The Terminator gets terminated.

So Scaramucci is out after just a couple of weeks on the job. (It looks like "the leakers" outlasted you there big guy.) It was fun while it lasted, but there will  be no Mooch jokes tonight. Governing is serious business, and the joke is on all of us if we allow Donald trump to continue playing these games with the American presidency. 

The guy (Mooch) was a disaster from the start, but somehow it all seemed normal in this very chaotic White House.

The real joke coming out of the White House is that one of the reasons given for Mr. Scaramucci being ousted is that trump felt that some of the things that he said were "inappropriate".  Let me repeat that: Mr. trump said  that some of the things that Scaramucci said were "inappropriate."

Mr. "Grab em by the pussy" himself fires someone for saying something inappropriate? I
swear you can't make this stuff up.

Anyway, someone who reads this blog on a regular basis asked me today why I despise trump so much.

I told her that the answer is simple, really: The man rose to political prominence on a racist lie, and he has never apologized for it. In fact, you could argue, that he benefited from it. There are other reasons of course, but that's the main one.

What's scary is that as Americans we have tried really hard to  normalize him, primarily because he is such a national embarrassment that him being elected president reflects poorly on all of us. Thus the push to make him seem normal when we know damn good and well that there is nothing normal about him. Exhibit A: The totally chaotic and helter-skelter way that he has been running his White House has led to the ouster of yet another one of his top aides. (I think that this is number eight in six months.)

"If they’re going to stay on that staff, they’re going to stop leaking,”....  “If you’re going to keep leaking, I’m going to fire everybody.” 

Bye Mooch, we hardly knew ya.

 

  

Today's news.

  Good evening field hands.

As you get ready to start the next work week, you might want to ponder the following stories from the headlines:

Blacks are apparently being told to stay out of Missouri.

Our president is actually telling the men and women in law enforcement to rough up prisoners in their care. (Thankfully, the leaders of our police departments disagree.)

The hypocrisy of conservatives when it comes to Obamacare is clearly a thing.  

The current president wanting to blow up said Obamacare and bring down the American healthcare system.

The real reason why at least one conservative loves trump so much.

North Korea is still launching missiles.

 Mooch's wife apparently filed for divorce while she was pregnant and allegedly stated his "naked political ambition" for the reason that she wants out.    

And finally, to all of  you Americans out there, please be careful when you travel. This is especially true if you are heading to an "island paradise". Remember that things aren't always what they seem.  Be smart about your surroundings.  








 

CAPTION SATURDAY.

\

I need a caption for this pic.


*Pic from washingtonjournal.com

The shiny object strategy backfires.

The following article from The Wrap and writer Sharon Waxman is a must read.

The field Negro education series continues.
 

"There isn’t much art to Donald Trump’s transparent attempt on Wednesday to divert the public’s attention from the Russian investigation: Kick the transgender kids.

 

You can almost see him pacing in the Oval Office, chafing against the advisers who warn him not to fire Robert Mueller, at all costs. Our obsessive TV-watching POTUS hears every pundit on every cable news show (save Hannity’s) telling him that firing Jeff Sessions to clear the way for a new attorney general who would fire Mueller would set off a constitutional crisis.

 

Trump hates being boxed in. Plus his Trumpcare health plan was revived for about an hour on Tuesday before being voted down yet again. He hates losing. And he hates, absolutely, this Russian investigation.

 

How to get it out of the headlines? Rile up the culture wars. Feed the base some bigoted red meat. Wave a red flag in front of the liberal Twitterverse and let the news cycle be full of talking about the medical cost of transgender military personnel instead of Jared Kushner’s testimony to Congress.

It’s a diversionary tactic that is a pretty well-established pattern from our bully-in-chief. Yes, of course it’s disgusting that he takes aim at the most vulnerable in our society and further divides us in trying to protect himself — but we have learned to expect no less from this president.

 

We know that nothing Trump says has any meaning. There are no principles behind his words, no authentic beliefs behind his policy measures. He has no problem dismissing Senator John McCain’s heroic service in the Vietnam War one moment — then praising McCain as a “very brave” man when he showed up to vote for Trumpcare.

 

He can promise a girl that he will not take away her health care, and then do it.

 

Trump promised to care for the LGBT community during the campaign. That was a meaningless promise, like so many other meaningless promises.

 

The question is, will we — we the public, we in the media, those who obsess on social media all the day long —  fall for his tactic? Will we allow ourselves to be diverted from the focus on the federal investigation into collusion and corruption in the presidential campaign, and into the current White House?" [Source]

 

 

 

 

 

We have a choice not to be pawns in his transparently cynical game.

