Greetings from Trump's America: Newton County, Missouri, where drag queen story hours send GOP state legislator into a tizzy

Neosho lawmaker concerned about drag queen story hours wants parents to police libraries.  (Springfield News-Leader, 1/16/2020)

Lock 'em up!  A Republican lawmaker from Neosho sparked the latest fight this week with a bill he says grew out of concerns with "drag queen story hours" at public libraries. 

Rep. Ben Baker’s plan [House bill no. 2044] would require libraries to create review boards to regulate those kinds of events and anything else in the library considered “age-inappropriate sexual material.” 

Libraries that refuse would be cut off from state money — and individual librarians could be jailed.

Source:  Wikipedia (Newton County, Neosho)

Neosho is the county seat of Newton County.

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts

% of population 25 and older with bachelor's degree:

• 19.7% - Newton County
• 28.6% - Missouri
• 30.9% - U.S.

% of population 65 and older:

• 18.1% - Newton County
• 16.9% - Missouri
• 16.0% - U.S.

% of population living in poverty:

• 16.0% - Newton County
• 13.2% - Missouri
• 11.8% - U.S.

Source: Wikipedia 

3rd party votes:  20% in 1992, 12% in 1996. 4.7% in 2016

(George Wallace received 10.7% of the vote in 1968)

Neosho/Newton County Library

Related post:

UPDATE: Keeping tabs on the lightning rod for controversy known as Drag Queen Story Hour.  (11/16/2019)

Other Trump's America posts:
Alabama
Autauga County.  (6/29/2017)
Bibb County.  (11/10/2017)
Covington County. (11/11/2017)
Dale County.  (12/12/2017)
Geneva County.  (11/11/2017)
Marion County.  (11/11/2017)

Arizona
Mohave County.  (1/3/2020)
8th congressional district.  (4/25/2018)

Arkansas
Faulkner County.  (3/20/2018)
Mississippi County.  (3/19/2018)
Woodruff County.  (3/26/2018)

California
Mesa County.  (7/20/2017)
Shasta County.  (7/4/2017

Colorado
Morgan County.  (4/25/2017)

Connecticut
Windham County.  (1/13/2020)

Florida
Citrus County.  (11/9/2019)
DeSoto County,.  (9/9/2017)
Pinellas County.   (3/14/2019)

Idaho
Kootenai County.  (9/25/2017)

Illinois
Effingham County.  (2/15/2018)
Franklin County.  (2/27/2017)
Jersey County.  (5/12/2019)
Jo Daviess County.  (5/13/2018)
Knox County.  (5/13/2018)
McHenry County.  (2/5/2017)
Perry County.  (5/8/2017)
Scott County.  (11/7/2019)
Stephenson County.  (5/13/2018)
Whiteside County.  (5/13/2018)
16th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)

Indiana
Dearborn County.  (3/16/2019)
Franklin County.  (3/16/2019)
Granger.  (3/26/2017)
Hendricks County.  (10/1/2017)
Howard County.  (3/19/2019)
Huntington County.  (4/27/2017)
Jefferson County.  (3/10/2018)
Madison County.  (3/16/2019)
Posey County.  (10/21/2017)
Scott County,.  (10/21/2017)
Union County.  (3/16/2019)
Vigo County.  (3/15/2019)
Wayne County.  (3/16/2019)

