• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

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

I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

The words do not have to be perfect.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Optimism opens the door to great things.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Republicans do not trust women.

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Using the Tools We’re Given

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Using the Tools We’re Given

by Anne Laurie|  July 19, 20237:49 am| 118 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republicans in Disarray!, Trump Indictments

FacebookTweetEmail

I approve this message. pic.twitter.com/f1q5giNM8j

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 18, 2023

A Biden campaign official shares that "Dark Brandon"-themed merchandise like this amounted for more than half of all sales revenue at the Biden campaign's online store https://t.co/5ZtjNLTrKH

— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) July 14, 2023

And we are at 140 judges now confirmed! Rachel Bloomekatz's nomination has been waiting over a year to be confirmed. Because we won GA and got to 51 Senators, we were able to put a 40 year old civil rights lawyer on a lifetime Circuit Court of Appeals seat. https://t.co/7ynl9tcvR1

— The Biden Accomplishments Guy (on Threads) (@What46HasDone) July 18, 2023


Today, Congressional Democrats re-introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation that would improve ballot access, secure our elections, get dark money out of politics, and end partisan gerrymandering.

Congress must send this bill to my desk.

— President Biden (@POTUS) July 18, 2023

“We are in the midst of a 9-1-1 emergency in our democracy—and I’ve seen it up close.”

You need to watch @SenatorWarnock lay out why it’s so important we pass the Freedom to Vote Act. pic.twitter.com/pgUxjMmCHg

— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) July 18, 2023

I’m reintroducing the Freedom to Vote Act with Democratic colleagues. This legislation, which includes my DISCLOSE Act, reaffirms our commitment to the principle of “one person one vote” by protecting ballot access and getting dark money out of politics.

— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) July 18, 2023

Good luck to the GOP in dealing with this. pic.twitter.com/FkP5zt27Ll

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) July 18, 2023

Sure has been a long time since anyone’s heard anything from Mark Meadows https://t.co/pcmasXxqFg

— Pete Strzok (@petestrzok) July 18, 2023

man these guys fucking love threatening to prosecute democrats. have at it, master shake. i'm not really buying your theory that there's republican DAs all over the country who have held back on prosecuting hillary clinton purely out of respect for norms https://t.co/4iCGIIEYrR

— your himbo boyfriend (@swolecialism) July 18, 2023

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: July 19, 2023
Next Post: Trump, DeSantis, Rubin, Tapper, Bill & Me (Open Thread) »

Reader Interactions

118Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 7:53 am

    Sounds like a good reason not to let conservatives take back the Executive Branch.

  2. 2.

    rikyrah

    July 19, 2023 at 7:57 am

    Good Morning, Everyone😊😊😊

  3. 3.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 7:58 am

    That MTG speech is something else.  It’s like she’s triple dog daring the “both sides are the same” crowd to admit their were wrong.

  4. 4.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 7:58 am

    @rikyrah:

    Good morning.

  5. 5.

    SFAW

    July 19, 2023 at 7:59 am

    Whenever I start thinking there might be a single rational person in the ranks of RWMFs, I only need to read stuff like Levin’s to disabuse myself of that idea.

    Just kidding: I never start thinking that.

  6. 6.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 8:00 am

    @SFAW:

    Yeah, he isn’t some random Twitter yahoo. He’s a beltway insider yahoo.

  7. 7.

    Chief Oshkosh

    July 19, 2023 at 8:02 am

    “We are in the midst of a 9-1-1 emergency in our democracy—and I’ve seen it up close.”

    I agree with the great Senator Warnock from the Great State of Georgia.

    But, as someone here says often (Kay? Betty?): Don’t tell me; show me.  If we’re in such an emergency, what is leadership doing about it? As Adam has noted, why are Senate Dems still honoring Republican blue slips? Or, why isn’t there any real discussion of fixing the the SC within the probable lifetimes of our grandchildren? I mean, my gods, why is DeJoy still heading up the USPS? (I know, that last one is almost small ball at this point…)

    Maybe we’re not in a 9-1-1 emergency…

  8. 8.

    narya

    July 19, 2023 at 8:02 am

    @rikyrah: Good morning!

    I love that he’s using that Marge clip with that simple “I approve” and the shots of all the work he’s doing.

  9. 9.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 8:03 am

    More storms. Lost power again early this AM… 4 times and counting. Never for more than 5 or 10 seconds, just long enough to make me have to reset all the clocks.

    Blech.

    And to top it all off, our land line telephone which has been dead to us for over a month (with the exception of one 24 hour period) has been ringing off the hook with every other lightening strike.

    Double Blech.

    And I can’t get a cell signal here. If I need to talk to someone I have to drive 6 miles and park underneath a cell tower. If anybody needs to talk to me, they have to drive here.

  10. 10.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 8:04 am

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    I agree, it’s all hype and we shouldn’t respond to it.

  11. 11.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 8:05 am

    Congress must send this bill to my desk.

    HA! What a comedian that guy Joe is.

  12. 12.

    catclub

    July 19, 2023 at 8:06 am

    @SFAW: Mark Levine is right wing crazy. Matt Levine writes intelligently about finance things.  Do not mix up.

  13. 13.

    SiubhanDuinne

    July 19, 2023 at 8:06 am

    @rikyrah:

    Good morning backatcha! 😊😊😊

  14. 14.

    Suzanne

    July 19, 2023 at 8:08 am

    I posted this piece yesterday but it was in a dead thread. Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville was really interesting, and it’s nice to see so many artists who many of us deeply enjoy are on the right side of politics.

    If you don’t know Adeem the Artist, give them a listen. I got to see them open for Josh Ritter a couple of months ago and was charmed and impressed.

  15. 15.

    Mousebumples

    July 19, 2023 at 8:08 am

    Special election in Wisconsin yesterday for State Assembly –

    Waukesha County Dems🇺🇲 (@Waukeshadems) tweeted at 8:51 PM on Tue, Jul 18, 2023:

    While Bob may have come up short. The Waukesha Dems knocked doors and turned out the voters to WIN MENOMONEE FALLS! Huge shout out to the team and volunteers that did this! https://t.co/O8YSViOPMz

    (https://twitter.com/Waukeshadems/status/1681481738340401153?t=bke2wEwTQyrJ3BpV4RXsiw&s=03)

     

    Interested MKE Citizen (@Citizen_MKE) tweeted at 8:53 PM on Tue, Jul 18, 2023:

    Fun fact: Of the 7 municipalities that have voters in the 24th district, Dem Bob Tatterson won 5 of them

     

    8 months ago, Evers did not win a single one.

    (https://twitter.com/Citizen_MKE/status/1681482351996444673?t=f6z98-9I5ZQr6mhclcaR4w&s=03)

    This was the election to replace the Republican who beat Jodi Habush Sinykin for the open State Senate seat. Unsurprisingly, the seat is VERY gerrymandered.

    https://decisiondeskhq.com/election-results-wisconsin-state-assembly-24-special-election/

    Hopefully, the upcoming NEW SUPREME COURT can force fair maps soon. Justice Janet Protasiewicz will be seated on August 1.

    Eta – Results by municipality:

    Grafton Town (R+27)
    Grafton Village (D+ 3 votes, D+0.1)
    Mequon City (D+3)
    Menomonee Falls Village (D+ 9 votes, D+0.4)
    Germantown Town (D+ 3 votes D+6)
    Germantown Village (R+17)
    Port Washington City, where there was previously a 0 voter ward that now has 2 voters, both of whom voted for Tatterson

  16. 16.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    July 19, 2023 at 8:08 am

    @Chief Oshkosh: I mean, my gods, why is DeJoy still heading up the USPS? (I know, that last one is almost small ball at this point…)

    Depends. Are cute little chicks still dying because you can no longer trust the USPS to get them there on time?

    I wonder this too. I thought the last thing I heard was that there were now enough Democratic votes on the Board of Governors to vote him out. But it seems to me that was at least a year ago. Since then … ?

  17. 17.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 8:13 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I lost power in Memphis last night around 4:30 AM.  There was an explosion outside my house, I saw green and blue light, and then the power went out.  Still out.  The predicted high today is 97.

    Storms came through earlier last night, around 90k customers without power.

  18. 18.

    tobie

    July 19, 2023 at 8:16 am

    @eclare: That sounds awful. Good luck to you.

  19. 19.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 8:17 am

    @SFAW: @Baud: Levin is just fleecing the rubes.

  20. 20.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    July 19, 2023 at 8:17 am

    @eclare: Oh that sounds bad.

  21. 21.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 8:21 am

    @Mousebumples:

    As Menomonee Falls goes, so goes Wisconsin.

  22. 22.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 8:22 am

    @catclub:

    Reminds of the perennial question of which Naomi is the good one.

  23. 23.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 8:24 am

    @eclare: That sounds like a substation lost a critical component. You might be without electricity for a while.

  24. 24.

    Ken

    July 19, 2023 at 8:24 am

    @Mousebumples: Port Washington City, where there was previously a 0 voter ward that now has 2 voters,

    “And now a word with the man who is at the center of this by-election mystery, the voter himself. And he is a Mr. E. Blackadder…”

  25. 25.

