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"It's sick out there and getting sicker..."
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North Carolina HS student charged after slapping female teacher in profanity-filled classroom tantrum in front of laughing classmates (NYP 04/17/2024)
| • | The school district condemned the student's behavior. "This behavior will not be tolerated. At no time is it acceptable for students to put their hands on a teacher in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools." |
| • | "... We are praying for wholeness for those students who witnessed this and the educator involved." |
| • | "This isn't about the color of your skin, this isn't about your political affiliation, today is about one thing. Sending a message to the teachers out there, that law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office support you, we care about the job you do." |
AOC accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ against Palestinians (NYP 03/23/2024)
White House blames Abbott for chaotic border scenes in confusing defense of president (NYP 03/22/2024)
Family of girl charged in brutal Kaylee Gain beating claims she’s the real victim, starts fundraiser (NYP 03/21/2024)
Top FDNY chief takes fall for commish declaring department will ‘hunt down’ NY AG Letitia James hecklers (NYP 03/16/2024)
| • | "It was not meant to be taken literally and was never uttered by anyone on the executive staff." |
| • | "I have been told by the commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward and we don't have to hunt them down," wrote Hodges, warning that BITS has video of the audience hissing at James. |
| • | "They will come to headquarters to be educated why their behavior is unacceptable," the email read. |
| • | ... a group of boys came into Kaminsky's classroom at the end of the day, and cornered her, laughing... "Miss Kaminsky, do you love Hitler?" one asked. |
| • | "We can't do anything because the students claimed they were trying to have an 'academic conversation'"... |
Angry Biden attacks special counsel after damning classified document report: ‘I know what the hell I’m doing’ (NYP 02/08/2024)
Former Harvard President: I was ousted by lies and insults (INN 01/04/2024)
DHS chief Mayorkas calls out Texas for 'failure of governance' amid illegal immigrant crisis and impeachment (Fox 01/03/2024)
Associated Press calls plagiarism ‘new conservative weapon’ after Harvard president scandal (Fox 01/03/2024)
| • | "In Gay's case, many academics were troubled with how the plagiarism came to light: as part of a coordinated campaign to discredit Gay and force her from office, in part because of her involvement in efforts for racial justice on campus." |
Jack Smith asks judge to block Trump from making ‘partisan political attacks’ during trial (Fox 12/27/2023)
Outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards pardons 56 inmates, including 40 convicted murderers (Fox 12/23/2023)
| • | "For as long as I can remember, Louisiana reflexively responded to an increase in crime by putting more people in prison and keeping them there longer." |
'Shameful': AOC blasts Biden admin for blocking UN Gaza cease-fire resolution (Fox 12/11/2023)
| • | "The Biden [administration] can no longer reconcile their professed concern for Palestinians and human rights while also single-handedly vetoing the UN's call for ceasefire and sidestepping the entire US Congress to unconditionally back the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza." |
| • | See related AOC Hamas Defense (Jake Fuller, 10/31/2023)") cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | ... Harvard faculty members "urge you in the strongest possible terms to defend the independence of the university and to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard's commitment to academic freedom, including calls for the removal of President Claudine Gay." |
| • | "The critical work of defending a culture of free inquiry in our diverse community cannot proceed if we let its shape be dictated by outside forces." |
| • | "There is, as I've said, definitely room to explore the parameters and clarify the parameters of free speech, and free expression, and academic freedom, and so on on campuses." |
| • | "I don't think that the people who were taking the lead in the congressional inquiries were doing so with good faith intentions." |
| • | "We want them to state this publicly: that they support the leadership of President Gay and the ability of faculty and students to go about free inquiry." |
| • | See related Hamas Influence (Dick Wright, 11/02/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
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California coffee shop apologizes after video of anti-Israel staffers blocking Jewish woman from restroom (Fox 12/07/2023)
CAIR director says he was 'happy' to witness Oct. 7 attacks, Israel 'does not have right to self-defense' (Fox 12/07/2023)
| • | "The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege — the walls of the concentration camp — on Oct. 7." |
| • | "The average Palestinians who briefly walked out of Gaza and set foot on their ethnically cleansed land in a symbolic act of defiance against the blockade and stopped there without engaging in violence were within their rights under international law; the extremists who went on to attack civilians in southern Israel were not." |
| • | "There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students. Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account." |
| • | "You should have said this yesterday, live, in-person and on camera.Not today, after your PR firm told you you needed to clean it up.It's too late now. It's not credible." |
| • | "Weird how Claudine Gay was clearly asked to condemn this like 9 times under oath yesterday and wouldn't do it . But now after mass outrage suddenly she issues a statement." |
| • | See related Poison Ivy (David Hitch, 10/20/2023)) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "We embrace a commitment to free expression, even of that are objectionable, offensive, hateful. It's when that speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies against bullying." |
| • | "We embrace a commitment to free expression and give a wide berth to free expression, even of views that are objectionable." |
| • | See related Poison Ivy (David Hitch, 10/20/2023)) cartoon from USA picture album |
GOP senator roasts John Kerry for jetting off to another climate conference (Fox 11/30/2023)
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "That event, Israel's response, and the ongoing conflict are taking the lives of thousands of people, with no end in sight. We mourn the loss of life in Israel and Gaza, which is deeply affecting many members of our community." |
| • | "There is a complex history and conflicting views about the causal underpinnings of the current crisis. This is one of the reasons that lasting peace in that part of the world has been so elusive and contested. But what is not contested is the tragic loss of life of innocent Israelis, Palestinians, and many others." |
| • | "There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence." |
Maryland hate crime task force member claimed babies murdered by Hamas were 'fake,' compared Israel to Nazis (Fox 11/21/2023)
| • | ... "the views and opinions of any individual Commission member do not reflect those of either the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention or the Attorney General." |
| • | "We understand that there are many viewpoints regarding current events in the Middle East. The Commission will do its best to explore the impact of those events on our community, and to determine how best to address escalations in hate and bias incidents across the state." |
Dem Senate hopeful urges Biden to drop out of 2024 race amid party infighting over Gaza (Fox 11/16/2023)
| • | "Joe Biden has blood on his hands, and we are disgusted by his support of rampant violence in Gaza." |
| • | See related Hamas Influence (Dick Wright, 11/02/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "BBC News, as it covered initial reports that Israeli forces had entered Gaza's main hospital, we said that medical teams and Arab speakers were being targeted." |
| • | "This is incorrect and misquoted a Reuters report which said IDF forces included medical teams and Arabic speakers for this operation. We apologize for this error, which fell below our usual editorial standards." |
| • | The faculty said they were "astonished" by pressure from donors, alumni and members of the campus community to "silence" faculty, students and staff critical of actions undertaken by Israel against Hamas. |
| • | "It is important to acknowledge the patronizing tone and format of much of the criticism you have received as well as the outright racism contained in some of it." |
| • | The letter concluded with four steps the university should take in the face of the ongoing conflict. ... resisting calls to suspend the Palestine Solidarity Committee, directing the President's Advisory Group on Antisemitism to define antisemitism to the community explicitly, affirming the school's commitment to freedom of thought and expression, and creating an advisory group on Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Arab racism. |
| • | See related HAMAS\\\' Latest Victim (Michael Ramirez, 10/15/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Hamas Influence (Dick Wright, 11/02/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Poison Ivy (David Hitch, 10/20/2023)) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | It didn't take long for outrage on social media to mount but also within The Washington Post newsroom as the paper's executive editor Sally Buzbee wrote in an email Wednesday to staff acknowledging the "many deep concerns" that were made. |
New York man who saved woman from subway mugging by scaring off would-be robber with warning shot arrested (Fox 11/09/2023)
| • | "I want to be clear: we don't tolerate this kind of conduct in NYC Transit, period," the city's top transit official, Richard Davey, said in a statement after Rote's arrest. |
| • | "Once again cameras recorded a perpetrator, and we are grateful the NYPD made an arrest within hours. Thank goodness nobody was hurt here – but what occurred was outrageous, reckless, and unacceptable." |
Jewish professor confronts student who said Israel supporters will 'burn in hell' (Fox 11/07/2023)
| • | "The vice president of academic affairs was in the audience. She heard it. She didn't do anything. At the end, she got up and made a what I thought was a self-serving speech and did not rebuke the students." |
| • | David Harris, Union College president, said in a statement, "We do not condone the student's words. We also do not condone the manner in which this student was confronted in a public setting, nor how she has been portrayed in social or traditional media." |
| • | "But I'm sure that there are Palestinians that can show images of their own kids that they're worried about that have died in this, and much of the world is calling for a ceasefire. A lot of allies are saying at the very least, a pause, if not voting for a ceasefire in the U.N., why do you think that so much of the world is asking Israel to stop for a moment?" |
| • | "Gazans haven't had a vote in 17 years because Hamas took over and hasn't held an election, and although you gave the territory back to Gazans, and yes, they voted for Hamas, and then Hamas became radicalized, they weren't a state." |
| • | ... "has repeatedly made inflammatory statements regarding innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are in harm's way through no fault of their own as a result of horrific terrorist attacks conducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023." |
| • | ... "refusal to distinguish innocent Palestinians from Hamas terrorists is false, misleading, dehumanizing, dangerous and unbecoming of a member of Congress." |
| • | "Your silence is deafening. Your complicity is even worse," Tlaib wrote. "A whole generation of children is being wiped out in front of us." |
| • | See related Death Squad (Antonio Branco, 10/17/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Billionaire Bill Ackman calls out Harvard campus antisemitism in forceful open letter (Fox 11/06/2023)
| • | "People have asked me where we stand. So let me be clear. Our university rejects terrorism. That includes the barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Our university rejects hate. Hate of Jews. Hate of Muslims. Hate of any group of people based on their faith, their national origin, or any aspect of their identity. Our University rejects the harassment or intimidation of individuals based on their beliefs." |
| • | See related HAMAS\\\' Latest Victim (Michael Ramirez, 10/15/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity." |
| • | "This is my 10th holiday season at Target. You and I have been talking almost every quarter during those 10 years. We've seen natural disasters. We've seen the impact of COVID leading up to the pandemic, some of the violence that took place after George Floyd's murder. But I would tell you what I saw back in May is the first time since I've been in this job where I had store team members saying it's not safe to come to work." |
| • | "Anti-semitism is at the highest level since NAZI Germany and the Biden admin decides to launch an anti-Islamophobia effort." |
Yale newspaper censors piece by pro-Israel writer: 'Unsubstantiated claims that Hamas raped women' (Fox 10/31/2023)
| • | "This column has been edited to remove unsubstantiated claims that Hamas raped women and beheaded men." |
| • | See related Poison Ivy (David Hitch, 10/20/2023)) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council said administrators' use of the terms "terrorism" and "unprovoked" have stoked anti-Muslim sentiments and "made Palestinian students and community members unsafe." |
Cori Bush's husband confronted over the thousands in cash he has received from her campaign (Fox 10/30/2023)
Lecturer dodges on condemning terrorism in tense debate at UMass Amherst: ‘It’s not a yes or no question’ (Fox 10/28/2023)
WaPo report defends using numbers from Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health: 'Many experts' say it's 'reliable' (Fox 10/27/2023)
NYU law student who defended Hamas' terror attack refuses to say if she has empathy for 'brutalized' Israelis (Fox 10/26/2023)
Michigan Muslims warn Democrats they'll lose votes over Israel support: 'Going to have a problem' in 2024 (Fox 10/26/2023)
| • | "I never in my life thought the empathizer-in-chief would sound the way he did. The Palestinians were given no humanity." |
| • | "I have been one of his biggest fans. I feel betrayed. I feel like my humanity is not equal to anyone else's humanity." |
Richmond, California, council meeting explodes over resolution blaming Israel after Hamas attack (Fox 10/25/2023)
| • | "Israel is now engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign by explicitly requiring 2 million Palestinians to leave Gaza immediately or risk being bombed in their homes by the Israeli army." |
State Department official who resigned over military aid to Israel decries 'willingness to abandon our values' (Fox 10/24/2023)
| • | "I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be shortsighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse." |
| • | "Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes." |
| • | "The Israeli government's decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel's enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Human Shield (David Hitch, 10/19/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Washington Post stealth edits caption describing Israeli woman's children as being 'detained' by Hamas (Fox 10/20/2023)
Ilhan Omar breaks down in fit of rage aimed at Biden, Democrat leadership over support for Israel (Fox 10/20/2023)
| • | "How is it — how is it that we are serving in a body, serving in a body where there are members who condemn us for asking for a peace, for cease fire, the most simplest thing?" |
Ivy League school slammed after professor calls Israel attack 'exhilarating': 'A much deeper problem' (Fox 10/20/2023)
| • | Rickford apologized this week for his remarks, saying he made a "horrible choice of words." "I recognize that some of the language I used was reprehensible and did not reflect my values." |
| • | "As I said in the speech, I abhor violence and the violent targeting of civilians. I am sorry for the pain that my reckless remarks have caused my family, my students, my colleagues and many others in this time of suffering." |
| • | "I want to make it clear that I unequivocally oppose and denounce racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, militarism, fundamentalism and all systems that dehumanize, divide and oppress people." |
'Squad' Rep. Tlaib ignores US intel about Gaza hospital, sides with Hamas over Biden admin (Fox 10/18/2023)
Rashida Tlaib's top campaign fundraiser accuses Israel of wanting to ethnically 'cleanse' Palestinians (Fox 10/17/2023)
| • | The Michigan Democrat's committee has paid $42,000 to Unbought Power for "fundraising consulting" this year... |
| • | "We demand that you condemn Israel's violence against Palestinians, vote against sending [money] and arms to Israel, [and] call for an end to the siege in Gaza." |
Autoworker union president who donned 'eat the rich' shirt is in top 5% of earners (Fox 10/13/2023)
Fetterman mocks fellow lawmakers on late-night show: 'America is not sending their best and brightest' to DC (Fox 10/12/2023)
Ilhan Omar condemns Israel’s military response to Hamas, says ‘solution’ is ‘negotiated peace’ (Fox 10/10/2023)
New York Democrat slams Harvard students for blaming Israel for Hamas attacks: There are no 'both sides' (Fox 10/09/2023)
| • | "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence. Today's events did not occur in a vacuum. For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison. Israeli officials promise to 'open the gates of hell,' and the massacres in Gaza have already commenced. Palestinians in Gaza have no shelters for refuge and nowhere to escape. In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel's violence." |
| • | Among the groups listed in the statement included the Harvard Islamic Society, the Harvard Jews for Liberation, the Society of Arab Students and the Harvard Divinity School Muslim Association. |
| • | Rep. Tlaib released a statement referring to Israel as an "apartheid government" that is responsible for the "suffering" that caused the attacks. |
| • | "As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue." |
| • | Rep. Bush also called for an end to the U.S. government's support of Israel. "As part of achieving a just and lasting peace, we must do our part to stop this violence and trauma by ending U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid." |
| • | "... so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He's only in it for himself. He's now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions. And when do they break with him?" |
| • | "Because at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members, but something needs to happen." |
| • | "It's a classic tale of an authoritarian populist who really has a grip on the emotional, psychological needs and desires of a portion of the population." |
| • | "And the base of the Republican Party, for whatever combination of reasons- and it is emotional and psychological, sees in him someone who speaks for them, and they are determined that they will continue to vote for him, attend his rallies, wear his merchandise because for whatever reason, he and his very negative, nasty form of politics resonates with them." |
| • | "Maybe they don't like migrants, maybe they don't like gay people, or Black people, or the woman who got the promotion at work they didn't get, whatever the reason." |
| • | "You can put half of Trump's supporters into what I call a basket of deplorables. They're racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it. And unfortunately, there are people like that and he has lifted them up." |
| • | See related Basket of Deplorables (Glenn McCoy, 10/17/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Biden White House Goes Full Orwell – Denying Vaccine Mandates Ever Happened (10/04/2023))
Lawyer for looter known as ‘Meatball’ claims criticism against live-streamer is racist (Fox 10/02/2023)
| • | "It sickens me to witness the media's complicity in what can only be described as an all-out assault on black and brown people, as their character and actions are mercilessly vilified." |
Hunter Biden sues Rudy Giuliani over laptop, accuses ex-Trump lawyer of 'hacking' (Fox 09/26/2023)
| • | "For the past many months and even years, Defendants have dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and energy toward looking for, hacking into, tampering with, manipulating, copying, disseminating, and generally obsessing over data that they were given that was taken or stolen from Plaintiff's devices or storage platforms, including what Defendants claim to have obtained from Plaintiff's alleged 'laptop' computer." |
| • | See related Media Protecting Hunter (Dick Wright, 03/25/2022) cartoon from Adult picture album |
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| • | "This article fits an unfortunate pattern of media attempting to sensationalize something that has long been public, rather than covering the president's very real achievements for hardworking Americans." |
| • | "I respect differences of opinion. I don't have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and then acting like they know what's right for kids." |
| • | See related Public School Kidnapping (Dick Wright, 07/03/2023) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | The alleged bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low- or no-show job, a luxury vehicle and "other things of value." |
| • | ... Menendez denied any wrongdoing and said prosecutors "misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office"... |
| • | ... alleged the senator and his wife took bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car for a range of corrupt acts, including having the Democrat use his influence over foreign affairs to benefit the authoritarian government of Egypt. |
| • | A search of the couple's home turned up $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash... |
| • | Our job is to uphold the rule of the law. That means we apply the same laws to everyone. There is not one set of laws for the powerful and another for the powerless, one for the rich and another for the poor, one for Democrats, and another for Republicans; or different rules depending upon one's race, or ethnicity or religion." |
| • | "Our job is to pursue to justice, without fear or favor. Our job is not to do what is politically convenient. Our job is not to take orders from the president, from Congress, or from anyone else, about who or what to criminally investigate." |
| • | See related DOJ Equal Justice Conga Line (Jake Fuller, 06/27/2023)) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | Gibson told The Washington Post that the incident represents an "an illegal invasion of my privacy designed to humiliate me and my family." |
| • | "It won't intimidate me and it won't silence me. My political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they're willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because there's no line they won't cross to silence women when they speak up." |
Chicago Teachers Union boss who denounced school choice as racist has son in Catholic school (Fox 09/08/2023)
Georgia school board fires teacher for reading students a controversial book on gender identity (Fox 08/19/2023)
| • | "I am disappointed in the district's decision to terminate me for reading an inclusive and affirming book — one that is representative of diverse student identities." |
| • | "The district is sending a harmful message that not all students are worthy of affirmation in being their unapologetic and authentic selves. This decision, based on intentionally vague policies, will result in more teachers self-censoring in fear of not knowing where the invisible line will be drawn. Censorship perpetuates harm and students deserve better." |
CA school board throws out state official as he protests for secret transgender policies: 'Pervert children' (Fox 07/24/2023)
| • | "I went to a school board meeting to stand up for LGBTQ+ students who invited me to join them as they spoke out against a radical new policy that threatens their safety. When done speaking, the board president verbally attacked me and instructed the police to remove me." |
| • | "I don't mind being thrown out of a board meeting by extremists. I can take the heat — it's part of the job. What I can't accept is the mistreatment of vulnerable students whose privacy is being taken away." |
Kerry erupts after his private jet use is mocked in House hearing, denies ever owning one (Fox 07/13/2023)
MSNBC host blames staff for Biden's awkward moments: 'He's 80, you need to be there for him' (Fox 07/12/2023)
NY Democrat complains about her student debt after SCOTUS ruling, gets slammed for million dollar home (Fox 06/30/2023)
'SIT DOWN': Warren mocked for past claims of Native American heritage after bashing... (Fox 06/30/2023)
| • | "An extremist Supreme Court has once again reversed decades of settled law, rolled back the march toward racial justice, and narrowed educational opportunity for all. I won't stop fighting for young people with big dreams who deserve an equal chance to pursue their future." |
| • | See related Sitting Bull (Sean Delonas, 12/31/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Anheuser-Busch CEO refuses to say if he'd allow Bud Light's disastrous Dylan Mulvaney promo in hindsight (Fox 06/28/2023)
CA school district admin sued after saying he wants to bring conservative staff 'to the slaughterhouse' (Fox 06/26/2023)
| • | "I apologize to anyone who felt threatened or was offended. My intent was to emphasize that the individuals who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting have my full support." |
| • | "In New Jersey, we will not tolerate any action by schools that threatens the health and safety of our young people. |
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison warns Target about their 'obligations' to the LGBTQ community (Fox 06/22/2023)
| • | "While we understand the basis for this action, we are also concerned it sends a message that those who engage in hateful and disruptive conduct can cause even large corporations to succumb to their bullying..." |
Space Force general decries 'anti-LGBTQ+' laws at Pentagon 'Pride' event, claims they affect hiring decisions (Fox 06/15/2023)
| • | See related Bombshells (Antonio Branco, 10/22/2021) cartoon from World picture album |
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Dems dismiss 'worthless' calls to probe Biden-Ukraine rumors but argue Trump indictment is not political (Fox 06/14/2023)
Keith Olbermann hammered after claiming Hillary Clinton team never destroyed gov't devices: 'Hallucinating' (Fox 06/13/2023)
Trump rails against Biden, 'deep state' at first speech after classified docs indictment: 'Political hit job' (Fox 06/10/2023)
| • | "I have never once, not one single time, suggested to the Justice Department what they should do or not do relative to bringing a charge or not bringing a charge," Biden said. "I'm honest." |
CUNY Law commencement speaker claims laws are 'White supremacy,' attacks 'fascist' police and military (Fox 05/29/2023)
| • | "[S]tudent speakers... offered congratulatory remarks and their own individual perspectives on advocating for social justice. As with all such commencement remarks, they reflect the voices of those individuals." |
| • | "Don't be fooled by the people who screech about 'fairness' to cloak their bigotry toward transgender girls and women, the transgender girls and women who have the audacity to want to play sports, in particular." |
| • | "A MAGA Republican Member of Congress just filed a motion to expel me from the U.S. House of Representatives. I stood up to Donald Trump and held extreme MAGA forces accountable." |
| • | "Now they want payback. They'll go after anyone who defends the rule of law." |
| • | "In recognition of the systemic discrimination faced by the African American community and the barriers to justice and repair imposed by Proposition 209, the task force recommends that the legislature take steps within its authority to seek the repeal [of] Proposition 209. This effort must continue until California's constitution has been cleansed of this or any other measure rooted in racism." |
| • | (California voters passed Proposition 209, now enshrined in California's constitution, in 1996. The measure amended the California Constitution, adding a section that states in part, "The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.") |
| • | "The president has been dealing with a system that has been broken for decades. Since day one he put forth a comprehensive immigration plan, legislation, and he is using the tools that are in front of him to deal with the challenge at the border." |
| • | See related Opening the Floodgates (Michael Ramirez, 01/20/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "... long pattern of making absurd claims that President Biden has made governing decisions not in the interest of America, but of the Chinese Communist Party, using baseless claims, personal attacks, and innuendo to try to score political points." |
| • | "... raising questions about his shoot-first, figure-it-out later approach to what is clearly an evidence-free, politically-motivated 'investigation,'"... |
| • | "My question to you is just simply a 'yes' or 'no.' You know what an assault weapon is? You seen one?" |
| • | "Again, that would be a decision for Congress to make, respectfully, as to make that definition. It is... There are numerous different legislative bodies that have taken up that question." |
Riley Gaines points out double standards in criticisms of Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (Fox 04/24/2023)
| • | "Checking birth certificate and/or ensuring everyone has a routine physical before competing = egregious violation of personal dignity." |
| • | "Forcing girls to undress in front of an intact and exposed male = NOT an egregious violation of personal dignity, but rather kind and inclusive." |
| • | "We affirm free expression because it is essential to exploration. We believe every aspect of God's creation is worthy of study because God's creation reflects God's glory and is bound together by the life-giving Word, Jesus Christ." |
Mother of NYC murder victim shouts down Democrat lawmaker: 'Don't insult my intelligence' (Fox 04/17/2023)
| • | Goldman attempted to use the time granted to him to question Brame to instead criticize the hearing itself, arguing it was a "coverup" for Republicans attempting to defend former President Donald Trump. |
| • | Goldman, who served as impeachment counsel during Trump's first impeachment, sought to explain his view of the situation to Brame after other Democrats had stated that Republicans were using the witnesses as "props" to defend Trump. |
| • | "... this is a charade to cover up for an abuse of power. [Republicans] are going around incessantly, outside of this hearing, about Donald Trump, and the purpose of this hearing is to cover up for what they know to be an inappropriate investigation [into District Attorney Alvin Bragg]." |
Trump suing former lawyer Michael Cohen for $500 million (INN 04/14/2023)
| • | Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a statement that Trump "appears once again to be using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation." |
AOC blasted as a 'total fraud' after 'accent' video re-emerges online: 'pander is on point' (Fox 04/12/2023)
Riley Gaines blasts SF State faculty member who called protests at heart of incident 'peaceful' (Fox 04/10/2023)
| • | "Thank you to our students who participated peacefully in Thursday evening's event. It took tremendous bravery to stand in a challenging space. I am proud of the moments where we listened and asked insightful questions. I am also proud of the moments when our students demonstrated the value of free speech and the right to protest peacefully. These issues do not go away, and these values are very much at our core." |
Texas AG Paxton slams 'Soros-backed' prosecutor after jury convicts Army sergeant for shooting protester (Fox 04/08/2023)
| • | "I'm grateful to our dedicated career prosecutors and victims' counselors who tried this case. They worked hard to make a complete and accurate presentation of the facts to the jury. Our hearts continue to break for the Foster family. We hope this verdict brings closure and peace to the victim's family." |
Manhattan DA behind Trump indictment: 'We cannot...normalize serious criminal conduct' (Fox 04/04/2023)
Dems who accused Trump of trying to jail opponents voice support for Trump grand jury indictment (Fox 03/31/2023)
Washington Post mocks parents requesting transparency on gender identity curriculum: 'I want to vomit' (Fox 03/30/2023)
| • | The Washington Post – whose slogan is "Democracy Dies in Darkness" – mocked parents for requesting public records on what their children are learning on topics relating to gender identity and race... |
| • | "Resources are being shifted away from students academic needs at the exact instant America is facing falling test scores, a teen mental health crisis and a teacher shortage. And because of how much time and money is needed to process these requests, they're changing what schools are spending their funding on." |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law." |
| • | "In every prosecution, we follow the law without fear or favor to uncover the truth. Our skilled, honest and dedicated lawyers remain hard at work." |
Pelosi, Dems calls Trump's arrest warning 'reckless,' accuse him of fomenting 'unrest' (Fox 03/19/2023)
Hunter Biden files countersuit against laptop repairman John Paul Mac Isaac, alleging privacy violations (Fox 03/17/2023)
DeSantis 'politicizing' education by teaching kids the 'evils' of communism, NBC anchor Chuck Todd claims (Fox 03/12/2023)
Dr. Fauci claims a coronavirus lab leak could still be considered a 'natural occurrence' (Fox 03/12/2023)
Colin Kaepernick accuses his White adoptive parents of 'problematic' upbringing, perpetuating racism (Fox 03/09/2023)
Randi Weingarten claims children ‘do better in schools under teachers unions’ (Fox 03/08/2023)
Jeffries warns against 'xenophobic activity' from 'MAGA Republicans' as House China Select Committee kicks off (Fox 03/01/2023)
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot reacts to election loss, says she was treated unfairly because of her race, gender (Fox 03/01/2023)
AOC slams House Oversight hearing on 'half-fake' Hunter Biden laptop story (Fox 02/08/2023)
Bill Gates defends use of private jet amid fight against climate change (Fox 02/07/2023)
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
Black pastor excoriates White people in the wake of Tyre Nichols death: They 'gonna bring you down!' (Fox 02/04/2023)
White House calls Ilhan Omar punishment a ‘political stunt’ from Republicans (Fox 02/02/2023)
Ilhan Omar gets the boot: House votes her off Foreign Affairs Committee as Democrats cite 'racism' (Fox 02/02/2023)
| • | "I am Muslim, I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy, or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?" |
Rep. Ilhan Omar pressed on old comments: 'Wasn't aware' there were 'tropes about Jews and money' (Fox 01/29/2023)
Omar blasts GOP's 'Islamophobia' amid committee removal bid: ‘They’re not OK’ with Muslims ‘having a voice’ (Fox 01/29/2023)
Newsom accused of 'hypocrisy' for calling Second Amendment a 'suicide pact' while surrounded by armed guards (Fox 01/25/2023)
| • | "Gov. Newsom made that statement while flanked by at least four armed guards. That is the definition of hypocrisy." |
Eric Swalwell denies wrongdoing in Chinese spy scandal (Fox 01/18/2023)
| • | See related Top Secret (Mike Shelton, 12/11/2020) cartoon from Adult picture album |
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Born-Alive Act: Pelosi, Schumer melt down after new bill requires care for babies born during failed abortion (Fox 01/12/2023)
| • | "Democrats will always defend reproductive freedoms against extreme Republicans who disrespect a woman's right to choose the size and timing of her family." |
| • | "These are serious, personal decisions that must be made by women guided by faith, physician and family — not by politicians." |
Schiff claims border has been 'very strong priority' for Democrats when pressed on Biden ignoring issue (Fox 01/05/2023)
Respect for Muslim students 'should have superseded academic freedom' in class controversy: College president (Fox 01/04/2023)
| • | "Our response to the classroom event does not disregard or minimize the importance of academic freedom." |
| • | "It does state that respect, decency, and appreciation of religious and other differences should supersede when we know that what we teach will cause harm." |
| • | "... During the School Board meeting on December 13th, a man said that people in the LGBTQ+ community are better off with 'millstones around their necks at the bottom of a river.' Many people in the audience cheered." |
| • | "Platforming hate speech like this empowers people to commit acts of violence against oppressed groups of people, and causes people like me in the LGBTQIA+ community to be bullied (often into suicidal ideation or suicide), tortured, and killed. I demand policy in the School Board that requires them to cut off a person speaking during public comment the second hate speech is spoken." |
NC Supreme Court rejects voter ID law, state electoral map, claiming 'racially motivated purpose' (Fox 12/17/2022)
New York Times, Washington Post, CNN blast Elon Musk's 'impulsive and unjustified' Twitter suspensions (Fox 12/16/2022)
After School Satan Club co-founder defends his mission amid parental outrage: 'Not looking to convert' kids (Fox 12/16/2022)
CNN panel seethes over Musk not giving them Twitter Files: 'Not in the spirit of free speech' (Fox 12/15/2022)
Cori Bush's campaign tops half million dollars towards private security after calling to defund police (Fox 12/14/2022)
Twitter Files reveal Trump ban came after Michelle Obama, others pressured the company (Fox 12/11/2022)
| • | "Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior — and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technologies from being used by the nation's leaders to fuel insurrection," Obama wrote in a lengthy statement... |
| • | She added: "And if we have any hope of improving this nation, now is the time for swift and serious consequences for the failure of leadership that led to yesterday's shame." |
| • | In addition to the former first lady, the Anti-Defamation League, among several other prominent people and organizations called for Trump's ban. |
| • | "Many of our staff are women and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community. All of our staff are people with rights who deserve dignity and a safe work environment. We respect our staff's established rights as humans and strive to create a work environment where they can do their jobs with dignity, comfort and safety." |
Hunter Biden revelations in Twitter Files prompts media reckoning for insiders, critics: 'Sorry episode' (Fox 12/06/2022)
| • | "I don't know what network should be feeling bad, not covering this story we don't really understand and sounded suspicious even when it came out," they said, blaming Twitter for putting its thumb on the scale. |
| • | "The district does not endorse the personal statements of any individuals speaking in their capacity as private citizens. Our jurisdiction only extends to comments made by employees in their official capacities." |
Don Lemon torched for claiming to Stephen Colbert that CNN was 'never liberal': 'Own who you are' (Fox 11/29/2022)
US federal judge compares weeks leading up to Jan 6 riot to Nazi Germany (INN 11/18/2022)
Teachers union infuriates parents with 'astonishing' tweet: 'Trying to gaslight Americans' (Fox 11/15/2022)
| • | "Educators love their students and know better than anyone what they need to learn and to thrive." |
Michigan mayor installs gas line in home after pushing for citywide electrification (Fox 10/25/2022)
Hillary Clinton accuses GOP of scheming to 'literally steal the next presidential election' (Fox 10/25/2022)
Socialist Seattle Dem who pushed police defunding fumes at cops for not protecting her from feces thrower (Fox 10/23/2022)
| • | "As a socialist City Councilmember who has participated in Black Lives Matter protests, I am being told that my case of six threatening incidents involving human excrement doesn't merit even a serious investigation, let alone protection." |
Ron Klain slammed for description of economy Biden inherited: ‘Hellish conditions…perpetuated by your party’ (Fox 09/23/2022)
North Dakota man who ran down 'Republican' teen says he doesn't want his own life, job jeopardized (Fox 09/21/2022)
| • | "I have a job, a life and a house and things that I don't exactly want to see go by the wayside — family that are very important to me." |
| • | "I am deeply sorry to see you all leave Twilio. You have all been part of building our company. You've been our teammates, partners, and friends. I'm grateful for your contributions to our customers and our business. And we owe it to you to help as much as we can." |
| • | "Imagine being in a foreign country, not speaking the language, desperate and with your child, and being dropped off in the middle of the street in a strange city with nothing because a politician wants to stoke the ugliest instincts of humanity. American exceptionalism indeed." |
White House accuses Republican governors of treating migrants 'like chattel' (Fox 09/16/2022)
Chuck Todd: 'Inhumane' to send migrants to Martha's Vineyard because it 'doesn't have any infrastructure' (Fox 09/16/2022)
Martha's Vineyard: CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS erupt in anger at DeSantis for flying migrants to ritzy enclave (Fox 09/16/2022)
Hillary Clinton says Martha's Vineyard situation is 'literally human trafficking,' no one wants open borders (Fox 09/16/2022)
Biden administration considering 'litigation' against GOP governors over migrants sent to Democratic cities (Fox 09/16/2022)
Biden says Republicans are 'playing politics' after transporting migrants to Martha's Vineyard, VP's home (Fox 09/16/2022)
Stacey Abrams praised on 'The View' for not conceding election, defends saying she 'won' Georgia race in 2018 (Fox 09/14/2022)
Justice Kagan says SCOTUS can lose legitimacy by appearing political (Fox 09/13/2022)
Hillary Clinton claims 'no one is above the law' — except her (Fox 09/13/2022)
VP Harris blames GOP ‘election deniers’ for making US democracy 'weaker' through 'threats from within' (Fox 09/11/2022)
Kamala Harris blasts 'activist' Supreme Court after Dobbs decision (Fox 09/09/2022)
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot denounces 'toxicity in public discourse' days after shouting 'F*** Clarence Thomas!' (Fox 09/09/2022)
| • | ... the people who are acting so brazenly have no not only no respect for themselves, but they don't have respect for the institution... toxicity in our public discourse is a thing that I think we should all be concerned about, right?" |
| • | "... People are angry. They are frustrated. And they're fearful. But we can't let those things mean that we lose sight of each other's humanity. We've got to find a common sense and a purpose." |
| • | "Every single person has a role to play in healing the wounds that are plaguing us in our country. And I just pray every single day that each of us will stand up and have that bravery of self and soul to do what is right in this moment. Because we desperately need that kind of healing." |
| • | This is quite the turnaround from the profane attack she leveled towards Justice Thomas at a Pride event in Chicago just days ago. |
| • | "Thank you. F** Clarence Thomas. He thinks that we are going to stand idly by while they take our rights – our right to marry – our right to have children – our right to live." |
| • | "To my friends in the LGBTQ+ community — the Supreme Court is coming for us next. This moment has to be a call to arms." |
| • | Lightfoot ... said that Abbott chose to "inhumanely load them onto buses" and send them to Chicago without "any regard for what the next steps are." |
| • | "[Abbott] is trying to create crises in Democratic-led cities to demonstrate his toughness," Lightfoot said. |
NBC's Yamiche Alcindor: Many people are 'very worried' about Trump stealing election in 2024 (Fox 08/22/2022)
Biden signs $739 billion Inflation Reduction Act into law, slams GOP for voting against the tax, climate deal (Fox 08/16/2022)
| • | "This administration began amid a dark time in America ... a once-in-a-century pandemic, devastating joblessness, clear and present threats to democracy and the rule of law, doubts about America's future itself — and yet we've not wavered, we've not flinched, and we've not given in." |
| • | "Remember, every single Republican in Congress voted against this bill — every single Republican in Congress voted against lowering prescription drug prices, against lowering health care costs, against the fairer tax system." |
| • | "Every single Republican, every single one, voted against tackling the climate crisis against lowering our energy cost, against creating good paying jobs." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "There's this whole left-wing dark money network. That money comes from someplace and these guys — high profile, wealthy lefties — are funding it." |
| • | "There's not a single climate activist who is not a complete hypocrite about all this. Everything they do is just total hypocrisy. I would say they have no self awareness, but they just don't care. All this is really meant to control us, not for them to control themselves." |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "Absolutely the American public should trust what the FBI is doing. Morning Joe. It's not that the FBI is targeting any one side or the other. What you see is the FBI going out on a day-in, day-out basis objectively investigating allegations of law..." |
Atlantic writer declares GOP most ‘malicious and malignant party’ in US history (Fox 08/11/2022)
Republican response to FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago 'disturbing and dangerous,' claims Washington Post (Fox 08/11/2022)
Media downplays ‘good Samaritan’ narrative following Indiana shooting, firearms experts weigh in (Fox 07/21/2022)
| • | "Even with a 'good guy' present, the Indiana mall shooter was still able to kill three people, injure two and traumatize many others. That's not a victory against gun violence; it's a horrific scenario by any measure. And even the 'good guy' with the gun wasn't exactly following the rules — the mall doesn't allow weapons on its property, and he brought one in anyway." |
Cori Bush nears $400,000 in campaign cash to private security while refusing to rein in calls to defund police (Fox 07/18/2022)
| • | "The term, 'Good Samaritan' came from a Bible passage of a man from Samaria who stopped on the side of the road to help a man who was injured and ignored." |
| • | "I cannot believe we live in a world where the term can equally apply to someone killing someone... my God." |
| • | After the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong told fans at a London concert that he would renounce his citizenship. Don't bet on it. |
| • | Armstrong is no stranger to preening wokeness. He also "threatened" to leave the U.S. when President Trump was in charge, as did many other lefty celebs — Bryan Cranston, Samuel L. Jackson, Lena Dunham and Cher, to name but a few. Yet, curiously, they're all still here. |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Don't Have the Addresses... (Mike Lester, 12/21/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Chicago Mayor Lightfoot denounces 'toxicity in public discourse' days after shouting 'F*** Clarence Thomas!' (Fox 07/06/2022)
| • | "... the people who are acting so brazenly have no not only no respect for themselves, but they don't have respect for the institution like the police department, who men and women every single day on every watch, are literally risking life and limb for our safety." |
| • | "But toxicity in our public discourse is a thing that I think we should all be concerned about, right?" |
| • | "Arizona has passed a law that turns the clock back on progress by imposing unlawful and unnecessary requirements that would block eligible voters from the registration rolls for certain federal elections." |
| • | "We are confronting a domestic threat that we have never faced before – and that is a former president who is attempting to unravel the foundations of our constitutional Republic." |
| • | "And he is aided by Republican leaders and elected officials who have made themselves willing hostages to this dangerous and irrational man." |
| • | Asked if the committee had evidence to corroborate the testimony, Cheney declined to get into specifics. |
| • | "The committee has significant evidence about a whole range of issues, including the president's intense anger. I think you will continue to see in the coming days and weeks additional detail about the president's activities and behavior on that day." |
Hillary Clinton's flip flop on transgender issues: From 'highest priority' to 'should not be a priority' (Fox 06/21/2022)
Sen. Coons downplays Schumer warning that justices would ‘pay the price’ over abortion rights (Fox 06/12/2022)
Kavanaugh threat: WaPo column urges readers not to assign blame because both sides have ‘deranged individuals’ (Fox 06/10/2022)
Los Angeles DA Gascon blames increasing crime on 'bad policies' that 'over-criminalize communities' (Fox 06/09/2022)
Jan. 6 committee Dem on CNN: ‘We all should be concerned’ about violence in the 2022 midterms (Fox 06/07/2022)
Stacey Abrams says Georgia ‘the worst state in the country to live,’ despite owning multiple houses there (Fox 05/22/2022)
Democrats praise Biden on CBS, ABC and CNN for ‘very good job:’ Doing well ‘by any metric’ except inflation (Fox 05/22/2022)
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
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Nina Jankowicz to MSNBC's Chris Hayes: ‘Sensationalist narratives’ about disinfo board were ‘completely wrong’ (Fox 05/19/2022)
New WH Press Secretary immigrated to US, attained positions of power, decries US as racist (INN 05/18/2022)
Progressives Warren, Omar, Tlaib defend activists breaking law to protest at Supreme Court justices' homes (Fox 05/11/2022)
Biden's new WH press secretary claimed Trump, GA Gov. Kemp 'stole' elections (Fox 05/09/2022)
MSNBC guest wants to ‘make sweet love’ to Supreme Court leaker, ‘joyfully abort’ fetus if she gets pregnant (Fox 05/09/2022)
Eric Holder accuses Republicans of gerrymandering, voter suppression, says they 'have to cheat' to win (Fox 05/09/2022)
Biden says 'MAGA crowd' is 'most extreme political organization that's existed' in recent American history (Fox 05/04/2022)
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | He went on to claim that the spread of disease from animals to humans would continue to happen as humans kept "invading a lot of habitats" due to climate change. |
| • | No animal has yet to be found carrying the coronavirus despite massive testing by investigators from the World Health Organization in China in the area thought to be where the outbreak first started. |
| • | A letter to brands signed by more than 25 groups, including Media Matters for America and the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, said marketers should make sure advertising deals made with Twitter are contingent that it will keep in place policies to police hateful conduct, transparency and enforce civic integrity or risk losing advertising dollars. |
| • | "As top advertisers on Twitter, your brand risks association with a platform amplifying hate, extremism, health misinformation, and conspiracy theorists." |
| • | "Under Musk's management, Twitter risks becoming a cesspool of misinformation, with your brand attached, polluting our information ecosystem in a time where trust in institutions and news media is already at an all-time low." |
Mayorkas admits he ‘could have done a better job’ explaining mission of ‘disinformation’ board (Fox 05/01/2022)
Brian Stelter suggests worrying about crime is part of a 'Republican narrative' (Fox 05/01/2022)
Randi Weingarten accuses Rufo of 'using lies to undermine America's public schools' in TIME op-ed (Fox 05/01/2022)
| • | "We know from history, and we are seeing in real-time with Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine, that unchecked disinformation and dehumanization cause untold damage and suffering." |
| • | "If people of conscience stay on the sidelines, Rufo and other extremists could well succeed in their drive to weaken public education, undermining our democracy and further eroding America's middle class." |
| • | See related CRT Bully (Gary McCoy, 07/07/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | ... Dorsey is changing his role from Block's CEO, president and chairperson to "Block Head and Chairperson," effective immediately. |
Randi Weingarten says parental rights bills are 'the way in which wars start' (Fox 04/22/2022)
| • | "This is propaganda. This is misinformation. This is the way in which wars start. This is the way in which hatred starts." |
| • | "... rather than help us help our kids socially, academically and emotionally, these vocal minorities want to marginalize LGBTQ kids, censor teachers and ban books." |
| • | See related CRT Bully (Gary McCoy, 07/07/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "Florida's authoritarian socialist attacks on the private sector are driving businesses away. In [Colorado], we don't meddle in affairs of companies like [Disney] or [Twitter]." |
| • | "... where it becomes inappropriate is where government leaders say we're specifically running laws that penalize your company because we don't like the way you've exercised your free speech." |
Maxine Waters pays daughter another $24,000 in campaign cash, adding to $1.2M in previous payments (Fox 04/15/2022)
BLM co-founder slams 'triggering' charity transparency laws after $6M mansion exposed (Fox 04/13/2022)
| • | ... she found it "triggering" — emotionally compromising — when she hears about financial documents being made public. |
| • | ... claimed that activists' lives are put at risk and that they endure trauma by having to disclose their charities' finances, while also claiming the system "is being literally weaponized against us." |
| • | "People's morale in an organization is so important. But if their organization and the people in it are being attacked and scrutinized at everything they do, that leads to deep burnout. That leads to deep, like, resistance and trauma." |
| • | The GOP isn't the sole threat to democracy according to the liberal media. They also often cite the U.S. Constitution, an insufficient amount of censorship, and parents protesting at school board meetings as threats to democracy. |
| • | However, if voters elect more Republicans in the midterm elections, viewers can expect a flurry of eulogies on American democracy. |
| • | See related Biden\\\'s Glory (Mike Shelton, 01/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
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NJ Gov. Murphy willing to 'entertain' changes to gender identity lessons for 2nd graders 4/11/22 (Fox s:/ry/2024)
Valerie Biden Owens defends Hunter as blameless victim, blames Trump's 'right-wing followers' (Fox 04/10/2022)
MSNBC, CNN intelligence pundits said Hunter Biden’s laptop was ‘Russian disinformation’ yet to correct record (Fox 04/08/2022)
Obama blasted for ‘self-serving’ ‘revisionist’ Russia comments during conference on disinformation (Fox 04/08/2022)
White House staffers berate Politico for insufficiently touting ‘historic’ Biden wins (Fox 04/08/2022)
Brian Stelter defends media not covering Hunter Biden in 2020, says critics don't know 'how newsrooms work' (Fox 04/07/2022)
| • | "I think there's a tension between big American newsrooms that want to check something out themselves that don't want to rely on other outlets, that don't want to just repeat and regurgitate, but then there's an audience expectation of being able to instantly cover every story and have every answer." |
| • | "Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy" "And so in September or October of 2020, when the New York Post has something, other outlets can't match it, there's this pressure- 'Why aren't you confirming this? Why aren't you focusing on this? Why aren't you leading on this?' Because we haven't matched it, we haven't confirmed it." |
| • | CNN White House correspondent John Harwood claimed... "There is zero evidence that Vice President Biden, or President Biden, has done anything wrong in connection with what Hunter Biden has done." |
CNN, MSNBC, NBC and more worry about bloodbath for the Democrats in midterms: ‘The end of our country’ (Fox 04/04/2022)
| • | "[A] key thing to understand why Republicans are optimists for next year, even if they're sort of waving themselves and wrapping themselves in a Trump burrito, is they're going to cheat." |
| • | "The United States has an election process that is increasingly broken, increasingly delegitimized. In the midterm elections especially, if you have a significant win for a Trump-led Republican Party, means that 2024 is going to be seen as illegitimate and potentially a constitutional crisis." |
| • | "I didn't really actually see the details of the legislation, but the whole thing seems like a crazy fight." |
| • | "And now he wants to criticize Disney for expressing how they feel about that bill. I mean, they have every right to. We have a thing called freedom of speech. They can come out and say what they think." |
| • | "If your wife is an admitted and proud contributor to a coup of our country, maybe you should weigh that in your ethical standards," Pelosi said... |
| • | On Nov.10 after news organizations declared Biden the winner, Thomas texted Meadows: "Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!...You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America's constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History." |
CNN’s John Harwood roasted for claiming there is ‘zero evidence’ tying Biden to his son’s wrongdoings (Fox 03/30/2022)
MSNBC, CNN, ABC and more push critical race theory ideology while downplaying it exists (Fox 03/30/2022)
Disney has been outspoken on DeSantis' parental rights bill but silent on Uyghur genocide (Fox 03/28/2022)
Georgia parent reading sexual content from library at school board meeting is cut off: 'Inappropriate' (Fox 03/24/2022)
| • | "Excuse me, we have children at home," Cherokee County School Board Member identified as Patsy Jordan told the angry mother after she read a sexually-charged passage from the book "Homegoing." |
| • | The school board member pointed out that the meeting was being livestreamed and said reading the passage was "inappropriate." |
| • | "Don't you find the irony in that?" the parent responded. "You're exactly saying exactly what I'm telling you! You're giving it to our children! I would never give this to my children!" |
| • | "I can tell you that Republicans will dig into her record, but we're interested in who she is as a judge not what she looks like. ...unlike the Democrats who literally want to assassinate the character, including of our Supreme Court justice Coney Barrett." |
| • | "So when we're having this discussion, it's important to dispel some of those who say, well it's the government spending – no, it isn't. The government spending is doing the exact reverse, reducing the national debt. It is not inflationary." |
| • | "In the midst of a serious national security crisis, this is a disgusting disinformation campaign by unpatriotic Republican extremists who have been actively cheering on Putin throughout the Trump years, and who are now masking that disgrace with lies that have been thoroughly debunked," Center for American Progress said... |
| • | "This false conspiracy theory, invented by the same deceitful front groups paid to do polluters' and big tobacco's dirty work, has been repeatedly debunked over its nearly 10-year existence." |
AOC walks away when asked about her message to Americans facing pain at the pump (Fox 03/10/2022)
| • | "It's very alarming that many people are pushing to increase either imports or production of oil. What we really need to be doing is rapidly investing in solar and wind." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | Biden said during his State of the Union address, "We need to secure our border and fix the immigration system, and if you might guess, I think we can do both." |
| • | See related Undocumented Voter Drive (Antonio Branco, 03/17/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "For people to appreciate what the president has done, and that working together with the Congress, they have to know what it is." |
| • | ... Pelosi said the "issues that relate to the well-being of the American are being well-served" under Biden. |
| • | "There's no one more empathetic than Joe Biden. There's no one who cares more. We're so blessed that he's president at this time because we do have to build America better and that's what he is doing." |
| • | See related Inflation (Mike Shelton, 06/18/2021) cartoon from Economy picture album |
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| • | USA Today's Jill Lawrence opened her op-ed remarking how Biden should open his speech emphasizing that the state of the union is "resilient" and that Americans who think otherwise should "snap out of it." |
| • | "But dwelling on pain, or lamenting the polarization that divides us, would do the country a disservice. It's time for tough love. We have problems, but we also have the resources, ideas and often the will to solve them." |
| • | Washington Post's Eugene Robinson similarly began his piece imagining Biden having the courage to admit that the state of the union is "much, much better." |
| • | "I doubt President Biden will use those exact words in his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night ... but they encapsulate the truth." |
| • | "Biden has not solved all the problems of the nation or the world in his first year in the White House. But he has done a heck of a lot." |
| • | "For four long years, Americans woke every morning to a fresh barrage of insanity, inanity and insults from the president and his administration. Now, everything is so normal as to be almost boring." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "There's a phenomenal negative psychological impact that COVID has had on the public psyche. And so you have an awful lot of people who are, notwithstanding the fact that things have gotten so much better for them economically, that they are thinking, but, how do you get up in the morning feeling happy? Happy that everything's alright." |
| • | "I hope my legacy is that I was able to restore some decency and honor to the office; I was able to bring the middle class back to a place where they had real opportunity, given an even chance to succeed; and I was able to reconstruct our alliances, which had been frayed so badly, internationally, and that I was able to bring people together, bring the politics of America together." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "I think it's really important for people to understand the brilliance with which President Biden is conducting this." |
| • | "This is a man who served decades as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He knows the arena. He knows the personalities." |
| • | See related Sanctions (Glenn McCoy, 07/30/2014) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "It's going to take a hell of a lot of work to make up for all the damage he's done internationally and nationally. His network of thugs and co-conspirators are going to continue to try to undermine our democracy in the meantime." |
| • | "Imagine what he can do in another year. Imagine what can happen to Ukraine." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "We have to also make sure that within our own country we are calling out those people who are giving aid and comfort to Vladimir Putin, who are talking about what a genius he is, what a smart move it is, who are unfortunately being broadcast by Russian media, not only inside Russia, but in Europe to demonstrate the division within our own country." |
| • | See related Russian Conspiracy (Gary Varvel, 10/22/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Gascon slammed for reversal on trans child molester Tubbs case: 'Utterly incompetent' or 'lying'? (Fox 02/22/2022)
Online outrage as school board member confronted by maskless photo storms out of meeting (Fox 02/20/2022)
| • | "Here's a picture of you, right here, on Facebook with a crowd of people with no mask on," the parent said, pointing to a photo displayed on her smartphone. |
| • | The board member featured in the photo quickly shut down the parent's accusations, claiming her words were ineffective and libelous while she claimed she did not use her time to focus on issues pertinent to children. |
| • | "If you are going to sit there and disparage a member of our school board, then you can sit down," the board member said. |
| • | The pro-mask board member requested that a police officer escort the parent out of the building as she continued firing off her accusations, but another member interjected on the parent's behalf before she could be removed. |
| • | "So if you fight for racial justice, this is the consequence." "Don't be mistaken, white supremacists are enjoying this. And the support of the recall is aligned with this." |
| • | The university's Monday resolution said it was defending "academic freedom." "State legislative proposals seeking to limit teaching and discussions of racism and related issues have been proposed and enacted in several states, including Texas." |
| • | "This resolution affirms the fundamental rights of faculty to academic freedom in its broadest sense, inclusive of research and teaching of race and gender theory." |
Hillary Clinton reacts to Durham filing, says Trump, Fox News 'desperately spinning up a fake scandal' (Fox 02/16/2022)
| • | "Trump & Fox are desperately spinning up a fake scandal to distract from his real ones. The more his misdeeds are exposed, the more they lie." |
| • | "State legislative proposals seeking to limit teaching and discussions of racism and related issues have been proposed and enacted in several states, including Texas," the resolution states. |
| • | "This resolution affirms the fundamental rights of faculty to academic freedom in its broadest sense, inclusive of research and teaching of race and gender theory." |
| • | See related Garbage in... (Bob Gorrell, 05/16/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Indiana teachers predict mass exodus over CRT-inspired bill granting parental oversight (Fox 02/15/2022)
| • | "I cannot imagine that we're going to have anything other than a huge exodus of teachers if this legislation goes through... |
| • | Hundreds of teachers gathered outside the Indianapolis Capitol last week to protest the bill. Others are warning that the state will see a mass exodus of educators if the bill is signed into law. |
| • | "It's the last nail in the coffin," Suzanne Holcomb, an elementary school teacher in northern Indiana, told the Star. "I don't know how we would move forward from this. It would just make teaching impossible." |
| • | Holcomb added that the bill "feels like an attack on education," "an attack on our integrity," and "Quite frankly, it's insulting." |
| • | Democrats and activists argue that critical race theory isn't actually being taught in schools. |
| • | "What we risk is having a government that perhaps postures as a democracy, and may try to pretend that it is, but isn't." |
| • | "You have the complete erasure and attack on our own understanding of history, to replace teaching history with institutionalized propaganda from white-nationalist perspectives in our schools. This is what the scaffolding of Jim Crow was." |
University of Virginia paid CRT proponent Ibram Kendi more than $500 per minute for lecture (Fox 02/13/2022)
| • | For a prominent anti-capitalist, delivering a one-hour speech pays nearly half of what the average American makes in a year. |
| • | See related Pulling the Strings (Antonio Branco, 12/14/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Biden claims he's not looking for an 'ideological' Supreme Court Justice (Fox 02/10/2022)
Pelosi blasts Republicans for Jan. 6 censure resolution: 'They seem to have reached rock bottom' (Fox 02/09/2022)
| • | "Take back your party from this cult," Pelosi said. "Take back your party. America needs a strong Republican Party." |
| • | See related Witch-Hunt Continues (Antonio Branco, 06/01/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | While running for president in 2020, O'Rourke famously pledged to take guns away from American citizens if elected president. |
| • | See related Beto to Take AR15s (Gary McCoy, 09/15/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "The argument about woke prosecutors is entirely ideological and devoid of evidence. There's no correlation between the quality and tone of prosecution and the violent crime surge we've seen in the last two years all over the country." |
| • | "The United States remains in a heightened threat environment fueled by several factors, including an online environment filled with false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories, and other forms of mis- dis- and mal-information (MDM) introduced and/or amplified by foreign and domestic threat actors." |
| • | "These threat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence." |
| • | DHS pinpointed "misleading narratives" about the 2020 presidential election and COVID-19 as specific examples of misinformation that it alleges "inspired violent extremist attacks during 2021." |
| • | "The convergence of violent extremist ideologies, false or misleading narratives, and conspiracy theories have and will continue to contribute to a heightened threat of violence in the United States," said DHS, claiming that "malign foreign powers have and continue to amplify these false or misleading narratives in efforts to damage the United States." |
Alleged sex traffickers, rapists, antisemites remain on Spotify without issue while Rogan faces boycott calls (Fox 02/09/2022)
California smash-and-grab robbers acted ‘casual’ during jewelry heist: police (Fox 02/09/2022)
| • | Police say the suspects used sledgehammers to break open the display cases and they are investigating the crime... |
| • | "We don't have any information at this time indicating that they're dangerous. Obviously, they're willing to commit crimes, but nothing that indicates they're dangerous to the public." |
More Stacey Abrams photos surface, showing her maskless around masked kids (Fox 02/08/2022)
Pelosi spent over $500K on private jets despite claiming ‘we have a moral obligation’ to reduce emissions (Fox 02/07/2022)
| • | Pelosi's campaign spent $67,605 on private air travel just months before she said she viewed tackling the climate crisis as a "religious thing." |
| • | "For me, it's a religious thing. I believe this is God's creation, and we have a moral obligation to be good stewards." |
| • | Biden's climate czar, John Kerry, took a private jet to Iceland in 2019 to receive the Arctic Circle award for climate leadership. |
| • | Kerry defended his high-pollution ride at the time, calling it "the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle". |
| • | In August 2021 ... Kerry's family jet already emitted approximately 30 times more carbon in 2021 than the average vehicle does in a year. |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | ... announced that it had frozen the convoy's official campaign, offering a justification that there was violence connected to the Freedom Convoy and the protest had turned into an occupation. |
| • | "We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity." |
| • | It said it had subsequently judged the fundraiser to be in violation of its terms of service (specifically clauses barring the promotion of violence and harassment) and that it was being removed... |
| • | However, despite its concern about "occupation," in 2020 the platform not only allowed, but also gave its backing on social media to a fundraiser for a farmer working in the left-wing Seattle protest which occupied a six-block downtown area. |
| • | "In a community with no police, this farmer is feeding people & bringing them closer together," the tweet said with a link to the fundraiser. "Learn how you can support Marcus' mission within the CHOP"... |
| • | "Business crashed as the Seattle police refused to respond to calls to the area. Officers did not retake the region until July 1, after four shootings, including two fatal ones." |
Democrats, teachers unions fight to keep parents from learning what their kids are taught (Fox 02/04/2022)
| • | "Make no mistake: these bills are an attack on Missouri students. They have the right to learn in classrooms free from censorship." |
| • | "These laws would create a chilling effect on teachers who would be afraid to teach anything remotely related to banned curriculum." |
| • | "Government bodies should always strive for transparency, and the ACLU supports any good-faith effort to make public education as transparent as possible to parents and communities." |
| • | "But some of these so-called ‘curriculum transparency bills' are thinly veiled attempts at chilling teachers and students from learning and talking about race and gender in schools. Their sponsors have said as much." |
| • | "For example, in Florida, one lawmaker recently introduced legislation that would allow teachers and children to be constantly recorded and surveilled in the classroom for signs of teaching and learning about ‘divisive concepts' around race and gender." |
| • | "Good schools and good school districts have always had curriculum transparency — including extensive two-way communication between parents and educators on what we are teaching and how to support our kids." |
| • | "Pretending otherwise is just the latest attempt by Chris Rufo and others to exploit the frustration of Covid to create a toxic environment where the biggest losers are children and their recovery." |
| • | "There's more than meets the eye at the root of these divisive, manufactured, chaotic bills that are being proposed. It's scare tactics and intimidation meant to cause mass chaos, mass confusion, and disruption to our education system." |
| • | See related CRT Bully (Gary McCoy, 07/07/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related New Teacher (Antonio Branco, 10/17/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Garbage in... (Bob Gorrell, 05/16/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
Stacey Abrams group paid over $1.2 million to private security firm last year (Fox 01/31/2022)
Sen. Hirono urges Republicans to be 'open-minded' to Biden SCOTUS pick as she continues bashing Trump justices (Fox 01/27/2022)
| • | "What I have always looked for in all of the judicial nominees, because these are lifetime appointments, is someone who can be fair and impartial and not having an ideological ax to grind, which was mainly the kind of nominees that President Trump sent to us, including, by the way, as far as I'm concerned, the three Supreme Court nominees or now justices." |
| • | Dr. Uche Blackstock went on a rant against Florida's surgeon general... "I mean, essentially, he's violating the Hippocratic Oath – which is do no harm. So every time he gets up there at a press conference or a hearing, and says something that is anti-science, he's violating the Hippocratic Oath. And at this point, I am shocked that his license hasn't been suspended or revoked." |
| • | Ladapo had said during the hearing that he believes vaccines are effective at preventing severe COVID-19 cases. "They [vaccines] reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 ... I don't think the objective of public health is coercion. I think it's education, and I think it's to allow people to make choices, so they don't feel coerced." |
| • | Blackstock also said that she was "mortified" to have attended the same prestigious medical school as Ladapo... "We need to round up our girls and go down there and get this man because he is dangerous." |
| • | "I think [Ladapo] has ulterior motives: power, influence, money – is probably also very important to him. I don't think he actually believes vaccines are [not] effective. I bet he is vaccinated and boosted. I bet his entire family is. I bet his children, if they're eligible, are also vaccinated. So this is all because of politics, because he has not prioritized ... his medical duties." |
Democrats' Ukraine bill touts 'inviolability of borders,' while party ignores US border crisis (Fox 01/26/2022)
| • | ... includes a plan "to bolster support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders..."... |
| • | ... a White House deputy national security adviser, was asked on CNN why Americans should care about what is happening in Ukraine. |
| • | "Because it goes to a very fundamental principle of all nations, that our borders should be inviolate, that our sovereignty should be respected." |
| • | ... take a look at the legislation that Nancy Pelosi is pushing right now. She's demanded an early vote on it that describes Ukraine's borders as essential to sovereignty and nationhood. |
| • | "Our democracy is at risk because of assaults on the truth... and the state-by-state assault on voting rights." |
| • | "This election is crucial. Nothing less is at stake than our Democracy... and that is why I am running for reelection to Congress." |
| • | See related Swamp Thing Returns (Antonio Branco, 08/24/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | The network announced that Nguyen was let go from the show on Tuesday, acknowledging that it made the decision in direct response to her social media posts that many said were overtly racist. |
| • | "Bravo has ceased filming with Jennie Nguyen and she will no longer be a cast member on ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,'"... |
| • | "We recognize we failed to take appropriate action once her offensive social media posts were brought to our attention. Moving forward, we will work to improve our processes to ensure we make better informed and more thoughtful casting decisions." |
| • | "I am not joking when I say this, if you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot," Biden said. "On the spot. No ifs, ands or buts." |
| • | "Decency, honor, respect, treating people with dignity, making sure that everyone has an even chance. I'm going to make sure you get that. You haven't been getting it the last four years." |
| • | "You ran on a return to civility," he was told. And then ... Biden went and characterized those who opposed his voting bills – namely, every Republican in Congress – as being in league with racists like Bull Connor and George Wallace. |
| • | "No, I didn't say that," Biden snapped. "That is an interesting reading of English. You — I assume you got into journalism because you liked to write." |
| • | ... shouted a question to Biden on the Ukraine situation. "Why are you waiting on Putin to make the first move, sir?" |
| • | "What a stupid question," was his answer. |
| • | "Do you think inflation will be a political liability ahead of the midterms?" Doocy shouted to the president as the press was being escorted out of an event. |
| • | "That's a great asset, more inflation," Biden scowled sarcastically. "What a stupid son of a b****." |
| • | See related Presidential Portrait (Gary Varvel, 01/19/2022) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | In past years, news anchors, reporters, commentators, and late-night hosts have unabashedly gushed over Republican senators who've broken ranks their party, hailing them as "mavericks" and "heroes" for casting politics aside and voting with their "conscience." |
| • | However, when Democrats like Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., buck the party line, the same liberal talking heads criticize and lecture them. |
| • | Democrat Sens. Manchin and Sinema have come under attack by their own party for bucking President Biden and voting against the Democrat caucus in opposing the efforts to change the Senate's filibuster threshold from 60 votes to 51. |
| • | The move sparked a full-scale media assault, exposing a stark contrast between the coverage afforded to Republican and Democratic senators who vote out of line with their party. Here are some of the most blatant examples of the double standard. |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Unmasking (Glenn McCoy, 04/04/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
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Sanders admits ‘Republicans laughing all the way to Election Day,’ as Biden spending agenda fails in Senate (Fox 01/23/2022)
| • | "... You got 50 Republicans who don't want to do anything, except criticize the president." |
| • | "... we were trying to address the reality that you got 19 Republican states all over this country who are undermining the foundations of American democracy." |
| • | "I want to be clear, the Arizona Democratic Party is a diverse coalition with plenty of room for policy disagreements, however on the matter of the filibuster and the urgency to protect voting rights, we have been crystal clear." |
| • | "In the choice between an archaic legislative norm and protecting Arizonans' right to vote, we choose the latter, and we always will." |
| • | "While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy." |
Gavin Newsom less warm toward Trump on wildfire aid during VP Harris visit (Fox 01/22/2022)
Gavin Newsom clarifies calling train thieves ‘gangs’: 'Forgive me ... They're organized groups' (Fox 01/22/2022)
| • | "Forgive me for saying ‘gangs,' that's not a pejorative. They're organized groups of folks that move from site to site." |
NPR public editor admits SCOTUS story 'merits clarification,' says reporter's word choice was 'misleading (Fox 01/20/2022)
| • | ... a story published Tuesday that alleged Justice Neil Gorsuch refused to wear a mask despite being asked by Chief Justice John Roberts stemming from health concerns of their colleague Sonia Sotomayor, who has diabetes and makes her vulnerable to COVID. |
| • | All three of them refuted NPR's reporting. |
| • | "After talking to Totenberg and reading all justices' statements, I believe her reporting was solid, but her word choice was misleading." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Let's put some respect on Joe Biden's name. President Biden has had a very good first year under very difficult circumstances." |
| • | "... the unvaccinated people in the U.S. are key to the reason that coronavirus – the variants – are emerging ... and the reason why it's replicating and mutating. It's because of unvaccinated people who are doing their own research online." |
| • | Lemon argued that no one could do research as well as experts who had dedicated their lives to studying medicine and science... |
| • | See related Vaxx Logic (Mike Lester, 12/22/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "The Select Committee is looking into the causes that contributed to the violence on January 6th, including attempts to promote unsupported claims of election fraud and pressure campaigns to overturn the 2020 election results," Committee Chairman Benny Thompson, D-Miss., wrote in a statement. |
| • | "The four individuals we've subpoenaed today advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former President about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes." |
| • | "We expect these individuals to join the nearly 400 witnesses who have spoken with the Select Committee as the committee works to get answers for the American people about the violent attack on our democracy." |
| • | The statement argued that the group is being subpoenaed for circulating memos and promoting claims of election fraud that led to the violent protest at the Capitol last year. |
| • | The letter addressed Rogan's now-viral episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," in which virologist and immunologist Dr. Robert Malone criticized the vaccine and voiced concerns over mass formation psychosis. |
| • | The group urged Spotify to "take action against mass-misinformation events" on its platform, blasting Rogan for pushing "misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine" throughout the pandemic. |
| • | The doctors also noted that Dr. Malone has been suspended from Twitter for spreading misinformation on the topic. |
| • | "Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Rogan has repeatedly spread misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine." |
| • | "This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform." |
| • | See related Counterpoint (Glenn McCoy, 02/03/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "The four individuals we've subpoenaed today advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former President about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes," Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who chairs the committee, said in a statement. |
| • | In June, Giuliani's law license was temporarily suspended in New York. At the time, a court ruled "there is uncontroverted evidence" that Giuliani "communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020." |
| • | A month later, Giuliani's law license was also suspended in Washington, DC. |
Mayor Bowser says 'wouldn't be in this situation' with filibuster if DC had statehood (Fox 01/17/2022)
| • | "I came here today to make sure that no one forgets about Washington, D.C., because we cannot talk about voting rights without talking about the disenfranchisement of 700,000 taxpaying citizens." |
| • | "Today we're talking about the filibuster, but consider this. We wouldn't even be in this situation if Washington, D.C., had two senators — the two senators we deserve." |
| • | "So don't forget, not only does the filibuster routinely silence the will of the majority, the will of the majority isn't even fully represented. And the plight of Washington, D.C., is the same plight that millions more Americans could find themselves in if we don't pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act," Bowser continued, warning that unless such a bill is passed, people will be "cut out from the democratic process and treated as second-class citizens." |
| • | "Not sure where this ‘parents-should-control-what-is-taught-in-schools-because-they-are-our-kids' is originating, but parents do have the option to send their kids to a hand-selected private school at their own expense if this is what they desire." |
| • | "The purpose of public education in public schools is not to teach kids only what parents want them to be taught." |
| • | "It is to teach them what society needs them to know. The client of the public school is not the parent, but the entire community, the public." |
| • | See related Counting Ballots (Jake Fuller, 2020)") cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Tucker Carlson: Hillary Clinton isn't old news, she may be the future for Democrats (Fox 01/13/2022)
| • | BILL CLINTON: You're looking at two people who love each other. This is not an arrangement or an understanding. This is a marriage. That's a very different thing. |
| • | HILLARY CLINTON: You know, I'm not sitting here, some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. I'm sitting here because I love him and I respect him and I honor what he's been through and what we've been through together. |
| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The highlighted training was meant to make our RAs aware of multiple points of view; understand that our students have different backgrounds; and provide techniques to assist them with communication." |
| • | "Western Carolina University's goal is to ensure that all students feel comfortable and at home in our residence halls." |
| • | "That letter was written before one of the largest efforts in the history of this country to disenfranchise voters." |
| • | "It wasn't just an attack on Jan. 6. It was for a particular purpose to disenfranchise 80 million people. This Senate hardly is worth the name Senate if it's unwilling to respond to something like that." |
| • | ... the International Olympic Committee's new transgender athlete guidelines... include an interesting — and really hypocritical — statement, in which committee members recognize "the need to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, can practice sport in a safe, harassment-free environment that recognizes and respects their needs and identities." |
| • | By "everyone," it seems clear the committee only means people who identify as a sex different than the one they were born with — because by allowing men to compete against women, the committee is pretty much ensuring that female athletes will have to compete less safely and fairly. |
| • | And, for any women who object to that, it's clear that many authority figures — coaches, administrators, sports officials, elected officials, and even the Olympic Committee itself — will not only harass them, but refuse to respect their needs and identity. |
| • | See related Poor Sport (Antonio Branco, 06/25/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | ... Biden is expected to "forcefully advocate" for protecting what a White House official described as "the most bedrock American rights: the right to vote and have your vote counted in a free, fair and secure election that is not tainted by partisan manipulation." |
| • | "The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation. Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice?" |
| • | "I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of United States Senate stand?" |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "The former president and his supporters have decided the only way for them to win is to suppress your vote and subvert our elections," President Joe Biden said... "It's wrong. It's undemocratic. And frankly, it's un-American." |
| • | Vice President Kamala Harris alluded to President Donald J. Trump's voters as "the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy." |
| • | Congressman Eric Swalwell (D – California) told ... that if Republicans win November's midterm elections, "voting in this country as we know it will be gone." |
| • | In a column titled, "Mocking anti-vaxxers' deaths is ghoulish, yes — but necessary," Pultizer-Prize winner Michael Hiltzik addressed the death of Kelly Ernby, a deputy district attorney in Orange County, California, who reportedly died of complications from the coronavirus last week after opposing vaccine mandates. |
| • | "On the one hand, a hallmark of civilized thought is the sense that every life is precious. On the other, those who have deliberately flouted sober medical advice by refusing a vaccine known to reduce the risk of serious disease from the virus, including the risk to others, and end up in the hospital or the grave can be viewed as receiving their just deserts." |
| • | "There may be no other way to make sure that the lessons of these teachable moments are heard." |
| • | "What's especially iniquitous about the anti-mandate and anti-vaccination arguments is the damage they are doing to America's public health system." |
| • | "Republicans like Ernby used COVID vaccines to turn public health into part of their partisan culture war." |
| • | "As I observed then, pleas for ‘civility' are a fraud. Their goal is to blunt and enfeeble criticism and distract from its truthfulness. Typically, they're the work of hypocrites." |
| • | An article published in September 2020 suggested Trump's effort to expedite the approval and distribution of the vaccine before the November election could "kill us." |
| • | In 2005, Schumer said it would be a "doomsday for democracy" if the Senate changed the filibuster rules and added that he would "stand in [the] way" if his colleagues tried to eliminate the filibuster. |
| • | "It's time Senate Democrats adjust the rules to protect Americans' right to vote." |
| • | "Keeping the filibuster now, when you're dealing with a political party that does not respect the rule of law, does not even respect the process unless it works for them, you know, witness what they did to Merrick Garland when President Obama had every right to appoint a Supreme Court justice." |
| • | See related Hillary Registering Voters (Sean Delonas, 10/20/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | American Airlines made headlines in 2020 when the company allowed crew members to wear "Black Lives Matter" pins. |
| • | "Well if the economy is not better and Covid is still raging, the Democrats are in deep trouble," Rubin said. "I'm not sure the President, who is going to be setting the tone for the election, can do a whole lot about either one of those." |
| • | During the 2020 election, Rubin repeatedly criticized former President Trump for his response towards the coronavirus. In a op-ed from April 2020, Rubin claimed it was Trump's action or lack of action that "allowed thousands of Americans to die." |
| • | "If the country pays attention to him, thousands more will die. Trump is either incapable of understanding the risk or is unbothered by the prospect of these unnecessary deaths." |
| • | See related Lap Dog (Gary Varvel, 10/17/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "Non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19." |
| • | "FDA's acknowledgment means that race and ethnicity alone, apart from other underlying health conditions, may be considered in determining eligibility for mAbs." |
| • | "We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie. And here is the truth: The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election," Biden charged, as he pointed to Trump's repeated, unfounded claims that the 2020 election was "RIGGED" and "stolen" due to massive voter fraud. |
| • | "He's done so because he values power over principle, because he sees his own interests as more important than his country's interests and America's interests, and because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution." |
| • | And Biden emphasized that Trump's "done what no president in American history...has ever, ever done: He refused to accept the results of an election and the will of the American people." |
| • | Stressing that Trump's "a defeated former president," Biden accused him of "trying to rewrite history." |
| • | And looking ahead to what sounded like the next presidential election campaign, Biden pledged to "defend this nation. And I will allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of our democracy." |
| • | After his address, Biden told reporters that he referred to Trump in his speech as a "former president" rather than directly name him because he "did not want to turn" marking the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol "into a contemporary political battle between me" and Trump. |
| • | "I'm worried that if Republicans win in the midterm elections that voting in this country as we know it will be gone," Swalwell said... |
| • | "They're already putting as many barriers to the ballot box as possible... on the other side of the finish line, they're putting in place processes where they could reverse the outcome even if we crawl through glass and run through the fire to get to the ballot box." |
| • | "If they are able to win the House, the damage they could do to permanently make it difficult to vote and alter the way we participate in a Democratic process could be irreversible." |
| • | "This is not only the most important election, but if we don't get it right, it could be the last election." |
| • | See related Top Secret (Mike Shelton, 12/11/2020) cartoon from Adult picture album |
| • | In 2005, Schumer claimed that eliminating the filibuster would turn the country "into a banana republic, where if you don't get your way, you change the rules. Are we gonna let them (presumably he meant Republicans)? It will be doomsday for Democracy if we do." |
| • | Well, then, has "doomsday" arrived and is Schumer its captain? |
| • | ... went on to compare the idea that Capitol "security lapses" are to blame for "a mob provoked by President Trump" to blaming small business owners for their businesses being burned down by Black Lives Matter rioters in the summer of 2020. |
| • | "The Bible tells us that we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. We shall know the truth." |
| • | "He has done what no president in the history of this country has ever done. He refused to accept results of an election and the will of the American people." |
| • | "At this moment, we must decide what kind of nation are we going to be? Will we be a nation that accepts political violence as a norm? Are we going to be a nation where we allow partisan election officials to overturn the legally expressed will of the people? Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth but in the shadow of lies?" |
| • | "The only way for them to win is to suppress your vote and subvert our elections. It is wrong. It is undemocratic, and frankly, it is un-American. |
| • | "Every legal challenge questioning the results in every court in this country was made and was rejected," Biden said, noting that, often times, Republican-appointed judges rejected the challenges. |
| • | "He is not just a former president. He is a defeated president." ... "You can't love your country only when you win. You can't obey the law only when it is convenient. You can't be patriotic when you embrace and enable lies." |
| • | "Congress finished the work, honored their oath to defend the Constitution, against all enemies – foreign and domestic." |
| • | "I believe the power of the presidency and purpose is to unite this nation, not divide it. To lift us up, not tear us apart." |
| • | "On Jan. 6 we all saw what our nation would look like if the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy are successful: the lawlessness, the violence, the chaos." |
| • | ... "what was at stake then and now is the right to have our future decided they way that the Constitution describes it: by we, the people." |
| • | "I wonder how will Jan. 6 will be remembered in the years ahead. Will it be remembered as a moment that accelerated the unraveling of the oldest, greatest democracy in the world, or a moment when we decided to secure and strengthen our democracy for generations to come?" |
| • | "On p. 341 of THE GOOD KINGS I state that Kyle Rittenhouse shot two Black men when instead he shot two white men," Cooney wrote... |
| • | "That was my mistake, and I apologize. The response has been a hateful stew of ridicule and denial that America has a race problem at all." |
| • | "If one mistake in a little known book about ancient Egypt elicits this much howling, it is to avoid discussing our larger problem, to avoid seeing our deep-seeded obsession with patriarchal power." |
| • | "So yeah, tiny detail of the book with a big mistake about a massive American issue. And that's on me. But the white supremacy is still a problem. And the misogyny is still a problem." |
| • | "The central norm is that in our criminal investigations there cannot be different rules depending on one's political party or affiliation." |
| • | "There cannot be different rules for friends and foes and there cannot be different rules for the powerful and the powerless. There is only one rule." |
| • | See related Enemies List (Antonio Branco, 06/17/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "Dear White People, A.K.A. ASU — You openly discriminated against us on November 16 when you handed down your decision from your racially biased investigation." |
| • | The pair was seen in a viral video in September confronting two White male students who were studying in a multicultural space and accusing them of racism. |
| • | One of the male students in the video had a sticker on his computer reading "Police Lives Matter," while the other student was seen wearing a shirt saying, "Did Not Vote For Biden." |
| • | "This is the violence that ASU does and this is the type of people that they protect. Okay, this white man thinks he can take up our space. And this is why we need a multicultural space, because they think they can get away with this s**t." |
| • | "I'm not racist, I'm just studying," one of the male students responded in the video, before leaving. I pay the same f***ing tuition as you. I'm working 60 hours a week while going to school because my parents don't just give me money!" |
| • | "ASU refuses to protect students of color, and the world needs to know how they treat us here on this campus when we push to make it a better place for all." |
| • | She argued that the school asking "students of color" to act more civilly when confronted by alleged "white supremacy and neo-Nazism" is "actually violent." |
| • | See related Counterpoint (Glenn McCoy, 02/03/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | Schumer, who did not back changes to the filibuster in 2017 when Republicans were in charge of the Senate, said now is the time for the Senate to "adapt" and "evolve" because democracy is under threat with state-level changes to voting access. |
| • | "We must ask ourselves: if the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, then how can we in good conscience allow for a situation in which the Republican Party can debate and pass voter suppression laws at the State level with only a simple majority vote, but not allow the United States Senate to do the same? |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Kerry Kennedy's Hypocrisy: Release Killers Of Other Fathers, But Not Sirhan (JWR 01/03/2022)
Schumer to use Jan. 6 anniversary to make push for federal voting rights bill (Fox 01/03/2022)
| • | "Domestic violent extremists sought to inflict chaos and violence. Fueled by conspiracy and the ravings of a vengeful former President, they sought to destroy our Republic. Our democracy held – for now." |
| • | Schumer added that "attacks on our democracy have not ceased," but "accelerated," saying Republican officials in states across the nation have "seized on the former President's Big Lie about widespread voter fraud to enact anti-democratic legislation and seize control of typically non-partisan election administration functions." |
| • | It is unclear which Republicans in which states Schumer was referring to in his letter, but he claimed their actions were intended to "unwind the progress of our Union, restrict access to the ballot, silence the voices of millions of voters, and undermine free and fair elections." |
| • | Schumer said Senate Democrats, this week, would "make clear that what happened on January 6th and the one-sided, partisan actions being taken by Republican-led state legislatures across the country are directly linked, and we can and must take strong action to stop this anti-democratic march." |
| • | "Let me be clear: January 6th was a symptom of a broader illness – an effort to delegitimize our election process, and the Senate must advance systemic democracy reforms to repair our republic or else the events of that day will not be an aberration – they will be the new norm." |
| • | "Given the urgency of the situation and imminence of the votes, we as Senate Democrats must urge the public in a variety of different ways to impress upon their Senators the importance of acting and reforming the Senate rules, if that becomes a perquisite for action to save our democracy." |
| • | Schumer wrote that Senate Democrats have "fought back against these assaults, uniting behind comprehensive legislation that would address these threats to our democracy," but wrote that the "common-sense solutions" have been "repeatedly blocked" by Senate Republicans. |
| • | "The Senate was designed to protect the political rights of the minority in the chamber, through the promise of debate and the opportunity to amend. But over the years, those rights have been warped and contorted to obstruct and embarrass the will of majority – something our Founders explicitly opposed." |
| • | "The weaponization of rules once meant to short-circuit obstruction have been hijacked to guarantee obstruction." |
| • | "We must ask ourselves: if the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, then how can we in good conscience allow for a situation in which the Republican Party can debate and pass voter suppression laws at the State level with only a simple majority vote, but not allow the United States Senate to do the same?" |
| • | "We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
NY Times editorial board calls for nuking the filibuster in op-ed proclaiming 'every day is Jan. 6' (Fox 01/02/2022)
| • | "In short, the Republic faces an existential threat from a movement that is openly contemptuous of democracy and has shown that it is willing to use violence to achieve its ends." |
| • | "No self-governing society can survive such a threat by denying that it exists. Rather, survival depends on looking back and forward at the same time." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "These people clearly need therapy, won't do it, and use politics as their outlet instead. It's really weird." |
1619 Project's Nikole Hannah-Jones claims Americans are taught 'the history of a country that does not exist' (Fox 12/30/2021)
| • | ... journalists questioned the 1619 Project and "got caught up in the Republican propaganda campaign," which, according to her, "tried to conflate the teaching of a more accurate history, the teaching of structural racism, with trying to make white children feel badly about themselves or guilty." |
| • | "So much of the coverage was driven by that... I hope that there's going to be some serious examination of the role that we as media played (in) really putting forth and legitimizing what was a propaganda campaign." |
| • | Scott Erik Asphaug, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, filed a motion Dec. 21, asking the court to "dismiss with prejudice the indictment against (Warner), in the best interests of justice." |
| • | The motion noted that the defendant had performed "at least 30 hours of community service." |
| • | The next day, U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon dismissed Warner's indictment "with prejudice," according to court documents obtained by Fox News. |
| • | See related Enemies List (Antonio Branco, 06/17/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
WaPo's Jennifer Rubin roasted over COVID about-face after urging Americans to 'stop agonizing' over cases (Fox 12/28/2021)
| • | Rubin, who has become known for her turn to boosting Democrats after once holding conservative views, has pushed vaccines, boosters, criticized "covid-19 denial and anti-mandate hysteria" and blamed former President Trump for the pandemic at every turn. |
| • | However, she had a sudden change of heart on Tuesday as the Biden administration struggles to control the growing omicron surge. |
