I'm reminded of Andy's column just before Trump was inaugurated the first time, where he said that George W. Bush was the happiest man on earth, because soon he'd no longer be America's worst president.
She did have a good run but when you compare her to the competition she is just a minor leaguer. Donald and his band of scum are by far the dumbest group to ever set foot in Alaska.
According to NPR, "officials from the Trump administration left eight pages of information produced by the U.S. State Department in a public printer at the business center of an Alaskan hotel. The pages revealed potentially sensitive information about the August 15 meetings, including the names and phone numbers of three U.S. staff members and thirteen U.S. and Russian state leaders."
Could it be that some whistleblower did it deliberately? Oh, wait... Come to think of it, I do not believe anyone in this kakistocracy has the wit to do anything on purpose. Certainly not anything good, decent, or worthwhile.
Why didn't the numbskulls just put that info on billboards?
Let’s not forget - she flung a lot of racist slurs at Obama in 2008, and continued to spew hate as a Tea Party icon. She was definitely an opening act for Trump.
The opening act for Trump was Reagan. He fooled us all with his personality but he truly led the dumb down of Republican politicians regardless of their prestigious degrees
He didn't fool us all. I traveled out of country quite a bit during Reagan's presidency. Reading US newspapers about him, and then reading overseas papers about him, was sort of like watching Fox and then MSNBC today. It was good to have my opinion of the man reinforced by the overseas papers
I lived in CA when he was governor, so I had a really good idea of how stupid he was before he was elected president. I disliked him from the get go, and it never got any better. He was always acting, there was never any substance. Just like trump.
You make me grateful that I graduated in 1966. I haven't looked at my diploma recently, but I'm betting that it has Pat Brown's name on it. I feel your pain, too - definitely worse than mine.
I remember my dad wouldn't let my mom buy 20 Mule Team borax products b/c of Ronnie's radical right wing screeds on Death Valley Days, the TV series. Last time I visited the cemetery I noticed Dad's grave looked like he'd been rolling over repeatedly.
us??? I met him at a convention of "educated" women who nearly swooned when he walked by. I was not impressed. He was just one more glamour boy who needed one more B-Role to add to his resume. He was not a good actor and he was not a good man. What was there to like? He had the personality of a stuffed bear. Americans are easily swayed by dyed hair and a twinkling eye.
Andy, yes. But I think there are many more "openers" for the Felon that were considerably more powerful over the years, as you yourself have pointed out. I was not a particular fan of John McCain's politics, which were I think affected by the traumas he suffered during his imprisonment and so understandable even when I found them objectionable. But succumbing to the worst elements of his "party" and choosing Palin was without a doubt the worst choice he ever made.
Agreed. I really wanted to really like the guy, cuz after all, he was a rather decent human being on the planet... for the most part... But McCain was a BIG disappointment (under-statement) because -- and to me this was catastrophically worse than his stupid choice of Sarah Palin -- of his reprehensible selling out of the Western Apache tribes in AZ, primarily the San Carlos band, when he paved the way to allow Resolution Copper (mining company) the right to dig up and destroy their Oak Flats sacred tribal land where they have held religious ceremonies for countless generations.
There has been a decade-long ongoing battle to halt the mining project, which is (of course) supported by tRUMP and his rape & pillage policy, and it was just dealt a crippling blow at the end of May this year when the US Supreme Court "rejected a last-minute plea from Native Americans seeking to challenge a massive copper mining project in Arizona that would destroy a sacred site used for tribal ceremonies, a weighty dispute that pitted religious rights against business interests." (NBC news) "Gorsuch, known for his backing of Native Americans in other cases, said in a dissenting opinion that it was a 'grievous mistake' not to hear the challenge and suggested the court would have acted differently if the claim were brought by Christians. 'Just imagine if the government sought to demolish a historic cathedral on so questionable a chain of legal reasoning. I have no doubt that we would find that case worth our time,' he said. 'Faced with the government's plan to destroy an ancient site of tribal worship, we owe the Apaches no less.' "
So thanks, McCain, for this egregious bigoted blow to indigenous rights.
An indigenous sachem in colonial Massachusetts who, when asked about colonists trying to convert his people to Christianity, reportedly said , “I think they should try it out for themselves first.”
Floof, I was unaware of the copper mining situation, which is absolutely tragic--and also repeated of course throughout the areas where mineral rights desired or held by white men overruled "agreements" and "treaties" made between First Nations people and the USA. I lived in western NY State for almost 2 decades and the first oil wells were dug there on Seneca land, which was of course expropriated. And then 100 or so years later, the Democratic governor, Mario Cuomo, tried to force a nuclear waste dump on the same region, also impinging on Seneca land as well as on the impoverished white people living in the region. It was stopped but only because of a joint effort on the part of the locals and the Seneca. The carnage of Euro-American imperialism and its attendant dogmas of exceptionalism and patriarchy/manifest destiny have made it impossible even to imagine what the world might have been like had that malign soup not been part of the European mental "furniture" from the beginning.
European imperialism has devastated indigenous people all over the Americas. They are the cause of how nasty El Salvador is right now. It's sad that Europeans think that their ways are so much better than indigenous ways, when the latter clearly understand our planet so much better, and have taken great care of it before the Europeans arrived.
Not about Manifest Destiny for them -- it's about living in harmony with and giving due reverence to nature and their spirit-gods. "Right thinking" -- as in Buddhism, NOT "right" AS IN REPUGNICANISM. More in line with ancient Great Goddess worship, before that was trodden down and effectually wiped out by patriarchalism some eons ago. (Ca. between 2500 - 3500 years ago, I think it was, when war-mongering patriarchal tribes swept down from what is now the Northeastern European-Northwestern Asian steppes into the Mediterranean Sea areas and conquered and subjugated the peace-loving Goddess worshipping peoples who lived there).
