Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

He really is that stupid.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

… gradually, and then suddenly.

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

I was confident that someone would point it out and thought why not me.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Motown is Joe-Town!

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

We won’t go back.

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

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

You cannot shame the shameless.

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

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

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

You are here: Home / Politics / America / The Special Forces of Liberty is My USO Tour Cover Band Name! MAGA-Dopes on Patrol Edition

The Special Forces of Liberty is My USO Tour Cover Band Name! MAGA-Dopes on Patrol Edition

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As we make our way through this long Friday afternoon waiting to see what, if anything, comes from the sealed documents/indictments that the Special Counsel’s Office filed yesterday and trying to make sense of why the President thinks the Federal government can negotiate “cash on hand” contracts (Narrator: the Federal government cannot negotiate cash on hand contracts), we should check in on the MAGA-Dopes and their ongoing, low intensity warfare campaign of terrorism across the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Let’s start with the snark…

We interrupt this snark for the actual factual information, from Courthouse News (emphasis mine):

HOUSTON (CN) — Christian activists who tried to stop Houston libraries from hosting “Drag Queen Storytime” because it allegedly promotes the LGBT community’s “secular humanist” religion lack standing, a federal judge ruled Thursday, dismissing the lawsuit.

Three Christian men, including a pastor, sued Houston Public Library Executive Director Rhea Lawson and Mayor Sylvester Turner in October 2018 after an online petition and a protest outside a city library did not persuade Lawson to cancel the events that the library advertised as “an imaginative storytelling experience.”

“Picture books and songs shared by vibrant performers will excite and instill a love for reading for the entire family,” the library said on its website for the story hours it hosted once a month from August to December 2018.

Lead plaintiff Tex Christopher said in the lawsuit that “‘gay marriage’ is ‘fake marriage’” and that, as a Houston taxpayer and library cardholder, he has standing because the library specially ordered books for the story hours and made flyers for them.

“The plaintiffs believe that LGBTQ ideology is immoral, obscene and subversive to human flourishing and that the LGBTQ ideology is inseparably linked to the religion of Secular Humanism,” the lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs said in the complaint that the library was “brainwashing the children of Houston” while denying Christian groups’ requests to host Christian-related events.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal dismissed their lawsuit Thursday for lack of standing and failure to state a viable First Amendment Establishment Clause claim.

Rosenthal said the men could not prove the threshold issue that they had been injured by the story hour because it’s unclear from their pleadings that any of them attended the events.

“The plaintiffs assert the very opposite: they purposefully avoided ‘Drag Queen Storytime’ because of its alleged immorality and potential to harm their children. Instead of witnessing the event, the plaintiffs ‘researched [it] online,’” Rosenthal wrote in a 19-page order.

Rosenthal said their allegations of injuries are much broader than “Drag Queen Storytime” in Houston libraries, and that shutting down the events here would not redress their grievances.

She said they are using the litigation to “protest the gay-rights movement and the legal rights federal courts have recognized for members of the LGBTQ community.”

Plaintiff Chris Sevier is also a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit in Lafayette, La., that led that city’s library director in October 2018 to “stand down on planning a Drag Queen Story Hour” while the litigation is pending, court records show.

Rosenthal also rejected the plaintiff’s claim that they have standing because they pay sales and property taxes in Houston that were used to fund the story hours.

“The plaintiffs allege the purchase of children’s books and creation of a flyer but fail to allege that either were ‘a measurable appropriation’ of the Library’s $40,000,000 budget, or both cost more than a de minimis amount. These costs, individually or in the aggregate, do not confer standing,” wrote Rosenthal, chief judge of the Southern District of Texas.

She refused to credit the Christians’ claims that because the LGBT community practices the religion of secular humanism, “Drag Queen Storytime” violates the Establishment Clause, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

The judge found that even if she accepted that secular humanism is a religion under the Establishment Clause, there is no evidence that any drag queens discussed it at the events.

“Because the plaintiffs do not allege facts that do or could show that the event is a religious activity, there is no issue of establishment of religion,” she wrote.  

In his original complaint, Christopher said he sued “in his capacity as a community leader,” and that he and his co-plaintiffs, including De Factor Attorney Generals and Special Forces of Liberty, “have been violently and/or viciously persecuted by the LGBTQ church and devout members of the Secular Humanist religion for refusing to respect and endorse a worldview that is objectively immoral, obscene, and subversive to human flourishing.”

We now return you to the regularly scheduled snark.

I really do not want to know what evidence that Christopher submitted in support of his claim that he’s be violently and/or viciously persecuted by the LGBTQ church and devout members of the Secular Humanist religion.

