The day after the Stormy Daniels interview Donald Trump kicks 60 Russian officials out of the country. Because you know that's not obvious.

Look I may have to kick out a couple of Russians to save face here. If that's okay with you of course.

Courtesy of NPR: 

President Trump ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian officials from the United States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in the Seattle, the White House announced Monday. 

The move follows the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

The officials and their families have been given seven days to leave the U.S. Of the 60 officers being expelled, 48 are members of the Russian embassy and 12 are officers from Russia's mission to the United Nations in New York. 

The consulate in Seattle is being shuttered due to its proximity to a U.S. submarine base and Boeing's operations there, a senior administration official said. Russia has been given the deadline of April 2 for its closure. 

"The United States takes this action in conjunction with our NATO allies, and partners around the world in response with Russia's use of a military grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom — the latest in its ongoing pattern of destabilizing activities around the world," the official said. 

Please, is anybody buying this? 

Skripal was poisoned 22 days ago, during which time the White House refused to identify Russia as the culprit behind the attack. 

And now the day after the world learns that being spanked with a magazine makes the president respect you more, we are kicking out Russians willy nilly.

I have seen some clumsy attempts to divert media attention before, but this may be the most pathetic.

ISIS inspired terrorist blows himself up and essentially nobody else this morning in New York City.

Courtesy of the New York Post:  

An ISIS-inspired would-be suicide bomber set off a homemade explosive device at the Port Authority Bus Terminal subway station Monday morning, seriously wounding himself and injuring three others, law enforcement sources said. 

The man — a 27-year-old Brooklyn man identified by high ranking police sources as Akayed Ullah — had wires attached to him and a 5-inch metal pipe bomb and battery pack strapped to his midsection as he walked through the Manhattan transit hub. 

The man partially detonated the device, which he was carrying under the right side of his jacket, prematurely inside the passageway to the A, C and E trains at Eighth Avenue and West 42nd Street around 7:40 a.m., sources said. 

Police quickly took the man into custody. 

Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that the man was inspired by ISIS and possibly born in Bangladesh. Bratton, who said the man had been living in the US for seven years, “was supposedly setting the device off in the name of ISIS.” 

“So, definitely a terrorist attack, definitely intended,” Bratton said.

That of course could have been a very devastating attack if it had gone off perfectly.

Thankfully this guy was an incompetent terrorist, so lives were spared. Even his own. 

Here is a picture of the guy. 

As you can see he is brown skinned so I think we can comfortably expect Trump to start tweeting about this guy, and saying his big beautiful wall on the Mexican border would have stopped him, any minute now.

At least eight dead and multiple people injured as Home Depot rental van speeds down New York City bike path.

BREAKING VIDEO: Shooting/car ramming incident Manhattan, multiple injured. Warning Graphic content pic.twitter.com/s6sELaTU2P

— News_Executive (@News_Executive) October 31, 2017

Courtesy of ABC News: 

At least seven people (now eight.) are dead and others injured after a truck driver made a "purposeful turn" onto a jogging and biking path in lower Manhattan in New York City, police said. 

The sprawling crime scene runs about 10 blocks along the West Side Highway, a few blocks away from One World Trade Center.The suspect is in custody, police said. 

The incident is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, a source confirmed to ABC News.

A vehicle -- a Home Depot rental truck, according to the company -- entered the West Street pedestrian and bike path north of Chambers Street, hitting multiple people on the path, leaving some dead and "numerous people injured," New York City police said, citing preliminary investigation. 

The vehicle kept driving south until it hit another vehicle, police said. At that point, the suspect, who was "displaying imitation firearms," got out of the vehicle and was shot by responding officers, authorities said.

That other vehicle this individual hit was a school bus full of disabled children. Which even for a terrorist is pretty shitty.

According to the news the man driving the van jumped out wielding a pellet gun and yelling "Allahu Akbar" before he was shot by police.

His name is Sayfullo Saipov. And yes he is Muslim.

All in all it was a pretty fucked up thing to happen at all, but especially fucked up that it happened on Halloween when parents were preparing to take their kids around for Trick or Treating.

It seems that now we are doing a pretty good job of stopping the largest terrorist attacks but there is really no way to keep these smaller, low tech attacks from occurring.

And for whatever reason these terrorists seem to really focus on New York City.

Mother of young woman killed by bear asks for our help.

We have had an unprecedented number of bear attacks in Alaska this year, two of them fatal.

One of the fatal ones involved a young biologist named Erin K. Johnson who was killed by a black bear while collecting geological samples near the Pogo Mine at the time of the attack.

Erin's mother is a fan of IM, and she reached out to me last night asking if I would post a link to a memorial fund established in her daughter's name.

I said of course I would.

Just click here to visit the Erin K. Johnson Memorial Fund.

The money will go toward science education and youth outdoor activities, which seem like very worthy causes to me. 

I can only imagine this mother's immense grief at losing her daughter, and hope that at least with donations from kind strangers some good can be done in her child's name.

Thank you for reading this and for any support that you feel you can provide.

Republican congressional candidate in Montana body slams Guardian reporter. Update!

Courtesy of the Guardian:

The Republican candidate for Montana’s congressional seat slammed a Guardian reporter to the floor on the eve of the state’s special election, breaking his glasses and shouting, “Get the hell out of here.” 

Ben Jacobs, a Guardian political reporter, was asking Greg Gianforte, a tech millionaire running for the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate allegedly “body-slammed” the reporter. 

“He took me to the ground,” Jacobs said by phone from the back of an ambulance. “This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.” 

Jacobs subsequently reported the incident to the police. Gianforte’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Audio of the abortive interview recorded by Jacobs captures the altercation, and appears to reference previous questioning from another Guardian reporter. “I’m sick and tired of you guys,” Gianforte said. “The last guy who came here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here. Get the hell out of here. The last guy did the same thing. Are you with the Guardian?” 

“Yes! You just broke my glasses,” Jacobs replied. 

“The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte said. 

“You just body slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacob said. 

“Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte yelled.

Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) May 24, 2017

This literally JUST happened so there is no response yet from the candidate's spokesperson, though I cannot even begin to imagine what that might be.

I will say this though, I think that Mr. Gianforte can kiss his political career goodbye.

I wonder if other Republicans are going to respond to questions about the CBO in such an aggressive manner?

Update: The campaign just released a statement:

Gianforte's statement: pic.twitter.com/WVNdA1yZ8w

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 25, 2017

You listen to that audio again and tell me if this statement appears to honestly lay the events as they occurred.

North Korea claims they could sink our aircraft carrier with a "single strike." That's awfully tough talk from a country whose supreme leader is an Asian Weeble.

Actual picture of Kim Jung Un wobbling but not falling down.

Courtesy of The Hill: 

North Korea said Sunday that its military could sink a U.S. aircraft carrier that President Trump is sending to the region “with a single strike,” according to Reuters. 

“Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier with a single strike,” North Korea's ruling Workers’ Party newspaper said in a commentary, the news service reported. 

The Rodong Sinmun commentary reportedly compared the USS Carl Vinson to a “gross animal.” 

The USS Carl Vinson and Japanese navy ships are currently conducting exercises in the Philippine Sea.

Look I am not one to saber rattle, and I am certainly not a war monger, but come on every missile North Korea attempts to launch fizzles out and falls into the sea.

The USS Carl Vinson on the other hand is a nuclear powered juggernaut with enough firepower to destroy the entire country before lunch. 

Actually the Vinson may not have to do a single thing but anchor close enough to the North Koreans to piss them off enough to launch an attack and they will probably end up destroying their own country before lunch. 

Sorry, that's what I get for watching a John Wayne film festival before bedtime.

As it turns out Donald Trump stands to benefit financially from launching missiles at Syria. Well of course he does.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Raytheon, the company that makes the Tomahawk missiles used in the air strikes on Syria by the United States, is rising in early stock trading Friday. 

Investors seem to be betting President Trump's decision to retaliate against Syria after the chemical attack on Syrian citizens earlier this week may mean the Pentagon will need more Tomahawks. 