| • | "As we recognize that covid-19 is not a deadly or even severe disease for the vast majority of responsible Americans, we can stop agonizing over ‘cases' and focus on those who are hospitalized or at risk of dying." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | On MSNBC, John Heilemann proclaimed, "We know the president is not responsible for this ... We know presidents get blamed for things that they don't deserve to get blamed for." |
| • | But early in 2020, Heilemann said the exact opposite on the same channel: "I don't think it's actually an overstatement to say that Donald Trump has — there are tens of thousands of people who will die in the country, or some of them have already died more are still going to die because of Donald Trump's incompetence and lack of leadership." |
| • | On March 12, 2020, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell announced: "More people are sick in America tonight because Donald Trump is president. More people are dead and dying in America tonight because Donald Trump is president." |
| • | Jonathan Alter offered this extravagant Trump take on MSNBC: "He's a public health menace, and he has rivers of blood on his hands." |
| • | Joe Scarborough was especially rabid: "Nobody's ever done so much to kill so many people." |
| • | Just a few weeks ago, as the death toll passed 750,000, Smeary Scarborough was still blaming Trump for everything. |
| • | Even just a few weeks ago, MSNBC regular Steve Schmidt was still blaming Republicans alone: "They have killed hundreds of thousands of people with the lies about a pandemic, about a disease that can be controlled." |
| • | See related Biden\\\'s Glory (Mike Shelton, 01/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "For months, the liberal media blasted President Trump as irresponsible for arguing states had any role of value in helping to wind down and/or defeat the pandemic." |
| • | "There's zero shame or admission of guilt. If anything is referenced in terms of a change, you can bet the press will chalk it up to simply that they now know so much more about the virus and thus they were never inconsistent or partisan." |
| • | "By embracing the backlash to the coronavirus restrictions, Mr. Trump is tapping into a powerful well of political energy as he seeks re-election this year. The president is also trying to deflect anger about his response to the virus away from him and toward Democratic governors, who he hopes will shoulder the blame for keeping the restrictions in place and for any deaths that occur after states reopen," The New York Times reported... |
| • | ... Biden criticized Trump's handling as "meager and insufficient" while vowing "to fully use the federal government's powers once inaugurated to speed the production and dispersal of vaccines and protective equipment." |
Indiana mom on a mission against group that bailed out son's alleged murderer (Fox 12/27/2021)
| • | "At the time we interviewed Mr. Lang, his grandmother and fiance had already secured part of his bail through a bail bonds agent, but they could not afford the rest. We provided assistance so they could bring him home while he waited for the court to decide his case. We denounce violence in all its forms, and it is never our intention to put anyone at harm," David Gaspar, the director of operations for The Bail Project, said. |
| • | The organization's website states that it combats "mass incarceration by disrupting the money bail system — one person at a time." |
| • | "We restore the presumption of innocence, reunite families, and challenge a system that criminalizes race and poverty. We're on a mission to end cash bail and create a more just, equitable, and humane pretrial system." |
| • | "Because these are the professional educators who have the expertise to teach social studies, to teach history, to teach science, to teach literature, and I think we should leave that to the educators. Yes, we should have some say but school is not about simply confirming our worldview. Schools should teach us to question they should teach us how to think, not what to think." |
| • | "Now, in an attempt to say, ‘Well, we're going to treat both political parties equally' when we clearly have, in this moment, one political party that is passing anti-democratic policies, that is upholding people with authoritarianism ideas," Hannah-Jones said. |
| • | The letter, from Gen. Maj. Gen. Julian D. Alford, said that Scheller had violated his solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution. |
| • | "Your actions have harmed good order and discipline with the service as well as publicly discredited the U.S. Marine Corps," the general scolded. "Your narcissistic acts can serve only to erode the rule of law." |
| • | "These internal documents are being deliberately distorted as reflective of company policy, when in fact their purpose was to allow diversity of thought and discussion on the incredibly complex and challenging issues of race and discrimination that we as a society and companies nationwide are facing." |
| • | ... document also claims that people of color cannot be racist: "Racism is used to justify the position of the dominant group, White people in this case, and to uphold White supremacy and superiority. Everyone can be biased, and engage in bigoted and belittling behavior that is intolerant of other perspectives. But racism is by definition a form of oppression exercised by the dominant racial group (Whites)." |
| • | "This was not our program and not our training materials. The United Way ran this program independent of Bank of America, and it is not part of our training material." |
| • | "We don't have quotas as part of our hiring process," a Pfizer spokesperson told... "We stand by our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts as it relates to our human capital. We strive to make Pfizer as diverse as the patients and communities we serve." |
| • | "As a bookseller, we believe that providing access to the written word and diverse perspectives is important," an Amazon spokesperson told... |
| • | "That includes books that some may find objectionable, though we have policies governing which books can be listed for sale in every country and jurisdiction in which we operate." |
Michigan Democrat claims economy under Biden 'flourishing,' Republicans fire back (Fox 12/21/2021)
| • | "We have an economy that is flourishing. We have literally the best economic recovery since FDR." "If you want a job today, you're going to make more money than you would've ever been able to in the last 20 years." |
| • | See related CRT Bully (Gary McCoy, 07/07/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Manchin is a tour de force in gaslighting and dishonesty," tweeted Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y. "'We've got COVID' — but Manchin just voted with Republicans to overturn Biden's employer vaccine and testing requirements. ‘We've got inflation' — but Build Back Better would cut costs for millions of working families." |
| • | "Joe Manchin's Christmas gift to the American people? Higher household costs, expensive medications, and climate catastrophe. Coal would have been a lot easier." |
| • | "My understanding was that this ceremony was strictly a labor event. If I had known the details, I wouldn't have gone. ... Let me just say very emphatically, I'm a Democrat and a strong believer in American capitalism. I have been consistently a Democrat and a strong supporter and believer in American capitalism." |
| • | "We invite you to join the Communist Party in this epic time as we make good trouble to uproot systemic racism, retool the war economy, tax the rich, address climate change, secure voting rights and create a new socialist system that puts people, peace and planet before profits," emcee Ben McManus told the audience during the event. |
| • | Blumenthal was introduced as a "special surprise guest" at the event. |
| • | .. Yasmeen Mashayekh, a diversity and inclusion senator for the University of Southern California Viterbi Graduate Student Association, said in a now-deleted tweet that "I want to kill every motherf**king zionist." |
| • | The Viterbi Graduate Student Association's website is now "down for maintenance" but previously listed her as a "DEI Senator." DEI stands for "diversity, equity and inclusion." |
| • | Mashayekh has posted several other social media comments ... "Death to Israel and its b**ch the US." |
| • | A USC spokesperson told Fox News that the statements are "disturbing" but legally protected. "The individual is a member of a graduate student group that is self-organized, elects its own council members and does not set the university's policies. Even though the statements at issue are legally protected, we understand they are disturbing. USC rejects and condemns hatred in all its forms." |
| • | See related Counterpoint (Glenn McCoy, 02/03/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Government has a right to force you to obey and has always exercised it especially under GOP." |
| • | "This is part of a national right-wing effort to overturn elections and ‘take back our schools,'" Cohen wrote in the email. |
| • | "These last few months, school board meetings have been taken over by rabid support for book banning and burning, misinformation from anti-Vaxxers and anti-maskers, hateful speech attacking our LGBTQIA+ students and community, and even arrests for disorderly conduct." |
| • | See related Inflation (Mike Shelton, 06/18/2021) cartoon from Economy picture album |
| • | "It's absolutely outrageous. Obviously it cannot continue. But the fact is that there is an attitude of lawlessness in our country that springs from I don't know where... and we cannot have that lawlessness become the norm." |
| • | See related It Worked (Chip Bok, 08/14/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "Sadly the Republican Party has gone along with him. Honestly, they have hung their spines up on the wall as they walk into their offices. They have no conscience." |
| • | "They have no spine and we are seeing the results of a party that has been taken over by a demagogue. It is a time to decide whether we are going to be a grown-up country or not." |
| • | "I think it's good and it gives people a chance to be part of the process, but at the end of the day it means nothing if we don't have a Congress that will get things done and we don't have a White House we can count on to be sane and sober and stable and productive." |
| • | See related Change (Glenn McCoy, 07/25/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Baggage (Glenn McCoy, 02/26/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
San Francisco restaurant that kicked out cops says it 'handled this badly,' won't rule out doing it again (Fox 12/05/2021)
| • | "It's not about the fact that we are anti-police. It is about the fact that we do not allow weapons in our restaurant. We were uncomfortable, and we asked them to leave. It has nothing to do that they were officers. It has everything to do that they were carrying guns." |
| • | "We should punish and sanction Boebert by stripping her of her committees, by rebuking her language." |
| • | "By doing everything that we can to send a clear and decisive message to the American public that if the Republicans are not going to be adults and condemn this, that we are going to do that." |
| • | "Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies, Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments. She instead doubled down on her rhetoric and I decided to end the unproductive call." |
| • | "It's embarrassing that there is any hesitation on this. How can we have different consequences for different kinds of bigotry or incitement?" Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. |
| • | See related I'm ... Anti-Semitic (Bob Gorrell, 02/13/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | U.S. labor board prosecutors have alleged that Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market illegally banned employees from wearing "Black Lives Matter" masks and punished workers who did... |
| • | ... the agency's lawyers said that Whole Foods, by banning Black Lives Matter messages, was restricting employees from exercising their legal rights to participate "in concerted activities for their mutual aid and protection." |
| • | "Issues of racial harassment and discrimination are central to employees' working conditions, and the National Labor Relations Act protects employees' right to advocate for change." |
| • | "Through this complaint, we seek to enforce the act and protect workers' rights to speak up about these important issues." |
| • | A United States Army sergeant facing a murder charge after shooting a Black Lives Matter protester who approached his vehicle with an AK-47 had his GoFundMe page removed from the site by the company. |
| • | "I can confirm that this fundraiser was reviewed and found to be in violation of GoFundMe Terms of Service, and subsequently removed. GoFundMe prohibits raising money for the legal defense of a violent crime." |
| • | The propaganda media's answer has been to simply avoid the facts and focus on reporting which can at best be described as inadequate and at worst be described as maliciously dishonest and misleading. |
| • | The amazing thing is that this was not the work of one or two news outlets. Consider this deafening repetition of false and misleading headlines: |
| • | "After SUV slammed into Wis. Parade and killed 5, driver to be charged with homicide" (The Washington Post, Nov. 22) |
| • | "A sixth victim has died after the Waukesha Christmas parade crash, prosecutors say" (CNN, Nov. 23) |
| • | "Child is 6th death in Waukesha parade crash: suspect charged" (AP, Nov. 23) |
| • | "Waukesha parade crash suspect captured on doorbell camera shortly after crash" (USA Today, Nov. 23) |
| • | "More than a dozen remain hospitalized after deadly Waukesha parade crash" (CNN, Nov. 25) |
| • | Read these headlines and ask yourself: Was this a crash or an intentionally malicious act of violence? Did the SUV drive into the crowd and murder or maim people, or did the person driving it? Is that person a "crash suspect" or a suspected mass murderer? |
| • | The headlines were just the start. News outlets also took to Twitter. "HAPPENING NOW: The man accused of deadly Christmas parade crash in Waukesha, WI makes his first court appearance" (CBS News, Nov. 23) |
| • | "Waukesha will hold a moment of silence today, marking one week since a car drove through a city Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring scores of others." Here, on Nov. 28, CNN asserted that "a car" drove through the parade as though it weren't being driven by a person. |
| • | Similarly, The Washington Post withdrew a tweet after it absurdly posted, "Here's what we know so far on the sequence of events that led to the Waukesha tragedy caused by a SUV." |
| • | On television, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow spent an entire segment on the horrific attack without mentioning Brooks once. She only referred to him as "the suspect." MSNBC didn't put his mugshot on screen during the segment. |
| • | On the day of the attack, Maddow reported, "A red SUV inexplicably sped into the parade route and then directly into people marching in the parade and people watching on the sidewalk." |
| • | "It's not just about nasty phone calls and e-mails. GOP are given freedom to incite without consequence. They don't have to pay for the security required from their acts- we do. They make money off it. &They are targeting those least likely to be institutionally protected first." |
| • | "The truth is that Islamophobia pervades our culture, our politics and even policy decisions," said Omar... "Leading politicians in the Republican Party routinely spout hateful rhetoric about a religion that includes a diverse group of more than a billion peaceful worshipers around the world. This includes falsely claiming Muslims want to replace the Constitution and implement Sharia law, portraying Muslims as inherently violent." |
| • | "I just feel like I'm being monster – demonized." ... Not even his mother has dropped by, he said. Earlier in the day, she released a statement on behalf of the family decrying Wisconsin's criminal justice system for failing her son, a longtime felon with a 50-page rap sheet detailing domestic violence, firearms, drugs and other convictions in Wisconsin... |
| • | Brooks is also a registered child sex offender in Nevada and served time in Georgia for beating his ex... |
Dem group founded to fight 'disinformation' paid nearly $1M to discredited Steele dossier researchers (Fox 11/30/2021)
Republicans politicize inflation while Dems work to fix it. Let's tackle this together (Fox 11/30/2021)
Democrats' rush to judgment in Smollett case could blow up in their faces (Fox 11/29/2021)
| • | Several 2020 Democratic presidential candidates immediately condemned the alleged attack. Vice President Kamala Harris, then a California senator, and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., expressed solidarity with Smollett at the time and both blasted the alleged attack as "an attempted modern-day lynching." |
| • | President Biden, also a candidate at the time, tweeted, "We are with you, Jussie," and that "homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts." |
| • | "The racist and homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett is a horrific instance of the surging hostility toward minorities around the country," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., tweeted at the time. "We must come together to eradicate all forms of bigotry and violence." |
| • | "The racist, homophobic attack on @JussieSmollett is an affront to our humanity," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted at the time. "No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love." |
| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Liberal media routinely downplay inflation or turn it into a positive: 'Slash your shopping burden' (Fox 11/25/2021)
Waukesha parade attack: Washington Post pummeled for tweet saying massacre was 'caused by an SUV' (Fox 11/25/2021)
| • | "Here's what we know so far on the sequence of events that led to the Waukesha tragedy caused by [an] SUV." |
| • | "The SUV then drove down Main Street, hitting more than 40 people and killing at least five of them... Down the road, instead of following the parade route and make a turn to get to Wisconsin Avenue, the SUV went straight through North West Avenue, passing over the barriers." |
| • | But even after Brooks was charged with intentional homicide, various journalists and headlines described the attack as a "crash." |
| • | "A sixth victim has died after the Waukesha Christmas parade crash, prosecutors say," a CNN headline read. |
| • | "BREAKING: Prosecutor: 6th person, a child, has died in deadly Wisconsin parade crash," CBS News correspondent David Begnaud tweeted Tuesday. |
| • | "Man suspected in deadly Waukesha parade crash charged with 5 counts 1st-degree intentional homicide," the Associated Press wrote. |
| • | "Man charged for Waukesha parade crash made 1st court appearance," NPR similarly declared in a headline. |
| • | Internet users who search Wikipedia for Sunday's attack, which injured over 60 people in addition to the 6 fatalities, are met with a message that says "A request that this article title be changed to 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade incident is under discussion." |
| • | "Looting is a term that we typically use when people of color or urban dwellers are doing something. We tend not to use that term for other people when they do the exact same thing." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "So, you know, what we've seen are the tragic consequences of that – when people think it's OK to take the law into their own hands instead of allowing law enforcement to do its job. And the president believes in condemning hatred, division and violence." |
| • | On his website, Chisholm's bio touts his purportedly tough stance on crime. "As our District Attorney, John takes a tough stance on violent crime," it reads. |
| • | "John has created specialized units targeting witness intimidation, child abuse, and gun-and-drug-related crime. John has hired twenty law enforcement officers to investigate threats against witnesses as well as crimes that cross municipal boundaries in Milwaukee County. John has created a nationally-acclaimed community prosecution program that stations experienced prosecutors in neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee County, where they work with residents, businesses, and nonprofits to combat crime at the ground level." |
| • | "Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation. While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them. We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation." |
| • | "Luckily my dad raised me right, otherwise I might have gone to the floor to talk about this insurrectionist who sleeps with a pervert." |
| • | "I am grateful I was raised to be a decent human and not a deprived person who shamefully defecates & defiles the House of Representatives." |
| • | "Since this historic and eminently qualified nominee was put forth by President Biden, she has been the subject of a relentless smear campaign." |
| • | "The incident took place several decades ago, and the case against Ms. Omarova was dismissed." |
| • | A Purdue University professor of psychology who specializes in "positive emotions" and "parental involvement" was arrested for allegedly beating his wife in front of his 10-year-old son, who was locked in a dog cage. |
| • | ... "studies parental autonomy and relatedness support, parent involvement from preschool to high school, teacher-student relationships, intrinsic motivation to learn, student engagement, happiness, and positive psychology interventions." |
| • | "He has developed an intervention that strengthens autonomy supportive parent-child communication, positive emotions toward learning, and intrinsic motivation to learn among elementary school students," his bio continued. |
| • | Democrats are warning voters that Republicans are "too dangerous" to control Congress and are a "threat to the health of democracy." |
CRT defender tells parents he's got 1,000 soldiers 'locked and loaded,' some see as threat (Fox 11/15/2021)
| • | "First Amendment rights, freedom of speech, need to be implemented," Austin said. |
What happened to woke: Liberal media blame Republicans for the term's downfall (Fox 11/14/2021)
| • | "How can news outlets even attribute words to me I didn't say? ... Said nothing abt ‘wokeness' which is a term almost exclusively used by older people these days btw." |
| • | "I completely disagree with your premise. It's one thing to say allegations should be investigated, and they were. It's another to say that we should have foreseen in advance that some people were lying to Christopher Steele, which is impossible, of course, to do." |
| • | "None of that serious misconduct is in any way diminished by the fact that people lied to Christopher Steele." |
| • | "I do think that it's worth noting though, that in the last several weeks, this issue of critical race theory, even though it is not being taught in Virginia public schools, it became so core in this race." |
| • | "And Youngkin mentioned it in every stump speech. It was his loudest applause line, that he was going to ban it, even though it was not being taught in Virginia public schools." |
| • | Scores of high-rollers from around the world took private planes into Glasgow over the weekend for the COP26 summit, including Bezos, who has repeatedly claimed climate change is the "biggest threat" to the planet. |
| • | The Amazon founder also met with Charles, Prince of Wales, on Sunday to discuss the importance of fighting climate change. |
| • | Kerry even took a private jet to Iceland in 2019 to receive the Arctic Circle award for climate leadership. |
| • | Kerry defended his high-pollution ride at the time, calling it "the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle"... |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | See related Climate Hoax Czar (Antonio Branco, 02/05/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | "The Justice Department supports and defends the First Amendment right of parents to complain as vociferously as they wish about education of their children, about the curriculum taught in the schools. That is not what the memorandum is about at all or does it use the words ‘domestic terrorism' or ‘Patriot Act,'"... |
| • | "I can't imagine any circumstance in which the Patriot Act would be used in the circumstances of parents complaining about their children, nor can I imagine a circumstance where they would be labeled as domestic terrorism." |
| • | See related Enemies List (Antonio Branco, 06/17/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
TIME magazine gives John Kerry glowing cover treatment in climate change issue, ignores his private jet habit (Fox 10/29/2021)
| • | See related Climate Hoax Czar (Antonio Branco, 02/05/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
| • | "I am deeply sorry for the inappropriate comment that I made in last night's board meeting." |
| • | "I am going to personally apologize to the speaker who most certainly deserves to know that when members of the public address the Board of Education, they must be heard with respect. These are trying times, but trying times demand that we rise to do our best. I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology." |
| • | Micah Beals, 37, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief for allegedly throwing paint on the sculpture... |
Virginia promotes book telling teachers to embrace CRT, which McAuliffe says isn't being taught (Fox 10/28/2021)
| • | "Lastly, teachers must embrace theories such as critical race theory, settler colonialism, Black feminism, dis/ability, critical race studies, and other critical theories, that have the ability to interrogate anti-Blackness ..."... |
| • | McAuliffe, a Democrat, has repeatedly said critical race theory is not taught in Virginia schools and has said his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, uses contention surrounding the radical ideology to divide people. |
| • | "It's a dog whistle. It's racial. It's division. And it's used by Glenn Youngkin and others ... to divide people." |
| • | "It's not taught here in Virginia." ... "This is a made-up – This is a Trump, Betsy DeVos, Glenn Youngkin plan to divide people." |
| • | See related Alligator in the Pool (Dick Wright, 07/08/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology." |
| • | "From abortion rights to same-sex marriage to book banning. He wants to take us back." |
Biden bank regulator Saule Omarova's nomination in jeopardy as she faces trouble in Banking Committee (Fox 10/26/2021)
| • | "Before today, I thought, red scare McCarthyism was rightly relegated to the dustbin of history," Brown said in a statement earlier this month, which his office referred Fox News to when reached for comment Monday. |
| • | "Any American citizen who fled communist repression – whether it be FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams or OCC nominee Saule Omarova – should be lauded for their courage and conviction. I believe that my colleagues – from both sides of the aisle – will reject such character assassinations." |
| • | "Republicans don't want to talk about Saule Omarova's impressive qualifications and expertise in banking so instead they resort to desperate scare tactics." |
| • | "There is definitely a different standard applied to someone like me. I am an easy target: an immigrant, a woman, a minority." |
| • | ... "the police have chosen to not fulfill their oath of office and to provide the public safety they are owed to the citizens they serve." |
| • | The piece in the Post headlined, "Parents claim they have the right to shape their kids' school curriculum. They don't," was co-authored by assistant professor of education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Jack Schneider and freelance journalist Jennifer Berkshire. |
| • | "... common law and case law in the United States have long supported the idea that education should prepare young people to think for themselves, even if that runs counter to the wishes of parents." |
| • | "When do the interests of parents and children diverge? Generally, it occurs when a parent's desire to inculcate a particular worldview denies the child exposure to other ideas and values that an independent young person might wish to embrace or at least entertain." |
| • | "The Republicans employing it right now have two particular targets in mind. The first is the public education system, which hard-liners have long sought to undermine," Schneider and Berkshire wrote. |
| • | "But this play is much bigger than education. For years, the Republican Party has understood that the demographic tide is against it. Knowing that every vote matters, the GOP has increasingly relied on a strategy of voter suppression." |
| • | "Republicans have worked to ensure that their base turns out in force by stoking White racial grievance" using backlash against critical race theory as their evidence. |
| • | "Republicans gain an electoral advantage by convincing their base that White children are being taught to hate themselves, their families and their country," they wrote. |
| • | "In framing our public schools as extremist organizations that undermine the prerogatives of families, conservatives are bringing napalm to the fight." |
| • | "We don't have time to be wasting on these phony trumped-up culture wars, this fake outrage that right-wing media peddles to juice their ratings." |
| • | "I want to dive right into your argument about what both-siderism is and why it's failing the public. Is it that we're treating Democrats and Republicans equally and ignoring GOP radicalism, is that the heart of the problem?" |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
Obama says GOP is 'systematically preventing' citizens from voting (Fox 10/24/2021)
| • | "All across the country, Democrats are trying to make it easier to vote, not make it harder to vote, and push back on Republicans who are trying to systematically prevent ordinary citizens from making their voices heard," Obama said Saturday in Richmond. |
| • | "You have to ask yourself, why is it Republicans don't want you to vote?" he asked. |
| • | See related Hang Em’ High-Tech (Antonio Branco, 01/11/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "First, let me say to the families and students involved — my heart aches for you and I am sorry that we failed to provide the safe, welcoming, and affirming environment that we aspire to provide." |
| • | "The filibuster — and the Democratic Senators who continue to uphold it — are killing our democracy." |
| • | President Biden slammed Republicans for blocking consideration of the voting rights legislation in a scathing statement, arguing the right to vote is "under unrelenting assault by proponents of the Big Lie and Republican Governors, Secretaries of State, Attorneys-General, and state legislatures across the nation." |
| • | "All young people deserve to learn an inclusive and accurate history in schools, free from censorship or discrimination," said ACLU attorney... |
Buttigieg under fire for claiming supply chain crisis is due to Biden guiding country out of recession (Fox 10/18/2021)
Fauci: People 'react against me' when 'truth becomes inconvenient' (Fox 10/17/2021)
| • | "I have stood for always making science data and evidence, be what we guide ourselves by. And I think people who feel differently, who have conspiracy theories, who deny reality, that's looking them straight in the eye." |
| • | "Those are people that don't particularly care for me, and that's understandable because what I do and I try very hard is to be guided by the truth. And sometimes the truth becomes inconvenient for some people, so they react against me." |
| • | See related Fauci Doubt (Gary McCoy, 06/17/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | "Defendants did nothing to stop Rittenhouse's illegal conduct. They did not arrest him for illegally carrying a gun. They did not disarm him." |
| • | "... Instead, Defendants deputized Rittenhouse and other armed individuals, conspired with them, and ratified their actions by allowing them to patrol the streets with deadly weapons and shoot and kill innocent victims." |
| • | "Politics should never play a role in the fair administration of justice and civil service personnel decisions," McCabe's statement said... |
| • | Superintendent Scott Ziegler apologized for saying during a June event that the Virginia district had no record of assaults taking place in its bathrooms. His comments came amid debate about policy changes related to self-identified transgender students. Ziegler said Friday that he misunderstood the question when he made the comment. |
| • | Ziegler also said he is "sorry that we failed to provide the safe, welcoming, and affirming environment that we aspire to provide." |
| • | He told affected students and families: "We acknowledge and share in your pain and we will continue to offer support to help you and your families through this trauma." |
Psaki refers to climate change as a ‘crisis’ after failing to do so for the border (Fox 10/14/2021)
Google, Amazon employees publish anonymous letter denouncing the companies for contract with Israel (Fox 10/14/2021)
| • | "We call on global technology workers and the international community to join with us in building a world where technology promotes safety and dignity for all." |
| • | Ginsburg told ... those who kneel during the anthem were showing "contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life." |
| • | "Couric felt that when Ginsburg said that people like Kaepernick were 'dumb and disrespectful' they were comments that were 'unworthy of a crusader for equality' like the liberal Supreme Court justice." |
| • | "At the very same time that this Governor issued another EO mandating two year olds wear masks for upwards of 7 hours a day because of purported ‘safety,' the New Jersey political democratic elite gathered maskless by the thousands at multiple indoor events throughout the State, including in "high-risk" Asbury Park, Bergen and Hudson Counties." |
| • | "The people of New Jersey are being told by this administration that they must comply, don't ask questions or get labeled a knucklehead or worse while those demanding compliance flout the very policies they push." |
| • | ... the maskless merrymaking was "another example of Murphy's hypocrisy as he continues to force pointless pandemic mandates on regular New Jerseyans that he and other elite Democrats cavalierly ignore when they think nobody is watching." |
| • | "We can imagine King Murphy saying to the laughter of his court, 'Let them wear masks'." |
Facebook exec says algorithms protect users from ‘more hate speech’ (Fox 10/10/2021)
| • | See related Facebook Free Speech Assault (Dick Wright, 05/08/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
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| • | "This is a made-up – This is a Trump, Betsy DeVos, Glenn Youngkin plan to divide people. It really bothers me. I try to unite people." |
| • | "I really hate to see what Glenn Youngkin is trying to do to Virginia what Donald Trump did to our country." |
| • | " I really hate to see the division, the hatred. We're putting these children in this horrible position. Let's just be clear. We don't teach critical race theory." |
| • | "That's another right-wing conspiracy. This is totally made up by Donald Trump and Glenn Youngkin. This is who they are. It's a conspiracy theory." |
| • | "It's not taught in Virginia and it's never been taught in Virginia. And as I've said this a lot, it's a dog whistle. It's racial, it's division and it's used by Glenn Youngkin and others, it's the same thing with Trump and the border wall, to divide people. We should not be dividing people in school." |
Merriam-Webster's 'anti-vaxxer' definition update sparks allegations of attempt to 'redefine' meaning (Fox 10/06/2021)
Chants of 'F*** Joe Biden' rain down from NASCAR stands during interview with Talladega winner (Fox 10/03/2021)
| • | The reporter acknowledged the chants and claimed the fans were shouting "Let's go Brandon!" NASCAR initially posted video of the interview with the chant but later deleted the tweet. |
| • | See related Biden\\\'s Glory (Mike Shelton, 01/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
Tucker Carlson: Media will never admit there was no insurrection (Fox 09/24/2021)
| • | We're living through distorted history as we watch the events of January 6 described by everyone. Here's how the media described that day: |
| • | TARA SETMEYER, CNN: That day will be another day that lives in infamy in history, similar to Pearl Harbor and 9/11 |
| • | CHUCK SCHUMER: We can now add January 6th, 2021 to that very short list of dates in American history that will live forever in infamy. |
| • | BIDEN: The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. |
| • | ANDERSON COOPER: 150 days since the worst single act of political violence since the Civil War. |
| • | CHRIS HAYES: The worst attack on American democracy since the Civil War SCHUMER: The greatest attempt at insurrection since the Civil War. |
| • | STEVE SCHMIDT: The 1/6 attacks are likely to kill a lot more Americans than were killed on the 9/11 attacks. |
| • | MATTHEW DOWD: Though there was less loss of life on January 6th, January 6th was worse than 9/11. |
| • | BESCHLOSS: Think of the 6th of January. If those terrorists who committed that attack on our Capitol had been a little bit faster, they could have and probably would have executed the vice president, executed the speaker of the House, executed other members and leaders of Congress. |
AOC's 'Tax the rich' dress designer owes tax debt in multiple states (Fox 09/19/2021)
Maskless San Francisco mayor breaks health order, seen partying with BLM co-founder at nightclub (Fox 09/17/2021)
| • | The liberal mayor announced the need for mask mandates last month... "The orders require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions." |
| • | "L.A. Unified is aware of the specific classroom decorations. The specific posters will be taken down. We maintain and uphold student and staff confidentiality and therefore cannot comment on any of our students or employees." |
| • | "L.A. Unified holds firm its policy that students and adults in both schools and offices should treat all persons equally and respectfully and refrain from the willful or negligent use of slurs against any person on the basis of race, language spoken, color, sex, religion, handicap, national origin, immigration status, age, sexual orientation, or political belief." |
| • | See related New Fathers Day (Gary McCoy, 06/17/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "All of what's mentioned in that book happened before I became secretary of Defense so I can't comment on that. I certainly won't comment on what's in the book. I have confidence in Gen. Milley." |
AOC responds to Met Gala criticism: 'I ... have been so heavily and relentlessly policed' (Fox 09/14/2021)
| • | "The irony is that when women in power take the prospect of criticism to be to be cautious in their actions, they are then criticized for being ‘inauthentic' and ‘too calculated.'"... |
| • | "Honestly our culture is deeply disdainful and unsupportive of women, especially women of color, and working class women (and LGBTQ/ immigrant/ etc) from the bottom up — whether it's lack of childcare support of especially reserving pillory for elected women and femme people." |
| • | See related The Blind Date (Jake Fuller, 08/17/2021)) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "I am so disappointed," Biden said over the weekend. "Particularly, some Republican governors have been so cavalier, with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of our communities." |
| • | "In explaining LCPS' equity priorities, it might be helpful to state what they are not. They are not an effort to indoctrinate students and staff into a particular philosophy or theory. What they are is an effort to provide a welcoming, inclusive, affirming environment for all students." |
| • | "LCPS' work on equity is a journey that requires the commitment of staff at all levels. I feel the staff's work, which has been sustained, honest and undertaken in good faith, has been misrepresented recently by some members of the public." |
| • | See related Alligator in the Pool (Dick Wright, 07/08/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Garbage in... (Bob Gorrell, 05/16/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | In 2019, "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett claimed he was assaulted by White Trump supporters while returning from dinner in an affluent Chicago neighborhood. His account of the incident had gaping holes that left several questions unanswered. |
| • | Nevertheless, Smollett's "attack" – immediately dubbed an act of racism, dominated the coverage in many major media organizations. Several Democratic lawmakers called for congressional action. Media pundits said the incident was a symptom of a divisive Oval Office occupant. |
| • | Two years later, Republican California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder, a Black man seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was publically attacked by a White person – this time on camera. |
| • | But despite the disturbing footage and unquestionable nature of the assault, liberal media organizations didn't seem particularly interested. |
| • | Mainstream outlets appeared to take their cues from Democratic lawmakers, who have chosen to stay silent on Elder's attack despite their online outrage and public condolences for Smollett in 2019. |
| • | "JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know," then-Sen. Kamala Harris wrote in a tweet at the time. "I'm praying for his quick recovery. This was an attempted modern-day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate." |
| • | Vice President Harris did not address the Elder incident as of Friday morning. |
| • | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the "racist and homophobic attack" on Smollett an "affront to our humanity." |
| • | The Speaker's Twitter feed however made no mention of Elder in the hours after his attack. |
| • | Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders denounced "the racist and homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett" as "a horrific instance of the surging hostility toward minorities around the country. We must come together to eradicate all forms of bigotry and violence." |
| • | "Far from compromising them, vaccine mandates actually further civil liberties. They protect the most vulnerable, people with disabilities and fragile immune systems, children too young to be vaccinated, and communities of color hit hard by the disease." |
| • | ... argue that vaccines are a "justifiable intrusion on autonomy and bodily integrity" while acknowledging that "may sound ominous" but "the fundamental right to bodily integrity is not 'absolute" and does "not include the right to inflict harm on others." |
| • | "In 2008, the ACLU published a comprehensive report on pandemics which had one primary purpose: to denounce as dangerous and unnecessary attempts by the state to mandate, coerce, and control in the name of protecting the public from pandemics." |
| • | In the ACLU's 2008 report, the group warned that "not all public health interventions have been benign or beneficial, however. Too often, fears aroused by disease and epidemics have encouraged abuses of state power. Atrocities, large and small, have been committed in the name of protecting the public's health." |
Biden vs Biden: President takes new tone on Afghanistan compared to earlier in career (Fox 09/01/2021)
Defiant Biden takes 'responsibility' for decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, touts mission success (Fox 08/31/2021)
| • | "Only the U.S. had the capacity, the will, and the ability to do it, and we did it today," Biden said... |
| • | "Let me be clear," Biden said. "Leaving August 31 is not due to an arbitrary deadline. It was designed to save American lives." |
| • | ... the president said that the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that "sent a clear message" about the international community's expectations for the Taliban to "deliver on moving forward — notably freedom of travel, freedom to leave." |
| • | "The Taliban has made public commitments broadcast on television and radio across Afghanistan on safe passage for anyone wanting to leave, including those who worked alongside Americans," Biden said. |
| • | "I gave my word with all of my heart. I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision and the best decision for America." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
Psaki claims US doesn't negotiate with terrorists despite Biden admin depending on Taliban for evacuation (Fox 08/25/2021)
San Fran DA Boudin cheers Cuomo granting clemency to convicted murderer father (Fox 08/24/2021)
| • | "... He never intended harm, yet his crime devastated many families. My heart breaks for the families that can never get their loved ones back." |
| • | "I think it's irresponsible to say Americans are stranded. They are not. We are committed to bringing Americans who want to come home, home." |
| • | "I'm just calling you out for saying we are stranding Americans in Afghanistan when we have been very clear that we are not leaving Americans who want to return home." |
Rashida Tlaib discloses thousands of dollars in rental income, despite co-sponsoring 'cancel rent' bill (Fox 08/17/2021)
Trump barred from Twitter, but Taliban spokesman tweets away (Fox 08/16/2021)
| • | "Freedom and democracy are not doing well when Twitter continues to ban Trump's account but relays the Taliban spokesperson's without any second thoughts." |
| • | On Jan. 8, Twitter announced on its blog that Trump's account, which had over 80 million followers, was permanently suspended. The reasoning was that keeping the @realDonaldTrump account active would increase the risk of "further incitement of violence." |
| • | The decision came after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Twitter pointed to a tweet from the former president on Jan. 8 that read: "The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!" |
| • | The Taliban swept into Afghanistan's capital Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country. |
| • | Trump, for his part, issued a statement on Sunday calling for Biden to "resign in disgrace." |
| • | "It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy," the former president wrote in a statement. |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
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Ilhan Omar's office accuses AIPAC of putting her 'life at risk' with attack ads (Fox 08/11/2021)
Cuomo's former allies who used to sing his praise now speaking out against the governor (Fox 08/11/2021)
Cuomo resigns: Alec Baldwin blames cancel culture for resignation amid sexual harassment accusations (Fox 08/10/2021)
Fauci berates mass outdoor gathering in South Dakota, but gives Obama's birthday bash a pass (Fox 08/08/2021)
Texas Dems who fled state sue Gov. Abbott for trying to bring them back: 'Discomfort and embarrassment' (Fox 08/07/2021)
| • | Nearly two dozen Texas House Democrats who fled the state last month have sued Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican officials, alleging that GOP efforts to bring them back to the state Capitol for a special legislative session infringed on their constitutional rights. |
| • | The 22 plaintiffs have been "deprived of liberty for substantial periods of time, suffered much anxiety and distress over separation from their families, and much discomfort and embarrassment," the complaint ... alleges. |
| • | The lawsuit alleges that the three Republicans have "by public statements and otherwise, to attempt to deny, coerce, threaten, intimidate, and prevent" the Democrats and constituents from voting in elections, speaking publicly about their constitutional rights, and their right to not being arrested without probable cause. |
| • | The suit comes after Abbott called for the arrests of more than 50 Texas House Democrats who fled the state in July for Washington, D.C., in a bid to stop a Republican-backed voter integrity bill from passing in a special legislative session. |
| • | "Once they step back into the state they will be arrested and brought back to the Capitol and we will be conducting business," Abbott said... |
| • | ... went on to assert that Nike has been "globally successful" by operating "very aligned with our values – always have been – always will, including throughout our entire supply chain." |
| • | "Colin is an important influencer, obviously an extraordinary athlete, and valued partner. So yeah, we continue to view Colin to be one of our very many valued partners." |
| • | See related Sean Delonas</A>, 07/07/2019)">Colin Kaepernick Nike Flag (Sean Delonas, 07/07/2019) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "Given the circumstances of the requests, it is likely that any teachers who are identifiable and have engaged in discussions about things like critical race theory will then be the subject of teacher harassment by national conservative groups opposed to critical race theory." |
| • | See related What’s in a Name (Antonio Branco, 06/24/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Kerry family private jet has taken 16 flights this year alone, records show (Fox 08/05/2021)
| • | See related Climate Hoax Czar (Antonio Branco, 02/05/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
| • | "They would rather I die? You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? You want to see me die? You know because that could be the alternative." |
| • | Bush said she would ensure she has security because she has had attempts on her life and has "too much work to do." ... "So suck it up, and defunding the police has to happen." |
| • | "I have private security because my body is worth being on this planet right now," she added, claiming "a white supremacist, racist narrative" is trying to stifle her. |
AOC has spent thousands on security, including $4k-plus to ex-Blackwater contractor (Fox 07/31/2021)
| • | When New York City moved to defund a billion dollars from the NYPD, Ocasio-Cortez slammed the measure as insufficient. "Defunding police means defunding police." |
Hunter Biden snaps at critics of art dealings: 'F*** em' (Fox 07/30/2021)
| • | Biden also said in the interview that the "value of an artist's work is not necessarily determined by the price" and that said price is "completely subjective and has nothing to do with anything other than the moment." |
| • | See related Hunter Art Sale (Dick Wright, 07/16/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | See related Undocumented Voter Drive (Antonio Branco, 03/17/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I don't like being an American, either Why is there no free health care? Why are so many people suffering because of housing?... And that is such a great example of how f***** corrupt it is here." |
Despite efforts to defund police, these Democrat-led cities spent millions on private security for mayors (Fox 07/26/2021)
| • | Despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot's claims that she is opposed to cutting funding for the police, records show the city quietly cut 400 police officer positions in 2020 while the cost of her security detail hit an all-time high of $3.4 million for 22 officers... |
| • | In San Francisco, $12.4 million was reportedly spent between 2015 and 2020 to protect Mayor London Breed as the city said it would divest $120 million from its police budget over two years... |
| • | In New York, the city council approved slashing $1 billion from its $6 billion police budget... However, spending on Mayor Bill de Blasio's security detail reportedly cost taxpayers $358,000 during his failed presidential bid. |
| • | In Baltimore, approximately $3.6 million was spent in 2020 for police to cover Mayor Brendon Scott, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, despite about $22 million being eliminated from the city's police budget... |
| • | The mayor's protection unit reportedly cost the city nearly $2 million last fiscal year, while protection for the state's attorney cost $1.3 million and the police commissioner cost $464,948. |
| • | In San Diego, the city allocated $2.6 million for 12 full time officers to protect the mayor, Todd Gloria, the city council during meetings and for city administration building security. However, Gloria's budget reportedly called for $4.3 million in cuts to the police overtime budget... |
| • | In Denver, where police officers have been replaced by healthcare workers to address mental health calls, nearly $4.2 million has reportedly been spent over the last six years on Mayor Michael Hancock's security detail. |
| • | "Universal ID and some of these other measures are a solution for a nonexistent problem ... of voter fraud." |
| • | "And it's simply voter suppression because they don't want people voting that they believe aren't going to ultimately elect them." |
Psaki defends Hunter Biden's participation in art shows: 'No scenario' in which buyers can 'provide influence' (Fox 07/22/2021)
| • | See related Hunter Art Sale (Dick Wright, 07/16/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
| • | See related Top Secret (Mike Shelton, 12/11/2020) cartoon from Adult picture album |
| • | "The Department does not endorse the recommendations of this group, nor do they reflect our policy positions. It was an error in a lengthy document to include this citation." |
| • | See related CRT Bully (Gary McCoy, 07/07/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | Pelosi also said that the "violent domestic attack on Congress on January 6th was the worst assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812 and the worst domestic assault on American Democracy since the Civil War." |
| • | "With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee," Pelosi said in a statement. |
| • | "The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision." |
| • | "We need a comprehensive investigation as to who organized this attack, who paid for it, how they nearly succeeded in overthrowing a presidential election, why they did it and how we must organize ourselves to prevent anything like it from ever happening again." |
| • | See related Witch-Hunt Continues (Antonio Branco, 06/01/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | BLM minced no words: "The people of Cuba are being punished by the U.S. government." Apparently, through a decades-long embargo, the U.S. has "instigated suffering for the country's 11 million people – of which 4 million are Black and Brown." |
| • | The group simultaneously claimed that "Cuba has historically demonstrated solidarity with oppressed peoples of African descent." |
| • | "I'm telling you what I think an attorney general ought to do — which is to look at the facts before making a decision. I'm also telling you that I will never make a decision in the department based on politics or partisanship." |
| • | Missouri Rep. Cori Bush spent nearly $70,000 on private security over the past three months as she advocated for defunding the police... |
| • | "Today's decision to defund the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is historic," Bush said in a statement at the time. |
| • | "It marks a new future for our city. For decades, our city funneled more and more money into our police department under the guise of public safety, while massively underinvesting in the resources that will truly keep our communities safe." |
| • | Other "Squad" members, such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, also spent campaign cash on personal details while advocating for defunding the police. |
| • | "DHS secretary Mayorkas (Cuban immigrant who fled with his family in 1960) says no refuge for Cubans fleeing the country." |
| • | "I wonder why... Could it be because they are likely to naturalize, seek citizenship, and vote AGAINST all of the commie bulls** the Democrats are pushing?" |
| • | "DHS Secretary Mayorkas does not want legitimate asylum-seekers fleeing Cuba to come to the US despite his family having done just that." |
| • | "Apparently he only wants people pretending to need asylum because those people will still vote for socialist Democrats!" |
| • | The DSA International Committee on Monday declared its solidarity with the "Revolution" – the term used by the communist regime – "in this moment of unrest." |
| • | The DSA's national arm also echoed Cuba's president in blaming America's trade embargo with the communist regime for the unrest. |
| • | "My Democratic colleagues and I are leaving the state to break quorum and kill the Texas voter suppression bill." |
| • | "We're flying to DC to demand Congress pass the For The People Act and save our democracy." |
| • | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently announced the formation of a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 "insurrection," saying she did so with "great solemnity and sadness." |
| • | The same kind of solemnity, we presume, with which she launched the impeachment trials of President Trump, along with souvenir pens. |
| • | See related Witch-Hunt Continues (Antonio Branco, 06/01/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
Billionaires descend on Sun Valley in private jets to talk about climate change (Fox 07/11/2021)
| • | "So many billionaires in private jets flew to Sun Valley to hear Bill Gates rave about climate that the FAA had to stop temporarily shutdown Western air space to other air traffic." |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "After careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards." |
| • | "Of course, he has the right to pursue an artistic career just like any child of a president has the right to pursue a career." |
| • | ... in order to avoid an appearance of outsiders trying to peddle influence with the Biden family, the White House crafted an agreement to keep the names of the buyers confidential from Biden himself... |
| • | Hunter Biden described his full-time artistry as getting to the truth. "I don't paint from emotion or feeling, which I think are both very ephemeral. For me, painting is much more about kind of trying to bring forth what is, I think, the universal truth." |
| • | See related Quid Pro Art Show (Antonio Branco, 06/18/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | "The basic presumption is adult kids are able to make a living ... as long as a reasonable amount of distance is maintained from the White House." |
| • | "That means things like the White House should not be promoting the art show, which as far as I know they're not doing." |
| • | "The president has established the highest ethical standards of any administration in American history, and his family's commitment to rigorous processes like this is a prime example." |
| • | See related Quid Pro Art Show (Antonio Branco, 06/18/2021) cartoon from General picture album |
| • | "Nothing less than the future of our planet depends on ending the new Cold War between the United States and China." |
| • | "To combat the climate crisis and build a global economy that works for everyday working people — in the U.S. and China alike — we must shift from competition to cooperation." |
| • | "There are legislators, mostly from the Republican party, who are currently bullying teachers and trying to stop us from teaching kids honest history." |
| • | The NEA recently passed a resolution that in part would "fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric." The same union also passed a $56,500 measure to "research the organizations attacking educators doing anti-racist work." |
| • | See related Critical Child Abuse (Antonio Branco, 04/22/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Garbage in... (Bob Gorrell, 05/16/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | This was in reference to Gen. Milley's defense of studying critical race theory back in June during a congressional hearing. The general argued it was important for cadets "to be open-minded and be widely read" regarding the nation's history. |
| • | "So what is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend? And I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, non-commissioned officers of being, quote, ‘woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there." |
| • | Garcia still insisted that critical race theory was necessary for military intelligence. "Officers must comprehend the unique experiences and concerns of their diverse troops. A holistic education leads to understanding and unity as service members consider what it's like to walk in another's shoes." |
| • | "'Husbands are scared for their wives' — your reminder that the ‘crime surge' crowd shares the same ideology as The Birth of a Nation." |
Democrat Cori Bush slams the Fourth of July, claims 'Black people still aren't free' (Fox 07/04/2021)
| • | "When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they're referring to is for White people. This land is stolen land and Black people still aren't free." |
| • | See related Marching (Mike Shelton, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
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| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Let's Not Rush to Judgement... (Mike Shelton, 07/03/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Joint Chiefs chair defends study of critical race theory: 'I've read Lenin. That doesn't make me...' (Fox 06/23/2021)
| • | "I've read Mao Zedong, I've read Karl Marx, I've read Lenin. That doesn't make me a communist," Milley said. |
| • | "So what is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend? And I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, non-commissioned officers of being, quote, ‘woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there." |
| • | Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ... also delivered a forceful response ... "I don't know what the issue of critical race theory is and what the relevance [is] here with the department. We do not teach critical race theory. We do not embrace critical race theory and I think that's a spurious conversation. We are focused on extremist behaviors and not ideology, not people's thoughts, not political orientation. Behaviors is what we're focused on." |
| • | "Tonight, the Loudoun County School Board meeting was interrupted by those who wish to use the public comment period to disrupt our work and disrespect each other." |
| • | "Dog-whistle politics will not delay our work. We will not back down from fighting for the rights of our students and continuing our focus on equity." |
| • | See related Garbage in... (Bob Gorrell, 05/16/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Mitch McConnell and the desperate Republican minority just silenced the American people, sold out our elections to their billionaire donors, and defended corruption that is rotting government to its core," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, said. |
| • | "Every single Senate Republican just voted against starting debate – starting debate – on legislation to protect Americans' voting rights," Schumer said. |
| • | "The Republican leader uses the language and the logic of the Southern Senators of the 1960s who defended states' rights, and it is an indefensible position for any senator – any senator, let alone the minority leader – to hold... That is both ridiculous and awful." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Republicans love to create outrage over things that aren't actually happening. People should be asking them, what elementary, middle and high school is teaching Critical Race Theory and why they are spinning false narratives." |
US Olympic athlete Chelsea Wolfe threatened to burn flag on podium (Fox 06/21/2021)
| • | "Anyone who thinks that I don't care about the United States is sorely mistaken, One of the reasons why I work so hard to represent the United States in international competition is to show the world that this country has morals and values, that it's not all of the bad things that we're known for. I take a stand against fascism because I care about this country and I'm not going to let it fall into the hands of fascists after so many people have fought and sacrificed to prevent fascism from taking hold abroad. As a citizen who wants to be proud of my home country, I'm sure as hell not going to let it take hold here." |
| • | See related Disqualified (Bill Shorr, 08/02/2012) cartoon from General picture album |
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Washington Post columnist knocks Jon Stewart for pushing Wuhan lab-leak theory: Celebrities aren't... (Fox 06/16/2021)
MSNBC's Joy Reid claims 'evil' Mitch McConnell planning to pack SCOTUS with conservative justices (Fox 06/15/2021)
| • | "In other words, if they regain the majority, they plan to pack the court with conservative justices in perpetuity." |
The county school district said in a statement that Omeish's comments were her First Amendment right and that her "personal views … do not reflect the views" of the school board or ()
AOC, lawmakers demand higher pay for Congressional staffers (Fox 06/14/2021)
| • | "It is unjust for Congress to budget a living wage for ourselves, yet rely on unpaid interns and underpaid, overworked staff just because some conservatives want to make a statement about " fiscal responsibility," Ocasio-Cortez in a statement. |
Biden slams Republicans while on foreign soil in break with political norms (Fox 06/14/2021)
| • | "The President's comments are beneath the dignity of the office. To be on foreign soil, on Memorial Day, and to side repeatedly with a murderous dictator against a fellow American and former Vice President speaks for itself. And it's part of a pattern of embracing autocrats at the expense of our institutions — whether taking Putin's word at face value in Helsinki or exchanging 'love letters' with Kim Jong Un." |
| • | See related Oh the Humanity! (Michael Ramirez, 06/06/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "Members did become concerned when the tweet that was put out equated the United States with Taliban and Hamas ... and then she clarified it, and we thanked her for clarification," Pelosi said. |
| • | "What I'm saying is, end of subject," the speaker said Sunday. "She clarified, we thanked her, end of subject." |
| • | When asked if House Democrats would be pursuing further action against Omar during a press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., didn't even let the reporter finish his question before answering in the negative. |
| • | "I think that she clarified her remarks and we accept that, and she has a point that she wanted to make and she has a right to make that point," Pelosi said. "There's some unease about how it was interpreted." |
| • | "She made her clarification," Pelosi added before moving onto the next question. |
| • | See related I'm ... Anti-Semitic (Bob Gorrell, 02/13/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "... I am looking for something much more substantive and profound, something that goes beyond just blanket-patriotic notions of ‘freedom.' I'm not sure kids really understand what that means. Just saying other countries are ‘not' free and we "are" is an oversimplified message that doesn't make sense to me in the complex state of the world today. We will be leaving this nation in our children's hands, and it is not too early to start educating them in a substantive way." |
| • | LCPS' superintendent Scott Ziegler has also defended teacher trainings, saying: "In explaining LCPS' equity priorities, it might be helpful to state what they are not. They are not an effort to indoctrinate students and staff into a particular philosophy or theory. What they are is an effort to provide a welcoming, inclusive, affirming environment for all students." |
| • | See related Critical Child Abuse (Antonio Branco, 04/22/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress, The benefit of the doubt doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color." |
| • | See related Ms. Tlaib Goes to Washington (Mike Shelton, 01/07/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The Islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable." |
| • | See related Let's Not Rush to Judgement... (Mike Shelton, 07/03/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Anti-Asian racism has the same source as anti-Black racism: white supremacy. So when a Black person attacks an Asian person, the encounter is fueled perhaps by racism, but very specifically by white supremacy. White supremacy does not require a white person to perpetuate it. ... The dehumanization of Asian people by U.S. society is driven by white supremacy and not by any Black person who may or may not hate Asians." |
| • | "Israel has engaged in the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians from their land. This is not ‘two sides' - it's occupier and occupied. Like ‘All Lives Matter,' talk about ‘two sides' distracts from power imbalance and structural injustice." |
| • | "The Holocaust has been used as a tool. The fear of anti-Semitism as the fear of ‘this could happen again' is being used preemptively to oppress and kill others." |
| • | The Times PR department was determined to make things even worse. They violated The First Rule of Holes: "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." The Times diggers claimed "editorial board member Mara Gay's comments on MSNBC have been irresponsibly taken out of context. Her argument was that Trump and many of his supporters have politicized the American flag. The attacks on her today are ill-informed and grounded in bad-faith." |
| • | "The reality is here that we have a large percentage of the American population — I don't know how big it is, but we have tens of millions of Trump voters who continue to believe that their rights as citizens are under threat by simple virtue of having to share the democracy with others." |
| • | Twitter declared a free and open Internet to be "an essential human right in modern society" Saturday morning after the Nigerian government banned access to the social media giant following a dispute with its president – even as critics say it suppresses conservative content and bans its own users. |
| • | Twitter deleted a fiery tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari that many perceived as a veiled threat against violent separatists in the nation's southeast – then his government's information wing responded by banning the social media platform from the country. |
| • | "The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria." |
| • | "We are deeply concerned by the blocking of Twitter in Nigeria," Twitter's Public Policy division tweeted in response. |
| • | "Access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society. We will work to restore access for all those in Nigeria who rely on Twitter to communicate and connect with the world. #KeepitOn." |
| • | See related Unabomber II (Mike Shelton, 01/19/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
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| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | See related Twitter Evolution (Gary Varvel, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
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| • | "It's kind of the flip side of the coin for having an open culture is we can be open and we can share a lot of stuff, but we also need to be very good at rooting out people who are leaking stuff," Zuckerberg continued. |
| • | "I think over the last year there have been more leaks than I think all of us would have wanted but we also, you know, find a lot of the folks and terminate them." |
| • | See related Facebook Free Speech Assault (Dick Wright, 05/08/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
Former Detroit police chief slams Amazon for ‘Blue Lives Murder’ apparel: 'It's hypocrisy and it's wrong' (Fox 06/03/2021)
Well-paid AOC dinged after posting photo of grandma's dilapidated Puerto Rico home and blaming Trump (Fox 06/02/2021)
Pentagon says diversity training essential in ‘defending the nation’ (Fox 06/02/2021)
Biden taps Harris to lead White House fight to expand voting rights (Fox 06/01/2021)
Angry 'woke' parents and teachers are trying to silence critics of critical race theory (Fox 05/29/2021)
| • | "In explaining LCPS' equity priorities, it might be helpful to state what they are not. They are not an effort to indoctrinate students and staff into a particular philosophy or theory. What they are is an effort to provide a welcoming, inclusive, affirming environment for all students." |
New York Times reporter apologizes for criticizing lab leak coronavirus theory as racist (Fox 05/27/2021)
NYC principal apologizes for anti-Israel email to staff after blowback (Fox 05/24/2021)
| • | "As the Principal of a diverse school community who is committed to social justice causes and human rights concerns, I want to apologize for using school email to strongly communicate my personal views and not being as inclusive and mindful of other perspectives as I could have been." |
| • | "It was not my intention to inflame tensions on this sensitive issue. I apologize for any added hurt, anger, or misunderstanding my email may have caused." |
| • | "The only party now that is operating in reality is the Democratic Party. The Republican Party is obsolete. The Republican Party is not living and dealing in reality. So you cannot negotiate with a party that doesn't operate on logic." |
| • | "I don't think the Republican Party at this point ... can be changed. It has gone way too far, and it's just sad to see." |
| • | "I'm not a political person. I'm a person who lives in reality. I'm a journalist. I can see and I can hear and I can think, and there is no reason to believe that the Republicans are going to start playing fairly and going to start operating as a party of sanity." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "The progressives don't like me because I'm not prepared to take on what I would say and they would say is a socialist agenda." |
| • | See related Sold! (Mike Shelton, 01/20/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | Markle rejoiced in the victory and declared, "The world needs reliable, fact-checked, high-quality news ... We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from people's pain." |
| • | See related Kissed a Prince! (Mike Shelton, 01/15/2020) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "He's causing people to believe that they can't count on our electoral process to convey the will of the people, We have to be a nation of laws." |
| • | "I cannot imagine a more important issue than whether or not the Republican Party is going to be a party that embraces and defends the rule of law and Constitution." |
| • | "Elise Stefanik's win today makes clear there is no place for truth in today's Republican Party." |
| • | "While the Republican Party has completed its transformation to the party of Donald Trump, President Biden and Democrats are delivering for Americans, rebuilding after the pandemic, and getting us back on track." |
Pelosi condemns Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'verbal assault' on AOC, suggests ethics violation (Fox 05/13/2021)
| • | "It's so beyond the pale of anything that is in keeping with bringing honor to the House, or not bringing dishonor to the House," Pelosi, D-Calif., said... "It's so beyond the pale that ... it probably is a matter for the Ethics Committee." |
| • | "I don't think we would think we believe that educating the youth, next leaders of the future, leaders of the country, on systemic racism is indoctrination. That's actually responsible." |
| • | A key tenet of critical race theory is the belief that systems and institutions are designed to uphold White supremacy and that White people enjoy certain privileges by virtue of their skin tone. |
| • | Other arguments include that everyone holds some sort of implicit racial bias they must work to overcome. |
| • | "A whole bunch of radical right-wingers – from Ted Cruz to Donald Trump – are angry at Ilhan for bringing to light violence against the Palestinian people during the holy month of Ramadan." |
| • | "Will you donate $5, $10, or $20 now to support her campaign? Ilhan will never let up her work for a more peaceful world. It's thanks to your support that she is able to give voice to the issue of human rights violations here and abroad." |
Samantha Bee gun special: Second Amendment is 'useless,' 'fragile men are drawn to guns' (Fox 05/13/2021)
| • | "Gun manufacturers are masters of disguise when it comes to hiding how dangerous their weapons really are, They add gadgets like lasers to create the illusion that this deathtrap is a video game or toy ... They try to emasculate those fragile men who are drawn to guns." |
| • | "Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a leader of great courage, patriotism and integrity," Pelosi said Wednesday after Cheney was removed as GOP conference chairwoman. "Today, House Republicans declared that those values are unwelcome in the Republican party." |
| • | "For the sake of our democracy, reasonable Republicans across the country must take back their party," Pelosi said. |
| • | "When Liz Cheney chose patriotism, she was no longer eligible to be a leader in the House Republican conference," Jeffries said... |
| • | "The dangerous evolution of the Republican Party into an anti-truth, autocratic cult has never been more clear, or our need to fight it," Schiff wrote in asking supporters to "pitch in" cash to defeat the "party of falsehood." |
| • | "We have seen the danger that he continues to provoke with his language. We have seen his lack of commitment and dedication to the Constitution. And I think it's very important that we make sure whomever we elect is somebody that will be faithful to the Constitution." |
| • | "Instead of doing what you should be doing when you lose an election in a democracy, attempting to win over those voters in the next election, Republicans instead are trying to disenfranchise those voters. Shame on them." |
| • | "At a time when the right to vote is under attack and special interests and dark money are drowning out the voices of the American people, we need to take action." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "But really a big driver was we understand and know the nature of some components of social media and media these days and we just didn't want to feed into that on this issue or really any issue." |
| • | "The president does not feel that children coming to our border seeking refuge from violence, economic hardships, and other dire circumstances is a crisis." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
Dem Rep. Katie Porter does not offer health insurance to campaign staffers despite calling it... (Fox 05/04/2021)
CNN's Jake Tapper floats banning Republicans from shows over 'Big Lie': 'Why should I put any...' (Fox 05/04/2021)
| • | "This is about truth and democracy... it's remarkable that standing up for just basic facts is now controversial within the Republican Party." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Undocumented Voter Drive (Antonio Branco, 03/17/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Of course reconciliation is an option, We hope to do as much as we can in a bipartisan way. But the No. 1 goal is a big bold plan along the lines of what President Biden has proposed." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I'm not asking to be briefed. That's the Justice Department's independent judgement. This last administration politicized the Justice Department so badly that so many quit, so many left because that's not the role — not the role of a president to say who should be prosecuted, when they should be prosecuted, who should not be prosecuted. That's not the role of the president.' |
| • | "Hearing it all laid out, it's pretty astonishing how much has tangibly changed in Americans' lives in the first 100 days of this presidency." |
| • | "More than a million new jobs. $1400 checks. And most importantly, vaccines now available to every American." |
| • | "It's honestly genuinely rare that a President can give a speech like this 99 days into his term and point to this scale of achievement." |
| • | "Some of that is the good luck of timing, but they've made promises, and then kept them on the biggest stuff they ran on." |
| • | "Veterans, single moms, poor kids, those suddenly without jobs and health care, Biden grounding his speech in plain, non-political, non-ideological language invoking the people he wants to help." |
| • | See related Biden\\\'s Glory (Mike Shelton, 01/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Useful Mediots (Antonio Branco, 03/26/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | See related Mount Surigaffle (Antonio Branco, 07/02/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | See related A Deity (Mike Shelton, 01/04/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "He was way off track. ... He knows that there was no interference with jurors. To say that I'm going to cause an appeal really is not credible." |
| • | "Confrontational does not mean violence," Waters said. |
| • | She said his willingness to show flexibility in negotiations has been "very impressive" and led to the passage of "progressive legislation." |
| • | See related Head Honcho (Antonio Branco, 09/01/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "We ain't in the back of the bus no more," Sharpton said, calling back to Rosa Parks' act of civil disobedience in 1955. "I'd have taken an Apollo rocket if it was available." |
| • | New York Times columnist Paul Krugman suggested on Thursday that the violence that has plagued cities over the past year was a figment of Republicans' imagination. |
| • | "Ma'Khia's TikTok videos show her childhood and joy," the Michigan Democrat wrote on Twitter. "Her smile at the end of the videos just breaks me a little more. It's been maddening to see so many people strip away the fact that a child was killed." |
| • | President Biden's climate czar Kerry, who took heat for flying private to Iceland to receive a climate leadership award in 2019, shared an Earth Day message... |
| • | "As POTUS reminded us, 'We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.' This Earth Day we're working hard to lower our emissions [and] encouraging other countries to do the same. This is how we solve the climate crisis. Together." |
| • | Kerry appears to have flown across the country in a private jet as recently as last month. |
| • | Most notably, when Kerry took his jet to receive a climate leadership award in Iceland, he called it "the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle." |
| • | Like Kerry, United Nations climate envoy Bloomberg has eschewed commercial travel for his emissions-heavy private jet. |
| • | Bloomberg praised the Biden administration ... for announcing a new goal of cutting U.S. greenhouse gas pollution in half by 2030. |
| • | "The Biden administration's new climate goal — to more than halve emissions by 2030 — is an important step that shows it is serious about leading on the climate crisis." |
| • | "Cities, businesses, and other local organizations have been leading the fight and making important progress through groups like America Is All In. Now, they have the chance to go further and faster if the federal government backs them with real resources and support." |
| • | Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who has spoken out about climate change for years, shared an Earth Day message as well. |
| • | "Our planet is in a state of climate emergency. But there's hope if we ActNow. This EarthDay, join me in demanding bold & credible ClimateAction. For ourselves and for future generations." |
| • | However, the actor has also repeatedly drawn criticism for his use of a private jet to attend events. ... DiCaprio was widely mocked for his use of yachts and private planes. |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "Everything we love is at stake," Bush said. "Senate Republicans are using the filibuster to deny our people not just everything we love, but everything we need." |
| • | Bush continued that Americans elected Democrats in Congress "with a mandate to transform this society." |
| • | "We demand an urgent end to the racial, racist Senate procedural — this procedural tool. This tool that blocks us from what we need, what we have to have to survive and to thrive. Blocking us from getting on with the business of protecting the communities that we were elected to serve." |
| • | "There is only one thing that blocks us, and it is a procedure. Now no one across the country cares about procedure." |
| • | More than half of currently sitting Democratic senators signed a letter in 2017 advocating for the preservation of the filibuster. |
| • | In their report on the officer-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio, NBC Nightly News deceptively edited the 911 call to leave out the part where the caller says a girl was "trying to stab us." They also don't show viewers the knife in the attacker's hand just before the shots. |
| • | See related NBC Loses Credibility (Robert Ariail, 02/06/2015) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | The Lakers had issued a statement on Tuesday following Chauvin's conviction saying they were "encouraged" by his guilty verdict. |
| • | "We will continue to use our voice to demand that our nation live up to the promise of liberty, equality, and justice for all." |
| • | "I hope that the filibuster is jettisoned," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said... "It is not a democratic principle that a minority can ... stop the majority. |
| • | "We know that police violence disproportionately impacts Black and Latino people and communities and that Black women and girls like Black men and boys experience higher rates of police violence." |
| • | "... our focus is on working to address systemic racism and implicit bias head on and, of course, to passing laws and legislation that will put much-needed reforms into place at police departments around the country." |
Biden ignores rioting that marred summer of George Floyd protests after Chauvin conviction (Fox 04/21/2021)
Biden, Harris slam 'systemic racism' in US, say Chauvin guilty verdict is 'giant step' toward racial... (Fox 04/20/2021)
| • | "A measure of justice is not the same as equal justice," Harris said. "This verdict brings us a step closer and the fact is we still have work to do. We still must reform the system." "America has a long history of systemic racism." |
| • | "It ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism," Biden said. "Systemic racism — a stain on our nation's soul." |
| • | "The knee on the neck of justice for Black Americans — profound fear and trauma, the pain, exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every single day," Biden said. |
| • | Biden said that the protests "unified people of every race and generation in peace and with purpose to say, 'Enough, enough, enough of these senseless killings.'" |
| • | "This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America," he said. |
| • | Biden touted officers for "testifying against a fellow officer," saying they "should be commended," and the jury who "carried out their civic duty in the midst of an extraordinary moment, under extraordinary pressure." |
| • | Biden said this was a time for the country "to come together to unite as Americans." "We can never be any safe harbor for hate in America," the president said. |
| • | See related Weighing the Options (Antonio Branco, 04/11/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Al Sharpton touts private jet before joining George Floyd's family as Chauvin trial concludes (Fox 04/20/2021)
Pelosi slams Tea Party in new bio, says 'no equivalence' between conservative movement and liberal... (Fox 04/19/2021)
| • | "There is absolutely no equivalence between the dynamism in a political party that has diversity of opinion and obstruction that existed with the Tea Party, who are anti-science and anti-governance." |
| • | "Thank you for the incredible amount of time, support, intelligence, wit, and ingenuity you've shown me during my time at Dalton." |
| • | "I'm truly grateful for the work we've done together. I want the best for Dalton, because I want the best for you." |
| • | See related A Deity (Mike Shelton, 01/04/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | In a statement, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) emphasized that Weiskopf was exercising her First Amendment rights and that it "has stated, consistently, that it does not condone the actions of employees – or anyone – who would target fellow members of the community for expressing their viewpoint." |
| • | Self-described "trained Marxist" and Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors said her recent home purchasing spree was part of living her life "in direct support to Black people" and decried conservative media coverage as "racist and sexist." |
| • | "I think that is a critique that is wanting, and I say that because the way that I live my life is in direct support to Black people, including my Black family members, first and foremost." |
| • | "For so many Black folks who are able to invest in themselves and their community, they choose to invest in their family, and that's what I have chosen to do." |
| • | She blasted "right-wing media" by claiming outlets suggested she had enriched herself through her work with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, saying she has not taken a salary. |
| • | The organization did say she had received $120,000 from her work there for "duties such as serving as spokesperson and engaging in political education work." |
| • | Cullors said her money came from her work as a college professor, TV producer, published author, and a YouTube deal. |
| • | "Organizers should get paid for the work that they do, The fact that the right-wing media is trying to create hysteria around my spending is frankly racist and sexist." |
| • | ... Big Tech appears to be rallying to her defense. Facebook censored a New York Post report on her property purchases on Thursday, even though it didn't reveal her home addresses or other personal information. |
| • | Twitter also temporarily locked out sports writer Jason Whitlock for tweeting a link to a celebrity blog story about the purchase of her $1.4-million home in the wealthy Los Angeles enclave... |
| • | Black Lives Matter issued a forceful statement Tuesday in her defense. "This right-wing offensive not only puts Patrisse, her child and her loved ones in harm's way, it also continues a tradition of terror by [W]hite supremacists against Black activists." |
| • | "Some people will say we are packing the Court," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said. "We're not packing it. We're unpacking it. Senator [Mitch] McConnell and the Republicans packed the court over the last couple of years." |
| • | ... resurfacing Democrats' "We Need Nine" campaign in support of then-Judge Merrick Garland's 2016 nomination, which emphasized the need for nine justices on the high court. |
| • | Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in 2016 that every "day that goes by without a ninth justice is another day the American people's business is not getting done." |
| • | BLM put out a fiery statement defending Cullors this week, suggesting that reporting about her properties "continues a tradition of terror by [W]hite supremacists against Black activists." |
| • | ... determined "that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution." |
| • | "Specifically, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber." |
| • | "This will guide our reporting in MN. While the situation on the ground in Minneapolis is fluid, and there has been violence, it is most accurate at this time to describe what is happening there as 'protests' — not 'riots'." |
| • | "CEOs indicated readiness to act individually and collectively to shore up American democracy and ensure Americans have access to a world class voting system." |
| • | See related Marching (Mike Shelton, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "[T]he knowledge that a crime may have been committed by a Black man does not make CRIME ALERT recipients any safer, but instead endangers Black people in the community, reinforcing the common phenomenon of violence against Black people on the grounds that they look like suspected criminals." |
| • | "If you looked up ‘bipartisan' in the dictionary, I think it would say support from Republicans and Democrats," senior Biden adviser Anita Dunn told... "It doesn't say the Republicans have to be in Congress." |
| • | Biden senior adviser Mike Donilon pointed to the president's new definition of "bipartisan" as "an agenda that unifies the country and appeals across the political spectrum." |
| • | "I think it's a pretty good definition to say you're pursuing an agenda that will unite the country, that will bring Democrats and Republicans together across the country." |
| • | "Presumably, if you have an agenda that is broadly popular with Democrats and Republicans across the country, then you should have elected representatives reflecting that." |
| • | "When I wrote it, everybody said I had no bipartisan support. We're overwhelming bipartisan support with Republican – registered Republican voters," Biden said. |
| • | "And ask around. If you live in a town with a Republican mayor, a Republican county executive, or a Republican governor, ask them how many would rather get rid of the plan. Ask them if it helped them at all." |
| • | The president then added: "I hope Republicans in Congress will join this effort." |
| • | The changing definition of "bipartisan" comes at a time when Democrats have been justifying the substance of the infrastructure bill by redefining the meaning of "infrastructure." |
| • | "Abortion is infrastructure. Gun control is infrastructure. Forced unionization is infrastructure. Whatever the Left wants is infrastructure. You know what's not? Roads & bridges.," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted... |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | The self-described Marxist last month purchased a $1.4 million home on a secluded road a short drive from Malibu in Los Angeles... |
| • | "Did I make a mistake by taking a seat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company? No. Did I display a lack of judgment? No. Would I do it again? No." |
| • | Biden touted his resume before joining Burisma, citing Yale Law School, serving on "a dozen boards" like those for Amtrak and World Food Program U.S., his "expertise on corporate governance" as well as his profession as a lawyer. |
| • | "However, what I didn't take into account was the way in which they would use the perception against my dad, For that, I wouldn't do it again for that reason." |
| • | "Now look, I really don't know and the fact of the matter is, it's a red herring. It is absolutely a red herring. But I am absolutely, I think, within my rights to question anything that comes from the desk of Rudy Giuliani. And so I don't know is the answer." |
| • | The laptop became the center of a political firestorm in the final weeks of the 2020 presidential election after the New York Post published bombshell reports of emails that shed light on Hunter Biden's business dealings overseas. |
| • | However, social media giants and members of the media went to great lengths to prevent the story from being seen. |
| • | See related Biden Bible (Fuller, 12/2020)") cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Election Interference (Antonio Branco, 10/16/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
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Ben Carson blasts Omar's 'disgusting' Georgia-Apartheid comparison, says Biden doesn't understand... (Fox 04/06/2021)
| • | "Our hope is that this boycott will result in changes in the law because we understand that when you restrict people's ability to vote, you create a democracy that isn't fully functioning for all of us," Omar claimed of the new Georgia law, which prohibits electioneering in the vicinity of a poll, expands weekend early voting and strengthens ID requirements for absentee balloting. |
| • | "At the entrance to the meeting, we will verify your registration and request to see your admission ticket and a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver's license or passport." |
| • | "Racist voter suppression laws are now hurting Georgia's voters AND its economy. Georgia Republicans should be ashamed." |
| • | "We would welcome MLB to come to come play the All-Star Game in New York where we are working to make it easier, not harder, to vote." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "If you or anyone in your household identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC), including anyone with Abenaki or other First Nations heritage, all household members who are 16 years or older can sign up to get a vaccine!" |
| • | The state's website advertises "BIPOC household focused clinics" in Northern and Southern Vermont. For the Burlington area, the state offers a vaccination form that specifies eligibility is for BIPOC individuals and members of their household. The first question asks: "Do you identify as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC)? This includes anyone who is non-white." |
| • | Other eligibility categories include people 50 years and older, people 16 years or older with high-risk health conditions, English language learners and people in immigrant/refugee communities, health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities, people who work in the public safety system and school staff and child care workers. |
| • | The immigrant/refugee category similarly offers "community-specific clinics." The categories link to a site describing the state's strategy of "working toward equity." |
NPR issues major correction after falsely claiming Hunter Biden laptop story was 'discredited' by intelligence (Fox 04/02/2021)
| • | "A previous version of this story said U.S. intelligence had discredited the laptop story. U.S. intelligence officials have not made a statement to that effect," the NPR correction stated. |
| • | NPR senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving initially wrote, "The laptop story was discredited by U.S. intelligence and independent investigations by news organizations." |
| • | The updated version of the NPR story said, "Numerous news organizations cast doubt on the credibility of the laptop story." |
| • | Twitter and Facebook famously suppressed sharing of the New York Post's original story about Hunter Biden's laptop last year, in an unprecedented example of Big Tech censorship. |
| • | See related Election Interference (Antonio Branco, 10/16/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "It has been 56 years since the Voting Rights Act became law, yet efforts to disenfranchise Black people and other minorities continue to this day." |
| • | "The ability to vote is one of the most prized fundamental rights in our American democracy, and Amazon supports policies that protect and expand those rights." |
| • | See related Marching (Mike Shelton, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "I think that today's professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that, People look to them, they're leaders. Look at what's happened with the NBA as well. Look at what's happened across the board. The people who've been victimized the most are the people who are the leaders in these various sports and it's just not right." |
| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "I think it's become clear that fairness is overrated ... the idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in." |
| • | "That the sun sets in the west is a fact. Any contrary view does not deserve our time or attention, Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda, in fact, it's just the opposite." |
| • | ... then said "providing an open platform for misinformation, for anyone to come say whatever they want, especially when issues of public health and safety are at stake, can be quite dangerous," before declaring the duty of reporters is to be "fair to the truth." |
| • | "I did nothing unethical, and have never been charged with wrongdoing. In our current political environment, I don't believe it would make any difference if I took that seat or not. I'd be attacked anyway." |
| • | "What I do believe, in this current climate, is that it wouldn't matter what I did or didn't do, The attacks weren't intended for me. They were meant to wound my dad." |
| • | "Knowing all of that now: No, I would not do it again, I wouldn't take the seat on Burisma's board. Trump would have to look elsewhere to find a suitable distraction for his impeachable behavior." |
| • | See related Biden Bible (Fuller, 12/2020)") cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I'm holding the memory of Officer Walsh to the highest standard of policing in terms of a protector to the community, somebody who cares for the community." |
| • | "I feel that I'm living my life in a way that I feel is for the betterment of the people around me,''... |
| • | "I live my life in a way that honors and respects [Officer Walsh's] memory, That is advocating for people who can't advocate for themselves." |
| • | "We are absolutely committed to transparency and providing access to media ... and we're working to get that done as soon as we can." |
| • | "The Trump administration was turning away kids at the border and sending them back on the treacherous journey, or they were ripping kids from the arms of their parents. We're not doing that. We are committed to allowing cameras into the border patrol facilities, absolutely." |
| • | "There was social media outrage, threats and harassment towards me, and by the end of the day, USA TODAY had relieved me of my position as a Race and Inclusion editor." |
| • | "I wish I were more surprised by it, but I'm not. Some part of me has been waiting for this to happen because I can't do the work I do and write the columns I write without invoking the ire and anger of alt-right Twitter." |
| • | "I had always hoped that when that moment inevitably came, USA TODAY would stand by me and my track record of speaking the truth about systemic racism. That, obviously, did not happen." |
| • | "This is not about bias, or keeping personal opinions off of Twitter. It's about challenging whiteness and being punished for it... Like many places, USA TODAY values 'equality and inclusion,' but only as long as it knows its rightful place, which is subservient to [W]hite authority." |
Schumer says Dems were justified in using filibuster that some of them now seek to abolish (Fox 03/25/2021)
| • | "The big difference is that we were always willing to negotiate in a bipartisan way." |
| • | "Mitch McConnell isn't. The bills he puts on the floor, even when he calls them bipartisan, aren't, like the first CARES bill, like the policing bill. There's no discussion, no discussion." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | In 2005, then-senator Obama delivered a speech arguing against ending the filibuster and thereby allowing one party to "change the rules in the middle of the game so that they can make all the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet." |
| • | "If the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to Democratic debate, then the fighting and the bitterness and the gridlock will only get worse," Obama said. |
| • | In a speech he gave at the funeral for civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., in July 2020, Obama said that if the filibuster needed to be eliminated in order to pass civil rights and voting rights legislation, then it should be. |
| • | "And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that's what we should do," Obama said. |
| • | "Every president must be covered with a critical eye, but the constant bias for drama leads to misleading coverage when the Oval Office inhabitant is not drama-prone." |
| • | "The burgeoning number of migrants — including thousands of children — is a legitimate concern and a valid story. But much of the news media seems to be using it to show that they intend to present Biden in just as critical a light as they often did Trump — regardless of whether that's deserved." |
| • | See related Biden\\\'s Glory (Mike Shelton, 01/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Media Swoons for Biden (Gary McCoy, 02/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "This new surge we are dealing with now started with the last administration, but it's our responsibility to deal with it humanely," Biden said... |
| • | See related Undocumented Voter Drive (Antonio Branco, 03/17/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "They don't even understand the nature of the job – the nature of being governor, always, is multiple situations to deal with." |
| • | "I had to deal with Trump as president – talk about distractions – that was a distraction." |
| • | See related A Deity (Mike Shelton, 01/04/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "For 20 years under the direction of President Clinton, the Clinton Foundation has worked to empower girls and women around the world..." |
| • | See related A Tale of Two Bills (Glenn McCoy, 07/09/2015) cartoon from Adult picture album |
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| • | "The shooter's race or ethnicity seems front and center when they aren't white," wrote the Minnesota Democrat. "Otherwise, it's just a mentally ill young man having a bad day." |
| • | "Narratives drive our responses to awful crimes committed against innocent people, pay attention to these responses and who is targeted." |
| • | "It isn't hard to understand why it's so normalized for law enforcement to protect the humanity of white mass murderers and their willingness to continually make excuses them." |
China a rare political issue in polarized times that could see bipartisan cooperation, lawmakers say (Fox 03/22/2021)
| • | "When we can work with our Republican friends, we will," Schumer told reporters last week. |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "What we are seeing is the result of President Trump's dismantlement of the safe and orderly immigration processes that were built over many, many years by presidents of both parties." |
| • | "That's what we are seeing, and that's why it's taking time for us to execute our plans to administer the humanitarian claims of vulnerable children. That's what this is about." |
| • | See related Undocumented Voter Drive (Antonio Branco, 03/17/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Opening the Floodgates (Michael Ramirez, 01/20/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | President Biden fell three times when attempting to board Air Force One on Friday, conjuring up memories of the mainstream media hyperventilating over former President Donald Trump cautiously walking down a ramp last year. |
