One of Trump’s favorite themes on the stump was complaining that “other countries are laughing at us, believe me” and offering himself as the strong man who could restore American honor. It was an absurd proposal based on a lie; President Obama was widely respected in the world, and Trump is a buffoon.
Still, a significant portion of our fellow citizens lapped it up, and now the buffoon is doing what clowns do for an audience, provoking laughter:
White House: US President Trump and Philippines President Duterte discussed human rights and the latter's war on drugs during their closed-door conversation https://t.co/YG8bgnbD6N pic.twitter.com/BrCWXsVHcJ
— CNN (@CNN) November 13, 2017
“The issue of human rights did not arise,” Duterte’s spokesperson says after Duterte’s 40-minute meeting with Trump.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 13, 2017
Of course it didn’t come up. Who’s going to bring it up, Trump?
There was a similar “did they or didn’t they” controversy after Trump got his ass in a crack this weekend over his remarks about Russian meddling in the U.S. election. First, Trump spoke to reporters on AF1, leaving the distinct impression that the two men discussed the issue at length and that he, Trump, took Putin’s word that Russia didn’t meddle in the 2016 elections.
Then, when those remarks were received with derision at home — even on Fox News! — Trump walked them back, claiming (absurdly) that what he actually meant was that PUTIN sincerely believes that Russia had nothing to do with the election meddling. As if it’s remotely plausible that Russian agents would undertake a massive coordinated cyberattack on the U.S. without clearing it with Putin.
At first, a Kremlin spokesman said Putin and Trump didn’t even discuss the election. Later, he said the two DID discuss it.
The common thread here is that foreign leaders have no respect for Trump. They don’t fear contradicting him. And why should they? They’re busy running circles around Trump, distracting him with geegaws while the grownups negotiate deals. And he’ll come home tomorrow convinced the trip was a big success because red carpets.
Corner Stone
“Got some great, great deals. The kind of deals no one else, I think, has been able to make. Believe me.”
PRESS: “Sir, what kind of deals?”
“The best deals – the, the, very, very best deals. When you see the deals, that are the best deals, the very best deals.”
PRESS: “Ok, with any specific country?”
“The best countries. They are beautiful, very beautiful the deals I made. Way better than anything before. Bigly.”
Hunter Gathers
If Trump were the GM of the Patriots, I could get him to trade me Brady for a pair of shoes.
schrodingers_cat
The joke has been on us since the elections of last year and T and his band of thieves are laughing all the way to the bank.
rikyrah
For those interested in the GOP Tax Scam.
I live in one of the top 10 Tax states.
I told you, the GOPers around here are part of the IGMFY crowd.
Lo and behold, what do I see in the big headline of the Conservative Local Newspaper this morning – right there, big letters, above the fold;
SENATE BILL WOULD ELIMINATE LOCAL TAX DEDUCTION
The GOP Reps here are part of the 50 GOP Reps from high tax states.
You don’t think that folks read this on their way to work, and have forwarded it to their neighbors.?
I told you….these folks will not be distracted by the little Baby Jesus, or abortion, or guns…
They know that their lifestyles are funded by those taxes, and will not have kind words for those who tell them that THEIR taxes should go up so that the Koch Brothers can get billions.
Good luck with selling that.
rikyrah
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell 11/10/17
Where will the excuses end for the GOP?
Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post says the Republicans must stop making excuses for bad and even criminal behavior just because it is done by Republicans. Jennifer Rubin, David Frum and former prosecutor Barbara McQuade join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Major Major Major Major
Yep. Sigh.
Today we allegedly have work starting up again at work, which is great, because I’m almost done with my novel. Writing the second half of the last chapter!
rikyrah
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell 11/10/17
Lawrence on Moore: “I don’t recall” is not good enough
Roy Moore denies molesting a 14-year-old when he was 32, but when pressed about other encounters he may have had with teenage girls, he says he doesn’t remember. Lawrence O’Donnell says that defense is not good enough and asks what GOP leadership will do about it.
Kryptik
And yet a significant portion of the country will still persist on the lie that Obama’s “apologies” made us weak and disrespected, and only Trump’s sheer alpha virile strength is making us respected again.
Projection is a hell of a drug.
rikyrah
These AM Joy segments on Moore are ON FIRE!!!
