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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2018 / When Nuts Comes to Town

When Nuts Comes to Town

by $8 blue check mistermix|  March 15, 201810:03 am| 121 Comments

This post is in: Election 2018

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The speech where Trump made the comment about lying to Justin Trudeau was in support of Josh Hawley, who’s running against Claire McCaskill:

The president was in Missouri to raise money for Josh Hawley, who is taking on incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in November’s election. He called McCaskill “bad for Missouri and bad for the country.” But he barely spoke about Hawley. Instead, he talked about Trump — even bragging about his 2016 election win — and lavished praise on himself while ticking through a list of U.S. allies that he said were actually taking advantage of the United States.

It makes sense to have Trump in town a few months before the election to raise some cash. And I’ll be the first to note that McCaskill has an uphill battle in Missouri, where Trump got 57% of the vote. But do you think having Trump around will help later in the year? I’ll be interested in seeing McCaskill’s approach to handling that. She’s going to want some Trump voters to vote for her, so she’ll have to tread somewhat lightly, but even in Missouri there’s got to be a way to tie a Trump boat anchor around Hawley’s neck.

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Reader Interactions

121Comments

  1. 1.

    trnc

    March 15, 2018 at 10:10 am

    Maybe she should do what Lamb did in PA.

  2. 2.

    jeffreyw

    March 15, 2018 at 10:13 am

    She should warn her voters that Trump wants to drop bowling balls on their car hoods. Hailstorm? Hell that would be a Trumstorm! We do not want!

  3. 3.

    Aimai

    March 15, 2018 at 10:14 am

    I think she should say “missourians didn’t vote for a buffoon—they got one in trump but that is not what they wanted. [of course they did want trump but its important to give people away to climb back off the ledge.]

  4. 4.

    Yarrow

    March 15, 2018 at 10:15 am

    The takeaway tonight is simple:

    Trump hurts candidates. He doesn't help them.

    — David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) March 14, 2018

  5. 5.

    Politically Lost

    March 15, 2018 at 10:16 am

    Good thing that she just helped herself immensely by voting for the reform of Dodd – Frank. I’m sure she shored up her support amongst her base.

  6. 6.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 10:16 am

    I kind of trust McCaskill here. No guarantees, but she knows how to fight.

  7. 7.

    SFAW

    March 15, 2018 at 10:17 am

    But do you think having Trump around will help later in the year?

    Well, according to RNC spokesbot Somethingsomething Mac-a-Ninny, whom I heard on NPR this AM, it was due to Trump, and Trump alone, that Saccone beat “running-as-a-Demonrat-but-is-actually-a-Republican-honest-would-I-lie-to-you? Conor Lamb,” even though Saccone did not embrace Trump, other than in every meaningful way.
    Or something.

    So, with Shitgibbon’s help, it seems pretty likely that Hawley will get 137 percent of the vote.

    I swear, if any of those lying motherfuckers had any sense of honor, the next growth “industry” would be for kaishakunin.

    ETA: And thanks to NPR for giving a soapbox for those sterling souls who are helping the economically-anxious WWC, etc.

  8. 8.

    Central Planning

    March 15, 2018 at 10:19 am

    I think she should be saying “Dolt 45 admits to making shit up. He’s so stupid, the stuff he makes up is always wrong. Do you want someone who is going to enable the White House Liar?”

  9. 9.

    Betty Cracker

    March 15, 2018 at 10:22 am

    McCaskill’s a wily operator — she played the moron the GOP put up against her last time like a fiddle. I wouldn’t bet against her this time either, even though it’s a deep red state and her opponent isn’t as obvious a crackpot as the last one.

    I wonder how consequential Trump’s admission will be in other trade negotiations. I mean, he’s a pathological liar, so the fact that he lied is no surprise to anyone. But Trump’s whole shtick is centered on being a great negotiator, much smarter and more street-savvy than the metrosexuals who’ve been negotiating trade deals and giving away the store. And he just admitted he doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s talking about.

    That won’t matter to his brain-dead supporters, of course. But if I were a negotiator for another country, I’d be licking my chops at the prospect of going up against this dummy. We’ll all suffer the consequences of being represented by this moron. Buy your cheap electronics while you can!

  10. 10.

    Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)

    March 15, 2018 at 10:22 am

    I wondered that same thing this morning. Trump loves doing these rallies, and I read that he told his people he wants to go into full on campaign mode this year. But I suspect some Rs in competitive districts will be unenthusiastic.

  11. 11.

    Frankensteinbeck

    March 15, 2018 at 10:23 am

    where Trump got 57% of the vote.

    To my delight, that is not a good place to be for a Republican right now.

  12. 12.

    geg6

    March 15, 2018 at 10:28 am

    Every single fucking Dem should take a look at what Lamb did and do the same. Which means every one of them needs a message about how Democrats specifically address the issues that are local and pressing to them. Stay consistent with Democratic values such as supporting Social Security and Medicare, health care and the ACA, gun control issues that everyone but the NRA and their lackeys support, support for unions and working people, education, infrastructure, etc. Little of that is controversial and most of it is wildly popular. No need to engage them on their stupid culture war garbage, just keep positive and stay focused on a message of fairness and opportunity for everyone. That’s exactly what Lamb did and look where that got him.

  13. 13.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 10:34 am

    @geg6: This is true.

    Could even point out: the GOP is going to try to divide you with the culture war stuff; ignore that: eye on the prize. They’re coming for your earned benefits — Social Security and Medicare. Look who made out like bandits from the tax cuts, which passed without a single Democratic vote. It was not you.

  14. 14.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    March 15, 2018 at 10:37 am

    When trump was winning by ten, Roy Blount, incumbent, only won by three. McCaskill’s got a tough row to hoe, but she’s smart and knows her state.

  15. 15.

    eclare

    March 15, 2018 at 10:38 am

    @geg6: Agree, keep it simple. Democrats think you should have healthcare and think you should not be shot in church, in school, at the movies, etc.

  16. 16.

    Betty Cracker

    March 15, 2018 at 10:41 am

    @geg6: Like you said, “local” is the key, and optimal emphasis on messages will vary by region.

  17. 17.

    lumpkin

    March 15, 2018 at 10:42 am

    President of the US plays the fool in front of another better and vastly smarter leader and brags about it. I am ashamed of my country.

  18. 18.

    Washburn

    March 15, 2018 at 10:43 am

    @trnc:
    Moderate her position on gun control, distance herself from Nancy Pelosi, and go after everyone’s vote as opposed to concentrating on getting votes of a particular minority?

    Yep, sounds like a path to victory

  19. 19.

    Betty Cracker

    March 15, 2018 at 10:43 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: It’s such a shame Kander wasn’t able to pull that off. I hope he runs again. He’s a great politician and would be a huge asset to Democrats.

  20. 20.

    Kay

    March 15, 2018 at 10:44 am

    Ha, ha, because making up things is so great and mavericky!

    Not knowing anything or doing any preparation or work is so …American! All those chumps who study stuff and work hard- who needs people like that?

    What we need are more ignorant loudmouths who were so fucking coddled and protected for whole lives that they are convinced they’re smartest guys in the room. Absolutely. More of that. Dumber. Lazier. More entitled.

  21. 21.

    raven

    March 15, 2018 at 10:48 am

    Pence is going to Savannah for St Paddy’s and doing for it what the Cheeto did for the National Championship

    Vice President Mike Pence is coming to Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day.
    And so are tighter restrictions.
    At a press conference on Wednesday, the city announced that the Secret Service will control a 12-block “enhanced security zone” extending from Bay Street to Oglethorpe Avenue between Whitaker and Drayton streets.
    A number of items – including folding chairs, coolers, backpacks, purses, tents and alcoholic beverages – will not be allowed to enter the controlled zone.
    The selling and consumption of alcohol will still be permitted within the control zone, but only in to-go cups provided by the bars and restaurants within its borders.
    City spokeswoman Michelle Gavin said residents who live inside the perimeter of the zone will be able to take drinks outside of their homes, but only in to-go cups.
    Pence will arrive on Air Force Two at Georgia Air National Guard at 10 a.m. Saturday, according to a White House official speaking on background.

  22. 22.

    Kay

    March 15, 2018 at 10:48 am

    And what a great position to go in as a “dealmaker”!

    Where everyone in the room knows more than you do!

    That’s mavericky GENIUS. All those chumps who prepare- that’s for losers.

  23. 23.

    Lapassionara

    March 15, 2018 at 10:48 am

    @Elizabelle: This. The Republicans want to eliminate SS and Medicare as we know them. With Trump in the WH, they will get their way unless the Dems stop them.

    I don’t think it will hurt McCaskill that the current R Governor has proven himself to be a sleaze.

  24. 24.

    Lapassionara

    March 15, 2018 at 10:50 am

    @raven: What an idiot. Don’t mess with Savannah’s St Pat’s day.

  25. 25.

    Kay

    March 15, 2018 at 10:50 am

    If Canada cleans the clock of the low quality, lazy Trump team on trade can we admit it’s because they prepared?

    Or is that unamerican?

  26. 26.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 10:55 am

    @Kay:

    And what a great position to go in as a “dealmaker”!

    Where everyone in the room knows more than you do!

    That’s mavericky GENIUS. All those chumps who prepare- that’s for losers.

    You slay me. All those years I wasted developing expertise. Going forward: less preparedness, more empty-headedness! It’s the American way!

  27. 27.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 10:55 am

    Another official departed the West Wing last week under similar, if less ominous, circumstances. Justin Caporale, first lady Melania Trump’s director of operations, resigned due to issues with his security clearance, according to a source familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for the first lady declined to comment on Caporale’s departure.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-moves-to-remake-his-team-with-loyalists-cable-news-stars-and-killers

    Think on that. REALLY think on that.
    You don’t have one.
    You don’t have two.
    You don’t have three.
    YOU HAVE DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO THE FBI SAYS, NOPE, THESE MUTHAPHUCKAS DON’T CLEAR THE THRESHOLD FOR A SECURITY CLEARANCE.

    Their muthaphuckin’ WHITE ARROGANCE in:
    1. The WH who keeps these people on
    2. The actual people who can’t pass the clearance who don’t have two ounces of humility to say ‘ maybe I shouldn’t be in a job that I can’t get a Security Clearance for’.

    THE DANGER TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY IS OBVIOUS.

    TRAITORS ALL.

  28. 28.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 10:56 am

    Adam Schiff: ‘Had a Russian nerve agent been used on…our country, could we count on our Prez?’

    Source: RawStory

    Adam Schiff: ‘Had a Russian nerve agent been used on someone in our country, could we count on on our President?’

    DAVID EDWARDS
    15 MAR 2018 AT 10:17 ET

    House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Thursday wondered whether President Donald Trump would speak out against Russia if it used chemical warfare to attack someone in the U.S.

    In a message posted to Twitter, Schiff said that he was unsure how Trump would handle a poisoning like the one in London, where Vladimir Putin has been accused of using a banned nerve agent to attack a former spy who turned against Russia.

    During remarks earlier in the week, Trump had promised to condemn Russia or “whoever it is” if the U.S. agrees with the British government’s assessment of the attack. Other members of Trump’s administration — like UN Ambassador Nikki Haley — have offered a more full-throated condemnation of Russia.

    https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/adam-schiff-russian-nerve-agent-used-someone-country-count-president/

  29. 29.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 10:57 am

    @rikyrah: So, how do you REALLY feel about THESE MUTHAPHUCKAS? :)

  30. 30.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 10:58 am

    Trump; Pennsylvania Dem won because he’s ‘like Trump’
    03/15/18 08:40 AM—UPDATED 03/15/18 08:45 AM
    By Steve Benen
    Ahead of this week’s congressional special election in Pennsylvania, Republicans insisted that Conor Lamb (D) was a liberal Democrat who had no business representing a conservative district that backed Donald Trump by a 20-point margin. After Lamb’s apparent victory, GOP leaders decided they no longer agreed with their own talking points.

    The Republican National Committee insisted that Lamb “essentially” ran as a Republican. A White House spokesperson said the Democrat “really embraced the president’s policies and his vision.”

    As The Atlantic reported, Trump went a little further while reflecting on the race yesterday at a private fundraiser in Missouri.

    “The young man last night that ran, he said, ‘Oh, I’m like Trump. Second Amendment, everything. I love the tax cuts, everything.’ He ran on that basis,” Trump said. “He ran on a campaign that said very nice things about me. I said, ‘Is he a Republican? He sounds like a Republican to me.’”

    Look, I realize that the president, by his own admission, occasionally makes stuff up, but the GOP spin on Pennsylvania’s special election is getting more than a little silly.

  31. 31.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 10:59 am

    Yes, well while we’re all having fun times mocking Beloved Leader Kaos Von Punkinschlong, is anybody else here fucking terrified at the prospect of Scot Pruitt being appointed as acting USAG after Trump fires Sessions today?

  32. 32.

    geg6

    March 15, 2018 at 11:03 am

    @Ella in New Mexico:

    I don’t think there’s a chance in hell he’d get enough votes to be confirmed. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so.

  33. 33.

    Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)

    March 15, 2018 at 11:06 am

    @rikyrah: I hope they really believe their own spin and keep acting on it. Let reality slap them in the face in November.

  34. 34.

    NYCMT

    March 15, 2018 at 11:06 am

    I’m hoarding my son’s poopy diapers in a particularly noxious stretch of diaper genie awful sausage for an emergency ride out to Massapequa and Pete King’s main office if Mueller gets fired. (no I’m not but dammit)

  35. 35.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    March 15, 2018 at 11:08 am

    @geg6: doesn’t have to be, trump got a judicial ruling on the Vacancies Act that lets him name an acting cabinet official who’s already been confirmed for another office– see Mulvaney at OMB and CPFB. He knows Congress won’t do anything.

  36. 36.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 11:09 am

    Charleston Shooter Dylann Roof’s Sister Morgan to Protesting Classmates: ‘I Hope…Y’All Get Shot’

    Morgan Roof, the younger sister of the Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, was arrested after taking two weapons to school and posting to Snapchat that she hoped students protesting against gun violence in a nationwide walkout “get shot.”

    Roof, 18, showed up at A.C. Flora High School in South Carolina with a knife, pepper spray, and marijuana. She faces weapons and drugs charges. A judge released Roof on a $5,000 bond but ordered her to stay away from her school.

    Though she faced no charges relating to her Snapchat post, it did cause alarm, reported WIS-TV.

    In her post, Roof wrote: “Your walking out for the allowed time of 17 min, they are letting you do this, nothing is gonna change what tf you think it’s gonna do? I hope it’s a trap and y’all get shot we know it’s fixing to be nothing but black people walkin out anyway…No offense ofc buuut.”

