An Open Letter to the GOP by Bruce Lindner

Dear Republicans;

We get it. You all saw what he did to Liz Cheney, and you don’t want that to happen to you. Short of outright political banishment, if you displease him in the slightest, he might even mean-tweet you from his golf cart in Florida. You all tremble at the mere thought of that.

And he knows it, which is why he does it; to control you. To get you to confirm the most unqualified Cabinet secretaries in American history. If the gravity of that situation wasn’t so solemn, it would be comical.

But what’s done is done. You didn’t want to suffer the indignity of being mean-tweeted, so you seated a drunk who paid a woman $50,000 to buy her silence to become America’s Secretary of Defense, an anti-science conspiracy theorist for Health and Human Services and a man who openly hates the FBI to run it.

You’ve watched in silence as his hatchet man—or should I say his chainsaw man—has wiped out the careers of untold thousands of Americans, the cascading effects of which will no doubt threaten the very existence of poverty-stricken communities who rely on America’s bounty and generosity.

You fidgeted in your seats a bit when he shook his fist at Mexico, Canada, Panama and Denmark. But no outright condemnation from any of you, because again, you can’t: the spirit of Liz Cheney might haunt you.

You’re in a unique position. Hard as it is to believe, you’re the gatekeepers. Once upon a time, in a magical epoch known as pre-Trump, Congress was a coequal branch of government. That means YOU had it within your power to keep lawlessness and tyranny in check.

But that was then and this is now. You’ve ceded your authority because; say it with me: Liz Cheney.

In the hierarchy of things that matter to you, in order from most to least, are:

• Me

• My personal safety

• Not getting mean-tweeted

• Getting re-elected

• People who won’t vote for me

• People in shithole countries

• The nation

At the far end of the courage spectrum from you and at the far side of the planet, there’s a guy named Volodimr Zelenskyy. He must look like an alien species to you, because his priorities are diametrically opposed to yours. When offered a chance to be airlifted out of his embattled nation, he turned it down and confronted the threat pouring over his nation’s borders. He then addressed his people from a darkened corner somewhere in Kyiv, reassuring them that he and his government will stand and fight on their behalf.

But now he and his 38 million fellow Ukrainians face a new threat: Blatant betrayal by the President of the United States. If Trump follows through with it, Zelenskyy himself, perhaps the most iconic example of raw courage in the world today, will be hunted. And if captured, meted out Navalny justice.

But that can only happen if you let it.

Yes, I know, you murmur amongst yourselves over martinis how you had to swallow hard to vote for Tulsi Gabbard, or to stay silent when he gutted the USAID and the national parks. But unless you take a hard stand, and say HELL NO, I’m drawing the line right HERE… you’re as complicit as he is.

This quote has never been more relevant: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing.” ~ Edmund Burke

This is your moment. History will document your names right alongside his. I’m looking at you, Lindsey the Lionhearted. Ted the Turd. Joni, Queen of Castraters. Rise up. Fear not the mean-tweet.

Liz Cheney knowingly sacrificed her career, as did Adam Kinzinger, because they made the calculus: Who am I and what are my core values? And they deduced that there are bigger things in this world than themselves.

Thus far, not a single Republican in this picture has come to a similar conclusion.

Cowards, all. And if you allow Ukraine to fall by your inaction, you’ll be accomplices in mass murder, as well as the beginning of the end for NATO.

Written by Bruce Lindner and found on Facebook

I Didn't Say It ...

Kamala Harris, in October 2024, telling us what we would get if The Felon was elected:

“If [he] were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now, and understand what that would mean, because Putin’s agenda is not just about Ukraine. Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that [he is] no longer president, and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known, which is NATO, and what we have done to preserve the ability of [President] Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to fight for their independence. Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes of the rest of Europe, starting with Poland.”

Oh, but she laughed so much and she’s a woman and a woman of color at that, so the lot of you looked the other way and voted for the man you knew was a liar and a traitor and a cheat and a fraud and just hoped he would hurt you.

You deserve what you get.

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Friedrich Merz, Germany’s newly elected leader, on Putin’s Puppet and Leon’s Bitch:

“I am communicating closely with a lot of European Union heads of state, as for me it’s an absolute priority to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible, so that we achieve independence from the US, step by step … I never thought I would ever need to say something like that on TV, but after the latest statements made by [The Felon] last week, it is clear that the Americans—at any case, these Americans, this, administration—mostly don’t care about the fate of Europe one way or the other.”

