Palmetto State Pitfalls

By Zamboni

Well! Trouble in GOP/Trump world. Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has endorsed Rep. Ralph Norman over appointed-Senator Darline Graham Nordone in the Republican runoff.

"As much as I would like to honor tradition and old friendships, the stakes are simply too high as our nation really is at a financial tipping point," Sanford said on social media. He posted it hours before Benedict Donald was set to appear at a campaign event for Nordone. (And gosh, Donald looked sweaty and awful at that rally — just like a guy who's on an endorsement losing streak.)

Is it too early in the midterms to declare that we cats would rather be us than them? Maybe so, because who knows what shenanigans Trump will try to pull between now and November. Still and all, the polls we've seen, and the struggles that the Republicans are dealing with, are too enticing to ignore. Let's take heart from them, but still keep our noses to the grindstone: Register absolutely everyone you know, and then get out the vote, in early voting and on Election Day. We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

Oliver!

 

By Baxter

So this is the best funeral urn we've ever seen. Jazz legend Oliver Jones was honored with a public viewing at Montreal's Hall of Honor yesterday, and if we cats had been in town, we would have tried to attend.

Jones's touch on the keyboard was special and gentle — hard to describe. You just have to listen to it. He championed other jazz musicians' careers, as Oscar Peterson and Daisy Peterson Sweeney championed his. And he knew that the best way to keep jazz going was to nurture up-and-coming talent.

It was good to see Montreal's mayor attend Jones's tribute at City Hall, because he was truly a cultural icon of a vibrant, international metropolis. Oliver, your gift will live forever. We cats PURR.

(IMAGES: Evan Buhler, Montreal Gazette)

De Adder Du Jour: Darline Edition

 

(IMAGE: Michael de Adder, deadder.net)

Tidbits And Cat Treats: More GOP Travails Edition

By Sniffles

Big primary day yesterday, among other events. Here are some news items that have gotten our attention today.

Darline Graham Nordone may have made a fatal mistake in last night's South Carolina Senate debate ("I'm not that informed on national security"). Now everyone's knickers are in a twist about it. But the reason for the uproar is unclear. If Nordone's just going to be a Trump cipher in the Senate, why does she need to know anything about policy? She's supposed to just show up and vote any way Trump wants. Still, with this gaffe she's suddenly looking more like the placeholder that fate initially meant her to be.

People are agog at Angie Nixon's primary win in Florida — or, should we say, Alex Vindman's surprise but apparently deserved loss — but what really got our attention was Alaska, where there's a much more competitive Senate race. Democrat Mary Peltola was the leading vote-getter in that ranked-choice primary, beating incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by six percent. (The top four candidates will advance — root for the other Dan Sullivan to make the cut!) The Republicans also are shut out of the governor's race — incredible. With 80 percent of the vote in, we'll keep tabs on this one.

Donald's endorsements are getting less and less valuable on the Republican side. Three of his candidates lost yesterday: Megan Degenfelder in Wyoming, and Catalina Lauf and Cory Mills in Florida. Did Natalie have the heart to break it to him? LOL

Finally, US debt has officially hit $40 trillion. If any Reagan Republicans are still around, this news will have them hacking up endless hairballs. And as for all those GOP think tanks that screamed about the horrors of budget deficits and debt for two generations — and who now bend the knee to Trump? Shame on them, and on the mainstream media for platforming them for all these years. We cats HISS.

Elvis Is Still In The Building

No, not that Elvis — he died in 1977. This Elvis. Bill Clinton turned 80 today. Happy birthday, Mr. President! We cats PURR.

The Method Behind The Mention

By Hubie and Bertie

We're not trying to turn this into a Jon Ossoff blog, honest! But the Senator from Georgia keeps popping up in the headlines — at least until today's primary results start rolling in.

This is completely okay, by the way. Ossoff is so easy on the eyes that it's totes cool to have more opportunities to post more photos of him. And the fact that he's driving the Trumpsters crazy is a real bonus.

According to Rick Wilson, Ossoff's "Natalie" speech on Sunday "put the White House into a screaming panic." Adam Kinzinger observed that Team Donald was "big maddddd." The right-wing media have kept up the rending of garments and gnashing of teeth — maybe because Ossoff has followed up by making the rounds on TV to expound further on his now-famous Natalie Name-Check. (Seems like kind of an overreaction to us, but then, everything is a veiled confession with these folks.)

People are speculating that Ossoff is laying the groundwork for a 2028 run for President. But as we (and he) have pointed out before, November 2026 and his Senate re-election come first.

Meanwhile, though, we think that 2028 aside, Ossoff's "Natalie" comment was brilliant for another reason: It was the way to break through the flooded zone and get the attention of low-information voters who may not realize how much Benedict Donald has corrupted and defiled the Presidency — and how much that corruption and defilement endangers the country. Mention a young, attractive blonde, and people will notice. Nice going, Senator. We cats PURR.

