Thursday, October 31, 2019
Clap Clap Clap
A weird thing about Democrats is the desire to applaud...the minimum basic thing you expect from Democrats. We can argue all the time about what, say, President Obama could best achieve with Senate Majority Leader Mitch, but that's a practical question, not a "wow a Democrat supports ABORTION RIGHTS CLAP CLAP CLAP."
We don't have to applaud for the bare minimum.
We don't have to applaud for the bare minimum.
Assume Lindsey Dead
Whut
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) plans to hand the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee back to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.) in the next Congress.There's a story but... what is the real story.
Put On A Costume Knock On A Door Get Some Candy Hell Skip The Costume Who Cares
I'm not sure if this is just an internet thing but Halloween isn't really complicated?
Rotisserie Baseball
Baseball is the only sport I regularly half pay attention to, in part because with 8 thousand games per season you don't really have to pay all that much attention. But some people do! They pay a lot of attention! They don't just follow their own local sports franchise. They follow the entirety of baseball! This is amazing.
Amazing but it's something you can conceivably do now. People did it back in the dark ages before they could punch up stats on their phone instantly!
The Kids remember the good old days when the New York Times had a public editor because they remember Margaret Sullivan who was good. I met her once. She didn't like me, though I wasn't sure if she didn't like me or just the dumb bloggers I was representing at an event. But she was good.
Still most of them were bad! The first one was very bad! He was Daniel Okrent and he was dumb and bad and he invented Rotisserie baseball - which we now know as fantasy baseball - back when to invent such a thing you had to be incredibly rich and bored.
Amazing but it's something you can conceivably do now. People did it back in the dark ages before they could punch up stats on their phone instantly!
The Kids remember the good old days when the New York Times had a public editor because they remember Margaret Sullivan who was good. I met her once. She didn't like me, though I wasn't sure if she didn't like me or just the dumb bloggers I was representing at an event. But she was good.
Still most of them were bad! The first one was very bad! He was Daniel Okrent and he was dumb and bad and he invented Rotisserie baseball - which we now know as fantasy baseball - back when to invent such a thing you had to be incredibly rich and bored.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The Fall Is Coming Down
An amusing thing this year in the urban hellhole is that the little old Cambodian ladies discovered the weekly Mennonite farm stand and a massive number of them show up at once. Gotta fight for my Hakurei turnips.
If The President Does It
That's all they're going to be left with. Well, it's really "If A [Republican] President Does It." The belief that Republicans can do what they want and Democratic power only exists if Republicans benevolently let it happen is wired deeply not just within conservatives but within much of the media establishment and it has been that way since Gingrich.
It doesn't matter how many Lindsey Graham "RUUYYYUUUL OF LLAAAAWWWYAAAAW" quotes you pull up from the 90s. They don't care.
It doesn't matter how many Lindsey Graham "RUUYYYUUUL OF LLAAAAWWWYAAAAW" quotes you pull up from the 90s. They don't care.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Writing About Trump
The thing is I think most people know this now.
There was a time when maybe it wasn't completely nuts to imagine there was some grand strategy, or that every Trump Tweet was meant as a distraction from The Last Tweet, or that maybe, just maybe, the man had a tiny glimmer of understanding of the job he had. February 2017 was that time. It was a long time ago. He's just a stupid narcissistic old man with brain worms.
This isn’t analysis because there is nothing to Trump, or to his politics—no room for subtext, no broader strategy beyond whatever seat-of-the-pants pandering is most immediately apparent, nothing but the wheedling and undignified and insatiable vanity that is always right there to see. This presents a problem for people whose job it is to write or talk about politics. That job, as the elite media has come to understand and pursue it, is to decode and translate The Great Game’s secret significances, contextualize the triumphs and tribulations of its heroes, and parse its finer points of strategy. Given that Trump is always doing exactly what he appears to be doing, and for precisely the reasons you’d expect, the people in these powerful jobs have naturally found themselves glossing and restating what is already quite obvious, or straining to situate things that are obvious and stupid and embarrassing within a context—a system of essential norms and traditions, governed by civility and reasoned discourse—that plainly no longer exists. They respect the office of the presidency so much that they insist on treating it with a reverence that Donald Trump, as its occupant, plainly cannot merit.Which is my way of saying everyone who pretends not to know this is just writing presidential fantasy fan fiction, if not about the man himself then The Office Of The Presidency or The White House or the whoever the latest hire is who is supposed to save him from himself, and the Republic from them all. Less politely, they are all completely full of shit.
There was a time when maybe it wasn't completely nuts to imagine there was some grand strategy, or that every Trump Tweet was meant as a distraction from The Last Tweet, or that maybe, just maybe, the man had a tiny glimmer of understanding of the job he had. February 2017 was that time. It was a long time ago. He's just a stupid narcissistic old man with brain worms.
Mr. President I IS DISAPPOINT SIRRAH
I think it's dumb, but I at least get the purpose of the faux-naive rhetorical device of feigning disappointment in Trump or Republicans. But I swear lots of people who are paid lots of money to cover politics and explain it to the rest of us really mean it. They're not hiding who they are!
THIS IS A NEW LOW FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. No, really, did you not read the twitter just yesterday?
THIS IS A NEW LOW FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. No, really, did you not read the twitter just yesterday?
Hard Work
Ambition is a weird thing. Donald Trump didn't really expect to win, but Boris Johnson definitely wanted to. He's lazy. Probably he imagines that a lot of the stuff he did, such as appearing on the teevee or showing up to fancy lunches with important people, and occasionally even having to vote, was "work," but it really isn't. With the right personality all that stuff is just fun, really. He was the Mayor of London, which is largely a figurehead job without too many direct powers, and he delegated most of that (which is fine!). But Prime Minister actually has to... work. No amount of shirking and delegating can really get around that. Having been around government all his life, he has to actually know that. Why would he want the job?
It's weird.
It's weird.
No Way They Could Smear A Troop!!!!
Republicans have been using The Troops as props and metaphorical human shields for their careers for decades, and every day pundits wake up pretending to forget.
Also John Yoo, highly respected Berkeley Law Professor, of the highly respected UC-Berkeley Law School, was on Laura Ingraham accusing him of espionage. I have never heard that name before, and thus I am shocked that an elite law professor could be bad!
Great job CNN, good hire here. https://t.co/YieqZ9V3ID
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 29, 2019
Also John Yoo, highly respected Berkeley Law Professor, of the highly respected UC-Berkeley Law School, was on Laura Ingraham accusing him of espionage. I have never heard that name before, and thus I am shocked that an elite law professor could be bad!
Morning Thread
The Halifax Examiner has one of own recounting her experiences as An American Flying Air Canada. Whatever could go wrong, did. Head over and have a chuckle. We've all been there and now that we're comfortably at home, we can laugh about it.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Ragin'
This argument really makes me mad! https://t.co/QokICl6rCj
— jess mcintosh (@jess_mc) October 28, 2019
Carville was born 1945 and went to LSU. I am a lazy blogger and didn't have time to go back and find tuition from 1965ish, but I did find this.
(nominal figures, I'm pretty sure)
Don't think it's going out on a limb to guess that it was a tiny bit cheaper than even that in back in 1965.
Many olds really just have no clue how much certain things, like university costs, have changed.
