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You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Birdwatching / State Dinner (Open Thread)

State Dinner (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  April 23, 201811:17 am| 138 Comments

This post is in: Birdwatching, Gun nuts, Open Threads, Assholes, General Stupidity

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Here’s a non-state dinner happening outside my window this morning:

Don’t you hate it when someone takes a picture right when you’re shoving a big piece of food into your mouth? Happens to me all the time. Sorry, birds.

Anyhoo, French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in DC today for the first state visit of the Trump administrophe. There’s a state dinner tomorrow to which no Democrats were invited. Fox News personalities will likely be on hand to manage policy discussions.

Via ABC News, Nicholas Dungan, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a professor at Paris-based institute Sciences Po, said:

“Emmanuel Macron has characteristics that are more classically American than French. He is professional, rigorous and understands the value of work.”

I wonder what the French would make of that characterization? Regardless of how “classically American” those characteristics allegedly are, the orange fart cloud does not possess them. He embodies the polar opposite of them.

So, how will Trump embarrass us during this state visit? Will he do the weird handshake thing again? Leer inappropriately at Brigitte Macron and tell her she looks great “for her age?” Or strike out in a new direction and blaze fresh trails in national humiliation?

In other news, the naked white guy who shot and killed four people at a Waffle House in Tennessee is still on the run. A diner, James Shaw Jr., rushed the shooter and disarmed him, almost certainly preventing further carnage. Unlike in the aftermath of the Texas church massacre, Trump hasn’t tweeted about this hero, probably because Shaw was an unarmed black man, and thus doesn’t fit the narrative.

It turns out the shooter had a history of psychiatric problems and had no business owning a gun of any type, let alone an AR-15. Authorities took his guns when he approached the White House some months ago babbling about meeting with Trump. The authorities gave the guns to the suspect’s father, who returned them to the nutjob son. It probably wasn’t even illegal to do so.

And now four young people are dead for no reason. Damn, this is a fucked up country.

Open thread!

ETA: I have been reliably informed that there WILL be a Democrat at the state dinner: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. No Democrats from Congress though, which is unprecedented in modern presidencies, or so I read.

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138Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    April 23, 2018 at 11:22 am

    If Reinking is killed while being apprehended, his idiot father will have killed his son as well.

    And he sure as shooting has the deaths of 4 innocents on his hands. Returning the guns makes him as guilty, or even more guilty, than his son, because it was not ethical (even if lawful in Illinois) and the son has mental issues.

    Curious what Tennessee’s gun laws turn out to be … and think of all the tax money expended to have police check out the schools so they could be safely opened while a mass shooter is on the lam.

  2. 2.

    Frank Wilhoit

    April 23, 2018 at 11:25 am

    “…to which no Democrats were invited….” Is this not unprecedented?

  3. 3.

    Aimai

    April 23, 2018 at 11:26 am

    Heard a chipper/delusional NPR review of Trump’s upcoming state dinner. Absoutely ridiculous attempt to normalize Trump and Melanias manifest unfitness to host.

  4. 4.

    MattF

    April 23, 2018 at 11:28 am

    It’s no joke that Fox ‘personalities’ have taken over US policy, mainly because those are the people Trump has chosen as his policy advisors. Another of those apparently inevitable but… not good things going on.

  5. 5.

    Cermet

    April 23, 2018 at 11:28 am

    Can there be any doubt, what-so-ever, what a racist country we are, now? Even the media. A white guy murders three blacks and a possibly Latino Amerikans and nothing is said about this aspect of the attack? This was a race based attack. Nor are they pointing out how a black man saved the day? We know full well how a white man would be praised by the press and the orange fart cloud.

  6. 6.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 11:29 am

    @Frank Wilhoit:

    I’m sort of surprised at myself at how incandescently enraged I am at this display of pettiness from the White House.

    ETA: Just saw a report that no members of the media are invited — not even Hannity! — which is also a break with tradition.

  7. 7.

    Tokyokie

    April 23, 2018 at 11:32 am

    I’m guessing that the naked racist’s moron father named him after Travis Bickle and that he thought Taxi Driver was an inspiring story of redemption.

  8. 8.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 11:33 am

    @Frank Wilhoit: Yes.

  9. 9.

    David Fud

    April 23, 2018 at 11:33 am

    Don’t forget the Neo-nazi rally that he hasn’t bothered to condemn, either.

  10. 10.

    germy

    April 23, 2018 at 11:33 am

    There’s a state dinner tomorrow to which no Democrats were invited.

    I didn’t know that. I have a bad habit of watching broadcast TV news, and they made it sound like Democrats were rudely not bothering to attend. “No Democrats will be attending,” the newsreader said, with the implication that it was some sort of disrespectful boycott.

  11. 11.

    Elmo

    April 23, 2018 at 11:35 am

    Let it not be lost in the discussion: Shaw was able to charge and tackle the shooter because he was momentarily reloading. Can we *at least* talk about restricting magazine size? Hunting doesn’t require more than a five-round capacity. Neither does almost any possible scenario of self-defense. The *only* reason for civilians to have 10- or 30-round magazines is for the fun of target shooting and the convenience of not having to reload as often.

  12. 12.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:35 am

    @Frank Wilhoit:

    “…to which no Democrats were invited….” Is this not unprecedented?

    It is.

  13. 13.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:35 am

    @germy:

    “No Democrats will be attending,” the newsreader said, with the implication that it was some sort of disrespectful boycott.

    Sinclair station?

  14. 14.

    germy

    April 23, 2018 at 11:36 am

    Every once in a while my town does the fire hydrant flushing thing.

    But this year, the truck came by and they covered the hydrant in front of my house with a bright red bag that says NOT IN SERVICE.

    It’s been out of service for three days now. I can’t help but wonder what if there’s a fire?

