"Don't underestimate your opponent..."

"Don't underestimate your opponent, but don't overestimate them, either." --Nancy Pelosi


This week was busy for Americans, and Friday topped it off with cherries and whipped cream.

We got a cave instead of a wall.

The shutdown continued into its 35th day. The news was filled with stories of our fellow Americans visiting food pantries, crying for mercy at the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, selling belongings on Craigslist, looking for jobs. Many businesses and organizations stepped in to help. It's the American way.

The administration, clueless to how the average citizen lives, was tone-deaf. The Secretary of Commerce, Rich Old White Guy Wilbur Ross, "couldn't understand" why unpaid government workers had to visit food pantries. They should just get a loan to cover their expenses. TЯUMP himself suggested that federal workers just pull grocery store owners aside and "work along" a deal for their groceries. (Add this to the fact that he thinks you need government id to buy groceries, it boggles the mind why his base thinks "he is just like them.")

Nate Beeler

Friday, many air traffic controllers followed their TSA brethren and called out sick, causing multiple flight cancellations and the total grounding of planes at LaGuardia. Some pundits said that air travel disruptions would be the only thing "bad enough" to bring an end to the shutdown. Perhaps the air traffic controller "strike" was the factor, or maybe it was his need for the spotlight and the cameras, or his ever-present need to divert attention from other matters.

But really it was Nancy! I love our Nancy! It was a good week for her. I hadn't been a big fan of hers before this year, but she is ROCKIN' the Speakership and is the perfect adversary. She's a tough broad and exactly what the country needs in the rebirth of a co-equal branch of government.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi uninvited Agent Orange to the House chambers for the State of the Union address, citing security concerns. He didn't get the hint and sent a letter back, saying there is "absolutely no problem regarding security" and  "it would be so very sad..." and that he would be there as planned. No, she said, you won't. I won't allow it. He went around her and asked the Sergeant at Arms for a walk-through. He was denied. After some bluff and bluster, he relented, head down, saying, "This is her prerogative." Gosh darn right it is! Welcome to 2019, Donny boy!

And through the entire 35 days, Nancy and the Democrats did not budge in the negotiations for re-opening the government. The citizens do not want a wall, and the citizens shall not pay for a wall. And that was that. Finally, he blinked. And today we got a cave instead of a wall. He agreed to the same deal that he rejected, the one that was passed in the Senate unanimously just before Christmas, the one that would've allowed the government to keep functioning seamlessly, the one that would've saved 800,000 Americans the worry and pain of 35 days without pay.

Nancy's da woman!! She mopped the floor with him!

In a previous post I mentioned how Drumpf seems to have a modicum of respect for Nancy. He hasn't formulated a scathing nickname for her as he has with so many others. In fact, in an appearance this week talking about the shutdown and his postponed State of the Union address, he hilariously said this:




In the meantime, Steven Colbert came up with the perfect nickname for her.

Trump was too scared to give Pelosi a nickname, and then she cancelled his SOTU address. Congratulations to Neuterin’ Nancy!

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) January 25, 2019

So, is he respectful of Neuterin' Nancy? Is the concept of "respect" even a hanging thread on the long red tie of his being? Respect? Or is it something else?


Jill Filipovic of The Guardian asserts that it's something else. Prima Donald seems to have discovered a new alien species in Nancy Pelosi. Filipovic hits the nail on the head with this excellent essay. Nancy is a foreign species: a powerful woman. He's never had to deal with one before.

And just think. How elegant would it be if Pence also became caught up in the Web of Mueller, and Nancy, next in line, became President.

Have I told you how much I love our Constitution? Thank you, Founding Fathers!