The Department of Defense asked for $2 billion over five years to buy 4,000 Tomahawks for the U.S. Navy in its fiscal 2017 budget last February. 

Nearly five dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at military bases in Syria from U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea late Thursday.

Why does this matter to Trump you might ask?

Because of course he owns stock in Raytheon. And don't you feel silly for asking?

Courtesy of Business Insider:

Donald Trump's personal financial disclosure report, which was filed as part of his presidential campaign on Wednesday, contains fairly detailed information about what's in his stock portfolio.

According to the report, Trump's investments cross a wide spectrum of industries, with technology companies, financial firms, defense contractors, and energy are all represented in his portfolio. Trump also owns stock in many well-known companies including Apple, Nike, Whole Foods, Google, Philip Morris, Raytheon, Facebook, and Morgan Stanley, among others.

In other words Raytheon's stock goes up, Donald Trump gets just a little bit richer.

So not only did Trump gain politically from the attack, with plenty of pundits now calling him "presidential," but he also made his wallet just a little bit thicker.

And the best part? Well the best part is that if didn't even do anything to protect the people of Syria.

JUST IN: Syrian warplanes take off from air base hit by U.S., carry out strikes in Homs countryside - Syrian observatory for human rights

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 7, 2017

You know most of my nightmares only last the one night. But this one just goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and............

The White House is in turmoil? Well gee I would think so.

Courtesy of Axios:

A top source described "borderline chaos" in the White House. 

"Some staff is in survival mode ... scared to death," the source said. 

Internal leaks distract a White House. What we're seeing now is something much more consequential: leaks from throughout the government, plus a host of Obama alumni emptying their clips. 

The news eruptions are gaining a Watergate aura — constant, complicated revelations from intelligence agencies and federal law enforcement; White House denials; frenzied competition among the great news organizations. 

Chuck Todd said at 5 p.m. on MSNBC (as quoted by Brian Stelter): "Welcome to Day 1 of what is arguably the biggest presidential scandal involving a foreign government since Iran-Contra. ... [H]unker down, because this is a Class 5 political hurricane that's hitting Washington."

All of that has to be driving Trump up the damn wall.

However as bad as all of that is, and whoa baby is it bad, there is another potential volcanic eruption just now building up steam.

Courtesy of US Weekly: 

While her husband, Donald Trump, wields his power as president, first lady Melania Trump is struggling with the realities of her new role and the scrutiny that comes with it, insiders reveal in the new issue of Us Weekly. “This life wasn’t her dream. It was Donald’s,” Trump family friend and stylist Phillip Bloch tells Us. “Truthfully, it’s a lot to cope with.”

Indeed, her unconventional living arrangement — she's staying in New York City while son Barron, 10, finishes school — has already made her a late-night punch line. (Jimmy Kimmel quipped February 8 that she’s “trapped like Rapunzel” in her Trump Tower penthouse.) Vogue faced boycott threats after editor Anna Wintour said on February 9 that she expected Melania, 46, to appear on a future cover. And Melania's libel lawsuit against U.K. paper Daily Mail, which she claims harmed her “unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity … to launch a broad-based commercial brand,” has opened her up to criticism that she intends to cash in on the presidency. 

The deluge has reportedly become too daunting for the deeply private Sevnica, Slovenia, native, who moved to the United States in 1996 to launch a fashion career — not to preside over the East Wing. “Melania is unhappy with how her life ended up,” alleges a family source. “She is miserable.”

Personally I think this story is one of those that we all could have pieced together on our own just observing Trump and his Slovenia mail order bride together and then utilizing our  critical thinking skills.

Let's face it she looks like the unhappiest First lady that we have ever seen.

There is very little affection shown between the two of them and she is now spending as much time away from the White House as possible considering her new responsibilities.

So yeah, Trump is truly stuck between a rock and a hard ice covered place.

Gosh isn't being president great?

Donald Trump's latest Twitter rampage takes aim directly at his own party. More popcorn?

Despite winning the second debate in a landslide (every poll), it is hard to do well when Paul Ryan and others give zero support!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016

Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016

It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016

A cold chill just ran up the spine of every establishment Republican.

