Quote of the Day
Great spirits have always
Dion & The Belmonts "Where or When"
Quote of the Day
He who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.
Roy \Orbison, "Only the Lonely"
I have a certain formula for my daily miscellany (M) posts; I usually have 3 video clips on political or economic issues, a daily quote, a political cartoon (if I don't have an animation), a "choose life" clip featuring marriage or family, and finally a music video on some theme (currently a year's top 100 Billboard hits). Of the core top 3 video clips, I use a variety of sources, usually but not always YouTube; a lot depends on available embedding tools for content like tweets or charts. In some cases there are only audio clips, say, an old McClanahan or Cato Institute podcast episode not available on YouTube, which may require adapting audio player code.
The top 3 segments usually include a mix, not unlike my Twitter/X feed. I'll often regular feeds, such as the focus of this deed; historian Brion McClanahan usually publishes 3 videos a week, but there are dozen of older videos I didn't embed earlier in his podcast, a lot of them more history than commentary. Economist Peter St. Onge presents a daily short commentary, which I recently stopped clipping. I used to feature libertarian/historian Tom Woods' daily podcast, usually covering libertarian topics. Stossel usually publishes a short video weekly and a biweekly interview. Political humor is a regular segment; Reason often produces Remy's musical parodies or other humor clips; there are other source, like SNL, Bill Maher, the Babylon Bee, or the Onion. There are animation sources FEE and FreedomToons. I used to clip the Tuttle Twins episodes but they converted to a paywall model. If I don't have an animation feature, I'll usually include some featured political cartoon, typically from Townhall. As for other segments, I often feature libertarian legal clips from the institute for Justice, Pacific Legal Foundation, etc. I often include GML's Dumb Bleep of the Week, a monthly SOHO debate, interviews and other segments from Reason, Mises Institute, Cato Institute, Acton Institute, Independent Institute, etc. I'll also post available material from favored economists DiLorenzo and Boudreaux Free to Choose and selective content from Ron Paul, Andrew Napolitano and other sources. Occasionally I may embed passages like an Amash Facebook comment, tweets, etc. Finally, I may feature certain news or tribute clips and/or briefly feature some comments. I, of course, am not restricted to these rules, but I think you will find many, if not most of my daily posts fall within these parameters.
i think it's clear from context that I do not always agree with clips. This is obvious when I embed debates. For example, I've excerpted some pro-choice libertarians even though I'm among the third of pro-life lbertarians. I had differences with Bush, McCain and Romney, even though I supported their candidacies. I did not want to flesh out my criticisms because I didn't want partisan Dems quoting me. I've posted about it before, but I'm mentioning again because it is germane to discussion. I had started following Woods, including on Facebook, after I had purchased copies of his books on a contrarian US history, the Catholic Church's role in Western Civilization, and the Church and the free market. [Woods is a convert, and i was born Catholic.] Also, Woods is heavily involved with the Mises Institute, and Ron Paul, Woods' political hero, is also affiliated with the Mises Institute. So one day, Woods posted something like, "Happy Birthday, Dr. Paul..(a physician, not a professor).I'm thankful you're the real thing, not a phony like Mitt Romney." I objected to the unnecessary cheapshot. Woods personally responded, doubling down on his incivility. He then rermed me a Romney loyalist interloper and sicced his followers on me. I warned him that his misconduct might lead me to stop following his podcast. He thereupon spun his podcast as his gift for the good of humanity, lost on the likes of ungrateful people like me. So I discontinued using him as a source, including the blog. Sometime later (months, if not years), I reconsidered Woods as a source, not rejoining his Facebook group, but I think he had moved to another platform in the interval. So I continued to use his feed for a while, until he got obsessed by pandemic policies. Believe me, I had my own criticisms, worrying if someone walking on the street without a mask would get arrested. people driving on interstates or arrests of people on mass transit. But he was ranting using charts on COVID stats defying readers to identify which state had stricter COVID policies. He was particularly strident on children with COVID. (I have a nephew and his spouse who caught it from their kids.) "Preliminary evidence suggests children are just as likely as adults to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 but are less likely to be symptomatic or develop severe symptoms." So I pushed back on his relevant email with one of his mini-rants. i never expected a response, but Mr. Congeniality was pissed and wrote back something like "Who the f*ck are you? I get my information from like famous scholars from Harvard and Stanford. You are a nobody." I, unlike Woods, have published empirical research and won my district UIL high school science competition both years I participated. I pushed back; he responded by calling me names and dropped my email subscription, which saved me the effort. I once again dropped his feed. I think I've embedded one episode since then--an episode he did; Tom DiLorenzo, one of my favorite economists, and surprise: the current president of Mises Institute. I haven't looked at his YouTube channel in years and reviewed his show topics. I can't rule it out but it's like my treatment of Ron Paul and Judge Napolitano content; I would have have to be selective. for example, Ron Paul often goes in conspiracy theory mode. I don't mind occasional disagreements. Usually I have a certain degree of tolerance, even to people insulting me to my face
