Also, if you live in Wisconsin, contact the local Democratic Party or Emily’s List or some other such group and do some canvassing this weekend and/or phonebanking and/or general GOTV stuff.
Me, I’m headin’ to Oshkosh to knock on doors in favor of Jessica King. Randy Hopper can munch on a bowl of my nuts.
3.
DonkeyKong
Ich bin ein Cheeshead!
4.
geg6
I’m going to have to send in some cash just as a simulated brain bleach to take the whole image of John Cole telling us that we Democrats need big, fat bullies like Chris Christie to tell us what to do.
Fuck, might as well make Jane Hamsher the new head of the DNC.
5.
Three-nineteen
Just a reminder, six races take place on Tuesday. The other two for Bob Wirch and Jim Holperin take place on Aug 16th.
6.
4tehlulz
@geg6: You have to admit, that would be entertaining as hell.
Yeah, if you don’t give a shit how far down the crapper this country goes, it would be a laugh riot.
8.
Jay B.
Just to note for the apologists who constantly whine about “emo progs” just sitting around posting on “GOS” and never getting off their ass, nutroots, ineffectual, purity, “base”, blahblahblah, you know, all the rectally-sourced stupidity dozens of you post every day — Daily Kos has raised more than $500K, they’ve provided a great clearing house for volunteers and phone banking AND have run polls for this. They have practically been the sole national conduit for WI info and updates.
It’s to this site’s eternal credit that BJ has been in the fight too. And certainly, $16K is meaningful.
But I want to lay down the marker — if they win, Labor, WI Dems and the Kos community led the way. The national Democrats didn’t even get involved until July.
A win here could change the conversation — even after the loser Democratic establishment in DC talked the same fucking language as Walker for the past six months. Hell, they could even use this as the “pivot”, although given the time of year and their utter incompetence, they probably won’t.
Oh well. At least it shows a state Democratic party working with its natural allies in Labor against entrenched interests to affect change using a moral argument. It could be substantial.
Donated. I surely hope the good guys win in Wisconsin. This is SO important. If we’re not making calls, we should at least be donating. Kudos to the person who was matching donations the other night. I think it made a big difference.
@Jay B.:
I appreciate all the information. I had no idea.
12.
Lol
OFA has been shipping people in to help the past few weeks too.
13.
kideni
@Jay B.: Absolutely. Chris Bowers had a fantastic essay the other day about lessons from the debt ceiling fight, and his final point is that change is more likely to happen in the states before it can happen in DC, and he thinks trends are going our way in the states.
14.
hhex65
@Lol: did they have to listen to a sermon about “real” Democrats first or were they just allowed to go in there and work?
If there is something stupid and/or evil here, I don’t see it.
Barlow has worked as Lee’s top legal counsel since shortly after the freshman GOP senator won his 2010 election. Before that, Barlow was a partner in the Chicago office of Sidley and Austin, where he spent 10 years working on class-action suits involving pharmaceutical companies.
__
That is the same office where Michelle Obama worked as an associate and where in the early 1990s she met Barack Obama, who worked there as a summer associate.
I see it as mild cronyism/officeholders behaving like politicians. Next outrage audition please.
20.
WaterGirl
typing a comment to see if that will let safari know i am on an ipad so i can get the mobile site.
Edit: no, that doesn’t help.
21.
Just Some Fuckhead
@taylormattd: He’s prolly sticking it to disloyal bloggers. The Obots told me this could happen.
@taylormattd:
It’s called “Advice and Consent”. For appointed Federal officials who require Senate confirmation and serve in just one state, like US Attorneys and District Judges, the President usually chooses from a list of recommendations made by that state’s senators. That’s why it’s a mistake to judge the politics of District Judges based only on the President who appointed them; you also have to look at the Senators who made the recommendation.
Saw this from The Rude One:
A “Dear Barack” Letter:
Dear Barack,
We’ve had some good times over the last few years. Hell, 2008 was one of the most hopeful times in my life. Remember all those rallies and adoring crowds? God, it was wild. I didn’t think I could keep up with you; you were so intense, so passionate. But once we started living together, things changed.
Sure, sure, you brought me flowers, you told me how much you cared, and you moved me in ways that I never thought I’d be moved. You can still do that to this day. But isn’t that the way it is with our lovers? There’s always going to be parts of them that we miss. That just shows that you meant something, and that you still do. But I need to do this for the sake of my sanity, my self-esteem.
