Friday, November 22, 2024

We Are The Rebellion


God has requested we stop saying it's a resistance.


LSR's break was shorter than anticipated. There's already a lot to digest. Buckle in.


THE ELECTION WAS NOT A MANDATE
Vote totals are clear: 47 won by a very narrow plurality and in fact did not win by a majority of the vote. More people voted for someone else than voted for him. It was not a landslide, by any means. Let's remember that as we go forward.


THE CABINET PICKS
Pat Bagley

Doughnold put out his want ad:
Wanted: warm bodies to fill seats in a newly-installed authoritarian's cabinet. 

Qualifications include: 
  • Mandatory disdain for the department to which you are appointed - candidate should be willing to destroy the department
  • Little to no government or leadership experience
  • Good TV ratings
  • Strong background in grifting preferred 
  • White supremacist ideology a plus
  • Sexual assault allegations a super plus
  • Ability to thoroughly clean boots with your tongue - tongue in other places to be discussed

Every day, growing murmurs of "Oh my dear gawd" have been floating across the land with every story about a new nomination. 

Let's look at what circus clowns have loaded up in the Mini Cooper so far:

Matt Gaetz for mother-loving Attorney General?? 
[Breaking news: literally as I finished this section, he withdrew from consideration. My labor shall remain here, so blip over it as irrelevant]

Yes. Matt Gaetz has been nominated for mother-loving attorney general. THE most odious member of Congress, with credible allegations of sex trafficking and sex with a minor, is desiring to be the chief law enforcement officer in the most powerful nation in the world. He has been tapped to oversee the thousands of employees in the Department of Justice and a $35 billion budget. 

The House Ethics Committee has been investigating allegations of sexual crimes for the last year. They were set to release their report last week, but once The Tangerine Palpatine indicated that he would nominate him for AG, he abruptly resigned from the House, days before the report was to be released. 

Poof. Report squashed. 

Yesterday the committee voted to not release the report, though the Senate very much needs this information in order to conduct confirmation hearings. 

There are workarounds. One, the report was obtained by hackers, but they have not made it public (yet). The New York Times published a story and a heavily redacted leaked chart that illustrates the Venmo payments for sex from Gaetz and his friend Joel Greenberg.

Two, Senate Democrats have asked for the FBI report. 

Three, the Senate can call the same witnesses who testified to the Ethics Committee during their confirmation hearings.

The man is an absolute scumbag and belongs behind bars, not holding the keys!!

Read more about this shitshow in Forbes.


Good riddance to Matty. I hope he goes to jail now. 

Pam Bondi, former Florida attorney general, is the new nominee for U.S. Attorney General
Bondi checks the bootlicker box handily. She was bought off while AG in Florida, dropping a case against Trump University after receiving a $25,000 donation – an illegal one at that – from Don the Con. Shortly after that, the Incompetent Incontinent hosted a fundraising event for her at Mar-a-Lago.

She served on his legal team during his first impeachment. She is a staunch MAGAt. At least she has legal experience. Not that it's a requirement for AG in the Upside Down, of course. 

She is also cozy with a private prison operator. 

She's not a good person. Read more from Tampa Bay Times.


Morning talk show host Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
Another winner! Wow, this one checks a lot of boxes. Christian nationalism and white supremacy! Sexual misconduct! Disdain for the department! TV personality! No experience in government whatsoever! 

This loser was a host on Fox and Friends – weekend edition. He is a former Marine. Other than that, no qualification in the normal, reasonable understanding of the word. Lips puckering up for ImPOTUS's tush, though? Check. 

However.... This dude is bad. Folks, this guy is real bad. He is a dangerous sex offender. Read the police report – trigger warning: rape – that Mediaite obtained from his 2017 arrest in Monterey, California.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Hegseth wants to wage actual war in the United States. Hegseth wrote a couple of books with extreme language. Here are a couple quotes from them. 

Hegseth’s 2020 book exhorts conservatives to undertake “an AMERICAN CRUSADE”, to “mock, humiliate, intimidate, and crush our leftist opponents,” to “attack first” in response to a left he identifies with “sedition,” and he writes that the book “lays out the strategy we must employ in order to defeat America’s internal enemies.”

Hegseth’s rhetoric about perceived “internal” or “domestic enemies,” along with media reports highlighting his tattoo of the crusader motto “Deus Vult,” may ring alarm bells for those concerned by Donald Trump’s repeated threats to unleash the US military, which Hegseth would directly control, on those he has described as “the enemy within.”
.....
Addressing his conservative audience in a chapter of [his book] American Crusade entitled Make the Crusade Great Again, he writes: “Whether you like it or not, you are an ‘infidel’ – an unbeliever – according to the false religion of leftism.” He added: “You can submit now or later; or you can fight.”

