Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

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

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

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

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

Republicans do not pay their debts.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

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

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Nothing worth doing is easy.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

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

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

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

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

People are complicated. Love is not.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

You are here: Home / Politics / Politicans / NANCY SMASH! / Thursday Morning Open Thread: The Grownups Take Charge

Thursday Morning Open Thread: The Grownups Take Charge

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… Ahead of the vote, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told lawmakers in the chamber, “We will be judged by future generations as to how we value our democracy.” She said she preferred that an independent panel lead the inquiry but Congress could wait no longer to begin a deeper look at the insurrection that was the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years.

As the vote was called, Pelosi stood in the House gallery with several police officers who fought the rioters and with the family of an officer who died, hugging several of them. One of the officers, Michael Fanone of Washington’s Metropolitan Police, said he was angry at Republicans for voting against an investigation after he almost lost his life to protect them.

“I try not to take these things personally, but it’s very personal for me,” Fanone said.

Tensions in Congress have only worsened since the January day that Trump’s supporters laid siege, hunted for lawmakers and temporarily halted the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. A brief sense of shared outrage has given way to partisan sniping and attempts among some Republicans to downplay the events. Most Republicans have made clear they want to move on from the insurrection — and former President Trump’s role — though many of them had fled the violent mob themselves…

During the debate at the Capitol, Democrats expressed frustration with Republicans who have complained that the investigation would be partisan after their party blocked the bipartisan panel.

“I think for some on the other side, nothing that gets to the truth will ever be good enough, because they do not want the truth,” said Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, who led the debate ahead of the vote…

Reader Interactions

104Comments

  2. 2.

    debbie

    I’m not sure I want Nancy to pick “friendly” Republicans. No way will the panel ever be seen as bipartisan, so why try? There are plenty of excellent, persistent Democrats who should be named to the panel.

  4. 4.

    Immanentize

    @debbie: Pelosi could always take McCarthy’s 5 suggestions, veto two, and put Kinzinger and Cheney in to replace them.

  6. 6.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg surrendered himself this morning to the Manhattan DA. He faces a judge this afternoon.— Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 1, 2021

    Hope he enjoys lock-up

  7. 7.

    JPL

    Anne, Thank you so much for the updates.    You definitely deserve some time off.

  8. 8.

    Immanentize

    @debbie: Pelosi is probably too straight to do it with TWO suggestions, but she might if McCarthy suggests a nut job or straight up obstructionist.

  11. 11.

    Low Key Swagger

    I understand the process is a long one.  I want them to get it right, and I want to see any elected officials that collaborated with these insurrectionists brought to justice.   If we (Democrats) are going to do this, it has to be all or nothing.  Subpoenas enforced.  Witnesses protected.  Perjurers jailed.  Even then, there’s going to be a RW media blitz about witchhunts.
    But, public opinion matters and the American public has little to no patience.   It’s already been six months and the Far Right has done an effective job of muddying the waters.  I am not optimistic.

  12. 12.

    Spanky

    Pelosi is under NO obligation to seat McCarthy’s picks. She offered him the chance at suggesting Republicans as a courtesy, something they don’t at all deserve.

  13. 13.

    Betty Cracker

    It’s a good thing that this committee is moving forward. Has anyone heard anything lately about a committee to investigate the botched handling of the pandemic? So much malfeasance to investigate, but there’s no way out except through.

  15. 15.

    Kay

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:

    It’s funny that he bragged about “never taking a vacation”. It may just have been the ordinary bullshit these people do about how they all supposedly work 80 hours a week, but if your accountant “never takes a vacation” you should bring a second one in and look at the books. “Never taking a vacation” is a recognized badge of fraud/embezzlement. You want an accountant who is completely comfortable with someone else looking at the work.

  18. 18.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Michael [email protected]
    ·
    Jun 26
    *Actual* Critical Race Theory: Racism is so normal, the dominant society will interpret an attack on racism as an attack on society itself.

    Society, itself:

    Right Wing [email protected]
    · Jun 25
    Pat Robertson says critical race theory is “a monstrous evil” that is urging people of color to “rise up and overtake their oppressors” so that once they’ve “gotten the whip handle,” they’ll then “instruct their white neighbors how to behave.” https://bit.ly/35ONID7

  20. 20.

    debbie

    @Low Key Swagger:

    Muddying? Rep. Clyde’s insistence that they were just tourists convinced no one. I think every a Republican opens his/her mouth, they sink themselves further.

  21. 21.

    Kay

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:

    I love the easy and expected assumption of nepotism too. Of course his sons work for Trump Crime Enterprises or the shady Trump lender. It’s unimaginable they would be expected to actually compete for a job. Just standard practice.

  23. 23.