    Anne Laurie

    July 19, 2023 at 8:25 am

    @eclare: I lost power in Memphis last night around 4:30 AM. There was an explosion outside my house, I saw green and blue light, and then the power went out. Still out. The predicted high today is 97.

    When that happened to us, it was a transformer that had been hit by lightning.  (But then the ruined transformer went up in flames, so the fire department soon showed up, followed by the electrical company worker… in the middle of a hurricane-related downpour.)

    I was given to understand that ‘blown transformers’ are rather more dangerous than just random ‘lost power’ — don’t know if this is universally true, but you might want to communicate the ‘blue light / explosion’ part to whatever drone answers your local power-outage emergency line?

  26. 26.

    Kathleen

    July 19, 2023 at 8:25 am

    @Baud: First, I can never keep the Naomis straight. Second, IIRC it doesn’t matter because neither of them.

  27. 27.

    There go two miscreants

    July 19, 2023 at 8:28 am

    @catclub: Kinda like the problem reporter Matt Gertz has. (Also note that it’s Mark Levin and Matt Levine.)

  28. 28.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 8:28 am

    Haven’t heard any thunder as yet but we’re socked in courtesy of tropical storm Calvin. Raining and blowing outside pretty intensely. Supposed to move off some time Wednesday night.

    Easy listening: Stormy.

  29. 29.

    MattF

    July 19, 2023 at 8:29 am

    Ms. Petri does her signature number on a wannabe Leader (gift link).

  30. 30.

    Sanjeevs

    July 19, 2023 at 8:37 am

    Hadn’t seen this video before – the Republican fake electors unsuccessfully trying to gain admittance to the Michigan Capitol.
    They invited reporters on a ridealong to their crime.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NgLQxMV9c

  31. 31.

    DB11

    July 19, 2023 at 8:41 am

    Klein is the nice Canadian Naomi.

    Wolfe is the rabid crazy Naomi.

  32. 32.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 8:45 am

    @Anne Laurie:

    It just doesn’t make sense for a transformer to be where the light was.  And the outage reporting system is automated, no humans.  Been sitting in my car and charging my phone, guess I’ll go back in now.

  33. 33.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 8:47 am

    @Sanjeevs: I’ll bet they are feeling a little nervous just now.

  34. 34.

    Jeffro

    July 19, 2023 at 8:49 am

    @Baud: I wish she wasn’t anywhere near our national government, but since she is, I truly appreciate her being out there barking away and highlighting the very real differences.

  35. 35.

    Kay

    July 19, 2023 at 8:49 am

    Three of the Michigan 16 charged with election fraud are public officials- a mayor, a county clerk and a school board member. Very important we root out those people. I care less about the Republican Party officials.

  36. 36.

    evodevo

    July 19, 2023 at 8:50 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: Gee…welcome to rural KY – we landliners are on a first name basis with the AT&T repair crews they send out once a month to fix the line where it runs a couple miles through heavy woods.  It clears up when the weather clears, so by the time they get out here, it’s functioning.  Then, as soon as it starts raining, it goes out again…and we call again…and round and round for 35 yrs…

  37. 37.

    catclub

    July 19, 2023 at 8:50 am

    @NotMax: we’re socked in courtesy of tropical storm Calvin.

     

    Will there be a tropical storm Hobbes this year?

  38. 38.

    Steeplejack

    July 19, 2023 at 8:57 am

    @Baud:

    keeping track of things with the following rhyme:

    if the Naomi be Klein
    you’re doing just fine
    If the Naomi be Wolf
    Oh, buddy. Ooooof.

    — bela lugosi’s dad (@markpopham) October 23, 2019

  39. 39.

    SFAW

    July 19, 2023 at 9:03 am

    @catclub:

    Tough to mix them up, since before you mentioned Matt, I hadn’t heard of him.

    ETA: But thanks for the pro tip re: Matt.

  40. 40.

    Mousebumples

    July 19, 2023 at 9:10 am

    @Baud: haha, here’s hoping…

  41. 41.

    Soprano2

    July 19, 2023 at 9:11 am

    So how scared of consequences do you have to be to voluntarily go to North Korea? Talk about a crazy story! The charges don’t seem serious enough to merit his actions.

  42. 42.

    Albatrossity

    July 19, 2023 at 9:12 am

    I saw MTGs image at the same time I scanned the headline, and thought it should read “Using the Fools We’re Given”.

  43. 43.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:12 am

    Freshly found fun fillip. The closing paragraph of an article from 1872 (.pdf file) tickled my fancy.

