Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

I really should read my own blog.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. ~Thomas Jefferson

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

White supremacy is terrorism.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

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

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Bark louder, little dog.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

You are here: Home / Elections / Biden-Harris 2020 / Friday Morning Open Thread: Looking Forward to January

Friday Morning Open Thread: Looking Forward to January

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  2. 2.

    Steeplejack

    I got a solid 4½ hours of sleep last night. Yee-haw. I’ve been trying to keep track lately, and it seems like that’s my sweet spot for (relatively) uninterrupted sleep. Augmented with a catnap in the afternoon as needed.

    I am a notorious night owl, but I’ve been trying to go to bed earlier, which seems to help. Of course, that means I wake up earlier. Trade-offs.

  3. 3.

    satby

    Someone linked to the BBC interview of that furious election official in Georgia, who was so appalled and angry about the death threats his election workers were getting. And in the interview you can hear how incredulous the BBC news guy is that this supposedly ethical and decent man voted for Trump, intends to vote for both of the demonstrably corrupt Republicans running for Senate, and refuses to vote for Democrats because “he’s been a Republican since he was 15” .  Because there’s “ideological issues”. And Stacy Abrams questioned the outcome of the last election so both sides do it. Mr. Sterling doesn’t really deserve any kudos for his principled stand, since those principles only stood up when people he knows were threatened. Edited typos

  4. 4.

    Betty Cracker

    BIDEN: “I feel like I’ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years.”

    With that alone, Biden may have already accomplished more than any POTUS since FDR before he’s even sworn in. Take note, Nobel committee. If Obama merited a Nobel Peace Prize by being Not-Bush after Bush was term-limited out, surely Biden deserves one for beating an incumbent who is an authoritarian nightmare at home and destructive menace abroad.

  5. 5.

    Bluegirlfromwyo

    Anyone else hoping Biden replies to these congratulations with “Thank you. Grow a pair and stop the malarkey.”?

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    ‘Chadwick will be remembered as a hero’

    One of the most powerful moments in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom comes when Levee, the firebrand trumpeter played by the late Chadwick Boseman, gets into an argument with his bandmate about religion. The setting is a hot recording studio in 20s Chicago, where the blues singer Ma Rainey (played by Viola Davis) and her band have come to play some songs.

    The trombonist, Cutler, has just told a story about a black reverend who was persecuted by white people in Mississippi. “What I wants to know is, if he a man of God, where the hell was God when all of this was going on?” asks Levee. “Why wasn’t God looking out for him?” Levee becomes more and more worked up, declaring that “God can kiss my ass!” and getting into a fight with Cutler, pulling a knife on him, then finally stabbing into the air, tears streaked down his face, challenging God at the top of his voice: “Come on, what you scared of? Turn your back on me! Come on! Coward, motherfucker!”

    By this time, Levee’s bandmates have been reduced to stunned silence. Viewers might well be, too.
    ……………………………..
    Colman Domingo, who plays Cutler, says he will never forget that particular take. “He was going deep into the monologue, and he stopped midway through and looked away because whatever was bubbling inside of him, it was tapping into his soul, and it was tapping into mine and everyone else who was there. And I thought: the director’s gonna call cut, and I just knew that we were on to something. It was the first time I ever did this in my career, but I just started yelling at the top of my voice: ‘Tell me! Tell me!’”

    At this point in the scene, Levee’s rage at the almighty finally bursts out of Boseman, who howls that God hates black people “with all the fury in his heart”.

    “He said this with such fury, then I punch him in the face, then we go into our thoughts and then George Wolfe calls cut,” says Domingo. “And immediately we threw our arms around each other. And we sobbed and we sobbed.” Domingo had no idea Boseman was dying, but in hindsight he suggests: “Maybe I was picking up on some possible energy.”

    Don’t know where all this dust is coming from.

    “He lived what I like to call a concentrated dose of life,” says (Denzel) Washington. “He had a powerful, effective, incredible life that was unfortunately cut short. We got cheated. His wife, especially, his family – they are the ones who have to deal with the loss and the pain and not having him every day. We, as audience members, consumers, whatever the word, fans, we have enough for ever. He left us incredible performances that will live for ever. A lot of times, I say: you never see a U-Haul [removals van] behind a hearse. You can’t take it with you, but you can leave it. And Chad has left it here.”

  9. 9.

    John S.

    @Bluegirlfromwyo: Joe has to put an end to some of the malarkey himself:

    Joe Biden is planning to keep Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Donald Trump in 2017 after the president fired James Comey, as FBI director, the New York Times is reporting.

    If this is true, and I certainly don’t trust the FTFNYT, this is a horrible idea. Joe should not be chasing magical comity ponies that have zero upside and tremendous downside.

  10. 10.

    rikyrah

    @satby: 
    It was okay when those people were getting threatened .

    But, now that good people like him were getting threats….clutch the pearls.

    Phuck Outta Here?

  16. 16.

    John S.

    @rikyrah: This will need to be the mantra if Democrats are going to make any headway the next 2 years.

    You’re concerned about civility? The president had a nasty nickname for everyone and you didn’t say shit. Get the fuck outta here!

    You’re worried about increasing the deficit? You voted to explode the deficit without even batting an eyelash. Get the fuck outta here!

