Okay, Donna Brazile has done some dumb and inexcusable things since 2016, such as taking a job at Fox News, but she’s back on my Christmas card list after this:
Donna Brazile just told Ronna McDaniel to go to hell on FOX. Delicious. pic.twitter.com/s2cAS3g13H
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) March 3, 2020
Romney-McDaniel, shameless toady that she is, was yammering about the Dems stealing the nomination from Sanders, just as her boss told her to. Someone had to call the GOP chairwoman out for disseminating Russian talking points on TV, and it sure wasn’t gonna be the Fox News anchor-haircuts, so you go, Donna!
Major Major Major Major
Open thread? Apparently the word on the street is that Sanders may announce his running mate pick tomorrow. Given actuarial realities I’m glad he’s getting it out of the way.
AxelFoley
Nah, Donna’s permanently on my shit list because of her antics in 2016.
Baud
Still mad about her book lending credence to those conspiracy theories. But probably still a better person than anyone at Fox.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
Interesting. Takes the “unity” ticket idea off the table.
Chris Johnson
And, back from voting for Warren. (In Vermont.)
Feels good man :)
Kylroy
@Major Major Major Major: Really interested to see who it might be. I can’t imagine Bernie picking anyone who remotely threatens to be more interesting than him.
Kraux Pas
Ooh, I just realized I could be texting my friends to make sure they vote.
The Dangerman
Since BS is such a strong candidate (wink, wink), you would think the Republicans would be terrified of him.
I suppose if all you got to fight a pandemic is a prime rate cut, you work with what ya got. Ronna ain’t got much.
Joe Falco
This is the kind of adversarial approach that is needed any time someone decides to go on Fox or anywhere else where the talking heads push disinformation of this sort. No mealy-mouthed Alan Colmes-types as the designated liberal strawman that Hannity and his ilk made their career with. Raw, unapologetic F-bombs on all of them.
pamelabrown53
@Major Major Major Major:
What are your sources for that info. Sounds explosive…any “word on the street” as to his pick?
germy
Chyron HR
@Major Major Major Major:
HA HA HA JESUS FUCKING CHRIST
Stay tuned for Mistermix’s new epic, “If Biden’s so great, where’s HIS running mate, huh?”
marklar
It’s gotta be Mary Jane O’Meara Sanders…he needs to bring 1) somebody he trusts, 2) who can connect with angry White women, and 3) can add even more fiscal irresponsibility on board to flesh out his ticket.
Another Scott
In other news…
Hehe.
Cheers,
Scott.
Cacti
@marklar: Nah. It will be Nina Turner, for her imaginary coattails with black voters and the State of Ohio.
germy
https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/fox-news-anchor-floats-tulsi-gabbard-as-bernies-running-mate-you-would-moderate-an-extreme-ticket/
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Major Major Major Major: interesting… I can’t imagine negotiations haven’t been in the works for a while, I wonder why he’s waiting till after today
Bnad
Following the principle that Bernie’s VP should should be his supporters’ #2 choice for the presidency, my bet is on Trump.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
and once again: Does anybody ask Bernie or his surrogates why they think Republicans sing from their hymnal of persecution?
kindness
Reports are that Bernie’s first pick for VP was Castro. No, not Joaquin, no not Julian. It was Fidel. There was some surprise among his aides and a bit of a hush fell over the room when one of his people had to explain to Bernie that Fidel was dead.
Barbara
@Cacti: My thought as well. Turner or someone with same combination of traits, demographically and politically.
Major Major Major Major
’twas never on the table, I don’t think.
Just Twitter rumors, take that as you will.
Chris Johnson
@germy: Yup, that would be the condition where I couldn’t vote for the top of the ticket. If he wanted Gabbard. It would underscore all the things Balloon Juicers have said about him all these years.
I don’t know if he would, or if it’s just a Fox News fantasy. They would know better than anyone else what the Russian Agent options were, so I’m unsurprised to see ’em trying to float that suggestion.
pamelabrown53
@Cacti:
Hard to believe that he would be so tone deaf and not at least pretend he’s not blowing up the the dem. coalition.
If, his announcement is true, I’d expect him to select a more radical latinx candidate.
@Cacti:
Chyron HR
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Normally this would be a move to give him wider appeal by attaching himself to a more diverse individual. Of course Bernie thinks that he neither needs nor wants to appeal to voters outside of his revolution, so it’ll be one of his Twitter cranks or Tulsi.
Alternatively, if he thinks he’s going to win big today, then it’s another “I”m the nominee now, get over it” power play.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
Probably not in reality, but people here were discussing it as a possible outcome.
Barbara
@Major Major Major Major: It would be highly risky unless the person is super safe, which doesn’t seem likely. I guess I would discount the rumor.
Kraux Pas
My informal survey of MA voters saved to my phone has so far yielded two votes for Sanders, a refuse to disclose, and a “oops I never registered”
I voted for Warren
trollhattan
Oh dayumn, Donna tells the truth and brings the high heat. You get all the Quatloos, Donna!*
*Offer good for today only. Some restrictions apply. Do not drive under the influence of Quatloos.
MisterForkbeard
@Major Major Major Major:
I would be surprised but I also hope Biden does the same thing. It’s a good idea.
I’m curious as to what direction Bernie would go with this. He can still get the Unity ticket idea if he picks a well known moderate Dem.
Ohio Mom
We don’t have a TV; most of the news “watching” I do is short clips like the one in the post. It occurs to me that as a result, I’m ending up “watching” a disproportionate amount of Fox.