If you care to know why, let me explain. You started to take me for granted. Almost immediately your eye started to wander. When we’d go out, I’d always think, “I’ll be he’s looking over there at that table to the right.” You told me not to worry about it. You said that I was still your heart and soul.
You made promises you never kept, Barack. And it’s not as if you ever apologized for breaking them. You’d say that we would climb mountains together, but you decided that you’d rather go hunting. “In the future, we’ll climb mountains, don’t worry,” you told me. “We can’t afford it right now.” But somehow, you always found the money for other things. Even the ones you kept were somehow diminished. You said we would build a house. Instead, you got us a trailer. You told me to be happy with a trailer. You took the things I cared about and you said you cared, too. Then you either cast them aside or did the bare minimum to show you cared.
Even now, you’re still making promises, as if you still believe they can come true. They can’t. Not unless you change. Not unless you’re willing to fight for us. But I don’t think you can. I don’t think that’s who you are.
I got into this relationship without any illusions about who you were. I never listened when others told me that you were perfect. I never listened when some told me you weren’t worth my time. I got together with you because I believed in us. You and me. Somewhere along the way, you stopped caring. Somewhere along the line, you started believing in others more than you believed in me.
I loved you as a smart, principled man. I worked at this relationship. Even when we fought, I still sought out the good in you. Now, finally, after watching you have affair after affair, saying each time that it was just a one-time thing, I have to allow myself to feel bitter and angry and more than a little foolish. And I have to do that by myself.
I’m sure many of my friends will be upset. “What are you going to do now?” they’ll say. “You’re not going to date Mitt or Michele, are you?” What that implies is that I should settle, that I should compromise myself and my dreams just to keep us together. No one deserves that kind of power. And they never considered a third option between staying with you and being with someone else. They never considered that I could just be alone.
So this is a separation, and I’m sure you’ll be dating again quickly. But I need a break. I need to remember why I loved you. I need to miss you. I need to see if I miss you. Sure, sure, you’ll say, I’m being a drama queen, that nothing has changed, that I don’t live in the real world, that everything you’ve done has been for me, that I just don’t understand what it’s like to live with the pressure that you have. No, but I have to live with the results of what you do. And after you’re done, in 2013 or 2017, you’ll still be a rich moderate conservative and I’ll still be a middle-class liberal trying his best to clean up all the messes.
I’m gonna pack up my stuff and head out now. I wish you well, truly, for everyone’s sake. But I think if there’s anything you can take away from this, it’s simple:
It’s not me. It’s you.
Sincerely,
The Rude Pundit
30.
Maude
@Alwhite:
Needs violin music in the background. What a self serving post by Rude Pundit.
31.
General Stuck
I’m gonna pack up my stuff and head out now. I wish you well, truly, for everyone’s sake. But I think if there’s anything you can take away from this, it’s simple:
Don’t let the door bang yer ass on the way out.
32.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Alwhite: Xin Loi motherfucker. Go see the chaplain and get your card punched.
Can someone explain the “hook” of Atrios’ blog? He has post after post of “threads”. That’s not a blog, that’s a blue twitter page for anonymous commentors. When he does post, it’s always a paragraph excerpt of someone else’s words, followed by a 1-2 sentence blarf. Not getting it.
Can someone explain the “hook” of Atrios’ blog? He has post after post of “threads”. That’s not a blog, that’s a blue twitter page for anonymous commentors. When he does post, it’s always a paragraph excerpt of someone else’s words, followed by a 1-2 sentence blarf. Not getting it.
He used to have a lot more content, now he mostly has a community. He prolly oughta pick up a few more frontpagers just to make it look like something is going on. I still check it first every day but I’ve never participated in the comments.
40.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
O/T but happy birthday to you! It’s my b’day too and I’m celebrating right now with a lovely glass of Shiraz. I might even have another.
We share with Martin Sheen and Tony Bennett, among many others.
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Atrios was. IIRC, in the distant past a pretty good writer on economic matters. I stopped playing there when he went to 100% quoting someone else and adding a brief comment.
Edit: Happy birthday! to ya’ll. I wish you many more.
43.
dollared
@SiubhanDuinne: Happy Birthday to both of you. I’ll be having a glass of rioja in your honor. But Omnes, with you so close the Essen House and all, I’m sure you’ll make a good choice.