  37. 37.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:09 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: No, I’m done being terrified.

  38. 38.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 11:09 am

    @geg6: they say that by putting him in as “Acting AG”, he needs no Senate hearing as he was already confirmed as EPA Director.

  39. 39.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 11:10 am

    HUH?

    Nobel prize winner hospitalized, wife found deceased in Illinois

    A Japanese Nobel-winning chemist was discovered wandering in rural Northern Illinois and his wife found dead nearby, some nine hours after they had been reported missing from their home 200 miles away, police said on Wednesday.

    Nobel Prize winner Ei-ichi Negishi, 82, was transported to a local hospital for treatment after he was spotted walking near Rockford, Illinois, at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department officials said in a written statement.

    Deputies later found the couple’s car and the body of his wife, Sumire Negishi, at the nearby Ochard Hills Landfill, the sheriff’s department said. Rockford is about 100 miles west of Chicago.

    An autopsy was pending on the body of Sumire Negishi but foul play was not suspected in her death, the sheriff’s department said. No information was released on the condition of Ei-Ichi Negishi.

  40. 40.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:11 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: Who is “they”? That does not sound true to me about not requiring Senate hearing.

  41. 41.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:13 am

    @Baud: Same here.

  42. 42.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 11:13 am

    @Baud: Pruitt running the most powerful law enforcement agency in the land might change that

  43. 43.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:13 am

    @schrodingers_cat: Yeah. Fetal crouch is not a good look.

  44. 44.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    March 15, 2018 at 11:14 am

    @rikyrah: As Democrats have mostly learned by now, it doesn’t pay to try to be Republican light, because if people want a Republican, they’ll vote for the Republican. But logic has never been Trump’s strong suit.

    YOU HAVE DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO THE FBI SAYS, NOPE, THESE MUTHAPHUCKAS DON’T CLEAR THE THRESHOLD FOR A SECURITY CLEARANCE.

    In places where I’ve worked that required clearance, I never once heard of an applicant who the background investigators thought was unable to pass the checks. Sure stuff comes up, such as foreign contacts if you have any kind of well-traveled life. But those can almost always be cleared up.

    What is it about the pool they’re hiring from that so many have issues that prevent them from getting clearance? Where the hell are they recruiting?

  45. 45.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:15 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: It will not.

  46. 46.

    Matt McIrvin

    March 15, 2018 at 11:15 am

    @rikyrah: Just your normal God-hating, America-hating, Trump-hating Trump-loving Republican!

  47. 47.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:16 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    As Democrats have mostly learned by now, it doesn’t pay to try to be Republican light, because if people want a Republican, they’ll vote for the Republican.

    You realize that Lamb is moderate to conservative on various issues. If he had lost he would have been called Republican light.

  48. 48.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:16 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: What are you looking at that is worrying you so?

    Yesterday, Conor Lamb won election and students marched for gun control. Trolls gonna troll and change the subject.

    Don’t be so terrified.

  49. 49.

    Matt McIrvin

    March 15, 2018 at 11:16 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Conor Lamb has some moderate positions, particularly on gun control. But he’d have been considered part of the Democrats’ liberal wing 20 years ago.

  50. 50.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    March 15, 2018 at 11:17 am

    @Baud: I realize he threaded a moderate needle to some extent. For instance, he stated that he’s personally opposed to abortion. But he also came out firmly pro-choice. He has no interest in restricting YOUR access to abortion.

    That’s not a conservative position.

  51. 51.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:19 am

    @Matt McIrvin: I don’t think we should let the media or pundits do the labeling game.

    Conor Lamb is clearly a Democrat, who espouses many issues near and dear to Democrats.

    Just because bloviators say something, we don’t need to jump or take them seriously. They are proven the last to know, time and again.

  52. 52.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:21 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    I’m thrilled he won, but he did not win as a lefty progressive, is all I’m saying, and for many people, that would be considered Republican lite, if they were being consistent about labels.

  53. 53.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 11:22 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Lamb won in a Trump +20 district while remaining recognizably a Democrat, which is no mean feat. Kudos to him.

  54. 54.

    Eural Joiner

    March 15, 2018 at 11:24 am

    @rikyrah:
    That’s the school I teach in – in fact, Morgan was in my government/econ class until yesterday! Interesting watching all of this unfold in national and international news outlets. Lots of very wild exaggeration, speculation and misinformation. Our school and district administration has responded very quickly and we’ve got lots of extra security and leadership presence around the school today. Very surreal!!

  55. 55.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:25 am

    @Elizabelle: @Baud: Thanks guys. I appreciate your comments.

    ETA: Especially in comparison to WASF, Rs always win, we always lose type of comments.

  56. 56.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 11:25 am

    @Elizabelle: lots of discussions online today of how he can use the Vacancies Reform Act to do it https://www.justsecurity.org/53897/trump-replace-sessions-pruitt-ag/

  57. 57.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    March 15, 2018 at 11:25 am

    @raven:

    Well, shit. I’m flying to Savannah Saturday morning to spend time with father-in-law at Hilton Head. I’m sure it’ll screw up my flight.

