Matt Taibbi’s piece on Jim DeMint is well worth a read:
Not to stretch too far to bring a football analogy in, but DeMint is sort of the Fireman Ed of the conservative movement. The upcoming fiscal cliff cave is the political equivalent of that amazing ass-to-face fumble by Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on Thanksgiving night. The instant famed Jets fan Fireman Ed saw that play, he decided he didn’t want to be the guy in the stands the networks panned to for the next five years every time Sanchez threw a pick six or fumbled the ball off his face – so Ed picked up his little face-paint kit, went home, and penned a completely serious formal resignation. DeMint just did exactly the same thing, only now he’s going to make seven figures at the Heritage Foundation just to not go to the games.
DeMint’s departure was not exactly mourned on the Hill. (“He’s the biggest douchebag in Washington,” is how one congressional aide explained it to me, “and this is the douchebag capital of the world.”) The writing was on the wall for DeMint and his Tea Party cronies when Boehner whacked four Tea Party-aligned Republicans from committee assignments earlier this week.
Privately, what you hear on the Hill is more and more complaining that Tea Party extremism of the DeMint type has not only cost Republicans the Senate (where DeMint’s support of losers like Christine “I dabbled in witchcraft” O’Donnell and Canada-bashing Nevada candidate Sharon Angle may have cost the party winnable elections) but perhaps the White House as well. You hear talk that Republicans are listening to polls showing majorities are tired of DeMint-style filibustering tactics and will blame Republicans, not Democrats, if this fiscal cliff thing goes completely sideways.
Taibbi thinks things could get ugly in the Republican party as the hard-core teahadists battle the faction of the party that would like to win elections. We’ll see. My money’s on the teahadists winning, at least for now.
schrodinger's cat
OK the rest of us can buy popcorn futures
raven
AMF douchebag.
Scott S.
The teabaggers will last ’til someone in a tricorn hat blows up a federal building. After that, they’ll all slink away, barring the Breitbartians, who will wail about false flag operations ’til their dying days…
DonkeyKong
I’m just rooting for injuries.
the Conster
By the way, the local sports talk radio here solicited suggestions for what to call that awesome Sanchez FAIL move, and the winner was a “bumble”.
Also too, it looks like the GOP is re-enacting the bumble, with Boehner playing the role of Sanchez and the tea party as his offensive lineman, in every meaning of the word offensive.
Hill Dweller
The Republican party and the Tea Party are one and the same. The Tea Party is funded by the same oligarchs that fund the “moderates” in the Republican party.
taylormattd
Meh.
taylormattd
Wow, now these are some broken comments. Impressive.
SteveinSC
I’m in with the popcorn. The Teabaggers are bitter-enders and will likely go all postal on Boner and gang. Now we will see why the big business Republicans spend so much money on the military: It will be time to end the Teabagger run, once and for all. It might, one can hope, get bloody, but now the Teahaddists will learn what all the black helicopter are really for.
the Conster
By the way, the local sports talk radio here solicited suggestions for what to call that awesome Sanchez FAIL move, and the winner was a “bumble”.
Also too, it looks like the GOP is re-enacting the bumble, with Boehner playing the role of Sanchez and the tea party as his offensive lineman, in every meaning of the word offensive.
Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn
Pardon the esoterica, but can someone tell me how to pronounce “Taibbi”? It just kinda grinds my gears when I keep reading a word or name and don’t have a clue how it’s supposed to sound.
Snarki, child of Loki
Like the Iran/Iraq war in the 80’s, a Teahadist/Corporatist GOP civil war just cries out for an “arm both sides” strategy.
But they’re already well supplied with guns and money, so maybe we can chip in some cream-pies.
SteveinSC
Holy shit. BugJuice’s web page has gone haywire!
Grumpy Code Monkey
That was a pretty awesome play (in the original sense of the word). And yeah, it kind of encapsulates the GOP over the last couple of years.
