Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

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

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Second rate reporter says what?

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

No one could have predicted…

Hot air and ill-informed banter

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132Comments

  2. 2.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)

    Yeah, well, that was a big deal. Lying about sex is the worst thing anybody can do, unless it’s a Republican we’re talking about. Republicans can lie about sex, or even betray the country, because they’re good people. Jesus lets them do it!

  3. 3.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)

    Shit. Even abortion is Ő.K. if it’s a Republican, because they know it’s bad, and they only do it for good reasons, like the guy wants the woman he was cheating on his wife with to get one, not because the woman wanted one. It’s Ő.K. if the guy wants an abortion, because he’s a guy. It’s only when the slutty woman wants it that it makes Jesus sad.

  5. 5.

    Timurid

    Jesus, we’re going through an accelerated version of the Charlottesville news cycle. The media’s fight or flight reflex is triggered by something that their whole lives have told them is unthinkable, they open up the chyron menu and set the type to the biggest possible size… then they hear a cough, feel a tap on the shoulder… it’s their bosses telling them this is how it has to be. On to the next celebrity scandal or tornado outbreak or whatever…

  6. 6.

    B.B.A.

    This is your periodic reminder that Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were both known associates of convicted child molester Jeffrey Epstein.

    Carry on.

  10. 10.

    brendancalling

    They should all be publicly executed (and it should be broadcast on prime time). Their bodies should be gibbeted and displayed until the bones are pecked clean.

    Every. Single. One. And if their loved ones complain, execute them too.

    Whatever one can say about the Bolsheviks, and there’s a lot of bad stuff to say, they got one thing right: the czar and his family never came back to torment the peasants.

  12. 12.

    ruemara

    Ok, we just need to convince Melania to touch the evil filth sack. Someone cover him with money.

  15. 15.

    maya

    Wondering what the previously unscheduled meeting with members of congress that the quisling kumquat called for tomorrow is about. Soccer balls for everyone? They’re all fired? Demand that they find all 33,000 of HRCs emails…now?

  18. 18.

    lgerard

    @maya:

    Maybe they want to find out how many republicans want to sign up for the next congressional trip to Moscow

  20. 20.

    Corner Stone

    @danielx: We seem to have a couple trying on a pas de deux* in this thread.

    *In honor of France’s World Cup victory.

  22. 22.

    Corner Stone

    @maya: I think he’s opening a new car dealership and he wants them to film a Grand Opening commercial for it.

  23. 23.

    danielx

    @Corner Stone:

    Hey, even for BJ, advocating for the execution of loved ones of political enemies is a little over the top. People who do advocate for that are evil motherfuckers, period, -30-, here endeth the lesson.

  25. 25.

    Sister Golden Bear

    Greetings from Chonburi, Thailand. Due to go in for the pre-surgical exam shortly—and not a moment too soon, since I’ve been not allowed to eat or drink anything for the past six hours.

    With monsoon season, it looks like another hot and dreary day (kind of like a tropical Seattle). The one good side is that it’s a bit cooler than expected — only in the 80s — which may be because Chonburi is right on the ocean. In fact I can see the harbor from the hotel sitting room by the elevator.

  26. 26.

    Fair Economist

    @danielx: They are out in force today. My take is that they reallyreallyreally want to derail the discussions of Trump’s treason and what all patriotic Americans of any political persuasion should do.

  29. 29.

    NotMax

    @Mary G

    The Constitution is crystal clear that there shall be “no corruption of blood,” also too.

    Regardless, the original comment is unwelcome, horrific and, in layman’s terms, sick.

  31. 31.

    gene108

    Saw the remake of It on cable recently. The kids they cast did an amazing job. And they cast 13 year olds to play 13 year olds.

    I don’t understand how anyone at 13 could have the composure to not just act, but act in a big budget Hollywood film. More than that is all the auditioning they have to do to land these parts.

    I just can’t wrap my head around that kind of drive at 13.

    When I was 13, and still am today, I was painfully shy and struggled making friends.

    The kids just amaze me that they are able to do that.

