Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

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

Let’s finish the job.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Let there be snark.

You cannot shame the shameless.

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

After roe, women are no longer free.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

He really is that stupid.

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Thursday Evening Open Thread: Seems Longer Than That, Doesn’t It?

Thursday Evening Open Thread: Seems Longer Than That, Doesn’t It?

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Which Rep. Cummings knows — as do we all — is not gonna happen.

This is on every single godsdamned Republican, down to the lowliest school board committee member and drainage department monitor. Thanks a whole fucking bunch for giving this monster his big chance, GOP!

Apart from continuing to #Resist, what’s on the agenda for the evening?

Reader Interactions

185Comments

  2. 2.

    Roger Moore

    Donald Trump’s travel expenses in 10 weeks cost US taxpayers as much as Barack Obama spent in two years

    Yes, but Trump did it while white, so it’s all good.

  3. 3.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Because it’s always 1974 in the Beltway

    Gregory Korte‏Verified account @ gregorykorte 15m15 minutes ago
    The 2017 @ whca dinner won’t feature a president or a comedian. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to speak about “free and independent press.”

  4. 4.

    Steve in the ATL

    So, uh, I’m still in Boston, flight delayed from 5 pm yesterday to early Friday morning. FML.

  5. 5.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    Neo-Cons are really sick.

    I turned on MSNBC and Kornacki is just unwatchable with his Broder routine, so I switched to CNN. They had Neo-Con James Woolsey on and he said Trump shouldn’t attack Syria but instead use the tragedy to attack Iran. Disgusting.

  6. 6.

    Turgidson

    The shoe is on the other….bigfoot?

    We have a deviant toddler for a president. There’s still a small part of me that wants to believe I’m in a coma or something and I’ll wake up and discovery that HRC won the election and flipped the Senate.

  7. 7.

    Elie

    Everyday is a new surprise, new twist to how they view the world and their role in it. The GOP is unable/unwilling to pull the plug or control anything but the meandering legislative initiatives. They give aid and cover to the coverup of the attack on our democracy by the Russians. They have absolutely no control or direction to the WH on actually doing anything related to foreign or domestic policy. We are completely adrift while factional infighting at the WH consumes the administration. We have no idea what they will get us into and without any staff with any experience to help, we can only imagine with horror what might happen in a true emergency (other than one created by themselves). How will this end? Really? What is the scenario for ending this nightmare?

  8. 8.

    Turgidson

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch::

    Yes, because using a tragedy perpetrated by actors in one country to attack an entirely different country who (probably) had nothing to do with the carrying out of said tragedy…that worked out splendidly the last time we tried it.

    Do neocons even hear themselves talk?

  9. 9.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Elie:

    Us. The vast majority of us. There are WAY more of us than them, and we need to keep showing up in person wherever it matters. Every pressure point. Town Halls are happening this break.

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    The 2017 @ whca dinner won’t feature a president or a comedian. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to speak about “free and independent press.”

    That’ll be a laff riot. Crap almighty, couldn’t they at least have invited Redford and Hoffman as W&B’s anger translators?

  14. 14.

    Mike in NC

    Starting to think that Trump — that guy ‘with a very good brain’ — will opt for military action against both North Korea and Syria before the end of the month. His greatness demands it.

  16. 16.

    efgoldman

    @ThresherK:

    Hey, you hockey pucks, Don Rickles passed.

    He hadn’t been funny for 40++ years, and he was barely funny before that.

  19. 19.

    efgoldman

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I’m guessing airbus. Boeing would be too fast!

    Had we but known….
    I assume the problem is getting an aircraft in from somewhere else. They could have left Boston any time up until 530 or so today.

  22. 22.

    jl

    Wow, gosh golly gee, that quote from Cummings is almost exactly what I thought he had actually said, rather than Trump’s version.
    I must have some special ESP powers!

    I’m available for the next minute or so if any of the BJ commentariate needs some clairvoyance. Cheap!

  25. 25.

    jl

    @Patricia Kayden: All the extra security and travel expenses should be chump couch cushion change for a giga-billionaire. I am so very surprised that Trump is springing for it himself.

  26. 26.

    Patricia Kayden

    @efgoldman: I couldn’t get into his kind of humor. Insult comic is not my thing. But may he RIP. He lived a long life.

  28. 28.

