146 Comments

Always gets my weekend off to a great start! Thanks!

Expand full comment

Great great great, Celia. I am not worthy. Extra happy for you in my life. Make it the "Purpuddlians" -- only an English teacher par excellence could create that word.

Expand full comment

I love Jonathan Swift, particularly his scatalogical poetry. Google “Strephon and Chloe”

Expand full comment

Oh, took me a minute, the "...dlians." Swift's Gulliver's wasn't "believable" enough for me, as a kid. I was a bit dense, and didn't "get it," until I was older.

Expand full comment

See also that which people from Liverpool are (were?) inexplicably called.

Expand full comment

We here are “The Jot Set” looking forward each week to “New Writing From the Purple Sage”

Expand full comment

"The Jot Set" is good, but "Purpuddlians," accent the 2nd (or 3rd) syllable, has a special sound to it.

Expand full comment

I agree.

Expand full comment

Yeah, we can laugh at the Dem's meltdown, but sooner than we think, they will begin the latest assault against Trump, a repeat of the 2016 assault that went nowhere. Trump has two years to get something done until the House switches majorities. Here's hoping that the Matt Gaetz and Mark Meadow types just go along to strengthen the Republican majority, but I'm not holding my breath.

Expand full comment

Gaetz is inexplicable. It’s beyond stupid

Expand full comment

Given that Trump isn't stupid there has to be a method to the madness. But Gaetz would not have been my first choice.

Expand full comment

The “method”I heard last night at dinner from a well-connected individual was that Gaetz resigned to kill the release of the House report against him, and there is no expectation he’ll be confirmed. A Trump loyalist is rewarded and allowed to slink away and reinvent himself, the Democrats can claim a victory in denying a nominee to a key position (if it even comes to a vote) and the Senate will be more likely to confirm Trump’s next and intended nominee. Stranger things have happened in Washington.

Expand full comment

Ted Cruz is probably waiting in the wings.

Expand full comment

How about Gaetz fills Rubio’s Senate seat once Marco takes the Sec of State role. DeSantis can do that and it could be all part of the plan.

Expand full comment

DeSantis might appoint himself. He's term limited.

Expand full comment

Trump is planning recess appointments that will put Gaetz in the role for TWO YEARS!

Expand full comment

The problem I have with this analysis is that that Senate "investigation" went on for 2 years and went nowhere and was dismissed. The Dems have now a long record of using this particular charge to smear someone, and Gaetz was giving them a lot of trouble. I'm not arguing FOR Gaetz, though I recognize he is relentless, and I guess time will tell. There are others saying he will be affirmed.

Expand full comment

I am not deeply invested one way or the other. As you say, the Dems have an ugly history of "just happening to find" a woman who will accuse their target of something that conveniently happened many years before, and for which no corroborating evidence can be found beyond her own word that it happened. So any accusations of that kind which the Dems bring forward are automatically suspect. (It's rather ironic that the Dems have done more to damage the credibility of women making rape accusations than another other group of people.)

Expand full comment

You need to listen to Trey Gowdy's latest podcast as he breaks down Trump's appointments. He has nothing good to say about Gaetz. Latest news is that Gaetz resigned from the House to stop the continuing morals investigation in order to ease his way into the AG role. There is no chance in heaven or hell that he would be confirmed, but if Trump has his way, he will make Gaetz a recess appointment that will last for two years! A very, very bad thing!

Expand full comment

Why is it bad Robert?

Expand full comment

It's bad because it sets a precedent. The vetting process is in place for a reason. We should allow the system to work the way it was intended.

Expand full comment

I agree with that, 234. I thought Robert was stating Gaetz as AG was bad, but he was talking the recess appointment. I too don’t like recess appointments. So, my bad!

Expand full comment

It already is a precedent. Clinton, Bush, and Obama all had recess appointments.

Expand full comment

Gowdy would have been a contender for the AG role, right?

Expand full comment

Bruce, Gaetz wasn’t John Bolton’s pick either. In fact Bolton came out today and stated that Gaetz as AG would be ‘the worst in American history’.

