Is there a post office with a blank wall? Cheeto has a list of names of people who should be on it.

Some have even already been convicted and served some prison time.

From USA Today, via Yahoo! -

Just four months out of prison, Peter Navarro to join Trump White House as trade advisor

Peter Navarro will head back to the White House as a top advisor on trade and manufacturing, President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social.

Navarro is an economist who served in Trump's first administration, running a newly created National Trade Council and then the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

A loyal supporter to the president-elect, Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison after a federal jury convicted him of refusing to comply with a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in August just after being released.

CBS News has a list of Trump nominees/future convicts.

Axios has a list of previous supporters/allies of Cheeto who've done prison time.

In honor of Cheeto, I've got a word of the day for you: embolden

From Merriam Webster -

Allow me to provide an example of this already starting.  From WSYX (OH), dated 11/17. via KOMONews (note: KOMO is an affiliate of Sinclair Inc. an organization that could give Fox News right wing shill lessons.  If they're reporting this, it had to be pretty bad.) -

Governor DeWine, others condemn Neo-Nazi march in Ohio community

Columbus Police on Saturday responded to a group of Neo-Nazis carrying flags with swastikas on them while walking through the Short North.

Social media posts began circulating around 1 p.m., showing about a dozen people marching wearing all black with masks that featured a red skull. Columbus Police told WSYX that no arrests were made as of 8 p.m. that same day.

Governor Mike DeWine released a statement condemning the Neo-Nazis, stating that "We will not tolerate hate in Ohio."

Mayor Andrew Ginther released a statement condemning the actions, and ensuring the "Columbus community stands squarely against hatred and bigotry."

Maybe it'll help if I use "embolden" in a sentence.

It seems that Cheeto's win has served to embolden other scum.

Fasten your seat belts folks - the ride is going to get bumby.

Is Vlad picking Cheeto's national defense nominees?

Or are they being chosen by Vlad, but with Cheeto's input?

I'm leaning toward the 2nd possibility as these folks are Trump loyalists one and all, but I don't rule out the first.

From AP -

Gabbard’s sympathetic views toward Russia cause alarm as Trump’s pick to lead intelligence services

Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens.

Moscow claimed Ukraine was using the labs to create deadly bioweapons similar to COVID-19 that could be used against Russia, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no choice but to invade neighboring Ukraine to protect his country.

In fact, the labs are public and part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons.

From DefenseOne -

‘Extraordinarily dangerous’: Intelligence community insiders warn against Trump’s DNI pick

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, lacks experience, and her record of Russia-aligned public statements could undermine the ability of the United States to acquire intelligence from allies and partners, current and former intelligence officials say. 

Trump on Wednesday announced his intention to put Gabbard, who served in Congress as a Democrat from Hawaii, in charge of the national intelligence office. The office coordinates intelligence efforts across the entire government, forges intelligence-sharing relationships with other countries, and shapes the way the public and the White House understand threats to U.S. interests. The office takes a leading role in assembling the daily brief for the president, which  the White House uses to understand how adversaries are working against the United States, and in telling the public about threats Americans face.

 

I would liken the picks of her, Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) and others to the Keystone Kops, except the antics of the Keystone Kops brought laughter and joy to a lot of Americans.

The only people who will enjoy the antics of Cheeto's bunch will be Russian.

Hey, Cheeto supporters! This may be the first step in getting what you wanted when you voted for him.

You wanted people to work for free, right?

From Reuters -

US judge strikes down Biden overtime pay rule

A federal judge in Texas on Friday permanently blocked a Biden administration rule that would have made about 4 million more salaried U.S. workers eligible for overtime pay.

U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan in Sherman, Texas, said the U.S. Department of Labor rule that took effect in July improperly bases eligibility for overtime pay on workers' wages rather than their job duties.

[snip]

Jordan, who was appointed by Republican President-elect Donald Trump in his first term, struck down the rule after saying in June that it was likely invalid and temporarily blocking it from being applied to Texas state employees.

The rule would have required employers to pay overtime premiums to salaried workers who earn less than $1,128 per week, or about $58,600 per year, when they work more than 40 hours in a week, beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and it had temporarily raised the threshold to about $44,000 per year on July 1

.

