Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

He really is that stupid.

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

No one could have predicted…

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

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

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Monday Morning Open Thread: President Biden Has Gone to Ukraine

Monday Morning Open Thread: President Biden Has Gone to Ukraine

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KYIV, Ukraine — President Biden made a dramatic, unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday, in a display of strong American support for Ukraine just four days before the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The high-risk visit, to a Ukrainian capital that has been under threat of missile attacks, signals continued commitment from the United States, the largest financial and military backer of Ukraine’s effort to repel Russian invaders from its territory…

The Biden administration has provided some $30 billion in security aid since President Vladimir Putin sent Russian forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, initiating the largest ground war in Europe since World War II — one that already has cost his country and Ukraine hundreds of thousands of casualties.

Under Biden’s leadership, the U.S. and its NATO allies have gradually expanding the array of weaponry they have pledged to include heavy tanks.

While other world leaders have visited Kyiv to meet with Zelensky over the past year, and tour the war-scarred city, Biden has stayed away due to security concerns and fears about the possibility of conflict between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, sending senior aides in his place. First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to Western Ukraine on Mother’s Day in May.

His visit was shrouded in secrecy. Biden was due to leave for an announced visit to Poland from Washington on Monday evening.

Reader Interactions

232Comments

  1. 1.

    lowtechcyclist

    Awesome. Just awesome.

    Joseph R. Biden continues to be the greatest President of my lifetime.

  4. 4.

    oldster

    Thank you, Mr. President, for making America good again. You continually  show to the world the courage, compassion, and decency that make our own nation worth fighting for. And you make me proud to be an American.

  7. 7.

    WV Blondie

    Woke up too early, expected to go back to sleep – but made the mistake of turning on the TV.

    As soon as I saw this, I was glued to the news. Bravo, Uncle Joe! I’m so proud you’re our president!

  9. 9.

    OzarkHillbilly

    I have to wonder about all those armed soldiers in close proximity to Biden. Surely they have no ammo.

  10. 10.

    Aussie Sheila

    Biden would be safer surrounded by Ukrainian soldiers than by many in his own Secret Service.

  12. 12.

    raven

    @Aussie Sheila: Hey, I didn’t mean anything negative last night. I’ve been scorched here for mentioning my overseas service too much so I just left it off. I spent my R&R in Sydney during the moon landing!

  13. 13.

    Jackie

    I KNEW Biden would somehow sneak into Ukraine! Well done, President Biden, you sly fox!

    Now, back to bed. It’s 3:30 my time.

  16. 16.

    Betty

    Real men go to Kyiv. Just pause and consider his courage and compare it to all the big talking Republicans. Kevin thinks he can master this guy?

  20. 20.

    zhena gogolia

    Now I’ve looked at the tweets, I’m just sobbing. I’ve been in that place where he’s walking with Zelenskyy.

  24. 24.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Irony is dead:

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Sunday lamented that too many people within the Republican base have fall prey to “liars and grifters.”

    In a cryptic tweet, Greene teased that there was news breaking tomorrow that could disprove the claims of unnamed right-wing operatives who had apparently been misleading conservative voters.

    “There are grifters and liars that our base believe. Unfortunately,” she began. “These people always claim to know ‘the truth’ and have ‘sources’ but always mislead people and grift for donations. Can’t wait for the real news tomorrow. I love being right.”

    The cognitive dissonance… It hurts.

    Despite her claims to be a truth-teller, Greene has a long history of promoting a broad array of bogus conspiracy theories.

    Do tell…

  25. 25.

    Traveller

    I felt forced to leave my own tweet over on the Washington Post feed. It is all shockingly negative and as I indicated, it is obvious that Elon has let the Russians virtually take over Twitter. This is sad and disturbing and just shows the difference between one person’s bravery, Mr Biden, and Mr. Musk’s cunning perfidy.

    All kudos to Mr. Biden for wandering around and in an active war zone. What an amazing man!

  26. 26.

    Aussie Sheila

    @raven: No need for apologies. I hope you enjoyed your R&R in Sydney. It is a very different place now. I was at school in those days, and we were forbidden to go anywhere near the R&R haunts of US soldiers and sailors. A great pity imo. I think it was my parents’ memories of WW2 and the near riots that often happened between US servicemen and Australian soldiers.
    Anyway, if you can, you should revisit Sydney. It is much bigger, cleaner and much more friendly towards strangers. It is also very beautiful, if I say so myself. I love it.

  28. 28.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Traveller: He is a brave and decent man. Twitter is indeed full of Russian loving arseholes. Since it is not quite my bedtime yet, I have been having some fun. Musk needs to be hanged, drawn and quartered. You know, the old fashioned way. The way they did it in England in Tudor times.

    He is a traitor to democracy as well as being a thin skinned loser. I know he is not a traitor in the technical, US sense, but he should be shunned, absolutely shunned for his performance in supporting Putin. Him and the rest of the so called Red/Brown alliance.

    Effing losers and fascists.

  29. 29.

    raven

    @Aussie Sheila: My dear friends live there. Jodi is from Safety Bay and Katherine is from here. They were legally married in New York but couldn’t get Jodi a green card so they moved to Sydney. Katherine works at UNSW Matraville and they are the most wonderful folks. My old man was in Australia during WW2 and always raved about it. I was such a dope and just stayed in Kings Cross the whole time. I wish I had taken advantage of the program where you could stay with a local family but that’s not where my 19 year old head was! Everyone there was so fired up about the moon landing and the tracking station in Parkes it made for a lasting memory

     

    Eta, my old man also told tales of how the Aussie men did not like the GI’s but the women di because the Americans were lest sexist!

  30. 30.

