On ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos sums up Donald Trump’s disgraceful wiretap conspiracy theory very succinctly: “The charge is untrue. He knows it’s not true.”
(h/t: Evan McMurry.)
And he will never, ever take it back and apologize. Never.
re: #1 Ace Rothstein
And he will never, ever take it back and apologize. Never.
Because this good “christian” doesn’t apologize for *anything*.
German reporter: Why do you keep saying things that are not true?
TRUMP: YOU’RE FAKE NEWS!!!!!!
Huh? Devin Nunes says of “people working at the White House now,” none are under intel investigation or surveillance “but one.”
Huh? Devin Nunes says of “people working at the White House now,” none are under intel investigation or surveillance “but one.” pic.twitter.com/9lxN79cbgl
— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) March 19, 2017
re: #4 Backwoods_Sleuth
[Embedded content]
Which is it, Devin? Nobody’s under investigation or someone is under investigation. Can’t be both.
re: #4 Backwoods_Sleuth
Keyword “now”. So who has come and gone that had top secret clearance while they were in and then communicated with Russia?
I find it hard to believe that 45 got two weeks of mileage out of a blatantly false charge.
Fuckin’ liberal media.
/
And George. Don’t mince words. A better way of addressing this: “President Trump outright lied to us.”
From the previous thread:
re: #231 Eric The Fruit Bat
Robert Reich on Facebook:
I’ve spent much of this week in Washington - talking with friends still in government, former colleagues, high-ranking Democrats, a few Republican pundits, and some members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. It was my first visit to our nation’s capital since Trump became president.
My verdict:
1. Washington is more divided, angry, bewildered, and fearful - than I’ve ever seen it.
2. The angry divisions aren’t just Democrats versus Republicans. Rancor is also exploding inside the Republican Party.
3. Republicans (and their patrons in big business) no longer believe Trump will give them cover to do what they want to do. They’re becoming afraid Trump is genuinely nuts, and he’ll pull the party down with him.
4. Many Republicans are also angry at Paul Ryan, whose replacement bill for Obamacare is considered by almost everyone on Capitol Hill to be incredibly dumb.
5. I didn’t talk with anyone inside the White House, but several who have had dealings with it called it a cesspool of intrigue and fear. Apparently everyone working there hates and distrusts everyone else.
6. The Washington foreign policy establishment - both Republican and Democrat - is deeply worried about what’s happening to American foreign policy, and the worldwide perception of America being loony and rudderless. They think Trump is legitimizing far-right movements around the world.
7. Long-time civil servants are getting ready to bail. If they’re close to retirement they’re already halfway out the door. Many in their 30s and 40s are in panic mode.
8. Republican pundits think Bannon is even more unhinged than Trump, seeking to destroy democracy as we’ve known it.
9. Despite all this, no one I talked with thought a Trump impeachment likely, at least not any time soon — unless there’s a smoking gun showing Trump’s involvement in Russia’s intrusion into the election.
10. Many people asked, bewilderedly, “how did this [Trump] happen?” When I suggest it had a lot to do with the 35-year-long decline of incomes of the bottom 60 percent; the growing sense, ever since the Wall Street bailout, that the game is rigged; and the utter failure of both Republicans and Democrats to reverse these trends - they gave me blank stares.
What do you think?
I liked almost all of it, until that last one. I replied to the Daily Kos thread where I saw that with:
“Let’s do something about it!”
“Will it help blacks?”
“Yes, it will help all Americans.”
“I’m voting for the racist.”
This is the story that the wingnuts will wrap themselves around:
Nunes: “No evidence of collusion” between Trump campaign and Russia https://t.co/IZr26jR8An pic.twitter.com/0RPPXjiObr
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 19, 2017
But over at Press The Meat, a different story is being told:
Here’s where we begin our investigation into Russian interference – with circumstantial evidence of collusion & direct evidence of deception pic.twitter.com/1tobpyCjkj
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 19, 2017
re: #9 Belafon
From the previous thread:
I liked almost all of it, until that last one. I replied to the Daily Kos thread where I saw that with:
Yeah I like what a lot of Reich stands for but I’m tired of this. He just underestimates that racism and populism can often be the thing.
The Incredibly Tough Life of Poor Donald Trump Jr.
Still, critics continue to point out occasions when business and politics seem in danger of mixing, as they did on Jan. 31, when Trump had a front-row seat at his father’s announcement of the Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil M. Gorsuch.
“Where is the break point?” Trump said. “If I see him once a month, is that too much? Once a year? My point is, it’s a no-win scenario. But, in the end, we both fully recognize that what he is doing now is far more important than absolutely anything going on in the business. And we will conduct ourselves accordingly.”
Even the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House, which is described as a race, could prove a political minefield, he said.
“God forbid one of my kids wins. People will say it was rigged.”
OT: Re Breslin and Berry… I mentioned on an earlier thread that Breslin’s influence on journalism was similar to Chuck’s influence on rock - both developed a shorthand that was accepted as How It Was Done for their respective milieus.
But while Breslin’s list of contemporaries was shorter than Chuck’s, his influence showed up in different media. Look at Springsteen’s first two albums, rife with nicknames that evoked a certain type, ‘Crazy Janie’ on the first album or ‘The Magic Rat’ in Born to Run’s ‘Jungleland.’
And how much of Scorcese’s work was informed by the types that Breslin illustrated so beautifully? You could almost imagine Breslin writing a column about Travis Bickle or Rupert Pupkin.
