Vice President Kamala Harris is already landing effective blows against Trumpism on the campaign trail, Republicans are regretting Trump’s choice of running mate, and the folks at Fox News are finding it hard to criticize Harris for her policies.
It’s the sequel nobody asked for about the candidate nobody wants.
@DrBiden
To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude.Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.
Love,Jill
Joe Biden’s address on Wednesday night was a moving piece of political theatre, the start of a farewell tour by “a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings” who entered politics in 1972 and made it all the way to the Oval Office. For diehard Democrats it was a case of: if you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
The speech was also a rebuke of his predecessor Donald Trump’s authoritarian impulses in both word and deed. Although he never mentioned his predecessor by name, Biden laid out two radically different visions of the US presidency set to clash again in November.
Last Sunday the 46th president bowed to a chorus of fellow Democrats questioning his age and mental acuity and announced that he would drop out of the presidential election. On Wednesday, recovered from the coronavirus, the 81-year-old made his first public remarks to explain why.
Speaking against the backdrop of window, two flags, gold curtains and family photos including his late son Beau, Biden began by citing the Oval Office portraits of former presidents Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt.
“I revere this office but I love my country more,” he said. “It’s been the honour of my life to serve as your president. But in the defence of democracy, which is at stake, I think it’s more important than any title.”
It was a definitive rebuke of Trump, a man who has slapped his name on countless buildings and for whom the title is everything. Backed by the conservative Heritage Foundation thinktank, the Republican nominee is intent on an expansion of presidential power. But by giving power away – in what Hillary Clinton described “as pure an act of patriotism as I have seen in my lifetime” – Biden demonstrated he will always be the bigger man.
Indeed, despite having months to prepare for this contingency, the Trump campaign has been struggling to find a strategy to take on the new Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris. Perhaps they were not quite able to believe that Biden would step aside because they know Trump never would.
Biden wore a dark blue suit, white shirt, blue tie and US flag pin. There were no major gaffes but there were slight stumbles over certain words. Sitting off-camera to his left were his son Hunter and other family members. According to a pool reporter in the Oval Office, at one point Biden’s daughter Ashley reached for the hand of her mother, Jill Biden, who was sitting next to her.
[…]
Biden reportedly has mixed feelings about being pushed aside by some of those same Democrats now singing his praises. The presidency had been his lifelong ambition – he first ran in 1988 – and his victory in 2020 was a vindication of everyman strivers everywhere. On top of that, he did the job rather well. Yet now they were telling him enough. In his Oval Office address, he buried those resentments deep in his soul, though he could not resist a pointed comment about his qualifications.
“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term,” he said. “But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.”
He made a call for generational change in a country facing its first presidential election without a Bush, Clinton or Biden on the ticket since 1976. “I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.
“It’s the best way to unite our nation. I know there was a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”
That may seem to leave Biden a lame duck for his final six months. But he vowed to continue to pursue his agenda and slipped in an important line about calling for reform of the supreme court – a court that became embroiled in ethics scandals, overturned the constitutional right to abortion and declared presidents immune from prosecution for official acts.
“The great thing about America is, here kings and dictators do not rule – the people do,” Biden concluded. “History is in your hands. The power’s in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith – keep the faith – and remember who we are.”
In 2020, the year of a global pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and Trump trauma, Biden’s signature empathy born of personal tragedies made him the right man at the right time to heal hearts and defend democracy. In 2024, his time has passed. That he came to recognise it reluctantly, and decided to pass the baton, taught a lesson about the presidency that Trump will never learn.
Attribution: Biden Fist Bump With History by R.J. Matson, CQ Roll Call
I guess Joe had to do it, but the speech was in the manner of Ike’s farewell “military-industrial complex” farewell, and Joe has a load more to do until January 20.Trump called the USA a “stupid country ran by stupid people” and said Harris was the worst VP in history; she flunked her bar exam, she would destroy America. Also, when Trump said it was not shrapnel or glass that cut him, but a bullet, the media dropped all questions about maybe it was not a bullet, and went on with Trump’s story. Just now, MSNBC is reporting there is an intensive investigation trying to find the truth.I rescind my questions about “can she win? Is she able to assume the office’s problems and do a great job?” I said and wrote that because it seemed she had been pigeonholed into women’s healthcare. The claims she is a failed border crossing czar is just more bullshit. Trump’s orders to halt Lankford’s plan is what heated up the border.Harris is ready and smart enough to handle any crisis. My vote is forthcoming.