Popcorn futures are going to shoot through the roof.
the Conster
FYWP
MattR
The Fireman Ed analogy is crap and only works if you accept Taibbi’s twisting of Ed’s rationale. He did not “resign” because of embarrassment over a single play or because he did not want to forever be associated with that play or with his Jets fandom. He gave up going to games because he was sick of fighting with other Jets fans about Sanchez’s worth as the starting QB. For the analogy to work, Demint would have to be resigning because so many other Republicans were vocally bashing him for his policy positions regarding the fiscal cliff, something which is very obviously not happenening.
dmsilev
Apparently, there are some louder-than-normal murmurs that Boehner is afraid of a coup pushing him out of the Speakership. Baby Jesus doesn’t love us enough to make that happen, but maybe if we all pray *really* hard…
Chinn Romney
So if Demint is Fireman Ed then that must make Karl Rove the Rex Ryan. Mitt would be Mark Sanchez. Newt’s always thinking of the sanctity of marriage as he diddles his way through life, but Antonio Cromartie still fits. And those classy NY Jets fans, that would be the chattering class at any of your favorite conservative websites.
Corner Stone
It’s nothing but turtles, all the way down.
They can’t fix the women problems, the immigration problems, the racist problems, the working poor problems.
All they have are billionaires and racists hiding behind the facade of “Taxed Enough Already”.
Billionaires want to pay everyone else to vote their way and the racists keep fading in number every election.
Pinkamena Panic
@Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn: Tie-EEE-Bee.
Also, too, GOPper infighting since they lost. Someone wanna pick up that phone, ‘cuz we CALLED IT.
Corner Stone
I kind of like this new WP incarnation. Many a time have I wished for a stern warning when close to a BJ.
Ash Can
It would be awesome if the teahadists did win out, but I suspect that’s too much to hope for. I’m betting that there are too many big-bucks types in the GOP who want to actually win elections, and are bright enough to know what to do about it. I certainly hope that the wackos bind and gag Boehner and throw him in the trunk and drive the GOP car clear off the edge of their flat earth once and for all, but I’m not going to get my hopes up.
PeakVT
and this is the douchebag capital of the world.
DC is douchier than LA or NYC? I dunno. The type of douchebag is different in each of the cities, which makes comparisons a little difficult, but I think NYC wins with all of those crybaby banksters.
ranchandsyrup
@Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn: Tie E Be
phonetically taɪˈiːbi
Mr Stagger Lee
@Chinn Romney: So who is Tim Tebow,Paul Ryan?
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: Why? Price has no hope of holding that coalition together, nor does Cantor. What outcome are you hoping for?
MikeJ
@MattR: Taibbi got easily checked facts wrong? That’s unpossible! You just don’t like swearing.
Ash Can
PS: I don’t know if others here are seeing the same thing, but it looks like Tunch finally got fed up with Cole paying too much attention to the blog and not enough to him, loaded the server with kitty turds and dynamite, and detonated that bad boy. Pretty impressive mess, actually.
Mr Stagger Lee
THIS IS WHAT WORD PRESS LOOKS LIKE WITH A #$#& IN IT’S MOUTH!!
geg6
OT, but is this as big a deal as TPM is making it out to be?
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/fed-announces-bombshell-new-stimulus-policy.php?ref=fpa
Tractarian
I stopped reading here. Apparently even Matt Taibbi has no idea what the fiscal cliff actually is.
(Hint: raising taxes isn’t the way to “avoid” it!)
Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn
@Pinkamena Panic: Muchos gracitos!
scav
Doucho di tutti douchi?
soooooo, one could describe the Heritage Faux lifestyle as La Douce Vita?
Tractarian
Also too, I think the title of this post should be
Duccio di tutti ducci
(A semester of high school Italian didn’t go to waste, no sir)
Petorado
Will Republicans finally submit to reason and the general well-being of the nation over their closely-held political motives? I wouldn’t count on it. What Republicans lack in appeal to a majority of the country, they make up for with zealotry and fanaticism by their base. Being anything other than complete and reckless dicks will turn away the only part of the population that supports them. Modern conservatism is less a political belief than a pathology. I expect them to act like a cornered animal and double down on the crazy than wise-up and admit to their deficiencies..
Roger Moore
@Corner Stone:
We’re not talking about Mitch McConnell.
dmsilev
@Corner Stone: I’m rooting for injuries, of course.