With the exception of cheating Bernie out of the nom the Dems have always proven to be far more loyal to each other than the Republicans!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016

Disloyal R's are far more difficult than Crooked Hillary. They come at you from all sides. They don’t know how to win - I will teach them!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016

I've pinched myself three times now, but nope I'm not dreaming. This is really happening!

Clearly Trump's campaign is now in free fall and damn if he not going to take EVERYBODY down with him.

 I am not even going to bother asking for anything from Santa Claus this year, because I am already getting everything that I could possibly want.

After publishing article claiming Donald Trump broke the law by doing business with Cuba during embargo, Newsweek site gets taken down. Guess who are the main suspects? Update!

To make clear: @Newsweek posted story on Trump/Cuba. Hackers attacked, took site down. Lots of IP addresses involved. Main ones from Russia.

— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 30, 2016

Courtesy of Politico:

Newsweek suspects that hackers are to blame for the crash of its website on Thursday night, after it published an article about Donald Trump’s company secretly conducting business in Cuba in the 1990s. 

"We don't know everything. We're still investigating," Newsweek editor in chief Jim Impoco told POLITICO. "But it was a massive DDoS attack, and it took place in the early evening just as prominent cable news programs were discussing Kurt Eichenwald's explosive investigation into how Donald Trump's company broke the law by breaking the United States embargo against Cuba." 

As of Friday afternoon, Impoco told POLITICO that the main IP addresses involved in the hack were Russian, but that there was "nothing definitive" about the ongoing investigation. 

Probably just a coincidence, right?

I don't know about the rest of you but I am getting dizzy trying to keep up with all of Trump's bullshit.

And the thing is that we know if this were ANYBODY else this campaign would have gone up in flames over a year ago.

You know SNL starts back up tonight with Alec Baldwin on deck to play "The Donald."

It makes me wonder if the writers are happy that there is so much to work with, or like myself overwhelmed by the never ending stream of scandals, gaffes, and unhinged tweets?

P.S. By the way just in case you missed it here is the Newsweek article that started all of the trouble.

Update: This just in courtesy of the Daily Beast:  

Suspicion is mounting about Donald Trump’s ties to Russian officials and business interests, as well as possible links between his campaign and the Russian hacking of U.S. political organizations. But GOP leaders have refused to support efforts by Democrats to investigate any possible Trump-Russia connections, which have been raised in news reports and closed-door intelligence briefings. And without their support, Democrats, as the minority in both chambers of Congress, cannot issue subpoenas to potential witnesses and have less leverage to probe Trump.

Well so much for putting country ahead of party. 

Donald Trump directs Twitter rampage at former Miss USA contestant who he fat shamed. Update!

Wow, did you see how badly @CNN (Clinton News Network) is doing in the ratings. With people like @donlemon, who could expect any more?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

Started by going after CNN.

Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying "sources said," DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

And then branched off to go after the media in general.

Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an "angel" without checking her past, which is terrible!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

But then he revealed his true target.

Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

Note the times on these. He literally woke up in the middle of the night and decided that these were tweets that needed to be seen by his followers and the American people.

By the way the allegations that Machado made a sex tape appear to be false.

However even if she had made one, who cares?

After all SHE'S not running to be President of the United States.

And besides Donald Trump claims to love Paris Hilton like a daughter (And lust after like one too.) and she made perhaps the most famous sex tape in sex tape history.

I swear this guy gets more disgusting every single day.

Update: Check out this latest tweet.

Remember, don't believe "sources said" by the VERY dishonest media. If they don't name the sources, the sources don't exist.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

This from the guy who made the President produce his birth certificate because of anonymous sources.

Mother of soldier slain in Benghazi attack literally blames Hillary Clinton for the death of her son.

For me this is what set the tone for the first day of the GOP convention.

Right before Pat Smith took the stage former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell spoke and he was similarly hyperbolic.

However Smith's anguished condemnation of Hillary Clinton used "weaponized emotion" to attack the Democratic nominee in a way that I don't think any of us have seen before at a national convention.

It was ugly, misinformed, and incredibly unfair.