That's Our Guy
I've done too many versions of this post, but every time I spend much time actually watching Trump, I just can't fathom that anyone actually sees him as some sort of appealing Alpha Male action movie hero. I get Owning The Libs. I get loving all the racism. I get he's a rich guy. I get he's an old guy with a hot young wife (not interested in arguing Melania's attractiveness, let's just say she symbolizes a type of it at the very least). I knew guys in college who idolized Rush Limbaugh at the time and I even sorta got that, but largely because Rush Limbaugh is like 10 X the "man's man" Donald Trump is and trust me that isn't because I think highly of Rush Limbaugh in this regard, either.
Brexit Mania
Not final yet, but looking like a December election in the UK. Can the great and glorious socialist empire of Jeremy Corbyn begin? Or will we have a Tory/LibDem coalition in which the LibDems, after spending years blasting Corbyn for not being sufficiently anti-Brexit, vote for Brexit while arguing they obtained some bullshit concession that made Brexit Actually Good Now. Or some other possibility!
The Swamp
Occasionally it gets noticed, but generally it's quite amazing how ex-members of Congress who spent years doing the "Washington is disgusting coastal elitist hellhole and that's why I (pretend to) sleep in my office and can't wait to move back to Fritters" schitck end up moving there promptly after leaving office. Sometimes they continue going on teevee. "Yes, Chuck Todd, we all agree the DC area is the worst of America, which is why I've moved my family here."
Sure we all gotta eat, but plenty of these people aren't exactly poor and can go back to selling cars at Daddy's Chevy dealer, or whatever.
Sure we all gotta eat, but plenty of these people aren't exactly poor and can go back to selling cars at Daddy's Chevy dealer, or whatever.
That Could Be Me
Whenever the Morning Joes of the world start tut-tutting the uncivil masses, I'm reminded of a scene in the movie The Queen, about the aftermath of the death of Diana. This is from memory, but basically after Diana dies, the country goes completely insane, and briefly direct their rage at the Queen and the rest of the Royals and are about ready to burn down Buckingham Palace. The Tony Blair character (this is fiction, of course) is initially somewhat indifferent to their declining reputation, but then turns around and steps in to try to support them. There's a scene where Elizabeth is chatting with Tony and says something like, "You didn't do this for me. You did this because you saw those angry crowds and realized you could be next."
What A Game
What a town!
"We are Americans and we do not do that. We do not want the world hearing us chant 'Lock him up' to this president or to any president." -- @JoeNBC pic.twitter.com/9IgMCETBdn
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) October 28, 2019
And On And On
Never gonna end.
European leaders have agreed to the UK's request for a three-month Brexit extension, the EU Council President Donald Tusk has tweeted.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Spider Hole
Sometimes random memories from that incredible time bubble up.
Howard Dean has climbed into his own spider hole of denial if he believes that the capture of Saddam Hussein has not made America safer.
-Joe Lieberman
That's Trump
Back in the Bush years there was some value in explaining that, no, actually, he's dumb and bad and evil, because especially in the post-9/11 era there was a pretty successful effort to make it seem otherwise. But ultimately... what can you say about Trump? It's all rather obvious.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Friday, October 25, 2019
Personal Blackmail... With Nukes
I've long been annoyed at the idea that the US lacks "political corruption" like all those other bad countries. It's a bit might makes right and a bit we don't ask people to put bags of money on the Oval Office desk. We aren't corrupt if we assume away certain kinds of corruption.
But, ok, fair enough.
Until now.
But, ok, fair enough.
Until now.
The Beer Summit
I think it was me, Mrs. A, Tim Ryan, Cenk Uygur, and Ben Mankiewicz who flirted with Mrs. A a bit too much. It was after a screening of an Al Gore joint.
The House Incel Committee
Internet brain has made me forget who coined this term for the people who stormed the SCIF but there it is.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
We're All Hacks
A bit, anyway. I don't mean we're all dishonest, but consciously or not we are more likely to forgive "our side," not because, as is too often portrayed, it's just a Partisan Team Sport and we're rooting for one franchise over the other, but because we think "our side" is genuinely better and less likely to be guilty of whatever it is being accused of. But not all hacks are shameless hacks, and I don't know of anyone on The Left, whatever that means, who would make this kind of argument for a Dem president.
It isn't entirely bad that there's a Hack Gap, but there is and the Both Sides press fails to acknowledge it. There is no liberal Fox News. There isn't anything close to it.
It isn't entirely bad that there's a Hack Gap, but there is and the Both Sides press fails to acknowledge it. There is no liberal Fox News. There isn't anything close to it.
What I Think Republicans Don't Understand About Republicans
Not gonna link because it's Hugh Hewitt but:
One thing *I* know about the Republican base which I think too many people don't is that takes them about a week from circulating pictures of Trump-As-Jesus-Christ to literally not remembering his name. We went through this with Bush. We went through this with Palin.
Because it never was about Bush or Palin or Trump. And to a great degree Bush himself was never about Bush, it was about that lovely wonderful post-9/11 era, the greatest time for Republicans ever. They were merely vessels for making Republicans feel like they were Owning the Libs and Fox News handles that pretty well for them daily even without a figurehead.
...as the Eschaton Poet Laureate, Merkin Patriot, says:
If Republicans don’t stand by Trump, they risk losing their base foreveris the subhed.
One thing *I* know about the Republican base which I think too many people don't is that takes them about a week from circulating pictures of Trump-As-Jesus-Christ to literally not remembering his name. We went through this with Bush. We went through this with Palin.
Because it never was about Bush or Palin or Trump. And to a great degree Bush himself was never about Bush, it was about that lovely wonderful post-9/11 era, the greatest time for Republicans ever. They were merely vessels for making Republicans feel like they were Owning the Libs and Fox News handles that pretty well for them daily even without a figurehead.
...as the Eschaton Poet Laureate, Merkin Patriot, says:
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT ATROSI IS YAMMERING ABOUT - WHOSE THIS PALIN GUY???
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Bob Loblaw Is Available
Only the best for America's Mayor.
(CNN)Rudy Giuliani has been approaching defense attorneys for possible representation, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The move by Giuliani, who is President Donald Trump's personal attorney, is notable because last week he said he would not be seeking a new lawyer unless he felt one was needed. His previous lawyer, John Sale, was helping him deal with congressional inquiries.
Republicans Represent Real Americans
So if you insult them you're insulting America.
Amazing how much mileage they get out of this one.
Amazing how much mileage they get out of this one.
Gotta Stop Them
Republicans don't believe in the legitimacy of use of any power by Democrats, no matter what the voters say. #notallRepublicans, fine, but the very special boys in the House Freedom Caucus and their fellow travelers certainly think that way.
Can't just let them parade into the SCIF with their cell phones and start taking pictures and tweeting. I sorta think our whole classified system is dumb, but if that misbehavior doesn't meet with some consequences then lol nothing matters.
Can't just let them parade into the SCIF with their cell phones and start taking pictures and tweeting. I sorta think our whole classified system is dumb, but if that misbehavior doesn't meet with some consequences then lol nothing matters.
Thuggies
According to the twitter machine, the dumbest Repubicans in Congress are storming the SCIF, cell phones in hand, demanding everyone else SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP and pay attention to them.
Probably work, too.
But their cell phones...
Probably work, too.
But their cell phones...
Administrative Processes
You'd think that if they were trying to alter reality by renaming something they'd come up with something better. I dunno maybe a phrase containing the word "freedom" like we generally do here. Freedom is good.
