Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Bark louder, little dog.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

You cannot shame the shameless.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

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

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

In my day, never was longer.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Book Clubs / Adam Schiff Midnight in Washington Book Club / Adam Schiff Book Club – Exciting News and More

Adam Schiff Book Club – Exciting News and More

by | 125 Comments

This post is in: ,

We got some exciting news about the book club this week.  Adam Schiff plans to join us for the first 30 minutes of – not just one, but two – meetings.

Are you guys are as excited as I am?

?

Details are in the sidebar for easy access: Midnight In Washington Book Club

I will put up a post tomorrow so we can start gathering possible questions we might want to ask Adam Schiff AND so everyone has the opportunity to share any thoughts about how we might want to approach each of the 4 themes in our discussions.  (Start thinking now so you can join the discussion tomorrow!)

Theme 1.  Discussion of the book more generally, no specific theme

Theme 2.  January 6:  The Insurrection – The Revolution Really Was Televised!

Theme 3.  What Didn’t You Know Before You Read the Book?  What Surprised You?

Theme 4.  So Many Shocking Betrayals, On So Many Fronts.

Theme 5.  We’re Not Helpless Passengers On a Bad Ride – Making Our Own Shade.

Themes 2 and 5 are listed in color because these are the topics we will be discussing on the evenings when Adam Schiff joins us:  Theme 2 at his first meeting with us, and Theme 5 at his second meeting with us.

?

Important Housekeeping Requests:

  • If you had signed up for the book club but you have changed your mind, please let me know in the comments below or by email.
  • I will need to communicate with all of the participants by email.  So everyone please send me an email with adam schiff, book club, or midnight in washington in the title.
  • In your email message, let me know whether you plan to attend by zoom or if you plan to participate only through the BJ book club posts.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NYM IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL MESSAGES – IN MANY CASES I KNOW THE NYM-NAME CONNECTION, BUT WITH 120 PARTICIPANTS, IT’S REALLY HELPFUL IF YOU INCLUDE YOUR NYM!

Book Club participants list is below the fold.

A Good Woman ellie Kristine S. Cerevisiae
Ajabu FelonyGovt KSinMA sab
Alison Rose frosty laura sam
Almost Retired geg6 Laura Too schrodingers_cat
Another Scott grandmabear Leto Scout211
Argiope GregMulka lifeinthebonusround    Scuffletuffle
Ariobarzanes hawwingo Louise B. SiubhanDuinne
Athenaze HeleninEire Low Key Swagger skerry
Auntie Anne HinTN Mdub Spanish Moss
Avalie HRA Middlelee stinger
Beaner Immanentize Miki StringOnAStick
BeautifulPlumage Jack the Cold Warrior     Mingobat Sue in Boston
bemused senior Jackie Miss Bianca swordfish
Ben Cisco japa21 Nancy Taphozous
beth Jean narya The Dangerman
Betty Jeanne neldob TheflipPsyd
bluegirlfromwyo jerry kirschner Nelle thruppence
brantl Jess PAM dirac tinare
CaseyL Jim, Foolish Literalist pat Travels with Charley   
Cowgirl in the Sandi John Cole PatrickG  trnc
cwmoss Josie Paul W. Vickie Feminist
Damned_at_Random    Josie (also) peggy WaterGirl
Dan B Joy in FL Phyllis WereBear
debbie JoyceH (maybe) PJ West of the Rockies
Denali JoyHC planetjanet Wolvesvalley
Dorothy A. Winsor JustinW Ramona Rosario Wormtown
dp Kalakal Raoul Paste Yutsano
eddie blake Karen H Red Cedar zamphuor
Elizabelle Kayla Rudbek Renie Zelma
Eljai Krakengonewild Ruckus zhena gogolia

If you are reading from a phone, you will have to scroll left to see the 4th column of names!

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

125Comments

  4. 4.

