Greetings from the outer bands of Idalia! From the radar loop I’m currently viewing, it looks like the hurricane will come ashore somewhere around Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach very soon as a Cat 3. Best of luck to all in its path!
I’m having a cup of coffee and impatiently awaiting sunrise so I can see if we’ve had any damage. We seem to have weathered a stormy night well — we didn’t even lose power for more than a few minutes. But I heard some crashing and thuds overnight and want to make sure no trees have squashed our vehicles.
Completely open thread!
ETA: Vehicles not squashed — yay!
Maxim
Good morning. I hope the storm does minimal damage.
Betty
Wishing you and all Floridians the best. Happy you are safe. It is looking very bad further north.
Gvg
Yep. Worked like crazy in the heat yesterday to put away all the yard equipment then come in, clean up and wait. Hurricanes have a nervous but boring stage too. I usually end up cleaning the house while waiting with too much energy.
Right now they are warning about tornados spun off by the outer bands as usual. Rain, wind picking up again. I will have to check the bird feeders when it’s light. I leave them up as long as possible because birds have to eat frequently, but they have to come down before the wind gets really bad.
Tony Jay
Good morning. All the usual apologies, but I’ve been at a moderate loose end, so…… yeah.
Behemothy Rap Sheet
Say no to real life. Come share my fantasy.
Won in a landslide, then Mike Pence helped them steal from me
Just like the X-Files, look up “Deep State Lies”, or ask Ye
I am too a rich boy, but send your cash straight to me
‘Cause legal bills will come, cash flow slow, charge count high, chances low
Who cares what Jack Smith knows, Letitia, Alvin, Fani… Stormy
MAGA, kill for your man
Put your guns against some heads, pull those triggers, make them dead
MAGA, the grift had just begun
But Joe Biden came and stole it all away
MAGA, ooh, yeah I like it when you cry
But if I’m not back in power there’s no tomorrow
Bear your arms, pimp your cars, but I’m the one who really matters
Too late, my trial has come
Mark Meadows got no spine, will Rudi flip to not serve time?
Nauta, De Oliveira, they’ll talk, oh no
Aileen Cannon, save my ass, Supremes, you too
MAGA, ooh (I know my fan base blows)
Don’t want the grift to die
Sometimes wish Hilz had beaten me after all
I weigh the same as a slimmer, fitter man
Orange douche, Orange douche, can I wear lifts in Guantanamo?
Blame the mugshot on bad lighting, very, very unfair to me
To me
(Mar-A-Lago) Mar-A-Lago,
(Mar-A-Lago) Mar-A-Lago,
Mar-A-Lago That’s where I’ll go.
Damn Roger Stone
I’m not a bad boy, Vlad said he loves me
He’s just a poor boy in debt to The Family
Spare him (not his wife) and he’ll finger who you please
Ivanka comes, Ivanka goes, so if I spill you’ll let me go?
Steve Miller?
No, we will not let you go (let me go?)
Steve Bannon?
No we will not let you go (let me go?)
Jared Kushner?
No we will not let you go (let me go?)
Will not let you go (let me go?)
Never, never, never, never let you go
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh, MAGA dear, MAGA dear
MAGA dear, make them let me go!
Bin Salman has a bonesaw put aside for me, for me, for me
So you think you can charge me and say that I lie?
So you think you can judge me like I’m some small fry?
Oh, DA, can’t do this to me, DA
Just gotta sell out, just gotta sell some dupe here
Ooh
Ooh, hell
Ooh, hell
Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters
But me
Subsole
Wishing everyone in Florida safety.
Betty Cracker
@Gvg: I do the same thing — I cleaned and did all the laundry yesterday. If we lose power, at least we can wear clean clothes in the sweltering heat. Also wondering when I can put the birdfeeders back up. I left a hummingbird feeder up in a sheltered spot on the porch, but the poor seed-eaters will be wondering where their grub is about now.
Valdivia
hoping everyone stays safe on the path of Idalia.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone😊😊😊
rikyrah
BC,
I hope you and everyone else in Florida are safe🙏🏾🙏🏾
Baud
@rikyrah:
Good morning.
emrys
Lost power in Tallahassee right at 7am. Generator (put in after Michael) is running. Now waiting to see if any trees come down.
Baud
@Subsole:
I would say except DeSantis but he’s probably not in Florida.
bbleh
A Cat FOUR as of 5am today, per NHC. Yeek! Hunker down, stay safe, and check on your neighbors after it passes.
TS
Wishing you all safely through the storms.
MisterDancer
@Betty Cracker: Just glad to hear you and yours are as OK as can be!
Lapassionara
@Tony Jay: bravo!
MisterDancer
Going for that deep cut, I see!
…I’ll also see myself out. :)
(But seriously, awesome work!)
Baud
@Tony Jay:
You’re like our own in-house Randy Rainbow.
Tony Jay
@Baud:
To British ears… That. Sounds. Filthy.
Baud
@Tony Jay:
I intended filthy. I like filthy.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: They should have tied him to a beach front utility pole.
Tony Jay
@MisterDancer:
There was idle chat yesterday (I think) in a thread after you mentioned wanting to talk about some of the less widely considered side-effects of slavery on American culture and social development. Just like to add my vote to the “Yes, that sounds interesting, please do” consensus.
Tony Jay
@Baud:
And to think, some people have to pay a lot of money to come up with winning campaign slogans.
MazeDancer
Happy to see a post from you, Betty. Happier still your vehicles and power are okay.
Suzanne
My cousin and his wife, who live on St. George Island, got out yesterday. They told us all not to blow up their phones and that they will be in touch. Which, as of right now, they have not….. but I have no reason to worry. Yet, I do! #neurotic
eclare
@emrys:
Power went out during DeSantis’ briefing this morning. Generator kicked right in.
mrmoshpotato
Excellent. Best of luck to everyone in the hurricane’s path.
BruceFromOhio
I’m looking forward to the Billionairez Club Court to rule democracy and the Constitution as unconstitutional because it doesn’t specifically spell out that Justice “Sammy The Hammer” Alito can’t fuck everything up as badly as possible.
ETA: glad all is well at Casa de Cracker.
Geminid
There was another military coup in Francophone West African. Last month it was Niger, this time it’s Gabon.
The “Populism Updates” twitter account covers coups, elections, and other political developments all over the world, so I will probably check it out. I also get a kick out of the account’s photo: a smiling woman in a beret and military jacket, with a bandolier full of carrots.
mrmoshpotato
@Tony Jay: Wow! Bravo! You never fail to impress!
Betty Cracker
So weird to see CNN broadcasting from Crystal River!
Dangerman
Hours of winds, trees down, storm surges, alligators, etc; I think I’ll stay in Earthquake Country. It’s only a few to several seconds of mind bending terror then (assuming survival), you almost wanna do it again. Kinda like a roller coaster.
Good luck, Florida. Tell DeSantis something appropriate if he comes to your neighborhood.
Baud
@Dangerman:
“I like your boots.”
mrmoshpotato
@Dangerman:
“Those boots were made for shoving up your ass, Pudding Boy.”
Ben Cisco
Wishing the best for Florida residents.
Tony Jay
@Dangerman:
“Mighty Poseidon calls for a sacrifice, luckily Casey sent us your application last week.”
Baud
@Tony Jay:
Wouldn’t that sacrifice make Poseidon even angrier?
mrmoshpotato
@Dangerman:
Again? With or without Jerry Lee Lewis’ musical accompaniment?
cmorenc
We have a house on the SE coast of North Carolina (Sunset Beach) that’s going to experience strong tropical storm / minimal hurricane winds and 4-6 inches of rain within a 12 hour period. The house has hurricane shutters, which alas are not closed, because we let guests use the house a week ago when the storm didn’t exist yet, and the soonest I can head down there is Friday. Fortunately, the house is properly built for coastal storm conditions (proper frame/roof ties etc) and windows rated to 130mph, but still potentially vulnerable to flying objects without the hurricane shutters being closed. Fortunately, the strongest winds by late tonight/Thur am when the storm passes close by our area will be 70-80mph in gusts. Fingers crossed. My neighbor is going to put porch chairs inside for me.
Gin & Tonic
@Baud: They are, ahem, little boots, no?
Jeffro
Unsquashed vehicles are the best vehicles!
(unless they’re Teslas, of course)
Jeffro
Worn by all the best
armed rebelschefs!Bottle of EVOO in the holster
Pouches of extra oregano and sage around the waist
Paring knife stuck down in the boot, ready for action!
Betty Cracker
We’re watching CNN, and a while ago, a guy was broadcasting from flooded Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa when two dudes paddled by on a rubber duck floaty. Florida gonna Florida!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Tony Jay: This new American remake of “The Wicker Man” sounds more promising than the last one.
”We follow the old religion here.”
Soprano2
@Geminid: That sounds like a coup because of a fishy election result. At least that’s what the NPR story I heard this morning said. Evidently there’s been a long history of the same family being in power there; they had an election last weekend that had fishy results.
Baud
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
I’m sad to see you edited your comment. I would totally watch The Wicker Ma, especially if Kathy Bates plays Ma.
Jeffro
If you want to have some fun, watch right-wing hack (but not a hack’s hack – that’s Thiessen’s job) Henry Olsen try his best to put on a brave face and pretend that trumpov isn’t gonna win the Iowa caucuses:
Say what now, Henry? Are you serious??
Anyway…
Yes, well, that’s how you win Iowa: with ‘ubiquitous ads’ and by ‘making an impression’ (!)
So about half the time, Iowa’s January caucuses are a foregone conclusion by the previous August. Good to know, Henry!
These guys are sooo screwed..
ETA: I don’t normally read the comments, but WaPo commenters are having a field day with this kind of wishcasting, as well they should
MisterDancer
@Tony Jay: I completely missed that — I was so busy yesterday I dropped that comment and never came back to see followup :(
Thanks for letting me know, and I’ll put it on The List. :)
kalakal
Now I can see it appears I have the same number of trees in the garden as yesterday. Yay me!
lots of flooding around here (Pinellas County) which doesn’t directly affect us from the commanding heights of 74 ft above sea level.
The barrier islands were closed off a few hours ago, level at Clearwater Beach is up by 7 ft and it’s low tide. May get very bad there this afternoon
Soprano2
We have a couple of former regular customers at the bar who moved to Florida – they live somewhere near Tampa – and another regular who has a trailer vacation home down there in the same area that that she regularly visits (she’s there right now). I heard a couple of regulars at the bar talking about how they saw on FB that these people were drinking and joking and laughing about the hurricane, and didn’t seem to be concerned at all. My response is “Well yeah, do you know those people?” as well as not being surprised, because it sounds like Tampa just got some wind and rain. It’s how I am about tornadoes – when the sirens are going off, I’m not worried unless you tell me the tornado is heading directly for where I am, and it’s not a “radar-indicated” storm.
Glad you checked in Betty, and are safe. It is scary for those who are in the direct path of the storm.
eclare
@kalakal:
Big yay on the trees! I have a lot of trees, luckily no oaks of any kind, and I worry every storm.
Geminid
@Soprano2: I guess the test of that analysis will be how soon the military junta stages a new and fair election.
Niger’s situation could be a factor. An organization of West Africa nations led by Nigeria opposes the Nigeran junta, and is threatening armed intervention. I think Gabon is in that organization, but I’m not sure.
