Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime

[MusicMan]

No need to be cute.
He's a fucking Nazi.

The line. It’s way behind you.


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[Tom Servo]

I was reading a review of one of my favorite movies, Children of Men, written by Roger Ebert back in 2007.  A particular line in the review caught my attention:

"Often I fear it will all come to this, that the rule of law and the rights of men will be destroyed by sectarian mischief and nationalistic recklessness. Are we living in the last good times?"

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

The line. It’s way behind you.


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Is that the plank in eye removal line?

[geezerdonk]

Might be the moral preening line.

[Mr. Happy]

No need to be cute.
He's a fucking Nazi.

Fuck off. You have no idea about how truly cruel the Nazis were. I am definitely not a Nazi.

[austro]

Fuck off. You have no idea about how truly cruel the Nazis were. I am definitely not a Nazi.

Why do you support a man who wishes to push us toward more authoritarian rule and is nominating Supreme Court justices who will help achieve that aim? And by the way, this isn't just an anti-Trump thing, although Lord knows I detest the man with every fiber in my being. This is about thinking ahead. What happens if somehow a Maduro-type gets elected? Are you ready for some yo-yo like that to start nationalizing industries with the powers that you granted Trump to muzzle opposition?

[The Spleen]

You have no idea about how truly cruel the Nazis were.

Neither do you. It might come as a surprise, but most Nazis didn't spend their time sawing puppies in half and jacking off to livestreams from Auschwitz. They just supported the state and the regime by showing up for their perfectly ordinary and boring jobs every day, coming home to their families every night and then telling them that the "truly cruel" people were doing all that nightmare shit because that's what it took to make Germany Great Again. And they didn't go from zero to Holocaust in 3.7 seconds. They started smaller. Smaller things, kind of like putting babies in cages, stealing people's citizenship and turning a hurricane into a weapon. Waiting for gas chambers before you're scared enough to do something is like not hitting the brakes or turning the wheel until the other car's grille is coming through your dashboard...

[chuck]

Why do you support a man who wishes to push us toward more authoritarian rule and is nominating Supreme Court justices who will help achieve that aim?

It's going to take him a while to get back to you - he's busy cutting the Nike swooshes off of all the white tube socks he wears with his Rockports.

[jbm]

I didn't realize that this would be a thing, even though I saw a scroll that they were going to use Kaepernick.  I am so naive to continually underestimate the actions of simpletons.

Kudos to Nike for giving the middle finger to all those who say they value freedom, but really don't have a clue what it means.

[Limey]

It's going to take him a while to get back to you - he's busy cutting the Nike swooshes off of all the white tube socks he wears with his Rockports.

So predictable, but still hilarious.  I guess their Keurigs needed a break from being sacrificed on the altar of freedom.

[Limey]

It's both hugely telling and hugely unsurprising that eulogies of McCain are seen as swipes at Trump.

[Limey]

The Kavanaugh hearing is already breaking new ground with raucous protests inside the hearing room and the fact that he has years of legal work in the White House - on behalf of U.S. tax payers - that we are being barred from seeing without even the effort at claiming privilege (which has never before been allowed for a SCOTUS nominee with White House legal work in his past).  Also, this nominee is also the only one who has previously been referred to the DOJ for investigation for lying to Congress in a previous confirmation hearing.

It will be interesting to see if Kavanaugh is able to execute the now customary Roe vs. Wade tap dance.  With Kavanaugh, though, we have the case of Jane Doe; a pregnant 17-year old immigrant who sued the government to be allowed to leave the shelter where she was being housed (they were physically blocking her from leaving) to get an abortion for which she had already been adjudicated to have right to undergo.  The case came to Kavanaugh when the administration appealed the lower court's ruling allowing her right to choose.

This girl was already 15 weeks pregnant when the case came to Kavanaugh's docket.  Despite being told (repeatedly) of Texas' 20-week limitation on abortion, Kavanaugh tried to run out her clock by imposing another two weeks of trying to find a sponsor family (after 6 futile weeks of searching had already passed) and then - bizarrely - sending her back to the lower court who had already adjudicated her case in her favor.  Then, presumably, after the lower court had no doubt reaffirmed its decision, the administration would have appealed it back to Kavanaugh's court at which point she would have been right up against the 20-week cut-off and in serious danger of being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term.

Kavanaugh was overruled by his colleagues in the appellant court, and Jane Doe had her abortion the next day.
 Kavanaugh wrote a blistering dissent which is not part of his embargoed work history.  It will be interesting to see how he responds to the inevitable questions on this case.  It'll also be interesting to see how he responds to the accusation of lying during his previous confirmation hearing, which I do not believe he has ever even bothered denying.

Kavanaugh is underwater in opinion polls as to his ascension to the Supreme Court, and has an historically low approval rating of 36%.  Lower than Harriet Miers.  At the end of the day, though, Kavanaugh is going to be confirmed and we will have two, Trump-tainted Justices on the court and a 5-4 conservative majority for a generation at least.

Elections matter.  Vote in November.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I get a kick out of these hearings and the unctuous ramblings of enfeebled octogenarians.

[jbm]

These were excerpts from a CNN article on Bob Woodward's new book:

Chief of staff John Kelly describes Trump as an "idiot" and "unhinged," Woodward reports. Defense Secretary James Mattis describes Trump as having the understanding of "a fifth or sixth grader." And Trump's former personal lawyer John Dowd describes the President as "a fucking liar," telling Trump he would end up in an "orange jump suit" if he testified to special counsel Robert Mueller.

"He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. We're in crazytown," Kelly is quoted as saying at a staff meeting in his office. "I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had."

Don't know if these quaotes are accurate, but the content (idiot, fifth grade intellect and liar) is basically restating what we already know.  Angry tweets will soon follow.

[Limey]

Don't know if these quotes are accurate, but the content (idiot, fifth grade intellect and liar) is basically restating what we already know.  Angry tweets will soon follow.

As fun as this kind of stuff is, all it does is reinforce for Trump opponents what they already believe about him, and reaffirm for Trump voters that the media is biased and lying about him.

How we get past this, I have no idea.

[BudGirl]

As fun as this kind of stuff is, all it does is reinforce for Trump opponents what they already believe about him, and reaffirm for Trump voters that the media is biased and lying about him.

How we get past this, I have no idea.

obviously with a gun fight.

[Limey]

obviously with a gun fight.

Civil wars are easy to win.

[Limey]

Grassley is turning Kavanaugh's hearing into a joke.  They dumped 40,000+ documents on the committee at 5:40pm last night and, when Blumenthal asked for a postponement to be able to review all this new information, Grassley claimed that his staff had already completed its review of every single page.

Grassley then denied Blumenthal's move for a committee vote on postponement, citing a rationale that does not exist in the rules, at one point even asking Blumenthal to cite where it says he can't do the thing that doesn't exist (which of course is nonsensical because it doesn't exist so there's no need to write rules against it).  Blumenthal appealed and Grassley flat denied the appeal, citing his original nonsensical rationale.

Oh, and the photo of Kavanaugh looking confused and sheepish at the proffer of a handshake from Parkland parent Fred Guttenberg is going to be a tragic meme.  For the record, Kavanaugh walked off (or was ushered away by security, if you believe the White House version) without shaking that hand.  Of course, if you do believe the White House version, WTF were they protecting Kavanaugh from?

[Limey]

Oh, and the photo of Kavanaugh looking confused and sheepish at the proffer of a handshake from Parkland parent Fred Guttenberg is going to be a tragic meme.  For the record, Kavanaugh walked off (or was ushered away by security, if you believe the White House version) without shaking that hand.  Of course, if you do believe the White House version, WTF were they protecting Kavanaugh from?

Looks like Kavanaugh walked off on his own, prior to any security intervention.

It's a little hard to reconcile the "supportive and strong and caring" man introduced by Secretary Rice and and this guy who walks away from a parent who lost his son in a school shooting (and who would bounce a desperate 17-year old girl around the court system for weeks instead of allowing her to exercise her constitutionally protected domain over her own body).

[Limey]

A White House insider has had an op-ed published in the (failing) NY Times, basically saying that Trump is out of control and they are just trying to keep a lid on him, to try and make his administration successful.

Part whistleblower, part plea for credit (or at least forgiveness), how about you do your job and uphold the constitution!

Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over.

[MusicMan]

Let’s be clear: this internal “resistance” is bullshit.

If the President is incompetent, the Constitution presents exactly one remedy: removal via the 25th Amendment.

If you’re “resisting” an incompetent President via other means, you’re not upholding your oath.


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[Limey]

I am presuming that the identity of the author will come out, and I am presuming that it’s someone pretty fucking senior - otherwise why grant immunity. 

We have had report after report after report of how fucked up Trump is, and yet - simultaneously - Republicans are ramming through a SCOTUS nominee, the latest act of their ongoing effort to provide cover to the president for they know not what. 

Blumenthal made the point yesterday that the Kavanaugh papers they’re withholding will come out and they will then be judged in the light of such full disclosure.  Same with Trump; the full extent of his criminality in his life will come out and Republicans will be judged at that time. 

What’s clear is that we’re at a point of extreme danger both nationally, internationally, politically and physically.  As chuck very smartly said earlier, all it takes to end this is for two Republican senators to wake up and smell the covfefe.  I still hold out hope for that happening. 

[moriartp]

I'm sure everyone here is registered, but in case you aren't (or would like to share with others who might not be), the last day to register to vote in Texas is October 9th. Early voting starts October 26th.

[chuck]

If you’re “resisting” an incompetent President via other means, you’re not upholding your oath.

I don't either see how coming in to work at the White House every morning qualifies as resistance. Not even if you're doing a job somewhat independent of the president and crucial to national security, such as chasing the ghosts out of the Oval Office.

Writing a fucking anonymous op-ed is no different from disappointed tweets (VERY disappointed!) from Sasse and Flake and whoever else pretends to have a conscience on the internet.

[Bench]

I don't either see how coming in to work at the White House every morning qualifies as resistance. Not even if you're doing a job somewhat independent of the president and crucial to national security, such as chasing the ghosts out of the Oval Office.

Writing a fucking anonymous op-ed is no different from disappointed tweets (VERY disappointed!) from Sasse and Flake and whoever else pretends to have a conscience on the internet.

It's completely pathetic.  "He's horribly dangerous, unprincipled, undisciplined and has no moral compass other than his own self-aggrandizement, but he sure is useful in enacting reactionary policies, so we help him the best we can and hope for the best!  This is so crazy y'all!"  Fuck all the way off. 

[Tom Servo]

I don't either see how coming in to work at the White House every morning qualifies as resistance. Not even if you're doing a job somewhat independent of the president and crucial to national security, such as chasing the ghosts out of the Oval Office.

Writing a fucking anonymous op-ed is no different from disappointed tweets (VERY disappointed!) from Sasse and Flake and whoever else pretends to have a conscience on the internet.

Interesting article about it:  https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/this-is-a-constitutional-crisis/569443/

[MusicMan]

Interesting article about it:  https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/this-is-a-constitutional-crisis/569443/

Very well said.


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[chuck]

Maybe the people who remain in the administration despite thinking the president is a dangerous and stupid and dangerously stupid imbecile think that Pence is a closeted.... liberal?

[austro]

Maybe the people who remain in the administration despite thinking the president is a dangerous and stupid and dangerously stupid imbecile think that Pence is a closeted.... liberal?

They love the deregulation, they love the tax cuts, they love the rabidly conservative Supreme Court lapdogs. They're going to cling to it as long as they can and hope that nothing blows up (literally).

[Limey]

Dan Coates?

[chuck]

Dan Coates?

That's a good guess for any number of reasons, not least of which is that he is not a fan of Russia.

I don't really buy any of the other names being floated around. Kudlow? Come on, man.

[moriartp]

Decent argument in this twitter thread and a few subsequent posts that it's some asshole named Andrew Bremberg.

[Limey]

Decent argument in this twitter thread and a few subsequent posts that it's some asshole named Andrew Bremberg.

If this is true, then The NY Times has just scored an own goal against the world.  For all our sakes, it has to be someone properly senior; like cabinet senior. 

[Limey]

That's a good guess for any number of reasons, not least of which is that he is not a fan of Russia.

Not my own work, O’Donnell floated it on his show last night.  It was quite compelling, given that the author bigs up national security as a hero here (in reality, there are none) and he is a fiscal conservative who would love the tax cuts and deregulation - both name checked as good things in the essay.  Also, he’s 75 and so probably isn’t interested in anything other than a book deal and speaking gigs after this.

[moriartp]

If this is true, then The NY Times has just scored an own goal against the world.  For all our sakes, it has to be someone properly senior; like cabinet senior.

This is the paper that gave Louise Mensch an op-ed. There's no reason to have faith in their judgment.

[MusicMan]

That's a good guess for any number of reasons, not least of which is that he is not a fan of Russia.

I don't really buy any of the other names being floated around. Kudlow? Come on, man.

The only member of this White House with this level of knowledge and coherence is Baron.


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[jbm]

Decent argument in this twitter thread and a few subsequent posts that it's some asshole named Andrew Bremberg.

This argument could be made using McGahn also.   It could be Pence.  Basically, it could be a lot of people. Hell, they might have had a meeting one night and wrote it together.

Trump's reaction to it all is basically proof #897 of it's accuracy. 

Also, I get the criticism of the author, and the abject spinelessness of what we see as enablers, but I can't completely discount the idea that they think if they all leave, worse shit will happen.  I just assume these reports are their efforts to get Republicans off their chicken shit asses and do something, because they are the only ones who can.

[Limey]

The only member of this White House with this level of knowledge and coherence is Baron.

Ironic.  Given that he's half-immigrant.

[Limey]

Watching the opening exchanges in the Kavanaugh hearing, Republicans seem unfazed by last night's op-ed, and are pressing on full bore with ramming through Trump's nominee.  Cornyn is currently railing on Democrats for questioning Kavanaugh about documents that they would not let him read; knowing full well that Democrats have been prohibited from using such documents by Republicans.

As Booker said last night, they have seen about 10% of Kavanaugh's public service papers, and that he wouldn't hire an intern having seen only 10% of their resume.

UPDATE:  Booker is saying that he is going to release emails to the public, knowing that the consequences are severe, up to and including expulsion from the Senate.  Wow!  THAT'S how it's done, Anonymous at NYT.  Cornyn soiled his diaper.

[Limey]

Democrats on the committee have been pretty feisty so far.  This morning, someone appears to have slipped them an extra shot of espresso.  This is how you win friends and...elections.

[Limey]

Booker is saying that he is going to release emails to the public, knowing that the consequences are severe, up to and including expulsion from the Senate.  Wow!  THAT'S how it's done, Anonymous at NYT.  Cornyn soiled his diaper.

Democrats are now unanimous saying that they're going to document-dump on Kavanaugh in advance of any full vote in the Senate.

[Limey]

Democrats are now unanimous saying that they're going to document-dump on Kavanaugh in advance of any full vote in the Senate.

Feinstein with the closer.  Grassley argued that this is the same process as was used for Kagen, and Feinstein is pulling his pants down.  For example, 99% of Kagen's White House papers were made public and thus available to be discussed in her open confirmation hearing; contrasted to Kavanaugh where only 7% of his papers have been released and only 4% have been made public and thus available for use in the hearing.

[Ty in Tampa]

"Apply the rule. Bring the charges." - Booker

[Limey]

"Apply the rule. Bring the charges." - Booker

That was pretty cool.

[Limey]

Chuck Grassley is Grandpa Simpson with a slightly less pointy head.

[Ty in Tampa]

Leahy pointing out Kavanaugh lies...in this very hearing.

[Limey]

In completely unrelated news, the NYT has got hold of leaked memos from Kavanaugh's time in the White House.  In one particular memo, Kavanaugh wrote:

I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent, and three current Justices on the Court would do so.

That was from 2003.  Counting in 2018, Kavanaugh would be the 5th like-minded Justice.

[Limey]

Leahy pointing out Kavanaugh lies...in this very hearing.

I believe there are three (at least) documentable examples of Kavanaugh lying under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee the last time he sat before them for a confirmation hearing.  The issue here is the word "documentable", because the Democrats have the documents and the Republicans are forbidding their use.

This whole process is so corrupt that they are now endangering their Senate majority in addition to their House majority.

[chuck]

The only member of this White House with this level of knowledge and coherence is Baron.

You could probably include that lawnmower kid if he's still around.

[Limey]

For those who didn't see it, here's the Washington Post's review of the Booker - Cornyn spat.  For some reason, they omitted the "bring it" moment, but this basically boils it down.

True to his word, Booker released the memos that had been ruled confidential, and it's really hard to see any justification for keeping this back, other than it impeaches Kavanaugh's testimony that he took no part in such discussions.

[chuck]

It's amazing that the Federalist Society couldn't find someone to recommend who hadn't already fucking lied to congress under oath. But I guess if what you want aren't serious jurists but craven political operatives, this is what you have to work with.

[Limey]

It's amazing that the Federalist Society couldn't find someone to recommend who hadn't already fucking lied to congress under oath. But I guess if what you want aren't serious jurists but craven political operatives, this is what you have to work with.

They had a whole list of 'em, and Kavanaugh was only added recently...at the bottom.  Purely coincidentally, he's the only one on the list who has expressed an opinion as to whether the president can be subject to civil of criminal proceedings during his or her time in office.  Guess which way his opinion fell?  He has even mooted that US vs. Nixon was incorrectly decided.

McConnell urged against nominating Kavanaugh because of the huge document trail he had from his time in the White House.  It seems they've figured a way around that problem though, just sit on them and shamelessly tough it out (see Garland, Merrick).

[Lefty]

Chuck Grassley is Grandpa Simpson with a slightly less pointy head.

If he wasn't sitting down, you'd know if he had an onion tied to his belt.

[Limey]

Kamala Harris is a steely-eyed missile man. 

[Limey]

Trump is slurring again tonight.  Stressed out much?

[Navin R Johnson]

So who caught Trumps speech this evening. He is an absolute loon, completely unhinged and off his rocker.   But QAnon/Mr Happy thinks this Dotard is the mastermind behind bringing down some huge pedo ring that dates back to 3rd century.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, I mean they voted for a guy who was a birther and has publicly stated what an upright outstanding journalist ALEX JONES is....

