Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

Democrats are back in array!

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

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

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

T R E 4 5 O N

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road" / Wednesday Evening Open Thread

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120Comments

  3. 3.

    Ruckus

    @HumboldtBlue:

    I feel that republicans are like dogs with a just emptied food bowl that will quite possibly eat anything – at least chewing up anything that might be food, even if it is 1000% not eatable nor food of any description. And even if they just finished eating everything in that food bowl.

  5. 5.

    Ken

    @twbrandt: Maybe the Teamsters believe that everyone deserves legal representation, so are donating to the next fund Trump intends to drain to pay his lawyers?

  10. 10.

    VFX Lurker

    Stuck in a crowded waiting room with Fox News on the TV and no remote in sight (thankfully, low volume). So far, Fox has told me about Russian Hoax 2.0 and other “this is GREAT news for John McCain” tidbits.

    Chyron just now, though: “NY AG IS READY TO SEIZE TRUMP’S BUILDINGS”

    Right on, Tish James.

  11. 11.

    Ruckus

    @twbrandt:

    Not all teamsters are democrats. Teamsters are working people who depend somewhat on the federal government for laws and enforcement of trucking equipment and operations. It would not amaze me if they don’t donate money to both parties. It would not amaze me if they don’t either.

  14. 14.

    VFX Lurker

    Now Fox News is scare-mongering about the border. “BIDEN’S BORDER IS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.”

    Can’t wait to leave this waiting room.

  17. 17.

    hueyplong

    @VFX Lurker: I often see and am irritated by comments from people who refuse to believe that Trump will ever be on the hook for any part of the huge NY judgment, and they always cite Alex Jones as support.  Trump Tower is not an asset that can be hidden, and the company is in the hands of a receiver who is unlikely to be motivated to “hide” any of its assets.

    In any event, the Alex Jones saga is not over yet.  What it gets cited for in the future might be something else.

  18. 18.

    smith

    @hueyplong: Alex Jones is about to lose all his assets:

    The families of Sandy Hook school shooting victims voted overwhelmingly in favor of a plan to wrap up Alex Jones’ bankruptcy proceedings by liquidating the right wing talk show host’s assets.

    Jones’ general unsecured creditors—comprised mostly of Sandy Hook families holding about $1.5 billion in defamation judgments against the famed conspiracy theorist—voted 100% in favor of a Chapter 11 plan that would methodically liquidate and redistribute his property and cash, while preserving potential legal actions against parties affiliated with Jones and his Infowars program.

    This is basically what AG James is threatening to do to TFG.

  19. 19.

    VFX Lurker

    @hueyplong: I expect both to get their reckonings, if not as fast as I’d like.

    Still stuck in this waiting room. Fox News just took shots at both Biden and Kamala Harris as candidates. Yeesh, our VP absolutely terrifies them.

  20. 20.

    EngineerScotty

    CNBC on the difficulties Trump might have posting an appeal bond:
    Trump faces obstacles to securing an appeal bond in fraud case (cnbc.com)

    One big wrinkle–suppose Trump loses the appeal (or the appeal is not settled by then) and wins the election, and the bonding company needs to now collect from The Donald.  Who here thinks President Trump would pay a dime?

    Of course, I could see Trump basically promising to make the whole case go away if he wins…

    Would be amusing if he got Gawkered….

  24. 24.

    Jackie

    @VFX Lurker: You can’t ask someone at the reception desk to change the channel to HGTV or the Food Network? I imagine someone earlier requested Faux? If that’s their default channel of choice, I’d find a different waiting room.

  26. 26.

    EngineerScotty

    There’s an interesting conversation to be had about a) how unions should advocate for politics outside the scope of labor negotiations, and b) to what extent they should care about other industries, especially representing other social classes.

    I would note that quite a few unions have no trouble with a, both from the left and the right.  A few have threatened to withhold support from Biden over I/P, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Teamsters endorses nobody (I doubt they’ll endorse Trump) simply because a lot of their members hate Biden, and view white supremacy as more valuable to them than, say, card check.

    And one of the tragedies of the American labor movement is that the answer to b) is “very little”; there’s a whole lot of people who care about their “tribe” or even just their jobsite, but have no trouble telling the uppity baristas who pour their coffee to quit whining and get back to work, and that they should have no right to expect a living wage for “unskilled” customer service jobs.  (I’m putting unskilled in quotes for a reason, don’t flame me about it).  Maintaining the social hierarchy is very important for some people, as is maintaining the ability for the middle class to economically exploit the classes below them.

  27. 27.

    Ohio Mom

    That Perlstein piece pulled together so many things for me. One silly example is an uncomplimentary aside Ohio Dad once made about Jabotinsky. At the time, I didn’t quite follow OD’s explanation of his aside but Perlstein’s essay gave me the context to finally have that light bulb go off (this aside was over 20 years ago!). Another example is, I knew about the bombing of the King David hotel but didn’t know how it connected to anything else.

    I also appreciated the interview Perlstein mentions he did on the Real News Network (and links to). Lots of his stories about his childhood resonated with me; I did not go to a Labor Zionist sleep-away camp but many of my public school classmates did. The things we were led to believe — makes me wonder what older me will find out about the things I believe now.

    I also appreciated the interviewer’s description of himself as a Non-Zionist. I understand exactly what he means, I feel the same way he does.

    Anyway, it’s all good stuff and I will be forwarding it on to a few others, starting with Ohio Dad.

  28. 28.

    EngineerScotty

    @hueyplong: You may be right; I’ve only a limited idea how they work.  My belief is that Trump puts up a combination of a) cash, b) illiquid collateral, and c) IOU, with the allowable amount of C to be determined by the bonding company.  If the bond is forfeit, then the bonding company gets to keep a and liquidate b, and has to then collect for c.  In exchange for this risk, it collects a fee.

    Now, for Trump, how much credit they will give him is an interesting question.

  29. 29.

    Jackie

    I’m no Meghan McCain fan, but I toasted her reply to Lake:

    Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R) reached out to Meghan McCain in an effort to mend fences after she was critical of the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

    Said Lake: “I value you. I value your family and I value the passion you have for our state.”

    A few hours later, McCain responded: “No peace, bitch!”

    Let the cat fight begin! Lake KNOWS she’s not gonna win AZ without McCain supporters.

  31. 31.

    frosty

    @Jay: Wow, that described my dogs perfectly. They’d bring you the ball, you’d reach for it, they’d back up. Repeat until you’ve crawled on hands and knees across the living room!

  32. 32.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    @Jackie: thanks for the link.  I love how Kari Lake is trying to find common ground by saying that both their fathers died from cancer.

    If that’s all you have in common with your political opponent, maybe you’re not quite on the same side?

  33. 33.

    Ohio Mom

    @EngineerScotty: I once read somewhere, I regret not clipping it or printing it out or otherwise saving it, that one of the results of the McCarthy era “commie” hunts was removing the educated and visionary union leadership.

    The loss of those intellectuals left a vacuum that right-wing thought filled. And here we are today.

  34. 34.

    Steve in the ATL

    @twbrandt: I deal with Teamsters every week and at least half of them are vocal trumpers.  It’s bewildering, until you factor in racism.

  38. 38.

    wjca

    @EngineerScotty: My belief is that Trump puts up a combination of a) cash, b) illiquid collateral, and c) IOU, with the allowable amount of C to be determined by the bonding company.

    Seems like establishing b) could be challenging.  First, you have to decide what the property is actually worth (Trump’s claims on that front having been shown, in court, to be unrealistic, to put it mildly).  Then, you have to find out how many mortgages and other leins there are against the property,  only then do you know how much collateral you’re looking at really.

  40. 40.

    Soprano2

    Well I’ve had a hell of a day. It started with my husband not wanting to get off the couch to go to his doctor’s appointment, and ended with him being admitted to the hospital.  He was acting strange this morning, being combative and refusing to get off the couch. He kept saying “Quit badgering me”. I rescheduled his appointment and went to work, thinking he was being stubborn. When I told a co-worker what happened, he told me that’s how his dad acted when he got a UTI. It was like a light bulb came on, becasuse that might explain a lot about the past few days. He hasn’t been eating or drinking much during that time, but kept saying he was “fine” (ten seconds later he’d say “ouch” and wince). So I called 911 for a transport to the ER because no way would he get in the car for me. Of course he got up for them! Turns out he has decreased kidney function and a UTI! So he’s staying here at least a day or two until they can get him hydrated and more normal. What a day. 😲😳

  44. 44.

