Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

This blog will pay for itself.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

“More of this”, i said to the dog.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

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Reader Interactions

126Comments

  1. 1.

    Geeno

    The anniversary of my RWNJ brother’s death as well. My sister and I used to joke that Obamacare’s passage killed him.

  2. 2.

    planetjanet

    Wow, has it really been that long? I remember fussing at my congresscritter to get him to support the public option.

  3. 3.

    germy

    Who was the young boy to Obama’s right? And where is he now?

    Did he have a pre-existing condition?

  4. 4.

    Amir Khalid

    I hope someone reminded Trump of the anniversary. That would ruin his mood for the day.

  5. 5.

    The Dangerman

    That would ruin his mood for the day.

    I think it’s been ruined already; I read someplace that he only spoke publicly for 3 minutes a Mar-a-Larceny last night. Wonder what had him so quiet? Did his lawyers finally get the electrodes attached to his balls?

    So, surely Trump knew what was in the report seconds after it was filed; why so quiet?

    ETA: Maybe his bracket blew up as bad as mine did. Damn you, 12-5 games.

  6. 6.

    dnfree

    It has been (and remains) like the cat with nine lives–almost declared dead more than once.

  9. 9.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @germy:

    Who was the young boy to Obama’s right? And where is he now?

    Here’s an update on that young boy from three years ago, not long after she came out as transgender.

    ETA: Shakes fist savagely but impotently at Mike J

  11. 11.

    The Dangerman

    @raven:

    You should know those games are a trap.

    Yeah, I know; I pretty much went chalk this year (other than I have MSU taking the whole thing, mainly cuz I hate Duke) and have paid the price.

  13. 13.

    Quaker in a Basement

    @germy:I don’t know who the kid is, but seeing him pleases me every time somebody posts a photo of that signing. He looks like such a little man and he’s standing there looking on, jacket off, hands in his pockets–as if to say “Oh, there’s the president of the United States signing historic legislation–just like any other day. Wonder what’s for lunch.”

    Whoever hs is, with the passage of nine years, he should be all grown up by now.

    Edit: She. Thanks for the updates, ya’ll.

  16. 16.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    @germy: @germy: Better than that, Medicare For All, and throw out the insurance companies, and stompo on big pharma. I going with Tennessee in the Final Four.

  19. 19.

    raven

    @The Dangerman: I’m in a Calcutta that came in a 11K. I could only afford 2 teams, Buckeyes and the Hokies but it pays a bunch of different was and I’m still alive. Duke sold for $1700!

  20. 20.

    dr. bloor

    Oh, look. Politicans who are actually invested in good government for the people and by the people, signing into law a bill that everyone benefits from, either directly or indirectly. Good times.

    I think I’m going to double up on my Celexa today.

  21. 21.

    germy

    BREAKING: Justice Department official says attorney general will not submit Mueller’s ‘principal conclusions’ to Congress today

    WaPo

  22. 22.

    The Dangerman

    @raven:

    Duke sold for $1700!

    As this thing goes on, into the bigger arenas/stadiums, Duke can be had with a Syracuse level zone; their outside shooting is way suspect.

    I just hate one and done’s (get off my lawn, kids), which is why I have a bottle of something good if Wofford drops Kentucky this afternoon. Generally, after the brackets come out, I scout for a Junior/Senior heavy team to root for but I didn’t have time this year.

  24. 24.

    MomSense

    The ACA has saved a lot of lives and prevented much misery.

    I still can’t believe we have to endure so much drama over the basics of a modern society.

  26. 26.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @germy:

    attorney general will not submit Mueller’s ‘principal conclusions’ to Congress today

    Got it. They need ‘running around in circles screaming and waving their arms’ time. Is it really that bad? I have no sense of what makes Trump shut up. Yes, he hides when he’s publicly defeated by someone else, but no matter what’s in the report I can’t see how that would apply. If it says he’s innocent, he’d be crowing about it. If it says he’s guilty as sin, he’d be publicly whining. If it says anything open to interpretation of even the slightest amount he’d be crowing that it proves him innocent. Even when he runs and hides, as soon as he feels safe from direct confrontation he grabs his phone and starts whining to the world.