    Spines will need to be stiffened and shade will need to be thrown on a scale we have never seen before.

  17. 17.

    Punchy

    @satby: There was no principled stand.  It was a plea by some chud to stop all the infighting.  He never shames/blames his party, and has no intent to stop supporting said Party of Death Threats.  He simply asked that the death threats stay aimed at Dems instead, per usual.

  18. 18.

    geg6

    @John S.:

    He’s trying to get us back to how things are actually supposed to operate.  FBI Directors are supposed to serve a ten year term.  They aren’t like cabinet members who resign after every presidency so the new president can put his own people into place.  FBI Directors are supposed to be “immune” to politics and it was thought a ten year term would keep them that way.

  20. 20.

    John S.

    @Ohio Mom: I would even settle for it being on the third or fourth page of the list, as long as he gets the boot.

    After the bullshit Comey pulled and the last 4 years, a hyper-politicized Republican appointee should not be left to remain in a Democratic administration. Not even in the name of “reaching across the aisle” or “restoring normalcy”.

  21. 21.

    satby

    @rikyrah: and still he’ll vote for the people weaponizing the hate against him because “ideological issues”. Pretty highfaluting way to say he won’t vote for any damn party that believes in equality.

  22. 22.

    John S.

    @geg6: That’s a lovely thought, but it flies in the face of reality. Biden can restore “normalcy” by starting fresh with someone who isn’t tarnished. I’m tired of Democrats bearing the burden of restoring normalcy at their own expense.

    Anyone that Trump thought was good enough is immediately disqualified from holding public office.

    ETA: And unlike Trump’s ideological purges, this is a competence purge. Christopher Wray is not capable of doing his job in an apolitical manner, which makes him unqualified to hold the position for the next 10 years.

  25. 25.

    Damien

    In that Wolf Blitzer clip Jeremy Diamond says that there’s a sense in the broader Democratic Part that we need to “move on” from Trump and not investigate or prosecute.

    Who is this guy talking to? I know personally that I’ve worked every single election for Dems since 2003 and if we fucking look forward and not back on this bullshit I’m gonna quit this useless weak sniveling failure of a party forever.

  26. 26.

    Betty Cracker

    @John S.: Is there any evidence that Wray is hyper-partisan, aside from the fact that Trump appointed him? I agree completely that it’s ridiculous to try to reach across the aisle, and comity has been dead and buried since 2010 as far as I’m concerned.

    But as geg says above, the FBI director is by design a non-partisan role. I was suspicious of Wray when he came in because Trump chose him. But I can’t recall him acting in an overtly partisan way; on the contrary, he’s acting in a non-partisan way, much to Trump’s dismay. Have I missed something?

  27. 27.

    Mo MacArbie

    Open thread, so I’d like to chime in as someone new to Terry Pratchett who is enjoying Hogfather so far. Great idea, and thank you. The one downside is that, long ago when I first picked up a handful, NOOK books were much more freely useable than they are now, encrypted and tied to their app. If I’m going to start getting into Discworld, I’m gonna want another means of doing so.

  29. 29.

    John S.

    @Betty Cracker: I didn’t say Wray himself was hyper-partisan, but his appointment by Trump certainly was. That makes him tainted goods.

    If I fired someone that I didn’t like, and replaced them with a hand picked successor, it wouldn’t matter what that person’s qualifications are — they are tainted by how they got the position.

    See also: Kavanaugh and Coney-Barrett and the way they got their positions.

  30. 30.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Keeping in mind that Wray has pissed off trump a number of times and trump started threatening to fire him almost as soon as Wray got confirmed, I’m just gonna trust Joe on this one.

  36. 36.

    WereBear

    @satby: Sterling doesn’t really deserve any kudos for his principled stand, since those principles only stood up when people he knows were threatened.

     
    That was my take.

  39. 39.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Nelle: It’s a beautiful take on the making of that movie, isn’t it? Denzel is doing the Lord’s work with Wilson’s plays. I’m definitely gonna buy it when I get the chance.

  42. 42.

    TS (the original)

    @Betty Cracker:

    I was about to post when I saw your post – so to add

    “I feel like I’ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years,”

    With that Joe Biden has earned his place in history, his job as US President and the eternal thanks of the people of the world.

  43. 43.

    John S.

    Clearly the BJ consensus is that Wray is a competent guy who can be trusted to do the job without any fuckery. I hope you all are right and I’m wrong.

    But I can assure you all that I will be the first one back here if that’s not the case to say “I told you so.” ?

  44. 44.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @John S.: But by that logic, if Biden fires Wray and picks his successor, then that new person is tainted too. Which strikes me as possibly true. That’s why the director is supposed to serve a 10 year term.

    I’m sort of neutral on Wray. He’s not high on my hit list at all. That could change of course, depending on events and revelations.

  45. 45.

    Damien

    @satby: 
    CNN White House correspondent, and I only care insofar as the conventional wisdom being propagated to the masses that we need to just sit back and take the bullshit the last four years has handed down “for the good of the country.”

    Fuck that. And Jeremy Diamond.

  46. 46.

    trnc

    I’m glad to hear Biden’s statements about the DOJ being independent, but I don’t like the statement that he made yesterday that “I don’t like the precedent a preemptive pardon sets.” DT and his criminal minions don’t care about precedent – they care about getting away with everything they can, and the law-breaking hasn’t stopped yet. I would much prefer Biden to say he it isn’t legal to pardon someone to thwart an investigation that may implicate the president and that only offenses can be pardoned (IOW, a crime has to be admitted to) than to start giving the idea cover.