  37. 37.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Brian Schatz @ brianschatz
    -Some statements coming out from R’s are ok. But the foundational question is whether or not a member of Congress will use their constitutional authorities to slow or stop this. Those authorities include : 1) Advice and Consent 2) Appropriations 3) Voting on legislation.
    -I mean we could just pass the Mueller protection bill this week if they were serious.
    -This is the fault of both parties and their inability to find common ground. I mean back in the 70’s members used to have dinner together IM KIDDING YOU HAVE TO VOTE THEM OUT!

  38. 38.

    Mnemosyne

    @B.B.A.:

    Only one of them was accused of recruiting girls for Epstein, and it wasn’t Bill.

    What’s next, claiming that Wil Wheaton is personally responsible for Chris Hardwick’s domestic violence because they co-hosted TV shows?

  46. 46.

    danielx

    True story: a couple of years ago I was on a residential job that took close to a year to get finished, what with one thing and another. I got to be at least acquaintances with the guy who lived there, who was the boyfriend of one of the women who lived there, who…never mind that particular drama.

    Anyhoo, I was taking a break and conversing with this guy and we got onto what I thought was a relatively innocuous discussion of politics. No particular thing, not even partisan to speak of. And out of left field, says he – and this is a more or less accurate quote, mind – Obama is a total failure, he should be taken out and shot, and his kids should be taken out and shot in front of him before he’s shot.

    This was unexpected, I may say. Not quite like finding out your best friend is a werewolf, pedophile and serial murderer all wrapped in one, but pretty much over in that direction. As I recall, I said something along the lines of ‘time to get back to it’ and kind of staggered away. One of those deals where you find out you never knew someone at all, at all.

  47. 47.

    dmsilev

    @oatler.: Churchill had the reasonable excuse that he needed Stalin’s help in defeating Hitler.

    I guess, if you start with the GOP axiom that Hillary==Hitler, it kind of fits.

  49. 49.

    NotMax

    @danielx

    finding out your best friend is a werewolf, pedophile and serial murderer all wrapped in one,

    Yeah, I hate when that happens, too.

    ;)

  50. 50.

    Corner Stone

    @danielx: The difference is, that guy meant it. And our side equivocates about denying a cheese plate as being too harsh a sentiment.

  52. 52.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    looking for some news about the big damage control summit about the damage from the out-of-control summit, I find this

    One of Canada’s biggest clothing stores just pulled Ivanka Trump’s brand from its shelves

    Good on ya, Hudson Bay Co. Let their brands wither on the shelves and the expedia sites….

  53. 53.

    TheMightyTrowel

    Hey all! Been a while (hiding out and avoiding the internet because I’m still plugging away at a big book due end of the year)…

    This is just an OT reminder that the minimum wage in Australia is over $18/hr (higher for casual work) and the national skills shortage list is here for anyone interested in migrating: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/work/work/skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/skilled-occupations-lists/combined-stsol-mltssl

    We certainly have problems with migration, deep seated and ugly racism and misogyny (not to mention the bushfires), but we’re also unimportant enough on the global stage that i don’t regularly wonder if there’s a nuke pointed at me. Also we have lots of weird animals, gorgeous weather and even more gorgeous beaches. We also have great and highly active unions.

  55. 55.

    opiejeanne

    @Mike J: It’s nasty here. My house is insulated but once it heats up in this weather it really doesn’t cool down very quickly. We don’t have AC so we’re running fans, which only helps a little.

    We’re kind of old, this is not good for us.

  58. 58.

    Chetan Murthy

    @gene108:

    I don’t understand how anyone at 13 could have the composure to not just act, but act in a big budget Hollywood film.

    There’s a story about a famous child actor from back in the day. She’s in a film and Cecil B. DeMille is the director (or something). In the scene, she’s supposed to be crying. She asks “Mr. DeMille, should my tears come all the way down my face, or only halfway?” Talk about control! Wish I could remember the name of the actor, or find it via El GOOG. Ah, well.

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mnemosyne:

    Heading for bed soon, but before I do I wanted to wish you a good trip — safe travels, a productive conference, and a funfunfun BJ meetup.

  60. 60.

