Harris becomes first woman to deliver commencement address at West Point | CNN Politics https://t.co/lZxa7kCe7F
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 27, 2023
“This is the most fun I've had in two weeks,” Biden debt talks negotiator @ShalandaYoung46 says at Xavier commencement, after receiving an honorary degree. “If you haven't read, we're having a few budget problems in Washington.
“And the president gave me a two hour break.” pic.twitter.com/QupsoouYci
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 27, 2023
Biden, at Camp David today, is vetting offers and counter-offers on the debt deal, @justinsink reports
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 27, 2023
GOP motto: The cruelty is the point…
New – Speaker McCarthy and President Biden are expected to speak by phone next hour, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The call comes at a critical moment in the negotiations. pic.twitter.com/9p25ItuPPT
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 27, 2023
At least the negotiators are having a better weekend than Ken Paxton:
texas folks, what’s the likelihood the senate nukes him? https://t.co/E8NdAtU1Kd
— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) May 27, 2023
MomSense
My good friend’s son is graduating from West Point this weekend. We are having a graduation party for him Monday and I can’t wait to hear about the experience.
MattF
That impeachment vote in Texas wasn’t close. Considering that Paxton is extremely lined up with Trump— makes you wonder…
Trivia Man
Excellent news – Texas surprised me today. Personally, I thought he was a blatant and egregious criminal for years. I’m happy to praise Texas today.
trollhattan
Area man ironically, if predictably lies about lying.
Scout211
I watched some of the Texas impeachment hearings and I heard far too many speeches from the GOP members trying to delay the vote or complaining about Paxton nor getting “due process.” So the vote was surprising: 121-23, with two members voting “present.”
Kirk
Paxton. Intellectually I knew the House voting to impeach was likely, especially given who was driving the other side (Speaker Phelan). But my gut said “Forget it, it’s Texas.”
Now? 121-23 vote in favor from the house? I think he did something we don’t yet know and he’s gone.
But my gut still reminds me we’re still in Texas.
Scout211
Ha! It all sounds about right to him so it must be true!
mrmoshpotato
From orbit?
dmsilev
Does Paxton’s wife, who is a Texas State Senator, get to vote? Seems like a bit of a conflict of interest. Though it’d be hilarious if she voted to convict.
Alison Rose
I don’t know if this was already shared in another thread, but this op-ed from Christian Cooper (NYT gift link), the Black man who was out birdwatching in Central Park and encountered a Karen in the wild, is absolutely beautiful. I’m a birb nerd, but the only birding I can do is watching the tree outside my windows. But I love how he writes about his experience with birdwatching and nature.
Nukular Biskits
W/ respect to TX, I gotta believe there’s more to the story than what the TX Legislature is publicly sharing.
trollhattan
@MattF: @Trivia Man: How bad do you have to be in Texas to make your fellow Republicans hate you that much?
I guess 1.0 Paxtons bad. He exists to make Abbott seem humanlike.
sab
@Alison Rose: That is a disturbing lovely article but several years old. I am so glad it continues to circulate. Just a normal guy trying to do normal interesting nature stuff in a big city
ETA You aren’t out of date. I am. New article from the birder. Thanks for the followup.
Jay
Got our spring covid boosters, which was a big surprise. The Province seemed to be holding off until the fall. Then calamari from the local Persian/Greek place. Pretty good day so far.
Danielx
@dmsilev:
Not all that far fetched, since one of the things that unctuous little shit Paxton is accused of is screwing a staffer in another senator’s office. His wife might well vote to hang him up by his nads.
Dorothy A. Winsor
According to NBC news, this is what finally pushed the legislature into impeaching Paxton:
schrodingers_cat
What just happened in Texas? Can someone local explain.
schrodingers_cat
@Dorothy A. Winsor: That seems to be the cover story but I bet there is more dirty laundry.
trollhattan
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Okay, “He done costed us money!” seems like a bridge too far, for Kenny.
tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat)
Since it’s an open thread, I am heading home to San Diego this afternoon. My mom’s health has been deteriorating, almost as if she had given up on living. She was hospitalized on Wednesday with a light case of pneumonia. She refused just about anything. They sent her home Friday and started hospice. I scrambled to get a flight. My aunt let me know last night that she had passed. My dad lasted 6 months in hospice. My mom barely 24 hours. I am still trying to process it all. In any case, I am going to catch the plane and say whatever good byes I can. It hurts, though.
Redshift
@MattF:
Maybe they’ve finally figured out that TFG doesn’t care about anyone but himself, so he won’t hold it against you if you go after someone “close to him.” Why anyone still wants that status remains a mystery.
Scout211
Yeah, it does seem like there has to be more. As was discussed in one of the overnight threads, the DOJ public integrity unit coming in and removing the Texas-based federal prosecutors off Paxton’s corruption case could be one of the clues.
What were the GOP house leaders doing to cover up, ignore or take part in Paxton’s corruption? Are they complicit? Do they need to take this impeachment stand to throw Paxton to the
wolvesDOJ?There’s many unanswered questions. But the Senate trial is next.
patrick II
@Scout211:
Exactly. Vaccines don’t work, the 2020 election was stolen, white Americans are the oppressed majority, LGBT is immoral (from the father of ? amount of illicit children) and Putin is a good guy who was attacked by Ukraine. Those things are all true and we allow people to be truth-tellers on Twitter.
geg6
Whose wife or daughter was this guy screwing? Or how many of their wives or daughters? I don’t believe his wanting to grift $3m off the tax payers could possibly lead to this. They all grift off the tax payers.
Jay
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
so sorry, love to you, we are here if you need us.
Nukular Biskits
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
That’s the official story.
But it beggars belief TX Republicans were more than willing to put up with Paxton’s antics all these years … and now suddenly they’re concerned?
twbrandt
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry – that’s so rough.
Sparkedcat
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): So sorry to hear that. My condolences.
geg6
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
I’m sorry to hear this. My sympathies to you and your family.
Ruckus
@trollhattan:
What with SFB struggling to find/show any reasonable concepts when he speaks, even just reasonable enough that his moronic followers can believe him, and a good part of the rethuglican party seemingly having gone off the deep end about governance in a democracy I would like to believe that at least some of them might, possibly, maybe even actually have decided that some of their leaders have gotten hold of some bad acid. Because otherwise the concept of mass stupidity is the only answer of why they haven’t learned to hate them before now.
dmsilev
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): So very sorry to hear that.
Scout211
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry.
mrmoshpotato
@Danielx:
State senators’ offices just scream sexy time apparently. 🤣🤷♂️
Dan B
Ken, the dildo of karma seldom arrives lubricated.
Borrowed from a JoeMyGod commenter.
schrodingers_cat
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I am so sorry.
CaseyL
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I am so sorry. I hope you find a flight soon and can say your goodbyes. Please, if you can, check in to let us know how you’re doing.
mrmoshpotato
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): My condolences.
The Moar You Know
What the fuck did Paxton really do? Republicans really don’t give a shit about anything they’ve impeached him for, they seem to consider it good form, usually.
JWR
@Scout211:
Musk clearly lives in his own little bubble, don’t he? Oh well, as the saying goes, power corrupts… absolutely. (Just like it’s done to the damn USSC.)
Dan B
@Alison Rose: And Christian Cooper is going to be hosting a bird watching show for National Geographic!
sab
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): Very sincere condolences. My mother passed too quite suddenly just a couple of days after she got into hospice too late. Moms do that. Wait too long. Drag their feet. Stall. Still protecting their privacy and also their kids.
Steeplejack
Interesting tidbit:
Steeplejack
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
Condolences on the loss of your mother. 🙏
West of the Rockies
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
I’m so sorry, tokyocali…
My father also lasted one day in hospice, and my mom left two days later at home. It seems that when hope and pleasure have left, people can check out fast.
Dan B
@schrodingers_cat: Paxton was threatening Republicans on a regular basis even called and threatened four legislators during the hearing. There were 20 counts in the indictment. Things boiled over.
JWR
@trollhattan:
Yeah, don’t they regularly shell out far more for police killings? Or is it different in the upper chambers?
MattF
Summary story from The Texas Tribune.
Princess
@Steeplejack: Gee. I wonder how his state senator wife plans to vote in the trial.
Ruckus
@Steeplejack:
Ken seems like such a peach.
SteveinPHX
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): Very sorry for your loss. Sending support and prayers your way.
JoyceH
I’m trying something new. A little over 10 years ago, I bought a bike and did a bit of biking, for the first time in, oh, probably thirty years. I didn’t keep it up, though, I think because I was so much heavier. Anyway, the bike has been sitting in the garage ever since, so recently I got it back out and reinflated the tires. And man, that ‘like riding a bike’ phrase is SO wrong! Turns out that just lifting my leg high enough to get it over the center bar is a challenge, while as for balance – well! I’d been doing a lot of walking and rowing and was starting to feel pretty fit, but different physical skills don’t necessarily translate. I pedaled a few yards in the driveway alongside the car for balance. Wound up bringing the bike indoors – I’m going to do what I did ten years ago, do some practice biking in the hall until I get better at this, and then move to the driveway, where I will be for quite a while before I feel comfortable moving down to the road.
West of the Rockies
@Steeplejack:
Christ, hard to believe even one woman wanted to get with Paxton. In a soul and charm way, he is such an uggo.
Jackie
@Redshift: TFG vowed to target any Republican who voted to impeach Paxton.
Apparently that threat isn’t as threatening as it would have been even 6 months ago. It’ll be interesting to see if TFG can even find anyone willing to challenge all *the disloyals* in the 2024 Primaries.
crimson pimpernel
Any comeuppance is welcome news, but we still have to see how the Texas Senate deals with Paxton. And my understanding is that Abbott gets to appoint his replacement and it’s not likely he’ll pick a Jimmy Stewart type. Texas has a lot of crooks to choose from.
Jay
@Dan B:
btw, 1/4 strong soya sauce, 1/4 brown sugar, tablespoon of Montreal Steak Spice, 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke,
marinate for a couple hours.
Makes a mess in a pan, or on the bbq, (the sugar),
I cook it in the convection oven on a sheet of tin foil.
I always stick with wild caught, farmed fish are too fatty and no texture.
MattF
@Jackie: Everyone has figured out that TFG’s pronouncements are 100% bullshit.
Alison Rose
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry for your loss <3 May her memory be a blessing.
Jackie
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s heartbreaking that you didn’t get the chance to see her and say goodbye before she passed. It sounds like she had made up her mind it was time. So please don’t feel guilty you weren’t there. Hugs!
Nukular Biskits
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
Peace be with you.
sab
We have a neighborhod dog howling like he is being murdered. Not quite. He doesn’t sound that desparate. More like normal dog desparate: my family is doing cool stuff while I am stuck at home ( possibly because I behave badly when I am out and about.)
Another Scott
VP Harris’ speech at West Point was very good.
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m very sorry. It’s hard. :-(
Condolences to you and to all who loved her.
Remember the good times.
Best wishes,
Scott.
Geminid
@Jackie: Trump’s got so much to contend with he’ll likely forget about these threats by the time primary season rolls around next year. Or he’ll pretend to forget, because retaliation could wind up costing him votes in his own Texas primary.
mrmoshpotato
@JoyceH: It definitely takes some time to get reacquainted with bike riding (both physically and mentally) after you’ve been out of the saddle for a while. Sounds like you got a plan. Keep at it. :)
tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat)
Thank you so much, everyone, for the words of sympathy. It helps to know this place exists if I need to share.
@sab: I hadn’t thought of that. She just seemed stubborn. Not willing to go to the doctor or going but not really listening to what she needed to do. I think what has shocked us is how quickly it happened.
Off to Narita soon. It’s going to be a long flight.
pieceofpeace
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): Very sorry about your mom, be extra kind and generous to yourself.
Amir Khalid
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
Yes, it does hurt. My own mother died just as suddenly, after coming back from iftar at my sister’s, and the sudden shock just adds to the pain. I’m sorry for your loss.
Jackie
@Geminid: Watching MSNBC… I had forgotten Paxton spoke at the J6 rally prior to the insurrection. I forgot how much of a MAGA toady he is.
I really hope 60% of Texas’ senators vote to convict him!
eclare
@Alison Rose:
What a beautiful essay. Thank you.
mrmoshpotato
@sab: Is a neighborhod different from a neighborhood?
Oh, is it storytime? 😁
tobie
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry for your loss. It hurts like hell to lose a parent and even if your mom’s health was failing, nothing prepares you for this. May you find comfort in remembering your mother in happier times.
Nukular Biskits
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
Made that flight several times, from ATL and from LAX.
And, yes, it is long.
eclare
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
I’m so sorry. Losing a parent is hard.
mrmoshpotato
The Killer Shrews in Svengoolie in 10 minutes! Can’t be worse than The Mole People!
Steeplejack
@Princess:
In a normal democracy she would recuse herself, but maybe she’s a solid yes for conviction. 🤔
Rachel Bakes
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): oh my, that’s quick. And hard to process. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Baud
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
My condolences.
Steeplejack
@mrmoshpotato:
I think that’s meant to be a quote from the dog. Although probably still interesting for story time.
mrmoshpotato
@sab:
@Steeplejack: Haha! Misread that!
satby
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry tokyocali! it’s shocking when you’re on the way and they’re gone before you can get there. Know that she would have waited for you if she could have.
Narya
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): holding you in the light, and sending kindness and compassion to you.
JaySinWA
The ball is now in the TX Senate court. Per the Texas Tribune:
Will they stick around or schedule for later
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/27/ken-paxton-impeached-texas-attorney-general/
Jackie
@JaySinWA: I’m rooting for later. Much later😁
Unless Abbott finds an even bigger asshole to temporarily replace him with.
sab
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): Not stubborn. Just too protective when it was too late to protect you. Wish you well. I miss my mother enormously, but she was in such physical and emotional pain her death was a relief. Until later when it hit me that she was at peace but still gone.
Steeplejack
@mrmoshpotato:
I did too at first, which is why I thought you might be snarking up the wrong tree.
JaySinWA
@Jackie: The odds are good that both his temporary and permanent replacement will be at least as bad, although likely in different ways.
billcinsd
@dmsilev: One of the things he was charged with was getting his girlfriend a job in Austin so he would have a lesser drive to see her
JaySinWA
@Steeplejack: I read that as Sab being stuck at home as well, since they were hearing the neighbor’s dog.
El Muneco
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): All my sympathies. It was almost exactly the same when my dad passed, even down to it almost seeming like fighting the pneumonia was too much for him, and he just decided to stop fighting it a few hours later. I hope seeing your family gives you some peace.
Frankensteinbeck
@MattF:
I keep telling you folks, nobody gives a shit about Trump personally anymore, and they were never as in love with him as it looked. Is Total War with Democrats involved? No, this is an intra-party knifing. Then Trump is just some blowhard.
sab
@mrmoshpotato: Never done a typo, nitwit?
JaySinWA
@billcinsd: He was doing his bit to limit his greenhouse gas emissions. Come to think of it, this was probably part of the reason he was impeached. Lack of commitment to oil use.
Rebel’s Dad
@MattF: That was wayyyyy more lopsided than I expected! I thought something like 80-6X would be a reach. Texas GOPniks smell blood in the water. I wish I had a Costco membership to go buy bulk popcorn for whatever comes next. I can’t believe that I’m saying I’m proud of my native state today.
Scout211
@billcinsd: The job was with donor Nate Paul, who is deep in the scandal. Link From November 2020:
Steeplejack
@JaySinWA:
Sab appears to be at home, with or without family, stuck or unstuck. I think the key is the colon.
Rebel’s Dad
@Jay: If they didn’t name the restaurant Thermopylae or Salamis, then they failed us all.
mrmoshpotato
@Steeplejack:
Nice!
Maxim
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry.
Rebel’s Dad
@Alison Rose: Now I want to start a rock band called The Feral Karens.
Rebel’s Dad
@trollhattan: Paxton exists to make Abbott seem human.
Dan Patrick exists to make Abbott seem humane.
Jackie
@Rebel’s Dad: I bought Costco 🍿last wknd. I’ll pop an extra bag in your honor!😁
Rebel’s Dad
@geg6: More like whose husband, brother, or son was he schtupping.
