Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Petty moves from a petty man.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

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

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

The revolution will be supervised.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

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

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

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

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Late Night Waste of Skin Pixels Open Thread: At the Boy Scout Jamboree

Late Night Waste of Skin Pixels Open Thread: At the Boy Scout Jamboree

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When I was a teenager, my slightly younger brothers were Boy Scouts. Worst thing I knew of the BSA was that, lacking adequate supervision, even reasonably intelligent and not-otherwise-sociopathic boys between the ages of 11 and {number to be determined} tend to rile each other up to do stupid & dangerous things. And the dumber the individual, the more dangerous “ideas” he’d come up with. Seems like the GOP has turned into a boys’ club with the same issues…


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63Comments

  3. 3.

    mai naem mobile

    Former CIA director John McLaughlin tweeted that the speech sounded like a third world dictator’s political rally.

  5. 5.

    Sister Golden Bear

    As a former Eagle Scout, I’m trying to stop myself from hurling.

    (Thankfully, when I was a kid, my troop was just about going out and backpacking, rather than the quasi-militaristic organizations that so many troops seem to be today.)

  6. 6.

    Mnemosyne

    This seems like a good thread to repeat my story of one of our cats pooping on my couch tonight.

    I think it was meant as a territorial message to the other cat who’s been an asshole lately, but I’m the one who had to clean it up. ?

  7. 7.

    Anne Laurie

    @Major Major Major Major: No kidding, that’s why I tucked it below the fold.

    In a future history — assuming there are any future historians — Blake’s will be the visage to illustrate “Preston Brooks — second time as farce” when they describe the Second American Civil War. (And one can only hope that era is not known as ‘The Great Unwinding’.)

  11. 11.

    hovercraft

    @Major Major Major Major:

    That picture of the guy with the woman and the pajamas… is… disgusting.

    I think you meant to also say the moran in the picture is disgusting
    ; )
    Every time he opens his mouth, he threatens to unseat Gohmert and Steve King as the the two dumbest and retrograde GOP members of congress.

  13. 13.

    Joyce Harmon

    If you want to feel better about things, go over to Facebook and find the home page of the Boy Scouts of America and read the comments there. Plenty of people in scouting are horrified and livid about that display at the Jamboree. There are a couple posts that have close to 200,000 comments, and people have complained that the BS are deleting comments – but they can’t keep up. At one point, they were getting 100K comments PER HOUR. Lot of people checking in demanding the Boy Scouts apologize for that atrocity and going on record that THIS IS NOT NORMAL, and is completely unacceptable.

  17. 17.

    Anne Laurie

    @Joyce Harmon:

    Lot of people checking in demanding the Boy Scouts apologize for that atrocity and going on record that THIS IS NOT NORMAL, and is completely unacceptable.

    This is very good to hear!

  18. 18.

    TenguPhule

    GOP lawmaker blames “female senators” on health care bill, says if they were men he’d challenge them to a duel.

    I did not know that Fat Bastard from Austin Powers was actually a Republican lawmaker.

  20. 20.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    This seems like a good thread to repeat my story of one of our cats pooping on my couch tonight.

    You thought….WRONGLY.

  21. 21.

    TenguPhule

    @mai naem mobile:

    Former CIA director John McLaughlin tweeted that the speech sounded like a third world dictator’s political rally.

    What does he mean like?

  22. 22.

    TenguPhule

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    The GOP is the party of disgusting fascist pigs.

    Wrong, we could get some decent bacon and hams from pigs.

    The long pork from these GOP fuckers is inedible.

  23. 23.

    Aleta

    My brother got a lot of weird ideas about patriotism from being in the Scouts. (He told me I could be arrested if I didn’t stand when the SSBanner played at the end of the broadcast day. He also sang taps at almost every sunset.) On the other hand, my partner got his buttons cut off in a formal expulsion ceremony.

  25. 25.

    John Revolta

    Oh fatherland, fatherland, show us the sign
    Your children have waited to see
    The morning will come when the world is mine
    At the Boy Scout Jamboree!!!

  27. 27.

    hellslittlestangel

    Pretty sure that by “duel,” Farenthold meant a pie-eating contest.

  28. 28.

    Brachiator

    Sigh. This lawmaker, who talks about challenging women lawmakers to a duel, looks like a dork who spent most of his school years tagged with the nickname “Farthold.”

    I wonder how long it will take for him to walk back his dumbass remarks.

    I don’t know the context of the pajamas photo and can’t work up to much outrage over it. It looks like the typical cautionary tale about why people should not post stuff on social media.

    It would be a hoot, though, if he were partying with lobbyists here.

  29. 29.

    Mel

    @Major Major Major Major: @Anne Laurie:

    Wow. Pajama boy is the stuff of nightmares. There is not enough brain bleach in the world to purge that image!

    And guess who is among the top 4 donors that pour money into his campaign coffers? Koch bros, of course…

  34. 34.

    Tony J

    GOP lawmaker blames “female senators” on health care bill, says if they were men he’d challenge them to a duel.

    Sure you would, you tubby shitweasel. Suuuuure you would. The second one of them issues a statement taking you up on your offer you’ll be all “Why can’t these hysterical bitches take a joke?”

    The reign of the alt-President is certainly bringing out the very best in alt-America.

  35. 35.

    JGabriel

    Kyle Griffin via Anne Laurie @ Top:

    Trump tells 40,000 Boy Scouts: “We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that.”

    … says the man who is loyal to no one but himself.

  37. 37.

    Tokyokie

    @Honus: He’s represents a majority Hispanic district. A decent Democrat with adequate campaign funds should be able to take him down.

  38. 38.

    patrick II

    A reason Trump gives inappropriate speeches is because he just doesn’t know anything else, so lack of loyalty, Hillary, election victory, who he holds grudges against at the moment is pretty much all that he knows and all he thinks about.
    The garbled, unfinished sentences that he gave during the Times interview shows what happens when he tries to talk about anything else.

  39. 39.

    Anne Laurie

    @Brachiator:

    I don’t know the context of the pajamas photo and can’t work up to much outrage over it. It looks like the typical cautionary tale about why people should not post stuff on social media.

    Your full-service blog in action: Pajama’d boy, circa 2014.

    (I had to search for the exact post, but its existence is seared into my memory.)

  40. 40.

    Charley

    Ok, this is a serious question: I am not from the US, but I don’t understand why anyone would not want to have healthcare coverage for as many people as possible?

  41. 41.

    eemom

    If the Boy Scouts are such a great org, why the fuck did they invite him? Did it come as a big surprise that he would go all Hitler youth on these kids?

  42. 42.

    Gin & Tonic

    @eemom: They invited him because he is the President. Three of the most recent four Presidents have accepted their invitation and spoken at a Jamboree. Two out of those three understood the nature of the occasion and gave appropriate remarks.

    Fuck this insomnia.

  43. 43.

    Kansi

    As recently as yesterday morning I thought Trump could not disgust and alarm me to a greater extent. I was wrong. That speech is both disgusting and bone chilling.

  44. 44.

    NotMax

    @Charley

    Because they’re sociopathic.
    Because they harbor an ingrained worldview that anything which accrues benefit to someone else must ipso facto be lessening benefit for them, that basic human dignity and propriety is finite.
    Because they’re sociopathic.
    Because the insurance cartel expends vast resources to lobby for the companies’ advantage as opposed to that of the beneficiaries.

    Oh, did I mention they’re sociopathic?

  45. 45.

    NotMax

    @NotMax

    Publishus prematuris.

    Ought to read:

    that basic human dignity and propriety are commodities and are finite.

  47. 47.

    Brachiator

    @Anne Laurie:

    .He won re-election for a second time this year, defeating Democratic challenger Wesley Reed — a feat made easier by GOP redistricting that made his seat safer for Republicans

    .A shit stain with a guaranteed future. Somehow, I am not surprised. And other parts of his background fit what I expected.

    The sad thing is that this little puke probably feels emboldened and vindicated by Trump’s election. His anti-woman sentiments go deep.

    Ugh

  48. 48.

    Viva BrisVegas

    Meet Blake @Farenthold, the @HouseGOP guy who blames “some female senators” for Trumpcare’s failure & says he’d fight them if they were men.

    I’m sure those women say the same thing. They would also fight him if he were a man.

  49. 49.

    gkoutnik

    @Sister Golden Bear: First time I’ve heard Eagle Scout in the past tense. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle. And BTW, this 67-year–old Eagle Scout is horrified that someone allowed that person* anywhere near those kids.

  50. 50.

    NorthLeft12

    I am a little surprised that there is not more outrage over Deadbeat Donald’s stupid, ignorant, and inappropriate remarks to the Boy Scouts.
    But then, I have to believe that people are running out of rage over his ongoing criminality and foolishness. I assume that is part of his “plan”.

  51. 51.

    JoeyJoeJoe Junior Shabadoo

    @Tony J:

    Back in the 70s, his mom Cissy was a liberal in the Texas legislature. She ran for Governor at least once. She would Oppose the Senate bill too.

  52. 52.

    Tony J

    Presuming any of the female Senators he’s threatening are aware of that, the response writes itself.

  53. 53.

    H.E.Wolf

    @JoeyJoeJoe Junior Shabadoo:
    Texas genealogy alert…

    The horrible Randolph Blake Farenthold is the son of George Randolph “Randy” Farenthold. Randy was the child of George Farenthold’s first marriage. George F. ‘s 2nd marriage was to Frances “Sissy” Farenthold. Blake is thus her step-grandson.

    “Sissy” Farenthold, now 90, is a badass Texas liberal in the tradition of Anne Richards, Barbara Jordan, and Molly Ivins.

  54. 54.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @JoeyJoeJoe Junior Shabadoo:

    Back in the 70s, his mom Cissy was a liberal in the Texas legislature. She ran for Governor at least once. She would Oppose the Senate bill too.

    It’s not that close a relationship. Sissy Farenthold is Blake’s step-grandmother. But you’re right, she was and is a liberal, ran twice for Governor, and holds political positions which are mostly 180° removed from his. Thanksgiving dinners chez Farenthold must be … interesting.

  55. 55.

    delosgatos

    Farenthold is a caricature of every caricature of the fat cat bad guy in gilded age political cartoons.

  56. 56.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Charley: Because some of the people who’d get it would be lazy, effeminate, and/or dark-complected, i.e. undeserving in Republican eyes. That’s always a reliable reason why American politics is being stupid at any given time.

  57. 57.

    frosty

    @gkoutnik: This Eagle Scout is also disgusted. I don’t fault the BSA for inviting him, the President is an officer in the BSA. I fault Trump for not understanding the occasion, the audience, and for being completely inappropriate. I hpoe they’ve learned. They had better not invite him again.

  58. 58.

    glory b

    @frosty: I feel as though the BSA owes the rest of us an explanation and some sort of apology. My African American father was an Eagle scout back in the pre-Civil Rights Era south, and he loved scouting and its outreach to rural black kids back then. It makes me want to cry to see this, I’m glad he can’t see this.

  59. 59.

    Mike in NC

    When Berlin was about to fall in 1945, the Hitler Youth were among the most fanatical defenders of the fascist regime. Maybe Bannon mentioned that to Trump.

  60. 60.

    H.E.Wolf

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    I salute your much-more-concise explanation of House Farenthold. :)

    P.S.: Thanks to Sissy, I can always remember how to spell WaPo reporter David Fahrenthold’s surname, because it’s just one more “h” than hers.

  62. 62.

    jetkestrel

    @Charley: For some people, the “they’re just sociopaths who don’t care about the deaths of people they don’t personally know” argument is actually true, but for most of the non-monstrous Republicans I know it’s some combination of:

    1) They believe that the American system is the best system that could possibly exist, so any changes to health care will make things worse. These are the people who will tell you earnestly about the friend of a friend’s relative in Canada who waited for MONTHS and MONTHS with CANCER before finally being forced to travel to the US to access life-saving treatment.

    2) They believe that the government providing health care for everyone is simply unaffordable. Health care, to them, is a wildly expensive luxury good, and while it would be nice if the government could just buy it for them in the same way that it would be nice if the government could buy them a house or a new car, it’s ridiculous. They worry about health care prices themselves, they may have dealt with huge medical bills, and they think of that scrimping, saving and worry as the normal state of things. These people often deeply resent Medicaid recipients as lazy moochers getting something “for free” that costs them a huge amount of money and anxiety.

    3) They think that exorbitant and opaque health care pricing is a result of insurance companies and government regulations getting in the way of the natural relationship where a patient gives a doctor money and receives care. If the government would just get out of our healthcare, this line of thought goes, then doctors would have to charge reasonable amounts, people would take care of themselves so they wouldn’t have to spend too much money, the health care system would be fixed and things wouldn’t be expensive or confusing anymore. (This often coexists with the view of healthcare as a luxury good, as it assumes that you shouldn’t buy it if you can’t afford it.)

    So: nationalistic ignorance, lack of charity, and market-worshipping nostalgic fantasies. Plus a surprisingly large subset of voters who know nothing about healthcare policy in general or current health care laws or bills in particular, but believe that whoever has the (R) after their name is looking out for people like them and fixing what’s broken, and anyone who says differently is a liberal liar.

  63. 63.

    frosty

    @jetkestrel: Excellent writeup. Post it again in a live thread. I’ve grown weary of the “sociopath” arguments. These make a lot of sense.

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