  58. 58.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 11:25 am

    Nationwide gun violence walkouts raise expectations for DC rally

    Sarah Chadwick, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, talks with Rachel Maddow about National Walkout Day and how the national response has increased expectations for the March 24th rally planned in Washington, D.C.

  59. 59.

    Amir Khalid

    March 15, 2018 at 11:25 am

    Having Trump in town might help with raising campaign funds. But it sure hasn’t helped people to vote for the Republican candidate. Trump shows up and then talks about himself, treating the local candidate as an afterthought: “Oh, by the way, vote for this guy. There, I’m done.” And his haste to distance himself from Republicans who don’t win will not have been lost on his party, or on the more awake of its voters. At some point, I think someone is going to tell him to his face, “You know what, Mr. President? You should just stay away.”

  60. 60.

    NorthLeft12

    March 15, 2018 at 11:26 am

    Speaking as a Canadian, I really don’t give a shit what Deadbeat Donald says about our PM or our country in general. Every time he opens his foamy gob the reputation and respect for the US around the world continues to slide down.
    I believe even in the US [sorry for how that sounds] most people understand that his insults and bragging reflect more poorly on him and his supporters than on his targets.
    Very sad.

  61. 61.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    March 15, 2018 at 11:26 am

    @Kay:

    They overprepared.

  62. 62.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 11:29 am

    @Baud::

    he did not win as a lefty progressive, is all I’m saying, and for many people, that would be considered Republican lite

    True, if those “many people” are Wilmerites. What I’m seeing among self-anointed “progressives” in local politics is that their positions and chosen candidates substitute ardor for logic and coherence. They’re trying to torpedo all Dems who are not them. Who needs Republican ratfvckery when you have these purists to do the work?

  63. 63.

    Amir Khalid

    March 15, 2018 at 11:30 am

    Off topic, but of interest to jackals with furry family members: another reason you shouldn’t let your pet fly on United Airlines.

  64. 64.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 15, 2018 at 11:30 am

    @raven:

    The eight words you never want to see:

    Pence is going to Savannah for St Paddy’s

  65. 65.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    March 15, 2018 at 11:32 am

    @NorthLeft12: Oh, we understand. And if other Americans are like me, we just hope that people around the world: (a) understand that the American people are (mostly) different from the people currently holding power in America and (b) we did vote for Obama. Twice. So we got that going for us.

    I don’t know how long it is going to take to rebuild our government and our international relationship when we get these people out of there. There’s still enough of my basically optimistic nature enough to be certain that we WILL get them out of there. I just hope there’s enough left in the rubble to build on.

  66. 66.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:32 am

    @O. Felix Culpa: To my knowledge, they didn’t try that with Lamb, but that may be because they liked his distancing himself from Pelosi.

  67. 67.

    bemused senior

    March 15, 2018 at 11:32 am

    For those in earlier threads who were tempted to believe GG regarding Dianne Feinstein’s position on the confirmation of Haspel for CIA Director: her information request.

  68. 68.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:33 am

    @bemused senior: Haspel is terrible, probably the worst nominee so far in the level of psychopathy.

  69. 69.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 15, 2018 at 11:35 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    United Airlines issued an apology and is looking into the matter.

    I am so fucking tired of reading this sentence.

  70. 70.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:35 am

    @Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: Heh! I was over prepared for my citizenship test. Husband kitteh was making fun of me, but I got all my questions right and he flubbed one because of the exam jitters that set in since he didn’t prepare as much. (You have to get 6 questions right out of the 10 they ask you). Being overprepared makes you less nervous at the time it really matters.

  71. 71.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 11:35 am

    @schrodingers_cat: I’m sorry to poop on your parade ? But seriously, Pruit is a corrupt, dark religious fanatic who believes he’s on a mission from God and will be all too willing to do whatever it takes to keep Trump in power. And the things he would be able to do would be devastating for the Republic, starting with but not limited to, shutting down the Mueller investigation. Given we’d have absolutely no oversight or pushback from Congress, this could be the soft coup we never thought could happen here.

    But hey, I guess I’ll just worry about it if it happens. Why ruin my last few days of freedom in the United States…

  72. 72.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:36 am

    @bemused senior:

    For those in earlier threads who were tempted to believe GG regarding Dianne Feinstein’s position on the confirmation of Haspel for CIA Director: her information request find another blog.

    Fixed.

  73. 73.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    March 15, 2018 at 11:36 am

    @Baud: If we’d just get rid of Pelosi, we’d win 400 seats in the House. //

  74. 74.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    March 15, 2018 at 11:36 am

    @Ella in New Mexico:

    So Pruitt to DOJ and Don Blankenship to EPA?

  75. 75.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:37 am

    @Amir Khalid: As a people, I would not fly United.

