Given the accelerating speed of criminal revelations about the Thief-in-Chief, she may be President Pelosi before 2022:
My story: Pelosi strikes deal with rebels, will step aside by 2022 to win speaker votes
https://t.co/QBbi3gOdgl— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) December 12, 2018
fwiw she'll be 82 years old in 2022, and will have been Dem leader for *20* years. The big ask from rebels might be something Pelosi was ready to give anyway… https://t.co/AR2oXv3zSq
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) December 12, 2018
Rep. Pelosi has nothing left to prove:
Nancy Pelosi called it the "Trump Shutdown," and the man whose whole career has consisted of slapping his name on stuff couldn't resist so he insisted that, hell yeah, this shutdown will be all his.
— Jacob T. Levy (@jtlevy) December 11, 2018
Prominent Republican once again jams own foot well down throat:
Gosh, why do you think Nancy wanted the press out of the room? Why didnât she want the American People to hear this discussion? https://t.co/LFwEesyo7e
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 11, 2018
Colby Itkowitz, at the Washington Post, “While Trump mansplained, Pelosi illustrated her case for a âwoman at the tableâ”:
Over 10 minutes of a surreal public sparring match in the Oval Office, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tried mightily to rise above the bluster and ego that erupted between the men in the room.
But Pelosi (D-Calif.) instead had to listen as President Trump mansplained to her the legislative process and her role in the debate, while Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer talked over her to trade barbs mano a mano with Trump…
Inside the Oval Office, the spectacle that played out in real time offered a window into the gender dynamics at play as the countryâs most powerful woman navigates a male-dominated government that is now helmed by the ultimate alpha male. In her bid to be speaker again, Pelosi has argued the importance of having a woman at the âdecision-making tableâ in Trumpâs Washington. And Tuesdayâs show helped make her point…
Pelosi kept her composure throughout the charade, continually trying to bring the conversation back to a place where actual dialogue could occur. But it was clear from the press presence that Trump had very little interest in finding a compromise and primarily wanted to show off his bravado for the cameras…
Haha, @NancyPelosi on why the Trump meeting was private: "We didn't want to say, in front of those people, 'You don't know what you're talking about'." pic.twitter.com/O76QVDHm0W
— Tommy Keep Christ In Xtopher (@tommyxtopher) December 11, 2018
(And yet, she is careful not to shock the grandchildren…)
"The press is all there! Chuck is really shouting out. I was trying to be the mom. I canât explain it to you. It was so wild. It goes to show you: 'you get into a tickle contest with a skunk, you get tinkle all over you," Pelosi to her members after, per aide in room.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 11, 2018
Even her professional enemies in the pundit caste respect Pelosi’s game:
Honestly makes me say it: The most statesman-like person in charge in that WH disaster was Pelosi. Second place to Schumer for baiting Trump into owning a shutdown. Honorable mention to Pence for willing himself to blend in with the furniture.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 11, 2018
+1. Whatâs particularly noteworthy is that Pelosi outclassed Schumer and Trump in her weakest area (televised performance). https://t.co/AIfd2q0C1O
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) December 11, 2018
Pelosi was the only person in that room who looked like they'd been there before.
— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) December 11, 2018
The last Democrat to talk like that to Trump's face got several million more votes than him and he still talks about arresting her.
— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) December 11, 2018
Pelosi boxes Trump's ears. What D in his/her right mind would say we don't want the most effective D to take on Trump ? https://t.co/U2Uopvgerk
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) December 11, 2018
For months, I advocated for a new Democratic Leader in the House.
I said that @NancyPelosi was part of the old guard. That new blood was needed. That it was someone elseâs turn.
Today, I say…I was wrong. Pelosi crushed it. She showed savvy, poise and acumen. #TeamPelosi
— Shugar (@GregShugar) December 11, 2018
ALL HAIL QUEEN PELOSI…
Pelosi to Trump: We understand that the wall is neither thick nor long and that you feel very badly about that. https://t.co/xRq7fY0pIk via @TPM
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 11, 2018
IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING pic.twitter.com/y02xWvlIBB
— Schooley (@Rschooley) December 12, 2018
Oh, yes — speaking of little men:
The talk of a primary challenge to Seth Moulton is not going away ⊠@MattPStout https://t.co/PTynANN4gU
— Victoria McGrane (@vgmac) December 12, 2018
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’m a sucker for the kid-with-the-lawn-mower thing, and that must be one of the best yet
B.B.A.
Speaking only for myself, I’d be fine with installing Nancy Pelosi as absolute dictator for life and sending everyone who’s ever spoken a word against her to the guillotine.
But that’s just me.
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: He’s the next chief of staff.
SFAW
Moulton “buck[ed] the top echelon”? And here I was, thinking he was just trying to swing his dick to show the shrieking harpy who wears the pants in the House.
ETA: And that picture of Moulton makes him look a bit like Nunes. Yet another reason to primary his quisling ass.
NotMax
Was hoping for a more open thread-y nighttime venue to repeat this from early in the morn but what the hey. It looks to be a fun ride.
Ooh. Holiday time viewing chez NotMax now set. Vanity Fair shows up on Amazon Prime on the 21st.
Expect the amusing Frances de la Tour to leave no piece of scenery unchewed.
Aleta
@Adam L Silverman: BREAKING: He turned it down.
Cheryl Rofer
It was a delight to see a smart strategist at work yesterday. Gave me hope that what I try to do may yet have some utility.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Melania has had it with all of you grifters seeking to make a buck off the good name of Gnauss
also, the third-tier model who married a “billionaire” speaks out against “opportunists”…. okay
eclare
@Cheryl Rofer: Agreed, I’m still on a high after yesterday. Can’t wait til January 3.
Adam L Silverman
@Cheryl Rofer:
Exactly what are you planning?
Gin & Tonic
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Like, um, say, your step-daughter?
Cheryl Rofer
@Adam L Silverman: A great many things.
Platonailedit
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Typical moronic outburst from the professional grifter with zero self awareness. Fuck her and her dubious ‘family’.
The Dangerman
Trump is going to end up being his own Chief of Staff. Of course, nothing will get done, but no one will notice because that’s what’s not happening now. Trump will be hoping that however Bannon learned to do the Bannon will, um, rub off on him.
smintheus
@Platonailedit: IIRC her ‘family’ was mobbed up in Slovenia. The perfect consort for Trump.
Steeplejack
Okay, I have to admit that Jennifer Rubin tweet up top is the most Democratic-positive thing I have seen her say. Credit where due.
rikyrah
Moulton is a putz
BruceFromOhio
@Cheryl Rofer: Can you be more vague? No, really.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
O Lord. This would be an ugly third act for Newton Leroy. I’d give him three months, but it would be a long, slow and ugly three months.
Gin & Tonic
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m not an architect, so it’s hard for me to judge, but is the White House big enough to fit those two egos?
smintheus
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Great. He’ll quickly be committing crimes as part of the cover up, and almost as quickly be trying to cut a plea deal. Newt should have been jailed years ago, this is overdue.
Platonailedit
@The Dangerman: I am kinda surprised that turd isn’t looking at racist bannon for his pos cos position.
Mart
@Aleta:
You win the Comments tonight.
SFAW
From Texas and the Senate’s own Master Debater:
And the answer(s) is/are:
Because unlike you and the rest of the traitors in the Rethuglican Partei, she was putting country before party, and hoping not to have to embarrass the Moron-in-Chief in public.
Gee, Rafael, for an obnoxious prick who demanded that his HLS study group(s) only have the best of the best of the best, you’re awfully fucking stupid. I can see why you’re among the top-70-Most-Loved-Sitting-Republican-Senators. If you could weaponize stupid, you’d be able to destroy a number of medium-sized armies.
cain
WTF? Who are these people even bothering to withhold their vote after that display? She made every Democrat proud by standing up this bully and doing it with grace and poise. Fuck them. In the next two years, they are going to learn why she’s the Leader.
FlyingToaster
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I thought her name was Knavss.
SFAW
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I think it’s appropriate that the Philanderer-in-Chief choose someone just like him for CoS:
Serial philanderer – check
Fat piece of shit – check
Thinks he’s smart but is actually stupid – check
Arrogant asshole – check
Wants to boink Ivanka – check (OK, I don’t actually know that Newt wants to)
Tried/trying to destroy the country – check
Steeplejack
Nice exchange seen on some Twitter thread yesterday:
“Skunk Tinkle? I saw them in ’82. Great show!”
“Opened for Aerosmith, right?”
Dan B
@NotMax: Frances we LA Tour leaves no piece of the scenery ungobsmocked!
