The Commentariat -- February 19, 2021
Afternoon Update:
The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.
Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "President Biden delivered a stark warning to global leaders and policymakers on Friday that 'democratic progress is under assault' in many parts of the world, including the United States and Europe. 'Our partnerships have endured and grown through the years because they are rooted in the richness of our shared democratic values,' Biden said during remarks by video to the Munich Security Conference. 'They're not transactional. They're not extractive. They're built on a vision of the future where every voice matters. Where the rights of all are protected and the rule of law is upheld. None of us has fully succeeded in achieving this vision....' The speech came on a day when Biden is delivering his most extensive remarks on foreign policy as president and inviting Iran to begin face-to-face diplomacy. Earlier Friday, the president addressed leaders of the Group of Seven in a virtual meeting."
Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "A federal judge whose son was killed and whose husband was critically wounded in an attack at their home in New Jersey said in a televised interview released Friday that the gunman also had targeted Justice Sonia Sotomayor. U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas told CBS's '60 Minutes' in an interview that will air Sunday that authorities found a locker used by the killer, Roy Den Hollander, a lawyer who had a case before Salas and who committed suicide after killing her 20-year-old son, Daniel, in the summer. 'They found another gun, a Glock, more ammunition,' Salas said. 'But the most troubling thing they found was a manila folder with a work-up on Justice Sonia Sotomayor.'" The CBS News story is here.
Marie: Yesterday, I linked to a "Fresh Air" interview of Heather McGhee, who has written a book about how "discriminatory laws and practices that target African Americans also negatively impact society at large." Today, Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times has more on McGhee: "McGhee's book is about the many ways racism has defeated efforts to create a more economically just America. Once the civil rights movement expanded America's conception of 'the public,' white America's support for public goods collapsed.... McGhee is trying to shift the focus from how racism benefits white people to how it costs them." MB: Smarter confederates, like Mitch McConnell, have long since figured out McGhee's thesis, and they use racism as a tool to advance their nasty preference for "small government." So-called "conservatism" is about conserving "white privilege," but only for those at the tippy-top of the economic and/or power scales.
Andrew Freedman of the Washington Post: "The operators of Texas' electrical grid as well as state leaders and officials in surrounding states had ample warning that a winter storm would bring record cold that could cause power demand to spike and threaten electrical infrastructure, according to a review of publicly available data from the National Weather Service. In fact, forecasters warned of the Arctic outbreak's severity more than a week in advance, which might have been enough time to take some steps to help mitigate against the need to cut power to millions in Texas.... As early as Feb. 5, which was 10 days before the Arctic air moved into the South, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) highlighted the risk of unusually cold weather and winter storms across the central and southern U.S.."
If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you. -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, February 2016 ~~~
~~~ Hating on Ted Is a National Pastime. Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "For a politician long reviled not just by Democrats but also by many of his Republican colleagues in Washington, Mr. Cruz is now the landslide winner for the title of the least sympathetic politician in America.... Throughout his political career, Mr. Cruz has united politicians from former President George W. Bush to Senator Rand Paul in mutual distaste.... His opportunism often enraged fellow Republicans. After voting against federal aid for Hurricane Sandy, Mr. Cruz lobbied Congress five years later for billions of dollars as Texas cleaned up from Hurricane Harvey." ~~~
~~~ "One Night in Cancun." Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: Ted Cruz's "brief tropical sojourn yielded at least two unflattering nicknames on social media -- Cancun Cruz and Flyin' Ted -- and prompted a Twitter-fueled news cycle that seemed to unite a broken nation.... Cancun-gate checked nearly every possible box of a scandal. The sad-sack black roller suitcase and oversize canvas tote, awaiting its beach debut! The fleece half-zip as part of the classic frumpy Dad ensemble! The 6 a.m. scramble to book a return flight! The politician seeming to blame his preteen daughters! The adorable family dog, possibly left home alone! The police escort! The leaked text messages, with a 'Real Housewives of Houston' mood!" ~~~
