Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Second rate reporter says what?

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

This is dead girl, live boy, a goat, two wetsuits and a dildo territory.  oh, and pink furry handcuffs.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

In my day, never was longer.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

I really should read my own blog.

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TGIFriday Open Thread: Not A Bad Week, Considering…

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Old out-of-it President Joe, as opposed to ‘the Young’ (Americans for Freedom):

On a different topic — Madam Vice-President is keeping busy:

Reader Interactions

205Comments

  4. 4.

    Circular reasoning

    Can anyone put into context the frequently used picture of Jack Smith with that purple/black top that looks like something out of Star Trek? I keep imagining it to be some kind of uniform they have to wear when presenting cases at the Hague or something. Is there anything to it, or just the stern look that made it so popular?

  13. 13.

    Jesse

    That purple Jack Smith pic makes him look like a pastor. Surely there’s a better image?

  14. 14.

    Betty Cracker

    Just now learning about the indictment. Holy shit!

    That’s what we get for purging all news alerts from our phones and watching only baseball.

  18. 18.

    Anne Laurie

    @Circular reasoning: Can anyone put into context the frequently used picture of Jack Smith with that purple/black top that looks like something out of Star Trek? I keep imagining it to be some kind of uniform they have to wear when presenting cases at the Hague or something. Is there anything to it, or just the stern look that made it so popular?

    Pretty sure it’s mostly The Look, but IIRC those are indeed his court robes for the International Court of Justice, a/k/a The Hague.  Justice Smith *will* bring the full weight of the law upon miscreants!

  19. 19.

    sab

    @Circular reasoning: I think it is him wearing his official robes when he was at the International Court in the Hague prosecuting war criminals

    ETA Anne Laurie beat me to it in comment.

  20. 20.

    NotMax

    Apparently Mr. Leg Cramp rides a circuit much as judges formerly did. Was rudely awakened from a snooze by his return to these parts.

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: We really are — switching off news alerts was the best thing I’ve done for my own mental health in decades.

    @OzarkHillbilly: The best goddamn team in baseball won: my Tampa Bay Devil Rays! :)

  23. 23.

    kalakal

    If TFG does go to jail he’ll have to be held in isolation.

    I recall him boasting after his ‘medical’* that he had tested positive for everything.

    The man must be a walking bio-hazard

    * The one carried out by that rather strange hippie doctor

  24. 24.

    RevRick

    While Republicans constantly yammer about the “crisis “ at the border, the Biden administration, with VP Harris at the point, is pushing initiatives that will actually improve the lives of people in the countries that are generating the most refugees.

    When the Republicans scream invasion, we should scream back bigotry, because that’s what the overwrought hysteria about the ragtag surge of immigrants is all about. Turn of the century US handled 15 million immigrants in the first two decades and 1920s Republicans passed laws to halt the flow of migrants from the shithole countries of Eastern and Southern Europe. Same bigotry, different targets.

  27. 27.

    Betty Cracker

    So Trump has to show up in Miami next Tuesday? LOL! Bring some sunscreen and a portable fan, Lumpy! Glad I’m 300+ miles away.

  30. 30.

    kalakal

    @Betty Cracker:

    I am so glad I’m on the other side of the state.

    Though the thought of 100s of MAGA goobers from out of state trying to handle Miami traffic* gives me a warm feeling.

    * Miami: Motto – Death before Yielding – Dave Barry

  31. 31.

    satby

    @Betty Cracker: Agree about turning off news. I missed it until later too, and haven’t gone through the old threads to catch up. It’s all been said, and said again and again.

    Was watching a series first recommended by NotMax: Inspector Ricciardi on Prime. It’s quite good, though I wish the dialog for the deceased was less repetitive  (can’t say more without spoilers).

    And my friend in LA has been a long time Rays fan, so I’m sure he’s delighted this morning.

  32. 32.

    Nukular Biskits

    Anyone see the EPIC FAIL of MS’s governor on Twitter yesterday?

    He challenged CA Gov. Newsom to a debate, got his ass handed to him by Newsom and ratio’d to infinity. He then followed up by begging for more and got beat down again.

    Then he tweeted about how “America lost a good Christian man and a true visionary” (Pat Robertson) and how Mississippi would be praying for his family … and got absolutely flamed on that as well.

    So … from a MS standpoint, yesterday was a good day as well (including that trivial news about some guy getting indicted …).

  35. 35.

    eversor

    @RevRick:

    That won’t work.  These people are crazy.

    But there is a liberal argument for secure borders.  All the guns we ship into Mexico illegally.  That’s a pretty good argument for secure borders and one Mexico wants to have.  Because the carnage of the drug war is on their side of the border.  We just have a shit show on ours.

    Package a sledge hammer to the NRA into a border security bill and make these fuckers vote it down.  Make them own it.  When the hold hearings in the border hold hearings on the amount of guns we smuggle over it.

    Quit talking about immigration and let’s talk about smuggling and just who is smuggling what.  Cause most drugs come in by ship.  The Coast Guard handles that, not the fucking border cops.

  36. 36.

    PST

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    I have to go for some sort of cardio scan this morning. I’ll be back.

    Is that a calcium scan? I signed up for one of those next week. Medicare won’t pay for it for me, but Rush in Chicago (which is only a mile or two away) is offering them for $49, so what the heck. Retirement is boring.

  38. 38.

    catclub

    CNN: Trump indicted in classified documents probe. Stocks back in bull market territory.

  41. 41.

    Searcher

    Conservatives are oddly consistent in their anger at anyone changing or disregarding the labels and roles — sex, race, class, nationality — they are assigned at birth.

  43. 43.

    Gin & Tonic

    @PST: I had a calcium CT back in December. While my calcium score was excellent, they discovered something else, which led to months of tests and ultimately surgery. Had some dark times in between. But go, it’s a good thing to have done.

  44. 44.

    RevRick

    @OzarkHillbilly: When I consider that 3/4 of my ancestry comes from those “shithole” countries of Eastern Europe, the rank bigotry of the “border crisis” makes me want to puke.

  47. 47.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Betty Cracker:

    What’s so funny is that he really thinks he’s owning the libtards by doing this.

    But, sadly, there are a lot of knuckle-dragging rubes in MS who will totally buy into this shit and send him money.

    Methinks he has aspirations for higher office but he’ll never make it on the national scene politically.

  48. 48.

    Matt McIrvin

    @kalakal: Like Mr. Burns, who survived at an immense age because he had so many diseases that they were getting in each others’ way.

  49. 49.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @RevRick: I was talking about rikyrah’s indomitable cheerfulness, but yeah, the GOP’s xenophobic fear mongering is disgusting.

  50. 50.

    eversor

    @NotMax:

    I counter with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL6CDFn2i3I

    A funny thing, given the current security issues going on. I got turned for a job recently because I admitted that I took magic mushrooms once they were decriminalized in DC.   I regret nothing.  Also I don’t lie on my clearance forms.  Yes I did it, it was fun.  10/10 just like high school would do again.

    What a world it is!  You can buy mushrooms, DMT vapes, weed, and nitrus, and just walk around with it and go home and play video games with your friends.  Totally legal.   But fessing up to having done this and following up with “well, we played through a lot of Zelda and chewed through some ice cream, got it out of my system don’t plan on doing it again” is somehow disqualifying.  They can pound sand.  I’ll find another IT job.  Even most cleared jobs don’t care now…. all that much.

  53. 53.

    Betty Cracker

    CNN exclusive:

    Former President Donald Trump acknowledged on tape in a 2021 meeting that he had retained “secret” military information that he had not declassified, according to a transcript of the audio recording obtained by CNN.

    “As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t,” Trump says, according to the transcript.

    CNN obtained the transcript of a portion of the meeting where Trump is discussing a classified Pentagon document about attacking Iran. In the audio recording, which CNN previously reported was obtained by prosecutors, Trump says that he did not declassify the document he’s referencing, according to the transcript.

    So yes, friends, he recorded discussion of a criminal fucking conspiracy.

  54. 54.

    JWR

    I was wondering which judge he would likely get, and found this from Politico:

    How will the judge be selected?

    Federal district courts all have slightly different procedures for judge assignments, but they all ostensibly feature a degree of randomness to prevent judge shopping.

    At the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, cases are assigned by chance to one of about 20 full-time judges, as well as a handful of judges who are on “senior status” and handle a lighter case load. The court’s bench primarily consists of Democratic appointees, but four of the judges were picked by Trump himself: Trevor McFadden, Tim Kelly, Carl Nichols and Dabney Friedrich. None of the four have been particularly deferential to Trump in cases that have come before them in recent years, though it would create a notable dynamic if any criminal case landed before one of his own appointees.

    In Florida, the situation is more complex because the Southern District of Florida — the venue where Trump says he has been ordered to report to — is split into five geographic divisions, and the division where a case is filed affects the eligible judges. Trump would stand a strong chance of drawing one of his own appointees, but it’d be far from a sure thing.

  55. 55.

    RevRick

    @eversor: I’m not interested in getting those whose brains are being eaten by bigotry prions to change their minds. I want to shame them, and put them on the defensive about their motives.

    There’s an awful lot of grandchildren/great grandchildren of immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe who now vote GOP , having forgotten the bigotry their ancestors faced coming here. It would be good to remind them of that ugly history.

  59. 59.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Betty Cracker:

    Just now learning about the indictment. Holy shit! 

    That’s what we get for purging all news alerts from our phones and watching only baseball.

    I’m sure it’s done wonders for your mental health.  Go Cubs! :)

  61. 61.

    Scout211

    @Betty Cracker: I just read that. Sweet!