AM Joy 11/11/17
Roy Moore responds to sexual misconduct allegations
Roy Moore makes his first public appearance amid a fury of allegations of sexual misconduct. Moore again denied reports of sexual misconduct, calling it ‘fake news.’ Joy Reid and her panel discuss.
AM Joy 11/11/17
Roy Moore denies sexual misconduct allegations
With a swarm of sexual misconduct allegations surrounding Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore, Joy Reid and her panel discuss the potential impact it could have on evangelical voters.
rikyrah
Interesting segment: The outline of the crossing of the emoluments clause alone is worth watching- -broken down like a fraction.
AM Joy 11/12/17
President Duterte and Trump Meet during Asia Tour
Trump visits the Philippines on the final stop of his Asia tour and meets President Rodrigo Duterte, who is surrounded by speculation of human rights abuses. Joy Reid and her panel discuss
Major Major Major Major
@Kryptik: A significant portion of the country thinks the earth is flat, I’m done wasting my energy thinking about these people.
Humboldtblue
Here’s an interesting piece from a member of the Clinton social media team.
Here’s a sad reminder of just how violent this nation is.
Frankensteinbeck
Even on the left, there is a tendency to believe that if I don’t like something, nobody does. Conservatives are inherently more dogma prone than us, and they looked at Obama and saw an irresponsible child who did not act like a tough guy. It was so obvious to them that the world had contempt for Obama, facts were irrelevant.
rikyrah
Hadn’t seen anyone interview him, so, good for Joy.
AM Joy 11/12/17
Justin Fairfax discusses his historic win in Virginia
Joy Reid goes one on one with Virginia Lieutenant governor-elect Justin Fairfax, who became the second African American ever elected to Virginia statewide office on Tuesday
danielx
A legend in his own mind.
rikyrah
Just a coffee boy, right…….
AM Joy 11/12/17
Papadopoulos’ real role during Trump campaign questioned
New details about the roles George Papadopoulos and Carter Page played during the Trump campaign emerge as the FBI’s Russia probe continues. Joy Reid and her panel discuss.
Humboldtblue
Huh
gene108
For too many people the bluster of George W. Bush, Trump, and to lesser extent Reagan with his “evil empire” and “tear down this wall” comments are what pass for successful foreign policy and showing leadership on the world stage.
Actual results are meaningless.
We have a two Americas problem: Democrats live in the reality based community, while Republicans are living in a dream world of their own creation.
Humboldtblue
Here’s a first hand account of Clinton’s social media campaign.
Here’s a sad reminder of how violent this nation is.
Corner Stone
@rikyrah: Haven’t seen much of Fairfax but that was a good interview. Seems like a solid guy and a good communicator.
rikyrah
Republicans Are in a No-Win Situation with Moore
by David Atkins November 12, 2017
Reeling from allegations of child molestation and sexual conduct with teenagers by Senate candidate Roy Moore, the Alabama GOP is reportedly seeking ways to postpone the election:
……………………………….
Predictably and appropriately, Democrats are crying foul. The fact that Republicans have nominated such an offensive candidate so close to the election is their own fault. It’s not as if Moore didn’t already have a checkered and objectionable history before the latest allegations. It’s just that the GOP base didn’t care, and now they’re stuck with the consequences. Republicans have a number of unpalatable options now:
The Moar You Know
This so-called president is as clueless as a rube from the sticks in Vegas. And he’s going to get us taken to the cleaners like one too.
schrodingers_cat
@rikyrah: Cry me a river, bastards.
rikyrah
Yes. It’s an Entire Culture of Sanctioned Sexual Abuse.
by David Atkins November 12, 2017
………………………………………………….
These are admittedly controversial positions. But they’re also hard to refute after today’s polling shows that 37% of Alabama evangelicals are actually more likely to vote for Roy Moore after hearing the allegations against him, and 34 percent said it would make no difference:
These numbers cannot be attributed to pure political tribalism. It is quite simply a culture of abuse.
Moore is and has always been one of their own. His offenses against the law, his bigotries, his lack basic compassion are their own. And yes, his (alleged) active predation on teenage girls is part of it, too. It’s culturally expected. And if it went just a little too far, well, Moore is a man of God who has almost certainly been forgiven by the Lord, so all is well in the land of the Duggars and Duck Dynasty.
