Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Bark louder, little dog.

šŸŽ¶ Those boots were made for mockinā€™ šŸŽµ

Letā€™s not be the monsters we hate.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

You donā€™t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

You canā€™t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

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

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape Americaā€™s future.

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

I was promised a recession.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but itā€™s not funny to me.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Despite his magical powers, I donā€™t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

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

This fight is for everything.

I really should read my own blog.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Levers of Power (Open Thread)

Levers of Power (Open Thread)

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I’ll keep saying it: Florida’s governor would be far more dangerous in the White House than his oafish orange mentor. The shit DeSantis is pushing through the statehouse during this term underscores the imperative to keep him far away from the Oval Office.

We’ve talked about his attacks on education, including the scaremongering around CRT and his efforts to demonize the LGBTQ community for political gain. One activist described what he’s doing perfectly:

“He’s pushing for government intrusion into workplaces and doctor’s offices. It’s all in service to his presidential ambitions,” said Nadine Smith, the executive director of Equality Florida, a civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination against the state’s LGBTQ population. “DeSantis is purposely picking fights that rev up his base. And the intention is to secure the loyalty of the base he and Donald Trump share.”

Smith explained further that DeSantis’ political machinations both elevate the avowed (but abstract) concerns of one group and strip the rights of another.

“His desire to cling to this narrow slice of the electorate that decides Republican presidential primaries blocks out the sun for anything else,” she said. “The legislative agenda in Tallahassee is concerned not with improving the lives of Floridians or addressing the issues that we face daily. It’s about censorship, surveillance, control and intimidation.“

Trump did terrible things too, of course, but DeSantis competently uses the levers of power. He deployed minions and used threats to withhold funding to coopt public schools and universities. He weaponized the pandemic to create division and manipulate state institutions and private businesses, successfully placing an anti-science crackpot in charge of the state’s department of health.

Now, in addition to restricting ballot access, the DeSantis administration is pioneering new voter suppression schemes, weaponizing Trump’s Big Lie to muscle through “reforms” that give him the power to target enemies. From WaPo:

Florida lawmakers approve an elections police force, the first of its kind in the U.S.
The measure, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, adds steeper fines and prison terms for voting practices common in the state until last year

The agency will be the first of its kind in the nation. Its staff of 25 will be part of the Department of State, which answers to DeSantis. Both chambers approved its creation by wide margins after debate that had Democrats invoking the name of the late civil rights leader John Lewis and a Republican representative making reference to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The governor has indicated he will sign the measure into law.

If it were an honestly run agency, maybe it could make a dent in Florida Republicans’ well-documented fraudulent activities. But it answers to DeSantis, so it will target his opponents. Florida Republicans are increasingly brazen about abusing power to maintain incumbency:

October. Tourists. Riiiiight.

Anyhoo, my hope for DeSantis (aside from that a sinkhole swallows him) is that he’ll turn out to be a Beltway fantasy league draft pick who fizzles upon first contact with the broader electorate, like Scott Walker or Tim Pawlenty in past cycles. It’s revolting that he receives fawning mainstream media coverage despite fucking up the pandemic response and corrupting institutions for political gain, but the Beltway gossip rags’ track record for picking winners isn’t great.

The thing I find more alarming is how eagerly the GOP propaganda network is adopting the DeSantis admin’s “own the libs” material. Remember when DeSantis’s horrible press secretary called opponents of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill “groomers,” i.e., pedophiles? Looky here:

In addition to warning y’all that DeSantis would be worse than Trump, I’ve also argued that Florida is a microcosm of America, as weird as it is. We’ve got populous liberal enclaves on two coasts, a yahoo rural interior in the northern half that is culturally Confederate, a giant colony of Midwestern wingnuts in the center, and diverse immigrant populations with competing priorities and increasingly inscrutable political inclinations throughout.

Conservatives in the state also enjoy an unfair structural advantage in the statehouse due to rural overrepresentation, much like the deck of the U.S. Congress is stacked for Republicans. DeSantis is showing us what it would look like to have a chief executive who is not only corrupt but ruthlessly competent in working the levers of power. It’s scary.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

206Comments

  1. 1.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    Madison Cawthorn douchebag alert:

    ā€œRemember that Zelensky is a thug,ā€ Cawthorn can be heard telling reports in a video now going viral on Twitter. ā€œRemember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.ā€

    h/t https://www.mediaite.com/politics/madison-cawthorn-caught-on-video-calling-zelensky-a-thug-and-ukraine-evil-and-woke/

    Just when I thought that either Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene was the biggest Republican asshole in the House of Reps, Madison Cawthorn opens up his dumb, vacuous piehole.

  2. 2.

    Old School

    So the gas tax suspension is for October only?Ā  As in – it goes back up November 1st?

  3. 3.

    cain

    DeSantis is definitely an autocrat ready to take his schtick to the white house. I have no idea how our nation is going to overcome these constant attacks on our democracy by these people. My mental health seems to be on the same page as the state of our democracy – hanging by a thread.

    Never mind, the stuff happening in Idaho and other states. These people are playing for keeps and they have the SCOTUS folks on their side.

    I hope is that midterms will be successful for us and we can get some more seats in the Senate.

  4. 4.

    Captain C

    @Wyatt Salamanca:  It’s like Conservatives have studied Cartman from South Park and Andrew Dice Clay’s early material and decided, “hey, that’s how we should conduct ourselves in public from now on!”

  5. 5.

    UncleEbeneezer

    I don’t think he’ll get the same turnout that Trump does, but I could be wrong. Ā But yes, he sucks and is very dangerous. Ā Definitely more of the prototype that the GOP will be pushing in the coming years.

  9. 9.

    Rob

    As far as I can tell from Google Maps, the trucker convoy only made one pass around the DC/Capitol Beltway and is already off the Beltway heading back to Hagerstown Maryland. So much for it making an ever-increasing number of trips around the Beltway on successive days.

  12. 12.

    James E Powell

    @Rob:

    Have they figured out what they are protesting?

    Or is that a Cleek’s Law thing, subject to change daily?

  13. 13.

    JaySinWa

    @James E Powell: I’m pretty sure this is a rugged individualist protest with everyone out for their pet peave.

    “We’re mad as hell and we are going to take it anymore” for various values of “it”

  15. 15.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Betty Cracker:

    Every elected Republican should be asked for their reaction.

    They definitely should be, but most definitely won’t be.

    “…and has been pushing woke ideologies.”

    And that is just stupid on Cawthron’s stupid face.Ā  NC-11 really picked a good one there.

  16. 16.

    Scout211

    Human Rights Campaign Ā refuses Disneyā€™s big money donation after the fact.

    After remaining silent as the bill made its way through the Florida state legislature over the past few weeks, Chapek spoke out against pending anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and spoke up for LGBTQ+ people in Florida and across the country. In his statement, Chapek shared that Disney recently joined more than 150 other companies on a national business statement opposing anti-LGBTQ state legislation organized by HRC and Freedom for All Americans. He also pledged a significant financial donation to LGBTQ+ organizations. In response to Mr. Chapekā€™s statement, Joni Madison, Interim President of the Human Rights Campaign, released the following statement:

    ā€œThe Human Rights Campaign will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Floridaā€™s Donā€™t Say Gay or Trans bill, donā€™t become dangerous laws, and if they do, to work to get them off the books. Businesses have had and continue to have a major impact in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, from marriage equality to the defeat of House Bill 2 in North Carolina and beyond. While Disney took a regrettable stance by choosing to stay silent amid political attacks against LGBTQ+ families in Florida ā€” including hardworking families employed by Disney ā€” today they took a step in the right direction. But it was merely the first step.

    ā€œHRC encourages Disney, and all employers, to continue to fight for their employees ā€“ many of whom bravely spoke out to say their CEOā€™s silence was unacceptable ā€“ and the LGBTQ+ community by working with us and state and local LGBTQ+ groups to ensure these dangerous anti-equality proposals that harm LGBTQ+ families and kids have no place in Florida. Every student deserves to be seen, and every student deserves an education that prepares them for health and success ā€” regardless of who they are. This should be the beginning of Disneyā€™s advocacy efforts rather than the end.ā€

  20. 20.

    Brachiator

    Moderate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP. The presidential candidates will come from DeSantis and other crazies.

  21. 21.

    eclare

    I just hope what you quoted was true after he bullied those kids: everyone in the state house hates Ron, he’s an asshole.

  23. 23.

    JaySinWa

    @Scout211: This rejection of donations from folks who don’t live up to your values is stupid cut off your nose to spite your face stuff. Take the money and use it, and have it fund your criticism of the donor as well. The money itself isn’t evil.

  24. 24.

    Dangerman

    If he is doing anything to rev up the base, the problem isnā€™t him. Itā€™s the base. How to fix that problem? Fuck if I know.

    Trump showed the way. Be a total shit if thatā€™s what gets attention.

  25. 25.

    Scout211

    @Wyatt Salamanca:

    I posted that downstairs. Ā The kicker is that once the local television station reported his comments, he walked it back. Such a sincere young man. //

    On Thursday afternoon, one hour after WRAL reported the comments, Cawthorn appeared to walk back his comments, saying on Twitter that Russian President Vladimirā€™s actions are ā€œdisgusting.

    ā€œI am praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,ā€ he added.

  27. 27.

    Kay

    @Rob:

    It’s just a Republican political rally. Why do they always have to act like they’re doing some big historic thing? Why should their rally get more attention than anyone elses?

  28. 28.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Brachiator:

    Moderate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP. The presidential candidates will come from DeSantis and other crazies. 

    Oh, we haven’t had moderate Rethuglicans for a long, long time.Ā  Some were just quieter and craftier with their evil.

  29. 29.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Scout211:

    The kicker is that once the local television station reported his comments, he walked it back. 

    That makes Cawthorn an even bigger shitstain.Ā  Apologies to shit and stains.

  32. 32.

    PJ

    @JaySinWa:Ā ā€‹
      Organizations like Disney (as well as Russian oligarchs) use charitable donations in part to launder their reputations. HRC rejecting Disney’s money 1) prevents Disney from escaping notice about its acquiescence to the “Don’t Say Gay” law and financial support for the politicians who pushed for it; 2) makes sure other organizations and the broader public are aware that Disney has screwed up big time; and 3) encourages other organizations and the broader public to withhold support from Disney until they get their priorities straight.

  33. 33.

    Baud

    It’s be cool if the Dems beat him and a Dem governor is in charge of the police force in 2024.

  34. 34.

    Kent

    DeSantis might be a more effective bureaucratic manager and more effective at using executive power.Ā  But I’m not convinced he is an out-and-out traitor and foreign asset like Trump.Ā  For example, I don’t see a DeSantis administration devoting itself to dismantling NATO like Trump would do.

    Plus I think a 2nd Trump Administration would be even more unhinged and unconstrained in terms of total corruption and poisoning of the executive branch like the DOJ.

    So while DeSantis would be a total disaster, I think Trump 2 would be worse.

  35. 35.

    PJ

    @Kay:Ā ā€‹
      I know you know, but it should bear repeating how screwed up our media is:
    Because, in the eyes of the press, Republicans are Real Americans, and their voices are more important, while Democrats are not, and their voices are trivial.

  36. 36.

    David ? ā˜˜The Establishmentā˜˜? Koch

    BREAKING: Players have accepted the owners proposal, and the start of spring training is imminent, sources tell @TheAthletic.

    Major League Baseball is back.

    — Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 10, 2022

  38. 38.

    Kay

    @PJ:

    “Liberty! Also all Democrats are pedophiles and we’re campaigning for Ted Cruz”

    Delusions of grandeur. They’re holding a week long GOP political rally. All the rest is bullshit.

  39. 39.

    David ? ā˜˜The Establishmentā˜˜? Koch

    but the Beltway gossip ragsā€™ track record for picking winners isnā€™t great.

    HA!

    I’m old enough to remember how they tried to install 5’2″ Mitch “more boring than paint drying” Daniels as president in 2012.

  40. 40.

    Captain C

    @James E Powell: Probably Cleek’s Law.Ā  Though I’m sure one of the things they’re annoyed about is them not getting a substantial discount on gas prices for driving circles around the beltway in protest of whatever they’re claiming it is at any given time.

  41. 41.

    Kay

    @PJ:

    The next time I attend a political rally I’m going to tell the NYTimes I’m there for “democracy” and see if I get 1/100th of the attention these people get.

    Half of them are wearing Trump shit. Why are we pretending we “don’t know” what they want? They want Republicans to win.

  43. 43.

    PJ

    @Kent: Guess again.Ā  De Santis’ press secretary is spreading Russian disinfo that the US has biological weapons labs in Ukraine and that the US government cannot be trusted.Ā  See this thread of her tweets: https://twitter.com/UrbanAchievr/status/1501394782437920775

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the sanctions being imposed now will severely limit Russian assistance to Republicans, and they will holler about it.

  44. 44.

    Captain C

    @Kay: NYT Reporter:Ā  “Great!Ā  Can we go to a diner so you can tell me just how much Democrats, and only Democrats, suck?”

  45. 45.

    Roger Moore

    @Brachiator:

    Moderate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP.

    They’ve been purged from the ranks of elected GOP officials.Ā  They’re welcome to vote for any of the crazies who get through the nomination process.

  47. 47.

    David ? ā˜˜The Establishmentā˜˜? Koch

    Chris Matthews’ July 12 [2006] prediction — that Giuliani is ā€œnot only runningā€ for president in 2008, but is ā€œgoing to win the whole thingā€ — follows other claims he has made about Giuliani: that he is the ā€œperfect candidateā€ and that Giuliani “looks like president to me.”

    [Narrator: Ghouliani failed to win a single delegate]

  48. 48.

    Brachiator

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Oh, we havenā€™t had moderate Rethuglicans for a long, long time. Some were just quieter and craftier with their evil.

    So, DeSantis is not worse than Trump. He is just more open and more in touch with the GOP base.

    I feel so much better, now, knowing this.

  49. 49.

    PJ

    @Kay: And everybody knows these “ordinary Americans” (none of whom are black) want Republicans to win.Ā  The media pushes almost every Republican talking point because, for the people who control most of the news outlets, Republican policies are better for their business – ratings were up under Trump!

  52. 52.

    The Moar You Know

    That Cawthorn is a bought and paid for Russian asset should have been obvious to our media for quite some time (along with the other July 4 Russia attendees) and that they resolutely are refusing to even hint at this being the case is really starting to make me wonder just how far that money trail from the Kremlin reaches

    I bet it’s an order of magnitude cheaper to buy a reporter than a Congressman.

  53. 53.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Brachiator: Not what you thought I was saying, so I’ll just spell it out – the entire Rethuglican party is shit, and has been shit for decades.

  56. 56.

    Mike in NC

    Cold, wet day. We went to Costco and it was mobbed like a week before Christmas or Super Bowl. There was a grim vibe in the air, as if people were stocking up in anticipation of WW3.

  58. 58.

    Scout211

    So doesĀ this Ā surprise anyone?