Pogo, I likely logged more Peacock time on Le Tour than any Trail Mixer. I am sure I watched at least 85% of live coverage. Tadej came off as too greedy on the last Saturday when he won the stage; he could have backed off and allowed another rider to make more money and achieve glory as a stage winner. I watch every year for the fantastic scenery, the Alps in France, so wonderful. The climbers suffering, the 75 mph downhill runs. Phil Ligget, Bobke Roll, Christian Van deVelde on the “moto”… all great commentators. For me, “The Manx Missile”, Mark Cavendish, with his 35the stage win, had me jumping for joy. I broke my damn recliner! I must have seen every televised stage win Mark attained. I do love Le Tour de France.
Sen. Mark Kelly deflected questions on Capitol Hill on Wednesday about the possibility of being the running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, maintaining the focus should remain on her bid to defeat former President Donald Trump.
Walking through the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Kelly, D-Ariz., faced reporters as he is among a group of Democrats being vetted for a spot on the party’s refashioned ticket.
Asked whether he would accept the vice presidential nomination, Kelly said, “This is not about me. This is about the future of this country.”
[…]
As Kelly sidestepped his possible involvement in the race, he framed the race in terms already being used by Harris and Democrats, who are emphasizing Trump’s criminal convictions in New York.
“This is a choice between Kamala Harris, who’s an experienced prosecutor, vice president, U.S. senator, (California) attorney general, and a guy who’s a convicted felon,” Kelly told reporters, as shown in a social media post from CNN.
On Tuesday, Kelly told reporters that Arizona, a crucial battleground state this election, is “100% winnable” for the Democrats.
“It is absolutely winnable. I won it twice, President Biden won it in 2020, and Kamala Harris is going to win it here,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s possible nomination continues to pick up support, though it is unclear whether that will influence Harris’ thinking.
On Wednesday, for example, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who is running for the U.S. Senate with Kelly’s endorsement returned the favor in his own comments at the Capitol.
“As someone that wants to make sure that we have a good shot to win, this is the best ticket,” Gallego told CNN. “He’s a border-state senator, understands border issues, is an astronaut, married to Gabby Giffords, it’s all kind of a good combination.”
Apparently RIP John Mayall
Well shit. John was a great one – gave more than a couple blues and rock icons their start on a bigger stage. 90 years is a pretty good run.
Trump Calls Supreme Court “Stupid People”
Trump, in a call-in interview with “Fox and Friends,” said that those who “do anything to desecrate the American flag” should be sentenced to one year in jail.
“Now, people will say, ‘Oh, it’s unconstitutional.’ Those are stupid people,” he said. “Those are stupid people that say that. We have to work in Congress to get a one-year jail sentence.”
The Supreme Court has held that flag burning is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment.
This video will air across all campaign social media platforms, according to the campaign.
[…]
Vice President Harris on Thursday unveiled her first presidential campaign video, which focuses on rights and freedom.
The over one-minute video, entitled “We Choose Freedom,” features Harris as its narrator as well as the Beyoncé song “Freedom.”
[continues]
I’m Kamala Harris, and I’m running for President of the United States.
Harris campaign just released its first campaign ad..
So yesterday Joe gave a good address about his decision not to seek a second term. Not perfect, but then again it couldn’t be could it? Kamala seems to be getting her feet under her as the Dem candidate, and she’s starting to push the right buttons (prosecutor v. felon). Vance came off looking like a blithering idiot on the stump. And Dumbass was his stupid self – said we’re a stupid country run by stupid people, settled on a recycled nickname for Kamal, showed that whether it’s shame or irony he’s unfamiliar with either concept – with his 34 felony convictions called Kamala a criminal and after ordering Repukes in Congress to tank a tough border deal blamed the border kerfuffle on Biden. Plus he pointed out she failed the CA bar – which 66% of examinees fail on their first try – hardest bar in the country. She of course rebounded to become prosecutor, then attorney general of CA, then VP. Fair resume I’d say. Called her something like a hater of Israel, although she married a Jew and is stepmom to his kids. He should bottle that stupid – he could sell it to the idiots who buy his bullshit.
Dex, Tadej followed in the footsteps of some of the greatest by not dropping back for a teammate to take a stage. Bernard Hinault comes to mind (think Greg LeMond here). I’m sure it happens, but I think that demonstrations of magnanimity are uncommon in elite cycling circles. And, yes, congrats to Cavendish – beating Merckx’ stage win record is pretty fricking impressive.
pogo,
p>given his proclivity for projection, I bet he has a past of either failing a bunch of exams and/or paying someone to take them for him the ones he allegedly passed.
wasn’t there some talk about a surrogate helping him out at business school?
His own sister told niece Mary Trump he hired someone to take the Wharton entrance exam. When reporters tried to run that down, the guy who supposedly took the exam had died and his widow knew nothing about it. And University of Pennsylvania to this day will not comment or release application records, his grades, nothing without his permission, which of course he has never granted. So that’s another story, like all of his pre-presidential health records, just stuck in the muck.
