Republican Fuckery XXI: MTG’s Former Drag Queen Boyfriend, the Debt Ceiling, and Target Forced to Remove Pride Month Clothing

If you were to look up the definition of hypocrisy in the dictionary these days, you would likely see the Republicans and the chaos they have created.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s new boyfriend is a former drag queen. It has also been said that her marriage is on the rocks. I don’t give a shit who she goes home to. What I do care about is that as usual, it is do as I say, but not as I do.

Meanwhile, as we get closer to June 1st, the debt ceiling has yet to be resolved. The problem is that while Nero (the right) is fiddling, the country and the world are on the brink of burning. Given the current worldwide political turmoil, the last thing we need is a repeat of The Great Depression. We all know where that led to.

Whatever the final deal is, it should not be upon the backs of the less financially fortunate. The 1% does not need another megayacht or a penthouse in a foreign city that they only visit twice a year. What they need to do is pay their fair share in taxes.

What many on the other side of the aisle like to forget is that under the former guy, our national deficit rose dramatically. Moreover, in recent history, Democratic Presidents have paid the bills while Republican Presidents added to the bills.

Speaking of June 1st, Pride Month starts next week. Seeing an opportunity to expand their customer base, many large retailers are selling clothing and other items. But due to the hateful reactions of some consumers, Target has removed some of its merchandise from the sales floor. If these people don’t like what Target (or any other store) is selling, they have the right to shop elsewhere. What they don’t have the right to do is destroy private property and threaten staff.

Just another day in America.

P.S. Today is the anniversary of the mass shooting at Uvalde. I wish that we didn’t have to commemorate this day, but we have to.

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Justice Served: E. Jean Carroll’s Victory & George Santos Hauled Into Court

There is justice in this world. It does not always come when we want it to, but it will happen.

Earlier this week, the jury in the E. Jean Carroll case found the former guy guilty of sexual assault and defamation. He will have to pay her $5 million dollars in damages. Of course, he turned around and appealed. But what do you expect from a coward who hides behind a big ego and less-than-capable lawyers?

Yesterday, George Santos plead not guilty to accusations of money laundering, fraud, and lying on his paperwork to the House of Representatives. As usual, he proclaimed his innocence. Included in the long list of allegations is that he received unemployment benefits during the pandemic while earning a health six-figure salary.

This is the one that really pisses me off. While many were struggling to get by, he took money that should have gone to someone who truly needed it.

Given the severity of the counts, I would hope that Kevin McCarthy will kick his ass to the curb. But I know better.

Justice is always a dish served cold.

P.S. I hope no one watched the CNN Town Hall with he who shall not be named. The genius who came up with this idea is as foolish as the exec who greenlighted the 60 Minutes interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The Right Has Blood on Their Hands: 8 People Killed in Texas Mall Massacre Yesterday

Going to the mall on a lazy Saturday afternoon is a perfectly acceptable way to get out of the house for a few hours. Whether it is to meet with friends and get a bite to eat or to do some shopping, there is nothing out of the ordinary about it. There is also nothing out of the ordinary for innocent lives to be taken in a mass shooting.

Yesterday, at least 8 people were killed by a gunman at a mall in Texas.

Some mother today got the news we got a DECADE ago. Your daughter was shot in the face with an AR 15. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF HER FACE!!!!
This is their nightmare…their trauma…their last memory of their baby.
THIS IS AMERICA.

— Sandy Phillips (@MamaRedfield) May 7, 2023

The Republicans have blood on their hands. While they make excuses and kiss the asses of their NRA backers, Americans continue to die for no reason.

🚨 WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT

I thought long and hard about whether to share the horrific video showing the pile of bodies from the mass shooting at the outlet mall in Allen,Texas.

Seeing a video of slaughtered innocents — including a child — is truly horrifying.

But maybe —… pic.twitter.com/I0s2y1vh9W

— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) May 7, 2023

How much is enough? How many more will die before something is done? When will our lives be worth more than the deep-pocketed donors?

The Republican Stance on Abortion is Going to Kill Someone

The debate over abortion, in a nutshell, can be boiled down to two perspectives: pro-life and pro-choice. One claims they are protecting the life of the fetus and the parent. The other is putting its money where its mouth is.

Last week, 2024 Presidential nominee Nikki Haley stated the following on the procedure:

“I do believe there is a federal role on abortion. Whether we can save more lives nationally depends entirely on doing what no one has done to date: finding consensus,” she said. “That’s what I will strive to do.”

“Abortion is a deeply personal topic for both women and men,” she said. “I understand why. Someone’s body and someone else’s life are not things to be taken lightly, and they should not be politicized. The issue should be addressed with sensitivity and respect, not judgment and hate.”

She talks a good game, but underneath the “consensus” is the same old bs. If they were truly pro-life, they would leave the decision in the hands of the pregnant person and their doctor. They would support the national programs that help the children who are here. When push comes to shove they will (as they have done in the past), make it illegal and eventually kill someone.

