Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

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

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

In my day, never was longer.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

Innocent people do not delay justice.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

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

We still have time to mess this up!

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

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Republicans in disarray!

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Tuesday Evening Open Thread

Reader Interactions

114Comments

  3. 3.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Is there anything more beautiful than the fragrance of fresh cut lilacs? No. No, there isn’t.

  5. 5.

    Germy

    I love the stargazer lillies outside my window, although some say the aroma is too overpowering.

  9. 9.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Germy: In the house they’re overpowering, and makes me think of a funeral home.

    @Betty Cracker: jasmine and honeysuckle are wondrous, but in New England, we have slim pickings for fragrant blooms.

  11. 11.

    NotMax

    Suppose the product is useful for those folks who revel in blowing up sh*t.

    ;)

  12. 12.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @NotMax:

    Yes! I had a whole garden bed of them at my old house, and the fragrance is subtle and fleeting. Hard to keep as cut flowers too, and since they’re so low to the ground and like shade, it’s hard to recognize how fragrant they are.

  13. 13.

    Mnemosyne

    We’re obviously burned out on politics, because in the thread below we’re getting silly and admiring beefcake.

    Smart AND funny AND can look good in anything, including outfits that would look ridiculous on any other man? Day-um.

  15. 15.

    Germy

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    In the house they’re overpowering, and makes me think of a funeral home.

    Years ago I used to take walks through an old neighborhood, and the smell of stargazer lillies was everywhere, except I didn’t know what it was. It smelled like sweet, burnt wood to me. Apparently, more than a few households had cultivated them, and the aroma was everywhere.

    It wasn’t until we moved into our current home and my wife planted them that I recognized the smell. “So THAT’S what it was!” We have a few outside our window, and when they bloom and the windows are open, they’re just fragrant enough without going overboard about it.
    Brings back memories of my old walks.

  19. 19.

    JPL

    Yesterday morning I couldn’t find the Finch. He finally appeared but when I tried to put on his leash to take him outside, he yelped in pain. Finch has a low tolerance to pain and has primal screams. Anyway, I went to the vet at seven a.m. when they opened. They aspirated a lymph node at his neck and since he had a fever, they felt it was just an infection, but were concerned about a few cells. They called this evening and no signs of cancer, but if he is not better by Friday, they want to see what the cause is. It might even involve surgery. Since Miss Moxie had cancer, I am so excited that we might just have surgery. I guess it’s all relative.

  20. 20.

    MazeDancer

    West Virginia exit polls show that almost half of the Sanders voters would vote for Trump

    West Virginia is an open primary. So, it appears that GOP voters, with no contest of their own, might have decided to go vote against Hillary.

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    @Germy: Cannot stand the smell of lilies. Beautiful flowers, but I don’t grow them because of the smell. If it was pleasant, it would be “scent”.

  23. 23.

    Big Ole Hound

    Slow cooking corn beef in a pot on the grill. It was a two-fer on St Patty’s Day and we just found it in the freezer.

  24. 24.

    WaterGirl

    @JPL: Oh, no, poor Finch. I assume they gave him an antibiotic? Crossing my fingers as I type.

  25. 25.

    Roger Moore

    @Schlemazel Khan:

    WTH is a ‘dung bomb’?

    They are a product repeatedly mentioned in the Harry Potter books. Their exact effect is never described in detail, but they are a favorite of the Weasley twins.

  26. 26.

    Mike J

    Donald Trump, GOP nomination virtually in hand, is planning a general election campaign that banks heavily on his personal appeal and trademark rallies while spurning the kind of sophisticated data operation that was a centerpiece of Barack Obama’s winning White House runs.

    “I’ve always felt it was overrated,” Trump said in an interview Tuesday. “Obama got the votes much more so than his data processing machine. And I think the same is true with me.”

  27. 27.

    debbie

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    A few years ago, there was an early warm spell, and the smell of lilacs from the many bushes in my neighborhood wafted in through the open windows day and night. The ultimate in passive gardening!

