A Question
Eleven years ago today, Democratic President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—crafted by Democrats in the House and Senate and snubbed by every Republican—into law. Even with its flaws and GOP sabotage, it's now considered a popular and successful law for getting affordable health insurance to millions of lower-income and middle-class Americans. The Biden administration is now working to make it even stronger and more comprehensive.
Continued…
Take a look at that historic photo. My question is one that struck me over the weekend: when was the last time Republicans had an opportunity like that to celebrate landmark, non-national-emergency-related legislation they'd crafted and signed into law specifically to benefit Americans who weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths?
Beats me.
I do hope Democrats in the Senate scrap the filibuster. In the span of two years, we could have historic photos like the one above for, off the top of my head: immigration reform, voting rights, gun control, LGBTQ rights, ACA Part 2, infrastructure, climate change, plus the addition of DC and Puerto Rico as states. That would send a helluva message to America, once and for all, as to what Democrats stand for.
Oh, and if there’s time: taco trucks on every corner.
And now, our feature presentation…
-
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Note: I'm told that just looking at the word "calm" has an automatic calming effect on your cardiovascular and stress-response system. We suggest you look at it for a minimum of thirty minutes a day and feel its healing power flow through you in a gentle cascade of serenity. Or else you'll be arrested. —Mgt.
-
By the Numbers:
Days 'til Days 'til the 51st Earth Day: 30
Days 'til everyone 50 and older is eligible for the vaccine in Maine: 0!
President Biden's approval rating in the latest Ipsos poll, up from 54% the previous week: 59%
Minimum number of Republican terrorists who have been charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection: 400
Percent of Americans polled by Quinnipiac who believe undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children should be able to remain here and eventually apply for citizenship: 83%
Tons of space junk in our atmosphere, equivalent to 720 school buses: 9,000
Increase in sales at L.L. Bean last year, fueled by an online surge during the pandemic: 5%
-
Puppy Pic of the Day: Happy National Puppy Day
-
CHEERS to rolling up the traitors and tossing 'em in the hoosegow. Me to the feds: "The insurrectionists who followed Donald Trump's orders to storm the Capitol are traitors—roll 'em up, boys!" Feds to me: "Yeah, right, like we're gonna take our marching orders from a blogger. Sit down and shut u….oh, wait, yeah, you do have a point." Ha ha ha, I win:
Evidence collected by investigators probing the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is “trending towards” sedition charges, a top federal prosecutor who led the Justice Department’s probe into the deadly insurrection said Sunday. […]
Michael Sherwin, who until Friday served as the lead investigator in the DOJ’s investigation, was asked directly by “60 Minutes” host Scott Pelley if the public should expect sedition charges―for conspiracy to overthrow the government―against some suspects in the coming weeks as investigations continue.
“I personally believe the evidence is trending towards that, and probably meets those elements,” Sherwin said. “I believe the facts do support those charges. And I think that, as we go forward, more facts will support that."
If convicted, they could get 20 years in prison. Or as it’s also known: 19 years, 364 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds longer than the guy they tried to install for a second term will care.
JEERS to another week on Planet Covid. The good news: the vaccine produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca is apparently 79 percent effective, giving folks around the world a new way to protect themselves. The bad news: Europe is back in lockdown, Brazil's nutso leader is letting things spiral out of control, no one can go to the Olympics this summer, and here in the U.S. white anti-vaxxer men are leading the charge to keep the pandemic in full flower, damn them. So…we continue our weekly tradition of tracking the numbers for the historical record, courtesy of the tote board of woe. Worldwide now: over 124 million cases, and our domestic death toll nearly equals the population of America’s 32nd-largest city Albuquerque, New Mexico:
6 months ago: 7 million confirmed cases. 204,000 deaths
3 months ago: 18 million confirmed cases. 325,000 deaths
-
1 month ago: 29 million confirmed cases. 508,000 deaths
This morning: 31 million confirmed cases. 555,000 deaths
Despite the best efforts of the naysayers and covidiots (Hi, Miami spring breakers! Can I have your limited-edition Cardi B earbuds after you drown in your own lung fluid?), the Biden administration blew past its promise of 100-million vaccine doses in 100 days, beating the deadline by 42 days. Or as the media reported that amazing accomplishment: Crisis At The Border!!!
JEERS to self-righteous knuckledragging. 383 years ago this week, in 1638, progressive preacher Anne Hutchinson was booted from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Puritan leadership after being accused of "Blasphemy!" and "Lewd conduct!" Today the RNC will unveil a statue to commemorate the event. In honor of the Puritans.
-
BRIEF SANITY BREAK
-
-
END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
-
CHEERS to #51. D.C. statehood was in the spotlight yesterday during a hearing in front of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Fun facts: D.C.'s population is 713,000, and it gets zero senators. Wyoming's population is 582,000 and Vermont's population is 623,000, and they both get two senators. Another fun fact:
Many GOP lawmakers have expressed opposition to D.C. statehood given that any congressional representation would almost certainly be Democratic.
Perfect. Let's do it.
CHEERS to Sergeant Rubberbutt. On March 23, 1944, RAF Sgt. Nickolas Alkemade survived a jump from his Lancaster bomber from 18,000 feet without a parachute. Other than some cuts and a twisted knee, he was fine. The Nazi he landed on? Not so fine.
-
Ten years ago in C&J: March 23, 2011
JEERS to not even trying to pass the laugh test. Did you know that President Obama has been "on vacation" in South America? Yeah, neither did I. I coulda swore he was down there to try and gin up some jobs for us here in our little banana republic—many of which would no doubt go to middle-class Republicans. So it's just f*cked up beyond belief that the conservative megalomegaphoners, led by Fox News's Sean Hannity, Eric Bolling and Steve Doocy, would be trotting out that crap. For the record, Obama is coordinating the Libya no-fly zone with our allies, staying up on the Japan crisis, meeting with aides on domestic issues, monitoring the situation in other Arab nations, simultaneously tracking his NCAA brackets and penguin migration patterns in Antarctica, devoting time to his family, and chewing gum at the same time. If I were a conservative coming off eight years of Bush/Cheney, I guess I'd be jealous, too.
-
And just one more…
JEERS to handy how-not-to demonstrations. Oh no! You've just shaken hands with someone in direct violation of mandated pandemic protocols. What will you do, what WILL you do??? First, don’t panic. Second, calmly—I said calmly!!!—find the ex-president nearest you and wipe your hand on his shirt. Here, let George W. Bush show you the proper procedure:
-
Hooray. You dodged a bullet. Bonus tip: if you find yourself starting a war based on lies that ends up killing or injuring a million people and plopping several trillion dollars on the nation's credit card, take up painting in the bathtub. You'll find it a relaxing diversion from these craaaaazy times. Good luck and stay strong.
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-
Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
“Cheers and Jeers is back!”
—President Biden
-