~~~ Some of Ted's few defenders argued that there's nothing a U.S. senator can do about a local distaster. Apparently Ted didn't agree with that a couple of years ago:
New York. Nick Niedzwiadek & Anna Gronewold of Politico: Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D) over-the-top angry phone calls "have become commonplace in recent years and transcend political affiliation and other dividing lines. Many describe receiving angry calls late in the evening, or at other inopportune times, and being unable to get off the phone with New York's most powerful official. Warnings and browbeating aren't unusual, say those familiar with the governor's approach.... Now, Cuomo's cutthroat tactics -- already the stuff of legend in Albany's halls of power -- have been on full display as the Democratic governor faces his biggest firestorm in years over his administration's handling of nursing home fatalities during Covid-19 and his unsparing treatment of lawmakers who have dared to step out against him."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lara Jakes, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States took a major step on Thursday toward restoring the Iran nuclear deal that the Trump administration abandoned, offering to join European nations in what would be the first substantial diplomacy with Tehran in more than four years, Biden administration officials said. In a series of moves intended to make good on one of President Biden's most significant campaign promises, the administration backed away from a Trump administration effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Iran. That effort had divided Washington from its European allies. And at the same time, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told European foreign ministers in a call on Thursday morning that the United States would join them in seeking to restore the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which he said 'was a key achievement of multilateral diplomacy.'"
Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will need preapproval from a senior manager before trying to deport anyone who is not a recent border crosser, a national security threat or a criminal offender with an aggravated felony conviction, according to interim enforcement memo issued by the Biden administration Thursday. The narrower priorities are expected to result in a drop in immigration arrests and deportations. Biden officials said the new guidelines -- which will be in effect for the next 90 days -- will allow the agency to make better use of its resources while prioritizing public safety threats." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden's allies on Capitol Hill on Thursday unveiled a far-reaching overhaul of the nation's immigration system, describing it as a humane response to four years of ... Donald J. Trump's assault on immigrants. The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, formally introduced by a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate, amounts to a lengthy wish list for pro-immigration activists and a down payment on Mr. Biden's campaign promise to provide a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. It would allow virtually all undocumented immigrants to eventually apply for citizenship; increase legal immigration; add measures to secure ports of entry and speed processing of asylum seekers; and invest $4 billion in the economies of Central American countries to reduce migration.... The legislation ... drew the ire of some Republicans, who said it did not invest enough money in securing the border and would encourage illegal immigration and more foreign workers when Americans are already struggling."
Bad News for the Former Fraudster-in-Chief. William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "As the Manhattan district attorney's office steps up the criminal investigation of Donald J. Trump, it has reached outside its ranks to enlist a prominent former federal prosecutor to help scrutinize financial dealings at the former president's company, according to several people with knowledge of the matter. The former prosecutor, Mark F. Pomerantz, has deep experience investigating and defending white-collar and organized crime cases, bolstering the team under District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. that is examining Mr. Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization. The investigation by Mr. Vance, a Democrat, is focused on possible tax and bank-related fraud...." MB: Since Twump can't tweet, I'll do it for him: "IT'S A WITCH HUNT!!!" A Law & Crime report is here.
Best Sobriquet for Trump this week comes from contributor Jeanne, who described him as "used-prez Fatso." MB: I'm still laughing.
