CNN correspondent and Charm City native Victor Blackwell gives a powerful response to Trump’s racist tweets this morning about Baltimore:
Drop everything you're doing and watch this….
cc: @VictorBlackwell pic.twitter.com/N9ZWttHSzd
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) July 27, 2019
The pain in Blackwell’s voice and the tears in his eyes as he pauses to collect himself before he can continue break my heart. Ditto the hurt and bewilderment I heard the other day in the voice of a friend — a naturalized citizen — who talked about how our racist president and the MAGA horde make her wonder if she really belongs here after all.
Trump has committed so many crimes, bulldozed countless traditions, destroyed the country’s reputation in large and small ways and corrupted our institutions in staggering fashion. But the pain Trump so wantonly and routinely inflicts on decent, ordinary people is the worst offense of all.
It’s going to get worse. This is how Trump thinks he’ll win, by dividing America further and riling up the racists, sexists and xenophobes. I’m not sure if it’s a conscious strategy or if Trump is simply addicted to public gloating and self-aggrandizement in front of simple-minded dopes who mindlessly contort their faces with hate and bray slogans at whichever enemy Trump identifies that day, while he nods smugly and basks in the ugly glow like a “racist iguana,” as Mr. Colbert put it.
If this country is as decent as it imagines itself to be, it will find a way to not only repudiate Trump in unmistakable terms but also to compel his followers to slither back under the rocks from whence they came. I honestly don’t know if we have it in us, but one thing’s for certain: a decline and fall is coming — theirs or ours. Let’s make it theirs.
PS: Here’s Cummings’ response to Trump’s racist attack:
Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors.
It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents.
— Elijah E. Cummings (@RepCummings) July 27, 2019
And here’s a great response from Maryland’s US Senator Chris Van Hollen:
Elijah Cummings grew up facing racist bullies like Trump and learned to confront them with qualities unknown to Trump: courage and integrity. The great people of Baltimore have something Trump craves but will never have as he degrades the Office of the President: dignity.
— Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) July 27, 2019
Baud
Truth.
RandomMonster
I’m a relatively new resident of Baltimore and utterly disgusted by Trump’s racist attack.
A Ghost To Most
As always, T is a symptom. His base is the disease.
dmsilev
Deep in the White House, there’s a sign reading “xxx days without a racist Tweet.”. Today, some staffer sighed and reset the number back to zero.
(There’s only one digit in the flip down set of numbers. It was cheaper, and being able to increment beyond 9 seemed unnecessary)
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
@dmsilev:
I don’t think they even need to bother with the flip cards. They can just paint “0” and be done with it.
tobie
I think he wants an all out race war at this point. Going after immigrants wasn’t enough for his rabid base so he’s upping the ante. I can’t believe what we’re witnessing. The raw pain but also dignity shown by Victor Blackwell should move everyone. Otherwise they’re not human.
Chetan Murthy
@Baud:
One way or another, they’re going to fall. Whether because we win, or because a civil war tears this country apart (resulting in mass casualties, hunger, disease, and a catastrophe heretofore only seen in places like Syria). But they’re not going to win.
Ruckus
@dmsilev:
Is that because trump can’t count?
I know he can’t count because he has never been able to understand the difference between losing millions left to him by his father and billions that don’t exist.
TaMara (HFG)
I’m so tired of this racist fuck.
Ella in New Mexico
Oh, it’s a conscious strategy all right.
He hasn’t gained any new constituencies since 2016 and in fact is losing lots of folks who weren’t full-on racists, sexists and xenophobes, just idiots. He’s seen the polling showing that the razor thin margins that flipped the swing states he won in last time are now eroding, so his best bet is to make sure every single one of his previous voters gets out and does it again.
Yanking as hard as he can on their fear and hate choker chains –fully coordinating his message with Fox and OANN and RW talk radio–is gonna be his go-to campaign strategy in the upcoming months.
It’s also gonna serve the dual purpose of keeping folks distracted in regards to all the really bad news that’s gonna hit the fan over the same time.
donnah
After all of this time, I figured I was getting immune to Trump’s constant racism in all of its various forms. But I watched that video with tears in my eyes. Any steps we have made as a nation toward understanding and progress feel like they were on sand, and Trump and the Republicans are relentless waves, washing them away.
I know that Trump’s a racist, and I know that Stephen Miller, that talking turd who whispers into Trump’s ear, is even more racist. And we can see that the nation’s worst, most hateful people ARE FINE WITH IT. That is probably what sickens me the most: Trump and racism are not only tolerable, but acceptable.
Harbison
Trump does something offensive.
Democrats spend a week bitching about it.
Repeat.
Perhaps not the best strategery for Democrats.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
First, I hope Scotian is having a good day. I’m also glad to hear the Immp is in good spirits and hope that Immanetize can get some rest (and pet the Immp as much as is soothing to the dad; the youth get over that kind of stuff quickly I’m told).
Happy Saturday to all. I need to get back to work shortly.
@TaMara (HFG):
Word. My reflexive response to reading about him is
which I recognize may be an overreaction.
Can I come visit Pearl and her crew instead?
As for Agent Orange, the cruelty is the point – he enjoys it. And much of his base like that he hates the same people they hate. It’s discouraging to the point of being exhausting, hence my reflexive response.
MattF
Happy to note that Van Hollen was my representative before he got elected senator.
And about Trump— I’m persuaded that he simply has a very limited behavioral repertoire. And it gets more limited as he sinks into dementia.
MisterForkbeard
Democrats do anything.
Harbison bitches about it on a Democratic Top 10000 blog and makes a fool of himself.
Repeat.
Perhaps not the best strategery for Harbison.
Taobhan
I’m confident that the framers of the constitution didn’t anticipate a chief executive as wildly extreme as Trump is. I suspect they had enough faith in the American people to not choose a president as cruel, ignorant, corruptible, incompetent and contemptible as he is. If they had, they may have written a constitution with clearer restraints on executive power.
Over the years, the US Congress has ceded more of its power to the chief executive and now we’re paying the price for that dereliction of duty. I believe that the members of Congress surrendering power to the president didn’t foresee Trump either. Now we have to wrestle with him and his enablers in Congress, the media and the public as we try to preserve what remains of the principles laid out by the framers in forming a government for the newly independent nation. Constraints that previous presidents honored before Trump were uncodified traditions and Trump trashed all those on Day 1. He feels free to do as he pleases. Now we, the people, have few tools left to rein in a man like him.
We have to rely first on the House of Representatives with its power of impeachment but the House seems reluctant to use it. Speaker Pelosi voiced a preference for letting the voters decide on Trump’s fitness in the 2020 election. So it looks as though it’s going to come down to that election, with Republican thumbs heavy on the electoral scale, as possibly the last chance to save the nation our founders intended it to be. It’s going to be quite a challenge with the roadblocks Republicans have thrown in front of us. God, I hope we are up to the task with so much at stake!
ThresherK
Michael (GOP Black Guy) Steele ran for Senate from MD. What does he say on this?
*crickets*
MisterForkbeard
Yeah. These videos just make me sad, especially given that it really does reveal how awful a good portion of the country is. My in-laws are people of great accomplishment and are kind… to us. But they cheer this stuff on and have told us about how Trump is protecting America from the brown people and gangsters constantly coming across the border.
And that’s just something we can repeat, because I keep running into relatives and longtime associates that I had assumed were fundamentally decent, and they keep showing me they’re not.