Corner Stone
@Roger Moore: Of course we are.
Ash Can
OK, seems to back to normal now.
Ash Can
Spoke too soon.
handsmile
@Ash Can:
Word Press has finally OD’d on the snark.
And it’s all our own fault. Bernard Finel tried to warn us.
scav
Il Douche might also be worked into the operetta libretto. Hovering between butch counter-tenor or something less obvious. depends how buffa, I guess.
Mark S.
I don’t agree with the premise that there are these sane, moderate Republicans trying to take back the party from the teabaggers. I hear this is going to happen every time the GOP gets its ass kicked, and then they double down on the stupidity. Once Chairman Rush issues a new proclamation, they’ll get their asses back in line.
SteveinSC
@Mr Stagger Lee:
You are right. There’s all kinds of gibberish in place of text. Your post was all screwed up so I fixed it.
PeakVT
@geg6: I don’t think the move will have a tremendous impact, but in the long run I think it is very significant that the FRB has stated explicitly that it will tolerate inflation over 2%. For no particular reason that I’ve seen stated, 2% became the de facto ceiling for inflation for central banks around the world at some point in the last decade. Breaking that ceiling is a good thing, IMHO, because getting below that 2% became an end unto itself. The consequences weren’t horrible here, but over in Europe the hard 2% ceiling has been devastating.
Napoleon
@Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn:
Watch NBC Nightly news and you can hear his dad, Mike Taibbi, pronounce the name (or Brian Williams do it). In fact maybe there is a clip on their website.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@geg6:
No rate increases until UE goes under 6.5%, or inflation goes over 2.5%.
It’s a big deal in that the US Fed doesn’t customarily announce specific targets (that was a European thing, at least pre-austerity). But IMO it’s not really a big policy change (what have they just started doing that they haven’t been doing for the past few years)?
That said, UE is projected to go below 6.5% in mid-2013. Though (also IMO) that won’t happen so soon, as folks who gave up looking for a job awhile ago will start looking again once the number goes under 7% or so.
schrodinger's cat
@geg6: IDK, how much monetary easing can help, since we are already in a liquidity trap.
trollhattan
@Scott S.:
In addition to the Breitbartians (and guess who’s still dead as the year draws to a close?) there will be the many who will cluck, “I may not approve of his methods, but I can understand his frustration and feeling forced to act.”
Yutsano
@schrodinger’s cat: And this thread makes me want gnocchi.
schrodinger's cat
@Yutsano: That is some heavy duty carbo-loading!
BTW I am still look for suggestions on fun things to do in Philly and great places to eat.
scav
occhi docchi smocchi.
PeakVT
The gibberish seems to be in only the last 8 comments, and it goes away when my edit window expires.
Didn’t the Maya predict something like this?
scav
@PeakVT: I’m glad the meotor held off because this is one the plagues I’m rather enjoying in a twisted way. Another one for the BJ legends.
Roger Moore
@PeakVT:
My impression is that 2% has become the de facto target of the Fed and, IIRC, the official target of ECB. The problem is that central bankers seem to have an asymmetric reaction to inflation that’s not on target: they’re a lot more worried about inflation that’s above target than below. That never made a lot of sense no matter what the target, and it’s dead wrong when the inflation target is as close to zero as it is now; 1% inflation is genuinely dangerous in a way that 3% isn’t. By saying that they’re going to sit on their hands until inflation gets to 2.5%, the Fed is saying that they’re at least as worried about inflation that’s below target as inflation that’s above target, which is significant. They’re actually behaving as if the “full employment” part of their dual mandate is as important as the “price stability” part.
Schlemizel
@the Conster:
“He leads the lead in all offensive categories – including most noes hairs. When this guy sneezes he looks like a party favor”
– Harry Doyle
scav
@PeakVT: oh, and I think it’s not 8 comments, but has to do with the time stamps of the comments and the comment with the edit button.
The Moar You Know
Hope it’s not a lot of money, you’ll lose it all.
The real national motto of this country is and always has been “money talks and bullshit walks” and Money is looking at this “fiscal cliff” nonsense and Money does not like what it’s seeing at all.
