Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

He really is that stupid.

Not all heroes wear capes.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Let there be snark.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

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

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Warren Endorses Biden

Warren Endorses Biden

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Here’s the video Senator Warren posted earlier today — very well done, IMO:

Warren remembers VP Biden swearing her in as a U.S. Senator and commenting, “You gave me hell! And you’re going to do a great job!” That sounds like him.

Warren also mentions that Biden oversaw the $800 billion 2009 Recovery Act, gaining valuable experience that will come in handy when Democrats once again back up the tow truck and attempt to pull the economy out of the ditch into which it was dropped by a Republican administration. Todd Purdum of The Atlantic described Biden’s experience as follows in a recent article on the topic:

But in overseeing the 2009 Recovery Act as Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden shepherded an effort now seen as an effective and remarkably fraud-free response to the financial crisis, even if it won little praise or political credit at the time. If Biden has the good—or bad—luck to win the presidency in November, his first task will be to perform an encore on an even more daunting scale.

It wasn’t a glamorous job, involving as it did minding hundreds of minor details and scores of bureaucracies, and some public officials doubtless would have found it boring. But it was the kind of close work that’s required for good management in any crisis, and Biden seemed to take to it with an enthusiasm that those who were there in the trenches with him recall with pride.

“He would be the most battle-tested president to come into office that we’ve ever had in this regard,” said Biden’s longtime economic adviser Jared Bernstein, a progressive expert on income inequality who would doubtless have a role in a Biden administration. “FDR did amazing work on the Great Depression, but he was throwing noodles at the wall. Biden would bring a unique experience to the office, having been the implementer in chief last time.”

Compare that to the ongoing carnival of corruption and incompetence we’re witnessing in real time today. Oh, and I like Jared Bernstein! How nice to imagine him replacing the shifty grifters and store brand Bond villain knock-offs currently infesting the West Wing. Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m starting to get a little spring in my step thinking about a Biden administration. :)

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

181Comments

  1. 1.

    CarolDuhart2

    What makes me happy/sad is that this crisis is happening in a Presidential election year.  We can see light at the end of the tunnel if we socially distance ourselves.

    By the way, I’m tired of these half-enthusiastic defenses of Biden.  Biden’s a good man, if a little old-fashioned corny for some, and certainly far better than we deserve in this time of trouble.

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    Guessing I’m going to be seeing a lot of comment pies in a little while.

    We all knew she’d do this right and at a good time. Okay then, forward!

    “TB Sheets” by Van Morrison playing on the radio right now, how very apt. My first hearing of that song this century.

  4. 4.

    trollhattan

    @CarolDuhart2:

    Yes, I was quite unenthusiastic about his entering the race (almost exactly a year ago) given the 20+ already running, including several seemingly better options.

    But for a jittery, scared, frantic nation, Steady, well-known Joe Biden could be who and what we–all of us including the 27%–need for the next four years. I’m okay with that, because he will have a LOT of quality help and he will LISTEN to what they have to say.

  5. 5.

    sdhays

    Biden’s overseeing the 2009 Recovery Act is one of the biggest accomplishments that no one talks about. No one talks about it because it’s basically “things worked the way they were supposed to”, but $800 billion went out the door, and even a hint of scandal would have been used to bring down the Obama Administration. Dump can’t even mail out checks without making it a donation to his campaign.

  6. 6.

    West of the Cascades

    Biden’s competence is worth enthusing about. I’d like to see him pick a VP who could step right in and do the same job he did in 2009 overseeing the Recovery Act (and also shepherd it through a filibuster-free Senate in which, alas, Joe Manchin might still be the deciding vote). As much as I am enthusiastic about someone like Stacey Abrams or Gretchen Whitmer, it feels like a Senator with previous executive management experience is the right call. Harris (big state AG), Duckworth (Asst Sec of Veteran’s Affairs, state director of veterans affairs), Tina Smith (state Lt Gov), Cortez-Masto (state AG), Shaheen or Hassan (small state Govs) would all be on my short list. Dunno how those various states handle replacing Senators.

  7. 7.

    JPL

    How long will it take for MSM to ask why isn’t Joe out there campaigning?   The local news spent more time on the Obama endorsement than Cable.

    Warren is amazing.

  8. 8.

    jl

    Thanks for interesting post on Biden. One thing that interested, and disappointed, me about his campaign strategy was that his positioning was a little at odds with his policy angle during the Obama administration. Biden brought in a social and economic policy team that included important and very good people who were to the lefty end of the Obama team.

    I’ve wondered how much of his emphasis on returning to the supposed good old days of Obama policy and style, and emphasis on centrism was a strategy to distinguish himself from Sanders and Warren. Biden had a much better chance on beating the other centrists than the two candidates with a more progressive reputation, following and history. We’ll see.

    And I hope Biden’s odd spell of passivity and hesitancy at outset of covid-19 crisis was more an issue of repositioning his campaign pitch than anything else.

  9. 9.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @CarolDuhart2: I agree with your second paragraph.  I got tired of the half-hearted defenses of HRC in 2016.  No more “S/He wasn’t my first choice, but I guess s/he is better that Trump.  She was great but not perfect.  He is great but not reflect.  Let’s concentrate on the great and not on the not perfect.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    @sdhays:

    No one talks about it because it’s basically “things worked the way they were supposed to”

    It’s like the offensive line in football.  They only get attention when the quarterback gets sacked, not when they do their jobs well.

  12. 12.

    Dadadadadadada

    store brand Bond villain knock-offs currently infesting the West Wing

    Ms. Cracker, you are a poet.

  13. 13.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Mike Grunwald, who wrote the book that I gather is a key reference for Purdham, said that if Biden had been in charge of the launch of the O’Care website, it would’ve gone off smoothly. It flies in the face of today’s image of Biden– and I’m among those who thinks he’s lost a step– but I also think he’s going to hire people like Ron Klain who know how to get shit done.