    All that leaves is… that someone desperately wants him to keep quiet about it and has convinced him to shut up? That never lasts long, and I’m not sure what it gets them. Time to hide evidence? Time to run in circles and desperately hope they think of something?

  28. 28.

    MomSense

    @germy:

    Her (Marcelas is transgender) mom died because she became too sick to work. When she lost her job she lost her health care.

  29. 29.

    Kelly

    @The Dangerman: Since my Ducks are one of those winning 12 seeds I’m happy, happy, happy. Our women’s team won to so a great day of basketball. They’ve had a better year than the men are a 2 seed so overwhelming 15 seed Portland State was not a surprise.

  30. 30.

    Mike in NC

    Fat Bastard needs to be reminded on a daily basis that John McCain prevented him from repealing the ACA and making millions of Americans suffer as a result.

  31. 31.

    Geeno

    @The Dangerman: It’s hard to make money betting the chalk. It pays so little and loses just often enough to cost you your winnings and then some.
    My father raised me watching the ponies, but it applies to all sports.

  32. 32.

    Duane

    Because of the ACA, I along with millions of others, have good, affordable health insurance. Sincerely, thanks Obama.

  33. 33.

    Amir Khalid

    @Frankensteinbeck:
    I suspect the report has Trump pretty much nailed to the wall, and makes a helluva strong case for the first prosecution ever of a sitting POTUS.

  34. 34.

    JaySinWA

    Trump Fed nominee Steven Moore stole Cleek’s law for the book he and Laffer co-wrote “Trumponomics”. Mankiw reviews it here

    The authors’ approach to policy is similarly bereft of nuance. In Chapter 3, they sum it up by proudly recounting what Moore told Trump about U.S. President Barack Obama during the campaign: “Donald, just look at all the things that Obama has done on the economy over the past eight years, and then do just the opposite.”

    Mankiw is a big thumbs down on Moore for Fed Is there any other Republican economist speaking up?
    And happy birthday ACA!

  35. 35.

    Sebastian

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    It is complete and utter panic time. Contemplation of suicide or escape to another country. Everything is out in the open: the treason, the corruption, the conspiracy, the blackmail and bribery of politicians, the manipulation and cheating of elections, everything.

    They are panickingly looking for a way to spin something, anything, in their favor. These idiots are right now hatching one stupid plan after the other, yelling at each other, blaming each other for everything and in the middle the fat orange asshole screaming at everyone including Jarvanka. It’s Downfall Bunker Scene Time.

    Because here is the thing: everyone knows that even if Barr is stupid enough to block the report, The Report will be leaked.

  37. 37.

    Mike in NC

    @Sebastian: Surprised that the report hasn’t already been leaked, because we all know there are no such things as secrets in Washington, DC. Just give it 2-3 more days.

  39. 39.

    Chyron HR

    @zhena gogolia:

    Because the only options that fit the available evidence are:

    1) The fix is in, and Donald Trump has actually been engaging in flawless kayfabe for the past two years.
    2) NO COLLUSION No, collusion.

  40. 40.

    Brachiator

    Today the Affordable Care Act (ACA) turns nine.

    It is still a BFD.

    Yep. Great photo of a president signing a bill that helps most people and not one which only benefits the wealthy or businesses.

  41. 41.

    wvng

    @dr. bloor: Thanks especially to the Dems in purple districts who voted for the ACA knowing it would cost them their seats. Doing the right thing just because it was the right thing.

  42. 42.

    JPL

    @Sebastian: I imagine that Barr is holed up with the trump attys deciding how much they can block because of executive privilege. What ever we see, it won’t be all and it certainly won’t paint an accurate picture of what he did. He’s only going to release the primary conclusions, which if he wanted to would be out already.
    At this point I only trust the NY State Attorney.

    LAO mentioned that she wasn’t fond of Weissmann. Maybe he’ll find a way to leak it.

  43. 43.

    Mnemosyne

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    The Hoarse Whisperer thinks that Trump is cocooning while he desperately searches for a way to convince himself that the very public shaming that’s on the way is everyone else’s fault and he’s still perfect.

  44. 44.

    Betty

    As an aside, Nancy is the only official in that picture still in office (I think). That should tell Joe it’s time to retire and relax.

  45. 45.

    Yutsano

    Happy 9th PPACA! We really should list it by its proper title.

