Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Decision time: keep arguing about the last election, or try to win the next one?

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

You cannot love your country only when you win.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

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

How stupid are these people?

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Tuesday Night Open Thread

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I heard a crinkling sound like Thurston was into something he was not supposed to be in, turned around, and Thurston, still rocking his coat from earlier, had managed to go through the trash and get an empty trail mix bag stuck on his head.

When I first turned around, I did a “WTF?” because I had no idea what it was and it took me a second to figure out what it was.

Moron

Still makes more sense than Sarah Palin’s speech.

Reader Interactions

171Comments

  2. 2.

    Mike J

    Braden Joplin, 25, died from injuries from the car crash he and other Ben Carson volunteers were in earlier today. Carson chartered a jet to fly his family out.

    Hate to see campaign volunteers, no matter how misguided, injured and killed. Anybody else volunteering out there, drive safe.

  3. 3.

    JPL

    John, Almost anything makes more sense. I put up a link down below so Betty could watch. I’m hoping that she’ll explain the main thing in the main thing for the main thing. Also Squirmish is not a word, although it might be in the future.

  7. 7.

    Keith P

    I heard a sound like that last night, but it was a raccoon who had wondered inside to help himself to some cat food. A few nights before, it was a baby opossum that preferred to stand in a corner rather than run back outside.
    And the birds that also eat the cat food are friggin’ ginormous.

  9. 9.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    John, worry not, Flossie does that all the time. Two minute after I have put something into the trash can there will be the familiar “thwap” of the trash can lid hitting the floor and Flossie trotting into the living room with an empty cheese package or something.

  10. 10.

    Elie

    Btw, any reaction to MI Gov Schneider’s State of the State address which from what I can tell started with lies that were given standing ovations by the MI State legislature. Lots of heads to roll on this, but none will suffer what the children in Flint will undergo in their lives. Someone should make the Governor and his family drink a couple of gallons of Flint water and take a soaky bubble bath in it as well.

    Sons of bitches

  14. 14.

    Josie

    Thank FSM for Thurston. He has returned some doggy reality to the surreal political scene. Seeing that picture took me back to the dog I had in college. Her name was Trixie and she was a dedicated trash dog. People probably wondered occasionally why our trash can was kept up on the kitchen counter.

  16. 16.

    Elie

    @JPL:

    SERIOUSLY???

    He appointed the interim City managers who made the decision to switch to Flint River water and then there is the cover up… several cover-ups. He appointed the people but bears no responsibility in what they did. It was revealed (sadly) that FOIA in MI does not cover the Executive, so they will never know whether they have all the pertinent documents….

  18. 18.

    JPL

    @Elie: It was civil servants. It doesn’t matter that he found out in July 2014, cuz he really didn’t know until Oct, 2015. I didn’t listen, I just read the Detroit News earlier. That is what he was suppose to say. IOKIYAR

  20. 20.

    Elie

    Also, from what I read, the replacement of plumbing infrastructure has to go all the way up into the home faucets. Its been several months since they switched back to the Detroit water supply, but the damage done during those months under the Flint river has no receded — the water taps still pour out poisonous water, which indicates that the Flint river water damaged the pipes irreparably — millions, maybe billions of dollars. Class action suit already filed, but there will be many… lots of political and social damage. But this all belongs to the Schneider administration and their greedy minions who discarded any concern for the people to save a dime or two. They will end up spending trillions and I wish we could take it out of their individual finances first dollar…

  22. 22.

    Elie

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    Well, they will have to do some fancy acrobatics around all the city managers that they replaced the regular elected managers with. It was those managers who signed off on the decision. Also, data was changed on the lead levels so there was definitely at least an attempt to cover up.

    Look, I know many towns and cities are on a thin line when it comes to public health surveillance after years of shrinking government by the Republicans. The Democrats MUST begin to own grassroots organizing or they will be no different. We must embrace activism on behalf of the average joe and also build their sense that it matters…. We are running out of time

  23. 23.

    slag

    @Kent: In substance I agree with TNC of course. And though I’m Switzerland during this year’s Dem primaries, I do defend Bernie on this one. A bit.

    Bernie has a very thin line to walk before being labeled a crank. And, as far as much of white America* is concerned, I’m afraid being a socialist in favor of reparations is probably over the line. Those people are wrong, of course, but much of white America* is often wrong. Personally, I feel reparations are actually a bit safer in the hands of Hillary from a political perspective. She’s nowhere near the crank line.

