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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

This is all too absurd to be reality, right?

Reality always wins in the end.

This blog goes to 11…

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

This is how realignments happen…

Not all heroes wear capes.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

There will be lawyers.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Han shot first.

Just a few bad apples.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

The math demands it!

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

I can’t take this shit today. I just can’t.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

Shocking, but not surprising

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

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Open Threads

You are here: Home / Archives for Open Threads

Friday Evening Open Thread: Your Friendly Local Mail Truck

by Anne Laurie|  February 26, 20217:16 pm| 55 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat

Trying to imagine what Trump would've angrily tweeted about these if they had been unveiled under his administration. (That's another way of saying that they're good) pic.twitter.com/72Lctm4B1k

— Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) February 25, 2021

IMO it’s adorable, but much more important: Improved ergonomics for the mail handler, and state-of-the-art design to protect the squishy meatsacks (kids, dogs, old people, distracted cellphone readers) who are liable to run afoul of a bulky vehicle making frequent stops in otherwise pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

Elsewhere, the Biden Administration is working on undoing the GOP’s attempts to destroy the Postal Service…

show full post on front page

?? SCOOP: Biden to nominate two Democrats, voting rights advocate to USPS board of governors
– Ron Stroman (D), former deputy postmaster general
– Amber McReynolds, CEO Vote at Home Institute
– Anton Hajjar (D), former APWU general counsel

READ HERE: https://t.co/oUZoYkRTfc

— Jacob Bogage (@jacobbogage) February 24, 2021

… Special points to Rep. Gerry Connolly:

His fists were pounding. His index fingers were pointing. And his arms, at least at one point, were outstretched as Rep. Gerald E. Connolly yelled, “I’m an admitted Democrat, and I’m damn proud of it!”

It was the start of Connolly’s latest impassioned monologue, during a crucial hearing on postal reforms. He accused Republican colleagues of “gaslighting” after they said Democratic outrage at Postmaster General Louis DeJoy — and attempts to remove him — were politically motivated.

Connolly’s retort: “I didn’t vote to overturn an election, and I will not be lectured by people who did, about partisanship!”…

At the hearing, Connolly oscillated between giving Republican colleagues a tongue-lashing and casting doubt on the ability of the U.S. Postal Service’s leader to address serious mail slowdowns amid a precarious financial situation.

He asked postal board chairman Ron Bloom if board members were still “tickled pink” with DeJoy’s performance, as one GOP board member had told senators in September.

And when Bloom replied that DeJoy and the board had a sound plan in progress, Connolly said: “Respectfully, I disagree, and I hope President Biden disagrees as well and that we take action to replace the Board of Governors with people who care about the Postal Service and can be committed to their job of oversight and accountability.”…

The full Connolly/Jordan exchange: pic.twitter.com/umbXmsGgvE

— The Recount (@therecount) February 24, 2021

Friday Evening Open Thread: Your Friendly Local Mail TruckPost + Comments (55)

Bone Saw Skates?

by Betty Cracker|  February 26, 20214:35 pm| 91 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Politics

The Times reports that the Biden admin will not hold Mohammed bin Salman personally accountable for murdering a U.S. resident journalist who was employed by The Post:

WASHINGTON — President Biden has decided that the price of directly penalizing Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is too high, according to senior administration officials, despite a detailed American intelligence finding that he directly approved the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident and Washington Post columnist who was drugged and dismembered in October 2018.

The decision by Mr. Biden, who during the 2020 campaign called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state with “no redeeming social value,” came after weeks of debate in which his newly formed national security team advised him that there was no way to formally bar the heir to the Saudi crown from entering the United States, or to weigh criminal charges against him, without breaching the relationship with one of America’s key Arab allies.

Officials said a consensus developed inside the White House that the price of that breach, in Saudi cooperation on counterterrorism and in confronting Iran, was simply too high.

We’ll see; the report just came out. Also, can’t the U.S. bar any noncitizen it wants from entering the country, maybe with an exception for U.N. business? I don’t know, but that statement needs clarification. Anyway, Rep. Adam Schiff released this statement today:

“For years, the House and Senate have pressed for this measure of accountability, and I’m grateful to President Biden and Director of National Intelligence Haines for making this report public as we requested.

“The highest levels of the Saudi government, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, are culpable in the murder of journalist and American resident Jamal Khashoggi, and there is no escaping that stark truth laid bare in the Intelligence Community’s long overdue public assessment. It should not have taken this long for the United States to publicly share what we knew about the brutal murder of a U.S. resident and journalist, and this report underscores why Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s repeated claims that he was either unknowing or uninvolved in this heinous crime are in no way credible.

“As the Crown Prince continues to demonstrate no remorse for his actions and to shield senior Saudi officials from accountability for their role in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, the Biden Administration will need to follow this attribution of responsibility with serious repercussions against all of the responsible parties it has identified, and also reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia. We must ensure that if foreign governments target journalists simply for doing their jobs, they are not immune to serious repercussions and sanctions, because restoring confidence in American leadership requires we act in accordance with the values that have long set America apart.

“The Administration should take further steps to diminish the United States’ reliance on Riyadh and reinforce that our partnership with the Kingdom is a not a blank check.”