That’s even before we get to his litany of shady illegal business deals and paying off pornstars that he cheated on his wife with.

Congrats GOP/QAnon/Infowars!

[chuck]

If the failing New York Times is going to continue publishing pieces from anomiss, anomiss sources, I think the government should take their lisense,

Remember when we used to laugh at that fuckwit Bush because he couldn't pronounce the word nuclear? Yeah, that was cute.

[Limey]

I love how he tells his fans at his rallies that it's their fault if he gets impeached.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I love how he tells his fans at his rallies that it's their fault if he gets impeached.

Well, it's their fault he got elected.

[Limey]

Abigail Spanberger was the doxxed Democrat.  She used to work on national security for the USPS (and later for the CIA), and it is USPS who have raised their hand as being the entity that released her full, unredacted SF86 security clearance application to Paul Ryan's PAC.  They also said there are a few more improperly released SF86s out there, and they're trying to clear it all up.  In Spanberger's case, that horse has bolted as Ryan's PAC immediately used information in her SF86 in attack ads and even shared the entire document with media outlets.

For the record, Ryan's PAC is still running ads against Spanberger featuring the information from her inappropriately obtained SF86. 

[Navin R Johnson]

Well yeah, Ryan is a piece of crap.

[austro]

I thrust that Spanberger's campaign is pointing that out.

[Navin R Johnson]

QAnon now says McCain was actually murdered or committed suicide to avoid a military tribunal.   

They also believe Donald Trump, the life long huckster and moron, is actually faking all his witch hunt narrative and is working in conjunction with a Mueller to bring down Hillary.   Just let that marinate for a minute.  At what level of idiocy do you have to be to even fathom that as a possibility.   We are talking sub 60 IQ.

There are people stupid enough, like Mr Happy*, to believe this shit.  Of course the second you offer to bet on it, they go stone cold silent.  Trump has turned the GOP into the InfoWars party. Fucking Sad!


*If MH isn’t a QAnon fruitcake I apologize.

[Limey]

Trump has turned the GOP into the InfoWars party. Fucking Sad!

I think that's back to front.  Once Republican voters started embracing conspiracy theories, thanks to Fox News, and their elected officers went along with it in the moment to keep their individual jobs, they opened the door wide for Trump.

Palin was his harbinger; the face-hugger stage of this alien infestation, if you will.  And it was McCain who let her in.  So that means McCain was an android planted by Hillary and the deep state so that this terrifying organism could be used as a weapon against Republicans, but they couldn't control it and now it's going to kill us all.

Paul Ryan is, of course, Carter Burke in this scenario, and the Weyland-Yutani company is NewsCorp.  We waste him...no offense.

[Limey]

As an aside, looking for the Burke clip from Aliens, I found a deleted scene of which I was unaware until now that shows Burke's fate.  It's so short and satisfying (TWSS) that I can't see why it was left out of at least the extended cut.

[Limey]

Not only should Kavanaugh not be confirmed to SCOTUS, he should be impeached and removed from his current position.   He has lied now in three separate confirmation hearings, and Democrats have released the evidence to prove it.

If not now, he could be impeached down the road if Congress changes hands.  The lifetime of his appointment could be the lifetime of the Republican majority. 

[Limey]

Trump is going to have to answer written questions - under peril of perjury - in the Summer Zervos defamation suit.  He has 18 days to respond to the questions.

Meanwhile, TrumpWorld is trying to get out from under the competing Stormy Daniels suits by claiming that there never was a valid NDA, so no harm, no foul and no deposition.  Michael Avenatti is having none of it, because paying for the publicity he gets for free out of this would be expensive.  Trump is going to have to pay a lot more to get Avenatti...I mean Daniels... to go away.

[chuck]

Does Michael Cohen have another house he can mortgage by any chance?

[chuck]

Or maybe they can put some of Kavanaugh's Nats tickets up on StubHub.

[Limey]

With Florence (aka Hugo II) bearing down on the Carolinas, it is revealed that the Trump administration has just pilfered $10 million from FEMA to give it to ICE.  This also comes not long after the death toll in Puerto Rico from Maria was upped from 60-something to just under 3,000 - the government's response to which Trump described as the best ever.   That's a bit like saying "heckuva job" to airport security after 9/11.

Brett Kavanaugh continues to be underwater in opinion polls, and his nomination is supported by fewer people than Harriett Miers - who withdrew from nomination - and Robert Bork who was...well...Borked (i.e. voted down by the full senate in the face of overwhelming evidence that he was a horrendous choice for the Supreme Court).  Kavanaugh is now facing inquiries about his gambling habits - very relevant to someone who needs to be free of outside influence.

Lastly, in two new opinion polls, a generic Democrat for Congress is now favored over a generic Republican by double-digits: +12% in one and +14% in the other.  Trump is bumping along at historic lows and Jon Cornyn is sounding the alarm about Ted Cruz' senate seat.  It's worth remembering that the Democrats face the worst electoral landscape, perhaps ever; they are defending 24 seats compared to the Republican's  9.  Two years ago, after Trump's win, the talk was of Republicans gaining a 60-vote super-majority in the senate; now they are in danger of dropping into the minority.

[BudGirl]

With Florence (aka Hugo II) bearing down on the Carolinas, it is revealed that the Trump administration has just pilfered $10 million from FEMA to give it to ICE.  This also comes not long after the death toll in Puerto Rico from Maria was upped from 60-something to just under 3,000 - the government's response to which Trump described as the best ever.   That's a bit like saying "heckuva job" to airport security after 9/11.

Brett Kavanaugh continues to be underwater in opinion polls, and his nomination is supported by fewer people than Harriett Miers - who withdrew from nomination - and Robert Bork who was...well...Borked (i.e. voted down by the full senate in the face of overwhelming evidence that he was a horrendous choice for the Supreme Court).  Kavanaugh is now facing inquiries about his gambling habits - very relevant to someone who needs to be free of outside influence.

Lastly, in two new opinion polls, a generic Democrat for Congress is now favored over a generic Republican by double-digits: +12% in one and +14% in the other.  Trump is bumping along at historic lows and Jon Cornyn is sounding the alarm about Ted Cruz' senate seat.  It's worth remembering that the Democrats face the worst electoral landscape, perhaps ever; they are defending 24 seats compared to the Republican's  9.  Two years ago, after Trump's win, the talk was of Republicans gaining a 60-vote super-majority in the senate; now they are in danger of dropping into the minority.

I love your optimism.

[Limey]

I love your optimism.

All of the numbers are consistent and pointing in the direction of a blue wave.

I know there's some skepticism about polls following 2016, or that Trump defies polls, but they were actually not wrong within the margin of error around the 2016 election.  Further, the state-by-state polling was accurate, and the gap between Trump and Clinton closed dramatically in the final days thanks mostly to Comey's shenanigans.  Every one of the states Trump won was predicted by the polls if you consider the margin of error - so that his razor-thin wins in MI, PA and WI were within that margin and so statistically correct.

This is the trick with all polls.  A 6-point lead with a +/- 4-point MOE could mean that the lead could be as small as 2-points and, if it drops to a 4-point lead, it's potentially a toss-up.  A lot of individual races are toss-ups this year, but there is a strong tendency with toss-ups to go disproportionately more in the direction of the party with momentum which, again, was consistent with 2016 where Trump was coming back as the election approached (thanks James).

[BudGirl]

I'm trying to be optimistic, but then I talk to people around me and realize they are quite different than me.

[Mr. Happy]

I love laughlyour optimism.

FIFM

[BudGirl]

FIFM

You may want to try again because that does not make sense.

[Limey]

I love laughlyour optimism.

In true Trumpian style, your "fix" was an incoherent non-sentence that flies in the face of all evidence and achieves nothing other than to make yourself feel superior.

#covfefe

[Limey]

I'm trying to be optimistic, but then I talk to people around me and realize they are quite different than me.

I live in Montrose, which is awash with Beto signs, yet my district is represented by Ted Poe.  I have no doubt that I will have a Republican as my congressman for the next two years, but the senate race is statewide, so gerrymandering has no impact.  You wins the fights that are winnable...

[TeeJoe]

Wow..I looked up the district your represented in Limey...2nd District is Ted Poe's right?.

It's impossible for me to look at the 2nd district map and not agree it's gerrymandered to ridiculous proportions.

[Bench]

I live in Montrose, which is awash with Beto signs, yet my district is represented by Ted Poe.  I have no doubt that I will have a Republican as my congressman for the next two years, but the senate race is statewide, so gerrymandering has no impact.  You wins the fights that are winnable...

I think Litton has a chance but the 7th is more likely to be competitive. 

[Limey]

Wow..I looked up the district your represented in Limey...2nd District is Ted Poe's right?.

It's impossible for me to look at the 2nd district map and not agree it's gerrymandered to ridiculous proportions.

The city of Houston is a hotbed of communism, so they've sliced it up like a pizza and buried each slice under swaths of suburbs.  Yeah, I share my congressman with Kingwood, because...democracy?

With all the hand-wringing about the loss of bi-partisanship and civility in our politics, the one thing that could bring it back is eliminating gerrymandering.  As the saying goes, voters should pick their representatives, not the other way around.  Gerrymandering is more responsible than anything else for the extremism and tribalism in our politics, as well as the inability to work with the other side because doing so will get your chosen voters mad at you and likely kicked out in a primary.

[Limey]

I think Litton has a chance but the 7th is more likely to be competitive.

It's less of a foregone conclusion with the incumbent not running, but vote totals in the Republican primary nearly doubled those in the Democratic primary, so it's still a long shot.  Also, the Republican candidate - Dan Crenshaw (good name) - is a handsome, former Navy SEAL with a fucking eye patch (lost an eye to an IED in Afghanistan).  Lawyer / political operative "I'll die before we call our son Todd" Litton is going to have a hard time to get any attention in this race.

[moriartp]

Kathaleen Wall would've been an embarrassment in Congress, but Litton would've had a better shot against her. Crenshaw is a really good nominee for the GOP there.

[Limey]

Kathaleen Wall would've been an embarrassment in Congress, but Litton would've had a better shot against her. Crenshaw is a really good nominee for the GOP there.

I think the 2nd is a done deal for Republicans of any stripe until it gets un-gerryfucked, so I'm happy to have the better Republican option running because he's going to be my rep.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

I think the 2nd is a done deal for Republicans of any stripe until it gets un-gerryfucked, so I'm happy to have the better Republican option running because he's going to be my rep.

I changed my registration to Independent last year in order to vote in Republican primaries. NC is a closed primary state but indys can choose which one to attend. A very reasonable Republican lady came and talked at the women’s march here a while back, challenging the very safe multitermer Patrick McHenry from the center. Asheville has been expertly gerrymandered to nullify her thriving blue oasis. Anyway, it makes so much sense to me that dems should be voting in republican primaries for reasonable(r) GOP candidates it drives me crazy. You can still go vote in November however you want, and in the meantime you’ve given the entrenched yahoos in the yahoo caucus something to think about. If McHenry moderates one view you’ve won something real.

[chuck]

So Trumpy goes Alex Jones on the Puerto Rican death toll. It'll be fascinating to see what he does with this upcoming series of hurricanes. I don't think it particularly matters that Puerto Rico does not represent his base of voters. I think you'll see an extension of this same behavior in the Carolinas and anywhere else this season's tremendously wet storms happen to make landfall.

He views natural disasters not through the eyes of the affected, but as a personal affront to him and the image he wishes to project. And his response is tethered to that. He responds to natural disasters like he responds to personal insults. The results are predictable.

So, anyway, rotsa ruck, boys.

[Limey]

So Trumpy goes Alex Jones on the Puerto Rican death toll. It'll be fascinating to see what he does with this upcoming series of hurricanes. I don't think it particularly matters that Puerto Rico does not represent his base of voters. I think you'll see an extension of this same behavior in the Carolinas and anywhere else this season's tremendously wet storms happen to make landfall.

He views natural disasters not through the eyes of the affected, but as a personal affront to him and the image he wishes to project. And his response is tethered to that. He responds to natural disasters like he responds to personal insults. The results are predictable.

So, anyway, rotsa ruck, boys.

The tweets today on Puerto Rico are gobsmacking, even for him.  Grotesque is his default position, but as pressures mount from various directions, he will plumb new depths of depravity with each passing tweet storm.

[Limey]

As if Trump's appointed head of FEMA didn't have enough on his hands with hurricanes coming in and money going out (to fund ICE*), he's also being investigated by DHS for corruption (#BestPeople), involving using government vehicles and drivers to ferry him to and from the office, including using government expenses to house the driver in a hotel near his home.  He and DHS head Nielsen are at loggerheads, reportedly, which should make their working relationship really smooth over the trials to come.

* DHS has snaffled circa $170mm from other agencies under its control, including $10mm from FEMA and $30mm from the Coast Guard, to fund border detention and repatriation efforts.  The fact that the number of children detained at the border has skyrocketed to 12,800 might have something to do with it (and you thought that was all over).

[BudGirl]

I think Florence is going to have an interesting effect on the mid-terms.  The Republicans cannot screw up something do big so close to the election to keep their people happy. 

But, I do wonder if people effected by Harvey and Irma have changed their thoughts on their elected officials.

[Limey]

I think Florence is going to have an interesting effect on the mid-terms.  The Republicans cannot screw up something do big so close to the election to keep their people happy. 

But, I do wonder if people effected by Harvey and Irma have changed their thoughts on their elected officials.

People from, or sympathetic to, Puerto Rico were unlikely to be Trump voters, so they were left to rot.  Texas and Florida, by contrast, got a decent response: one solid red and the other a swing state.

This hurricane response will be something to watch as regards his support in the south, but Trump has already killed his support in much of the mid-west as his tariffs are absolutely crushing agriculture.

On July 6, China slapped duties on $43 billion worth of U.S. goods, nearly $17 billion of it in agricultural products, including soybeans, sorghum, and pork. The move hit markets like a lightning bolt out of a clear sky: Soybean prices dropped a dollar a bushel when the tariffs were announced and another dollar when they were implemented, plummeting to a near-decade low below $9 a bushel.

Other farm commodities—corn, cotton, pork, and dairy—have suffered collateral damage from tariffs as well. And then there are the ripple effects through the farm production chain: suppliers, processors, packers, distributors. Nobody along the line is equipped to absorb the costs of the new tariffs.

On their face, the numbers are devastating for farmers, who operate with high overhead and slim profit margins in the best of times. It gets worse when you consider that tanking prices don’t just affect this year’s harvest: They retroactively damage income from last year, too.

[Lefty]

You say "yes, them" but the WS has been consistently destroying Trump pretty much since before he was elected.  Bill Kristol (yes, him) has made his twitter a must-read.

[Limey]

If you didn’t realize that the rush to complete Kavanaugh’s confirmation was to avoid an avalanche of bad news about him, then you should be left in no doubt now.  Despite all Republican efforts, some of that shit is seeping out.  Just today, the case of his disappearing credit card debt came into more stark relief and, oh yeah, he might be a date rapist.  Honestly, how is this nomination still a fucking thing?

Also, a Manafort plea deal may be done.  If it is, we’ll likely find out tomorrow morning when there’s a court appearance scheduled.

Also in the news tomorrow will be, of course, Flo’s landfall and the fact that dozens of houses in three Mass. towns spontaneously combusted (seriously).  I think we made the Gods angry. 

[Limey]

Manafort's plea deal is done, and he'll be in court to allocute etc. at 11am EDT this morning.  Mueller's team has already filed its paperwork, and it suggests that he's going to cop to money laundering, tax evasion and witness tampering.  He'll take some prison time, cough up a couple of houses and the contents of 5 bank accounts.

No word as to any cooperation agreement but, as I've said and suspected all along, I don't think Mueller ever needed Manafort's testimony because he had that walking bag of human garbage Rick Gates in his pocket.  Gates had almost everything that Manafort had, plus Gates stayed in the Trump campaign through the election, into the transition and (I think) into office.  He has a much more broad knowledge of what was going on with Trump than Manafort.

It's likely, therefore, that Manafort is just taking the plea to avoid the expense of a second trial (and probable re-trial of the hung charges from Virginia), without a cooperation agreement, particularly as his was likely to have a library's worth of books thrown at him.  The Washington venue for this upcoming trial was never going to be as friendly to him as Virginia was, and he was 1 juror away from losing 18 of 18 there.

I'm sure he's in mortal fear of having to roll over on the Russians, who would absolutely have him or his family killed.  On the flip side, that means that Trump is a fucking moron if he pardons Manafort, because then Manafort could be compelled to testify having had the possibility of self-incrimination rendered moot.

* According to Rex Tillerson, Trump is a fucking moron, so watch this space.

[jbm]

I think a pardon is a hard sell.  I mean, if you maintain that the guy has nothing to do with you and hell, you hardly know him, then you are just pardoning a super rich guy who didn't pay his taxes, on ill-gotten money.

But like you said, Trump is stupid and will likely pardon him.

[Limey]

I think a pardon is a hard sell.  I mean, if you maintain that the guy has nothing to do with you and hell, you hardly know him, then you are just pardoning a super rich guy who didn't pay his taxes, on ill-gotten money.

But like you said, Trump is stupid and will likely pardon him.

Trump also has no shame, so he wouldn't give a shit about the optics.  However, Trump never does anything that isn't self-serving, so he won't pardon Manafort because it would be a nice thing for Manafort, he'd do it if it was better for Trump...or at least thinks it's better for Trump (he has a very good brain so doesn't listen to experts very much).

One story from Woodward's book seems apropos here:  John Dowd told Woodward that Trump is unable to understand that the client of White House lawyers is the United States, not Trump.  When Dowd told Trump that Ty Cobb wasn't his lawyer and could be called as a witness against him, Trump said "Jesus!  I've been talking to him a lot!"

[Ty in Tampa]

Manafort is cooperating.

[Limey]

Manafort is cooperating.

...and Trump is exploding.

[Limey]

Manafort's cooperation agreement includes:
- interviews and briefings he'll give to the special counsel's office
- turning over documents
- testifying in other proceedings

[Limey]

The accusation against Kavanaugh.

In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself.