    WASHINGTON ā€” The 2020 census undercounted Black, Latino and Indigenous populations while over-counting white and Asian people, according to estimates from a report the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.
    The findings continue a long-standing struggle for the bureau with counting underrepresented groups while over-counting non-Hispanic white people. Many of them live in hard-to-reach areas, such as rural communities and areas with limited access to the internet.

    The data released Thursday was the result of two internal analyses that collected data through a sample survey of demographic records. The findings suggested the 2020 census missed Hispanics and Latinos at more than three times the rate in 2010 (an undercount rate of roughly 5 percent, as opposed to 1.5 percent in 2010).
    The Black population was undercounted at a rate of 3.3 percent, up from 2.1 percent in 2010. Indigenous people living on reservations were undercounted at a rate of 5.6 percent, higher than the 2010 rate of 4.9 percent. Indigenous people not living on reservations were not miscounted.

  59. 59.

    mrmoshpotato

    Iā€™m a bit surprised Clownigula isnā€™t out there on the Beltway with the Dumbass Caravan. We know how he loves trucks. pic.twitter.com/mELKA67zWt— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) March 10, 2022

    WARNING: Picture of the Kremlin’s bitch’s fat, fascist ass screaming in that truck in the tweet.

  60. 60.

    JaySinWa

    @Mike in NC: I was inside a Costco yesterday for the first time in months, (if been ordering delivery) and it was fairly subdued. The gas line yesterday and the day before was insane however.

  61. 61.

    David ? ā˜˜The Establishmentā˜˜? Koch

    @Villago Delenda Est:

     

    MSNBCā€™s Chris Matthews last night:
    “Does [Fred Thompson] have sex appeal?Ā ā€¦ Gene, do you think thereā€™s a sex appeal for this guy, this sort of mature, older man, you know?Ā ā€¦ Can you smell the English leather on this guy, the Aqua Velva, the sort of mature manā€™s shaving cream, or whatever, you know, after he shaved? Do you smell that sort ofā€Šā€”ā€Ša little bit of cigar smoke? You know, whatever.”

    [Narrator: Fred Thompson’s smell failed to win a single primary or caucus]

  62. 62.

    John Revolta

    @PJ: That one has a very checkered and a bit mysterious past. All mixed up in E. Europe politics……….. why is the Governor of Florida’s press secretary so concerned with Russia and Ukraine?

  67. 67.

    Geminid

    @Brachiator: I think DeSantis is more dangerous than Trump because he’s not nearly as lazy. DeSantis is probably meaner, too, which is a heavy lift.

  68. 68.

    Gravenstone

    @mrmoshpotato: Thought that was a done deal? I’m still gobsmacked that MLB is allowing that shit. Black Sox anyone? Pete Rose ring any bells? Lenny Dykstra? Not like betting has never had a deleterious effect on the sport or anything.

  71. 71.

    Stuart Frasier

    I remember when we were supposed to be worried about Tim Pawlenty.Ā  DeSantis is awful, but I don’t think he’ll play nationally.Ā  The Trumpers have gotten the real thing.Ā  They don’t want the Splenda version.

  72. 72.

    Gravenstone

    @Baud: The Republican dominated state leg will ram through a bill to disband/defund the damned thing milliseconds after any Dem takes the oath of office as governor.

  74. 74.

    Roger Moore

    @JaySinWa:

    This rejection of donations from folks who donā€™t live up to your values is stupid cut off your nose to spite your face stuff.

    I disagree.Ā  The real purpose of doing this is to send a message to their other donors, many of whom might be reluctant to donate if they don’t make it clear what their standards are.

  77. 77.

    Sure Lurkalot

    My SIL just got back from a long weekend in Florida (I think the Naples area) to get together with some old workmates. She enjoyed the warm weather and her friends but also mentioned visiting a grocery store with a picture of Dr. Fauci with a Bozo the Clown nose on the front door. Stay classy, Florida!

  78. 78.

    JaySinWa

    @Stuart Frasier: The real question is can DeSantis win the nomination. After that the default R voters will fall in line. It will take R defectors (not voting for the R nominee) and/or I voters to split to keep any R from taking the presidency.

    Trump demonstrated that.

  79. 79.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @West of the Rockies:

    A little late to be dunking on Tweetie, isnā€™t it?

    Never too late to dunk on Tweety. Tweety is eternally and deservedly dunkable.

    By the way, I think an actual miracle occurred about 30 minutes ago, and I am still a bit thunderstruck. Hold on to your chairs, folks, so you donā€™t rapture right out: I heard Richard Engel ā€” yes, Richard Engel ā€” refer to ā€œUkraineā€ with no definite article!! Yes!! Itā€™s true!! Furthermore, he pronounced Kyiv as ā€œKeev,ā€ not ā€œKee-YEV.ā€

  80. 80.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    this seems almost to good to be true, so short of video, I’m just going to choose to believe it’s true

    No Lie with Brian Tyler CohenĀ @NoLieWithBTC

    NEW: A trucker in the convoy says heā€™s taking a day off from driving in laps around DC because ā€œ3 young girls in a blue Hyundaiā€ flipped him off. He says heā€™s now fearful: ā€œIt wasnā€™t just a normal middle finger that was relaxed… It messed me up.ā€ (per 1st Responders Media)

  81. 81.

    NotMax

    State Homeland Election Enforcement Investigation Troop.

    Colloquially known as SHEEIT.

  82. 82.

    Matt

    @Wyatt Salamanca:

    Madison Cawthorn opens up his dumb, vacuous piehole.

    We’ve known this guy was a fascist from the jump – remember his bucket-list visit to Hitler’s mountain house?

  83. 83.

    Stuart Frasier

    @JaySinWa: Trump demonstrated that he could get habitual non-voters to show up for him and boost the GOP downballot.Ā  They didn’t turn out at the same rate during the midterms or even for the GA runoffs.Ā  Hopefully, they’ll go back to not voting without Trump and without Russian disinformation on social media.

  84. 84.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @JaySinWa: In many locations Costco opens from 9-10 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the over 60 and immunocompromised. It’s blissfully empty, maybe a bit more stocking activity.

    They’ll probably be ending the accommodation soon, now that we’re done with Covid /s.

  85. 85.

    Betty Cracker

    @Geminid: I think sociopaths are generally more dangerous than narcissists, and that’s the difference.

    @John Revolta: I sound like a conspiracy theorist even to myself when I write this, but the Trump admin revealed how broadly Russian operatives had coopted “conservative” operatives and institutions in the U.S. The NRA is just one example.

    It makes sense because their goals are similar: ethnonationalist autocracies run by plutocrats.

  86. 86.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Gravenstone:

    I believe it is a done deal.Ā  I just don’t know if they’ve started construction yet.Ā  I’ll be going by the Friendly Confines later today.

  87. 87.

    Mike in NC

    Per Washington Post, scumbag Ted Cruz has declared himself the leader of the wingnut convoy that is currently stinking up the DC Beltway.

  90. 90.

    topclimber

    @Kent: Trump would be a disaster for Republicans; not sure about DeSantis.

    DeSantis would also be more of a problem because he could serve two terms.

  93. 93.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Mike in NC: Ā most of your authentic blue-collar types are bigly conscious of the distinctions between the first- and second-tier Ivies

  94. 94.

    Brachiator

    @Geminid:

    I think DeSantis is more dangerous than Trump because heā€™s not nearly as lazy. DeSantis is probably meaner, too, which is a heavy lift.

    Yep. I agree with you on this.

    Thing is, right now, I cannot imagine how any Republican would feel any need to pivot towards the center, as pundits claim is the political norm.

    And right now, I don’t see any Republican voters being repelled by DeSantis’ meanness.

     

    ETA: For the sake of those who may be a little slow, I am not predicting a GOP victory or that they are invincible.

