Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Republicans in disarray!

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

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

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

People are complicated. Love is not.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Second rate reporter says what?

I really should read my own blog.

The words do not have to be perfect.

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

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

You are here: Home / Immigration / The Retaliation Begins

The Retaliation Begins

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Trump just suspended NEXUS enrollments for New York State residents:

The Trump administration will no longer allow New York residents to enroll in Global Entry or other Trusted Traveler programs, citing new “sanctuary” policies that limit federal access to state driver’s license data, acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf said on Fox News late Wednesday.

Wolf told host Tucker Carlson that he sent a letter to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles informing the agency that the state’s new limits on information-sharing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection made it impossible for federal authorities to process travelers’ applications for Global Entry and other programs.

This is huge in Western New York, because many of us travel to Canada regularly and NEXUS cuts a lot of time from the process. The real reason behind it is that New York just passed a law called “Green Light” that lets the undocumented get drivers’ licenses. It’s more race-baiting for the base, we’ll fight it in court, but this is just the start of Trump’s efforts to turn blue state residents into second class citizens.

Edited to add: The flimsy premise of this whole stupid act is that somehow Green Light restricts Homeland Security from accessing the DMV database. It doesn’t, and also kids can get NEXUS (if you’re crossing, to be in the NEXUS lane, everyone has to have it). It’s just stupid and mean, like everything Trump does.

Reader Interactions

140Comments

  1. 1.

    Redshift

    Apparently the Utah legislature is discussing passing a “we love Trump” resolution because they’re afraid he’ll retaliate against the whole state because of Romney.

    Totally normal…

  2. 2.

    Kraux Pas

    Republicans, the party of state rights, as long as states only exercise those rights in the way Republicans approve.

  3. 3.

    Jerzy Russian

    acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf

    Is there any cabinet level department that has a proper head?

    Also, is this retaliation in response to a specific event, or just more general dickishness? Not that it matters in the end….

  4. 4.

    lee

    I’m pretty sure that Texas allows undocumented to get a DL as well.

    So this could be just Trump punishing NY because NY hates Trump.

  5. 5.

    gene108

    Trump only cares about himself.

    He’s a lifelong New Yorker, like his dad.

    Yet he hates his home state, because they don’t bow down to him.  No home state or hometown loyalty. It’s just what he can get out of them for his benefit.

  6. 6.

    MazeDancer

    We must all buckle up. Because I’m convinced Nancy Pelosi is determined to bait him over the edge.

    She will needle him, nicely, until he bursts. First, he’ll retaliate more, but, eventually, he’ll go over the edge. Even Pence will have to step up and intervene.

    And if Bloomberg ups his attacks, it’ll happen that much faster.

    No amount of drugs will help.

    Just hope she has increased her security.

  9. 9.

    download my app in the app store mistermix

    On Utah, check this out and tell me if it’s retaliation:

    You might recall that Trump rescinded some extensions to two national monuments in Utah.  Today, suspicious timing, they announced they’re going to lease that land for drilling, mining and grazing.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/02/06/trump-administration-will-allow-drilling-logging-sensitive-federal-lands-utah/

    Utah is in the middle of a tourism boom because the economy is good and people can travel to their many different national parks and monuments.  But in the West, Republicans are often for more grazing, mining and drilling on federal land.  So I don’t know whether this is a dig at Romney or not.

    Also, on the Utah state leg – if the state is a red state represented by assholes, take that assholery times 10 and you’ll probably level up to the average Republican state representative.

  10. 10.

    DCrefugee

    @lee: Possibly, but I wouldn’t bet against all this being because it’s Schumer’s home state.

    California’s next.

  11. 11.

    Kent

    @Jerzy Russian:Is there any cabinet level department that has a proper head?

    There’s  the two nepotism hires, Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao (Mrs. Mitch).  But I wouldn’t call them “proper heads” as no one in their right might would think “Mrs. Amway” is qualified to run a kindergarten class much less the Dept. of Education.

  12. 12.