Anyway, Thank You, Donna, and please keep it up!
Kent
Where are you reading that?
Kraux Pas
I’m weirdly intrigued by the idea of a Sanders/Klobuchar ticket. That would def fit this mold but she just declared for Biden so…probably not?
ETA: I am operating under the assumption he discussed his VP plans with whomever he’s goimg to pick.
zhena gogolia
Why is it only black people take Russian interference in our elections seriously?
germy
@MisterForkbeard: He has said his VP choice will be someone who supports Medicare For All.
So I suppose that leaves out the centrist moderates.
trollhattan
@MisterForkbeard:
Serious question: what leading Dem would agree to be second chair to somebody like Sanders who will seem to not only not encourage their input to campaign and platform, but would perhaps even stifle them into toeing a very specific line?
I don’t see many, if any stepping forward for this jerb.
Baud
I wonder if he knows that AOC is not eligible to serve as Veep.
The Dangerman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
De Nile. Nice big river.
trollhattan
@zhena gogolia:
Uh, over here.
OTOH I’m not a paid talking head nor even a volunteer talking head, so your question still stands.
Immanentize
@Major Major Major Major: That is a desperation move generally reserved for losers. I will believe it when I see it.
Maybe it will be Chuck D? If so, I might have to rethink….
WaterGirl
@germy: Bernie would have to be an idiot if he thought Tulsi would get him a single vote that he isn’t already getting.
I guess we may find out the outcome of that question tomorrow.
Felanius Kootea
@AxelFoley: I hear you.
catclub
So you don’t think it will be Bloomberg? Would unite the rest of the party against the assholes.
Cacti
@MisterForkbeard: I think the idea of Bernie in a unity a ticket is a pipe dream.
His entire public persona is based on his unwillingness to compromise for any reason, ever.
Immanentize
@Baud: Tlaib?
ETA More seriously, Ro Khanna has been bandied about.
Kent
Any candidate would be a fool to pick a running mate before the convention. Or at least until the primary race is decided and we know the lay of the land in the general election. Doing so now would reek of desperation. And would have the negative effect of opening up that candidate for months worth of negative doxing of their record and past.
catclub
Chuck S – Schumer! That’s gold jerry.
trollhattan
@Kraux Pas:
How closely does Sanders hold his Book of Slights? He’s nothing like Trump–who is?–but I would not be surprised if he keeps Colbert-style “on notice” and “dead to me” lists.
hells littlest angel
Does one religious type telling another religious type to go to hell carry any extra weight? Was that wrong?
Major Major Major Major
trollhattan
@catclub:
J Stew used to do a dead-perfect Schumer and if he and Larry David were to do the Chuck and Bernie show it could be epic.
OTOH the actual pairing would be a “disastah.”
pamelabrown53
@MisterForkbeard:
See my response at @ #24. Bernie, has shown no inclination to build bridges: he;s a “Bern it down” guy!
I’d ask myself which latinx politician endorsed him in 2016.?
Hope he;s not trying to divide the dem. POC voters.
Kent
It’s one think to step forward at the convention for the sake of unity, when one knows for certain that Sanders is the nominee. It’s another thing entirely to jump on the bandwagon now when your spot on the general election ticket is FAR FAR from certain. And then be forced to slink back to whatever position you held before that.
Anyone he picks now would likely be a Dem lightweight or outsider for that reason.
Kraux Pas
Dunno. Let me get a job as his secretary and get back to you on that.
Mary G
O/T, but go Uncle Joe:
Orange Is The New White
@germy: That is such an idiotic idea I don’t even think Sanders – who I do not consider blessed with even a modicum of good judgment – would go there.
I’m sure Fox would love him to, but wishing is not a strategy.
Felanius Kootea
@Baud: I was just going to say he’d probably pick Ocasio-Cortez if he could but she’s too young.
Betty Cracker
@Major Major Major Major: Hilarious.
trollhattan
@Major Major Major Major:
Small slices of economic retardation are popping up all over the joint. e.g., Got this email today.
It’s but one smallish convention among thousands held in the States and who can guess worldwide, but the collective impact on the travel and service industries, plus the direct impact on presenters and attendees is significant. And who can say what conditions will be in August?
*North American Handmade Bicycle Show, but you already knew that.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Mary G: ha! I love it!
Kraux Pas
Long? Definitely. Big? Not so sure.
ETA: Just checked and it appears to be the 90th largest river by discharge.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@trollhattan: How closely does Sanders hold his Book of Slights?
Via Cole’s twitter feed:
Orange Is The New White
@Mary G: Good on Joe. Surely Comey is not so stupid as to think Dems, well, that Dems like him. Is he? Just doesn’t seem possible.
The other far more likely explanation is that he’s trying to throw Biden an anvil, as he has remained a Republican loyalist even after his treatment at the hands of Trump. It’s odd; people who imagine themselves powerful tend to suck up to those who reveal that they are not. You’d think they want revenge, but they never seem to.
Hey, how do you like the shenanigans in the 3rd Supervisors race? Olga Diaz comes out wearing Dem blue, but doing all the dirty work for the Republicans! Gaspar isn’t having to raise a finger. And apparently she’s been pulling this shit for a while. The local party is “thinking” about disciplining her. God, San Diego Dems are the fucking worst.
Uncle Cosmo
@The Dangerman: Denial: It’s not just a mountain in Dyslaska.
pamelabrown53
@Immanentize:
What about Raul Grijalva? Wasn’t he the first congress person to lend his endorsement to Wilmer in 2016?
