Left Coast Sports Babe

If you ever wondered what Christians vs Lions would look like, without the blood… I give you today’s Florida State Georgia Orange Bowl.

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Music City Bowl performance today by Auburn’s football team against Maryland might be the most embarrassing thing to happen to the university since their former coach Tommy Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate.

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After a week where Nikki Haley whiffed, repeatedly, on a softball question about the Civil War and slavery, she was in Iowa for a tailgate before a Lady Hawkeyes basketball game. And praised the team’s super tar, Caitlin Clark, except Haley called her “Caitlin Collins.” 

Tell me you’re not ready for prime-time without saying directly “I’m not ready for prime time.”

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Colorado Sec of State Jena Griswold said she stopped counting after 64 death threats she received within 3 weeks of lawsuit being filed to take Trump off the ballot. Of course Donald COULD tell his followers to avoid violence. If he weren’t still wanting that insurrection..

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Some in GOP attacking President Biden for vacationing in St. Croix because they say he should be dealing with the border.

Particularly amusing when members of Congress are doing it, either from their own homes or their own vacations.

Of course, if Biden issued some executive orders about immigration they’d accuse him of being a dictator.

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Damn, RIP Tom Wilkinson. only 75. So good in so many movies…. The Full Monty, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and In the Bedroom. If you haven’t seen any of those highly recommend them.

Sports is good practice for bipartisan and compromise in politics.

Like tonight, rooting for Ohio State, who you normally hate because of Michigan and then Urban Meyer, for starters, but they’re playing an SEC team and you hate SEC football more…

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And then you don’t mind that much when Missouri ends up being less inept than Ohio State.

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Have to assume with prop bets on everything that it was possible to bet on the number of punts in the Cotton Bowl between Missouri and Ohio State. Who had 12, in the first half?

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NIL’s and especially transfer portals seem to have made a mockery of college football bowl games and the NCAA doesn’t care at all. But maybe the insanity could be reined in going forward by ESPN. Because hard to imagine too many people will leep on tuning into some of these increasingly gawd-awful bowl games.

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Apparently Jeff Bezos and his new wife chose Antigua to dock his new $500 million yacht for Christmas.

Antigua’s tourism minister asked locals and tourists to respect the couple’s privacy.

Per the local newspaper Bezos’ yacht has more than 400 feet of deck space in length, and features three Jacuzzis and a swimming pool.

And to put this in perspective, the new Explora, a brand new luxury ship from MSC cruise,s which holds 922 passengers, cost about the same amount.

But tell me again how billionaires need tax cuts?

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a conservativie who lost to Sherrrd Brown for U.S. Senate, has veteod a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, saying it is a decision involving children and their parents.

DeWine used to be very homophobic. Was shocked when on air Mike congratulated Anderson Cooper (as was Anderson!) on birth of his son “It’s a good thing.”

Yeah, I’m a Democrat, I’m optimistic about people.

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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow was fired after he and his wife appeared anonymously in porn videos as a “sexy happy couple … If he was only a Republican who had a series of affairs, or dumped his wife for a much younger model, Joe would have been fine.

Look, admit some amount of sour grapes might be involved.

But wonder how the two newly-signed Japanese Superstars will react when the LA Dodgers go on the road this year, and they discover fans of other teams consider their teams the MLB version of Godzilla?

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Can’t believe as a Stanford fan I am saying this, but USC backup quarterback Miller Moss, who started tonight only because their star decided to sit the game out and not risk injury before the NFL draft, is a really good story.  Congrats to Moss and the Trojans tonight.

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Ever watched sporting event where score so lopsided it’s over early, but announcers still try to create drama? Think 2024 will be close, but even if media thought Biden had a 95% chance of winning, they’d talk up Trump’s chances to keep ratings. Competence isn’t clickbait.

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USA Today Headline “Owning pets may help slow cognitive decline among older people who live alone, study shows.”

So being a cat lady may PREVENT you from becoming crazy. Got it.

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Stacey Abrams sued Brad Raffensperger over 2019 action to remove 300,000 names from Georgia voter registration rolls. He yielded to GOP/Trump pressure & ordered hand-recount in 2020. Brad is no liberal.

But MAGA GOP attacks him because Brad at least had the integrity not to overturn an election.

