Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

White supremacy is terrorism.

This fight is for everything.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

I really should read my own blog.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

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

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

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

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

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

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / I Love This

I Love This

by | 136 Comments

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Statement from Nancy Pelosi:

“On behalf of the House, I express my deepest gratitude to the U.S. Capitol Police for the valor that they showed during the deadly insurrection on the Capitol, as they protected the lives of the staff and the Congress.

“Sadly, just days later, many House Republicans have disrespected our heroes by verbally abusing them and refusing to adhere to basic precautions keeping members of our Congressional community, including the Capitol Police, safe. The House will soon move forward with a rule change imposing fines on those who refuse to abide by these protections. The fine for the first offense will be $5,000 and $10,000 for the second offense. The fines will be deducted directly from Members’ salaries by the Chief Administrative Officer.

“It is tragic that this step is necessary, but the Chamber of the People’s House must and will be safe.”

Unfortunately, Lauren Boebert, the Colorado QAnon Rep who brags about carrying her Glock everywhere, was reinstated after a brief Twitter ban, but hopefully she’ll be paying some hefty fines soon.

Reader Interactions

136Comments

  3. 3.

    Yutsano

    Hey, if Boebert wants to keep donating her pay that’s her right as a Congresscritter. I’m not gonna kinkshame.

  5. 5.

    Wapiti

    Now Pelosi’s staff needs to have that sent out to all of the Congress Members’ spouses.

    “Honey, don’t even think about playing games and getting $5000 taken out of your paycheck. I will cut you.”

  9. 9.

    Punchy

    $5k per infraction is not chump change. That Colorado hootch us gunna be well-known at the Money Loan Emporium by March.

  16. 16.

    RSA

    A similar fine should be instituted for members of Congress deviating from the procedures at the metal detectors.

  17. 17.

    FlyingToaster

    It’s called “Keep your bullshit going:  you’ll be paying us to work here”.

    Today Watertown Square was occupied by the Trumpista creep with the “BIDEN STEAL ELECTION” “RESPECT THE BLUE PAY MORE POLICE” signs.

    Mind you, there are actually two Trumpista creeps hereabouts, but I think this is the one who lives in my neighborhood, rather than the asshole across the river.

  18. 18.

    Ken

    For both this and the mask fines, Pelosi has given the fine for the first and second offenses, but not for additional. I don’t suppose she’s hiding something cute from the, ah, less-alert members, like the fine doubles each time?

  19. 19.

    Comrade Colette

    Fuck Boobert.

    One of my work teammates is in the hospital with COVID. She’s 30, Hispanic, just came back to work from a long stay with her large family in LA – several of whom also have it now. She and her immediate family have been very careful but couldn’t control the actions of some of the extended family, plus LA is full of infectious fools and, welp, here we are. I’m very worried about her.

  20. 20.

    prostratedragon

    @RSA:  I’d think that was included in the general “screening procedures.” Glad it’s not a trivial fine amount for many members.

  24. 24.

    RSA

    @prostratedragon: I’d think that was included in the general “screening procedures.”

    That would be good! I guess I don’t understand why members feel free to break the rules; maybe it’s an enforcement issue.

  25. 25.

    trollhattan

    Isn’t the point to turn them away if they won’t go through the detector? Letting them in and then fining them seems just paying for the right to be a threat to others.

  26. 26.

    dr. luba

    @Ken: With the mask fine, it was the lower amount the first time, then the higher amount each subsequent violation, or that was my understanding.

  28. 28.

    JaySinWA

    Given that the members are literally untouchable by police (for legitimate reasons) on there way to congress, the fine structure Pelosi implemented like the mask fine may be the best way to get some conformance with the scan requirement.

    Former capitol police officer:

    https://twitter.com/SkinnerPm/status/13493934976280166

    ETA I am not sure how to allow the capitol police the authority to enforce rules by restraining a member.

  30. 30.

    artem1s

    Now that the vote in the Senate is imminent, I wonder if Dense is reconsidering invoking 25.  If he has to go to the Senate floor with a tie breaking vote, he’s gonna really regret not taking the out the first time he was offered it

     

    edited for clarity: obviously wouldn’t apply if Mitch delays the vote until after Jan 20.  Is that still up in the air?

  31. 31.

    Immanentize

    @JaySinWA: I am not usually in the crazy alarmist camp, but

    Are we ever going to learn why that Capital Police guy killed himself?

    Thinking of Rep. Pressley.

  37. 37.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    “How can you say you love us? You don’t love us! You don’t even love yourself. You just love your money,” twelve-year-old Donald junior told his father, according to friends of Ivana’s. “What kind of son have I created?” Trump’s mother, Mary, is said to have asked Ivana.

