Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

You cannot shame the shameless.

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

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

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

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

How stupid are these people?

Fight them, without becoming them!

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

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Rooting for Injuries Open Thread: Mitch McConnell vs. Trump

Rooting for Injuries Open Thread: Mitch McConnell vs. Trump

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There’s at least one Repub happy about Friday’s news TrumpDump, and that person is the Senate Majority Leader, who has been given a respite to retreat into his shell. At TPM, Josh Marshall says “Trump Is Killing McConnell in Kentucky”:

…McConnell is down at 18% approval. But Trump has a 60% approval rating in the state. If voters are upset with McConnell’s dogged efforts to repeal Obamacare, why is Trump doing so well? Or is it that McConnell failed to repeal Obamacare? And Good Lord, how can Mitch McConnell have a 74% disapproval rating?…

… McConnell appears to be getting hit badly on multiple fronts. He’s clearly taking a hit from those who opposed the effort to get rid of Kynect/Obamacare, a group which includes a lot of Republicans. But he’s also taking a big hit as the guy who failed to deliver repeal for Trump and the GOP. He’s getting it from both sides. The latter is intensified greatly by the fact that Trump has been repeatedly attacking McConnell and suggesting he should be replaced.

Remember, this is a very red and a very pro-Trump state. Trump had his 5th highest margin of any state in Kentucky – 62.52%. His ‘brand’ has been able to sail above his support for a bill that Kentuckians strongly opposed. This makes sense in a lot of ways. Trump is more a political brand than a set of policy proposals. And legislative leaders always take more hits for unpopular legislation. But it’s not hard to see an ominous pattern here for Republicans: Trump’s legislative failures end up causing negative responses on both sides of the political spectrum – both for what he was trying to accomplish and for having failed to accomplish it. Meanwhile, Trump’s reaction to these failures is often to attack the legislative leaders who carried the water for him in the first place. That is a rough combination…

Reader Interactions

124Comments

  4. 4.

    Villago Delenda Est

    “Foie-gras eating”?

    Mitch? Come on now, Faux fuckwits. He might not be mainlining pork rinds, but tiger shrimp are not all that elite.

  5. 5.

    Jeffro

    That tweet from The Hill…oh, ouch!

    Let’s face it, Republicans: Trumpov’s actually more popular in your party than you are, but he’s extremely unappealing to the country as a whole. You have no good choices here, so why not parachute out on principle, rather than ride this self-damaged, flaming, unfit, traitorous loser of a president* all the way down?

    (Oh right, your big donors own you and you’ve been lying to your voters for decades…I forgot)

  10. 10.

    clay

    Turtle isn’t up for re-election until 2020, so he’s more than likely going to be able to ride the Trump-nado out. But it would be the most delicious of ironies if he actually lost his job because of Trump.

  12. 12.

    Mnemosyne

    Because I stopped watching “Game of Thrones” about midway through season 3, I didn’t realize that “bend the knee” was a reference to that until I got an ad from Cost Plus saying they have a new GoT-themed beer by that name.

    Now I think the dudebros in the dirtbag left are even bigger morons since they’re apparently using a fictional TV show about magic and dragons as their guide for how to better run a democracy.

  13. 13.

    Fair Economist

    @clay: Turtle’s problem will be that he’ll be up for election when Trump is. So if Trump’s not out the Trumpnado will still be on, indeed possibly at a peak. If Trump’s out he’ll have a different set of problems, at least as bad.

  14. 14.

    Fair Economist

    @Mnemosyne:

    Now I think the dudebros in the dirtbag left are even bigger morons since they’re apparently using a fictional TV show about magic and dragons as their guide for how to better run a democracy.

    Sound like about the reality level I’d expect from them.

  15. 15.

    schrodingers_cat

    Two dinners with company, two nights in a row is too much for me. No idea when I became such a hermit. Why can’t RL peeps be as smart and snarky as BJers?

    ETA: What does one do with a dinner guest who thinks David Brooks is more insightful than Paul Krugman. This person is a Democrat and hates T.

  16. 16.

    Jeffro

    Mitch is 75…which is fine, and I get that having & wielding power is appealing, but…what kind of sicko would want to be dealing with this kind of crap at age 75? He should be on a beach somewhere, enjoying life and making sure his big ol’ turtle neck tans up evenly.