Soon enough there will be no allies for this country other than murderous dictators and tyrants.

Thanks MAGA.

Thanks Democrats who didn’t vote because of “a woman.”

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Liz Cheney, former GOP Congressperson, and real American patriot who put country over party, and over a traitor:

“Generations of American patriots from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy and Ukrainians are risking their lives to defend. But toward, [The Felon] and [The CouchFucker] attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to Putin, the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day—when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.”

No matter what has been to done to Liz Cheney, she continues to speak up and fight for our country, and not for the enemies of our country.

When you hear the word ‘patriot,’ think Liz Cheney.

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Mark Kelly, Democrat Senator from Arizona, demolishing [The Felon] over his Zelensky Oval Office disaster in terms that even MAGAts can understand:

"Well, [Democrats] have a role. We do our own negotiations. We do our own diplomacy so to speak. So we do have a role. We can push the administration. Hopefully, we can get them to come back to the negotiating table … [even though] we are in a much worse position. Our European allies especially are looking at this and they're thinking to themselves what just happened? What happened to the United States of America? It used to be the leader of the free world. And you know I pointed out in our meeting this morning … that I was rather disappointed that our country, we're about to celebrate our 250th birthday. Which is a big deal … but now we're dealing with one of our allies like this is a business transaction. I mean, that's not the way we have traditionally done things and so where do we go from here? … [The] President and the Vice President need to figure out how do they pick up the pieces from this total disaster and get back to the table and negotiate in a way that is who we are as a nation. [We] have principles, we have values, and we don't berate our allies in the Oval Office. I’ve never seen anything like this before. And throughout our entire history there have been a lot of tense negotiations between countries. We don't do this in public. This did not get us anything. And I think it's important for the American people to understand because of what happened today we are all less safe. And I'll tell you there is one winner in this, one winner, and if you watch Russian TV tonight or tomorrow morning you will see that they're going to cover this. They're going to be happy about this. Putin and his cronies are probably popping champagne bottles right now."

Kelly is spot on; The Felon and his cabal of traitors and ignorant cronies have made America less safe in the world today by aligning with a murderous dictator and they don’t even realize. They’re the new bullies on the playground who care only about looking tough, not being tough, and scared shitless to cross the boss.

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Tony Bisignano, a Democrat state Senator from Iowa, in an interview with The Advocate after the GOP voted to remove transgender Iowans from the state’s civil rights laws:

“We were time certain, which means that we had to vote by 3:30, and we didn’t start [debating] until 12:15. That wasn’t part of the Senate conduct—we don’t do that in the Senate, but this particular majority has chosen to do it on a number of large issues. This was just a lead-up, the prelude to finally just choke [Transgender Iowans] out and try to eliminate them from our culture here in Iowa. When my colleague brought [this] forth, I said, ‘Well, if you say this is all [about protecting women and children], then why don’t we eliminate the housing and the employment and the credit [elements] and all these other important things because we don’t need ’em?’ ... I did not have the intention to speak to that particular amendment, but the fact that we were just starting the debate and I could see where it was going, it was time to take a role to call them out. [My niece] is a transgender girl … She’s a sweet person, she’s lovely, she’s smart, she’s talented, and you want to dispel and disgrace and demean these people? I’m sorry, Tony Bisignano cannot sit in a room in any capacity to see that done to anybody for anything. I had to call that out because I’m a Catholic; we’re Christians. And I asked [my Republican colleagues] in a speech a few days ago, ‘What Bible do you use at your Bible study? Because I’ve not seen quotes ever apply to what you’re doing here.’ I know these people on the other side. They’re friends. I’ve known some of ’em for years. I can’t believe that in their heart they believe this is the right thing to do, but they understand that’s the only way to stay elected ... I’m calling them on it. Transgender people need champions and voices and not people voting against people because they’re afraid—they need somebody willing to take it on the chin, and I’m willing to do that.”

He's so right talking about these people weaponizing their faith against the trans community when nowhere in the Bible is there a single anti-trans message.

It’s ignorance and hate, but not Jesus at all.

