Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

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

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

I really should read my own blog.

No one could have predicted…

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

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

This fight is for everything.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

“But what about the lurkers?”

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

In my day, never was longer.

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

You are here: Home / Politics / Biden Administration in Action / Another TGIFriday Morning Open Thread

Another TGIFriday Morning Open Thread

by | 235 Comments

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***********


AKA, the time-tested GOP ‘monkeys flinging poo’ defence…

Reader Interactions

235Comments

  1. 1.

    NotMax

    Enough to give despicable bigots a case of the vapors.

    This year, CMA [Country Music Association] Fest joins a growing list of major country music events to ban attendees from displaying Confederate imagery.

    The four-day Nashville festival – considered one of the largest country music gatherings in the world – lists “Confederate flag imagery of any kind” under prohibited items for the 2022 event, according to cmafest.com. Source

  2. 2.

    Rusty

    I am grateful to have the president call for banning assault weapons outright along with a number of other measures. For too long we on the left have been shy that this isn’t an issue that sharply divides the left and right. The gun loving right is never going to vote for a Democrat, no matter how pro-gun so it’s ridiculous to soft pedal the issue. Being bold at least gives a chance to pull in people in the middle that are horrified at the level of shootings. Of course when the SCOTUS finally releases its gun rights decision, the difference may be even more stark (and the ability to enact any meaningful legislation could be zero).

  3. 3.

    bbleh

    @Rusty: True, but by joining the POLITICAL battle, there is at least a path forward to dealing with the issue eventually.

    The alternative is to say “well, 60 Senate votes, SCOTUS, whatchagonnado?” and give up right from the start.

  5. 5.

    Betty Cracker

    I thought Biden made a strong speech. My husband the normie was moved by it (he’s my yardstick to gauge how political events are perceived by liberal people who are not political junkies). He voiced a minor quibble about the “ban assault rifles, but if you don’t ban them, at least raise the age limit” component. He felt like asking lawmakers to raise the age limit as an alternative to a ban undermined the strength of the call for a ban. But I countered that it was a bow to reality.

    And the reality still seems to be that nothing will pass at the federal level. Still, the Democratic president spoke and advocated for what the majority of the country wants. And the Democratic MOCs will vote for a package that reflects what the majority wants, and let the Republicans go on record as opposing it to accommodate the minority.

    We seem to be doing more of that these days. There’s always the risk that it will make Dems look weak, but I think it’s a good thing. Let people see you try.

  6. 6.

    debbie

    I wish the president had pointed out that mental illness isn’t always the culprit, but that 18-year-olds lack the developed prefrontal cortex they need to think their way through or beyond their anger. This alone should cause the minimum age to be 21, not 18.

  7. 7.

    JML

    @debbie: 

    Probably too complex of a subject to address this way, especially in a speech about gun control? That needs to stick in something dedicated to advocacy for mental health, I think. One of the areas we get ourselves in trouble is trying to address every nuance, and losing clarity.

    The point is a good one, but is a little too subtle/confusing for this environment and message set.

  8. 8.

    Geminid

    If I were a Republican and I wanted to craft a strategy to counter the January 6 Commitee hearings, the last person I’d talk to is trump. He has a certain low cunning, but when it comes to broader strategic thinking he’s an idiot.

  10. 10.

    debbie

    @JML:

    I acknowledge I’m not the messenger when it comes to clarity, but there must be some way to make this distinction.

  11. 11.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Geminid: 

    If I were a Republican and I wanted to craft a strategy to counter the January 6 Commitee hearings, the last person I’d talk to is trump. He has a certain low cunning, but when it comes to broader strategic thinking he’s an idiot.

    Tru dat. Fortunately for us (at least right now), there’s no way for any Republican to control him. In their party, he’s the 900 pound gorilla who sits wherever he wants.

  12. 12.

    Soprano2

    So we heard from the Maui County Police last night; they confirmed that the body they found is my husband’s son John (they have the same first name, it’s confusing). We don’t know cause of death yet; the officer said it would take two weeks for the toxicology report to come back. I have no idea what the next steps are; the officer said the morgue would contact us. John doesn’t have many possessions, and I doubt he has any bills beyond his rent. We’ll probably have the body shipped back here. I don’t know what we’ll do with his possessions; maybe have his friends box them up and ship them back here, paid for by us of course. I hate to have to travel to Maui to do this stuff, it’s not like we can just drive there! My husband is devastated, of course; he said it’s not real to him yet. I’m upset because I loved John, but I didn’t know him as well as hubby did. We did solve the puzzle of why he quit texting and calling last September; his friend said he got rid of his cell phone, so he hadn’t had one since then.

