What’s the Frequency Kenneth?

Last year, we attended a fundraiser for Tammy Baldwin, attended by Elizabeth Warren.  It was at a brewpub, and it was packed.  We didn’t even get close in the line to get our pictures with these two political rockstars before we bailed;  but I bumped into Tony Evers, who was just former School Superintendent at the time and had just announced his candidacy for Governor, aiming at Turdwaffle.  So I shook his hand, and wished him the best of luck.  He smiled, saying “We don’t need luck.  We’re going to win.”  I laughed and congratulated him on his confidence.  But you know what they say – If you come at the king, you’d best not miss.  Tony knew what he was talking about, and didn’t miss.  He’s going to be excellent, and it should be mentioned that Mandela Barnes, his Lt. Gov, is also going to be excellent.

And since I just finished the biography of Scott Miller, Here is his band Game Theory with their take on the post title; they used it as an interstitial noise collage before the classic album Lolita Nation started proper with the song “Not Because You Can”.

 

I went to bed with the Gov race essentially tied, and my wife preceded me with a disgusted “that fucker Cruz won, and it looks like Walker is going to pull his own ass out of the fire again”.  I agreed, and rather than hit the bourbon, I went to bed too.  But I woke up before the alarm, and checking my phone, I found that Milwaukee had coughed up 47,000 additional ballots which put Tony over the top.  Milwaukee hates hates hates Turdwaffle since he was County Exec, and got out of town just before the pitchforks and tar-and-feathers crowd got to him.

And in one of the most delightful bits of schadenfreude ever, Walker and his craven Lege had passed a restriction on recounts, only allowing them in the state when the difference is less than 1%.  How much was Tony ahead?  1.2%!!!

Sad to say, Ironstache could not pull it out in Paul Ryan’s old district, which was disappointing but given the demographics, was a long pull anyways.  Randy will be back.

Also, disappointing that Beto did not take down that simpering asshole Cruz.  But let’s remember, he was never even supposed to get into striking distance!  However, as I said, if you come at the King, you’d best not miss…. but Beto gives a memorable speech to his supporters:

If foot-in-mouth Biden can be a VP, Beto who drops an f-bomb is certainly qualified.  Just saying.

But the real deal is that the Democrats made a historic wave, against all the structural advantages the Republicans and the small-population states have, and against all the ridiculous gerrymandering that has been going on for decades.  Democrats have to outperform Shitheads by at least 7 points to just break even.  In the Senate, the Democrats out performed the Crapweasels by something like 12 points (for some reason I can’t find the actual numbers right now THE INTERNET IS BORKEN!) and still lost seats…

So the Democrats have taken decisive control of the House.  More than the supposed Tea Party wave, but we expect the calls for civility and reaching across the aisle to start before this weekend.  But fuck that:  Nancy, use that hammer!  Maxine, start beating on banks.   In any case, Trump now has to face a check on what he thinks is unrestrained power, and he will not react well; he already is melting down and taking too many of his medications.  I would not be surprised if seeing Jim Acosta on his blessed Glass Teat inspires a full-fledged stroke or heart attack.

But here’s the thing.  For two years, us liberals have been reeling and feeling like we have lost everything we have worked for, and suffering from more than a little depression and PTSD.  And yes, we have lost things; but I came of age with Reagan, and had to live through TWO fucking Bushes.  We lost a lot over many years.  And we can survive, and we can be better; remember when there were no such things as same-sex marriages?  And there are people you know, right now, who can remember when women could not access safe abortions.  The Shitweasels never stop trying to spread their hatred and authoritarianism.

We can’t, stop, either.

 

Old Mother Reagan

Bunch of Wisconsin musicians did a 16 track anti-Turdwaffle album.  Please to be enjoying my favorite track even if it is my favorite just because of the title, “Scott Walker you’re a piece of shit”:

It is great and timely and angry, as good punk/folk music should be.  Download it here:

Listen to the entire 16-track “Unintimidated: Wisconsin Musicians Against Scott Walker” comp

listen to talented Wisconsinites who despise Turdwaffle like I do, and sing about it.  And if you pay for it, the money goes to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which has been cut off by Turdwaffle’s shit show.  So even if you don’t like the music, blow some money….

