Abe's facial expression is ?? pic.twitter.com/etYaiNH6vp
— Brenna Williams (@brennawilliams) February 10, 2017
NPR:
At a joint news conference Friday, President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to shed any perceptions of mistrust between two countries that have been longtime allies. In no uncertain terms, both leaders upheld their friendly relations — both diplomatic and personal — as an alliance with a bright future…
Nobody show him that gif, ‘kay?
I’m actually curious to see how this plays out, because Prime Minister Abe has a bit of a reputation himself as a rightwing dick not the most diplomatic individual.
Elsewhere, in the ‘small but significant victories’ category, via NYMag, “Trump Nixes Plan to Appoint a War Criminal to the State Department“:
Until Friday, Elliott Abrams was expected to be named the Trump administration’s deputy secretary of State — a powerful position, particularly in a department headed by a former oil executive with no diplomatic experience.
Abrams’s apparent selection was not treated as a scandal. But in a less degenerate republic, it would have been: The last time Abrams worked at the State Department, he helped the Reagan White House covertly sell weapons to Iran — in defiance of an embargo — so as to fund reactionary rebels in Nicaragua, in defiance of a federal law that Congress had passed 411 to 0…
Rex Tillerson and Jared Kushner both lobbied the president on Abrams’s behalf. And, after a meeting with the war criminal, Trump was prepared to make the neoconservative his number-two diplomat.
And then, Trump came upon a column Abrams had written in May 2016, titled “When You Can’t Stand Your Candidate.”…
Now, Trump has personally vetoed Abrams appointment, according to sources who spoke with CNN…
Omnes Omnibus
Elliott fucking Abrams? Really?
Yutsano
Even so, he would still be interested in saving face back home. And his manhandling by the Hairy Yam TWICE in a most boorish fashion will get parodied to no end back home.
Yarrow
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh, yeah. That news came out last week. I thought it was a done deal so was surprised to hear this news today.
Omnes Omnibus
@Yarrow: Been busy at work and with personal stuff. Didn’t see it.
Gin & Tonic
And I just read on Politico (I know) that one of Flynn’s key deputies was turned down for an SCI clearance, so he’s out at the NSC. This would fit better in Adam’s thread, but it’s dead.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Yarrow
@Omnes Omnibus: It was kind of quiet news. I put it in a comment here, but it didn’t get much attention in the news. I think the immigration ban was getting most of the attention at the time. I just thought it was a done deal when I saw it. Didn’t know he would be vetoed. Hilarious.
MomSense
@Omnes Omnibus:
It’s just too much BS to manage.
jl
Silly me, for a second I thought maybe Trump vetoed Abrams for a sensible reason. Well, I am very tired right now and that is my excuse.
As I noted in the previous thread, Japan may long for the good old days when US presidents got sick and threw up on their state dinner.
Chet Murthy
OT: The thin skins of Trump voters (at least, the educated amongst that swine)
I have two former friends who voted for Dampnut. I disowned them, in a very gentle and civilized way, not explaining anything other than that I thought Dampnut was different from Cruz, and it was a matter of patriotism to oppose the former. I -did- use the words fascism and white supremacy, and made it clear that to vote for him, was to embrace those ideologies.
It’s interesting: they got angry and all, then went away for a couple of months, and then each came back, acting as if I’d just had one too many drinks and thrown up in the backseat or something, and we could continue our friendship. When I made it clear that that wasn’t happening, and again used those strong words. It’s like they can’t take a hint. They each got -incredibly- butthurt about my rejection. I mean, writing long, long notes, full of arguments (that I didn’t read, b/c honestly, why raise my bllood pressure, when the only thing I’d accept is “I was wrong, and I’m atoning for this mortal sin against our nation by doing X, Y, and Z”). The second guy came back yesterday, and like with the other, I finally just blocked his email.
I’m perplexed — you vote for Trump, you see what he’s doing, esp. the Muslim ban, and HOW DO YOU NOT understand that this is about kickin’ the browns. And then you expect a brown person to not shun you like you’re a … what? caught with child p**n on your computer?
I don’t get it.