Yes, all of this that you said so horribly, outrageously, disgustingly true. Breaks my heart. And I feel helpless to stop any of it. Not only did McCain fuck up royally, but Obama! Obama! Shameful disposition of the Standing Rock mess, siding with big oil over indigenous rights! I was shocked and sickened by that - he'd been something of a hero until then...
Religious rights or anyone’s rights for that matter. Consider the poor bastards that were in the way of Trumps golf & hotel deal in Vietnam. Generational land basically confiscated for Trump & family to build a gold clad disgusting mess of a resort. Ohh & what a coincidence almost no tariffs. This is supposed to be a lesson for the rest of the world of how to appease master. Stay tuned for Trump Gaza golf.
We should hear soon about the Donny hotel in Moscow (adjacent to the Kremlin), the DJT golf course and spa in Saint Petersburg (just across the avenue from the Hermitage) and the Crimea tRump Casino and Backroom for oligarchs. You can buy bibles, shoes, gold credit cards and Giuliani coffee at a sizable discount there.
I think you're right. That was no doubt part of the discussion in Alaska....give me Ukraine, Donald, and and I'll see that you finally get that Trump Moscow hotel we started talking about years ago. It's a sure bet!
Floofie, I have been reading Wounded Knee by Heather Cox Richardson, and just finished Fresh Banana Leaves by Jessica Hernandez, which was about the importance of including indigenous people in decisions about their land. I had no idea McCain was that bad about disrespecting indigenous people. Thank you for the recent history lesson. I personally have gotten to the point where I wish I had a cultural background like the Native Americans, something with substance. Reading about them (my favorite author is a Native American) makes me realize how empty my life has been, culturally speaking.
McCain AND Obama. Shame on them both! And shame on all the presidents who allowed Leonard Peltier rot in fed prison for a hair under 50 years just to appease and placate the FBI who sabotaged Peltier's right to a fair trial just cuz they wanted to bag such an important target -- didn't matter that that Peltier did not commit the crimes of which he was accused (killing 2 FBI agents) and that there was exonerating evidence. The FBI wanted Peltier because he was an important leader in Indian Rights protests (yeah, now we say indigenous or First Nations), so they destroyed him and his rights, and all the presidents over those 50 long years acceded to the FBI's wishes and let it lie -- until Biden, who pardoned Peltier at the very last second, a mere 3 or so hours before tRUMP was sworn in. He could have pardoned Peltier at the beginning of his presidential term, but no. Well, Biden did not PARDON Peltier as he should have done, but basically let him out with an ankle monitor because of Peltier's poor health. Peltier was just glad to be able to live his last days at home in the open air on his native land. Anyway... so many grave and unconscionable injustices against indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and over the entire history of our country, so so many...
Louise Erdrich is a great native american author -- is she whom you're speaking of? I read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown way back when -- excellent book. Haven't yet read "Wounded Knee" by Heather Cox Richardson -- it's on my list.
Have you watched the documentary put out by Robert Redford re Leonard Peltier? Definitely worth a watch.
I just looked up Louise Erdrich, and am disappointed that she write fiction. I haven't read fiction in years (apart from re-reading House Made of Dawn), but I found one book that I would be willing to try. The reason I don't read fiction is that it always gets my adrenaline going, which I don't appreciate, given how much of my childhood resulted in adrenaline flow. It's not a positive for me.
Wow! Another history lesson. Thank you, Floofie. My favorite Native American author is N. Scott Momaday. He taught my Modern Continental Literature class at UC Santa Barbara in 1966. He was my first encounter with a Native American, and his class was the most memorable one I took as an undergraduate, even though it had nothing to do with my major. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, House Made of Dawn. I did not truly understand it when I read it originally, but did when I re-read it recently. One of my all-time favorite books is his The Way To Rainy Mountain. I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee way back when, and could probably afford to re-read it.
I will have to look into Louise Erdrich. The older I get, the more I appreciate Native Americans, and the music I really like to listen to these days is Native American flute music from R. Carlos Nakai.
The information about Leonard Peltier is so sad. I can't figure out why Native Americans have always been such a threat to Europeans. I think they have always been smart about caring for our planet, whereas Europeans see our planet in terms of resources and financial gain.
I know, right? Color me shocked! And to top it off, another dissenter was -- get ready for this one -- Clarence Thomas! Whoa!
Gorsuch I always thought has been something of a mixed bag leaning heavily to the ugly right, but Thomas? Always thought he's pretty much just rotten. So double shock.
I remember that McCain wanted Sen. Joe Lieberman(D) as his VP, and was immensely frustrated that couldn't happen. During this emotional period he agreed to Sarah Palin, a hasty and ill-considered choice.
Joe Lieberman was a turn-coat. It was a relief that he did not become a VP nor a President. We do not get the very best when ability is secondary to Looks and Smarm.
agreed-he had become a caricature of himself by that point. Yet it WAS an intriguing idea, and I appreciated McCain's"maverick" intent. Also-it appears to be part of human nature to be influenced by looks and smarm. Just yesterday Trump insulted a Senator who disagreed with him by slamming his appearance (just a regular-looking guy, more normal than DJT or any family member). Sad.
During Trump's first term, Nicolle Wallace was attempting a mea culpa with Steve Schmidt over the fact that they were both participants in bringing about the disaster that is Trump. Steve Schmidt looked like he was about to stroke out at the thought and they had to go to commercial. If you recall, Wallace was senior advisor and top spokesperson for the McCain-Palin campaign.
McCain wanted to be President. That is what he was thinking. He was not capable of vetting Palin. He listened to handlers, just like Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Trump. Mondale and Gore at least had brains and empathy.
Mary, Pretty sure nothing more than a lunch date with Sara would have sent McCane back to the team with at least a WTF are you kidding me ? Can’t blame it all on handlers I’m thinking. That’s more a Trump & Bush2 thing. I just can’t accept that their all puppets.