We may be barreling to another Anita Hill moment but, this time, at least there are some women on the Senate committee, not a Victorian town council of disapproving men*.  Watch HBO's excellent movie "Confirmation" on this event for a reminder, but you'll want to take a shower afterwards.

* Even Biden was guilty of treating Hill as some kind of hostile defendant, rather than a witness.

[Bench]

Trump also has no shame, so he wouldn't give a shit about the optics.  However, Trump never does anything that isn't self-serving, so he won't pardon Manafort because it would be a nice thing for Manafort, he'd do it if it was better for Trump...or at least thinks it's better for Trump (he has a very good brain so doesn't listen to experts very much).

One story from Woodward's book seems apropos here:  John Dowd told Woodward that Trump is unable to understand that the client of White House lawyers is the United States, not Trump.  When Dowd told Trump that Ty Cobb wasn't his lawyer and could be called as a witness against him, Trump said "Jesus!  I've been talking to him a lot!"

The reason pardoning Manafort is in Trump's interest is that the republicans would let him get away with it and that would help lay the precedent for pardoning himself and his family members. 

[Navin R Johnson]

Manafort gonna spill the beans on the Hillary/Obama child sex rings!
-Qanon/Trumpers

[Bench]

Manafort gonna spill the beans on the Hillary/Obama child sex rings!
-Qanon/Trumpers

It's basically the plot to Face/Off.

[Limey]

The reason pardoning Manafort is in Trump's interest is that the republicans would let him get away with it and that would help lay the precedent for pardoning himself and his family members.

There's the political track, in which Republicans continue to give cover to Trump for they know not what (or they know, but think we won't find out), and the legal track, which is federal prosecutors working to bring charges and gain convictions of those involved regardless of any smoke that is blown from Washington.

At the intersection of the two is Donald Trump.  If Democrats take the House and/or Senate (which is now believed to be in play), the lame duck period between November and January is going to be a shit show of epic proportions as everyone scrambles to try and firewall themselves off from the coming subpoena apocalypse up to and including a Trump self-pardon.

[MusicMan]

It's basically the plot to Face/Off.

I like the theory that Cage and Travolta actually switched faces and have spent the time since sabotaging the other’s career.


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[Limey]

While cooperation by Manafort is not in doubt, cooperation by Michael Cohen was.  Until now.  New reporting claims that Cohen is talking to Mueller's team.

[chuck]

Womp womp.

[Limey]

Womp womp.

Importantly, Mueller now has a first hand witness to the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting.  Junior and Kushner just shit themselves.

[chuck]

Most of my mom's family are idiots. I won't get too into it but you can imagine and you wouldn't be too far off. One sect in particular live their lives virtually devoid of foresight or consideration of possible consequences associated with the decisions they make.

When I was six or seven our grandfather took us to some carnival somewhere. We were regularly going to these barbecue / carnival things and they were generally associated somehow with the rodeo. Anyway, there was usually a kid-sized Ferris wheel. My older cousin and I were in one pod and my brother and another cousin, a guy from this no foresight family, they get into another. The goon in charge of the attraction of course stops the wheel periodically to get pairs of kids on and off the thing. During one such moment my brother and my cousin, let's call him Rick, were stopped at the greatest possible height. Rick decided that that would be an outstanding moment to spit down onto his mother who was of course standing below peering up at him.

RICK! STOP THAT! Spit, spit, more spit. STOP THAT RIGHT NOW OR I'LL Spit spit more spit.

Well, needless to say soon enough their number came up and Carney stopped the music and pulled them out. My aunt immediately grabbed Rick and drug him off to their car, beating his ass through the parking lot. I remember witnessing this from a privileged vantage point as Carney had stopped the wheel yet again.

Anyway, I was a child but I remember being struck by the thought, Does he not realize that the Ferris wheel is inevitably going to bring him down? Has he not thought that far ahead? Or does he simply not care?

I still don't know the answer to that question as it pertains to Rick. (And of course he's still spitting on people from the top of a Ferris wheel.) And I certainly don't know what or if the Trump gang is thinking. Like with Rick, we may never know.

[Limey]

I still don't know the answer to that question as it pertains to Rick. (And of course he's still spitting on people from the top of a Ferris wheel.) And I certainly don't know what or if the Trump gang is thinking. Like with Rick, we may never know.

I believe Rick is currently the Deputy Secretary of State.

[MusicMan]

I believe Rick is currently the Deputy Secretary of State.

I thought Rick became Secretary of Energy.


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[chuck]

My cousin's never been much of a dancer.

[Navin R Johnson]

Can he spin a record?
https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6ZtbbxOdJApeKbkI/source.gif

[Limey]

Cruz - O’Rourke debate schedule set: first of three is on Friday 21st at SMU. 

Opportunity for Beto to land some punches independent of spending power.  Cruz is a slippery customer (because his skin secretes oil) so it will be a big test.  At the same time Cruz is the definition of inauthentic, while Beto - as his viral video about kneeling NFL plays confirms - is honest, articulate and relatable. 

Chalk vs. Cheese. 

[Limey]

Just cycling back, it's worth taking a look at the breadth of Manafort's plea deal.  He will get reduced jail time, yes, but what he has to give up is breathtaking:

- he forfeits the contents of a number of bank accounts and 5 properties, totaling tens of millions (and this forfeiture is pardon-proof, it's gone for good);

- he had to fess up to having done everything of which he was accused, even the crimes for which charges were dropped as part of the plea deal and, yes, this includes the 10 hung counts from the Virginia trial;

- he has to cooperate, with everyone, about everything, no (Roger) stone will be left unturned, he has to be "forthright" meaning he cannot lie by omission without breaking the agreement;

- he has waived his right to have an attorney present in his interviews with law enforcement (unless there is prior written agreement);

- he has to testify when and where required;

- he has to stay in jail until prosecutors are done with him, which could be years.


He lost hard!  As if to reinforce that we're being conned and held hostage by the dumbest people ever, it's hard to imagine that the deal he was offered - before he burned through a few mil. going into through the first trial - would have been worse than this one.  It's truly spectacular how Manafort has fucked himself so completely.

[Tom Servo]

He lost hard!  As if to reinforce that we're being conned and held hostage by the dumbest people ever, it's hard to imagine that the deal he was offered - before he burned through a few mil. going into through the first trial - would have been worse than this one.  It's truly spectacular how Manafort has fucked himself so completely.

If not for the witness tampering, would he have been free until sentencing? Or would he be considered a flight risk to bolt to Russia?  Then again, doesn't he still owe a LOT of money to some Russian oligarchs? 

[chuck]

With all the forfeiture I'm sure the outstanding folks on the Republican side of the aisle will quit bitching about the cost of the Mueller investigation, right?

Right?

[Limey]

If not for the witness tampering, would he have been free until sentencing? Or would he be considered a flight risk to bolt to Russia?  Then again, doesn't he still owe a LOT of money to some Russian oligarchs?

Probably would be out for now.  I presume whatever time he spends in jail now will be deducted from his eventual custodial sentence. 

[Limey]

With all the forfeiture I'm sure the outstanding folks on the Republican side of the aisle will quit bitching about the cost of the Mueller investigation, right?

Right?

They don’t even recognize that crimes were committed!

[chuck]

They don’t even recognize that crimes were committed!

Innocent if proven guilty.

[Limey]

Innocent if proven guilty.

...and pleas don’t count as guilty. 

[chuck]

...and pleas don’t count as guilty.

Of course not, not if you're coerced into a plea by the deep state.

[Limey]

Kavanaugh's accuser has come forward.  The accusation doesn't get any less credible and any less disturbing when you hear from the accuser - an upstanding successful, professional woman in her own right.

Christine Ford is a professor at Palo Alto University who teaches in a consortium with Stanford University, training graduate students in clinical psychology. Her work has been widely published in academic journals.

I thought he might inadvertently kill me.  He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

In the years since, Ford has consulted therapists about her ongoing issues stemming from this assault.  She provided copies of her therapists' notes for the Washington Post to examine.

This is a credible lady.  I will be shocked / not shocked if Republicans continue to work to ram home this nomination (unfortunate connotations of the prior phrasing intentional).

[Limey]

Apropos nothing, Stormy Daniels says that Trump’s penis is misshapen and smaller than average, and that her tryst with him was the least impressive sex she’s ever had. 

In other news, Trump just nuked North Korea to prove that his totally normal-sized fingers can press such a big, beautiful button.

[jbm]

So, as of now, the Republicans will only allow the accuser and the accused to testify.  No investigation or witnesses will be allowed.  Just what are they afraid of, and for that matter, if it's going to be that bogus, why have it all? 

No inquiry remotely interested in the truth would ever proceed like this.

[Bench]

So, as of now, the Republicans will only allow the accuser and the accused to testify.  No investigation or witnesses will be allowed.  Just what are they afraid of, and for that matter, if it's going to be that bogus, why have it all? 

No inquiry remotely interested in the truth would ever proceed like this.

It's a pretty pathetic exercise of advise and consent. 

[Limey]

It's a pretty pathetic exercise of advise and consent.

The fact that their role involves "consent" is pretty ironic.

This whole process is completely craven and disgusting.  The reason other witnesses are need is because you have two people with 100% opposite positions.  Kavanaugh hasn't said he doesn't remember (like the other boy's non-denial/denial), or that he remembers the episode differently, i.e. it was consensual.  No, he said it never happened and that he wasn't there.  Well, other party-goers - there were 4 - could be contacted to confirm or deny Kavanaugh's presence at the party in question and also whether the elements of the event that they witnessed matches the accusers report or Kavanaugh's.

Oh, and let's not forget that they are still withholding hundreds of thousands of documents from Kavanaugh's time in the White House.

What have they got to hide?  Everything!  Kavanaugh isn't a judge who is also conservative; Kavanaugh is a Republican operative who got elevated to the courts only after waiting 3 years because of his prior partisan career.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Apropos nothing, Stormy Daniels says that Trump’s penis is misshapen and smaller than average, and that her tryst with him was the least impressive sex she’s ever had. 

"There's not enough liquor and therapy in the world to undo that."

[Limey]

Senate Republicans are getting increasingly desperate in their covering up for Brett Kavanaugh.  They wanted to run an Anita Hill on Kavanagh's accuser - Christine Ford - by bringing her in to testify in a purely he said/she said contest of credibility; a contest they have already decided that he has won based on their contemporaneous public statements (including Hatch saying that she's "mixed up").  Ford is having none of it, and has insisted on the FBI investigating the matter before any Senate hearing.

The defense has now devolved to the point where Hatch, Grassley and Trump, at least, are saying that the FBI doesn't do investigations.  Yeah, really.  The FBI absolutely does this for every Supreme Court nominee (i.e. investigate their background).  The FBI did this in the Thomas confirmation after Anita Hill came forward; circumstances identical to what we face now - except that the accusation is far, far more serious.

It now looks like they're going to try and whistle past this cemetery, by eschewing the investigation and pressing on with voting in committee and then the full Senate.  Will any Republicans have the balls (or ovaries) to stand in the way of Kavanaugh?  The aptly named Jeff Flake has offered his customary objection that has, so far, always preceded his customary capitulation.  Susan Collins has said that this would be exclusionary "if true", so she has given herself cover here knowing that there's unlikely to be any corroboration of Ford prior to voting.  Lisa Murkowski is silent as far as I know.

So we are now facing the prospect that an accused sexual abuser and proven liar has nominated an accused sexual abuser and proven liar to the Supreme Court, and Republicans will confirm him so that he can overturn Roe and give a pass to Trump for his crimes.  Yes, it's possible to impeach Kavanaugh and get him off the bench, but the damage he can do before that happens could be immense, generational and deadly.

ETA:  Ford has been doxed by white supremacists and driven into hiding with her family following abuse and death threats.  Kavanaugh has spent two days (and counting) kibitzing with lawyers in the White House.  Who would be better prepared to testify in a rushed hearing on Monday?

[Knoxbanedoodle]

I have to admit that I doubt the GOP's sincerity when it comes to overturning Roe. They seem to be doing awfully well regulating it into irrelevance in the states they control, and in the meantime it's a great wedge issue for them in terms of generating revenue and voter enthusiasm. Easier to be against something than for something. And if you thought lib dander was raised by the Carrot Demon's election...

Not that any of that necessarily matters vis a vis the Supreme Court.

[Limey]

I have to admit that I doubt the GOP's sincerity when it comes to overturning Roe. They seem to be doing awfully well regulating it into irrelevance in the states they control, and in the meantime it's a great wedge issue for them in terms of generating revenue and voter enthusiasm. Easier to be against something than for something. And if you thought lib dander was raised by the Carrot Demon's election...

Not that any of that necessarily matters vis a vis the Supreme Court.

Once there’s enough votes on the court to turn it over, it only takes a single lawsuit to do it; no legislative action required.  There are hundreds of such cases ready to roll and many states with trigger laws that will collapse choice down to what the court allows the instant it rules.  This court seat is the only place the overturn can be blocked. 

[jbm]

I'm assuming this is just high stakes poker, where Ford knows that a sham hearing will look terrible for Republicans, and knows that Republicans know that.  Meanwhile, the Republicans have decided to bluff: if we stick to a sham hearing, she will wilt, refuse to testify and look like a false accuser. 

Ford's current demand seems designed to both suck the Republicans in and significantly raise the stakes.  She says that she won't testify unless there is a real investigation.  The Republican reaction is: kiss my ass, this is our game, and our rules.  Meanwhile, the public arises from their slumber and says "wait a second, this isn't fair, why isn't there going to be an investigation.  What are they trying to hide"  The Republicans will then sense that it really isn't just their game and their rules after all. 

Then, the Republicans have two choices: either relent and allow a real investigation, which I doubt they will because they know there is real dirt to be uncovered, even if it stops short of provable sexual assault, or they continue with their game of "testify in our sham trial or wear that scarlet letter for eternity."

Ford, if she is willing to subject herself to the sham trial, holds a much better hand.  After waiting a few days for the public to realize that without a real investigation, this is either unfair or an outrage, Ford can then say "OK, I'll participate in the trial everyone knows is bogus."  At this point, I suspect the Republicans will likely withdraw Kavanuagh under some whiny pretext or proceed with the sham trial.  If they proceed with the trial, the nation will pay close attention and the shaminess will be obvious to all.  After that, I suspect a few Republicans refuse to confirm, stating that without a real investigation, they can't vote yes.

If Ford is actually unwilling to call the Republican bluff and refuses to testify in the sham trial, the Republicans get both the court and an argument that the Democrats are dirty liars.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Once there’s enough votes on the court to turn it over, it only takes a single lawsuit to do it; no legislative action required.  There are hundreds of such cases ready to roll and many states with trigger laws that will collapse choice down to what the court allows the instant it rules.  This court seat is the only place the overturn can be blocked.

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying I'm skeptical that the party leaders would be happy about an overturn. I could be wrong.

[Limey]

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying I'm skeptical that the party leaders would be happy about an overturn. I could be wrong.

Privately, sure.  I mean, who wants to have to wear a condom when schtupping an intern or lobbyist?  Publicly they’ll say it’s not their place to interfere with the court whilst dogwhistling to the base that this is great.

[moriartp]

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying I'm skeptical that the party leaders would be happy about an overturn. I could be wrong.

Could go either way. They might go the "thousand cuts" route and never explicitly overturn Casey. All they'd have to say in each case is "nope, no undue burden here," without ever saying "Roe and Casey were wrong when decided and are wrong today." From a purely hackish political perspective, that's their best move.

[Limey]

"Bart O'Kavanaugh"?  Was Mark Judge's book ghost written by George Lucas?

[MusicMan]

Force ghost written?


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[chuck]

O'Kavanaugh cracks me up. It's almost as good as Father Michael O'Flatley.

[Limey]

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are a mess.  Their every move gets blown up, mostly by themselves, while Ford and her lawyers retain all the cards:

- The need-for-speed argument is patent nonsense, given that these exact same people held open Scalia's seat for over a year. 

- The "it's not the FBI's place to investigate" argument is patent nonsense because it's the thing they do for every single confirmable nominee, and they've re-opened 10 such background checks following new information just in the last month.

- The "Senate investigators can do it" argument is patent nonsense because there are no such things as Senate investigators (that's why they have the FBI do it), and the senior guy in Grassley's office tasked with the job said that he is "unfazed and determined" to get Kavanaugh confirmed while shitting on Ford and her lawyers, all in tweets that have since been deleted but preserved by reporters.


So, instead of holding the committee vote on Kavanaugh yesterday, they've been grandstanding all week about a 10am EDT deadline for Ford to submit her written affidavit for them to pore over all weekend before she appears in front of the committee on Monday.  Yeah, none of that is happening and the Senate Republicans are scrambling, even to the extent of hiring an outside - female - attorney (*cough* prosecutor *cough*) to question Ford because, belatedly, they've realized the optics of 11 wrinkly old white men trying to undermine the credibility of an alleged sexual assault survivor are not good*.

* They still don't seem to realize that the optics of a committee consisting only of wrinkly old white men is inherently bad and has been since about the 1920s.


Well, Ford and her lawyers are insisting that (1) the hearing needs to be fair; (b) it needs to be by the Senators themselves, not a hired gun; and (iii) it cannot be Monday because Ford and her family have been on the run for their lives most of this week.  It's now impossible for this committee to move past this moment - with any credibility - without hearing from Ford.  These arrogant, idiot Republicans are now all her base.


On the broader landscape, Kavanaugh's approval rating went from +6 at the start of September to -2 now.  He's a rotting carcass of a nomination that they drag through to a full Senate vote at their peril.  Cruz is now underwater to O'Rourke and, in Nevada, Heller is now underwater to Roslin.  The House has always been in play but a Republican super-majority in the Senate was once thought to be a possibility because of the numbers game: 24 Dems vs. 10 GOP.  The fact that the Senate is now in play for Democrats is evidence of how hard they've screwed this pooch.

[Limey]

An interesting aside:  the state of Maryland, where Ford claims that the assault on her by Kavanaugh took place, does not have a statute of limitations on rape, or attempt thereat.  When asked why they haven't opened an investigation based on what they've seen, Maryland state prosecutors said that they are ready to do so should they receive a formal criminal complaint.

So, regardless of what happens with Kavanaugh's confirmation, at any time between now and either of their deaths, Ford can drop a dime and initiate a criminal investigation.  Would getting fucked over by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee be enough to push her that way?  I mean, once they're through trying to tear her down, what embarrassments would be left?

