Earlier today Congressman Kevin McCarthy finally got around to sort of, almost, if you squint just right calling out Marjorie Taylor Greene for her quintupling down on her anti-Semitic comments equating taking public health measures, such as masking in public spaces, getting vaccinated, and being able to provide verification of vaccination, with the treatment of Jews by the NAZIs during the Holocaust. Leaving aside for a moment that these things are not equatable, McCarthy issued a mealy mouthed statement referring to Greene solely by her first name, so it is possible he’s referring to some other Marjorie, and then taking bothsiderism to a new level by blaming all of this on Speaker Pelosi. I’m sure McCarthy decided his work on this issue was done. Message delivered. Time to move on.
Unfortunately, Kevin McCarthy didn’t bother to check with Marjorie Taylor Greene. As Andrew Solender reported by tweet, Greene praised while quote tweeting some chucklehead who decided to call out McCarthy for going after her.
Let’s leave aside the usual and inaccurate support for Israel equals can’t be anti-Semitic, what we have here is that McCarthy now has to live with the monster he helped partially create. At any time beginning when she started campaigning, McCarthy and the rest of the GOP leadership could have stopped Greene. They could have endorsed and campaigned for her primary opponent. A very solidly conservative physician who is actually from the district, not a carpet bagger like Greene is. They could have also cut a deal with Pelosi involving removing Green from committees, specifically that McCarthy and Scalise wouldn’t whip votes against it, thereby freeing up more members of the Republican House caucus to vote to remove Greene from her committee assignments. There are also a number of behind the scenes things that an effective caucus/party leader in Congress could do to rein her in. McCarthy, however, has done none of these things and, as a result, he is now being chased across an ice floe by a monster partially of his own making.
Greene also got into a battle of wits over her blithely, proudly ignorant anti-Semitism with Ben Shapiro. Which is kind of amazing given that both approached the fight unarmed!
I’m rooting for injuries all the way around.
Open thread!
raven
skank
mrmoshpotato
Well past time to nuke the entire party from orbit.
Don’t even wanna know.
Ruckus
@raven:
That may well be too nice for her.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: @Ruckus: Always nice when a congressional nominee shows up wearing spandex workout support shorts, flip flops, and a casual top to address the local board of county commissioners.
Jeffro
trying to figure out what the next level of ‘rooting for injuries’ would be, here…something like ‘screeching for crippling collisions’ or ‘roaring for continued intra-party gut-ripping’?
Because that is me, about them.
Adam L Silverman
@Jeffro:
via GIPHY
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: well in fairness, there’s no way to teach kids about Hitler or Satan without statues handy.
Also, is she saying she supports Hitler and Satan, or is drawing a parallel between Hitler, Satan, and various Confederates, or that it’s important to her to teach her kids about Hitler and Satan, or…?
(just trying on my best Fox News host impersonation there…it would be irresponsible not to speculate and/or Cavuto-mark the estimable Ms. Greene here, in this instance)
Adam L Silverman
@Jeffro:
I never post
Mr. Silverman – Are you a Charlie Pierce fan? Because he used to, as you do here, get the allusion to Frankenstein wrong. Victor Frankenstein pursues the creature cross the frozen wastes – not the other way around.
randy khan
Before I say anything else, I noticed that the article refers to “conservative thought leader Ben Shapiro.” I bet that gave him goose bumps.
Knowing that it’s likely a pose on her part because it gets her attention makes it worse, of course, not better. But the possibility that she doesn’t understand the difference between singling out an entire religion (and, in the case of Nazi Germany, anyone with descent from people with that religion, so it basically was targeting an entire race for discrimination) and giving people privileges based on actions they take to benefit public health is still pretty disturbing.
raven
@Adam L Silverman: Calves like cantaloupes. . .
Adam L Silverman
@I never post: I am. And it makes more sense our way.
HeleninEire
@raven:
THIS
Adam L Silverman
@raven: Not really. For the amount of CrossFit she does, she’s got terrible definition and muscle tone.
HeleninEire
@Adam L Silverman: Especially in her arms. Her arms at FAT.
Adam L Silverman
@HeleninEire: She’s most likely what is referred to as flabby fit. Meaning she’s in good cardiovascular shape, but is not toned.
Now, that said, our understanding of body shape and size and what is and is not healthy is terribly skewed in the US. There are people whose BMIs translate them to being obese who are in far, far, far, far better shape – cardiovascularly and in terms of muscle mass – as well as overall health than people with very low BMIs. And vice verse. The key is to find out, in conjunction with your doctor, what is healthy for you.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: From what I’ve heard, she owns the X-fit place and most of her exercise comes from fucking her clients.