Meanwhile, be comfortable knowing that the two major cities in Wisconsin, Madison and Milwaukee, being run by Democrats, are outperforming the rest of the state and artificially allowing Spithead Walker to claim better economic numbers than are real.  fuck him with a big Fuckzall.  No lube, you asshole.

 

serious as all hell, I went to the install place today and  signed up for replacement of my blown-out car speakers and then upgraded to a new stereo that has USB and bluetooth.  Because fuck this, but when I want to hear loud shit in my car, I need to hear LOUD SHIT IN MY CAR….

You’re Not The One (I Was Looking For)

I have found it to be remarkable how the Presidential debates have developed.  On the right, it has been a cavalcade of hatred, bigotry, lies and slander, ugliness and fascism.  Otherwise known as Republican Politics.

On the Dem side, the debates have been mostly civil, respectful, and much filled with actual content and actual ideas for improving things.

I suspect Hillary and Bernie had a discussion prior to getting into it, to agree that the focus was on issues and not attacks.  And good for them!

Hey, did you hear there was another Democratic Debate tonight?  And it was held in Milwaukee, at one of the public universities that Turdwaffle is working to destroy?  Look, you can find this shit, you know how Goofle works, so I ain’t linking.  I have to make this post….

The debate was held 6 blocks north of my house, so I stayed downtown cuz I have work to do and I do NOT need Secret Service dudes questioning me about my state of decease.  Wife Sublime had a shot at tickets, as she is a student (yes I am married to a HOT COED) but it didn’t seem to go anywhere.

From what I hear, the debate was, as the other ones, pretty great.  RESPECT to Hillary for wearing UW-Milwaukee Panther colors, and sorry Bernie, i know men only have the choices of blue, grey and black, but you could have sported a yellow and black tie?

I am not following these debates, because there is no FUCKING WAY I am voting for a Republican Clown, and I like both Hillary and Bernie; I have a pretty good idea what they stand for.  As the Professional Left says, in the general, i will be voting for whoever Bernie votes for.  (Although I might change that to say Feingold)…

Interesting (but maybe only to me) story.  Last time round, when Hillary was running and Obama was the New Kid, WS and I talked and we agreed that we were both leaning Hillary.  And then I voted Obama in the primary; WS seemed hurt.OK, I understand. Since then, Obama has proven himself, so THAT seems OK.

I like both of these candidates, quite a bit.  Bernie’s heart is in the right place, and Hillary is smart, talented, and experienced and I think much of the criticism she receives is based on her husband’s tenure.  And much of the remainder of her criticism is based in barely disguised sexism.  Having reviewed her history to some extent, she seems to be much more progressive than she has been able to expose to date.

 But here’s what I have seen;  Clinton is MASSIVELY experienced, more than nearly any other presidential candidate in many years.  She is battle-hardened, she worked with Obama in his administration, she has connections out the wazoo.  Yeah, she was cozy with Wall Street.  But she was their Senator, you know?  People try to blame her for her husband’s work, but isn’t that stupid?    If I poop my pants, are we supposed to blame my wife?

Let’s be clear.  I do not endorse everything Hillary has ever done.  Although blaming her for her vote for the AUMF is ridiculous; there was only one vote in the Senate against (guess who it was?)  But you know what?  I have NEVER endorsed everything done by any politician.I mean, I am a fucking hippie-punk….I don’t endorse everything ever done by any politician that I voted for…

I confess I WANT to follow up the first African American President with the first Woman President (or first Jewish President!)  and I find no validity to the arguments about electability, which were also brought out in 2008…

