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So it looks like everyone is running for Seattle mayor now that Murray is perceived (fairly or not) as damaged goods. I have decided to sit it out, so I think that makes me the only Seattle citizen not to run. Enjoy the debates where half a million people get on stage. Seriously though, McGinn got in the other day, Cary Moon is getting in the race. There are probably many more to come.

Please join us for an evening of conversations over a drink or two at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the other 228 chapters of Living Liberally, including nineteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find, or go out and start, a chapter near you.

I didn’t go to either of the tax day rallies over the weekend, although I respect them both. I don’t know, but release your returns guy who is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity doesn’t seem like a high priority. On the other hand, sure. If it matters enough to you to get out, I’m not going to tell you you’re doing it wrong.

That said, it seems like the Black Lives Matter one was more about tax fairness. In any event, it looks pretty amazing.

Romans 13:6-7
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Discuss.

Daily Show: Texas students opt for “cocks, not Glocks”.

Mental Floss: 27 facts about clowns.

Young Turks: Cannabis church opens its doors in Colorado.

Sam Seder: Glenn Beck accidentally argues for universal health care.

Trouble in Трамп Town:

• Трамп Models is shutting down.
• PsychoSuperMom: Taxes!
• Samantha Bee: Dr. Sebastian L. v. Gorka, Трамп whisperer
• Young Turks: Donald Трамп versus Science.
• Elizabeth Warren: The cover-up in Трамп’s taxes
• Sam Seder and Digby: Corrupt President or the most corrupt President ever?
• Rick Perry says he is a spy:

• Mark Fiore: Tomahawks away!
• Young Turks: Sean Spicer’s very bad week.
• Benjamin Dixon: Трамп thinks his first 100 days have been bigly tremendous
• Joyce Reid: The march to get Donald Трамп to release his tax returns
• How to pay taxes if you’re Donald Трамп.
• Keith Olbermann: A heartfelt message to our President.
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Donald Трамп admin drops bomb as new Russia story breaks
• Sam Seder: Does Ivanka Трамп know what “complicit” means?
• Tax Dodge: The carried interest loophole
• Rachel Maddow: Donald Трамп North Korea brinkmanship a huge risk.
• Young Turks: Трамп admin. makes scamming college students much easier.
• Mar-a-Lago Dessert Deal
• Jimmy Kimmel: The White House Easter egg roll is in trouble.
• Young Turks: Трамп is creating Middle-East “terrorism factory”
• Jimmy Dore: Sean Spicer claims Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons.
• PsychoSuperMom: The Ballad Of Sean Spicer:

• Ben Dixon: Трамп’s ever-growing list of flip-flops
• Daily Show: How to spot a paid liberal protester
• Rachel Maddow: British intel spotted Donald Трамп camp Russia ties.
• Young Turks: Трамп has us on the brink of WWIII
• Farron Cousins: Трамп threatens to hold subsidies for the poor hostage until Dems repeal Obamacare
• David Pakman: Buffoon Трамп pretends to understand Chinese.
• Mar-A-Lago chocolate cake commercial
• Sam Seder: When Трамп’s about to cut your budget by $1.5 billion & hands you a check for $70K
• Rachel Maddow: Erratic Donald Трамп unbeholden to past declarations
• What is Трамп Hiding in His Taxes?
• Jimmy Kimmel: Sean Spicer’s disturbing Hitler statement (and the voice inside his head).
• Young Turks: You may not want to eat at Mar-A-Lago

Daily Show: Smart technology.

Late Show: Alter-Egos, Vol. 2.

Tax advice from Daddy Don.

Young Turks: Tomi Lahren goes full-blown snowflake

Farron Cousins: Nut Job G.O.P Congressman who heckled Obama at the SOTU gets roasted at his own townhall.

NASA: Human activity at night.

Sad Bill-O-The-Clown:

• Young Turks: Fox To Investigate Bill-O
• Jimmy Kimmel: Guess where Bill-O-the-Clown is going on vacation.
• Benjamin Dixon: Bill-O takes a vacation amid sexual harassment allegations that cost him 60 sponsors
• Sam Seder: Remember when Bill-O-The-Clown got Pepsi to drop Ludacris because Ludacris “disrespected women”?
• Young Turks: Bill-O-The-Clown goes on vacation.
• Farron Cousins: Bill-O takes a vacation.