Omnes Omnibus
@Harbison: You would be right if that was all that Democrats are doing. As usual you are wrong, so I will again cordially invite you to fuck off.
MattF
@ThresherK: Um, not true.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MichaelSteele/status/1155178335057657857
Betty Cracker
@Harbison: Your comment is factually incorrect since Democrats are doing lots of things in addition to calling out Trump’s racism, and if you think denouncing a president’s racism isn’t a worthwhile exercise all by itself, you’re wrong about that too.
Omnes Omnibus
@Taobhan: The Constitution was written to have an executive with limited powers. And as far as impeachment goes, did you pay any attention to the news yesterday?
smintheus
Trump’s the same guy who refused to install sprinklers in parts of Trump Tower, where a resident died in a fire last year because there was also no working smoke alarm. Six firefighters were injured in the blaze. Trump did not go to jail for the crime, or apologize for his negligence. I don’t think he actually cares about any of his own neighbors’ safety, much less the people of Baltimore.
Harbison
Everybody know that the best way to win in politics is to always be reacting to the terms of the debate the other side sets.
FLAWLESS VICTORY!!!
Martin
So, I live in a community that looks very different from Baltimore. We have a lot of diversity, but it’s different – not many black residents, or even many latino residents, but a lot of asian – Chinese and Korean, Persian, Russian/Ukranian, Indian, Pakistani, etc. It’s interesting. We’re known for having very little crime here. There have been 3 murders in the last 5ish years. Two were committed by Christopher Dorner – a former LAPD officer – in an act of revenge against another LAPD chief (killed the chiefs daughter and her boyfriend). The other was about a mile from my office where a white supremacist killed a gay college student.
But there’s entire other categories of crimes that happen here that are MUCH broader in scope. The Lincoln Savings S&L scandal originated here. A good case can be made that the subprime mortgage scandal originated here. We have a lot more crime than we are willing to recognize, but it’s white males in nice suits that are fucking over millions of peoples retirement accounts, not a drug deal going down on the corner that might affect 4 people. But it’s still crime, it still does immense harm, but y’know, it’s all good. Give them a fine, make them promise to not do it again. They’re job creators after all.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Omnes Omnibus: Obviously, since the Speaker hasn’t gone to the White House and bludgeoned Trump to death with the House mace, Democrats have done NOTHING.
Martin
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Let me just say, if she does that, count me in to be part of the human shield that protects her from law enforcement. I will superglue myself to whatever government edifice is necessary.
Ella in New Mexico
@ThresherK:
Actually, Michael Steele has been a sane voice and a staunch critic of Trump from early on.
EDIT: @MattF: just saw that on Twitter and it’s an example of above
Ruckus
@donnah:
This is not an American issue.
Racism is a human issue. It is everywhere humans live. It always has been, except in some small isolated cultures. People don’t all look alike, we vary wildly in minor ways that mean nothing but are obvious if you are looking for them. Racism has to be overcome one racist mind at a time. It has been at various times the shape of the nose, or the color of the hair, or the color of the skin or religion, anything that is in some way different. In some cultures the degree of blackness has been an issue. But most of the things that were issues, like the shape of a nose, have gone by the wayside. It’s the difference that is important, it allows one group to blame someone, anyone for the issues that involve us all. Hate is an emotion that we all share but it doesn’t have to be the one at the front of all the others. But it is harder to change that hate than most any other emotions. Hate miss-explains our minor physical differences. It’s a crutch, it’s for protection when it’s required, but racist hate is a false hate, it’s based upon learned culture, not on any actual issue. And to learn to not have hate as your only and first line response to cultural, learned triggers, those triggers have to be unlearned, not reenforced. Removing those triggers, like statues to racists/slave owners is vital. Or triggers like faux news, white news readers who reenforce the concept of racism and wealth for the chosen ones. Or segregation. Or……
Betty Cracker
@Harbison: You’ve got all the answers, so kindly explain why it’s a strategic error to respond to a racist rant from the president and elaborate on how ignoring such tirades improves things.
ThresherK
@MattF: Wow. I am surprised I got that wrong about him. I stand corrected.
I wonder if this will make him burn some bridges with the Never Trump crowd who are trying to figure out exactly how much racism they need to accept.
Martin
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I should also add, that’s a terrible strategy because we need her in the line of succession. It goes to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate which is thankfully Grassley and not McConnell, but still. I think it should be Clyburn, not only because if anyone beats the President to death it deserves to be a person of color, but he’s the majority whip, and so it’s kinda in his title. I’d prefer a scene such as the end of High Plains Drifter rather than using the Mace, but I’m flexible on that. I’m still down to be part of the human shield, of course, Clyburn is wonderful.
Omnes Omnibus
@donnah: The racists and fascists (yeah, a lot of overlap there) want you to feel overwhelmed. They want you to feel like they are unstoppable and there is nothing you can do. You have a choice; you can do what they want you to do or not.
Suzanne
@MisterForkbeard:
The thing that just kills me about this…. a majority of the people who actually live near the border aren’t freaking out. Seven of the eight Congressional districts on the border elected Dems, and the eighth elected Will Hurd, who hasn’t been a nutcase on this issue. LA, San Diego, Tucson, Phoenix, El Paso…. those cities are basically held up by the labor of immigrants from Mexico, documented or otherwise. It’s all these losers in the exurbs and the shithole parts of the country (intentional) who are freaking out. But those of us who actually live and work with significant populations of recent border crossers are more okay.
Ruckus
@Taobhan:
Of course it’s possible that they did foresee a trumpian candidate, one who not only hated the same things they did but was willing to say it out loud. Was willing to rile up that 27-40% of the population that just “knows” that racism and theft will solve all the worlds problems.
Think about it this way, is it the house or senate that is controlled by republicans? Is it the house or senate that is doing absolutely nothing against trump?
And yes that abdication of power has both strengthened the racist’s hand and tied the hands of the 60% who are not rabid supporters of that racism.
Mart
@Taobhan:
And then the SC rules he can steal $2.5B from the Congressionally allocated Pentagon budget to build his stupid fucking wall…
Jager
A note from the Elitest, coastal, immigrant infested state of California.
We sold our old house, while we’re waiting to move into the new (smaller) house, we are camping out at Extended Stay America. Wandering around the parking lot with Anze the Dog. Here’s what I see, 8 4 door pickups from a construction outfit in Texas, 32 employees staying here. 4 trucks from a construction company in Iowa, 12 workers staying here. 24 workers from a Texas Environmental Testing and cleanup company, staying here. A crew from an electrical engineering company from Tampa doing a project here in SoCal. A guy from Aldi supermarkets scouting new locations, etc, etc, etc. I talked with a computer programmer from Georgia, going to work for a sports TV production company here, happy as hell to get out of Georgia. Gee, I wonder why all those red-state companies and workers are coming to this American hell hole to work?
feebog
This not some random attack on another minority congressman. Cummings just issued subpoenas for emails from Kushner and Ivanka Trump. They have been using private email accounts for official business and failing to retain them in accord with the Presidential Records Act. That’s what this is about.
Yellowdog
@MattF: I’m in the same district; you must live near me. I love South of Olney. I wonder why Cardin hasn’t said anything.
joel hanes
@Harbison:
So what is “the best strategy for Democrats”, in your estimation ?
