NATIONAL DONUT DAY UPDATES
One Of Those Days That Make You Go, "Isn't That EVERY Day?!"
-As the debt ceiling extension/budget bill sits on President Biden’s desk for his signature to end the threat by Republicans to bankrupt the country, the recriminations on the UltraMAGA side over what so-called moderate Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) called “being outsmarted by a man who can’t find his pants” (in reference to President Biden) roil. The pressure to get the bill passed appeared to get to Kevin McCarthy (SINO, CA), who on Wednesday night answered questions after the bill passed there in a voice at least one full octave above his normal voice, trying to argue with a straight face that the Democratic votes that he got “proved” that Democrats would vote for other GOP legislation in the weeks and months to come.
-The claim is, to put it kindly, dubious, given that his side is angered that the primary tool the GOP had – the debt ceiling – is now off the table for the duration of this Congress and the concessions agreed to amount to a shadow of the wish list of social safety net destruction that was the UltraMAGA budget wish list. It also does not bode well for McCarthy that for all his efforts, more Democrats voted for the White House-negotiated legislation than the GOP – and a motion to vacate that any UltraMAGA leader can bring hangs over McCarthy’s head.
-There is some question about who would trigger that motion, however. Two prominent UltraMAGA leaders – Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim “Gym” Jordan – both voted for the legislation, while a third, Lauren Boebert, was a no-show for the vote after decrying it on social media. That may lead any move to remove McCarthy at the head of Rep. Matt Gaetz (Hey GiRl, FL) who spent as much time guest hosting on Newsmax than he did voting. Keep the popcorn fresh!
-As for Biden, while speaking at the Air Force Academy yesterday, Biden tripped over a sandbag on the stage floor and fell. Biden was picked up and resumed the program without any incident or injury – but of COURSE you just KNEW that the SECOND the video was released, right-wing social media ERUPTED in cries for IMMEDIATE invocation of the 25thAmendment and “Dementia Joe!” and ageism … which makes the right’s previous caterwauling over how such an apparently decrepit and senile goat could still somehow outwit and outplay and outlast the whole of the GOP Congressional roster … funny, that …
-Speaking of old and decrepit leaders, Ex-President Trump spent the day in Iowa yesterday, decrying wokeism in the morning and then attacking the military for being too woke in the evening as Sean Hannity’s Fox News guest. Hannity simply sat quietly as the former President did what he do, rambling and lying (and not getting even nominal pushback) that included making incorrect statements about Afghanistan (NO, the US did NOT leave $85 billion in military materiel there – it was the Afghan’s property), casual China-phobia whataboutBidenism delivered in incoherent Trump Word Salad (“(Biden) had seven or eight boxes in Washington DC … nobody even speaks English in Chinatown … Chinatown – it’s very in favor of China”), talking about the danger of Iran a day after it was revealed he had a classified document about Iran he was not supposed to have (while continuing to invoke the Presidential Records Act, which he apparently interprets as, he was the President therefore those are his records) (uh, no), and again making everyone in the entire world know that “I got rid of Roe v. Wade!” (Oh, don’t worry – everyone knows THAT one, Donnie …)
-In social media news, the “head of trust and safety” on Twitter resigned after another rough week on the once-influential social media site. It appears the resignation may be most directly connected to the banning of a “documentary” by an anti-transsexual bigot named Matt Walsh, which may have crossed Twitter CEO and billionaire weirdo Elon Musk. Musk came under other criticism earlier in the week when he unbanned and amplified an account unabashedly pretending to be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – in which the account made it appear AOC was attracted to Musk (which, no). And all of this comes as a new valuation of Twitter shows it is now being valued at $15 billion – after Musk spent $44 billion for the company last year.
-Elon Musk – SOOPER-GEEENIUS!
-On this date in 1886, the only wedding of a President in the White House took place, with Grover Cleveland marrying Frances Folsom in the Blue Room. On this date in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was coronated. On this date in 1989, DEAD POETS SOCIETY premiered. On this date in 1997, Timothy McVeigh was convicted for committing the Oklahoma City terrorist attack. And on this date in 2002, THE WIRE premiered on HBO.
-Happy Birthday to Edward Elgar, Johnny Weissmuller, Tex Schramm, Milo O’Shea, Sally Kellerman, Gene Michael, Charlie Watts, Stacy Keach, Charles Haid, Garo Yepremian, Marvin Hamlisch, Jerry Mathers, Joanna Gleason, Gary Bettman, Craig Stadler, Dennis Haysbert, Dana Carvey, Kyle Petty, Wayne Brady, Kevin Feige, Zachary Quinto, A.J. Styles, Abby Wambach, and Awkwafina.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Lou Gehrig, Nile Kinnick Jr., George S. Kaufman, Leo Gorcey, Bruce McLaren, Jim Hutton, Andres Segovia, Rex Harrison, Imogene Coca, Joey Maxim, Fred Blassie, Bo Diddley, Mel Ferrer, Richard Dawson, Peter Sallis, and Wes Unseld.
-The Marquis de Sade entered Earth on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday or if he Feeds the Worms (and likes it!).
-The #1 movie in America on this date: in 2023, THE LITTLE MERMAID … in 2013, FAST & FURIOUS 6 … in 2003, FINDING NEMO … in 1993, CLIFFHANGER … in 1983, RETURN OF THE JEDI … and in 1973, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER.