Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

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

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

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

This really is a full service blog.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

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

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

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

“woke” is the new caravan.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Let’s finish the job.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

This fight is for everything.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

You are here: Home / Politics / Republican Stupidity / The Right Profile

The Right Profile

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Smell the desperation:

In an interview with Newsmax, businessman Steve Lonegan made a point to trumpet his masculinity when he was asked about speculation that Booker is gay. The popular mayor — an overwhelming favorite to win the special election — told The Washington Post that he has no problem if people think he’s gay.

“It’s kind of weird. As a guy, I personally like being a guy,” Lonegan said. “I don’t know if you saw the stories last year. They’ve been out for quite a bit about how he likes to go out at three o’clock in the morning for a manicure and a pedicure.”

Lonegan then brought up nail care again.

“I don’t like going out in the middle of the night, or any time of the day, for a manicure and pedicure,” Lonegan said. “It was described as his peculiar fetish . . .I have a more peculiar fetish. I like a good Scotch and a cigar. That’s my fetish but we’ll just compare the two.”

Choosing to be Booker’s Republican opponent meant you were facing one of three outcomes: a Deus ex machina win, losing with some class, or losing like an asshole. Door Number 3 it is.

Reader Interactions

193Comments

  3. 3.

    Hunter Gathers

    He’s going to have quite the resume when he applies for Wingnut Welfare in a few weeks. Somebody should ask Governor Fat Fuck if he agrees with the guy he endorsed a few days back.

  4. 4.

    KG

    so, on one side, it’s mani/pedis, on the other it’s scotch and cigars? well, i guess that makes me one of those mushy moderates, because i don’t mind a good mani/pedi or a good cigar, but i can do without the scotch.

  8. 8.

    shelly

    Ha. Just saw his campaign commercial today. All bumper stickers. Vote for me because…..FREEDOM! “I want to protect our freedoms…the Constitution and our freedoms are under attack…”
    Hey, Bub. How about giving some kind of example. Why do I suspect that it’s all those gay people getting married.

  9. 9.

    NotMax

    How very, very… 1950s.

    I suppose he’s never used a condom, either.

    (Manicures and pedicures support local small business.)

  11. 11.

    SFAW

    @chopper:

    Not to be Hateful, but that’s because Lonegan looks a lot like Montgomery Clift, has the musical talent of Paul Simonon, and grew up on Brixton Place in Neptune, NJ.

  13. 13.

    mai naem

    I’m not an expert on this by any means but, let me just say, I would be a whole lot more surprised if Cory Booker turned out to be gay than if Steve Lonegan did and, fyi, I did watch Lonegan on Up with Kornacki this weekend, so I have watched him more than just a 30 second commercial or news report.

  15. 15.

    JGabriel

    TPM:

    “It’s kind of weird. As a guy, I personally like being a guy,” Lonegan said … “I like a good Scotch and a cigar. That’s my fetish but we’ll just compare the two.”

    Lonegan continued, “I mean, I like being a man. I like men. I’m a man’s man. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes it ain’t, if you know what I mean. That’s my fetish. So, you know, let’s compare our cigars. But not in a gay way, I don’t go for that.”

  18. 18.

    SFAW

    @JGabriel:

    Lonegan continued, “I mean, I like being a man. I like men. I’m a man’s man.”

    Yeah, he and Miles Cowperthwaite served in the Navy together, under Cap’n Ned.

    ETA: There’s probably a joke in there somewhere, something about “Two Years Before the Mast,” but I won’t make it.

  19. 19.

    chopper

    @JGabriel:

    we’re totally going to find out later that he likes to pour scotch on his pee-pee and watch women sitting on birthday cakes.

  20. 20.

    kindness

    Booker will win but he’ll bring another Lieberman into the party. Better than a TeaHaddist but not much.

  21. 21.

    Comrade Mary

    The first pedicure I ever got in my life was in Fort Worth about 10 years ago. I had left a freezing, sloppy Toronto March behind and knew that I’d be arriving to a gorgeous early spring in Texas. I packed some pretty sandals and other light clothing, then carefully painted my toenails and let them dry that morning before I left for my flight in clompy boots and winter coat.

    On arrival at my hotel, I took off my black socks and found that I now had silver toenails with random black fuzz on them. One of my friends suggested that instead of trying to salvage them with whatever drugstore supplies I could find, I should just go to a nearby plaza and get my feet done before we left for supper.

    I was feeling terribly self-conscious about woman kneeling before me to tend to my feet (I had already figured that a BIG tip was in order for whoever had to work on my hooves) when a tall, beefy man in a checked shirt and jeans walked into the salon. He sat down in the chair next to mine, and started chatting up every single woman in the place (in a friendly, absolutely non-creepy way) as he got his pedicure.

    He looked the part of your canonical Texas Good Old Boy, and as he talked, he revealed that he was a regular customer who came in twice a month for pedicures (no polish). His feet looked amazing, especially next to my hooves. This former high school athlete, small town kind of guy, who hosted a show on the local sports radio station, did not give a hoot if anyone thought he was less of a man for getting pedicures on a regular basis. His friends and co-workers teased the hell out of him, but he just ragged them back.

    In conclusion: iced tea really is better unsweetened, and I bet Mr. Lonegan’s feet are as ugly as his soul.

  22. 22.

    NotMax

    So when does Ms. Bachmann’s ‘husband’ give Lonegran his full-throated endorsement?

    /couldn’t resist

  24. 24.

    Sly

    Making me feel the need to root for Cory Booker is a fucking crime against the laws of God and Man.

  25. 25.

    Comrade Jake

    So do they go to the nail salon to pick up those secret gay-people rings that can prick your finger and give you AIDS? Suddenly this all makes sense.

  27. 27.

    Anya

    My husband likes go for mani/pedis every now and then, you will never catch him with Scotch and a cigar, even if his life depended on it and he likes artsy stuff… oh no, he must be gay.

  28. 28.

    dollared

    @Sly: This. What’s harder than running against a guy who has 90% of the minority vote, and the full backing of Wall Street?

    I guess we can ask John McCain…..

  31. 31.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Yup, door number three it is! Playing to Newsmax’s target audience of racist, homophobe scum, too.

  32. 32.

    Anya

    Speaking of Newsmax, why are they shitting on the movie “The Butler”? Is an Oprah thing or a black thing?

  33. 33.

    gbear

    So on one hand, we’ve got a guy who’s not afraid to go out in his city at 3:00am, and on the other hand, we have a guy who’s probably got the doors locked and the home alarm set before midnight.

  34. 34.

    Gex

    It seems like more and more of what I consider to be civilized behaviors are considered by the right to be “totally-gay.” Cleanliness (which I thought for sure was emphasized in the Bible) and self-care disqualify you from being a “real” man I guess.

    It’s funny because I remember back in the late 90’s when Cris Carter was mentoring Randy Moss and one thing I learned is that a lot of NFL players get manicures. Need to take care of the hands. I guess the NFL is totally gay now too.

  36. 36.

    Calouste

    He’s a Republican, there are only two options: winning while being an asshole and losing while being an asshole.

    Show me the last Republican candidate that lost with style.

  38. 38.

    r€nato

    as always, George Carlin has a rant perfectly tailored for this occasion.

    Haven’t we had about enough of this cigar smoking shit in this country? When is this shit gonna end? When is this shit gonna go away? When are these fat arrogant overpaid overfed overprivileged overindulged white collar business criminal asshole cocksuckers gonna put out their cigars and move along to their next abomination? White pussy businessmen sucking on a big brown dick. That’s all it is. A big brown dick. Sigmund Freud said a cigar is just a cigar. Oh yeah? Well sometimes it’s just a big brown dick. With the fat arrogant white collar business criminal asshole sucking on the wet end of it. But hey, the news is not all bad for me. You wanna know the good part? Cancer of the mouth. Good! Fuck ’em! Makes me happy. It’s an attractive disease, goes well with a “cell phone”. So light up, suspender man, and suck that smoke deep down into your empty suit, and blow it out your ass you fucking cocksucker!”

  40. 40.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    Here’s the problem for Lonegan: nobody save for some of the over-65 crowd gives a shit anymore whether somebody’s gay or not. Flat-out do not give a shit. There’s a goldmine of potential issues with Booker, but Lonegan can’t talk about those because he’s worse on every single one of them by a good amount.

    So the election comes down to manicures or lack thereof.

    Game over.

  42. 42.

    Ted & Hellen

    So…what? Like this is an unexpected surprise coming from Booker’s opponent?

    Booker could disarm the opposition in one clean move by sacking up and coming out. The timing, socially/culturally, is perfect.

    So until he does so, I’ve no sympathy.

    Also too: Booker is cavorting with oligarchs and selling out in advance to the one tenth of one percent, so you know, fuck him also therefore.

  45. 45.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Anya:

    The problem with “The Butler” is that it raises the question of Reagan’s true feelings toward the melanin-enhanced. They’re outraged that Ronaldus Magnus is being disparaged for something.

    The fact that the box office is down the second week is like a dog biting a man, but the utter fucktards think it’s significant.

  48. 48.

    Suffern ACE

    @Anya: Its about “That Traitor Jane Fonda is Nancy Reagan and the Reagan’s don’t get enough attention and we assume that the movie insults Reagan because of that how dare they.” Rag.

    Bunch of people boycotting a movie they weren’t going to see. See. Ticket sales DECLINED 30% for a movie in the 2nd week of it’s release! That never happens to “blockbusters”. Victory.

  49. 49.

    scav

    “real” “masculinity” is such a tender, precious, fragile thing. So many actions bruise or threaten its very existence. Soooo many things a real man can’t do.

  50. 50.

    Amir Khalid

    @Ted & Hellen:
    It’s impressive how quickly you jump from the idle speculation “Is he gay?” to the conclusion “He is gay!” Impressive, but not in a good way.

  52. 52.

    boatboy_srq

    @chopper: True.

    @mai naem: What’s worse (for all those “homos can change” whiners) is that the quote of Lonegan’s is exactly where a lot of gay guys start, too. I know more than my share of cigar-smoking, scotch-swilling, football-watching (and often football-playing) Real Gay Men. The gentleman doth protest – perhaps not too much (yet), methinks. But I see you beat me to it.

    @Comrade Jake: Buchanan was talking about San Francisco. In The City, you get those rings at the hardware store.

  53. 53.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    They had a lot of fun with that quote this morning on Morning Joe, right after Willie read the quote Joe said “he then scratched himself and spit”.

  56. 56.

    gelfling545

    I know a few guys who like to get pedicures. All of them are combat vets which tells you nothing about their sexuality, I suppose, but a fair amount about their toughness and unless they are being elected based on sexual prowess with any particular segment of the electorate (as a certain former San Diego mayor seemed to believe) I don’t see why their orientation is of interest.

  60. 60.

    Trollhattan

    Dude doesn’t know the difference between a habit and a fetish. Now, if he wears a habit, that might could be a fetish.

    This is the best they’ve got? Best of luck to the pack of geniuses who chose him.

  63. 63.

    Roger Moore

    @Gex:

    I guess the NFL is totally gay now too.

    Duh! Look at all the ass slapping, hugging, and the way the quarterback starts plays with his hands in the center’s crotch. Is it possible to get any gayer?

  64. 64.

    OmerosPeanut

    Monty Hall stops Steve Lonegan to point out that there is a goat behind door number 1. Would he like to switch to door number 2?

    “No,” says Steve, “I am too much of a man’s man to do that. Unlike my opponent.”

  66. 66.

    Kylroy

    @Gex: It’s the same reason steel-toed boots are designed as comfortable as possible – when you have an actual job to do, taking care of your body allows you to do it better, and it doesn’t matter if some idiot thinks it’s girly.

  67. 67.

    Senyordave

    Just the fact that he uses the term fetish repeatedly makes me think Lonegan’s particular fetish probably involves a young woman, frilly black underwear, and high heels. I have no idea what the young woman would be wearing.

  71. 71.

    PopeRatzo

    Lonegan likes “a good Scotch and a cigar” while he’s molesting a goat.

    A female goat.

  73. 73.

    karen

    And Cory Booker has said that he doesn’t care if people thinks he’s gay.Doesn’t that just completely disarm Cigar Man?

  75. 75.

    Roger Moore

    @karen:

    And Cory Booker has said that he doesn’t care if people thinks he’s gay.Doesn’t that just completely disarm Cigar Man?

    If the goal were to insult Cory, it would. But the real goal is to let all the anti-gay troglodytes in New Jersey know who’s on which side, and gay name calling is still very effective for that.

  77. 77.

    karen

    @Roger Moore:

    I think if this was in the South and the Midwest, that might be different. But it’s New Jersey. If homophobia was a winning ticket in New Jersey, Christie would not have banned ex-gay therapy.

  78. 78.

    Ted & Hellen

    So Booker hangs with Oprah’s female lover, and the ex wife of a gay man, and we’re to WONDER if he’s gay?

    Of course he’s gay.

    He needs to own it. This coy act is very 80s.

  79. 79.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    So Booker hangs with Oprah’s female lover, and the ex wife of a gay man, and we’re to WONDER if he’s gay?

    Of course he’s gay.

    He needs to own it. This coy act is very 80s.

    @Ted & Hellen: Why? It’s a non-issue.

  80. 80.

    MikeJ

    @karen:

    I think if this was in the South and the Midwest, that might be different. But it’s New Jersey. If homophobia was a winning ticket in New Jersey, Christie would not have banned ex-gay therapy.

    Iowa has had marriage equality for years and New Jersey doesn’t, so maybe it wouldn’t work in the midwest.

  81. 81.

    Anton Sirius

    Ticket sales DECLINED 30% for a movie in the 2nd week of it’s release! That never happens to “blockbusters”.

    That’s true though. Blockbusters decline 50-60% these days.

  84. 84.

    jonas

    Hasn’t Booker like twice rescued people from burning cars or buildings or something? While this Lonegan guy was kicking back with his stupid cigar, Booker was being fucking Batman. And hell yeah, Bruce Wayne gets a pedicure.

  85. 85.

    Keith P.

    It’s only fitting…the guy looks like he arrived here via time machine from the 1950s.

  86. 86.

    jonas

    @Ted & Hellen: How does hanging out with people who might know other people who are gay make you gay? You hang out I’m sure with the ex spouses of smart, intelligent people, and yet you’re still an asshole. See?

  87. 87.

    Roger Moore

    @karen:

    If homophobia was a winning ticket in New Jersey, Christie would not have banned ex-gay therapy.

    I didn’t say it’s a winning strategy, just tried to explain the idea behind it.

  89. 89.

    MikeJ

    @Anton Sirius:

    That’s true though. Blockbusters decline 50-60% these days.

    Did you see where we’re supposed to be angry because Spike Lee used Kickstarter to finance a film? If he can get a movie without a robot or a character from a funny book into theaters I wouldn’t care if he robbed a goddamned bank to do it.

  92. 92.

    Ted & Hellen

    @CONGRATULATIONS!:

    Why? It’s a non-issue.

    Self-hatred, internalized homophobia, and a glass closet is never a non-issue, nor it should be.

    People will never stop asking/talking, therefore it is an issue, as is his coy refusal to get real.

  94. 94.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    Self-hatred, internalized homophobia, and a glass closet is never a non-issue, nor it should be.

    People will never stop asking/talking, therefore it is an issue, as is his coy refusal to get real.

    @Ted & Hellen: Maybe his problems aren’t yours. I know that’s a hard concept to wrap your mind about, but for once in your life you should make the effort.

  95. 95.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Anton Sirius:

    Worry about owning your own bullshit, rather than whether somebody else is owning theirs.

    I owned my own bullshit many years ago when I came out of the closet.

    Still waiting on Cory.

    Now…what bullshit of YOUR own have you owned?

    Also too: I look forward to you never, ever calling bullshit on a republican again.

  96. 96.

    hoodie

    I’ wouldn’t be surprised if Lonegan is a two-wetsuit kinda guy, at least in his sweaty dreams. No one else gives a shit about what Cory Booker does with his nails. I know guys who smoke cigars, drink scotch and get pedicures, and some of them are even gay.

  97. 97.

    Ted & Hellen

    @CONGRATULATIONS!:

    He wants to be in the Senate where he’ll get to vote on lots of things that effect me.

    If he doesn’t have the sack to own his personal reality, then fuck him.

    He doesn’t have to be in the Senate to continue living in a glass closet.

  100. 100.

    scav

    Elucidate! O! Sage, the Single Only and Pure manner in which to be Gay, the Single Narrow Sanctified Path of Coming Out! Sing to us the fashion in which having gay friends is evidence of Gayness and Self-Hatred O AnnLanders of The WorldWide Copyright of Correct Homosexual Practice!

  101. 101.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    “It was described as his peculiar fetish . . .I have a more peculiar fetish. I like a good Scotch and a cigar. That’s my fetish but we’ll just compare the two.”

    Many men even like seeing women in tight latex costumes carrying around whips. Maybe we can stop pretending our kinks are the good kind and everyone else’s is disgusting?

  102. 102.

    Belafon

    @Roger Moore: If all of Lonegan’s voters turn up because they are afraid of teh gay, but only half of Booker’s do because they are not, then we could have an upset. Remember 2010 – and before anyone complains, turnout is lower at midterms, I’m not saying anyone who would have voted otherwise stayed home.

  103. 103.

    SFAW

    @Ted & Hellen:

    Worry about owning your own bullshit, rather than whether somebody else is owning theirs.

    Please note that the wording is “”rather than,” not “then you can complain about.”

    Translated for the witless, that means: better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open yer fucking yap and remove all doubt.

  104. 104.

    Sad_Dem

    @Suffern ACE: Darn tootin’. Millions of wingers were poised to go see a movie about a black butler UNTIL they found out about Jane Fonda. That’s why sales dropped 30%.

  105. 105.

    SFAW

    @Ted & Hellen:

    And if, FSM forbid, it should turn out that Booker is actually straight, you wouldn’t believe it anyway, because that’s how you roll.

  106. 106.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    @MattF:

    A girlfriend once bought me a mani-pedi for my birthday. Still had a penis when it was over.

    No doubt, but did you measure your penis before and after? I thought not. The sinister cabal bent on forcing us all to adopt the gay lifestyle knows that the gayification of manly men and womanly women must be incremental. Your penis may still be shrinking bit by bit and you won’t know it until you hear the dread words “Go ahead, honey, put it all in.”

    You have been warned.

  108. 108.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Sly:

    Making me feel the need to root for Cory Booker is a fucking crime against the laws of God and Man.

    Forget about it, Jake Sly. It’s Chinatown Jersey.

  110. 110.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    He wants to be in the Senate where he’ll get to vote on lots of things that effect me.

    @Ted & Hellen: “affect”, dear boy. Words matter. What does this have to do with his alleged gayness?

    If he doesn’t have the sack to own his personal reality, then fuck him.

    What is his personal reality? How do you know? Longtime lover? Card buddies? Met him a few times? Stalked him online? Curious as to where you get your information. And what does this have to do with your concern that “he’ll get to vote on lots of things that effect me.”

    He doesn’t have to be in the Senate to continue living in a glass closet.

    I don’t even know what this means. You need to explain further your point further, if you have one.

    If you have a substantive objection to anything about Mr. Booker’s life, let’s hear it. So far I’m hearing your issues, not his.

  111. 111.

    Ted & Hellen

    @ruemara:

    If he’s not gay, then he’s not gay. In which case the question is answered, so what’s your point?

    Then we can move on to focusing more directly on his status as a money-grubbing servant of the Wall Street plutocrats.

  112. 112.

    Ted & Hellen

    @SFAW:

    If he were straight we’d already know.

    You’re a willful idiot, and your coy-friendly 1950s sexual attitudes are part of the problem.

  113. 113.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    No open thread for the March?

    Am I the only one with the urge to shout “amen” for the President’s speech?

  115. 115.

    Ted & Hellen

    @CONGRATULATIONS!:

    I repeat myself: Your willful stupidity, and coy-friendly 1950s sexual attitudes are part of the problem. You’d have been a great friend to Roy Cohn.

    What’s obvious is obvious, except when people like you agree to pretend to not see what is obvious, and then it’s still obvious.

    Piss off, loser.

  116. 116.

    Belafon

    @Ted & Hellen: Really, you’d already know? When I was in college, I had two friends that were gay. One was so obvious that you could see it when he stepped around the corner. The second I knew for nearly a year and a half before I found out.

    And if the criteria you use for deciding on candidates is whether they’ll tell you they are gay or not, then please just stay home. You’re one of those I’d rather not vote, even if I would have agreed with your vote otherwise.

    ETA: Did you ever worry about whether Romney ate crackers in bed? Did that hold up your vote?

  117. 117.

    Bobby Thomson

    DFTMFT.

    Also, too.

    As for Cory, I suppose I would be surprised if he were but really, who gives a shit? I’d like to see more politicians giving that answer to questions about things that don’t really matter; e.g., “I don’t care if people think I’m a Muslim.” Or atheist.

  119. 119.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Belafon:

    Really, you’d already know?

    Try to keep up: WE’D already know not because of our super secret sexuality-detector apparatus, but because he’d be married, or dragging around his favorite lady to his schmooze fests with wall street plutocrats and on the campaign trail and the tabs would be full of his stories about his personal life.

    As it is, he’s keeping his male lover or call boy chained in a basement somewhere because he’s ashamed of who he is and doesn’t think being honest about who he is is good for business or the ballot box.

    So as a liberal, social progressive, I say fuck that kind of thinking. I’ll leave that to Republicans.

    It’s always weird to see people who think of themselves as liberal arguing for a 1950s sexual status quo. Really weird. Nancy and Ronnie would approve. Their gays didn’t talk about it either.

  120. 120.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    Wait, a guy who likes to suck on cylindrical objects is questioning the masculinity of a guy who had a main/Pedi?

  121. 121.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: Yeah, some of us were requesting one upthread. I guess it’s not gonna happen.

    All three Presidents have given (are giving) wonderful remarks. I’m waiting for POTUS Obama to speak very directly about the current assault on voting rights.

  122. 122.

    SFAW

    @Ted & Hellen:

    If he were straight we’d already know.

    No doubt your straight-dar hasn’t told you that he is.

    You’re a willful idiot, and your coy-friendly 1950s sexual attitudes are part of the problem.

    And your inability to construct a sentence showing any evidence of intelligence appears to be your problem. I mean, seriously, is there a website you use, something with a name like “GenerateTehStoopid.com,” that you run your gurglings through before posting them here?

    But, hey, you’re “out,” and so that gives you immediate credibility to comment on … something something mumble something SOMETHING! I guess

    Nice job combining the “willful idiot” with the Roy Cohn reference. What that tells us is that, in addition to being a clueless asshole, you’re also a McCarthyite. Awesome combo.

    Now excuse me while I toddle off to watch that Liberace & Rock Hudson special on the tube.

  123. 123.

    Suffern ACE

    So what’s involved in a pedicure anyway? I think I’ll go get one myself this weekend to determine whether or not it increases or decreases my gayness. But I kind of want to know what I can expect to happen to my feet.

  124. 124.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Suffern ACE:

    Basically, all the old crust and dead skin and nail cells will be sucked off of your toes by a 90 year old Chinese woman.

    Feels great though.

  125. 125.

    Belafon

    As it is, he’s keeping his male lover or call boy chained in a basement somewhere because he’s ashamed of who he is and doesn’t think being honest about who he is is good for business or the ballot box.

    …

    It’s always weird to see people who think of themselves as liberal arguing for a 1950s sexual status quo.

    Except you’re the one doing it. Why does he have to actually be with someone if he’s straight or gay? He could gay an not interested, straight and not interested. Basically, not interested in being with someone.

  126. 126.

    MikeJ

    @Suffern ACE: Just because they’re sitting at your feet doesn’t make it a pedicure. If it affects how gay you are, you probably aren’t getting a pedicure.

  128. 128.

    SFAW

    @Ted & Hellen:

    It’s always weird to see people who think of themselves as liberal arguing for a 1950s sexual status quo.

    One hopes you’re not as stupid as that comment indicates. However, I ain’t a bettin’ “man.”

    You, once again, are projecting your own fucked-up view of the world on the commenters here. The “arguing for a 1950s sexual status quo” as you call it, is people expressing their lack of concern with whatever his orientation might be. Straight? Who cares? Gay? Who cares? In/out of the closet? Who cares? That is, outside of you.

  129. 129.

    MCA1

    @r€nato: I love me some George Carlin, but I think that particular rant misses the target a little bit. I don’t care about the phallic appearance of cigars, I care about the disgusting fucking smell of the smoke. Smoking a cigar in public is one of the rudest, most inconsiderate, obnoxious things anyone could do. And, after about 2000, when cigars became “cool” and suddenly everyone was pretending to read Cigar Afficionado, the fat cat big time businessmen Carlin’s ranting about by and large stopped smoking cigars, as it became declasse. It’s mostly douchebags in Tommy Bahama shirts who think they’re more important than they are and have no actual class, who smoke cigars now. That they’re the primary audience of Rush Limbaugh is not coincidental.

  132. 132.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Belafon:

    He could gay an not interested, straight and not interested. Basically, not interested in being with someone.

    lol

    People have been saying stupid things like this for centuries to rationalize why their son or uncle or cousin isn’t, you know…that way. And they’re always wrong.

    Yes, continue twisting yourself into pretzel shapes. They are pretty, and much more convincing than your arguments.

  138. 138.

    SFAW

    @Belafon:

    Yep, we all know John Cole is gay.

    Isn’t the proper conjugation “Teh Ghey”? Or, to please T&A, “gay in a coy-friendly 1950s sexual status quo kind of way”?

  139. 139.

    MattR

    @Ted & Hellen:

    People have been saying stupid things like this for centuries to rationalize why their son or uncle or cousin isn’t, you know…that way. And they’re always wrong.

    Well, I am very glad that you have finally explained to me that I am gay. You have to forgive me for not realizing it earlier, what with my attraction to women and complete lack of attraction to men. But now I see that the reason I am not interested in a serious relationship with a woman is because I am actually gay. There can be no other possibility.

  141. 141.

    scav

    Ann & Landers has decreed the world is comprised solely of exhibitionist active Heterosexuals, exhibitionist active Homosexuals, closeted active Homosexuals and Nobody Else. As he has done so in an English Accent Old Sport! it must be true, especially as he has shaken the holy relic of his closet door frame at us.

  143. 143.

    Belafon

    @scav: I would normally blow him off, but it’s actually kind of fun watching him try to explain why he’s a modern thinker because only gays leave the house without someone on their arm.

  144. 144.

    SFAW

    @MattR:

    How sad for you, to have been in-the-closet for so long. Clearly, you are a vile person, and one who had best not run for Senator from New Jersey – or any other place where T&A might live, for that matter.

    Because, if’n you do, you run the risk of incurring the wrath of T&A, and THEN your life would not be worth the proverbial plugged nickel.

    And … I can’t think of any other lousy/stupid cliches to express the world of hurt (whoops! Guess I was wrong) that would be visited on you, should you remain in the closet.

    Or something.

    Roy Cohn?

  146. 146.

