Schumer and Jeffries have had hard conversations with Biden in the last few days, using data that Biden is behind TFG and falling farther behind.  They’ve also told him that the money is drying up and that major donors are now withholding funding.  Adam Schiff, who is now running for Senate in California, also publicly called for Biden to step aside warning that the Dems could lose the Senate if he doesn’t.  Pelosi is also said to be working behind the scenes to let Biden down easy.  Other Dems have also talked to him and have described as delusional his belief that he’s either tied or leading TFG in the polls.  We’re starting to see cracks in his resolve, though, it’s now being reported that Biden said he’d drop out if a doctor told him he had a medical condition that would prevent him from doing his job.  At least that’s a start.

As a reality check for those who are still laboring under the illusion that Biden can win this, here’s Nate Silver’s latest analysis from earlier today:

Time to face facts; Biden’s candidacy is over, and the longer he waits to step aside, the more humiliating it will be for him.  The pressure is ratcheting up on a daily basis and there’s no sign it will weaken.  Today Schumer got the DNC to postpone a virtual nomination vote, which was an attempt to cram Biden down the delegates’ throats before they convened.   That vote won’t happen now until the first week of August, though it’s still scheduled before the convention.

We’re coming down to it.  I’ll be surprised if this tragic episode lasts much longer than sometime next week.  We’re long past time that this change should have been made.  The time is NOW.

Sometimes, you just don’t notice how hard it is for those few who choose to put themselves in front of cameras… like all the time.

Someone once said not to get between Ted Cruz and a TV camera, or your life could be forfeit. Or if not, they should have. Ted likes him some free TV coverage.

But to do that, you have to look your best, which is why, as we all now know, Ted gets his brows done.

It’s here.

Or if that list is too long, we have it here as well.

Who is Lucky Layne Consulting LLC? It’s Aubrie Layne’s company name. She’s a licensed realtor and eyebrow shaper.

But $310? How much does it actually cost for a good eyebrow job? Friends here at the Salon tell me it depends on the kind of job. One kind lasts longer than another, and yes, you can tell the difference between a treated vs. an untreated brow.

It is important to look your best when addressing the RNC Convention. So you tell me.

Which is the “Before” photo?

(Note: Alfredo at the Dairy Queen may have had a hand in this revelatory news)

There’s a lot of reporting that Biden is being shielded by his wife, Jill, and his close staff from the reality of polling numbers which, besides personal pride, is one of the reasons he is stubbornly hanging on.  To counter the effort to get him to step down, it’s now coming out that he’s going to propose an overhaul of the Supreme Court including an actual ethics policy and term limits.  It’s also being reported that he’s going to propose a Constitutional amendment to restate that the President is not immune from prosecution for criminal acts.

There’s not a chance in hell of any of these proposals seeing the light of day, especially with Fascist control of the House and many of the states.  BUT, it’s the right subject.  Biden is way too late, but THIS is a key issue, and a Hail Mary is about all he’s got left.  The SCOTUS is now bought and paid for by billionaires lead by Leonard Leo and it’s got to be fixed.  However, with today’s politics there is no quick fix, especially with the juggernaut created by Leo and his Federalist Society.  To make real change here, the People will have to overcome the do-nothing inertia that paralyzes the Congress.  I’m not hopeful, at least at this point.

Maybe this effort by Biden will save his candidacy.  I don’t think it’s enough to overcome his negatives, but it’s something, especially if this proposal gains real traction that gives people some hope.

In other news, the DNC gave up on its attempt to ram through Biden’s nomination during July even before the convention rules committee meets.  Postponing this vote tells me that there are serious discussion going on behind closed about what to do about Biden.  This has got to be decided sooner rather than later.

Watching the formation of a new “America First” movement has become a hobby of mine that admittedly hooked me when I first listened to the Maddow podcast “Ultra,” now in its second season. I recently posted a small sample of the Dr. Seuss campaign against the pro-NAZI America First movement a while back, and I will post more today and maybe more in the future.

