Speaking of ears, I’ve got a real-time Trump Country diner report for y’all. I’m having a leisurely breakfast alone and so have time to eavesdrop (between forkfuls of grits and eggs) on neighboring tables in this small, red, rural community.
I’m happy to report people are pissed about the Trump shutdown and grumbling about the “stupid wall” that “he said Mexico would pay for.”
This county went 70% for Trump. Pass the CR, Senatortoise.
Anyhoo, Open thread!
On the Road and In Your Backyard
Nicole
That news…. does lift my mood a bit, actually. Thanks, Betty!
Yarrow
Excellent! Thanks, Betty!
AnderJ
That’s just because you are not visiting hipster coffee bars… ;)
Miss Bianca
Yeah, pass the CR before the economy tanks to the point where “economically anxious” *actually* applies as a description of the Trumpanzees. And to us all.
Badger!!
JPL
Trump is tweeting his 2020 motto… build the wall and crime will fall. He wants the republicans to use it and pray. I think he’s wrong, because if they use it, praying won’t be enough.
Yarrow
Badger looks wholly unimpressed with having his picture taken.
Major Major Major Major
Yeah, I feel like we’re finally approaching shutdown endgame now that Trump’s speech is more imminent and his approvals are cratering.
germy
I’m surprised they feel that way. I thought the “Mexico is paying for the wall because of tariffs” spin would really grab them.
Shows how much I know about the redhats.
Kay
Screw him. What a joke. As if. As if Republicans are hard-headed realists and good managers and good with money.
They’re not, and they haven’t been for years– decades.
The organization Donald Trump runs has a “closed” sign on the door because of Donald Trump’s absolute incompetence, pettiness and stupidy – AND YET idiots like Dimon still want us to believe they’re supporting these people for some other reason than GREED.
clay
Huh. It turns out that when you promise something loudly on camera over and over and over again, then people will actually expect you to keep to that promise. Who knew?
NotMax
Can’t decide whether you moved to Gullible Gulch or Cretin Corners.
germy
that photo of Badger reminds me of the Thurber illustration of his dog for the “My Life and Hard Times” memoir:
Nobody knew exactly what was the matter with him, but it made him irascible, especially in the mornings.
plato
Hope this anecdote turns out to be the much needed antidote for the trumpturd venom.
jeffreyw
Thread needs moar birds. Pretty sure the talk at this feeder is of only casual significance. The dove may be pissed, with them it is hard to tell.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Yarrow: He’s a supermodel. He’s had thousands of pictures taken. You get a little jaded after a while.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@germy: I just read that Tom Steyer is pouring another forty million into his impeachment campaign. Obviously, I’m all for it, but I think a few million poured into just ads of trump bellowing “Mexico will pay… You better believe it!”– especially with that buffoonish cupping his hand to his ear and yelling “Who?”– would be pretty effective in weakening him. Make him look stupid.
Of course, I should say I have no idea how much a national ad campaign would cost
Major Major Major Major
@Kay: it does sound like the sort of thing a powerful 62-year-old man would think of as a delightful quip.
scav
When all you’ve got is money that jingles, the impressive accounting trick of juggling pockets that checks suddenly appear out of doesn’t always resonate.
Miss Bianca
@NotMax: I initially read, “Galtible Gulch” there, and had a mighty double-take.
West of the Rockies
I hope that Badger is the centerfold in the new calendar.
Wait… That sounded better in my head.
Seriously though, I think as the years wane, fewer and fewer people will confess to having voted for or ever liking Trump. We’ll also hear lots of, “Well, he wasn’t a real Republican anyway.”
trollhattan
@Yarrow:
He’s simultaneously a content, grumpy little man. Hilarious.
Barbara
It is very easy for anyone to understand the patent unfairness of expecting people to work without pay. One of the core grievances German peasants had against clerical institutions in the 16th century was being required to provide free labor at harvest time, even if that meant putting their own crops at risk. That’s just one reason why Martin Luther found such a receptive populace.
