I just heard Michael Steele refer to to Petraeus' trial and plea deal

for mishandling classified documents as a "hiccup" in an otherwise fine career.

The double standard is stunning. It is even more stunning that the pundits and press avert their eyes and pretend not to notice.

What did the Donald mean when he tweeted

that he could have won "more convincingly"?

That's an odd choice of words. What makes him think that Americans need to be convinced that he actually won?

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802975667197386752

Infotainment personality Chuck Todd doing what he does best: rank, unfounded speculation

And of course it casts shade on Hillary and Democrats.

Use that multi-million dollar paycheck to buy a clue, darlin'. That rancid stench you smell is coming from your own mouth.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chuck-todd-on-recount-effort-smells-like-somebody-talked-jill-stein-into-this/

"White House insists hackers didn't sway election, even as recount begins"

“We stand behind our election results, which accurately reflect the will of the American people."

Of course, the denial of hacking is not the denial of fraud, but why do you think that the administration released this statement?

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/white-house-hackers-election-recount-231849

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/us/politics/hacking-russia-election-fears-barack-obama-donald-trump.html?_r=0

Does anyone know Ivanka's opinion of Bannon and his opinion of her?

Ivanka is Jewish, as are her husband and children. I'm having a hard time understanding the willingness of the Trump family to tacitly accept support from the neo-Nazi wing of the alt right.

And because they are who they are, I'm also bewildered by the alt-right's acceptance of a Jewish family's influence and possible residence in the White House.

Can anyone enlighten me?

TCM is doing a day of Fred and Ginger.

It's a perfect distraction from our own coming depression era.

The (Wo)man in the Arena

Adapted from from an excerpt of Theodore Roosevelt's "Citizenship in a Republic" delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong woman stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

One of "the shows" had a story about a Trump supporter who isn't voting

because the system is rigged.

Kellyanne is babbling nonsense on Chris Matthews.

She's accusing Democrats of having "viciously attacked" James Comey.

No dear, questioning the judgment of an agency head for having broken with best practices (thus damaging a candidate nine days before an election) is not a vicious attack. It's a reasonable critique.

AP is reporting the Melania Trump worked in the US without a visa.