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You are here: Home / Books / Media Chewtoy of the Moment: The Machiavell Behind the Curtain

Media Chewtoy of the Moment: The Machiavell Behind the Curtain

by Anne Laurie|  September 13, 20136:13 pm| 122 Comments

This post is in: Books, Election 2012, Our Failed Media Experiment

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Media commentors seem to be cherrypicking Richard Wolffe’s new book The Message: the Reselling of President Obama as fuel for their trope that the President is, heaven forfend, a master manipulator who takes delight in refusing to share, even with those closest to him. The Daily Beast (of course) gets the official excerpt:

… “The president broke Axe and Robert’s hearts,” said one member of Obama’s inner circle. For those who remained, the departure of Axelrod and Gibbs sent a clear message: they were all dispensable. “He doesn’t need anyone,” said another member of the inner circle. “Axe and Gibbs were effectively fired. He owes everything to Axe. Everything. He’d never have gotten anywhere without him. I’d like to think he knows that and sees him differently. But I’m not sure.” Obama kept a close team of younger male staffers to manage his immediate needs, and that was all he needed. “He needs the guys to play cards and golf, and tell him where he’s going next and why,” said a former aide. “But beyond that, it’s what function you have. And if you can’t fulfill that function anymore, or someone can do it better, you’re gone. That’s hard for those of us who really believe in him. He expects full loyalty. But you need to have your eyes open.”…

The Week helpfully adds The Shorter:

… No Drama Obama kept his hands clean
While Obama’s campaign staff fell out with each other, the president himself stayed above the fray. “His political team was his blind spot,” said Wolffe, and Obama didn’t even acknowledge there were issues. Advisers suspected he probably knew what was going on, but ignored the problems in the hope they would either resolve themselves or go away. So long as communications and strategy weren’t affected, he was fine. “The principal’s position is ‘You guys figure it out. Come to me with your recommendation,'” said one communications source. “Obama generally doesn’t like to be in this position when it comes to political stuff.”

MSNBC, for some reason, prefers to highlight a new Lady MacBeth:

… [Stehanie]Cutter was deputy campaign manager. But she had long fretted about her status within Obama’s tight circle, not least after failing to get the job and power she wanted in the West Wing. Her comfort lay in maintaining the tightest grip on the campaign’s communications, including the kind of TV punditry she also found flattering…

The White House, however, felt less than proud. There was such a thing as an Obama brand and Cutter was threatening to weaken it…

Cutter micromanaged too much, had delusions of power, they thought, and strayed out of her lane…

Cutter was not shy about responding to his suggestions in similarly frank ways. She had no respect for Messina, for what she saw as his spinelessness and indecision. She had been on the losing side of an election in 2004, and the losing side of the internal debate inside the campaign. She was determined not to lose either contest this time around.

Frustrated, some inside Obama’s inner circle hatched a plan to push Cutter out of the picture… When they consulted the president, he made it clear that he wanted Cutter to stay in some role. “Do what you want,” he said, “but she better not quit.”

Cutter’s guarantor was, in fact, the most high-profile woman of all in Obama’s inner circle: his wife. “Given Michelle Obama, she’s not going anywhere,” said one of the plotters. “The First Family feels very strongly that Stephanie is an asset. When things have gotten bad especially for Michelle, people go to who they trust. When anything goes bad in the East Wing world, she looks at all of her staff and says, “Go get me Cutter.”…

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122Comments

  1. 1.

    RP

    September 13, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Maybe others disagree, but for me this kind of stuff is unbelievably boring. But I guess it fits perfectly with the junior high mentality.

  2. 2.

    Comrade Dread

    September 13, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    Syria. The batshit crazed House of Representatives and the debt ceiling. Income Inequality. How the poor and middle class are still suffering during this recession. The need to increase government subsidies to normal folks.

    Let’s just ignore that to write about the royal court gossip. I wonder if the Earl of Winchester is still not speaking to Lady Buckingham.

  3. 3.

    Baud

    September 13, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    @RP:

    Yep. I barely made it through the excerpts.

  4. 4.

    eric

    September 13, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    Policy is hard; gossip is easy.

  5. 5.

    lamh36

    September 13, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    Well if we have to get all gossipy, then I say thanks to Michelle Obama, cause Stephanie “la Blade” Cutter was one of the best (not THE best, that went to Plouffe and if you follow Plouffe on twitter, you’ll see he’s still the best) spox Obama had back during the campaign.