Betty Cracker
@feebog: It is known. Also, Fox News ran a segment on urban blight in Baltimore and contrasted it with bright, happy, clean concentration camps at the border, which wound the shitgibbon up.
MattF
@Yellowdog: Sounds like you’re at the north end of the district. I’m about a block from the Bethesda Metro station. Sounds ritzy, I know— I bought in just before condo prices started going up.
Belafon
@Harbison:
Trump says something offensive.
Democrats ignore it.
The people he’s targeting feel like they are being ignore.
Mart
@Jager: Gee, I wonder why all those red-state companies and workers are coming to this American hell hole to work?
I think you are witnessing folks who work for third party contractors trying to sleep within their daily expense account limit. Factories used to have large maintenance staffs to replace large motors, brick ovens, whatever. Now they outsource to third parties to save money. This is why you see a bunch of large pick up trucks loaded with tools at the Holiday Inn Express in Bumfuck IA, or the Extended Stay in beautiful CA.
Another Scott
@Ruckus:
Yeahbut…
It was not out-in-the-open the way it is now. And it’s out in the open as a result of a continuing, deliberate policy to “Other” our fellow citizens (and fellow humans) to maintain and increase financial and political power.
And for that I blame GOP people like Alan Greenspan who let the banksters go wild and blow up the US (and the world) housing market into a huge bubble. And then when it burst, as it inevitably would, I blame people like Rick Santelli and his bosses and colleagues at CNBC and Fox who decided that it was poor people’s fault.
When millions of ordinary people lose or fear for their jobs, lose or fear for their homes, lose or fear for their future, history tells us that they become susceptible to easy RWNJ stories that blame Others.
Wilmer is wrong that everything is secondary to economics, but he’s right that it has a huge impact on how well society works. Senator Professor Warren (and Dean Baker and others) is right that the middle class has been hollowed out by the people at the top. We have to do more to get the economy working for real people, and we have to fight back against blaming the people at the bottom for America’s problems. Good for everyone who is pushing back. More please.
And we need to vote with our dollars more. Boycott advertisers that support these toxic platforms, people, and memes and tell them that you’re doing so. Don’t quote the toxic memes – starve them of oxygen.
[/rant]
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
The last time Americans ignored widespread white racial backlash, Reconstruction ended and the Jim Crow era began.
trollhattan
@Jager:
Gavin’s free-weed-and-‘lectric-car program is working!
Just no Irish.
debbie
Very powerful. I was just reading about this over at Yahoo News. It’s appalling and absurd that Trump would call Cummings a brutal bully.
I hope David Simon is working up a series of brutal tweets responding to Trump about this.
Trump clearly wants a war. Hitler insisted Jews were an infestation; Trump is no different. Fuck the people stupid enough to fall for Trump’s shit.
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Why’d we bother giving her the Speakervs gavel if she’s not going to use it?
Another Scott
@Yellowdog: Twitter:
Hmmm…
Cheers,
Scott.
Ruckus
@Another Scott:
We are on the same page.
I was just explaining about racism, not the political culture that got us here. You’ve covered that well.
Jay
@Mart:
Tonight, in this episode of Idiocracy, the role of Mexico will be played by the US’s Military budget.
Felanius Kootea
Hmm. Trump doesn’t see himself as the president of the people of Baltimore. He doesn’t see himself as president of anyone outside his base but still wants the authority to run the entire country.
Russia and Rupert Murdoch figured out so easily how to gut this country using the racism that already existed and has never been seriously addressed. No army or physical weapons needed.
Trump’s followers feel more kinship to Russians in Omsk than to their fellow Americans in Baltimore, based on skin color, because they think this tells them everything they need to know about values. Problems that many cities face are rubbed in the faces of minority citizens, no empathy, no desire to make a positive difference on the part of those doing the gloating. A country divided.
I hope that there are enough people ready to wipe away the tears, fight back and rebuild.
I believe that in the future, Trump’s descendants will change their last names, just like Manafort’s daughter already has.
Kay
This, right after Jared Kushner’s publicist told the NYTimes Kushner was launching a “we’re not racists” campaign push.
I suppose we don’t know if there was ever any intention of doing that. It’s probably part of the racist campaign, to have one or two of the bottom of the barrel hires tell media they oppose this.
Mike in NC
Used to visit Baltimore quite often back in the day. Great city.
MJS
@Ella in New Mexico: Good tweet, except for the use of the plural, as in “How much more will we tolerate?” “We”? The vast majority of Democrats stopped tolerating this shit back in January 2017. Never Trumpers need to focus their efforts and ire exclusively on Republicans and other Trump supporters.
Baud
“But it was so much fun when he was being mean to Hillary.” #TwitterHoocoodanode
feebog
@Betty Cracker:
I’m just pointing out the motive here. Trump does this regularly. He knows Jared and Ivanka have exposure with the email issue. The attack on Cummings is his childish way of trying to damage Cimmings’ credibility.
Kay
That clip is very powerful. We should all be crying. It’s awful and sad to watch the country decline like this, into this incessant mean-spirited nastiness led by this low life and his grinning, idiot employees.
I’m grateful to him for being so honest. It’s brave to show how bad it is. We’re all supposed to deny it’s happening.
MattF
@Kay: Yeah, and I’m sure the ‘not a racist’ news will be not-for-attribution. Wouldn’t want to irk you-know-who.
germy
@Kay:
Wait… so Maggie Haberman is talking to herself now?
Betty Cracker
@Kay: Just read on Politico that Kushner is also in charge of building Trump support in cities for the campaign. Guess he can cross Baltimore off the list!
Martin
@Kay: Nothing says you’re not racist like needing to launch a ‘we’re not racist’ campaign.
Baud
@germy:
Heh. Win.
Chris Johnson
I’m going to Baltimore next week, for Bronycon, and I’m damn proud to. It’s definitely a big city and you gotta watch yourself but it needs rescuing, not punishing.
Baud
@Martin:
As I’m sure you know, the “we’re not racist” campaign is a “you’re not racist” campaign aimed as the feeders of people who support Trump.
Martin
@Baud: Actually, it’d be a ‘the Democrats are the real racists’ campaign, because projection is all they really know.
germy
Jared’s “we’re not racist” campaign will feature many, many stock photos of smiling African American families. And not much else.
Shutterstock® will profit from this, unless Jared’s people simply steal the photos.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: The mace is much larger and has pointy edges.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I’ve been calling them “Know Nothings” for the past 4 years.
Starfish
This was the funniest thing to come out of this incident. Someone asked David Simon if he had seen The Wire while they were trying to defend Trump’s racism.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@germy:
Pay for photos, no one pays for photos.
skerry
I am a human who lives in Elijah Cummings’ district. I love my congressman. I despise my president.
I respect Victor Blackwell and his emotional reply to Trump’s tweets.
(I’m not in Baltimore City, but my daughter is)
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Holy crap. I didn’t know it was a real thing.
Isn’t there a House cat-o’-nine-tails? Would it be wrong of me to say AOC would look hot wielding one?
Better yet, Ted Lieu.
Brachiator
@Taobhan:
I see your point, but I think the Founders didn’t have total faith in the wisdom of the people. This is why they came up with the indirect method of the electoral college to confirm the election of a president.
And I think that the Congress could easily check Trump if they wanted. Problem is, the GOP insists on covering for him.
But I agree that modern presidents have taken more power and Congress has ceded authority.
And most recently, I think that Cheney usurped a great deal of Dubya’s authority. And Trump wants to run the country like a business in which he is the sole executive in charge.
