US Politics, August 2018: There must be something wrong, please recheck that poll!

please use this thread to discuss the President's ongoing meltdown

surely this

please use this thread to ruminate about the president melting down into a creek and disappearing around the valley bend

but her emails!

but she likes Bette fucking Midler!

hmm missing somebody in those NY endorsements, O?

― President Keyes, Wednesday, August 1, 2018 4:35 PM (nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

assume these endorsements are for people in close races not rofflestomps in dark blue districts

― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Wednesday, August 1, 2018 12:47 PM (seven minutes ago)

i guess it depends whether Joe Lieberman has any pull

NEW: Trump lawyers tell me his tweets this morning are simply "his opinions" and not evidence of an ongoing effort to obstruct the Russia probe. @RudyGiuliani and @JaySekulow call in to explain @realDonaldTrump well-established practice https://t.co/WTDBOSMGjh

— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) August 1, 2018

Burying the lede, of course, but if President Dickhead had expended even a fraction of the energy he's wasted pushing back against investigations on actually shoring up election security, backing the IC, and railing against Russia - or, you know, pursuing avenues that might actually exonerate him rather than exacerbate the investigation - he would be in a much better place. Numbers would be up, he'd be able to exploit anti-Russia anger for political gain, all sorts of things might be going his way. But of course he couldn't do that. Because he's crazy. And probably guilty of all sorts of shit.

Can anyone explain to me how it's possible for Obama to endorse a wide array of democratic candidates when we all know he's on permanent tour with Beyonce and Jay-Z? There's obviously something fishy about this.

Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and “Public Enemy Number One,” or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

not sure if I'd be comparing my campaign manager to Al Capone here, but then again, I'm not the 3-D persuasion genius

he's so fucking obsessed

Capone was infinitely better at covering his tracks and they notably got him on tax evasion!

I wonder how the supporters will explain away the brilliant 456-D chess at play when Trump eventually and inevitably shits his pants in public.

I mean, since his every public utterance is basically just that.

Yowza. https://t.co/XRBunwsQZ7 pic.twitter.com/6EiiZkqbqa

— Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu) August 1, 2018

wherethewhitewomenat.gif

meanwhile, dissident against the House of Saud?

Saudi Arabia planned to invade Qatar last summer. Rex Tillerson's efforts to stop it may have cost him his job. https://t.co/X1luyyikYQ by @AlexEmmons

— Jon Schwarz (@schwarz) August 1, 2018

Well sure.

https://www.exxonmobil.com.qa/en-qa

has Trump ever indicated that he knows any specifics on what "collusion" is and what, exactly, he's being accused of? b/c it really seems to run no deeper than "collusion bad, so I didn't do collusion"

has he ever indicated that he knows anything

There was an anonymous account from some of his people (only the best people) last week that he at the very least doesn't understand the difference between collusion and Russia's active meddling in our electoral process.

Which is to say: he's vehement in his denial of collusion in part because he believes he's denying that he hacked anything on Russia's behalf. Y'know, just more of the profound stupidity we've come to expect from our leader.

well, everything revolves around him, so it's inconceivable that anybody could be investigating russian interference and it not be about his involvement

um it's not just anybody, it's 17 Angry Dems dontchaknow

Now I have that decemberists song stuck in my head.

I think when you hit 20 angry dems, it's technically a Blue Wave

One Orange Face and 200 Angry Dems

Someone should tell him it was 7 Chinese Brothers.

a swallowing the ocean hoax

Fuck you, Donald

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Trump-s-order-to-penalize-SF-other-sanctuary-13123750.php?t=2d025bbd07

https://abcnews.go.com/US/special-counsel-mueller-president-obstruction-justice-sources/story?id=56973384

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office wants to ask President Donald Trump about obstruction of justice, sources close to the White House tell ABC News. According to sources, the president learned within the last day that the special counsel will limit the scope of questioning and would like to ask questions both orally and written for the President to respond to.

According to sources familiar with the President’s reaction Wednesday morning, that was the genesis for his early morning tweet storm.

how is this news

i mean.... it was assumed

would like to ask questions both orally and written for the President to respond to.

This would be great no matter how it might happen. Whatever he answers, it will no doubt directly contradict something he has said or tweeted, leading to follow-up questions, that in turn would lead to clarifications that directly contradict something else he has said or tweeted. Ad infinitum.

For his tribal loyalists, none of this matters, of course.

they will never agree to answer any questions, they will stonewall and dare him to issue a subpoena (which he probably won't do)

in other news
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Pollster-sees-dead-heat-in-Ohio-special-election-13123515.php

how is this news

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, August 1, 2018 4:51 PM (forty-nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

They've always wanted to ask him about obstruction. Part of their original task was to look into obstruction, as credibly described by Comey. Much of the list of questions months ago was on obstruction. He's ranting bc his lawyers encouraged a delusion which has been punctured. https://t.co/rpf6JdVFwW

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) August 1, 2018

One journalistic approach to this situation is to try to cover the developments from inside Trump's head, in which case the revelation that Mueller wants to ask him about obstruction of justice can be a shocking stand-alone exclusive.

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) August 1, 2018

Another is to recognize the president doesn't comprehend the extremely-easy-to-understand legal peril he is in, deliberately surrounds himself with supplicating fools, flies into rages when confronted with reality, and appears badly incapable of managing the duties of his office.

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) August 1, 2018

ok I meant "how is this news" to ME, not our presiding moron

Yeah, it's important to occasionally shift your perspective a little and consider that something which seems like the most obvious and un-newsworthy thing in the world may, for Donald Trump, have an effect not unlike a golden retriever's first exposure to an Oculus Rift.

just imagine when he finds out that people wouldn't like it if he fires sessions and rosenstein on the same day

2 Angry Republicans

ok I meant "how is this news" to ME, not our presiding moron

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, August 1, 2018 5:48 PM (fourteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

no i get that and i agree with you. my point is i like the implication of those tweett, which is that things like this should be covered as "the president appears to have discovered something that we reported 9 months ago".

look at this shit. this is the groverhaus of coats. the grovercoat

Behold. The 5,000 ostrich coat Manafort bought with an international wire transfer, according to a men’s clothier who testified today. Government exhibit pic.twitter.com/BjuQ39ZeJ0

— Kara Scannell (@KaraScannell) August 1, 2018

i thought there would be more feathers

i know that's silly but for that much shouldn't it have had feathers??

I know, right?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_juA16UhwBDU/SzrH2RYwjYI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/zNl3aOqjxOY/s1600-h/Picture+8.png

https://78.media.tumblr.com/71b6c0ace587d58944f9fc86da610b28/tumblr_nj4ln6UcOq1qd2ub7o4_250.gif

That looks like a bag of shit, one of those cheapo split-leather knockoffs you buy at a market sold from the back of a truck which disintegrates in a month. Who on earth could pay 15 grand for a jacket with elasticated cuffs?

He does not seem like the leather hoodie type.

wonder if he’s ever hung out with buzz bissinger

Is anyone doing a daily podcast wrap-up of the Manafort trial?

Who on earth could pay 15 grand for a jacket with elasticated cuffs?

The people who helped Tommy Wiseau finance The Room, for starters.

Maybe he's a huge Fab Moretti fan.

It may not look like much, but it really shines when paired with ostrich head codpiece.

Worry about elasticated cuffs is bourgeois as shit

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0023/6178/6426/products/ostrich-costume-with-fake-hanging-legs_2000x.jpg?v=1525082520

^ The ostrich head codpiece really makes that outfit shine!

OMG!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-bolton-brings-a-nuclear-superhawk-into-the-white-house

His Twitter avatar is a pin showing a red MAGA-style baseball cap reading MAKE DETERRENCE GREAT AGAIN

Nuclear deterence is based on convincing others that you will use your nuclear capability against anyone who does whatever actions you want to deter. The difficulty with this policy choice is deciding what it is you want to deter and whether using hydrogen bombs against the target you are threatening is worth the risk. Because deterrence doesn't work if you aren't willing to back it up.

The problem with nuclear super hawks being in charge of this decision making is that they see far less risk in nuking opponents than anyone else sees. During the 1950s and 1960s the nuclear super hawks in the Pentagon actively urged the USA to strike the USSR preemptively, based on the theory that the USA would lose upwards of 60% of its population from retaliatory strikes, but it was worth it, because our enemy would be 90% destroyed, while we would only be 60% destroyed... meaning VICTORY!!

well, one solution to anthropomorphic climate change would be a nuclear winter that reduces humanity to 6-8 humans sitting around a campfire in Nova Scotia eating mushroom steaks on styrofoam bread and speaking a language called Fakenews.

would be kinda fitting for the Trumps to be the only one to survive it

the dead will envy the long dead

what is groverhaus

have at it

ok this is the Groverhaus thread. it's time we put this shit on twitter for real. no one rational will ever buy an archives account again so pic.twitter.com/kaKIPGTYIV

— none DSA with left beef (@3liza) July 30, 2017

it's essentially a metaphor for the trump presidency manifested as a construction project

btw on the '17 angry democrats' line - the 17th letter of the alphabet is... Q

so those infected with the qanon brain worms are getting very excited about the president signalling to them

apparently he also said he'd visited washington 17 times before becoming president

the undertow of the whirlpool of stupidity just keeps getting stronger

good mourning!

good mourning alfred!

did you know jfk jr isn't dead and has teamed up with trump to take down the deep state?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/qanon-the-pro-trump-conspiracy-theory-now-believes-jfk-jr-faked-his-death-to-become-its-leader?ref=home

JFK, Jr.'s hair was so bizarre that it had to be a Russian plot

Qanon ugh the internet is just the worst

Are these people aware that they can just leave their homes and go live in the forest like apes, that wholesale abandonment of the fruits of human progress doesn't have to be some long and drawn-out affair?

Wasn't Qanon the name of the mutant that popped out of the guy's stomach in "Total Recall?"

speaking of mutants

Oh hey, here's Eric Trump faving a tweet with the QAnon slogan pic.twitter.com/zUGAyRegoc

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) August 2, 2018

which is cool because it means that a content-free hoax which has infected the minds of chuds is now affecting the minds of those with access to the highest levels of government, who are now signalling their knowledge back to the chuds

the circle is complete and the eldritch gods are massing at the portal into our dimension, the taste of human souls already in their mouths

This certainly shores up my belief that it would be super easy for someone to gently nudge Trump's followers toward Heaven's Gate Mk 2.