Marie: Not long ago, I suggested the feds should investigate Roger Stone's ties to the Proud Boys & Oath Keepers, with the idea that he may have served as a go-between for Trump & these groups. It turns out the feds were, in some respect, wa-a-ay ahead of me: ~~~
~~~ Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Federal prosecutors investigated some of the Proud Boys, including their leader Enrique Tarrio, and their ties to longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone, in a previously undisclosed criminal probe in 2019 into whether the men intended to threaten a federal judge. The threat investigation did not lead to charges. But its existence, now revealed by CNN, sheds new light on how federal prosecutors had already looked into the far-right organization's ties to someone in ... Donald Trump's orbit before the siege of the US Capitol in January. Stone was accompanied on January 6 in DC by members of the paramilitary extremist group the Oath Keepers and Stone has long had close ties to prominent members of the fraternity-like pro-Trump group the Proud Boys. Members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are central to some of the most aggressive parts of the FBI and DC US Attorney's Office's Capitol siege investigation.... In February 2019, less than a month after Stone had been indicted for lying to Congress, he posted on Instagram a photo of the judge presiding over his case, Amy Berman Jackson. The photo showed crosshairs behind her head. Stone -- testifying at a court hearing in 2019 to explain the post -- said at the time that a person working with him on his social media accounts had chosen it. Then, at another hearing the same year, Stone named names. Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, had been helping him with his social media, Stone said under oath, as had [other Proud Boys]...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Whitney Wild & Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "Six US Capitol Police officers have been suspended with pay, and 29 others have been placed under investigation, for their actions in the January 6 riot, a department spokesman said Thursday.... CNN reported in January that the USCP had placed at least 10 officers under investigation, and two others had been suspended. One of the suspended officers took a selfie with someone who was part of the mob that overtook the Capitol, according to Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Ohio. Another wore a 'Make America Great Again' hat and started directing people around the building, Ryan said. Last month, [Acting Chief Yogananda] Pittman said the department 'has been actively reviewing video and other open source materials of some USCP officers and officials that appear to be in violation of Department regulations and policies.'The suspensions and investigations come at a time of internal turmoil at the department as officers continue to grapple with the insurrection that led to the death of Officer Brian Sicknick. Members of the Capitol Police issued a vote of no confidence in the force's top leaders earlier this month."
Andrew Blankstein of NBC News: "A Federal Judge in California on Thursday sentenced a venture capitalist who donated nearly $1 million to ... Donald Trump's inaugural committee to 12 years in prison for falsifying records to hide his work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. officials. Imaad Zuberi was also fined $1.75 million and ordered to pay $15.7 million in restitution. Zuberi, 50, agreed to plead guilty in 2019 to tax evasion, filing false foreign agent registration records and providing almost $1 million in illegal campaign contributions to various presidential election campaigns and other candidates for elected office, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California."
Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "When he died in November, Alex Trebek ... left behind 14 suits, 58 dress shirts, 300 neckties and other clothes that he wore on the show, which taped five episodes a day, twice a week. His son, Matthew Trebek, along with the producer of 'Jeopardy!'..., decided to donate the clothes to formerly homeless and incarcerated men looking for a fresh start. So it was that Mr. Trebek's 'Jeopardy!' wardrobe -- which also included 25 polo shirts, 14 sweaters, 9 sport coats, 9 pairs of dress shoes, 15 belts, 2 parkas, and 3 pairs of dress slacks -- arrived about two weeks ago at the Doe Fund, a New York City nonprofit that provides services, housing and job opportunities to men who have been in prison or homeless."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.
Emily Rauhala, et al., of the Washington Post: "The White House is throwing its support behind a global push to distribute coronavirus vaccines equitably, pledging $4 billion to a multilateral effort the Trump administration spurned. At a Group of Seven meeting of leaders of the world's largest economies Friday, President Biden will announce an initial $2 billion in funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to be used by the Covax Facility, senior administration officials said in a briefing."
Beyond the Beltway
South Dakota. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "South Dakota's attorney general has been charged with careless driving but avoided more serious felony charges like manslaughter in connection with an accident in which he struck and killed a man with his car last September, prosecutors announced on Thursday. The attorney general,Jason Ravnsborg, a Republican, was also charged with using a mobile electronic device and failing to stay in his lane on the night of Sept. 12, Emily Sovell, the deputy state's attorney for Hyde County, said at a news conference. All three of the charges against Mr. Ravnsborg are misdemeanors, which each carry a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, Ms. Sovell said.... Mr. Ravnsborg told the authorities at the accident scene that he believed he had struck a large animal like a deer. It wasn't until the next day ... that Mr. Ravnsborg returned to the accident scene and discovered [Joe] Boever's body.... The family of Mr. Boever, 55, whose pickup truck had been disabled in a nearby ditch, criticized the outcome of the investigation." A TPM story is here.
