Never gonna happen, but I would pay real money to watch these two barnstorming the country, answering every question from every pundit -- every Tom, Dick and Peter Baker -- with, "We fucking told you so."
Bumper stickers, posters, tee-shirts, buttons, ringtones, jingles, commercials with adorable pets or a kick-line cast of hundreds, all with the same message in the same five simple words.
...after an army of them nominated the worst person in the world for president of the United States three times, and elected him twice.
His timing was, as always, on point. The joke was carefully built, every word well chosen, and he knew exactly how to amplify it and ride it into another news cycle:
President Obama: This is what I mean when I say these are not serious people. They don't have solutions to actual problems, so they'd rather have the media and you talking about the Cheesecake Factory.
And then came the part that everyone would rather skate past:
President Obama: That's the game they've been playing for the last two years.
No. No. No.
For reasons that escape me, people with enormous platforms -- and who damn well know better -- keep pretending this all began five minutes ago. As if "the media" and "you" are just innocent bystanders, being taken in by the Bamboozler-in-Chief and his assorted henchmen.
No, Mr. President, this did not start two years ago. It started decades ago. And nobody gets to plead ignorance anymore.
Around this time of year, I usually run a short birthday fundraiser, which, I realize, would be an even harder ask than usual this year, given all the campaign fundraising texts and ads under which we're being buried, and the fact that Donald Trump's disastrous policies have driven up the price of everything everywhere.
Nonetheless, I am making a fundraising pitch. But this year, it's not on my own behalf. I'm asking you to kick in a few bucks to support our local Springfield Immigrant Action Network (SIAN), because ICE has landed in Springfield.
From their Facebook page:
Dear friends and neighbors,ICE is in Springfield, and as part of their strategy of harm and disruption, they no longer publicly announce locations/areas where they conduct raids. They want to prevent and avoid community organizing and they are counting on people to be too afraid to talk. We will not be silent.Yesterday and today, ICE detained and took at least four adults, and today, half a dozen children went home to find that one of their parents was taken. Make no mistake: the people taken had rights and they were approached in public places, they were followed, chased, and taken, mostly, based on racial profiling and not criminal or judicial warrants. Who they are, where they live, the other details are not public information, and those who care about their safety and wellbeing will not treat their stories as social media content, nor do anything that could compromise rather than contribute to their safety. We will instead center the needs of those affected. These children are citizens and they also have rights.SIAN’s efforts are currently focused on providing support to families and their children, and knowing that food would be scarce, loss of income is pervasive and inevitable, and mental health services for children and adults that speak languages other than English are difficult to access and secure, we are asking for your help...
I've known the leaders of this group since they came together early in Trump's first term. They're terrific people who've been doing the Lord's work on a shoestring, helping some of the most vulnerable residents of our city in the face of this monstrous regime's escalating savagery.
If you were inclined to kick a couple of bucks my way for my birthday, many thanks. This year, I'd appreciate it if you'd instead contribute to the good work SIAN is doing in Springfield, Illinois.
I'll keep this post pinned to the top of my blog for the next week, with any new posts I do appearing beneath.
Here's the link to their website.
The donate button is on the upper right of that screen. Tell 'em driftglass sent you :-)
...or it might be the opposite of that thing.
Or maybe both. Or neither.
Welcome to the lucrative world of punditry, where there are never any penalties for having inane opinions, only for having the wrong professional contacts.
...He/She/They/Shai-Hulud opens a Taco Bell.
Mysterious are the ways of the Lord.
I did a lot of Liberal media yesterday, so today the Professional Left podcast is taking a day to rest and recharge before next week, which also promises to be a Joe Daisy (an expression my ex-grandmother-in-law used to describe something wild, and which I have never heard elsewhere).
So, in lieu of a fresh TPL episode, this is me on the BradCast yesterday with Brad, Desi, and Digby.
And this is me on with Hal Sparks yesterday for two hours.
All of these worthies are great company during these evil times.
I hope you enjoy it.