    Still, I’m with others upthread, I’m not much a fan of non-fiction political gossipy type rags.

  6. 6.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    September 13, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    Gross.

  7. 7.

    Amir Khalid

    September 13, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    For all anyone knows, this is just The West Wing fan fiction. I doubt it’s really any more significant than that.

  8. 8.

    Chris

    September 13, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    @Comrade Dread:

    Let’s just ignore that to write about the royal court gossip. I wonder if the Earl of Winchester is still not speaking to Lady Buckingham.

    “Versailles on the Potomac” really is the absolutely perfect term to describe so much of Official Washington, and none more so than the national media. My hat is off to whoever coined it.

  9. 9.

    jenn

    September 13, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    Huh. Don’t know about Gibbs, but I thought Axelrod had wanted to retire. Or am I remembering that wrong? Honestly, I pretty much figured Gibbs wanted out too – who on earth would WANT to be press secretary for more than one term?! Gossip is silly enough in the first place, but if you have no confidence that you’re not just hearing whinging by people who don’t actually know anything, it’s infinitely worse!

  10. 10.

    askew

    September 13, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Of course, Anne “PUMA” Laurie is the one who brings this here. Sigh, anything to make Obama look bad. Richard Wolffe has great connections in the Obama admin though so I am sure he is telling some insider’s version of the story. From the excerpts, I’d guess that Axelrod is his source. Richard also seems to have soured towards the Obama admin after his 2nd Obama book didn’t sell as well.

    Obama would have been better served by getting rid of Pfeiffer as WH communications director and giving the slot to Cutter. She was Obama’s best surrogate. Her and Anita Dunn are the only ones who haven’t completely sucked in the past 5 years or so.

    I admit to loving political gossip books. Game Change was excellent. Still bitter that they focused on the McCain/Palin stuff for the tv movie. The Clinton turmoil was the best part of the book. That entire campaign was dysfunctional as hell.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    September 13, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Needs more sex.

  12. 12.

    kindness

    September 13, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    I would say that for the Media at least it’s obvious we are in the second (and last) term of Obama’s presidency. Except the animosity and inuendo was no different in his first.

    Just imagine if the Media treated Obama like they treated dubya.

    @askew: I don’t think it makes Obama look bad. I think it makes the media look like children….speaking of which bringing this up……kinda whiny Oboty isn’t it? That’s so 2012.

  13. 13.

    beltane

    September 13, 2013 at 6:50 pm

    Yesterday was bingo night at the local RC church. I’m sure that whatever the old people were gossiping about there was a lot more exciting than this.

  14. 14.

    Hungry Joe

    September 13, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    Man, that there’s some industrial-grade soporific.

  15. 15.

    Frankensteinbeck

    September 13, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    The Obama administration has been a nonstop parade of insider leaks that turned out to be completely, exactly wrong. I trust any of these tidbits much less far than I can throw them.

  16. 16.

    lamh36

    September 13, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    Hmmm, I’ll assume that whoever replaces McGramps will be a big tea-nutter right?

    John McCain Says This Is ‘Probably’ His Last Term

    That is if probably means anytime soon.

  17. 17.

    jenn

    September 13, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    For something that does mean something, check out this pic of a trailer park, Weld Co., impacted by the Colorado floods.

    http://t.co/mH78mp9ghy

    Craziness.

  18. 18.

    patroclus

    September 13, 2013 at 6:54 pm

    Richard Wolffe always reminds me of Dr. Julian Beshear on ST DS9, who I always liked until he joined Section 31.

  19. 19.

    beltane

    September 13, 2013 at 6:54 pm

    @Hungry Joe: Obama needs to hire Anthony Weiner if he wants to generate the type of lurid gossip that captivates the imagination.

  20. 20.

    PeakVT

    September 13, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    @jenn: Salvage yard. Nobody living there.

  21. 21.

    lamh36

    September 13, 2013 at 6:56 pm

    McCain will write op-ed for Russian newspaper

    Oh Lord, This Will Not End Well!

  22. 22.

    jenn

    September 13, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    @lamh36: He is such an ass.

  23. 23.

    Long Tooth

    September 13, 2013 at 7:05 pm

    Obama is a cream puff. Nixon enjoyed a standing ovation from his cabinet during its first meeting after the ’72 election, after which he requested all their resignations.

  24. 24.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    @Amir Khalid: My fear, though, is that it becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.

