Freezing Guns, A Good Thing

By Sniffles

In the category of more-civilized-countries-than-the-US, here comes Canada, with its handgun ban.

"The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the national freeze on the sale, purchase, and transfer of handguns comes into effect," the PMO announced. "From now on, people cannot buy, sell, or transfer handguns within Canada, and they cannot bring newly acquired handguns into the country."

Republicans in the US are currently trying to scare midterm voters about crime statistics. In reality, red states have higher crime rates than blue states do, and jurisdictions that enact gun-control laws also benefit. Canada serves as a handy exemplar of the latter — although we have to note that the True North doesn't labor under the burden of an ill-interpreted Second Amendment.

We cats live full time in Upstate New York and part time in Quebec. We feel completely safe in either place. Any Republican campaign based on "crime" should be viewed as what it is: racist. We cats HISS.

Larry The Cat, Worried About Another Stray

This keeps happening. Perhaps all Tories should be spayed or neutered? A general election would also reduce their population. We cats PURR.

She Could Not Romaine

By Hubie and Bertie

Looks like the head of lettuce has endured longer than the hapless UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who just resigned as Conservative Party leader. In case you think this will be the end of the embarrassing chaos that's gripped Britain this week, guess again. The Tories have to pick a leader in a week, but that's not going to cure the disease — only put a Band-Aid on the country's wounds.

We cats don't see any way out of it except for the UK to hold an election ASAP, install Labour by a 30-point margin, and rejoin the EU, because that's when things really started to go south for them.

Meanwhile, as we Americans prepare to vote in the midterms (and, in a lot of cases, are already voting), we need to be watching this "Trussterfuck" as a cautionary tale.

Today's British version of Demagogues in Disarray is the perfect example of what happens when you put a government-hating party in charge. The Conservatives have always been Reagany/Gingrichy/Trumpy types who don't believe that government should serve anybody except themselves. They value power simply for power's sake, and — unlike someone like Nancy Pelosi, for example — haven't a clue how to govern. If the Republicans take the House of Representatives next month, we can expect the same chaos in 2023. Pay attention, folks. We cats HISS.

P.S. We can't claim credit for our headline. Saw it on Twitter!

UPDATE: If an election were held today, the Labour Party would win by 36%, not 30 — for a total of 507 seats! Goodness gracious.

It Just Might Be "The Alito Midterms"

By Miss Kubelik

The late Madeleine Albright used to call herself "an optimist who worries a lot." This was a great way to live your life: Be someone who believes in democracy, but who knows that it has to be monitored, nourished, cared for and loved to survive.

Yesterday, we saw democracy loved when a record-blowing number of Georgians turned out on the first day of early voting. So great! say the optimists in us. Keep working! say the worriers.

So today, let's all take advice from the worriers: While the TV talking heads are yammering about Republican gains, touting single polls instead of trends, and handing the midterms to the GOP, we all need to shut off the screens and pitch in. As we've mentioned before, if you live in swing states with crucial races, that means knocking on doors if you can. But there are many other things you can do — write letters and post cards, phone bank, give money, etc. If you tweet or blog, talk up the Democrats you're supporting. The sky's the limit.

Meanwhile, we're getting a mighty assist from Dark Brandon — he's stated he'll codify abortion rights if Democrats keep Congress.

Now, the uber-worriers among us might say, "But the talking heads say abortion isn't resonating!" Here's our answer: If abortion is dying as a motivating issue (which we don't for a second believe), Dark Brandon's statement seems like a good way to move it back to the front burner. If it's still a white-hot issue (which we're certain is true), then Dark Brandon just handed a gift not just to Senate candidates in tight races, but to all Democrats. That's how you do it. We cats PURR.

One Day, One State, But Looking Good (And How You Can Help)

By Zamboni

Remember Gabriel Sterling? He was that bespectacled, gray-haired Republican COO for Georgia's Secretary of State who scolded Trump and his minions in December 2020 for claiming nonexistent voter fraud and threatening elections workers.

He's still in that COO job, so on the first day of early voting in Georgia, he seems a reliable source for the following:

"As of 4:15 we have seen over 100,000 Georgians cast their votes early," he tweeted. "This blows away the previous midterm first-day record of approximately 72,000, and we have lots of voting to go today."