Speaking of, Amanda Zurawski from Texas addressed the Senate about her death due to the abortion ban. Conveniently her Senators, Ted Cruz, and John Cornyn, were not in the room.

“I wanted to address my senators, Cruz and Cornyn, neither of whom, regrettably, are in the room right now. But I would like for them to know that what happened to me … it’s a direct result of the policies that they support,” Zurawski said. “I nearly died on their watch and furthermore, as a result of what happened to me, I may have been robbed of the opportunity to have children in the future.”

Ms. Zurawski’s story is one of many. She was one of the lucky ones. Someone else might not be so lucky.

My great fear is that things will change only after the needless death of the mother/pregnant person and their fetus. Unfortunately, it may be the only way to stop this madness.

P.S. Haley took a swipe at Biden due to his age. I would rather him be competent at 86 than talking out of both sides of their mouth in their 50s.

The Right Wants to Eliminate the LGBTQ Community

When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

It’s not exactly a secret that the cultural and religious right does not approve of anything other than the traditional gender binary. Anyone who does not fall into the archaic idea of what it is to be strictly “male” and “female” is therefore open to criticism, hate, and denial of rights.

As of last week, the “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida extended to 12th grade. It was previously verboten for students in kindergarten to third grade. So, in essence, the first time that a young person will truly wonder about gender and sexuality will be in college. Given how much we go through by the time we reach that age, it may be a little more difficult to dismantle what we did or didn’t learn when we were younger.

Though Ron DeSantis and his allies claim that it is “parents’ rights” when it comes to what children learn in school. In a sense, it is. A parent certainly has a say in their offspring’s education. But when it is used as a smokescreen to reach a political end, it smacks of something darker and menacing that we ignore at our own peril.

In Montana, Democratic transgender state representative Zooey Zephyr was blocked by her Republican colleagues when she objected to a bill that prevents gender-affirming care to minors. As with the Tennessee Three a few weeks ago, she was silenced because she dared to speak out. Given the response from the voters and the swift backlash that the lawmakers in Tennessee received, I have every hope that she will be back in the state house sooner rather than later.

Today—when the Speaker continued to not recognize me as a duly elected official—my constituents & community protested on behalf of their democratic right to be heard.

I raised my mic and stood in solidarity with them. I am devoted to those who rise in defense of democracy. pic.twitter.com/MvvzlSz7Vb

— Rep. Zooey Zephyr (@ZoAndBehold) April 25, 2023

I don’t want to say this, but I feel like I have to. The comparisons to the dehumanizing of the LGBTQ community (which I am a part of) scare me to no end. In Nazi Germany, the Holocaust did not start with ghettos, mass graves, and gas chambers. It started with ugly stereotypes and caricatures that opened the door to denying my brethren their humanity and for most of them, their lives.

Their ultimate goal is to eliminate us. At best, they want to force us underground and take away our rights. At worst, they want to not exist.

Either way, it is a scary premise that we should not ignore.

Republican Fuckery XVIII: Clarence Thomas Paid Off, Kevin McCarthy’s Usual BS & MI Republicans are Behind the Times

In the moment, it is easy to believe that you are making the right decision. History, however, may say otherwise.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s reputation has taken a nosedive over the past few years (not that it was solid, to begin with. Re: Anita Hill). The most recent scandal is that he has been allegedly bought and paid for by right-wing Real Estate mogul Harlan Crow (the perfect James Bond villain name).

Among the many lavish gifts that Crow has bestowed Thomas are expensive vacations and buying Thomas’s mother’s house so she can live out the rest of her days without worrying about where the next rent payment is coming from. While the latter could be seen as Crow being altruistic, the former is highly problematic. If this isn’t the case for a potential investigation into ethics violations, I don’t know what is.

In other news, Kevin McCarthy continues to prove why he is spineless and a hypocrite. During an interview with CNBC last week about the debt ceiling, McCarthy claimed that Biden has not even tried to negotiate. The truth is that the President has agreed to come to the table. What he will not budge on are cuts to help those who need it the most and ruining our country’s financial reputation.

And finally, nine Republican state Senators from Michigan voted to keep a century old that bill would make it illegal for unmarried couples to live together.

I don’t know about anyone else, I have plenty of friends who lived together before they married. I also know other couples who are not married and happily living together. I have two questions for these state Senators:

1. Don’t you have more important things to worry about than whether or not a cohabitated couple has said: “I do”?
2. What era do you think we live in?

If this side of the aisle wants to remain in power and win future elections, I suggest that they stop alienating young voters. The wise person would not ignore their collective voice/vote.

Just another day in America.

It Takes a Person With a Cold Heart to Deny an Abortion to a 10-Year-Old Rape Victim

For most of human history, women have been seen only for their ability to carry, give birth, and care for the next generation. Her wants, her needs, and her ambitions for anything other than motherhood have been denied, laughed at, or denigrated.

