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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

I really should read my own blog.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

T R E 4 5 O N

Let me file that under fuck it.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Schadenfreude Open Thread: Angrily Defending the Indefensible

Schadenfreude Open Thread: Angrily Defending the Indefensible

by Anne Laurie|  August 2, 20239:31 pm| 202 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republicans in Disarray!, Trump Indictments, Schadenfreude

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After the letdown of the lack of a smoking gun in the Russia investigation, it's wild to see them in both the docs case and January 6th.

There really is evidence of him going "Hi, it's me, Donald Trump. I am knowingly doing crimes. Look at me knowingly doing the crimes!"

— The Biden Accomplishments Guy (on Threads) (@What46HasDone) August 2, 2023

The day will come when we’ll be ready to talk about other things, but clearly today is not that day.

the woke mob wants you to think its "illegal" and "a crime" to attempt to overthrow the government and install yourself as dictator for life

— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) August 1, 2023

Among the angry on-line mob…Hugh Hewitt

You shameful poltroon. https://t.co/KWVUMWIwYu

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 2, 2023

https://t.co/WsBnVB3gk4 pic.twitter.com/F8FENt3Bar

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) August 2, 2023



Rich Lowry:

The "Jeffrey Dahmer was actually hungry" defense. https://t.co/V6uXun81mL

— Stuart Stevens (@stuartpstevens) August 2, 2023

Setting aside the indictment has several examples alleging Trump admitted he knew he lost, our prisons are full of people who claim "but I passionately believed I was right." https://t.co/G6zjbiKqqj

— Gary Legum (@GaryLegum) August 2, 2023

National Review: Vote for Republicans, the party whose leader is too fucking dumb to have known he was trying to steal an election he lost. https://t.co/yGniSQZTR9

— The Fig Economy (@figgityfigs) August 2, 2023

He *says* that’s what Democrats are doing, but he knows that’s a lie. What he *means* is “what I am saying is a permission structure for me and mine to fuck shit up.”

— The Fig Economy (@figgityfigs) August 2, 2023

Angry baseball Dan McLaughlin:

A masterpiece of bullshit from the baseball crank. The guy who committed the crime and the boss of the guy prosecuting him, both of those are equally bad, to me.https://t.co/pmyUlqCcOf

— The Fig Economy (@figgityfigs) August 2, 2023

It's both sides, you see https://t.co/9kJGhWlFk1

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 2, 2023

Also at the National Review:

As others have pointed out, the statute has been used dozens of times in the 20 years. But more to the point, it hasn't been used in this particular context because until Trump, no president had conspired to remain in power after losing an election.https://t.co/dGDMsKzt7B

— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) August 2, 2023

Senior Editor at Reason:

this is why i am against the trials being televised. it’s just going to be this endless sea of bullshit obfuscation, deliberate misinterpretation and outright lies from every corner of the right wing every minute of every day. https://t.co/7PxlRta3j4

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) August 2, 2023

the reason that "trying to overturn an election" is not specified in the constitution is because the framers would've seen the man who attempted it hanged from gallows in the middle of the capitol at noon, good talk https://t.co/s85Gt1lKAZ

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) August 2, 2023

Jonathan Turley, because of course:

Trump has a First Amendment right to interfere with a government proceeding to steal an election

?? https://t.co/9QapATRj8I

— Doremus Jessup (@DoremusJ) August 2, 2023

The Dersh, per Charlie ‘Diaper Boy’ Kirk…

Alan Dershowitz says conviction of Trump would be overturned by Supreme Courthttps://t.co/BZ9Hp6fh8z

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 2, 2023

The Free Beacon:

it does, however, show you the quality of defenses they’re ready to offer

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) August 2, 2023

Aaand… the Horseshoe is REAL! — Michael Tracey:

may maxine waters rain down on you from above inshallah

— cai (@AnneNotation) August 2, 2023

Of course The Bloviating Butter Goblin is trying to minimize the fact Trump's actions were intended to disenfranchise the millions of Black and Brown voters who backed Biden in 2020. https://t.co/XMRoIZnTmg

— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha) August 2, 2023

You’re never gonna believe how old the document we judge all our laws against is bro pic.twitter.com/YOePtl0B0Q

— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) August 1, 2023

I have never been more convinced that Trump will die in prison than I am right now. https://t.co/lWGYzzqwOJ

— Now on Threads! (@agraybee) August 2, 2023

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Reader Interactions

202Comments

  1. 1.

    trnc

    August 2, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    Is there any chance whatsoever that DT would be handed a gag order, given the threats he makes and the obvious incitement of his unhinged base?

  2. 2.

    lowtechcyclist

    August 2, 2023 at 9:41 pm

    I just finished reading the indictment. It’s like The Final Days on steroids.

    Hoping and praying that they turn out to be final.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    August 2, 2023 at 9:45 pm

    @trnc: That’d be hilarious. His legal team would have to fit him with an electric shock collar to keep him quiet.

  4. 4.

    HumboldtBlue

    August 2, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    I’ve never been married and have no kids, but I guess for those couples who do have kids, you have to change things up when it comes to sexytime.

  5. 5.

    Mike S

    August 2, 2023 at 9:47 pm

    Trump’s lawyer was on npr today saying the trial should be moved to West Virginia to get an impartial jury.

  6. 6.

    piratedan

    August 2, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    ty RW punditry, you’ve successfully personified the Montoya method of arguments regarding the political process….

    they keep using these words, but I don’t think it means what they think they mean…..

  7. 7.

    Lapassionara

    August 2, 2023 at 9:51 pm

    Thanks, AL, again for culling all of this from the website X, formerly known as Twitter. You are a genius!

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    August 2, 2023 at 9:53 pm

    Such a deal! Now you can shell out eight bucks a month for no discernible benefit!

    Twitter Blue subscribers can now hide their blue checks.

  9. 9.

    Dangerman

    August 2, 2023 at 9:55 pm

    It’s gotta be televised; we have to see the look on his face when Rudy, et al, underbus him, throw it in reverse, and do it again. Make it PPV and retire the debt.

  10. 10.

    Librarian

    August 2, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    It seems to be the talking point that Trump is being indicted for exercising “free speech.” “The indictment is a violation of the First Amendment.” With the right, it’s always “we’re being persecuted” and they’re always the victim.

  11. 11.

    Jackie

    August 2, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    @trnc: If only he didn’t have the gall to rerun for office… TIFG can’t be denied his rights to political speeches  – which is protected by the 1st Amendment. Even if he’s lying through his teeth.

    Unless he yells FIRE!!! in a crowd and causes a deadly stampede, of course.

  12. 12.

    Ruckus

    August 2, 2023 at 10:01 pm

    @dmsilev:

    Ball gag.

  13. 13.

    Dangerman

    August 2, 2023 at 10:04 pm

    I wonder if I try robbing a bank tomorrow*, saying “Gimme all the money”, I can claim First Amendment?

    *Yo, FBI, not really

  14. 14.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    August 2, 2023 at 10:05 pm

    indictment has several examples alleging Trump admitted he knew he lost

    Not only this but they have no rebuttal evidence. Not even Dump will take to the stand.