    Hoppie

    @VFX Lurker: I find asking to switch to ESPN or weather almost always works.  If it doesn’t, that’s the last that establishment sees of me.  Are you at a provider/professional with no alternative?  Tell them propaganda is NOT acceptable.  They might listen.

  46. 46.

    Pete Downunder

    @VFX Lurker: Try https://www.tvbgone.com/ He sells a gagdet that is a universal remote for turning off TVs. Great for use in waiting rooms, motel dining rooms and the like. It looks like a key fob so they won’t know what happened. Great fun in large electronic retailers too….

  47. 47.

    Brachiator

    More infrequent flyer observations. The LAX waiting gates are noisy areas. They play canned music, but also blare periodic announcements loudly enough so that can be heard.

    While I was waiting for my flight, there was an announcement about a flight to Sacramento that was so crowded that they were asking people to check their carry-on luggage. They also offered $800 to anyone who would agree to take a later flight to Sacramento and free up space. They upped the offer to $1000 a little later. I was tempted to try to buy a ticket to Sacramento.

  49. 49.

    Hoppie

    @Brachiator: They wouldn’t have sold you one.  Brag: I scored $1400 once at JFK by taking the wait, and extra bonus got to stay at the Saarinen TWA terminal hotel conversion.

  50. 50.

    Suzanne

    @Jackie:

    Arizona loved McCain

    That is some true shit.
    John McCain is the only Republican I ever voted for, for anything. It was because the AZ Democratic Party could barely find anybody to run in 2004, and they landed on this total nobody (Stuart Starky) who had never run for anything before (or since), who had no identifiable political positions, who ran essentially no campaign. I never saw a single ad, appearance, mailer…. nothing. McCain won with almost 80% of the vote that time.

    Man, it was tough to be a Democrat there for a while.

  53. 53.

    Ohio Mom

    @Soprano2: Is this a terrible thing to say? I hope you can enjoy some time off from caretaking while your husband is in the hospital.

    Of course anyone who is in the hospital needs someone to advocate for them so your time won’t be all your own. But with any luck, maybe you’ll have a moment here and there to totally relax.

    Here’s hoping for a complete recovery!

  54. 54.

    Suzanne

    Speaking of McCain and the blogfather in Tempe….. Tempe Town Lake and the Beach Park were built in the late 90s, in large part thanks to McCain’s involvement. He saw redevelopment of that whole area around Rio Salado as a legacy.

    I should note that Mr. Suzanne and I got married at Tempe Town Lake, on the day of its 10th anniversary. There were fireworks to celebrate, which were a fantastic backdrop to our wedding photos.

  55. 55.

    danielx

    Note: rotator cuff surgery is a little, but guy knows his pain management. The pain ball (only name I know) helps a lot, as does cryo cuff. Being in a sling for six weeks is going to be a major pain. At least it’s my left arm, as I’m right handed. Also hunt and peck typing is a pain in the ass.

  56. 56.

    VFX Lurker

    @Jackie: You can’t ask someone at the reception desk to change the channel to HGTV or the Food Network? I imagine someone earlier requested Faux? If that’s their default channel of choice, I’d find a different waiting room.

    I’m out of the room now, but I wish I had thought of that.

  57. 57.

    Soprano2

    @Ohio Mom: No, it’s not a terrible thing to say, the people in my FB support group talk about that. I really think it’ll be a day or two, tops.

  59. 59.

    VFX Lurker

    @Hoppie: I find asking to switch to ESPN or weather almost always works.  If it doesn’t, that’s the last that establishment sees of me.  Are you at a provider/professional with no alternative?  Tell them propaganda is NOT acceptable.  They might listen.

    Oh, I wish I had thought of that, too.

  60. 60.

    Yarrow

    @Soprano2:  I’m really sorry to hear that. I have told everyone I know who deals with seniors that if their older relative starts behaving differently rather suddenly to get them checked for a UTI. Memory issues make it more difficult because confusion can be one of the UTI symptoms. I’m glad he got checked out and is getting care now. Once the infection is under control the improvement can be dramatic. I saw it with my uncle who didn’t even know where he was and a few days later he was back to his regular self.

  62. 62.

    Yarrow

    @Soprano2:  Oh, yes. Get some rest and enjoy the break. Go home to sleep – don’t sleep at the hospital. Take breaks when you get them. This one is a gift.

  63. 63.

    Trivia Man

    They finally found one – an apparent child molester who is also a drag queen and not a pastor or republican politician. Expect this news from Wisconsin to be blasted 24/7.

    A member of the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence to boot.

  65. 65.

    Jackie

    @Yutsano: All I know is who her daddy is. She’s told us a gazillion times. Oh, and yes, I vaguely recall him getting shot down and captured in a war somewhere in southeast Asia.

    And that TIFG said he was a loser because he was captured.

    Heroes are those who escaped war because of potentially deadly bone spurs.

    I’m totally with McCain’s little girl in the Battle of the Bitches!

  68. 68.

    frosty

    @Brachiator: ​
     Checking carry-on requests is standard on Southwest. I once jumped on the opportunity to take a different flight ($300 in my pocket) when I realized my wife didn’t know when I was getting in so there were no scheduling issues.

    Best thing? I collected my new non-stop ticket and was walking away when they announced the plane had a mechanical issue and everyone who had boarded the flight I bailed on had to get off!

  71. 71.

    Jackie

    Trump may need a bailout bigly.

    While former President Donald Trump is on the clock to file appeals in his losses in court, he’s likely seeking a white knight to help him float the damages, particularly the whopping $550 million in penalties and interest tallied up from last week’s ruling by a New York judge in his civil fraud case.

    The real estate mogul can put his vast properties as collateral, but he may also need to look further afield because he’s not permitted to apply for loans from any financial institution registered or chartered in the Empire State.

    “There is no legal prohibition against someone else paying the judgment of someone else,” former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal said during an appearance on MSNBC, floating Elon Musk and Saudi’s Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. “And particularly when you have a grifter like Trump that may be attractive investment for someone even though they know Trump is not good for the $550 million, he may be good in other ways and so this is something really to watch.”

    https://www.rawstory.com/trump-really-striking-katyal/

    That’s my concern; looking for financial help from a foreign country. We still don’t have any idea of who he’s shared the classified documents with – and at what cost.

    I “assume” where TIFG gets his bond money will be closely scrutinized before accepting?

  72. 72.

    Ohio Mom

    @NotMax: I am seeing fewer TVs in waiting rooms lately, and why have them, everyone has a personal screen these days on which to watch whatever they like.

    What I miss are waiting room magazines. That is a Covid casualty, from the early days when it seemed likely to spread by touch, like the common cold. Then places realized it was a money saver, not having to subscribe anymore and anyway, everyone has a phone to scroll.

  73. 73.

    NotMax

    Bopped over to the post office today to mail out a bill payment. P.O. is one of the storefronts in a strip mall (about a dozen businesses).

    Unremarkable except when driving around the parking lot in search of a space and then walking to the post office, spotted not one, not two, not three, but four Honda Elements. Scattered, not all bunched together. As production of that model ended in 2011 it was surprising.
    :)

  74. 74.

    cain

    @Jackie: Any country that bails him out will make Trump a foreign asset and absolutely cannot be given the keys to the nation if he is in debt to some one else – especially a country from a controlled country.

  76. 76.

    sab

    @NotMax: Honda is great at killing off models that people love. My Honda dealer contacts me repeatedly to buy my FIT. I will only give it up when it dies (long after I do) or when I can replace it with somethimg similar ( probably never.)

  78. 78.

    NotMax

    Anyone else find it annoying that PSAs now have dropped “the” in the mascot’s name for Smokey ads?
    Grates on my nerves each time I hear one.

  79. 79.

    Ohio Mom

    @Jay: The walk-in cheap haircut place did, as did the dentist. Everywhere else, yeah, the magazines were old but still, new to me.

  80. 80.

    Steve in the ATL

    @NotMax: what’s the collective term for a group of Honda Elements?  Best answer gets a free Hawaiian vacation!  Well, you get to sleep on NotMax’s sofa when you get there.

