Romney should be holding up a newspaper with today's date on it pic.twitter.com/zZNBpABJcN
— Gray Connolly (@GrayConnolly) November 30, 2016
Trump & Mitt ate: young garlic soup & sautéed frog legs, diver scallops w/ caramelized cauliflower, prime sirloin, lamb chops. Thanks, pool
— Emily Ngo (@epngo) November 30, 2016
Pathetic. At least there’s a crumb of glee knowing that PEOTUS Gimme-My-KFC probably didn’t enjoy his frog-legs-and-sirloin plutocratic parody dinner. From the Washington Post:
… Stephen Pagliuca, who worked with Romney at Bain Capital and has socialized with Trump, urged advisers to the president-elect to press Trump to name Romney for the State Department job…
Pagliuca, a co-owner of the Boston Celtics and a Democrat, said he knew something that others didn’t. When he golfed with Trump at a Boston-area course some years ago, Trump had talked at length about how much he admired Bain Capital, a private equity firm that Romney led until 1999.
Today, as Pagliuca and other Romney backers see it, Trump, 70, and the 69-year-old Romney had far more in common than many realize: Both came to prominence as risk takers and dealmakers, and both have spent much of their lives seeking to emulate and outdo the success of their fathers. Trump’s father, Fred, was a New York City developer, and Romney’s father, George, was a governor of Michigan who unsuccessfully sought the presidency…
One of these things is not quite like the other, though it’s true that Romney has always fretted about not coming up to his sire’s standards. Also, much as it irks me to give him any credit, Romney is an actual billionaire and has prior governing experience — as if that last would mean anything to Accident-Elect Smallgloves. I can certainly see him hungering to demonstrate for the world that he’s more alpha than the Mormon on the White Horse…
And, of course, Romney is willing to debase himself in hopes of becoming the GOP John Kerry. Which may or may not work out for him:
This is a stunning 180 from Mitt Romney on Trump. "He continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together." pic.twitter.com/vn0qEDDJdf
— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) November 30, 2016
At least Romney, while spineless and untrustworthy as an ally, is neither full-bore crazy (Bolton) nor corrupt to the bone (Giuliani). Cold comfort, eh?
GrandJury
The sad fact is that Romney is probably the least likely to burn the house down if you allow him to play with matches.
The rest these sad sacks are like 10yo’s that have just been given flame throwers.
Humdog
You give Mitt way too much credit. That last line from his quote in the Jaffe tweet reveals RMoney to be both crazy and corrupt.
And DT will still screw Mitt as soon as Mitt has grovelled enough.
Elizabelle
Great photo. Trump looks demonic and self-satisfied, and Romney looks embarrassed to be there.
ETA: Way to go, heartland! You think you’re gonna get another auto bailout, when you need it? From these two?
acallidryas
I mean, I think Romney isn’t *completely* crazy, and he at least knows what Secretary of State does, so, good choice?
Kryptik
Friend? No.
Punching bag? Yes. This has all the trimmings of a man dragging his enemy through supplication and humiliation, not as a matter of testing him, but as a matter of pettiness. He wants Mitt to squirm so he knows he is forever lesser than Trump, forever subservient.
This is Trump lording himself over a ‘lesser’ because he’s ‘won’.
Botsplainer
All the politics is profoundly depressing. I think I want to devote the entirety of my Internet presence to cat videos and porn, if there is any.
Chris
@Humdog:
Oh, yeah. The only question is whether Romney will get screwed now (Trump dangles this in front of him, then at the last minute passes to somebody else) or in a few years (Trump makes him the Colin Powell of his administration, keeps him around as cover for the VSPs but then throws him under the bus as soon as it becomes convenient). Either way, I’ll enjoy Romney ending up with egg all over his face, even if I’m certain I’ll hate his replacement more.
bemused
Mitt playing BFF with Trump makes me want to vomit. My husband lets out a long agonized groan when he sees them tog on tv. Just pathetic. It’s not like Mitt hasn’t sucked up to the Donald before. And who can forget the hideous horse themed birthday cake Trump ordered for Ann.
The Dangerman
Trump will fuck Romney (see Christie, Chris) in the end.
Jerry
This cries out to be photoshopped into the Shining hotel-room scene of the “Gentleman & Man-in-bear-costume”.
bemused
@Chris:
Does Mitt not realize Trump is playing with him like a cat with a mouse?
Corner Stone
@Kryptik:
Yes. It is glorious to see Mitt just getting dragged by such a venal, petty POS as Trump. Anyone remember how Trump spent 29 minutes talking about himself before he announced Pence as his VP choice? Then they went on the interview in those gold gilded ridiculous emperor chairs and he had to go out of his way to give Pence permission to answer questions?
He humiliates everyone around him. Christie fetching fastfood, Ghouliani having to self-promote for the job all over the place while Trump interviews every other person under the sun. Trump slapping his daughter’s ass on national TV at the RNC convention. Every single person in his sphere gives up their dignity just by being there.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Cold comfort? at lest Mittens can be trusted not to get us into a nuclear war with his big mouth.
Kryptik
@Corner Stone:
And they all do so willingly, just for their piece of the pie. Same exact goddamn thing happening with our media, kowtowing to Trump’s greatness and genuineness like serfs so they don’t get locked out of the money loop.
Corner Stone
It’s like how some idiot here was saying that Cruz’s “vote your conscience” speech at the convention had caused her to have a grudging respect for Cruz. Then he did that hostage tape phone banking for Trump! HAHAHAHAHA!
And Trump’s CoS Priebus. They called him some political operative nobody from Kenosha or some small town WI place. And he groveled to be on the inside!
Betty Cracker
Wow, that statement from Romney in the last tweet: “He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. He won the general election.” It sounds like a scripted line from a hostage video.
I really don’t care who becomes the shit-gibbon’s SoS. Bolton. Cliven Bundy. Dead TED Bundy. Doesn’t really matter. Whoever it is will be carrying out the shit-gibbon’s foreign policy, which will consist of shaking down allies and funneling money through Trump-branded properties worldwide. Romney will do as well as anyone else in that role.
Chris
@bemused:
Quite possibly no.
Also quite possibly he’s so eager and desperate to Be Important that it overrides any common sense.
Also, his reaction might not be that different from what a hell of a lot of people who weren’t fans of Trump has been – denial, telling themselves that surely Trump won’t be that bad. It’s one coping mechanism.
Other people have said that Romney might be doing it out of a sense of duty, to minimize the damage done by Trump. … I suppose it’s possible.
Mnemosyne
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
I dunno. I remember Mitt sticking his foot pretty far down his throat in the U.K. when he decided to lecture them about how much better the Utah Olympics were. And that was with our closest ally.
Jeffro
I still can’t wrap my head around someone being THIS craven…I know Romney’s into clean living and all, but does he think he’s going to run for President in 2024 at age 77 with “SECRETARY OF STATE!” (in all gold, no less) on his resume? Is he trying to position himself to be pulled in as VP if/when Trump flames out or is impeached and Pence is sworn in? Am I overthinking this, and Romney is just the most craven, spineless, money-grubbing, soulless creature that ever walked the planet Earth?
Inquiring minds want to know, LOL
bobbo
I thought BHO was his new best friend. Fickle!