  25. 25.

    jl

    September 13, 2013 at 7:11 pm

    I don’t have time to hunt down the links, and also was not able to make it through all the text, since not very interesting.

    Is all this stuff from Wolfe’s book? If so, I mean, it’s Richard Wolfe. I think he has gotten out of substance type work and I don’t think he is overly trustworthy.

    This post prompted me to look at Wolfe’s wiki bio, and I found out he wrote a cookbook on tapas, which might be good.

  26. 26.

    Chris

    September 13, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    The Obama administration has been a nonstop parade of insider leaks that turned out to be completely, exactly wrong. I trust any of these tidbits much less far than I can throw them.

    Didn’t the Clinton administration have something like this? I remember hearing that Clinton when coming into office chose not to fire the entire White House staff like some Republican presidents would, but kept a bunch of them on, which bit them in the ass when some of them turned out to really be Republican nutjobs with more loyalty to party than job.

  27. 27.

    Randy Khan

    September 13, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    Oh, horrors!

    The President told his staff he wanted them to work out issues and bring him specific recommendations!

    He didn’t want to get involved in internecine conflicts!

    He decided he wanted people who could do the work he needed done, rather than people who had been loyal to him but couldn’t do the work!

    When will these horrible travesties end????!!??!??

  28. 28.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 13, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    Courtiers dealing dish over the various personalities at the court. Ho hum.

    Eradicating the scum of the Village should be the major policy objective of the next Democratic administration.

    Wipe them out. All of them.

  29. 29.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 13, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Barack/Joe?

  30. 30.

    eemom

    September 13, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    aw c’mon y’all, even I’m not gonna bitch about this one.

    It IS Friday night, after all.

  31. 31.

    gelfling545

    September 13, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    Well, I guess that explains why the 2012 election went so badly for him.
    Jesus, this is lame stuff.

  32. 32.

    eemom

    September 13, 2013 at 7:21 pm

    @askew:

    Game Change was excellent. Still bitter that they focused on the McCain/Palin stuff for the tv movie.

    Did not read the book, but I actually thought the movie was pretty good. Closest I’ve ever come to feeling sorry for Sarah Palin.

  33. 33.

    Turgidson

    September 13, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    As usual with these gossip pieces about the administration, it only makes me like Obama more.

    I suppose, if this is all more or less accurate, he’s perhaps being too hands-off with hsi team. But mostly it seems like he just doesn’t want to put up with juvenile power play bullshit. Which is something I’ve always liked about him.

    I thought Axelrod had said for months if not years that he was taking his leave of politics after the 2012 election was over. Not sure if I buy that there was a real falling-out, as much as a “Axelrod is leaving soon, start leaning harder on the guys who will still be here when he’s gone” type of transition. Obama and Axelrod are both pros, so I doubt either would spill the beans even if there was drama.

  34. 34.

    The Dangerman

    September 13, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    Media Chewtoy…

    Chewtoy? I’m thinking other end of the Dog; anyone got a shovel?

  35. 35.

    IowaOldLady

    September 13, 2013 at 7:26 pm

    @lamh36: I always figured taking McCain’s seat was Palin’s goal.

    @eric: QFT

    @beltane: Hee

  36. 36.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    September 13, 2013 at 7:28 pm

    @eemom:

    It IS Friday night, after all.

    How can you even think of enjoying yourself when so many precious Balloon Juice commenters are going gbcw?

  37. 37.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 13, 2013 at 7:33 pm

    @askew: Are you completely off your nut?

  38. 38.

    jl

    September 13, 2013 at 7:33 pm

    @gelfling545: And, as I remember, there was not a lot of confidence about 2012 early in the campaign, especially if a supposed moderate like Christie or Romney would be the GOP candidate. So, contentious WH staff with disagreements, only thing in common is that they are all super loyal to the president, worries about what was seen then as problematic economic record for first term and apprehension about the election. Somebody is going to get hurt. But that is life in politics.

    I guess there is an audience for this sort of unreliable first draft of history gossip stuff. It’s not me or anyone I know. I can wait until somebody compares notes and puts it all together in few years after the second term is over.

  39. 39.

    Suffern ACE

    September 13, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    @lamh36: oh god, no. You can say lots about the Putin, but he’s not exactly threatening us. Yes, he would like more influence and he’d like us to have less, but he’s not about to talk like he’d start a war with us to bring that about. McCain, well, he’s kind of made up his mind that it would be worthwhile to bankrupt our country in a war over 40 acres of Georgia.