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Stuart Stevens, GOP consultant, on his party weaponizing gender and sexual orientation:

“When I see sexual orientation hate come out of the Republican party under the pretext of just being anti-trans, I am very tempted to name the Republican operatives and elected officials who are closeted gays. It’s not a short list.”

Do it.

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Thanks to Sixpence for the reminder ...

I Didn't Say It ... Thanks Joe!

Hillary Clinton, writing in the New York Times about Biden leaving the race:

“History has its eye on us. President Biden’s decision to end his campaign was as pure an act of patriotism as I have seen in my lifetime. It should also be a call to action to the rest of us to continue his fight for the soul of our nation. The next 15 weeks will be like nothing this country has ever experienced politically but have no doubt: this is a race Democrats can and must win. Elections are about the future. That’s why I am excited about Vice President Kamala Harris. She represents a fresh start for American politics. She can offer a hopeful, unifying vision. She is talented, experienced and ready to be president. And I know she can defeat Donald Trump. As we saw in the 2022 midterms, abortion bans and attacks on democracy are galvanizing women voters like never before. With Ms. Harris at the top of the ticket leading the way, this movement may become an unstoppable wave.”

I’m with Her … and Kamala Harris; it’s time to let women take control.

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Barack Obama, on Joe Biden’s decision:

“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded—again—that he’s a patriot of the highest order. Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character—his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts. Since taking office, President Biden has displayed that character again and again. He helped end the pandemic, created millions of jobs, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, passed the first major piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years, made the biggest investment to address climate change in history, and fought to ensure the rights of working people to organize for fair wages and benefits. Internationally, he restored America’s standing in the world, revitalized NATO, and mobilized the world to stand up against Russian aggression in Ukraine. More than that, President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized [The Felon]’s administration. Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best—a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life. This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election—how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow [The Felon] back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress. I also know Joe has never backed down from a fight. For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life. But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country—and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow. We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond. For now, Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times—and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on.”

And no matter how much The Felon whines and complains about unfair all this is to him, the fact is Joe Biden is simply putting America first … something The Felon has never done.

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Liz Cheney, former GOP Representative from Wyoming, and rare Country over Party Republican, on Biden stepping down:

“The framers of our Constitution knew that our Republic would endure only if presidents have the character and honor to put duty ahead of self-interest. President Biden deserves our gratitude for his decades of service to our nation and for his courageous decision today.”

Y’all know that Liz is no fan of Joe, but she understands what true patriotism is: doing the right thing and not doing the thing that a narcissistic sore loser begs you to do.

I like Liz for her stance on this country and duty.

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Rachel Maddow, on Biden’s decision to leave the race:

“What a man! What a patriot! What an act of selfless devotion to your country! Him making this decision today is to give the country a chance. A reasonable chance at not putting [The Felon] back in the White House. Not putting a president back in the White House who refused to leave the last time and summoned an angry mob to try to overthrow the government rather than go. This is Joe Biden saying, ‘apparently it’s not me, the one that gives us the best chance to do that. It’s got to be somebody else. And so I will step aside.'”

I have a political cartoon coming up for Sunday that perfectly explains Joe and his decision, and how right it was to do what he did. Patriotism is just part of it …

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Kamala Harris, on her predecessor:

“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office. It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people. With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else. I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”

And she will continue Joe’s work, and expand on Joe’s work, and they will both be remembered as having stepped up to save this country from a wannabe dick-tator.

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Hunter Biden, on his father and his president:

“For my entire life, I’ve looked at my dad in awe. How could he suffer so much heartache and yet give so much of whatever remained of his heart to others? Not only in the policies he passed, but in the individual lives he’s touched. Over a lifetime I have witnessed him absorb the pain of countless everyday Americans who he’s given his personal phone number to, because he wanted them to call him when they were hurting. When their last hopes were slipping through their hands. That unconditional love has been his North Star as a President, and as a parent. He is unique in public life today, in that there is no distance between Joe Biden the man and Joe Biden the public servant of the last 54 years. I’m so lucky every night I get to tell him I love him, and to thank him. I ask all Americans to join me tonight in doing the same. Thank you, Mr. President. I love you, Dad.”

That’s it right there; that’s Joe.

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I Didn't Say It ...