    Usually, they flush the hydrants and that’s the end of it. Not sure what’s going on this year.

  15. 15.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:36 am

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’m sort of surprised at myself at how incandescently enraged I am at this display of pettiness from the White House.

    It’s just a reminder of how much they are nothing but pieces of garbage.
    And, that it didn’t have to be this way.

  16. 16.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:37 am

    @Cermet:

    Can there be any doubt, what-so-ever, what a racist country we are, now? Even the media. A white guy murders three blacks and a possibly Latino Amerikans and nothing is said about this aspect of the attack? This was a race based attack. Nor are they pointing out how a black man saved the day? We know full well how a white man would be praised by the press and the orange fart cloud.

    No lie told.

  17. 17.

    ruemara

    April 23, 2018 at 11:37 am

    4 POC are dead and I think you’ve found the reason. He, like a couple other of these mass murdering tw @ ts, is a Trump fanboy. Considering some of the other stuff I’ve read regarding outreach & grooming online by neonazi orgs to men with emotional and/or mental disturbances, I continue to believe this is stochastic terrorism.

  18. 18.

    DHD

    April 23, 2018 at 11:38 am

    What a terrible quote! There are many annoying qualities of French people but nobody who has ever dealt with French bureaucracy or even French customer service could accuse them of a lack of professionalism and rigour! As for the value of work, well, the productivity statistics speak for themselves (hint: it is much higher in France than the US, possibly because people work fewer hours and thus get a lot more done in those hours).

    That said I don’t know whether it is Emmanuel Macron himself or just the press coverage of him that inspire an ever-growing sense of loathing. As with sensible centrists everywhere, he “talks left and walks right”…

  19. 19.

    germy

    April 23, 2018 at 11:38 am

    @rikyrah: No, I’ve been avoiding my local sinclair station. But the other channel “partners” with a fox affiliate. There’s always bias, but they try to be subtle about it.

  20. 20.

    JDM

    April 23, 2018 at 11:38 am

    “Emmanuel Macron has characteristics that are more classically American than French. He is professional, rigorous and understands the value of work.”

    Trump is none of those things; what nationality does that make him?

    Actually, the French rather obviously do know the value of work, and do it. We can tell this because they manage to get very nearly our productivity from workers despite shorter work weeks and much longer vacations.

  21. 21.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:38 am

    @Elizabelle:

    And he sure as shooting has the deaths of 4 innocents on his hands. Returning the guns makes him as guilty, or even more guilty, than his son, because it was not ethical (even if lawful in Illinois) and the son has mental issues.

    Yes..the father is an accessory to those 4 deaths.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 11:39 am

    @germy:

    “No Democrats will be attending,” the newsreader said, with the implication that it was some sort of disrespectful boycott.

    They are beyond useless. They are actively sowing division and distrust. I don’t know whether it’s purposeful or journalistically lazy*, but every single example of this kind of thing needs to be called out and denounced. Thank you for doing so.

    *ETA: Or, of course, ¿Por qué no los dos? as they say around these parts.

  23. 23.

    Another Scott

    April 23, 2018 at 11:40 am

    Macron and Trump are going to have dinner at Mount Vernon this evening. They’re closing the place at 1 PM today to prepare.

    The food is decent, and the atmosphere is interesting. It’s worth a visit. I assume Donnie will get the George Washington’s Cheddar Burger or a steak burnt to his specifications…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  24. 24.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:40 am

    @ruemara:

    4 POC are dead and I think you’ve found the reason. He, like a couple other of these mass murdering tw @ ts, is a Trump fanboy. Considering some of the other stuff I’ve read regarding outreach & grooming online by neonazi orgs to men with emotional and/or mental disturbances, I continue to believe this is stochastic terrorism.

    If this had been a Muslim, or an Illegal…we’d know all about their social media profiles.

    As is….

    I only know because I follow Twitter folks who have done the research.

  25. 25.

    Brachiator

    April 23, 2018 at 11:42 am

    @Frank Wilhoit:

    “…to which no Democrats were invited….” Is this not unprecedented?

    Apparently, neither journalists nor Democrats were invited. But a great deal of pomp has been devoted to this first state visit.

    In fact, Macron will break bread twice with Mr. Trump.

    On Monday, the president and Melania Trump will dine privately with Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at Mount Vernon, the home of America’s first president, George Washington, on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia. The White House said the setting will serve as a reminder of France’s “unique status” as America’s first ally.

    Mr. Trump ended his first year without receiving a foreign leader on a state visit, making him the first president in nearly 100 years to do so and heightening the stakes for Tuesday….

    The visit also offers Macron his first Oval Office meeting and a joint White House news conference with Mr. Trump. There’s also a State Department lunch hosted by Vice President Mike Pence before Macron and his wife arrive for the state dinner.

    The deliberate exclusion of Democrats represents Trump pettiness openly on display. He is president of resentments.

  26. 26.

    germy

    April 23, 2018 at 11:43 am

    @Elmo:

    Hunting doesn’t require more than a five-round capacity.

    I remember seeing an interview with a concealed carry advocate who used the “pro hunting” logic. He said concealed carry would be beneficial to hunters. There was no pushback from the interviewer (again, local news) and it left me wondering if deer and ducks can recognize firearms now and yell warnings to each other “He’s got a gun! Run! Fly!”

  27. 27.

    Jeffro

    April 23, 2018 at 11:43 am

    I’m confused… I thought the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun was a good guy with a gun?

  28. 28.

    eric

    April 23, 2018 at 11:44 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: i will wait to read of it in TASS.

  29. 29.

    MattF

    April 23, 2018 at 11:47 am

    @Jeffro:

    I thought the only thing that can stop a [brown-skinned] bad guy with a gun was a [white-skinned] good guy with a gun?

    Edited for clarity.

