Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

I conferred with the team and they all agree – still not tired of winning!

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

In my day, never was longer.

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickle?”

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

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

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

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

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

You are here: Home / Politics / domestic terrorists / Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Proud to Be A Democrat

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Proud to Be A Democrat

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From Politico, “Democrats press GOP to scrutinize rise in white supremacy”:

… Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee are asking panel Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) to examine racist fringe groups, including those that organized Saturday’s violent protest against the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the University of Virginia campus…

California Rep. Lou Correa, who sits on the Homeland panel, was the first Democrat to call for hearings.

“Yesterday’s horrific acts against innocent Americans were clear acts of terrorism,” he said. “Our country has a homegrown terrorism problem we refuse to address. That ends now. We must hold hearings and finally address that terrorism inflicted by white supremacy extremists is destroying our country.”

A spokesman for Homeland ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) confirmed to POLITICO that committee Democrats were organizing to increase pressure on the panel to schedule hearings on white supremacist terrorism.

Homeland Democrats have already called for such hearings twice this year to no avail. A spokesperson for McCaul did not respond to request for comment.

The issue is going beyond the committee. Top House Democrats will discuss the matter during a leadership call and Democratic caucus conference call scheduled for Tuesday, according to a senior Democratic source. House Judiciary Democrats likewise held a call and are coordinating efforts to ramp up pressure on Republicans to address the growing threat…

Reader Interactions

306Comments

  1. 1.

    sukabi

    Way past time for the media to unmask the congress critters passing the racist torch and pretending they aren’t racist.

  3. 3.

    Chyron HR

    Would it be tacky to ask when Senator “They’re not deplorable, they’re the proud and noble white working class” will issue a condemnation?

  4. 4.

    Tokyokie

    I know it’s a foolish question, but do these schmucks remember how things turned out for the world and the original Nazis? The glorious 1,000-year Reich lasted only like 6 years.

  6. 6.

    Betty Cracker

    Y’all, I participated in the most harrowing kitten rescue about 12 hours ago. The operation consisted of one person perching on the ledge of a building, hanging onto bamboo trees and leaning over about three feet to pluck newborn kittens off a thatched roof, then dropping said kittens down to a person holding a small net 10 feet below. I was the person holding the net. Glad to say I caught all of the kittens, but sweet Jeebus, it still horrifies me to think of it.

  15. 15.

    Betty Cracker

    @Amir Khalid: No sign of her, but we’re keeping watch. If she shows up, we’ll attempt to trap her to reunite her with the kittens. Unfortunately, there’s a ton of breeding feral cats in my town because well-meaning but misguided folks put out food but otherwise take no responsibility for the colonies that form. It’s not at all uncommon to find feral cats run over in the street or dead from dog attacks, etc. We suspect the kittens’ mom met such a fate. :(

  18. 18.

    Zach

    So the folks who organized the racist conspiracies that trained James Fields and hundreds or thousands of others for armed violence and racist intimidation/harassment are still walking around free today, right?

    Trump calling out the KKK/neo-Nazis was, or at least should’ve been, easy. He needed to name the newer alt-right groups and their leaders that have been showing up across the country for the last year hoping for an excuse to beat up a brown person… who’ve now joined in criminal conspiracies with KKK/neo-Nazi groups. And he needed to apologize for not doing anything about it and actually encouraging it…

    For example, the March violence at a pro-Trump rally in Huntington Beach was instigated by members of racist, fascist organizations – http://www.ocweekly.com/news/huntington-beach-pro-trump-march-turns-into-attack-on-anti-trump-protesters-press-7991623 – Trump and Fox used it as an example of violence from the left when it should’ve been investigated as a hate crime.

  19. 19.

    raven

    @Zach: Who Is Michael Tubbs? KKK Supporter Accused Of Ordering Charlottesville Violence

    Tubbs, who was photographed in several brawls throughout Saturday, is the Florida state chairman of the League of the South. He became part of the Southern nationalist organization after being released from prison for plotting to bomb Jewish and black-owned businesses in Jacksonville, Florida.

    “He was a member of the KKK. He was caught stealing guns from the military for the KKK while he was a serviceman. He is a widely known white supremacist and a truly dangerous man. In Charlottesville, he was seen overseeing and ordering much of the violence. He broke multiple laws in doing so and should be arrested immediately,” civil rights activist Shaun King wrote on his Facebook page.

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    @raven: That scumbag will likely turn up when Richard Spencer holds his racist incitement event at the University of Florida next month.

  32. 32.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @rikyrah: Shit.

    A small glimmer of light: A friend of mine had kidney failure a few years back. Was on dialysis for… quite some time, 6 mo? 8 mos? a year? Then his kidneys started functioning again. I don’t think they ever figured out what happened but it’s been almost 2 years and he’s still going strong.

    I will hope for the best for your sister.

  36. 36.

    bystander

    @rikyrah: All best thoughts for you and your family.

    So we have spent a nice weekend in the Poconos, but returning to the city today. Only hope thousands and thousands of people are not thronging our sidewalks chanting, “New York hates you.”

    I could watch that video almost as many times as Dansons la Capucine.

  37. 37.

    Zach

    @raven: In another decade the racist terrorists who are showing up in pictures today will be tomorrow’s GOP delegates writing the party platform. Same thing happened with people who enjoyed blowing up abortion clinics; a convicted anti-abortion terrorist was in Cleveland helping write the anti-abortion platform and celebrating their victory – http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/victory-gop-party-platform-to-include-right-to-life-for-pre-born-defunding-of-planned-parenthood/

  41. 41.

    ThresherK

    NPR is saying terms like “white supremacist” and “neo-Nazi” in headlines.

    And all it took was what went down in Charlottesville.

    —

    @rikyrah: Sending our best thoughts to you and yours.

  47. 47.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @ThresherK: @Baud: Johnny come latelys. Think Progress instituted a policy of never using the term “alt-right” a couple weeks ago. “Fascists” or “white supremacists” are now the preferred terms.

  51. 51.

    debbie

    @ThresherK:

    NPR also took the time to explain the use of the word “sanctions” when a guest said Trump sanctioned the hate groups during his campaign. Not enough people know all the meanings of the word.

  53. 53.

    debbie

    I was disappointed by Colbert’s Moushy interview last night. Talking over each other, etc. Letterman would have done a much better job.

  54. 54.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Yes, but this is big because the national press has a long history of normalizing and whitewashing racism. It’s a major reason we’re in this situation. Since Reagan, and mostly because of Reagan, they have bent themselves in pretzels to pretend racism in America is dead. That the truth is slowly breaking through is amazing.

  59. 59.