  14. 14.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    I was VERY ENTHUSIASTIC about Elizabeth Warren for president. I was – and am – equally UNenthusiastic about Joe Biden. And you know what? So fucking what. I will still vote for him. I don’t care about the exact perfect timing of Biden’s campaign’s acceptance of SPW’s endorsement or whether they showed her the exactly right amount of respect or disrespect or whatever the fuck. My vote is not some precious treasure to be given only to the one who wins my heart. It’s just a damned vote, and it’s a tool to get the current Nectarine Nightmare out of office (and preferably into an orange jumpsuit). That’s the most important goal. That’s the ONLY goal.
    #teambrokenglass

  15. 15.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @jl:

    I’ve wondered how much of his emphasis on returning to the supposed good old days of Obama policy and style, and emphasis on centrism was a strategy to distinguish himself from Sanders and Warren.

    I don’t think it was strategy, I think it’s just who he is. And as I’ve been saying for weeks, the overwhelming evidence of just about every post-2016 election suggests that’s  who and what the non-on-line parts of the party are too. Warren and Sanders both, in the last days of their respective campaigns, ran ads leaning heavily on Obama imagery, so I’d say they came to grok that too.

  17. 17.

    kindness

    I’m really happy my BernieBro peeps aren’t saying a word right now against the Democratic Party.  I hope it will last till December at least.

  18. 18.

    trollhattan

    @Comrade Colette Collaboratrice:

    Yup.

    Twice in my voting life has my preferred candidate earned the nomination and but one of those won: Obama. The other times I “settled” because that’s overwhelmingly how politics actually work, as opposed to how we imagine them working. It sucks but it’s real life. I never, ever sat out an election but I will cop to voting for a couple 3rd party candidates to make sure my young and dumb voice was “heard.” Got over that, too.

  20. 20.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @West of the Cascades: a response to the tweet-bait for that very article:

    Eric Boehlert @EricBoehlert 36m
    new polling has Biden leading in every swing state….so of course DC press thinks he’s doing it all wrong

  22. 22.

    Origuy

    I lost a friend today. Jonathan Lovell, Professor Emeritus of English at San Jose State, was in one of my Scottish country dance classes. He had a very bad respiratory condition that appeared to be COVID-19, was never hospitalized, had a test that reported negative, and appeared to be recovering. He was posting on Facebook up until Sunday, but apparently had a relapse and passed away since then. I still have not heard exactly what happened. He said he was disappointed that the test was negative, because he was hoping to donate blood to help with the experiments with the blood of COVID-19 patients. I told him that he was a mensch. Truly a gentleman and a scholar.

  23. 23.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Origuy: I am so sorry. These COVID deaths keep getting closer to home. It’s important to put faces to the numbers. Real people have lost their lives and real people are mourning their passing.

  27. 27.

    West of the Cascades

    @Origuy: I am so sorry. Condolences to you and to his family. I worry we’ll all soon be one degree of separation (or less) from victims of this pandemic.

  30. 30.

    JPL

    @Origuy: I’m so sorry.   Thirty to forty percent of the tests have false negatives, so the virus could have caused his death.

  32. 32.

    different-church-lady

    Yes, well Warren agrees with me on 98% of what I want, but she will not deliver it the same way Bernie would have, so NEVER JOE!!!

  33. 33.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Origuy: I have heard numerous stories of both people diagnosed and not, who are ill, then seem to get better for a day or two and then immediately get much worse and die. There’s a name for that phenomenon which escapes me right now.

  36. 36.

    different-church-lady

    @Origuy: Condolences.

    I was given two COVID-19 tests in the hospital, and both came back negative. Yet they still wanted me to act as though I had it.

  37. 37.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Gin & Tonic: Maybe cytokine storm? Anecdotally, it seems a fair number of COVID deaths have happened that way, that is, folks seem to recover and then suddenly succumb.

  38. 38.

    cmorenc

    @jl:

    And I hope Biden’s odd spell of passivity and hesitancy at outset of covid-19 crisis was more an issue of repositioning his campaign pitch than anything else.

    When your opponent’s busy repeatedly shooting himself in the foot, best to stay out of his way and not distract from the spectacle.  Notice how difficult it is for Trump or the GOP to direct much fire at Biden when Trump’s gun is pointed at his own feet and as.

  40. 40.

    different-church-lady

    @PJ: Gee, ya know, if I we didn’t know any better it would almost seem like they hate democrats more than they hate fascists.

  41. 41.

    Sab

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I couldn’t even watch that . Who has a complete drum kit in their house? My favorite dog ever I rescued from such a situation. (She- the dog- always loved drums and drumming and drummers.) Her owner was drummer in a rock band. She didn’t mind drumming. She had issues with his absense.

  42. 42.

    PJ

    @JPL: The smartest thing Biden did in his campaign was to ignore Twitter and its fucking savants and every fucking pundit in the media.  My favored candidate, Warren, unfortunately, did listen to the Twitterverse, and it did not serve her well.

  43. 43.

    different-church-lady

    @Martin: DC press, like the rest of us, won’t relax relent until even if Joe is leading Trump in West Virginia and Idaho.

  44. 44.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @different-church-lady: No kidding. One of the leftiest of lefties I know has been edging towards “Trump and the Republicans aren’t that bad and Bernie got them to do some good things, unlike the evil Dems” ever since it became clear that Bernie would not become the next anointed one.

    ETA: And by “edging” I mean actually saying and writing those words.

  45. 45.

    CaseyL

    @PJ: Watching them devour one another has been a prime source of entertainment.  Hard to say whether their most outstanding characteristic is stupidity or malice.  (I know, I know, porque no los dos?)

  47. 47.

    ThresherK

    “Democrats backing up the tow truck after the GOP has run the country into a ditch” is so apt it hurts.

  48. 48.

    CaseyL

    @Origuy: Oh, gosh, I am so sorry.  Sounds like he was a great guy – and despite his respiratory issues,  he had to have been in decent shape to do Scottish Dancing!  Another one we shouldn’t have lost.

    This is another way Covid-19 reminds me of the AIDS epidemic:  losing too many irreplaceable people too soon.

  49. 49.

    James E Powell

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Totally with you on this. I mean, the last time I didn’t have reservations about a candidate I voted for was when I was too young to have reservations.

    I find it hard to take at times, but I’m trying to avoid confrontations with colleagues. I just ask, how about getting with the program? Why don’t you jump on the team and come in for the big win?