    I have posted several of these CNN EXCLUSIVE!!11! reports in the past few days and I would love to know who their anonymous source is who keeps feeding CNN these exclusives. Other news services are starting to get their tips from CNN.

    Anyone have a guess who their secret source is?

  63. 63.

    Jeffro

    @Baud:Everyone is hung over this morning after celebrating yesterday.

    …maybe just a little bit…

    I actually woke up mad and I’m trying to not let it affect the rest of my day.  Mad about all that this corrupt moron has put this country through for the past eight(!) years.  That is a LOT of stress on a LOT of Americans for a long, long time.

    Selling out our country to our enemies…completely botching our country’s pandemic response…trying to bribe an ally with our tax dollars for made-up dirt on a political opponent…screeching day-in and day-out on our national megaphone about whatever’s bugging him that day/hour, as if no one else had any concerns.  OH, AND ALSO TRYING TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT.  The list just goes on and on.  And now justice is here, and most of the GOP is pretending like Joe Biden himself made up the charges out of thin air.  YES, Republicans, Donald trump really is the most innocent person in the world…and if you believe that, no wonder y’all think he’s actually religious and cares deeply about America, too.  >(

    I think I’m going to go for a walk…

  64. 64.

    Betty

    @Anne Laurie: The only other pictures they appear to have are of a much younger, beard less Jack Smith. The Hague one shows his current look. MSNBC was showing a little video this week of him going to court. Looks like his Hague picture. He seems to avoid publicity.

  65. 65.

    Ken

    @Scout211: Anyone have a guess who their secret source is?

    Would the DOJ have turned over their evidence to Trump’s legal team yet? Maybe CNN has a mole there.

    That reminds me — A lot of news reports headlined or led with “Trump announced he’s been indicted”.  Did the DOJ also announce? Or is this like the documents search, where we wouldn’t have known about it except Trump opened his big mouth?

  67. 67.

    Ken

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I believe that’s the document which is now missing. Nobody can or will say where it is.

    They’re saving that for the trial, when the DOJ calls their surprise witness, the head of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence service.

  68. 68.

    Soprano2

    So my husband got an MRI on Monday, and we got the results on Wednesday. I was able to see them because I created a portal for him with his health care provider. (So much of this feels so wrong in some way, that I’m seeing this stuff before him, but I feel that now I’m partly responsible for his care in a way.) Anyway, it was a lot of medical jargon saying that he has vascular problems in the brain, and that there’s evidence that he had a stroke at some time. That doesn’t surprise me, because his father had a stroke (he was much older, though, around 85 or so), and I know strokes can be minor because they said it appeared my mother had two before she had the big one. Now I just have to keep calling to get the neuro/psych interview scheduled. *sigh

  70. 70.

    Betty Cracker

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Probably Lumpy panicked and then tore it up and flushed it down the toilet! Seriously though, he was waving the document around while describing its contents to several people who have been identified (including Mark Meadows’ autobiography ghostwriters). He specifically called their attention to certain items in the document. Even if the document has been flushed, it sounds like there will be testimony to establish possession, including from Lumpy himself on tape. Good lord.

  71. 71.

    Geminid

    @Nukular Biskits: I read that Governor Reeves has a credible Democratic challenger in Commissioner(?) Presley. Reeves’ own record is so-so at best, and he wants to nationalize this race. In theory a sound strategy, but he’d better have more effective execution than this.

  72. 72.

    sdhays

    I just don’t understand why our VP is confused about her role at the border. Doesn’t she know that her job is to take a trip to the border, stare sternly at some rocks on the other side of the Rio Grande, and sternly say stern words about securing the border sternly?

    It’s almost like she thinks it’s her job to actually try to solve difficult problems.

  73. 73.

    Citizen Alan

    @rikyrah: I still say most evangelicals worship the Devil but are too dumb to realize it. Their entire moral frame work is depraved and anti-life.

    Also, any “parent” who engages in “blanket training” should be burned at the stake.

  74. 74.

    Geminid

     

     

    @Jeffro: There will be good paddling weather this weekend. Maybe you and yours can get out on the South Fork of the Shenandoah. It should be nice and clear.

  75. 75.

    Citizen Alan

    @Nukular Biskits: I am so eager to shake the dust of Mississippi off my shoes before I get to California and never have to care about “Governor Tater” again.

  76. 76.

    satby

    And a quick update on Duke the cat: for the first time in a week, he doesn’t have a fever. I’m still concerned at how long it took for the doxycycline to affect the infection enough to get here, but he’s clearly on the mend. Eating ok, drinking ok, but not at usual energy level yet, which is understandable; he was a very seriously ill boy. The crazy expensive blood test results came back negative for everything but indicating he was positive for FIV. So that could explain it.

  79. 79.

    James E Powell

    @Jesse:

    That purple Jack Smith pic makes him look like a pastor. Surely there’s a better image?

    I think of it as his Grand Inquisitor look.

  82. 82.

