Late Night

Rock on.

Gotta Be Some Way to Blame It All On Stephen Miller

I'd be on board for that.

A Noun, A Verb, Some CRIMES

Oh Rudes. Tough day.

CNN)For months, investigators looking into Rudy Giuliani's business dealings in Ukraine have dug into everything from possible financial entanglements with alleged corrupt Ukrainian figures to counterintelligence concerns raised by some of those business ties, according to people briefed on the matter.

The counterintelligence part of the investigation indicates that FBI and criminal prosecutors in Manhattan are looking at a broader set of issues related to Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, than has been previously reported.

Um, Guys?

Not sure he's ok.

Felt the need to ask WH if this is actually real and it is. pic.twitter.com/bHyIFw6cvO

— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) October 16, 2019

Don't Talk To "Me" Like I'm Stupid

One thing about doing this blog is I learned very quickly that while I am of course a super brain genius, plenty of my readers are much smarter than me generally, and literally all of you know more about some things than I do. Understanding your audience is a challenge in all communications, but you can attempt to write/speak in a way which doesn't sound as if you think your audience is stupid even if you aren't telling most of them anything new.

Most people don't say the Trump "not many people know this, but" thing out loud, but too many politicians sound as if they are. And some just lie and think "you" are too dumb to know they're lying.

Why Me

Once upon at time the Dem centrist way was to promise liberal goals using conservative means. This stuff was offered up as being genuinely good ideas and the need/desirability to get Republican support. This hustle fell apart when Republicans made clear that they would oppose anything Obama supported. 8 years of "we will give you nothing." That it was a hustle on the Republican side, at least, should have been crystal clear before that. But now we know that "conservative means for liberal ends" are at best a bait-and-switch, and in the post-Ryan post-Trump era they're probably not even gonna bother with the bait part anymore.

All "moderates" can do now is get on stage and say "better things are not possible." Perhaps true, but "elect me because I will tell you the truth that your miserable lives are only get worse even as the richest country in the history of the planet continues to get richer" is not exactly inspiring. Trump promises bullshit, but at least he does that.

Amy Klobuchar has been an exception to the latter, having shown throughout the race so far a gritty determination to offer the Democratic primary electorate as little as possible. This approach hasn’t worked very well, oddly enough, and at Tuesday night’s debate, her frustration with progressives boiled over in response to Warren’s suggestion that opponents of a wealth tax want “to protect billionaires.”

“I want to give a reality check to Elizabeth,” she said huffily. “No one on this stage wants to protect billionaires. Not even [billionaire Tom Steyer] wants to protect billionaires. We have different approaches. Your idea is not the only idea.” Klobuchar then went on to argue for repealing Trump’s income and corporate tax cuts. “You add it all up, you got a lot of money that...helps pay for that child care, protects that dignity of work, makes sure we have decent retirement and makes sure that our kids can go to good schools. It is not one idea that rules here.”

The best we can do is party like it's 2016. One can argue that the Great and Glorious Empire under Benevolent Dictator Obama I would have been truly a wondrous thing, but it's a bit weird to argue that the best we can do is what was left at the end of Obama with 6 years of Republicans controlling the House and the magical filibuster/McConnell controlling the Senate. Roll back the Trump era! Truly inspiring.

Oh, Elon

Still have enough cash to commute by private jet.

An attorney for Vernon Unsworth, who sued for defamation last year after Musk attacked him on Twitter, pressed the Tesla Inc. CEO’s lawyer last month for information on all insurance policies applicable to claims made in the suit. An exhibit filed Monday shows the two attorneys sparring over information regarding Musk’s ties with AIG.

“Given Musk’s sworn testimony that he is financially illiquid, Mr. Unsworth is entitled to know whether AIG has accepted coverage of the claims, denied coverage of the claims, or has reserved its rights to contest coverage of the claims,” Unsworth’s attorney wrote on Sept. 20. Musk’s lawyer wrote back the same day that AIG had reserved rights, without elaborating.

One never knows the truth of such things but Musk is supposedly worth close to $20 billion. Sure there's always a degree of illiquidity. Can't dump all your assets at once. But...comeon.

It ain't easy being a billionaire.

Our Health Care System Is Fucked Up And Bullshit

And while reasonable people can disagree about how to fix it, anyone who doesn't accept that basic premise - along with the fact that every other comparable country does it better and *much much cheaper* - can fuck right the fuck off.

Sounds Bad, Mr. Mayor

I is disappoint.

Rudolph W. Giuliani privately urged President Trump in 2017 to extradite a Turkish cleric living in exile in the United States, a top priority of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to multiple former administration officials familiar with the discussions.

Giuliani, a Trump ally who later became the president’s personal attorney, repeatedly argued to Trump that the U.S. government should eject Fethullah Gulen from the country, according to the former officials, who spoke on the condition on anonymity to describe private conversations.

America's Worst Millennial

Mayor Pete.

CNN's Worst "Talent"

John King.

Morning After Debate Thread

More Debate

But how will we pay for the F-35?

Debate Thread

What about voters who love using gofundme to pay to treat kids when they have cancer?

Coming For You Rudes

Scary times. I'm with you, buddy.

Ex-Rep. Sessions Subpoenaed Over Interactions With Giuliani, Giuliani Associates
Giuliani is primary focus of subpoena; Pete Sessions cooperating with prosecutors
By Rebecca Ballhaus
Oct. 15, 2019 6:01 pm ET
A grand jury has issued a subpoena related to Manhattan federal prosecutors’ investigation into Rudy Giuliani, seeking documents from former Rep. Pete Sessions about his dealings with President Trump’s personal lawyer and associates, according to people familiar with the matter.

Lock Him Up

I think the House Dems are gonna need a bigger jail cell.

President Donald's Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani told ABC News on Tuesday he is not complying with a congressional subpoena.

Giuliani told ABC News “if they enforce it, then we will see what happens.”

Um I guess enforce it then?

Afternoon Thread

enjoy

America's Worst Newspaper

The New York Times.

Owning The Libs

NYT's hosting its first presidential debate tonight in 15 years — and first in Twitter age. One Times journalist suggests to @joepompeo that “the angry left blue-check-mark mob will find something to be outraged about.” https://t.co/715HSpbyaR

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) October 15, 2019

No reporter would ever suggest they would do a good job because they would be pissing off conservatives. If they did they'd likely be reprimanded.

And Democratic primary debates aren't really the place to stick it to the libs because they are for an audience of... libs.

But you do you do, garbage newspaper.

The Kids Aren't Alright

I thought we'd kicked (largely) this nicotine thing and then along came vaping.

Will overcame his addiction to nicotine before the news broke this summer about some cases of severe lung illness and deaths linked to vaping. But he still occasionally vapes THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. He says the illnesses haven't made him or his friends quit, partly because vaping is a big part of teen culture — and also because they think it won't happen to them.

"I feel like, for a lot of people, that's just a chance they're willing to take," he says. "I don't think a lot of kids are thinking about the future."

Don't do it kids!

Living through the transition from "you can smoke anywhere you want" to a world where you basically can't smoke indoors or in cars has made me realize that being a nicotine addict *sucks.* I've never been one, but watching smokers ready that cigarette for the brief walk from the cab to the destination, or similar, knowing that they've been ticking off the seconds in their minds until they can, has been eye opening. Sure I knew quitting was hard, but now I know existing as a smoker is hard.

Vaping isn't smoking but the addiction is the same. Even if there were no real health consequences to doing it, it'd still be bad to get addicted! Don't do it!

I'm sure all The Kids Today read this blog and will listen to me.

Well, Well, Well

This is a fine kettle of fish, as my grandma would have said.

Plot Twist

Really didn't expect the writers to cast Bolton as the surprise hero.

Mr. Bolton instructed Fiona Hill, the senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs, to notify the chief lawyer for the National Security Council that Mr. Giuliani was working with Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, on a rogue operation with legal implications, Ms. Hill told the investigators, according to two people familiar with her closed-door testimony.

“I am not part of whatever drug deal Rudy and Mulvaney are cooking up,” Mr. Bolton, a Yale-trained lawyer, told Ms. Hill to tell White House lawyers, according to the testimony.