    Contacting people about this is about as “fun” as you’d imagine; I’m going to call his employer when they open, around 1:00 my time. *sigh*sob

  13. 13.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @NotMax: ​Those 3 votes could be the difference in a close election. (just pointing out that that demographic barely votes in my usual sarcastic voice)

  19. 19.

    jonas

    @Geminid: but when it comes to broader strategic thinking he’s an idiot.

    This, but also because in addition to being phenomenally stupid, he’s lazy. Being strategic requires focus and attention. Trump has neither.

  20. 20.

    NorthLeft

    Matt Schlapp is a leader in this effort.

    That pretty much says it all for me.

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    @Geminid: Agreed. I read somewhere the “counterprogramming” might involve Trump holding rallies. I suspect that would not redound to Republicans’ benefit.

  24. 24.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    So Trump is trusting Kevin McCarthy, who we last saw recorded calling on Trump to resign private, doing his messaging during the hearing. Only the best people Dumbass Donny, right? ROFL

  25. 25.

    tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat)

    @Soprano2: I’m so sorry. I hope you and your husband have the love and support you need to get through the difficult days ahead.

  27. 27.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Soprano2:

    I’m so sorry for your loss. I was really hoping your step son was going to be OK. I’ll keep your family in my thoughts and I hope eventually you all will be able to find some closure

  28. 28.

    geg6

    @Soprano2: 

    I am so, so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you, your husband and the entire family. Terrible, terrible news.

  30. 30.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Betty Cracker:

    Rofl, the same rallies that have seen declining attendance? On it’s face, that doesn’t seem like the brightest ideas

  31. 31.

    OzarkHillbilly

    From FBI sets sights on crypto economy with arrest of former OpenSea staffer, I read this:

    But until Chastain’s arrest this week, there was widespread debate over whether such practices were illegal, given the different norms and practices in the sector. For example the trade in so-called “shitcoins” – crypto assets created with no purpose other than to be bought and sold in a speculative market – is openly acknowledged to be full of practices that would be illegal in a regulated market.

    If you look around the poker table and you can’t spot the mark…

    According to pseudonymous “shitcoin influencer” Epitaph… “It’s no secret that everything we buy is a scam on some level. The question isn’t ‘is this token a scam,’ because they all are, the question is: ‘Is this scam done well enough to convince other people to buy?’”

    It’s you.

  32. 32.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Geminid: You’re assuming the Republicans can think strategically. It’s pretty much a party of old men who are near the end of their lives now.  As some point soon there is going to be a huge die off of GOP incumbents.

  38. 38.

    Elizabelle

    @Tony Jay:   Thank you!  Played that 3 times in a row.  Moar booing, please, Britons not Brexiteers.

    And the commentators “did not see that coming.”  Hello??

    Like the GOP is going to win everything, big time, this fall. Take it to the bank.

  40. 40.

    tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat)

    @Tony Jay: Enjoyed the photos on BBC. Then hopped over to CNN and there was a headline about Boris being booed. Not a peep of that on the BBC side. Had to read it, of course.

  41. 41.

    AM in NC

    @Soprano2: Oh no. I’m so so so sorry and sending you and especially your husband as much love as I can. As a parent, I am devastated for you both :(

  42. 42.

    JPL

    @Geminid:  If a network holds his performance live, they will be forever banned in my house.   He might be able to defuse the January 6 committee message, but the real judge has always been the DOJ.   Let’s see what they have.

  47. 47.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Tony Jay:

    Wow, that was like 90% booing from that crowd. They hate him! No wonder his party got shellacked in recent elections. Couldn’t have happened to a bigger dickhead than Ol’ Boris

  50. 50.

    Geminid

    @JPL: Networks have stopped carrying the rallies live. Some internet outfit called Rightside news carries them. Thats what critics like Ron Filipkowski moniter when they tweet about them. The interviews with attendees in the hours leading up to the show are really something.

  52. 52.

    Tenar Arha

    @Tony Jay: omg, “…didn’t see that coming.” Wow. I’m not British & and I’m wondering what planet are the commentators living on?

  53. 53.

    Betty

    @Soprano2: So very sorry. What a brutal experience. It must be really hard for your husband to have so many unanswered questions.

  56. 56.

    Ken

    @Tony Jay: What, no cheering because of the recently-announced major trade deal with… Indiana???

    (After viewing the video, maybe the UK contracted for a Five Guys franchise?)

  57. 57.

    Ken

    @Geminid: The interviews with attendees in the hours leading up to the show are really something.

    I’m imagining something like a Grateful Dead crowd, but less coherent?

  58. 58.