Frankensteinbeck
@Yutsano:
Oh, my goodness. I worked for Japanese Television once. They must be having a FIELD day with Trump. He’s going to be the most popular American ever in Japan – as a pathetic, butt-of-our-jokes clown.
PhoenixRising
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Fabulous. We let the First Lady of Japan take the Red Bus over to the FDR monument or whatever, maybe the NPS cultural rangers who run the hourly tour at Ford’s Theater made her right to home. This is just…they really don’t know how to do anything, do they?
Last summer, my sister & I were drinking heavily and talking about just how bad he was at everything about campaigning, and she said something profound: GOP voters have been convinced by the evidence in front of them–a black man running the country, with a staff more black than any previous administration–that it must be so easy, they think a buffoon can do it. Trump is the apotheosis of their racism.
I think that’s correct; much more than by overlooking his howling racial resentment, their racial bias is revealed by his obvious incompetence and mental infirmity. Which they saw, but disregarded, because racism taught them that anything a black man can do well must not be that hard, and there must be protections in our systems to restrain the President.
Boy are they in for a surprise. But hey, so is China! and Japan! and Australia! and…
GregB
I really hope that it can be proved the Russians not only used kompromat, propaganda but also actual voter count manipulation so that we can point to that and salvage some dignity for our country by declaring the election was stolen and the majority of citizens are not fascist dick-bags.
SWMBO
@Omnes Omnibus: How are your parents doing?
Yarrow
The look on the Prime Minister’s face at the end of that gif is something else. Reminds me of the clip of Melania at the inauguration.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Yarrow: I foresee a montage: People meeting/talking to Trump and turning away in obvious “Just what the fuck was that?” mode
tobie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I just took a look at the photos of the state dinner referenced in dick_nixon’s tweet:
It really does look like a tent for a wedding or anniversary party. Hard to compare this plebeian affair with the first state dinner the Obama’s hosted for then PM of India Manmohan Singh.
SWMBO
@Yarrow: You have to wonder how many folks look like that when there aren’t cameras.
Yarrow
@GregB: Me too. And while we’re at it, let’s be sure there’s plenty of kompromat on McConnell and Ryan and let’s take the whole GOP leadership down as well. Drape 45 around their shoulders as if he’s an American flag made of lead.
Omnes Omnibus
@SWMBO: All is good. Thank you.
Yarrow
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: We’re gonna need a montage!
Yarrow
@tobie: I had to go look too. It’s pathetic. Looks like they called up a local caterer and said the budget was on the low end. Embarrassing.
MomSense
@Chet Murthy:
I’m trying to just keep my distance from a couple of colleagues who voted for 45. They do not seem to be quite as exuberant of late but I really don’t want to pay much attention.
What kills me is how little thought so many people gave to the actual job before they voted for him. 45 is so clearly unprepared and ill equipped to handle the responsibilities.
I’ve had people try and minimize his racism and boasting about sexual assault as if those things won’t interfere with his decisions. I think that they are just trying to pretend they don’t approve or aren’t racist themselves. It doesn’t work that way.
I am enjoying that the 45 supporters now find themselves out of the cool group. There are a lot of us who are actively engaged and having fun protesting, making calls, and doing craftivism. I can definitely sense that they realize they are not part of the cool crowd.
amk
Given his ever present propensity for childish name calling, I am waiting for twitler to extend the same courtesy to foreign leaders who cross him.
amk
@Chet Murthy: I have read there are family feuds over the shitgibbon support. And one can’t choose them.
Omnes Omnibus
@MomSense:
Now?
fuckwit
Il Douche.
Mnemosyne
@PhoenixRising:
Just a reminder that somebody used to know how to play this game, and not so very long ago, either.
I mean, Ivanka couldn’t even be arsed to show up and try to sell her some discounted shoes.
jl
@Chet Murthy:
” And then you expect a brown person to not shun you like you’re a … what? ”
I started reading your comment and thought you were harsh on them. but… yeah.. I can see where you are coming from. I’m open to listening to the Trumpers, but the pickings are very slim for hearing stuff worth listening to. I’m a white man, so while I suspect there will be an attempt to put the likes of me on a list someday (liberal immigrant friendly voting rights absolutist), it’s not personal…. yet. Probably will be sooner rather than later.