    Aussie Sheila

    @raven: Yes. I understand Australian women preferring US servicemen of the time. Australian men were apparently really terrible at the time. They are much better now I am glad to say. And yes, it was Kings Cross that we were forbidden to go near. Stupid really. I think of those young men at the time, and know that many must have died on their return to the war. What a shocking waste it was.

  32. 32.

    Princess

    Woke up to this news. My sister in Europe sent me a photo. I’m tears. So glad he went. Such a strong signal.

  34. 34.

    raven

    @Aussie Sheila: I had correspondence with this woman who worked in a record shop in Kings Cross in those days.

    I was interested to read reports on R&R in Sydney and surprised to see there was nothing! I worked in Kings Cross at a record shop while attending the University of New South Wales and later a coffee shop whose name not surprisingly became the GI’s Hut. Of course I met many American young men. As well, Australian neighbours and friends went over to Vietnam and during those years I wrote and received many letters from Vietnam. Years later the letters became the research data for my master’s thesis. Since then I have written the non academic version in the form of a novel. Not everyone’s experience in Kings Cross was sleazy

     

    https://www.ichiban1.org/html/stories/story_45.ht

     

    ETA, She has a book!!!! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578475243/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  35. 35.

    OzarkHillbilly

    The Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe said Dominion Voting Systems’ brief requesting summary judgment against Fox News for defamation – and $1.6bn – is “likely to succeed and likely to be a landmark” in the history of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

    “I have never seen a defamation case with such overwhelming proof that the defendant admitted in writing that it was making up fake information in order to increase its viewership and its revenues,” Tribe told the Guardian. “Fox and its producers and performers were lying as part of their business model.”

    The case concerns Fox News’s repetition of Donald Trump’s lie that his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden was the result of electoral fraud, including claims about Dominion voting machines.

    Tribe said the filing “establishes that Fox was not only reckless” but also that producers, owners and personalities were “deliberately lying and knew they were lying about the nature of Dominion’s machines and the supposed way they could be manipulated”.
    …………………………
    “This is the most remarkable discovery filing I’ve ever read in a commercial litigation,” said Scott Horton, a Columbia Law School lecturer, Harper’s Magazine contributing editor and litigator with clients including CBS and the Associated Press.

    “A summary judgment motion by a plaintiff in this kind of case is almost unheard of. These suits usually fail because you can’t prove the company you’re suing knew they were spreading falsehoods. That you would have evidence they knew it was a lie is almost unheard of … in this case the sheer volume of all the email and text messages is staggering.”

    Horton said Dominion’s case gets “huge benefit” from the way Fox employees “express themselves with a huge measure of hyperbole about absolutely everything”.

    Tribe agreed: “This is one of the first defamation cases in which it is possible to rule for the plaintiff on summary judgment. This is not a request to go to trial. There is no genuinely disputed fact. The defendants were deliberately lying in a manner that was per se libelous and they clearly knew it.”

    Despite of my innate pessimistic cynicism, I am starting to hope.

  36. 36.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Aussie Sheila: ​ From what I read, she’s smarter than she looks, even cunning. Somebody one does not turn their back on.

    I hope to never learn first hand which one she is.

  37. 37.

    Aussie Sheila

    @raven: Yes. I’m sure that is right. My parents were ‘sniffy’ about US servicemen, as well, Kings Cross was not a place that well brought up young women went unaccompanied, and since I was still at school…..I would not have dared go there by myself.

  39. 39.

    Tony Jay

    @OzarkHillbilly:

      Tribe told the Guardian. “Fox and its producers and performers were lying as part of their business model.”

    And upon receiving this quote, the Guardian’s ever so savvy journalists nodded impatiently and waited for Tribe to tell them what he thought Fox had done wrong. It took quite a while for the realisation to dawn upon them that he meant “lying as part of their business model” as a negative.

    But (not really) joking aside, this is really good news. Fox have well and truly shafted themselves and I am here to see them pay for it.

  40. 40.

    Geminid

    @OzarkHillbilly: Greene definitely will be the pot calling the kettles black. I’m wondering who the kettles will be. This sounds like an intra-party beef, which I approve of.

  41. 41.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Hey! Washington County Missouri made it into the Guardian’s digital pages! Well kinda, sorta, The picture at the top is of trapped feral pigs in Washington County.

    So far… Knock on wood… I have not seen any on my property. I know they are around tho. Somebody had to shoot a 400# sow that was harassing their cattle just a few miles away. I saw a pic of it in the local rag and that pig was biiiiiiig.

  43. 43.

    Baud

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I can’t see this Supreme Court letting Fox go under.  They’ll make up some reason to throw out the damages verdict. But that’s a couple of years down the road.

  46. 46.

    Princess

    I had a sudden realization that the reason SCOTUS threw out the judgement against that corrupt bribed Virginia Governor (what was his name? McDonnell?) was because they receive trips and gifts and crap all the time from people who want favorable judgments and the precedent could blow back on them. I’m sure they’ll find a way to exonerate Fox too. But the rest of us don’t need to pretend it’s news any more.

  48. 48.

    Tony Jay

    @OzarkHillbilly:

      When the day comes, my Fruede will be thoroughly schadened.

    If Fox News gets bankrupted by this, or if the Murdochs try to avoid responsibility through borderline-legal financial jiggery-pokery as is the want of their breed, my fruede will be so comprehensively schadened that the more accurate term will be ‘shatnered’.

  50. 50.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Baud: And in the meantime, while they are waiting for their exoneration by the USSC, they just might be a bit more careful with the libel and slander as a business model. I really think, whatever the legal outcome, this has blown the cover of ‘respectable’ media outlets pretending that Fox is any kind of journalistic outfit. It’s a typical Murdoch production. Media utilised to defend and extend his political influence.