The Supreme Court tilts toward Trump, but I wonder how they would decide if there were more conflict between Congress and the president.
MattF
@Starfish: The stupid burns, but it may also amuse.
Betty Cracker
@Kay: Awful and sad is right. This was never a perfect country, but even its shitty leaders at least gave lip service to the idea of perfecting the union, and its best made real progress on that front. Now this walking garbage heap is tearing it all down.
Baud
@Brachiator:
Depends on who controls which branch. The conservative justices were ready to knock down DACA because it was Obama’s unilateral action. Only Scalia’s death saved it.
Betty Cracker
@Brachiator:
We’re going to find out pretty soon. There’s no way Trump won’t stonewall the congressional inquiry all the way to the SCOTUS.
germy
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: The mace is the symbol of the power of the Speaker. Traditionally it’s presented in front of an unruly member to restore order at the Speaker’s request.
Baud
@Betty Cracker:
Agreed. If the five protect Trump by saying that Congress can only get information if it launches a formal impeachment proceeding, expect impeachment proceedings to become a permanent fixture on our political landscape.
germy
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Nice. I hope Trump doesn’t find out about it. He’ll want one for himself.
Baud
@germy:
You know, maybe someone at NBC can leak those Apprentice tapes.
debbie
@Starfish: @Baud:
Simon’s got quite a few “conversations” going on at the moment. It’s like a kid playing a whole row of chess boards and owning them all.
Mart
@Ruckus: Re: Racism is not an American issue.
Years ago on business trips to Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic I would eat dinner at fancy restaurants with lighter skinned Spanish looking men, and work on the factory floor with darker skinned men. So dissapointed as a thought racism was an uniquely American institution. Naive I know. Asked a man in Argentina where are the black folks, he said we got rid of them.
frosty
@Mike in NC: Used to live in Baltimore back in the day. Great city.
Baud
@Starfish:
Isn’t the Wire the show that proved that all white cops are racist?
Josie
@Suzanne:
I tried to make that point with someone the other day, explaining that most of my life was spent about 15 miles from the border in South Texas. She still was unconvinced and was sure that Trump was saving us from crime and degradation. I finally gave up. Some people just have their ears and minds completely closed.
JPL
@Betty Cracker: He’s a racist and if the democrats don’t point that out, then I’d wonder why.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Trump wants a crown and a scepter.
Interesting trivia about the mace, the last time it was brought to the floor was during the debate on entering WWI, the last time it’s use was threatened was against Aunt Maxine(she left the chamber).
Taobhan
@Omnes Omnibus:
I did indeed. While it’s encouraging that Speaker Pelosi allowed Chairman Nadler to put the word “impeachment” in a legal document, it’s a very long road to the House actually initiating impeachment hearings. In theory, that word gives the House action a heavier weight before a judge but I’ve grown tired of being exhilarated every time the House has issued a request for information/testimony, a subpoena for information/testimony or a contempt of Congress citation only to have the Trump administration completely ignore it without consequences. The 115th Congress convened on January 3, 2019 with high expectations from Democratic voters that a Democratic-led House would at last be able to bring Donald Trump to heel. Seven months have passed and the House has very little to show in fulfilling that expectation. We’re now at the August six-week recess during which almost nothing will happen. After being excited-then-disappoiinted so many times, my expectations for the House actually holding impeachment hearings before the 2020 election are nil. It appears to me that Speaker Pelosi is going to get her preference for letting voters decide Trump’s fate in the next election. But I’m glad if you’re still optimistic the House will impeach Trump before the election. I hope you’re right.
Kay
@Betty Cracker:
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
It just occurred to me that clips of House members speaking in the well of the House used to a fairly big thing. I guess all that activity has moved onto social media.
schrodingers_cat
Its lovely that the MSM and some other clueless people are finally waking up to the fact that Mr Orange T is racist. It was clear from the day he may made his debut in R politics as the birther man, if not earlier.
But hey he provides drama for Mr Susan Glasser (sp?) of the NYT political desk so it is all good.
Baud
@Mart:
Don’t know about Argentina specifically, but most Latin American countries saw a lot more racial mixing than in the U.S. The color bigotry is still there though.
James E Powell
@Baud:
With a handful of exceptions, that was how the entire press/media behaved during the campaign. See also, The War on Gore.
JoeyJoeJoe
@Chris Johnson: Check out Vaccaro’s in Little Italy, good bakery, and definitely the Inner Harbour
A Ghost To Most
@Jager:
They may come to CA to work, but they come to CO to play. Places like Pagosa Springs are full of asshole Texans.
Miss Bianca
@Taobhan: Wow, you really thought with a criminal President, and a corrupt Administration that feels free to ignore the rule of law, and a criminal and enabling upper chamber in Congress that refuses to exercise any authority, moral or political, over that criminal President and Administration, that the House was just going to be able to bring them all to account, easy peasy? I sure didn’t.
I mean, it’s hard enough to conduct an investigation when the parties you’re investigating actually comply with the law. It’s anywhere from a little to a lot harder when they don’t, and your esrtwhile allies in the investigative process are actually covering for the criminals in their turn.
BroD
I was born in Baltimore and have lived here almost all my life–in the same block in fact. I’m proud of my city and my Congressman. However I am concerned about the vermin-infected White House down the road.
Oh, yeah, and when is infrastructure week again?
JPL
@Starfish: I took pictures of the tweet and texted it to friends.
schrodingers_cat
I have to say that I have personally experienced more hostility on this blog and IRL after Orange appeared on the scene. After Modi’s reelection, I feel out of place and unwelcome both in my land of birth and my adopted homeland.
zhena gogolia
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
I saw Olivia Colman beat an old lady to death with just a claw hammer last night on Midsomer Murders. I think Nancy could do some damage with the gavel.
M31
Kushner is also a Baltimore slum lord investigated for violating section 8 rules, hmmmmmmm
Jay
JPL
@schrodingers_cat: I’m sorry you feel that way, and I was unaware that someone spewed racist hate on this blog your way because of your heritage.
I’m sorry
germy
@Jay: But not the actual fascists?
MattF
Plague of locusts?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/27/us/grasshoppers-vegas.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage
JPL
@Jay: What about White Nationalists. Wray testified that white supremacy is one of the causes of domestic terrorism.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat:
Take care of yourself first and foremost. Aren’t you having good experiences in your local activities?
Jay
A Ghost To Most
@schrodingers_cat: It’s not just brown people. They hate atheists almost as much. I’ve been told countless times, “It’s one nation under god, or kiss my ass and get out!”. Lines of my family arrived on the Mayflower.
dexwood
@BroD:
I was born in Baltimore, grew up in the Liberty Heights/Qwynn Oak Junction area. I lit out for the New Mexico territory at 22 in 1974 and have remained here. I visit Baltimore as often as I can to see family and friends. I loved growing up there and always look forward to going home. Fuck president Asshole.
frosty
@Chris Johnson: @JoeyJoeJoe: And the Owl Bar in Mt. Vernon, which among other things was a speakeasy during Prohibition.
MagdaInBlack
@Jay:
Scroll thru the replies to the graphic of how appointing Acosta was Trumps plan to catch Epstein…..or sumthin.
Is that meme now bubbling up from the fever swamp? Or is it a joke? I never know with the cult of trump.
