Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

This fight is for everything.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

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

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

I really should read my own blog.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Nothing worth doing is easy.

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

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Infrastructure week. at last.

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Reader Interactions

88Comments

  1. 1.

    Daaling

    Just another right wing fuckhead crying out for attention. And of course the usual suspect on BJ are more than happy to take the bait as usual.

    Of course I am sure ABL Vista Home Edition will be all over this like Republicans at a whites only club.

  3. 3.

    LanceThruster

    1) Yes, several. Warm, practical, stylish, and affordable.

    2) Yes, several. Target shooting, historical curios, good buy at the time that has increased in value consistently over the years, home protection and a useful resource if/when the SHTF.

  4. 4.

    Jay C

    OK, other than just demonstrating what an asshole he can be (yes, I know, for many wingers – especially those on the radio – that is an worthwhile end in and of itself), what is the point here?
    Outside of the KKK hood, I guess.

    I mean, seriously?

    PS: Another annoying site gripe for John: is there any way to revert the blockquote” function back to the colored box? The new way doesn’t really highlight the quote very well.

  6. 6.

    Buffalo Rude

    I have met Tom Bauerle numerous times and can attest to the fact that he is just as much of an asshole IRL.

  8. 8.

    honus

    Okay, I give up. When I switched from the mobile site it said “you can switch back in the footer” Well, how? There ain’t nothing in the footer but a link to wordpress.

  9. 9.

    shortstop

    I guess I’m dumber than usual today, because when I saw the KKK hood bit, I at first assumed he was making fun of all the wingers who insist that Martin looked dangerous. (I had no idea who Tom Bauerle is until now.)

  11. 11.

    Fanshawe

    So, Martin was probably in the KKK? Sometimes, these sorts of incomprehensible triple-backflip rhetorical claims are points that get lost in their own cleverness. I don’t think excess cleverness was the issue here though.

  12. 12.

    mistermix

    @honus: Right now there’s no way to do it. If your mobile browser allows deleting cookies, delete cookies and you’ll be back to the mobile site on your mobile device.

  13. 13.

    ABL

    i understand the appeal of the kkk robe. it looks pretty darn comfy; lots of negative space for wizard badges and swastikas and such.

    but sartorially-speaking, they should have rethought the hood with the eyeholes. it’s not a good look.

  16. 16.

    Democratic Nihilist, Keeper Of Party Purity

    Wearing a Klan hood on your Facebook page.
    __
    Hey, that’s wise.
    __
    I guess we know of at least one Republican who’s OK with being on the government payroll the rest of his life, he’s not getting a private sector job with a record like that following him around.

  20. 20.

    Marcellus Shale, Public Dick

    @ABL:

    now that the snuggie craze has died down, if they made them in white, and the klan would abide wearing fleece, it wouldn’t take much of a design change.

  21. 21.

    Poopyman

    @ABL:

    but sartorially-speaking, they should have rethought the hood with the eyeholes. it’s not a good look.

    True, but I thought John Goodman’s in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” was a classic.

  23. 23.

    Hal

    You really have to wonder what kind of brain tumor this guy has when he equates the threat level of an unarmed black teenager wearing a hoodie to be the same as robe wearing Klansman.

  26. 26.

    Spaghetti Lee

    Is this one of those Tea Party guys who’s only concerned about spending and the size of government, nothing else? I keep hearing about ’em, but I never seem to meet one.

  27. 27.

    Roger Moore

    @Democratic Nihilist, Keeper Of Party Purity:

    I guess we know of at least one Republican who’s OK with being on the government payroll the rest of his life, he’s not getting a private sector job with a record like that following him around.

    I don’t know about that. There are plenty of spots on the wingnut welfare circuit for somebody who’s willing to let his freak flag fly. Excuse me. There are plenty of think tank jobs available for somebody who’s willing to be such a staunch defender of free expression and free association.

