Our national embarrassment

Trump: "Annie 'Trannie' Andrews is running against our wonderful Darline Graham for the Senate in South Carolina ... Trannie is not for South Carolina, and South Carolina must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) October 5, 2026 at 5:26 PM

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

 

Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, goodbye!

🚨🚨BREAKING: Sen. Lindsey Graham has died, his office announced in a statement early Sunday. Emergency responders were reportedly dispatched to his Washington, D.C., home Saturday night following a reported cardiac arrest.

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— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) July 12, 2026 at 5:56 AM

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

 

MAGA: The real domestic terrorists

Judge Diane Goodstein crossed the Trump administration last month. Yesterday, her home burned, her husband was injured and it's being investigated for arson. www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/s...

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— Brandon Friedman (@brandonfriedman.bsky.social) October 5, 2025 at 8:39 PM

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

 

The ten worst states to live in? SOLIDLY RED

 Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

For fuck's sake, this is a fucking GOVERNOR

Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC)

“I look forward to the day that Democrats are so rare, we have to hunt them with dogs.”

Chairwoman Christale Spain (D-SC)

“The majority of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina are Black and our governor is saying out loud he can’t wait to hunt… pic.twitter.com/xAETqxtCrX

— James Aymann (@AymannJames) June 26, 2023

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

 

Blow it out your ass, Nikki

NYC homicides per 100k residents: 4.8
South Carolina homicides per 100k residents: 17.4 https://t.co/ocDt9yx13T

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 19, 2023

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

 

 

The GOP is beyond deranged

The republican party is openly seeking to execute women for exercising control over their own bodies. pic.twitter.com/VFxxazDcul

— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) March 14, 2023

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

 

The moron platform

This is a really solid midterm strategy for the GOP. They should definitely keep this up. https://t.co/2xwSTLkYqk

— Angry Staffer 🌻 (@Angry_Staffer) September 29, 2022

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

 

The losingest loser keeps losing

More irrelevant than ever, Trump’s rally was full of vile lies, Putin fluffing & failed riffs. He doesn’t know what he reads off the prompter even means. Dead crowd. Short speech. Trump’s carcass on display. He thinks saying he’s a 24 candidate will shield him from prosecution.

— Tom Joseph (@TomJChicago) March 13, 2022

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

 

Say goodbye to Iowa?

"Perez has advocated allowing multiple states, possibly including South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire, to vote on the same day..."

I'd accept that compromise.#WeMatter https://t.co/6tgtVARJNJ

— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) October 9, 2021

The Republican Party Is Now a Fascist Cult Just Like Nazi Germany

Peace,

emaycee

 

Karma is indeed a bitch

GOP congressman suing Pelosi over mask mandate contracts covid @amybwang https://t.co/wbG1L0yHZN

— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) August 5, 2021

Taxing the Wealthy Is Good Politics for the Democratic Party

Peace,

emaycee

 

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CLV--Marshall Tucker Band: Heard It in a Love Song

Every now and again a song comes along and the first time you hear it, you know it's going to be a favorite of yours for the rest of your life (e.g., "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers).  But there's also that song that you hear for years, kind of like, and then one day hear it and think, "How the hell did I not notice how great this song was?"  Such was the case with song #155 here on FNJ.

The Marshall Tucker Band formed in 1972 in Spartanburg, S.C. (though they'd been playing in various bands and incarnations since the early 60's), and spent the 70's playing kind of cool younger brother to its much cooler older brothers, The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.  A major player in what used to be called Southern Rock (I think they call it half-assed Country now), they had quite a streak with their first five albums going gold and their sixth platinum.  They were well known for being a great live band, as well as being nominated for a Grammy.  Sadly, tragedy struck in 1980 when original bassist Tommy Caldwell (brother of chief songwriter and founder, Toy Caldwell) was killed in an auto accident.  The band stayed together for a few more years before going their separate ways.  Lead singer Doug Gray eventually resurrected the band name, and they still performs 150-200 shows a year with a different collection of musicians.  Not a bad gig if you can get it....

Fun Fact:  There is no one in the band named Marshall Tucker--the band got its name from a blind piano tuner named, appropriately enough, Marshall Tucker, whose name they had seen engraved on the back of the key to the warehouse they rented for rehearsals.

Released in 1977 (the year I graduated high school--holy shit I'm getting old) on their Carolina Dreams LP, "Heard It in a Love Song" was the only hit single the Marshall Tucker Band had (though "Can't You See" charted and is a fan favorite) throughout their career, reaching #14 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  Forty years later and it's still a staple on Classic Rock radio--I'd be willing to bet there isn't an hour that goes by that some radio station in America isn't playing it.

