Elect a Clown, Expect the Circus

JohnInCarolina · February 6

These aholes are going to get so many people killed.

DoubleEgger · February 6

Sometimes even the circus knows the ringmaster is mentally unstable.

lousubcap · February 6

Thursday Clown Show Summary:

"Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees appear to have gained access to at least some Department of Health and Human Services payment and contracting systems, sources say. Musk’s representatives have been working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in recent days, the sources added. Anna Wilde Mathews and Liz Essley Whyte report for the Wall Street Journal.

Justice Department lawyers yesterday agreed to a proposed order that would largely prohibit the Treasury Department from sharing sensitive federal payments data with DOGE but allow two Musk-affiliated Treasury Department employees to have “read-only” access to the federal payments systems until a Feb. 24 hearing. Peter Charalambous reports for ABC News.

More than 40,000 federal workers have accepted the Trump administration’s resignation offer so far, an Office of Personnel Management official said yesterday. Lindsay Ellis and Janet Adamy report for the Wall Street Journal.

The Trump administration’s resignation offers could be canceled at any time,top Education Department officials told staff members yesterday. Tyler Kingkade and David Ingram report for NBC News.

Federal government layoffs are “likely” if too few employees accept the deferred resignation offer, a General Services Administration supervisor told staff earlier this week in an email obtained by the Washington Post. Faiz Siddiqui, Emily Davies, and Lisa Rein report.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove yesterday accused the FBI’s acting leaders of “insubordination” over resisting the request to identify Jan. 6 attack investigators. In a Justice Department memo, Bove also said agents “who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner” face no risk of termination. Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer report for AP News.

The White House ordered the CIA to share a list of employees on probation to the Office of Personnel Management by an unclassified email. David E. Sanger and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times.

The Trump administration on Tuesday evicted former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan from her house with three hours' notice, two people said. Jonathan Allen and Courtney Kube report for NBC News.

President Trump revoked the security detail for former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, one of the former Trump administration officials facing threats from Iran. Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times. "

lousubcap · February 6

The GWN is rightfully pushing back- @Canugghead, @GrateEggspectations, @paqman , @zaphod, @GlennM and many more that I have failed acknowledge-
Canadians support using oil as a weapon against America if Trump follows through on his trade war against the US’s northern neighbor. According to a new poll, there is strong nationwide support for putting export taxes on oil shipments if needed to retaliate against Trump’s tariffs. Overall, 82% of Canadians would be in favor of raising the price on oil exports to the US if Trump tries to put levies on Canadian goods but exempts oil. While export taxes on energy have been considered politically divisive in Canada, the robust backing shows the level of anger among the Canadian public over the 78-year-old Republican’s repeated threats.

Canugghead · February 7

you just cancelled @GrateEggspectations lol

lousubcap · February 7

Canugghead said:

you just cancelled @GrateEggspectations lol

Bourbon brain fart-since fixed and thanks for the mid-course correction.

Canugghead · February 7

other canucks that surfaced recently... @Mr1egg @poster @Skiddymarker @Mark_B_Good, @Braggart, somone help me remember the username of the double indirect guru

JohnInCarolina · February 7

Canugghead said:

other canucks that surfaced recently... @Mr1egg @poster @Skiddymarker @Mark_B_Good, @Braggart, somone help me remember the username of the double indirect guru

@AlmaHolzhert ?

lousubcap · February 7

Run with it-public service announcement here-

JohnInCarolina · February 7

dbCooper · February 7

Canada seems to remember (America has forgotten since 2015 or so) that the way you deal with a bully is to punch them in the mouth. Admiration here for the punches being thrown from up north.

Botch · February 7

dbCooper said:

Canada seems to remember (America has forgotten since 2015 or so) that the way you deal with a bully is to punch them in the mouth. Admiration here for the punches being thrown from up north.

The very first political cartoon I cut out of my folks' newspaper was exactly this; bartender Uncle Sam said, "Nice slap shot, I owe you a beer". Big burly Canada t-shirt guy had just thrown a punch, and turbaned Iranian ayatollah-kinda guys was on the floor with X's swimming around his head.
This was '78 or earlier; wish I could remember the exact incident.

