Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

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

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

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

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

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

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

I really should read my own blog.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Biden Talks to Putin

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Biden Talks to Putin

by | 186 Comments

This post is in: , ,

But seriously, folks… (until Cheryl or Adam have time for a more informed post):

… According to the White House, Biden raised concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, Russia’s alleged involvement in a massive cyber espionage campaign and reports of Russian bounties on American troops in Afghanistan. The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty.

While the readouts from the two capitals emphasized different elements, they both suggested that U.S-Russia relations will be guided, at least at the beginning of the Biden administration, by a desire to do no harm but also no urgency to repair existing damage…

Although the leaders agreed to work together to extend New START before it expires on Feb. 5 and to look at other areas of potential strategic cooperation, the White House said Biden was firm on U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, while Russia is supporting separatists in the country’s east.

Biden also raised the SolarWinds cyberhack, which has been attributed to Russia. reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 U.S. election, the poisoning of Navalny and the weekend crackdown on Navalny’s supporters.

“President Biden made clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies,” the White House said. Biden told Putin in the phone call, first reported by The Associated Press, that the U.S, would defend itself and take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, officials said…

The call came as Putin considers the aftermath of pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for the coming weekend…

Just from the public accounts, Biden’s discussion with Putin appeared diametrically opposed to Trump’s…

Funny, that.

(Doocy is a FoxNews correspondent, son of the ‘news anchor’ on ‘A Blonde with Two Boobs on A Couch’…)

Reader Interactions

186Comments

  5. 5.

    Mai Naem mobile

    OT – just heard on the radio that Pat Leahy was not feeling well and taken to the hospital(out of an abundance of caution.) First, obviously I hope he’s okay but secondly, the Dems need to hurry the fuxk up and pass the important legislation before they lose their majority. Also, Breyer needs to be replaced ASAP if he wants..

  7. 7.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Quinerly:

    When did that happen? He was presiding this afternoon.

    ETA: Oops, never mind. Just saw Mai Naem Mobile’s comment which explains further.

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    @Quinerly: Some states have laws requiring appointees to be from the same party as the Senator being replaced. No idea if that’s the case for Vermont.

  9. 9.

    Peale

    @Matt McIrvin: but the GOP would be back in charge. Then, if in the event of a miracle, the Dems win, we’ve lost six months. And as we know, the Senate will stop working anyway in six months because the 2022 midterms are only 18 months away and they wanna be home fundraising. Lol. I wish I was actually exaggerating.

  12. 12.

    Yutsano

    @dmsilev: From Vermont.gov:

    The Governor may make an interim appointment to fill a vacancy in the office of U.S. Senator, pending the filling of the vacancy by special election.

    Nothing about political parties. So it depends on whether Phil Scott wants to remain popular in his state or is as loyal as the rest of them.

  13. 13.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    as somebody with lots of over 80 relatives: take a deep breath wrt to Leahy, this happens fairly frequently. Could be anything from dehydration to a pill he skipped.

  14. 14.

    CaseyL

    Hope Leahy isn’t actually ill, is fine after his overnight stay, and can get back to work.

    And I hope Schumer has a shiv waiting for McConnell when (not if) McConnell pulls any shenanigans over this.

    This whipsawing day to day, from hope to angry despair, is going to be the death of me, I swear.

  15. 15.

    sab

    WTF Dangers of pieing.  I pied some guy, punched the wrong button twice, and discovered I had accidentally pied Ruckus. Yikes!!! Not much point in being here @BJ if he can’t show up.

  17. 17.

    zhena gogolia

    Let’s revel in President Biden. And in V. V. Putin being talked to the way he deserves. Not to mention Peter Doocy.

  18. 18.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Just from the public accounts, Biden’s discussion with Putin appeared diametrically opposed to Trump’s…

    We’ll never know since Trump’s meetings with Putin were kept secret.

  21. 21.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @Matt McIrvin: its not just Pat Leahy. This 50-50 situation is very precarious with COVID and  so many senators being older – DiFi, Schumer,Durbin, Shaheen and Patty Murray are all over 70 and those are the ones off the top of my head. Mazie Hirono I believe is a two time cancer survivor. Fuck Cal Cunningham and his inability to keep his pants zipped up.