How the prime minister's spokesman responded when I asked why Boris Johnson keeps on saying there won't be checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, when his own impact assessment states there will. pic.twitter.com/4CmVYY9CeB
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 23, 2019
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
But This Was A Tuesday, And That Makes All The Difference
How will they defend this???
They are masters at coming up with absolute bullshit reasons, largely because reporters are often very good at pretending to believe them.
They are masters at coming up with absolute bullshit reasons, largely because reporters are often very good at pretending to believe them.
Even Worse Than The Crimes He Tweeted Out
Is this for dramatic effect, have they not been paying attention, or has the crimeing genuinely been more elaborate than we imagined?
Democrats emerging from his deposition on Tuesday called his 15-page opening statement "very dramatic," "detailed" and "lengthy." Representative Andy
...and here is the statement which I don't have time to read right now.
Democrats emerging from his deposition on Tuesday called his 15-page opening statement "very dramatic," "detailed" and "lengthy." Representative Andy
Levin, a Democrat from Michigan, said the U.S. diplomat's account was "very troubling."
"All I have to say is that in my 10 short months in Congress -- it's not even noon, right? -- and this is my most disturbing day in Congress so far," Levin said.
"He gave a very detailed opening statement that was very devastating to Donald Trump," said Congressman Ted Lieu, Democrat from California.
...and here is the statement which I don't have time to read right now.
BoJo
Really lost the pulse of Brexit, but I think there's a decent chance what happens next is another EU extension and then a no confidence vote and an election... and then?!!?!?!?!?
Boris Johnson has confirmed he will set aside the bill that would implement his deal, despite the fact the Commons has just backed it, after his proposal to fast-track it through parliament was rejected by MPs.Basically he tried to rush it before the (current) deadline and Parliament said no which means it might not pass in its current form and likely wouldn't pass before the spooky deadline.
He says he does not want a delay and will continue to discuss with EU27 leaders until they decide whether or not to grant one.
There Are No Referees
The way people get (mis)information has been changing constantly, and a constant during all of that has also been people decrying the fact that people are going to get bad information from some new scary sources. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO IS WRITING A BLOG AND IF WHAT YOU ARE READING THERE IS CORRECT the journalist thundered from his desk at Fox News.
You don't need facebook for propaganda and you don't Russian twitter bots, either. The focus on Russian influence has let everybody else off the hook. Any time there's some bullshit on the internet people scream "RUSSIA!" Yah, well, maybe it is, but while that's an issue it isn't the sole source of bullshit on the internet. You don't need rubles for that. We have a very well funded domestic conservative bullshit operation.
It is scary that your MAGA-brains share every piece of bullshit from any website on facebook. Email forwards from the old days from your racist uncle were scary, too. As is Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, bulk mail propaganda, etc. I'm not saying all of these are precisely the same thing, but hoping for some referees, or even the Marshal of the Supreme Court, to somehow correct for them, is not going to be productive. There are no referees.
To the extent that something like Facebook is a uniquely bad feature in the year of our Gritty, 2019, you have to fix them with power. Your personal power, political power, etc. Appealing to Zuck to do the right thing is silly. And, really, while it's reasonable to ask all of these entities to enforce the rules they claim they enforce, otherwise they're going to do what they're going to do as long as it makes them money. I don't really understand what motivates these rich weirdos, but apparently "doing good" is not it.
You don't need facebook for propaganda and you don't Russian twitter bots, either. The focus on Russian influence has let everybody else off the hook. Any time there's some bullshit on the internet people scream "RUSSIA!" Yah, well, maybe it is, but while that's an issue it isn't the sole source of bullshit on the internet. You don't need rubles for that. We have a very well funded domestic conservative bullshit operation.
It is scary that your MAGA-brains share every piece of bullshit from any website on facebook. Email forwards from the old days from your racist uncle were scary, too. As is Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, bulk mail propaganda, etc. I'm not saying all of these are precisely the same thing, but hoping for some referees, or even the Marshal of the Supreme Court, to somehow correct for them, is not going to be productive. There are no referees.
To the extent that something like Facebook is a uniquely bad feature in the year of our Gritty, 2019, you have to fix them with power. Your personal power, political power, etc. Appealing to Zuck to do the right thing is silly. And, really, while it's reasonable to ask all of these entities to enforce the rules they claim they enforce, otherwise they're going to do what they're going to do as long as it makes them money. I don't really understand what motivates these rich weirdos, but apparently "doing good" is not it.
Tech
Not the first person to observe that rich people, globally, obviously just have no idea what to do with their money.
I think a big story of this decade is how many companies managed to market themselves - to journalists and investors - as "tech" and not simply "hey, maybe I have a good business idea" to obtain absurd amounts of investment and potentially, briefly, stock prices. A giant business real estate leasing company is not "tech." A new kind of a juicer is, I suppose, "tech" in that it's an invention, but no one thinks of new juicers from most companies as "tech." Gotta throw in some buzzwords to make it tech! Theranos actually was tech! Just a fraud, however. At this point "it's a business, but you can access it on your phone" is not tech and certainly nor is "a subscription model." "Rich douchebags in Silicon Valley like the product" does not make it tech. A laundry pickup service is not tech.
Take a mundane - if maybe good! - idea and sprinkle some magic tech dust on it to dazzle dumb investors and sycophantic tech journalists and suddenly you have a $50 billion company. Until you don't.
I think a big story of this decade is how many companies managed to market themselves - to journalists and investors - as "tech" and not simply "hey, maybe I have a good business idea" to obtain absurd amounts of investment and potentially, briefly, stock prices. A giant business real estate leasing company is not "tech." A new kind of a juicer is, I suppose, "tech" in that it's an invention, but no one thinks of new juicers from most companies as "tech." Gotta throw in some buzzwords to make it tech! Theranos actually was tech! Just a fraud, however. At this point "it's a business, but you can access it on your phone" is not tech and certainly nor is "a subscription model." "Rich douchebags in Silicon Valley like the product" does not make it tech. A laundry pickup service is not tech.
Take a mundane - if maybe good! - idea and sprinkle some magic tech dust on it to dazzle dumb investors and sycophantic tech journalists and suddenly you have a $50 billion company. Until you don't.
So Do That
I've read about Joe Biden scaling back online advertising money and also seen Joe Biden fundraising off of the "Russian facebook trolls" that are attacking him.
Certainly not defending foreign money involvement in elections (actually illegal!) or facebook (delete your damn account) but if reaching people online is so effective perhaps campaigns should figure out how to do that...
Certainly not defending foreign money involvement in elections (actually illegal!) or facebook (delete your damn account) but if reaching people online is so effective perhaps campaigns should figure out how to do that...
Monday, October 21, 2019
New York California DC Sometimes Some Other Places Depending On Who Is Governor
An amusing thing about the whole "coastal elite" concept is basically that's it. It's 2 states, DC, and then some other places which may or may not be on the coast and the categorization as elite depends on whether there's a Democratic governor and especially a Dem presidential candidate. Massachusetts is quite elite except for most of the time when they have a Republican governor, for example. Vermont was elite hippieland when Howard Dean was running and now that they have 2 Dem senators (including Bernie of course), but that narrative breaks done much of the time. Wyoming is certainly part of whatever the "heartland" is but if ever a Dem presidential candidate came from there we'd quickly learn that Jackson Hole was the only place in the state.
Anyway my point is "elites" are where the Democrats are, when it's useful to say so.
