Go figure, a dysfunctional, MAGA-controlled federal government has ground to a halt; while there's a cynical explanation as to why the Trump White House and his Congressional bootlickers are okay with this, courtesy of 'Politics Girl' Leigh McGowan, a New York Times op/ed puts it plainly: "The American people deserve and ought to demand better options."

I'm actually not so sure; the American people voted for this because "trans people!!!" But that's not to say we, the American people, can't continue to play a role in how things like federal government shutdowns play out. We can throw heat at either side (or even both), but one side has cooked up a whopper of a lie about undocumented immigrants and access to 'free healthcare,' and the other is fighting to keep health insurance rates affordable for working families.

Former Trump OMB director Mick Mulvaney was cornered by Brian Tyler Cohen on this point and Mulvaney filibustered. House majority leader Mike Johnson, on CNN with Kaitlin Collins, also got corrected live on the air.

Speaking of Mikey J., what's up with the latest ultimatum put on him regarding a Grindr history?

Bernie Sanders gave his assessment and offered his terms: no loss of healthcare coverage for 15-20 million Americans, no steep increases in insurance rates, an end to the evisceration of NIH funding, and an end to our sprint towards authoritarian fascism. Obviously untenable to the MAGA GOP.

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Have ya heard the one about the drunk and the fat guy who dodged serving in the military brought hundreds of military brass to a lecture on fitness to serve?

Donald Trump - about 44 minutes into his latest inane rant - suggested to those assembled military higher-ups that AMERICAN CITIES should be used as "training grounds" for National Guard troops. Oh, and permitted them to be physically violent with anyone who protests: "they spit, we hit."