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You are here: Home / Politics / Fingers Crossed for Payback Against Gym Jordan and His Bullying

Fingers Crossed for Payback Against Gym Jordan and His Bullying

by WaterGirl|  October 18, 202310:48 am| 230 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Republican Politics

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Dare we hope?  Fingers seriously crossed for some payback for Gym Jordan and his bullying.

He cried, begged, pleaded and bullied the wrestlers when they were coming forward.  I hope that Gym Jordan comes to understand – just like Trump – that has has brought consequences upon himself by flying too close to the sun.

Mock here, and Watch on C-SPAN  (in theory, it starts at 11 am Eastern)

Jim Jordan vote tally expected to drop today.

Good morning.

What’s happening in the House is a microcosm of what we have seen over the past 7 years.

A minority group of extremists is attempting yet again to hold their party, and the country, hostage.

Threatening chaos and a shutdown of our institutions if we refuse to…

— Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) October 18, 2023

Fingers Crossed for Payback Against Gym Jordan and His Bullying
(click the image above to see the non-blurry version of the image.)

Open thread!

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Previous Post: « And the clown car rolled on…
Next Post: Final Push for our 2 Virginia House Candidates! »

Reader Interactions

230Comments

  1. 1.

    NotMax

    October 18, 2023 at 10:52 am

    Instant Karma’s gonna get you
    Going to look you right in the face
    Better get yourself together, darling
    Join the human race
    .

  2. 2.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 10:59 am

    Text messages apparently received by Don Bacon’s wife.  No wonder he’s pissed!

    Fingers Crossed for Payback Against Gym Jordan and His Bullying 1

  3. 3.

    p.a.

    October 18, 2023 at 11:00 am

    To a hammer(head) all problems look like a nail.

    Thank FSM he acted in character.

  4. 4.

    Jeffg166

    October 18, 2023 at 11:01 am

    Toughlove time for the GQP.

  5. 5.

    hueyplong

    October 18, 2023 at 11:03 am

    I like Bacon’s wife’s responses. If he’s a vertebrate he’ll never vote for Jordan.

    I know, “if” is doing some heavy lifting.

  6. 6.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 11:03 am

    The GOP is always so pathetically jingoistic about USA USA WE’RE NUMBER 1 blah blah. And yet they seem dead-set on making us look like the most ridiculous, pathetic, childish country on the planet. And then blaming Democrats for letting them do it.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:05 am

    Right now CSPAN is still doing calls.  I don’t know anyone can listen to those calls.

  8. 8.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 11:05 am

    I think Smith is half wrong when he says

    They care not for their constituents or America’s standing in the world.

    It’s true that they don’t care about America’s standing in the world.  Simply because they are total isolationists.

    But they do care about their constituents.  “Constituents” meaning not the people in their district generally.  Just the crazies who want performance rather than governance.

  9. 9.

    Butch

    October 18, 2023 at 11:06 am

    Jeffries got 216, correct?  That’s one short, but I guess the GQP lacks a keen sense of the obvious.

  10. 10.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 11:07 am

    @WaterGirl: They’re terrible, aren’t they? Some lady was crying yesterday about the meanie Republicans who wouldn’t vote for Jordan.

  11. 11.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 11:07 am

    @Butch: 212, the number of Dems. That’s why we’ve been saying we need 5 GOPers with a conscience. Sadly, they don’t exist.

  12. 12.

    MattF

    October 18, 2023 at 11:08 am

    @hueyplong: One is reminded of the old line about Kurt Waldheim— he doesn’t need a spine because he has an exoskeleton.

  13. 13.

    Mike in NC

    October 18, 2023 at 11:10 am

    Gym Jordan, another miserable Trump clone. Like Fat Bastard, he needs to abuse and threaten people who refuse to kiss his ass. May they both end up on the trash heap of history.

  14. 14.

    HumboldtBlue

    October 18, 2023 at 11:10 am

    Welp, I’m a year closer to my demise today and steadily closing in on 60, which sounds perfectly insane to someone who still thinks he’s 40.

    Republicans are still assholes? Must be wednesday.

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:11 am

    The prayer has started.  Now, the call of the house.

    (knock knock, who’s there?)

  16. 16.

    Trucmat

    October 18, 2023 at 11:11 am

    Jordan deserves a unanimous vote against from Democrats but what would it take for a Republican to get their votes for Speaker? Admit Trump lost and support Ukraine are the two issues which have to be near the top of any list. Ken Buck (R-CO) said his vote against Jordan was because of those two reasons. He hasn’t put his hat in the ring but as a compromise candidate he seems to at least clear the lowest bar. Buck for Speaker!​

  17. 17.

    gene108

    October 18, 2023 at 11:11 am

    @wjca:

    It’s true that they don’t care about America’s standing in the world. Simply because they are total isolationists.

    They are obsessed with America’s standing in the world. They go nuts at the idea America isn’t both universally respected and feared by everyone else.

    They’re just too willfully ignorant to understand what hurts America’s standing in the world. When it comes to pass America isn’t the lone superpower, they will go ballistic looking for some group to blame. And that group is going to be in serious risk of violence from Republicans.

  18. 18.

    geg6

    October 18, 2023 at 11:12 am

    @hueyplong: ​ I have a feeling he’ll be sleeping in his car for the forseeable future if he does. I’m sure his wife and I don’t agree about anything, but she does sound like a badass there.​

  19. 19.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 11:17 am

    @hueyplong: Don Bacon’s biography is somewhat interesting. There are a number of military veterans in Congress, but I think Bacon is the only one who was a General. He retired from the Air Force about 10 years ago and ran for Congress not long after, in an Omaha-based district.

    Bacon just squeaked by in his last 3 reelections, and Joe Biden won his district in 2020. I supect he’s planning to retire after this Congress.

  20. 20.

    HumboldtBlue

    October 18, 2023 at 11:18 am

    MSNBC morning news: home for former asshole republicans who now pretend they aren’t still a huge part of the fucking problem.

  21. 21.

    cain

    October 18, 2023 at 11:19 am

    @WaterGirl: prayer? lol

  22. 22.

    schrodingers_cat

    October 18, 2023 at 11:28 am

    Tankies are using the ocassion of the middleeast drama to criticize Biden and the US. So tiresome and so very predicatable.

  23. 23.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 11:28 am

    The thing that strikes me about those texts to the R holdouts’ wives, is that they were texts. I’m pretty sure that the personal cell phone numbers of congresspersons’ spouses are not public knowledge, and are probably kept as secret as possible. So how did those anonymous texters get them? Hard not to conclude that the calls are coming from inside the hHouse.

  24. 24.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 11:32 am

    When ever I hear of people using prayer to start something I flash on this.

    “Gimme that old time religion ……”

  25. 25.

    hueyplong

    October 18, 2023 at 11:33 am

    @smith: As someone on LGM said, the texter is likely a 23 year old Liberty grad Jordan staffer.  Unless it’s Gaetz.