    Mr. Kite

    There will be blood before the fever breaks, I’m afraid. The press/DUI secretary is already amplifying the “payback” line.

  13. 13.

    JDM

    @gene108:

    Trump only cares about himself.

    He’s a lifelong New Yorker, like his dad.

    He’s a child of his era too, and from living near NYC in the sixties I know that Trump’s attitude is typical of a certain Manhattan-based dimwit type, usually well off financially, from that period. They hate New York state, they hate Staten Island, they hate the Bronx, they hate every part of NY state and NYC except Manhattan.

    And Trump has always been desperate to win the approval of Manhattan rich people. Little else really matters, and he has never gotten it and it’s been very clear he never will get it. That’s at the root of his anger at the world. (Being an obese failure – both things he hates in others – probably doesn’t help his anger issues either.)

    Yet he hates his home state, because they don’t bow down to him.  No home state or hometown loyalty. It’s just what he can get out of them for his benefit.

  14. 14.

    Peale

    Anyway, I have a over a year before I need to renew mine. I’m guessing that before then, they’ll actually cancel the program.  So I think I’m going to vote for the Dem candidate who is most likely to take it out on red states when they are elected. I’m tired of this idea that progressives deserve the shit they get and should always ask for less because they’ll awoke the great silent concervative blowback machine. I want a progressive blow-back. Make me wait in long lines at the airport while my friends from New Jersey can get through the GE line? Fine. PETA gets to choose meat inspectors.

  15. 15.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Kraux Pas:

    It’s laughable, isn’t it? They hate the big bad federal government when they’re not in power and crack down on localities within the states they control when those local governments do icky things like trying to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination, raising the local minimum wage, or wanting to remove Confederate monuments from the early 20th century from public thoroughfares.

    Oh, but they’re the party of small government! Just not when it conflicts with what big business or social reactionaries want, then they’re all for using the administrative state to crush their political opponents. Fuck these hypocrites.

    It bears repeating: the GOP is an authoritarian white supremacist party

  18. 18.

    Roger Moore

    @Jerzy Russian:

    Is there any cabinet level department that has a proper head?

    Yes.  Actually, DHS is the only one of the 15 cabinet posts that’s filled by an acting secretary.  Of the other “cabinet-level positions”, Mulvaney is acting as chief of staff and Maguire is acting DNI. I think the real muddle with acting people is mostly at the lower levels.

  20. 20.

    Mallard Filmore

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

     

    Oh, but they’re the party of small government!

    Right. Government must be small, really small. But we have to have National Defense, and courts, and laws to protect private property. So we have to have a government big enough to protect ME, but not so big that it can protect YOU.

  21. 21.

    Roger Moore

    @download my app in the app store mistermix:

    You might recall that Trump rescinded some extensions to two national monuments in Utah. Today, suspicious timing, they announced they’re going to lease that land for drilling, mining and grazing.

    I suspect this is coincidence.  It’s been clear all along that the whole point of shrinking the monuments was to allow more drilling and mining.  I don’t think this is actually an increase in grazing, because part of the process of creating the monuments was to allow existing grazing uses to continue.  That said, I thought the shrinkage of the monuments was still tied up in court, so any attempt to mine or drill there is likely to be tied up, too.

  22. 22.

    ...now I try to be amused

    @Mallard Filmore:

    So we have to have a government big enough to protect ME, but not so big that it can protect YOU.

    “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” — Frank Wilhoit

  26. 26.

    FlyingToaster

    Isn’t this basically the glibertarian mantra:  Government needs to be just big enough to protect me from my serfs?

    I’m sure that MA is next, since good fucking luck getting any coherent data out of our public records.  Unless you explicitly sign up for RealID on your driver’s license (and bring the elventy-six pieces o info), the RMV has the address you’re garaged at, a crappy mugshot, if you need glasses, and your DOB.

    I’m sure Maura Healey*’s waiting to join that lawsuit.

    *(MA AG)

  28. 28.

    ...now I try to be amused

    @Martin:

    Can’t wait until we hit the ‘which state can build the largest gold statue of Trump’ phase of federal budgeting.

