Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

No one could have predicted…

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

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

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

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

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

“woke” is the new caravan.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Republicans in disarray!

You are here: Home / Politics / Activist Judges! / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: MOAR POPCORN!

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: MOAR POPCORN!

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143Comments

  2. 2.

    Platonailedit

    Next up: Mueller indicts born racist jefferson beauregard sessions III. Make it so happen.

  4. 4.

    low-tech cyclist

    As someone who was old enough to be a Watergate junkie back in the day, yesterday felt like March 1, 1974.

    That’s the day when the Special Prosecutor dropped indictments on Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Colson, and three others.

    And named Richard Nixon as an unindicted co-conspirator.

    And delivered a passel of documents to the House Judiciary Committee which was considering impeachment.

    That was a good day. Yesterday was just about at that level.

  6. 6.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @Johngcole

    I know everyone who has been in the same room with Trump the last two years is going to jail but let’s not forget Obama wore a tan suit

    Let no one ever forget Mustard-On-Hamburger-Gate

  7. 7.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    Preet Bharara
    ‏Verified account @PreetBharara

    Michael Cohen in a courtroom in SDNY, under oath, declared that the President directed him to commit a federal crime.

    2,170 replies 32,467 retweets 84,977 likes

  11. 11.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    Michael Cohen – GUILTY!

    Paul Manafort – GUILTY!

    Rick Gates – GUILTY!

    Michael Flynn – GUILTY!

    George Papadopoulos – GUILTY!

    Alex van der Zwaan – GUILTY!

    Richard Pinedo – GUILTY!

    Maria Butina – APPREHENDED!

    Chris Collins – APPREHENDED!

    Duncan Hunter – APPREHENDED!

    Donald Drumpf – UNINDICTED CO-CONSPIRATOR!

  12. 12.

    Platonailedit

    I'm waiting for all those Republicans who thought Bill Clinton should be impeached for lying about sex to weigh in on what to do about a president who allegedly conspired to violate federal law to hide a sex scandal.— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) August 21, 2018

  14. 14.

    Gvg

    Hmmm, my understanding is Sessions refusing to leave his position has protected the investigation, however I do think he probably took dirty money at the least, so theoretically, are there any presidents for charges against the attorney general while in office? It seems like that would be a bit tricky for the agents to charge?

  15. 15.

    Platonailedit

    In 80 days Americans will vote.If Republicans win, Trump Stays in office. Imagine how much worse off another 2 and a half years of this guy will make AmericaIf Democrats win, there will be a certain impeachmentSpend these 80 days convincing your friends and family to vote!— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) August 18, 2018

  16. 16.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Platonailedit: David Corn knows all too well that he shouldn’t hold his breath waiting, but it’s worth (repeatedly!) pointing out to the wingnuts that in less than a year and a half, Mueller’s uncovered way more criminal activity than Ken Starr did in his entire tenure as special prosecutor.

  19. 19.

    montanareddog

    @Platonailedit: Bill Clinton was not impeached for lying about sex; he was impeached for lying about sex while Democrat – so David Corn is comparing apples and oranges.

  22. 22.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Jay: Nah, Mitchell resigned as AG in March 1972, before the Watergate break-in had even happened. (IIRC, he moved over to CREEP, the Committee to Re-Elect the President.)

  25. 25.

    Chyron HR

    What’s the deal with Lara Trump? She didn’t marry the Dumb One until 2014, so I assume for the majority of her adult life she was a normal, if not particularly admirable human being. Why throw herself into the metaphorical pit of pig shit so eagerly?

  28. 28.

    Jeffro

    It was fun explaining to the kids last night exactly what Cohen and Manafort did, who they were to Trumpov, and what it means for the prez*. Who knew that teenagers were up for a civics lesson or five at home?? But now they are armchair experts on money laundering, paying off mistresses, and conspiracy with a hostile foreign power. Nice family bonding time discussing the president*s many imminent legal perils – what could be better?

    In other news, this is pretty hysterical: There Aren’t Enough Chef Kisses In the World For Sean Hannity. Schaden, meet freude! :)

    Have a happy Infrastructure Wednesday, peeps!

  31. 31.

