Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

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

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

The words do not have to be perfect.

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

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

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Books are my comfort food!

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Open Thread: The Response From Trump’s Owners

Open Thread: The Response From Trump’s Owners

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Dance, old man, you’re our puppet and we want to see you dance…


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THANKS EVER SO MUCH, REPUBS, FOR SELLING US ALL OUT!

Reader Interactions

119Comments

  3. 3.

    Raoul

    I just cannot understand how delusional elected Republicans must be. Also, how much I underestimated their stupidity and cravenness. And I didn’t think I’d been very generous on either of those measures.

    One party in this country simply isn’t. It is a suicide cult with the tattered trappings of a political movement not completely removed yet.

  5. 5.

    Yarrow

    The chyron on CNN right now says, “Trump takes Putin’s word over US intel community.” Oh, it just changed to “Trump: I believe Putin’s denials of meddling.”

  6. 6.

    NotMax

    Open thread?

    First world problems (collect ’em all):

    Amazon Prime refuses to remember my preference is to have closed captioning enabled.

    Also too, ongoing dearth of front page foodie posts.

  7. 7.

    germy

    Those tweets from Suchkov… I wonder how 45 would react if he saw them?

    I know 45 only sees what his handlers want him to see (fox and friends) so I guess he’ll never know.

  8. 8.

    Kelly

    @Yarrow: Yeah I’m torn between wanting all these jerks to get their just comeuppance and fear of the collateral damage. Although I’m actually getting optimistic we’ll keep our democracy.

  9. 9.

    ericblair

    @Raoul:

    I just cannot understand how delusional elected Republicans must be. Also, how much I underestimated their stupidity and cravenness. And I didn’t think I’d been very generous on either of those measures.

    They have gotten where they are by decades of lying with no thought as to what to actually do with power besides line their own pockets. They have painted themselves into a corner: they can either do the right thing and get rid of Trump, enraging the nutballs they have encouraged over the years; or they can stay with the idiot traitor and get pulled under with him later. Plus, they know what they’ve done to get there, they probably don’t know what other have done, and they are in no good position to endure much real scrutiny.

    Since it is easier every day to go along and deny and stick their heads in the sand, hope that maybe he’ll flop over dead of a heart attack or something else magical will save them, they’ll do that. It’s only when congresscritters losing their seats and getting arrested scares them more than the howling mobs that something will happen.

  10. 10.

    Yarrow

    @NotMax: TaMara is still dealing with the sudden loss of her pup Bailey. It could be awhile before she has another food post. Maybe Adam could step in.

  11. 11.

    lamh36

    Women, in general always talk amongst themselves, esp when it involves a creepy guy with the reputation of predatory behaviour…so I’m inclined to believe this…and I bet other at the time would agree..

    @geokelley
    Then there’s this, Theresa Jones of Sarasota, FL writing this to the Gadsden Times today
    I was a deputy DA in Gadsen with Roy Moore…Roy was known to eschew dating his own age and preferred teenagers…
    https://twitter.com/geokelley/status/929185868136448005

  19. 19.

    JMG

    It’s just a matter of time before Putin thinks he’s gotten as much out of Trump as possible and drops all his compromising information in the hands of some lucky reporter. Wonder what he has on Pence? Probably video of him smiling at a woman under 70 while not in the presence of his wife.

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    I have to do laundry today, and I don’t wanna. My sprained knee is still bothering me and someone at my doctor’s office forgot to get me a referral to an orthopedist, so I’m still waiting for that.

  25. 25.

    dmsilev

    @Raoul:

    I just cannot understand how delusional elected Republicans must be. Also, how much I underestimated their stupidity and cravenness.

    Part of it is that they’re getting what they want from Trump. Is he nominating right-wing lunatics to judgeships? Yes. Will he sign a tax “reform” bill if they can get him one? Yes. Etc.

  26. 26.

    Jeffro

    @JMG: Putin will never do that…it would help unite our country. preserving the uncertainty could keep us fighting and in chaos for years to come.

  27. 27.

    lamh36

    It’s a work weekend for me, so excuse me if I post something that’s already been discussed/posted…didn’t feel like going through the 100s of comments from the past 8hrs

    @Josh_Moon
    Paula Cobia, attorney for Roy Moore accuser Gloria Deason, has released a new statement challenging Moore’s denials. It is STRONG. #alpolitics #ALSEN
    https://twitter.com/Josh_Moon/status/929111013424816129

  29. 29.

    mike in dc

    Pedophilia, Nazis and Treason are A-Ok, so long as Republicans can deliver tax cuts to billionaire donors. And hold on to political power. Basically, a complete moral implosion.