[BudGirl]

She, with her parents' loving support, should just do it.  I'll file for a handgun license to protect her.

[Limey]

She, with her parents' loving support, should just do it.  I'll file for a handgun license to protect her.

I'm sure this has been a topic of conversation between the committee and Ford's lawyers.  I.e. "do you want to have the conversation in your committee, or do you want to have it in a state criminal trial?  Your choice."

[jbm]

From the tenor of the reporting, I sense that it's shifting from "I wasn't there" to "No one can prove he did it" to "He was 17, and drunk."  The background of this shifting is that at a minimum, this is another instance that he can't tell the truth.  Can't the bar for inclusion to the court be that the person must be honest? 

With me, I get that a conservative is going to fill the seat, but I'd rather have a conservative with integrity.  This guy is slimy: he's already lied in confirmation hearings and more importantly, to me at least, he doesn't have core principle beyond "I'll rule in whatever way favors my party."  Limey's description of him as an operative masquerading as a judge is spot on.  I'd prefer a principled conservative over a fucking spineless weasel.

[BudGirl]

I'm honestly surprised that more women haven't come out.  I'm sure that wasn't the first and last time he was drunk at a party when girls were around.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/19/brett-kavanaugh-mark-judge-georgetown-prep-book/1357739002/

[Bench]

From the tenor of the reporting, I sense that it's shifting from "I wasn't there" to "No one can prove he did it" to "He was 17, and drunk."  The background of this shifting is that at a minimum, this is another instance that he can't tell the truth.  Can't the bar for inclusion to the court be that the person must be honest? 

With me, I get that a conservative is going to fill the seat, but I'd rather have a conservative with integrity.  This guy is slimy: he's already lied in confirmation hearings and more importantly, to me at least, he doesn't have core principle beyond "I'll rule in whatever way favors my party."  Limey's description of him as an operative masquerading as a judge is spot on.  I'd prefer a principled conservative over a fucking spineless weasel.

That's exactly right.  Regardless of what happened thirty years ago, the way he's handling the issue now is the exact opposite of the ethical standards that should be required of any jurist, much less a supreme court justice.  Of course, that's completely in line with his involvement in the wildly unethical "memogate" scandal, and is subsequent lies about it under oath during previous confirmation hearings.  And we've never received a satisfactory explanation of his sudden windfall of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last year.

It's amazing to me that the republicans are continuing with this nomination.  There's no shortage of replacement conservative jurists who believe government exists only for the benefit of white property-holding men but don't have all the baggage of Kavanaugh.  Why are they so insistent on ramming this clown through?

[Limey]

From the tenor of the reporting, I sense that it's shifting from "I wasn't there" to "No one can prove he did it" to "He was 17, and drunk."  The background of this shifting is that at a minimum, this is another instance that he can't tell the truth.  Can't the bar for inclusion to the court be that the person must be honest?

It screams loudly that only the (alleged) victim is calling for all witnesses to testify and for the Feds - lying to whom is a felony (ask Martha Stewart) - to investigate.  The Judiciary Committee is acting as if they know he's guilty and they're trying to stop that from coming out.  Their actions are so obvious and their logical contortions are embarrassing.

[Limey]

It's amazing to me that the republicans are continuing with this nomination.  There's no shortage of replacement conservative jurists who believe government exists only for the benefit of white property-holding men but don't have all the baggage of Kavanaugh.  Why are they so insistent on ramming this clown through?

That's the mystery.  McConnell is shameless so, despite the obvious hypocrisy, it's still totally within his power to push through a nominee in the lame duck session even if they've lost the Senate come January 2019.  What's the investment with Kavanaugh?  McConnell warned about nominating him in the first place so why not just dump him and ask for another?

They want a conservative judge, Trump is the only one who seems to need Kavanaugh in particular.  I cannot imagine that they have such fealty to Trump that they're going on with this. 

[Dark Star]

Apropos nothing, Stormy Daniels says that Trump’s penis todger is misshapen and smaller than average, and that her tryst with him was the least impressive sex she’s ever had. 

In other news, Trump just nuked North Korea to prove that his totally normal-sized fingers can press such a big, beautiful button.

FIFY

[Limey]

Is it as simple as the fact that they have trashed the FBI so much that they cannot now call them in to investigate?

If they call them in, Kavanaugh is exonerated (or at least "not proven") and they accept that, they undercut the pre-loaded wailing over Mueller's report due later this year.

[moriartp]

I assumed through this whole process, even after the accuser agreed to testify, that confirmation was basically a sure thing.

Ed Whelan just doused that assumption in gasoline and tossed a hand grenade on it for good measure.

[chuck]

From the tenor of the reporting, I sense that it's shifting from "I wasn't there" to "No one can prove he did it" to "He was 17, and drunk."

There was no collusion! What we did was not collusion! Collusion is not a crime!

With me, I get that a conservative is going to fill the seat, but I'd rather have a conservative with integrity.

You let me know when you find one.

[Limey]

You let me know when you find one.

They’re all now ex-Republicans, and can be found on MSNBC.

[Limey]

They’re all now ex-Republicans, and can be found on MSNBC.

Bill Maher on ex-Republicans.

[Limey]

The NY Times says that Rod Rosenstein was looking to oust Trump last year under the 25th amendment.  Stand by for a firing in three...two...

The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House to expose the chaos consuming the administration, and he discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.

Mr. Rosenstein made these suggestions in the spring of 2017 when Mr. Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director plunged the White House into turmoil. Over the ensuing days, the president divulged classified intelligence to Russians in the Oval Office, and revelations emerged that Mr. Trump had asked Mr. Comey to pledge loyalty and end an investigation into a senior aide.

[Waldo]

The NY Times says that Rod Rosenstein was looking to oust Trump last year under the 25th amendment.  Stand by for a firing in three...two...

Why would Trump fire Rosenstein over this article?  After all, you can't trust anonymous sources.

[Limey]

Why would Trump fire Rosenstein over this article?  After all, you can't trust anonymous sources.

Unless it's John Barron or David Dennison.

[chuck]

While I don't think that pro-Trump officials orchestrated the op-ed, I do suspect that the claims made in this ridiculous, third-hand sourced piece are false and leaked by the Trump people.

[Ty in Tampa]

While I don't think that pro-Trump officials orchestrated the op-ed, I do suspect that the claims made in this ridiculous, third-hand sourced piece are false and leaked by the Trump people.

It's got a certain...shine...to it.

[BudGirl]

Well, who watched the debate?  No reactions yet??

[chuck]

Well, who watched the debate?  No reactions yet??

I'd almost rather listen to Trump speak that that insincere human shitsmear but I did see that Beto worked in a line from a song on London Calling, which is of course the official album of the Talk Zone.

So plainly Beto must in turn receive the Talk Zone's official endorsement.

[HudsonHawk]

I'd almost rather listen to Trump speak that that insincere human shitsmear but I did see that Beto worked in a line from a song on London Calling, which is of course the official album of the Talk Zone.

So plainly Beto must in turn receive the Talk Zone's official endorsement.

Ooh I missed it. What did he say?  “He who fucks nuns will later join the church?”

[chuck]

Ooh I missed it. What did he say?  “He who fucks nuns will later join the church?”

Taking off his turban they said is this man a Jew cause they're...

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

i was thinking it might have been: When they kick at your front door, how you gonna come? With your hands on your head, or on the trigger of your gun?

[Nate Colbert]

Won't make a damn bit of difference because AZ-4 is about as solidly Republican as you can get but an extraordinary political ad nevertherless:

All 6 siblings of Paul "I Can Read Body Language Because I'm a Dentist" Gosar endorse his Democratic opponent.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1043291345048223744

[Limey]

I did see that Beto worked in a line from a song on London Calling, which is of course the official album of the Talk Zone.

Entirely appropriate, as the titular track is about the breathless exaggeration of every minor perceived threat.

[Limey]

Won't make a damn bit of difference because AZ-4 is about as solidly Republican as you can get but an extraordinary political ad nevertherless:

All 6 siblings of Paul "I Can Read Body Language Because I'm a Dentist" Gosar endorse his Democratic opponent.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1043291345048223744

Republicans seem to nominate simply the worst human being they can find.  To be honest, you have to be craven to choose to be associated with the Republican brand these days. 

[jbm]

Looks as if there might be another woman coming out. Kavanaugh denies it, although there are reportedly witnesses. However, it remains to be seen whether the Senate will actually try to gather facts.

[chuck]

Is it me or is it starting to get a little rapey in here?

[Tom Servo]

it remains to be seen whether the Senate will actually try to gather facts.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Limey]

Looks as if there might be another woman coming out. Kavanaugh denies it, although there are reportedly witnesses. However, it remains to be seen whether the Senate will actually try to gather facts.

Part of the defense of Kavanaugh is was that there was on,y one and, apparently, rapists are either Cosby-prolific or not rapists at all.  The presence of at least one more alleged victim starts to erode that.  If As more women come forward, that defense dissolves and it starts to look like evidence to the contrary. 

[Limey]

Michael Avenatti claims to have a third victim as a client. 

[Limey]

Trump couldn't hold his shit in any longer and went after Dr. Ford this weekend.  Lindsey Graham said that he'll give her a hearing but this isn't the sort of thing that's worth ruining Kavanaugh's life over.  Sen. Grassley had to fire a press adviser because the guy had been fired from a previous job for sexual harassment...in 2017.

Ford is due to testify on Thursday.  I do not know if the Republicans still plan on drafting in female attorney to handle their questioning, but either way the optics will be horrendous.  Democrats plan to rely heavily on any of the number of female members they have on the committee to question Ford.  Moreover, those same women, including the fearsome - and accomplished prosecutor - Sen. Harris, get to question Kavanaugh.

While his other accusers won't be called, I hope Democrats hammer Kavanaugh on, not just these accusations, but the fact that he's an admitted underage drinker and appears not to be able to control himself when under the influence.  Is he the "Bart O'Kavanaugh" of Judge's memoir?  How many times did he drink whilst underage?  Does he still drink?  Will he commit to staying sober whilst on the Supreme Court?  How can he rule impartially on cases involving alcohol when he has such a chequered past with it?  On and on and on.

Nail that smug fucker!

[Limey]

Remember when we had about eleventy-one years of analysis over Sotamayor's comment that she's a good judge because she's a "wise Latina"?  That was supposed to be, according to Republicans, disqualifying because it was reverse racism.  Now they are backs to the wall defending Kavanaugh over this.  I know that the 10% of their behavior that isn't pure projection is hypocrisy, but this is a stretch.

The bottom line is that they cannot investigate Kavanaugh over this because to do so would mean that it's an appropriate thing to do.  That would leave them raw and exposed over their refusal to investigate the accusations against Trump.  It all goes back to him.  Everything Trump touches...dies.

[Navin R Johnson]

I can barely keep up with the Kavanaugh stuff.  Has he ever come up with a plausible explanation for how his $100s of thousands of  debt just disappeared?

[Limey]

I can barely keep up with the Kavanaugh stuff.  Has he ever come up with a plausible explanation for how his $100s of thousands of  debt just disappeared?

Nope.  He says he paid it off himself, which is simply impossible on a circa $200k judge's salary.

[Limey]

Reports say Rosensein is going to resign (as opposed to re-sign).  The Mueller investigation is going to be blown up in three...two...

One thing we will then find out is just how many sealed indictments and plea deals that Mueller has.  He has used this tool of prosecutors a number of times and to great effect.  He's not stupid enough to think that he wasn't going to have his plug pulled at any moment, so I'm sure he's set up everything to come out upon his demise.

[Ty in Tampa]

Reports say Rosensein is going to resign (as opposed to re-sign).  The Mueller investigation is going to be blown up in three...two...

One thing we will then find out is just how many sealed indictments and plea deals that Mueller has.  He has used this tool of prosecutors a number of times and to great effect.  He's not stupid enough to think that he wasn't going to have his plug pulled at any moment, so I'm sure he's set up everything to come out upon his demise.

Reports now are that he is not resigning, but expects to be fired. Apparently being fired has impact on how Trump replaces him.

[Bench]

I can barely keep up with the Kavanaugh stuff.  Has he ever come up with a plausible explanation for how his $100s of thousands of  debt just disappeared?

Nor has he explained the extent of his involvement in Memogate and why he lied under oath about it.

[Limey]

Nor has he explained the extent of his involvement in Memogate and why he lied under oath about it.

Ditto the torture memos.

At least he never described himself as a "wise cracka".

[Limey]

Reports now are that he is not resigning, but expects to be fired. Apparently being fired has impact on how Trump replaces him.

Isn't the deputy position simply an appointment, not Senate-confirmable?

[Ty in Tampa]

Isn't the deputy position simply an appointment, not Senate-confirmable?

It is, but if he is fired and replaced with a lackey who then fires Mueller then it's seen as more obstruction.

[Limey]

It is, but if he is fired and replaced with a lackey who then fires Mueller then it's seen as more obstruction.

The problem here is that the overzealousness of the NYT has given Trump plausible deniability as far as the rationale for firing Rosenstein. He successor will, of course, fire Mueller, but any potential obstruction accusation is muted because Rosenstein was fired for non-Russia-related issues.

[Ty in Tampa]

The problem here is that the overzealousness of the NYT has given Trump plausible deniability as far as the rationale for firing Rosenstein. He successor will, of course, fire Mueller, but any potential obstruction accusation is muted because Rosenstein was fired for non-Russia-related issues.

That's an extremely shaky rationale but I get where you're coming from. Now it looks like he might be staying...for now.

[Limey]

Kavanaugh is now in the cross-hairs of both Ronan Farrow and Michael Avenatti.  Basically he's now a extra in an Alien vs. Predator movie.

Avenatti seems to have some really salacious stuff, being the interpretation of entries in Kavanaugh's yearbook, including: guys lining up outside a bathroom to each take turns with a drunk girl; the "Devil's Triangle" being a threesome involving 2 guys and one girl; and "FFFFFFFourth of July” with the Fs standing for Find, French, Feel, Finger, Fuck and Forget.

The more we see of Kavanaugh's past, the more predatory he looks.  Avenatti is a sleaze, but he's shown with his handling of Stormy Daniels' case that he is not one to bluff without having the goods in his back pocket, and he claims that his client has a strong resume, including the State Dept, U.S. Mint, & DOJ, and that she's had multiple security clearances.

[Limey]

Kavanaugh victim #4 comes forward.

I respectfully suggest that we need to start using the hashtag "K-Too".

[chuck]

You know, the last time these craven, soulless, shameless fuckfaces nominated a sexual harasser to the Supreme Court all I remember is garden variety workplace harassment, not accusations of gang rape. Inexorable march of modernity and that, I guess.

[Limey]

You know, the last time these craven, soulless, shameless fuckfaces nominated a sexual harasser to the Supreme Court all I remember is garden variety workplace harassment, not accusations of gang rape. Inexorable march of modernity and that, I guess.

That’s because the previous guy was black, and so hadn’t been invited to the gang rape keggers.

[BudGirl]

Kavanaugh victim #4 comes forward.

I respectfully suggest that we need to start using the hashtag "K-Too".

He makes me sick.  Literally sick, because many times the girl/woman really isn't consenting because they are not in their full capacity.  Yet, after the fact they feel it is their fault for being in that situation.  I hate that anyone can excuse it.

[Limey]

He makes me sick.  Literally sick, because many times the girl/woman really isn't consenting because they are not in their full capacity.  Yet, after the fact they feel it is their fault for being in that situation.  I hate that anyone can excuse it.

It worse than that.  These guys are accused of targeting a particular girl in a drinking game to make sure she gets properly drunk.  That's premeditation.

[Limey]

Looks like Rosenstein is insisting that Trump fire him personally, instead of via tweet or proxy, which is his M.O. (because he's a coward).

[BudGirl]

It worse than that.  These guys are accused of targeting a particular girl in a drinking game to make sure she gets properly drunk.  That's premeditation.

He needs to be in jail.  But his defense would be she was asking for it.  Satan is waiting for him.  I have no doubt his white-privileged ass is going to hell.   But the way many Republicans treat women, he'll probably end up on the Supreme Court.

And honestly, has no one wondered if anyone woman he had consensual sex with had an abortion.  I'd rather go to hell than have his kid. 

[Limey]

Open Letter from Women of Yale in Support of [Kavanaugh Accuser] Deborah Ramirez.

We are coming forward as women of Yale because we have a shared experience of the environment that shaped not only Judge Kavanaugh’s life and career, but our own. We are committed to supporting all women who have faced sexual assault, not only at Yale, but across the country.

It had over 900 signatures as of a couple of hours ago.

[Limey]

And honestly, has no one wondered if anyone woman he had consensual sex with had an abortion.  I'd rather go to hell than have his kid.

There is usually a nod to victims of rape, allowing that as an exception.  But there should be a giant asterisk on it, because rape is rarely reported and almost never prosecuted.  Also, you have 20 weeks in which to report, investigate, prosecute and obtain a conviction in order to be able to abort your forced pregnancy.

What, you thought they'd make the rape exception easy?

[Limey]

In a robotic, 15 minute interview with Fox News, Kavanaugh repeated that he'd never sexually assaulted anyone 7 times and that he just wants a fair hearing (for who?) 17 times.  In 15 minutes.  I suspect the target audience was a few Republican senators, but I don't think he convinced anyone of anything other than he's a bit creepy.  Dragging the silent wife along and then answering questions for her is not a good look either.

Speaking of Fox News, a new poll by them has the Republican party underwater as to whether people think they put the party or the country first.  Ouch!

Michael Avenatti is grandstanding the shit out of his new client, but we know that he has yet to fail to deliver the goods.  His client is going to come forward today or tomorrow, and appears to have some serious dirt to dish.  He described her as a witness and victim, and she will bring with her some impressive-seeming credentials and a few corroborating witnesses.

At least one of the 65 women who knew Kavanaugh in high school and vouched for him has removed her name from the letter.  It appears that Kavanaugh's buddies had a "Renate Alumni" which they put all over the yearbook, referring to all of the doods who had - or claimed to have had - a good time with Renate.  She only found out about it when it came out in the press (which was after she signed the letter) and now she's rightly pissed.

