NATIONAL DAY OF DIALOGUE UPDATES
Talk - But More Importantly, LISTEN!
-No update tomorrow, but on tomorrow's date in 2021, a mob instigated by Ex-President Trump XCI breached the halls of Congress and violently interrupted the count of electoral votes that enshrined Joe Biden's victory over Trump in the 2020 election. To mark that date today (date moved up due to a snowstorm forecast to hit the East Coast), Biden will travel to Valley Forge and point out to the country that the 2024 Presidential election is not only a likely rematch between the two older men (did you hear Biden is old? Did you? DID YOU!?!?!), but that the election is well and truly a choice between apple pie and baseball and democracy ... and Trump. The first official Biden 2024 ad was released yesterday re-enforcing what will be a dominant theme of Biden's re-election efforts.
-The effort seems to be necessary, as a Washington Post poll released yesterday shows a way-too-large 25% of those responding (the overwhelming majority of those Trump supporters) (duh!) believe that the FBI instigated the January 6 insurrection (they did not - Trump and his minions did), not to mention virtually all of the UltraMAGA House Republicans (led by 2020 election conspiracy theorist Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Jay-EE-Zuz!, LA) and certain GOP Senators (glares at Rafael Cruz, Josh "The Fister" Hawley, and Russian Senator Ron Johnson). Not to mention that Trump's two token rivals for the GOP nomination, Puddin' Ron DeSantis and Nimarata Nikki "Haley" Randhawa, are both promising to pardon Trump if they were to end up in the White House in 2025.
-And Trump? Well, Trump spent yesterday on social media fighting contradictory fights loudly and in a legally incompetent way, as usual. On social media, Trump charged that the January 6 Commission and thorn in his side if he can feel thorns through his fat Liz Cheney (R-Still a Cheney) did not forward Team Trump evidence compiled in their investigation into the dramatic hearings on the insurrection (a charge that, of course, is false). At the same time, Team Trump filed a motion in Federal Court demanding sanctions (including paying legal fees) (because billionaire successful bid-ness-men like Trump don't need others to pay their bills!) against Special Counsel Jack Smith for ... sending evidence to Team Trump, which Team Trump insists is a violation of Judge Tanya Chutkan's order to not do any work on Trump's January 6 trial until other courts rule on the Trump claim that Trumps can shoot anyone they want and get away with it because Presidency (the order was on other motions, not to continue to do the work of getting ready for the trial - but 'work' is a concept apparently somewhat alien to Trump). Busy man, that Trump.
-Although to be fair, Trump was also likely looking through two sets of lists released by a different court from one of Trump's BFFs, pedophile to the stars Jeffrey Epstein. Flight manifests released show at least seven flights and multiple mentions of Trump on them, along with other celebrities and politicians that include Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson, Alan Dershowitz, British Prince Andrew, and in the oddest mentions, Michael Jackson and Stephen Hawking.
-A group of UltraMAGAts in the U.S. House traveled to the Mexican border for a photo op attempting to show the 'danger' and 'out of control' situation at the border that the Biden Administration has allowed. At the same time, TX Rep. Troy Nehls announced that the House has no desire to attempt to deal with the problem because as Nehls put it, "I'm not willing to do to damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden's approval rating." The note - not the first such quote from a House MAGAt - appears to doom the continuing-to-be-negotiated deal on the Senate side that is attempting to yoke border security funding with desperately-needed aid for Ukraine (SLAVA UKRAINI!), though to MAGAts that's win-win since most of them openly cheer for Vladimir Putin to build power (including, reportedly, theirs). All of this as TX Gov. Greg Abbott is now using private jets to fly would-be immigrants - some wearing little more than flip-flops - to Midwestern cities and suburbs to continue to rail against Biden rather than engage the White House in actual solutions.
-Also in the House, Rep. James Comer (HunteR!, KY) announced he will task fellow UltraMAGAt Rep. Jim "Gym" Jordan (OtheR Way, OH) to begin contempt of Congress charges against That Worstest Person Evah, Hunter Biden (Dum dum dum!) for demanding a public hearing in response to their subpoena that Comer and Jordan refused, thereby placing Hunter in contempt of them. Whether Jordan will then place himself in contempt for his continued refusal to answer his subpoena from the January 6 Commission won't happen, of course - and The Unambiguously Corrupt Duo are also likely to ignore a report Democrats on Jordan's committee released yesterday that turns the table on their snipe hunt ...
-You see, the entire Hunter charade is built on the idea that Hunter has somehow helped the Biden family - and President Biden in particular - to benefit financially from political actions taken by Biden. But the Democratic report released yesterday showed that there was someone who apparently did personally financially benefit from being President to the tune of at least $7.8 million from 2017-19 - but as you can see by the dates, that person is NOT Biden ... but Trump. Wooooooomp Waaaaaaaamp!
-We'll wrap up today's update there. Take a peek at Biden's speech if you can!
-On this date in 1925, Nellie Taylor Ross became America's first female Governor (of Wyoming). On this date in 1933, construction on the Golden Gate Bridge began. On this date in 1945, Japanese pilots were ordered to sacrifice themselves and their planes in what were labeled "kamikaze" attacks (NOT prior to that date, please note). On this date in 1968, Alexander Dubcek becomes the ruler of Czechoslovakia and begins a short-lived attempt to liberalize Soviet-style rule via the "Prague Spring." And on this date in 1980, the first rap record hit the American Top 40 - appropriately, the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight."
-Notable premieres on this date: Babe Ruth becoming a New York Yankee (1920), the first static-free FM radio signal (1940), WAITING FOR GODOT (1953), GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, NJ (1973).
-Happy Birthday to King Gillette, Jeanne Dixon, George Reeves, Jane Wyman, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Sam Phillips, Walter Mondale, Alvin Ailey, Robert Duvall, Umberto Eco, Phil Ramone, Jim Otto, Michael O'Donoghue, Grady Thomas, Hayao Miyazaki, Diane Keaton, Mercury Morris, Ted Lange, Chris Stein, Pamela Sue Martin, Iris DeMent, Kate Schnellenbach, Bradley Cooper, January Jones, and Kristin Cavallari.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Catherine d'Medici, Ernest Shackleton, Calvin Coolidge, Amelia Earhart (appx.), George Washington Carver, Rogers Hornsby, Charles Mingus, Hans Conreid, Pete Maravich, Arthur Kennedy, Tip O'Neill, Sonny Bono, Jean Kerr, Tug McGraw, Don Carter, Elizabeth Swados, Pierre Boulez, and Jerry Van Dyke.
-Feed the Worms: Evil awful horrible terrible coaches Chuck Noll and Sam Wyche and MAGA-lite Governor Mike DeWine entered Earth on this date.
-Sketchy interviewer Charlie Rose and provocateur rocker Marilyn Manson were born on this date. You decide if they get Happy Birthdays or if they Feed the Worms.