Holy catnip! If that rate keeps up, Georgia voters are on track to match their 2020 Presidential turnout. With numbers like that, Democrats usually win. (Here's Senator Raphael Warnock, helping with turnout by adding his own vote today.)

What to do? Easy-peasy. Here's an updated list of polling averages for the most competitive Senate races. NOTE: These are polling averages, which you should pay attention to — not individual polls, which you should ignore. Pick a race or two or three and help the Democrat out.

• Ohio, D+0.3 
• Nevada, R+0.7 
• North Carolina, R+2.1 
• Wisconsin, R+2.9 
• Georgia, D+3.9
• Florida, R+4.6
• Pennsylvania, D+5.7 
• Arizona, D+6.3
• Iowa, R+7.4
• Utah, R+7.8

A few observations: With races this close (especially the top four), you can make a real difference by giving money, writing letters and post cards, phone banking, and, if you live in those states, volunteering to knock on doors. Even non-voter-contact jobs like data entry, putting up campaign signs, helping to organize events, and heck, just making coffee in the campaign headquarters all contribute to the cause.

Another note: The only Democrat in trouble on this list is Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada. If she loses, we'll have to pick up three seats instead of two. Help her out here. We cats PURR.

UPDATE, October 18: More than 130,000 Georgians cast votes on the first day of early voting, according to the Secretary of State's office. That nearly doubles the record for the first day of early voting in a midterm (around 70,000, back in 2018). We cats PURR again.

This Works For Us

By Baxter

It's a little over three weeks to the midterms, everyone. We don't know how they'll turn out, and you know what? No one else does, either.

But the media cling stubbornly to their conventional wisdom, don't they? Funny how they never say a post-COVID, post-Trumpy 2022 could break the rules like 1998 and 2002 did. Nope — they're sticking to their Democrats-are-doomed-cuz-they're-incumbents narrative.

Yet things are happening. For example, although we teased it back on Thursday, the pundit class is finally catching up to the Utah Senate race and a possible Mike Lee crash and burn. In Iowa, Admiral Mike (not Al) Franken is barely behind Chuck Grassley in the latest polls. Herschel Walker didn't show up to a second debate with Senator Warnock in Georgia tonight. And over in the House, the so-called "red wave" is sputtering down to 11 seats.

Yes, okay, that still gives the House to the GOP. But there are other scenarios. Such as the furious women who are vowing to turn out in the wake of the Dobbs decision. And now, here come the young people, age 18 to 29, who are outraged about losing their reproductive freedom and also worried about the planet. 

TV talking heads typically dismiss young people because they assume they don't care/aren't engaged/don't vote. We cats say, not this time. As in 2020, when their turnout increased by 11 percent (to vote for an old white guy for President, in fact), we think they'll keep the streak going.

Even if you're past the first few of your nine lives, you can help. Get the young people you know registered and voting for Democrats on November 8. We cats PURR.

Boldly Going

Just for the record, if Herschel Walker can flash a toy policeman's badge at tonight's Georgia Senate debate (and he did), we can show this pin and say we're in Starfleet. Doesn't mean we are, or that we're qualified to be in the US Senate, either. We cats HISS.

Health, History, And Horses' Asses

By Sniffles

Today we cats were running some quick errands in the adorable downtown of the historic Upstate New York hamlet we live in. Truth be told, we were in the vicinity to get our next COVID booster. So we did a few other things while we were there.

We saw dogs — a lot of dogs. But we don't mind dogs if they're attached to nice people. We also saw some people who weren't so nice. Or smart.

One was an older white guy who was strolling down the main street in a T-shirt with a picture of President Biden sporting a bulbous red nose. "Elect a clown, expect a circus," the shirt said. Goodness gracious, these Trumpsters are simply masters at projection, aren't they?

The others were two people in a pickup truck that had a sticker in its back window: "Fuck Joe & the Hoe." We don't like quoting it verbatim, but it's amazing that folks think it's appropriate to put the F word on their cars where children might see it. Equally amazing that they are obviously so angry and resentful nearly two years later.

