563 days until the election: who led at this point in the past

563 DAYS TO GO:
2008 Dem: Clinton led by 9.7 points.
2008 GOP: Giuliani led by 12.2 points.
2012 GOP: Romney led by 7.4 points.
2016 Dem: Clinton led by 56.6 points.
2016 GOP: Bush led by 1.8 points.https://t.co/OLynKLRaJh
— Who led? (@LedPast) April 20, 2019

Rudy Giuliani’s bizarre comments

He’s lost it.

“Even if it’s true, it is not.” — Rudy Giuliani, the once-upon-a-time “America’s Mayor,” on national tv today.

Did you think Crazy Rudy could ever top “Truth isn’t truth”?

I must admit I didn’t.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 20, 2019

McGahn’s statements were made to Mueller and the FBI and he could have been charged if he lied to them.

Giuliani has already demonstrated that he is willing to lie to the press. https://t.co/WBUOR1lrP4
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) April 20, 2019

Rudy Giuliani Is Shocked—Shocked!—at the Idea We'd Demand Morality from Public Officials https://t.co/NYHNmHZQKe pic.twitter.com/BUQJx56ffw
— Esquire (@esquire) April 19, 2019

More on liar Sarah Sanders

They won’t fire her so the networks should ban her and boycott her press conferences.

The @PressSec is quadrupling down on the lies told to the American people by now distancing herself from her claim she *personally* was contacted by FBI employees. Lost on no one is that her comments to Mueller (under penalty of perjury) were different. pic.twitter.com/E2C4gTaKrj
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 20, 2019

The quote is “She should be let go. She should be fired. End of story. When there is a lack of credibility there, you have to start lopping the heads off.”

Pretending that Ryan was calling for violence is more incitement than anything she said.

https://t.co/PNFpHdagl8
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 20, 2019

I support April Ryan. She does a great job on CNN. Unlike Sanders, she is honest.

Sarah Sanders denies she admitted to Mueller that she lied https://t.co/dOY7gZuX0H
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 19, 2019

She’s a proven liar.

Let’s remember *why* @PressSec lying to the public is relevant: It falsely bolstered Trump’s pretextual reasons for firing Comey, ostensibly because of his performance. Sanders knew that wasn’t the real reason, and her lies were part and parcel of the cover up. https://t.co/JKbYCoAF2t
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 19, 2019

These appearances now raise complex questions. Henceforth how does press treat Sarah Sanders? Does it rely on her less? Remind listeners/readers/viewers she is a proven dissembler every time we quote her? Or what? https://t.co/XZVlVY205W
— Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) April 19, 2019

Trump goes political at a non-partisan event again

You never even see criticism of this any more because he does it all the time. It’s still wrong. The event is about wounded soldiers, not the Mueller report. Taxpayers should not have to pay for his partisan crap.

Trump opened an event to honor Wounded Warriors by gloating about the Mueller report pic.twitter.com/NxVEFLKwXf
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 18, 2019

Isn't it inappropriate to talk about this at what should be a non-partisan event? The news media rarely mentions how often he gets political at presidential events anymore because he usually does it. That doesn't make it right.
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) April 20, 2019

Trump is speaking at a Wounded Warrior Project event, but the org has a shady past—like raising more than $340 million in 2014, but giving less than 60 percent of it to veterans’ programs https://t.co/NBxhtYzLcv
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 18, 2019

My cousins husband was at WH yesterday representing Wounded Warrior Project. Supposed to be honored by the president but Trump used his tribute speech to warriors (all severely injured) to talk about himself.
— French Wine Tours (@frenchwinetours) April 20, 2019

Covers: Motel Blues

Loudon Wainwright III’s original version is from 1971. Big Star (and Alex Chilton solo) recorded it live in versions released years after the performances.

Adding seats to the Supreme Court – a poll

I support adding additional seats to the Supreme Court. I don’t see any other way to compensate for the seat the Republicans stole when they ignored the Garland nomination.

NEW POLL: When provided the arguments for and against adding seats to the Supreme Court, Democrats support the idea 75-25 and independents support it 55-45.https://t.co/58C81WRl9A pic.twitter.com/3G3rChs6cQ
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) April 19, 2019

Covers: You’ve Got To Lose

“You’ve Got To Lose” was originally recorded by Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm in the late 1950s.

I’m not defending Ike as a person but he was a great musician. Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos covered it in 1999 on his solo album.

Covers: Hello in There

This is another song from John Prine’s first album in 1971 that was covered by Bette Midler in 1972.

Four and half minutes of grimly funny existential comedy and Gospel-worthy compassion, John Prine’s “Hello In There” is a masterpiece of Proustian-detail rendered with the shrugging resignation of a reporter on deadline. A vision of pure mercy and a remembrance of things trashed.
— The Paranoid Style (@paranoiacs) January 2, 2022

Covers: Spanish Pipedream

John Denver’s 1971 cover of John Prine’s “Spanish Pipedream” is the first Prine cover I was aware of. It was released the same year as Prine’s original version. Our college radio station was giving away promo albums. One of them was Prine’s and one of my friends who had Denver’s version took the album. I was amazed by how great the songs were. This one has the great line about the topless lady who had something up her sleeve.

I am not a John Denver fan but I commend him for getting this great song and artist out to the record-buying audience.

What happened to bongs?

The rise of vapes and dab rigs has pushed the humble bong to the dustbin of stoner history. Maybe it should stay there. https://t.co/NhplhQaEcI
— Esquire (@esquire) April 20, 2019