  48. 48.

    SFAW

    @Betty Cracker:

    But as geg says above, the FBI director is by design a non-partisan role.

    Junior G-Man Louie Freeh says “hold my beer.”

    He was one of Clinton’s poorer appointments. I mean, I get your point, but appointing ANY Repub or Repub-lite into that role is a mistake.

  50. 50.

    Geminid

    A lot of people want Biden and others to take a more hard nosed approach to governance. But a hard nosed approach is not necessarily a hardheaded one; sometimes it can be quite the opposite. I’ve seen this in life outside of politics.

  51. 51.

    satby

    @John S.: The consensus of the 4 people who responded to you is that it’s too early to go all hair-on-fire on the concept, not yet confirmed, that a reasonably qualified and appointed for a ten year term official doesn’t necessarily need to be fired immediately just because he was appointed by Trump and absent any malfeasance on Wray’s part. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

  52. 52.

    SFAW

    @Baud:

    The FBI Director works for the people, not the president.

    Sometimes the Director has an “interesting” take on what “the people” want/deserve/should get.

  53. 53.

    Betty Cracker

    Jeremy Diamond is a CNN White House correspondent, and not a particularly bad one, AFAIK. I don’t doubt there are some Hill dinosaurs pushing the “look forward, not backward line.”

    Biden did during the campaign, which I found irritating but thought was probably a smart move to attract moderates. He says his DOJ will be independent, which is what the POTUS is supposed to say. But my hope is they recognize how critical it is to make an example of the corrupt and criminal outgoing administration.

    Anyhoo, my point is we shouldn’t convince ourselves that’s not out there, because it definitely is. I think our job is to make sure our reps know that approach is politically untenable because Democratic voters demand accountability.

  54. 54.

    satby

    @Damien: well then, take CNN’s opining with a generous helping of salt, because they don’t have a role in either the Democratic party or the Biden administration.

  58. 58.

    Mathguy

    As Paul Campos points out over on the LGM blog, that 7 million vote margin would have been meaningless if 22,000 people in certain places had changed their votes to the shitgibbon. It would have thrown the election into the House, where the GOP assholes and grifters would have voted the toxic meat sack back in for another 4 years. Scary to contemplate.

  59. 59.

    John S.

    @satby: This place tends to get “hive minded” and I don’t have the time or energy for it like I used to 20 years ago when I used to argue with Cole and all the conservatives here for hours on end.

    I stated my opinion, and I’m good. I don’t need to convince anyone and I’m not getting hysterical about it.

  61. 61.

    SFAW

    @John S.:

    You’re worried about increasing the deficit? You voted to explode the deficit — even BEFORE COVID — without even batting an eyelash. Get the fuck outta here!

    Gotta add that qualifier, otherwise they’ll (try to) weasel out of it with some misdirection which will get glossed over by the MSM*.

    *OK, the MSM will probably try to gloss over it anyway, but still …

  62. 62.

    Steeplejack

    @John S.:

    Jeez, could we retire “BJ consensus” and “you all”?! A couple of people disagreed with you in an early thread. No need to go full schrodingers_cat.

  63. 63.

    gene108

    @John S.:

    Post-J. Edgar Hoover FBI directors are limited to a single ten year term. The only two FBI directors, who have been fired since then are William Sessions, by President Clinton, for misusing government funds, and James Comey, by Trump.

    Anyone thinking Wray would be fired has been kidding themselves. Biden wants to depoliticize the DOJ, and firing Wray would not accomplish this.

  66. 66.

    TS (the original)

    @Steeplejack:

    I lurked and read all your posts.  I agreed with all that you said. I especially liked the thread by Andy Slavitt  that you linked.

    (When we had to wear masks I did prefer the disposable ones for comfort & ease of use, but have no idea whether they are better or worse at doing the required task of reducing virus spread).

  71. 71.

    SFAW

    @Betty Cracker:

    Understood. But, having seen too many “let’s appoint/keep the Rethug/Rethug-lite in this role” not work out as planned, I’m always leery of stuff like that.

    Look, I trust President Biden* — love typing “President Biden”! — and the Wray worries are about 87th on my “top 50 political worries” list, but I’m always concerned about “own goals” by Democrats.

     

    *Screw that “President-elect” shit, he’s already being more presidential than Shitgibbon LOOZAH! EVER has.

  74. 74.

    SFAW

    @Amir Khalid:

    Bianca just died.

    So sorry! That’s tough

    *And apologies for not remembering. Losing a beloved kitty is always tough. And now I gotta dust this room.

  75. 75.

    John S.

    @satby: I certainly agree with that, and said as much above. You don’t have to convince me.

    Bottom line, I just got a bad feeling about Wray — that’s all. The show must go on, and there’s lots of other important work for Biden to do.

  83. 83.

    cmorenc

    Meanwhile, Fox News continues to push stories about e.g. “smoking gun” surveillance showing poll watchers being dismissed for the night after being told ballot counting has ended for the night and will resume in the morning, followed after their departure by a woman opening suitcases of ballots and continuing counting. And another of Gov Kemp ordering signature audits

    Fox is deliberately still fanning “election was stolen” stories.