  29. 29.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @Tracy Ratcliff:
    Ah, thanks. Kids too old, grandkids too young and the bit I read did not grab my attention so I never followed up.

    I thought it was Drumpfs new campaign strategy.

    thanks also to @Roger Moore:

  31. 31.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @debbie:

    I actually poached ones hanging over my driveway from the neighbor’s side hill, and I have my eyes on a couple of other bushes up the street aways.

  32. 32.

    opiejeanne

    @Betty Cracker: I love lilacs and I inherited 7 or 8 large ones when we bought this house. The darker ones are just finishing up now so we will have none left to stick in our lapels on The Glorious 25th of May.

    A few years ago a lady on the London underground had a big bunch of lilacs tucked into her purse and when I admired them she gave them too me, but warned me that they are one of the flowers you don’t put in a vase.
    She was about 60 and said her mother had always told her that about lilacs and several other flowers, that you simply did not cut them to put them in a vase indoors. Then she chuckled, said it had something to do with fairies. Since she seemed otherwise sane and intelligent I took it to be a very old bit of folklore she was passing along to us.

  35. 35.

    Prescott Cactus

    From Bundy land:

    Cliven Bundy sues judge in Nevada standoff case, wants her removed.

    “Bundy lawyer Joel Hansen handed a copy of the lawsuit to U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro in open court in Las Vegas on Tuesday, and he told her that because she’s a named defendant, she should remove herself from Bundy’s case.”

    This should be pretty.

  36. 36.

    MazeDancer

    @Roger Moore: @JPL:

    Only 27% of WV voters wanted to carry on Obama policies. Of those that did, Hillary won them 2-1.

    Exit polls are actually being tweeted by networks. And they are so blatant, it may be possible even MSNBC and CNN may have to discuss WV is not your average state. Not watching so can’t say.

  39. 39.

    opiejeanne

    @Phylllis: That’s the way we watch the Angels. Our wonderful new (to us) short stop Andrelton Simmons is going to have surgery on his thumb so he’ll be out for 2 – 3 months. Bleh.

  42. 42.

    Cacti

    Funny story (not really)…

    That white nationalist delegate from California that the Trump campaign said was the result of a database error?

    Turns out he was still getting personal e-mails from team Trump just over 24-hours ago.

    Link

  43. 43.

    Davebo

    @Emma: In my old house I had a night blooming jasmine, or several actually, that grew to about 14′ high well above the roof line.

    They did smell fabulous!

  45. 45.

    Germy

    Someone got fooled on Antiques Roadshow. The expert said a sculpture was 19th century and worth $50K. Turns out it was done by a high school student in the 1970s.

    These things happen.

  47. 47.

    smith

    @Mike J: That’s hilarious. Without data and systematic outreach the confusion and SKEWD POLLS in the Trump camp will yoooge! Even if he can raise the $1.5 bil he needs, his execution will be Keystone Cops all the way down. About time their anti-intellectualism, anti-science, anti-reality philosophy bit them in the ass.

  48. 48.

    Davebo

    @MazeDancer:

    West Virginia is an open primary. So, it appears that GOP voters, with no contest of their own, might have decided to go vote against Hillary.

    Well even John would tell you most are not the sharpest bowling ball on the rack.

  49. 49.

    Mnemosyne

    @MomSense:

    It’s on the DVR at home waiting for me. I can see from the clips I’ve seen that he also fulfills something else I said about him, which is that he can wear suits that would look ridiculous on anyone else.

  50. 50.

    Mike J

    @smith: It’s the sort of thing I think we should chuckle quietly to ourselves about rather than making it a huge deal. God forbid they catch on.

  53. 53.

