Friday, December 20, 2024

Phil Collins

Phil Collins admitted he isn’t the biggest fan of Genesis while looking back on his career as the band's drummer and later singer.

The 73-year-old was asked to summarize his life and times in the new documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, released by Drumeo and available below.

"I’m not Genesis’ biggest fan, you know,” he admits. “There’s stuff that I like, stuff I’m proud of – [but also] stuff that [I’m] less so. Sometimes it can be like people throwing bricks at you.”

I actually agree with him. Genesis has some good music but whether it's when Peter Gabriel fronted the band or when Phil did, the music was like The Kinks. Meaning, not bad, not embarrassing, some solid rock. But what Phil did solo and what Peter did solo? So much more interesting than what they did with Genesis.

And I know most people would probably give it up for Peter Gabriel. SO is a strong album. But in terms of body of work? I'd argue Phil's the one.

Peter Gabriel has SO as his classic album; however, I'd argue Phil has four classic albums -- FACE VALUE, HELLO I MUST BE GOING, NO JACKET REQUIRED and . . . BUT SERIOUSLY.

And Phil has two songs that I think are among the best 100 rock songs of the 20th century.

"Take A Look At Me Now" -- the theme to AGAINST ALL ODDS.

And Phil has "In The Air Tonight."

Now those aren't the only singles he has that I love; however, again, those are two songs that would make the best 100 rock songs of the 20th century. That's how good they are.

Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Friday, December 20, 2024. Donald Chump and his new fellow Elon work to wreck Christmas for millions of Americans as they demonstrate their incompetence, if Mike Johnson's in the closet is it a closet with glass walls, War Crimes in Iraq?, and much more.

MAGA only knows how to destroy. They represent the worst part of the Republican Party. Michael Williams and Leinz Vales (CNN) report this morning:

Shutdown looms: The US is just hours away from a government shutdown unless a funding plan is passed to avoid it. The House failed Thursday to pass a new Donald Trump-backed GOP proposal to fund the government into March, intensifying the threat of a shutdown ahead of the Friday night deadline.

• Debt limit suspension: The GOP inserted a two-year suspension of the debt limit into the legislation after the president-elect demanded that any deal also address the looming debt limit.

• Democrats firmly opposed: Nearly all Democrats and 38 Republicans voted against the new bill after Trump sank a bipartisan deal and Republicans scrambled to find a plan B. Ahead of the vote, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told members in a closed-door meeting, “I’m not just a no, I’m a hell no,” according to a source in the room.

Chris Stein and Fran Lawther (GUARDIAN) add:

By a vote of 174-235, the House of Representatives rejected a Trump-backed package, hastily assembled by Republican leaders after the president-elect and his billionaire ally Elon Musk scuttled a prior bipartisan deal.

Now lawmakers face a last-minute scramble to secure a new deal before the Friday night deadline – or all nonessential government functions will pause.

Thousands of federal government employees would be put on furlough, meaning that they are told not to report for work and go unpaid for the period of the shutdown, although their salaries are paid retroactively when it ends.

Other government workers who perform what are judged essential services, such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officials, continue to work but do not get paid until Congress acts to end the shutdown.

A shutdown just before the holiday season hits its peak, could be disastrous for millions of Americans.

MAGA smash. MAGA break.

They don't know to fix things and they don't know how to govern. Last night, on MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell explained how imbecile Donald Chump and non-American born Elon Musk destroyed and harmed the country.

Yesterday, Robert Reich noted:

Musk went on a daylong rampage yesterday against the continuing resolution drafted by House Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team to keep the government going.

Musk posted nearly nonstop on his social media platform X about how lawmakers must kill it. “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote in one post.

Musk — the richest person in the world — was joined in his posting spree by another billionaire, Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Trump asked to partner with Musk in an effort to slash government spending and reduce the federal budget deficit.

Republicans gauging support for the legislation said they were bleeding votes as a result of Musk’s barrage.

Then, after Musk spent the day telling Republicans not to support the bill, Trump weighed in against it, too. That put the bill on life support.

If this isn’t oligarchy, I don’t know what is.

You may not get access to services you depend on just before the holidays because an unelected billionaire shadow president wanted it that way.

A government shutdown right before Christmas. Do we realize how many people -- how many families -- that would harm. Chris Hayes notes:

Mainly, the drama just exposes MAGA.

It exposes them as an uncaring, anti-family mob that doesn't care if people are put out of work.

It exposes Chump as an idiot fool who has already been wounded in the public eye with each ridiculous nominee he has tried to push for his administration is exposed as a loser -- a big loser that's either a sociopath or a threat to national security.

It exposes apartheid boy Elon Musk as the non-American that the South African born racist truly is.

It exposes Mike Johnson and conversion therapy as a failure.

Conversion therapy was supposed to allow Mike to run with all the boys -- in a non-sexual way.

That's not happening.

This is Washington -- This is how -- uh -- lawmaking is done.

Did you catch that -- and his delivery of it --- and the way he coyly tried to be fetching with a head move - in Lawrence's video? If not, pay close attention to him in the MEDIASTOUCH NEWS video below.

Look at him in those photos. Grasp why Marjorie Taylor Greene's been whispering for over a year and a half that Mike's a closet case.

He certainly reads that way and that's the thing, MAGA notes the obvious. And MAGA -- for all its pretense -- isn't anti-gay. It's anti-equality. Those closet case MAGA men are lusting after one another in bondage and discipline fantasies.

Let's note this video about the protesting Mike Johnson.

