Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

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

We still have time to mess this up!

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

T R E 4 5 O N

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

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

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

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

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Republicans don’t trust women.

You are here: Home / Organizing & Resistance / Don't Agonize - Organize / Monday Evening Open Thread: Never Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good

Monday Evening Open Thread: Never Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good

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ETA: In case it was not clear, I am absolutely in favor of this proposal! In fact, I’ve been in favor since it was proposed by then-First-Lady Hillary Clinton, back in the last century!
.

What’s on the agenda for the evening, y’all?
***********

For your further enjoyment, the photog who snapped those Beached Jersey Whales shots takes a well-deserved victory lap:

… I’ve successfully hunted fugitives out of the country. I’ve caught alleged criminals trying to sneak out back doors of their homes or into back doors of courthouses. I’ve nailed high school basketball coaches warehousing players in their apartments.

Most of the time, I get the shots and make a clean getaway.

But once in a while, when the eyes meet, you know the jig is up….

Did we know he would be sunbathing on a closed beach?

No, but we took a shot and it paid off….

Reader Interactions

61Comments

  1. 1.

    JPL

    From the Washington Post

    A plane carrying the message that Christie should “get the hell off Island Beach State Park” is being flown up and down the New Jersey coast Monday.

  2. 2.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    @SenSanders
    In the short-term, to improve the Affordable Care Act, we should have a public option in 50 states and lower the Medicare age to 55.

    Cool story bro, in the short term explain how this happens given the current make up of the government.

  3. 3.

    Tom

    Oh, the huge manatee! (Apologies to Herbert Morrison and the passengers on the Hindenburg – which come to think of it, had a similar girth).

  6. 6.

    Brachiator

    My favorite summation of all this remains the post of commenter George Spiggott, from a few threads below:

    Outlaw Jersey Whale gets beached.

  9. 9.

    jl

    3 Burning Questions About Clinton’s Gigantic Medicare Proposal
    Elizabeth O’Brien
    May 11, 2016
    Money

    ” At a campaign stop in Northern Virginia, Clinton said she supported a so-called public option, which would allow people to buy into Medicare at a certain age, Bloomberg first reported. That age would be around 50 to 55, the New York Times reported. The current Medicare eligibility age is 65 for most beneficiaries. ”

    http://time.com/money/4327009/hillary-clinton-medicare-proposal-3-questions/

  10. 10.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    @JPL: Good idea, Medicare for all would be great, I just want the Berner to tell me how it happens given the current makeup of our government, in the short term, to use his words.

  11. 11.

    jeffreyw

    Gonna put some spare ribs is the sous vide bath overnight, slap ’em on the grill tomorrow. Tonight is taco night, moved up because Taco Tuesday has been preempted.

  13. 13.

    SFAW

    @SenSanders
    In the short-term, to improve the Affordable Care Act, we should have a public option in 50 states and lower the Medicare age to 55.

    Waiting for the punchline ….

    Perhaps it’s “The Aristocrats!”?

  14. 14.

    efgoldman

    @JPL:

    A plane carrying the message that Christie should “get the hell off Island Beach State Park” is being flown up and down the New Jersey coast Monday.

    Somebody (Jersey Dems) had some money left over and a good sense of humor.

    @feebog:

    Won’t somebody think of the poor beach chair?

    As i told my kid about customers, when she first started working at a neighborhood CVS: Assholes gotta’ be assholes; it’s what they do

  15. 15.

    jl

    The continuing Hillary/Bernie feud is misguided and not helpful at this time.
    Need to move beyond the 2016 election.
    But I will say no more. Better to let the obsessives waste their time chattering about it on this blog.

  16. 16.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Tilda Swintons Bald Cap: This is sort of my big thing with Bernie in… forever, actually. He’s right! That would totally be cool! But there’s no expectation of it ever happening, and no real plan to get there.

    That said, I’m down with this. It helps to drive home the point of what Democrats would like to do vs. what Republicans would like to do.

  17. 17.

    Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)

    @Brachiator: Christie is basically an overweight Nixon clone, though you could tell the degeneration was kicking into high gear when he shoved his head firmly up Trump’s ass last year.
    @jl: …I still don’t believe for a second that you aren’t JL formerly of LGM & Now Face North.

  19. 19.

    Turgidson

    @jl:

    Would be nice. Would add “young” enrollees to Medicare’s risk pool, making the program cheaper per person than it is now (more expensive overall of course since millions would be added to the rolls). And taking the oldest chunk presently in the Obamacare market out would greatly improve that risk pool too, probably pushing premiums down some.

    In order words, it makes way too much sense to actually happen. At least Joey Joe Joe Jr. Lieberman won’t be around to threaten to filibuster the very idea he had campaigned on two years earlier, just to spite Obama and Democrats.

  21. 21.

    efgoldman

    @Turgidson:

    At least Joey Joe Joe Jr. Lieberman won’t be around to threaten to filibuster the very idea he had campaigned on two years earlier, just to spite Obama and Democrats.

    It’s OK; there’s still plenty of spite to go around.

  23. 23.

    Hoodie

    Christie is burnishing his Complete Asshole credentials to land a spot on the wing nut welfare circuit. It’s like a gang rite of passage, like your first drive-by. You have to show complete indifference to the feelings of others outside your bros.

  25. 25.

    Tim C.

    It’s interesting to me, because I think people read that Bernie tweet different ways.

    Way 1 = “This proposal is a solution, that if enacted would work well to reduce suffering and create a healthier population in the United States.” (Agree Strongly!)

    Way 2 = Way 1 + “And I am grandstanding again and proposing something that will be very unlikely to happen because even if the Democrats managed by 2021 to get House, the Presidency and 60 Seats in the Senate, we would still have to wrangle some red state Dems into doing something that would be politically difficult” (Fair to see in the statement given Bernie’s history, but not really supported by the plain text of the tweet)

    Way 3 = Way 1 + Way 2 + “And the only reason it’s not happening this instant is because of the treasonous neo-libs!” (Not supported at all by anything in the text)

    Yes, I’m still bothered by the people who decided that not voting or voting for Stein was somehow anything other than helping Cheeto Shitgibbon get elected, but it’s their vote and their decision. I think Bernie’s shtick was dangerous and his whole “I get elected and GDP growth magically becomes 5% a year was pretty much the same scam Trump is doing right now. But I would much rather do what it takes to get Bernie voters than ‘reasonable’ Republicans who simply don’t exist at this point.

  26. 26.

    StringOnAStick

    My husband and I would love a 50-65 option since that would mean he could be a contractor instead of a full time employee. Hell, we’d gladly pay higher Medicare taxes for that period, make it means tested or something but at least make it available. No one in this age group doesn’t have a pre-existing condition or is about to develop one, and being in this in between world is damned scary since too many have insurance when something bad starts but lose it when they’ve been too sick for too long to keep the job they had their insurance through. It’s like making it to Medicare age is winning Carousel (Logan’s Run reference).

    Of course there will actually still have to be Medicare for this idea to make it to fruition, and I strongly suspect that once they are done with Medicaid, Medicare is next. The growth in costs of the latter is what really gets Lyin’ Ryan hopped up about killing the social safety net because of how fast Medicare costs are rising. No one thinks in terms of attacking this problem from the cost side, just the “more ice floes” side, at least if you are a Repub. Our medical system is too damned expensive thanks to profit motive uber alles, and that’s why the 0.01% and Ryan want us all to die as fast as possible with as little care as possible. They’d appreciate it if we were quiet about it too.

  27. 27.

    Mnemosyne

    @debbie:

    I can’t find it now, but Rachel Held Evans, a prominent Christian and former evangelical, had a great post on Facebook the other day that essentially said, Damn right I’m being “political” when our government is trying to wreck people’s lives. It was a thing of beauty and a joy forever.

  28. 28.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @debbie: This comparison strikes me as being simply unfair to sex workers, who perform valuable work that helps alleviate loneliness and is generally of net benefit to society. Your overall point is sound, though.

    @Mnemosyne: I haven’t read that much of her, but what I have has been great. If you can find it again, I’d like to see it.

  29. 29.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Tom: You rang? Oh… ;)

    Shouldn’t they be working to drag the Outlaw Jersey Whale back to sea? If they can’t move him and he starts to rot, just blow him up with dynamite like we do here in Oregon. :)

  30. 30.

    ? Martin

    Interesting possibility – if Medicaid could become an opt-out program, states like California might jump on that. Since we’re the largest donor state, keeping dollars in-state is effectively a savings for residents. Additionally, CA would almost certainly be forced into this position if there’s a ban on abortion funding, since that funding is a requirement in the state constitution. In many respects it makes a path to single payer here easier and more necessary.

  33. 33.

    cain

    What a whale of a tale. Thank you folks, I will be here all week, please tip your staff!

  36. 36.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mnemosyne:
    @(((CassandraLeo))):

    Here.

    You don’t like that I’ve “gotten political,” huh?

    If saying it’s wrong to mock people with disabilities makes me political, then so be it.

    If rejecting the notion that demeaning, groping, insulting, and assaulting women is “just how men are” makes me political, then so be it.

    If supporting a free press makes me political, then so be it.

    If speaking out when religious and ethnic minorities are targeted with misinformation campaigns that have dramatically increased hate crimes against them makes me political, then so be it.

    If believing the president of the United States is not above the rule of law, or the most basic ethical accountability, makes me political, then so be it.

    If refusing to stand by as desperate refugee families, including many children, are turned away from safety based on misinformation and fear makes me political, then so be it.

    If calling my senators to oppose a healthcare bill that would likely increase the abortion rate and definitely leave my friends with special needs kids bankrupt and desperate makes me political, then so be it.

    If expecting the president of the United States to behave with some semblance of decorum and decency, even on Twitter, makes me political, then so be it.

    If getting angry when Christian leaders shrug off sexual assault, lying, racism, bullying, cruelty to the vulnerable, and unapologetic greed and self-aggrandizement because it gets them the judge they want or the power they crave makes me political, then so be it.

    If turning over tables when Christians sing hymns in honor of this administration’s ethno-nationalist agenda makes me political, then so be it.

    You don’t like that I’ve gotten political?

    I don’t like that the future of the Republic and the integrity of the American Church has been so glibly handed over to a man who has no respect for either.

    You’re damn right I’ve gotten political.

    And even if you remain silent, you have too.

  37. 37.

    Brachiator

    @Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):

    .. Christie is basically an overweight Nixon clone, though you could tell the degeneration was kicking into high gear when he shoved his head firmly up Trump’s ass last year.

    This is a key difference. Nixon would never grovel before someone like Trump. Christie is a natural born ass kisser.

    Also, although Nixon could be petty and vindictive, he would always be playing for a bigger pile of chips.

    ..

  39. 39.

    Brachiator

    Also, Bernie is freaking delusional. He keeps pushing for a version of his favorite wet dream and playing to the unicorn lovers with absolutely no sense of political reality. This fool insists on a version of repeal and replace which the GOP would never go for.

  40. 40.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Tilda Swintons Bald Cap: Bernie has NO FUCKING CLUE how to get from point A to point B. None.

    This is why I abandoned him back in February 2016 and went whole hog for Hillary, who has clues. Many clues.

  41. 41.

    rikyrah

    Andy Slavitt‏Verified account @ASlavitt

    NEW: The Senate is quietly pushing a subtle change in the health care bill:

    not just to gut Medicaid, but to allow states to eliminate it.