It’s become a sad weekend. The guy who established the DNA of rock is now gone, and the man who went into seemingly every neighborhood in New York City to introduce us to the quirks and customs and prejudices and weird beauty that they held is gone along with him.
We’re not getting replacements for either of them any time soon, if ever.
re: #13 makeitstop
OT: Re Breslin and Berry… I mentioned on an earlier thread that Breslin’s influence on journalism was similar to Chuck’s influence on rock - both developed a shorthand that was accepted as How It Was Done for their respective milieus.
But while Breslin’s list of contemporaries was shorter than Chuck’s, his influence showed up in different media. Look at Springsteen’s first two albums, rife with nicknames that evoked a certain type, ‘Crazy Janie’ on the first album or ‘The Magic Rat’ in Born to Run’s ‘Jungleland.’
And how much of Scorcese’s work was informed by the types that Breslin illustrated so beautifully? You could almost imagine Breslin writing a column about Travis Bickle or Rupert Pupkin.
It’s become a sad weekend. The guy who established the DNA of rock is now gone, and the man who went into seemingly every neighborhood in New York City to introduce us to the quirks and customs and prejudices and weird beauty that they held is gone along with him.
We’re not getting replacements for either of them any time soon, if ever.
On another Scorsese note, I seem to recall my brother telling me that Jimmy Burke threatened Breslin one time at a bar. I agree. Both Berry and Breslin were originals and the world is a sadder place without them.
re: #10 Targetpractice
This is the story that the wingnuts will wrap themselves around:
[Embedded content]
“I know it’s been proven to me that Trump and Russia colluded, but that’s not the same thing as evidence.”
re: #15 Belafon
“I know it’s been proven to me that Trump and Russia colluded, but that’s not the same thing as evidence.”
DNC: “There’s enough circumstantial evidence here to warrant a formal investigation.”
GOP: “THERE’S NO SMOKING GUN! CASE CLOSED! LET’S MOVE ON!”
re: #10 Targetpractice
I could handle Adam Schiff for higher office.
re: #16 Targetpractice
DNC: “There’s enough circumstantial evidence here to warrant a formal investigation.”
GOP: “THERE’S NO SMOKING GUN! CASE CLOSED! LET’S MOVE ON!”
What pisses me off the most is the GOP’s so blatant hypocrisy. Benghazi was investigated more than 9 fucking 11 by these assholes.
re: #17 retired cynic
I could handle Adam Schiff for higher office.
Maybe after DiFi retires? Of course, I really like Ted Lieu too. That’s your problem, California. Big state and only so many offices for good Democrats.
And I can’t hear Adam Schiff’s name and not think of Law and Order.
re: #10 Targetpractice
Earlier I said I felt that Comey suspects someone on one of the Committees. Looks like he does. This is a must read. https://t.co/WX6AKdI6tQ
— MikeFarb (@mikefarb1) March 19, 2017
re: #19 HappyWarrior
Maybe after DiFi retires? Of course, I really like Ted Lieu too. That’s your problem, California. Big state and only so many offices for good Democrats.
Higher. I get a good vibe from him.
re: #14 HappyWarrior
On another Scorsese note, I seem to recall my brother telling me that Jimmy Burke threatened Breslin one time at a bar. I agree. Both Berry and Breslin were originals and the world is a sadder place without them.
Breslin was a tough dude, he took no shit. He had to be, by nature of his trade.
I remember when the Howard Beach story broke in 1986, Breslin took shit from both the HB community for calling out their racism as well as the black community for calling out the opportunism of Alton Maddox and C. Vernon Mason (who would team up with Al Sharpton in the Tawana Brawley fiasco a year later).
There’s just no modern equivalent for Breslin. None. Nobody has the guts he had.
re: #22 retired cynic
Higher. I get a good vibe from him.
I hear ya. Just saying that Senate and Governor are quicker speedways to the Presidency than the House. That said, I’m impressed with him too and we’re going to need a strong FP mind in 2020.
Wiretapping is false?
Just look at this stupid Rasmussen Report Minute
I’ve yet to see one of their videos that isn’t heavily biased to be pro-Republican.
I wonder if they show these before they poll people their thoughts. Heck, if that was my entire knowledge of the situation, I would think the wiretapping claims were true too.
FACEBOOK PHOTO AD FAIL
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re: #26 The Vicious Babushka
A89nYJ42kXAEsCzL27DOmrj//cz9+weJ4oX3kQpmJdZtgc21IUG5EfNsMqVAG01WL5TLxRntg7ks6qMf0grgf1xElsU2GRAb6SpH9Hy8E+FR3ckt/fhTk2XrJ3aMW34LgsT6WZa5B/0=
It’s time for this week’s edition of Spot the Ad Lib(s) in Donald Trump’s Weekly Address: pic.twitter.com/6mf0cyE3u5
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 19, 2017
re: #14 HappyWarrior
On another Scorsese note, I seem to recall my brother telling me that Jimmy Burke threatened Breslin one time at a bar. I agree. Both Berry and Breslin were originals and the world is a sadder place without them.
