Did you see the politics? It made me angry.
March 8, 2017 12:48 AM Subscribe

The President and his party continued their path of destruction, announcing a new travel ban, suspending new visas for citizens of six majority-Muslim countries and all refugees, along with a poorly-received new health-care plan, amid a string of unforced errors, including the President's explosive no-evidence wiretapping tweets (which we shouldn't take too literally), his staff's scramble to try to defend their boss's latest mess, and the continuing efforts to investigate Russia's role in the campaign and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for providing false testimony.

Today marks the next major action in the spirit of the Women's March, A Day Without A Woman [current Mefi thread here].

The Republican health-care plan (ably explained by Sarah Kliff) received the President's endorsement this morning, but soon faced opposition in Congress and across the nation. Right-wing groups and many House members promptly condemned the bill, decrying it as "Obamacare-lite," while a group of Senate Republicans have pledged to protect the Medicaid expansion, setting up a showdown over a bill that may provide too many benefits to pass the House and eliminate too many benefits to pass the Senate. Democrats and the AARP promptly condemned the bill for its cuts to premium subsides, which will leave many unable to afford coverage, as right-wing pundits chimed in with criticism of their own. House leadership plans to push ahead with mark up on the bill as soon as Wednesday, proceeding without a score from the Congressional Budget Office. While the bill does not impact Medicare directly, its tax cuts threaten the Medicare trust fund, setting up future cuts to the program. For his part, Press Secretary Sean Spicer chose to highlight the length of the bill as its primary feature, providing an interactive demonstration involving stacks of paper. All this leaves Paul Ryan stuck in the middle of a precarious situation, and millions of Americans in fear they could soon lose their health insurance.

Link grab bag:

NYT: Leashes Come Off Wall Street, Gun Sellers, Polluters and More
Mexico calls out the President for failing to staff the Commerce Department amid a trade dispute
The National Rifle Association was hanging out with a sanctioned Putin deputy during the election
Six pages of the health-care bill are devoted to cutting off lottery winners from Medicaid
DHS Secretary Kelly says he's considering separating children from their parents at the border
One less taco truck on the corner, as Houstonians fundraise to defend the purveyor of their beloved tacos from deportation.
One Sikh family describes the fear and calculations involved in the simple act of bringing a misdelivered package to a neighbor in Trump's America; a depressing description of the invisible burden of living with hate and racism
More Jewish schools and institutions received bomb threats, as all 100 Senators signed a letter asking the White House to take action
Mosques and American Muslims continued to receive threats and attacks
Andrea Mitchell is once again determined to keep asking tough questions during a State Department photo-op (last weeks' edition)

Post title from Simon Rich's "The Wisdom of Children"

posted by zachlipton (2261 comments total) 125 users marked this as a favorite

Random moment of brightness: British comic Richard Herring traditionally spends today informing people who demand to know when International Men's Day is/if it exists that IMD is on the 19th of November. It is amusing.
posted by jaduncan at 12:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [66 favorites]

Thank you for including the origin of your post title. That phrase pops up in my head all the dang time and couldn't remember where it came from.
posted by goofyfoot at 12:55 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

As a quick reminder for the new thread, please try to avoid repeating links that have already been posted, and don't fill up the thread with a ton of single tweets. You can make a comment that includes several if they are important, or link together various tweets to explain a point, or link to the actual news sources, or include interesting commentary of your own, but just creating a twitter mirror here isn't that interesting, and makes it really tough for people to use the thread. Thanks.
posted by taz (staff) at 12:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

It's honestly a phrase that's in my mind pretty much constantly nowadays.
posted by zachlipton at 12:58 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Trump has made me realize more than ever before that good government, indeed civilization, is akin to an elaborate ship model (or anything else delicate which took a great deal of time and care to make): to even do a passable job takes tremendous dedication, but destroying it takes very little time and no effort. There is very little you can do to protect the delicate thing from those intent to smash it.

Perhaps when you were 9, the destruction seems much cooler than the creation. But once you have poured time and energy into a delicate construct of your own (which can be one of mind or achievement, not just physical things), the destruction of anything elaborate is unsettling at best and nauseating at worst.*

The destruction is juvenile. Every republican, even "good" ones, are juvenile, as shown by their attitudes, prejudices and sheer joy in destruction. They are vandals, one and all. A "good" republican is a like a "good" cop--looking the other way as "your" team does reprehensible things does not make you good.

Trump's bunch just takes it to a whole new level.

* Barring constructs born out of desire to make the world a harsher, worse place; seeing the works of Bannon et all destroyed will (hopefully, if we get there) be satisfying.
posted by maxwelton at 1:08 AM on March 8, 2017 [141 favorites]

13 Shots fired at Tulsa LGBTQ Center, followed some hours later by a man walking in and yelling profanities and hate speech at the staff. None of the pellets penetrated the center's reinforced window.
posted by zachlipton at 1:30 AM on March 8, 2017 [47 favorites]

Holy crap, I've never seen a thread in such a pristine state. So I'll take the opportunity to say what I tried to type earlier but my phone froze and I had to force close Chrome...

I spent a good amount of time last night and today commenting on my House rep's FB wall in response to his glowing post about the proposed health plan. The comments were busy and literally 100% negative. Some people were angry because of how little the plan covers and all the ways it's bad, and some were infuriated that it wasn't a total repeal. The most anger came from the right, including primary threats.

But my favorite name for the bill also came from an angry right winger: RINOcare. If you're not familiar with the angry right's terminology, RINO is pretty much the worst thing they can call a Republican legislator. It stands for Republican in name only.

Seeing my neighbors call my Tea Party rep a RINO makes my little liberal Texan heart warm. It's nice to watch the other side wage purity wars for a change.
posted by threeturtles at 1:37 AM on March 8, 2017 [87 favorites]

Linked the Mefi thread on "A Day Without A Woman" per discussion with OP.
posted by taz (staff) at 1:41 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I've been following these US politics threads obsessively, although I'm a UK citizen living in the UK. I finally realised that perhaps, I'm doing this because it's a distraction from the mess we're ploughing into in the UK because of Brexit, which I still find almost too much to comprehend and deal with. I've had to clear quite a few political posters from my Twitter feed as it just gets too much.

... which has made me realise just how much emotional strength and energy you all are showing by contributing to these threads. I'm not sure I'd be able to do the same on threads about Brexit - I'd get too mad and sad.

So thank you, and I'm impressed, genuinely. And inspired to do more to try and avert our own car crash over here.
posted by dowcrag at 1:50 AM on March 8, 2017 [69 favorites]

The conservative backlash to Ryancare is encouraging, until I remember that most of them are upset that it isn't cruel and stupid enough.

On the bright side, support for the ACA is at an all-time high, with a recent CNN poll finding for (I think) the first time that a majority of Americans support the individual mandate, which has always been by far the most hated part of the law.
posted by Rhaomi at 2:02 AM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

In the latest Wikileaks dump, there is a CIA document on how to configure nginx.

One of the domains in the config provided as example is "bigbronies.com".

If you go to bigbronies.com you get Evan McMullin's Stand Up Republic. I guess Brewster Jennings & Associates provides web hosting these days...
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 2:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

This Trump guy is a frigging jerk, get him out of here. Seriously, my full time second job since the election has become "read about what a fucking jerk this Trump guy is" and I have had enough. Does he have a friend we could talk to about this? Enough, fuck that guy, fuck off.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:19 AM on March 8, 2017 [95 favorites]

Out with the Affordable Care Act in with the Republican Unaffordable Care Act. I particularly like the billion dollar windfall for the health care companies.
posted by WinstonJulia at 2:23 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

The Snopes headline declares "Bills Introduced by Republicans While We Were Distracted by the 'Russian Spy Drama'." In fact, some pretty nasty stuff winding its way through Congress now. But is it true, or, rather, how true? I guess now, we'll see what the "moderate" Republicans are made of, or, the few who are left.
posted by WinstonJulia at 2:27 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

But is it true, or, rather, how true?

Is the snopes headline true? It's bullshit clickbait, lazily assuming that stunt bills introduced by House teapartiers are what's of real importance.
posted by thelonius at 2:32 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Just read the NYT piece about DJT's 'staff' trying to defend his Obama tweets, and it really is becoming more and more difficult to tell which information is the news and which is the Onion
posted by Myeral at 2:35 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Seeing my neighbors call my Tea Party rep a RINO makes my little liberal Texan heart warm. It's nice to watch the other side wage purity wars for a change.

Yea, no kidding. Now joining the list of filthy liberal RINOs, we have...the editor of the National Review Online!
posted by the agents of KAOS at 2:35 AM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

Man, that AARP statement on AHCA stops just short of "Your bill is bad and you should feel bad!"

I guess their opposition was a given with their history of supporting the ACA but having them explicitly call it out as a stealth attack on Medicare should rile up seniors all across the political spectrum.
posted by murphy slaw at 2:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

On the bright side, support for the ACA is at an all-time high

I remember the scrambling terror of the Republicans before it was passed, because it was generally thought that it would be hard to repeal - that is, that it would be politically costly to take people's health care away, once they got used to having it.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 2:49 AM on March 8, 2017 [33 favorites]

Yeah, referring to stunt bills with no sponsors as "winding their way through congress" is a gross exaggeration. These bills have barely wound their way off the author's desks.
posted by murphy slaw at 2:51 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

* Barring constructs born out of desire to make the world a harsher, worse place; seeing the works of Bannon et all destroyed will (hopefully, if we get there) be satisfying.

I would argue that smashing those reduces the amount of pointless entropy in the world and is thus a constructive act.
posted by jaduncan at 2:56 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

I remember the scrambling terror of the Republicans before it was passed, because it was generally thought that it would be hard to repeal - that is, that it would be politically costly to take people's health care away, once they got used to having it.

Yup. They'd had years to try to build a perfect defence against any kind of (Democrat-sponsored) functional health care, and they failed.

The long-term political effects of a successful... health care bill will be even worse—much worse.... It will revive the reputation of... Democrats as the generous protector of middle-class interests.

And it will at the same time strike a punishing blow against Republican claims to defend the middle class by restraining government.
— William Kristol, "Defeating President Clinton's Healthcare Proposal", December 1993

posted by sebastienbailard at 2:59 AM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

Hmm:

WikiLeaks CIA Dump Gives Russian Hacking Deniers the Perfect Ammo
Never accuse Wikileaks of getting its timing wrong. Last fall, the group perfectly paced its steady drip of John Podesta’s emails to undermine Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Now, as the capital thrums with chaos, it has unleashed a cloud of confusion that makes it hard for experts to discern the facts and easy for non-experts to see whatever they want.

posted by Joe in Australia at 3:00 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

What’s so terrible about Russia? Serious question ... Trump is doing nothing less than destroying American democratic institutions and principles by turning the presidency into a profit-making machine for his family, by poisoning political culture with hateful, mendacious, and subliterate rhetoric, by undermining the public sphere with attacks on the press and protesters, and by beginning the real work of dismantling every part of the federal government that exists for any purpose other than waging war. Russiagate is helping him—both by distracting from real, documentable, and documented issues, and by promoting a xenophobic conspiracy theory in the cause of removing a xenophobic conspiracy theorist from office.

Masha Gessen, Russia: The Conspiracy Trap, NYR Daily (6 March 2017).
posted by Sonny Jim at 3:11 AM on March 8, 2017 [25 favorites]

I'm not buying the Wikileaks Muddies The Waters line. Anyone who actually follows cybersecurity with any focus will know all this stuff already - or at least that it's technically possible and operationally probable - and those who don't will be able to think what they like, as before. This latest dump may harden some attitudes, but on both the 'it's all a CIA/Obama/Deeo State false flag' and the 'Wikileaks is an arm of Russian state disinformation' sides.
posted by Devonian at 3:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Would anyone be surprised if Trump demands an investigation into the CIA leaks and uses that as an excuse to force them to clean out anyone competent who won't toe the party line?
posted by PenDevil at 3:17 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

What’s so terrible about Russia? Serious question

I mean, insofar as it relates to the President, they just "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election," according to the Intelligence Community in a statement endorsed by President Obama. That doesn't mean it's healthy or productive to spend all day going way down the conspiracy rabbithole, nor does it mean there aren't plenty of other problems with this administration that should be fought, but I'm not swayed by the idea that we should just forget that all happened.
posted by zachlipton at 3:25 AM on March 8, 2017 [62 favorites]

From the New Yorker article:

If his health-care-reform effort fails, Ryan himself may not survive as the House leader. Meadows and his colleagues catapulted Ryan to the Speakership, and they still have the power to bring him down.

Is this a realistic assessment? Does the Freedom Caucus still have enough leverage to pull a Boehner on him?
posted by murphy slaw at 3:25 AM on March 8, 2017

For sale: One pair baby gloves, very sticky.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 3:27 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

sebastianbailard quotes Bill Kristol's infamous 1993 memo which called for lockstep opposition to any health care reform, for the reasons cited -- it'd prove that a government program could make people's lives better, which Republicans oppose philosophically, and it'd make the Democrats more popular by providing a benefit to voters, which Republicans also oppose philosophically.

In light of that memo -- which, again, he wrote during the Clinton Administration -- it was an act of almost criminal negligence by the media to presume Republican opposition to the ACA was ever in good faith.
posted by Gelatin at 3:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [115 favorites]

Senate panel approves transgender bathroom bill: A Texas Senate committee approved the transgender bathroom bill at 4:50 a.m. Wednesday, almost 21 hours after the start of a public hearing that drew hundreds, most of them in opposition.

The 8-1 vote by the State Affairs Committee — with only Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, opposed — sent Senate Bill 6 to the full Senate, where a vote is likely to be taken next week.

During the hearing, 253 witnesses spoke against SB 6 – many of them transgender Texans or parents of a transgender child — while 29 urged the committee to support the measure, according to a count by the American-Statesman
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

Would anyone be surprised if Trump demands an investigation into the CIA leaks and uses that as an excuse to force them to clean out anyone competent who won't toe the party line?

Yes. He's not fully at war with the IC yet, and I would like to think that at least some people would advise him that he doesn't want to annoy the remaining officers massively whilst having some newly sacked officers with nothing to do but play the system to screw the man that sacked them whilst (YMMV on this, as would theirs*) saving America.

*crucially meaning that for some it's the perfect confluence of revenge and patriotism.
posted by jaduncan at 3:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Oh goodie. House, Senate Conservatives Plan Own Obamacare Bill (hint: repeal, no replace)
posted by Mchelly at 3:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

From Myeral:

Just read the NYT piece about DJT's 'staff' trying to defend his Obama tweets, and it really is becoming more and more difficult to tell which information is the news and which is the Onion

The ability to force a warp in his subordinates' sense of reality is a standard item from the authoritarian repertoire.
posted by runcifex at 3:35 AM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

I'm really struggling to figure out how the insurance market doesn't totally collapse after the Republican health-care program gets enacted. That 30% surcharge on returning customers will discourage people from getting insurance until they really, really need it instead of encouraging people to have insurance like the ACA does. It's going to create a huge pool of healthy uninsured people leave the insurance companies with a much sicker and more expensive customer base. Am I crazy?

Full disclosure: I work for a large health insurance organization but not in that division and have no idea how they feel about the bill
posted by octothorpe at 3:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [22 favorites]

I thought this was worth bringing over from the end of the previous thread:

Hawaii will be the first state to challenge the new travel ban in court
posted by melissasaurus at 6:12 PM on March 7 [27 favorites +] [!]

Buzzfeed now has the full complaints.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:53 AM on March 8, 2017 [22 favorites]

It's going to create a huge pool of healthy uninsured people leave the insurance companies with a much sicker and more expensive customer base.

They'll just jack up the premiums in the individual market and we'll end up where we were before. Of course, I'm pretty sure insurance companies love the mandate--turns out you can make more money by insuring loads of people at lower premiums.
posted by hoyland at 4:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I'm really struggling to figure out how the insurance market doesn't totally collapse after the Republican health-care program gets enacted. That 30% surcharge on returning customers will discourage people from getting insurance until they really, really need it instead of encouraging people to have insurance like the ACA does. It's going to create a huge pool of healthy uninsured people leave the insurance companies with a much sicker and more expensive customer base. Am I crazy?

No. This is exactly what would happen - it's a massively distorting effect on the balance sheet.

Part of my background is in gambling, and this is like forcing the bookies to have a minimum price of 2/1 on the favourite. You can't build a book in that way.
posted by MattWPBS at 4:11 AM on March 8, 2017 [26 favorites]

The editor of the Washington Post must regret that he has only one headline to give to his nation each day during this administration.
posted by jadepearl at 4:42 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

A Republican like me can dislike the House GOP in ways all you liberals can't imagine. I don't consider the repeal bill to be "RINOcare" but rather a fine example of the House GOP's typical mix of good intentions, pandering, and expediency -- all against a background of the intellectual mediocrity that let's them get run over by smarter or savvier lobbyists or liberals who strategically play nice.

I expect the bill and its bizarre insurance market reality misfires fixed by the Senate and the Administration; Mnunchin and Cohn can do the math. You simply cannot have individual shall issue and pre-existing condition coverage requirements in absence of a mandate, because literally no insurance company can afford to write such policies.
posted by MattD at 4:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

Seeing my neighbors call my Tea Party rep a RINO makes my little liberal Texan heart warm. It's nice to watch the other side wage purity wars for a change.

Primary threats and purity wars have been the standard weapon of the Tea Party since its inception; and that's what's purged any notion of moderate cooperation from within the Republican party. They've been waging purity wars since 2006. All of those individuals who would've been willing to work with Democrats in a spirit of country over party have steadily been labelled RINOs and tossed out in favor of an extremist steadily over the last 10 years.

While I too like to indulge in the occasional bit of schadenfreude over the fractricidal chaos that this is sowing, I'm not fully convinced that these sort of purity fights are actually good for the country. They just feed more gridlock, more partisanship, and more alienation. I recognize that we in the opposition must call for scorched earth resistance to everything in the administration's agenda, but given that both sides are now in this take-no-prisoners mode, it feels like accelerating these purges will just put us in a place where the one of the parties has to be completely annihilated as a political force in order to get anything done.
posted by bl1nk at 4:49 AM on March 8, 2017 [43 favorites]

I'm genuinely curious, what "good intentions" do you see in the Republican health care bill?
posted by Gelatin at 4:50 AM on March 8, 2017 [83 favorites]

You simply cannot have individual shall issue and pre-existing condition coverage requirements in absence of a mandate, because literally no insurance company can afford to write such policies.

You'll never get a bill with a mandate in it past the Tea Party caucus (muh freedoms!), and if the Dems vote party line against, the Tea Partiers can kill the bill. And if they kill the pre-existing condition coverage, you'll see the political end of the GOP. What could the Senate do to fix it? The bill is a shitburger because the only real answer is to expand the ACA and make it stronger, but the GOP has painted itself into a self-defeating Obamacare-is-evil corner and now is totally hobbled, entirely by ideology and political showmanship, in their ability to legislate on this issue.
posted by dis_integration at 4:56 AM on March 8, 2017 [72 favorites]

Russiagate is helping him

I have mucho respect for Masha Gessen, and I wouldn't like it either if my native country were being villainized this way in my adopted country. But this is NOT helping Trump. And she is very right that Trump himself is a bigger threat to American democracy and American interests than Russia is. But I think that means we need to use all the (legitimate, constitutional) tools at our disposal to limit the damage he can do or preferably get him impeached. It seems overwhelmingly likely to me that Trump was involved in some kind of Russian money laundering and was aware at some level of Russian inference on his behalf in our election. Those may not be the worst of his crimes, but they are the hardest for the purportedly patriotic, nationalist Republicans to overlook or excuse, and they hold all the power right now.

Ordinary Russians are not villains (if anything, they are victims of Putin's oppression) but Putin himself is unquestionably interfering in our democracy, and I resent it very much. That should be one of the more fixable problems with our democracy, so let's fix it, and then it will bebthat much easier get to work on the bigger problems.
posted by OnceUponATime at 4:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [41 favorites]

Russiagate is helping him—both by distracting from real, documentable, and documented issues, and by promoting a xenophobic conspiracy theory in the cause of removing a xenophobic conspiracy theorist from office.

If only there had been a Russiagate prior to the election that people could have focused on.

If only my response to people panicking about Russiagate now didn't need to be "where the fuck were you six months ago?"

Walk and chew gum, people.

***

In more local news, my state rep's assistant (the one who freaked me out a few weeks back when she asked for my full name and phone number when I called to protest an upcoming bill) just called me yesterday. She connected my name with ANOTHER message I sent them, and she wanted to invite me to their upcoming town hall.

Either my state rep needs more love or his team is really responsive or both, but I'm going to make it a point of going there, hopefully with others from my local PSN group.

Second bit of local political news: I accidentally managed to confirm our Republican senator *does* keep a record of all of our phone calls. I called one of his adjacent offices about Sessions last week, but, after I'd said my bit, the woman taking the call couldn't repeat back the content of my call (wanting Sessions to resign due to Russian connections and lying under oath) nor my zip code. She helpfully pointed me to the Washington office if I wanted to repeat my complaint.

... so I called the Washington office on HER, mentioned that I didn't think she was doing her job, and the staffer at that office pulled up the statewide database that may or may not have recorded my call in the last few minutes. I suspect the dude would have argued with me had I stated my opinion to him, but he was definitely on the ball when it came to that field office.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 4:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

What "good intentions" do you see in the Republican health care bill?

If you squint, they kinda look like paving stones.
posted by box at 4:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [35 favorites]

the GOP has painted itself into a self-defeating Obamacare-is-evil corner and now is totally hobbled, entirely by ideology and political showmanship, in their ability to legislate on this issue.

I'll go further than that. As indicated by the Kristol memo cited above, one of the chief problems the Republicans have with reforming the insurance market -- which, let's not forget, was then and still is basically set up as much along free-market principles as a necessary service like medical care can be -- is that they can't admit a government program can ever improve the lives of citizens.

Republicans have gone from -- if they ever were -- the party of "we prefer lower taxes, less government spending, and less regulation" to the party of "no tax increases, ever, not even to finance a war" (hello, Grover Norquist!), "government can never work and is always inferior to the free market," and "polluters can do whatever they please" (which anyone who really understood the free market would understand would result in a race to the bottom, by creating profit advantages for companies that pollute). Not to mention relying on a media bubble that defines conservatism as "whatever liberals are for, we're against, and vice versa."

That's why I'm somewhat incredulous about the earlier claim of Republican "good intentions." The movement conservative ideology that drives the modern Republican has become so reactionary and extreme -- and not recently, either! -- that cooperation with any part of the Democratic agenda, even the parts that both parties used to more or less agree on, like "torture is illegal and un-American," is tantamount to political suicide.
posted by Gelatin at 5:05 AM on March 8, 2017 [125 favorites]

But is it true, or, rather, how true?

I find my blood pressure lowers significantly by looking at GovTrack's "percentage of likelihood this actually passes". Most of the wilder bills are holding steady at 1 or 2 percent.
posted by corb at 5:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

On the bright side, support for the ACA is at an all-time high

If only Congress cared.

This all about ideological purity, not the needs and wishes of the people. The GOP has been steering itself to this moment ever since the New Deal happened. This is about eliminating/crippling as many vestiges of liberalism/progressivism as possible, including the traditional third rails of Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, even if it means breaking the nation to do it.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

What Republicans should be afraid of is that the next time Democrats have power, a party that has been dragged left by its constituents may have the ability to create single payer or Medicare for all. People who have healthcare now and lose it, or who find, in the next few years, that they can't get healthcare when they could have under the ACA, are going to be pissed.

The Republicans are the ones building up support for the ACA and bringing it to the public's attention. They are dumb as shit. The smarter thing to do would be to leave it alone to struggle, because it's a plan with genuine problems despite its strengths. Leave it alone to struggle and concentrate on all the easier ways to destroy America.

I don't know if they'll be able to destroy the ACA, but I think that if they do, it will be really, really bad for the GOP.
posted by Frowner at 5:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [63 favorites]

Yes Runcifex

But what sort of reality do these subordinates exist in? I mean, how warped can you get?
posted by Myeral at 5:15 AM on March 8, 2017

They are dumb as shit. The smarter thing to do would be to leave it alone to struggle, because it's a plan with genuine problems despite its strengths.

Which, ironically, mainly derive from being as much a "market-based solution" -- having people buy private insurance -- as possible. It's a shame that so few Democrats even appeared to understand the fact, let alone have been willing to both defend the program and criticize basic Republican assumptions on that basis.
posted by Gelatin at 5:26 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

One deleted. If you haven't noticed it, we have a way of hiding US politics threads via the sidebar on the front page. Info here. (Also, if you have complaints about meta issues, please contact mods or make a Metatalk thread rather than bringing up in thread.)
posted by taz (staff) at 5:27 AM on March 8, 2017

One aspect I haven't seen discussed very much is how punitive this bill is towards women. Under the ACA insurers were not allowed to charge more for women then men, birth control had to be covered as did pregnancies. All of those things have been removed from the AHCA. Women wishing to have maternity coverage may discover that supplemental insurance is either prohibitively expensive or flat out unavailable.

I had to buy my own coverage in the 80's because my husband and I worked in restaurants-- which came with minimal benefits even when my husband became a manager. Our Blue Cross plan did cover pregnancy and delivery after I had been on the plan for a year however it had a $6,000 deductible.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [65 favorites]

But what sort of reality do these subordinates exist in? I mean, how warped can you get?

"The advanced societies of the future will not be governed by reason. They will be driven by irrationality, by competing systems of psychopathology."—J. G. Ballard

In this case, paranoid authoritarianism is the flavor of psychopathology that appears to driving the White House, with Breitbart and Infowars as signposts. We've got a long road ahead of us, too.
posted by Doktor Zed at 5:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

If this bill were about ideological purity...I think it would have actually repealed Obamacare. How many times did everyone with a hand on this bill say that?
posted by radicalawyer at 5:34 AM on March 8, 2017

They can't "actually repeal" Obamacare without Democratic fillibuster.
posted by OnceUponATime at 5:37 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

If I still had to worry about such things I'd be going into hock right now to get an IUD. No way would i choose to have a kid right now.
posted by emjaybee at 5:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

Everything in this bill is stuff that can be done through, I think it's called Reconciliation? A process that has to do with budgeting and which only requires a simple majority to pass. Most other bills can be filibustered.
posted by hippybear at 5:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Kaiser Family Foundation has a fascinating interactive map showing how much people who bought individual insurance would gain or lose under the Republican proposal, based on age, income and geography. It's bad for a lot of people, but it's hard to overstate how awful it is for middle-income older people living outside of big cities. A 60-year-old making $40,000 a year in my county would get a tax credit that is $6500 a year less than their current subsidy.

I don't think this guy has a prayer. It's not conservative enough for the conservative folks, and it's going to screw over a fair number of Trump voters.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:51 AM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

This all about ideological purity, not the needs and wishes of the people. The GOP has been steering itself to this moment ever since the New Deal happened. This is about eliminating/crippling as many vestiges of liberalism/progressivism as possible, including the traditional third rails of Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, even if it means breaking the nation to do it.

I'm going to quote this for truth. I was raised with this ideology in its purist, least tainted by religious whackadoodlery form. These people want to destroy the state, they do not believe that the state has any role whatsoever in improving the lives of the polity. They don't care that this shit doesn't work or would hurt people or anything like that. It's about a theory and an ideology. The theory says that removing the welfare state will usher in a golden utopia, so by golly that is what they are going to do. Facts don't matter, data doesn't matter, if you bring those to this fight you will get no true scotsmen in return. Don't try to fight this with facts or wonder what these people are thinking (this is dubious economic theory elevated to the level of fundamentalist religious faith, that is what they are thinking)--you're going to have to get out in the streets and make enough noise that the least ideologically-motivated legislators start to get scared. You won't capture all of them, but you can peel off enough to make it difficult to impossible for the real John Galt wannabes to get much done.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [100 favorites]

The Republican party is a huge and phenomenally stupid dog that has finally, for the first time in its life, caught the car it was chasing, and now has absolutely no idea what to do with it.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [57 favorites]

Labeling, as we know, is very important. It's why Republicans only and always referred to the Affordable Care Act as "Obamacare." Now that Obamacare is being replaced, it is worth noting we will be left with "TrumpChange."

Labeling is important. Whatever health plan is proposed, IT IS VITAL THAT WE ALL CALL IT REPUBLICARE. ALWAYS.

Do not let them call it "Trumpcare" or anything else. They absolutely as a party have to own it and take credit for it no matter how bad it is.

They will likely want to call it "Trumpcare" so when they as a party jettison Trump they can hang the terrible plan on him and disassociate the party from it.

No go. We need for this to stick to them, so everyone will be constantly reminded of who made this craptastic plan in 2018, 2020, and 2022. It's theirs, and we should not let them escape it.

Try saying it: "Republicare". See how catchy it is, how it rolls off the tongue?

Now, let's all keep saying it for years. Republicare. Republicare. Republicare.
posted by sourwookie at 5:53 AM on March 8, 2017 [158 favorites]

No way would i choose to have a kid right now.

Yeah, we are right at a point where we "ought to" (and would like to) have another, but ... I don't really feel right about it. So, thanks, Trump, for fucking up our family planning. Although I guess we're not ethnically pure anyway, so probably a net positive for the administration.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:54 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

The Republican party is a huge and phenomenally stupid dog that has finally, for the first time in its life, caught the car it was chasing, and now has absolutely no idea what to do with it.

The greatest difficulty is that the dog now also theoretically has to drive the car on an ongoing basis whilst avoiding all obstacles. If it messes up, the car blows up and passengers die. They are currently at the point of just starting to wonder if ripping out the steering wheel is really such a good idea.

Drive, Spot, Drive.
posted by jaduncan at 5:59 AM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

I should also add that "Taxation is theft and a violation of my civil rights" is a legit part of this ideology. Arguing against that with facts about the social contract and the many times that large scale government programs funded by taxes literally saved the country from ruin sound, to these people, like you're trying to justify murder. Any system of wealth redistribution is wrong, period.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:59 AM on March 8, 2017 [35 favorites]

I was kicked off a park bench while nursing my baby by the Secret Service the other day; I was at a protest in Lafayette Park (right by the White House) and I was feeding the kraken when they said they needed to shut down the park and we all had to relocated to the northeast quadrant (even though we had a permit and everything). An agent came by to tell me I had to leave; to his credit he was very polite (I also know that this is likely because I'm an upper middle class white woman) and offered to help me move my stuff but I was in the middle of nursing and I was like "seriously?" and he was apologetic and I get that what he meant was "we can't make exceptions, this is our security policy" but what he actually SAID was "It's a national security issue" and all I could think, as I gathered my stuff to move was, "we have an unhinged nutcase tweeting from the West Wing at all hours of the night and me feeding my baby on a park bench is the national security issue?".

Then I picked up my baby and moved away as grumpily as possible in the hopes that the Secret Service people would feel badly about themselves and question their choices.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:01 AM on March 8, 2017 [181 favorites]

Is it wrong to hope that this health plan ends Paul Ryan's speakership?
posted by drezdn at 6:02 AM on March 8, 2017 [33 favorites]

Man, that AARP statement on AHCA stops just short of "Your bill is bad and you should feel bad!"

Given how older people not only tend to vote, but tend to vote GOP, I was really surprised at how the proposed repeal blatantly screws over that exact voting bloc. I may be missing something, but this sure looks like a poor political move.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:05 AM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

You know, when Germany was run by fascists, the U.S. was among those who went in there and kicked them out of power.
Maybe Merkel could return the favor.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Are you kidding? I want it to end his career.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [45 favorites]

These people want to destroy the state, they do not believe that the state has any role whatsoever in improving the lives of the polity.

I have gotten an acquaintance to admit that the FDA's regulation of his insulin pump is not "government in the healthcare business" in terms of his objection to the ACA, which now seems to be predicated on the freedom and liberty issues of the Individual Mandate's requirement that he give his money to a Health Insurer or pay an additional tax.

I asked him if HR deducts withholding from his paycheck. Haven't heard back.

( IF he's all like, I don't mind payroll deductions going to tax, there's one option left... Universal Medicare. )
posted by mikelieman at 6:11 AM on March 8, 2017

Is it wrong to hope that this health plan ends Paul Ryan's speakership?

No. He's made bad choices and should feel bad about his bad career which has achieved nothing but bad things.
posted by tivalasvegas at 6:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [49 favorites]

I'm basing this argument on "Payroll Withholding" == Individually Mandated Savings Account ( earmarked for Income Tax Liability ), but the same, nonetheless.
posted by mikelieman at 6:13 AM on March 8, 2017

Has Paul Ryan ever eaten a meal or lived in a home not provided at taxpayer expense since his father died?
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [61 favorites]

You know, when Germany was run by fascists, the U.S. was among those who went in there and kicked them out of power.

Maybe Merkel could return the favor.

I, for one, never expected to welcome our new German overlords, but....
posted by tivalasvegas at 6:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [26 favorites]

The other thing about why this plan will destroy the GOP if it passes: it breaks employer-provided healthcare. The reason there isn't a constituency in this country for single-payer is because the middle class mostly gets their healthcare through their employers and doesn't think about it much except to lament the costs. Once Joe Regional Manager has to scrabble around on the exchanges trying to pay for healthcare from the magical shrinking tax credit, he's going to see the point of healthcare for all.

Also, you know what? I think the GOP has probably overestimated - wait, hear me out - the power of racism. I think they're assuming that no matter what happens, white people will never, ever break in significant numbers for a policy that helps people of color, no matter how good that policy is. I think this has been true in large part because Joe Regional Manager has healthcare, has reliable water, etc, so racism is sort of a hobby for him. And if the GOP were smart, they would keep things that way. But they aren't; they're dumb as shit. They're going to push things to the point where Joe is so worried about affording to insure his family that he no longer cares.

They are dumb as shit and we are going to drive them into the sea. I'm serious - if we work hard, we can do it.

(You must picture that early eighties movie The Last Unicorn - you know that bit where the last unicorn defeats the evil red bull and drives him into the sea and all the other unicorns are freed? Was ever a better metaphor for the GOP? We are going to be that unicorn, you guys.)
posted by Frowner at 6:17 AM on March 8, 2017 [116 favorites]

Are you kidding? I want it to end his career.

Myself, I'm hoping for an O'Henry-ish situation where he becomes an untouchable political pariah who leaves office to return to his true passion, repossessing cars from little old ladies who miss a payment, and then contracts some ghastly chronic condition that makes him ineligible for insurance under the health care laws he helped pass.

Come on, 2019, you have the power to be even zanier than 2016, you just have to work hard and believe in yourself.
posted by Mayor West at 6:17 AM on March 8, 2017 [51 favorites]

A 60-year-old making $40,000 a year in my county would get a tax credit that is $6500 a year less than their current subsidy.

Tax credits are such a sick joke when so many people aren't going to be able to afford a plan in the first place. Subsidies are the only way you can properly assist lower income families.

I still wish the Dems would very vocally try to attach an amendment to everything the Republicans try to push through that would repeal government-supplied healthcare coverage to all elected officials. Just make this a big, loud public point that, while the Republicans are trying to take your coverage away, they enjoy gold-plated-latinum policies paid by your taxes. Just beat that drum as loud and long as possible.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:19 AM on March 8, 2017 [53 favorites]

I should also add that "Taxation is theft and a violation of my civil rights" is a legit part of this ideology.

In Brave New World, there were reservations in which tribal culture was allowed to prevail away from the control of the World Society.

I wish we could create reservations out of all that empty government land out West where people like that could move and live free of taxes, and also without enjoying the benefits of anything taxes have ever paid for. Like, say, the Internet. Or modern medicine.

We could call it "Libertopia."
posted by Gelatin at 6:20 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

In the Atlantic yesterday, there was a persuasive discussion of the political rationale behind Trump's Tweets on wiretapping. I found it pretty convincing - the same Bannon-esque MO of undermining trust in all institutions of government and civil society.
posted by Miko at 6:21 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

The Republican party is a huge and phenomenally stupid dog that has finally, for the first time in its life, caught the car it was chasing, and now has absolutely no idea what to do with it.

Slight adjustment: the huge and stupid dog has caught the car, sees that the car is full of its own puppies, and decides "Well, now I guess I have to kill and eat them all."
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:21 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

The reason there isn't a constituency in this country for single-payer is because the middle class mostly gets their healthcare through their employers and doesn't think about it much except to lament the costs.

And employers would love to get rid of their share of the costs, except they generally need to offer the benefit in order to compete for talent, and they generally aren't willing -- yet -- to exchange the burden of paying for and administering insurance for taxes that would support a single payer system.
posted by Gelatin at 6:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

They're going to push things to the point where Joe is so worried about affording to insure his family that he no longer cares.

I wish I could believe this, but I can't. Even at the point where Racist Uncle is scraping to afford anything, the one solace he can take is that at least he's "better" than those people.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:24 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

It's not necessarily true that everything in this bill will make it through reconciliation, although that is their goal.
posted by OnceUponATime at 6:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

What I tend to believe is that there will always be racist uncles who would rather die in a ditch, etc, but they can be reduced to a small minority by events. I think history shows this - union organizing, for example, moved over time from being extremely racist and divided to being mostly racially integrated. This was because of political efforts and circumstances; it didn't happen by magic or because people just got nicer, but it did happen. Also, I submit the major social reforms in the UK after WWII - things that people had struggled for through the 20s and 30s actually happened in the 40s and 50s, because so much had been shattered in the war and a majority benefited from those policies. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth among the wealthy, sure, but circumstances and ideology (the state's own ideology, in part) made it possible to make those reforms.

It's true that none of these things have ever been revolutionary, but they have made enormous improvements in people's lives.

It's easy to see these vile, vile people on the internet and think that Average Casually Racist Uncle is, like them, a hardened ideologue, but I don't think that's the case.

I had a dream about Mencius Moldbug, you guys. In my dream, he hung out at a local antique mall and was very, very charming - though he looked like Voldemort if Bannon was Voldemort - to all the white people. Seriously, I hate this.
posted by Frowner at 6:32 AM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

I had a dream about Mencius Moldbug, you guys.

worst discarded MLK speech draft ever
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:34 AM on March 8, 2017 [65 favorites]

Trump considers cuts to Coast Guard, TSA to fund border wall. [SLWaPo]
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

This might very well have been linked to earlier, but last night a friend showed me this video of American citizens being pulled over at "immigration checkpoints" by the DHS. I've been vocal here about how my wife and I are cutting off all travel to the United States for the time being, and this sort of thing certainly doesn't make me second-guess the decision.

That video was posted back in 2013 (and probably contains clips from much older videos), during Obama's presidency. The US has run border control checkpoints many miles from the actual border for many years. It seems unconstitutional to me and I have resented the times I've been stopped at them, but it is not a new phenomenon in any way.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Now, let's all keep saying it for years. Republicare. Republicare. Republicare.

As much as I agree with this, it seems that Trumpcare is already pretty well entrenched. Just google it.
posted by Splunge at 6:42 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Just another day in the kakistocracy.

*sigh*
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:43 AM on March 8, 2017

AP: China grants preliminary approval to 38 new Trump trademarks including for "escort services." Happy International Women's Day!
posted by melissasaurus at 6:44 AM on March 8, 2017 [71 favorites]

The problem with the ACA replacement bill to my view is what kind of havoc people like Ryan are going to have to wreak to get it done.

What they're learning now seems pretty obvious to me. Who's going to vote for this bill? Obviously the hard right wing of the GOP is never going to support anything that suggests any government involvement at all. These are people to whom, literally, anything more than "bury a whole bunch of money in a mason jar in the back yard and dig it up when you get sick to pay for your doctor" is like gay space communism. They're never going to help get anything like this passed.

So Ryan's faction needs Democratic support to get this done, but why the fuck are Dems going to help gut their own law to help replace it with something worse? So there's really no constituency for this bill at all.

That makes it tempting to point and laugh at these guys, but then consider what's their way forward? The reason Dems aren't going to support this bill is because they've already got Obamacare. So the solution then is to get rid of Obamacare.

They could totally pass a simple repeal with no replacement at all. The Tea Party faction is chomping at the bit to do that. Then they can turn around to the Democrats and go, okay, now your choice is our bill or jack shit.

So I'm pretty concerned that after this goes down in flames, the Republicans are simply going to eliminate ACA entirely, and then put the pressure on the Democrats to support a shitty bill or watch people start dying in the streets.
posted by Naberius at 6:46 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Trump considers cuts to Coast Guard, TSA to fund border wall.

I'd go for a joke about how cutting real border security to fund fake border security might be counter-productive, but at this point Trump probably stands to benefit politically from some high-profile security failures, Dubya-style.
posted by fifthrider at 6:47 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

The "government is always wrong" fundamentalism is why I will always call Ronald Reagan the worst President of my lifetime. Possibly ever. And, yes, worse than Trump.

Trump and his admin are a bunch of clowns and grifters incapable of governing and intent on abusing our busted system for their benefit. Reagan was the hammer that broke that system. Grandpa Caligula waved and smiled and pretended to be genial while he and his people planted that exact meme -- that government is always horrible and that "elect me so I can sabotage it from within" was a reasonable political platform. Reagan's presidencies normalized that, while defanging the media and opening the door for massive propaganda engines reinforcing it.

And here we are enjoying Birchers on every corner.
posted by delfin at 6:50 AM on March 8, 2017 [70 favorites]

In the latest Wikileaks dump, there is a CIA document on how to configure nginx. One of the domains in the config provided as example is "bigbronies.com". If you go to bigbronies.com you get Evan McMullin's Stand Up Republic

It's been kind of remarkable over the last year watching people here push the same "never mind the Russians, it's all the CIA" line that Trump, Fox, Breitbart, et al. are pushing now. And this morning the likes of Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, and Kim DotCom are all over that, too. Worth reading: Dell Cameron's tweet threat and Pwn All The Things' musings on the matter— "It doesn't matter if everyone knows it's clearly Russia. They'll have got POTUS to tweet out that his own CIA false-flag attacked the DNC."
posted by octobersurprise at 6:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

gay space communism

I've found my people.
posted by tivalasvegas at 6:53 AM on March 8, 2017 [76 favorites]

They could totally pass a simple repeal with no replacement at all.

They can't. The only reason they can even attempt a partial repeal and replacement is because of reconciliation. They can't repeal the whole thing without overcoming a Senate filibuster. And 4 GOP senators have already said they won't back a full repeal. They really have no other moves after this, as far as I can tell. Their best bet would be "single payer for enough white people to not lose votes" but the tea party hardliners won't let them pass anything with any government assistance, even for white people. They are so racist, they'd rather die (see also, @BougieLa's feed for stories of dying white people refusing medical care from black nurses).
posted by melissasaurus at 6:54 AM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

They could totally pass a simple repeal with no replacement at all.

Afaik, they could only do that by nuking the filibuster entirely.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 6:54 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

As much as I want to believe all the talk about GOP dissent killing the bill, it's never stopped them from falling in line before.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 6:56 AM on March 8, 2017 [20 favorites]

I'm pretty concerned that after this goes down in flames, the Republicans are simply going to eliminate ACA entirely, and then put the pressure on the Democrats to support a shitty bill or watch people start dying in the streets.

That's a pretty huge gamble that the American public -- which, let's not forget, is coming around to the fact that they don't want several facets of the ACA to be repealed at all -- won't obviously blame Republicans for the mess they caused.

Republicans leveraged their lockstep opposition to any Democratic reform of the health care marketplace that was bankrupting many Americans thru absolutely no fault of their own into political advantage since at least the Clinton Administration, and most obviously during Obama's presidency.

There is simply no way Democrats should sign on to a watered-down bill solely so that Republicans can share the blame for the bad consequences that they know are coming. For once, Kristol was right -- the situation is, Democrats offer the American people health care, and Republicans don't. Their reliance on euphemisms like "access to" heath care prove that they know it. If the American people like the Republican "Americans dying in the streets" plan, they can re-elect them. If not, let's vote Democrats into office so they can, one again, set about the work of cleaning up Republican messes.
posted by Gelatin at 6:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

I wish I could believe this, but I can't. Even at the point where Racist Uncle is scraping to afford anything, the one solace he can take is that at least he's "better" than those people.

You know, not only are you probably correct, but I would go further and say that Racist Uncle would blame whatever hardship on the very people he oppressed.

A couple of years ago we visited my husband's town in Bosnia, and it was a bizarre experience. The town used to be mixed (Muslims and Orthodox Christians), but at the beginning of the war in the 90s a faction of indoctrinated Orthodox people in this and many other towns decided to get rid of Muslims and Catholics by either kicking them out, imprisoning them in internment camps, or systematically killing all boys 12 and up.

Anyway, my husband's family is mixed, so they had to run away, lost everything, were shot at and lived "in transit" several years and eventually their case was accepted by USCIS and they resettled here. 3 years ago, we went to visit the Orthodox side of my husband's family who had remained in the town (they are non-indoctrinated, decent people who actually risked their lives saving them and helped them run away), and it was really interesting to see the aftermath of ethnic cleansing.

Obviously there were no Muslims left. The main streets had been renamed to commemorate Orthodox "war heroes", and what was most telling was that the people who lived there were super resentful. My husband and I had driven a nice-ish car from Austria, and I guess to them it was a slap in the face that once in a while Muslims or mixed people who escaped go back to see relatives or to check on valueless property that's just sitting there and nobody wants because the town went from vibrant, diverse and full of commerce and art to ethnically homogenous and impoverished. We got a whole bunch of evil eyes and also a bunch of guilty stares and it was really uncomfortable.

I don't think people who "won" the war ever moved on, and now there are all these conspiracy theories flying around, much like with the deplorables and pizzagate, and they continue to blame Saudi Arabia, the US or whoever isn't them for all their problems. In their cognitive dissonance, they manage to live their lives in the town they cleansed, but they feel like victims. Those Muslims who managed to survive and escape moved on and started new lives, but those who remained never moved on.

After visiting the town, we went to Sarajevo, and other parts of Bosnia where there was war but no ethnic cleansing, and it was completely different. People were happy and hopeful, there was diversity and on the whole they had moved on.
posted by Tarumba at 6:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [256 favorites]

I had a dream about Mencius Moldbug, you guys.

I dreamt about Milo Yiannopoulos last night. People were singing songs about him. Fuck.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:57 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Bomb threat against a JCC in New Castle county this morning.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:00 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

That makes it tempting to point and laugh at these guys, but then consider what's their way forward? The reason Dems aren't going to support this bill is because they've already got Obamacare. So the solution then is to get rid of Obamacare.

But why not just get rid of Obamacare in the first place?

Also, "we'll get rid of Obamacare and then you'll vote in our incredibly shitty bill" assumes that none of the forces arrayed against this shitty bill will object to the next one - not the insurance companies, not the Kochs, etc.

These people aren't magic. They're dumb and useless. Remember when everyone liked to think that Obama was always playing 11th dimensional chess and it turned out he wasn't? Obama is actually smart. They are not cleverly strategizing to burn Obamacare down so that they can pass a lousy insurance bill that the insurance companies will hate.

If they torpedo the ACA, they will own it and they'll go down in flames themselves.

These are terrible times - I'm not trying to diminish that. People will suffer and die because of the GOP. People like Thiel and Bannon and so on are like cartoon supervillains - they're terrible, and no fate is too bad for them.

What I think about right now, actually, is how effective 9/11 was. At the time, I was young and didn't understand how one thing could really fuck up this country - I thought people could think their way through it and go back to normal. But instead, we got the nightmare that was the Bush administration. That's very depressing, but the way I'm thinking of it now is "the GOP should be able to think their way through this situation, find a way to torch healthcare and loot the country without creating a powerful reaction at the polls and just be content with that, but they aren't able to. The sheer weight of their stupidity and ideology is going to destroy them."

This is going to be a very bad few years. Again, I am absolutely not trying to deny or diminish that. But these people aren't magic. They're greedy, stupid people who have never been told no or been responsible for their mistakes, and those are the people who fuck things up and lose.
posted by Frowner at 7:00 AM on March 8, 2017 [80 favorites]

Republicare. Republicare. Republicare

Don'care?
posted by Segundus at 7:00 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Trumpcare + Ryancare = TRyancare: Just "try an' care" about kleptocratic Russian puppets when you're dying of a treatable illness!
posted by melissasaurus at 7:07 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Republicare is by far the most accurate and politically useful name for this bill. Trump didn't write it, and we don't want the stigma associated with the bill to be limited to any one person, so TrumpCare (and RyanCare) are out. DontCare is funny and all but it doesn't connect with the people who wrote it, let alone tarnish them.

It's Republicare.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [29 favorites]

House leadership plans to push ahead with mark up on the bill as soon as Wednesday, proceeding without a score from the Congressional Budget Office.

Yeah, it's a good day to call your Congressman. Mine was on NPR this morning saying that the new healthcare legislation is being rolled through the House Ways and Means committee *this morning* without the usual amount of discussion and deliberation.
posted by puddledork at 7:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

My state Senator Konni Burton texted me this morning "A day without a woman? No thanks! This woman doesn't stop!"

Fuck you, Konni.

Dealing with the reality of ignorance and backwardness of my state's government has been a humbling exercise in privilege-bubble-popping, at least. I thought I understood how bad it was, but I didn't. I really did not appreciate how ass-backwards these people are, because hey, my life isn't too bad. I don't get hassled much. People of color in my state, of course, already knew exactly how bad it was. Sandra Bland happened in my state.

But it's a big place, and it's easy to just shake your head and go on living your comfortable white life and assuming somebody somewhere has a lick of common sense and at the very least, will not want to ruin everything. But that's not true now, if it ever was. We are in the control of a death cult run by Confederacy apologists and John Birchers and it's pretty fucking bad.
posted by emjaybee at 7:12 AM on March 8, 2017 [39 favorites]

Republicare is by far the most accurate and politically useful name for this bill

I've also been hearing GOPcare
posted by mikepop at 7:12 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

YOYOcare, as in "You're On Your Own", which is the official motto of modern conservatism.

Also, it was created by a bunch of yoyos.
posted by tonycpsu at 7:12 AM on March 8, 2017 [27 favorites]

Their best bet would be "single payer for enough white people to not lose votes" but the tea party hardliners won't let them pass anything with any government assistance, even for white people.