    Suffern ACE

    @SFAW: No. All we’re asking that if he does run, he doesn’t make some declaration about “being married to the great state of New Jersey” when asked why he’s not married. Because that would make him kind of a doofus.

  149. 149.

    scav

    @Belafon: He does rather drive at full speed into the central median to attract the gaze of the rubberneckers. It’s attention of a sort.

  150. 150.

    Shakezula

    Shouldn’t this ceegar chompin, scotch snortin’ wideload like the idea of a service that starts with a woman sitting at his feet in order to wash and massage them?

  151. 151.

    PopeRatzo

    I don’t care about who Cory Booker goes to bed with, except all the corporate lobbyists. And I hear they are having their way with Booker. Three-ways, bukkake, ATM, like that.

  152. 152.

    gbear

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’m waiting for POTUS Obama to speak very directly about the current assault on voting rights.

    He didn’t do it, did he? I really didn’t hear it. The speakers before him all talked about it. Clinton was a bit of a why-can’t-we-all-work-together ass. I’m sorry I missed John Lewis’ speech.

    What I heard was the president saying that we’d all better get off our asses because there’s some hellacious forces bearing down on us. To me there was an element of the president having seen what the 99% is up against and not liking the odds. There was a bit of desperation in his voice, and I don’t know if maybe it was because he could never replicate the historical power of Kings original speech (he could only be a human example of where that speech pointed) or if he’s looking at the current reality of this country and feeling like we’re totally fucked. He broke off his speech without the usual God Bless America stuff – it really felt to me like he choked off the ending.

    How did you see it?

  153. 153.

    bemused

    Maybe I’ve just been feeling more fed up than usual with the parade of creepy, crazy assholes in the news but there seemed to be more of them, even more looney and disgusting, in the last week. It’s like they are just crawling faster and faster out of their cesspools and I son’t think there is any end in sight.

  154. 154.

    Jebediah

    @MattR:

    Well, I am very glad that you have finally explained to me that I am gay.

    Better you learn about yourself here, in the safety and comfort of a comment thread, than out in the street.

  155. 155.

    Gin & Tonic

    OT, but I’m seeing where Nidal Hassan has been sentenced to death. I think that’s what he wants, no?

  157. 157.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):

    Why do you care?

    I DON’T care if he’s gay or straight or bisexual. I just want him to be honest about it one way or the other.

    Because living in a closet is a very, very psychologically damaging and soul destroying way of life. I know; I lived in one for 36 years. But I got the help I needed and did the necessary work to get strong enough to come out.

    Cory Booker not so much.

    I don’t think it’s helpful to government to have psychologically damaged and soul-sick people in public office. I didn’t think so in GWB’s case and I don’t think so in Cory Booker’s Case. Plus there’s the whole issue of just not respecting the closet as a choice.

    Especially in 2013, for god’s sake. We should be past these sick cat and mouse games, at least on the supposedly progressive Dem side.

    Why do YOU care?

  160. 160.

    raven

    It is un-fucking believable that there was no open thread for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

  161. 161.

    Ted & Hellen

    @MattR:

    But now I see that the reason I am not interested in a serious relationship with a woman is because I am actually gay. There can be no other possibility.

    Do you date? Have you dated in the recent past? Women?

    Do you have commitment issues?

    Whatever…let me know when you decide to run for office and it becomes a public question.

  163. 163.

    Belafon

    @Ted & Hellen: Did you know there are people who get married, a man and a woman, who don’t have sex? I’m trying to imagine what your brain would do if one of them ran for office.

  164. 164.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Yatsuno:

    It’s part of being besties with the blog owner.

    You really need to work on letting go of your jealousy over that little matter.

    Also too: I’m glad you’ve also pointed out that no other commenter on this blog, nope! no one other than me, ever argues from a point of believing what they say to be true.

    How’s your married boyfriend?

  165. 165.

    raven

    Well I take it back because Tweety just captured the entire day when, after a replay of the entire MLK speech, said “We won’t hear a speech like that for a long time”!

  166. 166.

    gbear

    @raven: Agreed. I watched it via the live feed that Little Green Footballs had posted, although I didn’t follow along with the comments there. I came back here hoping there would be a thread about it.

  168. 168.

    Ted & Hellen

    @gbear:

    He broke off his speech without the usual God Bless America stuff – it really felt to me like he choked off the ending.

    Yeah, he’s been a real blessing to the country these last five years, hasn’t he? Jesus. He doesn’t even have the balls to talk about the voting rights issues.

  170. 170.

    Felonius Monk

    Given the number of comments here already on what amounts to a gossip column or a story from the National Enquirer or STAR, I guess nobody contributed to the GDP today. Slackers.