  30. 30.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:48 am

    @Another Scott:

    I am interested in the menu.
    While the British are snobs overall..
    The French are definitely food snobs..
    and, well, Dolt45 has no taste whatsoever….

  31. 31.

    Another Scott

    April 23, 2018 at 11:49 am

    @Frank Wilhoit: Hey, Boehner refused to attend six of Obama’s state dinners (as of 2013), so Both Sides.

    :-/

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  32. 32.

    ruemara

    April 23, 2018 at 11:49 am

    @rikyrah: The fucking press would print the DNA profile of the shooter if they could, IF he was minority or muslim.

    I miss some level of basic trust in people.

  33. 33.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 11:50 am

    @rikyrah:

    It’s just a reminder of how much they are nothing but pieces of garbage.
    And, that it didn’t have to be this way.

    You speak truth.

  34. 34.

    Brachiator

    April 23, 2018 at 11:50 am

    @David Fud:

    Don’t forget the Neo-nazi rally that he hasn’t bothered to condemn, either.

    Condemn it? Shit, somebody probably had to prevent him from praising it.

  35. 35.

    Aleta

    April 23, 2018 at 11:51 am

    On Sunday, he was asked if he had any sort of military training, and if he was surprised by what he’d done. “Yeah, I knew I had it in me. I haven’t had any specific combat training,” he said. “I just fight my daughter every night, so I can put her to bed.”

  36. 36.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 11:52 am

    @Another Scott:

    But, Orange Julius and The Turtle and rest of the jackals were INVITED.

    It’s on them if they don’t show up.

    But, then, we had 8 years of why isn’t 44 ‘reaching out to Republicans’
    While Dolt45 pulls THIS level of petty azz bullshyt..
    And, it’s crickets from the MSM.

    I’ll say it again..

    THE CURVE FOR UNQUALIFIED WHITE MEN IS REAL.

  37. 37.

    brendancalling

    April 23, 2018 at 11:52 am

    i was getting calls and emails all day yesterday making sure I wasn’t at the Waffle House.

    I’m so tired of this shit.

  38. 38.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 11:55 am

    @rikyrah:

    I saw one headline that said all the planning and decisions re the State Dinner were made by Melania (because “she has a design background”). Yeah, the menu and decorations, maybe, but you know Donald vetted the guest list.

  39. 39.

    Bruuuuce

    April 23, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Reinking was arrested outside the White House in July 2017, insisting that he needed to see the guy who nominally runs it (my words; I won’t call him by the title he stole). At that time, he claimed to be a sovereign citizen. What a shock. NOT. “Sovereign citizenship” is one of the few reliable predictors (along with arrests for domestic violence) of future armed violence.

  40. 40.

    Lapassionara

    April 23, 2018 at 11:56 am

    @rikyrah: Good thought. Maybe Trump will serve McDonald’s hamburgers, then two scoops of ice cream for him, and one for everyone else. ?

  41. 41.

    dexwood

    April 23, 2018 at 11:57 am

    @germy:
    I’d love to see a bright red NOT IN SERVICE bag covering Trump.

  42. 42.

    Brachiator

    April 23, 2018 at 11:58 am

    @Another Scott:

    Hey, Boehner refused to attend six of Obama’s state dinners (as of 2013), so Both Sides.

    To be fair, you should have provided a bit more context. From the article:

    House Republicans have routinely turned down White House invites (as Democrats did under Obama’s predecessor), with the high point of bipartisan schmoozing being a sparsely attended 2011 BBQ Obama threw for newly-elected Republicans after the 2010 midterms….

    Boehner, for his part, also declined Obama’s invites for no fewer than six state dinners, after attending at least one thrown by former President George W. Bush, according to news reports. Boehner’s excuse for most of them: He was back in his Cincinnati-area district.

    Damn, these are some petty ass people, but yep, the Republicans are much more so.

    This is like a particularly shitty high school, but with trillion dollar budgets and nuclear weapons.

  43. 43.

    Another Scott

    April 23, 2018 at 11:58 am

    I can’t find a static picture, but the BBC News about Macron’s visit shows a picture of the White House portico with tall white fabric barriers up around it. Like they’re trying to prevent the press from getting long-range pictures.

    Maybe it’s some standard security measure, but I don’t recall seeing anything like it before. And one can see shadows through it, so if it’s a security measure it doesn’t seem to be all that effective. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s another FY to the press (to prevent them from getting pictures).

    Grr.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  44. 44.

    gene108

    April 23, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    @Elmo:

    Can we *at least* talk about restricting magazine size? Hunting doesn’t require more than a five-round capacity. Neither does almost any possible scenario of self-defense.

    Back when the AWB restricted magazine (or is it clip?) size to 10 rounds, gun nuts bitched that ten rounds wasn’t enough for self-defense, because who knows, when you’d be beset by a gang of 15 or more criminals and the only thing protecting your safety is a 30 round magazine (clip), because the second you had to reload your 10 round magazine, you’re dead.

    I believe they took this seriously.

  45. 45.

    Bill K

    April 23, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    @Elizabelle: I agree the father is culpable. But I would also lay some of the blame on the law enforcement officers that confiscated the weapons and then gave them to the father. They should have destroyed the weapons. What were they thinking? I am always amazed at how the gun-culture group-think has permeated law enforcement. They should be the first ones screaming for better gun control. The easy access to firearms in this country makes their job ten times harder and more dangerous.

  46. 46.

    Timurid

    April 23, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    This whole Macron-Trump bromance is creeping me out. I can’t imagine the French feel any better… “We voted for Macron to stop the fascists, and now his best buddy is… an aspiring fascist?”

  47. 47.

    boatboy_srq

    April 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    @JDM: Murikan.

    SATSQ.

  48. 48.

