Search Results for: ’

By a 5-4 vote yesterday afternoon, the King County Council voted to adopt a Metro funding plan that would implement the first round of scheduled cuts in September, but would defer adopting further cuts in the hope that increased sales tax revenues, higher fares, transfers from capital funds, and additional savings could close the gap. King County Executive Dow Constantine immediately vetoed the plan:

“We need a reliable way to pay for bus service – but until then, we shouldn’t spend money we don’t have, we shouldn’t use one-time money to pay ongoing expenses, and decisions to save or cut service should be based on objective criteria and data, not on politics,” said Executive Constantine. “This ordinance falls short on all counts. I must respectfully veto this legislation, and ask that the Council keep working on a solution that is responsible and sustainable.”

Council member Rod Dembowski spearheaded the plan along with the four suburban Republicans, and no doubt his intentions are pure. His objective is to avoid unnecessary pain. The problem is, without substantial additional revenue, much of the pain will be unavoidable. And by putting off the decision as long as possible, we risk lulling voters and Metro riders into a state of complacency.

The anti-Prop 1 folks like to promote this meme that new revenue is unnecessary—that if Metro just tightens its belt a bit, everything will be okay. For example, yesterday the Seattle Times editorial board urged Metro to “begin the hard work of reforming the agency,” once again ignoring the fact that in response to collapsing revenue and a state performance audit, Metro has implemented substantial reforms that achieved hundreds of millions of dollars in long term cost savings.

The Demobowski plan, unfortunately, just feeds into this fiction that Metro has a spending problem, not a revenue one.

The other Democrats on the council proposed an alternative plan that would have adopted the proposed cuts, phased in over the next year and a half or so, but would have also given Constantine the flexibility to delay cuts if revenues rebound or cost savings materialize. That seems like a more responsible approach to long term planning, and a more realistic presentation to the public of what most likely lies in store.

Ostensibly small government representative Jay Rodne is still in favor of the state being able to put a needle into someone’s arm and put enough poison in them to take their life. You know, small government. Smallity small small. He’s angry enough to have a press release. Sorry this is a bit old.

Gov. Jay Inslee today announced he was suspending the death penalty in Washington state for as long as he is in office. In the wake of this announcement, Rep. Jay Rodne, R-Snoqualmie and lead Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:

There has to be a more effective way of saying “cruel and lacking any political power” than “lead Republican on the House Judiciary Committee” but I don’t know what it is. Maybe just “powerless asshole.”

“The governor’s decision is a distraction from the issues that people care about the most. It also seems very political – at the expense of victims of violent crimes and their families. This must be a difficult day for these families as they are confronted with the reality that the governor cares more about a few convicted killers than justice for their loved ones. It’s unfortunate and prolongs the closure they deserve.”

It’s a distraction to even talk about it says the press release about it. And you know, I haven’t seen any polling on Washington and the death penalty, but I’m guessing the political thing to do would have been keeping it.

Also, what kind of a dickbag can write “the governor cares more about a few convicted killers than justice for their loved ones”? Seriously, is Jay Inslee making sure that victims of crimes are locked up for life? Because that’s what he’s doing with the killers. Unlike Representative Rodne, I won’t pretend to speak for all victims of crime or pretend they’re a monolith. However they feel about Inslee’s decision is the right way for them to feel. But to pretend that the state isn’t doing anything for them because the state hasn’t killed their killers is just so spectacularly dishonest, that I don’t know what to do with it.

Radical reality-denying rightist Congressman Steve “Never Heard of Anyone Getting Pregnant by Statutory Rape” King (R-IA-4) was recently on a call-in talk show and had this conversation:

CALLER: When I see the First Lady and the beautiful girls going off to the Bahamas waving goodbye to us, it’s really hard to stomach. When we’re tightening our belts, either all of us should do it or none of us should do it. This, I am pretty tolerant, I always have been, I usually shut my mouth. This is not acceptable.

KING: Carla, you’re on point and on the mark all the way through. […] You’re right on the president. He needs to show some austerity himself. Instead he wanted to tell America how bad it was going to be. […] We’ve got the president doing these things. He sent the daughters to spring break in Mexico a year ago. That was at our expense, too. And now to the Bahamas at one of the most expensive places there. That is the wrong image to be coming out of the White House.

A couple of corrections for the underformed nutburger of a Congressman. First, Obama did not “send his daughters to spring break in Mexico.” One daughter (Malia) was allowed to…

…join a school trip to Oaxaca [, Mexico], where students volunteered at an orphanage, visited archaeological sites and sipped vanilla milkshakes on the honey-colored town plaza.

The school has done such trips for years.