    * = No, not ALL of white America.

  26. 26.

    Pogonip

    Leave the bag on, it’ll make it more difficult for him to bark.

    Baud/Jane 2016: Because It’s A Jungle Out There.

    (And a jungle in here too; if you look towards the left of the tram, folks, you’ll see a specimen of the rare Camo-Coated Baghead.)

  29. 29.

    Baud

    @Elie:

    It was those managers who signed off on the decision

    Managers only make successful decisions. Employees are responsible for the rest.

    It’s the first rule of management.

  31. 31.

    Elie

    @Pogonip:

    There have been at least a couple of whistle blowers. One key person was the Governor’s chief of staff who said he could no longer support the situation saying that the people were being blown off. He resigned. Another whistle blower highlighted abnormal values in lead testing results that had been suppressed. My hope is that everything that is important and relevant will be made available…

  32. 32.

    slag

    @Gussie: Ha! No I didn’t mean to imply that. I meant to imply that she has more room to support reparations, if she chooses to. Which, last I checked, she does not:

    CLINTON: We have mental, emotional and psychological reparations to pay first. We have to admit that we haven’t always treated people in our own country fairly. We have some issues that we have to address when it comes to racial justice right now. I’m willing to work hard to be a strong advocate for Civil Rights and human rights here at home and around the world. I want to do everything I can to make sure that the programs and policies that have helped generations of African-Americans have a better life in this country continue. I think we should be focused on the present and on the future. We owe an apology to African-Americans for hundreds of years of slavery.

  33. 33.

    Corner Stone

    Holy shit. If the story by Jane Mayer about the Koch family can get any sticking power…
    Damn.

  38. 38.

    Corner Stone

    @Baud: Yeah, the modern day Republicans can not give a shit less about someone who supported Stalin or Hitler. They just don’t care. Power begets power.
    I’m more interested in the single, tiny hope that anyone not already pre-disposed to vote straight ticket GOP may wonder, WTF?

  39. 39.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Elie:

    Someone should make the Governor and his family drink a couple of gallons of Flint water and take a soaky bubble bath in it as well every day for the next two years.

    I hope that fixed it for you.

  41. 41.

    jl

    Cole: Thurston looks like some kind of Star Wars battle machine. I think it’s a warning. You better straighten up.

  46. 46.

    Elie

    @jl:

    It is my pleasure to spell it differently each time — a sign of disrespect ==

    snider, Snyder, shneider, snidder, ….

  48. 48.

    Germy

    @Corner Stone:

    Holy shit. If the story by Jane Mayer about the Koch family can get any sticking power…
    Damn.

    Michael Bay should make a movie based on it.

  49. 49.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Dear Rachel Maddow,

    John McCain’s refusal to admit Palin was a disaster isn’t about his generous character, it’s about his massive yet fragile ego.

    Also, appearing on SNL with Tina Fey right before the election wasn’t exactly a kiss blown on national TV

  52. 52.

    Stacy

    She said “squirmishes” for skirmishes and I think I saw Trump flinch. My 12 year old daughter said she looked like a sparkly porcupine in that getup she had on.

  54. 54.

    Germy

    Many decades ago we had a cat who looked like Tunch. One Christmas, in the middle of the night, I woke up suddenly with the sense that there had been some… disturbance… in the living room. I got up to investigate.

    The Christmas tree was lying on its side. The cat was in the opposite side of the room, as far away from the tree as physically possible, with his back to it. When I approached him, he looked at me suddenly over his shoulder, as if waking from a deep sleep to say “what?”

    There were a few pine needles on his fur. He had no alibi.

  60. 60.

    Kent

    @slag:

    Slag….I don’t disagree with you but frankly he already is something of a demagogue and a crank. There isn’t one single item in his agenda that remotely realistic in the first place and he’s basically lying to a whole lot of naive activists who believe otherwise. Coats’ point is that it is fine to stroke the white liberals with a bunch of fantasy agenda items but God forbid we ever think about doing anything similar for people of color. It is curious that the sky is the limit when it comes to making unrealistic promises to white America but beyond the pale to say anything remotely similar to black America.