44.
RalfW
Here’s what our grifter GOP Tea Party Congress is up to:
The government is likely to lose more than $1 billion in airline ticket taxes because lawmakers have left town for a month without passing enabling legislation for the FAA to resume collecting the tax. Most airlines upped their fares when the tax went away, so the loss of the tax revenue didn’t go to consumers, it went to the airlines.
Fuckers.
45.
Maude
@Dennis SGMM:
He used to have some of the best snark. Now, it’s boring.
His comments are like an ad for Prozac.
He has lost a lot of commenters and is scraping the bottom of the barrel.
@Punchy: I agree with you. I’ve visited the comment section and no one stays on topic, they have personal conversations so I think it’s more a chat forum now.
47.
taylormattd
@Roger Moore – 23
It’s called “Advice and Consent”. For appointed Federal officials who require Senate confirmation and serve in just one state, like US Attorneys and District Judges, the President usually chooses from a list of recommendations made by that state’s senators. That’s why it’s a mistake to judge the politics of District Judges based only on the President who appointed them; you also have to look at the Senators who made the recommendation.
No, I totally understand that. Two things: this isn’t a federal district court judgment appointment. Those are more difficult. This is for U.S. Attorney. There are a million democrats that are attorneys in that state. And many were nominated and suggested by State party officials. According to those folks, the White House never even spoke to a single one of those. :(
“An ad for Prozac,” LOL! Now I know why going there made me feel sleepy.
I think that burnout is almost impossible for single-handed bloggers to avoid. That’s why I heartily approve of Cole’s adoption of multiple front pagers. I’d be happy to see a conservative FPer as well but it seems that lucid conservatives are only slightly more rare than Ivory Billed Woodpeckers.
49.
RossInDetroit
I’m so glad to have something else to concentrate on after the recent Washington unpleasantries.
Good luck, WI Dems. May the weather and the FSM be with you.
Weird. I have responded TWICE to comments wishing happy birthday. But they don’t show up at all. Anyhow, to those of you who said HB, thanks very much.
What’s the point of having a “reply” button if it doesn’t let one actually reply?
@taylormattd:
The state party officials aren’t the ones who have a vote and a say on confirmation; it’s Utah’s Senators who do. As a practical matter, Obama has to take one of the Utah Senators’ suggestions. If he appointed anyone else, the Senators would make a stink about it and the rest of the Senate would back them up to protect Senatorial prerogatives.
If by that you mean there’s a shortage of bomb-throwing liberals then I agree. There’s been a shortage of bomb-throwing liberals since the Sixties.
54.
Villago Delenda Est
Atrios is probably burned out…I was a regular there for years, and still visit it daily, several times, but ceased commenting when he changed the comment system again, it just wasn’t worth the effort. The community here is more like the community Atrios used to have say five years ago.
Mr. Papa (I can call him that) will vote for Obama.
Atrios is bored with blogging, he’s said so.
Even the great ones have only so much to say. I think it’s impressive if either walks the talk (not voting for Obama and quitting blogging, in this example), and equally impressive that they continue to slog on.
Most airlines upped their fares when the tax went away, so the loss of the tax revenue didn’t go to consumers, it went to the airlines.
If you were to explain this to Americans, especially Americans who fly a lot, with charts and graphs, they would still not care enough to change their voting behavior. They will figure that the billion would have just been wasted on foreign aid and steaks for young bucks.
I’m down to very few blogs, this one being the only one I comment on regularly and visit by far the most consistently, and I’ve noticed JC posting a bit less frequently these days and think, “Shit, he needs a break, and he deserves one.”
Surely I’m not alone in having checked out for a while. I’m three years clean of gasbag TV, except for the ones who admit they’re gasbags, Stewart and Colbert.
58.
beltane
@Villago Delenda Est: Does this mean that we will one day be like Atrios’ commentariat is now? I hope not. The comment section over there reminds me of a doughnut shop at midnight, full of vagrants, lonely people, and trolls looking for trouble.
They will figure that the billion would have just been wasted on foreign aid and steaks for young bucks.
The way to argue it to the cooly cynical you describe is to say that the gubbmint will get their money one way or another, and if they don’t get it from JetBlue then they’re coming after you.
This is a stupid and cynical argument, but it will appeal to a certain type of voter.
60.