  18. 18.

    jl

    Those weirdo righty groups called off their three SF Bay area demonstrations this weekend. I can’t find much info on what they are, or do, other than hold fake protests. I think they are alt-right trolling outfits.

    Anyone know about Patriot Prayer?
    They have a facebook page which is mainly announcements of stuff that they are stirring up. Maybe they are just goofballs.
    They seem to hold demonstrations about very vague notions and then, funny enough, some weird shit happens and then they yell that local authorities didn’t protect them from commie and antifa thugs.

    Patriot Prayer has been acting and talking increasingly weird this week.
    They cancelled their demonstration at Crissy Field, and said they would hold a press conference at Alamo Square, then the news said they cancelled that. Which apparently left the counter protesters to wander through the streets looking for them.

    First they said that the SF Mayor and supes were dumb ignorant dweebs who said dumb stuff about them, which I didn’t mind since I kind of agree.
    Then they said they were scared of the bad fascists and Nazi that the local media and pols encouraged to come out.
    Then they said security agreements weren’t good (which is false).
    Just heard some of them yelling nonsense about local authorities leaving them at the mercy of hordes of violent antifa and black bloc thugs, and their good name is being slandered. Totally unhinged false BS. I guess they gradually ramp up the trolling.

    Last I heard the counter protesters were wandering down Hayes wondering what what going on.

  19. 19.

    Ruckus

    @Jerzy Russian:
    You are going to have to be more specific than that.
    Christ, what an asshole covers a rather large segment of the population. Republican politicians – office holders and not, a good percentage of the media – print and tv, a large percentage of the uber wealthy…… See what I mean, a large segment.

  20. 20.

    jl

    @Jeffro: I wonder that too. And they all look older than that. McConnell looks older than 75, actually like he is ready to keel over. Yet he can’t let it go. Graham looks bloated unhealthy and older than 58 or 59.

    So they look old and wrecked up for their age, and I wonder why they keep on.

    Same goes for some Democratic Congress critters too, to be honest. Dingell showed good sense to retire and spend some time on his talent at tweeting.

    It’s a free country though, so if they want to run and I’m tired of them, it’s my job as a citizen to support someone who can beat them.

  22. 22.

    Soprano2

    Trump is coming to my city on Wednesday. I’m waiting to see when and where he is going to speak to decide whether to go to the protest. I might have to take off work if I go. I’m sure his adoring crowd will be large because this is some Trump-loving country. I only hope there is no violence.

  23. 23.

    Jay S

    What’s with the bow tie reference? I’ve only seen one picture (in a tux) and everything else appears to be standard ties or none at all.

  29. 29.

    jl

    Even if things get so bad that Congress goes after Trump they won’t include it in the charges, for what I think are obvious reasons, but….

    Madison at Virginia Constitutional Ratifying Convention:
    ” If the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds tp believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they [I assume Madison means Senate here] can remove him if found guilty.. ”

    Trump asked Sessions about closing case against Arpaio, an ally since ‘birtherism’
    washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-asked-sessions-about-closing-case-against-arpaio-an-ally-since-bir…

  32. 32.

    Frankensteinbeck

    McConnell is very good at winning elections when Kentucky hates him, but I admit this is a bit much. It will be forgotten by 2020, though. He may be hated for different reasons by then!

  40. 40.

    Amaranthine RBG

    @jl:

    I think you’re right – I don’t think there is any real meat to Patriot Prayer or whatever they call themselves. I suspect that they cancelled the Chrissy Field event because they figured out that turnout was going to be so low. We went over to Alamo Square – a number of counter protestors and gawkers but no real Nazi presence. We ended up going over to Delores Park and there was a solid turnout of counter protestors but its going to be crowded there anyway.

    I have to say I was surprised. Every year some “pro-life” nuts manage to get a couple of thousand people show up in SF to have a parade/protest, so I thought that the Nazi would have had a much better turnout.
    SAD!

  41. 41.

    Mnemosyne

    Oh, and one last question before we head down to South Bay to have dinner with my BFF and her husband — what’s the deal with people who put a rose emoji in their Twitter handles and why am I supposed to hate them? I think I missed something the other day.

  42. 42.

    tobie

    @jl:

    So they look old and wrecked up for their age, and I wonder why they keep on.

    Same goes for some Democratic Congress critters too, to be honest.