And it’s time that all of us started calling it exactly what it is: a culture of explicitly sanctioned sexual abuse.
rikyrah
Trump and Tillerson Are Gutting the State Department for No Good Reason
by David Atkins
November 12, 2017
One of the many problems with the constant daily hair-raising outrages of Donald Trump and Republicans like Roy Moore, is the number of serious scandals and malfeasances that slip by almost unnoticed.
Such is the story mostly buried this weekend of Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson’s decimation of the State Department. It is a move that makes no sense, is not desired even by the extremist Republican Congress, and won’t even save any money. It is an action of ignorance, spite and stupidity that harm American interests and the cause of democracy worldwide.
From the New York Times:
And why? Because Donald Trump promised to “drain the swamp” and level massive cuts across all non-defense departments without the foggiest clue what they do or why.
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress wholly rejected the proposed budget cuts, choosing to fund the State Department at mostly the same level as in previous years. But much to their consternation, Tillerson is going ahead with the pointless and counterproductive exercise nonetheless. Donald Trump doesn’t care: he literally doesn’t think the State Department does much of anything at all, and recently said in the fashion of the Sun King’s that he was the only one that mattered. If Tillerson knows better, he’s not giving any indication of it.
Ian G.
The Chinese government is laughing at Putin right now. Putin put in all the effort and took all the risk in getting Trump elected, and yet it will be China that will really all the reward in terms of rising economic and political influence around the world.
Putin is delusional if he thinks the Russia-China axis is going to be an equal partnership. Russia’s future is as a client state of China.
Major Major Major Major
Drudge’s headline right now is that the newest from constant outlier Rasmussen has trump at 46%, or only -13!
Must be a slow propaganda day.
rikyrah
Trump’s absurd voting commission starts to unravel
11/10/17 10:49 AM
By Steve Benen
……………………..
This week, matters took a turn for the worse. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern explained that there’s fresh evidence the White House commission “is imploding.”
This comes on the heels of a separate reportfrom last month in which the inner workings of Trump’s commission came to light, prompting Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, to say there are “serious concerns about the potential coordination between the Pence-Kobach commission and government agencies, including the Justice Department, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.”
GregB
The national plunge into madness continues apace.
Trump’s base are still getting treated like the most important people in the US. Sadly, they are the most ignorant rubes ever. They are so stupid that they railed about their hatred of globalism and the world elites.
They are now giddy that every world dictator and despot, all bleeding the wealth of their nations upward to a tiny kleptocratic elite, are treating Trump like a visiting king.
The more lavish the parades, parties and receptions, the more they see Trump as an important leader.
The most ignorant people in America.
rikyrah
Roy Moore: Acceptance of pedophilia in the South is a legacy of slavery
“While some people were surprised by the allegation that Alabama Republican Senatorial candidate Judge Roy Moore attempted to date a 14 year old girl in 1979 when he was 32, many more were shocked by how many of his Alabama supporters seemed to be willing to defend, or even accept, what is essentially a charge of pedophilia, or child sexual assault, in the candidate they hope will represent them in the Senate. To understand why many Southern whites find acceptable, behaviour which would be considered deviant and criminal in most parts of the United States, one must understand the role that Antebellum slavery played in cultivating a culture of sexual abuse and pedophilia in the South.
Before the Civil War, forcing frequent and casual sex on young girl slaves was a prized white privilege of the Southern culture they built on the backs of their slaves. It’s no accident that the age of consent is only 16 in all the former Confederate states but Louisiana, Florida, Virginia and Tennessee. Before the women’s movement forced a change around 1920, it had been 12 or even 10 in the former Confederate states.
Slavery made sex with children easy for the masters of the old Dominion. There were no rules. A UK national archives report on the childhood of slaves states:
The trauma of sexual abuse is also a difficult subject to quantify. Sensibilities of the time and the fact that abolition was often associated with religious organisations means that sexual abuse of girls was often only alluded to in veiled terms and sexual abuse of boys was almost never mentioned. The dangers of sexual exploitation are only too obvious with slave children being seen as chattels with no legal protection. The fact that sexuality appears to have rarely discussed also left slave children ignorant and vulnerable to abuse. If the issue of forced marriage of slaves is included in this category along with coercion into sexual activity for preferential treatment, it is easy to see how sexual abuse could be seen as endemic in slave children’s lives.