    Betty Cracker

    @MomSense: I was just so afraid I’d miss one and that the fall would injure or kill it! I’m not especially coordinated — quite the opposite! But fear turned me into a champion lacrosse player in that moment! ?

  62. 62.

    hueyplong

    Ill thoughts toward the KKK/Nazis take a back seat to well wishes for rikyrah’s sister.

  67. 67.

    Buskertype

    deep thought I just had:
    Rightwing Christians are all about “gay-conversion therapy” but you never hear them promoting “racist conversion therapy” hmmmm….

  70. 70.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Sometimes they do start functioning again. That’s what the doctors told my friend/current houseguest a year and 1/2 ago. I don’t understand why or how but it does happen and I think sometimes the doctors can’t even explain it.

  73. 73.

    Betty Cracker

    @Frankensteinbeck: I just read an article somewhere about how the white supremacist attack in Charlottesville is accelerating municipal plans to remove Confederate statues all across the South. I hope the ignorant trash boo-hooing about their removal are capable of grasping that irony. I never thought I’d live to see the day South Carolina would remove the Confederate flag over the statehouse, but Confederate flag-humper Dylann Roof’s atrocity made it impossible to keep the damn thing up.

  75. 75.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: His was the first I’d heard of that happening, but I don’t know many people with kidney failure. That’s my excuse for my obvious ignorance and I’m sticking to it.

  77. 77.

    Baud

    Since Democratic Congressman John Delaney had already announced his quixotic run for president, my advice to him is to start running ads to counter Trump’s campaign ads. Good way to get your name out there.

  80. 80.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    I had never heard of it until my experience with this friend/houseguest. (oddly, I’m sure you know my friend…big fixture in the neighborhood since the 1970’s). He had a thorough and complete physical a few days before his 80th ( will be 82 this January). Work up in severe pain a few days after his birthday. Long story short, both kidneys completely shut down, hospitalized for two months. No diagnosis as to why. Started on the home dialysis about 6 months ago. Says drs say they could start working spontaneously anytime. Also, supposedly on kidney transplant list.

  82. 82.

    MomSense

    @Betty Cracker:

    Go Betty! The cutest hiding place I have found kittens was under some giant hostas next to a front porch. I could hear mewing and tracked it to a house near my office. When I lifted the huge hosta leaf there were four little calicos and one black kitten. So cute. Sometimes the spaces under porches are pretty gross with garter snakes and lots of cobwebs but I never had to worry about dropping kittens to their deaths!

  84. 84.

    clay

    @debbie: I’ve not yet seen last night’s show, but Letterman was the greatest interviewer of his generation. Saying someone didn’t do as good a job as Letterman implies a nigh-impossible bar to clear.

  89. 89.

    zhena gogolia

    @clay:

    Don’t say “was,” it looks as if he’s going to have a new show, on Netflix or some other thing I can’t watch.

  92. 92.

    Chris

    @Zach:

    Trump calling out the KKK/neo-Nazis was, or at least should’ve been, easy. He needed to name the newer alt-right groups and their leaders that have been showing up across the country for the last year hoping for an excuse to beat up a brown person… who’ve now joined in criminal conspiracies with KKK/neo-Nazi groups. And he needed to apologize for not doing anything about it and actually encouraging it…

    Like I said yesterday: it had been fashionable for a few decades now on the far right to distance yourself from literal Nazis and Klansmen in favor of “militia” groups with more generically patriotic/libertarian/religious names and charters. Trump did some work to reverse that – but I can’t help thinking that part of the reason so many Republicans were willing to denounce him and the Charlottesville crowd was that they were, in fact, literal Nazis, and that if it had been Oath Keepers or the like, you’d have seen a lot less of it.

  94. 94.

    Kay

    This is a good piece:

    Over the weekend, the alt-right descended upon Charlottesville, Virginia, in full force: The bearded militiamen, the shield-toting National Vanguard, and of course, the oddly coiffed representatives of the irony wing of the far-right movement. People like Tim Gionet, known under the nom de troll Baked Alaska, and Millennial Matt, a prominent mustachioed member of Vice magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes’s irony-laced men’s group, the Proud Boys.
    Millennial Matt, who frequently tweets “ironic” jokes about the Holocaust, and Gionet, who is similarly fond of “jokes” like Photoshopping people’s faces into cartoons of concentration-camp ovens, were among the most prominent faces at this weekend’s Unite the Right event. Matt was featured prominently in photographs of Friday night’s terrifying torchlit march; Gionet was so excited that he created hyperstylized meme renditions of the infamous “14 words” of white nationalists (“We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”).
    By Sunday, after the gathering was shut down by police and a fellow white nationalist careened through a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one person and injuring many more, both Gionet and Matt had adjusted their tone considerably. Gionet, who was maced by unknown assailants, tweeted, “We must come together as a country and try to understand each other peacefully. We can’t continue to scream nazi or sjw back & forth.” Matt, whose account was suspended, posted a video of himself talking to the camera, his voice shaking: “I’m usually a jokester; I do a lot of comedy, but there’s nothing funny about threatening people’s lives, threatening people’s families.”

    I really loathe the “ironic” racists. It was always mean-spirited, this stuff. It always came from a bad place.

    Give me an overly-earnest and sort of scolding young Lefty over these people any day of the week. At least they don’t hide behind “trolling”, they don’t adopt this phony above-it-all distance. If they’re far Right, and they are, they should just BE that but they’re too scared so they insist they’re “disrupters”. It’s cowardly.

  95. 95.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Betty Cracker: I’d thought a lot of the Confederate flags that came down around that time went back up for Trump’s election. Maybe not the state-house ones?

  96. 96.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Tokyokie

    : I know it’s a foolish question, but do these schmucks remember how things turned out for the world and the original Nazis? The glorious 1,000-year Reich lasted only like 6 years.

    These idiots are literately to dumb to consider that. In some Second Life role play group chat some obviously Fascist curious kid was going on about how he wants to play an SS officer and were they anything going on were he could do that. I replied I was playing a NKVD guard in a Soviet Gulag set in 1946 and we were looking for people to play SS Officers inmates, since that rock salt doesn’t mine itself, does it Comrade. . The kid was just left stunned.

    They all do their Hitler Rant Downfall Memes and never make the connection about what Downfall is really about.

  98. 98.

    bemused

    Not surprisingly locally, blogs and social media have some bothsiders, whatabouters, nazi and anti protesters equally scum, BLM/Hillary worse commenters.
    How many WH staffers, past and present, have been outed as white supremacists/fascists? Of course there’s Bannon, Miller, that Higgins guy but I’m drawing a blank right now til I wake up. Between the fascists and Russian players in WH, it’s difficult and depressing to keep up.

