Thursday, September 30, 2021
LOL Nothing Matters
There's no magic formula to winning elections, of course. Weird things always happen. But the savviest of takes always seem to come down to "Actually, LOL NOTHING MATTERS" and, well, ok, if that's true, just do the right the thing and hope the coin toss goes your way.
DRAMA
Pass the good shit, get rid of the debt ceiling.
It's Possible to Do
Paris (CNN)Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on Thursday to one year in prison for illegal campaign financing in his failed 2012 re-election bid, making him the first French head of state in modern times to receive two jail terms.Very related, what was the war in Libya all about? It really was the Iraq war on 50x speed. Like a week of arguing it was a vital humanitarian mission and punching hippies for not caring, a week of awesome bombing and triumphalism, and then we never heard of it again.
Sarkozy's legal woes are not over yet as French prosecutors are looking into alleged illegal campaign funding from Libya. Libya's former leader, the late Moammar Gadhafi, allegedly provided Sarkozy's 2007 campaign with millions of euros shipped to Paris in suitcases.Somebody needing to get rid of a witness, and then enlisting a couple of other world leaders to get involved, is the only satisfying explanation I've ever heard.
The Now Famous Downing Street Memo
In a normal world, the “Eastman memo” would be infamous by now, the way “Access Hollywood” became the popular shorthand in 2016 for the damning recording of Donald Trump’s bragging about groping women.(About 5 weeks after the Downing Street memo was revealed, with almost no mention in the US press, that is how Russert finally referred to it)But it’s a good bet that most people have never even heard of the Eastman memo.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
A bit less optimistic about this, too!
Special thanks to all the supposedly liberal economist psychos who were pushing to kill any enhanced unemployment benefits as far back as May, 2020, especially the real estate heir.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Wednesday Evening
Rep. Jayapal just said about this statement: “I assume he is saying that the president is insane, because this is the president’s agenda” https://t.co/hLw6jdzm4r
— Sam Brodey (@sambrodey) September 29, 2021
Ah Well Nevertheless
Sure
Washington, DC (CNN)A wider group of Tesla owners who paid up to $10,000 for what the company calls its "full self-driving" software can now ask the automaker for access to a test version of the feature. But they'll first have to show that they're a sufficiently safe driver by allowing Tesla to analyze data on their driving behavior.Approved drivers may then get access to "full self-driving" beta software as soon as Oct. 9, according to a tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
What An Amazing Year That Was
They Love Rich People
#notallofthem of course.I don’t think it quite makes sense to attribute Sinema’s position to her donors. She wouldn’t have any trouble raising a fortune on ActBlue as a Good Democrat in a close state. She might be doing her donors’ bidding, but she’s chosen her donors freely. https://t.co/wDtcxdSCRF
— Eric Levitz (@EricLevitz) September 29, 2021
Framing
I'd wonder about the insistence by so many reporters of centering the perspectives of whiny horrible assholes, but then I see their twitter feeds.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Not Really A Parody
I've Seen This Movie Before
Thought "we" learned those lessons.
Undoing The Deal
Pelosi Tries to Bulldoze Progressives on the Infrastructure BillBut she claims it must pass to avoid an expiration of highway funding. That’s just not true.
Govern
The Republicans are assholes, but Mitch McConnell is basically right that the Democrats control the presidency, the House, and the Senate, and it's their job to handle things and the job of the Republicans to oppose it. "Peculiarities" of our system, specifically the filibuster, make that more difficult and make the Republicans even bigger assholes (they can just vote against, not require 60). However, it takes 5 minutes to pass a rule change.
Elect Us Because The Other Guys Are An Existential Threat
This is how we get Susan Collins, among other things. Not just permission for split ticket voting, but encouragement.
Sorry sorry, a message is coming in over the earpiece. "Defund the police" was why we got Susan Collins.
Monday, September 27, 2021
Ah, Well, Nevertheless
And it's always those supposedly all important nice middle income suburban voters who discover they don't get much of anything.
The voters those "moderates" are always supposedly catering to.
Sources tell me that White House and Democrats considering attaching means test to a number of key agenda items - from EV rebates and free community college - as a way to shrink reconciliation bill and pacify spending hawks.
— Jarrett Renshaw (@JarrettRenshaw) September 27, 2021
Make the benefits universal, and increase taxes on the rich. Everyone know this, and pretends not to.don't worry there will also be targeted tax credits for nonprofits that help people apply for means-tested programs
— Six Zebra Army (@tomscud) September 27, 2021
At least Donald Trump's grandkids won't get free community college!!!!!
Or pay more in taxes.
INFURIATED
FRUSTRATION WITH BIDEN: Moderate Democrats expected Biden to start twisting House progressives’ arms during their White House meeting last week. But we’re told by sources in the progressive camp and another senior Democratic aide that the president has neither asked progressives to drop their demand that the reconciliation bill pass in tandem with BIF, nor pressed them to accept a stand-alone vote on BIF this week — at least not yet. This has infuriated moderates.Toddlers used to getting what they want all the time (they still might!)
We Were All Innocent Children Then
The best you can say about Tim Russert is that he was much more skilled at being horrible in his job precisely in the same way that Chuck Todd is.
But the broader point is most people were blissfully unaware of just what a shitshow everything was in the early aughts, the era of Peak Russert.
As for the criticism, it's that "I'm John McCain's daughter's father's daughter" was a guest, and lied, and they promoted her lies.
As has long been the case, the responsibility isn't just with the producers and hosts of the show, it's with the supposed journalists who endorse this format week after week by their presence.1. You invited someone with no life experience or accomplishments outside the entertainment industry to talk politics.
— David Roberts (@drvolts) September 26, 2021
2. She told a series of demonstrable lies.
3. You have now amplified those lies on Twitter, w/out comment or editing.
Everyone involved should be embarrassed. https://t.co/s49oHnLQU8
Joining me for insight and analysis are Amy Walter, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Cook Political Report, Eddie Glaude, Jr. of Princeton University, NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell and Meghan McCain, columnist for TheDailyMail.com.
Well It's Old News Now
(lack of coverage of the coup memo, if it isn't obvious).
I suppose "can't upset one of Maggie's sources" is one theory, but even I don't really buy that one!
8 Can't Wait
Amyiah Cohoon had just gotten home from the hospital in March 2020 when a sheriff’s sergeant arrived, warning of possible charges and even jail time. The high school student’s offense: posting on Instagram that she had “beaten the corona virus.”It was early in the pandemic, and her county in Wisconsin had yet to record any cases of covid-19, court documents say. “Concerned citizens” started calling local officials.
“If [the post] doesn’t come down, the sheriff has directed me to issue disorderly conduct citations, if not start taking people to jail,” the Marquette County, Wis., sergeant told Cohoon’s father, according to dash-cam video obtained by The Washington Post “Because it is causing a disturbance to the public.”
THE TRUMP ECONOMY WAS THE GREATEST EVER
I know people don't like suggesting that Trump support comes from anything other than racism, and sure racism has to rank pretty low in your concerns, at best, to support Trump, but the weirdos we call "swing voters" are mysterious creatures. Despite the general pretense in The Discourse that these people are making informed decisions, unlike The Ideologues Of Left and Right, their connection to "politics" as people who follow politics understand it is pretty tenuous.
"Life's pretty good, keep that guy in charge" is a motivator, and a reasonable one, for people.
Again you don't have to hand it to him, but no one really doubts that if the economy had been a disaster during his term, his support would have been lower. I don't buy the political scientist "nothing matters but the economy" view, but it certainly matters!
Temerity
I vaguely remember this when it happened. Everyone agreed this man was likely worse than Hitler.A story. When I was in law school, a long long time ago (but not so long), Justice Scalia came to speak. This was shortly after Lawrence v TX. My classmate asked him "do you sodomize your wife?" bc Scalia thought the state could ask and criminalize this. All hell broke loose https://t.co/jsYinbkgGn
— Liz Sepper (@lsepper) September 26, 2021
This combines "the highest virtue is civility to your betters" with "never, ever, suggest elites should face the consequences normal people face due to policies those elites have implemented."
Sunday, September 26, 2021
Use It Or We All Lose It
2021 is peak Democratic power. Sure you can get a few more Senate and House seats, maybe, but that Senate number is never going to 60.
Saturday, September 25, 2021
What A Wonderful Time It Was
I'm not making a point about 9/11, just about the broken brained people that rule us.
Friday, September 24, 2021
Team Grassley
Anyone Remember Blogs?
Ah, well, no good deed goes unpunished, and no bad deed unrewarded, it seems.
Tech For Old People
And, unlike computers back in the day, increasingly phones are near essential.
I Blame The Left
Really learn a lot by who gets mad at whom in these situations.
May Tragedy Strike
After decades of watching the absolute worst cruel fucks rise to and remain in prominent positions of power, it's hard not to occasionally give in to the temptation of hoping for a bit more karmic retribution. Lots of people get cancer, why not the baddies instead?
Oh, Elon
Elon Musk and Grimes have broken up after three years together, Page Six can exclusively reveal.The SpaceX founder confirmed that he and the Canadian singer are “semi-separated” but remain on good terms and continue to co-parent their 1-year-old son, the epically named X Æ A-Xii Musk.
Harper's Assholes
Though it seems the racist substacks are really popular! Maybe I should turn up the racism and anti-trans bigotry dial. That stuff sells!
A few people were taken off (or put on, depending on how you look at it) my list because of that letter. That they looked around in the middle of all that was happening in 2020 and decided that the most important problem facing America was that their speaking fees might, maybe, possibly, but probably not, be threatened... assholes.
Most were just always assholes, of couse, but a few I thought knew better.
Mint The Damn Coin
But, sure, put on a straitjacket and then try to wriggle out of it just for fun.Treasury ruling out not only trillion-dollar coin but also invocation of 14th Amendment to defuse debt ceiling; spox reiterates in statement:
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) September 23, 2021
"There is only one viable option to deal with the debt limit: Congress needs to increase or suspend it."
Do The Kids Today even know about the platinum coin?
Thursday, September 23, 2021
More Like This
U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned Thursday, saying that he did not want to be associated with what he called the United States’ “inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees” back to the island nation.But wait... He was a total asshole, but that was ok when he was our total asshole!!!
(He is, quite possibly, a total asshole. Of course I have no idea. But raising this point only when he's on his way out the door...)A senior Biden administration also claims Foote was a “toxic personality” & that Foote would often “shout people down and cut people off.” But, the official also said Foote, a career foreign service member, was not facing any form of disciplinary action for the alleged actions.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) September 23, 2021
What's A File System, Grandpa
I think we're in an annoying world where the tech wants to "just work" but of course it doesn't, quite, for various reasons, so if you lack this knowledge you're frequently going to run into a brick wall. And weirdly "sharing" files is still clunky! Windows is the worst at this, I think, in that its efforts to establish a new sleeker "UI" just involve layering new ones over the old ones, with users having to dig deeper and deeper until eventually they find themselves in a dark room labeled DOS.
SIREN SIREN SIREN SIREN
so you think this will cause people to “dunk” on her or maybe prompt a “ratio?”
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) September 23, 2021
Rip Off The Band Aid
Various ways to do it, but the Dems have been/are able to make this go away forever, and I don't know how to help a party that just wants to create problems for itself endlessly. I don't know how they think having these regular months long public battles, consuming news coverage, is preferable to one nasty vote. The valuable Trump lesson is: just do shit and move on to doing more shit.This quote (on the debt limit) appears to be Peak Tester pic.twitter.com/Z6yegaK0UI
— Colin Wilhelm (@colinwilhelm) September 22, 2021
Memo To Nowhere
Disease-Spreading Vermin
The Kids Today don't know that Lara Logan was once a pretty respected war reporter, even from the war critic crowd, because unlike most she seemd to treat it seriously as a real thing that was happening with consequences, and not just The War subplot of The Politics Show.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Just one week, but not going in the right direction!
Perhaps threaten prison for people without jobs.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Inventing Oppression To Get Mad About
Stores can mostly serve who they want according to all those club bouncers who did not determine me to be sexy enough to enter, except for some anti-discrimination laws, and I don't think MAGA is a protected class, yet.
Broken Brained DC
The supposedly sophisticated Politics Knowers, the ones paid to explain it all to us, are often the worst in their "style over substance" focus.
Bad Faith Actors
It's a weird grading on a curve kind of thing. Of course these people are liars and thieves, and that's why they're great!
Don’t let them get away with this rewrite. If President Biden’s agenda does implode — which seems at least possible — the centrists themselves will be the ones to blame. This also should prompt a reconsideration of the mythology that centrists, unlike progressives, are distinguished by their steely, clear-eyed determination to make Washington “work,” and their refusal to let hard governing realities get obscured by gauzy ideological nebula clouds.Related is that progressve solutions are good, and the centrist substitutes are Rube Goldberg systems that hand money pointlessly to private actors while making it impossible to implement those solutions effectively. But the lefties are the unrealistic ones.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
The Art Of The Deal
Manchin position of “Pass my bill and maybe I’ll pass something, but I won’t say what, or maybe nothing, it depends what I read on inflation that week” somehow not bringing them around https://t.co/PKo4cGBeIE
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) September 21, 2021
This Is Our Emergency
Covid II: Supercovid
That doesn't mean Covid was much more awesome than I thought it would be. Death toll surpassed the worst "nightmare scenarios" quite awhile ago. Still, the capability of the state, if not always the willingness, was greater than I thought, generally.