  32. 32.

    PAM Dirac

    @Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
    The physicist Richard Feynman said science is a method to make sure you don’t get fooled and the easiest person to fool is yourself. I don’t think anyone writing today works harder not to fool himself than Coates. He is intellectually tenacious and if you want to argue against him you had better had better have done your homework. In a different timeline he would have been a great scientist.

  33. 33.

    lamh36

    @thehill
    Follow Follow @thehill
    More
    JUST IN: Former Roy Moore colleague: It was “common knowledge” that Moore dated teenage girls http://hill.cm/XayEtp5

    “It was common knowledge that Roy Moore dated high school girls, everyone we knew thought it was weird,” Jones told CNN. “We wondered why someone his age would hang out at high school football games and the mall … but you really wouldn’t say anything to someone like that.”

  34. 34.

    MomSense

    I’m organizing my desk. I let my desk and that whole area become one massive “junk drawer”.

    Now that I have a bunch of piles of stuff to sort through, I just want to throw it back in my desk drawers and ignore it again.

    Sometimes I resent adulting.

  35. 35.

    Barbara

    @lamh36:

    I was a deputy DA in Gadsen with Roy Moore…Roy was known to eschew dating his own age and preferred teenagers…

    It’s a safe bet that if the Post found four, there are more out there. Many very understandably would not want to come forward. When he says things like “I didn’t generally prefer teenagers” or “I never dated anyone without their mother’s permission,” of course, you know he did exactly what these women claimed he did. Of course, I never thought they were lying. What motive do any of these women have to upend their lives, to face anger and even retaliation, for nothing? They didn’t try to contact him first to see if he would pay them to shut up. I think it would be better if Jones won, but damn, Republicans deserve to have Moore hung like an anvil around their necks. The party of p*ssy grabbers and perverts masquerading as virtuous defenders of the little guy.

  36. 36.

    Gin & Tonic

    I’m actually quite happy that the scheduling for a one-on-one between Trump and Putin didn’t work out. God only knows what Trump would have given up. It would have been like me playing chess with my 2 1/2 year-old granddaughter.

  37. 37.

    Betty Cracker

    @lamh36: What a weird story! Doesn’t make sense to do that to avoid an $8k debt. He couldn’t borrow the money from ONJ? Sell the boat he abandoned when he faked his death to settle up? If it’s him, there’s a lot more to it than we know.

  38. 38.

    Emma

    @MomSense: Come sit by me. I have been organizing stuff into piles all month, every weekend a different area. Now I just want to set fire to it all. Admittedly I’ve also thrown away several full garbage bags but it still feels just not worth it.

  39. 39.

    JMG

    @lamh36: I’m a retired newspaper guy, sports division. All her life, my mom asked me why didn’t a write a novel? And I always answered, before I got past page one. reality would beat me. Proven right again.
    .

  42. 42.

    Brachiator

    @lamh36:

    Paula Cobia, attorney for Roy Moore accuser Gloria Deason, has released a new statement challenging Moore’s denials. It is STRONG

    Yes, it is very strong. The people of Alabama, especially the white women, have a lot of explaining to do if they vote for Moore.

  43. 43.

    lamh36

    @brianschatz
    You cannot delay an election because you are afraid of losing. That’s what they do in dictatorships.

    @axios
    Republicans want to delay the AL Senate race to stop Roy Moore, and they’re asking 2 others to challenge him as write-in candidates.

  46. 46.

    Betty Cracker

    @Jeffro: That would be the smart play. But Putin seems to enjoy fucking with people in strange ways. Maybe he’ll torch Trump just because he has so much contempt for the pathetic worm. He could almost certainly do it in such a way as to make the present chaos and division even worse.

  47. 47.

    germy

    Moore gave a speech today. Called it fake news. Says his opponents are desperate. They’re all liars.

    Applause and a loud “yeah!” from the audience.

    He says his election will determine the future of our country.

  48. 48.

    Brachiator

    @lamh36:

    Olivia Newton-John’s ex ‘found in Mexico after faking his own death 12 years ago

    That’s a long way to go to get away from an ex. Thank the deity we have Facebook now. You can just unfriend them.