Considering that I'm a strict disciple of the Dorothy Gale School of Life ("There's no place like home..."), "Heard It in a Love Song" is kind of an odd song for me to adore.  It tells the tale of a rambler who's on his way out the door and leaving behind a woman he knows he shouldn't, but the lure of greener pastures has been his lifelong obsession and has kept him moving on from town to town. Bookended by a dazzling flute solo, the song features heartfelt vocals from Doug Gray, a nice instrumental break (check out the guitars at the end of the break--straight from the Allman Brothers "Jessica"...what the fuck, plenty of good songs out there that stole a little bit here and there), and a simple ("Heard it in a love song" x3, then "Can't be wrong") but catchy as all hell chorus.  As is often the case with classic songs, the band manages to sing and play the tale without its getting mawkish, which is no easy feat in a pop song--Gray's vocals are a testament to the song's heartbreaking honesty.  Put it all together and it's easy to see why Southern Rock captured American's attention for a few years from the late 60's to the late 70's--there were a lot of damn good songs that came out of the movement, and "Heard It in a Love Song" is most definitely one of them.

Lyric Sheet:  "Don't sneak out that door/Couldn't stand to see you cry/I'd stay another year if I saw a teardrop in your eye..."

Enjoy:

 Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXLIV--The Swingin' Medallions: Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)

A Friday Night Jukebox on a Friday night?  Be still my beating heart....

I came across this week's tune on some sort of compilation album (name long forgotten) released a thousand years ago when in Louisville, KY working on a store remodel back in my Camelot Music days.  It was one of those tunes that after the second or third listen I just couldn't get out of my head (but in a good way), and when I got back home to St. Louis I immediately bought it on a .45 single.  Can you say "He's old!" boys and girls?

The Swingin' Medallions were formed in 1962 in the major metropolis of Greenwood, South Carolina.  They are purveyors of beach music, which was born in the mid-40's around the Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) area, and revolves around the dance known as the shag (or Carolina shag), and remains popular today primarily in the Carolinas, but also in pockets of the deep South (the things you learn on Wikipedia).  While some major pop/R & B groups have performed numbers that one can dance the shag to (the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Foundations classic "Build Me Up Buttercup"), the core bands remain regional favorites in the Carolinas.  Some of the original Swingin' Medallions (there were 8 all told, near as I can tell) still perform together to this day throughout the South (there's a video of them singing with Bruce Springsteen in South Carolina a couple years back that isn't worth a listen because someone posted it from their phone and if you turn the volume up to 80 on your computer you can almost hear the lyrics), and they are another in a long line of bands featured on FNJ this year who have made the mostest out of their one hit single.  And good on them--who wouldn't rather spend your Saturday night singing for a bunch of happy college kids rather than stocking grocery shelves?

"Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)" was released in 1966 and appeared on their very aptly named debut album, Double Shot (of My Baby's Love).  It would become the band's only chart success, reaching #17 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  And just to show you how far we've come, the song was actually banned on many radio stations because it discussed drinking and sex.  The horror!

If "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen and "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians got married and had a baby, it would probably be "Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)."  How's that for an intro?  Truth be told, the reason I say that is every time I hear it it reminds me of the two--it's got the mirth and frivolity of "Louie Louie" and the organ reminds me of "96 Tears."  Still, the song stands very well on its own, a paean to a good lovin' woman, replete with some fine harmony vocals, plenty of hand claps, a catchy as all hell chorus with a lot of yeah, yeah, yeahs, and enough hootin' and hollerin' (as my dear old Dad used to say) in the background to keep even the most cynical of music lovers happy.  All in all, like last week's tune from Kiss, this is a fun song, made to be enjoyed.

Lyric Sheet:  "It wasn't wine that I had too much of/It was a double shot of my baby's love..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

A confederacy of dunces

Burn, baby, burn!

Catherine Templeton, a candidate to be the next governor of South Carolina this week announced in her first campaign stop that she was "proud of the Confederacy."  Which got me to thinking...what do you suppose she's proud of?

• That they fought for the right to own other human beings and keep them in slavery?
• Or that they fought for the right to tear children out of their mother's arms to sell to other slave owners?
• Or the fight for the right of slave owners to rape any female slave they owned?
• Or maybe she's proud of the Confederacy's leaders--all of whom were just as traitorous to their country as Benedict Arnold?

I'll give you two to one odds and bet you that she's proud to be a Christian, too.

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Nikki Haley will not be the republican nominee for Vice-President

In light of her well-delivered republican response to President Obama's State of the Union Address this past Tuesday, a number of pundits have begun mentioning South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as a possible contender for the Vice Presidential slot on this year's republican ticket.

Nikki Haley will not be the republican Vice Presidential nominee in 2016.

Now you might think this is because of her Jindalesque handling of her state's economy or serious ethical issues (same link).  You might also think it's because her foot in mouth discussions of her SOTU response with national media in the past few days prove she's not ready for prime time.

Nope.

Nikki Haley will not be the republican Vice Presidential nominee because she has twice been accused of having extramarital affairs (which she strongly denies).