  50. 50.

    Miss Bianca

    @Comrade Colette Collaboratrice:

    My vote is not some precious treasure to be given only to the one who wins my heart.

    I’m stealing this line and hoarding it for future use.

    @kindness: lucky you. I’m planning to stay the hell off FB until, oh…at least December, I’m thinking. Yeah. 

  51. 51.

    The Moar You Know

    I have heard numerous stories of both people diagnosed and not, who are ill, then seem to get better for a day or two and then immediately get much worse and die. There’s a name for that phenomenon which escapes me right now.

    @Gin & Tonic:  “Crash Out” or “Crash and bleed out” as that happens to Ebola victims.  The scientists think, with Covid-19, it’s a cytokine storm where the body’s overwhelmed immune system decides to start attacking everything in sight.  Happened to a lot of people with the Spanish flu, including the “bleed out” part.

    Happened to Boris Johnson.  He was “feeling better” as per his video appearances, and then next thing he’s in the damn ICU.  He was lucky.  Many people who get there aren’t.  Chris Cuomo, looking at you.  Your doctors aren’t telling you to take it easy because they don’t like seeing you on TV.

  52. 52.

    James E Powell

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    new polling has Biden leading in every swing state….so of course DC press thinks he’s doing it all wrong

    Those articles are alternated with those that lay out what Biden better do or else! The Village will continue with these stories forever.

  53. 53.

    Miss Bianca

    @O. Felix Culpa: I wish I were diplomatic and patient and could reason sweetly with people. Alas, I am none of these things, so I am thinking I’d better just cut a number of Berners from my acquaintance until I can get over the feeling that I’d just like to reach thru’ the computer screen and slap them with a brick. As it is, I can barely manage to get to, “*Bernie* understands the stakes and how fucking important electing the Democrat is this time round, what the fucking hell is *your* excuse?!”

  54. 54.

    The Moar You Know

    Who has a complete drum kit in their house? 

    @Sab: (Raises hand timidly)  Set up and ready to go in ten seconds.

    1965 Slingerland Champagne Sparkle jazz kit with all-copper snare, 5-piece, almost all Zildjian “A” cymbals, Mapex double-kick pedals.  Right next to the wall of bass amps (my main instrument) and a nice small Marshall guitar amp.  About twenty guitars/basses/other in the closet.  It’s amazing I have any room in there at all, the room is only 8 x 11

     

    Did I mention my wife is a saint?  Yeah.  She puts up with that.

  55. 55.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Miss Bianca: Come sit six feet away from me.

    ETA: There’s no reasoning with some of these folks, so might as well go straightaway to bricks. //

  56. 56.

    hitchhiker

    The NYT podcast The Daily just did a show about the woman who has accused Biden of assaulting her in a very ugly way, back in 1993.

    I have no idea what’s going on there, mostly b/c the episode she describes is just wildly out of the realm of Biden lore. I’m not saying she’s lying, but … you could believe that Franken would be capable of patting someone on the ass. You could believe that Kavanaugh would be capable of fun-drunk-rape. You could believe that Clarence Thomas liked to talk about sex with his staffers. You could believe that trump would fondle any woman he felt like without her permission, and that Clinton would engage in plenty of casual sex with willing partners. For all of them, pretty much within the range of what their character seems to be.

    But I can’t believe Biden would — this one and only time — push a staffer up against a wall and assault her, then tell her she’s “nothing.” So I have no idea what’s going on. If he didn’t do this thing, why is she promoting the story? If he did, why is there no one in that office who remembers it?

  59. 59.

    japa21

    @Omnes Omnibus: I have often said that the only candidate that meets the constitutional qualifications and that I agree with in every issue would be me.  And guess what, I would be a horrible President (although better than the current one).

    And I know you and I have felt the same way about Joe for a while.

  60. 60.

    Ruckus

    @West of the Cascades:

    I’d say Harris. Large state dept experience, pretty much zero chance of a republican replacement, in general a portion of the black community  might have to be convinced that she did make positive change in the AG office.

  62. 62.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @hitchhiker: Sigh. This story has been circulating for a while now. One does wonder why it never came up during the EIGHT YEARS of the Obama administration. I chalk it up to another disinformation effort, since the Hunter thing went agly.

    ETA: The last true lefties are promoting this story with a vengeance.

  63. 63.

    Jamie

    @The Moar You Know: Um, yep. Likewise. Mine’s a GMS Super Vintage kit with a mess of Zildjian K-series cymbals. It sits next to my Marshall 4×12 and Komet 60.

    My wife–also a saint.

    A ’65 Slingerland! That’s cool.

  64. 64.

    The Moar You Know

    I’d say Harris. Large state dept experience, pretty much zero chance of a republican replacement, in general a portion of the black community  might have to be convinced that she did make positive change in the AG office.

    @Ruckus:  Can’t think of a better way to lose the black vote.  I don’t know what they know that I don’t, but a massive bloc of them are dead set against her and it sure looks like they’re not changing their minds.

    Plus, Clyburn has said no, and Biden owes him.  It will not be Harris.

  66. 66.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    ETA: The last true lefties are promoting this story with a vengeance.

    looks to me like a troubled person being exploited by rage-addled people

  68. 68.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @The Moar You Know:

    Plus, Clyburn has said no, and Biden owes him.  It will not be Harris.

    Clyburn said no to Harris? Sounded to me like he all but said it has to be Harris

  70. 70.

    Josie

    @hitchhiker:

    “If he didn’t do this thing, why is she promoting the story?”

    It seems pretty obvious that she (or someone who is paying her) wants him to lose the election.  I seriously doubt that this will do it, unless the MSM decides to ride it like they did Hillary’s emails.

     

    @hitchhiker:

  71. 71.

    different-church-lady

    @James E Powell:

    I mean, the last time I didn’t have reservations about a candidate I voted for was when I was too young to have reservations.

    I don’t have any reservations about Biden. I might have doubts and fears and concerns and disagreements, but I don’t have a single fuckin’ reservation about voting for him.