  82. 82.

    Gretchen

    Lawrence O’Donnell is absolutely done with the wankers like Ezra Klein and Jon Stewart (both mentioned by name) who think we can have a nice brokered convention and shove our current slate aside. He’s old enough to remember 1968 and is absolutely scathing about these young ‘uns who don’t and who don’t know how all of this works.

  84. 84.

    Jackie

    @Gretchen: His show is must see teevee in my household. Tonight he’s bringing a lot of memories back of the ‘68 Dem Convention. I was a very impressionable 13. MLK Jr and Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated mere months earlier. It was the year I discovered politics.

  88. 88.

    sab

    My favorite stepson stopped by today and now the house reeks of machine oil. He is a machinist. He is mostly oily every where he goes. If I didn’t love him I would ban him from my house. My dog and a couple of our cats go berserk whenever he comes around. They know a good guy when they smell one.

  91. 91.

    wjca

    @Gretchen: He’s old enough to remember 1968 and is absolutely scathing about these young ‘uns who don’t and who don’t know how all of this works.

    Definitely not the Democratic Party’s finest hour.  Probably lost enough votes, from (in those days still neutral) news reports and video of the chaos (not to mention riots outside), to swing the election.

  95. 95.

    sab

    I like Vox a lot, but sometimes I wonder about their contributors.

    I never wonder about Candance O’Grady. Toxic contributor who doesn’t actually read what she condemns. That is what she does. Just blasts stuff she hasn’t read. And doesn’t even care if she disagrees. Just wants to get those internet clicks.

  99. 99.

    sab

    Ruckus,:

    I know you have a life. But your life seems similar to my favorite stepson’s. Machinist.  I often think he is off the rails and I get belligerent. You bring me back to normal. He is a good kid and I need to be reminded by kids like him. You were one.

  105. 105.

    Jay

    @sab:

    Cutting fluid always permiates. Hair, clothes, skin even if you are wearing coveralls. You pretty much need a set of work clothes at work, shower down and change into city clothes to get the stink out. Many shops however, don’t have showers.

    It stinks.

    On the bright side, at least it’s not Axe Body Spray.

  108. 108.

    prostratedragon

    Pitchbot:

    Federal prosecutors say Alexander Smirnov’s accusations about Joe and Hunter Biden were lies funneled from the Russian government. Here’s why we plan to keep repeating those accusations in our headlines.

  110. 110.

    SectionH

    @NotMax:  “A pair of scissors sitting on top of a table”  ??? Srsly, that’s the description when I run the cursor over that image. It’s kinda funny, how ridiculous that. is. The actual Be Prepared joke, I don’t mind. Have to admit the Grin and Bear It single panel thing was a fixture of the Post Dispatch when I was way too young to do more than look and not get it.

  116. 116.

    Jay

    @NotMax:

     

    @HumboldtBlue:

     

    Interesting. Scientists have recently grown a pair of working testicles in a lab.

    Maybe soon, a bunch of ReThugs can get a transplant.*

    *no offense intended towards women.

  117. 117.

    gene108

    @Soprano2:

    When I told a co-worker what happened, he told me that’s how his dad acted when he got a UTI. It was like a light bulb came on, becasuse that might explain a lot about the past few days….So I called 911 for a transport to the ER because no way would he get in the car for me. Of course he got up for them! Turns out he has decreased kidney function and a UTI!

    I had a persistent UTI that turned septic all of a sudden. I was fine Tuesday and started feeling a bit bad Wednesday. Was a mess Wednesday night. I was trying to tough it out Thursday until my mom got a look at me and convinced me to contact my doctor. Nurse from the doctor’s office said go straight to the ER. Spent 5 or 6 days in the hospital.

    I’m not sure how many men’s lives women have saved by getting us to seek medical care at the right time. I know it’s a significant number.

  118. 118.

    TerryC

    @Pete Downunder: Try https://www.tvbgone.com/ He sells a gagdet that is a universal remote for turning off TVs. Great for use in waiting rooms, motel dining rooms and the like. It looks like a key fob so they won’t know what happened. Great fun in large electronic retailers too….

    I had one of those once. It was fun. Also had one that would shut off cell phones, like on an elevator. Even more fun!

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