  95. 95.

    Will

    The Don’t Say Gay bill just seems crazy to me. Why is anyone trying to pass legislation like this? I understand on the most primal basic level, parents want control over social issues for their primary age kids… but is teacher interference really happening on such a level this is necessary and the chilling nature of the bill makes it worth inserting legislation to try and solve the assumed problem? Is there nothing like common sense anymore?

  97. 97.

    karen marie

    @Scout211:Ā  As the quote you posted says – Cawthorn APPEARED to walk back his comments.Ā  He slandered Zelenskyy but his “walk back” only referenced Ukraine and Ukrainians.Ā  Cawthorn walked back nothing.

  98. 98.

    Jeffro

    @Captain C:Itā€™s like Conservatives have studied Cartman from South Park and Andrew Dice Clayā€™s early material and decided, ā€œhey, thatā€™s how we should conduct ourselves in public from now on!

    They have internalized the trumpian message that being a complete asshole costs you nothing in terms of getting the GOP nomination, or your continued support from the party faithful afterwards.

    And why would it, when their only principle is to stick it to Dems no matter what the issue or what it costs?

  99. 99.

    Jeffro

    @Brachiator:Moderate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP. The presidential candidates will come from DeSantis and other crazies.

    Glenn Youngkin’s train of thought: “If I can just dial back the crazy 1-2% from the rest of these amazing people er, goons, plus wear my fleece vest everywhere I go…JACKPOT, baby!”

  100. 100.

    topclimber

    @karen marie:Ā ā€‹Zelenskyy did not help “expose” Bidens as corrupt so therefore he is corrupt. Nothing against all the other Ukrainians, you understand.

  102. 102.

    Jeffro

    @Kay:Half of them are wearing Trump shit. Why are we pretending we ā€œdonā€™t knowā€ what they want? They want Republicans to win.

    THIS.

    They don’t have their orange mouthpiece acting out for them on a daily basis…Dimmycrats are in charge; therefore the world completely sucks…something something something.

    But yeah, to your point: they just want Republicans – trumpov most especially – in charge.

  103. 103.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Will: Teacher interference is not happening and there’s no need for the bills at all. They’re present entirely to express outrage at things that aren’t happening, hurt the “right” kind of people (LBTGQ kids and teachers), and to feed the puke funnel.

    It’s explicitly hurting vulnerable people for votes from garbage people.

  104. 104.

    karen marie

    @topclimber:

    I don’t whether you think your comment is snark or if it’s serious but what does whatever you’re saying have to do with the subject at hand?

  105. 105.

    JaySinWa

    @Sure Lurkalot:Ā  I was there late afternoon and no crush of panic buying yesterday. Mike was suggesting stockpiling going on in his location today.
    I started looking at reports of shortages yesterday, as I talked to my wife about the lack of saltine crackers. That appears to be fallout from a Nabisco workers strike that has been settled, but there is a fair amount of reporting in some mainstream news about shortages of some specific items.

    There were a lot of hysterical tweets a while back that had fraudulent photos of empty shelves, so all the reporting needs to be taken with grains of salt. Panic buying can be triggered, but there are some legitimate shortages happening. I saw cat food shortages before our cat died, and it is being noted even now. Apparently the packaging for the canned biscuit dough is in short supply so hard to find. Some brands consolidating or discontinuing product lines because of supply shortages. Consumer Reports just did an article on it.

    https://www.consumerreports.org/grocery-stores-supermarkets/how-to-deal-with-grocery-store-shortages-a1090359128/

  106. 106.

    Jeffro

    @The Moar You Know:

    That Cawthorn is a bought and paid for Russian asset should have been obvious to our media for quite some time (along with the other July 4 Russia attendees) and that they resolutely are refusing to even hint at this being the case is really starting to make me wonder just how far that money trail from the Kremlin reaches

    I bet itā€™s an order of magnitude cheaper to buy a reporter than a Congressman.

    And you don’t even have to buy them all…just a few, just the right ones.

    Putin’s been alleged to be worth far more than even the highest estimates. Ā If you’re worth $200B or perhaps even $500B, how many elected officials and reporters could you buy for .01% of your wealth? Ā A LOT.

  108. 108.

    Jeffro

    @Stuart Frasier:I remember when we were supposed to be worried about Tim Pawlenty.Ā  DeSantis is awful, but I donā€™t think heā€™ll play nationally.Ā  The Trumpers have gotten the real thing.Ā  They donā€™t want the Splenda version.

    Yup. Ā Here’s hoping that Uncle Joe constantly harps on the GQP candidates’ complete insanity and points out that “unfortunately, once one of these goons win the nomination, a lot of Republican voters are going to feel duty-bound to support him. Ā And I hope they’ll reconsider that, because look – really look – at what most of these people are willing to do to their fellow Americans, to our values, to our country in their pursuit of power.”

    ETA: I see JaySinWA got there first ;)

  109. 109.

    trnc

    @Wyatt Salamanca: Just when I thought that either Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene was the biggest Republican asshole in the House of Reps, Madison Cawthorn opens up his dumb, vacuous piehole.

    When you’re scraping shit at the bottom of the barrel, specific measures of bacteria don’t really matter.

  111. 111.

    Geminid

    @Jeffro: At this point politicians don’t have to worry about being to big of an asshole to win a Republican primary. The question is, can they be a big enough asshole.

    I still think this will catch up with some of them trying to win purple states and purple Congressional districts.

  113. 113.

    debbie

    @Geminid:

    You must be observing him far closer than I have. I’ve seen his religiosity as something of convenience, not something truly held.

  114. 114.

    RaflW

    As an out gay person in this bifurcating country, when I read about guys like DeSantis possibly becoming president I can sometimes start feeling like it’s hard to breathe. I can’t even imagine how trans people in this country feel.

  115. 115.

    Sallycat

    desantis scares me more than that other guy.Ā  For the most part, he seems to have more self control–and more anger (and is probably smarter).Ā  We need to defeat him in his current governor’s race.

  116. 116.

    NotMax

    FYI.

    The Biden administration is preparing to extend the mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation, according to multiple media accounts. The mandate, which was set to expire on March 18th, will be extended another month as officials continue to monitor the drop in COVID-19 cases across the country.
    [snip]
    The mask requirement for air travel and public transit will now extend to April 18th, according to CNN. The administration is coordinating with airline carriers, as well as flight attendants and other workers who will be impacted by the extension. The mandate could be lifted before April 18th if case numbers continue to drop, one official told the news channel. Source

  117. 117.

    John Revolta

    @Betty Cracker: I know what you mean about feeling weird about even thinking along these lines………..but there’s a long history of this stuff. One of the reasons spooks can be so effective is because people are inclined to think that it’s all just Hollywood fantasies.

  118. 118.

    Sister Golden Bear

    Idahoā€™s House just passed a bill that would sentence parents of trans kids to life in prison if they provide their children with trans healthcare.

    Hey cis folks, remember ā€œallyā€ is verb. Legislative attacks on trans people ā€” intended to eradicate (a word I donā€™tĀ use lightly ā€” us from public life are increasing both in number (120+ so far this year) and in viciousness.

    We needĀ your help. At the very least check in on your trans friends ā€” these sort of bills, even if they donā€™t pass, are intended to terrorize trans people. Just as Texasā€™s efforts to try to prosecute parents who provide their kids trans healthcare and take their children away.

    And no, Iā€™mĀ notĀ OK. I will keep fighting, but knowing thereā€™s a good chunk of the population want me eliminated takes its toll.

  119. 119.

    Ruckus

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Isn’t scum usually just sitting on the surface of something else, fucking that up? If so, then Cat-horn is really just shit, which is always shit all the way thru.

  121. 121.

    Hoodie

    DeSantis gives off a Putin-like vibe to me.Ā  Ā  Trump has more “charisma,” but guys like DeSantis can be electorally successful simply because there are a lot of folks out there who want a “strong” leader, even though (or especially because) he’s an ill-tempered asshole.Ā  Ā I wouldn’t underestimate him or the underhanded things he will do to get power.

  122. 122.

    Brachiator

    @Will:

    The Donā€™t Say Gay bill just seems crazy to me. Why is anyone trying to pass legislation like this? I understand on the most primal basic level, parents want control over social issues for their primary age kidsā€¦ but is teacher interference really happening on such a level this is necessary and the chilling nature of the bill makes it worth inserting legislation to try and solve the assumed problem?

    Conservatives are looking for a return to the 1950s. And then to the 1850s. And they believe that the current US Supreme Court will help them get there.

    This stupid law hurts kids and parents. The right wing does not even want teachers to be sympathetic towards children who might be gay, or to have anything other than their rigid view of morality reflected in schools.

    Hard line right wingers want Christian values reinforced in schools. So abstinence only. Nothing other than heterosexual monogamy.

    So if a child is gay, cannot be acknowledged. If a child has gay parents, cannot be acknowledged.

    Denial. Invisibility. Because this will help them, praise Jesus.

  123. 123.

    JaySinWa

    @debbie: I thought you had to be a sociopath to be a narcissist? At any rate, I expect narcissism limits the range of damage a sociopath can inflict, although Donny did cut a very wide swath. Sociopaths can learn to hide their lack of empathy better than a narcissist I would think.

  125. 125.

    Martin

    @Will: Has nothing to do with any of that. This is pure culture war – our side against theirs. This is more about demonstrating what they have the power to do, and what will be most harmful to their enemies (liberals).

    They’re pushing things as far as they can right now. Next step will be increased violence.

  127. 127.

    Geminid

    @debbie: I haven’t observed DeSantis so closely so I’m speculating. I do remember reading about a private inauguration ceremony at the Governor’s mansion, where some preacher anointed DeSantis with oil like he was some Old Testament king. That got my attention.

  128. 128.

    James E Powell

    @Rob:

    The one thing I’m sure of, the one thing people like that are consistent on, is that they hate the rest of us.

  129. 129.

    Rob

    @Kay: The 3 non-Fox DC tv local news websites didn’t have anything about today’s convoy actions until, an hour after it started(?), one and only one had a piece readily visible on its front page. It seemed like it was becoming a nothing burger

  130. 130.

    Calouste

    Weā€™ll have to see how far DeSantis gets in the primaries. Sure he is an asshole, as are all Republican candidates, but what made the shitgibbon really stand out in the 2016 field was his willingness, nay eagerness, to be an asshole to other Republicans. Unless DeSantis is going to full out attack the shitgibbon, heā€™s going to be as successful as Lilā€™ Marco.

  132. 132.

    Rob

    @James E Powell: Yep. One of the convoy streamers was complaining on his stream about all the locals flipping off the convoy trucks. Mind you, the fact that the convoy was intending to bring Beltway traffic to a standstill had no bearing on locals giving the finger to the convoy, in his mind. eta: I guess we were supposed to welcome them with open arms as they caused gridlock.

  133. 133.

    Kent

    @Brachiator:Moderate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP. The presidential candidates will come from DeSantis and other crazies.

    I actually don’t think “moderate” Republicans have been purged.Ā  I think they are still there.Ā  They are just completely gutless cowards and weenies and go along with the MAGA fascism bullshit because they don’t have the courage to do anything else.

    I suspect there are at least half a dozen or more GOP Senators, maybe a dozen, who might be ordinary mainstream sometimes “moderate” GOPers in a different time and place.Ā  But they have gone full MAGA because that is where the base has gone.

  134. 134.

    germy

    NEW: A trucker in the convoy says heā€™s taking a day off from driving in laps around DC because ā€œ3 young girls in a blue Hyundaiā€ flipped him off. He says heā€™s now fearful: ā€œIt wasnā€™t just a normal middle finger that was relaxed… It messed me up.ā€ (per 1st Responders Media)

    — No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) March 10, 2022

    Life is hard.

  135. 135.

    JaySinWa

    @Martin: I believe the rise of Nazi’s in Germany was fuelled in part by a backlash to the view of a liberal hedonism rising in the 20’s. Gays were a particular focus along with foreigners or perceived foreigners. Tolerance was intolerable.

    The Russian priest railing against “forced” gay pride parades seems to echo the past. Our home grown anti gay and trans politicians are doing the same.

  136. 136.

    Argiope

    @Sister Golden Bear: Consider me under the patriarchy bus with you, pushing hard to knock the evil thing over. Ā I think they somehow think they can splinter the left or demoralize us all by attacking the most vulnerable people. Ā They are wrong. Iā€™m sure this hatred makes you feel very much aloneā€”but you arenā€™t. We have your back. Ā Speaking of which, thank you for the reminder to go call some OH legislators and tell them how messed up they are for trying to mess with trans kids. Off to do that now!

  137. 137.

    Scout211

    @Brachiator:

    A good opinion piece onĀ CNN.com.

    Just a snippet:

    The movement against LGBTQ Americans is part of a broader assault on attempts to acknowledge and understand the experiences of marginalized groups.
    The attacks on teaching about sexual orientation and gender are similar to the attacks on teaching so-called “critical race theory.” Conservative groups that oppose instruction about such topics allege that students are being indoctrinated, recruited or, to use an especially loaded term, “groomed,” even though teaching about a topic is hardly the same as asking someone to take a stand or change their identity.
    “There’s a fantasy going on that children are being indoctrinated,” the UC Berkeley philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler told CNN. “Parents and communities want to exercise forms of censorship to stop their children from knowing about how the world is being organized and how different people are living their lives.”
    . . .

    “Right-wing movements appeal to an enormous anxiety people have that their worlds are falling apart and that gender and critical race theory have this enormously destructive power,” they said. “I do think that there is a lot of destruction going on. Witness Putin. Witness climate destruction. There is a lot that is very wrong and very terrifying about our world. But to focus that anxiety on gender and critical race theory without even knowing what these are is both a deflection and a way of inflaming prejudices against queer people and Black and brown people.”
    It’s worth returning to Florida, one of the many states where this unease is being stoked. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill is expected to be signed into law byĀ Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The legislation could create a chilling effect and essentially “erase entire chapters of history, literature and critical health information in schools,” Amit Paley and Joe SaundersĀ wrote in February for CNN Opinion.
    (Notably, in weaponizing think-of-the-children rhetoric against LGBTQ Americans, DeSantis is borrowing a page from the former beauty queen and Florida orange juice spokeswomanĀ Anita Bryant, who in the 1970s worked with the “Save Our Children” coalition to repeal gay-rights legislation in Miami.)
    “He’s pushing for government intrusion into workplaces and doctor’s offices. It’s all in service to his presidential ambitions,” said Nadine Smith, the executive director of Equality Florida, a civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination against the state’s LGBTQ population. “DeSantis is purposely picking fights that rev up his base. And the intention is to secure the loyalty of the base he and Donald Trump share.

  138. 138.

    Captain C

    @Rob:

    I guess we were supposed to welcome them with open arms as they caused gridlock.

    That seems a common thing with Conservatives.Ā  They not only want to act horribly in their own self-interest, they want everyone else to loudly approve their shitty decisions and actions.

  139. 139.

    Brachiator

    @Kent:

    I suspect there are at least half a dozen or more GOP Senators, maybe a dozen, who might be ordinary mainstream sometimes ā€œmoderateā€ GOPers in a different time and place. But they have gone full MAGA because that is where the base has gone.

    Fair point.

  140. 140.

    Patricia Kayden

    Ughhhh

    Breaking: The OK senate has passed a Texas-style 6 week abortion ban AND a 30-day ban. Antiabortion lawmakers regularly tell me theyā€™re ā€œthrowing everything at the wallā€ ahead of the SCOTUS decision ā€” and seeing what sticks.— Caroline Kitchener (@CAKitchener) March 10, 2022

  141. 141.

    Mike in NC

    @Scout211:Ā  I think most of us appreciate how being a conservative in America means hating people who don’t look like you. Trump tried to marginalize trans people (i.e., banning them from military service), but in reality simply Trump hated everybody who wasn’t rich and white.

  142. 142.

    debbie

    @Geminid:

    That I hadnā€™t heard about, but I would be surprised if that wasnā€™t just a Trump-and-the-upside-down-Bible moment.

  143. 143.

    Woodrow/asim

    @Geminid: where some preacher anointed DeSantis with oil like he was some Old Testament king. That got my attention.

    DeSantis is a far more toxic version of a George Wallace. He doesn’t believe a damn bit of this shit, he’s just hurting innocents to gain power while, like the Pharaoh in Exodus, hardening his heart to their struggles.

    If he sincerely believed any of this crap he’d not even have ignored those kids he told to take their masks off, when he left the stage. Like the bullies he enables, he’d just keep harping on the ones who kept their masks on, nagging them and making snide remarks, unable to control his impulses to hate hate hate.

    Instead, he snapped at them while protected by the “respect” for his office that he defies every millisecond of every day, and a security staff who should all give him the middle finger as they quit.

    He and his ilk know exactly what they do, and are tuned up to not give a damn so long as them and their own get the hell over. It simply doesn’t matter, the bodies and broken lives they leave in their wake, because they have literally generations of people who did similar, from the slave owners on, to take inspiration from.

  145. 145.

    Redshift

    @Kent: I think they would both be total disasters, but in different ways, and it’s hard to guess which would be worse. I agree that DeSantis probably woudn’t actively work on behalf of a foreign power, but he and the people he brings in would much more competently corrupt and loot the federal government. Trump and his ilk would have no limits, but would be more constrained by their aversion to work and following through for any length of time.

  146. 146.

    Geminid

    @debbie: It’s really hard to tell if these Republican politicians are modeling piety or channeling it. As a practical matter there may not be that much difference. I think I worry more about a true believer than a hypocrite, though.

    But whatever he is, DeSantis gives me the creeps. I still think he’ll have to work hard for reelection, and that it isn’t a certainty. Trump might even decide to try throwing a spoke in his rival’s wheel. That could be an interesting dynamic.

  147. 147.

    Patricia Kayden

    NEW: A trucker in the convoy says heā€™s taking a day off from driving in laps around DC because ā€œ3 young girls in a blue Hyundaiā€ flipped him off. He says heā€™s now fearful: ā€œIt wasnā€™t just a normal middle finger that was relaxed… It messed me up.ā€ (per 1st Responders Media)— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) March 10, 2022

  148. 148.

    Miss Bianca

    @Rob:

    I guess we were supposed to welcome them with open arms as they caused gridlock.

    “THEY WILL GREET US AS LIBERATORS!!”

  150. 150.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Hoodie: Thatā€™s why our side has to take DeathSantis on from now. He should never be President. Heā€™s ignorant, nasty and dangerous. How many Floridians died because he mismanaged the Coronavirus? Ā He would be worst than Trump.

  151. 151.

    Redshift

    @Kent:

    I actually donā€™t think ā€œmoderateā€ Republicans have been purged.Ā  I think they are still there.Ā  They are just completely gutless cowards and weenies and go along with the MAGA fascism bullshit because they donā€™t have the courage to do anything else.

    I suspect there are at least half a dozen or more GOP Senators, maybe a dozen, who might be ordinary mainstream sometimes ā€œmoderateā€ GOPers in a different time and place.Ā  But they have gone full MAGA because that is where the base has gone.

    I think it’s really hard to judge which are actually moderates who are going along with the extremism to stay in power, and which would have always been happy to go more extreme, but didn’t believe they could get away with it until Trump showed them they could. I expect some of the half to full dozen are in each category.

    I also think calling them cowards gives them too much credit. I don’t think they’re afraid of the base per se, they’re afraid of losing their prestigious position and cushy job to a primary challenger. To me that’s not cowardice, that’s being unprincipled and selfish.

  152. 152.

    Martin

    @Captain C: That’s what a culture war entails. They inherently believe they are the rightful and dominant culture in the US. When they run into evidence that isn’t the case, they can’t cope, or worse, the push back violently.

    Their position as dominant culture is an article of faith. It cannot be untrue. All else operates in service to this truism. So when Trump loses the election, then the election must have been stolen, because if it wasn’t then it would serve as proof that they aren’t the dominant culture.

    Trumpism has achieved religious dogma. Anti-trans legislation, don’t say gay legislation, anti-abortion legislation, voter right bills, trucker convoys, Supreme Court choices and their rulings, support for Putin, are all acts in service of that core tenet, that white christian culture is still dominant and will remain as such. They mean nothing on their own – you could substitute any number of things in their place and they’d do the same thing – but it’s a sign that Republicans have chosen to escalate the use of the violence of the state in service of this effort. This is also increasingly spilling out of the violence of the state to the violence of individuals.

    I feel terrible for Sister Golden Bear, but there’s very little we can do about this directly, other than to crush this movement in its entirety, so they cannot deny that their cultural dominance is over. My hope is she stays in California, as we can protect her here, but we cannot stop Idaho or Florida or Texas without gaining dominant control federally, including USSC. This is going to take a while. My advice to anyone in Idaho – get out while you can.

  153. 153.

    Redshift

    I feel like the reason the trucker convoy got as much attention as it did is because the Canadian one did so much damage, and because they were taken seriously as a potential 1/6 style security threat to the State of the Union. Once both of those fizzled, they should have become nothing more than a local traffic story, but once the political media get in a groove, they tend not to let go.

  155. 155.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    I absolutely hate that you and so many other trans people are subjected to this nonstop barrage of social and legislative/judicial hostility. Obviously I canā€™t speak for everyone who reads Balloon Juice, but my sense is that almost all of us really do have your backs in this fight. Please keep letting us know what we can do.

  159. 159.

    Geminid

     

    @Rob: On top of fear of tickets and risk to CDLs, there may be some peer pressure involved here. You can’t block traffic without blocking other truckers, and there will be a lot of cussing on the CB if truckers get jammed up by these yo-yos.

    My apologies to yo-yos everywhere.

  162. 162.

    Another Scott

    @Calouste: Another thing that I think is different: TFG was the purported embodiment of the GQP’s version of the American Dream.Ā  “Self-made!”Ā  “Billionaire!”Ā  “Not afraid to say what he thought!”Ā  “Successful!”Ā  “Fights back 10x harder!”Ā  Etc.Ā  I think a lot of the party was afraid of him suing them, also too.Ā  Him having all that, plus his TV show, was a combination that let him squeak over the finish line in a very divided party field.Ā  DeSantis strikes me as more like Christie – a noisy guy who punches down.Ā  I don’t see that he would have any more national appeal than Christie did.

    I suspect lots and lots of people will be fighting for the nomination in 2024 (unless TFG somehow clears the field).Ā  But I suspect that the biggest players will try to wait for 2028.

    People will do a lot to try to get the big chair.Ā  DeSantis will have to fight off a lot of daggers…

    We’ll see!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  163. 163.

    sdhays

    Isn’t Cawthorn the guy went on a cruise to St. Petersburg (Russia) and yucked it up (and who knows what else) at a casino, even though there are no casinos in St. Petersburg?

    Definitely not a Russian asset.

  164. 164.

    Rob

    @Redshift: The three local real-news tv stations here in DC (NBC 4, ABC 7, CBS 9) today collectively only had one story (that I noticed; I was not obsessively checking during the day) about today’s convoy in a quickly visible part of their front pages. For the one pass around the Beltway that the convoy was actually able to make. So it wasn’t really local news.

    eta: That said, I didn’t see what the actual television coverage was. We don’t have a tv in the house…

  166. 166.

    Bill Arnold

    @PJ:

    De Santisā€™ press secretary is spreading Russian disinfo that the US has biological weapons labs in Ukraine and that the US government cannot be trusted.

    Sigh. Republican operatives (maybe fed by Russians) are going for the Nuland connection. (I mean, Nuland deserves it, but the bioweapons stuff is bullshit.)
    The labs in question are related to a 2005 treaty between US and Ukraine related to prevention/suppression of biological weapons programs, in part because there is ex-Soviet bioweapons expertise in the area that might go evil if given incentives, and retirement by bullet to the head was not considered civilized. It was part of the de-mil-ing (of WMDs) of the former USSR.
    Given that Ukraine is thoroughly infiltrated by Russians and has been, the notion that the US has covert bioweapons labs there is absurd. At worst, there may be samples of nasty stuff of some sort in some lab.

    The 2005 treaty involved, which should be read in full, not just snippets from propagandists, is basically a non-proliferation treaty:
    Agreement Between the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and UKRAINE, Signed at Kiev August 29, 2005, 9 pages in English (second half in Ukrainian) (I’ve corrected a few OCR errors.)

    1. In order to assist Ukraine in preventing the proliferation of technology, pathogens, and expertise that are located at the Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Hygiene (Lviv), the Ukrainian Scientific Research Anti-Plague Institute (Odessa), the Central Sanitary Epidemiological Station (Kyiv), and other facilities in Ukraine identified by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and that could be used in the development of biological weapons, the U.S. Department of Defense shall provide assistance to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine at no cost, subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

    Pushaw has a weird background. Curiously, in March 2020 her org in Georgia (the one near Russia) was fined for distributing face masks and sanitizer. (Unlike now. Now she works for pro-COVID DeSantis.)
    NLI leader Christina Pushaw being issued with the fine. Image via the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 27 March 2020

    Yesterday, with support from the Saakashvili Presidential Library, NLI distributed hand sanitiser and face masks to residents of Zugdidi, which attracted a large crowd.

  167. 167.

    Redshift

    @PJ: Yeah, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s pure QAnon, rather than being intentionally pro-Russian. That conspiracy theory was seeded into Q and other right-wing conspiracy theories by Russia a while back, and their current propaganda is really obviously trying to trigger that.

  170. 170.

    Brachiator

    @Scout211:

    A good opinion piece on CNN

    Very sad and interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.

    The movement against LGBTQ Americans is part of a broader assault on attempts to acknowledge and understand the experiences of marginalized groups.

    Hmm. I wonder how these groups got marginalized?

    It’s sad that sympathy, empathy and acknowledgment of our common humanity is being rejected as evil “indoctrination” and anti-Christian values.

    Welcome to the latest chapter of the Culture Wars.

  172. 172.

    Jeffro

    @Geminid:Ā The question is, can they be a big enough asshole.

    I still think this will catch up with some of them trying to win purple states and purple Congressional districts.

    I think you’re right, and that is assuming a static environment. Ā We have the whole year ahead of us for 2022, and two years after that for 2024, for additional info to come out/indictments to be issued/etc etc.

  173. 173.

    debbie

    Hopefully, this time it’s true:

    BREAKING: The hacking collective Anonymous has breached the Russian federal agency responsible for censoring media, and has released 360,000 files to the public.
    ā€” CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) March 10, 2022

  174. 174.

    Jeffro

    @Calouste:Unless DeSantis is going to full out attack the shitgibbon, heā€™s going to be as successful as Lilā€™ Marco.

    trumpov won’t even be a candidate come 1/1/2024.

    but still..yes…the whole field will be trying to out-asshole the others, with the exception of Youngkin, who I think will try to dial it back by a couple % and see if that works.

  176. 176.

    Jeffro

    @debbie:

    @Geminid:

    I think GQP politicians have realized, if trumpov – the world’s most obviously godless person and fake Christian – can win over the rubes and have 99% of them ready to die for him, then ANYone can win over the rubes.

    “Two Corinthians” (ugh)

    And no one pressed him about any of it, either. Ā He was happy to wave that bible all around (once the tear gas faded) but our snooze media sure didn’t try to corner him on his “faith”, not once.

  177. 177.

    Anon

    Not only am I refusing to move to TX and FL, I also refuse to visit there. Stop giving DeSantis and abbott your hard earned money

  178. 178.

    the pollyanna from hell

    I object to recommending everyone should leave red states. I think some of us should migrate in and vote. That is my personal goal for this election year.

  181. 181.

    Suzanne

    The GOP will nominate whomever they think triggers the libz the most. There is nothing else. There are no other criteria.

  182. 182.

    Suzanne

    @Jeffro:

    And no one pressed him about any of it, either. Ā He was happy to wave that bible all around (once the tear gas faded) but our snooze media sure didnā€™t try to corner him on his ā€œfaithā€, not once. 

    Stop thinking that consistency matters. Stop thinking that there would have been a gotcha moment. The Deplorables love Trump because they hate us and he makes us crazy. That is it.

  183. 183.

    Jeffro

    @debbie: double down, double down, always double down…and take ZERO shit from the media. Ā And why not? Ā It costs them nothing with GOP voters, and our snooze media appears to love it.

    It’s the playbook and they’ll keep running it.

  184. 184.

    RaflW

    @Betty Cracker: They get asked. Guys like McConnell and Graham offer some very mild rebuke and the press is all “wow, powerful stuff!” and of course there are zero consequences inside the GOP caucus or money machine.

  185. 185.

    RaflW

    @Brachiator: “Moderate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP.” They’re out of the primary and caucus system, but most of the moderates either stay home or quietly vote “R” come election day.

    They say they dislike the nastiness, but they seem to also either buy that Democrats are worse (whatever sh*theels like Barr mean y those sorts of comments) or they want tax cuts more than they care about their gay grandson or Black co-worker.

  186. 186.

    West of the Rockies

    @Geminid:

    Trump at least had an occasionally affable demeanor.Ā  Ā DeSantis seems pissed 24/7.Ā  I think he is another Scott Walker.

    He is a Northrop HL-10 (the Steve Austin plane).Ā  Might look slick but is a disastrous menace.Ā  That is my hope.

  187. 187.

    Captain C

    @sdhays:

    no casinos in St. Petersburg?

    I’m sure there are at least a few clandestine casinos run by some, ah, friends of Putin (and therefore, in his own mind, TFG).Ā  There certainly were 3 decades ago when I visited with a college class (a couple friends of mine went, and when they came back to the hotel, wanted to drag me along.Ā  As I was already, um, hammered, I declined).Ā  Of course, in the Putin era, such places are surely not used as honeypots for, say, potential Congressmen with way more ego than brains.

  188. 188.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @Jeffro: really, they want straight white men in charge.

    Black people have power in the Democratic Party, making it The Party of Negroes; and thatā€™s what upsets them.

  189. 189.

    Brachiator

    @Jeffro:

    RE: Unless DeSantis is going to full out attack the shitgibbon, heā€™s going to be as successful as Lilā€™ Marco.

    trumpov wonā€™t even be a candidate come 1/1/2024.

