A+ @katierogers line: "She even managed to upstage President Trump, a man who had just stared directly into the sun" https://t.co/lG6JpxXD2q
— Dan Zak (@MrDanZak) August 23, 2017
Not that it’s easy to sympathize with Louise Linton, but why should only one partner in the relationship be taking so much stick on the internet?
My statement on #Charlottesville and #Yale classmate's inquiries. pic.twitter.com/hN8JsCEqZb
— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) August 20, 2017
In which Nazi sympathizer @stevenmnuchin1 literally says, let's pass tax cuts & worry about Nazis later. Or not worry. But def. tax cuts. https://t.co/7qoKQiVdRS
— Bakohn (@Bakohn) August 20, 2017
In a purely sociological sense, both Linton and Mnuchin have fallen victim to shifting social standards. Since approximately the 1950s, an aspiring businessman has been more or less required to find himself a wife who was not only comely and young (or working hard to appear young), but also an educated and ideally successful partner. Having achieved a highly satisfactory level of social/economic success (Skull & Bones, Goldman Sachs, IndyMac), Mnuchin could afford a (third) wife who was not only 18 years younger than he, but an actual (tv & remake) ‘movie star’. After working hard to achieve enough success that she could partner an independent production company, Linton assumed she could take a (second) husband and an ongoing role as a high-profile trophy wife.
Alas for romantic dreams, in today’s turbulent world, a Treasury Secretary is required to be not only wealthy but also socially conscious (thus his former classmates’ request that Mnuchin speak up about that whole Charlottesville embarrassment). And a High-Placed Public Official’s trophy wife — someone whose “job”, by definition, is to be seen traveling to all the newsiest places while wearing easily-identifiable high-dollar goods (preferably donated, for marketing purposes, by the best brands) — is required to demonstrate a conspicuous modesty about her good fortune. When Mnuchin fluffed his social-responsibility test, the news only appeared on the political pages; when Linton #failed her So-lucky-God-and-the-market-have-blessed-me audition, she immediately became fodder for the voracious celebritainment media she’d formerly courted…
UPDATE: Millionaire wife of Trump’s treasury secretary apologizes for mocking Oregon mom for not being rich https://t.co/geQBMZgcqY pic.twitter.com/VTIvTyIBbP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 22, 2017
#rolandmouret pants — $925#tomford sunnies — $380 to $1,950#hermesscarf — $780#valentinorockstudheels — $945 pic.twitter.com/1vfpCphDsR
— Schooley (@Rschooley) August 22, 2017
also wait does the treasury secretary's wife think paying taxes is like a kind of credit to a government rewards program https://t.co/64XRHnI7xn
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) August 22, 2017
As a side bar, because I am a a natural-born hater, I find this grace note intriguing…
Bernie kicks off Ohio town hall by criticizing TV coverage of Mnuchin Instagram story. (I think it's a good story) pic.twitter.com/aQaYyzciW0
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 22, 2017
(Why would a proud leftier-than-thou Independent have such sympathy for the sufferings of a rich man’s wife at the hands of the media, just because she might’ve gotten a little… overambitious on the wings of her husband’s success? Maybe he’s just that generous a soul!)
TenguPhule
They’re both horrible fucking people, so fuck their feelings and bring on the tumbrels.
James Powell
A subject never really addressed by any of those NYT writers doing the Beleaguered White Working Class Trump Voter stories is that they have absolutely no problem Louise Linton, but they despise Hillary Clinton for being an elitist.
oatler.
I lost my Tom Ford sunnies in the toilet when debt collector-thugs shoved my head in and said “Where’s the fucking money shithead??”
Mike J
There was some speculation that the destination and time of the flight were at least partially determined by when and where the eclipse would be visible from the plane.
?BillinGlendaleCA
I don’t remember any of the spouses of the cabinet in the Obama administration, with the exception of Sec. Clinton’s husband(for obvious reasons).
opiejeanne
@Mike J: No! I can’t believe a fine upstanding member of the Trump administration and his trophy wife would abuse their privilege in this manner!
Too much?
Keith G
A concern I keep hearing repeated from folks (who are not part of the Sanders world) is that we might be spending a bit too much time on the trees and not figuring out a way to deal with the forest.
It is easy, entertaining, and often useful to pick at the personality quirks and outrages evident in the president and his minions, but that will not be a sustaining fuel for a broad-based political campaign to recapture the government. It will be policy and not palace intrigue that will go the farthest in eroding support for this regime.