Would fit with Sanders divider not uniter campaign.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Orange Is The New White:
Seems plausible to me. Blind squirrels find nuts, and one nut trump found is that Comey is a bit of a nut job, drunk on his own self-righteousness.
Adding to my bafflement at Judge Judy being a campaign surrogate, the Bloombergs have also called Sam Donaldson forth from whatever tomb or cave he’s been sleeping in. He has, unlike his former colleague George Will, instructed his perrruquier to age his toupee appropriate to the passage of time.
Hoodie
@Major Major Major Major: No way any mainline Dem of any significance would sign on at this point. If it happens, it will be something weird. How about this science-fiction scenario: Sherrod Brown agrees to run as Bernies’ mate, Bernie doesn’t get enough delegates to win the nom, and Brown emerges as the “consensus” candidate in a brokered convention. Bernie goes back to Vermont a broken man.
Kraux Pas
@Orange Is The New White: Maybe Comey is trying to low-key signal what bullshit the Hunter Biden corruption angle on Biden is to the less informed.
debbie
In the Age of Trump, i can only look forward. In that spirit, and despite any past misgivings, I say more, more, and MORE of this, Donna!
dmsilev
@trollhattan: I mentioned over the weekend that I had a conference, scheduled to start yesterday, canceled at basically the last minute. That’s about 11,000 people who suddenly aren’t spending a week in Denver. A conservative estimate is somewhere around ten or twelve million dollars that suddenly got yanked out of Denver’s economy, plus whatever airfares were able to be canceled.
Mary G
This doesn’t seem to be good news for Twitler?
Yutsano
@Uncle Cosmo: That took me a minute…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
financial twitter seems to think this is a BFD, and I’m sure it is, but my layman’s instinct is that it matters less than the uncertainty around COVID-19 and international trade. Am I wrong?
trollhattan
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Stuff like that does not bode well. At least it’s not what I want in my candidate. Could the compare-and-contrast with Obama be any greater? And that guy, he was pretty good at this whole getting-elected thing.
For those who may think the way to beat Trump is to outTrump Trump I’m reminded of Tex Cobb in “Raising Arizona.”
“You want to find an outlaw, hire an outlaw. You want to find a Dunkin’ Donuts, call a cop.”
MattF
So, Ronna got the ‘sympathize with Sanders’ talking-points memo. As did the usual RW op-ed suspects. Have to do it because Dear Leader is erratic on talking points– claiming that Biden is mentally unstable, corrupt and guilty of nepotism. Just can’t help talking about himself, I guess.
Major Major Major Major
@Mary G: @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t ultra-cheap debt good for us? In a sane world where Keynesianism was practiced, of course.
mad citizen
I’m hearing (in my head) it will be Joe Lieberman (78 years young, looked it up).
trollhattan
@dmsilev:
Thats big, and I’m sure one of many occurring simultaneously. Think of what happens to the Vegas economy if cancellations start hitting there. It’s their whole economy!
Marcopolo
Voted for SP Warren about an hour ago. Felt great & walked out of my voting location smiling & happy. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the primary plays out.
I hear the DNC is now gaming out how to do the nominating convention if COVID-19 is rampant everywhere. That would certainly be a challenge. Not sure how having everyone phone in from home would work.
Orange Is The New White
This is what happens when you have a good economy and drop interest rates for no good economic reason. The market is saying they’re not going to pay up to keep Trump in office.
Aleta
@Major Major Major Major: Re: Sanders may announce his running mate pick tomorrow
I’ve found it crazy-making to search twitter for information that has filtered through one person’s timeline. A link to a section or just a couple of tweets that gave that impression would be helpful. Have requested this of Cheryl and others too. An impression that appears obvious on one person’s timeline doesn’t mean it’s easy for others to find.
Thanks for considering.
Major Major Major Major
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I assume it’s an artifact of people retreating to the dollar in the face of uncertainty.
trollhattan
@Major Major Major Major:
The State of California goes through rounds of restructuring debt by recalling bonds and issuing replacements at lower rates and I presume other governments (and corporations) do the same. Given how much infrastructure (among others) is bond-financed it can significantly lower government debt. It’s not so good for folks who have money invested in bonds or one’s savings account earnings (for you new kids, passbook savings accounts once earned 5, 7, even 10% interest).
Also, too, the loan broker spouse is really busy with re-fis.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I just looked and the Dow is down 800 points today. So I’d say you’re right.
I have a friend who works for the Fed and she told me that COVID-19 was all they were focused on at work.
Major Major Major Major
@Aleta: @Major Major Major Major: Aaaand running-mate rumors are being walked back!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@MisterForkbeard:
An Establishment Democrat?
(falls on fainting couch, clutching my pears and fans myself)
MattF
@Orange Is The New White: If risk is increasing, the market shrinks, and the financial industry shrinks with it. Wall Street (the real Wall Street) doesn’t like that. If Donald Trump is judged to be contributing to increasing risk, Wall Street won’t be his pal any more.
satby
@Chris Johnson: applejinx, why you mopes in Vermont didn’t toss his ass the last Senate election I’ll never know.
Shalimar
@trollhattan: Bernie has two possible choices that would help his campaign now: Harris or Abrams.
Chyron HR
@Shalimar:
David Sirota it is!
Orange Is The New White
@trollhattan: The yoots sometimes find it heard to believe when I tell them that I can remember a time (1978) when my mother could not get a home loan because she was a single woman. But they know misogyny and they come around.