This may be a backdoor way for Cheeto to keep one of his campaign promises.

Of course, his supporters thought they'd still get overtime, it just wouldn't be taxed.

They were wrong.

What's the Russian for "Chernobyl this, you people who copulate with your female parental figures!"

We may hear it sooner or later, and with Trump's "dream team" of Cabinet and adviser picks, it'll probably be sooner.

People like RFK, Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, Marco Rubio, Elon Musk, and Pete Hegseth (et. al.) shouldn't be allowed within even sniffing distance of a national office yet Cheeto has nominated/named them to seats at the big table.

Yet, as rancid as his personnel choices may be, his plan to purge the U.S. military of senior officers may be worse.

From Reuters -

Exclusive: Trump's team drawing up list of Pentagon officers to fire, sources say

Members of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team are drawing up a list of military officers to be fired, potentially to include the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two sources said, in what would be an unprecedented shakeup at the Pentagon.

The planning for the firings is at an early stage after Trump's Nov. 5 election victory and could change as Trump's administration takes shape, said the sources, who are familiar with the Trump transition and requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.

[snip]

The second source said the incoming administration would likely focus on U.S. military officers seen as connected to Mark Milley, Trump's former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley was quoted in the book "War" by Bob Woodward, which was published last month, calling Trump "fascist to the core" and Trump's allies have targeted him for perceived disloyalty to the former president.

"Every single person that was elevated and appointed by Milley will be gone," the second source said.

This scheme seems, well, *familiar.*

Some observers consider Cheeto's picks to be a "dream", but the linked observer at WaPo was probably being sarcastic.  She's a bit of a wiseass. 

Especially since my first reaction to this list was "it's a nightmare".

My next reaction was "the only person who has dreams like this is Vlad...and only if those dreams are wet."

Speaking of Vlad, his initial plan if Cheeto ever became POTUS again may have been to invade the western U.S.  That may still be the plan, but he's frittered away so much of Russia's military on his invasion of Ukraine that may no longer be an option.

He still has nukes, so he may simply turn the western U.S. into a radioactive slag heap.

It's not like Cheeto would do anything about it.  He might say "well, I have bone spurs" while thinking "well, most of them didn't vote for me."

Short Attention Span Musing - mixed bag edition

Just a prediction, an observation, and some advice

First up,  the prediction, and NO, I'm not going to make a prediction about Tuesday's results.  I've already done that.

Nope, the prediction is this:

If Cheeto gains a 2nd term as POTUS, he'll only be president for 3-6 months before his VP, J.D. Vance, teaches him all about the Constitution.  

Not all of it, just the 25th Amendment to it.

Observation:  Aside from trumpkins and other bigots, the folks who are most in favor of a Cheeto victory on Tuesday may be the writers of fake news,  The writers for monologues for late night talk shows and shows like SNL's Weekend Update and /or The Daily Show will have nothing to do beyond putting Cheeto's blatherings to paper.  And the writers for Faux News and other conservative outlets will simply be in orgasmic bliss.

Advice, and it's given with the knowledge that it almost certainly won't be heeded: Democratic candidates should neither seek nor accept the endorsement of a police-affiliated organization.  Endorsements of groups of public employees may help.  If those employees are firefighters or teachers (especially in primaries).

Neither of those groups is known for assaulting and/or killing unarmed civilians.

An endorsement from a police organization may serve to suppress the vote of groups who would support Democratic candidates while not delivering the votes of every member of such an organization.

Secondary advice:  All campaigns should forget how to hit the "Send" on emails and mass texts.  Don't send 'em more than once per day.

I've already deleted 48 emails today (and that doesn't include the ones that went directly to my spam folder).  I don't know how many texts were sent to me today because I've had to block so many numbers.

And all of them can be summarized the same way:

Gimme.

I realize that the consultants hired by each campaign are looking only for their next paycheck and will highlight the number of messages they sent and not the number of potential voters for their candidates they turned off.

In other words, this will happen for the next few cycles (at least.)

President Joe Biden has a single word to describe Cheeto's supporters

Last week, I wrote a post describing Kari Lake and her surrogates as "despicable."