Please try to keep up with the ugly birth of the future language…
Dan B
@Dan B: de la
Nite to Dan.. try to stay ahead of fricken spell check. Making new languages faster than a speeding electron (or photon).
SiubhanDuinne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
It’s wonderful. But then, I will never tire of seeing Nancy in her swingy red coat walking away and adjusting her shades. LIKE A BOSS.
Dan B
@Dan B: de la
Note to Dan.. try to stay ahead of fricken spell check. Making new languages faster than a speeding electron (or photon).
Cheryl Rofer
@SFAW: And saying that the Moron-in-Chief shouldn’t be embarrassed by the presence of the press gained her the high ground.
I love that woman!
Platonailedit
Yup, what was it that was so bad about the totus turd that cohen was willing to go to jail for?
Villago Delenda Est
Cripes, Rafael is fucking stupid.
Then there’s the Slovenian whore playing the victim card.
Villago Delenda Est
@SiubhanDuinne: The coat was burnt orange.
Mary G
Trump is horrible, but I have to say, seeing older women (who so many believe should stay home knitting one minute post menopause) kicking his ass all over Washington gives me life.
Faithful Lurker
@Platonailedit:Cohen has been a criminal since his teens. His uncle ran a social club for the Russian mob, his father-in-law is part of a Russian criminal gang (Ukranian actually}. And that’s only a small part of what is publicly known. Trump is just a small part of his life. If he had to come absolutely clean to the SDNY Fed attorneys, he and a much of his family and friends would be spending the next 20 years in jail. The 3 years is got today is easy compared to what he would have received. I won’t see the comments for this, it’s been a long day and I’m going to bed. Good night, jackals.
Humdog
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: why was a child mowing, anyway? Do we know what Shitstain was yelling?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Humdog: the child of MAGAts wrote to trump saying he’d like to cut the grass at the White House, so they flew him in for a photo-op and trump stood there in his uniquely awkward way, and a twitter meme was born.
NotMax
@Villago Delenda Est
Phew. Redcoats marching to and from the White House has been done.
:)
E.
@NotMax: Thank you for alerting me to this! I had no idea. One of my favorite books, favorite characters. Cannot wait to see it.
Mary G
And they call her a poor communicator:
chigail
@Villago Delenda Est: And it was beautiful!
Aleta
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhghg
ruemara
Nance was planning to retire this year. She gave them what she was planning to do anyway and they can crow about it if they want, but she snookered them. Idiots.
JGabriel
@smintheus:
So you’re saying Melania’s family in Slovenia is Family.
PJ
@Aleta: Isn’t Maine where The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming! was set? Maybe the Russkies have a mini-sub stashed there for Rohrabacher’s exfiltration.
NotMax
@Aleta
Well, R&B Russia Investment Fund is already spoken for as a name.
Nishu Chauhan
Who are these individuals notwithstanding trying to retain their vote after that show? She made each Democrat glad by standing up this harasser and doing it with beauty and balance. Screw them. In the following two years, they will realize why she’s the Leader !!
JGabriel
@Platonailedit:
It probably wasn’t to protect Combover Caligula. Cohen’s own family is connected with Russian and Ukrainian (in fact, primarily Ukrainian) organized crime families.
So, most of the knowledgeable speculation I’ve read thinks that Cohen refused to co-operate on some issues to protect his family rather than the president.
Sister Golden Bear
@Faithful Lurker:
With Ukrainian mobsters, if Cohen spilled his guts, 20 years in jail would be the least of his concerns. His life expectancy would undoubtedly be far shorter.
NotMax
@Sister Golden Bear
Chicken Kiev, not just an entree anymore.
;)
Mary G
@Aleta: We will be glad to see him stop pretending he can still surf and across the entire country.
danielx
@Aleta:
Well, shit, there have got be a lot of income opportunities for the most Russian-friendly former congressman, like, ever. Of course, getting on the wrong side of the vory and getting fed into an industrial sausage grinder would be a potential downside.Speaking of why Michael Cohen refuses to talk about certain things….
danielx
@Aleta:
Note: they NEED a truly major league malignant dimwit in Maine, Paul LePage is absconding to Florida. Hmmmmm…..
George_Spiggott
@Villago Delenda Est:
It’s this color.
And it’s no accident.
Mnemosyne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Wait.
Hang on.
Are you trying to tell me that’s a REAL PHOTO and not a Photoshop job?
