• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Call the National Guard if your insurrection lasts more than four hours.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

I personally stopped the public option…

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

Mission Accomplished!

Screw the Judean People’s Front. Splitters.

We can agree to disagree, but i’m right.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

How do you get liars to care about the truth?

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Just a few bad apples.

This blog goes to 11…

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Four legs? good! two legs? we’re not so sure…

Shock troops for the Unitarian Jihad.

Too inconsequential to be sued

We survived Breitbartpocalypse!

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

I’m only here for the duck photos.

Historically it is a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

False Scribes! False Scribes!

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Mobile Menu

  • Look Forward & Back
  • Balloon Juice 2021 Pet Calendar
  • Site Feedback
  • All 2020 Fundraising
  • I Voted!
  • Take Action: Things We Can Do
  • Team Claire, and Family
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • BJ PayPal Donations
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Nature & Respite
  • Information As Power
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • On The Road
  • Garden Chats
  • Nature & Respite
  • Look Forward & Back
nancy pelosi, standing, finger pointed at trump, shaming him and all the cabinet members and generals

Politics

You are here: Home / Archives for Politics

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Credit Where Due

by Anne Laurie|  January 27, 20217:02 am| 184 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

As progressives, it is easy to become jaded about the possibility of meaningful change.

The fight for a more democratic America is far from over, but in just the first week, the Biden Administration has acted on many of progressives’ top asks. (Thread)https://t.co/1RY5kL1iQv

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

Quick side note: Senator Leahy is home and doing fine. (My personal guess is that listening to a bunch of Repubs alternately whine & lie for several hours would be enough to make any sane person ‘feel ill’.)

Back to Rep. Omar:

show full post on front page

Here are just a few of the policies the Administration put in place in the first week:

✅ An interagency fight to root out systemic racism
✅ Rescinding the ban on diversity and inclusion training
✅ A ban on federal contracts with private prisonshttps://t.co/aYfRA3DRmG

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

On immigration, the Administration:
✅ Ended Donald Trump’s hateful Muslim ban
✅ Protected DREAMers who came to this country as children
✅ Reinstated Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians
✅ Announced a 100 day deportation moratoriumhttps://t.co/PKxzEgRA6H

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

Biden will also use Department of Labor authority to protect workers from COVID-19 .https://t.co/KNQzs3Gx56

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

On foreign policy, the White House announced:
✅ A reversal of Trump’s ban on trans people serving in the military
✅ A review of of CENTCOM and SOCOM “law of war” violations
✅ A groundbreaking review of the economic impact of sanctionshttps://t.co/Xd4JWBz78s

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

✅ Mobilizing a whole-of-government effort to rebuild the economy and stop the climate crisis
✅ Prioritizing strong anti-monopoly protections and enforcement to address our rigged economy

I hope you’ll join me in pushing for these changes. https://t.co/U2iz7SQblp

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

Let’s keep pushing for bold change, even as we celebrate our wins. 💪🏽

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 26, 2021

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Credit Where DuePost + Comments (184)

Late Night Open Thread: *Now* We Can Laugh

by Anne Laurie|  January 26, 202111:47 pm| 86 Comments

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

pic.twitter.com/zNdr3QNXne

— Hillary Warned Us (@HillaryWarnedUs) January 25, 2021

Based on:
Late Night Open Thread

Late Night Open Thread: *Now* We Can LaughPost + Comments (86)

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Biden Talks to Putin

by Anne Laurie|  January 26, 20216:37 pm| 186 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

PETER DOOCY: Mr President, what did you talk to Vladimir Putin about?

PRESIDENT BIDEN: You. He sends his best. pic.twitter.com/Fq0zglc9aK

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 26, 2021

But seriously, folks… (until Cheryl or Adam have time for a more informed post):

show full post on front page

Biden talks to Putin https://t.co/fztu3tLX43

— WICH 1310 (@WICH1310) January 26, 2021

… According to the White House, Biden raised concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, Russia’s alleged involvement in a massive cyber espionage campaign and reports of Russian bounties on American troops in Afghanistan. The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty.

While the readouts from the two capitals emphasized different elements, they both suggested that U.S-Russia relations will be guided, at least at the beginning of the Biden administration, by a desire to do no harm but also no urgency to repair existing damage…

Although the leaders agreed to work together to extend New START before it expires on Feb. 5 and to look at other areas of potential strategic cooperation, the White House said Biden was firm on U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, while Russia is supporting separatists in the country’s east.

Biden also raised the SolarWinds cyberhack, which has been attributed to Russia. reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 U.S. election, the poisoning of Navalny and the weekend crackdown on Navalny’s supporters.