Soprano2
@Jeffro: I listened to that “Beyond Politics” podcast about the first Republican debate that Kay recommended, and boy she’s right that Republicans have a major problem with independents. All of the stuff that’s popular with the MAGA base is unpopular with independents (i.e., regular people) according to the people who did this focus group. Everything that a candidate said that tested well with the focus group of independents was not popular with the MAGA crowd, or sometimes even got booed. The independents were totally turned off of Vivek once he said climate change was a hoax. They liked Nikki Haley the most, because she is most like a “regular” Republican candidate in their eyes.
HinTN
@cmorenc: We’re scheduled to head to Holden Beach next week. 🤞there’s not too much wind damage and beach erosion there and at your place.
Soprano2
@Geminid: Gabon does not appear to be part of ECOWAS, which I believe is the organization you’re referring to. And yeah, that was my first thought, if they have new elections quickly that’ll be the true test. Do you think the rise in terrorism across that part of Africa is the reason it seems that suddenly there are coups there?
Tony Jay
@Baud:
You know when you get given that completely unwanted birthday gift that’s destined for the next Secret Santa?
“Happy Zeus Day!”
“Fuck you, Fishface. What the Hades am I supposed to do with this?”
Jeffro
Ok, ok, just one more bit of hackery, this time from Ross Douthat: The Trump Trial Date is a Big Mistake
(by which he means, it’s not happening soon enough to prevent trump from winning early primaries and caucuses, and will have a rally-round-the-goon effect. All of the cases except for the documents one should have been brought much earlier, you see, and now we have an unintentional ‘pileup’ of prosecutions that works to trump’s benefit.)
I’m not going to parse every little bit of insanity, wishful thinking, and telling on himself but here are some of the best ones:
Or, ideally, you’d have TWO major political parties willing to shun and expel candidates facing 90+ felony indictments. Instead of just ONE. Just saying.
…and why is that, Ross? Who dragged things out to this point? Better yet – who committed all these crimes in the first place?
Ok, that part actually made me mad.
Alternatively, this means that close to half of the GOP would. still. support. a candidate – this candidate – even if he was “president” from. prison.
THAT is the story of this year and next, amigo. THAT is insanity. But you wanna bitch about a ‘pileup’ of cases and wish that most of them had been brought sooner, somehow.
Between Olsen and Douthat, it’s pretty obvious that instead of calling for trump to drop out, cut a plea deal, make the case for Americans to come together and insist trump be convicted and locked up, GOP commentators are going to…do the wishcasting thing 24/7 for the next 15 months.
They’ve learned less than nothing.
Betty Cracker
@kalakal: Same up here in Citrus Co. Crystal River is flooding west of Hwy 19, and it’s low tide.
kalakal
DeSantis fails Canute test
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I was just watching some video by someone who grew up in a conservative evangelical church and was talking about about that movements weird obsession at seeing persecution at every turn and I can see why they love Trump so much. They share that “the whole world hates me just because I am successful and beautiful” mentality.
Diceros Bicornis
Meetup news? I offered to coordinate a BJ meetup in Paris on 15, 16, or 17 September. As this is a weekend visit for me, I’m about to make plans for these 3 days (that involve making commitments) so if anyone is interested in a get-together during these 3 days (Fri night, Saturday or Sunday any time) please say so…merci!
Snarki, child of Loki
“But I heard some crashing and thuds overnight”
CATS.
kalakal
@Betty Cracker: Tampa Bay is full, this afternoon may be very bad. I saw some video of Crystal River a few hours ago, it looked very worrying. I know around there fairly well and it was scary
Ceci n est pas mon nym
I can’t keep track of most of the pundits and what particular idiocy each one is associated with. What is David Frum’s story? My wife read me an idiotic article by him in, I think, The Atlantic, on why any attempt to invoke the 14th Amendment is a bad idea. I kept being moved to rudely interrupt. “We have to try!” “Damn right it applies to more offices than president!” “Embolden Republicans to… they’re already emboldened and doing those things!”
Mike in NC
Redneck Ron DeSaster should just declare the hurricane to be “woke” and it will suddenly go away, right Floriduh?
Geminid
@Soprano2: I don’t know that much about terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa, just that France has stepped back from the military role it played in Mali even as the Wagner Group stepped in.
The Middle East Eye has covered Wagner’s role in Africa and has put up two articles on the subject since Prigozhin’s death, but I haven’t gotten around to reading them.
Middle East Eye also covers events in Sudan. That is very depressing reading.
espierce
@Betty Cracker:
Same here in Palm Harbor, Ozona, Crystal Beach and Tarpon Springs. Localized street flooding adjacent to the coast.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Betty Cracker: Recent years have taught me that the rain is scarier than the winds. There were some severe thunderstorms in our area of PA a month or two back that had the usual tree damage from winds. But it was the 6” of rain in one hour just north of us that caused fatalities.
Stay warm and dry, Betty and other Florida jackals.
Phylllis
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Hearing every Sunday that Christians are the most persecuted everywhere became so tiresome for me. I can remember sitting there thinking ‘every church in this town is full and the damn town schedule revolves around the services-how are we persecuted?’
Yarrow
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Frum is Canadian and worked as a speechwriter for W. That’s about all I know. I think he falls into the never-T side of the spectrum but I don’t know how far on the continuum he is.
Yarrow
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: The usual hurricane advice is “run from water, hide from wind.” Meaning if you’re in an area that will flood, get out. Otherwise hunker down.
Another Scott
For those who missed it, Alison Rose is asking for help. Her GFM is at 90.13% of her goal.
I kicked in some more to help.
Cheers,
Scott.
Jeffro
Yup. The GOP in general seems to understand that this won’t fly anymore. But it’s good to see Very Annoying Guy trying to bring it back…keep it up, V!
Yeah, she’s the only one trying to make the obvious case: trump’s a loser…”the least-popular politician in America”. But she’s the only one making it, MAGA doesn’t care, and most of the GOP thinks that literally anyone can beat President Biden.
They (Republicans, MAGA especially) are not really good at doing anything other than letting their emotional/gut reactions run wild. If they did, they’d run any one of the following thought experiments:
And on and on.
Soprano2
@Phylllis: I guess they think they’re persecuted because everyone doesn’t agree with them and live exactly the way they think they should live. They cannot seem to tolerate the idea that other people might want to live different kinds of lives.
Matt McIrvin
@Phylllis: They’re persecuted by having to go to that church!
Geminid
@Jeffro: These polls show some weakness in Trump’s support among Republican voters. I wonder what happens if he comes in under 50% in Iowa and New Hampshire though. As an old boxing adage puts it, “Ya gotta have somebody to beat somebody,” and none of the other candidates show signs of breaking out, or even seem to have the elements of a “breakout candidate.”
I guess that if DeSantis can iron out the kinks in his personal presentation he could be a viable alternative to Trump. I’ve noticed that Hew Hewitt is still trying to make DeSantis happen. For various abd sundry reasons, I think the others have a ceiling of 25%.
But I don’t see how any candidate could solve the problem of hard-core Trump supporters boycotting the general election, and that would hurt the Republican ticket from top to bottom.
Princess
@Yarrow: Frum is a neo-Con who supported the Iraq War. To his credit, he left the party/was exiled into outer darkness by it before Trump came along, during Obama’s presidency. He’s strongly anti-gun and I think also said nice things about Obamacare too he’s also probably basically pro-choice. I still disagree with him on many things, but he has genuine principles and is a useful ally. Also I kinda agree that this 14th amendment stuff is something the Dems should not touch. Let the gop never Trumpers pursue that one weird trick if they like.
Doug R
@emrys: Not necessarily for you, but just a reminder that CO from generators kills people every year.
Doug R
@Dangerman:
That’s the thing about a big ‘quake-usually there are pre-shocks and plenty of aftershocks, so you do get to do it again.
wjca
@Baud:
That’s what he has subduction zones for. To get refuse out of his ocean.
Geminid
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: It seems to me that individuals can sue to disqualify Trump under the 14th Amendment. That’s what was done in New Mexico with the County Commissioner.
I don’t think a Democratic Party entity would have any advantage here, and it would invite blowback if it tried. The party at all levels, I think, has to concentrate on beating Trump at the ballot box and leave disqualification efforts to private citizens.
Omnes Omnibus
@Geminid: The county commissioner had been convicted though. It seems to me that this detail makes a difference.
p.a.
Agreed. Even if he doesn’t run or runs and loses, he should be taken out of the electoral equation forever. IANAL and I think technically it doesn’t matter, but a conviction on Jan 6 and/or GA vote tampering will give added weight to 14th Amendment efforts.
Geminid
@Omnes Omnibus: I understand that. I was not advocating that individuals pursue this remedy at this point, just that party entities would do better not to pursue it even if the situation changes.
My main point is that we should not let this or similar possibilities distract us from the task at hand, which is beating Republicans in every race everywhere possible.
JeanneT
We were in a line of storms with tornadoes and high winds last week: the excitement lasted only for 45 minutes and getting power and roads cleared took days. I can’t imagine the adrenaline levels that riding out a hurricane for hours would generate, nor the chaos of the aftermath….
LiminalOwl
@MisterDancer: I missed the original thread but second TonyJay’s comment. I’m very interested in reading that.
Tony Jay
@MisterDancer:
Gif of two thumbs raised
smith
The NH Secretary of State is actively considering invoking the the 14th Amendment to keep TFG off the ballot there. He’s a Republican, so it could get interesting. In general, I agree that Dems in official positions should refrain from trying this, at least until TFG is convicted, or perhaps after some Republicans have done it first.
TiredOfItAll
@Another Scott: Just donated. I do not read BJ every day (I know, I know) and often miss these kinds of posts. Thank you for the reminder, as I would not otherwise have seen this. Wishing the best to Alison Rose. Chronic illnesses suck!!!
UncleEbeneezer
@Tony Jay: Seconding this request! That is, if MD has any interest in doing a post on it (which I could totally understand him not).
sab
@Betty Cracker: We used to vacation at Crystal River when I was a kid in Florida. I loved it, but all I remember is the sea cows, and that motor boats didn’t work because of all the aquarium weed gone invasively wild.
sdhays
@Jeffro: “Silent majority”! Yeah, “silent” is the term to use to describe Trump supporters.
UncleEbeneezer
Michelle and her man went to the US Open to celebrate the Anniversary of Billie Jean King’s push for equal pay for women, 50 years ago. They are always such a fine couple. Also love the BJK graphic! May have to get that on a tee shirt (though I don’t love the official shirts sold by USOpen).
Matt McIrvin
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Frum is a Never-Trumper conservative, in the process of a gradual multi-decade recovery from being the worst kind of wingnut. Critiques other conservatives for saying the same stuff he was saying 30 years ago. Sometimes lapses into Brooksian reflexive moderation, but he’s far smarter than Brooks.
rikyrah
@Tony Jay:
CLAP CLAP CLAP
Betty Cracker
Damn, the water already crossed Hwy 19 in Crystal River, and high tide is at 4 PM.
@sab: The town had mostly figured out how to get rid of the weeds before I grew up there. I remember it as an idyllic paradise with cold, clear springs and lots of manatees. It still is today, though the springs are less clear thanks to agricultural runoff, and the manatees are more endangered than ever, and there are way too many people.
sab
@Another Scott: Thanks for the links.
Tenar Arha
@Tony Jay: 😎😎😎
Old School
@Betty Cracker:
Mediaite has the clip.
