Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You cannot shame the shameless.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Hot air and ill-informed banter

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

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

This really is a full service blog.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

No one could have predicted…

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

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Stupid Watergate Open Thread: Very Cool and Very Legal…

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… Also in the poll, a combined 50 percent of Americans say the Russia investigation — led by special counsel Robert Mueller — has given them “major,” “fairly major” or “just some” doubts about Trump’s presidency, versus 44 percent who say it hasn’t given them more doubts.

McInturff, the GOP pollster, says that the 44 percent without doubts is a “powerful reminder about the status of his political base.”

What’s more, a plurality of respondents — 46 percent — say the convictions and guilty pleas of members of Trump’s 2016 campaign suggest potential wrongdoing by the president, compared with 23 percent who believe the wrongdoing is limited only to those individuals; 28 percent don’t know enough to say.

And asked if Mueller’s investigation should continue, 45 percent believe it should, while 34 percent think it should come to an end — essentially unchanged from August’s NBC/WSJ poll.

More Americans want Democrats — not Trump — in charge of policy

A month after the results from the 2018 midterm elections, 48 percent of Americans say they want Democrats in Congress to take the lead role in setting policy for the country, versus 21 percent who want congressional Republicans to take the lead and 19 percent who want Trump in charge…

Reader Interactions

118Comments

  1. 1.

    germy

    They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE!

    He’s still pushing that lie? Nobody broke into anything. Cohen admitted they knocked politely and were nice to him through the whole thing. Cohen got the full White Man experience, except they didn’t buy him a hot dog.

  3. 3.

    khead

    I don’t want to hear shit from Tom Nichols or Charlie Sykes or Rick Wilson. They got us into this.

    Also, maybe I’m just cranky. Because I hit the big Five-O today. And because the Ravens cost me $675 (on a cheap $25 bet) by getting stopped at the 6 yard line and then kneeling earlier today.

  4. 4.

    Barbara

    At this point, I am saving my energy and outrage for those who know the emperor has no clothes, and who not only fail to show moral courage and criticize him but are using it as an opportunity for power and money. The likelihood that they are going to pretend in a few years that this was all a bad dream is high.

  5. 5.

    Ian R

    Depending on how the question was phrased, I might be in that 44%. I’ve had no doubt at all for the last 30 years or so that Trump is a crook. Mueller’s investigation has added details, but not changed my mind.

  6. 6.

    JPL

    @khead: Well happy birthday. Believe me the big 5 0 is just a number. You’re only one day older than you were yesterday.
    I agree with you about the never trumpers, but I think Max Boot has jumped ship forever, because of his views on climate change.

  7. 7.

    Platonailedit

    Anyone else think it’s weird that POTUS is going Crazycakes about Cohen cooperating with Mueller but still seems to be super sympathetic to Flynn? Then Flynn drops a random attack on FBI/McCabe/Strozk in his sentencing memo?

    Something not right.

    — Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) December 16, 2018

    Yup, something not right, is right.

  10. 10.

    TS (the original)

    @khead: I hated turning 50 – if it’s any consolation 60 was much easier to handle.

    As for the republicans – it is hoped that the past 2 years have put aside forever that they are the fiscal conservatives. They wreck every great economy democrats create for them – always.

  12. 12.

    Gelfling 545

    @Ian R: That was my reaction too. I never had any doubts about his presidency. I knew from the outset it would be a shit show.

  14. 14.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @khead: Tom Nichols, to his credit, unambiguously endorsed Hillary in 2016. There were qualifiers, but he emphasized without ambiguity that it was crucial for the country that she be elected despite those qualifiers. Not absolving him for his actions before 2016, but he did far more than many of our Leftist Betters and many other Never-Trumpers did, and good on him for that.

    (Also in this category: P.J. O’Rourke.)

  15. 15.

    Ohio Mom

    That screen shot of the Trump entities under investigation is helpful. I need all the cheat sheets I can get — honestly, there is too much for me to keep track of.

  20. 20.

    japa21

    @khead: Sykes has come right out and admitted that he and others like him helped create the situation that allowed Trump to be. He has apologized for it more than once. What he and the others are able to do is shine light on the dirty underbelly of the GOP and its base.

  21. 21.

    jl

    @Ohio Mom: We also need a guide to GOP excuses and dodges. There are so many. Seems like they can’t settle on just one or two. They need to work backward from what will probably work best on voters after the whole sewer is exposed.