Iowa
Adair County.  (9/16/2018)
Adams County.  (9/16/2018)
Allamakee County.  (7/31/2018)
Appanoose County.  (8/4/2018)
Audubon County.  (4/26/2019)
Benton County.  (8/2/2018)
Boone County.  (1/15/2017)
Bremer County.  (8/2/2018)
Buchanan County.  (8/2/2018)
Butler County. (8/6/2018)
Calhoun County.  (9/6/2018)
Cass County.  (4/3/2018)
Cedar County.  (7/31/2018)
Cerro Gordo County.  (8/6/2018)
Cherokee County.  (4/29/2019)
Chickasaw County.  (8/2/2018)
Clarke County.  (8/8/2018)
Clayton County.  (7/31/2018)
Clinton County.   (10/15/2017)
Davis County.  (8/3/2018)
Decatur County.  ( 7/5/2018)
Delaware County.  (7/31/2018)
Des Moines County.  (8/1/2018)
Emmet County.  (8/19/2018)
Fayette County.  (8/2/2018)
Floyd County.  (9/25/2018 update)
Franklin County, (8/14/2017)
Fremont County.  (3/24/2019)
Greene County.  (9/6/2018)
Guthrie County.  (9/16/2018)
Hamilton County.  (4/2/2018)
Hancock County. (8/7/2018)
Hardin County.  (4/2/2018)
Henry County.  (7/9/2018)
Howard County.  (1/16/2020 update)
Ida County.  (4/28/2019)
Iowa County.  (8/2/2018)
Jasper County.  (8/5/2018)
Jefferson County.  (8/1/2018)
Keokuk County.  (8/2/2018)
Kossuth County.  (8/18/2018)
Lee County.  (8/1/2018)
Louisa County.  (8/1/2018)
Lucas County.  (8/5/2018)
Lyon County.  (4/2/2018)
Madison County.  (8/8/2018)
Marion County.  (5/23/2017)
Mitchell County.  (8/7/2018)
Monona County.  (4/27/2019)
Monticello County.  (1/13/2017)
Muscatine County.  (8/1/2018)
Palo Alto County.  (9/6/2018)
Pocahontas County.  (9/6/2018)
Poweshiek and Webster counties.  (2/7/2017)
Ringgold County.  (8/8/2018)
Sac County.  (4/28/2019)
Sioux County.  (8/26/2018 update)
Tama County.  (7/6/2018)
Taylor County.  (9/16/2018)
Union County.  (9/10/2017)
Van Buren County.  (4/25/2019)
Wapello County.  (8/3/2018)
Washington County.  (4/2/2018)
Wayne County.  (8/5/2018)
Webster County.  (8/9/2018)
Winnebago County. (12/17/2017)
Winneshiek County.  (8/2/2018)
Worth County. (8/7/2018)
Wright County.  (6/3/2019 update)

Kansas
Bourbon County.  (1/3/2020)
Clark County.  (3/21/2017)
Comanche County. (12/22/2018)
Doniphan County.  (3/27/2019)
Mitchell County.  (1/29/2017)
Sumner County.  (10/1/2017)

Kentucky
Bell County.  (6/4/2018)
Carter County.  (1/4/2020)
Elliott County.  (7/18/2019)
Hancock County,.  (10/21/2017)
Jackson County.  (12/9/2017)
Knott County.  (1/5/2020)
Knox and Whitley counties.  (2/17/2017)
Lee County.  (12/9/2017)
Letcher County.  (6/29/2017)
Martin County.  (3/22/2018)
Perry County.  (10/10/2017)
Pike County.  (11/1/2019)
Rowan County.  (6/4/2018)

Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish,.  (5/22/2017)
St. Martin Parish.  (4/26/2017)

Maine
Piscataquis County.  (7/3/2017)

Michigan
Bay County.  (7/4/2019)
Eaton County.  (6/26/2019)
Lake County.  (9/16/2018)
Lapeer County.  (7/5/2019)
Macomb County.  (11/29/2017)
Monroe County.  (3/9/2019)
St. Joseph County.  (6/5/2017)
Saginaw County.  (7/4/2019)
Tuscola County.  (7/5/2019)

Minnesota
Chisago County.  (6/20/2018)
Clay County.  (11/14/2019)
Itasca County.  (5/12/2018)
Lac qui Parle County.  (7/2/2017)
Mower County.  (5/12/2018)
Nobles County.  (1/26/2018)
Stearns County.  (6/21/2019)
Steele County.  (6/9/2019)

Mississippi
Pontotoc County.  (7/19/2017)

Missouri
Atchison County.  (3/25/2019)
Butler County.  (7/22/2018)
Holt County.  (3/25/2019)
Livingston County.  (1/12/2020)
New Madrid County.  (4/23/2019)
Pike County/Bowling Green.  (5/23/2019)

Montana
Valley County/Opheim.  (5/27/2019)

Nebraska
Boyd County.  (4/14/2019)
Burt County.  (3/27/2019)
Keya Paha.  (4/14/2019)
Knox County.  (3/28/2019)
Nemaha County.  (3/27/2019)
Richardson County.  (3/27/2019)
Sioux County.  (12/22/2018)

New Jersey
Sussex County.   (12/1/2019)
7th Congressional District.  (4/14/2017)