Now that I think about it, I believe Burke actually gave Breslin a beating and sent him to the hospital. Burke took offense with ‘The Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight,’ thought Breslin was talking about him.
heh
No. 7 seed Michigan upsets No. 2 seed Louisville, final score: 73-69. pic.twitter.com/M70rraEdL2
— WCPO (@WCPO) March 19, 2017
Sad Bracket RT @Michael_Parsons: @SenateMajLdr @KySportsRadio #BBN pic.twitter.com/jP9UaZ2z3D
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 19, 2017
LOL
On my first night in Moscow, my friends took me to a bar called Mitzvah. Get it? Bar mitzvah? pic.twitter.com/3oUoTDd1JU
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) March 19, 2017
Protesters fly Confederate flag next to NCAA arena in South Carolinahttps://t.co/xcb9asVOzo
(via https://t.co/7olK9quphv )— Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) March 19, 2017
‘I didn’t feel it was right when the flag came down,” said Meadows, who said his ancestors fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. ”We wanted to show the NCAA that we’re still here.”
Confederate sympathizers still can’t jump, adopt parasitic strategy to publicize loyalty to losing side.
so will this be the week where the vote on the medicaid killing bill, the nomination of judge mere minimum, and hearings on how much of hrumphco is owned by vlad are overshadowed by the surprise bombing of pyongyang?
re: #33 Stanley Sea
I am happy for you. There is no local team left when I look at those brackets. Sigh.
An annual Africa trade meeting was held with no Africans. Visas for all 100 African delegates were denied by the US. https://t.co/BZ34E1W4N0
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 19, 2017
re: #36 Stanley Sea
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At this point they are turning away everyone who isn’t white.
re: #35 PhillyPretzel
I am happy for you. There is no local team left when I look at those brackets. Sigh.
Three of my “local” teams are still in it: Kentucky, Cincinnati and Xavier.
Four if I include West Virginia.
re: #37 Eclectic Cyborg
At this point they are turning away everyone who isn’t white.
Exactly what “Spicer” said on her 2nd appearance on SNL!!
re: #36 Stanley Sea
This is just SO BAD! The rest of the world is going to have to pull away from us. Which is, of course, what DT and kkkrew want.
re: #21 jaunte
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Jeez, look at Grassley’s and Feinstein’s faces. Like they saw a ghost or something.
re: #42 Varek Raith
According to the linked article, Grassley couldn’t even talk.
re: #42 Varek Raith
Images of Grassley and Feinstein have been recirculated over and over the past few days.
Especially among sites which seem to be very much part of the traditional “liberal” outlets.
At this point I’m beginning to think this is becoming a bandwagon effort, a way to keep the troops from getting disheartened as we see nothing concrete forming.
I’m not saying there is no there there, but until there is an actual impeachment started in the House, or until the Senate committee actually acts (in a sense of forcing something, not doing secret meetings), then I’m pretty much writing this whole Russian thing off as a to-be-determined event.
Not a sports fan here. Apparently if you get all the brackets right, you will end up with a fortune — but as mentioned on Facebook, there are 9 quintillion possibilities. You have a much better chance of winning the Powerball twice in a row.
re: #36 Stanley Sea
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Diane Watson was my Congresswoman. She is NOT someone who you want to bullshit!
I see this Russia thing as something with high pay-off but equally high risk.
If nothing comes of it, future efforts to (rightly) discredit Trump will run into the crying-wolf claim.
Also, if nothing comes of it, the conspiracies of the DEEP STATE will be encouraged.
re: #37 Eclectic Cyborg
At this point they are turning away everyone who isn’t white.
This has to be biggly affecting tourism. Doesn’t that industry have their own lobbyists? How more anti-business of a party can you be? Democrats should start pitching Republicans as the real anti-business party now and start collecting those campaign donations.
“Hey, so we might want you to pay your staff a fair wage, but at least we aren’t trying to destroy the core of your business” (which also applies to healthcare industries too)
re: #44 freetoken
I’m not saying there is no there there, but until there is an actual impeachment started in the House, or until the Senate committee actually acts (in a sense of forcing something, not doing secret meetings), then I’m pretty much writing this whole Russian thing off as a to-be-determined event.
It is amazing that the Republican party is not more disturbed by Trump’s open and frequently stated support for Russia. And they certainly have not expressed dismay over the damage being done to the State Department and the damage being done to our international alliances. They don’t seem to care at all.
re: #49 Hecuba’s daughter
It is amazing that the Republican party is not more disturbed by Trump’s open and frequently stated support for Russia. And they certainly have not expressed dismay over the damage being done to the State Department and the damage being done to our international alliances. They don’t seem to care at all.
They won’t care until they get their agenda through congress and signed.
Then when that’s done, they won’t care either.
Might as well change the CBP logo to a giant middle finger. That’s where we are now.
re: #51 Eclectic Cyborg
Might as well change the CBP logo to a giant middle finger. That’s where we are now.
Or some lightning bolts.
.
.
.
Too soon?
The only time you can use the phrase “out standing in his field” to describe a Trump… pic.twitter.com/zc410RPFgI
— Kragar (@Kragar_LGF) March 19, 2017
Sure didn’t envision being around to see our country collapse. But here we are.
Both sides know combover is insane, but no one will do a thing about it. Pence is despicable, but I’m pretty confident he won’t drop a nuke on Korea. I have zero doubt Trump will. And it will be sooner rather than later.
Trump approval ratings hitting a new low. No past President has begun so unpopular, or dropped so fast: https://t.co/EJsSPNJQSf pic.twitter.com/bLU6NpqU9X
— Scott Gilmore (@Scott_Gilmore) March 19, 2017
when is the honeymoon period over 😹https://t.co/Bawt1YPPUD
— darth™ (@darth) March 19, 2017
“how bad is it”
*wordlessly hands sean his bunny suit and juggling clubs*— darth™ (@darth) March 19, 2017
Per pool report, Trump asked staff to find supporters he saw on the side of the road Sat & bring them back to Mar-a-Lago for meet-and-greet
— Jill Colvin (@colvinj) March 19, 2017
Oh, now have the video. From a local Palm Beach Station. Trump uses Secret Service to pick up fans along the road. He’s still in golf shoes pic.twitter.com/eBFRX72oFP
— RiotWomenn (@riotwomennn) March 19, 2017
Oh, now have the video. From a local Palm Beach Station. Trump uses Secret Service to pick up fans along the road. He’s still in golf shoes
re: #55 plansbandc
Sure didn’t envision being around to see our country collapse. But here we are.
