Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Unsung Hero of the Republic

Unsung Hero of the Republic

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I just wanted to highlight the heroic actions of a congressman, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), who this week introduced an amendment to a House Armed Services Committee bill that allocates money for two new Air Force One planes. The new 747s won’t go into service until 2024, by which time we hope Trump will be but a bad memory.

However, the tiny-fingered, ferret-headed shitgibbon had planned to leave his mark on the presidential conveyances with a “star-spangled” paint job and “gold-plated fixtures like those at his personal residences,” according to the CT Mirror.

Not on Rep. Courtney’s watch! Noting that “additional paint can add weight to the plane, additional fixtures inside the plane can also add cost and delays to the delivery of the plane,” Courtney successfully attached an amendment that requires congressional approval for excessive spending on “paint, interior, and fixtures” on the planes. The amendment was adopted on a party-line vote.

Republicans called the amendment a “political attack by Democrats, unfairly restricting the president’s ability to make even minor decisions.” Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) sputtered, “They want to impede the president at every turn.”

You’re goddamned right we do, Wittman.

Anyhoo, kudos to Rep. Courtney. Now future President Harris/Klobuchar/Warren won’t have to fly around in a plane with an exterior that resembles a Tobie Keith super-fan’s camper and an interior that looks like the ghost of Liberace ate a bushel of gold leaf and vomited all over the cabin. Well done, good sir!

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

70Comments

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    resembles a Tobie Keith super-fan’s camper and an interior that looks like the ghost of Liberace ate a bushel of gold leaf and vomited all over the cabin

    That’s the stuff!

    Jackie Kennedy’s color scheme has held up better than most things from the ’60s, I say stick with that.

  3. 3.

    Jerzy Russian

    They (Democrats) want to stop the President at every turn? It is like that anti drug commercial from my youth where the kid tells his father that he (the kid) learned to do drugs by watching him (the father).

  5. 5.

    waspuppet

    We’re starting to get illegitimacy fatigue, and thank God for Rep. Courtney for not falling prey to it.

    This president was not legitimately elected. No American should vote to approve anything that he wants. Nothing.

  6. 6.

    chopper

    these planes aren’t going to enter service til like 2025, so trump is never going to get to fly in them. ignoring his awful, gaudy taste in decor, why the hell should he get to decorate the next president’s plane?

  8. 8.

    ThresherK

    CT Dem here. I have never lived in Courtney’s district, but he’s a good egg. (My current Congresscritter is an ex-Teacher of the Year and I have high hopes for her.)

    Our two senators have been singled out for TrumpTweetTantrums, Blumenthal and Murphy. Courtney may be on that estimable list soon.

  10. 10.

    germy

    I'm not going to believe that Sarah Huckabee Sanders is leaving as White House press secretary until she denies it herself.

    — James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) June 13, 2019

  11. 11.

    VOR

    @chopper: It was reported that Trump spent a significant amount of time personally choosing decor and fabrics on his projects. He enjoys that level of detail. Plus he probably keeps thinking about China’s Xi being President for Life and thinks “that could be me”. Plus it is another shiny object to distract the media.

  13. 13.

    germy

    “look forward, not back”

    Imprisoning a former President is the kind of thing that happens in developing countries – America should avoid falling into this pattern if at all possible. The focus should be on winning in 2020 and solving the problems that got Trump into office.— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) June 13, 2019

  15. 15.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @VOR:
    It’s scary to think that the GOP might go along with that, 22nd amendment be damned

  17. 17.

    Aleta

    @VOR: I imagine he’s also busy designing busts and statues that will keep him in public spaces long after he’s gone.

  18. 18.

    Baud

    @germy:

    electing someone like Trump Imprisoning a former President is the kind of thing that happens in developing countries

  19. 19.

    burnspbesq

    Dear Mr. Yang,

    He’s a confessed felon, many times over. If the rule of law means anything, it means he should get a fair trial, and if he is convicted HE SHOULD DO THE FUCKING TIME.

    Get a clue.

  20. 20.