DeMint’s out (love to know what they had on him), the TeaTards are having their leashes and muzzles put on, by force if needed, and Money’s going to make sure they lose as little as possible. That, unfortunately for the GOP, will require a compromise, by any means necessary. And by compromise I mean “more or less total capitulation”.
The TeaTards have already cost Money quite a lot; I think the word has come down that they’d better not cost them any more.
A deal will be made, and from Obama’s demeanor this last week, I think he’s knows he’s going to get enough to come out of this the undisputed winner.
charon
This all goes back to demonizing the word “liberal” and sanctifying the word “conservative.”
Because, of course, if conservative=good, the obvious corollary is more-conservative=better. The GOP is incapable of ever not continuing to drift further and further to the right, at least not until it embraces a different nominating process than primaries dominated by activists.
Teahadists win for now, not even close.
Stooleo
When I first read “Fireman Ed” I immediately thought of Fire Marshall Bill .
gene108
@schrodinger’s cat:
Art Museum/Museum area is worth a look.
Pietro’s is a small Italian/Pizza chain, with a location on 2nd and South St. Good gourmet pizza and Italian food.
Rangoon on 9th and Arch streets has some good Malaysian food.
Reading Terminal Market is a big indoor market place with plenty of places to eat. It’s on 12th and Market.
MattR
@schrodinger’s cat: My mom and sister enjoyed visiting Al Capone’s cell a couple years back. I have not been to the Franklin Institute in a while but I hear it is still a cool place to visit if you like science.
PeakVT
@Roger Moore: You’re right, 2% is the official target of the ECB, which has no full employment mandate to boot.
Yutsano
@gene108: Maybe it’s just me, but I find a Malaysian restaurant named Rangoon slightly odd. Amir might appreciate it though.
Mike in NC
@schrodinger’s cat:
Been a while, but South Street was always worth visiting (http://southstreet.com/) and there’s a floating restaurant called Moshulu at Penn’s Landing.
schrodinger's cat
@Yutsano: May be they are Burmese, who fled to Malaysia, seeking political asylum.
gene108
@Yutsano:
On second thought, it’s probably Burmese…
It’s been awhile since I’ve been there.
They have a fried bread dish as an appetizer. Highly recommend with the potato sauce or more accurately sauce with potatoes in it.
schrodinger's cat
@Mike in NC: I will be near the Convention Center, and without a car, is it walking distance?
gene108
@gene108:
I get Burmese and Malaysian cuisine mixed up. Along with Thai cuisine they have a lot of similarities to me.
gene108
@schrodinger’s cat:
Al Capone’s cell/Eastern Penitentiary probably isn’t walking distance from the Convention Center.
Museum area is a long walk or can be gotten too by bus or train.
Look up SEPTA Bus/train/trolly routes for mass transit options for getting around Philly.
Joel
I love the fact that the Jets are now being equated to the Republican Party.
How the mighty have fallen.
ranchandsyrup
@Joel: They both idolize Tebow….
Enhanced Mooching Techniques
Personally, I wonder if the “likes wining” Republicans might decided joining the Democrats is the way to go. If they are going to be tossed from the GOP as RINO’s anyway they don’t have much to lose.
schrodinger's cat
To the Philly experts, is UPenn worth a visit?
Mandalay
Completely OT:
Speaking of douchebags, Mitt Romney is a winner after all…
Sweet.
http://swampland.time.com/2012/12/12/politifacts-lie-of-the-year-2/
West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)
Not to pick nits here, but is DeMint truly a bigger douchebag — weird term, by the way — than Steve King or Michelle Bachmann? Maybe he wields more power, thus making him a bigger d.b. Oh, well… good riddance.@Mark S.: I wonder when Rush will reach his sell-by date. He’s been a powerful voice for a long time, but he’s not ancient. Yeah, he’s over-weight and a smoker, but he could remain a figurative thorn in everyone’s side for a while yet. He seems to be made of teflon; he can say all sorts of stupid stuff, but with enough bluster, he always manages to skate away.
gene108
@schrodinger’s cat:
They have a very nice archeology museum.
West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)
Uh, what’s going on there in the last two posts (one of which is mine)?