‘The White House In The Woods’
xpost

Wtf is qanon? I am in a state of grace on that one

This certainly shores up my belief that it would be super easy for someone to gently nudge Trump's followers toward Heaven's Gate Mk 2.

Jon, scroll up to bizarro's Daily Beast link and the horror will become clear to you.

here's will sommer's v helpful primer on the whole bugfuck affair: https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-is-qanon-the-craziest-theory-of-the-trump-era-explained

This is the kind of thing that, pre-internet, would've consisted of eleven saddos meeting in someone's basement and who the rest of the world gave not one iota of attention to.

rly miss the days when i had to hear about batshit conspiracy stuff from my fortean times subscription and not, y'know, the president of the united states

Also we open up a discussion about “Q” and why the anger and vitriol by liberals at the mere mention if it really is the fake conspiracy they claim?

— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) June 28, 2018

Q is real and all the liberals are in on it

Shhhhhhh, they're listening!

agreed, if one is so convinced something is a conspiracy with no merit whatsoever, it would be ridiculous for them to spend large amounts of their time tweeting about it.

"If it's not real then why are they all laughing at us!!!"

"If you're so innocent, then why won't you admit you're not?"

Nuclear deterence is based on convincing others that you will use your nuclear capability against anyone who does whatever actions you want to deter. The difficulty with this policy choice is deciding what it is you want to deter and whether using hydrogen bombs against the target you are threatening is worth the risk. Because deterrence doesn't work if you aren't willing to back it up.

The problem with nuclear super hawks being in charge of this decision making is that they see far less risk in nuking opponents than anyone else sees. During the 1950s and 1960s the nuclear super hawks in the Pentagon actively urged the USA to strike the USSR preemptively, based on the theory that the USA would lose upwards of 60% of its population from retaliatory strikes, but it was worth it, because our enemy would be 90% destroyed, while we would only be 60% destroyed... meaning VICTORY!!

― A is for (Aimless)

there's a bigger problem with nuclear deterrence in the trump administration than the willingness to back it up. it's very difficult to successfully implement a policy when its implementation of any policy is dependent on an administration led by a serial liar who changes his entire set of principles depending on his current misunderstanding of the last thing somebody said to him. there is no reason at present for anybody to comply with the trump administration on anything because there's no evidence that complying will benefit them or that not complying will damage them. the president will gladly denounce you as the worst person in the world and simultaneously demand you receive billions of dollars in tax breaks. as often happens with the current adminstration, current language to describe this phenomenon such as "credibility gap" seem wholly inadequate for describing the scale of the incompetence involved.

in short, if the trump administration wants to go ahead and nuke everybody, they are going to go ahead and nuke everybody, and there's not really anything anyone not named vladimir putin can do to prevent that outcome.

https://d2ycltig8jwwee.cloudfront.net/features/111/fullwidth.1ff3ed50.jpg

if Trump really has no friends, explain THIS

Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action. Also, thank you for your nice letter - l look forward to seeing you soon!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018

the letter was covered in a white substance

it definitely was once trump was finished with it

dear reader, i'll let you decide for yourself whether it was powdered sugar or jizz

Welp taking a sick day now thanks bizarro

whither the tax returns?

yr welcome, enjoy xp

More on QAnon:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/as-the-bizarre-qanon-group-emerges-trump-rallies-go-from-nasty-to-dangerous/2018/08/01/063ed6f8-9585-11e8-a679-b09212fb69c2_story.html?utm_term=.7a5b65dea870

Stomach churning

these are fuckers we're going to be dealing with long after Trump is gone

Trump needs to change the tenor of these rallies. With more gatherings coming up this week, he should act immediately, first with a public statement that calls off the anti-media dogs. And then by his demeanor and his words at the events.

Defending press rights — and the safety of journalists — would be a sign of real patriotism, as opposed to hypocritical flag-waving.

That’s a fantasy, of course, given how crucial this coordinated anti-media messaging is for Trump.

Nevertheless, it would be a way for him to show that he is more than just the president of his base. And it should happen before his hands are splashed with blood.

oh good, more 'sir! sir! what about civility, sir!' handwringing

i hate people tbh

trump's desire to show that he is more than just the president of his base is absolutely non-existent - 18 months into his presidency, can we be pls spared any more appeals to a better nature which trump simply doesn't possess

i mean the fact that this qanon is a thing is pretty depressing

We're going to be dealing with the Daily Trump Dump and his followers for years and years. Loses the congress? Trump tweets every day. Loses the senate? Trump tweets every day. Loses in 2020? Trump tweets every day. Leaves in 2024? Trump tweets every day.

We had been dealing with these people before Trump too. Recall the Planned Parenthood shooter.

The GOP will blow dog whistles long after Trump goes back to Sheol

Trump would stop hosting those rallies if the media didn't cover them. Sure, Fox would still be there, but if every other news network turned their backs on him and his chuds, he'd get bored within a month. All he wants in life is to see himself on TV.

trump's desire to show that he is more than just the president of his base is absolutely non-existent

Not true. He's desperate to be seen as broadly loved. He denies his own unpopularity with every fiber of his being. That's why cable news gets so deep under his skin - because they repeatedly remind him that he's very, very unpopular.

He's desperate to be seen as broadly loved

what difference does that make if he's not willing to enact policies or really say or do anything which would help him achieve that goal

what difference does that make if he's not willing to enact policies or really say or do anything which would help him achieve that goal

That's Trump in a nutshell, though - he wants things, but either has no idea how to get them or repeatedly sabotages his own stated goals just by being a fucking imbecile with zero self-control.

I guess the Qanon upside is that these people will probably think that the Democrat who beats Trump in 2020 is actually his hand-picked successor who will fill in Medvedyev-style until Trump is done scuba diving into underwater pedo-domes with a huge lance

An interesting article:

Nobody's Neutral About Trump's Job Performance

xpost Let us very subtly encourage that belief. Perhaps by vociferously denying it while soaked in sweat and looking around nervously.

Not true. He's desperate to be seen as broadly loved. He denies his own unpopularity with every fiber of his being.

This is why I -- foolishly, I now see -- thought there was some chance Trump would buck GOP orthodoxy and actually spend federal money generously on the great mass of Americans of moderate means. But now I see that what really drives him isn't the love of people who are authentically grateful to him, it's the love of the servant who ostentatiously bows and scrapes and pretends to marvel at his benevolence. The more CEOs and GOP pols debase themselves, the more they get what they want, and, unlike normal people, CEOs and GOP pols have very little limit on how much they're willing to debase themselves in order to get what they want.

He's desperate to be seen as broadly loved
what difference does that make if he's not willing to enact policies or really say or do anything which would help him achieve that goal

seriously if he didn't hold both titles of the world's dumbest and laziest man he could have an approval rating over 45.

The approval ratings polls really cry out for likert scaling in these times

lotta 1s and 5s there

I think eephus is otm here

Trump definitely wants to be broadly loved, and has walled himself off into a reality where he is (see his "wow, I'm more popular than Honest Abe!" tweet). But his other base impulse is showing up the haters and losers, and that's the grievance that keeps his pathetic little heart ticking. Like his one true governing principle is "the opposite of what Obama did"

oh man remember when the pundit wisdom was that he was going to be rolling out popular share-the-wealth chicken-in-every-pot schemes any minute now? tbf it's still infrastructure week so anything could happen.

xxp
"On a scale of 1 (actual Hitler) to 5 (actual Christ) how would you rate the job performance of Donald J. Trump?

"On a scale of 1 (wouldn't trust him if he said it was raining and I was literally drowning in floodwaters) to 5 (I have given up my current children and the rights to any future children for him to adopt) how trustworthy would you rate Donald J. Trump?

"On a scale of 1 (wouldn't let him run a lemonade stand) to 5 (invested heavily as junior partners in Trump Industries) how would you rate Donald J. Trump's handling of the economy?

"On a scale of 1 (he is a Manchurian sleeper agent for Russia bent on world destruction) to 5 (he is a god-warrior savior here to rescue America from global elites) how would you rank Donald J. Trump's handling of foreign policy?"

This is why I -- foolishly, I now see -- thought there was some chance Trump would buck GOP orthodoxy and actually spend federal money generously on the great mass of Americans of moderate means. But now I see that what really drives him isn't the love of people who are authentically grateful to him, it's the love of the servant who ostentatiously bows and scrapes and pretends to marvel at his benevolence. The more CEOs and GOP pols debase themselves, the more they get what they want, and, unlike normal people, CEOs and GOP pols have very little limit on how much they're willing to debase themselves in order to get what they want.

― Guayaquil (eephus!),

most OTM post of this young month

He's desperate to be seen as broadly loved
what difference does that make if he's not willing to enact policies or really say or do anything which would help him achieve that goal

Do? He doesn't need to do anything other than hold rallies. If his popularity with the not-already-on-board dips, he can just hold another rally and get reenergized by the adulation of the MAGAmaniacs.

Eventually his schedule will be 100% rallies.

Eventually his schedule will be 100% rallies.

Best possible outcome for the country.

um when would he have time for golf then

Golf rallies

make America golf again

the sole bright side of this qanon shit is that you could probably troll one of them really hard by pronouncing it like "canon"

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/400053-ivanka-i-dont-think-the-media-is-the-enemy-of-the-people

"Wow! LITTLE IVANKITA TRUMP thinks the witchhunting, lying media is a-ok, despite the bias and lies! Not good.

I would hope she'd change her tune if she wants to be included in my will! SAD!"

Right, because the actual enemy of the people would be that shoggoth who infected you with his genetic taint.

(Addressed to Shoggotha Trump, obvs.)

lol @ "Shoggotha"

take it to good names for daughters

Eventually his schedule will be 100% rallies.

we're basically a month away.. after labor day the midterms-2020 primaries deluge will begin, and if 2016 is any example, will end sometime in 2022.

After we invade Venezuela for getting Bernie elected

Ivanka is such a garbage person and I really hope no one is duped by her once daddy's out of office

holy shit
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/399858-poll-senate-race-between-cruz-orourke-a-dead-heat

this was the only obama non-endorsement that puzzled me, given how movable the needle is there

Its gotten to that when people post a Trumptweet - I cant tell if its real or fake - the real ones seem as ridiculous as the mocking ones

xp that surprised me too, although his office did make a statement that they would be putting out a second round of endorsements at some point

Here, on the correct thread:

I have some friends who aren’t voting for Ben Jealous because one of them sat opposite BJ and his much younger girlfriend on a train and had to put up with the pair making out across from him for almost the whole journey.

jealous?