  84. 84.

    SFAW

    @satby:

    Yeah, I figured that out from your reply. My memory isn’t what it used to be, so all I could think of was Miss Bianca.

  86. 86.

    John S.

    @raven: So how old were you when you realized nobody gave a fuck what you had to say? There seems to be a learning curve, and everyone goes at their own pace.

  87. 87.

    gene108

    @Betty Cracker:

    I doubt we’ll get any big splashy prosecutions from Biden’s DOJ. There may well be prosecutions of Trump administration people, but nothing to suck all the attention from other things.

  89. 89.

    Amir Khalid

    @Amir Khalid:

    She was poorly and I was meaning to take her to the vet. Then a few minutes ago, I nudged her and she was completely stiff and unresponsive.

    I just buried her in the garden under a papaya tree.

  92. 92.

    germy

    Republicans after Iowa caucus: lol Dems can’t even figure out how to do their own caucus!

    Republicans now: Dems pulled of a multi state vote stealing operation involving hacking, ballot printing and blackmail/payoffs of gop officials

    — Oliver Willis (@owillis) December 4, 2020

  93. 93.

    mad citizen

    I don’t really get the whole “independent DOJ” thing.  I get that, like any agency, they are staffed almost entirely by hardworking, dedicated employees.  But the direction from the top comes from a leader appointed/directed in some fashion by POTUS.  What the DOJ puts an emphasis on doing or not doing comes from the President’s direction, if not on a daily or even monthly basis, but it’s usually fairly clear.  Now if Biden is doing this to provide some cover when his DOJ investigates crimes of 45, that’s fine.  (I’m really impressed by how Biden is working so far).

    But to me as an old economist, when someone says independent I think of how the Federal Reserve is independent, with a large Board of Governors from across the nation who serve overlapping terms and make decisions together.  I would argue that at this point the Fed is more independent (or less political)  than the SCOTUS.

    Finally a good point above about how/when pardons can be given.  I think it would be great to combat the idea that Ford’s pardon of Nixon was legal, in that there were no specific crimes mentioned.  Might be nice if there were a legal case made of blanket pardons–is that really what the language says?

  94. 94.

    Carolina Dave

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I’m with you and Betty (and Joe) on this one. Stay has demonstrated i independence from, not fealty to Trump. So people serve their country, not an administration. I’m also lifelong friends with someone who previously worked with him and his reputation is one of high integrity.  Nothing in his time as FBI director suggests otherwise.  So far, he seems to be untainted by Trump. Firing competent government employees doesn’t seem like a good blanket policy for good government. Toadys and Trump lackeys? hit the road!

  98. 98.

    germy

    @Amir Khalid:

    Condolences.  I can’t think of anything to say to try to make you “feel better.”  It hurts, it always hurts.  We fall in love with them, and then they’re gone.

    All I can tell you is she was lucky to have a loving human.

  101. 101.

    SFAW

    @Carolina Dave:

    Firing competent government employees doesn’t seem like a good blanket policy for good government. Toadys and Trump lackeys? hit the road!

    Unfortunately, the Murderer-in-Chief is doing his best  to implement the former, and prevent the latter. [Based on his recent reclassification Executive Order(s).]

  103. 103.

    germy

    @Amir Khalid:

    WereBear wrote something once that brought tears to my eyes.  She wrote about us giving our pets a knowledge of love.

    So Bianca knew love, and that’s something.

  106. 106.

    germy

    @Baud:

    Guys, there’s still an even chance Trump fires Wray before he leaves.

    And then it becomes what Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell would call a “mute point.”

  107. 107.

    Baud

    @mad citizen:

    There’s structural independence, and then these the character and attitude of the people who fill those positions.  Ideally, those things mesh, but that doesn’t happen when the president is a corrupt white populist demagogue.

  110. 110.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @satby: Part of them learning that when Freedom is made a privilege, it’s a privilege that can be taken away from anyone.

    I also suspect part of what’s going on is Trump and his base are a trolltocracy and for the passed four years it was Democrats who were upset at Trump BS so that’s what they were attacking. Now that Trump lose it’s the GOP that’s upset so they are attacking that. It’s just purely an exercise in cruelty.

  111. 111.

    Steeplejack

    @satby:

    LOL. Couldn’t stop myself. The “you all” thing has been a sore spot for me lately. There was someone—not s_c!—who completely derailed another thread recently with that. Mercifully, I have forgotten the details.

  117. 117.

    Rileys Enabler

    @Amir Khalid: I’m so sorry to hear. You painted such delightful pictures of her with your words. Pains my heart you hear of your loss, but comforting to know she was so adored in her life with you.

  127. 127.

    John S.

    @raven: So you still haven’t figured out nobody gives a fuck what you have to say?

    I thought you were wiser than that. I guess I’m 0 for 2 this morning.

  134. 134.

    Gin & Tonic

    Was out in the car yesterday running a couple of errands, and Sirius played a tune by Darius Brubeck (dad Dave would have turned 100 this Sunday.) Made me think, are there any examples where a child of a performing artist follows in the parent’s footsteps career-wise and eclipses (or at least surpasses) the parent in terms of talent or fame?

  137. 137.