Unfortunately one of the Special Forces of Liberty, or was it one of the De Factor Attorney Generals – who can keep them straight without a program? – decided to take his 2nd Amendment rights out for some exercise…

From The Independent (emphasis mine):

A Donald Trump supporter reportedly armed with a gun barged into a Texas library in an attempt to stop a drag queen reading books to children.

James Greene was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after refusing to leave Houston’s Freed-Montrose Library, but claimed he was detained for being a “white Christian” and accused staff of satanism.

He had entered the building to protest against Drag Queen Storytime, a programme of events in which performers read children’s stories to families.

The conservative radio host has previously been banned from the library for filming children during similar demonstrations.

Footage filmed by Mr Greene and posted on YouTube shows him remonstrating with police officers as they ask him to leave the building. Another clip shows him being handcuffed in the libary’s car park.

He added: “He was previously banned for filming children at the library, and has been known to cause disturbances. Several officers had to escort him out.”

Mr Greene later recounted the incident in a Facebook video, wearing a Make America Great Again hat in front of a cardboard cut-out of Mr Trump. He claimed he was “arrested for being a white Christian” and accused a librarian at Freed-Montrose of being a “satanist”

Of course he did…

Bless his heart!

Remember, the only thing that can stop a bad MAGA hat wearing guy with a gun is a Drag Queen with a children’s story book.

Alright children are we ready? Good! See James be creepy at the library. See library officials ask the strange men who likes to act out in front of children in public to leave. See James threaten the nice library officials. See the library officials call 911. See the police officer ask James to leave. See James refuse because he’s a white, Christian man and this is Texas by God! See James get taken into custody and not shot because he’s a white, Christian man and this is Texas by God! And every one lived happily ever after. Now who’s ready for another story?

While I wish it wasn’t the case, this kind of stupid behavior will eventually stop when one of these morons pulls this stuff on a financially well off, professional ethnic and/or religious minority who both conceal carries and lives in a Stand Your Ground state. At that point they will learn the hard way that the old maxim that “God made man, Samuel Colt made all men equal” doesn’t just apply to white guys. And then things are going to get really exciting.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

130Comments

  1. 1.

    catclub

    My understanding of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty was that by staying in, we can at least complain loudly that Russia is violating the Treaty. It makes Russia happy to have no Treaty at all.

    I guess Trump could not figure out a way to put a red cap on our INF missiles. – relevance to actual post subject!

  7. 7.

    The Moar You Know

    this kind of stupid behavior will eventually stop when one of these morons pulls this stuff on a financially well off, professional ethnic and/or religious minority who both conceal carries and lives in a Stand Your Ground state. At that point they will learn the hard way that the old maxim that “God made man, Samuel Colt made all men equal” doesn’t just apply to white guys. And then things are going to get really exciting.

    You meant “escalate into nationwide pogroms against minorities of all stripes”. Perfectly understandable mistake.

  8. 8.

    trollhattan

    Okay, what’s he on about now?

    Just out: The big deal, very mysterious Don jr telephone calls, after the innocent Trump Tower meeting, that the media & Dems said were made to his father (me), were just conclusively found NOT to be made to me. They were made to friends & business associates of Don. Really sad!

  10. 10.

    Adam L Silverman

    @trollhattan: This:

  11. 11.

    catclub

    @The Moar You Know: There is already PLENTY of evidence that all those Stand Your Ground laws
    have a hidden ‘valid only for white males’ clause. Asking someone who is not a white male to test out those laws is asking them to risk suicide by cop.

  13. 13.

    Yutsano

    @Adam L Silverman: My only hope here is that Russia doesn’t have the economic muscle to start rebuilding their whole nuke fleet. Because that would be one expensive endeavour.

  14. 14.

    Peale

    Does every wingnut have his own radio show? It seems to be the most common profession of these guys. There never even mere “bloggers and YouTube influencers”. How many radio hosts do we actually have in this country? It isn’t even a category in the Service Contract Act Directory of Occupations, but it seems that there are probably 1,000,000 of them.

  15. 15.

    Gravenstone

    @Adam L Silverman: Gee, you might think that was almost by design. Prod our gullibles into dropping INF so Russia can then claim they have no choice but to abandon New START in response.

  16. 16.

    trollhattan

    @Adam L Silverman:
    Thanks! So it’s the usual waving his arms and shouting “Nothing to see here!” routine?

    What is it with Russians ditching their shirts? Is there a shortage?

  17. 17.

    Kay

    A Donald Trump supporter reportedly armed with a gun barged into a Texas library in an attempt to stop a drag queen reading books to children.
    James Greene was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after refusing to leave Houston’s Freed-Montrose Library, but claimed he was detained for being a “white Christian” and accused staff of satanism.
    He had entered the building to protest against Drag Queen Storytime, a programme of events in which performers read children’s stories to families.
    The conservative radio host has previously been banned from the library for filming children during similar demonstrations.

    I’m so glad they arrested him. I think about shootings at community events now. I don’t obsess over it- I know the risk is really low, but the fact is it crosses my mind and it didn’t use to, and I would bet money I’m not the only one.

    I think we coddle them too much. All the unarmed people have rights too- the right to be left alone by unhinged gun nuts and not have to panic at storytime.

  18. 18.

    Adam L Silverman

    @The Moar You Know: @catclub: I’m very aware of how they work. I was teaching state and local politics (don’t ask how I got that assignment in addition to my normal duties teaching about terrorism) at UF when the Baxley Amendment was being developed and debated even before it was submitted in the Florida legislature. What I’m referring to is what is going to happen when a very economically well off ethnic and/or religious minority has to legitimately defend themselves. Especially in a public place where there will be surveillance footage. It will do two things. It will, of course, demonstrate that this isn’t really about white male privilege. It will also lead to tremendous backlash by white male gun owners about the need for the state to protect them. The hypocrisy meter will both be so far pegged into the red that it will blow up and the hypocrisy will also be ignored.

  19. 19.

    Eljai

    Remember, the only thing that can stop a bad MAGA hat wearing guy with a gun is a Drag Queen with a children’s story book.

    I’d like to nominate a new rotating tagline.

  21. 21.

    The Moar You Know

    Does every wingnut have his own radio show?

    @Peale: Yes. It’s required of all 70-year old and older men, that they be equipped with a webcam and YouTube account with years of clips of them reading last night’s Hannity transcript word-for-word to a whopping 11 subscribers.

    Collectively, of course, that’s a lot of people.

    You know you’ve got a Premium channel if the dotard yammering at the camera has a Traitor’s Flag hanging behind them. Exclusive if they’ve got the Traitor’s Flag and a “Don’t Read To Me” flag in frame; that means they really know how to set up a shot.

    ETA: some of them actually do have radio. There’s some Limbaugh-educated moron in Eureka, CA with an illegal low-power FM station (broadcast radius – one mile under perfect conditions) who’s been operating up there for decades. In that town, he probably has far less than 11 listeners.

  22. 22.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Yutsano: They don’t. They have one carrier. After a three to four month showing the flag deployment off of Syria’s coast in the Med, it went back into dry dock until 2024 for a refit. Then the dry dock, which apparently needs its own refit, collapsed with the Kutznetzov in it. So the Kutznetzov won’t be ready till well after 2024.

    Break

    Did you get the email I sent you?

  23. 23.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Peale: A lot of the radio programs are online only, not actually on AM, FM, or satellite radio broadcasters. And a lot of them also stream live feed on YouTube of them doing their show.

  24. 24.

    jl

    I’ll try to absorb the Friday news dump news after I quit laughing about all the GOPer Trumpster base that feels so misunderstood. After all the fluffing and puffing and catering to them by corporate news media. Maybe they need some comforting swag for after very very carnsarned and sympathetic news actors interview them in diners. Security blanket and a pacifier?

    Maybe it fits into my theory that the corporate media covers them because they are the best audience for TV and radio ads. They’ll buy anything, and keep tuning in for more BS.

    Thanks to Adam and other commenters above for filling in some important detail.

  25. 25.

    Anonymous At Work

    It’s an extra special form of stupidity if you are familiar with the Montrose area of Houston. The original neighborhood for openly gay couples, it is a neighborhood that celebrates being on the fringe and enjoying it. Wanna bet this assclown drove 45 minutes to get there?

  26. 26.

    Brachiator

    Mr Greene later recounted the incident in a Facebook video, wearing a Make America Great Again hat in front of a cardboard cut-out of Mr Trump. He claimed he was “arrested for being a white Christian” and accused a librarian at Freed-Montrose of being a “satanist”

    This shit is as crazy as those goobers who wanted to raid that pizza place looking for whatever it was they were looking for.

    And I guess Segregation Jesus only loves “white Christians.”

    This shit is a farce, but it may soon get real ugly.

  27. 27.

    bemused

    @FelonyGovt:

    These people have absolutely no real sense of humor or fun in their lives. It’s no wonder the people who do laugh at them and shun them. Joy suckers.

  28. 28.

    Snarki, child of Loki

    They broadcast to the radio signal that their tooth fillings pick up.

    AKA: yelling at the voices in their heads.

  31. 31.

    Adam L Silverman

    @trollhattan: The Bratva guys have their criminal histories inked on their skin. So posing shirtless or in the nude allow those who can read the ink to know exactly who they’re looking at.

  32. 32.