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Lauren Boebert decided to run in CO-4, more conservative district. But while I disagree w/ retiring Rep. Ken Buck on most things, he denounces those who claim Biden stole election, & he’s been working w/ Amy Klobuchar to save local newspapers. MAYBE we can hope for sane voters?

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Apparently Donald Trump took major offense to a story yesterday that he wouldn’t let Home Alone 2 film at the Plaza Hotel, which he owned at the time, unless they gave him a cameo.

So basically Velveeta Voldemort is saying the story is true.

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RIP Tommy Smothers. This quote of his is even more apt today: “When you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s hard to know when you’re finished.”

Another great Tommy Smothers quote: “We were against war in Vietnam, for voter registration & social issues. Everybody has their choices & 1st obligation of comedian to entertain. If you’re so inclined & you have bigger thought, make sure you express it, because that’s a gift.”

A nice thought on Boxing Day night – fewer than 50 days until pitchers and catchers report. 

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Not quite a box, but Starry approves..

Florida State will be without at least 14 players in the Orange Bowl, including their three top wide receivers, due to opt-outs by players declaring for the NFL draft and transfers. 

So if Georgia mops the field with them, most casual fans will just shrug and say, see, the Seminoles never belonged in the playoffs anyway.

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Disney is now seeking records from DeSantis’ oversight board in a new lawsuit

On top of his presidential campaign falling apart, Ron DeSantis may be belatedly learning an important lesson. Do not “mess” with the Mouse.

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When Dean Phillips, heir to family liquor fortune, first ran for Congress in 2018, he was happy to accept support from leading Minnesota Dems.

Now he’s increasingly attacking the party and Biden on what seems like everything.

What’s next as Phillip’s primary campaign crashes & burns? Going 3rd party? Becoming a Republican? Or accepting a job as a CNN/MSNBC or Fox pundit?

– #DropOutDean

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Christmas Day temperature at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport broke a 100 year old record – high of 54 degrees. Have to assume all the local stores sold out of shorts and swimsuits.

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So have has anyone asked those Trump supporters who claim he was fighting the “War on Christmas” which Bible verse or Christmas carol Velveeta Voldemort was quoting with his “”Rot in Hell” line?.

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President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will spend New Year’s again in St. Croix. Waiting for some MAGAs to attack Joe for leaving the country…

(And in case the sarcasm is too subtle, St. Croix is one of the U.S. Virgin Islands, like St. John and St. Thomas and Puerto Rico, it is part of the United States. But guessing geography challenged Republicans may not know that. )

Thought for busy NFL Sunday Christmas Eve:

Grew up listening to baseball on radio, but some of my 1st memories watching sports were during holiday visits to my grandparents. One of many reasons I learned to love sports: games were more interesting than listening to adults talk.

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See, SF Giants fans, it could be worse.

Mets hit with record $101M luxury tax after 4th-place finish

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Good economic news lately But these 2 headlines today in NY Times. “Any Other Politician Would Have Bowed Out. Donald Trump? Not a Chance.” “Democrats in Key States Worry Biden Could Be a Drag on Their Races.” Headline I want to see “Why are we at NYTimes in love with Trump?”

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Trump is using police as a prop – claiming he will protect and”indemnify all police officers and law enforcement officials throughout the United States.: Uh, can someone ask him about U.S. Capitol Police. If he could, Brian Sicknick would say “Hi.”

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Fox News, starting Christmas Eve in fearful style. “These are most ‘unsafe’ cities during holiday season, research shows” Buried lede, “Among 182 U.S. cities we analyzed, St. Louis, MO; Salt Lake City, UT topped list of riskiest cities for crime during holidays. Red states.

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Every time I see people talking about how reasonable Nikki Haley is compared to Donald Trump I am reminded, if a woman is conventionally attractive some people, especially men, don’t believe she can also do monstrous things.

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Spirit Airlines just flew took a 6 year old unaccompanied minor from Philadelphia to Orlando instead of Ft. Myers.. New Spirit motto: at least we’ll get your child to the right state?

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Reportedly Russia has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — as it could still declare victory. Dear Santa, could Elon Musk please do the same? Sell Twitter, declare victory for free speech, and let someone else have this site. And bring the bird back.

New England coach Bill Belichick said kicking footballs used in 1st half of Patriots 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs were”underinflated by 2, 2½ pounds.” Anyone seen Tom Brady?

