Three immigrants drown in Rio Grande River; will Greg Abbott celebrate his selection as Cheeto's VP choice by dancing or laughing?

I thought that Nicki Haley had the inside track for that, but (to the best of my knowledge) she hasn't racked up a body count...nor does she not look enough like Vanky to suit Cheeto.

On the other hand, while Greg Abbott doesn't look like Vanky (though it wouldn't be a surprise if he dyed his hair blond and underwent some cosmetic surgery), he HAS racked up a body count.

From Texas Public Radio (emphasis added by me) -

Three migrants drown in Rio Grande after Texas blocks Border Patrol from rescue

A woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass on Friday night as they were attempting to cross the U.S. southern border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection told TPR that Border Patrol was prevented from deploying lifesaving efforts by agents with Operation Lone Star, the controversial Texas border security initiative.

Under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star this week seized control of Eagle Pass' Shelby Park, which faces the Rio Grande and has denied access to the Border Patrol.

If the people involved with Operation Lone Star and the drownings ever face charges, they may propose the Nuremberg defense and point fingers at Abbott.

Apparently, Greg Abbott *really* wants to be Cheeto's VP pick

Abbott is the Governor of Texas but he wants more, and he's displaying his *soulless* cred for all to see.

Or as Cheeto might term it, "a positive character reference."

From CNN, emphasis added by me - 

Texas troopers told to push back migrants into Rio Grande and ordered not to give water amid soaring temperatures, report says

Emails shared with CNN by the Texas Department of Public Safety detail a trooper-medic expressing concerns to a supervisor over the inhumane treatment of migrants along the border in Eagle Pass, Texas.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department are in ongoing talks about what action can be taken against Texas amid concerns over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s months-long operation along the US southern border, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

In the email, the trooper said medics “were given orders to push the people back into the water to go to Mexico” and were also ordered not to give water to the migrants.

From weather.com, regarding South Texas weather -

Kysten Sinema has some interesting associates supporting her as US Senator

Don't misunderstand me - she may still mount a third party/No Labels run in 2024 for the seat she currently holds, if only to give the seat to the Republicans.  Though I think she may be angling for a slot as Cheeto's VP choice.

From Mother Jones (emphasis added by me)-

No Labels Exposed: Here’s a List of Donors Funding Its Effort To Disrupt the 2024 Race

No Labels, the political outfit preparing to run a “unity” ticket in 2024 that Democratic strategists and Never-Trump Republican operatives fear will siphon votes from President Joe Biden, is what’s known as a dark-money group. Unlike political parties, political action committees, and House, Senate, and presidential candidates, it is not required to reveal who is funding it. And No Labels, which says it intends to raise $70 million to possibly place a third-party candidate on the presidential ballot next year, refuses to disclose who is financing this project. But Mother Jones has obtained a list of 36 wealthy contributors and corporate high-rollers who last year wrote big checks to support No Labels’ effort to win 2024 ballot lines in states across the nation. This roster includes past and present chief executives of major companies, including Loews Corporation (a vast conglomerate), Fluor (an engineering and construction giant), Abry Partners (a private equity firm), SailPoint (a tech firm), and Fortress Investment Group.

Among the No Labels backers are donors who contributed millions of dollars to Republican causes, such as past GOP presidential candidates and super-PACS connected to Republican congressional leadership, and several who have poured money into the Democratic presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden. One donor provided a big chunk of political cash to Donald Trump. Generally, these No Labels supporters, who mostly made contributions of $5,600 to its 2024 project, appear to favor conservative candidates, though many have played both sides of the aisle, financing Republican and Democratic politicians. 

[snip]

 

Three donors on the list contributed to Trump, but only one, Allan Keen, a successful Florida real estate developer, gave a hefty amount. In the run-up to the 2020 election, Keen donated $135,000 to Trump Victory, a joint-fundraising committee that supported Trump’s reelection. Previously, Keen financially backed the presidential campaigns of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, McCain, and Romney. More recently, he has donated to Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December and became an independent.

At least 16 of the these 36 donors have graced Sinema with money.

I still consider her to be a dark horse candidate to be Cheeto's choice for a running mate.  Kari Lake, Greg Abbott, and others seem to be ahead of her right now.

However, she has a lot in common with Cheeto with many of the same deep-pocketed donors; maybe closer ties to Vlad will put her over the top.

So who will be Cheeto's running mate in 2024?

Time for some idle speculation.

Current frontrunners:

Kari Lake.   The failed 2022 candidate has traveled the country, serve as Cheeto's surrogate.

