Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

Come on, man.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

The lights are all blinking red.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

The willow is too close to the house.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

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

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Not Crazy, Just Addled

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Not Crazy, Just Addled

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“This morning two senators were caught on a hot mike calling President Trump crazy. And when the news came out, literally every member of the Senate was like, ‘Wait, was it me?’” — JIMMY FALLON

Only the sane members of Congress, and they don’t have a majority. Per the Washington Post:

At the end of a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday morning, someone sitting near Chairman Susan Collins (R-Maine) didn’t switch off a microphone. Collins was recorded discussing the federal budget and President Trump’s lack of familiarity with the details of governing with a colleague — apparently Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies subcommittee.

After Reed praises Collins’s leadership of the hearing, she laments the administration’s handling of spending.

“I swear, [the Office of Management and Budget] just went through and whenever there was ‘grant,’ they just X it out,” Collins says. “With no measurement, no thinking about it, no metrics, no nothing. It’s just incredibly irresponsible.”

“Yes,” Reed replies. “I think — I think he’s crazy,” apparently referring to the president. “I mean, I don’t say that lightly and as a kind of a goofy guy.”

“I’m worried,” Collins replies.

“Oof,” Reed continues. “You know, this thing — if we don’t get a budget deal, we’re going to be paralyzed.”

“I know,” Collins replies…

“You’ve got [Budget Director Mick] Mulvaney saying we’re going to put in all sorts of stuff like a border wall. Then you’ve got [Treasury Secretary Steve] Mnuchin saying it’s got to be clean,” Reed continues. “We’re going to be back in September, and, you know, you’re going to have crazy people in the House.”…

The old man squatting in the Oval Office is losing his grip on day-to-day tasks, he’s surrounded by bigots and grifters, and the best hope for the rest of us is that the organic brain failure will progress swiftly enough Lord Smallgloves shows up for an on-camera event wearing no pants.

Say it with me: THANKS, REPUBLICANS!

As he reverts to the simple clan slogans of his misbegotten youth…

Reader Interactions

74Comments

  1. 1.

    different-church-lady

    What is slightly surprising is that the administration is getting more and more chaotic and dysfunctional the longer Trump is president.

    What is at all surprising about it?

  4. 4.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    IN AMERICA WE DON’T WORSHIP GOVERNMENT – WE WORSHIP GOD

    says the guy who never goes to church (ie TWO Corinthians walk into a bar)

  10. 10.

    rikyrah

    Schumer: “There’s no such thing as ‘skinny repeal.’ It’s a ruse to get to full repeal.” pic.twitter.com/pUQ7MqDscu
    — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 26, 2017

  11. 11.

    rikyrah

    Up next: Many more amendments. And a likely vote on GOP “skinny repeal” — with big consequences — is still looming. https://t.co/kMm2DZDjbY
    — Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) July 26, 2017

    BREAKING: Insurers say “skinny” repeal will destabilize markets and lead to “steep premium increases and diminished choices” pic.twitter.com/xmQHZtEprs
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) July 26, 2017

    NEW: Premium rate shock by state under “skinny” repeal. https://t.co/BkuT9PnSzA pic.twitter.com/LaFDD8GW32
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) July 26, 2017

    The latest: @SenDeanHeller rejects ACA repeal, says he will vote for “skinny repeal” if Medicaid is left intact. https://t.co/KRkUdLpXWV
    — Megan Messerly (@meganmesserly) July 26, 2017

  12. 12.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    Executive order to have Collins and Reed arrested and summarily executed in 3..2..1..

  13. 13.

    hueyplong

    Only “surprising” if you gave any credence to the early excuses using the phrases “new to this” and “inexperienced politician.”

    What has happened is that he has gotten more experienced at being irresponsible and monstrous with power. Of course it’s getting worse

  15. 15.

    Barbara

    @different-church-lady: They still haven’t got it through their heads that Trump is fundamentally not normal. They are thinking back to Bill Clinton, where everything was a little chaotic at first, but settled down (until 1998, of course). Trump is just going to get worse and worse. The high point for stability was the inauguration.

  16. 16.

    Chyron HR

    On the same day the President tweeted “No Trannies in the Army” and “WORSHIP GOD!(film projector emoji)”. The first was apparently intended as an official executive order, should we take the second tweet to be one also? If not, what’s the difference?

  17. 17.

    TenguPhule

    @different-church-lady:

    What is at all surprising about it?

    You have to remember these are the same people who thought Trump would grow into the role once the weighty responsibilities of the office sank in.

  19. 19.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Chyron HR: What was with that projector emoji and the all caps? He’s losing it. And the people at my local paper and commenters on disqus are delusional

  20. 20.

    Immanentize

    @Major Major Major Major: I am feeling this same way! I am really having a tough time today with all this stuff. I am back to believing that I might actually have died on November 9, 2016 and this is my purgatory.

  22. 22.

    TenguPhule

    @Immanentize:

    I am really having a tough time today with all this stuff. I am back to believing that I might actually have died on November 9, 2016 and this is my purgatory.

    You couldn’t possibly have committed a sin bad enough to be condemned to this.

  24. 24.

    jl

    @different-church-lady: I am slightly surprised it is getting so chaotic and dysfunctional so quickly, and almost entirely, so far, a result of Trump’s own personal dysfunction. But not surprised that things would steadily go that way.

  26. 26.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @FlipYrWhig:

    And who asked the Presbyterian ministers who visited him, who corrected him when he seemed to indicate he thought they were evangelicals, if they were Christians.

    You mean the guy who claims to be a Presbyterian?

  28. 28.

    jl

    Also, I hear on news that repeal and delay goes down with seven GOP ‘nos’. So, I think the major option left is the mini-skinny-flimsy repeal.
    If that goes down, then they start really winging it, totally on the fly, from whole cloth?

  29. 29.

    Mom Says I'm Handsome

    To support our Overlords I took the bait and clicked on the ad for “LibertyNation”, where I have taken up a modest position as an antagonist to… I’m not sure yet. The articles are mostly libertarian in nature, which means they’re 90% FYIGM and 10% sensible (e.g. anti-asset-forfeiture, and anti-killing-immigrants-by-baking-them-in-a-trailer-in-a-San-Antone-WalMart-parking-lot — although the latter article made repeated and predictable dehumanizing reference to “illegals”). It feels better to tweak some Ayn Rand acolytes than read the “real news” about what our Senate is doing to fuck over everyone.

  30. 30.

    Felonius Monk

    Someone over at LGM refers to him as Orange Droolius. Kinda apropos, I think.

  31. 31.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Major Major Major Major:
    It’s from his freak show in Youngstown.

    Here’s a sampling of comments on IG:

    grantgustusaSorry I’m an American and I don’t worship god. I don’t worship the government either because right now, it’s hella disgusting with you in the lead

    ms_michigan_galAmen!!!

    dirtymckenzieNo, I don’t.

    r.o.t.c.s.a_arkansas@woodlawnmanormuseum and he didn’t use religion to win my vote

    loganabrown05Keep standing for the truth ??

    jmodom55@_bork.for.president_ hey look who’s president. If so many people hate him then how is he president. #downwithLGBT

  32. 32.

    Barbara

    @jl: He has no reference point for norms of government, no talent for real negotiation, where he does not have all the leverage. He has no background understanding of anything important, whether it is military policy, health care policy, or foreign policy, that would allow him to even begin to understand how to weigh complex trade offs. His main goal is to keep his money fountain flowing and he never dreamed that he would not be able to control investigations that threaten to expose sketchy transactions and campaign shenanigans. He lives for adulation and instant gratification and that’s why he keeps reliving the campaign. Over and over again.

  34. 34.

    TenguPhule

    @jl:

    If that goes down, then they start really winging it, totally on the fly, from whole cloth?

    McConnell is going to have strong motivation to play Calvinball with the rules again if skinny billy fails to make the cut. But thanks to their 51 vote yesterday, the Republicans are all now in a bind about getting something passed. Their donors are gonna insist on it and only money talks to Republican ears these days.

    So uncertainty will prevail until the actual votes.

  35. 35.

    jl

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Some one reported a while ago that Trump did ask two Presbyterian ministers whether Presbyterians were Christians. Maybe one of the two ministers reported it. I remember reading someplace that Trump is nominally a Presbyterian himself, or comes from a Presby family.

  36. 36.

    Mary G

    I think they feel they must pass something. Why don’t they pass a bill saying the ACA is now named TrumpCare and be done with it? The base won’t know any different.