[Bench]

In a robotic, 15 minute interview with Fox News, Kavanaugh repeated that he'd never sexually assaulted anyone 7 times and that he just wants a fair hearing (for who?) 17 times.  In 15 minutes.  I suspect the target audience was a few Republican senators, but I don't think he convinced anyone of anything other than he's a bit creepy.  Dragging the silent wife along and then answering questions for her is not a good look either.

Speaking of Fox News, a new poll by them has the Republican party underwater as to whether people think they put the party or the country first.  Ouch!

Michael Avenatti is grandstanding the shit out of his new client, but we know that he has yet to fail to deliver the goods.  His client is going to come forward today or tomorrow, and appears to have some serious dirt to dish.  He described her as a witness and victim, and she will bring with her some impressive-seeming credentials and a few corroborating witnesses.

At least one of the 65 women who knew Kavanaugh in high school and vouched for him has removed her name from the letter.  It appears that Kavanaugh's buddies had a "Renate Alumni" which they put all over the yearbook, referring to all of the doods who had - or claimed to have had - a good time with Renate.  She only found out about it when it came out in the press (which was after she signed the letter) and now she's rightly pissed.

He also claimed in his interview that nobody under 18 drank alcohol at these high school parties and that he's never been blacked out drunk, which are ludicrous claims.  If you are lying about the inconsequential stuff (along with "no president has ever conducted a more thorough search for a supreme court nominee" ) it's hard to take you seriously on the important stuff.  Especially on top of lying under oath about his involvement is a major ethical scandal. 

[jbm]

He also claimed in his interview that nobody under 18 drank alcohol at these high school parties and that he's never been blacked out drunk, which are ludicrous claims.  If you are lying about the inconsequential stuff (along with "no president has ever conducted a more thorough search for a supreme court nominee" ) it's hard to take you seriously on the important stuff.  Especially on top of lying under oath about his involvement is a major ethical scandal.

Yeah, the "under 18" clause screamed of a man who is lying about the small stuff. 

[Limey]

Yeah, the "under 18" clause screamed of a man who is lying about the small stuff.

Right.  In a high school "drowning in booze", Kavanaugh waited until he was 18 before getting drunk for the balance of his education.  He handed Kamela Harris et al a couple of new lines of questioning just from that interview.

One interesting tidbit, Neil Gorsuch went to the same Prep school as Kavanaugh and Judge.  Apparently he managed to navigate this time without becoming famed for being a blackout drunk, raping anyone or writing about it all over his yearbook.  Kida debunks the "boys will be boys" defense.

[BudGirl]

I love Trevor Noah.  https://youtu.be/zuudCxw1GdQ

[Limey]

I love Trevor Noah.  https://youtu.be/zuudCxw1GdQ

That's awesome.  The focus group was a horror show.

[Limey]

Delegates at the UN General Assembly - i.e. other world leaders - laughed out loud at Trump today.

That is all.

[Navin R Johnson]

Delegates at the UN General Assembly - i.e. other world leaders - laughed out loud at Trump today.

That is all.

Remember when Trump and his idiot followers that electing trump would make the world “Respect the USA again.”

Morons

[Mr. Happy]

Delegates at the UN General Assembly - i.e. other world leaders - laughed out loud at Trump today.

That is all.

With all due respect, double fuck the UN. I'd cut their subsidies and kick those socialists out of the country. We don't need them.

[Limey]

With all due respect, double fuck the UN. I'd cut their subsidies and kick those socialists out of the country. We don't need them.

Those were the leaders of other countries.  Remember when Trump said everyone was laughing at us (they weren’t) and that with him as president they would stop (they just started)?

[MRaup]

With all due respect, double fuck the UN. I'd cut their subsidies and kick those socialists out of the country. We don't need them.

You are terrifyingly clueless.

[Navin R Johnson]

Making th USA, an actual laughingstock, to own the libs.

[Navin R Johnson]

One for every occasion....

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/498008486551506945?s=21

Respect!

What a fucking dumbass our President is.

[Limey]

One for every occasion....

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/498008486551506945?s=21

Respect!

What a fucking dumbass our President is.

Proving yet again that there’s a Trump tweet upon which he hoists himself for every occasion. 

[Lefty]

With all due respect, double fuck the UN. I'd cut their subsidies and kick those socialists out of the country. We don't need them.

It's funny that you only showed up because of the UN boogeyman

[WVastro]

It's funny that you only showed up because of the UN boogeyman

No shit. And at this point he has to be trolling. Why start with that “all due respect” bullshit otherwise?

Mr. Happy, you have a very admirable life story. I’ve read it here. I also know this thread appears to be an echo chamber but damn dude. Just respond from you... not regurgitated nonsense. I’m positive you know better and have some thoughtful commentary. I really do think that’s what people would like in this thread.

[Waldo]

No shit. And at this point he has to be trolling. Why start with that “all due respect” bullshit otherwise?

Mr. Happy, you have a very admirable life story. I’ve read it here. I also know this thread appears to be an echo chamber but damn dude. Just respond from you... not regurgitated nonsense. I’m positive you know better and have some thoughtful commentary. I really do think that’s what people would like in this thread.

His Facebook posts aren’t really much different from what he posts here. Last week he reposted the widely debunked meme listing a bunch of falsehoods about Blasey Ford in an attempt to discredit her. It’s no troll job.

[Limey]

FYI, Maryland raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 before Brett Kavanaugh turned 18.  So, in his admitted and alleged (and corroborated) stories of drinking at high school and during his early college career, he was drinking illegally. 

In the grand scheme of things, underage drinking is nothing to get crazy about.  However, the fact that he lies about the small things, the easily debunked things, impeaches his credibility about the big things. 

No president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.

[jbm]

In the grand scheme of things, underage drinking is nothing to get crazy about.  However, the fact that he lies about the small things, the easily debunked things, impeaches his credibility about the big things.

Even his college buddies are calling bullshit on this.  I guess the choir boy shtick was too much for them.  I wonder if they also are saying: "maybe he really did do these other things."

It's fascinating that he is so bold/stupid/arrogant (not sure what is the right descriptor) to even try this tactic.  I guess he and his handlers are trapped in the Trump universe where inhabitants don't believe in the power of truth and facts.

Anyways, fuck this lying piece of shit and all the enablers who seem content inhabiting such a world.

[Limey]

Even his college buddies are calling bullshit on this.  I guess the choir boy shtick was too much for them.  I wonder if they also are saying: "maybe he really did do these other things."

Kavanaugh's freshmen college roommate is on the record that Kavanaugh was frequently incoherently drunk and that he and the guys he ran with were absolutely capable of doing the things that Ms Ramirez has alleged.

It's fascinating that he is so bold/stupid/arrogant (not sure what is the right descriptor) to even try this tactic.  I guess he and his handlers are trapped in the Trump universe where inhabitants don't believe in the power of truth and facts.

Anyways, fuck this lying piece of shit and all the enablers who seem content inhabiting such a world.

You die with the lie.

[Limey]

Not losing one's virginity until "many years" after high school / college does not make it less likely that one would be a sex pest...

[Limey]

Four corroborators of Dr. Ford - i.e. people who she told of Kavanaugh's attack long before he was nominated to the Supreme Court - have presented sworn affidavits, under penalty of perjury, as to what they were told by Ford and when.

Brett Kavanaugh has offered up his fridge calendar, while Mark Judge is hiding out at a friend's beach house.

[The Spleen]

"BOOOOOOOOOOM."

--The Dynamite

[Bench]

"BOOOOOOOOOOM."

--The Dynamite

That's horrific. 

[BudGirl]

"BOOOOOOOOOOM."

--The Dynamite

He and his friends deserve to go to jail.  That is not a "boys will be boys" thing.  That is premeditated rape.  Fuck them all. 

And those Republicans will probably confirm him.  It truly makes me want to cry.

[Limey]

Reminder:  there is no statute of limitations for rape, or attempt thereat, in Maryland. 

I completely understand the reticence to do so, but I sincerely hope that one or more of Kavanaugh's victims file a criminal complaint. 

I am sick to my stomach.

[Tom Servo]

And now Trump's lawyer is hanging around white nationalists.  There is no shame anymore.  This is just the norm.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giuliani-photographed-with-white-nationalist-mayoral-candidate

[Limey]

And now Trump's lawyer is hanging around white nationalists.  There is no shame anymore.  This is just the norm.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giuliani-photographed-with-white-nationalist-mayoral-candidate

The difference between Trump and Kavanaugh, is that there's a term limit to Trump's presidency.  Kavanaugh, like herpes, is for life.

[Limey]

Grassley released a statement to say the committee lawyers are looking at the declaration.  What they do now is very, very important.

[Limey]

Trump's comments this morning - that he would have preferred less scrutiny of Kavanaugh's background, and that this process should have been completed before now - didn't age well.

Also today, without even a whiff of evidence, Trump accused China of election meddling.  #NoPuppet

[Limey]

Brett Kavanaugh's (female) lawyer is on TV right now, with a new line of defense:  there is soooooo much stuff here that it can't be true because it would've come out before now.  #smh

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Brett Kavanaugh's (female) lawyer is on TV right now, with a new line of defense:  there is soooooo much stuff here that it can't be true because it would've come out before now.  #smh

I was anticipating this today. I was thinking, What a bunch of incompetent douchebags to foist someone with this much baggage on the American people.

Administrations used to be careful to put forward carefully vetted candidates, back when shame was.

Naturally, I thought, rather than take any blame for opportunistically advancing a probable dirtbag to a lifetime appointment of mindbending importance, they'll lay at conspiracy's feet what belongs to dicksteppery, thus affirming their supporters' all-corroding cynicism.

And to think they could've nominated a conservative Merrick Garland and owned--virtually without drama--the highest court in the land for thirty years.

[Bench]

And to think they could've nominated a conservative Merrick Garland and owned--virtually without drama--the highest court in the land for thirty years.

They still will even if they ditch Kavanaugh, which is the weirdest part of this whole saga.  Why are they so insistent on elevating this asshole?

[Limey]

And to think they could've nominated a conservative Merrick Garland and owned--virtually without drama--the highest court in the land for thirty years.

There's a conspiracy theory - that requires excessive amounts of pro-active thinking and discretion on the part of the protagonists, so I do not subscribe to it - that has the insistence on the nominee being Kavanaugh all wrapped up in Justice Kennedy's son's work for Trump at Deutsche Bank.  The only thing this would help explain is Kavanaugh's disappearing credit card debts and mortgage, but it still requires competence to pull off so - like the 9/11 truthers - it dies on that hill.

Kavanaugh is the guy because (1) sex pests flock together (Kavanaugh used to work for a judge ousted for sexual harassment); and (b) he was added to the Heritage Foundation's original list of potentials because of his overt statements about presidents being free from legal botheration while in office*.  Republicans will keep trying, and may very well be successful, in ramming him through because they are most definitely Trump's party now.

* He is never going to leave office willingly.  He will concoct some excuse to cancel the 2020 election or set aside a losing result; he will ignore a Democratic House and/or Senate and all the courts, and this Supreme Court will let him do it.  Who is going to compel him to testify, let alone leave the White House?  The military?  He has joked about being president for life, but he's a humorless fucker, so it's just him saying the quiet part aloud as usual.

[Dark Star]

His Facebook posts aren’t really much different from what he posts here. Last week he reposted the widely debunked meme listing a bunch of falsehoods about Blasey Ford in an attempt to discredit her. It’s no troll job.

Look, he's been down in his bunker, preparing for the imminent civil war. He just came out long enough to catch up with this thread and offer his wizened opinions.

Give the man a break.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

They still will even if they ditch Kavanaugh, which is the weirdest part of this whole saga.  Why are they so insistent on elevating this asshole?

Agreed. It warms my heart that they are apparently deeply concerned about losing their senate majority, but wouldn't they have time now (especially seeing that they have already jettisoned all their inconvenient shame) to retract him and nominate someone else, even if they have to lame duck the fucker in?

I don't subscribe to all of Limey's speculations by any means (I don't think Handsy overstays his official welcome in D.C., for instance) but the insistence on O'Kavanaugh as a buffer against impeachment increasingly appears decisive. 

[Limey]

Agreed. It warms my heart that they are apparently deeply concerned about losing their senate majority, but wouldn't they have time now (especially seeing that they have already jettisoned all their inconvenient shame) to retract him and nominate someone else, even if they have to lame duck the fucker in?

I don't subscribe to all of Limey's speculations by any means (I don't think Handsy overstays his official welcome in D.C., for instance) but the insistence on O'Kavanaugh as a buffer against impeachment increasingly appears decisive.

Kavanaugh has lied under oath; the proof is plentiful and solid.  If Democrats can take back the House, they can impeach him; upon which it would fall to the Senate to try him, something for which I understand there to be few rules governing the process (they can slow walk it forever, for one).  He isn't certain to see out his lifetime appointment, and there's always the chance that he gets found guilty in a criminal proceeding.

They could drop him and bring forward another nominee.  They could run that nominee through the process and get him/her confirmed in the lame duck session, perhaps even before the mid-terms.  This is ALL about backstopping Trump with the Supreme Court.

[BudGirl]

Give the man a break.

No.

[jbm]

This is ALL about backstopping Trump with the Supreme Court.

I don't doubt that Kavanaugh holds an extreme judicial view on Presidential powers, or at least he does these days.  However, I've never heard that the other four conservatives on the Court hold a similar view.  So, without knowing for certain whether the others hold this view, I don't understand why they would go to the mat to lose 8-1 or 7-2 or something on cases involving Trump.  There has to be a more persuasive explanation.

[Limey]

I don't doubt that Kavanaugh holds an extreme judicial view on Presidential powers, or at least he does these days.  However, I've never heard that the other four conservatives on the Court hold a similar view.  So, without knowing for certain whether the others hold this view, I don't understand why they would go to the mat to lose 8-1 or 7-2 or something on cases involving Trump.  There has to be a more persuasive explanation.

Republicans are losing the numbers game as the country gets younger and less white.  There are 75 million millennials in the U.S. - they can out-vote every other demographic if they choose to.  So, faced with the inevitable, they have been gaming the system for years now to hold on to power.  Stacking the courts is one part of that strategy - it gave us the Bush presidency, after all - and they have been confirming lifetime appointments at breathtaking speed since Trump got in.  It's basically the only thing they've been doing.  They have been picking young candidates particularly.

They're going to lose election after election (they got two presidents who lost the popular vote, don't forget), but conservative judges on the appeals courts and on SCOTUS will keep a conservative thumb on the scale for a generation and keep ruling for business and against people to keep the money flowing up.

[jbm]

Never mind.  I misunderstood.  I though your "backstopping Trump" comment meant that Kavanaugh's particular appeal and staying power during all this is his view that presidents are untouchable.

[Limey]

Never mind.  I misunderstood.  I though your "backstopping Trump" comment meant that Kavanaugh's particular appeal and staying power during all this is his view that presidents are untouchable.

Oh, no, that's why I think it's Kavanaugh and not any one of the demonstrably more conservative judges on Heritage's list.  But we are going to have a 5-4 conservative majority for a decade at least, with a majority that will turn itself into a pretzel to be pro-business (e.g. Citizens United).

[chuck]

Naturally, I thought, rather than take any blame for opportunistically advancing a probable dirtbag to a lifetime appointment of mindbending importance, they'll lay at conspiracy's feet what belongs to dicksteppery, thus affirming their supporters' all-corroding cynicism.

The above paragraph deserves additional commendation to the reader.

Also, I enjoy being lectured on the evils of the UN by a fuckwit who does not own a passport.

[moriartp]

Oh, no, that's why I think it's Kavanaugh and not any one of the demonstrably more conservative judges on Heritage's list.  But we are going to have a 5-4 conservative majority for a decade at least, with a majority that will turn itself into a pretzel to be pro-business (e.g. Citizens United).

Federalist Society, not Heritage.

[Limey]

Federalist Society, not Heritage.

Thank you.

[Mr. Happy]

The above paragraph deserves additional commendation to the reader.

Also, I enjoy being lectured on the evils of the UN by a fuckwit who does not own a passport.

What in the wide world of sports does not having a passport have to do with one's ability to see the UN for what it is: an anti-Semitic, jealous group of socialists who are constantly trying to get our money and our sovreignty. At its inception, given the nature of the world at that point, the UN made sense. But not anymore. Most of the member countries are lawless hamlets anyway and aren't worth saving. I love it that President Trump and Ambassador Haley are giving them all of the shit that they've deserved for years.

[Limey]

And then there were 4.

He got drunk, grabbed a woman - in front of her friends and her daughter - pushed her up against a wall a tried to dry hump her.  No pattern here...

This was in 1998 while he was working on the Starr investigation.  No irony here...

[Limey]

What in the wide world of sports does not having a passport have to do with one's ability to see the UN for what it is: an anti-Semitic, jealous group of socialists who are constantly trying to get our money and our sovreignty. At its inception, given the nature of the world at that point, the UN made sense. But not anymore. Most of the member countries are lawless hamlets anyway and aren't worth saving. I love it that President Trump and Ambassador Haley are giving them all of the shit that they've deserved for years.

You forgot to say that they’re trying to steal our essence. 

[HudsonHawk]

You forgot to say that they’re trying to steal our essence.

Sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids?

[WVastro]

What in the wide world of sports does not having a passport have to do with one's ability to see the UN for what it is: an anti-Semitic, jealous group of socialists who are constantly trying to get our money and our sovreignty. At its inception, given the nature of the world at that point, the UN made sense. But not anymore. Most of the member countries are lawless hamlets anyway and aren't worth saving. I love it that President Trump and Ambassador Haley are giving them all of the shit that they've deserved for years.

As I initially read this I didn’t look at the person posting and I was actually chuckling as I thought the poster had a pretty good sense of humor....

damn dude... whoa. Lots to unpack there.

[Limey]

Just a fun fact for today:

Bush Jr. lost the popular vote (and the actual vote), but won the electoral college.  He put Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court.

Trump lost the popular vote, but won the electoral college.  He put Gorsuch on the Supreme Court and now will put Kavanaugh or someone else on there too.

That's 4 of the 9 put on the court by presidents rejected by the majority of voters.  #democracy

[Waldo]

Just a fun fact for today:

Bush Jr. lost the popular vote (and the actual vote), but won the electoral college.  He put Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court.

Trump lost the popular vote, but won the electoral college.  He put Gorsuch on the Supreme Court and now will put Kavanaugh or someone else on there too.

That's 4 of the 9 put on the court by presidents rejected by the majority of voters.  #democracy

Not that it matters, but Alito and Roberts were appointed during Bush's second term, for which he won the popular vote.

[BudGirl]

aren't worth saving.

sort of like drug addicts and rapists?

[Limey]

Not that it matters, but Alito and Roberts were appointed during Bush's second term, for which he won the popular vote.

True.  But he doesn't get to run in 2004 if he doesn't "win" in 2000.  Incumbent presidents are typically hard to unseat, and President Gore would have got the 9/11 bump that Bush got.

[Limey]

Grassley opens by equating Ford's experience to Kavanaugh's.

And moves on to "lament" that these charges weren't brought up before now.  [Dr. Ford checked her notes on that one]



Dick.

[BudGirl]

I'm amazed at how weak men can be.

[Limey]

I'm amazed at how weak men can be.

50-year old men coming forward about sexual assault by Catholic priests:  heroes

50-year old women coming forward about sexual assault by Catholic schoolboys:  liars

[jbm]

Grassley has already pissed me off.  He's not even attempting to be fair.  Kavanaugh receiving death threats, it's all a secret plot by Feinstein, inappropriate sexual conduct, defending not calling witnesses, etc.

He's basically telling Ford to fuck off before she even speaks.

[Limey]

Grassley is a bumbling old fool.  This is embarrassing already.  He can't even get his attacks on Ford out without stumbling over his written notes.

Bottom line:  maybe Kavanaugh did this, maybe he didn't, but the Democrats are at fault and so we shouldn't be doing this.  W...T...F?

[Limey]

Grassley has already pissed me off.  He's not even attempting to be fair.  Kavanaugh receiving death threats, it's all a secret plot by Feinstein, inappropriate sexual conduct, defending not calling witnesses, etc.

He's basically telling Ford to fuck off before she even speaks.

He has already torpedoed the strategy of bringing in a woman to do his questioning.

[Limey]

Dr. Ford is basically the smartest person in the room.

[BudGirl]

Dr. Ford is basically the smartest person in the room.

She's pretty much the only woman in the room.

[Limey]

She's pretty much the only woman in the room.

Four very smart, accomplished women on the Democratic side but, yes, it's pathetic how every room in Washington and most boardrooms in America are extreme sausage fests.

[Limey]

Feinstein beating Grassley at his own game.  She certainly wins in the game of having all of one's marbles.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Feinstein beating Grassley at his own game.  She certainly wins in the game of having all of one's marbles.

Agreed, Lahey, Grassley, and Hatch, all seem like feeble old men struggling to maintain a coherent thought.

[BudGirl]

Dr. Ford is my new hero.  I do not think a lot of people realize how hard it is to put a traumatic event in ones live out in the open for the whole world to judge. 

[Limey]

Dr. Ford is my new hero.  I do not think a lot of people realize how hard it is to put a traumatic event in ones live out in the open for the whole world to judge.

This is heartbreaking.

[Limey]

Ford is jamming Grassley's conspiracy theories farther and farther up his incontinent old backside.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

This is heartbreaking.

Yes it is. And so it was for Kathleen Willey, Jaunita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and Leslie Milwee.

[Bench]

Dr. Ford is my new hero.  I do not think a lot of people realize how hard it is to put a traumatic event in ones live out in the open for the whole world to judge.

It's amazing the amount of grace she is able to muster under this environment.

[Limey]

Yes it is. And so it was for Kathleen Willey, Jaunita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and Leslie Milwee.

Correct.  We haven't improved how we handle accusations of sexual assault.  This process is putting that sad fact in stark relief.

ETA:  Bill Cosby's reputation was sterling and unimpeachable for decades.  He's in jail right now.  Weinstein may join him.

[Limey]

FTR, Grassley's ridiculous format of 5 minute windows for each Senator - all of which on the Republican side are being deferred to their pinch-vagina - got blown up during the very first 5-minute window.  Grassley's own window.

[Bench]

FTR, Grassley's ridiculous format of 5 minute windows for each Senator - all of which on the Republican side are being deferred to their pinch-vagina - got blown up during the very first 5-minute window.  Grassley's own window.

Do they normally bounce from majority to minority sides in these hearings? 

I think the 5 minute increments were a condition requested by Dr. Ford's attorneys.

[Limey]

Do they normally bounce from majority to minority sides in these hearings? 

I think the 5 minute increments were a condition requested by Dr. Ford's attorneys.

The hearings I have seen, they do bounce from one side to the other.  The majority gets an extra go by dint of having an extra committee member.

My understanding is that the 5-minute format was the structure imposed by the Republican majority.

[Limey]

Grassley ranting about the timeline again.  Also, there are too many states.

[Ty in Tampa]

I don't see how the Republicans on the Judicial Committee can think this is going well and that having Kavanaugh deny that it happened for an hour will go any better.

[Limey]

I don't see how the Republicans on the Judicial Committee can think this is going well and that having Kavanaugh deny that it happened for an hour will go any better.

I'm hoping/expecting that the Democrats ask him once and let him deny it once, and then hammer him on everything that disqualifies him, including lying under oath and having a mystery benefactor pay off his mortgage and credit cards debts.

How Mitchell is going to drag out 55 minutes of questioning of Kavanaugh is going to be interesting to watch.  Maybe they have more Google maps for him to narrate.

[Limey]

Grassley is more interested in defending his own handling of this debacle, than hearing from Ford.

[Limey]

Ford is sooooooooooo much smarter than Mitchell.

[Limey]

Mitchell is walking on eggshells and nibbling around the edges.  She hasn't made a single dent or mark on the core allegation.

[Waldo]

The fear of flying part was pretty weak on Mitchell's end.  You can be afraid of flying and still put on your big boy/girl pants and do it when you have to.

[Limey]

The fear of flying part was pretty weak on Mitchell's end.  You can be afraid of flying and still put on your big boy/girl pants and do it when you have to.

Seriously.  WTF was that about?  She lied about not wanting to fly so she lied about Kavanaugh? 

[Limey]

Klobuchar is on to a very important point:  Ford came forward to her US Representative once Kavanaugh hit a short list.  She wanted to let them know that they should pass him over and thus avoid everything that's happening now.  That started the ball rolling and she only decided to come forward once she'd been outed by leaks from Washington.

It's worth noting that people started snooping around her private life within hours of Feinstein naming her to her Republican counterparts.  Maybe that's a coincidence...

[Ty in Tampa]

The fear of flying part was pretty weak on Mitchell's end.  You can be afraid of flying and still put on your big boy/girl pants and do it when you have to.

They're trying to wrap up the conspiracy of delay, delay, delay. It's the only defense they have.

[BudGirl]

The whole acceptance of the polygraph was a joke and Grassley sounded like a condescending ass.  Like he cares what gets entered into the record.

[Limey]

They're trying to wrap up the conspiracy of delay, delay, delay. It's the only defense they have.

Which is amazing considering what they did (or didn't do) to Merrick Garland.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Klobuchar is on to a very important point:  Ford came forward to her US Representative once Kavanaugh hit a short list.  She wanted to let them know that they should pass him over and thus avoid everything that's happening now.

She kind of got fucked over figuratively by her US Rep and the WP not reacting in a timely manner. So much irony.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Which is amazing considering what they did (or didn't do) to Merrick Garland.

It's typically amazing.

[Limey]

She kind of got fucked over figuratively by her US Rep and the WP not reacting in a timely manner. So much irony.

Coons now nailing home that timeline after Mitchell spent 5 minutes, basically, impugning her Rep and the WP for not reacting faster.  Not sure if Mitchell has a point to make or if she's just running out the clock.  It's pretty clear that they cannot go after her core accusation, because they didn't do an investigation so they have nothing to challenge Ford with.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Ford is sooooooooooo much smarter than Mitchell.

One is a scientist. The other is a decider.

[Limey]

The whole acceptance of the polygraph was a joke and Grassley sounded like a condescending ass.  Like he cares what gets entered into the record.

Yep.  And he got called on it but shame is something in short supply amongst Republicans these days.

FTR, I think polygraphs are junk science, their used in law enforcement as an interview tool and they are not admissible in court.

[Limey]

Blumnethal debagging Lyndsey Graham on live TV.

ETA:  then he planted a boot squarely on Trump's smaller-than-average, misshapen cock.

[Limey]

Mitchell is all over the polygraph.  I can see no point to this, other than to suggest that she was coached in "countermeasures" (which Ford shot down).

[jbm]

I've only been able to catch bits and pieces, but is there some discernible narrative arising from the pinch hitter's questions?

[Ty in Tampa]

I've only been able to catch bits and pieces, but is there some discernible narrative arising from the pinch hitter's questions?

They're pounding at her recollections, timelines and insinuating deception and delay but nothing seems to take hold. The 5-minute framework is not working at all.

[Limey]

I've only been able to catch bits and pieces, but is there some discernible narrative arising from the pinch hitter's questions?

Not that I can see.  She is nibbling at peripheral things, perhaps trying to catch Ford in a lie.  Mitchell was brought in at the last minute and sent out there with no data from an investigation, cannot berate the witness, and is trying to strike her out by lobbing softballs.  It's embarrassing.

[MusicMan]

From VF correspondent Gabriel Sherman:

Trump telling people he’s furious that WH aides didn’t have advance knowledge of how credible Ford would seem, per 2nd source


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MusicMan]

Not that I can see.  She is nibbling at peripheral things, perhaps trying to catch Ford in a lie.  Mitchell was brought in at the last minute and sent out there with no data from an investigation, cannot berate the witness, and is trying to strike her out by lobbing softballs.  It's embarrassing.

This is why baseball teaches you life lessons. Only lefties can thrive with soft tossing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Limey]

From VF correspondent Gabriel Sherman:

Trump telling people he’s furious that WH aides didn’t have advance knowledge of how credible Ford would seem, per 2nd source

If only the Federal government had a bureau of people who are really good at investigating things...

[Limey]

This is why baseball teaches you life lessons. Only lefties can thrive with soft tossing.

That is awesome!

[Limey]

From VF correspondent Gabriel Sherman:

Trump telling people he’s furious that WH aides didn’t have advance knowledge of how credible Ford would seem, per 2nd source

I'm sure Kavanaugh has been vomiting into a bucket most of the day.

[BudGirl]

I'm sure Kavanaugh has been vomiting into a bucket most of the day.

He's drunk already?

[Limey]

He's drunk already?

Fantastic!

You and The Onion are on the same page today.

[Limey]

Lyndsey Graham just put his head down - literally and figuratively - and told a scrum (or maul) of reporters that he's going to vote for Kavanaugh tomorrow.  I guess when McCain died, he took Graham's spine to the grave with him.

ETA:  His entire justification was the timeline.  It seems that's the hill their going to die on.

[Limey]

As an aside, watching this 1 hour and 55 minutes of questioning crawling towards its 4th hour, I will never bitch about the last 2 minutes of an NBA game ever again.

[Limey]

On Fox News, Bret Baier says hearing from Blasey Ford "is a totally different thing" than reading her allegations.

Chris Wallace: "This was extremely emotional, extremely raw, and extremely credible... This is a disaster for the Republicans."

[Limey]

As they set back up after the break, I saw a wide shot of the room.  Does anyone else find the optics of Mitchell having a tiny desk below the elevated position of her male overlords not a little ridiculous?

[jbm]

Every time time I tune in, the prosecutor is flailing: focusing on who is going to pay for the polygraph, like it is some important revelation?  WTF

Dr. Ford's responses all seem genuine, like an average citizen would, all while responding to apparently inane probing.

[Waldo]

This is why baseball teaches you life lessons. Only lefties can thrive with soft tossing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well done.

[Gizzmonic]

ETA:  His entire justification was the timeline.  It seems that's the hill their going to die on.

 "The Conscience of the Republican Party" (or lack thereof) indeed.

[Ty in Tampa]

Holy shit! Free lawyers!! She's lying!!

[BudGirl]

I'm really liking her attorneys.

[Limey]

Kavanaugh forgot to rape her at other parties they attended = innocent.

[BudGirl]

Kavanaugh forgot to rape her at other parties they attended = innocent.

He was probably busy raping others.

[Limey]

He was probably busy raping others.

Good point. 

[Limey]

Kamela Harris has my vote for president.  Not least because all those people who lost their minds over a black man being president, will likely go a leap off a cliff.

[BudGirl]

Ms. Mitchell seems to be asking questions which make me think she thinks the FBI should have interviewed her.

[Limey]

Mitchell is shitting on Grassley’s hearing protocol as a way to impugn Ford’s testimony.  That’s some bold horseshit right there.

[BudGirl]

She seems to be covering ass, as to the committee not getting Dr. Ford to not fall apart.

[Ty in Tampa]

What a shit show.

[Limey]

Cornyn accusing Democrats of being political and not asking questions.  It’s only halftime, doucebag. 

Graham is pricking on about the flights and the polygraph.  He feels “ambushed”.   Can a human being be really this unaware?!

[Limey]

O...M...G

Lyndsey Graham just went full Trump. 

[Ty in Tampa]

O...M...G

Lyndsey Graham just went full Trump. 

That was unbelievable.

[jbm]

Graham is pricking on about the flights and the polygraph.  He feels “ambushed”.   Can a human being be really this unaware?!

Graham is off the rails.  Breathlessly desperate.

[The Spleen]

Graham is off the rails.  Breathlessly desperate.

We will get destroyed. And we will deserve it.

[Waldo]

That was unbelievable.

What did he say?  I'm watching the WaPo online stream.

[Ty in Tampa]

What did he say?  I'm watching the WaPo online stream.

https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1045380443263184898

[Limey]

That was unbelievable.

Not knowing certain facts as a rationale for not investigating is just the most insulting bullshit I’ve ever heard. 

[Bench]

Graham also threatened that Republicans will make false accusations against Democratic nominees in the future.   

[Limey]

What did he say?  I'm watching the WaPo online stream.

You need to look it up online as there’s no way - like a Trump rant - to do it justice or even be able to reduce it to writing.  He was spluttering nonsensical arguments as to why he’s not moved to change his mind.  He didn’t jam his fingers in his ears and stomp his feet, but he was one degree short of that. 

[Limey]

Graham also threatened that Republicans will make false accusations against Democratic nominees in the future.

As with everything else, it was 100% projection.  He was furious that Democrats might reap the reward of pre-election shenanigans.  Really?

[Waldo]

https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1045380443263184898

Good God.

[Limey]

Steeling myself to watch the Republicans running interference for Kavanaugh. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Why is he yelling?

[Limey]

Judge Ann Elk breaks out with a lie right from the go.   “This is my statement that I wrote by myself with no help from anyone.”   Even if true (it isn’t) why does it matter?

[Limey]

Why is he yelling?

Trump wants him to be angry. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Trump wants him to be angry. 

Just this statement shows he's unfit for the Supreme Court.

[Waldo]

I didn't watch any of Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings until today.  Dude talks like a politician.

[Ty in Tampa]

He's going to withdraw.

[Limey]

Just this statement shows he's unfit for the Supreme Court.

This statement (all in his own words) is just the same Republican talking points that it’s a Democratic tactic.  He’s wagging his junk in the faces of the Democrats in the committee. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Jesus. He's derailed.

[Waldo]

A Clinton revenge reference.  Nice.

[jbm]

Good name built up over the years?  Seriously, he must know that we know some of his history. 

The man who gleefully participated in Starr's investigation "fears for our future."  Really?

Dude, just say "I might be an asshole, but I didn't do this." 

[Limey]

I didn't watch any of Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings until today.  Dude talks like a politician.

He’s a Republican operative who happens to have been elevated to the DC court after a 3-year confirmation process. 

[Limey]

A Clinton revenge reference.  Nice.

I’m waiting for one of the Democrats to hit him with the questions he wanted to ask Clinton when he worked on Ken Starr’s team. 

[Ty in Tampa]

OK, tears. I can't believe what I am seeing.

[Limey]

Jesus. He's derailed.

...and is now in the ditch. 

He won’t be able to keep this up. 

[Gizzmonic]

Is the whole argument that he's too famous to have gotten away with predatory behavior this long?

If so, Bill Cosby would like a word...

[Ty in Tampa]

Jeez...with the fucking tears. What a putz!

[jbm]

Crying about Calendars? 

[Waldo]

Crying about Calendars?

And football teams(?).

[Ty in Tampa]

Advisers to Ford: "Do your best not to cry."

Advisers to Kavanaugh: "CRY LIKE A BABY!"

[Limey]

Trump doesn’t like crybabies. 

[Bench]

Advisers to Ford: "Do your best not to cry."

Advisers to Kavanaugh: "CRY LIKE A BABY!"

Advisers to Ford "Stay calm.  Don't get over emotional."

Advisers to Kavanuagh "FLIP THE FUCK OUT!"

[Ty in Tampa]

"I'm not going to sit here and let you bad-mouth BEER!"

[Waldo]

Could any unbiased person think that this is going well?  He has been a disaster.

[jbm]

Wait, the Renate yearbook reference is just about being in the "friendship club," but you're sorry you put it in the yearbook?

[Limey]

"I'm not going to sit here and let you bad-mouth BEER!"

Beer <> Rapist.  Got it. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Jeez, how embarrassing is this? I'm not sure even the Reps know what to think.

[Limey]

Could any unbiased person think that this is going well?  He has been a disaster.

He does not appear to have the emotional detachment to be a little league umpire, let alone a Supreme Court justice. 

[Bench]

Jeez, how embarrassing is this? I'm not sure even the Reps know what to think.

He's sobbing through this whole thing.  It's bizarre.

[Limey]

He's sobbing through this whole thing.  It's bizarre.

He’s a guy watching his entire world burning in front of his eyes. 

[Ty in Tampa]

He sounds so much like a Bro right now. *FIST BUMP*

[loganck]

From Twitter:  For someone crying this much he hasn't wiped away one tear.

[Waldo]

Opening statement approaching 40 minutes by my count.