"Skinny bills" and "Much".

Wait, let me get this straight. Three American senators say that they are going to vote for a bill that they oppose and hope will not pass?

Ok then.

"House Speaker Paul Ryan assured nervous Republican senators on a conference call Thursday night that he would send their “skinny repeal” of Obamacare to a conference instead of passing it into law.

As a vote neared Thursday night or early Friday morning on a proposed “skinny repeal” of Obamacare, three key Republican senators said they would only vote for it if they are assured it won’t actually become law.

The three — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis.— said they needed Ryan’s word that he would not take up their legislation, pass it and send it to the president’s desk. They instead want the bill to be fixed in a House-Senate conference.

Ryan later released an ambiguous statement saying he was “willing” to go to conference if that’s the only way to move forward. “The reality, however, is that repealing and replacing Obamacare still ultimately requires the Senate to produce 51 votes for an actual plan,” Ryan said. He added that the House would expect the Senate to vote first on whatever the conference committee produces.

At around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Graham, Johnson and a few other senators held a conference call with Ryan during which he personally assured them that he would send the bill to a House-Senate conference instead of immediately passing it. It is unclear, however, if Ryan also promised he would not pass the legislation later down the road, if that conference does not produce legislation.

“I just wanted to hear it right from Paul, we all [did],” Johnson told reporters. “Those in the room are now on board with the legislation,” he said.

While McCain was not in the room, he spoke to the Speaker separately, according to Johnson. He did not answer reporters questions about where he stood late Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is expected to kick off a late-night “vote-a-rama,” which would roll back a handful of key provisions of Obamacare but leave other portions of it intact, ahead of a vote on the skinny repeal bill." [Source]

These people had seven years to come up with a plan and this is what they are giving us? I know that Obama is somewhere laughing his ass off. (Remember when right-wingnuts said that his suit was not the right color? They made such a big deal about it that FOX VIEWS had entire shows around that issue)

But you know wh0 isn't laughing? The folks who could lose their health insurance or watch their insurance premiums skyrocket under  the current GOP plan.

So while we are all focused on the little used car salesman's rant, the lawmakers in Washington are saying and doing  things that are even more dangerous and outrageous.

They vote tonight at midnight, folks.

 

 

 

  

 

OPEN THREAD WEDNESDAY.

 It's open thread Wednesday field hands, and I need your thoughts on a few things:

Does Donald trump belong on Mt Rushmore?

Was that so called letter to trump from a nine year old even real? (Maybe it was his friend Jim's kid.)

trump is beating up on his boy Jeff Sessions, but should we even care? I am personally no fan of Jeff Sessions, so it's hard to pick sides in this battle.

And finally, do two sitting US Senators really believe that the president of the United States and leader of their party is crazy?

The maverick leaves his sick bed for a vote, and POTUS gets political wtith the Boy Scouts.

I am glad to see that John McCain is on his feet and getting around again. But let's be honest, did he really have to fly in from Arizona --while recovering from major surgery-- to help repubs get the necessary votes to proceed to try and pass their disaster of a health care bill? And what's with his lauded speech on bipartisanship while casting a very partisan vote to give the senate a 50/50 split on the matter?

"Our deliberations today — not just our debates, but the exercise of all of our responsibilities, authorizing government policies, appropriating the funds to implement them, exercising our advice and consent role — are often lively and interesting. They can be a sincere and principled, but they are more partisan, more tribal, more of the time than at any time that I can remember. Our deliberations can still be important and useful, but I think we’d all agree they haven’t been overburdened by greatness lately. And right now, they aren’t producing much for the American people. Both sides have let this happen.

The speech came just moments after McCain cast what turned out to be a decisive vote which helped the Senate pass a motion to proceed measure on the health care debate by a 51-50 margin. Critics on Twitter argued

 Follow

Matt Pearce 

✔@mattdpearce

why is McCain scolding the process after voting yes on the process

2:24 PM - 25 Jul 2017

 
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Dave Weigel 

✔@daveweigel

Having just cast the deciding vote to save the GOP from going to regular order, McCain called for regular order. History, folks.

2:25 PM - 25 Jul 2017

 
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Benjy Sarlin 

✔@BenjySarlin

McCain just tearing into Senate over same process that he just validated with a "yes" vote. I can't emphasize enough how jarring this is.

