Get A Packing, Pete

"We're going to miss you, Pete," is a phrase no one will be saying

Let it be known that just because you might look and sound good on TV, it doesn’t qualify you to be Defense Secretary (and you didn’t look or sound good on TV or anywhere else, Pete). Nobody wants Alan Alda to conduct surgery on them because he played a convincing Hawkeye on M.A.S.H. Though, I’m sure Alan Alda would make a better Secretary of Defense than Pete Hegseth.

For that matter, Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, Morgan Freeman, Harrison Ford, Bill Pullman, Terry Crews, and Tommy Lister would all make a better president than our current one (sic).

Remember when a journalist was added to a Pete Hegseth-led government group chat containing classified information about an upcoming strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen? Pete did it twice.

Minutes before American fighter jets took off to begin strikes against the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen last month, Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who leads U.S. Central Command, used a secure U.S. government system to send detailed information about the operation to Hegseth.

The material Kurilla sent included details about when US fighters would take off and when they would hit their targets. These were the kind of details that if they fell into the wrong hands, could put the pilots’ lives at severe risk. But this is what the general was supposed to do, provide his superior (oh, dear god), with information he needed to know and using a system specifically designed to safely transmit sensitive and classified information. So what did Pete do with this information? He shared it with the wrong people.

First, he sent it to the group chat we’re already familiar with that included the directors of the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, and head Nazi Stephen Miller among others, with one of those others being the editor of The Atlantic. And within ten minutes of the general sending it to Pete, he also shared it in another group chat, this one included his lawyers, some members of his staff, his wife, and his brother. These were people who did NOT have any sort of classified clearance for this information. If the government is hiding a space alien kept alive on life support, we’ll probably find out from one of Pete’s frat brothers.

The Pentagon's chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, claimed no classified information was shared on the app Pete used, Signal, and called the allegations “an attempt to sabotage President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.” Except classified information WAS shared. Parnell, just like everyone else who’s lied about this, including Pete, is a liar.

None of the information in these two group chats was classified unless you consider the time of attack, types of weapons used, what type of fighter aircraft, locations, and information hidden within the enemy groups classified.

Trump said Pete’s job is secure despite sharing classified information in two apps with people who don’t have clearances. The good news for Pete is that Trump has never turned on a friend (To the guy who emailed a few days ago to educate me that companies other than Elon’s make EV cars, that was SARCASM).

This is the most inept regime in American history. There are so many people in the administration who are unqualified for their positions, like Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem (who can’t even guard her purse, less alone the border), Kash Patel, Linda McMahon, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump. But Pete just might be the worst. The guy had to promise not to be a drunk for as long as he’s the Defense Secretary. The good news for Pete is that he may not have to hold to that promise for much longer.

Hey, Pete. I’ll buy you an Old Style at the Billy Goat.

Chicago, Day One: I love Chicago. I got in yesterday around 11 a.m. Central time, jumped on the L, got to my hotel on Michigan Ave, and finished the cartoon I started in Washington.

I was in town last year for the Democratic National Convention, and I had to stay at a cheap motel on the South Side. I’m in a much better hotel this year, and for a lot less. One thing I didn’t do last time was get an Italian beef sandwich. As soon as I finished my cartoon, I went and got the sandwich. My review is meh.

I came back to my hotel, took a nap because I hadn’t slept since the day before, woke up after a few hours, and wrote the blog.

When I woke, I took a walk down Michigan Avenue and took some pics of the Tribune Tower.

It was my dream job to be the Chicago Tribune’s cartoonist.

And I took a photo of where the Sun-Times used to be located (across the street from the Trib).

I walked this strip in 1995 when both newspapers were located here.

Took a pic of the Chicago River.

And then I found the original Billy Goat Tavern.

It’s below Michigan Avenue.

I was glad to see Jack Higgins’ name on the wall. He was a huge influence on my work, and he was very Chicago. I met him once and he was a hilarious guy who laughed his ass off. He also drew a penis in my sketchbook. I loved the guy, and I wish he were still here. I would have loved to have shared some Old Styles at the Billy Goat with Jack. Chicago might have had the best political cartoonists at one time with Higgins, Jeff MacNelly, and Dick Locher. Imagine reading those guys in your local papers every day.

I met three ladies last night. Two were sisters from out of town who were very interested in my work after they found out what I did, and one local who assumed I was from Chicago. I got a huge compliment from her when she said I didn’t come off as a tourist, and thought I was from the city because I seemed comfortable and at ease with myself. Well, I was in a dive bar, after all. She also assumed I was a Sox fan since I was wearing a black T-shirt and wearing my leather jacket.

People like the jacket. There was a group from Utah talking to us, and one of them actually asked where I got the jacket.

I think people like the jacket more than they like me. For the nosy people, I did not take anyone back to my hotel room last night. I’m a good boy (again, sarcasm).

Here’s the food.

That’s the Italian beef sandwich, which is from Portillo’s. Yes, the sandwich is “slightly” dipped. It was a mess.

And this is a “cheezborger” from the Billy Goat, which I meant to get last summer but didn’t. It’s supposed to be famous. Check out this video for it.

I’m going to rectify one more thing tonight, and that’s going to Wrigley, and then I might go back to Billy Goat for another cheezgborger.

Creative note: There’s a four-story Starbucks across from my hotel, and I thought it was where I was going to draw today’s cartoon.

I posted the plan on Facebook, and sure enough, there were people commenting to let me know they hate Starbucks. “There are better places to get coffee.” First, I hate that when I post pics from traveling, there are always people telling me I’m doing something wrong, especially from people who’ve never been where I am. But when I go to Starbucks to draw while traveling, it’s not about the coffee. It’s about where I can get WiFi, have a table, and not be bothered by the staff. Starbucks is perfect for that, and guess what. I’m not too cool not to like the coffee.

But, this Starbucks didn’t work out because it was way too crowded (so many tourists, who must have never been in a Starbucks before, were taking photos), so I used one of the other 97 Starbucks on Michigan Ave to draw today’s cartoon. I forgot to take a photo of that. But hey, this is where I’m writing this blog.

This is the lobby of my hotel.

Music note: I listened to Live while coloring this in the second Starbucks.

Drawn in 30 seconds:

Timelapse:

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