  37. 37.

    Anne Laurie

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:

    What was with that projector emoji and the all caps?

    To be fair, I think the projector icon just means that when you click on the following bit, you get switched to an Instagram clip with Trump saying the all-caps crap out loud.

    (Which means Trump can’t figure out how to embed the Instagram clip in his tweet properly — you’d think he’d demand one of his interns fix it for him cuz he’s certainly not too shy to promote himself!)

  39. 39.

    TenguPhule

    Oh Fuck these People.

    As one of dozens of volunteers for the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the deep-pocketed super PAC backed by Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), he was on a months-long mission to knock on the doors of semi-frequent voters and tell them that their congressman was doing what they sent him to do. In Nebraska’s second district, where Bacon narrowly defeated Democrat Brad Ashford last year, the goal was to build up the Republican before Democrats had a chance to try and tear him down.

    The CLF’s multi-million dollar campaign, unfolding now in 20 targeted districts and expanding next year to 30, is an ambitious bet that the Republican House majority can be spared from a Trump midterm backlash. If it works, each endangered Republican will be reintroduced to voters as a post-partisan who delivers on their key issues; each Democratic challenger will be framed as a vote for Nancy Pelosi to snatch back the speaker’s gavel, while empowering an anti-Trump “resistance” that only wants to wreck the country.

    Fuck them all with a rusty chainsaw.

  40. 40.

    jl

    @TenguPhule: I read that the parliamentarian took a ax to some of the various GOP plans for the votarama that they wanted to ram through on simple majority, in addition to the rulings on the preivous major proposals. So, GOP will be much more hemmed in than they expected.

  44. 44.

    Mnemosyne

    @Chyron HR:

    What is up with the camera emoji anyway? Did he hit the wrong key or is there some hidden meaning that the fundies are all creaming themselves over?

    ETA: Never mind, Major^4 answered the question.

  45. 45.

    Brachiator

    Collins also had some fun things to say about the idiot politician who wanted to duel with women Congresspersons who didn’t go along with Obamacare repeal.

    After Reed referenced “crazy people in the House,” Collins asked: “Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel?” She was referring, of course, to Rep. Farenthold, who blamed three “female senators from the Northeast” for undermining the Republican healthcare bill.

    “I know,” Reed replies. “Trust me. Do you know why he challenged you to a duel? ‘Cause you could beat the s— out of him.”

    “Well, he’s huge,” Collins replies. “And he — I don’t mean to be unkind, but he’s so unattractive it’s unbelievable.”

    “Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this Playboy bunny?”

  46. 46.

    TenguPhule

    @jl: Hence McConnell’s strong motivation to Calvinball and either A) replace her or B) pretend she doesn’t count anymore.

  49. 49.

    Barbara

    @jl: His mother was Scottish so it is very likely the case that his religious upbringing such as it was, was Presbyterian.

  50. 50.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @jl:

    If that goes down, then they start really winging it, totally on the fly, from whole cloth?

    The “Bruce Jenner” Health Care option is coming; you get sick, a celebrity sports star shows up at talks to you. Why? It’s the GOP and nothing makes any sense with them.

  52. 52.

    jimmiraybob

    “What is slightly surprising is that the administration is getting more and more chaotic and dysfunctional the longer Trump is president.”

    Who the F#CK is surprised? What nincompoop that was alive and mildly sentient during the campaign expected anything else? Someone waking now from a comma might be mildly surprised but show them enough campaign footage and, et voila, all surprise gone. I would have won billions of dollars betting on the depths of his fail except that everyone with enough know how to count and use words was betting on the depths of his fail. I’m not even surprised that a colossal idiot would be mildly surprised at this point, I’m pissed. The White House is a black hole of fail. The event horizon keeps growing. The longer he is president the more likely that we’ll all get dragged in the abyss of fail. Prediction: Ever more accelerating fail. There, no more surprise. (walks away mumbling)

    Thanks,
    I needed that.

  53. 53.

    clay

    @Chyron HR:

    n the same day the President tweeted “No Trannies in the Army” and “WORSHIP GOD!(film projector emoji)”. The first was apparently intended as an official executive order, should we take the second tweet to be one also? If not, what’s the difference?