Edit: though Chuck D put out a tweet to the effect that there needs to be some good people willing to case the Trump joint for planning purposes and intel. After reading that I can stomach probing for coherent thought among the Trumpers a little better.
Omnes Omnibus
@jl:
Eh? Why?
jl
@Omnes Omnibus: See my edit.
amk
@jl:
really? these pigs are from ‘hang her’ fascists, remember?
NotMax
Anyone else remember the extremely un-PC moment on Saturday Night Live when Emperor Hirohito rode in an open carriage through Williamsburg in 1975?
Imagine it has been excised from reruns and compilations.
stinger
@Yarrow: It looks like the menu was sliced meats and cheeses for fix-’em-yourself sandwiches. Big tubs of mustard and Miracle Whip.
NotMax
Suspected comment from within 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
“Abe? He’s Jewish?”
Chet Murthy
@jl: In the initial exchanges (back after Nov 8), each of them argued that he wasn’t a fascist, wasn’t a racist, wasn’t a white supremacist. And argued that he was a normal politician, and therefore, I was in the wrong b/c I was trhowing away an apolitical friendship based on purely political differences. Even though in both cases, I was clear that if it’d been Pres. Cruz/Pence/Bush/whatever, I wouldn’t be writing the letter.
The thing is, back then it wasn’t about the Muslim ban. It was that he was a fascist (“I’m going to assign a special prosecutor to look into your case …”) and a white supremacist. And I remember my history classes from high school. And sure, I guess, I could understand that they differed about whether he was a fascist. But after 3mos of this farce -and- the Muslim ban, you’d think by now, it’d be obvious. I mean, you’re either proud of your man, or you’re a hypocrite. Seems to me, these guys are just hypocrites. Ashamed of their political views, but unwilling to actually do the hard work of giving them up.
In a way, as with bin Laden, at least I can -respect- the real nutjobs. They may be enemies, but at least they’re up-front about it. These guys …. so pathetic. And confusing (to me) b/c shit, they’re both highly-educated, technically savvy, smart folks. Though, I guess that and $2.85 will get you a double-espresso at Peet’s.
Omnes Omnibus
@NotMax: Win.
Chet Murthy
@stinger: Holy cow. Holy cow. I’m embarrassed for PM Abe, having to put a brave face on that.
MomSense
@Omnes Omnibus:
They didn’t get it, before. Somehow I think these fools thought they were in the popular crowd. The first few days after the election they were giddy and kind of surprised when my response was to tell them I was devastated. I don’t know if they thought it wasn’t that big a deal and I would just sort of shrug it off and respond with some hope for the best/give him a chance bullshit.
patroclus
Well, of the 208 weeks of this nightmare, we’ve now lived through 3 of them and this one, with the 9th Circuit ruling and the growing Resistance being shown via the Town Halls, was a good one. I suspect we’ll have precious few good weeks, so let’s enjoy this one, because there’ll be a lot of bad ones upcoming. Trump’s momentum is fading and his Executive Orders nowadays are more like “Executive Actions” which are really just press releases and photo ops telling agencies to do what their missions already are. He’s clearly a worldwide laughingstock and the British Parliament clearly shows that. He’s embarrassed himself with the Canadians and the Australians and now the Japanese – and these are our allies. He had to climb down on One China just to get a phone call with the Chinese premier. The only real consequential thing he’s done is to ruin our trading relationships by cancelling the TPP. If we can avoid damage week by week like we have so far, we might be able to endure this without too much going wrong. Here’s hoping!
Mnemosyne
Okay, I couldn’t see the GIF because my iPad is acting weird, so I opened it a different way and OH MY FUCKING GOD. The fucking Prime Minister of fucking Japan just looked like he thought he was being pranked and was expecting the real president to pop out from behind a curtain.
tobie
@Yarrow: Yup. It’s like the sandwich spread at Mar a Lago Betty Cracker posted a few weeks ago.
jl
@Chet Murthy: May be we run into different types of Trump supporters. There are really toxic, very arrogant, white bigots who are almost impossible to talk with. The most infuriating ones are those who have convinced themselves that they are not bigots or racists at all, really. I mean, they have dear black and Hispanic friends who eat at their houses and use their bathrooms! Just, mention any black person who gets out of their designated lane , and they go fricken berserk. (edit: in the old days, it was ‘uppity’, but that concept has transformed in the minds of white bigots in subtle ways, only constant is something very wrong with any racial or ethnic minority person who gains a leadership position in society, something very very bad about that).