  40. 40.

    shelly

    September 13, 2013 at 7:41 pm

    I think it makes the media look like children…

    Stephanie Cutter seems to be the target-de-jour of the mean kids. After she debuted on the new Crossfire, The Daily Caller had the most idiotic, juvenile attack.

  41. 41.

    jenn

    September 13, 2013 at 7:45 pm

    @Suffern ACE: Oh, I figured McCain would write up an article saying ‘Putin’s right, Obama sucks.’ But you’re right, if anyone can stir up an international incident, it would be he.

  42. 42.

    Corner Stone

    September 13, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    @askew: Looks like you finally found those well-fitting, comfortable knee pads.
    As hard as you are on them, may I suggest you pick up a couple pairs at a time?

  43. 43.

    jl

    September 13, 2013 at 7:48 pm

    Just commenting because the work I’m doing is even more boring that this gossip stuff, and day is almost done.

    One thing does stand out about Obama inside personal life and staff gossip for me: it is regular guy type BORING!

    Compared to FDR, or Nixon, or LBJ, the inner demons of the Bush I family, Clinton, Bush II?

    Who has been such a regular boring guy as president recently? Ford, maybe? Maybe.

    It could change. I could read in World News Daily that Obama had a secret affair with his beautiful exotic Venusian space alien adviser. That would be interesting.

    Edit: I mean, like the ‘secret’ letters to an old girlfriend. I mean, that was stuff boring nobodies like me did. I couldn’t even get through those all the way.

    Edit edit: of course, Obama is not a regular boring guy, but he appears to play one in day to day personal and staff relations.

  44. 44.

    piratedan

    September 13, 2013 at 7:52 pm

    isn’t this just more of the usual media idiocy writ large…. do we ever see a “behind the scenes” expose of the R administrations? Always seems like our darling media has this “mean girls” vibe with a Democrat in office, wish I could explain why that is. Hell, Sunday news shows are polluted with R’s and whenever you catch the daily news the spin is gawdawful. I just remind myself, who owns the media, cluck appreciatively and focus on what Obama has done and just move on. Next expose will probably focus on who signed what in the media yearbook.

  45. 45.

    ruemara

    September 13, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    Sounds like a hill of beans.

  46. 46.

    jl

    September 13, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    @piratedan:

    ” do we ever see a “behind the scenes” expose of the R administrations? ”

    I think we do and have. The timing may be a bit different. I think Wolfe is trying to get the jump on the ‘legacy’ and ‘inside story’ parts of the standard media presidential ‘information product’ cycle that they feel they have to churn through. And then there is the $ in it for Wolfe, so he scribbles down what he has and pushes it through the presses.

    The existential and make-or-break crises bilge is getting boring, and maybe not selling. Unless we want to go all St. Ronnie, there will be no big push to amend the constitution for a third term. There will be life after Obama, we do hope, and as think some wingnuts and GOP operatives fear.

    All the inside story and secret revelations have been so boring so far, probably will just see stuff pumped up to be just slightly less boring, unless something totally unexpected develops.

    And how can any reality compete with the insane and hallucinogenic wingnut Obama fever dreams?

  47. 47.

    MikeJ

    September 13, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    @jl:

    There will be life after Obama, we do hope, and as think some wingnuts and GOP operatives fear.

    The 2016 presidential campaign starts next year.

  48. 48.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    September 13, 2013 at 8:04 pm

    @jl:

    There will never be an “Obama had an affair” gossip about POTUS because everyone knows that Michelle would cut off his balls and carry them around in her handbag if that ever happened. And while the threat of violence is an incentive, the fact that POTUS obviously and quite publicly loves FLOTUS in a deep and profound way means that there will never be a sex scandal ALA Clinton. He just adores her, you can tell every time he looks at her, and she him. I can just imagine Malia and Sasha chiding their parents on a regular basis for their open expressions of love for each other. “Mom! Dad!, knock it off”.

  49. 49.

    Jeremy

    September 13, 2013 at 8:04 pm

    This stuff is nonsense. Axelrod and the President are still close and nothing suggests that the President asked him to leave. He decided to leave his position and focus on the upcoming campaign.

    The Beltway boys always have to lie or find something to attack the President and his family. I have never seen a first family examined this much.

  50. 50.