[Limey]

An accused sexual predator - and former clerk to the most rampant sexual harasser is DC court history - boasting about surrounding yourself with women is not necessarily exculpatory. 

[Limey]

Opening statement approaching 40 minutes by my count.

He passed protesting too much about 20 minutes ago. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Trump hates displays of masculine weakness. He's done.

[Limey]

Mark Judge; great guy; barely knew him. 

[Limey]

Trump hates displays of masculine weakness. He's done.

Yeah.  He will have been smashing furniture over that display. 

[Ty in Tampa]

Wow. This guy is fucked.

[Limey]

Feinstein hits him up with his failure to want an FBI investigation.  He demurred to the committee and then went on a further unhinged rant about his reputation. 

Feinstein redirected;  Kavanaugh spouts talking points. 

[Limey]

Wow. This guy is fucked.

Whiny little bitch. 

[Limey]

OMG. 

Unhinged. 

[Ty in Tampa]

God, if he's not the epitome of elite entitlement not getting his way, I don't know what is.

[Limey]

He’s lying about the legal drinking age; they upped it to 21 before he was ever legal. 

[Limey]

He is now tripping over Mitchell’s softballs. 

[Ty in Tampa]

We are witnessing an epic meltdown. No way in hell this guy sniffs the Supreme Court.

[jbm]

He is now tripping over Mitchell’s softballs.

He's awful.  The Dems should just pass their time over to the pinch hitter.

[Bench]

We are witnessing an epic meltdown. No way in hell this guy sniffs the Supreme Court.

It's not quite the judicial temperament one expects from a supreme court justice.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Mrs Banedoodle: “He basically just said If I can’t drink beer I don’t want this stupid job. And i’m like, Hey, me too, man!”

[Bench]

The "Renata Alumnus" thing is ridiculous.  Who would believe it was supposed to be complimentary, but the lady never knew about it until this month and was mortified and horrified at seeing it. 

[Limey]

Is it too soon to crack a beer and pour some out in honor of Kavanaugh’s career?

[Limey]

Now we know why it’s 5 minute intervals.  He wouldn’t last any longer than that with any adversarial questioning. 

[Limey]

He is filibustering, and Grassley is letting it happen. 

[jbm]

This martyr role is fucking annoying; it's also a tell, to me at least, that he's afraid to address the questions.

He has three modes, crying, whining or lying.

[Waldo]

His yearbook profile is the yearbook editor's fault, not his.

[BudGirl]

I missed all of this because of a meeting?  Ugh!!!!!!!!!

[Limey]

There is no fucking way on this good green earth that this testimony is not coordinated.  She is walking him through his defense. 

[loganck]

This is all so disgusting.  Grassley in particular.

[Limey]

Grassley on his white horse again.

[jbm]

Grassley might just keel over in the middle of his incoherent babbling.  Durbin in owning these guys.

[Dark Star]

"One problem with Mitchell's questioning is that it only made sense if you are fluent in wingnut and only 27% of America speaks wingnut. To everyone else, it's gibberish." - Jeet Heer

[Limey]

Lyndsey Graham wants to be the next Attorney General. 

[Bench]

Why the fuck is Lindsey Graham questioning him?  What happened to the prosecutor?

[loganck]

Jesus.  Lindsey Graham is even more disgusting.  "You have nothing to apologize for."

[Waldo]

This is all so disgusting.  Grassley in particular.

Lindsey Graham: "Hold my beer."

[Ty in Tampa]

Oh boy. Graham is white-hot.

[Limey]

Graham goes Cosby.  He’s digging and digging. 

[BudGirl]

Graham must have had the same behavior in his youth if he thinks Kavanaugh did nothing wrong.

[Bench]

"It's well known I have a weak stomach."

[jbm]

This guy is a lying, entitled piece of shit

[Limey]

Lots and lots of people are watching one of our weakest people, nominated by our worst person, being ramrodded onto the Supreme Court by their elected officials. 

[BudGirl]

FFFFFFFFFFFuck.

Now it makes sense.

What a fucking joke.

[BudGirl]

and i find it amazing the details he remembers.

[jbm]

So, now the Republicans have given up on the lady, and are going full martyrdom.  McCarthyism?  WTF.  It's a hearing, that if there was any good faith, they would be trying to gather actual facts. 

[Limey]

They’ve ditched the female expert. 

[Bench]

So, now the Republicans have given up on the lady, and are going full martyrdom.  McCarthyism?  WTF.  It's a hearing, that if there was any good faith, they would be trying to gather actual facts.

That's so disingenuous.  They have a hired gun cross-examine her because they're too weak-kneed to do it, and when it's his term they spend the whole time fluffing it up.  Cornyn going now.

[BudGirl]

Cornyn, you would not bring the "witnesses" in to testify.  So, how can she collaborate her story?  What an asshole.

I cannot believe how they are building him up.  They should be ashamed of themselves.

[Ty in Tampa]

Oh, the indignation!

[Limey]

So, now the Republicans have given up on the lady, and are going full martyrdom.  McCarthyism?  WTF.  It's a hearing, that if there was any good faith, they would be trying to gather actual facts.

It’s pure damage control now.  No need to walk through a weak defense, it’s all exposition from the angry white men. 

[BudGirl]

OMG, he's a fucking idiot.

[BudGirl]

The roommate has it out for him.

He won't let her ask her question.  Time wasting asshole.

[Limey]

OMG, he's a fucking idiot.

He’s projecting his drinking onto everyone else.  He’s a mess. 

[Limey]

The roommate has it out for him.

He won't let her ask her question.  Time wasting asshole.

Hence on,y 5 minute windows.  He is trying to filibuster he way through each one. 

[jbm]

He’s projecting his drinking onto everyone else.  He’s a mess.

That really pisses me off.  Just answer the fucking question, don't ask the Senator if she or he likes to drink. 

[BudGirl]

I just wonder if the Senator said she had gotten black-out drunk if he would have thought she was asking to be assaulted.

[Waldo]

He just walked back his question to Klobuchar.

[Limey]

Hatch goes straight for the schlong gorveling. 

[Limey]

Hatch decrying Avenatti as a “porn star lawyer” is hilarious, given the reason why we all know who he is. 

Also, everything anyone (me) did in high school is off limits.

[MusicMan]

He just walked back his question to Klobuchar.

Wait, asking a Senator who has spoken publicly about dealing with an abusive alcoholic father if she ever got blackout drunk is a BAD look for a potential Supreme Court justice?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Limey]

We can’t investigate because it makes Brett sad. 

[BudGirl]

Grassley, just postpone the vote and request the investigation.  He's blaming everyone but himself.

[Limey]

Democrats are losing steam.  They need a shot of Kamela. 

[BudGirl]

Well, Grassley has the list of women Kavanaugh did not rape.  Good for him getting them on the record.  They must not be attractive.

[Limey]

Well, Grassley has the list of women Kavanaugh did not rape.  Good for him getting them on the record.  They must not be attractive.

One of them is the Renate of the yearbook alumni, who has no idea that she was slut-shamed by these choirboys all over the book. 

[Limey]

Mike Lee decrying hypocrisy is very hypocritical. 

Especially after Grassley decryed how long this is taking. 

[Limey]

Now Ben Sasse is going to blub?

One of these men needs to grow a pair of what Dr. Ford has. 

[Gizzmonic]

Wait, asking a Senator who has spoken publicly about dealing with an abusive alcoholic father if she ever got blackout drunk is a BAD look for a potential Supreme Court justice?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm listening on the radio, and I don't know all their voices, but I thought it was a bit telling how Kavanaugh patiently tolerated the silly yearbook questions from the male Democratic senator, but adopted a 3rd-grade "I know you are, but what am I" posture to Klobuchar, who was actually polite and had relevant questions.

[Limey]

Blumenthal getting it back on track by treating Kavanaugh with the contempt he deserves. 

[Limey]

Blumenthal getting it back on track by treating Kavanaugh with the contempt he deserves.

And then he lost it. Shut him the fuck up and get answers.  He’s now recapping Red Sox games. 

[BudGirl]

One of them is the Renate of the yearbook alumni, who has no idea that she was slut-shamed by these choirboys all over the book. 

I thought she pulled back her endorsement?  Or did Kavanaugh just say they pieced it back together?

[Limey]

I thought she pulled back her endorsement?  Or did Kavanaugh just say they pieced it back together?

Roger Clemens called her. 

[Limey]

Mitchell is still sitting in her assistant’s chair even though they’ve fired her. 

[jbm]

The Republicans will strut and think that his and their bowing up was positive, but the Democratic narrative will still remain powerful and persuasive:  If you are innocent, let the FBI do an investigation and gather facts; otherwise, we think you are hiding something.

Let's hope it is enough to convince two Republicans.

[Limey]

The Republicans will strut and think that his and their bowing up was positive, but the Democratic narrative will still remain powerful and persuasive:  If you are innocent, let the FBI do an investigation and gather facts; otherwise, we think you are hiding something.

Let's hope it is enough to convince two Republicans.

Criminal charges will be filed against him.  Avenatti will see to it.  This doesn’t end in a senate confirmation. 

[Limey]

Can we yield Ted Cruz time to watching a hippo have diarrhea?  Thanks. 

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

And then he lost it. Shut him the fuck up and get answers.  He’s now recapping Red Sox games.

George Brett played LF

[Limey]

Go somewhere else please Kamela. 

[Limey]

This process petered out.   The rigged process saved Kavanaugh’s ass.

[Limey]

Please tell me that really huge guy who walked out with Blumenthal is called “Jonad” or at least “Tall McCartney”. 

[Limey]

Things to muse on this morning:

- Ford was incredibly poised, dignified and credible
- Kavanaugh was the opposite, and let his partisan flag fly with rantings about a hit job and revenge for the Clintons
- Kavanaugh got completely stymied over his refusal to support calls for an FBI investigation
- After the exchange with Durbin, when Kavanaugh seemed completely off the rails
- After that, Republicans abandoned their plan of having Mitchell do the talking for them and started serial ranting about the Democrats and their horrendous tactics (of adhering to the wishes of a sexual assault victim)

Ford's testimony was never impeached, while Kavanaugh was caught - again - lying about the small things.  In addition to his veracity, his temperament and independence are now huge questions about him; the latter being why it took 3 years and two full hearings before he squeaked his way on to the DC court.

All Republicans on the committee, including Flake, are expected to vote "yes".  If that goes through, the full Senate vote happens next week when all eyes will fall on Sens Collins and Murkowski, with Flake already a "yes" and Corker saying he's on board too.  The committee vote is set for this afternoon, protests are raging in the halls outside the room and most of the Democrats have walked out of this mornings proceedings in protest.

[Limey]

Flake catching merry hell from sexual assault survivors.

[Bench]

Things to muse on this morning:

- Ford was incredibly poised, dignified and credible
- Kavanaugh was the opposite, and let his partisan flag fly with rantings about a hit job and revenge for the Clintons
- Kavanaugh got completely stymied over his refusal to support calls for an FBI investigation
- After the exchange with Durbin, when Kavanaugh seemed completely off the rails
- After that, Republicans abandoned their plan of having Mitchell do the talking for them and started serial ranting about the Democrats and their horrendous tactics (of adhering to the wishes of a sexual assault victim)

Ford's testimony was never impeached, while Kavanaugh was caught - again - lying about the small things.  In addition to his veracity, his temperament and independence are now huge questions about him; the latter being why it took 3 years and two full hearings before he squeaked his way on to the DC court.

All Republicans on the committee, including Flake, are expected to vote "yes".  If that goes through, the full Senate vote happens next week when all eyes will fall on Sens Collins and Murkowski, with Flake already a "yes" and Corker saying he's on board too.  The committee vote is set for this afternoon, protests are raging in the halls outside the room and most of the Democrats have walked out of this mornings proceedings in protest.

I think the full senate vote is tomorrow at noon.

[Limey]

I think the full senate vote is tomorrow at noon.

I believe there are cloture votes set over the weekend, with full debate and voting on Monday and Tuesday.  The weekend session may have been expedient to the timetable, but it will allow protesters galore to descend on the Capitol.

Meanwhile, the American Bar Association has said that they think this confirmation needs to be put on hold until a full investigation of Kavanaugh can be completed.  His list of allies grows thin.

[Mr. Appropriate]

I want to hear mark judge give testimony under oath.

[Limey]

I want to hear mark judge give testimony under oath.

You heartless bastard.  Mark Judge is a recovering alcoholic and making him give sworn testimony would be tantamount to a high-tech raping.

[BudGirl]

Even some Catholic priests think he is bad.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/09/28/magazine-jesuits-urges-withdrawal-kavanaugh-nomination.html

Yeah, it's a Fox news article.

[Mr. Appropriate]

You heartless bastard.  Mark Judge is a recovering alcoholic and making him give sworn testimony would be tantamount to a high-tech raping.

Agreed. And I want to watch.

[Limey]

Agreed. And I want to watch.

He doesn't recall the Ford event, but that doesn't mean he has nothing to say.  Also, the other attendees have not - as Kavanaugh and his Republican defenders have misrepresented over and over again - said it didn't happen.  They have said they don't remember it, which is entirely different.  Ford addressed this in her testimony; to the others at the party it was just an uneventful day.

Sheldon Whitehouse just dropped an ominous truth bomb on his opposition colleagues; that the truth will out and the sands of time are running through Kavanaugh's glass.  He is not wrong.

[Bench]

He doesn't recall the Ford event, but that doesn't mean he has nothing to say.  Also, the other attendees have not - as Kavanaugh and his Republican defenders have misrepresented over and over again - said it didn't happen.  They have said they don't remember it, which is entirely different.  Ford addressed this in her testimony; to the others at the party it was just an uneventful day.

Sheldon Whitehouse just dropped an ominous truth bomb on his opposition colleagues; that the truth will out and the sands of time are running through Kavanaugh's glass.  He is not wrong.

From what I saw, Kavanaugh saying the other alleged witnesses "say it didn't happen" is one of two easily provable lies, the other being the drinking age in Maryland.  For someone who loves beer as that guy apparently does, moving the drinking age to 21 just before he turned 18 was probably a pretty memorable event.

The obvious lies were from his yearbook:  Renate Alumnius, Devil's Triangle, Ralphing, and Boof.  His explanations were ludicrous.

The fact that this guy so brazenly lies--under oath--about so many little things, and will still become a Supreme Court justice is sickening.  His behavior and temperament yesterday alone should be disqualifying.  It is astonishing that these Republicans are pretending to believe that there is nobody better for the job than this clown.

[jbm]

The obvious lies were from his yearbook:  Renate Alumnius, Devil's Triangle, and Boof.  His explanations were ludicrous.

The fact that this guy so brazenly lies--under oath--about so many little things, and will still become a Supreme Court justice is sickening.  His behavior and temperament yesterday alone should be disqualifying.  It is astonishing that these Republicans are pretending to believe that there is nobody better for the job than this clown.

So true.  I was trying to figure out what pissed me off so much about him and his Republican enablers.  It's that I know he's lying, he knows he's lying, and he knows that I and everyone else knows that he's lying, but he's going to do it anyway, and do it with a fucking smirk for good measure.  That motherfucking drunk has skated through life, and not only is the nation letting him skate further, they are rewarding him.

[BudGirl]

So true.  I was trying to figure out what pissed me off so much about him and his Republican enablers.  It's that I know he's lying, he knows he's lying, and he knows that I and everyone else knows that he's lying, but he's going to do it anyway, and do it with a fucking smirk for good measure.  That motherfucking drunk has skated through life, and not only is the nation letting him skate further, they are rewarding him.

Try knowing that and being a woman.  It really sucks.

[Mr. Appropriate]

His testimony is setting him up to be impeached if confirmed. Not happy about how much damage this would do to the court and our country. Frankly i hope trump pulls him. There are many many conversative judges who didn't have a drunken frat boy phase. I think of the personal integrity of Justice Roberts. Very similar to Kavanaugh on the surface. But only on the surface.

[Mr. Appropriate]

Bet the dems are regretting using a filibuster on Gorsuch.

[moriartp]

Bet the dems are regretting using a filibuster on Gorsuch.

Wouldn't have made a lick of difference.

[Limey]

Try knowing that and being a woman.  It really sucks.

I tried being a woman once, but it didn't work out.  I stayed at home and played with my tits all day.

[Limey]

Wouldn't have made a lick of difference.

Correct.  If they'd "saved" the filibuster, the Republicans would be nuking it now for SCOTUS nominees, instead of back then.  Better to have them nuke it so it's not there once the balance shifts in the Senate.

[Limey]

From what I saw, Kavanaugh saying the other alleged witnesses "say it didn't happen" is one of two easily provable lies, the other being the drinking age in Maryland.  For someone who loves beer as that guy apparently does, moving the drinking age to 21 just before he turned 18 was probably a pretty memorable event.

The obvious lies were from his yearbook:  Renate Alumnius, Devil's Triangle, Ralphing, and Boof.  His explanations were ludicrous.

The fact that this guy so brazenly lies--under oath--about so many little things, and will still become a Supreme Court justice is sickening.  His behavior and temperament yesterday alone should be disqualifying.  It is astonishing that these Republicans are pretending to believe that there is nobody better for the job than this clown.

This is what Blumenthal was trying to get to with his questioning of the principle of being able to disbelieve all if you disbelieve a little bit.  He asked Kavanaugh if he was familiar with the Latin phrase for this legal principle, and he pretended to not know it.  The 5 minute window didn't give Blumnethal enough time to develop this line of questioning.

[Mr. Appropriate]

Correct.  If they'd "saved" the filibuster, the Republicans would be nuking it now for SCOTUS nominees, instead of back then.  Better to have them nuke it so it's not there once the balance shifts in the Senate.

Gorsuch was qualified with no character issues I've ever heard of. It would look very different if they forced the republicans to go nuclear now.

[Limey]

Gorsuch was qualified with no character issues I've ever heard of. It would look very different if they forced the republicans to go nuclear now.

Gorsuch was the stolen seat though, so to roll over on that one would've looked incredibly weak.  There were no good outcomes and no good strategies then (or now).

[Limey]

The Dean of Yale Law School has joined the ABA in calling for a full investigation.  Meanwhile, at Harvard, where Kavanaugh teaches, students broke out into cheers and applause when he said that he may never be able to teach there again.