    Pluses: Is female and is from a state that Cheeto needs to win in a general election.  Plus she regularly pushes Cheeto's "big lie" and whines almost as he does.

    Negatives: Isn't blonde.  Lost her election.  Won't help in the primary, because Cheeto will win the AZ primary which I expect him to win no matter what.

Greg Abbott.  The current governor of Texas.

    Pluses: Hates people of color and immigrants almost as much as Cheeto.  Wins elections.

    Negatives: Cheeto will win the general election in Texas no matter who's on the ticket with him.

    

Others in the mix :

Kristi Noem, the current governor of South Dakota.  She's as nuts as Cheeto.

Marjorie Taylor Greene.  Currently in Congress.  Makes Noem look sane.

Ron DeSantis, currently Florida's Governor and a presumed presidential candidate in 2024.  He and Cheeto aren't fans of each other, so if this happens, it will be a cynical move by both.

Tommy Tuberville.  Currently in the US Senate.  Cheeto likes to think that he's smarter than others.  In Tuberville's case, that belief might actually be true.

Gym Jordan.  Currently in Congress.  His penchant for looking the other way when facing sexual predators may endear him to Cheeto.

Kyrsten Sinema.  Currently in the US Senate.  A former Democrat who may be as self-centered as Cheeto.

Not gonna happen, either because Cheeto won't have them, or there's no way in hell that they'd take the gig:

Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and any R who voted to impeach him. Mike Pence.

There will be others in the mix as this early speculation.

What's worse, craven or depraved?

Actually, it doesn't matter.

Both the House Republican caucus in Tennessee and Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas qualify.

First, the House Republican caucus in Tennessee -

From BBC:

Lawmakers expelled: What to know about the 'Tennessee Three'

Tennessee's House of Representatives has expelled two Democratic lawmakers for leading gun control demonstrations from the House floor.

Republicans accused three Democratic representatives of bringing "disorder and dishonour to the House".

Expelling lawmakers from their elected positions is an exceptionally rare move in state legislatures.

Thursday's votes made the expulsions even more controversial when House Republicans chose to expel two black representatives but not the third Democrat, a white woman.

BBC has a pic of the behavior that so bothered the TN House GOP -

I wonder what the two who were expelled have in common, other than being Democrats? (That's a rhetorical question.)

If only they resembled the TN House GOP member as seen in this group photo -

OK, this isn't really a group photo of the TN House GOP caucus.  Though it could be.  There's a certain similarity in pigmentation and susceptibility to an increase in temperature.  Actually, this pic is from the National Weather Service.

Still, as bad as the GOP caucus in the TN House was, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas may have been worse.  His response upon seeing the public lynching in TN was "hold my beer."

From the Austin American-Statesman -

Gov. Greg Abbott announces he will push to pardon Daniel Perry who was convicted of murder

Less than 24 hours after a jury in Austin found Daniel Perry guilty of shooting to death a protester, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on social media Saturday that he would pardon the convicted killer as soon as a request "hits my desk."

The unprecedented effort, which Abbott announced to his 1 million followers on Twitter, came as Abbott faced growing calls from national conservative figures such as Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted in the shooting deaths of two Wisconsin protesters in 2020, to act to urgently undo the conviction. 

Using his position to aid and abet murder?

Worse.

Red State governors like sending busloads of migrants to blue states and cities. The receiving governors and mayors should return the favor.

But no, not with immigrants.

From The Oregonian (emphasis added by me) -

GOP governors try to bus migrants to blue cities, but many exit to live in red states

Since April, thousands of migrants have arrived by bus in New York City and Washington, D.C., sent north by Republican governors in Texas and Arizona as a political gambit to blame Democrats for the migrants’ presence in the country.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey have spent millions of dollars transporting migrants to the liberal cities to protest President Joe Biden’s intention to roll back some pandemic-era border restrictions and Democratic immigration policies more generally.

[snip]

Migrants have disembarked in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee in recent weeks, and some of the buses arriving in New York and Washington have been nearly empty, according to media reports, though local charities say they’re still helping dozens of arriving migrants almost daily. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, warned migrants back in April not to use the buses to get to his state, saying “Florida is not a sanctuary state.”

Blue state governors and blue city mayors should return those buses, but filled with guns that were used to commit murders in their jurisdictions but started off in red states.

From ReformAustin, dated 4/11/2022 -

Red States Have More Murders Than Blue States

To hear any Texas Republican tell it, “blue” cities like Houston are made into lawless abattoirs by Democratic leadership. However, a deep look at the actual murder data from the last several years shows that at the state level, Republican control is typically associated with more murder.