Over the weekend, I caught a program with talking heads opining on the level and quality of Trump support within Trump voters. One of them brought out some stats which showed that of all the controversies and combat over the last 8 months, the only thing that caused cracks in Trump’s core supporters was the health care legislation debacle. These folks were confronted with the possibility that their lives were about to be made a lot more difficult and even desperate and their support responded to that input accordingly.
patrick II
I have wondered for some time whether all of the amazing clothes first ladies wear is donated or borrowed or they buy it all. They attend many public occasions and generally there is often a comment about who designed their clothes. Some of them seem very pricey. So, does anyone know? Did Michelle, Laura, Hillary, Barbara, Nancy, and Rosalyn pay for everything themselves, even state occasions and balls?
Just wondering.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@opiejeanne:
I about to offer you a great deal, the best deal, on a fine bridge in New York City.
Amir Khalid
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Maybe Linton thinks that being a Cabinet official’s wife gives her the celebrity status that eluded her as an actor.
DanysDragon
@patrick II: As far as I know, for major public events like state dinners, they are often donated by the designers, and as such, must be turned over to the national archives afterwards. The benefit to the designer is exposure of their brand on one of the most high-profile citizens on the planet. Both of Michelle Obama’s inaugural gowns were donated to her by Jason Wu, who was at the time of the first inaugural not well known and became quite famous as a result.
mai naem mobile
Does anybody really believe that this scumball Cabinet member and his POS wife will actually reimburse the feds for using fed resources for their trip? I bet the check will be in the mail permanently. Also,as far as sacrifice and hard work, both Mnuchin and Linton grew up rich. And if he sold any assets to get his job he actually gets a tax break on any profits because you know, it’s a ‘sacrifice’ having a very powerful position in the govt that you will be able to make millions off when you quit.
mai naem mobile
@patrick II: they supposedly pay for it themselves. I think there were questions about Nancy because she was from Hollywood and was basically used to getting freebies.
patrick II
@DanysDragon: @mai naem mobile:
You two are going to have to duke this out and let me know who wins.
Gin & Tonic
Fuck Wilmer. And his wife.
Gin & Tonic
@Amir Khalid: Didn’t that status elude her for a good reason?
eclare
@DanysDragon: That is my understanding as well.
opiejeanne
@Gin & Tonic: Not with Trump’s dick.
Baud
@Gin & Tonic: That seems random.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Not random. From Weigel’s tweet: Bernie kicks off Ohio town hall by criticizing TV coverage of Mnuchin Instagram story.
Gin & Tonic
@Baud: Did you read to the end of AL’s post?
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
@Gin & Tonic:
No, I skipped over that. Thanks.
SectionH
@mai naem mobile: She was bragging about not paying for it because they’re Special.
Wait, weren’t these assholes noticed yesterday? Um, yes, they were. In fact one of our valued commenters (Miss Bianca maybe? – apologies if my memory’s wrong) has a friend who knows the LL woman, went to college with her. And since the initial Twitter post/replies, MB and her friend have been on the same wave length, as in: Yeah. Piece of work.
?BillinGlendaleCA
The fly that was taunting me for the last 2 hours has met it’s maker.
Anne Laurie
@mai naem mobile:
IIRC, the “questions” about Nancy Reagan were that she didn’t want to give those lovely schmattas to the Smithsonian after the event — as had been decreed the legal standard, to avoid that Emoluments Clause people have been talking about so much of late. (A designer was free to ‘donate’ the gown to the American people, and the First Lady was free to ‘show off the gift’ at a specific event, publicity being a thing whose monetary value cannot be accurately measured.) It was Nancy’s defense that big-time Hollywood actresses always got to keep their donated gowns, so that was the standard she observed.
(It was her enemies’ further rebuttal that Nancy had never been a significant enough actress to get free stuff for walking the red carpet, just for being an easy intro to her Ronnie’s inner circle.)
daveNYC
If the media is talking about Linton than it’s no longer focused on the whole Nazi thing. I know which one I’d rather they cover.
gene108
@James Powell:
Hillary used big words, and wanted to be the boss of them, by being President.
Linton is the arm candy they wish they could have. She is very non-threatening to the patriarchy.
SectionH
@Baud: Always read AL’s actual comments. She is a wise woman.
And fuck it, she reads Twitter when I don’t have to.
Applejinx
@Keith G:
Thank you, yes. It suggests that if Democrats can plausibly do something to actually help the lives of constituents in pretty much any way, that would be noticed.
I think the key word there is ‘plausibly’ because the credibility of Democrats is not greater than that of anybody else in government, and the only reaction to this is usually contempt, rage and denial.
p.a.
Don’t be unfair: she did #usa, didn’t she? USA! USA! USA! FUCKIN’ A!