Brachiator
The wingnuts are not showing any signs that they can think rationally or recognize reality. The GOP will continue to become more marginalized and more extreme, especially as long as they can control state governments.
khead
@schrodinger’s cat:
No. You have to live there. Heh.
trollhattan
@West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.):
Arguably they’re equal in douchisity, but a senator carries vastly more clout than a rep, especially those in key committees. Bog help us as li’l Rand Paul climbs in the committee ranks.
khead
WTF?
gex
@PeakVT: Which one? ;)
PeakVT
According to a comment by Cole several posts back, FYWP was upgraded to a new version, and there will be errors, and everyone should FOAD until he fixes them.
gex
@Enhanced Mooching Techniques: See also: Charlie Christ
schrodinger's cat
Thanks for all the suggestions. I leave tomorrow and will be back by Sunday.
becca
I’ve always thought of the Teapies astroturfing as a preemptive strike on Bush backlash, who did an excellent job of revealing the ugly cancerous growth of crony capitalism.
Once the TP fails, then it could really get ugly. What is Koch and Friends Plan B?
geg6
@gene108:
And there are great food trucks at lunch time at the UPenn campus. I spent a summer there on a fellowship at Penn and ate like a queen every day.
Wish I could remember the name of the Ethiopian place that was so great there, too.
Cacti
The recent vote on the UN treaty for the disabled had 38 of 46 Republican senators voting nay.
The inmates are firmly in control of the assylum.
bemused
I’m not surprised DeMint went for the Heritage job…MONEY. Maybe he was tired of being the “pure” conservative working for the Lord without taking home some lovely cash at the same time like every other Republican. I still want to know how he has only a net worth of less than $50,000 or $60,000 at his stage in life and in the party, according to what I’ve read. If true, not only is he one of the looniest Republicans in office, he’s also not very good at managing his money or grifting.
geg6
@schrodinger’s cat:
I think it is. A very beautiful campus right in the middle of the city. And, as I mention in #88, there are great food trucks there at lunch time.
FairEconomist
@geg6:
No, it’s not. The current Fed monetary easing policy puts money into the hands of the megabanks, who deposit it with the Fed at a very low interest rate. The rest of the economy never sees the money. Essentially, the Fed subsidizes megabank profits by the interest amount, which is currently in the neighborhood of 2.5 billion per year. That amount *does* stimulate the economy, but not by very much; it’s just not much in an economy of 14 trillion per year.
The deposits do *allow* the megabanks to make more loans, and if we weren’t in a liquidity trap they would and that would produce a large stimulatory effect. But we are not going to have inflation below 2.5% and unemployment above 6.5% outside of a liquidity trap, so if the policy could make a meaningful difference it wouldn’t be followed.
Strangely, the Republicans holding the country hostage to the debt ceiling is the one route to a meaningful monetary stimulus. If Obama goes with the platinum coinage idea, *that* money actually will get out to real people and could have a significant stimulatory effect. The Fed would have a hard time countering that effect because their methods for pulling money out take it from the megabanks, which in the current liquidity trap won’t have much effect until they’ve completely backed out 4 years of quantitative easing.
Higgs Boson's Mate
Does anyone really believe that the party that views Paul Ryan as a wonk has the intellectual capacity to replace the Tea Party with something else? That would be like asking an arsonist to give up kitchen matches.
Litlebritdifrnt
Hey I’ve got an idea to cut the budget, how about the Pentagon stops paying for the 234 golf courses it has around the world?
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/7_absurd_ways_the_military_wastes_taxpayer_dollars/
Capri
@schrodinger’s cat: The UPenn Museum is cool. Otherwise it’s some nice old buildings. The Reading Terminal is across the street from the convention center.
Roger Moore
@schrodinger’s cat:
Is it too late to suggest Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Franklin Court? I figure a World Heritage Site is not to be missed.
chopper
@Stooleo:
I immediately think of Figherfighter Rick, the record by Wesley Willis.
catclub
@Roger Moore: “They’re actually behaving”
Not yet, they are just saying it now. If they have simply raised the hard limit from 2% to 2.5% it is a little improvement. If they are equally responsive to 2.75% as to 2.25%, then they will be actually behaving better, both of which are off the target by the same amount.