There’s no argument that Houston does currently have a very alarming murder rate. In a recent comprehensive report by Third Way, H-Town has a whopping 17.32 murders per 100,000 residents, one of the highest in the country. Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly used that fact to push anti-progressive agenda items such as requiring cash bail, arguing that Democrats who are coddling criminals and defunding police forces. 

[snip]

It makes a lot of sense when the causes of violence are looked at more closely. Consider Chicago, which is a favorite target of Second Amendment extremists because of its higher murder rate (28.49 per 100,000) and stringent gun control. However, most guns used in crimes in Chicago aren’t purchased in Chicago or even Illinois. Sixty percent of guns recovered in crimes in Chicago come from Indiana and Mississippi, two very red states with extremely lax gun laws that are within easy driving distance of the Windy City. 

Don't misunderstand me - before any guns are shipped, the victims of those guns should be buried, any cases stemming from their use should adjudicated, and the guns themselves should be rendered permanently unable to be fired or repaired until they're in useable condition (What? You don't believe that certain red state governors like Ducey, Abbott, and DeSantis, would order the guns repaired (if possible) and sold?  Then you have a higher opinion of their personal characters than I've got)

Cheeto wins CPAC straw poll/name recognition contest

From CNN -

Trump wins CPAC straw poll

Former President Donald Trump easily won an informal straw poll of conservatives Sunday, when asked who they would support in a GOP primary for president in 2024.

Among attendees as the Conservative Political Action Conference, 59% said they would vote for Trump if the 2024 Republican primary were held today.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second with 28% of the vote in the poll. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came in a distant third with 2% of the vote.

This would be significant...until one remembers that Ted "Cancun" Cruz won the same straw poll in 2016.

From Politico, dated 3/5/2016 -

Cruz wins CPAC straw poll

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday.

Cruz was named the winner with 40 percent of the attendees' support, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came in second place with 30 percent. Donald Trump, who was scheduled to speak at CPAC on Saturday morning before pulling out, came in third place with 15 percent, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich had 8 percent.

And who do the people want for veep? South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has 12 percent, Haley has endorsed Rubio, and traveled with him on the trail. Kasich may not have placed high for the Oval Office but he’s tied for first for vice president. Carly Fiorina – who dropped out of the race earlier this month – is a close second with 11 percent of the vote. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Rubio are tied for third place with 9 percent a piece.

Of course, to be fair, for a poll two years out from the election, we should look at the results from 2014.

Also from Politico, this one dated 3/8/2014 -

Paul wins big in CPAC straw poll

Rand Paul handily won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday, one gauge of the Republican base’s mood less than two years before the 2016 primary season kicks off.

The Kentucky senator received 31 percent, far ahead of second place Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who received 11 percent. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson finished third with 9 percent, ahead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who received 8 percent.

Doug Ducey of Arizona and Greg Abbott of Texas should be heartened by the 2022 result.  Both have presidential ambitions, but weren't even mentioned in the 2022 poll.  

However, the eventual winner of the 2016 Republican primary wasn't even an afterthought in the 2014 poll

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is a lot like Cheeto - he wants to pardon criminals for political purposes

From The Texas Tribune -

Gov. Greg Abbott floats pardons for Austin police officers charged with excessive force in 2020 protests

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday blasted the indictment of 19 Austin police officers on assault charges stemming from the May 2020 racial justice protests — and dangled the possibility of potential pardons for them.

“Those officers should be praised for their efforts, not prosecuted,” Abbott said in a statement. “Time will tell whether the accusations against the courageous Austin police officers is a political sham. Time will also tell whether I, as Governor, must take action to exonerate any police officer unjustly prosecuted."

[snip]

The indictments accuse the 19 officers — including Texas House candidate Justin Berry — of using deadly weapons to injure nearly a dozen demonstrators and threatening them with serious bodily harm during the May 2020 protests against police brutality that followed the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Michael Ramos in Austin.

Normally, Arizona politicos are the most craven in the U.S. (Arizona legislature notwithstanding), but Texas looks to be taking that title away from us.

We have Paul Petersen, Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs, and Mark Finchem (and more!) but they have Abbott, Dan Goeb Patrick, Ken Paxton, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry, and, of course, Louie Gohmert (and more!)

Still, Cheeto may be the best example of using pardons for political/criminal gain - Joe Arpaio, Scooter Libby, Dinesh D'Souza, Michael Milken, Bernie Kerik, Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Duncan Hunter, Paul Manafort, Charles Kushner, Steve Bannon, Rick Renzi, Roger Stone, and more - all criminals and all pardoned by Cheeto.

And Cheeto's example is the one that Abbott is following.

