Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

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

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

You would normally have to try pretty hard to self-incriminate this badly.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

Books are my comfort food!

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

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

T R E 4 5 O N

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So I Guess Trump Went on Meet the Republicans

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Here’s the transcript.  The interviewer was Kristin Welker.

A couple of things that might be worth discussing if you’re interested in being an opposition party, not in order of significance.

He said that raising the minimum wage in California was bad because restaurants went out of business.  Not true.

His discussion of tariffs centered around protecting Whirlpool from Asian imports.  Whirlpool makes a lot of appliances in the upper Midwest, but they just poured $160 million into a plant in Mexico to make more refrigerators there.  Trump’s proposed Mexican tariffs will hurt Whirlpool.  It was also notable that Trump name-checked Justin Trudeau and told the tale of Justin’s quick flight to Mar-a-Lago, but didn’t say a word about Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.  He’s scared of her.

Tellingly, he said he couldn’t guarantee that prices would go down.  LOL.

He portrayed Hegseth as a great warrior and made some word salad remarks about addiction.  Hegseth is a liability and the more we hear about him shitting the bed, the better.

He said he’d send back whole migrant families, including children who were born here and have birthright citizenship.  When reminded that the 14th amendment guarantees birthright citizenship, he said that would have to be changed.  Good luck with that.  Also, there’s nothing specifically wrong with Welker asking a lot of questions about the human toll of deportation, but how about the economic impact?  Trump blathered on with lies about the criminality of immigrants, but she never asked him who was going to take over the work of all of the deportees.

As usual, Trump just spits lies and the efforts to fact-check him are deflected.  I saw some criticism of Welker but, frankly, she did about as well as any other journalist interviewing Trump.

Democrats can seize on one of the many issues above as part of acting like a functional opposition party, but I haven’t seen any pushback yet.  If you’ve heard any, please share it in the comments.

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An Honest Report from a Red State

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An Honest Report from a Red State

I’m a bit focused on real life in red states, versus whatever was peddled by the East Coast media dipping in and out of some rural areas. The story of the struggles of a Wyoming abortion clinic that I posted about yesterday is one example.   Here’s a report from Jason Provencio, who lives in Idaho:

Idaho is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. We have the beauty of the outdoors all around us. We have four seasons of mostly wonderful weather. And we have a BIG problem with racism, bigotry, sexism, and homophobia.

You see, Idaho is controlled by religion. We have a large population of Mormon citizens. Many of the members of this religious organization are politicians, business owners, and wealthy or well-off people. Think of Gilead from The Handmaid’s Tale, but not quite that fucked up. Yet.

We also have a large percentage of our population that are conservative Christians. Most of which are in name only. Many of them are the biggest racist, bigoted, hateful hypocrites you could imagine. Some would love to see a Gilead-type world here in Idaho. We’re headed that way, as a second Trump term is about to begin in January.

He details things like swastikas on an Anne Frank memorial in Boise, a pride flag ripped down so violently that the flagpole’s screws were bent, and so forth.  Jason is a prolific and interesting writer, so subscribe to his Substack if you’re so inclined.

Anyway, in general the sanewashing of rural hatred is one of the biggest disservices done by East Coast media.  There is a deep and abiding streak of bigotry and hate in rural America that isn’t well-covered, probably for a few reasons. First, it exposes the reporters to threats of violence.  Second, it disrupts the narrative that we just need to listen to these people more closely in order to understand what they really want.  Finally, it’s just uncouth, as Dave Karpf pointed out the other day.  Yet, it exists.

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What To Do With Our Outrage

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Someone here or elsewhere must have linked to this recently because I just found it in an open browser tab.

Given that I am on the hunt for constructive ways to handle the current awfulness, I was very happy to have seen this.

I would, in fact, love to meet the person who put that together!  It appears the name is Lindsay Braman.  Have you guys heard this name before?  Perhaps following on social media?  If so, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments

 

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Sunday Morning Open Thread: ‘Tis the Season…

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… For saaaad office Christmas parties. And the GOP knows from sad! Per the Washington Post‘s Style section, “Inside a congressman’s 15-minute Christmas party, featuring Santos Claus”:

Capitol Hill is a very busy place with very important people, so what’s the perfect Christmas celebration? Perhaps it was Thursday’s speed-soiree in the Longworth House Office Building.

1:30 p.m.: The party had just started but was nonetheless in full swing. Rep. Tim Burchett’s third annual bash had a strict time limit: 1:30 to 1:45.

“I came up with this idea because everybody has the Christmas parties and it’s kind of obligatory,” the Tennessee Republican said. “They go on forever and the music’s too loud and somebody’s always got you cornered with wine breath. I just thought, ‘How do I get out of this mess? Or how did I get into this mess?’” His solution? “I thought 15 minutes was just enough to get them in and get them out. They get a little Christmas cheer and they’re out the door.”

But Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, arrived almost 10 minutes early, which was technically a violation of the rules but also a very big deal. Burchett ushered him in, made jolly small talk and offered him first dibs of the party menu: “Can I get you a Mountain Dew, peanut butter and jelly or maybe charcuterie?” That’s Burchett’s term for Easy Cheese on crackers.

“None of the above,” said Johnson only half-kidding, which Burchett took not as an insult but a challenge: “When in Rome, baby.”…

1:31 p.m.: Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz walked in, saw Johnson in the crowd and loudly asked Burchett, “What vote did you promise the speaker?” Laughs all around because the only thing the two Republicans really disagree on is cheese spray.

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Sunday Morning Garden Chat: The Bloedel Reserve, Washington State

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Sunday Morning Garden Chat: The Bloedel Reserve, Washington State 4

A journey into serenity with the indefatigable Satby:

While on my trip to Seattle to visit Dan B and drop off rescue kitty Bunny, I got in a little side trip to Bainbridge Island and the Bloedel Reserve.

I happened to visit on a “Welcome Wednesday” when the admission fee is “pay what you want”. Those are the first Wednesdays of the month.

There are both lightly and heavily curated gardens, including one trail that winds through woods restored to as close to untouched PNW forest as possible. So serene people meeting on the trail greeted each other in whispers.

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: The Blodel Reserve, Washington State

There is a reflecting pool, with benches to sit and contemplate the peaceful surroundings.

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: The Bloedel Reserve, Washington State

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War for Ukraine Day 1,018: A Brief Saturday Night Update

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A quick housekeeping note: I’m still feeling horrid, so I’m just going to work the basics again tonight and then rack out.

We now know why President Zelenskyy did not make an address yesterday or today. He was traveling to Paris, where he held a trilateral meeting with President Macron and the President-elect.

In Paris, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in a trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Donald Trump for his unwavering resolve and expressed particular gratitude to Emmanuel Macron for organizing the meeting.

The discussion focused on our people and ways to support them, the overall situation, and the establishment of a just peace.

“We all want peace. But it is crucial for us, and this is our position, that the peace is just for all of us, and that Russia, Putin, or any other aggressor has no possibility of ever returning. And this is the most important thing — just peace and security guarantees, strong security guarantees for Ukraine,” the President concluded.

The leaders committed to continued cooperation and communication.

Following a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Dec. 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the meeting as “productive and meaningful.”

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 7, 2024 at 1:28 PM

The previously unannounced meeting comes ahead of the January inauguration of Trump. It is the first in-person encounter between Zelensky and Trump since Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November.

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 7, 2024 at 1:28 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris for a trilateral meeting on Dec. 7, as world leaders visited France for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The three leaders reportedly spoke for about 35 minute at the Elysee Palace. Zelensky praised the meeting as “productive and meaningful”  in a post on social media.

“President Trump is, as always, resolute,” Zelensky said. “I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel (Macron) for organizing this important meeting.”

The three leaders “spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace,” Zelensky said, without providing further details.

The previously unannounced meeting comes ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. It also marks the first in-person encounter between Zelensky and Trump since Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November.

While Trump has pledged to get the U.S. “out” of Russia’s war and negotiate a quick peace deal, Ukrainian officials have urged the president-elect to maintain support and adopt a “peace through strength” approach in dealings with Russia — sentiments that Zelensky echoed in his statement following the meeting.

“Peace through strength is possible,” Zelensky wrote.

“We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way.”

Zelensky and Trump previously met on Sept. 27 in New York, while Trump was still the Republican nominee for president. Zelensky used the occasion to present his five-part victory plan.

Two of the ideas in the plan were explicitly prepared for Trump, according to the Financial Times (FT).

The leaders then held a phone call on Nov. 7 after Trump won the U.S. election. Zelensky congratulated Trump on his victory during the call.

A Ukrainian delegation, led by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, also met with Vice President-elect JD Vance and other aides to Trump in Washington on Dec. 4.

About 50 heads of state and government convened for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been under reconstruction since 2019 due to a fire.

There are two separate issues here. The first is that President Zelenskyy clearly has a detailed strategy for dealing with the President-elect to, if not get what he thinks Ukraine needs from the US after the inauguration at the end of January 2025, then at least minimize the potential damage from the change of administration and the President-elect’s return to the presidency. This is smart on President Zelenskyy’s part. The second issue is more troubling for Americans: it appears that the President-elect and his people have decided that he is, for all intents and purposes, already the president again. Unsurprisingly, there seems to be little adherence, let alone acknowledgement, that the US only has one president at a time. Moreover, it does not appear that President Biden nor his people really seem to care.

This is a problem, regardless of the fact that the lame duck period and the two and a half months between election and inauguration is too long and too often leaves the US in the weird limbo we’re now in. A limbo that is exacerbated by a clearly exhausted President Biden, who, along with his senior appointees, is impotent in the face of international and domestic challenges and threats.

President Zelenskyy also met with the President of Georgia while he was in Paris:

⚡️Zelensky meets with Georgian President Zourabichvili, urges Georgians to ‘not let government surrender country to Putin.’

“Ukraine supports and stands in solidarity with the Georgian people, who are currently fighting for a worthy future,” Zelensky told Zourabichvili during their meeting in Paris.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 7, 2024 at 2:26 PM

“It is important to always respect the will of the people and not let the Ivanishvili government surrender the country to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” Zelensky added.

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 7, 2024 at 2:26 PM

The details from The Kyiv Independent after the jump.

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Saturday Evening Open Thread: Who Elected These Schmucks?

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You should call your member of Congress and ask if they support this plan for "hundreds of billions" of cuts. If they tell you please contact me at TPM and let me know.

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— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) December 6, 2024 at 2:58 PM

One of the central features of Trumpism is that Trump never wants to deal in pain. Not for people who might vote for him. Or at least, no pain to anyone who might vote for him … that they would blame on him. That’s why, at least in concept, he’s always said he’d never support cuts to Social Security or Medicare. That’s in concept of course. What happens down in the fine print of administrative decisions or omnibus tax bills is another matter. But the position in concept is still important and fairly consistent. But over the last couple weeks things have gone sideways in a pretty big way. And key players in his administration-in-the-making are now proposing massive cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

Let’s go to Trump and Musk’s DOGE clown show. As you know, Trump has in some post-politics, performative sense authorized this government streamlining panel, run by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, which will radically cut the size of the federal government and reduce its spending by at least one third — two trillion dollars annually. Completely insane numbers. But for the moment, DOGE is the great performative political shiny object of the Trump 2.0 Era. Republicans and the part of modern conservatism that blends into right-wing influencer culture is giddy about the possibilities. Democrats are terrified that Musk is essentially taking over the federal government. What everyone agrees — for better or worse — is that it’s a huge, huge deal.

I’m normally not the biggest fan of the Punchbowl newsletter. But this, from yesterday, is actually a good rundown of what DOGE remains, just an advisory thing that will propose things to Trump and the Republican Congress. It’s as powerful as whatever Trump feels he can do by executive action or Congress can do with legislation. For now, every Republican and even a few Democrats want to group around DOGE and get some of the magical fairy dust, kind of a post-reality rave and dance party for bad people. But the appropriators, the people in Congress who decide how money is spent, are mostly saying nice things and “we’ll get back to you, but sounds lovely” and moon-walking away from the conversation…

Starting a few days ago, Musk commented approvingly on a long thread by a longtime Social Security abolitionist, Senator Mike Lee, making the case for abolishing Social Security and replacing it with private accounts. This was followed by a series of remarks by both either saying Social Security is a scam or, alternatively, that you can cut billions or hundreds of billions and no one will notice. Just Wednesday Ramaswamy went on CNBC and in addition to discussing various other ideas about innovation and efficiency, noted that there are “hundreds of billions of dollars of savings to extract just from basic program integrity measures” out of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The rest of the quote suggests he thinks he can claw back these savings by cutting off benefits to people who don’t really deserve them or are legally entitled to them…

Just for the record, let me remind you that the actually-elected Sen. Mike Lee (… roy Jenkins!) is really, really dumb. Sincere, yes — but stupid. Also, here’s a chunk from the Punchbowl article Josh cites:

Mega-billionaire Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are coming to Capitol Hill today to talk about their much-hyped effort to cut government spending and streamline the federal bureaucracy.

The meeting is at 3 p.m., after the Senate leaves town for the week. (The rhythms of Congress are hard. It takes everyone time to learn.)

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