Anyway my point is "elites" are where the Democrats are, when it's useful to say so.
I'd Like To Be Wrong
But "dems gonna do 15 minutes of impeachment hearings at 3 AM the Friday after Thanksgiving on one count of something and then after giggling Mitch tosses it say 'oh well we tried Republicans are bad vote D'" is the very likely and very wrong thing which is about to happen.
He tweets a new crime about every half hour. No need to rush things.
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are zeroing in on a framework for their impeachment case against President Donald Trump that will center on a simple “abuse of power” narrative involving the president's actions regarding Ukraine, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.And then Trump says "all crime by me is legal" and continues The Purge.
As Democrats continue closed-door depositions with critical witnesses and prepare to move to the next phase of public hearings, they are wrestling over which elements and evidence to bring in, which to leave out. The goal is to explain to the public the reasoning and relevance of any eventual impeachment charges.
He tweets a new crime about every half hour. No need to rush things.
The Unreal World
It's one thing for supposed news networks to put people on with a variety of perspectives, perhaps even horrifying ones, but it's quite another to just embrace "truth? who can say?" and have their paid people just lie all the time.
It Ain't Easy Being Not Quite Rich Enough
Let's grant this idea the most credence we possibly can. Whatever your monthly obligations (which if you were a poor we would say very irresponsible choices that led to these monthly obligations), having to poorsize your life if you can't quite manage the private school tuition every month for is hard. Financial stresses can hit people almost anywhere on the income distribution. It's quite obvious that the richest man in America, My President, feels these stresses too! Though that's a bit weird.
Still if you can't make it on 300 grand a year you should at least have a wee bit of sympathy for somebody trying to make on 28 grand a year.
Still if you can't make it on 300 grand a year you should at least have a wee bit of sympathy for somebody trying to make on 28 grand a year.
Brexit Mania
I admit I started to tune it out because I got a bit sick of following all the ups and downs. Let me know when it's over!*
Boris Johnson has been denied the opportunity to hold a second vote on his Brexit deal in the House of Commons after the Speaker, John Bercow, ruled that it would be “repetitive and disorderly”.*The problem that no one seems to get except for a few commentators is that "Brexit" in whatever form is just the beginning and it will never be over!
Bercow said it would break longstanding conventions for MPs to debate and vote on the agreement struck in Brussels last week, little more than two days after Saturday’s historic sitting.
Manhattan
Just who are your friends, George, and are you even vaguely aware that they are unrepresentative?
When Emanuel is the populist voice of reason....
EMANUEL: Yes. The one thing I would say is, one of the part of the primary is picking issues that also helps you in the general. This issue is not even out of the primary, and it's got problems. The 2 percent tax on people that earn above $50 million is a winner in the primary and a winner in the general.I don't mean unrepresentative of AMERICA I mean unrepresentative of Manhattan.
STEPHANOPOULOS: The wealth tax.
EMANUEL: Yes, the wealth tax. And that’s why...
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Winner in the general?
EMANUEL: Definitely.
FAGEN: Yes. Majority of Republicans...
(CROSSTALK)
EMANUEL: Seen all the polling on it, independent voters -- because the Republicans are going to fight it. And people are going to say, this is about equity and fairness.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And it shows I live in Manhattan. In this place it’s not popular.
When Emanuel is the populist voice of reason....
Sunday, October 20, 2019
He's Corrupt
I really don't know why Dems didn't come out as soon as they took the House saying "if you keep doing crimes, we're going to impeach you, maybe stop doing the crimes?"
Doral
Bet Trump is enraged that he can't have the G7 party at his house.
Sure it's a grift. But he also wants to show off.
Sure it's a grift. But he also wants to show off.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019
Why Can't A Democrat Be More Like A Republican?
Every Never Trumper blissfully pretending the Republican party isn't what it is:
Democrats are irrational, that's all there is to that!
There heads are full of cotton, hay, and rags!
They're nothing but exasperating, irritating
Vacillating, calculating, agitating
Maddening and infuriating hags!
Republicans are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historic'ly fair;
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat
Well, why can't a Democrat be like that?
Why does ev'ryone do what the others do?
Can't a Democrat learn to use her head?
Why do they do ev'rything their mothers do?
Why don't they grow up- well, like their father instead?
Why can't a Democrat take after a Republican?
Republicans are so pleasant, so easy to please;
Whenever you are with them, you're always at ease
Democrats are irrational, that's all there is to that!
There heads are full of cotton, hay, and rags!
They're nothing but exasperating, irritating
Vacillating, calculating, agitating
Maddening and infuriating hags!
Republicans are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historic'ly fair;
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat
Well, why can't a Democrat be like that?
Why does ev'ryone do what the others do?
Can't a Democrat learn to use her head?
Why do they do ev'rything their mothers do?
Why don't they grow up- well, like their father instead?
Why can't a Democrat take after a Republican?
Republicans are so pleasant, so easy to please;
Whenever you are with them, you're always at ease
Deadbeats
Their hero never pays his bills, either.
A couple hundred Donald Trump fans rallied outside Congress on Thursday for the “March for Trump,” an event meant to oppose House Democrats’ impeachment investigation. According to organizers, though, there would have been hundreds more people shouting “stop the coup” in Washington’s streets if not for a liberal plot against their buses.
That’s because, as would-be rally attendees gathered across the East Coast for the US Coachways buses that the organizer had promised would take them to Washington, those buses never showed.
The no-shows provoked a wave of anger, accusations that the “deep state” had colluded to stop a show of Trump support in Washington, and negative reviews aimed at US Coachways.
But US Coachways has a simpler explanation for what happened—it was never paid for the requested buses due to a series of declined credit card payments.
The Referees
Anybody sentient knows Trump is a brain worm addled psychopath, but Democrats aren't allowed to say it because that's just Partisan and Objective Political Journalists aren't allowed to say it because all they do is type up what people tell them (this is not true but it's what they pretend), so that leaves the Wise Old Men Of Washington which is basically Henry Kissinger and some retired generals. Maybe if Mad Dog says something Mitch McConnell will have to act!!!
Hey maybe if you want some retired generals to violate some Norms perhaps all you "objective journalists" could start doing it too. No? Ok shut up then.
Hey maybe if you want some retired generals to violate some Norms perhaps all you "objective journalists" could start doing it too. No? Ok shut up then.
Wow The Marshall of the Supreme Court Is Coming For Drumpf Now
I have never understood journalist's love of "Mad Dog," even given their general professed love of The Troops, but apparently a couple of zingers at a dinner are Real Courage or something.
"lets loose."
Christ these people are broken.
Secretary Mattis lets loose “I earned my spurs on the battlefield; Donald Trump earned his spurs from the doctor”.
— Martha Raddatz (@MarthaRaddatz) October 18, 2019
"lets loose."
Christ these people are broken.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Godless
I suspect the number of true believers hasn't changed all that much, but that people increasingly don't identify themselves as culturally Christian is interesting. When I was younger, if you weren't Other (Jewish, etc.), you were default Christian, and people thought it was weird if you claimed otherwise.
The religious landscape of the United States continues to change at a rapid clip. In Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.
Very Sad
My South Philly resort was not chosen to be the site of the next G7 meeting. I suspect this competiton was rigged and will be writing a sternly worded letter to the manager.
Employer Tax Credits
Sometimes they propose things just to troll me.