    Gravenstone

    @germy: Um, Andy? Shut your fucking pie hole and let the adults talk. Only imprisoning Trump (after the appropriate trials and deliberations) for his myriad of criminal offenses both in office and prior would frankly be letting the fucker off easy.

  21. 21.

    rk

    I’d like there to be so many amendments that the orange baboon has to ask congress permission before he can pee.

  23. 23.

    Gin & Tonic

    @burnspbesq: Isn’t he the candidate who took a public stand against infant circumcision? Reminds me in some ways of my former Governor and, also, quixotic candidate Linc Chafee.

  24. 24.

    Another Scott

    @chopper: Boeing apparently won’t start work on them until 2021, so there’s a lot of time yet.

    Though BusinessInsider (SA) has a story that Donnie wants them delivered by 2021… :-/

    I’m wondering whether Donnie’s decision to cut in-flight refueling capabilities (part of Donnie’s ‘deal’ to ‘save money’) will be reversed as well. It’s stupid to not have it on those planes, given their missions.

    The next AF1 should be a modern plane like a 787, not something based on an initial design from the 1960s. (The four-engine requirement is an anachronism.) But Donnie had to have his ‘deal’… Such stupidity.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  25. 25.

    rikyrah

    An Entire Black Family Nearly Excuted By #Police Because A 4 Year Old Kid Walked Out Of A store With A Barbie Doll Without The Family Noticing It.
    #TheNewNormal4Blacks Use This Hashtag & Stand In Solidarity
    .#PoliceBrutality #Policeterrorism #BlackLivesMatter #justiceorelse pic.twitter.com/NT2HRcjtE6

    — Black 24/7 (@Blackmediagrp) June 14, 2019

  26. 26.

    germy

    Jesus, this guy is really hard-core:

    Someone please explain how anyone who proclaims a commitment to social democracy or socialism could fall for Elizabeth Warren's warmed over liberal reformism? I guess these are same radicals who professed belief in FBI, waited for Mueller report & have been silent on Venezuela.
    — Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) June 12, 2019

  28. 28.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Another Scott:
    Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the 747 design will be retained if only for reasons of nostalgia and “tradition”

  29. 29.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @germy:
    Who’s this Baraka dork? He sure seems upset that Wilmer isn’t leading the pack anymore

  30. 30.

    hells littlest angel

    @VOR: He enjoys that level of detail. Plus …

    … any idiot can do it.

    To him, gold plate is infrastructure.

  31. 31.

    germy

    @rikyrah: Always contradictory commands. “Put your hands up” but “Get out of the car” (so if you reach down to open the door they can say you were reaching for a weapon)

    They should all be piss tested for steroids. They’re out of control.

  33. 33.

    Chyron HR

    @germy:

    have been silent on Venezuela.

    Whew, we don’t even have boots on the ground yet and Messiah Bernie has already convinced His followers that Venezuela, like Iraq, is a “Democrat War”.

  34. 34.

    Jeffro

    Donnie’s only concern about AF 1 at this point should be making sure the pilot is willing to fly him to a country with no extradition treaty with the US when the time comes

  36. 36.

    The Moar You Know

    Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) sputtered, “They want to impede the president at every turn.”

    I remember how respectful the Republicans were during Obama’s presidency and how they never tried to impede anything he did.

    Payback. I want it.

    I am still adamantly against impeachment for now – question of timing. I think the way to do this is to open up hearings before the general, make sure that it does not finish and go to the Senate before the general election so as to cause maximum damage and insure that there can be no claims of “acquittal” or “no collusion”. IF the orange SOB loses, which I understand all too well is not a guarantee, I want the DOJ to immediately prosecute him for the felonies that have already been shown by the Mueller report, plus anything else they can heap on. I want him in prison. We can’t let another Republican president skate again or the next one will be far, far worse.

  39. 39.

    L85NJGT

    Perversions of the symbols of the state and state power. The US Navy finally has gone back to the Union Jack rather than that Gadsden based first jack. Likely because those idiots were caught wearing Trump patches.

    Nobody wants to see the CSA’s version of a presidential jet.