    MazeDancer

    If Trumo is still alive, and if we still have a functioning Democracy, Trump’s act will, a year from now, have gotten old. No new material, crowds will continue to shrink at rallies.

    Which is good news for DeSantis. Who is a much more virulent hater. And shown willingness to sacrifice money for hate with his attacks on Disney and the Rays.

  62. 62.

    Betty

    Regarding the counter offensive by Trump and company, I am wondering what documents they are pulling and from where. Any of those taken illegally from the White House?

  67. 67.

    Ohio Mom

    @debbie:  Really should be raised to 25 if you are going by brain development but that will never fly.

    A friend’s son who has been something of a hell-raiser — a few years ago, he ended up in court-ordered rehab — recently announced to me he went to a doctor to get on psychotropic meds and is looking into starting community college.

    I asked him how old he is now, he answered he turned 25 last summer. I laughed and said, You’re right on time, developmentally.

  68. 68.

    Mike in NC

    We just got our morning newspaper, which included a supplement for Sportsman’s Warehouse, where they’re having a huge Father’s Day sale on handguns and assault rifles! Hurry on down to get a great deal on baby killing weapons!

  69. 69.

    J R in WV

    @Soprano2: ​
     

    So sorry for your family’s loss — it is always a shock to lose a young person like that. And so far away, no wonder it feels unreal to your husband. Sincere condolences from WV!

  71. 71.

    NotMax

    ‘@Ken

    If Boris’ government gave birth to the agreement, does that make him a Hoosier Daddy?

    //

  77. 77.

    Elizabelle

    SO:  the January 6th hearings begin next Thursday evening.

    And, I think another massacre of schoolkids in a classroom was a bridge too far, even for Republican voters.

    I think the winds are about to change.

    Have been mostly offline, but am wondering if the police might wise up about assault weapons in their line of work.  In Parkland and Uvalde, the police were no match whatsoever once an assault weapon came out.  If memory serves, in Aurora and Sandy Hook, most of the murdering was over by the time the police were on the scene.

    And:  you have police officers dying from assault weapon fire.  The hero cop on duty at King Soopers grocery store (was that Colorado??).  The recent retired police officer, now a security officer, who died when he engaged the gunman at the Buffalo grocery store.  He was entirely overmatched, but tried to stop the gunman anyway.

    You have a nation alternately wincing and laughing at the cops in Uvalde, and their outright lying about what happened that day, and being caught out.

    It seems it might be a lot better for police if the public did not have assault weapons.  For one thing, they don’t want to be the butt of jokes. People are ridiculing the Uvalde cops, and that’s harder to take than outright injury and death.

    The police also don’t want to be dead.  (I think the Uvalde cops had a week to think about the hero security guy in Buffalo, who tried, and ended up dead.  They did not want to be that guy.)

    There is no reason to have assault weapons, in a civilized society, or in this relatively uncivilized one.

    We need to break the gun lobby’s back on this one.  And I know it will be very hard.

    But situations change.  And I think that may be in process now

    Maybe we can work on the police departments, instead of just the gun lobby’s bought and paid for politicians (national and statewide).

  79. 79.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Betty Cracker:

    He really does seem like an American Orban. So much for free speech and free enterprise, that the Republicans allegedly cherish so much.

  82. 82.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: Current projections put it well to our south, so the weather will probably be great for us. Tropical systems seem to pull in all the moisture and leave the nearby areas breezy and fine. :)

  87. 87.

    Geminid

     

     

    @Ken: There seems to be a lot of folks who’ve been to 20 or more rallies, so there is that similarity to Dead concerts. Attendees are almost all white, although there are usually some Black people staged behind trump when he speaks. They get t-shirts, maybe more for looking at trump’s fat ass.

    Attendance seems to be dropping steadily. If trump’s minions try to schlapp something together without a lot of lead time they may be embarrassed by crowd size. Trump just made endorsements in the Wisconsin Governor and Arizona Senate primaries, so maybe he’ll rally in one of those states.

  88. 88.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Uh huh

    This reminds me of the K Street Project, when Grover Norquist and Tom Delay set up a mob-style protection racket to threaten lobbyists and PACs that tried to play both sides of the aisle. Basically giving big business a choice to eitherbfreeze the Dems out completely or lose all access to Republicans.

  98. 98.

    EarthWindFire

    @Soprano2: That’s devastating. I’m so sorry. I have a similar relationship with my stepson. Happy to be a shoulder to cry on.

  99. 99.

    opiejeanne

    @Betty Cracker: I missed that, somehow.

    Well, not really “somehow”. I’ve been trying to tune out the news the past couple of weeks while we’ve been dealing with Covid, but how dare he mess with baseball.

  102. 102.