Go Beto! You have my vote!

Was driving around earlier today and realized I really need a lawn sign.

this was the only obama non-endorsement that puzzled me, given how movable the needle is there

Idk why anyone is surprised by O not getting behind progressives

is beto more progressive that the ppl he endorsed?

I've heard he might think an Obama endorsement would a TX candidate

argh sorry I got my wires crossed and thought katherine was referring to Jealous, who I understand is pretty lefty by Dem standards. Idk about Beto. xp

he's leftier than Ted fucking Cruz

^^ but oh let's def let the perfect be the enemy of the good

guys I literally meant I don't know anything about him lol I was not expressing an opinion

He seems fairly(?) moderate and yeah, he probably doesn’t want an Obama endorsement rn.

There hasn't been a democratic senator in Texas in 30 years

no one on the planet deserves to lose their job more than Ted Cruz

no one on the planet deserves to lose their jobhead more than Ted Cruz

I can think of one guy

Hed Luz

Has anyone tried pouring salt on Cruz? Seems like that might do some legit damage.

fwiw i see beto stuff everywhere in SA and ted cruz stuff almost nowhere but it's early so u know

"not the zodiac killer lucifer in the flesh guy" seems like a fairly obvious route of endorsement but what do I know

Ted does his PR via fax

If you can't get enough QAnon stuff, this Reply All episode was my introduction to the whole thing:

https://www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all/122-the-qanon-code

I think the only campaigning Cruz has done (outside of closed door fund raiser shit) is that Blobfish Classic basketball game he did w/Jimmy Kimmel in Houston.

xpost I first heard about it on Matt Binder's podcast:

http://www.doomedpod.com/9f0e3458

Jimmy Kimmel is a failure for not aggressively fouling him all game

that beto poll is an outlier (and from a bit of an unknown quantity) for now. quinnipac has cruz leading by 6 fwiw https://www.texastribune.org/2018/08/01/beto-orourke-ted-cruz-poll-2018-general-election/. but still!

lmao how did I not know the russian pop singer trump stans released a single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cs4tKdiiI4

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/new-poll-shows-unabashedly-left-policies-are-extremely-popular-voters

A progressive agenda that could win everywhere, with all voters. https://t.co/5gC9YVREmB pic.twitter.com/wyrgweH62t

— Data for Progress (@DataProgress) August 1, 2018

public internet support is p interesting

people don't vote issues though, they vote their tribe

Well then we need a better mascot than a donkey.

I propose an angry white man

You just have to really scream those policies to make an impact, is all.

But yes, this is what I've been saying for a while now. Lots of people would favor and benefit from more socialist policies until the moment someone hangs the 'socialist' label upon them, at which point the pitchforks come out.

So maybe we just need to become spittle-flecked rageaholics about how socialist the GOP platform is.

But yes, this is what I've been saying for a while now. Lots of people would favor and benefit from more socialist policies until the moment someone hangs the 'socialist' label upon them, at which point the pitchforks come out.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/4a/06/f74a06cf26ed5b5e5644ee2233ae1987.jpg

🤣

I just took the Survey Monkey survey btw so now I'm one of those responses.

Lots of people would favor and benefit from more socialist policies until the moment someone hangs the 'socialist' label upon them, at which point the pitchforks come out.

A bunch of libertarians I know have been getting milage on FB with anti-Ocasio-Cortez memes and story shares about the failure of Venezuela's socialist government.

Libertarians are also the worst.

let's def let the perfect be the enemy of the good

i will take 5 drinks every day one of you klowns resurrects this Klintonista klassik

Ivanka Trump Distraught After Learning Detained Migrant Children Completely Without Sewing Machines https://t.co/kfieafbzyr pic.twitter.com/Xq5bRYNkEU

— The Onion (@TheOnion) August 2, 2018

nice

that's Voltaire you philistine
xp

lol

no one on the planet deserves to lose their (-job-)*head* more than Ted Cruz

[ivanka trump looking down at a child trapped in a well]
IVANKA: this is just awful
CHILD: ya can u help me
IVANKA: i vehemently oppose this situation. how terrible
CHILD: just lower a rope or something
IVANKA (walking away): awful, just awful

— Bob Vulfov (@bobvulfov) August 2, 2018

good news everyone! https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/02/rnc-warns-donors-kochs-760233

basically the Kochs and the RNC are fighting, which means things like the Kochs not providing *any* backing to certain GOP Sen candidates in toss-up states

that article cites North Dakota but I think they've backed out of the Indiana and Nevada races as well...?

US counter-intelligence investigators discovered a suspected Russian spy had been working undetected in the heart of the American embassy in Moscow for more than a decade, the Guardian has learned.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/02/suspected-russian-spy-us-embassy-moscow-secret-service

I could have told them that. I mean, come on.

wait til glenn g hears about this

Ronna McDaniel is one of the worst human beings alive. the Kochs are pretty bad too. they really should get along better.

Yeah, after I posted that, I was like...this is news?

how is this news

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, August 1, 2018 4:51 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i mean.... it was assumed

― maura, Wednesday, August 1, 2018 4:53 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

if Voltaire knew how his shit was being deployed

tell us more o learned one

Voltaire was a vicious antisemite who gives a fuck what he said

show me an 18thc. frenchman that wasn't a vicious antisemite (seriously!)

Yeah I mean let alone a 21st century frenchman who isn't

anyway whoever wins the ongoing war of perfect v. good we all lose when we argue about cliches

sad lolz

show me an 18thc. frenchman that wasn't a vicious antisemite (seriously!)

https://haciendapublishing.com/sites/default/files/Maximilien%20Robespierre_0.jpg

Not to mention, errrr, Napoleon!

anyway i've heard that maxim used heavily in ref to lousy pols

robespierre 2020, i could get behind it

Omarosa's book Unhinged

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6019907/Omarosa-tells-President-Trumps-mental-decline-not-denied.html

The book ends "But Hillary..."

I'm sure there were French Jews in the 18th C who didn't hate themselves!

Condorcet was pretty good on Jews!

We're going to be dealing with the Daily Trump Dump and his followers for years and years. Loses the congress? Trump tweets every day. Loses the senate? Trump tweets every day. Loses in 2020? Trump tweets every day. Leaves in 2024? Trump tweets every day.

― Josh in Chicago

lose twitter...

Perfect just whupped the good's ass in NY-14 so

xpost You mean, get rid of twitter? That part is easy. But all the usual suspects will be breathlessly reporting on his latest online spew for years to come. He'll be hosting live events until he cannot, talking shit, throwing shit, eating shit, and no one will stop reporting on it.

man alive when there’s a better option for senate in Texas than Beto please lmk

Is Schumer part of "the good" btw?

So @AdyBarkan, with his dying strength, leads a protest today inside the Capitol against Kavanaugh, 70 people get arrested.

Schumer responds by giving consent to 6 new Trump judges in exchange for two days off. One of the judges was even deemed by the ABA “unqualified.” https://t.co/vuiGbqkGrc

— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) August 2, 2018

idk. who did he run against?

a guy who would've consented to those judges like he did

The two days off referred to in the Ryan Grim tweet were so Dems can go back and campaign. McCconnell had lengthened Senate time in DC to get more judges appointed, and to keep Dems from campaigning

good mourning!

are we just gonna let 'jeffrey uhlman beaverstock' and 'holly lou teeter' go by unremarked-upon or

The New York Daily News reports:

The Trump administration is arguing in court that the American Civil Liberties Union is in a better position to locate deported parents forcibly separated from their children at the southern border after entering the U.S. The Department of Justice claimed in a court filing Thursday that the ACLU, which filed a class-action lawsuit against the administration on behalf of the families, should take the lead in reunifying deported parents with their kids.

“Plaintiffs’ counsel should use their considerable resources and their network of law firms, NGOs, volunteers, and others, together with the information that defendants have provided (or will soon provide), to establish contact with possible class members in foreign countries,” the department said in its filing. The attempt to pass off the problem of locating deported parents is the latest twist in a months-long battle over President Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy regarding illegal border crossings.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-pol-trump-aclu-border-find-20180803-story.html

wow, that's.... novel

It's almost as if the Trump administration is explicitly acknowledging its fundamental uselessness.

the please-wipe-our-ass admin

the trump administration:

Biff: Hey, McFly! [both George and Marty turn around] What do you think your doing?
Marty: [to himself] Biff.
Biff: Hey, I'm talking to you McFly, you Irish bug!
George: Oh, hey, Biff. Hey, guys. How are you doin'?
Biff: Do you got my homework finished, McFly?
George: Well, I figured since it wasn't due till Monday -
Biff: Hello? Hello? Anybody home, huh, Think, McFly! Think! I gotta have time to recopy it. Do you realize what what would happen if I handed in my homework in your handwriting? I'll get kicked out of school. You wouldn't want that to happen would ya? WOULD YA?!
George: Of course not, Biff. Now I wouldn't want that to happen.
Biff: [notices Marty staring at him] Well, what are you looking at, butthead!

weaponised incompetence

President Butthead

lolz: https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/7xqeq9/white-russian-meddling-accused-spy-maria-butina-reportedly-blew-her-cover-because-she-got-too-drunk?utm_source=dmfb

Butina repeatedly bragged about her work as a spy for the Russian government while drunk, sources told CNN. On two occasions, classmates were so distressed by Butina’s claims that they reported her to law enforcement.

Even sober, she wasn’t exactly careful with how she communicated, favoring apps like Twitter and WhatsApp. Other sources told CNN that Butina was quick to use flirtatious behavior like footsie to get the attention of men at political events, raising suspicion with her heavy-handed overtures.

Lena Dunham Presents: spys

You can take the girl out of Siberia...

Awww...

NRA Says It Could Soon Go Broke In New Court Filing

As the National Rifle Association remains curiously silent in response to questions over its ties to an alleged Russian spy, it appears the gun lobby group is now facing another major headache—one the group claims directly threatens its very existence.

In a recent court filing first obtained by Rolling Stone, the NRA warns that it is in grave financial trouble over New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s role in convincing financial service providers, including banks and insurance companies, not to conduct business with the gun group. The association blasted Cuomo, along with the state’s Department of Financial Services, with engaging in a “blacklisting campaign” that has cost the group millions. The NRA warns it could be forced the end to its television and magazine services, curtail rallies, and shutter offices.