    Citizen Alan

    @Nukular Biskits:

    Methinks he has aspirations for higher office but he’ll never make it on the national scene politically.

    Nah. Tater’s just trying to stir up the rubes because the stink from the Bret Farve-Medicaid embezzlement scandal is so bad that Tater’s legitimately worried about Brandon Presley beating him in November.

  85. 85.

    satby

    @satby: OTOH, he was just vaccinated for that in March, and the test can pick those antibodies up and give false positives for up to a year.

  88. 88.

    sdhays

    @Citizen Alan: Do you think he’s actually in danger of losing? I mean, it all looks really bad, but it’s Mississippi, so I’ve remained pretty skeptical.

  91. 91.

    Sandia Blanca

    @Jeffro: Excellent rant! The wounds he’s inflicted on the American people may never heal. Justice, even partial, is a welcome salve.

  92. 92.

    WaterGirl

    @Nukular Biskits: Wow, that first ad reads like a typical “I am introducing myself in my run for office.”  At least half of that ad has images that are all about being a family man and getting elected.  Ugh.

  93. 93.

    Steeplejack

    Is there anything weird going on with car insurance? I did a Danny Thomas spit-take when I got my latest bill—up 25% over what I paid six months ago, after being basically constant for several years. My driving habits haven’t changed and I haven’t caused any multi-car pileups on the interstate, so what gives? Are the insurance companies like “Holy crap, people are driving again”?

    I’d like to spare myself a no doubt long and tedious phone call if there’s some information I have missed.

  94. 94.

    Betty Cracker

    Regarding Jack Smith — for months I’ve been reminding myself that I’ve been burned too many times to fangirl out over federal prosecutors. But now that Trump has actually been indicted for serious crimes, I’m transferring my schoolgirl crush on Coach Beard from Ted Lasso to Mr. Smith.

  95. 95.

    Citizen Alan

    @sdhays: TBH, I really don’t. I mean, Brandon Presley is easily the most popular Mississippi Democrat of the last 20 years, and Tate Reeves is a repulsive swine who stole money from Medicaid just to curry favor with a football player. But it’s Mississippi, where the Speaker of the House can openly state his belief that a 12yo pregnant incest victim should be denied an abortion for her own good and face absolutely no political repercussions for doing so. At the end of the day, I just think there’s too many bitter old hillbillies who are still bitter to the point of madness that slavery is illegal, and they’ll dismiss Presley as just another “baby-killing Marxist.”

  96. 96.

    Soprano2

    I’m literally listening to the O’Bros pod where they speculate that TFG will be indicted right after they finish recording the podcast. Which is EXACTLY what happened! LOLOLOL

  97. 97.

    sdhays

    @Jeffro: The recording, in his own voice, detailing how he has a classified document he’s not supposed to have, which he explicitly says he didn’t declassify will be hard to, and which he shows to people with no clearances whatsoever will be hard to ignore when we actually hear it in the trial.

    But Republicans will try!

  98. 98.

    tobie

    I canceled cable service yesterday and am now looking for a TV streaming service. Any recommendations? Sling Blue seems like the best fit and it’s not too pricey, which is good.

  99. 99.

    Betty Cracker

    The aforementioned Coach Beard for those who haven’t watched Ted Lasso:

    TGIFriday Open Thread: Not A Bad Week, Considering...

  102. 102.

    CaseyL

    I just saw a news report that the Florida case would be assigned “randomly” to one of two judges who have jurisdiction: Reinhart (the judge is who approved the MAL search warrant and does not stand for TFG’s bullshit) or… wait for it… Aileen Fucking Cannon.

    ETA: ABC News, that’s where the story is

    If she gets the case, I wonder if DOJ could move for a change of judge based on her already demonstrated incompetence. (Already demonstrated corruption, more like, but they can’t say that.)

  103. 103.

    tobie

    @Betty Cracker: Thanks and good to hear you get what you need from Sling. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to cut the cord. You were (and are) way ahead of the trend.

  104. 104.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: I had MetLIfe for car and auto until they increased one of those by 70% and the other by 50%.

    I called my agent and he said that was happening to all his clients with MetLife and some other companies.  (I don’t recall the others, only retained the one that affected me!)

    So it’s not just you.

  105. 105.

    frosty

    @Betty Cracker: The flaw with Sling (and Fubo) is that they both carry Fox News. Not sending Fox any money was why we cut the cable. LMK if I’m wrong about Sling.

  106. 106.

    Suzanne

    @Betty Cracker:

    So yes, friends, he recorded discussion of a criminal fucking conspiracy. 

    I still remember some men I know, back in 2016, who pretentiously intoned how they may have preferred Clinton, but the e-mail issue was disqualifying. And so they were simply compelled to vote for Trump. Because National Security Was Of Paramount Importance.

    They were fucking stupid then, and they are fucking stupid now.

  108. 108.