Just watching her RNC debut, i thought her so mean-spirited, I could never vote for her. And I lived in Anchorage at the time, considered her a below-average governor but not an idiot. Changed my mind very fast.
And now the entire Republican Party is "mean-spirited" and their voters love it. I'm with Gavin Newsom when he said Dems need to stop with the "holier-than-thou" attitude and start fighting fire with fire!
trump only did his brand a disservice. No one, not even the most dedicated MAGA supporter, could think he "won" against Putin. Glad Zelensky will be backed by other EU leaders. They must all stand together against Putin. Slava Ukraine
And he is so angry that no one is praising him for what he did in Alaska. His "win" was hearing that Putin repeated his fantasies to him ("the 2020 election was stolen", "I should get the Nobel Peace Prize", "Russia didn't meddle with the 2016 election"...) and he disgraced America to get those "reassurances" from his handler.
Yes! I'm glad Zelenskyy will have support with him. That ambush in February frosted my butt; not only was it petty and unpresidential, but it was also inhumane.
Rubio was worse after the Zelensky debacle. He is supposed to be Secretary of State, but he is the yappy little dog that bites ankles. The Democrats in the Senate ALL voted for Rubio to lead the State Department with honor. He was not capable and he knew it. He was not prepared and the Senators knew it. The Old Boys Club is spineless.
Unfortunately, there are many more people who are doing a disservice to America, beginning with the writers of Project 2025 and the people who are carrying it out in break-neck speed. Trump is their useful idiot, keeping the spotlight off of them.
Putin's word is only slightly less trustworthy than Trump's and combined Ukraine and Europe would be well advised to steer clear of "understandings" with these two.
Al, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Putin's word is way less trustworthy than tRump's. He's a murderous dictator, and tRump hopes to be more like him (but he lacks the intelligence)
A matter of degree, not kind. What places Trump on a par with Putin is the desire to maintain the cloak of righteousness despite the sulphureous vapor.
You don't follow the White House Facebook page if you think there aren't MAGATS dumb enough to think Trump didn't totally crush Putin in Alaska! I highly suggest following it, it's become a meme fest of comic book posts from the WH that deserve the attention and ridicule of sharper minds. (And it's our patriotic duty, IMO, to participate.)
We have a MAGA troll at the bridge standouts (full disclosure: he doesn't seem very bright)...everything going wrong is because of Biden (what a busy dude! He's everywhere, fabricating Epstein files and helping Putin spin the Alaska meeting...) /s
Yes, isn't it remarkable how Biden didn't have the capacity to do anything but yet had the capacity to achieve so much at the same time? MAGA falls all over itself pointing fingers at others.
The Trump idiocracy is sadly the culmination of 50 years of Republican power. It started with Nixon and the racist, white supremacist Southern Strategy, reached epic proportions with Reagan, a mediocre actor and probably 2nd worst president ever (much worse than GW), who many otherwise intelligent people still think was a great leader, and now the logical extension of Reagan, a grifter circling dementia who doesn't even try to pretend to be competent.
Nero had a good run, even won every sport he entered in the Olympics including the race he didn’t finish because he fell off the chariot. He insisted that they include acting so he could win that one too. Tried to Make Rome Great Again by burning it down so he could rebuild it.
He is not only dead, they removed his name from the Olympics awards once he was gone. Even people who don’t remember much history remember him as being especially bad.
Trump isn’t the first … he won’t be the last. Just sorry we have to live through this nightmare of our time.
Palin was a joke: Everyone should watch the movie Game Change. Palin was a thorn in The McCain campaign, driving her handler to quit. Find it streaming possibly still on HBO.
Also watch recount - about the Gore Bush election… it is fabulous, also may still be on HBO
I await the mockumentary of the trump years and his miserable demise… God needs to step in and smite the jerk bigly
And I dream of Noem, Bondi, Patel, Rubio, Kegseth, Parino, those responsible for project 2025, proud boys & ice, and so many others arrests & convictions; former Hague attorney Jack Smith 2.0 will get that done. But what to do with the Supreme Court???
Gotta disagree, Catherine. Not only can this floundering & foundering ship be righted, we could come out the better -- and far wiser -- for it. We now know the loopholes in the system as it currently stands that have allowed this egregious catastrophic shit show to unfold, and we can correct them to insure this never happens again. I'd personally start with finally getting rid of that antiquated and wholly unnecessary electoral college system. I mean, WTF, folks??? We're long past the galloping horse form of communication. Geez!!!
Me, too (hope the ship doesn’t end up like the Titanic). But I do think we've got a great chance of turning things around if we do the tough slog and go the distance and make the changes.
I think hand-in-hand with dumping the wholly and long unnecessary electoral college system is overhauling how we vote -- cuz obviously it can be screwed with and some horrendous stoopid malevolent idiot could cheat his way into office. Hmm-m-m-m wonder who she's talking about?
Meanwhile a coalition representing bears, wolves, and ravens has gathered to discuss replacing humans as the apex predator in the state.
"It's clear that humans are hellbent on their own destruction and will take the rest of us with them. It's time that leadership with at least a modicum of survival instinct was in control," said Spokesraven Ragnar of the Anchorage Flock.
I was envisioning one of those immense zucchinis people leave on your porch in the middle of the night so you can’t refuse it. Now that is Trump-like.😂😂😂
“Vladimir, I’ll give you Alaska if you let me build a big and beautiful resort there that allows young ladies to entertain my VIPs. Not VP, VIPs - He’s too straight and narrow.”