    And yes, I’m a Hillary supporter. Basically because we need someone with the knowledge and temperament to use the executive office to fight the Republicans tooth and nail at their own game. Obama has been a master at that in most areas except education where he has been a complete disappointment (I’m a teacher). I’m not convinced Sanders has political skill to wield the levers of power nearly as well.

  61. 61.

    Elie

    Governor whatshisname should have pickets in front of his house every day – Hopefully, there are citizens meetings being organized to begin to identify the leverage points to take to remove him from office and to hold all people responsible for this accountable. Marc Edwards in a VA tech researcher who faults the MI dept of environmental quality but I think its early yet. My point is that once that local government became under the control of managers that he appointed, well, its HIS baby. Plenty of love to give around though. We can at least remove this ork from future republican leadership positions.

  62. 62.

    raven

    @Baud: Rachel spent her usual 20 minutes explaining how, despite McCain being loyal to Palin, she chose to endorse the guy who belittled Walnuts for getting captured by Charlie. Never once did she say anything about McCain being generous.

  63. 63.

    geg6

    That’s even funnier than the Lovey with the Kleenex box on her head photo. It must be genetic.

  74. 74.

    Germy

    @JPL:

    I bet you still miss that cat.

    He is legendary in our household.

    I don’t understand why my TV news stations made such a big deal over Palin’s Trump endorsement. Is she really still so relevant? I don’t get it…

  79. 79.

    Goblue72

    @Kent: What has Hillary actually accomplished? What is her legislative record as Senator? What did she actually accomplish as SoS?

  80. 80.

    Kent

    On the Flint water issue, I read somewhere the idea that a prime motivation for cutting Flint off from Detroit water was actually to hasten the bankruptcy of the Detroit water system so it could be privatized and sold off to Veolia or Suez or one of the giant multi-national water companies. It is a compelling argument. I wonder if anyone else has seen that argument laid out or any evidence for it. This is what was going on during the same months that Flint cut off Detroit water

    wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579459722759653130
    america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/6/detroit-public-watershutoffsunitednationsprivatization.html
    foodandwaterwatch.org/news/detroits-new-regional-water-authority-prelude-privatization

  81. 81.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    Just published in the last day or two, I think. Mayer is a good writer — not the kind of stylist whose prose sings in your heart, but a clear, straightforward journalist.

  82. 82.

    JPL

    @Baud: Hopefully you are taking notes. It’s been a long day. Don’t read the papers so you can plead ignorance and have some one with a bod introduce you. Word salad is an extra cuz everyone just nods in agreement.

  83. 83.

    geg6

    @Pogonip:

    I do not have that superpower. However, I’m pretty sure Cole posted it here at some point. If not, he is welcome to take it from my FB page and post it. Or TaMara could do it, too.

  84. 84.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Goblue72: Won two elections in a state that is a much better demographic reflection of the whole country than Vermont, New Hampshire or Iowa.

  85. 85.

    seaboogie

    @RSA:

    “Look, I’m a space dog!”

    It’s Thurston’s Bowie tribute. Performance art.

    Barking wasn’t getting his message across, so he had to take it to the next level.

    I give him mad props.

  87. 87.

    slag

    @Kent:

    It is curious that the sky is the limit when it comes to making unrealistic promises to white America but beyond the pale to say anything remotely similar to black America.

    I hear this. It seems to me that, ironically, Sanders owes his current level of legitimacy almost entirely to President Obama.

    Obama introduced and got ACA passed, which made healthcare a plausible issue again. Social Security, Medicare, education, climate change, income equity…all part of the conversation in the uppermost pillars of the current administration. Obama hasn’t touched reparations (outside of the minds of Republicans), and as a result, they really are further beyond the convention than the other issues Sanders has taken a crack at.

    ETA I’m going to freakin’ miss this president. Perhaps that’s why I’m primary-agnostic. My vote would be for four more years.

  88. 88.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Goblue72: Do you think that the ground work and the diplomatic environment in which Kerry has accomplished so much sprung out of thing air when he was confirmed? Hillary spent a shitload of time mending fences and re-establishing the US’s credibility.

  89. 89.

    Baud

    @JPL:

    Agree. Clearly this isn’t the year for sober statesmanship. I need to be wilder, crazier, more outrageous, more flamboyant, and more incomprehensible than the other candidates. Time to reset my campaign.

  91. 91.

    seaboogie

    @Baud:

    Time to reset my campaign

    I think Hillz still has the button somewhere. Might be a bit awkward asking to borrow it, though.