Second, the Obamas pay for their own vacations and school field trips. The government pays for security, as it should. And notice that King isn’t complaining about that—for good reason. Imagine the PR disaster he would endure should any member of the First Family get hurt.

King believes Obama “needs to show some austerity himself” because he was telling “America how bad it was going to be.” Obama has pointed out how the sequestration cuts will hurt Americans, but so have a bunch of Republicans Congresscritters—you know, the the ones whining about losing tax payer-funded economic subsidies to their districts.

How odd that King’s calls for Obama to show austerity.

Obama makes a fair amount of money. He is wealthier than most Americans. Oh…and he is the leader of the free fucking world. He certainly has the money (and credit line) to allow his child to go on a school trip to Mexico, or to send his family on the occasional vacation, like the trip to the Bahamas.

So what’s gotten up Rep. King’s ass that makes him think that the President shouldn’t use his own money how he wants to use it? Isn’t that the American way?

You know who would agree with King that Obama should renounce the trappings of wealth and live the life of a commoner?

Karl Marx.

Once again, I call upon the major newspapers of this country to investigate these members of Congress to find out if they are pro-America or FUCKING SOCIALISTS!

[In a fit of nostalgia (and laziness), I’m marking my remaining days here on HA by posting links to some of my favorite and most influential posts. If you have favorites you’d like to see, please let me know.]

04/25/2008: Goldy’s Adventures in Muniland

I crashed the Municipal League’s 2008 Civic Awards last night at the Olympic Sculpture Park, where my friend and colleague David Postman was being honored for “Governmental News Reporting of the Year.” Knowing that Postman’s bosses at the Seattle Times had forbade him from accepting the award in person so as not to compromise his impartiality—and unencumbered by these (or any) ethical burdens of my own—I realized that there must be an unused name tag at the registration table with at least half my name on it… and sure enough I managed to sign in as Postman, no questions asked.

His “Honoree” name tag firmly pinned to my lapel and a surfeit of free drink tickets in hand, I strolled into the PACCAR Pavilion determined to do Postman proud by mingling with our city’s power elite on his behalf. As it turned out, I would need the drink tickets.

I don’t do nearly enough straight satire here on HA, but this was certainly one of my best. Read the whole thing.

When I see bad, or for that matter good, polls I can’t be too worked up. Of course I prefer the Democrat up, and up by a lot. And of course I’d prefer the generic ballot look better. But I’m not staring into the abyss, because the Democrats aren’t in the same place as the Mariners.

Believe me, as a Mariners fan, I’ve slogged through some terrible seasons without being able to change anything. A few years ago at the end of a bear of a season when Seattle and Texas were long eliminated, I was sitting in the first row of an outfield seat. Right in front of me, a Mariner’s popup came near the warning track, and the Ranger’s right fielder went into a dive for the ball. “I got it, I got it!” I yelled, and the Ranger dropped the ball. While I like to think I made him drop it, the truth is he probably just bobbled it because he was an AAA call up without much Major League experience. That’s the closest I’ve come to changing anything on the field.

But it’s often said that politics isn’t a spectator sport. And this year as every year, I’m not going to just sit and watch. I’ve worked the phones, donated, and knocked on doors for candidates I believe in, and will continue through November.

And that’s where the next few months for the D’s can be a lot better than the next few months for the M’s. There are enough fine candidates that we can all make a difference. I don’t know what the polls show for DelBene, but I’ll be making calls and knocking on doors for her. Same with Patty Murray (the poll Goldy cited earlier aside). Those of you who live south of here can do the same for Heck.

If you aren’t inspired by those people, there are plenty of state and local races and initiative campaigns. If you don’t like to talk to strangers about politics, they can all use money. They can all use letters to the editor. They can all use you mentioning them on Facebook and Twitter. They can all use you talking to friends and putting up yard signs. All of those things will change the facts, and matter more than what you see in polls.

As a follow-up to Goldy’s post below, there’s already a group organizing an initiative for Washington. It’s called Sensible Washington and they expect to release the final wording of their initiative and begin signature gathering by March 1. Their initiative is not expected to specify the state liquor stores as the distributors, but will only legalize possession for adults. The state would then be on the hook for setting up regulations for where and how it can be sold.

One of the concerns of legalization advocates (both Goldy and I share this concern) is that there won’t be enough money to collect the necessary signatures. As the top post at Sensible Washington points out, PayPal has a history of freezing the accounts of drug law reform groups, and banks won’t work with them. I’d be curious to know how much of this results from archaic rules and misconceptions about drug law reform, and how much comes from potential crackdowns from the federal government. As for Paypal, one clue might be that one of its founders considers the era of alcohol prohibition as the last great era of American politics (I guess that makes him a libertarian).