Legume · February 7

Sounds like Argo, Botch

Canugghead · February 7

Botch said:

dbCooper said:

Canada seems to remember (America has forgotten since 2015 or so) that the way you deal with a bully is to punch them in the mouth. Admiration here for the punches being thrown from up north.

The very first political cartoon I cut out of my folks' newspaper was exactly this; bartender Uncle Sam said, "Nice slap shot, I owe you a beer". Big burly Canada t-shirt guy had just thrown a punch, and turbaned Iranian ayatollah-kinda guys was on the floor with X's swimming around his head.
This was '78 or earlier; wish I could remember the exact incident.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper ?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/ty/rg3zkmf8ww5t.png

Canugghead · February 7

https://youtu.be/8GXmplRrwgA?si=9v-vvtlmeVIepMH0

dbCooper · February 7

If you like history, research what the Canadian troops did, and endured, at Normandy on D-Day. Juno Beach all the way to Germany. Now we are ostracizing them, and many more bonded in blood true friends.

To be clear, by "we" I mean anyone not making some effort to oppose the trajectory the USA is on since 20-Jan-2025.

keener75 · February 7

Canugghead said:

https://youtu.be/8GXmplRrwgA?si=9v-vvtlmeVIepMH0

Thanks for sharing that @Canugghead.
Makes me feel proud to be Canadian!

Canugghead · February 7

Jean Chretien is 91 today and he gave himself a birthday present. He told Donald J. Trump to piss off in the The Globe and Mail. Here's his column:

* * *

Today is my 91st birthday.

It’s an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. To look back on the life I’ve had the privilege to lead. And to reflect on how much this country we all love so much has grown and changed over the course of the nine decades I’ve been on this Earth.

This year, I’ve also decided to give myself a birthday present. I’m going to do something in this article that I don’t do very often anymore, and sound off on a big issue affecting the state of the nation and profoundly bothering me and so many other Canadians: The totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our very sovereignty from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

I have two very clear and simple messages.

To Donald Trump, from one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world – and make no mistake, that is what we are – to join the United States?

I can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world – when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony.

We’ve also built a strong social safety net – especially with public health care – that we are very proud of. It’s not perfect, but it’s based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us should be protected.

This may not be the “American Way” or “the Trump Way.” But it is the reality I have witnessed and lived my whole long life.

If you think that threatening and insulting us is going to win us over, you really don’t know a thing about us. You don’t know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we signed up – both times – years before your country did. We fought and we sacrificed well beyond our numbers.

We also had the guts to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a completely unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.

We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds.

We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.

And that leads me to my second message, to all our leaders, federal and provincial, as well as those who are aspiring to lead our country: Start showing that spine and toughness. That’s what Canadians want to see – what they need to see. It’s called leadership. You need to lead. Canadians are ready to follow.

I know the spirit is there. Ever since Mr. Trump’s attacks, every political party is speaking out in favour of Canada. In fact, it is to my great satisfaction that even the Bloc Québécois is defending Canada.

But you don’t win a hockey game by only playing defence. We all know that even when we satisfy one demand, Mr. Trump will come back with another, bigger demand. That’s not diplomacy; it’s blackmail.

We need another approach – one that will break this cycle.

Mr. Trump has accomplished one thing: He has unified Canadians more than we have been ever before! All leaders across our country have united in resolve to defend Canadian interests.

When I came into office as prime minister, Canada faced a national unity crisis. The threat of Quebec separation was very real. We took action to deal with this existential threat in a manner that made Canadians, including Quebeckers, stronger, more united and even prouder of Canadian values.

Now there is another existential threat. And we once again need to reduce our vulnerability. That is the challenge for this generation of political leaders.

And you won’t accomplish it by using the same old approaches. Just like we did 30 years ago, we need a Plan B for 2025.