  72. 72.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    I’m guessing a lot of you jackals have read or listened to Michelle Obama’s Becoming? I’d started the audiobook but then got distracted by other things and put it aside. It was next on my long list of Reading To Catch Up On During Pandemics. Just finished Chapter 8, in which Barack makes his first appearance, initially as a colleague (law student intern at the law firm where Michelle works and is supposed to be mentoring him). The chapter ends with their first kiss.

    It’s so amazingly sweet. I miss these beautiful, talented, good people. It helps a little to know they are out there and to remember we were once the country that put them in the White House. But my god would I like to start seeing and hearing from them again.

  73. 73.

    sdhays

    @PJ: I react to the things differently from a lot of people, but I just don’t see how much more Biden should have done. The media won’t just give him free airtime like they will for Dump. And so much was going on and he can’t do anything because he has no actual position in the government right now. “Oh no, Joe Biden wasn’t in my face for a couple days” is something no one really thought. I think it’s partially people wanting Biden to be President RIGHT NOW (count me guilty of this one!) and pundits who are desperate to say SOMETHING, preferably critical, about Biden and Democrats. I don’t give a shit about #2, but for #1, we need to remember that’s not going to happen. He needs to focus on uniting the party (coming along nicely) and building a juggernaut campaign for the fall (we’ll see).

    When the Benghazi attack happened, Mitt Romney tripped over himself in his excitement to extract political advantage from those deaths. It was disgusting, and he and the people around him got so excited by the tragedy that they detached from reality and ended up blowing up any momentum they had from the first debate with Obama. Biden’s actually a decent human being, so he’s not going to fall into that trap.

  76. 76.

    Baud

    @The Moar You Know:

    Politico

    Warren (plus-48 percentage points) edges out Harris (44 points) and Klobuchar (38 points) in net favorability among Democrats. The Massachusetts senator also leads the other two in the category among self-identified liberals (plus-53 points to Harris’ 46 points and Klobuchar’s 40 points); African Americans (plus-29 points to Harris’ 20 and Klobuchar’s 17); and voters with an unfavorable view of President Donald Trump (plus-38 points to Harris’ 34 and Klobuchar’s 33).
    But Klobuchar enjoys higher net marks in the most categories overall, including several key ones. The Minnesota senator bested her two colleagues among all voters and in every region of the country — the Midwest, Northeast, South and the West. And Klobuchar had a stronger image among white voters, independents, Republicans, moderates and conservatives and those with a favorable view of Trump.
    Harris, a California senator, follows closely Warren among Latino voters and trails Klobuchar slightly in the West.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/poll-biden-vice-president-experience-187056

  78. 78.

    The Moar You Know

    Um, yep. Likewise. Mine’s a GMS Super Vintage kit with a mess of Zildjian K-series cymbals. It sits next to my Marshall 4×12 and Komet 60.

    My wife–also a saint.

    A ’65 Slingerland! That’s cool.

    @Jamie:  I’ll bet yours sounds better.  My pieces are…not consistent, as I expect from vintage instruments.  The kick is good.  The floor tom is unreal, never heard a drum sound like that in my life.  The snare is good.  The rack toms…acceptable.

    Good choice in wife!

    So, anyone else?  BJ drummers club represent!

    PS:  the kit and my lap steel are the only two instruments I have that are older than me.  Everything else is 80s or later.

  79. 79.

    John Revolta

    @The Moar You Know: ’65 was a good year! I’ve got a set of ’65 Ludwigs, 5-piece, white marine pearl with the chrome snare. Well, a little yellow now, from years & years in clubs, but still pretty gorgeous and still sound great!

  80. 80.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @mali muso: that would make more sense, I like Abrams, but it’s a huge leap from the state lege to the Naval Observatory, especially given the real concerns about Biden’s age.

  81. 81.

    Baud

    @The Moar You Know:

    NYT

    Among the other contenders, a recent poll (by Data for Progress for the group Way to Win) found that Ms. Harris ran a close second to Ms. Abrams in terms of support among African-Americans.

     

     

  82. 82.

    Patricia Kayden

    Trump on March 30: "A month ago, nobody ever heard of this."In reality, intelligence officials were warning Trump about the developing coronavirus outbreak as far back as early January.As cases piled up and warnings grew more dire, Trump continually refused to face the facts. pic.twitter.com/FtttpZ8voF— National Security Action (@natsecaction) April 15, 2020

  83. 83.

    Ruckus

    @hitchhiker:

    Her story leaks more than a fishing net.
    Her reasons probably don’t really make any sense at all and/or someone quite possibly is paying her to tell it

  85. 85.

    Brachiator

    I was one of the folks wondering when Warren would endorse Biden. I did not think it a huge deal, but obviously inevitable.

    Throw all that aside. Her endorsement is well done, thoughtful, and lays it out for the voters masterfully, pointing out all the areas where Biden is clearly superior to Trump.

    And in pointing out the times when Biden was fair to her, she pulls the rug out from anyone who wants to try to read some shade or other motives behind her words.

  86. 86.

    Hoodie

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: He said no to Abrams but yes to Atlanta’s mayor.  I don’t think it will be Harris because he doesn’t need her to win CA and probably wouldn’t be all that much help in places like NC or the Southwest.  I don’t think he  needs much help in the rust belt either, which is why Trump really didn’t want to run against him.  I’m thinking someone more dark horse from a swingier non-midwestern state (e.g., FL, GA, NC, AZ, NV) or a close approximation thereof.  There really isn’t anyone from NC I can think of right now (Cooper would be a good VP but he’s the wrong demographic and he needs to stay in office), and I think Mayor Bottoms is a bit of a stretch and wouldn’t be able to deliver GA.  Maybe someone like Lujan Grisham or Cortez Masto would help?  Don’t know enough about either, but NM is generally getting good reviews for its Covid response.

  87. 87.

    Ruckus

    @The Moar You Know:

    I don’t think it is all cut and dried. I’ve seen other evidence that a large majority of the black community would support her. I’m sure not the one that knows.

  88. 88.

    Miss Bianca

    @Hoodie: I’m sure our O.Felix will be saying, “hands off our Governor!” And I can’t say I would disagree with her!

  91. 91.

