With some Republicans now looking back longingly on the Speaker McCarthy years, and thinking longingly about the Squeaker’s fundraising abilities, might someone initiate the Motion to Vacate? And nominate McCarthy as speaker?
With just enough Democratic votes to give him the small number of votes that it would take him to win? With the agreement, in writing, that he would appoint people to the rules committee that would allow him to bring all votes to the floor for an up or down vote.
McCarthy feels vindicated after they voted him out, we get up or down votes on everything, and the crazy religious guy is no longer in any position of power. Likely ever, with his track record.
Crazy or brilliant?
Open thread.
Eyeroller
He’s no longer in Congress (resigned as of December 31) but I suppose there is no requirement that the Speaker also be a Representative.
Leto
Crazy; he’s a Republican, he’s untrustworthy, and he’s a Republican. Let them continue to eat their own, and quicken their own demise.
Another Scott
Heh.
Too One Weird Tricky for my taste.
Qevin was a liar and did not keep agreements. Democrats should not want him back.
The GQP is in the majority – for a while – they have to figure this governing stuff out. It’s not Democrats job to save them.
My $0.02.
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Hoodie
The reason that Jeffries didn’t save him before is because he’s completely untrustworthy. Hard pass.
Baud
@Another Scott:
Too many people think that because we care about the country, we’re chumps. We need to disabuse people of that idea.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
What @Leto said: one of the few points on which you could get bipartisan agreement in the 118th Congress is that Kevin McCarthy can’t be trusted (absent some significant collateral, such as a knife to the throat of someone he actually cared about).
japa21
Creative but crazy. Even a commitment from Mike in writing is meaningless.
Doug R
I’d say ONLY if we get that up or down vote thing.
But as more than one commenter mention, Kev can’t be trusted.
Maybe we can get a few floor crossers voting for Keith?
WaterGirl
@Eyeroller: Correct! You do not have to be in the House to be Speaker of the House.
WaterGirl
@Leto: I would agree with that if it weren’t for the daily demise of Ukrainians and Palestinians. And the potential demise of Ukraine as a sovereign nation if we don’t get our shit together.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl:
Qevin said that he wanted XYZ before a debt ceiling and budget agreement would happen. He didn’t get XYZ.
Johnson said there wouldn’t be multiple CRs. There were multiple CRs (and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s at least one more).
Johnson and the GQP leadership need to figure out this problem of their own making. The math says that if 25 bomb-throwers prevent them from getting a majority to pass a rule or legislation, then they need to go around the bomb-throwers (as they’ve done multiple times already).
This stuff isn’t hard. They just don’t want to do it, so they pretend to be prisoners of the hard right fringe.
I say – NOPE. You figure it out, GQPers, we’re not going to save you for nothing. Come talk to us with a sensible offer if you want our votes.
Cheers,
Scott.
Jackie
Kevin burned his bridges with his revenge threat to unseat the eight GQPers who joined with the Dems to fire him. He’s already publicly going after Gaetz, Mace and the TN rep, whose name escapes me atm. The dude Kevin elbowed in the back “accidentally.”
I don’t remember who the other five are.
David Hunt
I unfortunately rate this as crazy. It has been graphically demonstrated that Republicans are not good-faith actors. They cannot be trusted to adhere to any agreement once they have actual power. McCarthy especially, but I can’t think of a a single member of the GOP that could be trusted to actually keep a deal with Democrats that has to do with the distribution of power. I’ll admit that there probably are still a few in the GOP that would, but those people could not rise to a prominent position of power in the House. Their fellow GOP Members would not let them.
Jeffro
Kevin’s going to get his buddy Eric Cantor to set him up with a cushy lobbyist gig, and laugh all the way to the bank. There’s no way he’d subject himself to the insanity of the House GOP.
But he probably will keep sniping and settling scores from the sidelines, so – for the first and only time ever, I just have to say – GO KEVIN!
Warblewarble
A knife to the throat of someone Quvien actually cares about could only mean Quvien himself or perhaps tRUMP.
Leto
@WaterGirl: I’ll echo Baud and AS: it’s not our job to save their dumb asses. If they want to bring a piece of legislation forward that would help accomplish this goal, they can. They’re in the majority, this is their prerogative/job. If a fraction want to break off and… le gasp WORK WITH DEMOCRATS, they can do that too. We’re here, willing to work with non-crazies to help pass legislation. But we shouldn’t have to rely on continually looking for that one weird trick that’ll save democracy, all the fucking time.
It’s not “if we don’t get our shit together.” It’s: “if Republicans don’t get their shit together.” We extract what we can from them when we can, but come November kick as many of the worthless fucks out as we can (both House/Senate, state, local).
Another Scott
Helpful reminder from Fritschner (from 2022):
The GQP may still lose their majority before the election (but it’s obviously not a sure thing).
Cheers,
Scott.
Ken
@Another Scott: As others have noted, necessary bills have passed — but with only with votes coming from Democrats, and in many (most?) cases, with more Democrats than Republicans voting for them. The bills the Republican majority has passed on their own have all been the “dead in the Senate” type.
dmsilev
Too cute by half, and it wouldn’t work anyway. Kevin McCarthy was utterly untrustworthy and none of the Democrats would want to go out on a limb for him, knowing full well that he’d saw it off behind them. If you want to get a replacement Speaker from outside the current Congress, it’d have to be someone who retired long enough ago that they can tell a plausible story of putting bare partisanship behind them. If you want to stick with former GOP Speakers, about the only even remotely plausible option would be John Boehner. And that’s a real reach. No, this is a problem that the GOP needs to resolve. Probably can’t resolve until Trump is gone.
OzarkHillbilly
Dreams you’ll never see.
Papa Boyle
Crazy. Don’t trust him. Neither do the Dems in Congress.
Leto
@Another Scott:
Ding ding ding! It lines up with their overall goals of the last 30+ years: “government so small you can drown it in a bathtub.” They’ve brought the TX style of legislation to the federal level. “Only we, who’ve been in power for the past 27 years, can fix the problems… that we’ve caused for the past 27 years…”
They’re all crazy/irrational/non-good faith actors. All of them. Like the dumbshit OH guy who leaked classified information yesterday. Like… none of them can be trusted with something as simple as holding a door open.
Suzanne
No way, fuck My Kevin.
Let them all fail, one by one.
UncleEbeneezer
Totally-Not-Racist
actorasshole John Schneider is very upset that Beyonce is playing Country Music because he’s a clueless racist with no understanding of the history of the genre.Suzanne
@dmsilev:
Remember how that motherfucker hopped up to announce his resignation, and was whistling ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH?! He doesn’t want to go back.
Paul Ryan wants to return to power, I think, and is hoping the GOP returns to their previous mode of Normal Evil. I think there’s a few GOP politicians — Jeff Flake, Ben Sasse — like that.
NotMax
Vintage sh*t is still sh*t.
M31
Any plan that relies on Republicans keeping their word is a bad plan.
Here’s my pie-in-the-sky plan that will never happen– 5 or 6 GOP members from Biden districts switch parties.
Probably those members’ only chance at reelection in any case, why not give it a shot? Oh yeah, because they are shitheads, which is why they’re in the GOP to begin with.
WaterGirl
@Warblewarble: hahaha
andy
crazy, and he’s out of office anyway.
Leto
@UncleEbeneezer: The fact there is “debate” about playing her country music on country stations… you’re just racist pos, nothing’s changed.
Attempted Chemistry
Maybe strike a deal with the Rs on the left edge of the party to elect a relatively conservative D with a everything-gets-a-vote provision would work if Pastor Mike gets the boot. But otherwise, vote for Jeffries and let the GOP figure out what they’re doing.
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
The passage of time makes a piece of shit perfect for polishing.
WaterGirl
@Leto: I agree with most of what you said, and I agree with all the terrible things that have been said here about Kevin.
But I stand by getting our shit together when I’m talking about Ukraine. Whether it’s MAGA causing all the trouble or not, to the world, it’s the US that can’t get their shit together, and our status as a world power is surely being called into question.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Batshit crazy.
The institutional rot that is the modern GQP (years ago Charlie Pierce began an analogy of the GOP having collective prion disease) means none of them are good-faith actors, it’s Cole’s tire rims and anthrax analogy.
Pierce said this back in 2013 when discussing the Obama administration’s approach to the GOP and it’s a gazillion times worse today:
laura
@UncleEbeneezer: i hope she pisses off all the racists and earns an even bigger audience: https://x.com/BeyLegion/status/1756862546676531501?
H.E.Wolf
Watergirl asks: “Crazy or brilliant?”
Both! Crazy for all the reasons enumerated above. Brilliant for reminding us all exactly why it is crazy.
Looking forward to Speaker Hakeem Jeffries next January… if we all do the work to make it happen. 🌞
hat tip to satby for the aspirational sunshine emoji, from the previous post.
frosty
Pastor Pornhub* adjourned the House. Nice thought, but nothing gets done now.
* h/t to a B-J commenter who I didn’t make a note of.
bill
Leave him on the outside. He will use his treasure chest to damage the clowns who betrayed him. I’ll buy the popcorn and sit tight.
H.E.Wolf
@UncleEbeneezer:
Schneider’s got no understanding, indeed. [ETA: he doesn’t want to understand.]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carolina_Chocolate_Drops among many others, past and present.
Betty Cracker
@Suzanne: I remember Normal Evil! It would be far preferable to this endless Abby Normal mutant shit-show. Sasse is on the FL edu-grift train now, so I think he’s out of politics (at least the elected kind) for the foreseeable future. But I think you’re right that others are eager to return.
JMG
Until the so-called “moderates” in the GOP House delegation (I will define them as those who SAY they want to pass the aid to Ukraine bill) have the gumption to say THEY’LL introduce a motion to vacate the chair if they don’t get their way, nothing will happen. If they ever do (highly doubtful) Johnson will be caught between two fires and forced to deal with Democrats to keep his job.
kindness
I am a big fan of McCarthy’s retribution tour he’s doing now. All 8 Republicans that voted against him won’t be in Congress next term. Unfortunately, many of those Republicans will be replaced with equally reprehensible wack jobs. What to do but get more popcorn.
UncleEbeneezer
@H.E.Wolf: Someone on Twitter noted that Hank Williams literally learned to play guitar from a black man. Also, where do they think the banjo came from? Not to mention the I, IV, V blues progression that is the foundation of Country and pretty much all other Western music genres.
TBone
It really seems like a big game of Calvinball at a circus that should be run out of town for welching.
Geminid
@M31: Another option would be for those Republicans to make a deal with Democrats to oust Johnson and replace him with a retired Republican like Charlie Dent: a caretaker Speaker willing to put critical legislation with majority backing to a floor vote.
I would actually prefer this to a Democrat like Jeffries trying to run the House with a shaky majority. I would rather see him become Speaker with a substantial majority next year. This Congress has to pass critical legislation like spending bills and Ukraine aid, but they’re not going to get major progressive legislation through this year anyway.
But I think the chaos in their caucus will have to get worse before any Republicans take that step.
TBone
@UncleEbeneezer: 👍
TBone
@NotMax: ❤️
WaterGirl
I guess it never goes well when you make a deal with the devil.
I know I’m not the only person here who is weighed down by the weight of what the U.S. is now doing to Ukraine – a sovereign nation, an ally, that desperately needs our help in order to survive.
We need to crush the orange merely-a-citizen guy in November, and keep the senate. I’m pretty confident that we can take back the House.
I made the tag “this fight is for everything” for the 2020 cycle, and I meant it. But damn, it’s even truer today than it was then.
I got the all-clear from Cole to start fundraising “on 2/15, right after Valentine’s Day” so look for the kickoff of our Balloon Juice 2024 fighting season any day now.
TBone
@OzarkHillbilly: on that note…I wonder whether one crazy liar replacing another makes a big difference.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaQAMC17GQ
cmorenc
McCarthy was kicked out as speaker because frankly, a strong majority within the GOP caucus beyond just the hard-core far RW “Freedom Caucus” members came to regard McCarthy as an intolerably untrustworthy, duplicitous weasel – which is also consistent with Democratic members’ experience trying to deal with McCarthy – totally unreliable. So why should Ds trust McCarthy even an inch for potential tactical gain that depends on McCarthy keeping his word ?
Leto
@UncleEbeneezer: I feel like this is the same criticism of Ken Burns country music documentary, basic erasure of any type of POC representation within the music/overall POC contribution to the genre. File under “shit I just learned today”: in gold, the tee was invented by one of the first black men who graduated Harvard. Previously golfers used clumps of dirt to prop up the ball. This guy wanted something better, and definitely delivered. Basically only reason I know this was because it was on Sportscenter this morning, via Black History sports fact.
Jeffro
Speaking of crazy thoughts…Biden Should Take a Page From Reagan and Declare “Morning In America”
LOL
(I could swear I’ve seen at least one pro-Biden Lincoln Project ad to this effect)
Baud
@UncleEbeneezer:
True but also irrelevant. Even if black people had no hand in the development of country music, she still has the right to create a country song, just like white people have the right to play jazz, the blues, or hip hop. Whether the song is any good and whether people enjoy listening to it is another matter completely.
Baud
@Jeffro:
I feels you, but I unfortunately don’t think enough libs are on board with a positive economic message.
Anonymous At Work
There’ll be a Motion to Vacate over the budget, since MAGA Mikey doesn’t have the number needed for a MAGA budget but the MAGAt Brigade will demand one. The next Speaker won’t be McCarthy, though. I give the odds are even between Hakeem Jeffries and some random backbencher no one knows. Jeffries would have to beat MTG.
Remember, MAGAts don’t admit to mistakes, ever, so they won’t go backwards.
WaterGirl
I love that Biden denied the renegade pastor, now speaker of the house, and audience with Biden.
Go Joe!
Jeffro
@Geminid: I like your idea of a retired GOP ‘caretaker’ Speaker instead of Jeffries. No need for Jeffries to catch all those arrows now when he’s very likely going to be the next Speaker come November.
(and the fact that the House GOP would need a ‘caretaker’ speaks volumes anyway)
Baud
@Anonymous At Work:
Wasn’t that who Johnson was?
TBone
@laura: she’s well on her way!
RaflW
Oh, are Republicans in the House having a hard time raising money? Sooo sad.
I’m sure firing Ronna will prove to have helped this situation along nicely (and by nicely, I mean in our favor).
TBone
@WaterGirl: “Good Day, Sir!” Gene Wilder gif
Jeffro
@Baud: Really? Why would libs object to that?
I mean, it doesn’t have to be the only message. And it would almost have to help break through with low-info voters…beat back the blessed ‘narrative’ that the economy is bad.
If nothing else, it would contrast with trump’s current/ongoing lies about how everything has completely gone to shit under Biden.
Warblewarble
All the work needs to be directed so that there are no more republican speakers. Otherwise you may as well have George Santos or Casey DeSantis.
WaterGirl
@Jeffro: Can’t we get some sort of oversight person for the House, since the Republicans in the majority clearly aren’t capable of handing their own affairs?
I mean, it works for people with dementia, with female stars whose fathers want to control them, for the trump corporation which has shown incompetence and disregard for the law, so why not for the Republican majority in the house, that clearly do not know what to do with the set of keys they got their hands on.
RaflW
@Leto: If Republicans can pass a petty, stupid, and hopefully Wile Coyote exploding ‘impeachment’ of Mayorkas, they can clearly do some real work.
They just don’t want to. Ever.
WaterGirl
@Baud: I might have thought that at first, but I don’t think it was an accident at all.
I think that’s a guy who has big plans. Thank god he doesn’t seem to know what to do in order to make them happen.
But he’s good at the short-term goal: halt government in its tracks.
Baud
@Jeffro:
Have you met us? A substantial portion hate crowing about achievements that fall short of perfect.
Jackie
@Jeffro: Johnson is already the caretaker Speaker. He doesn’t sneeze or fart without Speaker TIFG’s permission.
TBone
@WaterGirl: I nominate Harley Quinn.
WaterGirl
@TBone: I have never seen that gif.
All I could think of when I read that is the Dustin Hoffman line from Tootsie. “Good day, sir. I said good day!”
WaterGirl
@Jackie: That’s so true. He is the merely-a-citizen orange guy’s puppet.
TBone
@WaterGirl: very short clip from Willy Wonka
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sin5i_sf5T0
Same line different delivery!
WaterGirl
@TBone: Oh, is that where the “you get nothing!” line comes from, also?
TBone
@WaterGirl: 👍❤️
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Keep your eye on that peach pie.
;)
WaterGirl
So much winning!
TBone
@NotMax: I love Daniel Webster!
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: I would say that is not the libs but the red rose lefties. Acolytes of the leap year Democrat.
TBone
@WaterGirl: WOO HOO LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
Shalimar
House Republicans want Kevin back so he will fundraise for them instead of fundraising against his enemies like Gaetz, Good, and Mace. I personally like his new job. He’s better at it than he was at the old one. I don’t see any reason to want the dissembling weasel back.
Ken
Meaning he also enabled creation of the Cracker Barrel peg solitaire game.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat:
Yeah, but I think the problem extends beyond them.
WaterGirl
@NotMax: ugh, he’s creepy!
But I believe I saw the tin man in that clip. How fun!
Geminid
@Jeffro: I want to see them bring in Jeff Flake. Now that Turkiye has ratified Swedish Nato accession and the F-16 sale has gone through, Biden doesn’t need him in Ankara.
I think Jeff Flake served in the House before he was a Senator. If they brought him back as Speaker, the next ten months could go down in history as the “Flake Congress.”
WaterGirl
@Shalimar:
Yes, it was the Rs wishing they could have Kevin back that led me to wonder as I did.
But I do much prefer Kevin’s new job – he’s really put his heart into it! There’s nothing like having a purpose to put a swagger in your step.
Czar Chasm
CRAZY PANTS
The Era of Good Feelings ended 200 years ago, & I don’t see it returning until the (Dangerous and) Silly Party de-escalates itself.
I might reconsider, however, if they manage to run Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F’tang-F’tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel.
WaterGirl
Speaking of winning, I’m not sure which trial this is from – because the merely-a-citizen former guy is seeing action in all 4 criminal trials this week – but reading this makes me happy.
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: I do agree that Trump being out on the campaign trail – running for president – should not happen in this country.
TBone
@WaterGirl: Todd Blanche 😆
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/have-a-seat-ny-judge-puts-trump-lawyer-in-his-place-following-interruptions/ar-BB1ikw2x
Barbara
@UncleEbeneezer: A long time ago I lived in Durham, North Carolina, which had a very vibrant Gospel music scene. My then boyfriend thought it would be fun to go to a local Gospel “competition” that featured a bunch of different categories, like solo, mixed duo, quartets, and so on. All of the performers were African-American and it was held at a big AME church in Durham. It was a lot more fun for me than him — I mean, it was awesome. But one thing really stood out to me: the male quartet sounded like a country music act. They sang hymns, but the tempo, the instrumentation and just everything else would have been right at home on a CW station.
cain
@UncleEbeneezer: it’s about time we pwned the racists. Triggering them will be fun. Lets see how they deal with this aspect of a culture war. Taking back country music. It’s not like they can pass a bill !
rikyrah
Since when did America have a problem with a white man of Presidents Biden age? They’re panicking because if something were to happen to President Biden, the leader of the United States of America would be Vice President Harris, a Black woman. They’re using his age to stop her.
(https://x.com/WonderKing82/status/1757616453753143319?t=8LgA6NS0_qfpx6USp8i8xw&s=03)
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
Trump’s Constitutional right to steal the election supersedes the duty of our justice system to hold him to account for his crimes. Trust me, as law-knowing person. I even got a smiley sticker from the bar that saws “law” on it.
Yarrow
@UncleEbeneezer: I’ve been too busy to follow anything so had no idea what this was about. Googled it and the first link that came up was to Newsweek (who knew that was still around?). Their framing made me laugh out loud:
Waaaahhh…. What a whiny baby. People are supposed to “let” conservatives have country music. I guess they’re too weak to do it themselves. They need people to let them have the music.
rikyrah
Nimarata Nikki Haley already said that if President Biden won, VP Kamala Harris would be president in 2028. They’re sounding the alarm since she was announcedas his vice president nominee. They feared a Black man as president, but they’re terrified of a Black woman president.
(https://x.com/WonderKing82/status/1757622731531554883?t=Xd2FwqG-ld3oQ0HMudmYkQ&s=03)
rikyrah
This..this..
1000 times THIS
Terry Lee Watkins Jr. 王瑞民![]()
![]()
(@TerryWatkinsJr1) posted at 6:55 AM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
You know that the free palestine protesters are anti dem psyops when there was no protest against THE LITERAL IDF VETERAN GOP candidate.
No the takeaway isn’t appeal to these folks for a vote.
Do a Suozzi,
Throw them off the stage.
(https://x.com/TerryWatkinsJr1/status/1757750522575032716?t=2wyBVEnmIH-qNKYc0XNxMQ&s=03)
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
They have plenty of country music. They want all the country music? Well, that’s just greedy. So…Republican?
TBone
@Czar Chasm: Are those sound effects or reference to a person? 😆
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: The only thing that will get a Ukraine bill passed is pressure to find
a compromisecommon ground. That means demanding action and forcing Johnson and the GQP to act. Democrats have done their part.But what if they don’t act? Well, then we have an even bigger majority after flipping the House and have a cudgel against “safe” seats in the Senate.
Bottom line: The GQPers want to be re-elected. Many of them won’t have any chance of that happening unless they act. So, they will act.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
cain
@Jeffro:
So, Speaker Gingrich: Electric Bugaloo?
Eta wheee #100!
TBone
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation: 😆
Nora
@M31: I am “represented” by one of those shitheads, Mike Lawler, and he is doing absolutely nothing to distinguish himself from his MAGA colleagues. He voted with them to impeach Mayorkas, for instance, and I sent him a blistering email (which I’m sure he won’t read) in which I called him a pawn for fools and a stooge of the MAGAs and told him I’d be voting against him in November with pleasure.
You would think that one of the “Biden Republicans” would have some idea of the precariousness of their positions and would try to show some independence, but you would be wrong.
TBone
@Nora: you go, girlfriend!
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
They have no self-awareness. All their awareness bandwith is wasted on fear of people outside their community they’ll never meet and who are not as portrayed on the media they consume.
cain
@Barbara: been there a few times.. well Raleigh. Loved the atmosphere.
WaterGirl
@TBone: That was even more fun than I realized from the tweet I posted!
Yarrow
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation: Well, yeah. Of course they want all the country music. But what led me to laugh out loud is that everyone is supposed to “let” them have it. They’re too lazy or weak to go make it happen themselves. They expect to be catered to. So, yeah. Republicans.
Jackie
@WaterGirl: Citizen “what’s his name’s” attorney was pitching a fit about March 25 being in the middle of campaign season…
cain
@Yarrow:
I think it’s because it’s the one thing they ‘own’ that is true culturally white. But no. It’s never been. All derived from other sources.
So I reckon they think that is being encroached on. So sad.
cain
@rikyrah: Nikki the also non white woman has some gall. She is already experiencing the racism from her cult addled voters. What a tool.
Well she also sound the alarm for any other black GOP running for president?
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
It’s really very simple. They want to be culturally cut off from the rest of the world and somehow still have food on supermarket shelves
WaterGirl
@Another Scott:
I agree with most of your reasoning. But this part needs to include that in the meantime, the US will have abandoned an ally, and will more than likely end up with US boots on the ground when Putin goes after an actual NATO member.
I believe that is exactly one of Putins goals.
It’s just hard to be patient when innocent people are dying.
Geminid
@Nora: Lawler and the other New York Republicans also came up empty when they tried to put a better SALT deduction into their party’s tax legislation. They had a chance to deliver for their constituents, and they struck out.
TBone
@WaterGirl: ❤️ on another “crazy” tangent, the titles playing back to back on TCM today:
The Search (for squeaker)
Strange Love of Martha I. (Fani)
The Narrow Margin (House)
A Guy Named Joe
Mr. Jordan (ptewy phooey)
WaterGirl
@Jackie: Ha! Great to see that. They have ALL had enough of his bullshit. And the trump attorneys should all be ashamed of themselves. If they had any shame.
zhena gogolia
@Another Scott: And meanwhile what happens to Ukraine? (and the Baltics, and Poland after them?)
WaterGirl
@cain:
Yes! In all caps, red, and flashing! Fucking racist.
Maybe she thinks that if she scares them about the black woman, maybe they won’t notice that she’s brown?
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
@WaterGirl: @Nikki Haley: “This has never been a racist country.”
Goes and does a racism…
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: Yes, that’s where I am in comment #112, but you were more succinct.
Czar Chasm
@TBone: It was one of the candidates from Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ sketch, “Election Night Special”. The candidate names got more absurd as the sketch progressed, to where the name of the final candidate involved singing, comedic gestures, and several noisemakers.
WaterGirl
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation: I love that Haley is in the race and trashing Trump. But she is despicable, and I loathe her.
TBone
@WaterGirl: we keep on keeping on fundraising and raising hell.
TBone
@Czar Chasm: thank you for that elucidation, makes it even funnier 😜
cain
@WaterGirl:
Not if Trump is in charge and you have to pay him ‘protection money’. Even then he will slow roll it. His people will love it because it’s about business acumen!
Plus NATO are filled with godless Europeans unlike the Christian Mother Russia! /S
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
@WaterGirl: Utterly deplorable individual.
Ken
@WaterGirl: Ah, yes, the “I can’t be on trial at this time, I have more important things to do” defense, which has worked exactly never. Even the “I can’t be on jury duty” version rarely works.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: Yes, it’s a tragedy in Ukraine. Losses will be higher than they should be. Too many good people are dying.
But Ukraine will hold on. The NPR interview a day or few ago with Chris Murphy said that Ukraine needs stuff from the US within 30 days.
They will get support from the US soon(ish), I believe.
TheHill:
The story mentions a discharge petition, which we all know has issues. (If there are enough votes for a discharge petition, then there are enough votes to go the regular way.)
There are apparently other ways to force action as well, that Jeffries and others are investigating.
We’ll see, but I expect action before or around the time the CRs expire.
Slava Ukraini!!
Cheers,
Scott.
Jackie
@cain: Will she object to a black man running as TIFG’s VP?
rikyrah
@WaterGirl: 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
opiejeanne
Have I lost my mind, or didn’t Hobby Lobby threaten to fire any employee found to be using birth control? I know they refused to pay for it, or allow it to their employees even after the healthcare companies agreed to offer it for free, but I can’t find any mention of the firing threat. Did I imagine the threat?
Jeffro
@cain: ha!
not just ANY caretaker Speaker, of course =)
Jeffro
@WaterGirl:
@Ken:
has anyone anywhere (reporter, pundit, Dems) bothered to ask trumpov, “if you want to be out campaigning so badly…why wouldn’t you and your attorneys be working to speed up the trials wherever possible? I mean, you’re innocent, right? Wouldn’t that be great to campaign on? That vindication? We’re talking landslide territory, right?”
but oddly enough, Mr. Innocent doesn’t want to throw those acquittals in Biden’s face for the next nine months, nor give speech after long-winded speech about how he was proved right: it really was “ELECTION INTERFERENCE!”
Jackie
@Another Scott: This is a great ABC’s for defining and explaining a Discharge Petition. I found it very helpful, others might, also:
https://politicaldictionary.com/words/discharge-petition/
WaterGirl
Speaking of Ukraine!
This is what we raised in the Ukraine thermometer from the Sunday when I first announced that we were doing a quilt raffle for Ukraine, and 5 pm yesterday when we reached the ticket purchasing deadline.
$8,794.00
Quick reminder: if you donated between 2/4 and 2/14 at 5pm, you are still eligible for raffle tickets based on those donations, even if you haven’t sent me email already.
Kelly
@Yarrow: The current Newsweek is the hollow shell of the old Newsweek animated by parasites.
TBone
@Jackie: awesome, easy to understand, thank you 🙂
TBone
@WaterGirl: April fools?
Anonymous At Work
@Baud: Yes. So we’ll see how closely history rhymes this time around.
Sure Lurkalot
@Suzanne:
Then we could watch all the never Trumpers, Bulwarkers and the Lincoln Project loons scurry back to their principled position of limited government, ”limited” meaning hoovering up all the wealth of the country into the hands of their overlords, with a few scraps for themselves. Wonder which Republicans MSNBC will get to keep?
Jackie
Off topic, but I just saw this:
Why is Biden too old sounding weaker by the day when the alternative is OTHER OLD MEN???🤔🤦🏼♀️😡
Roberto el oso
@rikyrah: I tend to agree but it also jibes with the DSA’s historical stance since their foundations. They go after Dems while shying away from overt criticism of the GOP/rightwingers. Their response is generally that they believe they might have some degree of influence on the fringes of the Democratic party whereas they have none with the GOP. A less kind reading (and one I have come to agree with) is that their treatment at the hands of the Dems they disrupt is always going to be on the gentle side (i.e., they won’t get hauled offstage and into an alley and get the shit beaten out of them). Compared to practically any other segment of the truly activist left, the DSA has a long history of being loudmouths and cowards, and they choose the location of their battles with extreme care.
Dorothy A. Winsor
From Rachel Bitcofer re the Fani Willis hearing. Things are not going well for the Trump team.
Nettoyeur
@WaterGirl: Criminals get their day in court before they go to prison.
Mousebumples
@H.E.Wolf: late to the thread, but I wanted to give you (and anyone else who helped postcard for the NY House seat) props for the seat flip. Go team postcards!
rikyrah
President Kamala’s Hand (Again) (@myronjclifton) posted at 0:02 PM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
The good thing about the republican party is not only is the party broken, no one in the party can fix it
They are such bad managers, have such bad consultants, are funded by such dumb wealthy people, and told by media that “true” americans support them.
It really is something
(https://x.com/myronjclifton/status/1757827565451161733?t=2MJUbd7SnhY7GSHWGi-fYA&s=03)
RaflW
@WaterGirl: So hilarious. How many criminal defendants have tried the “But your Honor, I’m a busy man” request for delay and had it work?
Hahahahaha.
John S.
@Jackie:
Simple math really.
2 old white men > 1 old white man + 1 black woman
Which if you cancel out one of the old white men from each side of the equation gives you the correct answer.
1 old white man > 1 black woman
Nettoyeur
@WaterGirl: Criminals get their day in court before they go to prison.@zhena gogolia: A real worry. I sure hope Biden et al are working with allies to wnable pass through of weapons with promises of future plus ups.
Paul in KY
@Another Scott:
like your idea here.
Citizen Dave
I wish the agreed upon name of today’s trump trial–the New York one, not the Georgia one– was not the “hush money trial”, but rather a more accurate name, like the “financial fraud” trial. The “hush money” trial is too nebulous.
Since McDonalds has brought him back onstage, I nominate the Hamburglar for Speaker over this House of weakling and corrupt Republicans.
Local note: my Rep, Ukraine/Soviet-born Victoria Spartz, who was retiring for close to a year, announced she is indeed running (filing during the last week to meet the local deadline). There are 10 people running on the Republican side for this seat. Primary is May 7.
mrmoshpotato
@Eyeroller:
I thought he’d resigned too. Thanks for the confirmation.
rikyrah
Did we discuss this?
THEE miranda writes![]()
![]()
(@emiranda_writes) posted at 9:21 AM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
![]()
Did y’all hear that Erik Prince wants to recolonize Africa?! This is the Blackwater Betsy Devos guy.
Africa and Latin America countries should be recolonized by US – Blackwa…
Portia![]()
McGonagal Same On ![]()
(@PortiaMcGonagal) posted at 10:31 AM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
He also wants Latin America. So all of you touting your legal immigration status and people like @ananavarro who cling to their Republicanism because of fleeing fascist and Communist regimes, congratulations. 3/
Portia![]()
McGonagal Same On ![]()
(@PortiaMcGonagal) posted at 10:32 AM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
4/
Spare me the “can’t happen”. History is right there. The history of colonialism is right there. The history of powers like the US inserting itself in nation-states is right there. And Putin is right there. You think he’d sit back? We’ll be right back in
Portia![]()
McGonagal Same On ![]()
(@PortiaMcGonagal) posted at 10:34 AM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
in the same kinds of proxy wars that defined the post-WWII era in particular. This is directly related to Prince’s religious beliefs and his “white man’s burden” view of the world. It can happen because it has happened. But hey, TikTok videos amirite? 5/5
mrmoshpotato
I can’t see him jumping back aboard a sinking, burning, sucking-Putin’s-ass ship.
RaflW
@Jackie: Remind me, how was President Mittens’ term in the White House?
Oh, that’s right, he lost. And he’s too chicken to try to run again in Utah as an incumbent.
IOW, a perfect choice for the coal state whiner/soon to be Senate retiree.
TBone
Speaking of crazy, a new word was invented.
“respeckered”
https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/demented-dipshit-donald-trump-claims
rikyrah
Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) posted at 7:29 PM on Thu, Feb 08, 2024:
The media is doing to Biden what they did to Hillary. It’s so blatant. We can’t let it happen again. Call it out. Everywhere. Every time.
(https://x.com/KaivanShroff/status/1755765950450745362?t=2_RFnYrEQt65wDOdA5_dog&s=03)
Roberto el oso
In the hypothetical No Labels or 3rd party run with Manchin and Romney, who would be top and who would be bottom?
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah: I say he takes on the armies, militias, and drug cartels all by himself. Good luck to the racist POS.
Oh, and his sister can help him – the two of them against…
piratedan
so the GOP took forever to implement McCarthy because he’s a duplicitous liar and notoriously unreliable. So after they got pissed off at him, they instead replaced him with the Revanchist Reverend who was allegedly in the band of true believers conspiracy of January 6th. While he looks the part, apparently he’s short on actual political savvy or ruthlessness or both and now some GOPpers are lamenting the days of lying but barely competent administration.
I’d say more but their collective amalgamation of craptacular is harmful to so many people that its hard to get to the appropriate level of schadenfreude.
mrmoshpotato
@TBone: “Invented” by a demented dipshit apparently.
trollhattan
McCarthy provides the latest evidence of something we already knew: Republicans can always get worse. See also, GW Bush/DJ Trump.
TBone
For everyone to consider (open letter signing). Raise our voices and scream into the chasm, instead of feeling helpless and futile?
https://theelders.org/
Paul in KY
@Baud: I’ve seen enough mediocre white hip hoppers to know we (white people) work that genre (and get more play than they deserve, IMO).
Sister Golden Bear
@Yarrow:
Now, now… they need their safe spaces, doncha know.
Paul in KY
@rikyrah: I hope Mr. Prince goes right the fuck over there. Will find out soon that ‘one settler, one bullet’ is the way they roll when some punkass white man comes to ‘recolonize’.