    Viva BrisVegas

    hey remember when we impeached a guy for lying about a blow job

    Trump never lied about the blowjob he gave Putin.

    Credit where credit is due.

  61. 61.

    DissidentFish

    @maya: Anyone hoping that Trump will resign at 2 PM tomorrow? That Putin said “Spaceeba for your service, now my friend Mr. Pence will lead.”

    Would not be better but would be a nice change…

  62. 62.

    prostratedragon

    In an earlier thread someone mentioned the political thriller Z, from That Year 1968. Here’s a trailer. In it are two brief interactions at around 10 and 45 seconds involving the magistrate, a young, cautious, and probably ambitious man, who is investigating a political assassination. You won’t find the answer unless you ask the right question.

    And it’s true, as shown in the movie, that the truth about the murder on which it was based did not immediately bring down the fascist government in Greece, but Z the novel and movie did get made. The story did get out. That must have had some effect.

  67. 67.

    TheMightyTrowel

    @Chris T.: It’s pretty damn cold right now (-7 C overnight!) – also Tasmania has a very NZ climate

    ETA: although granted NZ has a much better PM than Aus. I <3 Jacinda

  68. 68.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Platonailedit:

    Brian Schatz @ brianschatz … IM KIDDING YOU HAVE TO VOTE THEM OUT!

    He’s engaging in a little humor here, man. He agrees with you. Just tryin’ to leaven our tears with a little levity.

  69. 69.

    Jay

    @opiejeanne:

    Shouldn’t happen. Insulation should be as good at keeping heat out, as heat in in the winter.

    Often the problem is insufficient ventilation in the attic. The attic nowadays should be the same temp as the exterior, with the higher levels of insulation, but older roofs were undervented to “trap” heat.

    With the windows open, the house should cool as fast as the exterior temp, unless of course, you have a massive heat bubble trapped in the attic.

  72. 72.

    WarMunchkin

    I’d just like to express my aghastment at Rand Paul writing an article about meeting with Russia as a positive and those of us who are concerned about transnational psy-ops as “Russophobes”.

    Really, that’s what he’s going with, Russophobes?

  76. 76.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @Chris T.:

    The thing about Australia is that the weather is always perfect somewhere. No matter what sort of weather you like.

    NZ is probably the most beautiful country on Earth. The trouble is that it is earthquakes and volcanoes that made it that way. Besides it needs to drift about 10 degrees north before it becomes livable. That should take about 10 million years.

  82. 82.

    prostratedragon

    <A clip of the last several minutes of Z, featuring a grand military parade through the magistrate’s office –one of my favorite parts of this vibrant movie. The Portuguese subtitles might actually be a bit helpful.

    General Western Omelet commits the faux pas of using a distinctive turn of phrase (something like “lithe and quick, like a tiger”) which had been said earlier by a witness who was supposedly unknown to the General. Also, when confronted with an incriminating photo, he dismisses it almost literally as “fake news.”

  85. 85.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    Random thought; I wonder if the NY FBI office that threw the election for Trump are happy now?

    I’m guessing yes; Fox has taught an entire generation liberals are the real enemy—getting into bed with Putin to defeat us is no big deal.

  86. 86.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Was just talking to a Trumpster who claimed Trump was brilliant to day, took one of the team being humiliated by Putin because of some master plan of Trump’s. I asked what that plan was and was told “Stop being mean” and “I should just trust Trump”. They didn’t want to talk to me after I used the world “idiot” in my reply for some reason.

    Am I uncivil?

  87. 87.

    jl

    My hope is that Cole will be begin to realize, come to terms with, go through the X stages of grief, in admitting to himself that there are worse disasters than his back yard after a big rain. I always look for the silver lining!

  89. 89.

    joel hanes

    @B.B.A.:

    This is your periodic reminder that only one of them is known to have attended one of Epstein’s special parties.
    And it wasn’t Bill Clinton.
    I haven’t much respect or liking for WJC, but this kind of insinuation is despicable.

  93. 93.

    Darkrose

    @trollhattan: My schedule is so borked, but it’s perfect for this time of year. I do my errands in the morning, sleep during the afternoon-evening, and get up and do stuff in the wee hours.