  15. 15.

    Ken

    August 2, 2023 at 10:08 pm

    @Ruckus: Compromise. Electric ball gag.

  16. 16.

    Jackie

    August 2, 2023 at 10:11 pm

    @Ken: And Smith controls the remote.

  17. 17.

    rikyrah

    August 2, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    I didn’t know this about the Dick Van Dyke Show 😂

     

    https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8LFnAsf/

  18. 18.

    Yutsano

    August 2, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    Meh. Count me convinced when David Ngô weighs in.​

    Also too: FYWP.

  19. 19.

    NorthLeft

    August 2, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    The Dersh saying that any conviction of Donald Trump will be overturned by the Supreme Court, is not the “win” that most right wingers think it is.

    That would be the absolute death of the US system of justice and the final nail in any moral authority or shred of respect that the Supreme Court had.

  20. 20.

    Trollhattan

    August 2, 2023 at 10:15 pm

    @NotMax: Like paying extra to have Porsche debadge your car.

  21. 21.

    Mel

    August 2, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    @Ken: A Scold’s bridle gets my hearty endorsement for the job.

  22. 22.

    Hoodie

    August 2, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    @David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch:   It really doesn’t matter what he believed or whether it was reasonable.   The intent required is whether you and your conspirators had the specific intent to take the actions that were illegal, e.g., creating slates of fake electors, threatening Pence, etc.   It doesn’t matter why you took those actions.  If you thought the election was rigged, you file lawsuits to challenge the results.  If you lose, tough luck.  You can’t go beyond that into committing illegal acts. You can believe that the cashier at the 7/11 is a human-eating alien but you still can’t shoot him in the head if the cops won’t take him into custody.  Smith is not depending on what Trump believed about the election.

  23. 23.

    JaySinWA

    August 2, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    @Jackie:

    Are you trying to make popehat cry?

  24. 24.

    different-church-lady

    August 2, 2023 at 10:19 pm

    We’re repeating all these dumb hot takes from the dumb hot take now-owned-by-a-Nazi toy why?

  25. 25.

    Ken

    August 2, 2023 at 10:19 pm

    BTW, from Andrew Weissmann’s nitter feed, I see that Bill Barr was on CNN explaining that the first amendment argument, among others, is not a defense against the crimes charged. This is probably just Barr trying to polish his image, not part of some wider movement by the Republican establishment to jettison Trump.

  26. 26.

    different-church-lady

    August 2, 2023 at 10:20 pm

    @NotMax: For $16 dollars a month we won’t give you the blue check to begin with.

  27. 27.

    different-church-lady

    August 2, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    @NotMax: “For $16 a month we won’t give you the blue check to begin with.”

  28. 28.

    topclimber

    August 2, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    @Ken: But what does Dersh know that Barr doesn’t.

    Oh yeah, nada.

  29. 29.

    Mike in NC

    August 2, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    Lowry. Hewitt. Dershowitz. Kirk. A who’s who of pathetic wingnut losers. Time for a nightcap.

  30. 30.

    Yutsano

    August 2, 2023 at 10:24 pm

    @different-church-lady: ​It’s difficult to Freuden the Schade without naming names. Or so someone told me.

  31. 31.

    Dangerman

    August 2, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    @Jackie: What if Melania bypassed the switch “accidentally” and there was an “oopsie” (said in Eastern European accent?)

  32. 32.

    different-church-lady

    August 2, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    @Ken: You do realize that’s going to give the ad trackers some strange ideas about my purchasing habits, yes?

  33. 33.

    Maxim

    August 2, 2023 at 10:27 pm

    @rikyrah: Neither did I. That’s excellent. 😂 I wish we had unedited audio of the audience reaction.

  34. 34.

    different-church-lady

    August 2, 2023 at 10:27 pm

    @Librarian: ​
      Eventually it might dawn on them that he’s being charged not with just talking about it, but with actually trying to go through with it.

  35. 35.

    Kent

    August 2, 2023 at 10:27 pm

    @Mike S: Trump’s lawyer was on npr today saying the trial should be moved to West Virginia to get an impartial jury.

    Trump’s attorney needs to read the actual constitution. Both Article 3 Section 2 and the 8th Amendment mandate that trials occur in jurisdiction where the crime occurred.

    don’t want to face a DC jury?   Don’t do crimes in DC!!

  36. 36.

    Bill Arnold

    August 2, 2023 at 10:28 pm

    @Mike S:

    Trump’s lawyer was on npr today saying the trial should be moved to West Virginia to get an impartial jury.

    Lawyers among us, how would that align with Amendment VI of the US Constitution?

    In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, …

    Is the argument that DC is not a state, mumble mumble therefor cases cannot be tried there? (Hi, SCOTUS!)

  37. 37.

    different-church-lady

    August 2, 2023 at 10:30 pm

    @Bill Arnold: It’s most definitely a district though.

  38. 38.

    Jackie

    August 2, 2023 at 10:31 pm

    @JaySinWA: ???

  39. 39.

    Kent

    August 2, 2023 at 10:33 pm

    @Bill Arnold: Also Article 3 Section 2 states

    The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed;

  40. 40.

    Bill Arnold

    August 2, 2023 at 10:35 pm

    @NotMax:

    Such a deal! Now you can shell out eight bucks a month for no discernible benefit!

    You still get a huge amplification boost, to the top pages of replies when replying, and also in other feeds.
    Twitter blue is mostly about paid amplification by Twitter’s algorithm. Increasingly expensive tiers of amplification might be next. (Or even on a per-tweet basis, using the credit card on file.)

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    August 2, 2023 at 10:35 pm

    @rikyrah:

    Such a great DVD episode. A real classic!! I’ve seen it at least a dozen time over the past (yikes!!) 60 years, and even though I know what’s coming, it’s never not funny 😄

  42. 42.

    Brachiator

    August 2, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    @hughhewitt
    Jack Smith, an American Javert, should be obliged to prosecute this case outside of the Beltway. Former President Trump deserves a fair trial on these unprecedented charges which will strike tens of millions of Americans as a political witch hunt.

    You commit unprecedented crimes, you get unprecedented charges. Seems about right to me.

    And “outside the Beltway.” Might Hewitt be looking for a majority white jury?

    Trump’s lawyer was on npr today saying the trial should be moved to West Virginia to get an impartial jury.

    Well, golly! Would you look at that!

  43. 43.

    RedDirtGirl

    August 2, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    @rikyrah: Thank you for that. Very interesting. I was only aware of the fact that DVD was a big drinker, but happy to have a much more pleasant association with the show.

  44. 44.

    SpaceUnit

    August 2, 2023 at 10:41 pm

    I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read Rich ‘Starbursts’ Lowry’s claim of trump’s apparent passionate sincerity.  Otherwise I’d be wiping down my computer screen right now.  An awful lot is hanging on the word apparent.

    And if I understand correctly Smith has a whole boxful of receipts that detail these bozos making plans to overturn a lost election well before the election ever took place.  A jury is going to decide what’s apparent and what isn’t.

  45. 45.

    Yarrow

    August 2, 2023 at 10:43 pm

    @rikyrah:  I didn’t either. Thank you for the link. It’s always been one of my favorite shows.

