STARTING WEEK 33

Week 33. It seems like forever, and it just keeps going. We need to celebrate any and all victories of whatever size, to give us strength for the next 389 day to end this.

It was reported that - after three days spent hiding in the Presidential Witness Protection Program - Dilbert was spotted on Saturday morning going to play his favorite game: Cheating At Golf. According to an online tracker, set up under the domain name didtrumpgolftoday.com, Trump has golfed 64 out of the 258 days since his inauguration on January 20, at an estimated cost of $89.6 million to the U.S. taxpayer. Wow - over a million bucks per cheatstorm.

Of course, Saturday afternoon Dilbert went and showed the world what a classless white trash moron looks and sounds like: He took to Lies Anti-Social to post a lengthy diatribe about one of his biggest political enemies, New York Attorney General Letitia James, calling her “scum” and demanding she be removed from office. Ranting on Saturday afternoon rant, he wrote, “Corrupt Letitia James is costing New York State Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in lost business. No company or individual wants to be there, knowing that she’s the ‘Attorney General.’ She is a Complete and Total Disaster, who tried running against Kathy Hochul for Governor, and only got 1% of the Vote in Polls, and QUIT. Talking about himself in the third person, he continued, “She then went back to her WITCH HUNT against President Donald J. Trump, and others. Until this ‘SCUM’ is removed from the Attorney General’s Office, no company will move to New York, and few companies will be using the New York Stock Exchange, or NASDAQ, for going Public.“ “The new Texas Exchange will be taking ALL of this business away, and we’re talking Hundreds of Billions of Dollars!” he added, referring to the new Texas Stock Exchange set to be headquartered in Dallas that was approved by the SEC on Tuesday. What. A. Dildo. The post was written in response to a Fox News report that claimed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are planning to shutter their New York offices due to James’ “corrupt and dangerous business practices.” This is another bend-over-and spread-for-daddy from Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) chief William Pulte.

Saturday, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut granted Oregon and Portland officials’ request for a temporary restraining order, barring implementation of Pistol Pete Kegstand’s memo that authorized federalizing the troops over the state’s objection. The Trump-appointed judge wrote, “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.” Immergut denied Maladministration II’s request to pause her order while the administration appeals. Her order is set to expire in 14 days but could be extended, and she set a trial for Oct. 29. State and city officials jointly sued the Maladministration II last month after Dilbert Dimbulb vowed to protect “war-ravaged” Portland and its ICE offices he claimed were “under siege.” Lawyers for the officials argued at a Friday hearing that Trump’s reasoning for sending in the troops was unsound. Scott Kennedy, Oregon’s senior assistant attorney general, called it “based largely on a fictional narrative” about public safety in the city (Dilbert thought footage from 2020 being shown on Fux Snooze was of contemporaryt events) . Caroline Turco, who represented Portland, said Dilbert’s perception of what’s happening in the city is “not the reality on the ground.” DOJ “lawyer” Eric Hamilton said that “vicious and cruel radicals” had “laid siege” on Portland’s ICE facility in recent months, forcing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to close it for three weeks during the summer. He said the courts must give a “great level of deference” to the president’s determination to federalize the National Guard. Immergut asked, “Really? A social media post is going to count as a presidential determination that you can send the National Guard into cities? Is that really what I should be relying on as a determination?” She agreed that the president is “certainly entitled” to a great level of deference but said that is not equivalent to “ignoring the facts on the ground.” She wrote, “The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.” Maladministration II managed to successfully pressure the original judge on this case - Judge Michael Simon - who is married to Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), to recuse himself for “conflict of interest.” I’m sure they expected a different result from “one of their own.”

That wasn’t the only smackdown Maladministration II received that will affect ongoing actions.

Last Thursday, D.C. District Court Judge Jia Cobb denied Maladministration II’s lobbying for a freeze of Washington D.C.’s attempt to eject a couple thousand National Guard from the district.

“As both Parties note in their filings, the Court’s order staying certain proceedings in light of the lapse of appropriations does ‘not extend the United States’ deadlines to respond to motions for temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions,’” Cobb wrote in her order. “Plaintiff also opposes Defendants’ motion for a stay of the proceedings, citing ongoing irreparable harm to the District.” The DOJ “lawyers” had pointed to the shutdown as restraining their ability to file. “Absent an appropriation, Department of Justice attorneys and many employees of federal defendants are prohibited from working, even on a voluntary basis, except in very limited circumstances, including ‘emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property, they wrote in a brief. “More than 2,300 armed National Guard troops are currently patrolling the District unlawfully,” the district wrote in its filing. “That unprecedented deployment is inflicting irreparable harm to the District’s sovereignty, its economy, and public safety.”