But it didn't leave me with much optimism that the next superbug, a slightly worse superbug, will be managed. A worse bug will absolutely require test/trace/isolate, and I don't see much chance of that kind of effective response.
Not Just Corruption
People who went through their lives swimming in neoliberal bullshit and Tom Friedman books can't tolerate this.
Maybe I should put this on a McKinsey powerpoint.
What Are They There For
Go Fast Or Go Home
We'll see!!!!
Monday, September 20, 2021
2,000 Deaths Per Day
Misty Water-Colored
Such an insane time (yes, kids, even more insane than the Trump era). I do giggle thinking about Nick pulling out his slide rule and doing these calculations.Check out this absolutley insane 2002 column about Afghanistan 🇦🇫 from the @Nytimes' Nicholas Kristof. pic.twitter.com/IimM3PcTVh
— Alan MacLeod (@AlanRMacLeod) September 19, 2021
The NORMS
Hold on, I know that sounds like the right thing to do, but what about THE CHAIN OF COMMAND???
But Mah Deficit
This is a double whammy, because the pharma plan was also a key pay-for in the bill. Cut that out, and not only do people not get cheaper drugs, but other elements of the bill also need to be trimmed to meet the moderate's deficit neutrality demand https://t.co/xwAOYegDpM
— James Medlock (@jdcmedlock) September 20, 2021
Related
You can argue this is a NORM that should be respected, but do not argue that you are powerless. It is a choice.
Everything Is Theater
(The Fed could, for example, light the bonds it owns on fire, or gift them to the Treasury, or whatever. It's all silly because it's all silly!)
The importance of paying the debts is in the constitution! A lot more justification for dealing with that than paying Jamie Dimon's salary.
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Indispensables
Such boring monsters we are cursed with.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
The Wanker Caucus
Our Critics Are Dangerous
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, arguably the bench’s most conservative member, bemoaned the politicization of judges and warned against the highest court becoming “the most dangerous” branch of government during a Thursday speech at the University of Notre Dame. “I think the media makes it sound as though you are just always going right to your personal preference. So if they think you are antiabortion or something personally, they think that’s the way you always will come out,” said the George H. W. Bush–appointed justice, per a Washington Post report. “They think you’re for this or for that. They think you become like a politician. That’s a problem. You’re going to jeopardize any faith in the legal institutions.”You gotta have faith in Jesus and the Supreme Court.
Elites do believe it is of the greatest importance that their institutions are revered. It doesn't much matter if they deserve such respect.
Friday, September 17, 2021
8 Can't Wait
We recently purchased some Not-Reaching Pouches to help reduce deadly force encounters between law enforcement and citizens during traffic stops. The pouches store a driver’s license, and insurance card in plain sight in the vehicle on an air vent or other visible location. pic.twitter.com/GsJaAoY41V
— MnDPS_DPS (@MnDPS_DPS) September 16, 2021
America's Worst Humans
Oh Elon
Washington, DC (CNN)Frustrated Tesla owners continue to wait for "full self-driving," an expensive and long-delayed software feature that isn't even guaranteed to help their cars' resale values. Some of the company's earliest backers of the "full self-driving" option are even beginning to lose faith in the promise of ever enjoying a truly autonomous Tesla....
Years-long delays, buggy beta software, and the risk of no return on their investment in the option package have left some Tesla owners disappointed. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's prognostications, and Tesla's actual reality have diverged so much that some owners describe to CNN Business that they've lost confidence in his predictions. Some otherwise satisfied Tesla owners describe feeling duped into buying "full self-driving" ahead of its polished release, because Musk warned that the price would increase.
SEVENTY FIVE
State and federal elected officials responded with mixed messages Thursday to the news that 75 Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban will be resettled in Missoula over the coming weeks. Roughly 37,000 Afghan refugees will be coming to other states across the U.S."Safety." All Muslims were suspect superpowered terrorists then, and much of that lingers. This view hardly limited to conservatives back then, either. They were just obviously the worst....
“I have advocated that we should try and settle these individuals in other countries around Afghanistan that share their values and culture, especially if we can not ensure proper vetting,” Rosendale’s statement said in part. “As elected officials, it is our duty to protect the citizens we represent — and I will not allow this Administration to compromise the safety of Montanans.”
The Fever Will Break
I remember from some communications back then that they believed there were responsible people in the GOP, like Paul Ryan (lol), and some irresponsible ones.
I suppose they thought the responsible ones would step up and take control. A general belief that there are Wise Old (or not so old) Men Of Washington on Both Sides who loved their country and would rededicate themselves to the bipartisan consensus blahblahblah.