This is like voting locally. I check the voter guide to see who’s for and against a candidate. If it’s the teacher’s union and SEIU supporting a candidate, it’s a hard no.

I apply the same filter here. There are so many Establishment voices w/ consternation over Gaetz as AG. Which tells me he’s the right man for the job as this time in American history (because the DOJ is so damn corrupt and Trump-loyal pit bull is what is needed at this time to clean it up)

Expand full comment

I speculate Gaetz has a cabinet full of DOJ corruption evidence and will use his confirmation hearing with the help of friendly Senators to expose it. Then he will not be confirmed and a workable Trump loyalist will get the job. This may be timed to occur with Elon announcing major DOGE layoffs. Or maybe I'm dreaming.

Expand full comment

So, hear me out: There’s a theory that Trump’s team knows Gaetz won’t be confirmed, for multiple reasons. Trump’s other picks will sail through, so he’s tossing a bone to the Left - at no cost. See, Gaetz has already resigned his House seat (in hopes of quashing that damning ethics report), and therefore will be out of everyone’s hair in Congress.

His confirmation having failed, Trump will nominate someone lacking Gaetz’s baggage who is equally determined to clean up the DOJ and the FBI, partnering with Kash Patel. Meanwhile, (edit) there will be a special election to replace Gaetz in his solidly Republican district.

Seen in this light, the Gaetz nomination is explicable. Trump playing chess? We shall see.

(Edited to replace dreaded autocorrect)

Expand full comment

I think you’re right.

Expand full comment

I agree that it's something like this.

I also thought that it might be a reward to Gaetz for unwavering support - give him a good excuse for resigning, just before the House Ethics Committee (still can't believe that I can write those three words together with a straight face...) report comes out.

Then, when it leaks, they get to incinerate the Dems all over again, when the leaker is uncovered

Expand full comment

Maybe. But it always amazing when people say Trump has like three D chess moves or some other silly explanation for just doing an undisciplined boneheaded idiotic move just because he can.

Expand full comment

You have an opinion about Trump. We all do. It’s impossible not to. I’ll leave it at that.

Expand full comment

I so want Mark et all to be correct here but we've all seen elements of Unwoke’s point in the past 8 years. I put it in the “remains to be seen” bucket

Expand full comment

it's 4-D chess he's playing!

Expand full comment

I surely do hope so.

Expand full comment

DeSantis cannot appoint anyone to the House of Representatives. The vacancy is filled by special election.

The Ethics report can still be released, but the FBI investigation ended with no action and in the current DOJ if any incidents occurred that could be prosecuted, they would be prosecuted. So I suspect other than some sleaze, it will not amount to much.

Gaetz has proven himself capable of tearing down established hierarchies, this seems to be his skill set. That may be the reason for the choice, mainly as a wrecking ball to clear the way for others to rebuild.

I favor the”sacrificial lamb “ hypothesis; give the reactionary Senators a win by rejecting his appointment, and eliminate a wild card from potentially undermining the House leadership.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the correction re replacing Gaetz. His replacement in the House will be specially elected in a solid Red district.

I had in mind a Senate vacancy, which prompts that state’s governor to make a temporary appointment, subject to confirmation by the legislature until the next election can be had.

Expand full comment

So maybe he gets appointed to Rubio’s Senate seat if not confirmed?

Expand full comment

I doubt it. DeSantis isn’t a Gaetz fan.

Expand full comment

The problem with appointing people from the House is that there is no way a Special Election can be held before the Inauguration. With Gaetz gone, and Elise Stefanic's appointment, now the GOP is down two seats and reduces their majority drastically. The GOP cannot take much of a reduction. There are always House GOP members who can jump ship and scuttle any accomplishments. The DEMS have great discipline in the House, but the GOP have "factions" that can sink any possible legislation.

Expand full comment

That’s a POTENTIAL problem, but Republican discipline seems to be better this time around.

Expand full comment

There were never any charges brought forth and the DOJ dropped the investigation.

Expand full comment

The absence of criminal charges doesn’t mean a person is qualified.

Expand full comment

"Gaetz has proven himself capable of tearing down established hierarchies, this seems to be his skill set." Okay, but he has done absolutely NOTHING productive during his term EXCEPT tear down. He has taken credit for others' work, and destroyed an investigation that was talked about in a SCIF room, making the investigation null and void!