    Brachiator

    April 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I saw one headline that said all the planning and decisions re the State Dinner were made by Melania (because “she has a design background”). Yeah, the menu and decorations, maybe, but you know Donald vetted the guest list.

    Doesn’t the White House also have some protocol person who helps with this sort of thing?

  49. 49.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    @Lapassionara:

    When the King and Queen of England made their State Visit in 1939, FDR famously served them hot dogs and beer — although, to be fair, that was at Hyde Park, not the WH, so probably wasn’t classified as an official State Dinner.

  50. 50.

    Tokyokie

    April 23, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    @Brachiator:

    @David Fud:

    Don’t forget the Neo-nazi rally that he hasn’t bothered to condemn, either.

    Condemn it? Shit, somebody probably had to prevent him from praising it.

    Condemn it? Hell, had they held it at one of his golf resorts, he would have attended.

  51. 51.

    bemused

    April 23, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    They’re wannabe dictators and constantly prove it. Petty, kickdown whiners.

    We would have grounded our kids for behaving like these jerks.

  52. 52.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    @Brachiator:

    Supposedly there’s a Chief of Protocol, but given this Maladministration there’s no telling what that person actually does.

    ETA: This is the incumbent, in the job since December 2017.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Lawler

    Fun fact, Shirley Temple Black was Gerald Ford’s CoP.

  53. 53.

    Pete Mack

    April 23, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    @Elizabelle:
    It was certainly illegal to return them in Illinois. The original WaPo article clearly states this.

  54. 54.

    Libraryguy

    April 23, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    I was betting on Joe Lieberman or the corpse of Zell Miller as the token Democrat at the dinner.

  55. 55.

    tobie

    April 23, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    TPM reports that Manchin has announced he’ll vote for Pompeo for Sec of State. Manchin and Heitkamp are really turning out to be the new Joe Liebermans. Hard to have an effective caucus when the two vote against the caucus on any important issue. Thanks, Joe and Heidi, you managed to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

  56. 56.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: There’s a great story about LBJ holding a state dinner for the West German chancellor in a high school auditorium in Texas.

  57. 57.

    Mandalay

    April 23, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    No First Amendment in Britain:

    A YOUTUBE user who taught a pet dog to make Nazi salutes then filmed the animal before posting the footage on the internet has been fined £800. Mark Meechan, 30, recorded his girlfriend’s pug, Buddha, responding to statements such as “gas the Jews” and “Sieg Heil” by raising its paw.

  58. 58.

    Betty Cracker

    April 23, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    @Timurid: I don’t know anything about French politics or how the French feel about Macron’s outreach to Trump. But if Macron is smart — and he seems to be — he’s capitalizing on Trump’s pathetic need for affirmation to advance France’s interests.

  59. 59.

    Barbara

    April 23, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    @tobie: Yes, it’s disappointing. Neither Manchin nor Heitkamp is on the committee that has to vote the nomination to the floor (though apparently McConnell has some other procedural moves he could use to bring the nomination to the floor). Once on the floor, Paul is the only Republican reportedly voting against the nomination. If McCain is too sick to attend then the support of either Heitkamp or Manchin becomes determinative. It would otherwise be 49 yea, 50 nay, and that’s not a tie so Pence can’t make up the difference. I have not heard of any other Republicans who are wavering.

  60. 60.

    Barbara

    April 23, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    @Betty Cracker: That’s how I read the situation. Macron has decided to play nice to try to decrease the damage. Ditto for Abe in Japan, but his job is much harder because Trump’s trade shenanigans are like unguided missiles being lobbed at Asia. I understand that their last conversation wasn’t nearly as friendly as prior meetings.

  61. 61.

    ruemara

    April 23, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    @gene108: They should learn to curve a bullet like Angelina or be economical and group shots like Deadpool. And don’t tell me that’s fantasy physics because those gun humpers live in a fantasy world too.

    @SiubhanDuinne: I bet it’s his favourite golf caddy or something. If the position is even filled.

  62. 62.

    PeakVT

    April 23, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    It’s not a state dinner so much as a “l’état, c’est moi” dinner, given the notable lack of guests of certain important categories.

    You’d think a nominally left-leaning Frenchman would be able to sense the difference, but Macron is about as left-leaning as Blair was.

  63. 63.

    WereBear

    April 23, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    @germy: I have a bad habit of watching broadcast TV news, and they made it sound like Democrats were rudely not bothering to attend. “No Democrats will be attending,” the newsreader said, with the implication that it was some sort of disrespectful boycott.

    Which sucks, but also does not surprise me. Broadcast “news” has become Fox-Lite and I don’t know many under forty who watch broadcast at all, including myself (who is not under forty, but young at heart!)

    We are two countries.

  64. 64.

    Brachiator

    April 23, 2018 at 12:22 pm

    @Timurid:

    This whole Macron-Trump bromance is creeping me out. I can’t imagine the French feel any better… “We voted for Macron to stop the fascists, and now his best buddy is… an aspiring fascist?”

    Trump, for good or ill, is still a world leader. Macron wants to appeal to Trump to hold to the present deal with Iran, and to keep some US troops in Syria.

    Unfortunately, Trump probably won’t listen, or will lie about his intentions.

  65. 65.

    Barbara

    April 23, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    @PeakVT: Can we at least agree that every country has its own problems and what we mean by left and right might not have the same significance in different countries? The last time I looked, France has universal health care but a less than overwhelming commitment to gender equality. Macron, to his credit, is a lot more progressive when it comes to that issue. Maybe that’s not important to you personally, I don’t know, but calling him the Tony Blair of France seems off the mark.

  66. 66.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    the Trump administrophe.

    Ha! Missed this gem of a portmanteau on first reading. Niiiiice.

  67. 67.

    RSA

    April 23, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    @germy:

    “No Democrats will be attending,” the newsreader said, with the implication that it was some sort of disrespectful boycott.