    It’s a shame what the dirty rat feds did to Al Capone, doubtful that will hold up

    Feds are fascist storm troopers, let Trump go in the name of freedom and liberty! They came for Trump and I stood by and said nothing (I guess the Trump tweet in the post falls under that?)

    Whatever it is, it ain’t a crime: “Look, all we did was whack a guy was gonna squeal. I looked all through the law books, and I don’t see ‘whack’ nowhere.”

    I don’t think the idea that the crime was done and finished before the cops showed up has legs, all due respect to Rudes.

    I think the best is that the Trump investigations demonstrate outrageous federal government over regulation and over legislation. It’s gotten so bad, super rich old GOP white guys can’t turn around anymore without breaking the law, just like when the little guy gets fouled up with a late traffic ticket and he gets soaked. What this outrage does is help the really rich old white guy GOP truly understand all those gripes the little person makes about big government sticking its nose into every little thing you do, like just innocently coming across foreigners to help out winning a big election. Vote the GOP and this horrible mess will really help them understand the little person, and help him or her out.

    I think that last one is the best bet. I think Hatch tried to use it, but then he got confused and just started yelling that he didn’t care, which is weird. Hatch started off good but then messed it up. Something has knocked them off their A game.

  22. 22.

    Chris T.

    Concern: Everything Trump Touches Dies.

    It’s been a pretty OK ~250 years, but is the United States of America dead now?

  24. 24.

    Ruckus

    @TS (the original):
    You misunderstand their concept of fiscal conservative.
    It isn’t to make the country more fiscally sound, it is to conserve more of the fiscal for their paymasters.

  26. 26.

    Schlemazel

    @Chris T.:
    nearly dead.
    Dump is just the symptom, when we excise him the disease will still be with us. 30-some % of the nation are not Americans but me-firster racist xenophobic assholes and they just might drag us down as the drown

  28. 28.

    Platonailedit

    Anyone interested in Trump's early white collar crime years can read the work of Wayne Barrett, @DavidCayJ, or Spy magazine, which documented it all in real time.

    Then ask why 1) no one was arrested earlier 2) the media of 2016 wouldn't touch these archived materials ? https://t.co/WZZ0SIqpgQ— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) December 16, 2018

    Because the media was making money off this carnival barker.

  29. 29.

    Ruckus

    @khead:
    Half a century. Nice milestone.
    Been there done that, as have many others here.
    Not sure if it gets easier to do the second half, but if your second half goes anything like mine is going, do your damnedest to enjoy every day, you never know what the next one will bring.

  33. 33.

    Ruckus

    @Chris T.:
    It does not have to be done.
    But to be not done it has to clean house and look at a lot of things that got us into this in the first place. Not doing that will be the death of it. The basics of the concept of America is sound and good. The issue is that it has been sound and good in theory but not so much in practice. There are a lot of issues that need work. Can it be done? Sure it can. Will it be easy? NFW.

  34. 34.

    Platonailedit

    Some interesting little nuggets always come out of Putin’s annual Christmas performances, and this year is not likely to be any different.

    First of all, expect plenty of praise from the people who call in to chat to him. One man last year began his call by saying: “Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, we all love and respect you.”

    But the past two events have seen the Russian president devote time to discussing his relationship with US President Donald Trump. Last year, he attacked Trump’s opponents in the US for not treating Trump with enough respect, and went on to praise the US president’s achievements.

    Will he be quite as effusive a year on, as the links between the Trump camp and Russia come under ever closer scrutiny by US investigators?

  38. 38.

    Ken

    @jl: I want them chained to their desks in the House and Senate chambers. Descending spike-covered ceiling optional.

    Did I hear that many members of Congress – especially ones who won’t be members next month – have already left? That should make the debt talks even more fubared than usual.

  43. 43.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Ohio Mom: Basically there is not anything involving the President – his business, his campaign, his transition, his administration – that is not currently under investigation at the Federal level (Special Counsel’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia, Southern District of New York, US Attorney for DC), the state level (NY state, the state of Maryland, and DC), and the local level (Manhattan District Attorney’s Office).

  44. 44.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Platonailedit: I’ve only been copying, pasting, and linking here to the Wayne Barrett stuff since late 2015 and early 2016. Balloon Juice has done its part!!!!