And speaking of the Web of Mueller, those threads are getting real gosh darn sticky! This week was a goodie. On early Friday morning, about a dozen FBI agents, guns drawn, raided the home and arrested Roger Stone, perhaps the longest-lived Dirty Dan in the Trump Sphere. He has known Trumpty Dumpty for 40 years. Stone has been flirting with dirty politics and illegality since the Nixon days. This 66-looks-86-year-old has a tattoo of Nixon's face on his back and appeared yesterday for a statement using Nixon's trademark "V for Victory" gesture. Stone is not a great example of what America has to offer. But now his time has come. He was indicted on seven charges for lying to congress and obstructing the investigation of the Russia investigation, especially surrounding coordination with WikiLeaks, who the President^* "loves" and who he implied when he called on Russia to "find the 30,000 emails." The spider is coming closer and closer to the center of the web.

It was America and the Wonderful, Splendid, So Good, Very Fine Day!

The Resistance is working! Keep calling your members of Congress. Tell them what you want! And let's watch Nancy lead us out of this mess! 

Thanks for reading.

Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.

"Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand." - Mark Twain

Often in these pages I include a Gotta-Laugh-to-Keep-From-Crying moment. Laughter is our salve for the harsh realities of the times we live in. As much as I am a news junkie, I am a satire junkie. Satire is like the ice pack and massage after the brutal 12-round champion fight. Laughter really is the best medicine.

Political satire has been around forever, since the days of the Greeks. And it continues to this day, in many forms. Political satire can be a form of dissent. It can comment, protest, offend, support, inspire, inform, and entertain. I view political satire as an essential part of the fabric of our Democracy. And in these days, wow, there is a lot, and a lot of it is simply brilliant!


Politcal Cartoons Satire! 

If you've read many of my posts, you know I admire editorial cartoonists. In just one panel they can neatly analyze and give commentary on the situation of the day. Biting satire and art on a daily basis. Incredible!  If you love political cartoons, here is a great place to get a good daily dose: The Week. There are so many sharp cartoonists out there -- but my favorite is Pulitzer-Prize winner Tom Toles of the Washington Post.

Memes!

Internet Memes are the common-man's political cartoon. There are a lot of creative people out there. I <3 Americans!  Thanks to my sister resisters Karen, Pagrs, BobBIE!, and Annette for pointing me to these great memes!

Press play:

pic.twitter.com/xecGfqLr9I

— Norma Bell (@bellgirls2) January 9, 2019

Future contestant on Ru Paul's Drag Race

These Obama/Biden conversation memes were great! Here's one and here's a link to more!

...and I made one with a nod to Lonely Island's Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions!

Just for contrast, here is a meme that my ultra-Trumpette FB friend shared.  So rich! LMAO!

Music Satire! 

Years ago, before the Days o' Russia, I saw the Capitol Steps live in concert. Originally a group of Senate staffers, today most of them are still former congressional staffers who write and perform smart political parody songs. Good stuff. Catch 'em in your town. In the meantime, here's their YouTube channel.

Bald Piano Guy regularly produces some catchy song parodies!

But my absolute favorite musical satirist is Randy Rainbow. He's amazing! He is able to turn around a topic and shoot a flawless video within days. He has so many good songs, so I'll just share his latest. He is simply brilliant. And brutal.





Print Journalism Satire!

Has it struck you, too, that over and over the past couple years that news satire is becoming indistinguishable from reality? Frequently I see a headline and think, "Oh, there goes The Onion again!" only to realize on double-take that it's the truth. Or vice-versa. Yikes.

Real Headline or The Onion?  Click to find out!

Trump Insists That Now, More Than Ever, Americans Must Stand Strong In Face Of Empathy

Trump Says You Can Call His Wall "Peaches" For All He Cares

Trump Gives Intelligence Agencies Their Daily Briefing

South Carolina Congressman Stopped From Entering House Floor With 6-pack of Beer in Hand

Supreme Court On Gay Marriage: 'Sure, Who Cares'

Steve King Asks How Terms 'White Nationalist' and 'White Supremacist' Became Offensive


Andy Borowitz, with his Borowitz Report in the New Yorker, is also a master of blending news and satire into almost indistinguishable cookie mash.


Sketch Comedy Satire!

Sometimes Saturday Night Live sketches seem to be clones of the real situation -- it's astonishing and a little bit scary!