Apropos of not much, Mr. Ivy missed the speech because he’d signed up for a pizza-making class at Ginger and Baker’s. As it happened his table mate was a classmate of Kamala’s at Hastings.
As of 2023, UC Hastings College of the Law is now known as the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF). The name change was approved by the school’s board of directors in November 2021 and took effect in 2023 after a six-month transition period. The decision was made after an extensive review of the legacy of Serranus Hastings, the school’s founder and first dean, who was also a wealthy rancher and former California Supreme Court chief justice. Historians found that Hastings orchestrated the killings of Native Americans to remove them from ranch land he purchased in Northern California. The expeditions led by Hastings resulted in the deaths of 300 Yuki people, and the government reimbursed him for expenses including ammunition. These attacks were part of a series of massacres and kidnappings known as the Round Valley Settler Massacres, which some estimate killed at least 1,000 Native lives.
Good to know, Ms. Cracker. Thank you.
There was suprisingly little (none) opposition to the change.
The name change is part of a larger restorative justice effort that began in 2017, in recognition of harms done by the school’s founder against the Yuki Indians in the Round Valley and Eden Valley Region. They include offering pro bono legal services to California Native tribes, opening an Indigenous Law Center at the school, and installing a permanent memorial space on the College’s campus, among others.
Great cookings tips from the class. Mr. Ivy will now be making the pizza sauce from scratch, no more jar stuff. I’m so glad he likes to cook because I do not.
Mmm, remember the stories of tRUMPsky paying someone to take the SAT for him?
Has he ever passed a test beyond “person, woman, man, camera”?
Guess he doesn’t like testing because when you test, cases go up. Covid would just go away if there were no tests.
Tests are always a problem for the conman.
ps – He should get ten years for groping American flags.
Newsom Will Order California Officials to Remove Homeless Encampments
The directive from Gov. Gavin Newsom is the nation’s most sweeping response to a Supreme Court decision last month that gave local leaders greater authority to remove homeless campers.
One of the things our late daughter returned with from her 3-year sojourn in the Pacific Northwest was a highly refined sense of social justice, especially the plight of Native Americans, but also the homeless. Among her goals was to carry that forward and widely in her therapy practice including pro bono. Another example of the types of catastrophic losses to society still rolling forward because of mishandling of the pandemic by the previous administration.
I thought the SCOTUS decision left it up to the states to be a-holes and remove camps. Where are they to go?
The KamaBOOM. The US economy has now been in an expansion for 51 months with annualized real GDP growth of 4.5% over that time.
Loved the Harris ad!
The next one needs to mention seniors and the safety of Social Security and Medicare.
Harris/Kelly 2024
Freedom!
BiD, Gerald Ford toasted his own English muffins
Kamala speech to teachers coming up shortly on CNN
The Harris campaign just sent out a press release with this headline: “Statement on a 78-Year-Old Criminal’s Fox News Appearance.”
Harris speaking now, CNN
Live now…
People are giddy — the Colbert excerpt is a perfect example.
I love that people hate Vance do you think Trump will try to kick him off the ticket.
The only thing that makes me vote for Schiff at all is the idea of having Steve Garvey in the
senate It would be like sending another Tommy Tuberville.
There were people behind him. If a bullet had hit the top of his ear and stopped, that would have been one extremely weird bullet.
i.e., it was not a bullet that hit his ear.
I was watching live reporters at the assassination scene and I distinctly remember a reporter saying he was inspecting the teleprompters which were pristine—totally undamaged.
I like that, Craig. Ka-Boom economy.
Several years ago there was a news piece on Kampala cooking. Apparently, she is a very good one and quite proud of it.
Quips making the rounds “I’m not voting for Kamala because she is a woman. I’m voting for her because I am!”
Inspiring eulogy by Gail Collins for her husband, Dan Collins.
Dan came down with respiratory problems this spring, and he seemed to be recovering just fine until we both caught Covid. It felt like a bad cold on my end, but Dan woke up one night unable to breathe at all. We went to the closest hospital’s intensive care unit, and he never recovered.
“Normal people” -haha. Normal is a setting on the dryer.
In the days after the Republican convention, it would be normal to expect Donald Trump to get a bounce in the polls. This was probably even more true after the assassination attempt.
But don’t expect much of a bounce this time. Here’s why:
Trump’s lead pollster is already setting expectations that it’s Kamala Harris who will get the bounce — and perhaps even lead the race soon.
A hypothetical candidate is very different than a real one. Polls of a Trump-Harris match up before Biden dropped out are likely to underestimate her real support.
Democrats are clearly very excited now and that could make them more likely to respond to pollsters.
Watch the third party vote. In a race between two unpopular candidates, Robert F. Kennedy’s poll numbers may have been higher than they otherwise would.
