Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

The revolution will be supervised.

Let there be snark.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

So many bastards, so little time.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

I conferred with the team and they all agree – still not tired of winning!

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

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Reader Interactions

75Comments

  1. 1.

    donovong

    I want credit for not posting a damn thing about that picture, despite that fact that I have a hundred different “tunchlines” in my head!

  2. 2.

    John Hamilton Farr

    My God, you furminate in the house? If I did that, my nostrils would be full of cat hair, never mind the sofa.

    BTW, have you ever washed a cat in the kitchen sink? Quite the test of bravery and skill.

  4. 4.

    Tsulagi

    Whoa, that guy would center out going over a speed bump. Think he needs a skid pan for that gut.

  7. 7.

    Brian J

    Why isn’t anyone proposing to use a financial transaction tax to finance health care expansion? As far as I understand it, a very small tax that would only hit the wealthiest in society would raise $100-150 billion a year as a very steady source of revenue, which would cover most if not all of the costs from any expansion that I’ve seen. It wouldn’t have as many distorting effects as other taxes and wouldn’t discourage any positive activity; in fact, it could help smooth out the ups and downs brought on by speculation. And politically speaking, it might be easier to pass if it’s presented as a way of, well, getting our money back from Wall Street.

    Now, unless I missed something, nobody is proposing this? Perhaps the Democrats really are minions of Wall Street, but even if that were the case, wouldn’t one of the more liberal members of congress, like Kucinich, mention this? Is it possible that nobody has thought of this? It seems like such an easy answer, so I’m thinking that I’m missing something blatantly obvious.

  9. 9.

    Kevin K.

    So, someone a couple threads back said Mika did something crazy on Morning Joe today. What happened?

    I had to leave the room because it was driving me insane, but it was more of her dull-witted “they hate Sarah because she’s a mother of five” shtick. Of course, those lifelong feminists Scarborough and Buchanan were eager to back her up.

  14. 14.

    Brian J

    Dean Baker has proposed this several times. However, Dean Baker is not a congresscritter.

    I don’t remember if he ever explicitly proposed this, but I do remember him making comments in that direction. Whatever, I’m sure you’re right.

    But as you said, he’s not in congress. And yeah, he’s more liberal than the majority of Democrats, but you’d figure that at least one would propose this. It’s certainly an easier sell than trying to tax employee benefits, even if that is an economically good idea.

  15. 15.

    slag

    One might think that without all that hair, Tunch would look at least a tiny bit smaller. Not so, apparently.

  16. 16.

    Brian J

    One might think that without all that hair, Tunch would look at least a tiny bit smaller. Not so, apparently.

    My dog recently went to the groomer, and I figured that she would look just a bit thinner with a little less hair. Maybe it’s because she got a Cocker cut as opposed to a more all around trim that she usually gets, but for the first few days, I thought she looked fatter than ever. And this is a big, big dog, so much so that the groomer has suggested she get a stomach staple.

  17. 17.

    Kevin K.

    I see I wasn’t the only one who was struck by her breathing during her presser.

    Even before it disintegrated into an incoherent word salad, that was the first thing I noticed. It was rushed and manic and it showed in her breathing.

    Of course, it’ll probably come out that she has asthma and I’ll probably be getting a letter from her lawyer soon.

  19. 19.

    SGEW

    Robert McNamara is dead at 93.
    From his obituary in the NYTimes:

    “What went wrong was a basic misunderstanding or misevaluation of the threat to our security represented by the North Vietnamese,” he said in his Berkeley oral history. “It led President Eisenhower in 1954 to say that if Vietnam were lost, or if Laos and Vietnam were lost, the dominoes would fall.”
    …
    In 1995, he took a stand against his own conduct of the war, confessing in a memoir that it was “wrong, terribly wrong.” In return, he faced a firestorm of scorn.
    …
    By then he wore the expression of a haunted man. He could be seen in the streets of Washington — stooped, his shirttail flapping in the wind — walking to and from his office a few blocks from the White House, wearing frayed running [footwear] and a thousand-yard stare.
    …
    “We burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo — men, women and children,” Mr. McNamara recalled; some 900,000 Japanese civilians died in all. “LeMay said, ‘If we’d lost the war, we’d all have been prosecuted as war criminals.’ And I think he’s right. He — and I’d say I — were behaving as war criminals.”
    …
    “What makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?” he asked. He found the question impossible to answer.