    Elie

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    I think that works for domestic policy better — what do we do about the horror of foreign policy mismanagement? This man is dangerous and stupid and he has no one around him !! There are 3 generals who have some expertise — though they are military in their mindset and therefore hierarchical and steeped in taking orders. I have hope for MCMaster but the other two haven’t done much except tow crazy granpa’s line. Plus — they have NO ASSISTANTS!!! There are no people in the agencies charged with getting things done. Rex Tillerman has gutted the State Department and replaced no one in this most dangerous time period. The Congress needs to be screaming from the rooftops, but instead are doing —nothing….

  30. 30.

    sukabi

    @Elie: “pulling the plug” has NEVER been something they’re willing or able to do on any level. See Schaivo, Terry.

  32. 32.

    Steve in the ATL

    @efgoldman: I was scheduled on connecting flights earlier today (changing planes? How bourgeois) but the flights from random cities to Atlanta were all cancelled.

    So what time is the meet up?

  33. 33.

    Chyron HR

    @Steve in the ATL:

    So, uh, I’m still in Boston, flight delayed from 5 pm yesterday to early Friday morning. FML.

    Well, then why aren’t you called Steve in the BOS, huh?!

  36. 36.

    Gin & Tonic

    I got my cast off and sutures out today. Unfortunately within a half-hour there was a new cast put on, as my arm still needs to be immobilized. But this one is a little shorter and a lot lighter, as it is fiberglass and not plaster, and it allows a limited range of elbow movement. The surgeon said my x-rays look wonderful. The brief period without the cast was glorious.

    So I’m sort of celebrating with a couple of cold ones.

  37. 37.

    Elie

    @Mike in NC:

    He aint doing shit since the Chinese president is going to jam up his North Korea big talk and Vlad is gonna seal up any action on Syria. He will just continue babbling nonsense that is meaningless and everyone knows it in advance. We are truly diminished in the world — laughingstocks and getting more and more irrelevant by the day…

  46. 46.

    Elie

    I am also concerned that his erraticism and irresponsible craziness will do things to the economy that will sink our finances and plans for retirement this year. This guy is a complete incompetent! And he and his people seem to be the last to know it!

  51. 51.

    rikyrah

    Malcolm Nance‏Verified account @MalcolmNance

    Malcolm Nance Retweeted Max Boot

    I believe Trump’s Syria 180 comes fm Mattis/McMaster. Bannon needs an attack to shore up polls. Prepare for a B2 strike on Syria in 3..2..1

  53. 53.

    Gin & Tonic

    @SiubhanDuinne: It probably gets removed in two weeks and exchanged for another one for another two weeks, but it depends on the status of the pins holding my radius and ulna together. He’d like those to stay in for about another four weeks before removing them, but we have to see how it goes. That is to allow as much time as possible for my ligaments to heal. The heads of the pins/wires are outside my skin so he can pull them out. The plate stays in forever. In two weeks I may be able to start limited physical therapy.

  54. 54.

    Baud

    @lamh36:

    ETA: Theory…now that she’s likely done with political life, HRC can now unleash the acerbic humor she was rumored to have. She’s got ALOT of snark to let to of I’d think…from her Arkansas first lady days and on…

    As far as I’m concerned, she has permission to cut anyone she wants.

  55. 55.

    Yarrow

    @lamh36: They knew! The Republican leadership knew and wouldn’t investigate because they wanted Trump to win. They are guilty of collusion. They are all accessories. They all need to go.

  57. 57.

    Elie

    @rikyrah:

    Where the fuck would they be bombing? There are no distinct territories! They are as likely to bomb our so called allies as enemies! In fact, wouldn’t they be likely to kill a Russian, or Iranian or two, since they are fighting with Assad?

  58. 58.

    ThresherK

    @lamh36: I can hear the Beltway Inbreds now: “Why didn’t she let this loose on the campaign, amidst all those Emailzzz and TrumpThatBitch stories?”

  60. 60.

    Yarrow

    @Gin & Tonic: Wishing you all the best with your recovery. It’s really amazing what modern surgical techniques can do. Glad it’s going so well for you.

  61. 61.

    Corner Stone

    Tell Pooty that Syria needs to pay up or else. Nice dictatorship ya got there. Be a shame if something happened to it.

  63. 63.

    japa21

    @Gin & Tonic: Yep, PT will be the key. Just a warning. There is a man undergoing PT for a knee replacement at the same time I am doing mine for my shoulder surgery and we have the same therapist. We have decided all physical therapists are required to have a psych evaluation before they will be allowed to practice. If they don’t score high enough on the sadism scale they are rejected.