    Brachiator

    @Tony Jay:

    Got to love the absolute clarity of the crowd’s message and the glee Future Ex-Wife Mark 3 is hiding behind that artfully positioned hat/shield.

    Do you mean to say that the people have not simply moved on, as Boris told them to?

  104. 104.

    Old School

    @Geminid:

    If I were a Republican and I wanted to craft a strategy to counter the January 6 Commitee hearings, the last person I’d talk to is trump. He has a certain low cunning, but when it comes to broader strategic thinking he’s an idiot.

    Especially since Trump’s strategy is often to get people talking about something even worse.  How do you top an insurrection?

  106. 106.

    dnfree

    @Soprano2: so terribly sorry for you and your husband.  No matter how it happened, it’s a great loss to the family and others who lived him.

  107. 107.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @Soprano2: i am so sorry. I can’t imagine losing a child and losing a child in that fashion just sounds like a nightmare.

  109. 109.

    satby

    @Elizabelle: There was a time not that long ago that police departments and personnel were pretty united in opposition to civilian ownership of automatic weapons. It’s a horrible thing to say, but I’m honestly glad my dad never lived to see today’s gun free-for-all. The stress of spending his days as a homicide cop killed him before his time, because most homicides were between family members or people who know each other, or kids who find the hidden gun, or suicides. He’d be bewildered and appalled by today.

  110. 110.

    James E Powell

    @Old School:

    I don’t say this to doom-post, but my cynicism about American “news” media is matched by my cynicism about American voters.

    If CNN cut away from key testimony in the hearings to show an empty podium waiting for Trump to speak, you’d be outraged, but would you be surprised? Or if they hired a Trumpster to provide nightly commentary & review of the day’s hearings? Or interviewed Ohio diners who say it’s time to move on?

    The danger to democracy posed by Trump & the Republicans – in January 2021 and continuing to this very day – still has not entered the consciousness of those low information voters who determine the winners in swing states.

  111. 111.

    Mike in NC

    @Geminid: The lowlifes who tried to show up at lots of Trump’s hate rallies called themselves “Front Row Joes” despite their gender. They all had plenty of money to pay their way. In addition to free t-shirts, many folks got $50 to pretend to be enthusiastic. Donald Trump was first and foremost an entertainer, albeit a fascist one. Ratings meant everything to the Fat Orange Clown.

  112. 112.

    Elizabelle

    @satby:  I remember police chiefs being against “cop killer bullets.”

    Your father did not live to see this madness, and my parents did not live to see Trump.

    I think the pervasiveness of guns accounts for a lot of the police brutality.  They’re afraid of those they allegedly “protect and serve.”  And they have too many rotten apples in their ranks.

  114. 114.

    Old School

    @James E Powell:

    I agree with you, but low-information voters won’t be watching CNN anyway.

    I assume the purpose of the prime time hearings are to try to reach those voters, but I haven’t seen if the major broadcast networks plan to air them.  I hope so.

  115. 115.

    Mike in NC

    @trollhattan: Our experience was that almost every strip mall in central Florida had a nail shop, tattoo parlor, liquor store, and gun dealership. That’s full service!

  120. 120.

    piratedan

    @James E Powell: 

    I hate even saying this, but the Dems (WHILE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY) need to treat this like the media circus it deserves to be…. if you’re going primetime, then you need to have some kind of “outcome” and that would be something along the lines of… at the end of today’s hearing, we’ve remanded the DOJ to arrest Congresswoman Greene for acts of Sedition and Conspiracy against the United States of America.

    and if you want to sustain it, pick a different treason weasel(s) every damn day (we all know that there’s at least six in Congress), not to mention the media conspirators at Faux and members of Trump’s administration.

    empower the Sergeant of Arms to issue arrest warrants and back it up with US Marshalls… cut live to them tracking down the miscreant and film it. Shit, arrest Hannity live and on the air.

    if you’re gonna fight a nightly propaganda network attempting to control the narrative, might as well seize it completely and follow thru.

  122. 122.

    Elizabelle

    @JMG:   And then the question for Betty Cracker:  do I really want to fly back?

    Maybe for the doggos and the birds.  C’est dommage.

  123. 123.

    kalakal

    It appears supply chain issues have hit wasp & hornet venom.

    Had to cancel my shots today as the delivery schedule of vespid related products has been disrupted.

    I blame cancel culture

  124. 124.

    Old Man Shadow

    President Joe Biden urged Congress to ban assault weapons, expand background checks and implement other sensible gun control measures to address a string of mass shootings that have struck the United States

    And then Mitch McConnell, fifty Republicans, and two fucking worthless Democrats laughed and laughed and then returned to jerking off to photos of gun shot victims.

