20-Word Fiction: Sunday Night with Clarence Thomas

We dedicate this post to 'my congressman' Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) who is playing a came of kick the can to prevent President Barack Obama to finding a Supreme Court justice to replace Antonin Scalia who died while on a hunting trip to Texas.

If November's election were on Tuesday and Goodlatte were to run against Woody Woodpecker, the red-haired bird would get my vote.

Though he is to the left of us, as we support Hillary Clinton while he supports Bernie Sanders, many years ago left-wing documentary filmmaker proposed running ficus plants against embodied, entrenched members of Congress; we fully agree with him on that point!

Here is our short, short, short story:

"The Supreme Court in my mind has voted 4-3 to stay awake; of course, Justice Clarence Thomas abstains as always."

http://www.michaelmoore.com

Super Tuesday 4 Tweets: Bernie Wins Rhode Island

Tonight, we are featuring the Baltimore Orioles mascot as the state of Maryland joined Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania in having Democratic and Republican primaries today. Hillary Clinton won four of the five blue state primaries with her challenger Bernie Sanders (pict top) from Vermont winning in Rhode Island.

Donald Trump swept all five of the primaries, but given that each of the states in play are blue states, voter turn-out was significantly lower for the Republicans. But, that did not stop Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ, pict. bottom) from standing by his man Donald Trump during the Donald's 'victory speech' tonight.

Here are the tweets; yeah, we have a center-left bias here, but some of these tweets actually do not:

1) Nate Cohn: Clinton took the lead in Connecticut thanks to a massive 87-13 margin in the wealthy town of Grenwich.

2) Ken Rudin: Trump had a stunning night tonight. There is absolutely no reason for him to be reading a litany of slights he's endured.

3) Chris Cillizza: Cruz keeps getting a pass on finishing third in these northeastern states. He shouldn't. This is the guy who is supposed to beat Trump.

4) David Corn: Waiting for Chris Christie to raise his hand and ask if he can go to the bathroom.

5) Shirley Henry (NPR): Trump citing Sanders: 'He's been telling the truth' about Clinton. 'I think Bernie Sanders should run as an independent. I think he's do great.'

6) Donna Brazile: Oh God! Trump is using Bernie to attack Hillary and trying to drive a wedge.

7) John Fugelsang: For the last 7 minutes, Chris Christie's brain has been saying: 'Recalculating. Recalculating. Recalculating."

8) Robert Costa (Washington Post): NJ Gov Chris Christie with Trump, standing to the candidate's right, Pa Cong. Lou Burletta to Trump's left.

9) Jennifer Levitz (WSJ): Rhode Island voter Connie Swanson, 79, calls any effort to deny Trump the nomination 'sleazy, very sleazy.'  

GOP Debate without Trump Hangover....

Here are some leftover tweets from last night's Republican debate in which Donald Trump pretended he was Matthew Broderick in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," as well as some nifty tweets that were posted today on Twitter:

1) John Fuselgang (liberal): GOP debate was like The Suicide Squad without their Joker.

2) Ian Cioffi (libertarian): If watch CNN you'd think Rand Paul had a good night. If you watch Fox News, you'd think Rand Paul never attended the debate.

3) Hugh Hewitt (conservative): I'm going to sleep because I'm agreeing with David Axelrod too much.

4) Donna Brazile (liberal): A GOPDebate can still provide winners and losers even without Trump there to proclaim himself the winner and call everyone else losers.

5) Michelle Malkin (black Republican): In case you missed Jeb last nite Immigration pandering__check. Generational pandering__check. The Cringe. It burns.

6) Markos Moulitsas (liberal): So Donald Trump is taking down the Republican Party, now he's trying to do the same for Fox? Best primary ever.

7) Michael Crowley (Politico): Gonna be a lot of 'Hey, maybe we wrote off Jeb Bush too soon' overnight and tomorrow. Might be too late though....

8) Bernie Sanders: EqualPayCantWait when women in America who do the same work earn 79 cents on the dollar compared to men.

9) John Robinson (UNC journalism professor): Politics as bloodsport is fun to watch, but I do wish presidential candidates acted with dignity and intended, at least, to be presidential.

