President Obama knocked the ball out of the park during his presser today, tearing a hole clean through the roof at Tropicana Field (I like to imagine he was batting for the Rays, but picture the Red Sox if you must) and sending that ball screaming clear to Sitka, Alaska.
Next up, Speaker Boehner, who was told today that it’s unfair of the Tea Party loons to force him to hold America hostage. His presser can be seen live here.
Also, Braves fan Paul Kaplan hit a homerun of his own. Here’s a link via valued commenter Martin.
ETA: Oops — I meant equally valued commenter dmsilev!
ETA: Two words on the statement: Weak. Sauce.
ETA: And Boehner fled after two questions, presumably in search of a scotch and soda to soothe that butt-sting. Wow. I’m reminded of this:
RaflW
I’m sure the Broderists are at full spin now, finding just the right frisson of words to “both sides” it the pressers to death.
Whatever.
shortstop
Martin is definitely worth cash as a commenter, but the equally valued dmsilev posted that link first.
Tone in DC
I can’t see his Orangeness at work, not on this PC. That is probably a good thing.
What does the congressional head of the party that Makes Shit Up have to say that we haven’t heard for the last several days/weeks/months?
Tone in DC
@shortstop:
All B-J commenters (except BoB and T&H) have some level of esteem. It’s the snarling jackals thing, I suppose.
srv
What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.
Hal
I expect nothing but BS. Why even watch when all he is going to do is say “why won’t he just negotiate?”
Woodrow/asim Jarvis Hill
That was…3 questions. Damn. Not even anything new.
One side came to play, the other to posture. And I think the Good Speaker knows which is which.
The Dangerman
And on it shall go….
ETA: The Republican Party is in a death spiral and, hopefully, they won’t do too much harm as they go down. I still believe, as I did yesterday, that no deal will get reached on either the CR or the DL because any deal blows up the Republicans. Party Uber Alles.
max
@srv: What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.
No, what we’ve got here is a failure of comprehension.
max
[‘Not unexpected.’]
Elizabelle
Watered down highball.
Gex
Anyone have a link to if now that it’s over?
catclub
@Hal: And the problem is that Obama keeps telling him exactly why he won’t negotiate.
SiubhanDuinne
I would like to marry Paul Kaplan and have his babies for writing that letter.
/ another disgruntled Braves fan
IowaOldLady
Wow. That was fast.
Svensker
@Tone in DC:
Shorter Orangeman: “It’s Obama’s fault.”
TAPX486
The GOP has lost Tim Russert. He just said this all started because of the GOP’s demand that Obamacare be defunded/repealed. Now that really isn’t nerw for most folks but if Tim is finally saying it…..
Tone in DC
And then Boner swung and missed.
While hiccuping vociferously.
ranchandsyrup
Anderson Cooper trains a Labrador from ID, later tries to high Broder it with Elijah Cummings.
shortstop
@TAPX486: If he’s sayin’ it, Halloween is early. He was creepy enough looking when he was alive.
The Dangerman
@SiubhanDuinne:
Their manager should be fired for leaving his best closer in the bullpen (spoken as a Dodger fan, but, truly, that was ridiculous).
jl
Thanks for heads up. I didn’t know Boehner was doing a counterpresser. But, it can wait. Maybe tonight after a stiff drink and an anti-anxiety pill a serious meditation, and long concentrated prayer for mercy to some Higher Being or other.
I’ll check back, and if Biden comes out and does a counter counter presser, I will watch that right away.
Elizabelle
@TAPX486:
Tee hee.
But I know what you meant.
Southern Beale
Carl Hiaasen calls John Boehner the emptiest suit in Washington. It’s a hilarious read.
shortstop
@Elizabelle: So did I. But I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to kick around a dead guy who annoyed me in life.
Mnemosyne
@TAPX486:
I assume you mean Luke Russert. But since Lukey was hired to be a seat-warming substitute for his father, I don’t really blame you.
Elizabelle
It can’t be much fun to be John Boehner these days.
Although Eric Cantor is bitchily as usual, snipping about no one should be fined if they can’t even get on to the Obamacare website. (Like we don’t have a few months.)