Last summer, a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio was forced to travel to Indiana to end her pregnancy.

Earlier this week, a hearing was held in the Ohio state capitol. The Republican leadership (no surprise there) did everything they could to block an abortion rights ballot measure, knowing full well that most voters are for the measure.

Laura Strietmann, leader of the Cincinnati Right to Life group, stated the following during the hearing:

“While a pregnancy might have been difficult on a 10-year-old body, a woman’s body is designed to carry life. That is a biological fact,”

Is a female’s body designed to carry life? Absolutely. The question (which is really no one else’s business) is whether she wants to or is able to.

I think this woman has no heart. The victim, in this case, is not an adult with at least some ability to properly parent the fetus once it is born. This is a young girl, who is in no way shape, or form able to give birth safely and be the mother this child needs.

I don’t have any kids of my own, but I remember when it was like to be 10. The last thing I was thinking of being anyone’s mother. This girl has the right to enjoy childhood. When and if the time comes, she will decide what is best for her and her future. It is her business and her business alone.

Republican Fuckery XVI: Doctors Fleeing Due to Abortion Laws and the Case for Whole Milk

It has been said that our overall is everything (both physical and mental). If we do not have that, our quality of life will obviously suffer.

In the wake of the recent and extreme abortion laws that have become the legal norm across the country, physicians and hospitals in some states have been forced to make what can only be described as an inhuman decision: save your career or save the patient.

What irks me is that those who are writing these laws are likely to have little to no medical experience. In crafting these pieces of legislation, they are putting lives in danger. Not just parents/pregnant persons, but anyone who is seeking treatment. What is worse is that there are places in this country where there are more patients than clinics or hospitals. In a medical emergency, a few minutes can be the difference between life and death.

Meanwhile, Rep John Joyce of Pennsylvania has decided (with everything else going on in this country) that the biggest problem is that schools serve soy and almond milk.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I know plenty of people who avoid cows’ milk for any number of reasons. Soy milk and dairy products made from soy are not that bad. I would hope that given the significant number of school shootings (specifically the one last week in Nashville), the safety of our children is more important than the type of milk they are consuming.

Joyce: The whole milk that cannot be replicated by inadequate imitations that are found in plants and in nuts. Our students deserve better than these fraudulent products and we cannot allow almonds or soy to be passed off as dairy pic.twitter.com/hW4xsSPKlw

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 22, 2023

We need to vote these people out. We need to make it that focus should be on real issues and not the bullshit they are slinging at us.

It’s the F*cking Guns, Stupid: Another School Shooting in America

Since school shootings have become the norm, there have been numerous questions about what leads to them and what can prevent them. The answer (as anyone with a brain would realize) is gun control laws.

Yesterday morning started as normal for the staff and students at the Covenant School in Nashville. By the time the school bell would have rung to announce the end of the day, three children and three adults were dead. The accused killer (whose name will not be used on this blog and who took their own life) is transgender.

Of course, the right took advantage of this opportunity to once more demonize the LGBTQ community based on the actions of one person. Though this person bucks the trend of not being a heterosexual Caucasian male, their actions are just as reprehensible.

When a transgender person murders innocent people that should never paint the entire transgender community as murderous.

When a MAGA supporter murders innocent people that should never paint the entire MAGA community as murderous.

When a Christian person murders innocent…

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 28, 2023

Though the Republicans can point to any number of reasons: drag queens, being gay, banned books, etc, the truth is that these are smoke screens. It has everything to do with the fact they care more about their NRA overlords’ donors than the lives of the next generation. This includes their “outrage” about the ATF‘s possible creation of a national gun registry.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand what needs to be done. What it does take is those at the top valuing the lives of everyday Americans (and their children) over those who line their pockets.

Retweet if you agree: IT’S THE DAMN GUNS. #GunReform pic.twitter.com/9NIf9qHlct

— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) March 28, 2023

P.S. Did you hear about Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s attempt to stop an ATF official from doing their job and inspecting a gun store? If we require drivers to earn a license before getting behind the wheel and send health inspectors into restaurants to ensure that the kitchen is sanitary, why can’t we do the same for establishments that sell firearms?

Alvin Bragg Receiving Hate Mail Speaks Volumes

The beauty of a legitimate democracy is the ability to disagree with one another while understanding that the other person has the right to that opinion. However, there is a difference between respectfully disagreeing with someone and threatening them when they have a different perspective.

Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg received death threats for the prosecution of the former President and the allegation that he would be arrested last Tuesday. In response Congressman Jim Jordan sent a letter to DA Bragg, summoning him to D.C. to explain himself. DA Bragg essentially told him to f*ck off.

As usual, the Republicans talk a good game, but as usual, are talking out of both sides of their mouths. They are all for “states’ rights” when it fits their needs. But when it comes to the other side of the aisle, they have no problem with overreach.

Somehow, someway, we need to get them out of office before this country becomes more of a shitshow than it has already become.