  22. 22.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    The state of red begs to differ.  lulz……

    “Do you know what I’d like to see? A video of all the “journalists” in the room who laughed at Biden’s answer. How much do you want to bet it was the same so-called reporters who howled and screamed at Kayleigh McEnany, Sarah Sanders, and Trump himself when they gave answers the press declared insufficient or “evasive and troubling”?  I feel like a broken record here. There are one set of standards for Republicans and none for Democrats. Wash, rinse, repeat.”

    My apologies if my entertainment is not like yours.

     

  25. 25.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Mai Naem mobile: I’m less worried about them getting Covid because they are going to get platinum health care. They won’t be dying unattended in hospital corridors waiting for rooms or at home being told to call back if their symptoms worsen.

  26. 26.

    CaseyL

    @Mai Naem mobile: Yeah, we need to get some younger Senators.  You wouldn’t think that would be difficult in some of those states.

    Though I’m part of the problem:  Patty Murray is one of my Senators, and I have little desire to see her replaced.  One, she still has all of her marbles; two, she’s been a wonderful Senator, and three, she’s now the No. 3 in the Senate Leadership.

    My guess is the Democratic voters in Vermont and the other states you referenced feel the same way.

  29. 29.

    mrmoshpotato

    Peter Doocy is such a douchcanoe just like his father, but I love how Biden has fun with Doocy’s douchiness.

  30. 30.

    cain

    @CaseyL: 
    Schumer is not exactly the shiv kind of guy, he’s very polite – but I suppose firm. It’s hard to get a read on him.

  31. 31.

    Mike in NC

    Remember when Trump lied about ‘not getting the memo’ about bounties on our soldiers? Of course he got it, but he never could be bothered to read it while busy calling in to Fox & Friends to whine about why more people didn’t love him.

  33. 33.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: as I said, it was on in background. I had just listened to Nicole Wallace on Tune In App. I think it was Melber’s lead off. If you must know, I usually switch to music after Wallace and back to MSNBC for Rachel.

  34. 34.

    p.a.

    Don’t these people have grandkids they want to spend more time with? Maybe make retirement payments inverted: the longer you stay the lower it gets, starting at 65, 70. Pension eligibility begins at 62 with at least 5 years service, maxes out at 80% of salary. Maybe no good disincentives for Senators to leave; they’re all millionaires anyway.

  36. 36.

    JoyceH

    Ron Klain is on CNN and his mask matches his suit. It’s not just blue, it’s the EXACT shade of blue. I’m kind of impressed by that attention to detail.

  37. 37.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @p.a.:  Sadly we need term limits. I spoke out against term limits for years but it should be clear to everyone by now we have a gerontocracy problem. Same goes for SCOTUS.

  39. 39.

    chopper

    @Quinerly:

    VTs gop governor is pro-biden and has stated he’d appoint from the same party at least with regards to bernie. on top of that there’d be a special election within 6 months, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of gooper to run out the clock to fuck over the dems.

  40. 40.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @dnfree:   Covid isn’t the only danger for elderly Americans.

    Thanks. I was vaguely aware of that.

    I was responding to a specific comment that was very specifically about Covid risk to Senators

    ETA: I’m usually a bit non-plussed by the complaints about doom-posting here, but the crepe-hanging because an old man was admitted for observation is extraordinary.

  42. 42.

    chopper

    @gwangung:

    eh, that’s only cause bernie is an ‘independent’. he replaced jeffords who was also an independent (and also caucused with the dems) after 2001. so VT has had two (effectively) dem senators for the last 20 years.

  43. 43.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @gwangung: Leahy’s predecessor was George Aiken, who famously advised on Vietnam that we should declare victory and get out. Bernie’s was Jim Jeffords, who left the GOP over the Bush tax-cuts. Old school Yankee Republicans like Susan Collins pretends to be.

  45. 45.

    MomSense

    I’m trying to keep my mom safe and she lets slip that she took her car in for service today and waited inside the waiting room with other people for over  an hour.  WTF FFS the tv in the waiting room is about 2 feet deep so I bet their heating system/ventilation is about the same level.

    I tried to just talk about it with her and now she’s mad at me.  She can’t even go anywhere so why the hell did she have to service her car today?

    It’s easier to deal with teenagers.

  46. 46.

    Elizabelle

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:   Yeah.  Where’s the oven we can stick our heads into?