    Doing a lot of physio is paying off. I am already noticing things getting easier although it’s still going to be a while until I can get back into my apartment. At least I can crash with the folks until then.

    And today I’m going to try driving. Not too far but at least enough to grab a med from the drugstore. And then I have one more test that can wait a few more days. But I might just be driving myself here as soon as next week.

  50. 50.

    Ruckus

    @MomSense:

    over the basics of a modern society.

    And really, when you look at it the ACA is only a very basic model. It’s got steel wheels and only an AM radio with a stick shift. It’s far better than no car at all but it’s basic. And that’s pretty much the best we could do with all the fuckery that republicans did and continue to try to do to make it worse. The republican idea of healthcare is it’s just one more thing that someone should be able to make gobs of money for a shitty product and good healthcare is something only for the rich fucks who earned it by being rich.

  52. 52.

    Ruckus

    @Yutsano:
    Take care driving.
    I just gave up riding motorcycles after owning and riding for 51 yrs. I’ve seen too many continue on when they should have stopped and paid a damn steep price for it. Driving a car is of course just a touch safer but with over a half a million miles riding under my belt it has been a great experience. I want to remember it that way.
    And I don’t want to continue driving to the point that I can’t do that, which too many folks do as well. I have a friend whose dad has lost his license and just got arrested for driving without a license at 92. It didn’t go well.

  54. 54.

    Sebastian

    @Mnemosyne:

    Yup, pretty much. It’s denial time for Donny! Fingers in ears and lalala I can’t hear you this isn’t happening! The rest of the crew? Running in circles and screaming.

    You really think Mueller phoned this in and the fix is in? Haha sure. Let’s wait for Monday. I for one am savoring the Trumpsters’ darkest hour. Or so they think!

  55. 55.

    Sebastian

    @Ruckus:

    McCain gave The Dossier to the FBI. He personally carried it or something and thus McCain is the source of all of Donnie’s issues and that’s why he hates him and that’s why he unloaded on him the past few days.

    Fuckface was steaming and waiting for The Report to drop and I bet he convinced himself “if only that asshole McCain had never given The Dossier to the Feds” everything would be totally fine.

  57. 57.

    Ruckus

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:
    It really is an unpredictable situation. Trump has played small time dipshit in way over his head for his entire life, regardless of whatever money he may have had, which he used to pay lawyers to save his ass. That may still help him a bit bu there is only so much they can do, most of this is on him. He wanted to play the big man, the one in charge, the place the buck stops, and really that is where he is. He’ll never accept responsibility for his bullshit, his entire life has been bullshit/slide/bullshit/slide……But he’s boxed into this corner and really there is no way out. That’s what happened to Nixon, once the tapes came out he couldn’t deny anything. The difference is that Nixon wasn’t quite as stupid as Trump and possibly (but not likely) a touch less dishonest, but that’s a distinction of little consequence.

  60. 60.

    debbie

    @Yutsano:

    Glad to read it’s going well! Take someone with you while driving. Your brain’s not used to the great, wide open outdoors.

  61. 61.

    Kathleen

    @wvng: But… but…”spineless Dems corporate shills neoliberal” something something. He. Didn’t. Even. Try.
    ETA: My congressman Steve Driehaus was one of those reps. He lost re-election because “Right To Life” lied about his position on abortion vis a vis ACA. They also threatened to kill him and his children.

  64. 64.

    Brachiator

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Trump still hasn’t tweeted today. Like everyone else, I hope that’s a good sign, but I’m afraid to hope too hard.

    I have not read about or thought about the Mueller Report all day. I’ve tried to avoid speculating, but I have to say the fact that there are no indictments of Don Jr or Young Jared makes me think that the report will not be devastating to Trump or his malignant administration.

    But who knows. The fun is just beginning.

  65. 65.

    ArchTeryx

    Had it (and Medicaid Expansion) been in effect when I was in grad school I wouldn’t have been one wealthy friend between myself and death, and saved untold heartache RIGHT when I was trying to get a dissertation together. The damage that period did to my body permanently locked me out of my chosen career and rendered 20 years of training worthless and void.

    All because grad students were put on junk insurance that left the chronically ill explicitly out to die. Junk insurance that the ACA eliminated.