Writ large, of course, this has been Trump’s MO in business for a long time, and it works mostly because he was always able to find new people with unequal bargaining power to blindside. But if it happens to you or if you see it happening to others, it induces feelings of rage even if you can’t do anything about it immediately or directly.
kindness
Well Betty you have 2 Republican Senators. They should be on speed-dial. Call them. I have 2 Democratic Senators and while I bitch about DiFi, I know she’ll vote properly on stuff like this. With all honesty Florida’s Senators are worthless as far as I can see for anything but stringing out Trump’s ‘legacy’.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
“He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.” That’s really what pisses them off. They don’t give a shit about federal workers. They’re only upset that the effects of this are beginning to creep into their lives. Even so, I’ll take anything that eats away at his base.
cope
I hope you have a good bottle of hot sauce on your table at the cafe. I recently discovered Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce at the Publix. Strong citrus notes which I plan to copy when my next batch of peppers comes in and I make some hot sauce. The dog looks content so there’s that.
There’s nothing like a quiet, solitary breakfast in a cafe with something good to read. Enjoy.
JPL
In response to trump’s all caps tweets today, Nate Silver has this..
SHUT DOWN OVER THE WALL AND YOUR APPROVAL RATING FALLS
It’s nice to know that Betty’s neighbors agree.
TaMara (HFG)
Wow, that’s some Tunch-ittude on that pup.
Miss Bianca
@germy: Completely o/t, but was it you who was talking to me about “Harpo Speaks”? Just finished it and it was exactly what I needed. Amazing how some of his stories and throwaway lines resonate into our modern-day reality. Thanks for the tip!
Aleta
Listening to the beat of his own miniature drummer? A dog must absorb the rays of the sun .
The Dangerman
@Major Major Major Major:
I feel Muellermas. But I’ve felt it for weeks. But … something has to break the fever. 800K not getting paid and I forget how many of them are asked to work for no pay can’t go on; something dramatic will trigger the end.
glory b
Morning Joe crew now says Dems need to give Trump something resembling a wall, he needs them to give him a face saving gesture, too much pain being inflicted, go high, blah blah blah.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Indivisible has announced a national call your senator day before tomorrow’s vote. I already call pretty much every other day, called yesterday, I suspect I’m on some kind of crank list, but I’ll call again…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@JPL: YOU USED TO SAY
MEXICO WILL PAY!
schrodingers_cat
Two timing Joe and his bleached blonde ho can shut their trap. We say hell no.
The Dangerman
@glory b:
Fuck that noise; he needs several helpings of crow (covered in ketchup, of course).
trollhattan
@Aleta:
Dogs really do seem solar-powered. Ours will find a sliver of sunlight and have some version of that same look. He also has about that much fur so when it’s not hot can use the heat as well.
schrodingers_cat
Betty [email protected]
Your pup is cute and your verandah has an awesome view!
trollhattan
@glory b:
Point 1: nothing is going to save that face.
Major Major Major Major
@The Dangerman: ugh, we better have the government open before the report comes out. I’m guessing March. But who knows.
@glory b: I saw some palace intrigue at Axios that Kushner wants then to offer green card pathway for current DACA recipients.
Elizabelle
reposting from morning thread:
Did we hear anything about how Savannah Guthrie’s
ritual white cleansinginterview with Resting Smirk Face went Today?rikyrah
Thanks for the Badger picture this morning. I needed it—such a cutie. Makes me smile through my tears.
rikyrah
@Major Major Major Major:
I guess they didn’t read Silverman’s TWO breakdowns of the bullshyt proposal that Dolt45 put forth. How can anyone bargain with people who put forth evil shyt like that.
The Dangerman
@Major Major Major Major:
I dunno; Muellermas can’t be the same time as debt ceiling. And you can be sure as the sun rising that Money Men (and Women) ain’t gonna let Donnie fuck with the credit rating.
Burnspbesq
@Kay:
Before you tie yourself to that mast, you might want to compare Citi’s market cap when Dimon was appointed to its current market cap.
As I’m sure you know, any CEO’s primary responsibility is to enhance shareholder value. Dimon is doing his job, and may be doing it well.