New York
Broome County.  (2/14/2019)
Cayuga County.  (2/13/2019)
Cortland County.  (2/14/2019)
Essex County.  (11/29/2017 update)
Franklin County. (2/9/2019)
Fulton County.  (2/10/2019)
Herkimer County.  (2/10/2019)
Orange County.  (2/15/2019)
Oswego County.  (2/11/2019)
Otsego County.  (2/12/2019)
Putnam County.  (2/27/2018)
Renssalaer County.  (2/13/2019)
St. Lawrrence County.  (2/8/2019)
Seneca County.  (2/14/2019)
Sullivan County.  (2/15/2019)
Warren County.  (2/11/2019)
Washington County.  (2/11/2019)
19th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)

North Carolina
Hyde County.  (11/10/2019)
Robeson County.  (12/1/2017)
Union County.  (3/9/2017)

North Dakota
Burleigh County.  (12/6/2019)
Sargent County.  (10/22/2017)

Ohio
Adams County.  (12/9/2017)
Ashtabula County.  (2/18/2019)
Belmont County.  (7/17/2018)
Columbiana County,  (12/11/2017)
Coshocton County. (3/6/2019)
Defiance County.  (3/21/2017)
Erie County.  (3/5/2019)
Gallia County.  (2/23/2019)
Guernsey County.  (2/27/2019)
Highland County.   (3/19/2017)
Huron County.  (6/19/2017)
Jackson County.  (6/6/2017)
Jefferson County.  (2/20/2019)
Lawrence County.  (2/25/2018)
Marion County.  (7/14/2018)
Meigs County.  (2/22/2019)
Mercer County.  (12/8/2019)
Morgan County.  (10/10/2017)
Muskingum County.  (2/26/2019)
Ottawa County. (3/5/2019)
Portage County.  (3/7/2019)
Sandusky County.  (3/5/2019)
Shelby County.  (3/2/2018)
Trumbull County.  (4/3/2017)
Van Wert County.  (4/12/2017)
Wayne County.  (5/6/2018)

Williams County.  (3/21/2017)
Wood County.  (3/6/2019)
Wyandot County.  (5/4/2018)

Oklahoma

Bryan County.  (5/5/2017)
Nowata County.  (5/5/2018)
Osage County/Fairfax.  (5/12/2019)

Oregon

Douglas County.  (5/17/2017)

Pennsylvania

Beaver County.  (2/8/2019)
Blair County/Altoona.  (4/28/2019)
Cambria County/Johnstown.  (6/3/2017)

Dauphin County. (4/22/2017)
Elk County.  (3/24/2019)

Erie County.  (10/11/2018 update)
Fayette County.  (7/25/2018)

Greene County.  (5/3/2017)
Lawrence County.  (2/5/2019)

UPDATE. Luzerne County.  (1/14/2017)
Mercer County.  (2/9/2019)

Northampton County.  (7/20/2017)
Old Forge (Lackawanna County).  3/18/2019)
Warren County.  (6/30/2019)
Wayne County.  (3/1/2018)

Williamsport.  (1/24/2017)

8th Congressional District.  (4/18/2017)

South Carolina

Spartanburg County.  (6/5/2017)

South Dakota

Charles Mix County.  (11/11/2019)
Lawrence County,.  (4/27/2017)

Tennessee
Campbell County.  (12/10/2017)
Lake County.  (12/22/2018)
Marion County.  (4/1/2017)
Maury County.  (10/31/2017)
Roane County.  (5/1/2018)
Union County.  (5/30/2017)

Texas
Gaines County.  (4/26/2017)
Shackelford County.  (2/26/2018)

Virginia
Buchanan County.  (12/13/2019)
Wise County.  (11/9/2019)

Washington
Grays Harbor County.  (8/20/2017)

West Virginia
Berkeley County.  (3/25/2018)
Boone County.  (3/23/2018)
Brooke County.  (3/17/2019)
Cabell County.  (8/4/2017)
Doddridge County.  (3/19/2019)
Fayette County.  (1/24/2017)
Greenbrief County.  (12/14/2018)
Hancock County. (3/17/2019)
Harrison County.  (3/19/2019)
Jackson County.  (6/18/2017)
Lincoln County.  (3/21/2019)
Logan County.  (3/21/2019)
Marion County.  (3/18/2019)
Marshall County.  (2/7/2018)
Mason County.  (12/16/2017)
McDowell County.  (7/10/2017)
Mercer County.  (3/20/2019)
Mingo County.  (3/25/2018)
Summers County.  (3/25/2018)
Wayne County.  (3/24/2018)
Wetzel County.  (3/19/2019)
Wood County.  (1/15/2019)
Wyoming County.  (3/20/2019)