JPL
@SiubhanDuinne: Happy Birthday. When we get together I’ll even buy you a glass of wine.
What I remember about Atrios’ commentariat is that it was the first to go rancid in a way we would later associate with Firedoglake: lots of in-chat among regulars, and any departure from groupthink was cause for vilification. I remember the specific individuals who were the Heathers leading the charge, and damned if I haven’t seen them since pulling the same shit at FDL, TalkLeft, and even Alicublog.
So many blogs I either no longer comment at or stay away from altogether. Sigh.
Any USENET thread connected with Libertarianism (or libertarianism, for that matter) was guaranteed to be a sewer filled with idiots, knaves, and people who would very easily mistake quotes from The Wealth of Nations for base Marxism.
@Villago Delenda Est:
Heh! Some of the flame wars on USENET were fricking epic. I lured there longer than I should have just to enjoy the flames. I lurked because at one point someone took the good time and trouble to open a USENET thread with the title of altfaggotbulletstopper and my USENET moniker.
Good times.
70.
Dennis SGMM
Ooo, my comment is awaiting moderation. It would be really fucking nice if commenters who’ve been around for years without advocating for boner boosters or any other commercial product could post without running afoul of WordPress’ double secret tripwires.
Edit: Thank you whoever released my comment so quickly.
pragmatism
hit it, don’t babysit it?
Jude
Also, if you live in Wisconsin, contact the local Democratic Party or Emily’s List or some other such group and do some canvassing this weekend and/or phonebanking and/or general GOTV stuff.
Me, I’m headin’ to Oshkosh to knock on doors in favor of Jessica King. Randy Hopper can munch on a bowl of my nuts.
DonkeyKong
Ich bin ein Cheeshead!
geg6
I’m going to have to send in some cash just as a simulated brain bleach to take the whole image of John Cole telling us that we Democrats need big, fat bullies like Chris Christie to tell us what to do.
Fuck, might as well make Jane Hamsher the new head of the DNC.
Three-nineteen
Just a reminder, six races take place on Tuesday. The other two for Bob Wirch and Jim Holperin take place on Aug 16th.
4tehlulz
@geg6: You have to admit, that would be entertaining as hell.
geg6
@4tehlulz:
Yeah, if you don’t give a shit how far down the crapper this country goes, it would be a laugh riot.
Jay B.
Just to note for the apologists who constantly whine about “emo progs” just sitting around posting on “GOS” and never getting off their ass, nutroots, ineffectual, purity, “base”, blahblahblah, you know, all the rectally-sourced stupidity dozens of you post every day — Daily Kos has raised more than $500K, they’ve provided a great clearing house for volunteers and phone banking AND have run polls for this. They have practically been the sole national conduit for WI info and updates.
It’s to this site’s eternal credit that BJ has been in the fight too. And certainly, $16K is meaningful.
But I want to lay down the marker — if they win, Labor, WI Dems and the Kos community led the way. The national Democrats didn’t even get involved until July.
A win here could change the conversation — even after the loser Democratic establishment in DC talked the same fucking language as Walker for the past six months. Hell, they could even use this as the “pivot”, although given the time of year and their utter incompetence, they probably won’t.
Oh well. At least it shows a state Democratic party working with its natural allies in Labor against entrenched interests to affect change using a moral argument. It could be substantial.
David in NY
@Jay B.: Yes.
TooManyJens
@Jude: You can do phonebanking even if you’re not in Wisconsin: http://action.wisdems.org/
WaterGirl
Donated. I surely hope the good guys win in Wisconsin. This is SO important. If we’re not making calls, we should at least be donating. Kudos to the person who was matching donations the other night. I think it made a big difference.
@Jay B.:
I appreciate all the information. I had no idea.
Lol
OFA has been shipping people in to help the past few weeks too.
kideni
@Jay B.: Absolutely. Chris Bowers had a fantastic essay the other day about lessons from the debt ceiling fight, and his final point is that change is more likely to happen in the states before it can happen in DC, and he thinks trends are going our way in the states.
hhex65
@Lol: did they have to listen to a sermon about “real” Democrats first or were they just allowed to go in there and work?