Hillary Clinton has been thoroughly investigated by no less than nine investigative committees, most of which were led by partisan Republicans desperately trying to find something to use against her in the 2016 election, and not one of them blamed her for any of the deaths in Benghazi.

As for her claims that Clinton blamed the video in private talks with her, Politifact looked into that and found that her version did not necessarily jibe with other family members, but even if true did not mean that Hillary would have been purposefully lying.

However this Pat Smith has been a frequent guest on Fox News and other Right Wing media outlets where her charges against Clinton have grown ever more aggressive and emotional.

Having her speak on the first night of the convention is a clear sign that Donald Trump is prepared to go after Hillary in the ugliest and nastiest way imaginable.

There is a lot to mock with this GOP convention, but we should not ignore the level of rage and and outright hatred toward the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton that is felt by many of its attendees.

Man mauled by bear Denali highway. Well Alaskans NOW it is officially spring.

Courtesy of ADN: 

A man was flown to a hospital Friday after being mauled by a bear near the Denali Highway, the Alaska State Troopers said Sunday. 

Troopers were not releasing details such as the man's name or the severity of his injuries as of Sunday afternoon, according to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain. 

The man and at least one companion were in an area near Mile 68 of the Denali Highway on Friday when the attack happened. The circumstances of the mauling were not clear Sunday, but DeSpain said they may have been hunting. 

I have a rule about going into the woods in the spring.

I don't.

Spring time is when these monsters emerge from hibernation cranky and hungry, and if they are females possibly with cubs.

As a rule I tend to stay out of thickly wooded areas. And if I do hike I tend to go to well used trails in open areas where there is good visibility and other hikers, often with their dogs, nearby.

Now there are some folks who argue that they are safe because they never go into the woods without a fire arm.

I have a name for these people, "future bear scat."

Often those people are extra careless because they ignorantly believe that their rifles or handguns have magical properties that will protect them.

That is wrong, and in fact if you read about bear attacks in Alaska the recurring theme is that the people fired their weapons, sometimes multiple times, and it seemed to have no effect.

If you have any doubts as to the power and ferocity of these magnificent animals take a moment to watch what I think is the most realistic bear attack I have ever seen in a movie.

Donald Trump takes up the Republican party's last weapon against Hillary Clinton. Bill Clinton.

Courtesy of the New York Post:  

Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Hillary Clinton Sunday — by bashing her for her husband’s infidelity. 

“I think he is fair game,” Trump told Fox and Friends of Bill Clinton, “because his presidency was really considered to be very troubled to put it mildly because of all of the things she’s talking to me about. She’s mentioning sexism.” 

Over the Christmas season, Trump went on a Twitter bender warning Clinton to “be careful” when she accuses him of sexism. He implied Sunday that warning meant he’s ready to unload on Bill for his sexual exploits. 

“He’ll come under attack, not just from me,” Trump predicted. “He’ll come under attack from many other people.” 

“I think that Bill Clinton turned out to be a liability against [Barack] Obama when they ran against each other [in 2008],” Trump added. Bill Clinton is set to hit the campaign trail in the New Year after largely staying in the wings since his wife’s second presidential launch.

The only time that Bill was a liability for Hillary in 2008 was when he compared his campaign to Jesse Jackson's, but that was really only a minor distraction.

Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE'S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015

Nothing about Bill's sexual peccadilloes caused her or her 2008 campaign any real distress and I highly doubt eight years later that they will have any more potency.

Opening up this particular can of worms really only allows the press to dig further into Trump's own multiple marriages, and accusations of sexual assault. And knowing Mr. Thin Skin that will only anger him into responding with insults and accusations against the press, Hillary, and I'm guessing even Bill himself.

If this is the attack that Trump and the Republicans are hoping will help them to derail Hillary's momentum than they do not understand Hillary Clinton and they do not understand the women voters of this country.

I will do far more for women than Hillary, and I will keep our country safe, something which she will not be able to do-no strength/stamina!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2015

And tweets like this are not exactly helping either. 

Mothers of two CIA operatives killed in Benghazi attack outraged over “cruel and callous” use of their son's images in anti-Hillary advertisement.

