Cartoons: the political pendulum in action

The defeat of Alabama's Roy Moore may be somewhat stale news now, but these cartoonists' takes on it are still timely and noteworthy.

***

David Horsey, The Week

***

Steve Sack, The Week

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoon: Tax cuts...for the children

Fortune Magazine says "Trump’s Tax Cuts Are the Biggest Wealth Grab in Modern History." That's quite a statement coming from a magazine that espouses wealth and growing it.

This is what Mike Luckovich has to say about the cuts:

***

Mike Luckovich, The Week

***

Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP appear to have become toxic.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

I have this nagging feeling that I'm becoming a political nag. Maybe it's time to call it quits.

-- Marge

Cartoons: let's get this straight

Have our priorities been undermined by Twitter?

***

Nate Beeler, The Week

***

Or is it just the con man in the White House?

***

Drew Sheneman, The Week

***

Nine months in captivity for many of us.

***

Jack Ohman, The Week

***

Drugs--where democracy and wanting a better reality intersect for some. What is a drug czar anyway?

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: America's most dangerous

Frankly, moving to Australia is looking more and more attractive.

***

Mike Luckovich, The Week

***

Drew Sheneman, The Week

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

David Fitzsimmons, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoon: a broken ballot box

After very little research and some observation, I've come up with the following definitions for GOP base vs. GOP establishment. Trump's base, for example, is the folks who attend his rallies, commit anti-semitic, racist mayhem, and vote for him. The GOP establishment is the power-mad party that keeps him in office, because they think he will further their interests, such as lower taxes for corporations and the wealthy, repealing Obamacare, etc.

Check out Peter Stevenson's article in the Washington Post for a more reasoned look at "Who exactly is in the ‘GOP establishment?’ (April,2016)".

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

Then there's the Russian influence.


-- Marge

Cartoons: tiki torches and swastikas

As if you haven't had enough already, here are some more comments on the fray in Charlottesville.

This one made me laugh.

***

Chip Bok, The Week

***

Here's a primer for would-be neo-Nazis.

***

David Horsey, The Week

***

And a little history lesson--it won't hurt, I promise.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: Lost in translation

Today I'm looking at Mitch McConnell's Health Care Folly; a reminder of what's on the GOP's plate (since they rule the U.S. government now, however ineffectively) and Trump's Russian connection(s).

This cartoon by David Horsey is, to me, priceless.

***

David Horsey, The Week

***

Do I see fear in the Senate and House leaders' faces? The one in the middle is clueless.

***

Chip Bok, The Week

***

From what I see here on the sidelines, Trump is doing everything he can to quell investigation of his alleged Russian connections.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

Especially since he sat talking privately with Putin for an hour, using a Russian translator.

***

Clay Jones, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: reboots

This seems to be the season of déjà vu--Marvel comics, healthcare in America, and Russian connections.

***

Clay Jones, The Week

***

It must be confusing for the Republicans, too.

***

Walt Handelsman, The Week

***

If only this dream would work...

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: voices of America

Mostly having avoided showing comments about Trump, because enough is already being said, I couldn't resist this one.

***

Drew Sheneman, The Week

***

This one made me laugh; haven't done that at a cartoon in quite a while. However, the subject matter is NOT laughable. Recently I've been receiving emails from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) urging me to call my Alaska representative in the Senate Lisa Murkowski. I've tried that before--she's not listening. [edited 4:54p AKDT]

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

My friend Scott, a normally sensible person, quotes this guy and nothing will change Scott's mind. My take is--the less people feel that they have control of their lives. the more they turn to conspiracy theories.

***

David Horsey, The Week

***

--Marge

Cartoons: But who will protect the citizens?

Given Wednesday's attack at the baseball field, it was just a matter of time until lawmakers requested more protection from gun violence: Rattled by shooting, lawmakers want more personal protection. Again the Second Amendment didn't work right:

“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Here are 10 arguments each, for and against gun control.

***

Clay Jones, The Week

***

Maybe I'm being cold-blooded. In my eyes Congress has been coldblooded for years.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

No, I don't have a gun, but someone out there does and enough anger to act out.

***

Pat Bagley, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: White House anomalies

So far we've seen a number of events and actions coming from and related to the White House that just don't make sense and/or look fishy.

Trump's trips to Mar-a-Lago and their estimated cost are still an unknown, but they look pretty pricey. The sheriff of the local police department says his department has accrued $1.5 million in overtime costs and he thinks the Feds will reimburse him.

***

Bill Day, The Week

***

Cartoonist Tom Toles suggests that Trump's infrastruction plan includes privatizing national monuments. Seems plausible to me.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

Meanwhile the U.S.S. Carl Vinson may have made an illegal left turn, maybe not.

***

Nate Beeler, The Week

***

For sure, many Trump products for sale were not manufactured in the U.S.

***

Chan Lowe, The Week

***

In closing, here are some basic truths about the U.S. vs. Korea matter.

***

Drew Sheneman, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: Say good-bye to Big Bird

If the federal budget as currently proposed passes, Big Bird, National Public Radio (NPR), and support for local art projects may go away: Trump's Budget Plan Cuts Funding For Arts, Humanities And Public Media. These aren't the only proposed cuts, but the ones that strike me hardest.

"Millions of Americans depend on their local public radio station for the fact-based, objective, public service journalism they need to stay informed about the world and about the news in their own communities. Public media serves the public interest with essential educational, news and cultural programming not found anywhere else, as well as vital information during local and regional emergencies. Federal funding is an essential ingredient to making this possible." -- NPR COO Loren Mayor 

***

Gary Varvel, The Week 

***

Speaking of strikes, Trump's hit a lot closer to home than Obama's did.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

So who's running the White House: Trump or Bannon?

***

Drew Sheneman, The Week

***

Am I being paranoid or is the aim of Trump's billionaire cabinet to take total and absolute control?

***

Bill Day, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: White House Yard Sale and States' Rights

While many are mourning a 'reasonable' and 'predictable' presidency, the current challenges may herald the birth of states' rights movements not centered on holding fast to outmoded values (mostly Southern), such as segregation and other forms of bigotry. The venerable Nation, a publication that dates back to 1865, published recently "West Coast Politicians Are Fighting Back Against Donald Trump," stating

This could become the largest resistance movement to federal policy in more than a century.

The Washington Times wrote "California discovers states’ rights."

***

David Horsey, The Week

***

Nordstrom's, headquartered in Seattle, has dropped Ivanka Trump's fashion label; and the stock market has responded. Trump is furious.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

So will we soon see yard sales on the White House lawn offering Donald's and Ivanka's goods for sale? It's possible, but not if a congressional ethics review is, well, ethical.

***

Mike Luckovich, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: Trump's first war is with the press

Trump, the guy who appointed the former head of Breibart, known propagator of conspiracy theories, as chief strategist and senior counselor, loves to accuse any reporter who challenges him of reporting "fake news."

***

Gary Varvel, The Week

***

Meanwhile, Trump is winning GOP converts with Cabinet picks.

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

Jack Ohman, The Week

***

-- Marge

Cartoons: America Trumped

Well, the Trumping of America is well underway and it looks bad.

***

Mike Luckovich, The Week

***

Michael Ramirez, The Week

***

Tom Toles, The Week

***

Adam Zyglis, The Week

***

Do say a prayer in support of the Hamilton Electors (Note: Breitbart says the author Philip Bump is a liar).

***

Chan Lowe, The Week

***

-- Marge