Rosh Hashana begins in just a few hours. To celebrate, let's sing!
Corruption, corruption! Corruption!
Corruption, corruption! Corruption!
Who, day and night, has got his tiny hands out?
Reaching for a pay-out, raking in the cash?
And who keeps on whining, every day he's whining,
"I'm the real victim here!"
The POTUS, OAFPOTUS! Corruption!
The POTUS, OAFPOTUS! Corruption!
Who must know the way to break a proper law,
A needed law, a settled law?
Who must shred all precedent and end the law,
So billionaires can plunder all the dough?
The SCOTUS, the SCOTUS! Corruption!
The SCOTUS, the SCOTUS! Corruption!
I voted for the guy who said
He's gonna kick them out,
But now my soybeans and my corn are all
Moldy.
The MAGAS, the MAGAS! Corruption!
The MAGAS, the MAGAS! Corruption!
And who gets all the loot
And tax breaks and a yacht?
And who will get a pardon if
They're ever fin'ly caught?
The KLEPTOS, the KLEPTOS! Corruption!
The KLEPTOS, the KLEPTOS! Corruption!
Oy, where did that come from? I mean, other than today's news:
- Republicans on the US Supreme Court once again used the "shadow docket" to allow the OAFPOTUS to fire the last Democrat on the Federal Trade Commission, paving the way for him to gut all cryptocurrency regulations so he can continue bilking his followers and taking bribes from everyone else.
- White House "Border Czar" and cosplaying tough guy Tom Homan allegedly accepted $50,000 in cash in a sting operation last year, so of course the OAFPOTUS ordered the FBI to drop the investigation.
- The White House announced, to the surprise of literally everyone including the State Department, that henceforth H1-B visas would cost $100,000, in what looks a lot like an attempt to shake down small tech firms that need foreign experts to compete with the OAFPOTUS's billionaire tech donors.
- Adam Kinzinger, who you'll remember still considers himself a Republican, castigated the OAFPOTUS and the VPOTUS for turning right-wing propagandist Charlie Kirk's funeral into a hateful event. (Kinzinger was no fan of Kirk, either.)
It's still more than 15 months until the next Congress, when at least we can put out the flames and start planning the repairs. But wow, such corruption.
The authoritarian project currently underway in the United States, like all other authoritarian projects in history, has nothing to do with any specific policies or official statements except those that concentrate wealth in friendly hands. It's entirely about power and control. The specifics do not matter to the people trying to take over.
Corruption is the main reason why Disney/ABC pulled comedian Jimmy Kimmel from its network yesterday. The conglomerate claimed that this was because of Kimmel's comments about Charlie Kirk's murder, which is only about 5% true. As NPR and others reported, this was really about the OAFPOTUS threatening to get in the way of already rich people making a lot of money:
Nexstar, which operates 32 ABC stations around the country, is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion dollar merger. After Nexstar announced it was pulling Kimmel's show, Sinclair Broadcast Group was next. That major TV station operator said in a statement that suspending the show is not enough. "Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA."
Sinclair, as you may know, has pronounced right-wing leanings, and is also one of the largest operators of TV stations in the US following the FCC's loosening of ownership rules in 2022 (and at other times).
This isn't hard to follow. Huge media corporations want to become bigger, to get even more wealth, so they can become bigger. (Any similarity between mega corporations and cancer is purely coincidental.) The philosophies of the managers and boards of these companies tend to be right-wing, i.e., encouraging the concentration of wealth and not caring at all about people who aren't wealthy like them. Owning media companies makes it easier to flood the zone with propaganda supporting those positions. This is a very old cycle.
The FCC chair himself calling for Kimmel's censorship demonstrates that we're in late-stage regulatory capture: the media mega-corporations can influence the regulator to decide things in their favor.
So how do we fix this? Simple: Win elections. Fight corruption. Break up mega-corporations. And quit being distracted by the bullshit.
We've done it before. We can do it again.
I figured, maybe today I'll lead with something fun instead of the usual:
- Organizers report that they are close to finalizing a deal with the Chicago Park District to open the second-largest dog park in the city, directly adjacent to Inner Drive Technology World Headquarters 1.0. (Of course, I haven't lived there in 20 years and they don't allow dogs, so this is merely something interesting.)
- Matthew Yglesias pointed this morning his readers to "a common-sense Democrat manifesto" that he wrote last November; I'm still digesting it. (What do we want? Moderation! When do we want it? As soon as we have consensus!)
- Jeff Maurer won't attend "your dumb little civil war for dorks," thank you very much.
Oh, wait. I don't have anything else today. Maybe that's why I feel so relaxed?