Roger Moore
@becca:
Another round of re-branding. They just have to bring in a different batch of public faces, a different schtick, and new slogans. They can use the same bunch of think tanks and professional astroturfing organizations to organize the whole thing. I would be very surprised if they haven’t already started work on it so it’s ready to roll out once the stink on the Tea Party gets too bad.
Roger Moore
@Higgs Boson’s Mate:
The party may not have that much intellectual capacity to do it themselves, but the big money backers who manufactured the Tea Party in the first place shouldn’t have too much trouble. At that point the lack of intelligence turns into an advantage, since the people who were suckered into believing that the Tea Party was something genuinely new and original should be easily convinced to follow the new astroturf group.
Mnemosyne
@schrodinger’s cat:
Depending on how morbid you are, I’ve always wanted to see the Mutter Museum.
schrodinger's cat
@Mnemosyne: I am pretty squeamish, so I think I will pass.
becca
@Roger Moore: How many ways can they continue to beat the dead horse that is their ideology?
Time and demographics are not on their side. I don’t think they will go quietly or democratically into the dying of that light.
Comrade Luke
My conservative friend just texted me this:
Instead of fuming, I thought I’d just come here to vent.
Thank you :)
Comrade Luke
No idea what’s going on with WP. Sorry if it looks as bad for everyone else as it does for me…
schrodinger's cat
@Comrade Luke: He doesn’t know what socialist means. When taxes == socialism. By that definition every government in the world, past and present is socialist.
trollhattan
@Comrade Luke:
My sympathies. Lemme crawl out here on this here limb and predict: Your friend can’t define “socia1ism.”
Have yet to find a wingnut who can progress past, “Gummint takin’ and controllin’ stuff.”
bemused
@Comrade Luke:
I’m guessing your conservative friend didn’t give any examples how the D party has shifted more socialist, just a feeling “both sides do it”.
trollhattan
Yarr, beaten to the punch, plus I missed ye olde “argument 2”: Ginger or Maryann?
Yarr
Maude
@schrodinger’s cat:
Independence Hall is worth going to. You get a tour. There is nothing in the room where they wrote the Constitution. What struck me was that there were so many people from other countries in line. It was an eye opener. They wanted to see the room.
You don’t want to drive in Philly. It’s easy to get lost. Take public transportation. If you can get to the zoo, that’s nice.
The art museum is also great.
Take pictures and enjoy it.
They have the internet there, ask questions, someone here will know.
Comrade Luke
@schrodinger’s cat:, et al:
Correct, he gave no examples. I just replied that I half agreed with him.
Roger Moore
@becca:
A lot. They’re going to keep repackaging and re-working their existing ideology as long as there’s a prayer it might work.
muddy
@MattR:
I wonder if they still have The Heart. Probably not, it was looking shabby when I last saw it a dozen years ago. It scared the hell out of me as a kid for some reason.
I took my son there and he loved the whole place, there are so many things that you actually *do*, not just look at. He thought The Heart was pretty tame, and by then so did I. But I really recommend the Franklin Institute, it’s a lot of fun.
Grumpy Code Monkey
@Joel:
Who, the Republicans, or the Jets?
bemused
@Comrade Luke:
Right. There never are any examples unless it’s some Fox gibberish they repeat.
muddy
So true about the driving in Philly. Last time I was there there was all kinds of construction in the downtown, not marked so that you would know what to do. Half the streets are one way, and not the way you want to go. My son said, “Cities are awful, it’s like a maze with walls up to the sky and no exit, it’s just a trap!”
Higgs Boson's Mate
@Roger Moore:
Good point regarding the gullibility of the Republican base. I am not as sanguine as you are about the de-fanging of the Tea Party though. My thought is that ideas can only be replaced by other ideas and the Republican party is just too at home with the simplistic bullshit that they’ve embraced to even consider something different. There’s also the fact that their base has been trained to regard many otherwise mainstream ideas as anathemas. I’d bet that there are fifty grifters in tricorn hats for every Republican pol who might move away from current orthodoxy and who would primary the daylights out of that Republican for deviating from what’ss become holy writ.