Expand full comment

Umm… Gaetz helped remove Uniparty McCarthy, Robert. Maybe you liked Kevin McCarthy’s House leadership thou…?

Expand full comment

Correct. He is an agent of destruction. That may well be his designated role as AG. Not that the DOJ does not need a thorough house cleaning, but Gaetz does not evidence the ability to rebuild a functioning agency focused on actual justice.

BTW a special election in Florida would require a minimum of 6 weeks to organize per Tallahassee Democrat analysis of pertinent Florida law. So likely early January.

Expand full comment

Trump will also ferret out any secret RINOs.

Expand full comment

Until someone can categorically define what a "real" Republican is you cannot term ANYONE as a RINO. Right now, the term just means someone who doesn't go "lock-step" with whatever Trump says.

Expand full comment

The terms Right and Left, Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal are breaking down according to this brilliant essay published just before the election.

Note the ‘heat maps’ showing both professions and organizations / companies who donated to Biden/Kamala vs. DJT.

The realignment is now morphing into the ‘Institutionalized’ vs. the ‘Instinctual’ ?

https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/americas-counter-cultural-revolution-institutional-instinctual

Expand full comment

I disagree. The term has been around a lot longer than Trump. It has always referred to someone with a R next to their name, but who supports the same things Democrats do: big government, lots of spending, and business as usual in Washington.

A RINO is easy identifiable by how they resist the same things the Democrats resist. They don't want their gravy train derailed.

Expand full comment

That definition includes MOST Republicans! Like I said previously, how do you define what a REAL Republican is? No one seems to be able to define them, can YOU?

Expand full comment

Never underestimate Trump. He's not one to play footsie.

Expand full comment

He is planning recess appointments that do not require approval for ten years! I do not know what is in his mind with this!

Expand full comment

Trump about to expose the Uniparty for all you sleepers to see once the Gaetz nomination process gets into full swing.

Gaetz is anti big government, business and big tech. He aggressively opposes NDA’s and all those online ‘agreements’ you sign that are 9 pages long which absolve companies from liabilities.

This is why he’s a target to be made a person non grata like Ed Snowden & Julian Assange. Keep on listening to the Old Media and the shiny objects they place in front of you and you miss the truth.

Expand full comment

"The TRUTH" is that Gaetz has alienated almost ALL of the Republicans in Congress. His take down of McCarthy was an exercise in retribution. He's an asshole in Congress that NO one cares for. That alone does not make him unqualified to lead, but it sure IS a predictor of how he will proceed with REAL power!

Expand full comment

not a bad theory . One thing I have noticed about Trump is he has learned to play the political strategy game a lot better than last time around.

Expand full comment

It's possible he just wants Gaetz out of the house where the majority is slim. He doesn't need any more Gaetz-induced chaos there, assuming he's happy with Johnson.

Expand full comment

I don’t think it’s stupid at all. The Gaetz confirmation vote will expose all non MAGA Senators right out of the gate. And if Gaetz doesn’t make it through Trump picks another (like Harmeet Dhillon) and then DeSantis appoints Gaetz to fill Rubio’s Senate seat.

But if Gaetz does make it through, he is Trump’s attack dog against big government, big business and big tech. He also aggressively shuts down the lawfare and exposes the motivation & forces behind who shot Trump in the face.

Check out what Democrat Matt Stoller has to say about Gaetz. Matt has watched Gaetz up close over years, including when the camera’s are not rolling:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/trump-nominates-khanservative-matt

Is Gaetz drawing so much negative coverage because his positions upset powerful people that like the existing framework of corporate and national security dominance?

My take is that whoever the Old Media attacks the most, those are the ones to listen the closest to.

The DOJ is completely rotten and needs to be lanced and drained. A bomb thrower like Gaetz is in fact the perfect foil.

Expand full comment

For another perspective, listen to Trey Gowdy's assessment of Gaetz.

https://radio.foxnews.com/podcast/trey-gowdy/ for a different perspective of someone who worked with Gaetz, or around him, rather.