    Jeremy

    September 13, 2013 at 8:07 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: They were kissing at the inauguration a number of times for goodness sakes. The Obama’s have shown more open affection than any first couple in history.

  51. 51.

    Mike in NC

    September 13, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    But Bill O’Reilly has been saying for years that Obummer is a well-meaning but unqualified Affirmative Action doofus who is in way over his head. Most Villagers must agree.

  52. 52.

    different-church-lady

    September 13, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader: @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader:

    How can you even think of enjoying yourself when so many precious Balloon Juice commenters are going gbcw?

    What? [rubs hands together] Don’t make me search for it, just tell me more.

  53. 53.

    fuckwit

    September 13, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    @RP: Exactly. To me, this kind of stuff is a whole steaming pile of who-gives-a-fuck.

    Also, I forget which troll was bitching at AL for copy/pasting, but I have to admit, she copy/pastes like a goddammed pro. I like her garden writing, but with regard to news and politics it’s all excerpts and not much else.

    She’s rather like Atrios that way, except he doesn’t even excerpt much; most of the time he just gives you one sentence and a link.

    Heh, indeedy.

  54. 54.

    eemom

    September 13, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader:

    How can you even think of enjoying yourself when so many precious Balloon Juice commenters are going gbcw?

    I must say, your response to Manatee yesterday was spot on. omg, what a masterwork of who the fuck cares that spiel was.

  55. 55.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    September 13, 2013 at 8:12 pm

    @different-church-lady: I don’t gossip, doll. You’re just going to have to look ’em up.

  56. 56.

    eemom

    September 13, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    @fuckwit:

    which troll was bitching at AL for copy/pasting,

    How do you do.

    most of the time he just gives you one sentence and a link.

    Yep, and that would be the difference between fair use and AL.

  57. 57.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    September 13, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    @eemom:

    I must say, your response to Manatee yesterday was spot on.

    Doug (the real Doug, not our fake one) is a good guy. People just lose perspective sometimes.

  58. 58.

    eemom

    September 13, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    @different-church-lady:

    Look at the bottom of the 300+ open thread yesterday.

    Don’t know about others, though.

  59. 59.

    Mnemosyne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    @jl:

    Some people who have grown up in drama-filled families decide that they don’t want to have to deal with all of that crap all over again when they grow up, so they go out of their way to choose a spouse who will let them have a nice, ordinary home life so they can concentrate their energy on other things.

    I know we’re more used to the kind of people who insist on re-creating their own family dramas over and over again, but I do think a substantial proportion of people who come from that kind of family don’t want to have to live through all of that bullshit again as adults, so they actively avoid it. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was what Obama did — he worked through his daddy issues and mommy issues and married someone who wouldn’t constantly create drama.

  60. 60.

    Narcissus

    September 13, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Yeah they’re very openly affectionate compared to other political couples. I imagine the First Sex is pretty good.

  61. 61.

    different-church-lady

    September 13, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    @eemom:

    Yep, and that would be the difference between fair use and AL.

    One original sentence, and a link.

    From what I gather E. used to actually write stuff. I tuned into him a bit later when it was short paragraphs worth reading. I tuned out of him, bored, when it became two sentences and a link.

  62. 62.

    Mnemosyne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:20 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader:

    Some go gbcw of their own accord, others have gbcw thrust upon them. I still can’t post from my home IP address, apparently by design.

    So if I suddenly vanish, just know it’s not of my own

  63. 63.

    Felonius Monk

    September 13, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    I guess he’s selling us out again!

  64. 64.

    Liberty60

    September 13, 2013 at 8:26 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    And the chattering class wonder why Obama can barely conceal his contempt for them?

    To any sentient being, the more the Beltway courtiers yelp and snivel, the better Obama looks.

  65. 65.

    eemom

    September 13, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    I still can’t post from my home IP address, apparently by design.

    But that doesn’t make any SENSE…..even, again, for here.

    Some of the FPers actually respond to e-mail…..maybe ask them to fix that for you?

  66. 66.

    Soonergrunt

    September 13, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    Brief OT update:
    The medicine my daughter needs, Budesonide, costs $228/month as a co-pay. It’s over $1,300/month retail.

  67. 67.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    September 13, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    @Liberty60:

    To any sentient being, the more the Beltway courtiers yelp and snivel, the better Obama looks.

    Obama is so awesome that the worse he looks the better he looks.