I know a number of people, particularly from Central Valley, who voted for Trump because things were so screwed, we needed to really shake things up. And Trump was just saying shit he needed to say to get elected, he didn’t mean and he wouldn’t do it. So, OK, they are knuckleheads.
But, then, being who I am, Trump hadn’t verbally but punched me on a very personal level like he had others. That makes a difference.
Viva BrisVegas
“Reactionary rebels” my arse.
They were terrorists working for fascist narco traffickers.
They were funded with cash from illegally selling weapons to Iran. They were armed and trained by the CIA. They murdered, raped and tortured teachers, doctors, nurses and farmers in Nicaragua in pursuit of US foreign policy.
Call those traitorous fucks like Abrams by their correct title, “narco terrorist”.
Especially their chief, Reagan.
Yarrow
@stinger: Wasn’t that a similar menu to the one he had for the reporters when they took that group picture? I think that was before the inauguration. Maybe they don’t serve anything else there?
oklahomo
@stinger: I would have guessed buckets of KFC.
efgoldman
@PhoenixRising:
Lots of people going to DC to work in top levels of government need to learn things. That’s why they have advisors and protocol experts, and request and listen to briefings.
Fucking assholes
Fuckem
NotMax
@Yarrow
Well, had to do something with the leftovers.
mvr
That should say tell us what we need to know about Kushner as a moderating influence.
Peale
@oklahomo: you know, a bucket of KFC would have been better than make your own sandwiches. Abe probably actually likes fired chicken (who doesn’t?), and we could at least pretend that the president was thinking of his guest. Sandwiches say “I don’t know enough about you and don’t really care” KFC has that new Chizza … at least Abe would remember the Chizza!
Chet Murthy
@Viva BrisVegas: heh, and they got the argentines to be our proxies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Charly
Yarrow
@NotMax: Ewwww……gross.
tobie
Not to rub salt in our collective wounds, but I found some photos of Obama’s last state dinner for the Japanese Prime Minister in 2015 in the Wall Street Journal. The menu is just so tasteful, culturally evocative, and beautifully laid out compared to this patio-party-posing-as-a-state-dinner. Above and beyond that, the US and Japan were celebrating at the time deepening our alliance through TPP. Now PM Abe has to explain to the oaf what the purpose of TPP after he withdrew the US from it. He’s such a crass idiot.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Yarrow:
Hang him around their necks like an anchor and push them overboard…
trollhattan
@Omnes Omnibus:
Apparently Kissinger is busy having his corns abraded.
dmsilev
@Mnemosyne:
Hard to blame him really. We’re all kind of expecting, or at least hoping for, that.
? Martin
So the situation at Oroville dam is slightly worse. The lake is at 898.6′, and the emergency spillway is at 901′. It should overfill in about 8 hours.
There have been a few setbacks tonight:
1) The rate the lake is filling isn’t decreasing quite as quickly as they needed because they have some light rain in the watershed
2) They had to reduce the water flow down the spillway from 65K CFS to 55K because of erosion outside of the spillway that is now threatening the power lines that cross the area.
3) They had to shut off the power plant which was clearing 15K CFS because the aforementioned erosion created a natural dam in the river below the power plant.
It looked like they were going to keep it just under 901, but that looks pretty unlikely now. It won’t go over terribly however, but then it’s not supposed to go over at all. Damage to the spillway will probably cost in the neighborhood of $100M to repair. If more rains are coming next week, it’s unclear how much capacity they’ll be able to create between now and then. But it looks like another 2″ of rain or so over several days next week. We’ll see how concerned the engineers are with that.
efgoldman
@oklahomo:
His local franchise owner won’t comp a party that large, anymore.
trollhattan
@tobie:
Oh, so that’s how grownups do it?
Yarrow
@trollhattan: Are there no other Nixon or Reagan era criminals who can take the job?
NotMax
@efgoldman
Demanding full payment on delivery was probably the dealbreaker.