Expand full comment

Trey Goudy didn’t get shot in the face. Trump did. A loyal AG will reveal all the nefarious activities against Trump by the DOJ, including who/what was behind that memory holed assassination attempt. Gaetz as AG (or another aggressive Trump-loyalist) is for a specific time & place in our history.

Expand full comment

Would investigating the $200B of tax dollars Biden laundered through Ukraine, back to Hunter, and the kickback upstairs to old Joe change your mind?

Expand full comment

LOL, the one with the six faces, smile if you voted for Trump, and only Biden is smiling.

Expand full comment

Mr Biden may be demented but he's still kicking.

Expand full comment

Thank’s to all those fantastic new research studies & drugs !

Expand full comment

Most likely true -- but I meant in the sense that he knew he'd been shivved and wasn't all in on playing along!

Expand full comment

A+++++++

Expand full comment

All excellent . However the best was women grocery shop More than getting abortions. But the best were the squirrels. Wait, the best was Kamala has two months to fulfill her agenda

Darn they’re all the best

Expand full comment

Yes!!!!

Expand full comment

Speaking of Kamala’s last two months in office, where the hell is the Vice President? Sure she lost (big time) but it’s time to put her big girl pants on, buck up and do whatever it is she does (a short story) for the American people. She’s acting like the prom queen runner up, sulking in the parking lot.

Expand full comment

Biden in the basement--

Kamala in the parking lot--

They should both be cast in eternal cement----

So the crowds can laugh a lot!

Just another extemporaneous little catchy tuna can.........Of course since I am forced to identify as a good person--- I must never ever really truly do such things, or even fantasize about them........bad bad Rainbow, better watch out or we will send you off to re-education camp or fine you thousands of dollars for anti-social thoughts.

Expand full comment

I don't think Kamala has big boy pants, LOL. and she is notable lazy. I also think she may well have been sidelined in Biden's administration as they knew her history and that she is dumb as a post.

Expand full comment

Happy Friday indeed!

So many outstanding memes today!

I love them all so much, but I think “We are unburdened by what has been” is my favorite because the nation is breathing a collective sigh of relief. God is indeed good!

🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸

Expand full comment

I couldn’t believe she actually said that one! Probably an inarticulate way to distance herself from Biden

Expand full comment

I took it as more of a Brave New World reference: completely wipe out America's past and start over with a completely new (and insane!) society.

Expand full comment

The McDonalds sign in the background is freaking hilarious.

Expand full comment

Very good. I particularly liked the Caitlyn Jenner one about the Olympics.

My weekly round up: https://open.substack.com/pub/michellestyles/p/this-is-northumberland-calling-151124?r=8gufl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&comments=true

Expand full comment

I know with your knowledge of these gender wars you’ve posted in the past about the IOC and that female boxer. It’s also in college volleyball, swimming etc. just nuts… (or not) 🤷‍♂️

Expand full comment

It is in many sports both in the UK and the US as well as other places. One way to easily solve the problem is an early cheek swab test -- non invasive and then if something like XY 5-ARD is discovered, the issue can be handled discretely. It is the IOC who bear part of the blame for this. Most female athletes would prefer a new non invasive testing regime as there are distinct sporting advantages to going through male puberty. It is why people like Sharron Davies, Caitlin Jenner, Dayley Thompson et al propose an Open category and a Female category with cheek swab testing at an early stage.

Seb Coe who is standing to be in charge of the IOC is actually very good on this. Athletics did not experience same difficulties in the Olympics as boxing did. Coe is currently in charge of Athletics.

Expand full comment

On the topic of vote counts, I did look into different explanations of why 2020 was so high. I've come to conclude it was mostly from ballot harvesting, which was allowed during COVID but subsequently made illegal in some states. It definitely left room for shenanigans. I've also seen some legitimate questions about 2024 Milwaukee vote counts that suggest >100% turnout, but for now, the tinfoil hat stays in the closet.

Another great Friday post. I especially love the squirrel ones!

Expand full comment

Poor Peanut.