I agree with most of what the British comedian says, except I would say while both the Right and Left have descended into illiberalism, the Left aren't actually shooting anyone:
Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar (R, 1991-1999) has died of pancreatic cancer:
Mr. Edgar was a moderate Republican whose ranks have all but disappeared in Illinois politics as the Trump-era MAGA movement took hold in the state. He was pro-choice on abortion and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in her 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump.
As the state’s 38th governor, he served two terms from 1991 to 1999. He also served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1976 to 1979 and as Illinois secretary of state from 1981 to 1991.
In 2012, the former governor started the Edgar Fellows Program at the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs, which aims to foster bipartisanship and cooperation between parties by developing young leaders in Illinois. Participants include former and current Illinois state legislative staff, elected officials and other leaders across the state.
Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday called Mr. Edgar a friend and mentor. Pritzker said flags across Illinois would fly at half-staff to honor Mr. Edgar’s legacy.
Edgar was the last sane, un-indicted Republican governor of Illinois. Today he likely would have run as a centrist Democrat, as evidenced by his votes for Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.
I voted against him in both 1990 and 1994, though even I have to admit he was a better governor than Neil Hartigan would have been. And, of course, back then we didn't think it was the end of the world when someone in the other party got elected.
He will be remembered as a good public servant.
In the day since a yet-unknown sniper assassinated far-right activist Charlie Kirk, people across the political spectrum have reacted with anger and horror. Most--at least, from the center-right to the center-left--decried the violence itself, even when they found Kirk's politics reprehensible:
- Former presidents Biden, Obama, Bush, and Clinton soundly condemned the killing, with Obama posting, "We don't yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy."
- Former US Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): "Elected officials and public figures should set the tone by rejecting inflammatory language, by calming rather than exciting our worst instincts. Media outlets and online platforms must take seriously their power to either inflame or cool tensions. And each of us, in our conversations at home and online, has the chance to model a politics that is fierce but never violent. Democracy is not passive. It asks every citizen to participate, to stay engaged, to keep faith that peaceful change is still possible even when it feels slow or frustrating."
- David Graham in The Atlantic: "[E]employing force is actually an admission of defeat. A person who resorts to violence has concluded that he cannot change the terms of debate with words or arguments. Might may not make right, but it can end the conversation."
- Comedy writer Jeff Maurer doesn't think it was funny: "People who don’t appreciate the awfulness of this event aren’t just lacking empathy — they’re naive. They apparently don’t realize that political violence pushes us backwards on the civil society evolutionary timeline. People on the right who seem to be steeling themselves for a second civil war are making the same mistake, except that the far right hears “go backwards” and thinks “great idea”. But anyone who values the hard-earned progress that humanity has made separating political power from physical power should view this as a tragedy on a human and a societal level. This is the type of shit that we just don’t do anymore, and let’s hope that we’re not about to enter an era in which that statement is less true."
- Stephen Colbert had a similar response: "I’m old enough to personally remember the political violence of the 1960s, and I hope it is obvious to everyone in America that political violence does not solve any of our political differences. Political violence only leads to more political violence, and I pray with all my heart that this is the abhorrent action of a mad man and not a sign of things to come."
Unfortunately, the difference between centrists and the extremes has followed a predictable and depressing pattern, starting with the psychologically-damaged and demented man heading our government.
- The OAFPOTUS went with projection and vitriol: "For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now."
- Josh Marshall points out that the OAFPOTUS may have the attribution backwards: "Right-wing violence, both of an organized paramilitary sort and by radicalized loners, has become such a scourge in recent years that on the extremes you hear voices for things like armed versions of Antifa and the like as some sort of counter. ... Fascists do civil violence better than civic democrats. It’s a foundational element of their political philosophy. It’s the verdict of logic and history."
- Jen Rubin takes right-wingers to task for only expressing outrage when someone from their side of the aisle is targeted: "Sadly, [the OAFPOTUS] and the MAGA troops reserve outrage only when Republicans are targeted (compare the near-silence when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was targeted, the mockery when Paul Pelosi was nearly killed, and the snide remarks when two Minnesota Democrats were assassinated). As we saw yesterday, Democrats condemn political violence whoever is targeted, as such acts have no place in a democracy. Nor does selective outrage or scapegoating broad swaths of the country for violent attacks."
- Jonathan Chait also calls out the OAFPOTUS for failing, once again, to be the President of the United States: "Every political movement in history, including the most bloodthirsty, has condemned political violence by its opponents. The only real test is whether you also oppose political violence by your allies. This is a test Trump has repeatedly failed."
- Other far-right voices called for more violence and retribution: "We are up against demonic forces from the pit of Hell,” wrote commentator and podcaster Matt Walsh on X. “This is existential. A fight for our own existence and the existence of our country."