“Very young ladies. Like your gymnastic wife was when you met her.”
oh to have been a fly on the wall during that meeting . . . tRump getting spanked over and over again, asking "please Sir, may I have another?" (and please don't release the files you hacked recently, they won't make me look too good)
Nailed it, Annette! >> tRump getting spanked over and over again, asking "please Sir, may I have another?"<< I can see him now, dropped trou bent over the ottoman, big white butt sticking up, whimpering for another and another and... On the one hand, warms my cockles that the big shitty baby's getting spanked. But *sigh* on the other hand, I couldn't be more repelled, sickened, disgusted, ashamed and humiliated as an American that THAT is our "president."
I think you hit the nail on the head, Annette -- It's Epstein that has Trump flummoxed. According to reports, Epstein got much of his money through Russia, so we can be absolutely sure that Putin has the dirt on Trump/Epstein. Senator Ron Wyden is pushing the investigation into Epstein's financials. I hope he's successful, but he is in the minority in the Senate.
I read it a while ago on Timothy Snyder’s (On Tyranny, On Freedom) recommendation. Very interesting and very frightening when thinking about tRump & the USA right now.
I'm reminded of Andy's column just before Trump was inaugurated the first time, where he said that George W. Bush was the happiest man on earth, because soon he'd no longer be America's worst president.
And Dan Quayle's hope that Palin would succeed him as the dumbest VP ever!
Can she spell “potatoe?”
Noe, I do think think so.
Potato & tomato. 🙂
I saw a meme during Trump 1.0. It was a photo of George W. with the caption. "Miss me yet?". And I thought, yeah, I do.
Yep, I remember my wife and I saying it's sad when you long for the days of George Bush.
mostly Molly Ivins...
Except the war criminal part.
Will Farrell impersonated Bush on SNL and he actually asked "Miss me yet?"
True, but at least Georgie had some heart.
Small and under-formed but there, as opposed to that Great Big Orange Stoopid.
And Cheney made up for it with no heart at all.
Exactly!!!
Maybe Georgie "had some heart", but he was dumb as a stump! He was Cheney's and Rumsfeld's useful idiot.
Dubya quote, "Even I wasn't dumb enough to vote for Trump!"
How prescient.
I'm thinking it's more like diarrhea of the mouth and dumb luck
And, as always, Andy was correct on every point.
Yep. Can't bet that designation.
She did have a good run but when you compare her to the competition she is just a minor leaguer. Donald and his band of scum are by far the dumbest group to ever set foot in Alaska.
According to NPR, "officials from the Trump administration left eight pages of information produced by the U.S. State Department in a public printer at the business center of an Alaskan hotel. The pages revealed potentially sensitive information about the August 15 meetings, including the names and phone numbers of three U.S. staff members and thirteen U.S. and Russian state leaders."
So, yeah. A new level of dumb has been achieved!
It’s nice to know that Little Marco has the same approach to security as Whiskey Pete Hegseth
Well, at least they didn't find the classified documents in a bathroom. You'd have to travel to Florida for that.
We need to call the Captain Cook and ask them to check their bathrooms!!
He wants to model a White House "ballroom" after the stolen documents room at his beach club. There's not a roomy enough space yet.
Good to read something that put a smile on my face this morning ☕ Thank you, Andy, great article this morning ☕ and will reStack ASAP 💯👍🤓
At least they didn't send them to the Russians on Telegram.
Yet. The operative word is "yet".
They may have used a more "high tech" method and faxed the documents to Moscow. 🤔
It was hard to click I "liked" this. If you know what I mean...
The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight has its guns pointed at Ukraine instead of Russia.
Pickled Pete Hegseth.
Remember Andy "Only the Best People"
Too bad they couldn't leave the Epstein files.
With that level of stupidity, they just might leave them somewhere.
EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN ect. ect.
Do NOT let this go!
AGREED 100%!
Jesus wept.
Lucifer wept as he stomped and steamed.
They must have been trained by Pete Kegsbreath!
Idiots
By mistake??? Or by someone with a whistle to blow?
My thought too!
I wish it were unbelievable.
Petey Hogsbreath was offended, because he has been working hard to maintain that title.
The drop in Alaska’s overall IQ was noticeable, but it was able to climb again after the Dump Team departed.
Could it be that some whistleblower did it deliberately? Oh, wait... Come to think of it, I do not believe anyone in this kakistocracy has the wit to do anything on purpose. Certainly not anything good, decent, or worthwhile.
Why didn't the numbskulls just put that info on billboards?
Perhaps a new category should be Dumbest and Most Destructive.
(With sub-categories for size of state/country and number of lives--per capita?--fucked up by Donald and his ilk.)
Already did that. They called it DOGE.
If it were just stupidity, it might be more tolerable than this combination of stupid, dishonest, and mean. And, I am reminded, evil.
Let’s not forget - she flung a lot of racist slurs at Obama in 2008, and continued to spew hate as a Tea Party icon. She was definitely an opening act for Trump.
The opening act for Trump was Reagan. He fooled us all with his personality but he truly led the dumb down of Republican politicians regardless of their prestigious degrees
He didn't fool us all. I traveled out of country quite a bit during Reagan's presidency. Reading US newspapers about him, and then reading overseas papers about him, was sort of like watching Fox and then MSNBC today. It was good to have my opinion of the man reinforced by the overseas papers
I lived in CA when he was governor, so I had a really good idea of how stupid he was before he was elected president. I disliked him from the get go, and it never got any better. He was always acting, there was never any substance. Just like trump.
As a fellow Californian, I feel your pain! (My college diploma bears his name. I keep it hidden in a drawer.)
You make me grateful that I graduated in 1966. I haven't looked at my diploma recently, but I'm betting that it has Pat Brown's name on it. I feel your pain, too - definitely worse than mine.
Never thought of it that way. The three stooges, Reagan, Bush and Trump. Yuk Yuk
That's nyuk nyuk nyuk to you, sir!
You're right! And how much better it appears in print:-)
Like gnocchi.
Don’t forget Nixon. Isn’t it odd. They were all Republicans.
And Newt Gingrich gave us our current Congress.