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have now accounted for more than half the spending across MLB in free agency this winter.

And what makes that line worse. Most of the free agents aren’t signed yet. So Dodgers probably aren’t done.

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So if the Orlando Sentinel simply covers the story of Bridget Ziegler’s alleged sex tapes with other women, does that mean Moms for Liberty will demand the newpaper be removed from all public libraries?

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Orange County has banned 673 books because they might contain mention of sexual activity: Trust they’ve absolutely banned the book where Lot’s daughters get him drunk to have sex and get pregnant, And King David both has sex with Bathsheba and has her husband killed.

Trump is allegedly asking allies about the possiblity of Nikki Haley for his running mate in 2024. Nikki is a woman and the daughter of immigrants so hard to imagine MAGA tolerating her. But if you still know anyone under the delusion that Haley is a reasonable moderate.

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Why aren’t more of the GOP who are so obsessed with people being only referred to by birth names obsessed with Nikki Haley’s being referred to by HER legal name – Nimrata.

ESPN reports Aaron Rodgers is likely to be medically cleared to play this week upcoming.

Okay, as much as Rodgers has completely disdained medical science in being an anti-vaxxer, what are the odds doctors decided to f*ck with him and tell him to get out on the field before he’s close to ready?-

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Watching the Minnesota Vikings, who had a late a two-touchdown lead against the Cincinnati Bengals, was a lot like watching the 2023 New Orleans Saints. And not in a good way.

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Love Cinderella stories but there’s a reason now Vikings QB Nick Mullens hasn’t started an NFL game until today since one game for the Browns in 2020.

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Senators are working through weekend as Democrats try to get aid to Ukraine along with bipartisan legislation on border security. House members are on vacation. If Nancy Pelosi were still in charge, even with a SINGLE vote majority, the House would be working too. Just saying.

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As Velveeta Voldemort fundraises again he announces he is writing from “Trump Force One.” Am pretty sure former President Barack Obama now does some of his flying on private planes. Never once heard him refer to “Obama Force One.”

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When you apply for a new job there’s usually that question – “why did you leave your previous job?” Going to be interesting for Aidan Maese-Czeropski.

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Donald Trump said today that “immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country…” Has Velveeta Voldemort forgotten that four of his five children have mothers who were immigrants?

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Since Tampon Farm is trending how long until GOP and Moms For Liberty try to ban SNL?

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https://twitter.com/leftcoastbabe/status/1684050131568709637/photo/1

The long Spurs Nation nightmare is over! San Antonio gets a win, after 18 losses, against the Lakers,on a night when Lebron James was playing. And Spurs won by 14. Just like San Antonio fans all predicted,

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x-Mississippi State star QB Will Rogers to transfer to Washington.

“At some point, you have to think about what’s best for your career. This is the best move for me and my family.

They don’t even pretend it’s about academics any more.

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NFL has decided to have a 2024 regular season game in Brazil.

As of January 2024, U.S. Citizens will need a visa to enter Brazil, which will reportedly take about 2 weeks to process.

What could possibly go wrong?

(And yes, this could be both on player and fan sides.. have to wonder about some of these guys with arrest records… also have to wonder, as a travel agent who knows many people don’t read, how many people will buy tickets and book travel online, and not realize until too late they need the visa.)

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Melania Trump spoke today at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives:

Wonder what she said? Something like “If you are beautiful and a rich man wants to marry you too can become a U.S. Citizen…?:”

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Trump is fundraising by supposedly selling pieces of his arrest suit – if donors spend over $4600 on Mugshot Edition NFTs. If he gets enough takers/suckers, assume Donald will buy as many suits as he needs to keep cutting in pieces. Shades of Catholic relics.

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So how is Rudy Giuliani going to fundraise to pay off his $148 million damages? Sell pieces of sod from Four Seasons Landscaping?

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Guess we shouldn’t be surprised that GOP and MAGA Mike Johnson led-House won’t support democracy in Ukraine. They’re against democracy in the USA too.

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Speaking just for myself am a lot less upset about a congressional aide having sex in a Senate hearing room than I am about some members of Congress regularly kissing Vladimir Putin’s ass.”

Is there any team Yoshinobu Yamamoto isn’t meeting with?

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And how long until the Los Angeles Dodgers start offering any All-Star free agent a deferred salary – which will be so much further ahead than some young players can imagine, and much further ahead that some of these executives figure they will probably be dead.

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If you’re a GOP voter, or know someone who is, would like to know a single thing the Republican led House has done to make your life better. Millionaire and billionaires who want further tax cuts need not apply.

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Senate Democrats will delay their holiday break to allow time for a compromise on immigration and Ukraine aid.

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The Tampa Bay Devil Rays became just Tampa Bay Rays in 2007.

Now some want them to change their name over planned new stadium to the St. Petersburg Rays.

St. Petersburg of course has Russian connotations

But how could any team connected to or owned by Russia hope to compete with today’s GOP?

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GOP seems so obsessed with Hunter Biden’s dick pics from his addict days, almost wonder if some of them are jealous.

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Same MAGA crowd attacking Hunter Biden for having profited off his father’s name conveniently forgets that their Orange Jesus was a millionaire by the time he was eight and was getting between $1-5 million a year from his Daddy Fred Trump as an adult. For starters.

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Peter Doocy accidently referred to President Joe Biden today as “President O-Biden.” So by Fox News standards on verbal stumbles, clearly Doocy is not competent to do his job.

Not sure who the best sports anger management psychologist in the country is but might behoove Draymond Green to call him or her for the first available appointment. And then call Adam Silver (whether he means it or not) with a very apologetic tone in his voice.

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NFL VP of football operations Troy Vincent said in response to recent criticism of blown calls “We’re always looking to improve officiating. It’s a constant work in progress. We’re not perfect. The concern is to make sure we’re getting better.”

Gosh, if only a league that generated over 18 BILLION US dollars in 2022 could afford to do something like being able to afford full time officials.

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“Dow Jones hits an all-time high as investors cheer progress on inflation.” Siri, tell me today’s headline you will never see on Fox News.

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Nikki Haley on Trump “I agree with a lot of his policies.. but we can’t afford four more years of chaos.” So she’s saying, she’s no moderate, she’s as far-right and extreme as Velveeta Voldemort. Nikki will just do the same horrible things with a calm smile.

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Hunter Biden is not in elected office nor is he running for office. But this line “I’m here today to acknowledge I have made mistakes in my life & wasted opportunities…for that I am responsible” He’s got more cojones than any House Republican.

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Kimberly Guilfoyle said on Newsmax that Donald Trump will work to “restore integrity” if he wins the presidency in 2024, adding “Trump is a man who respects the law and is going to follow it.” I could work all week and never write anything as funny as that.

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But CNN chyron writer for the win today.

SF Giants may have signed the 2nd best Asian position player available for 2024.. Centerfielder Jung Hoo Lee from Korea, considered the best player in the country. Even ESPN made the signing a headline.

Yeah, I’d never heard of him either. But he sounds good.

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Star Duke QB Riley Leonard is the latest to transfer and will play next year for Notre Dame. When on TV starters often introduce themselves by name with their alma maters, some of these guys are going to need a few minutes.

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Warriors up 5 when Draymond Green ejected, again, for a Flagrant 2 foul in the 3rd quarter.. They end up losing to the Phoenix Suns by 3. Forget trades or free agents.. Golden State’s best signing for this season might be a really good anger management psychologist.

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Not that it would go anywhere but since men are involved in every pregnancy that might result in an abortion, would be great to see some women introduce a bill to tightly regulate or ban Viagra. Especially for men who are single, divorced or married to a woman past child-bearing age.

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Was changing television channels and saw Fox News’s Laura Ingraham railing against elite universities. Ingraham graduated from Dartmouth College and University of Virginia Law School. Many at Fox News are not stupid, they just think their viewers are.

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But CNN showed interview with Tommy Tuberville talking on Ukraine & why he opposes aid? WTF? The ex-coach who never served himself, just spent 10 months holding our military hostage for a cruel attention grabbing stunt.

Can’t you at LEAST talk to GOP veteran like Ernst or Sullivan?

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#NottheOnion

“Doritos unveils nacho cheese-flavored booze that costs $65 a bottle.”

Can we get a bipartisan moment with “JUST SAY NO?”

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But I can’t be the only one who thinks that even if President Biden and Democrats come up with a more than reasonable compromise on border security – which GOP should never have required to help Ukraine -that MAGA Mike and GOP will pull away the football.

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Seeing posts on social media claiming to have known babies who lived 1-2 years with Trisomy 18, the condition Kate Cox’s wanted fetus had, as a way of saying she should have continued the pregnancy.

It can happen, very very rare & VERY expensive.

These trolls are also ones who want to overturn Obamacare & cut off Medicaid to poor women.

Pro life my a**.

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NY Times headline: “Court Orders Redraw of NY Map, Opening Path to Flip House Majority Ruling could allow Dem to tilt anywhere from 2 to 6 GOP.-held seats leftward. GOP vowed to challenge any gerrymandered map.” Hmm, GOP doesn’t have problem with red states gerrymandering maps.

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Trump fundraising email “If the ruling party can get away with abusing the courts to assert its dominance over the people of our country, then our once Free Republic is DEAD.”

He’s not wrong. But not for the reason he thinks. If GOP had not stolen SCOTUS seats…

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Did it ever occur to Velveeta Voldemort as he stacked the Supreme Court with help from Mitch McConnell and the Federalist Society, that SCOTUS judges have jobs for life? And that they are now free to show him as much loyalty as he shows everyone who is no longer useful to him.

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If you think Trump’s dictator talk is just rhetoric. Nov, 10, 2020. Anonymous GOP official ““What’s downside for humoring him for little time? No one seriously thinks results will change. He went golfing. Not like he’s plotting how to prevent Biden from taking power Jan. 20.”

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Spare me. Elon Musk claims if FBI tried to censor content on X -“if a government agency is breaking the law in their demands on the platform”, I would be prepared to go to prison personally.”

Is he kidding? Prison? At this point Muskrat isn’t prepared even to fly commercial.

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Stephen Colbert nails it on Trump’s “I’ll only be a dictator on day 1.”

“Day one, First decree, build the wall

Second decree – drill drill drill

Third decree – every day is day one.”

Today’s false rumor was that he was on a plane to Toronto…

Well, of course the baseball world is 100% focused on where Shohei Ohtani signs, especially since playing with Mike Trout he brought the Los Angeles Angels so many World Series Championships.

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San Antonio Spurs have lost 16 games in a row. Sigh. The Spurs are 1-9 in games they’ve held at least a 10-point lead. Wemby, is, however, getting better and better. Only silver lining, imagine the lottery pick the team may be able to pair him with next year?

Apparently Senators Rick Scott & Tommy Tuberville are sniping at each other over Alabama being put into College Football Playoff over FSU. Tommy is defending the Crimson Tide. Really not very nice of Tuberville not to support the state where he lives.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/10/tommy-tuberville-floridas-third-senator/

Remembering Ryan O’Neal tonight & my 2 favorite lines from underrated “What’s Up, Doc?” B

Barbra Streisland -Judy: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Ryan O’Neal- Howard : That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.” (The comedy movie also has one of the greatest chase scenes ever… set in SF.)

So when are they going to charge Hunter Biden over all those patents he got from China when his dad was in the White House. Oh wait, that was Ivanka. Never mind.

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Understand competence isn’t clickbait. But it would be nice if major media gave even half as much coverage to today’s excellent jobs and unemployment rate, not to mention President Biden’s infrastructure speech in Nevada, as they are to Hunter Biden and polls.

Even the GOP is up in arms after Casey DeSantis asked out-of-state residents to come vote (illegally) for Ron DeSantis in Iowa caucuses.

Silly Casey. You have to live in a state to legally vote in a state. Although as Dr. Oz and others have shown,, if you’re a Republican where you livedoesn’t limit you in choosing a state to run for US Senate

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Today’s GOP – “Donald Trump doesn’t pay taxes, that makes him smart.” Also today’s GOP, “President Biden’s son Hunter paid back taxes that he didn’t pay when he was an addict. Lock him up, lock his dad up too!”

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Poor Hunter Biden. Wonder if GOP would be easier on him if he had just spent some of his money on hush money for a porn star….

Former Russian Ambassador Michael McFaul tonight “It’s tragic, it’s not just about Ukraine…, the whole world is watching…Russia is cheering the Republican party right now…. Even our allies who lament that maybe we are not credible , that we cannot commit for the long haul.”

Have to wonder, is Putin paying many in the GOP, or are they doing his dirty work to destroy democracy for free?