  64. 64.

    rikyrah

    Matt Murphy‏ @MattMurph24

    Amazing how the first thought of the Trump regime is military strikes instead of accepting more displaced Syrian refugees into America.

  67. 67.

    Gin & Tonic

    @japa21: I have been through physical therapy after fractures of major bones a couple of times already. I know what’s coming.

  70. 70.

    Corner Stone

    I think we’re going to wake up to an overnight military strike against targets in Syria.

  74. 74.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @rikyrah:

    instead of accepting more displaced Syrian refugees into America.

    he just spent 2 years screaming he wouldn’t accept any Syrian kids cuz they might be terrorists. Now he’s upset and wants to bomb his long time buddy Assad over the kids he demonized.

    Sure, he does.

  76. 76.

    SenyorDave

    @japa21: If they don’t score high enough on the sadism scale they are rejected.

    When I had physical therapy for my shoulder I started laughing once when the therapist was performing doing her 10 minutes of manipulation on the shoulder. When she asked me what I was laughing about I told her that I had trouble believing I was actually paying her to torture me, and if I didn’t laugh I would probably be crying.

    Three months later I had almost complete motion in the shoulder, when I started I could barely raise my arm.

  79. 79.

    dmsilev

    @SiubhanDuinne: I’ve always felt that Charlie’s wife was up to no good and just wanted her husband safely out of the way. Otherwise, why didn’t she just give him the damn nickel instead of passing him a bag lunch every day?

  80. 80.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Donald J. Trump‏ Verified account @realDonaldTrump

    What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.

    Retweets
    1,961
    Likes
    1,928

    11:14 AM – 29 Aug 2013

  82. 82.

    hovercraft

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to speak about “free and independent press.”

    More proof that the dinner should simply be put out of it’s misery. Obama was a very good comedian, he’s a hard act to follow for anyone, let alone the despised unfunny Shitgibbon, but using these two to fill in and relive their press’s glory days is beyond pathetic. The fact that the press has done nothing worth celebrating since Watergate, is just pathetic and disgraceful. Stop kissing up to the person you’re supposed to be holding accountable and do your fucking jobs.

  83. 83.

    Corner Stone

    @Timurid:

    How is that even possible? Is Logan under attack by the Luftwaffe?

    Was it over when the Japanese bombed Boston Harbor?!

  85. 85.

    Chet Murthy

    Oh lordy, no. Mme Secretary, please no

    Hillary Clinton calls on the US to take out Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s air fields http://cnn.it/2oG4ZuD

    Arrgh. She didn’t have to do this. She didn’t. She could have called for firming sanctions against Russia, other non-military actions. Shit. Shit. Attacking Syrian airspace, defended by Russian A-A nets? Man, that’s great, just great.

    [Just to be clear: I’m not even remotely suggesting any (false) equivalence between Mme. Secretary and any R whosoever s/he might be. Not. Even. Just because they’re barking mad hyenas, doesn’t mean that our side can’t make mistakes.]

    ETA: I’m not one to believe in 11-dim chess, “mind games” / “if I say do X, he’ll do not X” B.S. I actually take her at her word.

  86. 86.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Donald J. Trump ‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

    AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA – IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!

    Retweets
    12,040
    Likes
    12,764

    6:20 AM – 5 Sep 2013

  87. 87.

    Chet Murthy

    @hovercraft: Lucky for us all, we have Sam Bee to put the shiv in on live TV …. gotta find a bar that carries that shit, get the drinks lined up …..

  90. 90.

    rikyrah

    uh huh
    uh huh

    Josh Dawsey‏Verified account @jdawsey1

    White House weighs whether to end subsidy payments for Obamacare — stripping them could blow up exchanges.

  91. 91.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    This momentarily took my mind off Syria

    Republicans Tearing Each Other to Pieces Over Trumpcare Debacle
    According to Swan, Bannon is threatening to use his connections to right-wing media moguls to attack his adversaries. “Steve has developed strong and important relationships with some of the most powerful right-leaning business leaders,” a close Bannon ally outside of the White House tells Swan. “I see some bad press in [Jared’s] future.”
    […]
    “There are people who moved here and signed a year lease,” one longtime campaign staffer tells Politico. “They got nothing for their loyalty to Trump. We’re pissed off. We’re angry. There are people who can’t even look us in the eye because they know they’re [screwing] us.”

  93. 93.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Timurid: /shudder/
    “Obviously, Mr President, we don’t have to explain to a man of your genius and vision…”
    “My tremendous vision”
    “Of course, sir, your tremendous vision. You know of course how difficult the geography of Syria is..”
    “Have you seen my electoral map? Tremendous, incredible. Many historians, the history people, have told me it was a historic victory, a never before seen thing…”

  94. 94.

    Timurid

    @raven: Hillary of all people should know that if Trump wants to do something, that’s a damned good sign that you shouldn’t be doing that thing.

  96. 96.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    A meeting Wednesday evening between top White House staffers and House Republicans derailed into heated back-and-forth after aides to Donald Trump hinted that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s leadership may be in jeopardy if he’s unable to pass an Obamacare replacement bill, Politico reports.

    “It was really bad,” one person familiar with the meeting told Politico. “They were in total meltdown, total chaos mode.”

    The meeting was described as “tense” after White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus signaled Ryan’s speakership may be on the line if the GOP fails to push through its long-promised plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Three sources familiar with the meeting told Politico it was made clear that Ryan is not the only House Republican whose job is on the line.

    but, but…. Run the country like a business!

  97. 97.

    Chet Murthy

    @raven: Uh, her skills as a candidate (which think were fine, not stellar, are you really going to argue she wasn’t as good as Kerry & Gore? Or must we always find WJC/BHO-level candidates?) have nothing to do with her choices in some particular policy area.

    I remember vividly that I and many of my friends had explicitly chosen BHO over HRC specifically on national security grounds — that BHO would be (and I quote) “less in the pocket of the national security establishment, and hence less likely to get us into wars”. I knew this going into the 2016 cycle, and still chose HRC. She lost. She’s done (or should be). She should know better than to muddy the waters for her party, by saying things like this.

    [In a similar fashion as Wilmer should know not to to argue that WWC Trumpists weren’t overwhelmingly driven by racism.]

    Not. Helping.

  98. 98.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    CBS Evening News:

    Russian & Syrian ‘explanation’ of what happened w/ the nerve gas… a conventional air strike ‘hit’ a rebel WMD facility, accidentally releasing the Sarin…

    Well… for those of you who were wondering how Trump would deal w/ a crisis not of his own making…

    Here we go!

  100. 100.

    Steve in the ATL

    @different-church-lady: at the airport now, praying that my flight leaves at 1 am. I finally got a table at a restaurant and offered to share it with a nice English couple. Who repaid me in Guinness and Jameson. So that part was good.

  101. 101.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Chet Murthy:

    Josh Barro‏Verified account @ jbarro 52m52 minutes ago
    Even a war that would be a good idea under a normal president is likely to be a bad idea with Trump as president.
    We can’t trust Donald Trump, an impulsive crank who said he’d order war crimes, with authorization to strike Syria.
    Making Syria better through military action would be really hard. Do you think Donald Trump is up to the task?

    I would say pretty much fucking impossible.

  102. 102.

    Roger Moore

    @dmsilev:

    Otherwise, why didn’t she just give him the damn nickel instead of passing him a bag lunch every day?

    This always seemed like the flaw in the scenario. Of couldn’t he have begged a nickel from somebody, tried to jump a turnstile and accepted the risk of arrest, etc?

  106. 106.

    hovercraft

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
    I don’t understand, Twitler is a great manager and he used those skills to create a great company, and he knows how to pick the best people. How is his White House degenerating into chaos? How can the Daddy party not have the faintest clue how to govern? Aren’t Obama and the democrats weak and inefficient? None of this is as I was told it would be. Obamacare is supposed to be imploding not the glorious Shitgibbon and his massive majority.

  107. 107.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Axios‏Verified account @ axios 16m16 minutes ago
    Reports are emerging that Syria airstrikes could come tonight

  109. 109.

    different-church-lady

    @Steve in the ATL: Darn, I was going to send you to Lucky’s in terminal A.

    If you’re the drinking type, grab an umbrella, take the Blue line to Goverment Center and hit Yvonne’s.

  110. 110.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @dmsilev: Alternate lyrics:

    Charlie’s wife goes down to the Sulley Square Staion
    Every day at quarter past two
    And through the open window
    SHE GIVES CHARLIE THE FINGER
    As the train comes rumblin’ through…

    Can’t remember which Irish ballad band was juvenile enough to sing that live on stage…

  112. 112.

    Steve in the ATL

    @different-church-lady:

    arn, I was going to send you to Lucky’s in terminal A.

    Had dinner and drinks there tonight. And last night. And maybe tomorrow night…I’m start to feel a bit un-Lucky

  117. 117.

    Mike J

    @Lyrebird: Seattle Police Monitor issued a report today saying use of force in Seattle is WAY down and there was no added danger to the cops. Also, they’ve improved deëscaltion.

    Have the feds watching the local cops actually works. That’s why trump wants to destroy it.

  120. 120.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    We can’t trust Donald Trump, an impulsive crank who said he’d order war crimes,

    Yup. Trump repeatedly said he would “bomb the shit outta them”; he promised to bring back torture, including intentional torturing innocent family members. Yet despite his numerous racist and hateful statements, the Alt-Left promoted Trump as a pacifist.

  122. 122.

    Citizen_X

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: I have less than no love for the House Repubs, but I hope they openly laughed at the White House threats. “You know we don’t work for you, right? Say ‘You’re fired!’ all you want.”

    But it probably means Bannon’s white-power media empire is going to scream at them, at least until Bannon gets shitcanned himself. I will be watching, with popcorn at hand.

  124. 124.

    Yarrow

    @hovercraft:

    The fact that the press has done nothing worth celebrating since Watergate, is just pathetic and disgraceful.

    Well, there were those reporters who they made that “Spotlight” movie about. They did some good stuff. Maybe the Correspondent’s Dinner could have gotten them to speak. I know their work wasn’t expressly related to U.S. politics, but the Vatican has a lot of political power and influence, so maybe it would count.

  126. 126.

    El Caganer

    @Chet Murthy: She’s certainly consistent. She continued to push for Syrian no-fly zones after the Russians said they’d shoot down any planes that tried to enforce such zones, and again when the chairman of the JCOS told Congress that creating no-fly zones without U.N. authorization would be an act of war. It’s not like she just jumped on the Whack-Assad Train.

  128. 128.

    efgoldman

    @rikyrah:

    Amazing how the first thought of the Trump regime is military strikes….

    Not amazing at all. Who expected anything else?
    Whatever else Cantaloupe Klown does, he will always live down to our expectations.

  131. 131.

    SFAW

    @Timurid:

    Is Logan under attack by the Luftwaffe?

    You’re confusing Pearl Harbor with Boston.

    ETA: And I see Corner Stone beat me to it by a country mile

  134. 134.

    efgoldman

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    aides to Donald Trump hinted that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s leadership may be in jeopardy

    The more/harder the WH (anybody in the WH) pushes this, the less chance it will happen. Even the drooling flying monkey mouth breather kkkrazy kkkaukus hates the executive branch telling the legislature what to do.

  137. 137.

    hovercraft

    @Yarrow:

    I know their work wasn’t expressly related to U.S. politics, but the Vatican has a lot of political power and influence, so maybe it would count.

    I agree there are journalists how do and have done exemplary work, just generally not in political reporting. Our political media is obsessed with access, and “narratives”. The right has beaten the shit out of them since Watergate, and they have developed Stockholm Syndrome. The WHC are the absolute worst of the lot.

  138. 138.

    Mike J

    @raven

    The Spectator Index‏ @spectatorindex 35 minutes ago
    BREAKING: Russian official at UN warns the US against the use of military action against the Assad regime

  140. 140.

    Corner Stone

    This strutting peacock is now going to go around swaggering like he’s the second coming of John Wayne.

  142. 142.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    CBS special…

    US has launched nearly 60 Cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield…

    WW III, here we come!

  146. 146.

    Steve in the ATL

    So trump is doing what Hillary told him to do–attack Syrian airfields?

  148. 148.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    “I believe in a way she is more dangerous,” Susan Sarandon told The Young Turks on Thursday. “I don’t know if she is overcompensating or what her trip is. That scares me. I think we’ll be in Iran in two seconds.”

    The former “Thelma and Louise” star said voters are being “fed” a message that Mr. Trump is “so dangerous” – “I don’t know what his policy is. I do know what her policies are.”

  149. 149.

    efgoldman

    @Steve in the ATL:

    turkey burger was good; black bean burger not so much.

    You are in Boston.
    You can literally see the ocean from where you’re standing/sitting.
    Fresh seafood comes to the dock daily at several different places within just a few miles of you (yes, there’s still a Boston fishing fleet, although it’s a shadow of what it used to be).
    And you ate a turkey burger?

  150. 150.

    Chet Murthy

    @raven: Let me try again:

    And people get all fucking freaky if someone says she wasn’t a very good candidate.

    I’m arguing that whether or not she was a good candidate, is -unrelated- to this question of national security policy. And one can be firmly convinced that (of the choices offered) she was the best, while STILL being dismayed at her coming out with this statement. And while hoping that, in the Alt-45 universe, her advisors prevailed to convince her to not make this statement, not choose this course. In that universe, PBHO’s apparatus would still be there, and she’d be taking their advice, so I have some ground for belief that we wouldn’t be on the brink of military engagement with another nuclear-armed power.

    In -this- universe, her statement is foolish. It gives comfort to our adversary, while laying the ground for “both sides” arguments in the future.

    I will give you this: it’s *also* bad politics. Bad political strategy at the highest level it’s practiced. It -does- diminish her in my eyes as a pol.

  151. 151.

    raven

    @Chet Murthy: Nicely stated but her views on national security were a large part of what I didn’t like about her. The BJ archives will show that I repeatedly said she’d bomb the first thing that raised its head. I voted for her but that’s about it.

  154. 154.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    @Steve in the ATL: Strangely enough, I just tried to edit my comment and add THAT exact wording to it…

    Holy Fucking Shit indeed…

    As much as I despise Assad, I wonder and kinda hope that someone on this side gave Russia a head’s up to GET THEIR FARKIN’ ARSES OFF THAT BASE NOW!

    Ya know, just for the sake of NOT starting WW III…

    This might kinda strain Donnie & Vlad’s bromance, don’tcha think?

  157. 157.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    @debbie: Actually, at that moment he was talking about Nunes stepping out of the investigation…

  159. 159.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    @Steve in the ATL: You’re probably right about that…

    I’m not a fan of Russia, btw… I just don’t want to see something far, far nastier come of this…

  161. 161.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Thru the Looking Glass…: Barry McCaffrey said he can’t imagine they wouldn’t have given Russia a heads-up. But I’d bet six months ago Barry McCaffrey couldn’t imagine a Trump presidency

  162. 162.

    Kay

    As of early April, journalists’ access to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos – and to timely responses from the agency she now runs – have become something of a hot-button issue.
    DeVos takes press questions at events only occasionally, has yet to grant a formal interview with a major national education reporter, and heads a department that only intermittently provides answers in a timely manner – through a spokesperson whose name reporters are forbidden to use. The agency has even struggled to put out her weekly schedule in advance of public events.

    Education reporters tasked with covering DeVos and her agency have complained mightily about the situation – though none wanted to be named here for fear of retribution. “This is a big issue,” said one education reporter, describing lack of responsiveness from the department, a near-blackout on interviews before or after events (known in journalism as an “availability”), and a ban on approaching DeVos during those times. “Access has been nil.”

    I was more familiar with her than most people in the general public so I was confident people would like her less and less as time went on. There’s not a lot to like.

    I have no idea why they thought an incredibly wealthy GOP operative who has never had any public role and has interacted exclusively with far Right politicians who are completely beholden to her would have any idea how to deal with media or the public, but they did.

    What she is good at is throwing huge wads of campaign cash at wavering Republicans to scare the shit out of them and bend them to her agenda – behind closed doors and in the dark. That’s a very narrow skill! It applies no where else, in no other area!

  163. 163.

    Steve in the ATL

    Btw though I’ve been bitching about my travel delays, the woman next to me has it far worse. She lives in palm beach and was visiting Boston and now can’t get to Kentucky to watch her horse race. And it already has 54 points toward the derby!

  164. 164.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I suspect and hope that is true… it feels right…

    Again, as much as I’m no fan of Russia or Putin, I don’t wanna see this erupt into a much bigger mess…

  166. 166.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    It’s a little early to say, but sucking up to Assad might have been a blow to the Draft Tulsi Gabbard for President committee.

  168. 168.

    different-church-lady

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    The former “Thelma and Louise” star said voters are being “fed” a message that Mr. Trump is “so dangerous” – “I don’t know what his policy is. I do know what her policies are.”

    HE doesn’t know what his policy is. THAT’S WHAT MAKES HIM SO DANGEROUS, YOU FUCKING FEATHER BRAIN!

  171. 171.

    Anne Laurie

    @Steve in the ATL:

    So, uh, I’m still in Boston, flight delayed from 5 pm yesterday to early Friday morning.

    You have my sincere sympathy, but as a Hub-area resident, I’m required to point out that, this time, it’s Atlanta screwing with your schedule.

    @Turgidson: Since Betty had just put up a post at 5:30pm, I scheduled this to appear at 7pm. Cole couldn’t be arsed to check the dashboard before posting his righteous rant… which, admittedly, I’d have re-scheduled my post to accommodate, if I hadn’t been away from the ‘tubes until just now.

  172. 172.

    efgoldman

    @Chet Murthy:

    In -this- universe, her statement is foolish. It gives comfort to our adversary, while laying the ground for “both sides” arguments in the future.
    I will give you this: it’s *also* bad politics. Bad political strategy at the highest level it’s practiced. It -does- diminish her in my eyes as a pol.

    Fuck you. She is a private citizen, she has no power to launch a single bullet, let alone a whole air force, and she can say what she wants. You (or I) may disagree with her – so what?

  173. 173.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Shocker!

    Wilmer is completely silent on the gas attack – not taking any position, one way or another. Also completely silent on Trump’s bombing.

    #WhatWouldARealPacifistDo

  174. 174.

    joel hanes

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Barry McCaffrey said he can’t imagine they wouldn’t have given Russia a heads-up.

    The Donald’s Disorganization spent half the day telegraphing their intent in the media.
    If that wasn’t one of the empties airbases in the ME when the first missile hit, it wasn’t because they were caught by surprise.

  175. 175.

    Chet Murthy

    @efgoldman: She’s still a senior Dem figure. And she just did her party a lotta damage. Note that in my statement, “adversary” == “Rs/Dampnut”. When Wilmer discounts the role that racism played in Trumpists’ votes, do we not criticize him? Look: I’m still an HRC supporter. She’s earned the right to not give a damn about the running of the country, and to have a nice life, help raise her grandkids, etc. But she -injected- herself into this situation, where she didn’t have to. As you say, she isn’t responsible and has no power to do shit about it. So why did she have to speak at all?

    Dude: I’m an HRC supporter. I -understand- that our pols are flawed human beings, and can’t always do what we want them to do, be who we want them to be. But this was a *domestic* *political* own-goal. No gain, only loss.

    ETA:

    She is a private citizen, … and she can say what she wants. You (or I) may disagree with her – so what?

    Precisely. And so are we private citizens, who can say what we want. And as a private citizen, I find something said by one of my party’s elders to be entirely unhelpful.

  176. 176.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @different-church-lady: Whatfuckingevah. I goddamn well wasn’t going to go to the trouble of looking up the exact lyrics for the sake of Beantowners’ gentle feefees. It’s the thought that counts.

  177. 177.

    liberal

    @raven:

    Nicely stated but her views on national security were a large part of what I didn’t like about her. The BJ archives will show that I repeatedly said she’d bomb the first thing that raised its head. I voted for her but that’s about it.

    A-fucking-men. A-fucking-men.

  180. 180.

    Chet Murthy

    @raven: @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: In the spirit of Keynes’ “when the facts change, I change my mind, what do you do sir?”,

    (1) raven, I’m thinking about this (your words, and hers, and the situation, and her history). Believe me, I am.

    (2) Gotta say, if I had to pick amongst the various statements being made, Wilmer’s is the one I’d go with. B/c “Great Power military conflict? Really? Really?” Sticks in my craw a little to have to say that, b/c I never thought it was such a great pol. But “if you can’t do something positive, just keep yer yap shut” is Godlike wisdom, compared to what we’re hearing elsewhere.

    Arrgh.

  182. 182.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @liberal: That’s some “Revolutionary!” ya got there.

    He touts himself as anti-war and against interventionism, yet when push comes to shove, he cuts and runs.

  184. 184.

    AxelFoley

    @Elie:

    We are truly diminished in the world — laughingstocks and getting more and more irrelevant by the day…

    That’s the damned thing of it all. Obama busted his ass to restore our position in the world after Bush almost destroyed it, and what does America do (with help from Russia)? Install this orange shitgibbon in the White House to burn everything down. We are well and truly fucked. None of our allies will ever have faith in us not to put in office any more idiots, not after we go from making up for the Bush years by electing Obama, then turning around and putting this fuckwad Trump in charge.

  185. 185.

    ET

    Maxine Waters on Twitter had the best response to that…. She retweeted @PeterAlexander but only used the hashtag #fakenews.

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