THIS, on the other hand, is something I would never tell a young person because there’s no way they’d believe it. A bank giving you money? Ludicrous.
Morzer
@Baud: That’s just because the ESTABLISHMENT made it that way. Bernie don’t care! Bernie pick AOC!
Elizabelle
@Major Major Major Major:
Chris Matthews did just open a whole lotta time in his schedule. What’s better than one old white guy shouting at you and not listening? And fixated on the white working class?
Bernie goes stereo.
JPL
Go to hell Ronna!
That could be the name of a song.
Mnemosyne
My spidey sense tells me that Sanders is not going to do nearly as well in California as the polls have been indicating. I can’t point to any actual data, it’s just a hunch. ?
Martin
@pamelabrown53:
Surely he knows that Che is dead, right?
Morzer
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Wilmer gets more Trumpesque every day.
satby
@Mnemosyne: Well, Sanders has underperformed all his poll results and his results from 2016, so I personally live in hope that those trends don’t just hold, but accelerate!
Morzer
@Martin:
“Che can’t be dead – I saw him on a T-shirt just yesterday!”
germy
@JPL: One of the lesser known Beach Boys tunes.
Mnemosyne
@Shalimar:
I still want a Biden/Harris ticket. Or Warren/Harris, I’m not picky. ?
Sanders/Harris would never, ever happen. If it did, it would be a sign that I was greatly mistaken in her character and I would not vote for that ticket.
catclub
@Mary G: Greatest economy evar.
Martin
@Mnemosyne: The problem is that there is a LOT of early voting in CA. My worry is that all of those Amy, Pete votes will keep other candidates out of viability. Delegates do move for candidates that drop out, but their votes don’t, and so if delgates aren’t generated, then they get distributed among the viable candidates. I’m afraid Amy/Pete/Tom needed to drop out last week rather than yesterday.
I told my family not to vote until last night, for exactly this reason.
Kathleen
@Barbara: I don’t believe she’s ever won a statewide election. She ran for Secretary of State and tanked. I even voted for her because she seemed like a good candidate. Her stint as State Senator resulted from appointment. May have been Rep. I can’t walk and chew gum on this phone.
MattF
@Mnemosyne: Last-minute 538 graph shows Biden up and Sanders down, by a lot.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/our-final-forecast-for-super-tuesday-shows-bidens-surge-and-lots-of-uncertainty/
Kathleen
@MisterForkbeard: And risk the wrath of his acolytes?
Major Major Major Major
@MattF: that’s the overall forecast, which takes into account things like “momentum”, so the movement you’re seeing is a little unmoored from the polling. I don’t believe there’s been any weird outlier California polls recently but I haven’t looked closely.
The thing that will really affect Bernie’s delegate count is if the not-quite-15% candidates remaining (Biden, Warren, Bloomberg) will now cross 15% in CA. Each one that does costs Sanders a huge chunk of delegates he would’ve gotten if the election had been held last Friday.
catclub
ten year bond under 1% yield: wow!
I would say this is what happens when you don’t have enough productive enterprises worth risking investment, so you (we, investors generally) buy safe bonds, driving their price up and yield down.
danielx
@mad citizen:
Joe Lieberman?
Oh fuck no. If ever there was someone who doesn’t deserve to get within a hundred miles or a hundred years of any elected position ever again…
Mnemosyne
@Martin:
I have friends standing in a 2-hour line to vote in West LA right now, so I think that a lot more people waited until the last minute than they were anticipating. I only dropped my mail-in ballot off last night.
Martin
@Major Major Major Major: Yes and no.
The main problem with low yields is that it removes money from the economy because who wants to lend at that rate? There’s $10T+ that could be used for building that’s just sitting idle right now because 2% isn’t a return worth the risk. It’s good for government, though.
Apple was borrowing at a rapid pace because despite having hundreds of billions in cash, they could borrow below the rate of inflation. In effect, they’re getting paid to borrow. Lots of systems get really weirdly distorted at that point. Consider that many of the problems in 2008 was deflation of real estate trapping people in their debt that they couldn’t pay off. Borrowing and inflation need to go hand in hand a bit and we’re really testing those limits.
trollhattan
@Elizabelle:
Oh lordy.
“I can remember a time when Dutch Reagan and Tip O’Neill sat down over a scotch and killed the Soviet Union by dinnertime.”
“I can remember having lunch with Fidel–it was black beans and rice–and working out a fix for healthcare by the time coffee was served.”
Kismet
patrick Il
Since I don’t live in MA I had what maybe my only Chance to vote for Elizabeth Warren today, and I took it. I am hoping for two more chances.
LuciaMia
Well, it definitely wont be Chris Matthews, even tho he now has some free time.
dmsilev
@Martin: One of my minions said he voted for Pete roughly 6 hours before Pete suspended his campaign. C’est la vie.
Mnemosyne
@satby:
Yeah, I just don’t think he’s as popular with the yoots as the Twitter bubble makes people think. Young people are not immune to wanting to actually get shit done.
ETA: To be clear, I think that most of his support is from young people, but that doesn’t mean that the majority of young people support him, if that makes sense. It’s a mistake he’s made multiple times before.
Martin
@Shalimar: If Harris turned down Obama’s offer of US atty general, I don’t see her taking Bernies VP offer. She plays a long game.
Besides, everyone is reporting she’s endorsing Biden tonight, so no, that’s just a dumb idea altogether.