That makes a cool nod to our Luca Libre (Mexican wrestling image) along with a still from the movie "The Hangover" with Bradley Cooper and an image of Iowa State cheerleaders. Go Cyclones! Well, we don't live close to Iowa at all actually.....

GOP Debate from Iowa Minus Trump Tweets (3 of 3): Everyone Hates Bernie.......

Wow! This is somehow our 2,750th entry. Of course, when we started this blog, it was in 2005 and Steve Jobs was still alive and perhaps still parking his Mercedes in handicapped parking spaces.

Since we adore irony here, we are starting with an image of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) the democratic socialist who has somehow become Hillary Clinton's main Democratic challenger and nemesis; yes, Bernie is not a Republican, in fact, they really seem to hate him.

The image in the middle is an Iowa wind farm, and the guy in the last photo is Gov. John Kasich, whom the average seventh grader at Stillwell Junior High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, has probably still never heard of.

Here are the tweets:

1) Benjamin Freed (Washingtonian magazine): Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a prime minister.

2) Brian McFadden (liberal): I'll risk Sweden and it's Seasonal Affective Disorder over the no-government Republican ideal of Somalia.

3) Matthew Yglesias (liberal): Bernie is probably not left-wing enough to lead the Swedish social democrats.

4) Jonah Goldberg (conservative): I think Kasich should have a costume change between every answer, Roman centurion, cowboy, French maid, Klingon warrior........etc.

5) Jonathan Chait (liberal): The immigration round was like The Departed.

6) Marco Rubio (he tweeted during the debate??!!! Oh, it's from his helpers, right....): Let me be clear, there is only one Savior, and it's not me.

7) Dan Zak (Washington Post): Kasich was raised Catholic, but is now Anglican, has a brother who has dealt with mental health issues.

8) Dave Rubin: Solid answer by Christie. Your personal faith should doesn't trump the law. Simple as that.

9) Secular Talk: Chris Christie asked about Kim Davis*, deflects and attacks ISIS. Of course....

*-Davis is the controversial country clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

Democratic Forum Tweet (3 of 3): That's a Wrap

With images of Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley (pict. top), MSNBC talk show host Rachel Maddow (pict. center) and They Might Be Giants (we are using them to fill space, and it looks a suitable image for a finale). TMBG is actually on tour right now in Australia.

O'Malley is running against Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Dick Cheney (that's a joke) for the Democratic party's 2016 presidential nominee.

Tonight's debate took place at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, where my late grandfather Dudley "Doc" Sturgis once taught economics. We also noticed the sharp irony that the last GOP debate took place at Colorado University in Boulder, Colo., a progressive college town, and the current Democratic debate is taking place in a zip code which has probably voted for every Republican candidate since Chester Arthur.

Here are the tweets:

1) Secular Talk: Bernie Sanders runs circles around the other candidates when it comes to both substance and confident messaging.

2) Catholic Democrats: Bernie Sanders has become a lot sharper when discussing racial disparities and ways to address racial inequality.

3) Pat Bagley (liberal political cartoonist for The Salt Lake Tribune): Bernie Sanders isn't proposing anything more radical than what Eisenhower implemented in the '50s.

4) Suzy Khimm (liberal journalist with "The New Republic"): Free points for media-bashing wooooooo.....

5) E.J. Dionne, center-left columnist for the Washington Post: Smart move by Bernie Sanders to criticize 'stupid' Republican attacks on each other and to say Democrats don't want to campaign like that.

6) Andrea Mitchell (NBC News reporter): Rachel Maddow to Bernie Sanders: What is the misconception about you? He says people think I'm grumpy.

7) Anna Douglas (Rock Hill Herald): Maddow asking the gun Q. Had to know this was coming.

8) Jessica Valenti (The Guardian, UK): I really do enjoy watching Bernie.

9) Zaid Jilani (progressive Muslim activist): Bernie is doing well in this Dem Forum. He's coming off as very loose; I think better than the debate."

http://www.theymightbegiants.com/

http://yorkdems.com/

http://scdp.org/

http://www.msnbc.com/

http://www.heraldonline.com/

http://www.winthrop.edu

Democratic Forum from Rock Hill, SC Tweets (2 of 3): Are Folks Watching This in Liverpool?