    I think they’re in a LOT of trouble. And that it’s not believable the flight attendant did not think a pet was in the pet carrier s/he insisted be stuffed in the overhead bin. Will be interesting what nearby passengers have to say about that.

    Haven’t been on UAL for probably 30 years now, and won’t ever again. There are other and better airlines.

  76. 76.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:38 am

    @Ella in New Mexico:How is being a die-hard BS supporter working out for you now? Is Pruitt better than whoever HRC would have appointed?

    ETA: And making panicky comments on a blog is going to change that, how?

  77. 77.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    March 15, 2018 at 11:38 am

    @Ella in New Mexico:

    Pruit is a corrupt, dark religious fanatic who believes he’s on a mission from God and will be all too willing to do whatever it takes to keep Trump in power.

    And he’s different from the KKKebler Elf in what way?

  78. 78.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 11:39 am

    @Baud:

    To my knowledge, they didn’t try that with Lamb

    I’m not aware of them doing that to him either. WRT Pelosi, funny how both RWNJs and Wilmerites like to demonize women, especially Democratic women.

    What I’m seeing locally is that they’re trying to reprise the Wilmer playbook from 2016: any losses they have are due to “corruption” and “rigging;” never mind that their candidate didn’t have a compelling message and couldn’t organize his way out of a paper bag. It’s wearisome.

    Edited.

  79. 79.

    Yarrow

    March 15, 2018 at 11:41 am

    @schrodingers_cat: OT – I finally got to see “The Lunchbox” the other day. Really enjoyed it. Particularly appreciated Irrfan Khan’s performance. I’m guessing you’ve seen it?

  80. 80.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:41 am

    @O. Felix Culpa: I’m sorry you have to deal with that in real life. It’s tough enough dealing with people on the intertubes.

  81. 81.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:41 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: Maybe you were snarking, but sometimes, Ella, you have got to just turn it off. Step away.

    We are in a marathon. Do what you can, but don’t go looking for horror. It makes you less effective, very honestly.

  82. 82.

    rikyrah

    March 15, 2018 at 11:41 am

    @geg6:

    Every single fucking Dem should take a look at what Lamb did and do the same. Which means every one of them needs a message about how Democrats specifically address the issues that are local and pressing to them. Stay consistent with Democratic values such as supporting Social Security and Medicare, health care and the ACA, gun control issues that everyone but the NRA and their lackeys support, support for unions and working people, education, infrastructure, etc. Little of that is controversial and most of it is wildly popular. No need to engage them on their stupid culture war garbage, just keep positive and stay focused on a message of fairness and opportunity for everyone. That’s exactly what Lamb did and look where that got him.

    NOTHING BUT TRUTH.
    SIMPLE TRUTH.

  83. 83.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:42 am

    @Yarrow: Yes. Also, great in that movie is Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the lonely dweeby guy in Khan’s office who tries befriend him.

  84. 84.

    Yarrow

    March 15, 2018 at 11:43 am

    @Elizabelle: Fear is the mind killer.

  85. 85.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:44 am

    @Yarrow:

    “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

    Holy cow! I get it now!

  86. 86.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    March 15, 2018 at 11:44 am

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    If they just announced that Noam Chomsky will be made Speaker, they’d have all 435 seats…

  87. 87.

    Yarrow

    March 15, 2018 at 11:44 am

    @schrodingers_cat: Yes, he was very good as well. I thought all the acting was very good. I also enjoyed getting a bit of a look at the famous lunch delivery system.

  88. 88.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 11:45 am

    @Baud: Thanks. I think (hope) we’ll be fine, but there’s oodles of Koch money flowing into the state and we now need to fight on two fronts, thanks to the “progressives.” My sense is that they’re a fringe, but they sure make a lot of noise and stir the pot incessantly. I have to learn to tune them out for my own sanity’s sake (what little is left of it, anyhow).

  89. 89.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:45 am

    @Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: I give Noam a bit of a break since he had enough of his marbles left to tell people to vote for Hillary over Trump.

    ETA: Also, too, the Communist Party of the USA.

  90. 90.

    Ian G.

    March 15, 2018 at 11:45 am

    @NorthLeft12:

    I’m guessing Trump seethes with resentment at Trudeau since Justin is young, good-looking, charismatic, fits in with high society and Hollywood types, and (perhaps most importantly) didn’t face-plant despite the immense privilege he was born into and end up flushing Pierre’s money down the toilet on failed business deals and various petty scams.

  91. 91.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    March 15, 2018 at 11:46 am

    @Yarrow: Loved that movie. For plot purposes they had to invent the delivery mixup, but it’s my understanding that in fact those guys have never screwed up a lunch delivery in something like a century of operation. And the line about being studied by Harvard was true.

    I also loved the upstairs Aunty, who can tell you’ve put too much cumin or whatever from her window a floor above yours.

  92. 92.

