Category: Uncategorized

[Screengrab from realdonaldtrump’s Instagram account]

The Christian right’s leader observes the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth with a message that stretches into two-parts:

Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in “repair” money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about “anything.” Also, to Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose Citizens’ Taxes are far too high, but if Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World. Likewise, to the people of Greenland, which is needed by the United States for National Security purposes and, who want the U.S. to be there, and we will!…
…Page 2: Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics, who are constantly trying to obstruct our Court System and our Elections, and are always going after the Great Citizens and Patriots of the United States but, in particular, their Political Opponent, ME. They know that their only chance of survival is getting pardons from a man who has absolutely no idea what he is doing. Also, to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky “souls” but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL! We had the Greatest Election in the History of our Country, a bright light is now shining over the U.S.A. and, in 26 days, we will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Regarding the spirit of Christmas, Trump is consistent. His Christmas message from 2023:

Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, fresh from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against “TRUMP” and “MAGA.” Included also are World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and “sick” as the THUGS we have inside our Country who, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

When asked earlier this month about his 2025 Inaugural address, Trump pledged that it would be a unifying message:

“Unity. We’re going to have a message. It will make you happy: unity. It’s going to be a message of unity.”

We’ll see soon enough how that goes.

Sherrilyn Ifill suggests that Justice Alito embarrassed himself on the bench earlier this month in his disregard of well-established policies and practices of judicial procedure and, further, that the Supreme Court’s majority “has elevated its own outcome-focused agenda over adherence to an established and consistently applied set of litigation rules.”

She concludes a commentary worth reading in full with these words:

Our entire profession should be concerned about the court’s increasingly cavalier treatment of the rules and long-standing practices that allow lawyers to effectively develop litigation strategy and anticipate outcomes, whether they are beneficiaries of the court’s excesses or not. The very concept of the rule of law is premised on an expectation of stability and consistency in how law is practiced, not just what laws will be applied and to whom.

We have yet to see what the court will do with the Skrmetti case. But if recent cases, and the oral argument, are anything to judge by, at least some of the conservative justices seem prepared to get to the outcome they have decided by any means necessary. More and more, the conservative majority’s approach has put the rules and norms that govern our system of litigation in the crosshairs as much as the substantive rights of marginalized groups.

The Republican majority on the high court has long since become intent on advancing the interests of the contemporary Republican Party. Ifill’s observations are just the latest data point confirming an off the rails court.

Thus spake Elon Musk after the flood of misinformation he blasted out to his legion of followers on X succeeded in killing the bipartisan spending bill in the House.

It’s not clear how Speaker Mike Johnson will put the pieces together to avoid a government shutdown this weekend. Musk, who lacks both authority and accountability, is pleased with himself and with this result.

Just close down the govt until January 20th. Defund everything.
We will be fine for 33 days.

YES https://t.co/sOnGmxlHMK

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2024

One month before the second Trump administration begins and the chaos is here already.

If Trump did suspend some laws and constitutional provisions, 52% of the public would be bothered a lot by this. This number is down from 65% who felt this way in June. Those who say they would be bothered a lot by this ranges from 77% of Democrats (down from 86% in June) to 55% of independents (down from 68%) and just 23% of Republicans (down from 41%).

“As recently as this week, Trump said those who investigated the Jan. 6 riot should go to jail. Still many Americans see this more as bombast than intent. If he is serious, however, he can probably bank on his fellow Republicans to stand behind him, or at least turn a blind eye,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

– Monmouth University Poll, December 12, 2024

When asked, “If Donald Trump did suspend some laws and constitutional provisions, would that bother you a lot, bother you a little, or not bother you at all?” Republican respondents were largely untroubled at the prospect of President Trump suspending provisions of the Constitution.

The chart below reveals Republican responses to the question:

23% – Bother a lot

34% – Bother a little

36% – Not bother at all

Remember when (before Newt Gingrich, Fox News Channel, the 2008 presidential election results, and before Donald Trump rode down the golden escalator) Republicans were the law and order party?

Caitlin Clark bends the knee to an invisible mob

NO!!!! Caitlin, what HAPPENED here?? My God. What a fumble. Just so, soooooooooo, dumb. Unreal. God, kids are so insufferable in 2024. I mean, I just couldn’t imagine being in college/right out of college right now. 

It must be the worst. Gen-Zers are just the worst. 

Anyway, it’s all just completely unnecessary by Caitlin Clark. She’s bending the knee to a mob that nobody cares about anymore. 

Caitlin – we won! The sane people won. The good guys won. We don’t need to cater to the lunatics anymore. The left is DOA. It’s over. Sanity is back. 

Now, why did the best player in the WNBA – by a laughably wide margin – crumble like a cheap tent? I’m sure she was pressured by wackos behind the scenes to do so. 

— so says Tomi Lahren

Kevin Drum, who clicked on a Fox News report on the commentary excerpted above, links to the Time cover story with the complete Caitlin Clark quote and offers his take:

Wow. I mean, sure, Clark mentioned white privilege in passing, and no self-respecting conservative can pass that up. But even for a MAGA die-hard doesn’t this seem a little overwrought? Is it that infuriating just to briefly acknowledge that Black people are pretty good basketball players? The MAGA mind virus is a powerful thing.

“The lawyer helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pick federal health officials for the incoming Trump administration has petitioned the government to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, which for decades has protected millions of people from a virus that can cause paralysis or death.”