This stuff is just free money for companies with accountants and lawyers. Not one job will be created because of them and genuinely small businesses without the knowledge of how to squeeze all the money out of the system are put at a disadvantage.
The problems vary, of course, but rural areas tend to lack appropriate infrastructure such as adequate broadband service or a decent airport. There are ways to make rural areas attractive for employers other than "free money for JAAYYUUUB CREATORS" but that's the best we can do because capitalism means government does nothing but give tax money to corporations.
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris will announce a plan to incentivize jobs in rural communities during her stop in Tipton on Thursday afternoon.
Harris, a Democratic candidate for president, said she will provide up to $10,000 a year for every full-time job created in rural areas. According to her Partnership with Rural America plan released today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would designate zones where companies would be eligible for these benefits.
To be eligible, companies have to either open a new office or factory in the community or expand an existing operation. The companies would also have to hire at least three new full-time workers, including at least one employee who lives in the community.
This stuff is just free money for companies with accountants and lawyers. Not one job will be created because of them and genuinely small businesses without the knowledge of how to squeeze all the money out of the system are put at a disadvantage.
The problems vary, of course, but rural areas tend to lack appropriate infrastructure such as adequate broadband service or a decent airport. There are ways to make rural areas attractive for employers other than "free money for JAAYYUUUB CREATORS" but that's the best we can do because capitalism means government does nothing but give tax money to corporations.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
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.
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.
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.”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.
“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.”
Oh, Elon
Still have enough cash to commute by private jet.
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
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.Um I guess enforce it then?
Giuliani told ABC News “if they enforce it, then we will see what happens.”
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.
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.
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.Don't do it kids!
"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."
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.
Monday, October 14, 2019
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.
Rudy The Guy Who Breaks Rocks
Wow sounds bad Mr. Mayor.
Fiona Hill, the White House’s former top Russia adviser, told impeachment investigators on Tuesday that Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, ran a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine that circumvented U.S. officials and career diplomats in order to personally benefit President Trump, according to a person familiar with her testimony.
"Rudy The Rock"
Anyone remember this? I sure don't and I am cursed with remembering all of this sort of bullshit.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani earned the nickname, "Rudy the Rock," for his stalwart leadership after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Giuliani joined CNN anchor Paula Zahn on Monday morning to discuss his memories of that day.
What Will We Tell The Children?
If America's Mayor goes down they will lose all faith in the Heroes of America as anointed by cable news.
Daddy, why is the rotting corpse of Nosferatu in handcuffs?
Daddy, why is the rotting corpse of Nosferatu in handcuffs?
Uber'd
Still laughing that people believed (or claimed to believe) that self-driving tech was the key to Uber taking over the world. Even if you believe the tech will work any day now, it's not clear how that tech would really lower costs. Also, too, there's a weird obsession with removing any employees who actually do the work while keeping around amazingly large staffs? I have no idea why Uber has so many non-driving employees. What do they do?
Uber has laid off about 350 employees across several teams within the organization, including Uber Eats, the company confirmed Monday. Shares of Uber climbed 3.2% following the news.I am dumb and I'm not saying there is no need for these employee, but none of them actually do the work that gets the revenue.
...
Other teams affected by the announcement include Uber’s performance marketing segment, recruiting, its advanced technologies group and safety units, as well as several of its global rides and platform units. The layoffs amount to roughly 1.5% of Uber’s workforce, which spans 22,263 employees, according to FactSet. Uber reported that it had 26,799 employees as of June 30, 2019, but hasn’t disclosed an employee headcount since then.
I'd Be A Quality Rich Person
I suppose the only way to test that out is for you to give me all your money, but I think I'd do it well. I'm not even promising to be a good rich person, though I do promise that if I do become a very charitable rich person I will not decide I am the expert on everything and condition my philanthropy on everyone doing what I say. But I think I would live a quality not very ostentatious life and sprinkle some money around to actual expert dogooders and at the very least not devote my life to making other people miserable. Also I don't think I would be doing crimes.
You First
A problem with too much internet politics exposure is that one sees too many people expressing "WHY AREN'T WE OUT ON THE STREETS" or "WE NEED TO HAVE A GENERAL STRIKE" or similar.
If there's an organization or organizations you think should be helping to organize such things, lobby them. Otherwise get a sign and get out there. There are probably existing if small regular protests near you right now!
It's reasonable to want people who have power to use that power to organize or anything else, but a diffuse nonspecific "we" is mostly a call to action on yourself. Do and inspire! Maybe some people will join you.
If there's an organization or organizations you think should be helping to organize such things, lobby them. Otherwise get a sign and get out there. There are probably existing if small regular protests near you right now!
It's reasonable to want people who have power to use that power to organize or anything else, but a diffuse nonspecific "we" is mostly a call to action on yourself. Do and inspire! Maybe some people will join you.
Standing Up For Themselves
It never gets mentioned but one thing that Trump White House did early on that has had major ripple effects was to get rid of the visitor logs. We would know right away how many times Rudy was in the building or, for that matter, if Parnas and Fruman ever stopped by.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) October 14, 2019
"The Press" does freak out about what it sees to be its institutional prerogatives at times. They can turn the story of a Breitbart "reporter" being turned off of Air Force 1 into a week long story about tyranny and the threat to democracy if they, collectively, choose to. White house visitor logs? Press briefings? Who cares.
And I suspect it's because the top tier political press - the agenda settings ones - get their text message gossip stories and are happy.
Usually when I'm discussing "the press" in this context I mean the political press, the kind that hang out waiting for press briefings (when they existed) or run around the Senate offices with a camera following Lindsey Graham. Not all journalists, of course.
Civilitude
Wow apparently Trump and his supporters love glorifications of violence against the press and other entities they don't like?
This is a new thing we just learned and not something present in [checks transcripts] comments from the president himself in every rally appearance for the last 4 years.
This is a new thing we just learned and not something present in [checks transcripts] comments from the president himself in every rally appearance for the last 4 years.
What's It All About Then
Some things are above my pay grade and the Trump/Syria/Kurds thing is one of them. And don't say "Putin!" which is not the complete story.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Rudy
As I (and he!) said, Rudy neither works for the administration nor is he usually working in the capacity of the president's personal lawyer. I'm not sure why keeps saying that but he does. He's at the center of it all and has no plausible legal arguments for not testifying. Lock him up!
Saturday, October 12, 2019
How Intolerant Libs Should Talk To Their Racist Uncles At Thanksgiving
We get these every year and they're always directed at imaginary liberals who are faulted for not being nice enough to their big racist relatives.
I'm not sure where these fantasies stem from or who the audience for them is supposed to be, but if we're having them, how about suggesting the racist uncle stop being a racist for 3 hours.
I'm not sure where these fantasies stem from or who the audience for them is supposed to be, but if we're having them, how about suggesting the racist uncle stop being a racist for 3 hours.
I Am A Secret Agent Man
I guess there is a certain thrill for some to imagine yourself at the center of some sort of international crime conspiracy. No I don't get it.
Trough
Rudy's 75. Reports suggest he likes to live the "good life" (spend absurd amounts of money on absurd things) but I really would have thought America's Mayor could just ride that halo into the sunset instead of figuring out more and more crimes to do.
Chill. Go sip wine on the coast somewhere. Do anything but spend your evenings doing cable news hits to talk about your crimes. Don't get it.