Texas. Jack Healy, et al., of the New York Times: "Power began to flicker back on across much of Texas on Thursday, but millions across the state confronted another dire crisis: a shortage of drinkable water as pipes cracked, wells froze and water treatment plants were knocked offline. The problems were especially acute at hospitals. One, in Austin, was forced to move some of its most critically ill patients to another building when its faucets ran nearly dry. Another in Houston had to haul in water on trucks to flush toilets. But for many of the state's residents stuck at home, the emergency meant boiling the tap water that trickled through their faucets, scouring stores for bottled water or boiling icicles and dirty snow on their stoves. For others, it meant no water at all. ~~~
~~~ Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune: "Texas' power grid was 'seconds and minutes' away from a catastrophic failure that could have left Texans in the dark for months, officials with the entity that operates the grid said Thursday.... Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, which operates the power grid that covers most of the state, said Texas was dangerously close to a worst-case scenario: uncontrolled blackouts across the state. The quick decision that grid operators made in the early hours of Monday morning to begin what was intended to be rolling blackouts -- but lasted days for millions of Texans -- occurred because operators were seeing warning signs that massive amounts of energy supply was dropping off the grid.... The worst case scenario: Demand for power outstrips the supply of power generation available on the grid, causing equipment to catch fire, substations to blow and power lines to go down."
Saving the Turtles. Alex Horton of the Washington Post: "The deadly winter storm that swept across Texas and parts of the South ... also created a catastrophe for animals statewide -- including for sea turtles prone to freezing in frigid waters. [Will] Bellamy, an Army and Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Haiti, spotted some turtles Tuesday with his son Jerome.... He alerted Capt. Christopher Jason, the commander of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in southeastern Texas, and his wife, Cheryl Jason. The commander grabbed his kayak, paddled into the cold waves and retrieved a lapful of cold-shocked turtles.... More than 1,100 turtles have since been plucked from Laguna Madre by a ragtag group of about 50 Navy pilots and flight students, military spouses, family members and military retirees, said Biji Pandisseril, the Navy installation's environmental manager. More turtles are still coming in, he said, and some have died. Green sea turtles, listed as a threatened species, feast on grasses found in the waters of Laguna Madre, but in winter weather, the chilling shallow water zaps strength from the coldblooded reptiles. They become immobile and unable to power their fins to warmer, deeper waters...."
Ted's Excellent Adventure. Shane Goldmacher & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "As Texas was battered by an icy storm and widespread power losses that left millions of residents freezing and fearing for their safety, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas left the state on Wednesday and traveled to Mexico for a previously planned family vacation, according to a person with direct knowledge of the trip.... 'With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon,' Mr. Cruz said, adding that ... his family had lost heat and power. Mr. Cruz insisted that he and his staff had been 'in constant communication' with state and local leaders during his brief Cancún trip.... In a radio interview on Monday, [Cruz] said..., '... Keep your family safe and just stay home and hug your kids.'..." As if Houston police didn't have enough to do in an outage crisis, Cruz requested that the police provide him "assistance upon arrival" at the Houston airport. Related story linked at the bottom of this entry. This is part of a live-blog. There's a full-blown story by Goldmacher & Fandos linked below. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Update: It seems Senator Ted & his staff were not exactly truthful. The "person with direct knowledge" described the Cancún excursion as a "previously planned family vacation." It turns out "previously planned" means "after the power went out" and "yesterday": Rebecca Shabad of NBC News reports that Cruz said Wednesday, "We had no heat and no power and yesterday my daughters asked if they could take a trip with some friends and Heidi and I agreed." As for Ted's "immediate return to Texas," Shabad reports, "A source with knowledge of the situation told NBC News that Cruz booked his return ticket at 6 a.m. Thursday but that he was initially booked to return home on Saturday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Update Update. Although Cruz tried to blame the trip on his daughters, it turns out it was Ted's wife Heidi Cruz who demanded the vacation. ~~~
~~~ Shane Goldmacher & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Text messages sent from Ms. Cruz to friends and Houston neighbors on Wednesday revealed a hastily planned trip. Their house was 'FREEZING,' as Ms. Cruz put it -- and she proposed a getaway until Sunday. Ms. Cruz invited others to join them at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancún, where they had stayed 'many times,' noting the room price this week ($309 per night) and its good security.... Houst[o]n police ... officers were seen accompanying [Ted Cruz] housupon his Thursday return." Also, at the time Heidi Cruz was planning the jaunt, she said the family was staying in the warm home of friends. ~~~
~~~ Frozen Snowflake: Dog Lovers' Alert. Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: When Ted & the Cruz family abandoned their self-described "freezing" house, they left their small poodle in the house to bear the cold. A security guard on the property said he was tasked with taking care of the dog, appropriately named "Snowflake." PETA, ASPCA, take note. ~~~
Just drove by Ted Cruz’s house in Houston. His lights are off but a neighbor told me the block got its power back last night. Also, Ted appears to have left behind the family poodle. pic.twitter.com/TmLyGQkASy
— Michael Hardy (@mkerrhardy) February 18, 2021
~~~ You can see Snowflake sitting at the door. Writer Michael Hardy also reported that Snowflake was barking even before Hardy approached the house. MB: Either Snowflake routinely barks at passersby or s/he was distressed & calling for help.