    Ladyraxterinok

    @Peale: For a while it seemed like every young guy taking over his father’s Evangelical ministry was a singer. Perhaps best’known example–Richard Roberts, son of Oral Roberts. (Richard’s older brother committed suicide. It’s probable he was gay. One of Richard’s nephews is gay and has written and talked about growing up gay in the midst of that world. Sad note: he was not allowed to sit in the front with the family during Oral’s funeral.)

  35. 35.

    Jay

    @Adam L Silverman:

    PD 50 remains sunk, can’t be recovered until spring, can’t be recovered or repaired by Russia, ( Swedish Companies will have to do it), and may not be repairable after being on the bottom that long.

  37. 37.

    Millard Filmore

    As we make our way through this long Friday afternoon waiting to see what, if anything, comes from the sealed documents/indictments

    Since I am not a lawyer, why would be be told what is in sealed indictments? Won’t it be years before we learn about them?

  38. 38.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Brachiator: This is my real worry. I wrote this analysis for someone the other day:

    One final point, what I indicated in the parenthetical that I was going to come back to. Two of the last three Republican presidents – Bush in 2000 and Trump in 2016 – won the presidency by losing the popular vote and narrowly winning the electoral college. If this happens a third time in 2020, I’m not sure the American state or society is resilient enough to withstand that type of illiberal and undemocratic outcome. Especially given the efforts by the Republican Party, Republican elected and appointed officials at all levels of government, and the conservative movement to make it harder for Americans to vote through gerrymandering, voter roll purges, requiring voter ID, but making it impossible to get it, limiting polling place locations and hours of operation, using equipment that is easily tampered with, etc. And then using the electoral victories they get from all of that electoral malfeasance to appoint judges at the state and Federal level that because of the length of their tenure will lock these structural impediments in for another generation. Right now the Democrats have submitted HR 1 to remove these impediments and give power back to the voters, the Republicans in Congress and and the conservative movement oppose these reforms. And as long as McConnell is majority leader in the Senate, they’ll pass the House and die in the Senate.

    The point here is that this is unsustainable. There is an anger in American state and society and it is asymmetrical. The actual victims of state and societal prejudice, discrimination, and systematic and institutional discrimination have reached a point where it will not take much to tip things into outright rebellion. The President’s base – white, largely evangelical, Christians – have convinced themselves and been convinced by their clergy and the politicians they support that they are the actual victims, even though there is no empirical evidence to support that. And even though they won in 2016; they got the president they wanted in Trump, they got GOP majorities in both the House and the Senate, they got two Supreme Court justices picked by Trump, they got a host of xenophobic, nativist, and anti-LGBTQ regulations and executive orders, they are even angrier now. This is unsustainable and it is before we even get into the fact that for the 3rd time since 1968 (Nixon via Kissinger and Madame Chenault sabotaging the Paris Peace Accords, Reagan working through several surrogates to get the Iranians to delay the release of the hostages until after the election to further depress support for Carter, Trump and the Russians) the only way for a Republican to win the presidency was by conspiring with hostile foreign powers. And all of the current fear, anger, hostility, and distrust, both legitimately and illegitimately held, is existing when the economy is largely doing well. If we actually get a sharp down turn, it will actually get worse. Regardless of the economics, this is unsustainable and something is going to have to give. We’re one stupid action, whether by a government official or by someone with objective or subjective grievance being unable to take it any more, from the US having a lot of very, very bad days. It is this problem set that I’m focused on and on preventing.

  39. 39.

    Brachiator

    Since this is an Open Thread, I would like to tip my hat to British comedian Jeremy Hardy, whose death was announced Friday. I listened to him on two BBC comedy radio programs, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue and The News Quiz. He died of cancer at age 57.

    He was very funny and very much a committed lefty. He was outspoken and very much committed to justice.

    In 2004, Burnley Council cancelled one of Hardy’s performances after saying in an episode of his Speaks to the Nation show that members and supporters of the British National Party (BNP) should be shot.

    Hardy was one of a number of names from the world of showbusiness to campaign to clear the name of Danny McNamee, who was found guilty of the IRA’s 1982 Hyde Park bombing, which killed four members of the Household Cavalry and seven horses. McNamee’s conviction was overturned in 1998.

    Hardy was also a keen advocate for the rights of Palestinians, travelling to the occupied West Bank in 2002 to film the documentary Jeremy Hardy vs the Israeli Army.

    The current edition of The News Quiz, available via podcast and various places, includes a nice tribute. R.I.P.

  40. 40.

    Barbara

    Of course these people are ridiculous, but there is a real and persistent expectation that Christianity is the only religion that is allowed to inhabit the public sphere, and a subset of people who truly believe that any other result is an infringement of their own religious liberty as Christians. It’s infuriating.

  41. 41.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jay: Yep. The only Kutznetzov you’ll see move for the foreseeable future is the one playing for the Washington Capitols.