Kat noted last night "MAGA a cult of closet cases" and that is so true. But it's not just the subs. It's the bullies. And they're going to pretend the straight the same as the timid Mike Johnsons. But they're going to get off on bullying.

And when you look at photos of Mike with other males, he really doesn't come off well. The others in the photos are comfortable in their skin. He never comes across that way. Instead, he always looks subservient to the other males. And bullies -- I assume straight bullies or gay bullies -- are like sharks and start to circle when they smell blood in the water.

MEDIASTOUCH is counting the days that they feel Mike Johnson has left as US House Speaker. Senator Rand Curly Locks Paul began calling yesterday for Elon Musk to replace Mike as Speaker of the House.

Chris Walker (TRUTHOUT) notes:

Lauding Musk’s actions against the bill, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) suggested on the social media site X (which Musk owns) that the billionaire should take over the speakership from Johnson.

The U.S. Constitution stipulates that the House of Representatives “shall choose their speaker and other officers.” But it doesn’t require a person to be a duly-elected member of the House before becoming speaker.

If Republicans move forward with this plan, it will be the first time ever that a speaker of the House was not also a representative within the House.

“The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,” Paul said, adding that he believes Musk would be a good choice to “disrupt the swamp.”

Far right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) agreed with Paul’s assessment, saying she could “be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House.”

No one took Mike seriously. Again, Marjorie's been calling him a closet case for over a year and a half now. Markwayne, what's his name, the one from Oklahoma compares Mike to a KING OF THE HILL episode where the Cowboys play the Saints. But the one in the episode that Markwayne and others compare Mike Johnson to is Gilbert Dauterive.

They giggle and they laugh at him. Not the Democrats, mind you, but his own MAGA 'peers' mock him and laugh at him. And the world recognizes him for what he is.

As for Elon, Ruth noted:

We all get that Elon Musk is not an American citizen, right? He was born in South Africa and loved living there until the end of apartheid meant Black people had rights so that is when Mr. Musk fled. He should have gone to his mother birth country of Canada. Instead, he came here on a visa that did not allow him to work so he worked as an undocumented worker -- something he says is "breaking the law" when other people do that.

Because he can buy so much, he thought he could buy citizenship here and we were corrupt enough to let him. So he has three citizenships. He is a third American. On the trashiest side of our family, you can be sure.

Now he appears to think he is the president of the United States. Miles Klee (ROLLING STONE) reports:

Elon Musk, self-described "First Buddy" of President-elect Donald Trump, went all out to thwart a last-minute funding deal to avert a government shutdown. The move was a direct challenge to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who rolled out the sweeping plan on Tuesday night.

Now, it appears Musk has successfully killed the stopgap measure in its cradle - before it was even brought to a vote.

In a manic posting spree on Wednesday, the world's richest man bombarded his platform X, formerly Twitter, with attacks on a proposed funding bill, which would've kept the government funded through March 14 and had bipartisan support. He also amplified misinformation about what's in the 1,500-page bill - as did his non-governmental commission, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is recommending cuts to government spending and regulations to the incoming Trump administration.

Trump himself signaled Wednesday that he opposes the resolution, according to a joint statement shared by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. Various hard-right GOP representatives also vowed to vote against it. Should Johnson fail to get a spending plan passed by Dec. 20, the federal government will enter a partial shutdown ahead of the holidays. But that apparently sounded ideal to Musk and his social media clique.

All of this happens as the American people watch. All of this unfolds and we're reminded yet again what a chump Trump is.

Chump and The MAGA Cult are making fools of themselves as the American people watch. Danielle Moody's right that this is just time to watch the nutty idiots. In fact, it's hard to believe that Stan wrote "A new daytime soap opera" this week and was not talking about THE DONALD CHUMP SHOW (Stan was covering CBS' upcoming BEYOND THE GATE).

David McAfee (RAW STORY) explains that The Idiot Chump can't grasp how bad this looks for him:

Donald Trump on Friday welcomed a potential shutdown of the government before he takes office.

Trump risked a shutdown when he pressured GOP lawmakers to reject a bipartisan spending deal, which resulted in a second deal which died after being rejected by almost all Democrats and some Republicans.

Trump has already tried shifting blame for the result over to President Joe Biden.

We'll wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

“DoD has repeatedly misled the public about what has come to be known as the Haditha Massacre.”

New photos from the scene reveal Iraqi civilians killed in their homes by U.S. Marines; Marine Corps Commandant bragged about keeping photos secret.

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter requesting the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General investigate reports that the DoD mishandled a case involving U.S. Marines killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq, and DoD’s continued efforts to cover up the alleged war crimes.

In November 2005, as U.S. Marines patrolled the Iraqi town of Haditha, an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded, striking their convoy, killing one Marine and injuring two others. Immediately after the explosion, eight Marines moved through nearby Iraqi homes to pursue what they described as “the continuing threat” and “armed terrorists who fled the IED site.” Afterwards, the Marine Corps failed to conduct an investigation until three months after the incident, violating then-existing policy and law that required prompt reporting and thorough investigation.

A recent New Yorker story revealed several disturbing photos of Iraqi civilians, including women and children, who appear to have been killed in their homes by U.S. Marines. The graphic photos from that day appear to reveal a much more sinister, deliberate, and cruel execution of civilians, and not the accidental chaos and misidentification of civilians described as armed combatants in previous reports. General Michael Hagee, the Marine Corps Commandant at the time of the Haditha killings, “bragged about keeping the Haditha photos secret.”