Later in the book, he writes: “Build the wall. Raise tariffs. Learn English. Buy American. Fight back.”
Elsewhere in American Crusade, he writes: “The hour is late for America. Beyond political success, her fate relies on exorcising the leftist specter dominating education, religion, and culture – a 360-degree holy war for the righteous cause of human freedom.”

In fighting, Hegseth wrote: “Our weapon is American nationalism,” adding: “The Left has tried … to intimidate us into thinking that nationalism is a relic of a bygone era.” 

For more, read this article from The Guardian. It's scary.

Do not ignore this man. Contact your Senators and tell them NO!


Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence
If you consider the potential for sharing National Intelligence with hostile foreign nations, then Yes! Ms. Gabbard is highly qualified for the job. 

✅ Hates the Department 
✅ Russian state media's nickname for her: Russia's girlfriend
 

RFK Jr for Health and Human Resources
Vaccine skeptic, fluoride conspiracist, and worm-eaten-brain-man in charge of our health? Yes please! 

Lordt help us.


Kristi Noem – Homeland Security Secretary
Qualifications include being a purty lady, not hesitating to kill puppies when they don't meet her standards, hating Muslims, and having woefully little to no experience in any of the areas of Homeland Security and law enforcement.


Dr. Memhet Oz – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Oh my dear gawd. This TV talk-show personality and one-time heart surgeon is a serious whack-job. Therefore, he is a perfect pick to direct Medicare and Medicaid in our upside down's upside down. He has absolutely zero experience in government and has not run a company or agency other than his own talk show and failed Senate campaign in 2022. 

I can just see the decision making. SCROTUS, there on his golden toilet, thumbing through his phone, disappointed to see that Marcus Welby, MD has sadly passed on. 

"Who is another TV doctor?" he calls out. "Quick!"

Melania answers back in her smooth Slovakian purr. "Dr. Oz! He's perfect! He's a quack."

Daytime Emmys, too! Done!



Linda McMahon - Education Secretary
Of course a WWF wrestler and enabler of child sexual abuse should be put in charge of schools.


Can we go home yet?


Brendan Carr - FCC
Yes, Brendan Carr, author of Project 2025's damning outlook for the FCC, is to lead the agency. (See Chapter 8; page 845 of Project 2025). His mandate for the agency: 'We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans." This is doublespeak for, "We will put forth the ultra-right-wing Christian nationalist talking points and misinformation, and we must quash any dissenting voice."

Carr shares a bed with Elon Musk, so look for his help in using Musk's Starlink systems to abuse the U.S.


Chris Wright – Energy Secretary
As you could guess, Wright is a big oil and gas man, fracking lover, and climate denier. Yay. Oil executives love him. Environmentalists hate him. He has zero government experience.


Howard Luthnick Commerce Secretary
TV appearance: check. He was on "The Apprentice." 
No government experience: check
Ass-kisser: check. Elmo wuvs him and he is a vocal proponent of tariffs. 


Lee Zeldin – EPA Administrator
Booklicker qualification abounds. Zeldin luvs the "Drill Baby Drill" idea and wants to both deregulate the energy industry and help the U.S. achieve "the cleanest air and water on the planet." Huh? How is that supposed to work?

Bye-bye, environment.


Elon Musk - Secretary of Cuddling
This joker has been at TЯUMP's side 24/7, even to the potty. Where is Vance? Not in the Senate, and up to no good. Musk has taken the role of Chief You-are-Everything-to-Me. *sigh*

Elmo is also teaming up with Vivek Ramaswamy to head up a new department called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Remember that thing Musk said about Americans must brace for "hardship?" Yeah. Here it comes. 

He won't suffer hardship. His government contracts will be swimming in even more dough than they are now. His cronies won't suffer hardship. Nope. Folks, you and I are the sacrificial lambs. 

Their plan is to cut $2 trillion in government spending. How about all those thousands of jobs that will be lost? 

Danger! Danger! Oligarchs have no business taking over Congress's job. 

They've recruited the dingbat MTG to help them in this disturbing mission. What could possibly go wrong?


The rest of the cabinet picks are less whackadoodle and may slide through their confirmations. Here is the rest of the list so far:
  • Doug Collins – Veterans Affairs
  • Elise Stephanik – UN Ambassador
  • John Duffy – Secretary of Transportation TV cred: he was on MTV's "Real World"
  • John Ratcliff – CIA Director
  • Marco Rubio – Secretary of State
  • Susie Wiles – Chief of Staff
  • Doug Bergham – Interior Secretary
They are all unqualified. And most of them will be confirmed handily by a Republican Senate. 

....Unless they don't have to
There's a big stick coming to the Senate's spokes.