  43. 43.

    Jay

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I’m not.

    La Meute is a longstanding Quebec Nazi/Militia group that claims 130,000 members.

    They once got all of 125 to show up to a free BBQ.

    The most they’ve ever gotten out to a “protest” is 25.

    It would appear that most of their “members” are “there” for the FPS Cosplay online.

  47. 47.

    CliosFanBoy

    a couple years ago a guy barged into the local Museum I help run and began asking us history questions. He was quite proud of knowing all sorts of trivia. He also bragged how he had a local radio show. So I Googled him. He did have a show, for a couple hours during dead weekend time on a local very-low-power RW talk station I’d never even heard of before. Not exactly the rebirth of William Randolph Hearst.

  48. 48.

    The Moar You Know

    Vyacheslav Ivankov

    Seen that guy somewhere before. Can’t place it, though. Hoping it was on TV and not real life.

  49. 49.

    The Moar You Know

    I see what you done did there.

    @catclub: Gotta give my wife credit for that one. When she nails it, she REALLY nails it.

  50. 50.

    NotMax

    @Sister Golden Bear

    Frankly, wouldn’t be overly sure about the straight part. Wouldn’t be the first time someone has spent years huddled in the closet of self-hatred.

    Just sayin’.

  55. 55.

    catclub

    @Adam L Silverman: 1. The situation of the GOP stealing elections, or getting to maintain power while
    not getting majorities in elections, seems HIGHLY sustainable into the indefinite future. democrats are working to oppose that, but only in very civil ways. And it is elected Democrats who are leading the opposition, and having to encourage the crowd that this is what we need to oppose’ rather than, ‘We need to harness the people’s anger over this issue’.
    I would count Reverend Barber in NC as closest to encouraging popular outrage, rather than politicians being outraged the GOP is stealing from them.

    2. The Still angry, even though we have been winning by cheating crowd, seems to be the more likely source of future bad days.
    All the Timothy McVey incompetent copycats captured lately, seem to be white and aggreived. But even they are very very small numbers, and I have no feeling that we are one trigger short of civil war – that these goofballs seem to be hoping their halfbrained attacks will touch off.
    There is no sense among the general population that ‘we dodged a bullet that those guys were caught – they could have started something bigger’ . Instead it is just ‘another set of misguided goofballs, got caught’.

  56. 56.

    jonas

    Fundamentalists are still rolling out that old canard that “no religion is actually a kind of religion too, so you can’t promote that, either!”? Good grief.

  57. 57.

    trollhattan

    @Adam L Silverman:
    In the early days of internet publishing there was a very cutting edge literary magazine that published a photo spread (B/W, excellent craft) of Soviet prison tattoos. One of the most visually frightening things I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  59. 59.

    Kay

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Parents can be fierce. We had a weird guy like this filming kids at the public pool and the parents ran him out of there even before the police arrived. “Trespassing” usually requires notice- the person has to be asked to leave and then refuse, or be barred and then re-enter. They didn’t even give him a warning :)

    I’m zero tolerance for acting like a lunatic at children’s events. .000001% risk is too high if the upside is coddling these people.

  61. 61.

    Brickley Paiste

    @The Moar You Know:

    Yep, I remember when the open carry nutjobs were toting their (unloaded) ARs to my local Peets coffee when they were agitating for (I guess) loaded open carry. They all had their phones and a few, bless their hearts, looked like they pulled out the VHS Sony cameras from the 1990s. They were worse with the selfies than 12 year old girls. (Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t see that many teenagers doing selfies anymore …) When the worker asked the gaggle to step aside (so she could take other orders — they were all up in her face about “We have a right to be here.”

    SAD.

  62. 62.

    Brachiator

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The point here is that this is unsustainable. There is an anger in American state and society and it is asymmetrical. The actual victims of state and societal prejudice, discrimination, and systematic and institutional discrimination have reached a point where it will not take much to tip things into outright rebellion. The President’s base – white, largely evangelical, Christians – have convinced themselves and been convinced by their clergy and the politicians they support that they are the actual victims, even though there is no empirical evidence to support that. And even though they won in 2016; they got the president they wanted in Trump, they got GOP majorities in both the House and the Senate, they got two Supreme Court justices picked by Trump, they got a host of xenophobic, nativist, and anti-LGBTQ regulations and executive orders, they are even angrier now.

    You are very correct when you say that the anger is asymmetrical, but the rebellion ironically enough may come from the right.

    These people are absolutely convinced that they have been wronged and robbed of what is due them by the Prince of Resentment, their president. They increasingly feel emboldened to attack nonwhite and gay, lesbian and transgender people, and to banish them from society. It is not enough that they control many state governments, judges, and much of the federal government. They want outcomes that will certify their ascendancy, namely the outlawing of abortion, a return (or imposition) of Christian religion in public schools and public spaces, the suppression of non-heterosexual peoples, the expulsion of Hispanic people from the United States, and the construction of the Wall. Black people should be seen and not heard.

