Sean Spicer holds court at his book launch party in DC. pic.twitter.com/NTSbe7KGjB
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) July 24, 2018
No
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) July 25, 2018
Just another two-bit apparatchik in the machinery:
… There was a time, not too long ago, when people were forecasting a gloomy outlook for Spicer’s post–White House career. His six months behind the podium as President Trump’s press secretary had been defined in the public consciousness by a blur of brazen lies and barely trying spin—his sputtering press briefings immortalized on Saturday Night Live, his legacy shaped by his most humiliating meltdowns. (Remember the “Holocaust centers”?)
When he resigned, outside observers mercifully unschooled in the ways of Washington assumed that his role as an agent of misinformation—and his willing participation in Trump’s culture war on the press—would result in some sort of negative consequence for the career communications professional.
How quaint…
Standing amid a throng of fans, his face illuminated by camera light—the event was being covered by C-SPAN and RT, as well as another roving camera crew—Spicer reveled in his triumph.
“I’m having a blast and enjoying this, and frankly I’m blessed by the amount of opportunities that have come my way,” Spicer told me. “And that’s a pretty good way to go through life.”…
Once you’ve sold your (tiny, low-rent) soul, that feeling of weightlessness!
GoFundMe for an extra space heater in every cell in hell where anyone associated with Sean Spicer's book is destined to spend eternity.
— Regina Schrambling (@gastropoda) July 24, 2018
Uhhh https://t.co/0tBOFn9vgw pic.twitter.com/ajstPOI7G3
— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) July 24, 2018
Well, they did as much fact checking doing their jobs as he did doing his.
— Character Matters ??? (@HuskerSteve2) July 24, 2018
AT A BJ’S WAREHOUSE CLUB, not a bookstore:
Spicer’s book signing in Massachusetts canceled "due to the political climate" https://t.co/h34BSRtwGN
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) July 25, 2018
Not revealing the author until the end of the piece paid MAJOR laugh dividends here pic.twitter.com/60i2xo5Qmd
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) July 25, 2018
Mary G
I read on Twitter that the Trump hotel made him pay $10,000 for his launch party. That’s gratitude for ya.
NYC didn’t go well:
And a Boston appearance has been cancelled completely due to fears of demonstrators. Sad!
trollhattan
Kind of hoping House Republicans drag Rosenstein in for hearings, not merely so he can school them (again) but to hear him tell Jim Jordan, “Mr. Jordan, I’ve wrestled with that question myself.”
Make it so.
jl
@trollhattan: Rosenstein can ask why there is so much jocular locker room talk in the articles of impeachment, was it really important enough to report to his superiors in the House?
jl
Spicer was a heck of an Easter bunny rabbit. He could go back to that.
Or investigative journalism, since apparently his book revealed the sinister Michael Steele is the hidden maestro of the Deep State. And hiding in plain sight, laughing and smirking his way through all those news talky TV shows.
Sister Golden Bear
I’m disappointment by the lack of a mobile lecture.
On a happier note, got permission today to do some walking of the hospital hallways in preparation for being released tomorrow afternoon (back to the hotel for three more weeks of convalescence, before being allowed to fly home.)
Finally got to meet in person the patient in the next room who I’ve been chatting with online. Poor thing is only 20, and she used her entire savings to come here for surgery and will be returning to Australia dead broke. Trying to figure out a way to slip her a little money (I can definitely afford it), but I suspect she’ll be too proud to accept it. Yeah, my Mama Bear instincts are kicking in…
rikyrah
@Sister Golden Bear:
Morning!
Hope you are healing well.?
rikyrah
Since we can’t wait for the American MSM to treat Spicer the way that the BBC reporter did, we will have to cheer on our fellow Americans, who are doing their best to protest.
Mike J
I hope he has a signing scheduled for Seattle so it can be cancelled too.
Telling that the cancelled signing was at a BJ’s Wholesale Club. Double entendres aside, the bulk buying by the Walton family is the primary promotion vehicle for his publisher.
SenyorDave
Part of me would pay $50 to have this POS sign a book for me so I could tell Spicer to his face that one day his children will grow up and be embarrassed over their father’s role in the Trump presidency. OTOH, I am 100% sure that would be like talking to a stone wall.
Mary G
@Sister Golden Bear: You rock. Even if she won’t take your money, I’m sure the support and the texts are a big help. Glad to hear your recovery is coming along.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Mike J: Wait, Balloon Juice has a Wholesale Club? Why was I not informed of this?
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@Mike J: The Waltons don’t own BJ’s. Their warehouse club is Sam’s.
gene108
@Mary G:
He should go to places where Trump is still beloved, like Fancy Gap,
NC., VA.opiejeanne
@Sister Golden Bear: Sounds like you’re doing well. keep doing what they tell you so you can heal and come back here, to Balloon Juice.
opiejeanne
@Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: In California, BJ’s is a restaurant chain.
p.a.
BJ’s was KMart. Don’t know if that’s still accurate.
Anne Laurie
@p.a.: Per Wikipedia, BJ’s is a corporate orphan — the Massachusetts-based department chain that started it sold it to TJMaxx before going out of business; TJMaxx sold it off again, et al…
I’m sure they originally booked Spicer because his publisher Regnery, or a Regnery-related entity, placed a big bulk-buy. But it’s already clear this particular book-shaped object has an even shorter shelf life than the average Regnery wingnut-welfare pulp-sacrifice.
Booger
@Mike J: You’re conflating BJ’s with Sam’s. BJ’s is not a Walton family gig. It’s been owned by private equity since 2011.
Booger
@p.a.: BJ’s was Zayre/Ames.
Ramalama
Didn’t Spicer get some kind of fellowship with Harvard’s Kennedy School (public policy)? Same fellowship that was offered and then rescinded to Chelsea Manning? He’s going to be fine, folks. Don’t worry bout him.
Aleta
@Sister Golden Bear: Very glad to hear your updates. Hearing about the healing going on in this world makes me happy.
Sometimes I’ve said, offering someone money, ‘in memory of my mom I’m giving a little support to some of the strong women I know’ and ‘when my partner was a single parent they got food assistance and we want to pass it on’ — Once I went to a hotel desk and paid part of a bill w/o mentioning it.
WaterGirl
@Sister Golden Bear: Amazing progress in such a short time. Glad your recovery has been uneventful!
I had a work friend who was divorced with 3 kids and always short of money. I would slip $20 bills into the pockets of her coat – it’s always a thrill to find money in the pocket of a coat you didn’t remember you had. You are certainly talking about much more money than that.
We are all familiar with the concept of paying it forward, maybe you could tell her that someone helped you along the line when you needed it, and that you hope she will be able to do that for someone else in the future, but that right now she’s the one who could use a boost and that it would make you happy to do it?
J R in WV
I read somewhere that Spicy was a rich millionaire, so I googled his net worth. Estimates rum from a low of $4M to a high of $14 million $$$ — so don’t worry about the little scamp!
Shana
@Mike J: I don’t think BJs is Walton’s. I think they own Sam’s Clubs.
JAFD
BJ’s has been around since the 80’s, I occasionally had a ‘free trial membership’, went on weekend mornings and got breakfast from their ‘sample this foodstuf’ hawkers. Might be good deal if you’re feeding a crowd, not sure if their prices on clothes or electronics are all that great. YMMV
Not part of Waltons’ ‘Sam’s Clubs’ – many ‘shopping districts’ in Mid-Atlantic have both. (Some places round here have buncha ‘big box stores’ surrounding humongus parking lots – waht do you call that ?)