Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

White supremacy is terrorism.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

We’re not going back!

There are no moderate Republican – only extremists, and cowards.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

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

The new temporary speaker of the house is a spiteful little shit.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Saturday Morning Slapstick Open Thread

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It’s a Krampus parade, which has been a pious Christian celebration of emotional child abuse since at least the 16th century, but expecting an American ‘Christian’ to know anything about their own religion’s history is as pointless as expecting them to know… well, history.

Speaking of Great Moments in History (Not), this week’s censure of Rep. Jamaal Bowman should not go unmarked…

Rep. Bowman did something dumb, accepted the requisite punishment, and will spend the rest of his career dogged by screeching MAGAts who think they’ve found the perfect rebuttal to TFG’s long criminal career. Per the Associated Press, “House votes to censure Democratic Rep. Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol office building”:

House members voted again Thursday to punish one of their own, targeting Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman for triggering a fire alarm in a U.S. Capitol office building when the chamber was in session.

The Republican censure resolution passed with a few Democratic votes, but most of the party stood by Bowman in opposition of an effort they said lacked credibility and integrity. The prominent progressive now becomes the third Democratic House member to be admonished this year through the censure process, which is a punishment one step below expulsion from the House…

The 214-191 vote to censure Bowman caps nearly a year of chaos and retribution in the House of Representatives. Since January, the chamber has seen the removal of a member from a committee assignment, the first ouster of a speaker in history and, just last week, the expulsion of a lawmaker for only the third time since the Civil War…

Bowman pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor count for the incident, which took place in the Cannon House Office Building. He agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months of probation, after which the false fire alarm charge is expected to be dismissed from his record under an agreement with prosecutors.

The fire alarm prompted a buildingwide evacuation when the House was in session and staffers were working in the building. The building was reopened an hour later after Capitol police determined there was no threat.

Bowman apologized and said that at the time he was trying to get through a door that was usually open but was closed that day because it was the weekend…

Marvel at the brilliant oratory from the dumb backbencher the Repubs shoved forward as a figurehead. Hi, Mom!:

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Cold Grey Pre-Dawn Open Thread: Casey DeSaster Takes the Daggers Into Her Own Hands

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Dead campaign walking…

Seriously, though: ‘We’ll just bus in supporters to intimidate anyone from voting against us’ is a pretty good illustration of why caucuses are a terrible way to choose a candidate.

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War for Ukraine Day 653: We Need To Clarify a Few Things

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Screen shot of a mural of an eye shedding a tear/crying. The upper eyelid is painted in the blue of Ukraine's flag. The lower eyelid is painted in the yellow of Ukraine's flag. The mural was painted by the artist MyDogSighs.

(Image by My Dog Sighs)

I want to clarify a few things that arose in comments last night.

First, I don’t worry about how many or how few people are commenting in any specific one of these updates. It is a lot of content to take in every night and a lot of it is not pleasant. I do them because I promised I would and because sitting these nightly vigils is something I can do to support Ukraine and Ukrainians. You all read as many or as few as you care to and comment as much or little as you like.

Second, the reason I started with the GOP caucuses in the House and Senate last night is precisely because they have agency. And they’ve used that agency in regard to ensuring Ukraine is properly supplied and funded in its defense against Putin’s genocidal re-invasion the way they’ve used their agency for everything else going back to Gingrich: to take legislative, budgetary, executive branch programs, and nominations hostage.

Third, pointing out that the legislative strategy that President Biden and his team developed and pursued to get a supplemental aid package passed has not worked and has been failing is not A) denying the GOP’s agency and B) not dumping on Biden to dump on Biden. It is precisely because he spent over 40 years in the Senate and watched how McConnell beginning in 2009 and then Boehner and his House GOP Majority leadership team did this to Obama beginning in 2011 that I expected a better and more effective strategy. I expect better from Biden because of this. Especially because the GOP made it very clear beginning in mid 2022 that this is what they were going to do. Which is why it would have made sense to try to lock in a longer term aid package through supplemental legislation prior to the 2022 midterms to avoid this problem.

Fourth, yes, it is wonderful that we found a way to quietly facilitate the ROK providing 155mm shells to Ukraine. This is not new news, it was reported on at the beginning of 2023 and I included some of that reporting in the updates at the time. And, perhaps more importantly, that ammunition was provided to Ukraine at the beginning of this year. It was fired off and used up by spring. It was a great thing. It is not, however, reporting that shells are on their way right now from South Korea. They’re not.

Finally, let’s all try to ease up a bit in the comments and cut each other a little slack. And stop feeding the troll.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

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Friday Evening Open Thread: ‘We Deserve Better’ (Than Dean Phillips)

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The next day…

Teddy Schleifer’s shtick at Puck is to play (or be) a slack-jawed fanboi for Tech Dudes With Money — he’s a Bizzaro-World Jimmy Olsen. I believe he’s supposed to be writing a book about all the time he spent with Sam Bankman-Fried while SBF was under house arrest in Stanford, but I guess he needs to keep his ‘reportorial’ skillz in good shape…

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That Is What the Rule of Law Means

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DC Indictment News

From the DC District Court:

“We do not allow such an order lightly. Mr. Trump is a former president and current candidate for the presidency, and there is a strong public interest in what he has to say. But Mr. Trump is also an indicted criminal defendant, and he must stand trial in a courtroom under the same procedures that govern all criminal defendants. That is what the rule of law means.”