    It subsequently and repeatedly (once I moved to New York) saved my life. And it did what almost nothing else could – made me consider the Republican party and my Republican relatives my *mortal enemies*.

  66. 66.

    Brachiator

    @trollhattan:

    Today’s anti-Brexit march was yuge! Seriously, watch this aerial footage.

    London is very anti-BREXIT, other areas of the country less so. Still it is an amazing display of people power.

    Various factions are still stuck on their favorite positions, even though this has not worked for anyone. The EU also seems to want to be rid of Britain. The UK seems to be drifting toward a result which will leave everyone unhappy.

  68. 68.

    Sebastian

    @Ruckus:

    It really is an unpredictable situation. Trump has played small time dipshit in way over his head for his entire life, regardless of whatever money he may have had, which he used to pay lawyers to save his ass. That may still help him a bit bu there is only so much they can do, most of this is on him. He wanted to play the big man, the one in charge, the place the buck stops, and really that is where he is. He’ll never accept responsibility for his bullshit, his entire life has been bullshit/slide/bullshit/slide……But he’s boxed into this corner and really there is no way out. That’s what happened to Nixon, once the tapes came out he couldn’t deny anything. The difference is that Nixon wasn’t quite as stupid as Trump and possibly (but not likely) a touch less dishonest, but that’s a distinction of little consequence.

    QFT.

  69. 69.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Ruckus: My brother (4 yrs younger) remarked the other day that as far as automotive mobility is concerned, we timed our lives just right – driverless cars are going to hit the market bigly just about when our diminishing capabilities render us real menaces (to self & others**) on the roads. (**Justly renowned one liner: I want to die like my grandfather, in my sleep – not like the other people in the car he was driving at the time.)

  70. 70.

    Marcopolo

    @rikyrah: Thanks for posting this. I was not aware Castro was struggling to get to the 65K cut off.

    I threw him a few bucks a couple of weeks ago. He is one of the four candidates running to whom I have given money because I want to at least see them on the first debate stage. Anyway, I just went through my political campaign spam email folder and here is the direct link (and message) his campaign emailed me on Friday for contributions.

    That’s why I’m humbly asking you to pitch in $1 or more now to join this campaign. Be one of the 200 grassroots donors I need from Missouri to secure my spot on the Democratic debate stage.

    I will now try to get a dozen friends to send him a buck by the end of the month. I think it is imperative that there be a Hispanic candidate for the D presidential nomination up on the stage just for role modeling & representational reasons. As that saying goes, if you don’t have a seat at the table you are probably on the menu. I want us to have as diverse a group of individuals sitting at our table as is possible.

  71. 71.

    eemom

    Surprised there isn’t a place one can camp out to get the first available contents of the MR, and/or tickets being scalped. What’s happened to entrepreneurialism in this country?

  72. 72.

    John Revolta

    @Ruckus: FWIW, Nixon was not in it strictly, or even mainly, for the money. He hated guys like Trump who had always looked down on him. Nixon could play the fucking piano, and was crazy about baseball. I’m not saying he was a good guy, but he’s not anywhere near Trump on the despicability scale.

  73. 73.

    Marcopolo

    Oh, and in regards to the ACA turning 9 today. I did not have health insurance from 2003 till Jan ’11 because I just could not afford it after I lost the coverage from my job. During that time I had to have an appendix removed. The cost for that was about a $32K. Thanks to my family & vigorously lobbying the hospital it was reduced to half that and paid off over a couple of years but it really really sucked.

    As I write this at least 4 more folks who are near and dear to me also get their coverage via the ACA. It is making a profound positive change in all of our lives. I will crawl over flaming broken glass to protect it & to expand affordable health coverage to as many of my fellow citizens as I can.

  74. 74.

    James E Powell

    @John Revolta:

    I don’t understand why people feel the need to compare villains and argue about who was the most villainous. Every Republican president since Lincoln (or maybe Grant) has been bad for ordinary people. Every Republican president since Eisenhower has been flat out evil.

  76. 76.

    Brachiator

    @Marcopolo:

    As I write this at least 4 more folks who are near and dear to me also get their coverage via the ACA. It is making a profound positive change in all of our lives. I will crawl over flaming broken glass to protect it & to expand affordable health coverage to as many of my fellow citizens as I can.

