Perjurious Sessions

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III is certainly living up to his low expectations that we set for him. It has just been revealed that the new Attorney General lied under oath about communications with the Russians during the 2016 election. Sessions said that he didn’t but new reports confirm that he did talk with Russian the ambassador. Of course, in true Republican fashion, he blamed the people who asked the questions not his own impeccable self. But he did recuse himself from any inquiry into any interference from Russia during the 2016 election.

Of course, America’s new CEO/Dictator, Donald Trump defended his attorney general saying he did nothing wrong. Trump has also started practicing another typical GOP canard; blaming the previous Democratic president. The incompetent Bush Administration took delight in blaming all their mistakes on Bill Clinton. Now, Trump is doing the same to Obama. He’s even gone as far as accusing Obama of wiretapping him during the election, without proof of course. We almost wish Obama did wiretap Trump and an investigation would commence. Then at least we’d hear about the conversations Trump and his lackeys may have had with the Russians.

Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, receives instructions from his boss, CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, that his perjury about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 election at his confirmation hearings was actually all Barack Obama's fault.
Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, receives instructions from his boss, CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, that his perjury about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 election at his confirmation hearings was actually all Barack Obama’s fault.

Arizona’s Gestapo Tactics

An alarming bill was approved late last week by the Arizona Senate that shows that the fascist tendencies of today’s Republican party run from the national level all the way down to the local levels of governments. SB1142 is a bill that would almost make it a crime to protest. It states that if any damage happened during the protest, all the protesters would be held accountable and their assets seized. The wording even goes as far as saying that the organizers of the protest, even if they physically weren’t present could be arrested, charged for racketeering and their assets taken. The Young Turks had a nice analysis about it. Needless to say, this ruined our weekend.

Fortunately, there was enough of a national outcry that the Arizona Speaker of the House, J.D. Mesnard killed the bill…for now. We’ve lived here long enough that we have no doubt that the fascist Republicans in this state will try to resurrect this bill in the future when it’s politically convenient.

But there have been a flourishing of anti-protests bills by Republicans in 18 states. This gets us thinking. The Republicans have a Nazi advising Trump and Steve Bannon has made it no secret that he wants to dismantle the government. Since his blueprint for ‘success’ seems to involve Nazi Germany as a model, could a Reichstag fire type event come in the near future?

What’s scary for us here in Arizona are the words of John Kavanagh. He’s the state senator from Fountain Hills, which for you non-Arizonans, is an exclusive, hoidy-toidy community where the well-to-do congratulate each other on how great they are and look down their noses on people who don’t live there. Donald Trump gave a stump speech there. Kavanagh, a former police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has said controversial things before. But about SB1142 he said “You now have a situation where you have full-time, almost professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder. A lot of them are ideologues, some of them are anarchists, but this stuff is all planned. Wouldn’t you rather stop a riot before it starts? Do you really want to wait until people are injuring each other, throwing Molotov cocktails, picking up barricades and smashing them through businesses in downtown Phoenix?’’ So basically if you even think of doing any kind of a protest, the police could say that you’re an ideologue or provocateur and can just assume that the protest could become violent and bam!…you’re going to jail. Wow! Thoughtcrime!  Heinrich Himmler of the Gestapo would be proud.

Arizona state senator, John Kavanagh, does his best Gestapo officer impersonation as a peaceful protester has the audacity to practice her right to lawful assembly as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Arizona state senator, John Kavanagh, does his best Gestapo officer impersonation as a peaceful protester has the audacity to practice her right to lawful assembly as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

GOP’s Environmental Plunder Agency

While America’s CEO/Dictator, Donald Trump, provides insipid daily distractions, the Republicans are in the process of wrecking the government of the United States. One of the worst cabinet appointments Trump has been Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has it’s beginning back in 1970 thanks to Republican Richard Nixon, of all people. It’s purpose is to regulate corporate America and protect the people of the United States from unscrupulous pollution by mining, gas, oil, chemical and other industries that endanger life by dumping pollutants into the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. It’s a good thing!