  28. 28.

    lacp

    Maybe it’s me, but that klan thingie looks awfully uncomfortable for jogging. Though I suppose it’s a sacrifice you could make if you want to represent to the fitness crowd.

  29. 29.

    Steve

    Have you guys seen the video of Bobby Rush wearing a hoodie on the House floor? The Republican holding the gavel just about lost his shit. He’s yelling “the gentleman will suspend!!” while Rush is just standing there quoting the Bible.

  30. 30.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    Yes, the hoodie makes you dangerous in the same way that playing basketball makes you tall.

    We all know that if the KKK had not worn those hoodies, they would have thought less about killing.

  35. 35.

    RossInDetroit

    @Buffalo Rude:

    It’s unfair to judge people by how they look, but I clicked through to his bio and my immediate reaction was ‘douche.’
    I’d be willing to keep an open mind and be convinced that he’s merely a douchy-looking OK guy, though.

  38. 38.

    burnspbesq

    @kd bart:

    If I own a velour track suit, does that make me a memeber of The Mob?

    No, but it means you shouldn’t be allowed to shop for clothes without supervision.

  39. 39.

    David in NY

    That Klansman does not look likely to commit a felony in that picture. Not suspicious, just appalling.

  41. 41.

    RossInDetroit

    @MikeJ:

    I’d be surprised if the conservatives weren’t worrying about handing Obama an election issue in a tight race by striking down the law. Gotta be a conundrum there.

  42. 42.

    The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik

    What’s fucking terrifying and disheartening to me is the fact that this sudden principled conservative opposition to Hoodies and the re-emergence and solidification of the fear of ‘Super Mega Criminal Reverse-Racist Blacky Black thug killing whites everywhere’ will probably end up lasting longer than any legal consequence stemming from Trayvon Martin’s death.

  44. 44.

    smith

    I had never heard of this guy before this. I’m sure this was a “Look at me! Look at me!” cry for attention. Wingnuts get very angry and pouty when you ignore them.

  45. 45.

    Patricia Kayden

    They cannot keep their racism hidden. Trayvon’s death has opened the Pandora’s box, which started opening with the election of our current POTUS.

  46. 46.

    penpen

    I thought I was pretty fluent in wingnut but I admit I have no clue what the point of either post is.

  47. 47.

    smith

    @MikeJ:

    Speaking of the Supreme Court, how come Clarence Thomas wasn’t forced to recuse himself since his paranoid, delusional wife was involved in groups trying to overturn the health care law?

  51. 51.

    The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik

    @penpen:

    Unless I’m reading the tea leaves wrong, the whole point is “HOODIES R SUSPISHUS & U SHOULD B SUSPISHUS OF NE THUGGY THUG THUG IN A HOODIE!”

  53. 53.

    John S.

    @Veritas:

    Ah yes, if there’s one thing conservatives know all about, it’s humor. As evidenced by such smashing efforts as the Half Hour News Hour and An American Carol.

  54. 54.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    Tom Baurle: Do I look suspicious?

    Me: Umm, no dude, you just look weird. But then, unlike you, I’m not really into that kinky cosplay stuff.

  56. 56.

    slag

    So, if someone shoots him while he’s wearing that outfit, all’s good?
    __
    I’m just wondering how much of a license being “suspicious-looking” gives a person who may or may not want to shoot you. Is there a published dress code we can follow? A What Not to Wear for those looking to not get shot?

  57. 57.

    lamh35

    I don’t know enough about law investigations to know if this is common, but it seems odd to me.

    “Source: Sanford police chief, state attorney made Zimmerman ‘no charge’ call in person”

    http://www.thegrio.com/specials/trayvon-martin/source-sanford-police-chief-state-attorney-made-zimmerman-no-charge-call-in-person.php

    A source with knowledge of the investigation into the shooting of Trayvon Martin tells theGrio it was then Sanford police chief Bill Lee, along with Capt. Robert O’Connor, the investigations supervisor, who made the decision to release George Zimmerman on the night on February 26th, after consulting with State Attorney Norman Wolfinger — in person.
    Wolfinger’s presence at the scene or at the police department in the night of a shooting would be unusual, according to the source. On a typical case, police contact the state attorney’s office and speak with an on duty assistant state attorney, and they either discuss the matter by phone or the on duty assistant state attorney comes to the crime scene – but rarely the state attorney him or herself…

  58. 58.

    kindness

    I would say that if someone wore the Klan outfit in Florida now it’s legal for a minority/Catholic/Jewish person to shoot and kill them and claim they were threatened by the person just because of their appearance. Maybe one would have to sic a pack of dogs on the guy to get them to run, then you’d have your defense nailed. “But the guy ran!”

  60. 60.

    beltane

    @smith: Because Democrats never make an issue out of these things the way they ought to. Maybe they’ll one day figure out that unreciprocated civility is not in the country’s best interest, but that day has not yet arrived.

  61. 61.

    The Republic of Stupidity

    @John S.:

    As evidenced by such smashing efforts as the Half Hour News Hour and An American Carol.

    And don’t forget well-known right wing comedian extraordinaire Rush Limbaugh’s latest free-form, improvised routine… the one about Sandra Fluke’s sex life…

  62. 62.

    Kiril

    Can someone please explain something to me? I know a hoodie is supposed to be the uniform of choice for chavs, neds, and various other thugsters in the UK, but is this a thing in America now? Because I don’t think it’s a thing. At least, where I live, no one says hoodie = thug.

  63. 63.

    The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik

    @Kiril:

    It’s wasn’t all that explicitly stated until the shooting brought all this latent crap under the surface, but apparently there’s a wide breadth of people who consider hoodies to be along the same lines of ski masks/balaclavas as far as being a good indicator of whether someone is a no good downright criminal thug.

    It’s utter bullshit, but…yeah. And apparently the mindset is actually permeating even further into people’s consciousness.

  66. 66.

    The Other Chuck

    So sweats with a hood is exactly the same as a KKK robe, or presumably Nazi stormtrooper uniform (fuck it let’s just go all the way).

    Oh nevermind, it’s just the right wing making right-wing sounds again without any connection to truth or meaning. I’d call ’em a bunch of howler monkeys, but that’s demeaning to simians.

  70. 70.

    Nemesis

    Just a hint folks….

    The right doesnt believe half the shit they spew. Its calculated to piss off liberals. Nothing more. Why? Because they hate us with a white hot heat. Nothing more.

  71. 71.

    Roger Moore

    @smith:

    Speaking of the Supreme Court, how come Clarence Thomas wasn’t forced to recuse himself since his paranoid, delusional wife was involved in groups trying to overturn the health care law?

    Because nobody can force the Supreme Court to do anything they don’t want to. They are the final arbiters of whether they need to recuse themselves or not, and there’s no way that Thomas is going to be willing to admit he has a conflict of interest. Also, too, Elena Kagan didn’t recuse herself even though she was associated with the Obama administration, so clearly both sides do it.

  72. 72.

    Mnemosyne

    @Nemesis:

    The right doesnt believe half the shit they spew.

    .
    No, I’m pretty sure this guy really believes that if black teenagers who live in gated communities are going to walk around like they have a right to be there, then he should be allowed to put on his KKK hoodie and teach them otherwise.
    .

  73. 73.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    Sanford police chief Bill Lee, along with Capt. Robert O’Connor, the investigations supervisor

    Wonder if the chief ever goes by the nickname “General”, and how much “Bull” the investigations supervisor will provide?

  74. 74.

    Larv

    I suppose this was meant to be funny, but I’m just not getting the joke. Maybe Veritas can translate for those of us who don’t speak wingnut. Who’s the intended target of the joke? Obviously some liberal somewhere, but who and where?