Wisconsin
6th congressional district.  (1/27/2018)
Adams County.  (2/6/2017)
Barron County.  (1/3/2020)
Buffalo County.  (3/19/2017)
Burnett County.  (2/24/2018)
Clark County,.  (8/13/2018)
Crawford County.  (5/14/2018)
Florence County.  (11/13/2019)
Fond du Lac County.  (3/7/2018)
Forest County.  (6/16/2019)
Grant County.  (5/16/2018)
Green Lake County.  (1/26/2018)
Jackson County.  (3/8/2018)
Johnson Creek.  (1/21/2017)
Juneau County.  (2/23/2017)
Lafayette County.  (5/16/2018)
Langlade County,.  (6/9/2019)
Lincoln County.  (1/14/2020)
Manitowoc County.  (8/10/2017)
Monroe County.  (3/8/2018)
Oconto County.  (7/24/2018)
Oneida County.  (4/24/2017)
Pepin County.  (12/21/2017)
Price County.  (12/23/2018 update)
Richland County.  (11/10/2017)
Rusk County.  (6/30/2019)
Sauk County.  (5/14/2018)
Sawyer County.  (3/20/2017)
Taylor County.  (12/23/2018 update)
Trempealeau County.  (5/28/2019)
Vernon County.  (5/14/2018)
Waushara County.  (2/6/2017)
Winnebago County.  (11/27/2017)
Wood County.  (3/8/2018)

GET ME REWRITE: Too many Wisconsinites not paying attention to the Foxconn debacle

Source:  Marquette Law School polls

Belief in the Foxconn project is at its lowest level yet in MU Law School poll.  (Milwaukee Business Journal, 1/16/2020)

Big picture, please.  The result is the fourth time the gap between those who think the state is paying too much and those who expect to see enough of a benefit has reached double digits. The last time was in early October 2018 along with the first two times the question was asked in October 2017 and February 2018.

Diving a little deeper into the latest Marquette poll

UPDATE: Brown County Board of Supervisors nixes Second Amendment sanctuary status

Gun rights: No 'Second Amendment sanctuary' in Brown County after close vote. (Green Bay Press-Gazette, 1/18/2020)

Four-plus hours. Multiple votes. Occasionally heated discussion. 

But no "Second Amendment sanctuary" in Brown County. 

On a day when the gun-rights debate heated up in Virginia, a proposal in Brown County failed when supporters could muster only 13 of the 14 votes needed from the 26 supervisors.

Original 1/6/2020 post, "GET ME REWRITE:  Brown County Supervisor Steve Deslauriers wants to take his colleagues on a trip to Florence County", starts here.

We Are Green Bay, 1/6/2020

Not mentioned in the article:

Brown County Board of Supervisors

Steve Deslauriers

Apparently, in 2015, only white folks could serve on the Brown County Board.

Related post:

What's up with Florence County, Wisconsin?  (12/10/2019)

Primetime 'Jeopardy' trounces Iowa Democratic presidential debate in TV ratings

7.3 Million Watched Democrats Debate in Iowa as First Votes Loom.  (The New York Times, 1/15/2020)

For all its importance to the future of the country, the Democratic primary is vying for cultural attention with a still-unspooling impeachment drama, playoff football, post-holiday doldrums and the temporarily imminent prospect of war with Iran. 

Despite that, viewership for Tuesday’s debate — with six candidates, the smallest lineup of the election cycle — edged the last two Democratic meetings in December and November, each of which failed to crack the seven million mark.

Related reading:
Record Ratings for Democratic Debate as America Tunes In to 2020. (The New York Times, 6/28/2019)

The ratings, released by Nielsen on Friday, beat the 15.5 million viewers who watched the previous record-holder for a Democratic debate, a meeting of five candidates on CNN in October 2015. The audience was also greater than the one for Wednesday’s round of the Miami debate, which featured fewer star politicians and was seen by roughly 15.3 million viewers.