It’s going to take some time for the polls to settle down — perhaps even a couple of weeks. The news is happening fast for political junkies but it does take time to reach normal people.
“Kamala Harris wants to be America’s first Silicon Valley president. She has tech’s support”
“…endorsements and donations for Harris, which have come from prominent names, such as longtime Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings and philanthropist Melinda French Gates.”
“The Harris supporters represent a foil to the loud and powerful — although not necessarily large — contingent of (mostly) men in tech who have endorsed Former President Donald Trump’s White House bid, including Elon Musk.”
“Despite her friendly relationships with the industry’s leaders, Harris has also pushed for tech accountability in key areas. As California’s attorney general, she went after tech companies for their role in online sexual harassment and revenge porn. As a California senator in 2018, Harris grilled Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over user privacy in a hearing following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.”
“There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Wray testified. “As I sit here right now, I don’t know whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else.”
“grazing” just doesn’t carry the same red meat payload as “pierced” or “took a bullet for democracy” does.
Ginger and Baker’s
lol, i see what they did there
his ear isn’t even marked, blood pack, all his wrestling pals like Vince McMahon live in Florida, probably showed him the routine at maralago
and yeah i think they’d let people get killed to win
-right before convention
-ear not even marked two weeks later
-FBI knows he’s full of shit
-common wrestling routine of falling, hiding, using blood pack
-tied in with pro-wrestling comm in FL
-dumb enough to try something this stupid
-photographer knew exactly where to be, said he knew he “had to capture history” but there wasn’t enough time to articulate thoughts AND THEN get in position
-dumbest most fraught location for a rally but great for this stunt
-shooter from a trump family
KO’s piece about trump and the disabled that Sturge linked is not surprising coming from someone who allegedly kept a copy of mien kampf at his bedside.
Not surprisingly, given his core belief in the notion of the ‘survival of the fittest’, Hitler embraced the ideas of ‘conventional’ eugenics, but wanted to take them to an extreme level. In a propaganda film like ‘Opfer der Vergangenheit’ (Victims of the Past), shown in 1937, the Nazi vision was made clear. Patients in mental asylums were revealed as suffering in their own minds, whilst the commentary made clear the cost to the state of keeping these people in care. The implication was obvious – if these people did not exist then the Nazi state would be much better off.
The route by which this ideological notion – that it would be better to remove the seriously disabled – became a practical reality reveals a great deal about how policy could be made in the Nazi state. Sometime early in 1939 the father of a severely disabled child wrote a petition to Hitler asking that his son should be killed – a so called ‘mercy’ killing. The petition landed in the Fuehrer’s Chancellery, controlled by an ambitious Nazi called Philipp Bouhler and staffed by his no less ambitious underlings. The petition was chosen from thousands of others to be seen personally by Hitler. When he saw it he ordered Dr Brandt to consult with the child’s doctors and then, subsequently, the child was killed. Hitler then authorized other children to be dealt with the same way. Eventually, around 8,000 children were killed, mostly by poisonous injections.
In the summer of 1939, Hitler let it be known that he would approve of adult patients who had severe mental illnesses being treated in the same way. Significantly he said that medical resources could be put to better use in any forthcoming war.i Bouhler and Viktor Brack, his deputy, were keen to turn their Fuehrer’s wishes into practical policy and soon a variety of organisations with reassuring names (like ‘Community Patients’ Transport’) were established, all based in a house at Number 4 Tiergartenstrasse. Thus, the killing programme that developed was known as T4.
It was in order to give formal legitimation to this operation that Hitler signed the document he did in October 1939. Then, over the next 20 months, the T4 team organized the killing of 70,000 to 90,000 disabled people.
Someone just showed me a picture of a band-aid on his ear in Charlotte. Wouldn’t the same God who deflected the bullet prevent infection of the wound?
Pat, two TV drama series that effectively portrayed the Nazi campaign against disabled children in their storylines:
then in the Grassley bodycam video, the cops are discussing what happened, they were literally chasing this kid around the fairgrounds, engaged him, then the shooter immediately (like “immediately”, seconds later according to the cops) after that engagement with law enforcement got off 8 relatively accurate shots in the opposite direction freehand???? at 146 yards???
Frank Luntz @FrankLuntz:
“I’m hearing from multiple credible sources within Democratic leadership that Arizona’s @SenMarkKelly is emerging as the leading candidate for Vice President – at least as of this moment. His centrist approach and anti-gun work is seen as both complementary and additive to Kamala Harris’ ticket. Pennsylvania has more electoral votes, but Arizona is still significant and a key swing state. Kelly’s selection would take Arizona off the GOP target map.”
I was wondering what we were talking about four years ago so I carefully clicked on the Trails Past (Archive) drop down menu, right column of the webpage. What a treat that is. I picked a few months to scroll through starting with March 2020. I could tell how my memory works, I had completely blocked out how life was back then. It was interesting though. Many memories did finally show up, it just took time.