    Vanity Fair, September 1990

  38. 38.

    Kropacetic

    President offers an unequivocal condemnation after months of equivocating (on this matter) and years of calls for violence…

  40. 40.

    raven

    Christopher Stanton Georgia, a 53-year-old accused Capitol rioter and portfolio manager from the Atlanta area, was found dead in his home.

    The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office told Heavy that the cause of death was suicide. Georgia died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, they said.

  41. 41.

    Immanentize

    @NotMax: you joke, but this one place has like a dozen versions of feta and twice as many types of olives.  And their Loukaniko is the stuff of legend.!

  43. 43.

    cain

    @Wapiti:

    Actually they should take her pay and just redistribute it back to the rest of the congress critter. It’s literally redistributing wealth, it will blow her mind and put her in a rage. haha!

  44. 44.

    Keith P.

    Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, two officials said, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states. They said Trump has privately expressed concern with some of Giuliani’s moves and did not appreciate a demand from Giuliani for $20,000 a day in fees for his work attempting to overturn the election.

    LOL

  45. 45.

    dmsilev

    Hahahahahaha

    Though Trump has been exceptionally furious with Vice President Pence, his relationship with lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of his most steadfast defenders, is also fracturing, according to people with knowledge of the dynamics between the men.

    Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, two officials said, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states. They said Trump has privately expressed concern with some of Giuliani’s moves and did not appreciate a demand from Giuliani for $20,000 a day in fees for his work attempting to overturn the election.

  49. 49.

    Immanentize

    @raven: I find that very sad. But, can anyone just change their name to “Georgia” in Georgia?

    Raven Georgia
    SteveinATL Georgia,
    Etc. Georgia.

  50. 50.

    Patricia Kayden

    John Eastman, the attorney who falsely told Trump that Pence could block the certification of Biden's win, is out at Chapman University, the school has announced, saying they "reached an agreement pursuant to which he will retire from Chapman, effective immediately."— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 14, 2021

  53. 53.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Baud: No disrespect to Yang but he’s so boring. He’d be better as a member of President Biden’s cabinet or advisor. Strikes me as a policy wonk.

  56. 56.

    Feathers

    @FlyingToaster: One of the last times I was over in Watertown there were signs supporting spending more money on the police in the windows of a lot of businesses in the Square.  I was talking with someone about this and they said a big problem in Mass with town budgets is that the police are paid enough to live in their town, but the teachers aren’t.

    Has anyone figured out if Boebert ever actually got a DC gun permit?

  61. 61.

    Patricia Kayden

    Rudy and Alan are going to work for free?

    Trump has said he's bringing Alan Dershowitz back & Giuliani is also expected to be involved, though no comprehensive legal strategy had been established as of of this morning. Prominent figures from Trump's last impeachment have declined to get involved. https://t.co/mTwMHqvv1W— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 13, 2021

  63. 63.

    Feathers

    @Patricia Kayden: He also said some really stupid shit about how he’s not currently living in his New York apartment because it’s too small for both him and his wife to work out of while their kids are also doing distance schooling.

    Ain’t going to recover from that.

  65. 65.

    cain

    @Patricia Kayden: 
    Wingnut welfare is waiting for him. He will be in good hands.

    But that fucker got Pence in deep shit.
    I personally do not think that Pence is in the clear with Trump. I think he’s going to get his ass kicked at some point.

  68. 68.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Patricia Kayden: Apparently one of his statements is “We need to help create artist collectives that utilize new technologies.”

    It’s like he knows nothing whatsoever about New York City.

  70. 70.

    Gravenstone

    @wvng: Have an officer standing on the chamber side of the detectors. If you pass through the detector, he smiles and bids you good day. Walk around it (high Louie, you stupid fuck), he smashes your kneecap with a bat.

  74. 74.

    Kent

    @Baud:Andrew Yang announces candidacy for New York mayor

    What do we think of this?   I’m about as far as one can get from NYC politics and still be in the continental US.  My perception is the De Blasio is an enormous disappointment.  But I have no idea who else is out there.  I suppose it would hard to be worse.

  76. 76.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Patricia Kayden: he was IIRC also the goon who tried to start a birther campaign against Kamala Harris

    from what I read (on twitter dot com, so you know it’s true) is that is was John Yoo who shut down Pence’s overturning curiosity

  79. 79.

    Sebastian

    @JaySinWA:

    The Constitution forbids to interfere with a Member of Congress on their way to a vote, for obvious reasons.

    It does not say however if their hands can’t be handcuffed behind them by the Sergeant at Arms.

