Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

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

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

“Let’s not pretend [Trump] wants to engage in high-minded discourse.”

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. don’t touch it.”

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about it’s history.”

Motown is Joe-Town!

You cannot shame the shameless.

No one could have predicted…

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Glad to see john eastman going through some things.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

If you’re looking for someone who’s young and athletic, go watch a fucking movie.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / What is This Blog Coming To?

What is This Blog Coming To?

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This post is in: 

I mean, it’s been almost a week since Ted Cruz whined about an Alabama “forced vasectomy” bill and nobody has posted to make fun of him. Sometimes I think we’re losing our touch. Anyway, the long and short of it (in Ted’s case, almost certainly, the short of it), is that an Alabama state rep, Rolanda Hollis, introduced a bill that would force men to have vasectomies when they reach age 50. This is the counterpart to a stupid Alabama anti-abortion bill that was struck down last Fall, as well as all the other stupid publicity stunt bills that Republican state legislators introduce all the time.

Why should Republicans have a lock on these stunts? The simple answer, as Ted’s news release that pushed this story into the our collective inboxes shows, is that they shouldn’t. Sometimes, when you fight stupid with stupid, you make your point, especially if an asshole like Ted picks up on it.

Wonkette has a good run down on the whole thing that’s worth a read as a pleasant diversion.

My only comment is that men are such weaklings about this little operation, and it doesn’t surprise me one bit that faux tough guy Cruz chose this stunt bill to whine about. Women, who already shoulder all the risks of a sometimes deadly act (reproduction), are expected to shoulder all the work and risk of birth control*, according to guys who are too chickenshit to have a short, low risk, at worst slightly painful procedure that is done under local anesthetic. Fuck those guys, really. Or if you’re a woman with one of them, don’t fuck ’em. (I actually knew a woman who did that to get her point across.)

Open thread.

* Yes, I know condoms exist. Still, are you going to tell me that Ted Cruz and his ilk would use one without whining like a pissy little baby? Damn right you’re not going to tell me that, because it isn’t fucking true.

Reader Interactions

94Comments

  1. 1.

    Adam L Silverman

    Yes, I know condoms exist. Still, are you going to tell me that Ted Cruz and his ilk would use one without whining like a little pissy baby?

    Cruz, and his fellow travelers, don’t want to just outlaw abortion, they also want to outlaw birth control. Roe and Casey are first. Grizwold is second. Loving is third. And Brown is fourth. Those are the major Supreme Court rulings they want gone. Once that is done they want the New Deal declared unconstitutional. This is the Federalist Society’s agenda. It is Senator Cruz’s agenda. It is Senator Hawley’s agenda. It is AG Barr’s agenda. It is VP Pence’s agenda. It is Associate Justices Gorsuch’s, Kavanaugh’s, Alito’s, and Thomas’s agenda.

  3. 3.

    download my app in the app store mistermix

    @Adam L Silverman: Yeah, they want to outlaw it, but just for the wrong kinds of people.  They want BC to be what it was in the 50’s – available for white people with money, discreetly.  Ted only has two kids – presumably he’s practicing BC.  Ditto for abortions.  White people with money get those, too, discreetly.

  4. 4.

    oldster

    In my opinion, we need a lot *more* of that kind of messaging on reproductive rights and freedoms.

    We need to make a lot of noise about how the forced-birth fanatics would never tolerate the equivalent restrictions on their own bodies.

    As things stand, you can charge Viagra to your insurance bill, but not oral birth control. That’s moronic.

    We need to force people to think about the shoe being on the other foot. This bill did a bit of that. We should do more.

    For instance, when legislators talk about spying on women to see when they have menstruated (and there are bills like this!), we need to introduce legislation mandating that every man be checked weekly to see whether he has masturbated.

    Make it flagrant, offensive, and over-the-top. Get the publicity. Make the point. Bodily autonomy and freedom are not just for one sex. If men want to control women’s bodies, then women should advocate for the control of men’s bodies, right back at them.

  5. 5.

    Gin & Tonic

    From the “probably TMI” file, I had one after we’d had the three kids we wanted, and it was an excellent thing to have done. Truly minor bit of discomfort for a couple of days, followed by a lot less inhibition.

  8. 8.

    Adam L Silverman

    @download my app in the app store mistermix: They want the rulings vacated as unconstitutional and sent back to the states. That way if they want birth control, they can buy it in the states that will make it legal. Same with getting abortions or getting married to someone of a different race, ethnicity, and/or religion. And I forgot one, they also want Obergefell overturned too.