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Jon Ossoff's "Travel With Natalie" Speech

 

By Miss Kubelik

All the speculation about Senator Jon Ossoff running for President in 2028 is fun, but we cats prefer not to indulge at this point. First, we need to get him re-elected to the Senate in November. Second, Democrats have a deep bench, with lots of folks interested in making a run. But we will confess that Ossoff is currently our favorite.

The excitement around him is palpable. And he was mentored by the late, great John Lewis. That's enough for us.

Some in the corporate media appear to be heading for the fainting couch over a few of Ossoff's comments. Ridiculous and maddening. People are sick of Trump and hungry for a fighter. Besides, what has Donald been doing for the last 10 years? Belittling and insulting people and giving them stupid names. Are any journalists noting that while Trump can dish it out, he sure can't take it? Probably not, but Trump's thin-skinned response is still pretty amusing. We cats PURR.

De Adder Du Jour: Wheels

  

(IMAGE: Michael de Adder, deadder.net)

Give Hoekstra The Hook

By Zamboni

Canadian disgust with Donald Trump is still going strong. While Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been hinting that he could restore US alcohol to his province's shelves under certain conditions — spoiler alert, Doug, Canadians still won't buy it — a new front has opened up on the "We Used to Like You but Now We Hate You" war.

More than 171,000 Canadians have signed a petition to toss Trump's odious US ambassador, Pete Hoekstra, from the country. This is a lot when you consider that an online petition only needs 500 signatures to be officially considered by the House of Commons.

Good on you, Canada! Hoekstra has been a particularly disturbing ambassador. Not only has he made careless and insulting comments about US-Canadian relations — supporting Benedict Donald's "51st state" nonsense, for example — he has ties to leaders in the Alberta separatist movement. Why should Canada tolerate a US ambassador who is possibly fomenting the dissolution of their country behind the scenes? The US wouldn't stand for it. Why should they?

Add to that the fact that Hoekstra is an asshole, and we wholeheartedly endorse this movement — even though it could put Prime Minister Mark Carney in a dicey spot. (We're confident that he could find a clever, Trump-frustrating way to handle it.) Meanwhile, we cats PURR.

Constantino's Behind, Elsie's AWOL

By Baxter

The Congressional campaign of Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino — not to mention the candidate himself — is very unhappy with a recent poll from Survey USA and WNYT Channel 13 that shows Democrat Blake Gendebien four points ahead of Constantino in NY-21.

Wait! Red alert! NY-21 is Elise "Elsie" Stefanik's near-solid-Republican district. The Democrat is ahead? Wow! No wonder the DCCC recently added the district to its strategic "Red to Blue" list for 2026.

Meanwhile, Team Constantino is busy attacking the poll.

"This should be illegal and WNYT13 should be swiftly reprimanded by the FCC to the fullest extent possible,” Constantino tweeted. “This 'story' is a clear violation of journalistic ethics and (an) example of rampant political corruption." Former Stefanik campaign aide Alex deGrasse, now working for Constantino, huffed that the poll was "completely fraudulent" and a "scam." A scam!

Oh, sigh. They're so desperate and dumb. Survey USA is a leans-Republican polling firm — no friend to Democrats. But since Channel 13 is one of the local stations not owned by a right-wing broadcast group, that seems to explain Constantino's bleating about finking them out to the FCC. Even though it's extraordinarily silly.

So, where's Elsie? Why isn't she out campaigning for her party's nominee? Was she a secret Robert Smullen supporter in the primary? Has she lost interest? Will any intrepid reporter even bother to ask her about all this? Yeah, right. We cats HISS and PURR at the same time.

Missed The Solar Eclipse? Here You Go.

We cats witnessed the amazing eclipse in April of 2024, but we still wish we could have seen the one today. Let's PURR anyway.

Carted Away

The whole world is laughing at us, including our friends — that is, when they're not petitioning their government to expel our ambassador. Nice work, Trumpsters. We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

How Unpopular Is Donald? Very Unpopular.

By Sniffles

There's a satisfying symmetry in the results of two recent Democratic primaries in the Midwest. In Michigan, Bernie Bro Abdul El-Sayed defeated a so-called "establishment" candidate, Haley Stevens, while in Wisconsin, the "normie" David Crowley beat the progressive-but-non-Bernie-endorsed Francesca Hong. Both races were unexpectedly close, and both ended with Democrats coming together in unity. Nice!

Meanwhile, in Trump World, things aren't going so hot. Donald-endorsed candidates Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Amir Hassan (Michigan), and Mike "MyPillow" Lindell (Minnesota) all got beat in their respective races — with Lindell refusing to concede, which is great. Darline Graham Nordone in South Carolina fell well short of avoiding a runoff. She has to face bonkers Rep. Ralph Norman on August 25.