    Soprano2

    @Amir Khalid: I’m so sorry. The one problem with pets is that we outlive them. You gave her a good life, and she gave you much happiness, so it was an even trade.

  139. 139.

    Betty Cracker

    @Amir Khalid: I’m so sad for you, but for Bianca, passing quietly at home with her beloved nearby and then being laid to rest under the papaya tree was probably the best outcome. :(

  142. 142.

    Nelle

    Tomorrow is the Zoom service for a beloved cousin Werner who died a month ago.  I finally managed to get what I was asked to read (the poem, “Twilight: After Haying” by Jane Kenyon) recorded and sent yesterday.  He was ready to go and asked only for palliative care (he was 92).

    Yesterday, his younger sister, my cousin Elvira, died of Covid.  (My aunt and uncle were refugees with little to no English when they were having children.  The names were eccentric to my more American ears.  Out of the eight children, only Orlando is living now.)

    Most of my cousins on that side were/are 15 to 30 years older than me.  I remember the sensations when the aunts and uncles were dying and now the toll is rising among my cousins.

  144. 144.

    Spanky

    @Amir Khalid: Oh Amir, I’m so sorry. It’s always hard. She was a lucky, lucky girl to have had you as her human, and to have been able to take her leave at home and in peace.

  147. 147.

    Another Scott

    It looks like Webster was the only one to serve a 10 year term. Mueller served around 13. Both were appointed initially by GOP presidents.

    Biden should have his own team. But he should do what he thinks is best, given the totality of the circumstances.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  149. 149.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @Betty Cracker: Same here — Note that Barr was working around him, not with him.  I think the focus should be on DOJ, the US DAs, and the staff under Wray.  If Wray is found to not cooperate and hamper their work, then pull the plug on him.

  155. 155.

    OzarkHillbilly

    EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s newest star witness to ‘voter fraud’ who claimed she saw Dominion systems being rigged was on probation for COMPUTER CRIME after plea deal to drop ‘obscenity’ charge

    I swear, you can’t make this shit up.

    via JohnSF over at OTB

  157. 157.

    Spanky

    @Gin & Tonic:

    a child of a performing artist follows in the parent’s footsteps career-wise and eclipses (or at least surpasses) the parent in terms of talent or fame?

    Well, there’s John Wilkes Booth …

  160. 160.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Steeplejack: Merle Watson was Doc’s equal with the guitar, but never gained the fame of his father. Maybe if he hadn’t OD’d he would have.

  163. 163.

    BruceFromOhio

    “Our Justice Department is going to operate independently,” Biden said. “It’s not my Justice Department. It’s the people’s Justice Department.”

    Communist.

    (Though it does set up the “they are independent, I can’t stop them if they prosecute all these fascist enablers” argument quite nicely. Looking forward to some high-profile perp walks!)

  167. 167.

    Sloane Ranger

    @satby: At the end of the day, he did his job. That is both ethical and principled for any Republican these days.

    I listened to the interview and was as gobsmacked as the presenter. Sterling could have become a Never Trumper and tried to return his Party to the principles he says he joined the Party to support. Instead, he will be voting for people who are publicly accusing him of bring either criminal or incompetent because “politics”.

    You can’t make this stuff up.

  168. 168.

    Soprano2

    Just listened to a “Morning Edition” segment where they talked about Fauci staying on and becoming more prominent in the Biden administration (like, he’ll be listened to rather than a random doctors who commented on Fox News!), and also about him appointing Brian Dease to an economic position. The reporting said progressives were whining about Dease’s appointment because a) he dared to work for a company that also invested in fossil fuels and b) they’re unhappy about the diversity of Biden’s picks! I swear, these people would complain no matter what. Biden is choosing what is probably a more diverse group of advisors for his administration than even Obama did, but because he is choosing some white people they are complaining. I think they don’t want to be taken seriously at all.

  172. 172.

    Soprano2

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Have you noticed that the word “fewer” is disappearing from the English language, and being replaced with “less”? I hear “less” used a lot when the correct word is “fewer”. There aren’t “less” people, there are “fewer” people! It drives me crazy!

  176. 176.

    Soprano2

    @OzarkHillbilly: I know, I was thinking “What on earth do these people want?” I guess if you asked them, they’d voice some kind of purity test that most appointees couldn’t pass. They seem to favor purity over competence, and don’t seem to realize that’s how Trump populated his administration. We need competence; Biden can’t worry about an appointee having worked for a company the Bernie people don’t like.

  178. 178.

    Chyron HR

    @Soprano2:

    Biden is choosing what is probably a more diverse group of advisors for his administration than even Obama did, but because he is choosing some white people they are complaining.

    If it’s the Bernievolution, they’re probably complaining that Biden’s cabinet is too diverse.

  180. 180.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Soprano2: There aren’t “less” people, there are “fewer” people!

    Depends on whether one is discussing Republicans or not. ;-)

  189. 189.

    germy

    Paul McCartney’s father was a musician.  Played gigs around Liverpool.

    Elvis Costello’s father was a bandleader.  Achieved a degree of fame, but nothing like his son’s.

  191. 191.

    SFAW

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Made me think, are there any examples where a child of a performing artist follows in the parent’s footsteps career-wise and eclipses (or at least surpasses) the parent in terms of talent or fame?