Adam Kinzinger, former GOP Congressman, on Jim Gym Jordan’s antics:

“Jim Jordan is an absolute hypocrite. Jim Jordan was in front of the Rules Committee when we were talking about holding Steve Bannon … in contempt. He said in front of the Rules Committee that the Department of Justice and the FBI should be the ones investigating [Thing 45]. And that would be their role. Now, of course, he’s against the Department of Justice and the FBI investigating [Thing 45]. He’s for the sanctity of the subpoena by the US Congress until he’s the one that gets subpoenaed by the US Congress. And he also voted against enforcing subpoenas against people like Steve Bannon and against people like Mark Meadows. I mean, this is—the hypocrisy is mind numbing. I am less concerned with what people’s view is on positions and what their idea is on policy, as much as I am when there is just open and blatant and unashamed hypocrisy where it’s all about winning. It’s all about power and truth, and justice really has no role in what they’re doing. If you have evidence that Joe Biden, not Hunter Biden, but that Joe Biden broke the law, bring it forward. And if it’s impeachable, impeach him. But you don’t have that evidence. So you go on a fishing expedition and all of a sudden you raise the flame of justice in Congress like you’re so concerned with the congressional subpoena when you were the one that ignored it the whole time.”

It’s a Clown Car that has no morals, no backbone, no spine, just feeding into Thing 45’s ego so he doesn’t come after them.

It’s fear and hypocrisy and ego and party over country for the Gop which is why they need to go.

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George Santos, speaking to  NYC-based far-right talk radio station WABC:

“I’m not done with public service. I want to go back to Congress. I’m not saying today. I’m not saying tomorrow. I have a lot of things I need to take care of first. I think we all know, but I do have hopes of trying to regain the trust of the American people and going there, because I will continue to expose and root out the rot in our federal government.”

Oh, Kitara, Congress and the people of your district are done with you.

Santos, you will recall, screamed “to hell with this place” as he fled the final minutes of his House expulsion vote.

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Mitt Romney, retiring GOP senator from Utah, saying that nearly any candidate in the 2024 field, of either party, would be an “upgrade” over another term for Thing 45:

“I’d be happy to support virtually any one of the Republicans—maybe not Vivek [Ramaswamy]—but the others that are running would be acceptable to me, and I’d be happy to vote for them. I’d be happy to vote for a number of the Democrats too. It would be an upgrade, in my opinion, from [Thing 45] and perhaps also from Joe Biden.”

Mittsy has it right, except that it’s anyone but the GOP candidates because none are fit to be president and only one person running knows the job, has done  the job, accomplished a lot, and still vows to fight and finish the job.

Vote Blue.

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Liz Cheney, on a second Thing 45 term:

“He’s told us what he will do. It’s very easy to see the steps that he will take. People who say, ‘Well, if he’s elected, it’s not that dangerous because we have all of these checks and balances,’ don’t fully understand the extent to which the Republicans in Congress today have been co-opted. One of the things that we see happening today is a sort of a sleepwalking into dictatorship in the United States. If you look at what Donald Trump is trying to do, he can’t do it by himself. He has to have collaborators. And the story of Mike Johnson is a story of, of a collaborator and of someone who knew then – and knows now – that what he’s doing and saying is wrong, but he’s willing to do it in an effort to please [Inmate # P01135809]. And that’s what makes it dangerous.”

Take the lunatic at his word: he’ll be a dictator and every freedom we’ve all enjoyed will be gone if he doesn’t like it.

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Chuck Grassley, GOP Senator from Iowa, on the House moving forward with an impeachment inquiry against Biden:

“I’m going to take the same position I’ve taken since I came. That all I can say is there’s some indication of maybe some compromise with China particularly, but I have no evidence of it. I’m going to just follow the facts where they are. And the facts haven’t taken me to that point where I can say that the president is guilty of anything.”

'No evidence.'

And yet the Gop keeps going on and on as if there is something.

Dear God, a doddering old fool like Grassley sees this for what it is, a whole lotta Who Shot John.

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Jonathan Bailey, actor and current Husband-In-My-Head, on struggling with his sexual orientation when he was younger:

"I realized [LGBT+] was not in the curriculum [when I was at school] so I felt very alone. It’s a very common experience to not even have people in the classroom... if there's nothing in the books that you're reading, you're twice as likely to be bullied if you are a gay person. There's two things we don't want to know: if you're an alcoholic or if you're gay [so] of course, I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight. But if there is positive LGBT+ messaging 100% of everyone's mental health and happiness increases. It's a no brainer and Just Like Us is the charity that is doing it and they're bring ambassadors into schools, so I'm really excited.”