“We seek to understand whether DoD improperly withheld information from the public regarding this incident, and whether current DoD processes can ensure timely and complete investigations in response to reported instances of civilian harm,” wrote the lawmakers.

In 2013, the Defense Legal Policy Board reviewed investigations into civilian deaths and prosecutions of DoD personnel accused of war crimes and published a report on military justice in combat zones, which provided several recommendations on how to improve and increase training at all levels and make other institutional corrections. Specifically, the review called for the appointment of a joint commander to “have a central role in the administration of military justice in a theater of operations” who is “ultimately responsible for the conduct of his force,” including “all forces, from every service.”

Yet, even after that report, senior DoD leadership appeared to continue to cover up evidence of the massacre. Following the Haditha killings, the DoD denied New Yorker reporters’ Freedom of Information Act requests for DoD records of alleged war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11, 2001. The DoD also claimed it would not release the photographs due to concerns about the surviving family members of the Iraqis killed that day, even though those same family members ultimately assisted the New Yorker in obtaining and finally publishing them.

“We expect and require the U.S. military to uphold the law, rules, and ethics code that service members swear to obey,” continued the lawmakers. “Ensuring fair and swift justice for any violations of the rules of war supports good order and discipline in the armed forces while also building trust with the American people and the international community.”

The 2013 DoD review included several recommendations for changes to DoD’s policy on military justice for war zone investigations. The lawmakers seek to understand DoD’s implementation of the 2013 recommended policy changes, DoD’s current practices to investigate and report civilian harm, and whether they are equipped to better hold military personnel accountable.

The lawmakers are requesting answers by December 30, 2024.

###

The following sites updated:

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Let's hear it for . . .

Let's here it for . . . the . . . Bey! Caché McClay (USA TODAY) reports:

Beyoncé has reached another huge milestone in her career, earning the most RIAA certified titles of all time by any female artist.

The Recording Industry Association of America announced Tuesday that the 32-time-Grammy Award winner has now topped the chart with a total of 103 certifications across her albums and singles.

[, , ,]

The RIAA's Gold & Platinum program was originally created to honor artists and track sound recording sales. Now, it has become the premier program to celebrate achievements within the music industry. It recognizes artists who meet rigorous standards based on sales and streaming with gold (500,000 units), platinum (1 million units) or diamond certifications (10 million units).

Beyoncé's extensive list of RIAA recognitions includes seven-times platinum status for her debut solo album "Dangerously in Love" as well as her project "I Am Sasha Fierce." Her "4" and "Lemonade" albums both have reached four-times platinum status while "B'Day" reached five-times platinum, and her self-titled album reached six-times platinum status.

Her 2022 album “Renaissance" has reached two-times platinum status.

In other Beyonce news, Chelsey Sanche (HARPER'S BAZAAR) reports:

To the world, Beyoncé is the pop star of the century—but, at home, she’s also a proud mom.

In a rare interview for Disney Studios with 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, Beyoncé takes us behind-the-scenes as the two provide their voice acting skills for Mufasa, the live-action prequel for The Lion King. Beyoncé reprises her role as lioness Nala, while Blue makes her feature film debut as Kiara, Nala and Simba’s daughter.

“We’re here today recording The Lion King,” Beyoncé says at the start of the video while sitting next to Blue.

“If I told my younger self that I was in a movie, I’d never believe myself,” Blue says.

Beyoncé then tells her eldest child, “Well, you are, girl. You are.” The singer adds, “Seeing Blue as Kiara and hearing her voice come out of that character... It was really hard to focus and do my job after that. I was like, ‘Wait, hold up guys. Y’all gotta give me a second. I have to digest that.’ I’m so proud of her.”

Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Tuesday, December 18, 2024. Elon Musk is a security risk to the United States and Trump needs to break with him, the geritocracy is harming Congress, more news of Pete Hegseth's drunken misadventures, and much more.

Wondering why pudgy racist Elon Musk can't stop humping Satan's leg? It's embarrassing the two look like they need to get a room. Yesterday, Kirsten GrindEric Lipton and Sheera Frenkel (NEW YORK TIMES) reported:

Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, have repeatedly failed to comply with federal reporting protocols aimed at protecting state secrets, including by not providing some details of his meetings with foreign leaders, according to people with knowledge of the company and internal documents.

Concerns about the reporting practices — and particularly about Mr. Musk, who is SpaceX’s chief executive — have triggered at least three federal reviews, eight people with knowledge of the efforts said. The Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General opened a review into the matter this year, and the Air Force and the Pentagon’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security separately initiated reviews last month.

The Air Force also recently denied Mr. Musk a high-level security access, citing potential security risks associated with the billionaire. Several allied nations, including Israel, have also expressed concerns that he could share sensitive data with others, according to defense officials.

Internally, SpaceX has a team that is expected to ensure compliance with the government’s national security rules. Some of those employees have complained to the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General and other agencies about the lax reporting, which goes back to at least 2021, four people with knowledge of the company said. SpaceX was awarded at least $10 billion in federal contracts with the Pentagon and NASA from 2019 to 2023, making it a major contractor.

And now we have our answer. Lawrence O'Donnell covered this development last night on MSNBC.

Now you know why Elon stays with his body pressed against Satan's -- he's trying to learn things that he can't otherwise -- national security things.

Elon Musk is not an American citizen. He was born in South Africa to a man from South Africa and to a woman born in Canada whose family moved to South Africa and where she chose to make a life for herself when she became an adult. Elon was happy racist in South Africa. But the brutal system of apartheid was coming to an end, Black people in South Africa would be free and this was so frightening to Elon that he fled South Africa.

