Well, this is an interesting development! Via WaPo:
House Oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz says he will not seek reelection in 2018
The Republican congressman from Utah, who became chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in 2015, has been criticized for a lack of action in investigating the Trump administration and President Trump’s potential conflicts of interest. He reversed his position on Trump’s candidacy several times in 2016, and recently faced an angry crowd at a town-hall meeting that criticized his tenure as Oversight chairman.
“For those that would speculate otherwise, let me be clear that I have no ulterior motives. I am healthy. I am confident I would continue to be re-elected by large margins. I have the full support of Speaker Ryan to continue as Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. That said, I have made a personal decision to return to the private sector,” Chaffetz said in a statement on Facebook.
During the Obama administration, Chaffetz undertook probes of the 2012 Benghazi attack and Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
I don’t believe for a second there are no ulterior motives. So let’s indulge in rampant speculation about why the pig-faced prick is declining to stand for reelection, shall we?
Did Chaffetz get wind of a looming Trump bombshell? Has he seen poll numbers that foretell electoral doom? Is a 19-year-old Piggly-Wiggly cashier about to hire Gloria Allred and announce that Chaffetz fathered her pig-faced baby?
As the saying goes, it would be irresponsible NOT to speculate!
Jeffro
I am betting on the cashier personally
Yarrow
Those rumors of kompromat on him must be true.
Miss Bianca
Speaking of speculation, I’ve heard some to the effect that there is Russian kompromat on Chaffetz.
@Yarrow: Jinx!
lurker dean
whatever it is, i hope it involves jail time, i hate this ahole. as someone on twitter said, hopefully he’ll have to change his twitter from @jasoninthehouse to @jasonintheBIGhouse, lol.
SatanicPanic
Probably wants to get a head start on finding a lobbying job before Republicans get their asses handed to them in 2018 and there’s dozens more ex-reps to compete with.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@Jeffro: I’m with you, except I think the cashier works somewhere considerably more downscale than Piggly Wiggly… But just as southern in regional location – he couldn’t be banging anybody in his district or even state.
Central Planning
My new theory is that the the republicans are so fucking stupid, they are doing all sorts of illegal things and they believe they won’t get caught. The FBI/CIA/NSA/whomever hasn’t actually indicted anyone yet, so they think it’s all a big joke and they aren’t going to be the ones getting caught. In reality, the FBI/CIA/NSA is just collecting more and more data on their illegal activities. Basically giving them the rope to hang themselves. Eventually, there will be the yuuuigest indictment of republicans and a political party the world has ever seen.
At least a boy can dream.
Corner Stone
Down, down, down! Chaffetz going down!
EBT
I hear people saying a run for Hatch’s seat, or gov in 2020.
Mike J
Huggybear says word on the street is he wants to run for Gov in 2020, doesn’t want to face anti-Trump voters in 2018. Think people will have forgotten?
Corner Stone
IMO the only reason Nunes is still in his seat is because he thinks it is some kind of shield against LEO playing hardball with him. That’s not going to go so well for him.
I may be getting over my skis but since we are speculating (and it would be irresponsible not to), I think we are going to see a decapitation strike against GOP Congressional leadership AND the Trump admin.
HeleninEire
I am headed out to a blind date in a little while. Everyone send me your positive dating juju.
Elie
My guess is that he is setting up where he will fall on his sword to protect not only Trump but a bunch of corrupted Repubs.
Central Planning
@EBT: He is quoted in the WaPo as saying “That said, I have made a personal decision to return to the private sector.”
To me, that means no run for governor or senator. But we all know republicans are hypocrites and liars.
Central Planning
@HeleninEire: Hope your date is hot!
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Corner Stone:
In Cosell voice: Down goes, Chaffetz! Down goes Chaffetz!
SgrAstar
He has a pretty serious challenger in 2018 who’s already out-raising him significantly. Woman, MD, Democrat. Hmmmm.
manyakitty
@HeleninEire: Oooh! Fun! With a local?
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Corner Stone:
Who will orchestrate this decapitation strike do you think? Fellow conservatives? The IC?
Goku
Stick a rusty pitchfork in him
Corner Stone
@SgrAstar: I’m not from UT but from everything I have ever seen I don’t think any D, no matter how overfunded, had a chance at unseating him.
Barbara
@EBT: In his announcement he said he would not be running for the Senate because he does not want to be a member of the world’s greatest deliberative body (with the flipside being the world’s least active legislative body). My guess is a run for governor after finding a cushy private sector job for a few years a la Jeb Bush.
Suzan
What doesn’t make any sense is why he would announce it so early? Lots of stuff can change in 2 years. Yes Rubio changed his mind and ran and Jason can too but it odd. If something bad were coming he’d resign today saying he has a private sector opportunity. I’m in Utah and no way he’ll lose, so no secret polls and anyway, how accurate would they be so far from the election? I’m sure there is an motive and it is probably nefarious I just don’t know what it could be.
Yarrow
@Corner Stone:
Me too. Rumor has it both Ryan and McConnell are on tape talking with the Russian ambassador about funneling Russian money through SuperPACs, or something along those lines. Nunes going to Ryan and Ryan’s defense of Nunes back this up somewhat. We’ll see what unfolds. It’s like a real life spy novel.
AdamK
Trump’s Russian handlers gave him some combination of bribe and blackmail–an offer he couldn’t refuse. That and he doesn’t really give a fuck and would rather have an easier job for more money. He’s tired of getting yelled at and pressured, just wants to be fat, rich and lazy.
Millard Filmore
@Corner Stone:
And then Trump says “pardons all around”. The constitutional crisis will begin. Will Congress impeach? Will the perps resign from Congress? Will this kill the Republican party, and where? I can see the former slave states maintain loyalty to Trump.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@West of the Rockies (been a while): Rumor has it the IC is in the process, but RUMINT ain’t indictments. And has been known to be wrong. A girl can dream, however.
Miss Bianca
@HeleninEire: luck of the…oh, never mind…have fun!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Miss Bianca: if the Russians had meaningful dirt on Wee Jasey, wouldn’t they want him to stay in office? I’m thinking Evan Mcmullen was focusing on that seat– there have been rumors that he was thinking about UT governor, which would make sense, I think, if his ultimate goal is the presidency. Govs tend to have less of a history of messy votes.
Yarrow
@HeleninEire: Have fun on your date! If it’s awful hope you at least get a good story from it.
joel hanes
they are doing all sorts of illegal things and they believe they won’t get caught.
Taking their cues in this from The Donald and Spawn, who flout numerous anti-corruption laws every single day, without giving it a thought, confident that they’re immune. It’s like those alt-right guys who organized the beat-down in Berkeley through social media, in plain sight of the rest of the world. MOTU is a hell of a drug, and seems to damage discretion early-on.
Goku
@Yarrow: Wouldn’t something like this coming out tear the country apart? The Republicans would be destroyed but then so would everyone else
Jim, Foolish Literalist
OT: FOX & friendsVerified account
makes sense if you think “War is Peace” makes perfect sense
dr. bloor
Eh. I’d just bet that Chaffetz has made his bones, and it’s time to move up the right-wing food chain to bigger bank.
Anonymous At Work
Betty,
I would phrase it as, “To quote the Pulitzer Prize Winner, ‘it’d be irresponsible…'” Drive the knife home and twist repeatedly.
Corner Stone
@West of the Rockies (been a while): From what I can put together, and granted it’s a hodgepodge mishmash from an array of reading, sources and my own interpretation, I think every IC in the civilized world has chunks of illegal activities by just about everyone in top GOP as well as Trump AND his entire family. I think GOP leadership would have survived if Trump had lost the election. But when he won, and felt the insane desire to try and discredit the IC before they started nailing him, the IC got pissed in a major hurry. The GOP leadership could have maybe held this off if they had loudly denounced Trump’s BS statements and supported the IC. But they couldn’t because they are all compromised and knew it.
I think law enforcement, specifically CI FBI side investigations are going to start rolling people up. If either a) I am completely wrong and just desperately hoping this is true or b) Something similar to what I said is true but nothing happens anyway – then we really are well and truly fucked.
Revrick
My guess is KS4 and GA6 plays a role.
Gin & Tonic
@AdamK:
There are worse goals in life.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
I was thinking Gilbert Gottfried should play him in any upcoming White House: The Series, but he’s not nearly punchable enough.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Goku: Which would please Putin to no end…
HeleninEire
@manyakitty: Yup. I actually joined an internet dating site. This is the first live date!
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: “Correct the world”? Christ.
Also, there’d better be a pr0n movie called “The Sword Stands Ready” by next week. This is America, dammit, we can do anything.
ETA: link is work safe.
HeleninEire
@Miss Bianca: LOL. Thanks
NotMax
Speculation?
We’ve seen the quid; have to wait until 2019 to discover what the cushy quo is.
HeleninEire
@Yarrow: I will report back!
Goku
@Thru the Looking Glass…: Maybe, but if I and millions of others in this country have anything to say about it, he will pay
comrade scotts agenda of rage
As a career Fed, I breathe a temporary sigh of relief that this asshole is leaving. Why? He’s been slobbering at the bit to gut the federal workforce. He’s done the same to every public sector on his way up the political food chain. With we Feds, he couldn’t until now because of Obama.
Yes, the Popular Vote Loser wants to dick over the feds as well but in order to do that, you need people in the House who know how to craft the legislation to bring that about (fucking Bush had plenty of people in the House to help him legislatively enact his “President’s Management Agenda” which was Bushcode for OUTSOURCE FUCKING EVERYTHING!). I know from experience that these efforts really can be personality driven so hopefully with this bastard on the outs, that’ll put a stall into things at least for a little while.
Yarrow
@Corner Stone: I’m thinking very similarly to you. I don’t think the GOP expected Trump to win and in the end he may destroy them, just as he destroys everything else he comes into contact with.
@Goku:
It may. Depends how it’s handled and how people react. If the depth and breadth of Russian manipulation and, as Adam Silverman says, “penetration at all levels” of our government is revealed then Americans may decide to fight back. The traitorous GOP will be destroyed. If people decide it’s all lies and decide to stand behind Trump and the GOP then who knows.
Major Major Major Major
Guys, he’s just retiring to spend more time with his money.
ArchTeryx
@HeleninEire: How about ‘Dea-fhortún’ instead? :-)
Corner Stone
I still contemplate the news that our IC relationships in Five Eyes felt strongly enough in 2015 to warn the US they were worried about Trump’s Russia connections. The whole IC world knew he was dirty, and that his family all were also too. And they were so fucking clumsy about it.
I will forever remain highly pissed about this nugget of news.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@HeleninEire: Enjoy!
Yarrow
@Corner Stone: It pisses me off too. It may turn out to be one of the Obama administration’s biggest failings.
David Anderson
@HeleninEire: go get you some or at least enjoy the coffee and conversation
RedDirtGirl
@HeleninEire: Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! That leaves you a lot of wiggle room!
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
@HeleninEire: Positive dating juju sent your way. Have fun!
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: I think it very likely will. His even-keel, institutionalist mindset worked very well for some things and very poorly when it came into contact with republicans.
chopper
he’s not running in ’18 cause he’s gonna run for governor in ’20.
Nelle
Our rep in Kansas, who was rumored to try to replace Brownback, announced her retirement at the end of this term. I think it is on to the lobbying gravy train for the both of them.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@comrade scotts agenda of rage:
Ain’t it just the damnedest thing how Republicans want to downsize all government jobs but their own and hate insurance for citizens but just love them some insurance for themselves?
PsiFighter37
He definitely banged someone who wasn’t his wife. Only reason you have ‘prayerful’ discussions.
ThresherK
@Yarrow: In any given scenario it’s worrisome how.good a bet “Republicans want to tear the country apart if they’re not in complete authority. And even then…” is.
Adam L Silverman
@Yarrow: @Miss Bianca: I have seen the rumors, including the ones that Ryan and McConnell were pressured (blackmailed) to oppose President Obama’s proposal to go public with a united Democratic and Republican leadership front to notify the American people last Fall before the election. At this stage it is all rumors and speculations based on people’s sources. We just can’t know.
I will, however, remind you that, as was reported back in December, the RNC, GOP members of Congress, Republican campaign organizations were also hacked – not just the Democrats. You’ll notice than other a couple of very small, very inconsequential items leaked in July, none of this material has ever been released or even offered for public release that anyone knows of. This news broke just after I had done a post that my real worst nightmare was that both parties, their organizations, politicians, and/or staffers had been hacked. But the Republican stuff has been sequestered for leverage purposes and that there was a two prongs to this part of the Russian strategy.
Lizzy L
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey hey, good-bye.
Quinerly
Spicer is more testy than usual.
Adam L Silverman
@HeleninEire: Good luck!
GregB
Chaffetz is in drag on the pee-pee tape.
That is as solidly sourced as Trump’s claims about Obama’s birth certificate, so you can run with it.
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: So, do kompromat possibilities make it more likely that a Republican pol would suddenly feel the call to retire from public life, or more likely that, as Jim FL as posited, that the Russians would dangle it over their heads to say, “stay put”?
I can’t believe I’m even asking this question. WASF.
GregB
You can see Nunes is a political dead man walking in his eyes.
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Goku: I certainly hope so… for quite a while, I’ve been calling Putin the World’s Most Successful Gangster… he just didn’t get rich off his scum bagging, he took over a country… and he didn’t just take over a country, he took over a country w/ a nuclear arsenal… the Mafia can only gawk in awe… so I keep reading he’s constantly into everyone else’s shit, every chance he gets… he meddles in all the W European democracies’ elections… he helps Assad bomb the living shit out of everything in sight in Syria… he’s like a hyper-active toddler on sugar… and for what? It’s been suggested he might be the richest man in the world, already, so what of actual value does he actually get by screwing w/ everyone else’s head so much?
Which is my way of saying, yes, I hope this does bit him on the ass…
manyakitty
@HeleninEire: Can’t wait to hear how it went!
Gravenstone
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: Just so you know, Piggly Wiggly is also a chain in Wisconsin. So not necessarily limited to the southern mindset. Although it can be argued that under Thompson then Walker, we’re closer to Alabama in mind these days.
Barbara
@Miss Bianca: I suspect that this is very transactional. They just want to know that when he is in power he will deliver what they most need from him. They don’t care if he sticks around. You don’t actually have to compromise that many people to get what you want when a system of government has as many impediments to action as ours does.
Corner Stone
Oh, if only HRC had won the election! Chaffetz would have been a RockStar Celebrity ™. He would have investigated the shit outta everything she ever said, anyplace she ever went, any feminine hygiene discussions she ever had with Chelsea or her lesbian lover Huma!
He would have been feted on every Sunday morning show and even more important, on Late Night Shows again and again. The whole world, including non-junkies, would have known him as a dynamic powerhouse for the forces of Good, Justice and The American Way! Take that bitch down! LOCK HER UP! LOCKHERUP!!
But now, so sad, so so sad. There’s nothing for him to investigate in a Trump WH. Nothing at all. It’s almost like he would be just another sweaty pig faced backbencher. Poor guy. Sad!
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman: Yeah, the RNC hack no doubt served up many delicious tidbits for the Russians to use as leverage.
Aimai
@Central Planning: yeah–a run for the gov would require some blah blah about how the next job will include some element of public service.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
I will admit to getting impatient and a bit worried about the IC dirt on Trump and his minions and enablers.
I don’t want to be a sucker for crap rumors, our version of “HRC is a lesbian who killed 27 people!” I’m sure some of the stories we hear are wishful thinking.
I know building a case takes time, but I sooo want to see these clowns disgraced, ruined, punished.
Tim C.
Yeah, no idea if this is smaller potatoes like an affair or some other limited thing that could/will come out in the near future and have no implications beyond him, or if this is him bailing before some really big thing comes down the pipe. No way it’s just political calculation though. Those announcements are more common within the year before the election. This is something different.
TenguPhule
78 in and nobody has speculated that he’s immigrating to Russia yet?
For shame!
TenguPhule
@Tim C.: If the affair was with another man, that would explain the sudden need to get out of the House before the news breaks. That’s brought down more then one Republican in Congress.
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
It has never been plausible that the Russians would only hack the DNC and Dem officials and candidates. As soon as we found out the DNC had been hacked I figured the RNC and GOP officials and candidates had been as well. That the Russians have decided not to release the material suggests to me that they are using it as leverage.
I wish this weren’t such a stressful and dangerous situation so we could more fully appreciate how fascinating this is.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Adam L Silverman:
Ultimately though, Adam, isn’t the hacked DNC material pretty tepid, terrible only to wingnuts?
Should we assume the RNC stuff is radioactive?
jacy
@HeleninEire:
Best of luck with the date! I met my significant other via a dating site (he was the fourth guy I went out with) and we have been together nearly two years. He’s a keeper. Whether this one is or not, hope you have fun!
TenguPhule
@West of the Rockies (been a while): RNC are trading kiddy pron on their emails. Its the only logical explanation.
Elizabelle
@HeleninEire: Exciting news. Hope the guy is wonderful company.
Elizabelle
@PsiFighter37:
Good point. The “prayerful” is another last refuge of a scoundrel.
hueyplong
Chaffetz is only three months into his term. The desire to go into the private sector seems to be of the sudden-onset variety and, as mentioned above, possibly related to his server.
Somewhere Hilz is laughing, however ruefully.
Tim C.
@West of the Rockies (been a while): Two different kinds of radioactive. There’s the more “political” kind, where for example they openly admit the way they exploit the god botherers and other bigots, or possibly open discussions about the falseness of the whole voting fraud fraud. There’s also the more “Criminal” kind where direct and obvious lawbreaking is involved.
Elizabelle
Also, “pig-faced baby.”
Har har har. Good on Betty.
Can’t be slander, because eyes would say, it’s a true possibility.
Raoul
@Central Planning:
And if the US House flips in ’18, which a man like Chafetz can grasp from the recent KS & GA news, Nancy Smash will gleefully endorse every House committee opening dozens of investigations of their ‘friends’ in the GOP.
trollhattan
@Quinerly:
Uh…he now goes to 11?
artem1s
standard GOP projection suggests Jason is headed for a dee-vorce or covering up for some personal scandal. Or perhaps the full support of ZEGS suggests the Freedum Caucus has decided to primary him from the looney right. He did fail in his primary mission in taking out Hillary w/o showing the GOP’s hand. He drew too much attention to the man behind the curtain and now he must go.
Elmo
Here’s what I don’t get. I’m hoping somebody smarter than me (low bar!) can set me straight.
People like John Schindler (@20committee) and others on Twitter have been talking about how the FBI and the CI community in general have all these threads to pull, and all these leads to follow, and all this evidence that’s building, and how it’s only a matter of time before it all comes out. Other nations have given us juicy stuff too.
There will be indictments, and resignations, and all this wonderful and exciting stuff.
But aren’t the FBI and the Intel and CounterIntel community all part of the Executive Branch? So what happens when they do get to the “final outcome?” Isn’t that usually presenting the materials to the Justice Department? So the Justice Department, headed by Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, says “That’s nice, boys. Now go bust some heads at California medical pot shops, we’ll take it from here.”
What’s the best-case endgame on this that doesn’t end up disappearing just because the President is the one in charge?
The Moar You Know
Wow, this sad, sad thread. Anyone remember any of these things?
Jason Leopold
“Fitzmas”
Rove to be frog-marched from the White House
What do they have in common?
They were all three of them bullshit.
Stop doing this to yourselves, guys. There is no cavalry coming to the rescue.
tobie
When did “prayerful” become a legitimate word? The first time–and what I had hoped would be the only time–I heard the word was when Sarah Palin said she was leaving the governor’s office after “prayerful consideration.” That and “impactful” are two of my most hated words.
Elizabelle
@The Moar You Know: Who is Jason Leopold?
Juju
Chaffetz always struck me as being more of a burrowing rodent face or a bat face.
Betsy
@Suzan: He could be working with his party to clear the decks for anotehr candidate. It seems like it’s way ahead of time, but not really, with the election cycle being as long as it is, plus the need to get a front-row contender lined up with the usual R solidarity
Elie
@Yarrow:
My thought is that there will be immense pressure from numerous sources to clear the corruption. A whole lot of folks have been screwed. This is a feature not just with the Russian link but all the way down the food chain in the Republican Party but may spread elsewhere as well into Democrats or even, “gasp” Saint Bernie and his acolytes. Might it tear our country apart? Maybe, but we may need to be cleansed. Who knows, right? I truly believe that the rot goes deep and because it is so widespread, will result in many many surprises, good and bad over the next years.
rikyrah
Good riddance to that creep.
Adam L Silverman
@Miss Bianca: My internet is back up!
I have no idea.
Donna
My bet is he’s running for Hatch’s seat or Governor.
burnspbesq
@Elmo:
That is the issue, isn’t it. Every time I hear someone say “But Sessions recused himself,” i don’t know whether to laugh or vomit.
Adam L Silverman
@West of the Rockies (been a while): It’s 33. Please stay current with the most recent tallies.
trollhattan
I will leave y’all with a thought: Orrin Hatch’s seat is up in 2018. Orrin Hatch is 83.
misterpuff
He does look like Clancy Wiggam, with less brains and charisma.
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: I do not know. It may not be what they have, but what the Republicans in question think was taken. And there is a lot of money, thanks to Citizens United, from foreign sources now flowing through PACS and SuperPACs and other sources into campaigns. And a lot of that can be tracked back to the Russians, the Chinese, and a variety of other problematic state and non-state actors. Remember, Senator McConnell got his patron at the time, the Senator he worked for, to make his DD 214 to disappear. It has been long rumored as to why McConnell was really separated from the Army during boot camp. You don’t have to actually have the real DD 214, all you have to be able to do is take the form and mock one up in a way that looks convincing. By the time the “the kerning isn’t right” people jump in it will be too late. Remember, compromising material does not have to be actual, factual material. It can be fabricated. It can be a mix of real and fabricated.
Uncle Cosmo
@Central Planning:
Or that Steiner’s on his way with the calvary [sic!]. Wonder who’ll get the Mein Fuehrer… line.
Adam L Silverman
@West of the Rockies (been a while): Yes and I have no idea. Remember, compromising material does not have to be actual, factual material. It can be fabricated. It can be a mix of real and fabricated.
Gravenstone
@trollhattan: Hatch was allegedly trying to get Mittens to run for his seat. Quickly did an about face and claimed Trump was encouraging him to run for reelection. How that might play into Chaffetz’s decisions is unclear.
Ryan
I think there must be some evidence that heis connected to the Russia story. Not the pee hookers part, the whole throwing the election and trwason parts.
Adam L Silverman
@hueyplong: It is important to remember that he uses a gmail address for official business. It is on his business card. And that he did so through, at least, 2015.
http://www.snopes.com/2016/07/07/rep-jason-chaffetzs-business-card-surfaces-during-comey-hearing/
Mnemosyne
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Fix’d, because I still run into morons who whine that the Wikileaks emails proved that the DNC hated Wilmer all along and so it was worth losing the election to Trump to know that. Because their fee-fees are more important than facts, logic, and not ending up in three more stupid wars.
HeleninEire
Date liveblog!! So far so good. Was not too sure at first. He said he was 59. Nuh uh. But still he’s sweet and interesting. So, YAY.
Adam L Silverman
@Elmo: AG Sessions has recused himself. The CI Task Force is completely compartmented and reports directly to Director Comey. The House Committee has been fritzed up by Nunes, but the Senate one is chugging along properly. And, good, bad, or otherwise, the IC, as well as our allied and partner nations’ ICs can and will continue to leak as necessary to achieve the intended effect. The leak about AG Sessions meetings and calls with Kislyak, and his subsequent perjured testimony about it, was a warning shot. It had the desired effect: AG Sessions was smart enough to recuse himself.
This is unlikely to be quick or clean or tidy or neat. And we have no real ID what the CI folks have and are looking at. We are all working off of open source reporting and records and reports about selective leaks.
Miss Bianca
@Mnemosyne: I’m realizing more and more that FB doesn’t appear to be good for my blood pressure, because all the Wilmer-bot “Hillary was so terrible” BS that I keep seeing from lefty friends is really elevating it. I know that I *should not engage*, but it’s like the trolls here…apparently, I can’t resist…
trollhattan
@Gravenstone: As weird as it makes me feel to type this, Mittens would be an improvement over Hatch. But cripes, these folks also have an expiration date and remaining (and remaining and remaining) in your senate seat until you’re 90 is both nuts and likely not terribly beneficial to your constituents. I include DiFi with the sentiment, even if she’s orders of magnitude preferable to ol’ Orrin. So’s my can opener.
Adam L Silverman
@HeleninEire: Maybe he’s using base 8 math to calculate his age?
SWMBO
@Elmo: There will be no indictments. For one thing, Comey is still in charge of the FBI. There will regrettably be insufficient evidence to prosecute. Have you people forgotten when Turnip called Comey over right after the inauguration? Comey practically fell on his knees and blew Tangerine Turd for the cameras. He’s NOT going to go after any GOP. Basically it’s up to the IC and they have to get enough out there to take down all of them at once. Orange Orangatan will pardon everyone and we’ll all sing kumbaya. Remember HW pardoning Weinberger and the Iran Contra criminals? Remember Scooter Libby? Ford pardoning Nixon (for the good of the country)?They will not be prosecuted and if it looks like they will be, they’ll get a get out of jail free card from the WH. They do it every fucking time.
Mnemosyne
@HeleninEire:
Heh. When I did Internet dating, I once had a much, much younger guy show up — I was 30, he was 19. I like ’em young, but not THAT young.
But my now-husband was the 14th guy I met for coffee, so these things can work out if you’re patient. Good luck!
Elie
@Miss Bianca:
Miss B, you have read about how the internet, esp Facebook has become a place for trolls. Not people who necessarily even believe what they are typing — but the act of trolling — of being immensely offensive and cruel even is now “fun” to some people. FourChan is one example but I heard a very troubling interview on Ira Glasser’s This American Life way back in January and the interviewee was a young gal who was celebrating Trump’s election because he was a troll and that trolling was an end in itself, devoid of any values beyond being outrageous, mean.. This group had a “Director of Mean” — Again — Facebook and other social media seem to be the outlet for a population of completely alienated and disaffected folks who enjoy disruption, cruelty and lying for the sake of outrageousness. It fucks with your head to engage these folks. I frankly stay away….
Goku
@SWMBO: I believe the game has changed. A foreign dictator has influenced our government and could conceivably do so again. Trump is Trump. That’s the primary factor that is going to influence people’s hatred of him and the Republicans and blow this thing wide open. People are seeing for the first time who they truly are, and this will not go away or be forgotten.
If the evidence gets out there and it is irrefutable and nothing happens, Americans will take to the streets. There won’t be enough cops or secret service in the country to protect them
manyakitty
@HeleninEire: Good!
Iowa Old Lady
@Elmo: A friend of mine who works in the field asks the same question. When I babbled about indictments, they said they can’t see it coming with Trump as president and Sessions as AG.
SWMBO
@Goku: I hope you’re right. But history has a way of repeating itself here and the pattern suggests bitter cynicism. Not trying to bust any Balloon (Juice) here but until they are fitted with orange jumpsuits to match the skin tone, I’m not holding my breath.
3Jane Tessier-Ashpool (a/k/a Lorinda Pike)
@Yarrow: And I don’t like living in a real-life spy novel any more than I’d like living in a dystopian novel, no matter what my nym indicates… ;-D
Iowa Old Lady
@HeleninEire: Excellent! My son and DIL met through internet dating and have been married 11 years. Not that that’s the only goal.
Roger Moore
@Miss Bianca:
The question is who is doing the threatening. The Russians would almost certainly want somebody like Chaffetz to stay put where he could keep helping them. OTOH, if an investigator here in the US had some evidence against him and was trying to get him to flip on the rest of the gang, they might demand he retire quietly as part of whatever deal they cut with him.
Uncle Cosmo
@Adam L Silverman: Miz Lindseh seems to have changed tunes rather abruptly, doncha think? Think there’s any chance some lower-level flunky in the Cyrillic world with a name ending in “OB” or “CKИЙ” or “ИH” was ordered to, um, discreetly send over a чуть (smidgeon) of “Southron kompromat“‘ all set to come a-crashin’ down on the Senator from SC if said SSC doesn’t get with the pogrom [sic]?
kindness
I assume there are pics of Chaffetz in bed with either a live boy or a dead girl (or both those skanky Republicans).
Roger Moore
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Wingnuts of both the left and right variety. IMO, its greatest importance was dampening the enthusiasm of the purity ponies rather than firing up the right.
I expect there’s some clearly illegal stuff in it. One of the dogs that didn’t bark in the DNC hack was coordination between the DNC and SuperPACs. It’s hard for me to imagine that the RNC was clean in that department.
HeleninEire
@Adam L Silverman: your PHD is showing!
ET
As a resident of the District of Columbia…. GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH and DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOUR ASS ON THE WAY OUT……
I am sure he will try and do something to inflict himself on Utah voters (run for governor) or be back at a new position (Senate) but I don’t care.
MazeDancer
@Corner Stone:
So, true. The media’s new Jason the Strong Darling.
Sometimes, in moments of despair for the US and how 70K conned people in the Rust Belt prevented Hillary from claiming her victory for us all, I remind myself how Chaffetz would have his own live FB feed of the 24/7 Investigation TV lying attack on Hillary. It would have been impossibly terrible. It would never stop until some liar “got her”.
Today, I am also reminded the FBI agents in NYC who blackmailed Comey into writing the Tank Hillary letter must be friends of Chaffetz. Because Comey used Chaffetz and vice versa to release the letter. Maybe FBI friends gave Chaffetz a heads up to get out now for some reason? Make himself a less juicy target?
Uncle Cosmo
@Lizzy L: You left out a “hey”. /lyrics pedant :^p
Betsy
@tobie: It’s an old, old, and very legitimate word, but when used by politicians and in public, it just smacks of self-serving, pietistic preening and pharisaical pride. <– another good old word. PHARISAICAL mmmmmm.
Speaking of good old words and phrases, some one of the front-pagers on here used the expression "whited sepulchre" a few days ago. +1.
clay
@Adam L Silverman: But 9 can’t be a digit in base-8 math…
dollared
@HeleninEire: Have a good time. Make sure he tells you his story. Worst case, he’ll end up as a character in your novel…..
ruemara
@HeleninEire: Girl, sending the positive love vibes your way. On your way back, send me an adorable man in a kilt. Bonus points for red hair.
I eagerly await the next scalp and I sincerely hope it’s for multiple heads.
Elie
Adam:
OT but do you have any idea what happened about the USS Carl Vinson and its obviously NOT going to Korea although Trump and his crew said that for a week? What gives, or what do you think gives?
Adam L Silverman
@Uncle Cosmo: They don’t need to. His rivals in SC routinely threaten to release it if he doesn’t toe the line on the issues they want.
TenguPhule
@Goku:
The problem is which side a lot of them are going to be on.
The RWNJ don’t care about truth or justice. They just want their way to be the only American way.
And if it means going all in to fascist territory, they’ll do so guns blazing.