Jeffro
@Corner Stone: Cruz and Romney’s wives…not that they didn’t already sell their souls hitching their wagons to these guys…but man, what they must think of Ted and Mitt now. That Mercer cash must be sweeter than we could possibly know to overcome that kind of loathing…
Poopyman
This phrase gave me an unbidden mental image that I can not unsee. Not that it’s not an apt metaphor, mind you.
Bill
Romney is not an actual billionaire. In 2012 his net worth was reported as $250 million although it is probably more now.
Jeffro
@Corner Stone:
I think this is what Josh Marshall at TPM calls “Dignity Wraiths” – those who willingly debase themselves to get into/stay in Trump’s orbit and lose whatever principles they might have once had, becoming a shred of their former selves.
Brachiator
@The Dangerman:
To hear Trump tell it, that’s exactly where Mitt likes it.
Steeplejack (phone)
@The Dangerman:
Phrasing.
trollhattan
@Elizabelle:
Trump reportedly has specific lighting (and makeup) instructions and I’m wondering why the hell he has uplighting there. Sad!
Willard busy calculating +/- of being Donny’s rent boy. Will Ann have to go back to clipping coupons?
bemused
@Chris:
I’m don’t know what the Mormon church has to say about how low should one go to gain a powerful position but he might want to pray on that.
Brachiator
@Jeffro:
Mitt hopes that Trump will throw him a bone, as Obama threw Hillary a bone when he made her secretary of state.
I would like to see some actual reporting on it, but I have a sense that Romney actually has some weird sense of public duty.
Trump would send out more “I’m a conciliator” vibe if he nominated the man who called him a phony and a fraud (Nikki Haley also bashed Trump before he named her UN Ambassador).
And yeah, to rise to at least VP over the smoking ruins of a failed Trump presidency would be semi sweet revenge.
gratuitous
I figured Romney for a sell-out. The surprising thing to me (considering how much his wife spends on t-shirts) is just how cheap the price was. What do you suppose his rate is to play a bar mitzvah or a kid’s birthday party? Would he demand you supply him with a clown outfit, or would he bring his own?
trollhattan
Come January we will cease seeing anything remotely like this.
You’re living in the “good old days.” Enjoy.
Kay
Trump’s adviser, today:
People will have to really work hard to stay connected to reality with this giant pack of liars running everything. Every day, several times a day, huge DIVISIVE lies from the President-elect or the people who work for him.
hovercraft
@Bill:
Thank you, I thought not, but couldn’t be bothered to look it up.
Bobby D
Romney will probably be sitting on a beach chair, just down the road a piece from me in La Jolla, watching Sec of State Corker slowly losing his mind from being in close proximity to the basket of orange turdsicles occupying the west wing. That look on Mitt’s face is just priceless.
Guess what Mittens? The ‘ol Orange Turd himself is one of your “47% who don’t pay any taxes”. You know, the moochers, the takers. Lord have mercy, if the consequences weren’t so dire, I’d be laughing my head off. As is, I’m scared to death for my planet, my minority friends, my country, and my career. Pretty glad I gave up drinking, can’t imagine how had the hangovers would have been after the last couple weeks of drowning my misery. At least our newly legal hippie lettuce doesn’t give me hangover
rikyrah
In North Carolina, Gov-Elect Roy Cooper’s lead is now over 10,000. 10,329 to be precise. As a result, there will be no recount. Game over.
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 30, 2016
rikyrah
@Kay:
uh huh
uh huh
The man who calls the internment of Japanese-Americans as a POSITIVE PRECEDENT.
Cacti
Did anyone doubt that Mittens would fold like a lawn chair?
Barbara
@Jeffro: My pet theory is that someone sane begged Trump to consider Mitt and for Mitt to go along. There is no way sane people are not frightened by what Trump might do.
Citizen_X
Something you could also say about Hitler after the Anschluss, allying with Mussolini, and annexing the Sudatenland.
Brachiator
Love their meal:
Real down to earth, working class stuff.
And yeah, I actually kinda like and respect the menu choice, depending on what sauces were available for the frog legs.
No dessert?
SatanicPanic
Man these people are pathetic.
trollhattan
@Kay:
Funny enough, if there were two-millyunn actual fraudulent votes cast, three-quarters would have been for Trump, further widening Clinton’s lead.
hovercraft
@bemused:
Well in the end Utah voted republican as usual so I would guess they are fine with it.
Starfish
@Jeffro: If you could get your dude to go away and still give you money to pay your personal trainer and maintain your household… Melania and Romney’s wife are giving each other high fives.
MomSense
@Brachiator:
The scallops were topped with a caper and raisin emulsion. Wha????
bemused
@rikyrah:
Heh, those votes just kept climbing the longer McCrory delayed the inevitable.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker:
IMO the foreign policy will overwhelmingly by in the hands of the SoS in a Trump admin. As long as SecState doesn’t blatantly cross something Trump has said, and appropriately extorts or shakes down countries Trump wants to steal money from, I think Trump won’t give a shit about the actual details.
OTOH, I can totally see Trump make all the Ambassador picks into the largest grifting gameshow that has ever existed.
Barbara
@MomSense: Think sweet and salty, like bacon with maple syrup.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Brachiator:
They both had chocolate cake (per full story).
Elizabelle
@Poopyman: hey. thanks, dude.
The Moar You Know
@rikyrah: Yep. McCrory will now have to lower himself and ask the legislature to openly steal it for him. They will comply.
Do you guys really think the GOP are going to obey laws anymore? I don’t.
bemused
@hovercraft:
That’s what I would have guessed. The more conservative a church is, the more likely they ignore amoral behavior, from their leaders anyway.
Betty Cracker
@Corner Stone: Hasn’t Trump already promised to make the fake TV wrestling show lady ambassador of something? If a NATO country refuses to pay up, she can leap up onto the ropes and do an atomic drop!
Elizabelle
@trollhattan: The uplighting. Yeah.
It’s like they’re in a balcony above a sea of fire, in a circle of hell. And the chiaroscuro — the dark suits against the soft folds of the curtains.
It’s a great photograph. Almost like a graphic novel panel and folks, those are NOT the good guys.
Elizabelle
@The Moar You Know: McCrory is intensely unpopular in North Carolina. I don’t see the legislature doing that.
Villago Delenda Est
Parasite garbage love to associate with each other.
Elizabelle
@MomSense: Caper and raisin emulsion.
Uh huh. They’re lucky to have the Secret Service in the kitchen too, to make sure they don’t get rabbit pellets in the emulsion.
Peale
@Kay: The difference between the nut off the street who claims to have seen busloads of Somalis voting in Maine and Chris Kobach is that he actually has a clear definition of who is an illegal voter. That would include anyone “naturalized” citizen who voted and any child of an immigrant from a non-European country who has taken unfair advantage of our laws and should only be considered a “provisional” citizen.
Chris
@Corner Stone:
There’ll be people whispering in his ear to fuck with NATO and be more favorable to Russia, and those’ll be people from his inner circle. It’s anyone’s guess whether the SOS and foreign policy types in Washington, many of whom are Republicans with strong Cold War memories, can counter that effectively.
hovercraft
@Betty Cracker:
He’s actually thinking of appointing Linda McMahon ambassador to somewhere, this administration to be becomes more farcical daily.