  46. 46.

    marklar

    August 2, 2023 at 10:45 pm

    @Ken: There’s no redeeming of Bill Barr. I had to turn off the channel after his very first comments; he talked about the damage that would be done to the country in pursuing these charges when the DOJ “dropped the ball” on the Hunter Biden charges.  At that point, if I were the interviewer I would have ended the interview, saying “at this point you have lost all credibility, so there’s no point in hearing anything more that you might have to say.”  Then again, I’m no Kaitlan Collins.

  47. 47.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    August 2, 2023 at 10:47 pm

    @rikyrah: Michelle Obama’s favorite show

  48. 48.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 2, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    Dan McLaughlin has been hit in the head with a bat too many times.

  49. 49.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 2, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    OT:

    What do you guys think of Fitch downgrading the US’ credit rating?

    The last time this happened in 2011, the S&P 500 declined by 14% before finishing out the year flat

  50. 50.

    Steve in the ATL

    August 2, 2023 at 10:50 pm

    @Kent: ¡need some Chile travel tips, por favor!

  51. 51.

    BeautifulPlumage

    August 2, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    @Jackie:

     

     Not his only essay about the phrase and 1st Amendment

  52. 52.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 2, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    @Ruckus: Muzzle.

  53. 53.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 2, 2023 at 10:54 pm

    @Dangerman:

    I wonder if I try robbing a bank tomorrow*, saying “Gimme all the money”, I can claim First Amendment?

    *Yo, FBI, not really

    We shall call it The Dump Defense.

  54. 54.

    Alison Rose

    August 2, 2023 at 10:54 pm

    Calling Jack Smith an “American Javert” tells me Hughie has never read Les Miz, and if he saw it performed, probably slept through 90% of it. Because I’m pretty sure “staging a coup to destroy democracy and install yourself as dictator” and “five-finger-discounting a loaf of bread to feed your starving children” are not synonymous crimes.

    And I am so fucking sick of this “but Trump didn’t even know he was doing something wrong!!!” bullshit. If you misread a 35 speed limit sign as 55 and a cop pulls you over, you ain’t getting out of the ticket by whining “but office, my glasses were smudged” or whatever.

  55. 55.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 2, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    Hugh Hewitt via Anne Laurie@Top:

    Jack Smith, an American Javert, should be obliged to prosecute this case outside of the Beltway. Former President Trump deserves a fair trial on these unprecedented charges which will strike tens of millions of Americans as a political witch hunt.

    Reminder: Hewitt is a lawyer, and knows that the crimes are supposed to be tried where they’re committed.

    Which is why Trump is being tried outside the Beltway, for keeping and trying to hide national defense documents in red Florida.

    In other words, Hewitt, go fuck yourself you bad faith performative grievance monger.

  56. 56.

    HumboldtBlue

    August 2, 2023 at 11:01 pm

    This is a lesson for everyone reading: never give up!

  57. 57.

    Michael Bersin

    August 2, 2023 at 11:02 pm

    @Trollhattan:

    Well, more like a Trabant.

  58. 58.

    SpaceUnit

    August 2, 2023 at 11:02 pm

    @Alison Rose:

    Yeah.  And if you commit crimes to compensate yourself for somehow being a victim you’re still guilty of those crimes, even if you really really feel that you’re a victim.

    Also, he knows he’s not a victim.

  59. 59.

    Tony G

    August 2, 2023 at 11:05 pm

    @Librarian: Well, that’s a brilliant legal analysis.  So if (for example) I were to tell my friend Vito that I’ll give him $50,000 if he kills my neighbor Sal, that would be protected speech!

  60. 60.

    Rekoob

    August 2, 2023 at 11:06 pm

    @Dangerman: A variation on that theme, from Doonesbury a little over 49 years ago:

    Doonesbury 23 July 1974

  61. 61.

    Alison Rose

    August 2, 2023 at 11:06 pm

    @rikyrah: That was fanfuckingtastic. I think I’ve maybe seen a few episodes of the show, probably on Nick at Nite or something when I was a kid. No idea they’d been so ahead of their time! And I love how she notes that the Black couple weren’t the butt of the joke — they were basically the ones making it!

  62. 62.

    BeautifulPlumage

    August 2, 2023 at 11:06 pm

    @Alison Rose: ty. Was wondering what that referred to! (and too lazy to lok up)

  63. 63.

    Alison Rose

    August 2, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    @HumboldtBlue: CRYING LAUGHING OMG. Also, I always give thanks to people who do animal voiceovers NOT in a babytalk voice.

  64. 64.

    dmsilev

    August 2, 2023 at 11:09 pm

    @Alison Rose: Nah, there’s a simpler explanation. Hewitt is simply a shameless partisan hack who doesn’t care about his analogies not making sense.

  65. 65.

    Tony G

    August 2, 2023 at 11:10 pm

    @SpaceUnit: I’m no film critic, but I really thought that Rick Lowry’s cameo appearance in “Who’s Nailin’ Paylin?” was the low point of that otherwise fine film.

  66. 66.

    Alison Rose

    August 2, 2023 at 11:10 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage: Best God damn play I ever saw live. My Mom and I went together and we were both sobbing by the end, as was almost everyone else in the audience. The most powerful performances I’d ever witnessed. The book is fantastic too, if you can make the commitment :P

  67. 67.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 2, 2023 at 11:10 pm

    Chuck Ross via Anned Laurie @ Top:

    The Trump case aside, it’s kind of insane that amid all the discussion about criminal justice reform, there’s no concern that all these political cases are tried in a jurisdiction where 90% of the jury pool leans in one direction.

    Sooo… when the facts are on your side, argue the facts; when the law is on your side, argue the law; and when neither are on your side, blame the jury pool?

  68. 68.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 2, 2023 at 11:11 pm

    @Lacuna Synecdoche:

    Reminder: Hewitt is a lawyer and a talking jackass, and knows that the crimes are supposed to be tried where they’re committed. 

    Fixed.

  69. 69.

    Danielx

    August 2, 2023 at 11:13 pm

    @trnc:

    like there’s any possibility that TFG would comply with a gag order. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it.

  70. 70.

    BeautifulPlumage

    August 2, 2023 at 11:13 pm

    @rikyrah: Rob Reiner FTW. Great, informative video. Ty for sharing!

  71. 71.

    dmsilev

    August 2, 2023 at 11:15 pm

    Actually, by the Constitutional philosophy beloved by conservatives, originalism, it’s clear that the Florida trial should be moved out of there to someplace further north. Florida, of course, is never mentioned in the Constitution and didn’t become a state until 1845, long after any Founder could have expressed any intent in favor of such a thing. DC, on the other hand, was 1790, right in sync with the adoption of the Constitution. Therefore, logically and originally, the classified-documents case should be removed from Judge Loose Cannon and transferred to someone in DC.

    Look, it makes about as much sense as most of Alito’s opinions.

  72. 72.

    sdhays

    August 2, 2023 at 11:16 pm

    Does anyone know how we should expect the J6 trial’s schedule to affect or be affected by the scheduling of the documents trial in Florida? Is there a valid scheduling argument that Trump’s lawyers need to be allowed to deal with one case at a time and the Florida case takes precedence because it was filed first?