If they're going to burn books, they should start with his.
I remember my dad wouldn't let my mom buy 20 Mule Team borax products b/c of Ronnie's radical right wing screeds on Death Valley Days, the TV series. Last time I visited the cemetery I noticed Dad's grave looked like he'd been rolling over repeatedly.
us??? I met him at a convention of "educated" women who nearly swooned when he walked by. I was not impressed. He was just one more glamour boy who needed one more B-Role to add to his resume. He was not a good actor and he was not a good man. What was there to like? He had the personality of a stuffed bear. Americans are easily swayed by dyed hair and a twinkling eye.
After office he was winged to corporate speaking gigs where he mumbled about gerrymandering.
Andy, yes. But I think there are many more "openers" for the Felon that were considerably more powerful over the years, as you yourself have pointed out. I was not a particular fan of John McCain's politics, which were I think affected by the traumas he suffered during his imprisonment and so understandable even when I found them objectionable. But succumbing to the worst elements of his "party" and choosing Palin was without a doubt the worst choice he ever made.
Agreed. I really wanted to really like the guy, cuz after all, he was a rather decent human being on the planet... for the most part... But McCain was a BIG disappointment (under-statement) because -- and to me this was catastrophically worse than his stupid choice of Sarah Palin -- of his reprehensible selling out of the Western Apache tribes in AZ, primarily the San Carlos band, when he paved the way to allow Resolution Copper (mining company) the right to dig up and destroy their Oak Flats sacred tribal land where they have held religious ceremonies for countless generations.
There has been a decade-long ongoing battle to halt the mining project, which is (of course) supported by tRUMP and his rape & pillage policy, and it was just dealt a crippling blow at the end of May this year when the US Supreme Court "rejected a last-minute plea from Native Americans seeking to challenge a massive copper mining project in Arizona that would destroy a sacred site used for tribal ceremonies, a weighty dispute that pitted religious rights against business interests." (NBC news) "Gorsuch, known for his backing of Native Americans in other cases, said in a dissenting opinion that it was a 'grievous mistake' not to hear the challenge and suggested the court would have acted differently if the claim were brought by Christians. 'Just imagine if the government sought to demolish a historic cathedral on so questionable a chain of legal reasoning. I have no doubt that we would find that case worth our time,' he said. 'Faced with the government's plan to destroy an ancient site of tribal worship, we owe the Apaches no less.' "
So thanks, McCain, for this egregious bigoted blow to indigenous rights.
Religious rights only matter when Christianity is involved.
Sad but so true in predominantly Christian countries. The same is true for Muslims in predominantly Islamic countries. Etc. etc. and so forth...
Ain't humans grand?
Hey, Floof, I think God gave up when he saw that the
Flood didn't work.
sigh.
Ain't religion grand?? Without religion, there would be fewer wars, less hate, and maybe even decency and humanity.
And it’s a strange form of Christianity that ignores the basic teachings of Jesus.
An indigenous sachem in colonial Massachusetts who, when asked about colonists trying to convert his people to Christianity, reportedly said , “I think they should try it out for themselves first.”
when "Republican" Christianity is involved . . .
Floof, I was unaware of the copper mining situation, which is absolutely tragic--and also repeated of course throughout the areas where mineral rights desired or held by white men overruled "agreements" and "treaties" made between First Nations people and the USA. I lived in western NY State for almost 2 decades and the first oil wells were dug there on Seneca land, which was of course expropriated. And then 100 or so years later, the Democratic governor, Mario Cuomo, tried to force a nuclear waste dump on the same region, also impinging on Seneca land as well as on the impoverished white people living in the region. It was stopped but only because of a joint effort on the part of the locals and the Seneca. The carnage of Euro-American imperialism and its attendant dogmas of exceptionalism and patriarchy/manifest destiny have made it impossible even to imagine what the world might have been like had that malign soup not been part of the European mental "furniture" from the beginning.
European imperialism has devastated indigenous people all over the Americas. They are the cause of how nasty El Salvador is right now. It's sad that Europeans think that their ways are so much better than indigenous ways, when the latter clearly understand our planet so much better, and have taken great care of it before the Europeans arrived.
Not about Manifest Destiny for them -- it's about living in harmony with and giving due reverence to nature and their spirit-gods. "Right thinking" -- as in Buddhism, NOT "right" AS IN REPUGNICANISM. More in line with ancient Great Goddess worship, before that was trodden down and effectually wiped out by patriarchalism some eons ago. (Ca. between 2500 - 3500 years ago, I think it was, when war-mongering patriarchal tribes swept down from what is now the Northeastern European-Northwestern Asian steppes into the Mediterranean Sea areas and conquered and subjugated the peace-loving Goddess worshipping peoples who lived there).
Yes, all of this that you said so horribly, outrageously, disgustingly true. Breaks my heart. And I feel helpless to stop any of it. Not only did McCain fuck up royally, but Obama! Obama! Shameful disposition of the Standing Rock mess, siding with big oil over indigenous rights! I was shocked and sickened by that - he'd been something of a hero until then...
Religious rights or anyone’s rights for that matter. Consider the poor bastards that were in the way of Trumps golf & hotel deal in Vietnam. Generational land basically confiscated for Trump & family to build a gold clad disgusting mess of a resort. Ohh & what a coincidence almost no tariffs. This is supposed to be a lesson for the rest of the world of how to appease master. Stay tuned for Trump Gaza golf.
Karma better get working on that . . . ConOLD and the spawn of Satan need to be stopped (because a "come to Jesus" moment ain't gonna' happen)
God dam right you are Annette.
We should hear soon about the Donny hotel in Moscow (adjacent to the Kremlin), the DJT golf course and spa in Saint Petersburg (just across the avenue from the Hermitage) and the Crimea tRump Casino and Backroom for oligarchs. You can buy bibles, shoes, gold credit cards and Giuliani coffee at a sizable discount there.