One bitten, twice shy (Donald Trump edition)

Once bitten

Wall Street Journal, 9/29/2017 (subscription required)

Business Insider, 12/22/2019

One of the charts

Twice shy

The New York Times, 1/16/2020

Related reading:
(Print headline) A Trade Deal That Dodges Vexing Issues.  (The New York Times, 1/16/2020)

In November, Chinese exports to the United States fell more than one-fifth from a year earlier. Exports to the United States now account for just 4 percent of the Chinese economy.

Appears on Ian Hunter's first solo album, which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart for the week ending May 17, 1975.  It spent 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #50.

CES2020: LG ThinkQ smart door

The Best Smart Home Tech from CES 2020.  (Barron's, 1/15/2020)

No price or release date set.  Smart locks? What is this, the Paleozoic Era? LG has taken homefront security further with the ThinQ Smart Door, a wonderwall of welcoming technology. 

This shiny monolith includes multiple biometric security features, scanning owners' palms and face before granting access through the portal—and that’s just the start. The ThinQ Smart Door offers a solution for package theft, providing two receptacles (one for regular packages, one for perishables) built in to the door, which owners can control remotely for delivery services. 

Other CES2020 posts:
November 2019
SmartyPans.  (11/11/2019)
Warming up for CES2020 with a modern version of "Play Misty for Me".  (11/29/2019)

January 2020
Pizza served up by Picnic(TM) robot.  (1/3/2020)
FutureLight files the Waydoo Flyer under 'bizarre'.  (1/3/2020)
Townew automated garbage can, a discomposing sign of the times.  (1/8/2020)
When it comes to useless consumer technology products, Charmin Rollbot wipes the competition!  (1/8/2020)
LG encourages you to grow your own with its indoor garden appliance.  (1/9/2020)
And the promise of a flying car just keeps on floating.  (1/10/2020)
Qoobo and Petit Qoobo, robot pillows in two sizes.  (1/11/2020)
Meet Samsung's Ballie, who looks like a yellow softball and will follow you everywhere.  (1/11/2020)
U by Moen smart faucet.  (1/11/2020)
Scary future brought to you by Samsung Neon.  (1/11/2020)
Climate360 smart bed.  (1/11/2020)
MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet keeps parents in dreamland.  (1/12/2020)
Segway S-Pod.  (1/12/2020)
Stick-up, highway robbery, case of grand larceny: Core meditation trainer.  (1/13/2020)
One-wheel Yeti cooler.  (1/13/2020)
Cubii Go compact seated elliptical device.  (1/14/2020)

The archives:
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

Reconstruction of county trunk highway AB (Buckeye Road) in Madison WI: January reconstruction site drive-through

City of Madison construction updates


10/8/2019 update starts here



9/6/2019 update starts here



Project details:
Buckeye Road will be reconstructed from Monona Drive to Stoughton Road. The project includes new asphalt pavement, on-street bike lanes in both directions will be added, parking lanes will be added in certain areas, spot replacement on sidewalk on the north side of street, sidewalk will be added to south side of street where it does not exist currently, curb ramp for accessing sidewalks will be improved, pedestrian activated flashing yellow lights on Buckeye Road along Frank Allis Elementary between Jerome Street and Davies Street will be added, pedestrian activated flashing yellow lights at the intersection of Buckeye Road, Maher Avenue will be added, street lighting will be added to the entire length of the project, new retaining walls will replace existing walls, sanitary sewer main will be replaced for entire length of project, existing water main from Spaanem Avenue to S. Stoughton Road will be replaced, and storm sewer will be added to entire length of street.


7/23/2019 update starts here.



6/23/2019 update, "The saga of county trunk highway AB (Buckeye Road in Madison WI).  Amazing what happens when the curmudgeon is voted out of office", starts here.


Chance to reconstruct Buckeye Road on East Side narrows as city, county dispute details.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 3/7/2019)

But while the county wants the city to agree to take on responsibility for future maintenance and repair of what is now technically a county-owned road, the city is balking at the notion of having to pay for a road while city residents already pay county taxes — including a $28 wheel tax instituted last year — that are supposed to go toward county road costs.

Madison, Dane County trading offers on Buckeye Road reconstruction, no agreement yet.  (Capital Times, 3/16/2019)

Still at odds over the long-term care of a busy stretch of a main east-side thoroughfare, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin is requesting that Dane County eliminate a policy that allows the county to shift road maintenance responsibilities to a city, town or village as a requirement for funding road reconstruction. 