    I had an emergency that sent me to the hospital in 2014. While I was there (absolute true story), I overheard a person in an area next to me tell the doctor that if it weren’t for Obamacare, he would not have been able to get the treatment he was getting.

    And yet it is just damn wild that there are people, mainly white idiots, who desperately want to get rid of this Obamacare that they hate so much and load up on the emptiness of Trump Care.

  77. 77.

    John Revolta

    @James E Powell: I dunno. I suppose it’s because some people don’t care about sports but still want to argue about stuff. Was W the same as Ford?

    (And hey, now I’ve got a new reason to hate Trump. He made me stick up for Nixon!)

  78. 78.

    Ruckus

    @Uncle Cosmo:
    I know of two people in their 90s still “driving.” As I said one is a danger to himself and my friend, who is his child, had a long serious discussion the other night. Said that he needs to be in/under conservatorship because he can no longer care for himself and maintain his own, well freedom. He is a major danger to others and himself. How many headstrong people do we all know that will end up hurting someone, at least themselves because they want that freedom and responsibility and no longer have the control to handle it. Your little joke is a line that we don’t all end up at and we really should see that we can’t all be the independent people we think we are. Some are capable of that longer than others but none of us get towards the end of life and have the right of unlimited freedom, to drive, even to walk when it endangers others. We took decades to get to the point that drunk driving was handled a bit better, lots of people did whatever the hell they wanted and got behind the wheel to drive and risk others who didn’t do anything wrong. Guns are in the same area, with the exception that they are only killing tools. That’s all they do. A car can be and mostly is a form of transportation. A gun kills things. We’ve made at least a token effort to not kill people with cars. Better safety, fewer drunks but now we are once again selling cars to anyone with far more horsepower than necessary. It’s the 70s all over again. It’s like we don’t learn anything in our lifetimes. Is it possible that most people are that fucking stupid? I think it just might be.

  79. 79.

    plato

    @Brachiator:

    London is very anti-BREXIT, other areas of the country less so.

    Reality.

    The march comes as the pro-Brexit March to Leave, which started in Sunderland a week ago, continues towards London.

    Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage re-joined the March to Leave in Linby, near Nottingham, on Saturday morning telling around 200 Brexit supporters that Mrs May had reduced the nation “to a state of humiliation”.

    Speaking from the top of an open-top bus, Mr Farage said those gathering for the People’s Vote march in London were not the majority, before leading the marchers through the village.

    Also, too. If the EU really wanted to get rid of UK, they would have done so two years back, instead of bending over backwards to make the brits see the stupidity of brexshit.

  80. 80.

    Brachiator

    @plato:

    Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage re-joined the March to Leave in Linby, near Nottingham, on Saturday morning

    Nigel Farage is the dumber, more vicious, version of Donald Trump.

  81. 81.

    Ruckus

    @John Revolta:
    Nixon was despicable fucking asshole. Period. I agree that he wasn’t the despicable fucking asshole that Trump is – he was different in his despicability. But never get the idea that each isn’t fucking horribly bad in their own way. I will agree that politically we have gotten worse as a country than during Nixon’s day but please do not try and sway me that Nixon wasn’t a horrible fucking human being who was in it for all the wrong reasons. On that note, I really think that we need to rethink the presidency, and the way our government is formed. Congress has abdicated some of it’s powers to the president that makes it even worse but even that said, this is a far different country than what probably anyone involved in it’s inception envisioned or was even capable of envisioning. And we have had a number of people whose rational for seeking the job was not that of being a citizen and wanting to help the country and all it’s citizens be their best, not even close to that ideal. Trump is just the warning that we have to figure out how to live in the modern world, how to be part of it, how not to think we are the last word and gunshot away from ending it because of our pompous arrogance.

  82. 82.

    Amir Khalid

    @Ruckus:
    The Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth’s 95 year-old husband, had to turn his driving licence recently after an accident. (No one was hurt.) He had chauffeured the Obamas during at least one visit to Britain.

  83. 83.

    Ruckus

    @Brachiator:
    Is dumber than Trump possible? That seems unreal. Of course it’s unreal to have to compare the two as if it’s not possible to be any dumber than either of them.

  84. 84.