    It will be interesting to see what the snivelling Jake Tappers of the world will say, if anything.

  51. 51.

    gators lunchmeat

    @Baud: I am afraid the False Noise Channel can afford it.

    Add a zero, now, and you would be getting somewhere.

    IANAL. Can the judge impose punitive damages in this case?

  52. 52.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Tony Jay: I think the companies concerned mean business here. They have been damaged, in all the Red states. That means big money. The companies can’t just settle. Presumably their shareholders have a reasonable expectation that they make up as much of the loss as they can via proper legal remedies.

  53. 53.

    NotMax

    @Baud

    Go under? Sadly, not bloody likely. While they (and any insurer(s) who’ll be on the line for a partial co-payout) will squeal about it, more than the requested amount in cash reserves. Much more.

  55. 55.

    Nelle

    @Aussie Sheila: Way OT.  Are there many actual “Sheilas” in Australia?  I ask because nearly ten years ago, we were hiking east to west in the Alpilles, in southern France.  We had about 12 km to go before an arranged meeting with a ride to get us to Arles.  Suddenly, the rangers appeared and closed the trail because of the heat.  Coming down the mountain and hiking around would have been at least 30 km and we would have missed our ride (whom we had no way to contact).  Just then, on an intersecting path came a couple, Rocky and Sheila, of Sydney.  They had a car back in St. Remy and, if we would walk back to St. Remy with them (about 14 km), they would drive us to our rendezvous.   We had a grand time walking and talking and I’ve fondly remembered Rocky and Sheila ever since.  But to meet an actual Aussie Sheila?!?!

  59. 59.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Nelle: I haven’t actually met any. It’s a name that is an ‘in joke’ for  a certain type of Australian. Like me.

  61. 61.

    Baud

    NBC news just ran a story about all the young people moving to TX and F for the weather and cost of living. In case anyone thought normies cared about politics.

  62. 62.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Baud: Good. It might shift the politics there a bit away from the frothing right. Who cares where people live, it’s the people who live there that make the difference.

  64. 64.

    Gin & Tonic

    Great comment on Ukrainian Twitter: So Biden left, didn’t even have borshch like a normal person.

    Yes, intended to be humorous.

  70. 70.

    stinger

    @Baud: I doubt it’s a coincidence that Biden is making headlines today for his Ukraine visit. Nice to feel pride in being an American again.

  72. 72.

    Baud

    @Gin & Tonic:

    didn’t even have borshch like a normal person.

     

    Does that mean a normal person would have borshch or that a normal person would not have borshsh?

  75. 75.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Baud:

    NBC news just ran a story about all the young people moving to TX and F for the weather and cost of living. In case anyone thought normies cared about politics.

    I have no experience with Texas, but anyone moving to Florida for the cost of living has to have a hole in their head.

    And while the part about the weather is more debatable, I’ll take January and February in Maryland over July and August in Florida any day.

  81. 81.

    oldgold

    The MAGA response to this trip to Ukraine will be: He should be in East Palestine.

    In fact, TFG is visiting East Palestine on Wednesday. Apparently to toss out paper towels.

  82. 82.

    Tony Jay

    @Aussie Sheila:

    I’d say and award of $1.5, plus costs, with, mmmmmm, does $200 billion in damages sound about right?

    Lachlan and Co might come out of this having to start a paper round to pay the bills. With wrinkled Rupert wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in a basket between the handlebars because they can’t afford home help.

  84. 84.

    NotMax

    @OzarkHillbilly

    These people always claim to know ‘the truth’ and have ‘sources’ but always mislead people and grift for donations.

    And furthermore, your pillows suck.
    //

  86. 86.

    Hangö Kex

    Well done, Mr President. :D

    Now that I’m here, a link: https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000009397828.html

    The article is in Finnish, but never mind (or use deepl.com/translate or somesuch), the beef is the pics of the Putin-in-trouble-paintings by Kaj Stenvall who’d – I understand – like them to be shared. To get past the cookie gauntlet with minimum concessions choose “Asetukset” and then “Hylkää kaikki”.

  87. 87.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Princess:

    But the rest of us don’t need to pretend it’s news any more.

    We’re not the people who give Fox any credence or legitimacy. The GOP does, but worse, the MSM does.

    Heck, Fox News still has people allowed in the room and to ask questions at any number of federal press conferences. That should stop

    ETA: And the feds should look at whether Fox and the cable companies are breaking anti-trust laws (or similar). How is it that I can’t buy a cable package without Fox being part of it?

  89. 89.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Tony Jay: Ha. Your vision interests me! I of course know nothing about US law as such, but I guess Fox’s insurance company will pay up in the end. I do know that shareholders will have an interest in the companies who are suing making as sure as they can that their losses are made good.

    It won’t bankrupt the old bastard, but I am interested in any shift in the US media narrative about the real nature of Fox, and the fact that it is a real contributor to the even worse than usual crazification of US politics, which is not a result of partisanship as such, but more an outcome of relentless propaganda.

    I am tired of the oligarchic media all over English speaking democracies getting a ‘pass’ for their very real contribution to its degeneration.

  90. 90.

    Betty Cracker

    I wondered if Biden would take time during the Poland trip to cross the border into Ukraine, but I didn’t think he’d visit Kyiv! So glad he did; it was brave and an excellent show of solidarity.

  92. 92.

    Geminid

    @oldgold: Wednesday’s forecast for East Palestine, Ohio: 99% chance of rain.

    I wonder if yrump and his henchmen even thought about weather. It seemed like an impulsive decision, trying to exploit a controversy that may have already peaked.

  94. 94.

    Soprano2

    How can they think this is a surprise? The minute I heard he was going to Poland I said to hubby “You just watch, he’s going to Kiyv.” The only question was the security.