Adam L Silverman
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I’ve read those articles. I actually know the guy she learned the cross fit/gym business from. Not well, but I’ve met him.
jl
@Adam L Silverman: ” She’s most likely what is referred to as flabby fit. ”
Boy hooh boy, covid shutdowns have gotten me to that rarified zone of ultra-fitness. Gyms gotta open.
I’m sure Adam has breezed through, no problem, though
Snarki, child of Loki
“rooting for fatalities”
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: yeah that too, but let’s not max out too early (unless it saves the Republic of course, obvs)
@Adam L Silverman: I’m trying to picture what it would take to walk a ‘normie’ through all of that, so that they understand just where today’s GQP is at. I’m not sure I could pull it off even with one of Katie Porter’s famous whiteboards, several hits of MDMA (for me and the normie), and a week off from work.
I’m not saying I’m not willing to try, mind you, but those are my conditions…
AWOL
@Adam L Silverman: We NYI fans always rooted for him to get the GWG vs. NJ so the headline would say:
SATAN BEATS THE DEVILS
Ruckus
@Adam L Silverman:
My understanding is that her brain is flabbier than her body….
Adam L Silverman
@jl: I work out four days a week for weights/strength training. 3 days a week for high intensity interval cardio. Walk the dogs between 1.6 and 2 miles at least four days a week.
That said, I let my diet go to crap in March, so I’ve been cleaning it up the past two weeks as I was feeling a bit flabby. Also, the refined carbs and refined sugars I’d let creep into my diet were making me feel like crap.
Adam L Silverman
@I never post: Also, welcome. Howdy! Comment as often as you like!
Adam L Silverman
@AWOL: That would’ve been cool!
Jay
RSA
Sure, my gym is full of them. What do you think—5% of all obese Americans? I’d guess less.
debbie
I don’t get what Nancy has to do with this.
West of the Rockies
@raven:
Hey, Adam is trying his best, ease off!
Fair Economist
Any West Coasters hoping to watch the Supermoon eclipse tonight? I set my clock for 3:40 AM. 70% predicted cloud cover so I may be disappointed but gotta try.
guachi
My diet is awful and I’m in vastly better shape than MTG (and I’m only 2 months older than she is). Though there are different types of being “fit”. I’m not the guy who skips leg day and does nothing but arms and back. Basically the opposite with lots of cycling and a solid core and lots of planking. My FTP is a hair over 300 Watts.
In any event, MTG doesn’t look as good as you’d expect someone who thinks she’s fit would look.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@raven:
Understatement.
Just One More Canuck
@Adam L Silverman: Someone on my FB feed pointed out how much she looks like Dog the Bounty Hunter. It’s almost Separated at Birth time
Uncle Cosmo
REIN HER IN
ICE FLOE
C’mon, “Hiyo,” your extensive academic and report-drafting experience should’ve taught you by now never to leave prooreading in the less-than-competent hands of SpelCzecher…
dexwood
Um, you misspelled her name – Marjorie Terror Greene.
Poe Larity
Talking about worse than the holocaust, Vice goes all in
Amir Khalid
“Battle of wits” is not quite how I would describe an argument between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ben Shapiro.
For what it’s worth, I’m with those who say that MTG equating vax requirements at workplaces etc. with the Holocaust is disingenuous and calculated to gin up her support by riling up people who disagree with her. I’m also with those who call Kevin McCarthy a pitiful excuse for a leader.
Benw
Let’s go Lakers! Kick the Suns in the junk!
dmsilev
As far as fitness and workout routines goes, at least she’s not as stupid-looking as Paul Ryan was.
WaterGirl
@HeleninEire: I don’t know… I thought skank was maybe too kind. But I couldn’t think of anything worse. Sad.
WaterGirl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Would that be the literal fucking, or the figurative fucking?
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
Literal, as I understand it.
WaterGirl
@debbie: To them, Nancy is Satan.
Urban Suburbanite
Ben Shapiro is a thought leader? What the hell just happened? Did someone spike my beer?
Adam L Silverman
@RSA: I have no idea. I just know that how we measure healthy or fit doesn’t work for a lot of people.
WaterGirl
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Yes! But I couldn’t come up with a better word.
Urban Suburbanite
@WaterGirl:
Banging Zangief is technically a kind of workout….
MontyTheClipArtMongoose
@Poe Larity: mike love has finally gone too far.
debbie
@Fair Economist:
Moon here in Ohio is huge and very clear. I think at best, we’re supposed to see a slight reddishness at one edge.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: Well, in all fairness, surely no one would want to do that particular dance with her more than once, so what’s a girl to do? //
craigie
@Adam L Silverman:
I dunno, those are the best parts of my diet.
Jay
@Urban Suburbanite:
he’s what passes as a “thought leader” on the Reich.
Adam L Silverman
@Amir Khalid: No arguments on either.
Adam L Silverman
I’m going to walk the four foots before they attack…
Back later.
WaterGirl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: If she wasn’t such a disgusting creature, I wouldn’t care if she screwed a different guy every night. (I can’t imagine any woman would have her!)
WaterGirl
@dmsilev: And these people are actually winning elections. The mind boggles.
debbie
@Poe Larity:
Someone on Twitter made a project of colorizing photographs of Auschwitz prisoners to to humanize them. ??♀️
WaterGirl
So I googled “is there a word that’s worse than skank?”
Apparently not, but we obviously need one.
Synonyms for skanky
Words Related to skanky
She is definitely some of these, but we still need a word that’s worse than skank.
dmsilev
@WaterGirl: Paul Ryan at least was able to fake being an ok person. Not all that well, but well enough. Greene, on the other hand? Yeah, no. The lunacy is the attraction.
Mai Naem mobile
I kind of think Greene is a distraction who sucks up some of the oxygen in the media room and a grifter. I am sure she’s a racist POS but that’s most of the GOP anyway. She just does it with loud clanging bells and train whistles. The time spent on her could be spent on talking about infrastructure, the Courts, Trumpov, GOP in disarray etc.
Soprano2
“Flabby fit” describes me pretty well. I do Jazzercize 4x a week and yoga once a week, but that’s about it. To look really good I’d have to lose another 30-40 lbs. I’m not willing to do what it would take to do that. I’m still more fit than most people. I can’t do the gym thing either – if I had to use the elliptical 4x a week I couldn’t stand it even with my IPod.
I think Crossfit is nuts. My sister did it. She told me about pushing a big tire around the parking lot. I said “You did what?”
Chetan Murthy
@WaterGirl: coprophage
skidmark
Trumpenfelcher
WaterGirl
@Chetan Murthy: This is why we still need paper dictionaries!
I am afraid to google the first one and the third one. I’m thinking maybe some form of the word smegma would be suitable for that creature.
Side note: The summer before I taught Human Sexuality (at the university level) for the first time, I had to read the textbook. Who knew there was even a word for that???
smedley the uncertain
@raven: I think you do the world’s Skanks a disservice.
HalfAssedHomesteader
Worth noting that Twitter has the means and justification to ban her. Ban her and watch her wither. But they do not.
WaterGirl
Maybe we need to do with this creature what tBogg did with santorum. We need to pick a word, so that when someone googles this creature’s name, the first 10 google hits are some awful word.
WaterGirl
@HalfAssedHomesteader: Maybe you twitter folks need to report her constantly.
Another Scott
@Jeffro:
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: Where’s the face-palm emoji when you need it?
Joe Falco
More like a battle of twits…
jl
@Soprano2:
” pushing a big tire around the parking lot. ”
For me, that kind of functional workout is fun. Reminds me of farm chores, except you can knock off when you want and feel all cool about it, rather than have to keep it up all day. But a lot of trainers do that besides CrossFit.
CrossFit is nuts. They don’t care much about technique or form for anything, which is bad in ways besides risk of injury. They make too much of their program competitive for basic fitness and skills when it shouldn’t be. Being all ultra cool intense and trying to outdo the other person isn’t great for things that need patient attention.
Old School
@WaterGirl:
Perhaps TBogg helped, but Dan Savage was the driving force behind that.
MisterForkbeard
@WaterGirl: Have you considered “Republican”? :)
debbie
Did I miss Netanyahu’s statement condemning MTG? //
jl
@Adam L Silverman: My diet’s a lot better and a lot more walking and biking. Can’t get to bars and such for the bodyweight training I like to do. Some bars where I can do pull-ups in playground nearby, and I keep telling myself I’ll get their early before the kids show up, but that doesn’t happen often enough.
Another Scott
+1
Cheers,
Scott.
RSA
Thanks for the thoughtful answer. I think that’s right.
For what it’s worth, even the academic literature doesn’t have a concrete, single answer on what it means to be healthy. At least, that was the case when I tried to figure it out a few years ago. It surprised me, until I realized it’s something of a philosophical question.
mrmoshpotato
@Benw: Might cause severe burns.
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Philistine fits the bill. So too does churlish.
mrmoshpotato
@Another Scott:
Great graphic. LOL!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Fair Economist: I had some ideas, but the southern half of California has cloud cover.
Omnes Omnibus
We could call her Marjorie Taylor Greene. That’s pretty bad.