Yes, telling the Americans we are their best friends and closest trading partner is good. So is lobbying hard in Washington and the state capitals, pointing out that tariffs will hurt the American economy too. So are retaliatory tariffs – when you are attacked, you have to defend yourself.

But we also have to play offence. Let’s tell Mr. Trump that we too have border issues with the United States. Canada has tough gun control legislation, but illegal guns are pouring in from the U.S. We need to tell him that we expect the United States to act to reduce the number of guns crossing into Canada.

We also want to protect the Arctic. But the United States refuses to recognize the Northwest Passage, insisting that it is an international waterway, even though it flows through the Canadian Arctic as Canadian waters. We need the United States to recognize the Northwest Passage as being Canadian waters.

We also need to reduce Canada’s vulnerability in the first place. We need to be stronger. There are more trade barriers between provinces than between Canada and the United States. Let’s launch a national project to get rid of those barriers! And let’s strengthen the ties that bind this vast nation together through projects such as real national energy grid.

We also have to understand that Mr. Trump isn’t just threatening us; he’s also targeting a growing list of other countries, as well as the European Union itself, and he is just getting started. Canada should quickly convene a meeting of the leaders of Denmark, Panama, Mexico, as well as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to formulate a plan for fighting back these threats.

Every time that Mr. Trump opens his mouth, he creates new allies for all of us. So let’s get organized! To fight back against a big, powerful bully, you need strength in numbers.

The whole point is not to wait in dread for Donald Trump’s next blow. It’s to build a country and an international community that can withstand those blows.

Canadians know me. They know I am an optimist. That I am practical. And that I always speak my mind. I made my share of mistakes over a long career, but I never for a moment doubted the decency of my fellow Canadians – or of my political opponents.

The current and future generations of political leaders should remember they are not each other’s enemies – they are opponents. Nobody ever loved the cut-and-thrust of politics more than me, but I always understood that each of us was trying to make a positive contribution to make our community or country a better place.

That spirit is more important now than ever, as we address this new challenge. Our leaders should keep that in mind.

I am 91 today and blessed with good health. I am ready at the ramparts to help defend the independence of our country as I have done all my life.

Vive le Canada!

lousubcap · February 7

Friday Clown Show summary:

"The chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission, Ellen Weintraub (D), yesterday said that President Trump had attempted to fire her and that she does not see the move as legally valid. “I've been so fortunate to serve the American people and stir up some good trouble along the way. That's not changing anytime soon,” she said in a social media post. Chris Cameron reports for the New York Times.

A DOGE staffer resigned yesterday after being linked to a deleted social media account that advocated racism and eugenics. The 25-year-old was one of the two DOGE employees with court-approved access to the Treasury’s payments systems. Katherine Long reports for the Wall Street Journal.

Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the FBI to disband its Foreign Influence Task Force, a team combating foreign threats to U.S. elections. In a separate directive, Bondi also disbanded efforts to seize Russian oligarchs’ assets. Ken Dilanian reports for NBC News.

The FBI yesterday provided the Justice Department with names of employees who worked on Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigations, after previously relaying information on employee ID numbers only, FBI acting Director Brian Driscoll said. Evan Perez and Hannah Rabinowitz report for CNN.

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers have gained access to sensitive Office of Personnel Management records of millions of federal employees, U.S. officials said. Isaac Stanley-Becker, Greg Miller, Hannah Natanson, and Joseph Menn report for the Washington Post.

The Treasury Department's chief of staff, Dan Katz, pushed for DOGE to have operational control over the federal payment systems so that it could freeze transfers to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), emails reviewed by the New York Times show. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously said that DOGE did not attempt to block payments. Andrew Duehren, Alan Rappeport, and Theodore Schleifer report.

USAID is expected to be reduced down to about 290 workers from the more than 5,000 foreign service officers, civil servants, and contractors it currently employs, sources say. Abigail Williams, Vaughn Hillyard, and Zoë Richards report for NBC News.