Amen to all of that. Saudi Arabia is a horrifying autocracy, but since I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday, I know realpolitik is a thing and understand (while not necessarily approving) why American presidents have coddled Saudi autocrats for generations. And further, for all its lofty rhetoric about democracy and human rights, the U.S. often acts as a global crime syndicate its own damn self, so there’s that. But Bone Saw shouldn’t skate. I think Froomkin is right here:

What WH reporters should be saying: Absent a plausible public explanation for why punishment does not extend to MBS personally, it is evident that in this case concerns about geopolitical stability and domestic politics outweighed the commitment to human rights and press freedom.

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) February 26, 2021

What do you think?

Bone Saw Skates?Post + Comments (91)

Open Thread: Actual Golden Calf

by TaMara (HFG)|  February 26, 202110:43 am| 258 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Not how I wanted to begin my day…I may have to stay away from twitter during CPAC:

So many questions. Like how are they going to get that onto the alter? And does the venue have a plan for burnt-offerings. #Idolatry https://t.co/NFLoxlQ0W6

— Alt Public Lands 🏜🏔🏕🌲 (@AltPublicLands) February 26, 2021

I may have to watch Dogma tonight….

Ted Cruz's colleagues mocked him by putting memes of his Cancun trip in the Senate gym locker room: 'Bienvenido de Nuevo, Ted!' https://t.co/49B9MtEt1B

— Travis Akers (@travisakers) February 26, 2021

“Bienvenido de Nuevo, Ted!” the color printouts for the prank read, or “welcome back.”

Early birds turning up for a workout Wednesday morning came across color printouts of Cruz in his airport getup, which included a light polo shirt and a mask bearing the Texas flag, according to NBC, who reviewed the materials provided by two sources.

“The rendering featured a manipulated photo of Cruz from his well-documented trip to Mexico, dragging his luggage across an arctic landscape while holding a tropical cocktail garnished with a slice of fruit in his other hand,” Lee and Caldwell wrote.

I’m grateful it’s Friday. I may have a recipe for you guys tonight since I doubt the Biden administration will be inundating us with Friday night news dumps. 🤞

Open thread

Open Thread: Actual Golden CalfPost + Comments (258)

Friday Morning Open Thread: Minimum Wage vs. Pandemic Relief?

by Anne Laurie|  February 26, 20217:19 am| 169 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, President Biden, Republican Venality, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

Minimum wage increase imperiled in covid relief bill by Senate official’s ruling https://t.co/d9CKdRrFDH

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 26, 2021

Accursed Friday news dump, per the Washington Post:

… Democrats had been anxiously awaiting the decision, but their next steps are not clear. Liberals are pressuring Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to challenge the ruling on the Senate floor, although the White House has dismissed that idea.

Schumer released a brief statement Thursday night vowing to fight on, without saying how…

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that Biden was “disappointed in this outcome” but “respects the parliamentarian’s decision and the Senate’s process.”

“He will work with leaders in Congress to determine the best path forward, because no one in this country should work full time and live in poverty,” Psaki said. “He urges Congress to move quickly to pass the American Rescue Plan.”

The ruling was made by Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan official who is little known outside Washington but might command tremendous influence over certain elements of Biden’s agenda. Her ruling pertains only to the Senate, where the legislation will move forward under complex rules that prohibit certain items that don’t have a particular effect on the budget. MacDonough determined that, as written, the minimum-wage increase did not pass that test — an outcome that had been predicted by a number of Democrats, including Biden himself.

Despite her ruling, the House is preparing to vote Friday to pass the stimulus relief package with the $15 minimum wage included and send it to the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Thursday…

show full post on front page

Pelosi’s decision to pass the $1.9 trillion relief bill with the minimum-wage language intact means Schumer will face a potentially consequential decision. He could take out the minimum-wage language before putting the bill on the Senate floor, or try to keep it in the bill — whether by challenging the parliamentarian’s ruling or trying to rewrite the provision in such a way that it could pass muster under the Senate’s complicated rules…

… White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has publicly ruled out trying to overrule the parliamentarian, and Democrats probably would not command the necessary votes to succeed anyway, since at least one Senate Democrat — Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) — has said he would not vote to overrule the parliamentarian…

Several liberal Democrats said Thursday they need to do whatever it takes to raise the minimum wage — including eliminating the filibuster, the 60-vote rule that gives the minority party enormous sway in the Senate. Manchin and Sinema have said publicly they oppose taking that step.

“We still need to pass the minimum wage, and if that means getting rid of the filibuster, so be it,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said.

.@SpeakerPelosi:

“House Democrats believe that the minimum wage hike is necessary. Therefore, this provision will remain in the American Rescue Plan on the Floor tomorrow. Democrats in the House are determined to pursue every possible path in the Fight For 15.”

— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) February 26, 2021

Media Village Idiots gleeful over prospects of Dems in Disarray!; more cautious observers wonder if Repubs are the ones stepping on their own… agenda:

A 15 dollar min wage won 60% of vote in Florida in 2020. A political reporter thinking this some kind of risky vote is equivalent of doctor recommending you balance your humors. https://t.co/eqtuFPX6ib

— Alex Hazanov. (@alexhazanov) February 26, 2021

Walk the plank? I can’t think of a district where the $15 wage is less popular than the Democratic member of congress https://t.co/aq3EWNO5oA

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) February 26, 2021

reminder that this could be prevented if a mere 17/50 republican senators did NOT regard poor people as vermin https://t.co/THPSFKyI9k

— josh ???? (@josh_posts) February 26, 2021

indeed. it all totally glosses over the reason for all these contortions, which is that approximately zero senate republicans are going to vote for major dem proposals https://t.co/S81annNzhE

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) February 26, 2021

Needless to say, I place my trust in Nancy Pelosi. (Worse comes to worst — and there will be a lot of words said before the final legislation is sent to President Biden — we Democrats have gone on the record as supporting an essential economic upgrade.)

I do assume there will be some form of Recovery Act passed before mid-March, because either enough Repubs will realize they’re better off doing the right thing, or Manchin & Sinema will decide that posturing as ‘centrists’ for their voters won’t be enough to save them come the next primaries.

Friday Morning Open Thread: Minimum Wage vs. Pandemic Relief?Post + Comments (169)

Late Night #ThrowBack Thursday Open Thread: The Crying Nazi Is Going to Jail

by Anne Laurie|  February 26, 20211:45 am| 42 Comments

This post is in: domestic terrorists, Open Threads

‘Crying Nazi’ Christopher Cantwell Sentenced To 41 Months For Extortion via @forbes https://t.co/yS0R1fwT6V

I doubt he can read his favorite web content in prison! pic.twitter.com/VtkIbBzn8g

— Jim Swift (@JimSwiftDC) February 25, 2021

And not even for something “cool”, like insurrection or murdering a cop. He got busted for threatening a fellow two-bit terrorist, like he was a not-even-Aryan corner drug dealer or something. Simpler times, 2017…

A judge in New Hampshire sentenced Christopher Cantwell to more than three years in prison on Wednesday for trying to extort and threaten a fellow member of the white nationalist community, the latest legal troubles to hit Cantwell, an infamous extremist whose participation in the violent 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va., brought him nationwide recognition — and whose emotional reaction to earlier legal problems earned him the nickname “the crying Nazi.”…

Cantwell will serve 41 months in prison on extortion and threat charges, federal Judge Paul Barbadoro ruled, after he was found guilty last September (his lawyers did not respond to Forbes when asked whether he plans on appealing).

Prosecutors say Cantwell tried to pressure another man active in online extremist circles into identifying the leader of the “Bowl Patrol,” a competing neo-Nazi group formed to glorify Charleston mass shooter Dylann Roof.

In a series of 2019 Telegram messages, Cantwell threatened to report the man to child protective services, “dox” him by posting his identity on the internet, and harm his family if he didn’t reveal the Bowl Patrol leader’s identity…

Late Night #ThrowBack Thursday Open Thread: The Crying Nazi Is Going to JailPost + Comments (42)

Late Evening Open Thread

by WaterGirl|  February 25, 202111:10 pm| 35 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Looks like we need a new thread.

Late Evening Open ThreadPost + Comments (35)

Thursday Evening Open Thread: Because It’s the Right Thing to Do

by Anne Laurie|  February 25, 20216:20 pm| 213 Comments

This post is in: LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, NANCY SMASH!, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat

House votes to pass Equality Act, sweeping legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity https://t.co/oASHSzm7gt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 25, 2021

A possible explanation for MTG’s latest outbreak of public bigotry. Gonna be interesting, shall we say, for Sen. Krysten Sinema to reconcile her support for LGBTQ rights with her defense of the filibuster here…

The House voted Thursday to pass the Equality Act, a far-reaching measure that has been decades in the making and would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The legislation was passed by the House in 2019 but blocked in the Republican-led Senate. This time, Democrats control the White House, House and Senate. President Biden has signaled his support for the measure, but it still faces an uphill fight in the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to break a legislative filibuster.

“The Civil Rights Act is a sacred pillar of freedom in our country. It is not amended lightly,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a House floor speech Thursday afternoon. She thanked members of the Congressional Black Caucus who “gave their imprimatur to the opening of the Civil Rights Act to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.”

After a tense and often personal debate, the House voted 224 to 206 for the measure, with three Republicans joining all Democrats to vote yes…

The Equality Act has been a pillar of the LGBTQ civil rights movement since similar legislation was first discussed after the Stonewall riots in 1969. Democratic Rep. Bella Abzug of New York was the main sponsor of the Equality Act in 1974; other prominent supporters of the legislation included Rep. Ed Koch (D-N.Y.).

In the ensuing decades, public opinion has shifted dramatically toward support of such protections. More than 8 in 10 Americans favor laws that would protect LGBTQ people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing, according to a 2020 Public Religion Research Institute American Values Survey…

(Rep. Abzug, along with Rep. Shirley Chisholm, was my adolescent legislative hero. I’m glad she gets the credit she earned here.)

Thursday Evening Open Thread: Because It’s the Right Thing to DoPost + Comments (213)

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