For example, SNL's treatment of the Kavanaugh hearings. If you are like me and were glued to the TV for the the real-life hearings, you reacted with an amazed howl when SNL got it SO right! We are living in the upside down! I wish I had time to do a mash-up to show the real scene next to the satire. The sad -- and the funny -- thing is that the SNL satire looks not like make-believe sketch comedy, but like a true crime show re-enactment.

If you watched the entire Ford/Kavenaugh hearings, you'll know what I mean.

Here is the whole thing...

br />


And here is SNL's re-enactment.




And Sean Spicer..... so good!

The real Spicey:




Then the satire.







Kate McKinnon is my favorite comedian, and she is a master impersonator. All of her TЯUMP era impersonations are on point. She's done Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Theresa May, Betsy De Vos, FAUX news personality Laura Ingraham, Whitewash House advisor Kelly Anne Conway, Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsay Graham, and Li'l Elf Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It's hard to pick a favorite. But here is Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:




(I must nod to Tina Fey here too.... Talk about Art Imitating Life!)




Television News Satire!

Oh the delight! Is it news or satire? Yes.

Some people deride the attempts of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report (morphed into The Late Show), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and others, as being satire and not news. P'shaw! They wrestle the real news, spin it 'round, and keep us in stitches. Late night shows are factual, are brutal, and they're great fun.







Political satire in all forms is delicious. It is intelligent, funny, and above all, truthful. Satire drags the truth out of dark holes, eviscerates it neatly, and pulls out its guts. And it makes us laugh.

But as Timothy Egan notes in his New York Times piece, We Need to Keep Laughing (thanks Sister Resister Karen for the article!), laughing at -- not with -- the Toddler-in-Chief just may be not only our salve but our salvation. He hates ridicule and "looking foolish" and chipping at his ego can not only feel good but may be our greatest weapon.

Indeed, he feels the stings. He hates being mocked. In 2013 Drumpf moved to sue Bill Maher for a bad joke about orangutan sex, later withdrawing the lawsuit. Michael Cohen sent a cease-and-desist letter to The Onion the same year, following the publication of this article with a Donald Trump by-line: When You're Feeling Low, Just Remember I'll Be Dead In About 15 Or 20 Years. Talk about reality mish-mash: Years later, Cohen claimed that his letter was satire. And just last month, Trumplethinskin, opined that SNL should be "tested in court" when he found their Christmas It's a Wonderful Life parody cut a little too close to home. 45 doesn't like this sketch. So, let's be sure to share it far and wide!




Unfortunately, some of his sycophants have indeed worked to silence satirists. An editorial cartoonist from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was fired after 25 years at the paper for drawing too many cartoons criticizing the President*. Read this link and see the cartoons that the paper refused to publish. Support Freedom of Speech. Support political satirists.

The days of Trump are ripe for parody, but believe it or not, it's difficult for many satirists, because The Orange Buffoon is already a buffoon, already a self-parody, and there's just too much low-hanging fruit. Besides that, it's hard to make fun of Dangerous Donald's ugly hate and vitriol. Read this sobering analysis by Zócalo Public Square. He's already huge, he's already offensive, and poking fun at a despot can be dangerous.

But we're Americans. We thrive and grow through opinion and truth-telling. The First Amendment isn't first for no reason! Let's continue to mock and satirize, in words, in pictures, in music, and on the screen. Satirical speech is a cornerstone of the First Amendment, and can be a powerful weapon against wrong. And it makes us feel so darn good.

Keep laughing, America. Keep laughing.

Tantrum in Progress

Welcome to the Crisis Du Jour.

Our crippled government.

Steve Breen

It has come to light that the Idiot-in-Chief didn't realize that a government shutdown means that the government shuts down. What did he think would happen? Who knows what goes on in that pea brain.

We do know that he proclaimed to the Democratic leadership and to America that he would "own the shutdown" and be "proud" to do it. We do know that he was poised to agree to sign a bipartisan bill  (unabashedly supported in the GOP-controlled Senate) that would keep the government open without his $5.7 billion for the wall, but that he was bullied by right-wing media pundits into backtracking.