The blood did look weird, Bink, but I chalked up the watery, red streaks on his shirt to blood thinners.
i wasn’t of a conspiratorial mind until Hulk Hogan showed up at the RNC and i had a flashback to all the times Hulkster used to use that gag in what was then called the “WWF”. Was a Hulkamaniac in my early youth, NEVER AGAIN
Vince McMahon and his wife are known trumpies, those rallies and that convention are/were staged like pro-wresting events
“In professional wrestling, kayfabe (/ˈkeɪfeɪb/) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as “real” or “true”, specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. The term kayfabe has evolved to also become a code word of sorts for maintaining this “reality” within the direct or indirect presence of the general public.”
(close trump advisor steven cheung’s twitter bio describes himself as a “pro wrestling historian” 😶)
ok whatever, end the lunacy, Vote Harris 🇺🇸
Craig, People Magazine had a spread about Gerald Ford making his own breakfast every day; this was when People Magazine was 35 cents and everybody bought it when grocery shopping. We also learned his drink was bourbon and branch water. I asked my dad why branch water. Dad said it was just water from the tap, but branch water sounded better. Helifino. Ford is the only President I ever saw and I saw him 3 times, 2 by accident. Once I took the kids to a Fort Wayne rally just so they could say they saw a President. The accidental 2, once at a Michigan football game when he was paraded around the field in a convertible, once at a helicopter flyover on the 4th of July on The National Mall in DC during the celebration just before dark and the fireworks. That maybe was a stunt double?
Harris just now after meeting with Bibi, threads the needle: “Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters”
“New York’s attorney general urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to stay out of Donald Trump’s hush money criminal case, arguing the nation’s highest court should not grant a novel request by Missouri to pause his sentencing hearing and lift the gag order imposed on the former president in the case.”
“But New York Attorney General Letitia James told the high court in a new filing that Missouri had no legal basis to turn to the justices for that type of relief, which she said “seriously undermines the integrity of the courts and risks setting a dangerous precedent that encourages a flood of similar, unmeritorious litigation.”
“The type of relief sought by Missouri, James argued, can only be obtained through her state’s courts, not the Supreme Court.”
BB, glad you enjoyed the Trails Past archive. Sometimes I’ve almost deleted it when streamlining plugins to maintain good page speed, but haven’t pulled the trigger.
Vance: Parents Should Get Extra Votes — J. D. Vance: “Let’s give votes to all children in this country, but let’s give control over those votes to the parents… When you go to the polls in this country… you should have more power… than people who don’t have kids…” Video.. https://x.com/JRVanHoose/status/1816470238512427440
“Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.”
cluck-cluck-buk-aaa
It’s official. Trump afraid to debate. This just released.
Over $1 million has been donated since the start of this Answer the Call zoom session. PINK is now speaking from Stockholm where she just finished a show!!
MJ
Couch hopper. It’s from his book describing intimate relationship with the family couch. Imagination up to you.
Jamie …. thanks (Sortof) for the explanation …. I do know now what that refers to and just want to say YUCK!
🎵 Never mind. 🎶
Her response to Trump’s debate dodge…
@KamalaHarris What happened to “any time, any place”?
and Kamala’s time-liness spot on
https://x.com/i/status/1816288577342369995
Vice President Kamala Harris is already landing effective blows against Trumpism on the campaign trail, Republicans are regretting Trump’s choice of running mate, and the folks at Fox News are finding it hard to criticize Harris for her policies.
It’s the sequel nobody asked for about the candidate nobody wants.
@DrBiden
To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude.Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.
Love,Jill
No problem, Doc…..we’ll see ya around.
the guardian:
Attribution: Biden Fist Bump With History by R.J. Matson, CQ Roll Call
I guess Joe had to do it, but the speech was in the manner of Ike’s farewell “military-industrial complex” farewell, and Joe has a load more to do until January 20.Trump called the USA a “stupid country ran by stupid people” and said Harris was the worst VP in history; she flunked her bar exam, she would destroy America. Also, when Trump said it was not shrapnel or glass that cut him, but a bullet, the media dropped all questions about maybe it was not a bullet, and went on with Trump’s story. Just now, MSNBC is reporting there is an intensive investigation trying to find the truth.I rescind my questions about “can she win? Is she able to assume the office’s problems and do a great job?” I said and wrote that because it seemed she had been pigeonholed into women’s healthcare. The claims she is a failed border crossing czar is just more bullshit. Trump’s orders to halt Lankford’s plan is what heated up the border.Harris is ready and smart enough to handle any crisis. My vote is forthcoming.