Jeffro
Meanwhile, alarm bells continue to ring over at GOP HQ er excuse me the Times
trump could clinch the nomination before the GOP knows if he’s a felon
(“if” doing the work of 20 oxen there, NYT!)
Why, one would think that a major political party would want to be in better shape, heading into a presidential election. Would want to know “if” its leading nominee for president was a felon (or a felon x91, even)
Alas…
brantl
I hope they keep fucking the Trump-Chicken until they find themselves with 40% of the Republican votes. The MAGATs haven’t figured out that they’re alienating 60% of the country. I think it’s shameful that it isn’t more that they’ve lost. The dumbing-down the US hasn’t done us any favors, has it? Wait ’til he’s convicted.
Joy in FL
I’m northwest of Tampa. My neighborhood looks normal, which was really nice to wake up to.
As I mentioned in a thread last night, I had new windows installed in July. Thanks to their sound-proof quality, I slept much better than I expected, and I woke to nothing amiss.
Right now there is some hard rain and wind going on, and 5 minutes ago, all was completely still
I have a friend who lives in Chiefland, not far from Cedar Key but more inland. She lost power around 7 this morning. She said, by text, that otherwise, she is ok. She had texted to ask where the storm was. She doesn’t have a smart phone, and with no electricity, couldn’t use her computer to check the weather. I sent her a screenshot from The Weather Channel app.
opiejeanne
@brantl: It will be as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced, when they saw the next shiny, new authoritarian.
jimmiraybob
I just heard Johnathon Turley, Esq., explaining on F#@!! News that if Citizen Trump is convicted and sitting in jail and manages to get elected president, that his incarceration would be an impediment to presidentin’. True. But, would he be able to vote in his home state of Florida?
Jeffro
@brantl: I just want to…I think savor, is the word?…when we get to next March, additional trump indictments have landed, it’s clear that he is ska-REWED, and the party rips itself to shreds trying to figure out what to do with a nominee that’s 110% certain to be in prison on Election Day.
I mean, the RNC 2024 should be just one helluva thing
But then again, they’re MAGAts, they’ll just fall in line with either DeSantis or Haley and proceed like they didn’t do anything wrong at all for the past 8 years.
Omnes Omnibus
Perhaps that is something voters should consider before marking their ballots.
NutmegAgain
I’m sitting here in grey New England, thinking safety thoughts for the Cracker family, and Adam, and all the Jackals who live anywhere near hurricane experiences. Be safe! And all your critters, too!
smith
@jimmiraybob: It’s one of the funnier aspects of the whole coup episode, if anything can be said to be funny about it, that when the conspirators are convicted of trying to rob 80 million people of their votes, in many places, especially the states where many of the miscreants call home, they will lose their right to vote.
rikyrah
@Jeffro:
IS THERE another Republican who has disavowed this? Who has said that this was wrong?
I have long said that there is no POLICY difference between any of them and Dolt45.
Until they say otherwise, I believe this is the plan for ANY Republican, Dolt45 or no. And, the Democrats needs to get them on the record about this.
Omnes Omnibus
Freeman and Moss win default judgement against Giuliani.
rikyrah
@Princess:
I agree with this.
Uh uh
No.
We are not going to do the heavy lifting that the GOP should have done itself.
Absolutely not.
They have been given chance after chance to rid themselves of Dolt45. They have refused. That’s why we are here now.
No crazy magic bullets.
rikyrah
@Jeffro:
Not our problem.
They can sort it out.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
That’s a wonderful piece of news!!
smith
@Omnes Omnibus: Is there a non-Xitter link for this? Elmo has cut nitter off again today. Thanks.
Omnes Omnibus
@rikyrah: Yep, if GOP voters are concerned about this, they can vote for someone else. They supposedly are adults. They can act like it.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Jeffro:
The one thing that concerns me is if the GA GOP remove Willis from office and scuttle the case, then that would only leave the two federal cases, which Trump could then pardon himself after being elected in the EC
Omnes Omnibus
@smith: Here is a pdf of the order.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Princess: I agree it’s not the job of members of Congress or the Democratic party to sue anybody on 14th Amendment grounds. It’s a state issue, for each state to decide whether he is on the ballot.
Multiple secretaries of state are already gearing up for how to handle 14th Amendment challenges. We’re absolutely going to see those challenges in the states, and eventually by one path or another the Supreme Court is going to have to weigh in. It’s not up to the pundits to decide.
One of Frum’s points was that the Constitution doesn’t define what counts as “insurrection or rebellion” so Republicans will just announce that various Democrats have committed it and sue to have them removed from office.
This was the part that had me saying “they’re already doing that!” They will take this kind of revenge on Democrats if there are any 14th Amendment challenges that succeed or even make it to a hearing, and it won’t matter whether those challenges are brought by Democrats.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Omnes Omnibus:
Awesome!
rikyrah
@Omnes Omnibus:
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS
Ruckus
@OzarkHillbilly:
1/16 inch steel cable?
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Omnes Omnibus: Yeah, but Giuliani says his admitting to lying is just a lawyer thing we wouldn’t understand, a paperwork thingie for purposes of settling, and his fingers were crossed and he absolutely does not admit he lied about them.
Also Jack Smith is reportedly focusing on “how drunk was Rudy and did TFG know damn well he was drunk when he sought out legal advice from him on Election Night?”
lowtechcyclist
@Phylllis:
Not to mention TV stations, cable channels, and about a zillion radio stations. Must be a challenge to bear up under all that persecution!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
Where are they already doing that?
Gin & Tonic
@Omnes Omnibus: Says further down in that thread that Rudy is selling his UES apartment. Lots of spending, not much income, and it catches up with you.
SiubhanDuinne
@rikyrah:
I sure hope these two ladies can begin to reclaim their own lives now. After the celebrating is over, I imagine there will be massive sighs of sheer relief coming from the Freeman-Moss households.