I've thought for a while that "Medicare for everyone 19 and under, regardless of income" would be a great gateway drug to full on single payer. (I know this came up during President Clinton's term). Kids are fairly cheap to insure (expensive issues are still expensive, but statistically the vast majority of kids have few expensive health issues), and despite the GOP resistance to the various CHIP programs is very hard to come out against any program that denies children care.

Dems could even expand it to "everyone 19 and under, including pregnant women" if they wanted to get an extra dig in a the anti-abortion side of the room.

They won't of course, but a girl can dream.....
posted by anastasiav at 7:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [44 favorites]

what I don't understand about Trump's deranged "Obama has a tapp on my wires!!!" tweet is the media's reaction to it. I turned on PBS NewsHour for some background noise the other night and they were using their "the truth is somewhere in the middle!!!" panel format of inviting one person from the "this is deranged and totally without evidence" side and another person (an ex-NSA official, so obviously he has access to all kind of secret information we don't know *eyeroll*) to argue that gee we don't really know that Obama *didn't* do that and we must consider all the facts here and proceed with an investigation of these very serious allegations.

it's like being at a house party and the owner's new puppy takes a dump all over the middle of the living room and everybody's all, "wow, actually Mittens makes a very good point and I'm glad he brought it up" and maybe like rolls around in the filth and continues on as if everything's normal.
posted by indubitable at 7:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [36 favorites]

Monica Crowley: "Donald Trump is an alien organism that has been injected into the body politic by the American People to reform it."

She's right about two things: 1) Donald Trump is a cancer on the body politic and 2) we won't stop fighting it until either the cancer is gone or the body is dead.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:16 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

Monica Crowley, registered member of the Xenomorph Party:

"You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? Perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality."
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:17 AM on March 8, 2017 [33 favorites]

what I don't understand about Trump's deranged "Obama has a tapp on my wires!!!" tweet is the media's reaction to it.

Yeah, this. I know we're way down the normalization rabbit hole at this point because awful 2016 has birthed even awful-er 2017, but: what the fuck, media? You're seriously going to let Trump surrogates get away with e.g. "oh, he wasn't being serious when he accused his predecessor of committing felonies to hinder him ...".
posted by tocts at 7:18 AM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

That's on page 8, line 3 of the bill, if anyone wants to check my reading of it. It refers to this section of the Social Security Act.
posted by zrail at 7:19 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wonkette: Andrea Mitchell Would Like Some Answers to her Questions: Please, Thanks, and Fuck You.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:20 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

an ex-NSA official, so obviously he has access to all kind of secret information we don't know *eyeroll*) to argue that gee we don't really know that Obama *didn't* do that and we must consider all the facts here and proceed with an investigation of these very serious allegations.

I strongly suspect the ex-NSA official was trolling to try to get an investigation started so that the IC can release all the probable cause they would have had to spy on Trump.
posted by corb at 7:21 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

I tried to tweet yesterday that we shouldn't call it Trumpcare because we shouldn't feed the narcissists.

(lemme alone I thought it was clever.)
posted by INFJ at 7:21 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

A lot of people are talking about how AHCA repeals the ACA essential health benefits, but after reading the proposed legislation I'm here to report back that it only does this for people covered by the Medicaid expansion. The individual, small business, and group markets still have to provide them.

Yes and no. It keeps the requirement that they have to provide the essential health benefits, but removes the actuarial value requirement as of 2020. So they can "provide maternity coverage" that actually only covers like 1% of the actuarial value of maternity care, meaning it is still unaffordable and inaccessible for most people on the plan.
posted by melissasaurus at 7:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

Monica Crowley: ~~"Donald Trump is an alien organism that has been injected into the body politic by the American People to reform it."~~ "Long Live the New Flesh!"
posted by Strange Interlude at 7:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

Is the escort service thing real? Because something similar came up a year ago and was shot down by WaPo.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

melissasaurus: Trumpcare + Ryancare = TRyancare: Just "try an' care"...

TyrantCare?
posted by wenestvedt at 7:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

I submit the major social reforms in the UK after WWII - things that people had struggled for through the 20s and 30s actually happened in the 40s and 50s, because so much had been shattered in the war and a majority benefited from those policies.

This is the power of universal social provision, and another reason why means testing and other forms of neoliberal resource rationing in the name of "efficiency" have been such a disaster for the welfare state. The standard (non-plutocrat) right-wing argument against welfare relies on ressentiment—the suggestion that they are getting something you aren't entitled to, because the entitlements are targeted in such a way as to exclude you from applying for them. Hence the sting in the word "entitlement": something for them and not for you. But universalism routes around this form of resentment. If social provision is universal (as in universal free health care, or universal free tertiary education), it's now much harder to divide people up into "us" and "them" categories. It takes a special kind of ideologue to resent the fact that they get what you now also get, and I'd suggest that there are actually rather fewer of those than many (on both the left and right) assume that there are out there in the world.
posted by Sonny Jim at 7:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [52 favorites]

Let's eliminate means testing as a concept.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:30 AM on March 8, 2017 [27 favorites]

I am bigly! It's the presidency that's gotten small!
posted by kirkaracha at 7:32 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Hence the sting in the word "entitlement": something for them and not for you.

A person who acts "entitled" is arrogant, self-centered, thinks they don't have to wait in line, that the rules don't apply to them. So merely repeating the word, as often as possible, accomplishes the desired negative framing of entitlement programs, never mind that the word has a distinct legal meaning in this context.
posted by thelonius at 7:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

taz: please try to avoid repeating links that have already been posted

Pro tip: if you see a comment with a link that's already been posted, flag it as "double comment" and the mods will check for a duplicate link as well as an actual double.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:34 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

Sometimes, I start to type a longer comment, then realize it's just an elaborate rephrasing of the more basic sentiment "AHHHHHH! SHIT! OMFG! OH GOD! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHEN WILL IT STOP?" and that pretty much all of us are doing that 24/7 now anyway.

On the bright side, I've gotten WAY better results explaining what an anxiety disorder feels like, by describing it in terms of that creeping pit of horrified despair in your stomach when you read about Trump's most recent shenanigans. When everyone has a low-grade mental health disorder, it helps destigmatize it.
posted by Mayor West at 7:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [26 favorites]

It's going to be Trumpcare because most Americans don't actually understand how their political system works or that there is more than one body involved.
posted by Artw at 7:37 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

Republicans hate poor people. Their problem in this case is that it's not just poor people who need health insurance. So, how can they fuck poor people without also fucking their base? It sure is a quandary.
posted by Slothrup at 7:38 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

A friend of mine is on the staff of a local Methodist church that runs a food pantry. There is one board member who, every meeting, tries to make them institute some sort of qualification to get food, because he doesn't want to help the "wrong people." The rest of the Board thinks that's nuts and un-Christian, and votes it down, but he is wealthy and therefore has some pull. I personally think they should boot him because that shit is so poisonous that it'd be better to go without his dollars, but it's not my church.

Ugh this is infuriating; I agree that it's un-Christian and I also think that trying to check out everyone's "qualifications" is going to be basically impossible to implement. You're a food pantry, someone saying "I need some food" is the only qualification necessary.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [39 favorites]

Sometimes, I start to type a longer comment, then realize it's just an elaborate rephrasing of the more basic sentiment "AHHHHHH! SHIT! OMFG! OH GOD! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHEN WILL IT STOP?" and that pretty much all of us are doing that 24/7 now anyway.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:33 PM on March 8 [6 favorites +] [!]

I have written so many brilliant comments that none of you will ever see.

A person who acts "entitled" is arrogant, self-centered, thinks they don't have to wait in line, that the rules don't apply to them. So merely repeating the word, as often as possible, accomplishes the desired negative framing of entitlement programs, never mind that the word has a distinct legal meaning in this context.
posted by thelonius at 11:33 PM on March 8 [+] [!]

I hereby call for a universal entitlement to call everyone in government who supports means testing a turd. I know we have that already, but it's an example of the kind of brilliant commentary I often think better of posting.
posted by saysthis at 7:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

I'd guess the "escort service" trademark is to stop others from using the name.

The past couple of weeks have brought things that make my internal canary a little woozy: the "Obama tapp" stuff and how it was fabricated, and the "CIA false flag" stuff over the past day showing similar patterns. Given that the White House resident is just watching TV and reading selected printouts from Bannon all day, I fear that we're going to see ever greater insulation and a press that either can't permeate it or has to compromise itself to get through.

It takes a special kind of ideologue to resent the fact that they get what you now also get, and I'd suggest that there are actually rather fewer of those than many (on both the left and right) assume that there are out there in the world.

I don't necessarily think it's an ideological thing. The American model has been to individuate handouts [to white people] so that within a couple of generations it's forgotten, and that both has an assimilative social function and makes it harder to repeat down the line. You can't universalise property ownership in a nation that is so tied to the idea of a property-owning citizenry.
posted by holgate at 7:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Despite the rhetoric and hate crimes, Mexican immigrants are poised to reframe American culture, if white people would only let them.
posted by robbyrobs at 7:41 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Pope Guilty: Has Paul Ryan ever eaten a meal or lived in a home not provided at taxpayer expense since his father died?

Government Programs and Taxpayers Financed Paul Ryan: He Didn't Make It on His Own -- the article was written in 2012, when Ryan was a spry 42 year old. He's now 47, and he's been a congressman since 1998- that's 19 years living off of the generosity of the tax-paying public, since he was 28. And beyond his own livelihood, his family business grew off of government contracts. When his dad died of a heart attack at 55, Paul lived off of his father's Social Security payments for two years, and he saved some of these government funds for his college education.

Yeah, the government has been real rough on poor Paul.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:42 AM on March 8, 2017 [98 favorites]

It's going to be Trumpcare because most Americans don't actually understand how their political system works or that there is more than one body involved.

Crowdsourcing this: what is the best online resource for very simply explaining to people how the government works on a basic level, how a bill becomes a law (including the existence of committees which I think a lot of people don't understand)?

One of my local brand new white lady activist Facebook groups is forever freaking out about stunt legislation that is going to die in committee when there are far bigger things to be keeping eyes on right now, but I don't want to come in all 3-paragraph-long explainy. I'd rather just drop a link and be like "Check these bills you are worried about against the process described here."
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:43 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

You're a food pantry, someone saying "I need some food" is the only qualification necessary.

Picking up on what Rev. Barber said the other day, I can think of someone relevant to the mission of churches who provided a lot of free healthcare and gave out food to everybody who showed up without means testing them.
posted by holgate at 7:43 AM on March 8, 2017 [57 favorites]

Picking up on what Rev. Barber said the other day, I can think of someone relevant to the mission of churches who provided a lot of free healthcare and gave out food to everybody who showed up without means testing them.

"Bread and fishes for everybody! Except that guy with the scrap of jerky in his pocket. Fuck that freeloader." - Jesus [fake]
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:47 AM on March 8, 2017 [43 favorites]

New issue of the re:act newsletter is out, includes a link to a Google doc where, starting Wednesday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) will track the bill’s mark-up in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and hold members accountable for their votes.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Honestly, I've been around far more people who could really use a food pantry but weren't going than anything else. If everyone who was food insecure went to food pantries they would collapse.
posted by Frowner at 7:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

"Bread and fishes for everybody! Except that guy with the scrap of jerky in his pocket. Fuck that freeloader." - Jesus [fake]

The diametrical opposition between the stated concerns of Jesus Christ and the stated concerns of (a huge chunk of) people who act in his name is long noted, but never ceases to be amazing and depressing.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:51 AM on March 8, 2017 [60 favorites]

So, how can they fuck poor people without also fucking their base? It sure is a quandary.

Nah, they just fuck all of them, and there's still enough who are happy that at least those people aren't "getting over" that they keep voting right.
posted by Etrigan at 7:53 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I could really use some reassurance right now (ideally numbers-based or otherwise fact-driven). I know a really large percentage of people don't vote, and an even larger number don't vote down-ticket or off years. And I know that Koch Brothers and other Republican spending makes it far easier for Republicans to run, and gerrymandering makes it far easier for them to win. I am pretty sure that there is far more money on the Republican side, and always will be - if they're the "pro-business" party that will let your corporation pollute and pay no taxes and limit lawsuits nd otherwise keep generating more income, that's always going to be the case.

But where is the proof that more American people - who seem to be overwhelmingly electing the leopards-eating-your-face party in race after race nationwide - aren't actually, at least passively, in favor of the face-eating? Hillary's popular vote win is meaningless if Republican representation in the other houses keeps growing. Isn't it?

I mean, the Republicans make no secret of what they want to do. I keep reading the schadenfreudy stories of people who voted against their best interests and are now saying "but I didn't think they meant it," but I think they're the exceptions, not the rule. It just looks like more people who vote, are voting Republican. They want this.

I keep reading here that the ACA is more popular, that people like the individual mandate, that people don't want to kill the safety net or gut the EPA. But I don't see how to believe it's actually true. This kind of monstrosity isn't happening in a vaccuum. Some Republican voters - if not most of them - want this. And I really am starting to believe they not only outnumber us, but their numbers are growing. My gut feeling is the majority of people are just passive and don't care. Or are not paying attention because they don't (and won't) see how this affects them until it's too late, and when it happens will also believe whatever convenient Republican lie that blames it on the Democrats. But either keep voting for the face-eating, or keep staying home on election days, because "eh."

Where's the proof that this isn't the case? Is there any?
posted by Mchelly at 7:53 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Of all the terrible things to come out of this country's history of racism and reliance on slavery (with a special shout out to the old Confederate/Treasonous States), the marriage of certain forms of Christianity with racism -- where racism always has priority -- is, somehow, one of the things that really punches me in the gut.

I'm not naive about Christian history, and I don't identify as a Christian, but I've always admired the main message (plus some gnostic gospels, and minus John, which is...yeah).

There is something fundamentally right and good about the idea of accepting that one is powerless, in the end, to do anything but simply love people, as best you can.

And they have perverted that. I mean, truly, in the most sickening way, they have taken "love thy neighbor" and twisted it until they could find a justification for hatred and brutality in there.

It's a capacity for evil that shocks me every time.
posted by schadenfrau at 7:55 AM on March 8, 2017 [57 favorites]

You're a food pantry, someone saying "I need some food" is the only qualification necessary.

Here in England, our erstwhile welfare minister, Baron Freud, who comes from a stockbroker background, stated back in 2013 that:

'...Food from a food bank – the supply – is a free good, and by definition there is an almost infinite demand for a free good." (Link to Guardian article)

This was in response to a reported increase of people using food banks from around 70,000 in 2011 to around half a million two years later. The Trussell Trust estimates at least 1,000,000 food parcels were handed out in 2015-16.
posted by Myeral at 7:59 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

soren_lorensen:

Here is a very barebones basic brass-tacks explainer of the three branches of government, how they interact, and how bills are passed.

For a little more detail, refer them to this excellent Quora thread.
posted by blucevalo at 8:03 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

stopped, ordered to get out of the car, and prove my citizenship

How does one actually do this?
posted by schadenfrau at 8:03 AM on March 8, 2017

How does one actually do this?

recite the Brooklyn Dodgers lineup
posted by thelonius at 8:05 AM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

Mchelly, I have had to accept that what I see clearly is not what other people see, and often that's a choice on their part. They find politics confusing or scary and so disengage. That's the majority of the electorate, in my view. It's hard to reach them because they are right; it is confusing and scary. Also frustrating. Also enraging. That doesn't mean they love the Republican policies (polls usually show they don't) but it can mean they feel helpless to fight them.

Our goal should be to help non-voters realize that things will get much worse if they don't (Republicans have made that easier) and, (a harder task), that they can make a difference if they participate in enough numbers. The encouraging part, for us, is that even a few percentage points of nonvoters deciding to vote Democratic would have a big impact.

I no longer have interest in appealing to Trump voters. They are welcome to join the right side of history, but they are not my focus; the people who can vote but aren't are where I want to put my efforts.
posted by emjaybee at 8:07 AM on March 8, 2017 [25 favorites]

Every bit of this wave of accelerating hate crimes is terrible. But there is something particularly confounding about the attacks directed at Indian and Sikh people. Chrissakes, these fuckers aren't even good at racism.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:07 AM on March 8, 2017 [20 favorites]

The traditional way to explain how a bill becomes law is through the power of song.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:08 AM on March 8, 2017 [27 favorites]

The Brooklyn Dodgers are my favourite squadron.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:08 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

>>stopped, ordered to get out of the car, and prove my citizenship
>How does one actually do this?

"Please, I like America! Fancy schmancy! What a cinch! Go fly a kite! Cat got your tongue! Hill of beans! Betty Boop, what a dish. Betty Grable, nice gams. [singing] I say can you see! I say can you see!"
posted by entropicamericana at 8:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

> But there is something particularly confounding about the attacks on Indian and Sikh people. Chrissakes, these fuckers aren't even good at racism.

You Wanted Just A Little Bit Of Xenophobia, But Got Too Much
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

>>stopped, ordered to get out of the car, and prove my citizenship
>How does one actually do this?

"WTF is a kilometer?!"
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

The diametrical opposition between the stated concerns of Jesus Christ and the stated concerns of (a huge chunk of) people who act in his name is long noted, but never ceases to be amazing and depressing.

I think in the very long run, history is going to regard whatever Americans are yammering on about now as something fundamentally different from Christianity per se. I mean, there are nearly two millenia of recorded religious thought on Jesus and his teachings, and these American "Christians" barely understand any of it, let alone embody these teachings in their behavior! It's all about money ("prosperity gospel") and war and patriotism. Totally alien to the actual gospel.

In much the same way that Guatama was born a Hindu but later recognized as the Buddha, and Jesus-worship was originally a Jewish cult until he was later venerated as Christ, whatever is happening now is the start of the next thing. I don't know what the precipitating event will be for a historical recognition of this; perhaps it's already happened and will be clear only in retrospect.

Anyway, to keep this on topic, Trump sucks. And the whole "not actually a Christian" thing certainly seems to apply to him personally.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 8:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

But there is something particularly confounding about the attacks on Indian and Sikh people. Chrissakes, these fuckers aren't even good at racism.

They may be bad at distinguishing darker-skinned "foreign"-looking people from one other, but I'd argue that they're actually doing pretty darn great at racism. Because racism isn't based on actually knowing anything about the people you mistreat; rather, it's all about mistreating them because they are different from you. Everything else is mere justification.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:15 AM on March 8, 2017 [41 favorites]

Re: Food Pantry post above from EmJayBee
What Would Republican Jesus Do?
posted by The_Auditor at 8:17 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

So merely repeating the word, as often as possible, accomplishes the desired negative framing of entitlement programs, never mind that the word has a distinct legal meaning in this context.

And much of the American media -- or at least NPR -- fails to understand that then entire Republican Party operates under Newt Gingrich's infamous directives to always control the language and framing of politics. They use a veritable Gish Gallop of negative framing -- Mitch McConnell will never say "regulations" without saying "job-killing" right before, and every time they're quoted by the media, even in other contexts, even when their point is rebutted, they inject that framing and that language into the public discourse.

For example, in Steve Inskeep's interview on NPR this morning with some Republican Congressman about the new health care proposal, the congressman seemed to make at least two unchallenged assertions for every point Inskeep tried to rebut (and to his credit, his questions were less softball than usual -- but it hardly matters, when the congressman is slipping unproven assertions like "Obamacare is imploding" right past him).
posted by Gelatin at 8:20 AM on March 8, 2017 [18 favorites]

The Card Cheat: That deadspin article puts into words much of what my brain means when it goes: WTF ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!
posted by INFJ at 8:23 AM on March 8, 2017

I think in the very long run, history is going to regard whatever Americans are yammering on about now as something fundamentally different from Christianity per se. I mean, there are nearly two millenia of recorded religious thought on Jesus and his teachings, and these American "Christians" barely understand any of it, let alone embody these teachings in their behavior! It's all about money ("prosperity gospel") and war and patriotism. Totally alien to the actual gospel.

Having just read Frederick Douglass's Narrative, I'm reminded of the passages in which he lays out the hypocrisy of American (not just Southern) "Christianity", and in particular this from the appendix:

What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels.

This is not history, this is now.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:25 AM on March 8, 2017 [105 favorites]

The proposal to cut funding to the coast guard and TSA also contains cuts to FEMA. Remember the sick feeling of Bush blithely ignoring how bad Katrina was? Now imagine Trump's administration dealing with such a crisis, and with a further reduced FEMA. Given the unprecedented weather of 2016, a natural disaster scenario has me worried at least as much as a political or military crisis. It would be a shitshow. All of the wingnut fantasies of martial law and internment might well come back to bite them, albeit not from the source they expected.
posted by werkzeuger at 8:25 AM on March 8, 2017 [31 favorites]

The Pro-Publica map of bomb threats against Jewish synagogues, schools, JCC's and ADL offices was updated last night. It now shows 130 bomb threats made to 99 institutions. When the New Castle, DE threat r317 linked to upthread is added, that will make 131 to 100. This is the first reported bomb threat made in the state of Delaware to a Jewish institution in 2017.

A group of Jewish organizations have put together a "We Stand Together" video and facebook group for Jews and their communities to show their solidarity against hatred.

Meanwhile: What is it like to receive a text message notifying you of bomb threat at your child’s preschool at 6:40 in the morning? It’s like this: a flurry of texts from friends and family, an uptick in comments of love and solidarity on Facebook. And life goes on in our little house, my daughter blissfully oblivious to her mother’s distraction this morning.
...
I check Facebook. My daughter’s teacher from last year posted a reassuring comment. I want to reach through the fiber optic cables and hug her warmly: “Even if your children were with us when getting the threat, we would have taken care of them and protected them as if they were our own.”

I’m amazed how such love and compassion can coexist with cruelty.
...
Delayed openings are supposed to be because of snow. Not bombs.

posted by zarq at 8:26 AM on March 8, 2017 [39 favorites]

but I'm not swayed by the idea that we should just forget that all happened.

We can't be or we'll never be able to say with any degree of confidence we actually are still a functioning democracy. People dismiss it as pointless conspiracy theory to imagine large scale, coordinated and dedicated psiops and propaganda campaigns to influence or factionalize a society, but totalitarian regimes exist and from them we can readily observe it is possible to disrupt, factionalize, and subdue a population using little more than those kinds of techniques with an implicit threat of use of martial force as a backstop to help fuel the sense of powerlessness, futility, learned helplessness, and lack of motive social consensus that such psiops are really most concerned with helping to create.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:26 AM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

The Pro-Publica map of bomb threats against Jewish synagogues, schools, JCC's and ADL offices was updated last night.

Just imagine if those were protestant churches.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:27 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Just imagine if those were white Protestant churches.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:29 AM on March 8, 2017 [54 favorites]

when the congressman is slipping unproven assertions like "Obamacare is imploding" right past him

I walked out of the room when I heard this.

The key to the next election cycle is sound bites. We know that government is complex and anti-government is simplistic followed by racism being all too easy, but there must be some way to counter the Gingrich/Lutz language.
What's in it for you and why it's good. DONE.

I hate it, but it's the only thing that works.

Whether Inskeep argues points on Morning Edition?It pisses those of us who give a shit, but does it really change perdeption? But no, Obama care is not imploding.
posted by readery at 8:29 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

For example, in Steve Inskeep's interview on NPR this morning ... the congressman is slipping unproven assertions like "Obamacare is imploding" right past him).

I think it was Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter, if anyone wants to hear the discussion. I believe he's the jerk that used "empowering" to describe cutting healthcare subsidies.
posted by puddledork at 8:32 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think in the very long run, history is going to regard whatever Americans are yammering on about now as something fundamentally different from Christianity per se. I mean, there are nearly two millenia of recorded religious thought on Jesus and his teachings, and these American "Christians" barely understand any of it, let alone embody these teachings in their behavior! It's all about money ("prosperity gospel") and war and patriotism. Totally alien to the actual gospel.

I have some really bad news for you about what the Church in its various forms and structures has been up to for the last couple of millennia.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [35 favorites]

FWIW on the Christians-not-being-Christian thing, it bears stating for the record that of course we know there are many perfectly nice Christian people on MeFi, who are rending their hair at what is going on in the US these days the same as anyone else.

In some tweets from a protest outside CPB yesterday you can see my "Christians for Muslims" sign which I made because I want to push back on the normalizing of the idea that Christianity is anti-Muslim. That was only yesterday but it already feels like a long time ago. This is exhausting. Anyway Muslims, Jews, atheists, Sikhs, Hindus, Baha'i people, members of indigenous/First Nations religions, Shinto people, pagans, Jains, everyone (I know I'm missing a lot and I apologize for anyone I identified incorrectly) I am REALLY REALLY sorry that so many Christians are awful. They are so awful. It is so bad and painful and I'm just so, so sorry about the Radical Christian Terrorism happening right now.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [33 favorites]

I have some really bad news for you about what the Church in its various forms and structures has been up to for the last couple of millennia.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:33 AM on March 8 [+] [!]

eponysterical
posted by entropicamericana at 8:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [40 favorites]

I have some really bad news for you about what the Church in its various forms and structures has been up to for the last couple of millennia.
posted by Pope Guilty

Eponecumenical.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [92 favorites]

The proposal to cut funding to the coast guard and TSA also contains cuts to FEMA. Remember the sick feeling of Bush blithely ignoring how bad Katrina was? Now imagine Trump's administration dealing with such a crisis, and with a further reduced FEMA. Given the unprecedented weather of 2016, a natural disaster scenario has me worried at least as much as a political or military crisis. It would be a shitshow. All of the wingnut fantasies of martial law and internment might well come back to bite them, albeit not from the source they expected.

Wouldn't it be rich if, moments after he gutted FEMA, a hurricane laid waste to the winter whitehouse....
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:37 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

it was an act of almost criminal negligence by the media to presume Republican opposition to the ACA was ever in good faith.

Almost? Corporate news media is the Atlantis of Republican evildoery. A mystical, magical place where dreams are made real. Viz; Reagan closing state psychiatrics, Iran-Contra, Gulf War I, 2000 Scalias, Gulf War II, 60-votes to overturn Obamacare under Obama (not one yet tho), etc.

Whether Inskeep argues points on Morning Edition?

*eats hat angrily*
posted by petebest at 8:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

But there is something particularly confounding about the attacks on Indian and Sikh people. Chrissakes, these fuckers aren't even good at racism.

On the one hand, I get this, and it's hard not to agree - they're not just assholes, they're dumb! On the other hand, it reminds me of the Nazi-era joke:

A Nazi stops a Jew on the street and asks him, "Who is repsonsible for all Germany's problems?"
The Jew responds, "The Jews. And the bicycle riders."
The Nazi asks him, "Why the bicycle riders?"
He answers back: "Why the Jews?"

It's easy to get upset or ironic about how the "wrong" people get targeted in racist attacks - but it makes it easier to give the impression that if they only hit the "right" targets it would be somehow more justified. When violence is completely irrational, expecting it to be carried out rationally is giving it more credit than it deserves.
posted by Mchelly at 8:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [108 favorites]

There's a real simple way to make uninsured care for chronic conditions vaguely affordable. Anyone who takes Medicare patients also has to take uninsured people and let them pay Medicare negotiated rates for care.
posted by Talez at 8:41 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

When violence is completely irrational, expecting it to be carried out rationally is giving it more credit than it deserves.

As a friend said after one such incident (I've forgotten which one, sadly): The problem here is not sloppy recon.
posted by Etrigan at 8:42 AM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

I don't mean to be all Dawkins or whatever, I just mean that "whatever my economic/political interests are, and also here's some of the forms of Christian piety without much concern for Christ's actual teaching" is probably much more normal, historically, than putting the message of the Gospels above all else, at least in part because the former group is in a much better position to have the means and motive to have the latter group murdered as heretics.

Except the American version of that is, well, exceptional. As Frederick Douglass talks about, the version here was warped and corrupted by the institution of slavery — and continues to be corrupted to this day thanks to unrepentant systemic racism.

It's no coincidence the "Land of the Free" is also the one with the most prisoners, and it's not a coincidence those prisoners are disproportionately people of color.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:45 AM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

I'm not buying the Wikileaks Muddies The Waters line. Anyone who actually follows cybersecurity with any focus will know all this stuff already

Rush and the dittoheads have picked it up. Won't be long before Trump repeats it.

The problem being that 99% of America knows nothing about cybersecurity, and something like 48% are willing to believe whatever comes out of the Trump White House.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 8:46 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

What is it like to receive a text message notifying you of bomb threat at your child’s preschool at 6:40 in the morning?

I can't answer that myself, but I can answer, "What is it like when your downstairs neighbor comes home in tears again and again because she's the one answering the phone and receiving the terrorist threats at the JCC where she works?'

It sucks.
posted by mikelieman at 8:49 AM on March 8, 2017 [34 favorites]

I would think we could give each other enough credit on MeFi not to suppose for a nanosecond that I or anyone else here was hoping that racists would target more effectively.

Rather, noting how misdirected their hate often can be is a way of lamenting their general wrongheadedness.

Pointing out that Sikhs are the wrong target tends to gently reinforce the idea that Muslims are the "right" target. Please do everything you can to avoid reinforcing that idea.
posted by puddledork at 8:51 AM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

The proposal to cut funding to the coast guard and TSA also contains cuts to FEMA.

This is the reason, if you live in a vaguely blue state or any area that has any resistance to 45, you absolutely need to get yourself:
* a minimum of 5 days worth of supplies on hand for each person in your house
* don't forget the pets
* first aid supplies
* a crank radio
* a generator if you can afford it
* a stash of dollar bills
* an extra month of any medications you or a family member takes
* alcohol or other "luxury" items to trade.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:55 AM on March 8, 2017 [45 favorites]

The past couple of weeks have brought things that make my internal canary a little woozy: the "Obama tapp" stuff and how it was fabricated, and the "CIA false flag" stuff over the past day showing similar patterns. Given that the White House resident is just watching TV and reading selected printouts from Bannon all day, I fear that we're going to see ever greater insulation and a press that either can't permeate it or has to compromise itself to get through.

The Atlantic had a scary article supposing that there is now a market for Trumpbait news, like clickbait but specifically catered to Trump's media consumption habits and his conspiracy theory belief system. Trump and the alternative facts media now have a positive feedback loop to construct and promote more crazypants conspiracy propaganda.

Some people imagine political propaganda as a top-down operation, in which the government beats down critical journalism and builds a machine of sycophancy to take its place. But propaganda in the age of Trump can self-assemble from the bottom-up. There’s no need to build 21st century Pravda; left unaided, attention-driven economics and status-seeking individuals who’d get a kick out of seeing the president tweet their essay will gladly write outrageous stories, designed to appeal to Trump's conspiratorial worldview, for the clicks. The propaganda will self-propagate, and the president won't even have to request it. That is what you might call an efficient market—just not for the truth.

posted by peeedro at 8:56 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

I, for one, never expected to welcome our new German overlords, but....

The ethnic ancestry of the strongest group of Trump supporters in America is German.
posted by srboisvert at 8:58 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Pointing out that Sikhs are the wrong target tends to gently reinforce the idea that Muslims are the "right" target. Please do everything you can to avoid reinforcing that idea.

I wouldn't imagine anyone could have possibly gotten that read from taking in my entire initial comment, but I do recognize that the nature of a thread is that only part of it may get lifted for discussion and it can give the wrong idea.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:00 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

The propaganda will self-propagate, and the president won't even have to request it. That is what you might call an efficient market—just not for the truth.

Yep. It's a dirty-news laundering operation for somebody whose business was built upon laundering dirty money. The press isn't set up to not report on whatever bullshit the White House occupant dredges up, and even adding "without evidence" and 14 pinnochios doesn't sanitise it. "President Repeats Bullshit, Is Bullshitter" is the only way to cover it.
posted by holgate at 9:05 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I dreamt about Milo Yiannopoulos last night. People were singing songs about him. Fuck.

It just has to be the correct song.
posted by phearlez at 9:05 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

my ten-dollar 1.5L vodka.

My god, man, Dark Eyes is nobody's friend.
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:06 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

"It's for prepping," I explain to the person looking askance at my ten-dollar 1.5L vodka.

liquor store clerks have seen the entire lifecycle; they would not blink at this
posted by thelonius at 9:07 AM on March 8, 2017 [22 favorites]

Personally, I think that pointing out that the attacks on Sikhs and Indians are misdirected is important. As Strange Interlude pointed out above, it lays bare that the rationalizations for targeting Muslims are just pretenses for racism. Even if I still hold I wasn't unclear, I can concede I maybe didn't qualify the way I made that point as well as I might have.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:07 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

>my ten-dollar 1.5L vodka.

My god, man, Dark Eyes is nobody's friend.

Untrue; there's a lotta boat hulls that need cleaning.
posted by phearlez at 9:08 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

The Atlantic had a scary article supposing that there is now a market for Trumpbait news, like clickbait but specifically catered to Trump's media consumption habits and his conspiracy theory belief system.

Ten reasons clickbait got Trump elected! Number eight will shock you!
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:10 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Sen. Leahy told a story about being stopped at an interior checkpoint back in 2008 (pdf of hearing, page 7, 3rd paragraph)

It’s interesting. I went through one of those symbolic checkpoints in the State of New York, driving back here. It was about 125 miles from the border. And a car with license plate ‘‘1’’ on it, from Vermont, and little letters underneath that says, ‘‘U.S. Senate,’’ stopped, ordered to get out of the car, and prove my citizenship. I said, ‘‘What authority are you acting on?’’ And they—one of your agents points to his gun, and he says, ‘‘That’s all the authority I need.’’ An encouraging way to enter our country.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman

My blood = boiling.

Please tell me that agent was fired. Because if a white, male, fucking US SENATOR is treated this way, what the hell chance or hope does the average minority citizen have in receiving ANY kind of due process from CBP?

Please, I have to know that agent was fired. Please? If you have to lie to me and tell me he or she was fired, okay, but I have to know that this episode did not just slide down the memory hole of fascism with no one getting fired and their boss getting an ass-chewing. Please?
posted by darkstar at 9:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [22 favorites]

Speaking of preparation efforts (nice list, Sophie1), here's a list I submitted to and was rejected by McSweeney's before the election. It was supposed to be funny. Joke's on me. Ha ha.

Surviving a Trump Presidency:
10 Must-Read Books for US Residents

1. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us by Robert D. Hare
2. Getting Out: Your Guide to Leaving America (Updated and Expanded Edition) by Mark Ehrman and Cletus Nelson
3. Counterfeit I.D. Made Easy by Jack Luger
4. Methods of Disguise by John Sample
5. 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation by Clint Emerson
6. Cooking Critters for Dinner: Refined Road Kill Recipes by Danny Gansneder
7. Edible Wild Plants by Oliver Perry Medsger
8. Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
9. Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins
10. The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners by Nicholas J. Brown
posted by Bella Donna at 9:16 AM on March 8, 2017 [65 favorites]

And what about a President who runs escort services in China? See the Chinese deals with his name on them, in today's Guardian.
posted by Oyéah at 9:17 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

The Atlantic had a scary article supposing that there is now a market for Trumpbait news, like clickbait but specifically catered to Trump's media consumption habits and his conspiracy theory belief system. Trump and the alternative facts media now have a positive feedback loop to construct and promote more crazypants conspiracy propaganda.

Isn't this problem solved if there's no way to monetize it?

Which would mean Google and Facebook would have to stop paying people for this kind of thing. Like, there is, if I'm understanding this part of the economy correctly, two major choke points for this growing feedback loop. And the biggest is Google, no?

Google is the company that pays these people to poison the republic in the form of ad revenue.

Is Google susceptible to the sort of public pressure that would demand they stop rewarding fake news sites with a shit ton of money?
posted by schadenfrau at 9:21 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

NYT: Since Trump, Quiet Upstate Road Becomes a Busy Exit From U.S.

Given their proximity to Canada, people around here [Champlain, N.Y.] have always had some awareness of the world beyond the border. A pop music station in Montreal comes through clearly on the radio, and it is not all that unusual to make a run to the other side to shop. But the steady stream of cabs that have started driving up Roxham Road has forced them to reckon with life on the border and decisions made in Washington in ways they never have before.

...

Migrants have been coming to places like Roxham Road not because they want to sneak over the border; the expectation is to walk right into the arms of the Canadian authorities. An agreement between the United States and Canada makes it virtually impossible for them to ask for asylum at a legal border crossing; Canadian border officials would have to turn them back. But a technicality allows them to bypass the agreement by illegally setting foot in Canada.

“Once they get arrested, they’re already on Canadian soil,” said Jean-Sébastien Boudreault, the president of the Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association, “so we have to let them do a refugee claim.”

posted by ZeusHumms at 9:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [18 favorites]

The modern Christians I know don't talk about helping anyone these days. Their groups are essentially a self help group. Everything I've ever heard is how they need to focus on themselves, to make themselves righteous in the eyes of God. Constant talks about how everything, literally everything, is a corrupted tool of the devil out to get them. I haven't heard my friends (not so much anymore) say anything about helping anyone in at least 6 years. They've even claimed GoFundMe is a tool from the devil to weaken people. It's crazy.

Interesting. Most of the Christians I know are the exact opposite. They volunteer, donate and generally try to help others in need. They're marching in protests and teaching kindness and respect to their children. They're vehemently anti-racist and horrified by (and outspoken against) the various acts being taken in the name of their religion. They are a positive example of their faiths' core values.
posted by zarq at 9:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

Perhaps those who are Blue and those Red need to call out to all elected officials

GIVE US THE SAME HEALTH CARE PLAN YOU HAVE
posted by Postroad at 9:23 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

GIVE US THE SAME HEALTH CARE PLAN YOU HAVE

Wait, isn't what they have Obamacare now?
posted by C'est la D.C. at 9:26 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

There is something fundamentally right and good about the idea of accepting that one is powerless, in the end, to do anything but simply love people, as best you can. And they have perverted that. I mean, truly, in the most sickening way, they have taken "love thy neighbor" and twisted it until they could find a justification for hatred and brutality in there. It's a capacity for evil that shocks me every time.

If you read the Bible, it's something that Jesus pretty much knew was going to happen:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" (Matthew 17:21-23)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:29 AM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

>alcohol or other "luxury" items to trade.

Might be a good time to get a case of tequila or any other liquor from Mexico, if any of the mendacious testicle's tremendously terrible trade policies get enacted.
posted by Catblack at 9:31 AM on March 8, 2017

Yeah, there are definitely different kinds of Christians and using a broad brush to paint them all isn't useful or accurate.

I've worked with some of the most sincere, love-thy-neighbor types that would make Mr. Rogers want to be a better person. Real Sermon on the Mount believers.

And I've worked with others who have a long pedigree of Christianity, who proclaim their faith loudly, publicly, embracing the more convenient passages of Scripture and using them effectively to argue their points. But in private (before they find out you don't agree), they will tell you about how women who were raped probably did something to deserve it, how poor people have earned their plight because of their sinfulness, how most refugees shouldn't be allowed to enter the country regardless of their situation, how sick people shouldn't expect to have quality health care unless they can pay for it, etc.

In short, as it was known thousands of years ago: by their works ye shall know them.

(On preview: what Empress said)
posted by darkstar at 9:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

Labeling is important.: Donald Trump's Obamacare replacement officially named 'World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017’
posted by bonehead at 9:35 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Wait, isn't what they have Obamacare now?

Technically yes. Each member of congress is treated as a separate small employer and buys a SHOP plan for themselves and their staff. The Federal government picks up the tab for between 72% and 75% of whatever plan they pick.
posted by zrail at 9:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

I have a feeling that the next Republican president to meet basic standards of decency will develop an undeserved reputation for greatness by simple virtue of the comparison to the ones elected in 2000 and 2016.
posted by Sleeper at 9:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I have a feeling that the next Republican president to meet basic standards of decency will develop an undeserved reputation for greatness by simple virtue of the comparison to the ones elected in 2000 and 2016.

Good news for President Pence!
posted by darkstar at 9:38 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

H.R.1275 - World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017
posted by bonehead at 9:38 AM on March 8, 2017

Interesting. Most of the Christians I know are the exact opposite. They volunteer, donate and generally try to help others in need. They're marching in protests and teaching kindness and respect to their children. They're vehemently anti-racist and horrified by (and outspoken against) the various acts being taken in the name of their religion. They are a positive example of their faiths' core values.

This, but I'm going to add a couple caveats:
1) Abortion - the protests outside Planned Parenthood, the horrible psychological manipulation of their alternative adoption-focused "clinics", and the literally voting for Nazis / a presidential candidate who perfectly embodies the description of the Antichrist over this single issue.

2) Missionary work - it's hard to respect Evangelicals who don't, because if you seriously believe that everyone who doesn't hear about Jesus defaults into an eternity of infinite pain, and you're not out there working near-suicidal hours to convert people then you're basically a fucking monster. On the other hand, it's hard to respect people who exploit the medical needs of others to conduct ideological warfare, even if they're essentially volunteering their labor to fulfill those needs.

As someone with, at any given moment, 10-15 extended family members actively performing missionary work (usually medical) in countries where it is either flatly illegal to do so, or where they have had to occasionally flee the Taliban/ISIS, I remain pretty conflicted on those specifics. Overall I agree with what you're saying, mostly.
posted by Ryvar at 9:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

NYT: Since Trump, Quiet Upstate Road Becomes a Busy Exit From U.S.

OMG now I'm crying at work. The pictures of the travel document in Arabic thrown in the snow, and mother and son crying at the border ...what the fuck happened to this country? Haven't refugees suffered enough?
posted by Tarumba at 9:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

That's not the actual bill, bonehead. It's a yearly stunt by a Texas congressman.

(It sounds like I'm insulting you when I use your username, heh)
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

Senate panel approves transgender bathroom bill: A Texas Senate committee approved the transgender bathroom bill at 4:50 a.m. Wednesday, almost 21 hours after the start of a public hearing that drew hundreds, most of them in opposition.

Dammit, I thought my pitiful optimism couldn't disappoint me yet again, but looks like I'm wrong. (There was even a Democrat who crossed the aisle to vote this one in, and people arguing that we shouldn't primary him because "his son will take over his seat when he goes and the son is better!" Fuck you. Fuck all of you.) Time to look for our next line in the sand; at least we'll make them push us over it and wade through our exhaustion and blood. This is going to affect my workplace; it's more narrowly defined than HB 2 but SB 6 explicitly is intended to apply primarily to places of learning and education, because children are our future so I suppose it's better if the gender variant one hurt themselves and remove themselves from that future before it passes.

(The Capitol was covered in trans children and their parents having their backs, you guys. Kids as young as elementary schoolers whose parents wanted them to be happy whatever that looked like; a woman who went from Republican to hardline Democrat because her kid was trans and she decided her kid's happiness was more important than her inherited values publishing her story in the papers; teenagers and at the same time there were at least three class trips to the Capitol I walked past on my way to deliver my packet of letters. This process was witnessed by so many children, directly affected and not.)

My Republican family has abandoned me to this, and I'm sad, and I'm tired. So I'll let myself grieve for a few hours, and then we'll pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and laugh at some of the better protest signs because it's that or weeping. And then I'll let my own students, eighteen and nineteen year olds as they are, fret to me about their upcoming biology exam on Friday and distract us all with a field I still love when I've got the energy to do so.

We were talking seriously about having children in the next few years. Yeah, that's not happening for us now. Who knows what the GOP might do to try to take my children away, if I was so foolish as to bring them into existence in a place so tightly controlled by people who hate me so much? And how could I ever afford to survive pregnancy and childbirth and being medically vulnerable with so many attacks on my personal medical coverage?
posted by sciatrix at 9:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [70 favorites]

Isn't this problem solved if there's no way to monetize it?

Not if the model now is to end up in President Bannon's printer queue.

On Google: it's felt to me for a couple of years that (forgive the anthropomorphism) the big G has been showing signs of... well, the things that seem to affect the White House occupant. Can't recall stuff with the accuracy it once did, misremembers basic facts, repeats crazy stuff because many people are saying it. When infrastructure decays, it resembles physical frailty; when information services decay, they mimic cognitive impairment.
posted by holgate at 9:41 AM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

GIVE US THE SAME HEALTH CARE PLAN YOU HAVE

"Sorry, I'm more important to society than you, as measured by The Market."
posted by Coventry at 9:41 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Is Google susceptible to the sort of public pressure that would demand they stop rewarding fake news sites with a shit ton of money?

Join Sleeping Giants on Twitter or on Facebook.
posted by OnceUponATime at 9:42 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

H.R.1275 - World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017

Well, I don't know how official any of these rankings really are.
posted by AndrewInDC at 9:43 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

zarq, granted I only know of about 10 people that actively proclaim their faith, they all belong to the same group. I don't remember the name but they have regular retreats and gatherings. Each time I've spoken to them, including going out bowling as one of their functions, it was always about themselves and the evils around them.

I know there are many other Christians that don't act like this but I also don't really call them modern Christians. I feel that the modern Christians have recently become engaged with their beliefs versus others that have grown up with it.
posted by JakeEXTREME at 9:49 AM on March 8, 2017

I'm being responsible, I'm thinking ahead. It's for.. uh.. the After Times. definitely not for mixing with milk while i watch an ep of Young Pope tonight

Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!
posted by kirkaracha at 9:51 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

The Federal government picks up the tab for between 72% and 75% of whatever plan they pick.

And they pay the rest with the $174,000+ salary they get from the Federal government.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:56 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Sundance Selects will release the documentary KIKI, a dynamic coming of age story about resilience and the transformative art form that is voguing. KIKI offers riveting and complex insight into the daily lives of a group of LGBTQ youth-of-color who comprise the "Kiki" scene, a vibrant, safe space for performance created and governed by these activists.
posted by robbyrobs at 9:58 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

there is something particularly confounding about the attacks directed at Indian and Sikh people.

Nothing confounding about them, if the attacks are motivated by envy. Indians, at least, and I would assume Sikhs too, tend to have higher socio-economic status than average.

(This is not to excuse the attacks. They are despicable and racist whatever the initial motivation. Not sure what you mean by "these fuckers aren't even good at racism." Seems like the epitome of racism to me.)
posted by Coventry at 10:00 AM on March 8, 2017

huh, in all of the noise of the last couple of days i was not expecting this:

Quinnipiac Poll: Majority Want Sessions To Resign, Think He Lied Under Oath
posted by murphy slaw at 10:03 AM on March 8, 2017 [63 favorites]

It's not confounding. Brown == bad. That's all these people care to know.
posted by jferg at 10:03 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

H.R.1275 - World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017

Not to be confused with the World's Finest Healthcare Plan.
posted by octobersurprise at 10:06 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Also, Sikhs wear turbans which makes them Muslim which makes them terrorists.
posted by uosuaq at 10:06 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I hate to keep being That Person, but: does Quinnipiac lean liberal or conservative?

Can we add the biases of polling to the Wiki so I don't have to ask every thread? I like to get a sense of perspective on how these pollsters lean.
posted by pxe2000 at 10:07 AM on March 8, 2017

I know there are many other Christians that don't act like this but I also don't really call them modern Christians. I feel that the modern Christians have recently become engaged with their beliefs versus others that have grown up with it.

There could be some confirmation bias. There is a chance that you do know or are aquainted with more Christians whether regular church going or just generally follow the principles and don't know it because they're more about just working at being and doing good and not proclaiming "Hi, I'm X and I'm Christian and I'm doing this because I AM CHRISTIAN'. I grew up in this sort of environment where people didn't go around telling people or talk about it. They just did their thing.
In my experience it's the people who make it known 'I am Christian' if you care or not are generally the people who I would consider not super great in the whole Christ love your neighbor department.
posted by Jalliah at 10:08 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Paul McLeod (BuzzFeed) is livetweeting from the Energy and Commerce committee markup of the healthcare bill. It seems to be going about as well as expected, and they've just finished making the poor clerks read the whole thing out loud:

This committee has collapsed into what I can only describe as a procedural brouhaha.
There is much objecting.

Other quality coverage on Twitter is available from Anna Edney (Bloomberg) (at least check out this t-shirt) and over on the Ways and Means side, Margot Sanger-Katz (NYT).
posted by zachlipton at 10:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

does Quinnipiac lean liberal or conservative?

This doesn't judge bias, but 538 considers them pretty accurate.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 10:09 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Quinnipiac is a very good pollster, I always take them seriously.
posted by Justinian at 10:10 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I support leadership declining to use their power to constrain student and faculty actions on campus. I understand it is a complicated issue, and I support the rights of students to protest and to do whatever they can to stand with the weak, including bringing pressure to bear on the students groups, faculty cooperators, and university leadership.
posted by Miko at 10:11 AM on March 8, 2017

It is becoming clear to me that my assumption that people would quickly grok what I meant in the comment above was wrongheaded. Somehow, despite leading off with "Every bit of [this] is terrible" it is still unclear on whether I consider all of the attacks terrible. And somehow, having closed by calling the perpetrators of such attacks "fuckers" engaged in "racism" was still not enough to curb speculation that I might simply be criticizing how well the attacks were targeted rather than that agreeing with the consensus that the attackers might just be fuckers engaged in what is clearly racism.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:11 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Metafilter: collapsed into what I can only describe as a procedural brouhaha
posted by murphy slaw at 10:12 AM on March 8, 2017 [22 favorites]

darkstar: Yeah, there are definitely different kinds of Christians and using a broad brush to paint them all isn't useful or accurate.

Ryvar: This, but I'm going to add a couple caveats:

JakeEXTREME: I know there are many other Christians that don't act like this but I also don't really call them modern Christians. I feel that the modern Christians have recently become engaged with their beliefs versus others that have grown up with it.

Yeah, I'm definitely not trying to say that all Christians are 'this way'. The people I mostly associate with and am friends with are self-selected as well.
posted by zarq at 10:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

from Vox: The weird mystery of the Trump administration's agriculture secretary vacancy
posted by neroli at 10:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Saw the title of the Republicare bill and just laughed. It's further reinforcing my view that they're really pursuing a bolshevik strategy. A strong democratic centralism. Heavy critique of Trump, but then when he's chosen, go kowtowing back with your tail and "support the decision of the party" full throttle.

But now this, it reads like straight up propaganda from a fascist dictatorship.

Frankly it's getting mighty Juche up here.
posted by symbioid at 10:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

wish we could create reservations out of all that empty government land out West where people like that could move and live free

Just to point out that land wasn't "empty" in 1492 and people who are still alive and enjoy limited national sovereignty would like to point out that conveying stolen property to someone other than its original owners is a separate crime from the theft itself.