The racist should not have been given US citizenship. He has divided loyalties. And, as he demonstrated with China (among others), he's happy to take the dictates of other governments and curry their favor.

He never should have been allowed to become a US citizen (I do not believe in dual nationality).

He also should have never gotten a security clearance.

The rules on drug usage? This was all explained to him ahead of time. He stated he could abide by the rules and regulations to receive a national security clearance.

He gave his word.

His word is now meaningless because we know he didn't keep his word.

It's time to cut off his government contracts, it's time to cut of his clearance and it's time for Trump to decide whether he (Trump) is an American or not? Because if he believes even 1% in this country, he would not be hanging out with a security risk.

Now we were warned in the lead up to the general election that Trump himself was a risk. We were told that all it took was flattery and some foreign leader could lead Trump around by the ring in his nose.

Elon flatters and gets to come along, he's the new Miss Sassy having overtaken JD Vance. Donald's boymance (don't call it a "bromance" -- neither of those weak fatties qualifies as a "bro") is putting the country at risk.

Trump needs to erect a wall between himself and Elon immediately. It needs to be public and it needs to reassure the country that South African born Elon Musk is not controlling Trump, is not learning secrets from Trump and is not in any way running the government.

It's time to kick him out of his non-existent post.

If Trump can't do that? I wouldn't be surprised. But I would hope everyone watching his refusal would grasp how Trump cannot put this country first.

He is a laughing stock around the world and he's not even been sworn in.

Richard Blumenthal is an embarrassment. Sucking up to Elon -- he's no different than Trump at this point. The disgraceful also includes Senator Bernie Sanders and TV comic Jon Stewart (see "Media: An idiot says he'll sue over art evaluation, two other idiots defend Trump's nominees") who not only praised Elon (and Robert Kennedy Junior) but also whined on air about people calling them out for their fawning.

There was no reason to praise Elon.

But the know-nothings did anyway and, oops, turns out now we see how they truly know nothing.

The left does not advance or pimp odious people in order to look 'fair.' Suck ups do. And what Bernie and Richard and Jon have done is just as disgusting as Mika and Joe bowing and scraping before Trump.

Senator Elizabeth Warren's office issued the following:

“Mr. Musk’s substantial private interests present a massive conflict of interest with the role he has taken on as your ‘unofficial co-president.’”

“Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country—or merely good for his own bottom line.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to President-Elect Trump with concerns about Elon Musk’s conflicts of interest as he serves as a top advisor for the incoming president.

In the weeks since the election, Mr. Musk has been named the co-chair of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, and has frequently been by Trump’s side, joining his phone calls with Ukraine’s president, “[met] secretly" with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.

“But Mr. Musk is no ordinary citizen,” wrote Senator Warren, pointing out that he is the CEO of several companies that have significant interests before the federal government.

“Mr. Musk’s substantial private interests present a massive conflict of interest with the role he has taken on as your ‘unofficial co-president,’” continued Senator Warren. “Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country—or merely good for his own bottom line.”

SpaceX, Tesla, and Mr. Musk’s other companies have an ongoing interest in how the government does or does not enforce labor laws, workplace safety rules, environmental regulations, and other federal laws. Additionally, his companies have been the subject of at least 20 recent investigations or reviews, creating adversarial and significant entanglements with federal regulators.

For example, Mr. Musk’s automobile company, Tesla, has obtained nearly $42 million in government contracts to provide electric vehicles (EVs) and services to the government. The government indirectly subsidizes the company and its competitors via a $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Similarly, SpaceX, Mr. Musk’s rocket company, has received nearly $20 billion in government contracts, providing crucial rocket launches.

Indeed, Mr. Musk has already benefitted substantially from President-elect Trump’s victory: in the five days after the election, Tesla’s stock surge alone increased Mr. Musk’s fortune by $70 billion.

“Federal law contains ethics rules for government employees that are specifically designed to protect the public from dangerous conflicts of interest and ensure that government employees are working on behalf of the public interest rather than twisting government policy to line their own pockets,” continued the senator. “As a member of the transition team, Mr. Musk is not a federal employee, but the conflicts he faces are enormous and the need for him to be subject to similar ethics standards is obvious.”

On November 27, 2024, the Trump transition team released its Transition Team Ethics Plan, which outlines that “transition team members will avoid both actual and apparent conflicts of interest,” including financial interests of their “organization with which they have a business or close personal relationship.” Mr. Musk appears to be playing an influential role in the transition, especially as a key adviser to Trump and a high-profile policymaker in his role as co-chair of the DOGE Committee.

“He should be held to the ethics standards that you have established for your transition team and should provide clarity about his role and his activities in order to reassure the American public that he is working solely on their behalf and not using his role in the transition as an opportunity to fatten his own wallet,” concluded Senator Warren.

Senator Warren is requesting Trump’s transition team provide answers to her questions no later than December 23, 2024.

###

See, that's what you do. You don't fawn over Elon -- the way Blumenthal, Sanders, Stewart and Ro Khanna keep doing. No, you call him out.

I-I-I-uh-uh-uh didn't know!

You damn well knew. You're a whore for money like far too many people in your demographic.

There's a reason one of THE BIBLE's best known verses is Matthew 19:24, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

You tossed that out, you tossed aside common sense, you tossed aside basic principles and you decided to normalize and promote Elon Musk.

You should all be ashamed.

