-
I smell a ratfuck
Ratfucking is an American slang term for behind the scenes (covert) political sabotage or dirty tricks, particularly pertaining to elections. It was brought to public attention by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in All the President’s Men (1974), the book that chronicled their investigative reporting of the Watergate scandal.(Wikipedia) A few weeks ago, during my daily miles-long walk around my Louisville neighborhood, I came across…
-
Generalissimo Franco dumps Mitch, greets Lindsey Graham
Looks like Generalissimo Francisco Franco has cancelled his meetings with Mitch McConnell and is now on a first name basis with Lindsey Graham. By now, you know this happened (from The Washington Post): Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) died suddenly on Saturday night at age 71, his office said, prompting tributes from President Donald Trump and lawmakers…
-
In other news, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead
NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” first came on the air a half century ago, and one of the recurring bits was in the “Weekend Update” segment, where Chevy Chase would read this announcement: The joke, of course, was based on the fact that before Francisco Franco’s death, the three major news networks were running the same…
-
I guess this is a diss on Kentucky doctors?
The image above appears in a Facebook post that includes this message: The dispute is between the medical doctors (MDs) and an osteopath. Trump’s physician has a degree in osteopathy from some place in Kentucky. So, of course, I had to look up who the doctor is and what school he went to (I use…
-
Let’s put billionaire donations in perspective: the Ballmers
One genre of news coverage I hate is the “generous billionaire” story. This one’s from Forbes: After an exceptionally tough year for public media, Connie Ballmer, billionaire philanthropist and wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, donated $80 million to support NPR’s future. I don’t have to read any more than this, which is cool, because I don’t have…
-
The Bluegrass Blues Podcast: Episode 28
Our primary election “autopsy” (GOP is evil, Dems are incompetent); a medical emergency portends sad future for Kentucky; get out and visit the state, and Shakespeare is back in Louisville (to like or not to like, with a dramatic reading from a galaxy far, far away). Attica Scott: Kentucky democrats need to reckon with a…
-
Charts on political reality
Sad to say, but most people don’t read full newspaper stories. They might look at the headline. They might even read the first few paragraphs until they get bored. As a result, charts are important. So here are a few (some already used in past posts) to give people who won’t read in depth something…
-
The Bluegrass Blues Podcast: Episode 27
Election Day in Kentucky and its implications, IVF in the courts and we’re out of town at home and abroad. CORRECTION: The GOP senator who lost his primary was Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. We incorrectly said it was a North Carolina senator. In this podcast, we refer to: Republican fights to survive Trump’s wrath in…
-
Kentucky is No. 1, and that’s bad if you’re sick
Once again, Kentucky manages to lead the nation in ways to kill its citizens. Here’s the latest on rural hospitals: Look at all the states losing rural hospitals, and look where Kentucky is on the list. Why does this happen. Because a state that’s predominantly poor is full of people who vote for Republicans who…
-
The Bluegrass Blues Podcast: Episode 26
The Kentucky Derby is at our throats, primary elections are just around the corner and finding relaxation in the countryside and the cityscape. Our discussion includes: Your first time at the Derby? Here’s what to expect Attica Scott: Run Every Race: How Democrats Can Win in Kentucky As governor’s race begins, Senate race has new…