    Miss Bianca

    @The Thin Black Duke: Yeah, it’s not like they’ll be saying, “oh, he chose *Harris*? That’s it, guess I’m voting for Trump.”//

    Unlike, say, some *white* voters I know…sigh… : (

  94. 94.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Fredo retweeting a “fact check” from Breitbart. I’m guessing this is playing even worse than I thought it would

    Donald Trump Jr. @DonaldJTrumpJr 4h
    Fact Check: Stimulus Checks Not Being Held up for Donald Trump’s Name

  95. 95.

    ThresherK

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: You know those $2 DVDs with praise blurbs on the back in quote marks, but with no source attribution?

    That’s a better look for a fake fact check than Breitbart. Don’t tell Failson Jr.

  96. 96.

    sdhays

    @Hoodie: I would be really surprised if it’s a dark horse. Biden knows that it’s extraordinarily important for him to pick someone who could take over if something happens to him. I don’t know that it will be Harris, but her experience running a big bureaucracy is a big plus. And I think that’s why it won’t be someone like Atlanta’s mayor, no matter how much Jim Clyburn likes her.

  97. 97.

    Brachiator

    @The Moar You Know:

    Can’t think of a better way to lose the black vote. I don’t know what they know that I don’t, but a massive bloc of them are dead set against her and it sure looks like they’re not changing their minds.

    I keep hearing this, but the only place I see it is among activists and super-political junkies.

    What I hear is blunt talk that white women, even liberal white women, will vote against a black woman.

    My only hope is that the VP candidate be young and healthy.

    BTW, I like Abrams, but she is single, and people who think that a VP has to have a spouse and kids might hold it against her.  Totally trivial, but there you go.

  98. 98.

    JPL

    @Brachiator:  When Abrams refused to run for Senate,  I lost some respect for her.   She was minority leader of the House, but besides working with republicans, she didn’t really do anything else.  I think she needs to get a little more experience, because there is a good chance that VP will run for pres in 2024.   imo..

  99. 99.

    MomSense

    @The Moar You Know:

    Clyburn put Harris at the top of his list.  And from what I’ve read and heard, black voters do like her but they didn’t have confidence white people would vote for her so they were waiting on the results from Iowa.  BTW that was the same dynamic for Obama in 2008.  He was fifth in SC until he won Iowa.  He used to say all the time that if he won the Iowa caucus he would be the next President.

  100. 100.

    hitchhiker

    @The Moar You Know:

    That’s what I was trying to say. I know the R playbook is to randomly throw dirt around and wait for it to be turned to mud that sticks. I know that they think having a woman make a sexual assault accusation is a sweet way to stick it to Democrats, because we’ve made a good faith efforts to take women seriously and expose men who mistreat them.

    This is supposed to put us in an awkward position. At the very least, they get to say we’re all hypocrites. Pretty disappointing to see it highlighted by the NYT.

  101. 101.

    sdhays

    @JPL: She gained respect from me. It said to me that she sees the governorship as more than a stepping stone in her career; she wants to transform Georgia, and you need the governorship to do that

    ETA: I agree that she’s shouldn’t be the VP nominee.

  104. 104.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @MomSense: as I recall, Jaime Harrison was interviewed the night of the South Carolina and all but begged Biden (through the TV screen) to name Harris his Veep. She’s the most conventional choice– as conventional as a woman of color with national political standing in this country can be– and Biden is a pretty conventional politician.

    Then again she was my first choice in the primary, so I was convince a while ago.

  105. 105.

    Brachiator

    @JPL:

    When Abrams refused to run for Senate, I lost some respect for her.

    I’m not sure what her chances of success might have been. But I hope she goes on to contribute in some way.

  106. 106.

    Groucho48

    @sdhays:

    I didn’t realize how true that was until earlier today when I tried finding some cites for how well he had done managing the stimulus for a post in another forum. There was almost nothing. The first couple or three pages of google results were mostly right wing criticisms with a sprinkling of somewhat positive mentions from MSM. Even Wiki had a noticeable right win slant.

  107. 107.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    this is great:

    The Good Liars @TheGoodLiars
    There are some new signs up at the Trump Hotel in #NYC. #covid19

    prediction for tonight’s follies: “We’ve been looking very strongly at donations, we’ll have a very powerful announcement on that very soon, very soon. You’ll have to wait and see.”

  108. 108.

    Kent

    @JPL:@Brachiator:  When Abrams refused to run for Senate,  I lost some respect for her.   She was minority leader of the House, but besides working with republicans, she didn’t really do anything else.  I think she needs to get a little more experience, because there is a good chance that VP will run for pres in 2024.   imo..

    If Biden wins, there is a greater than zero chance his VP could be taking office even before 2024.  And, at a minimum, will be the presumptive nominee if he decides not to run again in 2024.  As a result, his VP pick is perhaps the most consequential since an aging and ailing Roosevelt picked Truman in 1944.

    The VP absolutely MUST be ready to take office on day one and perhaps serve as more of a co-president than we have seen in generations.  Stacey Abrams ,who has ZERO experience in Federal government does not strike me as that person.  Does she really have the chops to manage a multi-million person Federal bureaucracy?  Most definitely with a little more experience.  But I want someone with experience in Washington.   And who has a well of relationships built up over years, to rely on.   There is no substitute for experience.

  109. 109.

    Kent

    @sdhays:

    @JPL: She gained respect from me. It said to me that she sees the governorship as more than a stepping stone in her career; she wants to transform Georgia, and you need the governorship to do that

    ETA: I agree that she’s shouldn’t be the VP nominee.

    Look how fast Virginia has changed from a revanchist Confederate-run state to a leading progressive state in just two elections.  Georgia, and North Carolina are the next two most likely targets for that sort of change in the remainder of the South.  But it is going to take herculean effort on the part of talented Georgians to make that happen.  In many ways, what happens in the states is just as important as the national government.  It must be tough for talented politicians from red states to continue to tilt at windmills (Abrams, Beto, Buttigieg, etc.) but someone has to do it.  The bench in those states isn’t deep enough to leave it to others.

  110. 110.