Let's turn to the disaster that is Pete Hegseth. Satan wants him to be Secretary of Defense. This despite the fact that he is not qualified for the job. He has no experience in running anything (the two veterans organizations that he was run out of make that especially clear). He apparently assaulted a woman -- who his lawyer says should come forward knowing full well that the woman had to sign an NDA. His actions at the veterans organizations were text book harassment. He is touring the Senate with his bodyguard -- a man guilty of beating a civilian. None of this says, "Secretary of Defense!" It's all a shame and an embarrassment only made worse by his sending his Mommy out to defend him. Little middle-aged boy who can't fight his own battles sends Mommy to fight them for him.

As Lawrence O'Donnell noted in the video at the start of the snapshot, Pete also has a drinking problem. But, he promises, if he is made Secretary of Defense, he will stop drinking.

JD Wolf (MTN) reports:

Fox News promoted the controversial 2023 New Years clip featuring Fox News host and Trump Defense nominee Pete Hegseth drinking champagne directly from the bottle before being dunked into a tank full of the alcoholic beverage.

The clip, which was recently resurfaced by MeidasTouch, was originally shared by Fox News on their official website and Facebook page.

A few comments left on the Fox News Facebook page called the New Years Special, a “letdown” and “not family friendly.”

In a second report, Wolf notes:

Pete Hegseth, Trump's Department of Defense nominee, is currently fighting against allegations that he has been drinking on the job and that co-workers at Fox News were concerned that he has a drinking problem. NBC News reported that, "ten current and former Fox employees say Trump’s pick for defense secretary drank in ways that concerned his co-workers."

NBC News said Fox News colleagues "smelled alcohol on him before he went on air" and "heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set." NBC News stated that "one of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month."

Changing topics, yesterday Patrick Svitek, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Alec Dent (WASHINGTON POST) reported:

House Democrats are on the verge of changing out some of their top committee members, a reflection of the generational change some have wanted to see as the party gears up for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.

The caucus is set to vote today on new leaders for three important committees where the dynamic is playing out.

“In the run-up to the vote, younger lawmakers challenged ranking Democratic members who have led their committees for years,” our colleague Marianna Sotomayor writes. “These challengers and their allies appear less concerned with seniority and more willing to nudge out elder statesmen to make sure they have the sharpest leaders in place to take on President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda and tussle with House Republican chairmen.”

The highest-profile example is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s race against Rep. Gerry Connolly (Virginia) for the top Democratic slot on the House Oversight Committee. The powerful House Democratic Steering Committee backed Connolly on Monday, but Ocasio-Cortez (New York) is hoping to pull off an upset.

At 35, Ocasio-Cortez is less than half of Connolly’s age.

House Democrats will also decide whether to follow the Steering Committee recommendation to install Rep. Angie Craig (Minnesota) as the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. The committee selected Craig, 52, over the current ranking Democrat, Rep. David Scott (Georgia), 79, and another challenger, Rep. Jim Costa (California), 72.

AOC did not get the post. Cry baby Connolly did. "Cry baby"? I covered way too many hearings that Connolly was a part of. He cries constantly and that goes back a decade. So there should have been concern about putting a cry baby in charge of Oversight. The slot should have gone to AOC. The party remains unable to move forward in the House.

Henry J. Gomez (NBC NEWS) notes:

Fresh off a comfortable re-election victory in 2018, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, considered running for president on a populist message aimed at the many working-class Midwest voters who had fled the Democratic Party in favor of Donald Trump.

Brown passed on the White House campaign. Now, six years later, he is soon to be unemployed, having recently lost his bid for a fourth Senate term. It will be the first time since 1992 — and only the second time since 1974 — that he will not hold an elected office.

Trump, meanwhile, will return to the presidency next month, and the existential challenges are already roaring back for Brown and the Democrats. The challenges ring true to Brown, 72, who has been warning about them for years. And, despite his defeat, Brown’s perch in a part of the country where Democrats are a tarnished brand presents him with the opportunity to have a vocal role in the party if he wants one.

In a recent interview with NBC News, Brown talked like someone who does. He spoke of a “post-Senate mission” to reorient Democrats as the “party of workers” in Middle America. He also revealed that he has received calls from people encouraging him to run for chair of the Democratic National Committee, though he added that the position does not interest him.

“Being the national chair, you have a platform,” Brown said. “You also have to run an organization with 50 state chairs. … I don’t want to spend my time on an airplane raising money.”

But Brown’s post-Senate mission could lead him back to the Senate. He left the door open to running for office again in 2026, when Ohio will hold a special election to fill the remainder of Vice President-elect JD Vance’s term. Brown also noticeably described the final remarks he delivered in the Senate on Tuesday as his “last” speech — not a “farewell,” as such addresses from outgoing senators are commonly known.

Should Sherrod run for the Senate again? It's an open seat and right now he would be the big name. Last November, he lost by approximately 5%. Factor in that it was presidential election year. If Ohio Democrats want to rally behind him, it would make sense for him to run for the seat. He's 72, normally that would mean a six year term with him being 80 when he completed it. However, this would be a special election so there would be a different rule: "If Brown does run and wins the special election in 2026, he will have to run again in 2028 for a full term. In 2028, Brown’s fellow Ohioan Vance will likely be at the top of the GOP presidential ticket."

I'm not in Ohio, the people there will need to determine whether or not Brown should run again. I find him to have more common sense and knowledge than probably 90 members currently serving in the Senate. I have no ill will towards him and believe he makes a sincere effort to address the problems facing our country.

But does it make sense to invest all the time and energy required -- I'm referring to the Democratic Party, does it make sense of them to invest all the time and energy required to win the seat for someone of that age? Maybe if they don't have anyone ready for a statewide race.