Peale
@tobie: I don’t think this was a state dinner. Those take quite a bit of planning.
Honestly, I hope when Trump goes to Japan, they return the favor by heating up Ramen and opening a jar of cracker nuts. Poky for dessert if he’s still hungry.
efgoldman
@Yarrow:
Rummie’s still around.
stinger
@Chet Murthy: Sorry, that was a bit of a joke, based on Trump’s known entertainment proclivities.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/12/19/news-organizations-defend-off-the-record-event-with-donald-trump-at-mar-a-lago/?utm_term=.e6b749abae46
Hopefully the White House chef can do something nicer for visiting heads of state.
ETA: Darn links.
efgoldman
@Peale:
PB&J. Welch’s grape, only.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Chet Murthy:
It’s called ‘denial’… and it’s an incredibly powerful force in human affairs… it should be treated like a force of nature… gravity… electro-magentism… denial…
NotMax
@efgoldman
Also too (FSM help us), Cheney.
efgoldman
@NotMax:
Ca$h only, too.
Major Major Major Major
Amazing with the Abrams thing – even when Trump does something right, it’s for the worst, most awful, selfish, terrible reason.
trollhattan
@? Martin:
Yeah, in 12 hours inflow has only dropped a little under 30k cfs, which implies topping out this weekend. Literally uncharted waters.
Sacramento River through town is at about 29.5 feet and my neighborhood is about 16. #LeveesRFun
KlareCole
@Chet Murthy: Chet, I understand why you want to be quietly rid of your right wing friends. Mine annoy me. I’m not talking much anymore with people who think they know something because they are full of alt-right info. I have finally concluded if they don’t know who is their governor, senator, congressperson, state reps, three branches of government, then they don’t deserve my discussion time. I’ll probably still ponder their stupidity but the fact is, stupidity doesn’t have very good explanations. It just leaves a thinking person scratching their head. That is why I retreat to the warm sensibilities of this blog.
trollhattan
@efgoldman:
Pocari Sweat cocktails and Spam sushi.
NotMax
@efgoldman
KFC is a BFD at Christmastime in Japan.
And now trying to capture New Year’s as well.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Yarrow: I went over to Politico and found the longer, full clip of that… it is hysterical… Abe keeps trying to take his hand away and Trump won’t let go…
Major Major Major Major
@trollhattan: spam musubi is a delicious cross-cultural treat, a celebration of America’s pacific presence!
Yarrow
@Thru the Looking Glass…: Ooh, do you have a link? Is it some kind of faux pas from a Japanese cultural sense?
Mnemosyne
@Peale:
You may be right — according to Wikipedia, most modern presidents haven’t held their first state dinners until the fall after they were inaugurated. The only exception seems to be Ronald Reagan, who held one for Margaret Thatcher in February of 1981.
However, this is still highly tacky and embarrassing.
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: I don’t imagine there exists a culture where a forced 20-second handshake is not a faux pas. Including bonobo.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Yarrow: Ask and ye shall receive…
Here ya go…
This clip you can blow up to full screen size… you can see Abe roll his eyes much better in this one… it is hysterically funny in its entirety…
sukabi
@stinger: that’s the same “spread” drumpf put out for his play date with the press in December? (pre inUGHeration)…
For someone that wants to be admired and respected he can’t even be arsed to have a decent meal served to a visiting head of state.
patroclus
@Mnemosyne: The Prime Minister of Japan is not the head of state. A state visit and a state dinner for the Japanese would only occur for the Emperor. In protocol, there is something called an “official visit” which could be held for the Prime Minister. This visit, as far as I know, is not one of those. RR hosting Maggie was an “official” visit – a state visit would only be done by the Queen.
Mnemosyne
@Yarrow:
I am by no means an expert, but I’m pretty sure that getting touchy-feely with dignitaries from other countries, particularly Asian countries where bowing is preferred to handshakes, is Not Done.
trollhattan
@Major Major Major Major:
Also, too, havin’ it local style, brah.
Glad Obama’s lingering Kenyatude will probably keep Trump from branding Hawaii. They don’t need that.
tobie
@trollhattan: Be safe. The situation with the dam is alarming.
oklahomo
All they needed were a bunch of Hooter girls bringing drinks busing tables.
