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Linda MacDonald's avatar

Chaos.Confusion.Criminality.Corruption. All brought to you by Crackpots and Crackheads who were elected by voters whose capacity to reason has been permanently damaged by too much screen time with Bannon, Rogan, and Faux "news", not to mention the sanewashing by the so-called legacy media. If there were any integrity at all millions would boycott everything Disney. Of course spectacle and distraction serve Felon34 and his criminal band who intend to sell the nation out for purposes of their bottom line and towers to be built in russia and beyond. Thankfully hungary's turn as head of the EU Council has ended and Poland has 6 months to lead the fight against the forces of fascism. Lordy! 2025. 80 years since the end of WW2. 91 since the austrian killer and his criminals took over Germany. Never. Give. Up. In spite of what looks and feels like the worst nightmare. Waking up holds possibilities as well as hope.

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Ellen's avatar

Linda, your last sentence reminds me of a one liner that keeps popping up on Social Media every day (from various people): Is it still here? We all know who "it" is. That's my daily dash of hope to begin the day.

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Linda MacDonald's avatar

I'm not on FB or other social media much Ellen, but I'm with you...get that dash of hope where you are able.

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TCinLA's avatar

First thing when I check my news feed in the morning is the hope that he finally ate the fatal hamberder overnight.

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T L Mills's avatar

Yup. One of the reasons I get up every morning! Turn on the computer and hope to see The Only Obituary I Am Eager To Read.

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Ransom Rideout's avatar

HEY TOM!! "Invest in popcorn futures" is MY line!! Look back to JV, HCR and LT IV. and Your comment section.

Happy New Year!!

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TCinLA's avatar

Good. Things. Get. Used. :-)

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Ransom Rideout's avatar

Glad I'm good for something! Thank you!

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Bryan Sean McKown's avatar

Ultra "Fair Use". Anybody ... Fire-at-Will 💥

H/t Ransom 3x

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Hannah Olufs's avatar

Your professional advice? I like it.

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Ransom Rideout's avatar

Happy New Year Bryan. I gotta come up with a new one.

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Fay Reid's avatar

Well, this sounds like fun. Considering the 118th Congress was a Do Nothing Congress (you were generous in "one of the least productive in history" - the only notable shit they passed were Happy Birthdays and letters of commendation. - I don't know how we managed to slide HR 82 past them).

Actually if we can get through these next four years doing nothing it may be a saving grace.

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arne link's avatar

Not in any way to minimize your obvious talents, but Jeff Tiedrich is an American hero. He deserves a medal for keeping many of us sane during this horrible time. I only subscribe to three Substacks, yours, Jeff's and Heather Cox Richardson. There are many other worthy writers but I'm old and on a budget.

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TCinLA's avatar

I'm in great company!

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Paul Donahue's avatar

"With no Speaker, Felon34 becoming President becomes problematic because no one knows what to do in this situation. In the event the winners of the electoral college vote are not certified by Congress as the president-elect and vice president-elect, then - per the rules of succession - the job after January 20 goes to the existing House Speaker. Of which there will be none. In that situation, the Presidency goes to the president pro tempore of the Senate, which in this case is Senator Chuck Grassley, who will be 92 this January."

But wait, but wait!

As was so vividly brought to light on Jan. 6th 2021 is it not the vice president who presides over these proceedings? So there is a solution. Now let's see, who is that now?

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TCinLA's avatar

The VP doesn't do anything. The problem is that without a Speaker, the House cannot organize itself, so it cannot be in session to accept the vote.

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Paul Donahue's avatar

Yeah I know in this ritual the VP is ornamental, but you have to admit the optics are delicious.

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Gigi's avatar

She is the head of the Democratic Party and she wants the job. ❤️

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kdsherpa's avatar

"Speaker Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man." Forgive my French, but WTF does johnson being "religious" have anything to do with the orange sadist?! Read this: https://www.rawstory.com/rs-exclusive/pay-to-pray-trump-reportedly-charging-supporters-100000-to-attend-church-service-with/

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TCinLA's avatar

The Party of Religious Hypocrites thinks that's important.

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kdsherpa's avatar

And you know as well as I do, the word is utterly meaningless in their mouths.

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leslie's avatar

That thought process helped in 2016 as I heard "Pence is a good man' & there went their vote, not based on the prez - guess the VP being a religious man was close enough.

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Judith Matlock's avatar

They do not want good men, and especially not good women. They want performers so that each new day gives them fear or outrage, preferably both, to fuel them past the kitchen into their miserable, mentally barren lives.

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Hannah Olufs's avatar

It's entertainment. Not for us, but for them. Instead of governing, they play at being fools.

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kdsherpa's avatar

Entertainment, entirely. Just like Faux isn't news at all. It's just entertainment. The worst of the maggots remind me of the horrifying crowds at the Roman Coliseum, cheering as men were torn apart by lions -- or by other men.

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Judith Matlock's avatar

The dervish anarchists in the GOP are making the Dems look like the actual conservatives, the ones who hew to community, established order, and tradition. Strange irony, that.

Thanks for 'splaining a few important things with your well turned phrases, TC.

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TCinLA's avatar

As Adlai Stevenson put it waaaaaay back in 1952: “The strange alchemy of time has somehow converted the Democrats into the truly conservative party of this country — the party dedicated to conserving all that is best, and building solidly and safely on these foundations.”

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Judith Matlock's avatar

Happy New Year, no matter what, Tom. I'm not letting the bastids get me down, and I hope all folks here can keep their chins up and not give their inferiors the satisfaction of bringing them down. Be well, all.

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Stewart Whisenant's avatar

Good things do indeed “get used” and that’s why I quote TAFM a lot in my rants. These posts are hilarious critiques of the Swamp Shit Show and educational too. Politics might be scary and insane, but thanks to TAFM, the subject is no longer boring! Happy New Year!

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Diane Love (St Petersburg FL)'s avatar

Chuck Grassley, geeez, no good alternative here. Can you imagine the complete chaos that would erupt? Unless MAGA is utterly suicidal, they have to vote for Johnson.

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Sharon Buchbinder, PhD's avatar

Speaker of the House, Pine-Box-to-the-Bedside-ChuckieG has a nice ring to it!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Karen Hall's avatar

Happy New Year, TC and all. May we survive it …

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MaryPat's avatar

Amen. Awomen.

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David Levine's avatar

I especially admire Boebert being described as a "professional juvenile delinquent." YES!!

she absolutely reminds me of one of those "hitter chicks" in my junior high school who made their hitter chick bones by making out with the guys who stole cars on weekends or threw up in the locker room on Monday mornings because they'd overindulged on Sunday night.

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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

There is always the small but extant possibility that sufficient Republicans could abstain or absent themselves to reduce the number in attendance to 429 or fewer at which point the 215 Democrats become the Majority for the purpose of electing a Speaker. I have no doubt at all that there are 5 Republicans stupid enough to do that starting with child-rapist Gaetz.

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TCinLA's avatar

Who's no longer in the congress

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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Not necessarily. He was elected and could turn up on Friday and be sworn in but that would activate the Ethics Committee report and he might not want to risk it.

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Hannah Olufs's avatar

Maybe this thought gives more credit than deserved, but I think the House Whip will get them to vote for Holy Mikey with promises to dump him as soon as possible.

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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Might not be a bad strategy, since "as soon as possible" is subject to a wide range of interpretation.

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Hannah Olufs's avatar

You caught that!

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Kent Anderson's avatar

For them, it's not about governing. It's about chaos and 'owning the libs.'

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Dick Montagne's avatar

SWEET!!!!

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