  26. 26.

    sdhays

    October 18, 2023 at 11:33 am

    @Trucmat: Bills that have majority support need to be able to get to the floor for a vote without the Speaker blocking them for their own reasons. If we had that, we’d actually be able to pass a budget. I also think that it would be fair to demand some sort of power sharing in the committees since the Republicans don’t actually have a governing majority.

  27. 27.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:33 am

    @smith:

    Hard not to conclude that the calls are coming from inside the hHouse.

    Yep!

  28. 28.

    lowtechcyclist

    October 18, 2023 at 11:34 am

    @Geminid:

    Bacon just squeaked by in his last 3 reelections, and Joe Biden won his district in 2020. I supect he’s planning to retire after this Congress.

    Bringing home the Bacon! ;-)

  29. 29.

    Suzanne

    October 18, 2023 at 11:34 am

    Happy to see Biden making statements about providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

    I still want to know more about this hospital strike. Biden said something noncommittal, like, “Seems like it might have been the other side”, or something. I would like to hear Adam’s take on that. I have seen, in multiple places, people saying that Hamas doesn’t have rockets that large, that it could only have been the IDF (accidentally or intentionally, remains TBD). But there’s so much disinfo out there, and both sides have lied in the past.

  30. 30.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 11:34 am

    @smith: Well, didn’t Betty say in the previous post that it was Hannity who published them? Did he give out their office numbers or their cell numbers? It wouldn’t surprise me if he had their cells, either because THEY gave them to him at some point, or some staffer did.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:35 am

    So there are zero seconds on the clock for (electronically) reporting that you are present in the House.  But the totals are still going up.

    As of this second, the total is at:  426   430    432

    Dems present:  211  (1 missing)

    Rs present: 221   (all present)

    edit: sorry, on a couple of edits, i changed the numbers on the wrong line!

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:36 am

    @lowtechcyclist: That should definitely be a campaign slogan!  Except that he’s an R, so we won’t suggest that.

    Also, it could be taken two ways!

  33. 33.

    Nina

    October 18, 2023 at 11:36 am

    I read that Hannity leaked some phone numbers of people to harass.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:37 am

    @Alison Rose: Yeah, but these are wives phone numbers, not member phone numbers.

  35. 35.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 11:37 am

    @Alison Rose: It’s still pretty likely that these aren’t coming from random Goobers. They are part of Jordan’s organized intimidation campaign.

  36. 36.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 11:37 am

    @WaterGirl: ​
    That was the time for the vote to determine if a quorum was present.

    (Unless you knew that and I was mansplaining and if/so …. LOOK!  a Shiny Object)

  37. 37.

    sdhays

    October 18, 2023 at 11:37 am

    @Nina: Not that perfect gentleman, Sean Hannity! He wouldn’t do such a thing!

  38. 38.

    lowtechcyclist

    October 18, 2023 at 11:39 am

    @Suzanne:

    Happy to see Biden making statements about providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

    I think Biden’s handling this about as well as it could be handled, and far better than I expected.

    If this is what it’s like to have a President who’s so old that the public needs to be reminded of that fact every five minutes, then I’m all for it.

  39. 39.

    kindness

    October 18, 2023 at 11:39 am

    And then blaming Democrats for letting making them do it.

    fify Alison.

  40. 40.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 11:40 am

    @lowtechcyclist: Bacon did bring home the bacon, by voting for the Infrastructure bill. Trump did not like that, so he endorsed primary challengers for Bacon and the 20 or so other Republicans who voted for the bill. Bacon easily won his primary.

    Those texts to Bacon’s wife probably have him sizzling.

  41. 41.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:40 am

    @Anoniminous: Yep.

  42. 42.

    Jay C

    October 18, 2023 at 11:41 am

    @WaterGirl:

    Wait: Aren’t there only 212 Democrats in the House, vs. 221 GOPers? (total membership 433: there are 2 vacant seats)

  43. 43.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 11:41 am

    @WaterGirl: Ah, right. Weird.

  44. 44.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:41 am

    @Anoniminous:  To your edit… since you asked, yes. :-)

  45. 45.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:42 am

    @Geminid:

    Bacon’s wife probably have him sizzling.

    Ha!  I see what you did there.

  46. 46.

    CarolPW

    October 18, 2023 at 11:42 am

    @Suzanne: Bellingcat is working on it

  47. 47.

    artem1s

    October 18, 2023 at 11:42 am

    Remember when TIFG doxed Lindsey? when he insulted Cruz’ wife? and they both went back and licked his boots and asked ‘please may I have another’. This is the world the Gym bully lives in 24/7/365. Seems like his own party members are finally beginning to see why he should never be allowed near the Speaker’s gavel. So maybe some hope they will finally see the light RE: TIFG and the WH.

  48. 48.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    October 18, 2023 at 11:42 am

    The GOP have built their brand on being ‘tough’. People with authoritarian tendencies believe that the harder you push and the more you threaten the greater the likelihood of getting what you want. They are always surprised when people stand up to threats or when it actually hardens their resistence to the pressure. That idea just does not compute to these people. They truly believe if you are just pushy, ridgid, and mean enough, the opposition will cower and knuckle under. So stupid.

  49. 49.

    tobie

    October 18, 2023 at 11:44 am

    @Suzanne: When asked why he believes the explosion came from a misfired PIJ rocket, Biden answered that it was b/c of what the Pentagon was telling him. He’s being a statesman right now, waiting to reach conclusions before all investigations are completed. We need restraint like that at this moment.

    https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1714631155503280460

  50. 50.

    artem1s

    October 18, 2023 at 11:44 am

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:

    That idea just does not compute to these people.

    Which is pretty weird considering they are all perfect examples of how Oppositional Defiance Disorder works.

  51. 51.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 11:45 am

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony: It almost as if they haven’t been living around human beings all their lives? Raised by wolves, perhaps?

  52. 52.

    Suzanne

    October 18, 2023 at 11:46 am

    @lowtechcyclist:

    I think Biden’s handling this about as well as it could be handled, and far better than I expected. 

    I was pretty disappointed (to say the least) by Karine Jean-Pierre’s statements last week about calling for a ceasefire “repugnant”. It reminded me a great deal of the post-9/11 slander and insults that those of us who always opposed the Iraq fiasco got to endure. And it was bullshit then and it’s bullshit now.

    But this week, I am more encouraged by what I’m seeing out of the White House. I am reserving judgment until the situation is more clear.

    I will say, tho….. bombing a hospital?! For absolute fuck’s sake.

  53. 53.

    The Thin Black Duke

    October 18, 2023 at 11:49 am

    @WaterGirl: Isn’t that illegal?