Jay
@germy:
@JPL:
4 years into their Make America Nazi Again, public campaign, Nazis are getting arrested, charged, convicted, jailed. Anti facist researchers are doxxing them, costing them jobs, housing, families, relationships. Their campaigns to terrorize communities are overwhelmed by Community activism and solidarity. Their attempts to leverage violence has been met with direct action.
So, flailing, falling apart, losing members to infighting, doxxing and jail, the Nazis are scared to death of the imaginary Antifia,
And so Dolt45, Calgary Cruz and Bill Cassedy are all in on pleasing Nazis.
The HR is bullshit pandering, and will never make it into the House or Senate, but you know, gotta give Nazis a reach around.
Baud
@Jay:
Antifa isn’t imaginary.
EthylEster
@Ella in New Mexico:
Not “lots”. Polls don’t show him losing “lots of folks”.
Sad but true.
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: Thanks. The people in my town have been pretty nice. Sometimes I just get tired being on a constant alert. I have lost two RL I am not racist T enabling friends.
@JPL: No apologies necessary. I have no idea about the reason for the hostility, but I have gotten jumped on for saying stuff that others were already saying. Yes and I admit to being angry. Only some people are allowed anger it seems.
Ruckus
@Josie:
It is difficult to understand the world around you when your head is stuffed far, far up your own or someone else’s solid matter exit orifice.
Brachiator
Randy Newman, Baltimore
https://youtu.be/_TvDge63Iy8
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
It bugs the shit out of them that Antifa only materializes when the Nazis do. It’s like fighting smoke.
schrodingers_cat
I used to live in MD outside of DC in PG county. I had friends in Baltimore who worked at Johns Hopkins. I didn’t feel unsafe walking around with my friend, we are two petite women.
Jay
@Baud:
Antifia is imaginary,
https://www.newsweek.com/ban-antifa-cruz-cassidy-golden-retrievers-1451271
Kathleen
Former African American Obama staffers/officials in WAPO Op Ed:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-are-african-americans-we-are-patriots-and-we-refuse-to-sit-idly-by/2019/07/26/c02ade6c-af16-11e9-8e77-03b30bc29f64_story.html?utm_term=.8272498b12b9
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I did not know that about Our Cowardly Willard. Makes him all the more contemptible
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
There is no “Antifia”, there are only antifacists.
Starfish
@schrodingers_cat: Metafilter is having some very long threads over this specific topic. They are discussing how people in the US with no understanding of the politics of India are discussing it in a really shallow way and derailing the conversations of Indians and Indian Americans.
lollipopguild
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Romney’s spine is made out of Jello, which is in a way an insult to Jello.
JPL
@schrodingers_cat: Since you just recently became a citizen, I appreciate some of your comments. It reminds all of us, that we are one America. I hope that makes sense.
frosty
@schrodingers_cat: I lived within walking distance of JHU, used to walk our dogs on the campus. It was as safe a neighborhood as any. Some areas around Hopkins Hospital … not so much. Not sure which one you were referring to.
schrodingers_cat
@Starfish: Actually its the way my near and dear ones are making excuses for Modi is what makes me sad. I am an outlier where the PM is concerned in my family circle.
schrodingers_cat
@frosty: Not the hospital, the neighborhood around the University and Little Italy.
JPL
@Josie: Mother-in-law lived in McAllen and it was safe then and from what I read it’s safe now.
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Don’t forget there’s a “little brown one” in the Bush family too.
Raven
@Starfish: Fuck, people in the US have no understanding of the US, how would they understand anywhere else?
debbie
@schrodingers_cat:
I’m sorry to read this. I have not reconciled with any of my family members who supported (still support?) Trump. Two of three brothers. I’ve missed milestone events (graduations, etc.). It’s all really very regretful.
Brachiator
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Romney is a coward. Always has been.
Trump is also a coward, but he also enjoys hurting people, especially those who stand up to him. And so, he uses the shield of his presidential power to strike back.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@debbie: several, that referred to all of Jeb’s kids, one of them is now Texas Land Commissioner, which if recall my Molly Ivins correctly is an office that serves as a launching pad to higher office. My pet theory is that’s why Jebbie and Uncle Dumbya stay quiet, George P needs the racist rube vote to avenge the family name. Just as Willard is preserving it for whichever Mittlet he thinks is going to finally prove that whole White Horse/Mormon Kennedy thing.
JoeyJoeJoe
@frosty: I hadn’t heard of it. I know where I’ll go next time I visit Baltimore.
As for polls, they do show him losing, don’t forget that(that’s in response to ethyl ester)
JPL
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Jenna Bush Hager tweeted
HAL
This is from 1997
https://youtu.be/oqZaQKskP-A
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/3/1/1493953/-Darlene-McBride-the-racist-right-wing-satire-from-20-years-ago-is-strangely-prescient-today
Baud
@Jay:
What in that article says Antifa is imaginary?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@JPL: good for her
(not exactly Emile Zola or Joseph Welch, but she’s not (quite) in politics)
Brachiator
@debbie:
Probably not so little anymore.
Bob
@dmsilev: but the number set is gold plated
Starfish
@Raven: There are some strange shifts in the discussion of race, and I am not quite sure where it is all going. There are big systemic things that need to change, but how do you change institutions built on top of racism?
How do fix schools when they are mostly financed by local property tax, and students in areas with less money are getting a worse education? How do you fix medicine where maternal mortality of black women is three times the maternal mortality of white women?
I think that the discussions about cultural appropriation matter less than the two topics that I just mentioned, but a lot of people want to talk about it nonstop.
Baud
@HAL:
Yeah, what we’re seeing isn’t new. It just hasn’t captured the presidency in such a vulgar way before. Coupled with Republicans top to bottom willingness to sell out America to a foreign power to win that’s what’s really different now.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
@debbie:
I believe, under the rules, non-white family members are allowed to be used a shield against charges of racism, but cannot be used as a reason to challenge racism.
Baud
Taobhan
@Brachiator:
Raven
@Starfish: I don’t think any of that is in anyway new
Taobhan
@Brachiator: I think the Founders didn’t have total faith in the wisdom of the people. This is why they came up with the indirect method of the electoral college to confirm the election of a president.
Mike in NC
Getting ready to land in Detroit to change planes to fly to London tonight. Has Fat Bastard disparaged that city (Detroit, that is) lately? Only a matter of time before he turns his racist bullhorn on all of our cities.
We’ve heard plenty of his garbage about the Muslim mayor of London.
Renate
@Ruckus: I always appreciate your well thought out comments, never miss reading them.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
I don’t know about “Antifia”, but Antifa definitely exists, just not as an organization. More like Batmen coming to the Bat Signal.
First rule of Democracy Fight Club? Don’t talk about DFC.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
OT: this week’s Meghan McCain Award For Negative Self-Awareness goes to….
My god, if the Dems have truly lost MoDo, we can forget about Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan!
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
If the Dems could lose MoDo, it might be worth it.
trollhattan
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: @Baud:
Time to add “rid the nation of the chocolate and stiletto pumps” to the DNC platform. You can’t be too proactive here.
Brachiator
@Taobhan:
I take your point. But the founders considered a number of indirect options, selection of the president by state governors, by Congress, by state legislatures, and of course direct popular vote. But you are right that in all these debates they had to deal with the desire of the slave states to maintain power within the new government.
Also, of course, we didn’t even have direct election of senators until what, 1913?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Baud: I’m honestly a little bit surprised she’s that thin-skinned, or at least that she would reread that and say, “yeah, I want people to see this, under my name”.
There was a story a couple years back that she wanted to leave the op/ed page and start to doing TV/pop culture writing full-time. I don’t know if the paper said no or she changed her mind, but she really should have left politics with Gee Dumbya.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
One of the few places in WI where you commonly see high heels is Milwaukee and I don’t think that Milwaukee will flip to R over the issue of heels.
TS (the original)
@Kathleen: Reading the list of names and positions – trump wouldn’t even know that he needed advice on all of these issues – I’m finding it amazing that the US hasn’t self imploded while 99% of the administration is working on attacking immigrants and citizens with non-white skin.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I think she thinks she better than the rest of us hoi polloi, and it irks her to see them not respect her.
debbie
@HAL:
The first couple of years, that show was genius. Every single sketch was a hoot. SNL couldn’t touch them then.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Baud: I suspect the twitter reaction to that column will make whatever people said about her party sound like a rave review.
I really hope Charlie Pierce (or somebody like that) is feeling a bit salty when he reads that
jl
Great statement representing the best of human decency and real, genuine patriotism from Victor Blackwell. I watched in admiration, until he got choked up, summoning the strength to defend his hometown without breaking down, and as he started the tear up, I started to tear up.
I come from little dinky joints in the CA Central Valley that have some of the same problems of Baltimore (different drugs, but same general type of problems) and I really admire his forthright defense of his home, and his denunciations of Trump’s vile attacks on our political leaders, on whole groups of ordinary people and the places we grew up, and places and people we love who are valuable, irreplaceable, parts of this country
cynthia ackerman
So most right-friendly pundits, and too many center- to left-‘s, say that Mueller was a flop because of poor “optics”. Never mind the substance, which clearly said our democracy has been violated, and that criminal conduct by our current president and his associates has further eroded, and continues to harm, national security.
And yet the minute by minute “optics” , for four years running, of a low functioning, boorish narcissist don’t seem to make any difference.
I’m ready for the tumbrels.
debbie
@Baud:
I’m probably alone and out in the wilderness on this, but I’d like to see him a little less restrained. I’d like him to demonstrate that a person can push back and not lose a single molecule of honor.
jl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I see Pelosi is making amends for any feathers ruffled with that column (which I think contained a few missteps). But, people like Pelosi and AOC are both grown-ups, who understand the responsibility that comes with their prominence influence and power, whether you generally agree their positions or not. Dowd on the other hand…
Edit: context is Pelosi and AOC had a face to face meeting that both said was very constructive and useful, and not to make too much of Democratic family squabbles.
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
She’s always been that thin-skinned, but now she’s dropped any pretense of humor or self-awareness.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
A rather Biden-sh use of “literally” since I don’t think Michelle Goldberg or Jamelle Bouie have written one of those columns yet
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
Anti facism exists, just not “Antifia”.
Anti facism is an action, not an organization.
Brachiator
@debbie:
Yep. The first time I saw the sketch linked below, I thought it funny as hell and damned effective satire. It’s also about a minute and a half. SNL would have drawn it out so long, it would have lost its bite.
MadTV. The Man
https://youtu.be/gaQLQnLSBdc
BroD
@dexwood:
Homie! I live in Windsor Hills (not far from Walbrook Junction.)
Raven
@Jay: There were plenty of folks back in the day who wanted nothing more to provoke the pig to beat the shit out of otherwise peaceful demonstrators. Some were agents provocateurs and and some were just street fightin motherfuckers.
Raoul
There was ample evidence before.
But anyone, anyone who from this day forward defends this unrepentant bigot as ‘not having a racist bone in his body’ or whatever other bullshit version of [feigned shock!] not racist! [pearl clutch] is, him/herself also, unretrievably naming themselves racist.
Trump is indefensible. Period.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Mean girl MoDo can dish it out, but she sure can’t take it.
the hypocrisy – she would be the first one clutching her pearls if a Dem was so thin skinned.
J R in WV
@MisterForkbeard:
I have added Harbison to my pie filter, which has been empty for months now, as I have attempted to be a more understand person. But some trolls are just trolls, and don’t need understanding.
I won’t need to suffer Harbison’s filth anymore. Thanks to cleek and Major^4 for inventing the pie filter and building an easy implementation of it.
Jay
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Shorter MoDo: keep making fun of my shallow parties and I’ll campaign for the treasonous rapist, again.
Quinerly
@Brachiator: ?
EthylEster
@Martin wrote:
He has looked really old and out of it the last few times I have seen/heard him.
And came across as more of a jerk, also, too.
So I’m not thankful.
A Ghost To Most
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Just slip her a couple of edibles, and she’ll be too busy freaking out to be a problem.
Martin
@EthylEster: I mean, the comparison is McConnell, who is unquestionably worse in every possible way.
ET
Hutus talked like this about Tutsis. That didn’t turn out well either.
Jay
https://www.wonkette.com/posse-comitatus
FlyingToaster
@Betty Cracker: Looks like you chased the troll off. Well Done!
JPL
@Jay: What will the supreme court say? hmmmm If someone mentions to me that Roberts wouldn’t want to go down on the wrong side of history again, I’m going to explode.
zhena gogolia
Big doings in Moscow today. I’m hoping Adam writes something about it. This is our future if Trumpf gets his way.
https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1155174117806465024
HRA
@Jay:
I Believe that is why Trump announced yesterday that the troops will be painting the wall. Will it be gold?
patrick II
@Betty Cracker:
I am sure he will use a variation of his successful Israeli- Palestine gambit to bring peace between Trump and minorities.
Immanentize
MoDo lost her entire shit during the 2001 anthrax scare. Those columns are In. Sane. She really sees herself as the center of everything that is necessary on the world.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@HRA:
There’s another color?
jl
@FlyingToaster: Scary. We are discovering that the Deep State plots to foil Trumpster genius and MAGA! go all the way back to 1878. (snark)
Thanks for link. It is encouraging that the military, unlike GOP and SCOTUS still has enough shame to not outright lie, and the decency to use a transparent euphemism, to tell the truth about what is going on. But very dangerous to rely on the remaining integrity of the military.
With this shit, and corrupt SCOTUS greenlighting Trump’s fake emergency, our democracy is not safe until very aggressive action is taken to roll back precedents set under Trump. Salutory impeachment, conviction and removal of five corrupt SC justices seems essential to me at this point. But many pompus wise guys here say to not even think about it, So if we get two Democratic houses in Congress after 2020 I will write DiFi and Harris (if she is not president or US AG), and Pelosi, and demand impeachment of corrupt SCOTUS thugs, and if they are too chickenshit to do that, then expand the court and appoint two additional sane and honest justices.
Edit: I also didn’t know Trump approval has been under 50 percent among the troops for quite a while. I keep hearing otherwise. But a good trend to see that he is going downhill fast with them, and probably he’ll be underwater there soon too.
JPL
@Immanentize: Share with us about your day and how the little imma is doing.
I have an almost 6 month old grand imp and I broke the rule of no internet on Friday while care taking him. It was worth it though to hear about your son’s progress.
jl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: White
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Hang on to your wigs and keys, kids, it’s still zero
EthylEster
@cynthia ackerman:
Now they are saying “But after his sometimes halting testimony, some lawmakers are privately worrying about his acuity”….from WaPo.
WTF?