On March 12, the city rejected an offer from the county for the reconstruction of Buckeye Road, which is also county Highway AB. Earlier in the day, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi endorsed Soglin’s opponent in the mayor’s race, Satya Rhodes-Conway.

Madison, Dane County executives announce agreement on Buckeye Road project.  (Capital Times, 4/17/2019)

The project, which was at a standstill under former mayor Paul Soglin’s administration, will reconstruct Buckeye Road — or County Highway AB — from Monona Drive to Stoughton Road, including adding sidewalks where there are none, curbs, gutters and storm sewers. 

Under the agreement, Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced the city and county would share the cost of reconstruction, and Dane County would maintain jurisdiction. The county will continue to plow snow on Buckeye Road this winter with the city picking up winter maintenance in the 2020-2021.

Original 11/20/2018 post, "This stretch of county trunk highway AB (Buckeye Road in Madison WI) to be reconstructed to urban standards", starts here.

Source:  2019 Dane County budget

Related reading:
City of Madison, Dane County to share Buckeye, Cottage Grove Road construction costs.  (WMTV, 7/19/2018)
Explained:  What's up with Buckeye and Cottage Grove roads?  (Capital Times, 8/1/2018)
Transportation planning board transfers federal funds from Buckeye Road project.  (Capital Times, 8/2/2018)

Dear Massachusetts State Police, It's not 1963 anymore. Best, Retiring Guy

Governor announces changes for scandal-plagued State Police force.  (Boston Globe, 1/16/2020)

The department has faced numerous discrimination complaints in recent years, and a federal jury last year found that the State Police had discriminated against a black recruit, denying him entrance to its academy because of his race. Currently, 89 percent of the 2,100-member State Police force is white [compared to 71.4% of the state's population] and 95 percent is male, statistics show.

Rosen Publishing

The Power Broker, Robert Caro's door stopper

It could have been even heftier.

Convert Words to Pages

Reported in Robert Caro’s Papers Headed to New-York Historical Society.  (The New York Times, 1/8/2020)

Related link:
Popular door stopper books.  (Goodreads)

GET ME REWRITE: Former landscaper, current GOP buffoon, wants to flip Connecticut's 5th congressional district

Photo credit:  Hyde for Congress

Reported in Lev Parnas Steps Back From Texts Alleging Surveillance Of U.S. Ambassador In Ukraine.  (NPR, 1/15/2020)

Related reading:
Robert Hyde, Erratic Ex-Landscaper, Is Unlikely New Impeachment Figure.  (The New York Times, 1/15/2020)

It was only the latest in a series of erratic episodes for Mr. Hyde, a 40-year-old former landscaper with a public relations company and a congressional campaign marked by inflammatory remarks. Last May, two months after the exchange with Mr. Parnas, the police responded to Mr. Trump’s Doral golf resort in Florida, where Mr. Hyde told officers that he feared a hit man was going to kill him, records show.

The record shows that Democrats have won this seat by an average of 9 percentage points since the 2012 election -- by double digits in 2016 and 2018.

Source:  Ballotpedia

Retiring Guy suggests Merriam-Webster use a photo of Donald Trump at its entry for 'amoral'

Defined at Merriam-Webster

Trump Tried to Kill Anti-Bribery Rule He Deemed ‘Unfair,’ New Book Alleges.  (The New York Times, 1/15/2020)

That law, enacted in 1977 and heavily enforced since around 2005, prohibits companies that operate in the United States from bribing foreign officials to obtain or retain business. It has become a major factor in corporate decision-making about operations abroad. 

Mr. Trump said that it was “just so unfair that American companies aren’t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas,” according to the book, “A Very Stable Genius,” by Philip Rucker and Carol D. Leonnig. 

“I need you to get rid of that law,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Tillerson.

William Barr at 'sycophant' (12/10/2019)

Defined at Merriam-Webster

Reported in AG criticizes report’s finding of no bias in FBI Russia inquiry.  (Boston Globe, 12/9/2019)

“The inspector general’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a US presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken,” Barr, a close ally of President Trump who has begun his own re-investigation of the Russia inquiry, said in a statement.