    Amir Khalid

    @Gvg:
    Would Trump take the opportunity to appoint a new AG to shut Mueller down? It seems to me that Mueller could avoid that by waiting to indict Sessions, until Trump was either indicted himself (should Rosenberg decide, in exceptional circumstamces, to pull that trigger) or impeached by a Democratic House.

  32. 32.

    Platonailedit

    It was always as bad as it seemed. The evidence was always available. Often the criminals flaunted their crimes: they wanted us to know, and to be powerless.

    Meanwhile, fools played along. They gave the benefit of the doubt to people who deserve it less than anyone on earth.

    — Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) August 22, 2018

  34. 34.

    debbie

    NPR just interviewed Lanny Davis. It will replay after 8:00 (probably around 8:10). Definitely worth listening to.

  37. 37.

    TS (the original)

    @TS (the original): Couldn’t stay – some smarmy RWNJ came on saying Cohen was a confessed criminal and why should t trump. Where do they get these people? support-your-local-wingnut.org?

  39. 39.

    different-church-lady

    @Platonailedit: I’ve always held the view that the fact that the guilt was so obvious was part of the appeal to Trump’s base: “He’s a slimeball, and it’s obvious and he’s going to get away with it forever!” They are aware of — and love — the irrational quality of it all, because it drives their social opponents (that’s anyone who values truth or sanity) up a wall.

  40. 40.

    montanareddog

    @raven: Is Turley a complete moron or a hack (question answers itself – both)?

    It is not Cohen’s word against that of the Demented Dayglo Dickhead’s. Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations. There must be overwhelming evidence. It is highly improbable that the paper trail and the tapes contains no evidence of Trump’s foreknowledge.

  46. 46.

    montanareddog

    @montanareddog: NAL, so not sure of the exact statute but Attorney-Client privilege does not cover conspiracy to commit crimes, I believe. If Cohen had tapes (I doubt there is a written instruction) of Trump telling him to make the payments then that is admissible.

  49. 49.

    TS (the original)

    @Platonailedit: And a tweet in reply

    This presidency, with GOP in control of both Houses, was an opportunity to show true leadership and guide the country through difficult and divisive times. Instead, they raided as much of the coffers as they could stuff into their greedy pockets. They all deserve the boot.

    Cecilia Quick @CeciliaQuick

  53. 53.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Baud:

    I wonder if the nation will ever come to grips with how horribly it has treated Hillary Clinton.

    I’d be satisfied if the media did – especially the $#@! New York Times.

    I don’t expect that the “Lock Her Up!” shouters will ever admit that they got played, and that she did nothing remotely criminal.

  55. 55.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:

    @Johngcole
    I know everyone who has been in the same room with Trump the last two years is going to jail but let’s not forget Obama wore a tan suit

    Let no one ever forget Mustard-On-Hamburger-Gate

    You jest, but there was also Drinking-Orange-Juice-For-Breakfast-Gate and Visiting-His-Grandmother-In-Hawaii-Gate. Any one of those would merit a 911 call these days. But taken all together…?

  56. 56.

    Betty Cracker

    @montanareddog: Haven’t we already heard a tape of Trump and Cohen discussing a payoff? (The one where Trump suggests paying in cash and Cohen says, “No-no-no-no-no-no!”)

    @rikyrah: Scary. Even if it misses the islands, they’ll be on the dirty side.

  57. 57.

    Aleta

    Really nice to have people like you all to rejoice with this morning. Amazing place.
    Thanks John. Thanks AL.

  58. 58.

    low-tech cyclist

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    @Jay: He had resigned a few years before he was indicted and plead.

    Until I Googled him just now, I’d forgotten that Kleindienst was the other guy who resigned on April 30, 1973, along with Haldeman and Ehrlichman. (“Two of the finest public servants it has been my privilege to know” – Nixon, in his speech that night. And Kleindienst had “no personal involvement whatever in this matter” according to Tricky Dick that night.) That was also the day Nixon fired John Dean.

  59. 59.

    TS (the original)

    @Jeffro: Wow – he is good – off the cuff – at a meeting – the facts, the honesty, the acceptance of the man who asked the question. This is a man going places.

  60. 60.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    So lost in all the shuffle of legal news last night was what’s-his-name’s rally in WV.

    I caught some video of the beginning of the rally. How did the rest of it go? Is that torch-wielding mob roaming the countryside yet?