    “Just as Trump was absent at Barbara Bush’s funeral,” the newsreader did not go on to say.

  68. 68.

    Elmo

    April 23, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    @gene108: I remember. And I think the discussion has shifted enough in this country that the NRA would be laughed off the stage if they tried to argue that now.

  69. 69.

    WereBear

    April 23, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: It IS a great story! I read it in the Robert Caro bio.

  70. 70.

    tobie

    April 23, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    @Barbara: Like others here, I thought Pompeo’s misleading statements about his military service would have given Manchin and Heitkamp an easy out. They could have scored a twofer currying favor with the party while also appealing to veterans with their staunch defense of military service. What I think does not get mentioned often enough is how much Manchin and Heitkamp stab the other members of the caucus in the back by voting against their own party. People like Donnelly and McCaskill are left dangling in the wind because their colleagues from red states won’t join with the caucus when it really counts. Victories breed more victories. Working to make your party lose important votes weakens and demoralizes everyone.

  71. 71.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    @RSA: Apparently it is very uncommon for a sitting President to attend the funeral of a former First Lady. He’s an asshole, of course, but for reasons other than skipping the Bush funeral.

  72. 72.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    @WereBear: Me too.

  73. 73.

    chopper

    April 23, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    @Lapassionara:

    ‘i hear where you live they call this a “royale with cheese”‘

  74. 74.

    Mandalay

    April 23, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    @RSA:

    “Just as Trump was absent at Barbara Bush’s funeral,” the newsreader did not go on to say.

    While Trump probably didn’t want to attend, and he certainly would not have been welcome, there is this…

    Trump’s absence isn’t unusual for a sitting president. The last president to attend a first lady’s funeral was John F. Kennedy, who went to Eleanor Roosevelt’s service in 1962.

  75. 75.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    April 23, 2018 at 12:34 pm

    With apologies to the Genie from Aladdin:

    “See how I have two scoops of ice cream, Frenchie?”
    “Oui”
    “And how everybody else only has one?”
    “Oui”
    “Ask me if you can have another scoop. Go ahead, ask me”
    (After very French eyeroll) “May I have anozzer scoop of ice cream, s’il vous plait”
    “NO! Ahahahahahahaha…..”

  76. 76.

    Mary G

    April 23, 2018 at 12:35 pm

    @tobie: They’re both up for reelection in deep red states, for Dog’s sake. They’ve voted the right way on the important stuff, like the tax scam and ACA repeal. Letting another incompetent SOS in isn’t that bad.

    I’m actually glad the media isn’t invited. Seeing George Stephanopoulos and Andrea Mitchell and other media people makes me queasy. Journalists are supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, not eat fancy dinners.

  77. 77.

    gene108

    April 23, 2018 at 12:42 pm

    @tobie:

    Hard to have an effective caucus when the two vote against the caucus on any important issue.

    They voted to preserve Obamacare, they voted against the tax scam. I believe they both voted against DeVos. They been with the caucus more than against.

    They are from states, where Trump is polling above 50% approval. And we do need a Sec. of State, and Trump appointees aren’t going to get any better.

  78. 78.

    trollhattan

    April 23, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    Betty, are those house finches?

    How will Donny-two-scoops’ dinner differ from everybody elses? Inquiring minds….

  79. 79.

    SRW1

    April 23, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    Will Macron get a second scoop of ice cream if he so desires?

  80. 80.

    justawriter

    April 23, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    I think if Pompeo’s stolen valor problem turns out to be true (several public bios have him being deployed in the Persian Gulf war, records seem to differ) then Heitkamp could flip her vote again. Here in North Dakota she is facing a uniformly hostile local media plus big rightwing oil money plus an electorate that seems to get dumber by the day. I will hold my nose and support her as long as she caucuses with the Democrats, but I can’t see doing so with any enthusiam. But if the American Legion or VFW denounces the pompous one, that would give her the cover she needs to do the right thing. We luvz our boys in uniform out here.

  81. 81.

    mad citizen

    April 23, 2018 at 12:46 pm

    @Betty Cracker: If Macron plays his cards right, French will be the US official language by next week.

    Maybe Trumpov has seen the Obama Souza book, and this whole dinner is designed to let the WH photog get some Presidential pics. Hence the blocking of the free press.

  82. 82.

    cintibud

    April 23, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    While Trump probably didn’t want to attend, and he certainly would not have been welcome, there is this…

    Trump’s absence isn’t unusual for a sitting president. The last president to attend a first lady’s funeral was John F. Kennedy, who went to Eleanor Roosevelt’s service in 1962.

    Well, I think the article that you linked to demonstrates the problems with the media.

    It specifically mentioned Dem presidents not attending funerals (Obama – Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Clinton – Jackie O) but no mention of any other examples – Mamie Eisenhower 1979, Bess Truman 1982, Lady Bird Johnson 2007. The last two with GOP presidents. This story, along with all the wingnuts I see on FB, implies there is some particular rule that presidents shouldn’t go to the funerals of first ladies without reporting the well know fact that B Bush specifically did NOT want T-rump there.

    (sigh)

  83. 83.

    Bobby Thomson

    April 23, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    @Bill K:

    “Why did you give his guns back?”

    “Got to! This is America.”

    Cue “Way Down in the Hole”

  84. 84.

    rikyrah

    April 23, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    @tobie:

    Like others here, I thought Pompeo’s misleading statements about his military service would have given Manchin and Heitkamp an easy out. They could have scored a twofer currying favor with the party while also appealing to veterans with their staunch defense of military service.

    Absolute easy outs.

  85. 85.

    tobie

    April 23, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    @Mary G: @gene108: I’m aware of the difficult electoral landscape Manchin and Heitkamp face and that is why on some issues like the appointment of coal-lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to the EPA I didn’t make a stink. But this one is different for me as Pompeo will be the face of the US abroad and his hearings showed he has neither the competence nor the temperament for the job. I don’t think they gain brownie points with their constituents for turning their back on their party. And I would add they they are really making life difficult for other red-state Dems up for election like Donnelly and McCaskill, who are now part of a losing rather than a winning “no” vote.

  86. 86.

    RSA

    April 23, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: @Mandalay: Thanks for the clarification and documentation.

  87. 87.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    In other news, the naked white guy who shot and killed four people at a Waffle House in Tennessee is still on the run.

    In too weird to be fiction, at a Waffle House in Alabama, white officers wrestled with a black female customer and ended up half stripping her in front of everyone.

    Her crime? Disputing an extra charge for plastic utensils with an employee.

  88. 88.

    MoxieM

    April 23, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    @rikyrah: Totally ditto. Please God don’t let them serve burned steak and ketchup.

  89. 89.

    tobie

    April 23, 2018 at 1:06 pm

    @tobie: Things are no doubt different if you’re a Republican but one thing worth chewing on is that both Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe voted with their party most of the time during Obama’s tenure and still were able to maintain the mantle of sensible moderates. I wonder if a Dem could do that — meaning whether the press would ever allow him or her to hold such an honorific, Broder-like title.

  90. 90.

    Aleta

    April 23, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    Trump vs the heroic James Shaw Jr., a black man who wrestled the gun from the RW white extremist who was murdering people of color in Antioch TN. Mr. Shaw then threw the killer out the door.

    Trump pondering: “I’m the one who decides if someone is a hero. No one appreciates that. It’s a tough job being president nowdays. You wouldn’t believe. Much harder than you would understand. Where is my ‘Thank you?'”

    short video of Mr. Shaw describing what he did.

  91. 91.

    Calouste

    April 23, 2018 at 1:15 pm

    @Bill K: What surprises me about that is that the police thought it was appropriate to give items they confiscated from an adult to the parent of that adult. Unless that adult is mentally incompetent and the parent is their guardian, there is no legal connection between the two like there is between a parent and a underage child. There is no legal difference between giving it to the father or to a neighbor or a random Joe.

  92. 92.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    @JDM:

    Trump is none of those things; what nationality does that make him?

    Russian.

  93. 93.

    jc

    April 23, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    Trump exults in disrespecting Democrats. Has there ever been a bigger *divider* in American politics than Trump? Maybe the Dems should run on a “united” states platform. There’s a novel concept.

  94. 94.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    When the King and Queen of England made their State Visit in 1939, FDR famously served them hot dogs and beer

    To be fair, that was still a vast improvement over English cuisine at the time.

  95. 95.

    opiejeanne

    April 23, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    @Another Scott: One can hope they have a similar experience to the one we had when we took my dad there. The alarm (fire? burglary?) went off and they couldn’t shut the damned thing off for most of the hour we were there.

  96. 96.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    @tobie:

    What I think does not get mentioned often enough is how much Manchin and Heitkamp stab the other members of the caucus in the back by voting against their own party.

    Oh I do it all the time.

    But Mx4 and others assure me that we still need them for the big things. Like saving the AMA.

  97. 97.

    Immanentize

    April 23, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    President Macron to his wife, outside the hearing of the translator:
    “Pauvre merde de la blanc.” Shakes his head at Trump and smiles.

  98. 98.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 1:30 pm

    @MoxieM:

    Please God don’t let them serve burned steak and ketchup.

    Dog is a cruel and merciless dog.

  99. 99.

    ruemara

    April 23, 2018 at 1:31 pm

    @TenguPhule: Saw that. The level of lack of support from bystanders, the way black people are halfway sounding like the usual bunch of idiots in blaming her. The way black women are able to watch a black female body be disrobed & abused by these bastard police and not have any empathy in her being shamed like that for a simple request to speak to a manager.

    It hurts to be black in this world. Double or triple if you’re female. There’s just no one with your back.

  100. 100.

    efgoldman

    April 23, 2018 at 1:31 pm

    @brendancalling:

    I wasn’t at the Waffle House.

    Nearest one to us is ~400 miles. Unlikely.

  101. 101.

    mozzerb

    April 23, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    @Mandalay: Dammit, you sent me to a Daily Express article, where I couldn’t avoid seeing the latest piece of imbecility from Nigel Farage — made even more imbecilic by the Express headline:

    “US to join Commonwealth? Farage drops BOMBSHELL about Brexit trade BREAKTHROUGH”
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/949595/Brexit-News-Farage-US-Commonwealth-membership-associate-Trump

    They’re like a print version of Fox News.

  102. 102.

    Immanentize

    April 23, 2018 at 1:35 pm

    @tobie: Manchin’s vote doesn’t matter. Unless something dramatic happens, Pompeo will be confirmed by 51 Republican votes (yes, Rand Paul will come in line) or 50 plus Pence. I am sure that Shumer has released him (and perhaps others) to vote as he likes. If not, we will hear from Shumer and/or others soon.

    Meanwhile, the alternative to Manchin is not Beto O’Rourke, it is Don Blankenship.

  103. 103.

    Elizabelle

    April 23, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    @Calouste: Twice, those weapons apparently ended up back with the mentally unfit son. Twice. Via the father, apparently — at least, Nashville police thought so.

    CNN: The Waffle House shooting suspect had his guns taken away — twice

    .

    .. The first time, Reinking’s guns were apparently taken away by his own father. Reinking was living in an apartment above his father’s business, a crane-rental company in Tremont, Illinois. An employee at the business called the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office in June 2017 to report that Reinking came down from his apartment wearing a pink dress and holding a rifle, an incident report states.

    [Anyway, Reinking eventually ended up at a local swimming pool, took off the garment — described there as a “pink housecoat”, swam a bit, and exposed his genitals. Gun stayed in the vehicle.]

    The rifle stayed in the vehicle and no one at the pool asked to press charges, the officer said in the report. “This is an informational report showing the state of mind of Travis Reinking,” the report said.

    Meanwhile, several members of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office went to the crane-rental business to speak with Reinking. An officer also called Reinking’s father, who was out of state. Jeffrey Reinking told the officer he had taken three rifles and a handgun away from his son before and locked them up “when Travis was having problems,” the report states.

    Later in the day, the officer said in his report, “I called back Jeff Reinking and advised him of what happened and when he gets back home he might want to lock the guns back up until Travis gets mental help, which he stated he would.”

    And then, a few months later, young Reinking shows up at the White House. Guns back in his possession.

    After his arrest, the FBI and the Secret Service coordinated with local law enforcement to investigate Reinking and remove firearms from his possession, said Matthew Espenshade, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Nashville office.

    In August, the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office seized four firearms and ammunition from Reinking’s apartment along with his state firearm owners identification, according to an incident report. Officers gave the firearms and ammo to Reinking’s father, who said he would keep them away from his son, the report states.

    “The officers did not believe they had any legal authority to withhold the weapons,” said Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston on Sunday. “We need to be on solid legal ground in order to seize someone’s property.”

    Investigators now believe that Jeffrey Reinking returned the guns to his son. Of those four weapons, one was the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle recovered from the shooting scene at the Waffle House.

    Another firearm was recovered Sunday from Reinking’s one-bedroom apartment. The two other guns could still be in Reinking’s possession, police said. Authorities are warning the public to keep their doors locked and eyes open while he is on the loose.

    It’s all about the gun owner’s rights. And Daddy Reinking sounds like a loopy enabler. Sounds like he’s returned the guns to his son — or not had them locked up securely — a minimum of 3 times by now. He’d already done it at least once before the pink housecoat and genitals at the pool incident.

    Incidentally, Travis Reinking is 6’4. That should make him a little easier to ID ….

  104. 104.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 23, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Imma turn off SHS in a minute but I hope some reporter will ask her about why no Dems invited to the State Dinner. Her excuses should be classic.

  105. 105.

    Sloane Ranger

    April 23, 2018 at 1:45 pm

    @Cermet: CNN praised him and regularly referred to him as a hero over the weekend. I don’t remember them mentionig his ethnicity but this would have been obvious from the photo they ran and the adoring interview.

    “Does your daughter know what a hero her Daddy is?”*

    “I hope the FBI and local PD’s are taking notice of this young man. So brave, so away shucks and modest, such instinctive tactical understanding. This young man is exactly the sort of person they should be recruiting.”*

    *These may be more paraphrases than quotes.

  106. 106.

    Calouste

    April 23, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    @Elizabelle: With a good attorney, the relatives of the murdered people could sue the dad out of his company in a civil suit. I wonder if Stormy Daniels’ lawyer has time.

  107. 107.

    Elizabelle

    April 23, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    @Calouste: That would be a start.

    @Sloane Ranger: Yes. Mr. Shaw sounds wonderful.

  108. 108.

    The Pale Scot

    April 23, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    @germy:

    deer and ducks can recognize firearms now and yell warnings to each other “He’s got a gun! Run! Fly!”

    The subject of numerous Far Side cartoons

  109. 109.

    tobie

    April 23, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    @Immanentize: You may be right. I know Pelosi is a master bean counter in the House, and I hope Schumer is just as good in the Senate. It’s an easier job given the Senate’s size. BTW: Rand Paul no longer has to cave because enough Dems have agreed to vote for the nomination. Will be curious to see if he casts a symbolic no vote.

  110. 110.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    @Immanentize: If McCain is absent due to his health, Pence can’t cast a vote because there can’t be a tie.

  111. 111.

    efgoldman

    April 23, 2018 at 2:14 pm

    @Barbara:

    Neither Manchin nor Heitkamp is on the committee that has to vote the nomination to the floor

    They both have to run for re-election in their states. Given his electorate, Manchin in particular has been pretty brave on some issues. WV ain’t MA or CT

  112. 112.

    Elizabelle

    April 23, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    And the Waffle House dude has been arrested. In custody. Presumably alive. Hopefully, dressed.

  113. 113.

    Manyakitty

    April 23, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    @Immanentize: oooh, BURN!

  114. 114.

    Barbara

    April 23, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    @efgoldman: Yes, I recognize that. I do wonder, however, how meaningful the Pompeo nomination would be.

  115. 115.

    No Drought No More

    April 23, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    “I have been reliably informed that there WILL be a Democrat at the state dinner”.

    Lest We Forget: congressional republicans years ago spitefully refused to attend the retirement farewells on the senate floor accorded former majority leader Tom Daschle, and attempted to make hay with obnoxious objections to the services conducted somewhere on Capital Hill upon there death of congressman Tom Lantos. Republican shits have been insulting democrats with these types of games for years. Kumbaya, my ass..

  116. 116.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    The main course on Tuesday night will be a rack of spring lamb and Carolina gold rice jambalaya, “cooked in a New Orleans tradition and scented with the trinity of Cajun cooking – celery, peppers and onions, and spiced with herbs from the south lawn”, the White House announced.

    Prepared by White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford, that will follow a first course of goat cheese gateau, tomato jam, buttermilk biscuit crumbles and young variegated lettuces from the executive mansion’s garden. For dessert, there will be a nectarine tart with White House honey and creme fraiche ice cream.

    The menu is announced.

    None of it is stuff Donald Trump considers food.

    I expect hilarity will ensue.

  117. 117.

    Kay

    April 23, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    @No Drought No More:

    The Trump china is probably already for sale on some gross, tacky website. Then they’ll launder the proceeds thru 15 grifters and never ship the items to buyers.

