Saturday, June 03, 2023

OK, I'll say it: If Hunter Biden were any lousier a human being, he'd be a Republican

Pointed toward this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From USA Today (emphasis added by me) -

How the Biden family name became latest wrinkle in Hunter Biden's paternity battle

Hunter Biden is nearing judgment day in an Arkansas lawsuit to reduce his child support and prevent his daughter from taking his last name.

The president's son faces a deposition this month and a July trial against a woman, Lunden Roberts, who had his daughter Aug. 28, 2018. Biden was ordered in March 2020 to pay child support, but he asked in September 2022 to reduce the amount because of his changing income, which led to the pending trial.

Another point of contention deals with the child’s name. Roberts wants the child to have Biden’s last name because of the family's political prominence and business success, but he is opposed because of the "political warfare" she could face.

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During a May hearing, lawyer Abbe Lowell revealed Biden is paying $20,000 per month in child support for a total of $750,000.


Mr. Biden, two things:

1. Pay what you owe.

2. The perfidy by Congressional Republicans and you doesn't justify you forsaking your child.


Dear HuffPo: Improve your spelling

This won't be an exercise in criticizing Cheeto and his followers (though there will be some of that).

This won't be an exercise in criticizing one of Cheeto's minion for doing her best Ted Cruz/invertebrate impression (though she obviously merits such criticism).

Nope, this will be an exercise in me doing my best imitation of an old man waving his cane while yelling "Get off my lawn!".  :)


Let me be clear - the word is "milquetoast".  Means timid or meek.


From Huffington Post via Yahoo! (emphasis added by me)-

Kayleigh McEnany Responds To Donald Trump Attack With 1 Of His Favorite Routines

Former Trump White House press secretary-turned-Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany deployed a favorite Donald Trump line on the air Thursday, days after the former president bizarrely insulted her as “milktoast.”

McEnany, who Trump accused of understating his poll numbers against GOP 2024 rival Ron DeSantis, resorted to her former boss’ old “tears in their eyes” routine during a fawning analysis of his comments on the campaign trail in Iowa.

Of course, Cheeto and his followers probably think the word should be spelled as "milkkktoast."


Friday, June 02, 2023

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/4/2023

Another quiet week is on tap at the legislature as their vacation continues.  A couple of Senate committees will meet, but only to consider nominations.


Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look t.o spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority.  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4 at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one. 




On Monday, 6/5 -

Nada.


On Tuesday, 6/6 


-















Senate Committee on Director Nominations meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  Up for inquisition this time: Ryan Francis Thornell as director of the Department of Corrections and Susan Nicolson as Commissioner of the Department of Real Estate.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda for consideration: The appointment of David A. Zaragoza to the Board of Regents.


On Wednesday, 6/7 and Thursday, 6/8 -

Nada.


Thursday, June 01, 2023

Shameless hypocrisy: Yet another thing to despise about the NRA


From NBC -

Marijuana users still barred from buying guns even in states where pot is legal, ATF warns

Users of marijuana remain barred from purchasing and possessing guns under a decades-old federal law, even as more and more states move to legalize recreational use of the drug, federal authorities warned this week.

Unless marijuana is legalized on a federal level, users of cannabis will continue to be prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving or possessing firearms and ammunition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, said in a notice.


Yet...

From that bastion of progressive thought (OK, that's sarcasm.  If this magazine were any more conservative it would be owned by Rupert Murdoch) Reason Magazine, dated 4/2023 (emphasis added by me) -

The Drug Exception to the Second Amendment

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...in light of the NRA's longstanding support for the federal bans on gun possession by illegal drug users and people convicted of drug-related felonies. The organization's enthusiasm for enforcing those restrictions illustrates a blind spot shared by many right-leaning critics of gun control, whose concerns about overcriminalization, law enforcement abuses, and violations of civil liberties usually do not extend to the war on drugs


Violent toward others?

The NRA will seek to protect you.


Light one up?

Not so much.


Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Throwing bombs is sexier than actually governing...just ask the shameless bomb throwers

Gotta wonder if certain folks realize that the debt ceiling deal, while bad, is spoken well of when it's so thoroughly opposed by those who hate America.

From KJZZ, written by Kirsten Dorman -

Congressman Andy Biggs says debt ceiling deal is an 'abomination'

Congress is considering an agreement to avoid a government default and raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

Both President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have said it’s a compromise that includes GOP demands, like cuts in spending. But Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs said the proposal is an “abomination.”