I really do wonder if the next person losing his/her shit and life near the Capitol won’t be the Speaker.
marindenver
I caught some of Obama’s presser on NPR while I was out doing some errands. He was awesome. Afterwards the NPR folks remarked on how unusual it was to see the Republicans in disarray and the Dems marching in lockstep. Miracles do happen sometimes.
Elizabelle
@shortstop:
Yeah, I never got the Tim Russert love, although I could see the guy had many redeeming qualities.
Tone in DC
@Svensker:
Bitter LULz.
Shorter Boner – “The ni-CLANG is unhelpful in my estimation! I rilly think so! (hic)”
I mentioned in my comment that Orange Julius’ riposte should be something we haven’t heard. Just sayin’.
I guess Newt-with-a-tan just wasted everyone’s time. Nothing new in that approach, so far this month.
dance around in your bones
@Gex:
If you blinked you missed it. What a lying whiner. To even vaguely equate Boehner with POTUS is a disgrace. Obama was clear, concise, and accurate. Boehner just lied and bloviat…(oops, he didn’t even take enough time to actually bloviate!).
Save me Betty! Been so long I forgot my email address!
Oops- used wrong email addy. Moderation sucks.
P.S. I’d like to thank Elizabelle, Davis X. Machina, Violet, Baud, MomSense and SiubhanDuinne for noticing my absence in the last month. Health problems in the family have kept me very busy and the political situation is depressing and for a while the mood around here got me all kind of pissy.
I like to come here to laugh and have fun and tell crazy but true stories. I love this place.
jl
” ETA: Two words on the statement: Weak. Sauce.
ETA: And Boehner fled after two questions, presumably in search of a scotch and soda to soothe that butt-sting. Wow. I’m reminded of this: ”
Well, why didn’t BC tell me it was going to be short and fun?
Boehner didn’t flee the interview did he? That couldn’t happen.
Elizabelle
Out for my walk, which the Speaker interrupted, to no good effect.
Catch you guys soon.
@Southern Beale:
I’m reading that as soon as I get back! Love Carl Hiassen.
“The evanescing blood of fools.” (from Sick Puppy)
We are seeing it now. In real life!
scav
Apparently missed it due to getting a cup of coffee. Are the requisite seconds of video in the can for newsfeeds and preaching to the devout?
Felonius Monk
@TAPX486:
I think Tim was lost some years back, perhaps you are referring to his mush-brained spawn, Luke.
ed_finnerty
@marindenver: @marindenver:
“I don’t belong to any organized political party, I’m a democrat” (Will Rogers (i think))
Suffern ACE
I wonder why no one asks Gephart about the Gephart rule. Since it operated under Reagan, why not ask Boehner to bring it back “Out of respect for Tip and Ronnie”? Send Matthews to the fawning couch.
jl
Schumer [on GOP’s proposed supercommittee with a gun to its head): “it doesn’t work like their previous gizmos didn’t work.”
Uh-oh. More disrespect. I guess blowing-up FDR memorial on live TV will be added to GOP House demands.
Felonius Monk
@Elizabelle:
When would it ever be fun to be John Boehner? Except perhaps at the cocktail hour.
Suffern ACE
I actually favor creating another supercommittee, but only if it meets on Friday afternoons from 5:30pm – 8:00pm and Monday mornings from 6:00am – 9:00am. It needs to meet on their own time since the last one didn’t accomplish much.
NotMax
Strip out the fee ACA imposes on tanning beds and Boehner will be ecstatic.
Roger Moore
@Tone in DC:
It’s always worth listening to the Party of Making Shit Up, because they have a tendency to make new shit up all the time. If they were dealing with facts, they’d make the same boring points day after day, because the facts just don’t change that often. But the people who are completely disconnected from reality can tell a brand new story every day of the week that has nothing to do with anything they’ve said before.
Felonius Monk
@dance around in your bones:
We like your laughter and your stories. Happy to see you again.
AliceBlue
I just watched last night’s Daily Show. Stewart’s been on fire ever since this whole thing started, but he was a real douchecanoe in his interview with Kathleen Sebelius.
catclub
@Felonius Monk: Actually, it appears we can say they have lost Todd Russert.
Suffern ACE
@NotMax: No he wouldn’t. He gets his tan at Sherwin Williams and has been subject to the sales tax for years.
dance around in your bones
@Felonius Monk: Thanks :)
Suffern ACE
@catclub: Wait, there is more than one Russert Spawn?
piratedan
@dance around in your bones: good to see you back and hope that your presence here means that things are better than they were….
Betty Cracker
@dance around in your bones: Good to see you again!
@jl: To me, at least, Boehner’s hasty retreat came across as a sort of “fleeing the interview moment.” Especially after watching the prez.
Belafon
I especially like the twist at the end of Paul Kaplan’s letter: “Help us avoid the Dodgers’ cynical shutdown of Major League Baseball.” It’s their fault we had to stop baseball.
dmsilev
The letter is awesome. I can’t really claim credit; I saw a link on TPM and by now it’s all over the Intertubes.
Fair Economist
The Republicans are starting to look like Wile E. Coyote in a Road Runner cartoon. They tried to mess with the signals to stop the Obamacare train and ended up stuck on the rails with the train headed towards them. So they knocked out a boulder (the shutdown) to stop the train – but it bounced off a rock and now is headed for them. So now they’re going to get hit on the head with a boulder as the shutdown bites and then run over by a train as people see Obamacare (for all its flaws) is a huge improvement over the current situation. It’s almost comical, except for the enormous hardships they’re causing to the American people.
Seanly
@Suffern ACE:
The supercommittees remind me of Le Petomane and his advisors – “We have to do something to protect our phoney-baloney jobs!”
Kay
@AliceBlue:
This is interesting. Someone did a test run, where they went through the exchange and then through an ordinary online insurance purchase process.
The gubmint site, glitchy as it is, was quite a bit faster.
TAPX486
@shortstop: sorry – luke. didn’t seem right when I keyed it
Botsplainer
Pedro Martinez is STILL a punk.
Ash Can
@dance around in your bones: Is everything OK now?
dance around in your bones
@piratedan: Still up in the air but progressing (hopefully) in a good direction.
@Betty Cracker: Thanks, Betty. And thanks for getting me out of mod hell!
@Ash Can: See my reply to piratedan. It’s complicated and possibly neurological (not me but my grown kid). Kinda scary but send all the good vibes y’all can.
MikeJ
@Suffern ACE:
When’s the last time the House actually passed a budget? It wouldn’t have any effect.
Roger Moore
@Kay:
No fair! Comparing Obamacare to the current insurance system makes it look much better than it really is. It must be compared to my ideal system that’s composed of moonbeams and pixie dust to see just how awful it is.[/teabagger or firebagger, take your choice]
MikeJ
@Kay:
Not just “someone”. John Green is a YA lit superstar. He’s the guy who wrote The Fault in Our Stars.
DFTBA
TAPX486
At last a GOP congress critter explained the CR/Debt issue in terms that even a 6 you old could understand. It seems that 3 of the four branches of the federal government are controlled by the democrats and the 4th branch, i.e. the GOP have to figure out how to deal with that.
There isn’t enough booze or pot to make it go away
mdblanche
Boehner says doing something to prevent a worldwide catastrophe would be an “unconditional surrender by Republicans.” This is horrifying. If the world wins the GOP loses and vice versa. Serious question: what’s the difference between these guys and the Nazis?
Anya
@AliceBlue: Kathleen Sebelius should get lots of respect and that douche steward is an ass for being so disrespectful to her. Fuck that asshole. Sebelius put up with so much garbage from the wingnuts, yet she gets no recognition and respect from our side. At least POTUS appreciates her work.
Vlad
I don’t think Tampa would be a great fit for Team Obama, given that they’ve got a rapist (Lueke), an anti-Semite (Young), an overt homophobe (Escobar), and a birther (Scott), among others.
Suffern ACE
@TAPX486: hmmmm. That’s too many branches and no, the Democrats don’t control the Court. Your six year old fails.
Mike E
@jl: The never ending GOP attempt to defeat FDR, not at all ashamed to dig up his bones and grind them to powder so they can snort it off a
malehooker’s ass.Anya
@mdblanche: the Nazis were competent and didn’t whine.
Riley's Enabler
@Kay: Ohh, getting a good word from John Green will go a long way in the younger adult vlogosphere. He’s a BFD author (I liked “The Fault in our Stars” though it was a bit – ok lot – maudlin) with the younger set, who will be buying insurance soonish – or staying on their parents’.
dmsilev
@mdblanche: Snappier uniforms?
raven
@dance around in your bones: Ahem. . . .
Baud
@dance around in your bones:
Never leave again.
AnotherBruce
@mdblanche: Ummm, at least national socialism was an ethos.
hildebrand
@Anya: Stewart is confrontational and condescending with the President, as well – far more so than most politicians who are on TDS.
dance around in your bones
@raven:
¡Ay! Disculpeme! Sorry if I left you out of my list. You’re one of my favorite commenters even if you mostly tell people they’re full of shit. Plus, FIDO!
@Baud: Awww…all this love is killing me. Plus, you consistently crack me up, which is highly esteemed in my book.
RaflW
@AliceBlue:
I agree. And yet, Sebelius appeared ill-prepared (or over talk-pointed) and kinda blew a good chance to reach a younger audience. Stewart did not make it easy for her, but neither did she make it easy for herself.
An unfortunate whiff.
Mnemosyne
@dance around in your bones:
You’re back! Come read my new blog if you want to escape politics. I have Maurice Chevalier to cheer you up!
gogol's wife
@dance around in your bones:
I noticed too — I just didn’t manage to comment on it.
Glad to see you!
Kay
@MikeJ:
Sorry. I didn’t even read his name. I am CURRENTLY obsessed with the federal health care site. I get like this. It’ll pass :)
Mnemosyne
@AliceBlue:
Don’t worry, the right wing loved it:
What could go wrong?
Mnemosyne
@RaflW:
Can we at least occasionally critique the media rather than always putting the entire blame on Democrats? Maybe just once in a while?
Sorry, but I’m already bracing for the “Oh, sure, Obama’s speech today was good, but he didn’t instantly make the Republicans do a 180 so OBAMA FAIL!” to start. Because it’s always, always the fault of the speaker and never the fault of the person who refuses to listen.
MikeJ
@Kay: .
I don’t think it would be possible for you to forget to be awesome.
schrodinger's cat
@AliceBlue: His good manners are reserved for torture supporters and war criminals like Yoo and Rumsfeld.
Violet
@dance around in your bones: Glad you are back! Sorry to hear about the health problems in the family. Hopefully something that can be treated. Missed seeing you here.
dance around in your bones
@Mnemosyne:
I HAVE read your blog and enjoy it very much (not that I know much about pre-code movies – but you are educating me). Last night I watched Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray as I’m sure you know) – TCM was having an international film night. Now I want to watch the whole Apu trilogy. Somehow never got around to it.
@gogol’s wife: Thanks – it’s gratifying to know people noticed I was MIA for a while.
@Violet: Gracias, muchas gracias :) I just couldn’t get myself into a place to put fingers to keyboard. I think POTUS inspired me today with his awesome presser.
PaulW
I can only HOPE that Obama tore the roof of the Trop. We need a new stadium dammit.
…just not at the taxpayers expense, though.
I never saw a home run go into the Ray Tank. AWESOME…
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
@Anya:
No they weren’t and yes they did.
MikeJ
@PaulW:
Didn’t it bounce off a fan first?
Kay
@Roger Moore:
I’m torn between being really cranky with the actual site and not wanting to pile onto people who are getting all kinds of shit, some from certain persons who want them to fail.
I’ve gotten so tired of the cavalier “any dope could do this better!” theme on both cable and blogs because it isn’t true. A lot of things are really difficult to do.
To me it goes to that horrible theme I heard working at the post office, where every old man who wandered in could have both invented and run a better system. That wasn’t true either. The post office actually had and has a good record of on-time delivery.
OTOH, the site should work.
They can just fix it so I can stop vacillating :)
Betty Cracker
@PaulW: I was worried about the poor critters in the tank! But my mom and husband — who watch every game — assured me that the rays are unharmed when that happens.
MomSense
@dance around in your bones:
So happy to “see” you here!
I hope your family is doing much better now and that we will get to enjoy your presence here more often.
dance around in your bones
@MomSense:
Thank you – I hope so too!