Both sides know combover is insane, but no one will do a thing about it. Pence is despicable, but I’m pretty confident he won’t drop a nuke on Korea. I have zero doubt Trump will. And it will be sooner rather than later.
This is kind of unfair because of just how absolutely asymmetric things are. Dems can do things, but they really have no power to do much because they lack votes for anything. The GOP could do something, but they’re benefiting from having a complete lock on just about all possible power right now outside of the Supremes (and that may well end up changing well enough come Gorsuch).
And trying to shame folks into doing the right thing is hard when facing an opponent that has none. And GOP critters are either hiding from their constituents or just not listening to them (Rep. Pete Sessions providing the most tonedeaf example of such, telling his angry constituents that they’re angry because ‘they don’t listen’, then calling himself the ‘best listener’). We’re at the mercy of hoping for a decent amount of GOP defections that may never come.
Price on proposed Medicaid work requirements: There’s something “restorative to people’s self worth…about working when they’re able to.” pic.twitter.com/NuaSIRQu23
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) March 19, 2017
The *most* expensive aspect of Medicaid is nursing home care, and I’m pretty sure those people can’t work. https://t.co/62et0uwk2M
— Charles Ornstein (@charlesornstein) March 19, 2017
Bob Lefsetz’ tribute to Chuck Berry…
Chuck Berry
He was the father of rock and roll.
Oh, don’t talk to me about Bill Haley. Boomers were barely conscious at the time “Rock Around The Clock” was a hit, if they were alive at all. And Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were vastly influential, especially in the U.K., but the progenitor who pushed it over the top, made rock a staple, was Chuck Berry.
Not that we had any idea who that was either.
But we knew the songs.
“Tutti Frutti” was already in the rearview mirror.
But not only did the Beatles cover “Rock And Roll Music” and “Roll Over Beethoven”…
But the Beach Boys ripped Chuck off for their gargantuan hit “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” which was really “Sweet Little Sixteen.”
Chuck’s got a bad reputation. As being an ungrateful SOB who demanded cash upfront and played with unrehearsed pickup bands. Keith Richards tried to give him a victory lap with that movie, but thereafter the Glimmer Twin testified as to Chuck’s bad behavior and I’m not sure if Berry’s reputation ever recovered. You usually only get one shot at a second chance.
But you’ve got to cut the guy a break, he was there at the beginning!
He was punk before punk. As in he did it his own way with the basics, with no trappings. Every band in a garage owes a debt to Chuck Berry.
And for years the road was a cash business. Even at this late date if you haven’t been ripped off by a promoter, you’re not in the business.
And until Peter Grant flipped the script, the act got the short end of the stick, the promoter made all the money.
And it wasn’t until the seventies that sound systems were any good, people basically cheered over the music, did it make any difference whether the band was tight, it was more about the experience, being there, in the presence of a renegade. That’s right, once upon a time rock and roll was dangerous.
But that time is long gone.
Don’t hate Chuck Berry. The truth is most performers are mercurial jerks. Do you know how hard it is to make it? DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO WRITE A HIT SONG?
When everybody else was using the usual suspects, Chuck composed his own hits. That’s the mark of a genius, when you can channel greatness out of thin air.
So by time the British Invasion happened, Chuck was mostly done, he only ended up having one more hit, the novelty “My Ding-A-Ling.” But at least that’s more hits than today’s classic rock acts manage to eke out.
And talk about influence…
ELO’s cover of “Roll Over Beethoven” jump-started their career.
And Brian Wilson testifies about the Four Freshmen, the vocal groups, but the band from Hawthorne, California was not a cappella, it needed a soundtrack, and not only were they influenced by Chuck Berry, as I stated above, they ripped him off.
So this is not the twenty first century. Wherein acts have hits and then fade into obscurity along with their music.
And it’s certainly not the twenty first century where everything is niche. Berry’s hits were not only huge, they’ve sustained! Even little kids want to know if Maybellene will be true. And “Johnny B. Goode” is a bar band staple.
We know all his songs by heart. Even though most of us were not around when they dominated the hit parade.
And he was a black man in a white man’s world. And he refused to accept second-class status. Chuck Berry was a beacon, an artist, who felt if he walked into the wilderness following his own muse the people would come with him.
And they did.
So at this point they die and we shrug. After all, Mr. Berry was ninety and no one lives forever.
But the truth is an era is disappearing in front of our very eyes. One in which experimentation was in music, not tech. One in which people were enthralled by the radio, not their mobile handset. One in which there was television, but if you really wanted to know what was going on you listened to the radio.
And the fuel was rock and roll.
And it was a big tent. Didn’t matter how you looked, attitude was key, and Berry had that in spades. Along with talent and inspiration, what a concept.
It was simpler back then. The lightning bolt hit and you tried to capture it in a bottle, get it down on wax, distribute it all over the country, will it into a hit. It was less a battle plan than a skirmish, we were developing it as we went along.
To the point where the highest goal in America is to be a rock star.