    JPL

    @WaterGirl: He’s on antibiotics, a anti-inflammatory, and benadryl. This is the worst case scenario, if he is not better Friday, they will do x-rays and surgery, in case there is a foreign substance. After losing Moxie to lymph cancer, I’m thrilled it can be treated. Thank you for your concern. It’s been a rough 36 hours for both of us.

  54. 54.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    ObOpenThread. I hope this PSA isn’t too annoying.

    Vote Riders is doing a fundraiser:

    At the top of our wish list: providing easily-accessible voter ID information and assistance to every registered voter in this country. Right now, we have an opportunity to do just that… IF we can raise $20,000.

    The wallet-sized voter ID information card we created for Wisconsin has been a huge hit with voters and local election officials. Now the coalition behind National Voter Registration Day, with 2,000 members organizations nationwide last year and growing, would like us to create similar cards for every state plus the District of Columbia.

    We know from experience that voters, and even poll workers, in VA and other states with voter ID laws are confused about the requirements. Even in states without voter ID laws, many registered voters worry that they lack the documentation they need to vote. These simple cards provide voters with confidence that their vote will count, and a phone number to call in case they need more information or assistance.

    It will cost just $20,000 to create these cards and distribute them to NVRD partner organizations. Can you help us with a donation to this project? We have to get started as soon as possible! We know from highly contested primary elections to date that who votes in, and who wins, the upcoming Fall elections will be determined by who is able to get their ID in time.

    Let’s help run up the score this fall. If you are able, consider visiting http://www.voteriders.org/ and donating. Seemingly simple efforts like this can have a big impact.

    Cheers,
    Scott.
    (Who is just a supporter.)

  55. 55.

    ThresherK

    All the pollen just hit me at once. I think that’s the result from having over thirty hours without rainfall.

  56. 56.

    JPL

    @Betty Cracker: I rescued Finch when he was five or so.. He was well trained. He gets on tables, counters, sinks but not beds. Last night we both slept on the sofa, and will do so again tonight.

  57. 57.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Mnemosyne:
    Good grief. They’re ALL sovereign citizens! Attacking the judge with nonsense attacks is one of their strategies. Also ‘countersue anyone and everything’. This will only get weirder and more funny.

  58. 58.

    WaterGirl

    @JPL: Waiting and worrying is hard, but it sounds like they are doing the right things. I’m sure the extra TLC will help, too. Keep us posted.

  60. 60.

    Mike J

    @smith:

    That’s hilarious. Without data and systematic outreach the confusion and SKEWD POLLS in the Trump camp will yoooge!

    OK, May have found out why they’re anti big data.

    David SidersVerified account @davidsiders
    Trump’s campaign blames ‘database error’ on inclusion of white nationalist, says William Johnson not a delegate

    If they can’t keep a nazi from being a delegate, what hope do they have of microtargeting?

  61. 61.

    MomSense

    @Mnemosyne:

    I suspect he could wear anything or nothing and look amazing.

    In all seriousness, his smile is what gets me. He just radiates humor, intelligence, and warmth.

  65. 65.

    Eric S.

    Tonight I’m at the Chicago Theater to see Neil deGrasse-Tyson speak. I’m wearing my “Pluto, we hardly knew you… 1930 – 2006” t-shirt.

  66. 66.

    MomSense

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    They have a terrifying side no matter how foolish they might seem.

    @JPL:

    You are doing everything you can for him. I’m sure being close to you is a comfort.

  67. 67.

    WaterGirl

    @MomSense:

    I suspect he could wear anything or nothing and look amazing. In all seriousness, his smile is what gets me. He just radiates humor, intelligence, and warmth.

    You forgot to mention his eyes. Other than that, I’m with you all the way.

  70. 70.

    smith

    @Mike J:

    If they can’t keep a nazi from being a delegate, what hope do they have of microtargeting?

    True, but to be perfectly accurate, that was a ‘database error,’ not a database error. They’d have been glad to have him if those pesky reporters hadn’t meddled and messed things up.

  71. 71.