The Libertopians are welcome to find Libertopia on their own traditional lands. There's plenty of fucking wastelands in Northern Europe.
posted by spitbull at 10:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [60 favorites]

On the various types of Christians:

See, this kind of discussion is why I have long advocated just dividing the world up into only two categories: jerks and non-jerks. Because the kind of Christians who would mix racism up in their personal beliefs aren't people we dislike because are Christians as such; they are people we dislike because they are jerks. Similarly, there are atheist jerks, Muslim jerks, Hindu jerks, Jewish jerks...there are also feminist jerks, misogynist jerks, Republican jerks, Democrat jerks, etc., etc., etc. And the various affiliations can inform and shape their jerkdom and provide it an avenue for manifestation. But the one constant in all cases, though, is that they're jerks.

There are degrees of jerkdom, and it is possible for a non-jerk to do a jerkish thing. But at least it's easier to agree on whether or not being a jerk is a bad thing. Because it is because they're jerks.

So yeah, there are Christians who do get all xenophobic right-wing racial politics about things, and there are Christians who don't. We could probably argue until the cows come home about how many of each category of Christians there are - but i bet that we would all agree that the xenophobic ones are jerks.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [25 favorites]

I kind of wish Jimmy Carter could invite Trump to join him for a day at, say, a work site. If Trump bears a callous, it's certainly not on his hands, earned in service of others.

But I wouldn't want that for on Carter, and Trump would learn nothing. The example of Carter's faith and simple, human decency would be utterly lost. Plus Trump would be worse than worthless on a work site, I'm positive.
posted by Caxton1476 at 10:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

I've come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of people in this world; the kind who think there are two kinds of people in this world, and the kind that don't.
posted by Rat Spatula at 10:23 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Given how older people not only tend to vote, but tend to vote GOP, I was really surprised at how the proposed repeal blatantly screws over that exact voting bloc. I may be missing something, but this sure looks like a poor political move.

Given that older people are the ones who most directly benefit from the very programs Republicans have historically wanted to eliminate, eventually they'll have to say "Fuck you" to the elders if the Rs intend to remain pure to their goals.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:24 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

That Delaware JCC got at least one bomb threat last month, so it's probably already on that list. It's just down the road from where I work.
posted by interplanetjanet at 10:24 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of people in this world; the kind who think there are two kinds of people in this world, and the kind that don't.

And then there's me.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:27 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of people in this world; the kind who think there are two kinds of people in this world, and the kind that don't.

And then there's me.

Is this a riddle? This feels like a riddle.

If one of you always lies and one of you always tells the truth...

Ugh I hate riddles.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

gerrymandering makes it far easier for them to win

A serious question (or perhaps a clarification, because I'm a mathematician and should theoretically know this shit), isn't the point of gerrymandering to slice a margin of victory as thin as is safe and spread it to a lot of districts, while shoving the opponent's margin into as few districts as possible? On a district-by-district level, gerrymandering results in many districts being harder for the gerrymandering party to win in exchange for having more of them which lean your way.

This seems like it'll matter if the Republicans piss off enough people. Gerrymandering is a good way to get more bang for your buck in exchange for getting nailed hard by a major electoral shift. In heavily gerrymandered states, it seems like they're actually more vulnerable.
posted by jackbishop at 10:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Vox: The puzzling way Republicans want to replace the individual mandate, explained with a cartoon

Nice explainer, points out how the incentives in the replacement plan really don't appeal to healthy individuals.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:29 AM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

So this happend:

At the start of each new U.S. Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, newly elected or re-elected Members of Congress – the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate – must recite an oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

This oath is also taken by the Vice President, members of the Cabinet, federal judges and all other civil and military officers and federal employees other than the President.

So when will they do that? The defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic part?
posted by Freedomboy at 10:30 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

There are two kinds of people. Those who can't extrapolate from incomplete data...
posted by INFJ at 10:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

In much the same way that Guatama was born a Hindu but later recognized as the Buddha, and Jesus-worship was originally a Jewish cult until he was later venerated as Christ, whatever is happening now is the start of the next thing. I don't know what the precipitating event will be for a historical recognition of this; perhaps it's already happened and will be clear only in retrospect.

I think it's a mistake to see the American bastardisation of Christianity as the beginning of something new religiously. But I think it most certainly is the beginning of something new(-ish) and awful politically. I don't foresee much political stability when post-truth takes over.

Anyway, to keep this on topic, Trump sucks. And the whole "not actually a Christian" thing certainly seems to apply to him personally.

I've previously gone over that in some detail but can't find the thread. Months on, I'm still waiting for evidence to the contrary.

I have some really bad news for you about what the Church in its various forms and structures has been up to for the last couple of millennia.

Co-opting Christianity to further your own agenda isn't really a new thing, no. (Actually any popular religion or movement is probably a target for that.) But I think what's going on in America is more about ignorance regarding Christianity and utter stupidity regarding government than it is about claimed Christians being maliciously two-faced, as has happened before.

Also, that comment conflates the spiritual definition of Church (ἐκκλησία) with its outward, physical manifestation (no Greek word, because it's less useful conceptually and as Jesus predicted per EmpressCallipygos, the thing's gone bad a lot).

I usually poke people for conflating those two things, so *poke*
posted by iffthen at 10:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Is this a riddle? This feels like a riddle.

I think we were both badly paraphrasing a J.R. "Bob" Dobbs quotation:

"There are two kinds of people in the world: those who say, 'There are two kinds of people in the world: those who say there are two kinds of people in the world, and the other kind,' and there's who don't say. Well, then there's me."

posted by Strange Interlude at 10:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

> Gerrymandering is a good way to get more bang for your buck in exchange for getting nailed hard by a major electoral shift. In heavily gerrymandered states, it seems like they're actually more vulnerable.

Right, gerrymandering makes a party more vulnerable *if* there's a wave election. A 5-10% vote swing would lead to a massive (non-linear) shift in Congress.
posted by RedOrGreen at 10:31 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I have long advocated just dividing the world up into only two categories: jerks and non-jerks.

Masturbatory Manichaeism?
posted by Coventry at 10:32 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

(It's also interesting that a component of post-truth is that bald-faced hypocrisy is just fine because it's not "the other side" doing it. That and actual Christianity are mutually exclusive.)
posted by iffthen at 10:33 AM on March 8, 2017

jackbishop, that's exactly why Georgia Republicans are redistricting again right now.
posted by persona at 10:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Trudeau unveils $650 million plan for sexual, reproductive health

I feel like (or maybe hope) that Canada's response to Trump is just to be EXTRA nice. Canada dialing it's niceness up to 11.
posted by INFJ at 10:35 AM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

Spicey time
Time for you to go out go out into the world.
Spicey time
Turn the lights up over every briefing room
posted by zachlipton at 10:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

I feel like (or maybe hope) that Canada's response to Trump is just to be EXTRA nice. Canada dialing it's niceness up to 11.

If that's the case what does Australia do extra of?
posted by iffthen at 10:37 AM on March 8, 2017

Maybe Canada's strategy is to attract all the tech workers up there. Independent of Trudeau's latest initiative, they are making Montreal look mighty attractive to AI researchers.
posted by Coventry at 10:38 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

If that's the case what does Australia do extra of?

Evolving more terrifying and highly venomous creatures?
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

that's exactly why Georgia Republicans are redistricting again right now.

Redistricting in 2017 means that you can bring in all the new residency data, feed it into the mapping software, and avoid the usual situation in which demographic change unwinds the gerrymander towards the end of the decade. Even GOP-led states that lost districting cases are able to go back and do that, and run with parameters that give themselves more of a buffer against losses in a potential wave election instead of trying to steal additional seats. And of course, all of that stuff is done behind the scenes, so we don't see the inputs. That's why districting needs to be out of the hands of politicians.
posted by holgate at 10:44 AM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

If that's the case what does Australia do extra of?

Unleash massive waves of Yahoo Serious movies.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:45 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Maybe Canada's strategy is to attract all the tech workers up there.

Well, if they have a website for me to apply for residency and post my resume, it's an attractive option.
posted by mikelieman at 10:45 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Right on time RT gives Roger Stone an opportunity to accuse Obama of "breaking in" to the Trump Tower and fantasizes about dragging him before a Grand Jury. I'd honestly like to know if RT stories make the list of Presidentially-approved media sources.
posted by octobersurprise at 10:47 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

wish we could create reservations out of all that empty government land out West where people like that could move and live free

Just to point out that land wasn't "empty" in 1492 and people who are still alive and enjoy limited national sovereignty would like to point out that conveying stolen property to someone other than its original owners is a separate crime from the theft itself.

For an example from the West where this sort of thing went really, really wrong I would like to mention that's pretty much the entire history of Utah up to the present day. Mormon squatters forcibly ejected native tribes wherever they found a water source that allowed the tribes to subsist, but then the Mormons also rejected any outside knowledge of how subsistence worked in the desert and tried to grow non-desert-friendly crops like tobacco. Many early Mormon communities more or less failed because they didn't know what they were doing in the first place, failed to adapt to local conditions, or because they were wiped out in floods they didn't know to expect. It's really interesting to visit National Park Service lands in Utah where they have to present this history in a non-confrontational way. Capitol Reef and Pipe Spring talk about it a bit; Zion's history mentions a Mormon settlement but not that it was abandoned primarily because it couldn't support cattle ranching.

A lot of white people in Utah (see: Chaffetz, Jason) and Nevada (see: Bundy, Cliven et al.) still act like federally-owned lands should just be there for white people to take and ruin before moving onto the next plot, showing no indication of having learned from multiple generations' worth of mistakes. Even if there were no native claim to any of the Federal lands, these are typically people who will still try to take other land through violent conflict if they think it's better than what they have. Meanwhile the native tribes who adapted to subsistence in the first place get pushed off the parts of their land on which it's actually possible to subsist, and face too much outside pressure (social, political, environmental, etc) to preserve the way of life they had on what meager land they have left.

It's … not a great system. For anybody.
posted by fedward at 10:49 AM on March 8, 2017 [78 favorites]

Just to clarify, the Georgia Republicans are redrawing state districts, not federal districts.
posted by Sauce Trough at 10:51 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Even if there were no native claim to any of the Federal lands, these are typically people who will still try to take other land through violent conflict if they think it's better than what they have. Meanwhile the native tribes who adapted to subsistence in the first place get pushed off the parts of their land on which it's actually possible to subsist, and face too much outside pressure (social, political, environmental, etc) to preserve the way of life they had on what meager land they have left.

It's … not a great system. For anybody.

Put a wall around Manhattan, mine the bridges and tunnels, enjoy your libertarian paradise. Lemme know who the Duke turns out to be.
posted by mikelieman at 10:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

symbioid, I've been grossed out by the fascism creeping into and all over the language for ages, ever since the gag-inducing decision to name the stupid thing "The Department of Homeland Security." "The Patriot Act." The threat-level posters and announcements in the airports, permanently stuck on orange. A million other stupid things I've no doubt repressed from W's reign.

But Trump has kicked it up to the tippitytoppest notch. If you have to click on the latest MAGAism to determine whether it's a joke, and then it turns out to be real? Well, then you know it's pretty bad.

Threatlevel goldtoilet.
posted by Don Pepino at 10:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

Quinnipiac Poll: Majority Want Sessions To Resign, Think He Lied Under Oath

Sessions obviously lied under oath. It's somewhat heartening that many Americans are less gullible and/or corrupt than the news media that has bent over backwards to excuse Sessions' inexcusable and contemptuous act.
posted by Gelatin at 10:55 AM on March 8, 2017 [27 favorites]

Put a wall around Manhattan, mine the bridges and tunnels, enjoy your libertarian paradise. Lemme know who the Duke turns out to be.

I don't understand this comment. Are you replying to me, or commenting on the behavior of Western expansionists? I assure you I am not a libertarian.
posted by fedward at 10:56 AM on March 8, 2017

So when will they do that? The defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic part?

The Constitution is a contract between the American people and the American state. You can break contracts as much as you like if you think the other side isn't going to take you to court - that's Trump's SOP. The only way the Constitution will save you is if you the American people declare it's being breached and take appropriate action.

There are various remedies to broken contracts. The standard one is to go to court. Another is to stop acting as if you're bound by it, and refuse to accept its strictures if you don't get its benefits. Still another is to publicise the breach and use that to persuade others to help you fix things.

The appropriate action is up to you, Americans. I'd stop short of civil war if possible, as it has notable downsides, but nothing morally or practically says you can't use the Constitution as a rallying point. As far as I'm aware, it's still held in high regard even by many who don't otherwise agree on much.
posted by Devonian at 10:58 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

It's an Escape from New York joke.
posted by Sphinx at 10:58 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

(It's also interesting that a component of post-truth is that bald-faced hypocrisy is just fine because it's not "the other side" doing it. That and actual Christianity are mutually exclusive.)

Yeah, over 100 Evangelical fundamentalists in my Facebook feed (aka Everyone Back Home), 0 pro-Trump memes.

Ever. Combined.

Used to be some non-Trump Breitbart links but after 7-8 Snopes links from me that dried up entirely - they're not stupid, and they're not disingenuous. Filed under "why I still go home for the holidays".

That said, not a day goes by where I don't see at least a dozen of them arguing about how Planned Parenthood = Nazis and enablers of state-sanctioned genocide. They will never side with us in the voting booth because of that. They're mostly willing to grudgingly accept gay rights because most prohibitions against that (and all the extreme ones) exist in the Old Testament (thus, Old Covenant, and superceded by Christ). To be completely honest the prevailing attitude towards LGBTQ seems to be that as long as they get to be catty about it behind closed doors, they're willing to let it drop. Christ's kingdom is not of this world, thus not their place to enforce it through secular means, etc.

That is absolutely not the case with abortion... or at least so I thought until nearly a quarter of them - including my mother - told me after the election that they would've voted for Bernie Sanders if they'd had the choice. Not sure how you square that circle, but there you go: Bernie Bros for Jesus might be a thing. In seriousness: Trump vs Warren might actually pull some of the fundies away from straightline GOP voting. Only a few, sure, but it's entirely possible.
posted by Ryvar at 10:59 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Trump turns apolitical Mennonites into protesters

It Takes Something Seismic to Get This Group Protesting: The Mennonites are out in the street.
posted by homunculus at 11:00 AM on March 8, 2017 [50 favorites]

Spicer: "There is a big difference between disclosing John Podesta’s Gmail account … and the leaking of classified information."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:02 AM on March 8, 2017

Hey, remember that Confide app that Republican staffers have been using? Turns out it's not very good.
posted by ckape at 11:02 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Spicer, on Why Trump said he loved WikiLeaks last year vs now: "There is a big difference between disclosing John Podesta's GMail accounts...and leaking classified information."

In short: It's Ok If They Attack A Democrat
posted by zachlipton at 11:02 AM on March 8, 2017 [42 favorites]

A pro-choice man is a lot different than a pro-choice woman. A pro-choice woman is unnatural and evil, because we're supposed to love all the babies. A pro-choice man is just a politician.
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:03 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Just to point out that land wasn't "empty" in 1492 and people who are still alive and enjoy limited national sovereignty would like to point out that conveying stolen property to someone other than its original owners is a separate crime from the theft itself.

I'm not actually advocating creating literal concentration camps for libertarians.
posted by Gelatin at 11:04 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

"If you're looking at the CBO for accuracy, you're looking in the wrong place," Spicer says of non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:06 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Spicer ducking the question on whether the President has full confidence in Janet Yellen is not a good look.
posted by zachlipton at 11:07 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

"If you're looking at the CBO for accuracy, you're looking in the wrong place," Spicer says of non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

Just eliminate the CBO and replace it with Infowars, amirite?
posted by dis_integration at 11:11 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Spicer, on Why Trump said he loved WikiLeaks last year vs now: "There is a big difference between disclosing John Podesta's GMail accounts...and leaking classified information."

Thank you for providing context here, zachlipton! It helps those of us not watching to know what he's responding to.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 11:12 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Spicer says thanks but no thanks to outside DC-based organizations' opinion on the healthcare bill.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:12 AM on March 8, 2017

"If you're looking at the CBO for accuracy, you're looking in the wrong place," Spicer says of non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

note that republicans created the CBO in the first place after Johnson slipped Medicare past them on made-up numbers
posted by murphy slaw at 11:13 AM on March 8, 2017 [36 favorites]

Spicer is asked if it's concerning that all the doctors' associations are opposed to this bill. In response, he makes a big deal out of the fact that Tom Price is a doctor too, apparently saying that medical associations don't matter as long as you've got a doctor at HHS Secretary.
posted by zachlipton at 11:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

That is absolutely not the case with abortion... or at least so I thought until nearly a quarter of them - including my mother - told me after the election that they would've voted for Bernie Sanders if they'd had the choice.

They told you that after they got sticker shock over their part in electing the worst major-party candidate for President in American history. It's bullshit. They wouldn't have voted for Sanders, and they won't vote for Warren. They'll come up with any excuse they can to vote for a Republican, because that's the choice they've made, and it's only vaguely about abortion, because everyone who's taken more than five minutes to look at it knows that abortions decrease when you (elect Democrats and) have better sex ed, better education for women generally, and better healthcare for women.

If Sanders had been the nominee, he would have had months more slime thrown at him, and if he'd lost, those people would tell you that they would have voted for Hillary Clinton if they'd had the choice. Effort spent peeling off Trump voters is wasted effort.
posted by Etrigan at 11:14 AM on March 8, 2017 [100 favorites]

Disney's Iger cites 'Hamilton' in defending role on Trump's forum:

"There's an opportunity to have a voice in the room where it happens to speak for our company and its investors," Iger said. "But I respect your opinion."

Sit down Bob.
posted by zachlipton at 11:16 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Put a wall around Manhattan, mine the bridges and tunnels, enjoy your libertarian paradise. Lemme know who the Duke turns out to be.

Batman with the Vocal Fry.
posted by srboisvert at 11:19 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Hey, remember that Confide app that Republican staffers have been using? Turns out it's not very good.

Rubbing hands in anticipation of revealed messages that Trumpists thought were secure....
posted by msalt at 11:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Responding to WAY upthread stuff, but, hey.

Do not let them call it "Trumpcare" or anything else. They absolutely as a party have to own it and take credit for it no matter how bad it is.

Ehhh... As much as I'm sympathetic to any call to stick it to Republicans, this tactic could prove to be VERY counterproductive. Giving them ownership of it would be giving them a reason to defend it; pinning it on a single person (Trump, Ryan, or even Obama still) gives them permission to oppose it. The goal should be to make it as easy as possible for Republicans to cut this thing off at the knees.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'd point out that these headlines are somewhat misleading in describing Mennonites as "apolitical" or not in the habit of taking action for social justice.

While that may be true for the specific communities described in the articles (I wouldn't know) there are very many different denominations of Mennonite, some of which are focussed on social justice and nonviolent action first and foremost.
posted by tel3path at 11:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Yeah, over 100 Evangelical fundamentalists in my Facebook feed (aka Everyone Back Home), 0 pro-Trump memes.

I wish I had your friends. Between my evangelical parents and friends from Christian highschool and my warmongering Navy shipmates my newsfeed is an irredeemable morass.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 11:22 AM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

The right blasts the CBO whenever CBO analysis suggests right wing policy will result in deficits. Here's Gingrich recently (Gingrich: Congressional Budget Office 'Incompatible' With Trump):

According to its website, "CBO has produced independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process."

Gingrich challenged that definition, saying, "It is a left-wing, corrupt, bureaucratic defender of big government and liberalism . . . in the four years I was Speaker of the House, CBO was consistently difficult to work with. If we hadn't fought with them constantly, we would never have balanced the budget."

They aren't going to let CBO scoring get in the way if they can help it (and they can't help it in the Senate: Vox primer on reconciliation and the CBO), but it's still helpful for the rest of us to have some decent cost estimates.
posted by notyou at 11:26 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Update on the Hawaii case against Trump's travel ban: According to the joint filing by the state and Justice Department lawyers, the department’s response would be due on March 13 and Hawaii’s reply would be filed the next day. Judge Watson agreed with the proposed schedule in an order filed on Wednesday.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:26 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Some fine-tuned machine action right here, with the OMB Director talking up the CBO score as Spicer trashes the CBO.

It's also worth pointing out that the main reason the ACA's CBO score was off was because they assumed more employers would drop health coverage, leaving more people to need the exchanges. It turned out that didn't happen, which is not actually a bad thing.
posted by zachlipton at 11:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

Spicey is basically saying sure, it's a shit sandwich, but we're carefully slicing the bread and placing the shit so nicely upon that we should be praised. Eat your tasty , filling Obama sandwich sure, but remember how sloppy it was, and that's why it's bad.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Linda Sarsour has been singled out and arrested along with about a dozen others, among a larger crowd.
posted by Yowser at 11:33 AM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

So yeah, there are Christians who do get all xenophobic right-wing racial politics about things, and there are Christians who don't. We could probably argue until the cows come home about how many of each category of Christians there are - but i bet that we would all agree that the xenophobic ones are jerks.

The problem with this position is it ignores institutionalized racism, sexism, etc. It's not enough to say "there are Christians who are jerks. We must acknowledge that their Churches not only sanction such behavior but also encourage it in their flocks. In some cases to the extent that they push their congregations to vote for laws that take rights away from their fellow citizens.

It's not enough to say, "Some Mormons are jerks." Because their Church raised and spent millions attacking gay marriage in California.

Put another way, the problem with this is there are religious institutions who officially advocate screwing over people they don't like. The policies and rules of the Catholic Church for their faithful have been overtly homophobic. Saying, "well, some Christians are jerks" drastically downplays the problem.
posted by zarq at 11:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [34 favorites]

Linda Sarsour has been singled out and arrested along with about a dozen others, among a larger crowd.

uh, context?
posted by murphy slaw at 11:36 AM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

At this point I'm actively telling people I know outside of US to stay as far the hell away as possible for now.

Only anecdotal here. I know a bunch of people who regularly go on vacation to the US. I know another bunch that take trips over the border a few times a year for a daycation of shopping. Every single one of all of these people are have either cancelled or have changed their plans. I'm hearing people chatting about not going to the US anymore all over the place. I knew that their would be some if not a lot people doing this but I'm actually a bit shocked at the extent of it. The big talk among the Snowbirds around here (there's tons and many have come home early this year) is whether to sell now, wait and see or if they don't own find some other country to go too.

I also have heard of people cancelling going to conferences and talk about moving other conferences up here (mostly tech community).

It feels ominous.

I super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.
posted by Jalliah at 11:37 AM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

They told you that after they got sticker shock

It is entirely possible that this is the case for most of the ones that told me this, yes, hence the hedging on my part. That said: as above, they're not idiots, and they're not disingenuous - they're aware of the essential similarity between Bernie's message and Christ's (particularly the Den of Thieves bit), and of Trump precisely fitting the description of the antagonist in every one of Christ's parable, and the Antichrist's description as well. I don't think you'll get most, or even most of the ones who say they might have jumped differently, but we just suffered the worst electoral disaster in modern history by a margin of 100,000 votes, so...

it's only vaguely about abortion, because-

Yeah, I'm going to stop you right there and say not only are you wrong, but you're utterly, completely, and in all ways wrong on this point. For the northern coastal (NE/PNW) fundie crowd it is 99% about abortion and maybe 1% about residual cultural patriarchy bullshit regarding Hillary. The actual results of administrations and policies is not a factor and influences their decision-making exactly zero, and contrary facts and figures may as well not exist. There is a culture-spanning mental short circuit at work here, where Psalm 139:13 = a divine ruling that fetal personhood is a thing = abortion constitutes state-sanctioned genocide. End of story. They believe their definition of human life comes directly from God, and historically nothing has ever beaten "God told me so."

And not one of these people would have voted for Hillary under any circumstances except Trump openly supporting abortion, nor would they have claimed to be willing to do so post-facto. There is absolutely a patriarchal cultural element at work here, and while women can hold (non-ministerial) authority they are always held to an incredibly unfair standard while doing so. My mother was a raging firebrand of a community leader and I shudder to think what she might have accomplished unburdened of that prejudice.

I wish I had your friends.

See also: these are northern "coastal elite" WASP-ish fundies. The kind with both the financial means and self-honesty required to motivate the majority of them into spending at least several years overseas doing serious embedded missionary work as doctors or nurses. Culturally patriarchal as fuck, they can still be salvaged in certain contexts and extreme circumstances.
posted by Ryvar at 11:38 AM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

Linda Sarsour has been singled out and arrested along with about a dozen others, among a larger crowd.

uh, context?

Context is that there was a protest in NYC to go along with the strike, and cops are gonna cop.

"BUT SOME OF THEM WORE PUSSY HATS!"

A cop in a pussy hat is still a cop, at the end of the day.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

> I also have heard of people cancelling going to conferences and talk about moving other conferences up here (mostly tech community).

This is certainly true of astronomy meetings, and from what I hear, true for other academics as well.
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:39 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Linda Sarsour has been singled out and arrested along with about a dozen others, among a larger crowd.

uh, context?

Here's a tweet from Al Jazeera. That's all I've seen so far.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

At this point I'm actively telling people I know outside of US to stay as far the hell away as possible for now.

What a coincidence! I'm telling people I know inside the US to stay as far the hell away as possible for now.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

Not a bubble; I've had conversations with three different sets of friends and family in Canada, and everyone across the board agrees that their former two or three trips a year is now zero trips a year. The reason is usually a mixture of paranoia and distaste.
posted by tillermo at 11:40 AM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

It's unclear to me why people are being arrested, but the Al Jazeera link from Strange Interlude shows a woman being arrested for apparently sitting in the street, which NYPD will get you for on a good day.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:42 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Badass Maxine Waters Will #NeverForget Trump Is A Puss-Grabbing SCUMBAG
posted by homunculus at 11:43 AM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

I'd honestly like to know if RT stories make the list of Presidentially-approved media sources.

Yes, they do.
posted by OnceUponATime at 11:46 AM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

All I have right now is a video along with unsubstantiated(but plausible) claims that people other than her have been arrested.
posted by Yowser at 11:47 AM on March 8, 2017

Per their Facebook:

UPDATE! Location to meet is 7th Precinct. NYC: Many of our national organizers have been arrested in an act of civil disobedience. We will not be silent. Meet us at 7th Precinct in Manhattan now to show solidarity with our sisters who were arrested today. #DayWithoutAWoman

posted by soren_lorensen at 11:48 AM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

I super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

I have two friends in Canada (Yellowknife) who have a trip planned to visit another friend in Arizona sometime this month, and a whole Facebook conversation happened about whether they should cancel. The specific impetus for the concern was a report that went around some LGBT blogs last month about a Canadian man denied entry to the US when CBP looked at his Scruff dating app profile and decided it meant he was a sex worker. (Then apparently he tried again after deleting the app for the trip and was again denied because "deleting it was suspicious.")

Further research shows the incidents happened last fall, pre-45, but given CBP's current more aggressive stance it seems plausible it could happen again soon.
posted by dnash at 11:49 AM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

And not one of these people would have voted for Hillary under any circumstances except Trump openly supporting abortion, nor would they have claimed to be willing to do so post-facto.

So these people who would never have voted for Clinton because of abortion would have voted for a person with the exact same 100% NARAL rating and 0% NRLC rating with a much, much longer record of votes on the topic? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it.

And yes, the margin was only 100,000 votes. But it'll be a lot easier to get 100,000 people who didn't or couldn't vote to the polls than to find the magical 100,000 unicorns who weren't quite convinced to hold their noses and vote against Trump.
posted by Etrigan at 11:52 AM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

I super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

Canadian here!

I have friends who live in the US who are within an easy day's drive. I've visited them before and would love to again - but not with this administration.
There are gaming conventions and LARP events in the US that I have done in the past, and would love to go to in the future - but not with this administration.
I would love to visit Hawaii, my parents have had such good times there, and it seems like my kind of mountain-plus-ocean getaway - but not with this administration.

I'm not the only one.
posted by sandraregina at 11:53 AM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

I super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

If I see my parents this year it will be because they traveled from Canada to Chicago to visit me because I am not crossing the border until shit gets properly sorted.
posted by srboisvert at 11:56 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

I teach english in Brazil. In just the last few months all of my students have stopped talking about traveling to Disney. That place is fucked if things continue like this.
posted by Glibpaxman at 12:02 PM on March 8, 2017 [32 favorites]

until shit gets properly sorted

I just hope this doesn't mean as we are ushered through checkpoints and into trains.
posted by archimago at 12:04 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I noticed something in an article from The Hill cited in the previous thread:

Said Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL): “Right now the Speaker of the House does not have the votes to pass this bill unless he’s got substantial Democratic support.”

It's really more of a Hastert suggestion
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

I just hope this doesn't mean as we are ushered through checkpoints and into trains.

We don't really have that kind of train infrastructure in the US anymore. Surely they'll use tractor-trailer trucks.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 12:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Hearing the Canadians talk about not coming here is so depressing. I mean, if I were a citizen of another country, I definitely would not be coming to the U.S. at this point, but it's so hard to hear people say this (correctly!) about my country. I hate this.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [49 favorites]

So these people who would never have voted for Clinton because of abortion would have voted for a person with the exact same 100% NARAL rating and 0% NRLC rating with a much, much longer record of votes on the topic? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it.

This is exactly why I indicated my shock at having 20-25 of them tell me that, because they're completely aware of those facts. For them, researching the positions of presidential candidates (and we are talking about the kind of people who actually set aside time dedicated to doing that, because in their 1950s picket-fences mental model God wants them to be Responsible Citizens) generally consists of tracking down a non-partisan candidate comparison chart and scrolling down to the section on abortion. And yes, there's some dark fucking irony right there; sic transit gloria mundi.

The thing is, when Bernie Sanders speaks he sounds a lot like the actual red text in their Bibles - Jesus Christ was a pretty hardcore class-warrior, even by modern standards. Warren shares that in a way that Hillary never did - my cousin shared that video of her chewing out the former Wells Fargo CEO, between shifts at a Nigerian field hospital - and I think it could make a difference.

than to find the magical 100,000 unicorns who weren't quite convinced to hold their noses and vote against Trump.

To be clear: I'm not suggesting we do anything - I have no plans to beyond the every-couple-weeks political link that I think might reach them or a judicious Snopes link when something demonstrably false starts to gain traction - I am simply stating that some of them might come around, and attempting to correct the mental model of my fellow travelers on the left regarding fundies of the non-hick variety.
posted by Ryvar at 12:11 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Come visit us in Canada! We have poutine and almost-legal pot!
posted by mannequito at 12:12 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I don't see how Disney World/Land will survive without international travel.

At this point I'm actively telling people I know outside of US to stay as far the hell away as possible for now.

I'm curious about how the international Disney parks will hold up. Remove the travel aspect and they're just another outpost of American culture.
posted by ZeusHumms at 12:13 PM on March 8, 2017

Come visit us in Canada! We have poutine and almost-legal pot!

Plus, you might not be able to return to the US!
posted by uncleozzy at 12:14 PM on March 8, 2017 [18 favorites]

Disney World (and Land) might also see attendance stay stable - I keep hearing a lot of people here say they aren't willing to travel internationally because they don't want to deal with any potential issues at the border.
posted by Mchelly at 12:16 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

I think American culture is fine.

Us people outside of America are scared shitless of the thought of being detained for months or years for having Tinder on our phones (or whatever arbitrary BS).

Maybe it hasn't happened yet to white privileged people with single citizenship from "acceptable" countries, but who dare risk being the first one?
posted by Yowser at 12:16 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

MIT Media Lab is offering a $250,000 prize for disobedience: "With this award, we honor work that impacts society in positive ways, and is consistent with a set of key principles. These principles include non-violence, creativity, courage, and taking responsibility for one’s actions. This disobedience is not limited to specific disciplines; examples include scientific research, civil rights, freedom of speech, human rights, and the freedom to innovate."

Applications accepted through May 1. One caveat: "The recipient must be living."
posted by adamg at 12:17 PM on March 8, 2017 [39 favorites]

Come visit us in Canada!

I want to visit my family in Seattle-Portland but do not trust CBP two months from now. So I bought tickets to Vancouver and will decide day of if I feel like risking it with a bus ride. Maybe I will just hang out in BC for a couple weeks, enjoy Canadian hospitality, and guilt my Republican parents into driving up and visiting me.
posted by Glibpaxman at 12:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Come visit us in Canada! We have poutine and almost-legal pot!

We're coming to Ottawa in July to see giant monsters!

With our mixed bag family of two dual citizens, two American citizens and one Canadian green card holder, the border crossings should be... interesting? Educational?
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

So when do people start wearing discrete video cameras and livestreaming/broadcasting their movement through the US border checks?

Just for the sake of having documentation of maltreatment or at least something to base the lawsuit on.
posted by teleri025 at 12:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

adamg: MIT Media Lab is offering a $250,000 prize for disobedience...
Applications accepted through May 1. One caveat: "The recipient must be living."

From the page before you enter your name and more details:

We take privacy seriously.
This nomination form is a secure form and the information submitted will not be shared publicly. Information submitted will be reviewed by the award selection committee only. If one of your nominees is selected as the award recipient, we will contact the winner for permission before announcing any personal information. We are mindful of privacy and the fact that many people and organizations doing disobedient work might not want to disclose their information to the public.

Award recipient will be announced live on July 21, 2017.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

The Intercept is debunking the Wikileaks claim that the CIA tools leaked (Vault 7) are designed to forge forensic evidence and improperly assign hacks to Russia.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

I've come to the conclusion that Putin's plan to put Trump in power was not about controlling the United States. It was about destroying the United States.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

I just hope this doesn't mean as we are ushered through checkpoints and into trains.
---
We don't really have that kind of train infrastructure in the US anymore. Surely they'll use tractor-trailer trucks.

Self-driving trucks. Less chance of a driver being compromised.
posted by erisfree at 12:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

The Intercept is debunking the Wikileaks claim

Do mine eyes deceive
posted by Rust Moranis at 12:26 PM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

It was about destroying the United States.

Well, yeah. In a way, Putin is also along for the dog-that-caught-the-car ride here. Hence the kind of blowing hot and cold on Trump that the Russian state media is doing.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Come visit us in Canada! We have poutine and almost-legal pot!

Things I have been asked as a Canadian PR returning to Canada:

a. Names and occupations of all the people I visited in the US (more than once)
b. A day by day account of everything I did in a 3 day trip across the border
c. Why I like to visit my family in [Western European country]. (Answering 'because I love them' is not the right answer, by the way)
d. What my mother does and why she lives where she does and so forth.
e. etc, etc.

I have seen going through borders involve Canadian border guards making old women cry, screaming at people who don't understand English, etc. etc. Crossing any international border these days is not a pleasant experience (or so I have found), and it's getting progressively worse. Canada may not have Trump, but it's not a world of flowers and bunnies at the border either.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 12:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [27 favorites]

ABC News has linked a letter the JCC Association just sent AG Sessions, asking for a meeting.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:34 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

The more Sessions and Kislyak thing show up the more I just wish to cackle with glee.
posted by INFJ at 12:37 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Sessions apparently met Kislyak a third time during the campaign (at the Mayflower hotel for a Trump speech in April 2016). He didn't disclose this in his written additions to his testimony he submitted Monday.

Another term for that is "covered up."

I hope the media is paying attention that even the nonsense excuses he offered up the other day -- and they appear to have credited, incomprehensibly, with being plausible -- appear to have been phony, and draw the obvious conclusion that the Trump Administration is covering something up -- something that involves, but I doubt is limited to, shady ties with Russia.
posted by Gelatin at 12:39 PM on March 8, 2017 [16 favorites]

You know, I'm having these weird day dreams about moving to the trailer park of the Trailer Park Boys except they are real people and to get my cannabis I just peel some hashish off of Ricky's driveway. I'd also talk to Bubbles about kitties a lot.
posted by angrycat at 12:41 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Maybe Kislyak has one of those "Men In Black" type of flashing pens.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:42 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

All the Trump supporters I know personally (my husband's extended family, mainly) are Christians of the "love thy neighbor but not thy brown neighbor" variety. It's sickening.
posted by lydhre at 12:44 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Regarding religious communities - I just finished listening to 99 percent invisible's episode on the Sanctuary Movement, and these sorts of things do give me hope for the future regarding Christian voting patterns.

Arguments about what Christians are like always seem so weird to me because most of the captial C Christians I know (the ones that proclaim their Christianity through words, deeds and facebook memes whenever possible), are also not white. And there's a gigantic gulf there between Mexican Catholics, African-American Episcopalians, and White Christianity. I'm not going to say that they don't care about abortion, but it's certainly not how they decided to vote en masse - the majority of Christians I know are pro-choice even if they don't really associate with that label (IE, they believe abortion is immoral, but they don't want to restrict abortion for others).
posted by dinty_moore at 12:44 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

I don't care about spoiler alerts any more. I just want to know how this whole thing ends.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:47 PM on March 8, 2017 [48 favorites]

The Republican Plan Is Even Worse Than Obamacare
March 7, 2017 By Megan McArdle
posted by robbyrobs at 12:49 PM on March 8, 2017

it keeps cracking me up to see conservative commentators use Obamacare as an epithet, but hey, whatever it takes to express that this bill is an Atkins-friendly shit sandwich
posted by murphy slaw at 12:51 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

Matt Taibbi: Why the Russia Story Is a Minefield for Democrats and the Media: Russia scandals have bloodied the Trump administration. But it carries dangers for those reporting it.

Hypothesize for a moment that the "scandal" here is real, but in a limited sense: Trump's surrogates have not colluded with Russians, but have had “contacts,” and recognize their political liability, and lie about them. Investigators then leak the true details of these contacts, leaving the wild speculations to the media and the Internet. Trump is enough of a pig and a menace that it's easy to imagine doing this and not feeling terribly sorry that your leaks have been over-interpreted.

If that's the case, there are big dangers for the press. If we engage in Times-style gilding of every lily the leakers throw our way, and in doing so build up a fever of expectations for a bombshell reveal, but there turns out to be no conspiracy – Trump will be pre-inoculated against all criticism for the foreseeable future.

The press has to cover this subject. But it can't do it with glibness and excitement, laughing along to SNL routines, before it knows for sure what it's dealing with. Reporters should be scared to their marrow by this story. This is a high-wire act and it is a very long way down. We might want to leave the jokes and the nicknames be, until we get to the other side – wherever that is.

Emphasis mine. I'm somewhat reminded of the fallout from the debacle over George W. Bush's National Guard service, or lack thereof.
posted by homunculus at 12:54 PM on March 8, 2017 [19 favorites]

Sessions apparently met Kislyak a third time during the campaign (at the Mayflower hotel for a Trump speech in April 2016). He didn't disclose this in his written additions to his testimony he submitted Monday.

so that's after he's officially in charge of the Trump national security committee.

is this some kind of Zeno's paradox thing where every time you divide the timeline of Sessions' activities in half, you find another meeting with Kislyak?
posted by murphy slaw at 12:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [50 favorites]

I've come to the conclusion that Putin's plan to put Trump in power was not about controlling the United States. It was about destroying the United States.

Well, like any good plan, his interference was a win-win-win scenario.

* Trump loses? The FUD kicked up by the campaign will still undermine President Clinton, so it's no big deal.
* Trump wins, and he plays ball? Well, the upsides of that are obvious.
* Trump wins, and he doesn't play ball? America is weakened by the Trump presidency anyway.

Even hard proof of Russian interference doesn't harm Putin in any meaningful way. If the proof comes out under Trump? We're living that out right now, and so far it's not harming his agenda any. If the proof came out under Clinton? Big deal, he can count on the GOP to make it a partisan issue and interfere with any action she takes against him.

The left has a lot of would-be 11-Dimensional Chess players who believe that smart political moves are always intricate affairs where the planner has mapped out every twist and turn while steepling their fingers and saying, "Just as planned." But the truth is that actual smart political maneuvering is creating situations where any potential outcome can be exploited to your advantage.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:58 PM on March 8, 2017 [29 favorites]

Are we sure Sessions and Kislyak aren't actually the same person? Which one is Ed Norton and which one is Brad Pitt?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:58 PM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Disney World (and Land) might also see attendance stay stable - I keep hearing a lot of people here say they aren't willing to travel internationally because they don't want to deal with any potential issues at the border.

I'm skeptical of this. A family of 4 can easily drop $1,000 at Disney over 5 days. Who can afford that.
posted by archimago at 1:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

The Republican Plan Is Even Worse Than ~~Obamacare // March 7, 2017 By~~ Megan McArdle

Still think the most likely result is that everybody not in Congress calls it a shit sandwich, plenty of people in Congress call it a shit sandwich, and the GOP votes for it anyway because not passing a bill is worse for their political prospects than having their votes attached to a shit sandwich forever.
posted by holgate at 1:01 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Oh, go fuck yourself, Taibbi. Part of the reason that minefield exists is because you and yours were hellbent on attacking anyone who brought up those Russian ties a few months back.
posted by NoxAeternum at 1:01 PM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

the nice thing about being aligned with Chaos is that even if your plan completely fucks up, you still come out ahead as long as the fuckup is sufficiently spectacular
posted by murphy slaw at 1:01 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

OMG these people are so dumb. It's painful.

Oh no. We're way past painful. We're into schadenfreude laughter levels now.
posted by INFJ at 1:02 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

In the previous thread, Rust Moranis posted:

Specifically asked about DHS and ICE plans to separate families, and he says that's not the WH's authority, even though those agencies fall under the executive branch.

Make no mistake: this is an invitation for those agencies to work towards the Führer.
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:31 AM on March 7 [17 favorites +] [!]

This idea of "working towards the Fuhrer" ..wow.. it free's those poised for violence to act without direct instructions. (see also: stochastic terrorism). anyhow..I thought I'd repost it here in this current thread for further exposure, hope thats ok.

Here's an excerpt from the link above:

Everyone who has the opportunity to observe it knows that the Fuhrer can hardly dictate from above everything which he intends to realise sooner or later. On the contrary, up till now everyone with a post in the new Germany has worked best when he has, so to speak, worked towards the Fuhrer. Very often and in many spheres it has been the case—in previous years as well—that individuals have simply waited for orders and instructions. Unfortunately, the same will be true in the future; but in fact it is the duty of everybody to try to work towards the Fuhrer along the lines he would wish. Anyone who makes mistakes will notice it soon enough. But anyone who really works towards the Fuhrer along his lines and towards his goal will certainly both now and in the future one day have the finest reward in the form of the sudden legal confirmation of his work.
posted by The_Auditor at 1:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

Why the Russia Story Is a Minefield for Democrats

Because it's sheer coincidence that the Trump people are acting guilty as sin. Sessions lied, under oath, and spontaneously, just for laughs. The Trump people aren't inept bunglers, but cunningly crafting a trap to invite Democratic overreach, never mind that they lie about and dismiss Democratic and media criticism anyway.

Right.
posted by Gelatin at 1:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

I'm just waiting for the day that Republicans regret calling it "Obamacare." Right around the time they realize the law isn't going away and that all future government healthcare laws will just be called "Obamacare." In a few years when we pass univeral healthcare everyone just calls it "Obamacare" and Mitch McConnell groans. Then we will have our revenge.
posted by Glibpaxman at 1:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

Sessions apparently met Kislyak a third time during the campaign (at the Mayflower hotel for a Trump speech in April 2016). He didn't disclose this in his written additions to his testimony he submitted Monday.

Wait, is this new new or is it the same meeting we talked about in the previous thread? I think it is the same meeting that the WSJ reported on about 9 months ago but flew under the radar until about 24 hours ago when it hit the news again.
posted by futz at 1:04 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Are we sure Sessions and Kislyak aren't actually the same person? Which one is Ed Norton and which one is Brad Pitt?

Well, it certainly appears that the first rule of meeting with Kislyak was not to talk about meeting with Kislyak.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 1:06 PM on March 8, 2017 [40 favorites]

any discussion about abortion issue voters is incomplete and inaccurate if it doesn't discuss misogyny.

A fetus is not a child. The only way you can elevate it above and give it more rights than the woman carrying it is if you fundamentally deny the agency of that woman, and the real, actual, physical work she has to do to take that fetus -- not a person! -- and grow it into a baby.

Opposition to abortion is not separable from misogyny, whether the people who hold those views are aware of it or not. I'm really tired of political hypotheticals that ignore this fact.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:08 PM on March 8, 2017 [138 favorites]

OMG these people are so dumb. It's painful.

I really don't get this. Kislyak is an ambassador. He's apparently everywhere, meeting with lots of people. Shaking hands with him at a reception line is not evidence of collusion. So why couldn't Sessions have just said he meets a lot of ambassadors and left the door open to the possibility that he bumped into the guy another time or two? Like after the first time he got caught lying about it, he couldn't have left himself a little room for error in there? For a guy who went to law school and everything, why does he keep making definitive statements denying things that both clearly happened and aren't actually indicative of wrongdoing in and of themselves?
posted by zachlipton at 1:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [29 favorites]

Wait, is this new new or is it the same meeting we talked about in the previous thread? I think it is the same meeting that the WSJ reported on about 9 months ago but flew under the radar until about 24 hours ago when it hit the news again.

I think it's the same speech but IIRC the discussion of it in the news yesterday was focused on Kislyak and Trump crossing paths but didn't mention Sessions being there.
posted by melissasaurus at 1:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

More about the Congressional health plan from The New Yorker, 1/17/2017 — On Health Care, We'll Have What Congress Is Having:

The F.E.H.B.P. [Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan], as it’s known, was started in 1959, a few years before Medicare, and was meant to cover some nine million government employees—civil-service workers, the courts, the Post Office, members of Congress, and more. It wasn’t a single plan but, rather, as a Times story put it, “a supermarket offering 300 private health plans.” (Even the right-learning Heritage Foundation called it “a showcase of consumer choice and free-market competition.”)

One may get a sense of its scope and inclusiveness—its supermarket-ness—in the way that the Office of Personnel Management, which administers the program, explains [*] it to federal employees. Much of the program—for instance, the idea that no one can be refused, or charged more, for a preëxisting condition, or that dependents under twenty-six are covered—will sound familiar to anyone conversant with the most attractive parts of the Affordable Care Act.

*Video, text and additional links on the OPM.com website.
posted by cenoxo at 1:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [16 favorites]

'There are no sacred cows': Breitbart's honeymoon with establishment wing of Trump White House may be over: Bannon was furious because he and Priebus were portraying themselves in the press as friends and allies, a narrative almost no one bought, and political observers still connected Breitbart's coverage to him. To many, it looked like Bannon ordered the attack, though the sources said the story actually blindsided him.

According to the two sources, Bannon was so furious he phoned Boyle after the publication of the story and unloaded on him. Boyle had not sought to notify Bannon he was publishing the story in advance, the sources said.

Bannon further aggravated Boyle that week when he instructed him not to publish additional articles critical of Priebus, prompting the Washington editor to tell others Bannon had betrayed Breitbart and was guilty of "treason," according to a source.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:11 PM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

They seriously have named it "The World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017". I am not kidding.

This is all over Twitter, but no. The World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017 is Pete Sessions' compromise proposal, more or less the same as the one he introduced last year (he, creatively, called it The World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan Act of 2016 back then). It's a different bill from the American Health Care Act, which is the pile of crap Paul Ryan and the White House are pushing. They have a bunch of similarities, though the WGHP17 keeps the Medicaid expansion (kind of, sort of, in the form of a block grant) and gives everyone a flat $2,500 tax credit to buy insurance, while the AHCA freezes the Medicaid expansion and uses a different (yet still inadequate) formula for its tax credits. Both are, in fact, not really great at all.
posted by zachlipton at 1:14 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

Bannon further aggravated Boyle that week when he instructed him not to publish additional articles critical of Priebus, prompting the Washington editor to tell others Bannon had betrayed Breitbart and was guilty of "treason," according to a source.

Winning is easy, old man, governing is harder.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:16 PM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

Let's pause:
We must start from where we are … thrown back on our individual will and energy, forced to exploit each other and ourselves in order to survive; and yet, in spite of it all, thrown together by the same forces that pull us apart … to develop identities and mutual bonds that can help us hold together as the fierce modern air blows hot and cold through us all.
Karl Mark 1848
posted by robbyrobs at 1:17 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

there are no sacred cows in war

uh

except for the sacred warcows

we'd be pretty fucked without our legions of sacred warcows
posted by murphy slaw at 1:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [26 favorites]

'There are no sacred cows': Breitbart's honeymoon with establishment wing of Trump White House may be over

An interesting sidenote to this is that Breitbart is currently trying to obtain Congressional press credentials (which also gets you into the Supreme Court gallery, because reasons), and one of the issues that's come up is the extent to which Breitbart is independent of the White House, because credentialed reporters cannot use the press galleries to lobby or promote on behalf of political parties or government agencies.

I don't really think Breitbart would start a war with Bannon just to bolster their case of editorial independence for the credentialing process, but it certainly doesn't hurt the cause.
posted by zachlipton at 1:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

I teach english in Brazil. In just the last few months all of my students have stopped talking about traveling to Disney. That place is fucked if things continue like this.

If that's true, Florida's economy is fucked. When the economy tanked here in 2007 it was the Brazilians and other South Americans who invested in real estate and kept the tourist industry barely afloat. Like I mentioned in the last thread, if tourism here tanks it's going to be devastating to the folks at the bottom.
posted by photoslob at 1:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

MIT Media Lab is offering a $250,000 prize for disobedience: "With this award, we honor work that impacts society in positive ways, and is consistent with a set of key principles. These principles include non-violence, creativity, courage, and taking responsibility for one’s actions. This disobedience is not limited to specific disciplines; examples include scientific research, civil rights, freedom of speech, human rights, and the freedom to innovate."

Bree Newsome better get this award!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

I really don't get this. Kislyak is an ambassador. He's apparently everywhere, meeting with lots of people. Shaking hands with him at a reception line is not evidence of collusion. So why couldn't Sessions have just said he meets a lot of ambassadors and left the door open to the possibility that he bumped into the guy another time or two?

Yes, indeed, why Sessions and others would lie about meetings with the Russian Ambassador that might well have had an innocent and plausible explanation is an interesting question.