I’m going to need some documentation on that. Sorry to be suspicious, but it’s been that kind of year.
ruemara
@Mnemosyne: Yeah. Sadly, it is.
Yarrow
@Aleta: Rohrabacher has lots of options. Like going to prison. That’s going to be right up there on his must do list.
Ladyraxterinok
@Mary G In some Native American tribes weren’t older women the tribal leaders? In Eastern Woodlands group maybe?
opiejeanne
@Mnemosyne: It’s real. I remember when it happened. The meme sprang up almost overnight.
Ladyraxterinok
@NotMax: Saw comment at a blog that her coat buttons left of center. WOW. Talk about messaging at all levels!
opiejeanne
Ladyraxterinok, in one of the western NA tribes the women were the bosses. I’m trying to remember if it’s Navajo or one of the others.
Bobby Thomson
Seth Moulton just looks like a douchebag.
And Cruz can’t really think Pelosi honestly didn’t want the press there.
Bobby Thomson
@B.B.A.: you speak for me, too.
debbie
She will outlast McConnell, which is a very good thing.
Ken
@opiejeanne: Depends what you mean by “boss”. The Hopi, among others, are matrilineal. Ownership of houses and land passes down through the female line, and when a man marries he moves to his wife’s household.
SFAW
@Aleta:
Fuck.
I can only hope it’s somewhere around T3 R9, and he stays the fuck away from where MomSense is (and others are), and way-the-fuck away from wherever Mrs. SFAW and I end up.
Fuck.
SFAW
@danielx:
No, they don’t
SFAW
@Mary G:
Because of her e-mails, no doubt
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Mary G: Occasionally I think all us olds should be barred from holding office because the evidence is not good. Then I think of Nancy and change my mind.
BretH
My top 2 picks for WH Chief of Staff:
1) Ted Nugent
2) Steven Seagal
Kristine
Thinking that more than a few of Pelosi’s opponents could find themselves voted out of office before 2022 rolls around. Assuming Madame Speaker still wants to play in the sandbox, what would happen to that deal?
PPCLI
@Aleta: Unless Maine doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the rest of the US, this is probably unwise. I’m thinking Uzbekistan is a better bet for his long-term freedom.
Uncle Cosmo
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: As they say back where Melanoma grew up:
kindness
I swear to God any Democrats in the House who are still asking Nancy for concessions to get her vote need to have their asses kicked….repeatedly. Now I get that that is not a liberal attitude. However, in the face of what Republicans have done to our Republic over the last 20 years, those Democrats need an ass kicking. I’m pissed.
NonyNony
@Kristine: She’s going to be 82 by then. My understanding was that she was thinking back in 2016 of retiring in 2018, but when Trump got more electoral votes she changed her plans. As long as Trump gets put out on his keister in 2020 I don’t think she’ll be thinking of changing these plans.
This strikes me as a face-saving gesture extended to her opponents – she already had these plans and is allowing them to pretend like they talked her into it so they can back down from the ridiculous positions they put themselves into.
Skepticat
@Aleta:
And just when we finally are getting rid of LeRage … sigh.
artem1s
The life of women in the workplace. It’s not enough to excel, you have to do it without embarrassing and hurting your male colleagues feefees. And you have to pretend that their feelings matter to you and you’re not just being nice because the blowback, temper tantrum and meltdown that comes once they realize they’ve been pwned aren’t worth the trouble. Pelosi picked her battle well. This time the aftermath is part of the goal and she played him expertly.
#TeamPelosi
schrodingers_cat
@kindness: Agreed. Moulton needs a primary challenger as of yesterday.
Shana
@Aleta: Why would a California lawmaker retire to Maine? That makes no sense.
different-church-lady
Chromosome shape, ya think.
glory b
@artem1s: What artem1s said.
different-church-lady
“We,” Jennifer? “We?”
Boris, Rasputin's Evil Twin
@BretH: I had a fine pick, but yesterday we learned Charlie Sheen’s been sober for a year, so he’s out.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Shana:Things are getting so bad for the Cal GOPers they have to import their crazies from out of state now, like that Cox idiot who ran for governor against Newsome. While Newsome isn’t exactly the most beloved of Cal Dems and Cox on was only able to get 38% of the vote. Even Neel “You really ran against Jerry Brown ?” Kashkari was able to do 40% in 2014.