When the struggle to raise the age of consent finally erupted in the 1920’s, some whites argued that it should be lower for the South, saying African American women ‘matured earlier.’ This was a common myth about non-white people. Some even had the audacity to stretch the bunk science to the point where they claimed that white girls living in sub-tropical climates ‘ripened’ into women earlier.”
rikyrah
while FEMA can’t find these people….
Reporting from our @WCKitchen in Ponce with @ChefVentura who has cooked more than 36k meals to serve the often forgotten center of the island, Adjuntas, etc #ChefsForPuertoRico pic.twitter.com/LzTF8wqIve
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) November 13, 2017
Amir Khalid
Was? Last I heard, he is still widely respected in the world. And still wildly popular just about everywhere, too.
trollhattan
The Simpsons does some heavy lifting a year into the Trumpocalypse.
Mnemosyne
@rikyrah:
Hm. I still think it has more to do with the homeschooling fundamentalists thinking that girls need to be married off before they start trying to think for themselves. Child marriage is a common way fundamentalists around the world try to control women, not just American Christian ones.
Karen S.
I wonder if presidents and prime ministers of other nations are shocked at how easy it is to pull the wool over Drumpf’s eyes and run circles around him? Sigh. We’re not sending our best.
Major Major Major Major
@Mnemosyne: I agree, not all American problems are about slavery, this problem isn’t even particularly American.
aimai
@Mnemosyne: I read that article and I agreed with it, in part, but there is no denying that Moore himself was seeking sex outside of marriage/courtship. And he seems to have been intent on violating those rules through his secrecy. His intention in having sex with these women was outside the bounds of evangelical thinking about sex and marriage, no matter how they may choose to excuse it in practice. It sounds like the mothers of some of these girls may have mistaken his interest for matrimonial, paternalistic, or long term, and not been as suspicious of it as they would have been if they had come from a non-paternalistic/non evangelical/non southern culture. There’s as much classism and misogyny as there is real evangelical crap. He prayed upon the same kinds of girls that priests in the church preyed on when they chose boys from families without fathers.
Spanky
@aimai:
Fixed.
Mnemosyne
@Major Major Major Major:
@aimai:
I don’t want to 100 percent discount the possibility that it’s a factor in the South still having much lower ages of consent, because it’s a pretty marked cultural difference between the former Confederate states and the rest of the country. But I agree with aimai that Moore was using pre-existing attitudes to give him cover for preying on young girls.
Someone mentioned the other day that Moore mysteriously took off to Australia for a year at one point when he was a rising young attorney, and my first thought was, Can’t have a shotgun wedding when the prospective groom flees the country.
Betty Cracker
Gloria Allred will be introducing a new Roy Moore victim at a news conference later today. Anyone surprised? Anyone?
Dave
@rikyrah: See my take is if you are in a no win situation that will cost you regardless, as it should in this case the GOP happily helped make this bed, then why not do the morally and ethically correct thing? I know why of course and it’s even less tolerable when they are in a lose/lose situation.
kindness
I have a rough time with Duarte. Out here in N. Cal, I know a lot of Filipinos. Work with a huge number of them as the Bay Area is a magnet. Most all are really upstanding and good people. Moderate Democrats for the most part. But almost all of them love Duarte and think he is for ‘the common man’ and say so. When asked about the assasination rings the police & the freelancers are running in the name of going after drug dealers they all give him a pass. When you point out the police that have come forward admitting they were paid bonuses to kill individuals who may or may not have had anything to do with drugs but might have been ‘in the way’ to some important person or other, they deny it. I can’t talk politics with most of them. They don’t support Trump but are the same as Trump supporters wrt Duarte. I am at a loss because of it.
rikyrah
@Betty Cracker:
Ugh. Why couldn’t she have left it alone?
Give ammunition to Moore…ugh
Brachiator
@Frankensteinbeck:
WTF? Conservatives saw a scary black man who could not possibly be a real American.
Ironically, an Obama who came across as tougher would have made them shit their pants. As it was Obama was tough, but cool, which still fucked with their minds.
Trump is their great white hope.
The Moar You Know
@kindness: One of the fun things about learning how to get along with people of other cultures is that they all have at least one cherished belief that will offend you to the core. Like you, I lived in NorCal for many years, got to know a lot of Filipinos. Almost married one. It’s a culture with a hell of a lot of strengths, but a respect for democracy is not a strong point with them. Hasn’t done much for them if you look at it. I get the appeal of Duarte to them, don’t agree with it…but get it. He’s shooting people who have made the lives of average Filipinos miserable for decades. Nobody’s ever bothered to do even that much for the average guy there. Now, I can see the downside of such a thing, but I’ve never had to live in a society comprised of gangs and victims, and they have.