    Zelma

    Just a thought, but I looked at the picture of Biden and I thought, Has Drumpf ever really smiled?  When I’ve seen him try, it looks like a grimace.  Just seeing a smiling Joe makes me feel better.  And I’m feeling pretty rotten.,

  111. 111.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Kent:

    In many ways, what happens in the states is just as important as the national government.

    Yup. I’m supporting Jaime Harrison– in a very small way– less because I think he can beat Graham (though some of the polls do give you hope) than because he might be able to do for down-ticket candidates in SC what O’Rourke did in Texas, and four years from now, six… who knows?

  113. 113.

    Another Scott

    Since it’s come up, the Clyburn interview with Axios (from March 15):

    Rep. James Clyburn has a list of African American women who are qualified to be vice president, and he told “Axios on HBO” in an interview that there’s a “much deeper bench than people realize.”

    The big picture: Clyburn is widely credited with saving Biden’s campaign following his endorsement in the South Carolina Democratic primaries.

    “I’ll never tell you who I’m going to advise him,” Clyburn said in the interview, “but I would advise him that we need to have a woman on the ticket, and I prefer an African American woman.”

    [image]

    His list of qualified African American women includes:

    * Sen. Kamala Harris
    * Rep. Marcia Fudge
    * Rep. Val Demings
    * Former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams
    * Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
    * Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice

    Also on his list: Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren

    Between the lines: Harris, Fudge, Demings, Bottoms and Rice have all endorsed Biden. Abrams in 2019 warded off reports of the Biden campaign weighing her as an early VP pledge, but she didn’t eliminate the idea of joining Biden at a later date.

    Joe knows how to game all these things out, so I’m sure he’ll pick a good running mate.

    FWIW.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  114. 114.

    chopper

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    yeah it’s infuriating when people do that. “you know, i disagreed with obama a lot (insert 10 minute listing of what and how on all sorts of shit)…but he really did a good job repelling that alien invasion”.

    like just say a fucking complement about someone, people! not qualifying it doesn’t somehow make you a stan or something.

  116. 116.

    Brachiator

    @Kent:

    But I want someone with experience in Washington. And who has a well of relationships built up over years, to rely on. There is no substitute for experience.

    Truman did not have much Washington experience, and FDR was wary of him because of his connections with the state political machine. But Truman turned out all right.

    As House minority leader in Georgia, Abrams may have some political skills. What might hurt her is some problems she had with school loans.

    I want someone relatively young and who is pugnacious, wiling to fight the GOP. Aside from that, I got no favorites.

  117. 117.

    trollhattan

    @Brachiator:

    Truman was a ten-year senator before becoming VP. He did have “machine politics” entanglements back in Missouri but he became quite well connected during his time in D.C. F.D.R. did choose him for reasons having nothing to do with “Liking the cut of this fellow’s jib.”

    Luckily, Harry proved a lot more than just hick from the Midwest, considering he was veep all of three months!

  120. 120.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @trollhattan: he had also built a national reputation by heading the committee charged with stamping out waste, fraud and abuse in war spending, as Speaker Pelosi reminded  us on the Hayes program last night, or the night before, what day is it?

    The reputation of the Truman Committee grew so strong that fear of an investigation was sometimes enough of a deterrent to stop underhanded dealings. An unknown number of people performed more honestly in war production because of the threat of a Truman visit.[36

    In March 1943, at the second birthday of the Truman Committee, Time magazine put “Investigator Truman” on the cover, showing Truman’s craggy face squinting in the mid-day sun, in the background a spotlight shining on government and industry. The issue carried an associated article, titled “Billion-Dollar Watchdog,” describing the Committee “as one of the most useful Government agencies of World War II” and “the closest thing yet to a domestic high command.”[37] The article raised Truman’s importance in the eye of the man on the street, cementing his well-earned position as one of America’s most responsible leaders.[38]

  122. 122.

    hueyplong

    If Biden tabs someone who does not excite me, that will have zero effect on my hatred of Trump and my membership in Club Broken Glass.

  124. 124.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Zelma:

    I looked at the picture of Biden and I thought, Has Drumpf ever really smiled?

    I think this will be huge in the general election, yet few people will consciously pick up on it.  Trump is a sour, slouching person.  He looks like the asshole he is.  His base loves it, but it emphasizes everything the usually unenthusiastic middle has learned to hate about him.  Biden radiates friendliness.  He has great posture and a constant, delighted smile.  Biden physically looks like a promise to get back to government being your friend.  Trump looks like what he is, a promise of a government based on hate.  The contrast when they’re seen together will be stark and move people on a subconscious level.

  126. 126.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    apparently trump is threatening to force the adjournment of Congress, something twitter lawyers say he can do, so that he can make a recess appointment of (checks notes) a member of the Board of Governors overseeing Voice of America (as I recall, someone told him their new reports are insufficiently flattering)

    Manu Raju @mkraju 29m
    Trump griping about Dems blocking nominees and says Senate should adjourn so he can install nominees via recess appointments. To do so, there needs to be consent on both sides. If not, he says he‘ll use his power to force adjournment, something that‘ll prompt a fight with Dems

    Daniel Dale @ddale8 36m
    Trump is complaining of “partisan obstruction” of nominees he says are needed to address the coronavirus crisis. He says that when he reads he hasn’t filled positions, sometimes it’s because “we don’t need the position” but other times it’s the Democrats’ fault.

    Trump, calling for the confirmation of an appointee to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, says Voice of America’s coverage is “disgusting.” He adds, “The things they say are disgusting toward our country.”

    then on to all those “actings”, I think (?) the DNI and several sub-cabinet level appointments, at DHS, the Pentagon, Justice (you know, no big deal) are vacant or have acting appointees.

  135. 135.

    Sloane Ranger

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Also, 20-29 States can re-open very quickly and if they don’t, he has the power to make them.

    He genuinely thinks that the Trump Organisation executed a takeover of the US government and that Governors, Senators and Representatives are some sorts of mid level executives whose job is to do what he, as CEO of USA Inc, tells them

  137. 137.

    germy

    President Trump threatened to shut down both chambers of Congress to allow him to fill vacancies in his administration without Senate approval.