    LAO

    @Frankensteinbeck: Remember this frightening fact, Cliven is represented by an actual licensed attorney. Although, he will most likely face disciplinary action as a result of the lawsuit.

  72. 72.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @JPL: Best of luck with him.

    We had a scare with our 10 yr old Sophie a few months ago. She was having various issues (stomach issues, elevated liver numbers, etc.). We had ultrasound done and they found some spot on her liver that we were concerned would require surgery. The spot was sorta buried inside in a hard-to-get-to area, so we were quite concerned about how well she would do if we had it done. Long story short, she got better, her liver numbers returned to normal, and another ultrasound was done and the spot was gone. No surgery!

    Sometimes they surprise us. :-) Fingers crossed.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  74. 74.

    Tom Q

    @MazeDancer: The kids at GOS are trying desperately to argue that Sanders’ showing in WV is all about “Dem failure to court the working class”, but the exit polls make it blatant: people who have every intention of voting Trump in November are voting for Sanders as a ratfuck.

    Not that WV wasn’t a Sanders state anyway — on the “White Man>White Woman>Black Man” theory of WV Dem primaries — but these numbers will be hard for him to tout except to the blindly loyal. Oh, and the exit polls say Hillary won the actual Dem vote, 50-48 Meaning VT is still the only primary all year where Sanders clearly won among Dems only.

  77. 77.

    Mike J

    @Tom Q: Sanders leads 62-29 among voters who want less liberal policies than Obama.

    The good news, Clinton leads in a new poll of Oregon(!). I think it’s probably an outlier, but Oregon is closed. On the demos, should be solid Sanders.

  78. 78.

    Mnemosyne

    @gwangung:

    I dunno, I can’t get past him in “Harold and Kumar.” Who else you got? I’m looking for the American Chow-Yun Fat or Ken Watanabe, but younger.

  79. 79.

    AkaDad

    Today

    Friend: What do you think about Trump?

    Me: He’s a high-school bully trapped inside an old tangerine meat-suit.

    And they say smoking weed makes you stupid…

  81. 81.

    MazeDancer

    @Tom Q:

    Even Steve Kornacki on MSNBC mentioned Trump supporters likely to have been voting in Dem primary. For many reasons. Including competitive Governor’s race.

    Vice-President Biden even said on ABC today he expects Hillary to be the nominee and be the next President. (And that she’ll be great). Guess the White House is as tired as the rest of the Democratic Party of Sen Sanders ego helping Donald Trump.

  82. 82.

    Tom Q

    @Mike J: Yeah, I saw that earlier, Like you, I’m doubtful about it, but the fact it’s closed AND has mail-in might give Hillary a better shot than the demographic profiles suggest.

    On the other side of that, Puerto Rico ought to be in HER demo wheelhouse, but it’s Open, so more favorable to him…

    Really, the next month is going to generate a lot more discussion than merited. After tonight, there are only 900 pledged delegates to be awarded, and over 600 of them are NJ/CA. So, till we get there, it’s at best minor adjustments on the dial.

  83. 83.

    Roger Moore

    @Prescott Cactus:

    “Bundy lawyer Joel Hansen handed a copy of the lawsuit to U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro in open court in Las Vegas on Tuesday, and he told her that because she’s a named defendant, she should remove herself from Bundy’s case.”

    I think this is a fairly standard practice as a stalling/harassment practice among sovereign citizen types. They also like filing unjustified liens against judges and using them to claim the judge is biased and can’t hear their cases. I’ve heard about them doing that to every judge in the area so there’s nobody qualified to hear their case, and the authorities having to bring in judges from the outside in secret to prevent them from filing the liens preemptively.

  84. 84.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @LAO:
    I noticed that. I was holding out hope with Ammon that his lawyer was being bullied into it by a client who absolutely would not listen to any argument against submitting nonsense. THAT is a specific sovereign citizen tactic.

  86. 86.

    LAO

    @Frankensteinbeck: Larry Klayman wrote it. It’s got his sleazy prints all over it.