  92. 92.

    Mike J

    @Omnes Omnibus: Brought Iran to the negotiating table, brokered a Hamas-Israel ceasefire, “ran the State Department in the most effective way that I’ve ever seen” according to the evil, but competent Henry Kissinger.

  93. 93.

    JPL

    @Baud: At least you know that if you lose, it was because you weren’t crazy enough. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think..

  97. 97.

    oldgold

    Palin’s endorsement of Trump, in terms of having an impact on the Iowa Caucus, is small potatoes in comparison with Terry (Iowa’s Governor for Life) Branstad asking that Iowa Republicans not support Cruz. Branstad’s “nonendorsement” of Cruz, probably means Trump wins Iowa.

  99. 99.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Mike J: Yes, but in the case I actually think the general is more important than the specific. She and Obama let the world know that the US was going to more or less play by the rules again just like other countries. That mattered.

  101. 101.

    Germy

    Palin said:

    Thank a vet and know that United States military deserves a Commander In Chief who loves our country passionately, and will never apologize for this country. A new Commander In Chief, who never leave our men behind. A new Commander In Chief one who never lie to the families of the fallen.

    I’m in it because just last week we’re watching our sailors suffer and be humiliated on a world stage at the hands of Iranian captors in violation of international law. Because a weak-kneed capitulator in chief has decided that America will lead from behind, and he who would negotiate deals like kind of with the skills of a community organizer maybe organizing the neighborhood tea. Well he deciding that America would apologize as part of the deal as the enemy sends a message to the rest of the world that they capture, and we kowtow, and we apologize, and then we bend over and say thank you enemy.

  103. 103.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Germy:

    Regarding this book specifically, no, none that I’ve heard of. But in the Fresh Air interview, and I think in the book, she detailed a really nasty campaign against her as a result of her New Yorker article about the Koch Brothers a few years ago. They accused her of plagiarism and I don’t know what-all else. These guys are ruthless.

  104. 104.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Elie: But he is “praying” for them, and he “takes responsibility”, and “the buck stops with him”.

    Of course, it was “a failure of the federal, state, and local government”, so stuff happens and what can you do. But, never fear, he’ll “fix it”.

    Yes, he really said those things in quotes.

    The local government had nothing to do with poisoning the people of Flint. It was Snyder’s lackies, who only reported to him, that poisoned the people of Flint.

    It’s infuriating. Where are the torches and pitchforks?

    #impeachsnyder.

    My $0.02.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  105. 105.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud:

    I need to be wilder, crazier, more outrageous, more flamboyant, and more incomprehensible than the other candidates.

    Bowie’s gone, but Sir Elton was pretty flamboyant in the early 70’s.

  109. 109.

    farthestnorth

    oh jeez. Just when it was safe to be an Alaskan again, Caribou Barbie shows up more incoherent than ever. Well this time she is so obviously out of her gourd that the sparkles won’t last long.

  114. 114.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Baud: @BillinGlendaleCA:Sir Elton was pretty flamboyant in the early 70’s.

    The mad hatter and glasses get up is okay, but I advise against the duck suit.

    I’ll send my bill.

  123. 123.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    @Kent: Without clicking on any of the links, I’m inclined to believe you wholesale. It’s happened so often before.

    Maybe we need something catchy to describe it. How about the “Bechtel Test”?

  125. 125.

    farthestnorth

    @muddy: I thought it was a disco ball explosion. Too bad she missed the party at her house last night where her son was arrested for punching his girlfriend while drunk and in possession of a firearm. Way to sabotage Mamma Grizzly’s Big Media Moment, her only one in a long time and hopefully, her last

  126. 126.

    slag

    @muddy: For future Trump rallies, she’ll have one of those ‘freedom kid’ outfits in her size. She’s been practicing her jazz hands just for this moment.

  128. 128.

    Germy

    @farthestnorth:

    Too bad she missed the party at her house last night where her son was arrested for punching his girlfriend while drunk and in possession of a firearm.

    Clearly Obama’s fault.

  129. 129.

    muddy

    @farthestnorth: Lawrence O’Donnell was just saying how sad it was that she was not helping her poor son with his troubles instead of trotting about shouting.

    Jesus, they have the video of her on again, and I thought I’d have a seizure from the flashing lights.

    ETA: David Frum looks like he crawled out of a dumpster. What’s up with that?