  171. 171.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Belafon:

    Are you implying that Cory Booker is one of the approximately one percent of the population who are asexual?

    If not, what does your stupid comment have to do with CB?

  173. 173.

    gbear

    @raven: Yep. Coming here to a bunch of T&H comments is kind of pud central after watching the program at the Lincoln Memorial.

  174. 174.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Ted & Hellen:

    Because living in a closet is a very, very psychologically damaging and soul destroying way of life. I know; I lived in one for 36 years.

    Yeah, and the psychological damage is evident in your case. How about in Booker’s case, supposing that he’s actually gay? Has it occurred to you that he’s out (again, supposing he really is gay) to his family and close friends, and has decided not to make it an issue in his political career? That what turns him on shouldn’t have anything to do with governance?

  176. 176.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Hey, Ted & Hellen: your manager down at the Octoplex called. You’re late for your shift in the projection booth.

  177. 177.

    Belafon

    @Ted & Hellen: So, you have a perfectly useful explanation of Booker in that little head of yours and you refuse to use it in this case.

    I’m glad I’ll get to go home later and have discussions with my 8 year old that will be more reasoned than your ramblings.

  179. 179.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):

    and has decided not to make it an issue in his political career?

    So…you’re actually going to pretend to believe, and actually type out loud, that it is not already an issue in his political career? lol

    Psychological damage is precisely why I’ve spent 20 years in various forms of cognitive/behavioral/talk therapy programs, both individual and group, as well as donated my time and artwork to be auctioned in support of many lgbt organizations that support people in coming out issues among their many other services.

    I believe almost all people would benefit from counseling/talk therapy. Are you now going to continue to shame everyone who has benefited from same, just because you hate me individually?

    Yes, probably so.

  180. 180.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    What I heard was the president saying that we’d all better get off our asses because there’s some hellacious forces bearing down on us. To me there was an element of the president having seen what the 99% is up against and not liking the odds. There was a bit of desperation in his voice, and I don’t know if maybe it was because he could never replicate the historical power of Kings original speech (he could only be a human example of where that speech pointed) or if he’s looking at the current reality of this country and feeling like we’re totally fucked.

    @gbear: Obama is not stupid. I think he understands that the long-term future of this country is going to look like Russia/Mexico if we’re lucky, Liberia if we’re not.

  182. 182.

    muddy

    @Ted & Hellen: I’m not sure you got everything you could out of the talk therapy.

    I’m not making fun of it, I have had plenty myself. One of the things I have learned, and try to remember is not to bang my head against brick walls. Sometimes it happens anyway, but I try to be aware and keep it to a miniumum.

    Of course there are different types of therapy, and perhaps yours was different.

  183. 183.

    ? Martin

    So, Cole’s strategy is that instead of posting, he just sends T&H in to troll the shit out of the place to keep everyone busy.

    Just want to make sure everyone is clear on that.

  185. 185.

    scav

    @? Martin: Even cats that have figured out a laser light isn’t edible occasionally like batting at it. Granted, lasers are coherent light and Ann&Landers is neither . .

  186. 186.

    Ted & Hellen

    @CONGRATULATIONS!:

    I think he understands that the long-term future of this country is going to look like Russia/Mexico if we’re lucky, Liberia if we’re not.

    Whatever the case, he, Michelle and the royal daughters will be riding it out in style on Elysium with the rest of the 1/100 of one percenters, which explains why so much of the time he acts like he doesn’t give a shit.

  187. 187.

    Ted & Hellen

    @? Martin:

    Relax Martin, I just had an IM from Cole in the next building here at the sprawling Balloon Juice campus, and he assures me he’s working on a post just for you.

    So take another Valium and chill, mister sister.

  188. 188.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @gbear:

    The speakers before him all talked about it. Clinton was a bit of a why-can’t-we-all-work-together ass.

    Clinton had one of the great lines, though, which was on the order of “It shouldn’t be harder to register to vote than to buy an assault weapon in this country” (paraphrasing). But I was disappointed that Obama didn’t go there directly. Wonder how much coordination there is among the main speakers to keep them from stepping on each other’s points.

    EDIT: The quote from Clinton: “A great democracy doesn’t make it harder to register to vote than to buy an assault weapon.”

  190. 190.

    Snowwy

    If ever you doubted that homophobia = misogyny, there it is for you in stark terms. He makes the formulation:

    As a guy, I personally like being a guy

    So if you don’t care if people think you’re gay (and by implication, if you are a gay man) you are “not a guy”. And this is an insult, in his world, a guy not being a guy…

  193. 193.

    Hunter

    I like being a guy, too. I also like looking at guys, getting to know guys, and dating guys. Always have.

    And I really should get a pedicure — my feet are a mess.

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