The United States Constitution put up safeguards in the cabinet picking process. As part of their check and balances, the U.S. Senate must confirm each apointee. DonOld is trying to circumvent this by pushing for recess appointments. 

In effect, he would ask Congress to recess, and while they are gone he would simply appoint cabinet members and they would not go through the confirmation process.

The Recess Appointments Clause was set about when Senators spent only a few months in Washington and had to travel by horse and buggy or by train to get back to D.C. The clause was meant to be used for those appointments needed when they were regularly out of session, for temporary appointments. It was not meant for an authoritarian to send the Senate home so that he can do his deviousness.

I doubt (I hope!) many Senators, even those loyal to IQ47, would want to give away their power and their duty to advise and consent.

Please call your Senators and tell them what you think.

More Anticipatory Obedience
What the actual fuck, MSNBC? 
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" traveled to Mar-a-Lago shortly after the election, to meet with and fawn over the president-elect. This is not good and is more evidence of the media capitulating in advance. Read more in Axios and Vanity Fair. 

And what about you, CNN? 
"Fine people on both sides" much?

Dana Bash made me and a lot of people really mad when discussing a parade of Nazis in Columbus, Ohio. She said, "We don't know what side of the aisle this comes from." 

Dana, girl, that is messsssed up! Wise up! 

Dana Bash comments on the Neo-Nazis marching in Ohio and says "we don't know what side of the aisle this comes from"

[image or embed]

— MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 6:19 PM

THE RESISTANCE
"To the wrongs that need resistance. To the right that needs assistance. To the future in the distance. Give yourselves." – Carrie Chapman Catt


We're here. We're quietly organizing and planning. You're just not used to the idea of people not whining about losing and not planning to take up arms against the Capitol. We're not lunatics, you morons.

The resistance is taking many forms.

Right after the election, there was a mass exodus from Twitter and a new pro-Democracy platform blossomed. Or, rather exploded! 

In the first few days after the election, Bluesky gained over one million new users. Now, it has topped 20 million users.

The platform was developed by the same engineers who made Twitter, and is headed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, so it feels very familiar. My handle over there is lilsisterresister. Join me!

Alt National Parks
You may remember eight years ago, a group of National Park employees went rogue and formed their own group with a strong presence on social media. They are at it again, working to protect public lands.


Our Democratic elected officials
They will do our hard work. Keep in touch with them. Go to their town hall meetings. Write or call them. Ask them to do the things that you want, and thank them for their pro-democracy actions. 

I want to share a letter from my representative, Salud Carbajal. He wrote in the Santa Barbara Independent this week: I Was Elected the Same Night as Donald Trump. Here’s How I’ll Be Facing His Second Term

A surprising source
A number of GOP members of Congress may be in a position to resist. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for one, by virtue of his nearing retirement! Other Senators, like Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, have always been a bit of a thorn in the MAGAts' side, and there are others who are also nearing retirement, like Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is 91 and has been in elected office since (no joke) the Eisenhower administration, and Sen. John Cornyn, who at 72 may be longing for a nice easy chair back home in Texas. 

There are more in this article from Politico. 

Each One of Us
We are shell-shocked, but we must not lay down. We may individually have a small part in the resistance, but small pieces make up a big movement. Do not decide to not take action. Do not shrug your shoulders and say, "But what can I do?" We must not acquiesce! I am begging you, do something, some small thing, every week.

→ Join a Group
These groups are ready to act. If there's not a local group in your area, start one!

If you don't join a group, read their offerings and let them guide your actions. Invisible's Guide is powerful stuff, and I encourage you to read it. It gives game plans for whether you have blue electeds or red. They show how to leverage the power that is friendly at any level: federal, state, or local. Learn more from their recent Town Hall. 


→ Speak up! 
The more people that speak up, the less risk to those who do. This is especially important for marginalized people, who are at greater risk under this administration. Be an ally. Indivisible has suggestions on how to organize to help those in need in your community.



→ Donate
This is an easy and fast way to help. Organizing groups need funds to do what they do. Justice groups need money to mount lawsuits. And there will be lots of them. 

Here are a few that could use your help. Even $5 will help.
→ Call your Members of Congress
I read somewhere long ago that each call to a MoC represents some number of hundreds of constituents. They work for you, they want to be re-elected, and they listen. Contact them!
  • Visit Five Calls or download the app for easy access to your members' phone numbers, the issues, and scripts to read when you call. Phone calls are said to be more effecitve, but you can also email or fax: 
  • Use Resistbot to fax or email your MoCs and your state representatives. Resistbot works on many messaging platforms. It's free for the first bunch of faxes, but a small donation will keep you going. Note: Resistbot can also help make and sign petitions or write letters to the editor.
  • Or, the old fashioned way. Find your members here:  Senate  –  House  Email, call, or fax them directly.