EW.
mrmoshpotato
@sab: I meant that as a joke.
sab
@JaySinWA: sab not Sab, but thanks for the notice. Ponyo has mast cell tumor issues and is also quite itchy. Histamines gone whacky in her. Me not being medical professional i think they are related. Just stuffed a benadryl down Ponyo’s throat. Hope she sleeps without scratching.
billcinsd
@Jackie: I believe they need 2/3rds. Which is 21 of 31. There are 12 Ds, so about half the Rs need to vote to convict
Rebel’s Dad
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. Losing a parent is always rough no matter the circumstances, but I imagine it happening while you’re not with them is even tougher. I wish you a safe trip to SD, light, love, and healing in this time of pain.
billcinsd
@mrmoshpotato: It was hilarious on MST 3K
RSA
Is this an MST3K comment? About a Joel episode versus a Mike episode? I’m a fan of The Mole People (Agar, Beaumont, Napier, and the load) but I haven’t ever seen The Killer Shrews.
Rebel’s Dad
@Steeplejack: Makes sense, the 75 miles of I-35 between Austin and San Antonio is in permanent gridlock. That’s 4-5 hours a day he could spend practicing mattress gymnastics with her instead of stuck behind the wheel.
mrmoshpotato
@billcinsd: The Killer Shrews or The Mole People?
Rebel’s Dad
@West of the Rockies: And he’s not even really that rich, Anna Nicole showed how proper golddigging is done.
Jackie
@billcinsd: Is that plausible? How many Dem senators are there?
Never mind; I looked it up: 12 Dems and 19 Repugs.
mrmoshpotato
@RSA:
Unrelated to MST3K. The Killer Shrews is Svengoolie’s movie tonight, and The Mole People was shown a couple (three?) weeks ago.
The acting in The Mole People was so wooden, that it’s an insult to trees! :)
Ken
Maybe — and this is just the purest speculation — maybe the “bridge too far” for the Texas Republicans was that they’ve learned she got pregnant, and Paxton paid for her to get an abortion.
lowtechcyclist
@JoyceH:
I remember this from when I first started cycling a lot as a teenager. I’d done three seasons of cross-country running, but cycling either involved different muscles, or put the same muscles to work in very different ways, and I definitely noticed it at the time, even though you’d figure they’d be pretty close.
I got over the hump pretty quickly because I was 16, but of course in middle age or later these adaptations take longer.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
so the details leak at 9:34?
CaseyL
FTFNYT is reporting that Biden and McCarthy have reached a deal.
It will freeze federal spending for 2 years, and make some cuts to domestic programs.
Its chances of passing in the House are… not real good
ETA: (*shakes fist at Jim*)
Dan B
@Jay: Thanks. The store I shop at has only wild fish. I don’t think they carry liquid smoke or the steak sauce but I’ll look.
karen marie
@Danielx: No, she appeared with him – holding hands – when he confessed to his staff.
dmsilev
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Probably about that fast. If it’s anything like the preliminary versions being talked about over the last few days, the Freedom Caucus loons are going to go ballistic and will probably try to knife McCarthy.
Baud
@dmsilev:
Promise?
Ken
@Baud: No, he’s being ridiculous. The Freedom Caucus uses guns.
Geminid
@CaseyL: That will be an interesting vote next week. I think the deal will likely pass, but it’s still not certain. I believe each party will get some speaking time before the vote, and that ought to be good.
dmsilev
@Ken: And Tweets. Don’t forget the strongly worded Tweets.
Baud
@Ken:
I’m kind of interested in MTG for once, because she was a big McCarthy advocate during the speaker vote.
Dan B
@mrmoshpotato: Apparently the Shrews are played by dogs and tail wagging is visible.
mvr
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): My condolences on the loss of your mom. I hope that the trip brings some comfort.
Jackie
@Baud: She will have to choose between Used Chapstick and TFG. 😂🤣😂
mrmoshpotato
@Dan B: Not surprised. I think Svengoolie mentioned that in one of his trivia bits.
Baud
@Jackie:
Heh.
sab
@mrmoshpotato: Sorry. My sense of humor is fucked even at the best of times. “Ask our siblings. She (being me], is always clueless and mostly wrong.
RSA
@mrmoshpotato: Aha, thanks.
Nice! Perfect MST3K fodder, as it happens.
Kayla Rudbek
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry for your loss.
dmsilev
Via the Post, The Deal ™:
Shana
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): So sorry to hear this. I hope you find some peace and, in time, that her memory is a blessing.
Baud
@dmsilev:
Maybe the Republicans not in the Freedom Caucus will take some inspiration from the Texas legislature.
Frankensteinbeck
@CaseyL:
This sounds like the previously advertised deal, where Biden was going to shift money from the IRS (which will still be way over pre-IRA levels) to make up for the social services cuts which are in the bill as written. If so, FUCK yeah, let’s pass that thing! We are not going to dream of getting a better budget through a Republican House. It must come with a ‘Democrats will stop McCarthy from losing his speakership’ deal because it’s an absolute pantsing for the Freedom Caucus.
EDIT – New work requirements concern me. We’ll see what they are.
sab
@mrmoshpotato: Sorry. I was too touchy
Scout211
Republican on Republican violence?
I’m sorry I didn’t go to Costco like Jackie. I don’t have enough popcorn this week!
Dan B
@Frankensteinbeck: I read that the work requirements were that you had to apply for work of you had less than 30 hours of work per week. You had to take any jobs that were offered. People not offered jobs would not lose SNAP.
mrmoshpotato
@sab: No worries! :)
Barry
@trollhattan: “Okay, “He done costed us money!” seems like a bridge too far, for Kenny.”
OTOH, does any state legislature have a problem pissing away money?
realbtl
Am I the only one thinking “Wait a minute, this is the Republican house, they will find some way to fuck things up.”
mrmoshpotato
I keep a jar of popcorn kernels for just these occasions. (Pops up nicely with some vegetable oil in a saucepan.)
Hoppie
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
Absolute condolences. We all go sometime, but it is always difficult to process. Take care of yourself.
We’re in San Diego. If there’s anything we can do to help, Watergirl has our emails.
CaseyL
@realbtl: No, you are not the only one thinking that :)
BeautifulPlumage
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): My sincere condolences.
TriassicSands
Yes, but the inane headline in the Times is:
But your characterization is accurate, since there is no guarantee the GOP will go along with their highly respected, much feared, glorious Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.
Republicans aren’t shy about revealing just how stupid they are. No, Dan, it doesn’t mean war, it means, if there is no agreement, default. And, damn, Dan, your AR-15 won’t help much with that. People actually voter for Dan Bishop. Allegedly.
Jackie
@Scout211: I got the Costco popcorn in anticipation of a Jack Smith/MAL indictment. I may have to go again sooner than my usual monthly run – what with the debit agreement implosions and Paxton’s impeachment! Which would be a win-win with an extra $4.99 rotisserie chicken for the month!
JaySinWA
@Dan B: So new reporting requirements on recipients and maybe on businesses about hiring offers? More regulatory hurdles?
Geminid
@Geminid: Squeaker McCarthy just told reporters the vote on the debt ceiling package will happen Wednesday.
It sounds like this deal takes care of spending levels for the next fiscal year, so if it passes there would be no prospect of a government shutdown on October 1st.
Shalimar
@Dan B: Threatening Republicans on a regular basis is the same way DeSantis runs Florida. It works until enough of them finally realize they have 122 other votes to impeach.
RSA
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): Best wishes. It’s a tough road to walk.
Baud
@Geminid:
I thought this just set spending levels. Congress still has to pass appropriations. Although I suppose this deal makes that more likely.
Frankensteinbeck
@Dan B:
Okay. I’m not thrilled, but I guess it’s not awful. On the tire rims and anthrax vs spaghetti scale, we’re getting a stale cheese sandwich. Under the circumstances, that’s a triumph.
oldgold
How well did Kamala descend the treacherous Democrat
icdesigned ramp at West Point following her graduation address?Baud
@oldgold:
Heh.
JaySinWA
@sab: Sorry. May Ponyo get some relief.
TriassicSands
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
I am truly sorry for your loss. I hope there will be others in San Diego to comfort you at such a difficult time.
japa21
Here’s the thing on the budget deal. Everything that is cut, and it doesn’t seem to be much, can be reversed by a Dem House and a Dem retained Senate. Both of which seems more likely every day with the way the GOP keeps shooting itself in the foot.
However, if we had gone into default, both of those things would have decreased in likelihood.
Another Scott
@japa21: +1
Reuters:
He’s such a child.
We knew we weren’t going to like it. That’s the way closely-divided government works.
But it looks like the GQP got rolled again. People who understand how government works are better at this negotiation stuff than bomb throwers.
Cheers,
Scott.
Geminid
So Joe Biden gets to celebrate with some ice cream and a good night’s rest. Should be good sleeping weather at Camp David.
Kraven McCarthy will up a while still. He may be looking forward to a highball once he gets through with his phone call with his caucus. He’ll need it.
Baud
@Another Scott:
Looking forward to seeing him stand up for the American people when his caucus rejects the deal.
Baud
@Geminid:
John Boehner could give him some suggestions on good spirits.
Geminid
@Geminid: I wonder if this deal includes more money for Ukraine. The Omnibus spending billl passed before Christmas contained $44 billion in military aid. I think that may run out this summer.
Jackie
@Baud: Sunday morning news programs might be entertaining for once. Especially the GQP shows! 🤭
Frankensteinbeck
@Geminid:
Ukraine is defense spending. Defense spending is not capped.
TriassicSands
@Baud:
What is the record for the shortest tenure of a Speaker not caused by death?
We could be looking at a record. In these difficult times, there is often so little to celebrate or even smile about, but the prospect of a new House vote for Kevin’s replacement does simultaneously bring a smile to my face and cause serious indigestion.
Soprano2
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m so sorry, it’s tough to lose a parent like that. Hugs to you.
Baud
@Another Scott:
Goddamn, but that is a dumb proposal.
Another Scott
@Geminid: AFAIK, all the negotiations have been about the non-defense side of the budget.
Apparently, additional Ukraine funding is planned to come from “supplementals”. BreakingDefense.com (from March):
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.
Geminid
@Frankensteinbeck: I knew that. The reason I wonder is that military aid for Ukraine has been an item separate from the Pentagon budget.
gwangung
@Another Scott: So…what’s the chance that Biden made a deal that included a provision that Dems will would support McCarthy if challenged? (That seems to be something problematic for Dem reps with challengers on the left). And what are the chances of McCarthy ramming it through if he had all the Dems voting for it?
Frankensteinbeck
@TriassicSands:
This deal has to include Democrats promising to protect McCarthy’s speakership. Otherwise, he’s giving away this hostage and all future hostages for… basically nothing. Surely the actual deal was to save McCarthy’s ass. Otherwise… even Kevin can’t be that incompetent.