    Seriously, I’m waiting for him to completely lose his mind and give explicit orders to the mob like that. Maybe after a few more indictments. Maybe the day after Election Day, if we or Uncle Vladimir manage not to screw it up and actually retake the House and the State Houses.

  66. 66.

    debbie

    @Aleta:

    This is the first morning since the election that I have cheered, not yelled, at my shower radio. It’s positively liberating!

  67. 67.

    Baud

    @Jeffro:

    That was great, but this….

    Dem candidates, take note and don’t be afraid to stand up for those who are kneeling.

    Beto can prove this is true by taking out Cruz. A bunch of likes on YouTube isn’t going to motivate Dems, it’s winning elections.

  70. 70.

    Jeffro

    @Baud: Beto’s already well within striking distance, right? He’s been running clearly and unapologetically as a Dem. I like his chances!

  71. 71.

    BretH

    Fox News headlines:

    Illegal alien in Iowa.
    What Trump should consider before pardoning Manafort.

    MS-13 murder story

    Ocasio-Cortez story

    Woman hurt saving 58 yr old min from train

    …. Something seems… Missing here but I can’t put my finger on it…

  73. 73.

    Cermet

    @Amir Khalid:

    Would Trump take the opportunity to appoint a new AG to shut Mueller down?

    Near zero chance. The Senate is his only hope to avoid removal from office and if he removes Sessions, that fire door is now partly open – crossing senators is dangerous even for a president who isn’t a criminal. Mueller isn’t indicting Sessions unless you know something the rest of us don’t.

  78. 78.

    Wyatt Derp

    Could it be that Trump`s election actually does lead to the swamp being drained? Karma, as they say, is a mofo.

  81. 81.

    debbie

    I fell asleep at 8:30 last night. Guess I missed some stuff? A very belated thanks to Adam for that croc on a pool noodle. I can’t stop laughing!

  82. 82.

    Betty Cracker

    @low-tech cyclist: Music to my ears! The corrupt turd goblin won the district by nearly 20 points last time, but the yacht purchase on the same day he voted for the Trump Donor Relief Act is already getting bad press, and now this!

    Warren in the Senate and Pelosi in the House have been pushing the “Culture of Corruption” theme hard. Good for them.

  85. 85.

    The Ancient Randonneur

    Congratulations to the Deep State! Planting Cohen, Omarosa and Manafort in the Trump campaign was a stroke of pure genius.

  87. 87.

    Platonailedit

    Trump’s real estate company authorized paying $420,000 to lawyer Michael Cohen in his effort to silence women during the presidential campaign and then relied on “sham” invoices from Cohen that concealed the nature of the payments, WaPo reports. https://t.co/0jdHviDZiO— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 22, 2018

  97. 97.

    Amir Khalid

    @Cermet:
    I was responding to Gvg’s speculation that Sessions too had taken Russian money, and could face indictment himself. I don’t know if that is true and I’m not aware of any evidence that it is. I was considering how, if it were indeed true, Mueller might go about indicting Sessions without leaving the investigation open to sabotage by a new AG at Trump’s instigation.

  99. 99.

    Immanentize

    @JPL:
    Thanks for asking!
    Tour is over for a bit. Quick results:
    Rice — yes
    UT Austin — big thumbs up
    UCLA — really liked it
    Harvey Mudd — meh (sorry frosty)
    USC — also meh plus 70 friggin K per year! (this will make Billin happy)

    The Immp is now studying for SAT subject tests this Saturday. We have been very busy –enough to blur past the deathaversary last week.

  100. 100.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Meanwhile in puppy news, I’m completely worn out by just under 2 weeks of our new adoptee, a 1-1/2 yr, 27-lb beagle mix. I said on the adoption forms that I valued intelligence in a dog, but I think this little Houdini is smarter than I am, and so far winning the big battles of wits.

    We decided (because he’s a chewer) to keep him in the kitchen at night and when we’re away.

    First day, we bought a 28″ gate. Then found him on the other side. When we put him back, he demonstrated his effortless 28″ high jump. End of that gate.

    Bought a 41″ gate but just used the pressure mounts the first day, didn’t install the extra hardware to keep it in place. He knocked it far enough out of place to spring open the door and walk out.

    Installed the hardware. He opened the little latching cat door in the bottom of it and got out.