| • | Reporters and pundits sounded the alarm about Trump's well-being for what they believed were signs of declining health... |
| • | A clip of Trump's cautious walk shared on Twitter by left-wing journalist Aaron Rapar accumulated over 13.1 million views. |
| • | The footage essentially dominated an entire news cycle and liberal pundits even used it as the impetus to question if something was wrong with Trump neurologically. |
| • | Biden even got in on the act, mocking Trump on the campaign trail in a moment that will presumably come back to haunt him. |
| • | "Look at how he steps and look at how I step. Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. Come on," Biden said. |
| • | White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield explained that Biden was uninjured from the triple fall. Another spokesperson said it was due to the strong wind. |
| • | "I know folks have seen that President Biden slipped on his way up the stairs to AF1, but I'm happy to report that he is just fine and did not even require any attention from the medical team who travels with him. Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs." |
| • | "The Biden administration has this under control, It is change and it will take some time, but it is values-based, humanitarian ... [and] pragmatic with a plan to get things done." |
| • | "I guess we can say it's better that John Kerry finally decided to fly commercial as opposed to jetting around in Gulfstreams all around the world when he's trying to supposedly solve the climate crisis." |
| • | ... leaders need to "set a good example if they're going to impose rules on the American people - they should try to follow those rules as well." |
Washington Post opinion piece urges Democrats not to turn Andrew Cuomo into 'another Al Franken' (Fox 03/17/2021)
| • | "New York's Democratic leadership needs to pause and take a deep breath. Otherwise, it risks turning Cuomo into 2021's version of Al Franken, the former Minnesota senator who became a martyr to supposedly unhinged 'political correctness.' And this is the exact wrong thing to do." |
| • | "We recognize this is a big problem," Psaki said during a press briefing with reporters. "The last administration left us a dismantled and unworkable system and, like any other problem, we are going to do all we can to solve it." |
| • | See related Opening the Floodgates (Michael Ramirez, 01/20/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "It's getting to the point where, you know, democracy is having a hard time functioning," Biden said. |
| • | See related Sold! (Mike Shelton, 01/20/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
The View's Joy Behar: Violent left-wing group Antifa is ‘fictitious idea,’ not 'a real thing’ (Fox 03/15/2021)
Kim Gardner, who charged couple for displaying weapons, talks racism, relationship with St. Louis... (Fox 03/15/2021)
| • | "The people of the city of St. Louis overwhelmingly voted me in to do my job to reform a system that we all know is beyond repair, It needs to be dismantled and rebuilt." |
| • | ... Gardner described the encounter between married lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey and the crowd as "a violent assault" against those exercising their First Amendment rights. |
| • | "This is a humanitarian challenge to all of us, What the administration has inherited is a broken system at the border and they are working to correct that." |
| • | See related Opening the Floodgates (Michael Ramirez, 01/20/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "We didn't get good eyes on what was going on until late. Should we have been more aggressive with China and put their feet to the fire? I mean, obviously, history has told us that the president was not interested in doing that," Fauci said of Trump. "He was complimenting them on what a good job they were doing." |
| • | See related Now Giddyup! (Chip Bok, 01/01/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | ... Skidmore College president Mark Connor said: "The student leaders whom our students have elected as their representatives have the right to vote to decide the outcome of this process I encourage all members of our community to exercise their freedom of speech and freedom of association and to engage with each other with patience, courtesy and respect for one another." |
| • | See related Tolerance (Michael Ramirez, 02/06/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | Twitter responded Monday with a federal lawsuit alleging Paxton is seeking to punish it for taking Trump's account offline — a decision the social media company says is protected free speech. |
| • | It asks a judge to declare the decision to be under the ambit of the First Amendment and to, in essence, halt Paxton's investigation. |
| • | "Paxton made clear that he will use the full weight of his office, including his expansive investigatory powers, to retaliate against Twitter for having made editorial decisions with which he disagrees." |
| • | In launching his investigation, Paxton cited the First Amendment when he says tech companies' banishment of Trump "chills free speech" and "wholly silences" those who disagree with them. |
| • | See related Unabomber II (Mike Shelton, 01/19/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | See related Twitter Evolution (Gary Varvel, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "Friendly reminder: If you are planning any trips for Spring Break, please keep that off of Social Media. It is hard to argue that it is unsafe for in-person instruction, if parents and the public see vacation photos and international travel." |
| • | "I think my last message went on too long. What I was saying is that I think that the cancel culture is getting out of hand." |
| • | "There are people that deserve to be punished for what they have done but not everybody should be punished in the same way... Not everybody should be punished in the same way. Even the criminal justice system recognizes that." |
| • | "... I think cancel culture is creating more problems than it solves. It's like trolling. It's like a giant mile-long net and you're catching a lot of people, many of them deserve it and a few of them, more than a few, who don't. Or they don't' deserve to have their careers and their lives destroyed." |
| • | "The Attorney General is going to investigate accusations against a Governor. Then, and only then, can we talk about people resigning." |
| • | See related MeToo for Dummies (Mike Lester, 07/24/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | An aide implicated in embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nursing home scandal taught an "ethics in government" class at the New York University School of Law. |
| • | Linda Lacewell, superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services, was one of several Cuomo aides who reportedly altered nursing home data to undercount coronavirus deaths... |
| • | The full name of Lacewell's class was "Ethics in Government: Investigation and Enforcement," according to the university website. |
De Blasio pounces on Cuomo scandals: 'He cannot govern' if claims are true (Fox 03/03/2021)
Liberal journalists, pundits delete fawning Cuomo tweets, backtrack on unified pandemic praise (Fox 03/03/2021)
Pelosi tweet from 2015 shows her on panel with Cuomo discussing sexual misconduct (Fox 03/02/2021)
Ex-CIA Director Brennan says he's 'increasingly embarrassed to be a white male' (Fox 03/01/2021)
| • | "It just shows that with very few exceptions, like Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, there are so few Republicans in Congress who value truth, honesty, and integrity." |
| • | "And so, they'll continue to gaslight the country the way that Donald Trump did." |
US Soccer council member removed over speech against repealing anthem-kneeling ban (Fox 03/01/2021)
| • | ... had removed Jahn because he "violated the prohibited conduct's policy section on harassment, which prohibits racial or other harassment based upon a person's protected status (race), including any verbal act in which race is used or implied in a manner which would make a reasonable person uncomfortable. The athlete's council does not tolerate this type of language and finds it incompatible with membership on the council. While the council understands that each person has a right to his or her own opinion, there are certain opinions that go beyond the realm of what is appropriate or acceptable." |
| • | "I would never shut up about things that are wrong," James said Friday. "I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social injustice, racism, systematic voter suppression, things that go on in our community. I know what's going on still, because I have a group of 300-plus kids at my school that's going through the same thing, and they need a voice, and I'm their voice." |
| • | "I'll use my platform to continue to shed light on everything that's going on around this country and around the world, There's no way I would ever just stick to sports, because I understand how powerful this platform and my voice is." |
| • | See related LeBron James Sports Basketball (Sean Delonas, 06/02/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "To Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and all survivors of sexual assault, we believe you and we will fight for you. The sham FBI investigation and the bigger sham, this confirmation process, have energized us to fight even harder for our shared vision for a better future for all." |
| • | "While extreme conservatives in Washington try to take this nation backward, New York will lead the way forward." |
| • | "This year, the Democratic Majority passed H.R. 1, the For The People Act, which works to end to partisan gerrymandering by requiring all states to establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions to draw open and transparent statewide district maps after each Census," Pelosi said in June 2019. |
| • | "We will continue to fight partisan gerrymandering, ensure every citizen's vote counts and oppose any attempt to compromise the integrity of our democracy." |
| • | See related Twister (Glenn McCoy, 04/23/2015) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "This is not kids being kept in cages," Psaki continued. "This is a facility that was opened that is going to follow the same standards as other HHS facilities. It is not a replication. Certainly not." |
| • | "That's never our intention — of replicating immigration policies of the past administration." |
| • | See related Fixed It! (Mike Shelton, 02/10/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "The adoption, by the General Assembly in 1947, of resolution 181 (II) on the partition of the land of Palestine and the establishment of the Zionist entity was itself in violation of provisions of the United Nations Charter, as well as of the rules of international law." |
| • | At the U.N. in 1989, Mahallati defended the first Palestinian intifada — a series of violent protests and riots against the Jewish state — as "the heroic uprising of Palestinians." |
| • | Palestinians are setting an example for Arabs and Muslims across the world with respect to the "holy struggle against oppression and Zionism," Mahallati said at the U.N., also in 1989. |
| • | "Palestine is an Islamic territory, an Islamic heritage, and it remains an Islamic point of identity. The land of Palestine is the platform of the ascension of the Prophet Mohammad; its significance is that it contains the first kiblah direction?towards which Muslims prayed. Its occupation by Zionist usurpers is a transgression against all Muslims of the world and its liberation is therefore a great religious obligation and commitment." |
| • | ... Mahallati would later claim... "[I] dedicated my life to research, teaching and writing about peace and friendship." |
| • | "I haven't thought about that question. I just haven't thought about that question, I think the president has made clear that we are a country with borders and with a concern about national security. I don't know if a proposal to decriminalize but still make it unlawful to re-enter. I just don't know the answer to that question. I haven't thought about it." |
| • | "Would an individual's past statements as an adult declaring that one racial group is superior to another, would statements like that be relevant to an evaluation of whether such a person should be put in charge of running the Department of Justice's civil rights division?" Lee asked the attorney general nominee. |
| • | "I've read, in the last few days, these allegations about Kristen Clarke, who I've also gotten to know, who I also trust, who I believe is a person of integrity, whose views about the civil rights division I have discussed with her and they are in line with my own," Garland said in response. |
| • | "I have every reason to want her. She is an experienced former line prosecutor of hate crimes and we need somebody like that," Garland said before being interrupted by Lee. |
| • | "I'm not asking about her as a person, I'm asking about the statement," Lee said. |
| • | "All I can tell you is that I've had many conversations with her about her views about the civil rights division, about what type of matters she would investigate," Garland said. |
| • | "What about anti-Semitic comments. Would those be relevant?" Lee said. |
| • | Garland, who earlier detailed his own family's experiences with anti-Semitism, grew visibly angry following that question. |
| • | "You know my views on anti-Semitism. No one needs to question those," Garland said. "I'm a pretty good judge of what an anti-Semite is and I do not believe that she is an anti-Semite and I do not believe that she is discriminatory in any sense." |
| • | "House Democrats are united in our steadfast commitment to advance transformational anti-corruption and clean election reforms by swiftly passing H.R. 1." |
| • | "Our historic reform effort will end decades of dysfunction in Washington, return power to the people and build a more just, equitable and prosperous country for all Americans." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "If you know anything about Chinese history, it has always been, the time when China has been victimized by the outer world, is when they haven't been unified at home." |
| • | "The central principle of Xi Jinping is that there must be a united tightly-controlled China." |
| • | "Culturally, there are different norms in each country and their leaders are expected to follow." |
| • | See related Foreign Affairs (Antonio Branco, 05/16/2019) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | See related Anybody Home? (Mike Shelton, 02/03/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "It's weird when you're, you know, saying that the election was stolen without any facts there. And how corrosive that is." |
| • | ... we remove the word "alien" from the immigration code and replace it with "non citizen," Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, who is spearheading the effort to get the bill through the Senate, said last month. |
| • | See related Operation Warped Deeds (Antonio Branco, 12/10/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "There's no question... that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day." |
| • | "The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president. And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth." |
| • | "These criminals were carrying his banners. Hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him. It was obvious that only President Trump could end this... Former aides publicly begged him to do so. Loyal allies frantically called the administration. The president did not act swiftly. He did not do his job... Instead according to public reports he watched television happily as the chaos unfolded, kept pressing his scheme to overturn the election." |
| • | "President Trump is still liable for everything he did while in office. He didn't get away with anything yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation." |
| • | See related Evolution (Mike Shelton, 01/08/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Congratulation (Mike Shelton, 12/18/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "What we saw in that Senate today was a cowardly group of Republicans who apparently have no options, because they were afraid to defend their job, respect the institution in which they serve." |
| • | See related Tantrum! (Mike Shelton, 01/14/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Nikki Haley says Trump 'let us down' (Fox 02/12/2021)
| • | "I think what we need to do is take the good that he built, leave the bad that he did, and get back to a place where we can be a good, valuable, effective party..." |
| • | See related Evolution (Mike Shelton, 01/08/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... a senior Cuomo adviser, placed some of the blame on the Trump administration. |
| • | "We explained that the Trump administration was in the midst of a politically motivated effort to blame Democratic states for COVID deaths." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | DeRosa claimed the cover-up was a direct response to former President Trump's criticism of Cuomo's handling of the pandemic. |
| • | "He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes," she said. "He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer." |
| • | "We were in a position," DeRosa added, "where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys ... was going to be used against us." |
| • | See related Flattened the Curve... (Mike Shelton, 09/11/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "My dear colleagues, is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he's ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?" |
| • | "Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that? Would you bet the safety of your family on that? Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?" |
| • | "So if he gets back into office and it happens again, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves." |
| • | "You know, I'm not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years, I'm afraid he's going to run again and lose. Because he could do this again." |
| • | "I'm focused on my job... to deal with the promises I made, And we all know we have to move on." |
| • | See related Biden Executive Orders (Gary McCoy, 01/26/2021) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | ... the impeachment managers spent hours attempting to convince enough senators to convict the former president that he incited the insurrection on Capitol Hill last month. Much of their argument relied on Trump's rhetoric, including when he told his supporters on the National Mall on Jan. 6 to "fight like hell." |
| • | The Trump campaign account pointed to a "FLASHBACK" of Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the leading impeachment manager, who said during a 2019 interview with The Atlantic he'd "fight like hell" for the Constitution on the subject of the conservative-controlled Supreme Court and judiciary. |
| • | A tweet made by Raskin from September 2020 urges his Twitter followers to "fight like hell" amid the Supreme Court battle following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. |
| • | In 2017, Raskin similarly said, "We've to wake up every day and fight like hell for liberal democracy, not just in Maryland, not just in the United States, but all over the world..." |
| • | During the Russia invesigation, Raskin also tweeted, "This is our Democracy — fight for it." |
| • | Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., who has been widely praised as the breakout star of the impeachment trial, was similarly called out by the Trump campaign for a tweet from April 2018 touting the endorsement of then-Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. |
| • | "Humbled to have the support of such a fearless leader as we fight to take back Congress and make Colorado history!" Neguse exclaimed. |
| • | "I'll fight like hell to make sure that we see this report whether it's organizing again, whether it's using my lungs, whether it's out-maneuvering with our minds, the American people are going to see this report," Swalwell told Don Lemon about the Mueller report. |
| • | ... retweeted criticism at Swalwell's appointment as an impeachment manager by pointing to his dismissal of the threats Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, received amid the bitter Supreme Court confirmation battle of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. |
| • | "Boo hoo hoo," Swalwell reacted. "You're a senator who police will protect. A sexual assault victim can't sleep at home tonight because of threats. Where are you sleeping? She's on her own while you and your @SenateGOP colleagues try to rush her through a hearing." |
| • | Trump's team also knocked Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who in a November 2017 exchange with another Twitter user appeared to dismiss former First Lady Michelle Obama's 2016 mantra of "When they go low, we go high." |
| • | "I like that. But I like better, 'when they go low, we fight back,'" Lieu responded. |
| • | "With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming back fans into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy." |
| • | "We respect and always have respect the passion people have for the anthem and our country, I have always stood for the anthem with the hand over my heart - no matter where I hear it played." |
| • | "But we also hear the voices of those who do not feel the anthem represents them. We feel they also need to be respected and heard, because they have not been heard. The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them." |
| • | See related Playing on Their Knees Now (Mike Lester, 08/11/2020) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I wish he hadn't done that on the first day because the Laborers International [Union] is right." |
| • | "It did and will cost us jobs in the process. I wish he had paired that more carefully with the thing he did second by saying, 'Here's where we're creating jobs.'"... |
| • | See related Keystone Jobs (Mike Shelton, 01/25/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related John Kerry\\\'s World (Mike Shelton, 01/29/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "We enforce our Community Guidelines considently, regardless of speaker and without regard to political viewpoints. In accordance with our COVID-19 misinformation policy, we removed the two videos in question." |
| • | See related Marching (Mike Shelton, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "All around me, people were calling their wives and their husbands, their loved ones, to say goodbye," Raskin said. |
| • | Raskin stopped several times to compose himself during the speech. |
| • | "Senators, this cannot be our future. This cannot be the future of America," Raskin said. |
| • | "We cannot have presidents inciting and mobilizing mob violence against our government and our institutions because they refuse to accept the will of the power under the constitution of the United States, much less can we create a new January exception in our precious, beloved Constitution that prior generations have died for and fought for so that corrupt presidents have several weeks to get away with whatever it is they want to do." |
| • | "My intention and solemn obligation is to conduct this trial with fairness to all, Should a motion, objection, request, or application related to the procedure of the Senate or to the trial be put before me, I will consult with the Parliamentarian and be guided by Senate precedent." |
| • | "Those who say 'let's move on, that brings unity,' are false. When you had such a serious invasion of the Capitol. Incited by a president, who we know ... told people the election was false, told people to come to Washington, urged people to march to the Capitol." |
| • | "When you have such a serious charge, sweeping it under the rug will not bring unity. It will keep the sore open, the wounds open." |
| • | "I particularly urge my Republican colleagues, despite the pressure on them, to pay very real attention to the evidence here, because it's very, very serious. Every senator, Democrat and Republican, has to approach this trial with the gravity it deserves." |
| • | "A mob of white supremacists and insurrections and domestic terrorists falsely believed the election was stolen and tried to overthrow the government. And as I said, the trial is about whether the president — the man chiefly responsible, feeding the mob with the lies that motivated their behavior, who told them to come to D.C., directed them at the Capitol — is guilty of inciting violence." |
| • | See related It’s What’s For Dinner (Antonio Branco, 12/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... went on to give examples of "a few of the thousands of negative public statements" Tanden has made. These included her calling Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, "the worst" and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a "fraud," saying that "vampires have more heart than Ted Cruz," and referring to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as "Moscow Mitch" and "Voldemort," referring to the Harry Potter villain. |
| • | "I wonder, specifically, how do you plan to mend fences and build relationships with members of Congress you have attacked through your public statements?" |
| • | "I recognize the concern, I deeply regret and apologize for my language — some of my past language. I recognize that this role is a bipartisan role, and I know I have to earn the trust of senators across the board. I will work very aggressively to meet that concern." |
| • | "For those concerned about my rhetoric and my language, you know, I'm sorry and I'm sorry for any hurt that they've caused." |
| • | "I deleted tweets because I regretted my tone and I've deleted tweets over many months." |
| • | "The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack," Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said of her vote to impeach Trump last month. |
| • | "Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the president." |
| • | Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., predicted ... that the impeachment managers will "make a great presentation." |
| • | "Well, first of all, I know that our impeachment managers are going to do a terrific job. If you take a look at the briefs that they've already exposed somewhat, you will see that they have the information. They have the facts. And they have connected the dots." |
| • | ... comments Waters made previously about what people should do if they see Trump officials in public. |
| • | "They're not going to be able to go to a restaurant, they're not going to be able to stop at a gas station, they're not going to be able to shop at a department store," she said. |
| • | "The people are going to turn on them, they're going to protest, they're going to absolutely harass them." |
| • | Waters ... however, said she has "absolutely" never glorified violence. |
| • | See related Evolution (Mike Shelton, 01/08/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related What Have I Done to Mytself? (Fuller 2018), ) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | ... you certainly don't stop the process because you fear it might anger some people and prompt more violence. |
| • | We need to send a message to future leaders that words have serious consequences and that true leaders must lead by example and put country over party. |
| • | "As a matter of fact, if you look at the words that I used, the strongest thing I said was tell them they're not welcome," Watters claimed. |
| • | "[I said] Talk to them. Tell them they're not welcome. I didn't say go and fight. I didn't say anybody was going to have any violence. And so they can't make that stick." |
| • | "They're not going to be able to go to a restaurant, they're not going to be able to stop at a gas station, they're not going to be able to shop at a department store," Waters said at the time. |
| • | "The people are going to turn on them, they're going to protest, they're going to absolutely harass them." |
| • | Waters showed little remorse during Sunday's interview, however, urging Republicans to distance from Trump... |
| • | "The Republicans should be afraid, not only about the destruction of our democracy but if they continue to support him and allowed themselves to be guided by him, they're going to have to live with a president that dictates to them every vote they can take, every vote they cannot take." |
| • | "He's going to be in their primaries. They will be owned by this dishonorable human being." |
| • | See related Call to Arms (Mike Shelton, 06/26/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related What Have I Done to Mytself? (Fuller 2018), ) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Twitter's civic integrity policy states, "You may not use Twitter's services for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes." |
| • | See related Unabomber II (Mike Shelton, 01/19/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | See related Twitter Evolution (Gary Varvel, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
Time report touts 'cabal of of powerful people' behind 'conspiracy,' 'shadow campaign' to shape... (Fox 02/06/2021)
| • | A report published by Time magazine Friday has delved into a "secret shadow campaign" that, in the publication's words, "saved the 2020 election." |
| • | ... the "second odd thing" that happened after the election was that "corporate America turned on" Trump. |
| • | "It was all very, very strange... Within days after the election, we witnessed an orchestrated effort to anoint the winner, even while many key states were still being counted," Ball quoted Trump as saying Dec. 2. |
| • | "In a way, Trump was right. There was a conspiracy unfolding behind the scenes, one that both curtailed the protests and coordinated the resistance from CEOs. Both surprises were the result of an informal alliance between left-wing activists and business titans. The pact was formalized in a terse, little-noticed joint statement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO published on Election Day. Both sides would come to see it as a sort of implicit bargain – inspired by the summer's massive, sometimes destructive racial-justice protests – in which the forces of labor came together with the forces of capital to keep the peace and oppose Trump's assault on democracy." |
| • | "Their work touched every aspect of the election. They got states to change voting systems and laws and helped secure hundreds of millions in public and private funding. They fended off voter-suppression lawsuits, recruited armies of poll workers and got millions of people to vote by mail for the first time. They successfully pressured social media companies to take a harder line against disinformation and used data-driven strategies to fight viral smears. They executed national public-awareness campaigns that helped Americans understand how the vote count would unfold over days or weeks, preventing Trump's conspiracy theories and false claims of victory from getting more traction. After Election Day, they monitored every pressure point to ensure that Trump could not overturn the result." |
| • | The report described American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CFO) political director Mike Podhorzer as the "architect" of this effort, in partnership with "resistance" organizations. |
| • | "That's why the participants want the secret history of the 2020 election told, even though it sounds like a paranoid fever dream – a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information." |
| • | "They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. And they believe the public needs to understand the system's fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures." |
| • | See related Steal Team Six (Antonio Branco, 10/20/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Helping Biden (Gary Varvel, 11/08/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Jason Chaffetz: Biden and the media – here's how lack of transparency hurts Americans (Fox 02/04/2021)
| • | ... promise of New York Times writer Cliff Levy back in November, when he tweeted, "Core to the @nytimes mission: We will scrutinize the incoming administration just as thoroughly as we did the outgoing one." |
| • | ... incredulous observation in 2016 of CNN's Chris Cillizza, who said, "Let me say for the billionth time: Reporters don't root for a side. Period." |
| • | See related Biden\\\'s Glory (Mike Shelton, 01/22/2021) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "They will do so guided by their great love of country, determination to protect our democracy and loyalty to our oath to the Constitution," Pelosi said. |
| • | "Our Managers will honor their duty to defend democracy For The People with great solemnity, prayerfulness and urgency." |
| • | See related Tantrum! (Mike Shelton, 01/14/2021) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Donald Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred – democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press." |
| • | "There's a straight line from his wanton disregard for the truth to the attacks on journalists perpetrated by his followers." |
| • | "Our most important role as a union is the protection of our members. The unfortunate truth is, this individual's words and actions over the past four years have presented actual harm to our broadcast journalist members." |
| • | "The board's resolution addresses this effort to undermine freedom of the press and reaffirms the principles on which our democratic society rests, and which we must all work to protect and preserve." |
| • | Simon & Schuster is the same publishing company that dropped Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., from a book deal after a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol. |
| • | "We musty defeat political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism, For so many in our nation, this is a dark, dark time." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | ... defended his high-pollution ride at the time, calling it "the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle"... |
| • | Kerry received the award, which took the form of an iceberg sculpture, for being "a consistent voice pressuring the American authorities to commit to tackle environmental matters." |
| • | "I've been involved with this fight for years. I negotiated with [Chinese] President Xi to bring President Xi to the table so we could get Paris. And, I believe, the time it takes me to get somewhere, I can't sail across the ocean. I have to fly, meet with people and get things done," Kerry said, sidestepping the fact that he chose a private jet over a commercial flight. |
| • | "But, what I'm doing, almost full time, is working to win the battle on climate change, and in the end, if I offset and contribute my life to do this, I'm not going to be put on the defensive." |
| • | Private jets have been estimated to emit upward of 40 times as much carbon per passenger as commercial flights. |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "In his first day, President Biden has already issued a number of executive orders on areas that we as a company really care quite deeply about." |
| • | "I think that these were all important and positive steps, and I am looking forward to opportunities where Facebook is going to be able to work together with this new administration on some of their top priorities, starting with the COVID response." |
| • | See related Marching (Mike Shelton, 01/11/2021) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "Studies have shown that most of the demonstrations organised by Black Lives Matter have been peaceful," Eide said. |
| • | "Of course there have been incidents, but most of them have been caused by the activities of either the police or counter-protestors." |
| • | See related Can't Breathe (Sean Delonas, 06/2020) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "This sort of targeting and incitement is simply wrong, and totally unacceptable." |
| • | See related What Have I Done to Mytself? (Fuller 2018), ) cartoon from Politics picture album |
Cuomo blames nursing home scandal on 'political attack' by Trump admin (Fox 01/29/2021)
| • | "Everybody did the best they could, If you think there was a mistake, then go talk to the federal government, It's not about pointing fingers or blame, this became a political football." |
| • | "Whether a person died in a hospital or died in a nursing home, people died. People died, ...The same people are dying today. Ninety-six percent of the people who died are older people with comorbidities, which happens to be the population that lives in nursing homes. It's continuing today, even with all the testing we're doing. If you look at New York state, we have a lower percentage of deaths in nursing homes than other states. One-third of all deaths in this nation are in nursing homes." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "This state, I'm very proud of what New Yorkers have done, because they have rallied. We were ambushed like no other state, ... and again, it was from federal incompetence." |
| • | "Incompetent government kills people. More people died than needed to die in COVID. That's the truth." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | See related Flattened the Curve... (Mike Shelton, 09/11/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "The most exciting thing about this is we're not asking for sacrifice here. The president fully understands that people are suffering now. So this all about recovering from the COVID crisis. This all about building good, clean jobs, jobs where you can get access to jobs to good pay and unions." |
| • | "One of Bernie Sanders' supporters came to the ballfield, nearly killed Steve Scalise ... but nobody talked about impeaching Bernie Sanders. Maxine Waters has said, 'Get up in their face' — so has Cory Booker — 'Become a mob, we want you to mob them at restaurants and cause mayhem.' That sounds like an incitement to violence but nobody's talking about impeaching Maxine Waters, nobody's talking about impeaching Bernie Sanders or Cory Booker for saying 'Get up in their face.'" |
| • | "So it's a significant hypocrisy and double standard that they're putting forward and they should be called out on it. Nobody should be shy about calling them out on their hypocrisy." |
| • | "We want to give credit to everyone involved in this vaccine effort and the prior administration and the science community and the medical sphere ... for getting the program off the ground. That credit is absolutely due." |
| • | Biden quickly added, however, that in the final days of the transition his team discovered "the vaccine program [was] in worse shape than we anticipated or expected." The president alluded to a lack of cooperation from the former administration. |
| • | Swalwell insisted that the FBI said he did nothing wrong ... pointed out how he has maintained the trust of his Democrat colleagues by noting how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has kept him on the House Intelligence Committee. |
| • | "... Republicans were briefed on this conduct, that this individual was trying to do with me and many other members of Congress, back in 2015, I think this is retaliation more than anything else." |
| • | See related Top Secret (Mike Shelton, 12/11/2020) cartoon from Adult picture album |
| • | "When presiding over an impeachment trial, the president pro tempore takes an additional special oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws, It is an oath that I take extraordinarily seriously." |
| • | "When I preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, I will not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws." |
| • | "Leader McConnell must agree to hold this trial without delay, For the good of the country, he must lead his party in voting to convict President Trump and to prevent him from holding future office. Both parties must send a unified message across the ages: no authoritarians are welcome in the halls of the world's greatest democracy." |
| • | "The president has been clear that he felt the Muslim ban was xenophobic, He overturned the Muslim ban. He also, though, has supported steps, travel restrictions in order to keep the American people safe, to ensure that we are getting the pandemic under control. That's been part of his policy, but he was critical of the former president for having a policy that was not more comprehensive than travel restrictions." |
| • | "While it was within Senators' rights to object to the electors, the conduct of Senators Cruz and Hawley... went beyond that. Both senators announced their intention to object to the electors after baseless claims of election fraud, which upon information and belief they knew to be baseless, had led to threats of violence." |
| • | "Their actions lend credence to the insurrectionists' cause and set the stage for future violence. And both senators used their objections for political fundraising." |
| • | The Democrats' complaint also raised questions about whether there was "communication or coordination between Sens. Hawley and Cruz and the organizers of the rally." |
| • | See related Torquemada (Antonio Branco, 01/21/2021) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I think the trial is stupid, I think it's counterproductive," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. He said that "the first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I'll do it" because he believes it would be bad for the country and further inflame partisan divisions. |
| • | An early vote to dismiss the trial probably would not succeed, given that Democrats now control the Senate. |
| • | Still, the Republican opposition indicates that many GOP senators would eventually vote to acquit Trump. Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans — a high bar — to convict him. |
| • | When the House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, exactly one week after the siege, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said he didn't believe the Senate had the constitutional authority to convict Trump after he had left office. |
| • | On Sunday, Cotton said "the more I talk to other Republican senators, the more they're beginning to line up" behind that argument. |
| • | "I think a lot of Americans are going to think it's strange that the Senate is spending its time trying to convict and remove from office a man who left office a week ago." |
| • | Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he believes a trial is a "moot point" after a president's term is over, "and I think it's one that they would have a very difficult time in trying to get done within the Senate." |
| • | And Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had tweeted on Saturday: "If it is a good idea to impeach and try former Presidents, what about former Democratic Presidents when Republicans get the majority in 2022? Think about it and let's do what is best for the country." |
| • | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gone on record praising the storming of the Capitol as an "impressive show of democracy in action" — the 2011 invasion of the Madison, Wis., state capitol, that is. |
| • | Thousands of demonstrators managed to enter the building by violently breaking down doors and shattering windows — but the attack garnered much praise from Pelosi and other prominent Democrats at the time. |
| • | The occupiers were praised publically by Pelosi for their "impressive show of democracy in action." The House Speaker took to Twitter to express her "solidarity" with the activists as they attacked the Capitol, and sent senators into hiding until police managed to remove them from the building. |
| • | "Well, we're certainly going to have a trial. I wish that weren't necessary, but the president's conduct with regards to the call to Secretary of State Raffensperger in Georgia as well as the incitation towards the insurrection that led to the attack on the Capitol call for a trial." |
| • | "And, you know, if we're going to have unity in our country, I think it's important to recognize the need for accountability, for truth and justice." |
| • | "I think it's pretty clear that over the last year or so there has been an effort to corrupt the election in the United States." |
| • | "It was not by President Biden, it was by President Trump. ... That corruption we saw with regards to the conduct in Ukraine, as well as the call to Secretary of State Raffensperger, as well as the incitation to insurrection. This is obviously very serious and an attack on the very foundation of our democracy and is something which has to be considered and resolved." |
| • | See related The New Maverick (Antonio Branco, 02/12/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "We believe that rebuilding the dignity of America requires that we recommit ourselves to the tradition of due process, mercy, and judicial clemency when it comes to matters related to the criminal legal system." |
| • | "For this reason, we urge you to immediately commute the sentences of all those on death row." |
| • | For the country to find "accountability and healing" ... Americans must "first acknowledge the moral depravity of federal executions." |
| • | The congresswomen advocated for a justice system that seeks to "rehabilitate and restore" rather than "penalize and execute." |
| • | "Like slavery and lynching did before it, the death penalty perpetuates cycles of trauma, violence and state-sanctioned murder in Black and brown communities." |
| • | "... there's nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months." |
| • | "Last night I made an error of judgment and tweeted this. It was sharp sarcasm, but looked like a call for violence. That's always wrong, even as a joke." |
| • | "It was especially wrong at a moment when unity and peace are so critical. I'm deeply sorry and vow not to repeat the mistake." |
| • | "... As such, the Niskanen Center has, with a heavy heart, parted ways with Will Wilkinson. We thank him for his valuable contributions to the organization and wish him success in his future endeavors." |
Tale of two briefings: Jen Psaki treated much differently by press than Sean Spicer (Fox 01/21/2021)
Media members declare return of reality, truth with Biden presidency (Fox 01/20/2021)
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "It requires the most elusive of all things in democracy – unity," he said, adding that his "whole soul is in this." |
| • | "Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation," Biden continued. "And I ask every American to join me in this cause." |
| • | Biden said the country must "fight the foes we face," which he said includes "anger, resentment and hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness, hopelessness." |
| • | "With unity, we can do great things – important things," he said. "We can right wrongs." |
| • | "For without unity, there is no peace – only bitterness and fury, No nation – only a state of chaos." |
| • | "Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path, Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for a total war, and we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated, and even manufactured." |
| • | "I pledge this to you – I will be a president for all Americans, and I promise you, I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did." |
| • | See related Speech on Unity (Mike Lester, 11/13/2020) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Make no Apologies (Michael Ramirez, 06/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | Joe Biden is providing bold and aggressive presidential leadership in an unprecedented moment of crisis for our country. |
| • | I hope that Republicans are ready to work to build a better future for the American people alongside — not merely in opposition to — their Democratic fellow Americans. Our country needs our leaders to rise to this moment together. |
| • | Together we can ensure that America not only survives the challenges we have faced in the past year, but that we come out the other side stronger and more unified than ever. |
| • | For this, we must all find ways to pray for our country and join hands for the work ahead. |
| • | See related Mourning in America (Michael Ramirez, 11/10/2020) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | Biden will also sign an executive order to "restore and maintain public trust and government," and will order every appointee in the executive branch to sign the "ethics pledge," which will ensure that employees act in the interest of the American people and not for personal gain. |
| • | See related Biden Bible (Fuller, 12/2020)") cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The mob was fed lies," McConnell said. "They were provoked by the president and other powerful people." |
| • | "...But we pressed on. We stood together and said an angry mob would not get veto power over the rule of law in our nation, not even for one night." |
| • | "Once he leaves office, do we really expect him to change his tune and accept the truth?" Schumer said. |
| • | "Of course not. He will continue spreading lies about the election and stoking the grievances of his most radical supporters. Using the prospect of a future presidential run to poison the public arena." |
| • | "Donald Trump should not be eligible to run for office ever again, All of us want to put this awful chapter in our nation's history behind us." |
| • | ... it's "important to understand that Israel is a racist state in that they would deny Palestinians like my grandmother access to a vaccine; that they don't believe that she's an equal human being that deserves to live, deserves to be protected by this global pandemic." |
| • | "It's really hard to watch as this apartheid state continues to deny their own neighbors, the people that breathe the same air they breathe, that live in the same communities." |
| • | "I hope our country sees what the Palestinians have been trying to tell us for a very long time: that Israel has no intention of ever being caring or allowing equality or freedom for them as their neighbors. And you can see it with the distribution of the vaccines." |
| • | "Trump and Congressional Republicans continue to display their disdain for the Constitution by challenging the Electoral College vote count while the world watches in horror," Waters said... |
| • | "Today, some Republicans in the House and Senate will make a mockery of our democracy in their attempts to undo the will of the people." |
| • | Waters continued, saying, "Each member who moves forward with this ploy will be remembered for their willingness to subvert democracy." |
| • | "The 12th Amendment obligates each and every one of us to count the electoral votes, to recognize the will of the people in the 2020 presidential election," Raskin said. |
| • | "We are not here, Madam Speaker, to vote for the candidate we want. We are here to recognize the candidate the people actually voted for in the states. Madam Speaker, the 2020 election is over, and the people have spoken." |
| • | This was a different attitude than the one Raskin had four years ago. "I would love to challenge the Electoral College vote because our election was badly tainted by everything from cyber-sabotage by Vladimir Putin, to deliberate voter suppression by Republicans in numerous swing states." |
| • | McGovern acknowledged his own objection in 2017 before Republicans did the same this year. "I was the first Democrat to object to the Electoral College tally in 2017." |
| • | "What some Republicans are planning for tomorrow is not the same. It's an attempted coup that could damage the fabric of our democracy for generations to come." |
| • | See related What Have I Done to Mytself? (Fuller 2018), ) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related The New Maverick (Antonio Branco, 02/12/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... Manchin said the senators' insistence on objecting to Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes even after supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol was "totally unconscionable" and triggering the 14th Amendment is now an option. |
| • | The third section of the amendment states that no lawmaker holding office "shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." |
| • | Congress may "by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability," the section states. |
| • | "That those people should never hold public office, they should never have the public microphone, they should never be allowed to be in a position of power or of decision-making, or purpose, because they're going to serve themselves." |
| • | "There must never be a narrowly voted impeachment or an impeachment supported by one of our major political parties and opposed by the other," Nadler said when Clinton was in office. |
| • | "Such an impeachment will produce a divisiveness and bitterness in our politics for years to come and will call into question the very legitimacy of our political institutions." |
| • | ... Nadler said politically motivated impeachments "call into question the very legitimacy of our political institutions" when President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, faced such a threat from House Republicans. |
| • | "The effect of impeachment is to overturn the popular will of the voters," Nadler said on the House floor during the Clinton impeachment hearings more than 20 years ago. |
| • | "We must not overturn an election and remove a president from office except to defend our system of government or constitutional liberties against a dire threat, and we must not do so without an overwhelming consensus of the American people." |
| • | ... Nadler had a very different reaction to plotting against the U.S. Capitol when he pushed for a pardon for former Weather Underground member Susan Rosenberg. In 1988, Rosenberg was charged for her role in the 1983 Senate bombing that killed no one but caused roughly $250,000 in damage (the charges were later dropped). |
| • | She was already in prison because of her connection to a robbery that resulted in the murder of two police officers and faced a 58-year sentence before she was pardoned thanks to Nadler's help... |
| • |  |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | ... due to her "public assertions about voter fraud in November's presidential election that have no basis in evidence." |
| • | "She has made public statements about court actions related to the election that are incorrect." |
| • | "Moreover, these assertions and statements do not reflect policy disagreements but bear on the foundations of the electoral process through which this country's leaders are chosen." |
Biden: Trump 'not above the law. Justice serves the people — it doesn’t protect the powerful' (Fox 01/09/2021)
Oregon Dem apologizing for comparing new Trump impeachment to a 'lynching' (Fox 01/09/2021)
| • | "Comparing the impeachment of a treasonous President who encouraged white supremacists to violently storm the Capitol to a 'lynching' is shameful and indefensible." |
| • | "Comparing a lynching to holding the president accountable is hurtful and insensitive, and ignores the overt White supremacy on display during the insurrection Wednesday." |
| • | "My words were wrong, hurtful and completely inappropriate," Schrader said in a statement. "I sincerely apologize to my colleagues, constituents and friends for the pain I caused." |
| • | "I recognize the horrible historical context of these words and have started to reach out to my colleagues personally to express that I understand the harm caused. I will work hard to rebuild trust and again, I humbly apologize." |
| • | ... Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate West Virginia Democrat, thanked Twitter for banning the president. |
| • | "Thank you @twitter for taking this action. We must come together as a country to heal and find a common path forward." |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "The mention of his supporters having a 'GIANT VOICE long into the future' and that 'They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!' is being interpreted as further indication that President Trump does not plan to facilitate an 'orderly transition' and instead that he plans to continue to support, empower, and shield those who believe he won the election." |
| • | "These two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President's statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks." |
| • | "After assessing the language in these Tweets against our Glorification of Violence policy, we have determined that these Tweets are in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy and the user @realDonaldTrump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service." |
| • | "The use of the words 'American Patriots' to describe some of his supporters is also being interpreted as support for those committing violent acts at the US Capitol," Twitter said. |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "There's this narrative going around right now that Antifa was the people there causing the riots, causing the tension, they were the only people breaking into the Capitol, and I wanted to be able to tell a part of history and show that that was anything but the case." John Sullivan, the founder of Utah-based Insurgence USA, told... |
| • | In August 2020 remarks to a small crowd at a Washington, D.C., intersection, Sullivan pointed to the nearby White House and unleashed a torrent of violent rhetoric. "We ... about to burn this s** down," he said. "We gotta ... rip Trump right out of that office right there," he continued, adding, "We ain't about ... waiting until the next election." He then led the crowd in a chant of, "It's time for revolution." |
| • | "It also means coming to grips with the reality that millions voted for a man so obviously willing to burn our democracy down for his own ego." |
| • | ... Biden charged Trump with "inciting a mob to attack the Capitol," which he said was the culmination of four years of "unrelenting attack" by the president "on the institutions of our democracy." |
| • | The president-elect argued that the "past four years we've had a president who's made his contempt of our democracy, our Constitution, the rule of law, clear, in everything he has done. He unleashed an all-out assault on the institutions of our democracy from the outset. And yesterday was but the culmination of that unrelenting attack." |
| • | Biden emphasized that "what we witnessed yesterday was not dissent, it was not disorder, it was not protest. It was chaos. They weren't protesters. Don't dare call them protesters. They were a riotous mob. Insurrectionists. Domestic terrorists. It's that simple." |
| • | Biden accused Trump of "inciting a mob to attack the Capitol, to threaten elected representatives of the people of this nation and even the vice president, to stop the Congress from ratifying the will of the American people in a just-completed, free and fair election. Trying to use a mob the silence the voices of nearly 160 million Americans who summoned the courage in the face of a pandemic that threatened our health our lives to cast that sacred ballot." |
| • | "What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president, This president should not hold office one day longer." |
| • | "The quickest and most effective way – it can be done today – to remove this president from office would be for the vice president to immediately invoke the 25th Amendment." |
| • | "If the vice president and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president." |
| • | "Today is the result of allowing people with hate in their hearts to use platforms that should be used to bring people together and allow people to build community." |
| • | "You have all failed the American people today, and I hope you're going to fix things moving forward." |
Facebook blocks Trump indefinitely after Capitol riot response (Fox 01/07/2021)
| • | Zuckerberg ... said that the "last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden." |
| • | "His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world." |
| • | "We removed these statements yesterday because we judged that their effect — and likely their intent — would be to provoke further violence." |
| • | "Over the last several years, we have allowed President Trump to use our platform consistent with our own rules, at times removing content or labeling his posts when they violate our policies." |
| • | "We did this because we believe that the public has a right to the broadest possible access to political speech, even controversial speech." |
| • | "But the current context is now fundamentally different, involving use of our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government." |
| • | In excerpts of "Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency and Trust" ... claimed that restoring the public's confidence is of greater importance than prosecuting Trump. |
| • | See related A Higher Loyalty (Michael Ramirez, 04/23/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "While many countries are still reeling from Covid-19, China — where the pandemic originated — has become one of the safest places in the world." |
| • | "Restaurants are packed. Hotels are full. Long lines form outside luxury brands stores. Instead of Zoom calls, people are meeting face to face to talk business or celebrate the new year." |
| • | "The pandemic has upended many perceptions, including ideas about freedom. Citizens of China don't have freedom of speech, freedom of worship or freedom from fear — three of the four freedoms articulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt — but they have the freedom to move around and lead a normal day-to-day life. In a pandemic year, many of the world's people would envy this most basic form of freedom." |
| • | "Does he think that our healthcare professionals are uninterested in vaccinating people? How about trusting the people who have been our heroes?" de Blasio said. |
| • | "Help them, support them, don't fine them, don't threaten them, respect them and help them." |
| • | Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee III said during a press conference Monday that he will reach out to the Colorado lawmaker about her plans, noting he wants to ensure "she is aware of what the laws of the District of Columbia are." |
| • | "That congresswoman will be subjected to the same penalties as anyone else that's caught on the D.C. streets carrying a firearm." |
| • | "If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door." |
| • | "And if you send Sens. Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It's just that simple. The power is literally in your hands." |
| • | Biden said that electing Osoff and Warnock would mean an end to "the gridlock that has gripped Washington and this nation" and would allow Congress to further his agenda on jobs, health care, justice and the environment, as well as COVID relief efforts. |
| • | "The debate over $2,000 isn't some abstract debate in Washington, it's about real lives. Your lives, the lives of good, hardworking Americans." |
| • | "If you're like millions of Americans all across this country, you need the money, you need the help, and you need it now." |
| • | "They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door." |
| • | ... the group involved was ShutDownDC, which defines itself as "an organizing space where individuals and groups can come together to organize direct action in the fight for justice." |
| • | The group called the visit to Hawley's home an "hour long vigil" to demand that "he drop his baseless contestation of the 2020 presidential election results." |
| • | A statement from the group said, "Activists lit candles and delivered a copy of the U.S. Constitution" to the senator's home. |
| • | "It pains me, in particular, to see one of our own representatives, Congressman Jeff Van Drew, cynically siding with conspiracy theorists and throwing his fate in with the far-right's disproven and crackpot theories." |
| • | Murphy blasted Republican senators and more than 100 GOP House members for "openly and unabashedly working to undermine our constitutional norms ... and to overthrow a free and fair election decided by the American people." |
| • | See related Operation Warped Deeds (Antonio Branco, 12/10/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "As members of Congress and former prosecutors, we believe Donald Trump engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy to commit, a number of election crimes," the letter said, asking Wray "to open an immediate criminal investigation into the president." |
| • | "The evidence of election fraud by Mr. Trump is now in broad daylight. ... Given the more than ample factual predicate, we are making a criminal referral to you to open an investigation into Mr. Trump. Thank you for your attention to this urgent request." |
Kenosha shooting victims seek $20 million in damages from city, police: report (Fox 01/04/2021)
| • | "We believe there was some level of negligence on behalf of the city and county." |
| • | "Kyle Rittenhouse, a minor from out of state, illegally armed with an assault rifle, was allowed – by the Kenosha Police and Kenosha Sheriff's Department – to roam the streets, threatening numerous civilians and ultimately shooting three people." |
| • | "Mr. Grosskreutz was in Kenosha for the purpose of providing basic medical assistance to persons who were out that night protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake, There was no justification for Gaige to be shot at point blank range by Kyle Rittenhouse." |
| • | The document written on behalf of Huber's parents states that he "lost his life to protect innocent civilians" and they, in turn, have "suffered damages on their own behalf, including for the loss of companionship of their son." |
| • | "After Rittenhouse had already shot and killed one person, Anthony selflessly tried to disarm him and was killed himself." |
| • | ... Connecticut Sen. Christopher Murphy claiming... "Let's be clear - those contesting the Electoral College are trying to overthrow democracy. They want to turn America into a state akin to Russia or China, where elections are for show and one party rules. They won't succeed this time, but the wound to democracy is severe." |
| • | ... Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen called him "grossly irresponsible." ... Hawley is "undermining even more public confidence in our democratic process and siding with the false Trump narrative," Van Hollen said... |
Joe Biden mocks questions about Hunter as mainstream media remains largely uninterested (Fox 12/23/2020)
| • | See related Biden Bible (Fuller, 12/2020)") cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Election Interference (Antonio Branco, 10/16/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Hello Citizens! (Mike Lester, 12/04/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "The best word for what is happening in America right now is radicalization. That's what it is. That's what this hyped-up, right-wing media machine is doing. That's why it feels harder to talk about politics with other people, harder to speak a common language about right and wrong." |
| • | "Dalton's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism is grounded in our deep appreciation for the dignity of all community members, an understanding of differing life backgrounds, empathy for one another, and the ability to engage and listen with respect across differences." |
| • | "These senators and members of Congress who have refused to acknowledge that we had a free and fair election in which Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by over 7 million votes, are bordering on sedition and treason." |
| • | "It's unfortunate that some people do not have enough education to keep their mouth shut so we can talk." |
| • | "While speaking to colleagues outside of the office there were individuals yelling on opposite sides of the crowd, I did not understand what they were yelling about until later, let alone that they were victims. Regardless, it's not how I should have reacted. Clearly, this family is in pain, and I will be contacting them to speak directly and hear them out. The defendants in this case are all facing life in prison." |
| • | "We can never accept a broken status quo, We can never go back to a past that didn't work. ... The COVID era has taught us that so clearly, and we need to do better and we will. And that means a commitment to fighting disparities and inequality in the life of New York City." |
| • | "The irresponsibility of tweeting irrational and harmful opinions to millions, regardless of the damaging consequences to their country or people's lives, proves that those stars deserve the harsh backlash. Unfortunately, the long-term result may be that their professional legacies could become brief footnotes to the memory of their collection of mason jars filled with their excreted opinions." |
Democratic governor encourages people to stay home, get caught out at wine bar (Fox 12/16/2020)
Seattle politician who defunded the police called 911 to protect her from a crime she wants to legalize (Fox 12/16/2020)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib says she 'absolutely loves' Jews, warns of anti-Semitism on both sides (Fox 12/16/2020)
| • | "There's always kind of a calming feeling, when I think of the tragedy of the Holocaust, that it was my ancestors — Palestinians — who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways have been wiped out... in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-Holocaust, post-tragedy and the horrific persecution of the Jews across the world at that time. And I love that it was my ancestors that provided that, in many ways." |
| • | See related Putting into Context (Michael Ramirez, 05/15/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "In the primary, people would mock him, like, 'You think you can work with Republicans?' I'm not saying they're not a bunch of f***ers. Mitch McConnell is terrible. But this sense that you couldn't wish for that, you couldn't wish for this bipartisan ideal? He rejected that." |
| • | "So grateful for, & so proud, of every one of the thousands of members of this team, from our organizers all across the country to our HQ team, from the first hire to the last. You did this, and every one of you helped save the soul of this nation." |
Biden’s message to nation: ‘It’s time to turn the page’ (Fox 12/14/2020)
| • | "In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed. We the People voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact." |
| • | And Biden urged that "now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal." |
| • | Biden highlighted that amid the coronavirus pandemic, "we saw something very few predicted, even thought possible – the biggest voter turnout in the history of the United States of America." |
| • | And he spotlighted that the election "now ranks as the clearest demonstration of the true will of the American people, one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we've ever seen in our county. It should be celebrated, not attacked." |
| • | ... also said in his speech that "the flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic — or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame." |
| • | See related Mourning in America (Michael Ramirez, 11/10/2020) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Steal Team Six (Antonio Branco, 10/20/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Draining the Swamp (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | ... a statement from Northwestern regarding Epstein, in which the university said it does not agree with Epstein, whom it accused of having "misogynistic views." |
| • | "While we firmly support academic freedom and freedom of expression, we do not agree with Mr. Epstein's opinion and believe the designation of doctor is well deserved by anyone who has earned a Ph.D., an Ed.D. or an M.D." |
| • | "Northwestern is firmly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Mr. Epstein's misogynistic views." |
| • | L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti — who told police to stand down as rioters tore through his city during a pandemic — said that his "heart goes out to Ms. Marsden" and then added, "No one likes these restrictions, but I do support them as our hospital ICU beds fill to capacity." |
| • | He explained, "We must stop this virus before it kills thousands of more Angelenos." He did not explain why, if outdoor dining was so dangerous, Hollywood is still allowed to engage in it. |
| • | California Gov. Gavin Newsom is currently locking down some 33 million citizens but had no problem eating indoors with members of the California Medical Association at The French Laundry. |
| • | See related Hello Citizens! (Mike Lester, 12/04/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | ... Biden's pledge "to ‘restore the soul of the nation' felt like antiquated hokum at a moment when Hurricane Trump was tearing through America, ripping through institutions, chewing up norms and spitting them out." |
| • | ... "it wasn't about fighting Trump with righteous vengeance, or probing any deeper rot that might have contributed to his ascent. Biden believed most voters simply wanted reconciliation after four years of combat, that they craved decency, dignity, experience and competence." |
| • | ... praised Harris for providing the Biden ticket with something "a 78-year-old white man could never provide: generational change, a fresh perspective, and an embodiment of America's diversity." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Those who continue to deny & fight against the election of Joe Biden are advocating for authoritarianism. They want their bully dictator to remain in power. Full stop." |
| • | "Yes, democracy is messy & at times uncomfortable, but, as oft quoted, it beats all the alternatives." |
| • | Late last month Brennan tweeted that he planned to "ignore" Trump going forward and "leave his fate to our judicial system, his infamy to history, & his legacy to a trash heap." |
| • | See related Russian Youth Vote (Chip Bok, 03/21/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs." |
| • | "I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisers." |
| • | See related 15 Million Dollar Minimum... (Mike Shelton, 10/15/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The history of VMI over the past 181 years is well documented. Stonewall Jackson's ties to Lexington and the Institute as an instructor are part of that history." |
| • | But "VMI does not define itself by this statue and that is why this move is appropriate," he added. |
| • | "Time and again over the past 181 years, the Institute has adapted and changed. Each time, we have become a better, stronger institution." |
| • | See related P.C. (Glenn McCoy, 08/15/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Erasing History (Robert Ariail, 08/03/2015) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I do believe that John Durham is going to carry out his responsibilities ably and hopefully not with any political influence." |
| • | "There was so much other evidence and intelligence to support those judgments. so I am very comfortable with how the intelligence community came out on the 2016 election." |
| • | After the death of a top Iranian nuclear scientist, Brennan said that if Israel was behind it — as has been suggested by an Iranian official — it would be a case of state-sponsored terrorism. |
| • | "If China were to assassinate a Taiwanese nuclear scientist or if Russia were to assassinate a Ukrainian nuclear scientist it would be roundly condemned and rightly so. Just because it may have been Israel behind the assassination does not make it right." |
| • | ... Brennan warned that assassinating leaders of a sovereign nation would lead to a "chaotic" international environment. |
| • | See related Russian Youth Vote (Chip Bok, 03/21/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... the secretary of state's election investigators watched all of the video and concluded it "shows normal ballot processing." |
| • | "If you look at the video tape, the work you see is the work you would expect, which is you take the sealed suitcase looking things in, you place the ballots on the scanner in manageable batches and you scan them"... |
| • | Frances Watson, chief investigator for the Georgia secretary of state, told ... that no one told Republican poll watchers to leave. |
| • | "Nobody told them to stay. Nobody told them to leave. Nobody gave them any advice on what they should do. And It was still open for them or the public to come back in to view at whatever time they wanted to, as long as they were still working." |
Trump doubles down on defense bill veto threat over Section 230 (Fox 12/04/2020)
| • | "Section 230 is the most important law protecting internet speech. In removing Section 230, we will remove speech from the internet," Dorsey said during his testimony. |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "We heard no fake news. We heard no conspiracy theories. We heard no personal grievances. We heard a president-elect and a vice president who want to work with the other side." |
| • | Tapper then expressed how "different" it was interviewing Biden in comparison to Trump, telling Lemon "you don't have to really steel yourself for the potential reaction when you bring up uncomfortable subjects," which he referred multiple questions including one about whether members of the Biden family will avoid any potential conflicts of interest during the incoming presidency. |
| • | "Yeah, Hunter Biden. You brought Hunter up," Lemon responded with some surprise. "And there was no cringeworthy moment. He answered it very plainly and distinctly." |
| • | ... made a concerted effort for the news organization to avoid the explosive reporting from The New York Post that shed light on Hunter Biden's questionable foreign business dealings before and after his father, then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden, was in office as vice president. |
| • | "There is a term for what Rudy Giuliani is suspected of being, which is 'useful idiot,' On the Rudy Giuliani story, this is a really important story. It gets tied to the Hunter Biden disinformation campaign. That's the way we do this because it's all tied and part-and-parcel of one." |
| • | "This is his pathology. We're back to a sociopath. I'm not saying we should use that word 'sociopath' as we say, but what others who have dealt with him — Mattis, all of them — coming away saying, 'This man is crazy.' That's the real story, in some way"... |
| • | "The Trump media, you know, moves immediately from — OK, well, never mind — the unmasking was, you know, found to be completely nonsensical to the latest alleged scandal and expects everybody to just follow suit," Zucker told his staff. "So, I don't think that we should be repeating unsubstantiated smears just because the rightwing media suggests that we should." |
| • | "When people took to the streets dancing, tightly-packed crowds celebrating because of [Biden's election win,] nobody said a word, and it's the same with the stuff now." |
| • | "We've got these people that own a business that put their whole life's work into it, and you got some guy behind a Zoom camera on television who gets paid to work from home, lecturing them about how they need to close their business, and not work and not employ people until they tell them it's OK to do it, so it's an enormous amount of hypocrisy and people are tired of it." |
| • | "Governor [Ron] Desantis in the state of Florida is often characterized in the legacy media as some sort of COVID disaster but New York has less people than Florida, more cases, more deaths, and nonetheless their governor wins an Emmy because of his press conferences. I mean this is stupid and the kind of hypocrisy, again, people see this stuff and they realize it." |
| • | "Socialism is still a loaded term for a lot of folks. Once again, instead of talking labels and ideology, we should focus on talking about getting certain things done." |
| • | "Barr is using the special counsel law for a purpose it was not intended: to continue a politically motivated investigation long after Barr leaves office," Schiff said in a Tuesday statement. |
| • | During Mueller's investigation, however, Schiff was eager to protect the special counsel's office at all costs to ensure Mueller could continue the Russia probe without interference. |
| • | "Section 230 is the most important law protecting internet speech. In removing Section 230, we will remove speech from the internet," Dorsey said during his testimony. |
| • | Zuckerberg suggested that Congress "updates the law to make sure it is working as intended." |
| • | "One important place to start would be making content moderation systems more transparent." |
| • | "Another would be to separate good actors from bad actors by making sure that companies can't hide behind section 230 to avoid responsibility for intentionally facilitating illegal activity on their platforms. We are open to working with Congress on these ideas and more." |
| • | "... no, Democrats never said Donald Trump was illegitimate, just that he was incompetent and dangerous." |
| • | 2017: "Now Mr. Lewis says that he won't attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, whom he regards as an illegitimate president." |
| • | Lewis was not alone. Dozens of House Democrats followed his example in 2017 and did not attend the inauguration, and a 2017 poll found 68% of Democratic voters did not accept Trump as legitimately elected, citing Russian election meddling. |
| • | Trump's 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton called him "illegitimate" in 2019 and claimed he had stolen the race from her... |
| • | "There are legitimate issues to consider after the 2020 vote about the security of mail-in ballots and the process of counting votes... but make no mistake: The chief driver of the post-election contention of the past several weeks is the petulant refusal of one man to accept the verdict of the American people." |
| • | "The Trump team (and much of the GOP) is working backwards, desperately trying to find something, anything to support the president's aggrieved feelings, rather than objectively considering the evidence and reacting as warranted." |
| • | "Getting defeated in a national election is a blow to the ego of even the most thick-skinned politicians and inevitably engenders personal feelings of bitterness and anger. What America has long expected is that losing candidates swallow those feelings and at least pretend to be gracious. If Trump's not capable of it, he should at least stop waging war on the outcome." |
| • | "... we Americans loved our cheap gas and big cars more than we cared about the environment, except when a complete disaster was staring us in the face." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
Dan Gainor: Biden news coverage goes to the dogs — media lap up word of pets returning to White House (Fox 11/29/2020)
| • | It's worth remembering that The Daily Beast is the same leftist rag that insanely claimed, "Report: Russia Has Trump 'Golden Showers' Blackmail" in April of 2017. |
| • | It also published a story headlined: "Trump Thinks This Is an Insult: Biden ‘Will Listen to the Scientists.'"... |
| • | The New York Times ran a column by Frank Bruni headlined "Why Donald Trump Hates Your Dog." |
| • | Bruni's bizarre reasoning led him to write: "For Trump, all relationships are transactional and God's creatures possess value only in accordance with their ability to elevate and enrich him." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "This was a criminal act & highly reckless. It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict." |
| • | "Iranian leaders would be wise to wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage & to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits." |
| • | A column co-authored by former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis which called for an end to President Trump's "America First" foreign policy did not include a disclosure regarding the retired four-star general's work with the Cohen Group, an international business advisory firm active in China. |
| • | "... these kids are really focused on — how can I do something that I find meaningful, that resonates with my values and my ideals? And that, I think, is an encouraging sign for the country." |
| • | A notice of separation from Starbucks cited in the filing said Fresse was fired for violating the company's "core values" and that she said her colleagues "need Jesus" when she was given the T-shirt. |
| • | "We enforce these values when we embrace inclusion and diversity, and welcome and learn from people with different backgrounds and perspectives," the termination notice read. |
| • | "President Trump's pardoning of Michael Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his dealings with a foreign adversary, is an act of grave corruption and a brazen abuse of power." |
| • | "Trump is again using the pardon power to protect those who lie to cover up his wrongdoing." |
| • | In a statement, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., blasted the move, arguing the pardon is "undeserved, unprincipled, and one more stain on President Trump's rapidly diminishing legacy." |
| • | "These actions are an abuse of power and fundamentally undermine the rule of law. The President's enablers have constructed an elaborate narrative in which Trump and Flynn are victims and the Constitution is subject to the whims of the President. Americans soundly rejected this nonsense when they voted out President Trump." |
| • | See related Working from Home (Antonio Branco, 03/27/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "... if you can take out a bunch of sound bites that say 'God damn America,' even if the context of it is prophetic and biblical and he's trying to describe you know how somebody might feel – he wasn't promoting the notion that God was damning America," Obama said. |
| • | ... Warnock was asked about that speech and other remarks. "We celebrate Rev. Wright in the same way that we celebrate the truth-telling tradition of the Black church, which when preachers tell the truth, very often it makes people uncomfortable." |
| • | Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., announced that he had filed complaints with various state bars calling for the disbarment of Rudy Giuliani and other attorneys representing President Trump's campaign... "for filing frivolous lawsuits and trying to help Trump steal the election and dismantle democracy." |
| • | ... accused the former New York City mayor of violating ethics rules against bringing "frivolous" actions and "conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation." |
| • | The New Jersey congressman did not provide any specific examples of any "dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation," on Giuliani's part, but he accused him of aiding President Trump in what amounts to "sinister arson" in the form of undermining public confidence in the election process. |
| • | "I'd like to extend an olive branch to Trump supporters." ... "There's so much work to do to heal the nation. Let's be a part of the solution and not add to the problems we face." |
| • | "I hope these outstanding nominees receive a prompt hearing and that we can work across the aisle in good faith to move forward for the country. Let's begin that work to heal and unite America." |
| • | ... "in recognition of his leadership during the Covid19 pandemic & his masterful use of TV to inform & calm people around the world." |
| • | "The Governor's 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure." |
| • | "People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back." |
| • | According to the Emmys, its Founder's Award is given to those who "cross cultural boundaries to touch our common humanity." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | See related Flattened the Curve... (Mike Shelton, 09/11/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
New York Times op-ed admits 'Trump was right,' Democrats 'wrong,' about keeping schools open (Fox 11/19/2020)
| • | Kristof complained how the debate over keeping schools open was "politicized" after Trump "blustered" in July about schools needing to open while "trying to project normalcy" while "too many Democrats instinctively lined up on the other side" and noting how then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden, as well as Democratic mayors and governors, expressed "extreme caution." |
| • | "The events at the hearing were subsequently censored by ABC, CBS, and NBC as they refused to share the news during their evening newscasts." |
| • | "Instead, they chose to fear-monger about President Trump's refusal to concede, suggesting it was a national security threat." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | ... pointing out the hypocrisy between how ex-Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was covered when she refused to concede, compared to the way President Trump's voter fraud claims have been treated. |
| • | Abrams was praised by the mainstream media for refusing to concede after her 2018 loss to Republican Brian Kemp, while accusing the GOP of stealing the election. |
| • | While Abrams' strategy made her a fan favorite of the left, Trump's claim that illegally counted votes showed up after Election Day and poll watchers were blocked from observing the counting have been mocked and dismissed by the press. |
| • | "It is one more step in delegitimizing not just the incoming Biden administration, but democracy generally. And that's a dangerous path." |
| • | "There's been this sense over the last several years that literally anything goes and is justified in order to get power." |
| • | "... of the signals I think that Joe Biden needs to send to the world is that, ‘No, those values that we preached, and we believed in, and subscribed in — we still believe." |
| • | Though Trump has been forceful in his denunciation of the press, the Obama administration arguably went further, evoking the Espionage Act to prosecute more people under the law for leaking sensitive information than all previous administrations combined. |
| • | See related It\\\'s Like He Knows... (Mike Lester, 05/18/2013) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | ... distanced himself and his progressive colleagues from the idea of defunding police departments ... claiming that "nobody I know who's running for office talks about defunding the police." |
| • | ... past comments from "Squad" member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rejected New York City's proposed $1 billion cut from its police department in June, arguing at the time that "Defunding police means defunding police." |
| • | "It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. It does not mean moving school police officers from the NYPD budget to the Department of Education's budget so the exact same police remain in schools." |
| • | "What we talk about is making police officers accountable, making sure that police departments do what they can do best, figuring out how you deal with mental illness, how you deal with homelessness, whether those are, in fact, police responsibilities, making sure the police officers are not killing innocent African-Americans. That is not defund the police," Sanders said. |
| • | "The truth is, everything I said, I was just stating facts," Obama said. |
| • | "It is not my preference to be out there. I think we were in a circumstance in this election in which certain norms, certain institutional values that are so extraordinarily important, had been breached that it was important for me as somebody who had served in that office, to simply let people know this is not normal." |
| • | "[The Republicans] obviously didn't think there was any fraud going on, 'cause they didn't say anything for the first two days." |
| • | "But there's damage to this, because what happens is that the peaceful transfer of power, the notion that any of us who attain an elected office – whether it's dogcatcher or president – are servants of the people. It's a temporary job." |
| • | "We're not above the rules. We're not above the law. That's the essence of our democracy." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "There are hundreds of thousands of lives hanging in the balance," Ossoff told... "There are millions of jobs and homes and livelihoods hanging in the balance. That's why it's so important to win these two Senate races so that the incoming presidential administration can govern, can lead, can enact the solutions necessary to contain this virus and invest in economic recovery." |
| • | "The GOP at the national level has no leader, has no message and has no vision other than stopping Joe Biden," Ossoff continued. |
| • | "But we are in a crisis. We need leadership. We need to make sure that Joe Biden can govern and this administration is successful." |
| • | "The presidency-as-performance and the dirty secret that you can be a figurehead who can wing it. As long as the performance is acceptable to your political base, you can survive. Reagan proved that, and I don't think a lot of people paid attention." |
| • | "Neutrality for the sake of neutrality doesn't serve us in the age of Trump." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "This is nothing more than vindictive behavior by a lame-duck president trying to exact vengeance on those who oppose his politics," Attorney General Letitia James said... |
| • | "When Donald Trump won, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning and I then called Donald Trump to congratulate him. His margin of victory over Hillary Clinton wasn't greater than Joe Biden's margin over him." |
| • | Obama, the former two-term president, said Trump's refusal to concede is dangerous in a democracy, which relieves on "the peaceful transfer of power — the notion that any of us who attain an elected office, whether it's dog-catcher or president, are servants of the people." |
| • | "It's a temporary job. We're not above the rules. We're not above the law. That's the essence of our democracy." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
Adam Schiff, MSNBC's Joy Reid lampooned for 'hypocrisy' as they warn of GOP investigating... (Fox 11/13/2020)
| • | "Both House and Senate Republicans have made it clear that when ... the normal order resumes, when Congress is back in session, and at work, they're not interested in doing any work that involves legislating or helping people during this awful pandemic," MSNBC host Joy Reid said to Schiff... |
| • | "What they want to focus on is investigating. Is this what we're going to have to sit through for the next four years, Republicans just doing investigations and refusing to legislate?" |
| • | "This wouldn't be going on right now, this obstruction of the transition wouldn't be going on if the Republicans weren't allowing it to go on," Schiff said... |
| • | "It is just tearing down our democracy," Schiff said. "I do expect, in the new Congress, that yes, they'll continue to try to go after Joe Biden, delegitimize Joe Biden. They won't be interested in getting things done." |
| • | "Large gatherings are very bad when it's, say, a Trump rally or a college football game or going to church, but, suddenly, that outrage spigot gets turned off when it's, say, a BLM protest or a Biden celebration as we saw last week." |
| • | "I went back and read all of these stories about the Biden celebrations last week and they were missing two very keywords: superspreader events. Suddenly, the outrage gets turned off because, I guess the cause is bigger than the virus, or something." |
| • | "We know that Mitch McConnell will do everything in his power to destroy the incoming administration," Ossoff said... |
| • | "We need President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris to be able to govern to get us out of this mess and then to build upon the rubble of what's been destroyed these last four years." |
| • | "Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Jon Ossoff want to radically change America by defunding the police, give millions of illegal immigrants the right to vote, and make Washington DC the 51st state," Perdue tweeted... |
| • | "The American people are sick and tired of seeing billionaires and Wall Street become much richer, while veterans sleep out on the streets, our infrastructure crumbles and young people leave school deeply in debt." |
| • | See related Comrade Bernie (Mike Shelton, 02/27/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "I'm more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials who clearly know better are going along with this, humoring him in this fashion." |
| • | "It is one more step in de-legitimizing not just the incoming Biden administration but Democracy generally. And that's a dangerous path." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too." |
| • | "When you have questions, turn to elections officials as trusted voices as they administer elections." |
| • | A female narrator mourned in the commercial, saying, "Our trust has been broken — in our leaders, in our institutions, even with some of our friends. And we are hurting. Now, more than ever, we need each other — to listen, to learn from one another, to rebuild those bonds." |
| • | The announcer added: "(T)rust shows that we believe in the good in each other. It's what makes us human. And when we trust one another, that is when we can truly achieve great things." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Instead of working to pull the country back together so that we can fight our common enemy, COVID-19, Republicans in Congress are spreading conspiracy theories, denying reality and poisoning the well of our democracy." |
| • | "Congressional Republicans don't have the evidence, they don't have proof, they don't have anything. Neither does the president." |
| • | "This is nothing more than a temper tantrum by Republicans. Nothing more than a pathetic political performance for an audience of one: Donald Trump." |
| • | "Attorney General Barr's memo is both flawed and deeply disturbing. It is unlikely to open new legal avenues for the Trump campaign, but speaks to Barr's dangerous and irresponsible impulse to pander to the President's worst instincts." |
| • | "The Attorney General may think that he is merely humoring a President who will eventually concede the race and transfer power to his successor. This approach is as short-sighted as it is cynical and destructive." |
| • | "One way or the other, Donald Trump will be out of office in a matter of weeks. History will remember their conduct between now and then." |
| • | "You know, I think that Trump, um, tear-gassed peaceful protesters for a photo op. I think that Trump ripped children from their parents. I think that Trump called NFL players 'sons of bitches' ... for exercising their First Amendment rights." |
| • | "I think those people in his administration that not only drafted some of those policies, but were complicit in some of those policies, shouldn't be forgotten." |
| • | "I think we need to remember, because if you don't remember things, then past becomes prologue. I do think people need to be held accountable for their actions, and I don't think it's reminiscent of McCarthyism at all." |
| • | "Joe Biden has won. He's won the election. Now move on. Let's bring this country together and get things done. We have a COVID crisis raging. We don't have time for these kinds of games." |
| • | ... delivered a floor speech saying each day that passes without Republicans accepting the presidential election results, America's trust in democracy declines. |
| • | "That's the kind of thing you hear about in banana republics and dishonest elections," Schumer added. |
| • | "Mitch McConnell and the @SenateGOP have never shown an ounce of political courage to stand up to Donald Trump and his corruption, bigotry, cruelty, and lies. Why would they start now?" |
| • | "Facebook is absolutely teeming with right-wing misinformation right now..." |
| • | See related Unmasking (Glenn McCoy, 04/04/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "I understand the disappointment tonight," Biden said. "But now let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature." |
| • | "And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They're Americans." |
| • | "Is anyone archiving these Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or deny their complicity in the future?" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a tweet. "I foresee decent probability of many deleted Tweets, writings, photos in the future." |
| • | "You can't heal or reform the GOP who are now an extremist party," Wajahat Ali, a contributing writer for the New York Times, said. "They have to be broken, burned down and rebuilt. When Biden is in power treat them like the active threats to democracy they are. If those who committed crimes aren't punished then they will be more emboldened." |
| • | Some have advocated for a "truth and reconciliation commission" to go after those who have worked for the president. In fact, such a group already exists, called the "Trump Accountability Project." |
| • | Michael Simon, who previously worked on the 2008 Obama campaign and in the former president's administration, pledged the project would provide a "record of every staffer, appointee, donor, [endorses] and enabler." |
| • | "Whether Trump supporters are hostile or misled makes no difference to victims of gun violence, an uncontrolled pandemic and heartless immigration policies — all of which are choices," Brandon Friedman, a former member of the Obama administration and columnist for the New York Daily News, said. "We should reach out to those families long before attempting to reconcile with deplorables." |
| • | "I won't empathize with, support, forgive, understand, make amends for, reconcile with Trump supporters. Not a single one," tweeted Preston Mitchum, a liberal community organizer in Washington, D.C. "He was a proud white nationalist who proudly raised up many white supremacists. That's who supported him. And I make no apologies for saying this." |
| • | Biden, however, seemed during the campaign to say that he would control the party's agenda, not the liberal "Squad" in the House or Senate progressives like Warren or Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. |
| • | "My party is me," Biden said during the first presidential debate, as Trump accused him of being at the helm of a party that wants to eliminate private health insurance, a position held by many Democrats who lost to Biden in the Democratic primary. "I am the Democratic Party right now." |
| • | See related Head Honcho (Antonio Branco, 09/01/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Love Trumps Hate (Sean Delonas, 11/10/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Just in the Way (12/23/2019), ) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify, who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States," Biden said Saturday while giving a speech after he was named winner of the 2020 presidential election. |
| • | He then directed his message toward Trump supporters, specifically: "I understand the disappointment tonight. But now let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature... To make progress we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans." |
| • | "I'm an actor, I do those parts, I enjoy them, but I'd like to even think in all of those parts there‘s a certain dignity somewhere buried in there that I don't think a person like Trump, I know he doesn't have." |
| • | "There's no center. You have to have a center no matter who you are... It's like somebody defying gravity. They'll never do it. That's why we have rules, that's why we have laws, that's why we have judges, that's why we have structure. If we don't have that, we have nothing. We have chaos, we have anarchy." |
| • | See related De Niro (Antonio Branco, 11/01/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "President-elect Biden believes that the media is a critical piece of our democracy; that transparency is incredibly important." |
| • | "He also believes, though, that it's the media's job to hold him accountable. He's there to do the people's work and he welcomes that relationship. He welcomes their role, the media's role in our democracy and I think it will be, frankly, the polar opposite of what we've seen over the last four years... I think you'll see a huge change in the culture in the way this White House treats the media." |
| • | See related Evening\\\'s Top Story (Jake Fuller, 10/2019)") cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | See related Mount Surigaffle (Antonio Branco, 07/02/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "So the whole 'progressivism is bad' argument just doesn't have any compelling evidence that I've seen." |
| • | "When it comes to 'Defund' & 'Socialism' attacks, people need to realize these are racial resentment attacks. You're not gonna make that go away. You can make it less effective." |
| • | See related Left! Left! (Michael Ramirez, 05/18/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Fauci said Trump 'asking for trouble' with potential super spreader rallies – but silent on Biden... (Fox 11/08/2020)
Buttigieg: Republican Senate would 'defy the American people' by opposing Biden agenda (Fox 11/08/2020)
| • | "At the end of the day the thing we have going for us is the American people are with us," Buttigieg said, claiming that the Senate would be run by "minority rule" if Republicans block Democrat initiatives such as tax hikes and a public health care option." |
| • | "Mitch McConnell's going to have a decision to make. Is his purpose in Washington to defy the American people who, along with the president and the House of Representatives, will believe in expanding and not taking away health care. whether he wants to help move this country forward and influence progress or whether he wants to stop progress." |
| • | "I think we all hope that that logjam in Washington comes to an end." |
| • | "What Joe Biden wants for the country is what most Americans believe is right for the country." |
Biden preaches unity, promises to address coronavirus crisis in first speech as president-elect (Fox 11/07/2020)
| • | "The people of this nation have spoken. They delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. A victory for we the people." |
| • | "The most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of this nation." |
| • | "I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify. Who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States." |
| • | To Trump supporters, he said: "I understand the disappointment tonight. But now let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature... To make progress we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans." |
| • | The president-elect also said he wants the parties to begin "to cooperate with one another," calling polarization between the parties "a choice." |
| • | "If we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate," Biden said, claiming cooperation as part of the "mandate" from his election. "They want us to cooperate in their interest, and that's the choice I'll make." |