In April, about two months following the Parkland, Florida mass shooting, Cuomo directed the Department of Financial Services to call on various financial institutions to reevaluate their business ties with the NRA. “This is not just a matter of reputation,” the governor said in a statement announcing the initiative. “It is a matter of public safety, and working together, we can put an end to gun violence in New York once and for all.”

In turn, the NRA sued, claiming that the state was denying its right to “speak freely about gun-related issues and defend the Second Amendment.” The group’s most recent court filing in the ongoing lawsuit includes new claims about how New York state’s actions has hamstrung its activities.

“If the NRA is unable to collect donations from its members, safeguard the assets endowed to it, apply its funds to cover media buys and other expenses integral to its political speech, and obtain basic corporate insurance coverage, it will be unable to exist as a not-for-profit or pursue its advocacy mission,” the new complaint said. “Defendants seek to silence one of America’s oldest constitutional rights advocates. If their abuses are not enjoined, they will soon, substantially, succeed.”

NRA: "We want to be able to act like complete assholes with no consequences."

This is truly a blow for people with rifles who wish to associate with one another.

wow if Cuomo actually prevails here = respect knuckles

although it's probably wise to entertain the possibility that the NRA is overstating their potential losses in court as a legal tactic

...more likely a fundraising tactic.

I'm sure the mailers are out now - help us now to STAND AND FIGHT against the FOES OF LIBERTY who want to TAKE YOUR GUNS

yeah that too.

It is, of course, inconceivable that various banks and insurance companies would not want to do business with the NRA, based solely on the profits they could make by taking NRA money. But it is entirely conceivable that they might be leery of having their business relationship with the NRA highly publicized and widely known.

On the whole, though, the NRA has a point. That bad publicity and that citizen pressure should come from a non-governmental source, like a social media campaign, not from the NY Department of Financial Services hinting about "working together" to deny the NRA financial services.

NY's argument is obviously that their intervention is justified based on the NRA being a threat to the public health. which they are.

based on the NRA being a threat to the public health

I agree with the premise, but I don't think that novel of an argument will fly, legally speaking, since the public health threat is promulgated through "legitimate" political activity. If the NRA loses this, their lawyers must be pretty incompetent. imo, the crux will be the terms of the settlement more than the up or down outcome.

true

also true: NAMBLA is way less destructive to US society than the NRA is

The precedent could get misused in other ways.

"The Kansas (or whatever) Health Department views Planned Parenthood as a public health threat (namely the health of fetuses), therefore we will be sanctioning any entity that does business with PP..."

SHOCKER: Dems fold again and get nothing in return

NEWS: Senate Democrats to end boycott, plan to meet with Kavanaugh later this month Via@seungminkim https://t.co/MdPm1ZM0zA

— Dave Clarke (@davecclarke) August 3, 2018

oh i bet they'll get some season tickets

in shocking news andrew cuomo may accomplish something

they didn't "fold" - they were refused the documents by the agencies they were demanding them from. They have no legal recourse to go around that.

they got "nothing in return" because this was a procedural delaying tactic and they have no leverage

meanwhile

mister police, manafort couldn't be guilty, he gave you all the clues

Paul Manafort's attorney: If he was intending to break the law, why did he leave "evidence around" https://t.co/dMKC7qNzBM

— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) August 3, 2018

Shitty criminal in thinking every other criminal is as shitty at criminality as he is shockah.

hahahaha that defense is *awesome*

they didn't "fold" - they were refused the documents by the agencies they were demanding them from. They have no legal recourse to go around that.

okay you got me, I didn't actually read it

xpost

That’s kind of related to what seems to be trump’s style of wrongdoing - how could what he’s doing be a crime when only a total idiot would do it so openly? Obstructing justice? That’s ridiculous! *immediately tells Lester Holt on national tv that he fired comey because of Russia* But a guilty person would hide it! And that’s why he should do it openly.

Excuse me, I have to go slam my head in the car door again

thinking of Costanza getting caught with the cleaning lady..."was that wrong? should I not have done that?"

JUST IN: Matt Dunlap, member of Trump’s former voter fraud commission, publishes trove of records, finds zero evidence of mass voter fraud, says claims from White House “were, in fact, false."

His letter to WH: https://t.co/nok74aEZFR

The documents: https://t.co/sasj7s7ycT pic.twitter.com/J2epPfBVMB

— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) August 3, 2018

dammmmn, well done

THAT will convince the right wing that voter fraud isn’t a problem!!

Yeah, was just thinking: yet another example of someone bending over backwards to disprove obvious bullshit in order to convince people who couldn't care less about facts and evidence.

'No no, here's why the sun can't possibly just a hole in the sky through which god is shining a flashlight. (presents four-hour lecture).'
'...Fuck you, libruhl.'
'I feel like I've done a poor job of explaining myself. Let me try again...'

i believe there is value in proving the administration to be liars, even if it doesn't win hearts and minds.

^^ The purpose of proving them liars is to keep asserting and reasserting the value of facts, evidence and reason, not to change the minds of fools and bigots.

yes. there is a reason every textbook that mentions joe mccarthy points out that he never did produce the names he supposedly had "in his hand." there is value in not letting the completely bogus narrative of kobach stand.

Been away for a week. Hello. An amuse bouche:

Trump associate J.D. Gordon socialized with alleged Russian agent Mariia Butina in final weeks of the 2016 campaign, emails obtained by WaPo show, putting her in closer contact with Trump's orbit than was previously known. https://t.co/q1O4xePAFp

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 4, 2018

JD Gordon, who joined the Trump campaign as the Director of National Security, once argued the Trump campaign was "too disorganized to collude." Turns out he spent some time with the Russians himself. https://t.co/t1LwsFBQTh

— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) August 4, 2018

xpost Yes, yes, I know. And agree wholeheartedly with the intent. I've just noticed a few instances lately that skewed a little too close to my playlet for comfort.

Paul Manafort's accountant, Cindy Laporta, testified today that she helped him falsify statements for loans and that he asked her in August 2016 to falsify numbers showing company profits when Manafort was still working as Trump's campaign chairman. https://t.co/kfpYjw7sgj

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) August 3, 2018

Their comments, typed into the margins of the draft or included in emails, were either watered down or ignored altogether. As a result, the statement the administration issued in June included misleading data and painted an overly optimistic picture of the American economy.

Next to a line in the draft which reads: “The U.S. is entering a new era of economic growth and prosperity,” an official from the White House Council of Economic Advisers remarked that the economic growth had long predated Trump and said the trajectory might not last.

“Already 8-9 years long … which started under Obama and we inherited and then expanded. But it will end prob in 1 – 2 years. So I’d not get into this,” the official wrote.

Again, the final version of the statement, put out by the U.S. Mission to Geneva on June 22, ignored the suggestion and used the original language.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/02/internal-documents-show-how-trump-administration-state-department-misled-public-on-poverty/

Its on

Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018

oh good

also who is mike

weird how black people always end up being dumb in his world

LeBron James has repeatedly showed open contempt for Trump. That is a measure of his intelligence. I presume "Mike" refers to Michael Jordan.

Remember that LeBron gave us "u bum".

LeBron Lebron. President Trump doesn't LOVE Mike Pence. President Trump bet Mr. Putin he could beat Crooklary. Stupid liberals don't understand how the real world and business works!

lol @ 'Crooklary'

I'm in love with the fact that this is probably accurate

He didn’t respond cause Ohio is a swing state. If lbj goes to LA for ex. He’ll tweet @ him https://t.co/M0gVKKnbj4

— sam esfandiari (@samesfandiari) November 19, 2017

I wish people would fucking dispense with the idea that there’s political logic to anything this stupid asshole does on Twitter

^^

Hardly a stretch and doesn't require much from Trumps limited imagination. Lebron represents Ohio more than anything else does.

Called him a bum and he didn't respond, but does so now in response to a Don Lemon interview?

Trump has often showed himself capable of holding onto simple ideas that serve his immediate interests.

He does seem to consistently grasp the notion that using a toilet is preferable to walking around all day after shitting oneself.

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/trump-kicks-chump-change-article-1.759003

he’s such an asshole and has been forever

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-at-a-precarious-moment-in-his-presidency-privately-brooding-and-publicly-roaring/2018/08/04/4b463842-9736-11e8-810c-5fa705927d54_story.html

Trump has told some associates that Giuliani has convinced him Mueller has nothing incriminating about him. “Rudy’s told him the other player is bluffing with a pair of 2’s,” said one Trump adviser. And Trump has latched onto Giuliani’s talking point that “collusion is not a crime,” believing it is catchy and brilliantly simplistic, according to people with knowledge of internal talks.

Still, Trump has confided to friends and advisers that he is worried the Mueller probe could destroy the lives of what he calls “innocent and decent people” — namely Trump Jr., who is under scrutiny by Mueller for his role organizing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. As one adviser described the president’s thinking, he does not believe his son purposefully broke the law, but is fearful nonetheless that Trump Jr. inadvertently may have wandered into legal jeopardy.

Frosted Russian crimes, they're brilliantly simplistic!

xpost read between the lines and that's totally him setting up throwing his own son under the bus later on

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/the-901/2018/08/03/9-01-what-democrats-big-win-last-night-means-shelby-county/861574002/

Of the 26 county offices up for grabs, Democrats won all but five — and those were previously Republican commission seats. Before the election, Republicans held nine of the 10 most high-profile county offices, including mayor and sheriff. Now, they hold zero.

How to describe the devastation of last night's win for Republicans? It was a rout. A sweep. A wave that overwhelmed Republicans who had largely controlled the county — not counting the commission, which had a scant Democratic majority — since 2008.

from that wapo story

From his White House residence Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted that Manafort may be treated worse by the criminal justice system than Al “Scarface” Capone, whom he identified as “legendary mob boss, killer and ‘Public Enemy Number One.’” He later called around to some advisers asking what they thought of the tweet, proud that he had come up with the Capone comparison.

✊🏼

_Still, Trump has confided to friends and advisers that he is worried the Mueller probe could destroy the lives of what he calls “innocent and decent people” — namely Trump Jr., who is under scrutiny by Mueller for his role organizing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. As one adviser described the president’s thinking, he does not believe his son purposefully broke the law, but is fearful nonetheless that Trump Jr. inadvertently may have wandered into legal jeopardy._

I was going to say something about how they weren't white or that they weren't Donald Trump's son but I'm approximately 100% sure he's really only concerned about the innocent and decent people named Donald Trump, Sr.