Peter St. Onge somehow made it into my general feed one day into my general YouTube page several months back. His economics PhD is from George Mason with Mercatus Center, an occasional feed, and one of my favorite economists, Don Boudreaux. He's also been associated with Mises Institute and Hoover Institute. His generally conservative economics and political commentary fit in well with my blog and he was probably my most regular feed with maybe 2-3 minute weekday videos--so what happened? At some point, probably during last fall's election campaign Peter started clearly tilting towards Trump..I have been Never Trump since before his 2015 campaign. It isn't so much he didn't share my political preference last fall. It was more of his more partisan tone and his economics seeming to rationalize Trump's mercantilistic economics and anti-immigration politics. Then a couple of weeks back it was one video after another where I had to comment my differences, and it got to the point where it felt I had a de facto Trumpkin feed and St.Onge had become a court economist and historian, even commentating against birthright citizenship, which really wasn't germane to economics in any obvious way. So I ended using him as a source. Like in the case of Woods, I won't rule out future segments, but I don't see regularly clipped segments in the future. The chance of me publishing Woods' pandemic views or St. Onge's Trumpkin views is near zero. Maybe their involvement in relevant debates would be different. I am used to scholarly give and take, but I have some general views, e.g., in favor of vaccines, and other than an occasional alternate perspective, my blog will not be defined by my feeds.
Finally, probably my longest current blog feed has been historian Brion McClanahan. I don't recall how i first encountered Brion. The first likely explanation he's affiliated with Woods' adult education portal https://libertyclassroom.com/ via earntruehistory.com, which you hear him promote as I occasionally embed earlier previously unclipped episodes, before he phased in his own education portal.. I know Brion has been an occasional guest on Woods' flagship podcast, and i was impressed by his encyclopedic, detailed articulate/authoritative discussion, including original sources of Founders' documents. A second possibility is through DiLorenzo's compelling critical look at Lincoln's Presidency. i had brought up like most American kids hero-worshipping the martyred Lincoln who had freed all the slaves. I didn't just take his word about it; I read Lincoln's first inaugural address and was shocked.; Lincoln talked about constitutionally he knew there was nothing to do about slavery but he would not accept losing southern tariff collection. It doesn't take a lot to see why Lincoln invaded the South; it wasn't based on a Southern invasion of the union. In fact, after early Confederate victories in the outskirts of DC , we didn't see the Confederates even move into the capital like the British did in the War of 1812. So in that time I did a lot of Internet searches, learning what I didn't know when Dad got stationed at an AFB in South Carolina and we went to Ft. Sumter while I was in junior high. I'm sure I became aware of Southern history that McClanahan specializes in and his work with Abbeville Institute, another occasional feed.
McClanahan has fallen into the same issue I have reduced my coverage of GML mostly to their signature Dumb Bleep of the Week and Peter St. Onge: this soft spot on Trump. I probably wrote a half dozen essays on GML's support of Trump's impeachments. McClanahan's Trumpkin support is more subtle. He has a general critique of modern imperial Presidents. but the recent episode of bad Presidents on Presidents Day makes the point: he makes the notable inclusions of Lincoln, Wilson, and FDR and others to a lesser degree LBJ, Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, and in passing Obama and Biden. Trump is notably excluded. I don't know how McClanahan sidesteps Trump's unprecedented "Shock and Awe" flood of illegal executive actions. I'll give another example in one of his older episodes during the first Trump term I recently clipped. He mentioned a 2017 incident where Trump leaked a highly classified piece of intelligence because he wanted to impress a couple of Russian diplomats. Now I think this got conflated with the Dem obsession with Russiagate and McClanahan basically rationalizes dismisses the incident. This sharply contrasts my impression of McClanahan doing his due diligence. the issue is that Trump didn't leak American sources but partner intelligence shared under strict confidentiality and now Trump exposed the source of intelligence. That undermined information sharing operations, anfd our intelligence agencies had ro mop up after Trump's screwup.