Adam L Silverman
@clay: Hence my lack of a PhD in math is showing. I just though it sounded sort of wonky and threw it in.
ruemara
@Adam L Silverman: Yours is the most sensible analysis (unsurprising). Republicans sold America out decades ago. They do everything they accuse everyone else of doing. They are the weakest link and can be bent or broken with minimal effort. And if you didn’t notice that the leaks were tightly focused on the Dems, despite both parties being hacked, you weren’t paying attention.
Adam L Silverman
@Elie: Maybe I do, maybe I don’t…
Actually I’m going to post on that tonight. Short answer of what I think happened: the USPACOM Commander ordered the change. No one actually bothered to read the damn Fragmentary Order (FRAGO) for the details to see when the change in mission would take place. This failure was then facilitated by their being no Service Secretaries or under, deputy, assistant deputy, deputy assistant secretaries, directors, deputy directors, and special assistants at each Service and the DOD. There is SecDef Mattis, whichever Trump Campaign loyalists were on the DOD landing team, and then the career civilian and uniformed personnel. This has created a significant strategic communication issue, which I’ll also address in the post.
TenguPhule
@Elie: I posted a link to the story on that.
Short version, Trump lied and fooled the media.
Carrier group not heading to Korea till NEXT MONTH. Its still off Australia.
Adam L Silverman
@ruemara: Zee money! Follow zee money!
TenguPhule
@Adam L Silverman:
Nobody could have predicted that not filling all those recently vacated positions would cause any problems! Who could have known?
Adam L Silverman
@TenguPhule: Did you get my email?
Adam L Silverman
@TenguPhule: ?
Suzanne
@AdamK:
In his (very, very mild) defense, these are my life goals at the moment. With the addition of the Oxford comma.
Mnemosyne
@Roger Moore:
Yeah, funny how that worked out, huh? I’m sure it was just another weird coincidence that Russian-financed Wikileaks just happened to release emails that seemed to confirm everything that Wilmer’s fans already suspected.
Nothing to see here, comrade, move along …
clay
@Adam L Silverman:
High school math teacher: 1
PhD intelligence expert: 0
(I think I’ll call this game while I’m ahead…)
Adam L Silverman
@clay: I cede the field to you.
Miss Bianca
@Elie: Ms. E, I’m starting to fear that I could BECOME one of those Mean Trolls…yeah, I think I’m gonna have to stay away.
Mnemosyne
@ruemara:
Sorry, did I hear you ask for men in kilts doing yoga?
Elie
@Adam L Silverman:
Thanks! I look forward your post….
Suzanne
@jacy:
I’m glad to hear that you found someone who treated you better than the last clown.
Elie
@TenguPhule:
This was a relatively minor thing now, but it doesn’t take much to realize that this could lead to some real catastrophic outcomes — Sheesh — what a bunch of nincompoops!
PS — Trump didn’t “lie” per se. To lie, you have to be aware of the truth and Trump almost never is. He was “delusional” maybe?
J R in WV
@Millard Filmore:
There is the trick!!
How to keep Trump from issuing pardons for all these other Republicans? Maybe the old political bulls will piss Trump off so much he wouldn’t pardon them if they belched?
Maybe the Intelligence Community will release enough factual data about Trump first, to force his impeachment, and then in mid-trial, indict all the other people they have cold on tape? That sounds good to me. Pence, Ryan, McConnell, Chaffetz Nunes, all indicted for tinkering around with foreign bribes, etc – in the middle of Trump’s Impeachment trial… ummm, good.
Probably not a reasonable expectation, but a guy can hope, right!
ETA: Typos, etc.
ETA2: Back in the hot type day of newspaper printing, there were drawers of type, big letters, called “Second Coming Fonts”. These were used for Pearl Harbor, D-Day, the Kennedy Murder, etc. We haven’t seen the like lately, but maybe we will soon????
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
.
Central Planning
@clay: Your digits could be 2-9, but that would really fuck with people on top of being octal.
Central Planning
@J R in WV: Why would Trump pardon them at all? If he pardons them, they can sing like canaries. There’s nobody to pardon Trump. And if Trump thinks that by pardoning everyone there won’t be impeachment hearings, I bet that would happen when the next elections happen.
J R in WV
@Central Planning:
Well thought out. If he tells them to hang silent, that he will pardon them when and as necessary? Very complex…
TenguPhule
@Adam L Silverman: Will check for it.
pk
OT, anyone seen this info from Maddow on DOD weirdness? or have any speculations on what this was about?
kevin
Betty, I am really enjoying your new-found freedom of expression : ) But I have to ask, how many decades have you been suppressing and internalizing such well-spoken anger and outrage??