    Right wing white conservatives want to be able to look around and see that they have re-asserted white supremacy.

    And then they can unleash war in the Middle East in “defense” of Israel.

    These people cannot be appeased. And Trump and Fox News tells them that they should have everything that they want, double certified by the will of God Almighty.

    This is a recipe for disaster. However, I absolutely believe that a Democratic Party victory in 2020 can slow the insanity. Most of these people need an authority figure to act brave. Topple Trump, and the more outrageous goons will back down. If we can retake the Senate, we can halt the installation of right wing judges. The anger and resentment will still be there, but it might be possible to contain it.

    ETA: the UK has a similar problem with BREXIT, which may release all kinds of anger if a “No Deal” BREXIT happens.

    These are truly times that try men’s (and women’s) souls.

  63. 63.

    NotMax

    FYI.

    It started as a normal morning in the upper house of Russia’s parliament, as a rubber stamp body for the Kremlin packed with wealthy members. But within minutes, the country’s top law-enforcement officials turned up to detain a senator on murder charges as he waited for debate to begin.

    The unprecedented scene saw Russia’s youngest senator, 32-year-old Rauf Arashukov, led from the floor of the Federation Council Wednesday on charges of murder and organized crime. As officials laid out their case to his colleagues to lift his immunity as a parliamentarian, he got up to leave the hall but was ordered to stay by Speaker Valentina Matvienko, she later told reporters.
    [snip]
    Though state media portrayed the action as evidence of the Kremlin’s toughness on crime, the dramatic events put the authorities in a ticklish position. Senators in Russia are usually carefully vetted by the Kremlin before going through the technical procedure of being appointed by their region. Arashukov was a member of the ruling United Russia party and had been a senator since 2016. Source

    “Ticklish situation.” How droll.

  64. 64.

    Brickley Paiste

    @Millard Filmore:

    I think that CNN got word of some sealed indictments the day before Stone’s arrest and that’s why they stationed a crew at his house. So it isn’t that we are going to be told (directly) anything, it’s that they imply that something COULD be about to happen.

  65. 65.

    Sister Golden Bear

    As you might have guess this sort of disruptive and threatening behavior (sans guns) has become sadly common.

    Can’t find the news story at the moment, but recently at group of Talibaptists showed up early to pack the room so no one else could get in. Unfortunately, there was nothing to library could do, and were dozens of disappointed kids.

    The queen still did her reading, with far more grace than I would have. Fortunate for them since the Talibaptists have forgotten the 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Piss Off Drag Queens.

  67. 67.

    catclub

    @Brachiator:

    However, I absolutely believe that a Democratic Party victory in 2020 can slow the insanity. Most of these people need an authority figure to act brave. Topple Trump, and the more outrageous goons will back down.

    There isn’t actually evidence for this. White militias grew like crazy AFTER Clinton was elected. Also AFTER Obama was elected.

  69. 69.

    Millard Filmore

    @Adam L Silverman:

    There’s a lot of speculation that the Special Counsel’s Office filed them yesterday under seal ahead of arrests today.

    So that’s how this works? I thought it would be more like: We have to wait a few years until Trump can no longer give out pardons.

    On a related note, is there any way we in the public would know if Mueller, in order to make indictments Pardon Proof, is passing as much as he can down to the state level? I know Mueller does not leak but would those actions cast some shadows?

  72. 72.

    The Moar You Know

    I absolutely believe that a Democratic Party victory in 2020 can slow the insanity.

    @Brachiator: We have three decades of evidence showing exactly the opposite; these people and their insane worldview thrive when Dems are in power. Additionally, they are far more likely to act on their mistaken beliefs under Dem administrations.

  76. 76.

    Mike in DC

    To one up the Russians and their doomsday torpedo, we could put a 1 gigaton meganuke in permanent geosynchronous orbit over Moscow and call it Project Damocles. I am at least half joking.

  77. 77.

    Adam L Silverman

    @rikyrah: Diverse enough for you?

    (Full disclosure>I helped run the Jewish student society at St. Andrews during my Robert T. Jones scholarship.

  78. 78.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Sebastian: He was part of the pile on on Governor Northam when the anti-abortion folks took his remarks out of context, edited them, and then circulated them for maximum outrage.

  79. 79.

    Martin

    Fuck, man, I live in communist California and we don’t have Drag Queen Storytime! I’m jealous. That sounds super fun.

  80. 80.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Millard Filmore: He’s filed a whole lot of them under seal, so who knows when they’re actually going to drop.