| • | "Our work begins with getting COVID under control," Biden said, noting his plan to announce a panel of coronavirus advisers for his transition team. |
| • | "When our very democracy was on the ballot this election, with the very soul of America at stake," Harris told supporters. "You ushered in a new day for America." |
| • | "For four years you marched and organized for equality and justice. And then you voted. And you delivered a clear message. You chose hope and unity, decency, science and yes, truth." |
| • | "America, I'm honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country," Biden said... "The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a president for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me." |
| • | Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also decried the protesters' actions. "Last night's criminal destruction and attack on Commissioner Ryan's home are reprehensible." |
| • | "Violence, criminal destruction and intimidation are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Those responsible must be found, investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I condemn anyone who uses violence to attempt to silence the voices of others." |
| • | "... These people have revealed themselves for the racists that they are, the tribalists that they are, they don't care about 'E Pluribus Unum, 'from many, one,' they care about 'I got mine and, you know, you shouldn't get anything of yours,'" |
| • | "They voted for this consciously knowing what Donald Trump stood for, for the last four years! They know him! It's almost a level of fanaticism that I've only seen in cult groups and Middle East terrorist groups." |
| • | ... several Santa Clara University administrators said an incident the night before "further damages the trust and faith that we are working so hard to build." |
| • | The administrators said the symbol is "widely considered to be an effort to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement and its universally important goals." |
| • | "... that our very democracy is founded on the notion of a collective spirit. We the people, for the people, by the people. And unless you have that collective social contract, our democracy fails." |
| • | ... declared that half the country is "looking the other way at the plight of 50% or more of the country" by supporting Trump, mentioning the LGBTQ community, African-Americans, immigrants and victims of coronavirus as people who have suffered because of Trump. |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Love Trumps Hate (Sean Delonas, 11/10/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Suspend his account, @Twitter," Connolly wrote. "Valid votes are being counted. This is America, not Russia." |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Don't Have the Addresses... (Mike Lester, 12/21/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "He inherited the Obama-Biden expansion, slowed it down, but, the economy continued expanding until his disastrous handling of the pandemic — ran it into the ditch that it is [in] now in where we still have something on the order of 20 million Americans out of work," Buttigieg told... |
| • | "President Trump's idea of a good economy is one where the wealthiest are doing well. Joe Biden's idea of a good economy is one where we all of us are doing well." |
| • | "In Scranton, good times aren't promised. But here, and in towns across America, times are harder than they ought to be. Lives on pause, dreams on hold, futures in doubt. He's running to change that. To give working people the shot they deserve. An honest living for honest work, and a little peace of mind at the end of the day." |
| • | "We are rudderless and joyless. We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great. We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness, our cheering on of others." |
| • | "The shared experience of humanity that makes it all worth it. The challenges and the triumph that we shared and celebrated. The unique can-do spirit that America has always been known for. We are lost. We've lost so much in so short a time. On Nov. 3, vote them out." |
| • | "Three days we can put an end to a president that has failed to protect this nation," Biden said. "I don't care how hard the president tries, there's nothing he can do to prevent the people from voting." |
| • | "Why should you all be paying more in taxes than Donald Trump, the millionaire? Well, guess what Mr. President, I'm coming for you," Biden added. |
| • | "I'm running as a proud Democrat, but I will govern as an American," Biden said. |
| • | "It's time for Donald Trump to pack his bags and go home. We're done with the chaos, the tweets, the anger, the hate, the failure [and] refusing to take any responsibility." |
| • | Biden thanked Obama for being a "great" president and suggested a Biden presidency would be free of scandal. Biden has dismissed recent allegations that his son, Hunter, involved him in foreign business dealings. |
| • | "[We] went through eight years without one single trace of scandal ... It's gonna be nice to return to that." |
| • | "What in the hell is wrong with this man?" Biden said. "Excuse my language, but think about it — it's perverted. He may believe it because he doesn't do anything other than for money." |
| • | "Joe Biden is my brother. I love Joe Biden, and he will be a great president," Obama said... |
| • | "Trump cares about feeding his ego," Obama said. "Joe cares about keeping you and your family safe." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | From behind his smelly veil, Taylor contended his anonymity was a moral act. |
| • | "Removing my identity from the equation deprives him of an opportunity to create a distraction," he said of President Donald Trump. "What will he do when there is no person to attack, only an idea?" |
| • | See related Head Honcho (Antonio Branco, 09/01/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "You know what the sad thing is? And I'll be honest with you ... I've had many people who I love in my life- and yeah I come from a red state, I've lived in several red states, there are a lot of friends who I've had to really get rid of because they are so nonsensical when it comes to this issue." |
| • | "They have every single talking point that they hear on state TV and that they hear from this president, they repeat it and they're blinded by it." |
| • | "I had to get rid of them because they're too far gone. I try and I try and I try, they say something really stupid and then I'll show them the science and I'll give them the information, and they still repeat those talking points." |
| • | "I had to get rid of a lot of people in my life because sometimes you've just got to let them go. I think they have to hit rock bottom like an addict, right? And they have to want to get help, they have to want to know the truth, they have to want to live in reality, they have to want to be responsible not only for other people's lives but for their lives." |
| • | "It's so sad. And I don't know if after this I'll ever be able to go back and be friends with those people because, at a certain point, you just say they're too far gone and I've got to let them go. And if they're willing to come back, they're willing to live in reality, then I would welcome them with open arms. But I can't do it, I can't do it anymore." |
| • | "They have played politics on this from day one, right? They have done a terrible job on COVID from day one and they want a counter defense," Cuomo said. |
| • | "What they were saying was, ‘Well, a lot of people died in nursing homes in Democratic states', it's not just New York, it's all the Democratic states, and the truth is, a lot of people did die in nursing homes in Democratic states. The truth is people are dying today in nursing homes in Republican states, it's just that Democratic states had the disease worse and earlier." |
| • | "I'm holding you know who responsible for every death in this country first ... because he lied about it..." |
| • | Cuomo then said the Trump administration was "totally incompetent" and criticized Trump for trying to "demonize China" by focusing on the virus's origins. |
| • | "The virus did not come here from China," Cuomo proclaimed. "The virus came here from Europe because he wasn't paying attention, the virus left China, went to Europe... January, February, March we had three million people coming in from Europe... that's where the virus came from." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | See related Flattened the Curve... (Mike Shelton, 09/11/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
Marine vet Joey Jones slams media's 'abhorrent' double standard after Tony Bobulinski's... (Fox 10/29/2020)
| • | "Vindman got an entire hearing, nationally televised in the middle of an impeachment, and every word out of his mouth, we were supposed to believe because he said it in uniform." |
| • | "And then to say this for some reason Tony Bobulinski is a Russian disinformation person. Like maybe, respect his service just a little bit and hear what he has to say, and then check it out." |
| • | "John Kelly is a good example of this. He was the devil incarnate when he worked for the president, and now he's Jesus Christ the savior because he doesn't like the president." |
| • | Freshman Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York wore thousands of dollars worth of outfits and jewelry for her spread in Vanity Fair magazine's December issue while attacking President Trump for not paying his taxes. |
| • | AOC lambasted Trump in the magazine interview saying: "These are the same people saying that we can't have tuition-free public colleges because there's no money," she says, "when these motherf*****s are only paying $750 a year in taxes." |
| • | "It's very dehumanizing in both ways, strangely, both the negative and the positive. It's not an accident that, every cycle, the boogeyman of the Democrats is a woman. A couple of cycles ago, it was Pelosi. Then it was Hillary, and now it's me." |
| • | "It's legitimately hard being a first-generation woman . . . and being working class, trying to navigate a professional environment." |
| • | "It continues to take me so long to try to figure out how to look put-together without having a huge designer closet." |
| • | "The Republican majority is lighting its credibility on fire ... The next time the American people give Democrats a majority in this chamber, you will have forfeited the right to tell us how to run that majority," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said... |
| • | "My colleagues may regret this for a lot longer than they think." |
| • | Pelosi argued the confirmation, which she called a manipulation, was made so Trump and Republicans could "achieve their years-long campaign to destroy Americans' health care" |
| • | "The President's Supreme Court manipulation threatens the very values and rights that define and distinguish our nation: a woman's constitutional right to make her own medical decisions, the rights of LGBTQ Americans, the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain for fair wages, the future of our planet and environmental protections, voting rights and the right of every American to have a voice in our democracy." |
| • | Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., released a statement calling the confirmation a "sad day for the Senate and for the Court." |
| • | "My Republican colleagues put the rule of ‘because we can' over the traditions and precedents of the Senate, the principles we hold dear as an institution, and the integrity of the federal judiciary." |
| • | See related Make no Apologies (Michael Ramirez, 06/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "There is no escaping this glaring hypocrisy," Schumer said... "As I said before, not tit for tat, convoluted, distorted version of history will wipe away the stain that will exist forever with the Republican majority and this Republican leader." |
| • | "A right-wing offensive is underway to discredit social media companies just days before the election." |
| • | "What began as complaints about anti-conservative censorship by social media companies has now evolved into outright allegations of election interference, as high-ranking Republicans have accused online platforms of helping Democrats by way of their content moderation decisions." |
| • | "Outside experts have found little evidence to support claims of widespread, systematic political bias in Silicon Valley's technology. But the conservative allegations are an explosive charge and a dramatic escalation ahead of Election Day. They reflect not only the stakes of the race, but also the fact that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have become key parts of America's democracy, for better or for worse — and now, fair game for a party with a habit of working the refs." |
| • | "I fight for the Supreme Court's legitimacy. I revere the Supreme Court, having argued before it, having clerked on it. Its legitimacy depends on faith and trust. We must act to restore the credibility and legitimacy of the court, which has been so gravely imperiled." |
"... it makes me literally sick to my stomach to think that we'd have four more years of this abuse and destruction of our institutions, and damaging of our norms and our values, and lessening of our leadership, and the list goes ()
| • | "There's no doubt that he would do everything he could to attack and punish anyone who was, in his view, an adversary. And he would be aided and abetted, sadly, by both elected and appointed officials." |
| • | "I don't think he has any boundaries at all... I don't think he has any conscience. He's obviously not a moral, truthful man. So he will do whatever he can to lift himself up. And remember, as I said, he lives with this specter of illegitimacy. He knows more about how he got really elected than we still do. Hopefully, we'll learn more in the years ahead." |
| • | See related Trump Collusion Charges (Glenn McCoy, 10/30/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Head Honcho (Antonio Branco, 09/01/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Biden described Trump in the contentious first presidential debate in Cleveland on Sept. 29, as "Putin's puppy." |
| • | ... said our lack of standing in the world, which he largely attributed to Trump, was the biggest foreign threat our nation faces. |
| • | "Look what he does. He embraces every dictator in sight, and he pokes his finger in the eye of all of our friends." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Describing the president as a "consummate linguistic takedown artist," the paper said Trump also weaponized the "social-media-driven political landscape we now live in" and lacks the skillset for a second term. |
| • | Biden, on the other hand, is a "caring, compassionate and professional public servant," according to the editorial. |
| • | "Joe Biden may not be the president we want, but in 2020 he is the president we desperately need. He will be a president to bring people together and right the ship of state." |
| • | "Sadly, President Trump has proven himself to be the antithesis of thoughtful and pragmatic; he has failed to earn a second term." |
| • | ... Jack Dorsey could also be facing charges for lying to Congress in 2018. ... "Let me be clear about one important and foundational fact: Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules." |
| • | "We believe strongly in being impartial, and we strive to enforce our rules impartially. We do not shadow ban anyone based on political ideology. In fact, from a simple business perspective and to serve the public conversation, Twitter is incentivized to keep all voices on the platform." |
| • | See related Jack (Gary Varvel, 10/19/2020) cartoon from Corporate picture album |
| • | "I'm running as a proud Democrat, but I will govern as an American president. I'll work as hard for those who don't support me as those who do, including those chumps with the microphone out there. Look, that's the job of the president. The duty to care for everyone. The duty to heal." |
| • | "By the way, we don't do things like those chumps out there with the microphone and Trump guys. It's about decency." |
| • | "... You think he's hard at work coming up with a plan to get us out of this mess? ... He doesn't have a plan. He doesn't even acknowledge the reality of what's taking place all across the country." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Our society now demands we hold people who abuse their power accountable for sexual harassment and assault, no matter how important those people are." |
| • | "Yet multiple times, Judge Barrett ruled against survivors of rape, instead siding with powerful abusers and the powerful institutions that enable them." |
| • | "We know painfully well that the systems for survivors to pursue justice are broken. They cannot be repaired and must be rebuilt. But Judge Barrett's record shows she'd reshape the law to make it even harder for survivors to be heard and for justice to be achieved." |
| • | "We don't want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don't want to waste the listeners' and readers' time on stories that are just pure distractions. And quite frankly, that's where we ended up, this was ... a politically driven event and we decided to treat it that way." |
| • | "The last thing we need to do is turn the Supreme Court into just a political football, whoever has the most votes gets whatever they want," Biden continued. "Presidents come and go, Supreme Court justices stay for generations." |
| • | "It's morally wrong, it's legally unacceptable, it's unconstitutional and we're going to fight it," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said... |
| • | "I said weeks ago if the Trump administration persisted in trying to illegally take away funding from New York City we would take them to court, and we will beat them in court." |
| • | A journalist at Pelosi's weekly news conference at the Capitol asked the California Democrat about "serious allegations of corruption involving Joe Biden." |
| • | But Pelosi cut off the reporter before she could finish, saying: "I'm sorry, I'm not answering your question." |
| • | "We're talking about the coronavirus," Pelosi said. "I don't have all day for questions." |
| • | ... argued that Trump inherited the "longest streak of job growth in American history" and "messed it up." |
| • | "He hasn't shown any interest in doing the work or helping anybody but himself and his friends." Obama said... |
| • | "This is not a reality show. This is reality, and the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "I'm troubled by our politics, as it has moved away from spirited debate to a vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass that is unbecoming of any free nation — let alone the birthplace of modern democracy. The president calls the Democratic vice presidential candidate a 'monster;' He repeatedly labels the Speaker of the House 'crazy;' he calls for the Justice Department to put the prior president in jail." |
| • | See related The New Maverick (Antonio Branco, 02/12/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | While Biden has not commented on that email, or his alleged involvement in any deals with the Chinese Energy firm, his campaign said it released the former vice president's tax documents and returns, which do not reflect any involvement with Chinese investments. |
| • | "Amy Barrett and this power grab pose a grave threat to every freedom and right we hold dear and tears the very fabric of our democracy. Americans–whose lives hang in the balance – deserve leadership that underscores how unprecedented, shameful and wrong this process is," NARAL President Ilyse Hogue said in a statement. |
| • | "The ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, failed to make this clear and in fact offered an appearance of credibility to the proceedings that is wildly out of step with the American people. As such, we believe the committee needs new leadership." |
| • | "Once we're past these events, and we've resolved them peacefully, I wouldn't expect that we continue to adopt a lot more policies that are restricting of a lot more content." |
| • | "The basic answer is that this does not reflect a shift in our underlying philosophy or strong support of free expression." |
| • | "What it reflects is, in our view, an increased risk of violence and unrest, especially around the elections, and an increased risk of physical harm, especially around the time when we expect COVID vaccines to be approved over the coming months." |
| • | "Because our Republican colleagues have made such a mockery of the Supreme Court confirmation process, we are not going to have business as usual here in the Senate," Schumer said... |
| • | "While we've updated the policy, we don't change enforcement retroactively. You will still need to delete the Tweets to regain access to your account," Twitter wrote in a statement to the Post. |
| • | Facebook said it was reducing distribution of the Post's article while the platform's independent, third-party fact-checkers determine its credibility. |
| • | "Brutal outcome for a silly non political tweet. Nothing objectionable. Cancel culture going too far." |
| • | Melania Trump's private phone conversations, the president's stolen tax returns, they were happy to publish all of that. But if you criticize the Democratic candidate, their candidate, you are banned. |
| • | "Facebook and Twitter have policies to not spread things that are utterly unreliable, that have been debunked, and where their origin is untrustworthy," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Thursday. |
Bruce Springsteen says he’ll be 'on the next plane' to Australia if Trump wins reelection (Fox 10/15/2020)
| • | The 71-year-old rocker recently spoke with the Australian press via a virtual chat, and he said that should the election favor Trump, he might not stick around the US. |
| • | The star then added of a potential move, "If Trump is re-elected – which he will not be; I'm predicting right now he's gonna lose – if by some happenstance he should be, I'll see you on the next plane," Springsteen stated. |
| • | See related Don't Have the Addresses... (Mike Lester, 12/21/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Your account has been locked. What happened? We have determined that this account violated the Twitter Rules. Specifically, for: Violating our rules against posting private information." |
| • | "You may not publish or post other people's private information without their express authorization and permission." |
| • | I'm doing this both because we need to be focusing on COVID-19 relief and because Judge Barrett has shown through her writings that she has an activist judicial philosophy that will put at risk crucial rights and protections we all hold dear. |
| • | ... the American people deserve to know the harmful real-world consequences Judge Barrett's confirmation could have on their lives. |
| • | ... after reviewing her record and writings over the past few weeks, I believe Judge Barrett has a radical judicial approach, even more conservative than Justice Scalia. |
| • | With the confirmation of a Justice Barrett, a Supreme Court with a 6-3 conservative majority would be like nothing we have seen in many decades. |
| • | It would, I fear, usher in a new chapter of conservative judicial activism that would disrupt rights that we hold dear across so many aspects of our lives. |
| • | "You might not have been happy with everything I did, all my policy choices," Obama said... |
| • | "I didn't eliminate poverty in America. But when we had a pandemic or the threat of pandemic, we had competent people in place who would deal with it." |
| • | "Even our enemies can expect us to behave like adults on the international stage. Over the last four years, it's not as if Trump has been all that active internationally. I mean, the truth is he doesn't have the patience and the focus to really substantially change a lot of U.S. foreign policy. What he's done is, he's systematically tried to decimate our entire foreign policy infrastructure." |
| • | Conversely, he said, Biden has always had a "respect" for the power of global leadership. |
| • | "He consistently believed that we should show restraint and humility and think through the use of military power and had huge confidence and faith in the use of diplomacy as a strategy for showing American leadership." |
| • | "And that instinct that I think is going to trickle out, partly because he's gonna have to rebuild a State Department where some of the best people have been driven out systematically because they weren't willing to toe Trump's ideological agenda." |
| • | Speaking to young, progressive voters who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in the primary, Obama said the first priority for Democrats is to win but said they should continue to "press their agenda." |
| • | See related Want to Hear a Joke? (Michael Ramirez, 09/30/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | See related Cuba-USA (Glenn McCoy, 12/18/2014) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | See related Unbelievably Small... (Mike Lester, 09/13/2013) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "Why on earth would NBC agree to do that? You can do equal time on a different night! You can do equal time at a different time! You don't have to do it at the same time and then divide the country further by having them choose!" |
| • | "How does it help the American people? How does that help the electorate by putting those two people on at the same time and making people choose from one to the other?" |
| • | "This is an outright embarrassing ratings ploy on behalf of NBC. And I am shocked and surprised that they would allow the president of the United States to do their programming and manipulate them into doing this. This is embarrassing." |
| • | "We have to stand up for each other. The institution of journalism is under attack. It's not just about ratings. I know there's an entertainment arm over at their network, but I'm thinking about the journalists over there." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "My core concern here, your honor, is that your confirmation may launch a new chapter of conservative judicial activism, unlike anything we've seen in decades," Coons said. "... And so with all due respect, I will be voting against your confirmation." |
| • | "No one should link to or share that NY Post 'report'. You can discuss the obvious flaws and unanswerable questions in the report without amplifying what appears to be disinformation." |
| • | "This is not censorship. Facebook is under no obligation to allow a disputed report that appears to contain disinformation to spread on their platform." |
| • | "I explain how the NY Post embraced and promoted Russian disinformation with its supposed Biden bombshell. Will the rest of the media do better?" |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee plans to leave US if Trump wins re-election (Fox 10/14/2020)
| • | "Dude, I swear to god if that happens then I'm coming over to visit the U.K. I'm out of here. I'll go back to my motherland, go back to go Greece and get a house on one of the islands." |
| • | "The thing that stings the most is that I feel like we're embarrassing. I feel like people in Europe and the rest of the world look at America and think: ‘What the f**k are you guys doing over there? Stop voting for celebrities and get someone real to run the country.'" |
| • | See related Don't Have the Addresses... (Mike Lester, 12/21/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... the Chinese mission welcomed the move, saying it "sincerely appreciates the strong support from the wide UN membership." |
| • | The communist regime went on to pledge to "work with other members to advance the Council's work of promoting and protecting human rights. |
| • | "They think 54 percent of the American people believe they're better off economically today than they were under our administration? Well, their memory is not very good, quite frankly." |
| • | "And in addition to that, we have a president who doesn't share the values of most Americans. He's not very honest with people. He's flouting the conventions relative to public safety in terms of even now- not wearing a mask, a guy who has been a super spreader." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Yes Judge, I think this hearing is a sham. I think it shows real messed-up priorities from the Republican Party." |
| • | "This is a distraction they want to throw out as a hypothetical ... to distract from the fact they are trying to ram through a nominee who, as I said, is going to change the makeup of the court against the will of the American people." |
| • | "[Biden] has probably answered this question 15 times over the course of the last week. The answer is I am not going to play Donald Trump's game. I am not going to allow the terms of this debate to shift to a hypothetical that assumes, by the way, that we, the Democrats, are going to lose here." |
Coons says that confirming Barrett 'constitutes court-packing,' Sasse responds that's... (Fox 10/11/2020)
| • | "I'm going to be laying out the ways in which Judge Barrett's views ... are not just extreme, they're disqualifying. It constitutes court-packing." |
| • | ... a day after she accused President Trump of being "in an altered state" from his coronavirus treatment. |
| • | "This is not about President Trump. He will face the judgment of the voters. But he shows the need for us to create a process for future presidents." |
| • | Pelosi denied that the timing of the legislation had anything to do with the election and argued that setting up a commission on presidential capacity is needed to "give some comfort to people" on the stability of the government. |
| • | Pelosi was joined at the Capitol by bill author Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who said the coronavirus crisis has further shown the need for a succession plan in the event the president is incapacitated. "We need to act." |
| • | "In times of chaos, we must hold fast to our Constitution. The 25th amendment is all about the stability of the presidency and the continuity of the office." ... Raskin introduced a similar bill in 2017. |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Just in the Way (12/23/2019), ) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump's failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression." |
| • | "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children," a spokesperson for Netflix told... "This charge is without merit and we stand by the film." |
| • | See related Netflix Exploits Children (Gary McCoy, 09/15/2020) cartoon from Adult picture album |
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| • | Standing at Gettysburg, the former vice president pointed to President Abraham Lincoln, who "taught us this – a house divided could not stand. That is a great and timeless truth...Today again we are a house divided. But that my friends can no longer be." |
| • | "Too many Americans see our public life not as an arena for mediation of our differences, but rather they see it as an occasion for total unrelenting partisan warfare. Instead of treating the other party as the opposition, we treat them as the enemy." |
| • | ... "too many Americans seek not to overcome our divisions, but to deepen them. We must seek not to build walls, but bridges. We must seek not to have our fists clenched but our arms open. We must seek not to tear each other apart, but to come together." |
| • | ... "if you say we have no need to face racial injustice in this country, you haven't opened your eyes to the truth in America." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Judge Barrett's extreme record on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, along with her ideologically driven writings and speeches, demonstrate that she is incapable of rendering equal justice under law." |
| • | "In sum, Judge Barrett is an ideological extremist who lacks the fair-mindedness necessary to serve a lifetime appointment at the highest level of the branch of government charged with making the ultimate decisions about our rights, freedoms, liberties, and the meaning of our laws and Constitution." |
New York's Cuomo faces criticism of latest nursing home, coronavirus comments (Fox 10/01/2020)
| • | "... it just never happened in New York where we needed to say to a nursing home, 'we need you to take this person even though they're COVID-positive. It never happened." |
| • | The New York governor argued that nursing homes were required not to discriminate against COVID-19 patients but could refuse them if they couldn't provide care while effectively caring for others in their facility. |
| • | The order stated an "urgent need to expand hospital capacity," adding that "all NHs [Nursing Homes] must comply with the expedited receipt of residents returning from hospitals to NHs |
| • | Health Department data through Sept. |
| • | 30 reveals that the state saw thousands of COVID-confirmed deaths at nursing homes. |
| • | Cuomo also has pushed back on the idea that he was responsible for deaths, instead pointing to the nature of the virus itself. |
| • | "I would say first of all, that's not why they lost a loved one ... the premise of your queston is just factually wrong." |
| • | "People who were lost in nursing homes were lost because that's where the virus preys. The virus preys on senior citizens." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "I thought that was embarrassing for the country the way the president acted for the rest of the world watching this." |
| • | "I just thought that – it was hard for me to believe that a president of the United States would be so viciously classless and do what he did ... And all I kept thinking was I just, I just, I wonder how many people had to take their kids away from the television set when this was going on, just to say, this is not who we are." |
| • | Biden, for his part, showed his frustration with Trump at times, telling him to "shut up, man" and saying "everybody knows he's a liar." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The timeline for consideration of Judge Barrett's nomination is incompatible with the Senate's constitutional role." |
| • | "We again urge you to delay consideration of this nomination until after the presidential inauguration. The Senate and the American public deserve a deliberative, thorough process, and this falls far short." |
| • | "This timeline is a sharp departure from past practice. Even more, it undercuts the Senate's ability to fulfill its advice and consent role and deprives the American people of a meaningful opportunity to gauge the nominee and her record for themselves." |
| • | "I feel you. Believe me, I do. But we can't let him win by tuning out altogether. That's what he wants." |
| • | She said Americans need to turn their disgust into votes for Biden – and make sure everyone they know has a plan to vote. |
| • | "It's the only way we can get out of this chaos and restore some stability to this country." |
| • | "We have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored. Because right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting." |
| • | See related China Vacation (Glenn McCoy, 03/25/2014) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Gayle King pushes back at Pelosi's 'egregious' rhetoric after speaker slammed Trump's 'henchmen' ()
| • | "But Speaker Pelosi, that's what people say is the problem. Your language, to some, is just as egregious as what they're saying. By calling the president's people 'henchmen', some could say that's just as insulting as what he's saying about you." |
| • | "Well, I don't care what he has to say about me," Pelosi smirked. "Every knock from him is a boost [for] me. If he wants to help me raise money, he can keep knocking me. But I'm speaking truth." |
| • | "Our Constitution is at the mercy of people who have no allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. They have repeatedly demonstrated [that]. Now that the president has said what he said-" |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Asked ... whether she still believed the former vice president should skip the three scheduled debates, Pelosi said: "Oh, I do. Not that I don't think he'll be excellent. I just think that the president has no fidelity to fact or truth and, actually in his comments the last few days, no fidelity to the Constitution of the United States." |
| • | "He and his henchmen are a danger, with their comments, are a danger to our democracy. So I don't want to give him - I mean, why bother? He doesn't tell the truth." |
| • | "I wouldn't legitimize a conversation with him, nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States." |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Rather than turning to the advice and direction of public health experts and career public servants, President Trump instead put the health and security of the American people in the hands of political appointees whose first priority was securing the reelection of their benefactor, with predictably tragic results." |
| • | See related The Joker (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2020) cartoon from Government picture album |
LeBron James offering to pay for felons' fines to vote in election (Fox 09/22/2020)
| • | "This is SYSTEMIC RACISM and OPPRESSION." |
| • | See related LeBron James Sports Basketball (Sean Delonas, 06/02/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "We know to win Florida we will need to persuade, motivate and add new votes to the Biden column." |
| • | "This means we need to explore all avenues for finding the needed votes when so many votes are already determined." |
| • | "... I beat the socialist. That's how I got elected. That's how I got the nomination. Do I look like a socialist? Look at my career, my whole career. I am not a socialist." |
| • | "The vast, overwhelming majority are peaceful, and by the way, the seven percent that are not, they have a very broad definition of what's not ‘peaceful,' for example if you block traffic or something like that or if you respond to police provocation," Kellerman said. |
| • | "And even then, a big percentage of that, that wasn't peaceful, is actually outside agitators, extremist right-wing agitators posing as protestors in order to make the protests look bad." |
| • | "It's a game to them, a play to gin up emotions and anger." |
| • | "There's a reason why no presidential candidate other than Donald Trump has ever done such a thing." |
| • | "... Our institutions are being basically undermined by the lust for power, power for personal gain in the case of the president or power for institutional gain in the case of Mitch McConnell." |
| • | "We have our options. We have arrows in our quiver that I'm not about to discuss right now, but the fact is we have a big challenge in our country." |
| • | "This president has threatened to not even accept the results of the election." |
| • | "Our main goal would be to protect the integrity of the election as we protect the people from the coronavirus." |
| • | "We have a responsibility. We take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. We have a responsibility to meet the needs of the American people." |
| • | "When we weigh the equities of protecting our democracy, it requires us to use every arrow in our quiver." |
| • | See related Pelosi Fiddles (Sean Delonas, 03/24/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "Our democracy is at a faint heartbeat; it was broken even before Trump. But so long as we can save lives, I believe we have an obligation to do so as we build a new world." |
| • | "Voting for Joe Biden is not about whether you agree with him. It's a vote to let our democracy live another day." |
| • | See related Left! Left! (Michael Ramirez, 05/18/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "We can't allow politics to interfere with the vaccine in any way," Biden said... |
| • | "Americans have had to endure President Trump's incompetence and dishonesty when it comes to testing and personal protective equipment. We can't afford to repeat those fiascos when it comes to a vaccine, when it occurs. The stakes are too high." |
| • | "I trust vaccines. I trust scientists. I don't trust Trump." |
| • | "When we were in the White House, we could've never gotten away with some of the stuff that's going on now." |
| • | "Not because of the public. but our community wouldn't have accepted that. You worked, you did your best every day. You showed up." |
| • | See related The Presidency (Glenn McCoy, 01/26/2015) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "Last fall, a jury — with all of the facts fully presented to it — decided that David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress intentionally broke the law in a multi-year, malicious campaign to advance their goals of banning safe, legal abortion in this country, and preventing Planned Parenthood from serving the patients who depend on us. The result: Daleiden was ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages. And, he still faces criminal charges." |
| • | The abortion provider successfully sued Daleiden in a civil trial, alleging that he committed fraud, trespassing and illegal video recording. |
| • | See related Baby Shower (Glenn McCoy, 08/2015) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "I am so sorry that a homily given by Fr. Paul Graney at the 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday has brought forth division, anger, confusion and chaos," the Rev. Bob McCabe, pastor at Church of the Divine Child in Dearborn, Mich., said... |
| • | "I first spoke with a couple individuals shortly after his homily. I could sense their anger and their hurt." |
| • | ... it is not the legitimate role of government, for Congress or for taxpayer expense, to be used in an effort to damage political opponents." |
| • | See related The New Maverick (Antonio Branco, 02/12/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The 8th Amendment of U.S. Constitution: 'Excessive bail shall not be required,'" Fetterman tweeted. "Ms. Enterline's bail amount is blatantly unconstitutional." |
| • | The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania called it an "egregious and unacceptable abuse of the bail system." |
| • | "What's far more likely is that the million-dollar bail was set as a warning to other protesters, chilling their ability to exercise their First Amendment right to assemble, and deterring further demonstrations against this latest police killing," said Nyssa Taylor, criminal justice policy counsel at the Pennsylvania ACLU. |
| • | "Let me just say this, anything the president says is a projection of his own insecurities," Pelosi said. "He calls other people crazy because he knows he is... he's a master of projection." |
Jessica Krug, the GW University professor who pretended to be Black, has resigned (Fox 09/09/2020)
| • | Many of Krug's colleagues said they were "shocked and appalled" by her having lied about her identity for her entire career. |
| • | "With what she has termed her ‘audaciously deceptive' appropriation of an Afri-Caribbean identity, she has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies... as well as community activists in New York City and beyond," they said in a joint statement. |
| • | "They didn't like it very much when I reminded them, as they were talking about the problems in all these major cities, who was leading those major cities. It was very interesting that the second I started naming off all of the accomplishments and all of the things that the president has done to empower the Black community and to help the Black community, they quickly cut me off and decided it was time to move on." |
| • | ... called out co-host of "The View" Joy Behar for calling the president a "terrorist." |
| • | "Despite the fact that the president spent the last four years wiping the most dangerous terrorist off of the face of the planet, they are the definition of hypocrisy." |
| • | ... said that "The View" co-hosts have "decided that they hate President Trump more than they love the United States of America." |
| • | "It's never been more evident than the fact that they can't be happy about the positive things that this president has done to help all Americans, particularly Black Americans across this country." |
| • | Tompkins later issued an apology saying, "I want to apologize for my mistake in singling out a student and any misunderstandings that arose from that." |
| • | "One of my favorite things about working at a liberal arts institution is that our community has diverse perspectives. All students, faculty and staff are able to engage in civil discourse with those whose views may be different from their own, and to learn about those views in an academic setting. I value and support these conversations with students, and I know that students value these conversations with their peers as well." |
Cuomo says Trump 'caused' New York coronavirus outbreak (Fox 09/08/2020)
| • | ... by not banning travel from Europe sooner — the latest in an escalation of words between the politicians. |
| • | "Donald Trump caused the COVID outbreak in New York. That is a fact. It's a fact that he admitted, and the CDC admitted, and Fauci admitted." |
| • | "The China virus got on a plane and went to Europe," Cuomo said. "The European virus came to New York." |
| • | "In mid-March the federal government does the travel ban from Europe," the Democratic governor said. "Too little too late, Mr. President." |
| • | "The virus killed many more Americans than anything you were worried about on the southern border. This nation loses more people per day to COVID than any nation on the globe." |
| • | "You know who did that? Donald Trump's incompetence. And now, they won't provide federal funding to help repair the damage from the ambush they created." |
| • | Cuomo added that Trump is "trying to kill" New York City... |
Peter Strzok says Steele dossier led FBI on 'wild goose chase' (Fox 09/08/2020)
Cohen calls Trump 'cult leader' ahead of book release (Fox 09/06/2020)
| • | "I described Mr. Trump as a cult leader and I was in this cult. And while I was in the cult I was really refusing to acknowledge that the actions I was performing for my boss were really morally wrong." |
| • | "So one of the purposes of writing the book is really from one former cult member to the current ones... I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Open your eyes as I have. And I want you to appreciate that Donald Trump cares for no one or anything other than himself." |
| • | "I don't think at all that it's anything improper. You get people who are overworked, who make mistakes — and don't get me wrong, inexcusable mistakes." |
| • | "We didn't do anything but chant and sing," Lysenko says in the video clip. |
| • | "Our peacekeepers ended up shooting pepper spray at us for singing and chanting and telling them what a s — -y-assed job they were doing. They can f** right off America! F** the police. F** Rochester Police Department." |
| • | ... as of Sunday afternoon, more than 3,500 people have signed a petition on change.org demanding that Lysenko keeps his job. |
| • | "(Lysenko) is setting a good example to the students at spencerport showing us to fight for what we believe in." |
| • | "Swear words are just words and should not be a reason to be fired. We all hear swear words anyways so it is not a big deal." |
| • | Lysenko's social media accounts are replete with posts declaring his support of Black Lives Matter and social justice-related causes. ... "To any students-past or present-who follow me here: know that when you post "#WhiteLivesMatter, you are condoning White Supremacy..." |
| • | "We must strive to create a society safe for women, which we currently do not do." |
| • | "I believe if we had more early childhood education funding, and taught what healthy interpersonal relationships look like, my ex and I would have been less toxic to each other." |
| • | "While it is true I was abusive to my ex-girlfriend, I do not agree with the characterization being made about our experience in the hot tub the day after Christmas." |
| • | "I did not choke her. I also don't think she is intentionally lying, as I know large quantities of alcohol could be affecting both of our memories." |
| • | M.E. Hart, an attorney who has conducted diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government, told The Washington Post that it also can improve morale, cooperation and efficiency. |
| • | "If we are going to live up to this nation's promise — ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' — we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes, including taking whatever classes make that possible." |
| • | "These classes have been very powerful in allowing people to do that, and we need them more than ever. There's danger here." |
| • | "In the midst of protests and uprisings, there is often a loud call to denounce riots and looting. But in her new book, author Vicky Osterweil argues that looting is a strategic resistance tactic that has been used for centuries to fight injustice." |
| • | "When I use the word looting, I mean the mass expropriation of property, mass shoplifting during a moment of upheaval or riot. That's the thing I'm defending. I'm not defending any situation in which property is stolen by force," Osterweil said. |
| • | "Most stores are insured; it's just hurting insurance companies on some level. It's just money. It's just property. It's not actually hurting any people." |
| • | "Looting strikes at the heart of property, of whiteness and of the police," Osterweil said. |
| • | "And also, it provides people with an imaginative sense of freedom and pleasure, and helps them imagine a world that could be. And I think that's a part of it that doesn't really get talked about — that riots and looting are experienced as sort of joyous and liberatory." |
| • | See related Democrat Voter Registration (Sean Delonas, 06/04/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "Our cities, and the millions of Americans who we represent, are not President Trump's political pawns." |
| • | "We are confronting unprecedented challenges — fighting back a pandemic and economic devastation without another stimulus. Now, instead of leadership from the White House, we are faced with new attacks that are unlawful, unconstitutional and will be undoubtedly defeated in court." |
| • | "President Trump needs to wake up to the reality facing our cities — and our entire country — and realize he is not above the law." |
| • | Pelosi addressed the backlash earlier in the day, claiming she frequented the salon "over the years many times," and demanding an apology from the owner "for setting me up." |
| • | "This president, Donald John Trump, has instigated a race war in America. Portland, Oregon, is ground zero. This president, Donald John Trump, has basically stoked the flames for racist extremists, neo-Nazis, and the alt-right." |
| • | "This president is even defending Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who went in Wisconsin and killed two protesters." |
| • | "So, at the end of the day, the mayor of Portland is absolutely right. And there are those who are calling for help from this president ... There is a race war in America right now because of this president." |
| • | "People are calling me, asking if there indeed is a way to get the International Crimes Court to come in to deal with this." |
| • | "You know, I've talked to some people who are in intelligence and they're saying he's done heinous things, but ... we don't know for sure. But people are now afraid of this president, because he has stoked the racial flames. And let's call the thing a thing. He has now begun a race war in America in 2020." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | ... "you know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family's story. Ask yourself, do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really? I want a safe America." |
| • | See related Make no Apologies (Michael Ramirez, 06/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The president is only motivated by one thing: what is in it for him. He sees this violence and his ability to agitate more of it as useful to this campaign. What it does to the country, the loss of life, he doesn't care." |
| • | "That is the sad and tragic truth about this and also of Trump's presidency more generally," Schiff said, adding that Trump "believes the violence helps him." |
| • | See related Working from Home (Antonio Branco, 03/27/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Part of the reason why we are in the state of chaos that we're in in this country is because Donald Trump has failed to lead on the coronavirus." |
| • | "He failed to take it seriously from the outset, and he's failed to be uniter. He's failed to lead as we've been grappling with this moment of racial injustice in this country." |
| • | "Absolutely, absolutely he has. He has encouraged his supporters to go out, to be aggressive." |
| • | "The simple reality is that we are seeing more and more chaos and violence under the Trump presidency, and there's no reason to expect that it would get any different or better if he were reelected," said Buttigieg. |
| • | "This is very much characteristic of living in Donald Trump's America, and I think we're going to see more and more of it as long as he's in charge." |
Trump vows ‘security’ as he accepts GOP nomination, warns Biden would end ‘American greatness’ (Fox 08/28/2020)
| • | "Remember: every example of violence Donald Trump decries has happened on his watch. Under his leadership. During his presidency," Biden tweeted. |
| • | "Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and most important job of a president of the United States – he failed to protect the American people. Plain and simple." |
| • | "Instead of a strategy to overcome the pandemic, or any concern for the unbearable suffering in our country right now as a result of his ongoing failures, what we heard was a delusional vision completely divorced from the crushing reality that ordinary Americans face." |
| • | ... "the American people know who Donald Trump is. They know the truth about Trump's crisis-plagued presidency because they are living it every single day: shuttered businesses in our neighborhoods, kids kept home from school, and a steady stream of vitriol intended to tear us apart, from the person who is supposed to be uniting our nation." |
| • | "... I think that he'll probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency; he does that every day." |
| • | "But I think it will also belittle what the debates are supposed to be about. And they're not to be about skullduggery on the part of somebody who has no respect for the office he holds, much less the democratic process." |
| • | "Why else would he try to undermine the elections in the manner in which he is doing?" |
| • | "So, if Joe Biden asked me what I thought about it, [I'd say] I don't think that he should dignify that conversation with Donald Trump." |
| • | ... the Biden campaign responded that while they agree with the speaker's characterization of Trump, Biden will go through with the debates as planned. |
| • | "We certainly agree with Speaker Pelosi on her views of the President's behavior. But just as she has powerfully confronted that behavior in the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room, Joe Biden looks forward to doing the same on the debate stage." |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "We must step up, get out of our comfort zone, and vote for Joe Biden. It is time for us to have initiative in our communities and networks to stand up for character, integrity, decency, and leadership." |
| • | ... https://www.foxnews.com/politics/al-gore-military-remove-trump-wont-concede-election-night |
| • | "He seems to have no compunctions at all about trying to rip apart the social fabric and the political equilibrium of the American people, and he's strategically planting doubts in advance." |
| • | "Mike Pompeo has been an overtly religious secretary of state, which in itself is problematic because again he's supposed to represent all of America, all of our religions." |
| • | "The derogatory language used by a professor on his course syllabus is damaging to the learning environment for our students and offensive to Chinese, international and Asian-Americans everywhere who have experienced hate speech, rhetoric and actions since the pandemic began." |
| • | "If we are to be a healthy nation, the damage must be repaired. America has always depended on the truth." |
| • | "The justice system in the United States is built upon the idea that the truth is a real thing and it must be spoken, by everybody. And that we all play by the same rules. It matters that judges and prosecutors don't treat you differently because of who you are, what you look like, or who you know. Lady Justice wears a blindfold so all Americans get fair treatment." |
| • | "The facts and the law — not loyalty to Trump, or wealth, or race — must be the only thing that matters. And no matter our politics, we should see it the same way." |
| • | See related A Higher Loyalty (Michael Ramirez, 04/23/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Last week, voters heard about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' commitment to stand up for all Americans and their vision for overcoming this moment of crisis that Donald Trump's failed leadership has severely worsened — by building back better with historic investments in American competitiveness and our middle class." |
| • | "What they will hear from Donald Trump this week are the last thing our country needs: more desperate, wild-eyed lies and toxic division in vain attempts to distract from his mismanagement." |
| • | "Don't pay any attention to what the president is saying because it is all designed to suppress the vote." |
| • | "It's in their playbook that they'll have people intimidated to vote by having ICE agents ... or other law enforcement there to instill fear in people as they show up. ...It's scary but ignore that. It's a suppress-the-vote tactic." |
| • | "Ignore them. Make a plan to vote. ... Vote early so that we will have an outcome that is clear as close to election night as possible." |
| • | "There may be some counting after the election, but I hope that our victory will be so big...that it will be so clear." |
| • | "... While Republicans put together their chaos convention, the DNC war room will be working around the clock to speak truth to power, to expose the disastrous consequences of Trump's chaos presidency, which has led only to crisis after crisis after crisis." |
| • | ... "unity is clearly not the message for them. Division is the message for them. The only way he (Trump) succeeds is to divide and conquer. That's his only play in the playbook." |
| • | Obama said: "I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously, that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. But he never did." |
| • | "For close to four years now, he's shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest in finding common ground, no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends, no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves." |
| • | "Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. And the consequences of that failure are severe: 170,000 Americans dead, millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever, our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished and our democratic institutions threatened like never before." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | In speech Thursday night, Biden promised to restore the "soul of America" and deliver the nation from "darkness" as he accepted the party's nomination. |
| • | "Our current president is failed in his most basic duty to the nation. He's failed to protect us. He's failed to protect America, and my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable," Biden said. |
| • | "As president, I'll make you a promise: I'll protect Americans. I will defend us from every attack — seen and unseen — always, without exception, every time." |
| • | "I think that residents of this city, understanding the nature of the threats that we are receiving on a daily basis, on a daily basis, understand I have a right to make sure that my home is secure." |
| • | ... praising her running mate Joe Biden, saying that he will "bring us together" in battling against the coronavirus pandemic, an economic crisis and racism. |
| • | In between, Harris blamed President Trump for those same problems, claiming that the president's "failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods." |
| • | Later in her speech, she said Trump "turns our tragedies into political weapons." |
| • | Obama accuses Trump of using office for selfish purposes. |
| • | Obama did not hold back during his speech, claiming that his successor has "shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends." |
| • | He slammed Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of the nation's economy, arguing that "the consequences of that failure are severe — 170,000 Americans dead, millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever." |
| • | Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of Biden's primary opponents, gave her full support to the Democratic nominee ... then shifted gears to bash Trump for America's woes during the coronavirus pandemic. |
| • | "Donald Trump's ignorance and incompetence have always been a danger to our country. COVID-19 was Trump's biggest test. He failed miserably." |
| • | Pelosi accuses Trump, McConnell of blocking Democratic agenda. ... "We have sent the Senate bills to protect our dreamers, to advance LGBTQ equality, to prevent gun violence, to preserve our planet for future generations, and even more. All of this is possible for America. Who is standing in the way? Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump." |
| • | ... showed two categories: "Acceptable" and "Unacceptable." |
| • | Under "Acceptable" were Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride (LGBT). |
| • | Under "Unacceptable" were Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, MAGA and politically affiliated slogans or material. |
Nearly 100 celebrities outspoken against Kavanaugh are silent on Biden, study finds (Fox 08/20/2020)
Bill Clinton skewers Trump in convention address: ‘The buck never stops there’ (Fox 08/18/2020)
| • | Pointing to Trump, the former president argued that "if you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he's your man. Denying, distracting, and demeaning works great if you're trying to entertain and inflame. But in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards." |
| • | "At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it's a storm center. There's only chaos. Just one thing never changes — his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there," the former president said. |
| • | "Our party is united in offering you a very different choice: a go-to-work president. A down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy. A man with a mission: to take responsibility, not shift the blame; concentrate, not distract; unite, not divide. Our choice is Joe Biden." |
| • | And spotlighting what's at stake in the presidential election, Clinton stressed that "you know what Donald Trump will do with four more years: blame, bully, and belittle. And you know what Joe Biden will do: build back better." |
| • | See related Jeffrey Epstein Clinton (Sean Delonas, 08/18/2019) cartoon from Adult picture album |
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| • | Jeff Bezos' Washington Post headlined the story of the attack, "Man seriously injured in attack after crashing his truck during Black Lives Matter protest in Portland." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Michelle Obama assailed President Donald Trump on Monday for ripping migrant children from their parents and throwing them into cages, picking up on a frequent and distorted point made widely by Democrats." |
| • | ... photos famously circulated by Democrats "at the height of the controversy over Trump's zero-tolerance policy at the border" were famously taken "in 2014 and depicted some of the thousands of unaccompanied children held by President Barack Obama." |
| • | The former first lady touted Biden's record as vice president, arguing that "he knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country." |
| • | "I think it was disgusting. I think it was absolutely disgusting." |
| • | "You got fans booing you for people taking a stand for what they believe in. Millions of other people support this cause and we discussed with every other team and the league what we're going to do and we've got fans booing us in our own stadium. How disgraceful is that? Honestly, for lack of a better word, it pissed me off. ... You can't even have support form your own fans in your own stadium. It's baffling to me." |
| • | See related Taking a Knee (Glenn McCoy, 09/25/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related Trump Is so Divisive... (Sean Delonas, 09/25/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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Arrested Portland protesters won’t face charges under revised policy (Fox 08/12/2020)
| • | "The protesters are angry ... and deeply frustrated with what they perceive to be structural inequities in our basic social fabric, and this frustration can escalate to levels that violate the law." |
| • | "This policy acknowledges that centuries of disparate treatment of our black and brown communities have left deep wounds and that the healing process will not be easy or quick." |
| • | While we both were on the presidential campaign trail last year ... I observed her to be among the most formidable and knowledgeable of the candidates. |
| • | These times demand leaders for whom fairness and justice aren't just catchphrases, but principles by which to live and work day in and day out. |
| • | And we need leaders ready to start work the moment they've taken their oath of office, knowledgeable and ready to undo all the harm President Trump and his cronies have done. |
| • | There is no doubt that Harris could take over as president should the need arise. |
| • | It's clear she does not suffer fools gladly. If you felt the fire she brought in asking hard questions and getting answers when going head to head with obstinate obstructers Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Attorney General William Barr and others in various Senate hearings in recent years, you've seen proof-positive of her commitment to seek truth and do what's right. |
| • | ... Harris will prosecute America's case as Joe Biden's top deputy against Donald Trump and Mike Pence on the campaign trail in coming months. |
| • | "The reason I didn't support Trump the last time is I was afraid that he would be a divider and not a unifier — and our best leaders historically have been unifiers, Republicans and Democrats. |
| • | But unfortunately, as I've watched him over the last three-and-a-half years now, he's continued to do that and I don't think the country does well when we're divided. |
| • | "It was necessary to do this and I felt it's the right thing to do. I believe that Biden can bring us together." |
| • | "If you're not prepared to walk a lonely road and do the things that your conscience tells you to do, then how do you think about yourself when you look in the mirror?" |
| • | "For the president to go before the country like he just did and not just say, 'I congratulate her [and I] welcome her to the race.' — That is what leaders do." |
| • | "I don't care if someone decides to loot a Gucci or a Macy's or a Nike store, because that makes sure that person eats. That makes sure that person has clothes." |
| • | "That is reparations. Anything they wanted to take, they can take it because these businesses have insurance." |
| • | "... the people will keep rising up until the [Chicago Police Department] is abolished and our Black communities are fully invested in." |
| • | "Dressed in all black with patterned masks and bandannas covering their faces and earplugs to block the burst of explosions, clapping to protest songs and stomping their feet to chants for justice and peace." |
| • | "In their hands, they cradle bundles of burning sage — an ode to their Native American roots used to calm protesters and clear chemicals from the air. In this waterfront city, protests are as natural as the salmon swimming in the Willamette River." |
| • | "On a recent night, a middle school teacher wearing a Mighty Mouse T-shirt, rainbow-striped leggings and a cloth face mask adorned with cherries nodded brightly as she declared, ‘Oh yes, I'm an anarchist,'" |
| • | ... is an "Antifa propagandist," and the "only real criticism she gave in the piece for the violent movement was that they were too white." |
| • | ... Matthew Kay, who teaches English at the Science Leadership Academy... |
| • | "So, this fall, virtual class discussion will have many potential spectators — parents, siblings, etc. — in the same room. We'll never be quite sure who is overhearing the discourse. What does this do for our equity/inclusion work?" |
| • | "How much have students depended on the (somewhat) secure barriers of our physical classrooms to encourage vulnerability? How many of us have installed some version of ‘what happens here stays here' to help this?" |
| • | "While conversations about race are in my wheelhouse, and remain a concern in this no-walls environment — I am most intrigued by the damage that ‘helicopter/snowplow' parents can do in the host conversations about gender/sexuality." |
| • | "And while ‘conservative' parents are my chief concern — I know that the damage can come from the left too. If we are engaged in the messy work of destabilizing a kid's racism or homophobia or transphobia — how much do we want their classmates' parents piling on?" |
| • | See related Child Abuse (Antonio Branco, 09/24/2019) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | "The irony in all of this is that they chanted Black Lives Matter the entire time, but had zero regard for any of the black children that live there or me, a black man." |
| • | "They waged war on the Constitution and objective reality. There is nothing redeeming in any of that — or in the right-wing media machine encompassing the deluded true believers and money-hungry charlatans willing to throw red meat to an audience they suppose consists of uneducated bigots." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | ... is facing student-conduct charges of disruptive behavior; discrimination; harassment; hostile environment; harm; and bullying and cyberbullying. |
| • | The school then received complaints saying that the Trump photo on the Zoom call made students "feel offended, disrespected, and taunted" and that the response to Dailyda's post made some students feel "concerned that Mr. Dailyda may have similar views and thoughts of violence." |
| • | Stelter called recent criticism of Biden's mental health "mind-boggling," "offensive" and labeled it "negative partisanship," characterized by despising the opposing party more than supporting their own party. |
| • | "It is so hateful," Stelter complained, claiming that "negative partnership" directed at Biden from the right is more extreme than anything the left says about Trump. |
| • | "Negative partisanship, it kind of explains everything about what's broken in our media environment... there is all of these media outlets, all these talk radio stars, TV shows, that are just constantly attacking, fueling hatred of the other side" |
| • | "Am I right to say that's happening on the left and the right, but it's more severe on the right?" |
| • | Stelter ... said that "entire media companies essentially exist to tear down Joe Biden," and asked if there is "an equivalent to that on the left to tear down Trump." |
| • | "It's a stunt. There's no doubt about it, it's most likely, as even Republican senators have said, unconstitutional, bypassing the Congress, trying to spend money that he has no authority to direct." |
| • | "It's also meant to be a big diversion from the hard work that Congress should be engaged in to provide the kind of relief that tens of millions of Americans need." |
| • | See related Pelosi Fiddles (Sean Delonas, 03/24/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Your heavy-handed tactics caused additional chaos and I'm concerned that the singular focus on protecting federal property is distracting the department from the threat posed by domestic terrorism." |
| • | "Today, we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of Black Americans," Obama said last week. |
| • | "George Wallace may be gone, but we can witness our federal government sending agents to use tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators." |
| • | A lawsuit was filed Monday in a federal court in Seattle that claims protesters in the city are essentially being priced out of protesting for civil rights because the protective gear they need to keep them safe from responding police is expensive. |
| • | The lawsuit claims, according to the report, that protesters who take part in these rallies have to face the possibility of an aggressive police response and "must purchase expensive equipment to be assured that they will be able to protest safely, the indiscriminate use of weapons by SPD implicates equal protection." |
| • | ... the plaintiffs seek a temporary restraining order that would prohibit the use of force by city police. |
| • | See related Can't Breathe (Sean Delonas, 06/2020) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "I'm proud to endorse this diverse and hopeful collection of thoughtful, empathetic and highly qualified Democrats." |
| • | "Together, these candidates will help us redeem our country's promise by sticking up for working people, restoring fairness and opportunity to our system, and fighting for the good of all Americans — not just those at the top." |
| • | "Elections matter. And we need Americans of all political stripes to get involved in our politics and our public life like never before." |
| • | "Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a close friend. And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... what I said seeing in Portland reminds me very much ... a state-sponsored and supported terrorism was visited upon people who were protesting peacefully." |
| • | "That kind of activity is the activity of a police state, and this president and this attorney general seem to be doing everything they possibly can to impose Gestapo activities in local communities, and that is what I have been warning about for a long time." |
| • | "I do believe that this election is all about the preservation of the greatest democracy that this country has ever known." |
| • | "Black Lives Matter will not ever, the people connected to that, won't burn down any buildings, but the people who are trying to incite stuff, the pretenders, not protesters, but pretenders will do anything." |
| • | "This is flat-out urban warfare and it's being brought on this country by the president and it's got to stop now." |
| • | "[U]nder your leadership, the department has endangered Americans and violated their constitutional rights by flooding federal law enforcement into the streets of American cities, against the wishes of the state and local leaders of those cities, to forcefully and unconstitutionally suppress dissent," Nadler said in his opening statement. |
| • | "At the direction of the President of the United States, unidentified federal agents have been deployed to America's cities, like Washington, D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, to interrupt local protests and impose "law and order" for political purposes." |
| • | "This must stop. As demonstrated now in Portland, these federal forces have used the pretext of protecting federal property to also patrol streets, way outside of their lawful jurisdiction, arrest residents without cause and trample on Constitutional rights. These actions further erode trust in government at all levels; are de-legitimizing local law enforcement; and escalate, rather than de-escalate tensions." |
| • | The letter was signed by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. |
| • | "The president is attacking progressive cities with troops who are unwelcome and unskilled." |
| • | "Militarized agents are terrorizing the American people. We must stand together for peace and reform, and against these un-American tactics." |
| • | The "illegally" installed concrete and metal barriers "are both unpermitted and represent a hazard to the traveling public," said a letter sent with a cease-and-desist order to a federal official... |
| • | "Unidentified agents of the federal government have placed unpermitted fencing and jersey barriers in the city's right-of-way outside of the Hatfield Federal Courthouse." |
| • | "The fencing and barriers in the right-of-way create a hazard for Portlanders by blocking the bike lane on SW Main, which is the premiere bike facility into downtown Portland." |
| • | Failure to remove the fencing would violate city code and administrative rules, "and will be subject to fines and potential legal action." |
| • | The fencing was erected Wednesday to protect the courthouse in downtown Portland... Since its installment, demonstrators have attempted to tear it down, throwing fireworks over the perimeter. |
| • | In at least one instance, they lit a large fire between the barrier and the courthouse. |
| • | "Today I let my emotions get the most of me during council and the comment I made to the press." |
| • | "Using unfounded claims and misinformation is something no one in any position of power should do, and you deserve better. I appreciate the reminder that as a public servant I need to be careful making statements out of misinformation, and I take this to heart." |
| • | "We all have bad days but most of them don't happen publicly. I have always said we can disagree without being disagreeable, but today I did not meet that standard, and I'm sorry." |
| • | "There is no way I should have left a protest bruised and battered for exercising my freedom of speech and freedom to assemble." |
| • | "I am disgusted and never would have ever thought I would become a victim to the biggest gang in America." |
| • | St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office released a statement calling it "unbelievable the Governor of the state of Missouri would seek advice from one of the most divisive leaders in our generation to overpower the discretion of a locally elected prosecutor." |
| • | "Today, both the Governor and Donald Trump came after me for doing my job and investigating a case." |
| • | "While they continue to play politics with the handling of this matter, spreading misinformation and distorting the truth, I refuse to do so. As I always do, I am reviewing all the available facts and the law and will apply them equally, regardless of the people involved." |
| • | "I told the Acting Secretary that my biggest immediate concern is the violence federal officers brought to our streets in recent days, and the life-threatening tactics his agents use. We do not need or want their help." |
| • | ... promised the paper would "continue to resist polarization and groupthink by giving voice to the breadth of ideas and experiences — because we believe journalism should help people think for themselves." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Federal ethics law: ‘An employee shall not use or permit the use of his Government position or title or any authority associated with his public office to endorse any product, service or enterprise...'" |
| • | "I want a fair election. If people get to vote and they, for whatever reason, vote for Donald Trump, OK. We'll accept it. Not happily." |
| • | "But I don't think that's what will happen because I think the more people that can get to the polls, whether by mail or in person, and get their votes counted, then we're going to have the kind of election we should have and then it'll be a win both in the popular vote and in the electoral college." |
| • | "You have to start with President Trump's total hostility toward science, evidence, facts, logic, reason. He is a showman. He is a reality TV star. He likes to try to bend reality to suit his own preferences." |
"... Denying reality and using the White House podium for purely political purposes is a violation of public ()
Missouri couple’s gun rights defended in letter to AG Barr from 12 GOP lawmakers (Fox 07/12/2020)
| • | ... Gardner wrote that protesters had First Amendment rights that needed to be protected from "intimidation or threat of deadly force," and said any such behavior would "not be tolerated." |
| • | "President Trump's decision to commute the sentence of top campaign advisor Roger Stone, who could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, is an act of staggering corruption," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said... |
| • | "A jury found Roger Stone guilty. By commuting his sentence, President Trump has infected our judicial system with partisanship and cronyism and attacked the rule of law." |
| • | "When the federal government spends taxpayers' money, we should use it to buy American products and support American jobs," Biden said. |
| • | See related Make no Apologies (Michael Ramirez, 06/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I think it's very important that we take down any of the statues of people who committed treason against the United States of America," Pelosi said... |
| • | "This is a historic moment of change. We have to respect that but also say to people the kinds of gatherings we're used to, the parades, the fairs — we just can't have that while we're focusing on health right now." |
| • | ... declined to admonish protesters in her native city of Baltimore who pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus and then tossed the monument into the city's Inner Harbor. |
| • | "People will do what they do," Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a news conference... |
NYC closes 5th Avenue ahead of Black Lives Matter painting in front of Trump Tower (Fox 07/09/2020)
| • | "Here's what you don't understand: Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation. Your " luxury" came from THEIR labor, for which they have never been justly compensated," de Blasio said. |
| • | "We are honoring them. The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism." |
| • | The city slashed nearly $352 million of the NYPD's budget earlier this month but ironically spent thousands of dollars paying overtime to at least 16 police officers to guard the site of the Fifth Avenue mural last week, before postponing the painting project due to logistic issues. |
| • | "... I just want to get Joe Biden elected and see the Democrats control the Senate and retain the House," Rice said. " Because, Andrea, we are at a moment where our democracy is at stake, where our leadership role in the world is at stake, where the lives of tens of thousands of Americans are on the line, lost to incompetence and callous leadership that could care less. We've got to change that." |
| • | "Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun," Mayor Lori Lightfoot wrote.. |
| • | But the dispatcher only calmly replies: "Yes, ma'am. We would suggest you call up the city hall to let them know about your frustrations." |
| • | Durant is then heard yelling: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! This is getting scary! They're on my car! They're on my car! And, I've got a little girl in the car crying. Are you kidding me?!" |
| • | Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw apologized to protesters after police tried to disperse the crowd, writing "I am personally sorry. I apologize to those who went through this fearful experience." |
| • | ... after authorities say he chased a woman with a pair of knives and then advanced on the officer. |
| • | ... the responding officer tried to talk to him and fired his Taser before Ruffin allegedly charged him with the knives, "forcing the officer to use a firearm." |
| • | "But because he was black, he was considered as a threat from the beginning." |
| • | "This stuff has been going on all around the world, this is why everyone is protesting, this is why we are upset. The color of our skin should not determine whether we are taken into custody or taken to the morgue." |
| • | "We need to know why Sheboygan police killed Mr. Ruffin instead of handling this in a nonviolent way," Chris Ott, the ALCU Wisconsin Executive Director said... |
| • | ... said she will back off her promise if Esper confirms in writing that he will not block Vindman's promotion to Colonel. |
| • | "These reports are coming to light in the context of the president being soft on [Russian President] Vladimir Putin when it comes to NATO, the G-7, Crimea, Ukraine and the ongoing undermining of the integrity of our elections. " |
| • | "Our Armed Forces would be better served if President Trump spent more time reading his daily briefing and less time planning military parades and defending relics of the Confederacy." |
| • | While we await details of this tragic killing, it highlights capitalism's brutality & endemic violence. |
| • | Our movement rejects insinuations & falsehoods perpetuated by corporate & conservative media that this violence is outcome of CHOP or of our movement. |
| • | "It's a revolution. It's time for change ... right now, our number one mission is to take this thing down and sit down with people who want to see positive change take place and continue to heal our country." |
Bolton's book reminds us what the 2020 election is really about - Trump versus the establishment (Fox 06/29/2020)
| • | "Trump's path to victory depends on voter suppression, mass disinformation, foreign interference and unabashed use of Executive Branch power to shape events and perceptions this fall." |
| • | "This is why Black Lives Matter is basically, in my opinion, the Al Sharpton of the 21st century. They're profiteers. They are profiting on trying to give a narrative, a false narrative that is white racist cops, deaths destroying the black community." |
| • | "I despise any organization that is violent and violent towards people for the simple reason of the color of their skin." |
| • | "I don't believe that organization should be in the United States of America, maybe not the world. So my personal opinion is I see no room in the United States for the KKK and those that have those beliefs." |
| • | "It's been an emotional few days. First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn't what we feared it was." |
| • | "I want to thank my team, NASCAR and the FBI for acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat." |
| • | "I think we'll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been." |
| • | "Make no mistake, though some will try, this should not detract from the show of unity we had on Monday, and the progress we've made as a sport to be a more welcoming environment for all." |
| • | "The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime." |
| • | "The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall." |
| • | "There will never be an "Autonomous Zone" in Washington, D.C., as long as I'm your President. If they try they will be met with serious force!" |
| • | By the afternoon, Twitter added a label above the tweet, saying Trump's post had "violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behavior." |
| • | The warning added: "However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain accessible." |
| • | "We've placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our policy against abusive behavior, specifically, the presence of a threat of harm against an identifiable group." |
| • | "Per our policies, this Tweet will remain on the service given its relevance to ongoing public conversation. Engagements with the Tweet will be limited." |
| • | "Conservative & corporate media, locally & nationally, have whipped up right-wing hate by completely misrepresenting peaceful protest occupation." |
| • | "They're continuing to do so even now, falsely claiming that this shooting proves CHOP is descending into chaos." |
| • | Sawant further blamed President Trump and "conservative and corporate media outlets" for misrepresenting the occupation zone as chaotic and stoking "right-wing hate." |
| • | CHOP organizers said in a statement ... that those involved in the shooting may have known each other and "the situation escalated because of gang affiliations." |
| • | The company said it values "diversity of thought" but "when those views create a hostile working environment, we must make difficult decisions and part ways." |
| • | "We aren't afraid of controversial views, but we have a responsibility to avoid promoting harmful ones. We don't censor conservative columnists." |
| • | "The question is whether they've undermined the privacy interests of everyone based on the search for one or two individuals." |
| • | A Washington state mayor was fine with the Black Lives Matter protests that followed George Floyd's death in police custody. |
| • | But that was until vandals damaged her home. Now, Mayor Cheryl Selby of Olympia refers to the protests as "domestic terrorism." |
| • | "I'm really trying to process this," Selby told ... after the rioters' Friday night spree left her front door and porch covered with spray-painted messages. "It's like domestic terrorism. It's unfair. |
| • | "We are a predominantly white community next to communities that are far more diverse. That tells us that we are not, we have not been as welcoming and nurturing to communities of color as we'd like to think. The light switched on in America by Mr. Floyd's murder shines glaringly on Olympia, as well." |
| • | Another BLM supporter, ESPN writer Chris Martin Palmer, who commented "Burn it all down," when retweeting a photo of a Minneapolis building in flames in late May, had a different reaction when rioters came close to his house. |
| • | "Get these animals TF out of my neighborhood. Go back to where you live." |
| • | ... for testimony from two Justice Department whistleblowers who have filed complaints about the "unprecedented politicization" of the department under Attorney General Bill Barr and President Trump. |
| • | "Again and again, Attorney General Barr has demonstrated that he will cater to President Trump's private political interests, at the expense of the American people and the rule of law." |
| • | "He has abruptly reversed course on prosecutions against the President's allies and friends. He has pursued pretextual investigations against the President's perceived political enemies." |
| • | "The Attorney General...may have abdicated his responsibility to Congress, but the brave men and women of our civil service have not." |
| • | "The committee welcomes the testimony of current and former Department officials who will speak to the lasting damage the President and Attorney General have inflicted on the Department of Justice." |
| • | Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said in a statement that the armed individuals were there to menace protesters. |
| • | ... "Rally for Black trans lives draws packed crowd to Brooklyn Museum plaza." |
| • | About an hour later ... "President Trump plans to rally his supporters next Saturday for the first time since most of the country was shuttered by the coronavirus. But health experts are questioning that decision." |
| • | ... told her Twitter followers that she would join a rally "to speak with our community as America grieves." |
| • | A few days later, she came out against Trump's plan to hold rallies and called the decision "irresponsible and selfish." |
| • | New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had previously lashed out at protesters calling to reopen the state, saying, "you have no right to jeopardize my health ... and my children's health and your children's health." |
| • | Cuomo said he now "stands" with those defying stay-at-home orders: "Nobody is sanctioning the arson, and the thuggery and the burglaries, but the protesters and the anger and the fear and the frustration? Yes. Yes, and the demand is for justice." |
| • | "To justify this, Democrats have decided to claim being outside with masks is now safe." |
| • | "Would have been nice to have known that when the super-awesome Grim Reaper guy was shaming people for being at deserted beaches & billions were subjected to stay-home orders, but here we are." |
| • | "We have not done enough to listen – especially to our players – to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country." |
| • | "We apologize to our players – especially our Black players – staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism." |
| • | "The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors voted yesterday to repeal Policy 604-1, which required our players to stand during the national anthem." |
| • | "Black Lives Matter. We can do more and we will." |
| • | "What the hell, you got snipers on the roof for in a peaceful march? Even if people loot, so what? Burn it to the ground, you know, if that's what it's going to take to fix our nation," Kim Olson, a retired Air Force colonel and candidate in Texas' 24th congressional district... |
| • | "As a combat vet, Colonel Olson knows first hand the human heartbreak of violence. She knows we cannot use force to fix a systemic problem of undue violence and discrimination perpetrated by those who are sworn to protect and serve." |
| • | "We have to rebuild from the ground up a color-blind public safety institution across America." |
| • | "We've got four blocks in Seattle that you just saw pictures of that is more like a block party atmosphere." |
| • | "It's not an armed takeover. It's not a military junta. We will make sure that we can restore this. But we have block parties and the like in this part of Seattle all the time. It's known for that." |
| • | When asked ... how long the zone could look like it does, she shrugged: "I don't know. We could have the summer of love." |
| • | "Recent blog posts of Professor Jacobson, casting broad and categorical aspersions on the goals of those protesting for justice for Black Americans, do not reflect the values of Cornell Law School. I found his recent posts to be both offensive and poorly reasoned." |
| • | She claimed that Trump was wrong to call the protesters "domestic terrorists." "It's simply not true. Lawfully gathering and expressing first amendment rights, demanding we do better as a society, and providing true equity for communities of color is not terrorism. It's patriotism." |
| • | ... has tweeted that the protest is "a peaceful expression of our community's collective grief and their desire to build a better world." |
| • | ... insisted that CHAZ was "not a lawless wasteland of anarchist insurrection," but a peaceful expression of the community's grief following the death of George Floyd... |
| • | "Few things are more corrosive to the rule of law — and the public's confidence in the criminal justice system — than the injection of partisanship, favoritism or corruption into prosecutorial decisions. In this case, the impropriety is barely concealed." |
| • | "The Department's decision to request dismissal of this case is thus the latest in a series of decisions that 'represent a systemic breakdown of impartial justice at the Department of Justice and suggest overt political bias, including corruption,'" |
| • | "It's kind of ironic. Here she is demanding $150 million be reallocated from the police budget, but yet she has security at her house by the Los Angeles Police Department." |
| • | "It is a mystery why anybody with a beating heart and a working mind still supports him." |
| • | "If it's about a terrible pandemic with an unprecedented virus, he tries to ignore it, tries to keep the attention on himself." |
| • | "Then when it becomes impossible to do that, he tries to seize the moment and turn it into a daily rally, like he loves to do. And then when it becomes impossible to ignore, he tries to change the subject, he tries to withdraw from the spotlight so he can come up with some other diversion and distraction for the body politic and the press." |
| • | "For many white people, conversations about systemic racism and our own privilege are uncomfortable. Here's what I've learned over the years: That discomfort is a good thing. It's a necessary part of examining our own biases and actions, and our own role in perpetuating inequality." |
| • | See related Basket of Deplorables (Glenn McCoy, 10/17/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | When asked when the protests would end, the man said that was the wrong question. |
| • | "The question should be what policies are we going to enact to make people feel safe?" |
Officials who pushed strict lockdowns now argue protesters are an exception (Fox 06/05/2020)
NYC politician claims 'racism' – not protesters gathering in large groups – would be to blame for any... (Fox 06/03/2020)
| • | "Let's be clear about something: if there is a spike in coronavirus cases in the next two weeks, don't blame the protesters. Blame racism." |
| • | "And let's remember that the police are increasing covid risk by using tear gas, herding demonstrators into tight spaces [and] putting people in crowded jails." |
| • | "From day one in his administration. You have seen negative, hostile government acts." |
Hoyer calls Trump church visit an 'action worthy of censure,' after protesters cleared (Fox 06/02/2020)
| • | "I am horrified he attempted to put down peaceful protests with military force. the act of an authoritarian, unempathetic leader." |
| • | "Congress condemns the President of the United States for ordering Federal officers to use gas and rubber bullets against the Americans who were peaceably protesting in Lafayette Square." |
George Floyd family attorney says Biden to attend funeral (Fox 06/02/2020)
Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page rips 'monstrous' Trump: I sent a 'few mean texts,' he 'assaulted' protesters (Fox 06/02/2020)
| • | "Yesterday, our monstrous, despicable president assaulted Americans engaged in peaceful protest for a photo op. He could be reelected." |
| • | "I promise you this. I won't traffic in fear and division. I won't fan the flames of hate. I will seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country – not use them for political gain. I'll do my job and take responsibility. I won't blame others. I'll never forget that the job isn't about me." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The president's provocations — his coarsening of public discourse that lowers the threshold for acting out by people as mentally crippled as he — do not excuse the violent few. They must be punished. He must be removed." |
| • | "From this day forward, @andpizza will be giving its employees paid time off for activism." |
| • | "The waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States." |
| • | "The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Democratic and Republican presidents alike have seen it as their responsibility to be a unifying force in our country, not to fuel the flame." |
| • | "President Trump has made clear he would rather distract than perform his duty." |
| • | "What does it say that they're all in for Trump. What does it say that he won't condemn the flag of hate? For us, it says this is a time for choosing – America or Trump." |
| • | Left-wing academics, meanwhile, have defended Antifa. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University, told ... that Antifa's tactics of physically assaulting political opponents tend to attact negative press only because the right-wing media is being very unfair about it. |
| • | "Throwing a milkshake is not equivalent to killing someone, but because the people in power are allied with the right, any provocation, any dissent against right-wing violence, backfires." |
| • | "Fundamental values of openness, free expression, public accountability, and mutual understanding matter now more than ever," a Twitter spokesperson said |
| • | "Regardless of the political agenda of a particular nation state, to deny our service to their leaders at a time like this would be antithetical to the purpose of our company, which is to serve the global public conversation." |
| • | "Donald Trump's comment last night was profoundly dangerous. And we must stand firm in solidarity and say this is totally unacceptable no matter who is the speaker." |
| • | "He wants to show failures on the part of Democratic local leaders, to throw red meat to his base." |
| • | "His goal is to polarize, to destabilize local government and inflame racist urges. We can absolutely not let him prevail. And I will code what I really want to say to Donald Trump. It's two words. It begins with F and it ends with U." |
| • | "Some of the stores that are being damaged are black-owned stores! So we cannot become so reckless that we are destroying each other in our rage." |
| • | "Facebook has a massive set of content guidelines that are so broad and extensive they could ban almost any content." |
| • | "In addition, Facebook just announced a new Oversight Board that will handle content appeals. That board is overwhelmingly international and lacks American support for First Amendment ideals." |
| • | Iran-backed groups have had a long track record of using the platform for propaganda – and lethal – purposes, of which both the shadowy outfits behind them and Facebook itself has seemingly profited. |
| • | Last year, Facebook was filled with "sponsored" content featuring signs "Death to America." |
| • | "A specialist from our team reviewed the post again and confirmed that it doesn't go against our Community Standards, including hate speech," the response read. |
| • | "We base our policies our Community Standards on input from the people who use Facebook around the world, as well as experts." |
| • | "The problem is Facebook allowed those ads but banned pro-life ads in Ireland during the campaign whether to allow abortion or not. Facebook isn't consistently pro-freedom at all." |
| • | In late April, Facebook took down event pages pertaining to organized rallies against the stringent stay-at-home orders as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and later said it did so only in states where strict social distancing guidelines were in place. |
| • | "Facebook states that it is currently working to reduce the spread of fake news with machine learning that 'predicts what stories may be false' and by reducing the distribution of content 'rated as false' by independent third-party fact-checkers. There are several problems with this." |
| • | "Every human being has a level of internal bias. So whatever the fact-checkers say is false is flagged as false. Meaning, they are engaging in fact-checking, but everyone's views of facts are distorted by their own personal opinion." |
| • | ... it is critical for Facebook and big tech companies to decide if they are truly publishers or if they are neutral parties, because "you can't be both." |
| • | ... the city's mayor, Jacob Frey, warned that allowing 25 percent capacity in churches would be "a recipe in Minneapolis for a public health disaster" due to the coronavirus. |
| • | Now, as his city is overwhelmed by crowds causing property damage and clashing with police, Frey's own government said that it is giving out masks to the rioters — even though the state has prohibited gatherings of 10 or more people because of the pandemic. |
| • | "The president of the United States is calling for violence against American citizens. That is so wrong. We need honest reckoning and reconciliation." |
| • | "If you haven't already joined the work to replace him in November, start now." |
| • | ... Twitter wants to take aim at Trump and his supporters, but the tech company also overlooks tweets calling for violence against the commander in chief. |
| • | "You could just search the George Floyd or the Minneapolis hashtag. I mean, there are literally thousands of people rejoicing in violence, calling for violence every time Trump tweets. There are often blue-checked journalists threatening him." |
| • | "And that really is what this is about: it's the selective decisions that they make that somehow always seem to be against right-leaning or conservative people. I think this thing is just going to keep ramping up throughout the election." |
| • | "I can't stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis," Trump tweeted. "A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right." |
| • | A second tweet continued, "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let this happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you." |
| • | A few hours after the president sent those tweets, Twitter added a disclaimer onto the second tweet, which hides the message until users click "view." |
| • | "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain accessible," the disclaimer read. |
| • | Trump fired back at Twitter on Friday: "Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & propaganda being put out by China or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. Section 230 should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!" |
| • | Critics on Twitter said Trump's comments had racial undertones and said the term "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" can be traced back to Miami Police Chief Walter Headley in 1967 as a threat to black protestors during the civil rights movement. |
| • | "This Tweet violates our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line, its connection to violence, and the risk it could inspire similar actions today." |
| • | "We've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts, but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance." |
| • | "... It is not, generally speaking, unruly but fires have been started and this crowd is relishing that." |
| • | Mayor Jacob Frey said it was his decision to evacuate the precinct. |
| • | Frey said Trump "knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis. We are strong as hell. Is this a difficult time period? Yes. But you better be damn sure we are going to get through this." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Make no Apologies (Michael Ramirez, 06/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "This does not make us an 'arbiter of truth.' Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves. More transparency from us is critical so folks can clearly see the why behind our actions." |
| • | ... explained that Trump's tweets "may mislead people into thinking they don't need to register to get a ballot (only registered voters receive ballots)." |
Biden is a true friend of black Americans – His ‘you ain’t black’ comment doesn’t change that (Fox 05/23/2020)
James Carville repeatedly mocks Trump's weight with crude insults (Fox 05/22/2020)
| • | "The extent that they will go to to hold onto power ... they will kill people to stay in power, literally." |