    Tied up the cat door with string. And knowing he’s a chewer, I tied it in 4 separate places. Last night he chewed through that and opened the cat door. I put him back in at 2:30 am and wired the door shut. “At least that will take him a little time, and tomorrow I’ll find a padlock” I thought.

    15 minutes later he was out and I found out he had actually opened the latch on the main human-sized gate. Latches are clearly in his repertoire now. I’m half afraid that picking a padlock would be too.

    As I said, I’m exhausted. Theoretically I need to be in charge, so I can’t let him win this. But there’s a definite Wile E. Coyote feel about the whole thing.

  101. 101.

    Immanentize

    @Joey Maloney: We discussed this a while back. It seems you can refuse a pardon if you have not yet been found guilty (K will clear my name!) But once found guilty, a Presidential aprdon is a thing utterly outside the scope of prosecution. It just is. So no, Cohen could not refuse a pardon at this point.

  103. 103.

    Betty Cracker

    @Jeffro: I’m gonna send that to a bunch of people I know who need to hear it. May also front page it, time permitting. Thanks for sharing.

  105. 105.

    Amir Khalid

    @Joey Maloney:
    I think that it’s beause to accept forgiveness is to admit guilt. If you’re still contesting your guilt, as some do even after being convicted and serving a sentence, then you won’t want to accept a pardon. And if you won’t admit guilt even after all that, I suppose the pardoning authority should consider you unrepentant and not worthy of a pardon.

  108. 108.

    JPL

    Trump is showing amazing self control this morning, and as of now no tweets. He is suppose to tape a segment for Fox though.

  112. 112.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Betty Cracker:

    @low-tech cyclist: Music to my ears! The corrupt turd goblin won the district by nearly 20 points last time, but the yacht purchase on the same day he voted for the Trump Donor Relief Act is already getting bad press, and now this!

    I thought you might share my hatred of this scumbag! He no longer represents my in-laws, but at one point, his district included their neighborhood. And yeah, I’m still sore over 2006: Christine Jennings was robbed, but a FL court decided that finding out what happened with the undervotes was less important than protecting Diebold’s trade secrets.

  113. 113.

    Azelie

    @TS (the original): I suspect that is good staff work and candidate preparation. It also indicates the skill to make a response to a question the campaign anticipated look like an off the cuff response. Either way, it’s a good sign.

  114. 114.

    Anne Laurie

    @rikyrah:

    They drugged him and locked him up without access to a phone

    Trump is Martha Mitchell?!?

    I think the Hoarse Whisperer has it right, really: As a narcissist, yesterday’s exposure has Trump shutting down… until he can come up with a *new, improved* narrative that will make him the One True Hero of his own fantasies.

  115. 115.

    debit

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Ooof. I feel your pain. Kelpie can open the cat door and then wriggle through it, so I ended up using a couple of zip ties. What about a large carabiner clip for the human gate?

  118. 118.

    Anne Laurie

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: As my first obedience class trainer told us: People think they want a smart dog, but what they really want is a cooperative dog…

    One of our rescues is a fiend at opening latches. He also climbs like a cat. Fortunately, he’s also a coward, so he doesn’t mind being crated when he can’t be supervised. Don’t know how your new housemate feels about crates… but if he just wants to be with you at night, you might try putting the crate in your bedroom & seeing if that lets you both sleep without interruptions.

  120. 120.

    A Ghost To Most

    Elise Jordan just said on Moaning Ho “It’s baked in that Trump is a scumbag”.

  121. 121.

    Elizabelle

    LOL. In a subscriber email, the Los Angeles Times is calling yesterday the “Double Witching Hour.”

  122. 122.

    A Ghost To Most

    Shitler’s first tweet of the day just dropped.

    If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!

  125. 125.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Anne Laurie:

    but if he just wants to be with you at night, you might try putting the crate in your bedroom

    I think that may just be the answer!

    I got a crate because so many sources talked about it, but we haven’t done much with it and I’m afraid to traumatize him, make him associate it with punishment or loneliness or bad feelings. So I’ve avoided it so far.

    Have a meeting with a trainer tomorrow, who is supposed to be worth her very pricey fee. I have high hopes. He IS super-intelligent after all, and most dogs want to be good dogs. So we just need to find a way to communicate on what that means to both of us.

