Ted Cruz has hired himself a herd of writ twits and is suing the Federal Elections Commission over $10,000.

Cruz, as Buzzfeed reported in April, “is suing to get rid of limits on how much he can reimburse himself for his campaign against Beto O’Rourke.” Cruz loaned his own campaign $260,000, but legally can only repay himself $250,000. He wants the remaining $10,000.

For a guy who is worth close to $4 million, this seems a little petty.

Until, of course, you understand this is about more than money for Cruz.  It’s a chance to follow in the footsteps of great Americans.

Cruz argues in court on official documents that … you kinda need to prepare yourself for this … not letting him get his $10,000 is just like telling Rosa Parks to sit on the back of the bus. Just like it.

The rich white straight privileged guy is the victim here.  You know, just like Rosa Parks. Ted Cruz has become the very people he cheerfully oppressed.

Next week’s trick: Ted Cruz nails himself to the cross.

Look if Rosa Parks had $250,000, she wouldn’t have been taking the damn bus. So just shuddup.

And if Ted went ahead and wrote himself a check for the $10,000 and then went to jail as a matter of principle, I’d give the boy some scratching room, but he won’t do that.  Wanna know why? Because he’s not one damn thing like Rosa Parks.

Let’s just come out and say it…

It doesn’t matter who Democrats like and wildly support for president.  If you’re a Dem, your support doesn’t matter if you actually come out and vote.  Your vote is assured.  AND, it doesn’t matter what your candidate’s pet policy happens to be. Most important, stop talking about turning Trumpists into Democratic voters.  Even if the Dems ran George W. Bush, Trumpists would still vote for Trump because facts, criminality, global stability, and common decency don’t matter.  Trumpists will vote for Trump even if the planet is burning down around their ears.  They’re Fifth Avenuers.

Here’s what matters, and the ONLY thing that matters.  Getting Joe & Jill Sam & Sarah SixPack. Period.  When you’re saying, “I like So & So’s policies,” and, “So & So sure showed up So & So in the debate,” or, “So & So didn’t respond very well to So & So’s attack on what So & So did over 40 years ago,” NONE of that matters.  What matters is that the ultimate Dem candidate must have broad appeal, because that candidate MUST get those who don’t pay attention and who are not the base.  Being a smarty pants on policy or sharp elbowed in debates is entertaining as hell, but doesn’t get the votes.  We saw that in spades in 2016.  Hillary was WAY smarter, more experienced, and a serious smarty pants on policy, but she lost.  She lost because she was a terrible candidate, and did not draw low information voters.  Obama did.  Twice.  He did it twice by broad appeal, not detailed policies.

I’m watching the Dems repeat the same mistakes they made in 2016 (and in 2004 and 2000).  Reams of policies don’t matter; splitting hairs on healthcare policy doesn’t matter; rehearsed on-stage attacks during debates don’t matter.  Being a smarty pants doesn’t matter. Broad appeal is the only thing that matters. Which candidate will get the votes of Joe & Jill Sam & Sarah out in the heartland who don’t pay attention until November 2?

THAT’S what Dems should be talking about.  Period.

Okay, so here’s the deal.

No, seriously.

Trump took Tucker Carlson to North Korea instead of John Bolton. He shipped Bolton off to Mongolia during the trip. Quit shaking your head. It makes perfect sense. If you’re pint of alcohol short of a craft beer, it makes perfectly good sense.

In the bell curve of crazy Bolton stands on one end and Carlson on the other.  Between them, they’ve got the whole damn bell covered.

So, after the Trump trip, Carlson wimp-splained the situation.

The frequent Trump ally said there “is no defending the North Korean regime, which is a monstrous regime. It is the last really Stalinist regime in the whole world. It is a disgusting place, obviously.”

“On the other hand, you’ve got to be honest about what it means to lead a country. It means killing people,” Carlson continued. “Not on the scale the North Koreans do, but a lot of countries commit atrocities, including a number that we are closely allied with.”

Then Carlson uses a stick to try to make Trump look like a fan of democracy.

Carlson said he thinks Trump sees Kim as a “competent, scrappy guy,” though “he’s not an admirer of the atrocities he’s committed, obviously.”

Obviously?  No, not obviously. All Trump has ever done is talk about the love between him and KJU. The only thing obvious is that Tump would love to be able to kill people.

Want a refill on that Kool-aid, Tucker?

The Washington Post outlines Trump’s Tribute to Trump on the Fourth of July.

Trump has been fixated since early in his term with putting on a military-heavy parade or other celebration modeled on France’s Bastille Day celebration, which he attended in Paris in 2017. Trump angrily backed off plans for a grand Veterans Day parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in 2018 amid concerns from District officials over costs and potential road damage from military vehicles.

Mr. Bone Spurs is spending tax dollars as fast as he can to put on this event, even though the National Park Service is already running in the red. There’s even going to be special VIP seating for his friends and major donors, which kinda spoils the whole meaning of Independence Day.

It appears that Trump has not hired someone to be the “designated event producer. But in this case, the producer is the president himself.”  He’s meeting with planners several times a day and making most decisions himself. Hey, at least it’s keeping his nose out of real governing.

Pray for rain.

Okay, so Southern Baptist deacon, Jesus lovin’, sanctimonious load of holiness Texas Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert has taken the lead in potty mouthed indignation over Robert Mueller.

The Texas congressman added that his reading of the special counsel’s report did little to temper his long history of animosity for the former FBI director: “It reinforced the anal opening that I believe Mueller to be.”

Anal opening?  Louie, Jesus heard that and he knows what it means.  You can’t play cute to skirt around Jesus.

I hope Louie slips and says that in front of Mueller.  It would have to be a slip because Louie doesn’t have the guts to say that to someone’s face.  However, it would give everybody a big laugh to see what a silly little boy that Louie Gohmert is.

Thanks to SGray and Steve for the heads up.

Welcome to Livingston, Texas, just north of Houston, where men are men and sheep are scared.

You can’t get much more redneck than Livingston.  As proof I offer this —

According to a description from the Houston Chronicle, here is a house flying the Texas flag, the Donald Trump Supporter flag, and … well, Oh Holy Crap There’s Two of Them flag.

Hell, even the neighbors are upset.

Kenneth Ligon doesn’t let his children leave the front yard when they play outside.

He and his wife have lived in the same house for about a decade on Liberty Avenue in Livingston. But about one year ago, he spotted Nazi flags hanging outside a home down the street. Since then, Ligon, who works at night and stays home with the kids during the day, no longer lets them ride their bikes down the street.

Ligon said the flags prompted the family to put their house up for sale, and they plan on moving soon.

“We’ve tried to ignore it, but to be honest you really can’t ignore it,” he said. “The dude’s flags are flying right there off the road.”

The lengths some people will go to win the “Yard of the Month” from the Donald Trump Yard Art Club.