But Scott Pruitt, like so many others in the GOP, is firmly in the back pocket of the gas, oil and coal industries. His selection as head of the EPA is like putting foxes in charge of the hen house. The reason why the Senate hurriedly and narrowly confirmed him is that email have surfaced which prove how much of a lackey Pruitt is for the dirty energy industries.

Pruitt is like an old-timey Snidely Whiplash robber baron type who will change the meaning of the EPA’s acronym into the Environmental Plunder Agency. Yes, we have no doubt that Pruitt and his Republican corporate lackey buddies in congress will be trying to convince Americans very soon that mercury and sulfuric acid in your drinking water is good for you.

New head of the EPA and gas, oil and coal industry lackey, Scott Pruitt, declares that the agency's acronym now stands for the Environmental Plunder Agency and that mercury and sulfuric acid in your drinking water is good for you.
New head of the EPA and gas, oil and coal industry lackey, Scott Pruitt, declares that the agency’s acronym now stands for the Environmental Plunder Agency and that mercury and sulfuric acid in your drinking water is good for you.

The Russian Connection

A huge scandal has arisen just three weeks into the Trump Administration and it’s all hands on deck for Republicans as they try to lie and spin their way out of yet more treachery and deceit. This time, Michael Flynn has resigned as National Security Advisor due to his contacting Russian officials about sanctions against Russia in the waning days of the Obama Administration. Initially, Flynn said he didn’t but now the truth has come out and he did. Hence, the first casualty of the Trump administration. More caca will hit the fan soon as pressure mounts to investigate who knew what and when.

What’s more is that initially, Utah congressman and smuggest person in the House of Representative, Jason Chaffetz, who is chair of the House Oversight Committee, said that there will be no investigation of Flynn and his connections to Russia. WHAT???!!! Are you freakin’ kidding!!! But Chaffetz wants to continue to investigate Hillary Clinton over her emails even though no wrongdoing was reported by the FBI in numerous investigations. Republicans are acting that they’re very concerned about the possible connections between Russia and Trump, but you can bet they will give a half-ass effort in investigating any wrongdoing. Even Rand Paul admitted “I just don’t think it’s useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party.” Wow! What integrity!

So will the press grow a spine and dig further into this stinking pile of dung like they should? Will the Republicans show actual ethics and integrity and investigate other Republicans for possible wrongdoing? Will America’s CEO/Dictator quit his job to go golfing? Stay tuned for answers to these and other burning questions on the next exciting episode of The Apprentice President.

In the wake of National Security Advisor Michal Flynn's scandalous resignation because of possible treasonous connections with Russia, smuggest Congressman alive, Jason Chaffetz bravely proposes that we investigate Hillary Clinton's emails which pleases America's CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, who loves a good lackey.
In the wake of National Security Advisor Michal Flynn’s scandalous resignation because of possible treasonous connections with Russia, smuggest Congressman alive, Jason Chaffetz bravely proposes that we investigate Hillary Clinton’s emails which pleases America’s CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, who loves a good lackey.

The Confederate Attorney General

There are many horrible picks in American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump’s cabinet, or as we’re calling it here, his Board of Directors. One of the most controversial is Alabama Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (Yeeeesh! Even his name screams the old Confederacy). There has been much said about Sessions history of racist commentary, especially when he was AG of Alabama. We’re atheists here at the Bucket and we’re also very concerned about his statements concerning secular humanists and his desire to make America into a christian theocracy, thus rejecting separation of church and state.

What was notable about the debate concerning his confirmation was that Elizabeth Warren was silenced by the Republicans stating that she was impugning the character of a fellow Senator, conveniently overlooking the fact that they impugned the character of President Obama, who used to be a Senator, for 8 frigging years. All she was trying to do was read Coretta Scott King’s letter opposing Session’s confirmation as a federal district court judge in Alabama in 1986. Fortunately, fellow Democrats, all men, read Coretta Scott King’s letter in entirety the next day….right before the Senate confirmed this bible thumping, racist, bigoted Confederate throw-back as America’s top lawyer.