Morzer
@MattF:
It’s going to be interesting to see all the little Wilmerites explaining that pluralities count for nothing when it comes to the convention.
danielx
@Orange Is The New White:
Think of how they would react if you told them credit card interest used to be deductible.
Kathleen
@zhena gogolia: Too many are still grappling with taking Black people as powerful political players seriously. This comment is directed towards our breathless punditry in the Political Propatainment Complex.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Mnemosyne:
Harris was my first choice, so I’m with you on that one.
pacem appellant
Just gotta say this somewhere: My top two choices this cycle were ousted (Harris and Gillibrand). My no. 3 is being written off right now despite that 96% of the country hasn’t voted. Biden is “front runner” because he won a state that won’t send its EVs to the 2020 electoral college. And Sanders, who won’t register as a Democrat, is the progressive candidate. I’m not terribly happy. That said, I will crawl over broken glass to vote D this November, even if a brokered convention selects Brown or Bloomberg.
trollhattan
@Martin:
I would stay watching until the first time she gave him the side-eye.
The ONLY upside of being his VP is a significant inside shot at POTUS 47. But we can see how well that’s worked out for Pence and the duty itself has to be excruciating.
Marcopolo
Surprise, surprise:
trollhattan
@pacem appellant:
Which Brown? Jerry’s ranching at the moment.
schrodingers_cat
I voted for Biden and myself. I was on the ballot for the town D committee. It took 5 min. There was a bake sale so I bought a muffin.
trollhattan
@Marcopolo:
“Billionaire stops listening to minions” has to be among the rarest of headlines.
Morzer
@Morzer:
This does not feel like good news for John Mc.. I mean Wilmer.
Major Major Major Major
Biden is “front runner” because he’s received the most votes, and polls indicate he will probably continue to do so.
Morzer
@schrodingers_cat: Do creatures with 9 lives get 9 votes?
Aleta
Voted for Warren today. Both of us did, it turned out. Yeah it felt great. I also voted No on the referendum to repeal a new law that requires a medical waiver for kids who attend public school without vaccinations.
I believe in the right to make medical decisions and I mistrust the profit motivation part of of “Big Pharma.” But I voted to protect immune-compromised kids and adults and in this case for responsibility to society. (A phone call from Sacks today claimed that Maine does meet the 95% threshold for vaccinated kindergartners — I have to wonder if that is true, considering other misinformation from that campaign.)
dmsilev
@Marcopolo: I’m shocked.
Of course, Bloomberg’s “I can’t drop out before anyone has a chance to vote for me” ostensible excuse ends today…
Kent
Both would be insane to sign onto a sinking ship now, just to be Sander’s life boat.
On the other hand, the calculation would be entirely different during the DNC in September if Sanders has the nomination in hand and we are talking about being on the ticket for the general election and becoming the presumptive favorite for 2024 or 2028.
Ohio Mom
Orange @91: And toasters, banks used to give you toasters and such for opening a new account.
My mother did that at least once for a wedding present (suddenly I’m seeing an image of a bride surrounded by newly unwrapped bank toasters). She also opened an account on my behalf for a small set of enameled pots when I got my first apartment.
Mallard Filmore
@trollhattan:
Wow! No, I did not know. Are these bicycles built on a specialty production line? Does the show sell parts for home built custom bikes?
Major Major Major Major
@Martin: Right, I was thinking of a responsible government taking on cheap (kinda negative-rate) debt in exchange for some stimulus and disaster aid and stuff, and other things to make up for the lack of demand, that you’d see in responsible times.
Brachiator
@Major Major Major Major:
Interesting. We will see what happens.
I had been talking with my sister about VP choices. I suggested that it might be better for the Democratic Party nominee to wait as long as possible before announcing so as not to give the GOP a chance to load up opposition, but I imagine that likely candidates will be identified long before any announcement is made.
And I suppose that people want to know if Sanders will pick an “outsider” or anyone with any connection to the Democratic Party.
My guess is that he intends to ride the “transformative pony” as far as he can.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@pacem appellant: Whatever happens in November, the Dems need to do some massive primary reform. No more caucuses, some kind of lottery to set contests of larger and smaller states, and more and less representative, and more and less expensive, in an order that puts some space between them
trollhattan
@Aleta:
Which state? CA not only rescinded faith-based vaccine exemptions we later tightened requirements on physician-issued exemptions, because [shock!] doctors set up exemption mills.
The pushback has been intense, but nothing has yet made it to the ballot.
Nelle
@trollhattan: There was a time when T-bills got 20% interest. Early 80’s.
pacem appellant
@trollhattan: Somebody mentioned Sherrod Brown (MMMM?) above. Meant him. Though Jerry Brown seems just as unlikely.
pacem appellant
@Major Major Major Major: Total votes cast? Interesting. Good on Uncle Joe, then. It doesn’t improve my mood.
patrick Il
I have read that there are two kinds of empathy – – up close, personal empathy and abstract intellect based empathy. An example of the latter would he Bill Gates, who from what understand, was a real asshole in person, but has given away billions with his charity.
Anyhow, long leadup to this, but Elizabeth Warren just brims over with both kinds of empathy. You can see it in the way she relates to people she meets on the campaign trail, but with an intellect driven empathy that puts it in the forefront of what all of her plans are trying to accomplish. A deep, rich empathy is what drives her.
Marcopolo
@Ohio Mom: Hell, I remember when gas stations gave you 4 pretty nice drinking glasses w/ a fill up & gas was something like a quarter for a gallon.