Harry Litman and Andrew Weissman lay this out more clearly than I could by paraphrasing.

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I would like to know more about what they said about the need for a speedy trial.

Open thread!

Update:  PDF of the ruling   Thanks Scout211 for the .pdf file.

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Four Directions Zoom (Highlights & Audio Clips)

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We had a fun and informative zoom with Four Directions shortly before Thanksgiving.

The zoom lasted just over an hour, and we have highlights for you!

5 short audio clips from the zoom:

  • Balloon Juice impact in Nevada & Georgia in 2022  (1 min)
  • Relational Organizing in Indian Country  (1 min)
  • Target States for 2024  (3 min)
  • Funny Story  (2 min)
  • Plans for Montana in 2024  (3 min)

They talked about the Four Directions plan to expand back into Montana – with our help!  The Native American vote can (and historically has) put Democratic Senator Jon Tester over the top.

On the Ground in Reno-Sparks in Nevada, With Snow 2

Balloon Juice impact in Nevada and GA in 2022  (1 min)

Remember that winter storm in Nevada and our flash fundraising for coats & winter gear on election day?  They sure do!

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Relational Organizing in Indian Country  (1 min)

Four Directions pioneered relational organizing before it even had a name.

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Target States for 2024  (3 min)

Which states are critical to them, and why.

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Funny Story  (2 min)

Hilarious anecdote about a recent Montana court case that involved Robert E. Lee and Sitting Bull.

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Plans for Montana in 2024  (3 min)

Maybe the Native vote can save the Senate!

OJ in the last clip:  “I guess what I’m getting down to saying is that when Senator Tester wins because of the Native vote, it’s gonna be Balloon Juice and their people that made that happen, because nobody else is really stepping up [to say they want to help fund the Native vote in Montana].”

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BJ peeps working together are a force of nature.  We are making a difference.

Open thread.

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Problematic (Open Thread)

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Skull cookie screaming

I’ve had a hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year for several reasons too boring/stupid to recount. It wouldn’t matter except that I am the official Keeper of the Christmas Spirit™️ in my family. This has always been the case in my immediate family since my husband and kid are bah-humbug types.

Over the past almost-10 years, with the loss of my mom followed by the deaths of my grandmothers, it applies for my extended family too. Dog help us, I am now the family matriarch. Someone has to put up the fucking tree and decorations, plan the gatherings, etc., and that person is now me.

That’s okay because I genuinely love Christmas, but when I do feel grinchy come December, it’s problematic for the aforementioned reasons. So, to address the cheer deficit this year, I’ve been watching my favorite Christmas movies. The movies are also problematic.

One of the problematic movies is “Love Actually,” which I’ve watched every December for about two decades now. It’s an objectively terrible movie. If you don’t believe me, please proceed to this immortal 2013 takedown by Lindy West at Jezebel. Love it, hate it, never seen the movie — go read it. It’s hilarious.

Still, I love that dumb movie regardless of its many, many, many unforgiveable flaws. For one thing, it has an incredible cast, including Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney and many other notables.

Also, there’s a reason West’s exhaustive and mostly accurate critique of every problematic “love” scenario in that movie does not include the epiphany experienced by Bill Nighy’s has-been rockstar character, Billy. This occurs when Billy realizes his long-suffering Scottish manager (Joe, played by Gregor Fisher) is actually the love of his life and that their decades-long platonic debauchery has been a lot of fun despite Billy’s constant complaints. So yeah: love, actually. For Billy and Joe, anyway.

My other Christmas movies are the Harry Potter films, which I watch in order. I realize they aren’t strictly holiday-themed, but Christmas figures in several of them, and we generally watch them during the holiday season for whatever reason; it’s a tradition.

The series (books and movies) is problematic mainly due to JK Rowling’s heel turn on trans rights, some legit (IMO) criticism of the use of stereotypes, etc. That said, I’ve personally seen kids who felt like misfits find a tribe — and develop a love of reading — with fellow HP fans.

Also, watching the actors grow up across the eight films is really cool. Especially the transformation of Neville Longbottom! Jesus Christ, who saw that coming? If you’d told me after my first viewing of “Sorcerer’s Stone” that I’d have problematic Mrs. Robinson-type feelings for Neville after “Deathly Hallows 2,” I’d assume someone spiked your butterbeer with Everclear.

Anyhoo, these are my problematic Christmas movies. And since I started watching them earlier this week, I got my tree and decorations done, Drunken Aunties Christmas Cookie night scheduled and family feasts planned. So that’s good.

Open thread.

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