Southern Beale
OMG NewsCorp has a drone! A fucking DRONE! This is taking this spying/hacking crap WAY too far.
beltane
@Southern Beale: Wow, Murdoch really is a Bond villain. I wonder what other gadgets his organization uses to spy on Americans.
taylormattd
Off topic, but WTF? http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/52312818-90/barlow-utah-attorney-obama.html.csp
Omnes Omnibus
@taylormattd: No idea what is going on with that. One hopes something was given in return.
freelancer
@taylormattd:
If there is something stupid and/or evil here, I don’t see it.
I see it as mild cronyism/officeholders behaving like politicians. Next outrage audition please.
WaterGirl
typing a comment to see if that will let safari know i am on an ipad so i can get the mobile site.
Edit: no, that doesn’t help.
Just Some Fuckhead
@taylormattd: He’s prolly sticking it to disloyal bloggers. The Obots told me this could happen.
John O
All of my political money is going to S. Colbert. Sorry.
freelancer
RIP Bubba Smith
Roger Moore
@taylormattd:
It’s called “Advice and Consent”. For appointed Federal officials who require Senate confirmation and serve in just one state, like US Attorneys and District Judges, the President usually chooses from a list of recommendations made by that state’s senators. That’s why it’s a mistake to judge the politics of District Judges based only on the President who appointed them; you also have to look at the Senators who made the recommendation.
lamh34
@freelancer:
I was just reading that. I”m not much of a football fan, but I did know who he was. Plus I actually loved the first couple of Police Academy movies
John O
Bubba Smith was a bad-ass football player.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@John O: Bubba commercial.
Omnes Omnibus
@John O:
Watch your mouth.
Alwhite
Saw this from The Rude One:
A “Dear Barack” Letter:
Dear Barack,
We’ve had some good times over the last few years. Hell, 2008 was one of the most hopeful times in my life. Remember all those rallies and adoring crowds? God, it was wild. I didn’t think I could keep up with you; you were so intense, so passionate. But once we started living together, things changed.
Sure, sure, you brought me flowers, you told me how much you cared, and you moved me in ways that I never thought I’d be moved. You can still do that to this day. But isn’t that the way it is with our lovers? There’s always going to be parts of them that we miss. That just shows that you meant something, and that you still do. But I need to do this for the sake of my sanity, my self-esteem.
If you care to know why, let me explain. You started to take me for granted. Almost immediately your eye started to wander. When we’d go out, I’d always think, “I’ll be he’s looking over there at that table to the right.” You told me not to worry about it. You said that I was still your heart and soul.
You made promises you never kept, Barack. And it’s not as if you ever apologized for breaking them. You’d say that we would climb mountains together, but you decided that you’d rather go hunting. “In the future, we’ll climb mountains, don’t worry,” you told me. “We can’t afford it right now.” But somehow, you always found the money for other things. Even the ones you kept were somehow diminished. You said we would build a house. Instead, you got us a trailer. You told me to be happy with a trailer. You took the things I cared about and you said you cared, too. Then you either cast them aside or did the bare minimum to show you cared.
Even now, you’re still making promises, as if you still believe they can come true. They can’t. Not unless you change. Not unless you’re willing to fight for us. But I don’t think you can. I don’t think that’s who you are.
I got into this relationship without any illusions about who you were. I never listened when others told me that you were perfect. I never listened when some told me you weren’t worth my time. I got together with you because I believed in us. You and me. Somewhere along the way, you stopped caring. Somewhere along the line, you started believing in others more than you believed in me.
I loved you as a smart, principled man. I worked at this relationship. Even when we fought, I still sought out the good in you. Now, finally, after watching you have affair after affair, saying each time that it was just a one-time thing, I have to allow myself to feel bitter and angry and more than a little foolish. And I have to do that by myself.
I’m sure many of my friends will be upset. “What are you going to do now?” they’ll say. “You’re not going to date Mitt or Michele, are you?” What that implies is that I should settle, that I should compromise myself and my dreams just to keep us together. No one deserves that kind of power. And they never considered a third option between staying with you and being with someone else. They never considered that I could just be alone.
So this is a separation, and I’m sure you’ll be dating again quickly. But I need a break. I need to remember why I loved you. I need to miss you. I need to see if I miss you. Sure, sure, you’ll say, I’m being a drama queen, that nothing has changed, that I don’t live in the real world, that everything you’ve done has been for me, that I just don’t understand what it’s like to live with the pressure that you have. No, but I have to live with the results of what you do. And after you’re done, in 2013 or 2017, you’ll still be a rich moderate conservative and I’ll still be a middle-class liberal trying his best to clean up all the messes.