    By the addition of these two animals to the Menagerie the Zoological Society have now been able to exhibit side by side specimen of four (out the the six certainly known) living species of Rhinoceros—a wonderful advance when we consider that a very few years ago the Indian Rhinoceros unicornis was alone known in Europe in a living state. The two species remaining to be obtained are the Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), a smaller representative of the One-horned Indian, and the White Rhinoceros of Africa (Rhinoceros simus). It need hardly be added that any correspondents of NATURE who may be able to assist in supplying these desiderata will not only be conferring a benefit of science, but will be liberally dealt with by the Council of the Society.

  44. 44.

    Jeffro

    July 19, 2023 at 9:13 am

    In today’s NYT, Thomas Edsall has a good roundup of recent research into the increasing polarization “calcification” (described as ‘polarization-plus‘) of our politics.

    (Here’s a gift link). It’s called Gut-Level Hatred Is Consuming Our Politics

    Divisions between Democrats and Republicans have expanded far beyond the traditional fault lines based on race, education, gender, the urban-rural divide and economic ideology.
    Polarization now encompasses sharp disagreements over the significance of patriotism and nationalism as well as a fundamental split between those seeking to restore perceived past glories and those who embrace the future.Democrats are determined not only to block any drive to restore the America of 1963 — one year before passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act — but also to press the liberal agenda forward.

    Um, more like ‘press to restore people’s basic rights’, but whatever.

    Toward the end of the 20th century, Republicans moved rightward at a faster pace than Democrats moved leftward. In recent decades, however, Democrats have accelerated their shift toward more liberal positions while Republican movement to the right has slowed, in part because the party had reached the outer boundaries of conservatism.

    Boy howdy, that’s one way to put it!  LOL

    Seriously though: yes, we have shifted left and are now a center-left party instead of centrist mush.  The GOP has jumped off the right side of the boat and is swimming in its own deep ocean of insanity.  But I digress…

    There is a discussion of what one of the researchers call “anti-antiracism” (hmm, is there a simpler name for this, perhaps?) but there is a little bit of a distinction there that’s interesting: anti-antiracism helps the overt racists pull in quieter sympathizers by constantly, loudly, and negatively portraying the efforts of the antiracists while glossing over the efforts of the racists.  ie, what Fox does on a daily hourly by-the-minute basis.  That’s why it’s important to ignore the anti-antiracists and keep pointing out what the racists are up to.

    And finally, there’s one section that notes recent research by some Irish psychologists on how quickly and accurately people pick up on partisan signals.

    The authors demonstrate not only how ingrained polarization has become, but also how attuned voters have become to signals of partisanship and how adept they now are at using cues to determine whether a stranger is a Democrat or Republican.
    “Learning a single attitude (e.g., one’s standpoint toward abortion rights),” they write, “allows people to estimate an interlocutor’s partisan identity with striking accuracy. Additionally, we show that people not only use attitudes to categorize others as in-group and out-group members, but also to evaluate a person more or less favorably.”
    The three conducted survey experiments testing whether Americans could determine the partisanship of people who agreed or disagreed with any one of the following eight statements:

    (you can probably guess what the eight statements involved, right?  abortion rights, guns, welfare, etc)

    The results?
    “Participants were able to categorize a person as Democrat or Republican based on a single attitude with remarkable accuracy (reflected by a correlation index of r = .90).”

    I feel like the Rs are the one who are better at pulling people in based on a single issue, but maybe not.  Thoughts?

  45. 45.

    UncleEbeneezer

    July 19, 2023 at 9:15 am

    NBC News confirms: Ex-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has been cooperating with the Special Counsel’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Reminder: Trump called Ducey after he certified Biden’s 2020 election win in the state.

  46. 46.

    jonas

    July 19, 2023 at 9:16 am

    Greatest headline ever just spotted over at cnn.com: “Third Indictment of Former President Could Be Deep Stain on His Legacy.”

    Tell me about it. Is *that* ever an embarrassing section of the presidential library to have to curate!

  47. 47.

    SFAW

    July 19, 2023 at 9:20 am

    @jonas: ​

    Greatest headline ever just spotted over at cnn.com: “Third Indictment of Former President Could Be Deep Stain on His Legacy.”

    Meanwhile, over at the FTFTFNYT: “Liberals Hailing Possible Trump Indictment # [N] as the Justice System ‘Working,’ but Real Americans See it Differently”​
     
    ETA: I’m sure DougJ could do it better, I hope he will. [Not that he hasn’t already, myriad times.]

  48. 48.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 9:22 am

    @evodevo: Rural Misery ain’t no better.

    Years ago an AT&T tech told us that AT&T sees landlines as an albatross that they just want to shed, that cell phones are where the profits lie. They are doing their damnedest to get rid of u…

    Wait a minute, they already have. I think I’ll call the PSC and file a complaint.