Now before you jump on your high horse, know that as a previous Bill Clinton supporter it would be awfully hypocritical of me to to question Haley's credentials based on rumored sexual affairs.  If I wanted to merely question her credentials, the previous paragraph listing her shortcomings would have sufficed.  I am making the case as to why the republican Presidential nominee will not choose Gov. Haley--for one, I am certain that there are powerful people in the Democratic Party who wake up nights in a cold sweat imagining the colossal damage that would have been done to the Democratic Party had John Edwards won a primary or two in 2008 only to have his extramarital affair and love child later come to light.  No one is going to take the chance that the alleged rumors are true.  Second, it's become obvious that should Hillary Clinton win the nomination (no guarantee) part of the republican playbook to mute the war on women charges against republicans is to attack the less than discrete sexual habits of her husband.  This becomes exponentially harder with Haley on the ticket and the possibility that she has a checkered sexual past as well.  Finally, the media scrutiny of a governor's election in South Carolina is one whole hell of a lot less lethal than that of a national media scrutiny of a Vice Presidential nominee.  Chances are if there is anything there, it will be found.  Again, in an uphill battle, no republican nominee wants to take a chance on that.

In fairness to Haley (and it's not often you'll hear me say that regarding a republican), neither of the two men alleging to have had relations with her have shown a shred of proof, and neither of them is what I would consider a man of integrity.  They both had something to gain (one was facing domestic violence charges and the other a DUI).  And I have to admit to feeling sorry for Gov. Haley--allegations such as these are easy for others to make and hard for her to live down, and from what I've read, neither passes the smell test.

But fair or not, it's hard to imagine any republican candidate willing to gamble their political fortune on the veracity of the claims against her.

Peace,
emaycee

Huckleberry finished

South Carolina's senior Senator, Lindsay Graham, called it quits today in his pretty much pointless quest to be the republican nominee for President in 2016.  Graham was the only republican candidate who acknowledged climate change, was in favor of immigration reform, and had the courage to call out Donald Trump.  He never had a chance.

He also belongs to the John McCain wing of hawkishness on foreign policy, i.e. let's fucking bomb everybody.

While many on the left are lamenting his loss as the one republican candidate who wasn't abhorrent (Pataki and Gilmore could also fall into this category, but no one knows who they are and therefore no one cares one way or the other), the most important takeaway from Graham's withdrawal is that last rites have been given to moderate republicans.  Graham never got much above 1% in republican polls, and its hard to imagine any moderate having any degree of success going forward on a national level.

The inmates are now in complete control of the asylum.

Peace,
emaycee

The Ku Klutz Klan

The Ku Klux Klan is planning a pro-Confederate Flag rally for July the 18th on the grounds of the South Carolina statehouse.

Because nothing--absolutely nothing!--says "Racism?  What racism?" quite like having the Ku Klux Klan parade the streets of your city waving the Confederate Flag.

Peace,
emaycee

Nikki throws her hat into the Veep Ring

I'm really going to sound like a cynical old fart--which is o.k. because I am a cynical old fart--but the first thought I had when I heard that Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina had called for the removal of the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds today was...this was done entirely to gain herself some republican Vice Presidential nominee consideration.

Why not?  A woman would look good on their ticket and they could play the "hey, it only took the deaths of nine African-Americans for us to acknowledge that just maybe the Confederate flag isn't quite the symbol of patriotism we thought it was" card.  Live and learn, right?

What a country.

Peace,
emaycee

Huckleberry's in, too

And then there were nine....

A couple of interesting factoids about Lindsey Graham, who yesterday became the ninth republican to hop on the Bozo Bus that is the republican race for the Presidency:

• He's the only republican in the race who believes climate change is real and caused by humans--and that will pretty much tell you his chances of getting the party's nomination:  zero.
• He has a compelling personal narrative:  orphaned at 21, he raised his then 12 year old sister and still managed to get through college and law school, as well as serve in the Air Force.  Also unlike many republicans, Graham does not claim to be a self-made man--he actually acknowledges that he had a lot of help getting to where he is today.
• I have no idea why he's called "Huckleberry" by his detractors--after about a ten minute google search I gave up.  I can only assume it's because he bears a striking resemblance to the old cartoon character Huckleberry Hound....

And the interesting parts pretty much end there.  Graham belongs to the republican triumvirate with John McCain and Kelly Ayotte who think the average American actually gives a shit about foreign policy and thinks it's a good idea to send in American troops anytime there's a crisis so they can get killed for a whole hell of a lot of nothing (his campaign will pretty much be McCain in 2008, Part II, and we know how well the original one worked out).  He's pretty much in line with the love old rich white men and hate the gays camp in the republican party.

Outside of seeing how much crazy he drag out of his competitors when it comes to foreign policy over the next few months (pretty much the sole reason for his run), the Graham campaign will be done by the end of the Iowa caucus.

And to think we still have eight to ten more republicans to go....

Peace,
emaycee

Their brother's keeper

A few days ago, I wrote about republican efforts in Columbia, South Carolina to keep charities from feeding the hungry.  Not content with just keeping children from eating, the state's Governor, Nikki Haley, this week noted that unions were not welcome in South Carolina in any shape or form, thus ensuring that her state's residents are paid less.

I can't imagine why Ford or GM or Chrysler would want to build a plant in South Carolina, but if they did, presumably Haley's statement means she would send them packing, thus costing South Carolinians thousands of jobs.

What do you suppose the state's motto is?  "We pay shit wages, and when you're hungry because you don't get paid enough to buy food, we won't feed you either"?

What the fuck do you suppose they put in the water in South Carolina that causes such callous disregard for their fellow man?

Peace,
emaycee