Chill. Go sip wine on the coast somewhere. Do anything but spend your evenings doing cable news hits to talk about your crimes. Don't get it.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Lock Him Up
Sometimes I don't think our elite journalists are very good judges of character.
The business relationship between President Donald Trump's private lawyer Rudy Giuliani and the men charged Thursday in a campaign finance scheme is a subject of the ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by federal authorities in New York, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
You Don't Have Any Power Over Me
CONFIRMED: Ambassador Sondland WILL testify next Thursday despite State Department's direction to block his appearance.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) October 11, 2019
Statement from his lawyer: pic.twitter.com/xR2BEKpbnS
We can have some lofty legal arguments about appropriate application of "executive privilege" but, no, the State Department can't just randomly order someone to defy a subpoena and apparently a lawyer told him that.
Never Heard Of Him
There are many mysteries of the Trump era, but one is how so many people are unaware of the fact that he'd sell out everybody except maybe Ivanka for a nickel.
Morning Thread
TGIF. Maybe things will calm down over the weekend and we can all catch up. Too many breaking stories, one bombshell after another.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Wow Who Told Them
Federal prosecutors were not intending to unseal the indictment against the Giuliani associates and two others Thursday, according to three US officials. Their hand was forced by an attempt by Fruman and Parnas to leave the country. https://t.co/BXj5EaTugX
— erica orden (@eorden) October 10, 2019
Authorities are also on the lookout for this mystery man who may have tipped them off. Anyone with any clue to his identity should get in touch.
Can't Touch Me
There is a certain legal invulnerability shield around the presidency. Not really a fan of this, but it isn't entirely a new invention of Trump. Still the parade of people in the general sphere of corruption, like Rudy who is neither part of the government nor even by his own admission acting as a lawyer entitled to any kind of privilege, who aren't hiding in their rooms frightened, but instead are going on teevee acting like clowns and LOL NOTHING MATTERS YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME should be more than a little worrisome.
Also, too, thanks, Obama.
Also, too, thanks, Obama.
Coulda Sat That One Out
I don't think "Ellen hanging out with George Bush" is especially important and don't really care personally. What's also not important is PEOPLE BEING MEAN TO ELLEN ON THE INTERNET BECAUSE SHE IS HANGING OUT WITH GEORGE BUSH. What is, important, however, is existence of the Ellen Defense Force, other elites who are Mad SO MAD at the twitter rabble for daring to suggest that playing nice with the man responsible for so much death might be a bad thing. Rich people hanging out together in perfect harmony is not a sign of all that is good in America but actually the opposite.
Fuck you, David Axelrod.
Yay Neko and Hulk.
Fuck you, David Axelrod.
What a horrific commentary about our times that @TheEllenShow should even have to explain herself for hanging with President Bush.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) October 8, 2019
Good for her!https://t.co/pZMe1shJka
Yay Neko and Hulk.
I don’t need to read 50 think pieces to know hanging with George Bush is FUCKED UP AS FUCK. 🙄
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) October 10, 2019
Sorry, until George W. Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War, (including American-lead torture, Iraqi deaths & displacement, and the deep scars—emotional & otherwise—inflicted on our military that served his folly), we can’t even begin to talk about kindness. https://t.co/dpMwfck6su
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 9, 2019
He Might Even Believe This
Trump is incurious, uneducated, and filled with brain worms, but the boys are are truly idiots.
[Eric] TRUMP: If I took a billion and a half dollars from China, or if I took $50,000 a month from a Ukrainian oil company, people's heads would explode.
The media's heads would explode. The Democrats' heads would explode.
Wednesday, October 09, 2019
Civilitude
The most important thing is for elites to be nice to each other and to use their massive platforms to criticize the rabble who dare use their tiny microphones on the twitter machine.
DeGeneres isn’t a role model for civility. Her friendship with Bush simply embodies the grossest form of class solidarity. From a lofty enough vantage point, perhaps Bush’s misdeeds really look like minor partisan differences. Perhaps Iraq seems very far away, and so do the poor of New Orleans, when the stage of your show is the closest you get to anyone without power.
If Then
I see in the self-driving car discussions similar things to what I used to see in economics. If you write enough things premised on "what if x" then eventually people start assuming x is true. The big one in economics was always wHaT IF inEQUalITY iS gOOd foR gROWTh??? In self-driving cars it is what if they will be safer one day??? Well, yes, what if. What if they ever work? WHAT IF THEY NEVER WORK????
But Autopilot is unlike almost any other consumer product in history, in ways that offer a preview of the uncomfortable questions we’ll confront in the dawning robot age. Tesla’s flamboyant chief executive officer, Elon Musk, says the technology saves lives, and legions of Tesla owners offer their own testimonies of hazards spotted and collisions avoided. (And they have YouTube videos to prove it.) It’s possible that both sides are right, that the computers are killing a few drivers who otherwise would have lived, but that they’re also saving the lives of many more. In the coming years, society—in particular, regulators and the courts—will have to decide whether that’s an acceptable trade-off.Can't watch netflix and "drive" without killing a few toddlers. Just progress and science, people. Sorry your kid (not mine) had to be sacrificed for Nerd Trump's wallet, I mean humanity.
The Greatest Probem Facing America
Is that people are mean on twitter about Ellen being nice to George Bush.
This is not the America I knew!!!
This is not the America I knew!!!
Nerd Trump
Oh, Elon.
Of all the controversies stirred up by Tesla CEO Elon Musk last year, none was more embarrassing than when he called expert spelunker and diver Vernon Unsworth a “pedo guy” and “child rapist,” after Unsworth criticized him for getting involved in a massive effort to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in Thailand.
...
What Unsworth now reveals, through deposition transcripts and emails that his lawyers obtained, is that Musk and his affiliates paid private investigators, including one who turned out to be a convicted felon, to try and dig up dirt on the cave rescuer. Additionally, Musk directed his team to pressure foreign officials in Thailand to say nice things about him and his mini-sub, even as they were grappling with what would prove to be a deadly rescue mission.
Lock'em Up
I don't claim to know precisely what the Dems should do (such humility) but I really want to believe they are smart enough to game the situation out. As in "what if they defy all efforts at oversight? what is our *next* step." Because that was an obvious move.
Regicide
A lost opportunity of the Trump era is that the moment we elected a brain worm infected racist lunatic to president was the moment we should have reconsidered the "treating the presidency as a monarch" thing which has always been wrong and ridiculous. Oh well.
And liberals do it too. Any time someone gets weepy over some sort of iconic moment of Obama, or whatever, they're contributing. We just shouldn't be trained to have those kinds of feelings for My President. Just a person with an important job.
And liberals do it too. Any time someone gets weepy over some sort of iconic moment of Obama, or whatever, they're contributing. We just shouldn't be trained to have those kinds of feelings for My President. Just a person with an important job.
Tuesday, October 08, 2019
If We Are Reasonable Then They Will Have To Be Too
Just in case any Democrats are thinking this way...
hahahahaha
hahahahaha
The Good Old Days
People are forgetting that the Bush era was bad and also absolutely absurdly insane and it is making me mad. Busy at the moment but here are some reminders!
But really Bush wasn't just bad...that whole era was absolutely bonkers. There was no Trump tweeting bullshit at you through your phone constantly. But otherwise just as bonkers.
But really Bush wasn't just bad...that whole era was absolutely bonkers. There was no Trump tweeting bullshit at you through your phone constantly. But otherwise just as bonkers.