  68. 68.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    @MikeJ:

    The 2016 presidential campaign starts next yeared January 20, 2013

    FTFY.

  69. 69.

    Suffern ACE

    September 13, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    @Felonius Monk: you know, when we default on the debt next month and devolve into a bunch of petty fiefdoms ruled by militias and warlords who violently shut off my access to the Internet and only allow me to have Blaze on my TV, I’ll get at least some solace from the fact that at least with the warlords I don’t have Senators. It might be enough to get me through.

  70. 70.

    Mnemosyne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    @eemom:

    It was apparently Cole’s decision, so I’d rather whine about it passive-agressively.

  71. 71.

    Botsplainer

    September 13, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    Mmm – bourbon while eating Tabasco jelly beans.

  72. 72.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:36 pm

    @Soonergrunt: That could be killer, but probably do-able. And as someone upthread mentioned, just holler if the B-J commentariat can be helpful with cash flow as you sort this out. This is not a moment in your life to be proud.

  73. 73.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    @Botsplainer:
    Oooh. Have you ever had Tabasco dark chocolate? Because that is the bomb.

  74. 74.

    different-church-lady

    September 13, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    @Mnemosyne: It’s your own damn fault — you have desk rage.

  75. 75.

    Mnemosyne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    @Soonergrunt:

    Well, that’s just to incentivize you to shop around like a smart consumer and make sure your daughter really needs that medication, don’t’cha know?

    I really hate our healthcare system sometimes. It’s seriously set up to punish people with chronic illnesses. I’m trying to figure out all of the changes in the Giant Evil Corporation’s plans next year and no one can tell me what the cost of my current meds would be if I took the “Consumer Choice” plan they’re pushing. If it’s a decision between paying $450 out of pocket for a 3-month supply or paying an $8 co-pay for a 3-month supply, it’s not much of a “choice,” is it?

  76. 76.

    Narcissus

    September 13, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    @Soonergrunt: Look around and see if you can find a discount or rebate — you’d be surprised how many pharmaceuticals have that kind of thing if you dig for it.

  77. 77.

    Mnemosyne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    @different-church-lady:

    Couch rage — I don’t have a desk at home and use my laptop from the couch. Less dangerous to me, because fewer pointy edges.

  78. 78.

    different-church-lady

    September 13, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader: He is left handed… and right handed…

  79. 79.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    I can just imagine Malia and Sasha chiding their parents on a regular basis for their open expressions of love for each other. “Mom! Dad!, knock it off” get a room”

    There. Saved you some trouble so you can pack for your visit to UK.

  80. 80.

    NCSteve

    September 13, 2013 at 8:42 pm

    Richard Wolffe. Take everything you most loathe about Woodward, Arianna Huffington, Maureen Dowd, and some Murdoch British penny dreadful gossip columnist, mix it up, and pour it into an Italian suit and add some oh so hip glasses, and you’ve got Richard Wolffe.

  81. 81.

    Davis X. Machina

    September 13, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    @Soonergrunt: For that quoted list price ($1300) you could buy 720 3g. capsules by mail It’s not a rare or exotic drug. Bog-standard asthma inhaler content. Astra-Zenica’s just being greedy.

  82. 82.

    magurakurin

    September 13, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    @beltane:

    Yesterday was bingo night at the local RC church. I’m sure that whatever the old people were gossiping about there was a lot more exciting than this.

    being a Catholic church, I’d say it definitely had more sex…

  83. 83.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:48 pm

    @Jeremy:

    The Obama’s have shown more open affection than any first couple in history.

    I guess we should all be thankful that Al and Tipper never made it to first coupledom.

  84. 84.

    Botsplainer

    September 13, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Oooh. Have you ever had Tabasco dark chocolate? Because that is the bomb.

    No, but as a great fan of cocoa-chile combinations, I feel obligated to find it.

  85. 85.

    stinger

    September 13, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    “…if you can’t fulfill that function anymore, or someone can do it better, you’re gone” — this is a criticism of the President? It would be better to have the White House staffed by incompetents? Huh. Maybe incompetency is why the quoted “former aide” is former.

  86. 86.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    @Botsplainer: Do you have a Cost-Plus World Market near you? That’s where I get mine. It comes in little round tins. Really good stuff.

  87. 87.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    September 13, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    @Soonergrunt:

    That is simply criminal. Blackmailing families the pharma companies gun to the head. It makes me sick.

  88. 88.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    If you are unable to track it down, let me know by email SiubhanDuinne (at) gmail (dot) com, and i’ll buy some for you and send it to you next time I do a World Market run.

  89. 89.

    ? Martin

    September 13, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    @Soonergrunt:

    The medicine my daughter needs, Budesonide, costs $228/month as a co-pay. It’s over $1,300/month retail.

    You should take full advantage of the free market and find a cheaper disease.

  90. 90.

    Botsplainer

    September 13, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Between Whole Paycheck, Fresh Market, Liquor Barn and about a dozen high end food emporia, I figure I can score some in one place or another.

  91. 91.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @Botsplainer:

    If you are unable to track it down, let me know by email SiubhanDuinne (at) gmail (dot) com, and i’ll buy some for you and send it to you next time I do a World Market run.

  92. 92.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    September 13, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I am so looking forward to it, the only downside is how much trouble my boss can get into while I am gone. He is totally beside himself when he doesn’t have me to call on 24/7. “You mean I have to go to the grocery store and buy my own bottles of wine? When will you be back?”

  93. 93.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @Botsplainer: Yeah, you should, but offer stands in case you can’t.

  94. 94.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: You know what, it will do him good. But out of curiosity, when ARE you leaving, and when WILL you be back?

  95. 95.

    jl

    September 13, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Sounds like your boss has enough bottles of w(h)ine already.

  96. 96.

    burnspbesq

    September 13, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Obummer is a well-meaning but unqualified Affirmative Action doofus who is in way over his head.

    No, no, that’s Justice Thomas. And Justice Thomas comes with two contradictory side orders: self-loathing because he knows he only got where he is because he benefited from a succession of non-level playing fields, and resentment of everybody who thinks less of him because of that.

  97. 97.

    Felonius Monk

    September 13, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    @Suffern ACE:

    at least with the warlords I don’t have Senators

    And hopefully no congresscritters either.

  98. 98.

    Corner Stone

    September 13, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    @? Martin: Oh, thank God!
    With all the talk about gentle souls here going gbcw I was deathly afraid you’d pulled the ripcord.
    It’s good to know we’ll still have the benefit of all your knowledge about all the topics that are most important to us.
    Thank you for being here. Thank you.

  99. 99.

    Poopyman

    September 13, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    @Felonius Monk: Oh, you’ll still have congresscritters. Well, at least you’ll still have their pelts.

  100. 100.

    gene108

    September 13, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    All the behind the scenes stuff is cute and all, but now that the Big O’s legalized gay marriage, so people can marry now gay marry their turtles, when the hell is he going to pass Sharia law and convert us all to Islam!

    I have three girlfriends I want to marry and living under Sharia law would solve a lot of my headaches!

    I guess I wasted my early and often votes for Obama for nothing :-(

  101. 101.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    September 13, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    Good job killing the thread, Gene.

    Asshole.

  102. 102.

    Mike in NC

    September 13, 2013 at 9:29 pm

    @NCSteve: Perfect description of that wanker.

  103. 103.

    gene108

    September 13, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader:

    Too bad I didn’t get here 98 posts sooner or there’d be No Thread for You!

  104. 104.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    September 13, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    The scary part about it is him being unsupervised for a week, if he decides to go into the office and a client walks in to talk to him and I am not there it will go like this “who are you” “I am your client” “really what do I represent you on” “felonies” “what kind of felonies?” etc. etc. Whereas if I am there it will go like this “Joe Smith is here to see you” “who is he” me “charged with three felonies, PWITSD etc.” It is going to be scary.

  105. 105.

    Davis X. Machina

    September 13, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    @? Martin: Budesonide is not an exotic wonder-drug. It’s a bog-standard filler for asthma-inhalers and nose-sprays — Rhinocort.

    This presumably is the extended-release oral version Uceris — brand new! Just approved! Still patent-protected!… but chemically identical to the older, now-generic Entorcort.

  106. 106.

    Kropadope

    September 13, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    @Soonergrunt: Nebulizer solution or some sort of multi-dose inhaler? I suspect if it’s an MDI that the nebs would be cheaper.

  107. 107.

    MikeJ

    September 13, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    Salty!

  108. 108.

    Anya

    September 13, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I don’t know what’s so news worthy about a campaign staff having tense moments in the middle of a high stake campaign? How is that a problem? Do they think people who work closely never disagree? Give me some scandal or STFU.

