Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

The words do not have to be perfect.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

In my day, never was longer.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Consistently wrong since 2002

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

I was promised a recession.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

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

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Hail to the Hairpiece / Late Night Open Thread: Twittering Fone Warz

Late Night Open Thread: Twittering Fone Warz

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Speaking of handing over one’s phone to a higher authority… Now that Kremlinology has become another Russian import we could’ve done just as well without (THANKS, REPUBS!), there’s a story going around that yesterday’s breaking-news Trump-tweet decrying Nordstrom’s cruel abuse of poor little Princess Ivanka wasn’t even written by the guy whose name appeared on the header. If true, then Ivanka and/or (more likely, IMO) son-in-law Jared Kushner is responsible for letting the world know that his wife is “a great person — always pushing [Daddy] to do the right thing”…

… which, I guess: Happy early V-Day, honey! (And the cynics say romance is dead.)

On the one hand: Good to know, if true, that Daddy Dearest wasn’t distracted during his security briefing by worries about his kids’ business opportunities. On the other hand: If this were any other country in the world, what would the Very Serious Pundits say about a president with this much power allowing his (inexperienced, incompetent) offspring to make official statements in his name, with or without his permission in advance?

Reader Interactions

118Comments

  1. 1.

    Peale

    What does “anyone” mean? Tourists? Refugees? Businessmen? My firm would cancel all global meetings over something like that.

  2. 2.

    ? Martin

    They considered the account/password thing under Obama as well, but they declined. The problem with that isn’t the legality, it’s the blowback. How happy would the US be when China says ‘hey, that’s a great idea’ and requires Americans to turn over their social media passwords on entry? That was the message Tim Cook was bringing to the Obama admin when they were considering requiring device makers turn over source code to facilitate unlocking devices – that whatever benefits from the US government having that information was far overshadowed by the problems with the Chinese government having it.

  3. 3.

    cain

    That would pretty much kill all foreign business travel. Good luck with that. Nobody is going to give a foreign govt their passwords.

    Yeah, and as Martin said – other foreign countries will reciprocate.. and if they have the password they can also do whatever they want with the accounts.. and of course, someone is going leak that password.

    Finally, who gives a shit, people will just create a social media account for foreign travel.

  4. 4.

    ? Martin

    @Peale: That falls in the same category of how to you have a differentiated policy without it being discriminatory. There are ways of doing it, but they aren’t ways that the Trump administration wants.

  6. 6.

    Yarrow

    @Peale:

    Businessmen? My firm would cancel all global meetings over something like that.

    Yep. Business trips here would grind to a halt and a high percentage of tourists would decide they have better places to go.

  10. 10.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Since this is an open thread, I will mention that my mom had hip replacement surgery today. It went well according to my dad’s report. Her doctor said she now has a matching set. A load off of my mind. I was encouraging her to have the surgery for a couple of years. She was in pain, ffs. OTOH, surgery is serious shit for a 75 y/o. So any good thoughts for a quick recovery would be welcomed.

  11. 11.

    Peale

    @? Martin: maybe china would read my posts from last year when they banned all gay and gay themed movies and tv shows online…including the two I was watching at the time.

    I guess I’d get used to adding “change all my passwords when I check into the hotel” to my to do list each and every time I passed through border control. That would only add a few hours each trip.

  15. 15.

    Ella in New Mexico

    My thinking re: if I was a potential target for DHS demanding my phone and internet passwords: mail my smartphone to my destination well ahead of time and deny any social media activity at CBP.’

    Easy Peasyn Lemon Squeezy.

  21. 21.

    Yarrow

    @Omnes Omnibus: Wishing your mom well. Glad the surgery went well. These days it seems like they know what they’re doing with hip replacements and have the patients up and moving and doing therapy right away. Hope your mom has a swift and successful recovery.

  24. 24.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Anne Laurie: Thanks. I haven’t spoken to her yet, as the first time I called they were moving her to her room and the second time ended up being 45 minutes post-oxy. The first one was very successful. She was able to walk normally without any pain until the second hip got cranky.

  25. 25.

    hovercraft

    The preservation and even the promotion of our First Ladies commercial endeavors is in the national security interests of the country. So even if the tweet had come from the great man himself, it would have been completely appropriate during the briefing.

  28. 28.

    Yarrow

    @Omnes Omnibus: That’s really amazing, isn’t it? You kind of think they’ll be in the hospital for a week, but hope–home it is. Since she’s been through it before, hopefully she and your dad are all set with everything she needs so she’s comfortable and has a safe and good recovery.

  30. 30.

    Yarrow

    @Mike J: That is really terrible for the US. We will all pay for that sort of thing, even if a lot of people don’t see the loss right away.

  32. 32.

    hovercraft

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    Glad she did well through the surgery. Since you encouraged her to get it done, I’m sure she’ll curse your name through the rehab process, but it will be worth it in the end ;- )
    Good thought swimming her way through the intertubes.

  33. 33.

    efgoldman

    @cain:

    That would pretty much kill all foreign business travel. Good luck with that. Nobody is going to give a foreign govt their passwords.

    Wail Hayell, ain’t most of them overseez flytes on them furrin’ airlines?

    FSM on Melba Toast. The fuckers won’t be happy until they drive every fucking legacy business in the country broke, and the whole fucking country looks like West Virginia, will they.

  34. 34.

    cain

    This whole thing is silly, if all the countries have our password, and are monitoring everything we would end up committing crimes in our home country and then getting arrested when going to that country or maybe get rejected because you said something against the govt. I mean seriously, they are creating a precedent that would be dangerous to american citizens and freedom of speech and what not.

  36. 36.

    mai naem mobile

    @Omnes Omnibus: sending positive thoughts for a speedy recovery for your mom. I don’t know if she’s going home or staying in rehab but tell your dad to make sure thet take the support stockings off every morning or daily. I knew a lady who was in a rehab after hip surgery. She kept on telling the aides and nurses that her heel was hurting really bad and was ignored. Anyhow, she ended up getting a massive bedsore on the heel. It looked like somebody had taken an ice cream scoop and scooped out all the flesh on her heel. The big boss ended up getting canned at the facility over the situation and this lady got a big settlement but it really changed her lifestyle for several years.

  39. 39.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @hovercraft: I am sure she curses my name all the time. She has had back issues since the night of my birth. And then there’s the nature of my me-ness.

  41. 41.

    hovercraft

    @ChrisB:
    Like Josh said, SAD !
    Since his fans haven’t any idea what “One China” means, they won’t know he caved, so no harm no foul. The rest of us who point and laugh are just haters. Also too since so many of his pronouncements are pulled out of his ass, this sort of thing will be repeated over and over again. Know nothing knows nothing.

  45. 45.

    mai naem mobile

    Jason Chaffetz had a big townhall this PM in Utah with people who apparently aren’t happy with him. Utah. Deep red state. Donnie the Dolt is sure doing a lot of winning for the GOP. Pretty sure Jason’s going to get tired of all the winning.

  47. 47.

    Anne Laurie

    @Yarrow:

    We will all pay for that sort of thing, even if a lot of people don’t see the loss right away.

    “Wut loss? Fewer furriners an’ darkies — sounds gud ta us Real ‘Murkins!” — Trump voters (also their implacable defenders among the Punditariat)

  48. 48.

    efgoldman

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    So any good thoughts for a quick recovery would be welcomed.

    Not easy. Obviously most not easy on her, but not easy on any adult kids, either. mrs efg’s been going thru it (not surgery, but a fall and cracked pelvis) with her 86-year-old mom.
    If she complains about the physical therapists, they’re doing it right.
    Hope she’s a fast healer.

  49. 49.

    Another Scott

    @Omnes Omnibus: Adding my best wishes for Momnes Momnibus as well. And you too, OO.

    Shouldn’t we assume Donnie’s phone has been hacked by now? Isn’t it bad enough that people are checking time stamps on his Tweets and checking them against all sorts of other public information to figure out who’s actually sending the messages, etc.? When will the brainiacs in his White House figure out that he’s actually endangering national security with his antics? Before the end of the month? Before he starts another international incident?

    (sigh)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  50. 50.

    hovercraft

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    Perhaps she should simply send you daily thank you notes on clown stationary, for all the blessings you’ve given her. Just to show how much she loves you.

  51. 51.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Thank you, everyone. I tend to be optimistic in general, but I spent a chunk of today being worried as hell. All signs are good and the doc and hospital staff have been great according to my dad’s hyper-vigilant observation. Now mom gets spicy and weird food, since dad is cooking for a while.

    You guys are a bunch of jackals, but you are really nice ones.

  54. 54.

    efgoldman

    @amk:

    did they even read the today’s judgement?

    You’re very funny. Are you taking your show on the road?
    I’m sure Mandarin Malignancy is neither capable nor interested in reading legalese, and will ask some flunky to break it down into simple concept.
    At which point, the flunky reads it, and types a one page summary.
    “They said: Go fuck yourself sir.”
    Because they really did. It reads like something the professor in Paper Chase would have told a particularly slow first year student.