    Mike in NC

    As we enter the third year of the pandemic, let’s savor the rotten bastards who shuffled off this mortal coil in 2021: Donald Rumsfeld, Sheldon Adelson, G. Gordon Liddy, and of course Rush Limbaugh. I would add Bob Dole to the list, because he sucked and adored Nixon and Strom Thurmond.

  6. 6.

    J R in WV

    May one lurk w/o a registration? I don’t do that well analyzing books without a few months of letting it soak in the depths of my — mind or somewhere like that…

    Yet I would love to watch others discuss the book w/ the author and each other. I promise not to make any embarrassing remarks, unless I can’t help it… sometimes we are powerless in the face of an errant thought. ;~)

  9. 9.

    zhena gogolia

    Great news. I started reading the book again last night it is very well written. Thank you water girl

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I’m sorry the word “coup” is now firmly lodged in most of our brains as specific to January 6 — because getting Schiff to participate in the first place, let alone for two sessions, is a coup of the highest order! This is beyond exciting!

  12. 12.

    sab

    @Mike in NC: Yes. Let us do that. I missed losing some of these guys. Don’t miss them, but would have liked knowing they were gone earlier.

    What an epitaph: glad you are gone and sorry I didn’t notice earlier.

  13. 13.

    PsiFighter37

    I might have missed this, but how did Adam Schiff end up becoming a Green Balloon aficionado?

  14. 14.

    Nelle

    I finished the book this morning and am inspired by the nobility of the epilogue. He’s an excellent writer and I suspect this will be the basis of the screenplay without much more work other than reformatting. It is the first time in 41 years that my husband and I are reading the same book at the same time, with our different bookmarks tracking through the book. He gets evening reads and I read in the daytime.

  17. 17.

    WaterGirl

    I have edited the instructions for email:

    Subject line should include 3 things:

    1. one of these:  Adam schiff, book club, or midnight in washington

    2. your nym

    3. whether you are going to attend via zoom

  19. 19.

    debbie

    I’m backing out because i won’t be able to read the book. Work is averaging 11 to 12 hours every day unfortunately. I’m hoping there will be enough commenting in the threads to get a sense of the book.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    @debbie: oh no. :-

    i understand, but I’m sorry to hear it.

    edit: I do think we have enough “I prefer the written word” people on BJ that the threads will get  a fair bit of play.

    maybe we should add one more bonus general discussion just a Bj thread to kind of tie things up at the end?

  22. 22.

    japa21

    This reeeally exemplifies what a fantastic person the Schiff person is. I am sure either he or his staff has scoped out BJ and , despite that, he is still willing to spend an hour of his life with the jackals.

  24. 24.

    The Dangerman

    Somebody either slammed a door hard downstairs or we just had an earthquake.

    Fuck off, 2021.

    ETA: Notice I didn’t get out of bed to investigate?

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    @japa21: I figured that since Adam Schiff has gone on Pod Save America – multiple times – with Jon Lovett and the other foul-mouthed Jon …that he would be able to handle us just fine.

  29. 29.

    laura

    Betty White – gone too soon.

    Re Adam Schiff- I’m into guys who LOVE their wives and who are whip smart, workhorses and not show ponies. I did not know that the Congressman had such an extensive background in eastern European affairs

  30. 30.

    HeleninEire

    I would like to send a question but I need to figure out how to phrase it and make it short and also not to make it all about me.

    The LONG question is “Rep. Schiff I left America in November 2016 for Ireland where, by my Mother’s birth there, I was born an Irish citizen. I had planned it for a while and planned it to be permanent. So that I left America 10 days after Donald Trump became president was a crazy coincidence. I thought I would be there forever. But 2 1/2 years later I moved back. Nothing against Ireland. I loved every minute there. But for a lot of reasons I needed to return to NY. So my question is ‘Is there anything that would make you leave the US permanently?'”

    Help me rephrase/shorten that Balloon Juice friends.

  34. 34.

    JoyceH

    @The Dangerman:

    Somebody either slammed a door hard downstairs or we just had an earthquake.

    Fuck off, 2021.

    2021 is exiting Quirky – it rained fish in Texarkana. No, really.

  38. 38.

    Jinchi

    @WaterGirl: I’m quite impressed by your ability to bring in someone like Schiff to talk to the community.  I’ll be watching the thread with interest.

    PS I Hope you’ve got a good system to keep out RWNj trolls.

  41. 41.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    WG, you can take my name off. I have a standing meeting elsewhere on Wednesday nights. I’m sorry to miss it. I liked the book. I’ve heard that prosecutors have to be good story tellers, and Schiff must have been a hell of a prosecutor.

  42. 42.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @laura: i really think Nancy Pelosi was/is grooming him for speakership or bigger things.  I can’t remember off hand who but there’s couple of younger congress critters you can see Pelosi’s grooming them for leadership positions. Its not dissimilar to her own career.

  43. 43.

    The Dangerman

    @Jinchi: Thanks, I think that confirmed it (assuming I converted the time right from UTC). It was only 3.5 but the epicenter is easy walking distance (I’m in Loma Linda today). Epicenter was Redlands.

  46. 46.

    geg6

    You can cancel me for the zoom.  I’ll be on another zoom for an admissions event for out-of-state offered prospects.  I’ll have to catch up on the thread, hopefully while it’s still in progress.  The book, which I have almost finished, is just excellent.

  50. 50.

    Jinchi

    @HeleninEire: Hi Helen. I suggest rephrasing the question so that it can’t be answered with a simple Yes or No.

    Rather than “Would you leave the county” rephrase it as a “What ” or “How” question that invites some exposition.

    Eg “I was tempted to leave the country after Trump was elected. What are your biggest concerns for the future?”

  57. 57.

    Tinare

    @JWR: So sad.  I saw a bunch of hoopla around her upcoming 100th in January and was afraid something like this might happen. She was a good soul. For her sake I hope there is an after life and she and Allen Ludden have reunited. They always seemed like a good couple.

  58. 58.

    CaseyL

    WG is a treasure, no ifs ands or buts.

    Good afternoon, y’all.

    It’s a gorgeous sunny day here in Seattle – not so cold as long as you’re in direct sunlight.  Maybe the snow will be gone soon, and maybe it won’t freeze back into ice.

    RIP Betty White, dammit.  I was hoping she’d make it to nice round 100.

  62. 62.

    The Dangerman

    @Jinchi: Definitely a good jolt. I’m going shopping close by if the store didn’t have a problem. A few things coming off shelves wouldn’t be a surprise.

  64. 64.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    Isn’t that how we’d all like to go?

    I was always (quite unjustifiably) proud of the fact that she and I were born in the same home town. Made me feel an extra little connection with her.

  65. 65.

    Ajabu

    Much to my dismay I’m not going to be able to participate. Our son shipped our  four granddaughters here for the holidays (9,10,11 and 12) and I haven’t read anything but the riot act issued by Mrs. Ajabu for the past three weeks. Sorry jackals! I’m envious of your interactions with Rep, Schiff…

  68. 68.

    Spanish Moss

    @WaterGirl: What a great description of Balloon Juice! Thanks so much for setting this up. I am about halfway through the book now and I am loving it, can’t wait for the book group!

  69. 69.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    I haven’t been paying attention to this, but now I’m intrigued. Which means I’m having flashbacks to school and mad writing of term papers the night before they’re do.

    First order of business: Is it available electronically?

    (Checking Amazon…. yep.)

    (Purchased)

    (Delivered to Kindle)

    (Email sent to WaterGirl)

    OK, I guess I’m in. I may have to pretend to have read parts I didn’t actually read. Again, a flashback to college.

    How many hours do I have before I have to intelligently participate in a conversation?

  73. 73.

    WaterGirl

    @Justin W: Send email to my nym at balloon-juice.com

    does that tell you what you need?  if you want to see an example, go to CONTACT US in the white menu bar.

    if that doesn’t do it, let me know here in the comments.

  77. 77.

    Ohio Mom

    @Jinchi: Much better! I don’t think any elected official would ever admit they would even consider renouncing their citizenship. Can you imagine the blowback?

  80. 80.

    brantl

    @WaterGirl: That was so dignified, I didn’t even recognize us!

    Theme 1.  Discussion of the book more generally, no specific theme

    Theme 2.  January 6:  The Insurrection – The Revolution Really Was Televised!

    Theme 3.  What Didn’t You Know Before You Read the Book?  What Surprised You?

    Theme 4.  So Many Shocking Betrayals, On So Many Fronts.

    Theme 5.  We’re Not Helpless Passengers On a Bad Ride – Making Our Own Shade.

    I think 4  & 5 should be the ones discussed with Adam Schiff….. I would like to know legislatively and through the media, how we can address this stuff?

  81. 81.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    So today I learned that Betty White’s big break was a TV comedy called “Life with Elizabeth” in the 1950s, which made her along with Lucille Ball one of the few women in TV with creative control.

    It wasn’t exactly a sitcom. Apparently the format was a set of short sketches. Just watched part of one on YouTube. But it wasn’t exactly a sketch comedy show either.

    According to Wikipedia the show was cancelled because the ratings were too good. Here, somebody else read this and explain the logic, because I can’t figure it out.

    After 65 episodes, the series’ production company, Guild Films, chose to cancel the series. While the series was still popular with audiences, Guild Films decided that too many new episodes of Life with Elizabeth would oversaturate secondary markets, thus making the series less profitable in second-run syndication

  82. 82.

    H.E.Wolf

    Although I’ve got a prior commitment on Wednesday evenings, I’m THRILLED that WaterGirl has arranged for Adam Schiff to visit the Zoom portion of the book club!

    The immortal Betty White is somewhere Up There, applauding. :)

  83. 83.

    jackmac

    Non-Adam Schiff news (although I DO plan to read the book).  My BJ pet calendar arrived in the mail this morning with a day to spare before the New Year. I ordered late and expected to receive it next week, but Cafe Press pushed it out for surprisingly timely arrival.  Calendar looks awesome and thanks to all the people involved in making this a reality. You all did great. Happy New Year!

  85. 85.

    Ruckus

    @FelonyGovt:

    Cats have 4 legs and don’t fall over as easily. Also they normally land on their feet when they do, which also beats humans, as we normally fall off our feet. It’s possible that is why it’s easier to herd humans than cats…..

  87. 87.

    Nutmeg again

    That is amazing & fantastic news…so well deserved for the blog in general, and the front pagers. Wow!

    Will any of the conversation be recorded for later viewing? I’m having major surgery (yuck) so won’t be able to attend, but sure would like to hear what everyone says, including Congressman Schiff. thanks–

  89. 89.

    Ruckus

    WaterGirl

    I sent an email but it doesn’t show up in my sent emails. I wonder if you got it and if it is clear?

  90. 90.

    Phylllis

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:  I read an interesting book earlier this year, When Women Invented Television. Betty was one of the four women profiled. She started out doing live TV in the Los Angeles area. Four to five hours a day, five days a week, hardly any of it scripted.

  91. 91.

    HRA

    I do not do Zoom and will be reading here. I am only a 1/4 in the book and will get to it soon to catch up.

  94. 94.

    Ruckus

    Reading the post and looking at the bookclub link, I am now confused about the dates.

    Are we having a practice event and if so what is the date/time?

    What are the dates of the actual Zoom/discussions? The link shows Jan 12 as the first, what is the Jan 6 date event?

  100. 100.

    germy

    @lgerard:

    may we all go out in such spectacular fashion: a hundred years old, universally beloved, and forcing people magazine into a frenzied reprint over a holiday weekend

    — liz hynes (@anticapitalizm) December 31, 2021

  101. 101.

    Steve in the ATL

    @FelonyGovt:

     

    Which is probably roughly similar to herding cats.

    I never really understood this expression. When I was a kid, we had two cats and a Shetland sheepdog. When the dog got bored, he would herd our cats up and down the driveway. Ergo, herding cats was a normal part of my childhood.

    In case you were wondering, the cats did not like it!

    Drive by concluded; back to college football.

  102. 102.

    Yutsano

    Dammit. I was hoping to introduce my 101 year old grandfather to her. Betty would have been a helluva step-grandmother. Farewell Sue Ellen.

  103. 103.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @lgerard: That’s a great article. And it explains how “Life With Elizabeth” (which I mentioned at #81) grew out of that earlier, no-particular-format TV show.

    Somewhere on YouTube there’s an interview with Mary Tyler Moore about the casting for The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The character of Sue Ann Nivens was described as “kind of like Betty White, but meaner” (or words to that effect). After not being able to find the right Sue Ann, Moore suggested, “Have we considered actually auditioning Betty White?”​

  104. 104.

    Miss Bianca

    @germy: LOL! That’s kind of what I was thinking, without the “People magazine reprinting” as the cherry on the top of the sundae!

  108. 108.

    Jinchi

    @Ohio Mom: I don’t think any elected official would ever admit they would even consider renouncing their citizenship. Can you imagine the blowback?

    This is only true for Democrats, anymore.

    Republicans are completely free to fantasize about breaking the country to pieces, or spending 4th of July in Moscow with Vlad.

  111. 111.

    Ruckus

    @sab:

    Organize jackals?

    Is this even possible or doable? Seems to be a thankless cause of dubious possibilities, endless effort and no reward.

    And she does it anyway, and does it well.

  112. 112.

    WaterGirl

    @Ruckus: I always say that for every person who speaks up there are a hundred more who have the same question.

    So it never hurts to ask, and you are likely helping another hundred people.  :-)

  113. 113.

    MomSense

    Woah when did this all happen?  I’m currently listening to his book on Audible.  I’ll send an email tomorrow.

  114. 114.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Mike in NC: ​
     

    As we enter the third year of the pandemic, let’s savor the rotten bastards who shuffled off this mortal coil in 2021: Donald Rumsfeld, Sheldon Adelson, G. Gordon Liddy, and of course Rush Limbaugh. I would add Bob Dole to the list, because he sucked and adored Nixon and Strom Thurmond.

    Bob Dole also was the prime mover in sinking ClintonCare back in 1993-94, as @digby56 has frequently reminded us.

  116. 116.

    Ruckus

    @zhena gogolia:

    Betty White did make this world a better place. She was a positive.

    I wish the list of people on her side of things was longer and the list of people that makes it a worse place was a hell of a lot shorter. Life would be far better with more positives. And far less negatives.

  117. 117.

    Ruckus

    @WaterGirl:

    You know, now that it’s getting closer, I’m going to have to actually read the book sitting right next to me. Damn it, actual effort is going to be required……

  120. 120.

    Gretchen

    I’m not on the list but would like to participate.  Also, I have a friend who is not a commenter but would like to participate.  What should I tell her to do?

  121. 121.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @WaterGirl: That is just a wonderful synopsis of this group and its efforts. Thank you, WaterGirl.

    I’d’ve included something about willows, mustard, and nekkid mopping, but I can see now that that wouldn’t have been as good.

  123. 123.

    Another Scott

    @lgerard: It looks like she was a veteran even before then.

    Betty White was the model who demonstrated television at the World's Fair in 1939. She was on television longer than everybody, but that's only one reason why she was better at it than everybody. Her achievement will never be equalled.

    — Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) December 31, 2021

    Cheers,
    Scott.

Comments are closed.