  80. 80.

    raven

    @debbie: He was a bank manager with 2 sks’s in his house.

     

    “Georgia is believed to have stopped selling hairpieces in the 90s and began a career in finance.”  Say wha

  85. 85.

    Sebastian

    @Kent:

    He is getting already a LOT of flak for having moved out of NYC during the pandemic where he lived in a 2BR apartment with his wife and his two kids, one of them autistic and requiring special care.

  86. 86.

    Gravenstone

    @Baud: Didn’t he do that like 20 years ago (seemingly)? Or is he just now getting around to the formal paperwork?

  90. 90.

    Kent

    Odd to see Rachel Maddow throwing praise at my GOP Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler this evening.  She quoted her speech which made the point (apparently made by no one else) that when Congressional leaders were calling the White House to ask for assistance from the National Guard, Trump was instead at that exact moment, busy with Rudy calling GOP Senators to arm twist them into further delaying the vote.  Making calls to subvert democracy, but refusing to take them from Congress requesting assistance during an insurrection.

    Herrera Beutler is playing this one cool.  Her stock is going way up among local Dems on social media for doing this.  Her district is about to get bluer from redistricting.  And Washington’s jungle primary means that it is impossible for the GOP to primary her from the right.  She is showing political savvy that I didn’t know she had.

  91. 91.

    Gravenstone

    @Patricia Kayden: Given the contemporaneous news about Trump wanting to approve on a line item basis any payments to Rudy for his inane/insane efforts on Trump’s behalf, I’m thinking Rudes might not be too available to help his “old friend” this go around.

  92. 92.

    Leto

    @Gravenstone: “Walk it off, snowflake. When I was in the military, I had both my legs blown off, my arm amputated, they gave me some vitamin M*, and sent me on my way. You’ll be fine.”

    Or classic line from Terminator 2: “He’ll live.”

    *vitamin M= Motrin, the most commonly prescribed med by a factor of a bajillion

  96. 96.

    gwangung

    @Leto: “Walk it off, snowflake. When I was in the military, I had both my legs blown off, my arm amputated, they gave me some vitamin M*, and sent me on my way. You’ll be fine.”

    Well, that’d best be delivered by Sen. Duckworth, but…

  97. 97.

    Kent

    @Sebastian: I assume whoever wins NYC mayor will be a Dem and that the days of the city voting for crazy Republicans like Giuliani are long over.  Is this simply going to be a Dem v Dem race?  Or are there other centrist GOP-adjacent Billionaire types like Bloomberg who might hop in?

  99. 99.

    JaySinWA

    @Sebastian: Yes

    They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

    https://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec6.html

    I’m not sure how you administer restraints without restraining them. I suppose you could work on the “breach of the peace” exception.

    I had thought that they could wall off the sides of the magnetometers so they had to go through them, but they are now going through and not stopping when they set them off. Maybe a dye spray could mark them if they charge through to warn their fellow members?

  101. 101.

    Aleta

    (via Aaron Ruper)

    Lehigh University has stripped Trump of his honorary degree, which was awarded in 1988.
    Middlebury College is considering revoking Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani’s honorary degree, which was awarded in 2005, on account of his role in “fomenting the violent uprising against our nation’s Capitol building.”
    Wagner College has stripped Trump of his honorary degree, which was awarded in 2004.

    Hamburger University has ordered Trump to remove the xerox of a “Bachelor of Hamburgerology” degree from its frame on his bathroom wall, after identifying the black Sharpie signature as a forgery.

  102. 102.

    raven

    @Kattails: I was in the back of a deuce and a half coming back from the field and fell asleep on the cam nets. I was covered in dust and, when we went through the ville, I woke up and the locals freaked at these weird eyes peering out of pancake mask!

  104. 104.

    Leto

    @Kattails: I was def #8 for sleeping (no legs crossed), but #7 all the rest of the time

    Edit: @raven: I fell asleep on the Chinook ride to our FOB in Iraq. The counter rotating props made a very seductive siren. Didn’t help that it was 3am and we’d been up for about 18 hours. What woke me up was being yelled at because our cargo (mostly our 6 bags of luggage x 25 people) were starting to shift and fall on us. Was very much awake as I/we spent the next half hour holding that off of us.

  105. 105.

    JaySinWA

    @Kent:She is showing political savvy that I didn’t know she had.

    She also has the militia types that descend on Portland in her district. So braver than I would have thought.

  107. 107.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Leto: When I broke my shoulder at Alta and had to drive myself back to SLC, all they could give me was ibuprofen, no narcotics. If you’ve ever driven Little Cottonwood Canyon Road, you’ll understand.

  108. 108.