Another recent disagreement prompted my writing comments, only maybe 3 to date over 1080 episodes. the first is when he confused the 1824 and the 1828 elections, which he later acknowledged. Then I wrote an unacknowledged correction on McClanahan's incompetent acceptance of Trump's cover story for justifying extortion of Zelensky to investigate Biden. others like the GML guys (Thurston and Thompson) bought into the idea that Biden had Shokin fired.for starting an investigation of Burisma, a natural gas company owned by a corrupt Ukraine oligarch, which offered Hunter Biden a lucrative board seat. I've written detailed posts sourced from the Internet. First, Shokin was a corrupt Ukraine chief prosecutor (look up the stories over his notorious "diamonds" prosecutors shaking down targets for bribes against prosecution). Shokin in fact protected the Burisma oligarch from a British money laundering investigation. Local anti-corruption groups agitated over Shokin, and he was dismissed by parliament for cracking down against protestors, not because of a 4-month-old ultimatum from Biden. (Bonehead Biden took credit for it, of course.) The US was unhappy with Shokin months before Biden's ultimatum, especially after the British case was dismissed. The Obama Administration was also upset over Hunter Biden's board seat particularly over appearance of a quid pro quo. It wasn't just the US putting US aid at risk; IMF had a far larger exposure than the US and joined the EU, US and UK in demanding Shokin's dismissal. Shokin's slow-walking of corruption cases also led for his deputy to resign in protest. And finally, Ukraine noted that Burisma allegations had nothing to do with the Bidens..
Finally, McClanahan annoyed me over birthright citizenship, which is US law, despite xenophobic Trumpism. Now to be honest, McClanahan doesn't like the Fourteenth Amendment in what he regards is the wildcard expansion of the general government and meddling in state sovereignty. he thinks it was illegally ratified. But on the birthright clause, the fact is that it was not initiated with the amendment but inherited from English common law, and an 1844 NY case specifically addressed the issue of Irish visitors and the citizenship status of their US born child. This case was specifically discussed in 14th Amendment hearings. McClanahan had to know that if he did due diligence on the issue. The reason for the citizenship clause was to close the exception in common law regarding slaves. [Don't get me started on the xenophobic arguments over "subject to the jurisdiction"; this is basically in reference to diplomatic immunity. None of these hypocrites argued that the murderer of Laken Riley couldn't be prosecuted.]
I haven't made a decision against McClanahan's feed yet, but I would like him to treat Trump more consistently as he evaluates other failed Presidents.
Quote of the Day
Brian Hyland - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
Quote of the Day
Let there be spaces in your togetherness.
Brenda Lee, "Sweet Nothin's"
I can't believe I correctly guessed Lady Gaga singing some song on the Super Bowl pregame show. What tipped me off was her big ass hat.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 9, 2025
I know what you're thinking: Tom Brady... Philadelphia...Kansas City...BORING!
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 9, 2025
I don't give a damn what RINO Felon Trump on drugs calls the Gulf of Mexico. Not even Amerigo Vespucci called it after himself.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 9, 2025
I dig the jazzy Star-Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 9, 2025
I think Trump has completely blown his reelection political capital. If he had been smart, he would have tried to do something on immigration reform. Instead he has focused on pandering to his fringe base, trying to exact revenge on J6/his prosecutions & unorthodox foreign policy
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
I think the craziest super Bowl ad I've ever seen is the golden girls singing "Born to Be Wild". I think the Steppenwolf classic will never recover from this sacrilege.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Wow, the Philadelphia Eagles' defense has even shut down Taylor Swift in the first half.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Wow! Some punster wrote this actual post headline: "VIDEO: 500+ eggs whisked away in Seattle breakfast heist, police scramble to crack case"
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Congratulations to the Super Bowl champ Philadelphia Eagles beating Kansas City, going for an unprecedented three-peat. The score was 40-22, but the game wasn't that close, a lot of KC's points coming late. A dominant defense, multiple Mahomes' sacks, interceptions and a fumble.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Trump is abusing his authority. He's a petty asshole, he always has been, always will be. If anyone deserves to have his security revoked, it's the criminal who stole over 300 classified documents and violated a subpoena. https://t.co/i3Xf6QIHO5
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Nope. I've been a DBA on federal contracts. We routinely rejected rejected data dump requests including PII, like SSNs and email addresses. There are federal laws protecting these and certain health records. Get a warrant. https://t.co/6Ik87Xn1Jb
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
What annoys the hell out of me is the federal government knows my entire work history since 1997, has investigated my background multiple times; in 2015 I waited several months in vain for a Q clearance needed for a contingent job offer & Trump overrides the process for cronies.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
RINO Felon Trump is set start another unprovoked illegal, unconstitutional trade war, this one targeting steel and aluminum . This is basically an attack on American producers using metals (see below), except for corrupt Trump's crony interests. pic.twitter.com/OHkZNLExi0
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Trump's incoherent babbling is literally saying something like I'm losing money to Walmart because they buy nothing from me. Or IT companies lose money when they hire me but I don't buy from them.The fact is, high tech companies save money by hiring me because I'm that damn good
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
As for Taylor Swift, I think a lot of people first of all aren't Chiefs fans and are tired of the constant cameo shots of her cheering on her receiver boyfriend, Travis Kelce. We don't care whether or not she supported RINO Felon Trump.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Trump continues his onslaught of unconstitutional imperial Presidency executive actions, including one defending "Christianity". In fact, you have Catholic-in-Name-Only Vance repeating Criminal Flynn's money laundering charges against leaders of faith:https://t.co/uyHnJROW7t
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
I'm one of the few who doesn't understand or like hip hop or rap; I'm a Blondie fan who didn't like "Rapture". I didn't like Kendrick's sweep of the Grammys or yesterday's halftime show. I got bored trying to follow this Drake/Kendrick feud this morning.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
BS on selecting a halftime show on who is "worthy" of RINO Felon Trump. The dumbass would probably prefer the Village People anyway!