Bailey is involved with a charity called Just Like Us, which aims to raise awareness in schools on LGBTQ+. After coming out as gay to his friends and family in his twenties he still felt pressured to hide his sexuality in order to land roles but now hopes to help change the stigma for those who come after.

Plus he’s utterly hot.

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Meme Dump

Bobservations

One night, after my father had come home and I had returned home, Carlos and I were sitting in the living room chatting and watching TV. I had Tuxedo asleep on my lap and then phone rang my father’s number appeared on the screen.

“It’s my Dad.”

I started to stand but my foot had fallen asleep so I was banging it on the floor and scaring the crap out of Tuxedo.

“Get the phone, my foot’s asleep!”

Carlos heads into the kitchen but with his eyesight is moving slowly and deliberately and I am trying to walk behind him not falling over on my tingling useless foot. Luckily, he made it to the phone first and answered it, but neither one of us could stop laughing, and my poor Dad was on the other end wondering what the hell goes on in our house.

Just the usual, I thought.

All that fearmongering from the GOP disappears as soon as the election is over, shoved back into the Do Nothing About It Closet until the next election

Since Thing 45 and his pet candidates were handed their asses in the Red Surge That Wasn’t, The Former Guy is keeping an eye on the GOP and anyone who turns against him … like Miss Lindsey Graham. Yes, the former lapdog of the traitor has, so far, declined to offer an endorsement for 2024, saying:

“Let’s see what he says … I’ll tell you after Georgia.”

Miss Lindsey is so desperate for Herschel Walker to win in Georgia because, and I’m just spit-balling here, she wants Herschel to sit with her in the Congressional Lunchroom. 

But back to Thing 45 ... South Dakota’s John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, and Texas GOP Senator John Cornyn have both said they won’t endorse Thing 45 in a contested primary.

The tide is turning … even “Jarvanka” want no part of Thing 45 2024. Daddy spent a great deal of time during Tiffany’s weekend wedding trying to convince his daughter-wife and her eunuch husband to stand with him on stage when he announces his third consecutive run for the presidency.

Hard pass.

Hey, I know everybody has their own way of relieving stress, so sue me if you don’t like mine. It calms me down.

QAnon Kari Lake, AKA Thing 45 in a Dress, lost her bid for governor in Arizona and some members of the GOP could not be happier.

Last month QAnon Kari mockingly thanked anti-Thing 45 Representative Liz Cheney for endorsing her Democratic opponent, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs by posting a letter to Cheney claiming she had raised a ton of money on the letter.

After the race was called for Hobbs, Liz Cheney posted the letter with her own response:

I have said I don’t like Cheney’s politics but I like me some Cheney Shade.

This happens all the time here in South Carolina … when someone invariably starts a sentence with:

"I seen …"

 I assume they won't finish that sentence with:

"… the inside of a book.”

Just sayin’.

Over the course of the Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy trial, attorneys for Thomas Caldwell, one of the group’s oldest members, have tried to recast him as an elderly bystander to the insurrection. In fact Caldwell’s wife told a jury her husband wasn’t wearing body armor that day unless …

“If you’re talking about ‘Depends,’ that’s what he was wearing.”

Prosecutors say Caldwell contributed to the attack as a member of the Oath Keepers’ so-called quick reaction force, which stashed weapons inside a Comfort Inn. Security footage from the hotel chain appears to show Caldwell carting boxes of weapons on a dolly.

Terrorists in diapers.

Nancy Pelosi is 82 and just helped lead House Democrats to an unexpectedly good midterms outcome but the media’s first question is when she’ll retire.

On the other hand, Mitch McConnell is 80 and just led Senate Republicans to a humiliating defeat and was not asked a single question about stepping aside.

Amazon SmugMaster Jeff Bezos named Dolly Parton the latest recipient of his Courage and Civility award and gave her $100 million to direct to any charities she chooses. Dolly happily accepted the cash saying:

“I’ve always said, I try to put my money where my heart is, and I will do my best to do good things with this money.”

Bezos has said he will give away half his wealth before he dies, but I say give it all away now and let the chips fall where they may.

Broderick Hunter Jr. is an American model and actor from California which is neither here nor there. Would You Hit It?