    Vote for more Democrats in the Senate.

  125. 125.

    jonas

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: ​
      Unfortunately, for every McConnell or Grassley that bites it, there’s a Madison Cawthorn (until recently) or Lauren Boebert coming up through the ranks to replace them. Youth seems to be no impediment to bugfuck wackrery in the new, Trumpified GOP.

  126. 126.

    ian

    @Betty Cracker: 
    I hate to agree with DeSantis on anything, but can’t an MLB team fund it’s own training facilities? Why do they need 35 million from that state (and yes, I know sports teams all do it in every state, but I still don’t understand why politicians go along with it)

    Of course- his objection isn’t the 35 million government$ wasted on baseball, but their stance on guns.

  127. 127.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @ian: It’s classic mobbed-up quid pro quo.

    “Nice subsidies you got there, it would be a shame if anything happened to them…”

  132. 132.

    trollhattan

    Paul Gosar demands you stop bothering guns and deal with the Real Problem facing ‘murka.

    June 3, 2022 at 7:28 am EDT By Taegan Goddard

    Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) said Ohio U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance (R) is right in wanting to ban pornography.

    Said Gosar: “Liberal courts have declared porn to fall under ‘free speech.’ What a joke.”

    He added: “This, combined with the horrible effects it’s having on our young men and women, means that one who opposes any restrictions on porn is ignorant at best and malicious at worst… But leftists refuse to budge an inch for the sake of sexual immorality.”

    Anita Bryant lives.

  140. 140.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @jonas: The problems with these GOPer cool kids is they are like Trump and think it’s all a reality TV show,  but like we’re seeing last few years there is serious shit that needs be dealt with.

  145. 145.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Baud: Serious shit is boring.

    And that’s what going to kill the cool kids because if they take the House, next year it will be the budget, which is boring, tedious and necessary.  Last time round Ryan basically had to give Pelosi control of the House because the GOPers couldn’t be bothered.

  148. 148.

    Anyway

    @Elizabelle:

    Until about 10 (15?) years ago police chiefs and groups would speak out against growing number of guns, assault weapons etc. But in recent years these calls seem to have decreased as LEO groups have become more aligned with the GQP.

  150. 150.

    Another Scott

    Oooh. Ford has decided that it’s time Elon found out what it’s like to have serious competition from people who understand the auto business.

    Ford shades Elon commercial will make your morning pic.twitter.com/TFZ0zpDQYd

    — David Diego (@DiegoDarwin2021) June 3, 2022

    Well done.

    (via EclecticBrotha)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  151. 151.

    RaflW

    @trollhattan: The “freedom and liberty” party:
    > anti-marijuana legalization
    > ban porn
    > censor libraries
    > prevent teachers from saying ‘gay’
    > extort/punish companies for their communications & desires to meet their customers where they are in their values
    > intrude in family & medical decisions involving teens (and even young adults)
    > not to mention, of course, abortion

    Any pretense that this isn’t just a flat-out authoritarian party that will rule with an iron fist is gone. I just don’t think our press can disabuse itself of all the shopworn self-impressions of what the GOP was (loosely and very imperfectly).

  153. 153.

    lowtechcyclist

    @MazeDancer:

    Trump’s act will, a year from now, have gotten old. No new material, crowds will continue to shrink at rallies.

    I dunno. I was reading a day or two ago about a recent Trump rally where he was going through his usual litany of 2020 grievances and people were starting to get bored and wander out.
    Then he said something nasty about trans people, everybody clapped and cheered, and he found his feet again. Once he figures out what his audience wants to hear, he’s very good at adjusting his message, so I bet his future rallies will have a lot more of that, and a lot less of the recycled 2020 stuff.​

  155. 155.

    Eunicecycle

    @Another Scott: I saw that on TV recently (yes I am old so still watch commercial TV) and I was shocked but happy. I kept thinking, “Are they saying what I think they’re saying!”

  156. 156.

    Hoodie

    @lowtechcyclist: Trump’s talent has always been finding the right people to hate, which is why no one should be too sympathetic with Trump supporters.  Most if not all of them know he’s a lying sack of excrement but support him because the lying is in service of whatever resentments they hold.

  157. 157.

    RaflW

    On the TGIF theme, I’m thankful for this! Former Trump White House advisor Peter Navarro indicted by federal grand jury for criminal contempt of Congress

    Marcy Wheeler for some valuable insight, too.

    @emptywheel
    I’m less excited by the Navarro indictment than virtually everyone.
    It is just a step.
    But I **am** excited that bc he represented himself all his comms with Trump will be readily accessible, with no privilege review.

  159. 159.