    I wonder if getting rid of Citizens United might encourage some dinosaurs to retire?  My guess is, it’s so hard for a non-incumbent without buckets of money to run.

    We should have public financing of campaigns, shorter campaigns, and speech is not equivalent to money.

    Campaigns are egregiously expensive, and way too long.

  47. 47.

    AliceBlue

    An update to a diary on DKos says that Dick Durbin spoke to Senator Leahy’s wife, who says that he’s doing well, resting comfortably and hopefully will be back in the Senate tomorrow.

  48. 48.

    dnfree

    <a> href=”#comment-8058223″>@Jim, Foolish Literalist</a>: I just remember how fraught passage of the ACA was after Ted Kennedy died. A lot of time was wasted trying to bring in some Republicans, and then we lost the 60th senator. Now we have to worry about losing the 50th. I think Biden is trying to move as fast as possible, but neither he nor Congress can do everything at once.

  54. 54.

    Ruckus

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    One of my buttons as well. I do like to reiterate that I support term limits not based upon age but time in, along the lines of 24 yrs for senators, reps and supreme court justices. I’m not against age limits but I’ve known people in their mid 90s who are more cognisant than some in their 60s. But it’s relatively rare. I like that people who’ve lived a long time generally have a different point of view than those that haven’t. Still, age can/does matter.

  55. 55.

    MomSense

    @John Revolta:

    My kids actually texted the group text to tell me he’s a champion because of that exchange. They call him “Joe Fucking Biden” with the utmost respect.

  57. 57.

    MomSense

    @Immanentize:

    UGH.  Then I feel guilty for saying anything.  I told my kids that when I get impossible they should just take me deep in the woods, spin me around a few times and leave me there.

  60. 60.

    zhena gogolia

    @MomSense:

    You are dealing with a lot.

    I had a 90-year-old father living with me when I was 29, so I have some sense of this.

    ETA: I remember a doctor saying something about “your grandfather,” and I corrected him, and he said, “You’ve got a fair full-time job, don’t you?”

  63. 63.

    MomSense

    @Immanentize:

    They have a particular fondness for Biden.  The three of them got to meet him at a campaign event in NH.  It turned into a brorgy of jokes and fun. I think he pissed off his team because they spent so much time together.

  64. 64.

    trnc

    @mrmoshpotato: Yup. When I saw today’s clip, I thought about the bike riding clip but I had forgotten that was also Junior Douche. I hope “something, something, You” will become Psaki’s goto response for any questions by him.

  70. 70.

    trnc

    @Mike in NC: Remember when Trump lied about ‘not getting the memo’ about bounties on our soldiers?

    It’s frankly amazing to me that claims like that aren’t treated the same as, “Yeah, I heard. So what?”

  71. 71.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Listening to Chris Hayes talk about the guy who wore his HS letterman’s jacket to the riots. He was ratted out by classmates. I wonder how old he was, and how much of a douche he was in high school

  73. 73.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @debbie: Kyrsten Sinema is 44, one-third of the way through her first term, a former Green Party member who is currently (I suspect) greatly enjoying the attention * she’s getting by declaring she will not be moved in her determination to protect the rights of a racist, revanchist, regressive minority to obstruct Joe Biden’s agenda of economic relief, protecting minority voting rights and fighting climate change.

    • I am more than a bit surprised I haven’t seen her on the cable TeeVee, not even in twitter-clips
  75. 75.

    trnc

    @MomSense: It’s easier to deal with teenagers.

    Well, yeah. Older parents have all the attitude of teenagers plus the knowledge that you can’t ground them or take away their tv privileges.

  80. 80.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Peale:

    It may be the most worthless legislative body on the planet. Were it up to me, after the Revolution, every copy of Robert’s Rules on the planet would go on a bonfire.

  90. 90.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Just Some Fuckhead: We have term limits here in the People’s Republic of California, and it’s a cluster fuck.  By the time a legislator figures out his job they’re termed out, so lobbyists end up fill the knowledge void.  It sounds like a nice idea, but it DOES NOT WORK.

  98. 98.

    Mary G

    Leahy is home, according to his spokesperson: "After getting test results back, and after a thorough examination, Senator Leahy now is home. He looks forward to getting back to work. Patrick and Marcelle deeply appreciate the well wishes they have received tonight."— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 27, 2021

  99. 99.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @NotMax: some youngling on twitter recently pointed out that they just realized Bruce Springsteen’s Glory Days is actually a very sad song set to very upbeat music…

  102. 102.