    Trumpmenbashi?

  29. 29.

    Martin

    @lee: California has been issuing drivers licenses for a decade. Trump loves coming after us. Maybe he’s just saving this for a rainy day.

  34. 34.

    mad citizen

    @Martin: I can’t wait until we get to the Blue State Secession talk.  I guess that will happen once the second term starts.

  36. 36.

    kindness

    To my peeps in NY, welcome to how Trump treats us here in California.

    It doesn’t make sense except when viewed as an avenue of vengeance.  Something a Mob Boss would do.

  37. 37.

    lee

    @FlyingToaster:

    Talking about RealID. I need to convert mine and I have no desire to wait at the Texas DMV for a day. So I’ll just keep using my passport to fly.

    The Texas leg, in its infinite wisdom repeatedly reduced the number of employees at the DMV. When people in the red ares started loudly complaining, they promised to hire 200 more workers.

    But they never allocated the money to actually hire those 200 more.

  38. 38.

    Kelly

    Constitutional hardball is the way governing will go for the next 20 years or so. The R’s have been emotionally on board with it at least since Gingrich. I don’t know how we govern unless we play to. I don’t know if we can play without losing our souls.

  39. 39.

    Martin

    @…now I try to be amused: Too small.  I’m thinking someone is going to have to at least top what Trump likely refers to as ‘that green bitch in the harbor’.

    Watch out South Dakota – he’s gonna want his face in a mountain if you want those Federal Highway dollars.

  46. 46.

    Arclite

    This is so dumb.  So now, instead of having illegals get licensed so we can ensure they’re relatively safe and trained drivers, they’ll just stay underground.

  48. 48.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Kelly: It’s really, really easy. Just fully fund the IRS and give it a mandate to crawl up the asses of the top 1% with a flashlight, a shovel, and bags to hold the money. Included in the mandate would be additional confiscatory powers.

    And then let nature take its course.

  51. 51.

    Gin & Tonic

    BTW, this is not just Nexus, it’s Global Entry, too. To those who don’t have that, you pay a (non-refundable) $100, then book an appointment at a TSA location (generally an international airport.) The appointment is weeks away if you’re lucky, usually months. Then you go there, they photograph and fingerprint you, and within a few weeks decide if you’re worthy. I’ve seen reports of New Yorkers who have paid the fee and have booked an appointment who today got notice that the appointment was canceled. You have no recourse.

    I’m thinking that when the London-NY commuting i-bankers find out they can’t renew and have to stand in the passport line with the plebes, the temperature on this will go up.

  55. 55.

    MomSense

    My kids have basically been in panic mode for about a month now.  It’s only gotten worse with the events of the last few days.  I’m trying to be encouraging, but after watching the Shit of the Union smells strong speech, which was like Mussolini meets World Wrestling Federation, and then listening to him huff and puff through his horrible victory mess today – I’m feeling a little panicked myself.

  56. 56.

    Kelly

    @Martin:

    Alternatively, levy fines on companies breaking federal law at between 1x and 3x the cost of harm done to the consumer.

    Hoping for that sort of thing is why I like Warren. No guarantee she’d get that done but it’d be up for discussion.

  57. 57.

    The Moar You Know

    Global Entry, too. To those who don’t have that, you pay a (non-refundable) $100, then book an appointment at a TSA location (generally an international airport.) The appointment is weeks away if you’re lucky, usually months. Then you go there, the photograph and fingerprint you, and within a few weeks decide if you’re worthy.

    @Gin & Tonic: Anecdata:  Did mine last month.  Online application, I got an appointment within two weeks.  Five minute interview, prints and photo.  Decisions, as per my interviewing agent, made within 48 hours.  Which did in fact happen.  You’re notified by email.  About a week for the cards to be delivered.  Can’t remember if renewal is every three or five years.

  59. 59.

    FelonyGovt

    @DCrefugee: Yes, I have an application for Global Entry pending, with my interview scheduled for May. I have a feeling the program will be suspended for California before then.

  61. 61.