So for now, they’re taking mail-in donations before a volunteer army of signature gatherers hit the ground across the state to put this initiative on the ballot. There’s certainly enthusiasm for drug law reform right now, but no one is really sure whether it will be enough to qualify. I guess we’re about to find out.

UPDATE (Goldy):
As an followup to Lee’s followup, Sensible Washington’s account of their difficulties in securing credit card processing is worth a read. On the one hand, if millionaire investment banker Michael Dunmire wants an initiative on the ballot, he just writes Tim Eyman a check; on the other hand, if a group of grassroots activists wants to raise money online from small contributors, the banks won’t give them a merchant account, out of fear of I don’t know what.

So much for “direct democracy.”

That said, I emailed the folks at Sensible Washington earlier today to suggest that they set up an account with ActBlue, the same progressive online fundraising site through which we collectively raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Darcy Burner. ActBlue is now set up to handle state legislative and initiative campaigns in Washington state, in addition to federal races, a feature that R-71 made good use of last year.

The 520 bridge replacement project is more than another transportation project.

It is an opportunity to build healthy places to live, work, and play that our region won’t see again for at least another half century.

It is an opportunity to be good stewards of the environment and to address climate change.

It is an opportunity for our many local communities to come together and act as a region.

It is an opportunity for us to determine what kind of city we want and the quality of life of our neighborhoods.

It is an opportunity for our state to offer a vision of transportation for the 21^st Century and not just building roads like its 1959.

Finally it is again an opportunity to move our transportation system forward.

It will take leadership to bring together all the many points of view on how to best move forward on transportation. But we have done it before.

During my time as Chair of the House Transportation Committee, working with my Republican and Democratic counterparts in both the House and the Senate, we passed fourteen and half cents in gas taxes by bringing road and transit advocates from the east and west side together.

(I point out the fact that I worked to pass the largest financing package for roads in our state’s history only to preempt the pigeonholing of my perspective here as that of another Seattle Democrat transit advocate.)

It will take leadership from the environmental community to get transit right. Transportation remains the single largest contributor to global warming in Washington State – over half our greenhouse emissions come from vehicles. The 520 bridge project offers a real opportunity to build a transportation structure of the future that contributes to the solution.

Neither the legislation authorizing the new 520 bridge, nor any of the current designs, integrate transit into the design or planning of the project. Nor is there any financing mechanism for new transit in the corridor, particularly for high capacity transit. The name alone — “The 520 Bridge and HOV Replacement Project” – is proof that again we are building a road to move cars, and not a transportation corridor to move people and goods. The current plan amounts to placing existing buses onto new HOV lanes to share with cars. Glaringly, it lacks a streamlined connection for transit riders between the north/south transit corridor at new Sound Transit Station at Montlake and any future transit riders moving east/west from the new 520.

It will take leadership from the City to bring neighborhoods that currently disagree amongst themselves together. Far more people live and work near the 520 bridges then the Viaduct. The City should use the model it developed during the creation of urban villages to approach the project in a comprehensive manner. It should put the Departments of Planning, Neighborhoods, and Transportation on the ground and bring together neighborhoods that are currently divided, creating an all-neighborhoods comprehensive mitigation and transportation plan. It is impossible for the Seattle legislators to support a city position when one is lacking.

It will take leadership on the part of the county to bring urban and suburban interests together. The county with the new leadership of Dow Constantine from Seattle and Fred Jarrett from the east side of Lake Washington is uniquely positioned to bring both sides of the lake together and act as a region. The state should consider allowing the County to assume all coordination for planning and financing for a new 520 and I-90 corridor transportation authority.

It will take leadership in the Legislature to address the fact that the current financial plan is unattainable. During the negotiations to pass the nine-and-a-half-cent gas tax east of the lake, legislators insisted on moving $1.5 billion out of 520 and applying it to I-405. Now we have a shortfall. The solution is to toll I-90 in addition to 520, and committing toll revenues to the construction, maintenance and operations of the bridge and of transit.

If we fail to come together as a region on a project that is crucial to our economic future, I believe we will destroy the coalition that moved our transportation system forward and return again to the defeats we suffered in years past.

We have succeeded in the past and we can do it again. Let’s capitalize on the many unique opportunities we face. Let’s move our transportation system forward.

— Sen. Ed Murray

Gov. Gregoire has a diary up at Daily Kos right now. Here’s a slice:

Why are they attacking me so early? Because they know there is something happening in our country – people are hungry for a new direction, away from the Bush Administration.

They are so aware of this fact that my opponent filed as a member of the “GOP Party,” hiding the fact that he is a Republican. And what is on my opponent’s website? The word “Change” in the largest font you have ever seen.