Biden may not have topped that, but he definitely belongs in the post.

From ABC News -

Biden suggests Trump supporters are 'garbage' after comic's insult of Puerto Rico

President Joe Biden took a swipe against Donald Trump's supporters as he reacted to the Republican presidential nominee's weekend rally at Madison Square Garden, which was overshadowed by crude and racist rhetoric.

In a call organized by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden on Tuesday responded to a comic at Trump's rally who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Biden's initial comments were garbled.

“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. Well, let me tell you something, I don’t, I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know, the Puerto Rico where I’m fr -- in my home state of Delaware. They’re good, decent honorable people,” he said.

The president then added: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

Wonder if Cheeto realizes that some of the "garbage" in Puerto Rico may be the rolls from the paper towels he threw to the residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria?

The title of this post starts with the phrase "President Joe Biden".

That's a phase that guaranteed to piss off Cheeto and his supporters.

I'd say it's already starting, but this is a continuation

Yesterday, I wrote a post about how Cheeto's supporters are already getting violent.

Then another story broke.

From AP -

Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots in Washington and damage 3 in Oregon

Incendiary devices were set off Monday at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — destroying hundreds of ballots in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy” about a week before a heated Election Day.

The early morning fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box as well as a nearby security guard, police said, and just three ballots were damaged there.

But within a few hours, another fire was discovered at a transit center drop box across the Columbia River in Vancouver. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be one of the closest U.S. House races in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.

January 6, 2025 should be interesting - the new Congress is scheduled to accept the election results then.

I expect lots of whining and some violence from Cheeto's supporters.

Cheeto hasn't even lost yet, but his supporters are already getting violent

My guess is that the insurrection of January 6, 2021 will seem like a high school pep rally whether or not Cheeto loses the election.

And I'm not even talking the burning of some ballots in a mailbox; subsequent news reports have indicated that the presence of early ballots in the conflagration  was a coincidence.  The person arrested for that looks to someone who's NOT political and just wanted to go back to prison.

From USA Today (article written before the other stuff came out) -

Electoral ballots damaged in Phoenix after someone set fire to a mailbox; arrest made

A suspect is in custody for allegedly burning 20 electoral ballots that were inside a mailbox in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday morning, the city's mayor and police said.

Dieter Klofkorn, 35, is accused of igniting a fire in a mailbox at a U.S. Postal Office in the area of 7th Avenue and Indian School Road around 1 a.m., Phoenix police said in a news release.

Nope, I'm talking about other stuff.

From AZFamily (emphasis added by me -

Man punched election worker who told him to remove hat at voting site, police say

A Texas man who wore a hat supporting former President Donald Trump punched an election worker who told him that wearing items endorsing a candidate are prohibited at voting sites, a sheriff said Friday.

The election worker, identified as a 69-year-old man, was treated at the scene Thursday and returned to his election post at a San Antonio library on Friday, officials said. The suspect was arrested on felony charges of assaulting an elderly person and could face additional charges, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

[snip]

The suspect, identified as Jesse Lutzenberger, remained in jail Friday evening, according to Bexar County records. Jail records did not list an attorney and a phone number for Lutzenberger’s home could not immediately be found Friday.

Yet that wasn't the scariest, or the most craven, behavior engaged in by MAGA-its this week.  What's worse happened here in AZ.

From AZMirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy (emphasis added by me)

Phoenix man charged with shooting Democratic office had 250,000 rounds and a grenade launcher

In less than two weeks, Arizonans and the nation will decide the next president of the United States, but concerns about political violence leading up to and after Election Day has experts concerned, especially in light of revelations about a Phoenix man arrested Tuesday who authorities said was allegedly planning a “mass casualty” event in the state. 

Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, was arrested in connection to his alleged involvement in four separate incidents of political violence. Police have tied him to a series of shootings at a Democratic National Committee office in Tempe, as well as placing anti-Democratic signs with razor blades and bags of white powder attached to them in nearby Ahwatukee. 

During an initial appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said that a search warrant of Kelly’s home found 120 guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, body armor and a grenade launcher. 