“President Biden made clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies,” the White House said. Biden told Putin in the phone call, first reported by The Associated Press, that the U.S, would defend itself and take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, officials said…

The call came as Putin considers the aftermath of pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for the coming weekend…

Just from the public accounts, Biden’s discussion with Putin appeared diametrically opposed to Trump’s…

Funny, that.

NEWS: In a call with Putin, Pres Biden raised the SolarWinds hack, reported bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan & the poisoning of Navalny, per a WH readout.

Biden "made clear that the US will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia." pic.twitter.com/PS7ccVhRir

— Sara Cook (@saraecook) January 26, 2021

(Doocy is a FoxNews correspondent, son of the ‘news anchor’ on ‘A Blonde with Two Boobs on A Couch’…)

It was Fox's Peter Doocy. This is the second time Biden has done this joke with Doocy – when Doocy asked a bike-riding Biden in August who his VP choice was, Biden said, "You." https://t.co/pdPfXE1NSS

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 26, 2021

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Biden Talks to PutinPost + Comments (186)

Running on Empty (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  January 26, 20213:57 pm| 118 Comments

This post is in: Impeach the Motherfucker!, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

I’ve been avoiding the topic of The Beast, but I just read about Trump flunkies setting up pro-Trump policy “think tanks,” a development that requires vicious mocking. Via Axios:

Scoop: Former OMB director to set up Pro-Trump think tanks

Russ Vought, who led Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, plans to announce two pro-Trump organizations Tuesday, aiming to provide the ideological ammunition to sustain Trump’s political movement after his departure from the White House.

The Center for American Restoration and an advocacy arm, America Restoration Action, will try to keep cultural issues that animated Trump’s presidency on the public agenda, according to people familiar with the matter.

Seems like people who want to keep Trump’s “cultural issues” on the front burner could just join the fucking Klan — less paperwork that way! But a “nonprofit” and “social welfare group” will provide a megaphone for whining about nonexistent voter fraud and lamentations about cancel culture. Plus prodigious grift opportunities, one assumes.

In other news, only five Republicans voted against Senator Rand “Baby Doc” Paul’s motion to dismiss Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial on bullshit procedural grounds: Senators Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Sasse, and Toomey. So, elected Republicans as a body have made their choice between Trump and democracy, and they chose the former.

My guess is some or possibly all of the five Republican senators who voted to hear the trial will vote to acquit, no matter how damning the evidence, no matter how haunting the memory of the howling mob baying for their own blood. Wouldn’t surprise me if the four not named “Romney” vote to acquit, though Murkowski seemed genuinely angry about the attempted coup. We’ll see.

Anyhoo. Open thread.

Running on Empty (Open Thread)Post + Comments (118)

Interesting Profile on Manchin

by John Cole|  January 26, 202110:24 am| 76 Comments

This post is in: Politics

Worth your time.

Again, there are a few things you need to know about Manchin to understand him.

1.) He honestly, truly, 100% believes that the key to anything is negotiation. He came up in the good ole boy/girl system and totally thinks that there is nothing that can not be accomplished after you build the right relationships.

2.) He will always have as his primary focus getting money and jobs to WV.

3.) He knows that WV is a small state and that things like the filibuster give us outsized political power, and he is not going to give it up.

He can be infuriating, but this is who he is. At least he is open about it.

Although I wish they would stop calling us (WV) a coal state. We’re not. Coal accounts for less than 2% of state employment. We’re a tourism state, if anything.

Interesting Profile on ManchinPost + Comments (76)

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Moving Forward

by Anne Laurie|  January 26, 20217:53 am| 166 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

House impeachment managers walk to deliver the article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/86SyNCQqba

— Erin Schaff (@erinschaff) January 26, 2021

show full post on front page

63%

We have a mandate. https://t.co/hhl5FTINCk

— Trinity Voted for Biden/Harris (@TrinityMustache) January 26, 2021

Biden says this is a "beginning" of a negotiation process, and "no one wants to give up on their position until there's no other alternative." He suggests a timeline of a "couple weeks."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 25, 2021

Democrats may try to pass Biden's COVID bill with majority vote: Schumer https://t.co/g04kg6MrrI pic.twitter.com/nYU7Q7dPJK

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 26, 2021

No sooner has the portion of Rachel Maddow's interview with Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer aired than Mitch McConnell has put out a statement that he is folding, ending the stand-off. pic.twitter.com/9qR1jpKXkf

— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) January 26, 2021

McConnell folded.

There was no new information. There have been a number of Senators who have said they would not vote to end the filibuster, much earlier than today. That’s just a fig leaf for McConnell folding.

Schumer held his ground. Good start.

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 26, 2021

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Moving ForwardPost + Comments (166)

Late Night Repub Stupidity Open Thread: Side Show

by Anne Laurie|  January 26, 20211:05 am| 67 Comments

This post is in: Ammosexuals, GOP Death Cult, Open Threads, Clown Shoes

What do you call Lauren Boebert’s fashion style? pic.twitter.com/bgUwQ412IW

— Abraxsys (@Abraxsys) January 24, 2021

Lookit the big guns on MEEEEEEEEE!!!

Pretty good idea why she named her salmonella shack ‘Shooters’.

There are genuinely dangerous Republicans in Congress, but Boebert is dangerous only to those with range (and then mostly incidentally). To be catty, since all she really seems to want is to stand in the spotlight while awed spectators stare at her, rhinoplasty / chin work / lasik surgery would’ve been more cost-effective than running for election…

show full post on front page

days ago i suggested she'd be expelled by end of the year.

it's gonna be way sooner than that; https://t.co/iPpVi6zuLR

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) January 15, 2021

First they came for Lauren Boebert's right to carry a loaded weapon into congressional chambers mere weeks after she likely facilitated an armed insurrection, and I did not speak out, for this made total fucking sense actually
https://t.co/4cA0sap2H7 pic.twitter.com/AyXYsXuPv3

— Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) January 22, 2021

If it was indeed Boebert who gave them directions about the Capitol interior that probably explains why most of them had no f***ing clue where they were going. https://t.co/UzRPrALBTv

— Zeddy (@Zeddary) January 18, 2021

You lost in Pueblo. https://t.co/RgB2Exjkz0 pic.twitter.com/KsDL1FTK4P

— Gus (@Gus_802) January 22, 2021

She wants to be expelled so she can make a half million through GoFundMe and then get some show on OANN called "Dangerous" where the logo is her with tape across her mouth. Hope this helps. https://t.co/EF1sbAzaPk

— Big Supernaturals (@UweBollocks) January 13, 2021

she's not a firebrand she's a lunatic. what is this firebrand shit. https://t.co/q6cg3p4sW2

— Normie Transition Team (@CalmSporting) January 16, 2021

If a member’s offices spends more than what they are allotted the budget shortfall is made up by taking it from the member’s salary.

I hope they’re doing the same with these fines, taking them right out of their checks. https://t.co/3mfRS8Ln3v

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) January 21, 2021

Late Night Repub Stupidity Open Thread: Side ShowPost + Comments (67)

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 3193
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Guest Posts: Priorities

Kakistocracy
I believe In My Fellow Americans
Defeat Them
Turning Bystanders Into Activists
UFOs and Officers
First Up, COVID
Idiots and Maniacs
Our National Illness
Libraries
You Have One Job

Do Something!

Call Your Senators & Representatives
Directory of US Senators
Directory of US Representatives
Letter to Elected Officials – Albatrossity
Letter to Elected Officials – Martin

I Got the Shot!

🎈Ways to Support Our Site

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal
Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice ⬇  

Recent Comments

  • The Fat White Duchess on Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Credit Where Due (Jan 27, 2021 @ 12:37pm)
  • RobertB on GME YOLO (Jan 27, 2021 @ 12:36pm)
  • Brachiator on Tax It Back (Jan 27, 2021 @ 12:36pm)
  • J R in WV on On The Road – 🐾BillinGlendaleCA – Lake Hollywood (Jan 27, 2021 @ 12:35pm)
  • burnspbesq on GME YOLO (Jan 27, 2021 @ 12:34pm)

Team Claire, and Family

Help for David’s Niece Claire
Claire Updates
Claire update for the holidays 12/23

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year

Featuring

John Cole
Silverman on Security
COVID-19 Coronavirus
Medium Cool with BGinCHI
Information Is Power

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Submit Photos to On the Road
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Meetups: Proof of Life
2021 Pets of Balloon Juice Calendar

Culture: Books, Film, TV, Music, Games, Podcasts

Noir: Favorites in Film, Books, TV
Book Recommendations & Indy Recs
Mystery Recommendations
Medium Cool: What If (Books & Films)
Netflix Favorites
Amazon Prime Favorites
Netflix Suggestions in July
Fun Music Thread
Longmire & Netflix Suggestions
Medium Cool: Places!
Medium Cool: Games!
Medium Cool: Watch or Read Again

Twitter

John Cole’s Twitter

[custom-twitter-feeds]

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc