We're Sticking it to Those Penguins, Though

 

The funny/not funny thing about Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" is the way the White House apparently just willy-nilly came up with a plan to suit the ill-informed whims of a mentally ill man who doesn't know what he's doing.  The places being tariffed are internet domains, the alleged tariffs the location have on us is somewhat fictitious, and the formula for levying a "reciprocal" tariff is a bit of slap-dash treating a trade deficit like a tariff and, hoo boy. 

This is "nuking the hurricane" territory.  His sycophants are arguing, "Well, we have to trust him! He's Mr. Art of the Deal, right?"

(Um. No, he isn't. He's a glorified failure who cheats.)

Anyway, at least we are sticking it to those very duplicitous thieving Heard Island penguins, whose exports include, per their trades minister, Binky: "bit of extra fish", "shiny pebble" and "piles of poo for some reason, you weirdos." 

Isn't that a kind of grim satisfaction in the teeth of losing a healthy economy?

Signal Amid All the Noise

 

🚨🚨🚨Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal group chats for crises across the world https://t.co/FxTndiEMdk@DashaBurns @politico

— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) April 2, 2025

While we're all here dangling on a financial precipice, I just wanted to point out that this story yesterday, following on from Signalgate and the revelations that pretty much TrumpWorld (im)proper  is using the app and the Waltz himself regularly uses his private email account.  It's kind of a big deal that people would have time to be bothered about if.....

(Waves hands about frantically)  If not for all this. Which almost makes you wonder (or not "wonder") whether everything being on fire is supposed to distract you from all the other fires. 

Susan Crawford Wins in Wisconsin

 

CNN calls the Wisconsin Supreme Court race for Susan Crawford pic.twitter.com/qtR9KqYanf

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 2, 2025

Elon Musk spent about $20 or 25million in Wisconsin on behalf of Brad Schimel, and while I won't go so far as to say his "assistance" was an absolute menace to his candidate, it surely did not help. 

I think it would be great if we could all point to the results here as basically a referendum on Musk and his influence with Trump itself, but I don't want to take away that message too cleanly. I think it's more like a referendum on whether Mr. Moneybags can just start throwing his weight around without people getting really suspicious as to why.

When some out-of-state clown with a cheese hat on wants to tell people a state Supreme Court seat is about the fate of civilization and pours millions out in a kind of ostentatiously scammy-looking sort of way, it kind of feels suspicious, doesn't it? 

Like, what makes it so important to HIM, anyway?

Anyway, that's just something everyone should keep in mind for next election. Maybe a whiff of Musk can be a problem for the GOP. 

Well Done, Senator Booker!

 

Senator Cory Booker (D., NJ) has surpassed Strom Thurmond's record, holding the Senate floor for an astonishing 25 hours! (Get yourself a well-deserved rest!) As he closed his speech, during which he spoke to the Trump agenda and the ways that it will hurt working families, he invoked the memory of John Lewis:

"This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong. Let's get in good trouble," Booker said as he concluded his remarks and was met by a standing ovation from Senate colleagues. "I yield the floor."

Democratic lawmakers have been facing pressure from their constituents to respond more forcefully to the Trump administration’s sweeping policy changes, including massive cuts to the federal workforce, ramped-up deportations and sweeping tariffs.

Booker's remarks clearly resonated with many who watched them. A live feed of the speech on the senator's TikTok account had more than 220 million likes by early Tuesday night, before he exceeded 24 hours on the floor, and users were posting fan edits.

This was a demonstration about what our Democratic representation in congress can do even if they do not have the majority in either chamber--they can hold the floor adn speak to the values and concerns of the people they represent. 

That's what we want them to do--represent US. 

Juris Doctor Vance, Not So Young, Also Not Credible

 

While we can tell ourselves that part of Karoline Leavitt's juvenile dissembling attempts are sheer youth and immaturity, we know for sure that Vice-Signaling Junior President Vance "tells stories" with a purpose. So, when he condescendingly insults a reporter for not having read a court document--I don't even assume the JD Vance was simply mistaken and responding in a hurry when he got the basic details entirely wrong. 

JD Vance is a Yale Law grad and quite capable of seeing whether or not Kilmar Abrego Garcia was convicted of or merely accused of being a member of MS-13. It seems to me he counts on MAGA not reading, and only superficially noticing a lot of liberals telling Vance he's wrong (which he is) and assuming they are "triggered."

Young and Not Very Credible

 

Leavitt: Shame on you and shame on the media for trying to cover these individuals. This is a vicious gang. pic.twitter.com/KXqnpNxWCU

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2025

Karoline Leavitt responds to a reporter ABOUT an outrage--that the US government is sweeping up innocent individuals off the street and having them clapped into a hellhole, WITH outrage--HOW DARE YOU!

Easy! Because it's true and it's newsworthy. 

Much ado was made about Leavitt being the youngest press secretary for the White House, and I have to admit to rolling my eyes at that. It isn't an accomplishment when she was selected to be a cute shiny face to lie to people, and being too young, possibly immature, to understand what she needs to know or that "spinning" on behalf of a corrupt regime isn't merely a good paying job, but a moral excrescence. 

The journalists inquiring about due process aren't bleeding heart libs--they care about a thing called the rule of law. Leavitt's emotional misdirection has the benefit of seeming unaffected, because it may very well not be a sophisticated act from someone who should know better. She may be unaware that in small "l" small "d" liberal democracies, legal protections exist to protect the innocent. 

Of course, in TrumpWorld, it is a lot to imagine she would also care.  Her lack of credibility is just as bad as Spicer or Huckabee Sanders before her. 

Why Elon Musk Gets Picked On

 

Huh. Where to start?

Musk alleges that another billionaire is handing out checks so that people will protest his and boycott his businesses. Because when you and your little DOGE gremlins are cutting aid to starving kids, Meals on Wheels, costing thousands of people their livelihoods and prancing about with a little chainsaw because BRRRR CUTTING GOOD!, people need a monetary reason to make them mad--right?

This is the kind of bullshit you get when your mama tells you the reason the other kids are picking on you is because they are just so jealous because they are dumb poors and not as bright and handsome as mommy's little man.