Don't know what course of action a different view would have led to, but I suspect this was not the correct view!
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Sounds Bad
Lilley is not alone in her observation. In conferring with other pediatric endocrinologists across the state and nation, Lilley says the spike in new cases is widespread. “We are all seeing an increase in type 1 diabetes diagnoses as well as type 2 diabetes diagnoses. Those of us who tracked it have noticed anywhere from a 30% to 40% increase compared to (2019),” she told the Mississippi Free Press in a series of interviews in August and September.Probably some time before we know how bad, but the "sacrifice the chilren to the economy gods" crowd mostly got their wishes, even as they kept claiming they didn't.
Sounds Bad
Almost 500,000: That's the number of children diagnosed with COVID from Sept. 2 to Sept. 9, a number the American Academy of Pediatrics said has "increased exponentially." @NBCNews
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 16, 2021
At Least Be Consistent
I know there's no contradiction. "We" are higher beings, deserving of all that money. "They" should be grateful for access to indoor plumbing.
What's It For
...(link fixed)
A Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has activated Crisis Standards of CareTriage/rationaing, basically.(CSC) in accordance with IDAPA 16.02.09 – Crisis Standards of Care For Healthcare Entities. CSC is activated statewide because the massive increase of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization in all areas of the state has exhausted existing resources. CSC was activated on Sept. 6 in North Idaho. This activation, declared today, expands the declaration to the rest of the state.
Leaving New York
My point is just these things are complicated, and some 30somethings who moved to New York in their 20s and now decided they would like a back yard for their soon to be arriving kids (the people who write these trend pieces) are not really representative of, well, trends.
tl;dr It's an interesting question, just not one that will be answered by, "What are my friends and I doing?"
Build Back Better
There is no point in starting a bunch of new programs that just do not work at all. People should not have to navigate a maze to get a library card or their child care benefits.
A lot of reasons people in DC love to complicate things, but a big one is simply, "it'll cost $500 billion, how can we tell the CBO we're doing it for $150 billion [according to their calculations]."
Also abolish the CBO.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Do A Few Things Right
THIS HOBSON’S CHOICE, figuring out whether to live with less on every policy in the Build Back Better Act, or to jettison some and make sure the policies remaining actually work and are politically potent, is agonizing for advocates and members of Congress. In a better world, this choice wouldn’t exist; the policies reflect critical human needs, and deciding to punt on them yet again should be unacceptable. But the axis of Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) has decided that they must have a cap on both spending and revenues, which is forcing these difficult conversations.What we don't want is:
HEADLINE: DEMS PASS HISTORIC NEW DENTAL BENEFIT FOR SENIORS[15 paragraphs later]
The benefit doesn't begin phasing in until 2028, and in the first year it's just a coupon for 20% off any root canal.*
*Only redeemable in some locations.
Sounds Bad
In addition to the cases of unbecoming conduct, a special agent in the department’s Protective Services Bureau faces disciplinary action on an allegation of improper dissemination of information The allegation stems from a conversation the officer had with a friend the week after the riot in which he allegedly revealed information about the secure location he helped evacuate lawmakers to during the riot.
RIP Norm Macdonald
It's Always Excellent News For Republicans
If he'd lost it would have been because people remembered he used to be married to Don Jr.'s girlfriend.
If there was some mirror image effort to recall a Republican governor in a deeply red state, the national press would have either ignored it entirely or just laughed at the silly effort, which likely would have done precisely as well for the Democrats involved.In an absolute shock to people unfamiliar with California politics, Gov. Gavin Newsom handily defeated a recall effort pushed by Trumpian internet trolls, anti-vaccine COVID deniers, clueless Silicon Valley tech bros and the terminally hopeless California Republican Party.
— gil duran (@gilduran76) September 15, 2021
Newsom Triumphs
[California REPUBLICANS:]
— Greg Greene (@ggreeneva) September 15, 2021
(*get wiped like glass windows in a Windex test lab*)
[a POLITICAL ANALYST:]
“The lesson tonight: Democrats need to prove they can govern for EVERYBODY” https://t.co/27NMjyyeTu
The only story here is that with enough money you can get anything on the ballot in California, and that anything will get, at a minimum, what the YES vote for the recall got, because California is a state, like every other state, with a lot of Republicans and conservatives.This paragraph is a perfect encapsulation of the New York Times’ political coverage: Republicans win if they win, they win if they lose narrowly, and they win if they get blown out. Everything’s a win for the GOP, always. pic.twitter.com/YuCravp0Rl
— Jamison Foser (@jamisonfoser) September 8, 2021
BIGGEST WINNER OF THE NIGHT: JOHN MCCAIN
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Thoughts And Prayers
Conservative firebrand Bob Enyart, the pastor of the Denver Bible Church and indelible talk show host, has died from COVID-19, his radio co-host announced Monday on Facebook.''They're always "firebrands" not "extreme hate-peddling bigots."...
