Category: Uncategorized

* According to AP VoteCast, 37% of Trump voters wanted “complete and total upheaval.” Sobering—but hardly surprising, which is also sobering.

* U.S. officials have asked Congress for expanded powers to deal with drones. But, no, that doesn’t include Trump cabinet picks.

* Trump, as we know, was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year.” Reported runner-up: Luigi Mangione.

* Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are co-chairing the new “Department of Government Arrogance.”

* Speaking of Musk, his nickname among a lot of Dems is now “shadow president” and “co-president.” Wonder what JD Vance thinks?

* Still speaking of Musk, no surprise that he is backing Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party.

* Looks like the president-elect is turning Mar-a-Lago into a Trumpian Eagles Nest retreat.

* Trump has indicated that he would consider changing the name of Alaska’s tallest mountain—Denali–back to Mt. McKinley. Alaska natives are reportedly not pleased. No word on whether Mt. Palin would placate them.

* Trump: “I should be suing her (E. Jean Carroll) for defamation.”

* Yes, Trump is still interested in privatizing the U.S. Postal Service.

* Trump has warned the European Union that it must make up their trade deficit with the U.S.–such as by buying more oil and gas. “Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!”

* Trump: “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question.” Wonder what Jimmy Carter would think?

* BTW, Greenland is still not for sale.

* Trump: “We’re going to bring it back … People are not respecting our country very much and they gotta respect us a lot.” Whatever.

 

* “The bosom of America is open … to the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions.”–George Washington.

* “We highly commend his achievements.”–Chinese deputy U.N. ambassador Geng Shuang, on the passing of Jimmy Carter.

* “Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”–Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

* “This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil.”–New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.

* “Our schools and colleges have a responsibility to teach history for its own sake—as part of the intellectual equipment of civilized persons—and not to degrade history by allowing its contents to be dictated by pressure groups, whether political, economic, religious or ethnic.”–The late historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.

* “If life were fair, Elvis would be alive, and all the impersonators would be dead.”–Johnny Carson.

* “The notion that there is a simple partisan pattern to the health of the economy is an extension of the exaggerated politicization of our understanding of contemporary American life.”–Brian Riedl, the Manhattan Institute.

* “It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now.”–Matt Gaetz.

* “FEMA is not leading this show. We are leading this show here in the state of Florida.”–Gov. Ron DeSantis, on FEMA’s role in storm recovery.

* “We are happy to talk to the Rays at an appropriate time, but at this time we will remain respectful of the ongoing talks in Pinellas County.”–Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

Joe Biden, a good, decent man and a bulwark for liberal democracy, deserved better. From his first wife and daughter being killed in a car accident to his adult kid Beau dying of cancer to Hunter’s drug-driven run-ins with the law to his timing as a president who looked and acted like a man past his prime.

He wanted to “restore the soul of America.” Instead, he ironically enabled the comeback chances of the soulless Trump, the uninformed, authoritarian, nativist, misogynist grifter.

Biden championed the economy-mitigating, COVID-context $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the $1 trillion Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act and the $800 million Inflation reduction Act. He worked well with allies and revived NATO. GDP remains strong, unemployment is at a half-century low and inflation has gone from 9.1% in 2022 to 2.4% in September. It wasn’t, however, enough in an era of bumper-sticker ideology, MAGA magnetism and prices that nobody likes.

Biden was an influential senator for 36 years and a vice president for eight years. He wasn’t divisive. He knew the players—both domestic and international.

But a key turning point was 2016, when President Barack Obama backed Hillary Clinton—not VP Biden—as the Democrats’ next-up presidential nominee. While it’s true that empathy over the impact of Beau’s death played a role in Obama’s decision, the result was a mismanaged-and-James Comey-impacted campaign. It hurts to lose a win-able race on unforced errors.

When Biden took over in 2020, his prime, if not memories of his interactions with Anita Hill, was behind him. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was humiliating, optics from the border were unsettling and periodic, awkward lapses were embarrassing—ending with his regrettably lame debate performance and withdrawal from the race. And then the Hunter Biden pardon, which for all the understandable father-son empathy, hardly helped the Joe Biden image. “The most tragic figure in American politics in my lifetime,” underscored Democratic strategist James Carville.