  73. 73.

    HumboldtBlue

    August 2, 2023 at 11:18 pm

    @Tony G: ​ 

    Why you going’ after Sal like that? Sal’s a good guy. Always brings good wine, even though he knows I don’t drink wine.

  74. 74.

    SpaceUnit

    August 2, 2023 at 11:18 pm

    @Tony G:

    Yeah.  Lowry and some pacing /editing issues were all that kept it from snagging an Academy Award.

  75. 75.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 2, 2023 at 11:19 pm

    Charlie Kirk via Anne Laurie @ Top:

    Alan Dershowitz says conviction of Trump would be overturned by Supreme Court

    Probably not, but, if they do, it won’t exonerate Trump – it’ll just confirm SCOTUS’s corruption.

    Also, that headline could just as easily read:

    Alan Dershowitz Admits Trump Will Be Convicted At Every Level Until He Gets To The Supreme Court.

  76. 76.

    Brachiator

    August 2, 2023 at 11:19 pm

    @rikyrah:

    I remember seeing the episode as a kid. It was so funny.

    Here is the full episode. Season 3 Episode 1, That’s My Boy.

    ETA. Rose Marie, who played the TV writer Sally, was so famous as a child radio star that she was known by her first and middle name, as Baby Rose Marie. This became her stage name. Her full name was Rose Marie Mazzetta.

  77. 77.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 2, 2023 at 11:19 pm

    @mrmoshpotato: Fair enough.

  78. 78.

    BeautifulPlumage

    August 2, 2023 at 11:19 pm

    @Alison Rose: have to say I prefer comedies. I mean, it has “Miserables” in the name!

  79. 79.

    smith

    August 2, 2023 at 11:22 pm

    @Lacuna Synecdoche: Actually, it was one of the few heartening things about the whole J6 nightmare — SCOTUS made clear it wouldn’t go along with any of the crackpot lawsuits. It makes me hopeful they won’t go along with any crackpot appeals from these cases.

  80. 80.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 2, 2023 at 11:22 pm

    The reason I brought Fitch’s decision up at #48 is because I’ve read speculation that it was arbitrary/had odd timing

  81. 81.

    HumboldtBlue

    August 2, 2023 at 11:23 pm

    @Brachiator: ​ 

    I just started watching that episode.

  82. 82.

    tokyokie

    August 2, 2023 at 11:24 pm

    Rob Reiner FTW. Great, informative video. Ty for sharing!

    @BeautifulPlumage: CARL Reiner. Rob is his son. Carl and Mel Brooks were best buddies from their time working on Your Show of Shows.

  83. 83.

    Wapiti

    August 2, 2023 at 11:26 pm

    @sdhays: IANAL, but it looks like there’s a lot of empty calendar time. We can’t expect TFG to be at two courthouses at once, but not sure why his legal team can’t handle 2 TFG cases when they say they can handle 7 clients in the documents case.

  84. 84.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 2, 2023 at 11:30 pm

    @smith:

    Actually, it was one of the few heartening things about the whole J6 nightmare — SCOTUS made clear it wouldn’t go along with any of the crackpot lawsuits. It makes me hopeful they won’t go along with any crackpot appeals from these cases.

    I agree. I wouldn’t go quite so far as to call it heartening, but I don’t think SCOTUS will overturn a Trump conviction either – though Alito and Thomas would certainly vote to do so. Which means Trump would only need to find three more right-wing party over country votes on the court to win an appeal. And that’s sadly within the range of possibility, albeit not likely.

  85. 85.

    Maxim

    August 2, 2023 at 11:31 pm

    Epshteyn:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/us/politics/boris-epshteyn-co-conspirator-6.html

  86. 86.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 2, 2023 at 11:34 pm

    @Maxim: Makes sense.

  87. 87.

    NotMax

    August 2, 2023 at 11:38 pm

    @Brachiator

    Also, although she was in no insidious way connected, given career support by the mob and the likes of Al Capone.

  88. 88.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 2, 2023 at 11:39 pm

    Do replies to tweets not appear anymore to anyone else when not logged in to X/Twitter?

  89. 89.

    sdhays

    August 2, 2023 at 11:40 pm

    @Lacuna Synecdoche: The thing is, “party over country” doesn’t necessarily mean “Trump over country”. They certainly didn’t see it in their interest to put their thumb on the scale with the rulings in the documents case earlier. They can easily interpret the party becoming consumed and dominated by Trump as bad for the party, even if they love them some Trumpy-poo.

    If they overruled his conviction, they’d need to be pretty darn certain that he was going to win and not have to face a “supremely” pissed off Democratic trifecta. For those conservative justices with some semblance of sanity, it will be much easier/safer to simply let justice take its course and hope the party gets itself together quickly enough to preserve all the gifts they’re giving it and allow them to weather the building to fury (over their decisions and corruption).

  90. 90.

    sdhays

    August 2, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    @Wapiti: Yeah, this is my question. There’s all this time on the calendar, but how much does the court need to allow the defendant and his lawyers to deal with his other trials? For non-rich people, it would seem to be an unreasonable burden to have to fight multiple trials at the same time.

    On the other hand, lawyers do this all the time for different clients, so… Maybe it all doesn’t matter that much.

  91. 91.

    Rob in CT

    August 2, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    Been that way for a while now.  I assume that you, like me, do not have an account.

    Also, people’s feeds are all out of order.

  92. 92.

    smith

    August 2, 2023 at 11:46 pm

    @Lacuna Synecdoche: In my opinion, the RW justices are loyal to the mobster-oligarchs who own them, more than to the Republican party. The GQP is just the instrument used to put them there. Now that they are in place, all comfy in their lifetime appointments, they don’t have any huge compulsion accept marching orders from the party unless it fits their underlying agenda.

  93. 93.

    NotMax

    August 2, 2023 at 11:46 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    In the big picture, a temporary hiccup, although not without ripples.

    Republicans hope to avoid blame for the latest downgrade in U.S. debt, but reality is stubborn, and there’s no great mystery here.

  94. 94.

    Jackie

    August 2, 2023 at 11:50 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Nope. Twitter is dead for those who aren’t registered. If someone links to a tweet, you can read that, but not responses.

  95. 95.

    Kent

    August 2, 2023 at 11:50 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: @Kent: ¡need some Chile travel tips, por favor!

    What do you want to know?   My Chile expertise is somewhat stunted because it always involves family obligations.  So we usually spend a week or so in Santiago in the Vitacura and Los Condes areas (very upscale suburbs) where my wife’s family lives.  And then we decamp for the coast where they have family homes in Renaca and Santo Domingo.  My mother-in-law is relentless with the scheduling of family obligations.  Once the last kid is in college and we can take longer trips I’ll have the chance to explore more of the country.

    I can tell you about beach towns on the central coast, the Elqui Valley, the rich parts of Santiago, and that is about it

    Take a 150 mile wide slice of the Pacific Coast from Juneau Alaska to Cabo San Lucas, flip it upside down so that north is deserts (Baja) the south is mountains, fjords, and glaciers (SE Alaska) and the central part is California wine country and you basically have Chile.  Except that the Andes are vastly bigger than the Cascades and Sierra.