And this morning, the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago sued the Trump administration on Monday over what they called an “unlawful” move to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks to block the federalization of National Guard members from Illinois and Texas amid weeks of protests against the government’s immigration enforcement campaign. Trump authorized 300 Illinois Guard troops to Chicago to protect federal property, reprising a tactic used in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the action as an “invasion” and asked the court to declare the deployments unconstitutional and politically motivated. The complaint reads in part:

“The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor. To guard against this, foundational principles of American law limit the president’s authority to involve the military in domestic affairs. Those bedrock principles are in peril.”

Robert Reich nailed the source of the problem: “For over a century, every other president has been at the center of a system of information, flowing from people who have expertise in assessing the relevance and truth of that information, people who provide him with recommendations as to how to respond to a crisis, along with alternatives and assessments of the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. Trump, by contrast, is making potentially lethal decisions on the basis of whatever happens to be shown on the television he’s watching.”

Operation Whack-A-MAGA-Moron continues.

It was revealed Friday that Maladministration II has offered to “provide a one-time resettlement support stipend of $2,500 to unaccompanied alien children, 14 years of age and older, who have elected to voluntarily depart the United States as of the date of this notice and moving forward. Children were given 24 hours to respond without penalty for declining to return to their home country. Shelter directors, however, were asked to acknowledge the offer within four hours. ICE said:“This voluntary option gives UACs [unaccompanied alien children] a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future. Any payment to support a return home would be provided after an immigration judge grants the request and the individual arrives in their country of origin. Access to financial support when returning home would assist should they choose that option.” Migrant advocates say the offer unfairly targets minors who are unable to weigh the permanent consequences of self removal. Neha Desai, managing director of Children’s Human Rights & Dignity at the National Center for Youth Law, said: “Voluntary departure has always been an option for unaccompanied children and when this option is explained by an attorney who has the child’s best interest in mind, the risks and benefits can be fully explored. There is no legitimate reason for the government to affirmatively provide children with this option and incentivize it with a financial payoff.”

A senior White House official accidentally disclosed that the Trump administration was considering deploying an elite army strike force into Portland by using Signal in a public place.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Friday that Anthony Salisbury, one of Stephen Miller’s top deputies, was observed discussing the plans via Signal in view of members of the public while traveling in Minnesota. The newspaper was then contacted by one member of the public who was troubled to see sensitive military plans discussed so openly. In the messages, senior White House officials discussed the potential deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an elite unit that specializes in parachuting into hostile territory. The division has been deployed in world war II, including the Battle of the Bulge, as well as Vietnam and Afghanistan. Across several conversations, the Star Tribune reports, Salisbury spoke about a range of matters with Pete Hegseth adviser Patrick Weaver as well as other officials. In one of the messages, Weaver revealed that Hegseth wanted Trump to explicitly instruct him to send soldiers to Portland. “Between you and I, I think Pete just wants the top cover from the boss if anything goes sideways with the troops there,” he reportedly said. Noting the potentially disastrous optics around sending an elite division into an American city, Weaver told Salisbury, “82nd is like our top tier quick reaction force for abroad. So it will cause a lot of headlines. Probably why he wants potus to tell him to do it.” The incident marks the second time in six months that the Trump administration has experienced issues as a result of insecure lines of communication.

Surprise, surprise (not!): Robert Morris, founder and former senior pastor of Gateway Church in Texas - who served on President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board in 2016 - pleaded guilty on Thursday to five felony counts of child sexual abuse. Morris, formerly of Gateway, one of the largest evangelical congregations in Texas,resigned from the church last year amid the accusations. Morris, 64, entered guilty pleas to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child at a hearing in Osage County District Court, Oklahoma, before Judge Cindy Pickerill. The charges stemmed from abuse beginning in 1982, when the victim was 12 and Morris was a traveling evangelist, until she was 16, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said, “There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children. This case is all the more despicable because the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position of trust and authority. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for this day.” The plea agreement resulted in a 10-year suspended sentence, with six months to be served in Osage County Jail, followed by supervised release in Texas for the remainder of the sentence, with Morris required to register as a sex offender. According to Drummond: “Morris was also ordered to pay his costs of incarceration, including any medical expenses, and restitution to the victim.” The case marks a significant development in ongoing national discussions concerning abuse within religious organizations and the challenges survivors face in seeking justice. The guilty plea and sentencing of such a prominent religious figure cast a spotlight on the mechanisms of institutional accountability and the ongoing efforts to address sexual abuse in faith-based communities and beyond. In 2020, during a “Roundtable on Transition to Greatness” event in Texas, Trump mentioned Morris along with another pastor, calling them “great people.” He added, “Great people with a great reputation. I have to say that. Great reputation. And Gateway Church, the team has been incredible in hosting us.” Another case of Birds of a Feather Flocking Together. Can we just take all the bible-banging, god-bothering, shitkicking inbred hayseeds of Southern Fundamentalism and throw them in the alligator pond?

A senior White House official accidentally disclosed that the Trump administration was considering deploying an elite army strike force into Portland by using Signal in a public place.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Friday that Anthony Salisbury, one of Stephen Miller’s top deputies, was observed discussing the plans via Signal in view of members of the public while traveling in Minnesota. The newspaper was then contacted by one member of the public who was troubled to see sensitive military plans discussed so openly. In the messages, senior White House officials discussed the potential deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an elite unit that specializes in parachuting into hostile territory. The division has been deployed in world war II, including the Battle of the Bulge, as well as Vietnam and Afghanistan. Across several conversations, the Star Tribune reports, Salisbury spoke about a range of matters with Pete Hegseth adviser Patrick Weaver as well as other officials. In one of the messages, Weaver revealed that Hegseth wanted Trump to explicitly instruct him to send soldiers to Portland. “Between you and I, I think Pete just wants the top cover from the boss if anything goes sideways with the troops there,” he reportedly said. Noting the potentially disastrous optics around sending an elite division into an American city, Weaver told Salisbury, “82nd is like our top tier quick reaction force for abroad. So it will cause a lot of headlines. Probably why he wants potus to tell him to do it.” The incident marks the second time in six months that the Trump administration has experienced issues as a result of insecure lines of communication.

Stephen Miller’s own cousin has disowned him for becoming “the face of evil” as the architect of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration crackdown. Alisa Kasmer penned a lengthy Facebook post publicly severing her ties to the top Trump aide in July, just as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were carrying out hotly contested raids in Los Angeles, where she lives. Her post made fresh rounds on social media over the weekend. Kasmer, who described herself as Miller’s cousin on his dad’s side, recalled growing up with and babysitting an “awkward, funny, needy middle child who loved to chase attention” but was “always the sweetest with the littlest family members.” She described him as “young, conservative, maybe misguided, but lovable and harmless.” Images that accompanied the emotional post showed Kasmer and Miller going from young children donning turtlenecks and overalls to young adults dressed up in dresses and suits. “I am living with the deep pain of watching someone I once loved become the face of evil,” Kasmer wrote. “I grieve what you’ve become, Stephen… I will never knowingly let evil into my life, no matter whose blood it carries—including my own.”

Kasmer points out that she and Miller were raised Jewish with stories about surviving pogroms, ghettos, and the Holocaust. “We celebrated holidays each year with the reminder to stand up and say ‘never again.’ But what you are doing breaks that sacred promise. It breaks everything we were taught,” she said. “How can you do to others what has been done to us? How can you wake up each day and repeat the cruelty that our people barely escaped from?” “Where does this hateful obsession end? What are you trying to build besides fear? Immigrants were a part of your upbringing. Is this cruelty your way of rejecting a part of yourself?” Kasmer asked, musing that Miller’s evolution was “a perfect storm of ego, fear, hate, and ambition—all of it mangled into something cruel and hollow, masquerading as strength. You’ve destroyed so many lives just to feed your own obsession and ego and uphold an administration so corrupt, so vile, I can barely comprehend it,” she went on. “Being this close to such deep cruelty fills me with shame. I am gutted. My heart breaks that this is the legacy you have brought to our family. A legacy I never asked to share with you, and one I now carry like a curse.” In a separate Threads post over the weekend, Kasmer revealed that most of Miller’s extended family had also disowned him except for his immediate relatives, whom she said were supportive of the MAGA agenda.

ICE Barbie Kristi Noem is tough on immigration—but apparently soft on lunchtime. During a Sunday morning appearance on Fux & Fascists Weekend, Noem agonized over the not-so-warm welcome ICE agents are receiving in Chicago. Referring to the city as a “war zone,”she claimed residents are intimidating the armed, sometimes-masked, and largely unwanted federal officers. “In fact, they don’t even let our ICE officers and our border patrol officers use restrooms and facilities. Those men and women were telling us that they have to figure out even where they can go sit down for five minutes to have lunch or to use the restroom throughout their shift or their break.” (That high-pitched screechy sound you hear is me playing the world’s tiniest violin for these peckerwood scum) While war zones aren’t exactly known for safe and secure public restrooms, Noem may have been projecting from her own experience Saturday, where she was met with a barrage of anti-ICE protesters and denied entry to a government building where she’d tried to use the bathroom. “Interesting,” she quipped in a video Fux Snooze posted on Xitter after being blocked from entering a building. Noem also fired shots at Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday, alleging their condemnation of Trump’s immigration crackdown has fostered resentment toward federal agents. “His city is a war zone and he’s lying so that criminals can go in there and destroy people’s lives. Those individuals that live there are waking up to it, they understand that where we have gone, we have made it much more free, people are much safer.” During an appearance on State of the Union Sunday morning, Pritzker said Noem “doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” “People are booing her on the street. ICE is raiding neighborhoods where instead of going after the bad guys, they’re just picking up people who are brown and Black, then checking their credentials… I don’t know about you, but I don’t carry around papers that say I’m a U.S. citizen.”

“Red skies in the morning, sailor take warning; red skies at night, sailor’s delight” (an LA sunset a few years ago ‘ “red skies at night”):

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