NotMax
@Major Major Major Major
The smaller the hand, the longer the shake.
Mnemosyne
@patroclus:
That’s an interesting bit in that book I read about Khruschchev’s visit to the US — there was some dissension in the State Dept because K was not actually head of state, but the Russian government made it clear that they expected K to be treated as the head of state during his visit, and the US finally decided to do it to keep the peace.
trollhattan
@sukabi:
Fucker’s idea of a night out is a napalmed steak at 21. I knew to order it bloody when I was 14; what’s his excuse?
Yarrow
@Thru the Looking Glass…: Oh my gawd. I just watched it. Our president simply doesn’t know what to do for the photo op. He asks, “What are they saying?” about the reporters and PM Abe has to tell him, “Look at me” and 45 immediately and obediently looks at him. Truly embarrassing. And that eye-roll at the end is something else.
Mnemosyne
@patroclus:
Though, wait, hang on — Margaret Thatcher was not the head of state for Great Britain. And Justin Trudeau is not the head of state for Canada. Now I’m confused.
tobie
@Mnemosyne: Well, if shaking hands is not conventionally done, then slapping someone on the back doesn’t happen often either, as Trump does with Abe in this video. The whole thing is so crass.
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: one of those clips where I’m sympathetic to the cognitive decline theory, tbh.
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major: I think that theory has a lot of merit. Also the “can’t read” theory.
But still it points to his complete incompetence. He can’t hire the right people to tell him what’s going to happen during his meeting with the Japanese PM. He simply doesn’t know basic things that are expected of him. And has no one to tell him.
Chet Murthy
@Mnemosyne: I’m remembering this from H.S. but: presidential systems of govt are different from constitutional monarchies (and systems of govt derived therefrom) in that the chief executive and the head of state are combined in the office of president. But in the UK, the head of state is the Queen, and the chief executive is the PM. Similarly in Canada and Australia (and NZ?) the head of state is the Governor-General, and the chief executive is the PM.
ISTR that the Governor-General for Commonwealth countries that haven’t had a crazy coup and such ,is still appointed by the Queen, but I could be wrong about that.
? Martin
My worry is that they’re running out of options. Maybe they can clear that blockage of the river and get the power plant going again. But they had to reduce 25K CFS of outflow. The good news in all of this is that the Feather is high, but not critically so. Hopefully a few days without rain will help lower things.
efgoldman
@NotMax:
Is it their version of the Chinese restaurants in Jewish neighborhoods being jammed on xmas?
Mike in NC
Prime Minister Abe got a free ‘Make America Great Again’ cap, of course made in China.
efgoldman
@sukabi:
For Citron Cancer, that probably IS a decent meal.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Yarrow: Our President simply doesn’t know how to behave, period.
I suspect Abe washed that hand over and over and over again once he escaped…
? Martin
@Chet Murthy:
I had a similar conversation with someone a few weeks ago. They were perplexed as well. I didn’t mention Trumps policies at all, rather explained that they may not be able to see it from their viewpoint, but really the entire argument in favor of Trump was that he’d piss off Democrats – not that he’d have better ideas, be a better steward of the country, a more even hand – that electing him would piss me off. Well, I am pissed off, and what did he expect? That I wouldn’t be pissed off at the people who voted for him? I never considered voting for Hillary or Obama to piss off conservatives. I voted for them because I thought they would do a good job running the country, a thought that doesn’t seem to have crossed all that many Trump voters minds.
Major Major Major Major
@? Martin: which of course won’t make the problem go away. The corps of engineers could have a field day all around California…
Mnemosyne
@Chet Murthy:
Right, which is what makes me think that it’s no longer the case that only the official Head of State is the one who gets a State Dinner.
I’m still pretty sure that Peale is right and this was an official dinner (to go with the official visit) and not a state dinner.
trollhattan
@? Martin:
Rain returns Thursday. A nice cold snap to halt snowmelt in the meantime would be nice.
SiubhanDuinne
@Yarrow:
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
That is quite possibly one of the most cringeworthy things I have ever seen. Seriously, I just go all curdled inside trying to imagine what PM Abe, his family and entourage and citizens back home, must think of the current POTUS* and, by extension, of the American people.