Nothing to be at a loss about, that’s just how it is. Accept that’s how it is, thank your personal Jesus they don’t like Trump, and move on.
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
Their vessel for White Supremacy is an international embarrassment.
Yarrow
@Betty Cracker: Nope. No surprise there. The women in the Washington Post were just the tip of the Roy Moore pedophilia iceberg.
rikyrah
Trump’s trade policies backfire, leave U.S. more isolated
11/13/17 10:03 AM
By Steve Benen
On Donald Trump’s third day as president, he announced the formal demise of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which the Republican president claimed to hate for reasons he struggled to explain. By all appearances, Trump had no idea what the TPP was or what it entailed, but he was nevertheless certain he didn’t like it.
In January, the president assured Americans he’d replace the TPP with a “beautiful” alternative. It’s now mid-November and we’ve seen no such policy.
The issue, however, remains on his mind. A week ago, for example, Trump was in Tokyo, speaking to Japanese business leaders, many of whom backed the TPP. “We will have more trade than anybody ever thought of under TPP, that I can tell you,” the American president promised. “TPP was not the right idea. Probably some of you in this room disagree, but ultimately I’ll be proven to be right.”
The proof actually suggests he’s more confused than accurate. As Trump’s Asia-Pacific tour continues, his White House has some specific trade benefits in mind, each of which were already part of the TPP that this administration helped kill.
Making matters worse, as the New York Times reported, our former negotiating partners are moving on without us.
As the Washington Post’s report explained, “The decision to move ahead with the TPP agreement, minus the United States, reflects how Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal created a vacuum other nations are now moving to fill, with or without the president.”
Brachiator
@Betty Cracker:
*Sigh* It’s what she does. I think she has a publicity detector and a Bat pole that she slides down when she jumps into her Allred mobile to ride to the rescue.
You can’t separate whatever good she might do from her shameless self-promotion.
D58826
saw this on twitter an d seems like a good way to start Mon day
Groan
Raoul
The common thread here is that foreign leaders have no respect for
TrumpAmerica’s fickle and seemingly reckless voters.FTFY. Our global stature will remain diminished for much longer than Trump is in office.
D58826
@Betty Cracker: That it is Allred or that there are more victims? Only question now is whither enough victims come forward to supply a critical mass that the ‘good’ people of Al will turn out in large enough numbers to send this guy back to the pedophile webs sites on the dark web where he belongs
Brachiator
@rikyrah:
His supporters will never see the negative stories, and what little they hear about it, they will shrug off.
Sinclair media group, which many people think is honest and neutral, Clear Channel, and of course Fox, will sell this as the Great White Father telling all those Asian people that there is a new sheriff in town, and they better not mess with America.
Raoul
More broadly, Trump’s buffoonery and willingness to be played in exchange for a parade and some tacky souvenirs should be deeply worrying to US business leaders (who are quite distinct from Rump’s mouth breathing base horde). I don’t see the C-suiters even noticing this yet, which I find bizarre.
Sure, some of them are obsessed with tax cuts, but I think among all the things the Trump election/reign of shit is exposing about our decrepit system is that big business doesn’t have a freakin’ clue how foreign policy (or a fopo vacuum) will impact them. OK, some of these are big multi-nationals that can move more fully offshore and just fvk over the USA, but many have the preponderance of their business right here in ‘Merica and are gonna get burned, badly, by our global reputational collapse. But the blinders seem to be very firmly on. Amazing.
Roger Moore
@Dave:
I don’t think they’re going to see it that way. Their problem is they need to get as much done between now and the next general election as they possibly can, because there’s no guarantee they’ll have the power to push anything through in 2019. Losing just one seat in the Senate massively cuts their chances of accomplishing anything, from tax cuts to approving Trump’s appointees. Who gives a damn about what backing a pedophile does to their reputation when there’s a good chance the entire Trump Administration is going to wind up being indicted? No, they need to win now, now, now and to hell with what it does to their long-term prospects.
rikyrah
The data ALWAYS leads to Kushner and The Mercers.