People label bankers and techies and athletes, winners in all walks of life, rock stars. It means not only are you rich and successful, but that you’re doing it your own way, beholden to no one, forging your own path.
Chuck Berry was there first.
Lefsetz is an odd dude - he writes about pop music on his blog and does a subscription mailing list. A lot of rock guys don’t get it and wonder how he gets so much attention for having a mailing list. It’s writings like the one above that are the reason why.
re: #59 Backwoods_Sleuth
[Embedded content]
I am pretty certain that being forced to work for no pay does nothing for people’s self worth.
re: #36 Stanley Sea
Donald Trump’s ‘travel ban’ only applies to three African countries, Libya, Somalia and Sudan, therefore it’s unclear as to why there has been such an increase in rejected visa applications from the continent.
Because the idea that it only applied to a few countries was cover for banning everyone.
re: #61 The Vicious Babushka
I am pretty certain that being forced to work for no pay does nothing for people’s self worth.
Ben Carson could probably tell you a lot about the work ethic of involuntary immigrants and how much it did for their self-worth!
I have never been a DiFi fan, but I’m actually really glad she’s there now (and I hope she considers her present work to be going out in a blaze of glory). She has experience and a certain gravitas. I saw on video her interactions at an informal press conference the other day, when she was asked about impeachment. What she said was, “I think he’ll do it himself.” (Not quite the exact words, but close.) The obvious implication was that he would walk under the increasing threat of impeachment. She looked extremely serious.
re: #59 Backwoods_Sleuth
Price on proposed Medicaid work requirements: There’s something “restorative to people’s self worth…about working when they’re able to.”
why are there so many people in the gop with such a poor grasp of everyday life?
re: #61 The Vicious Babushka
I am pretty certain that being forced to work for no pay does nothing for people’s self worth.
Or forced to work for little pay. I’ve been there many times.
re: #65 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸
why are there so many people in the gop with such a poor grasp of everyday life?
No empathy. They 1) think they’ve actually worked hard, and 2) that everyone else is lazy for being poorer than them.
re: #67 Belafon
No empathy. They 1) think they’ve actually worked hard, and 2) that everyone else is lazy for being poorer than them.
note how easily “real unemployment is much higher than the official rate” magically morphs into “anybody can get a perfectly adequate job if they only have the will” when certain people are the subject
re: #67 Belafon
No empathy. They 1) think they’ve actually worked hard, and 2) that everyone else is lazy for being poorer than them.
And don’t forget the widespread racism that remains in this country. They don’t want to help minorities because they are the “undeserving” poor. They are willing to let everyone suffer if it might help the “others”. It is amazing how many people who are personally not racist don’t see that racism persists.
re: #47 freetoken
I see this Russia thing as something with high pay-off but equally high risk.
If nothing comes of it, future efforts to (rightly) discredit Trump will run into the crying-wolf claim.
Also, if nothing comes of it, the conspiracies of the DEEP STATE will be encouraged.
I frankly doubt much will come out of it directly (I’m deeply skeptical of the blackmail theories and the collusion will be hard to prove, if there was one), but maybe something else will come out in the process, if the investigation is wide enough.
re: #70 Hecuba’s daughter
And don’t forget the widespread racism that remains in this country. They don’t want to help minorities because they are the “undeserving” poor. They are willing to let everyone suffer if it might help the “others”. It is amazing how many people who are personally not racist don’t see that racism persists.
Yep. See my #9.
re: #49 Hecuba’s daughter
It is amazing that the Republican party is not more disturbed by Trump’s open and frequently stated support for Russia. And they certainly have not expressed dismay over the damage being done to the State Department and the damage being done to our international alliances. They don’t seem to care at all.
I’m not really that surprised. The GOP hated Russia until Obama decided to get tough on them, at which point the old “Republicans support anything a Democrat opposes” rule went into effect.
You can finally bond with your cat in a way it can understand pic.twitter.com/zWHh201pt2
— New York Post (@nypost) March 19, 2017
It was a good run, America https://t.co/4i31oji2hw
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) March 19, 2017
re: #71 Nyet
I frankly doubt much will come out of it directly (I’m deeply skeptical of the blackmail theories and the collusion will be hard to prove, if there was one), but maybe something else will come out in the process, if the investigation is wide enough.
True for the blackmail.
The collusion theory could be blown open with just a few recordings of The Trump Apostles talking to the Russians. I do believe some such recordings exist, don’t know how inflammatory they could be.
re: #73 Timothy Watson
I’m not really that surprised. The GOP hated Russia until Obama decided to get tough on them, at which point the old “Republicans support anything a Democrat opposes” rule went into effect.
The GOP hating Putin’s Russia has been a cold war reflex/penis length competition thing. But they have much more in common with Putin on which they can find common ground. Two words: “family values”.
re: #67 Belafon
No empathy. They 1) think they’ve actually worked hard, and 2) that everyone else is lazy for being poorer than them.
Because they’re the “petty bourgeoisie’s gnawing fear of sliding back into the ranks of the proletariat […] whose millions nourished the illusion that they were at least socially better off than the ‘workers’” to quote William L. Shirer.
Had it not been for the laws of this land, I would have slaughtered you. pic.twitter.com/1UuB0FEYYS
— Lukass (@LukasKincaid) March 19, 2017
re: #75 451_Montag
True for the blackmail.
The collusion theory could be blown open with just a few recordings of The Trump Apostles talking to the Russians. I do believe some such recordings exist, don’t know how inflammatory they could be.