2:23 PM - 25 Jul 2017

"


 I need a break from these politricksters in Washington. The American people will once again be  forced to live with whatever they give us, and there is not a damn thing we can do about it. We will tweet, we will blog, and we will pontificate on talk radio and cable television, but sadly, we will not be writing fat checks to help fund campaigns, so our words will mean nothing.

Finally, our president seems to be off his meds again.

How do I know?

Well there was this, and this, and this ; all in one day. And then there was that speech to the Boy Scouts yesterday, which had to have embarrassed even his most ardent supporters.

"The plan seemed mutually beneficial: President Trump would bask in an adulatory slice of Americana, and the Boy Scouts of America would host yet another sitting president at its national jamboree.

But Mr. Trump’s decision to mix a barrage of political remarks into a speech that has traditionally been an uncontroversial stream of upbeat oratory has enraged many parents and former Scouts, thrust the Scouts once again into the middle of the nation’s culture wars and provided yet another example of the unusual and polarizing nature of the Trump presidency." [Source]
 
trump, true to form, broke 80 years of tradition, and said many cringe worthy things in his speech.  Ironically, the traits that are required of Boy Scouts,  are traits that we can all agree that the president clearly does not possess.

Of course he took the time in his speech to rip former president Obama, but guess which of the two men was not a Boy Scout?

 If you said the one with the orange hair move to the head of the class.  

"Adorable"? Or was it more like deplorable?

Something happened at a baseball game a couple of nights ago that all of America thought was very cute. A little kid was invited on the playing field to meet some of the payers, and the little brat took the opportunity to kick Miami Marlins player, Dee Gordon. His mother swears that her little kid would never do that, but yet, there he was, kicking the baseball player right in the shin.

Not cute.  I know that he is being called "adorable", but what the hell is "adorable" about going up to a grown ass man who is trying to be nice to him and kicking him in the shin? And if it was pre-planned, shame on the Reds for promoting that type of course behavior and getting a five year old kid involved.

I guess the days of taking your children to the ball park to bond and eat Cracker Jacks are over. Now it's just kick the opposing players on the shin.

"Little Johnny, what did you and daddy do at the game today? Did you catch any foul balls? Nope, I kicked that bum Dee Gordon right in the shin."

 Gordon took it all in stride. It's not like he had a choice. What was he going to do, scold the kid in front of thousands of Reds fans? Then he would have looked like the jerk, although he was well within his rights to do just that if he chose to.

"Gordon, to his credit, handled it well. He turned away and appeared to be laughing about the whole thing. The ump quickly ushered the kid in another direction. He did look back at Gordon as he walked away. Does that look say “whoops, I hope he’s OK,” or “the next one is going between the legs?” We can’t tell."

Ha ha ha; laughs all around. All while the trumpification of America continues.

That kid didn't go to the baseball game to learn the game and bond with his family. He went to practice his trump rally skills and do his best imitation of the president.

Sadly, from where I sit,  he did a pretty good job.

*Pic from sbnation.com

President Twitter strikes again.

Hello America, your president is tweeting again.

 

"As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians!

3:09 PM - 23 Jul 2017 "

 

No Mr. President, there is nothing "phony" about this Russian story. You and your people could make it a non-story by coming clean on everything. But unfortunately the fact that you all keep changing stories about everything to do with Russia and leaving out important details about your Russian contacts and conversations, makes us think that there is something in those [nothing] burgers.

 

 

"It's very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President.

3:14 PM - 23 Jul 2017   "

 

Wrong again Mr. President. The opposite is true. These republicans in Washington have been silent and in some cases encouraging this train wreck of a presidency. They have more than gotten your back, and in many cases, by being silent, they have tarnished their reputations and their standing among decent Americans.

 

"It's hard to read the Failing New York Times or the Amazon Washington Post because every story/opinion, even if shecould be positive, is bad!

6:57 PM - 23 Jul 2017 "

 

He calls the New York Times "failing', and yet he sits down with them to give them a lengthy exclusive (albeit garbled) interview. Go figure.

 

"If Republicans don't Repeal and Replace the disastrous ObamaCare, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand!

7:01 PM - 23 Jul 2017"

 

Big mistake making this (healthcare) your first priority Mr. trump. It has been a disaster from the start for republicans. You should have been focusing on something that you might be able to work with democrats on. (Think infrastructure improvement for the country.) 

 

So you have no one else to blame but yourself for this blunder when it comes to your agenda.   

 

Now here is some advice from your friendly neighborhood field Negro: Stay off twitter!  

 

*Pic from cnn.com