Yeah he doesn’t give a shit about junior except as he reflects on him. He was still physically abusing junior when he was college age, in view of other students, I assume that dynamic hasn’t changed at all

xps

That Memphis story above is real and significant, but you have to keep in mind the population of Shelby County. It's about 53 percent black and 6 percent latino, so this is somewhat just the politics catching up to the demographics. Trump is definitely driving turnout, though.

Fuck you, Donald
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/03/daca-trump-administration-court-judge-restart-order-722167

“The swing voter is not red to blue. The swing voter is non voter to voter. That’s our swing voter.” - @Ocasio2018 pic.twitter.com/z3XyJ5GUdd

— Hamilton Nolan (@hamiltonnolan) August 5, 2018

^ otm

lmao netroots nation still exists?

I think this year is the reboot, or something...

gtfo

http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/russia-names-steven-seagal-special-envoy-to-the-u-s.html

Holding babies fleeing death to a higher standard than your 40-year-old Wharton-educated son https://t.co/7pKu0K9hmd

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) August 5, 2018

whom amongst us has not occasionally wandered into legal jeopardy i ask u

I made a lot of scans and copies at my last job after hours, so...Mueller should be calling me any day now.

“We’re a happy family/We’re a happy family...”

Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018

remember back when it was emphatically NOT a meeting to get dirt on his opponent, but rather to discuss the important issue of adoption regulations?

I am so not concerned about this that I am tweeting about it first thing on a Sunday morning! Look at my lack of concern! So fake that I am concerned. Fake fake fake.

Pres. Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow on previously denying that the president was involved in putting out a statement on the Trump Tower meeting: "I had bad information at that time and made a mistake in my statement ... over time facts develop"

Feel like 2/3 of the time a Trump tweet is posted here I don’t initially believe it’s real. Jesus...

"over time facts develop" is an amazing phrase

seriously though this show off "concern" for Donnie Jr is so transparent, kids gonna take the fall

Yes, it's very sad I think, him being locked up for life like that, such a bright young man and he's being treated very unfairly, and a lot of people are being treated very unfairly today, just today I looked at the front page of the paper and my picture was not on it. I mean, what are we talking about here? It's outrageous, it's sick and wrong and it really, it does make me sick because I'm the President you know and it's very disrespectful with the media what they're doing and not having the picture. It's a picture they're doing and not doing, whatever it is and I think it would be appropriate for the President to be there because I was at Mar-a-Lago, which is a beautiful place and looks absolutely spectacular in pictures, we have very big pictures that are top of the line and instead they're showing a jail cell. I mean who wants to see that? Which is why they are what I call them which is the Failing New York Times and I keep calling them and saying, hey, you're failing, you need to call me and ask me what to do because I built a great company and you've got pictures of some guy in a prison and not the President on this beautiful golf course, it is tremendous out here and you wouldn't believe it, and I think it's really sad of them and we're going to make this country great again.

There was no meeting. OK, there was a meeting but it was about adoption. Well, it might have originally been about dirt on Clinton, but they didn't have any. I mean, OK, we hoped they had some, but they didn't have some, and even if they did, who cares, right? Everyone wants dirt on their opponent. We even had a second meeting before the meeting to plan on what to do with the dirt, but since there was no dirt the second meeting was totally silly, and no one was there. Sure, I mean, the president's son, son in law, campaign manager and others were there, but nbd. They were always around. OK, possibly some Russian spies were there, too, but how were we to know that? Anyway, I have been totally clear and honest about this. I mean, other than saying the opposite of the truth about it. But I think my statement was otherwise very clear. OK, subsequent statements. Alright, fine, my dad's statement, that he dictated, might have been a little confusing, but other than that - clear as day. If you discount my testimony. But other than that, we have been very transparent and did nothing wrong because there was nothing wrong to do. No collusion, right, hah ha? Once you clear this whole thing up you'll see it's just a big misunderstanding, like an episode of "Three's Company" or something.

Wait, OK, blurblur blur haha ... can we just start over? Do you like beer? Let me buy you a beer! Did I tell you about the time I shot a giraffe? It was crazy! You know, they're bigger than they look, and tough, too! They're really ...

Fake News! Sad!!!!

Sigh. It was worth a try. Works for dad, right?

It's fascinating to watch a terrible liar's description of events shift as more of the truth is known. Ducks aren't real. Okay, ducks might be real but I've never seen one. Okay, I might've seen one but it definitely didn't have feathers. Okay, it might've had feathers but I swear it didn't quack. Okay, it might've quacked but my wonderful son is wonderful and innocent and I have no intention whatsoever of using him as a human shield, and as someone who's known me for his entire life he should be very comforted by the obvious veracity of my words.

lol, xposts with multiple people taking stabs @ replicating Trump lie meltdowns

If you think about it the Trump Administration is already living in a prison of its own lies, so there's really no need to prosecute at all.

You know Trump is lying because he called his son "wonderful." That's what they call a "tell."

Re Sekulow, this is also a laugh

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN1A10Q9

I still love that Trump's defense all hinges on someone believing that a son whose entire life is a sad plea for his dad's attention didn't tell his dad the only interesting thing that happened to him in his entire life.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) August 5, 2018

That will be the basis of their defence. Jnr wanted to impress his Dad, but didn't want to try something that wouldn't work out. SO he met them, it didn't work out, so he hid it in order not to lower his standing with his Dad,

Won't work, that's where the backtracking on the statement Sekulow's mumbling about above comes in.

where's the tax returns?

There are any number of ways the tax returns will eventually show up, it's part of the GOP lead congress's everlasting shame that it will not be the one to do it.

If dems take the House his returns will be released w in like a week

Unless they're asked politely not to, in which case it would just be rude.

There are also other trials in the wings, involving payoffs and self enrichment and stuff like that, where the tax returns will play a role. Those lawsuits are all going forward.

a son whose entire life is a sad plea for his dad's attention

is this true?

someone give me some background on this narrative

Like father like son, its a rich tradition

someone give me some background on this narrative

https://people.com/politics/donald-trump-jr-relationship-father/

https://www.newyorker.com/news-desk/swamp-chronicles/the-day-trump-told-us-there-was-attempted-collusion-with-russia

Seems bad that the president believes this and states it publicly

California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018

what on earth does he think he is referring to with that

climate change, you see

California needs more tree clearers.

"the president’s thinking"

Amazingly, that tweet's been up for two hours already, which means "Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!" looks perfectly OK to him and his babysitters.

you know, tree clear, like what you do to a lawn, grass cut

maybe it's a scientology dogwhistle. must get clear!

It isn't impossible, as he becomes increasingly untethered from reality, that the current POTUS will evoke Xenu at some point before he's out of office.

The ocean is a totally wrong place for water. Many people are saying this. Too bad the FAKE NEWS won't tell you about it.

He’s garbling central CA GOP reps complaints about water policy

Which is his way of “helping” endangered CA GOP reps

Have heard many CA Repub's talking about wasteful and bad environment water policy! Also hearing about fires that water won't put out! Must be related, very fake and disappointing, USA WON'T ACCEPT!

Most people don’t know oil can also catch fire

Interesting article here positing that the whole "QAnon" conspiracy started life as a lefty/anarchist prank on gullible right-wing chuds but has taken on a life of its own.

Let us now assemble a quorum to determine the wisest employment of this newfound power we have over the chuds.

mourning!

not good?

that article gets hilarious towards the bottom when they start talking about Luther Blissett

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8b/50/bc/8b50bc7de6c75344d960dacaf2f3dce5.jpg

I remember Q being pretty good in the context of reading a lot of reformation history back in the 2000s. Must read again.

Same, I read it in 2000 (and really enjoyed it as the 'playbook' mentioned it was supposed to be). Will pull it out again this week.

i'd forgotten all about q, nice to see someone joining the dots on all this qanon stuff even if it will just read as deep-state disinfo tactics to those afflicted by the q brain worms

It will be fun + interesting to see the Olympics-level mental gymnastics Trumpists perform in order to deny having been conned hardcore yet again. The double down is always impressive to watch but I think they might actually go for the triple down on this one.

lmao no mental gymnastics required, this article is fake news and any attempt to debunk Q is likely the work of John Podesta who is currently shitting his pants because true patriots are getting so close to unraveling his life's work

yeah, exactly - any attempt to debunk q is just further evidence of a coverup, man!

I'm most impressed with how much work Podesta and company have done to weave a twenty-year history of a fake novel that never actually existed. I'll bet they've even planted weathered copies of it in bookstores and libraries all over the world.

it's not fun or interesting to see deranged cultists in action imo

It's like when the kids say something is 'bad' do u see.

so in other words there's qanon canon

Not to be confused by the Cannon canon, though American is getting pretty close to realizing Invasion USA and Deathwish 4, if not Masters of the Universe.

that article gets hilarious towards the bottom when they start talking about

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Blissett_(nom_de_plume)

It will be fun + interesting to see the Olympics-level mental gymnastics Trumpists perform in order to deny having been conned hardcore yet again. The double down is always impressive to watch but I think they might actually go for the triple down on this one.

― My Name is Pants and I Fit Snugly (Old Lunch), Monday, August 6, 2018 2:00 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

especially considering that this is the second serving of pizzagate

a new angle on Kavanaugh: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/06/kavanaugh-supreme-court-democrats-sexual-harassment-scandal-kozinski-762396

it's not fun or interesting to see deranged cultists in action imo

otm. the "ha ha this is so insane" detached amusement seems misplaced to me. we're attached to them by virtue of living in the same society with them. their derangement makes them a danger to themselves and others.

People have died, 1000 homes destroyed...yet your fav Prez managed to make a wildfire be about """illegals"""

It's like when the kids say something is 'bad' do u see.

― My Name is Pants and I Fit Snugly (Old Lunch), Monday, August 6, 2018 9:21 AM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the "ha ha this is so insane" detached amusement seems misplaced to me. we're attached to them by virtue of living in the same society with them. their derangement makes them a danger to themselves and others.

Totally agree but. Any ideas about what should be done otherwise?

The chuds won't listen to us, or the media, or anybody not reflecting the chosen tribal worldview.

If pearl-clutching doesn't work, and pointing and laughing at them doesn't work, and pointing people toward respectable sources of information doesn't work... what DOES work?

In my view the best thing to do is make these mousefuckers irrelevant by defeating their candidates soundly in the electoral arena so they aren't close to power any more. To me, for now, that means all Democrats, any Democrats, even ones who disappoint me in various ways.

