Cartoons: the Pope has landed

This week's mix looks at belief in its many forms.

The Pope has landed.

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Walt Handelsman, The Week

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Republicans are the new heretics.

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Drew Sheneman, The Week

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It looks like D. Trump's only God is himself.

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David Fitzsimmons, The Week

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VW disappoints. Wikipedia tells us that the Volkswagen, Beetle version, was originally "formulated by Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany, wishing for a cheap, simple car to be mass-produced for the new road network of his country." The simple, cheap part of his concept was discarded years ago. Did you know that Volkswagen installed "software known as "defeat devices" in many of its diesel cars to evade federal emission limits?"

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Bob Gorrell, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: Benghazi 2.0

It seems the Republicans just can't let the Benghazi attack go and are launching another investigation.  However, according to the Daily Beast, "New Benghazi Investigation Spooks GOP Leaders."  The article begins:

It’s not just the Democrats who are opposed to a new select committee looking into the Benghazi attacks. Many top Republicans are uneasy, too.

A number of editorial cartoonists have something to say about this and the previous investigation.  Cartoonist Daryl Cagle describes the situation as beating a dead camel.

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Daryl Cagle, Cagle

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Pat Bagley, Cagle

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Steve Breen, US News

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Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

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Daryl Cagle, Cagle

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-- Marge

Cartoons: We the *rich* People...

Senate Republicans have once again asserted their right to be naysayers: "Senate Republicans block Obama bid to hike minimum wage." The debate about raising the minimum wage pushes the point that an increase in the wage will cost jobs.  The North Carolina Policy Watch (NC Policy Watch) has published a comparison of changes in employment levels between states that have increased the minimum wage and those that have not. Generally "...States that raised minimum wage experiencing faster job growth."

These cartoonists have some valuable insights into Republicans, Obama, and the minimum wage controversy.

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Chan Lowe, US News

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Milt Priggee, Cagle

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Milt Priggee, Cagle

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Steve Sack, Cagle

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-- Marge

Cartoons: American democracy for sale

We're back to writing about the Koch Brothers and Republicans yet again.  

Picture U.S. and state governments with only Republicans writing and enforcing legislation.

It's possible, because the big political spenders--the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson--spend Republican.  And the U.S. Supreme Court supports their spending, as shown in this article "Winners and losers from the McCutcheon v. FEC ruling."  If you're tired of seeing the Supreme Court replace democracy with rule by dollar (a plutocracy), you can show your resistance by signing Credo Action's petition to Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Anthony Kennedy.  Or you can join MoveToAmend and get into the action.

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Supreme corporate justice Scalia, Credo Action

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Here are some editorial cartoons that give more information.

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David Horsey, US News

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Marshall Ramsey, US News

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Pat Bagley, The Week

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--Marge

Cartoons: Republicans, the Koch brothers, and hope

It's pretty clear that the Republicans have no real concept of what's on the minds of the majority of Americans.

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Dan Wasserman, US News

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What's on the minds of the Koch brothers is pretty clear:  control.

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Mike Luckovich, The Week

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Jeff Danziger, Huffington Post

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Matt Wuerker, about.com

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Meanwhile hope for a balanced and responsive political system dies.

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Paul Combs, US News

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And on the horizon there's this:  "The CIA likes to write its own rules, but spying on Congress crosses a new line."

-- Marge

Humor: Stock market drama

On Monday, the "Dow Jones industrial average topped 16,000 for the first time ever" reported CNN Money. Considering how the stock market affected the world economy in 2008, I'm not impressed, neither is Jack Ohman:

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Jack Ohman, NYSE vs Unemployment, US News

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As Will Rogers said in December, 1929 (more quotes are here) --

I tell 'em that this Country is bigger than Wall Street, and if they don't believe it, I show 'em the map.