→ Keep Informing Yourself and Others
Read "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snider. My offer stands: I'll send you a copy. Email me your address: littlesister.resister @ yahoo

Learn about Project 2025 with these easy tools. Talk about the plan. Talk about how it will impact individuals. 
  • 25 and Me is a great way to search the document for how it will impact issues that are important to you. 
  • The comic book version is approachable. Share it with others!
Remember: Project 2025 is a wish list, not a given. They have to go through us first. 



SCHADENFREUDE IS A BALM
Rudy Giuliani's woes keep piling up.
Sorry not sorry for loving that he is hurting. 

Rudy was forced to turn over his classic Benz convertible and his luxury watch collection to Shaye Moss and Miss Ruby Freeman. He begged to keep a family heirloom watch, but he wasn't allowed. Too bad, Rudy. You fucked around, and you are finding out. 

He owes the women $150 million as a result of a judgement against him for defamation.

Plus, the two women have filed court filings yet again for continuing his defamation campaign. They have asked a judge to hold him in contempt. 


The Onion bought InfoWars!
No, it's not a joke! Well, it is, but it is real! 

They won the site in an auction, with the support of Sandy Hook families. Since then, there's been a kerfuffle about the auction and another bidder, associated with asshole Alex Jones, who did not win. There have been a flurry of court filings. 

Sore losers. I'm sure the courts will sort it out and The Onion will prevail. I can't wait to see what they do with it!


OTHER NEWS
Fucking around and finding out
"FAFO" has been trending on TikTok and other social media, and for good reason. Even before inauguration day, people are regretting what they've done.
  • Right after the election surges of searches for "how do I change my vote?" trended on Google.
  • Walmart and Lowe's have issued statements about their plan to raise prices in the light of tariffs to come. 
  • Eliminating the Department of Education - there's too much to bear there if we are forced to Find Out.
  • Relationships are souring from coast to coast.
  • Or this voter, below:
@the_diesel_diva DON'T CRY NOW!! HE NOT EVEN IN OFFICE YET AND HE ALL READY GETTIN IN YALL BEHIND!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣♊️💯💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 #BigMamaBarnes🚛💨♊️ #fypage #truckersoftiktok #pov #everyone ♬ original sound - BigMaMa 🚛💨 Barnes

There's a whole lot more finding out that we all face now that we've been, shall we say, fucked. 

60 Minutes opener
The Right got all pee-pee hurt about 60 Minutes's opening remarks the other night. Everything 60 Minutes stated is factual. If nothing else, this bothers me the most about being in the Upside Down. Facts don't matter. They can't stand behind their ideology, their beliefs, their policies. They have to deny reality. The gaslighting fucks with people. 



Mis- and disinformation will be a subject of a future LSR.


Who is this evil, despicable woman?
Rep. Nancy Mace (Repug from S. Carolina) has waged a war against Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of the House. Mace has loudly and frequently (to the tune of hundreds of tweets per day) called for the women's restrooms in the Capitol building be for only "biological" women, whatever the hell she means by that.

Nancy Mace is a mean person and a bully.

AOC's response was 💯

🔥 AOC on Nancy Mace

[image or embed]

— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 5:06 AM


If you would like to write Rep. Nancy Mace a postcard or call her to tell her how you feel, you can contact her at:
Washington, DC Office
1728 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515
Phone: (202) 225-3176

Beaufort Office
710 Boundary Street
Beaufort, SC  29902
Phone: (843) 521-2530

Mount Pleasant Office
652 Coleman Blvd. Suite 102
Mt. Pleasant, SC  29464
Phone: (843) 352-7572


Ethics Czar
President Biden appointed an "Ethics Czar" and a new office of Government Ethics. The person, David Huitema, has a 5-year term and will not be able to be fired by the 47th President. 

Well played, sir. Well played. 


The more things change, the more things stay the same
I posted this to my Facebook exactly eight years ago, predating LSR by a couple months. Substitute "Hillary" with "Kamala" and nothing needs to be changed. Except maybe more criminal charges.


Your Body - My Choice
You are on notice, you cretins.








And finally, two new regular features of LSR....

A MOMENT OF ACTION
Contact your Members of Congress today. 

Encourage your Senators to confirm all of President Biden's judicial appointments before the term ends. Call them again and tell them to resist a recess. We can't let this idea of recess appointments take hold. 

Use Five Calls or Resistbot for this action.


A MOMENT OF BEAUTY
Mary Oliver (1935-2019) wrote poems about her dog Percy.

III.  I Ask Percy How I Should Live My Life

“Love, love, love says Percy.
And run as fast as you can
along the shining beach, or the rubble, or the dust.
Then, go to sleep.
Give up your body heat, your beating heart.

Then, trust.”








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