We are continuing our tweet coverage of the Democratic Candidate Forums from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, near Charlotte, NC, where the Carolina Panthers play (center image is of Panthers cheerleaders). Bernie Sanders (pict. top) is one of three presidential candidates in the field that also includes Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley.

Since we are wondering if anyone across the pond in Liverpool, England, UK, where Emre Can (pict. bottom; his last name is pronounced like 'John') plays for Liverpool FC which defeated the Russian team Rubin Kazan 1-0 in European play on Thursday.

We mixed in two sports along with the tweets about the debate.

Here are the tweets:

1) Secular Talk: Too bad Jim Webb dropped out. He would've told Rachel Maddow specifics on that dude he killed.

2) Jessica Valenti ("The Guardian" UK): LOL! Martin O'Malley's most impractical item of clothing: a kilt. Finally a stupid ass fashion question for a dude.

3) Lex Alexander (progressive activist): A kilt is impractical?? I'M NOT VOTING FOR O'MALLEY.

4) Bakari Sellers (former SC Democratic state legislator): Martin O'Malley is rolling tonight. Doing very well in this environment. His optimism is refreshing.

5) Ana Kasparian (liberal tv talk show host): Glad O'Malley is attacking for profit prisons. But I wonder why is it nothing is ever done and talked about?

6) Karen Loftus (WDBJ-7, CBS/Roanoke, Va.): HALF: GW Danville 21 Magna Vista 7.

7) Roger Simon (Politico): O'Malley: 'Contrary to Donald Trump's assertion, the enduring symbol of this country is not the barb-wire fence but the Statue of Liberty.'

8) Martin O'Malley: I did not allow private prisons in Maryland. I would not allow private prisons in our country either.

9) Duke Volleyball: Set 3: Georgia Tech starts the third set with a 6-4 lead over Duke.

http://www.winthrop.edu

http://www.duke.edu

http://www.politico.com

Democratic Forum Debate Tweets from Winthrop U (1 of 3): Live from Rock Hill, SC, it's Saturday Night Live........

Welcome to those of you in Greece where perhaps tourists heading to Turkey, my late father's country, have decided to stay put following the re-election of ultra right wing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, perhaps they will join Syrian refugees who have decided not to head north to Serbia!

Tonight's Democratic Party Forum at Winthrop U in Rock Hill, SC, is perhaps just over now, but we got some tweets from the debate including one from Bakari Sellers, a former Democratic state legislature from Denmark, SC, who was at the debate himself (he is a contributor to CNN; yet he slams the media in his tweet).

Our images are of Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton (top), a bald eagle (center, since Winthrop's mascot is an eagle), and Dale Earnhardt Jr., since the band Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (now Jr. Jr.) was playing gig at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, where everyone not watching the debate in the nation's capital were probably gathered.

Here are the tweets:

1) Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC, newspaper, earlier in the day): "Rand Paul talks about Keystone XL while stumping in Spartanburg." (the GOP candidate Paul later went to Rock Hill).

2) Overheard in Newsroom (not about the debate, but we thought it was amusing): "Those pesky interns with their creative impulses and their hope."

3) Shane Goldmacher (Politico): "So Marco Rubio is asking for Scott Walker's endorsement."

4) Ken Rudin: "Ben Carson, accused of making things up and not being truly informed, announces he would appoint Judge Reinhold to the Supreme Court." (This is a joke, Judge Reinhold was a teen movie actor in the '80s).

5) Jack Miller (Clinton campaign): "Hillary Clinton supporters loud and proud! Turnout is amazing!"

6) Martin O'Malley: Hillary Clinton wants to go after Jeb Bush for making excuses on guns. But, she did the same thing in 2008."

7) Washington Post: "Amid national coverage about race, Yale acknowledges failing its minorities."

8) Shannon Greene ("Rock Hill Herald" reporter): Meet Hillary "fangirl," Madison Kimrey, the first in line for the debate.

9) Bakari Sellers: Mainstream Media....there is one reason your Bernie is making a comeback like in '08 is really off, Bernie is not Barack Obama. You're welcome.

http://www.930.com

Colorado Republican Debate Tweets: The DC Insiders Perspective (3 of 3)

Instead of focusing on strife in places like Afghanistan, Syria, and South Sudan, the BBC World Service will be giving live updates from the CNBC Republican Debate held tonight in Boulder, Colorado. Perhaps, that it is indeed quite fitting.