Major Major Major Major
@pacem appellant: Yeah, the early caucuses do not have a lot of participants, it’s one more reason to get rid of them.
gene108
@trollhattan:
Bond holders aren’t obligated to sell back their bonds. If the state is buying bonds back, they have to make it worth it for the bond holder to sell.
Bond holders would do alright.
pacem appellant
@Aleta: As a guardian to immune-compromised family members, thank you for thinking of others. Much appreciated.
FlyingToaster
I voted for Warren ~11am. Our polling place (the po-leece station) had a pretty steady run of voters; I met neighbors in the playground behind.
Our down-ticket in MA is all the DTC stuff; committeemen/women and delegates. I’m hoping we’ll get above 1K turnout (precinct of ~3500 voters).
Brachiator
@Marcopolo:
A billionaire with an ego. Who’d a thunk it?
debbie
@Marcopolo:
I’m still using steak knives I got for a fill-up in NH in the 1970s. The wooden handles are for shit, but they still cut stuff.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
BURLINGTON — (AP) Bernie Sanders selects Raúl Castro as running mate.
Aleta
@trollhattan: Thanks. I left out the link: Maine’s stricter law on vaccination requirements up for a vote
ThresherK
@Elizabelle: I read your question as
He’s just like classic rock radio formatting: There are a very few tunes he considers, and they’re all about working white folks.
MattF
@gene108: It depends on the original conditions set on the bond when it is sold. If you’ve bought the bond, you’ve accepted the conditions.
Marcopolo
@Nelle: Yup, in the late 70’s my dad was buying 5 year CDs yielding 13%. Then Volker came in and ruined it for everyone. /s
schrodingers_cat
@Morzer: I wish
Dorothy A. Winsor
@pacem appellant:
The Obama bros advocated for Sanders to be more like Sherrod Brown.
At the gym this morning, I listened to their podcast from after the last debate but before the SC primary. It was interesting to see how their analysis and predictions worked out. Warren did better than they expected. They thought Biden would do well but not as well as he did.
trollhattan
@Mallard Filmore:
Yes, it self-describes pretty well, but exhibitors are international and not just from North America.
It hits Sacramento every three or four years and is a showcase especially for custom handbuilt bikes and also bespoke factory bikes and components of all kinds. I can’t recommend it highly enough for any cycling buff. Even if one’s not into bikes, the artistry on tap gives it a gallery-like experience.
patrick Il
@Orange Is The New White: I don’t think Comey is trying to throw an anchor to Joe. Comey thinks of himself as a hero. We would be honored to be in his presence.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
He also doesn’t have time to watch television, because of documents. Hasn’t played golf in over 10,000 minutes
catclub
Also now going the rounds is a chart of interest rates for the past 700 years or so. It is a long slow secular decline.
That 1980’s spike was an anomaly.
Immanentize
@pamelabrown53:
I have a big soft spot for him. I like him a lot. But he might be even less healthy than Sanders.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Immanentize: someone upthread mentioned Ro Khanna. I could see that as a unity ticket, brining together boorish know-it-alls over seventy, and boorish know-it-alls under fifty.
trollhattan
@Aleta:
Okay, thanks. Hope it goes down in exotic flames, nobody needs that mess.
“We heah don’t think much of fahmacy solutions for maintaining one’s health. We feel a lobstah-centric diet and an occasional squirrel is all anybody needs, a-yep.”
Immanentize
@Mary G: It is great news if you are thinking about refinancing!
Brachiator
@Morzer:
Oh, yeah. The one where Che and Frederick Douglass took a photo together.
Elizabelle
@germy: laughing
Immanentize
@mad citizen: There is no way Sanders can get away with a second Jewish person in the ticket, especially one as old and Likud at Lieberman. Fake news.
Morzer
@Brachiator: You saw it too? Clear proof that Che lives!
Ohio Mom
Marco Poli @144: Yeah, I vaguely remember those drinking glasses. They were the sort of thing my father would bring home victoriously and my mother would sigh at.
On another note, for all of you bringing up my Senator, Sherrod Brown for VP: you’re crazy. He knows he’s irreplaceable in the Senate and he is not going to muck things up by leaving Desk 88 (his seat and the title of his new book).
WhatsMyNym
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Trump and his company live off cheap loans. The lower the interest rate, the better. He really doesn’t care about the markets. His clients are loaded with cash they need to park somewhere.
dww44
@MisterForkbeard: Why is this a good idea? for any Presidential candidate, Seriously? Other than that they are all old?
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@pamelabrown53: That’s a great analysis.
He can’t pick AOC cuz she’s not 35. He can’t pick Ilhan Omar because she wasn’t born in the US (plus the second she made controversial remarks he distanced himself). He won’t pick Ayanna Pressley cuz she endorsed Warren. He won’t pick Barbara Lee because she endorsed Harris. He could pick Rashida Tlaib, but his obsession with sucking up to the white working class (who she triggers) precludes such a move.
That said, Tulsi and Grijalva would be the leading picks. Tulsi would be in the lead because she’s big favorite with his precious WWC demo who watch Fox.
Martin
@Marcopolo: That’s part of what I was saying last night. Obama’s folks did talk to Bloombergs staff about him dropping out, with Obama’s folks reminding them that based on current polling, Bloomberg has no path, and there’s no benefit in staying in other than inadvertently steering delegates to Bernie.
The suggestion was that Bloomberg won’t drop until he’s more confident that Biden will come out on top. He may not want Trump reelected, but Bernie has now burned his bridge as well. I imagine we’ll have a decent sense of that by tomorrow. I think Bloomberg is happy to funnel his money and org to either Biden or Warren.