    A Ghost to Most

    The insurrection was not bipartisan, so I see no compelling reason that the investigation be that way.  Less ratfuckery will ensue. The Rs screwed themselves by rejecting the joint committee.

  24. 24.

    Kay

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    There’s a kind of amusing effort on the Right to pretend this is ACTUALLY about state K-12 history/social studies standards. They’re about improving standards! They all of a sudden developed a burning interest in state curriculum guidelines.

    Apparently 5 or 6 of them are capable of shame. Slapping some paint on that shit.

  27. 27.

    Feathers

    @Kay:  There was a study done which showed that meritocracy bred corruption, because if people needed to be qualified to get jobs, the only way to guarantee your children’s success is by having lots of money to smooth their way.

    My takeaway from this would be that a functional meritocracy is incompatible with high levels of inequality. Also that prestige granting institutions, like competitive universities, must grow with the population size. Affordable housing as well.

  33. 33.

    PsiFighter37

    @JPL: McCarthy is so goddamn stupid. I think it’s a given that both Cheney and Kinzinger end up on the committee, and the rest can be Democrats. I am a-okay with that. Don’t need some asshole like Gym Jordan saying moronic things and wasting time.

  36. 36.

    sab

    @Kay: They have always had a burning interest in state curriculum guidelines. That is a huge part of the problem.

  39. 39.

    Amir Khalid

    I have an online-shopping grumble.
    After the vendor cancelled the sale of my dream guitar, online market Lazada refunded the RM1,900 price to my e-wallet. I found out yesterday that I can withdraw this money only to a Maybank account. If I want to top up my e-wallet by the amount necessary to buy the guitar from another vendor, I can do so only from a Maybank account. I am not a Maybank customer; I pay for my Lazada purchases by online debit from an account at a different bank.

    My only option, it seems, is to keep what’s in the wallet for other purchases while I pay for the guitar via an additional RM2,400 debit. Grumble.

  40. 40.

    sab

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: And Dick Cheney got a heart transplant at age 71, when most waiting lists cut you off at 65. Somewhere in America somebody much younger who needed a heart didn’t get it because he had connections.

  41. 41.

    Jeffro

    @JPL: so, Nancy Smash should just add Cheney and Kinzinger to the committee, and loudly, publicly note that “..we WOULD have liked to seat more Republicans, we had a few more seats available, but Minority Leader McCarthy THREATENED them into not serving…kind of amazing when you think about it…”

  43. 43.

    Jeffro

    @Feathers: expanding access to prestige-granting institutions like universities…also affordable housing

    YES

    these two are just huge, huge issues (along with pushing for more progressive taxes in general) if we’re ever going to help move this country forward.

  44. 44.

    Kay

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    I agree. It’s good work. It’s fascinating that once they identify the organized far Right groups you can actually see how they led the violence. You can spot them. It’s not even difficult. The pattern forms before your eyes.

  45. 45.

    Baud

    @sab:

    To be fair, Cheney probably brought the surgeon a heart he got from one of his quail hunting buddies.

  46. 46.

    Soprano2

    @Kay:  “Never taking a vacation” is a recognized badge of fraud/embezzlement.

    The people I’ve known who work at banks and handle money are required to take at least a continuous week of vacation every year, and this is why. My employer found out the woman at the cash desk at City Hall had probably stolen $6,000 and was falsifying the reports when she went on vacation. They couldn’t charge her with stealing, though, because multiple people had access to that money.

  47. 47.

    Baud

    @Kay:

    It’s be kind of funny if he goes to jail for embezzling money from Trump instead of committing crimes for Trump.

  48. 48.

    Amir Khalid

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    You can say that again. Would it be so hard for Lazada to allow a choice of banks for e-wallet withdrawals and top-ups? Harrumph!

    (For those who don’t know, Lazada is a German company that operates online markets in Asia and elsewhere — a sort of lower-league Amazon.)

  49. 49.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    I’m still doing Duolingo Spanish and I just translated a sentence obviously meant for Cole:

    “Look out! You’re going to sit on the mustard again.”

  51. 51.

    Immanentize

    @Kay: contrary to things I jokingly post sometimes, I am not a big conspiracy guy. They are all way too complex and depend on so many tricks, turns and people who keep a secret.

    But on January 6, the President was at the rally. The VP was at the Congress building — I know enough about Pres. Security to know that someone, probably several someones (SS, NSA, FBI and more) were monitoring and likely recording every communication on a cell phone or radio during the entire event. Currently a conspiracy of silence?

  52. 52.

    Gin & Tonic

    Back home after a delightful (but short) visit with my grandchildren. You really can forget about all this BS when you’re with the kiddos.

    But they couldn’t sit still for the 120+ minutes it took for Ukraine to beat Sweden. Can’t have everything, I guess.

  53. 53.

    Betty Cracker

    @Kay: That never occurred to me, but you’re right. If you were cooking the books, you’d never want anyone else to look at them.

    @Baud: Oh please FSM, let that be the case! I hope the crooked CFO of the crooked org embezzled many millions from the crime family!

  56. 56.

    mrmoshpotato

    During the debate at the Capitol, Democrats expressed frustration with Republicans who have complained that the investigation would be partisan after their party blocked the bipartisan panel.

    “Well, ya stupid slapdicks…” responded Speaker Pelosi.

  63. 63.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @OzarkHillbilly: Keep in mind Robertson is a big believer in the Curse of Ham thing – it’s his Christian duty to treat blacks like shit, kind of god bothering bullshit.

  66. 66.

    VOR

    @sab:  They have always had a burning interest in state curriculum guidelines. That is a huge part of the problem.

    2012 Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann got her start leading protests against proposed Minnesota state educational guidelines. Her first election race was for local school board (she lost).

  70. 70.

    Elizabelle

    @Cheryl Rofer:  With an Irish (?) male narrating.

    The video is strong stuff.  Had to brew some coffee before attempting the rest of it.  Alex Jones first thing in the morning …

    The contempt and anger in these [white, very white!] people.  Frightening.  Rein them in.  A few of them may be educable, if we can remove the toxin (fake rightwing news) from their systems for a while.

  72. 72.

    Soprano2

    I see that there’s another hit piece out on Kamala today. Almost as if it’s a coordinated effort by someone who’s angry that their access has been cut off. I have to say, if people in her office are even half as unhappy as portrayed in the article I read, she needs to get her arms around it. It’s not impossible that two things are true – these are hit pieces, and she has trouble running a smooth operation.

  73. 73.

    gvg

    @Suzanne: How about the probability he is as crooked as Trump and is even more guilty himself? So he is going to jail, and cooperating will only get him a small reduction, and if he protects Trump, Trump will still have to try all kinds of appeals and lawyers etc to get his sentence lessened. Maybe NY hasn’t found out about a lot of things HE did and keeping his mouth shut still makes better sense than talking. He chose to work for Trump for decades. He isn’t innocent. He sounds far smarter than Trump, so I expect he is actually worse. Also think it’s possible he was cheating Trump too. I have a low opinion of long time close associates of Trump.

  74. 74.

    JPL

    @Soprano2: Klobuchar had a similar article written about her, when she announced her candidacy.    I wonder what they have in common…   hmmm

  76. 76.

    MomSense

    @Soprano2:

    Politico published a Harris in disarray and a why this INDICTMENT is good news for TFG.  You can’t make this shit up.

  77. 77.

    Ken

    @gvg: As in, “I haven’t had a vacation for eight years. Mr. Trump says that only he and I are ever to see these accounts”?

  78. 78.

    gvg

    @Ken: Yes.

    Also my long ago accounting professor taught with stories and examples. She said that some crooks justified their cheating in their own minds  by working very hard and not taking vacations was a kind of mental trick. Another one was stealing to give to some worthy cause or charity. People are weird. Crooks are odder than average.

    However with Trump org, I think it is crooks from the top down and even a wealthy man won’t keep a secret like that without very few knowing the true facts. This guy sounds competent enough and long standing enough to be really really guilty.

    If he goes to jail right when Trump org is hitting a financial debt crisis, I think that actually may topple the company. the Trumps just don’t seem that smart.

  79. 79.

    Betty Cracker

    @Soprano2: I read that earlier, and some of it sounded like sour grapes from people who used to have more access to Harris than they do now. Also, if Flournoy is stiff-arming big donors, good for her? I understand that money plays an outrageously outsized role in our politics and that Dems can’t unilaterally disarm. But I can easily imagine a rich person who’s used to senators and reps jumping when they call getting peeved when they don’t get the same treatment from the VP.

    That said, you are right; the fact that there are hit pieces doesn’t rule out the possibility that there’s a problem. But Politico is such a gossipy garbage rag. I’ll have to hear it from a more reputable source before I give it any credence.

  81. 81.

    MomSense

    @Amir Khalid:

    Ooh, what kind of guitar are you looking for?

    I finally paid off the roadworn strat I bought from oldest for youngest.  And he then bought a Les Paul Junior that someone he knows offered to him at a great price.

  82. 82.

    sanjeevs

    (CNN)House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday issued a blanket threat during a meeting with freshmen members of his caucus that he would strip any Republican member of their committee assignments if they accept an offer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection, according to two GOP sources with knowledge of the matter.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/01/politics/kevin-mccarthy-january-6-commission-committee-assignments/index.html

    Nothing to hide right.

  83. 83.

    Immanentize

    I’m just freaking out waiting for the last two SCOTUS cases of the year …

    About 10 minutes to go.

  84. 84.

    Soprano2

    @Betty Cracker: They appear to have interviewed people who used to work for Harris, and say there’s a pattern of chaos in her offices. Perhaps she needs to talk to Joe about how to run a better operation.

  86. 86.

    Ken

    @gvg: If he goes to jail right when Trump org is hitting a financial debt crisis, I think that actually may topple the company. the Trumps just don’t seem that smart.

    I’m imagining the Zoolander scene where they’re trying to get the information. “The files are IN the computer!”

    Or maybe, “It’s password protected, and I tried both ‘Pass1234’ and ‘Pass4321’. What other passwords are there?”

  87. 87.

    MontyTheClipArtMongoose

    @Soprano2: maybe it’s the same social climber whom bloomberg bribed in fall 2019 to shittalk the harris campaign.

  88. 88.

    Betty Cracker

    @Soprano2: I agree that if there’s a problem, it needs to be fixed and quickly. Biden is the oldest POTUS in American history and will be 82 in 2024. The VP’s office should always be ready to step up if needed, but just from an actuarial standpoint, it’s more important now than ever.

  90. 90.

    Soprano2

    @MontyTheClipArtMongoose: Maybe, but it appears they talked to a lot of people, not just one person. As I said, two things can be true at the same time – that the impetus for the story was a butt-hurt person who was denied access, and that there are real problems in V.P. Harris’ office. We don’t do ourselves any favors by acting as if the people we agree with have no faults.

  91. 91.

    Betty Cracker

    SCOTUS says more dark money in politics AND voter suppression in red states is A-OK.

  92. 92.

    Amir Khalid

    @MomSense:
    I started out looking for an ES-335-type semihollow in cherry red — you know, like what Chuck Berry had. I thought I’d found a reasonably priced — RM700 — copy on Lazada a few months ago, but then the vendor cancelled and refunded. After which they relisted the same made-in-China instrument on Lazada … for RM9,999, not very much less than the price of the Gibson.

    Then last week I tried to buy an Epiphone ES-335 Pro from a Malaysian vendor offering it at a discount. That vendor also cancelled on me, which led to the e-wallet travails described above.

    So now, I’m working up the courage to get the Epi at full price from a third vendor.

  94. 94.

    Elizabelle

    All CNN has up.  6-3 decision.

    The Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated a California rule that requires charitable organizations that solicit donations to disclose a list of their contributors to the state attorney general.

    Supporters of campaign finance reform had expressed fear that such a ruling could eventually lead to more anonymous money — called dark money –to enter the political sphere.
    The opinion was 6-3 along conservative-liberal lines.

  96. 96.

    Elizabelle

    Liz Cheney appointed to the January 6th commission.  By Nancy Pelosi, of course.

  99. 99.

    ...now I try to be amused

    @Spanky:

    Pelosi is under NO obligation to seat McCarthy’s picks. She offered him the chance at suggesting Republicans as a courtesy, something they don’t at all deserve.

    Pelosi is also giving McCarthy another chance to beclown himself.

  100. 100.

    Soprano2

    @Just Chuck: In an office like the office of the VP, yes, chaos is a bad thing. If it’s true that her office was blindsided by her decision to visit the border this week, that’s bad. Let’s not pretend that everyone we like is perfect all the time.

  102. 102.

    J R in WV

    @Immanentize: ​
     

    CALLING OZARKH (and all other cave interested folks):

    Via @Dorothy A. Winsor on Twitter — thanks!
    Cave Art as Movies — thread

    When we took an AIA sponsored tour of cave art in NE Spain and SW France, some were lit by complex electrical systems and lighting. Other smaller caves the guide had a handheld lamp, and we all had hard-hats with lamps.

    In those caves, when we reached the proper places, the guide would have us turn off our head-lamps and then she would wave her lantern to show exactly this aspect of the art. Those guys were quite sophisticated artists. Our tour leader was an expert in ancient art from Cambridge, he knew every drop of spattered pigment.

    But when we asked him what did this or that mean, he was quite frank and said “We will never know the meaning or purpose of the art, nor what they were thinking when they created them!”

    He shared his favorite question from a tour long ago “Paul, how many of these caves with art remain to be discovered??”

    Duh! Another question with no answer… I would guess that more remain to be found than the ones we know about already. There are so many caves discovered by accident in that region…

  103. 103.

    MomSense

    @Amir Khalid:

    I got a cherry red Epiphone ES 335 for my youngest for Christmas.  Fingers crossed you will get one soon and you will love it.

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