    And I don’t know. I do know he’s spent a lot of time coordinating with the NY AG’s office, as well as the AG’s for DC and Maryland.

  82. 82.

    Adam L Silverman

    @rikyrah: I think there are two white male Democrats who might be able to thread the needle and speak to the diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-religious and pro LGBTQ coalition that is the Democratic Party in 2019. This is largely based on who they are, what they’ve done in office, and how they pitch what they’re doing. One is Senator Brown. The other is Mayor Mitch Landrieu. I also think there’s one white female Democrat who could also do so and that is Senator Klobuchar. I think the real action is going to be with Senators Harris and Booker and, perhaps, another man or woman of color, who decides to run with everyone else, including Joaquin Castro, Beto O’Roarke, Erik Swalwell, even Senator Warren, really trying to move the party on the issues they think is important, running to audition for the VP slot, and/or a potential cabinet position.

  83. 83.

    Jay

    @Brachiator:

    In Kentucky, yesterday, the GrOPer’s passed a law barring any City, Munincipality, Corporation, University from removing any and all monuments to Treason in Defence of Slavery.

    Last night, sombody used a hammer drill and a bucket of expanding concrete to destroy one in Leavittown, KY.

    When the Body Politic becomes unresponsive to the Body Public, you see:

    Naming✔️
    Shaming✔️
    Shunning✔️
    Civil Disobedience✔️
    Revolt

    I don’t think you are going to see a WingNut Revolution.

  84. 84.

    Kay

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I didn’t know Northam is a physician. They really have a special kind of arrogance. It’s mind-blowing to me. There is NOTHING they are not experts on- fully versed, in every possible area, and available for uninformed opinion at a moment’s notice.

    Here’s Right wing gadabout and writer of scolding books lecturing the physician on his profession:

    Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben Sasse, in an interview Thursday with Fox News, ramped up his criticism of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam over comments on a controversial late-term abortion bill — saying the governor effectively discussed “infanticide” and should resign if he won’t back down.

  85. 85.

    Ivan Ivanovich Renko

    @Brachiator:

    These people cannot be appeased. And Trump and Fox News tells them that they should have everything that they want, double certified by the will of God Almighty.

    They are Confederates. I swear, everything we need to know about these sonsabitches is in Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech:

    Your purpose, then, plainly stated, is that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us. You will rule or ruin in all events.

  86. 86.

    David Evans

    @Mike in DC: It would lack plausible deniability. Also a truly geostationary orbit has to be over the equator. You could have one that crossed over Moscow every 90 minutes.

  87. 87.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jay: Those of Confederate nationality are going to be very upset.

  89. 89.

    Kay

    Cheryl Bridges Johns
    ‏@cb_johns
    Follow Follow @cb_johns
    More
    I am pro-life, but I resent people taking Gov. Northram’s remarks regarding “making a baby comfortable” out of context. This man is a gifted neonatologist who has stood watch over countless little ones, bringing them back to life.

    No, Cheryl, sadly we prefer to get our medical information from a bunch of screeching idiots on cable tv. Because they’re experts. In everything. Neonatal medical care? Ask Ben Sasse! He’ll just wing it.

  92. 92.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Kay: These are the two best threads I’ve seen on this:

    And

  93. 93.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Millard Filmore:

  96. 96.

    Adam L Silverman

    @WaterGirl: The question regarding Beto, and don’t get me wrong I was rooting for him and like him and thinks he’s got great things ahead, is whether he got that close because it was that close or he got that close because even Ted Cruz’s wife and kids can’t stand Ted Cruz.

    As for Klobuchar, I think there’s a way there too. Also, as I’ve posted a couple of times, that Minnesota nice has a core of steel.

  100. 100.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Kay: This whole thing is mindboggling because Ralph Northam OF ALL PEOPLE really does get to say, in effect, “in case you haven’t been there, I have, and here’s what happens.” You can’t lecture Ralph Northam about sick babies. That’s THE ONE THING he ABSOLUTELY 100% knows more about than most every possible “you.”

  101. 101.

    Adam L Silverman

    @NotMax: What you do in your private time, provided everyone is consenting and you have adequate and appropriate safety precautions worked out, including a safe word, and an aftercare plan in place, is none of my business.

  102. 102.

    Mary G

    @Adam L Silverman: I’m sorry, unless there are twelve nuns, a dozen bishops, 24 videocameras, and a partridge in a pear tree, law enforcement will still blame the black/Latinx/Asian person. They are not allowed to have ground to stand on. The Founding Fathers said so, and so it will always be in most of these states where they have these stupid laws. I’ve seen too many women go to jail for killing abusive husbands to think that the mindset has changed enough.

  104. 104.

    Kay

    @FlipYrWhig:

    This whole thing is mindboggling because Ralph Northam OF ALL PEOPLE really does get to say, in effect, “in case you haven’t been there, I have, and here’s what happens.” You can’t lecture Ralph Northam about sick babies. That’s THE ONE THING he ABSOLUTELY 100% knows more about than most every possible “you.”

    Agreed. It should also be in the first line of any story written about it- “Ralph Northam, MD and neonatal expert….

    Why bother learning anything? Everyone already knows everything. Just ask them.

  107. 107.

    Gelfling 545

    The idea of “devout Secular Humanists” has had me chuckling on and off since I read it. Brothers and sisters, let us bow our heads and devoutly not pray.

  110. 110.

    Millard Filmore

    @Adam L Silverman: Its now 4:40 EDT. Whatever will happen with these, it won’t be today. Would they be sealed if the target was getting a notice to show up someplace with a toothbrush?

  112. 112.

    Jay

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The Treason in Defence of Slavery folks are too dumb to realize that they couldn’t actually write a State Law protecting their Participation Trophies, with out cutting off their nose, to spite their face.

  114. 114.

    chopper

    @Jay:

    hey, now. you remember the old slogan, “treason in the defense of slavery is no vice”. be nice to our confederate-american brethren.

  116. 116.

    Just Chuck

    Wouldn’t all this go away if the president just said the words “radical Christianist terrorists”?

  119. 119.

    Sister Golden Bear

    Speaking of drag queens and children, this Quora user got it right. //

    I’m against drag queens being exposed to children. A lot could go wrong.

    Nails could be broken, wigs pulled off, someone could get knocked off her heels. Children are wild, irrational, and unpredictable, and their characters are still in the formative stages. Someone fabulous could get hurt.

    Although my friends* who’ve read at DQSHs assure me that the little dahlings are usually charming and an utterly enthralled.

    Including a drag king (cisgender woman portraying a man).

  122. 122.

    Brachiator

    @catclub:

    However, I absolutely believe that a Democratic Party victory in 2020 can slow the insanity. Most of these people need an authority figure to act brave. Topple Trump, and the more outrageous goons will back down.

    There isn’t actually evidence for this. White militias grew like crazy AFTER Clinton was elected. Also AFTER Obama was elected.

    These people mostly marched up and down, waving their weapons, but didn’t actually do much of anything. Some nutjobs have been acting out more since Trump’s election, but the majority of these people are cowards.

  124. 124.

    Robert Sneddon

    @Adam L Silverman: A minimum number of carriers is two, one-carrier navies like Russia and France are deluding themselves. Carriers need a lot of TLC in dry docks and one-carrier operations means there is no continuing air wing operations, training etc. available to the crabfat brigade while the hull is being scraped of barnacles and generally welded up. There’s also the sailing-around-with-support-vessels stuff that also needs to be trained for. This operational requirement is why the Royal Navy is getting a pair of QE carriers, not just one. Even in the days of “through-deck” cruisers the RN had three hulls flying Harriers and helos, not all operational at the same time though. It helps that Harriers and the F35-B are easier to operate than catapult-and-arrester aircraft — the US has at least one of its CVNs doing pilot and air-wing training as a dedicated duty all of the time.

    Even the Japense are building two of their new Izumo-class helo carriers which are F-35B capable even though they’re half the size of a USMC America-class LHD hull.

  125. 125.

    boatboy_srq

    I do love how the Xtianists exclude LGBTs, then attempt character assassination based on that very exclusion. If it weren’t for Xtianist allergy to All Things Ghey they couldn’t use “secular humanism” as a crock o’shit pseudophilosophical position.

  126. 126.

    boatboy_srq

    @Kay: The one trouble is that the only thing that would make them think twice about Open Carry Everywhere is the very thing the disarmed-on-principle won’t do: pack heat right alongside them. If they got their wish, and every citizen carried shootin’ irons along with the driver’s licence and passport, they would all soil their undies and run screaming.

  127. 127.

    debbie

    The complaint, linked in that courthousenews story, shows that the lead plaintiff is TEX CHRISTOPHER, because of court it is. He and his co-plaintiffs describe themselves as, and I quote and have not been drinking, DE FACTO ATTORNEY GENERALS [sic] AND SPECIAL FORCES OF LIBERTY

    I’ve responded to more than a few of these self-titled clowns. As soon as I see that phrase in a complaint, I know I’m going to have fun writing the letter.

  129. 129.

    Karen

    @Brachiator: It’s called Dominionism. And the Christian Zionists only like dead Jews that will be killed on the End of Days. I’m Jewish too and I try to explain to my family (aunt, uncle and cousins) that just because the Evangelicals (who control Dotard) are pro-Israel doesn’t mean that they’re pro live Jewish.

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