The obvious answer is that said meetings aren't actually explained by the innocent and plausible explanation -- "I meet ambassadors all the time! It's no big deal!" -- and the real reason isn't innocent at all.

People lie, and often lie badly, when they have something to hide. I wonder what Trump's people are trying to hide?

Other than his tax returns, of course. We know he's trying to hide those.
posted by Gelatin at 1:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

Bannon further aggravated Boyle that week when he instructed him not to publish additional articles critical of Priebus, prompting the Washington editor to tell others Bannon had betrayed Breitbart and was guilty of "treason," according to a source.

Oh God yes, that's the stuff. Jesus that's good.

Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [27 favorites]

Sessions apparently met Kislyak a third time during the campaign (at the Mayflower hotel for a Trump speech in April 2016). He didn't disclose this in his written additions to his testimony he submitted Monday.

I wonder if “somehow, the subject of the Ukraine came up” that time too.
posted by diogenes at 1:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

I think it's the same speech but IIRC the discussion of it in the news yesterday was focused on Kislyak and Trump crossing paths but didn't mention Sessions being there.

Great googly moogly! These people are fucking idiots. The gift that keeps on giving. Thanks for setting me straight melissasaurus.
posted by futz at 1:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

So why couldn't Sessions have just said he meets a lot of ambassadors and left the door open to the possibility that he bumped into the guy another time or two? Like after the first time he got caught lying about it, he couldn't have left himself a little room for error in there? For a guy who went to law school and everything, why does he keep making definitive statements denying things that both clearly happened and aren't actually indicative of wrongdoing in and of themselves?

Why did he kick all this off by volunteering a lie in the first place when answering a different question? Sen. Franken didn't ask if he met with anybody, he asked Sessions what he'd do if he found out other people had been communicating with the Russians in the course of the campaign. It's like he had some internal, Homer Simpson style "don't mention the cover-up, don't mention the cover-up" monologue, and followed by an internal "d'oh!" after he realized he'd blown it.
posted by fedward at 1:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [56 favorites]

and followed by an internal "d'oh!" after he realized he'd blown it.

I've seen the video. It was an external "d'oh!"
posted by diogenes at 1:27 PM on March 8, 2017 [42 favorites]

I wonder what Trump's people are trying to hide?

I wonder if any of them are under NDA's, and if so, if they're legally binding when it comes to national security.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:29 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's pretty remarkable that Senator Graham is publicly asking the FBI and Justice Department for details about Trump's wiretapping claims. I don't think he's doing that to help Trump.
posted by diogenes at 1:32 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

I wonder if any of them are under NDA's, and if so, if they're legally binding when it comes to national security.

I've said this before, but I wonder when some of them are going to start pleading the Fifth.
posted by Gelatin at 1:32 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm not actually advocating creating literal concentration camps for libertarians.

Hey now, let's not be hasty. There could be a free market opportunity here. Projections on ratings for "Republican Reservation" are through the roof!
posted by bonehead at 1:33 PM on March 8, 2017

One more to file under "Fine. Tuned. Machine." Here's WaPo on "Why Trump’s $1 trillion promise to deliver infrastructure jobs may not happen this year".

The quick shift from popular campaign promise to the bogged-down bureaucratic negotiation process is the latest test of Trump’s ability to pivot from thematic ideas to concrete action. He has already encountered logjams on tax policy, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, and plans to force Mexico to pay for a wall along the U.S. border.
posted by RedOrGreen at 1:33 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's called Grahamstanding.
posted by fedward at 1:34 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

The thing about the Russian house of cards is that the lying is the big deal here. Even if nothing major was discussed ever (fat chance) the fact that they have felt the need to lie about the meetings under oath and in public forums is a huge problem in and of itself. That's the thing that I feel like the media is underselling - the lies lies lies yeah*.

*They're gonna get you.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:36 PM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

I know the conversation has moved on, but I can't help but remind y'all that you have friendly, social justice oriented, explicitly and proudly pro-choice Christians among you here on Metafilter. My spouse and I rode up to DC for the Women's March on a bus chartered by my church with a bunch of other social justice oriented, explicitly and proudly pro-choice Christians (and yes my Jewish atheist spouse). I'm sorry y'all don't know more of us in person. We're pretty great. Look for us at UCC, Presbyterian (USA), and Episcopalian churches, or you know at your local protests, marches, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.
posted by hydropsyche at 1:39 PM on March 8, 2017 [76 favorites]

Just the sheer stupidity of Sessions telling a lie under oath in answer to a question that didn't even ask what he was answering, plus the 'OOPS' look on his face afterwards, should disqualify him as Attorney General and get him disbarred as well.
posted by maggiemaggie at 1:40 PM on March 8, 2017 [18 favorites]

It's called Grahamstanding.

I'm not sure that's true in this case. He isn't just talking. He co-wrote and signed a letter to the FBI and DOJ. And he's threatening to issue subpoenas if they don't respond. Although I guess it would be Grahamstanding if he backs off the subpoena threat when they don't respond... Dang, he probably is Grahamstanding.
posted by diogenes at 1:41 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Look for us at UCC, Presbyterian (USA), and Episcopalian churches, or you know at your local protests, marches, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.

How about Unitarian Universalists? Do we count?
posted by diogenes at 1:42 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Just the sheer stupidity of Sessions telling a lie under oath in answer to a question that didn't even ask what he was answering, plus the 'OOPS' look on his face afterwards, should disqualify him as Attorney General and get him disbarred as well.

Or at the very least, turned into a gif/meme.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:43 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm not actually advocating creating literal concentration camps for libertarians.

Hey now, let's not be hasty. There could be a free market opportunity here. Projections on ratings for "Republican Reservation" are through the roof!

Ahem... Galt's Gulch.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 1:45 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Surely, making bold pronouncements and then caving completely has to be named after Ted Cruz now. I cannot believe Cruz and his wife are having dinner with Trump tonight. How do you sit down to dinner with the guy who waved around a National Enquirer story about your dad being connected to the Kennedy assassination and insulted your wife's appearance? Like, how does that conversation start? "Would you pass the peas, if you don't think peas are reserved for people you find attractive." "This meatloaf is delicious, but I would enjoy it far more if it wasn't being handed to me by someone who accused my father of conspiracy to assassinate the President."
posted by zachlipton at 1:46 PM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

Meanwhile here in Hawaii, our Muslim community has been receiving threats and hate mail since the travel ban. Flames from the sides of my head.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:48 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

How about Unitarian Universalists? Do we count?

Absolutely! I know lots of UUs who don't identify as Christian, but if you do, of course you count.
posted by hydropsyche at 1:48 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

i dunno, i could still see cruz punching trump in the mouth over the dinner table. he's scum, but sometimes he's scum in a way that surprises me.
posted by murphy slaw at 1:49 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

He isn't just talking. He co-wrote and signed a letter to the FBI and DOJ.

So you're saying that sending a letter to the guy who handed the election to Trump and the guy who Trump appointed and has already expressed total faith in over this situation -- or possibly to the guy who Trump specifically put in the DOJ chain of command by EO after Obama took him out of it just a bit before the inauguration -- is actually something?
posted by Etrigan at 1:50 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Deportation Stay Denied For NY Immigrant With Years-Old Pot Conviction: An immigration judge has denied an emergency deportation stay and motion to reconsider for 37-year-old Joel Guerrero, a father-to-be from New Paltz, according to his wife and family.

Mr. Guerrero missed a court appointment in 2011 "because he was "struggling with an illness of substance abuse and dependency" but has since "completely turned his life around, and has completed a rehabilitation program with success." Guerrero immigrated to the United States legally in 1997, when he was 17 years old. He was living in North Carolina in 2004 when he was arrested on a marijuana-related charge " His wife is six months pregnant.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:50 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

Thinking long term -- seems to me that there is a very real chance this admnisistration could implode, and that progressives need a strategy for managing the chaos after that might happen.

A good start would be a bipartisan ten-point Plan to Restore Integrity, restoring and codifying the unspoken agreements that Trump has swept aside. (The whole Republican party leadership, really, but Trump's collapse would give saner Republicans a chance to take power.) This plan should be circulated NOW and forced to a vote to get people on record, either all together or individually as ten bills.

As messed up as it was, the Republican Contract With America showed the power of this approach. I'm just spitballing and am curious what you would add, but for starters:

1) Conflict of interest laws are extended to the president and his family.
2) Ethics restrictions on federal departments unequivocally apply to the office of the president.
3) Strict laws against presidents interfering with investigations into their business (like the guidelines Obama imposed and followed voluntarily.)
4) Statutory support for OMB independence
5) Scientific independence; can't punish researchers or cut funding if you don't like results. Also, all studies for federal approvals (e.g. new drugs) must be made public even if results are bad.
6) Clarify and reimpose filibuster rules, with some kind of reasonable limits. (Can't filibuster more than one ABA-recommended judge a year?)
7) Process for agency staffing to continue when President refuses to appoint people; can't fire people (like diplomats) unless someone is in place to replace them.
8) Instead of special prosecutors, a permanent independent INspector General type is set up to investigate issues concerning the presidency.
9) Rules preventing White House from playing politics with news credentials -- again, some kind of independent arbiter judges these.
10) I dunno, but the general principle is independent, non-partisan arbiters.
posted by msalt at 1:51 PM on March 8, 2017 [62 favorites]

So you're saying... is actually something?

Yeah, I think I am. Even if the recipients of the letter are sympathetic to Trump, the letter still puts them (and Trump) in an awkward position. There's no answer to "did you wiretap Trump" that results in Trump not looking bad.
posted by diogenes at 1:53 PM on March 8, 2017

Purple America Has All But Disappeared
Counties are increasingly super red or super blue, with less and less in between.

posted by robbyrobs at 1:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

I'm just spitballing and am curious what you would add, but for starters:

FWIW, some of the items in that list are already being pushed by various Democratic Congresscritters. (The thing about clarifying that federal ethics restrictions explicitly apply to the President as well.) But I agree that it'd be very nice to see them all wrapped up in a nice bundle.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:56 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

From upthread: If the proof came out under Clinton? Big deal, [Putin] can count on the GOP to make it a partisan issue and interfere with any action she takes against him.

What really galls me about this is that I fully believe Clinton would have found a meaningful way to retaliate against Putin and make him regret it -- without starting World War III.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:57 PM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Mark me down as another Canadian who you couldn't *pay* to go into the States right now.

I'll be up here doing what I can to fight our own homegrown maplefascism, and getting the extra beds and linens in order for anyone fleeing North.

Good luck, good Americans.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 1:59 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

Surely, making bold pronouncements and then caving completely has to be named after Ted Cruz now.

I'll see your Cruz and raise you a Chaffitz.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Counties are increasingly super red or super blue, with less and less in between.

Oddly does not mention gerrymandering.
posted by Artw at 2:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Counties are pre-existing political jurisdictions; the district gerrymandering is within and often overlapping the counties.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

Report: Kansas governor to be named ambassador to the U.N. for Food and Agriculture

I guess he figured he couldn't do more damage in Topeka and is looking for new pastures to make barren?
posted by rewil at 2:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [23 favorites]

Also they're primarily talking about numbers from the presidential election, which aren't broken down into districts like legislative elections.
posted by murphy slaw at 2:04 PM on March 8, 2017

The April speech and its attendees were re-examined because the timeline has solidified a little: the foreign policy team was announced in March, and the decision to change the Ukraine plank of the platform and push an aggressive policy towards NATO partners' financial contributions was made soon afterwards. Oh, and the Fancy Bear DNC hacks started in April. The old timeline assumed that the Ukraine shift was hashed out in July, just before the convention: that is, after the DNC hack was made public but before Wikileaks started dumping its ill-gotten gains. Moving it back to March (and Manafort's hiring) puts greater focus on any Russian interactions in April and May.
posted by holgate at 2:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

Hey, remember how Republican Speakers of the House kept invoking something called the "Hastert Rule" that said they couldn't pass even popular or even necessary legislation unless they had a majority of the Republican caucus?

I thought the Hastert Rule was, "If you're going to buy the silence of the people you molested as children, don't structure your bank withdrawals into a bunch of small transactions".
posted by indubitable at 2:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [44 favorites]

I just hope this doesn't mean as we are ushered through checkpoints and into trains.

We don't really have that kind of train infrastructure in the US anymore.
We didn't have a railway to Westerbork in the Netherlands. And then Nazi's turned the refugee camp that was there into a Nazi deportation camp and the Dutch Railways had the brilliant idea to make a railway there, because the Nazi's paid for every "transport".

That's what fascism looks like. It's not just the awful people at the top and the awful enthusiastic followers (like border patrol officers), but so many people who just kept doing what they always did. Business people thinking about their business.
posted by blub at 2:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [58 favorites]

Even at the point where Racist Uncle is scraping to afford anything, the one solace he can take is that at least he's "better" than those people.

As someone who was a gatekeeper to government funded assistance, let me tell you how it goes when Racist Uncle Joe needs public assistance.

RUJ shows up to get his handout. He is given the miles of red tape that the people he voted for require to make sure not one undeserving person gets a cent. He is given an appointment a month or so away for evaluation because that's the next available. He finally gets through all the obstacles to help and is then placed on a waiting list of six months because of how limited the funding is.

Then he goes on a loud rant about 1) how wasteful the process is and 2) how he can't believe we won't help a decent person like him when all Those People get free Cadillacs and smartphones or whatever.

Sometimes he then gets his Locally Connected Family Member to call you personally to complain and try to get special treatment. At which point this writer will explain that RUJ should feel lucky even to be placed on a waiting list because so many other people are much worse off and there is a line here. If you have an issue please call your state legislature and request more funding, thanks.

Basically even when they need help and encounter the system they still think others are getting away with something they don't deserve. It's an article of faith.
posted by threeturtles at 2:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [120 favorites]

re: the Huffington Post Sessions third-meeting story, which I'm not going to link to because fuck liberal clickbait.

This story is some seriously weak sauce, even for HuffPo. Much of it is weaseling away from their thesis .. "likely met" ... "crossed paths" ... "it is unclear if Sessions and Kislyak spoke directly." Is there anything more substantial to say other than these two bigshots were at a reception with two dozen other people?

No one else appears to be running with this story, at least not according to Google News.

This drives me crazy, because a) our cause is just and can be made without having to recourse to weak-ass shit. b) when outfits like the HuffPo speak uncredibly, it weakens our case. and c) when I get all excited and click on it, I feel like I'm being played -- just like some idiot who's buying baldness cures and gold ingots from Rush Limbaugh's advertisers.
posted by Sauce Trough at 2:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

Counties are increasingly super red or super blue, with less and less in between.

Oddly does not mention gerrymandering.

Counties aren't gerrymandered. This is worse--it's self sorting.

Which fucks urban areas because of our dumb Senate.

But that's not the worst case scenario. The worst case scenario is that 3/5 of the red states empty out of blue people completely, leaving them underpopulated and easy marks for legislative takeovers, and then, in lockstep, they call a goddamn Constitutional Convention.

There are some structural problems coming up.
posted by schadenfrau at 2:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

Congressman Brian Higgins (D-NY) on the cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: The Lakes support 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages per year, which is why reports that White House plans to slash the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in the EPA budget by 97 percent is not only environmentally devastating but a shortsighted plan that will cost jobs and sink the economies of Great Lakes communities that have fought their way back.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 2:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [47 favorites]

the general principle is independent, non-partisan arbiters.

I think a big part of how we got here is a justified erosion of faith in the supposedly non-partisan arbiters of these different domains, though. I like what your plan stands for, but I think the restoration of integrity has to start at a lower level, and that is going to cause as much disruption as the Trump administration itself.

Look at what the field of psychology is going through now with the "reproducibility crisis." It is not the only field which has closed its eyes to serious methodological issues, it just happens to be one where experiments can be replicated relatively inexpensively and with little specialized training.

Or look at the integrity of the SEC. They had ample warning that Madoff was a crook, but he was a popular crook.

Or look at the handling of the post-2008 fiscal stimulus... lots of money going places it where really didn't make much economic sense.

These kinds of abuses have been going on forever, of course, but somehow over the last 10 years there's been far more accountability for them than there used to be, and the institutions we're supposed to trust have been struggling to adjust.
posted by Coventry at 2:30 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Sessions apparently met Kislyak a third time during the campaign

We're going to eventually discover that, back in '97, when Jeffy Sessions came up to DC, Sergey Kislyak was looking for a roommate, and, well, long story short, they've been splitting rent on a townhouse for the last 20 years. [fake, probably]
posted by jackbishop at 2:33 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

The nation's Attorney General perjured himself to get the job?
posted by petebest at 2:41 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

I don't care about spoiler alerts any more. I just want to know how this whole thing ends.

*cough*
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 2:41 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

@TheDemocrats If the hospitals are coming out against the GOP health care proposal, you know it desperately needs revision.

Lots of unease at the use of the word "revision"here, because it looks a lot like prep for wimping the fuck out.
posted by Artw at 2:41 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

can you guess who might use their TEFAP sheets as an opportunity to complain about government inefficiencies?? That's right: white people!

The archetypal version of this remains “I’ve been on food stamps and welfare. Anybody help me out? No. No.”
posted by holgate at 2:43 PM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

From the Rolling Stone/Matt Taibbi piece linked to above:
We have to remember that the unpopularity of the press was a key to Trump's election. Journalists helped solve the billionaire's accessibility problem by being a more hated group than the arrogant rich. Trump has people believing he shares a common enemy with them: the news media. When we do badly, he does well.

I used to be a mainstream journalist, just barely and on the margins. And I have to say that it's not like the lamestream press fucked up only recently. I understand why the Russian angle has gotten play but honestly, I would much prefer that political reporting focus on the impact of existing and proposed policies on US residents. The nitty gritty "who this benefits/affects/harms" plus how and why. We're never going to get that on a regular basis because the media is a profit-driven industry. We never really had it anyway. But golly, I wish we did.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:49 PM on March 8, 2017 [20 favorites]

@TheDemocrats If the hospitals are coming out against the GOP health care proposal, you know it desperately needs revision.

Lots of unease at the use of the word "revision"here, because it looks a lot like prep for wimping the fuck out.

Never in my life will I breathe the words "don't worry, elected Democrats will definitely not wimp out", but it's very hard to imagine what that "revision" could possibly be.

Hospitals and doctors' groups don't like Republicare because it makes no sense. I got emails from the American Medical Association and the American Association of Pediatrics hours after the text was released -- spoiler alert, they hate it -- and I cannot recall the last time I saw that kind of quick response from them on a political issue.

These are not cynical hyperpartisan lobbying organizations, though they have their high-dollar vulnerabilities like every other industry group. By and large they are run by serious people whose main interest is public health. I will tell you straight up, decreasing coverage and increasing costs will make any version of Republicare a no-go for the AMA and AAP.

If that's the cover Democrats need to block it -- though of course they really shouldn't need it -- then they'll have it, no matter what tweaks are coming, because there is no version of this bill that will make sense to healthcare providers.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:53 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

rewil: Report: Kansas governor to be named ambassador to the U.N. for Food and Agriculture I guess he figured he couldn't do more damage in Topeka and is looking for new pastures to make barren?

On the positive side, it's a chance for another progressive to get elected post-Trump, like Montana's banjo-strumming Democrat house rep candidate.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Congress is so busy trying to take away people's health insurance, they haven't bothered to account for the fact that they themselves, and their staffers, have to buy insurance on the exchanges, and they might be shooting themselves in the foot. They're not going to be able to fix that in the bill either, because you can't get a change like that through reconciliation.
posted by zachlipton at 2:56 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

banjo-strumming

banjo-picking, surely
posted by OverlappingElvis at 3:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

"banjo-strumming" is a vicious anti-Dixieland/Vaudeville dogwhistle
posted by saturday_morning at 3:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

He could play clawhammer.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 3:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Congress is so busy trying to take away people's health insurance, they haven't bothered to account for the fact that they themselves, and their staffers, have to buy insurance on the exchanges

okay, this sick, hilarious elation i'm feeling, is that what conservatives feel when they drink liberal tears?
posted by murphy slaw at 3:05 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Surely, making bold pronouncements and then caving completely has to be named after Ted Cruz now.
I'll see your Cruz and raise you a Chaffitz.

Don't forget Mitt Romney and his humiliating dinner with Trump as he dangled the possibility of a cabinet post. Trump revels in total dominance and absolute submission. There is nothing that pleases him more than seeing his opponents grovel at his feet, roll over on their backs and expose their bellies to him.
posted by JackFlash at 3:06 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Congress is so busy trying to take away people's health insurance, they haven't bothered to account for the fact that they themselves, and their staffers, have to buy insurance on the exchanges

okay, this sick, hilarious elation i'm feeling, is that what conservatives feel when they drink liberal tears?

No no, ours is better because they did this to themselves.

I would not recommend this to schadenfreude virgins, though. Be careful, be safe. Build up your tolerance slowly.

Then enjoy the really good shit.
posted by schadenfrau at 3:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

I don't care about spoiler alerts any more. I just want to know how this whole thing ends.

How will this end?
posted by Hairy Lobster at 3:10 PM on March 8, 2017

If that's the cover Democrats need to block it

Any Democrat—hell, any Republican—who thinks they need "cover" to vote against this thing is way, way too chickenhearted to serve in Congress. Y'know those toothless but nice resolutions that occasionally come before legislatures declaring May 12th to be Official Kitten Day or whatever and everyone votes for it because nobody wants to be that asshole who's against kittens? This bill is basically the opposite of that, AFAICT, and anybody dithering over that is even worse than the legislator who decides to wast everyone's time by debating the question of whether kittens really need an official day.

Yes, it's a partisan rallying point everyone is watching but it is also something that absolutely nobody has anything nice to say about. Literally, I have not actually heard a single political actor or commentator (including Ryan and Trump, who seem to be the only people who really want the damn thing to pass) come up with a concrete aspect of it that's good for anybody. It's not unsurprising that Democrats hate it on partisan grounds, but the fact that it is also hated by the AARP (for fucking over the olds), by medical practitioners (for reducing coverage), presumably by insurers (because the coverage-gap penalty won't work), by a host of conservative standardbearers (variously either for its general crock-of-shitness or for not going far enough in dismantling government) means that, y'know, if you can't bring yourself to vote against this, it doesn't seem like you could bring yourself to vote against anything. Whoever the hell you might regard as your constituency, this is bad for them and something they hate.
posted by jackbishop at 3:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

Is Cruz having dinner tonight with Pence and Trump? That's a good time. I guess they won't discuss the senator's father.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

That Working towards the Fuhrer shit made me angry.
posted by mikelieman at 3:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Is Cruz having dinner tonight with Pence and Trump? That's a good time. I guess they won't discuss the senator's father.

I wonder if Cruz will need to secrete digestive enzymes on his plate of Nixon's Submission Meatloaf before he dutifully slurps it through his extended proboscis
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) will be named the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for Food and Agriculture, the Kansas City Star reports.

Christ almighty, talk about failing upwards.
posted by Chrysostom at 3:27 PM on March 8, 2017 [31 favorites]

This cruz/trump dinner: I wonder if they lie to each other as much as they lie to us?
posted by valkane at 3:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I wonder if Cruz will need to secrete digestive enzymes on his plate of Nixon's Submission Meatloaf before he dutifully slurps it through his extended proboscis

Luckily White House staff is used to it, since Bannon went through that pupal phase last month.
posted by codacorolla at 3:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

Ted and Heidi Cruz are having dinner with Donald and Melania Trump. I thought the phone banking was the ultimate humiliation, but apparently the humiliation tour will extend to meatloaf.

I hope they serve Ted some soup. If he's going to debase himself this much, he at least deserves some of his beloved soup.
posted by zachlipton at 3:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

As messed up as it was, the Republican Contract With America showed the power of this approach. I'm just spitballing and am curious what you would add, but for starters:

I would also make sure that the US Marshals get out from under the DOJ and are set up directly under that independent inspector general office you mentioned. The court needs to be able to enforce orders against the executive without fear of interference.

Also some mechanism to force the hand of a Chaffetz or whoever who would slow roll investigations, perhaps by giving the congressional minority the ability to form some limited committees with subpoena power to go around a stonewalling majority. This would get used and abused by the Republicans when they're in the minority but that's a small price to pay.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:32 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Brownback is like Pence 2.0. Leave yer state a hurtin, republican? Trump appointment is certain.
posted by valkane at 3:33 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

How will this end?
On TNT after 4 seasons in first-run syndication.

My most disturbing discovery of recent days is that Heidi Cruz was born in my beloved adopted town of San Luis Obispo, CA. I'm just going to play some Weird Al and Mountain Goats music and maybe a couple games of Madden to cheer me up.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:37 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

I['m] super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

Google's Tourism team surveyed Canadian leisure travelers and 52% reported they are less interested in traveling to the US for leisure compared to last year. Top reason? 78% cited the results of the US election/Trump presidency.
posted by furtive at 3:39 PM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

The US is ranked 104th in women's representation in government

In the past two decades, the US has sunk from 52nd in the world for women’s representation to 104th today, according to data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. In the past year alone, the US has dropped nine places — from 95th to 104th — among more than 190 countries.
posted by futz at 3:39 PM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

My most disturbing discovery of recent days is that Heidi Cruz was born in my beloved adopted town of San Luis Obispo, CA. I'm just going to play some Weird Al and Mountain Goats music and maybe a couple games of Madden to cheer me up.

i had a moment of terror when i realized that she is the right age to have gone to high school with me but she went to a private school so i never met her.
posted by murphy slaw at 3:44 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Mike Konczal: "The biggest, most underappreciated problem for Republicans is simply that they ran against Obamacare, in effect, from the left, while all the concrete actions they want to take come from the right."

Similarly, Matt Yglesias breaks down the schism between GOP policy goals (taxes bad, redistribution bad) and the arguments they've made against the ACA (we can deliver cheaper medical care and better insurance) and how it creates big obstacles to for them to move forward with any ideologically-derived ACA replacement plan: Republicans are now paying the price for a years-long campaign of Obamacare lies. They promised better insurance. They can’t deliver. Now the jig is up.
posted by peeedro at 4:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) will be named the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for Food and Agriculture, the Kansas City Star reports.

so not only is our foreign policy an incomprehensible shambles, all of our ambassadors are going to be assholes, too. yay.
posted by murphy slaw at 4:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've mentioned before that my father worked for 30 years as an Insurance Underwriter, mostly in Property or Liability Insurance. One of the few Capitalist-unfriendly things I ever heard him say was how Private Medical Insurance just plain doesn't work in the same model of all the other forms of Private Profit-Centered Insurance. "It just plain doesn't work." Years later, I got an Accounting job at a Life Insurance Company and discovered that opinion was/is pretty darn common among people in other Insurance fields. Medical is the black sheep of Insurance.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Meet the Hundreds of Officials Trump Has Quietly Installed Across the Government
We have obtained a list of more than 400 Trump administration hires, including dozens of lobbyists and some from far-right media.

While President Trump has not moved to fill many jobs that require Senate confirmation, he has quietly installed hundreds of officials to serve as his eyes and ears at every major federal agency, from the Pentagon to the Department of Interior.

Unlike appointees exposed to the scrutiny of the Senate, members of these so-called “beachhead teams” have operated largely in the shadows, with the White House declining to publicly reveal their identities.

While some names have previously dribbled out in the press, we are publishing a list of more than 400 hires, providing the most complete accounting so far of who Trump has brought into the federal government.
posted by futz at 4:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [83 favorites]

they ran against Obamacare, in effect, from the left, while all the concrete actions they want to take come from the right.

Trump ran against it from the left, while the GOP Republicans ran against it from the right. I expect that's the faultline where the real conflict is going to blow up.
posted by Coventry at 4:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

> We're going to eventually discover that, back in '97, when Jeffy Sessions came up to DC, Sergey Kislyak was looking for a roommate, and, well, long story short, they've been splitting rent on a townhouse for the last 20 years. [fake, probably]

This isn't the oddest idea for a Bosom Buddies remake.
posted by Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks at 4:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Trump ran against it from the left, while the GOP Republicans ran against it from the right. I expect that's the faultline where the real conflict is going to blow up.

You're making the fundamental mistake of taking anything coming out of Trump's mouth as in any way meaningful. Trump doesn't care what they give him, he'll sign it.
posted by Justinian at 4:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Meanwhile, in committee, the Democrats are attaching amendments to the bill. It's unclear whether the plan is to try to drag this out for days and days until the CBO gets its scoring done or not.

My personal favorite (because I came up with the concept, though I'll grant it wasn't that creative) is the "TrumpCare Test": nothing in the bill can take effect until the CBO certifies that health care under the bill will be lower cost, more affordable, and better, with no increase in the number of uninsured, as the President himself promised to Congress. That's a pretty good troll right there.
posted by zachlipton at 4:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [78 favorites]

We're going to eventually discover that, back in '97, when Jeffy Sessions came up to DC, Sergey Kislyak was looking for a roommate, and, well, long story short, they've been splitting rent on a townhouse for the last 20 years.

On March 2, Jeff Sessions was asked to remove himself from the investigation into Russian involvement in the Trump campaign; that request came from anyone with a brain. Deep down, he knew they were right, but he also knew that some day he would return. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his friend, Sergey Kislyak. Several years earlier, Kislyak's FSB handler had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two Russian assets share an apartment without driving each other crazy?
posted by kirkaracha at 4:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

Meanwhile, in committee, the Democrats are attaching amendments to the bill.

Oh fuck no. Don't make compromises to try and fix this peice of shit you dumb idiots.
posted by Artw at 4:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

On review: maybe they are not quite as bad at this as I expected.
posted by Artw at 4:29 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Trump ran against it from the left, while the GOP Republicans ran against it from the right.

I dunno about that. How many years have we heard them complaining that premiums, deductibles, and co-pays are going up. That seems like a leftist critique of the failure of the free market requiring government intervention. Their proposed solutions, all rightwing ideology and free market fairy dust, do nothing to address these complaints.
posted by peeedro at 4:30 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Meanwhile, in committee, the Democrats are attaching amendments to the bill.

Oh fuck no. Don't make compromises to try and fix this peice of shit you dumb idiots.

artw, click the link. One of the amendments is "Change title of bill to REPUBLICAN PAY MORE FOR LESS ACT" and another is about Trump's taxes. They're trolling! Look, they're learning!
posted by saturday_morning at 4:31 PM on March 8, 2017 [89 favorites]

Heh, jinx.
posted by saturday_morning at 4:31 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

This isn't the oddest idea for a Bosom Buddies remake.

The Odd Couple (2017): One's a straight laced power hungry sycophant to a wannabe dictator and the other is a slovenly Russian diplomat.
posted by Talez at 4:33 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

YES, OUR DEMOCRATS IS LEARNING!
posted by Artw at 4:34 PM on March 8, 2017 [41 favorites]

My guy is actually on this committee. He'll be hearing from me vis-a-vis A+ trolling by the committee Dems.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:40 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

I['m] super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

Three of my favourite bands are skipping Vancouver on tour this year (one was last here in 1993, the other in 2015, the other in 2008 and skipped Vancouver the last time they toured, too, thanks jerks, not naming any names, Radiohead) so in order to see them live I'm going to have to cross the border. I have the tickets. My partner's daughter is going to see Lady Gaga in August as a 17th birthday present, in San Francisco, with us. We have the tickets.

Every few days I'm hearing stories of people deactivating their social media accounts before they cross the border, and they're only going to the US if it's necessary. Others, such as American-born trans friends, are resigned to not being able to go home until this administration is gone. Every day I'm becoming more and more apprehensive about heading South. If it wasn't for something so important to me (seeing Polly Harvey for the first time in 24 years? I think so) I wouldn't be even thinking about crossing the border. Social visits are, for now, out.
posted by jokeefe at 4:46 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Huh. I just got a note from a local reporter asking me for an interview about that written testimony I submitted against SB 6. A quick Google confirms she is associated with the paper she describes, even.

....huh.
posted by sciatrix at 4:58 PM on March 8, 2017 [93 favorites]

Also, frankly, at this point I would be actively discouraging international friends from coming to visit me. In fact, some of our British friends fell in love with New Orleans last year, and I've been honestly trying to dissuade them from their love of that city despite being terribly fond of them and wishing we could spend more time in the same place. It just feels so amazingly not safe to be here right now.
posted by sciatrix at 5:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

A few more healthcare tidbits:

Robert Costa has a new behind-the-scenes: Trump goes into dealmaking mode, works behind the scenes on health bill. It seems like Trump is focusing his attention on Rand Paul right now. The Kentucky trip is still up in the air, but if it happens, it puts pressure on Paul, who isn't exactly thrilled with the current state of the bill and Congressional leadership:

But Paul wondered whether Trump would remain an avowed advocate for the proposal in the coming weeks. “The leadership is selling him a bill of goods and has mischaracterized to him the amount of opposition,” he said. “The speaker keeps saying the votes are there and the president could end up being annoyed.”

Trump, who splashes his name on everything from buildings to steaks, doesn't want his name anywhere near this bill

9 hours into markup, they're finally getting to amendments, starting with Rep. Pallone's amendment to rename the bill the "Republican Pay More for Less Care Act"

The Tax Policy Center ran the numbers on the healthcare plan, and it's a tax cut for the top 1%, with a substantial reduction for those earning millions in investment income. Everyone else gets nothing.
posted by zachlipton at 5:01 PM on March 8, 2017 [47 favorites]

I really think we could work with the Bosom Buddies intro dialogue. The last line is, "See? It's all perfectly normal," which is almost *too* on the nose.
posted by Chrysostom at 5:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

“The speaker keeps saying the votes are there and the president could end up being annoyed.”

Oh, we're going to need more popcorn over here.
posted by tivalasvegas at 5:04 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Politico: White House: Don’t call it Trumpcare
Critics are hijacking the branding process for the GOP health plan as the White House resists slapping the president’s name on it.

Well folks I think we have an answer to the ____care debate from upthread
posted by saturday_morning at 5:05 PM on March 8, 2017 [25 favorites]

WaPo: How wiretaps actually work — and what’s really going on here

…Trump is spending at a terrific rate the accumulated credibility capital of the office he occupies. There may come a day when he needs to speak seriously, and to be taken seriously, at home or abroad. On his present course and speed, that will be a hard day. If this were “House of Cards,” it would all be very entertaining. As it is, existing institutions, both domestic and international, are going to have to adapt to this new feature of our world.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

But Paul wondered whether Trump would remain an avowed advocate for the proposal in the coming weeks. “The leadership is selling him a bill of goods and has mischaracterized to him the amount of opposition,” he said. “The speaker keeps saying the votes are there and the president could end up being annoyed.”

Delicious.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:11 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Politico: White House: Don’t call it Trumpcare

“Pretty much anything with the pejorative suffix on it — ‘care’ — is going to be viewed unfavorably by conservatives,” said former longtime Mitt Romney spokesman Ryan Williams, who was with the Massachusetts governor when he signed Romneycare. Romney had hoped to tout it in his 2008 presidential campaign, and he campaigned on a promise to repeal Obamacare in 2012.

“Anything with the word ‘care’ in it pretty much sounds bad to people these days,” Williams said.

...These people just don't pay any attention to what they're saying, do they.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 5:12 PM on March 8, 2017 [65 favorites]

Re: encouraging non-U.S. visitors to avoid travel to the U.S.:

I've gone one further and explicitly asked close friends and family to:

1) Boycott or limit travel to the U.S.
2) Boycott or limit U.S.-based goods and buy local instead

I want the U.S. to hurt economically because of this. Even though I live here, and that can harm me too. But money speaks, and our powers of labor and consumption are about all that we and others have left to exercise if we won't be heard.
posted by orbit-3 at 5:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

1) Boycott or limit travel to the U.S.
2) Boycott or limit U.S.-based goods and buy local instead

I wonder if it would do any good to extend that to red states (for americans). I don't plan to spend any money in red states for the foreseeable future, nor travel to them, unless it's through them. I agree that the economics of dampnut's assholery is what ultimately might bring him crashing down.
posted by OHenryPacey at 5:30 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Robert Costa has a new behind-the-scenes: Trump goes into dealmaking mode, works behind the scenes on health bill.

All of Trump's behaviour so far on this, as explained in various different ways by the Republicans as a mixture of masterly inaction, behind-the-scenes dealbroking, delegation, and lying in wait for the big push once the details are settled, is also a good match for 'in way over his head and looking for someone to fix it for him'.

Which could lead to an interesting explosion or two, because I do not think him a patient man.
posted by Devonian at 5:33 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

don't call it a trumpcare
i've been here for years
i'm payin' my peers
puttin' voters in fear
posted by murphy slaw at 5:34 PM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

...Liberal tears
raining down like a monsoon
Listen to my base go boom
Explosion...
posted by Rykey at 5:40 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Gelatin: I'm not actually advocating creating literal concentration camps for libertarians.

I didn't think you were, but the trope of the west as "empty" goes back to genocidal history. It was never "empty" land. Constructing it as such, subject to manifest destiny, was the precursor to genocide and internment. If no one lived there except savages who might as well be animals, then it's available for settlement. So that's the story America told itself. And we still talk about the west that way a lot. Its emptiness is the silence of death. Nay, murder. But it didn't work. Indians are still here and there's the small matter of hundreds of treaties that have not been honored.
posted by spitbull at 5:47 PM on March 8, 2017 [31 favorites]

White House: Don’t call it Trumpcare

If you're on twitter, make sure to use #Trumpcare at every opportunity. It needs to be the top trending hashtag.
posted by diogenes at 5:52 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

If this site is correct, we're just scratching the surface of the Trump/Russia connection web
posted by adamvasco at 5:57 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

If this site is correct, we're just scratching the surface of the Trump/Russia connection web

Looks uncomfortably like a Wall of Crazy to me.
posted by Justinian at 6:01 PM on March 8, 2017 [12 favorites]

I'm just in love with the fact that the Republicans have to talk healthcare, and work on healthcare, and take heat for being bad at healthcare, and spend a ton of political capital on healthcare, even though they're disingenuous and pants-on-head incompetent at it. The Republicans getting caught in a leftward Overton Window shift warms my soul. They thought they could just go back in time seven years and nobody's having it.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:03 PM on March 8, 2017 [70 favorites]

The places in red states where people would actually go and spend money are typically the bluest parts of those states. But by all means, punish away.

This. Here in St Petersburg, Hillay overwhelmingly won the vote. The Tampa Bay area is a liberal oasis surrounded by a sea of red. We have beautiful beaches, great museums (Dali, Chihuly, MFA) and we're proud to be the home of the largest Pride parade and event in the state. The Women's March back in January was more than 28,000 people.

Don't get me wrong, Florida can be a fucking hellscape, but if you spend time in any of the cities in central and south Florida you'll feel right at home as a progressive-minded person. We need more of you here, not less and the economies of our cities would be fucked without you.

With that said, my wife and I are vacationing in Seattle and Portland at the end of the month. I can't wait.
posted by photoslob at 6:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [14 favorites]

I'm not really a Twitter list person, but I just threw together a list of people to follow for status on the ~~AHCA~~ TrumpCare markup process, if you want to watch different parts of the sausage get rejected by various factions and reporters slowly lose their mind as they continue well into the night.

Completely irrelevant to this thread, this list also just brought me this amazing news story about a lawyer's pants bursting into flame during the closing arguments in an arson trial, and I feel I would be remiss in my duties if I did not bring such perfection to your attention.
posted by zachlipton at 6:11 PM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

The places in red states where people would actually go and spend money are typically the bluest parts of those states. But by all means, punish away.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:33 PM on March 8 [+] [!]

I anticipated this reaction, but my feeling is that why, for instance, would I want to vacation in Florida, pay tourist (hotel/rental car/sales) taxes to fill their coffers, when I could go to Cali or New Mexico instead.
Any economic pressure put on this administration will carry the argument that it hurts the little guy, the workers at the bottom, but weighed against the harm caused by Dampnut's policies my "vote with my wallet" stance is a drop in the bucket.

Do state budgets follow the national pattern of blue areas generating income which gets redistributed to red areas? How long would it take before a red state felt the pinch? And would R voters really turn on Twitler instead of blaming the Evil Libruls?

I apologize if these are stupid questions. On the one hand I'm loathe to inflict even more pain on the pockets of resistance in redstateistans, but on the other the economics of dampnut's assholery...bring[ing] him crashing down feels like a plausible solution, since unlike previously hoped-for solutions it wouldn't depend on assorted treacherous invertebrates for success.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 6:11 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

orbit-3: "Re: encouraging non-U.S. visitors to avoid travel to the U.S.:"

I've tried researching (well, Googling) how much it would cost to buy up anonymous billboards on the Canadian side of the major US/Canada crossings (Blaine, Ambassador Bridge, Peace Bridge, and maybe Champlain, probably) that basically say something like

US Border Guards Are Detaining Canadians And Denying Entry. Why Risk It?

It's probably more than I could reasonably spare but it gives me something new to daydream idly about. While there might be some economic effects on the cities on the US side that benefit from Canadian tourism & cross-border shopping, the real goal would simply be to a stunt to get the local news -- on both sides of the border -- talking.
posted by mhum at 6:11 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

The places in red states where people would actually go and spend money are typically the bluest parts of those states. But by all means, punish away.
This. Here in St Petersburg, Hillay overwhelmingly won the vote. The Tampa Bay area is a liberal oasis surrounded by a sea of red. We have beautiful beaches, great museums (Dali, Chihuly, MFA) and we're proud to be the home of the largest Pride parade and event in the state. The Women's March back in January was more than 28,000 people.

On the other hand, Sarasota is pretty damned red and the roads are constantly jammed with tourist traffic around the beaches. Ft. Meyers and Naples are probably much the same. I don't think you can just assume that conservative places are just the places that nobody would want to visit anyway.
posted by indubitable at 6:15 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

DNC Chair Perez, deputy Ellison kick off live video Q&As

I think it's interesting a) how Perez and Ellison are really working the "united front" angle, and b) being MUCH more visible than past DNC (or RNC) leadership. I follow this kind of thing moderately closely, and I don't remember party chairs doing visible stuff beyond showing up on the Sunday shows.

They need to be fundraising and building out the state parties and finding good candidates, too, of course. But I think this sort of visibility is a Good Thing.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [29 favorites]

We've talked about the AARP in this thread but this headline gave me giggle fits.

Spicer On AARP Concerns: We're Not Trying To Accommodate 'Special Interests'

All your fucking TrumpDon'tCare bill does is cater to special interests you fucking lying piece of shit.
posted by futz at 6:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [18 favorites]

Here's a picture of the first amendment proposed to the AHCA bill.
posted by flatluigi at 6:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

This cruz/trump dinner: I wonder if they lie to each other as much as they lie to us?

Purmt: I invented belts. Like, for pants.
Cruz: There's a country in South America that venerates me as a living god.
Tupmr: I won the Vietnam War singlehanded!
Cruz: I AM COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF ANTIMATTER.
posted by um at 6:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [53 favorites]

I know the general demographics Sarasota is the ritzy ritz republicans, Tampa is the blue collar red neck jumbled junky city and St. Pete is the laid back middle class/upper lower class (think union postman, plumbers etc(thus more democratic)) retiree city.
And yes Sarasota used to be a cool laid back moderate Republican artsy Democratic enclave until the Ritz money discovered the town and F'd it all up
posted by robbyrobs at 6:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Spicer On AARP Concerns: We're Not Trying To Accommodate 'Special Interests'

AARP's constituency is old people … and people who hope to grow old. And from what I hear they vote. So please, keep harping on how you're going to piss them off.
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:31 PM on March 8, 2017 [42 favorites]

Trump just liked a Fox News tweet: "#Franken Says He Thinks #Sessions Committed Perjury." That's, um, interesting.

Meanwhile, back on the Hill, Ways and Means is spending a considerable amount of time debating the tanning tax. @t_golshan: "Ds and Rs are debating which is worse for women: Defunding Planned Parenthood or taxing tanning salons (which are mostly used by women)?"

Somebody please make it all stop.
posted by zachlipton at 6:36 PM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

On the other hand, Sarasota is pretty damned red and the roads are constantly jammed with tourist traffic around the beaches. Ft. Meyers and Naples are probably much the same. I don't think you can just assume that conservative places are just the places that nobody would want to visit anyway.

Yes, all red as well as being God's Waiting Room™. Don't go there. Go to Miami, St Petersburg or Orlando. Don't go to the theme parks unless you're into that kind of thing. Come for Art Basel or the Dali museum in St Pete. Come for the LGBT friendly beaches, restaurants and other businesses.

I used to talk a lot of shit about Texas. I've done it here on the Blue many times and one day somebody called me out for it. Folks like Sciatrix remind me of why every Red State shouldn't be abandoned. Austin is much like Miami, Gainesville and Tampa in that there's a majority of us fighting like hell to change things for the better. Please give us a hand.
posted by photoslob at 6:38 PM on March 8, 2017 [16 favorites]

Authorities looked into Manafort protégé

-- Kilimnik, a joint Russian-Ukrainian citizen who trained in the Russian army as a linguist, told operatives in Kiev and Washington that he met with Manafort during an April trip to the United States. And, after a late summer trip to the U.S., Kilimnik suggested that he had played a role in gutting a proposed amendment to the Republican Party platform that would have staked out a more adversarial stance towards Russia, according to a Kiev operative.

-- With Manafort’s help, Yanukovych was elected prime minister in 2006 and president in 2010 as the leader of the Russia-aligned Party of Regions. Multiple sources said the party paid millions of dollars a year to Manafort’s firm, for which Kilimnik eventually came to run the Kiev office.

-- And when Kilimnik returned to Ukraine after that trip, he suggested to Kiev political operatives that he played a role in a move by Trump’s representatives to dilute a proposed amendment to the GOP platform calling for the U.S. to provide “lethal defensive weapons” for Ukraine to defend itself against Russian incursion.
posted by futz at 6:40 PM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

Tampa is the blue collar red neck jumbled junky city and St. Pete is the laid back middle class/upper lower class (think union postman, plumbers etc(thus more democratic)) retiree city.
And yes Sarasota used to be a cool laid back moderate Republican artsy Democratic enclave until the Ritz money discovered the town and F'd it all up

I'm not going to get into a back-and-forth but you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I guess I deserve this for being a condescending dick about Texas.
posted by photoslob at 6:43 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Looks uncomfortably like a Wall of Crazy to me.

I think so too. Like, I think there's probably some fire there. And I'm amenable to the argument that anything that hurts Trump is good for America outside of outright making up bullshit.

But we need to keep our eye on the ball. The stupid corruption things are flashy, but the real damage is what's happening to the rule of law, the disregard of the political norms that previously were keeping this country on a path to genuine multiracial democracy, and the increasingly open attacks on any persons who are not white cis-male citizens. Oh, and the incredible incompetence that is dismantling our nation's already-frayed social programs.
posted by tivalasvegas at 6:46 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

So, there's a declared Dem challenger in UT-3 (i.e., Chaffetz). And her platform looks pretty good.

She'll need a lot of luck - Chaffetz won by 46 points in '16 - but anything that makes that rat bastard sweat a bit is a good thing.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:47 PM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

Man, I don't know what to tell ya'll that don't live in red states. What would help? Fuck if I know. Will conservative lawmakers notice if nobody came here? Maybe?

It would hurt us, but so does the complacency/apathy of our fellow red-staters that let the nutbars take over.

If you do have plans to come here and cancel/change them, what WOULD help is to write the places you were going to patronize--the hotel, the amusement park, whatever--and tell them that the idiot bathroom bill/whatever is the reason you changed your plans. Tell THEM to call their state congresspeople and mayor and Reps and Senators in DC. The hospitality industry is already on edge, not to mention all the towns that depend on convention business, so you can fan that flame.
posted by emjaybee at 6:47 PM on March 8, 2017 [63 favorites]

Jim Acosta: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.
posted by Artw at 6:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

What I don't get is why Trump's people made the Ukraine change in the Republican platform - it's not like the platform is a binding contract, they could have "changed course" on Russia/Ukraine policy any time later after some showy diplomatic talks with Russia and Trump could have led the GOP along down that path. But nope, they're fucking idiots who put a big giant spotlight on the issue.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

This cruz/trump dinner: I wonder if they lie to each other as much as they lie to us?

I know one thing: if Cruz doesn't at minimum make the President wear the main course on his weaved toupee, then Heidi needs nothing more to present grounds for divorce.
posted by ocschwar at 6:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

All your fucking TrumpDon'tCare bill does is cater to special interests you fucking lying piece of shit.
posted by futz at 1:20 on March 9 [4 favorites +] [!]

This is utterly untrue. I feel you have forgotten that 6 pages are devoted to hating on lottery winners.
posted by jaduncan at 6:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [25 favorites]

republicare, spicy, epa, hud...forget about all that. russia. i got a vibe.
posted by j_curiouser at 6:56 PM on March 8, 2017

That's a VERY specialized interest.
posted by Artw at 6:56 PM on March 8, 2017

Trump gave away the game: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Their plan is win-win for ~~Republicans~~ dying in the streets enthusiasts. Either they pass a bill that kills healthcare in America and tax cuts for the rich; or the bill fails, they let healthcare markets fall into a death spiral anyway, and blame Democrats for it to win a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority in 2018, and then kill healthcare in America anyway.
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:57 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his friend, Sergey Kislyak. Several years earlier, Kislyak's FSB handler had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two Russian assets share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

It's Sergey Kislyak.

5 paces into your commute, and you think you live alone.
posted by ocschwar at 6:58 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

they could have "changed course" on Russia/Ukraine policy any time later after some showy diplomatic talks with Russia and Trump could have led the GOP along down that path. But nope, they're fucking idiots who put a big giant spotlight on the issue.

Pee-pee tape.

Or more likely incriminating details of the Rosneft money changing hands.
posted by Artw at 6:58 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

T.D. Strange: "Trump gave away the game: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Their plan is win-win for ~~Republicans~~ dying in the streets enthusiasts. Either they pass a bill that kills healthcare in America and tax cuts for the rich; or the bill fails, they let healthcare markets fall into a death spiral anyway, and blame Democrats for it to win a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority in 2018, and then kill healthcare in America anyway."

Color me skeptical that this is how things would actually work out.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:02 PM on March 8, 2017 [29 favorites]

Trump gave away the game: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Somebody please make it all stop.
posted by zachlipton at 6:36 PM

Looks like the Great Filter might have you covered: Russia Has Deployed Missile Barred by Treaty, U.S. General Tells Congress
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:04 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Kilimnik, a joint Russian-Ukrainian citizen who trained in the Russian army as a linguist, told operatives in Kiev and Washington that he met with Manafort during an April trip to the United States.

"Whan that Aprille with hise shoores soote / the hacks of March hath perced to the roote..."

Color me skeptical that this is how things would actually work out.

Me too. "You had health coverage and now you don't, so blame the party who have been out of power for the past 18 months" vs "kick those fuckers out now"? GOP congresscritters will be afraid to set foot in their districts.
posted by holgate at 7:06 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Trump gave away the game: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Wait, so Trump told people exactly what they'd want to hear, even though it doesn't make a lot of sense?

Let's remember that these people cannot do anything - so far - that requires the active consent of the governed. They can do half-assed executive orders, they can get rid of regulations, they can make horrible appointments, but actual law? They're shit at actual law, and Trump is an idiot. They're bad people, they'd like to destroy Obamacare, but anything that is not actually passing a terrible replacement or a repeal is a victory right now, because it leaves a lot of doors open. The longer people have healthcare - even mediocre healthcare at bad prices - the less likely they are to want to go back to zero healthcare. That's why Trump et al want to get rid of this now now now.

Also, frankly, everyone is going to be incredibly motivated by hatred of Trump in 2018. I find it very unlikely that the GOP will gain meaningful seats, even if the Democrats don't do as well as we would like.

We're not in the wolf's mouth yet. We're facing evil people with evil plans, but just because someone has a plan doesn't make it a good or effective plan.
posted by Frowner at 7:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

Nothing outside the US exists foe these people. North Korea is doing test runs on an attack on America's Japanese bases and nobody has said squat.
posted by Artw at 7:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

GOP congresscritters will be afraid to set foot in their districts.

They already are.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:08 PM on March 8, 2017 [20 favorites]

i don't see how that works for Republicans. They control both houses of congress and the presidency. How are they going to blame the Democrats? Why didn't they fix it? Nothing is stopping them. Whatever happens now is 100% on them.

Bill fails -> "Democrats (and traitorous Republicans like Rand Paul) stopped us from fixing Obamacare" -> 2 more years of "Obamacare is killing American jobs but Democrats won't let us fix it" -> 60 seats in 2018 when Democrats are facing the worst Senate map in modern history.

Also, frankly, everyone is going to be incredibly motivated by hatred of Trump in 2018. I find it very unlikely that the GOP will gain meaningful seats, even if the Democrats don't do as well as we would like.

I wish I believed that. I can easily see them gaining a filibuster proof majority after yet another Democratic wipeout outside of the costal strongholds.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

And seriously, if the "game plan" is to keep the ACA and use regulatory powers and industry panic to run it into the ditch, the Dems can start the midterm campaign right fucking now and say "here's exactly what they'll do to run it into the ditch in 2018." Either they do those things, and they're fucked, or they don't, and they're still fucked.
posted by holgate at 7:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

What I don't get is why Trump

Imma stop you right there. He's an idiot prince douche-donkey that got elected because he's good at scaring white people
posted by tivalasvegas at 7:12 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

"Democrats (and traitorous Republicans like Rand Paul) stopped us from fixing Obamacare"

Response: "Your party had a majority in both houses of Congress. You didn't need Democratic support to pass a bill. Why didn't you propose a bill that members of your party would vote for?"
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:12 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

It gets worse.

@Acosta: "WH team indicated openness to move up Medicaid fix to Jan 1, 2018 instead of 2020 to entice conservatives, per source at tea party Trump mtg"

So they'd freeze the Medicaid expansion right away to try to get more of the Freedom Caucus folks on board, making the bill even less acceptable in the Senate. To resolve that problem, he's got a plan:

@Acosta: "Trump confident health care will pass House but for Senate he plans "football stadium rallies" in red states to prod vulnerable Dems."

Given how his last round of rallies weren't all that well attended, does he really think he can fill football stadiums now?

Oh, and the Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid just came out against the bill "despite political messaging from others at HHS."
posted by zachlipton at 7:13 PM on March 8, 2017 [26 favorites]

Their plan is win-win for Republicans dying in the streets enthusiasts. Either they pass a bill that kills healthcare in America and tax cuts for the rich; or the bill fails, they let healthcare markets fall into a death spiral anyway, and blame Democrats for it to win a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority in 2018, and then kill healthcare in America anyway.

There's maybe 6 seats that they could pick up without a wave election towards Republicans and then Republicans have to run the table in 2020. That's if they don't lose Nevada (which is likely D at this point). 60 seats is not anywhere in the future without a massive swing away from Democrats that we haven't ever seen. There are too many firmly blue bulwarks to go below 42 Democrats.

To get to 60 Republicans would have to run the table and unseat Tim Kaine and Tammy Baldwin.

But then again I thought SCROTUS was going to get stomped in the election so what do I know.
posted by Talez at 7:13 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

oh for fuck's sake:

Trump confident health care will pass House but for Senate he plans "football stadium rallies" in red states to prod vulnerable Dems. -- @Acosta

don't worry, guise, we'll hold rallies! they happen to be my specialty!
posted by murphy slaw at 7:13 PM on March 8, 2017 [22 favorites]

Yeah, they're going to have a tough time filling football stadiums with people who are just itching to lose their healthcare. I'm pretty sure that any football stadium rallies are going to be against his terrible proposal. That could actually happen.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:15 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

What are the rallies going to do? There's a fucking bill. With words in it. It's not a fucking steak. It's not a bullshit get-healthy-quick scheme. The only purpose I can imagine is to gather up a few thousand magahats and tell them to bring pitchforks and torches to intimidate Dems.
posted by holgate at 7:17 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

There wouldn't even be football stadia empty and available in the spring if he hadn't killed the USFL with his dumbassedness.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:17 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

he's like a b-list member of a superhero team who's always recommends that they use his lame-ass power to catch the bad guy.

"i know! i can use my power of prawn control to summon an army of crayfish from the sewers!"

"uh huh, prawnboy. how bout you keep the engine running while Fistman and I go punch them in the face."
posted by murphy slaw at 7:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [64 favorites]

What are the betting odds these die in committee or horrifyingly, make it out?

HR 899: "The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018."
HR 861: "The Environmental Protection Agency shall terminate on December 31, 2018."

(Is there historical precedent for any legislation that is as, ah, concise as these two?)
posted by mostly vowels at 7:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

I can think of someone who could fill stadiums with people who want to defend a piece of legislation with his name on it. He'd have to want to do it, but he could.
posted by holgate at 7:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [32 favorites]

Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

The original Deus Ex introduction:

Walton Simons: This plague -- the rioting is intensifying to the point where we may not be able to contain it.
Bob Page: Why contain it? Let it spill over into the schools and churches, let the bodies pile up in the streets. In the end, they'll beg us to save them.

And to think I thought at the time that it was amusingly schockly and that nobody would think like that.
posted by jaduncan at 7:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

What are the betting odds these die in committee or horrifyingly, make it out?

If you look these bills up, they have exactly one sponsor, the dude who wrote the bill. They aren't even making it into committee, let alone the house floor. They are stunt bills and not worth worrying about.
posted by murphy slaw at 7:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

60 seats is not anywhere in the future without a massive swing away from Democrats that we haven't ever seen. There are too many firmly blue bulwarks to go below 42 Democrats.

Yea, I'm done believing in the unbreakable blue firewall.

Manchin. McCaskill. Tester. Heithamp. Donnelly are all in massively red Trump states and should be assumed done. Then Brown isn't much better. Nelson. Casey. Baldwin. And King. All in Trump states. There's 60 even if Dems get Heller.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

It's common that the governing party doesn't make big gains at the midterms.

One thing no one has emphasized enough when post-morteming the election is simply that it's unusual for a party to hold the WH for more than two terms in a row. The election followed, in that respect, a relatively predictable pattern.

I think that the trends in US politics are still pretty strong and still holding. It's a burning nightmare that Trump is president and I have barely known an hour since November 8 when I have not thought of how utterly fucked things are, but personally I'm surprised by how much better our institutions are holding up than I'd thought they would. Everything is a total garbage nightmare, but bills still have to pass Congress before Trump signs them, the travel ban is still being challenged in court, we still have rule of law. An important thing to think of - you know how all those videos of people being deported or stopped at the border seem to be turning out to be from the Obama administration? What we're seeing now is an intensification but not a radical departure.

Again, I'm not trying to say that things aren't terrible. They're absolutely horrible, everyone I know is miserable and angry. But "we are miserable and angry and we are able to fight and we will turn this around by organizing and voting" is very different from "we are miserable and angry and public assembly has been banned, plus Pelosi, Warren, BLM and the cast of Saturday Night Live have all been arrested and their location is unknown", which is a scenario that did not seem impossible on January 21.
posted by Frowner at 7:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [56 favorites]

i don't see how that works for Republicans. They control both houses of congress and the presidency. How are they going to blame the Democrats? Why didn't they fix it? Nothing is stopping them. Whatever happens now is 100% on them.

Also, Trump has already shown an inability to resist putting his thumb on the scale by signaling he won't enforce the mandate's penalty, if it goes down it's going to be down to him pulling shit like that. It's not likely to fail it on its own, the price hikes last year seemed like a short term market correction down to the insurance agencies misjudging costs.

It will be a very interesting lawsuit if someone is able to sue the IRS challenging their discretion to not enforce the collection of ACA penalty taxes. I imagine they get plenty of challenges trying to stop them from collecting taxes, but a lawsuit trying to get them to do so seems like a novel thing.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:22 PM on March 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

The GOP leadership in the House just passed a bill making class-action lawsuits impossible, freeing the megacorps to nicke-and-dime and poison us to death.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:23 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Color me skeptical that this is how things would actually work out.

They're gonna try, and it might work. I say this because I just finished talking to a friend today who didn't know that a Day Without Women was going on today, because everything in the news is stressing her out, and as a result she's trying to "keep her head buried in the sand". It made me realize that there are some folks out there who are deliberately tuning out, because the deluge of negative shit that Trump & Co. are pumping out.
posted by FJT at 7:23 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

i just got a robocall from one of my senators, corey gardner (CR*-colorado) inviting me into a running 'telephone town hall'. nope, you can have a town hall OR a teleconference. you are not fooling anyone.

*chickenshit republican
posted by j_curiouser at 7:26 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Manchin. McCaskill. Tester. Heithamp. Donnelly are all in massively red Trump states and should be assumed done.

Well, in that case we should all just give up, and expect "No Really I Invented Email" Guy to beat Warren as well. "We're doomed no matter what" is a nice comfort blanket but it doesn't really get us far.

(Claire McCaskill is one of the savviest politicians in the country, and the fact that she's not considered as such is both a sign of how women in American politics get underestimated, and also a sign of how savvy she is.)
posted by holgate at 7:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [28 favorites]

Maddow reported tonight that Kathryn Allen, who is running against Chaffetz, found an additional $80,000 in her coffers after Shitgibbon Chaffetz's comment about iPhones vs healthcare. This is apparently updated info since Chrysostom posted a link above. It was $40,000 at that time and considering her original goal was $50,000 but had only raised $15,000 prior to Chaffetz's comment. Go go Kathryn Allen!
posted by futz at 7:28 PM on March 8, 2017 [36 favorites]

Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Just to be clear again, that's literally applying pour encourager les autres to healthcare. If they actually do this people will needlessly be left to die to make a point, and they would have blood on their hands.

I feel like a Democratic party that wanted the fight would be able to fight that and win, probably with repeated photos of the needlessly dead and explanations of how their deaths were linked to removal of care.
posted by jaduncan at 7:29 PM on March 8, 2017 [18 favorites]

I feel like a Democratic party that wanted the fight would be able to fight that and win, probably with repeated photos of the needlessly dead and explanations of how their deaths were linked to removal of care.

If that's the fight, Perez and Ellison need to ensure that local healthcare-focused activist groups become a key resource for the campaign, because they'll identify the people who are getting fucked over for political points-scoring.
posted by holgate at 7:35 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

If you look these bills up, they have exactly one sponsor, the dude who wrote the bill.

Genuine question, is there a meaningful difference between a sponsor and a co-sponsor? I thought the person who introduces it is always the singular sponsor, then s/he picks up co-sponsors. And it looks like each of the bills I mentioned has at least a few co-sponsors, though admittedly not what appears to be much of a critical mass (HR 861, HR 899)
posted by mostly vowels at 7:36 PM on March 8, 2017

Marco Rubio asked to vacate second Florida office due to protests

Heeeeeheheeheheheheheeee-haaaaaaa!

As always, fucka Marco Rubio!
posted by Cookiebastard at 7:37 PM on March 8, 2017 [35 favorites]

Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15), the Ranking Member of the CIA Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence - Russia: Trump & His Team’s Ties
posted by futz at 7:39 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

And for those wondering, the amendment to rename the bill "THE REPUBLICAN PAY MORE FOR LESS CARE ACT" has just been voted down .... after a three hour debate.
posted by dannyboybell at 7:46 PM on March 8, 2017 [84 favorites]

Genuine question, is there a meaningful difference between a sponsor and a co-sponsor?

Sponsor is usually the bill author or the guy who's handing the lobbyist's bill to congress. Co-sponsors are endorsements. They add weight to a bill. In the case of, for example, the EPA elimination bill, he has three co-sponsors. But! They're all extremely junior congressmen with no seniority on any of the appropriate committees. They don't have the leverage to get these bills anywhere.
posted by murphy slaw at 7:46 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

The Atlantic has a good article on the EPA bill and stunt legislation in general.
posted by murphy slaw at 7:47 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

And King.

ANGUS King? From Maine? I hate to break it to you, but MAINE IS NOT A RED STATE. Despite Lepage. And although King is up for election in '18, he's not going anywhere.
posted by anastasiav at 7:53 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

And Mike Flynn has now registered as a foreign agent of the Turkish government, for half a million dollars of work he did in 2016. Hilariously, the person he was working for requested a partial refund on the fee.
posted by holgate at 7:55 PM on March 8, 2017 [41 favorites]

you know how all those videos of people being deported or stopped at the border seem to be turning out to be from the Obama administration? What we're seeing now is an intensification but not a radical departure.

Yes, I've noticed that too. And as anecdata, I've noticed that US border control at international airports has been getting more intrusive and intimidating for a long time, certainly since the attack on the WTC. But these videos and reports are being used to signify people's concerns about real problems, so I hope that the increased level of attention being paid to them will result in some meaningful changes.
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:56 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

T.D. Strange: "Manchin. McCaskill. Tester. Heithamp. Donnelly are all in massively red Trump states and should be assumed done. Then Brown isn't much better. Nelson. Casey. Baldwin. And King. All in Trump states. There's 60 even if Dems get Heller."

It's notable that none of these people has come out for Trumpcare yet. They clearly do not believe that they will sink or swim based on support of this bill.

I also think you're underestimating state politics. Yes, MT went strongly for Trump - they also elected a Democrat as governor. WV did the same thing. Manchin and Tester are well liked in their states, whatever we may think of them here.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:57 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

More Flynn articles.

Flynn lobbied for Turkish-linked firm after election, documents show

Flynn discloses lobbying that may have helped Turkey
posted by futz at 7:59 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

So, all politics is local then?
posted by vrakatar at 7:59 PM on March 8, 2017

I certainly don't expect the Dems to take the Senate in 2018 given the map, but assuming they will lose every red state seat even though they have won those seats repeatedly in the past seems extremely pessimistic to me. Why would McCaskill lose this race and not her previous races?

It's certainly possible she could lose but why assume it?
posted by Justinian at 8:01 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

Trump administration considers $6 billion cut to HUD budget
posted by futz at 8:15 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Can we just call it NoCare legislation? From ObamaCare to GOP NoCare. It conveys the true intentions without swearing like FuckYou I Got Mine Care.
posted by jadepearl at 8:20 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

I can think of someone who could fill stadiums with people who want to defend a piece of legislation with his name on it. He'd have to want to do it, but he could.

Go Bernie!!
posted by Coventry at 8:21 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Yeah, no, there's no reason to assume Casey is going down in PA in 2018. Trump only took PA by about 50,000, and Casey is fairly popular and respected. He gets more support in rural areas than you might think because he is a white male pro-lifer, but is also doing all the right things to capitalize on anger towards Trump, like personally dashing out of a white tie charity fundraiser to go down to the airport on the Muslim ban.

He could lose, because anything could happen, but pretending that he will absolutely lose in 2018 and is dead meat walking is not only defeatist, but just plain factually wrong.
posted by joyceanmachine at 8:26 PM on March 8, 2017 [10 favorites]

THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH - "TRUMP’S UNPOPULARITY DID NOT STOP HIM FROM BEING ELECTED, AND IT WON’T STOP HIM FROM ENACTING HIS AGENDA"

This is important because we need to recognize that most Trump voters wanted to vote for Trump — which means that they wanted what Trump ran on. They aren’t “confused Democrats who wound up voting for Trump out of some giant misunderstanding.” It’s true that voting is a noisy signal of beliefs; it’s not as if voters give an explanation for their vote on the ballot.

Jon Huntsman, noooooo! Huntsman offered Russia ambassadorship

The plot against Europe

May 9, 2022 — Standing on the viewing platform in Red Square, President Vladimir Putin observed the military parade commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany. This Victory Day, he had reason to be especially proud of his country.

Earlier that week, a group of 150 Russian special forces — bearing no insignia and disguised like the “little green men” who had occupied the Crimean peninsula eight years prior — had slipped into the tiny neighboring Baltic state of Estonia. Seizing a government building in Narva, a city on the border with an ethnic Russian majority, they planted a Russian flag on the roof and promptly declared the “Narva People’s Republic.” In a statement released to international media, leaders of the nascent breakaway state announced they were “defending ethnic Russians from the fascist regime in Tallinn,” Estonia’s capital. Most of Narva’s Russian-speaking citizens looked upon the tumultuous events with passivity. Ever since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, they suspected something like this would eventually happen.

Meet the Hundreds of Officials Trump Has Quietly Installed Across the Government

A Trump campaign aide who argues that Democrats committed “ethnic cleansing” in a plot to “liquidate” the white working class. A former reality show contestant whose study of societal collapse inspired him to invent a bow-and-arrow-cum-survivalist multi-tool. A pair of healthcare industry lobbyists. A lobbyist for defense contractors. An “evangelist” and lobbyist for Palantir, the Silicon Valley company with close ties to intelligence agencies. And a New Hampshire Trump supporter who has only recently graduated from high school.

These are some of the people the Trump administration has hired for positions across the federal government, according to documents received by ProPublica through public-records requests.

BEN CARSON, DONALD TRUMP, AND THE MISUSE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Strangely enough, many of us opted to respond to Trump’s weapons-grade pessimism in the most optimistic way possible, conjuring best-case scenarios in which he would simply be a modern version of Richard Nixon, or perhaps of Andrew Jackson. But he is neither of these. Last summer, as his rallies tipped toward violence and the rhetoric seemed increasingly jarring, it was common to hear alarmed commentators speak of us all being in “uncharted waters.” This was naïve, and, often enough, self-serving. For many of us, particularly those who reckon with the history of race, the true fear was not that we were on some unmapped terrain but that we were passing landmarks that were disconcertingly familiar. In response to the increasingly authoritarian tones of the executive branch, we plumbed the history of Europe in the twentieth century for clues and turned to the writings of Czeslaw Milosz and George Orwell. We might well have turned to the writings of W. E. B. Du Bois and James Baldwin for the more direct, domestic version of this question but looked abroad, at least in part, as a result of our tacit consensus that tragedy is a foreign locale. It has been selectively forgotten that traits of authoritarianism neatly overlap with traits of racism visible in the recent American past.

Never forget Paul Ryan’s massive cruelty

Trump once proposed single-payer health care because he thought it could win him the presidency. Now he’s betting his presidency on the opposite.

Donald Trump’s agenda is Paul Ryan’s agenda. It’s a “monumental fraud,” as Greg Sargent calls it, on Trump’s working class voters. But Trump is happy to oblige, since Ryan’s agenda essentially matches his and his donors’ basic world view — the rich should get richer, polluters and bankers should feel free to victimize whomever they please and women and minorities are inherently suspect thus must be subject to strict government controls.

posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:26 PM on March 8, 2017 [16 favorites]

Trump ran against it from the left, while the GOP Republicans ran against it from the right. I expect that's the faultline where the real conflict is going to blow up.

Yeah. This, combined with the reconciliation bullshit. It's not like the GOP doesn't have metric fucktons of talented policy wonks at thinktanks that could come up with a coherent proposal, at least. But those policy proposals would either 1) cost more, or 2) insure less people - thus either breaking Trump's promise, or becoming filibusterable. Thus, you have this Frankenstein monster of a bill that nobody but nobody likes, because it's fucking insane.
posted by corb at 8:32 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

I certainly don't expect the Dems to take the Senate in 2018 given the map, but assuming they will lose every red state seat even though they have won those seats repeatedly in the past seems extremely pessimistic to me.

Yeah, there's simply no basis for this assumption. It remains to be seen whether the #resist momentum and anger at Trump fuck-ups translates into electoral gains in the midterms, but Senators are generally really, really safe. Even the ones that look precarious.

I honestly think it's more likely that the 2018 midterms get outright canceled in a blatant fascist takeover than 10 Democratic Senators lose their seats.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:37 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

Hoo boy, Michelle Wolf eviscerated Ivanka on TDS tonight. Ivanka is made out of vomit.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:22 PM on March 8

Anybody got a link to video of this? TIA.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 8:37 PM on March 8, 2017

With Manafort’s help, Yanukovych was elected prime minister in 2006 and president in 2010 as the leader of the Russia-aligned Party of Regions.

Let's not forget that just two years before that, Yanukovych ran for president in an election featuring his opponent Viktor Yushchenko being poisoned with dioxin before a widely discredited run-off election that initially had Yanukovych winning, until Ukraine's Supreme Court ordered a re-run of the run-off which came out favoring Yushchenko.

That is to say, Manafort's clientele is only the classiest of politicians.
posted by mubba at 8:45 PM on March 8, 2017 [6 favorites]

Manchin. McCaskill. Tester. Heithamp. Donnelly

Keep in mind that just one year ago Republicans were for once able to pass an Obamacare repeal bill and Obamacare was only saved by Obama's veto. Guess who voted to override Obama's veto and repeal Obamacare -- Manchin, Heithamp and Donnelly.

Now perhaps they were just showboating for their redneck homeboys given there was no chance of the override succeeding, but it certainly provides no comfort that Democrats are united. Every vote is going to count in this battle.
posted by JackFlash at 8:54 PM on March 8, 2017 [17 favorites]

vrakatar: "So, all politics is local then?"

I mean, no, of course not, we're in a very different world from when that was said. But we're not in a case where NO politics are local, either. You have to look at each state individually. Montana, for example. Tester is well liked, and the number one GOP potential candidate is now out, since he became Secretary of Interior. The distant #2 is running for House; he'll either win that or be tagged as a two-time loser (he just lost the governor's race).

I wouldn't particularly want to be in Heidi Heitkamp's shoes, but her goose is a long way from cooked yet.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:56 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

republicare, spicy, epa, hud...forget about all that. russia. i got a vibe.
posted by j_curiouser

Manchin. McCaskill. Tester. Heithamp. Donnelly

Billy Joel, where are you, time to update your song!
We Didn't Start the Dumpster Fire
posted by sylvanshine at 9:00 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

Flynn lobbied for Turkish-linked firm after election, documents show

Flynn discloses lobbying that may have helped Turkey

I for one am sad that Mike Flynn would be prepared to support an obviously facist authoritarian and risk legitimising the attack on democracy and democratic institutions in the state that authoritarian claims to want to save. Also, he's in favour of Erdogan.
posted by jaduncan at 9:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

Spicer On AARP Concerns: We're Not Trying To Accommodate 'Special Interests'

AARP's constituency is old people … and people who hope to grow old.

AARP is age 55 and up. That isn't even old anymore. That's just middle aged (he tells himself hoping its true!).
posted by srboisvert at 9:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [24 favorites]

So my Lyft driver tonight reported that we have Marines on the ground in Syria. Is this just a bullshit rumor? because I believe it's possible, even if it's not true now.
posted by suelac at 9:10 PM on March 8, 2017

It's true. US Marines join local forces fighting in Raqqa, and Marines have arrived in Syria to fire artillery in the fight for Raqqa

This is related to the Obama plan, handed over in the transition, which the Trump folks, led by Flynn, promptly rejected. That plan was centered around arming Kurdish fighters, which has its own consequences in terms of Turkey's reaction. If you're nodding in the direction of the story above titled "Flynn lobbied for Turkish-linked firm after election, documents show" right now, then you're fully understanding the implications of what I'm saying here.
posted by zachlipton at 9:18 PM on March 8, 2017 [42 favorites]

And if we're not fully understanding, can you draw a clearer picture for us?
posted by Miko at 9:19 PM on March 8, 2017 [11 favorites]

Regarding the discussion of voting upstream, I'm seeing more activity from SwingLeft. I recall in a past election thread there was some discussion about whether SwingLeft was really a genuine effort or some sort of clever weapon being wielded by the right. Has there been a conclusion about this? And if it's on the up-and-up, can SwingLeft help in the election issues being discussed?

(Genuinely trying to figure this all out... I have no relationship to SwingLeft.)
posted by StrawberryPie at 9:22 PM on March 8, 2017

And if we're not fully understanding, can you draw a clearer picture for us?

Turkey would rather the Kurds (and the YPG in particular) were massacred at the same time as IS, rather than emerging as a group that can hold territory on the southern Turkish border. Turkey doesn't want the US aiding groups they currently bomb.

Flynn was apparently willing to lobby for that to happen, and was worth hard cash money as NSA that he clearly isn't as a random citizen.

Note: allegedly, although it's hard to see what Turkey would pay him for as the NSA beyond that and not giving Erdogan a hard time over the ongoing domestic purges, throwing their weight around in the ME and/or occasional incursions into Northern Iraq.
posted by jaduncan at 9:23 PM on March 8, 2017 [8 favorites]

> if we're not fully understanding...

The implication is that Flynn was being paid by the Turkish government to put his thumb on the scale against arming and aiding Kurds, who want to carve out their own independent state with part of Turkish territory. It's bribery by a foreign government to act against the "national interest"[*], in plain words.

[*] No opinion about whether that's really the national interest or not - just that it was apparently the Obama admin choice.
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:25 PM on March 8, 2017 [21 favorites]

Yeah, that was a bit vague. It goes something like this:

The Obama Administration put together a plan to take Raqqa.
The key part of that plan was to arm Kurdish fighters
Turkey really, really doesn't want that to happen.
A week or so before the inauguration, the Obama folks tell the Trump team about the plan. Specifically, Susan Rice speaks to Flynn. Flynn says not to go forward, and they will make the decision
Obama viewed a decision on the plan as an urgent priority, to the extent he was going to discuss it with Trump the morning of the inauguration
The plan "was dead on arrival at the Trump White House"

Meanwhile:
From August to mid-November, Flynn's firm was paid $350,000 to work on behalf of "Inovo BV, a privately owned consulting firm in the Netherlands run by Turkish businessman Kamil Alptekin"
This is a sketchy company run by a guy with close ties to the Turkish Government
Flynn was paid to meet with Turkish government officials and do some work that seems to be rather closely aligned with Erdoğan's (President of Turkey) goals, specifically waging a PR campaign against Fethullah Gülen (very, very long story, but the very short version is he's a Turkish exile in the US who Erdoğan calls a terrorist)
Just today, Flynn got around to filing his registration as a foreign agent for this work. In doing so, he admitted that his work for Inovo "could be construed" to have actually been for the benefit of the Turkish Government.
Some of the paperwork tries to pass this off as typical business consulting work, but other paperwork admits to the above activities, and it's not really credible to me why providing consulting on US-Turkey relations would legitimately involve creating a documentary about Gülen or writing an anti-Gülen op-ed.

So in short, Flynn is taking money during the campaign from some Dutch company to do weird pro-Erdoğan lobbying, becomes National Security Advisor, and promptly shelves the Obama plan to arm Kurdish fighters and support them in the fight for Raqqa.

That's not to say that the Obama plan was necessarily any good or that other factors didn't go into this analysis (the Post article cites various perceived deficiencies with the plan). But there's some pretty huge conflicts of interest involved in what happened here.

I'd add that there are a bunch of recent developments today, which I'm not fully up to speed on, involving US and Russian forces essentially working together to block Turkey from crushing Kurdish forces in northern Syria. The situation is, well, complicated.
posted by zachlipton at 9:52 PM on March 8, 2017 [87 favorites]

Not going to link but when the Dailycaller is calling out Flynn you know something is up:

New Disclosures Show It Was Probably A Good Idea To Fire Michael Flynn
posted by futz at 10:10 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

involving US and Russian forces essentially working together to block Turkey from crushing Kurdish forces in northern Syria.

Huh. This sort of implies Moscow Mike was also acting against Moscow.
posted by Artw at 10:18 PM on March 8, 2017

AARP is age 55 and up. That isn't even old anymore. That's just middle aged (he tells himself hoping its true!).

It's 50 and up. I know because I signed up on my 50th birthday and spelled my own name wrong on the registration in a world record soonest senior moment.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:23 PM on March 8, 2017 [87 favorites]

a scenario that did not seem impossible on January 21

There hasn't been a day since that I would've been surprised to wake up and learn we'd launched nukes at someone.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Rasmussen's daily tracking poll has a 49% approval rating. It's the first day of his presidency that it's been below 50%. There's no reason to take any meaning from it, that poll being hot garbage, but I sure want to. If nothing else Rasmussen might be trying to send a distress beacon to the God-Emperor, since they're just about the only pollster he likes.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:32 PM on March 8, 2017 [4 favorites]

a distress beacon to the God-Emperor,

It's the Ides of March next Wednesday. Bad time for togas.

I
posted by Devonian at 10:53 PM on March 8, 2017 [5 favorites]

Can we just call it NoCare legislation? From ObamaCare to GOP NoCare.

There's a better name for Trump's health care bill: CareLess
posted by msalt at 10:56 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

If we call Republicare, we hang it around all their necks.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:04 PM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

There hasn't been a day since that I would've been surprised to wake up and learn we'd launched nukes at someone.

I mentioned this many threads ago: I was eating breakfast in a hotel and the TV ran an Emergency Alert System test. My first thought upon hearing the tone was "What did that fucker tweet now?"
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [15 favorites]

The situation is, well, complicated.

There was a period when Erdoğan was courting non-separatist Kurdish votes on the whole "traditionalist" thing, but those days were before Syria became a basketcase.

Anyway, Gallup's daily tracker also shows a drop since the shit sandwich reveal. It's a reminder that Americans tend to think of government as more unitary entity than it actually is, regardless of whether power is held by a single party or divided. As someone noted on the twitters, the orange menace slaps his name on any marginally-profitable branding opportunity, and he doesn't want it on the shit sandwich.
posted by holgate at 11:07 PM on March 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

If we call Republicare, we hang it around all their necks.

Not necessary. Again, Americans love their branches and checks and balances in civics classes, but they basically treat government as a single entity. Name it after the man perceived to be in charge, and it gets hung around all their necks.
posted by holgate at 11:09 PM on March 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

"AARP is age 55 and up. That isn't even old anymore. That's just middle aged (he tells himself hoping its true!)."

As kirkaracha said, AARP eligibility starts at 50. Almost all of us get mail from them around our 50th birthdays to tell us that we are officially Over The Hill Now and we'll get a free bag if we join.

Most of my friends made fun of it and refused to join -- I joined last fall, specifically because I want AARP to continue to support things that are important to me. (And not to throw the under-55s to the wolves in any proposed health care acts!) Being 51 means that retirement age seems a lot closer than it used to...

Incidentally, though AARP is officially non-partisan, the fact that they support the ACA makes them "too leftist" for some... there are competing organizations for those folks, notably AMAC.
posted by litlnemo at 11:12 PM on March 8, 2017 [9 favorites]

Yeah, I'm one of the AARP Special Interests, too, and I tell you when they head of the AARP was on NPR going, "nope.", it *did* give me a slight feeling of almost-not-total-dread for about 15 seconds.
posted by mikelieman at 11:24 PM on March 8, 2017 [13 favorites]

I kind of wish Jimmy Carter could invite Trump to join him for a day at, say, a work site.

i wish he would invite trump down to the cellar to check out some awesome rare wines

all the way in the back
posted by poffin boffin at 11:35 PM on March 8, 2017 [112 favorites]

Worth checking in on what's happening in the House. Markup continues all night on the health-care bill, with Ways and Means getting the giggles at 2am as Energy and Commerce fights about abortion. In E&C, Democrats have filed a gazillion amendments, over 100 apparently, and progress appears to be rather slow indeed. The clerk has multiple cans of Red Bull at her desk. The reporters covering the hearings are pretty much delirious at this point.

Follow the descent into madness on Twitter here.
posted by zachlipton at 11:41 PM on March 8, 2017 [30 favorites]

saturday_morning at 5:53 PM way upthread: I will tell you straight up, decreasing coverage and increasing costs will make any version of Republicare a no-go for the AMA and AAP.

You know, I remember being a little bent out of shape about all the medical and insurance industry buy-offs built into the PPACA. Not as much as many people, because I figured that an incremental approach was the realistic way to get it done, and to do that you had to give entrenched interests their pound of flesh. Still, I definitely sympathized with the view that the bill was littered with borderline extortionate giveaways.

Now I'm really reevaluating that perspective. Sure, we had to buy those guys off, which was awful, but it looks like they've stayed bought. The entrenched interests are now entrenched in favor of ObamaCare. In retrospect from current circumstances, which I definitely didn't foresee, the price of their loyalty looks like a good bargain.

I mean, this kind of immediate, unambiguous, and unified public opposition from every industry trade group is pretty unusual. Try to imagine the kind of private phone calls that senators are getting from lobbyists right now. Lobbyists who've been told to go to the mattresses to prevent a trillion dollar industry-wide meltdown. These are not nice guys. They're lobbyists who think, with some justification, that they own senators. For those senators, this has got to be deeply uncomfortable, and for some, existentially terrifying.

So yeah, if buying off those entrenched industry interests plays out the way I hope it does -- fingers crossed -- that'll be a real world demonstration of Obama's mythical 11-dimensional chess mastery.
posted by dirge at 12:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [28 favorites]

Nice work: One of Trump's Department of Labor Appointees Apparently Graduated From High School in 2015
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:05 AM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

Donald and John: a boy president and his Imaginary Publicist (Tom the Dancing Bug cartoon)
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:12 AM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

CareLess

Smile more.
posted by chris24 at 3:42 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

CareLess
Smile more.

Don't deliberate, just send this plan to the Senate floor.
posted by Superplin at 4:12 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

I don't know. His name is Donald Trump, so I think it should be called DON'TCare
posted by emelenjr at 4:16 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Republicare and CareLess and some others aren't good names. They aren't catchy.
posted by thelonius at 4:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Republicare and CareLess and some others aren't good names. They aren't catchy.

I've heard that "Trumpcare" pisses him off. We should do everything we can to piss him off.
posted by mikelieman at 4:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

"Republicare" is a good idea but it has too many syllables, perhaps
posted by thelonius at 4:24 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Trumpcare is perfect. His brand is cratering with all the grace of a lead falcon. "Trump" will become a mainstream term for something corrupt, shoddy, and of no use to anyone.

There's really no better insult for the GOP's plan.
posted by honestcoyote at 4:28 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

It's not going to live long enough to need a name.
posted by notyou at 4:28 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

That's what I say. It's FetchCare. Stop trying to make it happen.
posted by Mchelly at 4:33 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

I think it should still be called Obamacare. Whatever healthcare the government provides for everybody, that's Obamacare. Don't give Trump the credit, he's just the person who temporarily broke it.
posted by rhizome at 4:35 AM on March 9, 2017

since the GOP believes in funerals for miscarriages, it will need a name for the headstone
posted by murphy slaw at 4:37 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

"Republicare" is a good idea but it has too many syllables, perhaps

Huh, same number as "Obamacare". Maybe the personalization is what makes it stick - another vote for "Trumpcare", then
posted by thelonius at 4:47 AM on March 9, 2017

Saw a newspaper this morning with "Ryancare" in the headline and that seems like the perfect person to hang this on.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 4:54 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

I've heard that "Trumpcare" pisses him off. We should do everything we can to piss him off.

“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it,” as Saul Alinsky advised. The Tea Party took this maxim to heart when they adopted the term "Obamacare" popularized during Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign. The Dems made the mistake of embracing it, too, ensuring the term would be polarizing no matter how much people liked the actual ACA. By the time of Trump's inauguration many of his supporters even some of the general public didn't know the ACA and "Obamacare" were the same thing.

Turnabout being fair play, "Trumpcare" should be the resistance's preferred term for whatever legislative shit sandwich emerges from D.C.
posted by Doktor Zed at 5:02 AM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

This article is kind of a mess, but The Smoking Gun claims to have evidence that Roger Stone was exchanging Twitter DMs with Guccifer 2.0 prior to the wikileaks release of DNC emails.

To me it doesn't read as ahem a smoking gun, but it does put Stone closer to the nexus of the hacks than his professed backchannel to wikileaks. Might turn out to be something, might be a nothingburger.
posted by murphy slaw at 5:05 AM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

The results of the recent Los Angeles election make me nervous. Record low voter turnout.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 5:10 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

I have a feeling that trend will continue. I know it makes a lot of people here angry, but I (and many acquaintances of mine with similar political leanings) have been having to tune out politics pretty hard just to maintain our sanity. Layering all of the anxiety of politics on top of existing anxiety disorders is not a healthy recipe.

I have a strong suspicion that struggling with anxiety is a problem far more common to the left than the right, and that this hamstrings the left when they need the help most.
posted by ragtag at 5:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Huntsman ambassador to Russia, huh?

How that shit taco bowl taste, Mitt?
posted by box at 5:35 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

It remains to be seen whether the #resist momentum and anger at Trump fuck-ups translates into electoral gains in the midterms

Especially given that the voters very recently were treated to the Gee Dubz World Order Prsidency, widely, and formerly regarded as the worst in American history. Eight years of a black man as President and the thought of a woman - that woman - was too much too bear so the GOP, The Party of Enlightenment®, showed up in droves to drive the government car into the ditch and throw the keys into a passing garbage truck.

People we know! Did this. I am gonna lose some friends in 2018 (or maybe they'll just find out then).
posted by petebest at 5:52 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Nigel Farage Just Visited The Ecuadorian Embassy In London
Asked by BuzzFeed News if he’d been visiting Julian Assange, the former UKIP leader said he couldn’t remember what he’d been doing in the building.
posted by PenDevil at 6:02 AM on March 9, 2017 [30 favorites]

The low turnout in L.A. is something to be concerned about, but was the result good or not? I know nothing of L.A. mayor politics.
posted by emjaybee at 6:07 AM on March 9, 2017

I think it was a foregone conclusion, hence the low turnout.
posted by Artw at 6:09 AM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

@TheDemocrats
If the hospitals are coming out against the GOP health care proposal, you know it desperately needs revision.

@GarbageApe
Heritage Foundation: It sucks.
FreedomWorks: It sucks.
Club for Growth: It sucks.
Democrats: Needs some tweaking!

---

So fucking help me, if the Dems cave....

@ReutersUS
JUST IN: EPA chief Scott Pruitt disagrees that CO2 is primary contributor to global warming: report

---

Ah fuck it, we're all dead anyway.
posted by chris24 at 6:10 AM on March 9, 2017 [31 favorites]

He will try the "methane is a stronger greenhouse agent" dodge if he gets nailed for that.
posted by Slackermagee at 6:14 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

He will try the "methane is a stronger greenhouse agent" dodge if he gets nailed for that

With a name like Pruitt he may have first-uh-hand experience with that.
posted by Namlit at 6:18 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

I have a strong suspicion that struggling with anxiety is a problem far more common to the left than the right, and that this hamstrings the left when they need the help most.

I just think the Right handles their anxiety differently. On the left we cocoon and binge Netflix, on the right, they get out and vote for the guy who most loudly and emphatically vows to kill all the people who scare them.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:18 AM on March 9, 2017 [60 favorites]

EPA chief Scott Pruitt disagrees that CO2 is primary contributor to global warming

Well methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. So clearly he's going to go after all the methane leaks from oil and gas pipes, right? .....right?
posted by C'est la D.C. at 6:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Asked by BuzzFeed News if he’d been visiting Julian Assange, the former UKIP leader said he couldn’t remember what he’d been doing in the building.

how does this forgetfulness strategy keep working? "The Ecuadorian embassy? How did I get here? Last thing I remember was dipping a jaffa cake in a mug of gin, and before you know it I'm on foreign soil! Life sure does take you places" is about as plausible as "Kislyak? Now that you mention it, I guess he did stop by my office. No idea what for though. Can't really remember. Maybe he wanted to know who did my curtains"

Like are all these people suffering from severe brain disorders?
posted by dis_integration at 6:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [41 favorites]

The problem is probably all the methane that trees give off.
posted by thelonius at 6:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

how does this forgetfulness strategy keep working?
...Like are all these people suffering from severe brain disorders?

worked for reagan
posted by entropicamericana at 6:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

So clearly he's going to go after all the methane leaks from oil and gas pipes, right? .....right?

There's no ag sec because we're about to launch a war on cows.
posted by Artw at 6:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

currently working for Trump
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:23 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

He will try the "methane is a stronger greenhouse agent" dodge if he gets nailed for that.

Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas and contributes a majority of the greenhouse effect. But that's a technically correct but dumb thing to argue because it's the human emissions of other greenhouse gasses that have made big changes in the climate in a short timeframe.
posted by peeedro at 6:26 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

> Asked by BuzzFeed News if he’d been visiting Julian Assange, the former UKIP leader said he couldn’t remember what he’d been doing in the building.

Who among us has not wandered into a foreign embassy and then forgotten what we came there for?
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:27 AM on March 9, 2017 [90 favorites]

There's no ag sec because we're about to launch a war on cows.

But what will happen to our sacred war cows in this war on cows?
posted by C'est la D.C. at 6:32 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

The low turnout in L.A. is something to be concerned about, but was the result good or not? I know nothing of L.A. mayor politics.

These were the two I had my eye on.

Measure S (anti-development/anti-affordable housing) failed = good

Measure H (1/4-cent tax raise to support the homeless) passed with 2/3 majority = good

Garcetti (future Dem Presiidental candidate) winning = expected. Him winning by almost 81% may have been a surprise but I don't live in the the city so don't follow the details of the mayoral stuff.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:35 AM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

War on cows?

Extreme vetting is the answer. More employment for vets.
posted by Namlit at 6:41 AM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

Buzzfeed: Steve Bannon Helped Preserve DACA But Democrats And Activists Aren’t Celebrating: And in recent conversations, two administration sources pointed to chief strategist Steve Bannon as the man who preserved the current iteration of DACA, the victor of a debate with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, who favored curtailing the program.... But the disagreement on DACA doesn’t mean that Bannon, Sessions, and Miller don’t agree on other parts of immigration policy.

In fact, they are all said to view sharply increasing enforcement and deporting millions as paramount to satisfying their base and fulfilling campaign promises to get illegal immigration under control. Sources who speak to administration officials said staggering deportation numbers have been floated — one said they heard two million in the first year, another Republican said four million by the 2018 midterm election.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:42 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Sources who speak to administration officials said staggering deportation numbers have been floated — one said they heard two million in the first year, another Republican said four million by the 2018 midterm election.

There are many people on MeFi more knowledgeable about this kind of thing than I am, so please, please, please correct me if I'm wrong, but...

This does not seem possible without a) completely militarizing an expanded ICE, and b) concentration camps.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:55 AM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

Who among us has not wandered into a foreign embassy and then forgotten what we came there for?

*raises hand*

It was Baghdad, I had a ton of shit on my Green Zone To Do List, and I knew there was a reason I had "Chancery - 11 - Jon" on there, but fuck if I knew which "Jon" it was or what it was about. The guards were neither helpful nor amused.
posted by Etrigan at 6:57 AM on March 9, 2017 [63 favorites]

@TheDemocrats
If the hospitals are coming out against the GOP health care proposal, you know it desperately needs revision.

Heritage Foundation: It sucks.
FreedomWorks: It sucks.
Club for Growth: It sucks.
Democrats: Needs some tweaking!
---
So fucking help me, if the Dems cave....

Again, believe me, I understand any and all concerns about Dems caving, but at this point there isn't any reason to think that's happening just because of a single tweet, probably written by an intern, that insults the bill using mild language, possibly in a sarcastic fashion (at least that's how it reads to me), while the actual elected members of the party are treating it like the piece of shit that it is and throwing up roadblocks in the form of trollish amendments all night in committee.
posted by saturday_morning at 7:00 AM on March 9, 2017 [23 favorites]

I wonder what happened to Jon...
posted by He Is Only The Imposter at 7:00 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Farewell, EPA.

Oh beautiful, for choking skies
For amber waves of drought
For fracked mountains' majesty
Above the hunted plains

America, America
Christian God shed his grace on the rich

And crown thy Trump
Snake King of his garbage dump
From rising sea to oily sea.
posted by archimago at 7:07 AM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

I wonder what happened to Jon..

He's not handling it very well.
posted by sporkwort at 7:13 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Bomb Threat at Jewish Children's Museum Sparks Evacuation, NYPD Says
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:13 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

how the hell can we consign nazism to the dustbin of history if world war fucking two wasn't enough to do it
posted by murphy slaw at 7:27 AM on March 9, 2017 [40 favorites]

while the actual elected members of the party are treating it like the piece of shit that it is and throwing up roadblocks in the form of trollish amendments all night in committee.

Messaging from the Democrats seems pretty on point. We've got everyone from Schumer to Sanders saying the same thing: this is not a health care bill, this is a bill giving the wealthy a tax break.
posted by zabuni at 7:40 AM on March 9, 2017 [46 favorites]

how the hell can we consign nazism to the dustbin of history if world war fucking two wasn't enough to do it

With our luck, people will be using all the surplus sticks leftover from World War IV to make swastikas.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:41 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Yeah, and then this, on the subject of the Dem counter-campaign: Chuck Schumer with the emergent Dem message: "Trumpcare is really a tax break for the rich, not a health care program." https://t.co/8TfNDRNNiV

There's a message I think we can all get behind, no? Clear, concise, accurate, uncompromising. Makes clear why there really is no "health care plan" here to make compromises on.

Edit: jinx, Zabuni!
posted by saturday_morning at 7:42 AM on March 9, 2017 [36 favorites]

Here's video of Pruitt's CO2 comments, he's gone full denier.
posted by peeedro at 7:48 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

We never doubted he would do, the peice of shit.
posted by Artw at 7:52 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Today's greatest threat to complex life on earth is a bland-faced middle-aged white guy named Scott. When humanity is reduced to a few million people in the polar regions and in cave systems and abandoned mines, I doubt any of them will be named Scott.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:55 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

this is a bill giving the wealthy a tax break.

Unless you made your wealth by winning the lottery.
posted by achrise at 7:56 AM on March 9, 2017 [34 favorites]

Unless you made your wealth by winning the lottery.

Oh, it seems so obvious now.
I really couldn't parse the lottery thing at first but it's just another step to keep those people out of the club.
posted by fullerine at 8:00 AM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

The wrong kind of lottery.

Not the bootstrappy inheritance kind.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:01 AM on March 9, 2017 [42 favorites]

I really couldn't parse the lottery thing at first but it's just another step to keep those people out of the club.

I mean, I guess it makes sense that they'd want to keep those new-money rabble out of their club, but if you're going to keep out the riffraff, Donny, you might need to switch from scotch tape to a tie clip before someone catches on.
posted by Mayor West at 8:05 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

If you do have plans to come here and cancel/change them, what WOULD help is to write the places you were going to patronize--the hotel, the amusement park, whatever--and tell them that the idiot bathroom bill/whatever is the reason you changed your plans. Tell THEM to call their state congresspeople and mayor and Reps and Senators in DC. The hospitality industry is already on edge, not to mention all the towns that depend on convention business, so you can fan that flame.

Indianapolis was among those that helped kill Pence's anti-gay-rights so-called "religious freedom" bill by pointing out that they would lose a ton of convention business -- not to mention, potentially, any prospect of NCAA tournaments in this basketball-loving state -- and multinational companies like Eli Lilly would face major obstacles to recruiting.

In other words, the money wing of the Republican Party trumped, so to speak, the religious right. Again. And his bumbling weakness was one of the reasons that Pence looked likely to lose his re-election bid before he joined the Trump campaign. If that kind of pressure could work in bright-red Indiana, it can work elsewhere -- and help drive a wedge between the money wing of the Republican Party and the religious conservatives who have hitched their wagon to it.
posted by Gelatin at 8:14 AM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

There are many people on MeFi more knowledgeable about this kind of thing than I am, so please, please, please correct me if I'm wrong, but...

This does not seem possible without a) completely militarizing an expanded ICE, and b) concentration camps.
posted by schadenfrau at 9:55 AM

In order to expand ICE to the extent needed you would have to 1) lower the bar to entry because they already find it difficult to keep up the numbers and 2) get Congress to agree to funding. Let's say you accomplish that, what do you do with 2 million people? The camps to house and feed and provide medical care for 2 mill (plus staff) would be staggering. You could try to force everyone over the border but Mexico has already laughed at that suggestion. You could try to fly/bus everyone back to their country of origin but that would again be a staggering sum as well as a logistical nightmare and take time.

Here is a comparison to the infamous Operation Wetback which at it's height deported 300,000 in one year: Largest deportation campaign in US history is no match for Trump’s plan

By contrast here are the figures for last year:

Both removals and returns* result in the confirmed movement of inadmissible or deportable aliens out of the United States. There were 462,463 removals and returns in 2015 and 450,954 in 2016, roughly a 10 percent drop from the 570,320 removals and returns in 2014.

posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Jim Acosta: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Not like anyone thinks he takes his Constitutional mandate to faithfully execute the laws of the United States seriously anyway.
posted by Gelatin at 8:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

"EPA chief Scott Pruitt says carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to global warming"

y'know, you hear about crackpots like David Icke and his idea that shape shifting reptilian humanoid aliens are conspiring against humanity by getting into positions of power and altering the biosphere of the planet.

