- PZ Myers is awed as religionist Pat Robertson goes on air to urge us not to get too upset with Saudi Arabia. The alliance and jobs and money are most important. We shouldn’t be distracted by little details like the ghastly murder and grim dismemberment of a US employed journalist. You can see his point. Like PZ Myers asks: What would Jesus do? Go with the money, I suppose.
- President Trump works with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a cover story around the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Andy Borowitz reports on a growing international crisis as Vladimir Putin becomes increasingly incensed at the Saudis for using his puppet without permission. Not all satire makes us laugh.
- Our favorite Earth-Bound Misfit does a little research and remembers that our President’s concern with a presumption of innocent non-suspicion only applies to him and his friends.
- At The Moderate Voice Dr. Arif Ahmad suggests that Donald Trump missed a strategic political bet, way back when, by not following the path paved years ago by the leader of Pakistan. Has to do with accepting responsibility and moving on.
- M. Bouffant at Web of Evil watches as Fox News warns about the danger to new Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh of supernatural curses by witches.
- North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz objects when he is described only as anti-Trump. He points out that his opposition to my President is one result of all he is for.
- driftglass turns on the TV to watch a political debate and witnesses an accidental punchline.
- Iron Knee at Political Irony speculates, with reason, how Republicans would respond to a killer asteroid.
- Jack Jodell at The Saturday Afternoon Post reviews the sad direction of the country and assigns responsibility to deluded, gullible, low-information block of voters. Don’t mince words, Jack.
- Libertarian Michael A. LaFerrara at Principled Perspectives argues that any attempt to limit dark-money campaign financing is a vicious attack on free speech.
- Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson explains that, since irresponsible groups chant against individual conservatives in public, all non-conservative activists share a moral equivalence to actual mob violence. The headline is “The Democrats Want Mob Rule.” Could be an aberration. James often seems to know better.
- Meanwhile Vixen Strangely, at Strangely Blogged, considers a Republican club who wanted to hold a rally of sorts, and actually did invite notoriously violent thugs, who then went out and attacked pedestrians. I may have missed any mention of this incident by James Wigderson. In case we focus on just one instance, Vixen also points to a few more cases of right wing deadly violence. That would be deadly violence. For some reason, she does not proclaim that Republicans favor mob rule. An oversight, I suppose.
- Yellow Dog at Blue in the Bluegrass reports that Christine Blasey Ford is dodging deadly threats from conservatives. She may want to call James for advice.
- In The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser, atheist Bruce counts the ways he does and does not miss his days as a preacher.
- The Journal of Improbable Research finds a study on what personality types get along best with a variety of cats.
Turkish Source: Pompeo Hears Recording of Khashoggi Murder
From ABC News:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has heard an alleged audio recording of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a senior Turkish official.
Speaking exclusively and on condition of anonymity to ABC News, the official claimed the recording was played in meetings in Turkey on Wednesday, and that Pompeo was given a transcript of the recordings.
Separately, ABC News has also learned that Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate following a struggle that lasted eight minutes and that they believe he died of strangulation.
Deficit Monsters Rear Their Heads
From Green Eagle:
Once again, we are about to suffer another round of one of the biggest lies in history: the notion that Democrats and their social programs are responsible for the deficits that have plagued the country since Reagan took office. Since that time, it has been the deliberate attempt of Republicans to destroy social spending, and thieve the money to give to their sociopathic rich backers, thus accomplishing two purposes: enriching their billionaires enough to keep them providing the money to flood the country with propaganda which keeps the Republicans in office, and also to achieve a long time goal of Republicans, deliberately destroying Social Security and Medicare, the two greatest Democratic contributions to the well-being of the American people.
Political Activism Is Easier Than Ever
From Jonathan Bernstein:
Remarkable stories about Democrats raising money just keep coming in. Two more from Wednesday are worth noting, because they mark what looks like an important change in the nature of political activism.
In North Dakota, a Republican-backed plan threatened to discourage Native Americans from voting by requiring identification with a street address. Many reservations don’t use formal street addresses, so tribal identification cards often don’t include one. A local group was rushing to get new cards or other documents to everyone affected, and on Wednesday the liberal site Daily Kos got involved and raised $100,000 to cover the costs.
Then there’s a group called Data for Progress, which targeted a handful of state legislative seats that they calculated had the most potential to turn Republican-majority chambers into Democratic ones.