Confederate Attorney General and good ol' boy, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, assures all the poor, frightened, straight, white, christian males that the good ol' days of the Confederacy will return much to the delight of a Ku Klux Klansman.
Confederate Attorney General and good ol’ boy, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, assures all the poor, frightened, straight, white, christian males that the good ol’ days of the Confederacy are a coming back real soon, much to the delight of a white-sheeted onlooker.

If You Got The Oil, We Got The Time

Now that oil baron, tycoon and former Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson has been confirmed as Secretary of State, the United States has sent a message to people in America and around the world: America is officially a corporate oligarchy governed primarily by the oil, gas and coal industries and that just like the Bush Administration, which, like Ralph Nader said, was marinated in oil, America is open for business with any country that has oil. Even Alan Greenspan said in his book The Age of Turbulence, (page 463), “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.” Does that mean that we’ve got another war for oil, like the Iraq War, (possibly Iran) coming? Donald Trump has said the Iraq War was a mistake but since the Republicans never seem to learn from their mistakes and America’s CEO/Dictator  will always take the side of money and machismo; probably.

But another factor figures in here as well and that is the fact that Tillerson is good buddies with Russia and Vladimir Putin; so much so that Tillerson was named a Friend of Russia in 2013. Can you imagine how pissed the Republicans would be if Obama would have been named a Friend of Russia? So not only is America dependent on Middle Eastern oil, we could very well become dependent on Russian oil as well in the very near future. But hey…business is business.

Then there is the conflict of interest with a former CEO of a major oil company controlling the Department of State. Tillerson is a complete newbie when it comes to diplomacy and international relations. Although Tillerson is supposedly a great business negotiator, dealing with governments of the world is not the same as dealing with corporations of the world.

We were initially glad that Trump decided to get out of the TPP, which would have been a disaster for the environment. But with Rex Tillerson at the helm in the State Department and climate change denier, Scott Pruitt, selected to head the EPA, the new motto of America very well may be Sarah Palin’s mantra, Drill baby Drill! So screw the burgeoning alternative, clean energy industry. Let’s continue to pursue 20th century technology. Oh and don’t worry about more oil spills, environmental contamination and flammable drinking water…there are profits to be made. Cha-ching!

Oil baron, tycoon, Grand Old Plutocrat and Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, greedily proclaims that America is open for business, especially if you have oil, like his Russian pal, Vladimir Putin.
Oil baron, tycoon, Grand Old Plutocrat and Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, greedily proclaims that America is open for business, especially if you have oil, like his Russian pal, Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s Law Of Scientific Truth

A disturbing trend emerged from Con-a-thon 2016 that is already becoming the Orwellian standard for the Trump Adminstration: facts don’t matter and the truth is what Donald Trump says it is.

In his first week, he’s already done several things that are threatening democracy. But probably the most dangerous is the shutdown of the scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency. We’re big fans of science, logic and reason here at the Bucket and we find these actions frightening. Apparently, from now on, CEO/Dictator Trump, who knows nothing about science, will be deciding what science is good and bad. Of course, if his pals in the oil, coal and gas energies are affected adversely, like in the case of climate change, the science is bad and will be stifled.

Scientists have already started rebelling. They’ve planned a March for Science in the near future. We’ve placed a link for it on the right side of the page. They’re also saving the volumes of data collected before Trump burns it in the name of corporate fascism.

Welcome to Fascism, America! It is happening here!

CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, in front of the redecorated Trump White House, proclaims that the truth is what he says it is and that some inconvenient laws of science, such as gravity, don't actually exist, much to the delight of Trump acolytes everywhere.
CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, in front of the redecorated Trump White House, proclaims that the truth is what he says it is and that some inconvenient laws of science, such as gravity, don’t actually exist, much to the delight of Trump acolytes everywhere.