    Another Scott

    @lowtechcyclist: He supposedly remarked that he knew that the Wall stuff was stupid, but it got the biggest reaction at his rallies so that’s why he continued to push it.

    It would be great if a bunch of TikTokers bought up all the tickets to his upcoming rallies (like they did in Tulsa) and booed everything he said from his prepared remarks and started chanting Support Trump and Ban Assault Weapons or Support Trump and Vote Republicans Out or something and forced him to change his tune.

    He’s so obvious, but too many political brainiacs think that he’s some sort of genius rather than a needy, sick, pathetic little man.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  169. 169.

    trollhattan

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: True? If so Friday, good has become Friday GREAT.

    Navarro REALLY got under my skin which, considering how vile all the Trumpers were, is an accomplishment.

  170. 170.

    prostratedragon

    Soprano2, my condolences to you and your husband at this painful time.

  171. 171.

    RaflW

    @lowtechcyclist: For this reason alone, a lot of people who may either have never given transgender issues much thought —  or found them confusing or awkward or just plain off (heck, that could have described me a dozen years ago, despite being a long-out gay man who used the LGBTQ label in my life and my organizing work) — will need to get at least minimally conversant and understand that for solidarity reasons, if not human kindness, the throwing of trans people under the bus has to be resisted loudly and unequivocally.

    Trump (and an entire Trumpist party) will use ‘Mexican rapists’, trans athletes or anything else for their power purposes. Witness Ohio’s GOP trifecta gov’t about to pass a genital inspection law for children in sport. It’s the absolute creepiest, maximally intrusive, entirely suspicion-based attack on bodily autonomy and privacy.

    Not to mention a wild entree for actual groomers (I think of all the poor gymnasts abused by a doctor in the wretched Karolyi Ranch scandal and spiral out from there).

  176. 176.

    RaflW

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: Right. The GOP doesn’t actually believe that a government debt default would matter. If they control both chambers in 2023, they’ll drive over the debt limit cliff and hope that none of the risks will redound to them.

    In our current environment, while I think they’re utterly wrong that default won’t matter, they’re probably all too right that “Congress and the president defaulted” will be how the crisis is covered.

  179. 179.

    burnspbesq

    @Bostondreams: 

    Meanwhile in Florida, DeSantis cracks down on the scourge of trans folk apparently.

    Alabama’s attempt to do the same was recently enjoined by the U.S. District Court. The same will likely happen in Florida. Then the states’ appeals can be consolidated in the Eleventh Circuit and given the smackdown they so richly deserve.

  180. 180.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:  In previous cases of this, did Congress just refer the Contempt of Congress case to DOJ? Or did they do the grand jury thing?

    Trying to figure out what’s different here.

  181. 181.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @NotMax: 

    Get ready for the new “Conservative Country Music Awards” on RFD TV coming summer 2022

  182. 182.

    Tony Jay

    Yup, you are all quite right to identify that as a – lot – of booing. In fact I think the technical term is a metric shit ton of booing.

    Which may be why Flobalob is so eager to drag the UK back to Imperial measurements.

  184. 184.

    burnspbesq

    @RaflW:

    Navarro apparently refused to come in voluntarily, so he was arrested and perp-walked, and is currently in custody pending a hearing this afternoon. He’s enough of a pompous ass that he’ll probably piss off Judge Mehta and end up spending the weekend in jail.

    ICYMI, his pro se attempt to get the committee subpoena quashed is comedy gold.

  185. 185.

    Hoodie

    @Another Scott: Elon seems to be really looking for the exits now that Ford, VW and some others are making serious inroads.  He knows he can’t compete on production and distribution with them.  Now he’s starting to blame his own workers and talk down the economy, maybe pre-emptively creating excuses for Tesla starting to slide.

  186. 186.

    Soprano2

    Thanks for the condolences, everyone. It’s still not quite real to us yet. I talked to my husband’s daughter this morning – she called me, which is good. Perhaps she and her dad will reconcile, at least somewhat. If that happens it would be one good thing that could come out of this tragedy. I’ve gotta call his employer this afternoon, not looking forward to that at all but it’s gotta be done.

  189. 189.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @RaflW:  Oh, as we see in those McCarthy tapes, they care a lot. They just want the Democrats to do all the work.

  190. 190.

    burnspbesq

    @Hoodie:

    He’s pissing off the locals by ordering mgmt back to the office. Austinites believe (wrongly) that their rush-hour traffic is the worst there is, and a few thousand Model 3s jumping on I-35 will make it worse.

    The slide started months ago. TSLA stock has lost almost half its value since 1/1. Saw an estimate the other day that short-sellers are up $7 billion YTD.

  191. 191.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Tony Jay: Which may be why Flobalob is so eager to drag the UK back to Imperial measurements.

    As usual, England is late the party; we American have moved on from Imperial to measuring lengths in (real, as in American) Football Fields, giraffes and house cats. Because it’s science.

  192. 192.

    Calouste

    @Hoodie: 

    Ford announced the Electric F-150 a year ago, delivered the first one last week.

    Tesla announced the VaporTruck, uh, CyberTruck in 2019. First delivery has been postponed a few times, might now be in 2023. Or not.

    That’s a lot of people who are going to be buying a Ford instead of a Tesla.

  193. 193.

    kalakal

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    England has 2 special units of measurement – the Wales and the Belgium eg

    “The storm, covering an area 1/2 the size of Wales, is expected to…”

    “Forest fires twice the size of Belgium are tonight…”

    They’re wonderfully useless

  194. 194.

    Bostondreams

    @burnspbesq: Alabama’s attempt to do the same was recently enjoined by the U.S. District Court. The same will likely happen in Florida. Then the states’ appeals can be consolidated in the Eleventh Circuit and given the smackdown they so richly deserve.

     

    Much more optimistic on this than I am. :/

  196. 196.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @Bostondreams: so now it’s not just protecting “influencible young people” it’s extending to fully mature adults, banning them from ALL healthcare if they get Medicaid as well as take hormone therapy.

    I’m guessing this is massively illegal and would result in Florida losing ALL Medicaid funding as an unintended consequence, and he probably knows it.

    But he’s on a re-election shit tirade of pretending he’s omnipotent so Florida needs to fix this or they’re stuck with him for 4 more years

  198. 198.

    Geminid

    @trollhattan: There was some other significant Navarro news last weekend. He announced that he had been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury, and required to provide his communications with trump. I think this is a different matter than the January 6 Committee subpoena, and it’s the first indication I’ve noticed that Justice Department prosecutors are looking at conspiracy at the highest levels to overturn the Presidential election.

    Navarro said he would fight the subpoena in court, and had a long list of people he’d sue to this end.

  199. 199.

    dmsilev

    @burnspbesq:

    The slide started months ago. TSLA stock has lost almost half its value since 1/1. Saw an estimate the other day that short-sellers are up $7 billion YTD.

    Elon Musk hates hates hates short sellers. The fact that Elon Musk has, though his own actions, made a lot of money for those short sellers, well schadenfreude would seem to be the appropriate word.

  200. 200.

    FelonyGovt

    @Tony Jay: Reminds me of the delightful time Trump was booed when he attended a Washington Nationals baseball game. I watched that over and over just to see his ugly face brought almost to tears.

  202. 202.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Calouste: Who would want that thing, anyway? It looked like a low-poly rendering from a Nintendo 64 game. I recall how Simone Giertz converted her own Tesla car into a pickup herself and her design was way better and certainly more attractive than what Tesla produced.

  203. 203.

    Layer8Problem

    @Soprano2:  There are a lot of us here who care and will listen, if you need.  I’m so sorry for what you and your husband are enduring.

  204. 204.

    RaflW

    @burnspbesq: I’d expect the perp walk was eagerly anticipated as it’ll give him endless MAGA butthurt “I’m a total victim of lefty government overreach” screeching.

    Still, I’d be happy to have him be a full weekend guest in the pokey.

  205. 205.

    Tony Jay

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    I believe Kakakal has covered the relevant scientific measurements.

    I didn’t know that your form of Armoured Rugby was an Hispanic import, though. But since you clarify that its full title is Futbol de Real, it’ll be Royal Football to me forevermore. 8-)

  206. 206.

    RaflW

    @Calouste: Jebus H. LeChrist.
    CyberTrukk (as the splash page at Tesla spells it, lacking just one more K to truly reflect the likely target market) has “ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless-steel structural skin [and] Tesla armor glass.”

    So the truck is being pitched as an assault vehicle. It sure sounds like a (very lightly) armored 4 person & gear carrier.

    Damn.

  207. 207.

    Tony Jay

    @FelonyGovt:

    Zaktly. You can tell how much of a bodyblow the booing was to the UK News Media’s self-constructed image of Flobalob just from the shock (and a bit of well concealed pleasure) in the presenter voice.

    They really do think it’s only political opponents who fail to appreciate his ‘man of the people’ appeal.

    OTOH, the BBC and Sky chiefs who ordered the footage edited to add fake cheering (on the Sky clip its pretty clearly culled from an indoor event) are fully aware that their boy is a dud, but he’s their boy, and they know their job.

  208. 208.