We chose not to engage with any of them — especially with the people in the truck, since they were sitting there smoking cigarettes, and hopefully will be dead soon.

The bottom line is that these jerks obviously realize they lost. They have nothing left but to put on silly shirts and display offensive window stickers and follow Benedict Donald around the country from show to show. Do they vote? No guarantee there, either. We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Fun News Day Edition

By Hubie and Bertie

Wow, so much news to cackle about! Considering we're less than four weeks out from midterm elections that are supposed to cause everybody heartburn, we cats found much to amuse us today. Let's dive right in.

Benedict Donald is having a run of bad luck: The January 6 Committee reconvened with damning new evidence and subpoenaed him in a unanimous vote, the Supreme Court told him to take a hike in the stolen-documents case, New York AG Tish James caught him trying to create another Trump Organization, and he has to sit for a deposition next week in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. Oh, and a staffer has changed his testimony about moving those boxes of purloined papers at Mar-a-Lago. Sweet!

As for the Committee itself, it showed amazing footage of Congressional leaders' evacuation on January 6, and Twitter proceeded to explode with admiration for — cover your ears, MAGAts — Nancy Pelosi. Even while she was being rushed to safety from the mob, she was calmly working the phones to make sure the election certification wouldn't be postponed. What did Ernest Hemingway say about grace under pressure?

Meanwhile, for the second time in exactly a month, Charles, the new Queen of England, has made us laugh out loud. The first time was when he was in Northern Ireland, being fussy with a fountain pen. Now, it's the hapless PM's first audience with the monarch, at which she received a less-than-enthusiastic welcome. "So you've come back again?" Charles asked Liz Truss. "Dear, oh dear." Are we the only ones in the world who think this reign is going to be hilarious? Please say we aren't.

One 2022 Senate race that's flying under the radar is the Mike Lee-Evan McMullin match-up in Utah. McMullin is an Independent who has pledged not to caucus with the Republicans if he wins, so Democrats decided against fielding a candidate to avoid splitting the vote. Trumpster Lee has gone from a lazy but comfortable lead to a borderline squeaker: four points, with one poll putting McMullin on top. Whispers are that the GOP could maybe, actually lose this one. Lee must agree, because he was on TV this week begging Willard "Mitt" Romney for his help. Poor Mike. "How simply frightful! How humiliating! How delightful!"

So, a pretty swell day. And even more to look forward to: Steve Bannon will be sentenced for contempt of Congress on October 21. Benedict Donald should take note, since Bannon was convicted of blowing off a Congressional subpoena. We cats PURR.

Fightin' Fetterman

By Miss Kubelik

John Fetterman, Democratic candidate for Republican Pat Toomey's Pennsylvania Senate seat, is running a great campaign. He has brilliantly defined his GOP opponent, "Dr." Mehmet Oz, as an elitist, carpetbagging New Jerseyite (he calls the Garden State "the land of Oz"). He posts regular (and effective) videos of ordinary Republican voters endorsing him, and just launched a searing ad about Oz's puppy experiments. The dude is not a shy violet.

Fetterman also recently suffered a stroke, but he's in recovery and back on the campaign trail. Republicans (and an NBC reporter we'd never heard of until now) have tried to make an issue out of this. The reporter focused her entire segment last night on Fetterman's request for closed captioning so he could read her questions as well as hear them — a technology very familiar to those in rehab from minor strokes.

Outraged journalists from Kara Swisher to Molly Jong-Fast to Connie Schultz pushed back — especially Swisher, who suffered the same kind of stroke as Fetterman's and who also used closed-captioning during her recovery (today, she's going strong, writing for Vox and New York and hosting a podcast). Other journos have scorched NBC for their framing.

Meanwhile, Oz and the Republicans must be sharpening their knives, ready to go in for the kill. But if they thought John Fetterman would be like John Kerry and not respond (see "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," 2004), they bet wrong. Fetterman has been fierce. "Recovering from a stroke in public isn't easy," he said. "But in January, I’m going to be much better — and Dr. Oz will still be a fraud." Their upcoming debate should be fun! We cats PURR.