  49. 49.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:23 am

    @Jeffro

    the liberal agenda

    Momentarily donning my copy editor’s tattered cap, would instantly blue pencil that “liberal” and replace it with “progressive.”

  50. 50.

    Spanky

    July 19, 2023 at 9:24 am

    @jonas: So the first two indictments weren’t a stain on his “legacy” Good to know that.

  51. 51.

    SFAW

    July 19, 2023 at 9:26 am

    @NotMax: ​
     
    “Liberal” is the proper choice. Mainly because it’s so much easier to hate on “L-l-l-l-l-liberals” than on “P-p-p-p-p-progressives.”

  52. 52.

    Soprano2

    July 19, 2023 at 9:27 am

    @jonas: Haha, you think TFG is going to have a presidential library!

  53. 53.

    Jeffro

    July 19, 2023 at 9:27 am

    One more NYT piece – completely OT – for Betty and several others here: the sandwich Southerners wait for all year!

    TOMATO SANDWICHES YUM!!

  54. 54.

    Mat

    July 19, 2023 at 9:28 am

    @Spanky:

    So the first two indictments weren’t a stain on his “legacy” Good to know that.

    Well, they only could be. So, that’s an acceptable sentiment.

  55. 55.

    SFAW

    July 19, 2023 at 9:30 am

    @Spanky:

    Look forward, not backward, libtard!

    Let’s not quibble about who tried to destroy democracy.

    Stop politicizing mass murders committed with guns/It’s too soon to be talking about that stuff.

    We’re a republic, not a democracy.

    NB: Not sure which of the above RWMF standard responses is pertinent to your comment, but one of them probably is.

  56. 56.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 19, 2023 at 9:30 am

    i’m not really buying your theory that there’s republican DAs all over the country who have held back on prosecuting hillary clinton purely out of respect for norms

    LOL!  I guess they’re all too sick of the years of “Lock her up!” crap to lock her up.

  57. 57.

    Kirk

    July 19, 2023 at 9:30 am

    @Jeffro:for reference, the right statements are:

     

    • 1) Abortion should be illegal.
    • 2) The government should take steps to make incomes more equal.
    • 3) All unauthorized immigrants should be sent back to their home country.
    • 4) The federal budget for welfare programs should be increased.
    • 5) Lesbian, gay and trans couples should be allowed to legally marry.
    • 6) The government should regulate business to protect the environment.
    • 7) The federal government should make it more difficult to buy a gun.
    • 8) The federal government should make a concerted effort to improve social and economic conditions for African Americans
  58. 58.

    MattF

    July 19, 2023 at 9:31 am

    Ugh. Nym got damaged, above comment duplicated.
    @Spanky:

    So the first two indictments weren’t a stain on his “legacy” Good to know that.

    Well, they only could be. So, that’s an acceptable sentiment.

  59. 59.

    Geminid

    July 19, 2023 at 9:31 am

    With vehicle lanes on the Kerch Bridge damaged by a recent mishap involving a Ukrainian sea drone, Russian media have published helpful pointers for tourists returning from Crimea over the northerly overland route. Some excerpts:

    2. Refuel your car and withdraw cash [Note: bandits and soldiers always accept cash!]. Buy plenty of drinking water.

    6. On the way you will meet military checkpoints. Do everything the servicemen say. Do not be rude or push your rights….

    8. A perfectly smooth road has been built from Crimea to the Rostov region.

    9. In Melitopol in the city center, you can have a delicious lunch and withdraw cash [see note at 2].

    10. Your way lies through Melitopol…it is a 400km, 5 or 6 hour drive.

    13. Do not drive at night.

    14. Insurance policies are not valid there.

    15. The road is safe, but be vigilant at all times.

    17. Medical assistance can be sought from military and police [see note at 2].

    18. Do not go into fields or forests….

    19. Be polite and calm. Everything is built on mutual respect and patience in the special military operation zone.

     

  60. 60.

    jonas

    July 19, 2023 at 9:31 am

    @Mat: As we know, Trump always gets to take a couple of mulligans.

  61. 61.

    SFAW

    July 19, 2023 at 9:32 am

    @Soprano2: ​
     

    Haha, you think TFG is going to have a presidential library!

    It’s at Mar-a-Lardo. Although since Teh Evul Guvmint seized the classified (etc.) doc, the size has been diminished.

  62. 62.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 19, 2023 at 9:33 am

    Misread.  Deleted.