  100. 100.

    Kay

    @Quinerly:

    But she also spent much of her pregnancy battling fear and loneliness.

    It’s so nice that Chris Hayes called her. He seems decent on his show. Maybe he really is.

  101. 101.

    debit

    @Quinerly: I read it to see if she ever changed her mind about Trump or expressed any regret for her role in the election. Doesn’t look like it.

    ETA: I realize this makes me sound hateful and churlish, but I really don’t care that she was sad and scared and lonely. She helped put that human pustule in office. I have nothing for her but contempt.

  102. 102.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @rikyrah: I’m so sorry to hear that. My husband has also been recently diagnosed with the same, and he only has one kidney (lost the other to cancer). He’s now on the Johns Hopkins transplant list; his kidney is sorta working so no dialysis for at about a year. Feel free to ask the front pagers for my e-mail address if you wish to talk to someone else going through this. I found it very helpful to talk to friends and colleagues who shared with me their stories of transplants and of donations. Strength to your sister, to you, and to your families.

  103. 103.

    Kay

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    I love the idea of “frictionless” online and real life, which is all about friction :)

    The only time I was genuinely scared at a political function was an encounter with a birther. It was in a senior center, but he wasn’t a senior- he was middle aged and in blue work clothes- what they wear in factories here. His hands were shaking he was so mad. All I could think about was whether he had a gun.

  106. 106.

    Quinerly

    @debit:
    Oh, I agree with you. I just thought it was an interesting read. She would gladly step back in and lick Kelly Ann Conway’s Ivanka branded tacky pumps.

  107. 107.

    Gelfling 545

    @Betty Cracker: Well done. My son in law’s sister was lowered into a storm drain by SPCA on Friday to rescue a tiny kitten who managed to get himself down there. Kitten successfully rescued although she had to fit a baited cage into the drain to get the poor, frightened little guy. Thankfully, there was no rain before they got him out.

  111. 111.

    Betty Cracker

    @zhena gogolia: It was actually a largish fish tank net! But I had to hustle to catch them; the person who was taking them off the roof (my husband) was hanging from a tree with one arm and was too far away from the edge of the roof to just drop them down to me. He had to toss them! And I had to catch them! It was quite an ordeal. I’m still not over it! But the kittens are doing well.

  112. 112.

    chris

    @zhena gogolia: A person might google something like “watch-tvseries” and be surprised. A person would also need an ad blocker and up to date antivirus.

  115. 115.

    SFAW

    @rikyrah:

    Lousy news about your sister, I’m hoping she gets some of that spontaneous-and-unexplained reversal that Ozark and other mentioned.

    Thinking of her, and you.

  116. 116.

    zhena gogolia

    @chris:

    You’re talking to tech ignoramus. I’ll just stick to my TV and TCM and PBS until they pry them from my cold, dead hands.

    Letterman may well be one of the greatest interviewers in history, but he is certainly the worst co-host of TCM’s “Essentials” in history.

  118. 118.

    gene108

    @rikyrah:

    Hang in there. It is not a death sentence.

    Between dialysis and transplant, she can live for years.

    Myself, efgoldman, and I think one other commenter are all on dialysis. It is manageable.

  119. 119.

    japa21

    Just a quick thought. I was listening to Trump’s statement again from yesterday. Although he spoke about racism being evil, etc. he really spoke mostly about those who incite violence as criminals and thugs. It was almost as if he was saying that those groups really only cross the line when they incite violence. Of course, it may just be my normal skepticism towards anything the blowhard says.

  122. 122.

    Betty Cracker

    @Scamp Dog: My husband — the cat hater! — was the monkey hanging from the tree to rescue the kittens from the roof.

    @bemused: I don’t know, but very young. Their eyes aren’t open yet — lucky for them!

  127. 127.

    Betty Cracker

    @Kristine: Me too! To be clear, they weren’t located on a solid, conventional roof. It is kind of a vine-covered thatched affair affixed to the solid roof of an outbuilding. But still, why on earth up there?

  132. 132.

    The Very Reverend Crimson Fire of Compassion

    @rikyrah: for what it’s worth, I’ve been there multiple times. My family has a genetic disorder that often results in kidney failure & the need for dialysis. It’s overwhelming at first, but manageable. If your niece has a strong support system, this doesn’t have to be as terrible an outcome as it probably looks right now. I’m not any kind of expert on the subject, but I am here to listen and help if I can.

  133. 133.

    The Very Reverend Crimson Fire of Compassion

    Crap. I meant your sister. My niece is the person I’ve walked through this most closely with.

  134. 134.

    mai naem mobile

    @Betty Cracker: where are the pics? Did you not think of us BJrs who would want to look at pics whIle you were holding the net? I guess we aren’t all that important to you.
    《<>》

  135. 135.

    mai naem mobile

    @rikyrah: as other people.have already mentioned , its not a deat sentence . It’s hard the first few months while you get used to the the routine and figure out the kinks with the shunts and dialysis . If she can manage peritoneal dialysis(at home) it may be easier. If one of the family is wilLing to donate a kidney it’s even better. I’ve known a few people with.kidney failure. Your sisters natural personality and attitude can make a considerable difference on how things go.

  136. 136.

    Mandarama

    @Quinerly: I think she has 4 dogs…she said she was the mom to 4 “K-9” kids and “1 human.”

    This was an interesting story; thanks for the link. I find that I do pity her somewhat. She believed that the conservatism she has worked for really meant what it said about supporting women who choose to keep pregnancies. Now she has seen firsthand what her system really is. The fact that she is naïve is especially apparent in her belief that her son will be more OK because *her* version of events is chronicled in the press. Newsflash: he’s going to struggle someday regardless, lady. These circumstances suck no matter how you spin them.

    I know she is daft and at fault for a lot of our nation’s current suffering, but in this situation I still blame Miller more.

  137. 137.

    Mandarama

    @rikyrah: rikyrah, I am thinking of your sister and you. Wishing the very best news possible and will be watching anxiously for updates.

  138. 138.

    sharl

    @rikyrah: Sending good vibes and thoughts toward your sister and you, with best wishes for your sister to be up and about after treatment and rest. I’m glad to see reassuring messages from commenters who know about kidney failure personally; I hope they provide you with some comfort and maybe useful information (or even questions to ask the doctors).

  140. 140.

    prostratedragon

    Great news all around.  Those photos are all but imponderable to this lay person.

  141. 141.

    Matt McIrvin

    The Hubble telescope has been taking similar-looking images for a long time, but not looking so far out/back.

