(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Cheers and Jeers: Thursday [1] ['Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags', 'Showtags Popular_Tags'] Date: 2023-02-02 More Molly... » “Although it is true that only about 20 percent of American workers are in unions, that 20 percent sets the standards across the board in salaries, benefits and working conditions. If you are making a decent salary in a non-union company, you owe that to the unions. One thing that corporations do not do is give out money out of the goodness of their hearts.” » “The poor man [Bush II] who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives, but that 40,000 dead Iraqi civilians are progress toward democracy.” The classic photo that accompanied her columns for years. » “Yes. He should run. He’s the only Democrat with any 'Elvis' to him.” —Molly on Barack Obama in 2004 » As long as the special interests pay to elect the pols, we will have government of the special interests, by the special interests and for the special interests. Pols will always dance with them what brung them. We have to fix the system so that when they are elected, they got no one to dance with but us, the people—we don't want them owing anyone but the public. » "I don't have any children, so I've decided to claim all the future freedom-fighters and hell-raisers as my kin. I figure freedom and justice beat having your name in marble any day. Besides, if there is another life after this one, think how much we'll get to laugh watching it all. As I like to say, Molly Ivins was (and via her legacy still is) Red Bull for the Democratic soul. And now, our feature presentation... - Cheers and Jeers for Thursday, February 2, 2023 Note: From this point forward all Americans must submit to random tests of their love for America. Your name was chosen today. Please fart the National Anthem into a cup and send it in. You'll be notified of your results by drone if you fail. —Mgt. - By the Numbers: 7 days!!! Days 'til Valentine's Day: 12 Days 'til the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo: 7 Percent of Americans polled by CBS News who say Biden and Trump, respectively, have sufficiently cooperated with the FBI over classified documents: 60%, 40% Consecutive months during which U.S. home prices fell as of November: 5 Number of public school districts in the United States, educating approximately 55.2 million students: 13,800 The last time New York City went without any snow by January 29th, a record that was broken this year when snow didn’t arrive until yesterday: 1/29/73 Estimated haul from Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, the highest-grossing concert tour ever: $800 million - Puppy Pic of the Day: Furry tutor… - CHEERS and JEERS to Thursday morning in America. Here's what's going on as we celebrate the national holiday known as It's Not Actually A National Holiday Now Get Back To Work Day: the GOP-led House is doing whatever, the Justice Department is doing whatever, Pete Buttigieg is out filling potholes, racism is flourishing, inflation is dropping, whites are still projected to become the minority in the U.S. by 2045, there are ten people in space, Ozzy Osbourne and Tom Brady just retired, we're still killing the planet, George Santos was elected pope, an apple a day helps control apple overpopulation, the polar vortex is currently in charge of everything, and I just switched your Folgers Crystals with regular coffee. You are now up to date. One lump or two? CHEERS to this week’s kum by yah moment. A touching scene at the White House yesterday as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy putt-putted up the driveway on his Vespa for a one-on-one meeting with President Biden over the debt ceiling. C&J has obtained an exclusive transcript of the exchange: Biden: I want a clean debt ceiling bill that won’t destroy the middle class. McCarthy: You can't have one. I want a debt ceiling bill that destroys the middle class. Biden: You can't have one. McCarthy: Good day, Mr. President. Biden: Good day, Mr. Speaker. And may God protect our troops. Media headline: Biden Closes Door on Debt Ceiling Negotiation, Brings Middle Class Closer to Destruction. Because 'tis a day ending in y. CHEERS to bold leadership. 