    Nelle

    @Ruckus: my father resisted giving up driving, saying he’d had a good life ( well, skipping the Russian Revolution, the famine, the refugee experience, the Depression, and WWIi bits), so he was okay to go in an accident. I said, “And if you take someone’s grandchildren?” That was that. He reached in his pocket and gave me his keys. My FIL had to take a driving test after running a red light in front if a cop. He flunked, but barely. He talked the guy into giving him another test the next day. He backed out, in front of the examiner, and bashed into another, parked car. The examiner tore up his extra chance and flunked him. He was 95.

  85. 85.

    eclare

    @Amir Khalid: Prince Philip had to surrender his license? Had not heard that. Did the Queen have to approve? It was the right decision, the photos from that wreck were awful.

  86. 86.

    zhena gogolia

    @rikyrah:

    Just donated.

    That makes Harris, Buttigieg, and Castro now. It feels better than stewing about Bobby Three Sticks.

  89. 89.

    Ruckus

    @Amir Khalid:
    I do know that depending on your driving record, California does start making one renew their DL more often as one ages. And taking tests to make at least some effort to control the situation. The fellow I wrote about above had lost his license and was driving without one. It didn’t go well. He was actually arrested and his car impounded. And he has been a bit of a problem his entire adult life, seems to think far more of himself than warranted. My mom promised to stop driving if her license wasn’t renewed. She failed the test and told me, “I can take it again!” No, you can’t. You promised to stop, you are giving your car to your daughter. Give me the keys. That was it, the end. She was about 90. That was a bit of a struggle but she knew it was time, she just didn’t want to admit it. I don’t have anyone to tell me other than the state and I’m determined not to get there and demand that others suffer because I can no longer drive reasonably. There are too many options these days to have to risk the downsides.

  93. 93.

    Ruckus

    @Nelle:
    Like drunk driving, old farts behind the wheel is a problem. I started driving about 15 miles from where I’m currently living, 55 yrs ago and while it was still the land of the car, there was far less traffic than now. LA county where I live is 4750 sq miles and has over 10 million people. There are 41 STATES with fewer people. And the smallest state is RI with just over a 1200 sq miles and has a population of just over a million. 1/4 the size with 1/10 the population. Hmmmmmm, should make one think.

  95. 95.

    Yutsano

    The drive was successful. Other than tiring my right leg, I had no problems whatsoever. Thanks for all the well wishes!

  96. 96.

    raven

    @Ruckus: The weird thing for me was how close Pasadena is to Hawthorne. That 4am run up to the Rose Bowl was a snap. When I was a kid in the early 60’s we’d drive from Whittier to Huntington Beach and it was nothing but orange groves all the way!

  101. 101.

    CarolDuhart2

    As someone who’s been called “medically complex” by my doctor, the ACA (why in the hell can’t we really call it Obamacare), the ACA has been a lifesaver. I finally got a colonoscopy at 59 (they found some polyps and removed them,) cheaper medicines and due to the electronic files, seamless care from cardiologist, primary, and other specialists who could share at least some of my information. I was able to make a streamless transition into retirement because of Medicaid Expansion, and even though the cut-off is too low, I benefit still from the rest of it.

    I had no idea that is what happened to Driehaus. I wondered why he didn’t run again. Life to Righters actually threatening to kill him-that’s a contradiction in terms. I remember hearing the black community being unhappy that he never seemed to reach out to them in his re-elect but not knowing why.
    CA

  104. 104.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    As I said above I lived about 15 miles west of where I just moved to and while this town existed well before then it was separated from my town by a lot of open space and two other towns. Now there isn’t much except a river and a quary between towns. And I had a friend who lived about a mile east of me and he said when his family moved into their house it was the last house east, across the street was orange groves. That was about 1955 or so. Now it’s mostly homes or business from the Cajon Pass, which interstate 5 runs through into the central valley, all the way to the Mexican border. We don’t stuff 40 million people in this state with out places for most of them to live. And there is still a lot of farm/dairy land in this state.

  106. 106.

    Dorothy A Winsor

    @eclare: I saw a picture of Queen Elizabeth and Theresa May in which the Queen was supposedly saying, “You’ve fucked things up completely, haven’t you? Shall I get Philip to take you home?”

  107. 107.