My ears are open for other suggestions tho

Or we can pretend that I've suddenly recovered from the psychological trauma I've demonstrated in these threads over the past two years and am suddenly wryly amused by Trumpists taking a pickaxe to the foundation of society, whichever.

otm. the "ha ha this is so insane" detached amusement seems misplaced to me. we're attached to them by virtue of living in the same society with them. their derangement makes them a danger to themselves and others.

― A is for (Aimless)

yeah i hear people saying things like that the president is trapped in a prison of his own making, which i might find wry or something if the rest of us weren't also trapped in a prison of his making.

i don't have any answers except, yeah, vote in november, get these assholes slash asshole enablers out. it's what we've been doing all along, of course. the only other advice i have is to be kind when you can (sometimes it's not really an option). just to keep in practice.

the Grifter doesn't seem to have many straight-edge friends for a teetotaler

TMZ Sports reports:

Brian France — the CEO and Chairman of NASCAR — was arrested for DUI on Sunday evening in The Hamptons and cops say he was also in possession of oxycodone, TMZ Sports has learned. The 56-year-old — one of the most powerful people in professional sports — was initially stopped in Sag Harbor, NY while driving a 2017 Lexus.

We’re told France’s blood alcohol level was more than TWICE the legal limit. Cops say during the stop, they found oxycodone pills during a search of his person. And sources tell us during the process, France was name-dropping all of the powerful people he knew and even mentioned his relationship with President Donald Trump.

JUST IN: Rick Gates testifies that he committed crimes with Paul Manafort pic.twitter.com/G7LcgkyHX6

— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) August 6, 2018

RICK ROLLED!!!

BREAKING: Rick Gates admits on stand he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort.

— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) August 6, 2018

burn

From the courtroom...

ASONYE: Were you involved in any criminal activity with Mr. Manafort?

GATES: Yes

ASONYE: Did you commit any crimes with Manafort?

GATES: Yes

— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) August 6, 2018

(l-r) gates, manafort

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/MealyWastefulGlassfrog-max-1mb.gif

i was trying to remember that quote...

‘i blame society!’

I have seen some cold stares in my life but watching Paul Manafort stare down his former deputy, arms crossed, as Rick Gates recounted the long list of his alleged crimes was remarkable. #ManafortTrial

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 6, 2018

https://a2-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/123/5997c1e104cf42c2a76d6349d45dec65/full.jpg

Something that's not well understood abt the Scooter Libby case is how narrow the path was to keep him out of prison w/o exposing PapaDick and Bush to his testimony. It took real competence and smart lawyering.

Raising this for oh I don't know why.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) August 6, 2018

Huh, this answers my question upthread pretty clearly, also has a lol kicker at the end

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/08/06/why-the-trump-tower-meeting-may-have-violated-the-law-and-the-steele-dossier-likely-didnt/?utm_term=.be142e2fa027

lol we’re all fucked

This is going to backfire. West Virginia are moving to mobile phone voting for this midterm elections - software is a ‘Blockchain voting system’ by “Votez”, a 2018 startup with https://twitter.com/gossithedog/status/1026603800365330432?s=21m of funding https://t.co/478mhg4CT6

— kevin (@GossiTheDog) August 6, 2018

Mark Zuckerberg, save us!

I'm convinced that the application of computers to voting should be limited to optical scanning of paper ballots. fucked is otm

Which people have the most access to computers?

Which people have somewhat less access to computers?

Who is advocating for computer access to be a significant avenue of access to voting?

Things that make you go WTMFingF?

not even, like, ivote or votify

votez

totez votez

according to the rest of the thread and the linked article, it's actually called "Voatz."

which inspires even less confidence tbh

gonna be worse than the baseball All-Star voting

but Mike Trout wd prob be ok

tbf "moving to mobile phone voting" is not really what is happening according to that article

Oh that’s good, I don’t have time to actually read articles.

close fucking enough

West Virginians serving overseas will be the first in the country to cast federal election ballots using a smartphone app, a move designed to make voting in November's election easier for troops living abroad. But election integrity and computer security experts expressed alarm at the prospect of voting by phone, and one went so far as to call it "a horrific idea."

what could POSSIBLY, POSSIBLY go wrong, they've even got facial recognition

Anyone using it must first register by taking a photo of their government-issued identification and a selfie-style video of their face, then upload them via the app. Voatz says its facial recognition software will ensure the photo and video show the same person. Once approved, voters can cast their ballot using the Voatz app.

ah, the troops

The troops love em or leave em

The thing about those troops is, you gotta love and support them, because otherwise it means you want them to die

I'm beginning to think this whole calling your every opponent a traitor business might not be a bad thing. One of two things will happen: the entire political class discredits itself or the word traitor becomes meaningless. Either way: win win! https://t.co/DbpK7XG5gr

— corey robin (@CoreyRobin) August 6, 2018

Yes, we should stop using words because idiots who don't understand them might 'rubber + glue' them back at us and thusly devalue them.

Not thrilled about the Iran sanctions being reimposed. That’s probably bad.

Sadly the way to stop the voter app is probably to tell people in West Virginia that their military members are being used as test subjects by a nonprofit run by people who worked for Michael Bloomberg and Jill Biden.

Extremely curious to see how this is going down on the home of pizzagate research, voat.co

voatse

good mourning!

I wonder what kinds of dumb things will happen today!?

Think big!

I didn't think big enough for WORLD PEACE

The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2018

Sure sure, casually threaten countries with nukes, demand world peace, just whatever you're feeling on a given day is cool, Mr. President.

Does this answer your question, Karl?

extreme's 'when i'm president' has a more coherent worldview than this dumbass

"He called me Chief Piggum"

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/400660-ryan-when-trump-called-me-a-boy-scout-he-meant-it-as-an-insult

did someone pay off the judge in the Manafort case or what

Manafort judge to one of Mueller's prosecutors: "There's tears in your eyes" https://t.co/l6Vxr5lfrT pic.twitter.com/uc3AeaayFb

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) August 7, 2018

that seems... bad

Wtf that's bullying

Is he Judge Danforth from The Crucible

Someone should let Melania know

Defiant Manafort Enters Trial Wearing Coat Made Of Live Puffins https://t.co/yPM9U6Xd3y pic.twitter.com/SrlM5B7lYb

— The Onion (@TheOnion) August 6, 2018

Does this answer your question, Karl?

We’re off to a rousing start. But I need the stupidity to ratchet it up to a level never before seen. And I can’t wait until November!

where are the tax returns!

lol, a twist we shd have seen coming, a nazi judge berating the prosecutors for being cucks and soyboys

I'm almost to the point where I'd hardly bat an eye at a Trump going on a Twitter tear about how it's Hillary and Obama and CNN's fault that he hasn't released his tax returns.

so ur saying u did nazi that coming xp

So if anyone they live with complied with their legal obligation to purchase health insurance under the ACA, they may be disqualified from becoming green card holders of citizens? What a horror show https://t.co/g6BjNpsn7A

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) August 7, 2018

Up next: More from Gates. Prosecutor said they expect to need about two more hours (the judge told them to try to hurry it up)

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) August 7, 2018

lmao this is the most open and shut case ever and he's gonna walk

the judge is not the jury

also from what I can tell/have read of this judge he seems like the kinda guy who gives the prosecution a hard time and then sides with them in rulings as a way of demonstrating his "impartiality"

hes gonna get 40 hours of community service

don't really care what the sentence is tbh, the guilty verdict is the thing

but is he changing the jury's perception of the case with this stuff

Not sure there's good reason to assume that particular moment (highlighted upthread) is necessarily representative of the whole trial?

that is reported as being out of earshot of the jury. and yeah, who cares, it doesn't seem particularly significant to me, it just makes the judge seem like a jerk.

in other news: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Trump-s-Walk-of-Fame-star-The-West-Hollywood-13137223.php

I'll put it this way, I'll believe our government is willing to prosecute rich, politically connected white conservatives when I see it

sometimes judges are super protective of the juror's time. perhaps he thinks this is a slam dunk case and the prosecutors don't need to spend as much time proving it up as they think they do.. or he's just a dick idk

reminds me of this classic, brought to life a year or two ago by Rick & Morty:

http://coosavalleynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Transcript-Denver-Allen.pdf

YELLING AT YOU

Problems, problems.

Federal prosecutors in NY are probing whether Michael Cohen committed tax fraud, including by underreporting his taxi medallion income on tax returns. They’ve also subpoenaed his former accountant. Scoop from ⁦@rebeccadobrien⁩ ⁦@nicole_hong >>⁩ https://t.co/2He47RGsXB

— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) August 7, 2018

the hideous couplings implied by this pic
https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/eGElyLpELlnddVFG.OZX7w--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD0zODg7cHlvZmY9MDtxPTk1O3c9NzIwO3NtPTE7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/gma/us.abcnews.gma.com/kristin-davis-ap-er-180806_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg.cf.jpg

when her hair makes contact with his Nixon tattoo, what demon slouches from Bethlehem to be born?

lol

this is breathtaking in its sheer derpy beauty ~

https://www.conservapedia.com/Deep_state_coup

republicans: free markets! don't interfere with corporations!
also (43% of) republicans: unless you're a newspaper in which case the government should be able to step in and shut you down

https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/americans-views-media-2018-08-07

although I'm more concerned who the fuck these 8% are

A final statistic is somewhat reassuring, only 13% of Americans agree that “President Trump should close down mainstream news outlets, like CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times.” Here less than a quarter of Republicans (23%) agree along with fewer than one in ten Democrats (8%).

so surprised that the same idiots who say "love it or leave it" don't mind narrowing the law to only include their interests

awww someone made a new friend

Under cross-examination now, Rick Gates says he has met with team of Special Counsel #RobertMueller
*20 TIMES* since he struck his plea deal in February. #ManafortTrial

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 7, 2018

Is that a lot? I mean, that's less than once a week, and he's the star witness in a (or at least one) trial.

Paul Ryan, statesman

He tends to speak of the commander in chief as if he were sharing a coping strategy on dealing with a Ritalin-deprived child. “It boomerangs,” Ryan says of being too critical of Trump. “He goes in the other direction, so that’s not effective.” He added, “The pissing match doesn’t work.”

