Here’s a place to talk about all things related to President Zelenskyy’s visit.
A post for the joint press conference is also scheduled.
This says it all pic.twitter.com/e28ANep8lb
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) December 21, 2022
Zelenskyy presents Biden with a gift from fighters in Bakhmut pic.twitter.com/Hjy38uf4s2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 21, 2022
h/t for the tweets from Alison Rose and zhena gogolia
Open thread.
Alison Rose
Thank you, WG! If anyone missed it, be sure to watch the whole Oval Office portion. It was really nice to hear Biden reaffirm our support and admiration for Ukraine, and to hear Zelenskyy’s heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
Then of course once they were done, the reporters all started absolutely yelling questions, and I was like, people…you really think he’s gonna be able to understand any of you? English is my first language and I couldn’t understand a damn word they said.
Ken
I see Fox’s live reporting on the gift didn’t insert commentary, so we’ll have to wait for tonight’s programming to hear that this was how they got the server with Hillary’s emails from Ukraine into Biden’s hands.
Alison Rose
@Ken: The medal is actually a USB drive with everything from Hunter’s laptop.
dmsilev
@Ken: I trust that Hunter Biden’s laptop was involved at some point.
Edit: I see we’re all thinking along similar lines.
WaterGirl
@Alison Rose:
Do you have a link for a longer version?
Alison Rose
@WaterGirl: Looks like this should be the full thing,.
I didn’t watch the tweet videos above, so it’s possible they cover the whole thing.
sab
@Alison Rose: EVERYONE KNOWS THAT FOREIGNERS WILL UNDERSTAND YOU IF ONLY YOU SPEAK LOUDER!!
Alison Rose
@sab: AND TWENTY OF YOU AT ONCE!!!!
zhena gogolia
Thanks, WG.
sab
@Alison Rose: Gotta laugh.
David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch
kalakal
@sab: Annnnnd sllllooooowly with a rising inflection and meaningless hand gestures
trollhattan
Ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack, ka-thwack.
All you Luddite photogs still lugging the DSLRs, get with the program. (I have a camera with a 120 fps silent shutter, so there, dudes!)
Betty Cracker
That photo spread with Zelensky and Trump and Zelensky and Biden is so telling!
kalakal
That contrast picture.
BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️
@Alison Rose:
It’s just as well – you KNOW they were going to be the insipid queries that the Press Corpse is known for.
kalakal
@BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️: The Press Corps should have to cross a bridge before being allowed in
“STOP! Who approacheth the Bridge of Death Must answer me These questions three Ere the other side he see.”
sab
@kalakal: Works with my Chinese inlaws. Of course they speak English better than I do
ETA But my midwestern American accent is better. Some of them sound British.
Betty Cracker
@David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch: Zelensky tends to deflect Churchill comparisons, but it’s probably helpful to his cause with an American (or British) audience.
Chief Oshkosh
@kalakal: African or European?
Alison Rose
@BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️: “MR. ZELENSKYY, WHY WON’T YOU GO TO THE KREMLIN AND LICK PUTIN’S BOOTS AND GIVE HIM A BIG KISS SO HE STOPS BOMBING YOU??”
David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch
I’m so proud to be a Democrat.
WaterGirl
@David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch: Nancy Pelosi says “for me to be present”: and not “the leader of the House”.
Big dogs don’t have to rub their power in your face.
trollhattan
Good thing Zelenskyy’s rocking olive drab and not tan. Can’t you just hear the Republicans?
Alison Rose
@trollhattan: I’ve seen a few whiny tweets being like “omg can’t he put on a suit????” If it makes them mad to see him in a sweatshirt, then I like it even more.
BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️
@Alison Rose: You jest, but you KNOW one of those aholes was thinking it, if not trying to say it out loud…
Alison Rose
John Heilemann is not a good substitute anchor.
CaseyL
A Politico reporter (and, therefore, a tool) just opined on Mastodon that he hoped Zelenskyy is the “real deal,” seeing as how he started out as a “two bit actor.”
The venue being Mastodon, rather than BirdShite, I did take the trouble to reply. Have no idea if the guy will read my reply, and don’t frankly care. I don’t want to see trolls and trogs go unchallenged on Mastodon during the short interval when challenging them might be effective.
Looking forward to the press conference, though with some trepidation because our MSM sucks. Definitely looking forward to the speech to Congress which, I hope, CSPAN will carry live.
David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch
@trollhattan:
I like the shutter noise.
What did you get, a mirrorless camera?