    Immanentize

    @raven: Gotta love the Slovaks for the industrial production of AKs for world wide dispersal.  My people (on my Grandmother’s side).

  109. 109.

    waratah

    I watched Pelosi outside this morning with the National Guard it was striking to see her with all those big guys. I wondered if she was telling them how grateful she was they were there. I hope they give her some comfort with the heavy load she has had.

  115. 115.

    debbie

    @Aleta:

    My brother graduated from Lehigh that year! Trump was the keynote speaker. I remember rolling my eyes watching his helicopter land a short distance from the stage. He descended and walked to the podium, just like something out of The Apprentice. He was such an asshole. I don’t remember what he said, other than it was pointless.

  119. 119.

    Immanentize

    @raven: you know a good way to tell Czechs and Slovaks from Poles?  No vowels at the end of their names.  Sometimes, almost no vowels at all!

  120. 120.

    Leto

    @raven: Yeah. We were fully loaded with people and pax. It was a multi stop and our FOB was last on the flight plan. I also had a good, though very sweaty, nap in the back of a C-130 circling Baghdad Airport waiting for a dust storm to clear. The front of my IBA made a good neck support.

  122. 122.

    Ken

    @JaySinWA: Maybe a dye spray could mark them if they charge through to warn their fellow members?

    Spiked portcullis?  Or boiling lead, but that’s energy-inefficient.

  124. 124.

    Sebastian

    @Kent:

    Wish I could answer that but I know very little about local NYC politics. I picked up that little detail about his family on Twitter.

  125. 125.

    RSA

    @WaterGirl:

     That’s what this is about.  It’s different than the fine related to not wearing masks.

    D’oh! Thanks for the clarification. Clearly I wasn’t reading very carefully.

  126. 126.

    Sebastian

    @JaySinWA:

    Not sure what the dye would do to be honest.

    Pass a law that setting off a metal detector at a secured zone and not stopping for inspection as felony and you have the constitutional requirement covered. If they protest, shoot em.

  127. 127.

    Kent

    @JaySinWA:She also has the militia types that descend on Portland in her district. So braver than I would have thought.

    They are dipshits though.  Mostly knuckleheads who just want to brawl with ANTIFA.   I don’t think so scary as the Militia types I see in places like Michigan.  The ones who are scarier are the redneck biker gangs in Battle Ground.  But they aren’t really political.  Just violent meth-heads.

  128. 128.

    cain

    @raven:

    He started investing during the dot com is what it tells me. That’s when everything was a freak show if you recall. That is when the rise of the day trader happened and everyone turned to gambling.

  129. 129.

    SFAW

    @Immanentize:

    watertown is a rough place, to be sure..

    You and I have a different understanding of the word “rough,” I think. Or are there now roving gangs who will cut you if you don’t give up the lamejun?

    [Disclaimer: It’s been many years since I lived there, and have only passed through in recent years. But it never struck me as being “rough.”]

  130. 130.

    Kent

    @Sebastian:

    @JaySinWA:

    Not sure what the dye would do to be honest.

    Pass a law that setting off a metal detector at a secured zone and not stopping for inspection as felony and you have the constitutional requirement covered. If they protest, shoot em.

    We need Bill Gates and George Soros to Geo-tag them with GPS tracking chips via the Covid vaccine.  So we can get phone alerts when they are near.

  133. 133.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Immanentize: you know a good way to tell Czechs and Slovaks from Poles? No vowels at the end of their names.

    At the end of male surnames. Czech female surnames are a different matter:

    Czech female surnames are almost always feminine adjectives. There are several ways of forming them, depending on their male counterpart:

    • If the male surname is a masculine adjective (ending in -ý), the female surname is simply the feminine equivalent. Thus, a girl whose father’s surname is Novotný would have the surname Novotná.
    • If the male surname is a noun, the female surname takes the suffix -ová, making it a feminine adjective:
      • Novák becomes Nováková
      • Horáček becomes Horáčková
      • Svoboda becomes Svobodová
      • Navrátil (in the literal meaning of “he returned”) becomes Navrátilová, i.e. not declined into Navrátila (“she returned”)

    (Surprised I have to remind you of this…but it’s been a long few weeks, hasn’t it?)

  134. 134.

    Feathers

    @Sebastian: If he wants to run for Mayor he needs to live in the city, with his family. Telling all the families living in too small apartments and making it work that his apartment is too small for his family is just not something you can do and think you will have any sympathy from New Yorkers. Especially if you can afford a house or apartment large enough for a family that includes a special needs child and live in help.

  136. 136.

    taumaturgo

    Instead of monetary fines, I would have like seen 3 strikes and booted out of the chambers for good.

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