Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Disagreements are healthy; personal attacks are not.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

He really is that stupid.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

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

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

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

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

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

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2018 / Late-Night Straws-in-the-Wind Open Thread: They Grow Up So Fast!

Late-Night Straws-in-the-Wind Open Thread: They Grow Up So Fast!

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Never say never in a world where Donald Trump squats in the Oval Office, but I lean towards thinking that neither Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Jerry Brown, Hillary “As IF” Clinton, or any other individual old enough to qualify for Social Security will be running for President on the Democratic ticket in 2020. At least not with the goal of winning, although there’s always the Gingrich-esque performance intended to boost a political grifter’s “brand awareness” value on the media market…

Thirty-seven-year-old Brad Peacock, an organic vegetable farmer in Shaftsbury, is an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate.

He strongly believes that health care is a right and not a privilege. He’s worried that important domestic social programs are being threatened by Republican leaders in Congress, and he’s very concerned about the global impact of climate change.

Those positions sound like Sanders’, so why is Peacock running for the U.S. Senate? Because Sanders is telling young people that the time has come for them to get directly involved in the political process if they want to help move this country in a progressive direction.

“I have listened to him closely, and it really resonated with me when he says we need more young people in politics. And, you know, I said ‘OK,'” said Peacock. “Well I think now is the time.”…

Peacock says he hopes Sanders makes another bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. That’s another reason why Peacock is running this year, because he says Vermont should have a full-time senator representing the state in Congress.

“I hope that he may [run for president] and therefore, you know, I think the people of Vermont deserve a senator for six years,” said Peacock…

Peacock actually announced his candidacy back in January, and he sounds like a very worthy candidate, even if he probably won’t be Vermont’s senator next year. Per the Bennington Banner:

… In the hour-long speech outlining his platform, Peacock, who is seeking political office for the first time, used personal experience to illustrate his positions on poverty, health care, climate change, and civil rights. Throughout his address, the candidate emphasized community reliance and connection in the face of adversity…

Peacock also spoke out against Republican attempts to upend the Affordable Care Act, and the lack of funding provided for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the tax bill. The candidate also voiced his support for universal health care.

“At 10 years old I was keenly aware that any extra cost to our household would mean added stress and hardship,” Peacock said. “When I started to have a sore throat I remained silent, hoping it would go away. After a week or two it eventually did, but what I didn’t realize is strep throat, left untreated, can attack other organs.”

After continually growing weaker, Peacock was in dire straits by the time he was brought to the emergency room. The virus had attacked his kidneys, he said, causing lasting damage.

“Through all this, I worried I had done something wrong; I worried I had brought hardship on my family,” he said. “I am standing here today to say: no child in America should ever have to bear the worry of healthcare costs, and no parent should have to watch their child suffer in sickness with the added stress of how they will pay for treatment.”…

Reader Interactions

50Comments

  1. 1.

    Origuy

    I guess Lunar New Year is starting tonight. The Asian restaurants and stores down the street are setting off hundreds of firecrackers. Probably go on all night.

  2. 2.

    opiejeanne

    That’s a moving story, but hindsight is 20/20 and he was just a kid. If he’d told his family he was sick strep throat is usually simple to treat in the first week or so. a shot of an antibiotic and he’d also no longer be contagious after about 24 hours.

  3. 3.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Origuy: One of the most fun times of my life was being in Hong Kong for those celebrations. The fireworks over Hong Kong Harbour were beyond spectacular and from our digs on the 17th floor of HMS Tamar the view was unbeatable. I got some brilliant photographs even with a cheap, shitty film camera back in the day (I was there from 86 to 88). Fun times.

  4. 4.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    I have listened to him closely, and it really resonated with me when he says we need more young people in politics.

    and that 77 year old millionaire will be there, blocking the door way, making sure no young person takes his job.

  9. 9.

    Origuy

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Fireworks are one thing, but constant popping of the cheap firecrackers going off all night are another. Plus it’s not just tonight. Chinese New Year is two weeks long and both the Chinese and Vietnamese set off the firecrackers. I keep threatening to get some and keep them for November 5.

  10. 10.

    Betty Cracker

    I think Sanders will definitely run, and Biden probably will too. Bernie believes his own PR, and Handsome Joe is wistful about not running in 2016. Would be surprised if either gets the nomination in 2020, though.

    Why are we supposed to hate Corey Booker? I don’t know that much about him, but he’s got tons of charisma and seems like a good guy. Is he a neo-liberal shill or some such nonsense?

  11. 11.

    raven

    My bride spent last weekend making a Doggie Chinese Dragon for an event this weekend and then she’ll use it for her dog parade in the fall!