    SFAW

    According to Josh, “the Treasury Department has turned over highly sensitive financial records of Hunter Biden to Republican Committee Chairs pursuing various Biden/Burisma conspiracy theories.” Josh also notes that the Treasury is also still refusing to turn over the Traitor-in-Chief’s financial records, even though the law demands that they do so.

    Thanks Traitor Turtle, thanks Traitor Suzy, thanks Traitor Lamar, thanks Traitor Lisa, Traitor Lindsey — hell, thanks to all the senatorial Traitors — for allowing the Traitor-in-Chief to keep pushing, unfettered, toward dictatorship.

  63. 63.

    Kent

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    @Kelly: It’s really, really easy. Just fully fund the IRS and give it a mandate to crawl up the asses of the top 1% with a flashlight, a shovel, and bags to hold the money. Included in the mandate would be additional confiscatory powers.

    And then let nature take its course.

    Let the IRS keep 0.1% of the extra money it collects and it will get fully funded in a nanosecond.

  65. 65.

    Martin

    @FelonyGovt: I actually think Apple is why it hasn’t been suspended. Apple is actually subsidizing the renovation of the United area at SFO because they’re basically filling a flight to China every day.

    Tim Cook has achieved some kind of detente with Trump regarding things like tariffs. I can see him convincing Trump that travel out of California is key to economic growth or whatever bullshit Trump will swallow. It’s a very weird relationship and Tim Cook the most unlikely of messengers, but somehow it’s kind of working.

  66. 66.

    Gin & Tonic

    @The Moar You Know: Not going to go digging through e-mails to verify the timespans, but it took a *long* time before we could book appointments.

    The card appears to expire on my birthday, 5+ years after issuance.

  67. 67.

    Hoodie

    @Arclite: Yeah, and the best abortions are back-alley abortions.  Maybe Republicans are actually just into expression, kind of like Beat poets.  My experiences with conservatives today is that they often are more concerned about achieving a public enunciation of their desired state of affairs than actually achieving that state, because the enunciation means they win a political argument.  So, for example, as long as you can say that undocumented persons don’t have status by shutting down anything that might prevent ill effects from their presence, they don’t exist.  Now, this has knock-on effects like undocumented people being unable to hold a job or driving without a license or insurance, but that’s not the primary purpose for a lot of these people, because they don’t think that far in the chain of causation.  What’s more important is handing out the Scarlet A.  Thus, they don’t appear to even care if the wall actually stops illegal immigration (or transport of drugs, etc.), as long as they can say it’s there or at least being built.  It’s the legacy of “just say no.”

  71. 71.

    japa21

    @SFAW: You don’t understand.  The Dems just wanted Trump’s records for political reasons, thus the request was not justified.  Hunter Biden’s records, however, are a national security issue and the US would be destroyed if those records weren’t provided.

  73. 73.

    mrmoshpotato

    Anyone know if a transcript of Dump’s hour-long babble is out?

    I just finished a transcript of Tuesday, and hooboy.

  74. 74.

    Miss Bianca

    @Hoodie:

    My experiences with conservatives Bernie stans today is that they often are more concerned about achieving a public enunciation of their desired state of affairs than actually achieving that state

    Hey, me too!//

  75. 75.

    Dan B

    Is it possible that Pelosi and several close associates ( Schiff, Demings, Jeffries, etc. ) want to goad Trump into excessive retribution.  It’s a non-violent activist approach – let them expose their cruelty to the public.  Barr, Pompeo, McConnell, and many others want to quietly undermine our institutions.  If Trump goes nuts it will be a distraction but could backfire and force the GOP into damage control.  It could also get the Koch’s, Scaif’s, and Adelson’s into demanding the White House back off.  There are a number of corporations that could be peeled off from the: ‘Don’t look at the constitution on fire, look at the rude lady!’ coalition.

  77. 77.

    Cacti

    @Ruckus: One of the reasons he’s so enraged at Mittens I think is because Romney is not up for reelection until 2024, depriving Trump of that avenue for revenge.

  78. 78.

    randy khan

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Yeah, I don’t know if Trump realizes who exactly is going to be annoyed by this.