Jimmy Kimmel: The week in unnecessary censorship.

Why peregrine falcons are the fastest animals on earth.

Farron Cousins: Federal judge strikes down discriminatory TX voter ID law.

The algorithm that could end partisan Gerrymandering.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

A lot of people have taken this ridiculous Seattle Times editorial to task. But now a few days late, let me also make fun of some choice selections.

Meanwhile, Murray is transformed from the bold big-city mayor into one who defers to his defense lawyer when he is invited to speak to The Seattle Times editorial board about the biggest political scandal in Seattle in generations.

I think we can all agree: No matter if you think he did it, if you think a law firm run by bigots is setting him up, or if you’re not sure, the scandal is definitely that he won’t talk to the Seattle Times Ed Board. For decades, we’ll all remember where we were when we read about how Ed Murray isn’t meeting with the Seattle Times to discuss this and is instead deferring to his attorney in a legal matter. For me it was when I got to this paragraph the other day. For many of you, it’s right now.

Murray’s defenders cast the lawsuit and related allegations as well-timed political payback for his iconic career as a gay civil-rights champion. Indeed, there are legitimate questions about the law firm that filed the lawsuit. It is founded by a Tacoma attorney with an anti-gay rights record.

But Murray’s counterpunch begs a question: when is the right time to file a child sexual abuse lawsuit against an elected leader?

This is correct. The Seattle Times shouldn’t sit on the story, just because it’s happening at the beginning of an election year. But also, someone who knows what “begs the question” means* should probably be in the chain. Whatever. You’re here for me to make fun of the baby splitting if you’re here for anything (are you here for anything? Why?).

Murray at times has been that leader, and could still be. Regardless of whether the allegations are true, he cannot lead under this cloud. He should serve out his term and not run for re-election.

There are 2 possible situations. First possibility: He’s guilty of at least one of the charges; If that’s the case, saying he should serve out the rest of his term seems pretty gross. The other possibility is that he’s innocent of all charges; If that’s the case, being forced to not run for office by a bigoted law firm seems like a terrible thing. The Seattle Times’ solution, in other words, is a bad one no matter what you think happened.

[Read more…]

It’s pretty rough that things have to get so bad at the Northwest Detention Center that a hunger strike is the way we know about the problems there. In a more just, more decent world people wouldn’t have to starve themselves so that we could know that they want expedited hearings and better food.

Honestly, the legislature spends more time trying to kill the goose that lays the golden egg in Seattle, today rescheduling the MVET voters just supported, than they do fixing their fucked up constituencies. Don’t those legislators have not paying for education to attend to? Don’t they have a lot of work not regulating so called crisis pregnancy centers? Don’t they have a cruel budget to pass? Leave Seattle the fuck alone until you get your own house in order.

Oh, and the MVET is somewhat regressive? Sure, although it has a fairly high exemption for PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD CARS PAY 0 DOLLARS. Also, give ST an income tax in exchange, and I think you’ll find a lot of the opposition goes away.

The people giving to the anti-trans people pooping in public bathrooms initiative sure are, um, colorful. No shitty. Sorry, I spelled shitty wrong that first time.

Tonight: Meet, eat, drink, think, debate, hydrate, brainstorm (free form), venerate and commiserate. Join us for our weekly meeting of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the other 228 chapters of Living Liberally, including nineteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find, or go out and start, a chapter near you.

So Ed Murray maybe abused some children in the 1980’s? Obviously, fuck that guy if it’s true.

It’s tough to evaluate the claims and counter-claims. My first instinct is to believe people when they say they’ve been victims. And while I certainly don’t think the numbers game is really helpful (1 is enough), 3 people?

1 Timothy 5:11-15
As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

Discuss.

How to convince racists to fight climate change.

Stephen: Political monologue

Bill Maher: A few of Republicans’ favorite things.