Joe Biden’s legacy? He was well qualified and well regarded until he passed his prime. That’s like a lot of us. Only we’ve never been president.

 

A MAGA-enamored, fealty-first cabinet is a further guarantee of a third-rate administration. Maybe a secretary of vetting would have helped. A theme of retribution, including cherry-picking in Florida, has been playing out. Only one post-election surprise: Pam Bondi wasn’t named provost of Trump University.

 

If open carry ultimately passes in this Gunshine State, heads up for neo-Nazis and their proudly brandished guns. The public safety, common sense argument doesn’t register with that Reich wingnut crowd.

But there’s always hope. Perhaps the impact of awful, media-magnet optics and an inevitable, high-profile shooting on tourism will make a meaningful, legislative difference.

 

* Some politicians stand for the truth. As its replacement.

* Signage of the Times:

^ “I’m Fat—so Don’t Park Close!!!!! Have a Nice Day!”

^ “Beware of Smartphone Zombies.”

^ “This is a Private Sign. Please Do Not Read.”

^ “Never Mind the Dog. Beware the Owner.”

 

* Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, who has labeled Trump a “con man” and those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 as “unpatriotic,” “un-American” and “low lives,” more recently noted that “God protected President Trump” on the Pennsylvania assassination attempt. Who knew God was a Trumpster?

* Trump won Miami-Dade County by 11 points. Kamala Harris thus became the first Democratic presidential candidate to lose there since Michael Dukakis (who lost to George H.W. Bush) in 1988.

* Flori-duh update: Surgeon General Joseph LaDope-o checked another inexplicable healthcare box. He opposes fluoride in drinking water.

* The largest port in Florida is Port Tampa Bay. According to a report (by Martin and Associates), it generated more than $34 billion in economic value in 2023 to the Sunshine State. That included 35 million tons of cargo and 1.1 million cruise ship passengers. It’s also directly and indirectly responsible for nearly 200,000 jobs.

* Florida-based Spirit Airlines, the biggest U.S. budget airline, has filed for bankruptcy. protection.

 

* Other than faculty and students, everybody seems on board with changes to New College’s mission statement and core curriculum.

* “If we approve this, there’s going to be a war in South Tampa.”–That was Tampa City Councilman Bill Carlson, in reference to a vote to move forward with a major storm water system update in South Tampa, one that includes box culverts along residential streets and on South Howard Avenue.

* Community-police relations and transparency are civically and racially impactful. No surprise, then, that the Free State of Florida would prohibit municipalities from enforcing any ordinance related to civilian oversight of police-misconduct investigations. That, alas, includes Tampa’s Citizen Review Board. It’s imperfect, sure, but important, of course.

* The Onion bought Infowars—with plans to turn it into a parody of itself. Quite the challenge: Making a parody out of a parody.

* NBC News exit polls showed Trump won 55% support from Hispanic men. Whatever the cherry-picking, economic rationale and “anti-socialist” bumper stickers, how ironico that this president-elect is a belittling, nativist, anti-immigrant faux populist.

* “From my point of view, (X) has become basically unusable, overrun by bots, trolls, cranks and extremists.”–Paul Krugman, NYT.

* “Numerous politicians have seized absolute power and muzzled the press. Never in history has the press seized absolute power and muzzled the politicians.”–David Brinkley.

* Turkey-pardoning at the White House: beyond silly. SNL has enough Cold Opening material.

* Qatar officially withdrew from its role as mediator between Israel and Hamas. It cited frustration with both parties’ refusal to negotiate in good faith.

* According to the Council on foreign Relations website, “Puerto Rico is a political paradox: part of the United States but distinct from it, enjoying citizenship but lacking full political representation.” Puerto Rico recently voted (56%) to endorse statehood.

* The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of crimes against humanity. It is beyond ironic that an Israeli leader should be on the wrong side of genocide.