We do know that he ran on the promise that he'd build a wall and Mexico would pay for it, and that few want the stooopid wall other than him and his ever-shrinking base.

Now, he says, if he capitulates and agrees on a measure that re-opens the government, he will "look foolish." Son, I hate to tell you, but that ship sailed a long, long time ago.

He has been trying to spin it, saying "I wouldn't call it a shutdown I'd call it doing what you have to do for the benefit and the safety of our country" or "a strike." Ummmm. Another data point that this person is a moron.

The wall itself, as Nancy Pelosi has said, is immoral. It also would be expensive (it would cost much more than the $5.7 billion ransom) and ineffective. The way he is demanding it is definitely immoral and against our way of government. What is to stop him from other demands before he opens the government? What's to stop him from asking for $10 billion or more, instead of $5.7 billion? What's to stop him from demanding other ransom? We rebelled --and won-- against a King and his demands 242 years ago. We're not about to adopt one now.

And what about this "national emergency?" That's a perversion of the facts. The facts do not lie. Terrorists are not coming over the Southern border. All brown-skinned people are not terrorists. Nor are they dangerous. Nor are they taking jobs that Americans want. Nor are drugs coming primarily through Mexico. Nor that there is an increase in illegal immigration. Illegal immigration has actually decreased over the last few years, and immigrants are less likely to commit crime than citizens. But, the Foul One and his ilk do not pay attention to facts. Facts are inconvenient. The real national emergency? The troll who is occupying the Whitewash House.

This issue isn't about policy or rhetoric. The shutdown is damaging our nation in real ways. It's going to cost the nation a lot more than $5.7 billion by the time it's over.


What are the repercussions and costs to an extended government shutdown, like the one we have now, in its 18th day?

Cost to individuals and families. I ask each of my readers. Could you easily weather three weeks of not being paid? Or even one week? 800,000 of our fellow citizens are furloughed or working without pay. Plenty of them live paycheck-to-paycheck. This is hurting them.

Cost to the most vulnerable. The hungry are going to be hungrier, as their food assistance programs are unfunded. Many will not be able to buy groceries. It was announced today that food assistance programs will be funded through February, with benefits being paid early, but there is no guarantee for March should the shutdown continue.

Cost to the environment. Our national parks are being turned into toilets - literally. The damage will be lasting. Each one of us loses out when our national parks are inaccessible, at best, or utterly trashed, at worst. True to American form, volunteers have been helping out. Entrance fees, once forbidden to be used as such, are being dipped into for park maintenance, clean-up, and policing. They kept parks open with the hope to avoid backlash from closing the parks, like what happened during the shutdown in 2013, but the tragedy of environmental damage is going to be much deeper and more enduring than the inconvenience of not being able to visit the parks during a shutdown.

Cost to businesses. The service industries will be impacted. People who aren't working aren't buying coffee on their way to work. They aren't buying lunch. They aren't buying gasoline or commuting fare. Businesses surrounding National Parks will feel the impact when visitors cancel their plans. The Office of Personnel Management sent out a letter to federal employees suggesting that they do painting or carpentry work in exchange for rent. I am not only a Sister Resister, I'm also a small landlord. If my tenants weren't able to pay rent, I wouldn't be able to pay the mortgage on the property. Landlords don't need half-assed painters. They need mortgage money to pay the bank. Shall a small landlord offer carpentry work or a stint as a temporary teller in exchange for mortgage late fees? All kinds of businesses, directly and indirectly related to the government, are being affected.

Cost to safety. Transportation Security Administration employees are expected to work without pay during the shutdown, and most have been game to soldier on. This week there were reports of an increase in sick calls. TSA employees have been calling in -- or outright quitting -- so they can go work for real wages. It's affecting airport wait times, and there is a fear that the shutdown will directly affect our airport security. New hiring obviously can't happen during a shutdown either. Pilots associations have implored 45 to re-open the government for fear of safety and security issues.

