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New NBC / Wall Street Journal Poll …

Eight out of 10 voters believe that things are out of control in the United States, with majorities still concerned about the spread of the coronavirus, pessimistic about the economy returning to normal before next year and down on President Donald Trump’s ability to unite the nation.

Eight out of 10.  The other two are watching Tiger King and can’t be bothered.

Attorney General Bill Barr heaved his butt on morning teevee this morning.  In a rambling lawyerite interview, he denied that chemical irritants were used on peaceful protestor at the White House.

MARGARET BRENNAN: There were chemical irritants the park police has said–

BARR: No, there were not chemical irritants. Pepper spray is not a chemical irritant. 

I can see where he got confused.  This was gluten-free, organic, natural, non-GMO, raised without cages pepper spray so that ain’t no damn chemical.

Hey, everything is chemical, except, you know, ideas — like peace, love, empathy, tolerance.  Everything else is a chemical.  In a restaurant (remember those?) some guy four tables over speaking very loudly is a chemical irritant.

Look, pepper spray ain’t Agent Orange, but it’s not Eau de Democracy either.

So, while Barr is Attorney General, pepper spray will be known as a spicy baptism.

Thanks to SGray for the heads up.

Many of the stormtroopers that cleared Lafayette park the other evening to make a path for Trump to do his photo op in front of St. John’s Church were wearing tactical gear, but no badges, ID plates or insignia.  The press immediately noticed and began investigating.  The Washington Post got to the bottom of it this week – they’re from the federal Bureau of Prisons, called up personally by Bill Barr.  The BOP confirmed this shocking news and lied that they weren’t wearing BOP insignia or identification because they were being used “in a broader mission.”  NO, they wore no insignia to make it harder to figure out who to hold accountable for police violence.

Adding to his mountain of lies, Bill Barr actually denied ordering the BOP officers and others to clear Lafayette Park to give Trump a clear lane to carry out his stunt for the photo op. He said that park police were already clearing the park when he arrived. That assertion doesn’t pass the straight faced test, and that wasn’t the question.  The question is, did he give the order to clear the park so Trump could safely strut over to the church?  Of course he did, and while they were at it, cordoned off the park with heavy security fencing to permanently distance the White House from Americans Trump is hiding from.  And he did all that with his employees from his prisons in unmarked uniforms to conceal their identities.  This is the exact same tactic that Putin used when he deployed “little green men” into Ukraine in 2014 in his attempt to take over that country and Crimea.  The Russian government later admitted that those soldiers were indeed Russian military.

Welcome to the new normal of Trump’s America.

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Two National Guard troops were struck by lightning in Lafayette Park, where some of their comrades had fired chemical irritants and less-lethal bullets on peaceful protesters.

I think God has sent a warning, Brothers and Sisters.

The main thing I’m wondering:  did Mexico pay for it?

I’m figuring we need to name this thing or at least figure out what we can use it for once he leaves.

I’ll go first.

Name: the world’s largest and most expensive play pen.