Ryan prefers to tell Trump how he feels in private. He joins a large group of Trump’s putative allies, many of whom have worked in the administration, who insist that they have shaped Trump’s thinking and behavior in private: the “Trust me, I’ve stopped this from being much worse” approach. “I can look myself in the mirror at the end of the day and say I avoided *that* tragedy, I avoided *that* tragedy, I avoided *that* tragedy,” Ryan tells me. “I advanced *this* goal, I advanced *this* goal, I advanced *this* goal.”

I locked in on the word “tragedy.” It sets the mind reeling to whatever thwarted “tragedies” Ryan might be talking about. I asked for an example. “No, I don’t want to do that,” Ryan replied. “That’s more than I usually say.”

https://splinternews.com/paul-ryan-is-ending-his-speakership-in-the-most-patheti-1828171451

Nice of him to step down so someone like Jim Jordan can take on the role of stopping tragedies

But of course who are we kidding, they can all eat shit.

they've been doing so for 17 months

BREAKING: Rick Gates admits to extra-marital affair and admits he used money embezzled from Paul Manafort to maintain London apartment for trysts

— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) August 7, 2018

actual footage of rick gates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i26-iBmq-Ps

btw our commerce secretary

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2018/08/06/new-details-about-wilbur-rosss-businesses-point-to-pattern-of-grifting/

yeah this guy has been an obvious crook from day one

kind of looks like Danny O'Connor is going to win, maybe hopefully?

Gonna be v close but i am optimistic

85% reporting . . .

Troy Balderson (R)
81,573
49.29%

Joe Manchik (G)
1,006
0.61%

Danny O'Connor (D)
82,911
50.10%

it's down to like 150 votes right now

This would be a pretty significant loss for the GOP, right?

yes definitely

The precinct-by-precinct handicappers still have Balderson pulling it out. Either way, yet another district where Dems outperform 2014 and 2016 by a fair margin.

yeah, even if o'connor loses by a point or two, that's a huge huge boost over where a dem "should" be in this district, and bodes extremely well for races in swingier districts etc. etc.

the GOP spent $7 million, vs $300k by Democrats.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/06/ohio-​s​pecial-election-danny-oconnor-faces-tr​oy-balderson-in-oh12.html

Xxp yeah but mail in votes favor Ds which may actually be a factor in this race

Though Balderson just pulled ahead by .6% so that may do it

WaPo has called Michigan Dem gov primary for Gretchen Whitmer.

it now looks like O'Connor is going to lose, so disappointing

also the elusive race where voting for the third party really does fuck your side over

why?

xpost

I didn't expect O'Connor to win -- I expected him to narrow the gap. It shouldn't been a race for the GOP candidate!

didn't Balderson win by almost forty points in '16?

according to CNN.com O'Connor is back ahead but I may be lagging here. Kobach is also in second place. Kobach must be the most high-profile candidate in that race, right? The fact that he's garnered less than 40% of the vote in a republican primary might be another anti-Trump sign.

the gap is less than 1,000 votes and there are 1,102 green party votes as of last count

yes exactly

didn't Balderson win by almost forty points in '16?

No, that was the GOP incumbent. He stepped down, it's now an open seat.

yeah, whoops! But still!

yes let's complain about the green party again that never gets old

well good news the gap widened so you don't have to

lol

At this point I don't think Green party voters in close races are DSA people or liberals or hardcore environmentalist, I think they're just weirdos whose votes don't "belong" to the left in any meaningful sense (and I say this as someone who has voted Green in the past.)

its definitely frustrating to lose a seat by 0.0001% but lets face it this result is absolutely terrible for the Republicans

they get a rematch in 3 months, too. kinda weird but ok

but they're going to celebrate a win, which is everything, nobody is going to remember how much a race is lost by

There’s no way this is a good result for the GOP, this is a district where Rs outnumber D voters by 2 to 1

but they're going to celebrate a win, which is everything, nobody is going to remember how much a race is lost by

― Dan S, Tuesday, August 7, 2018 10:34 PM

this is not how GOP Twitter is responding

You can spin this however you like, but a Democrat who had no chance in 2016 came within decimal points of winning this seat.

that makes me feel a little bit better, I guess, sorry to be so negative, I've followed this closely and to come so close has been a huge disappointment for me

they can celebrate this all they want but if they keep massively underperforming like this they're gonna easily lose the House in November

guessing what you mean is that Donald Trump, a notorious idiot who knows nothing about electoral politics, is gonna gloat about this and use it as evidence that his #MAGA agenda is working

^yesvand people will believe it

its definitely frustrating to lose a seat by 0.0001% but lets face it this result is absolutely terrible for the Republicans

I'm gratified by the extent to which this plainly correct take seems to be online consensus

It's official: Missouri voters have STRUCK DOWN the state's right-to-work law, by a landslide.

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 8, 2018

fuck yeah

Holy shit that’s Huge

YES

^-- more important by a long way than who represents OH-12 imo

^yesvand people will believe it

― Dan S

ok? but believing lies doesn't make them true.

otm

but the citizens in OH-12 shouldn't be represented by a man who wants the right to work the poor to death

Do we still not have the equivalent of “anti-choice” for “right-to-work”?

Other than “union-busting ratfink scab law”

Whoah & that MO margin

How about "firing made EZ"?

Job losses for all?

imo the most frustrating part of the OH-12 result is thinking about all the voters purged from the rolls

It's not as though "anti-choice" was ever that great xps

xxxp 'true' doesn't even seem to matter in today's world

I just particularly liked Danny O'Connor, I really hope he has a future in politics

believe it or not Trump is taking credit for helping Balderson overcome a 28-vote deficit

When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better. Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in Nov.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018

believe it or not

By all means, campaign in more places, dipshit.

he's like the Greatest American Hero if he lost 2/3rds of his head in a lawnmowing accident

https://media1.tenor.com/images/07d198465d5e57caa2eda11d889cfed2/tenor.gif

I guess they still haven't called Ohio?

xxxp 'true' doesn't even seem to matter in today's world

― Dan S

"seem" being the operative word. objective reality still exists and president iraqi information minister can repeat his dilbert mantras all he wants, he's not making it go away.

It was a good evening.

objective reality still exists

<citation needed>

Ya, objective reality may remain steadfast and unsullied, but the damage done to consensus reality over the past two years is as-yet-unmeasured but no doubt extensive.

if trump has taught us nothing else, maybe just maybe the gatekeepers of 'consensus' (and 'taste', why not?) might owe their positions less to ability and more to family money (influence) as much as the trumps (and kushners) do during this most unequal moment in american class history (since the gilded age)?

The message from Axios re Ohio-12: Only Republican narratives matter.

Axios' Alexi McCammond points out that the Ohio race was really Trump v. Pelosi: The president rallied with Balderson on Saturday; GOP ads tied O’Connor to Dems' Speaker-in-waiting.

See? All that matters is what Republicans say about each other, and what Republicans say about Democrats. The Democratic message that got the race to a tie? Doesn't matter, for some reason. When Democrats speak, political journalists hear the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoons.

Ya, objective reality may remain steadfast and unsullied, but the damage done to consensus reality over the past two years is as-yet-unmeasured but no doubt extensive.

― Caddyshack III: Back to the Shack! (Old Lunch)

it's hard to assess. my growing feeling is that the damage of the past two years is simply the invisible damage done over the past decades becoming visible. "consensus reality" feels today less like something that's being destroyed and more like a facade (the foundational facade of democracy) which has now fallen away.

it's ugly and it's going to get uglier, but if there's any consolation it's that people who accept empirical evidence are better equipped to survive.

as POLITICO has widened the range of its coverage, bottom feeders like Axios now provide the Hot Takes.

BREAKING NEWS: The AP calls it for Rashida Tlaib of Detroit.

The oldest of 14 children born to Palestinian immigrants will likely be the first Muslim woman to serve in Congress.#MIPrimary #MI13 https://t.co/rrC4RgVhlc

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) August 8, 2018

John Conyers' old seat.

people who accept empirical evidence are better equipped to survive will be a nice moral to the story if trumpco is brought to justice. otherwise, short-term at least, being a dick and lying your ass off seem to better equip 'survival' than 'realism' does

See? All that matters is what Republicans say about each other, and what Republicans say about Democrats.

yea this has become increasingly clear since 2016, nearly all the news on 'neutral' sites like CNN are filtered through the Republican POV. its always "Trump calls the Mueller investigation a witch hunt" or "Sarah Huckabee Sanders SLAMS the media" or "Nielsen says child internment facilities are 'like summer camp'"

media and the Dems seem to both be trapped in this dumb mindset where they really really want the approval of Republicans who lie and cheat them on a daily basis

"objectivity" as it's currently practiced serves those in power most effectively.

JUST IN: Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), Trump’s earliest congressional backer, arrested by the FBI on securities fraud-related charges, via @jonathan4ny

— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) August 8, 2018

so now it's not okay if you're a republican?

yea this has become increasingly clear since 2016, nearly all the news on 'neutral' sites like CNN are filtered through the Republican POV. its always "Trump calls the Mueller investigation a witch hunt" or "Sarah Huckabee Sanders SLAMS the media" or "Nielsen says child internment facilities are 'like summer camp'"

media and the Dems seem to both be trapped in this dumb mindset where they really really want the approval of Republicans who lie and cheat them on a daily basis

― frogbs

this "dumb mindset" is the basis of consensus democracy, it's the "let's all get along and work together for the common good". it doesn't work anymore but it's more of a challenge to address than is often given credit for.

traditional media in particular, they've been reporting stories a certain way for decades now. they believe in "media objectivity" and for the past few decades that's meant "not taking sides". all of a sudden you have a president and an administration that openly embraces the "big lie theory" and, objectivity now _requires_ taking sides and, you know, that basically requires the entire formal structure of journalism to change, a thorough evaluation of how "neutrality" works. what formerly would have been "op-eds" now becomes the news. there's a reason the daily show became a more trusted source of information among many than the traditional media, and it wasn't the dick jokes, it was the structural innovation.

there's really no such thing as media objectivity

draining the swamp by having your political entourage commit extremely obvious financial crimes from the whitehouse

Chris Collins did his crimes at the White House! pic.twitter.com/nMhRImJR4d

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) August 8, 2018

Maybe Trump should've thought twice about making the password to the presidential computer something other than six poop emojis.

usually the only crimes committed from the white house are war crimes amirite

so both Kansas gov primary AND Ohio still too close to call? damn

Clearly the GOP just needs to start spending more money. Like maybe all of their money. Really empty those coffers. I think that'll do the trick.