    OT, but is there a thread for nitpicking the site redesign? The inset on the first two lines of the comments is killing me. It’s particularly bad when combined with a starting blockquote, since blockquotes are now much less obvious. Also, the Reply button is weirdly ambivalent – it’s not immediately obvious which comment it belongs to, the one above or the one below (mainly because there’s a comment dividing line that passes right through the middle of it, which makes no sense whatsoever).
    And on edit, wtf is up with the lack of spacing between paragraphs in comments?

  75. 75.

    Brachiator

    @Southern Beale:

    Along these lines, I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what it is right-wingers are defending when they defend George Zimmerman and really, I think I’ve figured it out. They are defending the idea that black people are scary …

    You’re being too mild. The plain fact is that these people are defending the idea that black people are inherently criminal, should be viewed with suspicion, can be confronted and questioned at the discretion of any white person, and can be killed if they resist or fight back.
    __
    The Zimmerman Transcript indicates contempt, not fear. Not being capable of objective observation, he creates an image of a criminal predator:

    We’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood and there’s a real suspicious guy. It’s Retreat View Circle. The best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle.
    __
    This guy looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around looking about.

    Couldn’t possibly be a kid on his way home. And obviously armed and dangerous.

    Yeah, now he’s coming toward me. He’s got his hands in his waist band.
    __
    And he’s a black male

    It may well have been here that Martin’s fate was sealed. Conservatives have a right to bear arms. Black people don’t even have a right to bear skittles and a soft drink.

    __
    Related to this contempt is the idea that women seeking abortions are also inherently criminal and also mentally defective, and should be held down, probed, and “persuaded” to re-think their decision.
    __
    .

  77. 77.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us? (formerly MarkJ)

    I bet Michael Cera is pretty shocked that he’s been walking around looking like a gangsta all these years.

  78. 78.

    Roger Moore

    @Larv:

    I suppose this was meant to be funny, but I’m just not getting the joke.

    I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a joke or a twisted way of making a point. The idea is that liberals automatically associate KKK hoods with dangerous racists, so they shouldn’t be surprised when other people associate hooded sweatshirts with dangerous gang members. It’s a stupid enough point that I can understand anyone who immediately dismissed that as what he was trying to say, but I honestly think that was the idea.

  80. 80.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    @Brachiator:

    You’re being too mild. The plain fact is that these people are defending the idea that black people are inherently criminal, should be viewed with suspicion, can be confronted and questioned at the discretion of any white person, and can be killed if they resist or fight back.

    QFT.

  82. 82.

    Larv

    @beltane:

    Conservatives are meant to be laughed at, not laughed with.

    Oh,I don’t expect to find it funny; I’d just like to understand why it’s supposed to be funny.

  85. 85.

    Larv

    @Roger Moore:

    That makes more sense than any other interpretation I can think of, but I just don’t get the hoodie=gang member association. Maybe for the older generation, but this guy looks fairly young. I don’t know anybody under about 40 (conservative or liberal) who doesn’t own at least one hoodie, and I’m whiter than Casper. I can sort of understand the anti-hoodie jihad coming from Geraldo or the 60+ Fox News demographic (my grandfather used to believe that all societal problems were due to young people wearing jeans too much and hats not enough), but it’s just weird coming from younger conservatives. It’s not like it’s an uncommon garment these days. I bought my brother a camouflage hoodie for Christmas – very gangster.

  86. 86.

    flukebucket

    @Southern Beale:

    I followed the link to LGF from your blog and read the comments from the Brietbart site. My God what in the hell is the matter with people? The comments there are despicable.

  87. 87.

    Mnemosyne

    @Roger Moore:

    The idea is that liberals automatically associate KKK hoods with dangerous racists, so they shouldn’t be surprised when other people associate hooded sweatshirts with dangerous gang members.

    I know I was thrilled when I saw the Old Navy KKK hood collection. Oh, wait, that was regular hoodies like every person in America wears. My bad. I get the two of them mixed up all the time, which is so embarrassing in public when I walk up to some guy and demand to know why he’s wearing a KKK hood in a restaurant.
    .

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