  130. 130.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @muddy: ETA: David Frum looks like he crawled out of a dumpster. What’s up with that?

    Possibly karma? But I’m going with an attempt at a new look

    ETA: Oy, just flipped over. I’m changing my vote to tooth-ache he tried to treat with whisky

  131. 131.

    slag

    @Baud: Exactly. Your new campaign slogan:

    B@ud! FU, if you don’t understand it!

    Connotes independence. Anti-establishment-ness.

    Anti-intelligibility is anti-status quo. Batud into the future!

  136. 136.

    jl

    @Elie: OK.

    There was an old sitcom with a horrible maintenance man named Schneider. I forget what it was.
    i thought maybe that was the joke.

  139. 139.

    jl

    @muddy: If you say so. I don’t remember that show, except a clip where Schneider tried to fix something and blew something up, or started a war, or something.

    Reading about the Palin endorsement, I stumbled upon a report that Alex Jones left Rand Paul for Trump.
    Oh,, the humanity! That must have hurt Rand.

  140. 140.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Richard M. Nixon ‏@ dick_nixon 31m31 minutes ago
    Richard M. Nixon
    In a way I admire Kristol. A lesser man, if everything he touched turned to dust, would jump off a bridge.

  145. 145.

    SRW1

    @Baud:

    For a little while I went by Baüd! while courting Midwestern voters of Germanic stock.

    Gave it up because of the funny looks, amirite? Shoulda tried Bäud. The Umlaut is never on the second vowel.

  147. 147.

    NotMax

    @jl

    One Day at a Time.

    Schneider played by Pat Harrington, a successful comedian, who died only a few weeks ago

  150. 150.

    different-church-lady

    1) Take photo

    2) Remove plastic bag from pet’s head before he suffocates

    IN THAT ORDER.

  155. 155.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’m sorry to hear you had a Cole moment. Those kinds of injuries bother me as well. Heal quickly. Arnica gel (the real shit, from a tincture made with the plant), really helps. Sugar pills are of course just that, but the 1x gel actually contains some arnica. I use a vet formulation – it’s great for horses, and has nothing dangerous to humans, beyond the arnica itself which is quite toxic if ingested.

  156. 156.

    Betty Cracker

    @Kent: Pretty simple explanation — Sanders wants to win an election in the USA. Reparations is a tough sell!

    @JPL: I’m still trying to get the awful whining buzz out of my ears. It’s worse than a cloud of mosquitos.

  162. 162.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Betty Cracker: I turned toward the drying tray and the lower part of my left trapezius went sproing! One hates that. Self med and ice should fix it by the weekend. Been injured before, will happen again.

  163. 163.

    NotMax

    @Omnes Omnibus

    At least you were engaged in something semi-constructive. Over the years, have wrenched the back from sneezing. Also, once or twice, from merely yawning.

  165. 165.

    dww44

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:I saw that and thought what a disservice to us all and especially to Mayer. Something just wasn’t right there. He gave Moore all the time in the world. Suspicious minds just might think there was some hidden motive, or, dare I say, pressure being applied?

  167. 167.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @dww44: I doubt it was pressure so much as Hayes wanted to spend some time with a fellow Bern-feeler, and who better to feel things with than the self-righteous sack of Lumpenschmaltz that is Michael Moore.

  168. 168.

    Mike in DC

    I am watching excerpts of Palin’s “speech” and wondering what sort of neurological disorder I am witnessing. Mini strokes? CTE? Dementia? Lead poisoning? Something ain’t right in her head.

  170. 170.

    Kay

    @Mike in DC:

    I have a friend who is a politically active Democrat but went to a Palin rally, partly because McCain/Palin seemed to be randomly calling people in Ohio in ’08 and begging them to go to rallies. I got a call once.

    She was right up front at the rally and she said then that Palin didn’t look well. She was really struck by it because you’ll recall they promoted her as some kind of athletic, strong, confident person who spends a lot of time outdoors. She thought Palin looked unhealthy- thin and jittery and distracted- the opposite of “strong and confident”.

  171. 171.

    Joy

    Please be careful about food bags. My friend’s cocker spaniel found his way into the pantry one day while she was at work and proceeded to tear open a bag with cookies in it. The bag somehow got stuck on his head and he suffocated. I have always dog-proofed my house and would never have thought about this. I do now.

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