INTERNATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY UPDATES

The Wind May Not Bother You But That Damn Song Might

-President Biden will meet with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (SINO-R, CA) today to discuss budgetary issues. While the House will be able to have a say in a 2024 budget when it is scheduled to be debated and voted on in October, McCarthy’s “promise” to the UltraMAGA faction that controls him to shut the government down by refusing to pass an debt ceiling increase to pay bills that have already been spent (25% of which is debt accrued in the four years of Ex-President Trump’s term) will be pressed by a White House flat out refusing to negotiate any concessions to the House to do so. McCarthy is attempting to spin today’s meeting as some kind of concession/victory when it is simply a matter of everyday process, so expect some overheated rhetoric when the meeting ends …

-Speaking of Trump, he has an all-but-announced opponent for the 2024 GOP Presidential nomination – and it’s NOT Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL, man), who is too busy banning books and curricula that depict African-American history with reality (as Black History Month begins) and LGBTQI citizens as human – as well as a change in FL law that would allow him to run without resigning his Governorship – to make a formal announcement. No, the semi-official candidate is former SC Gov. Nikki Haley, who is expected to make a form declaration by February 15 (and who currently is polling at about 4% before Trump begins attacking him).

-Speaking of attacks, Trump has begun attacking DeSantis, calling him “disloyal” and that “(Trump)” “made” “Ron Desanctimonious” in a series of posts on Trump’s teetering social media site. DeSantis’ only responses have been … oblique … and some commentators are warning that if DeSantis does not begin more forceful pushbacks against the bullying and haranguing that helped Trump secure the nomination in 2016, the perception that DeSantis is just as soft as every other Trump opponent (looking at YOU, Ted Cruz!) could doom the candidate most upper-level Republicans pray will be the 2024 nomination – never mind the other open question of whether a man who has none of the charisma, less-than-average public speaking skills, and hardcore repressive and racist/sexist/genderist policies can attract a non-GOP voting base …

-Trump is also likely smarting from the release of video testimony from his Trump Organization trial in which his company was convicted for lying about financial disclosure statements. Recall that in 2016, Trump was fond of telling everyone that the only reason anyone would take the Fifth Amendment was if they were guilty – and why would you do that? Lo and behold, just before his testimony, Trump attempted to answer his own rhetorical question by verbally pouting about “his family” being “persecuted” by those awful bad evil NY prosecutors, so “to protect them” Trump said it was fine to plead the Fifth – which he does on the video, repeatedly and with all the energy of a depressed fat old man who gorged on McMuffins before having to testify at a court proceeding. (Sad!)

-More issues for “Rep.” “George Santos” (“R,” “NY”), as reports indicate McCarthy actually exuded a form of leadership by making “Santos” drop his committee assignments amid more and more reports of campaign finance issues that led to “Santos’” former treasurer resigning, leaving nobody to file critical reports with a looming deadline. McCarthy is dealing with a fear that should “Santos” resign (and 78% of voters in his district – including 71% of Republicans – want him to) the seat would be vulnerable to flipping to blue and eroding an already-paper thin GOP majority, as well as fears that there may be further revelations to make “Santos’” position even more tenuous …

-… or maybe McCarthy managed to be one of the first people to hear “Santos” singing karaoke. Yes, indeed, new clips have been found that feature our whoever-the-Hell-this-guy-is singing along to what this writer understands are two karaoke favorites: Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (sung as if it was a Journey-style power ballad) and the FROZEN favorite “Let It Go” (which will remind you that a song can be so overplayed you have a physical reaction to hearing it AGAIN, even years later) …

-So now that I’m not the only person with that in their head …

-On this date in 1790, the first session of the Supreme Court was called to order. On this date in 1884, the first dictionary – the Oxford Dictionary – was published. On this date in 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated while attempting to return to Earth, breaking up over TX and killing the seven astronauts on board. On this date in 2004, a “wardrobe malfunction” briefly exposed the breast (with pastie covering a nipple) of Janet Jackson (removed by Justin Timberlake) during a Super Bowl halftime show. And on this date in 2013, Netflix’ HOUSE OF CARDS premiered, heralding a revolution in television production and viewer consumption.

-Happy Birthday to John Ford, Clark Gable, Langston Hughes, S.J. Perelman, Muriel Spark, Stuart Whitman, Galway Kinnell, Boris Yeltsin, Don Everly, Garrett Morris, Sherman Hemsley, Del McCoury, Terry Jones, Rick James, Mike Campbell, Sonny Landreth, Billy Mumy, Exene Cervenka, Wade Wilson, Sherilyn Fenn, Lisa Marie Presley, Pauly Shore, Michael C. Hall, Antwan Andre “Big Boi” Patton, Jason Isbell, Ronda Rousey, Harry Styles, and Julia Garner.

-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Mary Shelley, Piet Mondrian, Buster Keaton, Hedda Hopper, John Vernon, Gian Carlo Menotti, Angelo Dundee, Don Cornelius, Ed Koch, Maximillian Schell, Wade Wilson, Andy Gill, and Dustin “Screech” Diamond.

-Feed the Worms: hate journalist Andrew Breitbart entered Earth on this date.