    Ruckus

    @zhena gogolia:
    He’s right though. We won’t stand for it. We will march for it, we will scream for it and we will send better people to congress to do what we can to get his slimy ass in jail.
    The posts about old farts driving are appropriate to this, old farts are driving the country as well and they shouldn’t be because many of them can’t make good decisions only looking in rear view mirrors, looking to see who is gaining on them. We need younger blood, people who are going to be around for a while and have to suffer for their shitty decisions, not people past their prime, nor people whose prime was being on a shitty reality TV show, nor people whose only adoring gaze (for all the wrong reasons) is captured in a mirror in a bank lobby.

  110. 110.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    I thought it was about that time. Has changed just a tad.
    The 210 Freeway was opened when I was in HS. That’s was a while ago. Most of the freeways are now stop and go a good portion of the day because there are too many of us for the capacity. The Metro runs full during the morning and late afternoon rushes, standing room only. I’ve had to wait for the third train at one stop because the first two were full, overly friendly standing room only. And that trip was still faster on the train than in the car.
    People may not know good government from shit but they like it when they live with it. Well mostly anyway. CA sill had more Trump voters than many other states.

  112. 112.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Ruckus:

    Now it’s mostly homes or business from the Cajon Pass, which interstate 5 runs through into the central valley

    True, but the 5 runs though the Grapevine, the 15 runs though the Cajon Pass.

  114. 114.

    J R in WV

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:

    I got a call from El Paso the other day asking me to “attend” and listen to a twon hall Beto was scheduled to hold soon. I told them no thanks, I was already signed up for Kamala Harris.

    I note that those Beto crowds, in a state where the vast majority of Democrats are Black, the Beto crowds were pretty much lily white. That won’t fly at all.

    I know he have has all the charisma, and is likeable, but you need to let it go David.

    But Thanks!

    ETA Typo correction!

  117. 117.

    Marcopolo

    @J R in WV: To this I would add a line from a Dave Weigel tweet about a crowded Buttigieg event in SC today: “ Can’t be said enough how much interest there is in these candidates this early, compared to previous cycles.”

    I’ve seen photos of huge crowds for Harris, Warren, Buttigieg, and Sanders. I will be curious who is on still on the ballot when MO has its primary about a year from now.

  118. 118.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @J R in WV: It’s all good. I like Kamala too and posted very flattering photos of her kick off events, as well.

  120. 120.

    J R in WV

    And I do like Beto… I just feel like he’s running because he doesn’t have anything else to keep him busy.

    He likes the adoration too, who wouldn’t? But to be President ? naw, not yet!

  122. 122.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Brachiator: One of my tenants is a Trumpanzee (not one of the more hateful types) who works odd jobs & he & his partner struggle to keep up with the rent. Last year he had a heart attack, went to the ER, got stents. Next time I saw him with a couple of his friends around, I said to hi, I’m not going to say anything about your politics, but you should keep in mind that it’s liberals like me who passed programs like Medicaid that paid for you to get fixed up even though you had no money. If it wasn’t for us liberals you very well might have died. Think about that. And I walked away, leaving him to his thoughts.

  123. 123.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Brachiator: You misspelled that twit’s name; the correct version is Niggling Falange. Another one who by rights should end up standing on tiptoe on a chair under a lamppost with a noose around his neck attached to the lamppost – whence the UK could recover some of the cost of his Breakshit bullshit by raffling off the right to kick the fucking chair out from under him.

  124. 124.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Ruckus:

    …[P]lease do not try and sway me that Nixon wasn’t a horrible fucking human being who was in it for all the wrong reasons.

    No danger here. Living on the opposite (Least) Coast, Dad had the distinction of hating Nixon from his first race in 1946 (against Jerry Voorhis IIRC). The sumbidge “brought us together” as a family – we’d gather around the TV at news time in 73-74 & when his mugly ug hit the screen we’d rise up as one shaking our fists & snarling They’re gonna get you you sonofabitch!

    We used to say that Tricky Dick was the kind of Quaker who cheated at poker. True, he was the only President that could go to China – but only because bastards like him made it political suicide for any Democrat to try it.

  126. 126.

    Ruckus

    @Uncle Cosmo:
    I’ve known Quakers. I’ve attended meetings. He was a Faker, not a Quaker. He may have been raised as one but everything he did as an adult was against the teachings.

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