  40. 40.

    trollhattan

    Nobody wants to see the CSA’s version of a presidential jet.

    “Yeehaw!”

    Script outside pilot’s window, “Miss Hold My Beer”

  41. 41.

    Mandalay

    There’s a far bigger spending scandal than the one that Courtney addressed. Congress keeps buying more F-35s than the military requested:

    The White House in March requested 78 of the F-35, close to last year’s proposal, when the military requested 77. That number was also too low for lawmakers, who significantly raised funding to buy 93.

    That increase was championed by Kay Granger (R-Texas), now the top Republican House appropriator, who has an F-35 assembly plant in her Fort Worth district. Lawmakers funded 90 F-35s the year before, an increase of 20 over the Pentagon’s request.

    Congress is generally delighted to leave decisions about going to war to the president; how could they possibly know better? But when it comes to spending gazillions on military hardware, they somehow always know better than the Pentagon?…..

    https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iIyChnKQ1lHc/iJXccvH66qxA/v0/620x-1.png

  42. 42.

    dww44

    @germy: I’m sorry, but if ever a President deserved some jailtime this one does. It pains me not that this might make us appear to be a banana republic. We’ve suffered mightily for the sins of a banana republic leader; we might as well get our just reward by seeing him behind bars. It makes the opposition look weak when we’re the only side upholding norms that Trump et al continue to dismantle with impunity.
    @mrmoshpotato: I do believe Mr. Yang is one of thedeclared Democratic debate eligible candidates, no?

  43. 43.

    NY Robbin

    @germy:

    I’ve been saying that for years. There should be a test for steroids for every shooting by the police (for the shooter, obviously).

  44. 44.

    trollhattan

    @dww44:
    We currently appear to be a banana republic. Jailing the Orange One after trial and conviction would claw that back a bit.

  45. 45.

    Ocotillo

    I saw on a tv with not sound a mock up of the design of the plane and it was similar to the Trump private plane color scheme or so it looked to me. No want!

  46. 46.

    JR

    @germy: it is precisely the anti democratic aspect of our politics that informs the mores against imprisoning high ranking criminals. If you commit a crime you should be punished regardless of your rank and stature. But we recognize that Trump is the leader of a group of people – even without party support – and that imprisoning him could destabilize the country. It has nothing to do with highmindedness and everything to do with pragmatism.

  48. 48.

    chris

    @Mandalay: F35? The flying death trap?

    Here’s something the public didn’t know until today: If one of the U.S. military’s new F-35 stealth fighters has to climb at a steep angle in order to dodge an enemy attack, design flaws mean the plane might suddenly tumble out of control and crash.

    Also, some versions of the F-35 can’t accelerate to supersonic speed without melting their own tails or shedding the expensive coating that helps to give the planes their radar-evading qualities. Link

  49. 49.

    Cacti

    For any NBA fans out there, I saw something this morning that made me LoL re: Kevin Durant’s upcoming free agency. It was something along the lines of:

    “Signing an aging free agent with a ruptured achilles tendon to a max contract will probably be too tempting for the New York Knicks to resist.”

  50. 50.

    Mike in NC

    I opened up the local rag today and saw this article: “Trump is the Enemy of the American People” by S. E. Cupp

    Strange times!

  52. 52.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @JR:
    Electing a president that was mildly critical of slavery destabalized the country and caused the American Civil War. Guess what happened? We did the right thing and put the traitors down

  53. 53.

    Cacti

    @chris:

    Other unresolved flaws in the F-35:

    -Supersonic flights in excess of mach 1.2 can cause structural damage and blistering of the stealth coating.

    -Cabin pressure spikes can cause pilot barotrauma (extreme ear and sinus pain)

    -In very cold conditions, the F-35 will sometimes report that one of its batteries has failed

    -A green glow will sometimes appear in the helmet mounted display, washing out the visual imagery and making it difficult to land on aircraft carriers

    All for the low price of $400 billion.

  55. 55.

    Baud

    @rikyrah:

    Joining Biden and Sanders on the second night will be Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.), Sen. Michael F. Bennet (Colo.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), author and spiritual guru Marianne Williamson and technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

    The group debating on the first night will include Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), former Obama Cabinet member Julián Castro, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former congressman John Delaney (Md.), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), former congressman Beto O’Rourke, Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.).

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-sanders-to-share-the-stage-at-first-night-of-back-to-back-democratic-debates/2019/06/14/dc0b5d52-8e99-11e9-adf3-f70f78c156e8_story.html

  56. 56.

    Kay

    @The Moar You Know:

    I remember how respectful the Republicans were during Obama’s presidency and how they never tried to impede anything he did.

    And Republicans didn’t suffer politically for it all, nor were they called out on it by media.

    So we can just grab that same set of rules and use it too. And I do mean “grab”. No one is going to give it to us.

  57. 57.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    I’m sad about the governor who was left out. Trade Tim Ryan. Just make up a rule. I will tell you right now he has said all he has to say. Way more than that, really.

  58. 58.

    rikyrah

    Losers:
    Booker/Castro (in same lane, on same night). Biden (Harris AND GIllibrand will come for him) Beto (needed to ask Pete for his life back) de Blasio (has to remind people he’s actually trying to do this)

    — Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) June 14, 2019

  62. 62.

    J R in WV

    @The Moar You Know:

    IF the orange SOB loses, which I understand all too well is not a guarantee, I want the DOJ to immediately prosecute him for the felonies that have already been shown by the Mueller report, plus anything else they can heap on. I want him in prison. We can’t let another Republican president skate again or the next one will be far, far worse.

    Well said~!!~ I agree completely, prison is the best place for any politician who has so violated the law, his oath, and the norms of society, first because he has earned the punishment, secondly, and most important, to inhibit future politicians from similar activity!

    If Nixon had served time, and Reagan, and the Bush criminal consortium, we wouldn’t have this terrible Trumpism problem at all.

  63. 63.

    J R in WV

    @JR:

    But we recognize that Trump is the leader of a group of people – even without party support – and that imprisoning him could destabilize the country. It has nothing to do with highmindedness and everything to do with pragmatism.

    My pragmatism tells me that Trump’s supporters are cowardly people who would be criminals but for lack of the nerve to do so. My pragmatism tells me that criminal penalties for crooked electioneering on Trump’s part, and his family co-conspirators, will greatly reduce fascist criminality in future elections.

    Why don’t you want to penalize the vast criminal enterprise that currently has too much control over our government?

  64. 64.

    J R in WV

    @chris:

    F35? The flying death trap?

    Latest victim, experienced Japanese pilot who flew right into the ocean at 700 mph, seemingly unaware of his actions. Probably unconscious. Lack of O2 to breathe, probably. We used to use tanks of oxygen for pilots, but these newer planes use more modern tricks, which, if they fail, pilots die.

  65. 65.

    chris

    @J R in WV: I’m sure this is fine.

    Sky News can reveal a Chinese-owned company is making circuit boards for the top-secret next-generation F-35 warplanes flown by the UK and the United States— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) 14 June 2019

  67. 67.

    mrmoshpotato

    @dww44: I wasn’t asking seriously. This circus is ridiculous. I just looked up the Democratic candidates on Wikipedia and HOLY SHIT! MIKE GRAVEL WILL TURN 90 NEXT YEAR! Sorry. Andrew Yang is “Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of Venture for America”. WTF is that? Only candidate with no prior government experience.

    Fuck Andrew Yang, and fuck forgiving this bastard Administration of most of its crimes. Bush, Darth Cheney, Rumsfeld wenn untried – ’nuff said.

  68. 68.

    chopper

    @L85NJGT:

    Nobody wants to see the CSA’s version of a presidential jet.

    knowing these assholes it’d probably have a dirt floor.

  70. 70.

    Zinsky

    I look forward to the day that anything and everything Donald Trump has done or put in place in his lifetime is demolished, burned down or buried and the earth salted afterwards. He is slime incarnate and needs to be buried in a hog sewage lagoon on Chuck Grassley’s farm in Iowa.

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