    NotMax

    Trying out a different kind of bread machine recipe found someplace online. 3 cups flour, 1 cup yellow cake mix.

    Cross thine paws.

  103. 103.

    Baud

    For Amir

    Goldman Sachs cut chief executive David Solomon’s annual compensation by $10 million, or 36%, following a penalty deduction that resulted from the bank’s role in a corruption scandal involving a Malaysian investment fund, known as 1MDB.

    Solomon’s compensation package was reduced to $17.5 million for 2020, down from the $27.5 million he received in 2019, according to a US Securities and Exchange filing on Tuesday. The $10 million payout comes after Goldman agreed to pay nearly $3 billion after pleading guilty to charges the bank conspired to violate US anti-bribery laws in a massive scandal with 1MDB.

  108. 108.

    sralloway

    @NotMax: Seriously? I’ve lived in small towns in New England (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, for one), but never saw someone that douchy.

  110. 110.

    NotMax

    @WaterGirl

    My glory days permanently suspended in place of the carrot on the proverbial stick.

    :)

    There are those (not directed at you, not referring to me) for whom high school was a place to mark time between weekends.

  114. 114.

    NotMax

    @Mary G

    Not to stereotype but would suspect it is more prevalent on the real estate between the Appalachians and the Rockies.

  118. 118.

    mrmoshpotato

    BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

    I am fine with Fox News “correspondents” being the comedy relief of every press conference. I wonder if they’ll figure it out and stop feeding Biden straight lines like they’re some Nazi Margaret Dumont.— David Avallone (@DAvallone) January 26, 2021

  121. 121.

    gene108

    @zhena gogolia:

    Let’s revel in President Biden. And in V. V. Putin being talked to the way he deserves. Not to mention Peter Doocy.

    I revel in the fact the U.S. government released details of the call, along with the Russian government.

    I don’t think Trump ever released much of any details to absolutely no details on any discussions with Putin. Whatever we learned about those discussions came from the Russian government.

  124. 124.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Raven: I thought she made a very good case for the world we now live in with a Democratic party versus a party hellbent on destroying democracy.

  127. 127.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    @burnspbesq: some how everything north of NYC seems to get referred to as upstate…. hell when my kid lived in Syracuse I kept having to explain to people that that’s Central NY. Now Watertown THAT’S Upstate

  128. 128.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @burnspbesq:  Forget it, Jake. Growing up in Syracuse, I long ago gave up arguing with New Yorkers about whether Westchester is “upstate”.

    @EmbraceYourInnerCrone: While it’s definitely Central NY, it is also referred to by local denizens as “upstate”. Syracuse for instance is home to the Upstate Medical Center.

  129. 129.

    gene108

    @dnfree:

    I think Biden is trying to move as fast as possible, but neither he nor Congress can do everything at once.

    Tomorrow marks the completion of the first week of Biden’s presidency. He’s reversed a lot of Trump executive orders.

    It’s much harder than I thought to get out of Trump time, when a week can seem like a year.

  130. 130.

    gene108

    @EmbraceYourInnerCrone:

    some how everything north of NYC seems to get referred to as upstate…. hell when my kid lived in Syracuse I kept having to explain to people that that’s Central NY. Now Watertown THAT’S Upstate

    The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose are is referred to as Northern California, even though it’s in the middle of the state.

    Go figure.

  136. 136.

    Chetan Murthy

    @burnspbesq: There are those who say that everything north of Yonkers is “upstate”.  But people who actually live “upstate” say that it starts at the town of Liberty.  Which, y’know, a good place to stop when driving between Upstate and The City.  At least, that’s how I remember it, when I lived in Ithaca.

  138. 138.

    dmsilev

    Tomorrow’s news today: Biden to place environmental justice at center of sweeping climate plan

    President Biden on Wednesday plans to make tackling America’s persistent racial and economic disparities a central part of his plan to combat climate change, prioritizing environmental justice for the first time in a generation.

    As part of an unprecedented push to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and create new jobs as the United States shifts toward cleaner energy, Biden will direct agencies across the federal government to invest in low-income and minority communities that have traditionally borne the brunt of pollution, according to two individuals briefed on the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it had not been formally announced.