We all know that voters are desperate for change in our nation, ready to turn around the failed policies of the Bush Administration. But voters are smart. They know the kind of change they are looking for.

Republican Dino Rossi can spend millions on attacks, pretend he isn’t a Republican and even give lip service to change, but he can’t hide his George Bush record.

Remember all those funny acronyms from last fall’s mainstream media coverage of the Roads and Transit campaign? YOE, for year of expenditure was a favorite of many of Seattle’s newspaper writers and columnists. They were fixated (examples here, here, and here) on slapping the Roads and Transit plan with as high a price tag as they could by including inflation into the total price tag of the plan, not just the price tag in current year dollars. By doing so, they held the Roads and Transit plan to a standard never before seen for a tax measure or capital construction program in our region.

Yesterday Dino Rossi released his transportation fantasy and said it would cost $15.5 billion in 2007 dollars. Keep in mind, that’s in last year’s dollars.

I have done a little bit of “back of the envelope” math (you know the kind that Rossi’s Republican, anti-light rail pals did when they fed the media their scary cost numbers on Prop 1) and the results I get are staggering. Rossi’s $15.5 billion plan, when you account for 4 percent annual inflation over a 30 year construction schedule, suddenly balloons to $50 billion dollars. And this doesn’t even include the interest on the bonds that would be needed to finance all of Rossi’s made up project cost estimates. So we would have to add all of the interest payments to the $50 billion number to get the true cost, well at least according to our friends in the “traditional media.”

You can do the math yourself with this handy little inflation calculator.

UPDATE [Lee]: This part from a post by Martin at the Seattle Transit Blog made me laugh:

So I looked to Dino Rossi’s Transportation Plan with hope and anticipation. I shouldn’t have. This document was first sent to me by a Gregoire operative; when your own campaign literature is being gleefully distributed by the other side, that’s a bad sign.

Today is Special Election Day for many in Washington State. So turn in your ballot at a drop box or voting center near you, and then hightail it over to the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally to discuss it over a drink..

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the back room starting about 8:00pm.

Chapters of Living Liberally are all over the place…if you can’t make it to the Seattle chapter, stop by another chapter near you.

SNL: Epstein-Barr

LegalEagle: They’re arresting journalists for journalism

The Resistance: ♫ We Will Rebuild! ♬

150+ Episcopal Bishops: A letter to our fellow Americans on ICE actions

Good Looser: Mass student protests in Tri-Cities, WA

Lawrence O’Donnell: No Republicans show up as victims of Трамп-encouraged ICE shootings testify

Reign of The Melon Felon and Führer Von Shitzenpantz:

• Piedmont Raging Grannies: ♫ Impeach, Convict, Throw Him Out! ♬
• John D. Cundle: ♫ And the Grammy Goes to…Dotard Трамп ♬
• Michael Kosta: Трамп brags about secret “discombobulator” weapon amid global Epstein fallout
• Knotheadusc: ♫ Can’t Smile Around Him ♬
• Seth Meyers: Трамп melts down after CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asks him about Epstein, Musk and Lutnick
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп’s all over the Epstein files, attacks Jimmy Kimmel after the Grammys & Don Lemon gets arrested
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Трамп Rumored to be on A.O.D. Short List ♬
• Stephen: Трамп says Republicans should nationalize the elections and Blanche says it’s “not a crime to party with Epstein”
• Lisa Remillard:
• Michael Kosta: Трамп attacks CNN’s Kaitlan Collins over Epstein Q & renovates D.C. in his image
• The Late Show: The Dotard is ALL OVER the Epstein files
• Patrick Fitzgerald: ♫ PDF File ♬:

• Seth Meyers: Musk’s emails to Epstein revealed; Трамп sues IRS for $10 billion and rakes in UAE money
• LegalEagle: The end of free speech
• Michael Spicer: The Room Next Door—Трамп and the new guy
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп’s disgusting NBC interview, rambling prayer breakfast
• Stephen: Трамп says, ICE killings create bad publicity & America’s secret weapon & Epstein’s muffin recipe
• The Resistance: ♫ Lock Him Up! ♬
• Seth Meyers: Трамп says D.C. soldiers “beat the crap out of” criminals during National Prayer Breakfast
• JoJoFromJerz: The Трамп regime is arresting reporters now!!
• SNL Weekend Update: Трамп replaces Gregory Bovino with border czar Tom Homan
• Jen Psaki: Plummeting popularity sets Трамп on a war against the truth
• Michael Kosta: Трамп floats canceling midterms & MAGA pushes alt Super Bowl halftime show
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard delivers worst prayer breakfast ever
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ What if the press did this after Kaitlan Collins’ question? ♬
• Jon Stewart: DOJ protects Трамп from Epstein accountability as MAGA attacks “sanctuary cities”
• Champnella: This video is The GOAT!:

• The Трамп Singers: ♫ Трамп Pooped Himself (In The Oval Office) ♬
• Right Plight: The Felon Von Shitzenpantz audibly shits himself in the Oval Office and staff clears the room
• Knotheadusc: ♫ He’s Incontinent ♬
• Desi Lydic: Трамп vs. the NFL—A beef that predates the Bad Bunny halftime show
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Трамп plans election heist ♬
• Seth Meyers: Трамп skips Super Bowl because he’d get booed, threatens to take control of elections
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Mad king on the run—Трамп’s second term totally melts down ♬
• Sandy Pliskin: ♫ Hands Off! ♬
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: How the press should really deal with Preznit Von Shitzenpantz
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп’s suing absolutely everyone, is tired of hearing about Epstein & millions protest ICE

The Late Show: Introducing “Coalie”

Stella Magz: Marjorie Taylor Greene, “The Pope is Catholic….”

The Daily Show: Gavin Newsom—Leading man, for your consideration

MPR: Sociologist Nicole Bedera explains how observing ICE is a ‘de-escalation’ tactic

Vox: The House of Representatives is too small. Here is one way to fix it.

Ali Velshi: A look at the corporations enabling ICE operations

Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello: ♫ Protest concert at First Avenue, Minneapolis ♬:

Roll Call: Congressional hits and misses of the week

Langhorn Slim: ♫ We The People ♬

JoJoFromJerz: Fuck you, Susan Collins!

Lisa Remillard: Why did the Supreme Court just rule against Трамп on California maps?

The Late Show: Let’s give women something to smile about

John D. Cundle: ♫ Weapons of Mass Illumination ♬

LegalEagle: Judge saves 5-year-old from ICE

Executioners, Grifters, Traitors, and Liars:

• Stephen: Трамп accused of heinous acts with young girls & DOJ exposes Epstein victims & we won’t investigate
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ We Don’t Want You Here (ICE Edition) ♬
• MacroEvidence: ICE raids in 2026 are getting out of control
• Ari Melber: New Epstein files rock the White House
• SNL: ICE Meeting
• Paul Lance: Oh my God… These new Epstein files are HORRIFYING!
• Steve Shives: oter’s Remorse Helpline—Greenland edition
• Francesca Fiorentini: Trolling MELANIE moviegoers
• Parody Project: ♫ ICE Streets—A Nation Haunted ♬
• GusTheBard: ♫ GTFO (A protest song for Minnesota) ♬:

• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Melania documentary NEW TRAILER ♬
• Stephen: Трамп is nothing to smile about & Mike Johnson vs. Pope Leo XIV & Bezos “murders” journalism
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ When Your Movie Turns Out To Be Shitty…. ♬
• Shirley Șerban: ♫ I am Melanie – Who needs the movie when you have this song instead? ♬
• Liberal Redneck: Slowly losing my mind over the Epstein files
• Steve Shives: Will Трамп ever do something too racist for Senator Tim Scott?
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ If You’re Rich, You Can’t be Guilty ♬
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Leaked footage—Turning Point USA Alternate Halftime Show Rehearsal ♬
• Christopher Titus: The Epstein files!!!:

• Jordan Klepper went to the Melanie movie so you don’t have to
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler finds out he’s in the Epstein files
• Executive Odors: ♫ Ice Ice Barbie ♬
• Lauren Mayer: ♫ I’m So Vain (The Melania theme song) ♬
• Caitlin Speaks: The MAGA politicians profiting from ICE
• The New York Times: ICE took their classmate. They started writing letters.
• Steve Shives: Voter’s Remorse Helpline—ICE edition
• Rebecca Watson (Skepchick): Scott Adams—Too dumb to live
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп wants to control voting, ICE backs off in Minnesota & Epstein redactions protecting creeps
• Parody Project: ♫ Bye-Bye Bovino (Five-Foot-Four) ♬:

• The Resistance: ♫ The Sinkhole of Sniveling Cowardice—country Roast of Трамп, MAGA & complicit Republicans ♬
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Epstein Island ♬
• Stephen with the First Lady: “Melanie” is not a documentary, it’s a creative experience
• Mitch Benn: Ice, Ice (Maybe)
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Treasury Secy. Bessent is Трамп’s most tortured accomplice
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ The Turning Point Cash-Grab Song ♬
• Jen Psaki: Трамп resorts to the ridiculous, desperate to reverse engineer the 2020 election
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler is informed about the Melania documentary
• Tommy Campbell: Melania movie mocked. Premiere problems, seat fillers, and corruption.
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Melanie in New York ♬
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ What Day/Nights the Wildest Party on Your Island? ♬

Jimmy Kimmel interviews Don Lemon

Robert Reich: How can we defeat big money?

Jesse Welles: ♫ Shirley Not ♬

Caitlin Speaks: Why this “agitator” video makes the killing of Alex Pretti worse

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

Next Tuesday is Special Election Day for many in Washington State. That makes TODAY a good day to turn in your ballot at a drop box near you. And then head over to the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally to enjoy a drink over some political conversation.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the back room starting about 8:00pm.

Chapters of Living Liberally are all over the place…if you can’t make it to the Seattle chapter, stop by another chapter near you.

The Resistance: ♫ Hands Off Our Democracy ♬

Billy Bragg: ♫ City of heros ♬

ScaredKetchup: Can new Melania movie trailer save this giant turkey?

Patrick Fitzgerald: ♫ Deed I Do (Long lost WW2 protest song) ♬

Marc Skjervem: ♫ Minnesota Anthem ♬

Vox: How Finland defeated fascism

Reign of The Felon Von Shitzenpantz:

• The Resistance: ♫ An Ode To Greenland (A song from the majority of Americans who reject Трамп’s Greenland fantasy) ♬
• SNL Weekend Update: Трамп says God is “very proud” of him & Vance says MN protestors should write op-eds
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп celebrates Melania’s movie premiere, has new BFF Nicki Minaj & government shutdown looms
• Robert Reich: One year of Трамп’s broken promises
• Desi Lydic: Трамп demotes Greg Bovino as GOP turns against Minnesota crackdown
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard defends Kristi Noem
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ The Трампstein Files ♬
• Christopher Titus: Best of “Were you better off 4 years ago??”
• LegalEagle: The execution of Alex Pretti broke me
• Marsh Family: Dotard’s Sewage Stream:

• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: The Трамп storm safety video
• LegalEagle: Трамп’s Greenland war faceplants
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard speaks honestly to his supporters about Alex Pretti
• Seth Meyers and Chris Hayes: The Трамп administration’s sociopathic response to Minneapolis ICE shootings
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп scrambles to clean up mess in Minneapolis, calls protesters paid agitators & A snow day prank!
• Stephen: Bye bye, Bovino & Noem is the face of Трамп’s ICE mess & Presidential decay & the “Melania” disaster
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Donny’s Death Squads ♬
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Constitution Contradiction ♬
• Seth Meyers: Трамп lies about Ilhan Omar attack & Bondi claims ICE resistance is “organized”
• Rocky Mountain Mike: ♫ Peace Prize ♬:

• SNL: Трамп awards
• Brutal Dictator: Трамп toys. Iceland. Dementia daddy.
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп meets #1 fan Nicki Minaj, has repulsive reaction to Ilhan Omar attack & still no Epstein files
• Lawrence O’Donnell: The protesters are forcing Трамп’s retreat
• The Late Show: A time when you couldn’t say “Christmas”
• Royer Brothers: Трамп really likes to break things!
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Bad genes—The Трамп family curse ♬
• Seth Meyers: Трамп and FAUX News blame Greg Bovino for violence in Minneapolis as some agents leave

Stella Magz: Don Lemon arrested

Out Of Tune: ♫ Her Name Was Renee ♬

Stephen: Springsteen’s scathing protest & Italy says, “No ICE” & Трамп threatens MAGA donors & skipping “Melania”

Matthew Cooke: Abolish ICE! No brainer. Then what? Also, how?

Marsh Family: ♫ Minnesota ♬:

The Midnight Republic: ♫ Not One More (A song for Alex Pretti) ♬

ONN: Police ask for public’s help in falsifying report

Sen. Maria Cantwell: Senate floor remarks on ICE and civil liberties

Champnella: We are all Minnesota

Fascists, Executioners, Grifters, and Other Brainwashed MAGA Degenerates:

• JoJoFromJerz: ICE is out of control!!!
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Hypocrisy ♬
• Stella Magz: Helping ICE agents get new jobs!
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ MELANIA! The unOfficial (but quite patriotic) Movie Theme Song ♬
• Lauren Mayer: ♫ You Know You’re In Trouble (When You’ve Lost The NRA) ♬
• Desi Lydic: Melania’s $40 million docu-bribe movie premieres
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard reviews Melanie’s movie
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ How do you Fire a Guy like Stephen Miller? ♬
• Liberal Redneck: How can literally anyone defend what ICE/Border Patrol is doing?!
• Ari Melber: WH’s lawless panic after agents shoot a ICU Nurse in the back…ten times
• Bruce Springsteen: ♫ Streets Of Minneapolis ♬:

• Patrick Fitzgerald: ♫ Comply With Me ♬:
• Stephen: Masked secret police are NOT victims. The truth about Alex Pretti. What would the founders do?
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Bye Bovino ♬
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Get the ICE Out ♬
• Ari Melber: NEW Epstein files hit Трамп, his Cabinet & lEon Musk’s “party”
• Ross Childs: J.D. Vance is preggers???
• Desi Lydic: Ilhan Omar gets hit with Трамп insults & vinegar while Nicki Minaj turns mega MAGA
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ There’s Joy Among ICE Tonight ♬
• Jonathan Mann: ♫ Get ICE Out ♬
• Steve Shives: My MAGA cousin joins ICE:

• Founders Sing: ♫ Killer Miller ♬
• Lewis Black: ICE Math
• Stephen: ICE outrage goes viral & White House blame game & Ilhan Omar is tough under pressure
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard reacts to Epstein files outrage
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ We Hope to Get Away (With Murder)—The Kristi Noem Song ♬
• The Late Show: ♫ Nicki Minaj describes Трамп’s discolored hand ♬
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Liars, Liars, Your Masks Are On Fire ♬
• Seth Meyers: ICE & Border Patrol face intense national backlash after second deadly shooting in MN
• Jimmy Kimmel: The vile and heartless murder of nurse Alex Pretti by ICE in Minneapolis
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: Tiny cops
• ScaredKetchup: ♫ ICE, FUCK YOU ♬:

• Patrick Fitzgerald: ♫ ICE! ♬
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Трамп sleeps with entire Cabinet! (but not Melania) ♬
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler plans to deploy ICE
• JoJoFromJerz: They think they can get away with murder
• Ari Melber: Трамп’s nightmare returns! NEW Subpoenas hit Epstein’s client, lawyer, CPA
• Stella Magz: Execution of another American citizen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• LegalEagle: Pam Bondi arrests ICE church protestors
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Lying Endlessly ♬
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ The Ash Hole’s Hall of Fame ♬
• The Late Show: Nobody likes ice

Jonathan Pie: Terror in America

Chris Hayes: “The wolf is at the door.” Трамп is building a police state

Roll Call: Congressional hits and misses of the week

Matthew Cooke: Is protesting a church wrong? Didn’t Jesus do that?

Christopher Titus: RIP Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Keith Porter

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

Another week with “some news.” You know we’ll be talking it out at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally this evening. Stop by for a drink and conversations.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the back room starting about 8:00pm.

Chapters of Living Liberally are all over the place…if you can’t make it to the Seattle chapter, stop by another chapter near you.

The Resistance: ♫ A Prayer for Our Soldiers—Oath Over Orders ♬

Ronny Chieng: Eric Adams and crypto scams are a match made in stupid heaven

Reign of King Felon Von Shitzonus:

• Stephen: One exhausting year & Americans pay for Трамп’s tariffs & no obligation to make peace
• Josh Johnson: Трамп delivered on his campaign promises, but only to himself
• The Late Show: Трамп takes home the world’s Biggest Prize
• SNL: Cabinet meeting
• Mother Jones: They fled Venezuela to escape a regime of fear, only to relive it in Трамп’s America
• Christopher Titus: Mumbling through Davos
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Трамп the Orange‑Faced Snowflake ♬
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Saving Greenland / Enslaving America ♬
• Jonathan Mann: ♫ Protect Greenland ♬
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler Heckles The Dotard
• Rocky Mountain Mike: ♫ Take A Letter To Norway ♬:

• Lawrence O’Donnell: Republicans have abandoned the rule of law to embrace the rule of Трамп
• ScaredKetchup: ♫ Трамп music video BOMBS in DAVOS ♬
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп berates world leaders, declares victory on Greenland & we gets another threat from the FCC!
• Seth Meyers: Трамп confuses Greenland and Iceland in Davos speech & “No Kings” comes to Swiss Alps
• Jordan Klepper asks Europeans about Трамп’s Peace Prize crusade
• The Resistance: ♫ Gone Gone Gone ♬
• Puppet Regime: ♫ Putin’s “Special Military Operation” Bop ♬
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler is informed Трамп will impose tariffs on countries that oppose his Greenland plan
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard dominates Davos
• Stella Magz: Трамп’s obsession is Putin’s instigation
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Трамп publicly threatens Greenland to hide from questions about Epstein
• More Perfect Union: I tracked down the companies bribing Трамп:

• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Трамп field testing plan to nuke Greenland ♬
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Greenland Is Our Land—Трамп’s Annexation Fantasy Gets Roasted ♬
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Bored of Peace ♬
• Jen Psaki: As Трамп shatters U.S. alliances, legislators try to pick up the pieces
• Stephen: FCC goes after Kimmel and Colbert over political candidate interviews
• Christopher Titus: The left was right! (About that Felon)
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Трамп’s letter threatening Greenland is “too stupid for even him”
• Josh Johnson: Трамп demands Greenland at Davos & literally trashes first-year “accomplishments”
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler is informed Трамп has agreed a framework deal on Greenland
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ The Dotard’s official Greenland Song ♬
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard endorses challenger to Bill Cassidy
• Marsh Family: ♫ Piece of Denmark ♬:

• Seth Meyers: Трамп’s bat-shit-bonkers message to Norway over Greenland & Nobel committee’s response to Трамп
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп has a nasty new bruise, launches “Board of Peace” & Jimmy Kimmel breaks down the FCC’s threats
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ It’s The Dotard Трамп Boulevard ♬
• Ari Melber: Sad and unhinged Трамп loses Nobel prize and throws Greenland “tantrum”
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard reacts to Sinners’ 16 nominations
• Patrick Fitzgerald: ♫ What can you do with a President? ♬
• Josh Johnson: Nobel Prize snub fuels Трамп’s Greenland threats & Macron pushes back at Davos
• Tommy Campbell: Gavin Newsom trolls Трамп’s pardons and viral whole milk moment mocked
• SNL Weekend Update: Трамп presented with Nobel Peace Prize and defends Minneapolis ICE agents
• Chris Hayes: World hits back as Трамп’s aggression shocks global leaders
• Knotheadusc: ♫ Donny A-Hole ♬:

• Stephen: Infinitely Greenland & billion dollar “Peace Board” & Chairman for Life & Peace buddies
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп on verge of war over Nobel Peace Prize snub & he celebrates his first year in office
• Puppet Regime: Putin and Xi call about Greenland
• The Late Show: The Swiss send a message to The Dotard
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Трамп’s letter to Norway ♬
• Shirley Șerban: ♫ “I want it now!” (January 2026 version—The Willy Wonka classic relyriced for someone in power today) ♬
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Greenland Is Stuck in the Middle with You ♬
• Hitler Rants Parodies: Hitler plans to join the “Board of Peace”
• Seth Meyers: Трамп backs down on Greenland after global defiance and claims NATO “deal” is “infinite”
• J-L Cauvin: The Dotard rejects peace on MLK Day

LegalEagle: That time when murder was legal (for Congress)

Stephan with nonviolent resistance scholar Maria J. Stephan: How blowing a whistle is an act of nonviolent resistance

Even More Traitors, Liars, Nazis and Deplorable Maggots:

• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ A piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and something else ♬
• Matthew Cooke: How to lift the curse of MAGA
• Stephen: Will ICE freeze? Трамп, “I’m helping Europe.” Weapons nobody knows about. Occupying Canada
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ The Best Scott Bessent Song EVER ♬
• SNL Weekend Update: Tommy Brennan on Трамп’s ICE deployments in Minnesota
• LegalEagle: Elon built a child porn factory
• Parody Project: ♫ MAGA, My Ass! ♬:

• Rachel Maddow: Activists troll Трамп with naked doodle card on Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Greg Bovino—“Small-Man Syndrome” Poster Boy ♬
• frog neckman: Livid leavitt
• Caitlin Speaks: Who is Greg Bovino? The face of deportations, exposed
• LegalEagle: Unbelievable ICE memo just leaked
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ Hate-filled, brainless White guys ♬
• Steve Shives: MAGA Trekkies and their meritocracy myth
• Patrick Fitzgerald: ♫ Bovino ♬:

• Rachel Maddow: Towns REJECT ICE as agency looks to place immigrant prisons throughout United States
• John D. Cundle: ♫ Bake My Freedom—How One Anti‑ICE Cookie Went Viral ♬
• Mr. Newberger’s AI Funnies: ♫ Hiding Her Time with Jeff Epstein ♬
• Champnella: Here’s your answer, JD Vance…
• Stella Magz: JD Vance announces he & his hostage Usha are expecting….
• Mother Jones: No, antidepressants don’t cause mass shootings. An expert debunks RFK Jr. bullshit
• Jonathan Mann: ♫ The Worst People You Know Will Get The Civil War They Want ♬
• Bruce W. Nelson: ♫ If Someone Dies, ICE Lies ♬

Jon Stewart: Will I run for office?

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