Don't forget the steaks, water, and neckties.
I think you're right. That was no doubt part of the discussion in Alaska....give me Ukraine, Donald, and and I'll see that you finally get that Trump Moscow hotel we started talking about years ago. It's a sure bet!
EXACTLY !!!!!The felon said it would make a wonderful resort I heard him say it.
Floofie, I have been reading Wounded Knee by Heather Cox Richardson, and just finished Fresh Banana Leaves by Jessica Hernandez, which was about the importance of including indigenous people in decisions about their land. I had no idea McCain was that bad about disrespecting indigenous people. Thank you for the recent history lesson. I personally have gotten to the point where I wish I had a cultural background like the Native Americans, something with substance. Reading about them (my favorite author is a Native American) makes me realize how empty my life has been, culturally speaking.
McCain AND Obama. Shame on them both! And shame on all the presidents who allowed Leonard Peltier rot in fed prison for a hair under 50 years just to appease and placate the FBI who sabotaged Peltier's right to a fair trial just cuz they wanted to bag such an important target -- didn't matter that that Peltier did not commit the crimes of which he was accused (killing 2 FBI agents) and that there was exonerating evidence. The FBI wanted Peltier because he was an important leader in Indian Rights protests (yeah, now we say indigenous or First Nations), so they destroyed him and his rights, and all the presidents over those 50 long years acceded to the FBI's wishes and let it lie -- until Biden, who pardoned Peltier at the very last second, a mere 3 or so hours before tRUMP was sworn in. He could have pardoned Peltier at the beginning of his presidential term, but no. Well, Biden did not PARDON Peltier as he should have done, but basically let him out with an ankle monitor because of Peltier's poor health. Peltier was just glad to be able to live his last days at home in the open air on his native land. Anyway... so many grave and unconscionable injustices against indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and over the entire history of our country, so so many...
Louise Erdrich is a great native american author -- is she whom you're speaking of? I read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown way back when -- excellent book. Haven't yet read "Wounded Knee" by Heather Cox Richardson -- it's on my list.
Have you watched the documentary put out by Robert Redford re Leonard Peltier? Definitely worth a watch.
This stuff breaks my heart.
I just looked up Louise Erdrich, and am disappointed that she write fiction. I haven't read fiction in years (apart from re-reading House Made of Dawn), but I found one book that I would be willing to try. The reason I don't read fiction is that it always gets my adrenaline going, which I don't appreciate, given how much of my childhood resulted in adrenaline flow. It's not a positive for me.
Wow! Another history lesson. Thank you, Floofie. My favorite Native American author is N. Scott Momaday. He taught my Modern Continental Literature class at UC Santa Barbara in 1966. He was my first encounter with a Native American, and his class was the most memorable one I took as an undergraduate, even though it had nothing to do with my major. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, House Made of Dawn. I did not truly understand it when I read it originally, but did when I re-read it recently. One of my all-time favorite books is his The Way To Rainy Mountain. I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee way back when, and could probably afford to re-read it.
I will have to look into Louise Erdrich. The older I get, the more I appreciate Native Americans, and the music I really like to listen to these days is Native American flute music from R. Carlos Nakai.
The information about Leonard Peltier is so sad. I can't figure out why Native Americans have always been such a threat to Europeans. I think they have always been smart about caring for our planet, whereas Europeans see our planet in terms of resources and financial gain.
What is it called? I want to see it, Floof
Wow! Gorsuch dissented in a case against corporate America?!!? That's got to be a first! Usually, Gorsuch is the corporate shill.
I know, right? Color me shocked! And to top it off, another dissenter was -- get ready for this one -- Clarence Thomas! Whoa!
Gorsuch I always thought has been something of a mixed bag leaning heavily to the ugly right, but Thomas? Always thought he's pretty much just rotten. So double shock.
I remember that McCain wanted Sen. Joe Lieberman(D) as his VP, and was immensely frustrated that couldn't happen. During this emotional period he agreed to Sarah Palin, a hasty and ill-considered choice.
Both choices were stunts but as the senator observed she drew large crowds.
Joe Lieberman was a turn-coat. It was a relief that he did not become a VP nor a President. We do not get the very best when ability is secondary to Looks and Smarm.
agreed-he had become a caricature of himself by that point. Yet it WAS an intriguing idea, and I appreciated McCain's"maverick" intent. Also-it appears to be part of human nature to be influenced by looks and smarm. Just yesterday Trump insulted a Senator who disagreed with him by slamming his appearance (just a regular-looking guy, more normal than DJT or any family member). Sad.
It must be Trump's "smarm" that works for him because it's certainly not his looks!!
Steve Schmidt has a lot to say about McCain picking Palin. 🤔
During Trump's first term, Nicolle Wallace was attempting a mea culpa with Steve Schmidt over the fact that they were both participants in bringing about the disaster that is Trump. Steve Schmidt looked like he was about to stroke out at the thought and they had to go to commercial. If you recall, Wallace was senior advisor and top spokesperson for the McCain-Palin campaign.
Yes. Sadly the campaign’s pressure & chaos resulted in an “Any woman will do” moment. There were better choices.
I remember Bill Kristol and other GOP "thinkers" were enamored of Palin.
Enamored or was it just the tingling in their pants they were feeling from that idiot ?
Well, that is a distinct possibility...
I actually considered voting for McCain, but then Palin arrived, and my consideration was solved. 👎
Palin destroyed any chance of McCain being taken seriously.
Apparently, I had blocked that out. Thanks for reminding us all of what an outright wench she was(is).
Puh-leeeez! Wench is wa-a-a-ay too mild a euphemism!
Calling Palin a wench is an insult to Mummers everywhere! (Shoutout to anyone from the Philly area.)
Love those mummers. Sorry I had no idea that wench was a mummer thing.