  54. 54.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    October 18, 2023 at 11:49 am

    @artem1s: Its all about dominance though. If you think of them as gorillas howling & beating their chests to determine who is the biggest and baddest ape, then it all makes sense. They think the other apes will eventually submit. Cooperation and collaboration are far more effective, but that is seen as weakness.

  55. 55.

    Danielx

    October 18, 2023 at 11:49 am

    @Mike in NC:

    Jordan: Trump has been acting like a royal asshole for decades and I’ve only been acting like an asshole in Congress for sixteen years! How come he got elected president and I can’t even get the unanimous support of my Republican colleagues?

    So many ways to answer that question, but simplest is best – Trump is sui generis, the asshole’s asshole. You are just a wannabe.

  56. 56.

    cain

    October 18, 2023 at 11:49 am

    @Geminid: huh, there is that number 20 again. Looks like we have reverse 10% right there in the GOP!

  57. 57.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 11:50 am

    @sdhays: Not that perfect gentleman, Sean Hannity! He wouldn’t do such a thing!

    “Perfect gentleman” and “all in for Trump” (which Hannity obviously has been) are mutually exclusive.

  58. 58.

    Josie

    October 18, 2023 at 11:52 am

    @WaterGirl: ​
     Shouldn’t the labels on these numbers be reversed?

  59. 59.

    Suzanne

    October 18, 2023 at 11:53 am

    @tobie:

    When asked why he believes the explosion came from a misfired PIJ rocket, Biden answered that it was b/c of what the Pentagon was telling him. He’s being a statesman right now, waiting to reach conclusions before all investigations are completed. We need restraint like that at this moment. 

    Sure, and that’s reasonable. We’re also owed the truth, though, so I hope that transparency is forthcoming.

  60. 60.

    John S.

    October 18, 2023 at 11:55 am

    @Suzanne:

    I will say, tho….. bombing a hospital?! For absolute fuck’s sake.

    If it actually turns out Israel was responsible, but that’s a pretty big “if”.

    Unfortunately, Hamas has a long track record of using propaganda or just flat out making shit up to rile folks up. So as plausible as it sounds that Israel could be behind this heinous incident, it’s not certain they were behind it.

    ETA: Conversely, nobody questions Russia bombing civilian targets in Ukraine. They have been doing it for the last 2 years with such regularity that for them to claim otherwise strains credulity past the breaking point.

  61. 61.

    geg6

    October 18, 2023 at 11:55 am

    @Suzanne: ​
     
    There seems to be some skepticism as to how big the bomb actually was and how many people were actually killed. TPM has some informed speculation on this and some photos that seem to show that the bomb wasn’t all that big and that the hospital may not have been as heavily damaged as reported immediately afterward.

  62. 62.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:56 am

    The “honorable” Gym Jordan has just been nominated!

    edit: if you live close to the Capital, perhaps you might want to take cover in case the House spontaneously combusts from the use of “honorable” followed by Gym Jordan.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:58 am

    @Suzanne: I didn’t follow it closely, but someone here suggested that repugnant was in response to the other part of a 2-part question.

  64. 64.

    MattF

    October 18, 2023 at 11:58 am

    Biden boarded AFO ten minutes ago. [Sigh of relief]

  65. 65.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 11:59 am

    @The Thin Black Duke: It should be!

  66. 66.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 11:59 am

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony: They are always surprised when people stand up to threats or when it actually hardens their resistence to the pressure. That idea just does not compute to these people. They truly believe if you are just pushy, ridgid, and mean enough, the opposition will cower and knuckle under. So stupid.

    But there is a certain internal consistency.  When someone does that to them, they cower and knuckle under.  (See Trump around Putin.)  It’s just that they can’t imagine someone having more backbone than their macho selves.

  67. 67.

    cain

    October 18, 2023 at 11:59 am

    @WaterGirl:

    Yesss.. so honorable. Like Gollum.

  68. 68.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 11:59 am

    @Suzanne: Biden wasn’t noncommital in a report I saw. Biden said that based on what he was told by Pentagon officials, he believes the hospital was hit by an errant Palestinian rocket. Video evidence supporting this explaination is circulating as well.

    Last night someone said this explosion could not have come from a Hamas rocket because they only have small ones. That is not true. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have larger rockets, including the Badr-3 with a 250kg. warhead. They’ve bragged about these and showed Badr-3s off in propaganda videos. To them, having a big, unguided missile they can fire at Haifa or Tel Aviv is something to be proud of.

    The high failure rate of these rockets in general is well known. In the 3-day mini-war between Israel and Islamic Jihad last fall, an estimated 20% of missiles launched by Islamic Jihad landed back in Gaza.

    Ed. But like you, I am interested in what Dr. Silverman has to say about this.

  69. 69.

    catclub

    October 18, 2023 at 11:59 am

    @Anoniminous: In the church of Aphrodite,

    Priestess wears a see through nightie

    She’s an awfully righteous sightie,

    and its good enough for me.

    gimme that old time religion…

  70. 70.

    cain

    October 18, 2023 at 12:00 pm

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony: ‘

    If you are part of the party, you’re supposed to fall in line! Like a good little Fascist.

  71. 71.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:01 pm

    @Jay C: Yes, on the edits, i forgot that i listed Dems first and updated with the wrong numbers.  Fixed now.

    Did anyone see if we ended up with 212 Dems present?

  72. 72.

    Ken

    October 18, 2023 at 12:02 pm

    @Jay C: @Josie: I suppose it’s too much to hope the count of 220 Democrats is from a bunch of Republicans entering and saying “I’m switching parties.”

  73. 73.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    @geg6: From the pictures, it looks like the explosion was outside the hospital, in the parking lot. I guess it was crowded with Palestinians who thought it was a relatively safe place.

  74. 74.

    Frankensteinbeck

    October 18, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    @wjca:

    Trump became a special case the moment he won the nomination.  Without him, they did not have the presidency.  They knuckled under to their own selfish desire for power.

    Right now, Jordan is only a wannabe, wielding only the power of ‘But if not me, who?’  Which is pretty good, but so far not enough.

  75. 75.

    cain

    October 18, 2023 at 12:04 pm

    @Geminid:

    Last night someone said this explosion could not have come from a Hamas rocket because they only have small ones. That is not true. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have larger rockets, including the Badr-3 with a 250kg. warhead. They’ve bragged about these and showed Badr-3s off in propaganda videos. To them, having a big, unguided missile they can fire at Haifa or Tel Aviv is something to be proud of.

     

    Then someone has fucked up – because that big ass rocket they got just killed 500 of their own people.

    Perhaps, they should use ‘jihad’ as it was actually intended in Islam and do some self reflection and work on not killing people. Religious fanatics will twist anything into their fucked up world view.

  76. 76.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    @Ken:

    I suppose it’s too much to hope the count of 220 Democrats is from a bunch of Republicans entering and saying “I’m switching parties.”