As Russia scandal unfolds, Cambridge Analytica draws new scrutiny
11/13/17 10:41 AM
By Steve Benen
There’s no shortage of relevant angles to Donald Trump’s Russia scandal, but it’s worth appreciating the significance of Cambridge Analytica’s role in this mess.
As you’ve probably seen Rachel mention on the show, Cambridge Analytica is the data firm the Trump campaign hired during last year’s presidential election. The firm took on added significance two weeks ago when the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump donor Rebekah Mercer asked Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix “whether the company could better organize the Hillary Clinton-related emails being released by WikiLeaks,” which allegedly received stolen documents from Russian hackers.
The WSJ added some additional details to the timeline late Friday, reporting that Cambridge Analytica initiated contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in “early June 2016.”
The same article added that Cambridge Analytica “collected close to $9 million from the campaign, including $6 million that was publicly disclosed and additional funds routed through Giles Parscale, a firm run by Trump digital director Brad Parscale, according to a person familiar with the payments – about 50% more than publicly reported.”
Trump World, true to form, has tried to downplay its connections with the firm. It’s an odd thing to lie about.
japa21
I have been out of the loop most weekend, so someone may have noticed something about what Moore has said that really got to me. He stated he never dated a teenager without the mother’s consent. It makes me wonder if he only chose girls where there was no father around. Don’t know many fathers who would approve of a 30 some year old dating their teen age daughter.
rikyrah
There was not much media attention given to McConnell’s obstruction of the President Obama’s appointees to the courts and now he continues the obstruction by the trashing the blue slips that Senators use to hold up judicial appointments https://t.co/Gq3cdejv5M
— Pretty Foot (@PrettyFootWoman) November 13, 201
Bruce K
Just saw a note on Twitter that McConnell’s publicly come out saying that Moore should drop out. Now McConnell is evil, unprincipled, smart, and desperate, which to my thinking makes him one of the most dangerous men in Washington, so I suspect he’s seeing a real threat to his position and to the GOP (regardless of the threat to the country and its citizens, about which he’s proven beyond question that he doesn’t give a damn).
And as for Moore and the Washington Post, I can’t help but remember that Marty Baron of the Post was at the Boston Globe when they blew the lid off the Church child-sex-abuse scandal there…
Major Major Major Major
@Brachiator: they looked at him and saw both, it was really weird.
Betty Cracker
@D58826: I was asking (rhetorically) if anyone is surprised there are more victims, but yeah, Allred’s involvement isn’t exactly a shocker either. I doubt Allred’s participation will materially affect perceptions of the case against Moore. I don’t think anyone is truly on the fence about the allegations at this point.
D58826
@japa21: and what is obvious to even pond scum if you have to ask her Mother then she is to young
Fair Economist
@japa21:
Somebody observed that according to the girl’s account, when he picked her up for the
molestation“date” he parked several blocks away and hypothesized an unaware father was the reason.Remember the mom had a case before the court he was prosecuting in (not sure if he was on her particular case.) The mom was under coercion too.
gvg
@Mnemosyne: it could be both, in fact social trends are rarely isolated. I have heard that black girls mature earlier stated as obvious truth by African Americans about themselves. I think it was back before pregnancy rates before high school started going down. was too young to wonder where the idea came from, but it did make me uncomfortable. I just thought they were probably mistaken and it struck me as a bit egotistical.
The more controlling religious sects almost always push early marriage and women’s subservience. Not just American variations. I distrust any that are anti abortion, frankly.
Brachiator
@Bruce K:
I think somebody even made a movie about it.
Fair Economist
@Bruce K:
McConnell said Moore should drop out if the allegations are true on the day they were released, and it’s getting really hard to even say the allegations need a little more investigation first. If you look at the circus surrounding this you can see why. He’s not going to be able to get anything done because EVERYTHING the Senate does will be discussed through the “are the Republicans pedophiles” angle. If Moore votes for the tax deform it’s immediately the “Pedophile Tax Cut Bill”. As you say, McConnell is evil but not stupid.
Ruckus
@The Moar You Know:
He is right though. The world is laughing at us. For electing such a fucking moron as our “leader.” 60 million people proved them close to right. 63 million people proved it wasn’t all of us but did prove that a system designed to elect the person desired not necessarily by the people worked. Democracy my ass.
Brachiator
@gvg:
WTF? What the ever fucking fuck??