Mnemosyne
@trollhattan:
I almost hope that someone tries to hand me an anti-vaxx petition so I can cough into my hand before taking the clipboard, sneeze on the petition, and then hand it back to them unsigned. ?
Immanentize
@Martin: Why would she wait until after the CA primary to endorse Biden? I vote fake news
catclub
@Immanentize: and of course refinancing is the inverse case, where the homeowner has effectively issued the bond, and now calls it and replaces it with a lower interest rate bond. So turn about is fair play. As someone mentioned this is usually all in the terms, and if you buy the bond, you accept the terms.
Mary G
@Major Major Major Major: My understanding is that it means investors are getting out of stocks and running for the safety of T-bills. Demand makes the price of bonds go up and the interest paid on them inversely go down. So yes, the government pays less to borrow money, but the stock market and the economy as a whole are tanking because money is sitting on the sidelines.
Mnemosyne
@patrick Il:
FWIW, most of what I’ve read about Gates is that empathy was really foreign to him until he got married and had children, which meant he kind of had to learn it from the ground up. Better late than never, and it made his charitable giving much better because he started donating things like mosquito nets instead of computers.
zhena gogolia
Two good ALW parodies in the last week — SNL and Randy Rainbow.
Martin
@Marcopolo: 13% CD against a backdrop of 14% inflation. Great deal, that.
Immanentize
@Aleta: “No” was the right choice on that. Another Mainer, huh? I’m not, but there are others.
p.a.
Huh. Dem establishment supports… an actual Democrat. The horror… the horror…
Major Major Major Major
catclub
Thanks, DeutscheBank!
Because he is a severe default risk, Trump (before 2015) probably paid a penalty interest rate. Now he is probably blowing them off. whatta they gonna do? Foreclose on the president?
There are apparently epic email chains between the parts of DB that said NO WAY to any more loans to Trump (those divisions had already been burned), and the group that thought the penalty interest rate made the deal worth it.
germy
@Martin:
Kraux Pas
Harris stated she wouldn’t endorse anyone until after the CA primary.
Gin & Tonic
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
I’m all about economy of expression, and you can save yourself five letters every time by typing “white racists” instead.
Immanentize
@Marcopolo: You are old. My Dad told me during WWII, stations had signs:
“5 gals for a buck”
He told me he thought that was a pretty good deal.
Kraux Pas
@germy: Bloomberg’s continued presence, if he isn’t doing well, can only help Sanders.
Immanentize
@pacem appellant: This. Thank you.
Immanentize
@ThresherK: I thought, Five Foot Shelf.
germy
Immanentize
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: That was me mentioning Ro.
Mnemosyne
@Marcopolo:
I’m actually not totally opposed to Bloomberg hanging on until after Super Tuesday, because he hasn’t been on the ballot in a single primary or caucus yet. I think it’s okay for him to wait for some actual votes to be tallied before he gives up. He may even get a few delegates that he can give someone else.
I say this as someone who’s getting a piece of Bloomberg mail every. frickin’. day.
schrodingers_cat
The most ridiculous reason to vote for BS that I came across on Twitter. I muted that person.
Martin
@Immanentize: Because she doesn’t want to hurt Warren, and her endorsement carries a bit more value here in the state.
I don’t think Warren sees a path to victory, but she might see a path where after today she has enough delegates to make a deal with Biden.
I know people don’t buy my Obama theory, but everyone seems to be walking out of yesterday feeling pretty good about things. Amy and Pete were pretty high spirits. I think they exited with something they want.
I would expect another round of endorsements from people in states voting today either tonight or tomorrow. If Warren doesn’t do surprisingly well today (and she yet may) then she drops out probably tomorrow and endorses Biden. That puts pressure on Bloomberg to drop unless he does surprisingly well today (which I doubt – his momentum really stalled out)
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Another possible running mate: Ro Khanna (congresscritter from silicon valley)
Immanentize
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
Read the thread.
Morzer
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
What, no love for Nomiki Konst?
Immanentize
@Martin: That is a reasonable position for her. Thanks.
SiubhanDuinne
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Ouchie.
Major Major Major Major
@schrodingers_cat: lol
Martin
@germy: Bloomberg is okay with Warren. Warren is a capitalist. He may not like her 2% wealth tax idea, but he knows it’ll never become law, and so long as she’s preserving the market system, he’ll out-earn whatever tax policy she can put in place.
schrodingers_cat
@Morzer: I think it will be one of the Chapo guys. Or the senate candidate in ME with guillotine merchandise.
Gin & Tonic
@Aleta: I’m so old I can remember when a major infectious disease was eradicated from the planet due to the efforts of medical and pharmaceutical science.
Yet now, in part due to the anti-vax psychopaths, measles kills nearly 150,000 people annually.
I am a hard-liner on this. You get no options unless you have a certifiable medical reason. Period.
Immanentize
@Martin: I don’t think Bloomy is OK with Warren after her effective colon probes.
Kent
@schrodingers_cat: Ha! Justin Beiber has 110 million and Trump has 73 million if you include all the Russian bots.
zhena gogolia
@germy:
He’s my hero
ETA: Unless he endorsed Sanders — he didn’t, did he?
God, Danny Glover did.
Kent
Folks, the fact that it is so PAINFULLY difficult to come up with any sort of reasonable VP pick for Sanders should tell you all something.