Glen Doherty

Courtesy of the Boston Herald:  

The mothers of two CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs killed in the 2012 attacks on the U.S. compound in Benghazi are outraged by a “cruel and callous” political ad that invokes images of their sons to level charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Barbara Doherty of Woburn, whose son Glen Doherty died in the attack, told the Herald, “It’s so crude and so unfeeling to do something like this. To see your own son and hear a voice coming up from the grave, it’s tasteless.” 

A picture of Doherty’s son appears first in the ad. “Dear Hillary Clinton, I’d like to ask you why you ignored calls for help in Benghazi and then four Americas were murdered,” a voice reads. 

Doherty’s mother said this is the first time someone has put words into her son’s mouth like that — and he wouldn’t have liked it. “I won’t use the language he would have used, but he would be very upset.” 

Cheryl Croft Bennett, whose son, Tyrone Woods, died in the attacks, said the ad triggered the type of anger that she had avoided since he was killed. 

“I have not been angry because it’s counter-productive. But this ad made me angry,” she said. 

Woods’ picture appears second in the ad, and a voice-over reads: “I’d like to know why you lied, saying the attack was a response to an internet video.” The video then cuts to voice-overs with pictures of diplomat Sean Smith and U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who both also died in the attacks. It ends with a picture of Stevens’ grave.

Man that is tasteless!

However not at all surprising.

Anybody who thinks that the conservatives REALLY care about the four Americans killed in Benghazi needs to stop drinking the kool-aid.

These men bravely gave their lives for their country and are now having their images appropriated without permission from their families and words put into their mouths by political operatives in order to attack a former Secretary of State.

That is shameless no matter how you look at it.

Trump's newest Anti-Bush internet ad is pretty funny actually.

Courtesy of Mediaite: 

The ad, posted to Instagram, under the caption “Jeb has been confused for forty years.” The short ad features a supercut of Bush’s more controversial statements, including his confusing answer on whether he would have invaded Iraq and his comment that illegal immigration was sometimes an “act of love.” 

The last clip in the montage was Bush’s frank discussion of his history of marijuana use during Wednesday’s CNN debate. That clip was followed by the caption: “Are we sure it was only forty years ago?”

You know once Trump finally decides to stop yanking the conservative's chain and drops out of the race, he may have a career ahead of him in making attack ads.

Wonkette presents Sarah Palin using a McDonald's commercial to attack the President. Does she never let up?

Courtesy of Wonkette:

Here’s what Sarah Palin thinks the McDonald’s ad should have said. Please keep in mind that this is ostensibly a scripted video. 

"The last screen of the McDonald’s ad says ‘Choose Lovin’.’ Maybe it should add, ‘Yeah, choose lovin’, but c’mon, be smart, choose leaders that don’t cripple the economy, won’t penalize businesses, they can trust you, the business owner, and the worker, that you won’t cause unemployment to keep skyrocketing to the degree that people can’t afford Chicken McNuggets off that 99-cent menu.’ "

Wonkette called that bit "glorious" which if you are attempting to demonstrate how moronic this woman is certainly seems accurate.

What I noticed is that Palin borrowed liberally from the ad, which considering her own frustration over people borrowing her content, seems a tad hypocritical.

I also noticed that she had on her Nancy Reagan costume, in an attempt to convince her three subscribers that she is a serious person. Hah, good luck with that!

It also never seems to dawn on Palin that the reason McDonald's is having problems with sales is due to pink slime,  self inflicted controversy, and concerns over the nutritional value of their product.

Blaming it on the President is the kind of stretching of the facts that the conservatives are famous for, and that Palin relies on to keep her name in the limelight.

It would be like me blaming Sarah Palin for John McCain's skin cancer. (Wait....nah!)

I actually saved this post for this morning, since yesterday we focused on the Iowa speech, and the fallout that followed.

Which just goes to show that there will always be something stupid that Palin says that can be used to illustrate her ignorance.

Sometimes I'm not sure if that's a good thing because it means that she is continuing down the road of self destruction, or a bad thing becasue it indicates that she is not yet completely destroyed. 