SPOILER ALERT: The Kansas-Iowa State college volleyball game we mentioned in earlier tweets resulted in a Kansas victory (3-1).

These tweets are from Washington, DC, media outlets as well as some partisan and non-partisan observers. Now, the BBC is saying that Google is trying to reach remote jungle areas in Indonesia, hmm....yeah, we can't imagine we get many hits from those areas.

The photo above is of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex), one of the Republican candidates, who bears a stark resemblance to the late "Dracula" actor Bela Lugosi.

Here are the tweets:

1) The Hill: "Ben Carson on homosexuality_ I believe our Constitution protects everybody."

2) The Onion (a satirical publication): Jeb Bush Inching Podium Closer to Center of Stage During Commercial Breaks.

3) Chris Cillizza (Washington Post): Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are just on a different level tonight.

4) Robert Costa (Washington Post): Bush muted. No more hits on Rubio for now.

5) Bernie Sanders (liberal presidential candidate): "It is an embarrassment that we have a major political party that rejects the overwhelming science on climate change."

6) Emily Stephenson (Reuters): Rubio: Democrats have the ultimate Super PAC, it's called the mainstream media.

7) Glenn Kenny (movie critic): One liners not withstanding Rubio's a goddamn fascist.

8) John Robinson (former  Greensboro, NC "News&Record" news editor): "You poor people watching the GOP Debate. You could be watching the Series or the NBA or Jane Seymour's Skin Care Secrets."

9) Tom Tomorrow (liberal cartoonist): Another hit on the media DRINK.

Motto of the Day- Just Do Nothing

It is perhaps slightly deviant of us to drag Kandula, the beloved nine-year-old Indian elephant at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, into politics, but..... (for those of our dear readers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the elpehant is the unofficial symbol of the Republican Party).

So, this is the first in what we hope we will be many Motto of the Day entries:

"Just do nothing_ it saves money, gas, and utilities."

Of course, it wastes a major resource which is time! Jonathan Chait of "The New Republic" brilliantly illustrated how the Republican Party has done nothing for America since the 1930s, and we couldn't agree more!

Interestingly enough, there is a non-partisan web site called "Do Nothing for Two Minutes" which urges everyone to just simply sit and stare at the screen for 120 seconds!

SIDEBAR: In a column that was reportedly published in "The Washington Post," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the most liberal member of the Senated, cited Valero Energy as the nation's sixth worst big corporate freeloader. The company made $68 billion last year, but they still got a $157 million TAX REFUND from the IRS.

I should hope this would raise the eyebrows of even the most conservative Democrat, arguably Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and/or progresive Republican, whom many believe to be Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), but they are perhaps concerned with other things. The rest of us, however, can pump gas some place else....and, I'm speaking as someone who catered to Valero!

Things We Learned on Twitter Today: Japanese Man Builds Tiny House

According to a tweet from "The Huffington Post," Fuychito Moriya of Tokyo, Japan,(we hope we spelled his name right) has built a house the size of a parking plae that is just adjacent to his mother's home. The house pictured here is actually in Arkansas.

We wish Moriya well, and hope his mom doesn't drive him zany.

There is also buzz on Twitter today concerning Julian Assange, the infamous Australian man who founded Wikileaks who is also wanted in Sweden on sex charges. Apparently, backers of Assange have hacked into the Swedish prosecutor's web site.

"The Onion" is having fun with the whole Wikileaks mess as they 'reported' today that: "Julian Assange has been fired from his IT job at The Pentagon." (this is a fake news story).

Another thing which caught my eye on Twitter was that apparently Christine O'Donnell, the 'I'm not a witch' political candidate who was not able to gain a U.S. Senate seat in Delaware is reportedly starting her own political action committee! Maybe, she will be a lobbyist for residents of Salem, Mass.

And, Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat, Pray, Love," will be stopping at Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville, NC, on Feb. 4.

Trending topics on Twitter for the day include Elizabeth Edwards, Grinch, Rubin, Yoko Ono, Birthday Ian and Pearl Harbor. We were surprised that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the most progressive member in the Senate who is planning to filibuster in the Senate over a dispute regarding tax cuts for the rich, was not among the trendy ones!