Trump had a bipartisan meeting today in the Oval Office to talk about immigration reform.  After lawmakers proposed changes to immigration policies for African countries, El Salvador and Haiti, Trump said, and I quote:

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

Afterward, the comment hung in the air like a fart in the middle of a church service.  The meeting had been impromptu, arranged by Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin this morning by phone.  They thought they would just be meeting with Trump, but when they arrived, they found anti-immigration extremists Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) were already there.  Apparently, after the meltdown on live television yesterday, congressional Repubs are riding herd on Trump to keep him from agreeing to things they don’t like.  The White House had no comment to elaborate on Trump’s statement.

Anyhoo, sorry Momma.  They made me do it.

Republicans have four – 4! Count them – convicted criminals running for congress this year.

Don Blankenship, the former head of the coal mining company Massey Energy who is running in the Republican primary to challenge Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.); former Rep. Michael Grimm, who is challenging incumbent Rep. Dan Donovan (R-N.Y.) to reclaim the Staten Island congressional seat he once held; and Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), who is running for re-election.

And as long as we’re counting, 29 Republicans are leaving congress.  Why?  Here’s my theory. They know they built Trump and now they have to buy him. They know how mad people truly are.

That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.

All my geeky friends are quivering with excitement at the news that Robert Mueller has brought Ryan K. Dickey, probably the best cyber-crime expert in the whole damn country, on board.

Legal analysts have said that one charge Mueller might pursue would be a conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, if he can demonstrate that members of Trump’s team conspired in Russia’s hacking effort to influence the election.

Wouldn’t that be a Hallelujah from Lady Karma?  Proving that Trump is not the legitimate president and might as well been born in Kenya is sweet justice.

Just wanted you to know that.

Missouri Republican Governor Eric Greitens was being groomed to be president one day, until … y’all he’s kinky.  I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with being kinky. You know, until it slides over into blackmail.

It seems the Governor had a affair. But, it wasn’t entirely with mutual consent. There’s a full description right here but I’m not gonna talk about it because … well, Momma. And the fact you need to see it for yourself in the newspaper.

Anyway, during his campaign announcement, he stated: “I’m Eric Greitens, I’m a Navy SEAL, native Missourian and most importantly, a proud husband and father.”

But, not overly proud, you know.  Not too proud to tie up a woman and take pictures of her without her consent.

Republicans built a pedestal of moral superiority and watching them get picked off like ducks at the carnival is entertaining.

Thanks to Deb and Norma for the heads up.

Denton, Texas is in Texas strictly by geographic accident.  It’s 30 miles south of the Oklahoma border and is only in Texas because Fort Worth sucks.

Get this:  Denton Republicans are hosting Sarah Palin at their annual Lincoln/Reagan Day dinner.  Tickets are $125 and for that much money Palin promises to dress very age-inappropriately and wear catch-me-kiss-me leather and stilettos.  Oh hell, what am I thinking?  She’d do that on a pool table in a Klondike bar for $5.

There’s no word on whether or not she’s bringing has-been musicians along for the ride.

If Palin was a thing now days, I’d buy a ticket for someone to go tape her, but, Honey, she doesn’t even have influence in her own house.

Thanks to Karen for the heads up.

For the first time EVER, a federal court has struck down a state redistricting plan as being unconstitutional because it was a partisan gerrymander purely for political advantage.  The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued the ruling yesterday calling the North Carolina plan a violation of the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection.  More important, the ruling was unanimous.  In a blazing 191 page opinion, Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. said the Republican plan was “motivated by invidious partisan intent” designed to advantage Republicans over Democrats in a permanent unfixable majority.  Case in point, in the 2016 election, the vote for House seats split 53-47 Republican to Democrat, but seats were won 10-3.  So, a 6% advantage turned into 77% control. Judge Wynn also cited the Republican representative who drew the map saying:

Boom.

Looking at the North Carolina map (and many others, like Texas) one with a functioning pair of eyes and at least a teaspoon of common sense would call those maps unfair.  The Supreme Court has tried for decades to avoid ruling on gerrymandering, and has even ruled that partisan gerrymandering is OK, but recent extreme examples like North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Texas has brought the issue to forefront once again, and the courts are finally starting to come out of their collective judicial comas.  Computer based algorithms allow mapdrawers to slice and dice neighborhoods in ways never dreamed possible in years past.  The Supreme Court has turned a blind eye and has allowed gerrymandering to become a terminal cancer on democracy if it’s not stopped.  It degrades confidence in the system and drives radical partisanship.  If anyone doubts that, look up idiots like Louie Gohmert, Blake Farenthold, Sheila Jackson Lee, John Culberson and many others.  Over 90% of House seats are uncompetitive.  Because of gerrymandering, representatives answer to a minority base to the detriment of all other constituents.  They rake in money while being grossly negligent of their Constitutional duties.

Enough of this is enough.  Perhaps this ruling will finally force the Supreme Court to stop radical gerrymandering and drive the states to pass non-partisan redistricting commissions.  It’s long past time that we take redistricting out of the hands of those who are advantaged by their corruption and put into the hands of those who are supposed to be served.