| • | Speaker Pelosi blasted Republicans on the committee for the move, saying the subpoena was "a clear act of retaliation and political retribution intended to help the president keep his job." |
| • | "It is sad that the GOP Senate has meekly and weakly chosen to be complicit in the President's desperate and dangerous political tactics instead of passing legislation to save lives and livelihoods." |
| • | "I call upon Leader McConnell to ‘take a pause' in the Senate GOP's obstruction of meeting the needs of the American people." |
| • | Meanwhile, House Democrats told the Supreme Court Monday that they are again in the midst of an "presidential impeachment investigation" as part of their "weighty constitutional responsibility." |
| • | See related Guilty and Sentenced (Gary Varvel, 09/24/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "They knew exactly what the order was and if they permitted anyone, even the president of the United States, to defy that order, I think it has serious health consequences potentially to their workers." |
| • | She also said she was "ashamed" to have him as the president and she hoped Michigan voters "will remember this when November comes, that he didn't care enough about their safety, he didn't care about their welfare, he didn't respect them enough just to engage in the very simple task, the painless task, the easy task of wearing a mask when he was provided one." |
| • | She added that it was hard to say she's done nothing "with all the lawsuits myself and the other @DemocraticAGs have filed and won against you." |
| • | ... railed against Trump's habit of making inflammatory comments. |
| • | "It's like a child who comes in with mud on their pants.... He comes in with doggy doo on his shoes and everybody who works with him has that on their shoes, too, for a very long time to come." |
| • | Pelosi bemoaned that Trump's attacks have found a "market" among certain segments of the population and argued the president plays to that crowd. |
| • | She called him a "confabulator" and urged people to "look up" the word. A confabulator is a person who fabricates imaginary experiences as compensation for loss of memory. |
| • | Trump "doesn't even know what the truth is and just says anything," Pelosi said. "And because he says it then he believes it." |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "President Trump and his team are launching an unprecedented smear campaign against rivals, leveling wild and false allegations against critics in the media and politics, ranging from bizarre conspiracy theories to spreading lies about pedophilia and even murder." |
| • | "These smear campaigns are unmoored from reality. They're deranged and indecent and seem designed at least in part to distract us from the horrific death, health, and economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The pandemic, which impacts you, is what we will continue to focus on." |
| • | See related He Hit Back! (Glenn McCoy, 07/07/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "The congresswoman is still in the process of contesting the tax warrant. The business has been closed for several years now, and so we believe that the state Tax Department has continued to collect the franchise tax in error." |
| • | "As anyone who's tried to contest a tax bill in error knows, it takes time." |
| • | ... apologized to the chief for her contribution to "a heated exchange between the two where things were said out of frustration, but no harm was wished on anyone." |
| • | Biden ... first claimed, "I know nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn." |
| • | Pressed on the matter, Biden eventually acknowledged, "No, I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted. I'm sorry. ... I was aware that there was — that they asked for an investigation, but that's all I know about it." |
| • | "When you have the administration — the White House, the attorney general, the acting head of the intelligence community all acting in concert to try to advance the personal interests of Mr. Trump... I think this is very, very serious." |
| • | "As we have talked about the upcoming November election, how the Russians and others are going to seek to try to once again interfere and influence the outcome, I just am very concerned that some of those at the very top are not going to fulfill the duties that are entrusted to them by the American people." |
| • | "They were probably overly aggressive, they didn't pay careful enough attention to some of the details, they may have ignored some aspects of the work that was uncovered. But I think the IG was very clear that politicization did not seem to creep into any aspect of their work either at the initiation of the investigation or throughout." |
| • | "This is really quite an exciting time for us because we have a monumental need for our country at this sad time." |
| • | "Now I've heard Joe Biden's explanation. I think it's sufficient." |
| • | "I think he will be a great candidate. I think he will be a great president. And I think he will help us take back the Senate." |
| • | "I think the allegations of Professor Ford are extremely credible." |
| • | "She took a lie detector test. She talked [about] this to her therapist. They were having family counseling in part because of what happened to her five years ago and told all the details. And third, to come out and say something like this puts you and your family through incredible scrutiny. People throw brick bats at you and everything else." |
| • | "She didn't do it on a whim. I don't think she did it for political reasons. She has a great deal of credibility," he said. |
| • | He also reiterated his calls for a full FBI investigation into the accusation. |
| • | "They should go interview Professor Ford. They should interview Judge Kavanaugh. They should ask a whole lot of questions. They should interview anybody else, that third person who was in the room, anyone else who was at the party, anyone else she may have said this to in addition to her therapist." |
| • | "They will give a report to the Senate and then Judge Kavanaugh and Professor Ford ought to come publicly and they ought to be asked a lot of questions. And then I think, in my view, the public will see that these allegations are true." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... accusing acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell of acting in a "political fashion" by declassifying the list of Obama officials behind the so-called "unmasking" of Flynn. |
| • | "Until now, we've mostly heard from the members of the coronavirus task force through the distorted lens of the White House press conference where the president often prevents them from answering fully, interrupts their response, or even contradicts their fact-based evidence." |
| • | "This will be one of the first opportunities for Dr. Fauci to tell the American people the unvarnished truth without the president lurking over his shoulder. Dr. Fauci, let it rip." |
| • | Obama on Friday told supporters that with regards to Flynn's case, there "is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free. That's the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. And when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we've seen in other places." |
| • | Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the House Judiciary chairman, called the decision to drop the charges against Flynn "outrageous." |
| • | "The evidence against General Flynn is overwhelming. He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators. And now a politicized and thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice is going to let the president's crony simply walk away." |
| • | What, exactly, do these Hollywood sages contend can save human #What makes socialist propaganda like the Le Monde letter so frustrating is that it's absolutely oozing with hypocrisy. |
| • | Elite leftists love to lecture the rest of us about the dangers of the "pursuit of consumerism" and cry about the alleged harm climate change imposes on humpback whales – or whatever the cause of the moment is. |
| • | But at the same time, they fly around the world in private jets and bask in luxury in their multimillion-dollar mansions while being pampered by low-wage servants. |
| • | "What the f***? We're letting this person [Reade] change the subject from Donald Trump, lethal incompetent, to Joe Biden, sex monster?" |
| • | He described the Reade allegation as a case of "he said, she said — she said something else entirely." |
| • | "Believing everything doesn't make you noble, it makes you gullible. And it leaves us with a world where Republicans don't care about this stuff, so it's just a unilateral weapon that is used only against Democrats. Trump rides the bus with Billy Bush, we throw Al Franken under it." |
| • | "She says Biden attacked her. He says he didn't. Those are their positions, how about this for yours: 'Don't know, never will, don't care.'" |
| • | "We are trying to get a job done for the American people in a way that brings people together." |
| • | "We certainly have our differences of opinion. We have a strong agreement that we have a responsibility to meet the needs of the American people." |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The DOJ has lost its way," Comey tweeted after the DOJ motion. "But, career people: please stay because America needs you. The country is hungry for honest, competent leadership." |
| • | See related A Higher Loyalty (Michael Ramirez, 04/23/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "This election that's coming up on every level is so important because what we're going to be battling is not just a particular individual or a political party. What we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy — that has become a stronger impulse in American life." |
| • | See related Progressive Madonna Child (Sean Delonas, 07/09/2013) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "That's the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. And when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we've seen in other places." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
AOC says Tara Reade's claims against Biden are not 'clear-cut' (Fox 05/07/2020)
Hannity bashes 'truly disgusting' Obama letter hitting Biden-Ukraine probe: 'What were you hiding?' (Fox 05/06/2020)
| • | "The office of the former president, Barack Obama, blasted a congressional investigation into Biden's dealing with Ukraine." |
| • | "But I'm not going to answer this question again. I will just say, I have every confidence that Joe Biden will be a great president of the United States." |
| • | "I have said ... I am proud to have endorsed Vice President Biden. I thought that he dealt with it — a complete denial, support for women." |
| • | "Well, at the very least it's pretty obvious that the same people who were outraged about allegations — unproven allegations against Justice Kavanaugh when he was in high school — seemed to have little or no interest, or certainly not as much interest, in suggestions of improper behavior by an adult who's in the Senate." |
| • | "When it comes to Joe Biden, the silence from the Democrats and the double standard from the liberal media is both breathtaking and predictable." |
| • | "There's mourning in America. Today more than 60,000 Americans have died from a deadly virus Donald Trump ignored. With the economy in shambles, more than 26 million Americans are out of work, the worst economy in decades." |
| • | ... the initiative, called Defeat Disinfo, will utilize "artificial intelligence and network analysis to map discussion of the president's claims on social media," and then attempt to "intervene" by "identifying the most popular counter-narratives and boosting them through a network of more than 3.4 million influencers across the country — in some cases paying users with large followings to take sides against the president." |
| • | "We have lived long enough with a President who doesn't think he is accountable to anyone, and takes responsibility for nothing. That's not me. As a Presidential candidate, I'm accountable to the American people. " |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "They should start out with the presumption they are telling the truth, then you have to look at the circumstances and the facts. There's so many inconsistencies." |
| • | "What I said during the Kavanaugh hearings was that she had a right to be heard." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "There is also due process. And the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden." |
| • | "There was never any record of this, there was never any record. And that nobody ever came forward or nobody ever came forward to say something about it apart from the principal involved." |
| • | "I am so proud — the happiest day for me this week was to support Joe Biden for president of the United States. He's a person of great integrity." |
| • | "I believe that he will be a great president of the United States. He is the personification of hope and optimism and authenticity for our country — a person of great values. So I'm going to remove all doubt in anyone's mind. I have [a] great comfort level with the situation as I see it, with all the respect in the world for any woman who comes forward [and] with all the highest regard for Joe Biden. And that's what I have to say about that." |
Stacey Abrams denies applying double standard to Biden and Kavanaugh allegations (Fox 04/29/2020)
Stacey Abrams says Biden 'will make women proud' when asked about Tara Reade allegations (Fox 04/28/2020)
| • | "The allegations have been heard and looked into, and for too many women, often, that is not the case. The New York Times conducted a thorough investigation, and nothing in the Times review or any other later reports suggests anything other than what I already know about Joe Biden: That he will make women proud as the next President of the United States." |
| • | "I want to add my voice to the many who have endorsed you to be our president." |
| • | "Just think of what a difference it would make right now if we had a president who not only listened to the science, put fact over fiction, but brought us together, showed the kind of compassion and caring that we need from our president and which Joe Biden has been exemplifying throughout his entire life." |
| • | ... "think of what it would mean if we had a real president, not just somebody who plays one on TV." |
| • | Biden — thanking Clinton — noted that "I really appreciate your friendship and what a wonderful personal endorsement." |
| • | "I'm proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States because he will be an extraordinary president. He knows how to get the job done." |
| • | "Joe Biden brings values and integrity to work every day, because he never forgets his roots. Now more than ever we need a forward-looking, battle-tested leader who will fight for the people." |
| • | "Yes, I am. I am very much involved in this issue. I always want to give the opportunity that women deserve to be heard. I am satisfied with his answer, yes." |
| • | ... Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield that said: "What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen." |
| • | "Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women." |
| • | "He authored and fought for the passage and reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. He firmly believes that women have a right to be heard — and heard respectfully. Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press." |
| • | Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly will propose a measure that would block President Trump from having his name appear on any future coronavirus relief checks. |
| • | "President Trump unfortunately appears to see the pandemic as just another opportunity to promote his own political interests," Schumer, D-N.Y., told Politico. |
| • | "The No PR Act puts an end to the president's exploitation of taxpayer money for promotional material that only benefits his re-election campaign." |
| • | "Delaying the release of stimulus checks so his signature could be added is a waste of time and money." |
| • | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., blasted the president's decision to put his name on the check, saying: "Delaying direct payments to vulnerable families just to print his name on the check is another shameful example of President Trump's catastrophic failure to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands." |
| • | Walt Disney World Resort sent out an email highlighting the company's "giving spirit" this week even as 100,000 of its employees are going unpaid and the company holds potentially $1.5 billion for dividends to shareholders and executives. |
| • | "That'd pay for three months salary to front-line workers. And it's going to people who have already been collecting egregious bonuses for years." |
| • | "Some politicians, some people, want to play at being the world's policeman - this is not the era of gunboat diplomacy, this is not the era when China was a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society." |
| • | "If they regard China as an enemy they chose the wrong target." |
| • | "I hear quite a lot of this speculation, this disinformation about China covering up, about China hiding something - this is not true," Liu said, according to Reuters. |
| • | "The Chinese government was transparent and very quick to share data." |
| • | "The government adopted very swift actions, and notified the WHO four days later, and shared information seven days later with the Americans." |
| • | ... demanding answers over whether "political expediency" rather than the country's urgent public health needs have driven the administration's decisions. |
| • | See related Call for Another Investigation (Gary Varvel, 04/03/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related In January... (Chip Bok, 04/03/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "It's about saving lives. Sending that photo in is gonna help make sure that people are kept apart, and that's going to stop the disease from spreading. And that's going to save lives." |
| • | "Leaders — leaders take responsibility. So I said he's a weak leader. He doesn't take responsibility. He places blame — blame on others." |
| • | "And that might have been OK before, but we cannot continue down a path that is, again I'll come back to science, science, science, evidence, data on how we should go forward." |
| • | "But we're way late on it and that is a failure. The president gets an F, a failure on the testing." |
| • | "But Fauci — Dr. Fauci's right. If it is done properly, it hasn't been and I — I think when he puts in the ‘if it's done' is an admission that it hasn't been done." |
| • | Host Chris Wallace countered Pelosi's claim that Trump did not take the pandemic seriously enough before March by showing video of her walking the streets of Chinatown on Feb. 24 without a mask and encouraging tourists to go there. In the clip, Pelosi said it was "very safe" there. |
| • | Pelosi insisted that this was not an example of her taking the outbreak lightly, and claimed it was only meant "to end the discrimination, the stigma, that was going out against the Asian-American community." |
| • | "There are people who support the president because they like the fact that he is engaged in the politics of division." |
| • | "They really support the notion that, you know, all Mexicans are rapists and all Muslims are bad and... dividing this nation based on ethnicity, race. This is the one [sic] of the few presidents who succeeded by deliberately trying to divide the country, not unite the country." |
| • | "It's about dignity. ... He doesn't seem to give a damn about it, he doesn't talk about it at all, he has no sense of empathy." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Basket of Deplorables (Glenn McCoy, 10/17/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | Pelosi said Trump "was warned about the pandemic" in January, "ignored those warnings" and "took insufficient action and caused unnecessary death and disaster." |
| • | "The truth is because of an incompetent reaction to this health crisis, the strong economy handed to Donald Trump is now a disaster, causing the suffering of countless Americans and endangering lives." |
| • | "The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others." |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... China's foreign ministry pushed back on the suspicion that the virus escaped from the facility, by citing statements from the World Health Organization that there is no evidence the coronavirus came from a laboratory. |
| • | ... the World Health Organization (WHO) was complicit from the beginning in helping China cover its tracks. |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "This is another case, as I have said, of the president's ineffective response, that ‘a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others,'" |
| • | See related Cruella Pelosi (Gary Varvel, 02/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | Following the announcement, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and House Subcommittee on National Security Chairman Steven Lynch, D-Mass., penned a letter to the president slamming his decision to withhold funding to the organization amid the global pandemic. |
| • | "While we may agree that the WHO has shortcomings that must be corrected, your attack on the global health organization can easily be seen as a deliberate but transparent effort to deflect responsibility for your own failures onto others." |
| • | ... adding that Trump's "attempt to blame the WHO for trusting China reflects an astonishing level of hypocrisy given your own fawning and widely publicized praise of President Xi Jinping and his government for their handling of this crisis." |
| • | "While the WHO may have made mistakes in its response to this crisis, it was certainly not alone, and it defies logic to withhold support from the WHO at this pivotal moment — at the height of a global pandemic — when promoting the health of nations around the world is essential to protecting our own population and rebuilding our own economy." |
| • | And a foreign ministry spokesman for China also blasted the move, vowing to continue China's support. |
| • | "This U.S. decision will weaken the WHO's capabilities and undermine international cooperation." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | See related WHO (Gary Varvel, 04/09/2020) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "We have the Tenth Amendment that is explicit," Cuomo said. "Certain responsibilities are state responsibilities." |
| • | Health, welfare, quarantine, those are health responsibilities. So the president should not even think of going there." |
| • | "As we prepare to reopen America, we have to remember what this crisis has taught us: The administration's failure to plan, to prepare, to honestly assess and communicate the threat to the nation led to catastrophic results. We cannot repeat those mistakes." |
| • | "... We are now several months into this crisis, and still this administration has not squarely faced up to the "original sin" in its failed response — the failure to test." |
| • | See related Biden Social Distancing (Sean Delonas, 04/05/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "It took 70 days for Trump to treat the coronavirus not as a distant threat or harmless flu strain well under control, but as a lethal force poised to kill tens of thousands of citizens." |
| • | "Replace this man in November." |
| • | "You cannot count on Donald Trump to do what's right for this country." |
| • | "You can count on him to do what's right for Donald Trump." |
| • | "People aren't just dying of coronavirus. They're dying of incompetence. ... And so this isn't just a viral pandemic, it's a pandemic of a lack of leadership." |
| • | "Why are we listening to him? Nothing he's saying is factual. Why is he talking about the money he gave away, why is he doing this? I don't understand it. Why is he yelling at a reporter? What is going on? He's not acting presidential." |
| • | "I'm not saying that- it is not my business or it is not my intention to say bad things about the president. I just don't think it's in him... And I'm not sure if we should look to him for that even though that's what we look to presidents for, it's just not in this man to do it." |
| • | See related Media and Corona (Gary McCoy, 03/12/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "I guess that's the problem with a politician who lies so often; while I agree that Democrats are mischaracterizing what he said, what he did say was also false so it's tough to justify taking the time for a fact check when it's not taking a stand defining the truth." |
| • | De Blasio lamented that Trump's inaction has hampered the city's ability to treat its large numbers of patients. |
| • | "The president of the United States is from New York City and he will not lift a finger to help his hometown. I don't get it." |
| • | The media columnist, whose newspaper's Trump-era motto is "Democracy Dies in Darkness," called for "radical change," meaning news organizations that have been carrying the president's briefings live "should stop doing so." |
| • | "The news media, at this dangerous and unprecedented moment in world history, must put the highest priority on getting truthful information to the public. Taking Trump's press conferences as a live feed works against that core purpose." |
| • | See related Media and Corona (Gary McCoy, 03/12/2020) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "I am supporting Joe Biden for President because I trust him," Yates said... I trust him to always put the country's interests before his own; to tell us the truth; to appeal to our best, not our worst instincts; to unite rather than divide us; and to always treat the presidency as a privilege rather than an entitlement." |
| • | "And my choice is Joe Biden. Our allies will trust us again, and our adversaries will not doubt our strength. He will put an end to the chaos and recklessness that is inflicted on us every day, and bring steady, thoughtful leadership to our nation." |
| • | "Voted in first Dem primary to support party dedicated to restoring values in WH. I agree with @amyklobuchar: We need candidate who cares about all Americans and will restore decency, dignity to the office," Comey tweeted. |
| • | "Joe Biden is one of the most honest, decent, practical, & experienced individuals with whom I have ever worked," Brennan tweeted... "If nominated & elected, he is capable of unifying our country & restoring America's standing around the world." |
| • | See related A Higher Loyalty (Michael Ramirez, 04/23/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "It is gratifying to see that Congress is becoming serious about restoring our authority over matters of war and peace," Omar said on the House floor. |
| • | "Despite the inevitable veto, it is critically important that we are here today voting to insist on our constitutional power. Our founders understood that these decisions are too important to rest in the hands of one person." |
| • | "[T]he Roberts Court has been anything but passive," wrote Adelman, who was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton. |
| • | "Rather, the Court's hard-right majority is actively participating in undermining American democracy. Indeed, the Roberts Court has contributed to ensuring that the political system in the United States pays little attention to ordinary Americans and responds only to the wishes of a relatively small number of powerful corporations and individuals." |
| • | ... said the court "increased the economic and political power of corporations and wealthy individuals and reduced that of ordinary Americans and entities which represent them." |
| • | Adelman was even unhappy with Roberts' own opinion and key vote that upheld ObamaCare because it knocked down its expansion of Medicaid. |
| • | He said this "thwarted Congress' efforts to address one of the most serious problems that the poor face, the lack of health insurance[.]" |
| • | "The zealous partisanship the Republicans displayed in connection with the Garland nomination, as well as judicial appointments generally reminds one of nothing so much as the ‘fire-eaters,' those fervent defenders of slavery who pushed the South into the Civil War." |
| • | Ultimately, though, Adelman's focus was on Roberts, insisting that he has exhibited a harmful bias and that his description of a Supreme Court justice was of an umpire who "calls the balls and strikes" was "a masterpiece of disingenuousness." |
| • | He concluded with a dire warning that the current state of the judiciary has contributed to "a new and arguably dangerous phase in American history" that requires fixing and necessitates "every bit of democratic resourcefulness that we can muster to undo the damage that the Court has already caused." |
| • | "I would prefer that investigations are done by an independent, non-political body." |
| • | "There's no question but that the appearance of looking into Burisma and Hunter Biden appears political. And I think people are tired of these kinds of political investigations." |
| • | See related The New Maverick (Antonio Branco, 02/12/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "It is going to be now and in November, I believe, turnout of young people that will have a huge determination in our future as a country." |
| • | "And this is an enormous responsibility. And we've got to really, really turn up or else — you get what you fight for. And you get what you vote for. And I think it's so incredibly important that we fight for a future that will work for us." |
| • | "Everybody's life has pressures and disappointments, terrors, fears of whatever." |
| • | "Things I did to manage my anxieties for years. I'm a different, totally different person than I was, a lot of that stuff 20 years ago." |
| • | See related Easy (Glenn McCoy, 01/06/2015) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | After McConnell's remarks, Schumer took to the floor and began by claiming that McConnell made a "glaring omission" by not mentioning that Schumer was speaking regarding a Supreme Court case that could impact women's ability to get an abortion. |
| • | He then admitted that he chose the wrong words to convey his message. |
| • | "Now I should not have used the words I used," Schumer said. "They didn't come out the way I intended to." |
| • | Schumer insisted he in no way meant to threaten Gorsuch or Kavanaugh, and that McConnell knows this. |
| • | He claimed he was referring to the political consequences the case could have. "I'm from Brooklyn. We speak in strong language," he said. |
| • | "He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it." |
| • | "We've got rules. We had rules last time and we have rules this time. I think it's always a good idea to follow the rules. Everybody knew what they were when you got into it." |
| • | ... but you know what? It's enough with these old guys with their stupid remarks." |
| • | "More than three years later, long after his election victory, Donald Trump is still obsessed with two officials who did their jobs while personally not liking him." |
| • | "They are still the stars of Trump rallies, where the president performs their exchanges, grotesquely." |
| • | When asked about Strzok's text saying "we won't allow" Trump to get elected, Page insisted it was the "collective we" as in "like-minded, thoughtful, sensible people who were not going to vote this person into office." |
| • | "Pete believes this is the right thing to do for our country, for our party and for Americans across the country eager to heal our divided nation, defeat this president and work to fix our broken politics." |
| • | ... Buttigieg vowed that "we'll be assessing at every turn not only what the right answer is for the campaign, but making sure that every step we take is in the best interest of the party and that goal of making sure we defeat Donald Trump — because our country can't take four more years of this." |
| • | ... she sometimes feels that if "Christ himself" walked through the doors of Congress, he would be maligned as a radical over his social positions. |
| • | She said her faith convinced her that that all people are unconditionally holy and sacred. |
| • | "The dinner has a serious message, but we also believe it is as important as ever to be able to laugh — at ourselves, as well as at the people we cover." |
| • | See related The President Is Vulgar (Glenn McCoy, 04/30/2018) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "The same people who chastise the progressive movement regularly traffic in anti-Muslim smears and hate speech against me and those I represent." |
| • | "Why don't you shut the hell up. Your bias is showing. I bet you've never been a prosecutor or have any idea how DOJ works. People like you-who want to use the justice system for political reasons-are both dangerous and ignorant." |
| • | "To the men and women of DOJ/FBI: do NOT resign, stay strong, in all your actions be true to the oath you have sworn, report wrongdoing. The era of Trump and Barr will pass-their slander, insults and corrupt acts will end. We - the American people - respect & believe in you." |
| • | Talk show Wendy Williams conceded last week that Smollett is alleged to have done a "horrible thing," but encouraged prosecutors to "let it go" and instead focus on gang violence and poor schools. |
| • | Amanda Seales, co-host of the daytime talk show "The Real," praised Smollett for shining a light on hate crimes and stressed that no one was hurt by his behavior. |
| • | "Even if it was a hoax, this is really happening all the time. And even if it was a hoax for the sake of bringing attention to this, then I'm like, that's low-key noble." |
| • | "So, no one was hurt in this situation, nobody — you know what they're mad about? Their time. Their resources being used." |
| • | "Taxpayers resources are being used every day to imprison people who have done nothing but be an addict. So I don't want to hear about Jussie Smollett," she said to cheers from the audience. |
| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
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NYU College Republicans call for firing of left-wing professor who led anarchist protest (Fox 02/18/2020)
| • | "The university abhors violence, rejects calls for violence, has longstanding ties to Israel – including a campus there – and is opposed to acts of vandalism on the public transit system, which is needed and shared by all New Yorkers. It is, however, the case that among the thousands of part-time faculty we hire each year some will disagree with NYU's positions. Such is the nature of free speech and academic freedom." |
| • | "The nonpartisan State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at the NYU School of Law brings academic rigor and independence to its mission of supporting state attorneys general who are protecting existing environmental regulations, addressing climate change and respecting the law." |
| • | "The Center also provides legal assistance to interested AGs and serves as a centralized public source of information for ongoing AG initiatives to enhance the public's understanding of the importance of the clean energy, climate change and environmental matters that attorneys general are pursuing." |
| • | ... Legal Aid Society, which represents Barry, argued the NYPD is using a few cases to spread fear over the new bail reform law. |
| • | "Mr. Barry's case underscores the need for economic stability and meaningful social services, not a need to roll back bail reform," the society said in a statement. "Locking up Mr. Barry on unaffordable bail or worse, remanding without bail, ultimately does nothing to protect the public and fails entirely to address his actual needs." |
| • | "Science is being ridiculed by people in ideological campgrounds. They are refusing the wisdom, the discipline of science in favor of a political point of view. And that has to stop..." |
| • | The event, titled, "A Global Crisis: Refugees, Migrants, and Asylum Seekers – Lessons from the Prophet Muhammad," was organized by the group Muslims4Peace. |
| • | "I loved what they were saying. ... Then Rashida came on at the end as the main speaker," ... adding that he stood up and asked her about "her anti-Semitism and spreading a blood libel." |
| • | "She never apologized. This, to me, is serious stuff." |
| • | As soon as he asked the question, multiple people rushed over to him and he was soon escorted out. |
| • | "As soon as I did that one man pounced on me and I told him to immediately get his hands off and he did. The cops were not far behind and removed me before I could get any response from Tlaib." |
| • | "She didn't offer any justification or apology for perpetuating a dangerous anti-Jewish blood libel even after I had been ejected, instead she played the victim as she does so expertly." |
| • | A Rutgers spokesperson told ... the event "was not sponsored or endorsed by Rutgers," and that the university only provided a venue. |
| • | "Rutgers is committed to diversity, inclusion and fostering a campus community in which people of all backgrounds are treated with respect." |
| • | "He clearly has forgotten his oath to protect and serve. While he threatens violence, the mayor remains focused on the safety of our officers and communities." |
| • | "New Yorkers will not be held hostage by an Administration intent on restraining the sovereign rights of states, while it simultaneously enacts discriminatory policies across the country." |
| • | "The Trump Administration's new policy not only negatively impacts travelers, workers, commerce, and our economy, but it jeopardizes public safety. No one should ever use our nation's security as a political weapon, let alone the commander-in-chief." |
| • | "... I think when gamesmanship trumps doing the right thing, it's a sad day and I don't think we should let it slide, and I'm very serious about that." |
| • | "While the most powerful man in the world continues his campaign of intimidation, while too many entrusted with political office continue to remain silent, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman continues his service to our country as a decorated, active duty member of our military." |
| • | "The latest fake video of Speaker Pelosi is deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people, and every day that these platforms refuse to take it down is another reminder that they care more about their shareholders' interests than the public's interests." |
| • | Cuomo told reporters that Wolf's actions were "unbounded arrogance, disrespect of the rule of law, hyper-political government, and [were] another form of extortion." |
| • | "I believe that the act he took, an effort to corrupt an election is as destructive an attack on the oath of office and our Constitution as I can imagine." |
| • | "It is a high crime and misdemeanor within the meaning of the Constitution, and that is not a decision I take lightly. It is the last decision I want to take." |
| • | "Yeah, again, I can't let personal considerations, if you will, overwhelm my conscience and overwhelm my oath to God." |
| • | "I mean, this for me is ... well it's the most difficult decision I've ever made in my life. There's been nothing that compares to this." |
| • | ... Pelosi said she had destroyed the speech "because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives." She also said she was "trying to find one page with truth on it" but "couldn't." |
| • | Some commentators accused Pelosi of hypocrisy, noting that back in 2009, she had called on a Republican congressman to apologize or face formal censure for shouting during President Obama's State of the Union address, "You lie!" |
| • | ... Pelosi tweeted late Tuesday that Democrats "will never stop extending the hand of friendship to get the job done #ForThePeople." |
| • | Pelosi also released a statement saying Trump did not issue a positive message on health care, and calling his speech a "manifesto of mistruths." |
| • | Some prominent Democrats, including Reps. Maxine Waters and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were not in attendance for the speech or the drama that unfolded, saying they were doing so out of protest. |
| • | See related , )">What Have I Done to Mytself? (Fuller 2018)", ) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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Top Democrats fume after Trump expands travel ban to six new countries (Fox 02/02/2020)
| • | "The Trump administration's expansion of its outrageous, un-American travel ban threatens our security, our values and the rule of law." |
| • | "The sweeping rule, barring more than 350 million individuals from predominantly African nations from traveling to the United States, is discrimination disguised as policy." |
| • | "With this latest callous decision, the President has doubled down on his cruelty and further undermined our global leadership, our Constitution and our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants." |
| • | See related Dreamer (Glenn McCoy, 09/15/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "All of them acted in the best interest of the country as they saw it and consistent to what they thought our policies were." |
| • | "The idea that somehow testifying to what you think is true is destructive to the system of government we have — I think, is very nearly the reverse — the exact reverse of the truth." |
| • | "This is a president who laughs at, insults, demeans, and demonizes other people." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Now they take an unsubstantiated press article and use it to smear my staff. I think that's disgraceful." |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | Schumer said he gave Parnas tickets just like he would his constituents. |
| • | "His lawyer called us up and asked for tickets, like many New York constituents, and we said you can get tickets — we give them out to New Yorkers who've asked." |
| • | Parnas said he made the trip because the country isn't getting the full story on the impeachment trial. |
| • | "The truth needs to get out and I think it's extremely important for our country to hear witnesses because of what's going on." |
| • | "Just to make it perfectly clear, I was laughing at the joke and not at any group of people." |
| • | "We're not perfect. When we get it wrong, we say we got it wrong, we apologize, and we move on." |
| • | "Even, if they bring me up, no one has said that I've done anything that was wrong. Period. What is there to defend?" |
| • | "The reason he is being impeached is because he tried to get a government to smear me." |
| • | "If the president cared about national security, he would not have blocked military assistance to a vulnerable strategic ally in the attempt to secure personal political favor for himself," said Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. |
| • | "We will show that he betrayed vital national interests, specifically our national security, by withholding diplomatic support and military aid from Ukraine." |
| • | President Trump's conduct "was inconsistent with and diverged from American national security and American values," according to Representative Zoe Lofgren of California. |
| • | "Those within the U.S. government responsible for America's security and for shaping and implementing U.S. foreign policy were caught off guard by the president's decision. Support for the aid and against the hold was unanimous, forceful, and unwavering." |
| • | "Ukraine remains at war with Russia," Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York wept. "It desperately needs our support." |
| • | So, given how pivotal these Democrats say Ukraine is to America's national security — a virtual lynchpin of this republic's survival — surely these members of Congress did everything within their power to speed military aid to Ukraine. |
| • | Not so fast, Jerrold, Zoe, and Hakeem! |
| • | In fact, Nadler, Lofgren, and Jeffries are working tirelessly to dislodge President Trump for delaying aid to Ukraine when they themselves voted to stop such relief, dead in its tracks. |
| • | On July 26, 2018, all three voted against the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which included $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine. |
| • | The company has announced it will no longer underwrite IPOs for companies whose boards contain too many white men, because white men are bad. |
| • | Except, apparently, for the white men who run Goldman Sachs. They're the exception. They're great. |
| • | "... While Senator Blackburn fires off defamatory tweets, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman will continue to do what he has always done: serve our country dutifully and with honor." |
| • | ... testified he had heard others express concern that Vindman was a leaker, and could not be trusted with key information. |
| • | Asked about that allegation, Vindman read from a glowing performance review that described him as an exemplary officer. |
| • | He called on senators not to be "cynical" about politics, but to draw on the intent of the nation's Founding Fathers who provided the remedy of impeachment. |
| • | "Over the coming days, we will present to you — and to the American people — the extensive evidence collected during the House's impeachment inquiry into the president's abuse of power," Schiff argued. |
| • | "You will hear their testimony at the same time as the American people. That is, if you will allow it." |
| • | See related Don't Need No... (Gary Varvel, 10/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "It was a dark day, and a dark night for the Senate. As a consequence, the impeachment trial of President Trump begins with a cloud hanging over it – a cloud of unfairness." |
| • | "We don't have a left party in the United States. The Democratic Party is not a left party." |
| • | "The Democratic Party is a center or a center-conservative party." |
| • | "We Democrats aim to get the truth," Schumer said. |
| • | "Make no mistake about it, we will force votes on witnesses and documents, and it will be up to four Republicans to side with the Constitution, to side with our democracy, to side with the rule of law, and not side, in blind obeisance, to President Trump and his desire to suppress the truth. Because, in my judgment, he probably thinks he's guilty." |
| • | "Reporters covering tomorrow's white nationalist rally in Virginia, I'm absolutely begging you: Verify information before you send it out tomorrow, even if it's a very sensational rumor you heard from a cop." |
| • | "Don't become a hero in neo-Nazi propaganda circles with made-up stuff." |
| • | See related Newz (Glenn McCoy, 08/18/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our constitution, to seek the truth for the American people. I'm very proud and honored that these seven members, distinguished members, have accepted this serious responsibility." |
| • | See related Trump Witch Hunt (Sean Delonas, 03/10/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | The NYPD initially told the Post that it "did not receive an ICE detainer" regarding Khan — leading ICE to take the extraordinary step of posting the fax confirmation sheet proving that the request was made. |
| • | "It is the height of hypocrisy for NYC to blame ICE for this tragic crime. The mayor & police chief have continually celebrated that they don't honor ICE detainers, & to deflect the criticism for this completely preventable murder is incredibly disingenuous & shameful." |
| • | Mayor Bill de Blasio then defended the policy, going so far as to double down and claim it makes New Yorkers safer. |
| • | "The Trump administration's scare tactics destroy trust in law enforcement." |
| • | "The day our police ask for immigration status is the day people stop reporting crimes & sharing information. It's the day we stop being the safest big city in America. We won't let that happen." |
| • | "He's been impeached forever. They can never erase that." |
| • | "So sad, so tragic for our country." |
| • | "As we make history, we will be making progress for the American people... Make it be very clear that this president will be held accountable and that no one is above the law." |
| • | See related Impeachment (Bob Gorrell, 11/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "Those who attended the rally and those who protested outside all exercised their free speech peacefully." |
| • | "AP stories and headlines are routinely updated, as wire stories are. The original headline on this story when it was published yesterday evening was ‘An Iranian general dies in a U.S. attack, and Canada suffers.' It became ‘An Iranian general dies in U.S. attack, and innocents suffer,' when new information was added to the story. Overnight the headline became ‘As Iran and US take step back from the brink, Canada grieves." |
| • | "I am very proud of the courage and patriotism exhibited by our House Democratic Caucus as we support and defend the Constitution." |
| • | "In an impeachment trial, every Senator takes an oath to ‘do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws.' Every Senator now faces a choice: to be loyal to the President or to the Constitution." |
| • | "President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein [pleaded] guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has previously been charged in New York." |
| • | See related Jeffrey Epstein Clinton (Sean Delonas, 08/18/2019) cartoon from Adult picture album |
| • | "Since he got into office, the president of the United States has been goading Iran into war." |
| • | "First he canceled our best shot at avoiding armed conflict – the Iran nuclear deal. Then he announced crippling sanctions to starve the innocent people of Iran." |
| • | "This makes no sense. Sanctions are economic warfare. They have already caused medical shortages and countless deaths in Iran. You cannot claim to want deescalation and then announce new sanctions with no clear goal. This is not a measured response!" |
| • | "And I think every time I hear about ... I hear of conversations around war, I find myself being stricken with PTSD." |
| • | "And I find peace knowing that I serve with great advocates for peace and people who have shown courage against war." |
| • | A reporter is heard asking, "Could you personally lift up a gun and put it to the head of one of these people and kill him?" |
| • | Ebtekar simply responded, "Yes." |
| • | "Soleimani was an enemy of the United States. That's not a question. The question is this - as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?" |
| • | However, the Democratic senator struck a different tone on Tuesday following the violence at the embassy. |
| • | "The attack on our embassy in Baghdad is horrifying but predictable. Trump has rendered America impotent in the Middle East. No one fears us, no one listens to us. America has been reduced to huddling in safe rooms, hoping the bad guys will go away. What a disgrace." |
USA Today hit for op-ed claiming it was ‘terrifying’ that Texas churchgoers were armed (Fox 01/02/2020)
| • | ... "unfortunately" the "split-second heroism has been turned into a PR tool by gun advocates." |
| • | "We know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handgun... and that's terrifying." |
| • | "Have we really reached a point when each of us need to carry a firearm anywhere we go? Gun advocates certainly think so." |
| • | "Gun advocates didn't waste any time after the recent church incident to promote the idea of arming oneself." |
| • | During a 1999 appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," Schumer – who was beginning his first term in the Senate – indicated he already had a "pre-opinion" on how he would vote in Clinton's trial and argued that the Senate's role was not the same as a jury's role in a standard criminal trial. |
| • | "We have a pre-opinion," Schumer said in remarks CNN dug up recently. "This is not a criminal trial, but this is something that the Founding Fathers decided to put in a body that was susceptible to the whims of politics." |
| • | "In fact, it's also not like a jury box in the sense that people will call us and lobby us. You don't have jurors called and lobbied and things like that. I mean, it's quite different than a jury. And we're also the judge." |
| • | Senate Democrats coordinated with the White House on a number of impeachment-related issues behind the scenes. |
| • | ... one of those arrangements involved White House Counsel Charles Ruff arranging a "secret signal" with Democratic leadership. If Ruff wanted to rebut anything from the Republican House managers, something rules didn't allow, he pre-arranged with then-Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle's aides for a senator to submit a question to then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist asking the White House to respond. |
| • | In one of his first votes as a senator, however, Schumer moved to dismiss the case against Clinton and voted against a motion to subpoena witnesses. |
| • | "I wonder if the House managers aren't a little more interested in political theater than in actually getting to the bottom of the facts." |
| • | "My view is we have heard from most of these witnesses over and over again. We've heard the same story." |
| • | ... 20 years ago, Schiff was using that same argument when he first ran for Congress against Republican incumbent James Rogan. |
| • | "I think impeachment for most people in this district is only the most graphic illustration of an incumbent who has put the national partisan, ideological fights ahead of representing his district." |
| • | ... at the time regarding Rogan's role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. "People want to decide this on the basis of who's going to serve our community." |
| • | "The effect of impeachment is to overturn the popular will of the voters," Nadler said on the House floor during the Clinton impeachment hearings... |
| • | "We must not overturn an election and remove a president from office except to defend our system of government or constitutional liberties against a dire threat, and we must not do so without an overwhelming consensus of the American people." |
| • | Nadler added: "There must never be a narrowly voted impeachment or an impeachment supported by one of our major political parties and opposed by the other. Such an impeachment will produce a divisiveness and bitterness in our politics for years to come and will call into question the very legitimacy of our political institutions." |
| • | The wind — of all things — toppled a New York City wind turbine which then crushed an unoccupied parked car |
| • | "Peterson Air Force Base, located deep in the intolerant, fundamentalist Christian enclave of Colorado Springs, Colorado, has consistently been one of the most horrendous military installation abusers of the Constitutional mandate to NOT establish Christianity (or any other faith or even 'non-faith') as the de facto armed forces State Religion." |
| • | "MRFF has fought many battles throughout our long years of civil rights activism at PAFB against this wretched, fundamentalist Christian, religious extremist bigotry and prejudice." |
Trump calls Dems 'Liars!' for deeming him security threat – and then pausing impeachment (Fox 12/26/2019)
| • | "He is openly seeking interference in the 2020 election and he poses a continuing threat to our national security and to the integrity of our elections to our democratic system itself," Nadler said. |
| • | "We cannot permit that to continue." |
| • | Earlier this week, Newsom released a video supporting Trump's impeachment. |
| • | "Trump has spent 2019 attacking our institutions and fellow Americans. Locking kids in cages. Sucking up to the NRA. Trying to take your healthcare away. Giving tax cuts to the wealthy. And denying climate change. So we're leaving him in the dust." |
| • | "The cornerstones that built our great state are diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Based on these reasons, I must veto this bill." |
| • | The commission, which generally has Republican and Democratic co-chairs, said "our record is one of fairness, balance and non-partisanship." |
| • | "This is a campaign of the working class of this country, by the working class and for the working class." |
| • | "It is about transforming this country, it is about creating a government and an economy that works for all people and not just the one percent." |
| • | See related Senator Bernie Sanders (Sean Delonas, 04/25/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Socialism (Gary Varvel, 02/21/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The willingness of House Republicans to bend to the president's will by attempting to shift blame with the promotion of bizarre and debunked conspiracy theories has been an appalling spectacle." |
| • | "In the spirit of respecting our Constitution, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020 in the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives." |
| • | "The evidence is clear. Trump extorted a foreign government in an effort to get reelected — and obstructed Congress' resulting investigation. He abused his oath of office." |
| • | "Today, I will act to restore balance to our democracy. I will vote to impeach Donald Trump." |
| • | During her own floor speech, Tlaib pointed to the "common sense" of the people in her home district in Michigan and veterans' sense of "duty and responsibly"... |
| • | "... We should learn from their sense of duty and responsibility to country and democracy — not a political party." |
| • | "Doing nothing here, Madam Speaker, is not an option. Looking away from these crimes against our country is not an option. This is about protecting the future of our nation and our democracy from corruption. Abuse of power, criminal cover-ups and bribery." |
| • | "This vote is also for my sons and the future of so many generations, so I urge my colleagues to please vote yes on these articles of impeachment." |
| • | "No normal person would be able to get away with attempting to extort a foreign power to compromise our country." |
| • | "But all too often, the most corrupt and powerful people grow so accustomed to life with impunity that standard accountability feels to them like unjust persecution." |
| • | "I rise today to protect our democracy. Today we take a stand against corruption and abuses of power. What we are doing here today is not only patriotic – it is uniquely American." |
| • | "Congress has done its due diligence. Today we send a clear message – we will not tolerate abuse of power from the President of the United States of America. The future of this nation rests in our hands. It is with a heavy heart but a resolved one. And, because I believe our democracy is worth fighting for, I will vote to impeach Donald J. Trump, and I urge my colleagues to do the same." |
| • | See related Ms. Tlaib Goes to Washington (Mike Shelton, 01/07/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Gohmert had just finished speaking on the floor when Nadler said he was "deeply concerned that any member of the House would spout Russian propaganda on the floor of the House." |
| • | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. D-Calif., invoked the Pledge of Allegiance and the Preamble to the Constitution in arguing that the Founders' vision for a republic was threatened by Trump's actions in the White House. |
| • | "Today we are here to defend democracy for the people. I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States." |
| • | See related Impeachment (Bob Gorrell, 11/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... Pelosi declared that Trump violated the Constitution. |
| • | "That is why today as speaker of the House, I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States." |
| • | Pelosi, speaking to reporters Tuesday evening, called the letter "ridiculous." |
| • | She said she feels "fine" but "sad" about the pending impeachment vote. |
| • | "It is important for political leaders to try and remind themselves that you are there to do a job, but you are not there for life, you are not there in order to prop up your own sense of self-importance or your own power." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "My letter was intended as a good-faith proposal to kickstart the discussions that Leader McConnell has so far delayed in scheduling." |
| • | "I think the trial should be focused on the facts that the House presented, not on conspiracy theories that some established liar puts forward." |
| • | ... initially released a statement that said they "continue working hard on getting more trains, connections and seats." |
| • | They also thanked Thunberg for supporting the company's battle against climate change and pointed out that the train she used had been running 100 percent on eco-friendly electricity. |
| • | The rail company claimed that the teenager had a seat in first class ... and that other members of her team were already sitting in first class... from Frankfurt onwards. |
| • | Thunberg then claimed that jam-packed trains were actually great and having to sit on the floor wasn't an issue. |
| • | "... this is no problem of course and I never said it was. Overcrowded trains is a great sign because it means the demand for train travel is high!" |
| • | See related Child Abuse (Antonio Branco, 09/24/2019) cartoon from General picture album |
| • | The teen's attorney argued he only observed his friend kill Majors and testified about what his friend did. |
| • | The attorney argued that the boy only picked up the weapon and handed it back to his friend. |
| • | The attorney argued that the teen is not a threat to the community and asked for parole while he lives with his aunt and uncle. |
NYC student’s murder stems from liberals’ reversal of Rudy Giuliani’s anti-crime policies, ex-police... (Fox 12/13/2019)
| • | "The idea that a college freshman at Barnard was murdered in cold blood is absolutely, not only painful to me as a parent, it's terrifying to think that that could happen anywhere," de Blasio said... |
| • | See related Police PC Sanctuary (Sean Delonas, 05/24/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said the president of the United States needed to be impeached because of "equal justice under the law... And when the chief law enforcement officer trivializes, ignores, shreds, minimizes the sanctity of the oath, then justice is wounded, and you're wounded, and your children are wounded." |
| • | The House majority leader said the president had to be impeached because of a "serious transgression," which is that "he took an oath to God to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." |
| • | See related Trump Witch Hunt (Sean Delonas, 03/10/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I do think that he was assisted by the communications industry, not just Hollywood, but the press as well, because all they do is enable him, and that is really a sad thing." |
| • | "I've said to many of my friends in the press, 'You're accomplices, whether you want to be or not,' [and they say,] 'If he's saying it, then it's news.' I don't think it's news, but it monopolizes the airwaves." |
| • | "So there is a lot of responsibility to go around in terms of the creation of whatever that is in the White House." |
| • | ... When [the press was] talking about him, they weren't saying what Hillary [Clinton] was going to do about health care, to make our economy fair." |
| • | "This is heartbreaking. White supremacy kills," Tlaib said... |
| • | "We cannot rely on an election to solve our problems when the president threatens the very integrity of that election," Nadler claimed |
| • | See related Trump Witch Hunt (Sean Delonas, 03/10/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... alleging that the government's publication of her salacious text messages with anti-Trump ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok constituted a breach of the Federal Privacy Act. |
| • | ... said she suffered numerous damages, including a "permanent loss of earning capacity due to reputational damage" and "the cost of therapy to cope with unwanted national media exposure and harassment" caused by the disclosure. |
| • | ... complaint also sought reimbursement for "the cost of childcare during and transportation to multiple investigative reviews and appearances before Congress," the "cost of paying a data-privacy service to protect her personal information," and attorney's fees. |
| • | ... "DOJ and/or FBI officials disclosed" her sensitive text messages "directly to a select group of reporters to ensure they would become public." |
| • | Page's lawsuit lamented that Trump's tweets about Page's texts "have been retweeted and favorited millions of times." |
| • | Trump, Page went on, has "targeted" her "by name in more than 40 tweets and dozens of interviews, press conferences, and statements from the White House, fueling unwanted media attention that has radically altered her day-to-day life." |
| • | She argued that federal law prevents agencies from disclosing personal records about individuals "unless an exception applies or the individual who is the subject of the record consents in writing to the disclosure." |
| • | Her lawsuit does not contain an apology for her conduct, and she has long maintained that her anti-Trump views — which she shared with Strzok using FBI phones even as the two played key roles in the Hillary Clinton and Russia probes — did not affect her official duties. |
| • | "The framers of the Constitution prescribed a clear remedy for presidents who so violate their oath of office," said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. "No one, not even the president, is above the law." |
| • | "Trump has engaged in unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate defiance of the impeachment inquiry," Nadler added. |
| • | "He has given us no choice," Schiff said of Trump. "To do nothing would make ourselves complicit in the president's abuse of his high office." |
| • | See related Trump Witch Hunt (Sean Delonas, 03/10/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | His attorney ... argued that the tweets are protected speech and had been blown out of proportion by authorities. |
| • | "This is a guy who tweets about all kinds of things and says outrageous things." |
| • | "As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don't hate anyone. I was raised in a way that is a heart full of love and always pray for the president. And I still pray for the president. And I pray for the president all the time, so don't mess with me when it comes to words like that." |
| • | "The president's actions have seriously violated the Constitution." |
| • | "The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit." |
| • | "If we cannot impeach a president who abuses his office for personal advantage, we no longer live in a democracy — we live in a monarchy, or we live under a dictatorship," Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman said. |
| • | "On the world stage, [Trump] just insulted, called the leader of Canada, our most essential ally who has been there with us in every conflict since 9/11, standing in partnership with us in so many ways, to just throw out a school-yard taunt, or punch, like that... [it] stunned me." |
| • | "It appears that they're making fun of President Trump. Put that together with the way we've seen some of these leaders push back on President Trump at this NATO summit. What picture does it paint of where we are in the world right now?" |
| • | "Our allies no longer trust us. It is weakening the fabric of democracies at a time when the planet Earth is seeing the rise of totalitarianism or authoritarian government." |
| • | "This president seems to be weakening western and democratic alliances." |
| • | The news-making video of some of the world's most powerful leaders appearing to poke fun at Trump was shared by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). |
| • | When Trump was asked about it during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he said of Trudeau, "He's two-faced." |
| • | Trudeau appeared to be at the center of the video joking about Trump's impromptu press conference on Tuesday. |
| • | Feldman claimed he had been an "impeachment skeptic" when Robert Mueller's Russia report came out. |
| • | But he said that changed after President Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that resulted in the impeachment inquiry due to suspicion that the president sought help in investigating political rivals. |
| • | His past social media activity, however, suggests otherwise. |
| • | On March 7, 2017, less than two months after Trump took office, Feldman penned a Bloomberg piece that claimed Trump risked impeachment over tweets he posted accusing President Obama of tapping his phones. |
| • | The Trump campaign announced its policy earlier Monday, days after the news outlet owned by the billionaire Democratic candidate said it would not investigate Bloomberg or his Democratic rivals but would continue to cover Trump in the usual way. |
| • | "The accusation of bias couldn't be further from the truth. We have covered Donald Trump fairly and in an unbiased way since he became a candidate in 2015 and will continue to do so despite the restrictions imposed by the Trump campaign." |
| • | "Bloomberg News is one of the largest and most influential news organizations in the world." |
| • | "We condemn any action that keeps quality news media from reporting fairly and accurately on the presidency and the leadership of the country." |
| • | "The American people deserve transparency. If the President thinks the call was 'perfect' and there is nothing to hide then he would turn over the thousands of pages of documents requested by Congress, allow witnesses to testify instead of blocking testimony with baseless privilege claims, and provide any exculpatory information that refutes the overwhelming evidence of his abuse of power." |
| • | "It's time for an economic revolution. Capitalism today is failing us, killing us, and robbing from our children's future." |
| • | Ruffalo, who made $6 million for his role in "Avengers: Infinity War" and is worth an estimated $30 million, previously lent his support in the 2016 presidential election to Sanders before he lost the nomination to Hillary Clinton. |
| • | "For me, I started with Bernie on this trip and... when I think about it, what I see is, he led and he led then and now he's leading now." |
| • | "He was never another party, he never had different views about these things. The rest of the United States has finally caught up to what this cat has been doing already for his entire career. And you know that when he gets into office, he is going to be fighting for us!" |
| • | "Democratic Socialism says it's a moral wrong that 57% of income is going to the top 1%. Universal health care. Medical & family paid leave." |
| • | "If he has not done anything wrong, we're certainly anxious to hear his explanation of that." |
| • | "... The president of the United States is calling me names to the entire world. He's demeaning me and my career. It's sickening." |
| • | "And when the president accuses you of treason by name, despite the fact that I know there's no fathomable way that I have committed any crime at all, let alone treason, he's still somebody in a position to actually do something about that. To try to further destroy my life. It never goes away or stops, even when he's not publicly attacking me." |
| • | "Director [James] Comey was very clear he wanted this completed as soon as humanly possible and outside of the political environment. So there was a real focus to get it done before the conventions that were happening that summer. And so that's what we did." |
| • | "One more thing: She might be our next president," Page wrote to Strzok on Feb. 24, 2016. "The last thing you need us going in there loaded for bear. You think she's going to remember or care that it was more doj than fbi?" |
| • | "Agreed...." Strzok responded. |
| • | "At the end of July in 2017, I am informed by the DOJ Inspector General's office that I'm under investigation for political text messages and honestly, I have no idea what they're talking about." |
| • | "I have no recollection. And initially they're very coy about it. They don't tell me much about it. I don't have the first clue what they're talking about. What I do know is that my text messages will reveal that I had previously had an affair. I'm overwhelmed by dread and embarrassment at the prospect that OIG investigators, Andy [McCabe], and my colleagues, now know or could learn about this deeply personal secret." |
| • | ... saying that she made an "honest mistake" and that it was written before knowing about the trip. |
| • | See related He's Crazy! (Glenn McCoy, 05/16/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | ... they offered to "replace the coffee with a correct label." |
| • | The Seattle-based company apologized online calling the incident "totally unacceptable and offensive to all law enforcement." |
"The opinions presented by the installation were solely those of the student groups that created it and do not represent the views of Oberlin ()
AOC says her policies are not 'free stuff': 'I never want to hear that term again' (Fox 11/26/2019)
| • | "Public education, libraries, & infrastructure policies (which we‘ve had before in America and elsewhere in the world!) are not 'free stuff,'" |
| • | "They are PUBLIC GOODS. And they are worth investing in, protecting, & advancing for all society and future generations. Sincerely, NY-14." |
| • | "People like to say, 'Oh, this is about free stuff.' This is not about free stuff." |
| • | "I never want to hear the word, or the term, 'free stuff,' ever again." |
| • | The privileged communities at Harvard and Yale, just like the privileged elite of Hollywood, live in the great American bubble. |
| • | Electricity works. Water flows. Planes, trains, and automobiles whisk us away to work and vacation. |
| • | We buy wine from France and olive oil from Italy and without hesitation. |
| • | There are meat and fish at the market, and even our vegan friends have alternatives all made possible because of abundant, inexpensive, domestic, reliable fossil fuels. |
| • | For the privileged, first-world American elites who have all the convenience, comfort, and prosperity of our powerful, fossil-fuel-rich economy, climate change is the perfect, hollow, cause. |
| • | I think it's safe to assume both Ivy League universities' dorms will be toasty warm this winter and properly cooled come summer. |
| • | Their students' laptops will be fully charged and WiFi connected. |
| • | Their cafeterias will be fully stocked and their campuses will be fully lit. |
| • | And many protestors will "study abroad" overseas unaware or indifferent to the men and women in the energy industry who make it all possible. |
| • | Whose jobs they think should be eliminated. |
Rep. Jim Jordan attacked by Ohio newspaper in shocking personal, partisan column (Fox 11/22/2019)
| • | "The swamp will be a crowded place in four years, overrun with loathsome folks angling to continue the dastardly business of shredding the Constitution." |
| • | "We do believe that what occurred this fall was simply an oversight as a result of not understanding the policy." |
| • | "We regret if members of our community were offended." |
McCarthy brands Schiff a liar, Pelosi accuses Trump of bribery as impeachment war heats up (Fox 11/14/2019)
| • | "Democrats are showing great patriotism," Pelosi ... said Thursday, praising Schiff ... for his "dignity and statesmanship." |
| • | "This isn't about politics or anything political, it's about patriotism, it's about honoring our oath of office, and upholding the Constitution." |
| • | "This is something we do with a heavy heart. This is very prayerful, because impeachment is a divisive thing in our country." |
| • | "Bribery — and that is in the Constitution and attached to impeachment proceedings. ... I'm saying, that the president has admitted to as ‘perfect,' is bribery." |
| • | The "Terminator" was seen driving a military-style vehicle to Brentwood Country Mart in Santa Monica, Calif., and the 72-year-old was "having a bit of trouble getting back into his Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicle." |
| • | His recent outing came days after his widely publicized bike ride with 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg. |
| • | "It was fantastic to see my friend and one of my heroes @GretaThunberg last week and go on a bike ride around Santa Monica together and I was so pumped to introduce her to my daughter Christina. Keep inspiring, Greta!" |
| • | "My tone is way crasser and meaner than I like to think I am." |
| • | "The skeptical attitude toward the next generation is especially baffling when we see teens like Greta Thunberg, or the students from Parkland, Florida, consistently demonstrate independent thought, deep understanding, clear convictions, and tremendous maturity and poise in the national and international limelight (even amid jarring criticism and judgment from adults)." |
| • | See related Child Abuse (Antonio Branco, 09/24/2019) cartoon from General picture album |
| • | See related Who Told You ThatQ (Mike Lester, 10/09/2019) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | "This is not any cause for any glee or comfort. This is something that is very solemn ... we had to gather so much information to take us to this next step," Pelosi said... |
| • | "Nobody ... comes to Congress to impeach the president of the United States, unless his actions are jeopardizing our honoring our oath of office." |
| • | "This is a solemn day in the history of our country, when the president's misconduct has compelled us to continue to move forward with an impeachment inquiry," Schiff said. |
| • | "The founding fathers understood that a leader might take hold of the Oval Office, who would sacrifice the national security, who would fail to defend the Constitution, would place his personal and political interests above the interests of the country." |
| • | He added: "They provided us with a mechanism to deal with it and that mechanism is called impeachment." |
| • | See related The Adam Schiff Family (Michael Ramirez, 10/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Don't Need No... (Gary Varvel, 10/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Guilty and Sentenced (Gary Varvel, 09/24/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... later apologized for his comments, explaining he regrets "the verbiage that I used when responding to an email message from a parent, one year ago, did not accurately reflect my professional and personal commitment to educating all students about the atrocities of the Holocaust." |
| • | "He's an idiot. He's a fool. He's a buffoon. He's silly. He's tacky. He's dangerous..." |
| • | See related De Niro (Antonio Branco, 11/01/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Regarding our al-Baghdadi obituary, the headline should never have read that way and we changed it quickly." |
| • | ... prompted immediate accusations from Democrats that the Bill Barr-led DOJ has become compromised, at a time when Trump faces an impeachment inquiry over his interactions with Ukraine. |
| • | "These reports, if true, raise profound new concerns that the Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump's political revenge," said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., in a statement. |
| • | "If the Department of Justice may be used as a tool of political retribution or to help the President with a political narrative for the next election, the rule of law will suffer new and irreparable damage." |
| • | "Mr. Barr's ‘investigation' has already jeopardized key international intelligence partnerships. He needs to come before Congress and explain himself." |
| • | See related Now We Need to See Where This Goes (Gary Varvel, 04/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The stewardship of the nation has been thrown away to somebody who doesn't have a clue as to what that means. And unfortunately, we have somebody who I feel doesn't have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American." |
| • | "[He] has no interest in uniting the country and actually has an interest in doing the opposite and dividing us, which he does on an almost daily basis." |
| • | "That's simply a crime against humanity, as far as I'm concerned. It's an awful, awful message to send out into the world. You are intentionally trying to disenfranchise a large portion of Americans. That's unforgivable. These are folks who are invested in denying the idea of a united America and an America for all. It's a critical moment. It's a scary moment for any conscientious American, I think." |
| • | See related Women and Children First! (Glenn McCoy, 04/25/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "That is the conspiracy theory that the attorney general of the United States appears to have been going around the world trying to prove." |
| • | "We've got the CIA director, who was the head of central intelligence when the Russia investigation began. President Trump has not only gone after him as a traitor, he tried to strip his security clearance as a punitive action because this is such a terrible person." |
| • | "The guy who was the Director of National Intelligence when the Russia investigation is opened has been denounced by President Trump and by the president's supporters. |
| • | "The whole framework of upper-echelon intelligence and law enforcement officials, Republican and Democrat and neither, especially the ones who had direct contact with this investigation or who were experts in Russian counter-intelligence or Russian-organized crime- they've all already been drummed out of the government and in many cases turned into household name villains by the president and his supporters." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Mueller Report and CNN (Sean Delonas, 03/24/2019) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "The President's decision to use a phony emergency declaration to take money away from our service members and their families is a gross abuse of executive power that hurts military families in my state and others, and puts our nation's security at risk." |
| • | "We're taking action to not only reverse President Trump's reckless decision to ransack funds for critical military priorities and infrastructure projects that help keep our country safe, such as the pier and maintenance facility at Naval Base Kitsap in my home state of Washington, but also to make sure no President going forward can take reckless, harmful steps like this one." |
| • | "The values of the people of Chicago are more important to him than anything that could be discussed at that speech." |
| • | "Our country is extremely well-served by his serious, smart and strategic leadership to protect our elections, national security and democracy – which sadly stands in stark contrast to Republicans in the Congress who cover up the truth, look the other way when the President invites foreign governments to interfere in our elections and vote against legislation to secure the ballot from foreign attacks." |
| • | "It will be said of House Republicans, When they found they lacked the courage to confront the most dangerous and unethical president in American history, They consoled themselves by attacking those who did." |
| • | "I pray for the president all the time, and I tell him that — I pray for his safety and that of his family. Now, we have to pray for his health — because this was a very serious meltdown on the part of the president." |
| • | "We were offended deeply by his treatment of the speaker of the House of Representatives." |
| • | "Unfortunately, the meeting deteriorated into a diatribe. ... and very offensive accusations being made by the president of the United States. I have served with six presidents. I have been in many, many, many meetings like this. Never have I seen a president treat so disrespectfully a coequal branch of the government of the United States." |
| • | "One thing, I do want to say is that, POTUS – you know, that's the President – POTUS has become a potty mouth and children are listening." |
| • | "This is – this is beyond disgraceful." |
| • | During the rally, the president launched into a mock interview with Hunter, Biden's son, whom Trump called "not too smart." |
| • | "Hunter, you know nothing about energy, you know nothing about China, you know nothing about anything, frankly. Hunter, you're a loser," Trump said... |
| • | "Your father was never considered smart, he was never considered a good senator — he was only a good vice president because he understood how to kiss Barack Obama's a**." |
| • | ... Pelosi said: "For him to say the thing that he said about Joe Biden last night was so far beyond the pale." |
| • | "The whole point of this inquiry is to save the Constitution of the United States. The subpoena is the oversight that Congress has as a separation of powers – political branches of government have checks and balances on each other." |
| • | "I've said before: Trump, himself, is not worthy of impeachment because it's divisive in the country. But our Constitution is worth it. Our democracy is worth it. And, our republic, if we can save it, is worth it." |
| • | Biden also accused the president of throwing "lies and distortions and smears" at him and his son, "because he thinks he'll undermine my candidacy for the nomination as well as the presidency if I am the nominee." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "It said in Micah, 'What do you want from your Lord, but what is it you want from your people?'" |
| • | "Which is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly — walk humbly — and, so for me, I cannot allow, as a leader, that people are going to use religion as a justification for discrimination." |
| • | "There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America, that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us." |
| • | "So as president, we're going to make that a priority, and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans." |
| • | "Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, but it should not be used to discriminate." |
| • | "It's not a conflict of interest. There's been no indication of any conflict of interest." |
| • | See related About Right... (Michael Ramirez, 08/11/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... adding that Trump is welcoming an "adversary to intervene in our election, just as he did with Russia." |
| • | "For the first time that I can remember, our democracy is under assault. Our country is, in effect, under attack ... and that attack is coming now from within. It's coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And for all of the security threats I saw as national security adviser, all the challenges we faced, I never thought I'd see that." |
| • | ... accused Trump of projecting an image of "chaos, insecurity, instability and chaos" to the world... |
| • | "Joe Biden was doing what he was asked to do by the president of the United States consistent with serving our policy interests." |
| • | "... adding Biden acted "transparently" and that the prosecutor was removed for failing to tackle corruption. |
| • | "You violate your oath and undermine American values when you urge foreign nations to do your dirty work. We will hold you accountable." |
| • | "And then to see how the president is now involved to help the attorney general in that effort gives me pause. I think the attorney general needs to be a little more sensitive to the appearance that that gives. You have to not only be substantively neutral — you have to appear to be neutral when you are the attorney general of the United States. And I fear that he has crossed a political line." |
| • | "I think when people of this country look at the Justice Department and think it is in some ways politicized, that has a negative long-term impact on the department..." |
| • | "It's going to be hard because the reality is that Republicans are going to cheat. They're going to try to keep people away from the polls, they're going to move polling places, they're going to do a whole variety of things." |
| • | "Trump is so irresponsible & so hungry for power & control, he would dare imply that a civil war will ensue if he's impeached. He is dog whistling to his white supremacists to create fear & intimidation b/c he knows he is going to be impeached. He knows he deserves impeachment." |
| • | See related Call to Arms (Mike Shelton, 06/26/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "No, it doesn't kill me, because I know he's an illegitimate president," Clinton told... |
| • | "I believe he understands that the many varying tactics they used, from voter suppression and voter purging to hacking to the false stories... there were just a bunch of different reasons why the election turned out like it did." |
| • | Joe Biden's presidential campaign requested in a letter on Sunday that major news networks not invite President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani anymore, after Giuliani spent the morning on a series of talk shows aggressively highlighting what he called Biden's apparently corrupt dealings in Ukraine and China. |
| • | The Biden campaign wrote to NBC News, CBS News, Fox News, and CNN to voice "grave concern that you continue to book Rudy Giuliani on your air to spread false, debunked conspiracy theories on behalf of Donald Trump." |
| • | "While you often fact check his statements in real time during your discussions, that is no longer enough. By giving him your air time, you are allowing him to introduce increasingly unhinged, unfounded and desperate lies into the national conversation." |
| • | "Our country's heroes are worth far more than clicks and views. Doxxing the whistleblower endangers the individual's life, which is especially heinous considering the whistleblower went through proper government channels. The NYT protects Trump sources better than this. #CancelNYT." |
| • | "But we may now be at the point where members of the House and Senate can't uphold their own oaths to support and defend the Constitution without acting." |
| • | See related Hillary's Private Server (Mike Lester, 07/06/2016) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | ... freeze-frames show Davis holding a flashlight in his left hand and the knife in his right. |
| • | ... Davis was holding a knife when he was shot, and a knife was recovered near his body. |
| • | The Anti-Police Brutality Coalition said in a statement that the release of partial video was insufficient, and it wasn't clear whether Mattson could have used de-escalation tactics or nonlethal force. |
| • | This is a classic Mafia-like shakedown of a foreign leader." |
| • | ... Schiff said all these details "are far more damning than I and others had imagined." |
| • | "[Trump] communicates that the U.S. has done a lot for Ukraine, but there is not much reciprocity. This is how a mafia boss talks. 'What have you done for us? I have a favor I want to ask you.'" |
| • | "Of course, the favor is to investigate his political rival. To investigate the Bidens." |
| • | "The fact that the president would invoke the attorney general sends a further message to Ukraine — this is not just me asking, this is not just Giuliani asking, but this is the United States government." |
| • | "There is no quid pro quo necessary to betray your country or your oath of office." |
| • | "Ukraine understood what this president wanted. He had his emissaries making it clear, and Ukraine knew what it needed to do if it wanted to get military assistance." |
| • | "Let's be clear: no quid pro quo is required to betray our country. Trump asked a foreign government to interfere in our elections — that is betrayal enough." |
| • | "The transcript and the Justice Department's acting in a rogue fashion in being complicit in the President's lawlessness confirm the need for an impeachment inquiry." |
| • | "The President dragged the Attorney General into this mess. At a minimum, AG Barr must recuse himself until we get to the bottom of this matter." |
| • | "Rudolph Giuliani is the president's political hit man. And in an official conversation with the president of Ukraine, he directed the Ukrainian president to have a follow up conversation with Giuliani as part of the effort to dig up dirt on Joe Biden." |
| • | See related Can\\\'t Get no Satisfaction (Gary Varvel, 04/18/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "As a citizen, I kind of hope not because I think the American people would be let off the hook if Donald Trump were impeached and removed from office and a lot of his supporters would think some sort of coup had taken place." |
| • | "We need to take responsibility for this and vote next November and show that we have a certain set of values and we insist that our leaders reflect those values." |
| • | "When the president decries ‘fake news,' he's not interested in actual mistakes. He's trying to delegitimize real news, dismissing factual and fair reporting as politically motivated fabrications." |
| • | "I'm not challenging the president's recklessness because of his party, his ideology or his criticism of The Times." |
| • | "The true power of a free press is an informed, engaged citizenry. I believe in independent journalism and want it to thrive." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "This behavior is particularly abhorrent because it exploits the foreign policy of our country and undermines our national security for political purposes." |
| • | "It means that he used the power and resources of the United States to pressure a sovereign nation — a partner that is still under direct assault from Russia — pushing Ukraine to subvert the rule of law in the express hope of extracting a political favor..." |
| • | "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at helm of our country." |
| • | "I am confident that when he returns, Michael will continue to be appreciated by the many millions of Americans who admire the courage he showed in standing up to Donald Trump's hate machine and putting his family and country first." |
| • | "He is a racist. He is a conman. And he is a cheat." |
| • | "The mere act of burning her image is a display of violence. Folks need to stick to facts & policy positions. They need to stop fear mongering & more importantly demonizing members of Congress." |
| • | ... Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., noted that Trump had promised Mexico would pay for the barrier and called it "an ineffective wall that was based on a cynical campaign promise, and bears no relation to the real national security issues this country faces." |
| • | Omar tweeted about the attacks on Wednesday... "September 11th was an attack on all of us. We will never forget the thousands of Americans who lost their lives in the largest terror attack on U.S. soil. I will continue to fight to make sure we care for the first responders and families who lost loved ones. #NeverForget" |
| • | "Here's the truth: Far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it." |
| • | "CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." |
| • | Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley – the other three members of the Democrat quartet dubbed "The Squad" – sprang to Omar's defense. |
| • | "They do that all the time, especially women of color, they take our words out of context because they're afraid because we speak truth, we speak truth to power." |
| • | Although the police probe concluded that Smollett orchestrated the attack himself, his lawyers alleged last week that it was the decision of the Chicago police to investigate the case to the extent that they did — and that their client should not bear responsibility for that decision. |
| • | "The filing of a police report, in and of itself, does not necessitate a sprawling investigation nor does it, as a practical matter, usually result in an investigation as extensive as the one the CPD chose to undertake in this case." |
| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... calling him "steady, straightforward, candid, forthright, and honest" and claiming that the "biased scrutiny" and the "firestorm of criticism" against the embattled bureau deputy "completely unjustified and profoundly unfair." |
| • | "I would hope you will consider my observations, which I know are shared uniformly by virtually everyone who knows Andy, and will use your influential voice to ensure he is able to complete his career and retire after his 21 years of distinguished service to the bureau and this nation." |
| • | The "Straight Pride" parade was met with counter-protests and reportedly led to a handful of officers suffering injuries and almost three dozen arrests. |
| • | "Alt right, get off our streets, no justice, no peace," protesters said. |
| • | They also aimed their focus at police, reportedly chanting, "Who do you serve? Who do you protect?" |
| • | "I'm outraged by the idea that straight people need a pride parade." |
| • | "We are not an oppressed majority by any stretch of the imagination. This is full of hate and offensive." |
| • | The Saturday march was also condemned by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who represents the Boston area. |
| • | "TY to the allies & accomplices who stood in the gap & laid their bodies on the line today in affront #LGBT hate march." |
| • | "To everyone feeling unseen & vulnerable today...we got you. Equitable outrage. Our destinies & freedoms are tied." |
| • | "There's no doubt that the president doesn't view Puerto Rico as part of the United States. He doesn't view people who didn't vote for him as important. And he doesn't view people who aren't white as important as everyone else. That's just — it's that simple." |
| • | "Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico. Will it ever end? Congress approved 92 Billion Dollars for Puerto Rico last year, an all time record of its kind for 'anywhere'." |
| • | "I don't need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a 'sorry we lied about you' would be nice." |
| • | "And to all those who've spent two years talking about me 'going to jail' or being a 'liar and a leaker' — ask yourselves why you still trust people who gave you bad info for so long, including the president." |
| • | "Last night on this show, I discussed information that wasn't ready for reporting." |
| • | "I did not go through the rigorous verification and standards process here at MSNBC before repeating what I heard from my source." |
| • | "Had it gone through that process, I would not have been permitted to report it. I should not have said it on-air or post it on Twitter. I was wrong to do so." |
| • | "Young people are more informed and dynamic than their predecessors... they actually take time to read and understand our [world] history." |
| • | "I'm often amazed about the things supposedly decent people are prepared to say about other people – people they've never met – on Twitter. I think you've set a new standard." |
| • | "I don't think it's surprising at all that we continue to hear the sociopathic ramblings of Mr. Trump claiming that there was this effort to try to prevent him from being elected or to unseat him." |
| • | See related Russian Youth Vote (Chip Bok, 03/21/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.: "Donald Trump is part of a corrupt, rigged system that has helped the wealthy and the well-connected and kicked dirt in the faces of everyone else." |
| • | New York Mayor Bill de Blasio: "For the last three years, we've watched Donald Trump pit working people against each other, black versus white, citizen versus immigrant. And why? So that the wealthy and the powerful he represents can hold the American Dream hostage from everyone else." |
| • | Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. : "We're looking at someone who passed a tax bill benefiting the top 1 percent and the biggest corporations in this country when he said he would help working families." |
| • | "How do we cover a guy who makes these kinds of remarks? How do we cover the world's reaction to him? How do we cover America, that's become so divided by Donald Trump? How do we write about race in a thoughtful way, something we haven't done in a large way in a long time? That, to me, is the vision for coverage ... for the rest of the next two years." |
| • | "Could you explain your decision not to more regularly use the word racist in reference to the president's actions?" |
| • | "You mentioned that there could be situations when we would use the word racist. What is that standard?" |
| • | "I just feel like racism is in everything. It should be considered in our science reporting, in our culture reporting, in our national reporting." |
| • | See related Newz (Glenn McCoy, 08/18/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Unmasking (Glenn McCoy, 04/04/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
MSNBC host: Trump's 'loyalty' comment 'exactly' like German attacks on Jews (Fox 08/21/2019)
Ilhan Omar accuses Netanyahu of imposing ‘Muslim ban’ as Dems decry decision to block Israel visit (Fox 08/15/2019)
| • | "It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.S. government," Omar said of the decision to stop her from traveling to Israel. |
| • | "Trump's Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected members of Congress." |
| • | An emotional Tlaib held back tears during the news conference as she discussed her experiences visiting Jerusalem as a child. |
| • | "As a young girl visiting Palestine to see my grandparents and extended family, I watched as my mother had to go through dehumanizing checkpoints – even though she was a United States citizen and a proud American." |
| • | "Like anyone who has been honest with themselves, I know I have made mistakes. I am sorry for the harm I have caused." |
| • | See related Sitting Bull (Sean Delonas, 12/31/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The decision to ban me and my colleague, the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress, is nothing less than an attempt by an ally of the United States to suppress our ability to do our jobs as elected officials," Omar said. |
| • | Tlaib held back tears as she discussed her experiences visiting Jerusalem as a child. |
| • | "As a young girl visiting Palestine to see my grandparents and extended family, I watched as my mother had to go through dehumanizing checkpoints – even though she was a United States citizen and a proud American." |
| • | Referencing recent conversations with her Palestinian grandmother, who she had planned to visit on the trip, Tlaib choked up: "She said I'm her dream manifested. I'm her free bird so why would I come back and be caged and bow down?" |
| • | Omar jumped in: "What I tell Rashida all the time is that you don't ever allow people to enjoy your tears. I say that all the time. There are so many people invested in our pain, in our struggle, in seeing us broken." |
| • | ... Rep. Debra Haaland, D-N.M., called members of Antifa "peaceful protesters." |
| • | "This is on par with what the president does. He sides with the white supremacists, he sides with the white nationalists, with the domestic terrorists in our country... he's incited violence against people of color." |
| • | "It's not surprising that Trump would side away from the folks who are the peaceful protesters working to safeguard their city from domestic terrorism. [I'm] just not surprised at all that the president sides with the white nationalists. That's been his mode of operation since before he was elected president." |
| • | "I don't condone violence toward the President or anyone else. I apologize that something like this happened at my event." |
| • | "I am tired of folks discrediting a form of speech that is centered on equality and freedom. This is exactly how they tried to discredit & stop the boycott to stand up against the apartheid in S. Africa. It didn't work then and it won't now." |
| • | "Israel's denial of entry to Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar is a sign of weakness, and beneath the dignity of the great state of Israel." |
| • | "... No democratic society should fear an open debate. Many strong supporters of Israel will be deeply disappointed in this decision, which the Israeli government should reverse." |
| • | "The president's statements about the congresswomen are a sign of ignorance and disrespect, and beneath the dignity of the office of the president." |
| • | "Trump's Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected members of Congress." |
| • | "Banning Congresswomen Omar and Tlaib from entering Israel and Palestine is a sign of enormous disrespect to these elected leaders, to the United States Congress, and to the principles of democracy," presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a tweet. |
| • | "In Mr. Trump, I see the worst and ugliest iteration of views I expressed for the better part of a decade." |
| • | And on CNN, he apologized "for the role that I played in putting an unfit con man in the White House." |
| • | "It turned out what had paid for my education – my whole life, it felt like – was money from the very same industries I found myself ethically opposing." |
| • | He then said he began suffering from moral anxiety after inheriting about $1.2 million, feeling alienated among his poorer friends who often joked about "some idiot rich kid with a trust fund." |
| • | He even pondered over the purchase of movie theater popcorn, thinking that this contributes to consumerism and climate change. |
| • | "I got really weird about money. I'd barely spend any of it. Even today, I tend to put each of my expenses through a kind of advanced moral screen." |
| • | ... goes on in the essay to argue that wealthy individuals are a "total policy failure" of the society as no individuals should have been able to accumulate such wealth. |
| • | ... added that while he wanted to be taxed more by the government, he also has issues about giving the money away. |
| • | He claims to have donated over $400,000 to "movements for social justice" and pledges to donate more in later years. |
| • | "I want pitchforks and torches outside this man's house in the Hamptons." |
| • | "... There's no reason why people shouldn't be able to be outside of his house and making their voices peacefully understood." |
| • | "I believe in criticizing stances, but I don't believe in specifically targeting members." |
| • | "Unless you support the white nationalism and the racism that Donald Trump is paying for and fueling, then I hope you, as a person of good conscience, will think twice about contributing to his campaign," said Castro... |
| • | "I don't want anyone on the left or the right to be a target of any crazy person or any person that means them harm at all." |
| • | "I misspoke about Trump calling for an extermination of Latinos. My mistake was unintentional and I'm sorry. Trump's constant assault on people of color and his use of the word "invasion" to describe the flow of immigrants is intentional and constant." |
| • | Approximately 25 demonstrators stood on the sidewalk near McConnell's Louisville home, shouting "No Trump, no KKK, no Fascist USA!" while others called him names like "Murder Turtle" and made loud noises by banging objects and dragging a shovel back and forth on the ground as a group of security personnel stood between the protestors and the home. |