The terrorist attacks in France offer Sarah Palin the perfect opportunity....to attack President Obama again. Actually for her doesn't EVERYTHING offer this opportunity? Update!

Courtesy of the petite salope's Facebook page:

After the atrocious attacks of September 11th, the world unified behind our great nation, stiffened its collective spine, and took a stand against Islamic terrorism. (By launching an attack against a country that had nothing to do with it.) Following last week’s brutal attacks in Paris by Muslims with the same evil terroristic beliefs as the 9/11 savages, today the world came together again against the death cult that is the radical Islamic “faith.” The largest crowd in Paris’ history just proclaimed “Je Suis Charlie” as Germany’s Prime Minister locked arms with the President of France and marched the streets that her country had occupied generations ago. The heroic Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the King and Queen of Jordan, the UK’s Prime Minister, the President of Mali, the Palestinian President, and so many others all put differences aside to proclaim, “Enough is enough! Evil shall not triumph!” 

There was one noticeable absence – the man who promised in 2008 to restore America’s image around the world…the man nominated for the Nobel Peace prize just two weeks into this failed Presidency…the man who would seek to destroy those who effectively question what he is doing to America and her allies. (Mostly trying to fix the problems that his predecessor created which makes them all much less safe.)  Where was President Obama? Or even, in his stead, Vice President Biden? Secretary Kerry? I’ve no idea what took precedence on our President’s schedule this weekend, but America was MIA as the rest of the civilized world unified against Islamic fundamentalism. 

I humbly dare speak for many concerned Americans tonight (Humbly?) in asking, “Good God, Mr. President, we were once known as the leader of the free world, standing for what is right! You must not let America’s sacrifices be in vain. When will you learn that actions speak louder than your words?” 

To the people of France, please know that we, the American people, stand with you in this fight against the insanity that is Islamic fundamentalism. Americans love our fellow man seeking peace, so we cry with you, “Je suis Charlie!” 

There are more of us than there are of them. Barack Hussein Obama, do not give an inch to this evil.

Sarah Palin

First off does anybody really think that conservative trash talking Sarah Palin gives two shits about France?

Yeah neither do I.

Look as an American I would have loved to have seen the President standing in the front of that line of world leaders in Paris with his arms linked to Germany's Angela Merkel and  Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

But I also know that travel out of the country for the most powerful man in the world is a complicated affair, requiring weeks of preparation and negotiation between the White House and the host country.

As it turns out Secretary of State John Kerry already had a previous appointment in India, though he is planning to stop in France this week.

And as it turns out while the conservatives over here are making a big deal out of Obama's absence, the French leaders themselves are not at all upset: 

French President François Hollande's office also defended Obama. A senior official told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the U.S. president has been "very present" since the attacks, noting that he was one of the first leaders to call Hollande last Wednesday. 

The official also pointed to Obama's visit to the French Embassy in Washington last week. "For us It was an emotional moment of solidarity," the official said.

Of course all of this is beside the point really since the real point of this Facebook post is to attack President Obama, which is the point of many of her Facebook posts, and the rally in France just offered Palin's ghostwriter another opportunity to bitch about him.

Just like the criticism Palin received about those pictures of Trig standing on Jill were an opportunity to attack the President, even though he had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with it.

Reasonable people may find legitimate cause to criticize the Obama administration for not sending a representative to this event. However Sarah Palin was proved time and time again that she is anything BUT reasonable.

They say when you are a hammer everything you see is a nail.

Well when you are a Palin, everything you see is an opportunity to attack the President.

Update: Hmm, it looks like the President made the right call in not showing up.

Seems world leaders didn't "lead" #CharlieHebdo marchers in Paris but conducted photo op on empty, guarded street pic.twitter.com/bhhXgAhqDR
— Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) January 12, 2015

Fake photo-ops, well that explains why Palin thought it was s good idea. Those are her favorite things ever!

The message from Paris, France: "We are not afraid." (Nor should they be.)