These were GOP primaries, so it's interesting that Benedict Donald's blessing didn't help candidates coast to victory. And the Republicans who did win will come up against strong headwinds in November, headed by Trump's simply terrible poll numbers. Check out the latest results from The Economist, whose tracker lands him at minus-27 net approval.

Trump has a positive rating in only three states: West Virginia, Wyoming, and Idaho (see above).

But what really worries Republicans is Trump's underwater approval in states that have key House, Senate and gubernatorial races this year: states like Maine, where's he's minus-31, Minnesota (-42), Michigan (-27), Georgia (-31), Wisconsin (-28), Iowa (-24), Texas (-22), Arizona (-23), Alaska (-18), and Nevada (-27). We cats are proud to note that here in New York, Trump is down by minus-36. 

How bad is it for them? Well, there's about 12 weeks left until Election Day. For Trump to pull even in Iowa, for instance, he'd have to move up two points per week, every week. He'd have to improve three points a week to be even in New York. He'd have to move 1.5 points each week to catch up in Alaska. Ain't gonna happen. Somebody get Mike Johnson and John Thune some smelling salts. We cats PURR.

Iran Marks Its Calendar For 2029

 (IMAGE: Theo Moudakis, The Toronto Star)

Sending Good Thoughts

We cats PURR.

That Long National Nightmare

By Hubie and Bertie

We cats have been around for a while, which means that we vividly remember August 9, 1974, when Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency, gave that weird malignant-narcissist speech, and left the White House — after which Gerald Ford was sworn in as President. What a day.

Sadly, it must be pointed out that the thing that did Nixon in was his comment on the White House tapes about telling the CIA to keep the FBI from investigating Watergate. "Don't go any further into this case, period!" That smoking gun alone was able to torch Nixon's presidency — as it should have. It was clear obstruction of justice.

Now, 52 years later, we have a Watergate-and-beyond Trump scandal every single day. And nothing happens. The Trumpsters are very good at "flooding the zone" with a firehose of outrages. But if the Democrats take control of the House and/or the Senate — which is growing increasingly likely — there will be some hell to pay.

There has to be, actually. Back in 1974, Republicans had enough respect for the Constitution to march down to the White House and tell Nixon his goose was cooked. Today's Republicans wouldn't even bother. Which means that Barry Goldwater, John Rhodes, and Hugh Scott are all spinning in their graves. We cats HISS and PURR at the same time.

Cracking Up

By Miss Kubelik

On top of all their other troubles, the Republicans' Senate contenders are suffering from the Bad Candidate-Bad Campaign Syndrome.

We already know that Mike Collins in Georgia and Michael Whatley in North Carolina are — because they're both getting their asses whooped in the polls by Jon Ossoff and Roy Cooper. (And they're getting wiped out by the Democrats money-raising-wise, too.) And certainly Ken Paxton, the most toxic and corrupt candidate the GOP could have ever nominated in Texas, has been driving Republicans to drink as he vacations in London with his mistress and stonewalls questions about his 15 zillion-dollar properties. (Man of the people, that.)

Aside from those guys, you could credibly add to the list Ashley Moody of Florida, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Ohio's Jon Husted. All have been running lackluster efforts, or have been surprised at the strength of their Democratic opponent, or both. In the case of Darline Graham Nordone in South Carolina, her late entry and name change are weird, and polls show she's not a lock for the GOP nomination in next Tuesday's primary. Nebraska's Pete Ricketts has his own problems, running against an Independent, Dan Osborn (Democrat Cindy Burbank dropped out of the race to give Osborn a clear shot).

So, yeah, not a good situation for them. And on the House side? Check out what district the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee just added to its "In Play" list: Elise "Elsie" Stefanik's own NY-21! The DCCC thinks that the bombastic and repugnant Anthony Constantino is volatile and silly enough to give a thoughtful listener like dairy farmer Blake Gendenbien a chance. We cats agree, and we PURR.

Kiss And Make Up

By Zamboni

Republicans must be so disappointed about the speed at which Democrats coalesced around their candidates in Michigan today. The winner in yesterday's Senate primary would not have been our first choice, but although Haley Stevens ended up making it a race, it was probably better for the sake of the party that Abdul El-Sayed pulled it out. As we learned to our dismay in 2016 and 2024, Bernie Bros (and Broettes) are not dependable in a general election.

Meanwhile, the so-called Democratic "establishment" prevailed in other races. US Rep. Wesley Bell beat former Rep. Cori Bush (again) in Missouri's first Congressional District. It wasn't close: 70.7 percent to 25.8 percent. Shannon Taylor won in Virginia's first CD with 53 percent of the vote, while former Rep. Elaine Luria waltzed to victory in the second CD with 80 percent. And Rep. Don Beyer defeated Mo Seifeldein in VA-08. We are noting these wins even if the media don't.