Steeplejack
@Omnes Omnibus:
✊
Omnes Omnibus
@Gin & Tonic: Did you ever find your tiny violin? I want to borrow it.
catclub
@Baud:
Probably. A sacrifice should be something valuable that is given up.
A scapegoat, on the other hand…
Mai Naem mobileI
@Omnes Omnibus: I am glad they won but can they collect anything? I think Rudy’s basically broke. I heard one of the pundits say that Rudy will end up with a public federal defender for the Georgia case because he’s not going to have the money. He had to use a bail bondsman for the Georgia bail.
Steeplejack
@smith:
Nitter currently working for me on Win11 computer and Android phone. But I manually convert the Twitter URLs. Are you using a browser extension that handles that?
Almost Retired
I love the place name “Steinhatchee,” seemingly a mash-up of Seminole and German! I must visit it sometime, just because.
CaseyL
Good morning, jackals! And a special good morning to Betty Cracker: Thanks for checking in and letting us know you and your household are OK.
rikyrah
Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha) posted at 10:54 PM on Tue, Aug 29, 2023:
Nikki Haley’s dad taught at an HBCU so Nikki Haley could afford to grow up to throw racist dog whistles at the first vice president of Black and Indian descent
(https://twitter.com/eclecticbrotha/status/1696733196962906333?t=_GvIA5oj0g7WpTTKX0a0ow&s=03)
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Mai Naem mobileI:
Wait, seriously? I thought he had billionaire sugar daddies helping him
rikyrah
UH HUH
Michelle_BYoung (@michelle_byoung) posted at 11:17 PM on Tue, Aug 29, 2023:
“If Kamala Harris runs for president my chance of becoming the first woman of Indian descent to be president is in SERIOUS trouble & my anti Blackness can’t have me being BESTED by an Indian woman who is also BLACK”
-Nikki’s thought bubble
(https://twitter.com/michelle_byoung/status/1696738839023267851?t=cePNcl_Y_7zstsPeq6JMZA&s=03)
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Glad to see you checking in BC! Stay safe Florida jackals!
Ruckus
@Dangerman:
I was born and have lived in earthquake country 60 years of my longer than that life. I’d agree. Because I’ve also lived in a place where driving home from work with thunder hitting the ground all around the car and no one around me seemed at all concerned. I’ve lived through crossing the Atlantic ocean into 50 foot waves for 5 days. I lived in that earthquake area when it rained for 40 days straight and no, it was not a light misting. It’s the world, it isn’t always a warm and cuddly place but still, here we are.
J. Arthur Crank (fka Jerzy Russian)
@Omnes Omnibus: I try to see things from both perspectives. On the one hand, fuck him. On the other hand, fuck him.
Ruckus
@Baud:
“Your boots are made for walking. Walk far away.”
Omnes Omnibus
@J. Arthur Crank (fka Jerzy Russian): That’s the way to bothsides an issue.
Ruckus
@Gin & Tonic:
Size 4 I believe….
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): “That” is more general.
They’re already using thin excuses to remove elected Democrats from office despite a lack of legal grounds.
This includes the two DAs DeSantis has removed and the Tennessee legislators who were removed.
And “that” includes the plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Biden.
I’m just making a prediction that if “14th Amendment” appears as grounds to attack Trump’s candidacy, as it certainly will, then “14th Amendment” will be added to the list of “excuses to remove elected Democratic officials”. But it’s already a nonzero list and the result will not look very different from what is already a growing trend in this country.
And my point is that they won’t need the 14th Amendment challenges to be brought by Democrats in order to use it as an excuse for 14th Amendment revenge. I wouldn’t be totally surprised in fact if the discussion has already given some Republicans the idea and we see a stupid challenge to a Democrat first.
rikyrah
The worst part about this bill is that those religious folks
DO NOT HAVE TO REPORT ABUSE TO THE AUTHORITIES.
Certified Counselors are REQUIRED BY LAW to do so.
colorfullstory (@colorfullstory) posted at 6:34 AM on Wed, Aug 30, 2023:
Today Texas SB 763 which was signed into law is going into effect. Why are these people hell bent on forcing religion into these schools by replacing licensed professionals with unlicensed religious leaders? Everybody isn’t Christian. Even Christian leaders are against this! https://t.co/qJyDDGBAEN
(https://twitter.com/colorfullstory/status/1696848809962156103?t=LbwN01CjTeItZ8ZYmttBqg&s=03)
Barbara
@Jeffro: They are cowards who don’t want to lose their particular bone because they stood up to Trump and Trump voters. I am suspicious of the Lincoln Project but you can’t accuse Rick Wilson or George Conway of lacking the courage of their convictions or expecting Democrats to do the work of getting rid of Trump.
Karen S.
@MisterDancer: Count me in as one of those who’s interested in reading something like that.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
Oh, gotcha. I don’t know. It just seems like potentially pouring gasoline onto the fire, y’know?
rikyrah
ABC News (@ABC) posted at 6:10 AM on Wed, Aug 30, 2023:
The Biden administration will propose a new rule that would make 3.6 million more U.S. workers eligible for overtime pay, reviving an Obama-era policy effort that was ultimately scuttled in court. https://t.co/INot34qkgd
(https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1696842719677575246?t=3aZJNXQYj1Ia81ByVvvEYw&s=03)
Ruckus
@MisterDancer:
Please do. We as a country need to learn, relearn, and study our history. It isn’t always sunshine and roses and has major parts that we should never forget because too many would like to go backwards in time when they could get their hate on. We can be better but as always it takes learning and reminding to get better.
Mai Naem mobileI
@rikyrah: good. I know people back then who expected more pay but lost it when TFG’s people rescinded it. Next they need to go after employers abusing the independent contractor classification to get out of paying SS and other benefits. I knew a medical assistant working in a doctor’s office being treated as an independent contractor. There is nothing in her job that classified her as an independent contractor.