...and yet, it makes more sense than Scott Pruitt being this stupid.
Honestly, if I drove up to your house with a dump truck full of money and said I'd give it to you but only if I can direct exhaust from the truck into your bathroom and keep it running forever, and you and your kids can't live anywhere else.

Any thinking being would say 'No."

And yet, here we are.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

Just assume death camps and it all makes sense.
posted by Artw at 8:20 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

People will go to greater lengths than you or I can possibly imagine in order to avoid having to admit to themselves, let alone others, than their actions have led to negative consequences.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [35 favorites]

Trump gave away the game: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

i don't see how that works for Republicans. They control both houses of congress and the presidency. How are they going to blame the Democrats? Why didn't they fix it? Nothing is stopping them. Whatever happens now is 100% on them.

Especially because they have been running for years on repealing Obamacare. Just like Mitch McConnell took advantage of the fact that few people knew -- including the Beltway media whose job it was to know -- that there isn't a "60 vote requirement for passing bills in the Senate," Republican voters who have been fed a steady diet of lies about the ACA probably won't settle for "we couldn't really repeal it because reconciliation" as an excuse for their health insurance, which they probably have seen improving in ways they like, utterly collapsing.
posted by Gelatin at 8:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

X-TREME vetting (emphasis mine, just for fun):

The White House is scrutinizing job candidates’ old social media posts for criticism of Trump
As President Trump continues to build out his administration, many of his officials are having trouble filling vacancies in their departments because of questions about the loyalty of the people they want to select — questions that include scrutiny of old social media posts. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is sufficiently frustrated about the situation that “people familiar with the matter” leaked about his frustration to Bloomberg:
posted by Room 641-A at 8:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

How is prison capacity and how long does it take a private prison company to build a new prison?
posted by VTX at 8:23 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

You're assuming they won't just be miltiarized tent cities.
posted by archimago at 8:25 AM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

Oh my god, the ICE expansion is going to be Bannon's combination jobs program and Trumpabteilung.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:28 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

(Breitabteilung?)
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:28 AM on March 9, 2017

Things are only complicated if you give people due process. If you just round people who look vaguely nonwhite up and put them on trucks and dump them across the border in Mexico without spending any time on quibbles such as "is this person an American citizen or LPR?" or "is this person even from Mexico?" (remembering to siphon a portion off to work as free labor in private prisons), well...
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:29 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

The Bezosington Post has gotten a lot of kudos in these threads -- deservedly so -- but some of us have also noted the fact that they give a prominent platform to Chris Cillizza, perhaps the worst journalist in the BUT HER EMAILS division.

Anyway, Cillizza's "The Fix" apparently has other people who write there, and one of them is Amber Phillips. I'd never heard of her, but she spewed this hot garbage the other day blaming Bernie Sanders for the decline of civil discourse. Sanders responded on Medium, noting that there's really no playbook for when the President just routinely lies to the American people, and that Phillips herself wrote that Trump's "voter fraud" allegations were bullshit. This exchange has led to some LGM commenters digging into Phillips' body of work, where they unearthed this shiny turd about how Mike Pence's hacked emails are totes no biggie when compared to Hillary's not-hacked emails.

I'm not canceling my WaPo subscription or anything, but I guess I just don't get why a paper that seems to have shit figured out more than most major outlets is giving real estate to these preening wankers.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:31 AM on March 9, 2017 [25 favorites]

Here's video of Pruitt's CO2 comments, he's gone full denier.

To be fair, it's hard to see the truth when your head is simultaneously buried in the sand and up your own ass.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:38 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

"The Fix" really is garbage. It started as an experiment on how to increase the Post's online footprint and it's turned into pageveiw chum that leans heavily on hot takes they hope will go viral.
posted by peeedro at 8:41 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Turtle gets confused, speaks truth about wall.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 8:41 AM on March 9, 2017

Okay, which one of you is responsible for this?
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:42 AM on March 9, 2017 [47 favorites]

-- that there isn't a "60 vote requirement for passing bills in the Senate,"

I don't understand this statement. It seems like that's a pretty widely known fact

It's extremely common for media outlets to report a filibuster as "The bill failed to obtain the necessary 60 votes in the Senate". Search Google News for "60 votes" required and you'll see tons of articles written as if the Senate purely operated on supermajority.
posted by 0xFCAF at 8:43 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Congressional Testimony Perjurer® Scott Pruitt?
posted by petebest at 8:43 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Search Google News for "60 votes" required and you'll see tons of articles written as if the Senate purely operated on supermajority.

Well, I mean... with the level of dysfunction it's had since about 2006, that's not really too far from the de facto truth, is it?
posted by jammer at 8:45 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm not canceling my WaPo subscription or anything, but I guess I just don't get why a paper that seems to have shit figured out more than most major outlets is giving real estate to these preening wankers.

Yeah, the sad part is that there are a couple interesting data journalists they stuff under the Fix banner so I can't just 100% ignore it (I sure try, though). But Cillizza is a known and rightfully despised hack and I can't say I'm surprised there's another hack working under his "brand."
posted by fedward at 8:46 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

In a post-truth society only the liars can lead.
posted by valkane at 8:46 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Here's video of Pruitt's CO2 comments, he's gone full denier.

Gone? Pretty sure he's always been that and this isn't a change.
posted by fedward at 8:47 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Okay, which one of you is responsible for this?

No Lola Bunny? Obvs. not me.
posted by mikelieman at 8:48 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

in today's edition of Incredibly Unlikely Heroes of the Revolution, we have … Tucker Carlson!?!

Carlson: The overview here is that all the wealth [in] basically the last ten years basically has stuck to the top end, that’s one of the reasons we’ve had all this political turmoil, as you know. Kind of a hard sell to say, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna repeal Obamacare but we’re gonna send more money to the people who’ve already gotten the richest over the last ten years.’ I mean, that’s what this does, no? … I’m not leftist, that’s just, that’s true!

Ryan: I–I–I’m not concerned about it because we said we were gonna repeal all the Obamacare taxes, this is one of the Obamacare taxes. The other point I’d is, this dramatically helps tax reform.

posted by murphy slaw at 8:49 AM on March 9, 2017 [55 favorites]

Newspapers contain multitudes.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:50 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

guys, i'm kinda into #wealthcare

just throwing that out there
posted by prefpara at 8:51 AM on March 9, 2017 [62 favorites]

I'm going to a conference in a few weeks and Paul Ryan is the keynote speaker. I guess what I'm asking is: does Amtrak allow you to check bees or should I plan to buy them in DC after I arrive?
posted by melissasaurus at 8:54 AM on March 9, 2017 [78 favorites]

shorter ryan: i don't give a fuck, this gets me my tax cuts, dolla dolla bill y'all
posted by murphy slaw at 8:55 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

I don't think Amtrak does checked bags on its regular Northeast Regional service so it's probably a moot point. There may be checked baggage service on long running service like the Vermonter and the Palmetto, but you'd have to tip the porter really well.
posted by fedward at 8:58 AM on March 9, 2017

shorter ryan: i don't give a fuck, this gets me my tax cuts, dolla dolla bill y'all

Of course the guy from Wisconsin is all about cream.
posted by Talez at 8:59 AM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

I guess what I'm asking is: does Amtrak allow you to check bees or should I plan to buy them in DC after I arrive?

I know we're into bees here on metafilter, but I'm just going to point out that horseflys really love a giant pile of bullshit.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:59 AM on March 9, 2017 [24 favorites]

It seems like that's a pretty widely known fact, especially considering the ACA was passed without 60 votes in the Senate.

This is one of those Republican "alternate facts" that is not true. The ACA absolutely was passed with a 60 vote majority. This was accompanied by a second bill, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which tweaked some of the tax and subsidy numbers in the ACA, which was passed by reconciliation.

However, the ACA, the guts of Obamacare was passed with a 60 vote majority under regular rules.
posted by JackFlash at 9:01 AM on March 9, 2017 [47 favorites]

It's extremely common for media outlets to report a filibuster as "The bill failed to obtain the necessary 60 votes in the Senate". Search Google News for "60 votes" required and you'll see tons of articles written as if the Senate purely operated on supermajority.

Sure, because that's true 99 percent of the time. Do you want every news story that mentions a vote to bring up budget reconciliation when it's irrelevant? The process can only be used for bills that Congress designates ahead of time. Republicans specified in the opening days of Congress this year that they would use reconciliation to repeal the ACA.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 9:03 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

The debate over which clever name to use for the Republican health care bill is becoming even more tiresome than the endless string of nicknames for Trump.
posted by parallellines at 9:05 AM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

@realDonaldTrump

Despite what you hear in the press, healthcare is coming along great. We are talking to many groups and it will end in a beautiful picture!

I guess the third panel of Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights is beautiful in its way.
posted by Rust Moranis at 9:06 AM on March 9, 2017 [64 favorites]

Well, it has a certain je ne sais quoi.
posted by pharm at 9:08 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:09 AM on March 9, 2017 [16 favorites]

je ne sais quoi is French for Jenny Sasquatch.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:10 AM on March 9, 2017 [32 favorites]

Trump's idea of a beautiful picture ending is way different than mine. Also, he still doesn't understand what the press actually does. And beeeees. We need the bees now.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:13 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

The ACA absolutely was passed with a 60 vote majority. This was accompanied by a second bill, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which tweaked some of the tax and subsidy numbers in the ACA, which was passed by reconciliation.

That's a good point. Only the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act was passed via reconciliation, but PPACA would not have become law without it.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 9:14 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

roomthreeseventeen: I don’t know. It’s French for something I’m sure.
posted by pharm at 9:14 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

(mass deportation) does not seem possible without a) completely militarizing an expanded ICE, and b) concentration camps.

Just trying to keep it straight, here: they are separating women, children and men before, or after the entry into camps?

Wait, I feel like I've heard this before. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?
posted by Dashy at 9:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [24 favorites]

It has been noted, yes.

Some motherfuckers are going to act surprised by it though.
posted by Artw at 9:18 AM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Chuck Schumer with the emergent Dem message: "Trumpcare is really a tax break for the rich, not a health care program."

This is just marketing failure on Schumer's part. Tax cuts for the rich is not considered a bad thing by Republicans because they all believe they are going to be rich one day.

A much better approach is demonstrated by the wily AARP. They are calling the premium formula an "age tax," a formulation familiar in the "death tax". People hate tax increases. They don't hate tax cuts, even for the rich so don't talk about tax cuts.

To broaden the appeal beyond the AARP set, Democrats should simply call the Republican plan a massive tax increase on the middle class, because that is exactly what it is. The subsidies are tax credits. If you take away tax credits from the middle class, that's a tax increase, plain and simple. And it's not trivial. For many families it will amount to a tax increase of $4000 to $10,000 a year. That's huge for a middle class family.

Talk about the Republican tax increase on the middle class.
posted by JackFlash at 9:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [65 favorites]

It's not like the GOP doesn't have metric fucktons of talented policy wonks at thinktanks that could come up with a coherent proposal, at least. But those policy proposals would either 1) cost more, or 2) insure less people - thus either breaking Trump's promise, or becoming filibusterable.

I am no longer convinced of the existence of talented conservative policy wonks, except in the vaguest, most idealistic, "assume a spherical voter" sense. If those policy wonks really existed, wouldn't there already be a plan the GOP could have stuck its name on? They've had years to come up with one. Instead what we have seen is unrealistic and unworkable. The conservative think tanks love ideologically pure things like health savings plans (never mind how that sort of "individual responsibility" only works when you're already wealthy and they still wouldn't prevent financial catastrophe from cancer or a complicated pregnancy), tax credits (which are regressive by design), and block grants for Medicare and Medicaid (buck passing and acting like costs don't exist anymore, also harder on poorer states). Literally none of those things pass the smell test, singly or in combination. Also the idea for Obamacare came from a conservative think tank in the first place. It is the conservative plan. Now they're expected to do what, come up with an even more conservative plan that somehow magically handwaves away all the problems with conservatives' pet plans?

I used to believe there were smart conservatives (indeed I used to think I was one of them). I'm not sure they exist in viable numbers anymore.
posted by fedward at 9:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

I'm going to a conference in a few weeks and Paul Ryan is the keynote speaker.

....what on earth conference is this? And can you escape going? Because oof.
posted by sciatrix at 9:23 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

the third panel of Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights

Which appeared very briefly in only one episode of The Brady Bunch, hanging in Alice's room. The Bradys were know for breaking up sets and hanging them separately, explaining why the other two panels were never seen.
posted by achrise at 9:25 AM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

Single payer: Shaquille O'Neal, 2000 MVP
Obamacare: Shaq at the free throw line.
GOP Replacement bill: Kazaam.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:28 AM on March 9, 2017 [21 favorites]

Just like Mitch McConnell took advantage of the fact that few people knew -- including the Beltway media whose job it was to know -- that there isn't a "60 vote requirement for passing bills in the Senate,"

I don't understand this statement. It seems like that's a pretty widely known fact, especially considering the ACA was passed without 60 votes in the Senate.

Passing a bill in the Senate requires a simple majority. Invoking cloture requires 60 votes. So when Obama became President, McConnell started filibustering nearly everything in sight. All's fair, of course, but the Beltway media immediately adopted the framing of "60 vote requirement to pass the Senate" -- which had never before existed -- and not "the Republicans are engaging in historically unprecedented obstructionism."

But while the 60-vote threshold may have worked its way into the public consciousness thanks to the media normalizing Republican bad behavior -- again -- I doubt Republican voters will be much inclined to accept the excuse that "we had majorities in the House and Senate and the Presidency, but those mean old Democrats kept us from repealing Obamacare on a technicality," especially if they actually do force the insurance market to collapse.
posted by Gelatin at 9:30 AM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

On lack of preview, what 0xFCAF said nearly an hour ago.
posted by Gelatin at 9:31 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Sure, because that's true 99 percent of the time.

This is verging on a derail, so I'll keep it short. But filibustering every single bill that comes through the Senate as a strategic political maneuver is genuinely a new thing that started happening circa 2006, when the Democrats took the Senate back from the Republicans.

"60 votes to pass a bill" was a GOP invention, but political journalists all bought into it even though they damn well knew better. It was an act of journalistic malfeasance for them to uncritically repeat that line then, and it still is now even though a decade of GOP horseshit has made it seem normal.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:31 AM on March 9, 2017 [22 favorites]

Remember that Trump said, "No one knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it." He also promised "insurance for everybody...Much less expensive and much better" that would not include cuts to Medicaid. (From a January 15 press conference when his health plan was "very much formulated down to the final strokes.") If he can't deliver on those promises this is a huge personal failure.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:33 AM on March 9, 2017 [28 favorites]

I'm going to a conference in a few weeks and Paul Ryan is the keynote speaker.

....what on earth conference is this?

It's a tax conference; I'm hoping he has completely eroded what is left of his reputation by then (which he seems to be on his way to doing), such that he gets laughed out of the room. If not: bees.
posted by melissasaurus at 9:34 AM on March 9, 2017 [33 favorites]

If he can't deliver on those promises this is ~~a huge personal failure~~ Obama's fault
posted by uncleozzy at 9:35 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Melania Trump's secret to her "soaring" popularity: hide and say nothing (paraphrasing Politico's story, quoted below)

The confines of Trump Tower appear to have shielded first lady Melania Trump from much of the negativity associated with the chaotic infancy of her husband’s presidency.

According to a CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday, a majority of Americans have a favorable view of the first lady, who has largely been out of the public eye since her husband, the least popular president to enter office in modern times, was sworn in on Jan. 20.

Fifty-two percent of Americans said they have a favorable view of Melania Trump. Nearly one-third, 32 percent, have an unfavorable view of her, while 3 percent have never heard of her and 12 percent have no opinion.

Trump has remained in Trump Tower raising her son, Barron, since her husband became president. She has occasionally come to Washington and has spent some weekends at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

Well, compared to her husband, her popularity is "soaring" at just above half of respondents thinking she's not terrible, compared to just under a third who say she is.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:35 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

GOP Replacement bill: Kazaam

POTUS #45 Hillary Clinton: Hey, does anyone else remember this movie where Sinbad was a genie?
posted by J.K. Seazer at 9:37 AM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

If he can't deliver on those promises this is a huge personal failure.

As long as people who currently support him believe he said (and meant) those words, which he may well deny. Or he'll blame the "do-nothing Democrats" for getting in the way of his beautiful plan. Rest assured, it won't be his fault.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:37 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Via 61 Paths to Putin posted above:

1) His son in Law is Jared Kushner, the former owner of the Observer. The Observer received the DNC hacks from Guccifer 2.0 who is rumored to be a Russian agent.

4) His second campaign manager is Paul Manafort who had to resign in August due to having questionable Russian ties like Dmitry Firtash and the former Ukranian President. Manafort lives in Trump tower, along with Kellyanne Conway and her husband.

8) Trump advisor J.D. Gordon is claiming that he was the advisor who had the Ukraine language softened at the Republican National Convention, at the request of Donald Trump

9) Kellyanne Conway’s husband has business dealings with the Russian government and deleted tweets about it once Conway was chosen. (Conway, Bannon, and the Mercers are part of the “Council on National Policy” a secreteive far right think tank group.

10) Trump sold his condo to Dmitry Rybolovev, whose private plane keeps showing up where Trump is. Rybolovev is a Russian billionaire with ties to Putin.

13) Secretary of State Tillerson has many Russian business dealings through Exxon with Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft.

14) The Dossier Christopher Steele created said that Igor Sechin along with Oleg Orovinkin were working on a deal to sell 19.5% of Rosneft to Trump in exchange for dropping sanctions. This deal relied on Carter Page, who resigned as a Trump advisor in September. After the election, a 19.5% deal went through, Oleg Orovkin was found dead in his car and the guy behind the Russian Hacking was arrested for treason in Russia.

17) The Dossier also claims Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen traveled to meet with Russians, which he denied. Recently, it came out that he was working with Felix Sater to broker a Ukranian-Russia peace deal. Cohen, Sater, and a member of the Ukranian Parliament, Andreii Artemenko sat down for dinner to discuss Ukraine, Russia, and sanctions.

19) Felix Sater claimed to be a Senior Advisor to Trump , which Trump claimed not to remember. Sater had his own office in Trump Tower. Sater has been connected to organized crime and his father is in the Russian Mafia

22) Putin’s propaganda news station Russia Today has frequently had Michael Flynn, Carter Page, and Sebastian Gorka on it.

25) Trump friend Roger Stone is in contact with Julian Assange who runs wikileaks, who also hacked the DNC and provided leaks to Russia today. Stone is also partner in a lobbying firm with Paul Manafort

26-28) [condensed]Secretary of Education Betsy Devos is the sister of mercenary Erik Prince. Erik Prince is running all over the world helping dictators suppress Muslims. He is a Breitbart contributor, a Pence supporter and a Trump advisor. Prince also used to work for House Rep Dana Rohrabacker, also known as Putin’s Favorite Congressman and one time time consideree to be Trumps secretary of State.

30) Trump Tower housed an office of Alfa Bank which had a private server communicating with companies like Spectrum Health, which lists members of the Devos Family as Board Members.

31) Richard Burt, a Republican Lobbyist and CNI Board Member sat on the board of Alfa Bank. He worked for the Trump Campaign while lobbying for Russian State owned Gazprom

34) The Bayrock Group was founded by Tevfik Araf, and housed in Trump Tower. Araf hired Felix Sater as his C.O.O.

41) Lev Leviev is a Putin friend. Not only has he had multiple business dealings with Jared Kushner and the Bayrock group (Felix Sater and Tamir Kapir) but he also works with Netanyahu on settlements.

45) Jack Abramoff may be where it all starts. Russian Oil and Gas company NAFTAsib formed a shell company called Chelsea Commercial, which only listed Abramoff and Patrick Pizzella as lobbyists when it was created. The purpose of Chelsea was to promote Russian oil and trade interests in the United States. It also underwrote the trip Tom Delay and Ed Buckham made to Russia with Abramoff. Pizzella also happens to work for Trump. Buckham formed the Alexander Strategy Group to help the US Family Network funnel its money received from Naftasib. The US Family network was primarily a vehicle consisting of Buckham, Delay, Ralph Reed, CNI Board Member Grover Norquist and Abramoff. All of these people have been members of the Council on National Policy over the years.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaang. Did Not Know or had forgotten a lot of that. It's like an electron cloud of super shady shit. Back, and to the left. Back, and to the left, y'all.
posted by petebest at 9:39 AM on March 9, 2017 [73 favorites]

kirkaracha If he can't deliver on those promises this is a huge personal failure.

Well, that's the question isn't it?

So far Trump has succeeded through bluster, buff, bragging, buck passing, and bankruptcy. He's never actually delivered much of anything his entire life and it's worked out quite well for him.

I'm not entirely convinced that it will stop working out well for him simply because we want it to.

Sure, any rational, reasonable, person would look at a massive failure on the part of Republicans to enact a functional health care system as a failure on their part and especially on Trump's part. But as we learned on 11/9 when taken collectively American voters are neither reasonable nor rational.

Trump, inevitably, will be on twitter and TV laying the blame for his failure on absolutely anyone but himself, and that only if the media bothers to even try holding any Republican accountable rather than just rolling over and letting the Republicans on the news shows blame everything on Obama.

So far Trump's voting base has believed absolutely everything he said no matter how blatantly false it was. And Trump's voting base is very much predisposed to hate the Democrats. So when his healthcare plan fails miserably, and Trump storms up on the national stage and declares that those horrible, evil, Democrats stole your healthcare, that they blocked his real proposals, that because of the awful economy and conditions he inherited from Obama, because the Democrats are keeping so many illegals in the country that's ruining your healthcare, and whatever other lies he can invent, why wouldn't they believe him?

Trump isn't invulnerable, but I'm doubtful that mere abject failure will be enough to end his support.

It may be enough for us to rouse our voters from their slumber and get them out to the damn polls where htey can do some good, but it won't cost Trump any votes.
posted by sotonohito at 9:43 AM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

In the absence of any true global effort to curb CO2 emissions, it's going to take a massive reduction in economic output to put the brakes on, so the balance to Pruitt is the inevitable recession that's going to result from dampnut's idiotic policies.
The part of my brain that has to find silver linings in all of this is telling me that the pendulum will swing, and if the rest of the world takes the lead, that's okay, we'll just be forced to catch up with alternative energy investment in the next Dem administration.
It's gonna hurt, no lie, but we've been dragging our feet since the 70's, so a sharp wake-up might be the only thing that brings us to action.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:47 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Press briefing time.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:49 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

> It's gonna hurt, no lie, but we've been dragging our feet since the 70's, so a sharp wake-up might be the only thing that brings us to action.

When we as a species get our climate change-induced sharp wake-up, the only action it will bring us to is military, as nations scramble for control of the remaining fresh water and arable land.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:55 AM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

The confines of Trump Tower appear to have shielded first lady Melania Trump from much of the negativity associated with the chaotic infancy of her husband’s presidency.

Weird timing on that politico story, above:

Melania Trump to change style after moving to White House

Melania Trump is preparing herself to move to Washington, D.C. where she will live with President Donald Trump in the White House, according to a new report Wednesday. The first lady has been living in New York with her son Barron as he continues attending private school in Manhattan’s upper west side neighborhood.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:57 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

i have to keep reminding myself that every generation thinks the world will end on their watch, but man we're getting a lot more evidence than most
posted by murphy slaw at 9:57 AM on March 9, 2017 [16 favorites]

School doesn't let out here in NYC for almost four months. It's unlikely Melania is moving anytime soon.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:59 AM on March 9, 2017

Nah. As a Gen X-er, I firmly believe the world will end on the Boomers’ watch.
posted by nicepersonality at 9:59 AM on March 9, 2017 [30 favorites]

the world doesn't end, but a person's world, a family's world, a culture and civilization's world, boy howdy do those end all the time
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:00 AM on March 9, 2017 [47 favorites]

The article mentions a summer move.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:01 AM on March 9, 2017

Okay it's officially getting weird: per the commenter on the 61-Paths-to-Putin article, Breitbart was inspired by Netanyahu. Not linking to Breichbart itself, but the article the comment references is from their own site with a picture of the founders and Bibi. From that article:

A lot of people don’t realize this but Breitbart News Network really got its start in Jerusalem. It was the summer of 2007 . . .

One thing we specifically discussed that night was our desire to start a site that would be unapologetically pro-freedom and pro-Israel. We were sick of the anti- Israel bias of the mainstream media and J-Street. By launching Breitbart Jerusalem, the journey comes full circle and a promise between two friends is fulfilled. And in a very real sense, Breitbart News Network returns to its roots.

HaBruzzchwhaa?? Okay I'm misunderstanding something here. Note that it does not say *specifically* that Netanyahu asked them to start Breitbart.

/boggle
posted by petebest at 10:01 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

I think Melania may "stay" in DC for the summer with Barron, and will move back to New York after Labor Day.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:02 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Nah. As a Gen X-er, I firmly believe the world will end on the Boomers’ watch.

unwilling to to step up and take responsibility, typical Gen X
[hamburger]
posted by murphy slaw at 10:03 AM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

There's a bunch of right-wing Christians who believe that all the Jews being in Israel is a precondition for Christ coming back. Leaving that and its astonishing arrogance aside, many right-wingers see Israel as a white, Western outpost in the Middle East, taking a stand against the Muslim hordes. Even anti-semites find a lot to love about the Israel situation.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:04 AM on March 9, 2017 [17 favorites]

Jake Tapper reports that Secretary of State Tillerson is about to embark on first major trip to Asia in the midst of North Korean crisis. He will not bringing any reporters.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:04 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

There's a bunch of right-wing Christians who believe that all the Jews being in Israel is a precondition for Christ coming back

A whole bunch.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:06 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

tempted to convert to judaism and tweet from the bahamas every day just to piss those people off.
posted by murphy slaw at 10:07 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Sean Spicer starts off the briefing by saying "good morning" at 1:05 in the afternoon. He says "it's not my fault" because it's written that way on his paper. Then he looks down at his paper to start again and says "good morning" again.
posted by zachlipton at 10:08 AM on March 9, 2017 [94 favorites]

Sean Spicer starts off the briefing by saying "good morning" at 1:05 in the afternoon. He says "it's not my fault" because it's written that way on his paper. Then he looks down at his paper to start again and says "good morning" again.

Was that from last weekend's Saturday Night Live?
posted by Gelatin at 10:10 AM on March 9, 2017 [15 favorites]

Nah. As a Gen X-er, I firmly believe the world will end on the Boomers’ watch.

Because only Boomers have watches these days.
posted by srboisvert at 10:10 AM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

"good morning" at 1:05 in the afternoon, day is night and night is day. Later they will say the clocks were wrong, and Spicer was right.
posted by Oyéah at 10:11 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

> Sean Spicer starts off the briefing by saying "good morning" at 1:05 in the afternoon.

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
posted by mosk at 10:13 AM on March 9, 2017 [48 favorites]

"good morning" at 1:05 in the afternoon, day is night and night is day. Later they will say the clocks were ~~wrong, and Spicer was right~~ striking thirteen.
posted by Gelatin at 10:14 AM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

Jinx, mosk. I owe you a Coke.
posted by Gelatin at 10:15 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Press briefing time.

Now where he at?

Now there you go
posted by srboisvert at 10:15 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Not sure if covered yet, but Aunt Maxine trying to lend some validity to the pee pee claims

No new evidence presented, but that doesn't stop anyone on the GOP side these days.
posted by strange chain at 10:16 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Spicer lays out the "three phases" of repeal and replace:
-step one: the AHCA reconciliation bill
-step two: HHS Sec. Price will eliminate/undermine any regulations that the ACA gave his department authority to enact
-step three: additional bills re interstate insurance sales, small business credit, etc.
posted by melissasaurus at 10:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Rep. Maxine Waters watch: she goes on MSNBC and claims that the piss tape is "absolutely true." She provides no evidence for this assertion.

I guess if the President can do it, everyone can just throw out their own facts nowadays.
posted by zachlipton at 10:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [34 favorites]

Okay, which one of you is responsible for this?

I bow to no one in my love for fully automated luxury gay space communism, but cannot accept credit for this.

Okay... I might bow before Sleeper Service... and Zero Gravitas... and some of their friends. Come to think of it, most GSVs have an even deeper love for fully automated luxury gay space communism than I do, but that's beside the point.

Of course Python has spread throughout the galaxy. Why would you doubt that?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:18 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

-step two: HHS Sec. Price will eliminate/undermine any regulations that the ACA gave his department authority to enact

okay, so Obamacare is in a death spiral because we'll make damn sure it is.
posted by murphy slaw at 10:18 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Spicer seems to be suggesting that all Rs will have to fall in line on AHCA because they can't defend Obamacare.
posted by prefpara at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2017

It's a tax conference; I'm hoping he has completely eroded what is left of his reputation by then (which he seems to be on his way to doing), such that he gets laughed out of the room. If not: bees.

How might a like-minded citizen go about supporting this initiative? Sure, it might be illegal to FedEx a swarm of bees, but what if a bunch of us just FedEx one bee?
posted by Mayor West at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Nah. As a Gen X-er, I firmly believe the world will end on the Boomers’ watch.

really if you think about it, the donald is pretty much the epitome of all of the stereotypical boomer's bad traits (yes yes #notallboomers, i know). it's hard not to think that he is the final boss, the culmination of their 70+ years on the world stage, one last parting gift
posted by entropicamericana at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

Spicer says he doesn't believe that it was known that Flynn was acting as a foreign agent, but he doesn't know what was discussed, and he doesn't know what Trump would have done if he did know.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Spcier says "I don't believe that was known" as to whether Trump knew Flynn was acting as a foreign agent (Turkey) before he was appointed as National Security Advisor.
posted by zachlipton at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Once again the Republican plan is to cut the brake lines and insist that cars can never be safe.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:20 AM on March 9, 2017 [64 favorites]

> There's a bunch of right-wing Christians who believe that all the Jews being in Israel is a precondition for Christ coming back

All of them? Like, *every single one*? So if my buddy here in Toronto decides to stay put Jesus is a no-go?
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [15 favorites]

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a Boomer.
posted by mushhushshu at 10:21 AM on March 9, 2017 [36 favorites]

The Divine Rep. Waters said that it's supposed to be true, and there should be an investigation to determine if that's really the case.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:22 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

All of them? Like, *every single one*? So if my buddy here in Toronto decides to stay put Jesus is a no-go?

Pretty much. This is why it's perfectly fine to back Israel unconditionally, while also perfectly fine to vandalize Jewish graveyards and call in bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers (Many of which serve as a daycare - they're threatening to blow up babies and toddlers for being Jewish.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:24 AM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Trump rally in Nashville next Tuesday
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:25 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Trump rally in Nashville next Tuesday

Campaign rally.

"Paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc."
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:27 AM on March 9, 2017 [28 favorites]

Is there any precedent whatsoever for a sitting President to continuously hold rallies, as opposed to like... just giving policy speeches? Maybe I'm not remembering it because of selectivity, but I honestly can't think of many "rallies" that Obama or even W. held during their tenure.
posted by codacorolla at 10:28 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

All of them? Like, *every single one*? So if my buddy here in Toronto decides to stay put Jesus is a no-go?

Some believe this. Others believe that there's just a threshold that has to be met (usually involving some creative interpretation of the number "144,000").

Break out your Strong's Concordance and follow along at home, kids!
posted by tobascodagama at 10:30 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

All of them? Like, *every single one*? So if my buddy here in Toronto decides to stay put Jesus is a no-go?

Gosh. That seems like it would raise some complicated issues about how one even defines "Jew."
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:30 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

i get the feeling that if Trump lost he would immediately have started doing rallies for 2020. he just likes campaigning. he has no interest in actually governing.
posted by murphy slaw at 10:31 AM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

Is there any precedent whatsoever for a sitting President to continuously hold rallies, as opposed to like... just giving policy speeches?

Yes, but not in America. 1930s Germany and Italy, though? Tons of precedent.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:31 AM on March 9, 2017 [56 favorites]

Spicer is really pushing this idea that there are three phases, the current bill is only phase 1, and critics of the bill just Don't Understand the gestalt.
posted by prefpara at 10:32 AM on March 9, 2017

Please someone ask Spicey whether this is the "collect underpants" phase.
posted by holgate at 10:34 AM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

Gosh. That seems like it would raise some complicated issues about how one even defines "Jew."

Do not quibble over details with these people, can't you see they've got red heifers without spot or blemish to breed?
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:34 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Step 1: cut a hole in a bill
Step 2: put your junk in that bill
Step 3: try to pass the bill
posted by Huffy Puffy at 10:34 AM on March 9, 2017 [72 favorites]

Hi. I'm someone for whom the ACA was written for. I'm either on Medicaid when I'm in school (like now), or I buy a plan on the exchanges when I'm working, because I take on a lot of contract tech work. I also have a couple of conditions that require medications, that I can't exactly go off of.

Is the ACA going to just chug along if this bill fails? If this bill fails, is it all over for this go at 'repealing/replacing' the ACA for the year? Is it too early to predict? Is it even worth worrying about at this juncture?
posted by spinifex23 at 10:35 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Spicer is really pushing this idea that there are three phases, the current bill is only phase 1, and critics of the bill just Don't Understand the gestalt.

"Why is everybody upset about the Grey Death? Next we overthrow all world governments, and phase 3 is Bob Page merging with Helios to rule the world through its telecommunications infrastructure and control over all computer networks and hardware. You critics just can't see the big picture!"
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:35 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Campaign rally.

"Paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc."

"I'll tell you what. He should not be campaigning for Hillary Clinton. He should be at the Oval Office working on jobs."

Oh we were all so innocent back then before... the election.
posted by Talez at 10:36 AM on March 9, 2017 [31 favorites]

The three phase thing is just magical thinking though, because phrase 3 is all the stuff that can't be done through reconciliation, so it needs 60 votes in the Senate. They're really just saying "we'll do that stuff if we somehow get a supermajority one day." And there's no actual bill for phase 3. It's just a magic phrase for "we'll get to the part that makes it better some other time, somehow, someday, somewhere."
posted by zachlipton at 10:37 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

DOJ, trying to very very carefully thread a needle:

Justice Dept. Declines to Back Claim Trump Is Not Under Investigation
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:39 AM on March 9, 2017 [48 favorites]

The three phase thing is just magical thinking though, because phrase 3 is all the stuff that can't be done through reconciliation, so it needs 60 votes in the Senate. They're really just saying "we'll do that stuff if we somehow get a supermajority one day." And there's no actual bill for phase 3. It's just a magic phrase for "we'll get to the part that makes it better some other time, somehow, someday, somewhere."

Sounds a lot like the bullshit pulled in NC: "repeal the Charlotte anti-discrimination bill and we'll repeal HB2, we promise!" Charlotte repeals the bill; HB2 repeal magically never materializes.
posted by melissasaurus at 10:40 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

God help us, I just hope the national Dems aren't as fucking stupid as the ones in North Carolina.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:40 AM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

tep 1: cut a hole in a bill
Step 2: put your junk in that bill
Step 3: try to pass the bill

At first I read junk as slang for genitalia and nodded, like, *good one*
posted by angrycat at 10:41 AM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Oh, you didn't know?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 10:44 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

This is total Washington Examiner gossip stuff, but interesting. Trump says privately second healthcare bill ready as early as next week. It says that Trump wants "phase 3" in the House as soon as next week and they all told him that he doesn't know how to count to 60 and it's not going to happen next week. The bill also doesn't, you know, exist.
posted by zachlipton at 10:44 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

Is the ACA going to just chug along if this bill fails? If this bill fails, is it all over for this go at 'repealing/replacing' the ACA for the year? Is it too early to predict? Is it even worth worrying about at this juncture?
posted by spinifex23 at 1:35 PM on March 9 [has favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

I think it's best if you just assume the ACA is going to keep on keeping on, for the next year.

And try not to worry. I know that's easier said then done, but I (would hope) we'd see the end of the ACA coming before it actually happens.

If you have the time, please write your congresspeople and let them know that the loss of the ACA would have direct impact on you.
posted by INFJ at 10:46 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

"As Vanity Fair, Huffington Post, and others have pointed out, the holiday-themed green “Make America Great Again” hat (a promise that becomes more fleeting with each passing nanosecond) does not sport the traditional Irish shamrock, where the three leaves represent the Holy Trinity. Instead, the $50 hat (twice the price of Trump’s favored red MAGA cap that helpfully hides his facial spray-tan lines) features the lucky four-leaf clover, which has turned out to be another unlucky turn for the incompetent Trump administration."

I eagerly await footage of Sean Spicer attempting to explain the doctrine of the Quadrinity.
posted by tivalasvegas at 10:46 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

My boy Spicer turning a question about the DOJ investigation into a debate about epistemology
posted by theodolite at 10:51 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

What does that mean, theodolite? How did he turn it?
posted by agregoli at 10:53 AM on March 9, 2017

also no irony at all in trying to glom on to a holiday that only exists due to liberal immigration policies
posted by murphy slaw at 10:53 AM on March 9, 2017 [19 favorites]

My boy Spicer turning a question about the DOJ investigation into a debate about epistemology

Maybe he watched Errol Morris' Rumsfeld documentary this weekend.
posted by dis_integration at 10:53 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

spinifex23, I second INFJ's comments. That is basically what I have been telling my patients since the election: hold on, proceed for the present as if nothing has changed because legally, nothing has been done yet. We will cross whatever bridges are there once we come to them.

With the caveat that I think it is prudent for persons enrolled in exchange or Medicaid coverage to make sure to take full advantage of that coverage, particularly if you have Medicaid since that's pretty much free.

Have you been putting off having [shoulder / knee / back] looked at, or getting a referral for that pesky low-grade sinus infection? Get it checked out.

You're entitled to a free yearly wellness visit: get it done.

But for the most part, we still don't know what will happen; as I've said in the threads before, it's very much possible that there's no viable way for repeal & replace to happen, and the ACA may well limp along, hindered only by malfeasance and general incompetence at HHS/CMS (and that should not be underestimated, mind you: this stuff is enough of a massive headache when smart, motivated and compassionate people are trying to make it all run smoothly, and we're not going to be seeing that under the likes of Tom Price and Seema Verma).
posted by tivalasvegas at 10:58 AM on March 9, 2017 [15 favorites]

"I don't think we can continue to have press conferences on this basis until we settle the underlying question of what can be known."
posted by murphy slaw at 10:59 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

also no irony at all in trying to glom on to a holiday that only exists due to liberal immigration policies

Not only that, but the GOP misgendered St Patrick. Make "Patty" Paddy again.
posted by peeedro at 10:59 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

murphy slaw can you provide some context for those of us who can't watch. Who said that in response to what?
posted by INFJ at 11:01 AM on March 9, 2017

Is the ACA going to just chug along if this bill fails?

We can assume Price will gut the regulatory side for 2018 no matter what -- for instance, preventative no-copay stuff -- and insurance companies will be looking to GTFO of the individual market. Insurers might be in the business of modelling uncertainty, but they're not going to touch that kind of uncertainty. Blue states might try to do something on a state level, but options are more limited there.

I don't want to cause panic, but if you have chronic conditions and rely on ACA plans, I'd be looking to be in a situation for 2018 that either involves an employer plan, not working at all if you're Medicaid eligible, or living in a different country. Self-employment with ongoing (manageable) medical issues is not going to be viable.
posted by holgate at 11:01 AM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

"As Vanity Fair, Huffington Post, and others have pointed out, the holiday-themed green “Make America Great Again” hat (a promise that becomes more fleeting with each passing nanosecond) does not sport the traditional Irish shamrock, where the three leaves represent the Holy Trinity. Instead, the $50 hat (twice the price of Trump’s favored red MAGA cap that helpfully hides his facial spray-tan lines) features the lucky four-leaf clover, which has turned out to be another unlucky turn for the incompetent Trump administration."

That is straight up the 4-H clover with the H's removed! I will personally donate to a GoFundMe to pay the bills of any enterprising USDA employee who wants to go out with a bang by filing a C&D against the Trump campaign for misuse of the 4-H emblem, which they are actually very protective of.
posted by jason_steakums at 11:03 AM on March 9, 2017 [46 favorites]

Spicer: 'I can bring a thesaurus up here, these all mean the same thing, I'm not sure what you're asking me' (to paraphrase), when pressed.

I can't wait for this to show up on SNL!
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 11:04 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

sorry, that should have had a [fake] tag
posted by murphy slaw at 11:04 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

"I don't think we can continue to have press conferences on this basis until we settle the underlying question of what can be known."

Socrates: You asked, Cephalus, about the Department of Justice. But can we properly ask about Justice's Department before we know what Justice is?
posted by dis_integration at 11:05 AM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

I don't want to cause panic,

Nope - that didn't cause panic at all. I can't speak for others in my situation, but I'd rather know what's going on as soon as possible so I have time to make contingency plans, rather than ignore it all, and then when it comes time to get healthcare? Oops - there's nothing available for you to purchase. Thanks all.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:05 AM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Socrates: You asked, Cephalus, about the Department of Justice. But can we properly ask about Justice's Department before we know what Justice is?

Is a thing legal because Trump loves it, or does Trump love it because it is legal?
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:06 AM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

Oh my. Sherrilyn Ifill, who is President of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Education Fund met with Jeff Sessions to make a case for police reform and voting rights. She tweets: "Many have asked abt the AG's reaction to my presentation. He listened respectfully and said that I was "articulate.""
posted by zachlipton at 11:08 AM on March 9, 2017 [144 favorites]

"Many have asked abt the AG's reaction to my presentation. He listened respectfully and said that I was "articulate.""

Oh FFS.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:12 AM on March 9, 2017 [24 favorites]

luckily a staffer managed to cut him off before he called her "a credit to her race"?
posted by murphy slaw at 11:13 AM on March 9, 2017 [48 favorites]

Oh my. Sherrilyn Ifill, who is President of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Education Fund met with Jeff Sessions to make a case for police reform and voting rights. She tweets: "Many have asked abt the AG's reaction to my presentation. He listened respectfully and said that I was "articulate.""

Well, my outrage pistons are working just fine, thank you for that test.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:14 AM on March 9, 2017 [32 favorites]

"Many have asked abt the AG's reaction to my presentation. He listened respectfully and said that I was "articulate.""

Christing fuck, when your racism is so old that a children's movie has pre-called you out on it, you should probably not be AG.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:16 AM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

"articulate."

there aren't enough bees in the world for this motherfucker
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:16 AM on March 9, 2017 [41 favorites]

would'nt it be fun if at one of these pressers some journalist would just say (when called upon to present their question)
"hey Spicer, YOU ARE ENTIRELY FULL OF SHIT AND YOU KNOW IT ASSHOLE!" ..?

yes, they'd be escorted out but they'd instantly become a national hero!
posted by The_Auditor at 11:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

"Many have asked abt the AG's reaction to my presentation. He listened respectfully and said that I was "articulate.""

This really is the "hold my beer" administration. It's just one long line of beer-holding. "Oh, wha tyou did was offensive and awful? Hold my beer, bruh." and right on down the line into the sunset.
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:17 AM on March 9, 2017 [16 favorites]

A DC wine bar has filed a lawsuit against Trump and the Trump International Hotel for illegal and unfair competition alleging that the president’s continued affiliation with the government-owned property puts competing businesses at a disadvantage.

All the lawyers are working on the case pro bono, and the lawsuit isn’t seeking any money. Rather, they’re looking for a court order to stop the “unfair competition,” whether that means Trump divests or sells the hotel or takes his name off of it and transforms it into something else.

posted by peeedro at 11:19 AM on March 9, 2017 [66 favorites]

Washington State AG says he'll ask judge to apply the injunction from Trump's original travel ban order to the new travel ban order.
posted by melissasaurus at 11:20 AM on March 9, 2017 [47 favorites]

Couple comments deleted. Please don't make gross racist remarks as a joke about how bad those remarks are.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:23 AM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

All the lawyers are working on the case pro bono, and the lawsuit isn’t seeking any money. Rather, they’re looking for a court order to stop the “unfair competition,” whether that means Trump divests or sells the hotel or takes his name off of it and transforms it into something else.

I know there are so many bad things but this really does make me crazy; there was an article in the Express (free paper published by the Washington Post, they hand it out by the Metro) the other day about how popular it is and the whole thing is just so inappropriate.

I wish I could organize a group of people to stand outside the building literally every day, even just for a few hours, to glare meaningfully and wave signs and stuff to make it awkward for people going in and out so that it's just not worth staying there because it's too much of a hassle to deal with the protestors; it'd be great if rich people/diplomats/politicians would be like "let's head back to the hote...oh no, we can't, it's 1:30 and they'll still be protesting and I want to skip that. What a pain, let's stay somewhere else next time.". Maybe guests could get kindly clinic escorts to help them in and out of the Hotel Fascism if they didn't like facing protestors.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:31 AM on March 9, 2017 [23 favorites]

Digital Privacy at the U.S Border: A New How-To Guide from EFF

Brand spankin' new.
posted by futz at 11:32 AM on March 9, 2017 [44 favorites]

The Twitter thread from Sherrilyn Ifill has some other observations:

Beyond his ideological opposition, it appeared to me that the AG is poorly informed abt how policing consent decrees really work. Reminded him that his proposed Deputy just indicted 7 Baltimore cops last wk for racketeering. He conceded "maybe there are some problems."

So he's not only racist, but racist and incompetent.
posted by zabuni at 11:40 AM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

I think we can all agree that Trump isn't not not under investigation.
posted by diogenes at 11:41 AM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

you know, Spicer has this quality of understanding that he's not that smart. I'm not saying he's at peace with that fact, but you sort of get the impression that he's listening to himself and thinking *jeez i sound bad* Hence the defensiveness.

Mostly I can totally see myself doing that "good morning, oh it's the paper's fault, so good morning" thing and just dying inside a little.
posted by angrycat at 11:41 AM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

Mostly I can totally see myself doing that "good morning, oh it's the paper's fault, so good morning" thing and just dying inside a little.

I mean, yeah, we all have the giving-a-speech-to-a-giant-auditorium-naked dream, right? But most of us wake up thinking "Thank goodness that didn't happen!" rather than "Hey, they bought it; maybe next time I'll actually call them Lügenpresse and see if anyone notices!"
posted by Mayor West at 11:45 AM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

not only racist, but racist and incompetent.

Now they they have to govern and can't just throw rocks, this seems to describe a majority of the GOP congressional members.
posted by strange chain at 11:45 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

EPA’s environmental justice head resigns

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency program aimed at protecting minority populations from pollution has resigned.

Mustafa Ali, who has worked at the EPA for 24 years, is leaving as the Trump administration is proposing to completely defund environmental justice efforts at the EPA.
posted by futz at 11:53 AM on March 9, 2017 [54 favorites]

I know, I know, fuck these people, but I thought this stat was worth noting:

‘I might as well have not voted’: Details of GOP health plan leave Trump voter appalled
Brawley was particularly upset when she learned that, under Trumpcare, she would receive a paltry $3,500 tax credit to buy insurance. At the moment, she gets a federal subsidy of around $8,688 to buy insurance from Obamacare.

Base-1
posted by Room 641-A at 11:56 AM on March 9, 2017 [32 favorites]

To their credit, the Democrats have been on message as far as continuing their calls for Sessions to resign. Pelosi keeps talking about it, for instance.

(I'd much rather they were talking about bringing up charges of perjury, but still.)
posted by tobascodagama at 11:57 AM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Living here in Mass., and covered by an Obamacare health-insurance plan, I was sort of thinking, eh, worst case, we go back to Romneycare. Turns out the worst case might be worse than that.
posted by adamg at 11:57 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

There's a bunch of right-wing Christians who believe that all the Jews being in Israel is a precondition for Christ coming back

That precondition being their deaths.
posted by PenDevil at 11:58 AM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

GOP health-care bill would drop mental-health mandate covering 1.3 million Americans

Republicans confirm substance abuse and mental health coverage would no longer be mandated under Medicaid expansion
posted by futz at 11:42 AM on March 9 [9 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

Hey, where's our Super PAC with a seasoned FB advertiser account to plaster the shit out the FB feeds of people who live in all those red counties with opioid problems explaining that now they have both an opioid and a Trump problem

They do not give a shit about ANYONE, do they
posted by schadenfrau at 12:01 PM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

Republicans confirm substance abuse and mental health coverage would no longer be mandated under Medicaid expansion

Hey, rural red-state America? Your prisons will once again be your substance abuse and mental health facilities. Mental health crises will be resolved with guns and knives. (The affect of this on nursing homes is also going to be terrible.)

The leopards appear to have a taste specifically for the faces of those who voted for them.
posted by holgate at 12:01 PM on March 9, 2017 [43 favorites]

‘I might as well have not voted’: Details of GOP health plan leave Trump voter appalled

"I MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE VOTED" IS WRONG AND DUMB! YOU SHOULD HAVE VOTED FOR SOMEONE ELSE! NOT VOTING IS INSUFFICIENT! YOU ARE A FIFTY-FIVE YEAR OLD ADULT WHO VOTED FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR DONALD EFFING TRUMP AND NOW THINGS ARE BAD AND YOU STILL DON'T REGRET NOT VOTING FOR THE OTHER PERSON! Are you so lacking in self-reflection that you can't realize that this outcome could have been avoided and you could have helped avoid it by voting for Hillary Clinton? Have you taken a moment to say "who warned me about this and why didn't I listen to them?"? Will you listen to those voices in the future? If not then this shit will keep happening to you because you are COMPLETELY UNWILLING TO DISMISS YOUR PREJUDICES EVEN IN YOUR OWN INTERESTS.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:03 PM on March 9, 2017 [151 favorites]

Hey, rural red-state America? Your prisons will once again be your substance abuse and mental health facilities.

I mean, that's kind of how it is right now. I know this will make things even worse, but the state of mental health care in rural America is an abomination.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 12:04 PM on March 9, 2017 [22 favorites]

Republicans confirm substance abuse and mental health coverage would no longer be mandated under Medicaid expansion

thisisfine.jpg

Seems legit. It's not like there's an opiod epidemic sweeping the country, hitting the (red-leaning) Rust Belt the hardest. I'm sure those folks in West Virginia will just pull themselves up by their bootstraps and kick their heroin addiction tout de suite, once all those sweet coal-mining jobs come back.
posted by Mayor West at 12:05 PM on March 9, 2017 [18 favorites]

ABC News this week talked with North Carolina resident Martha Brawley, a 55-year-old woman who cast a ballot for the first time in her life for Donald Trump. Brawley says that she voted for the president on the hopes that he could bring down the cost of health care — but she’s been appalled so far by what she’s seen from the Republican Congress.