    No such luck!  User error on my part. (Or wishful thinking bubbling up by mistake.)

  77. 77.

    catclub

    October 18, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    @Danielx: So many ways to answer that question, but simplest is best – Trump is sui generis,

    I would say that being perceived as a billionaire ( thanks ‘The Apprentice’) is a huge assist to Trump over other GOP non-billionaires.

     

    Consider two people like Michael Bloomberg ( or Jon Huntsman) running for public office.  Bloomberg gets on all the news shows. non-billionaire does not.

  78. 78.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 12:06 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Did anyone see if we ended up with 212 Dems present?

    211 – one missing

  79. 79.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    @TS: Do we know who is missing, and why?

  80. 80.

    CaseyL

    October 18, 2023 at 12:08 pm

    Per DailyKos, which is reporting live, Rep. Cole (R-OK) gave a nominating speech for Jordan, in which he extolled Jordan’s plans to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

    That may be a rousing speech for the wreckers of the GOP, but damned if it won’t also make a great political ad for any Democrat running anywhere.. and for any soul brave and financed enough to run against Jordan in Ohio in the next cycle.

  81. 81.

    Suzanne

    October 18, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    @Geminid: There’s a lot of people saying a lot of things in a lot of places that could be mistaken, lies, bullshit (not the same thing as lies — read On Bullshit), or just opinion. That’s why I am keen to know more about this ASA reasonably P.

  82. 82.

    CaseyL

    October 18, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    @WaterGirl: Again per dKos:

    Apparently the missing Dem is Rep. Don Payne. I believe he can still participate in the voting if he shows up.

  83. 83.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 12:12 pm

    @WaterGirl: Per some rando on Twitter, it’s Don Payne Jr from NJ. Don’t know why, though

    ETA others got there first

  84. 84.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 12:13 pm

    @cain: A similar number of House Republicans voted for the CHIPS Bill last July. These were probably the same ones who voted for the Infrastructure bill in November, 2021.

    That Infrastructure bill vote was one of the few times the much-maligned Problem Solvers Caucus did some good work. The national Chamber of Commerce also lobbied hard for the bill.

  85. 85.

    RevRick

    October 18, 2023 at 12:15 pm

    @WaterGirl: It’s Donald Payne of NJ

  86. 86.

    CarolPW

    October 18, 2023 at 12:15 pm

    @Geminid: According to Bellingcat it appeared there were a lot of people sleeping on an open grassy space right next to the parking lot.

  87. 87.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    A Representative who didn’t respond during the first run-through will have their name called and given the chance to vote.

  88. 88.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    @Suzanne: Yeah, there’s all kinds of misinformation and outright propaganda about yesterday’s tragedy out there. A good base of knowledge and critical reading skills are required to separate the wheat from the chaff. Plus some free time.

  89. 89.

    Miss Bianca

    October 18, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    @Trucmat: It’s really something when Ken Fuckin’ Buck starts looking reasonable in comparison with the rest of these mooks.

  90. 90.

    mrmoshpotato

    October 18, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    @HumboldtBlue:

    Welp, I’m a year closer to my demise today and steadily closing in on 60, which sounds perfectly insane to someone who still thinks he’s 40.

    Happy Birthday! (I think. 🤔)

    Did the Phanatic show off some belly shaking skills last night?  Go Phillies!

  91. 91.

    Suzanne

    October 18, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    @cain:

    Perhaps, they should use ‘jihad’ as it was actually intended in Islam and do some self reflection and work on not killing people. Religious fanatics will twist anything into their fucked up world view. 

    But I have been assured by a valued commenter at this here very almost-top-10,000-blog that Christianity is the root of all that ails us!

    Literalist religion of every sort is a goddamn plague.

  92. 92.

    Roger Moore

    October 18, 2023 at 12:21 pm

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:

    I think there’s a cognitive bias that keeps people from seeing that pressure doesn’t always work.  When they apply pressure and get what they want, they assume it’s the pressure that made it work.  When they apply pressure and it doesn’t work, it’s a sign they didn’t push hard enough.  There’s no way of convincing them the pressure was ineffective.

  93. 93.

    Dagaetch

    October 18, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    and there it is, at least 6 votes for others. Now to see whether it’s more or less than the 20 yesterday.

  94. 94.

    Betty

    October 18, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    @CaseyL: I think someone mentioned Cole as a possible compromise. I guess not.

  95. 95.

    RevRick

    October 18, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    Already, sevenRepublicans have voted for someone other than Jordan, which means he fails

  96. 96.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    6 Others already?

    wow

  97. 97.

    Jeffro

    October 18, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    @Geminid:Those texts to Bacon’s wife probably have him sizzling.

    oh, aren’t you just so proud of yourself…LOL

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:24 pm

    Did Scalise not vote?

  99. 99.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:25 pm

    @Roger Moore: That’s an interesting thought.

  100. 100.

    Dagaetch

    October 18, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    up to 12 now.

    @WaterGirl: they’re going in alphabetical order I think

  101. 101.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 12:28 pm

    I don’t think Jordan has gained any to date but he has lost 2? who voted for him last time

  102. 102.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:28 pm

    Oh, I so want Gym Jordan to have more than “Others” – because is he holds even at 20 or has fewer than 20 I think he will keep pressing.

  103. 103.

    Delk

    October 18, 2023 at 12:28 pm

    Is gym wearing a sport coat?

    LOL after I typed sport, the predictive text suggestion was “bra”.

  104. 104.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:29 pm

    @Dagaetch: I swear I heard them call Scalise twice. Which seems odd since he is S.

  105. 105.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:29 pm

    With any amount of luck little Jimmie’s Vote will fall from yesterday, signalling the end.

  106. 106.

    zhena gogolia

    October 18, 2023 at 12:29 pm

    @hueyplong: Yeah, at least she seems to have some moxie.

  107. 107.

    jonas

    October 18, 2023 at 12:30 pm

    @Suzanne:  I will say, tho….. bombing a hospital?! For absolute fuck’s sake

    This is still a developing story, but it’s appearing more likely that it was a rocket fired from inside Gaza, possibly by the Islamic Jihad group that malfunctioned and came down near the hospital.

  108. 108.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:32 pm

    What was all the clapping a minute ago?

  109. 109.

    lowtechcyclist

    October 18, 2023 at 12:33 pm

    @Suzanne:

    I will say, tho….. bombing a hospital?! For absolute fuck’s sake.

    From what I’ve been seeing this morning, it looks like whoever it was, bombed the hospital parking lot, and largely missed the building.

    Which is one reason I figure it was a Hamas rocket gone astray.  I’m sure the Israelis would have hit the building if they’d been aiming at it.

  110. 110.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:33 pm

    @WaterGirl: ​
     
    Jordan voted

  111. 111.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 12:33 pm

    @WaterGirl: Think it was when Jeffries voted for himself.

  112. 112.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    Someone just voted for John Boehner

  113. 113.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    LOLOL some GOPer voted for John Boehner. That also got some applause from Dems.

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:35 pm

    @Anoniminous: @Alison Rose:

    That makes sense.  Right after I asked, there was another big clap.  One for each, I guess!

    I worried that someone switched back to Jordan.  whew

  115. 115.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:35 pm

    I especially like hearing the roll call of the names of folks we helped put in office!

  116. 116.

    hueyplong

    October 18, 2023 at 12:36 pm

    Come on now, fellas, someone’s got to vote for Everett Dirksen.

  117. 117.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:37 pm

    There’s a joke out there about giving Jordan the clap that I am too swave and sophickistikated to make.

  118. 118.

    mac

    October 18, 2023 at 12:37 pm

    Haha. I’m imagining Boehner’s response to hearing about that and it involves a lot of swearing and “oh hell no”.

  119. 119.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 12:37 pm

    @Alison Rose: Someone also voted for a County public works commissioner.

  120. 120.

    Another Scott

    October 18, 2023 at 12:37 pm

    @RevRick: [ Womp, Womp. ]

    I’ll be looking to see if he gets fewer votes than yesterday.  If so, presumably he’ll not be Speaker no matter how many votes they have.  If things are logical, anyway…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  121. 121.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 12:38 pm

    @Betty: Tom Cole could still be a compromise choice. None of the ones voting against Jordan could be, only the larger number of Jordan voters. The anti-Jordan voters would probabably be fine with Cole as Speaker. They won’t put up with a Freedom Caucus asshole, though.

    Fun Cole Fact: Tom Cole is a registered member of the Chickasaw Nation.

  122. 122.

    lowtechcyclist

    October 18, 2023 at 12:40 pm

    Looks like there are already 18 votes for ‘Others’ which presumably are all Rethugs.

    ETA: C-SPAN’s chyron says Jordan doesn’t have the votes, and another vote is expected today.

  123. 123.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 12:41 pm

    Another just voted against Jordan who voted for him yesterday

    Mariannette Miller-Meek

  124. 124.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 12:42 pm

    @smith: I wanna see one of them vote for the ghost of Ronald Reagan.

  125. 125.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:43 pm

    Apparently one flipped to Jordan and three flipped to Other. So he’s down two from yesterday.

  126. 126.

    zhena gogolia

    October 18, 2023 at 12:44 pm

    @Delk: THAT I would like to see!

  127. 127.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:45 pm

    @Anoniminous:  Not exactly sure what you meant by that.

  128. 128.

    zhena gogolia

    October 18, 2023 at 12:46 pm

    @Geminid: When someone said “Cole” above, I assumed it referred to John G. That would be great!

  129. 129.

    Mike in NC

    October 18, 2023 at 12:47 pm

    @Alison Rose: Whoever thought that some day we’d almost miss John Boehner?

  130. 130.

    JWR

    October 18, 2023 at 12:47 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    One for each, I guess!

    Yeah, but did you notice that Jordan’s ovation wasn’t nearly as celebratory as was that for Jeffries?

    Yes, I am petty. ;)

  131. 131.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 12:47 pm

    @mac: Boehner probably just popped another gummie when he heard that.

    A friend told me about her latest batch of gummies. She goofed up the proportions and they came out with four times the intended THC content. She made them for her brother; he’s been undergoing chemo and radiation therapy so she doesn’t think it will be a problem. She’ll just let him know.

  132. 132.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:48 pm

    @WaterGirl: ​ -2 from his yesterday’s vote total​As a running count, could change of course​

  133. 133.

    RevRick

    October 18, 2023 at 12:49 pm

    Jordan has lost a vote from yesterday.

  134. 134.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 12:50 pm

    Should be 22 against Jordan

    Womack still to come

  135. 135.

    HumboldtBlue

    October 18, 2023 at 12:50 pm

    @mrmoshpotato: ​ 

    Did the Phanatic show off some belly shaking skills last night? Go Phillies!

    Damn skippy.

  136. 136.

    Shalimar

    October 18, 2023 at 12:51 pm

    21 others. he has lost ground.

  137. 137.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 12:52 pm

    21 down now, so as long as no more votes flipping for him, Jordan gets an extra helping of humiliation. I’m sure he will be gracious in defeat.

  138. 138.

    SoupCatcher

    October 18, 2023 at 12:53 pm

    @Another Scott: I was curious how Kevin did and he lost a few votes. Wikipedia has a page with more detail, but I’ll summarize his totals by day below.

    Day 1: 203, 203, 202

    Day 2: 201  201, 201

    Day 3: 201, 201, 200, 200, 200

    Day 4: 213, 214, 216, 216

    eta link and final vote:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2023_Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives_election

  139. 139.

    hueyplong

    October 18, 2023 at 12:54 pm

    @smith: He’d have been even less gracious in victory.

  140. 140.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 12:54 pm

    @TS: Rep. Miller-Meek is the one who won her Iowa seat in 2020 by 8 votes. I think she was an eye doctor in the military, and was in private practice when she ran for the Iowa legislature.

    She won a Congressional seat held by a Democrat who retired. Iowa Democrats led their Congressional delegation 3-1 after the 2018 midterms, but after 2020 they were down 1-3 again.

  141. 141.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:55 pm

    @Shalimar: yay!

  142. 142.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    Oh, good, Payne showed up!

  143. 143.

    Delk

    October 18, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    Insert Nelson laugh.

  144. 144.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    @SoupCatcher: Wonder what magic sauce he discovered between Days 3 and 4? Maybe that’s when he pledged his everlasting fealty to the treason caucus?

  145. 145.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    How does Jeffries have 213?

  146. 146.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    October 18, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    End of roll call, Jordan 197, Jeffries 210, other 22, present 0, unaccounted 4.

    Second call goes 1 for Jordan, 3 for Jeffries. Final total 198-213-22-0.

  147. 147.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 12:57 pm

    Wait wait…CSPAN saying Jeffries has 213. Did a GOPer flip??

  148. 148.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 12:58 pm

    Joedan ended  up losing 22 GOPers, and Democrats got their 213 votes – so two missing from the initial count arrived?

    I thought they only had 212 in the house? what am I missing?

     

    Edit: They have just set the count back to 212 democrats, 199 Jordan, 22 other

  149. 149.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:58 pm

    Jefferies 213
    Jordan 198 <—- Down two from yesterday
    Other 22

  150. 150.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 12:59 pm

    @Delk: Is gym wearing a sport coat?

    LOL after I typed sport, the predictive text suggestion was “bra”.

    Do you really know that it was wrong?  (Consider the frequency of projection from the RWNJs.  And the current accusations about trans individuals….)

  151. 151.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 12:59 pm

    CSPAN screwed up

    (Edited)

  152. 152.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 1:00 pm

    @Anoniminous: No, she voted for Jordan.

  153. 153.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    Ah okay, CSPAN graphic was wrong, they corrected it to show Jeffries 212 and Jordan 199. 22 Others. LOL

  154. 154.

    Anoniminous

    October 18, 2023 at 1:02 pm

    @Alison Rose: ​
     
    Yeah, I’m having trouble reading this AM

  155. 155.

    TS

    October 18, 2023 at 1:02 pm

    @Geminid:

    Thanks for the info – I guess news in the electorate was they did not want Gym.

    What happens now? Do they do it all again?

  156. 156.

    Shalimar

    October 18, 2023 at 1:02 pm

    @smith: Between days 3 and 4 was when McCarthy made the huge concessions to Gaetz and other Freedom caucus members that got most of them on board.  And then you got that dramatic confrontation on the floor because Gaetz negotiated the deal but still refused to vote for Kevin.

  157. 157.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 1:03 pm

    Okay, they upped Jordan by 1 to 199 and Dems are now at 212.

  158. 158.

    sab

    October 18, 2023 at 1:04 pm

    @CaseyL: Re Cole from Oklahoma…. cutting Social Security and Medicare. From a guy with a very generous government pension. Urk.

  159. 159.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    @Shalimar: In the end, though, didn’t Gaetz vote PRESENT in January and that changed the math for # of votes, which the majority of votes is based on, and that gave McConnell the win?

    (from memory, I haven’t looked it up.)

  160. 160.

    Another Scott

    October 18, 2023 at 1:07 pm

    @SoupCatcher: Yeah, it’s not over until it’s over.

    I’m reminded of the days of the housing crash when W’s people had their hair on fire about the economy imploding unless the Congress passed a 3 page bill with a blank check to bail out the banksters and the Congress said – no way, you have to do better than that.  And they came back a few days later with some more sensible legislation.

    The trouble with that, and with Qevin’s example is – the monsters hoping to run the place now don’t actually want to do anything except crush opposition.  And other GQPers see it.  And you can’t run a legislature with a tiny majority that way.

    We’ll see what happens.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  161. 161.

    Bupalos

    October 18, 2023 at 1:08 pm

    Big sigh of relief on Jordan. Now the push to empower McHenry.

    The realistic best case is on the table. And maybe this whole fooferaw forces some reform on speakers’ control of the floor.

  162. 162.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    October 18, 2023 at 1:09 pm

    Down goes Gymbo, Down goes Gymbo, Down goes Gymbo!!!

  163. 163.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 1:11 pm

    @TS: Your guess is as good as mine. Per Politico, last night a Jordan supporter noted that it took McCarthy 15 votes and implied they would wear the opposition down like McCarthy did. I don’t know that they can.

  164. 164.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 1:12 pm

    Can anyone see what Jordan is up to?

  165. 165.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 1:15 pm

    Scalise should throw his hat in the ring again.  Not that I want Scalise!

    edit: but it would mess with Jordan, and maybe keep him from requiring vote after vote after vote.

  166. 166.

    NotMax

    October 18, 2023 at 1:16 pm

    Attention Rs: Kari Lake seeking employment.
    //

    (This appetite squelching comment brought to you gratis.)

  167. 167.

    Another Scott

    October 18, 2023 at 1:17 pm

    Erik Wasson
    @elwasson
    15m

    JORDAN doesn’t answer if he will drop out when asked just now
    Oct 18, 2023 · 5:00 PM UTC

    Erik Wasson
    @elwasson
    14m
    JORDAN huddling with McCarthy now in side room

    FWIW.

    (via https://nitter.net/fritschner)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  168. 168.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 1:19 pm

    @Another Scott: Jordan huddling with McCarthy.  That’s interesting.

  169. 169.

    NotMax

    October 18, 2023 at 1:21 pm

    @Another Scott

    JORDAN huddling with McCarthy now in side room

    Collective IQ in side room lowered.

  170. 170.

    Ken

    October 18, 2023 at 1:22 pm

    @WaterGirl: I have thoughts, but we’re not supposed to kink-shame.

  171. 171.

    danielx

    October 18, 2023 at 1:23 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Screaming tantrum, perhaps?

  172. 172.

    Shalimar

    October 18, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    @WaterGirl: They supposedly had a deal but Gaetz continued to vote for others on the 12th,13th, and 14th ballots.  There was a confrontation between McCarthy and Gaetz after the 13th or 14th vote, and this was also when another member lunged at Gaetz and had to be held back.

    At that point, there was some further concession and McCarthy turned enough votes to win on the 15th ballot, but you’re right, Gaetz continued to be a dick and voted present even at the end.

  173. 173.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    Supposedly, Jordan’s spokesperson just said he’s not dropping out.

  174. 174.

    p.a.

    October 18, 2023 at 1:25 pm

    They could nominate a scarecrow with an American flag pin stuck in it and it would get some Republican votes.

  175. 175.

    StringOnAStick

    October 18, 2023 at 1:27 pm

    @HumboldtBlue: Happy birthday to you!

    I recall being in my 20’s and seeing “old people” ( 40’s) at a music festival and thinking it was odd but endearing.  Now I’m 65 and my brain thinks I’m still 40 but the mirror disagrees, and I damned sure still go to festivals.

    Last Saturday 3 of us were rock climbing at Smith Rock next to a group of young women who were doing the same, and we enjoyed each others company.  I called us Team Medicare; they said we’re inspirational, though it’s just another day to us.  I told them it was inspirational to see climbing parties of just women, and how incredibly rare that was when I learned at their age.  I guess we had an inspiration fest.

  176. 176.

    Shalimar

    October 18, 2023 at 1:28 pm

    @smith: He doesn’t have to drop out, but JIM JORDAN will never be Speaker.  If he does compromise enough to get to 217 votes, it will be by doing the reverse of what McCarthy did: giving the “moderates” their floor votes on Ukraine and the budget.  Which would make him just as impotent as McCarthy has been.

  177. 177.

    hueyplong

    October 18, 2023 at 1:30 pm

    If we are later told about the substance of the Jordan-McCarthy “huddle” we’ll learn whether Gym is capable of anything other than barking threats.

    To the extent that party is predictable, Jordan’s henchmen will probably announce that they’re on the cusp of victory and then decry RINO treachery deserving of violence if the next vote goes against him.

    The one thing we already know they’re a little weak on is counting votes, apparently a woman’s job.

  178. 178.

    smith

    October 18, 2023 at 1:31 pm

    @Shalimar: Any Speaker will be as vulnerable as McCarthy was as long as they keep the One Member MTV rule.

  179. 179.

    Shalimar

    October 18, 2023 at 1:33 pm

    @smith: Agreed.  I guess I’m saying Jordan’s attempt to be Jordan, to bully his way into the job, has failed.  That won’t be how he gets it.