  46. 46.

    hueyplong

    I wonder if Ms Cracker’s laudable guideline of declining to post photos of Trump’s ugly mug might be extended by one and all to a blackout of Ghouliani photos.

  51. 51.

    Yutsano

    @Adam L Silverman: They’re getting recalled on Wednesday. I wonder how many of the ones who lost seats just won’t come back.

    Which leaves also exactly two working days until the government partially shuts down. I’ll have my application to unemployment ready to go.

  53. 53.

    Adam L Silverman

    @JPL: You want to roast it/bake it? Cut it into fillets? Wrap it as a wellington (and then massacre it at it’s own Waterloo)?

  54. 54.

    Platonailedit

    Since Trump wants to call for the "missing text messages" between Strzok and Page, how about we begin calling for all of his text messages with:
    – Michael Cohen
    – Don Jr.
    – Ivanka Trump
    – Jared Kushner
    – Paul Manafort
    – Roger Stone

    These won't be incriminating at all, right?— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) December 16, 2018

  56. 56.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Ken: I think so. I expect that if there’s something to vote on, then they’ll be called back. My takeaway from Stephen Miller’s Sunday show appearance and first person advertisement for Topik, is that unless the President gets the money for the wall, he’s going to veto a CR. You don’t let Miller out in daylight on a Sunday to terrify the villagers if you’re going to cave.

    The Democrats have two strategic objectives in this negotiation. And by Democrats I mean Pelosi. The first is, obviously, no money for the wall. They’ve made it clear they’ll go along with $1.3 billion for border security, which is basically a year on year appropriation from last year’s amount. The second objective is the CR has to be through to the end of the fiscal year. The last thing Pelosi wants is a two week CR that gets through Christmas, thereby letting the President and the GOP majorities in both chambers off the hook, and then she gets jammed the first week of January when she retakes the gavel.

  57. 57.

    Platonailedit

    Now, the totus thug meddles with an army investigation.

    President Donald Trump has tweeted that he plans to “review” the case of US soldier Mathew Golsteyn, charged with murdering an Afghan civilian in 2010.

    The Army Green Beret Major allegedly shot someone he described as a suspected Taliban bomb-maker during his deployment.

    He was charged with murder last week, allegations he denies.

    But President Trump has complicated proceedings with his tweet, saying he will now be “reviewing the case”.

    It is unclear what the president meant when he posted the tweet.

    However, as Commander in Chief of the US armed forces, any intervention by Mr Trump could count as unlawful command influence, and might mean the case against Maj Golsteyn is thrown out.

    A Pentagon spokesperson said on Sunday that the allegations against the major are “a law enforcement matter”.

    “The Department of Defense will respect the integrity of this process and provide updates when appropriate.”

    The turd’s shitty touch at work again.

  61. 61.

    Raven

    “The President is the Commander and Chief of all U.S. Military Forces. He is not a commander influencing anything. This is his Military, he can do this. Lib’s go fight for something else to try and trap President Trump about.”

  65. 65.

    Ruckus

    @Raven:
    His military? As in he fucking owns it?
    Man, some military types are way, way in over their heads. Of course that could be said for what 40% of the country.

  67. 67.

    Ohio Mom

    @Adam L Silverman: Okay, now I need a chart showing which entity is being investigated by which office of which jurisdiction of which level of government.

    Like I said, it’s too much for me to keep track of — I’m going to go back to just biding my time until the denouement(s). I’ve developed a lot of patience over the years, I can wait.

  72. 72.

    Ohio Mom

    @Adam L Silverman: You’re going to do that straight on the wall, don’t you want to order some foam core too? The landlord isn’t going to give you your deposit back with all those holes.

  73. 73.

    JPL

    @Adam L Silverman: No Wellington.. That is what my son wants to do, but I think wrapping an expensive piece of meat in bread is a waste. I’m thinking about doing it on a bed a vegetables but marinating first.

    My aunt and uncle would have all the sides on the table and put the tenderloin in the over at a high temp for ten minutes. I want it a tad more done.

  75. 75.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Platonailedit: My guess is he’s already spoken with Kelly and if necessary he’ll quietly take this up with the President. If you recall, the President also messed around with the Bergdahl court martial while he was a candidate. Mattis will wall everything off. He’ll do it quietly. And that will be it. I’m sure he’ll also get a word to Hegseth offline to cool it or there will be consequences.