    He spent several minutes of his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday blaming Senate Democrats for blocking his nominations, even though most of the vacancies in the federal government are because Trump hasn’t selected anyone to fill them. Several of his nominees haven’t been given a confirmation hearing yet in the Republican-led Senate.

    Trump cited a never-exercised power the Constitution grants the president to adjourn Congress if leaders of the House and Senate can’t agree on whether to adjourn. The Senate often recesses but stays open in a “pro forma” session, which thwarts Trump’s ability to make recess appointments that bypass the regular confirmation process.

  140. 140.

    CaseyL

    @Immanentize: Which opinion was that?

    Because on Twitter, actual lawyers are saying he can do it.  All he and Mitch have to do is contrive a situation in which the House and Senate “disagree” on when to adjourn, and under the Constitution T* can at that point adjourn both houses.

    You know Mitch’ll go for that.  You know the whole GOP will.

    Plus- I don’t trust the current SCOTUS as far as I could spit a rat.

  141. 141.

    stacib

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: As a 60-year old black woman who has backed Biden from the beginning, the only way I’ll ever vote for Harris is if I’m forced by her being his VP selection (which would make me not happy).  I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her backwards.  She comes off, to me, as phony, superficial and willing to say whatever is necessary to get through the moment.  We have enough politicians like her.

    I also wonder if Biden feels an obligation to choose a black woman considering it was that particular voting group that saved his (and dare I say, the country’s) ass.

  142. 142.

    Baud

    @CaseyL:

    I don’t know if Mitch wants to open that door for Biden.  He didn’t end the filibuster when he had he chance.

  144. 144.

    Immanentize

    @CaseyL: Actual lawyers in Twitter?  What a concept!

    Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting. Neither House may adjourn, without the consent of the other, for more than three days.

    US Const., Art. I, Clause 4.

    I have no idea where they say this power comes from.

    I am an actual lawyer, not on twitter.

  146. 146.

    Brachiator

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Other than being a US Senator for 10 years and chairing the Truman Committee on War Profiteering

    I sit corrected.

    Also, I’ve watched freaking Truman biographies. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking

  147. 147.

    Another Scott

    @CaseyL: Our “favorite” contrarian constitutional scholar weighs in.  RawStory:

    […]

    During the impeachment hearings, Republicans and the White House called law professor Jonathan Turley to testify on their behalf that there wasn’t a standard met for impeachment.

    Now Turley is taking to Twitter to caution Trump against taking the action.

    “The President just said that he may unilaterally adjourn Congress. This seems to be a reference to Article II, Section 3, which gives a president in “extraordinary occasions” to convene or adjourn the Houses. This power has never been used and should not be used now,” he tweeted. “The power to adjourn only applies “in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment.” Pro forma sessions have been used by both Democratic and Republican houses to prevent recess appointments. I have long been a critic of such recess appointments.”

    “Senators of both parties should vote to support the congressional control over adjournment. Absent a “disagreement” there is no presidential power to adjourn under Article II. A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium. Indeed, we need regular order now more than ever,” he said.

    […]

    It seems unlikely that Moscow Mitch is going to set the precedent to give a president that power. Not over something like a tantrum over the head of the VoA…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  148. 148.

    germy

    What will future historians make of these press conferences? Will there be future historians? Will there be a future?

    "Governors are supposed to do testing. It's up to the governors. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. The governors are doing the testing. It's now not up, and it hasn't been up, to the federal govt … if you keep talking, I'll leave … just a loudmouth" — Trump unloads on @BrianKarem pic.twitter.com/NAhrR4Xkbs— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2020

  149. 149.

    CaseyL

    @Immanentize: Article 2, Section 3:

     

    He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

     

    He’ll need McConnell to connive at that. Do you think for one second McConnell won’t do it?

  150. 150.

    Kattails

    Haven’t gone through the later portion of comments in this thread, had to do some outside work, not sure what I’ve missed.

    However just opened my email to find one from Joe Biden specifically addressed to me as a Warren supporter, asking me to support his campaign, he wants to earn my vote. “Her courage, tenacity, and persistence shed a light on some the most important issues facing our country–and has made a real difference in people’s lives.”  Etc.  Nicely done. At the bottom: Paid for by Warren Democrats.

    Personally thinking, I’m not team broken glass; I’m team bazookas.  Not big on crawling, myself.

  151. 151.

    Immanentize

    @Another Scott: OK.  So the huge lumpen problem is that constitutionally “adjourn” does not mean “recess.”. He can only appoint when Congress is in recess (art. I).  Congress adjourns all the damn time, even over night, but they do not then “recess.” Turley is actually muddying the CONSTITUTIONAL waters like a good NAZI will by saying Trump should not take this action.

  154. 154.

    Brachiator

    @Another Scott:

    “The President just said that he may unilaterally adjourn Congress. This seems to be a reference to Article II, Section 3, which gives a president in “extraordinary occasions” to convene or adjourn the Houses.

    I will give Trump this. Right wingers and idiot citizens bellow that they want a businessman president who will run the country like a business.

    Unfettered by any deep understanding of the Constitution and unfettered by any restraint, Trump has consistently sought to accrue power to himself and to use it without any checks on his authority. And the GOP Congress has been willing to help him in this.

    People talk about returning to previous norms once Trump is defeated. But you cannot undo knowledge. Future presidents see how far they can push the levers of power if they have a sufficiently compliant Congress and Supreme Court behind them.

  155. 155.

    CaseyL

    @Immanentize:  You’re right – Article 1 does say recess, not adjournment.

    I will very cautiously climb down from Defcon 1.  Conditionally.  Depending on where things go from here.

  160. 160.

    Another Scott

    @Immanentize: You mean Turley doesn’t know what he’s talking about – again – ?

    You mean that different words actually have different meanings?

    ??!

    Unpossible!!

    Thanks muchly.  :-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  161. 161.

    Immanentize

    @CaseyL:
    @trollhattan:
    I think things are not great in SCOTUS. There is a serious right wing thumb on the scales there. But they still won’t mess with things like the language of the Constitution. Standing and other gate keeping rules? Sure. The intent of Congress? Yes, for certain. But Roberts at least is not willing to turn the whole work of the Court over to the fringe. Plus, it isn’t worth the candle if all Trump wants is a friggin Voice of America dude.