    Hitless

    March 15, 2018 at 11:47 am

    @Kay: sadly, I think the “I know stuff without having to learn it” story will play well with a lot of people in the US. People like to believe their ‘common sense’ makes them smarter than these university educated liberals. Trump’s story shows that what he believed on the basis of no evidence was actually true and that idiot fancy boy and his “facts” were wrong. It’s a story that captured the spirit of our country and time quite well.

  93. 93.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 15, 2018 at 11:48 am

    @Elizabelle:

    This is even a different story. United mixed up two dogs, shipped one to Oregon (I think — I skimmed the article) and the other to Japan. Each to the other’s intended destination. A couple of days after the dead pug in the overhead bin.

    I’m getting very fucking tired of their repeated “Oops, heh heh, our bad.”

  94. 94.

    Yarrow

    March 15, 2018 at 11:48 am

    @O. Felix Culpa: “Progressives” and “the left” are also being spurred on and manipulated by Russia. They’re playing both sides. Expect more action in that area on the left in the 2018 election since that’s where the real energy will be.

    I don’t know how to educate people about the fact that it is possible that some of the stuff they read or see isn’t fully true and that they can be manipulated by it but doing so has to be part of the way forward. Other countries are teaching critical thinking to counteract propaganda. We are not.

  95. 95.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 11:49 am

    @Hitless:

    People like to believe their ‘common sense’ makes them smarter than these university educated liberals.

    To be really successful, you need both, and some educated liberals do lack common sense. But, yeah, too many people think it’s either/or.

  96. 96.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:49 am

    @Yarrow: He is in Gangs of Wasseypur too, which is on my must-watch list. Its Anurag Kashyap’s ode to the two Godfather movies set in the mining country of Bihar. Siddiqui plays a Pacino like character, the reluctant but ruthless don.

  97. 97.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 11:50 am

    @schrodingers_cat: what the fuck does that mean? I switched to Clinton before the primary ended and wholeheartedly supported her in the General. Must be your enemies list is out of date.

    Wow. Just wow. Guess this explains why every single response you make to me is negative and way out of proportion. You DO know that flaming the Sanders v Clinton flame wars was the sole occupation for something like 50,000 Russian Troll-bots, right? Is there a reason you feel a need to continue their dirty work?

    Jesus H. Christ, Lighten the Fuck Up, Frances.

  98. 98.

    Yarrow

    March 15, 2018 at 11:51 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Yes, the Auntie was a really great character and more than just a caricature. I read about them being studied by Harvard. It’s a cool system.

  99. 99.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 11:53 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Hey there.

    Oh yeah, heard about the dog to Narita story. (And Irgo is being flown back on a charter.) Have we heard how the greyhound fared? (Is it in Wichita? I can’t keep up.)

    United has got some serious problems with how it treats both its two-footed and four-footed passengers.

    It’s mostly famous for its executives making out like bandits with their compensation. Thankfully, we have other airlines.

  100. 100.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 11:56 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: FWIW I don’t consider you my enemy.

  101. 101.

    jonas

    March 15, 2018 at 11:56 am

    I won’t pretend to know anything about Missouri politics — other than that it can be bugnuts craaaaazy sometimes — but the Trump that won the state in 2016 was the flamboyant, politically incorrect billionaire business tycoon who was going to “drain the swamp,” MAGA, etc. The Trump stumping for candidates in 2017 is the irrational, incompetent, childish buffoon we’ve all come to know and despise . Sure, his hardcore base still loves the bigotry and liberal-trolling that Trump has raised to an art form, but a lot of independents and not a few self-described conservatives have to be getting pretty damn tired of this schtick. And I also don’t imagine that the average Missourian is going to see a huge windfall from the tax cut, either.

  102. 102.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 11:58 am

    @Elizabelle: the tone of my comment was exaggerated with a bit of dark political humor. Sorry people missed that. Still gonna maintain my long view, but this cabal does things no on ever thought a sitting American President and Congress would do. Forgive my hypervigilence—I come from a long line of pessimists ?

  103. 103.

    lgerard

    March 15, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    “The young man last night that ran, he said, ‘Oh, I’m like Trump. Second Amendment, everything. I love the tax cuts, everything.’ He ran on that basis,” Trump said. “He ran on a campaign that said very nice things about me. I said, ‘Is he a Republican? He sounds like a Republican to me.’”

    So why didn’t trump endorse him then?

    (another question no reporter will ask)

  104. 104.

    Elizabelle

    March 15, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    OK, so it turns out the Great Dane is flying around Kansas, like Toto. Guess it will be Tokyo-bound soon, if not already.

    From the Wichita Eagle. link: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article205050574.html

  105. 105.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: Ok, cool. It’d be nice if we could avoid these kinds of convos in the future. You dont like what I say, tell me what you think would be a better. Assume I’m a good person, and act accordingly.

  106. 106.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    @Yarrow: We didn’t see her but that was a veteran Marathi stage actor, Bharati Achrekar.

  107. 107.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    @Ella in New Mexico: I think you are a good person, may be just a tad excitable. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Let’s agree to disagree.