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
Vance is an unprincipled Trumpkin. Trump is engaging in unprecedented authoritarian abuses of power involving things like civil servant due process protections, thing which would involve changing federal law. Trump knows a thin Congressional majority won't rubberstamp him. https://t.co/fcz8ZOXSkN
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
The Gray Lady is reporting the Trump White House is already engaging in impeachable conduct:
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
"Judge Rules the White House Failed to Comply With Court Order"
Recall Trump refused to comply with a subpoena over stolen classified documents between terms.
Trumpkins are batshit crazy. The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits domestic deployment of troops. Troops cannot obey an illegal order from Outlaw-in-Chief Trump. Their first priority is the Constitution, not a Traitor.https://t.co/lBwuODHLzB https://t.co/r3871ApJKI
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
The Trumpkin VP is an unprincipled disingenuous bastard. Congress, not POTUS, makes US law. No, a Commander in Chief does not have unlimited authority. He cannot declare war. He cannot order troops to violate American law.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 10, 2025
I totally marked for WWE World champ Gunther stopping Jey Uso's annoying Yeetathon on Raw.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
I already call Trump's illegal, economically illiterate global steel and aluminum tariff Trump's new car tax and beer tax on American consumers. Every exporter of these metals needs to reciprocate Trump's unprovoked tariffs, which will also result in lost American jobs
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Mobster-in-Chief Trump threatens Egypt and Jordan he may cut off their foreign aid if they don't accept his plan to accept Gaza Palestinians. They need to tell him to go to hell. in the meanwhile the bastard still hasn't learned his impeachment lesson from extorting Zelensky.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Congress voted for the name change to Ft. Liberty. Who the hell thinks Trump or Dumbass Hegseth can legally change the name back (2021 NDAA)? Only in Trump's twisted mind would he think Lincoln would approve naming a fort after the Confederate general? https://t.co/MfLDFv15WV
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
I wonder what Blacks for Trump think about Trump celebrating Black History month by illegally renaming a NC fort back to a Confederate general? You can't make this stuff up.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Technically, it wasn't the Confederate general but a WWII enlisted man sharing his surname, But that's a gimmick to skirt around the law renaming a base that reverts to the old name in usual form.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
What nostalgia does RINO Trump have for corrupt Dem politicos? It's bad enough Trump reportedly thinking of making Blagojevich an ambassador but he's also thinking of letting NYC Mayor Adams off the hook? Former Sen. Menendez must be thinking he has a shot.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Totally illegal. i hope they throw the book at you, dumbass.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
There was a time I personally supported Congresswoman Mace. But she's a phony. Remember, she voted against impeaching Trump over J6 but criticized him, and he responded by trying to primary her (failed). She then turned Deep Orange (remember the Biden "corruption" case?)
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Well, Whitney charted Top 40 twice with releases of her National Anthem performance. Other artists have charted on the Hot 100 and other charts. https://t.co/e74HXa2Djh https://t.co/BN5n0Najin
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
I'm going to repeat: I like Jon Batiste's interpretation of the National Anthem. https://t.co/VHc0qkS9XI
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
It strongly looks as though corrupt wheeler-dealer Trump is having his "Justice Department" drop the corruption case against NYC Mayor Adams for his quid pro quo cooperation against unauthorized immigrants.https://t.co/IZsyD47WOY
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
I'm getting close to dropping historian McClanahan in my blog feed. McClanahan in Ep. 1083 went on a rant over congressional republicans as part of the swamp overriding Trump's veto of defense spending. My YouTube comment: pic.twitter.com/KQupL5HvvI
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Trump is some gd interventionist nation-building hypocrite still ignorantly, shamelessly pushing his crackpot notion of permanently resettling Gaza Palestinians, even audaciously in the face of the king of Jordan. You can't intervene any worse, short of joining in war crimes.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Trump is some gd interventionist nation-building hypocrite still ignorantly, shamelessly pushing his crackpot notion of permanently resettling Gaza Palestinians, even audaciously in the face of the king of Jordan. You can't intervene any worse, short of joining in war crimes.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
You want to bet whether they'll redact any mention of Trump?
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
SMH over how ethically bankrupt Felon-in-Chief Trump is. Actually firing the head of Government Ethics? Some asshole knew he wouldn't get a good report card!
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
I feel bad for Pope Francis having to deal with Catholic-in-Name-Only pro-abort Biden and now Xenophobe VP Vance. The border czar Homan, like Felon-in-Chief Trump, doesn't like the pope's criticism of migrant mistreatment. The Church has always supported immigration services.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
The good King Abdullah is more diplomatic in 5 minutes than Trump will show in his whole life. I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut in response to Trump's ignorant Gaza Riviera BS and clueless proposed permanent resettlement of Gaza Palestinians https://t.co/gjHprQNh5i
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Yeah. Trump knows his priorities; paper straws stain his ties. You know what would have happened if I as a military officer showed up for inspection with toilet paper stuck on my shoe? pic.twitter.com/W8ZgM0HPDg
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
I'm not sure why Musk's little son is at an Oval Office presser; the kid is bored to death and very distracting, talking or sticking fingers in his dad's ears. Is this some weird way of trying to appeal to housewives?
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Anticipating dumbass Trumpkins: no, Trump made no accusation regarding due cause of inspector performance. Trump doesn't like accountability of his administration which has earlier piled up a $7.8T debt.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Many of these involve unaplanned downsizing of Congressionally funded agencies, programs & personnel. Who authorized 6- or 7- month buyouts? What about civil servant job protections, say of prosectors assigned to J6 and Trump prosecutions & performed with due professional care?
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Trump wants to replace "Deep State" with Deep Orange.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
Apparently, American refugees trying to flee the corrupt Trump regime don't have a legal immigration path to Greenland. #sarcasm
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 11, 2025
As a libertarian, I would welcome a pardon for Snowden, but I wouldn't trust Trump, a dude who once argued that he wanted to execute Snowden.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
"Trump signs order pausing enforcement of foreign bribery ban"
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Make America Corrupt Again!
"Donald Trump has made a bold claim about his popularity, implying that at one point he was adored more than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln combined"
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Trump is seriously delusional, and even Dr. Phil can't fix this level of menal illness.
Hilarious! Dumbass Hegseth reverted the name Ft. Liberty to Ft. Bragg, but not after the original Gen. Bragg of the Confederacy but PFC Bragg of WWII. I guess PFC Bragg's accomplishments were covered in Hegseth's high school history textbook.... #sarcasm
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
illegal is an adjective, dumbass, not a noun. People do illegal actions as in the case of RINO Felon Trump. Some aliens are unauthorized, because of bad laws. You xenophobes need to learn some manners.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Don't count on Trump's promise to lower egg prices anytime soon. In fact, tariffs aka Trump's illegal, unconstitutional tax surcharges will make things worse. Oh, and Trump's fantasy of further Fed interest rate cuts just took a hit.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
US CPI https://t.co/VRjWZjRUEF
"While no state allows noncitizens to vote in federal or statewide elections, at least 16 U.S. jurisdictions permit noncitizens to vote in certain local elections, such as for school board, city council, or mayor. Relatively small numbers of noncitizens choose to vote."
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Anti-vaxxer BS. Yes, there are vaccines for cattle. Yes, it is safe to eat meat from vaccinated cattle. No, there are no approved mRNA vaccines approved yet, but some are in trials. https://t.co/lu6FJLqLAY
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Well, #Trumpflation is exacerbated by Trump's illegal tariffs because they impair price competition from foreign producers and in the long run are passed along to American consumers.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
I wish people would stop expecting importers of foreign goods can absorb the hit of Trump's usually steep illegal tariffs. It really depends on margins and other costs, for reasons similar to Waffle House adding an egg surcharge amid the egg shortage. If you can't cover costs..