    Chile is also very middle income and Euro feeling.  So not at all like Guatemala, Costa Rica, or Bolivia.  It is very modern full of basically modern people.  It is also wealthier than the published GDP stats would suggest.  There is a LOT of hidden wealth there that never really gets declared and so doesn’t make it into national stats.

  96. 96.

    HumboldtBlue

    August 2, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    Does anyone remember Riverdance? I loved that shit.

  97. 97.

    mvr

    August 2, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    @Rekoob: I was hoping for “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!” Quoting Marc Slackameier if I recall the strip correctly. (But I knew it would be something else.)

  98. 98.

    rikyrah

    August 3, 2023 at 12:00 am

    alexander nazaryan (@alexnazaryan) tweeted at 9:52 PM on Wed, Aug 02, 2023:
    Ron DeSantis, in New Hampshire, discusses his plans for the federal workforce:

    “We are going to start slitting throats on Day One.”

    (via @joshrogersNHPR) https://t.co/H7pm9gTnda
    (https://twitter.com/alexnazaryan/status/1686933134531526656?s=02)

  99. 99.

    mvr

    August 3, 2023 at 12:03 am

    @sdhays: Short answer is no. The one case at a time argument is fair enough so far as it goes. But the MAL case is so far in the future you could finish the J6 case and they would still have plenty of time to prepare for the MAL case.  Many cases go to trial in a few months and this one isn’t all that complicated.

  100. 100.

    smith

    August 3, 2023 at 12:04 am

    @rikyrah: Wow. Guess he’s not going for the AFSCME endorsement.

  101. 101.

    NotMax

    August 3, 2023 at 12:08 am

    @HumboldtBlue

    Goin’ for the record.
    ;)

  102. 102.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    August 3, 2023 at 12:13 am

    @marklar: She’s got a nice tan, tho

  103. 103.

    Alison Rose

    August 3, 2023 at 12:15 am

    @rikyrah: Um.

  104. 104.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 3, 2023 at 12:16 am

    @Rob in CT:

    Yeah, I never had an account. On the one hand, it was interesting reading replies, but OTOH, there was a lot of BS to sift through

    @Jackie:

    Twitter/X deserves to die at this point. How many eyeballs did Twitter attract from lurkers browsing

    @NotMax:

    Your link says there wasn’t dramatic harm to the domestic US economy in 2011. Hopefully that’s true this time as well

  105. 105.

    Roberto el oso

    August 3, 2023 at 12:18 am

    @Steve in the ATL: My familiarity with Chile is primarily in the desert North, but I would recommend both Antofagasta and Valparaiso —- beautiful cities, fairly laidback, with Valparaiso still very much a working class city because of the fishing industry (sort of like Veracruz, Mexico, if you’re familiar with it). Also, and you might be able to get some info from NASA —- there is an internationally run observation camp outside of Antofagasta where one can see the incredible night skies in almost complete darkness, remembering that there are something like 4 or 5 times as many stars visible in the southern hemisphere as there are up here … anyway, once upon a time there were informal tours available, but things may have changed … if stars are your thing definitely worth making further inquiries)

    Oh, and hope you like seafood. Chile’s is the best in the world, in my very prejudiced opinion.

  106. 106.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 3, 2023 at 12:19 am

    @Alison Rose:

    Yeah, fucked up isn’t it?

    He could’ve said “We’re going to clean house on Day 1”, or something

  107. 107.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    August 3, 2023 at 12:22 am

    After the letdown of the lack of a smoking gun in the Russia investigation, it’s wild to see them in both the docs case and January 6th.

    Trump’s utter dumbassry were he facing, what 450 felony charges and counting, and the lack of clear evidence of Russian collusion isn’t mutually exclusive. What I got out of the Muller report was Trump wanted to collude but the Russians though Trump was to pathetically easy to manipulate to be worth the bother of conspiring with.

  108. 108.

    NotMax

    August 3, 2023 at 12:24 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    If you listened to his logorrhea in Iowa last week, he promised something like 37 things that would happen “on day one.”

    Man is grasping at straws in flopsweat desperation.

  109. 109.

    BeautifulPlumage

    August 3, 2023 at 12:26 am

    @tokyokie: Yup, you’re right, thanks for the correction.

  110. 110.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    August 3, 2023 at 12:29 am

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Dan McLaughlin has been hit in the head with a bat too many times.

    Really? ‘Cause I always think it hasn’t been enough.

  111. 111.

    HumboldtBlue

    August 3, 2023 at 12:32 am

    @NotMax:

    I got sidetracked from my initial search for the biggest trombone band, so there’s this kid bowling a perfect game.

  112. 112.

    Lyrebird

    August 3, 2023 at 12:35 am

    @rikyrah: I did NOT SEE that coming, even from DeathSantis.

    Thank you for shining a light on his scuttling roachy behavior.  That might be giving a bad name to roaches, who usually just want to take some of our food, not kill innocent civil servants.

    His unpleasant chat with children I could understand as social awkwardness.  Told a kid at a fair, isn’t that slushee a lot of sugar? or something.  But WTAF.

     

    Didn’t Maya Angelou talk about believing who people are the first time?  How can anyone imagine voting for this creep?

  113. 113.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 12:36 am

    Michael Cohen seems to think Kushner has flipped. I’m sympathetic to Cohen, but I’m having a hard time buying this. Why would someone who literally made billions off of TIFG flip?

    https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-2662682312/

  114. 114.

    Burnspbesq

    August 3, 2023 at 12:40 am

    @dmsilev:

    There was a time, not too long ago, when Chapman Law students got to choose between Hewitt and Eastman for Con Law.

    just think about that for a second.

  115. 115.

    piratedan

    August 3, 2023 at 12:41 am

    @Jackie: perhaps I’ve watched too much TV…

    I could see it this way…. he unloads all the dirt, shows where the bodies are buried, keeps the 2B and Daddy’s little girl and walks away.

  116. 116.

    Carlo Graziani

    August 3, 2023 at 12:43 am

    @NotMax:

    Such a deal! Now you can shell out eight bucks a month for no discernible benefit!

    Twitter Blue subscribers can now hide their blue checks.

    Wow! It’s Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches IRL! Elon is really Sylvester McMonkey McBean!

    (Not really. Sylvester was a capable con artist.)

  117. 117.

    Elizabelle

    August 3, 2023 at 12:46 am

    You shameful poltroon.

    Love this diss.  Stealing it.

    And, given that it’s aimed at Hugh Hewitt, it is even true.  Shameless poltroon works for him, as well.

  118. 118.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 12:47 am

    @HumboldtBlue: My dad owned a bowling alley. The sounds of the ball knocking down the pins and the cheers bring back a lot of good memories! The one frame when the “5 pin” wobbled before toppling… been there. But not on the way to the perfect 300!

    Thanks for the memories!