Yutsano
@Litlebritdifrnt: Unpossible! Air Force officers REQUIRE those for their, uhh, morale! Yeah, that’s it!
Maude
@muddy:
I drove there during the big construction. First time I found the zoo, second time, I had to ask directions. It was different. Glad to know another survivor of that time.
Dr. Squid
@PeakVT: I’d think the douchebag density is a lot higher in DC where the population is about a third that of Manhattan and there is only one game in town. There’s more to NYC than banking.
steve
One big problem for the GOP is the severing of the GOP establishment message from the conservative message. The big drivers of the conservative message 30 years ago were Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, republicans who tailored the conservative message in ways that wouldn’t hurt republicans. This moderated the message, dialed down the sensationalism.
Then conservative media arose. The drivers of the conservative message are now Limbaugh, Ailes, Beck, Hannity, people who benefit more from ratings than election victories. This dials Up the sensationalism, the racism, the anger.
The GOP is worse off because of the new conservative media.
Dr. Squid
@schrodinger’s cat: I did have that roast pork sandwich with sharp provolone at Reading Terminal, and it really is all that was advertised.
If you want to look at old sports gear, Mitchell and Ness has good stuff to look at if not buy. I wouldn’t do it, but if you want to shell out $450 for a heavy St. Louis Browns jacket, knock yourself out.
muddy
@Maude: My son and I did this great road trip when he was 10, stopping when we felt like it, along a path of things we wanted to see. On the way down from VT we went to Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame, then we had a lot of stops around Philadelphia. Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Zoo, Valley Forge and his first pro baseball game. Headed south from there along the shore. We spent about 3 weeks hitting all kinds of historical things and amusements, just with the bare outline of a plan.
Such a great age, old enough to do cool things with, not so old as to be too cool for mom. I think it was the best road trip I ever took (Philly traffic and construction non-withstanding), and I’ve been all over the world.
Maude
@muddy:
That is a wonderful way to travel. Seeing historical places makes a difference. It makes it real.
muddy
We have a very amusing set of photos of him pretending to sleep in various historical places. We would wait until the coast was clear and he’d duck in, I’d snap, and he’d hop off, making sure not to leave a trace.
Betsy
@schrodinger’s cat: I wholeheartedly agree on Reading Terminal Market. It’s right across the street from the first International Style skyscraper, the PSFS building. Rittenhouse Square is great (but probably better in summer than winter). The Barnes foundation is cool if you like books.
West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)
@steve: I quite agree, Steve. Add a dash of Ann Coulter, a pinch of Dennis Miller (let’s not forget Malkin, Savage, D’Rash D’Souza, et al), and the far-right has created a fountain of rage, denial, misinformation, and malarkey.
SiubhanDuinne
@Yutsano:
Until recently there was a Chinese restaurant in my office building called “Tokyo Shapiro.”
karen marie
@PeakVT: It goes away? I’m soooo disappointed! It was like ARt or something.
karen marie
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karen marie Says:
Fucking WordPress – always a critic.
Betsy
@schrodinger’s cat: OH there was the greatest crepes restaurant (at lest, it was there five years ago) between Rittenhouse Square and the convention center. We went back there every day, it was so good. They had savory crepes and appetizer crepes nd sweet dessert crepes, everything you can imagine for fillings. Itt was ll very, very good, and quite reasonable in price. I just looked it up on google and it’s called La Creperie, 1722 Sansom Street.
Now remember in Philly a lot of nice restaurants have no liquor license, so what they do, they can give you a list of recommended wines for your dish, and you just use the interval after your meal order is taken to go to the wine and beer shop just down the block and get yourself a nice bottle to go. The restaurant will pour it for you (although I can’t remember what the local tradition is as to a corking fee or tip for this service, if any). Can any Philadelphians advise?
Cain
@The Moar You Know:
I don’t think Money can muzzle the electorate. In order to get the votes, they have to be crazy and the crazy 27% will want their due and big Money is not going to able to muzzle those guys if they want to win elections.
It will take some effort and time to back out the crazy. Years..
justinb
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