    I remember when just finding one visible instance of a gravitational lens, after decades of theorizing about them, was a big deal. In the first papers, just showing that something was an example of lensing took a lot of calculation and argument. It was stunning to suddenly see these images where it was just obvious that lensing was going on because the most distant galaxies looked stretched and distorted by the galaxy clusters in front as if you were looking at them through the bottom of a Coke bottle. This new JWST picture is a fine example of that.

  145. 145.

    Betty Cracker

    This sounds like a good idea:


    I don’t know how it would affect contraception coverage by insurance companies, but if it would improve access for women who have crappy/no coverage, it’s probably worth doing.

  146. 146.

    Baud

    @Betty Cracker:

    Yeah, usually insurance only covers prescriptions, which is why things ly Tylenol and condoms are not covered.  Hopefully, something is in the works to make birth control more available (to the extent it’s safe to do so.)

    ETA: I wonder if Whitmer’s announcement indicates that something is in the works that she knows about.

  151. 151.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: I’ve read that birth control bills have been sold OTC in some European countries for years without significant safety problems.

  152. 152.

    Geminid

    President Biden’s day will end with a long journey. Per Politico Playbook, he’ll leave the White House tonight at 9:30pm for the first leg of his Middle East trip, and land tomorrow at David Ben Gurion Airport, Israel.

  154. 154.

    satby

    @Betty Cracker: That’s correct:

    The American Academy of Family Physicians recognizes that unintended pregnancies are a major public health concern, accounting for approximately 50% of US pregnancies.1 Access and cost are commonly cited reasons why women have gaps in contraceptive use or do not use contraception.2 While oral contraceptive pills are widely considered to be safe and effective medications, they continue to require a prescription for use, further restricting access. The AAFP recognizes that though contraindications to these medications do exist, women have been shown to correctly self-identify contraindications to use when using a standardized check-list.3,4 Over 100 countries round the world currently provide oral contraceptive pills over the counter without a prescription.5

  155. 155.

    satby

    @satby: And that’s a pet peeve of mine: in the US a lot of medications that are very low risk require an Rx here but are OTC most other places in the world. Making them inaccessible to many and higher priced to everyone.

  157. 157.

    Betty Cracker

    @satby: Same. I guess it’s one of the effects of a privatized healthcare system; lobbyists push for gatekeepers to keep profits high, which shuts out people who don’t have coverage or have crap coverage.

  159. 159.

    Geminid

    @eclare: Hopefully President Biden will get a good night’s sleep on the flight over. The usual outside greeting at the airport has been cancelled on account of the expected heat

    There was a good op-ed piece under Biden’s name in Sunday’s Washinton Post outlining his goals for this trip.

  161. 161.

    TS

    It seems being a doctor in some states at the minute is like living in a mine field – the state says abortion is against the law, the feds say in emergency situations not giving an abortion is against the law.

    Be nice if it could just be a conversation/action plan between a doctor and patient – as it is with most other medical procedures.

    I don’t think I’ve ever recovered from being told I had to get my husband’s permission to have a tubal litigation. Not that he wouldn’t give it (and the marriage would not have survived if he had not) – but I was the one who wanted no more children – why did I need his permission?

  162. 162.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Good news gets a mention, thanks to J. Rubin (WaPo):

    Headlines are unlikely to announce, “Hey, the economy is not all terrible!” But amid inflation worries and fears of recession, there is plenty of good economic news. [emphasis mine]

    June’s job numbers were stronger than expected, with 372,000 jobs added and the inflation rate steady at 3.6 percent. That means the country has recovered virtually all the jobs lost during the pandemic.

    [snip]

    While that might produce angst that the economy is still too “hot,” the flip side is that the United States so far does not seem to be on the verge of a recession. And on the inflation front, gas prices have been steadily declining for almost a month, even without gimmicks such as the proposed gas tax holiday.

    Things could be even better if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) stopped holding hostage the popular bipartisan bill that would make the United States more competitive against China in semiconductor manufacturing.

    [snip]

    While news coverage remains doggedly pessimistic, if you look carefully, you might spot the outlines of steady growth without an economic crash.

    For those in need of a blood pressure boost, Michelle Goldberg of the rag from NY joins the drumbeat of Biden is too ooooold. There’s a lot of that going around these days. No link.

  163. 163.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @satby:

    Yeah, a lot more basic drugs are available OTC in Europe. Plus, pharmacists have leeway to “prescribe” certain drugs independently of a doctor.

  165. 165.

    Baud

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    Things could be even better if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) stopped holding hostage the popular bipartisan bill that would make the United States more competitive against China in semiconductor manufacturing.

     
    Congress is broken!

    Why won’t Biden lead?!

  167. 167.

    Baud

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    IIRC, McConnell is holding up the bill because he’s upset that Schumer is talking to Sinemanchin about reconciliation. Not even the pretense of an excuse.

  168. 168.

    David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch

    birth control pills are nearly universally free under ACA

  171. 171.

    BlueGuitarist

    Re “possibilities”

    An article title: “Daddy, I think it says possibilities’”

    first sentence: “Actually it said North American Van Lines.”

    the author described preschool child reading what it said on the truck on the road next to them, and then realizing the van lines logo with 2 circles looked like the Mastercard logo with 2 circles, which had evoked the tagline of the MC ads, master the possibilities.

  172. 172.

    Geminid

    @Baud: McConnell wants to avert passage of prescription drug pricing reform in a reconciliation package. He knows that this measure would be a winner politically.

  173. 173.

    David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch

    Americans could soon be able to buy birth control pills over the counter for the first time ever, as French pharmaceutical company HRA Pharma asked the Food and Drug Administration Monday to approve its over-the-counter medication, which would substantially expand the pill’s availability as birth control access becomes more fraught amid the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

    This is good news. This is from yesterday.

  175. 175.

    Matt McIrvin

    @TS: Kind of like the way that, for a while, the federal government was mandating some corporate COVID restrictions that were also literally illegal in Texas and Florida.

  178. 178.

    Soprano2

    So, here’s the story about my stepson’s mysterious disappearance and death. The reporter did a good job on the story. No pics of me, but there’s a pic of my husband. I hope putting it in the news helps keep the police’s feet to the fire as far as investigating it is concerned. I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that we may never know for sure what happened to him.

  182. 182.

    Kropacetic

    @Baud: Yeah, usually insurance only covers prescriptions

    There are certain things available over the counter that are generally covered; like Flonase, Prilosec, and Colace. The administration arranged for COVID tests to be covered. So OTC birth control wouldn’t *necessarily* affect coverage.

  184. 184.

    Soprano2

    @Betty Cracker: I think this would be good, but the problem is that making it OTC doesn’t prevent state legislatures from making it illegal under the bogus theory that it causes abortions.