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
I'm somewhat amused by Minority Leader Schumer's partisan opposition. Recall Gabbard was a candidate for the 2020 Dem nomination. Why she failed to earn a single Dem vote tells you plenty about partisan politics.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
On the bright side, he'll get the whole class's help when their math teacher tells them to solve the equation for X.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Well, to be honest, I expected Elon to use the whiteboard with teacher sitting at his desk, sketching the x's and o's for the plays Mahomes needed to win the Super Bowl. https://t.co/ep63CFSm8D
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
We now have a whole new meaning to the term "political correctness". AP reporters have been banned from WH events for using the real name "Gulf of Mexico". Trump is now officially the stupidest asshole ever to be elected President.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Well, Hegseth has basically telegraphed what I predicted would lead to a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia: no Ukraine NATO membership and secession of Russian ethnic east Ukraine and Crimea. A lot of the status quo resulted from USSR policies. Zelensky will not be happy.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
The only true way to make America great again is for Trump to resign the Presidency. https://t.co/DB2l89eif8
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
This White House talking point that judges are micromanaging the executive branch is preposterous. Trump is in a state of denial of the limited authority of the presidency. It is not the prosecutor, jury and judge. He doesn't make law, no matter what Blondie thinks or says.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Probably one of the most articulate things I've ever read from a world class football veteran. He is part of that team's success and justifiably proud of his teammates, just one season into retirement. https://t.co/iBEPE7Ru6E
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
It looks like AG Bondi thinks NY Gov. Hochul et al. are obstructing xenophobic anti-alien activity. Unconstitutional! The USG cannot commandeer the states. The state does not have to cooperate with the Felon-in-Chief. This will easily be thrown out. https://t.co/0VaYQs7Zgz
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 12, 2025
Yeah. McConnell voted for the 3 qualified candidates. He's more principled than Trumpkin puppets.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
No. Putin's invasion was unprovoked. We made a commitment to Ukraine when they gave up nuclear weapons after the end of the USSR. Russia breached that commitment. There are legitimate reasons to criticize American meddling in 2014 events. But shame on you for scapegoating others.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
No. the RINO Felon Trump is the real crackpot self-serving bastard.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
Trump talks this insane spin about the US being disrespected like we don't remember the 2018 G-7 Summit where he was largely ignored and mocked over trade & Russia. Trump is Putin's useful idiot. He loves Trump's divisiveness in NATO; he can exploit it https://t.co/80iYd3RNTQ
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
I can't believe the media aren't doing their job on tariff coverage. Trump's first-term tariffs were judged illegal by the WTO, legitimizing sanctions on American exports. The Congress, not Trump, has the power of the purse. The trade imbalance worsened after Trump's actions.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
For those not following my point, if you were going to be a successful thief, why would you target a poor person with little or no assets? You are more likely to score on someone like Donald Trump who is not only very rich, but very stupid.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
it's a sad day when the GOP-controlled Senate confirms anti-vaxxer RFK, Jr. to head HHS. Obviously, scientifically illiterate RINO Felon-in-Chief Trump is ultimately responsible for nominating the crackpot bastard, but only McConnell, polio survivor, had the balls to reject him.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
Not a fan of dumbass Hegseth, but I do agree that America needs to scale back its worldwide footprint, that we are not the world's unloved policeman, and that Ukraine is more of a European/regional vs. American security issue. https://t.co/cDFcbXAslM
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
How do you know someone is an economic illiterate? One way is when they use phony soundbites to disguise their nefarious agenda, e.g., they'll say they're for "fair trade", not free trade.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
if Trump was a real patriot, he would be for free trade, not British mercantilism, which we fought a revolution against. There's a reason the Constitution requires free trade among the states.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
"American colonists began... smuggling tea from the Dutch & other European markets."
The classic response to regressive taxation (lower resource consumers paying a disproportionate amount of resources in taxes) is exemptions of some defined amount of taxes through certain mechanisms like rebates or prefunding of expected expenditures
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
Trumpkins are stupid because they don't understand his tariff policies are against their own interests. Trump wants to eliminate income taxes...Why? He has to pay progressive tax rates. He doesn't have to spend much of his income buying taxable stuff, even with a flat sales tax.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
I agree with RINO Felon Trump that McConnell's votes should be criticized, only we differ on which votes. McConnell was wrong in thinking our justice system would hold Trump accountable for his J6 crimes. He should have voted to convict the twice-impeached Trump on all counts.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
The politically corrupt dismissal of US corruption charges of Mayor Adams in exchange for his facilitation of ICE efforts to seize unauthorized aliens is an unconstitutional abuse of Presidential authority. Resignations of US prosecutors are ethically understandable.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
The issue I have with the resignations is that corrupt Blondie Bondi will replace these positions with Deep Orange Trumpkin puppets.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
Adams' corrupt quid pro quo action is a betrayal of New York's proud immigration heritage. New York needs to indict Adams on state charges that RINO Felon Trump can't pardon. https://t.co/PdYH17Cybo
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
(2/2) I can still taste the soap between my teeth.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
I would wash out RINO Felon Trump's mouth out with so much soap he would be blowing bubbles out from his dentures for 6 months
Maybe the JFK who brought us to the brink of WWIII over Cuba.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 13, 2025
JFK had average GDP growth over 5%. Trump less than half that.