In October, Enyart successfully sued the state over mask mandates and capacity limits in churches, a rare legal victory against broad public health mandates instituted during the pandemic.
...
On his old TV show, Bob Enyart Live, the host would “gleefully read obituaries of AIDS sufferers while cranking ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen,” Westword reported.
California Recall Day
"Absolutely Appalling"
Ghe city of Philadelphia will pay $2 million to a 29-year-old mother who was pulled from her SUV during civil unrest last October and beaten by police then separated from her toddler — a scene captured on video and shared widely on social media.The cops were fired but being arrested should be much more of the norm for this kind of thing (haha fantasy I know).
Remember When There Was Other News?
Conspiracy Theories
But there Tucker is, night after night...
Are You Still Apologizing To The Governor Of Florida?
Don't You Dare Cast Doubt On The Purity And Majesty Of Our Institutions
Everything is wonderful as long as no one mentions the stench of the rotting corpse, and then it's that person's fault. Try the messenger for treason and lock them in Gitmo.
Monday, September 13, 2021
Your Moment of Zen
Translation: "LOL fuck you libs."This is an actual photograph of Amy Coney Barrett complaining that people see the Supreme Court as a partisan Republican tool nowadays pic.twitter.com/o0llujWusP
— Arlen Parsa (@arlenparsa) September 13, 2021
Nobody Cares About The Deficit
Rules are for Other People
Hardly a novel observation, but press coverage of lots of issues - reproductive freedom for example - can really only be explained by the fact that this belief is deeply ingrained in certain reporters and editors.
Especially when contrasted with coverage of laws that have a chance of impacting these people like, say, a tiny uptick in the capital gains tax rate.
Given Everything But We Just Squandered It
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Shoney
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Oh Rudy
NEW YORK — Igor Fruman, a former associate of embattled lawyer Rudy Giuliani, pleaded guilty Friday to soliciting campaign contributions from a foreign national, nearly two years after being charged with crimes that included making illegal donations to a pro-Trump political action campaign.On 9/11 Day, Rudy has been reduced to "embattled lawyer."
Happy 9/11 Day
Friday, September 10, 2021
YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, MOOOOOMMMM
While it's quite clear that in numerous ways the weight of the security state does not fall on white guys, it's also the case that from traffic stops to sports events to concerts to anywhere people just gather outdoors generally, cops and similar are always a major presence. It actually shouldn't be that way, but when there's a minor "new" imposition, the freakout is pretty silly in that context.
Gosh, Greg, I Dunno, Sounds Like A Big Number!
Or maybe, "Our mom and pop businesses can't survive a stock buyback excise tax!!!"Sens Sherrod Brown and Ron Wyden just announced a new proposal to tax stock buybacks.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) September 10, 2021
It would "assess a two percent excise tax on the amount spent by a publicly-traded company on buying back its own stock."
One of the pay-fors in reconciliation bill. Backstory here: https://t.co/pwAqgj56ad
Those Assholes Are Fucking Everything Up
And THOSE (Fox) assholes.I’m instructing the Department of Labor to require all employers with 100+ employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated — or show a negative test at least once a week.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 9, 2021
Some of the biggest companies have already required this: United, Disney, Tyson, and Fox News.
Thursday, September 09, 2021
Your Moment of Zen
times like this there are always like a dozen law professors or respected commentators or whatever who post a 100% sincere tweet like “i cant believe the government has the power to make people do stuff”
— taking a nice walk (@InternetHippo) September 9, 2021
Get Jabbed, Assholes
President Biden on Thursday will sign executive orders aimed at requiring tens of millions more American workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, including the vast majority of federal employees, who could face disciplinary measures if they refuse.
Biden: "There are elected officials actively working to undermine the fight against Covid. Instead of encouraging people to get vaccinated & mask up, they're ordering mobile morgues for the unvaccinated … This is totally unacceptable" pic.twitter.com/BsGUO67vKf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 9, 2021
And testingI’m instructing the Department of Labor to require all employers with 100+ employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated — or show a negative test at least once a week.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 9, 2021
Some of the biggest companies have already required this: United, Disney, Tyson, and Fox News.