Betty Cracker
@Almost Retired: Steinhatchee is the best place for scalloping, in my opinion. The drawback is scallop season is July 1 through Labor Day, and it’s HOT.
Ruckus
@Jeffro:
They’ve learned less than nothing.
I imagine that it is very difficult to learn anything if the learner has their entire noggin stuffed where the sun don’t shine. And it seems that the conservative party in this country have their collective heads rammed fully up their collective asses. Mostly their own but it does seem a significant number are using each other for the purpose. Must be quite dark in their worlds…..
Mai Naem mobileI
Why do they allow mobile homes in Florida or any hurricane prone area? I kind of understand when they were super cheap and maybe were housing for snowbirds but for permanent housing?
dirge
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
While the new GA commission does have the power to remove Willis, the way it’s designed doesn’t make it particularly amenable to abuse. Amongst other things, I think you’d need Kemp pushing it, and I don’t think he’s inclined to ethically compromise himself to help out Trump.
I worry about this, but not very much.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
OT: Has there been any new news about Dejoy being removed as postmaster general?
Mai Naem mobileI
@Betty Cracker: glad you and Adam and all the other Floriduh BJ peeps made it through ok.
sab
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): There is a similar election interference case coming along in Michigan, and also the NY Trump corporate misbehavior case. Those are state cases.
Kelly
@Steeplejack: Chrome: Nitter Redirect
Ruckus
@Jeffro:
One would assume that they might be concerned that their basically one candidate might actually be a 4 time felon.
I believe that the conservative party for the most part really has lost the entire plot of actually operating a political party and country. If they really ever even understood the entire plot in the first place.
smith
@dirge: The threat in FL, however, has already materialized. The ongoing efforts of the TN legislature to expel and then silence members who express anti-gun opinions falls into the same category. I can easily foresee GQP SOSs in red states disqualifying Senators and Representatives because they once participated in a peaceful demonstration on an issue that the GQP disapproves of.
Brachiator
Coming late to the thread from Southern California.
Just wanted to quickly say that I hope that everyone in the path of the storm, or with loved ones in the path, hold on and come out okay.
A quick look at CNN suggests that Florida and other areas might escape a harder hit than projected.
ETA. The storm chasers following this thing are some brave souls.
Delk
A message to you, Rudy.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@dirge:
That’s a good point re: Kemp. He would need to take an active role.
@smith:
But it’s not the same situation in GA, as dirge said. Kemp doesn’t strike me as somebody who would try to go out of his way to help Trump
Sister Golden Bear
@BruceFromOhio:
Fixed it for you.
Glad to hear our jackals are safe.
sab
@Gin & Tonic: The way things are going for Giuliani, he is probably not going to have to worry about housing for the rest of his life.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@sab:
I admit I’m not familiar with those cases. I don’t believe Trump was indicted in the Michigan case and the NY case doesn’t include significant jail time for Trump, IIRC
Kelly
Update: I had a quiet night sleeping on Mom’s couch while she recovers from C Diff. Good news the situation has ahh… firmed up. She did well with non dairy potato soup for dinner and wanted more for breakfast. Currently puttering around the house getting things organized the way she likes after my siblings and I have been doing laundry and housekeeping. I watched CNN with her this morning. The first TV news for me in years. My god its intense and repetitive. Also some ESPN talk show while she looked for the US Open. Who listens to this? She watches a lot of tennis. She was varsity tennis in high school. That was the only varsity sport for girls.
Ruckus
@Omnes Omnibus:
They can act like it.
I’m not so sure they can.
I mean they are old enough to be considered adults but given everything else but their age…….
Brachiator
@Tony Jay:
Wow. A thing of beauty
This last part is so goddam spot on. Satire with the sting of truth.
Inventor
@Tony Jay: I would like this as well. DeTocqueville wrote about an experience he had in Ohio and Kentucky. In each place he saw a road crew repair a city street. In Ohio (I think Cincinnati) the crew of two arrived with proper tools and materials and in a matter of a couple of hours, the repair was complete. In Kentucky (I think Louisville) the crew of six, two white overseers and four slaves, arrived without material or tools. The two white men got drunk and the four slaves accomplished very little. They were there the whole day and came back the next.
That fundamental difference hasn’t changed.
Anoniminous
Per AP the judge was less than impressed with Giuliani’s defense:
Giuliani will appeal so this ain’t over yet.
dirge
I was really just addressing the particular case of DA Willis, who I don’t think is much at risk right now.
But yes, it seems inevitable that they’ll try anything and everything, wherever they have sufficient control to make a go of it. Some of those efforts will succeed, as we’ve seen, but many will fail when someone sees them for the obvious bad faith bullshit they are, and refuses to go along.
Regardless, one doesn’t unilaterally disarm oneself of a legitimate tool like the 14th, in the vague hope that one’s opponent will graciously decline to abuse it in return.
smith
@dirge: Yes, I agree with you, both on Willis, and the inadvisability of peremptorily ruling out using the 14th option. I just think we need to be fully prepared for what the other side will do, because they are already doing it.
Paul in KY
@Jeffro: I think Christie is also making that case, when he can be heard over the boos.
Paul in KY
@Geminid: For us to try it, I think he would need to have been convicted of something seditiousy in a court.
Uncle Cosmo
@smith: IANAL but it is exceedingly hard to imagine that any attempt to disqualify Trumplthinskin from office via this 14th Amendment might succeed unless and until (i) he has been tried and convicted of activities that arguably amount to insurrection and (ii) all possible appeals have failed to overturn the verdict. Any lawsuit before that would almost surely be thrown out due to lack of proof (as determined in a court of law) that he had in fact engaged in insurrection. And the appeals process would almost surely last beyond the 2024 election…
Though Cheetoh Benito might accept a plea bargain (in any of the pending cases) that required him to confess under oath to have “engaged in insurrection against the United States.” You snicker, but if the deal would keep him from serving time in one of those nasty, filthy prisons, he might just take it.