BC in Illinois
@Jay:
1. “Consideration is being given” – – interesting use of the passive voice. Who is doing the consideration? Where can we see the reports and records of this consideration? What criteria is this “consideration” using? Under what statutory authority?
2. “declaring ANTIFA . . . a major Organization of Terror (along with MS-13 & others).” I know better than to over-interpret the use of capital letters in a Trump Tweet, but Trump seems to consider “Organization of Terror” to be an important official designation. “MS-13 & others” seem to have already been declared to be Organizations of Terror [by someone]. The declaration of OoT “would make it easier for the police to do their job.” How? Why? In what way?
Now, many news articles have simply changed Trump’s threatened “declaration” of an Organization of Terror, as if he simply was using the descriptive term “terrorist organization,” but that’s not what he said.
Maybe I should just give it up. As I saw on a copy-editor’s cubicle once:
JPL
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Unlike the troll, I think the dems run on two issues, health care and racism. For those who say no remember that Hillary had policies and issues which were ignored for the racist asshole in chief’s rants.
Jay
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
They are busy tweeting about National Cowboy Day.
jl
@EthylEster: GOP hacks and political operatives are whispering that crap in their ears, so they think they have to say it.
Standard Dem politicians need more of the Jerry Brown and Barney Frank ethos on the corporate media, call them out to their faces on their BS, directly and forcefully, on the record and in front of the cameras.
Jay
JPL
@Jay: Anti trump = antifa. I’m curious about this cowboy thing. How many cowboys do we have and are they moving them to different pastures like in Lonesome Dove? Are the republicans following behind and camping out?
EthylEster
@Martin:
This is where I break out the old chestnut: the lesser of two evils is still evil.
I’m saying that I think Grassley could be as bad as McConnell if given the chance.
Can you cite some recent decent positions he’s taken?
He has been AWFUL on CSPAN lately.
Very dismissive of Dem Senators on committees he chairs.
I used to (years ago) almost like him but now he just seems really old and mean.
Jay
@BC in Illinois:
As I pointed out, Calgary Cruz and serial pants wetter Bill Cassidy have written an anti “Antifia” House Resolution.
As there is no such criminal designation as “domestic terrorism”, it’s going no where, but it’s a nice reach around to the Nazis.
The ReThugs might not legally be able to become the US Nazi Party, but they sure are trying.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jay: It just as likely means that, if anyone tries to prosecute someone under such a law, the defense will challenge the law itself and it will be found to be void for vagueness. And why is it that you spell the term correctly in quoted material but you add a superfluous “i” the rest of the time?
debbie
@Brachiator:
Ha! You’re right!
I remember laughing non-stop from beginning to end. That “documentary” about OJ solving his crime was years before the real OJ’s!
Omnes Omnibus
@Jay: T
Why would that be?
debbie
@HRA:
His own special shade: Flaking Cheap Gold.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl:
You think we can get 2/3’s of the Senate to go along with that? Just pack the Court, it’s much easier.
jl
Since ‘Republican Stupidity’ is a tag, if not ‘Open Thread’, the moron Trump appears to be agitating to rev up a new ‘strong dollar’ policy. If he gets his way with this, and he is surrounded by economic ignoramuses who like that kind of talk, chances of recession soon will go up substantially.
Will hurt growth in rest of world, and one factor seldom mentioned in chances of a recession soon is big slowdown in world growth. Setting Trumpster fantasies aside, if the world has a serious slowdown the US won’t be able to overcome that, even with a strong dollar (just as if the US catches an economic cold, so does the world to some extent). And strong dollar exactly what is not needed for slumping manufacturing investment, jobs, wage growth, and agriculture problems, both caused by Trump’s idiot tariff wars and macroeconomic tax scam for rich man policies. Anyway, if Trump goes ahead with this stupidity in a big way, hold on to your hats. Signs are set for a noticeable economic slowdown sometime between Nov 2018 and late summer 2020. Trump wants to increase the chances of that.
@paulkrugman
Shocking they were even thinking about this. The strong dollar actually is a problem, but this would be predatory beggar-thy-neighbor policy 1/
https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1155076623890296832
Edit: Another way the rich man’s tax cut will hurt the economy is that it is reducing US National Income (income to people) versus GDP, as massive corporate tax savings flow to overseas to foreign investors in US stock market. But consumer spending is only thing holding up US economic growth, as investment slumps (as opposed to booms, as promised by Trumpster flacks for rich man’s tax cut)
Jay
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Jay:
Ah, they’re in the Senate.
Felanius Kootea
@schrodingers_cat: I hear you. I’m lucky to be in a part of LA where I’m somewhat in a bubble though I’ve noticed more openly racist white homeless men around where I live. Had the n-word used on me by one of them a few months ago but he was clearly mentally ill. I don’t stop by Balloon Juice as often as I used to. It’s not the same any more.
jl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I don’t believe in asking for half a loaf, if half a loaf is my fallback position. there should definitely be many impeachments against judges, justices, cabinet officials, as well as the president. I going to ask for maximum with my Congresscritters, in hopes they will do something to fix what is becoming an extremely dangerous situation in this country.
I think slow motion Constitutional crisis is exactly what we have. I’m not going to sit on my hands and say nothing while the Oligarchs Trump, Roberts, and McConnell sell the country’s democracy down the river.
Raoul
@ET: Likewise, it has strong echos of Republika Srpska and the Bosnian war crimes.
An early step is to totally dehumanize your opponents. It’s incredibly dangerous. And yet people are doing ‘laugh’ face on FB when news orgs post about Trump’s vituperation. This cannot run unchecked.
Ksmiami
@RandomMonster: I want the whole family tried, convicted and jailed and their followers rounded up and deported to the Sahara desert. These are the Undeserving of America: a stain on our nation and a waste of redundant protoplasm
Jay
Martin
@Jay: Need to be noted that the Sikh community up there has been there for a century. It’s one of the oldest immigrant communities in CA, so they’re railing against 3rd, 4th, 5th generation Americans. Sikhs are wonderful, wonderful people.
Citizen Alan
@A Ghost To Most:
I just tell them they’re not really Christian and that Jesus is going to send them to Hell.
Martin
@Jay: I can top that.
Cop gets a burger, takes a bite, puts it in the fridge, takes it out hours later forgetting he took a bit, decides that McDs is fucking with him, an investigation is launched and it’s determined he just forgot he took a bite out of his burger.
jl
@Martin: Scared to click the link. I hope they didn’t kill anybody.
Immanentize
@JPL:
Hey All. It was a less good day as the surgery anesthetic cleared from his system. His catheter is causing real pain and the day nurse was, well, less than Johnny on the spot. But now, Sargent Night Nurse is here and has taken charged, fixed his catheter, and took off as many matches and extra stuff possible. Dilaudid is some serious shit. I’m going to leave the hospital in about a half hour. I need some food! And perhaps an adult beverage. I hope the NYC Meetup is going well.
Brachiator
@jl:
Does this need an update? We are already past 2018 and are deep into 2019.
The thing is, Trump doesn’t know what he is doing, and some of the people he has put in charge of the economy are as flakey as hell. His policies come down to “I’m stubborn and powerful, so what I say goes!” And conservative pundits and business reporters seem unwilling to be truthful.
Predictions about the economy are often iffy. I think that Trump’s fundamental incompetence makes things even more difficult. It adds an extra layer of uncertainty. If he got re-elected and there was a major recession, Trump would not know what to do. On the other hand, Trump could stumble into a period of prosperity.