Expand full comment

He tested negative for rabies. Which was the obvious expectation, since he had been house pet for years. Even countries that require that dogs be quarantined for 6 months upon entry to the country recognize that if there's been no opportunity for exposure to rabies for a set period of time, the animal can be assumed NOT to be rabid.

Expand full comment

That was some sick government overreach

Expand full comment

Yeah, the 2020 vote tallies are so anomalously high that any reasonable statistician would suspect there's something very fishy with them.

Expand full comment

These are awesome. So who leaves first? Karen "Whoopie" Johnson? The raging shrimp? Or maybe Babs? How much do you want to be that Brolin voted for Trump? lol

Expand full comment

My $ is on Rob Reiner leaving first.

Meat Head for sure.

Archie Bunker was prescient.

Expand full comment

Eva Longoria, it seems, was actually the first. But I can't wait for the rest of them to go.

Expand full comment

Apparently it was a facile gesture - she spent most of her time in Spain and Mexico already and probably owns property in both places.

Expand full comment

Yes, she owns houses in both places. When one is irrelevant, one must stir the pot.

Expand full comment

She’s from my hometown

Expand full comment

You poor thing.

Expand full comment

Thank you RMW 🏆

I really needed that lol 😂 ‼️

Expand full comment

I used to LOVE her on Desperate Housewives (back when TV was funny!) but of course she went politically NUTS!

Expand full comment

I think someone should make bots that simply reply "When are you leaving?" to anything they post online, until they leave.

Expand full comment

Great idea. Wish I was techno savvy, I would love to do it.

Expand full comment

I'll take "No one" for $100, Bruce.

Expand full comment

Remember that they’re really not leaving even if they do— they’ve got chalets & castles & what not 🚢🏖️🛬⛵️🗺️🛥️🏯🏰 & they’ll be: B A C K 🧳🧳🧳🧳🧳🧳

Expand full comment

Great laughs for Friday morning.

Thank you.

Expand full comment

That was hilarious! Thank you !

Expand full comment

A whole lotta LOL this morning! On the garbage can costume one, I MUST tell y'all about our fun-loving friends who showed up to vote wearing big, black garbage sacks. I imagine they weren’t the only ones, but it sure did make me smile! Thanks, again, Celia.

(Oh! And I LOVE JiPPERS)

Expand full comment

They voted wearing garbage bags?!?

I am so mad that I didn’t think of that.

Expand full comment

Considering that this county is historically Democrat, I opted for camouflage: a shirt with blue flowers on it. But I also wore my patriotic socks.

Expand full comment

Keep 'em guessing!

Expand full comment

Yes 😅

Expand full comment

I feel so joyful to be unburdened from what might have been

Expand full comment

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced that she is taking legal action against Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell and recently fired supervisor Marn’i Washington for “conspiracy to discriminate against Florida hurricane victims who support President-elect Donald Trump.”

Yay Ashley!

Expand full comment

Did you see that the fired fema worker did an interview where she claims this discrimination aka "Avoidance' also ocurred druing Helene as well? Michael Knowles did a segment on this.

Expand full comment

Seems really wokeish, doesn't it? If everybody's doing It, It MUST be OK, right?

Expand full comment

I have the teeniest, tiniest bit of sympathy for FEMA workers, who are--almost by definition--not encountering people at their best. Stressed out, desperate people who have quite possibly lost *everything* may very well be angry and prone to take that anger out on representatives of a government they feel has done little to help them, and done it far too late.

But that comes with the job description, I think. If workers genuinely need protection from angry citizens, FEMA ought to engage guards (maybe some of those IRS agents with guns?) to make sure FEMA workers aren't harmed. Skipping houses on the assumption that the Trump-voter inhabitants will be angry is an act of discrimination you could get away with as a private citizen on private business, but as an agent of the government, it is an unacceptable act of official bigotry.

Expand full comment

In other words, the conduct in question is/was inexcusable.

QED -- by your second paragraph!

Expand full comment

That map of electoral coverage showing all the red … “Not a joke! My word as a Biden.”

The real joke on people who insist we have fair elections, nothing to see here, will be if Bob Casey’s recount in PA somehow “finds” 25,000 votes and keeps him in the Senate.

Expand full comment