  10. 10.

    chopper

    Yes, I know condoms exist. Still, are you going to tell me that Ted Cruz and his ilk would use one

    why the fuck did you just make me envision that? why?!

  11. 11.

    Duane

    Getting Cruz to talk about forced vasectomies is hilarious.  What a dope. Has he heard about banning men from owning guns because of the murder rate?

  14. 14.

    cleek

    a short, low risk, at worst slightly painful procedure that is done under local anesthetic

    plus valium, if you’re lucky!

  19. 19.

    PJ

    @Brachiator: One of the most effective forms of birth control is Ted Cruz’s face and personality.  For those who aren’t married to Ted, I would bet that just imagining Ted Cruz is sufficient to put the most ardent lover out of the mood.

  21. 21.

    Kent

    There is SO much more that Dems could do to troll the GOPers.

    A really good one would be drug testing and work requirements for getting farm aid.  Make all those farmers go pee in a cup if they want their government check.  Just like we do with other welfare recipients.

    But, more importantly, add a work requirement to any sort of government farm support.  That check isn’t coming if you don’t put in your 20 hours per week on that farm.  No collecting government price supports from your condo in CA from that farm in Iowa (Hello Devin Nunez).

    There are actually endless opportunities for this sort of thing.

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud:

    I doubt Ted has to worry about BC after he let Trump walk all over his wife.

    I doubt Ted has to worry about BC because, well, Ted Cruz.  My nostrils are flaring as if I had just stepped in shit or smelled chicken that has gone bad.  Ugh.

  24. 24.

    The Dangerman

    @Adam L Silverman:

    In a free and fair election (yea, I know, I KNOW), the Republicans would get smoked even in Red States. Most of that would go over as well as an elephant fart in an elevator (What’s the difference between the corner pub and an elephant fart? One is a bar room and one is a barROOM). Legislatures would be busy until the end of time.

  25. 25.

    Kent

    @The Dangerman: No, what would happen is that Dems would over-reach with too much nanny-state bullshit and the GOP would shift left and left until we were back to a 2-party system but it might look more like Euro politics with a more Christian Democrat style right and a more Social Democrat style left.    There is always going to be an equilibrium.  Our current one is defined by the electoral college and Senate map and the ability of the GOP to do gerrymandering.

  29. 29.

    Ruckus

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Exactly.

    They want to control you, everything about you, they want slavery back and not just black slavery. They want a dictatorship, which is why they all get behind moronic asshole trump. He may not be their ideal but he’s got the right bent for them. (And yes I used right in more than one way there) They want the rich to own everything because that love of gold is their cornerstone. They are willing to be the middle managers and get a tiny slice, as long as the people they don’t like get fucked. Fucked bad and hard.

  32. 32.

    Scout211

    Interesting discussion.  Not about the ED drugs, but about the varying coverage of Medicare part D plans and Medicare advantage plans that include drugs.  They are not all the same.  In fact, the HiCap program that assists Medicare recipients in choosing Advantage plans or Part D plans request that you bring all your current meds in for the appointment.  They then help you decide on a plan that will include the medications that you are currently taking. Because if you choose the wrong one, your current meds may not be covered.

    So that is why you all found differing results for whether Medicare covers ED drugs.  They do and they don’t.

    I would love a long thread sometime in the future on this blog that focuses on Medicare and Seniors and the coming fight against the cuts proposed to our coverage, again.  But also to be a place where we can help each other wade through the options.

    We do have a surprisingly high number of over 60 jackals.  Just saying.

  35. 35.

    Zinsky

    Humans just need to stop reproducing and the species needs to die off.  We are a blight on this planet.  Our time is over and we need to accept it.

  37. 37.

    hitchhiker

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Exhibit A: Men who suffer from spinal cord injury often can’t get erections without Viagra. Most insurance doesn’t cover it, as even a marginally functional sex life isn’t considered a medical necessity.

    Most of these injuries happen to young men.

  38. 38.

    John Revolta

    @oldster:

    we need to introduce legislation mandating that every man be checked weekly to see whether he has masturbated.

    We could call it the Every Sperm is Sacred Act! Got the theme music all cued up!

  41. 41.

    Scott

    @Gin & Tonic:   Yep,  me too.  Including 3rd child.  It was a great burden let off both of us since BC pills wrecked havoc with wife’s hormones and we couldn’t use them.