    After I finish a cable TV appearance I will tweet about this. Follow if interested. 2

    BACKGROUND: There is a conservative view that Medicaid ⬆️ over-treatment & ⬇️ employment. Been argued in several TV debates I’ve been on.3

    I have seen no data to support this– and have seen data which contradicts this. Nevertheless, it is consistent w a free market ideology.4

    In this ideology, the best thing to do with Medicaid (& Medicare) is to give everyone a subsidy to buy their own insurance. 5

    HOW SENATE BILL SOWS SEEDS FOR END OF MEDICAID: Baseline– the bill cuts 15 mm off & puts a cap on care for everyone else. It gets worse.6
    The new state waiver process in the Senate bill already allows Medicaid to be replaced by giving ppl a subsidy. 7

    The requirements of the waiver explicitly say that governors can do without legislature & that all waivers must be permanent changes.8

    All it would take is 1 conservative governor ever to eliminate Medicaid for a state. A pitch the Koch Bros could hit. It gets worse. 9

    The Federal taxpayer money currently going to Medicaid can be used for any purpose– does not need to be used w low income/disability/etc.10
    Rather than plussing up Medicaid, Senate is selling conservatives that plussing up tax credits will allow Medicaid to be replaced.11
    As @ThePlumLineGS points out, this “plussing up” would be woefully inadequate, meeting 22% of the need.
    Centrist Senators are being told this solves their Med expansion problem too. I heard that came up at the meeting w Trump last week.13
    This plays into horrible polls & pushback from govs over Medicaid cuts causing Senate to consider easing some tax cuts.14
    As Medicaid cuts take hold, the incentives to end Medicaid will be high. And it would just take a single conservative governor to do it.15

  43. 43.

    eemom

    Say what you will, it’s kind of Bernie to take the time to share his wisdom these days, considering how busy he is lawyering up to try to keep Mrs. Bernie out of jail.

  44. 44.

    Jeffro

    In all seriousness, why isn’t the LOUD, unified, and DID I MENTION LOUD Dem response to all this AHCA/BCRA/GOP crap: QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH 22-32M PEOPLE’S HEALTH CARE JUST TO MAKE THE RICH RICHER?

    I don’t want to debate the ins and outs of over-treatment, waivers, plussing up, any of it. It’s crap. The Western democracies provide coverage for their citizens one way or another, at about half the price, with better outcomes overall. It’s ridiculous that the richest nation in the history of the world can’t just guarantee basic health benefits for its citizens. Obamacare gets us close, and nothing the GOP has proposed improves upon the number of people covered OR the cost curve.

    So…fuck it and fuck them. Keep it simple, folks. QUIT PLAYING GAMES, GOP. None of this is urgent or necessary. None of it was a crisis until you realized you had a very short window of time before your Orange Emperor implodes or is led out of the WH in handcuffs. Let the government – and the programs that actually do some good for our citizens – run normally for a change. Stop trying to implement your Koch/Mercer whack job agenda against the wishes not just of the majority, but the VAST majority of Americans. Sit on your massive pile of bucks and be content for once, you greedy fuckers.

    QUIT PLAYING GAMES, GOP.

  46. 46.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @eemom: they hired two separate defense teams, one for her and one for him. Deeeeeeeeeeeep shit.

    Maybe they can star in the remake of “Take the Money and Run”

  47. 47.

    bupalos

    @MisterForkbeard: Well, the way to get there is to start saying “this is what we should do.” I’ve been arguing for a while that Dems need to go on offense. We’ve got a bill with like 15% approval in front of us and we’re what…trying to get that down to 11%? Why?. Stop negotiating on how many people are going to lose health security and start talking up plans that expand it.

    Are Republicans going to listen? No. Do Republicans currently control the government? Yes. But who controls the Republicans? Currently, the Trumpers. They are the slim thread keeping all these “safe” Republicans in office.

    Will Trumpers listen to a call for early medicare? Prolly. If they can’t smell brown people or wimmins or The War on Christian Coal on it. I have no idea and no interest in the degree to which Bernie is actually a clueless racist sexist coal digging bro guy like a bunch of folks seem to think, and I don’t really care. He’s clearly got a better tactical political angle for the times. The Republicans are only in office and can only stay in office as long as loud Dem opposition on “social issues” (where there is very, very little of significance that can happen legislatively) allows them to corral the deplorables, retain power, and push out the worst agenda imaginable.

    There’s a move in basketball called “pulling the chair.” It’s especially effective against big, clumsy, uncoordinated oafs that can’t do anything but bang in the trenches. That’s the GOP right now. We have to stop giving them what they need and go for some crazy offense they can’t really respond to. I like this.

  48. 48.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Bernie Sanders ✔ @SenSanders

    In the short-term, to improve the Red Sox, we should get moar pitching and bedda hitting. Also too, – runs – we need to increase runs.

    Why didn’t anyone else thing of this. Pure genius.

  50. 50.

    bupalos

    @Tim C.: I dunno, I was very uncomfortable with Bernie’s fantasy numbers too, but right now it kind of feels like bitching at burger ads – THEY DON’T REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT!! THEY’RE LYING!! WE SHOW YOU WHAT REAL BURGERS LOOK LIKE! Meanwhile everyone’s lining up for the shittiest burgers ever formed into patties, because they looked good on teevee.

    The fact is that this country is well over 50% dummies, and even the ones that aren’t just straight up dumb, at least 50% of those are too lazy and complacent to care that their actions are effectively dumb. Throw in the born assholes and the math is even worse. So I’m not sure it’s a bad idea to just go ahead and claim you’ve got the miracle cure, because if it’s not a f-in miracle, they aren’t voting for it.

    I guess what I’m trying to say is that this country sucks.

  52. 52.

    rikyrah

    Matthew Yglesias‏Verified account @mattyglesias

    This moment when the bill is “dead” and there’s “no news” to cover is the most dangerous time for Trumpcare opponents.
    …
    Jon Favreau‏Verified account @jonfavs

    This is right and why we need to create news on health care next week however we can.

  54. 54.

    rikyrah

    Phil Mattingly‏Verified account @Phil_Mattingly

    Still think the most interesting development of the wknd was WH leg affairs chief Marc Short appearing to endorse the Cruz regs proposal…
    …
    Adam Khan‏ @Khanoisseur

    May want to highlight Marc Short is Koch dark money operative–crucial for public to understand Koch influence on GOP bill

  56. 56.

    Jeffro

    @Iowa Old Lady: A friend’s FB page noted some similar data, and right on cue, a very “thoughtful” conservative jumped in to say ‘hey yeah basically we just thought HRC was going to give away the store to other [translation: non-whites] folks if she won”

    Yes, several of us are pouncing on him explaining the definition of “white privilege” just using his own words.

    No, I don’t know if it’s going to sink in or matter much. But it’s nice when they make your case for you.

  57. 57.

    Another Scott

    Meh. He’s introduced this bill multiple times. It never goes anywhere.

    S-1782 American Health Security Act of 2013 had Zero co-sponsors.

    It was read twice and died in the Finance committee.

    “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

    Grandstanders gotta grandstand. It’s easier than doing real work, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

    FWIW.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  58. 58.

    Bill

    I’d like to point out that Chris Christie, like many Republicans, and a very few Democrats, does not seem to have the ‘Maybe I Shouldn’t’ setting. I mean , JHC, why not try the ‘Maybe Don’t Be A Complete Asshole” technique.

  59. 59.

    lethargytartare

    @eemom:

    Say what you will, it’s kind of Bernie to take the time to share Hillary’s wisdom these days, considering how busy he is lawyering up to try to keep Mrs. Bernie out of jail.

    fixt

  61. 61.

    cleosmom

    @debbie: That probably wouldn’t be acceptable either. Apparently we’re supposed to be trading recipes (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

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