Flying Duds🦃🤡 😱 ✡️🌻😱 🤡 🦃 

The M Games:  Marjorie Taylor Greene is leaving Congress and NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani may or may not have Trump’s number. Margie Q’s announcement of her intent to retire from the House in early January wasn’t all that surprising although the press treated it like it was shocking.  Unlike many of her colleagues her financial stability doesn’t rely on her House income.  She wasn’t enjoying her position anymore and was getting lots of Trump inspired death threats.  By announcing an early January retirement date rather than leaving right now, she’s ensured that she will qualify for a government pension at 62 because though she may be a conspiracist, she’s not stupid.  Though she garnered loads of press attention, an appearance on The View, and lots of kudos for lining up on the “release” side of the Epstein files battle and her concern about the affordability of health insurance hit home with many she has few friends in the House where her abrasive, take no prisoners attitude was a turnoff to her peers. Her relationship with Trump had grown fraught even before her Epstein files push after he’d told her that he wouldn’t endorse her if she ran for Georgia Governor or Senator because he’d been advised that polling indicated that she couldn’t win either race.  Though she’ll be gone from House, odds are we haven’t heard the last from Margie Q.  Maybe a Megyn Kelly or Tucker Carlson style podcast or a commentator slot on a right leaning media outlet is in her future.  She could even make it to CNN if she stops with the Jewish lasers.   As to Mamdani, like him or not, he’s no fool and knew that getting into a war of words with Trump during their White House meet-up would put NYC’s finances in further jeopardy, making his ability to achieve any of his “affordability” goals even more difficult.  Given Trump’s propensity for lashing out at anyone whose positions don’t align with his, and certainly Mamdani’s socialist positions don’t align with Trump’s, his kind words for Mamdani were surprising.  Maybe Trump behaved because at the end of the day he’s a New Yorker with local property interests, or maybe it’s because some of his big donors have begged him not to threaten or actually send troops into the big apple, or maybe it’s because he’s been advised that aligning with someone who ran and won on “affordability” will helping him in the midterms, or maybe he’s trying to cozy up again to mend fences again with the Muslim voters in places like Michigan. Lots of reasons for a truce of sorts,  but Trump being Trump, he’ll eventually erupt. Though Mamdani held off on calling Trump a despot and a fascist during their “lovefest” he didn’t hold back afterwards. Trump’s DOJ isn’t holding back either, yesterday it was announced that they’ll be investigating the large demonstration that took place outside of a NYC synagogue where shouts of “from New York to Gaza globalize the intifada” and “make them scared” were among the phrases screamed at attendees to an event for an organization helps Jews immigrating to Israel. Lots of condemnation from the usual NY based politicians but the Mayor-elect’s spokesperson said that while “he believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”  In other words, promoting Jewish immigration to Israel is “illegal” and thus not okay with him.  Three more years of Trump, four or more of Mamdani.  What could go wrong?   

Ukraine🌻🌻: Trump has announced a 28-point plan for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. The plan was met with lots of skepticism and quite a bit of condemnation outside of Moscow with several international experts and pundits saying that it was obviously written and maybe even translated from the Russia because it’s chock full of Putin’s wish list items, including the turning over of large swaths of Ukraine to Russia and the abandonment of certain weaponry by Ukraine. To that end a few Senators, including Republican Mike Rounds and Independent Angus King reported that they were told by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the plan had been drafted by the Russians and was “just a starting” point. Rubio’s spokesperson then denied that he ever said that, but Senators Rounds and King stand by their assertion. Our European allies, or at least the countries that used to be our allies, aren’t happy.  Trump insisted that Ukraine better agree to the deal or a deal by Thanksgiving or face the loss of all US support but after the plan was heavily criticized, he walked back his deadline.  Rubio says that “productive” negotiations are taking place.  Ukraine’s Zelenskyy who is likely fuming behind closed doors and throwing darts at a target emblazoned with Putin and Trump pictures is putting on a brave face, saying nice things about Trump in public because by now he’s learned that saying nice things about Trump is crucial even when everyone knows you mean none of them.  What’s really happening?  Who knows, but maybe a cockamamie peace plan provides diversion from the Epstein files, so what if it comes at the expense of Ukraine’s war weary citizens. In other warzones, Gaza is heating up as is Lebanon.  And those Epstein files, the DOJ has 30 days to release them or come up with an excuse not to. 

Viral Musings:  The number of reported US measles cases is approaching 2000 as vaccination rates continue to sink below the level required to achieve herd immunity.  RFK Jr, who secured the key vote of Louisiana Republican Senator/Doctor Bill Cassidy by promising not to diss vaccines, has updated the CDC webpage on vaccines and autism so that it now says that “another statement that vaccines don’t cause autism is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism." The website goes on to say that “studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities." That’s not true but the good news for Senator Cassidy who yawned when asked about RFK’s lies is that Trump probably won’t support a primary challenger against him during the midterms, the bad news for everyone else is that RFK’s bull 💩  assertions will lead to more people remaining unvaccinated, more measles and other diseases, leaving all of us exposed to previously avoidable viruses and whatever else is lurking.  Over the weekend, Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and granddaughter of President John F Kennedy revealed in a truly heartbreaking New Yorker magazine essay that she has a rare, aggressive, and lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia that was discovered right after the 2024 delivery of her second child. Her article which details her various treatments and two unsuccessful bone marrow transplants includes a condemnation of RFK’s research cutbacks, the impact that they are already having on her alarmed doctors and the likelihood that they will impede the discovery of future cures. Beyond sad and tragic on all accounts.  In other health news, it’s reported that having finally woken up to the impending health insurance premium disaster, Trump will be announcing a plan that may or may not involve some extension of the Obamacare subsidies for some people.  Maybe he really has a plan or maybe his announcement will come in a rolling two weeks? In any case since notices about premiums are already out, it may be a bit late if he’s hoping to immediately impact the “affordability” crisis. That’s the crisis that Treasury Secretary Bessent asserts only affects people in blue states, the people with more services who actually live longer but whatever.        

More 💩:  Trump’s threats against the Senators and Congresspeople who advised members of the military that their oaths trump illegal orders is hitting home.  They’ve all received loads of death threats, not that Trump cares.  One of those on the receiving end of those threats is Senator Mark Kelly whose wife Gabby Giffords was left disabled after she was attacked by a gun toting crazy person. Though she’s still holds her seat, Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted for “stealing” $5 million of COVID related FEMA funds that she then allegedly used for her 2020 campaign.  She’s calling the indictment a sham. Time will tell but should she be found guilty, she probably won’t get one of those Trump pardons given her party affiliation.  In other political news, former Democratic Senator Doug Jones, the moderate who served in the Senate briefly after beating opponent Republican Roy Moore, who lost because of his history of engaging in sexual misconduct, announced that he plans to run for Alabama Governor.  His Republican opponent will be Tommy Tuberville, the former coach/Trump acolyte.  And one more thing, Transportation Secretary/Reality TV star Sean Duffy says that your Thanksgiving flights will be better and presumably safer if you dress appropriately. So, no PJs, sweats, or jeans just dresses with heels and suits with ties.