New Republican Health Plan: Just Die Already!

As expected, one of the first actions of the new Trump administration and the GOP controlled Congress is to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. This despite the fact that the ACA has helped millions to afford healthcare and repealing it would eliminate insurance coverage for an estimated 32 million people. Everyone agrees the ACA is not perfect, but it is a great first step to something better, the ideal being a single payer health care system and eliminating the health insurance companies completely.  In short, the ACA is working. Not only that, the Republicans have NOTHING to replace it.

But that won’t stop the Republicans from trying to repeal it…because…you know…Obama likes it.  It’s amazing, but there are some people who want to get rid of Obamacare and keep the ACA, not realizing that they are the same thing. Jimmy Kimmel proved this recently on a segment on his show. What does this show? It shows that the Republican Propaganda Machine, a.k.a. Fox News and the right wing media like Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh et al, have been enormously effective at disseminating false news and deceiving the American public. That and a lot of Americans are lacking in the ability to think critically. Want proof? Look who’s President now!

American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump and his GOP lackeys, Lyin' Ted Cruz, Mitch 'Turtle Boy' McConnell and Paul 'Jug Ears' Ryan have come up with a new health plan for all the sickos out there.
American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump and his GOP lackeys, Lyin’ Ted Cruz, Mitch ‘Turtle Boy’ McConnell and Paul ‘Jug Ears’ Ryan have come up with ‘the best’ new health plan for all the sickos out there.

It’s The Size That Counts

It’s only been one day since the inauguration of American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump, and already the bullshit is flying. But then again, the bullshit has been flying ever since Trump first announced he’s running for President.

Trump administration Press Secretary Sean Spicer threw a hissy fit at the press over the press accurately reporting that the crowd size was less than that of Obama’s in 2009 and 2013. Of course, CEO/Dictator Trump claimed that his inauguration was the hugest ever stating that over 1 million people attended. Aerial photographs proved this claim to be completely false. Trump also “falsely claimed it stopped raining and the sun came out just as he started speaking when, in fact, the rain continued and the day remained overcast and cloudy.” Holy crap, that’s seriously delusional! But then again, what do you expect from a guy with such outrageously huuuuuuge hands.

One thing’s for sure: there will be no shortage of material for us here at the Bucket for the next four years.

UPDATE : Jan. 22 – Crowd scientists estimate that the Women’s March in Washington on January 21st had three times as many people as the Trump inauguration.

American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump proclaims that the crowd size at his inauguration was as big as his hand size.
American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump proclaims that the crowd size at his inauguration was as big as his hand size.

Mutant Turtle Boy

From the unfriggingbelieveable files…

Senate Majority Leader and Mutant Turtle Boy, Mitch McConnell had the audacity to state that Americans will not tolerate the Democrats obstructing American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court, despite having obstructed President Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court for most of 2016. Then the Lord of Obstruction went on to say that Democrats should grow up and not obstruct Trump’s cabinet picks despite the Republicans doing exactly that in 2009 for Obama. New York Senator Chuck Schumer even posted McConnell’s letter to then Senate Majority leader Harry Reid that cabinet picks must meet certain standards.

So basically Mutant Turtle Boy doesn’t want to apply the same standards for Trump’s picks. Please keep in mind that the new American CEO/Dictator hasn’t even released his tax returns and the ethically challenged Republicans aren’t even going to press him to do it. Because you know…it’s okay when Republicans do it.

Here’s hoping the Democrats obstruct the Republicans Supreme Court pick for the next four years because the Republicans planned to do the same to the Democrats if Hillary had won.

Mitch 'Mutant Turtle Boy' McConnell says Americans won't tolerate Democrats obstructionism despite doing the same thing to the Obama administration for the last eight years.
A noble American worker just can’t tolerate any more stupid, irony impaired and ethically challenged statements by Senate Majority Leader, Mitch ‘Mutant Turtle Boy’ McConnell.