WaterGirl
@trollhattan: Yeah, I’m picturing Fetternman shouting “yes!” with his fist pumping in the air.
Alison Rose
@CaseyL: Um. Has this asshole been living under a rock since the end of February? Zelenskyy has proven a thousand times that he is absolutely the “real deal”. Also, fuck him for “two-bit actor” – Ze was literally one of the biggest and most popular actors and comedians in the whole country. I assume this reporter is an American? Typical Western bullshit that if we haven’t heard of someone, they can’t be worth hearing of.
WaterGirl
@CaseyL: anyone who doesn’t know Zelenskyy is the real deal is either an idiot or a clueless idiot.
Betty Cracker
@CaseyL: That might have been a reasonable (if rude) question in January 2022. But now? It makes me wonder how that guy can report from the rock he lives under. (Oh right, Politico — that answers my question.)
CaseyL
@Alison Rose:
@WaterGirl:
He’s a Politico reporter. “Asshole” and “clueless idiot” are job requirements.
kalakal
@CaseyL: ‘Two-bit actor’ a description that fits that hollow shell Reagan
gwangung
@Alison Rose: That IS a business suit. His business is fighting a war.
Alison Rose
@gwangung: That’s a good way to put it.
sab
On the Ukraine threads everyone wants nuke all Russians. I understand. But Russia also had Sergei Magnitskey, who was a tax guy, like me, and infinitely more brave than I could be. He died in Russian prison standing up for Russian tax laws against the oligarchs. Russia is full of such people. Let us not abandon such people just because most of their compatriots disagree.
Dan B
@Alison Rose: Zelensky’s parents are (were?) Professors. He has a law degree. The guy is brilliant. Second rate reporter says what?
Old School
@Alison Rose:
I hope he does the piano playing bit for Congress tonight.
Alison Rose
@Old School: I know that’s the bit everyone thinks of, but his body of work is vast, and a lot of it might be a little slapstick but it’s no less astute for that. Plenty of the old Kvartal 95 sketches seem silly on the surface but are also brilliantly skewering corruption and russia and oligarchs and such.
WaterGirl
@gwangung: It is the right choice. It is the only choice.
That said, if he had worn a suit, you know there would be much clucking of tongues about how this visit is just for show.blah blah blah.
WaterGirl
@Dan B:
New rotating tag. Literally.
Alison Rose
@WaterGirl: How many tags do we have now?
Alison Rose
@sab: As Julia Ioffe just said, the reasons most people in russia who oppose the war feel that way are for their own asses and their own bottom lines, not because they give a damn about Ukrainians. I don’t give them any props for that.
Captain C
@Dan B:
Says “I can’t be bothered to do my research, or my job in general, so I hope my readers are even more ignorant and don’t notice.”
Alison Rose
This photo looks like the two of them are heading off to go kick putin’s ass together. Love it.
WaterGirl
@Alison Rose: I don’t know, I haven’t looked at that in awhile. I go through periodically and retire tags that are out of code.
Alison Rose
Presser starting!
zhena gogolia
@Alison Rose: Fittingly, the Time magazine came today! It’s beautiful. I will get it in the mail to you as soon as I can. Slava Ukraini!
zhena gogolia
@sab: Yes, many Russians have suffered and died to stand against Putin. For decades.
Alison Rose
@zhena gogolia: Yay!!! You are so amazing :)
zhena gogolia
@Alison Rose: My pleasure.
Alison Rose
Dumb question, meh
George
The “second rate reporter” is not dumb nor is he lazy. He knows exactly what he is doing–pimping a certain flavor of propaganda. He knows what the truth is. He simply chooses, knowingly, to report lies designed to influence public opinion so he can get his paycheck.
On the other hand, someone like Cillizza really is dumb and lazy.
Alison Rose
LOL Zelenskyy bringing the jokes :P
Omnes Omnibus
@sab: It’s a lost cause.
Aussie Sheila
@George: Exactly. Political reporting is mostly favour exchanging, and for an outlet like Politico, it is cheaper than doing deep dives and/or investigative work.
The truth is inimical to the bottom line.
Ruckus
@Alison Rose:
With rethugs it’s all about the presentation, never about the substance. Because if they actually made it about the substance no one would want to hear their bullshit and they’d lose every time. Because their substance is give us money. So the presentation is all they have left, the presentation bullshit that is. He’s not wearing a suit!!!!!! Who gives a rats ass besides the perforative assholes on the right?
Ruckus
@CaseyL:
He’s a Politico reporter. “Asshole” and “clueless idiot” are job requirements.
Obviously the only two.