  97. 97.

    Sanjeevs

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    Last month Murdoch scrapped a plan to recombine Fox and News Corp due to investor pushback

    https://www.ft.com/content/e468c2e9-9ebb-47d5-86bb-ec2ab6b7cee5

     

    Earlier the FT reported that there was a succession fight brewing in the Murdoch family. Lachlan is the preferred son to inherit Fox News as he shares his fathe’s political views.

    That has left Lachlan, chief executive of Fox Corporation and executive co-chair of News Corp, in the same position as his father once was. In a post-Murdoch world, Lachlan may be running the business without being in full command of the family stake, which is jointly held with his siblings Prudence (Prue), Elisabeth (Liz) and James. Being Rupert’s chosen heir gives Lachlan the advantage. Yet in some ways, his challenge is greater. It is far from certain his siblings will be anywhere near as accommodating as Rupert’s sisters — or as straightforward to buy out. James, who was overlooked for the succession, is scornful of Fox News, largely estranged from Lachlan, and has told friends he is determined to reorientate the business, with or without his brother. If forced to choose, the loyalties of his sisters Prue and Liz are, at this stage, uncertain, according to people familiar with the family dynamics.

    https://www.ft.com/content/58a752a3-0dad-433c-97cd-047b1ff7fe39

    My wild ass speculation is that Murdoch was with Musk at the Super Bowl because he is trying to get him to buy Fox News, the merger plan having failed.

  100. 100.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Sanjeevs: Could be. Musk mustn’t be allowed near anymore US media properties of any kind. Nationalise twitter. Make it a public good, like a federal nature reserve or something. Bankrupt him.

  102. 102.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Aussie Sheila: Once the dominion suit is over, Musk can probably buy Fox News for a song. But no trolls have been blackballed there, so it’s probably not attracting a lot of interest from Musk.

  103. 103.

    Another Scott

    ABCNews.go.com:

    Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday pushed the Biden administration to provide more aid to Ukraine after Vice President Kamala Harris said Russia was committing “crimes against humanity” in its invasion.

    “I believe a decision will be imminent here when we get back to Washington that the administration will start training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16” fighter jet, Graham, a prominent defense hawk, told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz in an exclusive interview from the Munich Security Conference.

    That would represent a major escalation of U.S. support and one which President Joe Biden has signaled reluctance to commit to. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, appearing separately on “This Week,” didn’t say whether F-16s had been approved but noted that proper training for the Ukrainians was also important.

    […]

    (via BlueVirginia.US)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  104. 104.

    Aussie Sheila

    @Another Scott: Fuck Lindsay Graham. When trump tried to extort Ukraine with taxpayers money, he didn’t vote to convict him after the Reps impeached him. Just why would anyone ever listen to him on this, or any other subject?

  105. 105.

    Another Scott

    @Aussie Sheila: Graham is a weathervane on South Carolina politics.  SC is a deep red (Republican) state.  He wouldn’t be saying these things if there wasn’t substantial support for it.

    It’s a sign that the other GQP posturing about cutting aid to Ukraine is just posturing.

    HTH!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  106. 106.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Aussie Sheila: Slick move, vocally supporting the Ukraine effort while setting up a basis for criticizing the President if he doesn’t conduct it exactly as Graham wants.

  108. 108.

    CaseyL

    Inspiring to see President Biden went to Ukraine.  Waiting to see what comes of it, though.  I want Ukraine to get the arms and materiel it needs to win the war outright.  The meatgrinder approach is brutal on its armed forces, and the unsecured skies are allowing Russia to rain Hell on its cities.

  110. 110.

    Betty Cracker

    @Sanjeevs:

    My wild ass speculation is that Murdoch was with Musk at the Super Bowl because he is trying to get him to buy Fox News, the merger plan having failed.

    You could be right about Murdoch’s intent. It’s somewhat counterintuitive because Musk’s tenure at Twitter is widely seen as a shit-show, but Murdoch is a greedy fuck who might see Musk as a slow, dumb mark who would overpay and then continue the Murdoch tradition of undermining democracies worldwide, so win-win for ol’ Rupert.

    In any case, it was chilling to see so much concentrated malice and arrogance in one skybox. Murdoch has done incalculable damage in the US and UK, and it would be terrible if Twitter were fully folded into the propaganda machine.

  112. 112.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @MazeDancer: Do not miss that Mr. Biden is wearing a Ukrainian tie.

    Blue and yellow stripes.

    And here I thought that was about the boy scouts…

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    @Betty Cracker:

    In any case, it was chilling to see so much concentrated malice and arrogance in one skybox.Murdoch has done incalculable damage in the US and UK,

    Yes!  Seeing that photo, my nose wrinkled and my nostrils flared as if I had literally stepped in dog poop, barefoot.  They did it again just from reading your excellent description!

  117. 117.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Geminid: There’s one prickly-nymed sorehead who often complains

    When one’s own nym prickles, one can hardly be blamed for complaining.

  118. 118.

    Feathers

    @Baud: Caught the beginning of the NBC News broadcast last night. Ukraine framing was garbage. Basically, Russia pushes back on Biden’s war crimes claims. No details on what Russia did, full text on screen of Putin’s claims that they are only responding to agression against them.

    NBC is all in on downplaying anything that could lead to Russia not competing in the Olympics. Andrea Joyce must be about to retire, because she gave a whole rundown of why the US figure skaters from the team event still don’t have their medals a year later and don’t even know if they will be gold or silver. Tara and Johnny kept silent on the matter, just like they have all season.

    The IOC is pushing for Russia to be allowed back into sporting events and NBC appears to be backing it as well.

    Biden is facing all sorts of quite and stealth support for Russia and their invasion. Good on him for going to Kyiv.

  121. 121.

    narya

    @Geminid: @raven: @WaterGirl: Lemme at ’em! I, for one, appreciate hearing from Raven on these topics.

    More generally, with only one or two exceptions, when folks are riding a hobby horse here, I just skip it. One of the things I love about this space is the wide variety of experiences and backgrounds, which, by definition, means some comments, some times, are gonna make me roll my eyes. So what–I still want them here.

  122. 122.

    Miss Bianca

    @OzarkHillbilly: I know one of the lawyers whose firm is representing Dominion. (In fact, he does pro bono work for an online journal I work for.) You do NOT want to mess with this guy. Nice, nice man, but he will take you apart in court.

    Fox News may finally have met their match, and I am so glad to see it.

  123. 123.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @raven: I’ve been scorched here for mentioning my overseas service too much

    Fuck LBJ your lived experience.

    /shitposter

  125. 125.

    VOR

    @oldgold:The MAGA response to this trip to Ukraine will be: He should be in East Palestine.

    Not will be, that is their response. Oh, and why are we sending money to secure Ukraine’s borders and not our own? But I thought Trump  solved those problems when he Built The Wall.

  126. 126.

    jonas

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: If forget who — maybe Kevin Drum? — but someone recently crunched some numbers on whether it’s a good idea to move to TX or FL just to avoid income taxes and it turns out yes — if you’re pretty rich and have a salty IGMFY attitude. If you’re middle-class or lower, however, property and other local taxes will probably hit you harder than if you just stayed in CA or NY.

  127. 127.

    J R in WV

    @OzarkHillbilly: ​

    Somebody had to shoot a 400# sow that was harassing their cattle just a few miles away.

    My RWNJ brother shot a 700# hog with a pistol — a big pistol — in TX a few years ago. Had a big skull mounted, kinda gross as a trophy to me. TX has a big problem with feral hogs, ranchers shooting them from helicopters.

  128. 128.

    Skepticat

    It was unnerving to see the photos of President Biden in Kyiv and read that there were air raid sirens sounding, but it also was tremendously uplifting and inspiring to see his bravery and proof of commitment to Ukraine. The destruction there is unimaginable, yet they persist.

  129. 129.

    Jackie

    Apparently Putin was given a heads-up per The Hill:

    ”The White House provided Russian officials with advance warning that President Biden would be traveling to Ukraine to mark the approaching anniversary of Russia’s invasion to avoid escalating tensions, administration officials said Monday.

    “We did notify the Russians that President Biden would be traveling to Kyiv. We did so some hours before his departure for deconfliction purposes,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.”

    https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3866228-white-house-gave-russia-heads-up-about-bidens-ukraine-visit-for-deconfliction-purposes/

  130. 130.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Jackie: ​
      That makes complete sense. Lobbing a missile at Kyiv and unknowingly starting WWIII by killing the US President would be a bad thing.

  131. 131.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @oldgold: The MAGA response to this trip to Ukraine will be: He should be in East Palestine.

    The MAGA response to Biden walking will be “he should chew gum.”

  132. 132.

    J R in WV

    @Hangö Kex:

    Some great political art there, thanks for bringing Finnish political art to the US audience !

    Actually BJ is worldwide now, isn’t it!                   ;~)

  133. 133.

    Betty Cracker

    @narya: That’s a great attitude about it and one I try (but sometimes fail) to maintain. Scroll buttons are my friends!

    @WaterGirl: Haha, that’s a gross feeling for sure!

  134. 134.

    James E Powell

    @narya:

    One of the things I love about this space is the wide variety of experiences and backgrounds, which, by definition, means some comments, some times, are gonna make me roll my eyes. So what–I still want them here.

    100% with you on this.

  135. 135.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @narya: some comments, some times, are gonna make me roll my eyes.

    Apologies for any repetitive stress I may have caused your ocular region.

  137. 137.

    Keith P.

    @Betty Cracker: I suspect Musk was pitching Twitter investment opportunities to Murdoch, if not an outright purchase.  Although Murdoch will probably wait him out to snatch it up at a MySpace price.

  138. 138.

    James E Powell

    @Jackie:

    First time I ever read or heard the term deconfliction. I am going to introduce that word & concept to my 7th graders this week.

  139. 139.

    kindness

    I was visiting with one of my ‘pure’ liberal friends yesterday.  He was complaining about Biden’s age and couldn’t stop wishing another candidate would be nominated for President because of it.

    The kicker?  This guy still wants Bernie to be that guy.  And here I thought Republicans & Fox were hypocrites…

  141. 141.

    James E Powell

    I scanned the comments and I don’t think anyone has said it yet, but this is a Big Fucking Deal.

  142. 142.

    JoyceH

    When reading this news item, did anyone else flash back to Trump skipping a WWII memorial event because it was drizzling and he didn’t want to get his hair wet?

  143. 143.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I simply must quip. If it’s at my own expense, all the better.

    @JCJ: How did I miss that, having never been in cub scouts but participating in boy scouts for two or three years? Shame, shame..

    Well, at least I got to exercise my Google muscles for the morning.

  144. 144.

    Ken

    @Keith P.:  I suspect Musk was pitching Twitter investment opportunities to Murdoch

    It would be delightful if they were both there to try to get the other to invest in their business.  Sort of like “The Gift of the Magi” but with greedy bastards.

  145. 145.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Qrop Non Sequitur: ​
      Now, you have created a bit a dilemma for other commenters. While we don’t want to kink shame, we also may not want to participate in your public humiliation games. Honestly, it was a bit inconsiderate for you to put us in that position.

  148. 148.

    Geminid

    @James E Powell: There is plenty of deconfliction going on in Syria: US-Russia, Turkiye-Russia, Israel-Russia. It’s mainly on account of the advanced surface-to-air missile batteries Russia has at their airbase in the northwest of the country. We let them know when we’re bombing someplace, and so do the Turks and Israelis. Plenty of good examples if you need any.

  151. 151.

    Wapiti

    @OzarkHillbilly: I was once at some remote outpost in Egypt and some of the soldiers had been there when a US President came through for peace talks with local governments. The Secret Service advance team disarmed the soldiers at the outpost (ammunition and maybe bolts for weapons). As US soldiers, these guys were deeply offended. Ah, well. I don’t think the Secret Service lost sleep over that.

  152. 152.

    Tazj

    @oldgold: Yes, that’s what I see all the time in replies by right wingers. But what about Ohio? They’ll say Democrats don’t care about people in our country.
    As if Biden didn’t call the Ohio governor right away or he isn’t visiting on Wednesday. Sherrod Brown has also but on top of things from the start.Apparently Trump would’ve solved everything.

  153. 153.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Omnes Omnibus: Recognizing failings in others ought to be a careful process. Discussing failings of others is a dance.

    Recognizing and discussing your own failings is a duty.

  157. 157.

    Geminid

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Maybe Secretary Austin. I could see Austin not wanting the headache, and he’d be entitled to give his opinion. I expect once the President said he was going to Kiev anyway Austin ordered additional protective measures, as he should have.

  158. 158.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @raven:

    @Aussie Sheila: In 1990 I was working aboard a US ship that was destined for the Persian Gulf in Operation Desert Storm. The plan was to stop off in Australia on the way across the Pacific and the sailors were very happy about that. It was their favorite port. There seemed to be universal agreement on that.

    Then one day the Admiral called a meeting to announce that in the interests of time they would not be stopping in Australia. The sailors were visibly crushed.

  164. 164.

    Ksmiami

    @CaseyL: yep give them everything to win and to establish permanent defensive borders. No more wasting time or worrying about red lines.

  165. 165.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Ksmiami: It has been a slog. I can’t begin to imagine what the people of Ukraine are going through.

    Nevertheless, there are good reasons we are showing restraint. It’s one of the things I’m proudest of President Biden for doing. Red lines are still in play as far as I can tell.

    The current strategy is paying dividends. I’m sure our top military minds are working with the President on how we can expand and refine that strategy while not catastrophically  exacerbating international tensions.

  167. 167.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I wonder exactly who “the Pentagon” refers to here.

    My guess would be ‘all of them.’  Seriously, I admire Biden for this, but god damn is it dangerous.  Any senior military figure not professionally against this trip is in violation of their duty.  Privately they might think it’s a good idea, but professionally ‘keep the president safe’ is their job.  Putin has a long history of assassination, and he has minions who are much less restrained than he is.  Honestly, I think that’s a bigger danger than Putin himself ordering a hit.  Putin seems to not want a war where he himself is a target.  Some of his generals won’t care about consequences.

  173. 173.

    Baud

    @apocalipstick:

    Depends.  You gerrymander by carving up cities into different districts that include GOP exurbs.  If the population of the city portion grows, it could swing a district.

  174. 174.

    Baud

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    Agreed.  Even a true accident could happen and trigger something.  Who would want to take the risk of advising Biden to go and potentially taking the heat if things go wrong?

  180. 180.

    Burnspbesq

    @Baud:

    NBC news just ran a story about all the young people moving to TX and F for the weather and cost of living. In case anyone thought normies cared about politics.

    Austin only looks “affordable” is your frame of reference is Brooklyn and Santa Monica.

  181. 181.

    prostratedragon

    I have a mental image of Zelenskyy safe, but buried in a bunker. It is good to see him with Biden, walking in the sun. Next year for celebration.

  183. 183.

    Geminid

    @prostratedragon: I understand there are some big, cold war era bunkers underneath Kyiv. One probably was not far off from where the two Presidents walked

    But yes, Zelenskyy’s working place is underground. Some of the rooms are fairly spacious though, at least the one where I’ve seen pictures of him conferring with visiting dignitaries.

  185. 185.

    J R in WV

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    Then one day the Admiral called a meeting to announce that in the interests of time they would not be stopping in Australia. The sailors were visibly crushed.

    My ship was a 1944 vintage Sub-Tender based in Key West. Many years the ship, named for a WW II sub skipper who got  Medal of Honor against the Japanese Imperial Navy. His widow was a resident of New Orleans.

    As a result when the Howie put to sea for annual sea trials, we sailed across the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi to The Port of New Orleans, so the widow could come to afternoon tea in the Officer’s dining room!

    Both times I was on that trip it was over the week ending in Mardi Gras. What a coincidence !!

  186. 186.

    Geminid

    @prostratedragon: Yes, and the airspace around Kiev must be intensely monitored by US “AWACS” planes flying just inside the Polish border.

    Or maybe, must have been. President Biden could be back in Poland by now.

  188. 188.

    StringOnAStick

    @Immanentize: I noticed the Ukrainian security people all looking skyward as Biden and Zelenskyy were walking, and then heard the air raid sirens.  Perhaps these two excellent politicians expected this, and perhaps such an affront will make it easier to give Ukraine more of what it needs to close their skies to Russian aggression?  I’m just trying to see the various possibilities from such a complicated dance that is this whole thing.

  190. 190.

    Paul in KY

    @J R in WV: Because they are invasive/nuisance species, that can also be very dangerous, there are no particular laws covering what you can use to hunt them with. You can bait them, shoot them with a 20mm cannon (if you happen to legally own one), spears, shotguns, .22 rifles, battle axes, etc.

  191. 191.

    StringOnAStick

    In addition to what I just wrote, toss VP Harris recently stating that Russia is committing war crimes onto the “make it easier to send more help to Ukraine” pile, almost like these smart politicians know how to create the setting for sending increased and more capable equipment and support.  I remember that what Ukraine was pleading for at the beginning was to close the Ukrainian skies.  I’m hoping the dance of war and diplomacy has been taking firm steps in that direction.  Increase the temperature under the pot to boil Russia’s frog as it were.

  192. 192.

    Another Scott

    KyivIndependent:

    Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny’s team issued a statement on Feb. 20 calling for the restoration of Ukraine’s 1991 borders and the payment of reparations by Moscow, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported.

    “What are the borders of Ukraine? The same as in Russia – internationally recognized, defined in 1991,” the statement said. “Russia must recognize these borders even now. There is nothing to discuss.”

    The restoration of Ukraine’s borders, as defined in 1991, would include the return of Crimea to Ukraine, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

    Navalny’s statement contradicts his previous position regarding Crimea. In 2014, he falsely claimed that the peninsula is “de-facto Russian.” When asked about Crimea at the time, he added that it is not just a “sausage sandwich to pass back and forth,” implying that it would not be returned to Ukraine.

    Navalny’s current statement, comprised of 15 points, also called for the payment of reparations by Russia to Ukraine for its full-scale war.

    […]

    Interesting.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  194. 194.

    Geminid

    @prostratedragon: The Orange Churl is a private citizen now. He don’t need no steenking invitations!

    The question is whether Governor DeWine will accompany Trump, or find he has a preexisting committment. Thats what he did for an Ohio Trump rally last year. He had to be down in southern Ohio for an  important Ulysses Grant commemoration.

    That weaselly  J. D. Vance will probably make the scene, though.

  196. 196.

    japa21

    @Kelly: ​
      He has something to say to everybody, not just a perfunctory shaking of hands.
    The right is having conniption fits over this.

  197. 197.

    GibberJack

    @Baud: I wonder if they might have been like bar names. But with a wink. “Rocky” and “Sheila”. Yeah. That’s it. Like meeting an American couple named “Ken” and “Barbie”. Sure it could be possible but…

  198. 198.

    Geminid

    @Paul in KY: I read that there is a small set of hunters who go after wild boar with spears, like the Greeks used to do long ago. There are expensive, high tech spears available for the purpose. Maybe Kevlar leggings too.

  199. 199.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @oldgold: He did the same thing in 2016. There was severe flooding in IIRC LA. Local authorities (Baton Rouge?) asked Obama to stay away because of the disruption caused by POTUS security (and media), so trump and Pence went posed for pictures next to truck.

  201. 201.

    Kelly

    @Paul in KY: A boar spear would be the traditional weapon although I’d be inclined to keep my distance with a rifle firing one of the classic .30 caliber rounds .30-06, .308.

  202. 202.

    Paul in KY

    @Geminid: That would be sporting. There was a King Arthur book I read years ago that had a scene where they hunted a massive boar. They had cornered it and sent in the dogs (these were trained boar hunting dogs and 120 lbs each). When they flushed the boar, it came ripping out of it’s hiding place with 12 dogs hanging on to various parts of it & just along for the ride. I would never want to be around such a beast.

  204. 204.

    Another Scott

    VOANews.com:

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration supports the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, and expressed confidence that both Sweden and Finland will soon join the NATO alliance, as he visited Ankara for talks Monday with Turkish leaders.

    The U.S. Congress must approve the $20 billion F-16 sale, which includes a Turkish request for 40 jets and nearly 80 modernization kits.

    Blinken said during a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that he could not provide a timeline on formally notifying Congress about the proposed sale, but that he has been actively communicating the Biden administration’s support for the deal.

    “This is very important for ongoing NATO interoperability and in the national security of the United States,” Blinken said.

    Cavusoglu said the F-16 issue should not be tied to Turkey ratifying Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Turkey and Hungary remain the only NATO members that have not approved Sweden and Finland joining the alliance in a process that must be unanimous.

    Blinken said the United States supports the admission of Sweden and Finland “as soon as possible.”

    He said he is “confident that NATO will formally welcome them in soon, and when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkiye.”

    […]

    1) Blinken has looked incredibly glum in every picture of every news story I’ve seen about this trip. Maybe it’s his resting face, maybe he always looks that way, but it’s kinda striking. [/lookist]

    2) I think that Blinken is making it clear that progress is being made, but that Erdogan’s Turkiye won’t get the F-16s until it moves on the NATO expansion issues. I assume that some way will be found to placate him soon without Sweden and Finland being forced to do unconstitutional things. We’ll see!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  205. 205.

    Paul in KY

    @Kelly: I think I’d want a .420 Lapua. Another quirk in these laws or lack of them is that you don’t need to keep to 3 round max for the shotguns and you can use .308s/30.06 rifles with large mags, etc.

  206. 206.

    WhatsMyNym

    @kindness:   I just looked up “Joe Biden” in Wikipedia and they have pictures of him from high school and college.  He looked old even then.  He just has a thin face.

  207. 207.

    prostratedragon

    @Geminid: ​ Oh yeah, I meant Biden, assuming that if he would wait to be invited, someone on TFG’s team might have seen the arbitrage opportunity, as it were, since he is a private citizen and would give fuckall about any inconvenience his tourism might cause if people are still busy dealing with the problem.

  208. 208.

    Geminid

    @Paul in KY: One of the more gripping chapters of Mary Renault’s Last of the Wine involved a boar hunt in Attica, ca. 400 BCE. An excellant book.

    The hunt for the fearsome Boar of Calydon was a famous Greek legend. There was an all-star hunting party composed of various heros. I think the Boar lost.

  209. 209.

    Kelly

    @Paul in KY: Never heard of that one. I haven’t hunted since the late 1970’s. I haven’t even been target shooting in quite a while. My Dad’s and Grandpa’s guns burnt up with my brother’s home in the 2020 Beachie fire.

  210. 210.

    Geminid

    @prostratedragon: I don’t think Biden’s gonna visit East Palestine. That was a serious event, but it was turned into an internet sensation by people on the left and right with anti-Buttegieg and anti-Biden axes to grind.

    He should send the EPA chief when the first stage of the cleanup is completed, to talk about further steps. That’s the level of attention the incident deserves, in my opinion.

  212. 212.

    Geminid

    @Another Scott: A couple Senators including Foreign Relations Chairman Menendez have said they will block F-16 sales to Turkey anyway. I think the administration wanted to promise the fighters when Turkiye assented to NATO membership for Sweden and Finland, but Menendez says he has other issues with Turkiye as well.

    The whole matter may hang fire until after the Turkish election anyway. That may not be a real problem right now because Russia has stripped its border of troops to fight in Ukraine and won’t be invading anyone anytime soon. The Baltic countries are the most vulnerable, and they are already part of NATO.

  213. 213.

    JoyceH

    @prostratedragon: ​
     

    I have a mental image of Zelenskyy safe, but buried in a bunker. It is good to see him with Biden, walking in the sun. Next year for celebration.

    Kind of amazing to remember that a couple years ago, Zelenskyy was starring in a sitcom. The Ukrainian voters really lucked out – voting for actors (or reality TV stars) doesn’t have a good track record.

  215. 215.

    Chetan Murthy

    I’ve been watching a series of interviews that form a Frontline series: https://www.youtube.com/@frontline/videos

    It’s titled “Putin and the Presidents” and it interviews a bunch of people with different ways of looking at the history of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  I’ve so far watched:

    Timothy Snyder
    William Taylor (former US ambassador to UA, then charge d’affaires after Yovanovitch was forced out by SFB)
    Julia Ioffe
    Anthony Blinken
    Yevgenia Albats (Russian opposition journalist)

    I’m going to continue watching segments (each is about an hour long), and I thought I’d mention it here, b/c it’s really very interesting and educational.  And also interesting for what it tells me about these people.  Ioffe (especially), Albats, and Snyder all have a point of view, and they’re ready and willing to tell you that point of view, and how they came to it.  Blinken and (less so) Taylor, while they were there for so much, really aren’t willing to tell you what they think, but rather only what they believe our government thinks.  So they’re useful for understanding our govt’s position, but not much more.

    Snyder’s great, and he brings moral force and a theoretical understanding of the forces of history at play.  He’s great.  But BOY HOWDY both Ioffe and Albats just burn it down!  I mean, both of them at different points in the interview just make me feel a little ashamed as an American and Westerner.  I’m going to continue to watch Eugene Robinson and Marie Yovanovitch’s interviews, though I fear that the latter (b/c former ambassador) will also be ….. less than illuminating.  And …. *maybe* I’ll watch John Bolton’s interview, though I fear I’ll need to  first tie myself down to avoid damaging my laptop screen.

    Both Ioffe and Albats are firmly of the opinion that we screwed-up back in 2008 when we failed to admit Ukraine & Georgia to NATO.  That when we did that, but said “someday, we’ll let you in”, it was as much as telling Vova “if you don’t take them back soon, you’ll never be able to”.  So that’s what he did.  Ioffe has a very interesting way of explaining how Putin deals with hs interlocutors — how and why Bush said “I saw into his soul” and it’s …. *chilling*.

    Well worth watching

    ETA: It’s not the case that Ioffe/Albats are … cheerleaders for Biden or the US.  They both have pretty choice things to say both about Biden’s errors (and esp. Obama’s/Bush’s errors) and also about the US/West in general.

  217. 217.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Ken: The Grift of the MAGA, amirite? (And of course far too late thanks to my crippled PC; I can hardly wait to see who got there foist, and how many…)

  223. 223.

    kindness

    I’m not worried about Joe Biden’s age.  He’s old, but I’m within 20 years of the guy so I’m not going to diss him.  He seems mentally fit, way better than my Senator DiFi.  I think the age issue is pushed around more by people who want someone other than Joe to be President.  I’ll happily vote for the guy in 2024.  Part of what I was saying earlier was making fun of my friend because Bernie is older than Joe.  For the record, I voted for Elizebeth Warren in the CA primary, Joe in the General.

  226. 226.

    Kathleen

    @evodevo: I need to take a Sunday drive out to Grant’s birthplace. It’s so peaceful out there. When I was married we took Sunday drives out there. I would like to be there when the museum is open. The more I’m learning about Grant in my old age the more I admire him.

  228. 228.

    Ruckus

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Fox employees “express themselves with a huge measure of hyperbole about absolutely everything

    The defendants were deliberately lying in a manner that was per se libelous and they clearly knew it. 

    If they weren’t so blatant about it, MAYBE they could get away with it. But they are so blatant and obvious about it that anyone that is going to sue them about lying shouldn’t have all that difficult a time proving it.

  230. 230.

    Ruckus

    @Aussie Sheila:

    They might, but I sort of doubt that they have the level of business insurance that they will need. I think there is more than one suit and if they get what they are asking for for all the different states then sure it won’t bankrupt the old fart in charge, but he might actually have to reach into his pocket to pay off for his lying minions.

  231. 231.

    Ruckus

    @kindness:

    I’m less than 7 yrs younger than Joe Biden. His age doesn’t scare me, I know others older than him that still easily have it going on. I have a friend my age who placed well at Kona in the full triathlon finals. That’s not a walk in the park.

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