Prosecutors said that law enforcement believed that Kelly was leaving his home Tuesday to “potentially do something” and was preparing for a “mass casualty” event. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Tempe police would not elaborate on what led them to believe Kelly had larger plans, citing an ongoing investigation. 

 

Mr. Kelly has given money to Cheeto and other Republican causes and committees, including to Cheeto on 10/14, after the shootings he's been charged with.

The case number in Maricopa County Superior Court is CR2024-150570-001; the case history page is here.

I truly don't know when he was radicalized, but his anti-society attitude and behavior seems to be long-standing.

All I know is that elections officials here and all over the country have to use unprecedented security measures because the supporters of one candidate will violently object to any election results that they don't like.

Flake endorses Harris: Can you say "I'm gobsmacked"?

From NBCNews -

Former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake endorses Harris for president

Former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Sunday, writing in a statement that he wanted to support a presidential candidate who represents “a new generation of leadership based not on grievances of the past, but hope for the future.”

“I’ve served with Kamala in the U.S. Senate. I’ve also served with [Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz] in the House of Representatives. I know them. I know first hand of their fine character and love of country,” the former senator from Arizona added in his statement posted on X.

Gobsmacked is a bit of an old school term, so some readers may not understand it.  Let me explain it.

From Merriam-Webster -

gobsmacked adjective

overwhelmed with wonder, surprise, or shock : astounded

No one will ever call Flake a "liberal Democrat" (except maybe Cheeto and those who embrace criminality is a legitimate political position), so this development is a bit of a surprise.  I expected that, at best, he would *not* endorse in the race.

I was wrong.

So long as the investigation is fair, honest, and open

Then let the chips fall where they may.

Of course, with Cheeto and his acolytes involved, it would be surprising if they allow the investigation to be any of those things.

First, the shooting at one of  Cheeto's events.

From ABC News -

Trump shooting live updates: Suspect's family is cooperating

Federal authorities are investigating after former president Donald Trump was shot in an assassination attempt at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Secret Service agents swarmed Trump and ducked behind the podium. Blood could be seen on his right ear of Trump as agents surrounded him and led him off the stage to a waiting vehicle to whisk him away.

Trump is "fine," a spokesperson said. The alleged shooter is dead. One spectator was killed and two were hurt, officials said.

I will say that it has been interesting to watch supporters of politically motivated violence to denounce politically motivated violence...that's directed toward the leading supporter of politically motivated violence.

They were OK with the assault on Nancy Pelosi's husband, shooting up a pizza shop based on fake news, the violent and deadly insurrection of January 6, 2021, the multiple threats to public officials over the 2020 election, and more.

On the other hand, shooting at Dear Leader?

They're not so OK with that.

The cynical portion of this post comes in two parts:

1. I don't believe it will be long before Cheeto or one of his campaign surrogates starts demanding that he be awarded a Purple Heart over yesterday's shooting.

2. I don't believe in coincidences.  The timing of this is fortuitous.

To say the least.

Cheeto doesn't want to be POTUS, he wants to be a petty and vindictive dictator of the US

From Newsweek -

Donald Trump Says It Is 'Very Possible' He Will Imprison Political Opponents

Donald Trump has floated the possibility of imprisoning his political opponents

 

 if he wins back the White House in November.

Trump made the comments days after a New York jury found him guilty of

 

34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment

 

to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. He denied he was guilty

 

of any wrongdoing.

Speaking to the conservative outlet Newsmax on Tuesday, Trump added to his recent false claims that he had never called for his rival in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton, to be jailed.

It's not just Cheeto; "petty and vindictive" seems to be a GOP thing.

From USA Today -

GOP plots revenge in Congress amid raging views on Trump conviction; fundraising surges

Republican lawmakers are seeking revenge for the historic conviction of former President Donald Trump in a New York hush money case, which they’re calling a miscarriage of justice and a pointed political maneuver.

In the Senate, a cohort of conservative lawmakers are pledging to stop all Democratic priorities and block Biden administration nominees from approval. 

Ummm...instead of being petty and/or vengeful over conviction and/or criticism of bad acts, one could not engage in bad acts in the first place.