    BTW, Global Entry is great, and well worth the money if you go overseas even once a year.  It also gets you Pre on domestic flights.

  79. 79.

    MomSense

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    They think we are well into fascism.

    They don’t believe trump will leave office even if he loses the election.

    They think the election will be really close and nobody will trust the results.

    They think Biden is probably the most electable but he’s really bad at campaigning.

    They think Democrats are in denial and choosing candidates based on policies and that they are not appreciating the threat level.

    They think  Bernie will win the nomination and that he’s unelectable.  They also tell me that almost all of their friends love him and won’t vote for anyone else.

    All of this is before climate crisis, destruction of the National Parks and monuments, failure of institutions, etc.

  80. 80.

    Patricia Kayden

    The WH is now sending around anti-Romney talking points, including: •Romney’s decision was unsurprising as this display of self-serving political expedience has come to define his career.•Romney has a long history of flip-flopping, with no sign of principles to be found.— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) February 6, 2020

  81. 81.

    randy khan

    @The Moar You Know:

    Anecdata:  Did mine last month.  Online application, I got an appointment within two weeks.  Five minute interview, prints and photo.  Decisions, as per my interviewing agent, made within 48 hours.  Which did in fact happen.  You’re notified by email.  About a week for the cards to be delivered.  Can’t remember if renewal is every three or five years.

    l was told I was approved at my interview, as my wife was at hers.  My interview was less than a month after I got the notice for it.

    If you live or work close to a place they do the interviews, one trick is to look for cancellations in the schedule.  My wife got her interview moved up by several weeks because we kept checking for openings.

  82. 82.

    Frankensteinbeck

    This has nothing to do with impeachment.  This is not payback in the sense people here are thinking.  It IS payback of a sort.  This is about New York passing laws that tell ICE to fuck off, they won’t help ICE target vulnerable people.  So, Trump told ICE and CBP to pull any dickish bureaucratic move they could.

    EDIT – Let me add, Trump and ICE openly said this is why they did it, and there’s no need for any other explanation.  It fits perfectly.

  83. 83.

    Barbara

    @MomSense: Panic never helps anyone.  It is horrible, I have been reeling just about every day going on four years now.  Some of their fears are probably more valid than others, but we can’t waylaid by what might happen.  We have to do what we can to keep it from happening.

  84. 84.

    Jay

    @SFAW:

    Yeah, it’s just starting. Dumph and disBarr are going to use the full powers of the State to go after their “enemies” lists.

    At the same time, Dumph Jr, Parscale and Faux are going to crank up the base so that instead of once a week, a RWNJ “Lone Wolf” goes after someone on Dumph’s “Enemies List”, it will be several times a day.

  85. 85.

    Baud

    @MomSense:

    They don’t believe trump will leave office even if he loses the election.

    On this, I can assure that even if he doesn’t leave office, the office will leave him.

  86. 86.

    chris

    @Kraux Pas: Temp is rising and the rain is starting here in Nova Scotia. twenty four hours of rain and a 55F high tomorrow.

    Perfectly normal! Nothing to see here!

    (It is normal, once or twice a winter. This bi-weekly is not.)

  87. 87.

    Mike in Pasadena

    Retaliation by Trump and Republicans began a long time ago. For example, the 2017 tax act severely limits the deduction of state and local taxes. That was a direct finger in the eye of the residents of California, NY, New Jersey and other states that did not vote for trump and Rethuglican legislators.

  89. 89.

    John Revolta

    @Dan B: I don’t know if this is Pelosi’s strategy, but if it is I’m not crazy about it. I’m pretty sure we all decided that “Heighten the Contradictions” was inefficient at best and a potential disaster at worst.

  91. 91.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Baud:

    Well put.  The military, Secret Service, DC police, intelligence community, and bureaucracy are loyal to the office, not Trump.  When the next president is inaugurated Trump ceases to be president and they will carry him kicking and screaming out of the White House if that’s what it takes.

  92. 92.