“I voted for Trump hoping that he would change the insurance so I could get good health care,” she told ABC News. “I might as well have not voted.”

For what it's worth, Martha, I agree. You shouldn't have voted. I'm not sure what, exactly, ever lead you to believe that the content free "plans" on the campaign trail would lead you to have good health care, but now you and your type have fucked it up for yourselves, in addition to the minorities and outsiders that you really wanted to fuck over. People like her are worse than zero information voters. They're negative-value information voters.
posted by codacorolla at 12:06 PM on March 9, 2017 [65 favorites]

Though I do have to hand it to them: I thought for sure the first wave of legislation coming out of the administration would be targeted directly at the states that went bluest. It's nice to see that Trump has abandoned his ideal of petty vengeance long enough to specifically target his own voters.
posted by Mayor West at 12:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Martha doesn't sound like she has the self awareness to know how racist she probably is. I mean...that is truly dumbfounding.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:10 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

I really appreciate the EFF producing and sharing that guide to Digital Privacy at the U.S. Border but there are not bees enough for the people who have made it necessary.

After we get through this, and start fixing broken shit, privacy rights at the border has to be near the top of the list.
posted by notyou at 12:10 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Aging white men in the rural West commit suicide at staggering rates, and I can testify that for every lonely old dude who ends up in the suicide statistics there's half a dozen who mysteriously swerved into the wrong lane in front of that oncoming truck on the way home from the bar or who didn't go to the doctor for their stroke or their brain tumor. Cutting funding is going to only escalate and accelerate this phenomenon as the rural population gets older and lonelier every year. It'll be grim.
posted by Rust Moranis at 12:11 PM on March 9, 2017 [31 favorites]

The Office of Government Ethics has sent a letter (twitter link) stating that they "remain concerned" about Kellyanne Conway, and that they believe she should be disciplined. They also state that "presidential administrations have not considered it appropriate to challenge the applicability of ethics rules."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:12 PM on March 9, 2017 [18 favorites]

JMM has jumped on the Farage-Assange meeting like a terrier, so that bodes well: "The Fuse Is Burning."
posted by schadenfrau at 12:13 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

New York is joining the travel ban lawsuit, AG Schneiderman calls it "a Muslim ban by another name"
posted by zachlipton at 12:14 PM on March 9, 2017 [36 favorites]

Living here in Mass., and covered by an Obamacare health-insurance plan, I was sort of thinking, eh, worst case, we go back to Romneycare. Turns out the worst case might be worse than that.

Worse still, they're going to open up health plans across state lines. Even if you tried to mandate people to companies selling insurance in MA, Red State Insurance Board Health Company is going to undermine it by taking all your healthy people for next to no money and give them next to no benefits.

The only option left would be to go it alone on healthcare as a state and that would require an absolutely heroic effort. I don't think even MA could pull it off. It all depends. I could maybe see federal funding supporting a state system by wooing Medicare patients to state hospitals but the income tax hit you'd need to take to finance a working health system from scratch would be politically unpalatable even in the bluest parts of the state.
posted by Talez at 12:14 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

he just likes campaigning. he has no interest in actually governing.

replace "campaigning" with "being on stage with eyes on him and people cheering him on" and you may have a point. I doubt he liked going for Buttsack, ID to speak in front on 150 people. He's in for the attention, and now he realises sitting on the oval office signing papers isn't the rush he expected it to be because maybe having Pence, Conway and Bannon cheering him on feels a bit too masturbatory. This is why he's always looking for validation on twitter and pseudo campaign rallies. If the secret service allowed it, heck, he'd probably sign all his bill in the middle of FedEx field in the halftime of NFL games (or Navy/Army games, since in all likelyhood still hates the NFL).

I think the WH staff has a "DJT suicide watch emergency plan" that kicks into action if the internet (or twitter) and cable go down for a considerable stretch nationwide, and OTA TV doesn't mention him once during that time. That plan includes a library of fake (or faker) news bulletins produced by Fox and a intranet twitter so trumpy can feel coddled again.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:18 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Martha doesn't sound like she has the self awareness to know how racist she probably is. I mean...that is truly dumbfounding.

I said it earlier in the thread (or maybe the last one?) -- the Trump supporters I know actually want healthcare to operate like it does in Canada or the UK, or maybe Germany (though I think even that is more complex than they would like). You pay a set amount based on how much you make (i.e. progressive taxation), and maybe a small co-pay when you see a doctor ($10, $20), but you otherwise don't have any cost at the point of service. But when you tell them "this is like healthcare in Canada" they're like "no, everyone in Canada is dead because they had to wait ten years for a strep test and also no one in Canada has a job because taxes are too high." (this is not much of an exaggeration on comments that I've actually heard)

They are so *consciously or subconsciously or brainwashedly* racist that they would rather go bankrupt and die than accept that maybe the answer here is a little bit of government assistance.
posted by melissasaurus at 12:19 PM on March 9, 2017 [56 favorites]

The only option left would be to go it alone on healthcare as a state and that would require an absolutely heroic effort. I don't think even MA could pull it off. It all depends.

I dunno if that proposal to create single-payer in California will go anywhere, but it seems like the only way. Private, corporate health insurance simply isn't sustainable any more.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:19 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

I['m] super interested to find out how much I'm in a bubble or if visits from Canada are going to drop right off.

Going to? Are. My organization has a triennial North American meeting, the venue of which rotates between Canada, the US, and Mexico. It was in the US last month, on the east coast; I didn't fly from Canada because of course I don't. I was talking last week to a colleague who said that 50% of the usual complement of Canadians was present, and maybe 10% of the Mexican contingent. Some smaller portion of the American representatives skipped it -- I have not spoken with them about their absences, but they are Latinx and based on the west coast so they might not find flying (even domestically) a great experience these days.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:20 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

sooo this is interesting as it relates to donald trump jr's paris trip.
we're more than a few infosec people and some other hush puppies, but we're utterly unable to id the guy, and the french journalist who was at one of the meetings clam up when we've asked about him.
posted by xcasex at 12:20 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

JMM has jumped on the Farage-Assange meeting like a terrier, so that bodes well: "The Fuse Is Burning."

this would be the noose, watch for a hanging friday or monday.
posted by xcasex at 12:21 PM on March 9, 2017

Supreme Court of Canada won’t hear appeal by Donald Trump, developers:

Canada’s top court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling in favour of investors who had launched a lawsuit alleging they were misled by U.S. President Donald Trump and a real estate development firm.

The Supreme Court of Canada said it will not hear a leave to appeal by the defendants in the legal saga — which include the U.S. president, developer Talon International and its former executives.

Um. Does this portend an invasion?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:22 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

I dunno if that proposal to create single-payer in California will go anywhere, but it seems like the only way. Private, corporate health insurance simply isn't sustainable any more.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:19 PM on March 9 [2 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

How many states can afford this? I know literally nothing about the policy or budgetary requirements, but if I had to guess I'd say...CA and NY? And for NY that will involve some state level political fuckery, because our dumb dumb dumb IDC/DINO situation in the state senate.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:24 PM on March 9, 2017

Remember this after the next mass shooting, when Republicans claim it's not guns, but mental health that's to blame.
posted by monospace at 12:24 PM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

That plan includes a library of fake (or faker) news bulletins produced by Fox and a intranet twitter so trumpy can feel coddled again.

Goodbye, ~~Lenin~~ Putin!
posted by emelenjr at 12:25 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

The Brookings Institution has estimated how the CBO scoring will assess the impact AHCA using prior CBO assumptions. How many people will be projected to lose insurance under the GOP’s healthcare bill: "Likely at least 15 million, possibly millions more".
posted by peeedro at 12:27 PM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

Honeybees are sweeties though. You might have better luck mailing your congressperson a a fucking live adult goose!

Red postcards are good too, I hear.
posted by stet at 12:28 PM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

Um. Does this portend an invasion?

Trash by catapult, at the least.
posted by notyou at 12:30 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Forcing a goose to live with someone as odious as Ted Cruz would surely be considered animal cruelty.
posted by zachlipton at 12:30 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

sooo this is interesting as it relates to donald trump jr's paris trip.
we're more than a few infosec people and some other hush puppies, but we're utterly unable to id the guy, and the french journalist who was at one of the meetings clam up when we've asked about him.

Isn't facial recognition machine learning stuff pretty amazing now?

Use that creepy tech for something good, SV nerds. It's a start.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:31 PM on March 9, 2017

And apropos of nothing, I feel a need to note the absurdity of claims that Obama is spearheading a shadowy conspiracy to thwart Republican policy objectives. They're not absurd because he's not doing that. They're absurd because of course he is, and there's nothing shadowy about it. We've even got a catchy name for the conspiracy. It's called the Democratic Party.

i just realized these claims remind me of nothing so much as Harry Potter book 5 when Umbridge was headmaster for a few months and couldn't let go of the idea that "Dumbledore's people" were still working against her
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:31 PM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

OMG, Geese! The only thing meaner than geese are swans. Both are gianormous, evil, poop spewing, noisy assholes. They are the perfect gift for your Republican congressperson of choice.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 12:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

The only option left would be to go it alone on healthcare as a state and that would require an absolutely heroic effort. I don't think even MA could pull it off.

No, but Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, MA, RI, CT, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware working together certainly could. Maybe team up with the West Coast states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota and Illinois for a single-payer system.

It would require Chris Christie and the lunatics in the Gov slot in Maine and Illinois to leave office, but that's only two years off, and another republican to replace them seems unlikely. Write your state Reps and Sens and Governors so they can get to work on a framework, pronto.

Dems got WAY more votes than the GOP in the Presidential, Senate and House races. Our federal government is not currently a democratically elected one. If they fail our basic needs so badly, we have no choice but to go it alone, and many states working together can make it work despite Federal incompetence and cruelty.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:35 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

I dunno if that proposal to create single-payer in California will go anywhere

I've often wondered why California doesn't do this (you know, except for the usual politics). It's both bigger in population and richer than us in Soviet Canuckistan. If any place in the US can do this, it's California.
posted by bonehead at 12:35 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Spicer: Right, I don't know that they're not interchangeable. I'm not aware, I don't believe -- look up in a thesaurus and find some other ways, I don't know that there's a distinction there that's noteworthy, but we're not aware, I don't believe that that exists.

I am a bit in awe that he knows what a thesaurus is.
posted by INFJ at 12:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

I dunno if that proposal to create single-payer in California will go anywhere, but it seems like the only way. Private, corporate health insurance simply isn't sustainable any more.

How many states can afford this? I know literally nothing about the policy or budgetary requirements, but if I had to guess I'd say...CA and NY? And for NY that will involve some state level political fuckery, because our dumb dumb dumb IDC/DINO situation in the state senate.

The biggest problem with setting up a functioning state healthcare system is the capex for hospitals to meet the demand. If I was going to do it in 2017 here's how I'd probably do it:

First, get county hospitals under state control. Secondly, attach new hospitals to the state university system and funnel medical students into these hospitals. Promise no debt in exchange for ten years in the public health system (2 year internship, 3 year residency, 5 years attending) at a fair wage. Doctors with adequate performance ratings at the end of their five year of being an attending get first dibs on permanent positions.

Then set up two entities, State Health HMO and State Health Medicaid.

State Health HMO participates in the competitive market and can supplant health insurance for employers. Instead of a fixed amount per person it just becomes a progressive percentage of income, much like a tax. Also, workers in the state employed at companies with 15 employees or more can request coverage through State Health HMO and the employer has to do it.

State Health Medicaid gives a card to anyone under 200% of the FPL. After that, if your employer doesn't give you insurance, you can withhold to get the card. Employers that don't give insurance pay a penalty rate to help finance the system.

It's a moonshot but it's certainly feasible.
posted by Talez at 12:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [54 favorites]

The only thing meaner than geese are swans. Both are gianormous, evil, poop spewing, noisy assholes. They are the perfect gift for your Republican congressperson of choice.

If the entire GOP caucus were replaced with geese and swans, would anybody notice?
posted by uncleozzy at 12:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Isn't facial recognition machine learning stuff pretty amazing now?

we've actually tried everything from vk's facefinder to various reverse image search tools to no avail, amongst many other things.
posted by xcasex at 12:38 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

well I hope this international man of mystery doesn't turn out to be a giant chowderhead like Carter Page. give us something good, 2017 writers!
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:44 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?
posted by Rhaomi at 12:46 PM on March 9, 2017

Forcing a goose to live with someone as odious as Ted Cruz would surely be considered animal cruelty.

Cruz wouldn't last long, though.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:46 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Rhaomi I feel like that is easily solved with some form of identification?
posted by INFJ at 12:47 PM on March 9, 2017

Beyond his ideological opposition, it appeared to me that the AG is poorly informed abt how policing consent decrees really work. Reminded him that his proposed Deputy just indicted 7 Baltimore cops last wk for racketeering. He conceded "maybe there are some problems."

So he's not only racist, but racist and incompetent.

Yeah, Sessions should have remembered that he was supposed to refer to crooked/dirty/murdering/racist cops as "a few bad apples," and never admit that anything could be wrong with the system.
posted by Gelatin at 12:47 PM on March 9, 2017

xcasex: "sooo this is interesting as it relates to donald trump jr's paris trip."

The OP of that Twitter thread does not think it's Tugdual Derville based partly on an eye color discrepancy and "other, more subtle features" (not sure what features he's talking about). I'm more ambivalent regarding the eye color thing given all the weirdness that can happen in digital image capture and processing.
posted by mhum at 12:48 PM on March 9, 2017

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?

If you don't have a state insurance card charge them the Medicare rack rate or bill their private insurance.
posted by Talez at 12:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?

No, they get billed at the going rate, unless they're indigent, and up front for all but emergency care.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:49 PM on March 9, 2017

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?

As long as we're dreaming, couldn't you set it up like your basic state university system? Residents get a discount, out of staters pay list price. Would work great in places with strong teaching hospitals that already attract out-of-staters/non-residents.
posted by adamg at 12:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?

If you go with something like Talez's plan then this isn't really a concern. You wouldn't be able to sign up for the State HMO without showing proof of residence and it just competes in the marketplace like every other insurance company.
posted by zrail at 12:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

The fact that we are talking about Sessions in any context other than that he perjured himself and should be forced to resign is exactly what is wrong with the press corps right now. Dampnut successfully controlled the narrative this week and the subject has gone away.

"Controlling the narrative" by lurching from one out-of-control disaster to another is not exactly a superpower. The media, and the Beltway press especially, seems to be lazy and/or have the memory of a goldfish, but you can bet a shiny new dime that Al Franken hasn't forgotten that Sessions lied under oath. The next time a new Russia story drips out, Sessions' lie becomes part of the narrative, and the lazy media loves its narratives.
posted by Gelatin at 12:50 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?

Talez got there first, but yes, you just need a decent ID system to prevent that.
posted by emjaybee at 12:51 PM on March 9, 2017

Yes, yes, adamg's plan! Could you charge outofstaters, I dunno, a fifth of what they'd have to pay out-of-pocket? Still astronomical, but maybe do-able if it were life and death? Maybe? Asking for a Floridian friend. And another Floridian friend. And myself and my entire family and everyone I know.
posted by Don Pepino at 12:51 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Cruz wouldn't last long, though.

"My eggs! Get away from my glistening eggs you horrible creature!"
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:53 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

California's relative geographic isolation would also help limit the "medical tourism" issue. Doesn't really scale for other states, though, and of course nowadays we can buy plane tickets anyway.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:54 PM on March 9, 2017

Yes, under a single-payer system there would probably be a brief waiting period for new residents. I think Ontario's is three months.

Also, just FYI the Canadian single-payer system isn't federal, it's provincial.

The smallest province is Prince Edward Island, population less than 150,000. So you don't need a massive state to sustain single-payer. BECAUSE IT IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE.

The barriers, insofar as I can see, are purely political -- both ideological and in the sense that entrenched interests with lots of power are currently making lots of money and would like that trend to continue. Granted, building a single-payer system in 2017 would be orders of magnitude more complicated than doing it was in the 50s and 60s like normal countries did. But it's definitely achievable in my opinion, if not quite as simple as drawing a line through the part of the Medicare eligibility rule that says "65 years old".
posted by tivalasvegas at 12:55 PM on March 9, 2017 [34 favorites]

The Spicer-Brennan exchange with its defensiveness, its pathetic bluffing and its snippiness, reminded me strongly of this.

Marge Gunderson: It's this vehicle I asked you about. I was wondering...

Jerry Lundegaard: Yah, like I told ya, we haven't had any vehicles go missing.

MG: OK. Are ya sure? Cos, I mean, how do you know? The perpetrators were driving a car with dealer plates and called someone here, so it would be quite a coincidence if they weren't, you know, connected.

JL Yah, I see.

MG: So how do you... Have you done an inventory recently?

JL: The car's not from our lot, ma'am.

MG: How can you be sure without doing a...

JL: Well, I would know. I'm the executive sales manager.

MG: Yah, but I understand...

JL: We run a pretty tight ship here.

MG: I know, but how do they establish that? Are the cars counted daily, or what kind of a routine here?

JL: Ma'am! I answered your question.

MG: I'm sorry, sir?

JL: Ma'am, I answered your question. I answered the darn... I'm cooperating here, and there's no...

MG: Sir, you have no call to get snippy with me. I'm just doing my job here.

JL: I'm... I'm not... I'm not arguing here. I'm cooperating and there's no... We're doing all we can.

MG: Sir, could I talk to Mr Gustafson? (no answer) Mr Lundegaard.

JL: Well, heck! If you wanna... if you wanna play games here... I'm workin' with ya on this thing here, but... OK, I'll do a damn lot count.

MG: Sir, right now?

JL: Yah, right now. You're darned tootin'.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:58 PM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

As long as we're dreaming can the rest of the West coast join in? Or is there something to prevent that kind of infra-state alliance?

Add education and believing in science to the wish list while you're at it.
posted by Artw at 1:00 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

JMM has jumped on the Farage-Assange meeting like a terrier, so that bodes well: "The Fuse Is Burning."

Help me out here - is the implication that the CIA is screwed or that the CIA is screwed and that its obviously going to come back and bite Trump in the ass, so he's screwed too?
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:00 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

As long as we're dreaming can the rest of the West coast join in? Or is there something to prevent that kind of infra-state alliance?

I am pretty sure that an inter-state agreement like this would need to be approved by Congress. Then again Congress is pretty much paralyzed and no one is paying attention to the Constitution anymore, anyways, so
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:02 PM on March 9, 2017

Um. Does this portend an invasion?

As a Canadian I cannot imagine a situation where Canada would have a better chance of winning against the United States than right now.
posted by srboisvert at 1:02 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

You and every other country.
posted by erisfree at 1:05 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Tracking GOP votes on #TrumpCare
posted by kirkaracha at 1:05 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

I think I speak for all sane Americans when I say, please invade us, Canada.
posted by emjaybee at 1:06 PM on March 9, 2017 [29 favorites]

The smallest province is Prince Edward Island, population less than 150,000. So you don't need a massive state to sustain single-payer. BECAUSE IT IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE.

Yabbut we also have federal equalization too which does pay for a healthy fraction (heh) of provincial budgets now. You can quite justifiably argue that the health care pool in Canada is federalized and national. The standards of care also are set federally too under the Canada Health Act. It would be a hard go, especially in the smaller Maritime or Prairie provinces to be able to afford a level of care that could be achieved in the bigger four. We really do have a national system in most of the ways that count.
posted by bonehead at 1:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Invasions of Canada have historically not gone well for the US.
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

You need to tackle that guy with the football first - it'll be tricky getting intel on... wait, never mind.
posted by Artw at 1:08 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

I am pretty sure that an inter-state agreement like this would need to be approved by Congress.

Under the U.S Steel case, this is more or less not true anymore (that is, they could structure it around the congressional consent requirement). SCOTUS recently declined to hear several cases that would have revisited this issue.
posted by melissasaurus at 1:09 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

As a Canadian I cannot imagine a situation where Canada would have a better chance of winning against the United States than right now.

it's fine if you burn down the white house this time too, we were never gonna get that smell out.
posted by murphy slaw at 1:11 PM on March 9, 2017 [45 favorites]

Sure, there's equalization payments but we have the same thing here (we just don't talk about it as much, although there's been more conversation about maker/taker states in the last few years).

The point is that even your have-provinces like Alberta and BC are pretty tiny by US standards and can sustain single-payer, because the cost of health care delivery is like 60% of our per-capita cost. In fact, I think the last time I dug up stats, it looked like US government (federal+state+local) health spending is roughly equivalent to Canadian federal+provincial spending, it's just super-inefficiently spent because of all the nonsense in our system.
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:11 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

uncleozzy: If the entire GOP caucus were replaced with geese and swans, would anybody notice?

Well, one would be more foul than the other, amirite?

Waka waka.

*ducks*

"No, not ducks - they said geese and swans."

*end recursive pun routine*
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:13 PM on March 9, 2017 [22 favorites]

Tracking GOP votes on #TrumpCare

They're party line voting, so it's a pretty boring spreadsheet so far
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:14 PM on March 9, 2017

Help me out here - is the implication that the CIA is screwed or that the CIA is screwed and that its obviously going to come back and bite Trump in the ass, so he's screwed too?

Well, imagine you're the CIA, and you not only have evidence that the President conspired with a foreign power to sell policy for election tampering, but that now he's going to war with you, personally, using Russia to do it.

How would you react?
posted by schadenfrau at 1:15 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Brennan: You've never been told by the Justice Department that there is no investigation?
Spicer: Nope.
Brennan: So there might be one? You just don't know?
Spicer: No - I said, yes, right, right, I said I'm not aware, and we're not aware, and that's why we want the House and Senate to do what the President has asked of them, to look into this.

This exchange is mental in so many different ways. I tried to capture it, but I felt madness looming. Let's just say it's fractally stupid.
posted by diogenes at 1:17 PM on March 9, 2017 [43 favorites]

"Well, imagine you're the CIA, and [darkest timeline].
How would you react?"
I would go to Canada and check in somewhere for a rest cure.
posted by Don Pepino at 1:19 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Invasions of Canada have historically not gone well for the US.

In honour of this week's events, our 1812 Package is on sale. That's not all. Order one burning, we'll throw in the ransacking for free!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:23 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

"it's fractally stupid"

That is a BRILLIANT description of this!
posted by mosk at 1:24 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

I like it when I walk past a TV playing CNN and I hear "Trump aides" and "subpoenas if necessary" in the same sentence.
posted by diogenes at 1:24 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

So, I don't tune into Spicey Time but has anyone asked: "Why won't the president release the evidence he has regarding Obama's illegal wiretapping?" The key here is the phrasing. You have to ask the question as if you accepted the (ludicrous) premise that Trump actually has evidence. Don't try being a normal, informed person and approach the issue as "Trump is espousing ridiculous conspiracy theories without evidence." No, if you accepted the premise that Trump actually knows what he's talking about (lol), then the obvious question is why isn't he doing a damn thing about it.
posted by mhum at 1:25 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

So, I don't tune into Spicey Time but has anyone asked: "Why won't the president release the evidence he has regarding Obama's illegal wiretapping?"

A reporter asked that either yesterday or the day before. The answer was word salad involving the separation of powers.
posted by diogenes at 1:29 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Trump sold his condo to Dmitry Rybolovev, whose private plane keeps showing up where Trump is. Rybolovev is a Russian billionaire with ties to Putin.

Not hardly a condo (or perhaps in addition to a condo), Trump sold Rybolovev a 62,000 SF mansion that Trump bought for $43 million.

The thing is, Rybolovev paid $95 million for it only 4 years later without even inspecting it -- just $5 million less than Trump's asking price of $100 million, (reduced it from $125 million following two years where it sat on the market unsold.) Rybololbev never moved in or did anything with it -- until he tore it down last year.

And yes, since then Rybolovev's jet has parked on the tarmac near Trump's plane on 3 different occasions at different locations. Good work by the Palm Beach Post - they break down all the details in this story.
posted by msalt at 1:29 PM on March 9, 2017 [44 favorites]

Rep. Waters issued a clarifying statement on the pee tape.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:31 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here are the details on Spicy's separation of powers nonsense.
posted by diogenes at 1:31 PM on March 9, 2017

Could Canada at least invade Minnesota? We like Canada! If you let us align our government/currency/etc gradually, I'm sure everything would go fine. We're a highly educated state with many sites of natural beauty and a healthy population. The MPLS-St Paul area is relatively diverse and has historically welcomed immigration, and everyone says that the northern Minnesota accent is practically Canadian anyway.

Otherwise we'll all end up walking over the border into the waiting arms of the Mounties at some point in the Trump administration, you know this.
posted by Frowner at 1:31 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

Grover Norquist is too busy vaping these days.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:31 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

I think it's pretty well established that the US health care system is the most expensive in the world per capita. So if a state wanted to go single payer it would end up saving money wouldn't it?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:32 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

So if a state wanted to go single payer it would end up saving money wouldn't it?

Depends on how much it costs to defend all the lawsuits from private insurance companies, hospitals, and a hostile federal agency or three. Also, "death panels," anecdotes about how somebody's friend's friend's cousin's friend's brother in Canada couldn't get an MRI, attack ads from conservative interest groups, ad nauseam.
posted by fedward at 1:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

Rep. Waters issued a clarifying statement on the pee tape.

Saying that you know something is true because you read it in the dossier is kinda sloppy. Save your bullets.
posted by diogenes at 1:38 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

I think it's pretty well established that the US health care system is the most expensive in the world per capita. So if a state wanted to go single payer it would end up saving money wouldn't it?

I think a post-mortem on Vermont's attempt would be interesting right about now.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:39 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

The key here is the phrasing. You have to ask the question as if you accepted the (ludicrous) premise that Trump actually has evidence.

I dunno, I feel like the last thing we need right now is to raise support for Trump's framing.
posted by glhaynes at 1:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

To broaden the appeal beyond the AARP set, Democrats should simply call the Republican plan a massive tax increase on the middle class, because that is exactly what it is. The subsidies are tax credits. If you take away tax credits from the middle class, that's a tax increase, plain and simple. And it's not trivial. For many families it will amount to a tax increase of $4000 to $10,000 a year. That's huge for a middle class family.

ah hahahahaha that is beautiful, JackFlash. Republicans are the same dicks who were demanding all welfare and subsidies be administered by the IRS and paid out as tax credits in the first place. You live the by the sword and you die by the sword!
posted by indubitable at 1:50 PM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

since then Rybolovev's jet has parked on the tarmac near Trump's plane on 3 different occasions at different occasions

I don't know anything about flying, so can you tell me whether that means anything more than "people with private jets use airports"? The Palm Beach Post article doesn't say that Trump and Rybolovev met on those occasions, so what's the actual implication?
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:52 PM on March 9, 2017

The MPLS-St Paul area is relatively diverse and has historically welcomed immigration, and everyone says that the northern Minnesota accent is practically Canadian anyway.

Still holding out for this proposed arrangement from around 2004. (Ref.)
posted by Celsius1414 at 1:52 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Saying that you know something is true because you read it in the dossier is kinda sloppy. Save your bullets.

"True" doesn't matter anymore. If the White House says one bullshit thing should be investigated, why not investigate ALL the bullshit there is. Maybe it's true? Maybe it's not? People are talking about it, so we deserve answers.

The obvious trap here is someone calling out "Waters, produce evidence" and her nailing them with "YOU FIRST"...
posted by mikelieman at 1:54 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

In fact, I think the last time I dug up stats, it looked like US government (federal+state+local) health spending is roughly equivalent to Canadian federal+provincial spending, it's just super-inefficiently spent because of all the nonsense in our system.

Yeah, to follow up with this, if I'm reading this correctly: per this chart, US health spending per capita (from all sources) is $9402 and Canadian health spending per capita is $5291 (2014 numbers).

Click on the related chart on the right sidebar entitled "Health expenditure, public (% of total health expenditure)" to see that US health spending by public sources is 48%, whereas for Canada it's 70%.

So if my arithmetic is correct, that yields $4512 per capita in US health spending just from governmental sources, whereas Canada comes in at $3703 per person in public expenditures on health. (All dollars in USD.)

That's even lower than I was thinking. Our system is wild.
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:55 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

I dunno, I feel like the last thing we need right now is to raise support for Trump's framing.

That's not framing, it's a factual claim: "Obama tapped my phones, I have proof." Politely downplaying that obviously absurd claim and treating it as unworthy of followup is the normalizing approach. To respond with an eager "Oh do you, that's huge news, please tell us all about it! Oh, you're not going to tell us about your evidence? Why not?" is to call his bluff and deny him the ability to spout unchallenged falsehoods as a display of power.
posted by contraption at 1:56 PM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

“There is a group of people that just don’t want health care and aren’t going to take care of themselves,” said Rep. Roger Marshall, a doctor.

“Just like Jesus said, ‘The poor will always be with us,’” Marshall said in response to a question about Medicaid, which expanded under Obamacare to more than 30 states. “There is a group of people that just don’t want health care and aren’t going to take care of themselves.”

He added that “morally, spiritually, socially,” the poor, including the homeless, “just don’t want health care.”
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:56 PM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

I think it's pretty well established that the US health care system is the most expensive in the world per capita. So if a state wanted to go single payer it would end up saving money wouldn't it?

I don't know: I think that some of the high costs are determined at the national, not the state level. So, for instance, doctors' salaries are a lot higher in the US than in other countries, and you would still need to compete with other states for doctors. Drug prices are higher here, and I'm not sure that a state could get cheaper drugs.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:57 PM on March 9, 2017

And it gets worse. Check out this Talking Points Memo chart showing how the
GOP Plan's Insurance Tax Credits Get Stingier Over Time.
posted by justso at 1:58 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

He added that “morally, spiritually, socially,” the poor, including the homeless, “just don’t want health care.”

Just like yelling at somebody to get on their feet when you're standing on their neck.
posted by Celsius1414 at 1:59 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

In some ways I wish the Republicans would just say "Poor people are not really people and we don't care about them," instead of dragging poor old Jesus into this and claiming he would be ok with their cruelty. Own your evil, you lousy SOBs.
posted by emjaybee at 2:00 PM on March 9, 2017 [64 favorites]

contraption: "To respond with an eager "Oh do you, that's huge news, please tell us all about it! Oh, you're not going to tell us about your evidence? Why not?" is to call his bluff and deny him the ability to spout unchallenged falsehoods as a display of power."

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was going for. The interaction that diogenes linked above was pretty close, although the question was more like "Why won't Trump show Congress the evidence?" (which gave Spicey an opening for his separation of powers nonesense) rather than "Why won't Trump show the American people the evidence?"
posted by mhum at 2:02 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

the republicans would literally deport jesus actual christ from the US if he showed up, i want them to all be struck by lightning every time they invoke his fucking name
posted by poffin boffin at 2:04 PM on March 9, 2017 [66 favorites]

Hell, ICE stormtroopers would rip Him out of Mary's arms and throw them into separate camps. No one would see Joseph ever again.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:06 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

So, I don't tune into Spicey Time but has anyone asked: 'Why won't the president release the evidence he has regarding Obama's illegal wiretapping?' The key here is the phrasing.

How about "put up or shut up"?
Or "put up or shut up, sir" if you don't want to be rude.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

And it gets worse. Check out this Talking Points Memo chart showing how the
GOP Plan's Insurance Tax Credits Get Stingier Over Time.

Yep. This is the part people don't realize. It's not that the tax credits are stingy (they are woefully inadequate even in the first year), but the really bad news is that they're not linked to the cost of premiums. The ACA tax credits are set based on the actual costs of premiums in the marketplace, such that they rise to have healthcare take up the same percentage of a family's budget each year (if they're eligible for subsidies anyway). The AHCA credits rise much more slowly, which is really going to hurt in a few years.
posted by zachlipton at 2:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

So, I don't tune into Spicey Time but has anyone asked: 'Why won't the president release the evidence he has regarding Obama's illegal wiretapping?' The key here is the phrasing.

The variation I prefer is more like: "Why is the President withholding crucial evidence of wrongdoing by the former President from Congress? Why is the President obstructing a Congressional investigation?"
posted by zachlipton at 2:09 PM on March 9, 2017 [17 favorites]

My preferred variation is "how high was the President when he sent out that tweet?"
posted by uosuaq at 2:12 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

David Friedman: Man who said liberal Jews are worse than Nazi collaborators approved as new US Ambassador to Israel by Senate panel

Mr Friedman now has to be confirmed by the full senate. With the senate weighted 52-48 in favour of the Republicans, Mr Friedman would expect that to happen.

Yet nothing is certain. Members of the Republican-led panel on Thursday voted 12-9 - a move that played out largely along party lines and a possible indication of a battle that may lie ahead. New Jersey senator Bob Menendez broke ranks with his fellow Democrats to support Mr Friedman
posted by futz at 2:16 PM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

Oh yeah, the other fun fact is that the ACA tax credits are based on geography: they're set based on what plans are actually available in the Marketplace in your area, not what health care costs someplace else (technically, it's based on the cost of the second lowest cost silver plan). So you can choose whatever plan you want, but the subsidies you get are all based off that actual price. The AHCA tax credits are the same everywhere in the country, just varying based on age (and phasing out with incomes above $75K). Alaska gets completely hosed as a result.
posted by zachlipton at 2:17 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

Semi-relevent to Trump's "Enemies of the People" outrage: as part of a Comic Strip of the Day summary of Watergate-era political cartoons (contains a lot of Herblock), Mike Peterson included a pic of a clipping with Richard Nixon's original "Enemies List". Some fun stuff here, including mislabeling Joe Namath's NFL team (most of the celebrities in the "various politicos" section are worth a chuckle), alphabetically listing the Black Panthers and the Brookings Institution together, the "media" list being newspaper-dominated, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and syndicted drama critic Sydney Harris, and the "business" enemies including Jack Valenti of the MPAA and the President of Otis Elevator Company.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:20 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

You know, if a couple of the Blue States could get behind the idea of being Provinces instead, we could finally be bigger than Russia.

C'mon, think about it! I know the walk of shame back to the Queen would chafe, but I'm sure she'll be chill about it, considering.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 2:21 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

So, I don't tune into Spicey Time but has anyone asked: 'Why won't the president release the evidence he has regarding Obama's illegal wiretapping?' The key here is the phrasing.

The variation I prefer is more like:

My preferred variation is...

I really don't think that there's some perfect phrasing that will bring the whole house of cards down. This same thing happened during the debates, where people kept dreaming up the perfect retort that would put an end to Trump. If it does happen, it will likely be through in-depth investigations, congressional subpoenas, continued intelligence leaks, and general incompetence. Spicey Time is just an insufferable flow of bullshit with no great significance. The only person who is ever likely to pay a price for the lies and deceptions that occur is Sean Spicer.
posted by parallellines at 2:25 PM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

the republicans would literally deport jesus actual christ from the US if he showed up, i want them to all be struck by lightning every time they invoke his fucking name

While discussing healing the sick, I asked a Christian "Are you a Christian?", to which they replied "That's irrelevant". Instead of punching him in the face, I ranted about tikkun olam for 20 minutes.
posted by mikelieman at 2:31 PM on March 9, 2017 [15 favorites]

Just like Jesus said, 'The poor will always be with us'

I thought it went more like "I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me....The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"
posted by kirkaracha at 2:31 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

parallellines: "I really don't think that there's some perfect phrasing that will bring the whole house of cards down."

Yeah, that's probably right. Theoretically, some press conference phrasing could move the larger media narrative. But, there's likely too much institutional inertia in normal media (e.g.: classic "objective" both-sides-ism and assumptions of good faith) as well as coordinated push-back from the Fox/Breitbart right-wing machine to actually be effective.
posted by mhum at 2:33 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Regarding planes on tarmacs, I assume they can deny anyone ever got out of the planes. Is there some sort of line-of-sight comms they could have been using?

Here's how it might've gone down.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

I thought it went more like "I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me....The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

#fakegospel
posted by tivalasvegas at 2:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

#fakegospel

#fakegoodnews
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

i like the whole "oh their planes were near each other a bunch of times therefore CONSPIRACY" thing because it reminds me of the time that me and my mom were alone in an elevator together and due to our extreme self-involvement did not notice the other sole living member of our immediate family in a small enclosed moving box for 26 floors.
posted by poffin boffin at 2:39 PM on March 9, 2017 [25 favorites]

Here's how it might've gone down.

I was thinking you'd link to this.
posted by peeedro at 2:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Inside The Investigation To Get To The Bottom Of Russia’s Role In The Election. Officials from the Senate Intelligence Committee worry that the drive to look for a smoking gun on collusion, which likely doesn't exist, is overshadowing the broader point about Russia influencing the election.

It's also worth revisiting this 2015 article on the role of the Senate Parliamentarian in deciding what can be passed through reconciliation with 50 votes under the Byrd Rule.
posted by zachlipton at 2:43 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

> EPA chief Scott Pruitt disagrees that CO2 is primary contributor to global warming: report

Trump's EPA Chief Denies the Basic Science of Climate Change. He has no evidence. He’ll successfully mislead people anyway.
posted by homunculus at 2:43 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

Jesus said, 'The poor will always be with us'

I looked it up to make sure it's not actually from Shakespeare or somewhere else. It's from the Bible all right, but I'm not quite sure the guy understands it....definitely sure I don't; it seems kind of deep-ish. I am pretty sure that He said you can help the poor after this one time......but I have a sick feeling that this bit been co-opted into the Prosperity Gospel thing (where my 2nd vacation home = anointing the Lord? ) by now.......
posted by thelonius at 2:45 PM on March 9, 2017

Pretty sure that "poor people - whaddya want from Me?" was not Jesus' considered position.
posted by thelonius at 2:48 PM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

Fred Clark on what "The poor you will always have with you" actually means.
posted by OnceUponATime at 2:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [36 favorites]

The accepted interpretations of that verse are of course familiar but so what if it really did mean what it sounds like to a Republican ear? it's not like anything is right or wrong because Jesus, of all people, said so.
posted by queenofbithynia at 2:52 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

In theory, members of a religion are supposed to do what the founder of that religion says. In theory.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:56 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

The quote in question is a reference to Deuteronomy 15; the full sentence there reads, "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'"

The whole passage is quite remarkable, actually:

Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. Of a foreigner you may exact it, but you must remit your claim on whatever any member of your community owes you. There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, if only you will obey the Lord your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today. When the Lord your God has blessed you, as he promised you, you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, "The seventh year, the year of remission, is near," and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."

If a member of your community, whether a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and works for you six years, in the seventh year you shall set that person free. And when you send a male slave out from you a free person, you shall not send him out empty-handed. Provide liberally out of your flock, your threshing floor, and your wine press, thus giving to him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; for this reason I lay this command upon you today. But if he says to you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your household, since he is well off with you, then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his earlobe into the door, and he shall be your slave forever.

So yeah. Not only is care for the poor mandatory, but also specific regulations were established to try to ensure that debt cannot become overly burdensome by means of a mechanism for periodic, systematic debt forgiveness. We see also that regulation for the humane treatment of slaves was established, and slavery was also not permanent but lasted for a fixed period, after which the owner was required to provide specific goods that would enable the former slave to have food, and to be economically independent (I'm assuming that's what the flocks are for). The freedperson even gets wine.

GOP policies: more barbaric than a literal Iron-Age law code.
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:00 PM on March 9, 2017 [85 favorites]

Remember Carter Page's batshit letter to the Justice Department? He's written a new one to the Senate Intelligence Committee. He keeps wavering on his actual connection to the campaign. He played it up big during the election, acted like he basically did nothing other than attend rallies with tens of thousands of people in recent interviews, and now he wants us to know how much time he spent at the Trump Tower eateries (and campaign HQ):

But in a letter late Wednesday to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Page cast himself as a regular presence in Trump Tower, where the campaign was headquartered.

"I have frequently dined in Trump Grill, had lunch in Trump Café, had coffee meetings in the Starbucks at Trump Tower, attended events and spent many hours in campaign headquarters on the fifth floor last year," Page wrote. He also noted that his office building in New York "is literally connected to the Trump Tower building by an atrium."

posted by zachlipton at 3:01 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

In theory, members of a religion are supposed to do what the founder of that religion says. In theory.

in some religions, sure. but a lot of people who are not necessarily members of that religion seemed puzzled by the idea that Jesus could have said something that sounds bad, as if this were a paradox that must be resolved by declaring either that it isn't bad or he didn't say it.

and in this particular case, that works out. happily.

but it's not a good way to bet, putting the forgone conclusion before the argument. in my personal opinion, which is as sound as any prophet's or messiah's, if not sounder.
posted by queenofbithynia at 3:01 PM on March 9, 2017

Somewhat clickbaity, but interesting, The staggering, sudden change at the US border:

Has President Donald Trump, in his first six weeks in office, singlehandedly secured the US/Mexico border — simply by scaring people out of coming to the US?

It sounds absurd. But it’s plausible.

In the first two months of 2017, apprehensions of people crossing into the US from Mexico have fallen by more than half. In December, US Border Patrol agents caught 43,254 people trying to cross into the United States; in February, they caught 18,762.

posted by peeedro at 3:02 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

The point is that even your have-provinces like Alberta and BC are pretty tiny by US standards and can sustain single-payer, because the cost of health care delivery is like 60% of our per-capita cost.

I'm sure the actuaries have the exact numbers, but there is a point at which a risk pool is near as dammit in character to the actual population, a bit like margin of error in polls. The biggest pool in many states is the state employee pool, which is typically pretty diversified because it covers a lot of age cohorts and jobs. You can also look at large company pools that self-insure, the ones where premiums aren't blown sky-high because a single employee has a difficult pregnancy.

Perhaps that's a way to finagle things for self-employed people over the 400% FPL threshold: let people buy into the state employee pool. Premiums won't be cheap, and the standard adverse selection stuff applies, but the actuarial stuff would be more straightforward.
posted by holgate at 3:06 PM on March 9, 2017

GOP Health Care Bill Would Cut CDC Fund to Fight Killer Diseases

Bird flu has started killing more people in China, and no one's sure why. Zika virus is set to come back with a vengeance as the weather warms up and mosquitoes get hungry. Yellow fever is spreading in Brazil, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are evolving faster than doctors can keep up with them.

And the new health care replacement bill released Monday night by Republican leaders in Congress would slash a billion-dollar prevention fund designed to help protect against those and other threats.

The Prevention and Public Health Fund accounts for 12 percent of the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2010 Affordable Care Act set it up specifically to try to lower health costs by preventing diseases before they happen. The CDC uses it to help states deliver vaccines, watch for infectious diseases, keep an eye out for lead in water, promote breastfeeding in hospitals, prevent suicide and watch out for hospital-associated infections. It totals $931 million for 2017.

"It really is a core activity," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's acting director.

Not only would the proposed American Health Care Act explicitly cut the fund, but President Donald Trump has said his 2018 budget would chop domestic spending and funnel more cash to the Defense Department.

Imagine How Bad the Republican Budget Could Be. It's Worse. And it's only going to get worse.

This would be madness even under a government that wasn't so full of people invested in denying what's going on with the planet. The climate crisis is going to bring us more bad storms, so let's gut FEMA and the Coast Guard. The climate crisis—and the globalized society—already has produced dangerous epidemics, one of which reached as far as Houston, so let's shred the CDC, and especially the program designed to fight that very phenomenon.

And let's do it secure in the knowledge that this president thinks the climate crisis is a Chinese hoax, and that he will sign anything in front of him because he doesn't know dick about anything and because it will give him a big, beautiful wall in front of which to pose. These really are the fcking mole people.

posted by homunculus at 3:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [28 favorites]

Video: Sean Spicer doesn't know. Today.

(This could be a bit unfair, since being a good Press Secretary involves not making stuff up when you don't know the answer, but this is a fairly astonishing amount of things he didn't know today.)
posted by zachlipton at 3:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

CNN: Sources: FBI investigation continues into 'odd' computer link between Russian bank and Trump Organization
posted by melissasaurus at 3:09 PM on March 9, 2017 [35 favorites]

So basically, Jesus is being really sarcastic? He's really saying, "You are so upset about using this fancy nard instead of selling it and giving the money to the poor, but in the rest of your life you don't seem to care about the poor or the word of god, because as we all know, the poor you will always have with you unless you follow the scriptures, and since you seem to have poor people with you, I can tell that in your daily life you are not following the scriptures, so your exaggerated concern over this special occasion use of nard is kind of bullshit". Or maybe he's saying "put up or shut up"?

Yes; and in the context of the story there is theological weight relating to the fact that Jesus' body is symbolically being prepared for burial with this perfume. He is, if you will, a dead man walking, about to be consumed by the powers of the world, and she is making an extravagant, costly gesture of love for him.

It's also a statement about art and beauty.

There are a lot of things happening in this story, but none of them is Jesus saying "fuck the poors".
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:13 PM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

CNN: Sources: FBI investigation continues into 'odd' computer link between Russian bank and Trump Organization

Wow. I never thought this story would have legs.

Two thousand, eight hundred times.
posted by mikelieman at 3:13 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

So basically, Jesus is being really sarcastic?

I also think it's an error to read that quote as some kind of isolated dictum, in isolation from its very dramatic context, placed just before Judas betrays Him. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it seems pretty significant, especially given the bent for parables in the text.
posted by thelonius at 3:14 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

> Trump gave away the game: Trump told Tea Party groups at WH if GOP health care plan dies, he will let Obamacare fail and let Dems take the blame, I'm told.

Their plan is win-win for Republicans dying in the streets enthusiasts. Either they pass a bill that kills healthcare in America and tax cuts for the rich; or the bill fails, they let healthcare markets fall into a death spiral anyway, and blame Democrats for it to win a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority in 2018, and then kill healthcare in America anyway.

Trump is already taking actions to sabotage Obamacare. His administration has already taken action to impede the legislation.
posted by homunculus at 3:15 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

One letter exposes Trump’s breathtaking hypocrisy on the debt limit: Now that Trump is president, the sky is the limit.
posted by homunculus at 3:21 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

"I have frequently dined in Trump Grill, had lunch in Trump Café, had coffee meetings in the Starbucks at Trump Tower, attended events and spent many hours in campaign headquarters on the fifth floor last year," Page wrote. He also noted that his office building in New York "is literally connected to the Trump Tower building by an atrium."

"I'm TOTALLY with the band. I hung out by the stage door and the tour bus, and sometimes the security guy would let me backstage, and I went to lots of band parties. I even got their name tattooed on my shoulder, see?"
posted by FelliniBlank at 3:22 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

Wow. I never thought this story would have legs.

Centipedes have nothing if not legs.
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:25 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

re: Border crossing from Canada

A case of not-terribad news; an acquaintance of mine is the head supervisor at an agricultural company in Washington state but resides in British Columbia and crosses the border (Aldergrove crossing) on an almost daily basis.

His company has about 20 people who do this; said acquaintance is S. Asian with a very "funny" name, and his second in command is S. American-looking.

"It's [sic] really friendly environment at the border in aldergrove. I never had an issue so far."
posted by porpoise at 3:25 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Oh yeah, it's unfortunate that eschatology is mostly the preserve of wingnuts these days, because I honestly think it's possible that the literal, actual Antichrist has taken power.

I'm very nervous about those bowls of plague the angels are supposed to pour out (yeah okay, the bowls could be metaphorical but the plagues sure ain't). I can't figure out if we start at bowl one or if we're already several bowls in. Are we starting with infectious disease, polluted oceans, polluted rivers, unbearable heat? I can't pick just one.
posted by tel3path at 3:27 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Has President Donald Trump, in his first six weeks in office, singlehandedly secured the US/Mexico border — simply by scaring people out of coming to the US?

It sounds absurd. But it’s plausible.

Are they scared of coming because of increased enforcement, or is it that the US is no longer viewed as a place to want to get into?
posted by nubs at 3:28 PM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

Wow. I never thought this story would have legs.

Me neither, and that report makes me revise my previous thinking on it. Random backscatter mailout traffic doesn't account for it. Maybe dead links to image embeds in old emails goes some way, but probably not. And when you start ruling out innocuous explanations, you start heading into "innocuous but really unusual" (which is probably what the experts are racking their brains over) and then into the domain of directed traffic, whether automated or done manually: VPNs, SSH tunnels, command-and-control backdoors, and so on.
posted by holgate at 3:37 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

porpoise: ""It's [sic] really friendly environment at the border in aldergrove. I never had an issue so far.""

While this is a good data point by itself, it actually points to a somewhat deeper problem. The CBP officers appear to have near unlimited discretion with little to no oversight or avenues for appeal. So, travelers are essentially at the mercy of each individual CBP officer. This is actually not new but rather how it's always been. So, the CBP at Aldergrove might be all nice and reasonable. But the officers at different entry ports could be fascist racists and there wouldn't be a damn thing anyone outside the executive branch could do about it.
posted by mhum at 3:46 PM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

Trump White House Score Card:

Foreign Policy D
Domestic Policy F-
Social Affairs TBD but most likely not a passing grade:

What is to Become of the White House Easter Egg Roll?

the presence of giant bunnies aside, planning for this behemoth is not to be taken lightly. A former White House official described it like this: "You have 35,000 or more people coming in, so you're coordinating five different time slots, each of 7,000 to 8,000 people. Programming for each time slot, 7 or 8 stages, 5 consecutive two-hour events, activity zone, sports."

Over the years, the event has featured celebrities like J.K. Rowling reading to one group of kids (something tells us the Harry Potter author won't be there this year) and Shaq shooting hoops with another. Justin Bieber appeared, as did Power Rangers, Joe Jonas, and Troy Aikman. Coordinating all of this effort are 1,000 volunteers, all of whom have to be recruited and screened for security. Then there are also about 30 security checkpoints that have to be manned by Secret Service teams, which requires planning and staffing.

As of this week, the first step in the process, the complex ticket lottery, has not yet happened.