    Mike in NC

    Just returned from the supermarket, where (Holy Shit!) the car parked next to me had both a ‘TRUMP 2024’ and Qanon sticker on the rear window.

  209. 209.

    RaflW

    @Tony Jay: I’m enjoying the idea that BoJo’s wife picked that exact hat design anticipating that she’d have to look at him less (and, I admire the panache of anyone willing to walk around acting like they don’t have an utterly ridiculous thing pinned sideways on their head!).

  210. 210.

    JML

    every time I see anything from the GOP on guns, I’m reminded of the quote from The American President: “And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it.”

    TFG and the modern GOP = Bob Rumson.

  212. 212.

    Hoodie

    @Calouste:  Cars are still cars, irrespective of whether they’re electric or not. I saw a similar thing with a local LED lighting outfit around these parts, the product got commoditized and the big firms with manufacturing and distribution heft took over. There’s no way Tesla can offer a full line of vehicles in the way a Ford or VW can. Most people want reliable (or at least predictable) cars that are marketed, serviced and resold through familiar channels, which is why they buy a buttload of F-150s and Camrys. Other battery manufacturers are scaling up and will beat Tesla on cost. Someone will buy Tesla IP when their stock takes a dive and harvest some tail end money from the bigs, but that won’t stop the major mfrs any more than TI was able to stop Samsung when it took over the DRAM market.  In the end, Musk will still end up ridiculously wealthy.

  215. 215.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    HOLY SHIT, according to the US Attorney’s office, Peter Navarro is IN CUSTODY, pending a court appearance!!!— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) June 3, 2022

    Well THIS explains his crazy assed, self-implicating melt down on Ari Melber’s show yesterday. Betting he had a heads up this was coming.

    So quick it almost feels like the punch in the face I wanted to give him when he was talking :-D

  216. 216.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @Calouste: If Ford can make an electric vehicle that doesn’t lock me inside when its battery catches on fire that’s gonna be a real deal maker

  217. 217.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @Calouste: If Ford can make an electric vehicle that doesn’t lock me inside when its battery catches on fire that’s gonna be a real deal maker

  219. 219.

    geg6

    @Cameron: 
    Can’t remember who said it, but saying that Schlapp’s name is the sound of a raw pork chop hitting the floor is just…chef’s kiss.

  222. 222.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @Ella in New Mexico: My Nissan Leaf is pretty great and doesn’t do that (or drive itself, or any of the ridiculously unsafe things that Teslas do).

    I love my electric car. It’s peppy and doesn’t use ANY GAS AT ALL!

  223. 223.

    cliosfanboy

    @Ken: ​
     excuse me. Five Guys is originally from Northern Virginia, not Indiana. Humpfh.

  225. 225.

    Tony Jay

    @RaflW: 

    Ha! It was a very big hat, tilted very much to the side Shit Fester was shambling on.

    Who knows, maybe Zach Goldsmith bought it for her.

  226. 226.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    So sorry. You can’t do anything until you get a death certificate so just take a breather.

    Some of my clients who have lost adult children have told me it was helpful to put together an obituary. You could publish it where he grew up. The parents then get contacted by people who knew their son or daughter as children which they welcome.

  228. 228.

    Geminid

    @debbie: Those House Republicans have big plans!

    Besides all the other good reasons, I want to see us hold the House so I can see the look on their faces the day after the election.

  229. 229.

    burnspbesq

    A clarification on Navarro. There are two proceedings running in parallel.

    1. He blew off a subpoena from the 1/6 committee, which voted to hold him in contempt and referred the matter to DOJ. He was indicted for contempt of Congress, and that’s what he was arrested for today.

    2. He also got a subpoena from a grand jury that is investigating … something. He filed, pro se, an action attempting to quash that subpoena, making a host of procedural errors and including the sort of ridiculous rhetoric for which he is justly infamous. The judge gave him two weeks to fix it. I’m betting he won’t.

    He has a chance to hit the quinella, gratuitously pissing off two different U.S. District Judges.

    You do NOT want to be this guy today.

  230. 230.

    Gravenstone

    @burnspbesq: He’s enough of a pompous ass that he’ll probably piss off Judge Mehta and end up spending the weekend in jail.

    One can only hope. And savor….

  233. 233.

    Soprano2

    @Kay:  Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll have to find out where that was from his sister; my hubby and his son’s mom divorced when his son was 2; mom moved to somewhere in Southern California. I don’t know if she’s been notified yet; hubby’s daughter said she didn’t have a contact# for mom, but had an aunt who was going to attempt contact. I called his work earlier today, all I have left to call is his on again/off again girlfriend in Maui

    Oh, and I need to find his estranged son’s contact info on Facebook if I can.

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