  13. 13.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    I have a new grandniece, and she is precious. Made this past week easier to bear. Circle of life and all that. In other news, looks like my company may be sold within the next 18-24 months. If our numbers look good at year’s end, perhaps not. Just what I need at 55 – a job search. Over the years, I’ve been glad that the owners weren’t American vulture capitalist types, but Cantelope Caligula’s antics are making them nervous. Stay tuned.

  16. 16.

    satby

    @Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): congratulations!

    And if the threat of a sale is true it doesn’t mean that your job might be gone. But a lot of people will end up jumping ship early, and that’s something you may want to consider. Start a low level job search now so you give yourself some options before it happens.

  19. 19.

    OzarkHillbilly

    The Tattooist of Auschwitz

    In July 1942, a few months after entering Auschwitz, Ludwig Eisenberg – known as Lale – tattooed the number 32407 on to the arm of a pretty girl. As the concentration camp’s tattooist, Lale imprinted numbers on to thousands of men, women and children, most destined for hard labour or the gas chambers.

    This time, though, it was different. At 25 years old, with the stench of death all around him, Lale fell in love. Her name was Gita and as Jews their romance was forbidden. They smuggled letters between their dormitories, stole kisses and, against the odds, both survived. In 1945 the pair married before migrating to Melbourne three years later where they had one son, Gary. For more than half a century they refused to talk in public about how, and where, they’d met.
    ……………
    Gita didn’t want him to know too much because she never believed she was going to survive. As Lale pointed out to me, all these people he was tattooing, they were just a number to him. But when Gita was working in the administration building, she was seeing their names, their addresses – to her they were people. She would have to get their files out of the filing cabinet and cross off their names when they went into the gas chambers. To her they were all going to end up there. It was just a matter of time.

  20. 20.

    Ben Cisco

    @satby: Tracking. Basically at the “let’s have a conversation” stage, but I will adjust as needed.

    it doesn’t mean that your job might be gone

    Intel gained from my experience in the IT world indicates that they keep the network guys around long enough to a) get the lay of the land, b) convert over to the gaining organization, or c) pack it, stack it and ship it. I’d love to be wrong this time, but I’m not going to bet what’s left of my career on it. Best thing I can do is have a Plan B 2*

    *B would indicate that there were only 26 plans

  24. 24.

    satby

    @Ben Cisco: I worked for huge IT outsource company for about 15 years. Since rumors and signs of outsourcing or company sales swirl for months before, we always saw the numbers of potential hires we would take on drop before the contract was signed as people bailed. Not huge numbers, because people don’t like change and hope for the best in staying put. That’s understandable, but it left the stayers blindsided when a cut came and they were on the block.
    After all you’ve gone through, this isn’t fair; but life isn’t. You’re strongest bargaining position in finding a new job may be before a flood of co-workers are also looking.

  25. 25.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Dog save us all: Tired of texting? Google tests robot to chat with friends for you

    Are you tired of the constant need to tap on a glass keyboard just to keep up with your friends? Do you wish a robot could free you of your constant communication obligations via WhatsApp, Facebook or text messages? Google is working on an AI-based auto-reply system to do just that.

    Sometimes I think our species deserves extinction.

    ETA: other times I know it does.

  26. 26.

    satby

    @OzarkHillbilly: at least right now the market is much stronger than when I got the axe at 59.

    @raven: my friend’s birthday is today and she turns 60. She’s hoping to make it to April to retire because that’s another work anniversary for her pension, but she has a fractured wrist and had other injuries over the course of her work in a warehouse. That’s the thing about upping the retirement age, not everyone can make it to 65, or 67 in one healthy piece.

  27. 27.

    tybee

    @Ben Cisco: that’s been my experience as well: IT networking folks were the last out the door in either scenario and if the business didn’t move, some of them stayed with the new owners…but most got walking papers. I did, once, get a year off at full salary. lovely year that was. :)

  29. 29.

    raven

    @satby: Yea, my wife has been in her job 27 years and has been unhappy with it for at least 10. They are talking to her about being a consultant so she’ll check that out but for now it’s AMF. She’s pretty healthy and has a ton of interests so it will be good. She’s worried about me getting depressed if and when I bail.

  30. 30.

    raven

    @tybee: My new boss started Monday and we’re meeting with him next week so that’s going to be interesting. There is so much for him to learn and so many relationships for him to build that I can’t imagine that he won’t want me to stick around. I told him in the interview if he needed me to get out of the way I will, we’ll see.

  32. 32.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Ben Cisco: I have given up worrying about it. A disaster is coming and we can’t do a damn thing one way or the other. I might as well spend my worry time more productively.