    Leto

    @p.a.: I guess his Shit of the Union was the warm up act to the full throated display seen today, both at the “breakfast” and his 12pm flagellation.

  98. 98.

    RedDirtGirl

    @MomSense: I regret not getting the chance to be a mom. And then I’m thankful that I don’t have my own kids to worry about. (Although I worry plenty about my niece, my 20-something friends, etc. )

  100. 100.

    Mnemosyne

    @Kraux Pas:

    Same as it ever was, all the way back to Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech where he said that slaveholders didn’t just demand non-interference, but active assistance in continuing slavery.

  102. 102.

    Getchen

    Kansas leg is voting to put an amendment to the constitution to ban abortion on the August ballot.  They fought tooth and nail to get it on the November, claiming people would be tired after voting for President.

  103. 103.

    Getchen

    @p.a.: I watched this morning.  90 minutes of grievance-airing and attacking everyone he could think of.  Audience response that wouldn’t have been out of place in North Korea.  No visible tics or mispronounciations, which is what I was waiting for.  They’ve got his drug cocktail fine-tuned.

  104. 104.

    Kelly

    @Mnemosyne: I’ve been catching up on those aspects of our history. Same as it ever was is sorta comforting in that we’ve survived bad people in power before. Sorta exhausting the way history implies we’ll never be done.

  105. 105.

    chris

    @Kraux Pas:  @Kelly: Global weirding is the new normal I guess.  We get whacked back and forth here because we are 800 miles north of Bermuda and 800 miles south of northern Labrador. The prevailing wind used to come from the northwest but now it’s all over the map and the jetstream whipsaws overhead.

    Heh, lucky us.

  107. 107.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @Jerzy Russian: Transportation. Elaine Chow, though she and her husband should probably be doing time for corruption/using a federal appointment for self enrichment. It’s just that it’s the least bad thing going on so nobody has much noticed.

  108. 108.

    brantl

    There’s still an excellent chance that Nancy will find the right lever to make his head explode, he looks most of the way there, already. I wonder if the orange skin is cover for cirrhosis?

  109. 109.

    TenguPhule

    @Frankensteinbeck: The military, Secret Service, DC police, intelligence community, and bureaucracy are loyal to the office, not Trump.

    Please show your evidence.

    There are an awful lot of things that Trump can do before 1/21/2021.

  110. 110.

    ThresherK

    How many dozens of lefties (who won’t even commit to being Dems) are all hepped up about replacing Nancy SMASH as speaker?

    And how fucking tone- and politics-deaf are they about everything?

  111. 111.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @john b: I think you mean HUD. On paper he’s actually not dismally qualified for HHS. The guy was a brain surgeon after all.

  115. 115.

    A Ghost To Most

    There’s no time for panic when you’re busy. I just finished a set of leather-covered lumbar supports for the 4×4, and am about to start building my roll-on/roll-off 5×10 cabin for my utility trailer. I’m thinking of adding a layer of Kevlar for bullet resistance.

  116. 116.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @SFAW: Yes this after they scare mongered that “if we hand over Trump’s tax returns they could ask for anyone’s!?!? So now they hand over anyone’s. But still not Trump. Kinda wonder though about the wisdom of this if you’re Trump though. I would think the Democrats could introduce this decision in the court case involving Trump’s returns and say, see, Treasury can hand over tax returns. So give us his fuckers.

  119. 119.

    TenguPhule

    @Baud: Battling a severe case of depression after visiting Japan last fall and realizing just how much my country now sucks in comparison. I figured I had best stay off the keyboard until I felt a little better.

  122. 122.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Sounds like New York needs to double down on trolling Trump.  The Left isn’t doing it’s job unless Trump is in tears on TV.

  124. 124.

    J R in WV

    @Kent:

    There’s the two nepotism hires, Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao (Mrs. Mitch). But I wouldn’t call them “proper heads” as no one in their right might would think “Mrs. Amway” is qualified to run a kindergarten class much less the Dept. of Education…

    There’s also Wilbur Ross, the former banker managing the Bank of Cyprus, hotbed of Russian oligarchs laundering stolen billions of  Euros, Pounds Sterling, Rubles, and Dollars. Secretary of the Department of Commerce, aka money laundering. Also in charge of burying investigations into money laundering along with AG Barr.