Pogo, I likely logged more Peacock time on Le Tour than any Trail Mixer. I am sure I watched at least 85% of live coverage. Tadej came off as too greedy on the last Saturday when he won the stage; he could have backed off and allowed another rider to make more money and achieve glory as a stage winner. I watch every year for the fantastic scenery, the Alps in France, so wonderful. The climbers suffering, the 75 mph downhill runs. Phil Ligget, Bobke Roll, Christian Van deVelde on the “moto”… all great commentators. For me, “The Manx Missile”, Mark Cavendish, with his 35the stage win, had me jumping for joy. I broke my damn recliner! I must have seen every televised stage win Mark attained. I do love Le Tour de France.
1015 chars
‘This is not about me’: What Sen. Mark Kelly is saying about VP speculation (msn.com)
Apparently RIP John Mayall
Well shit. John was a great one – gave more than a couple blues and rock icons their start on a bigger stage. 90 years is a pretty good run.
Trump Calls Supreme Court “Stupid People”
Trump, in a call-in interview with “Fox and Friends,” said that those who “do anything to desecrate the American flag” should be sentenced to one year in jail.
“Now, people will say, ‘Oh, it’s unconstitutional.’ Those are stupid people,” he said. “Those are stupid people that say that. We have to work in Congress to get a one-year jail sentence.”
The Supreme Court has held that flag burning is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment.
Harris stresses rights, freedom in first campaign video (thehill.com)
I’m Kamala Harris, and I’m running for President of the United States.
Harris campaign just released its first campaign ad..
So yesterday Joe gave a good address about his decision not to seek a second term. Not perfect, but then again it couldn’t be could it? Kamala seems to be getting her feet under her as the Dem candidate, and she’s starting to push the right buttons (prosecutor v. felon). Vance came off looking like a blithering idiot on the stump. And Dumbass was his stupid self – said we’re a stupid country run by stupid people, settled on a recycled nickname for Kamal, showed that whether it’s shame or irony he’s unfamiliar with either concept – with his 34 felony convictions called Kamala a criminal and after ordering Repukes in Congress to tank a tough border deal blamed the border kerfuffle on Biden. Plus he pointed out she failed the CA bar – which 66% of examinees fail on their first try – hardest bar in the country. She of course rebounded to become prosecutor, then attorney general of CA, then VP. Fair resume I’d say. Called her something like a hater of Israel, although she married a Jew and is stepmom to his kids. He should bottle that stupid – he could sell it to the idiots who buy his bullshit.
Dex, Tadej followed in the footsteps of some of the greatest by not dropping back for a teammate to take a stage. Bernard Hinault comes to mind (think Greg LeMond here). I’m sure it happens, but I think that demonstrations of magnanimity are uncommon in elite cycling circles. And, yes, congrats to Cavendish – beating Merckx’ stage win record is pretty fricking impressive.
pogo,
p>given his proclivity for projection, I bet he has a past of either failing a bunch of exams and/or paying someone to take them for him the ones he allegedly passed.
wasn’t there some talk about a surrogate helping him out at business school?
His own sister told niece Mary Trump he hired someone to take the Wharton entrance exam. When reporters tried to run that down, the guy who supposedly took the exam had died and his widow knew nothing about it. And University of Pennsylvania to this day will not comment or release application records, his grades, nothing without his permission, which of course he has never granted. So that’s another story, like all of his pre-presidential health records, just stuck in the muck.
Apropos of not much, Mr. Ivy missed the speech because he’d signed up for a pizza-making class at Ginger and Baker’s. As it happened his table mate was a classmate of Kamala’s at Hastings.
As of 2023, UC Hastings College of the Law is now known as the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF). The name change was approved by the school’s board of directors in November 2021 and took effect in 2023 after a six-month transition period. The decision was made after an extensive review of the legacy of Serranus Hastings, the school’s founder and first dean, who was also a wealthy rancher and former California Supreme Court chief justice. Historians found that Hastings orchestrated the killings of Native Americans to remove them from ranch land he purchased in Northern California. The expeditions led by Hastings resulted in the deaths of 300 Yuki people, and the government reimbursed him for expenses including ammunition. These attacks were part of a series of massacres and kidnappings known as the Round Valley Settler Massacres, which some estimate killed at least 1,000 Native lives.
Good to know, Ms. Cracker. Thank you.
There was suprisingly little (none) opposition to the change.
https://www.uclawsf.edu/new-name/
Great cookings tips from the class. Mr. Ivy will now be making the pizza sauce from scratch, no more jar stuff. I’m so glad he likes to cook because I do not.
Mmm, remember the stories of tRUMPsky paying someone to take the SAT for him?
Has he ever passed a test beyond “person, woman, man, camera”?
Guess he doesn’t like testing because when you test, cases go up. Covid would just go away if there were no tests.
Tests are always a problem for the conman.
ps – He should get ten years for groping American flags.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/us/newsom-homeless-california.html?
Has a male nominee ever been asked for recipes?
One of the things our late daughter returned with from her 3-year sojourn in the Pacific Northwest was a highly refined sense of social justice, especially the plight of Native Americans, but also the homeless. Among her goals was to carry that forward and widely in her therapy practice including pro bono. Another example of the types of catastrophic losses to society still rolling forward because of mishandling of the pandemic by the previous administration.
I thought the SCOTUS decision left it up to the states to be a-holes and remove camps. Where are they to go?
The KamaBOOM. The US economy has now been in an expansion for 51 months with annualized real GDP growth of 4.5% over that time.
Loved the Harris ad!
The next one needs to mention seniors and the safety of Social Security and Medicare.
Harris/Kelly 2024
Freedom!
BiD, Gerald Ford toasted his own English muffins
Kamala speech to teachers coming up shortly on CNN
The Harris campaign just sent out a press release with this headline: “Statement on a 78-Year-Old Criminal’s Fox News Appearance.”
Harris speaking now, CNN
Live now…
People are giddy — the Colbert excerpt is a perfect example.
I love that people hate Vance do you think Trump will try to kick him off the ticket.
The only thing that makes me vote for Schiff at all is the idea of having Steve Garvey in the
senate It would be like sending another Tommy Tuberville.
There were people behind him. If a bullet had hit the top of his ear and stopped, that would have been one extremely weird bullet.
i.e., it was not a bullet that hit his ear.
I was watching live reporters at the assassination scene and I distinctly remember a reporter saying he was inspecting the teleprompters which were pristine—totally undamaged.
I like that, Craig. Ka-Boom economy.
Several years ago there was a news piece on Kampala cooking. Apparently, she is a very good one and quite proud of it.
Quips making the rounds “I’m not voting for Kamala because she is a woman. I’m voting for her because I am!”
Inspiring eulogy by Gail Collins for her husband, Dan Collins.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/24/opinion/dan-collins-gail-obit-marriage.html
“Ka-Boom” economy much better Ivy. Good one!
“Normal people” -haha. Normal is a setting on the dryer.
Trump’s lead pollster is already setting expectations that it’s Kamala Harris who will get the bounce — and perhaps even lead the race soon.
A hypothetical candidate is very different than a real one. Polls of a Trump-Harris match up before Biden dropped out are likely to underestimate her real support.
Democrats are clearly very excited now and that could make them more likely to respond to pollsters.
Watch the third party vote. In a race between two unpopular candidates, Robert F. Kennedy’s poll numbers may have been higher than they otherwise would.
https://bluedelaware.com/2024/07/25/the-political-report-july-25-2024/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/tech/kamala-harris-tech-industry-support/index.html
“Kamala Harris wants to be America’s first Silicon Valley president. She has tech’s support”
“…endorsements and donations for Harris, which have come from prominent names, such as longtime Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings and philanthropist Melinda French Gates.”
“The Harris supporters represent a foil to the loud and powerful — although not necessarily large — contingent of (mostly) men in tech who have endorsed Former President Donald Trump’s White House bid, including Elon Musk.”
“Despite her friendly relationships with the industry’s leaders, Harris has also pushed for tech accountability in key areas. As California’s attorney general, she went after tech companies for their role in online sexual harassment and revenge porn. As a California senator in 2018, Harris grilled Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over user privacy in a hearing following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.”
Excellent episode, Old Berman:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/id1633301179
“There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Wray testified. “As I sit here right now, I don’t know whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else.”
“grazing” just doesn’t carry the same red meat payload as “pierced” or “took a bullet for democracy” does.
lol, i see what they did there
his ear isn’t even marked, blood pack, all his wrestling pals like Vince McMahon live in Florida, probably showed him the routine at maralago
and yeah i think they’d let people get killed to win
-right before convention
-ear not even marked two weeks later
-FBI knows he’s full of shit
-common wrestling routine of falling, hiding, using blood pack
-tied in with pro-wrestling comm in FL
-dumb enough to try something this stupid
-photographer knew exactly where to be, said he knew he “had to capture history” but there wasn’t enough time to articulate thoughts AND THEN get in position
-dumbest most fraught location for a rally but great for this stunt
-shooter from a trump family
KO’s piece about trump and the disabled that Sturge linked is not surprising coming from someone who allegedly kept a copy of mien kampf at his bedside.
FYI a tidbit about his hero:
from Hitler authorizes killing of disabled > Holocaust > Key Moments > WW2History.com :
Someone just showed me a picture of a band-aid on his ear in Charlotte. Wouldn’t the same God who deflected the bullet prevent infection of the wound?
