The Last Gasp

It was a quieter week in the transition as the attempted coup breathed its final agonal breaths.

Bill Bramhall

SCOTUS says nay.

As promised, SCROTUS brought his grievances to SCOTUS. But they didn't wanna play. Even "his" three justices didn't show any interest in taking part in overturning the will of millions of voters.

On Tuesday, one sentence was all it took to send him and cronies home when they asked the Supreme Court to overturn the results in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Supreme Court 

And on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled on a case brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton decided to commit an act of sedition, and seduced 126 House Republicans to support his petition to SCOTUS to toss out the results of four battleground states. 

Truly appalling. 

Thankfully our Supreme Court rejected this case, too. Here's their terse dismissal:

U.S. Supreme Court

Predictably, Baby Fingers threw a twitter tantwum: “The Supreme Court really let us down. No Wisdom, No Courage!” 

Paxton had nothing to lose politically by playing this dangerous gambit, as he is already under investigation by the FBI. But the 126 House Republicans? Here is who they are. Make them pay for their anti-democracy act in the next election. 

I've lost count of how many cases TЯUMP has lost in his quest to "win" – it's something like 50. The Washington Post reports that at least 86 judges at all levels and of all political persuasions have weighed in, nearly unanimously, to reject his attempts. He thought he was being clever to pack the courts during the last four years, including three Supreme Court justices. But we the people prevailed. We should be gratified that our checks and balances work. 

It ends tomorrow.

The Electoral College meets tomorrow, Monday December 14. End of the line for the MAGAt. And the end of the line for at least one of his cons. Maybe. A Republican group called "Republicans for the Rule of Law" has started airing ads warning people of the "legal fund" scam.

Follow-up. 

Remember Mellissa Carrone, who appeared in front of the Michigan state senate as a "witness" for Giuliani's attempt to contest the election there? Gossip column time! It turns out she is an interesting character. Apparently she is a "model/actress." Wow, what a portfolio of amazing modeling shots! She also has a criminal record. Questions abound about her performance in the Michigan state house. Was she acting? Was she paid? Was she drunk?

Shortly after her appearance, folks started comparing her to Cecily Strong's SNL character Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With. I wouldn't be surprised if Carrone didn't study SNL skits in preparation for her appearance as a witness. 

Coming full circle, Cecily took her on in last Saturday's episode:

COVID update.

It's bad out there. The surge isn't slowing. There has been record after record falling, in daily cases, in hospitalizations, in deaths. We've hit 3000 deaths per day in the U.S. It's almost too much to comprehend. We're losing more Americans each day than we did on 9/11 or in Pearl Harbor. We've surpassed the number of U.S. and allied military deaths during the nine years of Vietnam.

Rudy Giuliani was the latest from the Whitewash House superspread to test positive. This, after attending – maskless – dozens of hearings regarding the election fight. Arizona, smartly, decided to cancel its legislative session for a week after his many appearances with state lawmakers. Giuliani was hospitalized for a few days in Washington D.C. Lucky for the entitled jerk, he got "celebrity" treatment. He, like his boss, got medications not readily available to the average person. 

The Twitiot continues to refuse to acknowledge the surge or demonstrate an inkling of leadership or caring. Remember during the campaign he said, "'Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid.' By the way, on November 4, you won't hear about it anymore."  Looks like he was projecting again. He just doesn't care. 

The biggest, bestest news was that the vaccine is being shipped across the country today! The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine late last week. This week, they'll look at Moderna's data, and that vaccine is also likely to be authorized. There is light at the end of the tunnel. 

Wondering when you might get the vaccine? Check this tool from the New York Times. It's been estimated that everyone who wants a vaccine will get one by summer, 2021. It's going to be a brutal few months, though, at the pace we're on.

Please. Stay home. Mask up when you do go for essential errands. Stay 6 feet away and wash your hands frequently. Let's help each other get through this.