Back in Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson romped to victory in the Democratic gubernatorial primary with 84.6 percent of the vote. She will headline a party unity event on Friday in Detroit, with El-Sayed, Stevens, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Mallory McMorrow, and special guest and famous Michigan resident Pete Buttigieg (above). We cats are looking forward to it, and we PURR.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

"America has changed over the years. But these values my grandparents taught me — they haven't gone anywhere. They're as strong as ever, still cherished by people of every party, every race, every faith. 

"They live on in each of us. What makes us American, what makes us patriots, is what's in here.

"And that's why we can take the food and music and holidays and styles of other countries, and blend it into something uniquely our own. That's why we can attract strivers and entrepreneurs from around the globe to build new factories and create new industries here. That's why our military can look the way it does — every shade of humanity, forged into common service.

"That's why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end."

—Barack Obama, born August 4, 1961

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Republican Troubles Edition

By Baxter

We've had our usual firehose of news these last few days. Here are a few items to help us all sort through the chaos.

How many pundits smugly said not too long ago that the 2026 Senate map was way too big a climb for the Democrats? All of them, right? Well, now we're seeing language like this: "Senate Republicans say they see Trump as a growing political liability as they try to hang on to control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections" (emphasis ours). The list of seats the GOP is worried about is a fun read — it includes Alaska, Ohio, Maine, and even Nebraska. Wow! What a difference 18 months of Donald Disasters make.

Former Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) has finally crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She's the House member who didn't show up for votes for ages and whose staff ultimately admitted was in an ALF memory care unit — presciently similar to Tom Kean Jr.'s and Mitch McConnell's recent disappearing acts. We know this is a broken record, but can you imagine if a Democrat tried to pull that off?

Looks like Congressman Max Miller isn't the only abusive personality on the Republican side of the aisle. The House Ethics Committee lowered the boom today on Chuck Edwards of North Carolina for creating a hostile and harassing work environment. "A member of Congress should not single out a staffer and isolate them from other staff, make frequent comments regarding that person’s appearance and weight, send messages in the middle of the night, text staff deeply personal and seemingly romantic thoughts, intrude on personal occasions without invitation, pay for personal vacations, and spend thousands of dollars on gifts," the committee said. Ew. (The good news is that Sabato's Crystal Ball has moved Edwards's race from "Leans Republican" to "Toss-Up.")

Finally, it's not clear why Jeanine Pirro left a White House meeting dragging a white box this afternoon. Joke of the day: That's a pretty big box of wine (but maybe not for her). We cats PURR.

Cat Fight! Miller Versus Moreno(s)

By Sniffles

Wow, Max Miller is such a creep. He launched a video on Twitter today after his former father-in-law, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, said he should resign from Congress. But if Max thought the video would tamp down the allegations that he's a serial abuser, hoo-boy.

No way you can watch and not see a guy who throws boiling water at you, holds a gun to your head, and breaks your toddler's collarbone. (He also suffers from Michele Bachmann Syndrome — a baffling inability to look straight into the camera.) It's skin-crawl time.

But somebody said, "Great job, Max, let's post it." And the interwebs promptly blew up. "This is classic abuser tactic." "Was the point to make him look even more guilty? If so, mission accomplished." "All I heard was 'Why did you make me hurt you?'" "The video will be used in Social Work/Family Violence seminars to establish what a perpetrator of domestic violence looks and sounds like." And on and on.

Jeez. At least Ted Bundy was charming.

So here we are, with Miller and Bernie Moreno trading insults on social media, and Ohio Republicans caught in a bind. They have until Wednesday, August 5 to replace Miller on the ballot, but Miller vows to stay in. Good. We cats would like nothing more than to have this repulsive dude asking for Ohioans' votes in a district that Democrats are targeting — and for him to be publicly feuding with Bernie Moreno all the way to November 3. (When Moreno's not busy F-bombing Tony Fauci, that is.) We cats PURR.

Okay, Not That We Should Get More Freaked Out, But...

By Hubie and Bertie

We all know that the climate emergency is upon us, right? We don't need to link to any doomsday sites to drive the point home... correct?

Because, OMG — these headlines we're seeing are off-the-charts freaky. Yet we in the United States are consumed with constitutional violations to the extent that we won't be able to address the climate change issues until will after we get the White House back in 2029... right? Gosh, sounds awful.

Climate change is upon us. It's not something in the distant future, it's now. Just look at the high temperatures and the fires in Europe, and you know. Maybe you don't live in France, but you drink French wine, so — there you go. Consider yourself affected.

Many difficult decisions await us. Because the Trumpsters have insisted on indulging in denial, we can only assume that the next Democratic administration will need to address them — and get punished at the polls for doing so. OMG, is there no scenario under which we can solve these problems? We cats fear maybe not, and we HISS.