    Biden will sign an executive order establishing a White House interagency council on environmental justice, create an office of health and climate equity at the Health and Human Services Department and form a separate environmental justice office at the Department of Justice, the individuals said.

    He also announced today a goal of transitioning the federal government’s fleet of cars and trucks to electric; no specific timeline, but a decade or so seems plausible.

  144. 144.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Looks like Democrats are going to get George Soros to buy more vaccination doses if Republicans in Congress block funding.

  145. 145.

    NotMax

    @gene108

    Wasn’t all that uncommon to hear folks there still casually referring to Minnesota as The Great Northwest back when was residing there.

    @Chetan Murthy

    Personally, would use upstate NY to refer to any place geographically above the latitude of Albany. YMMV.

  150. 150.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @burnspbesq: I thought anything north of The Bronx was “upstate”, but then again, I was born seriously upstate in New Berlin, west of Cooperstown.

  159. 159.

    Dan B

    @NotMax: Pastel plaid Bermuda shorts with a non tapered plain solid colored short sleeve shirt and socks just below knee used to be called a Columbus, at least some gay friends in Seattle used to, unless it was called simply “a tourist”.

  161. 161.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Dan B: Thirty-five years ago, madras shorts with an untucked oxford shirt and loafers without socks was standard spring wear in my fraternity.

  162. 162.

    Winston

    First of all, is there any need to vote on removal of office in the impeachment trial, since it’s moot. Therefore the only vote that needs to be taken is to prevent his running for office.

  163. 163.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @stinger: @Mike in NC: White belt with plaid pants is called a Cleveland; white shoes and white belt with plaid pants is called a double Cleveland.

    Now wait a goddamned minute. My understanding is that a “full Cleveland” was white belt and white shoes worn with a light orange or green leisure suit (remember them?).

  164. 164.

    Pete Downunder

    @stinger: As I recall from the 70’s a yellow safari suit (remember those?) with a white belt was a full Cleveland – at least from the point of view of those of us in Nor Cal

  167. 167.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Winston:  Here’s the text:

    The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

    Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

    Judgment is the consequence of conviction.

  169. 169.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Winston: Barring him from holding office is a separate vote, an additional judgement.  Congressman Alcee Hastings was a Federal Judge, he was impeached, convicted in the Senate and removed from office, he was not barred from holding office again and was elected to the House.

     

  171. 171.

    Winston

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I wonder if this isn’t the strategy of the house managers. I will be watching every minute. Next question will be if it’s unconstitutional for Leahy to oversee the impeachment.

  175. 175.

    Winston

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: He has to be convicted first, then they decide on judgement.  Since he’s not in office, the only judgement would be barring him from holding office in the future. 

     

    I see what you mean.

  176. 176.

    Winston

    @Omnes Omnibus: Well if the only penalty the managers were pressing was disqualification rather than sedition, to which they would all be complicit, they might be more willing to convict.

  178. 178.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Winston: You’re confusing the charge in the Articles of Impeachment brought by the House with the Judgement decided by the Senate.

    The House impeached him for abuse of power which was based on sedition, the Senate must decide to convict or acquit, only then do they decide on a judgement.  This is different than being tried for sedition in Federal Court and then being barred from holding office under the 14th Amendment , section 3.

  182. 182.

    Another Scott

    @NotMax: My understanding is that the “mid-west” is a relic of the olden days when Ohio actually was the “west” for the colonies and the young states.  The “west” kept moving farther west, but the eastern parts still retained at least part of the old nomenclature.

    Then there are other weird things like “Upper Sandusky” being south of “Sandusky” (because Upper Sandusky is upriver – the river flows north)…

    Geography is fun!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  184. 184.

    Kristine

    @MomSense:

    Thanks. It’s an adventure for sure.

    Adding my sympathies. Been there. You’ll always be the child. Also, at least in the case of my mom, giving in to my taking on certain tasks and duties required admitting to herself that she couldn’t do them anymore. She had always prided herself on her independence, and so she resisted until close to the end.

  185. 185.

    evodevo

    @WaterGirl: That would be 80% of the populace in KY lol – for most of them, HS was the high point of the rest of their existence…no intellectual life, no curiosity, no learning,no nothing, except for right wing noise machine, fundie religion, work and dysfunctional family life.  No shit..I know many of them…

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