    Splitting Image

    @Suzanne:

    I still remember some men I know, back in 2016, who pretentiously intoned how they may have preferred Clinton, but the e-mail issue was disqualifying. And so they were simply compelled to vote for Drumpf. Because National Security Was Of Paramount Importance.

    They were fucking stupid then, and they are fucking stupid now.

    If I had to guess, I’d venture that they have moved on to preferring Biden, but are leaning towards the view that his age is disqualifying. And so… deja vu.

  111. 111.

    Keith P.

    @CaseyL: Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, initially assigned to oversee his case: Sources

    From a Haberman retweet.  Will be real interesting to see how she handles this knowing there’s gonna be a TON of scrutiny on her now that people already know who she is.

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: Like I said, my insurance guy said it was happening with multiple companies.

    My take was that some of the companies want to get out of the market, but they can’t cancel people’s policies for no reason.  So they raise the cost of a policy to a ridiculous level, and then we self-deport.

  115. 115.

    narya

    @Soprano2: Good luck to you . . . it’s not exactly luck I want to wish you, but it’s the best I can do. I’m glad you’re continuing to share here, and I hope it helps in some small way.

  116. 116.

    Soprano2

    @satby: Thanks. I’m trying to take it one day at a time, and deal with things as they happen rather than worrying about the future. It’s hard, though.

  118. 118.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Geminid:

    Brandon Presley is probably the most formidable Democratic gubernatorial candidate we’ve had in quite a while. And a LOT of Mississippians are royally pissed off at Reeves, albeit for a range of reasons running from the left to the right.

    Nevertheless, there have been polls showing Reeves inexplicably in the lead.  Presley leans a little too conservative, IMHO, but I donated to his campaign.  Right now, he’s our best bet to get rid of at least one Republican in state office.

  119. 119.

    Soprano2

    @tobie: I have YouTube TV, which seems to be OK. I think it depends on what you actually want to watch. I wanted all the local channels.

  121. 121.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Citizen Alan:

    Whereabouts you from?

    As I think  I’ve shared here before on BJ, I’m born/raised and my roots run deep.  But with my mom being passed away and both my kids grown, there isn’t as much tying me here right now other than my job.

    I have been seriously contemplating moving away from this “shithole” state once I can retire.

  122. 122.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Scout211:

    Anyone have a guess who their secret source is?

    Reading between the lines, Meadows has in fact been cooperating, and reputed super-lawyer Terwilliger is at the very least allowing these leaks to happen?

  123. 123.

    Betty Cracker

    ABC News says Aileen “Loose” Cannon is the assigned judge. Shouldn’t she recuse? I mean, she gave her benefactor such VIP treatment in the prior case that the appeals court overturned her decision.

  124. 124.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Citizen Alan:

    Nah. Tater’s just trying to stir up the rubes because the stink from the Bret Farve-Medicaid embezzlement scandal is so bad that Tater’s legitimately worried about Brandon Presley beating him in November.

    I don’t disagree.  Tate has a very low opinion of the folks of this state and, sad to say, he’s not incorrect.  He knows he can play them like a fiddle at the Annual Sap Convention.

  125. 125.

    narya

    So I ran into a Clueless Normie last night. I was at a memorial service (not someone I knew, but my friend, who did know him and his wife, had been asked to play music at this little gathering) when it happened. As folks mingled afterward, I shared with a couple of people (who were also very happy about it), but then was chatting with this museum guy who knew NOTHING about the documents case, doesn’t watch any news at all, and thinks both Kennedy and Williamson have interesting things to say. I really limited what I said, because, again, at a very small memorial service, but damn.

  126. 126.

    Keith P.

    @Betty Cracker: That would seem like the proper thing to do, but on the other hand, she has to know that if she puts her thumbs on the scale, Trump gets acquitted and becomes POTUS again, she will definitely be his next SCOTUS choice.

  128. 128.

    Nukular Biskits

    @WaterGirl:

    Sadly, there are a lot of idiots in this state who’ll lap that up.

    All it takes to win in MS is 4 things:

    1. An  “R” after your name
    2. Waving a gun
    3. Waving a Bible
    4. Railing about liberals / secularists / socialists / BLM/antifa / etc

    You don’t need all of those but if you’ve got all 4, you’re a lock, regardless.

  131. 131.

    tobie

    @Soprano2: i signed up for PBS and it looks like I get some local programming (i.e. Maryland shows) with that so I guess that will have to suffice for now. Good to know where to go if I want more local news. Thanks for the tip!

  133. 133.

    cain

    @Soprano2: Ugh, this feels so stressful. Best of luck there. My grandfather had a lot of mini-strokes that led to his cognitive decline. He died at 100 though, but the man he was was not there.

  134. 134.

    Suzanne

    @Splitting Image:

    If I had to guess, I’d venture that they have moved on to preferring Biden, but are leaning towards the view that his age is disqualifying. And so… deja vu. 

    These people are stupid, and I hope they feel stupid.

