On Saturdays, the True Blue Report “Blue Ribbon” will be awarded to an individual or group with the most successful, dramatic, or encouraging act of resistance in the previous week.
I will choose some winners in the body of the diary and also accept nominations for others in the comments.
In a technical sense Jeff Merkley was not filibustering, because he was not holding the floor to delay the vote.
It didn’t matter. The visuals were outstanding. Warmed everyone’s heart with memories of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He talked all night long about the stolen seat, the lowlights of Gorsuch’s record, the nominee’s evasive answers in the confirmation hearing, and the fantasy that the Rcons would abandon the nuclear option in favor of finding a nominee moderate enough to get Democratic votes.
Merkley completed the Ironman Triathalon last November, but said that standing in one spot for 15 hours was more uncomfortable. After he ended one of the longest speeches in Senate history, Elizabeth Warren delivered coffee and donuts to his office staff:
But Merkley wasn’t there when EW arrived because he was delivering bagels to the Senate floor staff to apologize for making them stay up and work all night:
a Big Blue Ribbon to Jeff Merkley for showing the importance of fighting the good fight even when you know the outcome is predetermined. He got a lot of important stuff on the official record and is putting himself on the line in the only way he can.
Connor Balthazor and Gina Matthew and their fellow classmates working on the high school newspaper in Pittsburg, Kansas, kicked butt and took names and revived the long lost art of investigative journalism this week.
It started from a genuine desire to write a profile about their new principal, Amy Robertson, who had been hired the previous month.
But as they researched her credentials they were unable to confirm the validity of claims about her doctorate, master’s and even her undergraduate degrees.
The student journalists did the grunt work, asked the right questions, worked through spring break, persisted even though they were told to mind their business, and confronted the principal herself in a phone interview.
After they published their story, completely embarrassing the hiring committee who had apparently done no vetting or reference checking whatsoever, Principal Robertson offered her resignation.
Blue ribbons to Gina Mathew, Connor Balthazor and the entire staff of The Booster! If high school kids are able to question authority in Kansas, all hope is not lost!
Every time I look at the number it’s larger, and for a change that’s good news.
More than 70 brands have pulled their ads from The O’Reilly Factor in the aftermath of revelations that millions of dollars have been paid out by his employer as hush money in settlements with women who have brought sexual harassment complaints against O’Reilly. Who knew that this many companies would not want their product associated with a serial sexual predator? What started with Mercedes Benz and Hyundai has mushroomed to the point that a recent show had only seven advertisers total and the show itself only lasted 45 minutes, cut short so the network could go to special coverage of the Syria situation.
How mighty Papa Bear has fallen. Keith Olbermann must be raising a glass right about now. I always knew that eventually advertisers would realize we outnumber them and would begin to worry if they kept supporting a woman-hating ideology with their ad dollars we would stop supporting their companies with our consumer dollars. We can only hope that this will spread to Fakes News as a whole, and Limpbaugh and hate radio as a whole, and quality advertisers will stop funding GOPropaganda as a whole!
FSM knows how long he and Roger Ailes and other wanna be alpha males on the staff created a hostile work environment at Fakes News, between all the dress code requirements and hair color requirements and upskirt camera angles and requiring as a condition of employment that women could not sue in these situations but were forced to go to arbitration. Like all similarly situated men they think they can get away with it forever. This prick is asking for someone to bring him to task, and finally karma has caught up to him.
Just one more sign the tide is turning! Blue ribbons to every single company who pulled their ads from O’Reilly Factor!
Is it wrong that I am smiling?
PREVIOUS TRUE BLUE REPORT diaries
Apr 7: Not taking our eyes off Heitkamp, Manchin and Donnelly—they should be primaried
Apr 6: Take Me to Your Leader
Apr 5: DJT ran for POTUS to get back at Obama but the person he is discrediting is himself
Apr 4: Obama’s is bigger—Twitter following, inauguration crowd size, and approval rating
Apr 3: Filibuster a SCt nominee? Ds are changing the rules! This never happened before !1!
Apr 2: TBR SUNDAY: Put Your Lights On
Apr 1: BLUE RIBBONS for 4/1/17—Dick Cheney, Richard Burr, Rick Wilson
MARCH
Mar 31: The possible reasons Flynn was refused immunity are all good for the Blue Team
Mar 30: Special Assistant Ivanka—every word she says from now on is a DJT advertising ploy
Mar 29: “It’s just that valuable” — do you know the MAIN reasons Ryan wants to pass the AHCA?
Mar 28: Nipping at their heels
Mar 27: In cheering Republicon failures, think like a surgeon
Mar 26: TBR SUNDAY: Dare we hope the tide is turning? Or is that unrealistically optimistic?
Mar 25: BLUE RIBBONS: Sheldon Whitehouse, Al Franken, Bobby Brooks, Betsy Anderson, ACA phone callers
Mar 24: HaHaHa-Ha-Ha You’re gonna need Congressional approval and you don’t have the votes
Mar 23: Rcons hate Obamacare for selfish, greedy, racist reasons, but not enough to fix it.
Mar 22: Neil Gorsuch’s attempt to seem wide-eyed and innocent makes him look even worse
Mar 21: Using Trump as a bad example—no Trump Sleep, Trump Food or other Trump habits
Mar 20: Is DJT a compulsive liar, or out of touch with reality? Five scenarios...