Sister Golden Bear
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation:
And gay and trans pron on their computers. Yes, you can guess which states these genres are most popular.
Chief Oshkosh
@Baud: He may have appeared to be a random backbencher to us, but I don’t think he was to the Krazy Krowd. As I’ve said in other threads, he’s their real deal. He helped plan J6 in significant ways, he’s a completely sick wacko christianist, and he is very focused. He has the outward demeanor of a non-threatening nebbish who is in over his head – this makes him especially dangerous.
mrmoshpotato
@Sister Golden Bear: WARTB. (The R stands for racist.)
Sister Golden Bear
@Jackie:
Because he has a Black woman as a VP.
Geminid
@Paul in KY: It sounds like Eric Prince wants to take over the Wagner Group’s territory. Maybe there’s been a merger.
@mrmoshpotato
Sister Golden Bear
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Earlier in the day one of their “star” witnesses — who handled WIllis’ boyfriend’s divorce — said he couldn’t comment about any relationship because of attorney-client privilege from the divorce case. I mean… if it’s your witness, how do you miss that.
<narrator voice> It’s not a serious legal challenge, it’s attempt to dirty up Willis.
M31
@Geminid:
no one tell Eric how that worked out for Wagner’s leadership
Soprano2
@UncleEbeneezer: I wondered how soon it would be before they started freaking out because of that. They think country music belongs to white people.
Chief Oshkosh
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation: I think that Garth Brooks and Beyonce would make a great duo, and bring the act to the Grand Ole Opry.
You know, REALLY fuck with their “minds.”
Roberto el oso
@Chief Oshkosh: I very much agree. He has the certainty of the fanatic, and if the voices in his head tell him to hold true and not give in, he’s going to be utterly unmoved and untouched by criticism that he looks weak. After all, Jesus didn’t see any need to respond to Pilate’s impertinent questions as to what the fuck he thought he was doing.
Soprano2
@UncleEbeneezer: Unless you’re talking about something really specific I think the I, IV, V chord progression is hundreds of years old. Like, from the 17th or 18th century.
Ken
Meanwhile in important news, an investigation into the 2023 Hugo Awards has indeed turned up evidence that some works were ruled ineligible for political reasons. However, it’s not because the Chinese government (or any other) objected to any nominees; it was because the admins were worried that some governments might object, so they removed the nominations. Words like “pre-compliance” and “appeasement in advance” are being tossed around.
rikyrah
Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) posted at 9:30 PM on Wed, Feb 14, 2024:
Ordered by a judge to turn over evidence of election fraud that it had long claimed to have, the right-wing group True the Vote now admits that no such evidence exists.
The MAGA movement is a fascist con job. https://t.co/v3ZoQtbWw5
(https://x.com/MarkJacob16/status/1757970719156109643?t=uZtpkF1584OYJYur2MVjZQ&s=03)
Villago Delenda Est
Don’t you mean “The McCarthy months”?
rikyrah
Lowlifes
Bernie’s “Our Revolution” is sending emails to 87,000 members in Michigan and to about 225,000 supporters in other states, encouraging them to vote Uncommitted in the state’s Feb. 27 primary to “push Biden to change course on Gaza now.”
https://t.co/UE0jCYWVK2
(https://x.com/Mel_Ankoly/status/1757827728349540818?t=5ILpq9qATPpuWbZuuOZ38g&s=03)
jowriter
@Nora: Lawler is my congressperson too. Feh. He’s already on notice that I cannot wait to work for his Democratic replacement. Let’s all promise to work to GOTV. He won by 3K votes. He will not win again if we do the work. I am willing to knock doors, write postcards, anything. I want him to be seriously burned toast.
MomSense
@rikyrah:
I don’t know how they think Biden is going to stop Netanyahu.
rikyrah
Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) posted at 9:41 AM on Thu, Feb 15, 2024:
Joe Manchin floats Mitt Romney as a potential running mate as he weighs a third-party presidential bid https://t.co/H7JS0deTyV
(https://x.com/JonLemire/status/1758154619681673217?t=2PriwRjaQkTEZn8vphzTdA&s=03)
rikyrah
Lips so pursed
Rachel Bitecofer![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
(@RachelBitecofer) posted at 9:57 AM on Thu, Feb 15, 2024:
Star witness against Fani Willis is falling apart on the stand right after being reminded you have to tell the truth.
Can’t remember when Fani Willis told her about dating Wade. Can’t remember what was said. When her atty tried to help with “is it something you talked about…
(https://x.com/RachelBitecofer/status/1758158494207709361?t=0lI4eiFF8t7xIFxp-Mc2QQ&s=03)
rikyrah
BWA HA HA AH AHA HA HA HA HA HA
Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) posted at 10:08 AM on Thu, Feb 15, 2024:![]()
https://t.co/pqovbUDOw4
My friend @NewsCHill just asked DeSantis how he can square his opposition to gender affirming care and people identifying with the gender of their choosing with his choice to wear heels to identify with the height of his choosing and the whole room laughed at DeSantis
(https://x.com/tomaskenn/status/1758161459077382650?t=k7ko7SzjQ5KoNJGNUcqOqA&s=03)
rikyrah
ChudsOfTikTok![]()
(@ChudsOfTikTok) posted at 2:12 AM on Thu, Feb 15, 2024:![]()
family with 8 children sold everything they owned & moved to Russia ![]()
to raise their children in Orthodox values & away from “left wing ideology,” the LGBT ![]()
community. Anyways their bank accounts have been frozen & they’re starting to regret their decision ![]()
https://t.co/u1HUOhpAm3
A Canadian
(https://x.com/ChudsOfTikTok/status/1758041553967186159?t=-QHlkUumYTENDTu61Rf7Iw&s=03)
brantl
@Bruce K in ATH-GR: His behavior would lead me to believe that that person could only be Qevin, himself.
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
It’s like women. Fetish objects to help them fire off their meat. The suggestion they merit respect is beyond the pale.
scav
@Ken:
Why not use the phrase “self-positioning doormats with ai-precognitive abilities” to honor the genre?
brendancalling
@Leto: considering that most pop country these days is heavily influenced by hip hop and contemporary r&b, his objections are stupid. Maybe Billy Ray Cyrus will do a remix like he did with Lil Nas X (done in total revenge against the industry that tried to fuck BRC himself over in the 90s).
CaseyL
@Ken: I read that report. It’s damning as hell. There are going to have to be major changes in not only Hugo voting and convention Administration, but also in WorldCon site selection.
Mainstreaming SF and making it a humongous profit center was a very bad idea. Sigh.
Mike in NC
Got a remaindered books catalog in the mail the other day. One item that caught my eye was “The Greatest Speeches of Donald J. Trump”. Was totally unaware that he ever gave inspirational speeches, aside from the usual whining and airing of grievances. His most famous words, of course, were “When you’re a celebrity you can grab women by the p*****”. Will pass even though the book was marked down from $49.99 to $13.95. Complete waste of paper.
beckya57
Crazy. Republicans will never accept McCarthy again, and they’ll never agree to letting bills Dems want coming to the floor. Not gonna happen, sorry.
schrodingers_cat
@MomSense: He will stop sending them money and they will stop bombing Gaza. That’s what I heard from a Code Pink person I know.
Citizen Alan
@Yarrow:
Honestly, I just think John Schneider is still pissed that “wokeness” got Dukes of Hazzard knocked out of mainstream syndication. You can buy it on Amazon or whatever, but it’s not streaming on any service I’m aware of. He got screwed out of merchandising rights when he was in his twenties and then he got screwed out of residuals once the general population finally noticed the passive racism of the show and stopped caring about it. (It was never actively racist. It just depicted life in a small, rural southern town where NO black people lived. Oh, and was defined by an ostentatious piece of Confederate memorabilia that was a bigger star of the show than any of the actors.)
And this despite the fact that he was a faker from the start. He was born in raised in Westchester County, NY, just north of NYC. He moved to Atlanta at 14. And at 18, he got the part of Bo Duke by adopting a complete fake accent, borrowing a beat-up pickup truck from a friend to drive to the audition, and carrying a six-pack of beer in to meet the audition people.
But in 1998, he became “born again” and turned into the piece of shit he is today. It’s been less than 2 months since he called for the hanging of Joe Biden. And now he’s whining because non-assholes are making inroads into country music. Pitiful.
Nora
@jowriter:
@jowriter:
I’m willing to go all out to get rid of him. I’m sure it’s a GOTV thing in our district.
skerry
@WaterGirl: Here’s the complete interaction. I think I’m in love with this judge
stinger
Don’t know that much about John Schneider as I’m not a fan of shows like The Dukes of Hazzard. I did see him once on some TV show displaying his quick-draw skills — and he was fast! So I googled him just now and saw that the Secret Service opened an investigation into him after he threatened Biden’s life.
Andrew Abshier
The only thing D’s should be throwing at the drowning Republicans is an anvil. Let’s not do their work for them. I agree, His Unholiness needs to go, but bringing back a known devil doesn’t sound like much of a solution.
TBone
Brick: “So what IS the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof?”
Maggie the Cat: “Just stayin’ on it, I guess. Long as she can!” *blows kiss
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
Trump’s purpose in trying to put Laura Trump as head of the RNC is two-fold.
1. Siphon money to pay his bills
2. Consolidate control of the GOP. He wants to make sure there are no more possible Cheney’s and Kemp’s lurking in the party. Now everyone who gets elected has to go through HIM.
The scary part is just how much and how quickly he’s managing to assume control of the entire GOP even after the insurrection.
Cheryl from Maryland
@cain: Exactly. Her mother and VP Harris’ mother were of the same ethnicity.
Manyakitty
@WaterGirl: fantastic news. Pastor Pornhub wants to play games with human lives and it leaves me shaking with rage.
Geminid
@beckya57: McCarthy let the Debt Ceiling bill come to the floor in June, and Johnson let a funding bill come to the floor last Fall. Almost all of the Democratic caucus voted for both.
I don’t know if Johnson has become weaker since then, but he doesn’t seem to have gotten any stronger either. I guess we’ll find out when Johnson brings the House back into session at the end of the month
Ed. I think you are right about them not taking McCarthy back. He might not want the job anyway.
Citizen Alan
@cain: Well, Kamala has a darker complexion than Haley, who is also more culturally white than Kamala. Haley passes the brown paper sack test, so she gets to join all the Caucasian Republicans in looking down on Kamala’s race.
(Seriously, though, if it weren’t for people actively attacking Nikki Haley because of her ancestry, I would never have considered her a POC. To me, she looks like any other White Southern Woman who just works on her tan a lot.)
TBone
Opposing counsel just addressed Wade as “Mr. Willis.” He snickered.
WaterGirl
@TBone: time warp?
Old School
@Citizen Alan:
So he owes his success as an actor to being able to pretend to be someone other than himself? That’s kind of the job.
Harrison Wesley
@rikyrah: I like that!
WaterGirl
@RaflW: There are none so entitled as Trump. (in their own mind)
Robin Goodfellow
@UncleEbeneezer:
WaterGirl
@Citizen Dave: Folks like Harry Litman are pushing for it to be called election fraud – because the money was paid to keep relevant information out of the hands of voters.
Villago Delenda Est
@scav: “Self-sealing stembolts”.
“Kinetic waffle-iron.”
TBone
@WaterGirl: all’s fair in love and war ❤️😆 now I’m doing the dance in my head with Tim Curry.
Baud
@Citizen Alan:
Makes me wish Boss Hogg had gotten those Duke boys at some point.
EarthWindFire
@Leto: Didn’t we go through this “debate” with Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, and others too? JFC, do these racists think this is some required rite of passage for AA country artists?
WaterGirl
@Ken: Glad that the truth is getting some sunlight, at least!
Manyakitty
@Citizen Dave: she’s running again because apparently she hates Ukraine (extrapolated, but I stand by it) and wants to stand against aid for them. Loathesome.
Mike E
Ah, a deep Deep Space Nine deep cut!
WaterGirl
@skerry:
Thanks for that. Perfection. I’ll fight you for him! :-)
WaterGirl
@TBone: Which one snickered? Wade or the attorney?
TBone
@WaterGirl: WADE it was fabulous 😍
taumaturgo
Could someone make sense of this:
Democrats on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee raised alarm Wednesday over the nomination of American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Andrew Biggs to serve on the Social Security Advisory Board, pointing to his long record of supporting privatization efforts and benefit cuts.
President Joe Biden first nominated Biggs to the independent board in 2022 and renominated him early last year following the end of the 117th Congress. By nominating Biggs, a conservative, to the post, Biden adhered to the board’s tradition of bipartisanship. Feb 15, Angry Bear
WaterGirl
@EarthWindFire: Or perhaps there are stricter (unspoken) rules for females?
TBone
@taumaturgo: godfuckingdamnittohell
WaterGirl
@TBone: Bet that wasn’t the response the attorney was hoping for!
Miss Bianca
@skerry: LOL, oh, that is great.
TBone
@WaterGirl: 😆
Baud
Follow up on Florida Cop who as scared of squirrels
TBone
Wade is laughing at opposing counsel. Now he’s sloooowly mansplaining to him.
rikyrah
@Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:
The framers of the Constitution saw the Orange Menace coming a mile away, and put in the means by which to check him.
What they never foresaw was an entire political party turning against their oath to the Constitution. They never accounted for an entire party of traitors.
TBone
@rikyrah: the framers of the 14th did though
Citizen Dave
@Manyakitty: Agree. Spartz’ whole life path and erratic behavior (coupled with weird word salad) in Congress always has me wondering what the heck she is doing, and for whom.
brendancalling
@Soprano2: probably even farther than that. Like the Dude’s rug, it ties the room together.
TBone
Wade is causing opposing counsel to stumble over his words. Wade ain’t nobody’s fool. He just corrected that doofus and is making OC look like a clown. I admire that kinda cool under pressure.
Jinchi
I understand your logic up to that point.
McCarthy was a big part of the problem and he’s no longer even a Congressman.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Just listened to a Meidas Touch update on that trial. Hearing on a motion to dismiss the trial. TFG’s lawyers turned it into a circus of course, but the judge spanked them and confirmed the trial begins March 25.
So TFG is on track to be a convicted felon (34 fraud charges) this spring.
Manyakitty
@Citizen Dave: madness.
Jinchi
Does she though?
I’ve never seen a picture of the two of them together, and lighting levels change things, but the from the collection of photos online, they look almost identically tan to me.
Tony G
@Papa Boyle: Sad but true. Kevin would violate written agreements as easily as he”s violated spoken agreements. What would stop him from doing so?
Baud
@Jinchi:
Me too.
Villago Delenda Est
@taumaturgo: Bipartisanship is dead, or at least on a life-support. This dickhead should not be allowed anywhere near Social Security.
Jinchi
I’ve never understood this tactic from Haley. She is the Republican version of Kamala Harris.
No one who is terrified of the idea of Kamala as president, based on her race and gender, will be happy with Nikki. She’d do much better campaigning as the “young” candidate vs the “geezers”.
Dangerman
Put me down for crazy.
ETA: Oh, the idea. Also crazy.
TBone
Pardon the shitter link, but:
Crazy or brilliant?
https://twitter.com/SwissWatchGuy/status/1757939241290547580
Has he had a stroke (yet)? Where’s the other hand for the accordion?
Old School
Unfortunately, the “financial fraud” trial already exists. And it’s also taking place in New York.
SomeRandomGuy
Here’s a better, more sane thought: “Tucker Carlson lost America’s Last Best Hope For Peace. “I thought I’d get his patented pained-constipation stares, which had me truly terrified, so I shut him up with what-you-call, my-story lesson. No, not HIS story – MINE. In US, they teach his-story. In Russia, MY-STORY teaches YOU.”
TBone
@SomeRandomGuy: ❤️
Barbara
@Jinchi:
It’s like Haley worked so hard to be accepted as an honorary white that she forgets that she is still not white according to people who judge other people first and foremost by that standard. And although I know it shouldn’t the fact that racial dog whistles spew so easily out of her mouth makes me makes me hate her even more than I hate other unredeemed white supremacists.
Jackie
@TBone: He brings it out towards the end before tucking it back below the podium. It does look like he’s using his left hand to support himself against the podium.
TBone
This one definitely goes in the Crazy column!
https://crooksandliars.com/2024/02/level-insanity-dem-tears-marge-new-one
TBone
@Jackie: his lifts are throwing him off balance 😆
Brachiator
@Jinchi:
What race is Nikki Haley?
Another Scott
@TBone: @Jackie:
What I really want to know is – Who’s doing his hair color and styling, and skin color these days? It’s very different from before.
Maybe it’s time for his Breck Girl moment??
Cheers,
Scott.
rikyrah
@Jinchi:
She threw away her government name and religion to chase White Supremacy.
Her family wouldn’t have been able to EAT without the opportunities provided to them by the BLACK community in South Carolina.
And, she never refuses a chance to shyt on Black people.
When I write NIMRATA, it is full of the contempt that I feel for someone who got to this country three days ago, and only was able to enter due to the changes in Immigration that MY Ancestors fought for.
When I say watching her White Supremacy/White Adjacent ass chasing up under White folks for 25+ Years fills me with disgust… that’s such a mild word for it.
catclub
@WaterGirl: This. The problem with GOP hostage taking is that we think the hostages have value.
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
Despite her desperation in chasing White Adjacency for over 25 years…
She ain’t White.
TBone
Fani just strode in looking pissed and took the stand like a boss. Her eyes are flashing. Keep your cool, Fani!!!
glc
@frosty: And apparently things are being viewed as even more chaotic going forward than we’ve recently become accustomed to.
Let me know if they elect me Speaker, you never know. I’m busy right now but can probably clear my schedule for March. And I’ll need to think about my approach.
Jeffries would be a more straightforward choice but they don’t seem to want him.
TBone
@Another Scott: reminds me of Blago 😆
Citizen Alan
@Old School: He fooled casting agents who wanted a pretty Southerner to play opposite professional actors like Sorrell Booke, James Best, and Denver Pyle. Even Tom Wopat had done soap opera work before Dukes. I would not call it “acting” to get a part by playing a caricature based on the worst, most cynical views of how the rest of the nation viewed Southerners in the late 70s.
japa21
Totally off track, but something interesting happened today. Mrs. Japa received her most recent EOB from her supplemental Medicare policy. We noticed something strange. There was a claim submitted to Medicare in December for monthly DME. It covered 10 months of services amounting to $19,000 dollars, of which Medicare paid out $14,587. Normally the supplemental would have picked up the balance but they did not pay anything.
The interesting thing is that she never received, and has never required, the DME mentioned and we have never heard of the company.
We got on the phone and spent 24 minutes with folks in the Medicare fraud unit who also believe fraud is involved and thanked us for calling. Afterwards, I did some investigating and discovered that Medicare is probably already investigating not only this company, but 6 others for fraud. Medicare cannot discuss this, not can the FBI, but apparently 7 companies that did some DME supplies were sold over the last 2 years and there be upward of $2 billion of fraud involved.
This articleexplains the whole thing.
Because the particular company involved is in Florida, I immediately thought of Senator Scott.
TBone
@japa21: thank you will be keeping an even closer eye on hubby’s EOBs. Crap, paywall, foiled again! Is this area-specific fraud?
billcinsd
@NotMax: Isn’t vintage sh*t a coprolite?
Gary W Armstrong
You have to be careful what you wish for.
too often we have opposed some awful Republican and rejoiced only to have them replaced by someone far worse./
I was happy when Harriet Miers nomination to the Supremes was withdrawn, but, we ended up with worse – Alito.
T
Bill Arnold
@Bruce K in ATH-GR:
Have to admit my first thought was that signing the agreement in his own blood with a quill pen, with multiple witnesses from both parties and photos of the document using several different cameras, plus an agreement to forfeit the life of his only child (a son, Connor) if he violated the agreement, would be sufficient.
japa21
@TBone: Google Royce Medical Supply LLC. Not locale specific, but product specific . All claims are for urinary catheters.
The article does point out that it is important to review your EOBs. Most people don’t.
Jeffro
@Citizen Alan:
@stinger:
I loved Dukes of Hazzard as a kid (but even then, the ‘plot’, such as it was, got old after a while) “Gee I wonder if Bo and Luke will get away from Roscoe P. Coltrane this time?”
Anyway, I loved What’s Happening, Alice, and The Jeffersons more.
Old School
@Citizen Alan: Just found it an amusing complaint about an actor.
Brachiator
@japa21:
Wow. What a mess. I could not get to the linked article, but I hope that they get to the bottom of this.
TBone
@japa21: we do! Every medication, procedure, visit, etc. Someone once got hold of an insurance card of mine. I nipped it in the bud! Thank you for the explanation.
Old School
@TBone:
Here’s a non-paywalled article about the potential $2 billion Medicare fraud.
TBone
Speaking of nipping in the bud, GO FANI ! 👑🔥
TBone
@Old School: thank you. I frequently yell at organizations & politicians about Medicare (dis)Advantage but nobody listens. I give it hell anyway.
PS I fucking HATE ACOs too. Accountable Care MY ASS. Ask me how I know.
TBone
Fani is killing it. I love her, big crush 🥰 and she’s handling this spectacularly IMO.
Bupalos
A little mindblowing to read the responses here, especially the “not Dems job to save them” thing.
Of course 1000% if there was any maneuver that would effectively eliminate the speaker position while R’s hold the house by assuring all legislation got to the floor, of course we should take that. Really no matter what.
Of course there is no such maneuver because Republicans would not give up that power and no one would want to be speaker absent that power. But it takes a partisan loss of perspective to even hesitate at the proposition. The counter “don’t help R’s out of their inability to legislate” argument is pretty much “don’t save the country or Ukraine or the planet if that stops Republicans for getting blame for destroying those things.”
SFBayAreaGal
@Mike E: My absolute favorite Star Trek series.
Paul in KY
@Chief Oshkosh: Would like to see that duo! 2 giants of their game.
Scout211
This was inevitable but the walk-back is still infuriating.
DeSantis Walks Back FL Book Ban Statute He Once Championed
Oh no, Ron DeSantis, we wouldn’t want to incentivize frivolous objections or games being played, would we?
Paul in KY
@rikyrah: Feel sorry for the poor kids they dragged along. It is not good to have idiots as your parents.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Robin Goodfellow: Speaking of the treason flag, AKA the Slavers’ Swastika (AKA the Hillbilly Hakenkreuz if I’m feeling nasty and uncharitable): I’ve seen pictures of some car show with a 1969 Dodge Charger done up as sort of a clapback-homage to the “General Lee”. The “General Grant” was blue instead of red, with the Stars and Stripes on the roof, and I can’t help but wonder if it had a novelty horn that played “John Brown’s Body”.
Another Scott
@Bupalos: Just saving Johnson or the GQP won’t fix anything. If they manage to pass another CR or even a budget or even the Supplemental, we’ll still be at the mercy of the bomb-throwers come September 30 and then it will start up again.
This is our opportunity to force the GQP to stand-up to the bomb-throwers and to do their jobs.
Democrats have to get something substantial in return for their votes. Johnson hasn’t offered anything yet.
Something will pass in coming days/weeks for Ukraine. They’re arguing now about what and the cost that the GQP has to pay for Democrats support. It’s hardball politics and it’s the only thing the GQP monsters understand.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
Brachiator
@rikyrah:
Haley was born here. You should be careful not to throw her parents under the bus. And it doesn’t matter if her parents came to America a hundred years ago or yesterday.
I want to be clear. I am not a Haley champion. But immigrants from many countries have had to fight for the right of citizenship in parallel to the struggles of black people.
And there were idiotic court cases in which people from India were acknowledged to be Caucasian, but still not Caucasian enough.
ETA. I wonder if Haley has ever acknowledged how her father taught at an HBCU. I also wonder how often the press have asked her about it.
TBone
OMG Fani LOVE. She’s relatable, relaxed, deescalating, and FIERCE when necessary. “I’m not going to allow you to mischaracterize my testimony.”
Paul in KY
@Citizen Alan: Agree. She looks sorta South of France area or maybe Italian.
Paul in KY
@Old School: Must say he did what he needed to do to land that gig.
Baud
@Scout211:
Disney should send him a Mickey Mouse hat to wear.
Paul in KY
@WaterGirl: That is all TFG attorneys’ legal arguments distilled down.
Bupalos
@rikyrah: i have no problem with people who feel that strongly about it making a statement IN THE PRIMARY. That’s where they should do it.
Geminid
@Bupalos: I think that under these circumstances, the Republican leader has to make the first move and offer a deal. There is nothing for Democrats to hesitate about until that happens.
Last Fall, Kevin McCarthy never made Jeffries an offer; he chose to roll the dice and came up 3 Republican votes shy. That was on McCarthy, not Jeffries.
Timill
@Bruce K in ATH-GR: Battle Hymn of the Republic, it says, so yes.
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/07/interesting-twist-on-dukes-charger.html
Paul in KY
@Baud: What a maroon! Glad he’s off the force. Too scared to be a cop, IMO. So glad the poor devil in the car wasn’t hit!
H-Bob
“Speaker McCarthy years” — does ~20 months really count as years?
Yutsano
So which comes first: Tbogg or new thread?
Paul in KY
@rikyrah: I still find it hard to believe that her parents put ‘Nikki’ on her birth certificate. Guess they did, but it’s like “Vivek Stan Ramaswamamy”
Paul in KY
@Citizen Alan: It is acting. Seems that’s what the casting director wanted.
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
I am not throwing her parents under the bus.
I am stating a fact.
As part of a group that is routinely told to ‘ go back to where you came from’….and my ancestors have been here before the founding of the republic…..
Her parents only got in because of the CHANGE IN IMMGRATION BROUGHT ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
Before then, the doors were SHUT to non-Whites for almost a century.
They weren’t let in because of happenstance. People fought, got beaten and died in the Civil Rights Movement.
Everything that they were able to achieve in America, INCLUDING GETTING TO COME HERE, was possible because of the benefits of the Civil Rights Movement.
They birthed a child who was able to EAT and go to Private School, because of the opportunities the BLACK community gave BOTH of her parents.
She, in turn, turns around chasing White Adjacency and disrespecting Black people at every turn.
So, yeah, that shyt bothers me to no end about Nimrata.
gwangung
@Paul in KY: I don’t. It’s pretty damn common in Asian American families to see this.
I wouldn’t trumpet your lack of experience in Asian American communities that loudly.
Paul in KY
@Bruce K in ATH-GR: That or the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”!
Mine eyes have seen the whupping of the inbred MAGA hicks
They have shown us their stupidity and stepped upon their dicks…’
My apologies to the lyricist of that great song :-)
Paul in KY
@gwangung: Thank you for the info. Still would like to see that birth certificate.
Geminid
@MomSense: It’s on Netanyahu’s War Cabinet colleagues, Gallant and Gantz, to stop “Bibi.”.
But Biden’s CIA Director was in Israel today, flashing a yellow “Proceed with Caution” light at the Israeli government. William Burns conferred in Cairo on Monday with his Israeli and Egyption counterparts and the Qatari Prime Minister. They’re trying to wrangle a ceasefire, and Burns is w.orking on the Israelis. I think the Qataris are working on Hamas, along with Egypt, the Saudis, and the Emiratis.
Reports are that the last three countries sent a delegation to Qatar last week to persuade Hamas leaders to surrender on terms. The Saudis propose evacuating Hamas leaders and fighters to Algeria.
gwangung
@Paul in KY: That comment pisses me off.
mrmoshpotato
A trillion cicadas will descend on the US this spring in rare event that could leave unforgettable stench
rikyrah
@mrmoshpotato:
Just the thought makes me shiver. And, I mean shiver in phobia-type horror.
prostratedragon
@mrmoshpotato: But will it top a lake full of dying alewives?
mrmoshpotato
@prostratedragon:
Haven’t seen them wash up in years. My dad grew up in Michigan and said the fish had to be removed by front end loaders when he was a kid. It was probably a bit smelly.
prostratedragon
@mrmoshpotato: Oh, just a tad. Your dad and I remember the same dy-off. They were in piles all along the beaches, strongly odoriferous for at least a mile. Also, think it was the same year of the bluzzard and McCormick Place fire, so the fish got everyone dreading the boils or something.
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah: Sorry. Hopefully we don’t get the brunt of it.
mrmoshpotato
@prostratedragon: ’67 I see. He wasn’t here yet. Sounds like both sides of the lake had an alewive problem.
I imagine the seagulls had a FEAST!
Geminid
@mrmoshpotato: I’m guessing all those alewives perished from pollution. One good thing we’ve done over the past few decades is clean up our lakes and rivers, so now a Lake Michigan alewive probably has a good life until some lake trout eats him.
The harbors are cleaner too. Last year I read about people catching tuna in New York Harbor. That’s a common thing now.
mrmoshpotato
@Geminid:
Or the Asian carp eat everyone! 😁
Brachiator
@rikyrah:
Again, the history of how people from other countries could become citizens or claim whiteness, is more complicated than you allow. And this includes people from European countries.
I already mentioned United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, where it was acknowledged that even though Thind might be considered to be Caucasian based on science and linguistics, he still wasn’t white enough. Not only was he denied citizenship, but other Asian Americans had their citizenship revoked because of this ruling. Thind later was allowed to become a citizen because of a law giving citizenship to World War One veterans.
The battle for civil rights has been fought by many people who have been affected by racist practices. Their fights have never been incidental or secondary to the struggles of black people.
Paul in KY
@gwangung: OK. I’m sure that I’ll write other things from time to time that will piss you off or maybe you will agree with…It goes with the territory.
I do hate TFG and all his ilk with a white hot intensity. Hopefully we can agree on that.
cain
@Paul in KY: Some areas of India especially in the north will name their child like “Sweety”. It might seem odd here in the U.S.
https://www.prokerala.com/kids/baby-names/sweety-24510.html
Geminid
@mrmoshpotato: Do you folks see many eagles around Lake Michigan? I bet eagles like munching on a good alewife. They might have to fish away from the ospreys though.
Another Scott
@TBone:
[ rofl ]
Nonilex thread on Mastodon.
Cheers,
Scott.
gwangung
@Paul in KY: You’re not a Republican so you wayyyy ahead of the game.
But it’s an absolutely common feature in my life and community.
Barbara
@rikyrah: Nikki Haley stood on a stage with Herschel Walker and said that Raphael Warnock should be deported. I cannot get over that. It’s like she has to wear the mantle of racism in order to prove that she “belongs.” Just odious.
TBone
@Another Scott: ❤️
prostratedragon
@Geminid: Might be. Certainly Lake M is much cleaner, and there still are alewives, despite some of the trout and salmon being brought in as controlling predators.
mrmoshpotato
@Geminid: Haven’t seen any myself but, apparently, they have been spotted in the city.
Scout211
Well, well, well. CNN
Jackie
@Scout211: Color me NOT shocked or surprised.
Poor James and Gym… thwarted again!🤭
Geminid
@mrmoshpotato: I want to camp sometime at Indiana Dunes State Park. It’s about 30 miles from the Illinois line. I read about it in some guide to Eastern Forests that included the Great Lakes coastal areas; an interesting ecosystem.
Jackie
And today’s Fulton County debacle is over. Judge McAfee was clearly fed up with the prosecutors by day’s end.
Fani Willis is a pistol!🥰
Eyeroller
@gwangung: My high-school best friend was second-generation Chinese-American and they did it with the English name as the first name and the Chinese (I think it was specifically Cantonese) as the middle name. She and her sister went by their English names to non-family; their brother went by his Chinese name. Their parents called them all by the Chinese names. So I’m aware of this type of convention even though I am a very insulated white person.
Baud
@Jackie:
That’s bad, no?
Jackie
@Baud: 🤞🏻🤞🏻It continues tomorrow, I believe.
eversor
As they represent Christianity, and we are going to keep it, and they don’t run from the parts that people here pretend don’t exist I fully support the GOP and speaker Johnson and whatever they do. Period. Praise Jesus.
Fuck liberalism, fuck democracy, and let’s have us some Jesus.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: 😂😂😂
Hope there’s a new thread on something other than sci-fi
mrmoshpotato
@Baud:
@Jackie: I thought the point of trials was to piss off the judge. No?
mrmoshpotato
@Geminid: I’ve heard of it. Don’t think I’ve ever been there though.
mrmoshpotato
@zhena gogolia: Not yet apparently. Let’s send up the bat signal! 🦇
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Is the pie filter missing for anyone else?
stinger
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I see the pie filter.
On another topic, just wanted to note that Barack Obama went by Barry for several years. I don’t blame him for that, and I don’t blame Haley for going by an “American” middle name. It’s often a family’s way of bridging between an older cultural heritage and a newer one.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@stinger:
NVM, I forgot it was at the top of the comments. I could’ve sworn it used to be near the comment box at the bottom
Jackie
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Nope. I just reactivated mine. ☹️
RevRick
@stinger: Heck, my paternal grandfather changed from Johann to John, and my maternal grandfather’s family changed their last name from Majewski to Doehring, the reason given being “to give the children better opportunities.”
TBone
Word of the Day:
Mendacity
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
@TBone: That’s the word for Republicans every day
@eversor: There must be a forum full of aetheists who also happen to be assholes where I feel like you would be much happier. The internet is a big place. Keep an eye open.
WaterGirl
@Paul in KY: I was just thinking that I hope all the other judges are watching this one and will mimic that in their trials.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Oh, I knew that was coming this year but I didn’t know there would be a smell. I have a really good sense of smell, so bad smells are really, really bad for people like me.
Paul in KY
@cain: Very interesting. Thank you for that link.
Paul in KY
@Eyeroller: In Mrs. Haley’s case, I just do not believe her. Understand that many immigrant families put a ‘Western’ name on their birth certificates. I think one of the major reasons she married Mr. Haley, was cause she liked how ‘Haley’ went with ‘Nikki’. I’m sure they have a love connection, but I can damn well believe that if you were courting young Nikki and your last name was ‘Dinglebonker’ or something like that, you were DOA.
That’s how calculating I think she is.
Paul in KY
@eversor: Tired shit like this is not even worth pieing (for those that do). Come on, raise your trolling game, man! What happened to the old eversor?
The Lodger
@Mike in NC:You should buy it just to see if anything is printed on the pages.
The Lodger
@taumaturgo: Was that the Arizona Rep or some other Andy Biggs?
thalarctosMaritimus
@Baud
I can’t speak for Jackie, but I think they meant “plaintiffs”, not prosecutors.
And IANAL, but I have successfully defended myself pro se in a civil lawsuit, so–based on my one experience–I think, but am not certain, that they are actually counterplaintiffs, not plaintiffs, and the prosecutors are counterdefendants here, because this hearing is a response to a case where the prosecutors are prosecuting T**** et alia as defendants.
I hope a BJ lawyer can tell me if I’m thinking correctly about this, or correct me where I’m wrong.