There is a long-overdue conversation that can usefully be had about whether that legal framework serves us well. While I don’t agree with many of the details of Sen. Warren’s proposal, I’m glad it’s out there and wish it were getting more attention.
But for now …
Yarrow
@Elizabelle: It wasn’t in the first 30 minute block. That kind of surprised me. Wondered if the outcry against the interview got them to push it to a less prestigious time.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I’m looking at reports that Trump says he’s going to give the SOTU anyway and thinking that if I’m John Roberts, I hope he does it at a rally, because that will make it much easier for the Court to decide whether to go.
germy
@Miss Bianca: Yes, I mentioned “Harpo Speaks” a few weeks ago. If you visit youtube and search “Harpo Speaks” you’ll hear Harpo reading an anecdote from the book, from his first job playing piano in a house of ill repute.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
laura
That sassy boots is sunning like a Boss!
Chet takes his bath of the sun up on the raised bed near the fence and comes back inside warm as toast even on a cold day.
Will be calling DiFi and Kamala on the drive into work.
I’m thinking of Schlemazel this morning with a heavy heart.
Citizen Alan
@Kay:
I’m not convinced the bastard has a heart or a brain.
Amir Khalid
A lesson for us all: If you campaign on spite and win the votes of the spiteful, you owe them their full measure of spite; if you fail to deliver, they will in the end be who they always were, and turn their spite on you. And there is no satisfying the spiteful.
zhena gogolia
@Kay:
Bill Clinton gave us a surplus. GWB gave us a near-Depression. BO gave us economic growth. DJT is giving us total disaster. They just never seem to notice this pattern.
Major Major Major Major
@Dorothy A. Winsor: the post about it last night said that Pelosi can just leave the lights and cameras off if he decides to do it in the House, which would be… interesting.
cliosfanboy
@Kay: so he has early onset dementia??
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Major Major Major Major: I doubt he wants to do a speech with Pelosi’s empty chair behind him.
I’ve been trying to figure out if it, if he does it in the Senate chamber, would be better for Dems to stay away, or to come and stay seated and silent
brettvk
Oh, Betty…I am not and never could be a Floridian, it’d make me crazier than I already am, but I do so envy you the sunshine right now. It’s so damply freezing gloomy here in the Ozarks. Not unlike every winter here, but it wears on the soul.
Amir Khalid
@cope:
Does Nando’s have its peri-peri chicken restaurants in the US? If they do, you should try them; they’re way better than any fried chicken joint.
TS (the original)
@glory b:
Just NEVER. Reading Betty’s breakfast report – best I have felt since November 2016
Frankensteinbeck
@germy:
Nope. Too ignorant. You might think ignorance would make selling that line easier, but after a certain point tariffs are an unreal thing. They don’t even understand enough for the idea that the tariffs are bringing in money to make sense at a gut level. They can grasp it up to ‘Trump is putting the screws to other countries’, but after that it’s all fog. It was fine as long as they didn’t care about the source of the money. Now they want an answer that makes sense.
chopper
@JPL:
“it doesn’t matter, they’ll bring a ladder”
Amir Khalid
@glory b:
He needs it, but he ain’t earned it.
West of the Rockies
@Amir Khalid:
As a variation on the American idiom goes,
“So, who have you hurt for me lately?”
japa21
Betty’s little reporting from Trump country makes me think the polls putting 53% blame on Trump and the GOP are wrong. I think it is higher. Then a read the CBS poll above and it does seem a lot worse for Trump.
schrodingers_cat
Senatortoise who is also the traitortoise.
bystander
Oh, he hears you just fine. He’s politely waiting to agree with something you’re saying.
Listening to reporting that twitler is pissed at Guiliani. How long before we’re treated to hearing twitler savage senile, bumbling Rudi? It would make a nice amuse bouche before Muellermas.