    Some overworked prosecutor’s assistant will be sifting thru the accounts for the next 15 years. “What is this LLC? Another one?”

  118. 118.

    trollhattan

    April 23, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    @TenguPhule:
    Donny didn’t tear out Michelle’s garden and replace it with a pitch & putt shootin’ range? Color me amazed.

  119. 119.

    trollhattan

    April 23, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    @Elizabelle:
    Thank goodness they caught the fuck. He was in the woods, hopefully now is covered in poison ivy, ticks and chiggers.

    I hope the families sue the everloving crap out of good old dad who rearmed his crazy-ass son to the gills. Some people.

  120. 120.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Donny didn’t tear out Michelle’s garden and replace it with a pitch & putt shootin’ range?

    He doesn’t spend enough time at the house to know where everything is.

  121. 121.

    Kay

    April 23, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    Donald J. Trump
    ‏
    Verified account

    There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!

    The President’s ugly, mean-spirited bigotry is stinking up the place again.

    How embarrassed are those fancy, high priced private schools the Trumps attended? Christ. Talk about a waste of money.

    “Breeding concept”. He learned that at America’s most expensive academies.

  122. 122.

    Another Scott

    April 23, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    @rikyrah: Time:

    State Dinner

    The color scheme is cream and gold and the china settings consist of the Clinton china for the baseplate, along with both Bush (43) and Clinton china for the dinner service. The First Lady chose the Bush china with the green color palette to complement the spring green and white flowers that will be featured in the State Dining Room. Mrs. Trump has also selected pieces from the extensive Vermeil collection as well as American Silver from the White House Collection—from Tiffany & Co. and S. Kirk & Sons—to add to the décor in the State Dining Room.

    […]

    Full Menu:

    First Course:
    Goat Cheese Gateau
    Tomato Jam
    Buttermilk Biscuit Crumbles
    Young Variegated Lettuces

    Main Course:
    Rack of Spring Lamb
    Burnt Cipollini Soubise [ Donnie probably insisted on something burnt. ;-p ]
    Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya

    Dessert:
    Nectarine Tart
    Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  123. 123.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    @Another Scott: Sounds delicious, frankly.

  124. 124.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    @Kay: Wasn’t that tweet from last week?

  125. 125.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Sounds delicious, frankly.

    But Donnie doesn’t consider any of that food.

  126. 126.

    Kay

    April 23, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    @Another Scott:

    Such a shame. All that effort and expense and it won’t matter a bit. The President’s ugly, mean-spirited nature can’t be disguised with a floral centerpiece anymore than it is now by the gold-plated fountains at Maralago. Even all the pomp of the presidency can’t prop up the Trumps. They look like frauds.

  127. 127.

    Barbara

    April 23, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    @TenguPhule: I find it hard to believe he won’t eat rack of lamb or creme fraiche ice cream.

  128. 128.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    @Kay:

    They look like frauds.

    Can we just call the spade a spade and stop felinefooting this?

  129. 129.

    Elizabelle

    April 23, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    @Another Scott: Resident gonna have very little idea of what he’s eating. Melania may have chosen the menu in knowledge of that.

    Would anyone know if he was served a shoe-quality small steak with trimmings while others ate lamb?

  130. 130.

    Mnemosyne

    April 23, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    @Aleta:

    Most people don’t know what they’re capable of until they’re in that situation. You can try and train people for it, but cops and soldiers freeze up all the time.

  131. 131.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 23, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    @TenguPhule: I’ll go in his place. I took French in high school, I may still remember a bit.

  132. 132.

    Elizabelle

    April 23, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    @Kay: Being at that gorgeous dinner. It would be like all this delicious food was on your plate, and sewage was swirling around your feet. Although a lot of the media would never report that.

    How fun would it be to go, knowing your host was — Trump? Yuck.

  133. 133.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    @Barbara:

    I find it hard to believe he won’t eat rack of lamb or creme fraiche ice cream.

    Quarter pounders, KFC and well done filet mignon.

    And creme fraiche involves buttermilk/yogurt culture, not a plain sweet flavor like vanilla.

    Of course he’s not going to eat the same things they are.

  134. 134.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    April 23, 2018 at 3:13 pm

    the naked white guy who shot and killed four people at a Waffle House in Tennessee is still on the run

    How many naked white guys do you have running around Tennessee? Where I live, he’d be noticed.

  135. 135.

    a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)

    April 23, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    @brendancalling: I have friends here who got tired of dealing with phone calls and texts and posted on Facebook that they hadn’t been eating at Waffle House at 0-dark whatever.

    The naked gunman has now been captured, to everyone’s relief, including Waffle House’s.

    And on a more edifying note, as we head for bad-weather season in the southeast, jackals with fond recollections of Waffle House should know: the Waffle House Index is real.

  136. 136.

    Mnemosyne

    April 23, 2018 at 3:58 pm

    @Bruuuuce:

    I’ve been saying for a while now that if the cops pull someone over who has a cardboard “license plate” and claims that they’re a “sovereign citizen” who doesn’t have to follow the law, that person should be brought to the ER for a 72-hour psychiatric hold, not given a ticket. If someone told the cops that they were speeding because aliens were chasing them, would they just get a speeding ticket?

  137. 137.

    TenguPhule

    April 23, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    If someone told the cops that they were speeding because aliens were chasing them, would they just get a speeding ticket?

    Maybe in California.

  138. 138.

    SgrAstar

    April 23, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Just saw a report that no members of the media are invited — not even Hannity! — which is also a break with tradition.

    No media means less publicity for M. Macron, oui? Since Macron is inarguably younger and handsomer, having the press there to produce many photos of the Macrons- he, elegant in his tux, and she wearing another attention-getting Louis Vuitton- is just too much of a risk. SAD.

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