  45. 45.

    sdhays

    @Patricia Kayden: I could do without the racial slur in that tweet, although, to be fair, I know that not everyone realizes that “yellow” is a racial slur. I never used it, but I didn’t understand what it meant for a long time.

  47. 47.

    Baud

    @sdhays:

    I didn’t realize that “yellow” when referring to cowardly behavior was related to the use of “yellow” to refer to East Asians.

  48. 48.

    Mousebumples

    PBM pharmacist checking in. Of the plans my company coordinates, it’s a mix of covered and not covered for Erectile Dysfunction meds. If it is covered, there may be a Prior Authorization required (e.g. Do you have a spinal cord injury?), and generally quantity limits apply.

  49. 49.

    Brachiator

    @sdhays:

    I could do without the racial slur in that tweet, although, to be fair, I know that not everyone realizes that “yellow” is a racial slur.

    A slur against who? The English? There is all kinds of conflicting explanations for the association with cowardly.

  51. 51.

    Shakti

    This post reminds me of this reddit post in which a husband refuses to get a vasectomy even though his wife can’t tolerate regular birth control, the IUD, and Essure and will divorce her if she gets an abortion because she doesn’t want to have more than 2 kids. Or they “agreed” to have two. He doesn’t care that the IUD caused her pain during sex and her period. “This is your lot as a woman.”

     

    Also most men don’t think they directly benefit from women having access to birth control.

     

    In addition, male pharma execs refused further testing of Viagra as a cramp reliever because they didn’t think period pain is a public health concern. 

  52. 52.

    Brachiator

    @Baud:

    If it’s against the English, is it really a slur?

    One derivation that popped up.

    Origin of Yellow Belly
    This idiom originated in England as a nickname for people from the Lincolnshire Fens. This area of England is marshy, and contains eels. People say that both the eels and the people have yellow bellies.

    Also:

    ETA: Speaking of English, it’s “against whom.”

    No, it’s “who.” I am actively trying to make this usage more informal. ;)

  54. 54.

    debbie

    Some Trumpie somewhere:
    <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Now I've seen everything. <a href=”https://t.co/SWfjiCU4vI”>pic.twitter.com/SWfjiCU4vI</a></p>&mdash; Antonia Lee Donnelly (@DonnellyAntonia) <a href=”https://twitter.com/DonnellyAntonia/status/1229227422836559873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

    The response:

    <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”und” dir=”ltr”> <a href=”https://t.co/hOZkkJI1us”>pic.twitter.com/hOZkkJI1us</a></p>&mdash; Stuff About Hockey™ (@_hockeyStuff) <a href=”https://twitter.com/_hockeyStuff/status/1229255627869913088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

  55. 55.

    Morzer

    @tripgabriel

    @PeteButtigieg is asked what he’d do if Trump calls election a hoax and refuses to leave the White House if Buttigieg wins. “I guess if he’s willing to do chores we can work something out,” he says.

  56. 56.

    Jay

    A large protest is happening outside of Mark Zuckerberg’s home right now. Members of his community are calling him out for allowing foreign governments to interfere in our elections, misleading voters with fake political ads, violating anti trust laws, and selling their privacy. pic.twitter.com/zA6cgpU4Uj— Aaron Black (@BlackCatUnloads) February 17, 2020

  57. 57.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Obergefell

    The ruling that legalized gay marriage nationwide? If they do, the backlash would be fucking massive. Gay people are seen as normal now by many people. Definitely a case of “be careful what you wish for, wingnuts”

  59. 59.

    taumaturgo

    All this emphasis on cultural issues and identity politics is a distraction encourage by the MSM at the behest of the elites from both parties. None of this helps a single mom afford daycare or a debt-ridden student afford monthly rent or folks having to choose to buy the least expensive medication or skip dinner. These are not the classical left-right issues, these are class issues in which the owners and investors hold all the chips and can afford to buy influence to alter the score in their favor. How? By purchasing access to corrupt politicians that in turn will work for them instead of the voters in their district.

    This is not to say that a women’s right to choose should be paramount but as a female worker, fair pay is more important, promotions opportunities, affordable healthcare, medication and access to debt-free quality education, maternity leave and access to daycare services. Remember when it comes to screwing the working class the elites do not discriminate.

  60. 60.

    Brachiator

    @taumaturgo:

    All this emphasis on cultural issues and identity politics is a distraction encourage by the MSM at the behest of the elites from both parties. … These are not the classical left-right issues

    “Not identity politics” always sounds as if the default is supposed to be white male.

