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You are here: Home / Politics / An Unexamined Scandal / Go long popcorn, go long butter

Go long popcorn, go long butter

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The Senate Intelligence Committee will be hearing testimony by fired former FBI Director after Memorial Day.

Remember, the White House is not disputing that they believe that firing Comey would make their lives easier regarding the Russia investigation.

So go long on popcorn, go long on butter… things are getting real

Reader Interactions

235Comments

  1. 1.

    chopper

    i’m just imagining drumpf stamping his feet like a toddler on AF1 right now. perfect.

  3. 3.

    TenguPhule

    Future of Popcorn in doubt.

    The vault is on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen and contains almost a million packets of seeds, each a variety of an important food crop. When it was opened in 2008, the deep permafrost through which the vault was sunk was expected to provide “failsafe” protection against “the challenge of natural or man-made disasters”.

    But soaring temperatures in the Arctic at the end of the world’s hottest ever recorded year led to melting and heavy rain, when light snow should have been falling. “It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that,” said Hege Njaa Aschim, from the Norwegian government, which owns the vault.

    This is why we can’t have nice things.

  4. 4.

    dmsilev

    @chopper: Can you imagine being trapped on plane with him, nowhere to go or hide for hours and hours?

    The good news is that all of those senior staffers so trapped deserve it.

  5. 5.

    eldorado

    as incompetent as i know the dude is, i thought it would take at least a year for this ****show to unravel. it’s a bit unbelievable.

  8. 8.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Mike J: Because the consequences however bad of not signing are better than the consequences of signing. But you knew that.

  12. 12.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    This is going to just become sillier and sillier.

    Donald Trump: “Yes, I did it. I’m guilty. Look here, I’m telling people I obstructed justice, interfered with an investigation, fired the investigator to make it go away. Don’t listen to any of my staff, they’re wrong. I did it.”

    Republicans in Congress: “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, there may have been some irregularities but obstruction is a serious charge and there’s no evidence that…”

    I’m wondering if we’re going to eventually have him on the floor of the Senate grabbing them by the lapels and screaming “I’m guilty! Okay?” as they pretend to not hear him.

  13. 13.

    Corner Stone

    “I never thought the traitor who is traitoring the country would traitor *my face*!”
    “I just wanted to steal health care from 30M+ citizens! And give a trillion dollars to wealthy people! What did I ever do to you?!”

  14. 14.

    lamh36

    Watching Tweety and I see none of the print reporters are saying the name Kuschner…even though Tweety is trying to get them to.

    I said in the previous thread, that I can def believe it’s Jared that Trump is trying to save from the FBI investigation…we all know his creepy devotion to Ivanka…so there is NO way he’ll let her “loving” husband be sent to prison

  17. 17.

    lamh36

    I know the line of succession means we can’t win even with Cheeto Prez gone, but damn if I don’t still want that fuq’er Pence to be taken down as well…

    @DavidCornDC

    Following
    More
    [email protected] is using FaceBook to accuse the media of sabotaging Trump.

  20. 20.

    TenguPhule

    @lamh36:

    WH looking at ethics rule to weaken special investigation

    The pot is so black that its in danger of being killed by the police.

  21. 21.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @Corner Stone: I knew there must be a relevant comedy sketch but couldn’t think of it. Bingo.

    The cheese shop would actually do also.

    Collusion?
    Uh, no sir, sorry.
    Obstruction?
    Fresh out.
    Okay look can you just impeach me on, I don’t know, general high crimes and being a moron?
    Not until next delivery.
    Sigh. Treason?
    Had it this morning, but the cat’s eaten it.

  23. 23.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @lamh36:

    there is NO way he’ll let her “loving” husband be sent to prison

    It may not be up to him.

  24. 24.

    mai naem mobile

    @dmsilev: I was listening to Pod Save America and the three were talking about how you’re stuck on AF1. There is no avoiding Dolt. And it’s 9 freaking days. This admin is incompetent . This guy wanted to go home every night when he was in the US. 9 days before he can go home??? He might stroke out while he’s abroad.

  25. 25.

    lamh36

    So Melania is on this trip with Cheeto? I saw the footage of them walking up the stairs to Air Force One…

    I see someone told him about the optics of his leaving Melania to fend for herself with the stairs…and YET he still had to walk JUST a little bit ahead of her…so that if anyone falls down the stairs, she’ll fall down first…lol

  29. 29.

    NotMax

    Popcorn?

    Hell, thinking a punch bowl of chocolate mousse with gobs of fresh whipped cream.

  30. 30.

    TenguPhule

    @lamh36:

    so there is NO way he’ll let her “loving” husband be sent to prison

    Why would he object to less competition for sleeping with his daughter?

  31. 31.

    Tim C.

    @SiubhanDuinne: Actually, he’s got the power to pardon him so……..
    I think there’s now a non-trivial chance the straw that breaks the camel’s back with be some kind of blanket pardon event where Cheeto figures out he can do that. Then the GOP sagely tells us that it’s within his constitutional rights and whatayagonnado?

  34. 34.

    Mnemosyne

    @dmsilev:

    I guarantee you that Trump is one of those bosses who bursts in on you when you’re in the bathroom because he needs you right that second! and can’t wait until you’re done.

  36. 36.

    p.a.

    How do his handlers decide who brings him the next bit of bad news? RockPaperScissors? Or do the just leave all the TVs around him on? In my positive moments I imagine them in a group knife fight, a note with the news taped to the loser’s body.

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    “Mr. Chairman, I strongly suggest the committee designate the memos about to be introduced with numbers rather than letters. We’re gonna go way past Z.”

  42. 42.

    Corner Stone

    Listen. I’m just saying, Melania has certainly filled out during her time in not the WH.

  45. 45.

    Gin & Tonic

    @lamh36: Ever since election day, my wife has been pointing out videos where he is being graceless to Melania. It’s a small thing, and I get that not everybody views holding a door, or waiting for your wife to catch up as being significant, but it really bugs the shit out of her.

    Yes, when we go to the car, I open her door, wait for her to get in, close the door and go around to the driver’s side. I know I’m a sexist pig, but that’s just the way we were brought up.

  47. 47.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    By the way this is a small thing but every bit helps, the Daily Show came up with a Chrome extension I got wind of somewhere and once I installed it any Tweets by Donald Trump now look like this.

    I don’t follow him but people I do follow reTweet him sometimes, and every time they do now, that’s what I see. Seems to make so much more sense that way.

    Link.

  48. 48.

    Elie

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I agree…. I would not be surprised at all that “the Kush” is targeted… while his sister and family are selling US Visas to Chinese at luxury prices, I am sure…

    NONE — None of these people have any idea about how clueless they are. Who sends family to shake down a foreign power opponent at the same time that their old man is up to his ass in investigations for any number of security and/or financial entanglements. These.People.Have.No.Brains. They have told each other that the government is stupid for so long, they actually believed it. They have no idea what they are in for — NONE.

  49. 49.

    Corner Stone

    @lamh36: If you notice, he says something to her halfway up the stairs and she immediately lets go of the stair handrail.

  50. 50.

    Gin & Tonic

    @lamh36: The Holy See can decline to accept her credentials, but that would be a real incident, and they haven’ thrived for 2,000 years by engaging in incidents like that.

  51. 51.

    BBA

    @Bill E Pilgrim: I’d have gone with Piranha Brothers myself.

    Interviewer: Stig, I’ve been told Donald Trump colluded with the Russians.
    Stig: No, no. Never, never. He was a smashing bloke. He used to give his mother flowers and that. He was like a brother to me.
    Interviewer: But the police have film of him actually taking a bribe from Putin.
    Stig: Oh yeah, well – he did that, yeah.
    Interviewer: Why?
    Stig: Well he had to, didn’t he? I mean, be fair, there was nothing else he could do.

  52. 52.

    Corner Stone

    Matt “Dick” Schlapp against a sitting D Congressman? I don’t think that’s going to work out well for Dick.

  53. 53.

    Gin & Tonic

    @p.a.: No, the story was that *he’d* be on the crapper with an aide there taking dictation.

  54. 54.

    Mike J

    @lamh36:

    For real though…hard core Catholics can’t be happy with this…can the Vatican object and deny her?

    The Vatican has refused divorced Catholics as ambassadors in the past, but Gingrich got an annulment. As far as the church is concerned, this is his first marriage.

  55. 55.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @BBA: Works too. There’s actually one in which someone is saying “Look I’m guilty, okay? For god’s sake!” but I can’t think of the context or the sketch. Courtroom scene maybe?

  56. 56.

    lamh36

    @yashar 1m1 minute ago
    More
    Interesting…3 hours in advance…MSNBC is promoting @Lawrence’s show during Hardball – I’m told they’ve never done this before.

  58. 58.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Mike J:

    Gingrich got an annulment

    I once had to submit a statement in favor of one, when a close friend asked. I wonder how much Newt had to pay – they’re not cheap.

  59. 59.

    mdblanche

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    This is a family blog, you know.

    It is?!

    [puts pants back on, closes the other open tabs, shoos the dwarf goat out of the room]

  60. 60.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Mnemosyne: more like he’s going over in his head* every conversation he’s ever had that Evan McMullen might or might not have been around for, and even more, what did Kevin McCarthy say around EM when PR wasn’t in the room. Ryan’s overrated, but he’s not a moron. McCarthy is a moron.

    *where Evan McMulllin sits with his feet up, a nice lemonade in hand (Mormon, you know), admiring the view

  61. 61.

    NotMax

    @Corner Stone

    Reminded of their dance at the inauguration. Her face was set on stern and tight-lipped, he whispered something into her ear and – presto – the phony plastered on, static smile appeared.

  62. 62.

    amk

    another amateur hour from the kkklowns shitshow.

    The Trump administration is exploring whether it can use an obscure ethics rule to undermine the special counsel investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign team and Russia, two people familiar with White House thinking said on Friday.

    Trump has said that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s hiring of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation “hurts our country terribly.”

    Within hours of Mueller’s appointment on Wednesday, the White House began reviewing the Code of Federal Regulations, which restricts newly hired government lawyers from investigating their prior law firm’s clients for one year after their hiring, the sources said.

    An executive order signed by Trump in January extended that period to two years.

    Mueller’s former law firm, WilmerHale, represents Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who met with a Russian bank executive in December, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who is a subject of a federal investigation.

    Legal experts said the ethics rule can be waived by the Justice Department, which appointed Mueller. He did not represent Kushner or Manafort directly at his former law firm.

  63. 63.

    TenguPhule

    @lamh36:

    It’s official: Callista Gingrich is your new U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican.

    Can’t these bastards let the Onion rest in peace? The grave is spinning so fast that its going to achieve lightspeed at this rate.

  64. 64.

    lamh36

    @Corner Stone: I saw a clip on MSNBC briefly…they cut it down to less than 1 min so I didn’t see the entire walk up.

    But I did see that it looked like their hands almost touched, but then I recall he doesn’t like stairs, right…so there would have been NO WAY he was holding her hand

  66. 66.

    NotMax

    @TenguPhule

    Newtie: “I’m telling you, first cathedral on the Moon is a surefire winner. Don’t forget to bring it up at every opportunity.”

  68. 68.

    Gelfling 545

    @lamh36: she’s supposedly a “devout” Catholic. I believe there was an incident in the past when a nominated ambassador was declined by the Vatican though I don’t recall the details. Francis is very non-judgmental so I don’t imagine he’d object. .

  69. 69.

    lamh36

    @Cheryl Rofer: Wow… so Jared Kushner has deleted ALL his tweets…in the past 15 minutes…

    If Jared is somehow “forced” to leave/step down….Cheeto Prez will have a big meltdown!!!

    But he’ll have Ivanka all to himself!

  70. 70.

    NotMax

    @Gin & Tonic

    Fine old joke involving carnal knowledge of a goat, the punchline of which unfortunately doesn’t work well in print, only when spoken.

  71. 71.

    Steeplejack

    @lamh36:

    That announcement is “intent to nominate.” The tweeter is out over his skis a little too far.

  74. 74.

    LurkerNoLonger

    @amk:

    The Trump administration is exploring whether it can use an obscure ethics rule to undermine the special counsel investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign team and Russia

    That doesn’t look suspicious. Nope. Nah. Not at all.

  76. 76.

    hilts

    @lamh36:

    I’ve got feeling that this motherfucker Trump will be going down for the count sooner than many people thought. I predict our Dirtbag-In-Chief will be forced to resign by McConnell and Ryan sometime in December.

  77. 77.

    lamh36

    @Cheryl Rofer: someone saying reports are that he never tweeted?

    But wait, he has a blue checked account, but he’s NEVER tweeted? Not even an aide tweeting from it like Ivanka?

  79. 79.

    mdblanche

    @Omnes Omnibus: The important thing is I have never done anything that would disqualify my being named ambassador to the Vatican… by the current administration.

  80. 80.

    TS

    Comey for the next many years will relive the impact of what he did to Hillary Clinton. The right will forever attack him for the trump campaign/admin investigations – perhaps the cry can be “but the russians”

    A strange type of karma.

  81. 81.

    hovercraft

    On Tweety’s show just now Boston Globe reporter said according to the new Monmouth poll, in the 300 swing counties where he won by single digits, in the states that swung the election to Twitler, his approval rating has dropped from 41% in March down to 34%.
    This shit is getting real, can you say wave? I wonder at what point the rats will start jumping.

  82. 82.

    jacy

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I got an annulment of my first marriage to marry the psycho ex, who is a devout Catholic. My get-out-of-marriage-free card? I was never baptized. I don’t know what he’s going to do about marrying the new thing, and she has two ex-husbands. That’s a whole lotta annulments to sort through and they won’t be as easy as mine.

  83. 83.

    amk

    @hovercraft: If the fucking NH assholes hadn’t given him a win, the twitler would have quit the primary race. He is obsessed with poll numbers. If his numbers drop to below 20, the moron might quit.

  85. 85.

    JH

    The idea of loose-cannon Trump calling Comey a “nutjob” is mind-blowing. We’re through the looking glass here, people.

    Comey didn’t regard the Trump team to be “honorable people.” Ya think? For his part, Trump regarded Comey as a threat, so under the bus with “crazy” Comey.

  86. 86.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I heard an Israeli reporter on NPR today saying that Netanyahu was and remains very pro-Trump, and has made a decision to downplay the burned intelligence and various other stumbles and shambles.

    Sounds like we may not be the only country with a split between the executive and his IC

    Benjamin Pauker‏Verified account @ benpauker 4h4 hours ago
    REPORT: Israeli intelligence officials were shouting at U.S. counterparts in meetings over Trump’s SNAFU

  88. 88.

    Mnemosyne

    @Gelfling 545:

    Francis is very non-judgmental so I don’t imagine he’d object.

    Francis isn’t going to object to her marriage — he’s going to object to her politics and how they conflict with the stated views of both Mother Church and the Pope himself.

    I hope Callista is prepared for a lot of long talks about Our Lord and Savior and the Sheep and the Goats and the Moneylenders at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount and how that whole thing about the rich and the eye of a needle doesn’t mean what she seems to think it means. I’m pretty sure the ambassador doesn’t get to cut an audience with the Pope short.

  90. 90.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @lamh36:

    and YET he still had to walk JUST a little bit ahead of her…so that if anyone falls down the stairs, she’ll fall down first…lol

    Just completely the opposite of traditional etiquette. Going upstairs, the woman goes first. Going downstairs, the man goes first. The idea being, as you point out, that if the lady trips or falls, the gentleman will catch her/break her fall.

    Yeah, it’s a bit sexist. Yeah, it assumes that women are both frail and clumsy. But in these kinds of settings I usually default to the classics: women > men; older > younger; pregnant > not pregnant; boss > subordinate; person with arms full of groceries > person not with arms full of groceries. Et and cetera.

    I’m a woman, and I’ve held many doors for older people with walkers, younger people who are clearly injured or pregnant; and people to whom I reported in the course of my work.

    All that said, Trump is a pig the way he plows ahead of Melania without showing her the slightest recognition or attention. Fuck him sideways with rusty whatzes.

  91. 91.

    low-tech cyclist

    I’m astounded by the speed of this avalanche of shoes dropping. It’s been just 10 days since Trump fired Comey, and I can’t keep track of all the new revelations in those 10 days. Watergate was never like this.

  92. 92.

    mdblanche

    @hovercraft: It doesn’t make sense to me that the rats want Trump around to sign legislation. There’s nothing he would sign that Pence wouldn’t, and he’s got to be a net liability for any legislative agenda already. Either they are waiting for their shared base to turn on Trump first… or they’re complicit enough that if Trump goes down, they go down with him.

  93. 93.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @lamh36: Yes. I deleted my post and my retweet because I was seeing too many comments that he’s never tweeted. I hate-follow relatively few people, so I’m willing to believe he’s never tweeted.

  94. 94.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @mdblanche:

    Either they are waiting for their shared base to turn on Trump first… or they’re complicit enough that if Trump goes down, they go down with him.

    Definitely both/and.

  95. 95.

    JohnO

    Is it just me or are WaPo, NYT, Reuters, CNN, and McClatchy (off the top of my head) all getting pretty juicy scoops about the same time almost every day now? 4 months. It really is sort of amazing.

    One almost gets the impression that taking on the FBI and broader intelligence community is a tough thing to do when you’re as corrupt and stupid as the Boy King and his merry band of sycophants.

  97. 97.

    Cheryl Rofer

    Just sayin’, y’all, but Trump has nominated Callista Gingrich to be Ambassador to the Vatican. But Ambassadors have to be confirmed by the Senate. And we don’t know what things will look like by the time Air Force 1 returns to Washington.

  100. 100.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @dmsilev:

    What time (our time; Eastern, or something simple to calculate) is he supposed to touch down in Israel? I haven’t seen any tick-took schedule for this trip, and should like to.

  102. 102.

    PsiFighter37

    @hovercraft: They won’t. The lesson they took away from Watergate was to never abandon ship.

    For us, that means that when Cheeto plows right into the iceberg, none of them will head for the lifeboats, save for a few oddballs like Justin Amash. That is hopefully good for us – where the GOP gets wiped out to the extent that they will never, ever be a force in their current incarnation ever again.

  105. 105.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @Omnes Omnibus: I can’t figure out why Donald Trump has 29 million followers. I follow a few people who hardly ever tweet because they are people I admire and hope that they will start up tweeting more. Occasionally I tweet at them in the hope they will see that they have fans. There are others I hate-follow, to keep an eye on them. Jared is a celebrity, and surely all the Trump fans would like to hear from him. So I can see some small portion of that 29 million following Jared, and a few others hate-following. Also reporters who want to be the first to hear from the young man who is going to solve the nation’s problems.

  106. 106.

    hovercraft

    @amk:
    I want to agree, but then I remember that to quit he would have to acknowledge the biggest possible failure in front of the entire world. I don’t see him ever doing that. As you say if he had lost early as he expected to when he started, he would have quit. But now…….

    @mdblanche:
    It’s not that they want him to sign the legislation, Dense could do it with less drama, but the base still loves him, until the base stops loving him, they’re stuck with him.

  111. 111.

    Corner Stone

    @PsiFighter37:

    none of them will head for the lifeboats, save for a few oddballs like Justin Amash.

    Amash has had his shit put in check at least twice in the last couple weeks. First, “forced” by leadership to vote Yes on AHCA and then recently he got duckwalked between morning and afternoon and answered all questions with “I have no further comment to add” to everything re: Trump-Russia BS.

  113. 113.

    Corner Stone

    I am just tired of this stupid Wittes interview. It’s nonsense and makes Comey sound like a child.

  116. 116.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Corner Stone: I just saw a clip on PBS. Who the hell wears leather in this weather?
    @debbie: Orange leather.

    you guys, that’s his face

  117. 117.

    mdblanche

    @Omnes Omnibus: If it’s the latter they stick with Trump even if he starts losing them the votes of their own supporters. Losing reelection still beats jail.

    @lamh36: So a non-denial denial?

  118. 118.

    Gin & Tonic

    @amk: He dropped out due to “family matters.” I’ll translate that as “if I take this job my wife will never fuck me.”

  122. 122.

    Roger Moore

    @chopper:

    i’m a go long bananas, cause this is just fucking bananas.

    Hell no. We’re turning into a banana republic, so we’re going to be buried in them soon.

  123. 123.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Something familiar,
    Something peculiar,
    Something for everyone:
    Comey tonight!

    Something appealing,
    Something appalling,
    Something for everyone:
    Comey tonight!

    Nothing with kings, nothing with crowns;
    Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!

    Old situations,
    New complications,
    Nothing portentous or polite;
    Tragedy tomorrow,
    Comey Comey Comey Comey Comeeeeey……… tonight!

    Just getting that queued up in advance.

  126. 126.

    jl

    @lamh36: In defense of Lord, there are worse things Trump could be doing witih his time besides taking a dump on his desk. If Trump decided to spend his time that way, I might defend it.

  127. 127.

    germy

    Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner fly to Saudi Arabia – on Shabbat
    San Diego Jewish World – 41 minutes ago

    I saw a list of advisors on the flight and noticed Jared has a spokesman.
    Why are my taxes paying for a spokesman? Can’t he issue his own statements or speak?

  128. 128.

    amk

    Jeb Bush: I told you Trump would be a “chaos president”

    fuck you, lil jebbie. you flushed millions down the toilet and yet couldn’t take down the current pos.

  130. 130.

    Jeffro

    @amk: this is where we really need to pound it home that these so-called establishment Republicans had a choice And chose to quietly go along with the lunatic instead of the competent and qualified candidate

  131. 131.

    Gvg

    Google says Kushner has only tweeted twice and those were deleted long ago. Something March 31st. Comments are that it seemed odd but it was noticed before.

  132. 132.

    germy

    @Jeffro:

    so-called establishment Republicans had a choice And chose to quietly go along with the lunatic

    The fear of being primaried from the right is strong in them.

  133. 133.

    Mnemosyne

    @hovercraft:

    I want to agree, but then I remember that to quit he would have to acknowledge the biggest possible failure in front of the entire world.

    Ah, but you fail to grasp the full magic of clinical narcissism. It won’t be his failure, you see. It will be our failure for not understanding and recognizing his true genius and how he was totally going to fix everything that’s broken in the entire world, but we wouldn’t let him!

    So he’s going to take his ball and go home, and when we’re ready for a real leader, we can give him a call, but don’t expect him to come back. If we didn’t understand and appreciate his genius now, we probably never will.

    Exit stage left, pursued by a bear.

  138. 138.

    Roger Moore

    @mdblanche:
    They aren’t afraid of trump; they’re afraid of the people who voted for him. They don’t want the base to see them as the guy who stabbed trump in the back, so they aren’t going to turn on trump until the base does.

  139. 139.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Mnemosyne: Never happen. It’s President Donald J Trump until Jan 20, 2021, absent a stroke or an MI.

    Take that to the bank.

  140. 140.

    Spanky

    @Mnemosyne:

    Exit stage left, pursued by a bear.

    Winter’s Tale. My favorite stage direction ever. But “Exeunt”, of course.

  141. 141.

    The Dangerman

    Is that Anderson Cooper thing about the crap on the desk real or some seriously imaginative editing?

  143. 143.

    Mnemosyne

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Okay, we have a bet. Donation to Planned Parenthood as the stakes?

    ETA: All bets off if the death is a result of assassination or terrorism, because neither of us want that kind of disaster.

  144. 144.

    Jeffro

    @germy: not only have they been brainwashing their voters for so long, theyve been brainwashing themselves with their own nonsense. That article I linked to yesterday in the New York Times about why Republicans always look over their shoulders – that’s so true.

  146. 146.

    germy

    @Roger Moore:

    so they aren’t going to turn on trump until the base does.

    And the base doesn’t know a thing about most of the stuff discussed here, if they’re watching Fox.

    FBN is running with “Trump Will Balance The Budget” headlines and ignoring the NY Times and WaPo stories.

  149. 149.

    Morzer

    I am starting to wonder just how many people might have an active interest in Trump’s plane quietly vaporizing out in the blue beyond. I’ve never had such thoughts before, even under the reign of Dubya, and I find it extremely disconcerting.

  150. 150.

    lamh36

    @brianstelter
    Another @CNN news break on the air now: “Sources: Russians believed they would be able to use Flynn to influence Trump and his advisors.”

  151. 151.

    Mnemosyne

    @Spanky:

    I confess, I stole it from PG Wodehouse — it is also Bertie Wooster’s favorite stage direction, and he drew a picture of it in his textbook.

  152. 152.

    rikyrah

    JEN KIRKMAN
    ✔
    @JenKirkman

    MSNBC asking Bernie his thoughts on Trump’s story change on Comey & Bernie says right now America cares about cheap college. DEAR GOD MAN
    7:12 PM – 18 May 2017

  154. 154.

    germy

    @Mnemosyne: Reminds me of Stephen Leacock’s line:

    Lord Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.

  155. 155.

    Jeffro

    Also, Lou Dobbs is calling for criminal charges against “the left” and “the deep state”, for subversion no less .

    Why Lou it’s almost like you were sympathizing with an old fat bloviating white guy of minimal intelligence and talent …

  156. 156.

    The Dangerman

    Can I still get my bet down on who the White House person that is the “significant person of interest”? My money is on Tillerson. With his Exxon connections, he could be all kinds of dirty and going from Exxon CEO to SOS is kind of a weird career path.

    ETA: Although Kushner is a strong candidate, too.

  158. 158.

    Roger Moore

    @Jeffro:

    not only have they been brainwashing their voters for so long, theyve been brainwashing themselves with their own nonsense.

    This. They’ve been lying for so long, they’ve raised a whole generation that believes the lies and is now in power trying to implement them.

  161. 161.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    Ah, but you fail to grasp the full magic of clinical narcissism. It won’t be his failure, you see. It will be our failure for not understanding and recognizing his true genius and how he was totally going to fix everything that’s broken in the entire world, but we wouldn’t let him!

    Don’t they start killing other people at that point to start shifting the blame?

  162. 162.

    germy

    LGM comments:

    MikeJake says:
    May 19, 2017 at 4:28 pm
    I’m thinking they divert to Russia to seek asylum, we get Air Force 1 shipped back in three months packed inside a wooden horse.

    Nick never Nick says:
    May 19, 2017 at 4:30 pm
    Plus nightly broadcasts from Trump in Moscow, issuing decrees and threats and trying to get the Senate to pass his health care bill.

  163. 163.

    Spanky

    @Mnemosyne: Glad to see I share taste in theater with Wodehouse.

    Now when Will gives a direction like “Dies“, that doesn’t read like much, but sure is carte blanche to the actors & director.

  167. 167.

    piratedan

    @The Dangerman: supposedly it’s “The Jeweler” per multiple sources, so don’t even lay any money down…

    reasoning is….

    1) he lied on his security clearance paperwork regarding some meetings with certain Russian players during the election process and during the transition and did not disclose it
    2) the whole selling visas to wealthy Chinese was also just a tad scuzzy
    3) the fact that he’s only apparent qualification for this position is who he’s sleeping with….

  169. 169.

    japa21

    To all the lawyers out there, Is it possible to have too much information be made public and have a problem actually prosecuting a case because of that? We are getting a shit ton of stuff laid out.

  170. 170.

    Miss Bianca

    @Bill E Pilgrim:

    Donald Trump: “Yes, I did it. I’m guilty. Look here, I’m telling people I obstructed justice, interfered with an investigation, fired the investigator to make it go away. Don’t listen to any of my staff, they’re wrong. I did it.”

    Republicans in Congress: “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, there may have been some irregularities but obstruction is a serious charge and there’s no evidence that…”

    I’m wondering if we’re going to eventually have him on the floor of the Senate grabbing them by the lapels and screaming “I’m guilty! Okay?” as they pretend to not hear him.

    My God, what Bertolt Brecht could have done with that scenario…

    @TenguPhule: damme, sir, you divert me against my will; I say, damme!

  172. 172.

    lamh36

    Wow…so when the cat’s away the mice will play!

    Damn…were they just WAITING for Cheeto to hop on that plane…

  173. 173.

    Felonius Monk

    @rikyrah:

    A Side Piece to the Holy See.

    Francis may appear to be a simple man, but he has much better taste than that.

  174. 174.

    germy

    another interesting LGM comment:

    aab84 says:
    May 19, 2017 at 6:52 pm

    I don’t really get this at all. There’s a reason Trump’s approval with Republicans is still so high, and there’s a reason he’s more popular than, say, Paul Ryan. And it’s not just Fox News.

    Trump, at least in his rhetoric, is much more attuned to the Republican base than Republican members of Congress. He combines racial/gender/religious/ethnic resentment, a promise to provide a robust welfare state for good white people, and government intervention to give good white people good jobs. That’s clearly what his base wants, and to the extent there’s discontent, it’s a result of his adoption of Paul Ryan’s agenda.

    Given all that, Republicans would be committing electoral suicide if they tried to throw Trump over. I honestly think something like 70% of them would lose primaries. And Republicans are always, always more scared of their base than the public at large. They won’t do anything, no matter what.

  175. 175.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    ETA: All bets off if the death is a result of assassination or terrorism, because neither of us want that kind of disaster.

    I don’t expect either of you is going to have money at risk.

  176. 176.

    Roger Moore

    @japa21:
    IANAL, but there are sometimes worries about finding jurors who haven’t already heard about the case. That said, there are always shut-ins and people who deliberately avoid politics who might be available as a jury. As a practical matter, though, the important part is getting these idiots out of power, and that’s more likely to be a political thing than a criminal justice thing.

  177. 177.

    marcion

    @rikyrah:

    shit like this makes me briefly consider the people who see a russian connection with Bernie’s campaign ppl might be on to something

  178. 178.

    Immanentize

    @rikyrah: must be confirmed by Senate first. So, not a done deal.

    ETA. Also, not yet actually nominated or sent for confirmation.

  180. 180.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Mnemosyne: Sure. If he is out of office for any “political” reason before inauguration day 2021, I will donate $100 to PP in your name.

  181. 181.

    The Dangerman

    @piratedan:

    ….supposedly it’s “The Jeweler”

    I don’t get the jewelry reference, but, yes, the apple don’t fall far from the tree and Papa Kushner was a crook, too.

  183. 183.

    Gin & Tonic

    @marcion:

    who see a russian connection with Bernie’s campaign ppl might be on to something

    Tad Devine’s prior work is not a secret to anyone.

  184. 184.

    Mnemosyne

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Okay! Handshake deal, witnessed.

    (And if for some reason I vanish from the website before the happy event, Adam and TaMara both know how to reach me, and I will gladly pay up.)

  188. 188.

    Mnemosyne

    @TenguPhule:

    Don’t they start killing other people at that point to start shifting the blame?

    Usually not. Much as it pains me to say this, this is real life, not a movie.

  189. 189.

    Miss Bianca

    @p.a.:

    How do his handlers decide who brings him the next bit of bad news? RockPaperScissors? Or do the just leave all the TVs around him on? In my positive moments I imagine them in a group knife fight, a note with the news taped to the loser’s body.

    Dear God, is it *wrong* that I’m laughing so hard tonight at the portait all y’all are drawing of an utter shitstorm of horror? Both for the Trump White House itself and for the rest of the world?

  190. 190.

    efgoldman

    @PsiFighter37:

    the GOP gets wiped out to the extent that they will never, ever be a force in their current incarnation ever again.

    Yeah, we said that in ’74, too. Six years later… Sanctus Ronaldus Magnus

  192. 192.

    germy

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Tad Devine’s prior work is not a secret to anyone.

    Failing upward for quite a few years now.

    I’ll wager he’ll be working for some candidate or another next presidential race, and the next.

  193. 193.

    Jeffro

    @lamh36:

    White House leaks appear to be coming from staffers ‘concerned about Trump’s fitness

    In the made-for-TV movie version of this, we see a staffer carefully stirring something into the ketchup bottle…another one switching cans of spray tan…a third one, connecting an electrical wire to a gilded toilet seat…

  194. 194.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Jeffro: Also, Lou Dobbs is calling for criminal charges against “the left” and “the deep state”, for subversion no less .

    as everybody knows, the FBI, the CIA and the broader IC is lousy with old hippies and such.

  195. 195.

    Miss Bianca

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Yes, when we go to the car, I open her door, wait for her to get in, close the door and go around to the driver’s side. I know I’m a sexist pig, but that’s just the way we were brought up.

    i’m old enough now that I really appreciate this. I always find it a good sign on dates when men will do this for me. I also love it when they insist on picking up the tab on the first date. Makes a GREAT impression with yours truly.

  196. 196.

    Peale

    @efgoldman: I thought 2008 was it. Until our democratic voters change our behavior and stay pissed at Republicans for more than 2 months, they will always come back.