  135. 135.

    Leto

    @narya: I’ve met a few of them over the past few months and I just don’t know how to deal/engage with them. I want to scream, “WAKE THE F UP” but also know that doesn’t do anything.

  137. 137.

    cain

    @CaseyL: Perhaps she would also like a chance to get burned again after the last one. I mean, Cannon owes Trump nothing. It’s actually she who should be careful especially if she is looking to aspire to higher office – then again – taking this court case is going to fuck that up regardless.

  138. 138.

    lowtechcyclist

    @eversor:

    What a world it is!  You can buy mushrooms, DMT vapes, weed, and nitrus, and just walk around with it and go home and play video games with your friends.  Totally legal.   But fessing up to having done this and following up with “well, we played through a lot of Zelda and chewed through some ice cream, got it out of my system don’t plan on doing it again” is somehow disqualifying.

    If this was for a Federal job, you have to remember that the Federal laws haven’t changed.  Yet.  And Federal hiring practices have to be consistent with Federal law, rather than local law in whatever state or locality you’re in.  Sucks, but that’s where we are.

  139. 139.

    cain

    @Keith P.: She should also know that the DOJ has gamed out every situation in regards to her. They’ll be watching her pretty closely. I think she will need to thread very closely.

  140. 140.

    DMcK

    @tobie: Did the same and got an Amazon Fire stick at Target for $20. LOTS of free/live streaming options plus the usual paid subscription services, should you so desire. I love it.

  141. 141.

    Roger Moore

    @Steeplejack: ​
     
    There are all kinds of reasons for a sudden jump in auto insurance rates. They might have changed their model in a way that rates you as higher risk. For example, they might have decided to add some factor you’re on the wrong side of, or they might have decided your neighborhood has an increase risk of car breakins. If you’ve just passed a birthday, it’s possible you moved into a more expensive age group. Or maybe the things they have to pay for, like medical care and car repairs, have gotten more expensive and they need to cover those costs. Or maybe they have a friend in the state insurance regulator who’s decided to let them raise their rates to boost their profits.

  142. 142.

    Jackie

    First Republican tragedy following  TIFG’s indictment: Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced he will NOT run for the senate.

    No one wants to be on the ballot with a former president with multiple indictments attached to his name.🤭

  143. 143.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @PST: It was a nuclear stress test. They inject a radioactive tracer, scan you, make you run on a treadmill, and scan you again. All on no breakfast and no coffee.

    But a calcium scan could be fun too!

  145. 145.

    cain

    If you get sling are you really cutting the cord? I mean, you’re just replacing the delivery with an online carrier, right? I quit cable, and only had netflix I think at one point. Now I have a whole slew of channels mostly because my wife likes to watch the british shows, the kids like the disney+ – we’re basically sharing everyone’s subscription (OMG – communism!)

  146. 146.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Geminid: I know Beshear had a leg up based on his very popular, I don’t know if Presley will get the same boost from Cousin Elvis//

  147. 147.

    Jeffro

    (back from my walk – much better!)

    @Geminid: great recommendation and we’ll be doing something very similar to it!  Fro Jr. and I are going whitewater rafting with his Scout troop out in WV.  We went last year and had a blast!

    @Sandia Blanca: thanks and agreed.

  148. 148.

    Layer8Problem

    @Steeplejack:  Exactly the same thing happened here for us last week,  24% by my calculation.  Absolutely could not get a good explanation for the increase.  The increases by line item from the previous year didn’t cover the overall increase, and the representative on the phone didn’t even try “inflation” as an excuse.  I guess “because we can.”

  149. 149.

    kalakal

    @Soprano2: Sorry to hear that. It’s very tough. Strokes can indeed be minor, let’s hope that’s so in this case. My very best wishes to you both.

  150. 150.

    Geminid

    @Jackie: Gallagher is young, and he can wait for Ron Johnson’s seat to open up again. I’m glad he’s out though. He might have been a strong candidate.

  153. 153.

    Jackie

    @Betty Cracker: I saw that😡

    The ABC article does say *initially* assigned. So I guess it’s possible she won’t be THE judge when the trial actually starts. She should recuse herself – but we all know TIFG will be furious if she does. Remember what happened to AG Jeff Sessions when he recused himself from “anything Russian.”

  154. 154.

    Roger Moore

    @Suzanne:

    I still remember some men I know, back in 2016, who pretentiously intoned how they may have preferred Clinton, but the e-mail issue was disqualifying.

    It was BS then and it’s still BS.  They were never going to vote for Clinton, and the email stuff was just a convenient excuse that sounded better than “I’ll never vote for Hillary because she has too many X chromosomes”.

  155. 155.

    Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg

    @Betty Cracker:

    She doesn’t even have to immolate herself with stupid rulings – she can just do what federal judges do best – delay due to her precious schedule.