    ETA: Cliven brought the civil suit. Ammon’s lawyer wrote wrote the motion to dismiss based on an adverse possession claim. Equally ridiculous, BTW.

  88. 88.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @LAO:
    Right. But Cliven’s lawyer seems to be actively, enthusiastically involved. I haven’t seen any information on whether Ammon’s is pushing sovereign citizen crap, or just bowing to his client’s demands. I get the impression a lawyer technically can’t refuse it a client repeatedly and determinedly refuses their advice.

  90. 90.

    opiejeanne

    @LAO: I am trying to remember if it was determined that that lawyer is a Sovereign Citizen True Believer… I think at least one of their lawyers is.

  91. 91.

    Roger Moore

    @LAO:
    It looks as if the whole thing hinges on one newspaper article from Newsmax claiming that a company connected to Rory Reid wants to buy Bundy’s land. Absent that motivation, the whole case falls apart. And for complicated links like that, you’re better off using the link button and making a real link.

  95. 95.

    LAO

    @Frankensteinbeck: my misunderstanding, I agree that Cliven’s lawyer (and Larry Klayman) are crazy, true believers.

    Lawyers can absolutely refuse a client. And, if the relationship breaks down completely, we can asked to be relieved from representing the client.

    Every defense attorney has been in the position of representing a difficult and unreasonable client. Sometimes, I will take a position that may not be technically correct, but it can be done in a manner that doesn’t compromise me as an advocate or hurt my client. Cliven’s lawsuit is flat out unethical.

  96. 96.

    LAO

    @Roger Moore: can’t do it from my iPad. I read the complaint, it’s a noxious stew of ridiculous conspiracy theories. JJ McNabb has deconstructed it pretty well on Twitter.

  99. 99.

    Miss Bianca

    @LAO: OMG, this one is even more shithouse-rat-insane than the last one!

    Following the legal and constitutional stand-off, whereby Plaintiff BUNDY, his sons and other family members and supporters exercised their Second Amendment right of self- defense against the government, and succeeded in having the BLM agents and representatives leave the Bundy ranch unharmed, Plaintiff BUNDY publically equated his and his family’s situation to the plight of “Negroes” in the old South, whereby they were enslaved by a tyrannical government as he and his family believed they were given the threats and violent attacks on his family members, his cattle and the Bundy’s supporters. He chose the word “Negro” believing that this was a proper term for African-Americans, having looked up the word in Webster’s dictionary.

    He…looked it up in the dictionary. This is starting to veer into sitcom territory. A sitcom that’s kind of like a cross between “All in the Family”, “Green Acres”, and “Justified.” (“Bunkerville, N-V”!)

  100. 100.

    LAO

    @Mike J: No idea. Don’t practice in Nevada. But, one Judge, in the Circuit where I practice, imposed a lifetime ban on Klayman appearing before him. (Denny Chin).

  102. 102.

    Miss Bianca

    @LAO: Well, it is, of course. Laughing at it is really the only way I cope. These fuckers are in my backyard, metaphorically and almost literally. We certainly have sovereign citizens in our neck of the woods. They have their own paper (chock full of “conservative facts”!) and everything!

  103. 103.

    Prescott Cactus

    @Miss Bianca: yeah the wind blows the wrong way here and you can smell sovereign citizen.

    Bummed I missed most of this as I was attacked by a bird and have lost the battery hand drill I use to fly kites.

  104. 104.

    Miss Bianca

    @Prescott Cactus:

    Bummed I missed most of this as I was attacked by a bird and have lost the battery hand drill I use to fly kites.

    Uh…dude? R U OK? Because that sounds like a cry for help, ladies and gentlemen.

  105. 105.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Miss Bianca:

    This is starting to veer into sitcom territory. A sitcom that’s kind of like a cross between “All in the Family”, “Green Acres”, and “Justified.” (“Bunkerville, N-V”!)