(JMO of course)
Geminid
@dirge: A friend knows the retired judge Kemp appointed to the 5 member investigative panel and thinks the judge would be unlikely to act with a partisan motivation.
I’m guessing the member Kemp appointed to the 3 member committee that hears evidence and decides on removal has a similar profile. I don’t know about the other 6 panel membersor eho appoints them. Kemp was fairly low key about his appointments; his office just had them 75th and 76th on a list of 77 apoiintees to various Georgia state boards.
Paul in KY
@Kelly: Sounds good. Very glad for you and her. Have her bed sores healed up?
Gvg
@Jeffro: in some ways this could be true. I can’t say that it is. The rivals to Trump are a pack of weak non inspiring obvious failures. There is no reason to jump from Trump even if you want to. The evangelical primary voters tend to know their power is as a voting block and they also are really followers. If some of them really liked one of the choices, I think most of them could jump fairly suddenly.
which is to say, it’s hard to figure why they really like one guy over another, but every time the rich guys try to make someone the next big leader, it seems to fail. You do recall that Trump has been making noises about running for President since the 80’s which got almost no attention till 2016. There was a little attention in 2012, not much. He also didn’t have the staff at first when he started to catch on this time.
cain
@Tony Jay: Same here!
Paul in KY
@Tony Jay: I hope they guys in Queen see this and record it.
Edit: Or maybe Weird Al.
Geminid
@Paul in KY: I think that’s when private citizens should give disqualification a shot. But not Democratic party organizations; there’s no need
A retired lawyer friend thinks the battle will be waged in individual states, since state election boards are the entities charged with placing slates of Electors on the ballot.
Paul in KY
@Geminid: Good point.
dirge
I’m a little concerned that in the end, the feds may have to intervene to guarantee a republican form of government in TN, FL, or some other place. It’d be very problematic to be forced into that step, but worse to allow a state level autogolpe to proceed unimpeded.
But I think they’re overextended. There’s a decent chance that openly anti-democratic actions will be unpopular enough, even in red states, to discipline the party. 🤞
smith
@Geminid: The law is being challenged in court, which hopefully could delay implementation until after Willis has completed her prosecution. In any case, they will have to come up with a bogus reason to go after her, because the law is specifically aimed at DAs who decline to prosecute crimes the GQP wants prosecuted, like marijuana possession or anything having to do with abortion.
Kelly
@Paul in KY: Yes bedsores are healed. That’s another reason I like seeing her up and moving around. Even puttering about the house is good for her circulation.
Gvg
@Soprano2: I think it’s tradition. Jesus was persecuted, so were the early Christian martyrs and saints. I think they think they can’t be Christians without being persecuted. They part they don’t seem to get is that many founding American colonial groups were fleeing religious persecution that was Christian on Christian. The Reformation wars and the 30 years war in the Germanies, the English Civil war, the French Hueganots and others are the reason we put separation of church and state into our Constitution and the silly people think they will gain if they get to remove it.
They haven’t been persecuted in generations which is why they don’t know how silly they are.
smith
@Gvg: If the Dirty Six on SCOTUS succeed in establishing a theocracy here, we’re going to see a resumption of religious wars, as the most extreme versions of Christianity battle it out to be recognized as the state religion. I could easily see the Opus Dei Catholics and fundie Protestants ending their political romance and battling it out to the death.
cain
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I expect that there will be backlash from voters because they aren’t fooling anyone about the legitimacy of their claims. If a democrat was elected it means the voting public is probably more for one party – it will mean that when their job comes up for election they are going to get trounced.
Gvg
@rikyrah: I don’t honk he has the power to do it alone. He can veto budgets and more depends on how many congressmen go along with him.
he probably gets to appoint the head of agencies, so I term heads from within would run them.
Tony Jay
@Brachiator:
And I’m having a fine old time just messing about with the nonsense.
Be aware, when the trials start you’ll have to suffer through a lot of Meat Loaf and Guns ‘n’ Roses, and I’m pretty sure there’s a Prince ‘Darling Nikki’ rewrite floating around in the nether brain somewhere.
pieceofpeace
@Diceros Bicornis: I wish! Maybe next year? I’m considering options to travel in Oct, right after voting-by-mail….Paris would be great, but thinking more along the lines of a cabin with no connection ability.
Brachiator
@Tony Jay:
Meat Loaf?
“I’ll do anything to win…”
Bring it on!
opiejeanne
@Brachiator: “I’ll do anything to win…”
Including that.
Madeleine
@MisterDancer: Please do put it on the list . . . not too far down.
cain
@Tony Jay: Two members of Guns n Roses came from my home town of Lafayette, IN. Also the lead singer of Blind Melon. Also for Linux people, the guy who started Debian Ian Murdock is also from Lafayette, IN. We are EPIC. :-
oh yeah, the ceo of youtube is from my home town as well as Sydney Pollack, actor and director.
cain
@Brachiator: “I’ll do anything but take a vaccine! Anything but I won’t do that”
Diceros bicornis
@pieceofpeace: A friend of mine has an Airbnb apartment in Brittany with no wifi! Walking distance to the nearest town so not isolated…but also not expensive, because no wifi. If you want to look into it let me know.
cain
@smith: while simultaneously talking about free speech
Tony Jay
@cain:
There’s a “We had to be successful so we could get out!” joke in there somewhere, but I’m not going to be the one to make it.
Paul in KY
@Kelly: Glad to hear, Kelly! Please remember to have her drink enough fluids! Best wishes to her and you.