Mai.naem.mobile
I don’t like Mitt but compared to Shitgibbon he is almost likeable. I am wondering if maybe the Marriotts and the LDS Church pushed Mittens into trying for SOS. The Marriotts(supposedly very good friends of Mittens) on the off chance that they can buy Trump hotels with all the conflict of interest issues??? Or maybe just keep an eye on what Trumpy is doing with his hotels. This seems as good an explanation as any other. I just don’t see Mittens not being screwed by Shitgibbon.
delk
“He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. He lied about Benghazi better.”
jacy
@The Moar You Know:
From what I hear from people there, the legislature hates McCrory, because he’s an idiot. They’re not going to help him out, but rather cut their losses and wait until next time when they can get a more useful idiot.
debbie
I cannot believe that Romney would want to be Trump’s beard.
Yutsano
@Brachiator: Young garlic in November is about as elite as you can get, even outside of Gilroy.
Applejinx
Mark Blyth has done another recent interview: again, this is the guy who predicted Brexit and Trump, and I think he’s got a good take on things if we choose to accept it. Note he is not denying racism, but it comes from more than just cold wicked evil villain hearts.
Corner Stone
@Chris: The next step in humiliating Romney. Having him come out and tell the media that Russia and Putin aren’t so bad after all and that wouldn’t it be great if we could work with them better?
Romney II: The UnMittening
Mai.naem.mobile
I saw a tweet earlier about Treasury nominee Munchkin that made me laugh – his college roommate said he put the word douche in fiduciary.
germy
ABC News reported that Ms. Palin is being considered to run the VA.
Chris
@Mai.naem.mobile:
He’s certainly the least bad of all the options that’ve been floated – Giuliani, Gingrich, Bolton.
I’m all for Democrats filibustering a lot of stuff, but this is one appointment that, if made, I think they can let slide. We’re going to have enough to worry about stopping the truly awful stuff.
Peale
@Corner Stone: I’m pretty sure at this point that the SoS under Trump will be running around Asia trying to obtain visas for US Businessmen once they sharply curtail travel in retaliation for Trump’s unilateral “we don’t allow non-Europeans in” reductions. Also, will be busy explaining to mexico why our policy is not really “punishment” when it is clear that we will be punishing Mexico for the audacity of having lots of poor workers. Getting tough with Mexico (1st priority), Getting Tough with Arabs (2nd priority), pissing in Xi’s tea, is pretty much the extent of Trumpism on the global stage.
Mike in NC
Pat McCrory can return to his cushy job with Duke Energy (which he held the whole time he was also the mayor of Charlotte) but he’s also begging Trump for something to do. Maybe the next Ambassador to Uzbekistan.
Schlemazel
I really must protest the constant reference to the rancid cheeto as a “shitgibbon”
Gibbons are mostly peaceful apes and not known for throwing shit like other apes do. Gibbons are social animals that defend their boundaries with visual and vocal displays. The vocal element, which can often be heard for distances of a half mile, consists of a duet between a mated pair, with their young sometimes joining in. Sweet lesser apes that do not deserve the slight suffered by labeling the orange crust with their moniker.
Peale
@germy: Good. If there’s anyone who’ll be good at explaining to Veterans how to use their new healthcare vouchers, it’s Sara “Snowbound Cicero” Palin.
hovercraft
@germy: ABC News reported that Ms. Palin is being considered to run the VA.
trollhattan
@germy:
{headdesk} Her voice alone will trigger PTSD events in the hundreds of thousands. “Yanno, you’re gonna’ haffta’ do with less, because the Kenyan drove tha govermant broke, donchano.”
SatanicPanic
@hovercraft: That’ll really show us liberals! Stick it to the elites!
Betty Cracker
@Applejinx: Quote from Blyth:
I’d find him more convincing if he wasn’t lying about the policies Democrats offered.
Elizabelle
@Betty Cracker: Yeah. I read that. Total bullshit.
@Schlemazel: I like thinking about “sweet lesser apes.” Thank you.
I think we should call him Trumpnado, and his voters Trumpwads. Leave those sweet little apes, and smart little pigs, and certainly dogs, out of it.
Twere humans that gave us Trumpnado. Dumb, dumb humans.
Another Scott
@Brachiator: No link, but I recall seeing speculation early on when Rmoney’s name was mentioned that he was interested in staying in public life to help his kids who are also interested in politics.
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.
(The body language of the two of them in that picture seems quite revealing to these eyes…)
gogol's wife
@Brachiator:
Yeah, that’s what the WWC have for dinner every night.
Glennis
Both are “Risk takers”????? WHAT? Neither of them take personal risks, not Trump, who started his business with a million dollars from his dad, to Romney, whose college years were eased by the sale of some of his stock.
They both take risks with OTHER PEOPLE’S money.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: Why would you actually read anything he links to?
Feebog
@Brachiator:
I believe Trump had Mitt’s balls with a scoop of vanilla icecream on the side.
raven
I’m one Vietnam Vet that would like to see that dopey bitch take over the VA. Vets voted for this asshole in great numbers and if they get fucked Xin Loi motherfuckers.
Peale
So Treasury, State and Commerce – all headed by Private Equity guns. Yeah, they’ll really be reliable for stopping offshoring, outsourcing and moving jobs to low cost countries.
Aleta
Via the Gov’t of Pakistan Press Info Dept, this is supposedly what was said by the orange traffic cone when their Prime Minister called him today:
Corner Stone
@Feebog:
Well they do have that saying about best served cold.
gogol's wife
@raven:
That’s what I was thinking, but as a non-vet didn’t want to say it.
Still I feel bad for all the people who didn’t vote for him.
Corner Stone
@Aleta: Saw that earlier. Even for Trump it’s just too much. I’m waiting for any kind of verifiable confirmation that actually happened and this isn’t some jokers idea of good fake news.
The Moar You Know
I started feeling sorry for Mitt and then I remembered that kid…the one he held down and cut all the hair off of.
Have fun with your humiliation, Mitt. Take it with good grace. YOU’VE EARNED IT.
cat copeland
@Elizabelle: EXACTLY what I was thinking, Elizabelle! The lighting on drumph & the furrowed eyebrows on Mitt.
Like Doktor Zoom over at Wonkette noted: “arranging the smooth transfer of Mitt’s Manhood!”
Funny.
Mary G
If a frontpager is around, can you check the spam folder? I just typed the same long comment twice and had it disappear. And forgot to copy it to the clipboard both times, too.
Waldo
Trump: How’s the crow, Mitt?
debbie
@germy:
In that case, after they stand up for the protests in North Dakota, I hope the vets rise in mass protest against that appointment. I’m no vet, but putting Palin in charge is an act of complete idiocy.
Corner Stone
@Glennis:
Sure. Common folk, like you or I. They had to bootstrap their way through severe adversity to get to the ultimate levels they have achieved. Suffering through the disadvantage of not letting their kids run lemonade stands like other normal commoners. Having to sell hard earned stock they owned to make sure the caviar was imported and never…***shutter***…domestic.
It’s been risky forging ahead using your dad’s money and connections to get where you are. But why am I trying to explain it? If you haven’t walked a mile in their shoes you could not possibly understand the risks and tribulations they have overcome!
raven
@debbie: rotsa a ruck with dat
Elizabelle
@Mary G: How aggravating.
raven
The Moar You Know
@raven: Not surprised. Vets have never liked the Clintons (the “draft-dodger” thing really stuck to Bill and I’ll never understand why it was such a problem) although the only two I know personally (AF pilot, Navy pilot) would have rather corkscrewed a plane into the ground than vote for Trump.
Chris
@The Moar You Know:
Well, at least now he has an inkling of an idea of what it’s like to be the gay kid your buddies are holding down while you cut his hair.
Boys will be boys. It’s all good clean fun.
Brachiator
@Feebog: RE: No dessert?
A dish best served cold.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Mike in NC:
I think the “999 guy” has that one sewn up. Or is that Uzbekibekibekistan, I get them confused.
rikyrah
Willard…why….
why let Ferret Head humiliate you like that….
uh uh uh
The Moar You Know
Perfect Bible quote for that pic of Trump eating RMoney’s dignity:
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'”
Mitt will bow.
Meg
Yeah, the good time.
http://www.msnbc.com/sites/msnbc/files/melania_and_ann.jpg
Botsplainer
Pay close attention to the politicians and activists who talk about “making tough choices” as they complete gut the VA, Medicare and Medicaid. Characterize those voices in public as those who won’t have to suffer the consequences of those “tough choices”.
It won’t help, but it will provide a punch list for the truly aggrieved to be angry enough to physically attack.
Aleta
@The Moar You Know:
“And hold your hands bent up on the table so they look small in the photos.”
Shell
Just when you think his cabinet can’t become more of a sick joke, did I read that he’s considering Sarah Palin for some position?
‘I surround myself with the best people!’
Shell
Be careful when you’re offered those Rings of Power.
Hoodie
@efgoldman: Be interesting how that group breaks down. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Trump support includes a goodly number of military retirees, particularly those who served between Viet Nam and the Iraq debacle and have lived a relatively charmed and comfortable life under DoD socialism. I’m sure they think Trump will only take away the bennies of undeserving blah welfare moochers, not their sacrosanct entitlements. These are not the people from Iraq and Afghanistan who are struggling with the VA.
Shell
Is THAT what they were. I thought they were little sliders of some kind.
trollhattan
@raven:
Jesus. Guess they admired him for his serial deferments and brave fight against the STD army.
Aleta
@Shell: Goldfinger is up for the Federal Reserve.
SiubhanDuinne
@Shell:
Just came here to mention that! Head of the VA, according to ABC.
Raven will be so pleased….
Brachiator
@debbie:
Then Trump will announce the appointment right away!
Major Major Major Major
Didn’t I see somewhere that Bernie was going around retweeting Romney calling Trump unfit for office?
Related: My god, how high school does that sentence sound?
OT: My 75-minute presentation I wrote yesterday went great!!!
Applejinx
@Betty Cracker: Blyth is talking about the last 30 years, and the GLOBAL center-left, not simply Democrats.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Mnemosyne: There you go attacking my fantasy about not perishing with most of the human race in World War III – The Derpaning.
Applejinx
@Corner Stone:
Because I cited who it was, it’s Mark Blyth, and he correctly predicted Brexit and Trump. If you prefer listening to people who did NOT correctly predict all this, that’s your business but it seems like not a great plan going forward.
Sorry about Blyth being shrill and all, but it’s not happening for no reason, and he’s not some random blog troll.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
Positive action for tomorrow: Call or write Kellogg’s and thank them for pulling their ads from Breitbart. They’re getting pounded with hate calls.
1-800-962-1413
M-F 9 AM – 6 PM ET
Kellogg’s Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box CAMB
Battle Creek, MI 49016
Yoda Dog
This is a really fun ride and all but I’d like to get off now, please.
debbie
@raven:
Please don’t tell me they’ll accept her just because she’s cute. :(
GregB
@Major Major Major Major:
And the Bernie was all like Mitt said Trump was like a total jerk and Trump was like sticks and stones……..
les
@Kay:
Kris should know; as Atty. Gen., he took over personal responsibility for rooting out voter fraud, and found 5 staunch Ks. Repubs who voted in 2 states. Surely would have been prevented by his unconstitutional voter ID law. Not.
Corner Stone
@Applejinx:
GFY
GregB
@raven:
This is Trump’s America, Speak English!
MomSense
@raven:
Love you. Best comment ever.
Elizabelle
@Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:
That’s wonderful news. Yea, Kellogg’s. Tony the Tiger comes through.
From the USA Today story:
I think consumers can do Breitbart some damage. Also Trump properties. I’d love to see how that’s going.
Mike in dc
Trump should nominate a Magic 8-ball as his Secretary of State. It would have more spine than Romney.
Major Major Major Major
@GregB: A lot of folks never really grew out of high school. They love this stuff. I wonder if I’ll see it as Bernie DESTROYS Romney on Twitter for Sucking Up to Trump?
Schlemazel
@raven:
I think we are all in need of that .
Xin Loi to all us motherfuckers, those who voted against this & those who begged for it
bmoak
@efgoldman:
Trump won the veteran’s vote decisively, but Clinton actually won the active-duty military vote by a significant margin.
Applejinx
@Corner Stone: Perhaps you’d like to primary him? Oh wait, he’s a respected Ivy League college professor.
Major Major Major Major
@Applejinx: So is Niall Ferguson.
El Caganer
@Citizen_X: Anschluss? I thought that was the pen name that Ann Coulter and Debbie Schlussel chose for the books they were co-authoring.
Elizabelle
@bmoak: Clinton won the active duty. Trump won the retirees.
That is fascinating. Well done, current soldiers. You see who was less likely to waste your lives, and would be a more competent administrator.
Baud
@bmoak: Oh wow. Is that a first for a Dem?
Elizabelle
@Baud: No. Pretty sure Hillary was replicating Obama’s results. Although I could be wrong.
Betty Cracker
@Applejinx: Is the “GLOBAL center-left” known for slagging on “deplorables” too? Look, I know some folks will never, ever get over the fact that the DLC once existed. I lived through the 90s as an adult, and I wasn’t happy about it either. But anyone who can’t acknowledge that the Democratic Party fundamentally changed during the Obama years isn’t operating in current reality.
Was there more the Democrats could have said or done during the Obama years to address economic inequality? Damn straight — I’ve criticized them myself on that issue more times than I can count, and right here on this blog. So I’m not a status quo gal, except in comparison to people who want to shit all over what we did manage to accomplish.
Millard Filmore
@Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:
Here is the letter I will send tomorrow:
Dear Sir,
I would like to thank you for ending your advertising on Breitbart. That web site and many like it have a curious mixture of “fiction presented as truth” and “how much can you pervert the truth without actually lying?”.
I used to consider myself a Conservative. That eroded when Pat Robertson used his religious TV show to lie for the Republican Party, echoing Reagan’s denial that the CIA participated in mining Managua’s harbor during the Contra war [1]. It ended completely 8 years ago as the leadership of the Republicans refused to repudiate accusations that Obama was a Marxist Muslim treasonous atheist Kenyan usurper.
I hope you will find a news site worthy of your advertising that values the truth.
[1] http://articles.latimes.com/1985-03-05/news/mn-12633_1_harbor-mining
Baud
@Elizabelle: I always thought that the military was very GOP.
schrodinger's cat
@Major Major Major Major: There is nothing respectable about the man.
Betty Cracker
@El Caganer: LMAO!
schrodinger's cat
@GregB: Isn’t Moron the official language now.
Waldo
I wouldn’t wish Palin on ISIS’s VA, but … if it leads to a Harriet Miers moment for Trump, followed by a barrage of angry tweets aimed at his GOP critics, I guess that’s something.
Major Major Major Major
@schrodinger’s cat: No, but you have to admit, it was a pretty good response to the comment.
@Applejinx: So is Larry Summers.
schrodinger's cat
What happened to all the Never Trump Republicans.
Elizabelle
@Baud: I think the active duty supported Obama, at least in 2012. Will fact check that.
But, yes, the military is often far more GOP/conservative — James Fallows has written some articles on the divide between the military and the citizens they defend.
A friend who’s a young discharged enlisted woman — and voted Hillary/Obama — tells me that the military gets more direct pay under GOP administrations.
Elizabelle
RE Kellogg’s: I’d like to buy some of their products in support, but don’t eat much cereal, and looks like most of their product line is sugar-frosted wheat and additives stuff.
Did love Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops as a kid, though. Tony and Toucan Sam.
The Moar You Know
@Baud: Officers run about 25-1 GOP (seriously) but a solid majority of enlisted are Dem/Dem-friendly.
Always interesting times if I go out for a multi-day base visit.
@schrodinger’s cat: about 95% voted for Trump. What did you think would happen? I expected no different result.
Major Major Major Major
@Elizabelle: Unrelated to the fact that they see more war under GOP administrations?
I’m just assuming there’s some sort of hazard pay thing.
Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap
@Applejinx: From a comment at LGM:
Cacti
@Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap:
White men have interests.
The remaining 68% of the US population is an “identity politics” group.
wobbly
…”the GOP’s John Kerry”…
Why this insult to our current Secretary of State?
Mnemosyne
@Betty Cracker:
My other concern about the linked article is that a lot of non-Americans don’t really understand that we have a caste system here, not just a class system. AFAIK, the U.K. never had laws that specifically barred people of particular races from voting, so I don’t think the writer understands why so many Americans have no problem with specifically race-based voter suppression.
Major Major Major Major
@Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap:
Mexicans!
@efgoldman:
I think the theory might be that they respond well to pointless rhetoric, but you’re supposed to say it more politely.
Miss Bianca
@Major Major Major Major: Is that the presentation you were saying you weren’t going to be able to finish? Yeah, you”re probably the only here surprised that it went well. ; )
Hal
Seriously, seriously, seriously. In what way, in this or any other universe does Sarah Palin have even one molecule worth of qualification to run the VA? What’s next, Bristol Palin for Surgeon General?
Betty Cracker
@efgoldman: It seems beyond pointless to quibble about what the Democrats could have done differently in the past, so I’ll decline to jump down that rabbit hole, but I never was a Green Lanterneer. The point is, no, we are not now and never have been perfect, but we’ve made real, tangible progress, and it pisses me off when people pretend like it’s still 1999.
Elizabelle
From a 2012 article in Time magazine.
I don’t know if there is a way to determine how the military voted in 2008 and 2012. Private ballot, and all.
Major Major Major Major
@Miss Bianca: There was a surprise burst of inspiration this morning!
debbie
@Major Major Major Major:
Angry or not, they’ll still buy Kelloggs. Try telling your kids they can’t have their favorite cereal anymore. Tantrums run amok!
Mike in dc
Millenials everywhere: “What does DownLoadable Content have to do with Democratic party politics?”
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: From the previously linked garbage time interview:
I am wondering what stretch of “15 years” this BS analysis encompasses?
Chris
@Baud:
From what I’ve heard, the officer corps is a Republican frat. The enlisted ranks are much more representative, but grin and go along with it in the name of “unit cohesion.” This leads people, probably including many in the military, to assume that the service is more conservative than it actually is.
Major Major Major Major
@Mike in dc: everything.
Elizabelle
@efgoldman: Yeah.
@Millard Filmore:
I got to say, Millard, make it short and sweet. “Thank you for pulling your ads from Breitbart. My family and I appreciate your courage and public spiritedness.” If you can say something nice about their products, or eating them (buying them!), so much the better.
Kellogg’s does not care about your views on Pat Robertson. (And for all you know, they advertise on his show.)
Mary G
OK, I’m trying again.
The capitulation of Mitt Romney has resolved the cognitive dissonance I was feeling during the era of the #NeverTrump Republicans.
That said, Jennifer Rubin is still bringing it in the WaPo. “How to grill a Trump nominee.” She is referring to Munchkin and Ross specifically. She has a long list of questions senators should ask, demanding that the nominees show their math.
Silly Jennifer! Republicans should govern responsibly! Pull the other one.
Corner Stone
Can Tim Ryan just GTFA now? Thanks
trollhattan
@debbie:
Wasn’t there a moron who set himself on fire trying to burn Cheerios in front of a General Mills plant on accounta they love them some gheys or blahs or something? Wingnuts are quickly running out of breakfast options. “Aw mah, not taco bowls again!”
debbie
@trollhattan:
I don’t remember that, but I’m picturing WWCers choking down bowls of Muesli.
Corner Stone
@Applejinx: Why would anyone take this buffoon seriously?
Because he “predicted” Brexit? That was dead tight right up to the day of the vote? Because he “predicted” Trump? Polls had HRC up 2% up to the election. And guess what?
Any clownshoe who can mention Brexit and Trump and not say a word about nationalism or white grievance gets no credibility.
Identity politics. GFY.
trollhattan
@debbie:
Here we go. I consider the pink shirt a tell, but maybe that’s just me.
Corner Stone
@trollhattan: Oh, man. Taco bowls for breakfast.
/Homer donut noises
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Applejinx: He’s full of it, speaking as someone from a Union Steel Mill family background anyone who says they aren’t vicious racists in ways that make segregation Era South look mild is frankly ignorant. They’ve never been made to face that racism like the South was.
And keep in mind the mills started closing in the late 50s. So that’s how old the problem is.
trollhattan
@Corner Stone:
You have your marching orders, now declare Dilbert a must-read and behave. LOSER.
Gonna be a long four years.
Elizabelle
@debbie: Mueslix is a Kellogg’s product. Also Eggos. Kellogg’s brands website.
They don’t have much I actually eat now, regrettably, although maybe this will be the year to take comfort in Rice Krispie treats.
Kinda looks like the epitome of sugar-frosted processed food. But with courage! Maybe decency is more the word.
debbie
@trollhattan:
Another jackass looking to become an “Internet Sensation.” What a doofus!
MomSense
@Corner Stone:
INORITE
Gimlet
Nothing like a threat
A longtime ally of President-elect Donald Trump says the Hillary Clinton campaign joining recount efforts increases the chances that Clinton will face criminal prosecution.
“I think Hillary increases her chances of prosecution by acting this way,” Roger Stone said Monday on Newsmax TV’s “The Steve Malzberg Show.”
Stone then charged that either Clinton or Democratic mega-donor George Soros is funding Stein’s recount efforts, without providing evidence for his claims.
“We have to presume this is Soros money or otherwise Hillary money,” he said without further clarification.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/307807-roger-stone-recount-ups-prosecution-odds-for-clinton
Major Major Major Major
@efgoldman: You know who else liked Müesli…
Elizabelle
@trollhattan: I love that neither the cereal nor the box it comes in are flammable.
Maybe kids oughta wear that to bed.
Kathleen
@Elizabelle: What auto bailout? (Asking for White Working Class Guy in Rust Belt State).
MomSense
@Barbara:
I’m a fan of capers but mixing with raisins is gross. Besides a fresh divers scallop does not need that much crap. My guess is they were serving it on the last day or so before their next seafood delivery. In other words, not fresh. Sad!
trollhattan
@Kathleen:
Old man McCain had a quick fix for that, didn’t he? Our collective memories of 2008 sure are faint.
Corner Stone
@trollhattan: But…whither the taco bowls?
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Hal:
I suspect we’ll hear about how she was governor of the largest (by land mass) state in the union and was good enough to be selected (if not elected) for VP.
All of which is hogwash anyway.
debbie
@Elizabelle:
Okay, then Kashi will do just as well. I wish I could remember their tagline (“Seven grains in search of…”).
hovercraft
@raven:
Thanks for this raven, it makes me feel less guilty for thinking fuck em, they did this to themselves.
Oh and fuck LBJ.
Kathleen
@Jeffro: In Ted’s case, Christofascist Jesus told him to support Trump.
Villago Delenda Est
@The Moar You Know: Yet cheeto-face is a draft dodger who avoided serving in a war he supported, but had “other priorities” than risking his ass in the shit. Bill’s draft evasion was based on his opposition to the war, and ultimately he did expose himself to the draft (he drew a high number and didn’t get called up).
I will NEVER understand a veteran who does not put these facts together. Deserting coward and the Dark Lord both used every means available to avoid putting their skin in the game of a war they vocally supported. Same is true for Rmoney and cheeto-face, and their worthless spawn.
Major Major Major Major
Hey look, Thomas Frank has an article in the guardian about what democrats should do. Who wants to read it and summarize it for me so I can save brain cells? My friends are sharing it and I should look informed.
Kathleen
@trollhattan: The Trump Administration may find this to be a godsend in the future.
trollhattan
Sure to be buried in the day’s news, the Hippie State issues new water conservation guidelines #4 will make farmers all screechy. Tough darts, boys (and just wait ’til the next groundwater regs).
Botsplainer
@bemused:
Hah! Can’t spell “Moroni” without “moron”.
Harry Reid notwithstanding, a more credulous cult can’t be found.
debbie
@Major Major Major Major:
I always skip to the last paragraph:
trollhattan
@Corner Stone:
I’m…conflicted, since my promised taco truck is nowhere to be seen. How far must I travel for my taco bowl?
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: Become the party of Andrew Jackson again!
Villago Delenda Est
@Botsplainer: Scientology of the 19th Century.
Baud
@debbie:
Well, gee, Tom. Did you see it before the election like the rest of us?
MomSense
@Betty Cracker:
Here’s the thing. In ordet to do anything and make any kind of progress, you have to win first. Bill Clinton is incredibly popular with the white upper middle class, married women, etc that we lost.
The fact is that Bernie “moving Clinton to the left” was awesome for us partisans but it cost us the election. This is a classic case of the candidate moving to secure the base and making it tough to win the general.
There is a reason Obama didn’t discuss a number of topics and instead quietly passed laws to help instead.
I know I went against the grain during the primaries but there is no evidence to suggest that a contested primary in the party of the sitting president is helpful. It’s actually quite the opposite. And eliminating discussion of Bill Clinton’s policies and presidential record was a yuuge mistake that Sanders and his supporters forced upon us.
trollhattan
@Botsplainer: Will see your Moroni and raise you a full house, Xenus over Thetans.
Botsplainer
@trollhattan:
Yup, we’re back to pointless and expensive incarceration for law ‘n order and long term debasement for petty and nonexistent crimes.
‘Murka!!!
debbie
@Baud:
He’s got a whole bunch of paragraphs proving he didn’t.
Another Scott
RollCall: White House trolls Trump on Carrier deal:
:-)
Cheers,
Scott.
(“You mean Trump isn’t President yet? I thought he was, since he’s all I hear about any more…”)
Elizabelle
Allstate also stopped advertising on Breitbart. Decided they were not in good hands. LA Times.
And Andrew Breitbart is still dead. As a duck. Since 2012. I remember that morning on Balloon Juice.
Kathleen
@Feebog: Balls a la mode?
trollhattan
@Botsplainer:
How long before the National Stop-and-Frisk initiative? Will he announce during his inaugural address to congress, or wait another month? (I, for one, look forward to Alito and Thomas high-fiving at the mention.)
FlipYrWhig
@Major Major Major Major: I’ll guess “be ‘populists’ like they were during [$UNSPECIFIED_PAST_TIME], not ‘neoliberals’ like they’ve been since [$UNSPECIFIED_RECENT_TIME].”
Baud
@Elizabelle:
Good. I have them. I’m happy to try to get international corporations on our side. Companies doing business abroad may not find it in their best interest to be associated with a bigoted government.
Elizabelle
@MomSense: Yeah. Bernie definitely hurt Hillary. On purpose, and left us open to Trump. I don’t think as much of the great Senator Sanders now, and remember that only one of his Senate colleagues endorsed him (if memory serves).
Of course, since the Republicans nominated an actual serial sexual assaulter, we heard constantly of how Bill Clinton was a rapist, a rapist, I tell you.
Baud
@MomSense: I think the personal attacks hurt more than the policy debate.
Kathleen
@El Caganer: Boom!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’m calling bullshit. Kelleyanne wants to provoke a reaction. The one time Trump had reasonable human expression on his face before a crowd was when he was clearly thinking “What the fuck is she babbling about?” during the Word Salad SHooter’s endorsement speech. Very clearly. Also, the last thing Palin wants is a full time job you have to show up, and read stuff, for.
Patricia Kayden
@Elizabelle: It would be hilarious for Trump to end up rejecting Romney after forcing Romney to publicly grovel for days on end. That would serve Romney right. Plus, it would force Romney to slink back into whatever mansion he currently lives in and we never have to see his smug face again.
Corner Stone
@Elizabelle:
Speaking of duck hunters. How’s Scalia doing these days?
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Corner Stone:
Christ, we’re already being trolled by some junior clerk in the Pakistani bureaucracy. America’s slide from greatness is starting quickly.
Baud
@Corner Stone: He’s doing great. Thanks to the election result.
Elizabelle
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
FTFY.
I don’t see even Trump appointing Palin to the VA or anything that will be watched closely. Of course, I didn’t see America electing Trump, so, grain of salt ….
I don’t see Ivanka and husband letting that happen, since she’s even more of a loose and mean cannon …
trollhattan
@Patricia Kayden:
My sense is you’re describing exactly what’s happening. That Omarosa trixie said all “bow down” before Trump and I don’t think she was kidding. Man’s got a list a mile long (and 6-point type)
Mary G
I’m loving this talk of Kellogg’s and AllState. The Koch Bros. had to lower their profile and start putting out commercials with diverse “employees” because being public wingnuts was hurting their bottom line. Money is all that counts with these morons and while we may individually be poor, collectively we add right up, since we are the majority of the population.
I’ve tried elebenty times to link to Jennifer Rubin in the WaPo about how senators should grill Munchkin and Ross and FYWP has assigned a comment number but disappeared them all. WTF?
Patricia Kayden
@germy: Yep. Palin will stay until she gets bored. Then she’ll quit per her usual modus operandi.
Major Major Major Major
@debbie:
Does that word mean what he thinks it means?
MomSense
@Baud:
I think the EMAILZ!1!1!1!1 hurt the most but my son sent me some persuasive polling wit Trump voters talking about how much they liked Bill.
Pogonip
@trollhattan: How many roads must a man walk down before he can see the taco van?
NR
@MomSense:
So we should have just had a coronation instead? That’s certainly what the DNC wanted.
I’ll go against the grain here and say that if Hillary was such a weak candidate that a primary challenge from a 74 year old socialist could cripple her, she was never going to win anyway and nominating her was a damned stupid idea.
Villago Delenda Est
@Elizabelle: That would have been Jeff Merkley, who I have vocally and laboriously supported in the past.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Baud
@MomSense: I agree. The media beat us again. In terms of causes, that was # 1.
Another Scott
@Mary G: WaPo: How to grill a Trump nominee.
Worky?
HTH.
Cheers,
Scott.
Kathleen
@trollhattan: Indeed. A bit of an OT rant, but it’s amazing to me how many on “our side” (ahem) have forgotten that a brand new President had to deal with an economic cataclysm the minute he stepped into the Oval Office. Yet they persist in whinging about how “Obama kicked us Progressives to the curb” also too “hippy punching” argle bargle. (Mostly commenters on other blogs I shall not name). I think I loathe these people as much as I do the Trumpistas. and the right.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: Obama got around that somehow. Shiny and new?
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
That, plus he has unique gifts plus the circumstances.
MomSense
@NR:
Anytime someone says coronation they are pretty much revealing themselves to be a fucking idiot. Talking about positioning yourself to win an election by getting the most votes is in no way a coronation.
I’m all out of fucks, NR.
jenn
@Botsplainer: Hey, just a reminder that Mormons were the conservative religious group speaking out most against Trump (and voting accordingly). Trump did incredibly poorly in Utah, relative to the normal Republican results. And if, god forbid, anti-Muslim legislation starts being more than just talked about by irresponsible cowardly bigots, I’m confident that a hefty contingent of Mormons will be fighting against it.
Elizabelle
@Corner Stone: Scalia, he be dead. Dead, dead, dead.
Although: we now know where he’s buried. In a kind of nondescript cemetery in Northern Virginia (trust me, have been there), albeit one that is eternal home to Robert Bork as well.
Scalia’s cemetery is not far from the main campus of George Mason University. It’s not as close to GMU’s law school, now renamed for the dead, dead, dead Scalia, which for a while was going to have the acronym ASSOL until someone wised up.
Major Major Major Major
@MomSense: you still had fucks to give for that thing?
Kathleen
@MomSense: My right wing Republican son in law (whom I suspect voted for Trump) said Bill Clinton was the best president in his lifetime. He also says there’s no difference between parties. .I really don’t understand.
Baud
@jenn:
That’s really because there was that third party Mormon guy.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@MomSense: just one more piece of evidence of the infantile fantasy that Bernie! cannot have failed!, only have been cheated, in spite of a campaign that ran the gamut from dishonest to incoherent (“What legal mechanism will you use to break up the banks?” “The blinding light of my righteousness! And shouting.”), and that no one ever really ran against.
Patricia Kayden
@Kathleen: Seems like some on the Left were a bit confused as to what Candidate Obama ran on doing. He never sold himself as a Sanders-style leftwinger but much more like a middle of the road Progressive, which is how he behaved once elected. I was rarely disappointed with President Obama because I didn’t expect him to be any more to the left than President Bill Clinton.
NR
@MomSense: Well you seemed to be saying we shouldn’t have had a contested primary. The only alternative to that is a coronation. Is that not what you were saying?
Major Major Major Major
All I want for Christmas is y’all learning how to ignore trolls, and a new watch band.
Betty Cracker
@MomSense:
I’m not convinced that was it either — I’m learning toward the theory that it was a shitload of small factors (white panic over BLM, Russia’s interference via WikiLeaks, Comey, sexism, voter suppression, reality TV culture, Clinton Rules, etc.) that snowballed into an epic clusterfuck. I just hope we don’t learn the wrong lesson.
Schlemazel
@Elizabelle:
I assume the ran polls asking how they voted.
Elder spawn joined in the 90s. He said the chaplin gave them a sermon saying that Bill Clinton was Satan incarnate – sweet.
The christo-fascists have been been staking the military academies with the worst sorts of true believers for 30 years now so I assume they run all the armed services from the Pentagon now. There have been signs of how bad it is with scandals at the institutions where Jews and other non-Christians have been bullied and harrassed to the point of being driven out. Expect it to get worse
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: The watch band is probably more feasible for Santa.
Patricia Kayden
@Another Scott: As Randi Rhodes asked about this “deal”, will Trump pay out millions of taxpayer dollars to other companies so that they don’t move jobs to foreign countries? Is this supposed to be a good precedent?
FlipYrWhig
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: CROWDS OF PROTESTERS ON MITCH MCCONNELLS LAWN!
Schlemazel
@Patricia Kayden:
But he is a colored guy, he has to be a communist lefty!
I was not disappointed by what he did because it was what I expected. I was not excited about him in 08 because he was to middle of the road. He did well and about the best that could be expected when the asshole voters abandoned him in 2010
Baud
@FlipYrWhig: We could sure use them now.
FlipYrWhig
@Patricia Kayden: It kinda seems like every company in America should say “Uh oh, guess we’ll have to move to Mexico!” And then Trump will say “No you damn well won’t! I’m such a tough negotiator I’m going to force you to have all these perks and favors!” And then the company should say, “Please, Brer Donald, not in the briar patch!”
Major Major Major Major
@efgoldman: Not too hard though, we don’t need any more Jill Stein voters on our hands.
ETA: @Patricia Kayden: I still remember the howls of Obama sold us out! when he was implementing the Afghanistan surge. Like, OK, was I the only person paying attention to what he actually said during the campaign?
EBT
@rikyrah: Thank Fuck.
FlipYrWhig
@Baud: Mitch is pretty talented at ignoring stuff.
Millard Filmore
@Elizabelle: and efgoldman.
Thanks for the feedback. The message will be changed to show appreciation for the principled action.
Baud
@FlipYrWhig: I can’t believe he wouldn’t be influenced by lefty protests. Then again, he does enjoy the protection of that hard outer shell.
NR
@Kathleen:
Yeah, about that economic cataclysm. Obama went with a stimulus that even his own advisers knew was too small to do what was needed. And after the fact, one of those same advisers said something to the effect of “Well we figured that if the first stimulus was too small, the economic situation would be compelling enough that we’d be able to pass a second stimulus.”
And wow, what an absolutely massive political error that turned out to be, and it’s one that liberals at the time desperately tried to warn the White House about, to no avail. We knew that we were only going to get one bite at the stimulus apple, and so it was better to go big because the risks of a too-small stimulus were too great. And if you weren’t able to get the stimulus you wanted after fighting like hell for it and were forced to compromise, then you had damn well better position yourself rhetorically so that the people knew you tried.
It was the liberals who were right, about both the policy and the politics. The White House didn’t listen to us, and the Democrats paid the price.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Mary G:
Jennifer Rubin, “How to Grill a Trump Nominee.”
FlipYrWhig
@NR: A small group of obnoxious assholes with no power begging politicians they don’t support to do things the politicians don’t support didn’t make it happen? WELL I NEVER
FlipYrWhig
@NR: Relatedly, I told this guy I know that Hollywood should make good movies instead of bad ones because people like good movies better than bad ones. But Hollywood made bad movies anyway! We were right! And yet we get no credit! Neither of us are in show business or anything, but we have strong views about how good is better than bad, and Hollywood should really consult with us next time.
Omnes Omnibus
@NR: Dude, we were alive and politically aware at the time. Don’t try bullshitting us.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: Hmm, you may be right.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Schlemazel: The irony being the majority of their 20 something soldiers are unbelievers due to the direct experience of Evangelism, so indoctrination won’t work on them. That makes some Christo-Fascist coup kind of problematic. Plus. If you want to talk to a hard core Atheist, talk to a combat vet.
Anyway, the US Army has been infested with God botherers since West Point opened and had mandatory church service- See Stonewall Jackson and Polk, who while a bishop, our Loving Savior chose to call home in with a Northern canon ball to the head.
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig:
Such a transparent scam. “I make great deals! I’m the best, just the best, believe me.”
“Now, here’s a bunch of taxpayer money for you to stay and give me some PR.”
liberal
@Omnes Omnibus: tell that to Krugman, who made exactly this critique in real time.
Omnes Omnibus
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Please tell the me that “canon ball” wasn’t a typo.
Grace
@Hal: “What’s next, Bristol Palin for Surgeon General?” Hmmm, now that you mention it…
liberal
@Corner Stone: sadly, the rubes who voted for him will probably believe it’s great.
liberal
@rikyrah: FUCKIN’ SWEET!
Omnes Omnibus
@liberal: And Krugman was politically naive at the time. Obama got the most that Congress would okay. I think we all agree that it wasn’t enough, but Congress, not Obama, is the culprit
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@liberal: that’s true, Krugman had a strange (and somewhat spiteful) blind spot about the composition of the Senate in 2009, too. It was an odd bit of petulance from a such a smart man.
ETA: and the House too. I tend to focus on the Senate because the obstacles are so much easier to identify, but Ike Skelton Heath Schuler Dan Lipinski and a whole bunch of others were less than enthusiastic about a bill they didn’t/coudln’t distinguish from a “bail out”l
MomSense
@liberal:
Guess what evil incarnate Larry Summers was asked by the douche bag host of Marketplace why he pushed for a smaller stimulus. Summers said that wasn’t the case at all. Every memeber of the economic team wanted much more but they couldn’t get more through Congress. They even had to further cut out funding for various projects to secure the votes of the Maine Senators, Specter, and a few others. We were all paying attention to what was happening at the time and we got the best package we could with the blue dogs and “moderate Republicans”.
FlipYrWhig
@liberal: It’s an obvious critique to make. What isn’t obvious is how to get the politicians to care about the critique. The reason the stimulus wasn’t bigger was because ONE TRILLION DOLLARS sounds scary. We know that’s a stupid way to make decisions. Unfortunately, actual Democratic office-holders don’t have careers that hinge on listening to us or even to Paul Krugman.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@MomSense: Claire McCaskill insisted, and bragged about, personally eliminating a (IIRC) $30 million dollar purchase of hybrid and high efficiency vehicles, called it “silly stuff”. I remember that every time these whiny nitwits start with the “Obama would never fight with Republicans”, but they’ll never change their adolescent need to believe it’s all about “balls”
Major Major Major Major
@FlipYrWhig: for whatever reason $800 billion seems to be the limit for, like, EVERYTHING.
FlipYrWhig
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: IMHO one of the underappreciated stories of those first months of the Obama presidency is that first there was the bank bailout, which was an emergency, then the auto bailout, which was an emergency, _then_ there was the stimulus, which was an emergency, and _THEN_ there was the health care reform debate. Part of why it was a heavy lift to rally support for better, i.e. more generous, policies is that it was a genuine case of one damn thing after another.
NR
@FlipYrWhig: Except those “obnoxious assholes” were right, and the oh-so-reasonable-and-wise Democratic leadership was wrong. So maybe the thing to do going forward is not to dismiss these people as “obnoxious assholes,” but instead listen to them for a change?
NR
@Omnes Omnibus: It’s not bullshit, it’s how it happened. Obama had 70% approval ratings and a ton of public goodwill on his side. And he still went with a stimulus that even his own advisers admitted was half the size of what was needed, and then gave away a third of what was left in the form of stimulus-useless tax cuts. Now you can certainly put some of the blame on the Democratic leadership in Congress, but the White House could have started much higher than they did.
Omnes Omnibus
@NR: If Congress was never going to go over $800 million, what does it matter where Obama started?
NR
@Omnes Omnibus: We’ll never know how high Congress was willing to go because the White House started out too low.
And in any case, if the White House had started out with an adequate stimulus and was forced to negotiate down, they would have at least been able to later say “We tried to pass a stimulus that would have revived the economy and the Republicans stopped us. Blame the slow recovery on them.” Instead, the Republicans got to hammer the Democrats on their “failed stimulus” because the Democrats owned all of it.
Omnes Omnibus
@NR: Whatever. What other seven year old arguments do you want to rehash?
Emma
@Omnes Omnibus: This. This is what bugs me. If 30 years of Republican propaganda didn’t convince me, why should a few blog posts full of bs?
NR
@Omnes Omnibus: I wasn’t the one who brought up what was happening seven years ago.
Omnes Omnibus
@NR: You are the one who spouted patent bullshit about it. In any case, I’m bored now.
jenn
@Baud: Well, yeah, exactly. And the reason McMullen ran and did so well there, was because a hefty contingent of Mormons were deeply unhappy with Trump as the GOP nominee.
Lizzy L
@Corner Stone: Yeah, that was me. Bad Lizzy L, no cookie for you.
I’m thinking that floating Sarah Palin’s name for head of the VA is just trolling. They’re having fun with us. Did you see that T. is considering Gary Cohn, the President of Goldman Sachs, to head the OMB? Vampire Squid to set budget policy. Awesome.
J R in WV
@raven:
I expected that was the case, but it’s sad to see the numbers. Another Viet Nam era vet here, that voted a straight Democratic ticket. So on Balloon-Juice we’re a majority for Hillary Clinton, little good that does the world.
The R’s here are clowns and fraudulent used car salesmen.
Corner Stone
@Lizzy L: Wasn’t you. Someone from Austin, TX that comments here.
J R in WV
@Major Major Major Major:
Congratulations, that isn’t easy, no matter the subject/audience.
What were you talking about, generally?
J R in WV
@Corner Stone:
I believe Fat Tony is still taking that long dirt nap. I expect multiple folks have taken a break over his grave. IYKWIM,AITYD!
Kayla Rudbek
@Grace: and Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos for Director of the Patent Office
Retr2327
@Brachiator: frog legs and scallops? you’d think in a city the size of New York, Trump would have found a restaurant that would serve Romney some crow . .
Dadadadadadada
I sure hope Mitt remembered to remind tRump that Mitt got more votes in 2012 than Shitler did in 2016. I really, really hope that came up.
NR
@Emma: I didn’t know that the Republicans were talking 30 years ago about a stimulus that was passed 7 years ago. When did they invent time travel?
NR
@Omnes Omnibus: Again: It’s not bullshit, it’s what happened.
CDWard
“Sign in blood here Mitt-It’s not like you were using that soul anyway.”
SWMBO
@Brachiator: I think Mitt had a big ol’ slice of humble pie. Best served after a meal of crow.
steverinoCT
@efgoldman:
Kid: Can I have Cap’n Crunch for breakfast?
Me: MAY I have Cap’n Crunch for breakfast.
Kid: [sigh] May I have Cap’n Crunch for breakfast?
Me: No.