    Tom Watson and Tom Watson Jr.

    OK, so they weren’t performers/artists.

  192. 192.

    Fair Economist

    @geg6:

    He’s trying to get us back to how things are actually supposed to operate. FBI Directors are supposed to serve a ten year term.

    Republicans have made it very clear that they’ll break rules whether or not Democrats follow them. That Republicans having been running the FBI for 30 years – and packing the agency with Republicans – is a lot of the reason we are in the mess we are in.

  193. 193.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Amir Khalid: I’m so sorry, Amir. I know how important she was to you. It never gets easier to lose an animal friend. Sounds like she passed peacefully and in a loving home.

  194. 194.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Ben Stiller vs Jerry Stiller? Not sure which one we’d consider higher on the fame scale.

    Michael Douglas vs. Kirk Douglas? Pretty close, but I guess I’d still give that one to Kirk.

    I think many of the parents we’re trying to think of for your question were themselves children of less-famous performing parents. Judy Garland eclipses Liza Minelli, but she herself was the daughter of vaudevillians who we’ve mostly forgotten.

    @germy:Paul McCartney’s father was a musician.  Played gigs around Liverpool.

    Elvis Costello’s father was a bandleader.  Achieved a degree of fame, but nothing like his son’s.

    Well yeah, like those. Also Dan Fogelburg’s dad was a bandleader, but I only know that because of Fogelburg’s wonderful song, “Leader of the Band”.

  195. 195.

    Tenar Arha

    @satby: I’ll admit, I would like to know what Wray did and didn’t do to investigate Kavanaugh in 2018, bc someone limited that investigation from the top.

    I also want to know what he did to investigate & stop or plug the leaks from the NY FBI to Giuliani. Then maybe I can decide whether he should be one of the few who remain in an ostensibly apolitical, while of necessity a political, position.

  200. 200.

    zhena gogolia

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    Uh, yeah, Kirk Douglas was a much huger star/producer than Michael Douglas. No contest.

    On the other point, I think for this parlor game to work, the parent has to be at least somewhat famous.

    ETA: Why is it that when you edit a comment, the final punctuation mark of the original comment disappears?

  203. 203.

    germy

    A group of tenants in rent-regulated apartments once owned by Trump's father have filed a lawsuit against the president and his siblings, accusing the Trumps of a decade-long fraud to win artificially high rent increases through an invoice-padding scheme. t.co/DCxqDKny4N— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 4, 2020

  205. 205.

    gvg

    @John S.: The FBI director is appointed for 10 year terms so that they aren’t supposed to be a political appointment. Wray was appointed august 2017. The President can fire him, but this has only happened twice. Clinton fired Sessions for misuse of funds. Trump fired Comey for political reasons which wasn’t good. therefore Biden will I am afraid rightly just  leave it alone.  He might in fact push for actual legislation that protects against political firing.

  208. 208.

    Geminid

    @Chyron HR: Bernie backers- and I don’t necessarily include Sanders here- are quite two-faced about diversity. In July 2018 the Justice Democrats chief gave an interview to reporter flying with him and Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez to Kansas City to campaign for Berniebro Brent Welder. The Justice Democrat emphasized that it was time to move beyond identity politics. Welder was a white man, and his principle opponent Sharice Davids happened to be a lesbian Native American. But in this past cycle, when the J.D.s backed persons of color against white moderates like Elliot Engle they would emphasize that a Congressman’s ethic identity ought to reflect that of a majority of the constituents.         Depending on the circumstance, the rose people generally will use either argument to undermine Democratic leaders.

  213. 213.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Gin & Tonic: I’d thought Weird Al Yankovic was the son of Frankie Yankovic, the renowned accordionist. But he wasn’t! (He took up accordion in part because he had the same name, though.)

  216. 216.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @SiubhanDuinne: OK, now for you grammar geeks. You and Gin & Tonic came up with “would that we had” and I had “were that only true”.

    What’s the difference? What tenses are those? (I have no idea)

  217. 217.

    germy

    Georgia officials told a federal court that Sidney Powell's lawsuit there, in which a judge ordered some counties not to touch their tabulators, will screw up the Jan. 5 runoff election.

    Voters in two Atlanta suburbs could be unable to vote early, and could face long lines. pic.twitter.com/fRm1yZ6M3I

    — Brad Heath (@bradheath) December 4, 2020

  219. 219.

    Betty Cracker

    @Amir Khalid: I was today years old when I learned that Kim Wilde’s father was a famous singer. I also did not know the singer who’s hit song “Kids in America” always reminds me of high school was not, in fact, a kid in America. :)

  222. 222.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @John S.: No, the consensus is much more likely to be that there are many, many more important things that need to be done and, in trying to return the government to normal, Biden is going to have to some returning the government to normal.

  230. 230.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @germy: My impression is the bill was deliberately written to have so much support that Congress can override Trump’s veto.

    So much winning for small hands Donny.

  237. 237.

    danielx

    @Gin & Tonic:

    A twofer: Gregg Allman’s son Devon Allman, Dickie Betts’ son Duane Betts, both in a pretty damn good ensemble called the Allman Betts Band.

  238. 238.

    Immanentize

    @Amir Khalid: Ugh.  That’s rotten.  I have always imagined Bianca listening to you learn guitar — first a bit embarrassed and then a huge fan and do proud.  A papaya tree is a great monument.

  243. 243.

    Amir Khalid

    @Wapiti:

    Biden’s not one for playing such games. If he doesn’t have cause to ask for Wray’s resignation early on, chances are he never will.

  244. 244.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: The Justice Democrat on the Kansas flight was Saikat Chakrabarti. He went on to be Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief of Staff. This past July there was a big brouhaha in the Democratic Caucus, over the emergency border funding bill. At one point Chakrabarti and Progressive Caucus Co-Chairman Mark Pocan (WI-Madison) enraged a large portion of the Democratic caucus with a series of tweets. The controversy was heated, but after a week and a few days Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Pramila Jayapaul (WA) negotiated a truce with leadership. Right after, Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jefferies dropped an anvil-like tweet on Chakrabarti, signed: The Office of the Caucus Chairman. A month later Chakrabarti moved on to a progressive think tank.                                Note: I follow Chakrabarti some now, and he seems more thoughtful and pragmatic in his thinking than he used to be.

  245. 245.

    jonas

    @germy: Wonder if there are enough votes for an override. GOP senators lack the cojones to go on the record being critical of Trump, but I bet more than a few of them wouldn’t mind sticking it to him a little bit while using soldiers and veterans as human shields.

    ETA: Oops! Just saw EVT’s comment at 230. So, yeah.

  246. 246.

    glory b

    @Amir Khalid: Condolences. I know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. Try to take comfort in the good life you provided and the love you got in return. your pet’s heaven is being with you.

  247. 247.

    H.E.Wolf

    @SiubhanDuinne: Ah, but the subjunctive is crucial in musical theatre, where characters frequently sing of their dreams, wishes, hopes, and/or fears. (Hat tip to a friend and scholar who pointed this out to me.)

    It’s in lyrics galore, and also in song titles:

    “If I only had a heart” (Wizard of Oz)

    “If ever I would leave you” (Camelot)

    “If I were a rich man” (Fiddler on the Roof)

    “That would be enough” (Hamilton)

  249. 249.

    mad citizen

    @germy: A similar English entry is that I believe Pete Townshend’s dad was a musician or bandleader or something (but not much of a dad recalling Pete’s autobio).

    Condolences to Amir–so sorry!  I’ve buried one cat, but after that for no good reason other than we have a small yard, we have four sets of ashes.  Sounds like you chose a beautiful spot.

  253. 253.

    J R in WV

    @Amir Khalid:

    Oh, no. So sorry. What a terrible time to lose a close companion!

    I hope another kitty finds you soon, they are really soothing.

    Take care, stay safe.

  254. 254.

    J R in WV

    @John S.:

    You don’t seem to understand the whole point of Balloon Juice:

    @raven: So how old were you when you realized nobody gave a fuck what you had to say?

    Why are you even here if you don’t give a fuck what anyone else says? ‘Cause I sure don’t give a fuck what you have to say at this point. We have a whole technical system to deal with this kind of person!

    ETA: also, just because YOU don’t give a fuck what Raven says, doesn’t mean others don’t care.

  256. 256.

    Geminid

    @SiubhanDuinne: Judy Garland was the daughter of vaudevillans Ethel Marion and Fracis Gumm. She performed with her sisters as the Gumm Sisters, then Ethel Marion took her most talented daughter on the road as a solo act. It was tough going, and Judy Garland and her Mom were living out of a car when MGM signed her.                         Anyone who needs a couple hours of escape from our troubled times should dial up The Harvey Girls. Small musical numbers, big musical numbers-“The Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe”!, Hoagy Carmichal as a piano man, and some pretty Southwestern scenery. It looks warm there.

  258. 258.

    J R in WV

    @Gin & Tonic:

    are there any examples where a child of a performing artist follows in the parent’s footsteps career-wise and eclipses (or at least surpasses) the parent in terms of talent or fame?

    Winton Marsalis, perhaps? I’m sure there are some in the classical world as well, but none come to mind right now… And his dad was a great New Orleans piano man, so maybe just the comparative  level of fame as opposed to actual ability.

  260. 260.

    J R in WV

    @raven:

    Nora Jones and Ravi Shankar?

    Well, I suspect Nora Jones is more famous here in America, while Ravi Shankar is far more respected in his homeland of India. He was a god of the sitar, after all…

    I do love Nora Jones’ work, though. What a voice!

  266. 266.

    glory b

    @Geminid: I believe that Chakrabarti started doing interviews about how little he thought of some of AOC”s colleagues, and mentioned wanting to lead drives to primary some of them. Because they didn’t want seats to flip, he ended up mentioning a number of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, since, let’s be frank, those are some of the safest seats.

    Unsurprisingly, a number of them pushed back, and AOC suddenly became aware that he presented something of a liability.

  269. 269.

    jimmiraybob

    “…It’s the people’s Justice Department.”

    Well, this is gonna drive the Tea Party We The Peoples absolutely nuts.

  270. 270.

    Citizen Alan

    @SFAW: 
    George Clooney, maybe? His father’s Nick Clooney from AMC, his aunt is Rosemary Clooney, and his extended family includes Miguel Ferrer and Debby Boone (per Wiki).