“I had no idea that we would see a plan as ephemeral and malodorous as this plan,” Biggs said. “I’m gonna vote ‘no.’ I urge my colleagues to vote ‘no.’”

Biggs didn't confine his spouting off to reporters' mics, either.

Social media served as an outlet for his bile.  From Twitter -




























The bile-spewing wasn't limited to members of Congress.








While he hasn't yet weighed in on the topic, I expect that Biggs' saddle partner, Paul Gosar, will oppose the debt ceiling deal.


He may just be waiting for Vlad to make his pronouncement on the deal.


Sunday, May 28, 2023

Someone should tell Paul Gosar that he's no longer a dentist

Even though he likes to present himself as one.

(Snippys taken today):

From Twitter -







From his official website -







He may like to present himself as a dentist (the "D.D.S" part), but the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners seems to have a different opinion on the subject.

From their license lookup page -

















Is "deplorable" synonymous with "gullible"?

It isn't, but in certain circles, apparently it is.

Of course, one shouldn't be surprised to find that those circles are filled with trumpkins.


Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From NBC -

‘Trump Bucks’ promise wealth for MAGA loyalty. Some lose thousands.

In the recesses of the internet where some of Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters stoke conspiracies and plot his return to the White House, suspected con artists have been mining their disappointment over the last presidential election for gold.

They’ve been peddling “Trump Bucks,” which are emblazoned with photos of the former president, and advertising them online as a kind of golden ticket that will help propel Trump’s 2024 bid and make the “real patriots” who support him rich when cashed in.


I believe that there's a movie quote that covers this situation.

Edited to add:

While the NBC article describes the corporations formed for this scam as based in Colorado, they seem to be based in Idaho.


End edit.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Will May 27th be Texas' version of January 6th?

Guessing not, but the similarities between Texas AG Ken Paxton and Cheeto  are striking.


Both have called for followers to rally/riot (my term, not theirs) in support, both have cheated on their wives, and both have been impeached.


First up:  Paxton's call for his supporters to "rally" to prevent his impeachment.  From The Guardian (UK) -

Texas attorney general urges supporters to protest at capitol ahead of impeachment vote

The Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, has urged his supporters to protest at the state capitol when Republicans in the House of Representatives take up historic impeachment proceedings against him.

The state House has set a Saturday vote to consider impeaching Paxton and suspending him from office over allegations of bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust – just some of the accusations that have trailed him for most of his three terms.

Then: Paxton cheating on his wife.  From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s mistress at heart of allegations in impeachment papers

At the heart of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent troubles is that he used his office to help a political donor — Austin real estate investor Nate Paul — in exchange for allegedly helping the attorney general remodel his home and giving Paxton’s mistress a job in his company. 

According to thedailybeast.com, “Paxton reportedly acknowledged the affair with the woman, who worked as an aide to a Texas state senator, to his staff in 2018 and said he had ended it.”


Finally: Paxton has been impeached, too.  From the Texas Tribune -

Texas AG Ken Paxton impeached, suspended from duties; will face Senate trial


The vote itself, from the Texas Legislature -


















The Paxton matter now moves to the Texas State Senate for a trial, where, interestingly, Angela Paxton, Ken's cheated-on wife, is a member.


Not sure how she will vote, or even if she will conflict herself out and simply not vote on the matter.


It's rather unusual for Republicans to hold one of their own accountable, for, well, *anything,* but like the Liz Harris mess here in AZ (where she was expelled from the legislature for inviting a guest to testify at a committee hearing who accused other Republicans of being corrupt), but Paxton made it personal when he called for the Texas house speaker to resign over allegations that he was drunk while presiding over the Texas House.


Federal Committee update




Pastor is a current member of the Phoenix City Council.

Aguilar is a current member of the governing board of the Central Arizona Project.

Both are looking to replace Ruben Gallego in Congress, who's running for Senate.


Sawdy is mounting a campaign to replace Republican Debbie Lesko.

O'Donnell is running to replace Republican Juan Ciscomani.


Friday, May 26, 2023

Alan Dershowitz, one of Kari Lake's lawyers, invokes the idiot defense

It's BS.


He may be an alleged predator, but he's not a *stupid* one.