  185. 185.

    Joe Falco

    @Baud:

    Exactly. Doesn’t Schumer know he needs to talk directly to Sinemanchin’s real leader, McConnell, first?

  186. 186.

    Baud

    @Betty Cracker:

    What’s anathema to me is having it be a topic of discussion in the summer of 2022 simply because the media wants it to be.

    Unless Biden did something to make it an issue (and the bike incident doesn’t count).

  187. 187.

    debbie

    More good Biden news: the CFPB will be forgiving medical debt off credit reports permanently!

  189. 189.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Betty Cracker:

    M. Goldberg is one of the better NYT columnists, and thoughtful, as you say. What concerns me is the cumulative effect of this drumbeat. Biden seems to be physically fit and mentally sharp so far. He may decide not to run again, which is fine, but I don’t want our media overlords predetermining the outcome for us.

    ETA: What Baud said at #48. This is a manufactured issue created by the press more than two years before the election and, based on my personal authoritative anecdata, is becoming conventional wisdom among Democrats and those who hate them. Not good.

  190. 190.

    Kropacetic

    @Baud: Unless Biden did something to make it an issue (and the bike incident doesn’t count).

    He exists as an older person and, worse, a Democrat. The media would be negligent in its mission if it didn’t make a daily issue out of these plainly obvious facts by looking at everything that happens and asking “How is this bad for Biden?” and framing the answer around the previously described biases.

  193. 193.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: It seems to me that this is something that’s easy to “message” – “Mitch McConnell is holding up a semiconductor bill that would make America less dependent on China because Democrats want to lower your prescription drug prices”. Everyone can understand how crazy that is! Make Republicans go out there and defend doing this.

  196. 196.

    Kropacetic

    @O. Felix Culpa: I was a huge Biden skeptic yet I’ve come around to think of the administration’s actions (ignoring Congressional limitations) as among the best I’ve seen out of any White House in my lifetime.

    If the FTFNYT wants to talk to me, I have a list of eating establishments I frequent.

  197. 197.

    Soprano2

    @EarthWindFire: I don’t know. The Supreme Clerics have allowed broad religious exemptions to birth control coverage, so it already has huge holes in it.

  201. 201.

    Baud

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    I suspect Biden will have to decide about a year from now to give others time to ramp up of he doesn’t run.  Maybe September at the latest.

  202. 202.

    Ken

    @Baud: I think it means the government will be telling the credit reporting agencies that medical debt should not be included on a person’s credit report. I don’t know if that means it also won’t be included when finding their credit rating.

  203. 203.

    Soprano2

    @O. Felix Culpa: This is a manufactured issue created by the press more than two years before the election and, based on my personal authoritative anecdata, is becoming conventional wisdom among Democrats, among others. Not good.

    I agree, not good. My mother was sharp as a tack right up to the minute she had a stroke, and she was 87. Biden appears to be in good mental and physical shape, so I have no idea why this sudden obsession with his age. Makes me wonder who exactly is driving this, because you know someone is. Bernie Sanders is 80 years old, but you never see stories saying he’s too old to be president!

  204. 204.

    Kropacetic

    @Soprano2: No aspect of public health is more important than following the dictates of your employers’ god, as interpreted by your employer.

    The insurance provided by godless employers will absorb the cost.

  205. 205.

    debbie

    @Baud: It’s what I heard on NPR this morning, but nothing to follow it up. Maybe you can make more sense of it. Hope so; it sounds great to me.

  208. 208.

    Baud

    I’m so old I remember when the media was obsessed over how Hilary Clinton was too old.

  209. 209.

    Soprano2

    @satby: Thanks, we do too. My personal belief is that he was mugged. The incident referred to in the story where he had a “psychotic episode” was from an overdose of Melatonin – evidently, according to his best friend Chris, he took a whole bottle of the stuff for some reason! There is a comment on that article about him using drugs that I’m having to control myself to keep from addressing. I may yet address it. He wasn’t like that – he drank and occasionally used some pot, but never any of the harder stuff.

  213. 213.

    Soprano2

    @eclare: Yes, it’s hard. Things move slowly. What I want most now is for the police to look at his stuff in his room so that we can figure out how to deal with it. I sent his landlord a check for the July rent, because it’s not her fault she has a room she can’t rent out because the police are taking their own sweet time looking at his stuff.

  214. 214.

    Kropacetic

    @Soprano2: Bernie Sanders is 80 years old, but you never see stories saying he’s too old to be president!

    If his Presidential ambitions were more fully realized, you would have. The nomination would likely have been enough.

  215. 215.

    Soprano2

    @Kropacetic: It’s crazy, why should my employer’s religious beliefs keep the insurance from paying for birth control when my employer isn’t a religious organization?

  217. 217.

    David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch

    someone who supported Bernie, even though he had a heart attack and refused to release his medical records, but thinks the marginally younger Biden is too old isn’t being consistent

  219. 219.

    Kropacetic

    @Soprano2: Even if it were, your insurance sure as hell isn’t. And birth control saves them money or so goes the justification for requiring it be provided for free.

  220. 220.

    NotMax

    ‘@O. Felix Culpa

    And the dollar is zooming.

    Europe’s common currency edged closer toward parity with the US dollar Tuesday as energy concerns and the risk of recession weighed on the outlook for the euro area, while risk aversion fueled a broad rally in the greenback.

    The euro dropped as much as 1.3% to $1.0005, eclipsing its low from last week. The last time it was this low was back in 2002. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index has jumped as much as 1.2% so far this week.

    The euro’s downward spiral has been swift and brutal, given it was trading around $1.15 in February. A string of increasingly-large Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes has supercharged the dollar, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has worsened the outlook for growth in the euro zone and pushed up the cost of the region’s energy imports. Source

  221. 221.

    Another Scott

    @Soprano2: Thanks for the pointer.  I’m very sorry about your loss and the waiting.  I hope that you all have peace soon.

    Remember the good times.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  222. 222.

    Soprano2

    I heard this story on “All Things Considered” last night, about the sale of 2 Miami radio stations to a group called Latino Media Network. I was almost yelling at the radio; it was all about the “controversy” over the sale of these two stations, with clips from conservatives sounding like they deserve to completely dominate the radio airwaves. The whole story was permeated with a sense that the people buying these stations were doing something wrong or even illegal, but there was never one word of what that might be other than that the conservative radio hosts on the stations now might not feel comfortable being there anymore! Good grief people, it’s not illegal to sell radio stations to new owners, and conservatives don’t have a right to be on the radio.