Is it illegal to pay people to vote for you?

yeah but it's a time-honored tradition

I think I read something from the Ohio Secretary of State that provisional and absentee ballots won't or can't be counted until a minimum of 10 days after the election. And that will determine the outcome.

who do we want to win the GOP Kansas Governor primary?

not Kobach I assume. I know absolutely zero about the general election race but I'm dubious that a Democrat can actually win a governor's race in Kansas, so probably for the best if these people aren't subjected to four years of a grossly inept, racist boob like Kobach.

The polls apparently show a dead heat if Kobach wins, and a double digit GOP lead if the other guy does.

I'm from WA8 and I thought the GOP would have the edge there too https://t.co/ZnId8zPknk

— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) August 8, 2018

I think I'm going to wait to see some final numbers and maybe even get the partisan composition of early returns before I write something up here. But yeah, +1 on the Enten assessment here. At first glance, looks chillingly bleak for GOP and it's not any better downballot

— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) August 8, 2018

hahahah, the scene of the crime

Rep. Chris Collins (bottom left of screen) at the WH Congressional picnic. Time: 7:30pm pic.twitter.com/s1OTRwBwa4

— Kristin Wilson Keppler (@TheOtherKeppler) August 8, 2018

so apparently there are thousands of provisional ballots still to be counted in OH 12? crazy

The polls apparently show a dead heat if Kobach wins, and a double digit GOP lead if the other guy does.

if this is true then obviously I want Kobach to win, so that he can suffer a humiliating loss in the general.

and then be boiled in oil by a raging mob, preferably

xpost I think the number was ... 3500?

Nate at 538 at around 11pm last night:

So, O’Connor needs to win the absentee/provisional ballots by 21 percentage points to win the state if all of those ballots are counted, which they presumably won’t be. So let’s round up a bit and say he’d have to win them by 25 points. Provisionals tend to be very Democratic leaning, and so it wouldn’t be crazy to think he could get there if all of the uncounted votes were provisionals. However, the majority of them are actually absentees, and those won’t necessarily be Democratic. So it’s something of a long shot, but there are enough votes there that I wouldn’t want to “call” the race, unless I knew more about the nature of who tends to vote absentee in the district.

Kobach has competition, but he's my pick for the most loathsome human being empowered by the Trump administration.

nyt:

The race is still too close to call, with 3,435 provisional ballots that have yet to be counted.

most loathsome human being empowered by the Trump administration

I would say let's have a poll but the options are too numerous

It's really quite astounding that there is so much competition. It would be tougher to try and name someone who is *not* loathsome!

marlon bundo is lovely

Omarosa has her book, but was such a stooge for so long

zinke and pruitt are my 1-2 in no particular order

I feel like I would have to vote in terms of who has actively and effectively done the most evil - in which case yeah it's probably Zinke or Pruitt or Sessions or Njielsen or ugh even this list is too long

surely the answer is either Miller or Bannon

Mitch McConnell

We should make a bracket.

Mitch the Shitty Homosapien

McConnell should be ineligible, because he predates Trump. The poll should be limited to the pieces of shit he dragged in with him.

worst human being has got to be Miller

technically he's some kind of homonculous

miller then bannon, then a dead heat between the devos/pruitt/zinke types i think. john bolton probably as bad a POS as bannon but since he's already been raised to the same height of power once before maybe doesn't count.

Y'all sleepin on DeVos, man.

special allowance probably has to be made for the fact that just about any dickish republican president might have appointed a right-wing think-tank agitator for evil in a specific policy realm, like devos or sessions (who i should have put just below bannon), but only trump would or could have raised a snot-nosed nazi nobody like stephen miller to the white house.

also: gorsuch. god it's just a parade of monsters. i know we all know this but it can stagger the imagination at times.

Miller maybe, because he's evil but also sort of competent.

Stephen Miller Enraged After Discovering Cantaloupe He’s Fucking From Mexico https://t.co/QvlfamTIsu pic.twitter.com/DyQN0syjFW

— The Onion (@TheOnion) August 7, 2018

Okay, you can't do that to me while I'm at work. People will think I'm having some sort of fit.

Actually, The Root already has a bracket going. All the government officials are lumped into their own bracket though. https://www.theroot.com/from-bad-to-worse-day-2-of-the-2018-world-wypipo-tourn-1828177254

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article216299955.html

Sorry, tweeting this story again because IT IS INSANE https://t.co/lucMnxZEJ5

— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) August 8, 2018

Miller clearly the worst person in the administration in fact, I'd maybe even be ok with not impeaching trump if someone took Miller out back and disposed of him instead; almost everything disgusting trump has done as president had miller's paws all over it.

the only possibly redemptive people Trump appointed are Rosenstein and Tillerson. And that's really grasping at straws.

jfc that Mar-a-Lago story

I mean this is exactly what I expected the moment he won the election but it's still shocking to see

putin appointed tillerson iirc

The New York Times reports:

President Trump’s lawyers rejected the special counsel’s latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation, countering on Wednesday with an offer that suggested a narrow path for answering questions, people familiar with the matter said.

The president’s lead lawyer in the case, Rudolph W. Giuliani, noted the documents that the White House has already provided and said, “We’re restating what we have been saying for months: It is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay.”

Last week, Mr. Mueller proposed a slightly altered format to the expansive interview he wants to conduct with the president. Mr. Trump’s lawyers did not reject an interview outright but included the narrower counteroffer, one person familiar with the response said. However, the person said that Mr. Trump’s lawyers did not want him answering questions about whether he obstructed justice.

America's mayor, ladies and gentlemen.

the questions must be about tv or golf courses, that's our final offer

(but at the same time must not address any of the possibly criminal things he's done on tv or at golf courses, not that he's done anything criminal there. that's not part of this investigation. that was all off the record, final offer)

jeez, just subpoena his ass already

He's probably just super-defensive about the notion of being subpoenaed because he thinks it entails Mueller doing something to his peener.

Or that it's sub

the questions should be in russian

EXCLUSIVE: Omarosa secretly recorded conversations with Trump while working in The White House, and she has played them for people while pushing her new book "UNHINGED," sources tell The Daily Beast https://t.co/5DSPXCpccJ

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 8, 2018

how could Omarosa do this to me

issuing a subpoena while there's an open seat on the SC is tricky business. If he issues it before Kavanaugh is confirmed, he might have a better chance of success at getting a deadlocked decision that defers to a lower court ruling, which would seem to be in favor of his doing it sooner rather than later. If by some miracle Kavanaugh gets rejected by the Senate, all bets are off as to what happens. If he waits until after Kavanaugh is confirmed, Trump will probably skate.

xp

cuckpoenaed, the iliad for cretins

at any rate, as I've said many times, hoping/praying for a legal solution to the Problem of Trump(tm) is a fool's game - it isn't going to happen, certainly not while he's in office. Mueller isn't going to "take down" the President on his own, nor is he going to deliver evidence that will suddenly make Trump's congressional lapdogs in the GOP turn on him. McConnell will never bring impeachment to a vote, nor will he allow anyone in (a purely hypothetical) minority to break ranks and vote to impeach without severe consequences.

The only hope is in congressional action/winning elections.

purely hypothetical GOP minority

I meant to say

McConnell will never bring impeachment to a vote, nor will he allow anyone in (a purely hypothetical) minority to break ranks and vote to impeach without severe consequences.

A vote to impeach or not to impeach is in the House. If it were to pass, there would be a trial in the Senate, which I don't think McConnell has the power to forestall.

Wanna bet?

if McConnell's majority leader he would absolutely stop a trial from going forward

sorry for my inaccurate nomenclature there, yes I am aware of the different roles of the houses of Congress in the impeachment process

When Johnson and Clinton were impeached, one party controlled both houses of Congress. Should the GOP keep the Senate while the Dems won the House in November, we'd be in unfamiliar terrain should impeachment proceedings begin. I don't doubt McConnell will find a procedural trick keeping the Senate from trying the president.

hell no
xxp

nothing stopping the House from impeaching Trump over and over again though

he'd find some way to designate a committee or something and just delay it indefinitely, I would imagine

at any rate, i don't think the thought of impeaching trump after the house is controlled by democrats is a fool's game. there's such a deluge of information related to the mueller investigation, which lulls us into thinking we know all the details. trump is dumb and surrounds himself with idiots who love to talk and record each other - there's probably some damning stuff that we have yet to learn on any number of issues. i don't doubt mcconnell's ability to run a tight ship in the senate, but it might be too overwhelmingly obvious for even him to stonewall

really

I can't think of anything damning enough to make the GOP congress turn on Trump tbh, because his base of rabid morons will never turn on him, and that's all they care about.

at this point I think we're even past dead girl/live boy territory being a liability for Trump

Only if the economy tanks and Trump starts losing support from the white supremacists and their fellow travelers will McConnell do what he's wanted to do since 2016 and off the fucker.

I won't play Freud with McConnell, but I'm sure he prefers the Tator Tot with Legs called Mike Pence.

trump will never lose support from white supremacists. if the economy tanks it will quickly be blamed on the democrats who take one or both of the chambers

Mike Pence looks like the president in a film by idk Simon West or something, just sit him there and don’t let him talk just look stern and cut away to him occasionally. Mitch’s dream.

i guess i'm just wary of attributing 100% certainty to political events of the future, for some reason.

issuing a subpoena while there's an open seat on the SC is tricky business. If he issues it before Kavanaugh is confirmed, he might have a better chance of success at getting a deadlocked decision that defers to a lower court ruling, which would seem to be in favor of his doing it sooner rather than later. If by some miracle Kavanaugh gets rejected by the Senate, all bets are off as to what happens. If he waits until after Kavanaugh is confirmed, Trump will probably skate.

xp

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, August 8, 2018 8:04 PM (thirty-one minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'd like to think the SC would overcome partisan politics when it comes to something as massive as this would be, but then I remember Bush v Gore.

https://mediadc.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0ecd195/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2290x1322+0+0/resize/2290x1322!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediadc.brightspotcdn.com%2F78%2F9d%2Ffb50d9b2a878ea2a4f1184d70ead%2F4cbe47cd1c72938c9b487c0920ea30c3.jpg

Roberts would be your only hope. and that ain't much. those other chuds aren't budging

ha xpost

Everyone, please remind yourselves that John Fucking Roberts is the swing vote on this court.

ha! roberts has transcended That Facial Expression

you might say, he pwns it