Elie
@Anya:
So what happened? She is a real favorite of mine, so I would be really interested in knowing if you don’t mind sharing… BTW — he has been on my shit list for a while.. since the election actually.
Suffern ACE
@Kay: there are lots of reasons why “it can’t be like Amazon”. Or eBay. Or Phil’s Pizza and Bait. But I agree, it has to work or or the users will give up.
MomSense
@dance around in your bones:
Just saw this update. Sending good vibes, prayers and healthy thoughts to your grown kid. And a hug for you.
mdblanche
@dmsilev: @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): So apparently the only difference is snappier uniforms.
PaulW
@Betty Cracker:
You going to tonight’s game? I think my brother’s going, he and some co-workers have season tickets.
Karen in GA
@dance around in your bones: Adding my voice to the choir. Hoping all goes well.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
@mdblanche: Well, actual operating death camps is a minor difference. I’m not fond of Nazi analogies unless they are really tight. Francisco Franco’s governing coalition is a better comparison.
Baud
NYT: Yellen for Fed chair.
dance around in your bones
@Karen in GA: Thank you, Karen.
I am currently cleaning up my bedroom of the approximately 1,376,542 toys that were left in here by my grandkids while I was watching them today. They’re great about trucking them in but not so keen on picking them up :)
Roger Moore
FWYP! Stop eating my replies to Kay!
yam
@mdblanche:
They don’t have the fabulous Hugo Boss uniforms…
mdblanche
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Threatening to set off a global catastrophe if they don’t get their way isn’t enough?
Wally Ballou
The Tigers are giving me a tummyache. Down by a run again in the 7th.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
@Wally Ballou: Using Scherzer in relief just reeks of desperation.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
Doink. Tied.
SiubhanDuinne
@The Dangerman: I have to agree. Not a Fredi Gonzales fan, but it always going to be hard for anyone to measure up to Bobby Cox IMHO.
SiubhanDuinne
@dance around in your bones: Very glad to see you back now, and whenever you feel like gracing* the old joint. After General Stuck, it feels ever-so-slightly creepy to obsess over a regular commenter’s absence, but you are such a strong presence, your occasional disappearances are black holes ripped in the fabric of this blog.
*(or, you know, smoking)
SiubhanDuinne
@MikeJ:
This has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but I developed a mad crush on Richard Gephardt at Northwestern University in 1961-62, when we were both in the University Glee Club. He was just gorgeous. He bought me a cup of coffee once. If memory serves, he was President of the Student Council or something like that. He was a year or two ahead of me, I think, and gods know I had nothing to offer him and was a wimpy little bespectacled girl, but he was kind to me, and funny. Have always liked him and have kinda had a Thing for him for 50+ years.
SiubhanDuinne
@dance around in your bones:
Surely, this is closer to what you meant, hein?
Villago Delenda Est
@mdblanche:
The Nazis had better wardrobes.
On edit: /shakefist at everyone who beat me to this…
dance around in your bones
@SiubhanDuinne:
Thank you. I figured some folks might get the General Stuck vibe – just needed to find the right time to get back in the saddle, as it were :)
eta: Haha, Bingo! raven also makes me laugh.
Ben Franklin
What a terrific spy novel this would make. You can’t MTSU…
http://nsnbc.me/2013/10/07/top-us-and-saudi-officials-responsible-for-chemical-weapons-in-syria/
? Martin
Glad you gave dsmilev the credit for that – he was quicker on the submit button. Well played!
Steeplejack
@dance around in your bones:
Good to see you back! You were missed.
Betty Cracker
@PaulW: Nah, watching from home. Kids and critters need monitoring, plus work comes early.
dance around in your bones
@Steeplejack:
Mil grazi. Just for the record, you are one of my favorite commenters, too. I should make a list of all my faves and start a fave war, haha!
I remember a long time ago wondering if cleek had the ability to gather all the pie’d people’s nyms – just thought it would be interesting to compare lists. But I have a feeling that most of the names in my pie filter are basically the same person, different iterations.
Steeplejack
@dance around in your bones:
I had been thinking about you, but I wasn’t too worried, because I know you live with family. I hope your kid’s medical problem turns out all right. And, yeah, the vibe was really pissy around here for a while.