Vladimir Putin seems pretty convinced that Trump bought his denials about interference in the 2016 election.

God you have soft hands.

Courtesy of the AP:  

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he thinks U.S. President Donald Trump believed his in-person denials of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential vote. 

Putin spoke Saturday after the Group of 20 summit where he and Trump had their first face to face meeting. 

He said Trump asked him numerous questions about Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S. election during a lengthy discussion on the issue. 

Putin says he thinks his answers satisfied Trump, but added that Trump’s opinion would be better sought from the U.S. president himself. 

He says Moscow and Washington would be able to improve their ties if the two countries keep relating the way he and Trump did.

Sounds like Labrov's version of events was more accurate than Secretary of State Tillerson's.

Of course we would definitely know what was said if they had not kept the two hour meeting so hush hush. Now it is just a case of liar said vs other liar said.

Well at least the new leader of the free world knows how to respond to Putin's bullshit.

Mansplaining, G20 style. Watch Angela Merkel’s eye-roll. pic.twitter.com/PXEI0WxyYH

— SimonNRicketts (@SimonNRicketts) July 7, 2017

Well done, almost as appropriate as our last true leader's steely eyed glare.

Yes my friends, I am old enough to remember when America stood up to the Russians and did not allow them to set our agenda, choose our leaders, or poach our hard earned position as a dominant world power.

After first stating that he will not seek reelection, and then hinting he may quit before end of term, now Jason Chaffetz is saying that a 12 year old injury has flared up and he needs a leave of absence. Hmmm.

Sorry, would love to investigate Trump's ties to Russia, but I have a boo boo on my foot.

Courtesy of Politico:  

House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz announced Wednesday that he will take a leave of absence from Congress to undergo surgery on his foot, with an estimated return in mid-May. 

The Utah Republican posted a picture of an X-ray on Instagram and wrote that a foot injury he sustained 12 years ago is now prompting him to undergo "immediate" surgery.

The estimated recovery time is three to four weeks. Chaffetz said avoiding the procedure could put him "at risk for serious infection." 

Chaffetz's absence comes amid a crucial stretch for House Republicans and the Trump administration. There are looming votes on a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and, potentially, a close vote on legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. 

"I’m sorry to miss the important work we are doing in Washington," Chaffetz wrote. "This is not an opportune time to be away but medical emergencies are never convenient. I appreciate my constituent’s patience and understanding as I take time to recover."

Look I hate to get all conspiratorial here, but I have had rotting fish heads in my trashcan that gave off less smell than this is giving off.

I am not at all sure of what is happening, but I am all but positive that SOMETHING is happening.

Donald Trump gives the lamest excuse ever for why Sarah Palin did not get invited to speak at the Republican convention.

Courtesy of the Washington Examiner:

Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin isn't included in the official list of speakers for the Republican National Convention next week, and Donald Trump suggested in an interview that her absence is because she lives too far from the venue. 

"She was asked," Trump told the Washington Examiner in a phone interview on Thursday. "It's a little bit difficult because of where she is. We love Sarah. Little bit difficult because of, you know, it's a long ways away."

Wait, so the ONLY reason that Sarah Palin is not speaking at the big GOP convention next week is that it is too far for her highness to fly?

Well it certainly was not too far for her to fly when she was endorsing Donald Trump.

Nor was it too far for her to fly to give a high school commencement speech, appear on a reboot of a 70's game show, or to show up at the Indianapolis 500.

In fact, as we have all seen, Sarah Palin will jump on a plane to get the hell out of Alaska for pretty much any reason you can think of.

So, why do we REALLY think she is not going to appear on that stage?

Donald Trump "I always felt that I was in the military." What branch? The Oompa Loompa brigade?

Source

Courtesy of Politico: 

Donald Trump did not serve in the military, but according to a report, the Republican presidential candidate and multibillionaire business tycoon said in a forthcoming book that he still "always felt that I was in the military" because he attended a military boarding school and "dealt with those people." 

According to an upcoming biography and interview excerpts shared with The New York Times, Trump said that his five years at the New York Military Academy provided him with "more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military." 

“After the Vietnam War, all those military academies lost ground because people really disrespected the military,” Trump told the author in an excerpt shared with the Times. “They weren’t sending their kids to military school. It was a whole different thing, but in those days — 1964 I graduated — that was a very good thing or tough thing, and it was a real way of life at military academy.” 

“My number was so incredible and it was a very high draft number. Anyway so I never had to do that, but I felt that I was in the military in the true sense because I dealt with those people,” Trump told the author in another excerpt. 

Yeah you know who doesn't think going to military school is like being in the military? People in the military. 

As it turns out Trump not only had a high draft lottery number, but also numerous deferments which he attempted to explain by taking off a shoe and pointing to heel spurs.

Now here we once again have an issue which SHOULD damage Trump and cause his support to fall away. But of course it won't because Donald Trump's candidacy is following no known rules of politics.

I had no idea my ex-wife had even written a book.

This is volume three, but I'm pretty sure I've heard all of the excuses in the first two volumes as well.

Ah marriage, how I never miss thee. 

Mike Huckabee asserts that he will continue to be prejudiced against gays until the Bible is rewritten. Seems unaware that has already happened through translations dozens of times.

Courtesy of TPM:  

On "State of the Union," CNN's Dana Bash asked Huckabee about a chapter in his book, "God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy," in which the former governor wrote about his relationships with gay friends. 

"I don’t shut people out of my circle or out of my life because they have a different point of view. I don’t drink alcohol, but gosh, a lot of my friends — maybe most of them — do. I don’t use profanity, but believe me I’ve got a lot of friends who do. Some people really like classical music and ballet and opera. It’s not my cup of tea." Huckabee said on CNN. "I hope the party doesn’t change its overall view, but the very fact that I talk about relationships I have with friends who are gay, indicate that I’m not a person who shuts everybody out around me who disagrees." 