Mary G
The latest Politico and CBS news polls both had bad news for the baby in the White House. Not as bad as I would ĺike, but still going in the right direction.
cope
Amir, I’ve not heard of nor seen any of their restaurants. Thanks, off to the internet to scope it out…
Elizabelle
Lotta Great Whites chilling out in the waters off Hilton Head, SC, at this time of year, before they head back up to New England and above. From SC’s The State, with photos, of expedition that caught, tagged, named, and released them. (Meant to put this up for Raven this morning; will link it tomorrow for him.)
Hilton Head man hooks 7 great white sharks in 8 hours. The last shark was a 2,600-lb ‘hog’
[Free Apple app.]
Re record sized sharks being tagged: A government website re shark sizes and weights is victim to the Trump shutdown. But these were some extremely large sharks. Photogenic, too. That is not a really big boat, for its purpose. Smaller than the Orca, but not a madman at the wheel.
zhena gogolia
Just called the offices of Senators Murphy and Blumenthal, and Rep. De Lauro, to urge them to keep doing the right thing. It feels rather impotent.
zhena gogolia
I’m also still steaming about that stupid SNL opener. Nancy Pelosi is “drunk on power,” but McConnell is just a turtle trying to go back in his shell. I think they got mixed up about who is drunk on power.
Kay
@Burnspbesq:
Greed is a feeling, burns. Jamie has greed fee fees. In his heart he supports Trump, because supporting Republicans at this point is not at all an intellectual exercise.
This framing they do is patronizing. They dismiss anything practical the Democrats do (health care, wages, education) as somehow not of the intellectual rigor of the Right. It’s bullshit and we’ve been hearing it for 30 years- Republicans are the daddies and Democrats are the mommies, framed in such a way as to patronize and talk down to “mommies”
Jamie supports corrupt incompetents who can’t even manage to keep the doors open. He does that because it benefits him personally.
Elizabelle
@schrodingers_cat:
TreasonTortoise.
Uses the same letters.
tobie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Oh, the schadenfreude this news fills me with knows no bounds. For years Nancy has been vilified by the right, and now she rises above Trump and McConnell, the two heads of the Republican Party. She’s shown them: revenge is a dish best served cold. Thank you, Nancy, for sticking to your guns.
schrodingers_cat
He only has 7% of the voters on his side. Nancy Smash FTW.
rikyrah
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.):
Absolutely on point.
Gravenstone
@Dorothy A. Winsor: No reason anyone else, Congress, SC, Cabinet officers should feel compelled to attend a vanity SotU type speech given anywhere outside the floor of the House. Let the asshole stew in that rejection even as he basks in the glow of his mouthbreathing base.
cope
@Amir Khalid: Bumm and er, they are only in D.C./Maryland area and Illinois, nowhere near me. They do have a lot of intriguing recipes online, though. Time to get creative in the kitchen.
rikyrah
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Vanity project.
Can’t be bothered to use that money for, say, voting rights, or calling out that loathesome muthaphucka in Florida, who wants to slow walk the registration of former felons whose right to vote was restored by the people in November.
delk
@Amir Khalid: they have quite a few in Chicago.
rikyrah
@Kay:
Nail him, Kay.
Gravenstone
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Senate isn’t big enough to seat both houses, let alone all the others who ritually attend.
Mary G
USA Today saying that Nancy Pelosi is offering $5 billion for border security, not to include any new structures. I do not approve of negotiating with terrorists, but it does put the ball back in Twitler’s court.
japa21
Mrs. Japa just called me to the TV to see part of Guthrie’s interview with the young whippersnapper. She didn’t want me to see it because he was saying good things. As she said, he looked drugged, almost robotic in his responses. There was no emotion, not regret, sadness, joy or even anger. As I said to her, contrast to the Parkland kids who were always emoting. HS kids do not speak the way he did.
Miss Bianca
@germy: ooh, sweeet! Gotta check that out. Thanks!
Brachiator
Very Interesting. I love that these people are fed up with Trump.
Also Interesting, but sad, that they really bought into Trump’s resentment agenda, and the idea that he would stick it to Mexico. And that they really wanted to see him stick it to Mexico. Or maybe I’m reading too much into their brief statement.
Ruviana
@bystander: I’m already seeing it so there’s that.
Yarrow
@zhena gogolia: I agree. That opening was terrible. I still wonder why Kate McKinnon agreed to go along with it.
@japa21: I inadvertently saw a tiny bit of it. The kid looked very rehearsed and struggling to remember his talking points.
Mandalay
So a crazy guy in California had been trolling the family and friends of the students killed in the Parkland massacre over the past month. I won’t provide quotes, though some are in the link and they are way beyond ugly. But what was interesting was what the wacko said when the cops showed up at his house:
I kind of comprehend why people might stalk movie stars, but I just don’t get this at all. Did he think he couldn’t be traced, or that he didn’t really do anything wrong, or was he hoping to get caught?
Frankensteinbeck
@Mary G:
Have you seen her proposal? It’s wonderful and a total middle finger to Trump. The money all goes to making it easier to immigrate – stuff like more ports of entry.
The Moar You Know
Someone in the Very White House is gunning for Rudi’s ass.
Bet it’s the chinless wonderboy Kushner. Donnie hates a drunk.
donnah
I’ve texted my senator twice to tell him to stand against Trump and McConnell. His office acknowleged the messages and I hope he takes me seriously.
My friend from the South would say Badger is “eat up with cute”. ;-)
Brachiator
@Frankensteinbeck:
Very Interesting. I love that Pelosi is offering alternative legislation, not simply obstructing (which I don’t think she would do anyway).
I’m loving her leadership.
bemused
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.):
I would liked to have heard that woman elaborate who she expected trump to be hurting. I just wanted her to say it out loud.
Brachiator
Interesting little piece from HuffPo
I’d like to see the Democrats emphasize that Trump is hurting the Union with his government shutdown.
OTOH, Trump and McConnell are really playing to GOP hardliners more than they seem to be paying attention to the polls. Still, I agree that Trump’s ego and vanity are a soft spot for political attack.
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
I want the phucking doors to the house to be locked on January 29.
Frankensteinbeck
@rikyrah:
It has been part of his rants, so I think Nancy scored a direct hit.
patroclus
@Burnspbesq: What would Citi’s market cap have to do with Jamie Dimon? He’s the CEO of JP Morgan Chase. Uh guys, Dimon is actually one of the more enlightened of the various big bank heads. I realize you just like to hate on him because of his job, but shouldn’t you have a reason for it? Saying he’s both a Dem and a neanderthal (er, Republican) is to be expected from him because the Chase CEO job is inherently political and he wants to please everyone and not upset anyone too much. What he may really think has little to do with what he says publicly.
Olivia
That is great news. I really need all the specks of hope I can grab on to. I’ve spent several hours in the middle of each of the last few nights lying awake fretting about all the possible horrible things that could happen to so many vulnerable people, not to mention the destruction of our democratic institutions.
wormtown
@jeffreyw: That is beautiful. Could you tell me what kind of camera you took that with?
Origuy
@Amir Khalid: There are Nando’s in the DC area and Chicago, also in Canada. I went to Nando’s twice when I was in Chicago over Christmas. I wish they’d come to California.
Ian R
@zhena gogolia: At least our Senators and Representation generally do do the right thing. I’d rather feel like calling is frustrating because they already agree with me than because they’re just going to brush me off.
Also, greetings from a fellow CT-03 resident.
Betty Cracker
@laura:
Same. :(
O. Felix Culpa
@Amir Khalid:
It does in Chicago. My first Nando’s was in Lilongwe, Malawi. I love per-peri seasoning.
Anonymous At Work
Sounds like a perfect example of “I’m mad enough at Trump to vote for a Democrat, just not *this* Democrat” voter.
Gelfling 545
@glory b: His is not a face one wants to save.
Betty Cracker
Badger does love a sunbeam if it’s the slightest bit chilly. He’d never make it in Boston, despite being a Boston terrier. If it’s below 70 F, he’s either sunning or glued to one of us and/or Daisy.
Elizabelle
Badger is such a sweetheart.
My mom used to call pets sunning themselves “putting on their sweaters.”