  33. 33.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy:

    St. Louis investigators are questioning Missouri lawmakers as part of an ongoing criminal probe into Gov. Eric Greitens (R). In a Wednesday visit to the Capitol, two investigators working with the office of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner interviewed a number of lawmakers from both parties about Greitens’ conduct, the Kansas City Star reported Wednesday.

    The questions they’re asking suggest that Gardner’s investigation has expanded beyond allegations that Greitens blackmailed and once slapped a woman with whom he carried out an extramarital affair, to look at Greitens’ campaign finance practices.

    State Rep. Nate Walker, a Republican and an early supporter of the governor who has since called for him to step down, told the Star that the inquiries covered issues including “dark money and different things like that.” In a Thursday phone call with TPM, Walker declined to expand further on the questions he received from investigators but said he had the impression from the sit-down in his office that this was a “pretty major investigation.”

    Follow the money.

  35. 35.

    Immanentize

    @OzarkHillbilly: Such a cheery thought from you!
    I’m like Raven, I really hope that I can work for another 10 or so years, (to late 60’s) mostly because I don’t want to putter about and grumble. Especially now, Immp will jump ship in a year and a half for college, I will downsize, then — probably work more and travel a bit. At least that is the stay healthy plan.

  36. 36.

    Bobby Thomson

    @Betty Cracker:

    Why are we supposed to hate Corey Booker? I don’t know that much about him, but he’s got tons of charisma and seems like a good guy. Is he a neo-liberal shill or some such nonsense?

    I’m personally biased, but Corey is in fact a good guy. As the former mayor of Newark, he has screwy ideas about charter schools and public schools generally, and as a Senator from New Jersey he does a few pro-pharma and pro-Wall Street things, but he’s one of the most liberal votes in the Senate. He also took out corrupt hack Sharpe James.

  37. 37.

    Bobby Thomson

    @satby:

    I think the troll farm pre-emptively starts slandering any Dem politicians who might become rising stars challenge corrupt Kremlin asset Wilmer for the nomination.

    Fixt.

  39. 39.

    rikyrah

    @Betty Cracker:
    Don’t trust him, BC
    He is too slick.
    The quintessential Corey Booker quote for me was at another blog. It was the night that Barack Obama won his Senate seat:

    “Somewhere, sitting in a Newark project, Corey Booker is scribbling furiously notes.”

  40. 40.

    Kirk

    @OzarkHillbilly: I saw an article recently, don’t have the link, noting how often it seems sexual harassers also turn out to do things like expense fraud. Title was the Al Capone something.

    One thing I found interesting was the route it created to bypass normal habits of people reacting to claims of harassment. Boys will be boys but nobody steals from me seems to be an effective lever.

    Kind of sad that’s So, but I’ll use it.

  43. 43.

    JGabriel

    Anne Laurie @ Top:

    Never say never in a world where Donald Trump squats in the Oval Office, but I lean towards thinking that neither Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Jerry Brown, Hillary “As IF” Clinton, or any other individual old enough to qualify for Social Security will be running for President on the Democratic ticket in 2020.

    I hope not. I mean, I love Warren, and I like and respect the other three, but, historically, no one elected to the presidency who was already over the age of 64 during the first year of their first term has done a good job. Here’s the list of every President who was over 64 when he first took office:

    70 years, 220 days – Donald Trump
    69 years, 349 days – Ronald Reagan
    68 years, 23 days – William H. Harrison
    65 years, 315 days – James Buchanan
    64 years, 222 days – George H. W. Bush
    64 years, 100 days – Zachary Taylor

    Hell, poor Bill Harrison only lasted a month in the job. Would that Traitor Donald had followed a similar path.

  47. 47.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Betty Cracker: Booker got a lot of negative attention for criticizing Obama’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s time at Bain Capital. I have to say it seemed odd to me too, but I guess the financial industry is big in that part of the country.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    @Betty Cracker: I recall that there was a time when I was really upset with something Booker did. I felt he had shown himself to be not as advertised, but now I can’t remember why. Sad.

  49. 49.

    Ruckus

    @Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
    Take care.
    I had to find something at 55, it was fun (said with tongue firmly through cheek.) And then again at 62/63. That one I still have, 5 yrs later. At least in theory I won’t have to do this again.
    I hope you find something if you need it.

    ETA and what I should have said first! Happy circle, enjoy!

  50. 50.

    Ruckus

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Do you worry every day about a flood or a hurricane or an earthquake? No, you can’t stop them so you don’t. You plan on what to do or where to escape to but worry every day? No.
    There are people who can impale this maladministration, but stop it tomorrow? Nope. So plan on what to do when all the chips have fallen, what to do when it’s run it’s course, what to do when an upcoming event (Nov.) comes along, but worry? Nope. Now be pissed off, that’s a different shade of hell yes.

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