Cost to taxpayers. The shutdown comes amid the tax season. Folks who are expecting tax refunds are eager to file and get their refund in their pocket. The IRS is on a shoestring staff and will not be able to process returns. The administration has announced that refunds will indeed go out, but House Majority Leader Rep. Hoyer (D-MD) contends that would be illegal. What kind of backlog will IRS workers face when they do get back to work?

Cost to productivity. Data is unavailable from government websites, and grant funding from the Department of Commerce, among other departments, is on hold. This could slow down university research as well as productivity in private enterprises.

Cost to the economy in general. The repercussions go far and deep. The government's cost is great. The employees will eventually get back-pay, whether they went to work or not. There is no revenue from fees and permits. The economy at large is severely disrupted, as I outlined above. It was estimated that during the 16-day 2013 shutdown the GDP growth was lowered  0.2% to 0.6%, costing the economy between $2 billion and $6 billion in lost output. Economic confidence could be hit, costing billions more.

The cost to our American Ideals. Our government was founded on a system of checks and balances. We are a Democratic Republic, and Toddler Tantrums are not listed in the U.S. Constitution. We must not give in to the demands of a despot.

This is where I would talk about *yawn* the Cheeto's Very Important Oval Office Address, but -- there's that gnat again --  the 10-minute address was just more of the same lies (see fact checks by FAUX News) given by a face as cold as the wall it wants to kiss. Not a single word to thank or even acknowledge the souls waiting for their paychecks. More lies. More invented crises (suddenly it's a humanitarian crisis? Talk to the jailed children "used as human pawns" for input on that one). The speech was just more fodder for fed-up citizens, comedians, and disappointed parents, Nancy and Chuck Democrat.

Mr. and Mrs. Democrat weren't angry -- just very disappointed.

There are a few rays of hope. The House Democrats are proposing bills that would fund departments one by one. They will send these bills up to the Senate in the hopes of putting some pressure on them, and giving a way out.

Sen. McConnell (R-KY) is refusing to consider any bill that 45 won't sign. But our Constitution allows for passage of a bill despite a Presidential veto, by a re-vote with a two-thirds majority in both houses. We need to put pressure on our Members of Congress, and especially on Sen. McConnell. Some GOP senators are already starting to cave, including Sens. Murkowski (AK), Collins (ME), Gardener (CO), Capito (WV), and Isakson (GA).

This can't go on for long! We must act. Keep swatting at that gnat. And call your Members of Congress! Tell them your concerns. Give them an idea for a solution that would let the Great Big Orange Cheeto Ego an out -- without wall funding. Pressure them. This is what Democracy looks like. 

They're heeeeeere!

....and they're going to be haunting SCROTUS for the next <however long he can hold on to the keys to the Oval Office>.

It's a great day for America.

Checks. And. Balances. Welcome, 116th Congress!

Vanity Fair

Like many Americans, I again got verkelmpt as I watched the peaceful transfer of power yesterday. It was a truly historic moment, as the 116th House of Representatives is the most diverse in history. It's the closest House to be true to its name, and is truly the People's House.

There are a record number of women, with 127 in the 116th Congress --and they are almost all Democratic. The number of Democratic women increased by 25, and the number of Republican woman decreased by 10.

Women will hold almost 25% of the seats in Congress. Six states have women as both senators (AZ, CA, MI, NH, NV, and WA). The House is solidly Democrat, voted in by us, the Resisters.

The diversity goes from there. So exciting! The House has record numbers of Latinx (37 in the Hispanic Caucus) and Black members (55 in the Black Caucus), along with the first two Muslim women and first two Native American women, and a record number of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (10 in the Asian Pacific American Caucus). There are more openly LGBTQ members, more veterans, more moms and single moms (they recently opened a new child care for Congress -- check out the play yard), and the youngest woman ever elected to the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. There are even a couple of NFL players. The House is also the most diverse in terms of beliefs, from more Jewish members, to Muslims, to atheists. Here is Sen. Kyrstin Sinema (D-AZ) --one of two openly LGBTQ Members and the only one in history with no religious preference -- swearing the oath of office on a copy of the Constitution rather than a religious book.

Every member should be sworn in with the Constitution!

There are so many wonderful stories among this group! One of my favorite stories is Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who came as a refugee from Somali. In 1991, her family fled the civil unrest in Somalia and lived four years in a refugee camp in Kenya. In 1995 they came to the United States as refugees. And today, Ms. Omar represents the citizens of Minnesota's 5th District. Truly an American story.

23 years ago, from a refugee camp in Kenya, my father and I arrived at an airport in Washington DC.

Today, we return to that same airport on the eve of my swearing in as the first Somali-American in Congress. #Hope #Ilhan 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/jVeP3DOipN

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 2, 2019

And of course, Deb Haaland (D) of my home state of New Mexico, who along with Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), became the first Native American women to be elected to the House. It was touching to see them share an embrace after they were sworn in.




And their leader, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), breaking the marble ceiling, once again holds the gavel, also making herstory. She is first person in more than half a century to regain the office of Speaker of the House, and the only woman Speaker in our nation's history. Amazingly, Pelosi has apparently garnered some respect from Trumpelthinskin. So far she has escaped the bullying that few have been able to avoid. Is it really respect, or just the typical dense ignorance of the real power that this woman -- second in line for President -- holds?

What's next? As George Will notes, the election has thrust us onto a new path. What's in store as we head into a new chapter of our Nation's history? Who will check and balance this joke of a president* hopefully right out of office?

It didn't take long for action to start.

On Day one, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) re-introduced the articles of impeachment that he had introduced last year. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D- MI) is on board, proclaiming, "We're going to impeach the motherfucker!" Speaker Pelosi took a more measured approach, preferring to wait for Mueller's report, saying, "We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason. We have to see."

All eyes are on firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest and arguably most progressive, member of Congress ever to be elected (29 years old). This is where I would normally write, "but even a firebrand freshman is still a freshman, but the real power will be in the hands of the more senior members." But this freshman class is not like any other freshman class. They are asking for -- demanding, really -- seats on some of the powerful committees, seats that traditionally have been hard-fought. Seats will be determined as early as next week.

Democrat leaders are back in charge of those House oversight committees, and they are gearing up to be quite busy lending oversight to the Mango Misogynist. Among others, here are seven who will start pressing thorns real quick. In fact, investigations are already opening, as of this morning.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) who has a contentious history with Drumpf dating back to the 80s, will head the Judiciary Committee, who will be in charge of any impeachment proceedings.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is back at the helm of the House Intelligence Committee, who will re-open their own Russia investigation. I have a ton of respect for Rep. Schiff.

Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. has the power to request 45's tax records. Oooooh delicious!

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who chairs the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will be looking into the wrong-doings of many Administration offices. He's ready to issue subpoenas.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a vocal proponent for impeachment, will have the power to delve into the finances of the Cinnamon Hitler and the Trump Organization as Chair of the Financial Services Committee.

Rep. Eliot Engle (D-NY), chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is poised to look at the Orange Scourge's business dealings abroad.

Rep. Luis Grijalva (D-AZ), will look at environmental policies and  former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke's wrongdoings as chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Rick McKee

We've entered a new era, folks. Checks and Balances, baby. Checks and balances.

To move on impeachment, Senate Republicans will need to be brought on board. It seems like an uphill battle, But there are signs of that happening. Even Sen. Milquetoast Mitt (R-UT) may be a check or a balance, as evidenced by his op/ed in the Washington Post.

Come on Robert, we want to see what's in your report!!


What do you want from this Congress? Don't keep it to yourself. Discuss with your friends and neighbors. Contact your Members of Congress -- starting today. There are many easy ways. You can find their email and phone contacts here. But I encourage you to use Resistbot. The bot makes it easy to compose a letter and will fax it directly to your representatives directly. They use SMS texts, Twitter, and Messenger. Be part of the process. We are the People. Take the power!

Keep up the Resistance, Sisters and Brothers!