Guess which option Cheeto and his fellow travelers have chosen?

Short attention span musing

...From the "Is anyone really surprised by this?" file:

From AP -

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia registers as independent, citing ‘partisan extremism’

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Friday he has switched his registration to independent, raising questions about his political plans since the move could help his chances should he seek elected office again in a state that has turned heavily Republican.

Manchin, 76, has often been at odds with the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities. But he played a central role in helping Biden get a landmark climate change and health care bill over the finish line in 2022.

Maybe he can caucus with Kyrsten Sinema.  Probably not gonna happen though.

Both would want to be considered the leader of that particular caucus, and she may be the one person in the U.S. Senate who is as utterly self-focused as him (and that's saying something in a body that numbers Ted Cruz among its members.)

...From the "It worked so well on January 6, 2021 so it should be done again." file: 

From Reuters -

Trump supporters call for riots and violent retribution after verdict

Supporters of former President Donald Trump, enraged by his conviction on 34 felony counts by a New York jury, flooded pro-Trump websites with calls for riots, revolution and violent retribution.

After Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, his supporters responded with dozens of violent online posts, according to a Reuters review of comments on three Trump-aligned websites: the former president's own Truth Social platform, Patriots.Win and the Gateway Pundit.

Some called for attacks on jurors, the execution of the judge, Justice Juan Merchan, or outright civil war and armed insurrection.

“Someone in NY with nothing to lose needs to take care of Merchan,” wrote one commentator on Patriots.Win. “Hopefully he gets met with illegals with a machete,” the post said in reference to illegal immigrants.

On Gateway Pundit, one poster suggested shooting liberals after the verdict. “Time to start capping some leftys,” said the post. “This cannot be fixed by voting."

...From the "It's not just the GOPer base." file:

From Axios -

GOP senator aims to block floor action over Trump conviction

Eight Republican senators are vowing to vote against any spending bills, judicial nominees or other Democratic legislation brought to the floor in protest of former President Trump's conviction on 34 felony charges.

[snip]

Driving the news: "Strongly worded statements are not enough," Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who led the effort, tweeted. "Those who turned our judicial system into a political cudgel must be held accountable."

• He was joined by two Trump VP contenders — Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Oh.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — as well as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) who recently announced a bid for GOP leader.
• Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) also joined.
• Lee plans to keep the letter open for the foreseeable future, and is calling on more Senators to join their pledge of non-cooperation.

...From the "One can be despised by lousy human beings and still be a lousy human being." file:

Also from Axios -

Johnson urges Supreme Court to "step in" on Trump verdict

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called for the U.S. Supreme Court to "step in" to overturn the guilty verdict against former President Trump in his New York hush money trial.

Why it matters: It's one of the starkest examples yet of Republicans, furious about the jury's decision, calling for some form of intervention to protect the ex-president.

Johnson has faced withering criticism from the loons in his caucus who are more right-wing than he is.

...From the "At least in Arizona, 'petty snit' is an accepted partisan position." file:

From AZMirror, written by Caitlin Sievers -

House Republicans who investigated AG Mayes say she should be impeached

A group of Arizona House Republicans is calling for the impeachment of Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes based on allegations that she abused her power, neglected her duties and “committed malfeasance.” 

House Speaker Ben Toma created the House Committee on Executive Oversight in late March, specifically to examine the duties and powers of the attorney general, to investigate allegations against Mayes and to make corresponding recommendations to the House amidst allegations from Republicans that Mayes was unconstitutionally picking and choosing which laws to enforce. 

Mayes, along with all the Democrats assigned to the committee, refused to participate in its meetings, calling the entire undertaking a “sham”. Republicans on the committee chided the Democrats for skipping out. 

In a letter to Toma on May 28, Rep. Jacqueline Parker, the San Tan Valley Republican who chaired the panel, recommended that the House adopt a resolution to impeach Mayes for “malfeasance in office.”  

 The committee's agenda from 4/17 is here.

Speaking of "malfeasance," the fake electors hadn't yet been indicted; if they had been, I'm pretty sure that would have been added to the laundry list of unfounded Republican whines/complaints about Mayes.