I hope you’re right, though it would be too dumb even for the Trumpites to openly say such things knowing they were being recorded.
re: #77 Timothy Watson
Because they’re the “petty bourgeoisie’s gnawing fear of sliding back into the ranks of the proletariat […] whose millions nourished the illusion that they were at least socially better off than the ‘workers’” to quote William L. Shirer.
maintaining the distinction of being petty bourgeoise used to be easier when you could signify it everywhere you went by wearing a white shirt and a tie
re: #60 makeitstop
Bob Lefsetz’ tribute to Chuck Berry…
Lefsetz is an odd dude - he writes about pop music on his blog and does a subscription mailing list. A lot of rock guys don’t get it and wonder how he gets so much attention for having a mailing list. It’s writings like the one above that are the reason why.
Thanks for that link. I bookmarked him and plan to do some catch-up.
Sure, Putin used to be a KGB man.
Now he’s a strong Orthodox Christian leader defending the traditional values against the onslaught of Sodomite Liberals.
re: #83 Nyet
Sure, Putin used to be a KGB man.
Now he’s a strong Orthodox Christian leader defending the traditional values against the onslaught of Sodomite Liberals.
why dont the gomorrahists ever get any press?
re: #84 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸
why dont the gomorrahists ever get any press?
Pretty sure there was this Japanese movie Gomorrah v. Godzilla.
When you’ve never had any body issues ever, and you’re perfect. pic.twitter.com/HnSpSmJOQg
— Maris Kreizman (@mariskreizman) March 19, 2017
re: #84 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸
why dont the gomorrahists ever get any press?
They got the smash hit from Finian’s Rainbow— How Are Things in Ol’ Gomorrah?
re: #80 Nyet
I hope you’re right, though it would be too dumb even for the Trumpites to openly say such things knowing they were being recorded.
I dunno, didn’t Flynn make those calls knowing that he was being investigated?
A lot of these guys think they’re bulletproof regarding any type of legal liabilities. That’s how mistakes are made.
President @BarackObama’s vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars——Unbelievable!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2012
OH HAI #POS45 who remembers this Blasto from the Pasto? Waste, fraud & abuse! #TheResistance #maga 💸💸💸 https://t.co/OSfbYlGGdB
— Vicious Babushka (@viciousbabushka) March 19, 2017
Mick Mulvaney is a total asshole part the infinity:
Mulvaney agreed that he knew the bill would hurt children and prevent them from having access to nutritional food from organizations like Meals on Wheels, but he wants people to know he’s suffering too.
“Yes,” he began. “I don’t have a business card to give to you today, John, because, at the Office of Management and Budget, we have to pay for our own business cards.
Oh the humanity—he has to pay for his own business cards—why, that’s so much worse than starving or dying on the streets. Wake up sheeple.
/
re: #47 freetoken
I see this Russia thing as something with high pay-off but equally high risk.
If nothing comes of it, future efforts to (rightly) discredit Trump will run into the crying-wolf claim.
Also, if nothing comes of it, the conspiracies of the DEEP STATE will be encouraged.
Nothing came of Benghazi - but it allowed the GOP to discredit Hilary again and again and again. The “Russia thing” should be kept as a thing while trump is the so-called President. The Democrats should bring it up every time they are near a media person - any one and every one.
re: #91 fern01
Nothing came of Benghazi - but it allowed the GOP to discredit Hilary again and again and again. The “Russia thing” should be kept as a thing while trump is the so-called President. The Democrats should bring it up every time they are near a media person - any one and every one.
True. This will also limit him politically vis a vis FP. Which is a good thing.
re: #92 Nyet
True. This will also limit him politically vis a vis FP. Which is a good thing.
NUKE THE WHALES
re: #65 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸
why are there so many people in the gop with such a poor grasp of everyday life?
Answer: Because they did NOT experience life before and during The Great Depression and realize why the New Deal was needed.
Before Social Security was enacted there were institutions in at least every County called the Poor House or Poor Farms which were private charities. If you were down on your luck and had nowhere else to go that’s where you probably wound up. Once you entered the Poor House or Poor Farm you surrendered everything you had including your dignity and you had to abide by the House or Farm rules which meant that you had to work. Didn’t matter how old, sick or infirm you were. You had to work to earn the right to eat.
Grandma took pity on those in the Poor House who had a stroke and were bedridden. She snuck some food in to them and she cleaned their soiled bedsheets. But a good Christian woman caught Grandma in the act and she was immediately ordered out of the Poor House with an edict to NEVER return. On top of that the Board of Overseers which was all Republican at the time blacklisted her as a Communist. So Grandma wound up taking boarders in her home and that’s how she helped Grandpa and Great Grandpa make ends meet from their credit market. Grandpa and Great Grandpa were the only grocers in town who extended credit to workers. Even when the Republicans tried to shut them down, they failed because of the piss poor wages they paid. Millworkers stood in long lines to buy from Grandpa’s grocery store.
When the idle poor become the idle rich,
You’ll never know just who is who or who is which,
Won’t it be rich when everyone’s poor relative becomes a Rockefellertive,
And palms no longer itch, what a switch,
When we all have ermine and plastic teeth,
How will we determine who’s who underneath?
And when all your neighbors are upper class,
You won’t know your Joneses from your Astors,
Let’s toast the day,
The day we drink that drinkie up,
But with the little pinkie up,
The day on which, the idle poor become the idle rich.
