Archives for 2017

The President Attacks The FBI

by Cheryl Rofer| December 23, 20174:40 pm| 70 Comments

This post is in: Republican Venality, Russiagate, Our Failed Political Establishment

This is worth a thread, so that we can celebrate Christmas cheer on Betty’s thread below.

Donald Trump is attacking James Baker, the top lawyer at the FBI and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. McCabe has announced he is retiring.

Some responses:

The president can obstruct justice by firing senior law enforcement officials and impeachment is a fully constitutional remedy, says Bob Bauer. https://t.co/nLPOyQh5ii

— Lawfare (@lawfare) December 22, 2017

https://twitter.com/Evan_McMullin/status/944676614746595329

https://twitter.com/Evan_McMullin/status/944678790806102018

This taunting is important. It’s Trump’s way of signaling that he has purged the FBI. He doesn’t want anyone to think this is a normal retirement. He wants everyone to see it as a manifestation of his power—and for serving FBI agents & prosecutors to fear crossing him. https://t.co/FfupKzvGKq

— Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@MaxBoot) December 23, 2017

Now if FBI’s Andrew McCabe and James Baker testify against Trump, he will claim it’s sour grapes because he forced them out of their jobs. This is an inversion of reality but it will satisfy Trump’s base.

— Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@MaxBoot) December 23, 2017

History suggests that it's not a super-great idea for an American president to wage war against the FBI and CIA.

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) December 23, 2017

And I expect there will be Republican congresscritters on the Sunday talk shows telling us it’s just fine for the President to attack particular individuals. Or maybe they’ll join in.

More background here.

The President Attacks The FBIPost + Comments (70)

Don’t mind if I do…

by Betty Cracker| December 23, 20174:02 pm| 63 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads, General Stupidity

I’m having one of those damned days when every little thing goes wrong. Not big things, so that’s something. But the type of day when you try to fill your birdbaths and the hose gets away and sprays you in the face. You know?

Anyhoo, hope y’all’s Christmas Eve-Eve is progressing more smoothly. Open thread!

Don’t mind if I do…Post + Comments (63)

Open Thread

by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| December 23, 201711:54 am| 171 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Open thread, y’all!

Open ThreadPost + Comments (171)

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Counting Down

by Anne Laurie| December 23, 20176:20 am| 265 Comments

This post is in: I'm With Her 2016, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Daydream Believers

Who’s ready to start fresh, at least with a new calendar?
************

We know people get sick of hearing what Trump voters think about things, so here's a thread on what supporters of the popular vote winner think about things…

— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) December 21, 2017

86% of Clinton voters think that Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to help him win.

Only 7% think the Russia story is 'fake news'

And 90% think Trump should resign if collusion is proven.

— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) December 21, 2017

Paul Ryan has an 8/79 approval with Clinton voters.

Mitch McConnell's is 6/77.

Democrats lead 90-5 on the generic House ballot with them

— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) December 21, 2017

Clinton mulls role in 2018 midterms: https://t.co/O2lE0qWoK7 pic.twitter.com/i5F0wUv3HM

— The Hill (@thehill) December 21, 2017

Under appreciated aspect of battle for Senate: *if* D’s could manage a majority, they could use the Garland Precedent to hold off any SCOTUS noms until 2021.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 22, 2017

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Counting DownPost + Comments (265)

Late Night Open Thread- Foster Pup Edition

by John Cole| December 23, 201712:25 am| 89 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

My sister has some foster pups and they are pretty adorable:

I don’t know what the hell is going on in that last picture.

I’m exhausted. This year has been so damned draining.

Late Night Open Thread- Foster Pup EditionPost + Comments (89)

Jon Swift award time

by DougJ| December 23, 201712:08 am| 7 Comments

This post is in: Readership Capture

After a long, crazy year it’s time once again to continue a tradition started by Jon Swift/Al Weisel, the “Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves.” Jon/Al left behind some wonderful satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs.

If you’d like to participate, just reply to this e-mail or write to me (Batocchio9 AT yahoo DOT com) with your best post of the year before 12/25:

Blog Name
Title of Post
Link
Author of Post
Brief Description/Pitch of the Post (1–2 sentences)

(If it’s not a reply, adding “best post” in the subject line would also help.)

To modify Jon Swift’s 2008 solicitation:

I would be very honored if you would participate and send me a link to what you think was your best post of [2016], along with a short description of it. Please make the hard choice and send me only one link. I would like to post it before the end of the year, so if you could get it to me before Christmas, I would really appreciate it.

One submission per blog, please, otherwise things can get messy. Group bloggers can pick a piece among themselves, but are also welcome to submit their work via their individual blogs, if they have them.

As usual, I’m aiming to find the right balance between “inclusive” and “manageable.” If you know a few excellent blogs (preferably on the smaller side) that you suspect might not be on my radar, feel free to send me their website address (and contact info, if you have it).

Jon Swift award timePost + Comments (7)

Late Night Open Thread: Happy Predictions

by Anne Laurie| December 22, 201710:22 pm| 79 Comments

This post is in: Don't Agonize - Organize, Election 2018, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, All we want is life beyond the thunderdome

A range of outcomes are possible for the 2018 House elections. https://t.co/3BL5MlOz2J pic.twitter.com/5F1FLbqlYV

— G. Elliott Morris??‍♂️ (@gelliottmorris) December 22, 2017

If the U.S. House was decided proportionally to votes, Democrats would have a 97% chance of winning a majority next year.

Instead, since seats are gerrymandered and Democrats are clustered in cities, Democrats are only 59% (!) to win.. https://t.co/jSkahUl6Ci

— G. Elliott Morris??‍♂️ (@gelliottmorris) December 22, 2017

I predict most of us Democrats will quite happily work to improve that 59%!
.
What’s on the agenda for the weekend, as we count down towards the end of 2017?

Usual frame is Dems cluster. That’s wrong. Reality is Dems of all races will live where they’re the minority, white Repubs usually will not https://t.co/ZfaKj6AFjG

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) December 22, 2017

Late Night Open Thread: Happy PredictionsPost + Comments (79)

Jay on Tuesday Night Open Thread (Mar 31, 2026 @ 11:40pm)

Martin on Tuesday Night Open Thread (Mar 31, 2026 @ 11:35pm)

Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) on Tuesday Night Open Thread (Mar 31, 2026 @ 11:24pm)

Bupalos on Tuesday Night Open Thread (Mar 31, 2026 @ 11:19pm)

NotMax on Tuesday Night Open Thread (Mar 31, 2026 @ 11:13pm)

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

White supremacy is terrorism.

The lights are all blinking red.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

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

No one could have predicted…

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

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

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

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.