  63. 63.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:33 am

    @Spanky

    “A soak in Poxiclean™ will whitewash those stains. If not, paint over ’em with fake gold lacquer.”
    //

  64. 64.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 9:36 am

    @Soprano2:

    What was it Colbert said? TFG’s library would consist of kiddie menus and some copies of Juggs magazine.

  65. 65.

    Chief Oshkosh

    July 19, 2023 at 9:37 am

    @Baud: Yeah, ’cause that’s exactly what I said.

  66. 66.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 9:38 am

    @SFAW:

    TFG still has those Israeli artifacts to display.

  67. 67.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 9:39 am

    @Soprano2: ​ Well sure, it’s going to be housed in the Marred a Lardo maximum security prison.

  68. 68.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:41 am

    @eclare

    Two books.

    One of which has only been partially colored in using Sharpies.

  69. 69.

    Quinerly

    July 19, 2023 at 9:42 am

    @rikyrah:

    Good morning! If I recall, several weeks back when I was gathering info on surgery for my severe Astigmatism and early cataracts, you were interested in the different lenses and options I was looking into. I went with the “Vivity Lenses.” Had the right eye done Mon.

    Very, very pleased so far. Actually I am amazed. Go back to Albuquerque for the left eye today. Doc is setting up my vision for right eye dominant for distance. He was able to get out almost all of the Astigmatism in the laser surgery and with the lens. We are hoping that I will be back to mono vision (like I had with my Toric contact lenses before the Astigmatism and cataracts got so bad). Read with left eye with no glasses. Distance with my right eye. Worst case scenario, I will have to have Dollar Tree readers. If you want more info, please feel free to get my email from a front pager.

    My only complaint is the state of medical care in my newly adopted state of NM. The doctor who did my surgery is the only doctor in the entire state that does it. I was spoiled in St. Louis with excellent medical care and access. I should have done this before I moved. Would have been less $ out of pocket. At least 12-18 surgeons who do it there.

  70. 70.

    Dangerman

    July 19, 2023 at 9:44 am

    First coffee on West Coast, but are we saying that MTG is a tool? Seems correct.

    I know her words must be edited and out of context, but how can she say some of those things? Beyond her tool status, I mean. And, as someone that likes tools and finds them useful, I’m changing my mind and no longer calling her a tool. Yes, a quick correction. See coffee comment.

  71. 71.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:45 am

    BTW, yesterday the jury was empaneled in NY for Michael Cohen’s case suing the Trump Organization.

  72. 72.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 19, 2023 at 9:47 am

    @eclare:

    @NotMax: Dump’s “library” will also include the picture of the bepenised hurricane.

  73. 73.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    July 19, 2023 at 9:49 am

    @Spanky: This one might not be either, according to that headline which says the indictments “could” stain his legacy

  74. 74.

    Suzanne

    July 19, 2023 at 9:50 am

    @UncleEbeneezer: So….. that is why I think Ducey is getting out of politics, for a while at least. The Arizona GOP is still captured by Crazy Kelli Ward and MAGA and he won’t get their support.

    I have been really cautious about getting excited about Gallego’s odds in the Senate race. AZ is a bit of a weird animal….. Registered independents outnumber Dems by a lot. They don’t have a history of working-class union life. They’ve got a large LDS population. The Latino population is large and growing, but is much newer than in New Mexico. The cities are really suburban density and have historically voted that way. And in 2022, non-MAGA Republicans won their races. Lots of factors that make it far from a sure thing for Dems. Purple at best.

    I have been thinking that, at some point, the state GOP would figure out that Trump and MAGA (and Kari Lake and Blake Masters and their type) are bringing them down. A normal evil GOP candidate like Ducey (or Jeff Flake, FFS) has a very strong chance. Better than 50/50, I’d say. But they really are doing their level best to lose elections. Bodes well for Gallego. I’m getting a bit more bullish on his chances.

  75. 75.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 19, 2023 at 9:50 am

    @NotMax:

    BTW, yesterday the jury was empaneled in NY for Michael Cohen’s case suing the Trump Organization. 

    Rule 1: Stop laughing.

    Rule 2: I know, but please stop rolling your eyes.

    Rule 3: Can you all please sigh silently?

  76. 76.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    July 19, 2023 at 9:51 am

    @eclare: Geez, I miss Colbert

  77. 77.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:53 am

    #43, transcription boo-boo on my part.

    benefit of science = benefit on science

  78. 78.

    Ken

    July 19, 2023 at 9:54 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Maybe the reading should be, “The new indictments could stain his legacy, or they might not show up against the existing stains”.

  79. 79.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 19, 2023 at 9:55 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Same.  And I really miss Seth’s A Closer Look segments.  They’re always so funny, yet so scathing.