  52. 52.

    dmsilev

    @lamh36: The NYT had a story on that as well today. Apparently election law in Alabama gives the governor broad discretion in things like the dates for special elections. Legally, they probably could move it, even at this late date. Probably, though. Absentee ballots are already being mailed out, and the logistics become more and more difficult with each passing day. For instance, do you void any absentee ballots from the current lot and send out new ones with Not Moore on the ballot? If so, what happens when someone sends in one of the original set?

  54. 54.

    germy

    @Aleta: At the end of the speech he suggested darkly that within a few days some new information will be released about the conspiracy against him.

    I’m guessing that means he’s got people digging up (inventing) dirt on the accusers.

  57. 57.

    Corner Stone

    @germy: That means he will be telling you all about their expensive counter tops and kitchen remodels paid for by unclear sources.
    And he wants to threaten and obstruct any other story from coming out in the interim. He knows they are out there. He’s made the g@mble that he can survive all the stories about 16 and 17 year olds. That’s why he’s fully denying even meeting or knowing the 14 year old.

  59. 59.

    Brachiator

    @germy:

    Have they found Andy Kaufman?

    Yep. He can be found in his grave.

    But I guess the death hoax stuff again illustrates how people can be intent on fooling themselves into believing a lie.

  60. 60.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @mike in dc: The solution to this is very simple.

    Eliminate the billionaire donors, and perhaps our politics will return to something sane.

  61. 61.

    Chip Daniels

    @Emma:
    Take off, and nuke it from orbit.
    Its the only way to be sure.

    (Applies to messy desks, and the GOP as well.)

  62. 62.

    TS

    US judge Mark Wolf on global tour to push for an international anti-corruption court

    He is visiting Australia and will speak in Sydney this week about his campaign to form an international anti-corruption court.

    I have read who he is – what his politics are – and where he is/was a judge – but there is NO WAY I will ever listen to anyone from the US talking about honest elections, anti-corruption, or democracy ever again. trump has removed any earned or unearned recognition of the US as a leader in any of these areas.

  64. 64.

    germy

    @Brachiator: It doesn’t help when his best friend Zmuda keeps the gag going for decades. I think the last time it came up was when Zmuda wanted to sell a book.

  66. 66.

    lamh36

    @ABC
    “Pitch Perfect” actress @RebelWilson accuses male star of ‘disgusting’ sexual misconduct. http://abcn.ws/2hkspQ
    https://twitter.com/ABC/status/929494492130004993t

    Here’s the thing…these types of incidents are NOT about “attractiveness”…in fact far from it…it’s about these people in power thinking because of that power they can sexually harrass or even out right assault ANY woman, just by them being a woman.

    Don’t matter what you look like…some men just see “woman” and therefore think it’s ok to say shit to you just because. And I’d also say that when you are a woman considered “outside” the beauty spectrum…some men thinks that make you are even more likely to be susceptible to the harassment…

  68. 68.

    Teddys Person

    Hello all, I’m mostly a hardcore lurker around these parts, but I want to make a shameless fundraising plug for a friend’s knitting business, where she creates and sells knitting patterns. I’ll let her explain:

    This [fundraising] campaign will [help] promote my gansey knitting kits and patterns. They’re the only US-made gansey project kits available, and I want to share them with knitters outside of my farmers’ market circle. This project will also finance the development of 2 more historical sweater patterns that only exist in 19th-century photographs. Some unknown woman worked hard to create them, and I want knitters and non-knitters alike to know their stories.

    If you’re interested in what she’s doing, you can check out her campaign page.

    In addition to her knitting, she’s also extremely active in animal rescue. She works for People United for Pets who bring van loads of cats and dogs from southern California shelters to the Seattle area. She has a daughter, 2 dogs, and 2 cats in her 2 bedroom apartment and still takes in dogs and cats from the rescue. She often gets the difficult dogs to work with to make them more adoptable and any pregnant dogs or cats seem to make their way to her. In short, she’s an all-round awesome person.

  70. 70.

    lgerard

    The Crying Nazi had a court appearance the other day

    His supporters, known for their fashy haircuts and white polos and khakis, coordinated new outfits this time. About a dozen of them lined the courtroom’s benches wearing black, some dressed head-to-toe in the color.

    But this part of the story made me laugh out loud

    Some of the white nationalists in town may have found their cars towed when they left court. Sources say the church where they parked had the vehicles removed.

    The Lord works in mysterious ways indeed

  72. 72.

    Mnemosyne

    @lamh36:

    And I’d also say that when you are a woman considered “outside” the beauty spectrum…some men thinks that make you are even more likely to be susceptible to the harassment…

    Yup. Brett Ratner harassed Ellen Page because he knew she was a lesbian, not despite it. And some men can’t stand to look at a person like Rebel Wilson and know that she’s self-confident and mouthy. They feel like she needs to be taken down a peg, so they try to do it.

  73. 73.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @TS:

    but there is NO WAY I will ever listen to anyone from the US talking about honest elections, anti-corruption, or democracy ever again.

    That seems a bit extreme. I mean, are you going to ignore any comments on those topics on this blog from American commenters? Are you going to shut out what John Lewis may say about elections?

  81. 81.

    TS

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    That seems a bit extreme. I mean, are you going to ignore any comments on those topics on this blog from American commenters? Are you going to shut out what John Lewis may say about elections?

    I’m talking about those who travel the globe preaching to other countries while in other countries about honest elections and anti corruption. If they can’t stop it in the US, how can they stop it any other place? They have lost the right to lecture others in the age of trump.

  82. 82.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Russians are notorious for late-night talkfests at summits. Keeping the elderly, erratic Trump out of one was a public service.

    That we have seriously worry about Grandpa little hands starting WWIII because he was up to late, Jesus Christ…

  84. 84.

    debbie

    @TS:

    If he’s preaching the need for an international anti-corruption court, then I’m all for it. Tell me, please, which country is it that is untouched in terms of corruption?

  86. 86.

    TS

    @debbie: I didn’t mention ANY country that is untouched by corruption – I simply said the US has (for me) lost the right to be lecturing in other countries about such issues. They should be lecturing at home – using any means to overcome what has happened there.

  87. 87.

    Chet Murthy

    @Jeffro: Yeah, I’m completely convinced that Vladi will do *whatever* it takes to keep The Orange Apocalypse in power. The damage to our allies *alone* is worth every minute of it. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d trade … oh, idunno, (nuked) Vladivostok, for keepin’ Command Heel Spurs in power.

    B/c people, well, they grow back. But this kind of destruction of his principal adversary’s power? Oh man, that’s priceless. I remember during the end of Shrub’s tenure, reading about how Germany was thinking of a rapprochment w/Russia, b/c America were so …. fucked-up. I doubt that’s on the cards *right* *now*. But hey, Turkey/Hungary/Poland/WHO’S NEXT?

    No, Vladi’s havin’ his hookers don orange wigs and re-enact press conferences.

    fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

  88. 88.

    Suzanne

    I just bought myself some new pants and a new dress. I am not typically a retail therapy person, but this has been a terrible week and I would really like to feel pretty.

  90. 90.

    Cheryl Rofer

    It’s morning in Vietnam, and Trump is tweeting.

    * Met with President Putin of Russia who was at #APEC meetings. Good discussions on Syria. Hope for his help to solve, along with China the dangerous North Korea crisis. Progress being made.

    * When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics – bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!

    * Does the Fake News Media remember when Crooked Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, was begging Russia to be our friend with the misspelled reset button? Obama tried also, but he had zero chemistry with Putin.

    * Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat?” Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!

    Looks like his handlers had the right idea when they wanted to end the trip before the APEC meeting.

  92. 92.

    Chet Murthy

    @TS: I gotta agree with you. Heh, I remember back in the 90s (was it?) when Indonesia was in its regime-change days, and we were all high-and-mighty about crony capitalism everywhere, and how America’s capital markets were so full of probity (ahem, more like “penetrated at all levels” (h/t Adam S)). So yeah, I’m kinda done with the “American have something to tell the rest of the world about good behaviour”.

    Fuck that. We need to spend the next fukkin’ century being extras. Like Canada.

  93. 93.

    TriassicSands

    I was just reading about the Marine drill instructor who has been sentenced to 10 years for mistreating recruits. The drill instructor’s mistreatment was not minor. And it was especially vicious when directed at Muslim recruits.

    My first thought was, Is this Trump’s next pardon?

  94. 94.

    Barbara

    @lamh36: Delaying the election won’t work. It should be illegal. It has already been delayed once, I think because of the resignation of the governor — who was basically caught red handed lying and using government resources to cover up his affair with another woman. But even if they did delay it, how would they get Moore to agree to drop out?

  97. 97.

    TriassicSands

    Roy Moore: I’ve been investigated more than any other person in this country.