Major Major Major Major
@Fair Economist: they’re probably considering either going all-in on a Strange write-in or taking a strategic loss.
gvg
@Betty Cracker: on the other side, maybe someone noticed the harassment the other accusers are getting and went looking for a lawyer with experience who won’t back down etc. Her name is known enough that people go looking for her.
I still think the rest of the story is his most disgusting supporters need to be investigated themselves. Some of the defenses (not all) were themselves red flags to problematic behaviors. they may be supporting Moore because they do the same things and don’t think it’s wrong.
NorthLeft12
Yes, Deadbeat Donald has effectively replaced “They are laughing at us!” with “They are sickened by us!”, “They are ignoring us!”, “They hate us!”, “They don’t respect us!”, and “They are bewildered by us!”.
Oh, one small correction; they are really laughing at us now, where before it was mainly in the minds of the right wing nutjobs and assorted pundits who heard the laughter.
J R in WV
@Betty Cracker:
WHAT@@@!!!! I’m shocked, I tell you, SHOCKED!
That the favorite Bible-believing Judge Roy may have violated Southern Womanhood while he was courtin’ around for a wife, the very idea is repulsive. Surely the good Judge Moore would never fondle little girls, no matter how cute and cheerleader like they were!!!
Wait, whut? How many little girls did “Judge” Roy fondle now? is it 4 or 5, plus some more later on today?
What a piece of work, preaching the 10 Commandments, which doesn’t mention child molestation at all, while refusing to tolerate US Supreme Court decisions he disagrees with for REASONS, that’s why!!! The Bible is a very big book, so big they use special thinner stronger paper, and it still only mentions the gay once or twice. But “Judge” Roy knows better, and won’t go along with the law of the land.
Despicable is what I’m down to here. Just despicable “Judge” Roy!
rikyrah
@Bruce K:
Watch the movie Spotlight- excellent movie.
catclub
@kindness:
Duterte
rikyrah
@gvg:
I.just.can’t.with.this.kind.of.bullshyt.
D58826
Since it is a rainy Monday around here I’m in a grumpy mood. I hope Moore stays in the race. AND the good, really good folks in Al. reject him at the polls by a 2-1 margin. That would help restore some of my faith in my fellow citizens. On the other hand if he does win I guess that proves something also. Just not sure I want to dive into that black hole.
rikyrah
Pharmaceutical Exec chosen to be next HHS Secretary.
Ode to joy.
germy
@D58826: I wonder if a write in campaign would fail, because republicans would be unable to spell “Luther” correctly?
Luthor… Luthar…. Luthir… “Aw the hell with it, vote for Roy!”
D58826
@catclub: I’ve seen it spelled both ways. In fact
seems the more common. I’v only seen the other spelling in the past week or so.
J R in WV
@gvg:
And the Bible itself doesn’t refer to the fetus as a child until it is born and taken a breath. Abortion isn’t a mortal sin in the Bible, it’s penalized with a trivial payment to the father for the loss of his offspring, who would have been able to go to work in just 4 or 5 years.
The Theocratic fascists have made a big deal about it with no scriptural support just for political purposes, and to increase their control over women and their sex lives. It’s all about controlling their women-folk, all of it.
Despicable scum. All of the Theocratic fascists. Scum.
D58826
@germy: foghorn leghorn – all power to the chickens.
D58826
@J R in WV: IIRC it wasn’t a big deal among any one but the Catholic church until the mid-70s. Most women knew a hair dresser who could make a recommendation. Also I remember reading that the number procedures labeled D@C’s ‘s on young women dropped dramatically after Roe. They were simply classified as to what they were.
I’m old enough (really really old enough) that I remember doctors making house calls. Big black car, medicine bag with some pills. I remember the little pink ones that the doc. always gave me even if I wasn’t sick. Those sugar pills were delicious. This doctor (think Doc. Adams from the TV show Gunsmoke) delivered my Mom, my Aunt, my sister and I and I suspect my Aunt’s kids. He also performed abortions. Obviously it wasn’t advertised in those days but if a patient came in needing some help, he provided it.
Equally obvious this was the state of the world for middle and upper class, mostly white women. Women of color and the poor were left with the choice of the backroom butcher or a clothes hanger.