When a rich man doesn’t want to work,
He’s a bon vivant, yes, he’s a bon vivant,
But when a poor man doesn’t want to work,
He’s a loafer, he’s a lounger, he’s a lazy good for nothing, he’s a jerk.
When a rich man loses on a horse, isn’t he the sport?
Oh isn’t he the sport?
But when a poor man loses on a horse,
He’s a gambler, he’s a spender, he’s a lowlife,
He’s a reason for divorce.
When a rich man chases after dames,
He’s a man about town, oh, he’s a man about town,
But when a poor man chases after dames,
He’s a bounder, he’s a rounder, he’s a rotter and a lotta dirty names.
When the idle poor become the idle rich,
You’ll never know just who is who or who is which,
No one will see the Irish or the Slav in you,
For when you’re on Park Avenue, Cornelius and Mike look alike.
When poor Tweedledum is rich Tweedledee,
This discrimination will no longer be,
When we’re in the dough and off of the nut,
You won’t know your banker from your butler.
Let’s make a switch, with just a few annuities,
We’ll hide those incongruities in clothes from Abercrombie Fitch.
When the idle poor become the idle rich,
When the idle poor become the idle rich.
If Michelle can do this, surely someone on trumps staff can do the same. #ImpeachTrump #TheResistance pic.twitter.com/VFiOXoAgPd
— WeThePeople🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@PrincessBravato) March 18, 2017
So the headline writers this afternoon are stumbling over themselves with claims that Ryan is redoing the healthcare bill to “help older people”.
That’s how they’re spinning it.
I was doing fireworks at a Chuck Berry gig for a private function at a resort several years ago. I heard it was a git up for a tobacco company but there were several mucky mucks there; David Gergen, Wesley Clark, a couple of recognizable faces I forgot the name of.
We had a little pyro behind the stage against the beach and a barge out in the bay. The scheme was to tease the small crowd with the beach pyro then when it died, the barge pyro would go bigger. Tease em to please em. Had to be time coded with a CD broadcasting to the beach and the barge pyro.
Talking to the manager, he gave me a set list. I said I knew most songs but he gave me ‘the look’ and said ‘Well, Chuck usually sorta follows it most of the time but sometimes not, you’re going to have to just watch me.’ He smiled and I got it. Go through 5-6 songs, pyro, 3 more, Chuck is done.
So Chuck plays with his tight band, and it’s all about Chuck. His younger tight band was just watching him and following his queue. And the crowd had a good time. He wasn’t on the set list at all.
I’m sitting there taking it all in, the little guy behind the stage with the black box and the wire. I’m thinking ‘when are we gonna blow’ cuz I’m not sure where Chuck is.. look over and the manager is looking at me with both hands in the air like he’s guiding a 747. This is my big moment! I plug in the transmitter and hit play on the CD!
Pyro on beach goes off, I think most of it goes… a little delay to make the crowd think it’s over… barge starts firing. I look up at Chuck and he’s standing there with his guitar smiling. I smile. I look down at the beach and the crowd rushes through the security rope cordoning off the beach pyro area.. kids and old folk in flops and shorts running through the sand over our wires and pyro boards, still with burning embers.. I run through the crowd across the grain grabbing the small pyro kits (plywood with pyro screwed to it), flipping them over into the sand in case we had a delayed blow. A bunch of drunk rich white people jumping up and down in sandals on sand and I’m running through there trying to roll up 25 pair control cables and burnt pyro kits.
Like I said, I well executed plan that went off without a hitch!
Trump: North Korea’s Kim ‘acting very, very badly’
What does the world do when two leaders are nuts and aiming for each other?
re: #100 freetoken
Trump: North Korea’s Kim ‘acting very, very badly’
What does the world do when two leaders are nuts and aiming for each other?
The world prays that both of those assholes keel over ASAP!
Wow.
A billboard criticizing President Donald Trump popped up over the weekend in Phoenix.
The billboard, owned by Beatrice Moore, depicts Trump in front of two mushroom clouds. The dollar signs on each side of the billboard sit in white circles on a red background, and the angle and font of the dollar signs make them easily mistakable for swastikas at first glance. On Trump’s lapel is a Russian Federation flag pin. Moore also owns the property underneath the billboard.
The other side of the billboard has a different message. It shows five hands from different races spelling out “unity” in sign language.
Moore commissioned the artist to create it, and both say they’ve gotten death threats.
The dollar signs closely resembling swastikas is a nice touch.
re: #102 makeitstop
The dollar signs closely resembling swastikas is a nice touch.
Good use of iconography.
Not to raise a panic…
But, I think nature is just about done taking any shit from humans…
re: #96 Decatur Deb
[Embedded content]
When the idle poor become the idle rich,
You’ll never know just who is who or who is which,
Won’t it be rich when everyone’s poor relative becomes a Rockefellertive,
And palms no longer itch, what a switch,
Finian’s Rainbow is such a great show. The play was first performed in 1947 and addressed racism and inequality that is still relevant to this day!
re: #91 fern01
re: #92 Nyet
Even this 5 year old kid on Ellen has the Trump/Russia connect.
Cute!
Ellen had a 5 year old geography genius on her show and this happened #GeographyGenius #EllenDeGeneres #Trump #Russia pic.twitter.com/xTSKtbspQx
— jassi ਸੰਧੂ (@jassi2623) March 19, 2017
Ellen had a 5 year old geography genius on her show and this happened #GeographyGenius #EllenDeGeneres #Trump #Russia
re: #104 FormerDirtDart
OK, now they’re turning back into dinosaurs.
re: #104 FormerDirtDart
Not to raise a panic…
But, I think nature is just about done taking any shit from humans…[Embedded content]
Chickens were once dinosaurs.
re: #104 FormerDirtDart
Not to raise a panic…
But, I think nature is just about done taking any shit from humans…[Embedded content]
re: #60 makeitstop
Ritholtiz also posts some of his stuff as well.
re: #54 Kragar
Kragar @Kragar_LGF
The only time you can use the phrase “out standing in his field” to describe a Trump…
4:12 PM - 19 Mar 2017
4 4 Retweets 6 6 likes
What’s this shit???
Is this the Billy Carter-ing of Donny Junior?
Aw shucks, ‘e’s just a down home kinda guy…loves guns and trucks, ‘n’ beer.
re: #56 Backwoods_Sleuth
Trump approval ratings hitting a new low. No past President has begun so unpopular, or dropped so fast: https://t.co/EJsSPNJQSf pic.twitter.com/bLU6NpqU9X
— Scott Gilmore (@Scott_Gilmore) March 19, 2017
Strange how there’s no mention of this SHOCK POLL on Drudge Report….
Even Rasmussen has the guy in a nose dive… (below 50% for over a week now)
Wonder how much of the budget is President Bannon cutting from our national labs when they’re doing real useful science like this?
Ars Technica: Oleo sponge invented at Argonne National Laboratory can sop up oil in a spill
A group of researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory have developed a sponge that will collect oil from bodies of water, which could improve how harbors and ports are cleaned, as well as how oil spills are managed.
The Oleo Sponge is made of a polyurethane foam whose interior surfaces are covered with oleophilic molecules that draw oil out of water. The challenge, according to Argonne, was finding a way to “glue” those oil-loving molecules to the sponge’s interior. That issue was tackled with the help of 2011 research from Argonne scientists, who were able to infuse metal oxide with nanostructures. The Oleo creators used that technique to develop a primer for the interior of the sponge that the oleophilic molecules stick to. The result is a sponge that can adsorb up to 90 times its weight in oil.
After use, the sponge can be wrung out and the oil can even be reclaimed in some cases. Argonne says it’s actively looking to commercialize the material through licensing or collaboration agreements, and the sponge could be ready for real-world use in less than five years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
re: #112 Backwoods_Sleuth
chickens are still dinosaurs.
My Taco Bell burrito didn’t come from no lizard.
re: #122 Eric The Fruit Bat
Wonder how much of the budget is President Bannon cutting from our national labs when they’re doing real useful science like this?
Ars Technica: Oleo sponge invented at Argonne National Laboratory can sop up oil in a spill
Labs never produce anything useful. All research is done at businesses because profit motive drives everything.
//
Bannon and Co don’t care about making or keeping America great. They’d rather rule a pile of rubble than have to govern.
Key Graphic:
chicken feet have scales and dinosaur claws.
just sayin…
I BELIEVE my Taco Bell burrito didn’t come from no lizard.
Now, more fixed because CAPS mean more extra sauce balls.
re: #128 Eric The Fruit Bat
Of course that is how it is done.
re: #128 Eric The Fruit Bat
Key Graphic:
[Embedded content]
Life’s a real bitch when you keep making stupid choices.
Just in: Sen Blumenthal says he’s prepared to filibuster and “use every tool” to stop Judge Gorsuch confirmation.
On #ThePoint— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) March 19, 2017
re: #134 Backwoods_Sleuth
I hope and pray that it works.
re: #105 The Vicious Babushka
Finian’s Rainbow is such a great show. The play was first performed in 1947 and addressed racism and inequality that is still relevant to this day!
Finian, Porgy, Flower Drum Song, South Pacific, Showboat. All of them moved the cultural needle towards the light. And none would escape the purity squads today.
re: #138 Nyet
OK, what about Jonah?
Oh, Jonah, he lived in de whale!
Yes, Jonah, he lived in de whale!
For he made his home in
Dat fish’s abdomen,
Oh, Jonah, he lived in de whale!
Speaking of Porgy and Bess, which at least somebody was.
re: #137 Decatur Deb
South Pacific especially with the song, “You Have Got to be Carefully Taught.”
re: #142 Decatur Deb
I like the last paragraph about “Oklahoma!” Ali Hakim. lol
re: #143 PhillyPretzel
I like the last paragraph about “Oklahoma!” Ali Hakim. lol
Just what I was going to post, Philly. Now you see why I left Western Pennsylvania 35 years ago and I will never go back.
re: #134 Backwoods_Sleuth
[Embedded content]
My damned Dem senator is going to be up there with my damned GOP senator “introducing” Gorsuch. Colorado solidarity, or some such crap. I’m going to be making a pointed call to Bennett’s office every day this week, to go with all the calls I made last week.
*grrrr*
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Joe Bacon ✅
March FavoritesYou've seen these all already but looking back, just because. These are my favorite shots of this last month. That 1937 Zeiss Sonnar is such a gloriously wonderful bit of glass. Thanks for looking.
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Russia’s New Combat Robots Blown Up by Drones Near Avdiivka When we landed on the moon, I thought about how science fiction had become real. Now, the robot wars have begun. It's more poignant somehow on the ground than in the missile wars we have in the air as ...
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Why Did More Than 1,000 People Die After Police Subdued Them With Force That Isn’t Meant to Kill? An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that, over a decade, more than 1,000 people died after police subdued them through physical holds, stun guns, body blows and other force not intended to be lethal. More: Why ... CheechakoKGxvi
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