Dan B
@JaySinWA: Yes, as far as I’ve read. Appeasing the people who want the poor to work harder.
Eolirin
@japa21: The work requirements will cause significant harm to some of the most vulnerable people in this country. SNAP is already not generous enough, especially with the pandemic boosts to it having sunsetted, and people who qualify for it won’t get it because of the paperwork burden; this will mean more people will be starving.
It’s very bad. But a default would be so much worse, and the 14th amendment solution is risky as fuck, so this is acceptable if not heartbreaking form of harm reduction. We need to reverse and expand poverty programs the second we have control again. The pandemic measures showed us very clearly how effective they can be when funded correctly. SNAP and EITC need to be put back to pandemic levels asap.
billcinsd
@mrmoshpotato: Killer Shrews. It was made by Festus from Gunsmoke
RevRick
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): May the Source of all comfort comfort you and your family in this time of grief.
eversor
@Dan B:
Which is something that a good amount of Democrats want but need cover to do it. That was always going to happen.
Geminid
@Jackie: Politico Playbook lists the guests for the Sunday shows. Hakeem Jeffries will appear on CBS’s Face the Nation, and Pramila Jayapal is booked for CNN’s State of the Union.
Eolirin
@Dan B: In practice in doesn’t even do that, it just makes it harder for people who already qualify to prove they qualify and fail to get the benefits they’re entitled to. It’s pure cruelty for cruelty’s sake.
billcinsd
@Dan B: This is definitely true. The dogs appeared to be very cheerful
Baud
@Geminid:
Whoa.
Another Scott
@gwangung: #1 – I would guess about 0%. Biden has no power in the Congress. He can’t make a commitment like that.
#2 – I suspect that he’s going to find a way to get enough GQPers to claim that the GQP did it and very few of the bombthrowers are going to vote NO. At the end of the day, party still matters more to them than anything else. He may lose a few votes, but he won’t have to depend on Democrats. It would be a political earthquake if he had to have Democrats save him – as in, I would expect him to be gone before the end of the year, and maybe before the Fall.
We’ll see!
Cheers,
Scott.
Sure Lurkalot
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I am so sorry for your loss. Safe travels and I wish you and your family peace and a fond sharing of memories of your dear mother.
Eolirin
@eversor: No they fucking don’t you psychopath.
Frankensteinbeck
@Another Scott:
As an experienced negotiator, he has the power to check with his team ahead of time to find out if he can promise one of the biggest and most obvious bargaining chips on the table.
Baud
@Eolirin:
A handful maybe, but the idea that the lion’s share of Dems want it is one of those Q-Anon type myths that some folks on the left cling to.
Eolirin
@Another Scott: I don’t think McCarthy can pass this with just R votes. He only managed to pass that insane bill that savaged spending with a one vote margin, I can’t see how he’s going to pass this one without Democrats, his majority is too small. But I think he’s going to get most of his caucus to go along.
Baud
@Frankensteinbeck:
Dems don’t really benefit from having a weakened McCarthy replaced.
Steeplejack
@Dan B:
When my family lived on Okinawa when I was in high school, we had a huge banyan tree in the backyard that was shrew headquarters. Every so often our miniature dachshund, Fritz (cliché name, but, hey, it was the ’60s, and at least he wasn’t named Snoopy—which was in the running for a while, but I digress) would go nuts and attack the sprawling roots of the banyan, digging and snorting until he was exhausted. Then he would allow himself to be brought back into the house for a bath to get the caked mud off him, and the look on his face was always like “Shrews, man. Shrews.”
Dan B
@Eolirin: Oh, the GOP playbook. The noble job creators (see Muskrat) and the lazy druggy poors (see migrant labor in Florida).
Frankensteinbeck
@Baud:
I agree. After he’s given away the farm, might as well let him sit in his high chair and suck on his gavel until 2025. Makes no difference.
satby
@Steeplejack: 😂
Another Scott
@Frankensteinbeck: Jeffries and/or his people were in the negotiations. He can make that commitment, Biden can’t. Joe could say, “Hakeem and his people says your Speakership is in no danger if we have an agreement…”, but Joe’s just relaying the message.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
geg6
@Soprano2:
Not that I’m saying anyone else should react like me, but each of my parents went in opposite ways. My dad died super suddenly of a major heart attack. One minute I had spoken to him during a Steelers game and a building snowstorm, a half hour later he was gone. My mother finally passed after battling various breast cancers since the 80s. She passed in January 2001 after a long stint at home in hospice care and 10 days in a nursing home (a former student was one of her nurses). My dad’s death was easier on me because, although shocking and sudden, it happened quickly and he never suffered. My mother went through the nine circles of hell, including a broken neck for over two years due to cancer spread to her bones. I wouldn’t wish that or having to witness that on my worst enemies. Well, okay maybe the Trump family et al. But that’s it. Okay Ted Cruz. But no more. Okay, …
Jackie
Just watched McCarthy speak re the debt agreement. He didn’t look cheerful at all. The two Repugs standing behind him looked close to tears.
Dems spokesperson had a hard time concealing a smirk while speaking judicially.
Frankensteinbeck
@Another Scott:
I agree. So, my original statements stand. Surely defending McCarthy’s speaker status is part of the deal. McCarthy would be so stupid I have trouble believing it if that’s not in the (unofficial) agreement. And I think he’s really damn stupid.