The President’s COVID-19 Action Plan will increase testing and masking. Under the plan, every American – no matter their income – can access free, convenient tests.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 9, 2021
Stop Being Mean To The Anti-Vax Horse Paste Eaters
Me offering them a hug isn't going to change that.
I suspect poor vaccine outreach to regions and communities with low vaccination rates (particularly in certain states) is an underreported reason for low vaccination rates, but that's all the more reason not to focus national policy and The Discourse on coddling the biggest assholes in the country.
California Scheming
What more can I add other than: Wow the California recall system is dumb, and we learned that 20 years ago.
8 Can't Wait
Portland city officials may need to backtrack on an order issued last week that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs.Officials said they’re considering tweaking the rule to exempt one bureau: the city’s police force.
Mission Accomplished
The hesitancy to strongly encourage people to get vaccinated with a few sticks in addition to the carrots has been a terrible mistake. The whole "nudge" philosophy seems to boil down to, "you can't fucking tell whiny white people what to do, so don't even try," instead of actually, you know, nudging people to do things in an effective manner.
An obvious one was requiring vaccines to fly. Easy to implement relative to anything else. No reason not to do it.
And, of course, the expiring unemployment benefits. Some real psycho-brain shit on that.
Privately, some administration officials have expressed openness to the idea that economic research will eventually show that the benefits had some sort of chilling effect on workers’ decision to take jobs. Critics of the extra unemployment benefits have argued that they are discouraging people from returning to work at a time when there are a record number of job openings and many businesses are struggling to hire.With any luck, our biggest asshole bad faith critics will be proved fucking right!
For some reason it's always the psychos with the bad advice who keep their jobs, too. Nobody could have predicted!!!
"We got this!" was the Obama line, as they repeatedly, consistently, didn't. Green shoots, baby!
Maybe it'll all be fine, but how about, just once, erring on the side of doing too much?
Wednesday, September 08, 2021
Later
Have a nice cover of a pretty song.
Airplane Security
I suppose because I did my most amount of flying in the years after 9/11, I am always shocked by tales of unruly passengers (antimaskers or otherwise). Sure security theater was mostly bullshit then too, but bullshit they took seriously. Act out a bit or make an inappropriate joke and they would haul you away.
Grauniad TERFS
Tuesday, September 07, 2021
America's Worst Senator's Daughters
Pundits of a certain (dying) age will tell high-larious stories about how LBJ had an entire Congressman's extended family murdered in order force him to vote for the Civil Rights Act, or whatever, then throw up their hands at the idea that Joe Biden can convince anybody to do anything.
Not that I'm advocating murder, just pointing out that the idea that arm twisting is a past art, and not a current possibility, is... well, a useful excuse for inaction!
Sounds Bad
An Arkansas doctor under investigation for prescribing an anti-parasite drug called ivermectin to jail detainees with COVID-19, even though federal health officials specifically warn against it, has said that those patients took the drug willingly. But several inmates at the Washington County jail say that is not the case — that they were given the pills with no indication of what they really were.CBS News spoke with 29-year-old Edrick Floreal-Wooten over a video call from the jail on Friday. After testing positive for COVID-19 in August, he said he and other inmates went to "pill call" and were given several pills with the explanation that it would help them "get better." He said he and others asked repeatedly what the pills were.
"They said they were vitamins, steroids and antibiotics," Floreal-Wooten told CBS News. "We were running fevers, throwing up, diarrhea ... and so we figured that they were here to help us. ... We never knew that they were running experiments on us, giving us ivermectin. We never knew that."
Freedom Phones
Oh Chachi
Sure this is mostly a joke about fictional characters, but also a very serious point about how that apartment would, in fact, be illegal most places now.“Are you okay with multi-family low income housing next to you in the suburbs?” Baio asks. “Because that’s Newsom’s plan, if he’s not recalled.”
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) September 6, 2021
The Big Boss
This fantasy level of "due process" or whatever certainly never applies to the underlings, and it should (moreso) apply to them than you!!!
Monday, September 06, 2021
Do The Good Stuff
The reforms under discussion would raise the benefit up to the full poverty level and increase the asset limits ― as well as change the formula so those follow inflation more closely in the future. The legislation would also eliminate a “marriage penalty” that effectively makes many couples choose between keeping their benefits and getting married, and alter a prohibition on “in-kind support” that can dramatically reduce benefits when people accept groceries or a room from someone like a friend or family member.This is SSI (disability) which is both really stingy (unsurprisingly) and has the absurd $2000 asset limit which means people have to remember to drain their bank accounts constantly so as to not lose benefits (as well as never accumulating any savings ever).