Journamalism
Also he is lying. Maybe you could include that part, Jake.
This "oh gee, sorry, gotta disobey the hoagie penis because my boss said so" is 100% bullshit and journalists just keep repeating it.
Breaking — Ambassador Gordon Sondland has been told by the State Department to not appear this morning before the House regarding his role in the Ukraine scandal. His attorney said he has no choice but to comply with State Dept directive.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 8, 2019
This "oh gee, sorry, gotta disobey the hoagie penis because my boss said so" is 100% bullshit and journalists just keep repeating it.
Something The State Department Has No Authority Or Power To Do
Stop this.
BREAKING: State Department orders US ambassador to EU cited in Ukraine texts not to appear for deposition with House investigators https://t.co/aRP3oCXBQQ pic.twitter.com/EKJWBKumeb
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 8, 2019
Monday, October 07, 2019
But You Liked Me Mr. President
Imagine Lindsey Graham thinking Trump likes and respects him. Trump only likes dudes who are from "central casting" and even then only briefly.
What's Going On With Mushmelon
I bet he's mad because someone (whoever) told him giving Turkey the green light would be Really Smart and he's actually getting pushback from Republicans who for whatever reason are not on board and his little brain is confused.
You'll Regret This When Chelsea Clinton Is President
Certainly not the first person to make this point, but trying to apply any kind of consistency to conservatives along the lines of "if you think Trump should be an unaccountable president who is above the law and with dictatorial powers then just get ready for the iron rule of President Chelsea Clinton!!!" completely misses the point of their worldview.
They don't think presidents should have that kind of power. They think conservative presidents should. They don't think Democrats should be allowed to be president at all. Laws are for other people. In fact laws are tools that their team uses to crush your team.
#notallconservatives, whatever, but you can't prod authoritarian conservatives with your view of "consistency" because they are perfectly consistent, just in a different way than you imagine. Hypocrisy is a hilarious concept to them, and they laugh when you invoke it. They aren't hypocrites. They are perfectly consistent in their view that they have the right to rule in any way they choose and Democrats don't.
They don't think presidents should have that kind of power. They think conservative presidents should. They don't think Democrats should be allowed to be president at all. Laws are for other people. In fact laws are tools that their team uses to crush your team.
#notallconservatives, whatever, but you can't prod authoritarian conservatives with your view of "consistency" because they are perfectly consistent, just in a different way than you imagine. Hypocrisy is a hilarious concept to them, and they laugh when you invoke it. They aren't hypocrites. They are perfectly consistent in their view that they have the right to rule in any way they choose and Democrats don't.
Intervention
I know the post below seems like some flippant hippy peacenik shit, but even without getting into some grand debate about the appropriate involvement of the United States in this conflict (or potential conflict) or that one, giving people the tools to massacre each other everywhere in the world probably isn't the best plan if you care about people (not) being massacred. You don't have to think our policy is literally by and for the benefit of our arms productions industries (that's crazy conspiracy talk!) to see that it is indistinguishable from one that is.
Sunday, October 06, 2019
Marks
Rich people are so dumb.
Holmes dropped out of Stanford University at 19 to form Theranos in 2003. The Palo Alto company promised to revolutionize health care by requiring only a pinprick of blood to run hundreds of tests. At its peak, it was valued at $9 billion and had a partnership with Walgreens.
Big Day For Our Big Wet Boy
He has cancelled his golf game, presumably to man the twitter machine.
Incoming!!!
Incoming!!!
Saturday, October 05, 2019
And after I finish tweeting, Slick Rick is on next
Hilarious.
Yo, where's Pence and Barr?
Well I don't know they're late
Told 'em the time, oh I forgot the date
Man, you did it again, oh no
Yo, here we go, come on, here we go, come on
President Trump told House Republicans that he made his now infamous phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the urging of Energy Secretary Rick Perry — a call Trump claimed he didn’t even want to make.
Yo, where's Pence and Barr?
Well I don't know they're late
Told 'em the time, oh I forgot the date
Man, you did it again, oh no
Yo, here we go, come on, here we go, come on
But My Good Friends In The GOP, Those Fine Folks
Joe Biden has watched the GOP his whole life and never thought "wow they would do that to me, also, too."
Mr. Biden was even blunter, and angrier, in private after news first emerged that Mr. Trump had exhorted the Ukrainian government to investigate him and his son.
“I can’t believe this guy is going after my family like this,” he told Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, as the two campaigned in Iowa, Mr. Coons recalled.
Weather
Global warming aside, the United States has the worst weather in the world. Of course the weather isn't the same everywhere, but almost everywhere in this country it's bad in its own way. Much of the Midwest literally has the worst weather in the world. There are colder places and there are hotter places, but few places where you get 105 degree days in July and -10 degree days in January. Even some places with more moderate weather overall (highs not so high, lows not so low) have bizarrely large intraday temperature swings.
Today is a pretty nice day, if cold compared to... 2 days ago.
Today is a pretty nice day, if cold compared to... 2 days ago.
Both Sides
I agree that we should impeach both Trump and Joe Biden.
Just to keep the universe in harmony.
Just to keep the universe in harmony.
Friday, October 04, 2019
Trump's Gonna Be In The Stocks By Tomorrow
Inevitable.
Who's in charge of strategy: Officials said Kushner and White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney are the officials most focused on developing an impeachment strategy.
Afternoon Thread
Friday funday with the Greatest Medical System In The World (nothing to be concerned about).
Bozo And The Ozone Man
You might remember that was what the very respectable George Sr. called Clinton and Gore for a bit. I was reminded of this because of seeing some MAGA types on the internet going "hur hur hur what happened to the ozone hole." Well there was a global plan and we fixed it. Acid rain? Fixed a lot of that in the US, too. Smog? I am old enough to remember when the Philadelphia suburbs had visible smog, and this is not really a valley or a basin. LA was horrible. We had lifeless rivers. Some of those are not so lifeless now!
One never knows when people are being idiots and when they are trolling, but some of these problems were real and they got better, not simply figments of the crazy imagination of the Ozone Man.
One never knows when people are being idiots and when they are trolling, but some of these problems were real and they got better, not simply figments of the crazy imagination of the Ozone Man.
Has Nancy Pelosi Consulted The Online Right?
They and the "white guys who have time to hang out in dinners at 10AM on a Tuesday" are the only people who matter.
Are they still with Trump?????
Are they still with Trump?????
Thursday, October 03, 2019
Pedo Guy
Oh, Elon.
When Elon Musk publicly called a British cave rescuer who had insulted him a “pedo guy” last year, the billionaire entrepreneur had no evidence to back up his claims. And while he later apologized for the outburst, the Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO went on to hire a private investigator to dig up dirt that might support his unsubstantiated accusation.
BuzzFeed News has found that the self-proclaimed private investigator whom Musk hired was a convicted felon and scammer.
Intensity
One bit of conventional wisdom (perhaps true!) is that while certain issues have roughly majority support favoring the "Dem position," Republicans tend to have more intensity. The big one is guns. Sure people want gun control but if you suggest that's a good idea then all the ammosexuals will emerge from their bunkers and vote without a similar turnout boost for the Dem side.
I'm not arguing against that, really, and the gun issue varies geographically quite a bit, but it's also the case that if you want intensity you need leaders who are, well, intense.