    Contrast with Donald Rumsfeld in 2007:

    “You know? I am not a person who looks back. You say, ‘When you look back.’ If you asked me when was the last time I looked back, I don’t do much of it. I just don’t.”
    …
    “I sleep fine.”

    Better too little, too late than not at all, ever.

    Rest In Peace, war criminal. After all, at the end of the day, every one of us deserves peace.

  22. 22.

    PeakVT

    Why isn’t anyone proposing to use a financial transaction tax to finance health care expansion?

    Because the banks own the Senate. Which is frustrating, because it’s a tax that 75% of the population would be behind – if they understood it.

  23. 23.

    amorphous

    I never thought Tunch was really that fat until I saw this angle. Good lord, Cole, do you feed him children?

  24. 24.

    Brian J

    Because the banks own the Senate. Which is frustrating, because it’s a tax that 75% of the population would be behind – if they understood it.

    I can understand why, say, Chuck Schumer or Robert Menendez might not bring it up, let alone get out in front of it, but why not one of the House members from a district that isn’t dependent on Wall Street? Is the banking industry so powerful that not even the most liberal members of congress will even mention this idea?

    Or is that I’ve just one of the few that has thought of it? The latter seems highly unlikely.

  25. 25.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Kevin K.:

    Kev – I think they were talking about when Mika said “Real Americans agree with her” obviously implying that anyone who disagrees with her positions is not a “real american” and we all know how that helped everyone during the campaign NOT!

  28. 28.

    canuckistani

    Looks to me like Tunch ate the dog, and is coughing up the indigestible parts.

  29. 29.

    Ash Can

    @Face: According to the links in the Think Progress article, people are miffed at Cornyn for voting in favor of TARP and for failing to vote against the stimulus. I went on to read some of the comments in the Austin newspaper link, however, and they left me thinking that TARP and ARRA are only part of it. There’s some deep-seated, paranoid crazy in some of the criticism directed at Cornyn, and as you suggest, it’s perplexing.

  30. 30.

    JenJen

    Late to the party, but who wants to talk Mika? I saw it all, so you didn’t have to.

    Personally, I don’t care for having my authenticity as an American challenged by Mika Brzezinski first thing in the morning. After lunch would be better.

  31. 31.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    In Tunch’s defense – when some dogs and cats get fixed, they develop a paunch. It can depend on when they get fixed and sometimes how they get fixed. The paunch isn’t really an indication of a weight issue. Weight issues are determined by a aerial view – how broad they are in the waist when looking down upon them. Most vets have a nice little diagram in their office to show you if your animal is fat or not.

  32. 32.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @JenJen:

    Jen – I saw the “real americans” tripe but had to leave before she got to the “hundreds of e-mails coming in however I stand by what I said” so what was her excuse and what were the e-mails saying?

    Thanks

  34. 34.

    JenJen

    This just in from the Department of Nobody Could Have Predicted:

    joshtpm GOPers losing control over tea party ‘movement’? piece coming in a moment.
    3 minutes ago from web

  35. 35.

    SGEW

    Wow, today’s news just keeps on getting better and better for me:

    A possible treatment for dementia? Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer’s disease, US scientists say.

    My addiction? Justified!

    [So when are researchers going to tell me that half a pack of Gauloises per day reduces your chances of explosive brain boils or something, so I can start smoking again?]

  37. 37.

    JenJen

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Well, they only read one email, I believe, from a viewer in Georgia who wanted Mika to explain what she meant by “real Americans supported Sarah Palin.”

    It was painful to watch, and I’m sure it will show up on YouTube momentarily. It basically began with Mika being incredibly defensive of Palin, saying she was attacked more for being a woman and a mother of five, but not her actual views.

    Donny Deutsch asked Mika, “but how would we know what Sarah Palin’s views are?” Mika bristled a bit and launched into what amounted to a three-hour “I’m telling you, I talked to a lot of Americans, and real Americans supported Sarah Palin” pout-fest. At one point, she called Deutsch “rabid” for saying that Sarah Palin is a quitter. Yes, really.

    It got so bad, at one point even Willie Geist had to interject, saying “I’m a native New Yorker, and there are a lot of real Americans in New York.” Joe Scarborough even reminded viewers that Mika went to the finest schools, and summers in North Harbor, Maine. The email coming in must have been brutal.

    I’m thinking this is going to be a bit of a story today, of the media navel-gazing type. But, truly, Mika was just a trainwreck of art this morning. I’m sure we’ll hear more.

    My favorite part? Mika saying that she talked to real Americans in Lancaster County, PA, so she knows who they supported. Umm, Mika? Obama won Pennsylvania by 11 points.

  38. 38.

    Bill H

    Most vets have a nice little diagram in their office to show you if your animal is fat or not.

    My vet’s rule is that if a cat can lick its own ass it is not too fat.

  40. 40.

    Buzzybill

    I am not really understanding google ads at this point. It was bad enough that for the past few weeks they thought I wanted to see porn featuring a middle aged mother. But now they think I want to support Sarah Palin?

    Really? Because I probably will pay for the nasty Pam Anderson porn before I support SarahPAC.

    I thought the guys at google were supposed to be good with the internets.

  41. 41.

    Gus

    Looks to me like Tunch ate the dog, and is coughing up the indigestible parts.

    My thoughts exactly.

  43. 43.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @JenJen:

    Thanks Jen, like I said when she said it I thought to myself WTF does that mean? I would love to see those e-mails. So what are the odds on an apology and explanation tomorrow morning?

  45. 45.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @John Cole: I will then defend him somehow, for he is Tunch, he who rules BJ. I was actually being a bit defensive because two of my cats, who are a healthy weight, have those paunches – felt I needed to defend their honor as well as mine as a pet owner.

  46. 46.

    LD50

    We shouldn’t laugh at Tunch just because the last time he jumped up in the air he got stuck.

  47. 47.

    ricky

    Can anyone essplane why they’re booing Cornyn? Isn’t he one of the nuttiest wingnut Senators?

    What did I miss?

    While there is some resemblance between the cat and teabaggers, and Cornyn does have a snowy crown, if you put on your glasses you will find the photo is not of the teabagger rally at which Cornyn appeared.

  49. 49.

    ricky

    My vet’s rule is that if a cat can lick its own ass it is not too fat.

    Your vet would then describe Mssr. R. Limbaugh as svelte?

  50. 50.

    The next-to-last samurai

    Delurking to inquire–is that John behind the Tunchinator? Or Lily? Or both of them? Can’t tell–there’s a large white object blocking the view…

  51. 51.

    IanY77

    One might think that without all that hair, Tunch would look at least a tiny bit smaller. Not so, apparently.

    You apparently have not been introduced to the magic of the Furminator. By the time you’re done with one of those puppies, you will have a pile of hair next to the pet equal to the size of the pet it came off of. I have a cat of similar girth to Tunch. Mine’s 20 pounds and medium hair, solid black and looks like a bowling ball with ears.

    My sister lent me the one she uses for her rabbit. I Furminated the cat out on the deck. By the time I was done, there were tufts of fur swirling around in the air by my building, and the pile of fur on the deck was massive. On the upside, her coat looks great.

    But yeah, if I did that indoors, I would have to sandblast my sofa.

  53. 53.

    Quicksand

    If I let my cat have access to the pile of furminated hair that I occasionally get from him, he immediately starts to eat it.

  54. 54.

    Bill H

    Your vet would then describe Mssr. R. Limbaugh as svelte?