  223. 223.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: they’re setting this up to be the private email server. And just like then, our own people fall for it

  225. 225.

    Soprano2

    @raven: Yep, it’s been a rough year for sure. My poor husband, it’s really tough for him. He wanted John to come here to live eventually. I was so happy when his son reached out in 2018, and now I’m doubly glad they got to reestablish their relationship. If not for that we might not have even known this happened!

  226. 226.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Soprano2:

    so sorry about your ordeal.

    thanks for sharing the article

    good to be remembered as “sweet” and “big-hearted”

    May his memory be a blessing.

  228. 228.

    David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch

    @NotMax: ​
      That reminds me, they’re predicting the hottest day ever recorded for this weekend in London.

    three different papers say it will be btwn 103 to 108 degrees. reports are a national emergency will be declared.

  230. 230.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @zhena gogolia:

    our own people fall for it.

    Yes, yes they do. It’s a little jarring when you hear the same media-fed lines about Biden from both RWNJ’s (SIL) and staunch, normally well-informed liberal Democrats within days of each other.

    As I said, the media are working hard to make “Biden is too old” conventional wisdom, and it is taking hold among our own.

  232. 232.

    Baud

    @raven:

    Not unless there’s evidence his age is affecting his ability to do the job.

    It is a legitimate question for 2023 because Biden will have to predict how his health will hold up through Jan. 2029.

  233. 233.

    zhena gogolia

    @raven: Is Trump too old? Is Bernie too old? Why are there no stories about that? Why aren’t Republicans muttering about how old Trump is? He’s in worse shape than Biden.

  235. 235.

    eclare

    @David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch:

    Holy shit that’s hot!  I lived in London decades ago, anytime the temp got over around 80, the (unairconditioned) Tube was an oven.  I eventually started taking the double decker bus on those days, sitting on top, hoping to catch a breeze.

  236. 236.

    germy shoemangler

    @zhena gogolia:  Why aren’t Republicans muttering about how old Trump is?

    If they dared to say anything they’d lose their committee assignments.

  237. 237.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @raven:

    Any chance he isn’t? The media have already decided for him and us.

    ETA: Of course there’s increased risk of age-related issues, but he’s not currently exhibiting signs of decline, so why the sudden, nearly ubiquitous drumbeat, even before the midterms?

  238. 238.

    Skepticat

    @satby: … in the US a lot of medications that are very low risk require an Rx here but are OTC most other places in the world.

    I was the first (and only) responder on a tiny island in the Bahamas, and I provided all the medical supplies. A few years ago, we needed EpiPens, and I cringed at the price, almost $700. (I’d just bought a refurbished defibrillator for not much more.) Canadian friends brought in several on their next flight, and each was about US$75.

  241. 241.

    NotMax

    Reminder that today and tomorrow are the Prime Days sales at Amazon, for any who might be interested and perhaps forgot.

  243. 243.

    zhena gogolia

    I wish Biden were younger. In a way I wish he’d been the nominee in 2016. He has shown himself to be an excellent president. If he drops out, we fragment into a bunch of not-very-strong candidates, and Trump wins. That is disaster.

    We can’t have everything we want. I’d like to have a 50-year-old Biden, with all his other strengths, go up against the Repugs, but I can’t have that. In the absence of that, I’d rather have Biden than a fragmented field of weak candidates.

    I’d like the people who think Biden is too old to tell me who in the Democratic field can beat Trump in 2024.

  245. 245.

    sdhays

    So why have Catholic hospitals been able to get away with shoving women out the door to non-Catholic hospitals if they needed abortions to survive without risking fines or their Medicare status?

  247. 247.

    Ohio Mom

    @Soprano2: Thank you for the link, it adds a lot to my understanding of what you and your husband have been going through. You continue to have my deepest sympathies.

  249. 249.

    Shalimar

    @zhena gogolia: If Biden doesn’t run, we rally around not-Bernie.  No idea who that will be, that is what primaries are for, but Harris has the lead right now.

  250. 250.

    kalakal

    If you haven’t seen this short video of the first Webb image I urge you to do so. Watch to the very end, people often use the phrase mind blowing, the last 10 seconds truly are. The thing is incredible, I’m so glad Joe got to announce it and not his odious predecessor

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1546675001755111424

  251. 251.

    Geminid

    @zhena gogolia: I hope President Biden will feel healthy enough to run in 2024. If he doesn’t, I don’t believe Democrats will have a fragmented field. There will be Vice President Harris, and then everyone else. Harris will have the President’s unequivocal backing, and will put together the coalition he did to win the nomination in 2020.

  252. 252.

    kalakal

    @Soprano2: Thank you for posting, my sympathies to you and all your family. I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel but you have all the good wishes I can send

  254. 254.

    Ben Cisco

    @Geminid: She has done a LOT of work, and should President Biden decide not to run, she will be in a better position than she was in 2020 during the primaries. How do I know this? The usual suspects (far right, far left, media, etc.) are already throwing up chaff/flare to distract.

    NOT. GONNA. WORK.

  256. 256.

    kalakal

    @Skepticat: As a user of epinephrine autoinjectors I can confirm the cost of Epipens. The evil twist is they’re not covered by insurance as Mylan make a cheaper version, which funnily enough is never available.

    There are cheaper equivalents, I use AUVI-Qs which are covered by insurance and save about $1,400 a year

  257. 257.

    David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch

    @raven: Its certainly possible, but what criteria should be used to make that judgment?  Age, by itself, in a vacuum, would be arbitrary.

  259. 259.

    prostratedragon

    @Ben Cisco:  Her problem would be to get enough of the public to see her record for what it is (haven’t followed closely myself, but everything I have seen is excellent) while disregarding the Hilary-treatment that’s already starting up against her. Under other circumstances I’d be happy to see her try, as well as some others like Cory Booker who’ve been impressive. But the other party has to be kept out of the White House for more than one term, even if they miraculously nominate someone less unpalatable than TFG. An ailing Biden would at least have Harris finishing out his second term and then available to run as an incumbent, which might break the propaganda spell.

  260. 260.

    David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch

    Newsome seems interested in running.   Stacey Abrams, Warnock, Ossoff (D-Balloon Juice) would be phenomenal.

  261. 261.

    sab

    @Geminid: I agree. Kind of like Biden did in 2020. The press and a lot of activists (myself included) were following all sorts of people, and then the experienced guys (e. g.Clyburn) spoke up and the base agreed, and here we are.

  262. 262.

    Betty Cracker

    @kalakal: That is really cool — thanks for linking it! We tried to watch the big reveal at 5:30 yesterday on the NASA live YouTube channel, but it either started very late or wasn’t broadcast there despite an “event beginning momentarily” message. So, I am especially grateful that you linked this!