Pat, two TV drama series that effectively portrayed the Nazi campaign against disabled children in their storylines:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_High_Castle_(TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_on_Fire_(TV_series)
then in the Grassley bodycam video, the cops are discussing what happened, they were literally chasing this kid around the fairgrounds, engaged him, then the shooter immediately (like “immediately”, seconds later according to the cops) after that engagement with law enforcement got off 8 relatively accurate shots in the opposite direction freehand???? at 146 yards???
Frank Luntz @FrankLuntz:
I was wondering what we were talking about four years ago so I carefully clicked on the Trails Past (Archive) drop down menu, right column of the webpage. What a treat that is. I picked a few months to scroll through starting with March 2020. I could tell how my memory works, I had completely blocked out how life was back then. It was interesting though. Many memories did finally show up, it just took time.
The blood did look weird, Bink, but I chalked up the watery, red streaks on his shirt to blood thinners.
i wasn’t of a conspiratorial mind until Hulk Hogan showed up at the RNC and i had a flashback to all the times Hulkster used to use that gag in what was then called the “WWF”. Was a Hulkamaniac in my early youth, NEVER AGAIN
Vince McMahon and his wife are known trumpies, those rallies and that convention are/were staged like pro-wresting events
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayfabe
“In professional wrestling, kayfabe (/ˈkeɪfeɪb/) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as “real” or “true”, specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. The term kayfabe has evolved to also become a code word of sorts for maintaining this “reality” within the direct or indirect presence of the general public.”
(close trump advisor steven cheung’s twitter bio describes himself as a “pro wrestling historian” 😶)
ok whatever, end the lunacy, Vote Harris 🇺🇸
Craig, People Magazine had a spread about Gerald Ford making his own breakfast every day; this was when People Magazine was 35 cents and everybody bought it when grocery shopping. We also learned his drink was bourbon and branch water. I asked my dad why branch water. Dad said it was just water from the tap, but branch water sounded better. Helifino. Ford is the only President I ever saw and I saw him 3 times, 2 by accident. Once I took the kids to a Fort Wayne rally just so they could say they saw a President. The accidental 2, once at a Michigan football game when he was paraded around the field in a convertible, once at a helicopter flyover on the 4th of July on The National Mall in DC during the celebration just before dark and the fireworks. That maybe was a stunt double?
Harris just now after meeting with Bibi, threads the needle: “Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/24/politics/new-york-missouri-supreme-court-trump-hush-money-case/index.html
“New York’s attorney general urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to stay out of Donald Trump’s hush money criminal case, arguing the nation’s highest court should not grant a novel request by Missouri to pause his sentencing hearing and lift the gag order imposed on the former president in the case.”
“But New York Attorney General Letitia James told the high court in a new filing that Missouri had no legal basis to turn to the justices for that type of relief, which she said “seriously undermines the integrity of the courts and risks setting a dangerous precedent that encourages a flood of similar, unmeritorious litigation.”
“The type of relief sought by Missouri, James argued, can only be obtained through her state’s courts, not the Supreme Court.”
BB, glad you enjoyed the Trails Past archive. Sometimes I’ve almost deleted it when streamlining plugins to maintain good page speed, but haven’t pulled the trigger.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/07/24/taylor-swift-jd-vance-childless-cat-ladies/74525531007/
“Cat ladies stand back & stand by”
Ha!
What’s this I hear anout about Vance being a Cow Chopper?
Hello everyone …. I am happy to report that I am signed up to be on the White Women Answer the Call zoom meeting/rally with Kamala at 8:30 PM EST!!!!
I don’t know what a cow chopper is?
Here’s what the kids are up to for Kamala 🕺
https://x.com/BonnieMcKee/status/1815881962802004419
omg you can’t buy PR like this ❤️
Here is Trump campaign’s first anti-Harris ad, they’re getting in the game now..
https://x.com/yashar/status/1816618786575049097
Vance: Parents Should Get Extra Votes — J. D. Vance: “Let’s give votes to all children in this country, but let’s give control over those votes to the parents… When you go to the polls in this country… you should have more power… than people who don’t have kids…” Video.. https://x.com/JRVanHoose/status/1816470238512427440
Excellent!
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4793807-donald-trump-kamala-harris-debate/
“Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.”
cluck-cluck-buk-aaa
It’s official. Trump afraid to debate. This just released.
Over $1 million has been donated since the start of this Answer the Call zoom session. PINK is now speaking from Stockholm where she just finished a show!!
MJ
Couch hopper. It’s from his book describing intimate relationship with the family couch. Imagination up to you.
Jamie …. thanks (Sortof) for the explanation …. I do know now what that refers to and just want to say YUCK!
🎵 Never mind. 🎶
Her response to Trump’s debate dodge…
@KamalaHarris
What happened to “any time, any place”?
NEW THREAD