You do of course know what gerrymandering is.
Sadly, many really do not grasp what is going on. Below Brian had to explain to an fool what was actually happening …
The main rationale for gerrymandering is so that, even if you have less than half of the total voters, you can manipulate the districts so that you still win *more* than half of the seats. See below for a simplistic example – note here that red has only 40% of the voters, but can win 60% of the seats.
Here’s the trick — note how red, in order to grab the majority of seats, has to pack blue voters as tightly as possible into a small number of districts. In effect, the red party is openly *sacrificing* a couple of districts in order to grab the rest.
This is what Trump has asked Texas to do, so let’s take a pass at how that has been making news this past week now.
Texas Gerrymandering
Thanks to Republicans in red states we are entering an era of political battle where parties choose their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. That’s not Democracy.
It’s strategic of course, because without Texan voters, the GOP loses the house so they have to cheat to win!
Here is what Ken Paxton, the Texas AG, was claiming …
- Reminder: Ken is the guy who was impeached for blatant corruption, but GOP Texas decided to keep him anyway we now understand why
- He also doesn’t even know the laws in his own fucking state. To remove a sitting state Senator requires 2/3 of the vote, republicans are 14 short of that number. Another reason they want to gerrymander the fuck out of Texas.
- Ken’s two defining characteristics are stupidity and hypocrisy (as with most of the GOP). It’s always challenging to know which one is dominant.
The “Arrest Them” stance is all political cosplay by clowns …
- Democrats in TX leaving their legislature behind to prevent a mid-decade gerrymander after Trump demanded that Abbott eliminate 5 Democratic seats before the midterms … is deemed to be a “crime”
- Republicans in DC leaving their legislature behind to block release of the Epstein files to protect Trump being exposed as a sexual pervert… is just fine.
- Meanwhile, yes CNN put Jennings on in the above to have a combative show, and raise the ratings. When you hear his voice, you can tune out, all you will get is propaganda.
Meanwhile, let’s do a little fact checking on who is doing this across the nation. Hint: It’s very much a GOP thing. Source: worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankin…
It’s literally how people like “Gym” Jordan get elected. Here is his district …
I guess you can perhaps think of it as DEI for Racists and Bigots.
As for how Democrats are handling this … hell yea, the GOP sowed this wind, let them now reap the whirlwind …
Epstein Updates
They can’t even get their lies straight …
Openly conspiring …
Wild how MAGA sees a “deep state” conspiracy in literally everything—but when the government buries evidence tying Trump to Jeffrey Epstein and starts bribing Epstein’s co-conspirator, they suddenly go blind. Anyone helping cover for Trump is complicit in a cover-up for child sex traffickers.
- She interviews with Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer who moved her to a cushy Club Fed right after it was over, and it just so happens she did not say anything bad about the person who is in complete control of her life right now. Amazing!
One further insight. If Trump is implicated in Epstein’s crimes will that be a deal breaker for his cult? The answer is no, they will still support him …
- To be clear, that number is 47% of Republicans, not 47% of Americans.
Tariffs
Even Mike Pence has come to the realisation that he is a complete lunatic and utterly incompetent …
- His stance is understandable. He is probably still salty about that time Trump tried to get him lynched.
The upcoming holiday season is going to be “fun” …
For some the penny is finally dropping …
- Rinse and repeat many times over for many others.
- I believe the term you are looking for right now is something along the lines of … “We f**king told you so“
Denis Goris – Do we tip on the #tariff ?
Multiple layers of Lunacy and utter incompetence
Guess whom Trump picked as the new Ambassador to the Vatican? Yep, Republican senators confirmed Brian Burch. Burch, a fierce critic of the late Pope Francis. But of course he got picked, he paid for it by leading a group that spent millions to put Trump back in power.
- His “gift” is to pick the absolute worst possible person for a job. In this case, to quote Steven Millies, “Burch is an agitator, mostly, the opposite of a diplomat,”
- Burch is the former head of CatholicVote – Anti Choice and anti LGBTQ is their thing … and of course silent on issues such as poverty, workers’ rights, and immigration.
“The Best poll numbers ever”, says literally nobody except the liar himself …
- He is actually winning and really is No.1 … at being the shittiest President ever in all of US history
- If only we could have seen this coming…again!
They are now frantically trying to hire back all the people they fired at the NWS …
Tourism in Las Vegas has gone into a sharp decline. Political Cartoonist Dave Whamond …
“Evidence” – a word that apparently means “I’ve got absolutely nothing” …
Seasonal employees at Yosemite worked without pay for six weeks …
WTF is he doing inside the White House???
- Reminder: The NRA laundered over $55 Million in RUSSIAN money for Trump in 2016. And provided direct communications. No Justice NRA Was ‘Foreign Asset’ To Russia Ahead of 2016, New Senate Report Reveals www.npr.org/2019/09/27/7…
When you opt to ignore the reality of climate change, then there really are consequences …
Dave Whamond – Priorities. “I’m a man of the people. Did you see my $200 million Golden Ballroom?”