~~~ Sauce for the Goose.... Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck of CNN: "Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ... has repeatedly criticized politicians who vacationed or took part in leisure activities during times of crisis, a CNN KFile review finds. This past December, Cruz attacked Austin Mayor Steve Adler for going to Cabo, Mexico, during the coronavirus pandemic.... Cruz said in 2017 then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie 'should go back to the beach,' referencing the outrage surrounding the governor's trip to a closed state beach with his family while the state's government was shut down.... In 2014, Cruz attacked then-President Barack Obama for attending a fundraiser during a crisis at the border in Texas and said the President spent too much time on the golf course.... A month earlier..., Cruz called Obama an 'absentee president,' who was 'not focused on the people who are hurting.'" ~~~
~~~ Matt Wilstein of the Daily Beast: Some in conservative media were willing to defend the indefensible, claiming that Ted was helping out the state by keeping his family from becoming a drain on the state's systems or wasn't needed in Texas because a U.S. senator can't do anything about a state problem.
~~~ The Texas Tribune has helpfully provided "13 curses to mutter against Ted Cruz while you boil snow to drink." MB: I tried to think of Ted living out each of the suggested curses, and it was a super-pleasant experience.
Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Republican politicians and right-wing media, not content with run-of-the-mill blame-shifting, have coalesced around a malicious falsehood instead -- the claim that wind and solar power caused the collapse of the Texas power grid, and that radical environmentalists are somehow responsible for the fact that millions of people are freezing in the dark, even though conservative Republicans have run the state for a generation.... [This is] raw denial of reality, not just to escape accountability, but to demonize one's opponents. And it's another indicator of the moral and intellectual collapse of American conservatism.... When two-thirds of Republicans believe that Antifa was involved in the assault on the Capitol, selling the base a bogus narrative about the Texas electricity disaster is practically child's play."
Marie: I'm all for FEMA's helping out Texans who are victims of Texas's piss-poor planning. But the federal government should not give or lend a nickel to the state or to its energy companies until Texas legislators return oversight to the feds so the energy companies can be forced to maintain adequate levels of surplus energy for emergencies, join power-sharing pacts, & upgrade their facilities so operations continue during storms & frigid weather.
Wa-a-ay Beyond
Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: "NASA safely landed a new robotic rover on Mars on Thursday, beginning its most ambitious effort in decades to directly study whether there was ever life on the now barren red planet. While the agency has completed other missions to Mars, the $2.7 billion robotic explorer, named Perseverance, carries scientific tools that will bring advanced capabilities to the search for life beyond Earth. The rover, about the size of a car, can use its sophisticated cameras, lasers that can analyze the chemical makeup of Martian rocks and ground-penetrating radar to identify the chemical signatures of fossilized microbial life that may have thrived on Mars when it was a planet full of flowing water."
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Reader Comments (15)
My Krugman comment:
"Ironic isn't it that those same Republicans who take every opportunity to demean wind power (everyone knows it causes cancer, don't they?) have nothing to offer to excuse their own egregious failure of foresight, their own careless and stupid cupidity---but more wind?"
My question for the January 6 Truth + Reconciliation Commission is If the FBI had infiltrated the insurrection movement beforehand, why wasn't it stopped -- or adequately defended against?
Such turmoil over Ted's great misadventure. I would feel just a teeny bit sorry for the guy if he wasn't such a pompous prick. This family took off for warmer shores while leaving their dog, Snowflake, although monitored, alone in a cold, cold house who now, I imagine harbors ill will toward his owners and will probably pay them back in kind by leaving large fecal presents in all the bedrooms.*
And of course the Chip off the bloated Block, Donny Jr. had to weigh in on Texas and tweeted this:
"The hypocrisy of those trying to cancel Ted Cruz who have been totally silent on their Democrat Governor’s incompetence is telling. My thoughts on the Cancún Cruz fauxoutrage! #Cruz #CancunGate is fake."
My favorite on the tweeter response is---"Should we tell him?"
Re: the immigration situation, I was excited to read that the Biden administration wants to invest 4 million in the economies of Central American countries which would reduce migration. Of course!!!
To think there will be many males trying to make a new start after having been incarcerated, now will be able to look spiffy &Trebecky is simply wonderful –––another humane gesture in this cold climate.
* Many moons ago I monitored my neighbor's two large Huskies while they were off on vacation. I'd feed them, let them out for exercise in a fenced back yard, and spend some time with them. Every morning when I'd enter the house I could smell the feces that these two dogs dumped in the bedroom of the couple. This went on for the whole week of care taking. I'd clean up the mess, using seltzer water as a finish. Dogs express their anger in various ways but the Do-do sends a clear message that stinks to high heaven!
Perhaps those Texans in the dark without heat, lights or water might heed those Huskies and do some dumping of their Republican caretakers whose prime concern is power and not the kind that keeps the lights on and the hearth warm. Just a thought.
@PD Pepe: I guess the Cruzes couldn't be bothered to take Snowflake to a kennel, not that the kennels in the area necessarily had heat, either. However, the Cruzes were staying with friends who had heat, so they probably could have dumped Snowflake on those friends or others. (And yeah, s/he might have pooped in their house on purpose. That's what you get for being friends with Ted & Heidi.)
For those of you who think, "Well, little Snowflake could just fluff up her/his hair & be toasty warm," I don't think that's true. For one thing, I've had a number of house pets over the years, and no matter what the length of their hair or fur, in the wintertime (when the house temp was low but not nearly cold), they liked to curl up in front of the fireplace or heater. For another, when the Cruzes got Snowflake from a shelter, s/he was going au naturel; that is, her hair wasn't clipped. But from the photo (posted above) Michael Hardy took, it appears Snowflake now has a poodle cut: that is, her hair has been clipped close to her body, so she doesn't have anything to "fluff." Unfortunately, if Snowflake poops his indignation on the Cruzes' bed, Heidi will probably make the Central American maid clean it up.
PD,
Ah, memory.
We've had two Airedales over the years and loved them both. If I were sitting with you over a cup of coffee this morning I'd be boring you with Sam stories. There are many about this demented creature that perhaps only an equally eccentric family could love, as we did.
The Airedale ownership inspiration came from a friend who was raised with (not by, but it could have been a close call) Airedales. He told a story similar to yours about one of them, who apparently not finding his parents' bedroom expressive enough of her occasional disappointment or disgust made her deposits directly on their bed.
Earthquakes today in Ok and Ks. Wouldn't happen with
solar and wind. But then, there would be lots more cancer
according to that last unpresidential president.
Supplement to Forrest's post, and a website to bookmark to get the latest info on seismic activity around the globe:
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=-78.34941,-592.03125&extent=84.19651,-248.55469
For 55% of Americans, earthquakes are god's way of scaring the sinners back into the flock. In OK and KS the percentage is probably higher.
