Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

This fight is for everything.

When we show up, we win.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

We’re not going back!

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

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

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

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

President Biden is doing good where he can, and getting it done.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Second rate reporter says what?

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickel?”

Accountability, motherfuckers.

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

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Proud to Be A Democrat

Monday Morning Open Thread: Find Joy Where You Can

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What’s on the agenda, as we start the new week?
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Meanwhile, in Alabama…

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Last-Minute PSA: If You Know Any Dem Voters in Huntsville…

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Give Doug Jones full credit, he’s gonna fight for every vote.
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Al Franken’s Resignation Speech

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My first thought was “After the holidays, which will make it easier for his staffers to restructure their paperwork, update their resumes, and keep unpleasant at family gatherings to a minimum.” (Yeah, I’ve always been in the lower levels of the employment pyramid.)

The Washington Post has a transcript:

… A couple of months ago I felt that we had entered an important moment in the history of this country. We were finally beginning to listen to women about the ways in which men’s actions affect them. The moment was long overdue. I was excited for that conversation and hopeful that it would result in real change that made life better for women all across the country and in every part of our society.

Then the conversation turned to me.

Over the last few weeks a number of women have come forward to talk about how they felt my actions had affected them.

I was shocked. I was upset. But in responding to their claims I also wanted to be respectful of that broader conversation, because all women deserve to be heard and their experiences taken seriously. I think that was the right thing to do. I also think it gave some people the false impression that I was admitting to doing things that in fact I haven’t done.

Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others, I remember very differently. I said at the outset that the ethics committee was the right venue for these allegations to be heard and investigated and evaluated on their merits, that I was prepared to cooperate fully and that I was confident in the outcome…

Serving in the United States Senate has been the great honor of my life. I know in my heart that nothing I have done as a senator — nothing — has brought dishonor on this institution, and I am confident that the ethics committee would agree. Nevertheless today I am announcing that in the coming weeks I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate.

I of all people am aware there is some irony in the fact I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party. But this decision is not about me. It’s about the people of Minnesota. It has become clear that I can’t both pursue the ethics committee process and at the same time remain an effective senator for them.

Let me be clear. I may be resigning my seat but I am not giving up my voice. I will continue to stand up for the things I believe in as a citizen and as an activist. The Minnesotans deserve a senator who can focus with all her energy on addressing the challenges they face every day…

For the record, everything I’ve seen so far suggests that Franken has behaved ineptly, sometimes stupidly, but not criminally. If the accusations are true, he deserved punishment, although not IMO to this degree. But given current circumstances, I also think he’s making the best possible choices for himself, his staffers, his party, and his country… and I look forward to his next steps!
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Franken Sense (Open Thread)

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So, Senator Al Franken is scheduled to make a statement on the floor of the US Senate at 11:45 ET (C-SPAN link). He’ll probably resign. And because he’s basically a good guy and a strong Democrat, he’ll likely do so in a way that reaffirms the party’s commitment to equality for women and underscores the Republicans’ hypocrisy on the issue.

If he resigns, I’ll be sorry to see Al go. I’ve always liked him — he’s funny, smart, almost always right on the issues and can draw a map of the United States freehand. I have two or three of his books on my shelves. My favorite Franken quote comes from Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. It’s about the difference in how liberals and conservatives love America:

“We love America just as much as they do. But in a different way. You see, they love America like a 4-year-old loves his mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a 4-year-old, everything Mommy does is wonderful and anyone who criticizes Mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad and helping your loved one grow.”

That’s true about patriotism, and it’s also true to some extent about political parties, which is why Republicans are fine with electing a man who has been credibly accused of child molestation and attempted rape (and that smirking creep from Texas who used taxpayer funds to pay off accusers) and Democrats are cleaning house — over-zealously, according to many.

Personally, I’m conflicted about Franken’s case for a whole bunch of reasons that I’ve expressed in other threads and therefore won’t bother rehashing in this post. But I do have a request, which, to paraphrase Ulysses McGill, is probably the “acme of foolishness” to make on this blog: Can we elevate the discussion a tad and try to keep it free of bad faith assumptions about fellow Democrats?

Can we entertain the possibility that people might have reasons other than rank stupidity or opportunism to believe Franken should resign? Can we stipulate that those who believe Franken should remain in the senate care deeply about addressing sexual harassment? At least until they say something that indicates otherwise? Because this issue is important. I’m willing to try if you are. Anyhoo, have at it.

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Last Week to the Alabama Vote…

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Goal Thermometer

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Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Reason for the Season

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That having been said, what’s on the agenda for the day?
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Also, speaking of “homespun” horrors…

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Open Thread: Good for Nancy Pelosi

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She didn’t satisfy the ALL DEMOCRATS MUST CONTINUALLY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY DEM’S CRIMES crew, but nevertheless…

Rep. John Conyers said Sunday he was stepping down from his post as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee amid accusations of sexual harassment that have put his party’s leaders in a bind.

The decision by the Michigan lawmaker — who has held his seat since 1965 and who denies the harassment allegations — followed several days of internal deliberation and pressure from Democratic colleagues, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who wanted Conyers to leave the high-profile post but didn’t want to be seen as forcing him out.

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and assistant Democratic leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) reached out to some CBC members over the Thanksgiving recess to take the temperature of the caucus, according to multiple sources. The group is arguably the most powerful bloc within the House Democratic Caucus and is fiercely protective of its members, particularly Conyers, who was a founding member.

In an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Pelosi seemed to underscore the cautious approach by taking pains to praise Conyers’ record and call for “due process,” even as she said she believed “he will do the right thing.” She also referred to Conyers as an “icon” for his lengthy service and work “to protect women.” …

Privately, Pelosi has been working behind the scenes with leaders of the CBC and Conyers to figure out his next steps. One senior Democratic aide said she was trying “to lay groundwork for him to step aside gracefully.”….

Conyers is an icon, even if he’s twenty years past his glory days, and a frontal attack on him would’ve served nobody but the authoritarian enablers who’ve been hawking the “Either a Black man or a white woman — only one token can win” strategy since the mid-1800s. (Read Ta-Nahesi Coates’ essay on “The Great Schism” for more detail.)
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MEANWHILE…

(Also, ten quatloos that Chuck Todd has some sexual-harrassment claims in his newsroom closet.)

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