NotMax
@Mnemosyne
Yes, it was not a state dinner. There’s a diplomatic distinction. Dolt 45’s proposed visit to the U.K. is also deemed an official, not a state, visit.
trollhattan
@Major Major Major Major:
Not that it matters much but the Oroville complex is the state’s. Corps has most of the levees near metro areas and Bureau of Reclamation has the CVP dams and aqueducts.
State Water Project is financed by the users but this incident will warrant a disaster declaration and the feds will…crap, what am I saying? Met and Kern will be ponying up.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@SiubhanDuinne: And if Trump somehow miraculously serves a full 4 years, we have only 205 weeks to go…
trollhattan
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
Merkel is looking forward to her “neck rub.”
NotMax
@trollhattan
Dubya also had that weird penchant of rubbing bald men’s heads.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@trollhattan: Trump actually makes me miss Bush…
Thru the Looking Glass...
@NotMax: Cheney must have loved that…
Yutsano
@trollhattan:
I beg your pardon good sir. Musubi is a respectable and delicious snack.
It’s also Hawai’ian.
Viva BrisVegas
@Chet Murthy:
In Australia, Canada and New Zealand the Head of State is the Queen. The Governor-General is appointed by the Queen as her local representative.
However, as in all things political, the Queen is only permitted to act on the advice of her Prime Minister in each respective country. So in picking a GG, the local ruling parliamentary party recommends a candidate who is automatically accepted by the Queen.
Technically the Queen may refuse. This would then create a constitutional crisis which would be resolved either by the Queen backing down, the Queen abdicating or the country involved becoming a republic.
There are several countries where the Head of State is not the Prime Minister nor is it the Queen or her proxy, but a President without executive power. India and Ireland come to mind.
SiubhanDuinne
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
Oh, gods. I can’t comprehend times like that.
SiubhanDuinne
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
It’s astonishing, innit?
BlueDWarrior
@? Martin: and you have media personalities out there saying it is incumbent upon the left to reach detente with the right.
Although honestly it sounds more like they want unconditional surrender. I guess we just agree to stay in our cities and let the suburbs and the rural diaspora run themselves…
amk
I wonder if these foreign leaders, once they return, tell their cabinet this guy is fucking nutz.
Mnemosyne
@amk:
I doubt they’re even waiting until they return. Seriously, that expression on Abe’s face at the end of the GIF is fucking astounding.
? Martin
@BlueDWarrior: Well, I think we need to as well, but it needs to be a mutual act. I really do believe we’re in a civil cold war right now. That’s not a good place.
efgoldman
@? Martin:
Cleek’s law is as immutable as gravity.
amk
m.j.
How did Trump find the column by Abrams? It’s not like he goes looking for that sort of thing himself. Someone stuck a highlighted copy under his nose.
Loyalty really is the only thing they care about when vetting these people.
If sucking up to the boss is all that matters it would be easy for other nations to infiltrate this administration.
EBT
@amk: One absolutely choses one’s family. I would have no more tolerance for awfulness or idiocy from people who are the closest related to me by blood, if I tolerated any of those people at all already.
SWMBO
@Omnes Omnibus: You are most welcome. As you said, we are snarling jackals but still….we do like to cheer each other up…and on…
Congrats on being chosen to represent someone swept up by ICE.
Aussie Sheila
@Chet Murthy:
The Governor General is appointed by the PM, and the queen signs the appointment in Oz.
I look forward to seeing whether Turnbull hosts an official visit for tRump here. It is usual that each US President manages to visit the satrap that is Oz once during their term. I hope he does. The welcome will be robust. The demos will be fantastic, and it will cost him serious points in the polls which are already going south as fast as a schooner in a shearing shed.
It looks like the ‘major allies’ are stuck with a serious problem! How do they preserve comity with the big kahuna, when their electorates are itching to take to the streets against the fat $&@k.
Each PM will be looking to their poll numbers. Those whose numbers look shaky, won’t invite him. I never thought I would live to see this day.
El Caganer
@m.j.: Would be? What makes you think it hasn’t already happened?