  264. 264.

    Geminid

    @Ben Cisco: Some people underestimate Kamala Harris’s political skill, based on her early departure from the 2020 primaries. But Harris has:

    1) unseated the incumbent District Attorney of San Francisco.

    2) won two terms as California Attorney General, and overseen a department with thousands of attorneys alone.

    3) twice won election as Senator from California, a state larger than most nations.

    4) been a productive and loyal partner to the Democratic President.

    If Joe Biden announces he won’t run in 2024, Kamala Harris will be endorsed so fast by so many top Democrats it will make the sceptics’ heads spin.

  267. 267.

    Betty Cracker

    @Geminid: The scenario you describe might be the best outcome. A primary fight would almost certainly cause lasting hard feelings when we need to be united against whichever fascist hairball the GOP horks up.

  268. 268.

    Geminid

    @Betty Cracker: I think Democrats have to sink or swim with the Biden administration, or the prospect of its continuation with the Vice President. Democrats could reshuffle the deck, but there is no likelihood that they’ll find themselves with a better hand than they already have.

  269. 269.

    Feathers

    @O. Felix Culpa: The “question everything, think for yourself” mindset has turned out to be terrible. It has allowed “skepticism” to drown out truth. You see it with vaccines. Vaccines are safe, but somehow “questioning” them makes you a better person. It needs to become, “question, but don’t be the idiot who won’t accept the truth.”

    It really is what drives our awful  media. Figuring out what is true is hard, so always be asking questions. That these questions have answers that are known is just ignored.

    It’s funny, just saw a leftist dude being angry that the Democratic Party wasn’t “firing” Biden over Dobbs. Why was the administration daring to question the Left?  I had to laugh. They are “attacking” the left because once again the left is blaming everyone else and not asking how did WE contribute to this situation. Because dudes, you certainly did.

  271. 271.

    Geminid

    @David ☘The Establishment☘ Koch: Regarding Stacey Abrams: she is an exceptionally talented politician, and it’s no wonder that many Democrats want to see her on the national stage. But Abrams knows that Georgians really need a good Governor, and she intends to be a great one.

  272. 272.

    schrodingers_cat

    @O. Felix Culpa: Its a coordinated attack on Biden-Harris. Call him too old, belittle Harris call her inarticulate and incurious. Things are going well for the Ds, the economy is doing better, the Jan6 commission has Republicans on the ropes so out come the knives from our so called allies who hate that their favorites were defeated by Joe Biden and they didn’t get their person the VP position.

    Gerontocracy blah blah make AOC the nominee and similar takes these leftie media types and NYT are not our friends.

  273. 273.

    Immanentize

    @Betty Cracker: I do not think throwing a Black Asian woman (Harris) under the bus for another great white hope, regardless of gender, is a smart play if Biden does not run in ’24. I am certain a bunch of white guys will challenge/attack Harris (because, penises), but I really don’t see a bunch of women raising their hand to do so.

  274. 274.

    Seanly

    All 3 of those are some much needed good news. Hooray for the admin pushing back on abortion access – not a lot they can do but at least give some cover to save women’s lives. I just hope doctors and hospitals are brave enough to save women. I’m looking forward to more of what we get from Webb – always been a big astronomy buff. And lastly, good of NY library to find a way to help people read some of the increasing amounts of books banned in the US.

  275. 275.

    schrodingers_cat

    2022 is months away. An election where we need to increase our majorities. Joe Biden is not on the ballot and a contested primary will pave the way to GOP theocracy. The people pushing this are enabling Republicans

    Their logic

    1. Mock voting
    2. Mock fundraising
    3. Mock the President
    4. Mock the Vice President

    —– Leftist Victory!!!!

  277. 277.

    Feathers

    @schrodingers_cat: What amazes me is the demand that Dobbs means the concerns of the left must be taken seriously.

    We’ll start taking you seriously when you start looking at what you did to get us into this mess. And if centrists must own everything Clinton did, you are responsible for the Nader and Stein voters and all the undermining of Clinton as a candidate. You can criticize, but the minute you start fcking with the November elections and don’t support all Dems up and down the ballot, you’ve proven you aren’t part of the coalition.

  279. 279.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Let’s not worry about the fucking 2024 election right now.  We have an important one coming in November.  Could we focus on that?

  283. 283.

    Bill Arnold

    @Ben Cisco:

    McConnell is a truly vile specimen of subhuman.

    The word you may be looking for is abhuman.
    You know when you go to the supermarket late at night and you encounter people that make the hairs on your neck rise and who give the impression of being not-fully-human? Mitch McConnell  is middling-competent at masking.
    (I am partly serious.)

  284. 284.

    Gin & Tonic

    So I’m expecting a delivery from the home of the orange apron today. They sent a helpful text message to expect delivery between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm. Thanks for narrowing that down, folks.

  285. 285.

    PST

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    based on my personal authoritative anecdata, is becoming conventional wisdom among Democrats and those who hate them. Not good.

    My personal authoritative anecdata agrees with your personal authoritative anecdata. Just last night, friends from out of town, both good Michigan Democrats and big fans of Governor Whitmer, pounded the “Biden’s too old” drum. I don’t think anyone can deny Biden the nomination if he wants it, and I’m reasonably confident he would win a rerun absent serious cheating, but I feel less sure what will happen if the Republicans nominate someone younger than TFG. I can easily imagine a lot of low-information swing voters being swung by a dynamism, vitality vibe, and I fear that could happen even if the nominee is an unspeakable CHUD like DeSantis. On the other hand, I fear the intramural strife we will witness if Biden decides that he’s one and done.

  286. 286.

    SFAW

    @Betty Cracker: 

    I’ve read that birth control bills have been sold OTC in some European countries for years without significant safety problems.

    Not true! Think of all the forced-birther heads that would ‘splode if oral contraceptives were easily available here!

  291. 291.

    SFAW

    @PST: ​
     

    I can easily imagine a lot of low-information swing voters being swung by a dynamism, vitality vibe, and I fear that could happen even if the nominee is an unspeakable CHUD like DeSantis.

    Oh, you hand-wring-y libtard, don’t you know that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell will “rein him in”?

  292. 292.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    I’m feeling kind of reverse-paranoid because I haven’t been hit with any promo mail from Amazon yet.

    The only thing I’m sort of interested in is the Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition. The Wirecutter recently rated it the best e-reader and preferred it to the “regular” Kindle Paperwhite because it has a longer warranty (two years) and comes with a case and no ads. It’s usually $169, but the Wirecutter thinks it could be down close to $100 on Prime Day. Available only with 8GB, not 32GB, but I don’t think that’s an issue. I’ve got a 2018 Kindle with 32GB, and I’ve barely dented the storage. (No audiobooks or graphics-heavy items.)