  80. 80.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 9:57 am

    @mrmoshpotato

    Rule 4: Pursuant to request by defendant’s counsel, all Snickers will henceforth be removed from court house vending machines for the duration of the trial.
    ;)

  81. 81.

    Captain C

    July 19, 2023 at 10:02 am

    @Baud:

    That MTG speech is something else.  It’s like she’s triple dog daring the “both sides are the same” crowd to admit their were wrong.

    NYT Editorial Headline:  Earthy MTG Speech Again Proves Both Sides Are Basically the Same, Albeit Republicans Are A Little Better (the question is which hack wrote this or is it an unsigned Editorial)

  82. 82.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 10:02 am

    Latest from the automated public utility outage system:  needed repairs have been determined, and a crew will be assigned once one is available.

    According to local news contract workers are arriving this morning.

  83. 83.

    Kathleen

    July 19, 2023 at 10:04 am

    @DB11: Thank you.

  84. 84.

    kalakal

    July 19, 2023 at 10:06 am

    I’d like to see more of this Fl Insurance

    kind of thing in our homegrown MSM

    (It’s from the Grauniad). This is normies

    complaining about Fl and how DeStupid is doing nothing about it. The messages that most work with normies is other normies complaining about stuff that directly affects them.  It knocks the stuffing out of

    “Make America like Florida”

  85. 85.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 10:09 am

    @kalakal

    “I hear he’s in the pocket of Big Pudding. Pass it on.”
    //

  86. 86.

    Jackie

    July 19, 2023 at 10:09 am

    @Jeffro: The eating it over the sink to catch the drips says it all! 😋

  87. 87.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 10:09 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: They misspelled “embellished”.

  88. 88.

    Soprano2

    July 19, 2023 at 10:09 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Me too, it’s killing me that his show is on reruns. Don’t you know it’s killing him to not be able to make jokes about TFG’s indictments!

  89. 89.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 10:12 am

    @Soprano2:

    Yep.  So much good material out there.

  90. 90.

    Cameron

    July 19, 2023 at 10:14 am

    Today’s lesson in bold governance: in Florida, where the number of COVID cases per population is rising faster than in most of the rest of the country, several counties are trying to make COVID vaccines illegal.  (courtesy Daily Kos)

  91. 91.

    Jackie

    July 19, 2023 at 10:16 am

    @Dangerman: “I know her words must be edited and out of context”

    Not a single word was edited or taken out of context! This was her speech at a southern GQP convention given this past wknd.

  92. 92.

    rikyrah

    July 19, 2023 at 10:18 am

    @Baud:

    When I heard it the first time, my immediate reaction was…

    “people think that these things are BAD?”

    Seriously?

  93. 93.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 10:18 am

    @eclare

    Beats the automation spitting out “Your guess is as good as ours.”
    ;)

  94. 94.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 10:19 am

    @Jackie:

    What was the crowd’s reaction when she dissed Medicare and Medicaid?  Gotta think most of the crowd is either on one of them or know people who are.

  95. 95.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 19, 2023 at 10:19 am

    @Cameron: Insert Picard “What the hell is this?!” face.

  96. 96.

    BR

    July 19, 2023 at 10:20 am

    Guardian has a good summary of the antisemitism of RFKJ going back years plus lots of his conspiracy nuttery:

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/19/robert-kennedy-jr-racist-antisemitic-xenophobic-views

    It clearly is beyond the pale and he should be quietly kicked out of the primary.

  97. 97.

    Manyakitty

    July 19, 2023 at 10:20 am

    @NotMax: (in Borat voice) Very nice!

  98. 98.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 10:22 am

    @NotMax:

    To be fair the utility does a good job of updating the status of outages.  Usually by now I would have an ETA of when power would be restored, but there are just too many outages from yesterday.

  99. 99.

    Scout211

    July 19, 2023 at 10:24 am

    So much winning losing.  What a loser!

    Trump Loses Bid for New E. Jean Carroll Trial or Reduced Damages for $5 Million Verdict

    Former President Donald Trump cannot reduce the $5 million verdict that a jury awarded to E. Jean Carroll or have a new trial in her sexual abuse case, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday morning.

  100. 100.

    BR

    July 19, 2023 at 10:25 am

    @Suzanne: Is he improving as a candidate? I know his bluntness is his charm but it seems he could use some polish? I haven’t been keeping track.

  101. 101.

    dww44

    July 19, 2023 at 10:26 am

    @Chief Oshkosh: This morning on the local tv news break the lead off story was that the Sec of State’s office was purging 191K “inactive” voters who have 30 days to respond to a letter being sent to address of record to prevent removal from voter records.  This purge will make Georgia’s voter database among the “cleanest “ in the country.  Voter suppression takes many forms.