I think this difference has been well demonstrated by mikey and a mutual friend on FaceHell.  Mikey has been consistently been beating the drum for Experience and Electability.  To which I say “excellent point”   and the other person says Bernie has the moral high ground.  to which I say “excellent point”!  But no matter how valid these points are,   at the end of the rope there is a very simple two pronged aspect of electability and experience. And as The professor has been demonstrating, there is a huge advantage to being the Clinton in this race (and it should be noted that the Prof, in addition to being an excellent sci-fi blogger and former New Wave musician, has over-performed Nate Silver in predicting the Big Races…

Also, and i do not think this is an inconsiderable part, but Hillary Clinton ‘s time on the world stage is a very significant advantage.  As Secretary of State, she has not only been integral to the current administration, but she has been effective in a fair number of foreign policy advances.

I have said that I will be voting Bernie in the primary and voting for whoever Bernie is voting for in the general (the Professional Left strategy).  However after much consideration, and completely ignoring the Democratic debates (although paying attention to the Usual suspects for reviews).  The Wisconsin Primary is nearly meaningless, but we usually see all the candidates show up.

also, Hillary performed a righteous slam on Turdwaffle, and that makes me happy.

At the end of the day, I really feel that from a strategic standpoint, Clinton is much more powerful in the general, which makes me feel that Bernie will be more effective remaining as Senator; actually, M\ORE effective after the way his successful national run raises his profile…

Headlong Flight

OK, I have a few things.  FIRST OF ALL

is that WordPress fucked me over the first three times I have tried to make a post tonight, and barfed me into the nether every time.  Am I able to send my bills for the extra bourbon to WordPress?   It keeps telling me’ draft saved’ and then when I come back, there’s not a fucking thing.

Of related interest is that I have found that I need to buy the big bottles of bourbon, like I found in Snag’s house.

In urban development news, Milwaukee has found a way to create a new streetcar system without help from the anti-mass-transit Republican assholes in the Lege.  And they managed to work out 14 million dollars in support from the Feds.  So, of course, the anti-public transport and anti-urban  wing nuts in the Lege responded by trying to create a new law that finesses the provision of state funds to support operation of public transportation in a way that doesn’t allow the funds to go to Milwaukee. it would be truly farcical, if…no, come on, it’s just farcical.

Tonights helmet ball game will provide much fodder for people who are paid to talk about people who actually do something.  I confess that I ignored the game, mainly because I forgot about it and then Wife Sublime was watching some crime procedurals and DAMN if I will challenge her; plus, I could keep up on the laptop and still do some more-or-less work.  However, DAMN but Aaron Rodgers, while being have to work with a depleted and droppy receiver corps, was still able to take advantage of a one-more-time opportunity made by an iffy penalty during a weird multiple lateral screwball Final Yard goofball tactic.  In any court, fuck you Lions.

Of less interest, is the fact that we had a new dishwasher installed.  Mainly because the old one WAS CRAPPY AT CLEANING and for fuck’s sake is that a first world problem?  But anyway, we had an amazing installer stop by, who had no problem at all with a dog named Lucifer, and charged us less than I ever do for my clients.  So I had him put the old piece out on the curb; and while I kept checking most of the afternoon, waiting for asking  for an Official City Pickup, it took until nightfall before the appliance got disappeared by the scrappers.  OR SO THEY SAY.  Perhaps NightDishwashers are flying the night…

On another stump, it seems that I will be doing much time with cold extremities due to blood thinners.  So, getting older sucks!  Apologize for the cold when I shake hands!

Furthermore, I must confess that I have developed a fondness for online bingeing for soapish series Mistresses, which I excuse because of the lovely costumes on the women.  But I still have to explain the fondness for The Mindy Project, because I find Mindy Kaling fucking adorable not to mention a great comedic actress not to mention one of the best writers ever.  “Why don’t you just come over and see if Christianity is for you?”   Best smile on the tv….

Also, Turdwaffle has responded to his EPIC flameout in the Presidential Goat Rodeo (and did I not predict that?  Yes I did) by being bitter and working overtime to make ALEC happy.  But in there interim, he managed to rack up serious debt (outside of the high-interest credit cards he already had on the books) and is now begging for someone to pay it off.  Because he is a remarkable assfuck who has been trained to expect someone else to pay for all his shit…

So, the City has managed to leverage all kinds of finance to make an actual, modern streetcar happen (and please understand that a below-grade transit was actually started; it was abandoned.  Probably because the Socialists preferred making parks and shit.

Dammit.  Out of bourbon.  i imagine that is something never heard in Casa de Snag.  I miss it…

 

 

Tramp the dirt down

Hey!  The Republican Stupidity Carnival is a block from my office!

I’d go over there, but there are no branes to be had.  Many helicopters overhead though.

Also, the parking prices are surprisingly low, considering it’s also a Bucks game night, and Wicked is also in town.  I would say you could probably soak those rich fucking right wing asshats a bit more, parking dudes!  Although soaking the Bucks fans seems kind of like kicking them when they’re down…

So, I think an Elvis song is appropriate…

Also, because Gawd and Jeebus will be claimed at every pause tonight, here’s a bit of XTC:

And, just because I went on a Mekons tear recently and still haven’t come down, here’s a favorite song, Orpheus:

here’s the pertinent lyric:

I will teach them from my lesson
I will teach them from my song
I will speak of all lives wonder
Where I land will be renowned

Where I land will be the fortress
Of this fight against the tides
Tides of rotten patriarchy
Tides of greed and tricks and lies

Whoah, the condensed stupid is leaking out and running down the gutters…

Under Pressure

It’s been a while since a decent Fuck You Friday, but there has been some recent interesting Wisconsonian news and I would like to procrastinate these plan revisions til tomorrow.  So let’s load up a Sailor Jerry’s cocktail and get foul-mouthed, shall we?

First of all, and still, fuck off Turdwaffle and your phalanx of illegally-publicly financed lawyers with your blatantly illegal and corrupt attempts to cripple the John Doe II investigation.  A partisan elected judge (and Goddam Charlie Pierce often says an elected judiciary is one of the worst ideas in the Union, and seeing the results of this anomaly in an otherwise squeaky-clean history of Wisconsin, I find it difficult to argue)  tried to peremptorily stop the whole process, AND DEMANDED THAT THE PROSECUTORS DESTROY ALL THEIR RECORDS!!!   WTF, Randa, you syphilitc Koch-sucking shit bag and limping disastrous herpes-sore; You suck so badly that your ruling was almost immediately dismissed!  If you didn’t have eternal job security, that would make a poor resume addition, you Monumentlly corrupt Peter Principle counter-example.

Oh, and wait, this fucking shit-stain on the once-proud and once-clean Wisconsin political heritage has taken advantage of MULTIPLE Koch-funded holidays.  Also, look at that fucking fake-tan creeps shitty mug.  He looks like a child-raping priest that has been moved more than once; and yes, he is fucking democracy like Catholic priests have been fucking children.

There is a rumor that Turdwaffle is looking to cut a deal, throwing the Club For Growth and the other Koch-funded groups that illegally coordinated with the Big Turd on his election and recall campaigns under the proverbial bus.  So much so that the Wall Street Journal devoted a significant part of their “valuable” editorial page, the home to insane rightwing  fantasies and conspiracies in the most staid of papers, to a warning shot across his Big, Turd-stained face.  The WSJ lied and distorted the impact of Randa’s trumped up judgements, and ignored the reversals and the fact that the John Doe continues.

And the ropes are seemingly tightening on the Wall-eyed Governor’s barely legal career, so much that he and his (again, publicly finance, most likely illegally) team of High Price Mouthpieces to try to cut a deal wit the prosecutors, even as they are constrained by Asshole Pederast Randa’s rulings. If I am able to shout loud enough for one of the prosecutors to hear PLEASE MAKE PART OF THAT DEAL, THAT HE NOT PURSUE ELECTED OFFICE EVER AGAIN.  Or, that I am allowed to kick him in the gonads fourteen or fifteen times; I have  a pretty good front kick.

 

 

 

Walker is a dupe and a shill and a fifth-rate intellect who has failed at everything he’s done since achieving Eagle Scout, until he figured out the Wingnut Wurlitzer gravy train, and used  it to leverage the suburban racist resentment toward Milwaukee into the County executive gig. He immediately used that position to illegally organize for his eventual Governor run, and has since used the Right Wing Fucknozzle Money Spigot to allow him to manipulate and coerce his way toward making Wisconsin an Alec-designed wasteland of corporate despoilage. From the Bad River mine abrogation of Native American treaties, to the destruction of the light rail expansion of economies (including busting the contract with Talgo, which will cost the state millions) to screwing over thousands of poverty-stricken Wisconsinites by refusing the Medicaid expansion of the ACA… on and on.  He’s a reprehensible political weasel who will dance to his master’s tune at every level.  And his Masters are the Kochs and ALEC and the Tea Party and he has no personal integrity or convictions of his own.  Maybe he did when he was a Boy Scout, but when he washed out of Marquette that apparently dissolved.

 

I think the best and most appropriate way to end this Turdwaffle diatribe is by posting a picture of an apparently hungover polar bear:

Hey, Hey What Can I Do

Not much time for a post, but this needs airing (and it does seem to be getting one)

At a couple of places, notably LGM and Baloon Juice as well as Mock, Paper, Scissors, posters and commenters have been occasionally discussing the 2016 Goat Rodeo.  There has been angst about Scott Walker as the mainstream powerhouse, especially now that Christie is Dead Gov Walking.

I have tried to calm the Chicken Littles; from my vantage point, there has always been a lot of baggage and petty acts that will not play well on the national stage, I have always felt that once the high-power magnification of presidential media circuses would expose him as the vindictive and rather stupid tinpot dictator and rich man’s puppet he is.

And here we go.

During his tenure at County Executive and his campaign for governor, his staff created a second, isolated email system (akin to the proverbial ‘second set of books’ in accounting) for campaign communications, as well as County communications that were less than upright.

For instance, they used it when discussing damage control for the teenagers death when a county parking garage failed and a part fell on him, and the insultingly callous way they discussed the negligent starvation death of a Mental Hospital patient.

He always claimed this happened without his knowledge, and in the first John Doe investigation, Kelly Rindfleisch was relocated to the House of Many Doors (h/t driftglass).  Many of us, though, were disappointed and a bit surprised when that investigation shut down without tagging Turdwaffle.  In Wisconsin, a John Doe investigation is akin to a Grand Jury; and after the recall, a John Doe 2 was started.

Well, this week saw the release of thousands of emails from that first investigation, and now we can see why it went this way.  The scope of the first JD was not extensive enough to investigate the extent of the corruption, and to reach all the malefactors, some of which are likely to be out-of-state.  Also, they were able to re-configure the judges, so that it was more evenly bi-partisan.

The emails directly link Turdwaffle to the felonious second email system, making him a liar and a stupid one.  wisconsin may have some deep red pockets, and the Koch Brothers have made it acceptable for corruption and bought politicians to be acceptable here, but the strong German heritage here is not kind to big fucking liars.

The New York Times, the Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, and Charlie Pierce (among others!) have all been on this.  There’s blood in the water, and the bigs have smelled it.  It’s not even a question whether Turdwaffle can maintain his viability in the Goat Rodeo or the next Gubernatorial election; it’s now whether he can even ride out his current term, and whether he can avoid tenancy in the House Of Many Doors.

Goodbye Turdwaffle!!

you fucknut.

Further up, further in

ATTENTION:

It seems likely that I would have made a lousy Shop teacher.

 

Further updates as situation warrants.

 

Also, Turdwaffle is still in trouble.  Maybe we can clean up our State government again.  Wisconsin has always been known for squeaky clean government, Illinois makes fun of us.  This level of corruption and evil just doesn’t compute.  Daily updates on some of this stuff at The Political Environment.

We Drift Like Worried Fire

Hey Scalia:

What an asshole.  The proper liberal pushback should be to propose making the pre-clearance requirement apply to all 50 States.  And the way the Republican-led state leges have been acting, that would be a good thing.  The thing about pre-clearance?  If racial animus is no longer an issue, it shouldn’t be a problem.  However, since Roberts has apparently been aiming at the Voting Rights Act for like 30 years, I think this one is going down, and we can expect a slew of voting disenfranchisment laws from the Ex-Confederacy in the next two years.  Just goes to show you, and it will show you once again, that all other issues aside, the person in the White House who gets to make these appointments DOES make a huge damn difference.

But there are bigger fish to fry.

How long has it been since I have taken out after Turdwaffle?  Too long, I think.  He has, of course, been up to scurrilous and evil acts, as is his way (upon the orders of the rich fucks holding his leash).  He is working to abrogate Wisconsin’s environmental laws to allow a massive open pit mine in northern Wisconsin that will destroy the hills, poison the water, and summarily violate several treaties.  For a minor iron vein that won’t even add any jobs, no matter what the extraction industry is claiming.  Up to 22 miles long and 1100 feet deep.

Every time the extraction industry wants something, they will say that THIS time will be different, baby, THIS time they will be good.  And the next week the  credit cards are maxed out, car is gone, the house is on fire, and the cat is pregnant.  EVERY FUCKING TIME.

So they closed out the public comment period and passed the fucking mining bill by ramming it through with little review or any actual input from environmental advocates.  Fuck you  very much.  For conservatives, conservation seems to be an unknown word.

Here you go, Huckleberry Closetcase.  You eat your fucking words, care of Milwaukee!  You’re Welcome.

and if you want the whole experience as I had it, listen to it with this video playing simultaneously. Somehow appropriate.

And since why the fuck not, it’s popular with the teabagging types, Walker cuts funding so to force four Planned Parenthood clinics to close.  Because, you know, the women who can’t afford other health care alternatives don’t count and can go to hell.

Don’t fucking tell me that Democrats are just as bad as Republicans, or that both sides do it.  Don’t tell the Indians whose lands will be destroyed by that mine.  Don’t try to tell that to the women who relied on those Planned Parenthood offices.

Also, I saw somewhere that Turdwaffle also recently said that he was open to an ultrasound rape bill, but am now out of sorts and don’t feel like chasing the source down because it’s too depressing on top of all the other.  So I shall make myself another drink, yes I shall.

[EDIT] driftglass weighs in on the Scalia thing with historical antecedent.

Also, Paleo does, with a foul mouth more akin to my own voice.

The Punk And The Godfather

Turdwaffle, the House of Many Doors (h/t driftglass!) is calling.

I have blown thousands of words on this wall-eyed motherfucker in the last couple of years, and have  been forced to realize that he is a canny politician.  His manipulation of the recall as a referendum on the recall in lieu of his tenure was a clever and effective tactic.

However, it seems that he and his closest staff suffer from the Republican malady of considering themselves above the law.

Oh hell, just go read Charlie Pierce, that magnificent bastard.

I especially like this:

but Wisconsin takes good-government principles very seriously, having invented most of them.

Also, delight in DonkeyHotey’s lovely new rendering of the Turdwaffle himself.

Hey, remember on election day when I said Turdwaffle must be unhappy with Wisconsin’s Same Day Registration laws?  Ha-Ha, GUESS THE FUCK WHAT.   For those of you that don’t click links, yeah, that’s brand new legislation to eliminate SD registration.  No, there hasn’t even been any claims of same day registration fraud.  It’s just that it seems there are too many students and blahs voting, and Walker has a compliant Lege again, so let’s fuck the proles some more.  There are Republican phoney-baloney jobs to protect, you know!

Soon, very soon, I look forward to seeing you standing in the Room Of The Big Desk, Turdwaffle.  Oh and by the fucking way:

hypnotic image by Substance McGravitas

I didn’t get a harrumph outta that guy.  You watch your ass.