  108. 108.

    hitchhiker

    March 15, 2018 at 12:09 pm

    @Hitless:

    Exactly right. If you want to understand how a lot of Trump voters see themselves, watch Erin Brokovich. They’re all the sassy, determined, feisty little guy with no education who STILL manages to stick it to the suits.

  109. 109.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 15, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    @Elizabelle:

    Hey yourself, lady.

    I used to love flying. The entire experience was exciting and adventurous. But I gradually came to hate it, everything about it, from ticket pricing to stupid high surcharges for every little thing to last-minute gate/terminal changes; from airport security theatre to uncomfortable overcrowded planes to officious petty dictators disguised as flight attendants; and most especially the cavalier dismissal of their passengers’ concerns and complaints …. I haven’t been on an airplane since about 2010, and won’t unless I am able to go to Europe again at some point.

  110. 110.

    Gelfling 545

    March 15, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    @Lapassionara: I was just thinking that if he tried that here in Buffalo even our racist suburbanites would be calling for his impeachment. At the very least.

  111. 111.

    Gretchen

    March 15, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    Hawley attributed sex trafficking to the sexual revolution of the 60’s and 70’s. He’s not as bad as his primary opponent who said he expects dinner to be on the table at 6pm, but he’s pretty retrograde in a time when suburban women are so not there. The St. Louis Moms Demand Action had to move to a much bigger venue than their usual library conference room last week, and still had to hand out fliers with action items for those who couldn’t get into the room. People are fired up, and not to elect a gun-loving, keep the girls at home Republican.

  112. 112.

    Betty Cracker

    March 15, 2018 at 12:29 pm

    @Elizabelle: Poor dog. That’s a long flight for a human to endure, and at least humans understand what’s happening and have consented to the trip.

  113. 113.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 15, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    @Ella in New Mexico: I am sorry about the earlier comment, I can be a bit unforgiving and judgmental. This is a stressful presidency. It has elevated our national BP. On that we agree.

  114. 114.

    Ella in New Mexico

    March 15, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: I appreciate that. These are trying times that bring out the best and the worst in us. If you can help me through them, I’ll do what I can to help you. :-)

  115. 115.

    jimmiraybob

    March 15, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    …there’s got to be a way to tie a Trump boat anchor around Hawley’s neck.

    And, if course, there’s our illustrious family-values, gun-slingin’, “conservative” Governor Eric Greitens who is currently being prosecuted for committing a felony invasion of privacy with his mistress.

    But I’m pretty sure that our greater Evangelical community doesn’t care about ethics and morality so, no boat anchors big enough to do enough damage to count on. Unless our more conservative Christians find Jesus or something. 50-50 chance.

    Personally, I’m hoping that Trump gets so full of himself soon that he actually shoots someone on 5th Ave to fire up the base.

  116. 116.

    satby

    March 15, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    @O. Felix Culpa: I had an exchange with one on the local Indivisible page today who was yapping about Lamb not being a “progressive… I’m fact he’s another Donnely”. My response:

    And Conor Lamb won. We need to win. Besides, he ran on:
    Jon Favreau @ jonfavs
    1. For universal health care
    2. Against Trump’s tax cut
    3. For expanded background checks
    4. For stronger unions
    5. Against cuts to Social Security
    6. For a woman’s right to choose
    7. For medical marijuana
    “Conservative Democrat.” Ok. Cool.
    Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, it’s how we get Republicans. In these times social justice does have a party, and it’s the Democratic one. Both sides aren’t the same. And purity might get you into heaven (maybe) but it doesn’t win elections. We’re building coalitions, not auditioning for a life mate.

  117. 117.

    terraformer

    March 15, 2018 at 1:35 pm

    @Washburn:

    I dunno. While I hesitate to use my personal views to inform what other people may think, based on the way the wind’s blowing since the beginning of this horrible era and what people have seen and heard him do, there seems to be a sizable portion of the population that would be responsive to someone who goes full liberal, or at least more liberal than conservative.

    Surely one needs to tailor that continuum to a degree for their region/district, but I think many of us here and elsewhere have been saying for a long time that Democratic ideas are popular, if one would but express support for them in a clear way, kind of like what Lamb did.

  118. 118.

    JR

    March 15, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    @Baud: Which *policy* issues would those be? Not social insurance, not even reproductive choice (whatever his personal beliefs may be).

  119. 119.

    Baud

    March 15, 2018 at 1:49 pm

    @JR:

    He supported building on the ACA, not single payer. He supports “natural gas extraction.” He is seen as pro-gun (albeit not GOP radical). He supports “neoliberal” solutions to college debt and didn’t endorse free college. He supports job training, which is standard Dem policy but not a favorite of the left.

    That’s just from a quick glance at his website.

  120. 120.

    O. Felix Culpa

    March 15, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    @satby: Oooh, I love your line about building coalitions and not auditioning for a life mate. Perfect.

  121. 121.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    March 15, 2018 at 2:25 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Having Trump in town might help with raising campaign funds.

    But how much will get through to the candidate?

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