  81. 81.

    jl

    For some reason I’ve been checking in with Trumpsters’, and particularly Giuliani’s performances on the Sunday news talkies. Why? Because I decided I hate myself, and, Festivus is coming up and I need to be in the mood to air many grievances.

    But, I think the Trumpsters carefully study pro wrestling interviews and promos for their schtick. Trump still has some WWE execs in his administration right? They are giving advice on how to do interviews and promos. I think they study how the the heels and their managers do them.

    I think it deserves a front post treatment, with some clips.

    Edit: I am assuming all the front posters are rabid pro wrestling fans.

  83. 83.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    Does the TSA and the FAA get shut down when the government gets shut down? If so boy the travel season is going to be fun. There is going to be some Roast Republican Rump. Of course de GLOWERIIEST LEADER TRUMP DON IL wil be happy at his palace of Malice, Mar A Lago.

  85. 85.

    Adam L Silverman

    @JPL: So the tenderloin is going to have very little fat. So you have two options here. The first is to bard it with beef fat, which you should be able to get from a decent butchers. The second is to basically wrap it in bacon. Either way once you’ve got it suitably encased in either beef fat or bacon, I’d just do a reverse sear on it. So just follow the instructions for the standing rib roast I posted last year.

    Another option for barding your beef (if you know what I mean and I think you do…), is that you don’t have to use American bacon. You could use thinly sliced pork belly or pancetta. All of these will change the flavor profile a bit, so just pick what you want. My preference is to just bard the meat with beef fat.

    Here’s the food labs reverse sear instructions for a beef tenderloin. They do not bard the meat!
    https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/slow-roasted-beef-tenderloin-recipe.html

    Here’s some links about barding:
    https://www.reluctantgourmet.com/eye-of-round-barding-larding-and-joe-the-butcher/
    https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-barding-995573

    If it was me, personally, I’d combine barding with the reverse sear. So I’d get beef fat from the butchers, salt and pepper the tenderloin, let it sit overnight to form a pelicule, bard the meat, salt and pepper the barding and let it sit for several more hours to form a pelicule on the fat, then do the reverse sear.

  88. 88.

    khead

    Wanted to be sure and thank folks for the well wishes. Twas a very weird but happy day. Been lurking…. just haven’t had a chance to post for a while.

  90. 90.

    Lapassionara

    @JPL: All the flavor you need is in the meat. Maybe some salt. But you got a great taste in tenderloin already.

  92. 92.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Yarrow: The Army Times is not official in any way. It’s simply a commercial enterprise targeting a specific consumer base. You don’t have to have ever even gotten within effective range of a recruiting office to send them a comment.

  93. 93.

    Ken

    @Ohio Mom: Like my landlord is going to be a position to complain about a few little holes in the wall after I reveal his role in the conspiracy.

  95. 95.

    Adam L Silverman

    @JPL: I agree with @Lapassionara:, you don’t want to overwhelm the flavor of the tenderloin. Kosher salt and pepper to taste to form a pelicule on the outside and that’s it. You can always take the pan jus and make a sauce for dipping.

  96. 96.

    Barbara

    @JPL: Wellington is puff pastry not bread. The idea is that the beef cooks in a shell of buttery crust, with a layer of mushroom pate, plus, in most recipes prosciutto (which I would omit). The problem is getting the puff pastry right. The commercial versions are good enough. If you don’t like the crust you don’t have to eat it. In any event, I wouldn’t marinate a tenderloin, I would use drippings to make a red wine sauce.

    ETA: per Adam’s comment, the beef gets its fat in part from the butter in the pastry.

  97. 97.

    Yarrow

    @Raven: Some of them may be and some of them may be trolls from Russia or elsewhere that are working to manipulate the comment section. As Adam likes to say, penetration at all levels. We’ve even had a few Russian trolls here. Wouldn’t have thought we were big enough to warrant that sort of attention but apparently we are.

  98. 98.

    JPL

    @Adam L Silverman: Last year we followed your directions on the Roast and seared it outdoors on the grill. It was perfect and left me time to do sides in the oven . the weather might be okay to try the same approach. Thanks

  99. 99.

    Raven

    Congress and Trump previously approved funding bills for three quarters of the $1.2 trillion in operating expenses for federal agencies. As a result, only some agencies would be closed when funding runs out after Dec. 21, and even in those essential employees would still report to work.

    Among those facing a partial shutdown are the Homeland Security Department, though many of the agency’s law enforcement agents will remain on the job because they’re considered essential. National parks would remain open but most employees who maintain them would be sent home. The Securities and Exchange Commission would halt new investigations except where needed “for the protection of property.” The Defense Department is funded and would operate normally.

    An estimated 400,000 federal employees would work without pay and 350,000 would be furloughed, according to a congressional Democratic aide. The essential employees who work during a shutdown are paid retroactively when the government reopens and payroll operations resume. After previous shutdowns, Congress also has passed legislation to retroactively pay furloughed workers.

  102. 102.

    Ken

    @Yarrow: This is a top-10000 blog. With any luck the drop in oil prices (and reduction in Russian cashflow) will mean we get cut from next year’s list.

  103. 103.

    Yarrow

    @Raven: Nah, there are plenty of idiots. Look how many voted for Trump! Just that not all the people commenting are who they claim to be and those types are there to rile up the rest of the dumbasses and get them thinking and doing things that undermine the US. That’s the trolls’ purpose.

  104. 104.

    Fair Economist

    @JPL: I can see Alexa as a great companion for a single parrot. (Provided you’ve turned off ordering things. Must be a bright parrot, even for an African Grey, to figure that out.)

  107. 107.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @rikyrah:
    What the fuck is wrong with Susan Collins? What an empty pantsuit.

    Her contention that the 2020 fund for her opponent was a “bribe” regarding the Kavanaugh confirmation still infuriates me.

  109. 109.

    Jackie

    @Villago Delenda Est: I’m almost tempted to watch Fox News to see how they justify Trump vacaying/golfing while “his” border patrol goes w/out pay… Almost. Everytime I try watching them I switch channels in less than 30 secs. I do pay attention to Shepard Smith – as he causes RW implosion lol

  110. 110.

    Ken

    @Jay: Oh, you want the new Balloon Juice Platinum. That will be available in 2019 after the software changes, assuming anyone ever contributes. In addition to Russian Trolls, you will receive unthreaded comments, cat pictures, semi-weekly gardening and food columns, and regular helpings of pie.

  111. 111.

    Tenar Arha

    @khead: First, Happy Birthday ???

    Second, Agreed. And I absolutely don’t think you are cranky.

    I reached my limit today; where I really don’t care anymore when or why or how a conservative stepped away from conservatism, I don’t want to be nice.

    Emotionally all I have left to give is slow claps for each of those guys predictably following their predecessors’ well trodden public redemption script. Though I’m willing to accept them & all their predecessors’ help, I won’t let myself forget, & I won’t let them forget either. (& I’m fully aware that no one likes to be reminded they were wrong for so long, or they may never be fully accepted by their allies).

    So, anyway I really don’t think you’re cranky.

  113. 113.

    Aziz, light!

    @Raven:We federal workers assume we will be paid after the shutdown, but this time all bets are off because the sack of pus in chief must sign off on it. Would rethug congress critters agree to override his veto?

    I don’t have the bottom line on this, but my understanding is that we can’t be furloughed for more than 30 days, after which the government must RIF all unfunded workers (use Reduction in Force protocols). Laying us off is a complicated, costly, and insane thing to do, basically the wholesale destruction of much of the U.S. government. I expect the shutdown to run the usual couple weeks, maybe three.

  115. 115.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @Mr Stagger Lee: @Aziz, light!: I think that the Border Patrol has to work without pay. The Patent and Trademark Office keeps on going until they run out of money from user fees (I would estimate about 10 business days for that). Ivanka then gets to whine to her daddy that she can’t get her US trademarks on her knockoff rags.

  117. 117.

    chopper

    @Lapassionara:

    see, i gotta disagree. tenderloin isn’t very flavorful as a cut. it’s tender, because the muscle gets little work while the critter is alive. but the more worked muscles (brisket as an example) are way beefier. also, tenderloin has little fat and fat carries flavor.

  118. 118.

    laura

    @JPL: start it in the hot oven, then turn the heat off. Remove when temp hits 120 internal, lightly cover and rest 15 to 20 before slicing. Serve with Bernaise sauce.

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