| • | "The b*** is home — we keep seeing the lights go on and off," another protester can be heard shouting. "This h* really thought he was going to get ready to be at home after he hurt his little punk ass shoulder. B****, don't nobody give a f***! F**k your thoughts and prayers, Mitch. F** you, f** your wife, f** everything you stand for." |
| • | Louisville Metro Police told the New York Post that the demonstrators were "protesting peacefully." |
| • | "I didn't consider it part of an FBI file," Comey told Fox News. It was my personal aide-memoire...I always thought of it as mine." |
| • | "I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter — I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel." |
| • | "I was worried that the media was camping at the end of my driveway, my wife and I were going away." |
| • | "I was worried it would be like feeding seagulls at the beach if it was I who gave it to the media, so I asked my friend to." |
| • | See related Hillary's Private Server (Mike Lester, 07/06/2016) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | See related Jet Setters (Antonio Branco, 12/28/2018) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | Mueller claimed they were hired because of their experience and he did not know their politics. |
| • | Think of it this way: if you put the names of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans into a hat, what are the odds only the names of Democrats would be drawn? |
| • | See related The Mueller Team (Glenn McCoy, 12/15/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "Rep. Cummings is a champion in the Congress and the country for civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague." |
| • | "We all reject racist attacks against him and support his steadfast leadership." |
| • | "The president's tweets are ugly and racist and they are part of his overall pattern of trying to stir up as much hatred and dissension in America as possible." |
| • | Liberal lawmakers, most notably Omar and Tlaib, both newly elected Muslim-Americans, have spoken out in support of the BDS movement, as they criticize Israel's treatment of Palestinians. |
| • | "What are we doing to bring peace? I believe that simple question should guide every vote we take in this committee." |
| • | "That's a witch hunt because the MeToo movement came up and everything everybody said — there was no space to say 'well, wait a minute, let's talk about this,'" |
| • | "It was kind of a political hit in many ways." |
| • | "He apologized immediately, which didn't work... Did Trump ever apologize for any of these sexual assaults he's been alleged to have done? No." |
| • | "It was nowhere near her actual breasts. She was wearing a flak jacket. The problem with that was she was sleeping and he admits that was wrong." |
| • | "We are introducing a resolution ... to really speak about the American values that support and believe in our ability to exercise our First Amendment rights in regard to boycotting." |
| • | "And it is an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support a nonviolent movement, which is the BDS movement." |
| • | "Americans of conscience have a proud history of participating in boycotts to advocate for human rights abroad including ... boycotting Nazi Germany from March 1933 to October 1941 in response to the dehumanization of the Jewish people in the lead-up to the Holocaust." |
| • | See related I'm ... Anti-Semitic (Bob Gorrell, 02/13/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "And I want to talk to the white people out there, OK. I want to talk to wealthy white people, because I've had it. I've had discussions where I talk to friends, people I know. ‘He's good for the economy. He's good for the economy. They're all jerks anyway.' No, no. It's time." |
| • | "But everybody else, shame on you at this point. Enough. This is where you stand up. And if you don't, you own it ... You are no different than if you were on a subway train and you saw four white nationalists screaming at an African-American woman, ‘Go home, go where you came from.' If you vote for Trump it's like you're going like this ... and own it." |
| • | "Look at history. It can happen here. Maybe it's the Jews next. I forgot, his daughter is married to a Jew. Who says? I come from a group of people where it happened to, 6 million of them." |
| • | "I'm not saying Trump is that person, but every playbook that's happening, every single playbook, creating the 'other,' getting rich people to look the other way, getting people to not trust the press, getting a judicial system in your pocket, getting an entire branch of government, the legislative branch – I mean, the Republicans – to just march with you, to act above the law, to say you're putting your adversaries in jail." |
| • | "And now, ‘Hey, you, dark person, if you don't like it here, go back from where you came.' Boy, it's time for us and time for white people who maybe it's not so great for your pocketbook, go in and look at your children and decide who you are." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related He's Crazy! (Glenn McCoy, 05/16/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Every single statement that we make is from a place of extreme love for every single person in this country," Omar said. |
| • | "It is part of the mandate of why we ran for office and why we got elected." |
| • | Tlaib, speaking separately, backed Omar's call for impeachment, saying Trump's language was "disgusting and bigoted"... |
| • | "This is simply a disruption and a distraction from the callous, chaotic, and corrupt culture of this administration all the way down. We want to get back to the business of the American people, and why we were sent here." |
| • | "As Members of Congress, the only country we swear an oath to is the United States. Which is why we are fighting to protect it from the worst, most corrupt and inept president we have ever seen." |
| • | "This weekend, the President went beyond his own low standards using disgraceful language about Members of Congress. ... The House cannot allow the President's characterization of immigrants to our country to stand. Our Republican colleagues must join us in condemning the President's xenophobic tweets." |
| • | "When @realDonaldTrump tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to 'Make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again." |
| • | "Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power." |
| • | "It's important to note that the President's words yday, telling four American Congresswomen of color 'go back to your own country,' is hallmark language of white supremacists. Trump feels comfortable leading the GOP into outright racism, and that should concern all Americans." |
| • | See related Ms. Tlaib Goes to Washington (Mike Shelton, 01/07/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "When @realDonaldTrump tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to "Make America Great Again" has always been about making America white again." |
| • | "Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power." |
| • | ... protesters demonstrating outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility pulled down the star-spangled banner and flew the flag of Mexico in its place. |
| • | ... called for detention centers at the U.S.-Mexico border to be closed and for all immigrants being held in those locations to be granted entry to the U.S. |
| • | See related Demand Work (Paul Nowak, 04/04/2006) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "It was such a weak argument to say she was being picked on and that four women of color were being picked on by the speaker." |
| • | "It is so inappropriate. So uncalled for. It does not do anything to help with unity. It was unfair to Speaker Pelosi." |
| • | "It shows their lack of sensitivity to racism. To fall back on that (trope) is a weak argument. It has no place in a civil discussion." |
| • | "It was such a weak argument to say she was being picked on and that four women of color were being picked on by the speaker." |
| • | "It is so inappropriate. So uncalled for. It does not do anything to help with unity. It was unfair to Speaker Pelosi." |
| • | "It shows their lack of sensitivity to racism. To fall back on that (trope) is a weak argument. It has no place in a civil discussion." |
| • | "They think it is absurd to call the speaker racist. Offensive and absurd." |
| • | "It was such a weak argument to say she was being picked on and that four women of color were being picked on by the speaker." |
| • | "It shows their lack of sensitivity to racism. To fall back on that [trope] is a weak argument. It has no place in a civil discussion." |
| • | "The Council thanks Pastor Amy for her leadership and asks all congregants to pray for her continued ministry as a leader in the progressive Christian world." |
| • | "This egregious and blatant attempt to tamper with our democratic process would completely overhaul the rules of who gets to participate in a representative democracy in America and it can't go unchecked." |
Pelosi on AOC, Omar, others: 'These people have their public whatever and their Twitter world' (Fox 07/06/2019)
| • | "... they impeached Clinton for something so ridiculous — getting impeached for doing a dumb thing as a guy." |
| • | "It's not even like a raise," Ocasio-Cortez said. |
| • | She called opposition to the pay increase "superficial. ... This is why there's so much pressure to turn to lobbying firms and to cash in on member service after people leave, because precisely of this issue." |
| • | The Congressional Research Service (CRS) found in May that, adjusted for inflation, salaries for members of Congress "have decreased 15 percent since the last pay adjustment in 2009." |
| • | Following a cost-of-living adjustment formula established in 2009, members of Congress should currently be making $210,900. |
| • | "While Putin's trying to undo our elections, he's actually undoing elections in, in Europe." |
| • | "Look at what's happening in Hungary... look at what's happening! You think that would happen on my watch, on Barack's watch? You can't answer that, but I promise you it wouldn't have. And it didn't." |
| • | See related Make no Apologies (Michael Ramirez, 06/08/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "There are a lot of things in our history that are still very painful." |
| • | ... cited "the Confederate flag that still flies in some places and is used as a symbol." |
| • | About 15 states and some countries have anti-mask laws... Opponents argue such laws would deprive people anonymity to express their views and would violate their First Amendment rights. |
| • | "It could be argued that the mask is an important symbolic part of a protester's message. ... There are many legitimate reasons people wear ‘masks,' including political and religious reasons." |
| • | "We are continuing to allow for them to terrorize people who are running away from the most horrific circumstances, and that's... inhumane and that can't sit well with the American values we have ... about dignity and humanity." |
| • | "Those people who are online making fun of members of Congress are a disgrace, and there is no need for anyone to think that is unacceptable." |
| • | "We're gonna shut them down and work with whoever it is to shut them down, and they should be prosecuted." |
| • | "You cannot intimidate members of Congress, frighten members of Congress. It is against the law, and it's a shame in this United States of America." |
| • | ... blamed President Trump for people losing respect for Congress and the White House, saying he has "taken this country to its knees." |
| • | Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y, added, "The exclusion of the citizenship question from the census is a victory for our democracy and for fair representation of all communities in this country." |
| • | "I was appalled by what I saw in the video, but I support the Portland Police Bureau's decision not to intervene," the mayor said... |
| • | ... a group member referenced the visits by Democrats and encouraged an officer to throw a "burrito at these b*****s." |
| • | "They're threatening violence on members of Congress." |
| • | ... Portland police spokesman told a local news outlet that officers monitored the protest however there was no intervention because police weigh "the ability for people to gather to practice their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly." |
“It may be shocking to some, but being someone’s daughter actually isn’t a career ()
| • | "It hurts our diplomatic standing when the President phones it in & the world moves on. The US needs our President working the G20. Bringing a qualified diplomat couldn't hurt either." |
| • | Prior to her father taking office in 2017, Ivanka Trump, 37, was an executive vice president with the Trump Organization. |
| • | "This administration's mix of cruelty and incompetence continues, day-by-day, to exacerbate a humanitarian crisis at the border." |
| • | This wasn't shading the truth; it is not bending the truth. It's lying right to your face and daring you to disagree. |
| • | It's the definition of propaganda. |
| • | "... But what the people are doing now, they're trying to impose like a 2019 morality on the reality of a 1972 America. You can't do that." |
| • | "[W]hat we need is presidential leadership that will take strategic action to counter the Iranian threat, restore America's standing in the world, recognize the value of principled diplomacy, and strengthen our nation and our security by working strategically with our allies." |
Michael Avenatti labels Alyssa Milano a 'disgusting hypocrite' after tweet about his... (Fox 06/19/2019)
| • | "You preach about Trump's need to follow the constitution but then ignore it yourself." |
| • | "You are a disgusting hypocrite. I don't care what side you are on. Where the hell is my apology for you proclaiming my guilt for something I was never even charged with?" |
Dems halt effort to secure pay increase for lawmakers, as contempt votes, funding drama loom (Fox 06/11/2019)
| • | "It's not even like a raise," Ocasio-Cortez said. |
| • | She called opposition to the pay increase "superficial. ... This is why there's so much pressure to turn to lobbying firms and to cash in on member service after people leave, because precisely of this issue." |
| • | "It may be politically convenient, and it may make you look good in the short term for saying, 'Oh we're not voting for pay increases,' but we should be fighting for pay increases for every American worker." |
| • | "We should be fighting for a $15 minimum wage pegged to inflation so that everybody in the United States with a salary with a wage gets a cost of living increase. Members of Congress, retail workers, everybody should get cost of living increases to accommodate for the changes in our economy. And then when we don't do that, it only increases the pressure on members to exploit loopholes like insider-trading loopholes, to make it on the back end." |
| • | Following a cost-of-living adjustment formula established in 2009, members of Congress should currently be making $210,900... |
| • | "President Trump undermined America's preeminent leadership role in the world by recklessly threatening to impose tariffs on our close friend and neighbor to the south." |
| • | "Threats and temper tantrums are no way to negotiate foreign policy." |
| • | Pelosi said Democrats are "deeply disappointed" by the expansion of "Remain-in Mexico" and said it violates the rights of asylum-seekers, and fails to address the root causes of migration flows from Central America. |
| • | "Congress will continue to hold the Trump Administration accountable for its failures to address the humanitarian situation at our southern border." |
| • | "President Trump must stop sabotaging good-faith, constructive, and bipartisan efforts in Congress to address this complex problem in a humane manner that honors and respects our most cherished national values." |
| • | See related Dreamer (Glenn McCoy, 09/15/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "President Trump's efforts to insert politics into a celebration of our nation's history is extremely alarming." |
| • | "The Fourth of July celebration is not about any one person; it is not a time for campaigning – but a time to celebrate our unity as a free nation." |
| • | "Obviously, Soviet Union was an authoritarian society with no democratic rights, and I think if you know history, you know the democratic socialists fought and stood up against that." |
| • | "You can look at what existed in the Soviet Union or Venezuela, that is not what I'm talking about at all." |
| • | See related Socialism (Gary Varvel, 02/21/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Senator Bernie Sanders (Sean Delonas, 04/25/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... described as the U.S. president's "turning the United States, overnight, from a country of brotherly love for immigrants from around the world, to a bolted space, where there's stigmatizing, mistreatment, abuse, persecution, and a denial of the right to justice to those who seek — with sacrifice and hard work — to live free from misery." |
| • | ... "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures." |
| • | "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol." |
| • | "This approach threatens national security by subverting longstanding rules and practices that obligate you and other heads of IC agencies to safeguard sources and methods and prevent the politicization of intelligence and law enforcement." |
| • | See related Now We Need to See Where This Goes (Gary Varvel, 04/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... accuses the Israeli government of willfully "aligning with the virulent Islamophobia" of white supremacist groups in the U.S. — and links Israel indirectly to the Oct. 2018 massacre of 11 congregants at a Pittsburgh synagogue. |
| • | ... would mandate that Democrat officials work to "nullify" President Trump's pro-Israel policies. One document directs party officials to take a subsidized trip to Israel only "if they undertake to devote an equal amount of time to visiting Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories." |
| • | Tentatively titled "Commending the House for resolving to fight all racism and bigotry and for resisting the false conflation of support for Palestinian rights with antisemitism," the resolution blasting Israel's purported role in furthering white supremacy was authored by David Mandel, an elected state Assembly delegate and progressive attorney who says he holds dual U.S.-Israel citizenship and lived in Israel for 10 years. |
| • | The document calls the October synagogue shooting "the culmination of an alarming re-emergence of virulent antisemitism that is a core element of historical and currently resurgent white supremacism in the United States and around the world." |
| • | The "Israeli government, along with some of its U.S. backers," the resolution continues, "welcomed support from Christian fundamentalist and ultra-right groups in the United States and abroad, dangerously ignoring their deeply rooted antisemitism while aligning with their virulent Islamophobia." |
| • | "What we're saying is the Israeli government is aligning itself with right-wing governments around the world, including in this country, and those right-wing groups — a core tenet of their ideology is antisemitism." |
The real reason Obama intel officials don't want you to know how they spied on Americans (Fox 05/29/2019)
| • | "Trump has every reason to believe Barr will use his new powers to aid the President's anti-deep state propaganda efforts." |
| • | "Trump giving Barr unilateral authority over classification is just a huge deal in the world of Intelligence agencies. Barr will be able to override other agencies' independent classification determinations. And the goal of all this here seems pretty clear. It's basically to give Sean Hannity material for his television show. So the plan, as it appears now, is essentially a kind of purge of the ideologically suspect members of the intelligence apparatus." |
| • | "I think it's critically important that the counterintelligence professionals continue to carry out their responsibilities and resist these unwarranted and very, very irresponsible efforts to try to undermine what they're doing." |
| • | "This is nothing short of treasonous, because it is a betrayal of the nation." |
| • | "He is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Treasonous is defined as a betrayal of trust, as well as aiding and abetting the enemy. And so that was the word that came to my mind." |
| • | See related Now We Need to See Where This Goes (Gary Varvel, 04/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "‘Stay in your lane, Jon!' ‘Has been!' "F-lister trying to stay relevant!' ‘Nobody cares what an out of touch actor thinks!'" |
| • | "This is not about the 2020 election. It's about doing what's right now for our country. This is going to be a precedent that we set when we don't hold this president accountable to the rule of the law and to the United States Constitution." |
| • | "Young people everywhere: Please do not emulate Mr. Trump's very immature behavior. Find others of honesty, integrity, & decency to be your role models." |
| • | "And always try to do what you know is the right thing, even when doing what is right is both unpopular & difficult." |
| • | "The president just throws out the words ‘treason' and ‘coup' all the time. And we all have become numb to it." |
| • | House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., blasted the president for allowing the release of classified materials, calling it a "corrupt escalation of the president's intention" to politicize the intelligence community. |
| • | "We're all God's children. There is a spark of divinity in every person on Earth. And so when the president of the United States says about undocumented immigrants, 'These aren't people, these are animals,' you have to wonder, does he not believe in the spark of divinity, the dignity and worth of every person? Every day that you think you've seen it all, along comes another manifestation of why their policies are so inhumane." |
| • | "Another temper tantrum, again, I pray for the president of the United States. I wish that his family, the administration, and his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country." |
| • | See related Draining the Swamp (Gary Varvel, 05/19/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "And ignorance really is pervasive in many parts of this country. And as someone who was raised by educators, I really like to inform people about things that they might be ignorant to, willingly or unwillingly." |
| • | "Ah yes, a man who can't even read briefings written in full sentences is providing literary criticism of a House Resolution." |
| • | See related AOC Green New Deal (Gary McCoy, 02/11/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | ... producers told her that her remarks were getting blowback on social media, which prompted her to walk them back. |
| • | "I saw your face when I said it. I didn't even realize that I said it. I had twelve cups of coffee. I regret saying it." |
| • | "I did not mean that and I regret saying it. I regret that everyone misinterpreted it because they misinterpret everything." |
| • | Nadler said his committee is "determined to ask critical questions, gather all of the relevant information, judiciously assess the evidence, and present our findings to the American people, whatever those findings may be." |
| • | See related Attempting to Steal the Presidency (Antonio Branco, 12/03/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "We pray for peace, not war. Love, not hate. Benevolence, not greed. Unity, not division." |
| • | "And, we commit ourselves to not betraying our prayers with actions that contradict them." |
| • | "God willing on this blessed night as the 3rd Intifada begins, the beginning of the end of Zionism is here. May Allah help us overcome this monster, protect the innocent of the world, and accept the murdered as martyrs." |
| • | "Want to know what its [sic] like to live under Nazis? Look no further than how the Palestinians are treated daily by apartheid Israel. Sickening." |
| • | See related Religion of Peace (John Darkow, 01/12/2015) cartoon from Terror picture album |
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| • | "This administration wants to have a constitutional crisis because they do not respect the oath of office that they take." |
| • | "Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win." |
| • | "Once again, Republican leaders and right-wing extremists are spreading outright lies to incite hate." |
| • | "This is a lawless administration. It is denying the American people the information they need by defying all subpoenas." |
| • | "We've talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis. We are now in it." |
| • | "Our priority is to make all children feel comfortable at school." |
| • | "Dispelling myths, breaking down stereotypes and linking students to resources can help prevent bullying, self-harm, feelings of hopelessness, and serious considerations of suicide." |
| • | "We did not relish doing this, but we have no choice." |
| • | "We've talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis. We are now in it." |
| • | "Do you think, you know, she has obviously now stated that she needs to be more careful with her language, don't you think other people who talk about her need to be more thoughtful as well? Or do you stand by those comments of tying her to this, her rhetoric to this synagogue shooting?" |
| • | "I thought it was taken out of context," Meyers answered, "and I think if you watched that whole speech — " |
| • | "It's an interesting thing when we have two Muslim women for the first time, they do have a different perspective on things." |
| • | "I'm just someone who cares about the fact that there's someone out there who is in a minority, who has had death threats against her, and I think we should all use the same language that you're asking her to be careful about her language. And I would ask that everyone to be careful about theirs." |
| • | ... the pushback ... is a "sign of the growing Islamophobia in our nation that showing respect for and accommodating the religious traditions of Muslim students could result in punitive legal action." |
| • | "Unfortunately, in 2019, the Democratic Party is the only in America left to defend the rule of law in Washington, D.C.." |
| • | "Not all songs were properly vetted. This was an unintended mistake and an oversight in which the center and the students are remorseful. MAS will conduct an internal investigation to ensure this does not occur again." |
| • | See related Just Like My Daddy... (Sean Delonas, 12/12/2001) cartoon from Terror picture album |
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| • | Last week, our old friend Hillary Clinton told ... "If you`re in the Kremlin, you`re Vladimir Putin, who I`ve sat across [from]. I understand his goal is to weaken America. I know that. He doesn`t like me because I stood up for America." |
| • | "There's so many nicknames I'm inclined to give this guy. You can just start with clown." |
| • | "... What would you have the FBI do? We discover in the middle of June of 2016 that the Russians were engaged in a massive effort to mess with this democracy to interfere in the election. We're focused on that and at the end of July we learn that a Trump campaign adviser — two months earlier, before any of this was public — had talked to a Russian representative about the fact that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton and wanted to arrange to share it with the Trump campaign." |
| • | "What should the FBI do when it gets that information? It should investigate to figure out whether any Americans are hooked up with this massive interference effort. And that's what we did." |
| • | "A foreign adversary intervened in America to damage our democracy to hurt one of our two candidates for president and to help the other. That's an act of war. And they not only did it, they exceeded their wildest expectations because look at where we are as a country now, how we are at each other's throats. So, they will be back again, they will work to re-elect Donald Trump." |
| • | See related Hillary's Private Server (Mike Lester, 07/06/2016) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "In response to my questions during the [Senate Judiciary] hearing, Attorney General Barr proved unable or unwilling to state whether he had been directed to open investigations at the request or suggestion of the President or other White House officials — an alarming response that strikes at the very heart of the rule of law and threatens to undermine the longstanding independence of the Justice Department." |
| • | "I request that the Office of the Inspector General investigate whether the Attorney General has received or acted upon such improper requests." |
| • | "This Attorney General lacks all credibility and has I think compromised the American public's ability to believe that he is a purveyor of justice." |
| • | See related Now We Need to See Where This Goes (Gary Varvel, 04/12/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... for releasing his mug shot, claiming the agency's actions smeared his reputation and "altered his life forever." |
| • | He said in the lawsuit Tuesday that the police department's "unauthorized, intentional, reckless, malicious, and unlawful conduct" led to the negative publicity that damaged his reputation. |
| • | "Nearly a year after his ordeal began, today Dr. Tramaglini fights back against the police misconduct that has altered his life forever." |
| • | "He is severely underemployed and is fighting for any semblance of normalcy he can create for himself and his family." |
| • | "The very system of government of the United States, the system of limited power, the system of not having a president as a dictator, is very much at stake." |
| • | "He has failed to check the president's worst instincts. He has not only misrepresented the findings of the special counsel, he has failed to protect the special counsel's investigation from unfair political attacks." |
| • | "He has, himself, unfairly attacked the special counsel investigation. He has failed the men and women of the Department of Justice by placing the needs of the president over the fair administration of justice. He has even failed to show up here today." |
| • | "While our views range from proceeding to investigate the findings of the Mueller report or proceeding directly to impeachment, we all firmly agree that we should proceed down a path of finding the truth." |
| • | "Say what you will about the press, this is an event honors the First Amendment." |
| • | "Yes, that's what it's about. It's an awards dinner and a fundraiser. In the past, presidents have always shown up. Even if they were angry, the president would go and have a good time. This is yet another example of what we are seeing. The administration's attack against the media takes many forms. One form is the president having a rally this Saturday instead of attending the dinner." |
| • | "I still separate my career into the period before 2017 and what came afterward, and that's because February 2017 is when the President of the United States called us the enemies of the people. I thought it was time that we reset this dinner and put the focus a little more squarely on journalism and a little more squarely on the First Amendment, and a little more on the people, the men and women who help to hold the most powerful political institution in American life to account. Ladies and gentlemen, to the First Amendment." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Leaders who feed fear typically are also ones who avoid facts." |
| • | "There is always a struggle between hope and fear — between the world as it is, and how we'd like it to be." |
| • | "That's been true in this country, you can actually track that when the economy is doing better, typically our politics is less divided. It gets more divided when people are feeling insecure and anxious..." |
| • | "... The good news is that fear is typically the province of the old. And hope is the province of the young." |
| • | "It did not start with Donald Trump, he is a symptom, not the cause." |
| • | "He is just capitalizing on resentment that politicians have been fanning for years. A fear, an anger that is rooted in our past but is also borne in our enormous upheavals that have taken place in your brief lifetimes." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said Barr is involved in a "staggering public effort" by the Trump administration to put a positive face on Mueller's findings. |
| • | The famed F-bomber of Team Obama, Biden's position was called "progressive patriotism" and termed "a bold appeal to bedrock American values" in news accounts this week... |
| • | The third and final presidential debate, on Oct. 19, 2016, was notable primarily because Trump refused to say he would accept the election results, arguing they might be rigged against him. |
| • | "I will look at it at the time," Trump said. "I will keep you in suspense." |
| • | Hillary Clinton immediately declared herself shocked, saying: "That's horrifying. He is denigrating — he is talking down our democracy. And I am appalled that someone who is the nominee of one of our two major parties would take that position." |
| • | Convinced Trump made a fatal error, she pressed the point to reporters afterward, saying "we've had hot, contested elections going back to the very beginning, but one of our hallmarks has always been that we accept the outcomes of our elections." |
| • | America has "free and fair elections," she continued. "Somebody wins and somebody loses. So what he said tonight is part of his whole effort to blame somebody else for his campaign." |
| • | Hypocrisy alert! She became the person she warned us against. |
| • | "A degrading spectacle," the New York Times editorial page thundered, calling Trump's refusal to pledge acceptance of the results "further proof that this would-be Berlusconi doesn't seem to even realize how the American constitutional system operates." |
| • | See related Trump Collusion Charges (Glenn McCoy, 10/30/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I was probably my second year in law school when 9/11 happened. And I was — I was really terrified of what was going to happen to my husband, who's only a green card holder at the time." |
| • | "I immediately called my brothers and told them to be very careful who you hang out with, telling my sisters, you know, just be real careful out there, and being really afraid of my fellow Americans." |
| • | "It really pushed me to be more involved, and I got really curious and really angry." |
| • | "I don't think it's surprising at all that we continue to hear the sociopathic ramblings of Mr. Trump claiming that there was this effort to try to prevent him from being elected or to unseat him." |
| • | See related Russian Youth Vote (Chip Bok, 03/21/2018) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "The attorney general of the United States is the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer." |
| • | "You have a responsibility to run the Justice Department in a way that is not political." |
| • | This is not the same Holder who served Obama. |
| • | "Are you gonna stay around for all four years?" radio host Tom Joyner asked Holder... |
| • | "I'm still the president's wingman," Holder replied. "So, I'm here with my boy." |
| • | "Look, it's yet another example of what we're seeing - the administration's attack against the media. It takes many forms." |
| • | See related He Hit Back! (Glenn McCoy, 07/07/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related The President Is Vulgar (Glenn McCoy, 04/30/2018) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "I think there's enough there that any other person who had engaged in those acts would certainly have been indicted." |
| • | "But because of the rule in the Justice Department that you can't indict a sitting president, the whole matter of obstruction was very directly sent to the Congress." |
| • | See related Trump Collusion Charges (Glenn McCoy, 10/30/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
Post-Mueller report, journalists rethink handling of Romney's 2012 Russia prediction (Fox 04/20/2019)
Romney says Mueller report left him ‘sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty...’ (Fox 04/19/2019)
| • | "I am also appalled that, among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for president welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained..." |
| • | "Politicians who support policies that would raise their own taxes and strengthen a social safety net they're unlikely to need aren't being hypocrites; if anything, they're demonstrating their civic virtue." |
| • | The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that "the Trump administration's vile racism" emboldened these groups. |
| • | "Attorney General Barr's regrettably partisan handling of the Mueller report, including his slanted March 24th summary letter, his irresponsible testimony before Congress last week, and his indefensible plan to spin the report in a press conference later this morning — hours before he allows the public or Congress to see it — have resulted in a crisis of confidence in his independence and impartiality." |
| • | See related Trump Interrogation (Sean Delonas, 02/10/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | ... blasted the Trump administration over its "bizarre and unlawful" proposal to release immigrant detainees into sanctuary cities. |
| • | "We are deeply troubled by multiple reports, recently confirmed by the President, that the Trump Administration is considering releasing detained immigrants into congressional districts represented by Democrats in a bizarre and unlawful attempt to score political points." |
| • | "Not only does the Administration lack the legal authority to transfer detainees in this manner, it is shocking that the President and senior Administration officials are even considering manipulating release decisions for purely political reasons." |
| • | "The extent of this Administration's cynicism and cruelty cannot be overstated." |
| • | "Using human beings — including little children — as pawns in their warped game to perpetuate fear and demonize immigrants is despicable, and in some cases, criminal." |
| • | "The American people have resoundingly rejected this Administration's toxic anti-immigrant policies, and Democrats will continue to advance immigration policies that keep us safe and honor our values." |
| • | ... "to ensure that Capitol Police are conducting a security assessment to safeguard Congresswoman Omar, her family and her staff." |
| • | "The President's words weigh a ton, and his hateful and inflammatory rhetoric creates real danger." |
| • | "President Trump must take down his disrespectful and dangerous video." |
| • | See related First Responders (Mike Lester, 04/28/2013) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | She tweeted a quote from President George W. Bush, who said days after the attacks: "The people — and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" |
| • | "Was Bush downplaying the terrorist attack? What if he was a Muslim." |
| • | "Ilhan Omar's life is in danger. For our colleagues to be silent is to be complicit in the outright, dangerous targeting of a member of Congress. We must speak out." |
| • | "Members of Congress have a duty to respond to the President's explicit attack today.@IlhanMN's life is in danger. For our colleagues to be silent is to be complicit in the outright, dangerous targeting of a member of Congress." |
| • | "She won't back down to Trump's racism and hate, and neither will we. The disgusting and dangerous attacks against her end," Sanders tweeted. |
| • | "The President is inciting against a sitting Congresswoman – and an entire group of Americans based on their religion. It's disgusting. It's shameful. And any elected leader who refuses to condemn it shares responsibility for it," Warren tweeted. |
| • | "... It is wrong for the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to fan the flames to make anyone less safe," Pelosi said... |
| • | Trump's video pulled a snippet of Omar's speech last month to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in which she described the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center as "some people did something," as well as news footage of the hijacked planes hitting the towers. |
| • | "For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it." |
| • | "CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." |
| • | "A ‘pure racist act': N.Y. Post slammed for using 9/11 to attack Rep. Omar over speech on Islamophobia." |
| • | Tlaib actually went on MSNBC after the New York Post cover calling for uniting "our country against those kinds of hateful" attacks. |
| • | She's also the same person who proclaimed she planned to impeach Trump and referred to him with an obscenity. |
| • | See related First Responders (Mike Lester, 04/28/2013) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "Brett Kavanaugh's performance during his testimony in front of the Senate was a disgrace. His blatant partisan attacks and hostile behavior towards senators calls into question his ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge. His conduct undermines the legitimacy of his decisions and the entire Supreme Court." |
| • | "We're calling on Congress to open an investigation into Kavanaugh right now." |
| • | "Brett Kavanaugh has been credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple women whose allegations have not been thoroughly investigated." |
| • | "His confirmation to the Supreme Court does not absolve him of guilt, and he should not be given a platform to teach. We stand with survivors and urge the George Mason University administration to fire Kavanaugh." |
| • | "When President Obama separated children from their families, it was for their protection. It was if there was a risk of trafficking or other kind of harm that might have been incurred." |
| • | "But even if he did do that, why is Donald Trump saying that two wrongs make a right? Again, Obama wasn't wrong, but so he's saying that because something happened under President Obama, he's repeating it and upping the ante. |
| • | "That's an incredibly poor excuse. He's systemized that inhumane treatment that, again, Obama was doing to protect the children." |
| • | "The extent of this Administration's cynicism and cruelty cannot be overstated." |
| • | "Using human beings — including little children — as pawns in their warped game to perpetuate fear and demonize immigrants is despicable, and in some cases, criminal." |
| • | "The American people have resoundingly rejected this Administration's toxic anti-immigrant policies, and Democrats will continue to advance immigration policies that keep us safe and honor our values." |
| • | See related Walls Are Immoral... (Michael Ramirez, 01/05/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "In 2018, right-wing extremists were behind almost ALL US domestic terrorist killings. Why don't you go do something about that?" |
| • | She then added, to the apparent delight of both the audience and a guffawing Begala: "I do think it's ironic that he may be the only foreigner that this administration would welcome to the U.S." |
| • | "... They were interviewing a French political scientist who said, 'Well I do not understand, in our country the person who wins the most votes wins.' We are equally confused." |
| • | "I said in 2000 I think it should be abolished. We've evolved; one person, one vote. I had no idea that 19 years later I would feel even more strongly." |
| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "My sister Ilhan Omar, what she was talking about, was uplifting people by supporting their civil liberties and civil rights. She has always, always condemned any strategy, especially of a person directly impacted by being a refugee herself." |
| • | "The fact that people are taking those words out of context and endangering the life of Rep. Omar is immoral, it's wrong and it needs to be called out by many colleagues in saying they need to stop, stop targeting her this way. It's absolutely putting her life in danger." |
| • | "To elicit such an image for such a transparently and politically motivated attack on Ilhan... we are getting to the level where this is an incitement of violence against progressive women of color, and if they can't figure out how to get it back to policy, we need to call it out for what it is because this is not normal. And, this is not a normal level of political debate or rhetoric, as wild as it can get sometimes. This is something beyond what is normal." |
| • | She previously noted that the election sent her to a therapist and got her hooked on marijuana, she has sent a flurry of politically charged tweets and even voiced a jocular attraction to Robert Mueller. |
| • | "... I can hang myself out to dry at my own privilege, at my own reaction to the presidency. Like a spoiled brat, you know, the way so many people were crying and screaming..." |
| • | "CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something, and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." |
| • | "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel." |
| • | See related I'm ... Anti-Semitic (Bob Gorrell, 02/13/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... "this bill is a way of addressing head-on the persistence of racism, white supremacy, and implicit racial bias in our country. It will bring together the best minds to study the issue and propose solutions that will finally begin to right the economic scales of past harms and make sure we are a country where all dignity and humanity is affirmed." |
| • | "Since slavery in this country, we have had overt policies fueled by white supremacy and racism that have oppressed African-Americans economically for generations." |
| • | For a group seemingly obsessed with political correctness and "tolerance," the left seems oddly fixated on convincing the country it has an "angry white man" problem, furthering the same sort of racial and gender stereotypes we're always being told ought to ruin people's careers and ostracize them from civilized society. |
| • | See related Tolerance (Michael Ramirez, 02/06/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "The FOP has always taken the position that black people can be shot down in the street by members of the Chicago Police Department, and suffer no consequences." |
| • | "Let's be clear: Kim Foxx, her battle, is with the FOP and all of their cohorts." |
| • | "The injection of white nationalists in this conversation for me, I will tell you personally, I was afraid." |
| • | "I would certainly hope that the FOP and whatever their disagreements may be, whatever concerns that they may have about my ability or leadership, would at least expect the people of their union to not inject racism or white nationalists into the conversation." |
| • | "I have been asking myself for the last two weeks what is this really about." |
| • | "As someone who has lived in this city, who came up in the projects of this city to serve as the first African American woman in this role, it is disheartening to me...that when we get in these positions somehow the goalposts change." |
| • | ... "witnessed an organized law enforcement spectacle that has no place in the American legal system. The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election. Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing." |
| • | See related Assaulted (Bob Gorrell, 03/27/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Right now you have a president that talks down to people, talks past them, demoralizing folks living here and their relatives in the United States." |
| • | "I think it's important to let folks know that's not our country — that's an individual in our country who happens at this moment to be president." |
| • | "... I still believe today as I did then that the Electoral College is a relic from a shameful period in our nation's history, and allows some votes to carry greater weight than others." |
| • | "Every American should know that their vote counts equally no matter what state they live in, and that's why we need a more democratic system that guarantees one person, one vote." |
| • | "The Electoral College has distorted the outcome of elections and disenfranchised millions of voters, and I think that's wrong. I believe that it's time to get rid of the Electoral College, and I am ready to fight in Congress and around the country to pass this constitutional Amendment to do that." |
| • | "Americans wake up! Men and women altogether. You have much to do while you live under our greatest enemy, enough of your sleeping! Go on drive-bys and spill all of their blood, or rent a big truck and drive all over them. Veterans, Patriot, Memorial etc Day parades..go on drive by's + spill all of their blood or rent a big truck n drive all over them. Kill them." |
| • | "I didn't hate America. I didn't hate anything. I just thought it was obligatory – when I started practicing I was very scared of the concept of hellfire. The Koran told me to go." |
| • | ... "do a better job maybe in explaining what we mean by socialism ... Obviously, my right-wing colleagues here want to paint that as authoritarianism and communism and Venezuela, and that's nonsense. What I mean by democratic socialism is that I want a vibrant democracy." |
| • | See related Socialism (Gary Varvel, 02/21/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Yesterday, President Trump bizarrely called for a federal investigation into actor Jussie Smollett's case instead of focusing on his Administration's attempt to strip Americans of their health care." |
| • | "The President's silence on the rise of white nationalism across the country only signals his complicity." |
| • | "Where was the President's call for an investigation when white nationalists marched across the campus of University of Virginia and resulted in an anti-racist demonstrator losing her life?" |
| • | "Instead of focusing on this case, the President should be demanding his Attorney General to release the full Mueller report to the American people. But in true Trump fashion, the President is attempting to distract and divide instead of demonstrating transparent and ethical leadership." |
| • | "Let me be clear about something. The only reason Jussie Smollett thought he could take advantage of a hoax about a hate crime is because of the environment, the toxic environment that Donald Trump created." |
| • | "This is a president who drew a moral equivalency between people who are trying to perpetuate bigotry and those who are trying to fight bigotry." |
| • | "He's created a toxic environment and now he's created a toxic, vicious cycle in my view. The only reason Jussie Smollett thought he could get away with this hoax about a hate crime is because of the environment President Trump created." |
| • | After the city delivered a letter to Smollett's legal team seeking $130,000 from the actor, Smollett's lawyers demanded an apology from Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson for "dragging an innocent man's character through the mud." |
| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "We are disappointed the local authorities have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped. The facts are clear. The Assistant State's Attorney appeared in court and dismissed the charges. Mr. Smollett forfeited his bond. The case is closed. No public official has the right to violate Mr. Smollett's due process rights." |
| • | "Mr. Smollett, like every citizen, is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Mr. Smollett is entitled to the same Constitutional protections as any citizen charged by the government with a crime — including the right to speak freely about his innocence, the right to be viewed as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the right to hold the State to its burden of proving him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. None of that has occurred in this case." |
| • | "We respectfully request all government agencies involved live up to the ethical tenants of their office, state and local law, Supreme Court rules on trial publicity as well as the rules of professional responsibility for lawyers and prosecutors. We will not try this case in a court of public opinion." |
| • | "There is no case to try. The case was dismissed. We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen." |
| • | ... "based on all the facts and circumstances, based on his lack of criminal background, we defer or do alternative prosecutions." |
| • | Before his charges were dismissed on Tuesday, Smollett had pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. |
| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "... I didn't make that decision, he was availed to alternative prosecution model that anybody else without his riches, without his fame were also availed to." |
| • | "So while it's frustrating, the nature of his offense, we treated Mr. Smollett in the same way we would treat similarly situated folks." |
| • | "We are looking for examples of cases, felony preferable, where we, in (exercising) our discretion, have entered into verbal agreements with defense attorneys to dismiss charges against an offender if certain conditions were met..." |
| • | "Nobody is in trouble, we are just looking for further examples of how we, as prosecutors, use our discretion in a way that restores the victim..." |
| • | An attorney for Smollett late Wednesday blasted Chicago officials, saying they have "continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped." |
| • | "We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen." |
| • | "A condemnation for people that want to exercise their First Amendment rights is beneath any leader, and I hope that we find a better use of language when we are trying to speak as members of Congress that are sworn to protect the Constitution." |
| • | See related I'm ... Anti-Semitic (Bob Gorrell, 02/13/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... what the president "appears to be saying is, ‘I got rid of this guy to shut down an investigation that threatened me,'" |
| • | See related Hillary's Private Server (Mike Lester, 07/06/2016) cartoon from Government picture album |
| • | "The GOP's whole game of wasting votes in Congress to target others 'on the record', for leg they have no intent to pass, is a disgrace." |
| • | "Stop wasting the American peoples' time + learn to govern. Our jobs aren't for campaigning, & that's exactly what these bluff-votes are for." |
| • | See related Tax (Taylor Jones, 01/10/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "I think celebrating not being a felon is a gross reflection ho how low our standards for leadership have." |
| • | "And clearly, Mueller believed there was enough wrongdoing that he could not clear the president of obstruction." |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | Smollett, who posed with fans outside the courthouse soon after the news was announced, thanked his friends and family for standing by him. |
| • | He also thanked the state of Illinois for "attempting to do what's right." |
| • | "Not for a moment was it in vain. I've been truthful and consistent on every level since day one." |
| • | "I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I was accused of." |
| • | "But I am a man of faith and I'm a man that has knowledge of my history and I would not bring my family, our lives, or the movement into a fire like this. I just wouldn't. Now I'd like nothing more than to just get back to work and move on with my life. But make no mistake, I will always continue to fight for justice, equality and betterment of marginalized people everywhere." |
| • | "Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified on his behalf that all charges against him have been dismissed." |
| • | See related One of His Better Performances (Tom Stiglich, 02/18/2019) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "The job of Congress is much broader than the job of the special counsel. The special counsel is looking and can only look for crimes. We have to protect the rule of law, we have to look for abuses of power, we have to look for obstructions of justice, we have to look for corruption in the exercise of power which may not be crimes." |
| • | See related Attempting to Steal the Presidency (Antonio Branco, 12/03/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I'm mortified to read it now, incredibly embarrassed, but I have to take ownership of my words." |
| • | "Whatever my intention was as a teenager doesn't matter, I have to look long and hard at my actions, at the language I have used, and I have to constantly try to do better." |
| • | "It is no surprise that the president holds the rule of law and our Constitution in minimal regard. There is no emergency; Congress has refused to fund his wall multiple times; Mexico won't pay for it; and a bipartisan majority in both chambers just voted to terminate his fake emergency," Schumer said in a statement. |
| • | "I think it is not so much any particular action as it is the way that action might be used to coerce or otherwise get somebody to do something. I can tell you that in no way would that extramarital affair have any power in coercing me to do anything other than obeying the law and doing honest, competent investigation." |
| • | "Certainly if somebody is in your chain of command, if there's any sort of impropriety or favoritism, or things like that, it is. But simply an extramarital relationship is not." |
| • | "My existence of an extramarital affair is not anything that ever could've been used to coerce me." |
| • | "It is not anything that could have been used to, you know, blackmail me, or otherwise, you know, exploit a vulnerability." |
| • | "... this has been — and the use and publicity of all this, extraordinarily painful and harmful and hurtful to my family. And I just don't want to continue engaging in that process." |
| • | "The disgrace is what this man has done to our justice system." |
| • | "I can't help but wonder, when I see you looking there with a little smirk, how many times did you look so innocent into your wife's eyes and lie to her about Lisa Page?" |
| • | Democrats erupted with objections, saying Gohmert's comments amounted to "intolerable harassment of the witness." |
| • | See related Congressman Cohen Recognized... (Sean Delonas, 07/15/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "This is just stunning. To me this is just one more example of how the rich and powerful know how to take care of their own." |
| • | "... we live in a society where if you don't have a job, you are left to die." |
| • | "We should be excited about automation, because what it could potentially mean is more time educating ourselves, more time creating art, more time investing in and investigating the sciences, more time focused on invention, more time going to space, more time enjoying the world that we live in." |
| • | "I don't think our colleague is anti-Semitic, I think she has a different experience in the use of words, doesn't understand that some of them are fraught with meaning that she didn't realize." |
Cher honors Nancy Pelosi, slams Donald Trump and 'old white men' at VH1’s 'Trailblazer Honors' (Fox 03/08/2019)
| • | "When I see Trump spew his hatred and tell his gazillion lies, I get pissed off, but I also feel really uneasy. Then I see Nancy come on TV and I think, ‘It's all good, Nancy is in the house.'" |
| • | "The Democratic House is fighting to deliver progress for women and all Americans..." |
| • | "Chelsea risked so much for public good, and has been through a lot of hardship. Let's show her solidarity together and let the State know their punitive harassment won't be tolerated." |
| • | "Today is historic on many fronts," the representatives said. "It's the first time we have voted on a resolution condemning Anti-Muslim bigotry in our nation's history." |
| • | See related I'm ... Anti-Semitic (Bob Gorrell, 02/13/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "I've found America absolutely harrowing." |
| • | "America was a lot more traumatizing to me actually. I found America much, much more hardcore than the cult." |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "This is a time, my friends, when fundamental rights, civic virtue, freedom of the press, the rule of law, truth, facts and reason are under assault." |
| • | ... she said that "racist and white supremacist views" have been buoyed by the current administration and warned that civil and voting rights were under attack in the U.S. |
| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "Living in the world as it is isn't an argument against working towards a better future." |
| • | "The Green New Deal is about putting a LOT of people to work in developing new technologies, building new infrastructure, and getting us to 100% renewable energy." |
| • | See related Tax (Taylor Jones, 01/10/2019) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Cohen was pointedly asked when he reached his "breaking point" with Trump, after having worked for him for 10 years. |
| • | "There are several factors. Helsinki. Charlottesville. Watching the daily destruction of our civility to one another," Cohen responded. |
| • | "I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK to push for allegiance to a foreign country," Omar stated afterward. |
| • | "But it's almost as if, every single time we say something — regardless of what it is we say — ... we get to be labeled something and that ends the discussion." |
| • | "... But now that you have two Muslims who are saying, here is a group of people that we want to make sure that they have the dignity that you want everybody else to have, we get to be called names and we get to be labeled as hateful. No, we know what hate looks like!" |
| • | "All Members take an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution. The President's decision to go outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process violates the Constitution and must be terminated." |
| • | "We have a solemn responsibility to uphold the Constitution, and defend our system of checks and balances against the President's assault." |
| • | "The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election." |
| • | "Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing." |
| • | Al Sharpton ... said Thursday that "Empire" star Jussie Smollett should face "accountability to the maximum" if the actor indeed staged an attack last month initially described as a hate crime. |
| • | Harris, who initially called the incident a "modern day lynching," did not make any additional statement on the case in light of the recent developments. |
| • | Sharpton ... first made headlines in the 1980s as the spokesperson for Tawana Brawley in what turned out to be false claims she was raped by four white men. |
| • | "There was no marches. There were no demonstrations here. We reacted to reports, including President Trump, who called it horrible. So I think this went across all lines, given the celebrity of Mr. Smollett." |
| • | Sanders has pitched himself as a grassroots economic populist, focusing on income inequality and higher taxes for the rich. |
| • | "Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice." |
| • | "Together you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revoution." |
| • | "Now it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for." |
| • | The multiple homes ... bring into question past statements — like when he asked in 2017: "How many yachts do billionaires need? How many cars do they need? Give us a break. You can't have it all." |
| • | Sanders has also earned more than $1 million dollars in recent years, though he remains on the lower end of Senate Democrats in terms of net worth. |
| • | ... he made more than $1 million in 2017 — $885,767 of which came from cash advances and royalties for his book, "Our Revolution" on his failed 2016 presidential bid. |
| • | It's the second time he made roughly that amount, making more than a million in 2016 also. |
| • | In October, he spent nearly $300,000 on air travel so he could speak to audiences in nine battleground states before the November midterms. |
| • | This from a candidate who has endorsed a Green New Deal that seeks to dramatically reduce (if not eliminate entirely) air travel. |
| • | The same day his campaign paid the jet company, Sanders called climate change a "planetary crisis" in a tweet. |
| • | Climate change is a planetary crisis. Our task is clear. We must take on the fossil fuel industry that's largely responsible for global emissions and accelerate our transition toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy sources." |
| • | "It's no coincidence after Bernie Sanders' record breaking fundraising during the first day of his campaign, Fox News is regurgitating false attacks from Trump's cronies." |
| • | See related Free Fish (Glenn McCoy, 01/21/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | See related Sanders (Glenn McCoy, 03/09/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense." |
| • | Feb. 16: "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying." |
| • | Feb. 12: Police say the heavily redacted files aren't sufficient. Smollett says he redacted information to protect the privacy of contacts and people not relevant to the attack. |
| • | Feb. 2: Smollett gives a concert in West Hollywood, California, opening with an emotional speech, saying he had to play the show because he couldn't let his attackers win. |
| • | "The hateful rhetoric has to stop and it stops when you believe in love. Sometimes — and I'm guilty of it, too — we who celebrate love can actually get wrapped up in so much hate. We cannot let that happen. If that does, we are destined to fail to even exist. That's not an option. Take love back. We have to take it back because it was ours to begin with," Smollett says to a roaring crowd at the event. |
| • | "Let me start by saying that I'm OK," Smollett tells Fox News. "My body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly, I want to say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words." |
| • | ... stresses he's been "100% factual and consistent on every level" with Chicago police. |
| • | "Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served." |
| • | Jan. 31: ... Smollett's family says the actor "has told the police everything" and "his story has never changed"... |
| • | "We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice." |
| • | "We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country." |
| • | Jan. 29: Smollett is hospitalized after allegedly being beaten by two men in Chicago. He tells police he was walking downtown to grab Subway at 2 a.m. when two unidentified men yelled "racial and homophobic slurs." |
| • | The actor says the men wrapped a rope around his neck and poured an "unknown substance" on him. |
| • | Police say Smollett, who is black and gay, tells detectives the attackers also yelled, "This is MAGA country," an apparent reference to President Trump's campaign slogan. |
| • | "Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime." |
| • | Feb. 16: "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying." |
| • | Feb. 12: Police say the heavily redacted files aren't sufficient. Smollett says he redacted information to protect the privacy of contacts and people not relevant to the attack. |
| • | Feb. 2: Smollett gives a concert in West Hollywood, California, opening with an emotional speech, saying he had to play the show because he couldn't let his attackers win. |
| • | "The hateful rhetoric has to stop and it stops when you believe in love. Sometimes — and I'm guilty of it, too — we who celebrate love can actually get wrapped up in so much hate. We cannot let that happen. If that does, we are destined to fail to even exist. That's not an option. Take love back. We have to take it back because it was ours to begin with," Smollett says to a roaring crowd at the event. |
| • | "Let me start by saying that I'm OK," Smollett tells Fox News. "My body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly, I want to say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words." |
| • | ... stresses he's been "100% factual and consistent on every level" with Chicago police. |
| • | "Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served." |
| • | Jan. 31: ... Smollett's family says the actor "has told the police everything" and "his story has never changed"... |
| • | "We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice." |
| • | "We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country." |
| • | Jan. 29: Smollett is hospitalized after allegedly being beaten by two men in Chicago. He tells police he was walking downtown to grab Subway at 2 a.m. when two unidentified men yelled "racial and homophobic slurs." |
| • | The actor says the men wrapped a rope around his neck and poured an "unknown substance" on him. |
| • | Police say Smollett, who is black and gay, tells detectives the attackers also yelled, "This is MAGA country," an apparent reference to President Trump's campaign slogan. |
| • | "Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime." |
| • | "I wanted to make sure that our case was on solid ground and if somebody came in behind me and closed it and tried to walk away from it, they would not be able to do that without creating a record of why they made that decision." |
| • | See related My Badge (Glenn McCoy, 12/07/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The field is also way more diverse this time with multiple women, people of color, the first openly gay major party presidential candidate, but for all that diversity, Bernie Sanders does not believe that hurts his chances." |
| • | Journalism is now explicitly a political job, the point of which is to enforce cultural orthodoxies and punish enemies. |
| • | "There are many indications of a hate crime here. They are looking for two suspects who were wearing apparently wearing "Make America Great Again" hats though that has not yet been officially confirmed." |
| • | "We don't know what happened to Jussie, but what we do know is that racism is alive and well in this country." |
| • | "There is real evidence of people who have done these crimes, who cite that the President has inspired them." |
| • | "The fact that [the attackers] reportedly said, ‘This is MAGA country,' adds to sort of the atmosphere of menace that African-Americans in particular and people of color in general have felt since the advent of the Trump administration." |
| • | "He said his attackers hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him. This is America in 2019." |
| • | "If I had said it was a Muslim or a Mexican or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me a lot much more, a lot more, and that says a lot about the place that we are in our country right now." |
| • | "The fact that we have these fear mongers, these people that are trying to separate us and it is just not okay." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Trump Press (Glenn McCoy, 08/12/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "GDP is great, unemployment is at an all-time low, African Americans are doing well, Hispanics are doing well, wages are rising at the fastest pace in ten years–BLAH, BLAH, BLAH." |
| • | "Democrats grew the economy, shrunk the deficit, & gave everyone healthcare. Thanks, Obama!" |
| • | "... I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,"" |
| • | "It's stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans." |
| • | ... "[w]e must call out smears from the GOP and their allies." |
| • | "I believe we can do that without criticizing people for their faith." |
| • | "I look forward to building an inclusive movement for justice with you." |
| • | "In the US, we're allowed to criticize our own government: certainly foreign governments. The GOP House Leader's priorities are warped." |
| • | ... the elimination of air travel strikes particularly close to the homes of Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris – all of whom extensively used air travel, including private jets – throughout the years in office. |
| • | "We must aggressively tackle climate change which poses an existential threat to our nation." |
| • | Yet Harris herself is far from following what she preaches. Since 2015, her campaign has spent around $300,000 on air travel. |
| • | "... it's exactly the kind of action it will take to conquer the biggest threat of our lifetime." |
| • | ... Gillibrand's campaign spent at least $439,000 on air charter company Zen Air between 2010 and 2017. In the last decade, her campaign also spent an additional $465,000 on non-charter flights. |
| • | "... We must address the existential crisis of planetary climate change, while at the same time creating millions of good-paying jobs in our country." |
| • | Just last October, Sanders reportedly spent $300,000 on private air travel... |
| • | "Trump said tonight, ‘We are born free, and we will stay free.' I say to Trump: People are not truly free when they can't afford health care, prescription drugs, or a place to live. People are not free when they cannot retire with dignity or feed their families." |
| • | See related Free Fish (Glenn McCoy, 01/21/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | See related Sanders (Glenn McCoy, 03/09/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "There was no plan. There was no plan to address our opioid crisis, there was no plan to address the cost of health care. There was no plan to increase wages." |
| • | "What we really need to realize is happening is that this is an issue of authoritarian regime versus democracy and in order for him to try to dissuade or throw people off the scent of the trail, he has to really make and confuse the public." |
Connecticut governor weighs new tax on groceries, prescription drugs (Fox 01/31/2019)
| • | "In order to build a better budget; one that will attempt to provide the much-needed stability for economic growth through the next two years and through the next decade, we need to explore new and different options." |
| • | "This means leaving no stone unturned, and engaging in all necessary conversations so we can evaluate and analyze ways to achieve and retain balance." |
| • | "The American people do not like it when you throw a wrench into the lives of government workers over an unrelated political dispute," Schumer said. |
| • | "Working people throughout America empathized with federal workers and were aghast at what the president was doing to them. Hopefully now the president has learned his lesson." |
| • | In August, more than 300 publications across the country participated in an effort, initially organized by The Boston Globe, publishing editorials promoting freedom of the press. |
| • | The Globe's piece was titled "JOURNALISTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY," and said that replacing "a free media with a state-run media" is the "first order of business for any corrupt regime taking over a country." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
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| • | "The truth of this shutdown is that it's actually not about a wall...The truth is, this shutdown is about the erosion of American democracy and the subversion of our most basic governmental norms." |
| • | ... also portrayed himself as "an honest and hardworking guy." |
| • | "Not much work experience but I show up to work and am a quick learner." |
| • | Omar has also said her opposition to the law relates only to objections about its constitutionality. |
| • | This word just in: Abbas just finished addressing the UN. He urged the nations to join him in combating terrorism. |
| • | Speaking at the Royal Institution in London in October, Manning described the U.S. as a "large, big prison." |
| • | "The women and children on the border that are trying to seek refuge and seek opportunity in the United States of America with nothing but the shirt on their backs are acting more American than any person who seeks to keep them out ever will be." |
| • | "We have a lawless president in the White House who is eroding our democracy and it is only going to get worse.": |
| • | "This is not just about Donald Trump. This is about all of us. In the face of this constitutional crisis, we must rise." |
| • | "We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason." |
| • | "I know what my principles are, what I think is right for the county and I know that right now the country is as divided as I've ever seen it." |
| • | Romney said he won't comment on all of the president's tweets or problems, but "will speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions." |
| • | "Today's events have made one thing clear: President Trump is plunging the country into chaos," said Schumer... |
| • | ... Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the measure to fund a border wall was "a shameful bill that is unworthy of this House of Representatives and certainly of the American people." |
| • | ... Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., accused Republicans of "playing political games ... to pander to the president of the United States." |
| • | Comey said, "Good people lie. I lay out, I think I'm a good person, where I have lied." |
| • | "Comey loves to sermonize about lies and lying people. This is perversely ironic coming from a man who, more than anyone else, is responsible for the most notorious hoax in modern American history." |
| • | ... calling him "toxic" and declaring that the "swamp cabinet will be a little less foul without him." |
| • | ... we don't want to be as reckless with the truth as the president has been." |
Maxine Waters Calls for Trump Impeachment: 'He Is Dangerous,' Aligned With Putin (Fox 12/13/2018)
| • | "Maybe they don't want to fail at [impeachment]. They believe Trump will cause a revolt, you talk about violence." |
| • | The local chapter calls itself a nontheistic organization that aims to "encourage benevolence and empathy among all people." |
| • | The group also says it rejects tyrannical authority and advocates for common sense and justice. |
| • | "Under the Constitution, the First Amendment, people have a right to express their feelings, their thoughts. This recognizes that." |
| • | ... has been hung in the rotunda of the Illinois Capitol that states, "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." |
| • | "We have a president who is part of the cover-up as to what happened in that consulate or embassy when Mr. Khashoggi was murdered." |
| • | "And we have a president and those closest to him who have their own personal commercial interests." |
| • | But the Clinton Foundation, to which donations declined dramatically after Clinton's 2016 defeat, has taken multi-million dollar contributions from Saudi Arabia in the past and isn't ruling out continuing to accept them. |
| • | The Clinton Foundation accepted between $10 and $25 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with donations coming as late as 2014. |
| • | "And by the way, American energy production, you wouldn't always know it but, you know, it went up every year when I was president. And you know that whole, suddenly America is like the biggest oil producer and the biggest — that was me, people. I just want you to... Sometimes you go to Wall Street and folks would be grumbling about anti-business. I said have you checked where your stocks were when I came into office and where they are now. What are you talking — what are you complaining about? Just say thank you please." |
| • | "Michelle and I and our girls, we came out intact. — And what I mean by that is that the core values that we brought into the office, pretty homespun values of, you know, tell the truth and try to see the other person's point of view and treat people kindly and with respect." |
| • | "Think of how much better off our country would be if Republican politicians hadn't spent years precisely trying to scare voters." |
| • | "If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period... If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period." |
| • | "Whether it was Cronkite or Brinkley or what have you, there was a common set of facts, a baseline around which both parties had to adapt and respond to. And by the time I take office, what you increasingly have is a media environment in which if you are a Fox News viewer, you have an entirely different reality than if you are a New York Times reader." |
| • | "You start getting the politics based on a nationalism that's not pride in country but hatred for somebody on the other side of the border." |
| • | "I don't think that my church is actually particularly controversial, it's a member of the United Church of Christ." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... calling for a "free Palestine from the river to the sea" — language critics describe as a dog whistle advocating the elimination of Israel. |
| • | Marc Lamont Hill made the remarks during a special meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. |
| • | "If we are standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, we must recognize the right of an occupied people to defend itself. We must prioritize peace, but we must not romanticize or fetishize it." |
| • | "We must advocate and promote nonviolence at every opportunity, but we cannot endorse a narrow politics of respectability that shames Palestinians for resisting, for refusing to do nothing in the face of state violence and ethnic cleansing." |
| • | At one point, he poured himself some water and told participants that he just got off a flight from "Palestine" and that "I was boycotting the Israeli water so I was unable to quench my thirst." |
| • | He finished his speech by saying that "justice requires a free Palestine from the river to the sea." The remark was applauded by participants in the chamber. |
| • | "The Trump administration's asylum policies diminish America's promise and project weakness, not strength." |
| • | "It's wrong to gas women and children and the elderly. That shouldn't be a partisan view nor should that be uncomfortable to ‘the men and women in duty.'" |
| • | See related What Do We Want? (Sean Delonas, 07/12/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | Democrats are expressing outrage that U.S. border agents on Sunday shot rounds of tear gas at caravan migrants who threw rocks at law enforcement while trying to breach the U.S.-Mexico border. |
| • | "Migrants at our border are looking for help. Yet, instead of greeting them w understanding, you deploy tear gas. Shameful & disgusting." |
| • | "We must hold those responsible accountable. Children who approach our country looking for asylum should be welcomed with open arms, not with tear gas." |
| • | "It's wrong to gas women and children and the elderly. That shouldn't be a partisan view nor should that be uncomfortable to 'the men and women in duty'" |
| • | See related Leading the Caravan (Sean Delonas, 10/22/2018) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "I think, in part, he feels by saying that we don't know or that the world is a dangerous place or everybody does it, he thinks it makes him look strong. It actually makes him look weak." |
| • | "We should expect any opinion he expresses about sexual assault to be thoughtful, constructive, and reflective of the values of Catholic University..." |
| • | "While it was appropriate for him to apologize and to delete his Twitter and Facebook accounts, this does not excuse the serious lack of judgment and insensitivity of his comments." |
| • | Both the Florida Education Association, which is the state teachers union, and the Florida PTA oppose arming teachers, saying having more guns on campus will make schools more dangerous, not less. |
| • | "Teachers should not be acting as armed security guards. The majority of our members don't want to be armed — they know it would be impractical and dangerous." |
| • | "Teachers need to teach. Their job is not to secure our schools. It is not to shoot at shooters." |
| • | "The use of immigrants as a political device and as a symbol of government gone wrong, of attacks on one's heritage, one's identity, one's national unity has been very much exploited by the current administration here." |
| • | "They don't want that much responsibility and freedom. They want to be told what to do and where to go and how to live ... and only given one version of reality." |
| • | ... the ruling "poses a serious threat to the academic freedom of Rutgers faculty and impermissibly hinders their ability to fulfill their essential role in our democracy." |
| • | ... while the language is offensive, "few values are as important to the University as the protection of our First Amendment rights — even when the speech we are protecting is insensitive and reckless." |
| • | "I'm relieved that my right to free speech and my academic freedom have been validated by this retraction..." |
| • | "Rutgers did the right thing and reversed the charge of racial discrimination, any other result would have undermined the free speech and academic freedom rights of all Rutgers faculty members." |
| • | "... some folks who masquerade as progressives but always choose their allegiance to Israel over their commitment to democracy and free speech." |
| • | "We're going to be visionary, we're going to be unifying, we're going to be healing, we're going to be transparent in how we do this. We're going to be respectful of other views." |
| • | "But we're going to try to find our common ground where we can. We have a responsibility to do that but where we can't, stand our ground like a rock. That's what Thomas Jefferson advised us to do." |
| • | See related What Do We Want? (Glenn McCoy, 12/22/2014) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "If left unchallenged, the actions of the White house would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials." |
| • | "The arbitrary revocation of Mr. Acosta's press credential is causing irreparable injury each and every day because it is stopping him from reporting on news from the White House." |
| • | "The President of the United States should not be in the business of arbitrarily picking the men and women who cover him." |
| • | ... she "stopped even trying to smile" during President Trump inauguration and wondered in her new book why so many women rejected "an exceptionally qualified female candidate and instead choose a misogynist as their president." |
| • | ... "the vibrant diversity of the two previous inaugurations was gone..." |
| • | "The whole thing was crazy and mean-spirited, of course, its underlying bigotry and xenophobia hardly concealed." |
| • | "But it was also dangerous, deliberately meant to stir up the wingnuts and kooks." |
| • | "The whole thing was crazy and mean-spirited, of course, its underlying bigotry and xenophobia hardly concealed." |
| • | "But it was also dangerous, deliberately meant to stir up the wingnuts and kooks." |
| • | "As a woman of color on the internet, I have faced torrents of online hate. I engaged in what I thought of at the time as counter-trolling. While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers." |
| • | "For a period of time," Jeong responded to online harassment "by imitating the rhetoric of her harassers. She sees now that this approach only served to feed the vitriol that we too often see on social media. She regrets it, and the Times does not condone it." |
| • | "A 17-year-old can drive or serve in the military, and is a year away from voting. That does not describe a child." (The tweets Jeong apologized for had been written in her late 20s, after she completed law school.) |
| • | ... take note of Sarah Jeong's most vigorous defenders, who denounced the Times for conceding that she had written anything that merited apology or regret. |
| • | They called it unfair, absurd even, to find Jeong's greatest hits objectionable, or to criticize them by imagining how they would be received if the word "black," for example, were substituted every time she had used "white." |
| • | "When people of color rail against white people, that's often shorthand for speaking out against the existing racial structure that serves to keep white people in power." |
| • | ... insisted that "punching up" is satire, while "punching down" is bigotry. |
| • | In 1965 ... President Lyndon Johnson declared the beginning of "the next and the more profound stage of the battle for civil rights," which would seek "not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and... a result." |
| • | "You know, I've said this a million times, but I think that when a man can take children away from their parents and put them in cages, and he suffers no consequence, then I don't understand how we're America anymore." |
| • | "Now in 2018 they're telling you the existential threat to America is a bunch of poor refugees a thousand miles away. They're even taking our brave troops away from their families for a political stunt at the border." |
| • | "... while they are trying to distract you with all this stuff, they are robbing you blind. They'll be like: 'Look, look, look! Caravan, caravan!' Then they're giving tax cuts to their billionaire friends. 'Look, look, look! Whatever is the thing scary.' And then they're sabotaging your health care. You can't fall for it." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "I should have been a bigger person, and I should have left. I truly thought the office would change him." |
| • | Cohen changed his political affiliation from Republican to Democrat to distance himself "from the values of the current" administration." |
| • | "In the closing weeks of this election we have seen repeated attempts to divide us with rhetoric designed to make us angry and make us fearful," Obama said. |
| • | "It's designed to exploit our history of racial and ethnic and religious division that pits us against one another and makes us believe that order will somehow be restored if it just weren't for those folks who don't look like we look or don't love like we love or pray like we do... But in four days, Florida, you can reject that kind of politics ... you can choose a bigger, more prosperous, more generous vision of America, an America where love and hope conquer hate." |
| • | "Attacking the media is the first step in the move towards fascism. The cornerstone to democracy is an independent, democratic media." |
| • | "If you support the other candidates, then you should go support the other candidates. Don't be here. One of the things I never understood was why if you're supporting the other guy, you come to my rally. Go to their rally." |
| • | "Right now, Republicans are all, look, the economy is so good. Where do you think that started?" |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Every other First World country takes care of their people. It's a right, not some privilege for an elite few, and I think money and greed is an addiction. And the people who are the most influential people in our country are sick. They can't get enough money." |
| • | "I just can't stand what's going on. His assault on our democracy, our institutions, our founders — I think we're in a fight. ... We're in a war for the soul of America." |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Dont Have the Addresses... (Mike Lester, 12/21/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "We will have a government that represents us and not the donor class. We will cut through the corruption, [and] we won't have to do what comes next, which is either a non-violent revolution or a violent one, because this has got to end." |
| • | "... the atmosphere that he's created — and that the Republican Party has created — in terms of political violence." |
| • | ... suggests Democrats are more committed to cutting taxes for the middle class. |
| • | "What we have not seen before in our public life is politicians just blatantly, repeatedly, baldly, shamelessly, lying. Just making stuff up," Obama said. "Calling up, down. Calling black, white..." |
| • | "In Washington they have racked up enough indictments to field a football team. Nobody in my administration got indicted." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that." |
| • | "Time and time again, the President has condoned physical violence and divided Americans with his words and his actions," said Schumer and Pelosi. |
| • | "[E]xpressing support for the Congressman [Greg Gianforte] who body-slammed a reporter, the neo-Nazis who killed a young woman in Charlottesville, his supporters at rallies who get violent with protestors, dictators around the world who murder their own citizens, and referring to the free press as the enemy of the people." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "I thought it would be such a pleasure to go around the country and try to remind people that, Let's get back to a time of common sense." |
Google exec slams GOP over Kavanaugh nomination: ‘F**k. You. All. To. Hell' (Fox 10/08/2018)
| • | "What employees say in their personal capacity has no bearing on the way we build or operate our products," a Google spokeswoman told Fox News, via email. |
| • | The Society For Professional Journalists, the nation's oldest and largest professional journalism association, urges journalists to avoid activities that "may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility." |
| • | "With the confirmation of Kavanaugh and the process which led to it, (and the treatment of Merrick Garland), the legitimacy of the Supreme Court can justifiably be questioned." |
| • | "The Court must now prove - through its work - that it is worthy of the nation's trust." |
| • | He did not say how the court would go about doing that. |
| • | "... Use the rage of today to get people out to vote and be rid of these people. Your voice matters. Your vote counts. VOTE! |
| • | "The American people are raising their voices to a deafening roar today. We will not stop marching, we will not stop fighting, and we will vote on Election Day for leaders who share our values." |
| • | They also said they were troubled by his fiery attack on Democrats. |
| • | "This behavior revealed a hostility and belligerence unbecoming of someone seeking to be elevated to the Supreme Court," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, said Friday. |
| • | "I do NOT and NEVER have condoned violence. My tweet, as I have explained, was an attempt to make YOU as UNCOMFORTABLE as I am using the language of the abuse I receive by the hundreds." |
| • | "Our policy does not prohibit speech based on the person presenting ideas or the content of those ideas, even when those ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable." |
| • | "While faculty members may exercise freedom of speech, we expect that their classrooms and interaction with students be free of bias and geared toward thoughtful, respectful dialogue." |
| • | "The Democratic Party has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we lead with conviction, principle, and bold, new ideas." |
| • | "They're Americans who aren't just running against something, but for something. They're running to expand opportunity and restore the honor and compassion that should be the essence of public service." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | Booker's office recently pushed back on criticism over that column, noting it was meant to condemn a culture that encourages young men to take advantage of women. |
| • | "I need you to rush in $1 to defeat every last despicable Republican," Pelosi said in the email. |
| • | "They don't care about everything we've learned the past week," Pelosi said of Republicans. "All they care about is falling in line behind Trump." |
| • | See related Dreamer (Glenn McCoy, 09/15/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | It was an attempt to "smear [Moore] in the press with her false allegations." |
| • | She "gratuitously included highly personal and confidential information in her petition in an apparent effort to increase public exposure and try to embarrass [Moore]." |
| • | The fact that the suit revealed Moore's negative income reportings to the IRS in 2014 and 2016 served "no legitimate purpose." |
| • | Moore claims in the court papers that Glynn maliciously "filed on September 6, 2018, the day of the world premiere of [Moore's] most recent film, Fahrenheit 11/9." |
| • | "This is so much bigger than politics or elections. It's about America and who we are." |
| • | "I think with the lack of temperament and lack of dignity in his presentation, that Judge Kavanaugh was doing an imitation of President Trump." |
| • | "We get the leaders we vote for, we get the policies we vote for, and when we don't vote, that's when we wind up with government of, by and for other people." |
| • | "Because you can't vote some of the time and then sit out. You know we saw that happen. We experienced that. We had a great president." |
| • | "You might not like living with the consequences of other people's choices. But that's what happens when you stay home. You're essentially putting your future in the hands of others." |
| • | "The president is waging war on the truth. The administration is undermining the national unity that makes democracy possible. And then there's the breathtaking corruption." |
| • | See related Today's Excuse... (Glenn McCoy, 12/19/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "It's one of the reasons that I think a lot of Americans are just fed up with the whole political process. Because, in a democracy you have to have at least enough trust to be able to work with each other and solve difficult problems." |
| • | Clinton went on to note that the Republicans' discrepancy between the way they're treating Kavanaugh and the way they treated Garland is the "crassest, most cynical kind of politics that can even be imagined." |
| • | See related Merrick Garland (Chip Bok, 03/22/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "The Republicans in Congress right now ... they're no check on the White House. They're bending over backwards to shield ... folks from scrutiny and accountability." |
| • | "You don't have to be a Democrat or a Republican ... to say that it's not good to pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system to punish political enemies." |
| • | "That's what they do in some dictatorships. That's not what we do here in the United States of America." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "While Georgetown is committed to free speech and expression, we do not approve or endorse every statement made by our faculty members." |
| • | She wrote that Trump "has sunk far below the already-low bar he set for himself in his ugly campaign," accusing him of undermining U.S. elections, attacking the rule of law and "waging war on truth and reason." |
| • | "Trump and his cronies do so many despicable things that it can be hard to keep track. I think that may be the point — to confound us, so it's harder to keep our eye on the ball. The ball, of course, is protecting American democracy. As citizens, that's our most important charge. And right now, our democracy is in crisis." |
| • | "I don't use the word crisis lightly. There are no tanks in the streets. The administration's malevolence may be constrained on some fronts — for now — by its incompetence. But our democratic institutions and traditions are under siege. We need to do everything we can to fight back. There's not a moment to lose." |
| • | See related I Do (Glenn McCoy, 07/11/2016) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | ... Trump's actions revoking former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation." |
| • | "What I have done is tried to elicit from him what Iran might be willing to do in order to change the dynamic in the Middle East for the better." |
| • | "I think everybody in the world is talking about waiting out President Trump." |
| • | "There's nothing unusual, let alone unseemly or inappropriate, about former diplomats meeting with foreign counterparts. Secretary Kissinger has done it for decades with Russia and China. What is unseemly and unprecedented is for the podium of the State Department to be hijacked for political theatrics." |
| • | "The term ‘media leak strategy' in Mr. Strzok's text refers to a Department-wide initiative to detect and stop leaks to the media. The President and his enablers are once again peddling unfounded conspiracy theories to mislead the American People." |
| • | "This is a government for everybody, it's not for sale, that's what we believe in." |
| • | See related Height Marks (Glenn McCoy, 05/29/2015) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | "Each time we've gotten closer to those ideals, somebody somewhere has pushed back. The status quo pushes back," he said, adding that many in power want to keep Americans divided. |
| • | "You happen to be coming of age during one of those moments. It did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause. He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years." |
| • | Obama cast doubt on Trump's claims of an economic turnaround, pointing out that the recovery started during his administration and has continued the last few years. |
| • | "I'm glad it's continued, but when you hear about this economic miracle that's been going on? ... I have to kind of remind [Republicans], those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015 and 2016." |
| • | Obama said the "politics of division, resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party." |
| • | "Appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren't for those who don't look like us or don't sound like us or don't pray like we do, that's an old playbook. It's as old as time." |
| • | "I complained plenty about Fox News, but I never threatened to shut them down, I never called them the enemy of the people." |
| • | "That's not how our democracy is supposed to work. These people aren't elected, they're not accountable. They're not doing us a service by actively promoting 90 percent of the crazy stuff coming out of this White House and then saying 'don't worry, we're preventing the other 10 percent.' ... This is not normal." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "We are incredibly proud to have published this piece, which adds significant value to the public's understanding of what is going on in the Trump administration from someone who is in a position to know." |
| • | ... the officials "want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous ... But these successes have come despite — not because of — the president's leadership style, which is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective." |
| • | Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks Colin Kaepernick is a great American. And so does Nike. |
| • | "We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward." |
| • | "I think this was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement [and] that's how we chose to view it." |
| • | "The flag being physically planted into the surface is one of several moments of the Apollo 11 lunar EVA [extravehicular activity] that I chose not to focus upon." |
| • | "To address the question of whether this was a political statement, the answer is no. My goal with this movie was to share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America's mission to the moon — particularly Neil Armstrong's personal saga and what he may have been thinking and feeling during those famous few hours." |
| • | ESPN's "First Take" co-host Max Kellerman blasted Woods' remarks, saying it was a "thoughtless statement dressed up as a thoughtful statement." |
| • | "And it either holds in contempt the intelligence of people who hear it or else it's just a stupid thing to say... To say you must have respect for the office — Tiger, be clear. Are you saying that the office, therefore, confers respect onto its present temporary occupant? No. Having respect for the office means principally, in my view, is the office holder should have respect for the office." |
| • | Obama's jabs were more subtle but still appeared to be directed at the current occupant of the White House. He derided those in politics who traffic in "bombast and insult and phony controversies and manufactured outrage." |
| • | He also attacked "a politics that pretends to be brave and tough but in fact is born of fear." |
| • | "They have both figured out how to use the bully pulpit to activate marginalized young men. It's the same tool." |
| • | "Every demagogue has done this, right? Find a group of angry people and give them something to be angry at." |
| • | "Make no mistake, Mr. President, CNN does not lie. We report the news. And we report when people in power tell lies." |
| • | ... described the politicalization of security clearances as "a real threat to our national security." |
| • | Cohen's attorney ... said ... that Cohen - who once said he'd "take a bullet" for Trump - felt he needed to act out of patriotism. |
| • | "[Trump] stood publicly at Helsinki, which was a major turning point for Michael Cohen, and sided with Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence community. ... Michael Cohen was offended, as were most Americans, by Trump standing up and aligning himself with Putin against his own intelligence community." |
| • | "[Cohen] will cooperate with everyone because he is committed to telling the truth. That's a general statement. I can't give you a specific answer regarding Mr. Mueller or anyone else." |
| • | Davis, who served in the past as an attorney for Bill and Hillary Clinton, later scoffed at the idea that a special counsel should investigate the Clintons, saying the allegations of crimes by the Clintons are not based in fact. |
| • | Cuomo also told reporters that he was "inartful" when he made his earlier remarks. |
| • | "I want to be very clear: Of course America is great and of course America has always been great..." |
| • | He went on to call the president "vindictive, petty and small" and said the "Make America Great Again" slogan reflects Trump's desire to return America to a time of greater intolerance and inequality. |
| • | "Everything he does is repugnant of our values," Cuomo said. |
| • | "It's astounding how often you fail to live up to minimum standards of decency, civility, & probity. Seems like you will never understand what it means to be president, nor what it takes to be a good, decent, & honest person. So disheartening, so dangerous for our Nation." |
| • | "The criminal plea did not disqualify our client from taking these funds. They still had to prove that she recklessly or intentionally committed this murder, and I think that was going to be a very high bar for them to meet." |
| • | Welcome to the age of self-congratulatory media. "Democracy dies in darkness" goes the ridiculous tagline on the Washington Post's front page. Reporters openly call themselves heroes and firefighters. |