Dan B
@Steeplejack: My aunt and uncle and my cousins lived in Okinawa right after the war. And I had a housemate from there. His girlfriend was from the densest part of Tokyo. Quite a contrast.
Chris T.
@trollhattan: (quoting news item)
I suppose it depends on whether you’re measuring with relatives or absolutes: after decimating Twitter, the mis-info to info ratio has increased, but the total mis-info and info numbers are both so much lower, that the sum total of mis-information has decreased.
To put it numerically as an example, perhaps before it was “1 million actual facts, 100k lies” (per unit time, e.g., day) and now it’s “1 actual fact, 90k lies” (per same unit time).
Rebel’s Dad
@Eolirin: GET HIM
Geminid
@gwangung: I don’t think there will be many Dems with strong challengers from the left next year. A vote for McCarthy under these circumstances probably wouldn’t matter much anyway. Too “inside baseball.”
Democratic leadership could ask for volunteers. My Rep would probably be willing; Spanberger’s always talking up her bipartisan credentials. I think most 7th CD Democrats wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
Rebel’s Dad
@RevRick: Don’t let eversor read your comment lol
Eolirin
@Eolirin: I should add, it really pisses me off that we need to throw the poor and the disabled under the bus to get this shit done, even if I recognize there was realistically no way other way this was going to play out.
But it fucking sucks. I’m not sure most people here understand how shitty benefits programs already are, and how desperate things have to be for you to qualify for them in the first place. And even for all of that, they’re a fucking lifeline.
We are staving off a debt default by literally starving more of the poor. Anyone decent should be furious that we’re being forced to make that choice.
Baud
@Eolirin:
If people cared about the poor, the GOP wouldn’t currently control the House.
zhena gogolia
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): I’m sorry, that’s so tough.
BellyCat
Re Squeaker McCarthy; Expecting injuries.
Another Scott
@Eolirin: It’s probably best to wait for the text and the details. We know that Biden and his team did the best they could.
Warning Politico:
Yes, assistance programs are too stingy and require too much busy-work and are too arbitrary. It is going to take big Democratic majorities in Congress to change that – it’s not going to happen in a rush to prevent national default.
Eyes on the prizes.
Cheers,
Scott.
Eolirin
@Baud: Yes, much of the electorate is made up of people who aren’t decent.
And that those people think about them as “the poor” is kind of the problem.
People are just people.
Some of them don’t have enough to eat. As wealthy as we are, we really should do something about that instead of making it worse.
Jackie
@Geminid: I’m actually gonna watch some Faux and Friends in the morning to see if they throw Kevin under the bus. And their disgust of all the RINOs who impeached their beloved Paxton.
Is it wrong to have🍿 for breakfast?
dmsilev
@Geminid: One way to thread the needle is for the Democrats to promise to abstain from any Speaker vote. If McCarthy can get the majority of Republicans, rather than the 98-99% he’d need if the Dems actively voted for their own candidate (Jeffries, presumably), his job is safe, and no Democrat is on record voting *for* him.
Eolirin
@Another Scott: I know, I know. And I’m not blaming Biden or the Dems here. It is what it is since we need to negotiate with the Republicans.
But they’re fucking monsters for making that their demand.
And it’s ugly, even if it’s necessary, that further kicking the most vulnerable among us is the kind of “smaller scale” collateral damage we can accept. It’s going to really hurt people. A lot less than any realistic alternative would, but it still sucks.
Steeplejack
@Dan B:
I lived there from 1967 to ’69. It was very busy then, as you can imagine—height of the Vietnam War. Two big air bases, a big Army base, at least two Marine camps that I can remember and all sorts of other outfits, military and civilian, some spooky.
I came back to “the world” for my freshman year of college, went back and spent the summer of ’70 as a lifeguard at the officers’ club pool, then the whole family moved back in the fall—to remotest North Dakota. Back to college for me (in Missouri)!
Frankensteinbeck
@Eolirin:
I agree. I was struck by how petty it is. There is no real political win in that demand. They could have insisted on something much more showy. This is just cruelty for the sake of cruelty.
zhena gogolia
@Ken: Nah, they don’t really care about abortion either.
zhena gogolia
@RSA: John Agar, Mr. Shirley Temple? And Hugh Beaumont? This sounds great!
geg6
@Frankensteinbeck:
As always, they show us who they are. Christians my ass.
Geminid
I think this deal also shields the Veteran’s Administration from cuts. But McCarthy’s brilliant negotiating strategy put 218 Republicans on record as backing a 22% funding cut for that agency.
That will come back to bite Representatives like freshman Jen Kiggans. Her coastal Virginia district has a lot of active and retired military. Democrats have slready run anti-Kiggans ads over that vote.
zhena gogolia
@Eolirin: This is why I have voted Democratic all my life.
gwangung
@Geminid: My thought was that for Dems with challengers on the right, it’ll be no problem. And in the general, it definitely won’t hurt to burnish the bipartisan credentials.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I like this analogy from Josh Marshall, who I believe has been pretty critical of the White House in recent weeks
Geminid
Polling places in Turkiye will be open in 3 hours. Turks will be able to vote from 8am to 5pm local time. Participation on May 14 was high, 86% overall and over 88% of eligible voters living in Turkiye proper.
mvr
This is the big thing for me. We have very little time to deal with climate catastrophe. The IRA gets us roughly half way to where we need to be. We got it past the Manchin veto. The Rs hated the IRA and were likely hoping more than anything to kill it with these negotiations. Saving it is crucial, though not sufficient. And the cost of doing that is not happy.
