Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The problem people have with Biden’s age is the color of the VPs skin.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

So many bastards, so little time.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

If West Virginia and San Francisco had a love child.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Fight them, without becoming them!

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Glad to see john eastman going through some things.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Every day Vance writes another chapter in the book called “Worst VP Pick Ever”.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. don’t touch it.”

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

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Because of wow.

Open Thread: Occam’s Razor Suggests He *Is* That Dumb…

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… And his fellow Repubs ain’t looking too smart right now, either.

… The [Wall Stree Journal]’s esteemed board argued that any talk of impeaching Trump is silly, in large part, because this president is likely too bumbling to execute that kind of scandalous quid pro quo.

“Intriguingly, Mr. [Bill] Taylor says in his statement that many people in the administration opposed the [Rudy] Giuliani effort, including some in senior positions at the White House,” the editorial board wrote. “This matters because it may turn out that while Mr. Trump wanted a quid-pro-quo policy ultimatum toward Ukraine, he was too inept to execute it. Impeachment for incompetence would disqualify most of the government, and most presidents at some point or another in office.”

Trump, a routine morning reader and skimmer of several newspapers’ print editions, saw this editorial—which was obviously meant to defend him—last week. And the president promptly began complaining about it to some of those close to him…

“He was clearly unhappy. He did not like the word ‘inept,’” the first source added…

This is Bill Taylor:


(Okay, maybe that was meant for sarcasm… )

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Saturday Morning Open Thread: Memories Made Visible

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… [A] city commission voted on Monday to erect a monument depicting three pioneers in the fight for women’s rights: Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth.

The likeness of Truth, an escaped slave and abolitionist, was belatedly added to the sculpture in response to criticism that African American suffragists were initially excluded.

“This statue conveys the power of women working together to bring about revolutionary change in our society,” said Pam Elam, president of the monumental women not-for-profit of volunteer advocates, historians and community leaders, which has gained key support from the Manhattan borough president, Gale Brewer.

The organization’s statue fund privately raised $1.5m to create and maintain the new monument and for an associated educational program.

The work will be dedicated in August 2020 on the Mall, an elegant park promenade lined with American elm trees. Next year marks 100 years since American women won the right to vote…

[The 19th Amendment was passed in 1919, but not ratified until August 1920.]

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Monday Morning Open Thread: Wonderful

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The best quote I’ve seen was in USAToday — “Simone Biles sets the standard in gymnastics and maybe any sport you can name”:

… “She’s incredible,” [Coach] Landi said. “You don’t want to look at (the medals), just. We were here to do the job. The goal is to hit four out of four, every day, day after day… “

Heck, most days I’m satisfied if I can hit three out of four. Some days, I settle for two — okay, one — plus some earnest efforts…

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Mandatory political content, for the hard to please:

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Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Overcast, Chance of Tantrums

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Your morning awesomeness.

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Your morning awfulness…

show full post on front page

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An Actual Profile In Courage and Heroism: The Anniversary of Neerja Bhanot’s Bravery and Sacrifice Should Not Go Unremarked

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Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust

(Neerja Bhanot)

I meant to get to this on the 20th, but all the excitement from Infrastructure Week got me carried away with other matters.

Thirty-three years and three days ago, Neerja Bhanot, a 23 year old flight attendant, risked and ultimately sacrificed her life protecting the passengers of Pan Am 73, during an attempted and thwarted highjacking by Islamic extremists before the plane could take off from Karachi, Pakistan.

From the Pan Am Historical Foundation’s tribute page:

Remembering Neerja Bhanot on hijacked Pan Am Flight 73. She died heroically, saving Pan Am passengers from terrorists on Sept. 5, 1986.

Neerja Bhanot was senior flight purser on the Empress of the Seas, a  Pan Am 747 hijacked at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi by four armed men from the Abu Nidal organization en route to Frankfurt and New York. During a 17-hour ordeal, she helped the three-member cockpit crew escape in order to ground the plane so it could not be flown. Bhanot hid passports of passengers so the hijackers could not determine passenger nationalities. She also managed to open the emergency door assisting a number of passengers to escape from the plane. As the hijackers opened fire on passengers and crew, Neerja Bhanot lost her life shielding three children from bullets.

In 1987, she became the youngest and first woman recipient of the Ashoka Chakra award, India’s highest civilian decoration for bravery.

In 2004, the Indian Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor* (http://www.wnsstamps.post/en/stamps/IN036.04)

In 2006 she was awarded the 2006 Special Courage Award by the US Department of Justice. (Read more at Times of India.)

In 2016 a film entitled “Neerja” was released, portraying her herioc life.

Today the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust continues to do great work in memory of this amazing woman. You can learn about the Neerja Awards and the trust at https://www.facebook.com/The-Neerja-Bhanot-Page-109643142413675/

Here’s some more details about her in an excellent Twitter thread:

The world could use more Neerja Bhanots!

Open thread.

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