Huckabee said that for him, same sex marriage is a religious issue. 

"This is not just a political issue. It is a biblical issue. And as a biblical issue, unless I get a new version of the scriptures, it’s really not my place to say, ‘Okay, I’m just going to evolve.’ It’s like asking somebody who’s Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped-shrimp in their deli. ... or asking a Muslim to serve up something that is offensive to him or to have dogs in his backyard," he said. "We’re so sensitive to make sure we don’t offend certain religions, but then we act like Christians can’t have the convictions that they’ve had for over 2,000 years."

Ah the old I have gay/black/female friends so I simply cannot be a homophobe/racist/misogynist argument. I know it well.

Actually the facts are that even without a newly written version of scripture Huckabee seems to have little difficulty ignoring the biblical rules that he doesn't like.

For instance this interview was conducted on a Sunday, the Sabbath. And since this was to promote his new book he was clearly working.

So I guess he simply ignores Leviticus 23:3.

Are his clothes made up of two different kinds of material? Well I guess  Leviticus 19:19 was just a damn suggestion then wasn't it?

And what about Leviticus 20:10? When was the last time that Huckabee stoned an adulterer?

And he calls himself a man of God. Bullshit.

No Huckabee, like many hypocritical Christians, is simply using the Bible to provide cover for his own hateful prejudices.

But hey if he is serious about wanting an updated version of the scriptures, I am ready to start typing at a moment's notice.

I would dearly love to rewrite that horrid, pernicious, tome and replace with one that truly promotes love and acceptance.

Video game makers blame Satan for sabotaging their attempts to launch a Bible based adventure game.

Tim Curry from the movie "Legend."

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

The makers of a Biblical role-playing game that follows the life of Abraham are blaming their lack of success and inability to fund the project on the influence of Satan. 

Speaking with Polygon, Richard Gaeta, co-founder of Phoenix Interactive explained the company’s problems starting cropping up right after the launch of their Kickstarter campaign for Bible Chronicles: The Call of Abraham. 

“I believe that, 100 percent,” Gaeta said. 

“It’s very tangible,” explained business partner Martin Bertram. “From projects falling through and people that were lined up to help us make this a success falling through. Lots of factors raining down on us like fire and brimstone.” 

Phoenix Interactive’s Kickstarter failed to reach its $100,000 target, only managing to raise $19,000. 

Executives with troubled video game company see forces other than the marketplace at play. 

 "If Satan is rallying some of his resources to forestall, delay, or kill this project, I think, this must be a perceived threat to his kingdom,” said Ken Frech, a religious mentor on the project. “I fully would expect something like this to have spiritual warfare. Look at the gospel accounts of demons and so forth. That’s reality. Many Americans don’t believe it anymore. That doesn’t change reality.” 

In the action-RPG game Bible Chronicles: The Call of Abraham, gamers are an attendant in Abraham’s party, witnessing Biblical events, while playing an active role fetching, fighting and seeking. 

The developers point out that game will not be a glossy retelling of the Biblical story, but will follow a strict literal Biblical line.

You know I don't game all that often anymore, but I do pay attention to up and coming content just to see if anything catches my eye.

What I have noticed is that tons of game ideas never make it past the initial planning stages, and simply die on the vine due to lack of interest.

There are many reasons for this, bad marketing, bad development, bad idea, but I have NEVER heard one of these developers blame the Devil.

It must be nice to never have to take responsibilities for your failures, and instead have some imaginary boogeyman to blame them on.

I'm going to try that the next time I forget where I parked my car.

"No I'm NOT senile, I know exactly where I parked the car, but clearly Satan moved it."

Oh yeah, that should make me seem perfectly rational.

Multimillionaire Mitt Romney blames election loss on lack of funds. Wait, what?

This was Romney's response during an interview with CNN: 

Talking about what went wrong, Romney said they didn't get the turnout from minority voters that they needed and he acknowledged his campaign was outmatched by his opponent's massive organization. 

"I think he had as many as 10 times the number of ground workers, paid staff, that we had, because he could afford them and we couldn't," he said.

First it was Hurricane Sandy which came along just to help the President look presidential that Romney blamed for his loss, and now it is that he did not have enough money to bribe minorities into voting for him.

Which is it Mitt?

Perhaps the only intelligent thing that Romney has said recently is that he is done running for President.

Gee, really?

7 year old boy killed by father's careless handling of handgun.

Craig Allen Loughrey

Courtesy of Trib Live News:  

A 7-year-old boy died on Saturday when he was shot by his father in an apparent accident outside a Mercer County gun shop, state police said. 

Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, was getting into his truck holding a .9mm Taurus handgun when it discharged. The bullet struck his son, Craig Allen Loughrey, 7, in the chest, state police said. The boy died at the scene. 

“I know that little kid was everything to him,” said Mark McLaughlin of Fredonia, a friend and co-worker of Loughrey’s at Superior Well Services in Fredonia. 

State police said Loughrey told them he had emptied the magazine of the gun, but had no idea a bullet was still in the chamber. 

“This happens all too often where people think the gun was empty,” said state police Lt. Eric Hermick. 

A weapon that was undoubtedly purchased to protect his family, ends up taking the life of his son.

There is a very powerful message there, but I doubt that most in this gun happy society will be able to understand it.

How many times have we heard the phrase "I didn't think it was loaded." spoken after a tragedy like this? And when was the last time you heard a suspect in a stabbing use "I didn't know it was sharp" as an excuse?

There is a vast difference separating gun violence from other kinds of violence in America, and I think it is time that we as a country recognize that and stop making up excuses for the violence so that we can keep buying the guns.