  119. 119.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 3, 2023 at 12:48 am

    @Burnspbesq:

    Made me look at the Chapman University wiki page:

    Main article: Chapman University School of Law
     

    The Chapman University School of Law is located in Kennedy Hall. Law degrees offered include the Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees in various specialties. In 2022, John Eastman retired as Dean after more than 160 faculty members signed a letter calling for the university to take action against him for concocting a baseless theory and made false claims of fraud in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Eastman is currently (June 2023) undergoing a hearing of disbarment in the State of California.

    Didn’t know Eastman’s was in the process of being disbarred in California

  120. 120.

    hueyplong

    August 3, 2023 at 12:50 am

    @Jackie: On the other hand, it will be kind of fun if Trump believes Kushner has flipped.

  121. 121.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    August 3, 2023 at 12:50 am

    @NotMax:

    Oh, I believe it. It’s been a delight watching his campaign continually face plant

  122. 122.

    Carlo Graziani

    August 3, 2023 at 12:51 am

    @different-church-lady:

    @NotMax: “For $16 a month we won’t give you the blue check to begin with.”

    Yes! That was exactly Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s business model! He charged the Plain-Belly Sneetches to put stars on their bellies, then charged the Star-Bellied Sneetches even more to remove their belly stars, so they wouldn’t resemble the newly-starred Sneetches!

    Life really does imitate art.

  123. 123.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 12:56 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Eastman, Guiliani… and Lin Wood of Georgia chose to “retire” before he was disbarred. I think Sydney Powell is also in danger of being disbarred. Being a lawyer for TIFG is bad for your financial future.

  124. 124.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    August 3, 2023 at 1:02 am

    @Jackie: many have observed that everyone associated with Trump comes away tarnished at best. Eastman, though, disbarment is too good for him. Force him to listen to Vogon poetry and then eject him into the vacuum of space.

  125. 125.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 1:06 am

    @hueyplong: Oh it would be LOTS of fun!!!

  126. 126.

    JaySinWA

    August 3, 2023 at 1:08 am

    @Jackie: Perhaps they have the goods on the root of Kushner’s deal with the devil. Trying to buy his way out of the worst of what he has comming?

  127. 127.

    different-church-lady

    August 3, 2023 at 1:18 am

    @rikyrah:

    “Governor, you mean that as a metaphor, correct?”

    “What’s a metaphor?”

  128. 128.

    different-church-lady

    August 3, 2023 at 1:19 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): ​
      No, I’m pretty sure he means he’s going to pull out a razor and actually start slitting throats.

  129. 129.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    August 3, 2023 at 1:20 am

    @JaySinWA: what goods? Just a standard Saudi
    business transaction

    Forgive me for linking to Maureen Dowd but for once she pegged it.

  130. 130.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    August 3, 2023 at 1:22 am

    @different-church-lady: Casey has a business plan involving meat pies.

  131. 131.

    different-church-lady

    August 3, 2023 at 1:23 am

    @NorthLeft: ​
      But the absolute death of the US system of justice is the win they’re looking for.

  132. 132.

    Alison Rose

    August 3, 2023 at 1:27 am

    @piratedan: Ah, but which man would get Ivanka’s loyalty? Time to start eagle-eyeing photos of her to see if the wedding ring is gone.

  133. 133.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 1:30 am

    @piratedan: I can actually see this in today’s As Trump’s World Turns…

    We’re literally living in a Trump soap opera.

  134. 134.

    Jerzy Russian

    August 3, 2023 at 1:35 am

    Can’t somebody take a bat and hit that stupid baseball guy out of the park?  A home run is always nice, but a foul ball out of play is acceptable.

  135. 135.

    Hkedi [Kang T.Q.]

    August 3, 2023 at 1:37 am

    @Jackie: We’re literally living in a Trump soap opera.

     

    *Screams in horror and starts sobbing uncontrollably

  136. 136.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 1:42 am

    Only posting this because it makes me happy – especially since another indictment is coming via Fulton County within days or weeks!!!

    ““Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the U.S. federal courthouse at the foot of Capitol Hill, the site of a yearslong government effort to hold accountable those who tried to subvert democracy,” the New York Times reports.”

    “The U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for security inside federal courthouses, will escort him to an area where he will be booked for a third time this year.””

    Looking forward to the 4th!😂😁

  137. 137.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 1:43 am

    @Jerzy Russian:

    Can’t somebody take a bat and hit that stupid baseball guy out of the park? A home run is always nice, but a foul ball out of play is acceptable. 

    Got a preference on which park?  I’m a fan of Pittsburgh and Arizona because you can hit balls into water.  At least, I think you still can in Pittsburgh.

  138. 138.

    different-church-lady

    August 3, 2023 at 1:43 am

    @Jackie:

    Why would someone who literally made billions off of TIFG flip?

    To stay out of prison?

  139. 139.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 1:46 am

    @Jackie:

    We’re literally living in a Trump soap opera. 

    Who greenlit this trashy shit?

  140. 140.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 1:47 am

    @Jerzy Russian: A foul ball gives him another chance. Not acceptable.

  141. 141.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 1:50 am

    @mrmoshpotato: Also in San Francisco’s ballpark. HR into the Bay…

  142. 142.

    Jerzy Russian

    August 3, 2023 at 1:53 am

    @mrmoshpotato:   Yes, either Pittsburgh or San Francisco.  He could land on the water in either place.  I think Kyle Schwarber hit a ball onto the river in Pittsburgh on the fly back into the day.

  143. 143.

    Jackie

    August 3, 2023 at 1:57 am

    @different-church-lady: What are the odds of Kushner going to prison? That’s why I’m skeptical of Cohen’s opinion.

    Of course Cohen could have an inside source we’re not privy to…

  144. 144.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 2:10 am

    @Jackie:

    @Jerzy Russian: Ah.  I’d also accept the pool at the D’Backs’ park.

  145. 145.

    prostratedragon

    August 3, 2023 at 2:24 am

    SpaceUnit@43: Like he never read Yeats or something.

  146. 146.

    Chris T.

    August 3, 2023 at 2:29 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    What do you guys think of Fitch downgrading the US’ credit rating?

    Their “reasons” are nonsense, or at least, show awful internal inconsistency: if they applied them logically they would have done this downgrade under Trump several years ago.

    They have not gotten anything this big right in 20+ years—they missed the entire real estate / CDO bubble, for instance.

  147. 147.

    prostratedragon

    August 3, 2023 at 2:42 am

    To see replies and complete threads on twitter without signing in, the nitter.net workaround is pretty good. Replace twitter.com with nitter.net in the urlbar.

  148. 148.

    eclare

    August 3, 2023 at 2:53 am

    @rikyrah:

    That is fascinating.  Thanks so much!

  149. 149.

    Kathleen

    August 3, 2023 at 3:56 am

    @rikyrah: That was one of the very few TV shows my mother liked. We watched it regularly and I remember that episode when it first aired.

  150. 150.

    Kathleen

    August 3, 2023 at 4:02 am

    @BeautifulPlumage: It’s the GQP’s favorite musical comedy!

  151. 151.

    sab

    August 3, 2023 at 4:08 am

    @rikyrah: Greg Morris, another very cool ex-Clevelander and ex-Ohioan. Sad when your best feel they must leave.

  152. 152.