Dirty Tricks
From Infidel753:
With less than three weeks left before the election, we’re seeing the usual Republican dirty tricks in all their slimy glory — mass rejection of minority voter registrations in Georgia, a law blocking residents of Indian reservations from voting in North Dakota, and bullying like this. I’ve also seen a ramping-up of troll comments on left-wing news sites — deriding this or that Democratic candidate as not progressive enough to be worth voting for, trying to re-ignite the Hillary-vs-Bernie infighting from 2016, etc. Some of these commenters may be Russian or Republican trolls, some may be actual far-left ideological purists — but either way the practical effect is to help Republicans, and that’s all that matters. Expect to see more and more of all this between now and election day.
After polls began to foreshadow a blue wave, though, I started wondering if we’d see something bigger and nastier…
A Good Question
From Dave Dubya:
I have to thank a far Right Trump supporter for asking a simple question that needs to be answered, for the good of our country. The more Americans who ask this question, the sooner America can go back to making itself a greater democratic republic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Q:What law has President Trump broken while in office? Waiting.
A: Yes, we are waiting for justice to take its course. In addition to violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, multiple counts of obstruction of justice are the most obvious.
Tommie Smith/John Carlos!
From Max’s Dad:
50 years ago today, October 6th, 1968 at the Mexico City Olympics , two American heroes said no more. Tommie Smith and John Carlos said too the entire world, we won these medals for ourselves, not for a country that oppresses us.
50 years later, we realize that progress is dormant. NFL players kneel to protest cops killing unarmed black men and women and a conniving President runs the puppet show of gasbag patriots becoming outraged. As he always does, the Grifter in Chief changed the subject to convince dummies that the kneeling by NFL players has to do with the flag and veterans and disrespect for the law enforcement that kills their brothers and sisters with no consequences. As usual, the Liar in Chief is full of shit and his cultists are just plain dumb.
In 1968 the nation was outraged. Well, white people were.
ICE Agent Terrified At Separation From Team During Immigrant Raid
From The Onion:
“Where did everyone go? Guys, I’m really scared right now. Anyone? Bobby? Bobby, where are you?” said the frightened Borland, 41, who reportedly dashed through an apartment complex in a frantic effort to find his teammates and broke down in tears when he was unable to locate anyone he recognized. “Where did everyone go? Don’t leave me alone here, I’m so scared. These guys are like my family—what if I never see them again? Anyone? Please, someone, help me!”
Devin Nunes’ Hometown Paper Slams ‘Laughable’ Idea He Deserves Medal
From Tommy Christopher:
The same paper that endorsed Nunes for 16 years is now savaging him for protecting Trump.
Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-CA) hometown paper came down on him like a ton of bricks after Trump suggested giving Nunes a “very important medal” for his campaign to undermine the Russia investigation.
During an interview with “Fox & Friends” last week, Trump said that “Devin Nunes should get the Medal of Honor. What he’s gone through, and his bravery, he should get a very important medal.”
He then suggested a Medal of Freedom, since Nunes is a civilian.
The “Medal of Honor” comment drew condemnation from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a U.S. Army veteran who lost both her legs while serving in the Iraq War, and who eviscerated Trump for “insult(ing) real Medal of Honor recipients.”
Trump’s “Medal of Freedom” suggestion didn’t go over any better with his hometown paper’s editorial board. The Fresno Bee published a scathing editorial slamming the “laughable” idea.
Evangelicals and the Virtue of Sluttiness
From Gregory B. Gonzalez at MadMikesAmerica:
Last week, a friend forwarded me an article about why so many Evangelical women supported Brett Kavanaugh, new appointee to the Supreme Court and alleged sexual predator. In it, the author explained that it has to do with Evangelical purity culture and how women are browbeaten into submerging their sexuality and making them feel responsible for any sexual assaults that happen to them.
To say it enraged me is putting it lightly. I loathe religion in general, but I loathe Evangelicals in particular. They’re hypocritical, pious, and judgmental. They’re everything antithetical to what a christian should be.
Young female Evangelicals are taught to dress ‘modestly’, made to feel ashamed for their sexuality, and are blamed for any sexual assaults done to them, as if Evangelical men bear no responsibility whatsoever. If an assault occurs, it’s usually because men were ‘tempted’ or that a woman doesn’t submit to her husband.
Well, you know what I have to say to that?