    I don’t know whether Trump will be a candidate in 2024. Doesn’t much matter. Trumpism has won.

    However, it would be tough for anyone to win in a shit slinging contest with Trump. That is his natural element. That’s how Little Marco and the others got slapped around. Trump will sink below any level to win.

    This was one of Biden’s strengths. He didn’t bother, did not even acknowledge Trump’s attempts at insult. This left Trump looking like the fool that he is.

    Biden was all “Man, I don’t have time for your bullshit.”

    Excellent strategy.

  191. 191.

    Geminid

    @Jeffro: It can be fun to try and dope out the 2024 Republican field. At this point I think there is a chance Trump runs, but even then he might not win the nomination. Trump still has a fiercely loyal base, but there is some Trump fatigue out there. I wonder if all the politicians trying to win Trump’s endorsement might be behind the curve. I guess we’ll find out some this primary season.

    I don’t think Youngkin will throw his fleece vest into the ring. He’s as ambitious as any of them, so maybe he will. He’s got money and he knows how to use it.

    Youngkin would take a spot on the ticket as VP in a heartbeat. Otherwise 2028 will be his year.

    Virginia Democrats can take some air out of Younkin’s tires by crushing the Republicans in the 2023 General Assembly elections. I’m looking forward to that..

  193. 193.

    Jeffro

    @Suzanne: um…I think my comments are those of disappointment, not delusion. Ā I don’t expect the snooze media to treat Rs and Ds consistently. Ā And I’m pretty sure what I’ve been saying also notes that for Rs, there is no “gotcha” moment in respect to how they feel about their leaders. Ā As you note, the deplorables love their leaders, the crueler and stupider the better.

    I think we’re seeing, and saying, the same thing here.

  194. 194.

    Suzanne

    @Brachiator:

    However, it would be tough for anyone to win in a shit slinging contest with Trump. That is his natural element. Thatā€™s how Little Marco and the others got slapped around. Trump will sink below any level to win. 

    Yes. The Deplorables love Trump because he is deplorable. Li’l Marco and Lyin’ Ted and Low Energy Jeb can only pretend to be low-class trash. Before 2016, we underestimated how much low-class trash wanted to feel represented, and how they hate that the “coastal elitist” class has higher status. (Of course, the “coastal elitist” class includes high school English teachers in Omaha, so really they just hate everyone.)

  196. 196.

    Brachiator

    @RaflW:

    RE: ā€œModerate Republicans seem to have been thoroughly purged from the GOP.ā€

    Theyā€™re out of the primary and caucus system, but most of the moderates either stay home or quietly vote ā€œRā€ come election day.

    I was mainly thinking about GOP politicians, not voters, but you make a good point.

    But I think that in 2020, some people who had voted for Trump in 2016 voted for Biden. This may be a hopeful sign.

    I think it’s far too early to think about the presidential election, but I think the GOP may be more vulnerable than they realize in the midterms.

    The Republicans are counting on fear and nastiness to be enough. Might not work for them this time.

  197. 197.

    Jeffro

    @Brachiator: Right! Ā I think “will you shut up, man?” sums it up best. ;)

    For a nation reeling from a poorly-handled pandemic, tired of four years of trumpov’s obvious corruption and abusive ways, Biden showed (and still shows) steadiness and competence.

  199. 199.

    Calouste

    @Brachiator: Biden could ignore the shitgibbon’s insults, because Biden is a Democrat. Can you see anyone in the GOP primaries trying to do that and not come off as weak? It’s all posing and dick-swinging over there.

  200. 200.

    Brachiator

    @Geminid:

    It can be fun to try and dope out the 2024 Republican field. At this point I think there is a chance Trump runs, but even then he might not win the nomination. Trump still has a fiercely loyal base, but there is some Trump fatigue out there.

    People keep writing Trump off, or underestimating him. He may not be as dominant nationally as he once was, but this little snippet from a recent Newsweek article about the Texas primary got my attention:

    all 33 candidates the former president publicly supportedā€”which ranged from Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott to Tarrant County judge hopeful Tim O’Hareā€”either won their election, or look to be on their way to doing so.

    The one exception was state attorney general candidate Ken Paxton, who is headed for a runoff in May with George P Bush.

    Now it is fair to note that many of these people were already popular in Texas, so Trump did not necessarily make them shine. But his endorsement did not hurt them with Republicans.

    Trump will use his juice until it runs out, and brag about it long after it has lost all power.

  201. 201.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Suzanne:

    (Of course, the ā€œcoastal elitistā€ class includes high school English teachers in Omaha, so really they just hate everyone.)

    That made me laugh because absurdly true. :)

  202. 202.

    Geminid

    @Brachiator: The test of Trump’s political power is a two part test. How his endorsees do in Republican primaries, and how they do in the general election. We won’t know the results of Part One until August. Part Two comes in Nevember.

    In North Carolina, one of the handful of purple states Republicans must win now to elect a President, Trump-endorsed Ted Budd lags former Governor Pat McCrory in the nomination race to succeed Richard Burr. Trump-endorsed David Perdue does not seem to gain any traction against incumbent Brian Kemp in that state’s GovernotĀ  race. Reports are that Trump is inhibited from endorsing candidates in several Senate races by his fear of backing a loser (like him).

    I can only guess at Trump’s strength among voters. I believe the trend is downwards, though, and I can’t see how he can reverse it. This time next year, when the dust from the midterms is settled and Trump is two years out of the Presidency, we’ll have a much better idea.

  203. 203.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Will:

    The Donā€™t Say Gay bill just seems crazy to me. Why is anyone trying to pass legislation like this?

    They hate gay people and want to hurt them.

  204. 204.

    J R in WV

    Regarding the LGBTQ etc movement, which I wholeheartedly support, have you guys watched network TV any lately? The commercials have a ton of gay/lesbian queer folks in them, as highlights. I think we have won the culture war so far as the vast majority of people are concerned. Ad-makers wouldn’t be including gay/trans folks in their ads if they didn’t think so, based upon millions of dollars of research.

    Not that this means the culture war is over, far from it, but I don’t think we’re on the downside any more. Hope so, anyways. Wife and I have both noticed the presence of multi-racial and omni-sexual couples on TV all the time. Money talks, and right-wing bullshit gets the hell out of town.

    Part of the RWNJ culture’s problem is that they know they have lost, and are increasingly desperate about that loss. Their kids don’t give a shit about their culture war, and will walk away from that horseshit before they put up with it. They know that, also too…

  205. 205.

    hotshoe

    @Martin:

    “Get out while you can”

    Sadly, yes, I believe this is now the imperative for anyone who stands out as different in any way from the MAGAts. Because some of them will try to kill you — and you don’t know which ones until it’s too late.

    I’m really sad about this, because I have for years thought the answer to red rural regions was for more of “us” to move there — work from home, retire, or whatever — and leaven the craziness, be friendly at the cafe, be voice of sanity on the town council and school boards, etc.

    But now it seems immoral to ask anyone to put themselves in emotional and physical danger which increases every day.

    Blue areas of blue states are not immune to hate crimes. However I believe it isn’t oppressive to the extent of figuring that everyone on a town sidewalk hates you and wants you dead. Oakland CA? I dunno, I might be naive, but I’m happy to walk around downtown any afternoon. Sandpoint ID? My beloved uncle got a vacation cabin decades ago, and now I wouldn’t even stop in town for gas.

  206. 206.

    Paul in KY

    @JaySinWa: Definitely Boebo & the other girl are going more for fleecing the MAGAs. I think Cawthorn is more ambitious & craven.

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