AnonPhenom
Isn’t that how the wingnut spoke about Hillary Clinton back in the 90’s?
Barney
Ironically, when she was starting to climb the greasy pole of celebrity, Louise Linton was branding herself as “privileged upbringing, but completely at home in the middle classes” – this is from 2009:
Nicole
She made the cover of the NY Daily News yesterday. Isn’t it nice to see someone get the fame they’ve always craved?
gene108
@Applejinx:
Family Medical Leave, sChip, Obamacare, are three things that directly helped people, but got Democrats no electoral love.
I hope you understand, but people seem to take Democrats for granted. They just assume the social safety net will always be in place, and that Democrats have done nothing actively in establishing it.
This causes a lot of rage, frustration and contempt at certain segments of the public.
Also, a lot of people do not want an egalitarian society. They want a society, where they can come out ahead. Saying you’ll make sure everyone is taken care of is not appealing, because they do not want others to be taken care of the same as them. They want to be the sole beneficiaries. This mindset probably gets reinforced by right-wing media.
Chyron HR
@Keith G:
I think you mean “figuring out a way to get ahold of the WALL STREET SPEECH TRANSCRIPTS! Look, I released all MY Wall Street speech transcripts har har har what’s a tax return?”
The Thin Black Duke
@gene108:
Thank you. This is the problem the Democratic party have had to struggle with for as long as I can remember. Too many people in White America (I’m sorry, but POC get it) vote for Republicans expecting Democratic polices and then get pissed off at the Democrats when that doesn’t happen.
msdc
@Applejinx:
Yeah, like giving them coverage for health care!
Tenar Arha
Linton should have known better. No really. She’s courted internet controversy before with her horrible book. And she failed the response test then as well.
1. She’s a woman courting celebrity on the internet; after her post, there is no real response she could give that wouldn’t have put her through the mill.
2. Biggest social media “no no” is don’t ever personally attack one of your social media followers (addendum: unless you’re funny). Worst thing: Being government adjacent makes it worse to respond, even if you’re funny.
3. Rule she obviously didn’t know now that she’s married to government employee: Don’t attack voters, ever.
Kay Eye
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Mitch McConnell, another Trump Cabinet Spouse to remember.
Iowa Old Lady
@mai naem mobile: It always annoys me when people claim they have money because they worked hard. Most people work hard. The clerk at WalMart is working hard.
FlipYrWhig
@gene108: Even while making various salient and reasonable points, do keep in mind that Applejinx is and always will be a fucking ridiculous person.
kindness
Bernie……..wtf dude? I’m getting the notion that all those things you said were window dressing.
Butch
I’m sorry to be thick but WTF are “sunnies?”
Chyron HR
@FlipYrWhig:
Please be patient, they have autism.
Gretchen
My favorite part of this story is the speculation that she did the instagram tags to encourage manufacturers to give her swag to promote. The controversy made her make her instagram private, so no promotion = no swag. She’ll have to pay for her own stuff. Bonus, Mnuchin thinks he got himself a young wife who will make him look better. He got a young wife who makes everyone compare how much older and plainer he is, and reminds everyone that he was the Forclosure King, responsible for throwing 36,000 people out of their homes. It’s almost as if karma exists.
Keith G
@msdc: @gene108:
Remember that in several instances during the last 11 years, Democrats were found to be either soft pedaling or even creating distance around Obamacare. For a good deal of the last several decades, it is occurred to me that Democrats think that ideas alone win. That would be wrong. The best ideas are a good starting point and yet, will do little if there isn’t an aggressive and continual war being waged to explain, promote, and visualize the implementation of those ideas.
skerry
@Butch: Sunglasses
msdc
@Keith G: Except the ACA isn’t just an “idea,” it actually exists and it brought health care to millions of people. Steve Beshear sure as shit embraced it when he implemented one of the most successful exchanges in the country. Kentucky voters didn’t give a shit.
If your point is that we have to continually defend the things we stand for, then I agree. If Applejinx’s point is that Democrats need to “do something to actually help the lives of constituents,” then they need to check the fucking calendar.
Butch
@skerry: Thank you; I thought maybe it referred to some kind of blouse or something.
MoxieM
Mnuchin is a Bonesman??! good lord, standards, people. Not that it’s a group to look up to, buncha entitled warmongers. Still.
JDM
With those hashtags, she obviously thinks she’s going to get to where real celebs are, getting paid to tweet about products. She figures she’s going to make money from being a Secretary’s wife. And why wouldn’t she think that? Melania Trump sued a newspaper specifically arguing that their mentioning a book’s rumor would prevent her from making money from being the wife of the president.