Seems to me, Republicans and Wall Street go hand in hand.  For a zany alternate view of Republicanism, take a look a College Humor's video, "The Mad (Republican) Tea Party:"

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In his radio broadcast in 1931, "Bacon and Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers noted,

So here we are in a country with more wheat and more corn and more money in the bank, more cotton, more everything in the world—there’s not a product that you can name that we haven't got more of it than any other country ever had on the face of the earth—and yet we’ve got people starving. We'll hold the distinction of being the only nation in the history of the world that ever went to the poor house in an automobile. The potter's fields are lined with granaries full of grain. Now if there ain't something cockeyed in an arrangement like that then this microphone here in front of me is—well, it's a cuspidor, that's all.

In closing, here's one from About.com's Political Humor:

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BTW, there's a handsome book about Will Rogers, titled The Quotable Will Rogers, by Joseph H. Carter at Google Books. You can buy a copy if you like.

-- Marge

Friday cartoons: Tea Party, Me Party

The government shutdown may be over, but I'm still stinging from it.  Seeing the Tea Party members of the US Congress gloat about having shutdown the government was pretty ugly.  Who knew they would interpret their mission of less government as no government?  Thing is, their extreme tactics are taking down the Republicans (who don't need any help alienating us ordinary folk) as well.

Here are some ideas about the Tea Party in the form of cartoons for you to consider.

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Drew Sheneman, "That Was Awesome," USNews

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Drew Sheneman, Boston Tea Party, USNews

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Mike Luckovich, "Bad Fit," theWeek

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Chan Lowe, "Shutdown," USNews

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Mike Keefe's cartoon below addresses what's been on my mind lately...

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Mike Keefe, "Home Grown Terror," theWeek

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-- Marge

Cartoons: Boehner and fellow Republicans

A recent poll, sponsored by NBC and the Wall Street Journal, places House Speaker "John Boehner's Favorability Rating Just Above George Zimmerman's, Edward Snowden's" according to a report by Ariel Edwards-Levy in the Huffington Post.  According to NBC New's First Read the poll shows "Faith in DC hits a low; 83 percent disapprove of Congress."

According to Michael Grunwald, writing for Time Magazine, Republicans have become the "The Party of No."

Since it's hard to take such childishness seriously (even though what's done in the Capitol can be serious business), let's have a laugh on it.  What else is there to do?

From the Times-Tribune by John Cole, "Adult Supervision:"
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From Stuart Carlson's website, "On Immigration:"
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From The Week/cartoons by Mike Keefe, "John Boehner's Sob Story:"
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Also from The Week by Mike Luckovich, "A Grand Old Accusation:"
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Found in the Boston Globe archives by Mike Luckovich, "Herding Cats:"
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One last note: on July 17 the Washington Post reported "House to vote, yet again, on repealing Obamacare."  This will be the 38th vote.

-- Marge

Cartoons: rabid Republicans

Recently I heard that President Obama may be impeached over the Benghazi "coverup."  I also heard that Congress passed a piece of legislation overnight to free up flights for home (CNN report).  Quoting Federal News Radio --

 The bill passed late Thursday without even a roll call vote, and House officials indicated it likely would be brought up for quick approval there.

Under the legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration would gain authority to transfer up to $253 million from accounts that are flush into other programs, to "prevent reduced operations and staffing" through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

In addition to restoring full staffing by controllers, Senate officials said the available funds should be ample enough to prevent the closure of small airport towers around the country. The FAA has said it will shut the facilities as it makes its share of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts - known as the sequester - that took effect last month at numerous government agencies.

The Senate acted as the FAA said there had been at least 863 flights delayed on Wednesday "attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furlough."

There's information on "Why the GOP Might Impeach Obama..." in this Bloomberg article; note that they've called for his impeachment 14 times now (Salon).   An opinion piece by Brad Bannon notes that Republicans Are Losing the American Culture War. 

Although contributing to the partisanship and vitriol rampant in Washington is not something I prefer to do, I definitely think some cartoons are in order.  All of the cartoons in today's post were found at U. S. News, the cartoon section.

-- Marge