    @Soonergrunt: That sucks, man. I hope your daughter is going to be okay. I second the suggestion someone made about letting BJ members know if the treatment cost becomes unmanageble.

  109. 109.

    Ladybug

    September 13, 2013 at 9:50 pm

    @Randy Khan:

    get me my clutched hand, pearls and fainting couch-stat!

    I

  110. 110.

    Ladybug

    September 13, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    I think I know someone who might have some extra Sarin gas on hand…

    just sayin’…

  111. 111.

    Ladybug

    September 13, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Their portmanteau is “Jock” or “Baroe”

  112. 112.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    September 13, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    I know what you mean — my similar boss is retiring at the end of the year. I don’t know who she thinks is going to be fixing her Amazon account after that, but I suspect she thinks it will still be me. ?

  113. 113.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    September 13, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    Can we get an Open Thread where we can just torment Martin?

  114. 114.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 13, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    The FUH?? sand diego @ Atlanta ties it up 3-3 in the 8th?? Wtf??

  115. 115.

    Redshirt

    September 13, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    @Corner Stone: You need to be on the BJ Welcoming Committee.

  116. 116.

    nellcote

    September 13, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    @Soonergrunt:

    The medicine my daughter needs, Budesonide, costs $228/month as a co-pay. It’s over $1,300/month retail.

    budesonide 30 ampules
    1 carton
    Discounted price with this coupon:
    120.51

    http://www.goodrx.com/budesonide

  117. 117.

    rikyrah

    September 13, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    Cutter rocked during the campaign. Take no prisoners..busting balls all over the tv…it was hilarious watching her up against the GOP operatives…she often left them with their mouths open as she pointed out how stupid they were.

  118. 118.

    David in NY

    September 13, 2013 at 10:25 pm

    Did Woodward ghostwrite that stuff?

  119. 119.

    max

    September 13, 2013 at 10:34 pm

    I read that Daily Beast article from end to end and here’s the thing: as God is my witness, after 6 years I STILL can’t sort out which one of those guys is which. There’s the bald one and the one with the mustache and the chirpy kid and that’s about as far as I can get. Which I guess means they are more or less interchangeable parts.

    And if one of them had been a Kardashian sister, it wouldn’t have helped, because I can’t fuckin’ tell them apart or remember what that’s all supposed to be about either.

    max
    [‘Now, Summers v. Geithner I have an opinion about. But that’s because that is important to actual living people and not at all to Villagers.’]

  120. 120.

    dww44

    September 14, 2013 at 12:20 am

    @Felonius Monk: if true, I truly don’t like this. Not one bit. We need more liberals in judgeships, not less. There was a time when my two senators were a bit more moderate. Not these days. And we definitely need a progressive or two on the 11th circuit.

    @Davis X. Machina: The last 10 years of my Mom’s life I was pretty much the one who dealt with her medical issues and I discovered how some docs would switch her from one medicine to the newer version. Like when she was switched from Nexium to Prilosec and I asked the doctor if she could be switched back. “Oh, no, never”, he said. He was obviously a doctor in it primarily for the money. As a “notch” baby, Mom was living off a Social Security check of around $850.00 per month at the time. She could ill afford expensive meds.

    But,, I also happened to be sitting in a patient room, waiting on my Mom’s nursing home doctor for a scheduled consultation. Overheard the female pharma sales rep invite the doctor to dinner at a quite well known restaurant at some upcoming date with the parting remark to “keep prescribing” whatever the drug was. Since then I’ve been quite the cynic about the cozy relationship between my doctors and the pharmaceutical industry.

    All this by way of saying that’s some good info you are providing and I do hope Soonergrunt takes note of it.

  121. 121.

    Robert Sneddon

    September 14, 2013 at 4:22 am

    What is this “co-pay” of which you speak? Is it a great American invention like the motor-car, the aeroplane and the lightbulb? In the No-Fourth-Amendment NSA free-fire zone that is the benighted hellhole of Britain we are forced, FORCED I say to obtain prescription drugs at no cost to ourselves. Oh, to live in the Land of the Fee^WFree where ordinary folks’ disposable income goes to fund prime-time TV adverts for prescription drugs…

  122. 122.

    JoyfulA

    September 14, 2013 at 11:50 am

    @Soonergrunt: Here are the prices at a pharmacy I’ve used: http://www.progressiverx.com/store/search.php?mode=search&page=1

    My husband came across an article about it in BusinessWeek—

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