  180. 180.

    dmsilev

    October 18, 2023 at 1:36 pm

    Jordan has fashioned himself as a classic bully. Which works …until it doesn’t. And being a bully means that there are a lot of people who will take pleasure in adding one more kick when you’re down on the ground. Expect more defections on the next ballot, whenever that might be.

    Also, per the Post’s liveblog, congratulations to Hakeem Jeffries for setting a record:

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has now received more total votes for speaker than any candidate since 1913.

    He and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) overtook Sam Rayburn in January. And Jeffries has now overtaken McCarthy, with more than 3,600 votes across 17 ballots.

  181. 181.

    NotMax

    October 18, 2023 at 1:38 pm

    @HumboldtBlue

    Have a happy.

  182. 182.

    Brachiator

    October 18, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    @HumboldtBlue:

    Hope the thread is still active so I can wish you a happy birthday.

  183. 183.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    @dmsilev: I wonder how many votes Jeffries will get come January, 2025. I bet it will be a least 230.

  184. 184.

    Redshift

    October 18, 2023 at 1:41 pm

    @Alison Rose:

    Well, didn’t Betty say in the previous post that it was Hannity who published them? Did he give out their office numbers or their cell numbers?

    The screen capture I saw of what Hannity sent/posted was their office numbers. I suspect the doxxing to get cell numbers isn’t traceable to any public figure, it’s just what you get when you call on the howler monkeys to harass the traitors.

  185. 185.

    Matt

    October 18, 2023 at 1:53 pm

    I’d be a lot more amused by this if the holdouts were refusing to go along because they actually care about the country.

    Unfortunately, they’re holding out because they agree with their party that the hostage should be shot but also want to defile the body afterwards.

  186. 186.

    Uncle Cosmo

    October 18, 2023 at 2:04 pm

    @hueyplong: The one thing we already know they’re a little weak on is counting votes…

    FFS, we knew they were all a buncha no-‘counts from the gitgo. ;^D

  187. 187.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    @HumboldtBlue: Just keep on rockin. That’s all you can do :-)

  188. 188.

    Soprano2

    October 18, 2023 at 2:14 pm

    This needs a front page topic sometime in the next day or two. I’m sure Kay will be talking about this tomorrow.

    The state Court of Appeals issued a ruling Tuesday that affirmed the termination of a mother’s parental rights — even though the child hadn’t yet been born at the time of the mother’s crimes — because “life begins at conception.”

    This is North Carolina. Are these unintended consequences or intended ones?

  189. 189.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:17 pm

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony: The reason the other apes acquiesce is because the screaming & stomping presage a brutal attack that will be delivered. Gym has no comparable weapon to a 180 Lb chimp who wants to bite your face off.

  190. 190.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 2:25 pm

    @Soprano2: That ruling can’t possibly hold.  Can it?

  191. 191.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 2:26 pm

    I keep wondering.  Can ANY member of the house call for the motion to vacate?

    Even a Democrat?

  192. 192.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:28 pm

    @John S.: If you’re a scumbag, firing rocket from a marked hospital is a sissy way of hoping to stop the return fire.

  193. 193.

    NotMax

    October 18, 2023 at 2:29 pm

    @WaterGirl

    So long as he or she is recognized by the chair, yes.

  194. 194.

    Kent

    October 18, 2023 at 2:29 pm

    @wjca:

    It’s true that they don’t care about America’s standing in the world.  Simply because they are total isolationists.

    But they do care about their constituents.  “Constituents” meaning not the people in their district generally.  Just the crazies who want performance rather than governance.

    Not really. They don’t care ABOUT them.  As in do they have good jobs, clean environment, good schools, good healthcare.

    What they care about is their votes and fundraising dollars, nothing more.

  195. 195.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:31 pm

    @catclub: Also the complete bunch of dweebos he ran against in 2016 GQP primary.

  196. 196.

    Alison Rose

    October 18, 2023 at 2:31 pm

    @Soprano2: So are they gonna transplant the fetus into someone else’s body?

    JFC.

  197. 197.

    Soprano2

    October 18, 2023 at 2:32 pm

    @WaterGirl: IANAL, I have no idea, but this is an example of what Kay talks about when she says the laws passed after the Dobbs ruling could completely upend all kinds of family law in the states in ways people have no idea about.

  198. 198.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:33 pm

    @mac: followed by him draining his double bourbon on the rocks…

  199. 199.

    NotMax

    October 18, 2023 at 2:34 pm

    @John S.

    Hamas also has a history (they’re not alone in this) of commandeering the basements of hospitals and similar buildings as organizational spaces and weapons caches.

  200. 200.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:37 pm

    @StringOnAStick: I’m 64 and I did Railbird, Poorcastle, ROMP, Lollapalooza, Bourbon and Beyond and Louder Than Life this year. Keep on rockin!

  201. 201.

    M31

    October 18, 2023 at 2:37 pm

    @smith: Any Speaker will be as vulnerable as McCarthy was as long as they keep the One Member MTV rule.

    “I want my MTV!!!!!”

  202. 202.

    Paul in KY

    October 18, 2023 at 2:38 pm

    @dmsilev: More than Sam Rayburn…Wow! Go Rep. Jeffries!

  203. 203.

    artem1s

    October 18, 2023 at 2:42 pm

    @Soprano2: ironic- wasn’t it was loss of parental rights that was the center of the Jane Roe’s case in Roe v Wade? The state wouldn’t allow her to keep her child but also wouldn’t let her abort.

  204. 204.

    C Stars

    October 18, 2023 at 2:50 pm

    @Anoniminous: What the fuck? It just feels bizarre and capricious. Did he overnight make a promise to one person but piss three others off? They’re such a tangle of vipers.

  205. 205.

    C Stars

    October 18, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    @HumboldtBlue: Happy Birthday! 60 is definitely the new 40.

  206. 206.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 2:54 pm

    I thought this was fun:

    It’s over.

    212 votes for Jeffries.

    199 votes for Jordan.

    22 republican holdouts. 2 flipped from yesterday but 4 more defected.

    Jordan is headed in the wrong direction.

    Another embarrassing loss for Trump.

    — Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) October 18, 2023

  207. 207.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 2:55 pm

    And this seemed right on target:

    Nero doesn’t get to play Gandhi when it suits him. https://t.co/ZzGOwDPM0f

    — Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) October 18, 2023

  208. 208.

    cain

    October 18, 2023 at 2:56 pm

    @StringOnAStick:

    That’s the cool thing about the Gen Y and Zs they don’t really look at us folks as old. I think it’s because the previous generation’s cultural norms were so different. I have absolutely nothing in common with a person from two generations ago. But absolutely with the millennial and the genz probably because they consume the same cultural stuff I do. So we don’t feel ‘old’

    I mean, they even wear the same stuff we used to wear as young people lol

  209. 209.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 2:57 pm

    I 💕 George Takei.