    Seriously? I saw Nancy Pelosi live at a rally in July and she looked fabulous, as did the always radiant Kamala Harris. The two dinosaurs in the caucus seem to be DiFi, who is in good shape for an 84-year-old, and Patrick Leahy, who has lost his former sharpness. I’m trying to think of who else looks worse for wear.

  45. 45.

    dexwood

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:
    My 89 tear old neighbor has a 95 year old tortoise she inherited from her father. He’s more attractive and smarter than McConnell. I have 36 rescue box turtles in my backyard and always feel troubled by Mitch’s association to turtles. They have far more integrity.

  47. 47.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mnemosyne:

    Because I stopped watching “Game of Thrones” about midway through season 3, I didn’t realize that “bend the knee” was a reference to that until I got an ad from Cost Plus saying they have a new GoT-themed beer by that name.

    GoT may use the phrase, but it’s hardly original with them. The Gondoliers, by Gilbert & Sullivan, written in 1889, has a well-known chorus which has the lyric: “Then hail, o king / Whichever you may be / To you we sing / But do not bend the knee.” And it was something of a cliché then.

  51. 51.

    Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)

    @Mnemosyne: Only the specific phrase; the overall political mindset is really just your basic authoritarianism where simple statements of ideology act just like Purple Man’s pheromones and “kneel before Zod” and calling people “gaytards” is considered a legitimate form of persuasion.

  53. 53.

    jl

    @tobie: i agree, I didn’t mean to say that the oldster Dems don’t look bloated and tottery. But I was just saying, even for them, life is short, so why put up with that BS for so long? Nothing wrong with the people you mention, but yeesh, why? Just from my common sense human perspective.

    And I do get a little nervous not seeing more younger newer people growing up in the ranks. I am a Kamala fan, though.

  54. 54.

    jl

    @jl:Meant to type “I didn’t mean to say that the oldster Dems look bloated and tottery. ”

    Stray ‘don’t’ got in there somehow.

  55. 55.

    Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)

    @Mnemosyne: No, it’s almost certainly a consciously-adopted catchphrase.
    @Jay S: It’s the symbol of the Democratic Socialists of America (who probably voted overwhelmingly for Wilmer but aren’t necessarily BernieBros). Its association with left-derp is strictly an example of Sturgeon’s Law in action.

    ? (which originates from this tweet and was adopted by some of the rose types when Al Giordano confused the reference with sodomy), OTOH, is an almost certain indicator of an asshat Trü Lëft douche.

  56. 56.

    SenyorDave

    Trump has a 60% approval rating!!! I’d be shocked if he got that high an approval rating from his cabinet. Or his family, for that matter. It’s scary to realize that one factor that probably is in play is McConnell isn’t racist enough for the whites in Kentucky. Trump fits the bill perfectly for most white Kentuckians – a racist, ignorant piece of garbage.

  57. 57.

    Anne Laurie

    @Mnemosyne:

    what’s the deal with people who put a rose emoji in their Twitter handles and why am I supposed to hate them? I think I missed something the other day.

    Officially, for the DSA, Democratic Socialists of America (‘bread & roses’). Unofficially, the Sandernistas/dudebros/#alt-leftists signalling to each other that they’ll be true to the #NeverDems core even while whining loudly about how we must permit them to reshape the party if we are to survive.

  58. 58.

    jl

    @Amaranthine RBG: I’ve passed by the annual pro life demonstrations in SF several times. They manage to hold a big and robust protest without a bunch of liberal commies and antifa thugs causing trouble or beating them up. There are plenty of counter protesters, but I don’t ever remember any trouble.

    The Patriot Prayer goofballs are on the radio talking like they barely escaped with their lives. Asinine BS.

  60. 60.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I suppose it would be in bad taste to tell my only joke about Kentucky? If a married couple in Kentucky gets a divorce, are they still legally brother and sister?

    Apologies in advance.

  62. 62.

    Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)

    @Anne Laurie: I noticed that “alt left” had about three wildly different definitions: A fairly small coterie of self-IDing leftists distinguished by overt, fairly unambiguous racism (re: Lee Fang, Zaid Jilani, Michael Tracey) [as used on LGM]; a synonym for left-purity obsessives (Twitterverse); and “basically the further-left & antifa” (wingnuts, especially Hannity) – complicating this is that they all came into being at around the same time. At any rate, Trump’s recent use of “alt left” indicates that it should be retired for good, and “purity wanker”/”dirtbag” cover the second meaning sufficiently.

  65. 65.

    Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)

    @Baud: A group.

    I still think that “alt-left” satisfactorily describes the Tracey-Fang-Jilani types (and only those types), but the closest thing I can think of as a substitute is herrenvolk leftism. Any suggestions, of is the whole group too niche to merit a name?

  67. 67.

    WaterGirl

    @Jeffro: Good thing you replied, because Baud is ignoring my joke. If any of you guys on Twitter see Baud tweeting about disavowing WaterGirl – I” have no idea who invited her, I didn’t even know she was going to be here” – let me know? thanks.

  68. 68.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    imagine the endless “dems in disarray” articles if Pelosi or Schumer had an 18% approval rating in their districts.

    yet the turtle has never passed anything in his 33 years in the senate, but he’s still hailed by the “liberal media” as a master legislator.

  71. 71.

    hellslittlestangel

    Kentuckians love The Orange Better One because of all the coal-mining jobs he’s brought back? They must be trying to wrest the Dumbest Dumbfucks In America title from Alabama.

  72. 72.

    Anne Laurie

    @Baud: CNN accepts DSA as a ‘real party’, for what that’s worth. There was something at the recent Netroots Nation about them celebrating the “great accomplishment” of signing up 25,000 members nationwide — which, as actual Democrats pointed out, is the voting turnout for a single district in many urban strongholds.

  78. 78.

    Anne Laurie

    @Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):

    At any rate, Trump’s recent use of “alt left” indicates that it should be retired for good, and “purity wanker”/”dirtbag” cover the second meaning sufficiently.

    I personally feel that ‘alt-left’ as a general term serves the same use as ‘alt-right’ — good shorthand unless you need to dissect a particular incident/argument.

    I’ll probably get yelled at for this analogy, but it’s kinda like “cancer”: there’s a whole bunch of different diseases subsumed under that diagnosis, but when someone asks why you’re so upset about a loved one’s illness, it’ll do for a shorthand.

  80. 80.

    Chet Murthy

    @dexwood: I know I’m objectively despicable for thinking this, but the first thought that went thru my mind on reading your comment was: “you saved 36 victims from the dread fate of marriage to John Cornyn!”

  83. 83.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    The Washington Post:

    The president asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions whether it would be possible for the government to drop the criminal case against Arpaio, but was advised that would be inappropriate, according to three people with knowledge of the conversation.

    conspiracy to obstruct justice – count [insert number here]

  87. 87.

    MomSense

    Just went out to a dive bar for a drink. It’s been a day. The Maine accents were wicked and so were the stories.

  88. 88.

    WaterGirl

    @MomSense: When I was going “home” a lot when my dad was sick, sometimes I would take myself out to dinner just to have some stress-free time to recharge again. Not saying that’s what you were doing, but when I read your comment, that’s the memory it triggered.

    How’s your dad doing? How’s your mom holding up? And you?

  89. 89.

    hellslittlestangel

    @Baud: Good point, but don’t sell Kentucky short. I could see them primarying McConnell with an actual box turtle.

  90. 90.

    ET

    I honestly think a big part of McConnell’s problem is McConnell. Not that the Healthcare thing and Trump blathering hasn’t contributed to unpopularity but I think he was having problems long before Trump showed up. The deep red of Kentucky papered over problems – wasn’t his last reelection closer than it should have been. I have no sympathy. He is reaping the whirlwind now.

  91. 91.

    Quinerly

    @MomSense:
    I’m a connoisseur of dive bars.? My Sunday Morning Coming Down breakfast group is in dire need of one. We had a great biker bar with $5.00 full breakfast and $2.00 Bloody Marys. The owners had a falling out and it closed. Our waitress moved up the street and we moved with her (our group sometimes hits 30 in number). I pulled the plug on that place about a month ago…same deals, same cook, same waitress….the young female owner was clearing our table in her halter top (yes, I know). Big old Confederate Battle Flag tattoo on her back. I made a stink (we had started there in January, she was wearing more clothes) and we all left. Now we are looking for another dive bar. I know a lot but none of them have breakfast. SAD!

  92. 92.

    Steve in the ATL

    @jl:

    Champion ham goes for $325,000 at Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast and Auction

    Perhaps I’ve been an urban elite for too long, but…WTF?