The White House is working on an executive order to fire thousands of Department of Health and Human Services workers, sources say. Liz Essley Whyte and Betsy McKay report for the Wall Street Journal.

Trump yesterday signed an executive order aimed at eradicating “anti-Christian bias” in federal agencies. Erica L. Green reports for the New York Times.

Trump has nominated Anthony Tata, a retired brigadier general with a history of inflammatory comments, to be the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Helene Cooper reports for the New York Times.

The White House has directed the General Services Administration to terminate “every single media contract” expensed by the agency and pull “all contracts” for Politico, BBC, E&E, and Bloomberg. Zachary Basu and Marc Caputo report for Axios."

Legume · February 7

I just want to highlight this nugget from the post above.

Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the FBI to disband its Foreign Influence Task Force, a team combating foreign threats to U.S. elections. In a separate directive, Bondi also disbanded efforts to seize Russian oligarchs’ assets. Ken Dilanian reports for NBC News.

This is Russia's wet-dream. China, North Korea and Iran too. I would love to hear any rational explanation for this.

Legume · February 7

#winning

or not.

Botch · February 7

Yup, that was it; thanks guys!

Braggart · February 7

lousubcap said:

The GWN is rightfully pushing back- @Canugghead, @GrateEggspectations, @paqman , @zaphod, @GlennM and many more that I have failed acknowledge-
Canadians support using oil as a weapon against America if Trump follows through on his trade war against the US’s northern neighbor. According to a new poll, there is strong nationwide support for putting export taxes on oil shipments if needed to retaliate against Trump’s tariffs. Overall, 82% of Canadians would be in favor of raising the price on oil exports to the US if Trump tries to put levies on Canadian goods but exempts oil. While export taxes on energy have been considered politically divisive in Canada, the robust backing shows the level of anger among the Canadian public over the 78-year-old Republican’s repeated threats.

"Most" Canadians support using oil as a weapon...

Here in Alberta, the region where the oil is produced and overwhelmingly looked down on by the rest of the country, we have alternate views. Using oil as a weapon would only serve to kneecap Alberta's entire economy, which seems to be a matter of convenience for our current federal govmnt.

Imagine living in a place where the federal govmnt has done everything in their power to cripple and disable your main industry while blatantly benefiting by removing the proceeds of said industry for the betterment of their voting base in other regions, the very regions that refuse to allow said industry to move their products across their borders.

Google "equalization payments" in Canada to better understand Alberta's pet peeve.

Now that oil and energy seem to be rather important as a lever of trade, the feds and the rest of Canada recognize how important it is for national security. Of course when the winds of trade once again become less hostile (more favourable?) oil and energy will once again be looked down on and the rest of Canada will roast their golden goose.

Bitter much? We (Albertans) are and have a long history of reasons to be.

zaphod · February 7

Oil certainly has an ... interesting ... social, economic, and political history in Canada. Weirdness is the rule.

For example, here in BC we pay the highest gas prices in North America even though we produce crude (113.2 thousand barrels per day). We just have no refineries. So all the oil gets to coast, then down to refineries in the States and then back to us. Refinery maintenance season means pump prices go up. Refinery fire in SanFran last week meant pump prices here went up. A butterfly flapped it's wings and the effect is our pump prices go up.

Alberta certainly has it's own history, as do the off-shore Atlantic oil rigs off the Newfoundland shore. It is an ongoing sore point for many people, for many years.

lousubcap · February 7

This week gas prices where I am (in flyover country) jumped 35¢/ US gallon. There is so much at play with gas prices...

DoubleEgger · February 7

Legume · February 7

"I'm not racist, I just like their policies"

JohnInCarolina · February 7

Legume said:

"I'm not racist, I just like their policies"

“I’m not a racist, but the good guys lost in Django”

DoubleEgger · February 8

That worm must have eaten the part of his brain that controls fiscal responsibility.

Kennedy’s credit card balances range between $610,000 and $1.2 million in accounts that carry interest rates of 23.24% to 23.49%, the filing shows.

Legume · February 8

WTF

Elect a Clown, Expect the Circus

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