From AZMirror, written by Caitlin Sievers -

Attorneys: Alan Dershowitz should have known better

Alan Dershowitz, the famed civil liberties attorney, is asking not to be sanctioned alongside other attorneys for Kari Lake and Mark Finchem after he signed onto a lawsuit that the judge called a “frivolous complaint.”

Dershowitz claimed during a telephone hearing on Wednesday that he only participated in the case, which aimed to stop Arizona from using any type of electronic voting machines to tally ballots, in a limited capacity and should therefore not be held responsible for the false claims in the suit. 

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.

.

But two Arizona attorneys told the Arizona Mirror that because Dershowitz was listed as counsel in the case and signed his name to many of the filings, he was legally just as responsible for its content as the other lawyers who represented Lake and Finchem. 

.

.

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Dershowitz made it a point to tell the judge that he doesn’t know either Lake or Finchem personally. 

“I do not like Ms. Lake,” Dershowitz said. “I would never have voted for her.” 

While Dershowitz told the judge on Wednesday that he only consulted on the case as a constitutional law expert and was not involved in any other way, he agreed to be admitted to be an attorney in the case “pro hac vice,” which allows an attorney who isn’t licensed in a state to work on a specific case in that state. 

“Everyone knows those rules, that when you appear in a case, you accept responsibility for the case,” Stirling said. “If he consented to appear in the case, he knows the responsibility he was taking on.”

 


Dershowitz has tried to get out of paying his penalty before this plea.  Guess being one of Cheeto's lackeys isn't so lucrative.


Legislative schedule - week starting 5/21/2023

Perhaps in commemoration of Memorial Day on Monday (OK, who am I trying to kid?  The majority at the lege just doesn't care), but the coming week is shaping up to be a relatively quiet one.


Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look t.o spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority.  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4 at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one. 




On Monday 5/29 and Tuesday 5/30 -

Nada. 


On Wednesday, 5/31 


-















Senate Committee on Director Nominations meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  Up for inquisition this time:  former legislator Martin Quezada, nominee for Registrar of Contractors.


On Thursday, 6/1 - 

Nada.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Update to: Legislative schedule - week starting 5/21/2023

Things can change at the legislature can change on short notice, and this week is a good example of that.  Two committees are meeting; no bills under consideration.


On Thursday, 5/25 


-















House Ethics meets at 10 a.m. in HHR4.  They'll be considering the matter of Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton.

I'm not going to say that this is shaping up to be a kangaroo court, but they *really* don't want the public to weigh in.


From the agenda -





















Senate Judiciary meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  They'll be considering a couple of appointments.


Does Kari Lake drive a car or a whaaaaambulance?

She loses in elections and in court...and then whines about both.

From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, published by the Arizona Capitol Times -

Lake says she will appeal judge’s ruling confirming she lost election

Kari Lake said Tuesday she will appeal Monday’s ruling confirming the election of Katie Hobbs as governor, brushing aside the fact that the judge said her key evidence in seeking to overturn the result was legally irrelevant.

In a press conference outside her Phoenix headquarters, Lake said she has been denied the ability to put on a case showing she actually won the race. She said that is because of the rulings about state elections laws from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson all the way up through the Arizona Supreme Court about what she needed to prove.

All of them went against her.


Monday, May 22, 2023

State Sen. Sonny Borrelli declares his intent to be AZ's dictator

From K,JZZ written by Ben Giles -

Borrelli ordered AZ counties to stop using voting machines. Here's why he can't

Citing authority he does not actually have, a state senator has ordered all Arizona counties to conduct future federal elections without the use of electronic voting equipment.

In identical letters to all 15 counties, Republican Sen. Sonny Borrelli claims that the continued use of voting systems — “which are made with components from countries considered adversaries to the U.S.,” he wrote — has left Arizona, and the rest of the nation, “in an extremely vulnerable and dangerous position.”

Guess that Gov. Katie Hobbs has her first 2026 challenger.

Of course, Borrelli could be mounting a dark horse campaign to be Cheeto's VP selection.


Marlene Galan-Woods, Grant Woods' widow, jumps into the race to unseat David Schweikert

The field challenging David Schweikert (R-ethics violations on the hoof) in AZCD1 just got a little deeper.


Now Marlene Galan-Woods, a former TV newscaster and the widow of Grant Woods, has filed to run in the Democratic primary.

KPNX has a story on Galan-Woods here.

Ellen McIntosh will be the treasurer of the committee.