Mar 19: TBR SUNDAY: A budget is a moral document—a statement of public compassion
Mar 18: BLUE RIBBONS: CBO scorers, Senate Intelligence Committee, Judge Derrick Watson
Mar 17: They know DJT is lying. Here’s one sad reason they follow him anyway.
Mar 16: Mick Mulvaney's ignorant, callous, evil, Republicon definition of compassion
Mar 15: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points re DJT 2005 tax return
Mar 14: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points about Obamacare repeal
Mar 13: Culture, Civilization, Rural America, Working Families—the missing word is a “tell”
Mar 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Rcon definition of Christians is as wrong as the Rcon definition of Democrats.
Mar 11: BLUE RIBBONS: A Day Without a Woman, Native Nations Rise, Voting Rights Act still lives
Mar 10: How to talk to people who have trouble understanding actions have consequences
Mar 9: Where’s the fire? The real reason Rs are trying to rush TrumpCare through Congress
Mar 8: Message Discipline 101: TrumpCare, RyanCare, GOPCare, DonTCare—what’s in a name?
Mar 7: How very hard it is for a woman to go a day without paid (or unpaid) work
Mar 6: Can DJT really be stumbling into the exact investigation we want?
Mar 5: TBR SUNDAY: How is it even possible that deplorables see a man of faith when they look at DJT?
Mar 4: BLUE RIBBONS: Chris Hayes, Malcolm Nance, Cierra Fields
Mar 3: I’m glad Bannon, Conway, Carson, Sessions, Miller, et al. are in the DJT Administration
Mar 2: “In every major fire it always starts with smoke. And smoke is what kills you.”
Mar 1: Am I the only one whose skin crawled at the Carryn Owens BIRGing moment?
FEBRUARY
Feb 28: Spinspotting 101: Special Prosecutor for what? It’s so easy to answer that question
Feb 27: Spinspotting 101: I’ve seen no evidence because I haven’t looked for any evidence!
Feb 26: TBR SUNDAY: If Neil Gorsuch were a man of integrity, he would decline the S.Ct. appointment
Feb 25: BLUE RIBBONS: Russia Flag trolling, Dixie Swastika grabbing, District Days demonstrating
Feb 24: There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative
Feb 23: Chief of Staff, Nat’l Security Advisor, GOP Head, President Bannon—too many hats!
Feb 22: DJT has a few questions for you—SMURF THIS POLL!
Feb 21: The end of “access journalism” means it’s time to #sendtheinterns
Feb 20: KAC lying low for now… can we banish her (and all her ilk) from the airwaves completely?
Feb 19: TBR SUNDAY: DeVos cartoon, Ruby Bridges, unearned unhappiness and childlike faith
Feb 18: BLUE RIBBONS: Vice Adm. Harward, Melissa McCarthy, and intel whistleblowers
Feb 17: And Ain’t I an American?
Feb 16: Please tell your family and friends—If you regret your DJT vote, speak up NOW
Feb 15: R-supported forced childbirth laws deny the autonomy of women
Feb 14: What did the president know? Everything. When did he know it? From the beginning.
Feb 13: Coping with The Madness of King Donald by hoping political comedy will save us
Feb 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Poverty and Justice Bible
Feb 11: BLUE RIBBONS: Swastika removers, Ninth Circuit Panel, and the Persisterhood!
Feb 10: The first three words of the Constitution are “We, the People” not “I, the President”
Feb 9: Who first inspired your political activism? Who inspires you now?
Feb 8: We cannot and will not be silenced—Here’s what to do if they try to silence you
Feb 7: Plain Talk Tuesday: Tell people the Affordable Care Act is the same as OBAMACARE
Feb 6: Interview Skills 101—Internalized oppression and what Ryan Lizza did right. BRAVO!
Feb 5: TBR SUNDAY: These protest signs with Bible cites will confuse and befuddle RWNJs
Feb 4: BLUE RIBBONS: Temple B’Nai Israel, Judge Robart, CNN, Senate Phone Callers
Feb 3: Not rich, not smart, not a good businessman, not a winner—DJT is NOTHING he claims to be
Feb 2: Thursday action—Encouragement, thanks, and apologies (pick one or more)
Feb 1: July 7, 2009 to August 25, 2009 and September 25, 2009 to February 4, 2010
JANUARY
Jan 31: If you’re on overload that’s part of their plan—there’s more than one way to #resist
Jan 30: Interview Skills 101 for reporters attempting to interview KAC and other Rcons
Jan 29: TBR SUNDAY: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness
Jan 28: BLUE RIBBONS: Women's March participants and #NoMuslimBan demonstrators and...
Jan 27: I wish Steve Bannon would tell me to keep my mouth shut
Jan 26: Thursday Action—Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Here’s how to start
Jan 25: The Asch Conformity Study, inauguration crowds, and the importance of speaking out
Jan 24: #ResistTrumpTuesday—good news day or another paying dues day?
Jan 23: Spy the Lie 101: How to enjoy watching Rcon spokesbot interviews, even KAC!
Jan 22: TBR SUNDAY: Why I prayed for the President* today
Jan 21: The only silver lining in the midst of these clouds
Inaugural (!) diary: Stop expecting Republicons to make sense