    ETA: regarding Betsy de Vos… her education according the the Google:

    Calvin University (1979), Holland Christian High School (1975), Calvin University

    I’m sure everyone at Calvin U majors in Calvinism and why that’s God’s Will… or at least has to take a minor in that abstruse subject. Great basis for running the Federal Dept of Education~!!!!~

  125. 125.

    Ohio Mom

    Tenguphule: Welcome back, sorry to hear about your depression.

    I’m told that people with passports tend to be left of center, and that right-wingers tend not to travel out of the country.

    You are sort of a one-man case study of travel being broadening.

  126. 126.

    TenguPhule

    @WaterGirl:

    Page loading is erratic, I’ve been having to clear cache in order to see the comments, especially if someone like Adam adds video to the post.

  127. 127.

    TenguPhule

    @Ohio Mom: I am left of center, except on capital punishment and an unwillingness to go high when the other party goes low.

    And after seeing what Bush the lesser and Trump the Despoiler have done so far, is that really wrong of me?

  129. 129.

    Ohio Mom

    TenguPhule: the main quirk of the new site for me is not being able to hit “reply” and getting a box I can type in.

    I am still against capital punishment but see nothing wrong with forgoing going high, depending on the circumstances.

    Right-wingers who don’t travel for whatever reason, get to keep their fantasy that our country is flawless.

  131. 131.

    WaterGirl

    @Ohio Mom: I think this should work for you:

    Hit Reply (which should give you @nym you are replying to)

    Hit X to close the box

    Hit COMMENT, which will take you to the regular comment box, where @nym you replied to will be waiting for you.

  134. 134.

    Brachiator

    @Ohio Mom:

    I’m told that people with passports tend to be left of center, and that right-wingers tend not to travel out of the country.

    During the lunch break, a businesswoman attendee at a tax seminar talked about how she and her husband drove all over the United States. She got weirdly huffy when someone talked about overseas travel. She actually said something about there being no reason for anyone to travel outside of the United States. She was very conservative, maybe evangelical. She talked about her husband being the head of the household even though he was retired and she was running a successful business as well as being a good Christian wife.

  136. 136.

    A Ghost To Most

    @chris: Yea, I promised myself I was going to document the build. I’ve gathered all the windows and door,holding tank and water tank, and 24 heavy duty caster wheels. There’s nothing like tucking into a big project to take your mind off things.

  138. 138.

    J R in WV

    @Ohio Mom:

    I always get a box to type in, I just now did to reply to you.

    What do you get when you click on Reply???

    @TenguPhule:

    Yes, pandemics can be profitable, IF you don’t catch the disease yourself, AND you are in a position to benefit from all the other deaths. Wilbur didn’t think, he just reacted verbally as he thought Trump would approve of what he had to say. Not that Trump can think…

    ETA:

    TenguPhule, welcome back!

    I find the new code base really good, an improvement over the previous in nearly every way. More modern, explicit tool set, buttons that do what they indicate, etc. I think once you get used to it you will also like it. New tools always take a while to get familiar with, give it a shot before you go away again.

  139. 139.

    No One You Know

    @Getchen: or real- time audio fixes, although I’ve long since lost track of where that tech went. IIRC, the prototype riffed from translation software to fix issues for early Alzheimers and related conditions. Sort of bad English-to-good English translation. Wish I’d paid more attention, now.

  140. 140.

    No One You Know

    @ThresherK: Dunno. I politely replied to the AOC campaign moneybleg to tell them that I would not support Democrats who give Pelosi a hard time.

    Work with any issues, of course. Show some respect for both her service and her most recent accomplishments– which were made possible by experience. And would not have fared so well in thre hands of newbies who don’t know the rules & regs, or have the political and social capital, of the experienced.

    And then I contributed, again, to Pelosi. Some days this happens a couple of times. The little I have goes where it can.

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