremely broad. It's extremely well-organized. It's really chilling." By that, we assume she means that it involved all three branches of government. (Clarence and Ginni Thomas, we haven't forgotten about you.)

So we take Cheney and Jamie Raskin, who said the hearings "would blow the roof off the House," at their word. Which makes you wonder why so many Republicans — including our own representative, She Who Will Not Be Named from NY-21 — are eagerly lining up for counter-programming.

It's unimaginable that anyone would rush to defend the traitorous lout Donald Trump, but for some reason they feel captive. Or they're nervous. Or both. Whatever the reason(s), Jennifer Rubin is right: The hearings must be so thorough and shocking that Trump's Republican enablers must "look foolish, dishonest and malicious." We cats PURR.

The White House Was Lit Orange For Gun Violence Awareness

We cats wish we all didn't have to be aware about this issue anymore. But since we do, we PURR.

For All Of Us Who Keep Marmalade Sandwiches In Our Purses

 

Don't we all? "And thank you for everything." We cats PURR.

Democracy At Stake

By Zamboni

Lots of Canadians are upset about the election results in Ontario last night. The repulsive Doug Ford won a provincial majority government with only a 33 percent voter turnout. His so-called Progressive Conservative party won 40 percent of the vote, which means that about 28 percent of Ontario voters decided the election.

In a parliamentary system, if you win 40 percent, you can govern with a majority. Which just goes to show you that Winston Churchill was right: Democracy is the worst form of government — except for all the others.

We cats are similarly worried about the 2022 midterms. The way the maps are shaking out, we are going to get royally screwed — mainly because Trump-appointed judges are upholding Republican-drawn gerrymandering. Which reminds us how important it is that the Senate has confirmed more Biden judges than judges nominated in the first year by any Administration since John F. Kennedy.

So, yes, the midterms and the maps are the stuff nightmares are made of. We're also worried about Trumpy influences in Canadian politics. We're worried about the threats to democracy around the world. At this point, we accept Paul Krugman's analysis: that Democrats have to win in 2022 on social issues, not economic ones. Whatever it takes to get people to save American democracy, we're there. We cats PURR.

What The Press Can Do

By Baxter

The rash of mass shootings in recent weeks (well, let's face it, there are always mass shootings — we just don't hear about all of them) raises two difficult questions about press coverage of them.

Should authorities release crime-scene photographs of the victims? Should the media identify shooters by name, and show their faces? — or should they deny them the publicity they crave?

On the first question, we cats have long leaned generally in the direction of yes. It's often taken dramatic photos (like this one from the Vietnam War) and videos (like Darnella Frazier's recording of the murder of George Floyd) to shock people and jar them into action. We figured that seeing graphic photos of dead kids' bodies would finally outrage Americans enough to send Republicans into electoral oblivion if they continued to protect the NRA, the gun manufacturers and, ultimately, as Eric Swalwell said today, the killers.

Then we heard Parkland dad Fred Guttenberg say that he showed photos of his dead daughter to two US Senators, and it had no effect on their vote. So what's the answer? We still lean toward yes, but only with the express permission of victims' families. And that may never come.

As for refusing to identify shooters, as disgusting as their desire for infamy is, the press, in our view, is responsible for reporting the whole story — and that includes naming them. But if you're a journalist struggling with this, here's a handy suggestion: Just substitute the name "Wayne LaPierre" for the shooters'. "Wayne LaPierre, 18, killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers." "The Tulsa gunman, Wayne LaPierre, killed himself after murdering his doctor, a receptionist and a patient." "Authorities have charged Wayne LaPierre with a hate crime for murdering 10 shoppers in a Tops in Buffalo, most of whom were Black."

It kinda works! Give it, as they say, a shot. We cats PURR.

Not A Fan Of The Flyover

Things are kind of depressing in the colonies just now, what with Buffalo and Ulvalde and now Tulsa (and heaven knows how many others to come). So we're grateful to Prince Louis, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for giving us all a much-needed laugh. We cats PURR.

"All I Did Was Send Them To School"

Parkland survivor David Hogg says "this time is different." Here is a film to help make it so. We cats PURR.