75 years ago today, in 1948, President Harry Truman made the racists cry by urging Congress to adopt recommendations by a presidential commission on civil rights. It's almost breathtaking in scope. He ended his message to Congress with this, a statement that resonates just as loudly today: [W]e must protect our civil rights so that by providing all our people with the maximum enjoyment of personal freedom and personal opportunity we shall be a stronger nation—stronger in our leadership, stronger in our moral position, stronger in the deeper satisfactions of a united citizenry. The buck stopped with him. We know that our democracy is not perfect. But we do know that it offers freer, happier life to our people than any totalitarian nation has ever offered. If we wish to inspire the peoples of the world whose freedom is in jeopardy, if we wish to restore hope to those who have already lost their civil liberties, if we wish to fulfill the promise that is ours, we must correct the remaining imperfections in our practice of democracy. We know the way. We only need the will. Oh...did I mention he's a Democrat? He’s a Democrat. - BRIEF SANITY BREAK - x This video created by British psychological professor Richard Wiseman demonstrates the power of perspective in creating illusions. It’s titled, “Assumptions” [source, read more: https://t.co/NzDWEktT9P]pic.twitter.com/HMcH2P32I5 — Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 31, 2023 - END BRIEF SANITY BREAK - JEERS to weapons of mass annoyance. On February 2, 1991, during the Gulf War that a Bush actually won, Iraq fired Scud missiles at Israel and Saudi Arabia. Today school children read about it in their textbooks as the Battle of Yes Saddam Hussein Really Was That Dumb. JEERS to price gouging on steroids. You and I are subsidizing these awful, terrible, horrible, no-good people with nearly $20 billion of our tax dollars annually (not to mention all the taxes they dodge): In a year when households worldwide faced rising energy prices and high costs of consumer goods, Exxon Mobil saw record annual profits in 2022. According to yearly earnings released Tuesday, Exxon brought in $55.7 billion—more than doubling the energy giant's $23 billion in profits in 2021. The grades should be “Ripoff,” “Ripoffier,” and “Ripoffiest.” The $55.7 billion Exxon earned in 2022 also exceeds its previous record$45.22 billion in 2008. […] White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan said, "it's outrageous that Exxon has posted a new record for Western oil company profits after the American people were forced to pay such high prices at the pump amidst (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s invasion." In response to the news of its unfettered and shameless greed at the expense of Americans' inflation-wracked finances, an Exxon spokesperson issued a brief statement: "Quick, look over there while I run away." - Ten years ago in C&J: February 2, 2013 CHEERS to the wackiest headline of the week. Keep in mind that Public Policy Polling (PPP) has gained a hard-earned reputation—even surpassing stalwart Gallup—as the most reliable polling outfit in the universe outside of the Orthlorbk star cluster. Read it, Republicans, and weep: Hillary could carry Texas in 2016 Of course, we're obligated to follow this with the usual reader disclaimer: "Jesus, Bill, it's only 2013, give us a break and shut up about 2016 already." Followed by the other usual reader disclaimer: "So, uh, what does the poll say about Biden?" - And just one more… CHEERS to furry fortunetellers. If today feels like the day before, Surprise! It's Groundhog Day. Here’s the roundup of how the various critters fared this morning after their slumbers were rudely interrupted for the amusement of humans in top hats demanding climatology predictions within a 0.000001 margin of error: Shubenacadie Sam (Nova Scotia): Six more weeks of winter General Beauregard Lee (Lilburn, GA): Early Spring! Buffalo Burt: Six more weeks of winter Staten Island Chuck: Early spring! Phil saw his shadow. Wiarton Willie (Ontario): Early spring! Dunkirk Dave (Dunkirk, NY): Early spring! Punxsutawney Phil: At Gobblers Knob, PA, the "official" groundhog predicts six more weeks of winter Buckeye Chuck (Marion, OH): Six more weeks of winter Buffalo Bert: Six more weeks of winter. “Jimmy” (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin): Six more weeks of winter Fred la Marmotte (Quebec): Six more weeks of winter Conclusion: Don’t put away the flannel long johns just yet. Have a nice Thursday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today? - Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial "For decades, people have talked about fixing bridges, roads, and rail across America. Our infrastructure investment is actually doing it. That's why today I'm in Cheers and Jeers kicking off the replacement of Bill in Portland Maine's 150-year-old kiddie pool." —President Biden - [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/2/2150389/-Cheers-and-Jeers-Thursday Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/