I’m gonna pack up my stuff and head out now. I wish you well, truly, for everyone’s sake. But I think if there’s anything you can take away from this, it’s simple:
It’s not me. It’s you.
Sincerely,
The Rude Pundit
Maude
@Alwhite:
Needs violin music in the background. What a self serving post by Rude Pundit.
General Stuck
Don’t let the door bang yer ass on the way out.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Alwhite: Xin Loi motherfucker. Go see the chaplain and get your card punched.
General Stuck
@Maude:
And they wonder why we call them emo progs.
Maude
@General Stuck:
The word douchebag comes to mind and I have never used it before.
Roger Moore
@Alwhite:
Shorter Rude Pundit:
Just Some Fuckhead
Seemed pretty sweet for The Rude Pundit.
Punchy
Can someone explain the “hook” of Atrios’ blog? He has post after post of “threads”. That’s not a blog, that’s a blue twitter page for anonymous commentors. When he does post, it’s always a paragraph excerpt of someone else’s words, followed by a 1-2 sentence blarf. Not getting it.
freelancer
@Punchy:
It’s blue?
Just Some Fuckhead
@Punchy:
He used to have a lot more content, now he mostly has a community. He prolly oughta pick up a few more frontpagers just to make it look like something is going on. I still check it first every day but I’ve never participated in the comments.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
O/T but happy birthday to you! It’s my b’day too and I’m celebrating right now with a lovely glass of Shiraz. I might even have another.
We share with Martin Sheen and Tony Bennett, among many others.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@SiubhanDuinne: Happy birthday to both of youse.
Dennis SGMM
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Atrios was. IIRC, in the distant past a pretty good writer on economic matters. I stopped playing there when he went to 100% quoting someone else and adding a brief comment.
Edit: Happy birthday! to ya’ll. I wish you many more.
dollared
@SiubhanDuinne: Happy Birthday to both of you. I’ll be having a glass of rioja in your honor. But Omnes, with you so close the Essen House and all, I’m sure you’ll make a good choice.
RalfW
Here’s what our grifter GOP Tea Party Congress is up to:
The government is likely to lose more than $1 billion in airline ticket taxes because lawmakers have left town for a month without passing enabling legislation for the FAA to resume collecting the tax. Most airlines upped their fares when the tax went away, so the loss of the tax revenue didn’t go to consumers, it went to the airlines.
Fuckers.
Maude
@Dennis SGMM:
He used to have some of the best snark. Now, it’s boring.
His comments are like an ad for Prozac.
He has lost a lot of commenters and is scraping the bottom of the barrel.
@SiubhanDuinne:
Happy birthday and enjoy.
cathyx
@Punchy: I agree with you. I’ve visited the comment section and no one stays on topic, they have personal conversations so I think it’s more a chat forum now.
taylormattd
@Roger Moore – 23
No, I totally understand that. Two things: this isn’t a federal district court judgment appointment. Those are more difficult. This is for U.S. Attorney. There are a million democrats that are attorneys in that state. And many were nominated and suggested by State party officials. According to those folks, the White House never even spoke to a single one of those. :(
Dennis SGMM
@Maude:
“An ad for Prozac,” LOL! Now I know why going there made me feel sleepy.
I think that burnout is almost impossible for single-handed bloggers to avoid. That’s why I heartily approve of Cole’s adoption of multiple front pagers. I’d be happy to see a conservative FPer as well but it seems that lucid conservatives are only slightly more rare than Ivory Billed Woodpeckers.
RossInDetroit
I’m so glad to have something else to concentrate on after the recent Washington unpleasantries.
Good luck, WI Dems. May the weather and the FSM be with you.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Dennis SGMM:
Six ain’t enough for ya?
SiubhanDuinne
Weird. I have responded TWICE to comments wishing happy birthday. But they don’t show up at all. Anyhow, to those of you who said HB, thanks very much.
What’s the point of having a “reply” button if it doesn’t let one actually reply?
Roger Moore
@taylormattd:
The state party officials aren’t the ones who have a vote and a say on confirmation; it’s Utah’s Senators who do. As a practical matter, Obama has to take one of the Utah Senators’ suggestions. If he appointed anyone else, the Senators would make a stink about it and the rest of the Senate would back them up to protect Senatorial prerogatives.