Courtesy of NDTV:  

President Francois Hollande announced Thursday as a day of national mourning in France. The Notre Dame Cathedral will chime its bells to remember the victims of the terror attack. France's national security alert has been raised to the highest level with heightened patrols for media offices, schools, tourist and religious sites. 

France has been actively rallying for action against the ISIS or Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. In September, 2014, the extremist group had declared that it would target all the countries who were part of a US-led coalition, especially the "dirty French". 

France is also directly involved in the war against Islamic extremists in the Sahel region in Africa. In recent months it has also been grappling with a problem of "home-grown jihadis' as hundreds of radicalised youth have been leaving from France to fight alongside extremists in Syria and Iraq. 

These attacks are likely to push France to introspection as rising racism against its own Muslim citizens is believed to be pushing many into the hands of extremists. There are fears that this terror attack will further stigmatise French Muslim communities.

I waited a day to let the dust settle before weighing in on this. 

I had hoped that by this morning we would see all of the attackers either dead or in police custody. Sadly such is not the case.

You know I often attack all religion as being primitive unnecessary superstitious garbage, but that has never been more true than when applied to the Islamic religion.

And I am not alone in having that opinion.

No, all religions are NOT equally violent. Some have never been violent, some gave it up centuries ago. One religion conspicuously didn’t.
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) January 7, 2015

I have often pointed out that Christianity was EVERY BIT as violent two hundred years ago as Islam is today. But the fact remains that was two hundred years ago!

If you murder this man, and his workmates, because he drew a cartoon that offended you, or wrote an article that insulted you, your religion, or your prophet, then you are demonstrating how deserving you, your religion, and your prophet are of receiving that insult.

I have never understood the idea of killing to defend your god.

If he is indeed God (Allah if you prefer.) then he needs no defense.

It is only the weak that act out in violence in response to criticism, or laughter.

And this is not a valid defense.

If your rallying cry is "There is no god but Allah." Then clearly there is no god for whom you can blame for your despicable acts of cowardice.

Attack on US sailors by Turkish protestors may be connected to incident during Iraq War.

Courtesy of CNN:  

Three U.S. Navy sailors were assaulted and had bags placed over their heads during a stop in Istanbul, Turkey, according to U.S. military officials. 

The incident, captured on video, happened Wednesday when sailors from the USS Ross were attacked by members of the Turkish Youth Union, according to local Turkish press accounts. 

"US Navy officials are working with the embassy and NCIS to investigate the incident. The three sailors were unharmed and are safely back aboard. They did not require medical attention," Capt. Greg Hicks, a spokesman with U.S. European Command told CNN. 

The assailants appeared to be neo-nationalists shouting slogans like "Yankee Go Home," according to local press accounts. They did not appear to be tied to ISIS, which is based in neighboring Syria.

Like many of you I saw this video yesterday but was a little confused as to why Turkish protesters were so upset with American military members. I thought we were cool with Turkey.

So I did some digging around and found what might have been the trigger.

See for yourself:

The Hood event (Turkish: Çuval Olayı) was an incident on July 4, 2003 following the 2003 invasion of Iraq where a group of Turkish military personnel operating in northern Iraq were captured, led away with hoods over their heads, and interrogated by the United States military. The soldiers were released after sixty hours, after Turkey protested to the United States. 

Though neither side ever apologized, a US-Turkish commission set up to investigate the incident later issued a joint statement of regret. In addition, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote a letter to the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressing sorrow over the incident. The Hood event damaged diplomatic relations between Turkey and the United States and marked a low point in US-Turkish relations. While the incident received comparatively little coverage in the United States, it was a major event in Turkey, many of whose citizens saw it as a deliberate insult and nicknamed it "The Hood event".

You know it may take decades for us to realize just how badly America's reputation has been damaged by the invasion of Iraq, and there is little doubt that more Americans will be hurt or possibly killed because of it, either in attacks overseas or terrorist attacks here at home.

I just know that the Right Wing will try to find some way to blame this on Obama, but if this incident was indeed the trigger, I think we all know where the fault lies. 

Hopefully the lessons we learn from this absolutely unnecessarily military action will not be forgotten, like the ones from Vietnam clearly were.