The fact that no one can come up with a single realistic pick that doesn’t generate derisive laughter just might be a problem.
zhena gogolia
@Kent:
Right.
pamelabrown53
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
We’ll see. The MSM skinny is that Wilmer polls exceedingly well with Latinx: the proof is Nevada (caucus state). So why wouldn’t he choose the most fiery, leftist in that lane?
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@schrodingers_cat:
Most followed Twitter accounts
A Katy Perry/Taylor ticket would be hawt
hitchhiker
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
There’s a clip of him sitting in his defensive posture (chubby old short arms folded awkwardly across his chest) while he asks health experts things like, can we just use the flu virus on the coronavirus? It’s solid, right? Or, so we can have a vaccine in 2 or 3 months, right?
Then he smirks as they answer patiently, no, no, no.
At some point there will be testing done across the USA. Until then, he’s trying to look like he’s working. After that, he’ll think of some way to make it Fauci’s fault that the numbers are high.
I live 8 miles from the Kirkland WA nursing home where multiple residents have it, and several have died already.
patrick II
@Mnemosyne:
It is a amazing what a little up-close love can do. Contrast that to our current president.
schrodingers_cat
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: If he picks Tulsi all the Indian Twitter bros and sisters in India who lurrve him will have an epic meltdown. And hopefully the scales will come off their eyes.
Immanentize
@pamelabrown53: Bernie did slightly less well in Nevada last month than he did in 2016. The notion that he crushed the Latinx vote is spin, not fact.
Here is a 2016 article explaining why
Caucus “votes” do not indicate an Hispanic wave then. Same now.
ETA Sanders “vote” % 2016: 47.3; 2020: 46.8.
patrick II
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
You skipped over Rihanna. She has beautiful green eyes, as seen below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0zGdTbGkY4
Ohio Mom
Hitchhiker @214: you must live near Opiejean, she also lives just a few miles away from that nursing home.
dmsilev
@Mnemosyne:
Just one? You’re lucky. Most days, I’ve been getting multiple mailers from him. Thankfully, today will end that.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
“Judge Bernie” would be a perfect replacement: a shouty big mouth from 1940s Brooklyn, who loves to wag finger.
pamelabrown53
@Immanentize:
Thank you for your reply. If you recall I asked that you repeat your stats. in a dead thread and was grateful you dd. Still, picking a latinx might be Bernie’s way of “unifying” IMHO, regardless of his pick, it will be divisive.
TS (the original)
@Orange Is The New White:
Exactly – and if you enter a recession (when rates should be reduced) with interest rates close to zero – there is nowhere to go. Given the growth of the past 10 years, interest rates should be higher and debt lower (Keynesian theory). Republicans always do the opposite for political gain. Tax cuts, cheap borrowing for the wealthy.
Ohio Mom
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: My Uncle Leo loved that show. He died last year at 99.
piratedan
@schrodingers_cat: I don’t often agree with you SC, but extreme kudos for putting yourself out there to be part of the solution. Good luck to you in your election.
PJ
@Martin: I don’t know what is going to happen, but I think as long as Warren has enough money to keep going, and is picking up delegates, she should stay in the race. There is a decent chance at least one 79 year old will have a serious change in his health before the convention, and I’d be happier if there were a healthy backup around.
WhatsMyNym
@Ohio Mom: A ton of people live within 8 miles of that Kirkland nursing home. Bellevue, Redmond, Bothell, and across the narrow Lake Washington is Seattle.
Omnes Omnibus
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: I presume you are only discounting a Rihanna/Perry combo because Rihanna is Barbadian.
MisterForkbeard
@dww44: That’s most of it. They’re all old, Sanders is in bad health and Joe has some known long-term issues
But it’s also very useful information for fence-sitters. If Sanders/Biden went with Abrams, Harris, or others that gives us a lot of information about the kind of president he wants to be, as well as how seriously they’re taking their health.
Politically, it’s probably a bad idea for the General.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@Omnes Omnibus: I picked Perry because she has the eye of the tiger and I picked Taylor because of Tippecanoe.
Aleta
@hitchhiker: Description of “Trump’s baffling coronavirus vaccine event“
misterpuff
@Immanentize: Of course, during The War there was gas rationing (So Patton could have gas) so there wasn’t a lot of driving going on, plus everyone had late model cars since the war effort was producing tanks, planes and ships.
Uncle Cosmo
@Mnemosyne: I like the cut of your jib, hon.
I am old enough to remember how the threat of polio terrified every loving parent – & how strong folks fell to their knees weeping for joy when the Salk vaccine was announced as safe and effective.** One of my best friends – now suffering through post-polio muscular atrophy – only wishes it had come in time for him to lead a normal life.
Anti-vaxx is antiscientific, illogical, and downright inhumane.
** And how us kids cheered when the Sabin arrived & we got sugarcubes to suck on instead of nasty needles in the arm.
Uncle Cosmo
@misterpuff: Not just gas rationing but tires as well – by mid-1942 the Japanese had overrun most of the regions producing natural rubber & it took time to ramp up the synthetic stuff & meanwhile the military had dibs on it.
(Rumor has it that one of my uncles who ran a small store in NJ left his kids over $1M each [back in the days when that was real ca$h] largely owing to, shall we say, strategic investments in black-market tires during that global conflagration.)
Randolf Hurts
@trollhattan: As opposed to what VP nom?
Citizen Alan
@Kent: Hell, the VP can be a complete nobody. If you want a real laugh, try to imagine who Bernie might pick for Secretary of Defense or Treasury.
smedley the uncertain
@Morzer: So long as you don’t open the box…