  102. 102.

    rikyrah

    July 19, 2023 at 10:27 am

    @Jeffro:

    Democrats are determined not only to block any drive to restore the America of 1963 — one year before passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act — but also to press the liberal agenda forward.

     

    Well, yeah…of course…

  103. 103.

    Baud

    July 19, 2023 at 10:32 am

    @BR:

    There’s no way to kick anyone out of the primary.

  104. 104.

    NotMax

    July 19, 2023 at 10:33 am

    @Scout211

    Historical statistics remain unblemished at zero for infinity.

    “My record is Perfekt!”
    ;)

  105. 105.

    Jackie

    July 19, 2023 at 10:34 am

    @eclare: The audience wasn’t really shown, the applause appeared to be spattered – like they were confused lol

    She honestly thought that labeling Roosevelt’s and LBJ’s and Biden’s achievements as communism she was making a point. The chef’s kiss was the “thank you!” from the WH within a few hours!

    Oddly, MTG has been quiet since 🤭

  106. 106.

    eclare

    July 19, 2023 at 10:39 am

    @Jackie:

    Hahaha…

  107. 107.

    BR

    July 19, 2023 at 10:40 am

    @Baud: I guess I mean the debates if any.

  108. 108.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 19, 2023 at 10:41 am

    @Jackie: Jeebus. I think I’ll send her a thankyou note.

  109. 109.

    Suzanne

    July 19, 2023 at 10:45 am

    @BR: His wife just had a baby like two weeks ago, so I think he hasn’t been too out there. I haven’t heard of any recent loudmouth incidents from him.

  110. 110.

    rikyrah

    July 19, 2023 at 10:46 am

    @jonas:

    Tell me about it. Is *that* ever an embarrassing section of the presidential library to have to curate!

     

    He’s going to steal all the funds for his Presidential Library.

  111. 111.

    Manyakitty

    July 19, 2023 at 10:47 am

    @Jackie: she must be incandescent with rage and I’m here for it.

  112. 112.

    rikyrah

    July 19, 2023 at 10:51 am

    @Quinerly:

     

    I am sorry about the limited options, but, thank you for the information.

  113. 113.

    rikyrah

    July 19, 2023 at 11:05 am

    @kalakal:

    complaining about Fl and how DeStupid is doing nothing about it. The messages that most work with normies is other normies complaining about stuff that directly affects them.  It knocks the stuffing out of

    “Make America like Florida”

    This insurance issue is absolutely insane. The numbers are staggering.

     

    And, they would make great ads for Democrats

  114. 114.

    West of the Rockies

    July 19, 2023 at 11:20 am

    Christ, she has a wretched voice.  Brittle, pissy, vain, and insistent.

  115. 115.

    Roberto el oso

    July 19, 2023 at 11:33 am

    @Soprano2: Isn’t that what all the classified documents were for? So he could put them on display and share them with all Americans?

    Although a fair number of them would be missing and would have those little signs that museums use: ‘Temporarily On Loan To The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’, ‘Temporarily On Loan to Vladimir Putin’, etc.

  116. 116.

    Tim Ellis

    July 19, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    Ok how did I not know there were Dark Brandon croptops available until now?! My outfits are about to get even weirder folks, I cannot wait

  117. 117.

    Scuffletuffle

    July 19, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    @eclare: Latest from the automated public utility outage system

    Read that as “outrage” system and it made perfect sense…

  118. 118.

    Subsole

    July 19, 2023 at 2:34 pm

    @rikyrah: The MSM has played a not insubstantial role in my negative polarization. Just the sheer coddling, the pandering indulgence of this movement that constantly yarps about how tough they are…

     

    “Restore”.

    Like it’s a freshly unearthed DaVinci.

    Not “drag”, or “force” or “reduce”, which would be accurate, but “restore”.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - BarcaChicago  - Off the Gunflint Trail/Boundary Waters 8
Image by BarcaChicago (7/11/25)

World Central Kitchen

Donate

Recent Comments

  • SpaceUnit on Friday Night Open Thread (Jul 12, 2025 @ 2:55am)
  • Ruckus on Friday Night Open Thread (Jul 12, 2025 @ 2:46am)
  • Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom on War for Ukraine Day 1,233: Another Day, More Russian War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity (Jul 12, 2025 @ 2:19am)
  • Geminid on Open Thread: ‘Look, Everyone Dies’ (Jul 12, 2025 @ 2:11am)
  • Msb on Fox News Friday Open Thread (Jul 12, 2025 @ 2:11am)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!