- For those reading this elsewhere and not inside the US “News” bubble, be aware that the above is not parody. Yes he really is spending $200 million to build a vast White House ballroom, construction starts in Sept. Yes, he also plans to build a Nuclear reactor on the moon.
FEMA workers being drafted into ICE …
- People who took jobs with FEMA to help people are being forced into jobs where they’ll be required to harm people? WTF
Violent crime is down in DC, but facts don’t matter to this aspiring dictator www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/p…
Alternative Statistics
Economists say unbiased data is essential for policymaking, and for democracy, but when it’s acceptable that just one dude can do all the “policy” making/breaking, then is free to make up the outcomes with his own “feelings”, then we see the rise of a true idiocracy –www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b…
He’s a liar and everyone knows it. It’s his supporters, enablers, spokespeople, yes men, conspirators, and media that knows he lies whom are complicit in this golden American era of lies.
The end of Democracy
FRIEDMAN: “If the behavior this administration has exhibited in just its first six months continues and is amplified for its full four years, the America you know will be gone. And I don’t know how we will get it back.” ‘1984’ is upon us. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/o…
Mike Flood’s Town Hall
Mike Flood (R-Nebraska) held a town hall – it (quite rightly) did not go well …
- Via somebody who attended: “It was 1 hour and 20 minutes of sustained booing. The videos don’t do it justice.“
- For the deeply curious – Here’s the full video from the town-hall to save ya’ll a YouTube search – www.youtube.com/live/zleBod9…
ICE Gestapo updates
FAFO winner of the week …
Gaza Update
DOCTORS W/O BORDERS: “‘This is not aid. This is orchestrated killing’ draws on medical data, patient testimonies — what has been branded “aid distribution” (secured by US armed contractors) is institutionalised starvation & dehumanisation.” www.msf.org/not-aid-orch…
ABC: “Suleiman Al-Obeid, former Palestinian national soccer team player and star of Gaza’s Al-Shati’a Services Club, killed by Israeli forces while waiting to get humanitarian aid…” abcnews.go.com/Internationa…
Make America Ill Again
No more “evil” vaccines, but you can now have lots of “healthy” sugar …
- Subtle touch: Check the window on the right – you can see Epstein in the WH window and Trump on the roof.
Christian Nationalists
The nuttier right-wing religious fanatics within the MAGA cult are as always doing their thing. I’m tired of the same old names popping up week after week, so let’s review a few fresh faces instead.
With gerrymandering being a hot topic, do they have any thoughts on the topic? Of course they do …
- He is not wrong about the 10 commandments being mostly rubbish. About half are religions rules (worship god, no other gods, keep one day holy, etc…) and not moral rules at all.
Over in Oklahoma, Ryan Walters took a break from watching porn movies to announce his revisionist Christian history standards (all fiction) will soon go into effect …
U.S. Defense Secretary promotes interview in which Christian nationalist Doug Wilson says women shouldn’t have the right to vote. Hegseth goes to a Wilson-affiliated church and sends his kids to one of Wilson’s schools.
- In the Christian nation Wilson wants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and other non-Christians would not be allowed to hold public office — not even liberal Christians. There would be no public expression of other faiths allowed, because “the public spaces would belong to Christ.” thehill.com/opinion/cong…
Seriously now, the above should be a big deal, but it’s not …
- Link to raw story here – www.rawstory.com/pete-hegseth…
- Perpetual Reminder – Pete Hegseth, the Serial Adulterer and Town Drunk, was deemed fit to lead by Trump.
Weirdest of the Weird
Yes the “Jesus, Guns, and Babies” lady is back seeking election once again. (I’m not mocking her, that was literally the banner she ran with last time when she ran for Gov, and not a parody). Within her list below, the first item is not in any way compatible with her second item …
Even More Political Cartoons from the past week
As always, there are many excellent cartoons.
Adam Zyglis – A guide to Trumpspeak…
Dennis Goris – Making Arithmetic Great Again #PrescriptionDrugs
Media Sane-washing of Tyranny
KESSLER: “Why I left the Washington Post… like being on the Titanic, drifting aimlessly as it sank with not enough lifeboats…” An editor asked him: “How do we appeal more to Fox News viewers”? The fact-checker’s reply: “We have to tell the truth.” glennkessler.substack.com/p/why-i-left…
- The only way to appeal to Fox News viewers is to lie.
Finally
No argument from me on that response the the question …
- Think, no Bush, no Iraq, perhaps even no 9/11, early action on Climate, etc… the world would have been very different.
- “Reagan” is of course a good answer, but this was a jump off the cliff with the Supreme Court decision
- Others suggested … “When the lady sued McDonald’s for getting burned by hot coffee and won“
- Many other good answers as well.
Her claim that “what is happening in Texas is Democracy” is akin to somebody claiming that what she does on Fox is “News” …
OK, let’s wrap it all up with a few clips from South Park. It just keeps on getting better and better …