    This brings up an interesting question… WAS an official order released about the trans ban? There have been quite a few instances where Trump has announced things that turned out to have phantom weight. Does anyone know if there has been an official order signed and released?

    It totally wouldn’t surprise me if they neglected that part…

  54. 54.

    Immanentize

    @clay: My understanding from today’s news conference is that the Administration will be working out the details with the military or some such. So, no official order yet. This is frustrating some LGBTQ advocates itching to get into court. Meanwhile, Mattis is on vacation this week and next maybe. Surprise!!

  56. 56.

    dmsilev

    @jl:

    So, I think the major option left is the mini-skinny-flimsy repeal.
    If that goes down, then they start really winging it, totally on the fly, from whole cloth?

    As opposed to the carefully laid out plan that they’ve been following so far?

  58. 58.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @dmsilev: The GOP should just fucking stop. It’s embarrassing and sucking the oxygen out of the room with this the stupid stuff

  59. 59.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Thnking about this; this is Donald Trump. I wonder if all his crazy tweets are because all the attention is on the Senate and Trump is freaking out because he is so needy so keeps on tweeting stupider and stupider nonsense? That would certainly explain the tight lipped replies from the leading Republicans, sort of what they are really saying is “don’t reward Donny with attention or he will just act worse”

  60. 60.

    Shalimar

    Why is it surprising that the administration is becoming more chaotic and dysfunctional over time? That is how all of Trump’s businesses went bankrupt too, inexorably circling the toilet as time went by. It was never just one horrible decision they couldn’t recover from.

  61. 61.

    catclub

    @clay:

    WAS an official order released about the trans ban?

    only problem is that if you ask and there wasn’t one, they will remember to write one – thanks

  63. 63.

    Van Buren

    I take it Ryan Lizza missed the debates. Any person with a brain who watched could foretell that the shitshow would work like compound interest, and just increase exponentially into the future.

  66. 66.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Barbara:

    The high point for stability was the inauguration.

    The inauguration about which, let us not forget, George W. Bush said “That was some weird shit.”

  67. 67.

    Anne Laurie

    @Shalimar:

    Why is it surprising that the administration is becoming more chaotic and dysfunctional over time?

    After normal fustercluck elections — even Dubya’s — there’s a cadre of professionals on the “winning” team who learn stuff once they take over the day-to-day functions of governing. Some smart people, incurable optimists, assumed that even though Trump was clueless/useless, somebody in his orbit — Javanka/Bannon/Priebus — would get it together enough to keep the lights on and the mail delivered.

    Of course, this batch of grifters & cultists couldn’t even figure out how to turn the lights on…

  68. 68.

    Anne Laurie

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I know about Trump’s meeting with the ministers, he said he was a Presbyterian at Liberty ‘University’ last year.

    Way I remember it, his mother sent him to Presbyterian Sunday school when she could. But he switched to the Episcopalians when he first wanted to get married because they have the most photogenic churches — apart from the Catholics who weren’t gonna let him use the facilities without expending more money & effort than he felt he could afford.

    Like everything else in Trump’s life, he doesn’t see religion as anything other than a background for the better presentation of Donald Trump, World’s Greatest Man.

  69. 69.

    Shalimar

    @Anne Laurie: Even an idiot like Lizza should have looked around, seen the vast majority of appointed positions in the administration still haven’t been filled, and realized no professionals will work for this clown show.

  72. 72.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    Coming out of lurkdom, just wanted to mention as I have not seen it in comments on any recent threads: Senator Mazie Hirono (D) Hawaii, is recovering from surgery this spring to remove a kidney and surgery a couple weeks ago to remove a rib. She has Stage 4 kidney cancer that has spread to her chest, and she showed up yesterday to vote against the motion to proceed. She didn’t get a standing ovation or the opportunity to lecture everyone…(re-donning invisibility cloak)

  74. 74.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Chyron HR: Unless you’re trans, please refrain from using the t-word — most trans people find it pretty offensive when used by non-trans people. (I’m not personally offended, but “tranny” has a unique and complicated history here in the SF Bay Area, where it was originally used as a provocative self-descriptor before it became widely used as a slur.)

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: Caitlyn, her name is Caitlyn. Please don’t dead name trans people. Even those as repugnant as Jenner.

    Your PSAs for tonight.

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