    House Speaker candidate unfamiliar with how to win non-gerrymandered election.

    — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 18, 2023

    This one is being added as a rotating tag.

  210. 210.

    Scout211

    October 18, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    I just got back from running errands and was pleased to hear that Gym Jordan and his bullying band of bullies were not successful in their attempts to threaten and strong-arm the GOP caucus. Too bad, so sad. No surprise, but nice to hear.

    While in Costco this morning, everyone’s phone went off in an emergency earthquake warning at the same time.  That was wild. And loud. The earthquake was 22 miles away with no reports of damage.

    Typical NorCal day.

  211. 211.

    ...now I try to be amused

    October 18, 2023 at 3:00 pm

    @WaterGirl: “This is supposed to be a happy occasion! Let’s not bicker and argue about who killed who.”

  212. 212.

    Ken

    October 18, 2023 at 3:00 pm

    @WaterGirl: Probably when Jordan says “working on the crisis at our southern border, inflation, and helping Israel” he really means “working on making up stuff about these things to impeach Biden”.

  213. 213.

    C Stars

    October 18, 2023 at 3:03 pm

    @Scout211: That must’ve been amusing (and, well, alarming at first). My phone went off too but it was in my house. Just kind of odd to have my phone tell me there was an earthquake while I was sitting with a cup of tea in a perfectly still and silent house.

  214. 214.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 3:03 pm

    @NotMax: Hamas also has a history of firing rockets that come back down in Gaza. Some of them are big enough to carry a 250kg warhead.

    That seems to be what happened yesterday. Although in this case it is believed the rocket was fired by the group Palestinian Islamic Jihad as part of a salvo aimed at Haifa.

  215. 215.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 3:12 pm

    @WaterGirl: This whole Speaker mess makes me think baseball manager Casey Stengel’s question should be a rotating tag:

    “Can’t anybody here play this game?”

  216. 216.

    HumboldtBlue

    October 18, 2023 at 3:41 pm

    @Scout211: ​ 

    The thing that kills me about the earthquake warning system is that it isn’t much of a warning if the shaking has already started when the alarm goes off.

  217. 217.

    WaterGirl

    October 18, 2023 at 3:53 pm

    @Geminid: that made me laugh!

  218. 218.

    Craig

    October 18, 2023 at 4:00 pm

    @Scout211: me too. I was in a meeting with 200 people. BEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!! Nobody freaked out cause it was a long way.

  219. 219.

    catclub

    October 18, 2023 at 4:01 pm

    @smith: Supposedly, Jordan’s spokesperson just said he’s not dropping out.

     

    Baghdad Bob had a lot of things to say also, too. Not all were true.

  220. 220.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 4:10 pm

    @Geminid: Per Politico, last night a Jordan supporter noted that it took McCarthy 15 votes and implied they would wear the opposition down like McCarthy did. I don’t know that they can.

    Well, they tried the threats and intimidation route.  Which doesn’t seem to be working.

    The thing is, to do what McCarthy did, Jordan would have to make deals (Whisper it: compromise!) with the holdouts.  Even if he could be convinced to do that, does he have the first clue how to go about a negotiation?  I’m betting not.

    So the question is, how long will it take for the rest of the caucus to realize it, and move on to Alternate Plan 27C?  Whatever that might be….

  221. 221.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 4:20 pm

    @Kent: They don’t care ABOUT them.  As in do they have good jobs, clean environment, good schools, good healthcare.

    Apologies for being imprecise.  What I meant was that they care about providing entertainment for those constituents who crave entertainment and nothing more.  Having no clue what things they take for granted depend on a functioning government.  (These being the sorts of morons who carry signs reading “Government hands off my Medicare!”)

  222. 222.

    Princess

    October 18, 2023 at 4:26 pm

    @Suzanne: if it helps at all, this wouldn’t be the first time a Gaza rocket misfired and hit Gaza. Hamas admitted to one incident a few years ago and there’s one other that seems likely — both causing deaths of Palestinians.

  223. 223.

    Geminid

    October 18, 2023 at 4:29 pm

    @wjca: I read that Jordan has tried to make deals. New Republic Capitol Hill correspondent Grace Segers posted a story that Jordan was promising farm district Representatives that he would move the 5-year Farm Bill to a vote. But as the report noted, Jordan has not once voted for a Farm Bill during his 18 years in Congress.

    The holdouts include senior, powerful members who say they don’t want anything Jordan could give them. He is unacceptable personally.

  224. 224.

    Princess

    October 18, 2023 at 4:29 pm

    @cain: Of course, the same people who insisted it was an IDF rocket told us 500 were killed. I’d hold off on believing that number until confirmed too.

     

    @cain:

  225. 225.

    rikyrah

    October 18, 2023 at 4:39 pm

    @Soprano2:

    The state Court of Appeals issued a ruling Tuesday that affirmed the termination of a mother’s parental rights — even though the child hadn’t yet been born at the time of the mother’s crimes — because “life begins at conception.”

     

    You’re terminating the rights of woman of a child that hasn’t been born yet?

    Terminating the parental rights of a pregnant woman?

  226. 226.

    rikyrah

    October 18, 2023 at 4:40 pm

    @WaterGirl:

     

    then don’t be threatening the SPOUSES of the people you work with.

  227. 227.

    Jinchi

    October 18, 2023 at 5:15 pm

    @HumboldtBlue: Just because it’s started shaking by you doesn’t mean others don’t have time to prepare for it.

    And remember in a big earthquake, the first shake you feel is the little one. You might still have time to take cover before things get bad.

  228. 228.

    JohnC

    October 18, 2023 at 6:52 pm

    @rikyrah: No, the child was born before the ruling. The “argument” is that she did the crime while it was alive inside her, therefore Handmaid’s Tale arglebargle

  229. 229.

    wjca

    October 18, 2023 at 7:41 pm

    @JohnC:  The “argument” is that she did the crime while it was alive inside her

    Which would, logically, make the child an accomplice.  Right?  At least in the insane world they are in.

  230. 230.

    Glidwrith

    October 18, 2023 at 10:06 pm

    @rikyrah:

    @Soprano2: The ruling is seriously stretching to get to this conclusion:

    1) mom pled guilty felony child endangerment, looks like dad was beating on the kids, was arrested, made bail and was deported. So, the court is blaming mom?

    2) mom failed to pay six months of child support to grandmother who had custody of the children, except she DID pay four of the six months and the court is counting the unborn child at the time as part of the household

    3) claiming the “life begins at conception”, the court was quoting inheritance law, but the court they took the quote from said in the same decision that it was specifically for inheritance not for other applications.

    4) judge was previously censured for having a toxic workplace, allowing an old high school buddy to work there who was making lewd and unwanted advances.

    The whole thing stinks to high heaven.

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