    I’ve been reading more on my Kindle lately to distract myself from doomscrolling on the Interwebs, and a bigger screen with “adjustable warm light” is tempting, especially at a low price.

    . . . And I just checked, and it’s down to $105 today. Yee-haw. Definitely might pull the trigger.

    ETA: Almost forgot: the charger is USB-C—much better than the old micro USB. All of my devices are coalescing around USB-C.

  293. 293.

    zhena gogolia

    @Soprano2: This is so tragic. I feel such deep sympathy for you and your whole family. I know from experience that this kind of thing tears families apart. Wishing you support and healing.

  294. 294.

    cain

    @Immanentize: 

    I’m curious to see what Intel does here – I believe they’ve been pushing for passage of this bill. Intel was my former employer (also funnily enough, my current employer as of last week)

  295. 295.

    Geminid

    Michigan holds primaries today and I am interested in two of them. In a western, Grand Rapids-based district, Republican Impeacher Pter Meijer faces a former Trump administration official, Mr. Gibbs. The winner will face Democrat Hilary Scholten, who came up 6 points behind Meijer in 2020.

    In the Detroit suburbs, Democratic Representatives Andy Levin and Haley Stevens(?) are contending for the redrawn11th(?) CD nomination. This is unfortunate because they are both solid and capable Democrats.

  296. 296.

    James E Powell

    @Soprano2: 

    Everyone can understand how crazy that is! Make Republicans go out there and defend doing this.

    I do not know why Democrats don’t do this more aggressively. Maybe they try & the media ignore them.

  297. 297.

    Paul in KY

    @Soprano2: He sounded like a really kind hearted soul. I wish I had met him. If he was murdered, then I sure hope they catch the SOB that did it.  Nice pictures with the story.

  298. 298.

    WeimarGerman

    I saw this interesting post on early mortality in the US vs our peer countries, the-missing-americans-early-death-in-the-united-states-1933-2021

    … 90% of the increase in under-65 mortality since 2019 – would have been avoided if the U.S. had the mortality rates of other wealthy nations. In addition to the loss of life, these early deaths often leave behind child (and elder) dependents without key social and economic support.

    Yes the 90% is a pandemic number but there are clear trends pre-pandemic as well.  I wonder how these number look even worse when comparing Medicare expansion vs non expansion states.  Will any Dem candidates use these numbers to show how GOP is horrible for life expectancy in their communities?

  299. 299.

    cckids

    @TS: I don’t think I’ve ever recovered from being told I had to get my husband’s permission to have a tubal litigation. Not that he wouldn’t give it (and the marriage would not have survived if he had not) – but I was the one who wanted no more children – why did I need his permission?

    My sister was visiting  when she got a call from her husband’s doctor’s office “We wanted to inform you that your spouse is here for a vasectomy”. Didn’t ask her permission, exactly, just thought she should know.

    What they were unaware of is that she is a registered nurse with a master’s degree, who was WELL aware of the HIPAA violations they were committing.  Even hearing just one side of that conversation was very entertaining.

  300. 300.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @James E Powell:

    Maybe they try & the media ignore them.

    I don’t think it’s the media. I’m listening to Andrea Mitchell, and you don’t get much more Establishment/Blob/MSM than Mrs Greenspan, talk about how trump knew about weaponry among his supporters, about military-grade weapons brought to the DC area by trump supporters on 1/6. The people ignoring the crazy are what I call the lumpenmittel: they don’t much like trump, but they’d vote for him again to have gas go below $3/gallon

  301. 301.

    livewyre

    @Bill Arnold: To the extent that you (and Ben) are serious, that raises my hackles. Is judging the immaculate essence of personhood something anyone’s actually qualified to do? Because that tends to not go very well at all, as long as there’s any room for the slightest error in targeting – for as long as it’s a matter of targeting, I would venture.

    Instead, per my usual riff, we can judge acts as a pattern rather than as a marker of a soul’s virtue, and deal with it entirely in terms of that pattern. It’s not just McConnell, in other words. It’s way bigger than him, in a way that declaring him inherently inferior and “getting rid of” him would not solve – even bigger than the ghost of the would-be Confederacy that he yet appears to strive for.

    Pinning it on one figure as a source of the whole problem risks complacency toward whoever comes after him, not to mention the ways the rest of us – even those we like – systemically contribute to that problem. This is not a story where we win by killing evil like Genesis in reverse. We somehow have to outgrow it instead.

  302. 302.

    Bill Arnold

    @livewyre:

    Instead, per my usual riff, we can judge acts as a pattern rather than as a marker of a soul’s virtue, and deal with it entirely in terms of that pattern.

    Suspect that we actually agree. I said nothing about virtue. Am talking about mental schemas, and the outliers among us. (Personally am very not neurotypical, and people can be and often are stupidly judgmental, yes.)
    A strong society is a society that celebrates its heterogeneity. And vice versa.

    It’s not just McConnell, in other words.

    No, but a different Senate Majority (Minority) leader would have resulted/result in different outcomes. He has been/is quite powerful.

  304. 304.

    livewyre

    @Bill Arnold: Right, we’re probably on different ends of the same page. Mainly what jolted me was the literal invocation (and elaboration) of “subhuman”, which has history. It’s not so much that it’s inapplicable, which I would contend that it is, but that it’s also strongly normative – those of us less “typical” consistently get the business end of it.

    And yeah, it’s that he’s in that position that’s part of the problem, but that’s also not about him. It’s what put him there, just like there’s no such thing as a self-made billionaire. It takes a lot of support.

    Most of the hope that I have for things to turn out differently resides in that support being taken away and turned towards things like habitability. That may sound unlikely on its face, but the way I model that support, it has other names like “solidarity”. Things do turn.

  305. 305.

    Bill Arnold

    @livewyre:

    “subhuman”, which has history

    Oh that. My use of “abhuman” was a direct response to that.
    It’s not a commonly used word (literary, though I’ve seen it used elsewhere), but a better one than subhuman.

    Re power, some people work hard to put themselves in power and to hold power. McConnell is a low-key example of such. He’s working in a right-wing system that boosts people like him, but he himself has political skills and agency and peculiar biases, and a clear lust for power. The Senate would be a different institution without him, and perhaps a better institution. We do need to keep an eye on the others, e.g. Cotton and a few others.

  306. 306.

    J R in WV

    @Soprano2: 

    That was hard to read, esp knowing what you and your family have been through. Sincere condolences from WV ~!!~

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