Jeffro
@Another Scott: I follow her too! (and loved her book)
Totally on-point. Just. Look. Up. =)
Adam L Silverman
@WaterGirl: When I lived in Scotland the term they used was slag.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl:
DPRK_News is always on top of the news.
Cheers,
Scott.
RedDirtGirl
@WaterGirl: You mean Dan Savage…
Anya
@debbie: To be fair to the that asshole, we don’t expect a world leader to pay attention to a minor Rep. If she was a minority leader he might pay attention. Having said that, I think Netanyahu made a decision to ally his government with white supremacists and cranks because they have anti-Arab and Islamophobia in common so he would look the other way.
MontyTheClipArtMongoose
@debbie: trying to win back the dirtbag left to k-mac & marjo’s defense.
LongHairedWeirdo
So, what? McCarthy’s such a pathetic coward he blames Pelosi for failing to condemn Greene’s bigotry? Somehow, Pelosi should get her very own Green Lantern ring, and exert her will to make Greene stop being a hateful, hate-filled idiot?
(Cultural note: in the DC universe, a person with a Green Lantern ring can cause almost anything to happen, if they have a strong enough will. That is: the artist and author will have to come up with a scene where they show a character to be exerting their will, trying their best not to make it look like a painful bowel movement, and that, alone, is sufficient to create any change helpful to the story. You’ll see references to the Green Lantern Presidency – this is the Speaker of the House version.)
I’ll say it again: what annoys me most about the Republican Party is how it’s clear they’re not even *trying* any more, but they still have their lickspittle lapdogs running the game for them.
Comrade Colette
@mrmoshpotato: That’s hilarious. I just stole it.
There’s a big golden moon hanging over the end of my street, and it’s supposed to be clear all night here in San Francisco, so I might set the alarm for 4:10 am and see what I can see. I’ve missed the last several super-blue-wolf-flower-banana-split-sacred-cow moons because of our usual fog. Mother Nature owes me, dammit!
ETA: I went outside Sunday night to try to spot the Starlink satellite train going overhead, but was foiled by the aforementioned fog – got a brief glimpse of a couple of the bastards through gaps, but not the whole thing. I think they’re an atrocity and a disaster waiting to happen, but as long as they’re up there, I wanted to see the show. I’m such a dork, I still wave at the ISS when I happen to catch a bright visible pass.
The Moar You Know
I am well acquainted with McCarthy, he’s been kicking around this state forever. He’s a goddamn moron. This was absolutely predictable. She will be in leadership by next year. McCarthy will be primaried out by 2024.
She is the asshole the Trumpers have been waiting for.
SFBayAreaGal
@Fair Economist: Unfortunately, looks like fog will be making an appearance here.
trnc
@Just One More Canuck: I kinda thought she was rockin’ the Bo Dietl look, but DBH might be closer.
WaterGirl
@Old School: Hmmm. Maybe Tbogg “santorumed” someone else. I vividly remember Tbogg doing that to someone.
2liberal
people are putting too much thought into MTG. She just wants to be in the news all the time and will say anything that generates attention. To “analyze” what she says is a waste of brainpower that could be used for other purposes.
piratedan
@WaterGirl:
always appreciated the English turn of phrase…. she’s the “town bicycle”, everyone’s ridden her.
Misterpuff
@WaterGirl: Methhead
rikyrah
@raven:
??? for the lie
Morzer
@Adam L Silverman: Do I detect a fan of Gary Taubes’ work on this issue?
Morzer
@WaterGirl: Margarine Traitor Greene
WaterGirl
@Morzer: @Misterpuff:
Margarine Traitor Greene, skanky methhead
IbnBob
I know I’m a bit late on this, and really I can’t improve on what’s already been said, but… a couple of minor nits to pick.
She referred to gold stars, when the ususal term used (in English) for the Nazis’ anti-Semitic markings is yellow star. It’s a small point; but gold stars are often used to reward achievement in pre-schoolers, which may be MTG’s last experience with excellence.
And her reference to Jews in that time and place as “second class citizens” is…. I don’t even know where to put that on a scale that runs between right and wrong. A worthy succession to TFG’s rhetoric. And then to end that sentence by sending her”second class citizens ” on trains to the gas chambers causes a disturbance in the Force, and spins my mind in a vortex from which I may not recover.
billcinsd
@WaterGirl:
coprophage? Did you miss the excellent X-Files episode “War of the Coprophages”? It was a Darin Morgan written episode, with a character named Dr. Bambi Berenbaum. It’s about roaches and other things that eat feces
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: You’re probably thinking of “George Tierney Jr of Greenville SC”, I think.
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: YES!