    Kathleen

    August 3, 2023 at 4:34 am

    @sab: Did not know that!

  153. 153.

    Maxim

    August 3, 2023 at 5:27 am

    @rikyrah: I don’t understand why he’s not doing better in the polls. What’s a little raging sociopathy in a would-be president?

  154. 154.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 5:35 am

    @rikyrah:

    That was fascinating. Thanks for the link.

  155. 155.

    JWR

    August 3, 2023 at 5:50 am

    @rikyrah:

    Great story, and one that I haven’t heard before! Thank you! I’ve long known that The Dick Van Dyke show was truly groundbreaking, and having enjoyed probably every episode, there are a few real clunkers in there. Like the one where Laura manages to save a few hundred dollars to some day buy Rob a new “FJX-JFK”* sports car, but when Rob and neighbor Jerry come across Laura’s “personal” bank book, he angrily confronts her and asks what’s wrong with their joint bank account and why are you hiding this from me?! I’m not describing it very well, but the patriarchy runs really thick in that episode, as well as in a few others. It’s cringeworthy, but still way ahead of the times.

    *I don’t remember the model number exactly, but it does end in JFK.

  156. 156.

    satby

    August 3, 2023 at 6:10 am

    @JWR: The show was filmed in the early 1960s. It wasn’t until 1974, when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed, that women in the U.S. were granted the right to open a bank account on their own. Technically, women won the right to open a bank account in the 1960s, but many banks still refused to let women do so without a signature from their husbands. It’s only cringeworthy if you expect historical stuff to reflect today’s ethos. BTW, I was already out of high school then, and remember it well.

  157. 157.

    lowtechcyclist

    August 3, 2023 at 6:27 am

    @rikyrah: ​
     

    Ron DeSantis, in New Hampshire, discusses his plans for the federal workforce:

    “We are going to start slitting throats on Day One.”

    So if a Federal employee in Florida “felt fear” on hearing DeSantis say this, with Florida being a SYG state and all…

  158. 158.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 6:37 am

    “Trump election charges set up clash of lies versus free speech”

    That’s a Magggie Haberman story in today’s NYTimes.

    It’s literally the GOP frame and argument. She’s enthusiastically arguing the Trump case on his exact terms, down to word choice.

    Horrible newspaper. Just garbage. But watch the rest all follow the NYTimes lead and narrative.

  159. 159.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 6:42 am

    @Kay:

    Just garbage.

     
    My work here is done.

  160. 160.

    Soprano2

    August 3, 2023 at 6:45 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): It was stupid and there’s no good reason for it. I’m really starting to believe that there are powerful people who want a recession, and will do almost anything to try to make it happen. Nothing material has changed to justify it.

  161. 161.

    Regnad Kcin

    August 3, 2023 at 6:49 am

    @HumboldtBlue: not the biggest, but surely one of the best

    https://youtu.be/oDt3Wtz6RIg

  162. 162.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 6:49 am

    @Baud:

    Did she read the indictment? This “story” (sloppy, half assed legal argument) seems to be based on whatever she heard from Trump loyalists on cable tv. They could not have paid for a more favorable spin – they’re on the side of ‘free speech’ and the scolding, probably woke prosecutor wants to silence them.

  163. 163.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 6:50 am

    @Kay:

    “Trump election charges set up clash of lies versus free speech”

    That’s a Magggie Haberman story in today’s NYTimes.

    It’s literally the GOP frame and argument. She’s enthusiastically arguing the Trump case on his exact terms, down to word choice.

    Horrible newspaper. Just garbage. But watch the rest all follow the NYTimes lead and narrative.

    I’ve come to expect no better from the GOP’s stenographer.

    Habs is trash.

  164. 164.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 6:52 am

    @mrmoshpotato:

    The NYTimes loves their hometown hero. It’s like a Little Rock paper boosting an Arkansas shopping mall developer.

  165. 165.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 6:54 am

    @Kay:

    The Last Cancellation. A new book by Maggie Haberman.

  166. 166.

    JWR

    August 3, 2023 at 7:01 am

    @satby:

    It’s only cringeworthy if you expect historical stuff to reflect today’s ethos.

    Oh, I really don’t expect the show to live up to the standards of today, but just watching it in the here and now can be discomfiting, because, well, today is today and then was then, which fact I really do appreciate.

    ETA:

    It wasn’t until 1974, when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed, that women in the U.S. were granted the right to open a bank account on their own.

    Wow! I didn’t know that. TY.

  167. 167.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 7:03 am

    @Baud:

    It’ll be like catnip to a certain segment of the Left and Center. There is nothing the anti woke ninnies like better than the idea that some all-powerful cabal of wokesters is silencing them.

    It reminds me of how they spun the Bush v Gore count in Florida as a clash between good people (Republicans) who wanted to count military votes and bad people (Al Gore, et al) who didn’t want to count them.

  168. 168.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 7:05 am

    Trashstros @ Fuck the fucking Yankees tonight.  Can’t they both lose?

  169. 169.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 7:06 am

    @Kay:

    I think there’s a large segment of society, not just on the right, who simply can’t get their heads around the legitimacy of Democrats exercising governmental authority without needing their approval.

  170. 170.

    satby

    August 3, 2023 at 7:07 am

    Man, times like this week I really miss Stephen Colbert. Just imagine the monologues he’d do. Because nothing cuts through bullshit like mockery.

  171. 171.

    Another Scott

    August 3, 2023 at 7:08 am

    Meanwhile, … Somalia suspends athletics head after runner goes viral in snail-paced 100m

    Yeah, that looks really hinky.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  172. 172.

    Geminid

    August 3, 2023 at 7:09 am

    @mrmoshpotato: Rooting for Dusty Baker’s team!

  173. 173.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 7:11 am

    Our local coalition of Democrats is Right leaning, I think, in terms of the national larger group of Democrats and one of the nice things about Right leaning Democrats is they seem to resist (or maybe not fall victim) to this media-generated bullshit framing. I only see this ninny behavior – where they are so sort of weak and easily influenced by attacks like ‘cancel culture’- on the Center and Left of the Party.

  174. 174.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    August 3, 2023 at 7:14 am

    @satby:

    It’s only cringeworthy if you expect historical stuff to reflect today’s ethos.

    I grew up on 60s TV, and it did give a weird picture of marriage that doesn’t age well, but you were completely unaware of at the time.

    For some reason we once watched an episode of “The Jetsons” with our kids sometime in the 90s, and we were shocked and appalled at the level of patriarchy. Example: “George, I want to take driving lessons.” “No, I do not permit it. I will not be responsible for another woman driver on the streets.”

    You’d expect people from The Future to be more enlightened about this stuff.

    My wife as a child was a huge fan of The Man from UNCLE, and I felt the same way about Get Smart. We’ve tried to watch episodes of both of those to share each other’s childhoods and they’re almost unwatchable. This stuff just pervaded everything.

  175. 175.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 7:15 am

    @Baud:

    Maybe that’s it. It’s this kind of profound lack of confidence in their own (supposed) beliefs. One influential person tells them they mildly disapprove and they’ll fold on the whole liberal project.