  271. 271.

    mad citizen

    @J R in WV: Pretty big Norah (don’t forget the h) Jones fan.  This is close one, they are both big.  Ravi was truly a sitar god, so probably gets the nod.  Norah though has sold, I think I read, like 50 million copies of product.  She has been doing a weekly mini-concert for many months, but when I have watched them I always think, why doesn’t she have a top quality microphone so we can hear her lovely voice?  It’s been lacking for me because of the crappy phone audio.

    Also, Ravi had no role in being Norah’s dad, it was an affair and all the parenting was Norah’s mom.

  272. 272.

    Amir Khalid

    @scav:

    Three. Hank Jr is an insufferable rightwinger, but as far as I know Hank III is a better musician and not openly political.

  273. 273.

    mad citizen

    Yes, Hank I for sure, then Hank III.  No use for any Hank II.

    I am ignorant about, but maybe someone can rate Jeff Buckley/Tim Buckley.

    Certainly Jacob Dylan had a tough road with dad Bob, but then I don’t think any English speaking person would match him.

  274. 274.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Steeplejack: Chris Elliott (high on the list of “celebrities people unfortunately say I look like”) was the son of Bob Elliott of the radio-comedy duo Bob and Ray, and Bob also played Chris’s father on “Get a Life.” But I’m not sure Chris’s fame can be said to eclipse Bob’s. His daughters Abby and Bridey Elliott are both comedians of some note as well.

    And there are all of the famous acting families: the Barrymores, the Carradines, etc. Not sure who should be counted as the most prominent among those.

  276. 276.

    mad citizen

    Miley Cyrus/Billy Ray Cyrus  (could do this all day)

    I had no idea about Elle King (barely aware of her)–want to make some joke about the best thing coming out of Rob Schneider, then remembered how I did laugh at his SNL makin’ copies guy.

  278. 278.

    Geminid

    @glory b: And after a particular vote on the border bill, Chakrabarti and Pocan compared the moderate New Democratic Coalition Caucus to the old Southern Democrats. That was not well received by New Democrats like Terry Sewell (AL-Birminham), first African American valedictorian of Selma High School, who at one point let reporters know that she had asked Ocasio-Cortez for a private meeting three days previously and was still waiting. Charkrabarti got in deeper during a twitter debate with First Nations advocate Julian Brave Noise-Cat, during which Chakrabarti referred to Kansas Representative Davids as “Sharice.” That prompted Caucus Chairman Jeffries to unload on Chakrabarti, but Jeffries had more than this undue familiarity in mind. Representative Davids herself stayed out of the feud, at least publicly.

  279. 279.

    Matt McIrvin

    @scav: I recall when “King of the Hill” first came on, there was a print piece Mike Judge probably wrote in which Hank Hill insisted that Hank Williams Jr. was not actually the son of Hank Williams, but the son of singer/songwriter Paul Williams, “a fine musician in his own right who is deeply ashamed of his son.”

  287. 287.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Geminid:

    My best friend (since high school geometry, 1957) married one of the heirs to the Fred Harvey empire. I was one of her bridesmaids, and ten months later, at the reception following the christening of their son, I managed to spill champagne all over one of their relatives by marriage — a Vanderbilt.

    ? ?

  290. 290.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @H.E.Wolf:

    Ah, but the subjunctive is crucial in musical theatre, where characters frequently sing of their dreams, wishes, hopes, and/or fears. (Hat tip to a friend and scholar who pointed this out to me.)

    It’s in lyrics galore, and also in song titles:

    “If I only had a heart” (Wizard of Oz)

    “If ever I would leave you” (Camelot)

    “If I were a rich man” (Fiddler on the Roof)

    “That would be enough” (Hamilton)

    I’ve noticed that, without ever having given it much thought. But what a fun game!

    “Wouldn’t it be loverly?” (My Fair Lady)

    “If they asked me, I could write a book” (Pal Joey)

    “Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted” (The Mikado)

    “If I loved you” (Carousel)

    “Only make believe I love you” (Show Boat)

    “If I were a bell” (Guys and Dolls)

  292. 292.

    Geminid

    @Tdjr: A young Lloyd Bridges played one of Katherine Hepburn’s brothers in The Rainmaker (~1954). That’s another good movie, an almost scene for scene, word for word adaptation of the Broadway  play. Hepburn won an Oscar for her performance as Lizzie, and Burt Lancaster should have won an Oscar for his role as Starbuck. But Lancaster’s poetic conman Starbuck was perhaps too subversive for the time.

  294. 294.

    trnc

    @OzarkHillbilly: IMHO, “Nixon” is becoming the pat answer for every potential problem related to pardons. Even if you accept that Ford’s pardon of Nixon was completely proper (I don’t – for one thing, Ford didn’t explicitly name the offense for which he was pardoning in the pardon statement), there are some major differences. The investigation that led to Nixon resigning had already been conducted and widely reported on, so everyone already knew what Nixon had done. Although Ford should have put “Obstruction of Justice” in the statement, he did make it clear in a public interview that that was the main offense being pardoned.

    DT will likely say that anyone not already convicted didn’t do anything wrong, and you know he’ll say that for his self pardon. If so, that should absolutely be challenged because the pardon is explicitly for offenses against the US. I don’t see any way the pardon clause could be interpreted as a way to prevent investigation of an offense or declare that there was no offense.

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