    It’s not gonna happen, in any case. Did you notice how fast Trump folded in the “I can order Governors to suck my weenie” tirade?

    My stance these days is always wait two days, then analyze.

  162. 162.

    Fair Economist

    @CaseyL: Trump can’t adjourn Congress by himself. He can do it with the Senate, but if the Senate is willing to let him recess appoint somebody, why won’t it just confirm them instead?

  163. 163.

    cain

    To think that McConnell would give up power would be pretty breathtaking… the man lives for power. To step aside would be something else.

    I don’t think he’s going to do it, but I’m very curious to see what he will do. It seems that he can’t adjourn both houses, only one  – unless he finds some way to force the House by claiming they can’t agree on a date. (they have, Jan 3rd)

    But you know, we have Barr out there – we’ll see what he does.

  164. 164.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Freedom Fighters:

    Chad Loder @chadloder
    Right-wing protesters in Lansing, Michigan are out protesting the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order. The protest is preventing ambulances from dropping off patients at Sparrow Hospital.

    The Michigan Proud Boys organized a blockade of the intersection at a green light outside Sparrow Hospital. A doctor came out of the hospital to plead with them to let the ambulances through.

    Meanwhile, a not insignificant number of would-be heirs of Upton Sinclair and Ida Tarbell are doubling down on the great Nancy Pelosi’s ice cream scandal

  166. 166.

    cain

    @Kent:

    The best person is going to be Warren in that case, if it is going to e a co-presidency then I would want her, and then both don’t run for re-election and we give someone like Harris or Kloblucher a chance. Kloblucher is too conservative for my tastes, so I would prefer someone much more left to fit the upcoming generations.

    The boomers generation are not going to be as influential I think as they have in the past.

  167. 167.

    Chyron HR

    @stacib:

    I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her backwards. She comes off, to me, as phony, superficial and willing to say whatever is necessary to get through the moment. We have enough politicians like her.

    You forgot to tell us that hashtag Kamala’s a cop and that she’s not a hashtag American descendant of slaves.

  168. 168.

    Kent

    @cain:

    The best person is going to be Warren in that case, if it is going to e a co-presidency then I would want her, and then both don’t run for re-election and we give someone like Harris or Kloblucher a chance. Kloblucher is too conservative for my tastes, so I would prefer someone much more left to fit the upcoming generations.

    The boomers generation are not going to be as influential I think as they have in the past.

    Klobuchar is from a purple enough state the keeping her seat in Dem hands in the 2022 mid-terms is not actually a sure thing.  If we are going to pick Dem Senators, one from an actual Blue state would be a better choice.  Senate is too important to throw it away when there are alternatives.

  169. 169.

    Brachiator

    @Immanentize:

    My stance these days is always wait two days, then analyze.

    You would make a bad tv pundit with that kind of reasonable attitude.

  170. 170.

    James E Powell

    @Immanentize:

    But they still won’t mess with things like the language of the Constitution.

    They disregarded Section 2 of the fifteenth amendment in Shelby  County.

  171. 171.

    Another Scott

    @Immanentize: 

    Article II of the Constitution gives the President the power to adjourn Congress if—and only if—the House and Senate cannot agree on a date for ending the current session.

    But they have agreed—January 3, 2021.

    There’s a reason why this power has *never* been exercised before. https://t.co/3536ThYuVT

    — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) April 15, 2020

    D’Oh! :-)

    What will the shiny object be that Donnie throws out on Friday??

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  172. 172.

    Amir Khalid

    I wouldn’t worry about Biden’s VP pick. Any of the women currently being mentioned would be excellent. And Biden, himself an excellent high-level public-sector executive as Obama’s VP, can be trusted to choose well.

  173. 173.

    Suzy

    @CarolDuhart2: I too am irritated by the constant need to express the lack of enthusiasm for Mr. Biden. The condescension is really something…

    I hope that the GREAT endorsement video put out by Elisabeth Warren will create some more respect for Joe Biden.  I’m impressed by the level of praise. She is VERY complimentary of him. Both as a man and as a potential leader. The most persuasive defense of Joe Biden I’ve seen up until now. Both emotional and rational.

    She knows him. Infinitely better than democratic enthusiasts on the Internet. Because she has seen him behind the scenes. In action. And she has genuine respect for him.

    People who love and respect Warren should respect her judgment.

    The video is a MUST SEE.  All of it .

  175. 175.

    Suzy

    @germy: Mrs Reade reminds me of a student I once had. Who seemed normal, who kind of talked rationally. Who was able to produce homework, was able to have rational discussions on a lot of subjects. But she made me believe she was a single parent, and had some difficulties with the father. She lured me in her story for months. Until a certain incident I won’t relate here. And then I talked to the psychologist at my College and learned that the young woman had serious mental issues. The “child” she was talking about was, in fact, her little dog !!!

    Something doesn’t feel right about Mrs. Reade. Since her praise of Putin was not subtle at all, I’m doubtful that this is a conscious disinformation campaign. My instincts make me believe more in the thesis of some mental issue.

    One problem: if she is mentally disturbed, it’s possible she BELIEVES the stuff she says even if it’s not true. So she can appear genuine and believable if an interviewer is too complacent, doesn’t push enough, hasn’t done the research and doesn’t confront her with her contradictions.

  179. 179.

    Chris Johnson

    @The Moar You Know: Sure, I’ll go.

    Gretsch kit, full set of rototoms and a single Gretsch floor tom. Acrolite snare or weird old steel snare. All cobbled together on curved rack rails on a plywood drum riser. Saluda hats, K and A Hybrid and mysterious old thin splashes and a Wuhan china cymbal, Axis pedals (formerly double kick, now just single kick because I had just a single felt beater off a Speed King). I’ve bent the kick beater shaft in such a way that the Axis gets up to the speed of a proper Speed Kick because I want the kick to bark real hard if I’m fast with it.

    Got anything online I can listen to? I did this one recently, though I don’t often drum: https://soundcloud.com/airwindows/confined-analogmix

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