    If these are not classical left-right issues, perhaps the “classical model” is insufficient.

    A woman’s right to choose should be a fundamental human and civil right.  It is not secondary to “working class” issues.

  63. 63.

    Another Scott

    @debbie: You need to post Twitter Embeds in the Text tab in the comment editor.

    Sometimes the tabs don’t appear – in that case, you’re in the Text mode already.

    HTH.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  67. 67.

    WaterGirl

    @Another Scott: @debbie:

    Sometimes the tabs don’t appear – in that case, you’re in the Text mode already.

    To add to what Scott said, if you don’t have both tabs above the comment box, look for this line:

    and then click where it say “click here”.  That brings both tags back.

  68. 68.

    NotMax

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Consider revising bits of awkwardness there.

    The ruling legalized same sex marriage.

    And changing “are seen as normal” to “are accepted” (or something more along those lines) would be less … patronizing.

    /ink-stained inner editor

  71. 71.

    Chip Daniels

    In case another commenter hasn’t pointed it out already, its critical to note that the Republicans only want to outlaw birth control and abortion for OTHER people.

    This is important because those of us who are white, educated, gainfully employed will be the last to feel the effects of their efforts. And they are betting on our complacency to get us to blunt the resistance.

  76. 76.

    Procopius

    @Ruckus: I’ve always liked what Adam Smith had to say on the topic (Wealth of Nations, Book III, Chapter 2, Paragraph 10):

    III.2.10

    The pride of man makes him love to domineer, and nothing mortifies him so much as to be obliged to condescend to persuade his inferiors. Wherever the law allows it, and the nature of the work can afford it, therefore, he will generally prefer the service of slaves to that of freemen.

  77. 77.

    Procopius

    @sdhays: I guess I’m from an older generation. While I am aware of the use of “yellow” as a racial slur (e.g., Yellow Peril), to my generation the most common meaning was “cowardly.” That was certainly what came to my mind in this case. I would only think of it as a racial slur if it was used against someone of Asian descent.

  78. 78.

    Citizen Alan

    @sdhays: I’d like a citation for that, if you don’t mind. StraightDope.com rejects the theory that “yellow=cowardy is a slur against Asians” in favor of connecting it to medieval notions about bodily humors.

  80. 80.

    Another Scott

    In other news, …

    Glad that Bolton is simultaneously reminding us what a horrible person he is, how foolish he was for thinking he could guide Trump, and what a coward for not testifying to Congress. A threefer! https://t.co/63xnZbHhTw— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 17, 2020

    I hope we’re not going to do the “book club” thing if/when his book comes out.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  81. 81.

    Ruckus

    @Ksmiami:

    A logical, thorough thought process seems to be one of those parts of the human condition that conservatives lack. Once they get past me, me, me, me, really – just fucking me, they seem to never be able to make the next step.

  83. 83.

    Jay

    the @nytimes did a whole article about Stephen Miller's wedding without mentioning that he's a white nationalist, which is journalistic malpractice and a gentle massage for a genocidal ideology, but also misses the opportunity for a "NICE DAY FOR A WHITES-ONLY WEDDING" headline— AntiFash Gordon (@AntiFashGordon) February 17, 2020

  84. 84.

    Ruckus

    @Procopius:

    Well yeah, the gold worshipers get to keep more of the gold.

    The concept of an MBA is that business is best run when costs are fully controlled, and labor being a major cost……..

  85. 85.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Forced Vasectomy? Only a woman would go for such half measures; let’s get serious, Forced Gender Reassignment, that will take care of the problem.

  89. 89.

    Original Lee

    O/T, sort of. The new Medicare rules are awful and I think anyone who has been interacting with the Medicare system since January 1 will be increasingly dubious about Medicare for All. The problem with the government being in charge of your health care coverage is that the level of care is dependent on who is in charge. Three years of Hair Furor and we are getting increasing numbers of seniors and others who are cut off from what they need to live healthy, independent, productive lives. We are almost to the “put ‘em on an ice floe if they need too many resources” stage. We need to go to the Dutch model.

  90. 90.

    namekarB

    @download my app in the app store mistermix

    My only comment is that men are such weaklings about this little operation

    My my my. Stereotype much? I am surprised at you. My wife brought 3 children with her from a previous marriage when we married in the 70’s and when she got pregnant, we both decided the easiest and surest form of birth control was for me to get a vasectomy. Got snipped in the morning and went to work on my regular afternoon shift on the railroad. No big deal. I relayed your comment to her and she laughed

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