Amir Khalid
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
You mean, it’s not used to beat some sense into the unruly member? How disappointing. //
Jay
@Martin:
Yeah, here the roots of the Sikh community goes back to the Hudson Bay Company days and Ruperts Land.
Still, starting after 9/11 we have had to have Community Patrols and Guards to protect the Temple and Community Hall, and it has not lessened, it’s only gotten worse.
Shut down a racist trying to rant today to a nice Clerk by loudly pointing out that if you live in Canada your ancestry is either Indiginous, Slave, Refugee or Immigrant. Which one was he?
J R in WV
@Taobhan:
Taobhan, what an exciting comment. I’m so glad you don’t believe in the American system of government. Why don’t you seek refugee status in some other, any other, country? There are other democracies out there I think.
On the other hand, screw you with a hay rake for your shitty attitude towards Speaker Pelosi, who is working to beat the Trump racists come election days of 2020. The House should vote on Trump’s impeachment in October, 2020, and not a moment before. Anyone who doesn’t understand the strategic timing of current political events in America is probably still counting on their fingers to make change for a parking meter.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl: I was suggesting what is possible, but you go on with your pie-n-the-sky.
A Ghost To Most
@Citizen Alan:
Somehow, I don’t think you are on their approved list, either. Followers of Jebus are so rare among christians these days.
jl
@J R in WV: I think you’re a little harsh, there. Hay rake needed? Really? I don’t see anything that offensive in T’s comments.
rikyrah
@Immanentize:
Thanks for the update on Little Imma ??
Always sending both of you positive thoughts ??
Martin
@Brachiator: It’s already happening. GDP has been revised downward. We’re struggling with an inverted bond yield. Inverted yield has a 100% success rate predicting a recession. It shows that long term borrowing is risky. The trade policy makes capex expensive. Odds are we’ll be dipping into recession next year.
A competent administration could be taking steps to correct this. The fed is trying, but they can’t fix things up as fast as Trump and the GOP is fucking it up. There’s concern that government spending will need to be slashed and/or taxes raised significantly to remedy our Kansas Experiment.
Jay
JPL
@Immanentize: Take care of yourself also and remember that if imma chooses you will someday be a grand imp also. Hang in there .
Omnes Omnibus
@jl: Maybe some of us are just crankier than others today. I am on board with our friend from West Virginia.
debbie
@Immanentize:
Ouch, sorry there’s pain today, but glad things seem headed in the right direction.
Villago Delenda Est
Demographics favor the righteous, not the racists. They know this. This is their last stand.
jl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: You are old, BillinGendale,” the young man said, “And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head, Do you think, at your age, it is right?”
FelonyGovt
@Immanentize: It’s tough seeing your kid in pain. I hope things are getting better. Please take care of yourself as well.
jl
@Brachiator: Sorry I meant Nov 2019. I expect generous good faith interpretation obvious typos, The hell with all you BJ commenters very much. And yes, my fingers are very fat.
” Predictions about the economy are often iffy. ”
Predictions of economic turning points are always very iffy. That’s econ, folks. Deal with it. All I can say is long range forecasting algorithms for some kind of downturn over next year are ticking up above 50 percent (one year for that kind of prediction is long range). And individual indicators are consistent with overall indicies. For example inverted yield curves are starting to uninvert. Sure, it’s hocus pocus reading of correlated indicators not specific causal factors but that is the best we can do with current knowledge.
@Martin: I agree. Not sure out straight out recession by standard NBER definition. But I think getting to very high probability of growth recession similar to that of 2015-2106 that I think had a big impact on last general election and raising up of the ghastly Trump administration.
Edit: another issue is that, if recession, growth, or recession for realsies, hits sooner rather than later, we’ve seen from GW Bush admin, that bad macroeconomic policy in wake of a mild recession can make ordinary people hurt almost as bad as a serious recession, and for far longer.
jl
Meant to type 2015-2016. Correct that sucker before the typo police arrive and start kicking ass and taking names.
Martin
@jl: My fear is that Trump, having his idiotic policies fail, will opt for even more idiotic policies.
Uncle Cosmo
@Brachiator: Back in the 70s I did statistical programming for a bunch of economists. One of them told me that his profession only had two tasks:
1. Predict what the economy will do next year.
2. Explain why last year’s prediction of what the economy would do this year was so completely off base.
Also please note that if all the economists in the world were laid end to end, they still wouldn’t reach a conclusion.
jl
@Uncle Cosmo: Usually wrong but never in doubt, also a rotating header at the top of this blog, I see.
Kattails
@schrodingers_cat: I’m sorry you’ve felt that your comments have been hit harder than others’. I always pay attention to them as you are coming from a different perspective, which is valuable. For all I know I get slammed regularly for the occasional entry, but generally have no time to check back so can remain oblivious.
If I remember rightly you also enjoy Robert Frost’s poetry.
Got in from work rather late, hope you see this. Honestly, I can’t imagine what it would take to uproot and move to a completely different culture, different physical environment. There would be so many challenges on a daily basis. And these are monumentally stressful times even for those who would ordinarily be supportive.
Ahem, perhaps our fearless leader could take a moment from his admittedly bragging-rights garden and delightful pets to gently remind us that it’s part of the rules to skewer trolls but maybe we need to be not too cranky with each other, (obviously longstanding back-and-forths excepted).
J R in WV
@schrodingers_cat:
Well, I know that people can feel emotions that weren’t intended by the speakers. I know you have felt hostility here, and I suspect at least some of that was your feelings rather than the intentions of the commenters.
Thanks for coming here, and for strong feelings about being here!
J R in WV
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Well, impeachment may be a heavy lift — but what about indictment for hate crimes, conviction and imprisonment?? Hard to participate in court cases from a jail cell~!
J R in WV
@jl:
Taobhan’s comments are attacking the only political forces who have any chance of fighting Trump going into next year’s election. So that’s why I’m harsh… Taobhan should be working to support those who have any power to use against Trump.
J R in WV
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thanks!
I am cranky, we tried to load the backhoe onto the tractor today for the first time in a couple of years. It didn’t go smoothly – we couldn’t get the hydraulic hoses to seat at first. Also the hoe was lying on it’s side on the garage floor.
At first we tried to use the loader bucket to pick up the hoe with chains. That didn’t work very well. Then we finally used a small hammer and a big pin to drain some hydraulic fluid from the hoe, which eventually allowed us to seat the hoses from the tractor.
Then we could move the hoe around, gingerly. There was carrying of cinderblocks for cribbing the hoe up as we moved it. I’m a little past too old for this kind of work. I can’t believe I was able to fix dinner and am still up typing away after that day’s work.
Tomorrow we’re going to use the backhoe to pull sediment, sand and leaves from the drains around the place, which will be trucked up to the garden spot and tilled into the fall garden soil. Being on a ridge top it’s pretty poor soil without some amendments.
The garden is our neighbor’s with whom we share the farm. We’ve known them for a very long time, and sold them their little place for $10 and a handshake. Since then they’re built a nice home up there.
CapnMubbers
@jl: “Be off, or I’ll kick you downstairs!”
Steeplejack
@JoeyJoeJoe:
Great bakery! And Amicci’s right around the corner on High Street is a good Italian restaurant.
BroD
I’ve been looking for Governor Hogan’s response to the slurs directed at my hometown.
…