That's the state issue but it should probably be something we discuss nationally. Where do we want resources to go? What type of candidates do we want to run? This goes far beyond radical-left-center left and centrist. It's about the future of the Democratic Party and you don't influence anything by waiting until primaries to start debating what's required, what's needed and how do we reach that point?

That's what's at stake and I hope Sam Seder's making that point in the video below -- the title indicates it is.

You build a party or you paralyze it. And it's past time for more and more reigns to be handed over in Congress. I don't know if people grasp this but the Baby Boom has held onto power. Yes, a few dropplings are being passed on due to rightful complaints. Grasp that Gen X did not get handed the reigns. The Baby Boom refused to do so. They should have done it a long time ago.

We need to see a serious shake up in the House and in the Senate.

And we need to see it now. In 2028, most people are going to be sick of geritocracy -- my prediction -- as a result of Satan Trump's incompetence.

Aaron Blake (WASHINGTON POST) reports:

Few policy proposals were as central to President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign pitch as tariffs. When asked about his economic policy, Trump almost always fell back on tariffs as a shorthand for his vision. Details were scarce elsewhere, but huge tariffs were ever-present.

“The most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariff,’ and it’s my favorite word,” he told the Economic Club of Chicago in October. It showed. And the idea seemed to be relatively popular, if not overwhelmingly so.

But there was always a major question about how much that support would hold up over time. Trump, after all, falsely pitched tariffs as taxes paid by other countries — they’re actually taxes on imports that are paid by U.S. consumers — and voters didn’t seem to understand their inflationary potential. Polls generally showed a minority of Americans were able to pick the right definition of a tariff; Republicans overwhelmingly subscribed to Trump’s incorrect framing.

And sure enough, as the reality of Trump’s proposed tariffs approaches, Americans appear to be registering more concern.

Recent polling suggests Americans have begun to understand — and agree — that Trump’s tariffs could drive their prices up. And overall support for Trump’s specific tariffs appears to have cooled. What support does exist seems to be only a few inches deep.

Four years of old man Satan's incompetence and you're going to see a desire for real change and push to move away from the geritocracy.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Murray, Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce NDAA Amendment to Protect Military Parents’ Right to Health Care for Their Kids

House-passed NDAA included a ban on health care for transgender kids, stripping servicemembers of parental rights to make health care decisions for their children

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 19 other Senators to introduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2025 to remove language that would strip away servicemembers’ parental rights to access medically necessary health care for their transgender children.

The U.S. House of Representatives-passed NDAA includes language that bans health care for transgender kids and TRICARE patients under the age of 18.

The amendment is co-sponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

Every major medical and mental health association in the U.S., representing more than 1.3 million U.S. doctors, supports access to this medically necessary, evidence-based health care for transgender people.

If the House-passed NDAA becomes law, it is estimated that 6,000 – 7,000 transgender children of servicemembers would not be able to access the health care that their parents had approved.

The amendment to the FY2025 NDAA would strike Sec. 708 of the House-passed NDAA, which would ban TRICARE from offering medically sound health care for our youngest transgender servicemembers and to transgender military children under 18.

A full version of the amendment is available here.

An online version of this release is available here.

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New content at THIRD:

The following sites updated:

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

The death is greatly exaggerated

Color me Rosemary. ROCK IS DEAD. So proclaimeth BILLBOARD.

Here is something else we all might have assumed: No rock records were going to sniff the top of the charts. But it gets even worse. No 2024 rock release appeared anywhere near the top 200. And wait because it gets worse. Though 30 rock albums on in the top 200, 24 of them are greatest hits collections.

The most recent studio rock LP to show up on the chart is Arctic Monkey's album, AM, which came out in 2013 and ranked at 105. In other words, in the last 11 years, no "new" studio album enticed the 2024 record-buying public to purchase a bunch of the records. Rock. Is. Dead.

The top-selling album of the genre was Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, which was released in 1977. It still has enough draw to appear at number 34 on Billboard's year-end chart. That is followed immediately by Diamonds, an Elton John greatest hits package. One could argue, though, that John falls more into the pop genre than rock over the last four decades.

Besides Rumours and the Arctic Monkeys album, the other four studio rock records to show up on the chart were Nirvana's Nevermind from 1991, AC/DC's Back in Black from 1980, Sublime's 1996 self-titled, and Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory from 2000. Those records ranked 93, 162, 197, and 180, respectively.

I guess the question is -- how much did the new Coldplay move? MOON MUSIC had 125,000 units its first week of release in the US. Didn't we also see Coldplay was one of the top ten tours for this year? Yes, in fact, Coldplay was the 2nd biggest tour, right behind Taylor Swift. I'd love to know exactly how this is playing out.

Oh, wait, I do know! Katy Perry's in the top 200 with one of her gabarge albums from a decade ago. Point? BILLBOARD used to do a top 200 that required new music. TAPESTRY, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, were catalog sales and did not register on BILLBOARD's top 200. Now BILLBOARD lets them and then wants to whine that rock is dead.

Sorry, I'm not Mia Farrow in ROSEMARY'S BABY. TIME MAGAZINE can put "God Is Dead" on the front cover but that doesn't mean I'm going to believe it.

Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Another day, another day of Satan lying, his pick for Secretary of Defense just gets more disgusting, the right wing attacks BLUESKY, and much more.

BLUESKY continues to add users. Some of which are not wanted. Sarah Perez (TECHCRUNCH) reports:

Now with 25 million users, Bluesky is facing a test that will determine whether or not its platform will still be seen as a safe space and place of refuge from the toxicity of X. In recent days, a large number of users on Bluesky have been urging the company to ban one newcomer for his opinions and works shared both on and off the platform.

Writer and podcast host Jesse Singal joined Bluesky 12 days ago to the horror of much of the Bluesky community. Singal has been cataloged by GLAAD’s Accountability Project for his writings on transgender issues and other matters. The GLAAD project “catalogs anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and discriminatory actions of politicians, commentators, organization heads, religious leaders, and legal figures, who have used their platforms, influence, and power to spread misinformation and harm LGBTQ people.”

He is now the most blocked user on the social network, and user outrage over his participation on the platform is growing. People are demanding that Bluesky take a stand: It’s either a place that promises it won’t host bad actors, or it’s a place that promises not to inflate the reach of bad actors thanks to its various moderation tools.

It cannot be both.

That's reality. He's hate merchant who got propped up by a lot of hate merchants. Why isn't he staying in his cesspool? Twitter is where he belongs. His hate speech doesn't belong on BLUE SKY.. He's carved out his home on the racist, sexist and homophobic Twitter.

Well it seems sugar pants is no longer happy there. And, oh look, there's Ben Smith another piece of crap. We're going to limit this because I've just noted Ben Smith. We're going to wrap this up real quick. That garbage dump that no one would f**k without a blindfold always sucks up to right wingers and always has. We were the first ones to write about a nominee for an ambassador post -- to write about it why it wouldn't go through and it didn't go through but Ben all those years ago, elected to give credit to someone who wrote about it nearly two days later which we only found about when that person -- the right winger -- e-mailed to say he was sorry because he had read it on this site and, more to the point, in his write up at his site, he clearly gave credit to this site in the first sentence of his write up. In addition, he forwarded his e-mail to Ben and Ben's reply where the right-wing blogger explained that he had merely reported and quoted from what I wrote -- and he'd credited me for it -- so Ben needed to do a correction and Ben replied back that he didn't need to and why he didn't need to (he didn't care for THE COMMON ILLS). That's Ben Smith for you -- human garbage with a stronger stink.

We could go into so much more about Ben -- and may at a later date - but for now if you come across his garbage and think why is he attacking Sarah for the article she wrote, it's because he's garbage. There's nothing "bizarre" about what she wrote for TECHDIRT it's just that Ben Smith is dirt and always and forever will be.

Trash needs to stay at Twitter with the breasty Shamoo.

Yep, that's Elon Musk -- vain enough to have his ass hair transplanted to his head to cover up the balding but apparently too afraid to get a much needed breast reduction.

Maybe he and Satan Trump could go in and each get a much needed breast reduction procedure at the same time? Ted Johnson (DEADLINE) reports the latest on Satan's legal woes:

A New York judge ruled Monday that Donald Trump does not have immunity from his conviction on 34 felony counts in his hush money case.

Judge Juan Merchan concluded that the case did not stem from Trump’s official acts as president. Trump’s attorneys had sought to have the case dismissed based on a Supreme Court ruling last year.

The case centered on falsification of business records related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, before Trump became president.

Merchan wrote in his ruling that the evidence in the case “relate entirely to unofficial conduct and thus, receive no immunity protections.”

Still the convicted felon -- several times over.

Holly Honderich (BBC NEWS) adds:

Now, following Justice Merchan's ruling, Trump's team is almost certain to seek further delays and appeals.

And the judge is still yet to decide whether to issue a sentence before Trump assumes office in January, after his term ends in 2029 or not at all.

Interesting.

He can do that after January 20th when he's sworn in?

Haven't presidents repeatedly argued over the years against legal issues being decided whil they're in office? Claiming that it would be a distraction to carrying out the duties of the office.

Convicted felon. It will always follow him around. That's what he is, a crook. He's a liar. Daniel Dale (CNN) did a fact check on the lies the crook told in yesterday's liary before the press:

Here are some of the false claims Trump made at the Monday event.

California and the vote count: Trump falsely claimed that “they’re still counting the vote in California.” While it’s true that California does, for various reasons, take longer than other states to finish counting votes in federal elections, it is not still counting today; the state’s secretary of state certified the 2024 election results on Friday.

Europe and pesticides: Trump falsely claimed, “Europe doesn’t use pesticides, and yet they have a better mortality rate than we do. They don’t use pesticides.” Pesticides are widely used in Europe, though some particular pesticides that are used in the US are banned in the European Union.

Conflict under Trump: Trump repeated his familiar false claim that there were “no wars” during his presidency, this time saying, “Think of it: four years ago, we had no wars.”

In fact, there were dozens of unresolved wars and armed conflicts in late 2020 and when Trump left office in early 2021. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks armed conflict in countries around the world, said in a June email that it estimates there were active armed conflicts in 51 international states in 2020 and again active armed conflicts in 51 international states in 2021.

When Trump left office in early 2021, US troops were still deployed in combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq; civil wars in Syria, Yemen and Somalia continued, as did the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was also ongoing, as were the conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, between Israel and Syria and between Israel and Iran; Islamist insurgents continued their fight in Africa’s Sahel region; there was major violence in Mexico’s long-running drug wars; fighting continued between Ukraine and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine’s Donbas region; and there were lots of other unresolved wars and conflicts around the world.

Trump’s tax cut: Trump repeated his false claim that he signed “the biggest tax cuts in history.” Expert analyses have found that his 2017 tax cut law was not the largest in US history, either in percentage of gross domestic product or in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Tariffs on China: Trump repeated two of his regular false claims about tariffs on imported Chinese products. He falsely claimed that the US took in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs “from China” during his presidency, then falsely claimed that before his presidency, “no other president took in 10 cents, not 10 cents.”

The US was generating billions per year in revenue from tariffs on China before Trump took office; in fact, the US has had tariffs on Chinese imports since the 1700s. Second, US importers pay these tariffs, not China, and often pass on some or all of the cost to consumers. Study after study has found that Americans bore the overwhelming majority of the cost of Trump’s tariffs.

He lies and he lies again. He's a convicted felon. Michael Albert (ZNET) notes:

Trump is a pestilence, an abomination. Really. He is. No more debate. It is as evident as a cloud of locusts. It is as undeniable as his pronouncements, appointments, and Project 2025. What name should we give all that? Call it anything you like. But by any other name fascism is still fascist.

Whether from day one in an avalanche of proclamations that seek to bury all opposition in a shock and awe flash, or, less apocalyptically and more strategically, over many months in a careful slow boil that burns a bit at a time until we are all cooked, Trump and his minions mean to impose horror on all but themselves. They are preparing a carpet bombing of vile policies that range from massive anti-human deportations to incendiary anti-economic tariffs, and from suicidal drill baby drill for oil billionaires to unlimited repressive incarceration to stifle effective disobedience. That is already a whole lot, but don’t overlook the long term. Trump and his minions also mean to transform government agencies and political institutions to ensure persistent one-thug rule. Goodbye guardrails. Hello holocaust.

So, be against Trump? Of course. But how? Once mobilized, I don’t think it is rocket science. Mass movements that raise costs for elites are what can win change. Organize to generate ever-widening solidarity and understanding. Provide sanctuary to protect allies and block incarcerations. Educate to awaken ever-broader circles of resistance. Rally, boycott, occupy, and strike to block and to simultaneously develop capacity to resist further. Volunteer for or join movement organizations. Each person decide to join the collective fight, or not—and then find entry and welcome. That is the hard part, not once aligned, once prepared, what to do. That will have many answers, yes, to be sure, but only one of the plausible answers will be widely daunting and confusing.

Satan's disappointing and embarrassing administration nominees are the result of his not being qualified for the job himself. Travis Gettys (RAW STORY) reports:

One of Donald Trump's nominees was escorted on Capitol Hill by a former soldier who left the military after he was accused of brutally beating a civilian role player during a training exercise.

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has been accompanied this month by former Army Special Forces Master Sergeant John Jacob Hasenbein, who left the service after witnesses said he kicked, punched and hogtied a former Iraqi soldier during a 2019 training exercise, reported the New York Times.

“This guy has real anger issues,” said Ahmed Altameemi, the former member of the Iraqi Army’s elite counterterrorism service who Hasenbein was charged with assaulting. "He is not a safe man. I don’t know why they gave him this position. Don’t they do any background checks?”

The Army charged Hasenbein, who had deployed to Iraq eight times, with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, and a military jury found him guilty in a court martial in 2020. But the judge overseeing the case declared a mistrial after learning that a friend of Hasebein had been talking to a juror.

A supervisor alleged that Hasenbein, now 45, rubbed Altameemi’s face into a concrete pillar, kicked him and repeatedly struck him with “hammer-fist” blows to his ribs and “knee strikes” to his face.

“The other guys realized things were wrong and started to calm down,” said another company employee involved in the exercise. "[Hasenbein] didn’t calm down — he never calmed down."

That is yet another action the renders Hegseth unfit for the position of Secretary of Defense. He's a disgrace and he's not able to meet a higher standard of leadership. He's a drunk and a liar and he assaults women. Now we know that he would rather be seen with someone who should be in prison than with the upstanding members of the US military.

In other news, Senator Elizabeth Warren's office issued the following:

“The U.S. government’s record with AI/AN children has eroded Tribal communities’ trust in the traditional child welfare system.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study into child abuse and neglect in indigenous communities to help inform Congress’ work to support Tribal child welfare programs.

Historically, American Indian (AI) and Alaskan Native (AN) communities have been subjected to trauma by the United States government. In the 19th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of children were displaced into over 500 boarding schools, where they experienced physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Then between the 1950s and 1970s, an estimated 25 to 35 percent of all AI/AN children were removed from their families and placed by child welfare agencies in foster care far from their tribal communities or were adopted, primarily by non-Indian families. Even today, AI/AN children are over-represented in the foster care system.

Tribal child welfare programs are systematically underfunded. In August 2016, GAO published a report revealing that over half of the Tribes interviewed lacked adequate resources for their foster care programs. These funding gaps have led to a lack of adequate child welfare infrastructure, including a shortage of trained child welfare professionals, inadequate technology for maintaining child case records, and a lack of emergency intervention services.

“To best support Tribal child welfare programs, we need to better understand the common barriers Tribes face in accessing federal and state child welfare funding and technical assistance, the best practices that Tribal child welfare programs employ, and the gaps in federal data on AI/AN child abuse,” wrote the senators.

The lawmakers urged GAO to consult with Tribes to examine existing child abuse and neglect prevention programs and resources, and produce a report with recommendations on how to better support Tribes’ child welfare programs.

“The federal government has a responsibility to invest in Tribal child welfare programs and to not repeat the harms of the past. This research is critical to better understanding those programs’ urgent needs,” concluded the senators.

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And we'll wind down with this from THE BLACK COMMENTATOR:

The Black Commentator Issue #1020 is now Online

December 12, 2024