    Looking forward to meeting y’all tomorrow! I’ll be the short round black lady in the orange giraffe shirt in honor of my favorite baseball player who’s not an All Star this year.

  95. 95.

    LosGatosCA

    Looks like the Republican base picked a bad week to give up the infrastructure mulligan.

    ‘Man, another mulligan?? What does he think these things are ‘indulgences’ like the freaking Catholics? We have our principles, you know, we’re not Papists.

  98. 98.

    Hobbes83

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    -This is the fault of both parties and their inability to find common ground. I mean back in the 70’s members used to have dinner together IM KIDDING YOU HAVE TO VOTE THEM OUT!

    Please stop saying this. It is NOT the fault of both parties. Words. Fucking. Matter.

  100. 100.

    jl

    @Hobbes83: the ALL CAPS are in Schatz’ tweet. He was joking.

    In some positive news before I go to sleep, I mistakenly just typed ‘balloon’ instead of the blog URL. So, I got stuff on ‘balloon’
    The top half of the first page of search results was just pix of the Trump baby balloon. the birth of a meme?

  101. 101.

    Tokyokie

    @danielx:

    Hey, even for BJ, advocating for the execution of loved ones of political enemies is a little over the top.

    I’d say we could make an exception for der Trumpenführer’s evil spawn (the ones from Eastern European Blonde No. 1), but as his only loved one is himself, I don’t think the prohibition applies to them.

  102. 102.

    opiejeanne

    @Jay: I’m guessing we do have a hot attic. This is a very wet climate but I know there are supposed to be vents under the eaves, and we do have them. What we don’t have is an attic fan or one of those rooftop spinning metal muffins. People who have those tend to tarp them when the rains come, but we have a two-story house and I’m not letting mr opiejeanne up on that roof.

  105. 105.

    J R in WV

    @jl:

    “The top half of the first page of search results was just pix of the Trump baby balloon. the birth of a meme?”

    I think this meme was born full grown from Trump’s weasel on his head.

  106. 106.

    Procopius

    Yeah, I remember those days. I blame it on the fact that conservatives inherently have no sense of humor.

  107. 107.

    Procopius

    @NotMax: I don’t know what you think “corruption of blood” is, but it means an attainted traitor’s heirs could not inherit his lands, or income, or hereditary titles. We don’t allow attainder anyway, so this is really redundant.

  108. 108.

    NotMax

    @Procopius

    With regards to the hideous original comment, execution due to sanguinary relation pretty much precludes inheritance.

  111. 111.

    SFAW

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    Am I uncivil?

    Hardly.
    Now, if in your reply, you had said “You’re a motherfucking idiot who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as HUMANITY, let alone be allowed to cast your vote for that traitorous/treasonous motherfucker a/k/a Deadbeat Donnie/Lying Littledick/Shitgibbon/Putin’s Ball-Boy, and in a just world, your lower intestine would reach up and strangle what you call a ‘brain,’ ” — THAT might be approaching “uncivil.”

  112. 112.

    SFAW

    Wow, even the no-longer-liberal-hell-barely-even-centrist Boston Glob is trying to get into the act. Titles of two Op-Eds (according to their “headlines” daily e-mail):

    “Is Donald Trump committing treason?”
    and
    “Trump the traitor”

    Still not enough to un-cancel our subscription, but it’s a start.

  114. 114.

    lexilis

    @Sister Golden Bear:(Longtime lurker) SGB you would be welcome. I lived in Thailand 20 years (now in Chiang Mai) after fleeing the US in 1998, thinking that this shit just can’t go on. I was spectacularly wrong but I am not regretful. Good luck with your medical treatment.

  115. 115.

    dnfree

    @Jay: we used to live in a Victorian house with a big attic. We had what the guy called a “pig barn fan” put in. It helped.

  116. 116.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @SFAW: Actually me full reply was “yes, I understand, once again a liberal is being rude by challenging some conservative idiocy by bring facts into the discussion, but you know, f-it, I am threw enabling rank stupidity”

  118. 118.

    D58826

    My fantasy of how the Trump-Putin meetin g should have gone is as follows. Simple as 1-2-3
    1. Trump drops copies of Mueller indictments on thetable and say – I want to see those people arriving at JFK in 72 hours or else
    2. stop meddling in our elections. Our economy is 10 times yours and we can, to borrow a phrase from history, ‘bury you’
    3. goodbye and walk out

  119. 119.

    SFAW

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    Given the tenor of my (proposed) reply, I think your highly-civil response to rank idiocy would be cited by Emily Post and Judith Martin (a/k/a Miss Manners) as the height of civility.

    If you want lessons on how to be uncivil, fuck you I teach a course, and do not charge much. Although Lee Papa is much better at it than I.

    (Yes, the stricken-from-the-record “fuck you” was a joke.)

  120. 120.

    SFAW

    @D58826:

    So are you dropping LSD? Or a different hallucinogen? Or maybe you’ve just arrived from the mirrror/Bizarro universe?

    ETA: What is much more likely is that Shitgibbon asked Vladi for help in screwing the Dems in the 2018 midterms.

  122. 122.

    SFAW

    On the plus side: “high crimes and misdemeanors” is not very well defined in the Constitution, so ZEGS may decide that “treason” is not one of those, and will say things like “he’s still learning” and “well, it wasn’t helpful of him to say that.”

  124. 124.

    SFAW

    @D58826:

    I did say fantasy didn’t I?

    Yes, yes, I saw that. But most fantasies have to have SOME sort of connection to reality.

  125. 125.

    D58826

    @SFAW: Well Khrushchev did say we will bury you and our economy is 10x times larger than Russia’s. Besides if Der Fuhrer can get elected POTUS then I’m not sure there is any reality left to be grounded in.

  126. 126.

    D58826

    @SFAW:

    the plus side: “high crimes and misdemeanors” is not very well defined in the Constitution

    If I remember my Clinton impeachment days, the term is rooted in English common law and was a catch all phrase for when the king abused his powers. It wasn’t meant to refer to a specific crime.

  127. 127.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @SFAW: I try to avoid perosnal attacks even with them. I figure better chance of something sinking in if I can show their idiot position as an idiot position and invite them to stop acting like an idiot.

  128. 128.

    jimmiraybob

    Does anybody know who chose the interpreters? Did Putin graciously supply them? Were they Russian intelligence officers or did trump have any input? Not that that would negate both being Russian intelligence officers. Did Finland provide them?

  129. 129.

    Miss Bianca

    @TheMightyTrowel: You know, emigrating to Australia sounds weirdly tempting right now…but I’m probably too old, and I have an uneasy feeling I’m supposed to be one of the Shock Troops of Civility over here. : (

  130. 130.

    BC in Illinois

    @D58826:

    Discussing impeachment during the Constitutional Convention, James Madison said “some provision should be made for defending the community against the incapacity, negligence, or perfidy of the chief Magistrate. He might lose his capacity after his appointment. He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers”

    That was July 20, 1787. Fast forward to July 16, 2018.

    The chief Magistrate [President] might . . .
    “lose his capacity” – – check.
    “pervert his administration” – – check.
    “betray his trust to foreign powers” – – check.

    Madison was confident that these defects would not infect the larger number of people in the legislature. That “it could not be presumed that all, or even a majority, of the Assembly would lose their capacity for discharging, or be bribed to betray, their trust.”

    “In the case of the Executive Magistracy, which was to be administered by a single man, loss of capacity or corruption was more within the compass of probable events, and either might prove fatal to the Republic.”

    Madison was wrong. The Republican majority in Congress has no concern with maintaining faith with the American people. Their only concern is holding onto power.

    [The three “checks” above were noted by an earlier commenter on an earlier thread. I give them the credit, though I can’t find the actual comment.] [Madison quoted from “The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787” Max Farrand, editor, Vol II, pp 65-66 (July 20).]

  132. 132.

    brantl

    I now think that Bill Clinton didn’t go big enough, had he done something HUGE like THE DONALD, they wouldn’t have been able to wrap their heads around it, and sat there, dumbfounded.

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