  126. 126.

    JPL

    @A Ghost To Most: He didn’t write that, imo. Whoever typed that shortened his original tweet which included the fact that Cohen is a known liar and crooked hillary did far worse.

  127. 127.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Wyatt Derp:

    Could it be that Trump`s election actually does lead to the swamp being drained? Karma, as they say, is a mofo.

    Well look what Trump the masher creepyness did with the whole sexual abuse thing.

  129. 129.

    donnah

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    Crates are the best way to start setting boundaries. Our dog Wendy learned that the crate was her “den” and not a prison, because it was comfy and private and she slept in it every night. She often went to it to escape our little boys! And we called it Pen State, so if she did do something naughty, we said sternly, “Pen State” and she headed right for it.

    Our friends had a crate for their Lab, and they called it Wire City.

  131. 131.

    Steeplejack

    @low-tech cyclist:

    I knew Buchanan bought a yacht right after the tax cut went through—bad optics!—but this is almost unbelievable. They’re not even trying to hide the corruption.

  133. 133.

    Tazj

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I’m sorry that you’re exhausted, and your dog seems to be an evil genius, but that story was hilarious.
    My brother and sister in law had to crate their dog after he was found by a neighbor half in and half out of a window screen just like Winnie the Pooh. They had left the windows open because they had no air conditioning, and left the window over the kitchen sink open a little more because they thought he couldn’t possibly jump onto the kitchen counter.
    I had to crate my dearly departed dog because he was such a chewer as a puppy, but he grew to like the crate and would grab his bed and take it in there at night by himself.

  134. 134.

    James E Powell

    @Baud:

    I wonder if the nation will ever come to grips with how horribly it has treated Hillary Clinton.

    Not bloody likely. I know the NYT will never acknowledge it or the disaster they produced. They know it, for sure, but they will never acknowledge it.

  135. 135.

    The Moar You Know

    I’m completely worn out by just under 2 weeks of our new adoptee, a 1-1/2 yr, 27-lb beagle mix.

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I will freely admit that the only creature (this includes humans) that has every scammed and outsmarted me completely was a beagle that I had the misfortune to babysit. Fucker had a plan to get out of his kennel and out of the yard, executed it flawlessly. I just remember walking back into the house, having just watched his little beagle butt vanishing under the fence, shaking my head, thinking “fuck, I just got totally, completely outsmarted by a dog”. You want to know what humility is? Having to accept that you just got totally, completely outsmarted by a dog.

    I work with engineers who can’t plan every contingency as well as that dog did.

    He came back a few hours later, very happy, having broken into every home in the neighborhood and eating all the cat food left out. He’d done that part before. I wasn’t even mad. He’d earned it, after all. But I made sure he was crated or inside for the rest of my time with him.

    Beagles are amazing. But I’d never own one. They’re smarter than me.

  136. 136.

    The Moar You Know

    I got a crate because so many sources talked about it, but we haven’t done much with it and I’m afraid to traumatize him, make him associate it with punishment or loneliness or bad feelings. So I’ve avoided it so far.

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Dogs love crates, they’re like their natural dens that they like to dig. Don’t use it for punishment, just put it in your bedroom and have him sleep in it at night. Our dog loves his. It’s one of the wire ones, we cover it with towels, and it’s like a little cave. He has a mattress in it but that is truly optional. Hell, some days I want to crawl in there myself.

  138. 138.

    Anotherlurker

    @low-tech cyclist: I am a constituent of this asshole’s. I’m encouraged to hear that he could be facing stiff completion. I will cast my last vote ( I’m moving to Ca. ASAP) in Florida for whoever had a D after their name.

  139. 139.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Baud:

    I wonder if the nation will ever come to grips with how horribly it has treated Hillary Clinton.

    Going by the example of people like MLK, only after she is dead, then she shall be declared a Republican all along.

  140. 140.

    Miss Bianca

    @Baud:

    I wonder if the nation will ever come to grips with how horribly it has treated Hillary Clinton.

    I’d say, “no”. Or at least, not until long after she and you and I are dead. Then she will be elevated as a martyr – her words will be invoked, and the lesson of what happened to her and why and what it means for America, will be ignored, whitewashed, or hand-waved away. Witness what happened to the memory of MLK Jr.

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