Opening act for sure. What was McCane thinking??
Still a lightweight in the hard core scumbag Trump circus arena .
McCain wanted to be President. That is what he was thinking. He was not capable of vetting Palin. He listened to handlers, just like Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Trump. Mondale and Gore at least had brains and empathy.
Mary, Pretty sure nothing more than a lunch date with Sara would have sent McCane back to the team with at least a WTF are you kidding me ? Can’t blame it all on handlers I’m thinking. That’s more a Trump & Bush2 thing. I just can’t accept that their all puppets.
Just watching her RNC debut, i thought her so mean-spirited, I could never vote for her. And I lived in Anchorage at the time, considered her a below-average governor but not an idiot. Changed my mind very fast.
And now the entire Republican Party is "mean-spirited" and their voters love it. I'm with Gavin Newsom when he said Dems need to stop with the "holier-than-thou" attitude and start fighting fire with fire!
You forgot “evil.”
In my world evil & scumbag share the same zip code.
It’s as though they relish the cruelty of it all . Hey, GIVE THE DOG who liked fun too much AWAY!
Right, Susan. We’re all stupid. Trump is evil.
trump only did his brand a disservice. No one, not even the most dedicated MAGA supporter, could think he "won" against Putin. Glad Zelensky will be backed by other EU leaders. They must all stand together against Putin. Slava Ukraine
And he is so angry that no one is praising him for what he did in Alaska. His "win" was hearing that Putin repeated his fantasies to him ("the 2020 election was stolen", "I should get the Nobel Peace Prize", "Russia didn't meddle with the 2016 election"...) and he disgraced America to get those "reassurances" from his handler.
he's like a seven-year-old, counting to ten and expecting praise . . . he's way out of his league as a negotiator or world leader
or as a human being
Lately, I’ve started to squirm when he’s called a “leader.”
He’s a bully . period .
very true!
It should always be "Dear Leader".
Boy howdy, got that right!
Is there such a thing as the Appease Prize? New category just for t?
Yes! I'm glad Zelenskyy will have support with him. That ambush in February frosted my butt; not only was it petty and unpresidential, but it was also inhumane.
the worst kind of people kick someone when they’re down…but I’ll give Zelenskyy credit-he didn’t capitulate.
And Zelenskyy was the only one to emerge from that wretched debacle looking damn good! tRUMP and Vance clearly came off as the assholes that they are.
Rubio was worse after the Zelensky debacle. He is supposed to be Secretary of State, but he is the yappy little dog that bites ankles. The Democrats in the Senate ALL voted for Rubio to lead the State Department with honor. He was not capable and he knew it. He was not prepared and the Senators knew it. The Old Boys Club is spineless.
He did America's brand a disservice as well.
Every day Trump breathes does a disservice to America's brand.
Unfortunately, there are many more people who are doing a disservice to America, beginning with the writers of Project 2025 and the people who are carrying it out in break-neck speed. Trump is their useful idiot, keeping the spotlight off of them.
Putin's word is only slightly less trustworthy than Trump's and combined Ukraine and Europe would be well advised to steer clear of "understandings" with these two.
Al, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Putin's word is way less trustworthy than tRump's. He's a murderous dictator, and tRump hopes to be more like him (but he lacks the intelligence)
A matter of degree, not kind. What places Trump on a par with Putin is the desire to maintain the cloak of righteousness despite the sulphureous vapor.
agreed, Al . . . I'm sure Putin paints himself as the savior of his people as well (despite that sulphureous vapor)
You don't follow the White House Facebook page if you think there aren't MAGATS dumb enough to think Trump didn't totally crush Putin in Alaska! I highly suggest following it, it's become a meme fest of comic book posts from the WH that deserve the attention and ridicule of sharper minds. (And it's our patriotic duty, IMO, to participate.)
"not even the most dedicated MAGA supporter,"
Oh yes they do! Talked to one lately?
We have a MAGA troll at the bridge standouts (full disclosure: he doesn't seem very bright)...everything going wrong is because of Biden (what a busy dude! He's everywhere, fabricating Epstein files and helping Putin spin the Alaska meeting...) /s
Yes, isn't it remarkable how Biden didn't have the capacity to do anything but yet had the capacity to achieve so much at the same time? MAGA falls all over itself pointing fingers at others.
MAGA defends everything, no matter how bad. I constantly see them in the comments at the WSJ.
There are fish in Alaska smarter than either of the maga throwbacks,
Live fish, or ones that have been caught & are hanging dead?
for example, salmon die every forth year.
Yes.
Haha! Good answer!
It is said that Eskimos have numerous words for snow. I wonder how many words for idiot will be added to their language now.
For sale: Lightly used red carpet with a double cross stitch.
"double cross" stitch 😂😂😂
Clever!
<golf clap>
The Trump idiocracy is sadly the culmination of 50 years of Republican power. It started with Nixon and the racist, white supremacist Southern Strategy, reached epic proportions with Reagan, a mediocre actor and probably 2nd worst president ever (much worse than GW), who many otherwise intelligent people still think was a great leader, and now the logical extension of Reagan, a grifter circling dementia who doesn't even try to pretend to be competent.
History judges leaders.
Nero had a good run, even won every sport he entered in the Olympics including the race he didn’t finish because he fell off the chariot. He insisted that they include acting so he could win that one too. Tried to Make Rome Great Again by burning it down so he could rebuild it.
He is not only dead, they removed his name from the Olympics awards once he was gone. Even people who don’t remember much history remember him as being especially bad.
Trump isn’t the first … he won’t be the last. Just sorry we have to live through this nightmare of our time.
Well said!
A grifter circling dementia has no ability to pretend anything. That takes a presence of mind that has long since died in Trump's brain.
It's excruciating to endure the wait until dementia completly overtakes Trump, but that point is obviuosly closer every day.