So Sad
Leaders in Whitefish say Mr. Spencer, who once ran his National Policy Institute from his mother’s $3 million summer house here, is now an outcast in this resort town in the Rocky Mountains, unable to get a table at many of its restaurants. His organization has dissolved. Meanwhile, his wife has divorced him, and he is facing trial next month in Charlottesville, Va., over his role in the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi march there, but says he cannot afford a lawyer.
The Stupidest Country In The World
We have enough money to throw at every problem we confront, and stupidity and corruption prevent us from solving any of them.
Sunday, September 05, 2021
I'm Too Old For This Shit
Not true of all of them, but...
Ah, Well, Nevertheless
WASHINGTON — Expanded unemployment benefits that have kept millions of Americans afloat during the pandemic expired on Monday, setting up the abrupt cutoff of assistance to 7.5 million people as the Delta variant rattles the pandemic recovery."We" got some things right because we ignored the psychos for 5 minutes, but they never stop. And what is this bullshit?The end of the aid came without objection from President Biden or his top economic advisers, who have become caught in a political fight over the benefits and are now banking on other federal help and an autumn pickup in hiring to keep vulnerable families from foreclosure and food lines.
Privately, some administration officials have expressed openness to the idea that economic research will eventually show that the benefits had some sort of chilling effect on workers’ decision to take jobs. Critics of the extra unemployment benefits have argued that they are discouraging people from returning to work at a time when there are a record number of job openings and many businesses are struggling to hire.The administration psychos hope the right wing psychos are proved fucking right! Amazing.
Long Covld
Nothing But Concern For The People Of Afghanistan
Saturday, September 04, 2021
Lunch Thread
Still Winning The Pandemic
Wow That Sounds Like A Big Number
Friday, September 03, 2021
Bush Knew
President Biden on Friday signed an executive order that would require the review, declassification and release of classified government documents related to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.In doing so, Biden said he was fulfilling a promise he had made while campaigning for president, in which he had vowed, if elected, to direct the U.S. attorney general to “personally examine the merits of all cases” where the government had invoked state secrets privilege and “to err on the side of disclosure in cases where, as here, the events in question occurred two decades or longer ago.”
Culling The Herd
Need To Goad People Back To Work With Cattle Prods
Larry's pal and real estate heir, Jason Furman, was pushing to reduce the superdole way back last May (2020).
And now the superdole is ending and the eviction wave (thanks, Supreme Court) is coming.
Maybe things will work out! But the dominant belief, one that always has to be fought against, is that the biggest danger is doing too much to help, not too little.
Very briefly those people were silenced just enough, but now....
The House Will Pass
I get that the point of this (As the Senate requies 97 votes for anythng) is to get Republicans on record for campaign purposes, but I do think normie voters here a constant stream of "we will pass this" and then wonder why it hasn't been fixed.The Court’s cowardly decision to uphold a flagrantly unconstitutional assault on women’s rights and health is staggering. The House will bring up Congresswoman Judy Chu’s Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 2, 2021
Not faulting, just...
Thursday, September 02, 2021
Still Winning
lorida on Thursday reported 21,723 more COVID-19 cases and 1,338 additional deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Miami Herald calculations of CDC data.All but 38 of the newly reported deaths, about 97%, occurred after Aug. 5, according to the Herald analysis. About 70% of the newly reported died in the past two weeks, the analysis showed. The majority of deaths happened during Florida’s latest surge in COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant.
Rain
Just Some Oopsies
Lay off and give the Blob some mulligans. pic.twitter.com/64qSWz3Sqd
— Daniel Denvir (@DanielDenvir) September 2, 2021
Someone Has To Tell The Truth About Republicans
Democrat Cities Are Hellholes
I'm open to this not being smart, but I'm not open it being out of bounds. It's been standard Republican rhetoric for decades. And Texas is a big boy, not a shrinking violet of a state. It can take it.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Wednesday, September 01, 2021
The System
For whatever reasons, Dems don't do that, preferring to maintain happy illusions about an increasingly corrupt and illegitimate system.
Splitting The Baby
(I actually no longer think, "safe, legal, and rare" was an ok bone to throw. It was very bad!!! Even I was corrupted by the Sensible Moderates.)
Insert Relevant Spiderman Movie Quote Here
Amazing
The answer is, of course, BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE RICHARD FUCKING ENGEL (in part).Just an amazing set of tweets just a year apart. pic.twitter.com/MDJKRxNROK
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 1, 2021
Objective Journalism is Breaking Out All Over
These people are amazing.Biden says they reached out to Americans in Afghanistan 19 times since March to try to get them out... that seems like not a lot given the circumstances.
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) August 31, 2021