The legal profession, it seems, is coming down against Kavanaugh, so his only support is among politicos on the right.  Not unsurprising for someone who's been a Republican operative for his entire career prior to getting foisted on the DC appeals court.

[Limey]

BREAKING NEWS

Flake just derailed the confirmation process.  Said he will move the nomination out of committee but will not vote to confirm until an FBI investigation has been completed.

[chuck]

Nominating a lying, drunken serial rapist to the Supreme Court to own the libs.

[Bench]

BREAKING NEWS

Flake just derailed the confirmation process.  Said he will move the nomination out of committee but will not vote to confirm until an FBI investigation has been completed.

Classic Flake.  He could not move the nomination out of committee if he actually wanted to.  He's just grandstanding but will be a reliable yes vote when it actually happens.

[Limey]

Classic Flake.  He could not move the nomination out of committee if he actually wanted to.  He's just grandstanding but will be a reliable yes vote when it actually happens.

As I'm am starting to understand it, this is a gentlemen's agreement that requires Mitch MuhFuckingConnell to be a gentlemen.  So, yeah, Flake grandstanded (grandstood?) but relying on McConnell to do anything other than put this on the floor is a fool's errand.

[Limey]

Nominating a lying, drunken serial rapist to the Supreme Court to own the libs.

...for 30 or 40 years.

[Limey]

As I'm am starting to understand it, this is a gentlemen's agreement that requires Mitch MuhFuckingConnell to be a gentlemen.  So, yeah, Flake grandstanded (grandstood?) but relying on McConnell to do anything other than put this on the floor is a fool's errand.

If it's just Flake who's flaking, then Pence breaks the 50-50 tie.  If Flake has one other Republican on his side, then it's stalled in the full Senate.  Expect McConnell to put this on the floor - like he did with the ACA repeal - and glare at his Senators as they vote. 

[Ty in Tampa]

If it's just Flake who's flaking, then Pence breaks the 50-50 tie.  If Flake has one other Republican on his side, then it's stalled in the full Senate.  Expect McConnell to put this on the floor - like he did with the ACA repeal - and glare at his Senators as they vote. 

The one thing Flake did was give the other swing votes very positive-PR excuses for delaying the vote as well. Whether that's enough remains to be seen but maybe we will find out if "skis with the boys" has any relevance.

[Limey]

The one thing Flake did was give the other swing votes very positive-PR excuses for delaying the vote as well. Whether that's enough remains to be seen but maybe we will find out if "skis with the boys" has any relevance.

Chris Coons saying that Flake has support from more Republicans for his gambit.

[Limey]

Chris Coons saying that Flake has support from more Republicans for his gambit.

Collins is one, reportedly.

[Ty in Tampa]

Collins is one, reportedly.

Murkowski has said she is in agreement with Flake.

[moriartp]

Very brave of Flake to give Collins & Murkowski cover to look at a few days' worth of polls before they all vote to confirm. I will be thrilled if it turns out I'm being overly cynical here.

[Limey]

Very brave of Flake to give Collins & Murkowski cover to look at a few days' worth of polls before they all vote to confirm. I will be thrilled if it turns out I'm being overly cynical here.

The FBI will blow up the argument that witnesses have cleared Kavanaugh.  Whether people will be allowed to know this is in question.

Also, this still takes the White House to instruct the FBI to go.  Trump could block it then plead ignorance (convincingly), while McConnell says his hands are tied and so they just do it anyway.

[Ty in Tampa]

Very brave of Flake to give Collins & Murkowski cover to look at a few days' worth of polls before they all vote to confirm. I will be thrilled if it turns out I'm being overly cynical here.

We can only take what we're given at this point. Consider it lube.

[Ty in Tampa]

Also, this still takes the White House to instruct the FBI to go.  Trump could block it then plead ignorance (convincingly), while McConnell says his hands are tied and so they just do it anyway.

That's a pretty risky gambit. The same reason they want to delay the vote is a very good reason to vote no.

[Limey]

That's a pretty risky gambit. The same reason they want to delay the vote is a very good reason to vote no.

Trump has +/- 20 reasons not to want to set a precedent for investigating credible claims of sexual misconduct.

[Limey]

Murkowski has said she is in agreement with Flake.

Manchin on board with the delay and investigate plan.  Donnelly already in the "No" camp, so Heitkamp is silent thus far but now also moot.

[Ty in Tampa]

"Check out the big brain on Brett!"

[Bench]

In a normal investigation, they would be looking into whether Kavanaugh committed any perjury in the course of his denial, which he obviously did.  I'm sure the process-foul obsessed GOP will make sure that doesn't happen.

[Ty in Tampa]

In a normal investigation, they would be looking into whether Kavanaugh committed any perjury in the course of his denial, which he obviously did.  I'm sure the process-foul obsessed GOP will make sure that doesn't happen.

It's been called, "limited in scope" by it's backers.

[Limey]

It's been called, "limited in scope" by it's backers.

So Mark Judge refuses to talk to the FBI and/or pleads the 5th.  Then...?

[Ty in Tampa]

So Mark Judge refuses to talk to the FBI and/or pleads the 5th.  Then...?

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1045753235129200641

Not sure how "confidentially" works.

[Limey]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1045753235129200641

Not sure how "confidentially" works.

He learned about the law from the best. 

[chuck]

"Check out the big brain on Brett!"

That is the best thing I have ever seen. Even better than those two Boston jamooks.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

"Check out the big brain on Brett!"

I love that.

[Navin R Johnson]

That is the best thing I have ever seen. Even better than those two Boston jamooks.

Agree to disagree

[Navin R Johnson]

Here is what I still don’t get. Why s getting BC appointed so important. There has to be a dozen other folks they could pick without the baggage. But now they have dug in to the point of no return.  Now I’d rather him get confirmed than any of their other choices because there is at least an outside chance he could end up getting kicked off the court. Gorsuch is there for good, why not find someone else like him?  Idiots

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Here is what I still don’t get. Why s getting BC appointed so important. There has to be a dozen other folks they could pick without the baggage. But now they have dug in to the point of no return.  Now I’d rather him get confirmed than any of their other choices because there is at least an outside chance he could end up getting kicked off the court. Gorsuch is there for good, why not find someone else like him?  Idiots

I'm doubtful if they can find anyone to fit their needs that has no baggage.

[Ty in Tampa]

I'm doubtful if they can find anyone to fit their needs that has no baggage.

Truth.

[Waldo]

Here is what I still don’t get. Why s getting BC appointed so important. There has to be a dozen other folks they could pick without the baggage. But now they have dug in to the point of no return.  Now I’d rather him get confirmed than any of their other choices because there is at least an outside chance he could end up getting kicked off the court. Gorsuch is there for good, why not find someone else like him?  Idiots

I see Kavanaugh as a high-risk, high-reward pick.  It's pretty clear that he would look out for GOP interests on the court, and he would also probably protect Trump if it came to that.  It's possible, even plausible, that they knew about his past w.r.t. sexual allegations and buried it as deeply as they could, whistling past the graveyard on the way to a bumpy but successful 51-49 confirmation.

Even now, I think they see this whole spectacle as a win-win scenario.  If Kavanaugh gets confirmed (and make no mistake, I think he will), they win, and they've gotten to drag the Democrats through the mud while doing it.  If Kavanaugh doesn't get confirmed, they get to rile up their base by continued demonization of the Democrats, weaponizing the fear of the possibility of a Dem-controlled Senate that (in their minds) will obstruct the SCOTUS pick until 2020, and promising to exact revenge against the next Democrat that occupies the White House (which Lindsey Graham all but did on Thursday)... and it'll probably work, which is a win.  In reality, they know that if Kavanaugh gets torpedoed, Trump will just pick another conservative justice and the Senate - even a Dem-controlled Senate - will probably confirm him/her, which is still a win.  OR they might just nominate another risk/reward candidate and keep the circus going while spitting more venom across the aisle.  I really don't think the GOP is that stupid/crazy, but the last few years serve as significant evidence to the contrary.

[chuck]

It's a win-win for Trump. Trump doesn't care about optics or about the party. He wants to keep his own ass out of jail. O'Kavanaugh is the best way forward with that. If O'K is shot down, he gets to have a field day with his rabid base of idiot pig fuckers shouting about how this was a Felosi Peinstein plot to sully the name of a good man.

McConnell simply doesn't want to show weakness. He does not want to cave to anything reasonable people or even Democrats might ask or demand. Because let's face it, where might that madness end?

If O'K gets negged then he may not have enough time to press someone else through, especially if more evidence comes to light and most especially if by some miracle a couple of Republicans decide that having a drunk ass lying ass raping ass motherfucker on the Supreme Court just might not be a great idea after all.

So Trump can't really be giving much of a fuck about any of this. He wants to win, of course, but his reptile brain must know that he wins either way. The turt's really got to be sweating this though.

Of course it's entirely possible that after all of this chaos one or two or three Democrats decide to vote for this motherfucker so who knows.

But again, it amazes me that they don't seem to have any ready alternatives that fit the bill. Hey, you, will you say that the president has to respond to a subpoena? No? Good. You ever rape anyone? No? Outstanding. Get in line over there.

[Limey]

McTurtle will absolutely jam through another right wing judge onto the court during the lame duck session if he has to.  This adherence to Kavanaugh is all about not looking bad by having his serpent-filled personality and past laid out for all to see; because that exposes their speed confirmation game. 

None of this will impact the deplorables, but I’m not so cynical to think that it doesn’t move independents, or steel the resolve of them to vote.  This process created no new friends but maybe a few new enemies. 

[Craig]

I'm doubtful if they can find anyone to fit their needs that has no baggage.

The baggage is important though, because conservatives can use it as a threat to keep their own judges and legislators in line. Not that lifelong ratfucker Kavanaugh is likely to flip on them, but it doesn't hurt to have some backup dirt just in case. They've known about his past all along; look how prepared they were to defend his treatment of women. They weren't surprised that it came out; in fact, they expected it. But I think they were surprised by the public reaction; compassion always surprises conservatives because it's unnatural to them.

They've probably got more dirt on their own Republicans than they do on Democrats. Example -- Lindsay Graham. Look how they've got him jumping through hoops now that John McCain can't protect him anymore.

[Lefty]

I liked Jimmy Kimmel's take on Donald Jr. last night:

“You are a dull-witted human canker sore who shoots baby hippos out of daddy’s helicopter because it’s the only way you can get an erection. Do us a favor, put the Twitter aside and go rub a tub of AXE Extreme Hold hair gel on your empty head, you chinless son of a circus peanut.”

[Limey]

In more cheery news, Beto's rally with Willie Nelson drew 50-50,000 people.  It's the largest political rally for an individual candidate since the 2016 presidential election.

Game on.

[Limey]

In less cheery news, the FBI investigation of Kavanaugh has been limited to the interviewing of four people.  No looking into the Swetnick case and no investigation of his drinking.

On the latter, I don't think we need any more evidence to know that Kavanaugh was a pisshead a school / college.  That's not the point.  The point is his brazen lying about it under oath; all easily discoverable lies (more classmates have gone public saying he was a blackout drunk at school).  His credibility on this is shot (pun intended), Republicans are ignoring a mountain of evidence here and so will just ignore anything the FBI could pile on top.

On the former: (1) WTF?; and (b) wagging Kavanaugh's penis in Avenatti's face is a bad idea.  Avenatti is a horrendous publicity whore, but he has a track record of having the goods on the things about which he opines.  He claims to have corroborating witnesses; I believe him.  And he will not be ignored!

This week will be interesting.

[Limey]

One last thing, which touches all issues with Kavanaugh:  there's an entry in his 1982 calendar where he, Judge and PJ are having "skis" at "Timmy's" on a weekday.  Kavanaugh claimed it couldn't have happened midweek because he was always either working or working out, and he didn't drink during the week.

Not only does his own calendar impeach his assertions in this regard, it also puts all of the named male protagonists in a house with beer at the same time.  If the FBI can pull on that thread, find Timmy (is he the unnamed 4th boy?), go to his house, see if it's somewhere between the country club and Ford's house, has a bedroom - opposite a bathroom - at the top of narrow stairs, then we have significant (circumstantial) corroboration of Ford's account.

One other thing that just rankles my mind: does Kavanaugh have calendars for every year from 1982 (at least) onwards?  If so, we need to see them to prove that he didn't just magic upon one for the summer in question, and also to see how many more entries there are for "skis", "ralphing", "boofing" and "devil's triangulation".

[Limey]

Lindsey Graham and other Republicans made strong calls over the weekend for an investigation.  Wow!  [Looks closer]  Into Diane Feinstein.

I don't know what's more sad: that they're doing this, or that it's so predictable that they would do this.

[Limey]

While the scope of the FBI's remit is an ever-changing thing, Kavanaugh's college classmates have been calling the FBI tip line to get their reports logged.  In one case, Kavanaugh is said to have started a bar fight (because he threw his drink at a guy who turned out not to be the lead singer of UB40) which got so out of hand that the police showed up.  Reporters have unearthed a police report from the time which corroborates the report.

Republicans seem keen to keep Kavanaugh's drinking out of the scope of the investigation.  One the surface, that seems less unreasonable than the rest of their behavior here, but you don't have to think too hard to realize why it's important.  He lied consistently under oath to cover the extent of his drinking and his exploits when drunk (which should be disqualifying in and of itself) but, beyond that, he lied as a defense against the accusation that he was sexually aggressive when drunk, by claiming he'd never been that drunk.

So, his drinking is connected inextricably to the accusations of sexual assault.  If you explode the "I'm not that drunk" defense, you get that much closer to the truth of his other behavior.

[Limey]

In news of other Kavanaugh lies, it seems that he was aware of - and trying to suppress - the Ramirez accusation since July.  That conflicts with his sworn testimony in front of the committee that he first heard about it when it was detailed in The New Yorker in September.  There are texts.

Can we put him out of our misery soon, please?

[Knoxbanedoodle]

It's nuts to me (and it also makes sense, given the carrot demon's teetotaling) that they're getting friends of his to testify that they've never seen him blackout drunk. As if you know when someone else has blacked out.

[Limey]

Meanwhile, in TrumpLand, the Stormy Daniels affair has busted (get it?) into the news again.  It seems that, in his efforts to cover up the affair in the last days of the 2016 election campaign, Trump involved both son Eric and the Trump Organisation in his efforts to enforce the NDA he didn't sign.  While those efforts themselves are not new news, the fact that his son - who now supposedly runs the Trump Organisation - and the Trump Organisation itself were involved blasts a hole through the firewall between Trump's campaign and his private business like a cauldron full of explosives at Helm's Deep.

Hopefully Mueller (remember him?) is marching his army of Uruk-hai through it as we speak.

[Limey]

HuffPo has done the heavily shoveling of all the shit that Kavanaugh dumped on the Judiciary Committee last week.  It's something of a long read, but still a handy reference guide to Kavanaugh's dissembling.

Both Flake and Collins have said that lying to the committee would be exclusionary, but both seem to be doing their best to ignore this steaming pile of dishonesty.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

HuffPo has done the heavily shoveling of all the shit that Kavanaugh dumped on the Judiciary Committee last week.  It's something of a long read, but still a handy reference guide to Kavanaugh's dissembling.

Both Flake and Collins have said that lying to the committee would be exclusionary, but both seem to be doing their best to ignore this steaming pile of dishonesty.

They're lies but are they damned lies?

[Limey]

Accidentally or purposely drowned out by the furor around Trump's grotesque one man show last night is the fact that the NY Times pulled back the curtain on Trump's financial world and found the rotting corpse of Fred Trump still holding the purse strings.  The whole 40-page expose is available online, but here's a the 11 main takaways.

Bottom line:  Trump is a crook and a fraud.

[For ease of reference, when I refer to "Trump", I mean Donald Trump.  All other Trumps (because they're all in it up to their shifty eyeballs) will be identified by their first name or suffix.]

His whole persona of a successful businessman is more of a sham than even his most ardent critics (i.e. me) could've imagined.  Trump claimed only to have received a "small" loan of $1 million from his father, which he quickly repaid.  The reality is that Fred Trump started paying his son a salary at age 3, and he was already a millionaire - in gifted money - by age 8.  Throughout his life and continuing to this day, Trump received money from his father.  The total, in today's valuation, of the funds given to Trump by his father is in excess of $400 million.

Much, if not all, of this wealth transfer was done using methods to evade paying the appropriate taxes.  At his death, Fred Trump's estate was valued - for estate tax purposes - at $40 million, but that entire portfolio of properties was valued, a mere 5 years later, at $900 million.

Trump's brother Robert has corroborated some of the Times reporting regarding the estate tax avoidance schemes.  Further, Trump's sister - Maryanne - also benefited from this tax fraud, and she's currently a sitting federal judge.

The main vehicle to milk Fred Trump's empire of wealth and distribute it to his spawn was a fake company set up to procure all equipment and services required to maintenance Fred Trump's real estate holdings, including rent controlled housing projects.  The company had no office and no employees.  All services rendered to Fred Trump's properties passed through this shell company, the cost of such services being massively inflated so that the residual cash sat in the shell company and passed to the owners - Fred's kids - as profit.

In a disgusting two-fer, Fred used the inflated invoices from the shell company to get permission to raise the rents on his rent-controlled tenants.

Trump's entire real estate business was bankrolled and bailed out repeatedly by his father.  Tens of millions of dollars in loans were given; many were never repaid, further evading taxes.  The evaded tax bill is estimated to be in excess of $500 million.  That's half a billion dollars in Trump's pocket that should have been in ours.  Moreover, his entire persona on which he traded through the years and on which he campaigned for president is a complete fraud.

Trump has spent his entire life cashing daddy's checks, and now he's in charge of the world's largest economy.  Coincidentally, his administration is spending money like a drunk sailor on the first night of shore leave, and the debt is piling up to the tune of $1 trillion a year.  A YEAR!

Trump's response to the report is an extended "fake news" rant as expected.  Many of the crimes document by the Times have passed their statute of limitations, but many haven't.  New York state regulators have already announced that it is taking up the report and will go after any and all prosecutable crimes.

[BudGirl]

And yet many will not believe it.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

And yet many will not believe it.

I think even more will say Good for them.

[Bench]

And yet many will not believe it.

What I always hear is "you're just jealous."