  94. 94.

    Anne Laurie

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Perhaps I’ve been an urban elite for too long, but…WTF?

    It’s a bluegrass high-status symbol, like racing Thoroughbreds or having a boutique winery on one’s estate. Not about the worth of a comestible, but about signalling that one is enough of a group member to understand why such a comestible would be esteemed so valuable — and, of course, wealthy enough to piss away that much money on something so objectively ephemeral.

    (TBF, as Quinnerly points out, the money goes to “charity”. But if it weren’t about the status publicity, the lucky winner could just’ve called in the media and handed over the check directly.)

  96. 96.

    Quinerly

    @Steve in the ATL: @Anne Laurie:
    I’m from the South. I appreciate a good ham…whether it be smoked, country, or corned. (although my last corned one from the Piggly Wiggly in Winterville, NC was a bit disappointing.)I do love a good ham hock with my collards (before the frost strikes them) while we are on the subject….

  98. 98.

    Brachiator

    @WaterGirl:

    I think alt-right and alt-left are bullshit – they are not helpful labels at all. Call it what it is, in plain english.

    Yep. The stupid labels also feed the myth of “both sides…”. Just call the alt right racist asswipes and be done with it.

  99. 99.

    Quinerly

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I guess it starts with a history of pork production. Haven’t checked in awhile but NC at one time was the biggest hog/pig producer in the world. And then there are those Smithfield hams…
    Wiki has a great ham page. I’m hungry….

  104. 104.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Omnes Omnibus: I am innocent of brandy knowledge. You, sir, appear to be an afficionado. If I were to become better acquainted with that form of spirits, with what brand/type would you suggest I begin?

  106. 106.

    J R in WV

    @WaterGirl:

    Here in WV we tell those jokes about people from the next county over.

    You know how we can be sure the toothbrush was invented in Boone County?

    Because it isn’t called the teethbrush…. ;-)

  107. 107.

    Quinerly

    @O. Felix Culpa:
    Brandy not bad….definitely for those cold nights with those inferior WI “hams?.” Gotta have something strong and overwhelming to get that ham down. I understand completely why beer wouldn’t work.?? (Triple sideways flounce, with a kick, a trip, but perfect recovery….ham hock never left my paw???)

  108. 108.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Omnes Omnibus: I was finding the conversation amusing. I imagine there are excellent regional hams around the country. Oddly, I never heard of Zillmans, despite my many forays into Wisconsin from Chicago. Is it sold in groceries or specialty stores?

  109. 109.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @O. Felix Culpa: Cognac and Armagnac. Any. Also any whiskey drink can be made with brandy – it just ends up a bit different. Finally, brandy and ginger ale is James Bond approved (as a double) – ordered by Bond in the book, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”

  110. 110.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Quinerly: Hey, I didn’t have time to reply earlier about satby’s contact info. Just click on her nym from one of her comments and the hyperlink should take you to her Etsy site.

  111. 111.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Omnes Omnibus: What’s the ratio of ginger ale to brandy in this Bond-approved drink? Is ice customary? It sounds tasty.

    ETA: Thanks for the info. I’m mostly a wine drinker, but I like to branch out now and again.

  112. 112.

    Quinerly

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    $4.29 a pound is a little high for smoked ham. I liked their other meats, though. Didn’t see any country, corned, or green hams. Great Book of Faces page. I’m game.

  119. 119.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Omnes Omnibus: I love Madison. There’s a Turkish restaurant on the main drag I used to eat at when in town. Also liked the walk along the latter. Yeah, I surmised Baraboo would not be a draw for you because of the clowns.

  121. 121.

    Quinerly

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I’m sure it’s delightful. Never met a pork product that I didn’t like….including pork rinds.? I’m originally from NC and from a family who had old school general stores with a smoke house and their own hams…including country and corned. Love to see other states get in on the ham action. Now, gotta get that National Pork Board to promote it….’cause they are all about those southern hams….and I loathe a Honey Baked Ham and won’t buy a Smithfield one since Paula Deen was the spokeswoman.

  124. 124.

    Shakti

    @Jeffro: Power is probably his only and principal joy in life. He’s not going to be President or a talking head somewhere because he’s never had the charisma for it. He’s never worked outside of government in the entirety of his life. They both love power and his second wife might not stay with him if he doesn’t have any.

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