    Trump and Moore are soul mates equally given to gross exaggerations and gross behavior.

  99. 99.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Cheryl Rofer: Schindler (that asshole) notes that Putin hated Obama, but never sneered at him in public. And also asserts that Trump was a RU agent of influence since 1987, and just dropped his cover, which Putin won’t like one bit. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

  100. 100.

    normal liberal

    @Teddys Person:
    Wow, her work is beautiful. I’ll be in, once I’ve sorted out who on my list could get what. Sadly, my circle is knitter-less, but full of people who wear hats and sweaters.

  102. 102.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Chet Murthy: Small pedantic point, not directed at you personally. But nobody named Vladimir (Russian) or Volodymyr (Ukrainian) is ever called “Vlad.” It can be Vova or Volodya or Vlodya or Vlodko. I don’t know what Putin’s buds call him, but I can guarantee it’s not Vlad.

  104. 104.

    J R in WV

    @lamh36:

    Damn, John McCain is gonna make me respect him somehow, someway. That’s some serious shade on the unmentionable orange one. And I hate Senator McCain!

  105. 105.

    J R in WV

    @Suzanne:

    You know all of us jackals are pulling for Spawn to do well, and for you to be calm soothing and happy for Spawn.

    Best wishes, and good luck from way back east!! I’ll be in AZ in 6 or 8 weeks, to avoid the depressing weather here in the brown and gray rolling hills of winter.

  107. 107.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: I haven’t read Schindler in some time. The Observer bans all us evil people who use ad blockers, and in any case, I’ve thought that Schindler has been becoming more unhinged. I’ve also always felt that a real intel agent, even if retired, doesn’t keep bragging about his clearances and doesn’t end arguments by saying that if you knew the classified stuff he knows, you would agree with him.

    That said, I tend to doubt that Trump has been an agent of Russian influence since 1987, although that is about the time he started going public about Russia. That could also have to do with that being about the time he was getting more into the news. OTOH, at this point I would not be excessively surprised if that turned out to be the case.

  108. 108.

    Wapiti

    @lamh36: We saw Coates in Seattle last Sunday; the place was full. One of the audience questions dealt with his writing technique and he explained how, after deep research, he wrote and rewrote his stuff four, five, or six times before it got to “maybe acceptable”. It was clear that he thoroughly worked through his arguments and counter-arguments – and because of that, he was ready for any and all of the audience questions.

  109. 109.

    TriassicSands

    @Mnemosyne:

    Possibly useful suggestion: Once you know the referral has been made, don’t wait for the orthopedist’s office to call you — call them. In the past, I’ve waited several days to more than a week for a referral office to call me. It has never caused a problem when I’ve called them.

    Good luck.

  110. 110.

    Gvg

    @lamh36: I think the republicans are afraid Moore might win.

    If I lived in Alabame I’d make a list of the ones who defend Moore with really skeevy arguments like the Bible says it’s ok, and check their pasts. I would bet the ones who made the news are just as bad as Moore, whereas others are running away like normal people.

  112. 112.

    Gretchen

    @Gin & Tonic: That’s something I love about Slavic names. They don’t just have one nickname. It varies by who’s talking and how they’re feeling. My friend Irene was Irene, Irenka, Irka, Irene, Irusia.

  113. 113.

    TenguPhule

    @germy:

    He says his election will determine the future of our country.

    On this point alone, he’s not wrong.

    But not the way he thinks he is.

    I think Moore winning would be sign that we really are going to have a Civil meltdown into war.

  114. 114.

    D58826

    He’s gotten so much ROI out of him already, but now they are just playing with their food.
    8:58 PM – Nov 10, 2017

    Was thinking more like cat playing with a mouse

  115. 115.

    D58826

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    That said, I tend to doubt that Trump has been an agent of Russian influence since 1987,

    That does seem like a long time ago, back when Gorby and St Ronulus the Unready were schmoozing. On the other hand maybe the Russian were just sprinkling some seeds to see what might, over time, grow into something more useful..

  116. 116.

    D58826

    @Barbara:

    I never dated anyone without their mother’s permission,”

    Hmmm a normal sentient human being over the age of 20 would know that if you have to ask her Mom then she is to young.

  119. 119.

    Teddys Person

    @normal liberal: Thread is dead, but thanks. My group is knitterless as well (beside this friend) but I know that there are knitters and generous people around these parts so I thought I’d help her out.

Comments are closed.