Eolirin
@Geminid: Given how the first round went I can’t see Erdogan losing.
kalakal
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
Oh I’m sorry. That’s so hard.
My condolences
Frankensteinbeck
I’m still wondering where the catch is. This isn’t a hostage deal for the debt ceiling, it’s a clean debt ceiling raise combined with a budget deal better than we should reasonably have expected. Budget negotiations were always going to hurt.
EDIT – Maybe McCarthy thought, from his personal and selfish perspective, it was better to rip the band-aid off and have nothing else to fight with his caucus over until 2025?
Eolirin
@Frankensteinbeck: I have a suspicion that this is just reflective of how weak the Republican position on this was. As much as there’s been all this posturing on being willing to default, I don’t think the majority of the caucus and definitely not their big donors want that to actually happen.
But they can’t pass a bill that will get through the Senate with just Republican votes because being willing to blow up the economy is genuine for enough of them. So they need the Democrats to save them from themselves. We get to extract a lot of value for our votes because of that.
kalakal
There’s no way Paxton wanting to grift 3mil from the tax payers is the reason he’s getting shafted. As well as all of his ‘colleagues’ he’s already pissed off I think he must have recently screwed over someone with a hell of a lot of clout as part of his criming and this is payback. He will have done someone a ‘favour’ that screwed over someone else. That someone else has a lot of power and is out for blood. I don’t we’ll ever know exactly why they’ve turned on him, the charge sheet is bad enough but they’ve been cool with him pulling that crap for years. Either that or the feds have found something really, really bad and he’s the one marked ‘it’ while the rest cover their asses
2liberal
If you can afford it get a 3-wheeler bike. You won’t need to worry about your balance.
https://www.terratrike.com/product/rambler/
Eolirin
@Eolirin: Or to put it more simply; McCarthy got rolled, and hard, by Biden, who is much better at this than he is.
Kayla Rudbek
All right, I finished my first weaving project and does it ever take a lot of yarn. 500+ yards of yarn to make two kitchen towels. I still don’t understand why weaving was invented before knitting…
mvr
@Kayla Rudbek:
This is the kind of comment where I want a like button. I have nothing to add to it but I want to give it its proper respect. (Which is not to say we need a like button.)
Geminid
@gwangung: I will be interested to see how many Democratic incumbents of any type face strong primary challengers next year. My guess right now is very few, and I won’t be surprised if there are no successful challenges.
Off hand, I think Kurt Schrader in Oregon was the only Democrat to lose his primary last year. Henry Cuellar almost lost his.
Tenar Arha
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): My deepest condolences. May her memory be a blessing.
Steeplejack
@mvr:
Give it a simple and succinct 👍. Or even a 👌 (non-racist version).
Geminid
@Eolirin: Turkish journalist Ragip Soylu (@ragipsoylu) has reported a couple of polls showing Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu virtually tied. Other polls show Erdogan with a five point lead, which was his margin in the first round.
Mr. Soylu should be a good source for election news. He’s chief Istanbul correspondent for Middle East Eye, and he’ll link to that site’s live election blog.in addition to commenting on his own.
Kirk
@Frankensteinbeck:
Bet? He can’t count, and he can’t negotiate – demonstrating both just in the window he was obtaining the office he now “holds”.
Eolirin
@Geminid: Polling prior to the first round showed Kilicdaroglu ahead; he ended up 5 points behind. The one definitive data point we have suggests Erdogan only needs to pick up a tiny number of the supporters of the guy that dropped out with 5% of the vote and is endorsing him in the run off.
I suspect he picks up the majority of them and we’re looking at close to a 10 point victory for Erdogan. But we’ll see.
gwangung
@Geminid: Yeah, after thinking about, primaries for incumbent Dems are not going to be that strongly contested. They’re almost all coming out smelling like roses after this term.
Geminid
@Eolirin: Some polls before the first round showed Kilicdaroglu ahead. Some showed a tie and some showed Erdogan ahead. The ones showing Kilicdoroglu ahead may have gotten more attention in the West because they projected the outcome favored by many Westerners.
I suspect you are correct about Erdogan expanding his margin of victory. With its anti-immigrant emphasis, Kilicdaroglu’s runoff strategy has rattled some of his liberal supporters. Meanwhile, Erdogan has switched his shtick from pugnacious and divisive to positive and inclusive.
Also, Erdogan’s AKP and its coalition partner still won a majority in Parliament, and some Turks may not want to vote for a divided government.
Ruckus
@Baud:
Goddamn, but that is a dumb proposal.
You expected smarter? From rethuglicans?
Ruckus
@Frankensteinbeck:
even Kevin can’t be that incompetent.
You just watch, you’ll see.
Never under estimate the level that Kevin can
sinkrise to.AlaskaReader
@billcinsd: …which raises the question, who is the lesser?
AlaskaReader
@Eolirin: They are Republicans, imposing harm on ‘others’ has always been exactly who they are.
Sadistic psychopaths vote for and elect other sadistic psychopaths who will craft laws and policies which will cause harm others.
It’s who they are.
Standard Republicanism.
frosty
@Alison Rose: A great essay; thanks for that. I just finished a long day with a) a local bird club (three lifers!), b) a NWR (marsh wren, finally!) and c) a need to kill an hour … I had binoculars!
rikyrah
@Kirk:
The speed of this makes me curious. What did he really do that we don’t know about?
rikyrah
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat):
I am so sorry for your loss🙏🏾😪
Manyakitty
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat): so sorry for your loss. Wishing you safe travels and sending hopes for peace.