If the Dem candidate says:
I don't mean this as campaign advice on this particular issue, just that in general Dems tend to gravitate towards wishy-washy don't piss anybody off language. "Safe, legal, and rare" not "free doughnuts with every abortion." Maybe smart! But it's hardly rally the troops stuff.
I'm not arguing against that, really, and the gun issue varies geographically quite a bit, but it's also the case that if you want intensity you need leaders who are, well, intense.
If the Dem candidate says:
I'm for commonsense solutions to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them.And the Republicans respond with:
UN SUPERSOLDIERS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GENERAL SOROS ARE COMING TO STEAL ALL OF YOUR GUNS AND INSTITUTE SHARIA LAWthen it isn't too surprising that one side has intensity.
I don't mean this as campaign advice on this particular issue, just that in general Dems tend to gravitate towards wishy-washy don't piss anybody off language. "Safe, legal, and rare" not "free doughnuts with every abortion." Maybe smart! But it's hardly rally the troops stuff.
Sure My Client Is Guilty Of Some Things
But other people are guilty of other things, so, covfefe?
Just hopped off the phone w Giuliani who wanted to discuss Volker & asked him about Trump’s comment: “I see that as exactly what a president should do.. I’m not saying Trump never did anything wrong but there are other people who did things wrong, too.” https://t.co/aRBRFWnhbr
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) October 3, 2019
Leadership
New USA Today poll:
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 3, 2019
Americans support House *impeaching* Trump by 45-38
They support *Senate conviction and removal* by 44-35 (!)
Note: 30% of Republicans say pressure on Ukraine to smear Biden is an abuse of power.
And it's early. More will come out.https://t.co/nIaJRZgP7E
As some point the "Green Lantern theory of politics" in popular online discussion went from "you can't clap louder to win a war" to "President Obummer can't will Joe Lieberman to vote for a public option" to "the world is as it is, public opinion is what it is, leadership means nothing, whatchagonnado."
New USA Today poll:
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 3, 2019
Americans support House *impeaching* Trump by 45-38
They support *Senate conviction and removal* by 44-35 (!)
Note: 30% of Republicans say pressure on Ukraine to smear Biden is an abuse of power.
And it's early. More will come out.https://t.co/nIaJRZgP7E
It's quite possible that if, for example, Obummer did the same sex marriage issue precisely correctly, and given the ultimate outcome that is a reasonable view, but it's also the case that if he'd loudly switched his view on it in early 2009 (majority opposed then) that a bunch of Democrats who were muddled on the issue would have jumped with him. People do take their cues from their leaders on some issues at least. Especially in a year in which a dominant message has been "trust Pelosi, she is very smart and knows what she's doing," of course impeachment support would follow her lead.
Wednesday, October 02, 2019
Evening Thread
Sauli Niinistö, the president of Finland, had this to say at today's at the press conference with Donald Trump, the president of the United States:
Throughout the news conference, Niinisto made a number of references to U.S. democracy.“You have a great democracy,” Niinisto said in his opening statement. “Keep it going on.”
So.
You Mean The Guys On The Internet Liked It
A very good day for our wet big boy.
I know this is a contrarian viewpoint but I am seeing signs that the online right is starting to side with Trump on this Ukraine business. And the NYT story on Schiff was good for him. All in all, a good day for the president so far.
— Blake News (@blakehounshell) October 2, 2019
Tech
One of my pet peeves - and perhaps the bubble on this is bursting - is that companies regularly describe themselves/are described as "tech" companies when that basically means they have a website and an app. They might have a new product idea, but it isn't so different (mostly) than having a new restaurant idea. There isn't really anything resembling invention happening. And maybe something like Uber was arguably "tech" once upon a time in that it did make use of new widely available smartphones technologies to do something new, but now it's just a taxi company with an app. The local actual taxi companies have apps now, also, too.
WeWork is an absurd example of this. It isn't really "tech" to scam rich people into giving you billions of dollars for a real estate scheme. That's an old technology.
WeWork is an absurd example of this. It isn't really "tech" to scam rich people into giving you billions of dollars for a real estate scheme. That's an old technology.
Why
Hi, @GOPLeader. This is the thanks you get for your slavering subservience to Trump and his lawlessness.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 2, 2019
Trump privately says you botched your defense of him, the AP reports. You failed his greatness, and his people are letting the world know it:https://t.co/kowt25wtj4 pic.twitter.com/WBTPRyacE8
I can't imagine what makes it worth waking up and thinking "I have to perform well for Trump on the TV box."
I'm In Charge
It's one thing for there to be a dance between individuals and their subpoenas, and there is that executive privilege thing even if until recently it didn't mean "it can be invoked if Trump says so" but Pompeo saying "my people won't testify" is just absurd.
Lock'em up!
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday pushed back against a request by a key House committee to interview five current or former State Department officials as part of an impeachment inquiry centering on the Ukraine scandal, accusing House Democrats of attempting to “intimidate" and "bully" them.It really isn't any of his business. They can hire lawyers and deal with it, but he can't just "oh no NAH GA DO IT." They are not extensions of him.
Lock'em up!
Tuesday, October 01, 2019
Sure, Elon
Six months, a year, tops, subject to regulatory approval.
Tesla is acquiring DeepScale, a computer vision start-up that could help it develop fully driverless vehicles, CNBC has learned.
The deal could help Tesla’s goal to deliver cars with advanced driver-assistance systems that are good enough for owners to rent them out as “robotaxis” on an Uber-like platform without drivers. However, like all automakers, Tesla is limited by the computational resources it can build into its vehicles.
They Write Letters
Better than sternly worded tweets.
“Secretary Pompeo was reportedly on the call when the President pressed Ukraine to smear his political opponent. If true, Secretary Pompeo is now a fact witness in the House impeachment inquiry. He should immediately cease intimidating Department witnesses in order to protect himself and the President.
“Any effort to intimidate witnesses or prevent them from talking with Congress—including State Department employees—is illegal and will constitute evidence of obstruction of the impeachment inquiry. In response, Congress may infer from this obstruction that any withheld documents and testimony would reveal information that corroborates the whistleblower complaint.
“The Committees are operating pursuant to our long-established authorities as well as the impeachment inquiry. We’re committed to protecting witnesses from harassment and intimidation, and we expect their full compliance and that of the Department of State.”
LOL Fuck You No
Dems need to start jailing people.
In the fierce letter addressed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., Pompeo blasted the depositions in the impeachment probe as rushed and potentially in violation of executive privilege, accused committee staff of not following protocol, and appeared to say the officials will not show up.
WeWork
One of those things I didn't pay much attention to, but when I did I think I got it right.
Anyway, this interview about it is pretty funny.
Anyway, this interview about it is pretty funny.
These Are My Obsessions
Most of the current frontburner crimeing activities actually make no sense. I mean this stuff is only happening because Trump has brain worms. Sending your AG around the world to pressure foreign leaders to justify conspiracy theories about the 2016 election and to discredit the Mueller investigation which for some reason everyone agreed to Move Past (something about not pulling A Few Good Man courtroom scene).
As bad as the emoluments stuff is, in its own way the "you gotta stay in my yuge hotels" stuff really is brain worms territory, too. You're president of the United States and you're obsessing about people giving you a few bucks for hotel rooms?
As bad as the emoluments stuff is, in its own way the "you gotta stay in my yuge hotels" stuff really is brain worms territory, too. You're president of the United States and you're obsessing about people giving you a few bucks for hotel rooms?
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