Late Night: Late night writers tackle sexual harassment

Трамп’s Tower of Tees and Corruption:

• Stephen: Susan Rice’s ‘unmasking’ allegations explained by Scooby Doo.
• Farron Cousins: Трамп defends scumbag Bill O’Reilly, “He didn’t do anything wrong!”
• David Pakman: Dems want Трамп to release tax returns before any tax reform legislation.
• Young Turks: Corporate media gets big war boner for Трамп.
• Seth Meyers: Трамп walks out of signing ceremony.
• Olbermann: Do authorities now have what they need on Трамп?
• Jonathan Mann: Congress And Трамп Flushed Your Privacy Down The Shitter
• Young Turks: Is this the secret Russian deal Трамп made?
• James Corden: Трамп’s Tweets preserved forever
• Jimmy Kimmel knows why Трамп sent Jared Kushner to Iraq
• Seth Meyers: Трамп meets with Chinese President
• Late Show: This bear has a rebuttal to Трамп’s hunting bill
• Samantha Bee: Heir to the White House throne
• PsychoSuperMom: Jared Kushner (You’re An A-Hole To Me)
• Trevor: Is Jared Kushner the real President?
• Mark Fiore: Kushner, The Musical
• Seth Meyers: A closer look at FAUX News, O’Reilly and Трамп
• Olbermann: So you want a new election?
• Jonathan Mann: Singing about 45
• Farron Cousins: Donald Трамп has the mental prowess of a child
• David Pakman: Трамп signs away your internet privacy.
• Randy Rainbow interviews Ivanka Трамп.

• Seth Meyers: Flynn asks for immunity, Трамп tweets about surveillance
• Late Show: The Muppets collaborate with Sean Spicer
• Trevor: Sean Spicer is a kindergarten press secretary
• Stephen: Sean Spicer is shrinking in size
• Sam Seder: Трамп leaves signing ceremony without signing executive orders.
• Young Turks: Трамп defends fellow sexual predator Bill O’Reilly
• Daily Show: The divinity of Donald Трамп
• VOX: Comedians have figured out the trick to covering Трамп
• Young Turks: Cuck fight between Bannon and Kushner
• Seth Meyers: Трамп is annoyed by the “President Bannon” meme
• Stephen: Steve Bannon, that was a total cuck move
• Young Turks: Why was Bannon removed from National Security Council?
• Farron Cousins: Goodbye privacy—Трамп signs order allowing ISPs to share your internet browsing history.
• David Pakman: Trump plays 14th game of golf in 10 weeks

Mental Floss: Why did we stop going to the moon?

Bill Maher chats with Jose Antonio Vargas.

Full Frontal: You’re not helping with guns.

Bill Maher: New Rule, “What would a DICK do?”

Sam Seder: Will aide turn on Chris Christie over Bridgegate?

Bassem Youssef: How to hate right.

Supreme Nuke:

• Ezra Klein: Why Neil Gorsuch is the wrong justice for a divided country
• Here’s What Merkley’s Overnight Senate Speech Was About in 2 minutes.
• Young Turks: Republicans nuke filibuster, Gorsuch advances
• Stephen Preps the bunker ahead of the GOP’s nuclear option
• Sam Seder: Mitch McConnell brags about blocking Obama’s SCOTUS nominee by breaking Senate rules

Roy Zimmerman: “Turn Off the Hubble” Anthem for the Republican War on Science:

Young Turks: O’Reilly’s show mysteriously ends early

Armchair Presidents: I do leather now.

Sam Seder: Maxine Waters calls FAUX News a “sexual harassment enterprise”.

Samantha Bee: We told you so—Russian hacking.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

So, I guess we’re at war now? Cool. Right? It’s super cool. I assume that our pro-Trump trolls will be too busy joining the military to defend those people who we’re killing and also wouldn’t let into the country.

I realize that you don’t have to take the same stance as the person you voted for on everything military related (I was protesting the Afghanistan war in 2001 and have been pretty consistently against drones, but somehow voted for people who were considerably more hawkish than me for pretty much every position ever). Still and all, if you voted for president “bomb the shit out of them” you maybe have more of an obligation to put your money where your mouth is.

I’m approximately the billionth person to mourn the hiatus of Capitol Hill Seattle. If there are 2 things they did well, it’s great hyper local news and paying their writers.

Here’s hoping for an eventual return.