    Pretty sure it only applies to cats. She doesn’t treat humans.

    She doesn’t treat dogs either, and for a long time I thought it was because she just was a specialist. Turns out she was once bitten really badly by a dog and is still to nervous to treat them.

  55. 55.

    The Saff

    The Tunchinator is a handsome boy.

    I’ve been furminating my cats now for about a month and a half and I get that much fur out of them, too.

  56. 56.

    CaseyL

    We don’t see Tunch standing very often, do we? Usually he’s sitting or lying down, isn’t he?

    Now we know why.

    Is that pouch of skin near the hind legs officially called a “paunch”? I’ve always called it an “apron,” because of the way it flaps when the cat moves fast. And I can confirm it has little or nothing to do with the kitty’s weight, because Ariel has a big apron, and she’s never been overweight.

  58. 58.

    AkaDad

    Mika is correct. Real Americans also wear green, eat French’s mustard, and enjoy a good teabagging.

  59. 59.

    LD50

    I’m very glad Mika caught a big ration of shit for that. That stupid fucking ‘real American’ bullshit has to go, and having these twirpy GOP talking heads lose some teeth over it is probably all that will work.

  61. 61.

    Svensker

    @Kevin K.:

    Here is the “real Americans” portion of the show via Media Matters.

    Because “real Americans” are ignorant baboons. Real Americans don’t read books. Real Americans only listen to country western or pop music. Real Americans think “culture” is what happens when you leave the processed cheese out of the fridge too long.

    When did we become proud of being fat, lazy, and ignorant?

  62. 62.

    JenJen

    @Kevin K.: Thank you, thank you, thank you. For a moment there, I thought I may have been hallucinating this morning.

    Deep Thought: Where the hell is Laura W? Seeking: Crazy Mika Wingman.

  63. 63.

    Common Sense

    @Face: @Ash Can:

    You guys need to remember that Texas is just a very different place. For instance, despite it’s reputation, Austin was one of the largest Ron Paul strongholds in the country. I know several people from Austin that voted for Nader twice and supported Paul. They still defend their vote for Ralph in ’00 and ’04, believing Gore would have been just as bad.

    Even the “left” in Texas is nothing like the left in other states. And the right is like nothing you’ve ever encountered. Bush really is a moderate by Texas’ metrics.

  64. 64.

    glasgowtremontaine

    I was trying to figure out why the furminator shot counted as a moment of zen, & remembered oh yeah, Thich Nhat Hanh says enlightenment is when a wave realizes that it is water. Clearly, Tunch is having an analogous moment.

  67. 67.

    asiangrrlMN

    Y’all stop picking on Tunch! There’s just more of him to love! I love Tunchie!

    As for Cornyn, he supports (tepidly) Sotomayor, or at least didn’t crucify her. That’s probably part of the hatred against him. Gotta love the GOP purity test.

  68. 68.

    CynDee

    @John Cole:

    I haven’t been in this group very long, but have found myself very so gratified to have access to the wonderful mix of terrific animals, (first things first) thoughtful, well-stated discourse, and interesting, smart, extremely creative and hilarious thinkers who do a lot of good by what they share, mostly. It’s a great, well-run site altogether.

    I guess I’ve become well integrated, because I was thinking of it all last night just before sleep and in my mind I called you “John Tunch.” Bet I’m not the first to do that.

  70. 70.

    tom c

    Cool science pic. The pile of fur on the left has acquired so much mass that it has another smaller pile of fur orbiting around it.

  72. 72.

    Gatsby

    Where did you buy that Furminator? Is it available at Petco? I have two cats shedding like crazy all over my apartment. Help!

  74. 74.

    RPh

    Yay!!

    Tunch ate “Jonah the Fail”.

    I guess this means that Al Regnery is going to offer him a book deal now.

    Liberal Fur-scism?

  75. 75.

    grumpy realist

    Good lord, John, now we know why that shot of the futon was tilted to one side…

    And I thought MY cat was large.

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