Why does the junior trump, with his random capital letters, ask why people are trying to "cancel" Cruz? I guess the "poorly educated" like the elephant shooter get ahold of a word, and they must use it even if it is wrong usage. To use it another way, I WOULD love to "cancel Cruz" right now, before he hauls his love handles and his sagebrush-y face and snotty voice and empty ideas back to DC. How 'bout we "cancel" him and the Sage of Marred Lardo and Adam's Apple Hawley right to Gitmo before it's closed. Now THAT is cancelling.
I would like to take credit for the inspiration of the Sage (haha) being merely a second-hand vehicle for everything terrible, but I think I might have heard or read of someone else calling him a bargain bin remainder or a garage sale special. Got me thinking... It does make me laugh though, to think of him as a clearance item...!
AOC Raises $1 Million for Texas Crisis Relief as Ted Cruz Fumbles Cancun Damage Control
"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced late Thursday that she and others had raised $1 million for Texas charities assisting with relief efforts against the ongoing winter storm crisis there. The fundraiser benefitted charities targeting homelessness, care for the elderly, and food insecurity."
The conservatives tried to falsely blame AOC for their power outages, so she decided to show them how a real Representative helps the people.
This is a great story
"Letter from @NASA to the parents of Kendrick Castillo, who died saving his classmates at STEM School Highlands Ranch. They included Kendrick's name on the #PerseveranceRover.
"Please keep looking to the stars. We hope you will feel your son there."
"The Rover also has an emotional tie to Colorado. Somewhere on the body of NASA's Perseverance rover is the name of Kendrick Castillo. The name of the hero who died saving others in the STEM School shooting in 2019 is a part of the mission to bring life into space.
"Aerospace industries in Colorado were Kendrick’s passion," his father, John Castillo, said. "Kendrick has a unique name and to know that it is on this rover and that it is making history and doing things that have never been done before is special to us."
Instead of "13 curses" for Cruz how about the stages as one descends into Dante's Hell?
Dede,
They wouldn’t take him. His assholery would put the rest of the assholes in hell to shame. They wouldn’t like some Teddy-come-lately to show them up. The dog thing? Blaming his kids? Demanding a police escort in the middle of a state wide emergency? Pinning the hypocrisy needle? Not to mention lying about election fraud and kissing the ass of a slithering bully who blamed his dad for killing Kennedy and called his wife ugly. Few drugstore novel authors would consider a villain as ostentatiously reptilian as Cruz. Too unbelievable.
OK, let's talk images. I've got two pair (sounds like poker, but it isn't). First pair:
Willard (Mitt) Romney tossing the family dog into a crate strapped to the top of the family car for a trip from Massachusetts to Canada like so much luggage onto a luggage rack, causing the dog distress resulting in severe diarrhea.
Barack and Bo on Air Force One gazing out the window and having a "conversation" about what they're witnessing. (OK, so I'm interpreting according to my biases. So sue me. It's still interspecies communication at its best.)
Then...
Poor little Snowflake abandoned in a very cold house wondering where her people have disappeared to while she shivers alone in the cold and dark.
Valentine's Day, just a few days earlier, Dr. Jill and POTUS Joe strolling the White House lawn sharing FLOTUS's valentine wishes for the country, accompanied by their dogs, Champ and Major -- the latter a rescue dog now having his best life.
Which of these people would you rather have in charge of the policies that affect you and your family -- including your beloved furkids? And what party are they affiliated with?
Mahatma Gandhi — 'The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.'
It's not just animals; it's how you treat all the vulnerable: children, the elderly, the disabled the stranger within your gates, nature itself. And of course, the animals.
Excuse me...I need to go hug my dogs.
Because we need to know about Mrs. Ted Cruz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Cruz. Here is a managing director of Goldman Sachs who just leaves the dog to...others. I'm thinking she is not so good for the Goldman Sachs brand about now.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/19/manchin-oppose-neera-tanden-omb-470296
Joe must have thought she was tweeting about him...not Mitch and Bernie.
So now we need one R to stand up while Dino Joe (too harsh?) stands down.
Or perhaps Ms. Tanden could promise to heat her home with coal next winter.