Dennis SGMM
@Just Some Fuckhead:
If by that you mean there’s a shortage of bomb-throwing liberals then I agree. There’s been a shortage of bomb-throwing liberals since the Sixties.
Villago Delenda Est
Atrios is probably burned out…I was a regular there for years, and still visit it daily, several times, but ceased commenting when he changed the comment system again, it just wasn’t worth the effort. The community here is more like the community Atrios used to have say five years ago.
John O
Mr. Papa (I can call him that) will vote for Obama.
Atrios is bored with blogging, he’s said so.
Even the great ones have only so much to say. I think it’s impressive if either walks the talk (not voting for Obama and quitting blogging, in this example), and equally impressive that they continue to slog on.
*shrug*
James E. Powell
Most airlines upped their fares when the tax went away, so the loss of the tax revenue didn’t go to consumers, it went to the airlines.
If you were to explain this to Americans, especially Americans who fly a lot, with charts and graphs, they would still not care enough to change their voting behavior. They will figure that the billion would have just been wasted on foreign aid and steaks for young bucks.
John O
I’m down to very few blogs, this one being the only one I comment on regularly and visit by far the most consistently, and I’ve noticed JC posting a bit less frequently these days and think, “Shit, he needs a break, and he deserves one.”
Surely I’m not alone in having checked out for a while. I’m three years clean of gasbag TV, except for the ones who admit they’re gasbags, Stewart and Colbert.
beltane
@Villago Delenda Est: Does this mean that we will one day be like Atrios’ commentariat is now? I hope not. The comment section over there reminds me of a doughnut shop at midnight, full of vagrants, lonely people, and trolls looking for trouble.
MikeJ
@James E. Powell:
The way to argue it to the cooly cynical you describe is to say that the gubbmint will get their money one way or another, and if they don’t get it from JetBlue then they’re coming after you.
This is a stupid and cynical argument, but it will appeal to a certain type of voter.
JPL
@SiubhanDuinne: Happy Birthday. When we get together I’ll even buy you a glass of wine.
gwangung
One day?
Sigh.
Dennis SGMM
@gwangung:
I’ve been around since BBS days. Then there was USENET and IRC. You have yet to plumb the depths of a deteriorated commentariat.
MikeJ
@Dennis SGMM: Has anybody ever mentioned Kibo here?
gwangung
@Dennis SGMM: I am an eternal Pollyanna.
CaseyL
Happy B-Day to Omnes Omnibus and SiubhanDuinne!
What I remember about Atrios’ commentariat is that it was the first to go rancid in a way we would later associate with Firedoglake: lots of in-chat among regulars, and any departure from groupthink was cause for vilification. I remember the specific individuals who were the Heathers leading the charge, and damned if I haven’t seen them since pulling the same shit at FDL, TalkLeft, and even Alicublog.
So many blogs I either no longer comment at or stay away from altogether. Sigh.
Villago Delenda Est
@Dennis SGMM:
Any USENET thread connected with Libertarianism (or libertarianism, for that matter) was guaranteed to be a sewer filled with idiots, knaves, and people who would very easily mistake quotes from The Wealth of Nations for base Marxism.
Ben Cisco
White Sox are getting KILLED! 13-1 in the third (which feels like its lasted for an hour).
__
ETA: And they get out of it even as I hit submit.
Maude
@Villago Delenda Est:
Republicans?
Dennis SGMM
@Villago Delenda Est:
Heh! Some of the flame wars on USENET were fricking epic. I lured there longer than I should have just to enjoy the flames. I lurked because at one point someone took the good time and trouble to open a USENET thread with the title of altfaggotbulletstopper and my USENET moniker.
Good times.
Dennis SGMM
Ooo, my comment is awaiting moderation. It would be really fucking nice if commenters who’ve been around for years without advocating for boner boosters or any other commercial product could post without running afoul of WordPress’ double secret tripwires.
Edit: Thank you whoever released my comment so quickly.
Dwieboldt
@DonkeyKong: That would be a “KaseKopfe”…
Kibo
@MikeJ:
mentioning is Allowed
but Kibo is no longer beable
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: Happy B-day to you as well. Enjoy the wine.
SiubhanDuinne
@JPL: We can each buy a glass of wine for the other. You just had a birthday too, after all.
Thanks for good wishes.
SiubhanDuinne
@Dwieboldt:
Ou un tête de fromage.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus: Thanks OO. Backatcha.