  158. 158.

    sdhays

    @Suzanne: That was one of the really horrible things about 2016. Hillary was graded in a vacuum. Any valid criticism of Hillary would never even be considered towards her opponent. No objective standard, just Hillary bad, Trump will never be President so we don’t need to apply any standard to him.

  159. 159.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Jackie:

    First Republican tragedy following  TIFG’s indictment: Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced he will NOT run for the senate.

    I saw this poll earlier, I didn’t realize Gallagher had made that announcement

    Political Polls @Politics_Polls.
    Jun 8

    2024 Wisconsin Senate — Republican Primary:
    David Clarke 40% (+20)
    Mike Gallagher 20%
    Tom Tiffany 10%
    Eric Hovde 3% .

    Head-2-Head:
    David Clarke 45% (+19)
    Mike Gallagher 26%

    Yes that’s David Clarke as in Sheriff Flair.

  161. 161.

    sdhays

    @Betty Cracker: I don’t think it would be a bad precedent for any judge who was appointed by a President to recuse themselves in any criminal proceedings regarding that President.

    But I’m sure Judge Cannon isn’t going to be the one to establish that precedent.

  162. 162.

    Suzanne

    @Roger Moore: I know.

    It’s simply amazing how there’s always a reason to not vote for a woman. And if there isn’t a reason, one can be invented!

  163. 163.

    Soprano2

    Seen on the FB feed of the 1A show this morning:

    It’s time for the military to take over this country and start military tribunals for these treasonists like Obama, Biden, Clinton, Brennen, Comey and the media

    This guy is a rabid, rabid MAGA. So it gives you an idea of where their minds are – openly advocating for a military takeover of the government in order to jail people they don’t like.

  166. 166.

    Scout211

    @Betty Cracker: from the ABC article. Link
    Much speculation and no real facts. I posted this upstairs, too.

    This was also in the article, which muddies their speculation:

    In addition to Cannon, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart’s name also appeared on the summons sent to Trump on Thursday, the sources said.

    Reinhart, who was sworn in as a magistrate judge in 2018, is also familiar with the proceedings against Trump: he signed off on the initial search warrant of Mar-a-Lago last year and later ruled to unseal the search affidavit – decisions that made him the target of antisemitic jabs on the internet.

    Judges in most federal cases are assigned at random. But the apparent nods to Cannon and Reinhart on the summons for Trump might actually reflect the fact that both have already played roles in the proceedings, experts said.

  167. 167.

    Jeffro

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: the prospect of Clarke(!) as a U.S. Senator(!!) makes me want to barf, and he’s not even running in my state!

    wow

    They GOP is really assembling quite the rogues’ gallery in both the House and Senate.

  168. 168.

    Jackie

    Another MAGAt’s hopes dashed of getting a pardon from TIFG:

    “A federal judge has cleared the way for District of Columbia Bar authorities to resume long-stalled disciplinary proceedings against Jeffrey Clark, a top ally in Donald Trump’s bid to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election,” Politico reports.”

    “Clark, an assistant attorney general in Trump’s Justice Department — whom Trump considered naming acting attorney general amid his final, frenzied bid to remain in power — had tied up those proceedings for nearly eight months as he sought to transfer the battle to federal court.”

  169. 169.

    Mike in NC

    Here are the charges per ABC News (if not already posted):

    — Willful retention of national defense information (maximum penalty if convicted: 10 years)
    — Conspiracy to obstruct justice (maximum penalty: 20 years)
    — Withholding a document or record (maximum penalty: 20 years)
    — Corruptly concealing a document or record (maximum penalty: 20 years)
    — Concealing a document in a federal investigation (maximum penalty: 20 years)
    — Scheme to conceal (maximum penalty: Five years)
    — False statements and representations (maximum penalty: Five years)

  171. 171.

    kalakal

    The True Story of Jack Smith and his Amazing Technicolour Purple Dreamcoat  Robe.

    Let’s be honest folks, when Garland announced his appointment our medias’  finest talents leapt into action and the immortal words “Who he?” rang across the firmament. Finally the technical whiz amongst fired up their comptometer, and after a heroic 2 fingered struggle lasting 7 hours  typed the words “Jack Smith” into a google text box. The first image that appeared was our Jack in his United Federation of Planets International Court outfit and so, rather than waste precious whining time looking further our intrepid hero decisively selected it. In an awesome display of independent mindedness the wild, crazy, anarchic, and free thinking strivers for truth that comprise our MSM immediately copied it.

    Let’s be honest, had the first pic that came up shown him mowing the lawn they’d have gone with that, after all, just think of the pun potential

  172. 172.

    Baud

    @Omnes Omnibus: The carving up of districts into divisions with a small number of judges is bullshit, however  Makes random selection a joke. That needs to be changed.

  173. 173.

    WaterGirl

    @sdhays: Absolutely this!

    My evangelical sister could not vote for Hillary because “she doesn’t go to church!”

    First of all, I think Hillary does go to church, but that didn’t matter.