    Nah, it’s the courtroom episode of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

    “I’d like to sing you a song about a friend of mine, a man named Jesus… [sings] He was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater…”

  106. 106.

    Elie

    @MazeDancer:

    Yes, that was always a problem…. It doesn’t change the eventual results but makes the landscape look much more hostile to Hillary… sigh

  107. 107.

    Prescott Cactus

    Am as OK as I’m going to get. For today.

    Went into the back yard and a bird had just nested and laid eggs. As i stepped onto the patio the mid size bird (maybe a quail?) goes into full attack mode. Not life threatening, but none the less the flutter of wings the screeching “caws” or whatever the hell it was saying to me. . . Think King Kong on the Empire State building type attack.

    So the reason I went to the patio because I was going to take a laptop apart so the bride could use parts for art projects. I normally use the hand drill when I fly kites. (yes retired people fly kites). You put the drill on one of the ends of the string holder (kite spool) and you can reel it in effortlessly. Well I thought the drill was next to the BBQ grill because I had a brat patty after the last time I flew the kite.

    So the bird attacked, the drill was missing, I moved the nest and I still can’t find the drill.

    Ok U R right. This does sound like a cry for help, but it isn’t. This is the evil wheel of karma rolling over me because I told “seaboggie” to play Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells after he stuck his landladies dead cat in his freezer 2 days ago.

  109. 109.

    Prescott Cactus

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Using the drill as a kite spooler is pretty clever… I’d never thought of that.

    My neighbor is 77, plays golf 3 or 4 times a week and shoots 1 to 3 over. Great athlete and guy. He flies kites. He got me into it a few months ago.

    Letting the kite out is fun and easy. Hauling it back in kinda sux. When the wind is getting dodgy it works great to get it in quick to avoid a crash. 500 ft out is what I have been using, but I’m just starting out.

    I had to do some fooling with the spool to hold the handle because they are tapered. I used a doll rod and some E-6000 glue (great shit, BTW). We had to do a lot, with a little, at work and it was just something that came to me after my second flight.

    Thanks

  110. 110.

    J R in WV

    I live in WV, even got a phone call from a Bernie Sanders support center. Told them I was a Hillary Clinton man, good-bye. And she said “OK, I’ll put you down as a Clinton supporter, then” as if that was putting me on the train to the work camps.

    I had already voted anyway by the time they called.

    I did have the chance to vote for the guy who got beat up so bad over the weekend, and with about half the precincts reporting, he is ahead by a couple of thousand votes. Given where this is going on, the other half could be for; well anyone. Like the incumbent, a genuinely unliked guy.

    We’re having heavy rain tonight, thunderstorms too. Not like in Oklahoma, but still, it’s been wet, and heavy rain can cause flash floods, and run people up the hillside, if they have access to a hill you can climb.

    Good night, all. Not many people I voted for made it, as usual. Obama spoiled me so bad!

  112. 112.

    Regine Touchon

    Had a nice night here in Alabama. Grilled venison tenderloin, had sautéed mushrooms,frozen sweet corn from last year,so yummy and roasted Yukon gold potatoes and sweet onions just dug out of the garden. And yes the air is perfumed with honey suckle and sweet spire. And my daughter is doing op research on he Trump in D.C. We live in interesting times.

  114. 114.

    John W.

    Mid Eighties?! Here in Southwestern most Oregon, that’s a major heat spell. Happened today at our house.

    I do recall, many years ago, when RD and I and our kid went for a visit to the West Coast. There was a heatwave in coastal Washington and a native was complaining to us about the heat. We lived in Dallas, had for most of our lives at that point. To us the mid-eighties was balm.

    After having fucked up and gotten old, and having lived here in Paradise for the better part of a decade, I'[m here to tell you that 85F is indeed hot after all!

    We thought briefly about moving to Florida, but then we would’ve had to grow those pesky webs between our toes. ;)

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