| • | Yet when it doesn't fit the standard left-wing narrative, our Guardians of the Galaxy are MIA. |
| • | Antifa demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., who gathered to mark the anniversary of the first Unite the Right rally, threw eggs at Secret Service, were arrested for assaulting a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat, launched fireworks and smoke bombs at police and assaulted NBC reporter Cal Perry. |
| • | Perry had his camera knocked out of his hands while the protester screamed profanities at him. |
| • | The story appears on various media sites, and several reporters tweeted about the attack, but the outrage was muted. |
| • | Instead, nearly every outlet went out of their way to gently describe the antifa mob. ... made sure to call the group "anti-hate protesters." |
| • | After two years of constant self-applause, and furrowed-brow concern about President Trump sowing mistrust in the media as well as possibly instigating violence against its members, where is the outrage when a reporter is physically assaulted? |
| • | Had it been an alt-right member doing the attacking, is there any doubt the story would lead all news shows and make the front page of all the major newspapers? |
| • | "This decision should be deeply troubling to all Americans," the attorney said. |
| • | ... a law professor at the University of California, said she found it "disturbing" that the police department would post the mugshots and risk the possibility of putting the demonstrators in danger. |
| • | "This is very disturbing. It seems like a public-shaming exercise, which is not the role of the police department...They are making it really accessible for folks who might wish these people harm to locate them." |
| • | ... the executive director of the National Lawyers Guild local chapter, said he felt police were targeting "anti-fascist protesters." |
| • | "It really seemed to us like the Berkeley police department was there to...target the anti-fascist protesters." |
| • | ... claiming the "vast majority" arrested were anti-fascist protesters. |
| • | "People are coming from out of town and bringing weapons and are committed to violence...We don't want people to be able to do that with anonymity." |
LeBron James accuses Trump of using sports to divide the nation (Fox 07/31/2018)
| • | "Sports has never been something that divides people it's always been something that brings someone together." |
| • | "We never dreamed we'd have someone in the White House who was divisive, who could not tell the truth, and who was intent on not making America great again, but taking America down!" |
| • | "I am proud I went to Vietnam when I did. I am so sorry that I was thoughtless enough to sit down on that gun at that time and the message that that sends to the guys who were there and their families – it's just horrible for me to think of that." |
| • | "I didn't kneel because I hated my country. I knelt because I love my country." |
| • | "With the Statue of Liberty in our harbor, New York will always stand against the hate coming out of Washington and instead serve as a beacon of hope and opportunity for all." |
| • | The group has said it wants to move away from the image – though not all the tenets – of Marxist-Leninist principles. |
| • | See related Socialism Illustrated (Mike Lester, 07/26/2007) cartoon from General picture album |
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| • | ... said when it comes to politics, "I don't particularly want to be a Democrat." |
| • | ... Soros praised Arizona Sen. John McCain and said the main priority of his political activism was to promote bipartisanship – noting that Republicans on the far-right led him to become one of the top funders for the Democratic Party. |
| • | "I'm opposed to the extreme left. It should stop trying to keep up with the extremists on the right." |
| • | "Given the strange and uncertain times we are in — and they are strange, and they are uncertain — with each day's news cycles bringing more head spinning and disturbing headlines, I thought maybe it would be useful to step back for a moment and try to get some perspective." |
| • | "Populist movements, cynically funded by right-wing billionaires worried about their own interests. |
| • | "These movements tapped the unease that was felt by so many people who live outside of urban course. That their social status and privileges were eroding ... threatened by outsiders, those who don't look like them or sound like them." |
| • | "I'm not being alarmist. I'm simply stating the facts. Look around — strongman politics are ascendant, suddenly, whereby elections and some pretense of democracy are maintained, the form of it, where those in power seek to undermine every institution or norm that gives democracy meaning." |
| • | "It's not just money a job provides," Obama said. "It provides dignity and structure and a sense of place and a sense of purpose. So we're going to have to consider new ways of thinking about these problems, like a universal income, review of our work week, how we retrain our young people, how we make everybody an entrepreneur at some level. But we're going have to worry about economics if we want to get democracy back on track." |
| • | "I am surprised at how much money I've got. I don't have half as much as these others, but there's only so much you can eat, only so many nice trips you can take." |
| • | "I mean, it's enough. You don't have to take a vow of poverty to say let me help others out. I'll pay a little more in taxes. It's okay, I can afford it." |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | ... Strzok claimed he was kicked off Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe because of "perception," not because of bias. |
| • | "I don't recall writing that text. What I can tell you is that text in no way suggested that I or the FBI would take any action to influence the candidacy." |
| • | "As I've stated, that text was written late at night, in shorthand." |
| • | "You need to understand that that was written late at night, off-the-cuff and it was in response to a series of events that included then-candidate Trump insulting the immigrant family of a fallen war hero, and my presumption based on that horrible disgusting behavior [was] that the American population would not elect someone demonstrating that behavior to be president of the United States." |
| • | ... said in his prepared opening statement that he has never allowed personal opinions to affect his work, that he knew information during the campaign that had the potential to damage then-candidate Trump but never contemplated leaking it to the press, and that recent congressional focus on him is misguided and plays into "our enemies' campaign to tear America apart." |
| • | "Like many people, I had and expressed personal political opinions during an extraordinary presidential election. Many contained expressions of concern for the security of our country," ... adding that those opinions were expressed "out of deep patriotism." |
| • | Strzok, in that exchange, also said he doesn't even remember sending the "stop" Trump text, noting it was written late at night, "in shorthand." |
| • | He maintained he was not suggesting he or the FBI would take any action to influence his candidacy. |
| • | "The suggestion that I, in some dark chamber in the FBI, would somehow cast aside these procedures ... and somehow be able to do this is astounding to me." |
| • | Strzok maintained that bias was not "expressed in those text messages." |
| • | "I can tell you that those text messages are not indicative of bias," Strzok said. |
| • | ... Horowitz ultimately found that despite the politically charged messages, there was no evidence that the bias had an impact on any prosecutorial decisions in the Clinton probe. |
| • | ... Strzok maintained that while his criticisms of Trump were "blunt," there is "simply no evidence of bias in my professional actions." |
| • | "Let me be clear, unequivocally and under oath: not once in my 26 years of defending my nation did my personal opinions impact any official action I took." |
| • | "I have the utmost respect for Congress's oversight role, but I truly believe that today's hearing is just another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemies' campaign to tear America apart." |
| • | "As someone who loves this country and cherishes its ideals, it is profoundly painful to watch and even worse to play a part in." |
| • | See related My Badge (Glenn McCoy, 12/07/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "It is a word I have used on the show many times, hoping to reclaim it. This time, I used it as an insult. I crossed a line. I regret it and I do apologize." |
| • | "There is no factual predicate to show that Gary McGaslin committed a crime." |
| • | "We feel strongly that there was no criminal wrongdoing. This shines a light into just how inappropriate the political climate has become." |
| • | Former Secretary of State John Kerry later blasted Trump's comments about Germany as "strange" and "counterproductive." |
| • | "It was disgraceful, destructive, and flies in the face of the actual interests of the United States of America." |
| • | "He is steadily destroying our reputation in the world," Kerry said. |
| • | "Drexel vigorously supports the right of its faculty members and students to freely express their opinions in the course of academic debate and discussion." |
| • | "The Mayor supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms." |
| • | "... My since apologies to all good, hardworking reporters and to POTUS supporters." |
| • | See related He's Crazy! (Glenn McCoy, 05/16/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "I mean, I'm not comparing myself, but I'm just saying people said that, but he was right about Hitler, and a lot of people in England were wrong. And Churchill was a pain. He kept popping up all the time." |
| • | "It feels like a duty. It feels like patriotism, and it feels necessary. I'm not going anywhere." |
| • | "When I saw the news today that a mass shooter had targeted the employees of a newspaper in Maryland I responded emotionally and inappropriately." |
| • | "My experience as a member of the community of Newtown, Connecticut in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy, combined with the possibility that my colleagues in the press were being targeted, pushed me into a state of emotional distress." |
| • | "I am sorry for my comments, which I quickly deleted and have disavowed, and especially remorseful if they did anything to distract from the thoughts and love we must send to the community of Annapolis." |
| • | "As the attacks on the Special Counsel intensify, it is imperative that you withstand pressure on DOJ and FBI to violate established procedures and norms. Your role in preserving the integrity of the Special Counsel's investigation and, most importantly, our justice system has become even more vital." |
| • | "We should abolish ICE and start over, focusing on our priorities to protect our families and our borders in a humane and thoughtful fashion." |
| • | "I'm introducing legislation that would abolish ICE and crack down on the agency's blanket directive to target and round up individuals and families." |
| • | "The heartless actions of this abused agency do not represent the values of our nation and the U.S. must develop a more humane immigration system, one that treats every person with dignity and respect." |
| • | "No one should call for the harassment of political opponents. That's not right. That's not American." |
| • | ... warning Democrats not to "fight fire with fire" when Trump engages in "bullying" behavior. |
| • | "The president's tactics and behavior should never be emulated. It should be repudiated by organized, well informed and passionate advocacy." |
| • | "There is a split in opinions about what we should and shouldn't do." |
| • | "In the crucial months ahead, we must strive to make America beautiful again. Trump's daily lack of civility has provoked responses that are predictable but unacceptable. As we go forward, we must conduct elections in a way that achieves unity from sea to shining sea." |
| • | "I have nothing to do with the way people decide to protest. Protest is the democratic way as long as it is peaceful." |
| • | "I believe in peaceful protest. It is guaranteed to you in a democracy." |
| • | "You have to be prepared for what it means to literally be brutalized. ... It's not to say men don't get harsh treatment, but you are carrying the burden of the double standard." |
| • | ... "[Women] get constant messaging our whole lives: You're not thin enough, talented enough, smart enough. Your voice isn't what we want to hear." |
| • | Remember when Madeleine Albright went so far as to say that there is a "special place in hell for women who don't support other women?" Does she really believe that? If so, why hasn't she come to the defense of these women? |
| • | "Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That's their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood." |
| • | "This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals." |
| • | "I just want to do good," Hayes, 69, said. "I promise repentance." |
| • | "Had I thought about it, I would have made better decisions." |
| • | "It is monstrous to take these folks' pain and then try to use it to divide America." |
| • | "The very Democrats who wanted him to act came back immediately and didn't like the fact that he acted." |
| • | "The Democrats want to use the children as an excuse to go to an open border where tens of millions of people could flood into the U.S.." |
| • | ... the Obama administration also had a "zero tolerance policy" on illegal immigration, but there was no uproar from Democrats. |
| • | "There's a certain amount of really remarkable hypocrisy on the left right now, and no indication by the way that Chuck Schumer, for example, the Democratic leader, has any interest in fixing the law to help these children." |
| • | "I tweeted something highly inappropriate and vulgar about the president and his family in response to the devastating images I was seeing on television. Like many Americans, I am very impassioned and distraught over the situation with children separated from their families at the border, but I went way too far." |
| • | "It was wrong and I should not have done it. I immediately regretted it and sincerely apologize to the family for what I said and any hurt my words have caused." |
| • | "(P)eople say, ‘Oh my goodness, ... people are saying the unemployment rate is down, why isn't my purchasing power increasing?" |
| • | "So, this isn't just about the unemployment rate, it's about wages rising in our country, so that consumer confidence is restored." |
| • | "Republicans' cruel, cynical health care sabotage campaign is already spiking families' premiums by double digits and pushing millions off their coverage..." |
| • | "National Security Action is dedicated to advancing American global leadership and opposing the reckless policies of the Trump administration that endanger our national security and undermine U.S. strength in the world." |
| • | It takes a lot of chutzpah for this group of former Obama officials, who were part of the worst U.S. foreign policy in history, to condemn the current president's successful international leadership and foreign policy. |
| • | "Standing in the locker room where no one can see you is not protest. It's erasure. The players cannot accept this." |
| • | "While new NFL anthem policy makes sense from business & Trump PR perspective and is certainly within league's rights, there's just something that feels unAmerican about forcing folks to abide what is, well, the league's own politics. Feels like a band aid that won't stick." |
| • | "I have a stupid question: If the NFL and its racist owners are going to penalize a team 15 yards if a player kneels during the anthem, what happens if players from both teams kneel?" |
| • | ... declared that the NFL is "constantly striving to come up with rules stupider than some of their previous rules." |
| • | "In a dream world all the players should come out for the anthem and take a knee or raise a fist for Week 1. You can't take away a person's right to protest." |
| • | "Pay attention to rights and protections disappearing each week. This is an un-American act taken to placate an authoritarian leader." |
| • | "So the NFL pans to defend America by imposing fines for protesting excessive and abusive acts by government..." |
| • | "What about showing respect for the flag by not creating a policy that punishes people for peacefully protesting racism?" |
| • | "Furthering the false idea that the protests were about the flag. The protests are about injustice." |
| • | See related Fake News (Mike Lester, 11/27/2016) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | See related Not Standing for the Anthem (Sean Delonas, 09/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "The problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don't feel is in the best interests of America. It's divisive and it's horrible." |
| • | See related Trump Is so Divisive... (Sean Delonas, 09/25/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "In these politically tumultuous times, Daniels has proven herself to be a profile in courage by speaking truth to power even under threats to her safety and extreme intimidation." |
| • | "There are certain things that are so essential they should transcend politics." |
| • | "Waging a war on the rule of law and a free press, de-legitimizing elections, perpetrating shameless corruption, and rejecting the idea that our leaders should be public servants undermines our national unity." |
| • | Organizers at Harvard say Clinton was chosen for the award because she's a "champion for human rights," a "skilled legislator" and "an advocate of American leadership" on the world stage. |
| • | "FBI Used Informant to Investigate Russia Ties to Campaign, Not to Spy, as Trump Claims." |
| • | "It would be at best irresponsible, and at worst potentially illegal, for members of Congress to use their positions to learn the identity of an FBI source for the purpose of undermining the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in our election." |
| • | "Most people if they were actually being taken out of context would find a different way of saying things after the first 100 times, particularly when they are president." |
| • | "So it's a bit clever to do ‘boy the media botched this again!'" |
| • | "They Are All MS-13 to Trump: The truth about the animals and the dog-whistles" |
| • | See related He's Crazy! (Glenn McCoy, 05/16/2017) cartoon from Media picture album |
| • | "When all of our great-great-grandparents came to America they weren't 'animals,' and these people aren't either." |
| • | Although what Kerry did was probably not illegal, it was deeply hypocritical. |
| • | Recall that in 2015, when Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and 46 other Republicans wrote to Iran's leaders informing them of the Senate's constitutional role in approving international agreements, Kerry was incensed. |
| • | "My reaction to the letter was utter disbelief. To write leaders in the middle of a negotiation ... is quite stunning ... [and] ignores more than two centuries of precedent in the conduct of American foreign policy," Kerry said, adding that he would never have interfered in that way "no matter what the issue and no matter who was president." |
| • | What a difference three years make. |
| • | Cotton is a sitting United States senator. The Senate has a constitutional role in foreign policy. Kerry is a private citizen. |
| • | He has a constitutional role in nothing. |
| • | "In a democracy, there will always be changes in policies and priorities from one Administration to the next. But the consistent flouting of agreements that our country is a party to risks eroding America's credibility, and puts us at odds with the world's major powers." |
| • | "We were clear-eyed that Iran engages in destabilizing behavior – including support for terrorism, and threats toward Israel and its neighbors. But that's precisely why it was so important that we prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." |
| • | ... some powers are actually secret because they involve ongoing investigations and national security matters that cannot be publicly disclosed. |
| • | "The last couple of weeks have proven to be challenging for many colleagues." |
| • | "Are we questioning the ethical character of Professor Jararr because of her opinion?" |
| • | "It seems like there's a blatant double standard when it comes to free speech and academic freedom on this campus, especially for Middle Eastern professors and especially for Palestinian professors. |
| • | "There's a part of your campus that is suppressed and silenced and this issue is bigger than Professor Jarrar. This issue is bigger than her comments." |
| • | "As a Palestinian myself, I identify with part of her comments when she talked about the Bush's being war criminals." |
| • | "At the very least," Scarinci argues, "the police officer on the scene needs sensitivity training." |
| • | "When you get past the news headlines and watch the video, Caren Turner did not act any more emotional than any other parent would have acted under the circumstances." |
| • | "... police in the field need the judgment, the wisdom and the skill to calm down emotional situations..." |
| • | "(A)t no point did I violate the Port Authority's Code of Ethics or ask for special treatment for anyone involved, nor did I suggest, in any way, that I would use my position at the Port Authority to affect the outcome of the violations issued to the driver." |
| • | "Last night's program was meant to offer a unifying message about our common commitment to a vigorous and free press while honoring civility, great reporting and scholarship winners, not to divide people." |
| • | "I'm so tired of the arrogance many religious people display and their disdain for non-believers." |
Outrage as California prof calls Barbara Bush 'amazing racist' and says she's happy 'witch is dead' (Fox 04/18/2018)
| • | "Professor Jarrar's expressed personal views and commentary are obviously contrary to the core values of our University, which include respect and empathy for individuals with divergent points of view, and a sincere commitment to mutual understanding and progress." |
| • | "It's an inflammatory football that very low-life politicians are trying to exploit." |
| • | "There's nothing that stops local officials from notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that a jailed person is going to be released." |
| • | "This is a blatant effort to undermine the census and to prevent the census bureau from carrying out its clear constitutional mandate." |
| • | Democrats and activists claim that the question will spook immigrants — mainly those in the country illegally or of so-called "mixed-status" families — from participating. |
| • | "It is not just undocumented people who would be afraid in this situation, anyone with a mixed status family or anyone who is concerned about the anti-immigrant animus, and courts repeatedly have found in cases that I have brought that this administration has an anti-immigrant animus, will be scared." |
| • | "The Census is a fundamental part of our democracy, and we must encourage every person living in our country to participate, not put up barriers that prevent people from being counted." |
| • | "Obviously, the school district respects the First Amendment rights of our students ... [it's an] individual act by the students." |
| • | See related What Did They Teach You in School Today? (Sean Delonas, 09/30/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "This is a craven attack on our democracy and a transparent attempt to intimidate immigrant communities." |
| • | "The census is a constitutionally-mandated count of all U.S. residents, not a political tool for Donald Trump to push his agenda and disempower Latinos and other people of color." |
| • | "The addition of a citizenship question to the census questionnaire is a direct attack on our representative democracy." |
| • | "This question will lower the response rate and undermine the accuracy of the count, leading to devastating, decade-long impacts on voting rights and the distribution of billions of dollars of federal funding." |
| • | "Everyone is entitled to accurate information about their health care, and that's simply what the FACT Act says. There is nothing coercive, nothing intrusive in the requirements of the law that infringe upon someone's First Amendment rights. It's about making sure women have accurate information about their health care." |
| • | "I did not intend to be Anti-Semitic [sic], and I see I should not have said that after learning from my colleagues" |
| • | ... he was working to "understand the history of comment [sic] made against Jews." |
| • | ... gave the bank teller a note that read: "this is a robbery give me all your money." Faria reportedly did not have a weapon. |
| • | "This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally." |
| • | "It is part of this Administration's ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day. Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsel's work." |
| • | ... argued he should go free because he's been a model prisoner. While in prison, Bell earned a master's degree and learned to play the flute. |
| • | "I know who I am. And never used it for anything. Never got any benefit from it anywhere." |
| • | "I want to ask you, with my heart in my hand, that every time you hear an aggressive or denigrating expression, remember that there, in Mexico, you are the heroes of the country, the brave, the enterprising, the generous, those who dared to cross the border to give their family a better future." |
| • | House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said ... that the lawsuit marked "a new low" from the Trump administration and said the president was abusing the legal system "to push his mass deportation agenda." |
| • | "The people of California will not be bowed by the Trump administration's brazen aggression and intimidation tactics." |
| • | "Californians will continue to proudly keep our doors open to the immigrants who make America more American. We will fight this sham lawsuit and will fight all cowardly attacks on our immigrant communities." |
| • | "I did what I believe was right for my community as well as to protect public safety. People should be able to live without fear or panic and know their rights and responsibilities as well as their recourses." |
| • | "This is leftist economic policy and we've tried it a whole bunch of times over the last two centuries and every time, American families have suffered." |
| • | "Trade wars are never won. Trade wars are lost by both sides. Kooky 18th century protectionism will jack up prices on American families — and will prompt retaliation from other countries." |
| • | "Make no mistake: If the President goes through with this, it will kill American jobs — that's what every trade war ultimately does." |
| • | "Tariffs on steel and aluminum are a tax hike the American people don't need and can't afford." |
| • | "I encourage the president to carefully consider all of the implications of raising the cost of steel and aluminum on American manufacturers and consumers." |
| • | "I apologize to any Marines or other members of the military who this offended. That was never my intention." |
| • | "I think it was difficult for Hillary Clinton to get by even the macho atmosphere prevailing during that campaign, and she was criticized in a way I think no man would have been criticized." |
| • | Clapper called the move a "blatant political act" ... and Brennan said Nunes "abused" his office by making the memo public. |
| • | "I think it, it really underscores just how partisan Mr. Nunes has been. He has abused his office of the chairmanship of HPSCI. And I don't say that lightly." |
| • | See related My Badge (Glenn McCoy, 12/07/2017) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and has been publicly criticizing the president online, lambasted the memo as "dishonest and misleading". |
| • | "That's it? Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with Intelligence Community, damaged relationship with FISA court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what? DOJ & FBI must keep doing their jobs." |
| • | ... deleted it and claimed it "was poked out in midst of convo w 2 colleagues on the deep racism/hypocrisy/criminality promoted by GOP..." |
| • | Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Trump's call for unity, after a year of "divisive actions, petty insults and disgraceful race-baiting ... ring hollow." |
| • | "FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is, and has been, a dedicated public servant who has served this country well," tweeted former Attorney General Eric Holder. |
| • | "Bogus attacks on the FBI and DOJ to distract attention from a legitimate criminal inquiry does long term, unnecessary damage to these foundations of our government." |
| • | "I think it's important because we have a president who has a difficult time with the truth, who has a radical, divisive agenda, and spends an enormous amount of time focusing on the negative and hopelessness and despair." |
| • | See related Dont Have the Addresses... (Mike Lester, 12/21/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | See related Last Movie (Mike Lester, 01/07/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
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| • | "From health care to economic justice to civil rights, the Democratic agenda stands in powerful contrast to President Trump's broken promises to American families." |
| • | "Our vision for this union is guided by a simple belief that equality and economic dignity should be afforded to every American." |
| • | "Frankly, if you look at the bonuses, which I haven't heard of a corporate bonus more than $1,000 so far — which by the way is taxed, so it's not $1,000." |
| • | "And then you spread $1,000 over the course of a year — to think of about how much that is — of course they get it all at once. But I'm not sure that $1,000 — which is taxed, taxable — goes very far for almost anyone." |
| • | "A [government shutdown] is the politics of idiocy, of confrontation, of paralysis," read the placard, quoting Schumer from 2013. GOPers pasted Schumer's mug next to the quote. |
| • | ... insisted the poster was "disparaging to a member of the Senate." |
Democratic Rep. Al Green introduces articles of impeachment against Trump — again (Fox 01/19/2018)
| • | "Donald J. Trump is unfit to represent American values of decency and morality." |
| • | "I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has ever spoken the words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday." |
| • | "President Trump said things that were hate-filled, vile, and racist. He used those words repeatedly." |
| • | ... the press is distinguishing itself with brave, exacting journalism." |
| • | "We encourage our journalists to engage in a meaningful dialogue on social media, but it's important that the conversation adhere to our overarching values of fairness, balance and objectivity." |
| • | "Here's hoping 2018 brings more ethical leadership, focused on the truth and lasting values." |
| • | ... it was revealed Comey began drafting his July 2016 exoneration statement before key witnesses in the Clinton email investigation had been interviewed. |
| • | ... admitting to orchestrating the leaking of his memos about his interactions with the president to the New York Times in the hopes it would lead to a special counsel investigation. |
| • | "Sadly, we are now at a point in our political life when anyone can be attacked for partisan gain." |
| • | Scarborough said that Haley was "no diplomat" and "an embarrassment to the United States" because she warned the U.S. will remember the lack of support the next time the General Assembly needs money. |
| • | "The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation," Haley said. |
| • | "We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world's largest contribution to the United Nations and we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit." |
| • | Scarborough was furious, saying, "We're going to need them on Iran. We're going to need their help on North Korea. We may need their help again in Syria. We're going to need their help in a thousand places. And yes, they're going to need our help, too. And guess what? We're not going to work together if Nikki Haley is going up there humiliating the United States of America by threatening our allies over a non-binding resolution. It's just like Donald Trump's tweets. Every response has to be a nuclear response. There is no subtlety of thought." |
| • | But the 22-year old proposal spearheaded by Scarborough makes him appear to be hypocritical when it comes to needing the U.N. His bill. |
| • | "Effective four years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the United States Mission to the United Nations shall be closed and all staff and any remaining functions of such office shall be carried out through the Secretary of State and the Department of State." |
| • | "I was [shocked]. I think it was a shock to everybody. I don't know how you couldn't be surprised. I started filling in for Matt in 2010. I wasn't close to him outside of work, but I considered him a friend and mentor. Certainly he was somebody I looked up to. He was the guy who was considered the best at that job, at hosting a morning show. So, yeah, I think we were all surprised and I think we're all still a little bit shocked by it." |
| • | "Our government should not use its leadership at the UN to bully/blackmail other nations that stand for religious liberty and justice in Jerusalem. Justice is a core value of Christianity, Judaism and Islam." |
| • | "No honorable state would bow to such pressure," Cavusoglu said. "The world has changed. The belief that 'I am strong therefore I am right' has changed. The world today is revolting against injustices." |
| • | ... liberals' selective outrage is appalling. Moveon.org, the organization behind the protests, made their motto "nobody is above the law." |
| • | Ostensibly, that's an idea that both sides of the aisle could get behind. Patriotic Americans would agree that all citizens are equal under the law. |
| • | But to many who hold progressive political views, that idea only applies to one side of the political spectrum. |
| • | Notably, these same activists made no such calls for mass protests after former FBI Director James Comey cleared Hillary Clinton of criminal charges a year ago. |
| • | And there was no indignation from these folks after it came to light that the FBI softened the language in Comey's statement in her favor. |
| • | That's why it's difficult to believe that these activists are genuinely motivated to uphold the rule of law, and not just their own political ideologies. |
| • | "Speaking on behalf of the vast majority of the American people, Republicans in Congress be forewarned: any attempt to remove Bob Mueller will not be tolerated. These are BS attacks on him/his staff that are blatantly political–designed to hide the real wrongdoing. Country not party." |
| • | ... "outraged by the way we have been targeted by law enforcement, including a teenage relative of the suspect who was pulled from class and questioned in his school without a parent guardian or attorney." |
| • | Memories of the roast must be especially awkward for the various NBC executives now claiming they had no idea about Lauer's reputation for sex harassment of women. |
| • | "We all have an obligation no matter the risk, and regardless of reward, to stand up for our fellow men and women who are being oppressed with the understanding that human rights cannot be compromised." |
| • | See related Not Standing for the Anthem (Sean Delonas, 09/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "To directly threaten a major publication because of the content of an opinions piece that Clegg happens to disagree with is not only a threat to constitutional free speech as we know it, but also a gesture of censorship reminiscent of an authoritarian regime." |
| • | "The University Star's opinion pages are a forum for students to express and debate ideas." |
| • | ... the original intent of the column was to provide a commentary on the idea of race and racial identities. |
| • | "We acknowledge that the column could have been clearer in its message and that it has caused hurt within our campus community." |
| • | "We apologize and hope that we can move forward to a place of productive dialogue on ways to bring our community together." |
| • | As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly." |
| • | ... "repairing the damage" caused by his alleged actions "will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job." |
| • | ... "peace can only be achieved by respecting human rights, especially the rights of children." |
| • | "Donald Trump refused to say that he'd respect the results of this election," Clinton tweeted in October of last year. "That's a direct threat to our democracy." |
Clinton calls Uranium One story a 'distraction,' warns of dictatorship (Fox 11/16/2017)
| • | "And if they send a signal that we're going to be like some dictatorship, some authoritarian regimen where political opponents are going to be unfairly, fraudulently investigated — that rips at the fabric of the contract we have that we can trust our justice system." |
| • | "Whiteness is never seen as a cause, in and of itself, of these kinds of massacres, despite the fact that whiteness is a structure of privilege and it's a structure of power, and a structure that, when it feels threatened, you know, lashes out." |
Man admits spraying racist graffiti on his own car, police said (Fox 11/07/2017)
| • | "While William's mistake had a decidedly negative impact on the community, please recognize that he, like many of us when we were young, is a young man who made a mistake and is now doing his best to own up to it." |
| • | Under pressure, the newspaper apologized for "the pain and anger" caused by the cartoon, adding that the artist's intention was to suggest the professor's talk on Israel was "hypocritical." |
| • | "We regret that the artistic rendering distracted from the discussion the artist was trying to start." |
| • | "At least the Taliban were honest enough to say, ‘I'm the guy who's gonna cut your throat'". |
| • | "Here, it could be the guy I pass in the corridor who's going to sign the paper that sends me away for life." |
| • | "We may as well go back to kangaroo courts and lynch mobs." |
| • | "What we can't have is the same old politics of division that we have seen so many times before that dates back centuries. Some of the politics we see now, we thought we put that to bed." |
| • | "Violating the norms of personal conduct generates more anxiety and fear than any policy prescription that this president has enunciated." |
| • | "No one has produced a shred of evidence that Hillary Clinton ever took action as Secretary of State in order to support the interests of donors to the Clinton Foundation." |
| • | "To suggest the State Department, under then-Secretary Clinton, exerted undue influence in the U.S. government's review of the sale of Uranium One is utterly baseless." |
| • | "To abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history." |
| • | "As the curtain goes up on the casting couch, aka the casting bed, the town that glorifies violence, murder, and rape is the same town where centuries-old rules of women sleeping for a job is kept quiet." |
| • | "That is bad not just on the merits for this particular situation, but it sends a message across the globe that America's word is not good." |
| • | "This particular president is, I think, upending the kind of trust and credibility of the United States' position and negotiation that is imperative to maintain." |
| • | "We will now have an arms race — a nuclear arms race in East Asia. We will have the Japanese, who understandably are worried with missiles flying over them as the North Koreans have done, that they can't count on America." |
| • | "Diplomacy, preventing war, creating some deterrents is slow, hard-going, difficult work." |
| • | "After all, we have someone admitting to being a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office." |
| • | In the same interview, Clinton referred to the sexual transgressions of her husband – former President Bill Clinton – as being "clearly in the past." |
| • | "Due to a growing number of threats directed at Professor George Ciccariello-Maher, and increased concerns about both his safety and the safety of Drexel's community, after careful consideration the University has decided to place Professor Ciccariello-Maher on administrative leave. We believe this is a necessary step to ensure the safety of our campus." |
| • | "As a researcher and professor of politics, these tweets were neither provocative in tone nor controversial in content." ... adding they were "more pressing now that President Trump has brought this aggrieved whiteness into daily headlines." |
| • | ... wrote professors, such as himself, were being targeted by a "coordinated right-wing campaign to undermine our academic freedom – one that relies on misrepresentation and sometimes outright lying, and often puts us and our students in danger." |
| • | "I am by no means the first, and will not be the last target of this kind of smear campaign by conservatives aimed at academics." |
| • | "In every case, it is the same right-wing media outlets leading the charge, and campuses are increasingly the target." |
| • | "Hawaii fought the first and second travel bans because they were illegal and unconstitutional efforts to implement the president's Muslim ban," Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement. |
| • | "I don't want my kids or my nephew to be around a man with no integrity." |
| • | "I will openly accuse the President of the United States of human rights violations." |
| • | "Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players." |
| • | "Comments like we heard last night from the president are inappropriate, offensive and divisive." |
| • | "Our country needs unifying leadership right now, not more diviseness." |
| • | "The callous and offensive comments made by the president are contradictory to what this great country stands for." |
| • | "Our players have exercised their rights as United States citizens in order to spark conversation and action to address social injustice. We will continue to support them in their peaceful pursuit of positive change in our country and around the world." |
| • | "I know our players who kneeled for the anthem, and these are smart young men of character who want to make our world a better place for everyone." |
| • | "They wanted to start a conversation and are making a difference in our community, including working with law enforcement to bring people together. We all can benefit from learning, listening and respecting each other." |
| • | "The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture." |
| • | "Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities." |
| • | "These steps will go some distance towards ensuring that, in the future, our University does not allow a misguided and moralistic notion of indelible stigma — or a fear of media controversy — to divert us from our core values." |
| • | "In each case, the administration appears to have allowed the fear of public opinion and political interference to determine its actions, we are educators committed to the open, critical exchange of ideas." |
| • | "Harvard's motto is Veritas. You cannot hold that up and invite Sean Spicer, an incompetent liar." |
| • | Manning said ... that the decision to cancel the invitation proves the U.S. is a "police state" |
| • | "We're worried that the further normalization of these men and of Trumpist ideas are going to have awful material effects on people in the real world." |
| • | "I believe I did the best I could in my circumstances to make an ethical decision." |
| • | "I apologize to her and to the many concerned people from whom I have heard ... for not recognizing upfront the full implications of our original invitation." |
| • | "The comments on Twitter from Jemele Hill regarding the President do not represent the position of ESPN. We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate." |
| • | The title of the event: "Talking Through Unity and Civility with Khizr Khan." |
| • | "It is totally uncompassionate by an illiterate, uneducated president who would cause that harm to the nation and country." |
| • | "To target these young people is wrong – because they have done nothing wrong," Obama said in a statement. |
| • | "It is self-defeating – because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel." |
| • | A Boston University spokesman confirmed ... that the student had indeed left the school earlier this week and that "the safety and security of our students is our highest priority." |
| • | Who remembers the slaying of Kentucky state trooper Joseph Ponder by BLM marcher and "Hands up, don't shoot" slogan-spreader Joseph Thomas Johnson-Shanks in September 2015? |
| • | At least 11 police have been shot dead and at least nine more wounded by BLM protesters, activists and/or supporters to date. |
| • | But instead of recriminations, the militants of BLM enjoy continued praise and coddling from corporate America. |
| • | "There can be no ‘news' without facts. Whatever you may have read could only have been baseless smears." |
| • | "In light of current events, it appears to have been instigated as a means to distract and diminish the public attention from Russian intervention in the presidential election of 2016." |
| • | "There is not a scintilla of evidence for your statement. Nor would it ever be possible to have such evidence because there is none." |
| • | "Whoever provided you with this false information was harming you and your reputation as well as intending to harm me." |
| • | "First and foremost, I'd like to say: Justice has never advanced by taking a human life." |
| • | "We have seen increased demand by men on our campus to play a more active role in preventing interpersonal violence, and we are pleased to support this growing interest." |
| • | ... promote "an environment for healthy male social development by challenging belief systems and social constructs that contribute to violence." |
| • | "As a public institution, we do not and cannot regulate the private speech of students, faculty or staff." |
| • | "However, that should not imply the university's endorsement of any particular viewpoint." |
| • | "fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth." |
| • | ... "fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth." |
| • | "While the tone of the post was born out of frustration with the vile language currently surrounding politics, I should not have responded with the same language." |
| • | "This is not language I typically use, it does not reflect my personal values, and while misguided, it was intended to make a visceral point about the developing political discourse in America." |
| • | ... said she was advocating "solely for peaceful, nonviolent dissent." |
| • | "She is a good person. She volunteers, she does whatever she can to make the community and the world better." |
| • | "She's dedicated, you know, to trying to make the world a better place." |
| • | ... the president of the Harvard Black Graduate Student Alliance, said "it's not about segregation." |
| • | ... said she should have paid more attention to her personal and professional finances. |
| • | "With this first slate of lower court nominees, it seems that the President is intent on continuing to outsource the judicial selection process to hard right, special interest groups rather than consulting with Senators on a bipartisan basis." |
| • | "President Trump's efforts to promote religious freedom are thinly-veiled efforts to unleash his conservative religious base into the political arena while also using religion to discriminate. It's a dual dose of pandering to a base and denying reproductive care. We will see Trump in court, again." |
| • | ... issued a statement saying that while Obama will deliver speeches "from time to time," he will "be true to his values, his vision, and his record." |
| • | "Of all people to question ... their commitment to getting money out of politics, to really making sure we restored integrity to political finance process, President Obama couldn't have done more." |
| • | ... said Obama has a history of fighting "against the big banks," despite his decision to now accept a large sum of money to address the Wall Street group. |
| • | "Look, it is none of anyone's business what someone who is a member of the private sector decides to accept in terms of compensation." |
| • | "CNN requested that the advertiser remove the false graphic that says the mainstream media is ‘fake news,'" |
| • | "The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false. Per out policy, it will be accepted only if that graphic is deleted. Those are the facts." |
| • | "We're living in this strange time where trust is more important than truth." |
| • | ... a far cry from sentiments Obama expressed in his 2006 memoir, "The Audacity of Hope." |
| • | "The path of least resistance - of fund-raisers organized by the special interests, the corporate PACs, and the top lobbying shops - starts to look awfully tempting, and if the opinions of these insiders don't quite jibe with those you once held, you learn to rationalize the changes as a matter of realism, of compromise, of learning the ropes." |
| • | "The problems of ordinary people, the voices of the Rust Belt town or the dwindling heartland, become a distant echo rather than a palpable reality, abstractions to be managed rather than battles to be fought." |
| • | "Is there an irony here because he spoke incessantly about the income gap and is now earning from those same people he criticized? Yes it is." |
| • | "Should we expect it? Yes, we should because all former presidents do this. He went on the attack against Wall Street and now he's being fed by those same people he called ‘fat cats'. It's more hypocritical than ironic." |
| • | Former President Barack Obama reportedly agreed to give a lucrative speech to Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald LP. |
| • | ... Obama's speaking fee will be $400,000, nearly twice as much as Hillary Clinton received for similar appearances. |
| • | "It's all about personal gain for Obama" ... it's not surprising for a politician to "cash out" after they're out of office. |
| • | "But Democrats end up looking more hypocritical than Republicans because it's the Democrats who constantly rail against greedy, rich bankers and rich business people." |
| • | ... the mainstream media isn't focusing on this story. |
| • | Obama encouraged young people to get involved, not to become "cynical" and give up on the political process. |
| • | He said those negative attitudes toward politics are having a "pernicious" effect, leading to "some of the lowest voting rates of any advanced democracy." |
| • | "[That] translates into a further gap between who's governing us and what we believe," he said, not mentioning President Trump specifically. |
| • | See related Miss Me? (Glenn McCoy, 02/28/2017) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | Maischak told television station ... he was "appalled that the president of the university is allowing himself to be instrumentalized for a right-wing smear campaign." |
| • | "Specifically, the suggestion that I had made ‘potential direct threats of violence that may violate the law' is unwarranted." |
| • | "It constitutes an embrace by the university of the claims made by right-wing propaganda outlets." |
| • | He went on to say he does not condone violence even though that's exactly what he advocated in his Twitter feed. |
| • | "From the context of the entirety of my tweets, this should be evident to anyone reading them in good faith (as opposed to malicious intent)." |
| • | In other words, he's taking the "It all depends on what the definition of hang is" defense. |
| • | "The allegation is that somehow Obama administration officials utilized intelligence for political purposes, that is absolutely false." |
| • | "And sometimes, in that context, in order to understand the importance of the report and assess its significance, it was necessary to find out, or request the information as to find out who that U.S. official was." |
| • | "There is no evidence whatsoever that the Trump team was spied on illegally. There is no evidence that backs up the president's original claim." |
| • | "And on this program tonight, we will not insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise, nor will we aid and abet the people who are trying to misinform you, the American people, by creating a diversion." |
| • | "Understanding, tolerance, and respect are hallmarks of the Montgomery County way. Social justice for all is what we strive to achieve ..." |
| • | "Most Americans question whether we need a Supreme Court justice with the vision of Donald Trump." |
| • | A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Public Schools wrote a letter to parents to inform them of the incident. |
| • | She said ensuring a safe, secure and welcoming learning environment for all of their students is a "top priority." |
| • | "Our staff remains vigilant in the monitoring of our school each and every day. Please remind your child that if they believe they are a victim of an assault or see something inappropriate, they should immediately tell a staff member." |
| • | "Democrats have failed to demonstrate a strong, unified resistance to this nominee despite the fact that he is an ultra-conservative jurist who will undermine our basic freedoms and threaten the independence of the federal judiciary. We need you to do better." |
| • | "A Democratic vote to turn the Supreme Court over to Donald Trump and extremist Republicans would be a vote against women, people of color, Muslims, immigrants, workers and the environment. With Roe v. Wade hanging in the balance any Democrat who votes to advance Gorsuch's nomination will permanently damage his or her political career, just like Sec. Clinton did when she voted for the Iraq war." |
| • | ... they would "initially devastate" and "ultimately destroy public media's role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions – all for Americans in both rural and urban communities." |
| • | "That is racism and it is an implied threat." |
| • | "I was not polite. But when does being impolite mean that I should be thrown out of the United States of America?" |
| • | "We can win if we resist together for liberty, justice and equality. This is our shared America." |
| • | Here are just a few examples of statements met with thunderous criticism when uttered by Republicans, yet crickets when made by Democrats: |
| • | Carson vs. Obama |
| • | "That's what America is about, a land of dreams and opportunity," Carson said. "There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land." |
| • | The NAACP and Chelsea Clinton were both among those offended by Carson's comparison. Actor Samuel L. Jackson tore into Carson in an R-rated tweet. |
| • | The problem was, then-President Barack Obama made a similar comparison before. |
| • | "It wasn't always easy for new immigrants. Certainly, it wasn't easy for those of African heritage who had not come here voluntarily and yet in their own way were immigrants themselves," he said at a 2015 naturalization ceremony. |
| • | The Federalist went so far as to dig up 11 times Obama had referred to slaves as immigrants, and noted there was barely a peep of outrage each time. What changed? |
| • | Lay off the iPhones |
| • | Twitter was apoplectic when Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, recently said Americans may have to choose between buying a new iPhone and health insurance. |
| • | "Well, we're getting rid of the individual mandate. We're getting rid of those things that people said that they don't want. ... Americans have choices, and they've got to make a choice." |
| • | "So rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care." |
| • | Chaffetz was accused of everything from being OK with poor people dying to "reviving the ‘poverty is a choice' argument." |
| • | Yet the criticism glossed over similar remarks made by Obama in 2014. |
| • | Asked in a Spanish-language town hall about those who said they can't afford premiums, Obama speculated about someone making $40,000-$50,000 a year, who thinks an insurance option that costs $300 a month is too much. |
| • | "I guess what I would say is if you looked at that person's budget and you looked at their cable bill, their telephone ... cell phone bill, other things that they're spending on, it may turn out that they just haven't prioritized health care because right now everybody is healthy." |
| • | Shame-rock |
| • | Some were put out after the Trump team recently put out green versions of his famous "Make America Great Again" hats, branded with a four-leaf clover. |
| • | While said clover is considered a symbol of good luck, some Irish news outlets and others on Twitter grumbled that the three-leaf clover was more appropriate. |
| • | Yet Obama did something similar in 2012 when his campaign produced an "O'Bama" shirt with a four-leaf clover. While the error was noted, it produced little outrage, and even some apologists. |
| • | "I think that's creative license," Kevin O'Neill, a professor of Irish History at Boston College, told The New York Times. "If you can add an apostrophe, why not a leaf." |
| • | Omission Outrage |
| • | A Trump White House statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day provoked condemnation when it left out any reference to Jewish people – the main target of Hitler's genocidal atrocities. |
| • | "It is with a heavy heart and somber mind that we remember and honor the victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust. It is impossible to fully fathom the depravity and horror inflicted on innocent people by Nazi terror." |
| • | A number of Jewish groups were critical of the omission. But former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, D-Va., went further by comparing the statement to Holocaust denial. |
| • | "President Obama, President Bush always talked about the Holocaust in connection with the slaughter of Jews. The final solution was about the slaughter of Jews. We have to remember this. This is what Holocaust denial is." |
| • | But Kaine's comments in particular were striking considering his former running mate – former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – released a statement in 2013 that also did not mention the Jewish people. |
| • | "We understand that when schools close there is an impact on families who may have to find unanticipated child care." |
| • | "We apologize for this unforeseen burden on parents and thank you for your patience and understanding." |
| • | A declaration filed by John Kerry and Madeleine Albright, former secretaries of state, and others said the ban would disrupt lives and cripple U.S. counterterrorism partnerships without making the nation safer. |
| • | "It will aid ISIL's propaganda effort and serve its recruitment message by feeding into the narrative that the United States is at war with Islam." |
| • | Stewart turned more serious at the end of the bit, saying the country has never faced what he called Trump's "purposeful, vindictive chaos" before. |
| • | "Hate speech is not free speech It's called incitement. It's a crime." |
| • | "No Senator who believes that individual rights are reserved to the people, and not the government, can support this nomination." |
| • | "This is an order based on bigotry and not reality," a CAIR statement obtained by the paper read. |
| • | "I can't help but feel heartbroken about living in a country that has replaced a president as honorable and elegant as Barack Obama with a man as crass and morally bankrupt as Donald Trump." |
| • | "What's happening today is not ‘the peaceful transfer of power.' We have been slow-walking our way into tyranny for 18 months now, and we have finally arrived. Today's events are a bloodless coup with the patina of democratic process." |
| • | ... was concerned about children being exposed to inappropriate language and behavior. |
| • | "I am anxious about showing Mr. Trump's inaugural address, given his past inflammatory and degrading comments about minorities, women, and the disabled." |
| • | "The district administration expects teachers to present a balanced perspective consistent with the curriculum and demonstrate good judgement in their communications with families." |
| • | What a load of pretentious pomposity. |
| • | President Trump is going to have a difficult time making America great again with educators like this stinking up our nation's classrooms. |
| • | "We must remember that clemency is an extraordinary remedy, granted only after the president has concluded that a particular individual has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance." |
| • | "Because of our investment in the region, and because we care so deeply about Israel, I think (the U.S.) has a legitimate interest in saying to a friend, 'This is a problem,'" |
| • | Obama acknowledged it's been an "unusual" transition, adding, "I suspect the president-elect would agree with that." |
| • | ... urged congressional Republicans and Trump supporters around the country to be sure "that as we go forward, certain norms, certain institutional traditions don't get eroded, because there's a reason they're in place." |
| • | Obama said there needs to be a focus on "making sure that our democracy stays healthy, and making sure that we maintain that sense of solidarity." |
| • | "If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history... If I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran's nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11... If I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens – you might have said our sights were set a little too high." |
| • | "We're not where we need to be. All of us have more work to do. After all, if every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and undeserving minorities, then workers of all shades will be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves." |
| • | Streep began her speech by saying "the most vilified segments of American society right now" are Hollywood, foreigners and the press. |
| • | Morgan called her hypocritical, saying at that moment, "the cameras panned out to hundreds of the richest, most privileged people in American society sitting in the audience in their $10,000 tuxedos and $20,000 dresses, loudly cheering this acknowledgement of their dreadful victimhood." |
| • | See related Celebrity Exit (Michael Ramirez, 11/16/2016) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | Four African-Americans allegedly brutally tortured a mentally disabled white man and broadcast the gruesome attack on Facebook Live this week. |
| • | All the while they taunted the terrified victim with a torrent of profanities – cursing President-elect Donald Trump and white people. |
| • | ... the victim was a classmate of one of the attackers. |
| • | ... Chicago Police initially downplayed reports Wednesday night that the attack was racially motivated. |
| • | "At this point we don't have anything concrete to point us in that direction." |
| • | A video of the suspects attempting to scalp a man while shouting "F** white people" isn't concrete evidence? |
| • | And while the police were trying their best to tone down the racial motivations of the attackers, the Mainstream Media was trying to whitewash their skin color. |
| • | "In the video, the attackers appear black," the Post reported. |
| • | The alleged brutal torture of a mentally disabled man at the hands of four African-American suspects doesn't quite fit their narrative on race in America. |
| • | Had this been a case of four white suspects attempting to scalp a black man, I can assure you the response from the Mainstream Media and the professional race agitators would be quite different. |
| • | In November, a white man was punched and kicked by African-American suspects and dragged down a Chicago street while bystanders heckled him with anti-Trump rhetoric. |
| • | "You voted Trump," "Beat his ass," "Don't vote Trump," they yelled. |
| • | The Mainstream Media and the White House and the Justice Department pretty much ignored that attack, too. |
| • | ... but not a sign of worsening race relations. |
| • | ... he doesn't believe racial tensions have gotten worse, but that the public exposure is more prevalent in the digital age. |
| • | "In part because we see visuals of racial tensions, violence and so forth because of smart phones and the Internet." |
| • | "It doesn't mean that all racial problems have gone away. It means that we have the capacity to get better." |
| • | "I think some of it is just stupidity, people just ranting about something that they think might make a headline." |
| • | Although the Obama administration was widely criticized for not using its Security Council veto power to stop the anti-settlement resolution, it did oppose the General Assembly's move to create the database. |
| • | "In close consultation and cooperation with Israel, we joined the Israelis recently in opposing funding for work related to the database, but this effort, unfortunately, was not successful." |
| • | "We will continue to strongly oppose, in close coordination àth Israel, any additional measures related to this one-sided effort if they arise moving forward." |
| • | "As the president-elect knows from his conversation with the mayor, we agree the federal government has a strong role to play in public safety by funding summer jobs and prevention programming for at-risk youth, by holding the criminals who break our gun laws accountable for their crimes, by passing meaningful gun laws, and by building on the partnerships our police have with federal law enforcement." |
| • | Kerry said a two-state solution remains the only way to a "just and lasting peace," and warned "that future is now in jeopardy." |
| • | the U.S. could not "in good conscience" stand in the way of a resolution he said makes clear "both sides must act now to preserve the possibility of peace." |
| • | "Friends need to tell each other the hard truths, and friendships require mutual respect," Kerry said. |
| • | He said the U.S. "did in fact vote in accordance with our values." |
| • | The White House has pushed back on claims that the Obama administration helped craft and push the resolution – and ... denied another report in Egyptian media claiming Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice discussed the U.N. resolution with a top Palestinian official nearly two weeks before Friday's Security Council vote. |
| • | ... called the reports a "fabrication" and said the "meeting never occurred." |
| • | The State Department's own website reflects that Kerry was scheduled for a meeting with the Palestinian official at the State Department on Dec. 12, around the time of the reported discussions. |
| • | "Robert just wants to express how much he doesn't like Trump. If people take it personally or it hurts them, we cannot help. That's why we say they have [a] choice if they want to come or not come. We don't force them." |
| • | "We don't want to create trouble. There is enough trouble in the world." |
| • | "The US did not draft this resolution nor did the US introduce this resolution." |
| • | "The Egyptians, in partnership with the Palestinians, are the ones who began circulating an earlier draft of the resolution. The Egyptians are the ones who moved it forward on Friday. And we took the position that we did when it was put to a vote." |
| • | "The United States acted with one primary objective in mind: to preserve the possibility of the two state solution, which every U.S. administration for decades has agreed is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians." |
| • | "Two states is the only way to ensure Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace and security with its neighbors, and freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people." |
| • | ... and calls on both sides to take constructive steps to reverse current trends and advance the prospects for a two-state solution. |
| • | Slate published a piece in November 2012 called "In Defense of the Electoral College" that lists five reasons why the system, which allows state electors to ultimately select the future president whether or not that person won the popular vote, is actually great for democracy. |
| • | Those reasons include the "certainty of outcome" and being able to avoid run-off elections. |
| • | Of course, that was published in the wake of President Obama's victory over Mitt Romney. |
| • | The left-leaning site is singing a very different tune this year. |
| • | Slate published a new piece a few days after this year's election calling the Electoral College an "instrument of white supremacy and sexism." |
| • | How do the folks at Slate justify this about-face? |
| • | They don't, of course. But they do encourage readers to embrace the idea of abolishing the Electoral College entirely. |
| • | President Obama has some advice for President-elect Donald Trump: Do as I say, not as I do. |
| • | "Going through the legislative process is always better in part because it's harder to undo," Obama said. |
| • | "My strong preference has always been to legislate when I can get legislation done," Obama said. |
| • | "LA Talk Radio takes pride in its close and collaborative relationship with the LGBT community, and will continue to provide a home for those who have hopeful and positive messages of togetherness and tolerance to share with our listeners." |
| • | "We will not tolerate hateful speech by anyone associated with our radio station and have severed our ties with a host that veered off the direction in which we are going." |
| • | "Getting fired is never a happy event, even when the person deserves it. This is less a victory, more a badly needed course correction. I can't express enough my appreciation for everyone's support the past few days. I merely sounded the alarm." |
| • | He said he was looking for a place to pray openly and worried about how he would be received. |
| • | "I was kind of scared with everything going on in the media. I'm a Muslim, it's not what media portrays me to be." |
| • | Leaders of Muslim organizations and mosques in the Columbus area condemned the attacks while cautioning people against jumping to conclusions or blaming a religion or an ethnicity. |
| • | President Obama and the Mainstream Media are mourning the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro — whitewashing his crimes against the Cuban people while comparing him to George Washington. |
| • | It is absolutely sickening to watch the White House and the Mainstream Media mourn the loss of their beloved Castro — a ruthless dictator who was the personification of evil. |
| • | And here is President Obama's statement: |
| • | "At this time of Fidel Castro's passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him. |
| • | For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends - bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba. |
| • | "Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro's family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America." |
| • | See related Cuba-USA (Glenn McCoy, 12/18/2014) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | However, supporters of the program ... warn that some companies may actually ship more jobs overseas if the visa is limited. |
| • | "Companies doing tech work... they would be thinking about expanding work in places other than United States. They might put it in Canada, in a place like Vancouver, where Microsoft employs a lot of people because they can find it hard to get the skills to come to the U.S.." |
| • | "The whole view that there's not a shortage [in STEM workers], I think that's wrong, and the idea that H-1B workers are substitutes is wrong." |
| • | "They normally complement one another, allowing companies to gain global market shares and expand even more." |
| • | "America faces a shortage of high-skilled STEM talent, especially in IT industries." |
| • | "It's certainly hypocritical for Mr. Dixon to adopt the persona of a concerned civil rights statesman and dress-down Pence in a public theater, and then use that kind of language on social media. It reeks of phoniness." |
| • | Police say there's no indication it was politically motivated — even though video evidence clearly shows the mob was motivated by politics. |
| • | Where was the "Breaking News" coverage from the national media? |
| • | And why hasn't the White House condemned this vicious attack? Why is President Obama's indignation so selective? |
| • | His silence after a white man was beaten by a black mob – in his hometown – does make one wonder. |
| • | ... he believed the men were egged on by the bystanders. |
| • | "They intensified it, aggravated it and made it more than it was." |
| • | No arrests have been made in the case, but police and local residents decried the incident as unacceptable. |
| • | "You cannot conquer hate with hatred ... anything more than self-defense, that's not who we are." |
| • | "I don't think they should be fighting or starting violence because somebody voted Trump. But I, myself, think Trump shouldn't be president because he's racist." |
| • | The mother of a South Carolina man suspected of killing seven people says her son is "very misunderstood" but not a monster. |
| • | "... He wasn't doing it for enjoyment. He was doing it because he was mad and he was hurt." |
| • | "She saw him kill her boyfriend, and he didn't know what to do with her. Couldn't turn her loose. She'd go get the police." |
| • | At age 15, he was sentenced to 15 years in an Arizona prison for binding and raping a 14-year-old neighbor at gunpoint. |
| • | "... They don't even stop to think that he even walked the girl home. Does that sound like a dangerous criminal?" |
| • | ... Maloney suggested that supporters of President-elect Donald Trump should resign, and the company would not tolerate "hateful attitudes" in the workplace. |
| • | "I want to clarify that I did not ask for anyone to resign if they voted for Trump. I would never make such a demand. To the contrary, the message of the email is that we do not tolerate discriminatory activity or hateful commentary in the workplace, and that we will stand up for our employees." |
| • | "It is really not an anti-Trump statement, but a pro-diversity statement. CEOs make key statements like this when they are trying to promote a certain organizational culture, sometimes called corporate culture." |
| • | Sanders endorsed Clinton after their lengthy primary and campaigned extensively for her. He said she's had "an exemplary political career. |
| • | "Will we come together as a nation or split further apart? ... We don't have to accept a dark and divisive vision for America. Tomorrow you can vote for a hopeful, inclusive big-hearted America." |
| • | Clinton this past weekend cast herself as the candidate of "healing and reconciliation," despite being one of the most divisive figures in American politics. |
| • | "As a Christian woman, I understand persecution, but I will not stand here and be persecuted because your information is totally false... Podesta's emails were stolen. You're so interested in talking about stolen material, you're like a thief that wants to bring into the night the things that you found." |
| • | "As a longtime political activist with deep ties to our party, I supported all of our candidates for president," Brazile's statement said. |
| • | "I often shared my thoughts with each and every campaign, and any suggestions that indicate otherwise are simply untrue. As it pertains to the CNN Debates, I never had access to questions and would never have shared them with the candidates if I did." |
| • | "Why in the world would the FBI jump into an election with just eight days to go? There is no case here," Clinton said at a campaign rally, after apologizing for using the private server and before warning about the dangers of Trump and his "hair trigger" temperament controlling the U.S. nuclear arsenal. |
| • | "I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act, which bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election." |
| • | "It is pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. In fact, it's not just strange, it's unprecedented and deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts." |
| • | She also accused Trump of "making up lies" about the issue and "doing his best to confuse, mislead and discourage the American people." |
| • | Campaign chairman John Podesta said Comey's information is "long on innuendo" and "short on facts." He also said there's "no evidence of wrongdoing. No charge of wrongdoing. No indication this is even about Hillary." |
| • | In late-June, Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, got off his plane in Phoenix to talk with Lynch, whose plane was on the same tarmac. |
| • | Lynch has said they talked about golf, travel and grandchildren. |
| • | "You know, right out of law school I went to work for the Children's Defense Fund." |
| • | "I started off as a young lawyer working against discrimination against African-American children in schools and in the criminal justice system. I worked to make sure that kids with disabilities could get a public education, something that I care very much about." |
| • | "Without knowing how many emails are involved, who wrote them, when they were written or their subject matter, it's impossible to make any informed judgment on this development," said Feinstein. |
| • | "The FBI has a history of extreme caution near Election Day so as not to influence the results. Today's break from that tradition is appalling." |
| • | "It's irresponsible because you're starting to undermine the public's confidence in our elections." |
| • | ... the nominee "never took action as secretary of state because of any donations and any suggestion to the contrary is false." |
| • | ... believes such incidents can be chalked up to human error. |
| • | "Our machines are state and federally certified. We do three logic and accuracy tests, which were done before military voting started in September." |
| • | I don't know who will win, but let's say it's Hillary. In that case we'll have elected the head of America's natural governing party. We'll have chosen our leaders not only for the next four years but for the rest of our lives. |
| • | It won't matter if from time to time the Republicans hold one branch of Congress, given the way in which Obama has shown how a Democratic president can rule as an autocrat. |
| • | And why will the Democrats keep the White House? Because the Republican Party of the NeverTrumpers, the party of a narrow right-wing ideology, will have died. |
| • | It had a good run for 160 years but everything has to come to an end, and the GOP is no exception. |
| • | But it's not Hillary that will have killed it, nor Trump either. |
| • | Instead, its last gasp was the Romney debacle of 2012. |
| • | ... the 2012 election was the last chance for a party that was faithful to conservative principles but didn't much care for the American people. |
| • | Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 primaries was simply the last nail in the coffin. |
| • | And the divide between the different wings of the Party is so great that it's unlikely that anyone can put it together again. |
| • | What we'd be left with is a one-party state, with the Republicans playing the role of designated loser |
| • | Don't believe the condemnations of corporate greed. Believe instead the private speeches Mrs. Clinton gave to Wall Street bankers. |
| • | When it comes to writing effective financial regulations, she said, "The people that know the industry better than anybody are the people who work in the industry." |
| • | Some on the left will complain about this. Most will be only too happy to join in the gravy train. |
| • | For the rest, however, expect a party that governs like Mexico's PRI in the bad old days: complacent, corrupt and quick to partner with anyone who has lucrative offices to trade or money to pay. |
| • | Compared to the rest of the First World, we have a less than sterling reputation for political integrity today, and things wouldn't get any better were the Clinton Cash machine to move into the White House. |
| • | Corruption is the silent killer of the economy, and we'd all be paying for it. |
| • | We've seen how, under Obama, government departments such as the IRS and the EPA suppressed political opposition, and how a compliant FBI winked at Mrs. Clinton's misdeeds. |
| • | Can anyone doubt that we see much more of that, with her in the White House? |
| • | And, after all of that, we'd also observe some of the more vocal NeverTrumpers discovering the hidden virtues of Democratic rule. |
| • | Others would voice their surprise at how things turned out. But that will come a bit late. |
| • | After all, they asked for it. |
| • | "What kind of a man tries to hurt someone else, or get others to hurt someone else ... A nasty little bully." |
| • | Of course, while Warren — like all Clinton surrogates in the aftermath of the final debate — is behaving as if calling someone nasty is the moral equivalent of drowning puppies for fun, she had no problem using the word herself in reference to Trump. |
| • | "What kind of a man tries to hurt someone else, or get others to hurt someone else," Warren said at a Clinton rally in Cleveland in September. "A nasty little bully who can't win in a fair fight." |
| • | ... Warren went even further, calling Trump "a man with a dark and ugly soul." |
| • | Apparently in Warren's mind, calling Hillary Clinton a nasty woman is beyond the pale, yet calling Trump a nasty bully with a "dark and ugly" soul is just totally fine. |
| • | "Oftentimes when these videos are released, they reflect not a true representation of that person's views but rather distort that person's views in a way that make it actually more difficult to understand what they're talking about." |
| • | "Regardless of context, the campaign does not condone inciting violence and rejects the discussion of it even as a theory or proposal that was never executed." |
| • | ... saying the practices discussed "do not in any way comport with our long standing policies on organizing events, and those statements and sentiments do not represent the values that the Committee holds dear." |
| • | "James O'Keefe is a discredited right wing fringe activist, paid by Donald Trump's sham foundation, with a history of offering misleading video out of context." |
| • | Obama told CBS News on March 7, 2015 that he learned of Clinton's email practices through news reports at the same time the general public did. |
| • | "The point that the president was making is not that he didn't know Secretary Clinton's email address, he did." |
| • | "But he was not aware of the details of how that email address and that server had been set up or how Secretary Clinton and her team were planning to comply with the Federal Records Act." |
| • | She also said the suggestion that Democrats or her campaign were encouraging women to level accusations against Trump "inaccurate." |
| • | "What he says he did and does is the textbook definition of sexual assault." |
| • | "It's more than that. He said because I'm famous, because I'm a star, because I'm a billionaire, I can do things other people can't. What a disgusting assertion for anyone to make." |
| • | White House press spokesman Josh Earnest urged reporters to take the tapes "with a whole package of salt," and said that violence is "entirely inconsistent with the President's view about community organizing and waging a vigorous campaign; that we should attempt and we should have so much confidence in the power of our persuasion and in our arguments that we shouldn't have to resort to violence. |
| • | "The practices described in the video by this temporary sub-contractor do not in any way comport with our long standing policies on organizing events, and those statements and sentiments do not represent the values that the Committee holds dear." |
| • | "The discredited source of these videos, James O'Keefe, is a convicted criminal with a history of doctoring video to advance his ideological agenda." |
| • | "We are in the process of conducting an internal investigation to determine whether he and his cohorts committed any illegal activities in this well-funded operation." |
| • | The first lady, who for eight years has transformed the White House into the last surviving vaudeville venue (who needs Mozart when you might get Kanye West), revealed herself to be almost terminally offended by Donald Trump. |
| • | "I can't believe that I'm saying that, a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women." |
| • | "... This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about predatory behavior, and actually bragging about kissing and groping women, using language so obscene that many of us were worried about our children hearing it when we turn on the TV." |
| • | To protect her children she must keep them upstairs in the family quarters, and away from some of the Hollywood stuff she and the mister frequently have in to entertain their guests. |
| • | Some of the rappers who perform in the house once occupied by Lincoln and Adams, Jefferson, Jackson and FDR, spin rhymes about their bitches and their ho's, the thrill of killing cops and bringing down all manner of bad things on America. |
| • | Trashy behavior is not only invited into the White House, but the first lady's husband has bestowed honors on some of those who have tracked trash into the house. |
| • | Neither should the first lady allow the girls to watch the video of Dad on his campaign plane, where he once displayed an erection through his pants to tempt and tease the lady reporters in the front seats. |
| • | The locker rooms of the NBA are where only the thoughtful and erudite wisdom of champions can be heard, and there's never a harsh or naughty word to disturb those reading quietly from their Gideon Bibles. |
| • | "We don't disrespect women in no shape or form in our locker room. That never comes up..." |
| • | That will be reassuring to the baby mamas of the men in the NBA locker rooms, some of whom have not one, or two, or three or even four different baby mamas, but more, and eight or nine kids. |
| • | "Look, I can't make any excuse for Bill Clinton's conduct. I wouldn't attempt to make any excuses for the conduct. But he paid a price for it. He paid a price. He was impeached. And he ... expressed his deep sorrow and acknowledged what he did." |
| • | "This guy, as I said, has acknowledged that he has been a sexual predator. He's acknowledged that he's abused his power. And ... as I said, the textbook definition of what constitutes sexual assault." |
| • | "They know better, a lot of these folks who ran, and they didn't say anything, and so they don't get credit for, at the very last minute, when finally the guy they nominated and they endorsed and they supported is caught on tape saying things that no decent person would even think, much less say, much less brag about, much less laugh about or joke about, much less act on. You can't wait until that finally happens and then say, ‘That's too much, that's enough,' and think that somehow you are showing any kind of leadership". |
| • | A group of generous contributors to the GOP told The New York Times that it's time the party stop affiliating with Trump and focus on those who represent the party's core conservative values. |
| • | "At some point, you have to look in the mirror and recognize that you cannot possibly justify support for Trump to your children — especially your daughters." |
| • | "He is a dangerous demagogue completely unsuited to the responsibilities of a United States president." |
| • | "Even for loyalists, there is a line beyond which the obvious moral failings of a candidate are impossible to disregard. That line has been clearly breached." |
| • | "I cannot express my disappointment enough regarding the recent events surrounding Mr. Trump. As a father of two daughters preparing for marriage, I am repulsed by his comments regarding women." |
| • | "I regret coming to the Trump support event, and in particular allowing my son to be a part of it." |
| • | "I can not (sic) support a sexist man. I have three young children and will not support a crude sexist man." |
| • | "That's not true," the first point of a five-point answer began. "And all of this was fought out in the 90's. I understand that now people want to bring it back for their own political reasons." |
| • | "So if Donald Trump wants to attack my family, that's his choice," point four of the answer began. "Listening to Donald Trump on the campaign trail, it's clear to me that he and I see the world very differently." |
| • | "Well, first, let me start by saying that so much of what he's just said is not right, but he gets to run his campaign any way he chooses," she said. |
| • | "He gets to decide what he wants to talk about. Instead of answering people's questions, talking about our agenda, laying out the plans that we have that we think can make a better life and a better country, that's his choice." |
| • | "We have a candidate for president of the United States who over the course of his lifetime, over the course of this campaign, has said things about women that are shocking, so demeaning." |
| • | "The hot mic is just one more tool the media use to protect their friends and target their enemies." |
| • | "... If you are liberal, it won't likely impact you for long. If you are to the right of the media covering the story, it will haunt you forever." |
| • | The response has been swift and apocalyptic. Hillary Clinton tweeted: "This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become president." |
| • | Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine told reporters: "It makes me sick to my stomach." |
| • | Slate's science editor wrote that "I feel sicker after seeing it than I can remember feeling in a while." |
| • | Another Slate columnist writes that Trump and Bush "can't see their female colleagues as anything but collections of f**kable or unf**kable body parts. They exhibit a complete disregard for women's humanity, agency, and internal lives." |
| • | Surely the ravenous purchase by females of stiletto heels, push-up bras, butt-hugging mini-skirts, plunging necklines, false eyelashes, hair extensions, breast implants, butt implants, lip implants, and mascara, rouge, and lipstick to the tune of billions a year has nothing to do with it. |
| • | Females would never ever exploit their sexuality to seek attention from men. |
| • | How surprising that Trump and Bush noticed Zucker's legs! As documented in the video, she is wearing a skimpy purple dress, with an extremely short hem cut on the bias, a low neckline and fully exposed back. She is in high heels to accentuate her bare legs. |
| • | But all that bare flesh must simply be because Zucker has a high metabolism and gets exceedingly warm; she would never want to broadcast her sexuality to men or have men notice her. |
| • | The fact that she swishes her hips when she walks must just be a quirk of anatomy. |
| • | Beyonce and her female chorus line rhythmically thrust their butts, crotches, and breasts to the camera, while Beyonce brags of her sexual prowess. |
| • | The "Formation" video, which inspired Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime performance in January (to another universal swoon from the entertainment industry), also shows a very young girl engaging in some precocious twerking, a grotesque travesty of childhood. |
| • | No objections to that destruction of the innocence of childhood from the DNC. |
| • | President Obama has singled out Beyonce for praise, and the singer is a big Hillary Clinton supporter, to not a word of protest from Clinton regarding her status as a role model for young girls. |
| • | Bill Clinton met with Beyonce and her husband, rapper Jay Z, in September. If Bill or Hillary thinks the lyrics of Jay Z's "Big Pimpin‘" "horrific," in Hillary's words, they are not letting on. |
| • | The Washington Post primly headlined its scoop on Trump's bus conversation with Bush: "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005." |
| • | The New York Times' follow-up story also labelled Trump's remarks "lewd." |
| • | If either of those paper's critics have ever objected to such lewdness in popular culture, it has escaped attention. |
| • | Have they objected to college campus sex weeks, which routinely invite porn stars to offer how-to demonstrations on S & M sex? |
| • | Do they squirm with discomfort when campus administrators pass out tips on the use of sex toys to achieve better orgasms? Not on the record, at least. |
| • | Other Hillary Clinton supporters have hardly been shy about exploiting sex to get ahead. |
| • | "I have used sex as a marketing tool and it has worked. I mean, my TV show is called ‘Inside Amy Schumer.'" |
| • | This blushing Victorian violet explains: "My whole life I found friends that are just like me, young girls that were just like me, like we were all whores." |
| • | "My best friend would describe me as loyal ... to the boyfriend I stole from her." |
| • | Democratic National Convention star, Hillary fan and "Girls" creator Lena Dunham has not exactly set herself up as a model of sexual prudence, either, nor has she shrunk from using her promiscuity as a selling point in the entertainment market. |
| • | The sudden onset of Victorian vapors among the liberal intelligentsia and political class at the revelation of Trump's locker-room talk is part and parcel of the left's hypocrisy when it comes to feminism and sexual liberation. |
| • | But the feminists can't have it both ways: declaring that women should be equal to men in all things and then still demand a chivalric deference to female's delicate sensibilities. |
| • | It is particularly galling to see the selective resurrection of Victorian values from the same crowd that has been pushing transgender locker rooms on the world, in an effort to destroy the last shred of girls' innate sexual modesty. |
| • | Needless to say, actual sexual assault is both criminal and intolerable. |
| • | ... college co-eds insist on the prerogative of maximal promiscuity at the same time that they revert to the role of helpless damsel in distress, when, after drinking themselves blotto to lower their sexual inhibitions, they regret a boozy hook-up and declare themselves raped. |
| • | ... Democrats are the most shameless in their outrage over the Trump braggadocio, having dismissed Bill Clinton's White House and gubernatorial escapades for years, and standing as the party of maximal sexual liberation, unlike the Republicans. |
| • | Feminism ... has declared both modesty and chivalry sexist, leaving females to improvise a response to the inevitable excesses of the male sex drive, when they are not trying to leverage it to their own advantage. |
| • | Fliers mocking "Welcome Black Week" with a "Welcome White Week" posted around the Northern Kentucky University campus this week have prompted demonstrations against racial intolerance on campus and an investigation by school officials. |
| • | Adan yelled Islamist phrases during the attack and, at one point, approached Falconer and asked him if he were Muslim. |
| • | "We have numerous credible witness accounts of him asking victims during the attack if they were Muslim and at least one instance yelling 'Allahu akbar' while stabbing one of his victims and others heard him yelling ‘Islam Islam' during the attack." |
| • | FBI Director James Comey said last week it appeared Adan was at least partly inspired by extremist ideology. |
| • | "... But it is not across the board." |
| • | "And it is going to be a one-time increase." |
| • | "... also argued that ... GOP lawmakers were to blame because of their push to prevent tax dollars from being used to cover insurance company losses. |
| • | the chairman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission is quoted as saying, "The phrases ‘religious liberty' and ‘religious freedom' will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance." |
| • | ... insisting it was "not a reeducation camp being administered by an oppressed group in the service of the feminization of American society." |
| • | "None of you have more at stake in this election than young Americans ... Bernie and I are excited about what he can do together." |
| • | The Clinton campaign pledged last year they would be carbon neutral on the trail and that they would be "offsetting the carbon footprint of the campaign and that includes travel." |
| • | Hillary Clinton has a long history of using private jets rather than flying commercial. |
| • | While Clinton was secretary of state, she once referred to commercial flights as "burdensome." |
| • | The Clintons are not the only liberals who have left carbon footprints while lecturing others about how to travel without leaving their own. |
Ed boards scramble to undercut Trump ahead of debate, as polls show dead heat (Fox 09/26/2016)
| • | The Times wrote: "Voters attracted by the force of the Trump personality should pause and take note of the precise qualities he exudes as an audaciously different politician: bluster, savage mockery of those who challenge him, degrading comments about women, mendacity, crude generalizations about nations and religions." |
| • | Trump's point is simple: It's the height of hypocrisy for elites to employ armed guards (or live in super-safe neighborhoods / gated communities / doorman buildings) and then demand the disarmament of law-abiding people living in much more dangerous areas. |
| • | "I would ask that the press try to refrain from getting out ahead of the investigation." |
| • | "This is somebody who is smart, who is tough and, most importantly, cares deeply about making sure that this country works for everybody and not just a few." |
| • | "And she's displayed it again and again and again. And when I said that I think she is somebody who is as qualified as any individual who has ever run for this office, I meant it." |
| • | ... Trump "has a pattern of inciting people to violence. Whether this is done to provoke protesters at a rally or casually or even as a joke, it is an unacceptable quality in anyone seeking the job of Commander in Chief. |
| • | "This kind of talk should be out of bounds for a presidential candidate." |
| • | "He was asked one more time where was President Obama born and he still wouldn't say Hawaii. He still wouldn't say America," Clinton said. |
| • | "This man wants to be our next president? When will he stop this ugliness, this bigotry?" |
| • | "Hillary Clinton's campaign first raised this issue to smear then-candidate Barack Obama in her very nasty, failed 2008 campaign for President." |
| • | A University of Houston grad student active in the local Black Lives Matter movement is suddenly all for police patrols in his neighborhood — after he was robbed at gunpoint outside his apartment. |
| • | Because the housing is off-campus, it is not patrolled by University of Houston police officers. Ford says that needs to change. |
| • | "I hope they would take a bigger stance and put more security over here because you have a lot of people walking back and forth to class." |
| • | "And a 13-year-old is dead in the city of Columbus because of our obsession with guns and violence." |
| • | Democrats asserted it could put racial minorities at a greater risk of being fatally shot. |
| • | "The targets in our area are black boys, not pheasants." |
| • | "What I don't want to get to is the point where there is a trigger-happy police officer or bad Samaritan like Zimmerman who says, 'Black boy in the hood. Skittles. Let's shoot,'" |
| • | "Can't a girl have a sick day or two? What about Donald Trump's tax returns, where are they?" |
| • | "When it comes to overqualified women having to try a hundred times harder than underqualified men to get a break or even a level playing field, well, we know that story." |
| • | "Dr. Click was hired through an extensive national search process that revealed her to be the most qualified and experienced candidate for the position." |
| • | "Dr. Click has excellent recommendations for both her teaching and scholarship, which includes an extensive record of publication. We are confident she has learned much from her experiences at the University of Missouri and believe she will uphold the rigorous standards of academic excellence demanded of Gonzaga faculty and students." |
| • | "Did you hear anything in that speech that was compassionate and humane? No." |
| • | "If you deplore media cowardice, you might think this is a good thing, not because Trump is a mortal danger to this country, although he is, but because it means the press is doing its job. Call it partisan bias if you like. I call it journalism." |
| • | "The media has felt increasingly free to cover Trump as an alien, dangerous, and dishonest phenomenon." |
| • | "If you're a working journalist and you believe that Donald J. Trump is a demagogue playing to the nation's worst racist and nationalistic tendencies, that he cozies up to anti-American dictators and that he would be dangerous with control of the United States nuclear codes, how the heck are you supposed to cover him?" |
| • | "All things considered, the press has responded defensively to the unusual challenges of covering a brazen, habitual liar." |
| • | But Stephanopoulos, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, must have forgotten to disclose his own five-figure donations to the organization. |
| • | ... the Obama administration has defended it as "leverage" to secure the release of the four Americans. |
| • | "I've known Hillary for a long time. She is trustworthy. She's ready [to be president] as compared to Trump, who has showed recklessness." |
| • | Kerry said that "not one event in the United States, of terror" has been committed by a refugee allowed to re-settle in the U.S. |
| • | "It's wrong to take tax breaks with one hand and give out pink slips with the other. And I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again." |
| • | "We need to appoint Supreme Court justices who will get money out of politics," Clinton said in her speech in Philadelphia. |
| • | I leave you with this: MSNBC blogger Steve Benen, during the Democratic convention: "Khizr Khan's Words Won't Soon Be Forgotten." He said no speaker topped Khan for "sheer emotional weight and resonance." |
| • | Ten days earlier, during the Republican convention, Benen's headline was this: "RNC Manipulates the Pain of a Grieving Mother for Partisan Gain." He called it "probably the lowest point a party has reached in my lifetime." |
| • | President Obama on Tuesday denounced Donald Trump in his strongest terms yet, calling him "unfit to serve" and "woefully unprepared to do this job" |
| • | "That's not what I heard Director Comey say ... Director Comey said that my answers were truthful and what I've said is consistent with what I have told the American people, that there were decisions discussed and made to classify retroactively certain of the emails." |
| • | "We trust in her judgment. We believe in her vision for a united America, we believe in her vision of an America as a just and strong leader against the forces of hatred, the forces of chaos, and darkness," he said. "I tell you without hesitation or reservation that Hillary Clinton will be exactly, exactly the kind of commander-in-chief America needs." |
| • | ... Obama declared, "There has never been a man or a woman – not me, not Bill, nobody – more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America." |
| • | "America is already great. America is already strong," Obama said. |
| • | Obama declined to answer a reporter's question about whether the Dallas sniper attack was a hate crime, saying, "It's very hard to interpret the motives of this shooter, as we have seen in a host of mass shootings." |
| • | ... explosion of violence that President Obama declared a "vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." |
| • | "There's no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement." |
| • | "Muslims Americans are as diverse as our nation itself...Eid celebrations around the country remind us of our proud history as a nation built by people of all backgrounds; our history of religious freedom and civil liberties, and our history of innovation and strength. These legacies would not be possible without the contributions of Muslim Americans that make our country even stronger." |
| • | "We work regularly with safety organizations and policymakers around the world, including Israel, to ensure that people know how to make safe use of Facebook. There is no room for content that promotes violence, direct threats, terrorist or hate speeches on our platform." |
| • | "We have a set of community standards designed to help people understand what's allowed on Facebook, and we call on people to use our report if they find content they believe violates these rules, so that we can examine each case and take quick action." |
| • | Clinton "is pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Department of Justice in bringing this review to a conclusion"... |
| • | The former first lady and New York senator has argued that she is more trustworthy than Trump on handling the issues that matter to most Americans: foreign policy, national security and running the economy. |
| • | "What sparked the recent violence was the airing on the Internet of a very hateful, very offensive video that has offended many people around the world." |
| • | "Far from honoring the four brave Americans who died, the Benghazi Committee has been a partisan sham since its start." |
| • | "We have made great progress towards making our posts safer since 2012." |
| • | President Obama said in a statement that he was "pleased" with the outcome. |
| • | "As the brief filed by the Solicitor General makes clear and as the Court affirmed today, these restrictions harm women's health and place an unconstitutional obstacle in the path of a woman's reproductive freedom." |
| • | Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, in a series of Tweets, hailed the decision as "a victory for women" — but said there's more work to be done. |
| • | "This fight isn't over: The next president has to protect women's health. Women won't be 'punished' for exercising their basic rights. -H." |
| • | For her part, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton suggested the vote should strengthen her appeal in the U.S. |
| • | "This time of uncertainty only underscores the need for calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House to protect Americans' pocketbooks and livelihoods, to support our friends and allies, to stand up to our adversaries, and to defend our interests." |
| • | "It also underscores the need for us to pull together to solve our challenges as a country, not tear each other down." |
| • | Any suggestion "that we would or will turn a blind eye to Iran's state sponsorship of terrorism or their terrorist-supporting activities is completely without merit." |
| • | Obama ... said the decision "takes us further from the country that we aspire to be." |
| • | "The view of the White House is that we should not interfere with an ongoing investigation and rather that those decisions should be made consistent with the assessment by law enforcement officials about the best way to advance the investigation." |
| • | "Unfortunately, the unreleased portions of the transcript that named the terrorist organizations and leaders have caused an unnecessary distraction from the hard work that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have been doing to investigate this heinous crime |
| • | "Calling a threat by a different name does not make it go away... There's no magic to the phrase of radical Islam. It's a political talking point." |
| • | "We don't have religious tests here," Obama said. |
| • | "Make it harder for terrorists to use these weapons to kill us." |
| • | "Let's be clear: Islam is not our adversary. Muslims are peaceful and tolerant people and have nothing to do whatsoever with terrorism." |
| • | White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Monday dismissed suggestions by reporters that Clinton had broken with the president on the issue. |
| • | "Having worked in this administration for four years, she is somebody who agrees strongly with the president's approach to ensuring that we are not giving legitimacy to a terrorist organization that would love to advance the narrative that they are somehow holy warriors advancing the cause of Islam by waging war against the United States," Earnest said. "That is an utterly baseless myth. It is false." |
| • | Clinton repeated claims that Trump wants to "take America back to a time when women had less opportunity" and freedom. |
| • | "Well, Donald, those days are over. We are not going to let Donald Trump — or anybody else — turn back the clock." |
| • | "They are doing so by continuing their nearly year-long witch-hunt targeting women's access to safe and comprehensive health care." |
| • | "Their investigation has so far failed to identify any wrongdoing ... Yet what has come to be known as the Republican Panel to Attack Women's Health continues to operate without an end-date." |
| • | Obama said Wednesday that there are a lot of things "more pressing" than the so-called transgender bathroom policy, including the economy, ISIS and jobs. |
| • | "We should deal with this issue the same way we would want it dealt with if it was our child and that is to try to create an environment of some dignity and kindness for these kids." |
| • | "House Republicans' thirst to discriminate against the LGBT community is so strong that they are willing to vote down their own appropriations bill in order to prevent progress over bigotry." |
| • | "In turning against a far-reaching funding bill simply because it affirms protections for LGBT Americans, Republicans have once again lain bare the depths of their bigotry." |
| • | "Climate change is real. It is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species." |
| • | "A wall won't stop that. The point is, to help ourselves, we've got to help others — not pull up the drawbridge and try to keep the world out." |
| • | "In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue." |
| • | "It's not cool to not know what you're talking about. That's not keeping it real or telling it like it is. That's not challenging political correctness. That's just not knowing what you're talking about." |
| • | President Barack Obama on Sunday urged college graduates to shun those who want to confront a rapidly changing world by building walls around the United States or by embracing ignorance, as he delivered a sharp and barely concealed critique of Donald Trump. |
| • | "Guess what? It ain't so." |
| • | "There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex." |
| • | "No student should ever have to go through the experience of feeling unwelcome at school or on a college campus." |
| • | "We must ensure that our young people know that whoever they are or wherever they come from, they have the opportunity to get a great education in an environment free from discrimination, harassment and violence." |
| • | "As is consistently recognized in civil rights cases, the desire to accommodate others' discomfort cannot justify a policy that singles out and disadvantages a particular class of students." |
| • | "This is a truly significant moment not only for transgender young people but for all young people, sending a message that every student deserves to be treated fairly and supported by their teachers and schools." |
| • | "This is a really serious job. This is not entertainment. This is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States." |
| • | "Every candidate, every nominee needs to be subject to exacting standards and genuine scrutiny." |
| • | "I just want to know how you can say you're going to put a lot of coal miners out of, out of jobs, and then come in here and tell us how you're going to be our friend, because those people out there don't see you as a friend." |
| • | Clinton however said her comments in March were a "misstatement," and that she has been talking about helping out coal country "for a very long time." |
| • | "I guarantee that there is no political influence in any investigation conducted by the Justice Department, or the FBI, not just in this case, but in any case." |
| • | "Nobody is above the law. How many times do I have to say it?" |
| • | "There's carelessness in terms of managing emails, that she has owned, and she recognizes." |
| • | "My No. 1 job is to protect the American people. My No. 1 priority right now is defeating ISIL (the Islamic State.) ... I'm the guy who calls the families, or meets with them, or hugs them, or tries to comfort a mom, or a dad, or a husband, or a kid, after a terrorist attack. So let's be very clear about how much I prioritize this: This is my No. 1 job." |
| • | "In the wake of terrorist attacks, it has been my view consistently that the job of the terrorists, in their minds, is to induce panic, induce fear, get societies to change who they are. And what I've tried to communicate is, "You can't change us. You can kill some of us, but we will hunt you down, and we will get you." |
| • | "And in the meantime, just as we did in Boston, after the marathon bombing, we're going to go to a ballgame. And do all the other things that make our life worthwhile... That's the message of resilience. That we don't panic, that we don't fear, we will hunt you down and we will get you." |
| • | See related King Obama (Gary Varvel, 11/19/2014) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | See related All of My Thoughts... (Michael Ramirez, 08/24/2014) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | See related Last Tango (Chip Bok, 03/29/2016) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | ... saying world leaders are "shocked" by Republican presidential candidates' responses and their embarrassing views on Muslims. |
| • | "Everywhere I go, every leader I meet, they ask about what is happening in America." |
| • | "They cannot believe it. I think it is fair to say that they're shocked." |
| • | He also suggested the GOP candidates' rhetoric is calling into question the United States' "reliability." |
| • | ... fellow Democrats and others are particularly upset over GOP front-runner Donald Trump calling for an end to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and suggesting so-called "enhanced" interrogation methods like water-boarding for terror suspects. |
| • | He also Obama was "delusional" in defending his decisions and actions after the deadly attacks Tuesday by saying "it is very important for us not respond with fear." |
| • | Kerry also said that the Republican presidential candidates' campaign rhetoric on Muslims is an "embarrassment" to the United States. |
| • | "I have examined the protections that this bill proposes to provide to the faith-based community and I can find no examples of any of those circumstances occurring in our state." |
| • | "I do not think that we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia." |
| • | "I'm changing. We need highly-skilled people in this country. If we can't do it, we will get them in." |
| • | Trump's stance toward awarding H1-B visas is different from the one he takes on his campaign website, which argues that more visas for highly-skilled foreigners would "decimate American workers." |
| • | "One of the biggest problems we have is people go to the best colleges ... as soon as they're finished, they get shoved out. They want to stay in this country. They want to stay here desperately. They're not able to stay here. For that purpose, we absolutely have to be able to keep the brainpower in this country." |
| • | "I'm changing it and I'm softening the position because we have to have talented people in this country." |
| • | "I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be President. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people, and I think they recognize that being President is a serious job. It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion. It's not marketing. It's hard." |
| • | "I know Hillary better than I know Bernie because she served in my administration and she was an outstanding secretary of State. And I suspect that on certain issues she agrees with me more than Bernie does. On the other hand, there may be a couple issues where Bernie agrees with me more, I don't know." |
| • | President Obama "regrets" his 2006 decision to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court – after being accused of hypocrisy for blasting "obstructionist" Republicans now vowing to block his next high court nominee. |
| • | "Looking back on it, the president believes that he should have just followed his own advice and made a strong public case on the merits about his opposition to the nomination that President Bush had put forward." |
| • | "What the president regrets is that Senate Democrats didn't focus more on making an effective public case about those substantive objections." |
| • | "Instead, some Democrats engaged in a process of throwing sand in the gears of the confirmation process. And that's an approach that the president regrets." |
| • | When asked about that seeming discrepancy, Obama did not answer directly, noting that senators are sometimes worried about primary elections and a backlash from supporters, and take "strategic decisions." |
| • | This is the kind of Washington hypocrisy that should make everyone cringe. |
| • | In the immediate aftermath of Antonin Scalia's death, Democrats and Republicans, along with liberal and conservative commentators, are making arguments that are parsed as principled, but really naked partisanship. |
| • | They are taking positions that they would reverse in a heartbeat if the Supreme Court vacancy occurred under mirror-image circumstances. In fact, many of them have taken the opposite stance in the past. |
| • | ... there was no decent interval — indeed, no interval at all — between the announcement of the 79-year-old jurist's death and the online debate over what should happen to his seat. |
| • | That seemed disrespectful, but it's the world we now live in. |
| • | President Obama says he will nominate a successor. Mitch McConnell says don't bother, the Senate won't be voting on a nominee because we want to wait for the next president. Both sides are invoking the Constitution. |
| • | Here's Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, saying of McConnell: "He doesn't even know who the president's going to propose and he said, ‘No, we're not having hearings; we're not going to go forward to leave the Supreme Court vacant at 300 days in a divided time.'" |
| • | ... here's Schumer in July of 2007, saying Senate Democrats shouldn't allow George W. Bush to fill any future Supreme Court vacancies "except in extraordinary circumstances": |
| • | "We should reverse the presumption of confirmation. The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito." |
| • | here's Schumer in July of 2007, saying Senate Democrats shouldn't allow George W. Bush to fill any future Supreme Court vacancies "except in extraordinary circumstances": |
| • | "We should reverse the presumption of confirmation. The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito." |
| • | This reminds me of filibusters. The majority says the tactic thwarts the will of the people until they find themselves in the minority, at which point it becomes an important tool for democracy. |
| • | "Republican senators and the presidential candidates should reject the claim that they have an obligation to fill Justice Scalia's vacancy before the election...The Senate can confirm, reject, or just sit on the nominee, just as it can with any other proposal from the executive branch." |
| • | "In an astounding display of partisan pettiness that is low even for their bottom-feeding standards, Republicans came together as one within hours of Justice Antonin Scalia's death to register their outrage that this Barack Obama fellow dare suggest he should nominate a replacement, just because the Constitution, which every conservative swears he sleeps with under his pillow at night, says he should." |
| • | I don't know why McConnell didn't wait until the president came up with a name. Then the Republicans could have come up with reasons why they opposed that nominee, instead of looking obstructionist by saying they'd block anyone for Scalia's seat. |
| • | So do those who complain about judicial activism really want politically determined outcomes, rather than conservative or liberal judges attempting to honestly interpret the law? |
| • | "Skeptics said these actions would kill jobs. Instead, we've seen the longest streak of private-sector job creation in our history. We've driven our economic output to all-time highs while driving our carbon pollution down to its lowest level in nearly two decades... In short, this agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet, and more of the jobs and economic growth." |
| • | The paper's screaming front-page headline: "GOD ISN'T FIXING THIS." There were photos of Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham and Paul Ryan tweeting prayers for the victims. "As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes." |
| • | "One of the things I insisted on the day I walked into the Oval Office was that I don't want intelligence shaded by politics. I don't want it shaded by the desire to tell a feel-good story." |
| • | "I believe that the Department of Defense and all those who head up our intelligence agencies understand that, and that I have made it repeatedly clear to all my top national security advisors that I never want them to hold back, even if the intelligence or their opinions about the intelligence, their analysis or interpretations of the data contradict current policy." |
| • | "As a consumer of this intelligence, it's not as if I've been receiving wonderfully rosy, glowing portraits of what's been happening in Iraq and Syria over the last year and a half... [I]t feels to me like, at my level at least, we've had a pretty clear-eyed, sober assessment." |
| • | The president's call for a thorough investigation was greeted with cynicism by those involved in the 2014 intelligence assessments, since the administration did not act on the earlier raw intelligence that painted a dire picture of developments, especially in Iraq. |
| • | "I would not be doing this trade deal if I did not think it was good for the middle class." |
| • | "I take serious issue when somebody who's done a little non-fighting time in Iraq, and is not a Middle East or Islamic scholar, claims to know better than our President and Secretary of State how to fathom the motivations of terrorists, or how to refer to them beyond the term that best describes them — terrorists." |
Media hypocrisy on Murdoch (CNN 07/20/2011)
U.S. must condemn Israel for ship killings (CNN 06/01/2010)
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The BBC and Israel: an update (INN 03/31/2024)
How the BBC covered the Claudine Gay saga (INN 01/10/2024)
North Korean elites attend year-end ceremony in expensive Mercedes sedans, despite luxury goods ban (Fox 12/27/2023)
Canada lectures Israel on killing civilians? That's chutzpa (INN 12/06/2023)
BBC editor says he 'doesn't regret one thing' after false Gaza hospital reporting (Fox 11/26/2023)
| • | "So it broke in, I suppose, mid-evening. And to answer your question, no, I don't regret one thing in my reporting, because I think I was measured throughout. I didn't race to judgment." |
| • | "Oh, yeah. Well, I got that wrong because I was looking at the pictures and what I could see was a square that appeared to be flaming on all sides. And there was a, you know, sort of a void in the middle. And it was, I think it was a picture taken from a drone. And so, you know, we have to piece together what we see. And I thought, well, it looks like whole buildings gone. And that was my conclusion from looking at the pictures. And I was wrong on that. But I don't feel too bad about that." |
| • | "This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered." |
| • | ... from Guterres's press conference on Monday, when he insisted, "We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary-General." |
UN official causes uproar over claim that Israel doesn't have right to defend itself against Hamas terrorists (Fox 11/16/2023)
UN leader responds to Israel demanding resignation, claims 'misrepresentations' (Fox 10/25/2023)
| • | "I spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian people. And in doing so, I also clearly stated, and I quote, 'But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas,' End quote." |
| • | "I have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel," Guterres continued. "Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians – or the launching of rockets against civilian targets." |
| • | Yet Guterres also said "It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. |
| • | "The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," said the secretary general. |
| • | "But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people." |
| • | ... the European Union is giving Elon Musk an ultimatum to censor "illegal content and disinformation" about the Israel-Hamas war on X. |
| • | "Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indication that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU," Breton wrote in a letter to Musk, which he also posted on X. "Let me remind you that the Digital Services Act sets very precise obligations regarding content moderation." |
| • | "I urge you to ensure a prompt, accurate and complete response to this request within the next 24 hours," Breton wrote. "We will include your answer in our assessment file on your compliance with the DSA. I remind you that following the opening of a potential investigation and a finding of non-compliance, penalties can be imposed." |
| • | "[A]s independent nations increasingly align themselves towards cooperation and convergence, certain powers are attempting to incite conflicts in different regions employing a Cold War mentality, they strive to reconstitute blocks on a global said," Raisi said. |
| • | "This regressive endeavor poses a significant threat to the security and prosperity of nations. The Islamic Republic of Iran staunchly maintains that the formation of a new East-West divide should not be permitted to take shape." |
| • | "If they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them." |
Teacher caught berating kids who object to LGBTQ lesson with severe threat: 'You don't have a choice' (Fox 04/27/2023)
| • | "I can confirm that all of our academies follow the U.K. national curriculum, in line with the Department for Education's guidance, including age-appropriate lessons on relationships, diversity, and inclusion, which cover a range of topics, including LGBT issues." |
| • | "This approach is designed to foster understanding, tolerance and acceptance among our students, and to create an environment where everyone feels safe and respected." |
Justin Trudeau blasted for condemning China after his own restrictive policies: ‘LOOK IN THE MIRROR TYRANT’ (Fox 12/02/2022)
Taliban spokesman blames US, western allies for problems in Afghanistan, wants money, weapons returned (Fox 08/26/2022)
Iran accuses Israel of 'Zionist' aggression, promises new support for Palestinians after clash at holy site (Fox 04/15/2022)
Facebook, Instagram temporarily allowing calls for violence against Putin, Russians among some European users (Fox 03/10/2022)
Defending religion in Ukraine – Russia's Putin distorts shared Christian roots to justify war (Fox 03/06/2022)
| • | ... Putin said, "I would like to emphasize again that Ukraine is not just a neighboring country for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space." |
| • | Ignoring Ukraine's centuries-long national identity distinct from Russia, he added, "the people living in the southwest of what has historically been Russian land have called themselves Russians and Orthodox Christians." |
| • | Protecting this "inalienable ... spiritual space" was part of Putin's casus belli for attacking. In Putin's history, Russia's origin story began in present-day Ukraine and must be reclaimed. |
| • | The statement of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow last Sunday echoed Putin's war logic. "May the Lord preserve the Russian land. When I say ‘Russian,' I use the ancient expression from ‘A Tale of Bygone Years' – ‘Wherefrom has the Russian land come,' the land which now includes Russia and Ukraine and Belarus and other tribes and peoples." |
| • | He even implied that Ukrainian forces defending their homes were "evil." |
| • | The Trudeau government went public last week with a condemnation of Cuba over its lack of free speech protections as the government deployed unprecedented powers to crack down on Canadian truckers and their supporters. |
| • | "Canada strongly advocates for freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly free from intimidation. We stand with the people of Cuba in their aspiration for #democracy." |
| • | Justin Trudeau ... has never been a strong supporter of free speech. ... He previously declared that "freedom of expression is not without limits ... we owe it to ourselves to act with respect for others and to seek not to arbitrarily or unnecessarily injure those with whom we are sharing a society and a planet." |
| • | The timing for the condemnation of Cuba's free speech policies could not be worse. As the statement went out, images of protesters trampled by police horses were triggering outrage in Ottawa. Yet, Trudeau has always relied on a largely compliant and supportive media in cracking down on conservative speech or dissenting views. |
| • | That does not make Canada the new Cuba. However, it also does not make Canada the true north for guiding other nations on the freedom of speech. |
| • | "Who would have reason right now to cause as much chaos in Canada as possible? Well, top of that list is Russia. We are actively engaged in a geopolitical battle about the future of the Ukraine." |
| • | "Given Canada's support of Ukraine in this current crisis with Russia, I don't know if it is far-fetched to ask, but there is concern that Russian actors could be continuing to fuel things as this protest grows, perhaps even instigating it from the outside?" |
| • | "While many of us are working from home, there are others who aren't able to do that - like the truck drivers who are working day and night to make sure our shelves are stocked. So when you can, please #ThankATrucker for everything they're doing and help them however you can." |
| • | Nearly two years later, Trudeau is slamming the same truck drivers as they protest the federal government's vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers. |
| • | ... accused the truckers and other protesters of spewing "hateful rhetoric," expressing "violence toward fellow citizens" and being "an insult to memory and truth." |
| • | "I have attended protests and rallies in the past. When I agreed with the goals, when I supported the people expressing their concerns and their issues, Black Lives Matter is an excellent example of that." |
| • | "But I have also chosen to not go anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric, violence toward fellow citizens. And a disrespect, not just of science, but of the frontline health workers and quite frankly, the 90% of truckers who have been doing the right thing to keep Canadians safe, to put food on our tables. Canadians know where I stand. This is a moment for responsible leaders to think carefully about where they stand and who they stand with." |
| • | "Given the seriousness of the matter, it is very important that learning points and any weaknesses and errors are identified quickly in order to be able to implement measures immediately." |
| • | ... suspicion that the suspect's apparent mental illness caused the attack had strengthened further, while Andersen Braathen's statement of being a convert to Islam had become a less important investigation line. |
| • | "He himself has said that he has converted to Islam. It's a hypothesis, but is also a hypothesis that he hasn't done so. The investigation so far shows that he hasn't done this (converting) seriously." |
| • | A spokesman for Norway's Muslim community told NRK that it was irresponsible for the police to publish the suspect's self-acclaimed conversion to Islam... |
| • | "It hurts, it's very painful. There are a lot of young Muslims who write to me and say they have a nasty feeling. They love Norway but feel they are not loved back." |
| • | See related Diversity Is Our Strength! (Sean Delonas, 12/01/2019) cartoon from Terror picture album |
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| • | "Activists in the Gaza Strip on Monday launched incendiary balloons into southern Israel, setting off at least three fires across the border..." |
| • | "No one immediately claimed responsibility for the balloon launches, but in a statement on Sunday, Hamas and other militant groups pledged ‘to continue our popular activities without hesitation or retreat'." |
| • | It also referred to a "Palestinian activist [who shot an Israeli sniper in the head at point-blank range." |
| • | "We're very very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it's unfair to simply say everything is bad." |
| • | "You know? When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?" |
| • | See related Comrade Bernie (Mike Shelton, 02/27/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
| • | "The United States should not be rubber-stamping weapons sales to the Israeli government as they deploy our resources to target international media outlets, schools, hospitals, humanitarian missions and civilian sites for bombing." |
| • | "I have been struck since my first day on the campaign trail back in 2018 by the overwhelming whiteness and maleness of Chicago media outlets, editorial boards, the political press corps, and yes, the City Hall press corps specifically." |
| • | "Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media. In order to progress we must change." |
| • | "This is exactly why I'm being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city." |
| • | ... called it "unacceptable" that reporters covering City Hall were mostly White. "Many of them are smart and hard-working, savvy and skilled. But mostly white, nonetheless." |
AP torched for claiming they were unaware of Hamas intel operation in their building: 'Difficult to...' (Fox 05/16/2021)
| • | "We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building, This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk." |
| • | Netanyahu faced criticism after the destruction of a building that included offices for The Associated Press. Israel claimed that the office also housed a Hamas intelligence office. |
| • | While no AP reporters were harmed – as they were provided with advanced warning – the action shocked and infuriated news organizations. |
| • | U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered "unwavering support for independent journalists and media organizations around the world." |
| • | See related Crosshairs (Gary Varvel, 07/26/2006) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "When we raise issues of equity and justice at the global scale, we have to approach them with humility, We have to acknowledge that we are an imperfect union and have been since the beginning. Every day we strive to make ourselves more perfect and more just. In a diverse country like ours, that means committing to do the work. It means learning and understanding more about each other." |
| • | ... downplayed the possibility that the virus leaked from a lab near Wuhan, China ... Instead, coronavirus likely spread from an animal to humans... |
| • | "Our initial findings suggest that the introduction through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway and one that will require more studies and more specific, targeted research." |
| • | "However, the findings suggest that the laboratory incidents hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the virus to the human population." |
| • | "Therefore it is not a hypothesis that we advise to suggest future studies ... into the understanding of the origin of the virus." |
| • | See related Assurance (Chip Bok, 04/10/2020) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "They are already in Wuhan, They have been in Wuhan for quite a few days. My questions is, will they be allowed to come here to do the same thing?" |
| • | ... claimed that China's alleged Uyghur reeducation camps in Xinjiang were "Just like a campus. Not a labor camp, but campus." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "The United States are back, and Europe stands ready to reconnect with an old and trusted partner to breathe new life into our cherished alliance." |
| • | With Biden, "we will be stronger to face the challenges of our time. Stronger to build our future. Stronger to protect our planet. Welcome back to the Paris Agreement!" |
| • | See related Paris Treaty (Mike Lester, 06/03/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ... saying in a speech on state television that "what we saw in the United States yesterday evening and today shows above all how fragile and vulnerable Western democracy is." |
| • | "A populist has arrived and he has led his country to disaster over these past four years, I hope the whole world and the next occupants of the White House will learn from it." |
| • | In China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying ripped the U.S. over the way it has described past demonstrators in Hong Kong compared to the scenes that occurred on Capitol Hill yesterday. |
| • | "Everyone may remember how some U.S. politicians and media described the riots in Hong Kong, but look at their choice of words today." |
| • | "The U.S. mainstream media have unanimously condemned today's event, called it violent and shameful and described the protesters as rioters, extremists and thugs, But do you remember what they said about Hong Kong rioters?" |
| • | Russia's Foreign Ministry ... commented that "the events in Washington show that the U.S. electoral process is archaic, does not meet modern standards and is prone to violations." |
| • | "We wish that the friendly American people will survive this dramatic moment in their own history with dignity." |
| • | Foreign Ministry spokeswoman ... shared a post that read in part "the United States will never again be able to tell the world that we are the paragon of democracy." |
| • | Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov also argued that the unrest was payback for past American foreign policy decisions. |
| • | "The boomerang came back to them. It was them that launched color revolutions. In fifty years they carried out three dozen, if not more." |
| • | "They toppled the leaders in North Africa and Yugoslavia and ousted a normal government in Ukraine, they had a go at Belarus last year. Well, now they are paying for it." |
| • | The Biden administration will "return to a sensible approach, resume dialogue with China, restore normalcy to the bilateral relations and restart cooperation." |
| • | Chinese President Xi Jinping in November congratulated Biden on winning the 2020 election... |
| • | Biden is expected to review the Trump administration's China tariffs once the president-elect takes office... |
| • | See related Make China Great Again (Gary Varvel, 11/17/2020) cartoon from Politics picture album |
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| • | "Abuse is a gross violation of human dignity that we cannot allow and which we must continue to struggle against," he wrote of Floyd and the wave of protests that erupted across the world after his death. |
| • | But the pontifex criticized others demonstrating against COVID-19 lockdowns "as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!" |
| • | "You'll never find such people protesting the death of George Floyd, or joining a demonstration because there are shantytowns where children lack water or education." |
| • | ... slammed media organizations that "used this crisis to persuade people that foreigners are to blame, that the coronavirus is little more than a little bout of flu, and that restrictions necessary for people's protection amount to an unjust demand of an interfering state." |
| • | "What is the problem of this person called Macron with Islam and Muslims?" Erdogan asked rhetorically during his Justice and Development Party meeting... |
| • | "Macron needs treatment on a mental level. What else can be said to a head of state who does not understand freedom of belief and who behaves in this way to millions of people living in his country who are members of a different faith?" |
| • | The French crackdown comes in response to the beheading of a history teacher near Paris by an alleged extremist. |
| • | See related Birds of a Feather (Michael Ramirez, 12/10/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "My wife, Peng Liyuan, and I express our sympathies to you and your wife and wish you a fast recovery," Xi said |
| • | Chinese state media had another reaction, however. ... "President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US' pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection." |
| • | See related China President (Gary Varvel, 04/01/2020) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "China's important contribution to the global fight against the pandemic is highly recognized and commended by the international community, a fact that no one can deny." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | ... the Council would not be taking up the U.S. request, after objections from Russia, China and other members. |
| • | "Having contacted the members and received letters from many member countries it is clear to me that there is one member which has a particular position on the issues, while there are significant numbers of members who have contesting views." |
| • | "There have been reports that peaceful protesters have been detained by unidentified police officers and that is a worry because it may place those detained outside the protection of the law and may give rise to arbitrary detention and other human rights violations." |
| • | "The authorities should ensure that federal and local security forces deployed are properly and clearly identified and would use force only when necessary, proportionately and in accordance with international standards." |
Woke Authors Quit JK Rowling's Agency After It Refuses To Cave To Trans Mob (06/24/2020)
| • | "After J. K. Rowling's — who is also signed to the agency — public comments on transgender issues, we reached out to the agency with an invitation to reaffirm their stance to transgender rights and equality." the statement further explains. |
| • | "We felt that they were unable to commit to any action that we thought was appropriate and meaningful." the authors said. |
| • | "Freedom of speech can only be upheld if the structural inequalities that hinder equal opportunities for underrepresented groups are challenged and changed." |
| • | Russia's envoy accused the United States of ignoring racism for decades, and derided a "calamitous state of human rights" in the U.S. |
| • | China's representative said his country was "saddened and shocked" by Floyd's death, saying it wasn't an isolated case and one that exposed "chronic and deep-rooted racial discrimination" in the United States. |
Boris Johnson offers refuge, citizenship to 3 million Hong Kong residents (Fox 06/03/2020)
| • | "The U.K. has had no sovereignty, governance or supervision over Hong Kong since its return (to Chinese rule)." |
| • | "Therefore, the British side has no right to cite the Sino-British Joint Declaration to make irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs and interfere in China's internal affairs." |
| • | "Disgusting that those whose civilization found a 'Final Solution' in gas chambers attack those who seek a real solution at the ballot box, through a REFERENDUM." |
| • | "Why are US and West so afraid of democracy? Palestinians should not have to pay for your crimes, or for your guilt." |
| • | "It's absolutely essential to avoid trusting western govts & international communities dependent on them," Khamenei said. |
| • | "They are opposed to any effective entity of an Islamic nature. They have no regard for human rights. They are the cause of the worst harm and crimes against Islamic nation." |
| • | "The world should have listened to the WHO carefully. We advised the whole world to implement a comprehensive public health approach – find, test, contact tracing, and so on. The countries who followed that are in a better position than others." |
| • | ... noted that the organization issued "the highest level of emergency," or a global emergency, on January 30. |
| • | The WHO did not declare the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic until March, however. |
| • | "Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus..." |
| • | See related Assurance (Chip Bok, 04/10/2020) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun responded by saying, "All the facts are on the table. Epidemics may occur anywhere. The most important thing is to defeat the virus and save lives. China has done its job and is now working hard in helping others. Attempts of scapegoating or stigma go nowhere." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | In one case the spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry attempted to dictate how American press outlets describe the virus. ... "Certain media say this coronavirus is a ‘China Virus.' This is extremely irresponsible and we firmly oppose that." |
| • | "Racism is not the right tool to cover your own incompetence," lectured Chinese state media when President Trump referred to the Wuhan virus. |
| • | Barbara Lee, D-Calif., long considered a strongly pro-China voice, tweeted this to President Trump: "Diseases don't have nationalities. China isn't to blame for you fumbling this crisis." |
| • | Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., wrote: "China didn't ‘unleash' anything. A virus spread, as viruses do. Blaming China and insisting on calling this the ‘Wuhan' virus, even though every medical expert said not to, is putting people's lives in danger. Stop politicizing this and put people first!" |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "We will have many body bags in front of us if we don't behave." |
| • | "When there are cracks at [the] national level and global level, that is when the virus succeeds. |
| • | Now China is on the attack. ... "Slandering, smearing and blaming cannot make up for lost time and more lies will only waste more time and lead to more lives lost," she charged. |
| • | ... part of China's global offensive to deny the cover-up and push a new story: that China's valiant actions "bought precious time for stemming the global spread of the virus." |
| • | ... epidemiologist Dr. Zhong Nanshan, Beijing's chief adviser on coronavirus, pointed to the U.S., saying "in some big country, once it cannot stop the spreading, it will bring a disaster of the whole world." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "Although the epidemic first broke out in China, it did not necessarily mean that the virus is originated from China, let alone 'made in China.'" |
| • | "We should say righteously that the U.S. owes China an apology, the world owes China a thank you." |
| • | China said it is unreasonable that the U.S. is preventing people from entering its borders. |
| • | "All it has done could only create and spread fear, which is a bad example." |
| • | Rouhani also said Iran would "raise the flag" of Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, "in defense of the country's territorial integrity and the fight against terrorism and extremism in the region." |
| • | In the iconic holiday film, Macaulay Culkin's character, Kevin McCallister, walks into the Plaza Hotel by himself as he is separated from his family. He runs into a passerby played by Trump and asks, "Excuse me, where's the lobby?" |
| • | "Down the hall and to the left," Trump responds as he towers over a young Culkin. |
| • | The CBC said the movie wasn't edited for political purposes, but rather to allow for commercial breaks. |
| • | France's finance minister is threatening a "strong European riposte" if the Trump administration follows through on a proposal to hit French cheese, Champagne, handbags and other products with tariffs - of up to 100%. |
| • | The U.S. Trade Representative proposed the tariffs on $2.4 billion in goods Monday in retaliation for a French tax on global tech giants including Google, Amazon and Facebook. |
| • | "It's simply unacceptable," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said... "It's not the behavior we expect from the united states toward one of its main allies." |
| • | Le Maire said the French tech tax is aimed at "establishing tax justice." |
| • | France wants digital companies to pay their fair share of taxes in countries where they make money and is pushing for an international agreement on the issue. |
| • | Despite a BBC report that Erdogan had recently thrown a letter from Trump in the trash, Erdogan began the news conference by telling reporters Trump was a "good friend." |
| • | Trump reciprocated, calling the autocrat a "great president" and claiming that Turkey had a "great relationship with the Kurds." |
| • | "These efforts ... were passed by the House of Representatives, using a negative air that has formed against our country among the American public," Erdogan said. "In a sense, they were being opportunistic." |
| • | "We are saddened that a slander against our country is being accepted by a country's parliament," Erdogan said. |
| • | China would "resolutely oppose the U.S. abusing state power to suppress specific Chinese enterprises with unwarranted charges in the absence of any evidence." |
| • | "The economic bullying behavior of the U.S. is a denial of the market economy principle that the U.S. has always advertised." |
| • | "We would like to urge the U.S. once again to stop abusing the concept of national security." |
British PM Boris Johnson dealt major blow as opponents seize parliamentary agenda control (Fox 09/03/2019)
| • | "He isn't winning friends in Europe. He's losing friends at home. His is a government with no mandate, no morals and, as of today, no majority," Corbyn said... |
| • | "The facts prove that the United States' so-called ‘freedom of navigation' is actually an assertion of maritime hegemony that ignores international law, seriously harms China's sovereignty and security interests, and seriously harms peace and stability in the South China Sea region." |
| • | "We urge the U.S. side to immediately stop such kinds of provocative acts, to avoid causing unexpected incidents." |
| • | "We will continue to create a good investment environment, protect intellectual property rights, promote the development of smart intelligent industries with our market open, resolutely oppose technological blockades and protectionism, and strive to protect the completeness of the supply chain." |
| • | "This could be my last opportunity to see her," Tlaib reportedly wrote of her grandmother, who is in her 90s. |
| • | "I will respect any restrictions and I will not promote any boycotts against Israel during my visit." |
| • | Israel swiftly granted approval. |
| • | But then Tlaib, in a scathing statement and set of tweets, announced she had decided not to go, saying "oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother's heart." |
| • | "Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me. It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in — fighting against racism, oppression & injustice." |
| • | "When I won, it gave the Palestinian people hope that someone will finally speak the truth about the inhumane conditions. I can't allow the State of Israel to take away that light by humiliating me & use my love for my sity to bow down to their oppressive & racist policies." |
US building coalition to protect ships crossing Persian Gulf (Fox 07/26/2019)
| • | "The whole world should be thankful to the Revolutionary Guard for maintaining the security in the Strait of Hormuz," said Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran. |
| • | "Trump's desperate administration is destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security." |
| • | The US wages Economic Terrorism on Iran, has conducted covert action against us & now encroaches on our territory. |
| • | We don't seek war, but will zealously defend our skies, land & waters. |
| • | "We cannot stand by or stay silent at the continuing denial of rights and justice to the Palestinian people." |
| • | "The Labour Party is united in condemning the ongoing human rights abuses by Israeli forces, including the shooting of hundreds of unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza" |
| • | "The silence of many governments, including our own, has been deafening. The UK government should instead unequivocally condemn the killing of demonstrators – including children, paramedics and journalists – and other civilians, and freeze arms sales to Israel," Corbyn said. |
| • | "In his message, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn condemned the Israeli occupation forces' shooting at unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza who were calling for their rights to be recognized. He stressed that peace cannot be achieved with the continued illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories." |
| • | "It also condemns the ongoing occupation and its crimes against our people, and reflects an advanced moral and political position worthy of all praise and thanks." |
| • | The gallery told the newspaper it "fully supported" freedom of artistic expression but recognized the "sincerity of the complaints made against these works and supported the artist's decision to cover them until the end of the exhibition" |
| • | "We cannot allow this kind of unilateral measure by the United States to affect us." |
| • | See related Demand Work (Paul Nowak, 04/04/2006) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | Syria and Iran say the United States is waging "economic terrorism" against countries that have different opinions and should pursue its aims through diplomacy instead. |
| • | "The U.S. entry ban against me, which is ideologically and politically motivated, is part of Israel's escalating repression against Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights defenders in the BDS movement for freedom, justice and equality." |
| • | "Israel is not merely continuing its decades old system of military occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing; it is increasingly outsourcing its outragous, McCarthyite repression to the U.S. and to xenophobic, far-right cohorts across the world." |
| • | "It is bitterly disappointing that a country would allow someone to whom it has extended citizenship and asylum to be arrested in its embassy. First and foremost, we hope that the UK will now give Mr. Assange access to proper health care, which he has been denied for seven years." |
| • | "Once his health care needs have been addressed, the UK courts will need to resolve what appears to be an unprecedented effort by the United States seeking to extradite a foreign journalist to face criminal charges for publishing truthful information." |
| • | "Images of Ecuador's ambassador inviting the UK's secret police into the embassy to drag a publisher of — like it or not — award-winning journalism out of the building are going to end up in the history books. Assange's critics may cheer, but this is a dark moment for press freedom." |
| • | "You need to twist your son's ear for calling Istanbul Constantinople. I have ways of educating Israel if Netanyahu's son continues to use shameful nicknames." |
| • | "When did we ever say that we were going to destroy Israel? Show me one person who made such a statement. No one said such things." |
| • | See related Birds of a Feather (Michael Ramirez, 12/10/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "In the meantime, families, women and children who have fled our countries continue to suffer and the civil society of Tijuana continue to be forced to confront this humanitarian crisis, a refugee crisis caused in great part by decades of U.S. intervention in Central America." |
| • | "We were only walking [to the border checkpoint] so that we could be visible, so that they would recognize that we are a large group of people who just want to be heard so that international law can protect us as we migrate and seek to improve our lives." |
| • | See related Demand Work (Paul Nowak, 04/04/2006) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "We must not give in to negotiations and pressure. We are at a historic point in time." |
| • | The Cuban Mission released a lengthy statement blasting the event as "a political comedy staged on false arguments and with supporting actors of a dark history at the service of a foreign power." |
| • | "It is part of the actions aimed at subverting the legitimately established constitutional order and of the interventionist agenda that has gained renewed momentum under the current administration, whose fascist, racist and xenophobic ideas are a matter of grave concern in the international community." |
| • | "It is not the role of U.N. security to physically remove any delegate from a meeting unless they pose a physical threat." |
| • | "The Palestinian leadership will continue to defend our people's rights against all threats posed by Israel's illegal colonial policies and States that support and adopt them. We will do so in line with international law and using available international conflict-resolution mechanisms." |
| • | "Our actions are anchored in our commitment to and respect for international law and existing international mechanisms. It is also based on our conviction that no one person or country is above the law and that accountability is a cornerstone of ensuring and protecting international peace and security..." |
| • | "The U.S. threats against the ICC are a coup against the rules in the international system." |
| • | "The Trump administration wants to dismantle the international order to ensure that it can stay above the laws and escape accountability." |
| • | "We reiterate that the rights of the Palestinian people are not for sale, that we will not succumb to US threats and bullying." |
| • | "Accordingly, we continue to call upon the International Criminal Court to open its immediate investigation into Israeli crimes." |
| • | "China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity. We firmly oppose and crack down on any forms of internet attacks and the stealing of secrets." |
| • | "The FBI spent thousands of hours investigating, and found no evidence of intrusion. That's a fact." |
| • | "There is much cooperation between our countries. We have many issues to address regarding the world's acute crises, including that in Syria. I would like to inform you about the progress of our contacts with our partners on this complicated problem." |
| • | "Our common goal is to establish stability and peace in the whole region and provide security for the region's countries. The world has witnessed how, with the help from Iran and Russia, the Syrian army was able to play a vital role in fighting terrorism in Syria." |
| • | "In the recent years, we have reached two important achievements. The first one is cooperation between Iran, Russia and other countries in achieving agreements on the Iranian Nuclear Deal." |
| • | "The second one is how Iran, Russia and Turkey cooperate in establishing peace and security in Syria." |
| • | "We too regret this behavior, which has nothing to do with naturism. These are not real naturists for us." |
| • | "In the occupied besieged Gaza Strip, the Palestinian people continue to endure an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis and a rapid decline in the socio-economic situation as a devastating effect of Israel's ongoing occupation, illegal and inhumane blockade and repeated military aggressions." |
| • | ... "It is time for this body to acknowledge that Hamas is no different from Al Qaeda and ISIS." |
| • | White South Africans fear the killings have the tacit support of the ruling African National Congress, with President Jacob Zuma defending the singing of the revolutionary song ‘Kill the Farmer, Kill the Boer', and one his MPs crying out "Bury them alive!" during a parliamentary debate. |
| • | "These songs cannot be regarded as hate speech or unconstitutional," ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said in response to subsequent outrage. "Any judgment that describes them as such is impractical and unimplementable." |
| • | "American jobs are on the line because of his actions and because of his administration." |
| • | ... rejects and condemns what he called "the blatant acts of aggression and violence perpetrated by Israel" against Palestinian Arabs in Gaza... |
| • | "... Israel must respect the right to peaceful protest and the principle of proportionality in the use of force..." |
| • | "I want to reassure President Abbas of the firm commitment of the European Union to the two-state solution with Jerusalem as the shared capital of the two states." |
| • | "Today he stands for things, which he is not responsible for and which he didn't cause, because many of the things he wrote down were redrafted into the opposite." |
| • | "As additional protests are planned for the coming days, the Israel Defense Forces should exercise restraint and respect the rights of Palestinians to peacefully protest." |
| • | "In the face of this bullying and these threats of mass violence, we continue to stand in solidarity with displaced people of all races, ethnicities, creeds, abilities, and gender and sexual identities." |
| • | See related Demand Work (Paul Nowak, 04/04/2006) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "Acting like a spoiled child, won't get you anywhere in politics! DACA is not only a program, it's a way of living for hundreds of thousands of young people. America wake up and stop him! U.S. Congress needs to prevent this child from destroying what's left of the American Dream." |
| • | "It is absolutely infamous what [Trump] does to Mexican DREAMers." |
| • | "... aren't you debriefed every day? NAFTA is a win-win scenario, which has made not only Mexico but the U.S. and Canada, the most thriving region in the world. The U.S. has a deficit with almost every country, mainly because you import more than you export." |
| • | See related Citizen Fox (Chip Bok, 05/26/2006) cartoon from Government picture album |
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| • | See related Demand Work (Paul Nowak, 04/04/2006) cartoon from USA picture album |
| • | "We strongly condemn Israel's use of disproportionate force against Palestinians during the peaceful protests today in Gaza." |
| • | "Hey Netanyahu! You are occupier. And it is as an occupier that are you are on those lands. At the same time, you are a terrorist." |
| • | "I do not need to tell the world how cruel the Israeli army is. We can see what this terror state is doing by looking at the situation in Gaza and Jerusalem." |
| • | "Israel has carried out a massacre in Gaza and Netanyahu is a terrorist." |
| • | See related Birds of a Feather (Michael Ramirez, 12/10/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | Turkey, which gets $155 million, went against us, with its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan boldly declaring, "What is the cradle of democracy doing? They are looking for people they can buy with their dollars." |
| • | "This is bullying," Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs ... said. "It is unethical to think that our votes are for sale." |
| • | ... added that the U.S. "may be strong, but that does not make you right." |
| • | "In a few days the world will celebrate the birth of Christ," Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs ... said on Thursday. "But the lights will not be shining in Jersalem." |
| • | ... an adviser to Erdogan said the country intends to sever its diplomatic relations with Israel in response to Trump's declaration, which he called "aggression against Palestinian rights and complicity with the crime of the occupation." |
| • | See related Birds of a Feather (Michael Ramirez, 12/10/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "The university believes that all first-year students in all disciplines, having undergone the thorough admissions process that Cambridge requires, have the capacity to succeed academically." |
North Korea slams Trump for pulling out of Paris Climate Agreement (Fox 06/09/2017)
| • | "This is the height of egotism and moral vacuum seeking only their own well-being at the cost of the entire planet." |
| • | "Whoever chooses to blindly follow the Trump administration overpowered by its bravado should be fully aware that the judgment of history shall take them all as one." |
| • | "If we can change the conversation in the Islamic world from enmity towards the U.S. to partnership with the U.S., and if we can change the conversation in the U.S. and in the West from enmity towards the Islamic world to one of partnership, we will have changed our world and we will have truly drowned the voices of extremism and we will have drained the swamps ... from which extremism and terrorism emanates." |
| • | It is an interesting metaphor in a desert land. |
| • | "From our perspective, we judge Iran by its actions, not by its words." |
| • | The sanctions were condemned as a "heinous act against humanity" by the foreign affairs committee of the North's Supreme People's Assembly. |
| • | Police detained 29 people in Paris on Sunday after "anti-fascist" demonstrators became violent – hurling glass bottles and firecrackers and setting cars ablaze. |
| • | ... the U.S. was turning the Korean Peninsula into "the world's biggest hotspot" and creating "a dangerous distuation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment." |
| • | ... Iran never had ""aggressive aims, but peace is not a one-way road and if we decide to be peaceful the other party ... may not. So there is a need for vigilance." |
| • | U.N. General Assembly President Peter Thomson told the Mexican ambassador he has appointed him as a co-facilitator of upcoming intergovernmental negotiations of a "global compact" for safe, orderly and regular migration. |
| • | Guterres himself has been taking swipes at Trump on his trips abroad. ... slammed "populist political leaders – [who] for short-sighted and cynical reasons — distort Islam to spread anti-Muslim hatred, playing into the hands of terrorist and extremist groups." |
| • | "It breaks my heart to see developed countries closing their borders to refugees fleeing this region, and worse, sometimes invoking religion as a reason to keep them out." |
| • | High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein took an apparent shot at the Trump administration's threat to leave the Human Rights Council, and criticized "political leaders who today wage campaigns against universal human rights, or threaten withdrawal from international or regional treaties and the institutions which uphold them." |
| • | "[O]ur rights, the rights of others, the very future of our planet cannot, must not be thrown aside by these reckless political profiteers," Iran cheers 1979 revolution; president calls Trump White House 'a problem' http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/10/iran-cheers-1979-revolution-president-calls-trump-white-house-problem.html |
| • | "We are not after tensions in the region and the world. We are united before bullying and any threat." |
| • | "We will never use our weapons against anyone, except in self-defense. Let us see if any of those who complain can make the same statement." |
| • | The OIC warned in the statement that "many of those fleeing war and persecution have been adversely and unjustly affected" by the order. |
| • | "Such selective and discriminatory acts will only serve to embolden the radical narratives of extremists and will provide further fuel to the advocates of violence and terrorism at a critical time." |
| • | "The OIC calls upon the United States government to reconsider this blanket decision and maintain its moral obligation to provide leadership and hope at a time of great uncertainty and unrest in the world." |
| • | Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage in 2011, is returning to court this week as the government appeals a ruling that his isolation in prison breaches the European Convention on Human Rights. |
| • | Breivik has often complained about his treatment and prison conditions. |
| • | Last year, he sued the government, saying his solitary confinement, frequent strip searches and the fact that he was often handcuffed during the early part of his incarceration violated his human rights. |
| • | ... dismissed Breivik's claim that his right to respect for private and family life was violated by restrictions on contacts with other right-wing extremists. |
| • | He made a Nazi salute to journalists at the start of his human rights case last year. |
| • | "Questions over the legality and proportionality arise when nearly 1,000 people are checked and partially stopped only because of their appearance." |
| • | Merkel said she is "shocked, shaken and deeply saddened" by the attack. |
| • | She had told reporters that it would be "particularly sickening" if it's confirmed the attack was an asylum-seeker who sought refuge in Germany. |
| • | ... Merkel's about-face on the full-face veil swiftly drew pushback from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. |
| • | "We believe everyone should be free to wear the clothing of their choice and that laws targeting the tiny minority of Muslim women who wear face coverings are an expression of increasing Islamophobia in Europe." |
| • | "Freedom is about making personal choices, not having a decision imposed on individuals by the state. Growing anti-Muslim bigotry should be repudiated, not pandered to." |
| • | "I meet with Hamas all the time. I'm very open with these things, I have no hidden agenda." |
| • | "My desire is this: We must achieve peace in this region. If there is no peace in the region, it will be unfortunate." |
| • | See related Birds of a Feather (Michael Ramirez, 12/10/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | ... "such claims are part of the general context of creating false justifications to escalate assaults and cover up the continuous crimes committed by the aggression against the Yemeni people, along with the blockade imposed on it, and after the increasing condemnations to such barbaric and hideous crimes against Yemenis." |
| • | ... the State Department condemned Netanyahu's video, saying the administration believed that using the term "ethnic cleansing" was "inappropriate and unhelpful." |
| • | PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas also blasted Netanyahu's video, calling his remarks "toxic wind gusts"... |
| • | "The Islamic Republic's vessels always act in full awareness of international rules and regulations and based on defined norms." |
| • | "Therefore the [American] claims are not only untrue, but stem from their fear of the power of the Islamic Republic's soldiers." |
| • | Obama ... praised the Turkish people who resisted the coup attempt, saying they "affirmed their commitment to democracy" and that they are "the strength and brilliance of democratic institutions." |
| • | Obama also thanked Erdogan and the Turkish people for their efforts to defeat ISIS and their humanitarian efforts in response to the years-long civil war in neighboring Syria. |
| • | "There is no good terrorist or bad terrorist; every kind of terrorism is bad," said Erdogan. |
| • | See related of a Feather (Michael Ramirez, 12/10/2015) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "There is no evidence either way about what the offender meant or whether ... she holds or promotes an ideology which would explain why this assault was aimed at this victim." |
| • | Putin recalled the history of Russia-U.S. ties, saying that at one time the two countries were able to solve "the most difficult international problems to the benefit of both our nations and all humankind." |
| • | Putin expressed hope that this experience will help the two countries get back to working together. |
| • | Pope Francis on Saturday took 12 Syrian refugees, all of them Muslim, back with him to the Vatican after an emotional and provocative trip to Greece. |
| • | The Palestinian government has asked the United Nations to launch an investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings by Israel. |
| • | Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said that past Israeli investigations have failed to "serve justice" and instead, he claims Israel has been "rewarded with impunity." |
| • | The shooting came amid a six-month wave of Palestinian attacks that have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. |
| • | Over the same time, at least 188 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire. Israel says most of those were attackers while the rest died in clashes with Israeli forces. |
| • | The Palestinians say the killings amount to extrajudicial slayings. |
| • | ... the flamboyant mayor, Boris Johnson, accused the United States of "exorbitant hypocrisy" in urging the United Kingdom to vote to stay in the bloc, given that the former defends its own sovereignty with "hysterical vigilance." |
| • | Impolitic commentary is being flung back and forth across the Atlantic these days, marking a sharp turn from the usual amicability. |
| • | The relationship between the United States and Britain is famously a "special" one, and it is unusual for politicians to publicly lash out at their counterparts nearly 4,000 miles away. |
| • | In the article, he argued that Americans would never allow a similar loss of sovereignty as Britain is forced to accept under its E.U. membership. |
| • | "So why is it essential for Britain to comply with a system that the Americans would themselves reject out of hand? Is it not a blatant case of 'Do as I say, but not as I do?'" |
| • | "The British people will be told to be good to themselves, to do the right thing. We will be informed by our most important ally that it is in our interests to stay in the EU, no matter how flawed we may feel that organisation to be. Never mind the loss of sovereignty; never mind the expense and the bureaucracy and the uncontrolled immigration." |
| • | Rouhani brought a gift of a hand-made rug. He told the pope the red-toned carpet was made in the Iranian holy city of Qhom. |
| • | "I ask you to pray for me," Rouhani told Francis... He called the visit by the leader of a Muslim country to the head of the Roman Catholic church "a real pleasure." |
| • | Francis thanked Rouhani for the visit and added: "I hope for peace." |
| • | He gave the Iranian a medal depicting St. Martin helping a poor man, an act Francis called "a sign of unsolicited brotherhood." |
| • | "Italy has always backed the role of Iran as a regional player in resolving tensions in the area, starting with the Syrian crisis. |
| • | "We continue to be gravely concerned at the unrelenting violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel." |
| • | "We call on both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to act decisively to de-escalate the situation." |
| • | ... "the response from Israeli security forces has resulted in alleged attackers, protesters and even bystanders being killed and injured." |
| • | "We again voice deep concern over reports of excessive use of force by Israeli forces." |
| • | ... "punitive demolitions of Palestinian houses and the withholding of bodies of alleged attackers from their families can only aggravate this situation." |
| • | "The decision of the court in the Hague is hypocritical and outrageous, and encourages terrorism rather than fighting it." |
| • | "Israel and the Israel Defense Forces are dealing with terrorist groups that have no inhibitions, and do so while ensuring moral values and trying as much as possible to prevent harming innocent civilians." |
| • | "It would be more appropriate for the court to investigate the Palestinian terror and incitement or the systematic murder of hundreds of thousands of people in the Arab world, and not a democracy that protects itself and has an independent and objective judiciary." |
| • | "It is a tragic irony that Israel, which has withstood thousands of terrorist rockets fired at its civilians and its neighborhoods, is now being scrutinized by the ICC." |
| • | 1) Foreigners "Like Seeing Our Children Die": "They look like friends, but they want us dead, they like seeing our children die." |
| • | 2) The Muslim World — on its Own — "Can Resolve Every Problem": "The only condition to overcome the crisis in the Islamic world is unity, solidarity and alliance. Believe me, we can resolve every problem as long as we are united." |
| • | 3) America Was Discovered by Muslims: "Muslim sailors arrived on the shores of America in 1178." |
| • | 4) Gender Equality? It's "Against Nature": "You cannot bring women and men into equal positions." |
| • | 5) Israel has "Surpassed Hitler in Barbarism": "Those who condemn Hitler day and night have surpassed Hitler in barbarism." |
| • | 6) Birth Control is "Treason": Saying more children were needed "to take Turkey above the level of modern civilizations," he said those who disagreed "have been engaged in the treason of birth control for years, and sought to dry up our generation." |
| • | 7) "We'll Eradicate Twitter": "I don't care what the international community says," he proclaimed. "Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic." |
| • | 8) And Maybe the Whole Web: "I am increasingly against the Internet every day." "Media should never have been given the liberty to insult." |
| • | 9) Robots Are Out to Get Him: "The robot lobby that they set up on social media hits with tweets. They tell them to increase the number of tweets." |
| • | It was a close-run thing, but in the end an Australian leftist came up with the single most pathetic and cowardly response to last week's Islamic terrorist atrocities in France. .... let's take a look at the entry from runner-up Francois Hollande, who – when he isn't desperately avoiding obvious facts – has a part-time gig as the French president: |
| • | "Those who committed these acts have nothing to do with the Muslim religion." |
| • | Apart from the vengeance against Charlie Hebdo magazine for offending Islam. And the screams of "Allahu Akbar" as the Islamic terrorists advanced on their victims. And the cry of "we have avenged the prophet" following the shooting of an injured policeman. And the armed invasion of a Jewish supermarket. And the terrorists' wishes, communicated to authorities as they were trapped near Charles de Gaulle airport, to die as martyrs. |
| • | "I don't depict Muhammad because it's probably racist and also I don't get to put my family and my coworkers at risk of being firebombed." |
| • | This is a fellow who makes his living frequently ridiculing what he depicts as an exaggerated fear of Islamic terrorism and who routinely describes as bigots and idiots those who condemn Islamic terrorism. |
Sarkozy to Netanyahu: You Have My Friendship (INN 11/15/2011)
Ahmadinejad: Mideast leaders should heed calls for change (CNN 02/23/2011)
Turkey demands U.S. solidarity in response to Israeli attack (CNN 06/01/2010)
What the media won’t report about Gaza (05/25/2010)
North Korea slams report that it torpedoed South Korean ship (CNN 05/20/2010)
Ahmadinejad blasts U.S. before visit (CNN 05/01/2010)
Iranian president: 9/11 was 'big lie' (CNN 03/07/2010)
U.N. official: North Korea should get food aid (CNN 02/23/2010)
Iranian media: Supreme leader accuses U.S. of 'spreading lies' (CNN 02/17/2010)
Iranian president warns against tougher sanctions (CNN 02/16/2010)
Security Council Doesn't Work, Gadhafi Tells U.N. (CNN 09/23/2009)
Castro Reviews Obama's Performance (CNN 08/25/2009)
Ahmadinejad calls Obama meddler, likens him to Bush (CNN 06/25/2009)
Spanish judge orders Guantanamo probe (CNN 04/29/2009)
Ahmadinejad jeered at anti-racism conference (CNN 04/20/2009)
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Russia charges top Ukrainian military leaders with ‘terrorism’ over drone strikes (Fox 10/03/2023)
China insists spy balloon was ‘civilian’ owned, but refuses to say who owned it: ‘Nothing more to add’ (Fox 04/05/2023)
China claims to support destruction of nuclear weapons, despite ramping up production (Fox 03/30/2023)
China maintains spy balloon is civilian, claims some in US 'have hyped it up to attack and smear China' (Fox 02/04/2023)
China blasts 'unacceptable' COVID-19 travel restrictions, claims political motivations for new rules (Fox 01/03/2023)
China pledges to crack down on 'rumors' used to 'start trouble' as COVID surges (Fox 12/30/2022)
| • | "[We] must safeguard national security and social stability, and resolutely deal according to the law with behaviors that use the pandemic to infiltrate, sabotage, make rumors to start troubles and disrupt social order." |
| • | "Unprecedented sanctions aggression has been launched against Russia. It was aimed at, in a short time, essentially crushing our economy, through the robbery of our foreign exchange reserves, to collapse the national currency - the ruble - and provoke destructive inflation." |
| • | "The people have made their choice." ... "This is the will of millions," Putin said, declaring residents of the territories Russian citizens. |
| • | "We would like to hope that some day in Great Britain more professional people who can make decisions through dialogue will come to power." |
Russia slams long-time diplomat who quit over war in Ukraine: 'He is against us' (Fox 05/24/2022)
| • | "Mr. Bondarev is no longer with us. He is critical of the Russian leadership's policies, which are supported by practically the whole population of our country." |
| • | "Consequently, this gentleman has come out against our country's consolidated opinion." |
| • | "Sweden's accession to NATO will inflict considerable damage to the security of Northern Europe and Europe as a whole." |
| • | "The Russian Federation will have to take response measures, both military-technical and others, to curb the threats to its national security which arise in this context." |
| • | "In any event, NATO membership will not enhance Sweden's security if only because nobody is threatening the country. However, it will definitely lead to the loss of its sovereignty in foreign policy decision-making." |
| • | "For our part, we are convinced that this choice by the politicians currently in power in Sweden does not meet the long-term interests of the Swedish people." |
| • | "We are not convinced that Finland and Sweden joining NATO will somehow strengthen or improve the security architecture on our continent." |
Putin accuses the West of backing threats of 'nuclear war,' provoking Ukraine conflict (Fox 05/09/2022)
| • | ... claiming that the U.S. and other countries had propped up a "threat" on Russia's borders and had even supported threats of nuclear war against his country. |
| • | "Russia has always stood up for an international system of equality. We have always tried to find compromise solutions... Other countries had completely different plans." |
| • | "They have tried to attack our historical territories like the Crimea. They have threatened to use nuclear war, and the West has supported these military actions carried out in our neighborhood and that is why it was a threat we couldn't accept." |
| • | "We have seen the military infrastructure developed, more and more international military advisors coming into the country. The country was provided with modern weapons. There was a threat that was growing day by day." |
| • | "The United States of America, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union,... has humiliated not only the whole world, but also their satellite states." |
| • | "Today in the Donbas, the militia and our forces stand up in order to defend our territory. We have many people we should remember, and they are now supporting us in the Donbas. You are fighting for your homeland, for the future of our homeland." |
| • | "We also would like to respect those who fought with us in 2014 ... the peaceful people in the Donbas who were killed by the Nazis." |
| • | "On the one hand, we are helping and saving people, and on the other, we are simply taking measures to ensure the security of Russia itself." |
| • | See related Evil (David Hitch, 03/02/2022)) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | Russia has said its troops have committed no war crimes, with Moscow's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claiming "not a single local person" suffered from violence while Bucha was under Russian control. |
| • | Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, has rejected the claims of atrocities against civilians in Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs as a "provocation." |
| • | The ministry said that "not a single civilian has faced any violent action by the Russian military" in Bucha. |
| • | "Not only G20, many organizations are trying to expel Russia," Russian Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva said during a news conference in Jakarta... "The reaction of the West [to the war in Ukraine] is absolutely disproportional." |
Russia demands US stop Meta for 'inciting hatred against citizens' (Fox 03/11/2022)
| • | "Meta's aggressive and criminal policy leading to incitement of hatred and hostility towards Russians is outrageous," the Russian embassy said in a statement... |
| • | "The company's actions are yet another evidence of the information war without rules declared on our country." |
Putin tells Russia's moms 'I understand your worry' amid invasion of Ukraine (Fox 03/08/2022)
| • | "I'd like to address the mothers, wives, sisters, brides and girlfriends of our soldiers and officers who are in battle now," he said in a televised address... |
| • | "I know how worried you are for your loved ones. You can be proud of them just as the whole country is proud and feels for them." |
| • | See related Evil (David Hitch, 03/02/2022)) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "The West clearly has lost self-control in venting anger against Russia and has destroyed its own rules and institutions, including respect for private property." |
| • | "It's necessary to put an end to the arrogant Western philosophy of self-superiority, exclusivity and total permissiveness." |
| • | "Today the dangers that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's regime pose for neighboring countries and international security in general have increased substantially after the authorities set up in Kyiv have embarked upon dangerous games related to plans to acquire their own nuclear weapons," Lavrov said in his remote address before the U.N. Conference on Disarmament and the Human Rights Council... |
Russian state media touts 'denazify' line justifying invasion of Ukraine, denies Russia is aggressor (Fox 02/25/2022)
| • | Russian state media presenters have hailed the invasion as "historic" and repeated the Kremlin line that Ukraine was the true aggressor. |
| • | State media outlets have repeated accusations of "genocide" by Ukrainian troops against Russians in Luhansk and Donetsk, the regions President Vladimir Putin declared "independent" while Russian troops were supposedly securing them this week as part of a "peacekeeping" mission. |
| • | "Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Russia has started a military operation in Ukraine in order to clear the country of Nazis." |
| • | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and had family members perish in the Holocaust. |
| • | "Such persistent hyping up and disinformation by some Western countries will create turbulence and uncertainty to the world full of challenges and intensify distress and division." |
| • | "We hope relevant parties will stop such disinformation campaigns and do more to benefit peace, mutual trust and cooperation." |
Chinese state media says GWU is 'asylum for racism' for allowing anti-Chinese government posters (Fox 02/12/2022)
| • | A Chinese state affiliated media outlet is calling George Washington University an "asylum for racism" after students put up posters made by a Chinese dissident artist that were critical of China's government. |
| • | "... a series of blatantly discriminatory posters insulting Chinese students appeared on the campus of George Washington University (GWU). The most malicious one depicted a curling player wearing a shirt with the Chinese national flag using the COVID-19 virus instead of a curling stone. Unsurprisingly, such a racist poster totally delegitimizing and demonizing China evoked the Chinese students' rightful protest." |
| • | After the posters were put up, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at George Washington University, in Chinese, wrote that the posters contain "serious racist views" and demanded that the university "punish them severely," referring to the individuals who put the posters up. |
| • | In response, George Washington University President Mark Wrighton wrote in an email that he is "personally offended by the posters." |
| • | "I, too, am saddened by this terrible event and we will undertake an effort to determine who is responsible." |
| • | Wrighton backtracked in a Monday message to the George Washington University community and said that his original email was written "hastily," and said that he supports freedom of speech. |
| • | "I want to be very clear: I support freedom of speech — even when it offends people — and creative art is a valued way to communicate on important societal issues. I also support the many students and faculty at our university who are engaged in researching, and actively advocating against, all forms of discrimination, marginalization, and oppression." |
| • | The Chinese government affiliated media outlet blasted Wrighton's decision and said that he "suddenly turned his back on the Chinese students who pleaded with him for protection from racism," adding that there is a "racist double standard targeting Chinese people in American society today." |
| • | "Using ‘freedom of speech' as an excuse to spread irresponsible lies delegitimizing China has actually been a common practice in the West for decades. GWU's decision to grant asylum to hate speech is another shameful page in the terrifying phenomenon of racist double standard targeting Chinese people in American society today." |
| • | "The sudden and fundamental flip of Wrighton's attitude toward the posters also clearly demonstrates that much of American society today is so indulged in launching a witch-hunt against the Chinese that it cannot even tolerate a university president granting the minimum degree of protection to save students from racist demonization." |
| • | "Kyiv is becoming increasingly insolent in its aggressiveness towards the Minsk agreements, the Russian Federation, and in its attempts to provoke the West to support its military ambitions," Lavrov said... |
| • | "The war in Donbas is Ukraine's internal business," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We know about the attempts to cast Russia as a party to the conflict, but it's not so. It's only possible to end the war in Donbas through talks between Ukrainians." |
| • | "The relevant report, totally based on the concocted lies and distorted facts without providing any evidence, is not credible or scientific." |
| • | "What the relevant US congressmen have done smears and slanders China in pursuit of political gains, We express categorical opposition to and strong condemnation of such despicable acts that have no moral bottom line." |
| • | "In a word, we urge the US to respect facts and science and focus on fighting COVID-19 and saving lives, instead of engaging in political manipulation under the pretext of the epidemic and shifting the blame to others." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "We once again urge Japan to approach the relevant issues with the right mentality, and show its respect for China's sovereignty and sincerity in upholding regional peace and stability." |
| • | "‘One country, two systems' is never something that will turn Hong Kong into an independent or semi-independent place; Just the contrary; it is a security line that protects Hong Kong and its 7.47 million people from the evil hands of foreign-backed political forces and secessionists." |
| • | See related Thanks, China (Bob Gorrell, 03/19/2017) cartoon from World picture album |
| • | "International affairs should be handled by everyone through consultation, Rules made by one or more countries should not be forced upon others." |
| • | Xi called for stronger cooperation in research on coronavirus vaccines and steps to make them available to developing countries. |
| • | "... China will never seek hegemony, expand, seek spheres of influence or engage in an arms race." |
| • | "Building walls and decoupling violate economic and market rules, harming others." |
| • | The 68-year-old Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades — longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin — said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024 when his current six-year term ends. |
| • | He has argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work instead of "darting their eyes in search for possible successors." |
| • | "We hope that United States will do better on human rights, The fact is that there are many problems within the United States regarding human rights, which is admitted by the U.S. itself. In the United States in human rights are deep-seated, they did not just emerge over the past four years, such as Black Lives Matter." |
| • | "I would tell him: ‘Be well.' I wish him health, and I say that without any irony or joking," Putin said... claimed Biden's description of him as a killer reflected the United States' own problems. |
| • | ... pointed at the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan during World War II, as well as its history of slavery and slaughtering Native Americans, noting the painful legacies weighing on the United States. |
| • | "Otherwise, where would the Black Lives Matter movement come from?" Putin said, citing racial injustice and police brutality. |
| • | "But we know how to defend our own interests, and we will work with them only in the areas we are interested in and on conditions we see as beneficiary to ourselves, And they will have to reckon with it." |
| • | ... the statements "indirectly constitute absolute interference in our internal affairs" and are "direct support for the violation of the law of the Russian Federation, support for unauthorized actions." |
| • | "Now many will say that many people came out for the illegal actions. No, few people came out; many people vote for Putin." |
| • | The 44-year-old Navalny, Putin's most prominent and persistent foe, was arrested Jan. 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where had been recovering from severe nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin and that Russian authorities deny. |
| • | Authorities said his five-month stay in Germany violated terms of a suspended sentence that was imposed in a 2014 fraud and money-laundering conviction, which he says is fraudulent and politically motivated. |
Knife attack at French church leaves 3 dead, alert level raised to maximum (Fox 10/29/2020)
| • | The Kremlin responded Thursday to the recent beheadings in France, saying it was unacceptable to kill people, but also wrong to insult the feelings of religious believers, according to Reuters. |
| • | See related Asylum with the Most Interesting Man in the World (Chip Bok, 08/03/2013) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | "Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily. I am really sorry for that." |
| • | "Although I am entrusted with the important responsibility to lead this country upholding the cause of the great Comrades Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il thanks to the trust of all the people, my efforts and sincerity have not been sufficient enough to rid our people of the difficulties in their lives." |
| • | Wiping away tears, Kim maintained the widely debunked claim that the hermit kingdom has had a zero-coronavirus infection rate, heralding his appreciation to the troops for preventing a devastating outbreak and peppering his speech with anecdotes pertaining to the "grave challenges" and "countless ordeals" the government has faced. |
| • | "I am ashamed that I have never been able to repay you properly for your enormous trust. My efforts and devotion were not sufficient to bring our people out of difficult livelihoods." |
| • | "Many years of evidence shows that it is the U.S. that is the fomenter of regional unrest, the violator of the international order and the destroyer of world peace." |
| • | "There must be a reason for an investigation. For the moment, all you and I see is that the patient is in a coma." |
| • | "Should Beijing support protests in the US, like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong?" |
| • | "Why did the U.S. glorify the so-called pro-independence forces in Hong Kong as heroes, but call the protesters disappointed with racism in the U.S. rioters?" |
| • | "Some politicians in the U.S. associated the coronavirus with China, and smeared China. China expresses its strong anger and opposition to that." |
| • | "We call on the U.S. to stop finger-pointing at China. The utmost priority is for the international community to cooperate on fighting the virus." |
| • | "The U.S. should focus on its top priority, and play a constructive role in international cooperation on health security." |
| • | China has spread rumors that a U.S. military member might have smuggled the virus into Wuhan. |
| • | "I propose to either lift the presidential term limit or add a clause that after the revised constitution enters force, the incumbent president, just like any other citizen, has the right to seek the presidency," lawmaker Valentina Tereshkova said to raucous applause. |
| • | "The president is a guarantor of security of our state, its internal stability and evolutionary development," Putin said. "We have had enough revolutions." |
| • | Then he said he supported Tereshkova's alternate proposal to restart the term count when the revamped constitution enters force. |
| • | "As for the proposal to lift restrictions for any person, including the incumbent, to allow running in elections, this option is possible," Putin said. |
| • | He added that the Constitutional Court would need to judge if the move would be legal, although the court's assent is all but guaranteed. |
| • | See related From Russia with Love (Bob Gorrell, 03/14/2006) cartoon from World picture album |
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| • | Pyongyang authorities insisted the U.S. envoy sent to retrieve the University of Virginia student sign a pledge to pay the bill before allowing Warmbier's comatose body to return to the United States. |
| • | ... accused Western nations of trying to "get rid" of their own citizens by refusing to repatriate their nationals who were fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. |
| • | ... said the government does not interfere with news programs. |
| • | ... Putin called a moment of silence in Alexeyeva's memory before chairing the presidential council for human rights. |
| • | "Washington is attempting to damage Huawei's international reputation and taking aim at the tech giant's global market in the name of law." |
| • | "The Chinese government should seriously mull over the U.S. tendency to abuse legal procedures to suppress China's high-tech enterprises. It should increase interaction with the U.S. and exert pressure when necessary. China has been exercising restraint, but the U.S. cannot act recklessly. U.S. President Donald Trump should rein in the hostile activities of some Americans who may imperil Sino-U.S. relations." |
| • | "We condemn the ongoing attempts by blackmail to achieve concessions from Russia. This would be a very dangerous step." |
| • | "United States is bringing the world back to the Cold War." |
| • | "Wishing that the invariable trust and confidence in Your Excellency Mr. President will be further strengthened in the future process of taking practical actions, I extend my conviction that the epochal progress in promoting the DPRK-U.S. relations will bring our next meeting forward." |
| • | ... comes days after the North Korean Foreign Ministry released a statement accusing the U.S. of "gangster-like" demands and trying to unilaterally pressure the country into abandoning its nuclear weapons. |
| • | "We had expected that the U.S. side would offer constructive measures that would help build trust based on the spirit of the leaders' summit.. we were also thinking about providing reciprocal measures." |
| • | Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says NATO is using "the non-existent Russian threat to methodically boost its military potential" and beef up its forces near Russia's borders. |
| • | He said the new weapons would help ensure global stability and draw a line under attempts to weaken Russia. |
| • | Putin emphasized that the development of new weapons that have no equivalent in the West came after the U.S. withdrawal from a Cold War-era treaty banning missile defenses and U.S. efforts to develop a missile defense system. |
| • | ... "we cannot for the benefit of political agendas of certain countries abandon a genuine achievement of international diplomacy." |
| • | ... again pushed a Russian-Chinese "roadmap for an exclusively peaceful settlement" of the North Korea nuclear issue. |
| • | "Our satellite launch [last February] is a legitimate exercise of the right that thoroughly fits the U.N. Charter that enshrines the basic rights of respect for sovereignty and equality, and the international law that governs the peaceful use of space." |
| • | "Our country is also in step with the trends of space development that is taking place broadly across the world," also noting the program would "help contribute to the dreams and ideals of mankind." |
| • | ... the mentions of Russia struck Moscow as "imperial" and showed "an aversion to a multi-polar world." |
| • | "Where is the freedom of the media, one of the cornerstones of America?" |
| • | "Ramping up military hysteria will lead to nothing good. It could lead to a global catastrophe. There's no other path apart from a peaceful one." |
| • | "As never before everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions." |
| • | "Sanctions of any kind would now be useless and ineffective." |
| • | ... "the one who is smarter and stronger must take the first step" |
| • | "In Russia's opinion the calculation that it is possible to halt North Korea's nuclear missile programs exclusively by putting pressure on Pyongyang is erroneous and futile." |
| • | ... although the country "had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state," Warmbier was provided with "medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the U.S." |
| • | "The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S., is a mystery to us as well." |
| • | Russian officials called the jet's intercept a "greeting" maneuver. |
| • | "Trump, when he came to Moscow a few years ago, was not a politician," Putin said. "We did not even know about his political ambitions." |
| • | "He was just a businessman, one of the richest men in America. Is someone really thinking that our intelligence agencies are chasing every American billionaire, or what? Of course not. It's just a complete nonsense." |
| • | "We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Year's holidays. Moreover, I invite all children of U.S. diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children's parties in the Kremlin." |
| • | "If yesterday in those areas of Romania people simply did not know what it means to be in the cross-hairs, then today we will be forced to carry out certain measures to ensure our security." |
| • | Putin cried foul over the claim that the defense system was need to protect from Iran. He said that excuse made no sense because of the landmark nuclear deal that was struck to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions. |
| • | "We've been repeating like a mantra that we will be forced to respond... Nobody wants to hear us. Nobody wants to conduct negotiations with us." |
| • | "The issue of Crimea is over forever, based on the will of the people who live there. Russia will never negotiate on this issue." |
| • | Russian defense officials rejected U.S. criticism of the incident.... the pilots of the Su-24 jets saw the ship and turned back "while using all measures of precaution." |
| • | Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said he was baffled by what he described as the "distressed reaction of our American counterparts." |
| • | "We are aware that the groundwork we have on Syria could only have been possible thanks to the supreme political leadership of the United States, specifically the position of President Obama," said Putin. |
| Terrorism (02/11/2022) | Go to: List top | Previous section (12/05/2023) | List bottom |
| • | "We have to respond to them twice fold because we were attacked and did not attack anyone," Abbas said in a recording played during a memorial service for the Fatah terrorists, who were eliminated after carrying out a number of shooting attacks in recent weeks. |
Israeli immigrant killed by Hamas gunman in Jerusalem; group hails 'heroic operation' (Fox 11/21/2021)
| • | ... Hamas praised the attack as a "heroic operation." "Our people's resistance will continue to be legitimate by all means and tools against the Zionist occupier until our desired goals are achieved and the occupation is expelled from our holy sites and all of our lands." |
| • | "Our people, our engineers, our doctors, professors, and those who have been educated. The country needs their talent, and they should not be taken to foreign countries." |
| • | Liberal Democrats deputy leader Ed Davey said on Sunday that he was "alarmed" at Johnson's reaction to the London Bridge attack. |
| • | "In the middle of an election, we shouldn't be making political capital out of a tragedy, and he's doing that, and he's doing that in a way which is misleading people about what the law actually says." |
| • | "I'm a bit shocked. It's a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it's a bit unjust on me and my son." |
| • | ... the family was "disappointed" by the decision and "all legal avenues" are being considered to challenge the government's decision. |
| • | "I married my husband, I wouldn't have found someone like him back in the UK." |
| • | "I had my kids, I did have a good time there. It's just that then things got harder and I couldn't take it any more and I had to leave." |
| • | "It's a two-way thing really because women and children are being killed in the Islamic State right now and it's kind of retaliation. Their justification was that it's retaliation so I thought ok that is a fair justification." |
| • | "Iran has fought ISIS, al-Qaida, their various associate and affiliated terror groups and other terrorist groups in our region for decades." |
| • | "The U.S., meanwhile, has destabilized the region at every turn by invading countries under false pretenses, supporting brutal invasions and occupations by its proxy states, and by supporting terrorists across the region." |
| • | "How convenient: Just as we embark on a presidential visit to Europe, an alleged Iranian operation and its 'plotters arrested. Iran unequivocally condemns all violence & terror anywhere, and is ready to work with all concerned to uncover what is a sinister false flag ploy." |
| • | "We don't attack you because you eat pork, you drink wine or you listen to music, but Muslims defend themselves against those people who attack us." |
| • | "The Israeli government is plotting to steal the funds of the Palestinian people. This is an act of aggression committed by thieves in the form of Israeli officials." |
| • | "Muslims are judged and treated without pity, there is no presumption of innocence." |
| • | ... the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties. |
| • | He wrote on Facebook before boarding a crowded subway train — with the pipe bomb strapped on his body — that Trump has "failed to protect" the nation. |
| • | See related Anything Else to Declare? (Glenn McCoy, 11/01/2017) cartoon from Terror picture album |
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| • | "The last thing we should do is cast aspersions on whole races of people, or whole religions or whole nations," he said, adding that "generalizing" a whole religion sends the "exact negative message" and helps the enemy. |
| • | "We have to be smarter and have more intelligence, but there's also no doubt that this is not the time to play politics. This is not the time to foment hate. This is not the time to divide." |
| • | ... "targeting innocent civilians and killing them is part of a satanic plot being carried out by those terrorists, which aims at tarnishing the concept of jihad (holy war) and sullying the image of Islam." |
| • | ... Omar Khadr apologized to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care. |
| • | ... said they are freedom fighters working "peacefully and politically" for the people. |
| • | ... complaining about the Palestinian government's support of the fighters is Israel's way to distract from issues like its alleged "occupation" of their land. |
| • | The Palestinians and rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force in some confrontations. |
| • | ... while Palestinians say it's the result of nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation and dwindling hopes for an independent state. |
| • | "These crimes, and the killing of martyrs, emphasizes that the government of Israel is attempting to escalate the situation, and is ignoring political and diplomatic attempts [to make peace, while]....these killings of martyrs are the Israeli government's response to international efforts." |
| • | ... called upon the international community to intervene urgently in order to stop the "martyr killings," and to provide protection to the, "Palestinian nation." |
| • | In the stomach-turning video, Ghneimat's mother cheerfully discusses her son's favorite Ramadan dishes and laments his imprisonment. |
| • | The Palestinian TV host referred to Ghneimat as a hero, and his mother described him as "kind and calm," adding his favorite meals were "meat with tahini" and "chicken with rice." |
| • | His mother pleaded for his release in the video, in part so he can educate his son who "does not have respect for his mother." |
| • | America bears some of the blame for the bloody wave of Islamic extremism that has brought terrorism to San Bernardino, Paris and locations around the world, according to a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. |
| • | "Let's not forget that some of our own foreign policy, as Americans, as the west, have fueled that extremism." |
| • | ... U.S. support for repressive regimes in the Middle East, including Egypt, "push people over to the edge." |
| • | "Then they become extremists. We are partly responsible. Terrorism is a global problem, not a Muslim problem. And the solution has to be global. Everyone has a role in it." |
| • | ... Farook "doesn't agree that Islam is not a peaceful religion." |
| • | Farook ... also had gotten into several heated arguments with a co-worker, Nicholas Thalasinos, about Islam. |
| • | Thalasinos reportedly questioned whether Farook's faith was truly a "religion of peace." |
| • | He was one of the 14 killed in Wednesday's attack. |
| • | "The Authority condemns Israeli escalation in Jerusalem and the West Bank, including the killing of two young men in occupied Jerusalem and demands international protection for Palestinians." |
| • | The "two young men," the PA refers to appear to be two Islamist terrorists each responsible for a separate attack in the Old City over the weekend. Both terrorists were neutralized by police after stabbing Israelis. |
| • | A PA spokesman further claimed that "Israel wants to destroy the solution of 'two states for two peoples,' thereby leading the region into a new cycle of violence." |
| • | "As Muslims, we've never taken part in terrorist massacres. Behind these lie racism, hate speech, and Islamophobia. French citizens carry out such a massacre, and Muslims pay the price. The West's hypocrisy is obvious." |
| • | "Take note that the acts of terror are not carried out in a vacuum. The acts follow a predetermined script and we should be [aware of a] a plot against the Islamic world." |
| • | "French citizens carry out such a massacre, and Muslims pay the price," Erdogan said. "The West's hypocrisy is obvious. As Muslims, we've never taken part in terrorist massacres." |
Terrorist States Iran and Turkey Join Forces to 'Fight Terror'
Iran's Ahmadinejad slams 'devilish' Israel (INN 06/08/2010)
World reaction to Israel after raid on aid flotilla mostly negative (CNN 05/31/2010)
World reaction to Israel's pre-dawn raid (CNN 05/31/2010)
10 dead as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid convoy (CNN 05/31/2010)
Convoy of ships heads to Gaza in attempt to break blockade (CNN 05/27/2010)
Red Cross defends helping Taliban treat casualties (CNN 05/27/2010)
The Fort Hood Report: Why No Mention of Islam? (Time, 01/20/2010)
U.S. faces 'absolute defeat,' Taliban leader purportedly says (CNN 10/25/2009)
Navy SEALs accused of punching accused Falluja plotter (CNN 10/25/2009)
Chicago Mayor Daley blames Fort Hood on America's love of guns!
Peaceful Preaching inside, Violent Message outside a New York Mosque (CNN 11/06/2009)
U.N. Rights Council Backs Gaza 'War Crimes' Report (CNN 10/16/2009)
Palestinians Call for Israel to Be 'Punished' for Gaza Offensive (CNN 09/29/2009)
Ex-Taliban claims abuse at Gitmo, Bagram: 'They were beating me' (CNN 04/29/2009)
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