  199. 199.

    germy

    @debbie: It’s from his book “Nonsense Novels” (I found a first edition in an antiquarian bookstore to my delight)

    He was an amusing writer. Canadian. His essay on his experience visiting his bank is a classic of the short, humorous, first-person essay.

  202. 202.

    laura

    @lamh36:Another @CNN news break on the air now: “Sources: Russians believed they would be able to use Flynn to influence Trump and his advisors.”

    And it’s true to this day . .

  203. 203.

    Jeffro

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: LOL

    I’m pretty sure Lou Dobbs’ definition of “subversion” does not mean what it means to the rest of us. But then again he has Dear Leader first and foremost in his mind, and not, you know, the Republic. The IC is “subverting” Trump and must be punished.

  204. 204.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @laura: assuming it’s true that the Russians didn’t really think trump would win, I’ve been wondering if the long term plan wasn’t for Putin to finance the rumored trump media company to keep up the campaign of destabilizing propaganda against President HRC

  205. 205.

    The Dangerman

    @piratedan:

    …never seen a Jared Jewelry…

    DOH!

    Yeah, I’ve seen that one and every kiss begins with K more than I care to think. Jewelry commercials are right up there with Car Insurance for their brain melting capacity (see the previous “DOH!”).

  211. 211.

    rikyrah

    @JohnO:

    there is someone at IC who has two piles:
    Pile 1: Leaks
    Pile 2: News Outlets

    This person’s job is to spread the leaks around. I hadn’t thought of it until the other day when someone at BJ pointed it out- in one day, 4 different leaks – 4 different major news outlets…

  213. 213.

    Mnemosyne

    @? ?? Goku ? ?:

    Nah. An assassination or terrorist attack that kills Trump is where we see if TenguPhule is a prophet or not. I will be too busy stocking up on canned food and batteries to make donations.

  214. 214.

    Jeffro

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    assuming it’s true that the Russians didn’t really think trump would win, I’ve been wondering if the long term plan wasn’t for Putin to finance the rumored trump media company to keep up the campaign of destabilizing propaganda against President HRC

    Putin had multiple options available to him no matter how it turned out – I’m sure he understood that with Trumpov, you can’t really “plan” for anything (except chaos). Trumpov loses = finance his RWNJ media company and harass Hillz. Trumpov wins = Russian tool in the WH. Destabilizing in the extreme either way. And an act of war that should be repaid in full.

  215. 215.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @rikyrah: Hayes got twitter-trolled hard about giving him a platform, yet again. If he (Hayes) reads his mentions, maybe it gave him pause when he was reminded that there are actually progressive Senators from much larger and more representative states, some of whom are women, even women of color, who might have some things to say about politics.

  216. 216.

    germy

    @Gravenstone:

    Bernie appears to be tap dancing awfully fucking hard, to a tune only he seems to hear.

    “I’m NOT a useful idiot! I’m NOT a useful idiot!”

  220. 220.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Miss Bianca: I realized I only had brandy (and the godawful vanilla brandy), rum, wine, and 10 cans out of a 12 pack of Bud Light that some idiot brought over four or so years ago, so my JD is making do with rum.

  221. 221.

    PPCLI

    @germy: @debbie: Steven Leacock, what a delight. Humour that is both gentle and biting at the same time. The bank adventure is called “My Financial Career”. The collection *Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town* is fun too.

  222. 222.

    p.a.

    @Jeffro:

    And an act of war that should be repaid in full.

    Easiest, least warlike way is to keep crude oil and natural gas prices low to keep Russia’s economy crippled. Unfortunately this also incentivizes burning said inexpensive hydrocarbons. (Although I believe hc use has been trending down even with low prices! And as long as ‘coalburners’ doesn’t become the next American fad to sweep the planet.)

  223. 223.

    Jeffro

    @p.a.: Excellent idea! Also, some of his billionaire buddies could start to get hit with electronic banking problems…it’s so hard to figure out where the “cyber” attacks come from. Could be a 400-pound guy sitting on his bed in his parents’ basement…

  228. 228.

    Miss Bianca

    @Omnes Omnibus: if you ever get out to my neck of the woods, I swear by St. Stephen that I will take you on the drinking tour of the Rockies, starting with the best rum you’ve ever tasted up in Crested Butte…

  232. 232.

    sm*t cl*de

    @amk:
    From the same Reuters item:

    But the administration is now mainly focused on placing a cloud over his reputation for independence, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
    …
    The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it is reviewing the ethics rule in order to undermine Mueller’s credibility.

    Nothing portrays “innocence” like “strategising ways to discredit the results of an investigation, when the investigation has only just started”.

  235. 235.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    is where we see if TenguPhule is a prophet or not.

    “The turtle moves.”

    /But if I am the prophet, this nation is more fucked then you can possibly imagine.

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