Fair Economist
@J R in WV:
There an interesting story about how the Protestant seminaries purged all the people who actually read the Bible and paid attention to it, to permit the current anti-abortion propaganda.
cokane
Twice now during this tour that foreign leaders have immediately and directly contradicted Trump on statements about meetings. Russia just did it on whether there was discussion about election meddling. Makes me wonder if these leaders know that Trump has zero credibility in the press and more than happy to sow this division. If nothing else, it shows how dangerous a zero credibility prez is.
schrodingers_cat
@Brachiator: His supporters are spiteful morons who will cut their nose to spite their face. And that goes for the spite voters voting for Jill Fucking Stein, as well.
J R in WV
@germy:
And you’re thinking they would get Strange correctly the first time? So optimistic.
SiubhanDuinne
@rikyrah:
Too bad Shkreli’s in prison. He would have been perfect!
Brachiator
@J R in WV:
Is abortion even mentioned in the Bible (as opposed to an act that causes a miscarriage)?
Roger Moore
@gvg:
There’s medical information to back that idea up. It’s not obvious why this should be, but that’s what the numbers say.
schrodingers_cat
@Roger Moore: Just because some girls may hit developmental markers earlier doesn’t mean they are fair game for older predatory men. Physically, they may look like young women but emotionally and mentally they are still children FFS.
Brachiator
@Roger Moore: Early menstruation is not the same thing as a general statement about “mature earlier.”
ruemara
@gvg: One, AAs are often religious. The idea of chasing a church grown girl with their parental blessing was not uncommon and I’m from NYC. The minute I saw the doofus 20 something asking about me to my mom, I said “nah”. I’m 16. I don’t need a 24 year old who doesn’t look like he has two brain cells to rub together. Good call, because usually once they get you married, suddenly he’s a playboy with a sidechick and that “godly” clean cut man disappears. Two, you may have heard “develop” as opposed to “mature”. That is a sometimes true thing. AA kids don’t get to be childish into their 40’s like white male republicans. We get killed too often for just existing.
On the whole, it’s just a litany of excuses for grown ass men lusting after girl children. We’re not “mature” because we have breasts. Pedophilia by these lusting ass bastards is a problem in our communities as well. Noted pedophile R. Kelly is still making money. Ask me how often I’ve had to deal with grown black men trying to lay hands on me. I’d prefer you don’t, but it’s been quite enough.
ruemara
@Brachiator: The priests are given a formula to make a woman lose a baby and her fertility as punishment for getting knocked up outside of marriage.
There is “Happy is he that dashes thy little ones against the rocks”, Psalm 137:9, but I’m not sure most of these pro-lifers have read that part yet. Spoiler alert: it gets messy.
Roger Moore
@schrodingers_cat:
Sure. I don’t think “physically capable of becoming pregnant” (or of impregnating somebody) is the same as “ready to become a parent”. But there is good evidence that black girls reach “physically capable of becoming pregnant” earlier than white girls do, and the kind of people who do confuse being able to become pregnant with being ready to be a parent are going to notice and act on that.
Uncle Cosmo
A couple of thoughts here:
1) Re Moore: How do you push back an election that’s already underway? (I.e., absentee ballots have already been mailed out & mailed back) At a minimum you’d have to mail out new absentee ballots to everyone who asked for one, & discard/destroy any that have already arrived. Sounds like FUBAR to the Nth to me.
Strikes me that the easiest route would be to let the election go forward, have the Senate refuse to seat & then expel the eventual winner, whoever he is, on the grounds that the election was compromised by “last-minute revelations” – then re-appoint Strange & schedule a new election to fill the seat. Guaranteed to piss off Roy’s supporters, but who they gonna vote for, a Democrat?
2) Re the tax bill(s): Ask yourself why the GOP is so hot to pass a tax bill when it risks a Democratic wave in 2018-20, after which its provisions can be repealed. IMO the primary objective has to be something that can’t be repealed. I’m not really up to speed on the details of the proposed abomination(s), but the one provision that leaps out at me is a one-time repatriation of overseas profits at a fraction of the tax burden they would incur under current law. It’s a twofer – they get a quick fix of ca$h to pump into the MIC &/or further giveaways to the bazillionaires as well.
J R in WV
@Brachiator:
“Is abortion even mentioned in the Bible (as opposed to an act that causes a miscarriage)?”
No, not really, IIRC. So the TheocraticFascist Male pPatriarchy made the whole religious opposition to a common medical procedure up out of whole cloth fiction.