Lindsay Graham at 'spineless' (11/30/2019)

Entry found at Merriam-Webster

Where’s Lindsey? After G.O.P. Outcry, Graham Emerges as a Trump Defender.  (The New York Times, 11/29/2019)

In the space of a few weeks, Mr. Graham, who has long prided himself on being an institutionalist, has gone from expressing an open mind about impeachment to becoming a leader of the president’s counterattack. He has angrily denounced the House inquiry — “Salem witches got a better deal than this!” he tweeted on Wednesday — while generally acquiescing to calls from an outraged party base to mount a more vigorous defense of the president. Like Mr. Trump, he faces re-election next year. Sign Up for On Politics With Lisa Lerer A spotlight on the people reshaping our politics. A conversation with voters across the country. And a guiding hand through the endless news cycle, telling you what you really need to know.

Rick Perry at 'dipshit' (11/26/2019)

Definition found at Merriam-Webster

Photo at Wikipedia

'God's used imperfect people all through history': Perry shares why he thinks Trump is the 'chosen one'.  (USA Today, 11/25/2019)

"King David wasn't perfect. Saul wasn't perfect. Solomon wasn't perfect. And I actually gave the president a little one-pager on those Old Testament kings about a month ago," Perry said.

Devin Nunes at 'prevaricator' (11/25/2019)

The New York Times, 11/22/2019

What you way when you and your party are in deep shit.  “TV ratings are way down, way down,” Mr. Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, declared — on live television — to a pair of witnesses seated before him in Congress. “Whatever drug deal the Democrats are cooking up from the dais, the American people aren’t buying it.” Mr. Nunes was wrong. 

In fact, America’s impeachment drama, titled “Days of Our Impeachment” on a recent “Saturday Night Live,” is drawing “Monday Night Football”-level viewership. On some days, its ratings have topped popular procedurals like “NCIS.”

Tim Cook at 'jellyfish'  (11/24/2019)

Definition found at Merriam-Webster (highlight added)

Photo credit:  Wikipedia

No, That Mac Factory in Texas Is Not New.  (The New York Times, 11/20/2019)

Immediately after Mr. Trump’s comments, Mr. Cook thanked the president and his staff. “I’m grateful for their support in pulling today off and getting us to this far. It would not be possible without them,” he said. He did not correct the record.

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Donald Trump at 'chutzpah' (11/23/2019)

Definition found at Merriam-Webster

No, That Mac Factory in Texas Is Not New.  (The New York Times, 11/20/2019)

It was a pretty typical publicity event, until the end. Mr. Trump walked in front of the news cameras and took credit for the plant, suggesting it had opened that day. “For me, this is a very special day,” he said. Mr. Cook stood next to him, stone-faced. The plant has been making Apple computers since 2013.

Mike Pompeo at 'hubris' (11/21/2019)

Entry for 'hubris' found at Merriam-Webster

Pompeo Emerges as a Major Trump Enabler in Ukraine Affair.  (The New York Times, 11/20/2019)

Whatever Mr. Pompeo’s future plans, Mr. Trump’s secretary of state is now tied intimately to the Ukraine controversy. Even before Mr. Sondland’s testimony, Mr. Pompeo was rumored to be seeking an exit from the State Department, perhaps to run for a Senate seat in Kansas, his adopted home state, with an eye toward a presidential bid once Mr. Trump leaves the stage. Sign Up for On Politics With Lisa Lerer A spotlight on the people reshaping our politics. A conversation with voters across the country. And a guiding hand through the endless news cycle, telling you what you really need to know.

Jeff Sessions at 'grovel'  (11/15/2019)

Entry for 'grovel' found at Merriam-Webster

Watch the wallowing.



Related reading:
Donald Trump's biggest regret is choosing Jeff Sessions as his attorney general.  (Slate, 6/23/2019)

Standing between Jeff Sessions and the Senate is a certain Donald Trump,  (Politico, 11/7/2019)

Sessions’ relationship with Trump deteriorated during his tenure as attorney general after Sessions recused himself from the Justice Department’s Russia investigation, and the president has continued to publicly criticize his former ally in the year since he departed the administration. 

Now, Sessions — who announced his candidacy Thursday night in a news release posted on his website — faces the challenging task of winning back the president’s support or becoming one of the only Republicans in the past three years to win a GOP primary without Trump’s backing.

According to Merriam-Webster, the first known use of 'bootlick' occurred in 1845.

Other coinages from the same year include:

1. bloviate
2. gushy
3. low-level
4. no-account
5. nonconsensual
6. overconservative
7.  regroup
8. Sturm and Drang