  57. 57.

    ? Martin

    @Another Scott: Trump was supposed to have his Android phone taken from him and been given a secured iPhone, so our ability to discern tweet authors from the metadata is probably lost.

  58. 58.

    danielx

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Went through it with the spousal unit a few years back, though she’s a lot younger than your mom. It’s a bitch coming back, but worth it. Though I will say – nay, guarantee – your dad is really going to start recalling the “for better, for worse, in sickness…” etc. Pro tip – when dealing with bodily necessities, use vicks vaporub on upper lip.

  62. 62.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @hovercraft: I’m her first. I am special, even if I caused her to be in pain for the rest of her life. My brother chipped the paint on her new dryer during a HS party. He still get the occasional side-eye about it. Her back, that’s my Puritan guilt thing coming out.

  66. 66.

    Yarrow

    @? Martin: A NYT article a few weeks ago said that Trump still has and uses his old phone, despite being told he wasn’t supposed to by the security people.

  67. 67.

    Anne Laurie

    @? Martin:

    Trump was supposed to have his Android phone taken from him and been given a secured iPhone, so our ability to discern tweet authors from the metadata is probably lost.

    But then again, parsing from content will continue.

    Not to mention, according to Axios — Politico for the Trump administration — Trump is using his new ‘extremely impressive’ WH phone system to send super-sekrit messages to and from the fine, fine folk who have his old cell number. (Assuming you trust Mike Allen, which is probably an even bet, on stuff like this.) So apart from all the leaks coming out of the Oval Office cabal, there’s some unknown number of Big Swinging Dickheads in real estate / celebutainment circles also getting special briefings straight from the horse’s… mouth.

  68. 68.

    sharl

    It just occurred to me that Ivanka is cut from the same cloth as Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Islam Karimov, who ruled Uzbekistan with a ruthless and cruel hand for so many years. She is either in prison or dead – stories and rumors conflict on that point – after embarrassing dear ol’ dad one time too often. Ivanka is too simpatico with her dad to meet that kind of fate, though can’t speak for what Bannon is capable of.

  72. 72.

    ? Martin

    @Major Major Major Major: Shit. The emergency spillway should be fine. I asked one of our guys about it and he said they did a study of it a number of years ago to use for instruction and said it was well designed and should be able to handle the capacity. But the guys that work there obviously are more familiar with the conditions and rating. How much work would be needed to put things back together afterward was a different matter. It’s not designed to be a ‘free’ option, rather one that is considerably cheaper than having the tallest dam in the country fail.

    Half a million gallons per second is nothing to fuck with, though.

  75. 75.

    ChrisB

    @hovercraft: Yes, I saw someone just now point and laugh and say that the know nothings probably think that the One China policy means just one child per family.

    So what do we have tonight:

    Trump caving on China;
    Kushner trying to salvage things with Mexico;
    Trump clueless on nukes with Russia; and
    Trump getting smoked on his travel ban.

    So much ignorance, incompetence and arrogance. Hard to believe but even more unfit than I thought possible during the campaign.

  76. 76.

    ? Martin

    Federal officials who have read the transcript of the call were surprised by Mr. Flynn’s comments, since he would have known that American eavesdroppers closely monitor such calls. They were even more surprised that Mr. Trump’s team publicly denied that the topics of conversation included sanctions.

    There’s a transcript of Flynn’s call to the Russian Ambassador.

    Man, I just don’t know how to read this. Is the FBI burning him? It is someone else in the WH? Will Trump stand with him despite this, trusting that Congress will continue to ignore all of this. What a fucking shitshow.

  78. 78.

    Yarrow

    @Omnes Omnibus: No worries. A lot of us know what it’s like to worry about family members through serious health issues.

    @ChrisB: Wait, I missed the Kushner and Mexico thing. What happened there?

  79. 79.

    hovercraft

    @? Martin:
    They may grumble, but he has a loong way to go before he loses them. He’s pissing off democrats and ferriners, so he’s still their hero. Remember he’s not to blame for what does or does not happen is not his fault, between Obama, congress, the media, the courts, hell gravity, he is responsible for nothing, he”s just an innocent victim who also happens to be the smartest, greatest, most powerful president who ever lived.
    Sense and logic no longer exist.

  80. 80.

    Mnemosyne

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Good luck! My mom was re-admitted today because her COPD is causing some post-surgery complications (mostly that she can’t clear her lungs), but she’s already feeling better and should be out after some more respiratory therapy.

    Kids, don’t fucking smoke — it’s not worth it!

  83. 83.

    efgoldman

    @hovercraft:

    between Obama, congress, the media, the courts, hell gravity, he is responsible for nothing, he”s just an innocent victim

    Wait. There’s a topp seekrit order coming tomorrow, repealing gravity. YOU’LL be sorry when random shit just starts flying off into space. Bigly! You’ll see!

  85. 85.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Omnes Omnibus: Best wishes on your mom for a complete recovery. I’ve been dealing with a cocker spaniel with a bad back, she saw the vet today and is on Prednisolone. It seems to be helping, she walked a bit in the yard this evening but still a bit unsteady.

  89. 89.

    Mnemosyne

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    We are working really, really hard not to say, “We TOLD you to stop smoking years ago!” Parents, what’cha gonna do?

    And my brother who’s been taking care of her is going to deserve a spa weekend, or the dude equivalent thereof, by the time this is over. A fishing weekend? I already sent him a gift basket of beer.

  91. 91.

    Mnemosyne

    @Yarrow:

    The surgery went perfectly, thanks, and otherwise she’s healing really well. If she didn’t have COPD, she’d probably be 80 percent recovered by now. Fucking cigarettes.

  95. 95.

    Adam L Silverman

    @? Martin: As was noted in the reporting on this, and something I mentioned several weeks ago when the earlier reporting on this broke, we collect signals intelligence on all calls coming into and out of the Russian Embassy. As was noted by one of the anonymous sources in the reporting tonight, and by me several weeks ago, that LTG Flynn failed to realize this, or worse didn’t care, is just staggering.

  96. 96.

    Yarrow

    @Mnemosyne: They are evil. Glad everything else went well. Hopefully this setback will be minor and she’ll be on the road to recovery after this. Does she still smoke?

    Don’t know what you can do for your brother from afar, but if you can find a weekend to relieve him, that might be welcome. Otherwise, gift cards to local restaurants? Or maybe toward a delivery service that can bring him food or pick up his dry cleaning or something since he’s extra busy with your mom? Being present to listen to him and willing to offer whatever help you can from afar will go a long way.

  97. 97.

    efgoldman

    @Mnemosyne:

    If she didn’t have COPD, she’d probably be 80 percent recovered by now. Fucking cigarettes.

    If I hadn’t quit when I did (early 70s) I’d have been dead for years.

  98. 98.

    hovercraft

    @Mnemosyne:
    Sorry your Mom was re-admitted, but glad she’s already feeling better. I know I should quit, and I will, soon. Horrible terrible habit.

  102. 102.

    Mnemosyne

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    She probably would have had the heart problems no matter what — her mother never smoked and had bypass surgery around the same age. It’s the complications that are … complicating things.

    @Yarrow:

    I’m letting him call and vent when he needs to, and he has our older brother as well. I’ll probably pull my mom in to have her help plan something since she’ll like having something else to think about for a while.

  104. 104.

    Yarrow

    @hovercraft: I have a friend who went to a hypnotist to quit smoking. And it really worked. He had to go back once or twice after the initial visit for a “touch up” session but this was years ago now and he hasn’t wanted to smoke since. He used to smoke a lot. It’s kind of amazing.

  105. 105.

    Adam L Silverman

    I’m off to bed. I’m keeping good thoughts for a pair of moms and one cocker spaniels bad back. If I’ve missed anyone you can bring me up to speed in the AM.

  106. 106.

    Mnemosyne

    @hovercraft:

    Not to freak you out too much, but when my dad died at the age of 72 in 2013, there were 5 causes of death listed on the death certificate. Every. Single. One. was smoking related. Every. One.

  112. 112.

    hovercraft

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:
    See now that makes sense, when I was making the suggestion, I kept asking myself if it was him or you who had the clown phobia, now I know it’s both. Good to know.

  113. 113.

    hovercraft

    @Yarrow:
    Something to look into.
    @Mnemosyne:
    I doubt anything you say could freak me out, my mother has tried everything and is still trying to freak me out, she even hides horrible images of all sorts of ailments in my drawers, bedding, anywhere she can think of, fun stuff. She means well so I don’t complain. She also reminds me that it wasn’t Alzheimer’s that killed my dad, it was CHF from smoking, which he quit some 30 years before his death.

  115. 115.

    seaboogie

    @Another Scott: I think the WH Staff is too busy fighting one another to have any vision around security. See also “internecine” and “fustercluck”. Thank dog and the FSM for the courts and town halls.

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