    Second, if Trump ever set foot in a church I’m pretty sure it would have spontaneously combusted!

  184. 184.

    stacib

    @Steeplejack: Progressive told me it’s due to the increased costs in auto repair / parts.  My argument is they have never paid a single claim for me, so why is MY insurance increasing a lot every six months.  I’ve been legally driving since I was 16 years old, and so far, I’ve never caused an accident.  I live in my own home with a garage in a good neighborhood.  WHY is my insurance so expensive???

  186. 186.

    Mike in NC

    @Soprano2:  I remember the reaction of the radical right to the election of President Obama. There were multiple calls for a military coup to depose him and restore ‘normalcy’ to the country since it was not acceptable for one of ‘those people’ to be in the White House. So no change, really.

  187. 187.

    mvr

    @Mike in NC: I suspect that this puts the limit at 20 years since they would normally run concurrently.  But whether he would get even that would depend on a lot of things.

  188. 188.

    mvr

    @WaterGirl: It is an NPR news show that tends to do somewhat longer things and seems aimed at a younger more diverse market than morning edition and all things considered.

  190. 190.

    Citizen Alan

    @Betty Cracker: I’m curious to see whether he will actually show up in the MCU as hercules given what a disastrous failure Thor: Love and Thunder turned out to be.

  194. 194.

    Citizen Alan

    @Nukular Biskits: Or as I have said, the majority of white voters here would own slaves today if they could, but they can’t and they are salty about it. So they vote a straight Republican ticket and blame the fact that the state capital does not have drinkable water on “marxism.”

  196. 196.

    Citizen Alan

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: It’s funny, because brandon presley was my Public service commissioner for many years, and I support him and know of him more from his actual conscientious and effective performance in that job then his last name, which I honestly thought was a coincidence until he started running for governor.

  198. 198.

    Citizen Alan

    @Geminid: Alas, I have already three bought the plane ticket. My furniture leaves on july 6, my brand new hybrid suv leaves on july 14, and I fly out of methods on july 16. Possibly never to return except for a wedding or a funeral if my RWNJ sister continues to wear on my last nerve.

  199. 199.

    Bill Arnold

    @Circular reasoning:
    Don’t know about context. Here’s the earliest copy of that image tineye.com found, 31 January 2021, google translated (from Albanian) headline:
    Smith: The charges are against individuals, not against the KLA, nor against Kosovo
    The text of the brief article machine translates as:

    “The indictment is only about the individual criminal responsibility of the accused. In the case of Thaçi and others, they are Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. However, when charges of Joint Criminal Enterprises (JCEs) are presented as a form of criminal liability, it is a legal standard that several other identifiable key actors are also named in the indictment. The NPC is a widely accepted form of criminal responsibility, used in a wide variety of cases, and this is a standard criterion for bringing charges”, says the head of the Office of the Specialized Prosecutor, Jack Smith, for TIME

  200. 200.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Soprano2: There’s a process to move a case away from a judge if that judge would be publicly perceived to put their thumb on the scale for either the government or the defendant.

    Seen lots of speculation this morning that for Cannon it’s pretty clear-cut, given the huge public interest in her previous corruption and even the corrupt 11th circuit stepping in to slap her down.

  202. 202.

    EarthWindFire

    @Suzanne: They were fucking stupid lying then, and they are fucking stupid lying now.

    Fixed. The biggest lesson I’ve learned since 2016: never attribute to stupidity anything that can be attributed to malice.

  203. 203.

    cmorenc

    @Nukular Biskits:

    randon Presley is probably the most formidable Democratic gubernatorial candidate we’ve had in quite a while. And a LOT of Mississippians are royally pissed off at Reeves, albeit for a range of reasons running from the left to the right.

    Nevertheless, there have been polls showing Reeves inexplicably in the lead.

    Not so inexplicable if you look at party affiliation in Mississippi  (source: Pew Research):

    White: GOP 65% Dem 22% Unaffiliated 13%

    Black: GOP 12% Dem 76% Unaffiliated 12%

    …and the % of Mississippi population who are black is 37.7%x

    It should hardly be surprising, given the respective party affiliations and results of prior elections that the current polling has Reeves ahead 8-10 pts.   Consider that over in neighboring Alabama, it took a GOP nominee (Moore) to present such a repulsive shitheel to entice just enough of a small slice of normally R voters that D Jones was able to win, but only by 1.6%, and only that one time.

  205. 205.

    Chris T.

    @Roger Moore:

    Or maybe the things they have to pay for, like medical care and car repairs, have gotten more expensive …

    Don’t you you mean “like hookers and blow”? 😀

    Car part prices are way up when you look backwards a year or two (as the statisticians do), so that makes sense. The prices are coming back down but it will take another couple of years for this to flow through the statistics, as usual.

    On a different but related note, I hear both State Farm and Allstate are no longer issuing fire insurance policies in California at all. Nobody knows how to price that risk any more…

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