Hey, Arizona may not be perfect, but at least it isn't Texas

Of course - we're a LONG way from perfect.  

We elect people like Doug Ducey, Wendy Rogers, Kelly Townsend, Paul Gosar, and many others, but Texas elects people like Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, Sid Miller, Louie Gohmert (and others).

And then there's this.

From Business Insider -

A Texas parent demanded a Michelle Obama biography be pulled from schools because they said it would make white girls feel 'ashamed'

A parent in Texas called for a children's biography about former first lady Michelle Obama to be pulled from school libraries because they viewed it as unfair to former President Donald Trump.

The Katy, Texas, parent took issue with a book titled "Michelle Obama: Political Icon" by Heather E. Schwartz, saying it "unfairly" depicted Trump "as a bully," according to NBC News, which on Wednesday published a list of 50 books that parents in Texas have asked schools to remove.

The request came as books depicting race, sexuality, and gender have faced heightened scrutiny from conservatives in the US, with many demanding certain titles be pulled from school libraries.

Nope, AZ isn't perfect, and maybe we shouldn't be talking smack about anyone, but TX could give us lessons in nuttiness, and that's saying something.

Maybe Gov. Greg Abbott should read some court decisions before running his mouth

From Militarycom via Yahoo! News -

'He Is Not Your Commander-in-Chief:' Texas Governor Promises Guardsmen He'll Fight Biden Over Vaccine Mandate

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is digging in against COVID-19 vaccinations and related mandates, telling National Guardsmen in his state they can ignore Pentagon inoculation rules and will not face any retribution for not getting coronavirus vaccines.

On Tuesday, the Republican governor, who is facing challenges from his political right in a reelection bid next year, threatened to file a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's authority to order troops to be inoculated against COVID-19.

Abbott's filing is here.

From the filing -

From Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution -

From AP via Military Times -

Judge rejects Oklahoma’s lawsuit over National Guard vaccine mandate

A federal judge in Oklahoma on Tuesday ruled against the state in its lawsuit challenging the vaccine mandates for members of the Oklahoma National Guard in a dispute that is the first critical test of the military’s authority to require National Guard troops to get the shot.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot denied Oklahoma’s request for a preliminary injunction, saying the claims by Gov. Kevin Stitt, Attorney General John O’Connor and 16 anonymous Oklahoma National Guard members were without merit.

From Stitt's own press release on the suit -

Governor Stitt, Attorney General O’Connor Sue Biden Administration Over National Guard Vaccine Mandate

“The U.S. Constitution, the Oklahoma Constitution, and U.S. Code Title 32 are all clear: as governor, I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Oklahoma National Guard.

“Therefore, unless mobilized by the President of the United States under U.S. Code Title10, I retain the authority for all training and governance of the Oklahoma National Guard – including determining if and how training guidelines issued by the president will be implemented.

From the Oklahoma Constitution -

The language in Oklahoma's constitution looks very similar to the language in Texas', but I'm not a lawyer.  My guess is that Abbott's suit will face the same fate as Stitt's.

Of course, I could be wrong.

From the website of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division (where Abbott filed his lawsuit) -

Both district judges were appointed by Trump, while the magistrate judge circled in blue was appointed by George W. Bush.

Greg Abbott gives everyone yet another reason to avoid Texas if one wants to stay alive

From The Texas Tribune -

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including for private employers

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers.

Abbott also called on the Legislature to pass a law with the same effect. The Legislature is in its third special legislative session, which ends Oct. 19.

He's pro-gun too.

Or maybe he's just pro-death (for others).

Abbott tests positive for Covid: File it under "what goes around, come around."

 Yup, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for Covid.

From the Texas Tribune -

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID-19

Gov. Greg Abbott tested positive Tuesday for COVID-19, according to his office.

Abbott, who is fully vaccinated, is not experiencing any symptoms and is isolating at the Governor's Mansion, spokesperson Mark Miner said in a statement. He is getting Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment.

As the story states, Abbott is vaccinated, but what about the folks he exposed?

From the same story -

Abbott has kept up public appearances in recent days. He spoke Monday night at what he called a "standing room only event" in Collin County, later tweeting photos of him addressing a maskless crowd. His campaign tweeted video of him mingling with the crowd, taking photos.

The Collin County event was organized by the Heritage Ranch Republican Club. Neither the club nor Abbott's office immediately responded to requests for comment on the event.

Less than three hours before his diagnosis was announced Tuesday afternoon, Abbott tweeted pictures of a meeting with guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. The musician's team said in a statement Tuesday evening that "Jimmie and family have tested negative and are doing fine."

At least he's ready to attend a Ted Nugent concert.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.