Trump has done more harm to our alliances than every POTUS since JFK combined.https://t.co/vj3OabgLFe
Musk is not investigating the waste underlying Trump's own spending priorities. If he has found fraud, let us see the criminal charges. I don't buy anything Musk says over investigating less than a month. I routinely saw COVID relief fraud cases reported under Biden. https://t.co/VBO5BPoZyr
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
One of the weirdest things during the 18 months of hell I lived in California (Silicon Valley), is tremors are reported regularly in local newspapers. I was having a work conversation on the second floor when my colleague asked me if I noticed the slight shaking under my feet. https://t.co/hnwEAQLNE4
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
Look and see... The dumbass is showing he can sign his name...just like other fifth graders. https://t.co/zrIVvJzPoE
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
I wonder when we'll see a full audit of all the taxpayer funds going to Musk's business units.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
" 'Nothing of significance' is what I was ordered to say," said Jarrod Lampier, a recently retired Army major who was present for the largest chemical weapons discovery of the war: more than 2,400 nerve-agent rockets unearthed in 2006 at a former Republican Guard compound."
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
Another lie to debunk: I think Pew Research found 16% (not 2%) of unauthorized aliens work in the agricultural sector. i'm just citing a few things I remember off the top of my head without researching the meme itself.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
Just to make a related point; the troll implies the Medi-Cal program is fully funded by US taxpayers: roughly half is funded by state/local sources. And the program is open to all low-income residents. Earlier source points out more like 15% of births.https://t.co/bOuVraxexr
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
Boy, am I unfamiliar with today's pop music. When I heard the name I wrongly hoped, is this one of Richard Carpenter's kids? Does she sound like Aunt Karen? Nope. To be fair, that's an impossible standard for anyone to live up to. Imagine Steve Perry's daughter.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
Ungrateful Trump can never repay McConnell for all his efforts. McConnell took heat for postponing Scalia's successor for Trump's 2016 win and for getting him an unexpected third justice to nominate. He got him through 2 impeachment trials.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
I really can't predict hot trends. I thought maybe Pope Francis dropped an encyclical on priestly vows
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
Celibacy
I'm not a fan of the Obamas. But I just don't understand the incivility of Trumpkins. I've personally defended Melania Trump over partisan Dem attacks on her nude photoshoots. But all these crude innuendos on Obama's sexuality and Michelle's appearance: not cool, jerks!
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
The fact is, Zelensky has ruled out territorial concessions of separatist Russian ethnic eastern provinces. He's really never controlled those areas, and it was all he could do to stop an advance to Kyiv and to maintain the territory he controls. He's running out of conscripts.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
The fact is, US involvement in Syria against Russia's alliance risked a conflict between the nuclear superpowers. There was no strategic defensive role for "America First" Trump's intervention in Syria, not to mention his weird alliance with al Qaeda. pic.twitter.com/67b9Kun3ag
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
to quote one of your notable clients, I feel your pain.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
i understand why Carville is dismayed a number of youth and minorities, never mind men in general gave up on the Democratic Party and desperately voted for a change, even for a pig like Trump.
I once was part of the pre-Dukakis Democratic Party. the fact is, prior to Obama, after 1964, the US elected only 2 Dems, both Southern Dems, and we southern conservatives were shut out of power by nationalist progressives. So, Carville is living with the consequences. https://t.co/gBZBrJT0uo
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
I don't follow hip hop or rap, but after Kendrick Lamar just spiked the football in Drake's face at the Grammys and Super Bowl, and I heard Drake has just released new music, I'm thinking, "Uh-oh."