Origuy
It was said in an earlier thread that the British government is trying to schedule Trump’s visit for late summer or early autumn. Probably they are really working for mid-August. The Queen goes to her Scottish Castle, Balmoral, in early August and stays there most of the month. I suspect she really doesn’t want to meet Trump.
Hkedi [Kang T. Q.]
@Yutsano: Sushi is Stuff + rice with the stuff dominant. Musubi is rice+stuff with the rice dominant. Also there is a surprisingly large Hawai’i contingent here (An excellent sign of a quality community). There is more than one person who would go for the mat for Spam musubi around here. =)
m.j.
@El Caganer:
I guess that’s the point.
Zinsky
I’m really surprised the Trumpenfuhrer hasn’t nominated mentally unhinged sociopath Oliver North to some bullshit role. And what about Fawn Hall? Trump could grope her as she was shredding documents….
Humdog
@Chet Murthy: I am sorry you had to toss them aside but their abiding cluelessness underscores that they are not a big loss after all. Just had confirmation yesterday that my family needs to be written off the same way. It is bewildering and sad. It still hurts even tho they suck.
Aimai
@Thru the Looking Glass…: oh! That eye roll! He IsJewish!
Lurking Canadian
@Viva BrisVegas: One additional piece of royalist trivia: the head of state of Canada is officially the Queen of Canada, which is a different job than the Queen of the U.K. of GB and NI. At the present time, of course, one human does both jobs at the same time, but that need not be the case. Liz II could abdicate as Queen of the U.K. while remaining Queen of Canada.
Not sure where she’d live in that case, though.
Emma
@Lurking Canadian: it is my understanding that the Queen owns personal property as well as official property in Canada.
Sherparick
@GregB: Well, the majority is not. He only got 46% of the vote. Sadly, that does mean 46% of the country are racists or moral idiots (58% of the white Americans who voted this mean, corrupt man.)
The Pale Scot
I can’t find the menu for this Soiree, anybody got a link?
Keep getting the spectacle in my head of Steve Martin’s Father of the Bride character. The daughter is scolding him saying NO, I’m not going to have a lawn BBQ wedding party, get that thought of you standing next to the grill with a fork in your hand thinking about all the money you’re saving out of your head.
The Pale Scot
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
It took nine years, but this meme is true,
Debbie1
@Major Major Major Major: Oh my God, please don’t tell me he tried that one-upsmanship handshake that he did with Rmoney in Las Vegas 2012, and just last week with his SCOTUS nominee Gorsuch. He tends to do that when he’s feeling the need to assert a sense of masculinity. There’s actually a name for that but I can’t remember it.
@The Pale Scot: Re “missing Bush” – Uh, no. Just No. Unless you mean that in the sense that having ghoneria is better than having the incurable Aids.
Debbie1
@Thru the Looking Glass…: I went over and took a look at the clip of Abe with Trump. It’s worse than it looks above. Even though they’re seated, Trump does try that trick of not letting go of his hand AND he tries to pull/tug the PM closer into his own personal space, like he did with the SCOTUS nominee. Good f-ing dog. Where did he learn that from?
Debbie1
@Mnemosyne: Let us all be thankful that at least, he didn’t grab him by the sushi.
Scotian
I know this is a dead thread, but I am going to add this for completion. Canada has a head of government in our PM, and a head of State in our Governor General. Now titularlly it is still QEII who holds the slot, but even her ceremonial powers were transferred to the GG when we repatriated our Constitution from the UK back in 1982. At which point we made some fairly fundamental changes, but we kept the link to our past by keeping the British Monarch as the in name HoS for this nation, but the de facto Head of State is the current GG, appointed by the PM. At this point if the Queen tried to refuse anything she would be overridden, but pre-1982 to make Constitutional changes we had to get it cleared the the British Privy Council and the Queen’s formal blessing as I recall.
I can’t speak for the details of the other Commonwealth countries, but that is the current reality for Canada. We elect our heads of government, the PMs and they appoint in five year terms our heads of State, the Governor General, who is supposed to be someone above mere/petty partisanship and represent the nation as a whole. For the most part we’ve done fairly well by this set-up.
Glennis
And then, Trump came upon a column Abrams had written
Priorities……