In the 1930’s and 1940s, the America First Movement was an isolationist campaign that was aided and abetted by pro-fascist influencers who saw the US entry into WW2 as a threat to their cause. They were, fortunately, very bad at painting NAZIism in a benign light.

More recently, TFG himself adopted the “America First” position in the run-up to the 2016 election:

America first will be the major and overriding theme of my administration.

And now, with his nomination to be TFG’s Veep, “America First” has a new spokesmodel in JD Vance. Speaking to current Danbury Federal Prison resident Steve Bannon on his podcast in April 2022, we have this quote from ol’ JD:

I gotta to be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.

Stirring words that should tug at the heartstrings of pro-Putin neofascists everywhere.

Similar words were uttered by another famous American of note: The Lone Eagle, Lucky Lindy, Slim… you know Charles Lindbergh. He said this:

I have been forced to the conclusion that we cannot win this war for England regardless of how much assistance we send. That is why the America First Committee has been formed.

And the rest is history.

I’m depressed. I suppose there are many kinds of depression. There is the padded room with heavy medication kind. There is the soul crippling can’t move a muscle kind. On the other end of the spectrum there is the “I heard some bad news and I have the blues” kind.

For those of you that aren’t mental health professionals (I’m really not either although I have a masters in Counseling) dysthymia is more of a minor depression. Think of it as seeing the world with a pair of gray colored glasses on. Nothing is black per se. The colors just dim and the beauty gets muted. Suddenly, enjoyable activities aren’t so enjoyable anymore.

This is what brings me to today’s topic. Writing brings me joy. If I have learned anything since my diagnosis it is that we all have to find joy in our life. However, over the past couple of weeks writing has not been giving me joy. They are painful topics and the current landscape of the world seems to be a constellation of bad news that form a very bleak picture.

Some people in the gulf south still have no power after a hurricane hit eight days ago. The workers are working hard, but the company seems to be fumbling about and those in power at the state level could honestly give a shit. If they did they would have fixed the grid three years ago when it spectacularly failed. Moreover, the depressing part is that a majority of Texans continue to vote for these ass clowns even in the face of their failure.

Then we get the other news from the weekend and early part of the week. Combine that with a complicit Supreme Court and we have a man that literally will not be held accountable for dozens of felonies. Then, a whack job tries to kill him and ends up causing more damage to the cause. Even if he had succeeded in his quest it would have caused more damage. Political violence and violence of all kinds brings damage.

The reaction of the ex-president and some of his followers was more disheartening. He paused for a damn photo op. Who does that? Then, you get the sheep that post this on their social media like some kind of battle cry. One guy even got it tattooed to his back. The attempt is horrible enough and I’m thankful the ex-president is okay but I just wish there were a genuine human response there. I no longer believe it was a false flag but this is why so many of my friends think so. That is also disheartening.

I have to admit my mind went there initially. Obviously, there is proof out there in blogosphere of my initial thoughts. I say all this to say my joy is nearly gone. It is quickly being replaced with despair. Hanging on in quiet desperation is no way to live. I suppose this is a fight or flight moment and my instincts usually point towards flight.

I am not leaving forever. In fact, I can’t even tell you how long I will be leaving. When the joy begins to come back it will come back. I’ll linger about and make comments every now and then and I have other sources of writing that don’t involve politics. I’ll still do those and maybe they will bring me enough joy to come back soon. Hopefully I will see everyone again really soon.

We’ve all been watching the Florida documents case as Judge Aileen Cannon has handily delayed and pushed the case back and back in time. No way could it ever be tried before the Republican Convention.

And now, on Day One of the Republican Convention, Cannon dropped the ruling that Jack Smith was improperly appointed as Special Counsel, and therefore the documents case he brought against TFG was dismissed.

Mission accomplished. Judge Cannon did exactly as she must and no more. The appeal to the 11th Circuit Court practically writes itself, and that, doubtless, is exactly what is happening right now.

All moot if the Orange Julius Caesar wannabe is elected in November.

But that was the whole idea.