Kirk's assassination was reprehensible. As much as I wanted to see him discredited, ridiculed, exiled, and bankrupted, he didn't deserve to die.
Neither did the school kids shot in Colorado yesterday while all this was going on. I hope their stories don't get lost in the noise.
Kirk, who founded the far-right youth organization Turning Point USA, has died after being shot on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah:
Kirk, 31, emerged as one of the most prominent voices on the right, gaining an audience of millions of listeners between his daily talk show and social media channels. He rose to prominence in conservative circles largely by holding events on college campuses at which he debated liberal students. He developed a close relationship with Trump in recent years and was a regular presence at Mar-a-Lago in the winter during Trump’s transition to his second presidential term.
It was only about 10 minutes into the conservative activist’s appearance at the university. Kirk had just welcomed the students with remarks of gratitude for their political involvement and taken one question about religion, said [student Sarah] Heywood, 19.
Then, the second person began asking about gun violence. It was clear, Heywood said, that they were ready to have a heated conversation with Kirk. Still, she didn’t think anything of it. She just listened.
The audience member was midsentence when a bullet struck Kirk in the neck, Heywood said. She’d barely registered the “pop” of the gunfire before she saw Kirk’s head swing backward and blood spew from his neck, she said.
In an appearance in April 2023, Kirk said that gun deaths are "unfortunately worth it" to preserve an absolutist interpretation of the Second Amendment.
The thoughts and prayers of thousands are with Kirk's family today, who, like millions of other Americans, may not think it "worth it." For my part, I'm thinking more about the deeper meaning of Matthew 26:52.
A total lunar eclipse has just started and will reach totality at 12:30 Chicago time, which is unfortunately about 10 hours too early for us to enjoy it here. It's a good way to end the first day of meteorological autumn, though, as is the 8 km walk Cassie and I have planned around 2 this afternoon. With a forecast high of 19°C, it should be lovely.
In other eclipses this past week:
For what it's worth, the next total lunar eclipse visible from Chicago will be on 26 June 2029, starting at sunset and reaching totality at 21:31 CDT.
The Christianists in Florida, clearly getting bribes from Big Microbe, have ended the requirement that students get vaccinated in order to attend public schools:
Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, the Florida surgeon general, made the announcement on Wednesday alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican. Mr. DeSantis rose to national prominence during the coronavirus pandemic, and over time he has espoused increasingly anti-vaccine views.
“Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body?” Dr. Ladapo, a vocal denigrator of vaccines, said to applause during an event on Wednesday in Valrico, Fla., near Tampa. “Your body is a gift from God.”
I mean, if it quacks like a duck...
Honestly, I have no idea why Republicans who should know better still play at being so hostile to science and reason. Ron DeSantis is a gigantic asshole, but he's not stupid. So why this religious nuttery?
While on a Brews & Choos mini-adventure yesterday, I learned that US Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has leaked that she won't seek re-election. This comes just a day after Democrat Catelin Drey flipped Iowa Senate district 1 from +20 OAFPOTUS to +5 Democratic. (Drey's win also breaks the Republican Party's supermajority in the Iowa Senate.)
You may also remember Senator Ernst responding to her constituents alarm at HR 1* and its effects on their ability to remain breathing by saying "we're all going to die" and doubling down with a tin-eared video from a cemetery the next day.
Then, just a few minutes ago, I heard Scott Simon on NPR interviewing California Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) who proposed splitting California into two states along the coast because poor Republican politicians can't get any of their programs through, given they make up only 39% of the state's electorate. "It's not fair!" he whined. "The Democrats don't care about the smallfolk!" He then went on to list three different ways the OAFPOTUS has screwed his district, suggesting the Democrats did it.
Gallagher's proposal would create a Democratic-majority state and a Republican-likely state, with the coastal part having 30 million of the state's 40 million residents and 80% of its GDP. He neglects to mention that this would increase Republican representation in the US Senate by net +2, further diluting national Democratic power. Plus, the putative interior state would become a brand new taker state, as the coastal part would increase its relative payment imbalance to the Federal Government while the new interior part would need even more outside money to stay afloat. He also ignored the many other semi-serious proposals to divide California into three states, which would increase Democratic representation in the Senate by net +2 while increasing the population-to-Senator ratio of everyone in the State. Does Gallagher support that plan? No? Why not?
Also yesterday, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington threw out the majority of the OAFPOTUS's tariffs, but stayed the ruling until October 14th. (For a complete list of the administration's losses for the week, I give you Amanda Nelson.)
Welcome to the "find out" phase.
* I'm just not going to call the thing by the juvenile and stupid name Republicans gave it.