Well said!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
And Newt Gingrich gave us our current Congress
Palin was a joke: Everyone should watch the movie Game Change. Palin was a thorn in The McCain campaign, driving her handler to quit. Find it streaming possibly still on HBO.
Also watch recount - about the Gore Bush election… it is fabulous, also may still be on HBO
I await the mockumentary of the trump years and his miserable demise… God needs to step in and smite the jerk bigly
Yes! I dream of the days when this shitshow is a distant memory!
And I dream of Noem, Bondi, Patel, Rubio, Kegseth, Parino, those responsible for project 2025, proud boys & ice, and so many others arrests & convictions; former Hague attorney Jack Smith 2.0 will get that done. But what to do with the Supreme Court???
Pack it to 15.
and immediately getting rid of Thomas and Alito would be a good start!
Having them sit by frustrated, by a cadre of sane colleagues, till they wither and die would be infinitely more satisfying.
Oh nasty man, works for me!!!
Even better!! Duct tape their mouths and handcuff their paws too!
Hey Al, how about locking them in RBG's former
chambers and making them listen to a loop of
1877 Kars for Kids?
Wish we could but... (see Al's response below)
I wish that were true Patty . But so much damage has been done and continues to be done to the U.S.A. that I don’t know if it will ever right itself .
Gotta disagree, Catherine. Not only can this floundering & foundering ship be righted, we could come out the better -- and far wiser -- for it. We now know the loopholes in the system as it currently stands that have allowed this egregious catastrophic shit show to unfold, and we can correct them to insure this never happens again. I'd personally start with finally getting rid of that antiquated and wholly unnecessary electoral college system. I mean, WTF, folks??? We're long past the galloping horse form of communication. Geez!!!
I agree with you on the Electoral College .yes ! I admire your optimism . I do hope the ship doesn’t end up like the Titanic .
Stay strong . Stay positive . 💪👍
Me, too (hope the ship doesn’t end up like the Titanic). But I do think we've got a great chance of turning things around if we do the tough slog and go the distance and make the changes.
I think hand-in-hand with dumping the wholly and long unnecessary electoral college system is overhauling how we vote -- cuz obviously it can be screwed with and some horrendous stoopid malevolent idiot could cheat his way into office. Hmm-m-m-m wonder who she's talking about?
Yes, I am afraid you are right!
💔
Her "handler" as I recall is now an MSNBC star
And other Stars on MSNBC are proud of the work they did speech-writing for GWBush. I assume Wallace wrote "Way to go Brownie"!
You had me until "God need to step in.." Sorry, either there is no God or he's the most impotent deity ever!
"I will build a bridge, and Russia will pay for it" .
Stupid is as stupid does.
Hey, that's my patented statement (stolen from my WWII Dad 🫶)!!! LOL 💙
Meanwhile a coalition representing bears, wolves, and ravens has gathered to discuss replacing humans as the apex predator in the state.
"It's clear that humans are hellbent on their own destruction and will take the rest of us with them. It's time that leadership with at least a modicum of survival instinct was in control," said Spokesraven Ragnar of the Anchorage Flock.
A totem pole could have stood in for Trump at that "summit" & been a more dignified presence.
I was thinking of zucchini…..
LOL . . . perhaps yam or pumpkin might better represent his disgusting face
Now now, don't insult the plant kingdom!
I was envisioning one of those immense zucchinis people leave on your porch in the middle of the night so you can’t refuse it. Now that is Trump-like.😂😂😂
Ai me! You quack me up! (And that's happened to me, BTW - the ginormous inedible zucchini dump & run - bastards!)
🤣😆😂😅
you're right . . . sorry, Floofie . . . plants, good . . . tRump . . . bad (and orange)
I don't know about that: Trump is a pretty serious predator.
I immediately thought of Sarah Palin and the SNL parody. Too bad, she wore the crown proudly for years . No contest for buffoonery crown, though.
Tina Fey’s imitation of her was some of the best comedy I’ve ever seen. I always looked forward to those skits. Such an innocent time compared to now.
“Vladimir, I’ll give you Alaska if you let me build a big and beautiful resort there that allows young ladies to entertain my VIPs. Not VP, VIPs - He’s too straight and narrow.”
“Very young ladies. Like your gymnastic wife was when you met her.”
oh to have been a fly on the wall during that meeting . . . tRump getting spanked over and over again, asking "please Sir, may I have another?" (and please don't release the files you hacked recently, they won't make me look too good)
Nailed it, Annette! >> tRump getting spanked over and over again, asking "please Sir, may I have another?"<< I can see him now, dropped trou bent over the ottoman, big white butt sticking up, whimpering for another and another and... On the one hand, warms my cockles that the big shitty baby's getting spanked. But *sigh* on the other hand, I couldn't be more repelled, sickened, disgusted, ashamed and humiliated as an American that THAT is our "president."
I think you hit the nail on the head, Annette -- It's Epstein that has Trump flummoxed. According to reports, Epstein got much of his money through Russia, so we can be absolutely sure that Putin has the dirt on Trump/Epstein. Senator Ron Wyden is pushing the investigation into Epstein's financials. I hope he's successful, but he is in the minority in the Senate.
Egads! Big time barf barf barf retch spew gag gag gag...
Vlad, “Just put in a nice big sofa for my VP”
Oh, isn't tRUMP thoughtful? Looking out for his bestie VP's couch fulfillment needs.
The reminder is welcome. I can only tell you that I am almost daily recommending "Strongmen." A very important book always.
Book club meeting tonight!
I read it a while ago on Timothy Snyder’s (On Tyranny, On Freedom) recommendation. Very interesting and very frightening when thinking about tRump & the USA right now.
I realized finally why I dig Borowitz so much….the perspective of time and history sets up his context like
A perfect sports shot every time 🤩
Thanks, Vanessa!
Right?! Every freaking time! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