    I also sometimes think they don’t much like or respect our base and are a little embarrassed of us – would prefer a different group to ally with.

  176. 176.

    The Thin Black Duke

    August 3, 2023 at 7:15 am

    @Baud: Cognitive inertia is a thing, unfortunately.

  177. 177.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 7:15 am

    @satby:

    Man, times like this week I really miss Stephen Colbert. Just imagine the monologues he’d do. Because nothing cuts through bullshit like mockery.

    And Seth’s A Closer Look segments would be awesome as usual.

  178. 178.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 7:20 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    “George, I want to take driving lessons.” “No, I do not permit it. I will not be responsible for another woman driver on the streets.” 

    Wow.

    Also, “George, you bonehead.  What streets?  We have flying cars now in case you somehow didn’t notice.”

  179. 179.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    August 3, 2023 at 7:20 am

    @JWR: My Mom ran into some of this in the 70s. I remember she was appalled to discover she didn’t have a credit rating, and was still getting that stuff about having difficulty opening up a checking account in her own name.

    We were still concerned enough about that kind of thing when we married in 1980 that we’d do things like list her as the person getting the electricity bill.

    My wife worked for a production company in the late 90s where due to their natural talents and interests, the husband was the technical guy and the wife was president of the company and did all the customer stuff. The bank refused to deal with her on a loan and refused to believe she was running the company. They insisted on meeting with her husband.

  180. 180.

    satby

    August 3, 2023 at 7:22 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Imagine living in it.

    Which may be why us “old ladies” can be impatient at times.

  181. 181.

    The Thin Black Duke

    August 3, 2023 at 7:22 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I remember an episode of The Andy Griffith Show where it introduced a new girl who moved into the neighborhood that was shunned by the other boys because she was better at doing stuff than them. Worse, this crisis was resolved when the girl’s mother told her daughter that she would have to pretend to be helpless so the boys would like her.

  182. 182.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 7:25 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    “Oh, George.”

  183. 183.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 7:25 am

    @Kay:

    Agree on all points.

  184. 184.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 7:27 am

    Issue 1 will appear on the August 8, 2023 ballot. It will ask voters to change current law so that Amendments to the Ohio Constitution will be required to be approved by voters by a 60% supermajority of voters, rather than simple majority that has been Ohio law for over 100 years.

    Next Tuesday! Vote No on 1.
    I’m helping with this and it just flew by. I am optimistic (but I always think I will win- warning) even though my 75% Trumpy county has the fundie religious out campaigning for “yes”. We think centrist independents will swing “no” because it’s another authoritarian over reach by fundie religious and Republicans. I think the wild card is how many conservative Catholics and evangelical protestants the Right can get to come out. I don’t know and I don’t think anyone else does either.

  185. 185.

    Baud

    August 3, 2023 at 7:29 am

    @Kay:

    Good luck!

  186. 186.

    geg6

    August 3, 2023 at 7:30 am

    @mrmoshpotato:

    You can, but good luck with that.  Doesn’t happen much.

  187. 187.

    Kay

    August 3, 2023 at 7:30 am

    @Baud:

    Oh, thanks. I’m overinvested in the outcome, as usual.

  188. 188.

    Princess

    August 3, 2023 at 7:39 am

    I hope no wins. I think it’s easier to persuade people to come out to preserve their rights than to vote to remove their own power. But I’m always wrong about how people will vote.

  189. 189.

    mrmoshpotato

    August 3, 2023 at 7:43 am

    @geg6:

    You can, but good luck with that. Doesn’t happen much.

    I’ve seen videos.  Wasn’t sure if they’d put up a bunch of billboards that would make it harder like at Wrigley.

  190. 190.

    Steeplejack

    August 3, 2023 at 7:47 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    As mentioned above, it has been that way for a while. Replace “twitter.com” with “nitter.net” in links and you can see any replies.

  191. 191.

    Anyway

    August 3, 2023 at 8:25 am

    @Kay:

    I also sometimes think they don’t much like or respect our base and are a little embarrassed of us – would prefer a different group to ally with.

    It’s all the middle-aged women – they’re so uncool! They have no respect for NancySmash and all the D women in the House and Senate.

    Wasn’t it MoDo who coined the Mommy Party? They’re stuck in that framing.

  192. 192.

    AM in NC

    August 3, 2023 at 8:26 am

    @JWR:  I have two teenagers, and when I told them that, within the span of my lifetime, there was no legal right for their grandmas to be able to take out a loan or have a credit card without either a father’s or husbands signature, their minds were blown.

    They really have no idea how recently women have won the right to be treated as adult human beings.  Although that might be good because now they see what (in their minds) should be inherent rights being taken away, and they are freaked out.

  193. 193.

    eclare

    August 3, 2023 at 8:38 am

    @satby:

    So true.

  194. 194.

    Another Scott

    August 3, 2023 at 8:45 am

    @AM in NC: When my parents divorced in the mid-60s, my mom somehow found my dad’s Sears card and charged some stuff before he realized it.  It was her small way of striking back at the patriarchy.

    ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  195. 195.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    August 3, 2023 at 9:08 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    … and I felt the same way about Get Smart.

    You might enjoy the movie, the relationship between 86 and 99 is quite reversed. Also it’s very good.

  196. 196.

    trnc

    August 3, 2023 at 9:17 am

    @Danielx: ​
     

    like there’s any possibility that TFG would comply with a gag order. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it.

    That’s fine, too, because we know what happens when you refuse to comply with a judge’s order.

  197. 197.

    jimmiraybob

    August 3, 2023 at 9:17 am

    “They have literally charged Trump under the Civil Rights Act of 1866.”

    If Trump’s conviction(s) ever makes it to the Supreme Court I’m covering bets on Alito finding an obscure 17th century European monk’s scribblings to overturn the precedent of established federal statutes still on the books.

    Medieval State’s Rights!

  198. 198.

    Miss Bianca

    August 3, 2023 at 11:26 am

    @rikyrah: That was fascinating! I remember watching the Dick Van Dyke Show – it was one of my favorites as a kid – but strangely, I don’t remember seeing that episode. Thanks for the link!

  199. 199.

    Miss Bianca

    August 3, 2023 at 11:38 am

    @rikyrah: “slitting throats”?

    Jesus, if he weren’t such a weenie, I would suspect Ron DeSantis of wanting to take a personal hand in such activities. I mean, why NOT add “blood-gargling psychopath” to burnish his long list of right-wing-street-cred-worthy accomplishments?

  200. 200.

    RaflW

    August 3, 2023 at 11:51 am

    @Kay: And obviously Mags has editors who signed off on her claptrap, so the NYT really has become the house organ of Trumpism, minus the bleached-blond TV-ness of Fox.

  201. 201.

    Chief Oshkosh

    August 3, 2023 at 12:43 pm

    @Jackie: Doesn’t want to do actual jail time

     

    ETA: Submitted prior to reading the rest of the thread…

  202. 202.

    Chief Oshkosh

    August 3, 2023 at 12:49 pm

    @Kay: Yeah, but ABC News beat them to it last night at 7 pm eastern.

    Jonathan Karl needs the DeSantis Fed employee treatment.

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