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
The fact is Trump added $7.8T to the national debt, we've got a baked-in $2T annual deficit, nearly 70% of the budget is mandatory entitlement spending. this Musk show is a fiscal Kabuki dance. Reagan, unlike Trump, had to deal with a free-spending Dem House majority.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 14, 2025
WSJ https://t.co/nka12AOmeB
Andrew Sullivan has written an interesting critical review of Trump's shock and awe month. Many of his criticisms parallel my own, although I support retaining income tax rates soon lapsing, but not Trump's recent unpaid for gimmicks like tip exemption. https://t.co/3X5PSFQoDv
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Interesting. Harris has taken an early lead in RCP polls to succeed term-limited CA Gov. Newsom. I haven't heard reports of her announcement yet but it's a logical next step for someone who has won other statewide races, including AG.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
If Trump really believes American goods are being unfairly treated overseas it is his responsibility to file a complaint with the WTO. That's his responsibility under American law when we ratified WTO compliance. Bonehead-in-Chief Trump is not the gd judge and jury of complaints
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Another example of Trump's insane economic illiteracy is the idiotic idea of reciprocal tariffs. simplified, it means if say the French charge their citizens a tax when they buy American products, by God, we'll show them: we'll also tax our citizens when they buy French.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Trump is NO Milei. He's already added $7.8T to the debt. Estimates are that we have a baked-in $2T deficit. Two thirds of the budget are mandatory spending. $1T, a large percent of revenues, is just paying interest on the debt. So DOGE is an entertaining circus but not policy. https://t.co/bd6PwWJQgY
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Have you seen the video of the Chilean Jonah and the whale?https://t.co/8ylktqfMgJ
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Where in the Constitution is Trump the Superintendent-in-Chief?
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Vaccines are part of the military requirement of fitness for duty, especially overseas duty. Remember the COVID-19 pandemic on the USS Theodore Roosevelt during Felon-in-Chief's first term?
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Here's a list (COVID is no longer required); pic.twitter.com/Xf23Nq4GEa
The Felon -in-Chief is making nongermane rules over funding to schools protecting student health without congressional approval. I believe this is intrinsically unconstitutional.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
Well, Massie has gone from one of the few legislators I admire to someone who needs to resign from office. it's bad enough we have to deal with antivaxxer Trump and Bobby Kennedy. But Massie is demanding the FDA withdraw approval from COVID-19 vaccines.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
I welcome this Amish initiative. unfortunately, a lot of states/localities have laws banning or restricting tiny homes. Let's hope NC is more tolerant.https://t.co/EagFU8imA4 https://t.co/SFKu2gQiwJ
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 15, 2025
People are still dying daily of COVID; too few Americans taking their best defense against hospitalization & death: vaccine Trump doesn't give a damn about us. He lusts for the political support of crackpot anti-vaxxers like Bobby Kennedy & GOP idiots in FL and LA among others.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
Felon-in-Chief Trump has damaged the only thing decent in his first term: the approval of effective vaccines that saved countless lives & enabled reopening the economy. He is a failed leader, allowing insubordinate soldiers endangering the health of other soldiers to return.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
I think nationalism is a perversion of sports. i would personally ban anthems at sporting events. Remember how POS Trump tried to go after Kaepernick et al over protests? A real POTUS embraces free expression.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
No, he takes after his meathead dad, a man who attracts other conspiracy theorists like pests around fresh dung.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
Barron Trump https://t.co/geBYhmbO98
RINO Felon in Chief Trump used to bring (probably continues to do so) classified documents to his private quarters at the White House. if a civil servant or contractor did that they would be fired and/or prosecuted. Trump knowingly kept classified documents despite a subpoena .
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
The Trump Administration is a rogue regime. Trump's border czar Homan is a piece of garbage. He's upset about politicians giving aliens legal advice. All American residents are subject to American laws, including aliens. they have rights to due process. Trump doesn't give a damn.
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
LMAO. Musk is living out his own version of Replacement Theory: he's replacing childless leftists with smart kids. #sarcasm https://t.co/EYouLIWSoj
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
Dems kept & extended Trump's Chinese tariffs. They have always been bitching about currency manipulation & outsourcing/offshoring. Trump is worse on inflation than the OP suggests. He's banging the drums for the Fed to lower interest rates, even as inflation is picking up
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
Well, first of all, most Trump voters, and I'm not one of them, voted against Biden/Harris, not for Trump. He has a minority of some very loud, aggressive Trumpkin groupies. Yes, RINO Trump is an anti-trade mercantilist, but Dems have been bitching against trade for decades. https://t.co/aGOab2DQkD
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
Trumpkins are upset most rational people don't buy into Trump's "Gulf of America" hoax, his even attacking the press (AP). I have an idea: we should have Google rename MAL Key Largo. #sarcasm https://t.co/2onNz8TLb2 https://t.co/iMQJnG591S
— raguillemette (@raguillemette) February 16, 2025
Quote of the Day
Your mind will answer most questions
CONNIE FRANCIS - My Heart Has A Mind Of It's Own