Kay
@patroclus:
I don’t know what they care about but it sure isn’t “public perception”. If they cared about public perception they would have made some attempt to clean up after they mess they made in the financial crisis. Instead they screamed and whined and bellyached and fought efforts to clean it up at every turn. They didn’t just offer absolutely nothing to fix it or mitigate the damage they did- they tried to stop anyone in government from fixing it.
All those people they foreclosed on? Those were their valued customers. They blew it up and walked away.
I’ll never support bailing them out again, and they’ll be back because they learned nothing and paid nothing and they will do it again. I’m now in the let in burn camp. They needed real pain and they didn’t get any. Next time they take the hit.
trollhattan
Trump in a nutshell. Emphasis on nut.
Kay
It’s hysterical. Ocasio-Cortez is on the oversight committee and they’re all freaking out.
Love her or hate her, you must admit she’s inside their heads and is becoming almost a mythically powerful figure on the Right. It’s delightful. It’s legit fun to watch, especially because SHE’S clearly enjoying herself. This is what people mean when they say “happy warrior” :)
JPL
@Betty Cracker: We might consider becoming Gopher fans for awhile The hockey teams are good.
jeffreyw
@wormtown:
It’s a Browning trail camera. The pic I posted is not full res. The wide angle lens will not let you zoom in very far but it’s a good one for keeping an eye on a feeder.
zhena gogolia
@Ian R:
Hi!
trollhattan
@Kay:
Recommend AOC’s Monday Colbert appearance if you’ve not seen it. She’s comfortable in her own skin without appearing smug or pompous. Very quick on her feet. I can see why they’re putting so much energy into pretending to not take her seriously, as she exudes star power in a way few politicians ever achieve, and she’s brand new at this. Every team needs their star players and if Dems are smart they’ll find a role for her, going forward.
MisterForkbeard
@trollhattan: This actually reminds me something interesting that recently happened at my job. An upper manager (one who is normally just excellent) took the advice of a subordinate and decided to split my team of 35 people into two teams of 25 and 10 people. The smaller 10 person job would focus on some new work, while the remaining 25 people would have to focus on the traditional team workspace. The split happened last week.
This week we explained to said executive that having 25 people work on the work that 35 people used to do wasn’t going to fly and we needed to either get those people back or shave back the team’s mandate. He was surprised – he’d been told the new team would be taking significant amounts of work from us, but they’re not.
Best quote: “Why didn’t we figure this out before we made the announcement?” Yeah. Why DIDN’T we do that? :)
MisterForkbeard
@trollhattan: They put her on the Oversight committee. This is going to be FUN
catclub
@Barbara:
This was always identified as his problem in DC. he negotiates with the same people over and over again. All the old tricks don’t work twice…
or even once with people with counter-leverage.
trollhattan
@MisterForkbeard:
Heh. “‘We?’ You mean you and the mouse in your pocket?”
catclub
@trollhattan: What if I can get you into this new car today? Will you buy then?
Trump is doing the car salesman trick. That IF is carrying a lot of weight.
MisterForkbeard
@trollhattan: Yep. In his defence, the people pushing for and leading the new group basically mislead him on this. They said “It’s fine! You only have to give them partial backfill for the people we’re taking!” and didn’t bother to discuss it with the people who would actually be doing the work. He assumed they’d actually done their homework, which they hadn’t.
But it does strike me as fundamentally Trumpian, “Okay, why did you fuck this up for me?” is pretty lovely.
Gravenstone
@trollhattan: That story just screams “Me Me Me MEEEEEE!”
Dr. Ronnie James, D.O.
His disapproval has surged 6 points to a new high (57%, MOE:2%) – highest disapproval ever for POUTUS, or IIRC any POTUS.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/426545-trump-disapproval-rating-at-all-time-high-amid-shutdown-russia
Who knew a tantrum that hit working people in the wallets wouldn’t be well-received?
ZeeLizzee
@betty cracker
Badger looks like a pouty teenager.
And YAY! good news that “real americans” are getting fed up.
cliosfanboy
@Origuy: their chicken livers are quite good.