The Official Egg Roll Date is April 17

Then there is this:

Wells Wood Turning, a Maine company that produced as many as 75,000 to 100,000 wooden eggs for most of the last 10 White House rolls, has tweeted at President and First Lady as well as Ivanka Trump, with a plaintive request for news. "FYI manufacturing deadlines for the Easter eggs are near. Please reach out!" read one on Feb. 20,

posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:47 PM on March 9, 2017 [35 favorites]

"FYI manufacturing deadlines for the Easter eggs are near. Please reach out!" read one on Feb. 20.

Oh god. And if they did finally receive an order, no way would they get paid for them.
posted by holgate at 3:52 PM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

Yeah, Wells may have dodged a bullet there...
posted by downtohisturtles at 3:54 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Fiver says Trump's got them made cheap in China.
posted by MattWPBS at 3:59 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

What is to Become of the White House Easter Egg Roll?

Sean Spicer might just climb right back into the bunny suit and never come out.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:00 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

Boy, Trump knows how to pick em

WSJ Few Recall Gorsuch’s Volunteer Work at Harvard
[You might get behind paywall through twitter]

When President Donald Trump introduced his Supreme Court pick on live television last week, he said Neil Gorsuch had “demonstrated a commitment to helping the less fortunate” by working in the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project and the Harvard Defenders. [...]

But roughly three dozen students who participated in the two programs while Mr. Gorsuch was at Harvard Law School from 1988 to 1991 said they have no recollection of his involvement. “If he was active in PLAP I am sure I would remember him,” said Elizabeth Buckley Lewis, who attended Harvard at the same time as Mr. Gorsuch. Now a New York City tax lawyer who advises nonprofits, she said PLAP was her “most meaningful experience” at Harvard.

Almost everyone of the many people contacted said they had no recollection of him involved with PLAP. Only one person said they remember him but could not provide any details. Gorsuch appears in none of the group photos nor is he listed under "not pictured." One man was friends with Gorsuch and they sat next to each in class but even he has no memory of Gorsuch participating.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:01 PM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

Spicer ducking the question on whether the President has full confidence in Janet Yellen is not a good look.

Vanity Fair: The One Woman Who Could Derail Trump’s Presidency -- No, it’s not Hillary Clinton.
While he was running for president, Donald Trump had some not entirely kind words for Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. Yellen, Trump alleged, “should be ashamed of herself” for conspiring with Barack Obama to keep interest rates low and to create a “false stock market,” thus allowing the Kenyan pretender to “go play golf,” exit the presidency on a high note, and leave his predecessor to deal with the fallout. Now that Trump is in office, he has, unsurprisingly, changed his view entirely.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:06 PM on March 9, 2017 [12 favorites]

In the shadow of the Dakota Access Pipeline ruling, Native Americans camp out in D.C.

Native Nations March on D.C. to Continue Fight for Environment, Treaty Rights.

Rise With Standing Rock Native Nations March: What to know ahead of Friday's march in DC
posted by homunculus at 4:10 PM on March 9, 2017 [29 favorites]

I don't know anything about flying, so can you tell me whether that means anything more than "people with private jets use airports"? The Palm Beach Post article doesn't say that Trump and Rybolovev met on those occasions, so what's the actual implication?

Have we already forgotten the shitstorm about Bill Clinton's public tarmac visit with Loretta Lynch, who had to recuse herself from Hillary's investigation? Apparently that's just as bad as lying to Congress about secret meetings with Russians. Here's Jared Kushner's Observer on the subject.

Like all good journalists, the Palm Beach Post authors are signalling that there is potentially something there but they don't have any direct proof yet that there is, while encouraging other journalists to dig into the uncanny coincidence. Here's another article from McClatchy that looks at a different Trump/Rybolovev jet rendesvous in Charlotte. Rybolovev spends most of his time in Europe and Russia but a lot of his US visits overlap precisely with Trump's visits in places such as Charlotte NC and Las Vegas. EG in Vegas, his plane landed just as Trump was finishing up a rally downtown, stayed for 2 hours and 2 minutes, then left.

An interesting detail they add: Rybolovev's spokesman and business partner Brian Cattell is a former Breitbart writer. Their company website shows him appearing on Russia Today TV. They also note that Rybolovev's drastically overmarket purchase of Trump's flipped mansion came in 2008 -- in the middle of the real estate crash that almost destroyed the US economy, as prices were plummeting everywhere and especially in Florida.
posted by msalt at 4:11 PM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

Brazil visitors to USA will shrink.
Brazil and Visa Backlash?
posted by adamvasco at 4:15 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Isn't the main problem with state-based single payer the inability to stop out-of-staters from coming in to use it without having to pay the requisite taxes?

No the main problem is out-of-stater insurance companies. Under the new Republican rules they are repealing the minimums on what counts as a Qualified Health Plan. These requirements include maximum deductibles, maximum co-pays, and minimum coverage of medical expenses, 70%.

Without these restrictions, private insurance companies can come in and issue dirt cheap catastrophic insurance. They will cherry pick off all the healthy people, leaving the sick people in the state run single-payer pool, because these healthy people always know they can hop right into the better plan if they get sick.

This is know as the adverse selection death spiral. Since the single-payer pool has sicker people, its premiums have to go up. And as premiums go up, more and more of the less sick leave for cheaper insurance. This causes premiums to go up more, which leads to more people fleeing.

You won't be able to run a single-payer program under the new Republican law. It would quickly go broke.

Single-payer could exist under Obamacare because single-payer and private insurers are both required to offer similar plans with similar benefits.
posted by JackFlash at 4:20 PM on March 9, 2017 [27 favorites]

I think Rob Graham's thread is the best way to look at the Alfa server thing: weird unexplained coincidences show up in tech forensics, a lot of them are just weird coincidences and blind allies (because forensics relies upon incomplete information) but some of them are strands that you can tug at and reveal other things.

The Rybolovev flight patterns are pretty similar in a different context: the US is a big country with a lot of airports, and when the travel of candidates (and presidents) is typically accompanied by ATC and ground restrictions, you'd assume that private pilots would avoid those airports for routine refuelling stops.

One thing that isn't unclear is that Richard Burt, who's on Alfa's advisory board, had a big role in writing that April foreign policy speech while lobbying for a Russian (state-owned) pipeline.
posted by holgate at 4:26 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

So the first Gorsuch documents delivered to the Senate Judiciary Committee by the White House... had a cover memo instructing people to contact the liaison at his personal email rather than his government email. #ButHerEmails

To be clear, that's the Bush administration private server from 2005, the one they deleted millions and millions of emails from. It's an old document, but still completely unacceptable.
posted by zachlipton at 4:28 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Could you pass state level legislation that compelled those minimums (or parity or whatever) from private insurers? If so that doesn't seem more difficult than creating a single payer system in the first place.

Not if they let insurers sell across state lines and if you can't/won't mandate that the healthy population have insurance you'll see premiums go up exponentially and/or insurers withdraw from the market.
posted by Talez at 4:31 PM on March 9, 2017

Jennifer Rubin, WaPo: A populist agenda based on Fox News hooey fizzles

With a lot of pretentious talk about the “deconstruction of the administrative state” and political fantasies (tariffs that don’t provoke retaliation, for example), Stephen K. Bannon and President Trump hoped to transform the GOP into an ethno-nationalist, pro-Russia party akin to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the National Front in France and the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom (headed by Geert Wilders). We will see how the European counterparts do in elections throughout the year, but so far the Trumpist GOP and its hodgepodge of ill-conceived ideas gleaned from Fox News (with its obsession over illegal immigration for which it provides oodles of incorrect data) have fallen flat.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 4:33 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

Could you pass state level legislation that compelled those minimums (or parity or whatever) from private insurers? If so that doesn't seem more difficult than creating a single payer system in the first place.

The whole point of the "sell insurance across state lines" thing is to essentially make state-level rules irrelevant. States already had a whole bunch of rules that varied, with California requiring all health insurance sold in the state cover, say, pregnancy and mental health care, and other states allowing much more of a free-for-all. If Congress essentially preempts that, it allows for a race to the bottom, where some random state, say Delaware, can market itself as the least restrictive for insurance companies. All the insurance companies base themselves in Delaware and sell whatever plans they feel like into all the other states.

Those plans will be cheap, because they don't cover that much, and the young healthy people will buy them. Then the only plans actually offered in your state will just consist of increasingly sick people as the premiums go up and up.
posted by zachlipton at 4:35 PM on March 9, 2017 [28 favorites]

Oh, and the Charlotte stop is even curiouser: Rybolovev's plane landed at Concord (the little airport next to the motor speedway, typically used by NASCAR teams), possibly dropped someone off, spent an hour on the ground refuelling, then flew 20 miles to Charlotte-Douglas, after which the orange menace's 757 arrived.

Who flies from one side of a city to another in a private jet without having a reason for it?
posted by holgate at 4:42 PM on March 9, 2017 [32 favorites]

Maybe the second Charlotte airport had the Cinnabon.
posted by notyou at 4:47 PM on March 9, 2017 [49 favorites]

HUH I wasn't seeing one of the shittier parts of this at all

Every once in a while I run up against something that just strikes me as a visceral "NO that cannot be legal," and I'm reminded how much I don't know about constitutional law (among other things). this is one of them.
posted by schadenfrau at 4:47 PM on March 9, 2017

Fox News’s Shep Smith: ‘It’s too much lying and too much Russia and too much smoke’
posted by futz at 4:56 PM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

A little more about those planes including 7 visits to New York earlier last year usually coinciding with a Trump presence. No fire but plenty of smoke.
Wilbor Ross seems to have brokered the overpriced Mansion deal.
posted by adamvasco at 4:59 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

this, in particular, is such a glaring example of that continual hypocrisy it's hard to ignore.

The GOP, news media, and voting public will take that as a dare.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:01 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Ezra Klein from Vox is a guest on Pod Save America and he discusses tha AHCA bill--stressing the hypocrisy of the Republicans in jamming it through without knowing the effects it will have on the numbers insured or the deficit. He has an idea that Democrats should run in 2020 on asimple 3 step plan:
1) Everyone making 300% of the poverty line is covered with MediCaid.
2) Everyone over 49 buys into Medicare.
3) Everyone else is highly subsidized to buy good insurance with low deductibles paid for with taxes on the rich.

Done. So much of what went wrong with Obamacare was attempting to keep costs down and appease moderate Republicans. They weren't generous enough which led people to complain about ObamaCare and also led to ill will against Democrats.Obviously the Republicans don't care about the deficit so why should the Democrats?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:05 PM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

Strike 1) and 3) and change 49 to 0 and the plan is even simpler.
posted by zachlipton at 5:10 PM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

adamvasco, your link is bad. Did you mean this?
posted by Coventry at 5:10 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

The democrats should organize a "backup" egg roll, just in case the WH can't get it's shit together.
posted by VTX at 5:12 PM on March 9, 2017 [26 favorites]

Because we are at a time when MAD Magazine is providing cogent political thought:
MAD EXPLAINS THE GOP’S AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT LOGO.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:15 PM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

Because we are at a time when MAD Magazine is providing cogent political thought:

mad magazine provides cogent political thought significantly more often than time magazine
posted by murphy slaw at 5:19 PM on March 9, 2017 [16 favorites]

Online dissidents expose the Russian prime minister’s material empire

-- But as of Thursday, Mr. Navalny’s biting, often humorous and slickly produced video (in Russian with English subtitles) had been viewed 7.4 million times on YouTube and attracted 40,000 comments. It’s a testimony not only to the staggering corruption of the regime of Vladimir Putin, but also to the power of the Internet and social media to expose it and inform Russians about it.

-- Mr. Navalny’s conclusion is stark: “Medvedev can steal so much and so openly because Putin does the same, only on a grander scale; because everyone in government does the same, because the judges and the prosecutors and the special services are also doing the same. . . . The system is so rotten that there is nothing healthy left.”

Looks like Mr. Navalny ought to start looking over his shoulder...often.
posted by futz at 5:21 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Looks like Mr. Navalny ought to start looking over his shoulder...often

Alex Navalny has been on the Russian government's shit list for over a decade, he knows.
posted by suelac at 5:26 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, Zachlipton, I agree. I 'm not sure why he didn't want to go that far.

Thinking about the idea though of promises made to the electorate, we had DJT saying, "I will make all your dreams come true." We have also had numerous Republicans accuse the poor of voting for Democrats for the handouts--as though the wealthy didn't vote Republican for the tax cuts. So what I propose is that the Democrats go all out and offer every possible goody under the sun: free healthcare, free college, free public transport, solar panels on every roof, free broadband. $15.00 min wage, free drug rehab, free birth control, free child care. Free school lunches, free tutoring, free music programs, and free summer camp. Anything I'm missing?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:28 PM on March 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

Include dental* and mental with the healthcare, and I'm in SLoG.

*teeth are part of your body, dentistry is a medical specialty, gum infections can kill you why the fuck are we still acting like "teeth" exist in a different universe of medicine than "spleens," this makes me so angry.
posted by emjaybee at 5:32 PM on March 9, 2017 [85 favorites]

It's worth noting that private jets typically go to a secure, secluded area of an airport apart from commercial traffic, thousands of feet away from anyone else except the odd billionaire or two. If you want a private meeting away from the press, it's probably about as secretive as you can get.
posted by JackFlash at 5:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Heh, emjaybee I was thinking "dental and vision" just before I read your comment. I completely agree that dental health is very important--I've had an abscessed tooth that left a hole in my jaw and it's insane that health insurance doesn't cover that. I was lucky to have the $2000 for a root canal and a crown and pain pills. I can't imagine the nightmare not having a couple hundred bucks for a dental visit and extraction.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:47 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

I thought it went more like "I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me....The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

The real kicker is the bit that comes next.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 5:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

How out of the loop is the State Department? Mexico has a delegation in town. It's a high-level thing, headed by their Foreign Minister, with the Secretary of Commerce holding a press conference with his Mexican counterpart tomorrow. The State Department spokesman didn't even know this was happening.
posted by zachlipton at 5:52 PM on March 9, 2017 [21 favorites]

Ooh yeah vision too SloG! Eyeballs=also part of the human body and therefore eligible for medical attention!
posted by emjaybee at 5:53 PM on March 9, 2017 [8 favorites]

Tillerson is a busy man, you can't be bothering him with dumb stuff like "his job".
posted by Artw at 5:55 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

It's hard to believe that the FBI hasn't been able to come to a conclusion one way or the other after six months of looking at that server.
posted by diogenes at 5:56 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Ooh yeah vision too SloG! Eyeballs=also part of the human body and therefore eligible for medical attention!

yeah I mean my ophthalmologist even went to real medical school, so I don't know what the justifications are there for keeping it separate, other than "fuck you, we don't want to pay for it".
posted by indubitable at 5:56 PM on March 9, 2017 [16 favorites]

...spent an hour on the ground refuelling, then flew 20 miles to Charlotte-Douglas, after which the orange menace's 757 arrived.

Who flies from one side of a city to another in a private jet without having a reason for it?

I used to do this frequently when I flew propeller planes. Gas was much much cheaper at the smaller airport.
posted by procrastination at 6:05 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

It's hard to believe that the FBI hasn't been able to come to a conclusion one way or the other after six months of looking at that server.

It's DNS lookup traffic, a very very indirect indicator of what might actually be happening. However, that new CNN article has a very striking point that was not reported back in August.

From May 4 until September 23, the Russian bank looked up the address to this Trump corporate server 2,820 times -- more lookups than the Trump server received from any other source.

As noted, Alfa Bank alone represents 80% of the lookups, according to these leaked internet records. Far back in second place, with 714 such lookups, was a company called Spectrum Health. Spectrum is a medical facility chain led by Dick DeVos, the husband of Betsy DeVos, who was appointed by Trump as U.S. education secretary.

Together, Alfa and Spectrum accounted for 99% of the lookups.

There were also two individual lookups from The Netherlands.
posted by msalt at 6:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

Speaking of driving conservatives crazy with verses from the gospels, I recently discovered this verse has a particularly maddening effect:

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

Luke 6:30

Recently quoted that to a law and order, maga-wall-building conservative on Reddit's /r/Christianity, and was accused of being a communist in return. They just couldn't wrap their minds around this simple command from Jesus. Went against everything they believed, and yet it was right there in the book they supposedly take as literal, unerring truth.
posted by honestcoyote at 6:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [59 favorites]

yeah I mean my ophthalmologist even went to real medical school, so I don't know what the justifications are there for keeping it separate, other than "fuck you, we don't want to pay for it".

My opthalmology is covered by medical insurance, my optometry is covered by vision insurance. (And some offices bill both, depending on the service.)

But yes, dental+vision should absolutely be covered if we're going to all the trouble of rebuilding the healthcare payment system.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 6:08 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

It's hard to believe that the FBI hasn't been able to come to a conclusion one way or the other after six months of looking at that server.

Coming soon: George Clooney in Men Who Stare at Servers.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:12 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

So what I propose is that the Democrats go all out and offer every possible goody under the sun: free healthcare, free college, free public transport, solar panels on every roof, free broadband. $15.00 min wage, free drug rehab, free birth control, free child care. Free school lunches, free tutoring, free music programs, and free summer camp. Anything I'm missing?

A round of applause.

Also maybe a UBI type thing.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:13 PM on March 9, 2017 [14 favorites]

>>Who flies from one side of a city to another in a private jet without having a reason for it?
>I used to do this frequently when I flew propeller planes. Gas was much much cheaper at the smaller airport.

Very interesting, thanks.

In contrast to your prop plane frugality though, though, Rybolovev flies in an Airbus 319 "about the size of a 737-300. 'It looks like a sheikh's airplane' [said Mike Dockery, president of Concord Air Center] ... Wealth estimators say his [Rybolovev's] fortune has shrunk from an estimated high of $13 billion to somewhere between $7 billion and $9 billion."

I frankly doubt that he's willing to waste a couple hours of his time to save 300 bucks on kerosene.
posted by msalt at 6:16 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

This climate lawsuit could change everything. No wonder the Trump administration doesn’t want it going to trial

-- A groundbreaking climate lawsuit, brought against the federal government by 21 children, has been hailed by environmentalists as a bold new strategy to press for climate action in the United States. But the Trump administration, which has pledged to undo Barack Obama’s climate regulations, is doing its best to make sure the case doesn’t get far.

-- ...And in November, the case cleared a major early hurdle when U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken denied motions filed by the Obama administration, as well as the fossil fuel industry, to have the lawsuit dismissed, ordering that it should proceed to trial.

-- Just last year, a court in the Netherlands ordered the Dutch government to cut carbon emissions by a quarter within five years. Similar climate-related suits have been brought and won in Austria, Pakistan and South Africa.

-- “One of the things that the government argues is that the preservation of documents itself represents a burden on the government,” said Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. “What they’re arguing is that they’ll be irreparably injured by having to go through discovery here.”

This, he added, “sends kind of the wrong signal, or at least a very dangerous signal, in terms of what the government’s priorities are or what it’s thinking of doing. It shouldn’t be any kind of burden for the government to preserve documents that are already in existence.”
posted by futz at 6:20 PM on March 9, 2017 [44 favorites]

ACLU Lawyer Files Ethics Complaint Against Jeff Sessions Over Russia Testimony

The Alabama State Bar is being asked to investigate the attorney general’s statements about contact with Russian officials to “determine whether he violated the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.”
posted by futz at 6:26 PM on March 9, 2017 [52 favorites]

This article is kind of a mess, but The Smoking Gun claims to have evidence that Roger Stone was exchanging Twitter DMs with Guccifer 2.0 prior to the wikileaks release of DNC emails.

Wow, that Smoking Gun article really is a mess, though it's full of interesting nuggets and seems to claim that they were also DMing Guccifer 2.0 directly over and over all last year.

GQ has a shorter but actually edited article not written by a coke addict at 3am. It's apparently based on the Smoking Gun article. (Technically I should write "based on the The Smoking Gun article" but I hate that and you can't make me.)
posted by msalt at 6:28 PM on March 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

> This climate lawsuit could change everything. No wonder the Trump administration doesn’t want it going to trial

More: Our Children's Trust U.S. Federal Climate Lawsuit
posted by homunculus at 6:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Trump administration sends judges to immigration detention centers: sources

The Department of Justice is deploying 50 judges to immigration detention facilities across the United States, according to two sources and a letter seen by Reuters and sent to judges on Thursday.

The department is also considering asking judges to sit from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., split between two rotating shifts, to adjudicate more cases, the sources said. A notice about shift times was not included in the letter.

Fucking ugh. They are expediting removal of immigrants.
posted by futz at 6:45 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Remember that story about how Trump was going to bring in a hedge fund guy to investigate the intelligence community? An update on that in Trump’s Intelligence Nominee Gets Early Lesson in Managing White House:

Until last week, the White House was weighing a plan to bring in Stephen A. Feinberg, a co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management and a friend of Mr. Bannon and Mr. Kushner, to lead a White House review of the intelligence community.

Stiff resistance from Mr. Coats and Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency — aided by pushback from allies in the Senate and even Mr. Pence — appears to have derailed the plan. Mr. Feinberg is now in discussions with administration officials to take on a still-undetermined role in defense, rather than intelligence, according to several people familiar with the matter.
...
Mr. Trump was apparently unaware of the fierce resistance within the intelligence community to the proposal until the planned appointment was reported last month. Sen. Richard Burr, the powerful chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, was also not aware of the proposal until then, officials said.

He didn't realize that everyone would freak out about asking some random guy to start investigating the country's spies? That's a pretty alarming lack of basic awareness.
posted by zachlipton at 6:51 PM on March 9, 2017 [48 favorites]

'It looks like a sheikh's airplane'

This one, with a paint job straight off an action movie. I can see why it might get noticed on the tarmac.
posted by holgate at 6:59 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Fucking ugh. They are expediting removal of immigrants.

Judges haven't been a friend to this administration. These detentions are so egregious that maybe this will backfire?
posted by Room 641-A at 7:15 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

He didn't realize that everyone would freak out about asking some random guy to start investigating the country's spies?

To be fair, as a friend pointed out recently, he's also too dumb to know how to lie competently: if there were any chance his claims about Obama wiretapping Trump Tower were true, he could have used his authority to declassify the evidence and proven it on the spot.

It's insane how much outright being lied blatantly to we're expected to just normalize here. You can't just really put a mess like that back in the bottle afterwards and we already had serious enough issues when it comes to the integrity of our political leaders before this newest round of lurching dramatically toward unsustainable fictions.

Some appeasers are trying to find an upside to all the nationalism, but there's not one. Going back toward more intense international competition now is a mistake. Climate change needs better international relations to manage, not more of the same kinds of global competitive pressures that have helped entrench fossil fuels and promoted military expansion (which unless we retool quickly, is carbon costly too).

Hell, the new head of the EPA is an actual climate change denier.

Anybody who thinks there's an upside here in any scenario other than Trump getting booted out ASAP and serious investigations into collusion between his campaign team and foreign intelligence services explicitly aiming to undermine American faith in democracy as a form of political system needs to explain it to me because I can't see it.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:17 PM on March 9, 2017 [23 favorites]

Judges haven't been a friend to this administration. These detentions are so egregious that maybe this will backfire?

That is what I am hoping. The article said that they are looking for volunteers first and then will assign Judges. It will be interesting to see how many/who/if anyone takes them up on it.
posted by futz at 7:22 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

White House privately backing earlier rollback of Medicaid expansion

Because the suspense of waiting until 2020 for the joy of cutting off poor people's healthcare and killing them is too much to endure. Despite all of their claims otherwise, Republicans really aren't into delayed gratification.
posted by JackFlash at 7:24 PM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

> EPA’s environmental justice head resigns

EPA's Environmental Justice Head Resigned After 24 Years. He Wants to Explain Why. "To move backward didn’t make any sense."
posted by homunculus at 7:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [22 favorites]

Invasions of Canada have historically not gone well for the US.

Invasions of Canada have historically not happened for the US in over a century.
posted by scalefree at 7:35 PM on March 9, 2017

White House privately backing earlier rollback of Medicaid expansion

Because the suspense of waiting until 2020 for the joy of cutting off poor people's healthcare and killing them is too much to endure. Despite all of their claims otherwise, Republicans really aren't into delayed gratification.

Doesn't waiting for 2020 mean the rollback may not effect voters prior to the 2018 elections or the 2020 presidential election? And there's a subset of voters for whom if something hasn't affected them personally, then it clearly didn't happen at all.
posted by beaning at 7:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Doesn't waiting for 2020 mean the rollback may not effect voters prior to the 2018 elections or the 2020 presidential election?

They are playing to the Tea Party, mostly upper middle class, which wants poor people dead right now, the sooner the better. Besides, poor people tend not to vote for a lot of reasons, including vote suppression.
posted by JackFlash at 7:45 PM on March 9, 2017

NYT: With Trump in White House, His Golf Properties Prosper: Eric Trump defended the overlap, saying it was nothing unusual. “Bush arguably brought name recognition to Crawford, Texas,” Eric Trump said on Thursday, noting that George W. Bush had a ranch there that he frequented. But when pressed — Mr. Bush derived no commercial benefit from his ties to Crawford — Eric Trump then offered a different defense.

“The American people elected a businessman,” he said, adding that to his father the golf courses are “his home” and the fact that they are for-profit enterprises is secondary.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:48 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

'Slimy, Foul-Smelling' Meat And Other Abuses Found At Orange County ICE Detention Center
Federal inspectors found that immigrants detained at an Orange County facility were repeatedly served "slimy, foul-smelling" meat, subjected to moldy showers, and kept in overly restrictive solitary confinement conditions, according to a report issued Monday. The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General's report, which urged to ICE to take immediate action on the issues, stems from a surprise visit made to the Theo Lacy ICE Detention Facility back in November.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:50 PM on March 9, 2017 [29 favorites]

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has a state-by-state analysis of how the republican healthcare bill will change the average tax credit by not accounting for geographic variance in healthcare costs. Short answer is this chart; tax credits would fall by an average of $2,100 or 41 percent for marketplace consumers across all HealthCare.gov states, many red states are particularly hard hit, with 11 states having their tax credits cut by more than half.
posted by peeedro at 7:58 PM on March 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

I had gum infections that spread to the soft tissue of my cheek and basically it was like *watch the infection march up to your brain*

Then the antibiotics they gave me reorganized my gut flora to the point where I was diagnosed with c-diff

And the medicine they gave me to treat the c-diff had me so sick that I was mega-vomiting and it was definitely one of those things where you're so sick if somebody came along and volunteered to punch you into a coma you'd say go for it I can't be conscious anymore right now.

So, yeah. Teeth.
posted by angrycat at 7:59 PM on March 9, 2017 [33 favorites]

OOooh! Kathryn Allen is up to $300 Grand in her race against against Chaffetz.

It was only $80,000 last night.

i am having a very rare squee! moment.
posted by futz at 8:10 PM on March 9, 2017 [31 favorites]

Oops, link. In just two days, Kathryn Allen raised about $300,000 in her campaign against the GOP congressman, Jason Chaffetz.
posted by futz at 8:12 PM on March 9, 2017 [25 favorites]

what I propose is that the Democrats go all out and offer every possible goody under the sun:

That would require them to form a coalition with their electors instead of their funders. Think they have the guts?
posted by Coventry at 8:22 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Oops, link. In just two days, Kathryn Allen raised about $300,000 in her campaign against the GOP congressman, Jason Chaffetz.

Um, Chaffetz is a choad, but his seat isn't remotely competitive to a democrat; better to support folks to primary him.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:29 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Um, Chaffetz is a choad, but his seat isn't remotely competitive to a democrat; better to support folks to primary him.

That's not the right attitude!
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:32 PM on March 9, 2017 [20 favorites]

We should absolutely support Democratic challengers in each and every district. But if people have limited funds to donate to Democratic candidates they should probably prioritize giving their money in places which are battlegrounds.
posted by Justinian at 8:33 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Anybody who thinks there's an upside here in any scenario other than Trump getting booted out ASAP...

At this stage it's all various shades of horrifying. I don't see much upside to Pence vs Trump. Pro: no Russian contacts so far, or at least they're explainable. Con: Total alignment with standard Republican agenda, and the skills to push it through with minimal damage to the Republican image.
posted by Coventry at 8:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Pro: If Trump gets impeached with Republican establishment support it would alienate his voters to the point where the Republicans get wiped out in 2018 and 2020.

Pro: It's the right thing to do.

Con: It'll never happen.
posted by Justinian at 8:35 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Um, Chaffetz is a choad, but his seat isn't remotely competitive to a democrat; better to support folks to primary him.

Okay.
posted by futz at 8:37 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

The important thing to remember is that Chaffetz is a choad.
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:39 PM on March 9, 2017 [45 favorites]

So I guess the best outcome would be if he's impeached October next year, so Pence is a lame duck.
posted by Coventry at 8:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Interesting article about how the IRS protects tax returns, with many speculations that Trump's could not be latex from there.
posted by Coventry at 8:54 PM on March 9, 2017

Max Boot: WikiLeaks Has Joined the Trump Administration: The anti-American group has become the preferred intelligence service for a conspiracy-addled White House.

As president, Trump hasn’t come out and said anything laudatory about WikiLeaks following its massive disclosure of CIA secrets on Tuesday — a treasure trove that some experts already believe may be more damaging than Edward Snowden’s revelations. But Trump hasn’t condemned WikiLeaks. The recent entries on his Twitter feed — a pure reflection of his unbridled id — contain vicious attacks on, among other things, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the New York Times, and Barack Obama but not a word about WikiLeaks. Did the president not notice that the intelligence community he commands has just suffered a devastating breach of security? Or did he simply not feel compelled to comment?

Actually there is a third, even more discomfiting, possibility: Perhaps Trump is staying silent because he stands to benefit from WikiLeaks’ latest revelations.

posted by homunculus at 8:57 PM on March 9, 2017 [21 favorites]

Judges haven't been a friend to this administration. These detentions are so egregious that maybe this will backfire?

These would be administrative law judges working for DoJ -- something in between civil servants and regular judges, even more so than most article-1 judges. I'm sure most of them take their job seriously and soberly, like most feds do, but they're probably also coming out of the prosecutorial culture of DoJ instead of an ostensibly-neutral-arbiter culture like article-3 judges.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:04 PM on March 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

Max "Das" Boot is a terrible neocon, but he's right about the trend here: the IC is being bypassed and there's clearly some shit going on with Ambassador Lord Flange and J. Assange. The entire policy bit of the State Department has been replaced with "they went to Jared." We're seeing parallel institutions emerge, staffed by a handful of cronies, without any formal accountability.

The NYT's former Cairo correspondent sees parallels to Egypt. I think the test will be when a real crisis occurs, and this rag-tag bare-arsed pack of squatters pretending to be the executive branch has to deal with the damage they've already inflicted. Keeping an eye on that wheezy canary.
posted by holgate at 9:19 PM on March 9, 2017 [28 favorites]

I've been wondering about this since the election (emphasis mine):

Congress doesn't like Trump's deleted tweets (and it's not because of the typos)

On Wednesday, the Committee on Government Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the White House expressing concern about the way Trump deletes those typo-filled tweets, preventing them from being cataloged properly by the Presidential Records Act. [...] The letter, signed by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) in a rare Trump Era show of bipartisanship, also addressed additional concerns about White House employees using private, non-government emails and encryption apps like Signal and Confide to communicate.

posted by Room 641-A at 9:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [30 favorites]

Yes, Max Boot is one of the luminaries who sold us the invasion of Iraq as a "small war." See his book The Savage Wars of Peace (the title being a reference to Kipling's white supremacist poem " White Man's Burden.")

I bet Trump dropping marines in Syria got him all hot and bothered.
posted by Coventry at 9:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

How about bombs in Yemen? Trump’s Ramped-Up Bombing in Yemen Signals More Aggressive Use of Military

After a week of punishing airstrikes loosed on al Qaeda in Yemen that saw 40 targets go up in flames and smoke, American pilots took a breather the past two nights, watching the dust settle.

The weeklong blitz in Yemen eclipsed the annual bombing total for any year during Obama’s presidency. Under the previous administration, approval for strikes came only after slow-moving policy discussions, with senior officials required to sign off on any action. The Trump administration has proven much quicker at green-lighting attacks.

posted by zachlipton at 10:36 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Under the previous administration, approval for strikes came only after slow-moving policy discussions, with senior officials required to sign off on any action. The Trump administration has proven much quicker at green-lighting attacks.

The classic "Shoot first, ask questions later" strategy. Also known as "Ready. Fire. Aim."
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:46 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

So, tonight Senator Isakson (R-GA) did a telephone town hall. A friend of mine attended and took notes. The town hall contained this exchange:
----
Tom (from Decatur): The media. What is your opinion on Trump's statement that the media is the enemy of the American people?

Isakson: I think the media and free reporting of news is essential.

Follow-up: Will you publicly denounce the president's statement?

Isakson: "I'm not going to get in a urinating contest with the president."
posted by litlnemo at 10:47 PM on March 9, 2017 [38 favorites]

Interesting article about how the IRS protects tax returns, with many speculations that Trump's could not be latex from there.

“I think an I.R.S. leak is extremely unlikely,” said Fred Goldberg, who served as I.R.S. commissioner from 1989 to 1992. “It’s a combination of the culture, the legal framework, the logistics and the risks.”

I agree, but think the real key is the culture, logistics next, and I never really thought about the legal and risk side of it. Most of my Gov't Specialty Banking ( processing tax remittances ) experience was in NY Personal Income Tax, but being a SME in Perl and secure EDI, I worked with the other side of the house frequently.

There's not a lot of people who can just run a query on production data, and every. single. one. was without exception competent and committed. And happy. BAC might be shit to customers, but as an associate they were A-Number-One. No-one is stupid enough to fuck up that gig to score political points.
posted by mikelieman at 12:16 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Isakson: "I'm not going to get in a urinating contest with the president."

Fair enough. Apparently the president has a squad for that.
posted by jaduncan at 12:25 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

Don't get in a pissing match with the president. You get covered in piss and the pig likes it.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:36 AM on March 10, 2017 [9 favorites]

Never get into a pissing match with a guy who buys piss by the mattress-load.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 12:40 AM on March 10, 2017 [27 favorites]

Spicer is lying about the WH not knowing about Flynn and Turkey, Rep Cummings told them on 18 Nov 2016 in a letter directly sent to Pence.
posted by PenDevil at 12:50 AM on March 10, 2017 [57 favorites]

Spicer is lying about the WH not knowing about Flynn and Turkey

Technically not: "I don't believe that was known" isn't actually a statement about anything but Spicer's state of belief...and yes, I'm 100% sure he'll split that hair.
posted by jaduncan at 12:58 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Technically not: "I don't believe that was known" isn't actually a statement about anything but Spicer's state of belief...and yes, I'm 100% sure he'll split that hair.

I think someone, and it might be me, isn't clear about for whom the White House Spokesman speaks.
posted by mikelieman at 1:09 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Annie Lowrey's interview with Nobel winning economist Angus Deaton (co-author with his wife Ann Case on the "white people death epidemic" study) was a real eye-opener for me. One of the strands is how America as a nation gives people what they ask for even if it kills them: it gives people ownership of property, but often in places where it's really fucking hard to live off the land, and once you're a property owner, you're rooted; that OxyContin showed up as a way to give people some kind of relief in pill form (often covered under Medicaid) and it's now become a currency in certain places.
posted by holgate at 1:10 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

The should NEVER let him use the word "I" in a sentence, actually.

Whenever he goes, "I think..."

Followup with, "Does the White House think...."

"We, not I", Mr. Spokesperson.
posted by mikelieman at 1:12 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

once you're a property owner, you're rooted

holgate, do you mean rooted in the Australian sense? Because in relation to property, it's a tad ambiguous.
posted by rory at 1:37 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

When? When will this four years be over??

It's only the second month of 48 and I already feel like Stewie Griffin: we just can't fit anymore poop in this diaper.
posted by darkstar at 1:43 AM on March 10, 2017 [23 favorites]

When will this four years be over?

I'm still hoping that in a month or two Trump will walk up to a press conference microphone, say "And I call this act 'The Aristrocrats'", and then go home to Mar-a-Lago secure in the knowledge that he is the best comedian of all time.
posted by mmoncur at 1:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [16 favorites]

I think someone, and it might be me, isn't clear about for whom the White House Spokesman speaks.

The WHPS is merely someone employed to make informal statements to affect coverage of the administration, and can speak on behalf of himself or his employer. That's why examination of the language is so important.

The should NEVER let him use the word "I" in a sentence, actually.

Whenever he goes, "I think..."

Followup with, "Does the White House think...."

"We, not I", Mr. Spokesperson.

Yes, pretty much. It's a pity that many journalists are so badly paid; it seems self-evident to me that an adversarial questioner should have similar skills to a barrister/trial lawyer. It is often plain that Spicer skips between personal and institutional claims of knowledge, and in a courtroom that would doubtlessly be picked up on in the next question.
posted by jaduncan at 2:56 AM on March 10, 2017 [9 favorites]

Another example of this:

Spicer - "It has continued to be the same old, same old, played over and over again. The president has made clear he has no interests in Russia and yet a lot of these stories that come out with respect to that are frankly fake."

I have almost no idea how the followup question wasn't "Some? Thank you for your candour. Which are real and which are fake?"
posted by jaduncan at 2:58 AM on March 10, 2017 [9 favorites]

co-author with his wife Ann Case

I think "economist and Princeton professor Anne Case" is more germane than who she's married to.
posted by Etrigan at 3:34 AM on March 10, 2017 [47 favorites]

Leaked emails reveal Nigel Farage's longstanding links to Julian Assange
In February 2011, after a European Arrest Warrant had been issued in a case in which prosecutors sought to question Assange in connection with a sexual assault allegation, UKIP repeatedly reached out to Assange to see how they could work together. Assange has not been charged in the case.

The office of UKIP MEP Gerard Batten contacted Assange's lawyer Mark Stephen's about "the possibility of meeting Mr Julian Assange."

They added: "So far, UKIP London has been only British political party to openly support Mr Assange fight against EAW and his freedom of speech, and we would very much like to continue doing so."
posted by PenDevil at 4:33 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

I reported a couple of days ago that the new healthcare bill didn't cover pre-natal care, that was wrong. The original version had removed that mandate but the version in front of congress now does keep maternity coverage. However during one of the committee debates, Republican Congressman John Shimkus argued that men shouldn't have to pay for that because "it doesn't affect them." He thinks that people should be allowed to buy a la carte insurance thereby proving he doesn't understand insurance.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:06 AM on March 10, 2017 [34 favorites]

Interview about Trump with Bernie Sanders at the Guardian. Very diplomatic, pulls his punches.

'Trump lies all the time': Bernie Sanders indicts president's assault on democracy

Bernie Sanders has launched a withering attack on Donald Trump, accusing him of being a pathological liar who is driving America towards authoritarianism.

In an interview with the Guardian, the independent senator from Vermont, who waged a spirited campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, gave a bleak appraisal of the new White House and its intentions.

He warned that Trump’s most contentious outbursts against media, judiciary and other pillars of American public life amounted to a conscious assault on democracy.

“Trump lies all of the time and I think that is not an accident, there is a reason for that. He lies in order to undermine the foundations of American democracy.”
posted by MattWPBS at 5:12 AM on March 10, 2017 [38 favorites]

And the interview link:

Bernie Sanders on Trump and the resistance: 'Despair is not an option'
The senator talks about his fight to make the Democratic party more attractive to working-class people – and on taking his progressive populism to the heartland in order to topple Trump
posted by MattWPBS at 5:14 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

"All right, Mr. Shimkus, here is your revised policy, and I think we've addressed your concerns. Prenatal care is no longer covered for you, so you won't have to pay for something you will never use."

"But the premium didn't go down."

"Yes, that's an actuarial adjustment. You see, men who make a big deal about this sort of thing are such uninformed, anal-retentive assholes that they often develop severe constipation to the point that their colons become infected and eventually perforate, spilling fecal matter and pus into the abdominal cavity. The increase in your premium reflects that risk, and just happens to be exactly the same as whatever it is you saved by being a dick about prenatal care. Initials here please."
posted by saturday_morning at 5:19 AM on March 10, 2017 [38 favorites]

Trump’s in the White House bubble, and he loves it: Trump is expected to make several appearances across the country next week — but he is likely to head back to Washington at night.

His habits in the White House so far comport with what friends in New York say about his pre-political life. He has long been a creature of comfort, eschewing some of New York's glitzy balls and galas to instead stay at home, watch TV and dine in his apartment, while watching sports and calling friends. After winning the presidency, he largely stayed in his apartment or at Mar-a-Lago, venturing out once in New York to the 21 Club for dinner. He is happy to not go outside.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:30 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Jobs report: Payroll employment rises by 235,000 in February; unemployment rate changes little at 4.7%
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:34 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would really like more interviews and articles about how Republicans view health insurance. For example ask who should get health care and how exactly it should be paid for. I think there's a lot of subtext going on that should brought out of the shadows and clarified. Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people." So let's ask him how should these sick people be covered exactly and what happens when the healthy people get sick. At what point do people get put into a high risk pool and do they ever leave the high risk pool. What happens to that pool when the government funds fall short or when the person covered cannot afford the premiums?

I get the sense that Congress is making life and death decisions but without being honest to themselves or the American people about the possible consequences.

Other questions I would like to see addressed:

What about non-citizens, visa holders, green card holders, refugees, the undocumented. Do they get admitted to hospitals in case of labor, infectious diseases, accidents? If so who pays for it?

What about super-premies who can run-up million dollar hospital charges in the first three months?

What about occupational hazards like miner's lung? Is that on the individual, the employer, or the government? What happens when the employer goes out of business?

Our healthcare has been a cobbled together mishmash for years because our government has preferred not to be involved. The private market cannot and will not address all the problems and pretending doesn't make it so. We need both a National dialog and a responsive government before this problem can be fixed.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:10 AM on March 10, 2017 [59 favorites]

"I would really like more interviews and articles about how Republicans view health insurance."

tldr: Ill health is almost as much a moral failure as poverty.
posted by klarck at 6:29 AM on March 10, 2017 [23 favorites]

If I gotta pay for old men's boner pills and prostate pokings, they gotta pay for birth control.
posted by emjaybee at 6:30 AM on March 10, 2017 [25 favorites]

Shame levels are holding strong at zero.
posted by prefpara at 6:32 AM on March 10, 2017 [37 favorites]

‘We are angry’: Families of transgender children meet with Betsy DeVos: “I told her in order to feel good about the meeting that I needed to leave her with a charge,” the teenager said. “She has the lives and the futures of thousands of students across the country in both public and public charter schools in her hands. It is up to her to provide protections for transgender students, and it is up to her to combat the ignorant, harmful, bigoted actions of the Trump administration.”
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:36 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

Republican Congressman John Shimkus argued that men shouldn't have to pay for that because "it doesn't affect them.

Conservatives so clearly live in their hermetic atomic self-worlds of Me Me Me.

They may have wives, daughters, but they don't matter apparently.

The depths of the stupidity of conservatism never ceases to amaze.
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 6:41 AM on March 10, 2017 [19 favorites]

Oh and a House panel just approved a bill that would let employers demand genetic testing as part of "wellness" programs (which are only voluntary if you don't mind paying the penalties).
posted by emjaybee at 6:42 AM on March 10, 2017 [16 favorites]

The private market cannot and will not address all the problems and pretending doesn't make it so. We need both a National dialog and a responsive government before this problem can be fixed.

I'm not saying it's guaranteed to work, but what if we at least tried a swarm of angry bees in a couple of boardrooms, instead?
posted by Mayor West at 6:43 AM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

Oh and a House panel just approved a bill that would let employers demand genetic testing as part of "wellness" programs (which are only voluntary if you don't mind paying the penalties).

It doesn't surprise me that Khan Noonien Singh would be part of this administration.
posted by Servo5678 at 6:49 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

I still don't really grok why the markets aren't freaking out. I read an explainer in the New Yorker this week that suggested that we might be in a bubble along the lines of 1999 but not say, 1929. I don't get why it's not like 1929 but worse or something.

I don't understand markets at all, but it would seem if, say, the executive branch is about two lines of cocaine and a natural disaster away from spilled blood in the Oval Office, a lot of people would be backing the fuck away from all sorts of U.S. assets.

Maybe this is something I'm too in my liberal bubble to get. I have a few wacky people in my family with wacky political beliefs, but my idea of people involved in the stock market was formulated by the creepy feeling I'd get while passing N.Y.U.'s Stern school en route to class: those were some smart, conservative, soon-to-be-rich assholes.

In other words, I'd expect those people to have the foresight to maybe not panic but do whatever stock market people do when they have an urgent need to protect their assets.
posted by angrycat at 6:50 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people." So let's ask him how should these sick people be covered exactly and what happens when the healthy people get sick.

Hey, ya know what, it's also usually healthy doctors who are taking care of sick people! Sick people should only get sick doctors!

This reminds me of a stand-up comic's joke that went something like, "I found one of those handicapped people parking their car in one of our spaces, so I hooked up my tow hitch and got it right out of there!"
posted by XMLicious at 6:52 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

If I gotta pay for old men's boner pills

People should be asking every elected official who opposes BC in any way why one and not the other. Every one, every time. They should have been doing that for decades.

Also, it's not just old men, which makes the argument even stronger.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:55 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

"Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people.""

He either genuinely does not understand or is taking advantage of low-information voters that do not understand pooled risk. I mean, that's fundamentally how health care works. In fact, the more I think about it, the intentional rejection of pooled risk seems like it underlies a lot of conservative thinking. Opposition to taxation as a principle is basically the same thing, right?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:58 AM on March 10, 2017 [53 favorites]

I don't get why it's not like 1929 but worse or something.

My understanding from history classes is that like the 2008 crash, 1929 was partly the result of specific risky practices, "buying on margin" in particular which effectively allowed traders to invest money they didn't have. I'm not any sort of expert either but I'm equally surprised that the current financial markets seem so chill with the ongoing political chaos and things like openly-declared premeditated trade wars heating up while massive layoffs are happening at the State Department.
posted by XMLicious at 7:00 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

"Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people.""

He either genuinely does not understand or is taking advantage of low-information voters that do not understand pooled risk.

It's clearly the former, because his college tuition was paid by Social Security. Since nothing good comes from Big Government, his education was similarly half-assed.
posted by Etrigan at 7:02 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

"Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people."

Deep thoughts from the leading intellectual light of the conservative movement!
posted by diogenes at 7:03 AM on March 10, 2017 [37 favorites]

Paul Ryan, like many Americans, thinks being sick is something that happens to you because of choices you made. Don't want to pay for sick-people insurance? Stop making bad choices.

That's literally as far as the thinking goes here.
posted by potrzebie at 7:08 AM on March 10, 2017 [27 favorites]

guys it just honestly feels like the US is a replicant

why aren't we helping the turtle?????
posted by prefpara at 7:12 AM on March 10, 2017 [13 favorites]

But isn't this thinking essentially ruling out insurance all together? I mean, the whole concept is that everybody pays in and the people who need it take out, whether that's for health or property or financial loss. It sounds like Ryan just wants to get rid of the insurance industry entirely.
posted by worldswalker at 7:12 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

we were programmed not to.
posted by Rat Spatula at 7:12 AM on March 10, 2017

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lays on his back, his belly baking in the hot sun, beating his legs trying to turn himself over. But he can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping. Why is that?
posted by nicepersonality at 7:16 AM on March 10, 2017 [43 favorites]

I think the US is more like the original screened cut of Blade Runner. The one with the awful narration that was intended as sabotage by Harrison Ford, and with the weird ending that ruins the whole plot and has unused footage from The Shining for some reason.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:17 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

The trick I think is they've been promulgating ideology and using other tactics designed to undermine people's sense of the reality of collective responsibility and the ideal of the common good. Without those conceptual anchors, nothing about the design of our constitutional system makes sense. Those ideals were assumed as axiomatic at the time because no one imagined a future where Americans might lose their sense of having loyalty to their friends and relatives and communities over ideology and political theory.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:19 AM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

Teen Vogue: Republican Health-Care Plan Could Make Anti-HIV Drug More Expensive
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:29 AM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

> "Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because 'healthy people are paying for sick people.'"

He is also deeply empathetic to the plight of people whose houses are not on fire!

(... which I thought was clever until I realized it's almost certainly true.)
posted by kyrademon at 7:33 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

Teen Vogue: Republican Health-Care Plan Could Make Anti-HIV Drug More Expensive

Feature, bug, etc.
posted by Etrigan at 7:34 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

It's clearly the former, because his college tuition was paid by Social Security. Since nothing good comes from Big Government, his education was similarly half-assed.

I've said it before, but Paul Ryan's never made or been supported by non-taxpayer money. He went from social security to government-funded college to elected office. He doesn't understand basic concepts like insurance because he's never had to worry about them.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:35 AM on March 10, 2017 [39 favorites]

He doesn't understand basic concepts like insurance because he's never had to worry about them.

I can't believe he could be that dumb and still manage to put on a tie and find his way to work every morning. It seems more likely that he's evil.
posted by diogenes at 7:42 AM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

"'healthy people are paying for sick people.'"

So, if he really sees this as a problem, that's literally the dumbest thing I've seen since the inauguration of #45. I mean, even if a state would, you know, decide to discard sick people, it would still be the healthy people who would pay for the bulldozer and its driver. That's how human societies work, dummy!
posted by Namlit at 7:43 AM on March 10, 2017 [24 favorites]

The big idea from today's Daily 202 column in the Washington Post:

THE BIG IDEA: While Donald Trump accuses his predecessor of wiretapping his office and prods Congress to eviscerate his signature domestic achievement, he also demands credit for Obama administration victories that he had nothing or little to do with.

Also, this is day 50 of the Trump administration.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:51 AM on March 10, 2017 [21 favorites]

If this site is correct, we're just scratching the surface of the Trump/Russia connection web

Looks uncomfortably like a Wall of Crazy to me.

It looks like it, but it is not. The link futz posted, to a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence's house.gov website, has a similar though simplified diagram.
posted by iffthen at 7:56 AM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people."
He either genuinely does not understand or is taking advantage of low-information voters that do not understand pooled risk. I mean, that's fundamentally how health care works.

That's fundamentally how insurance works! When I pay my renter's policy premium, it means I'm paying for all those careless jerks who were negligent enough to have a tree fall on their building during a wind storm, or have a neighbor who left a bunch of candles burning and set their building on fire, and especially those idiots who let an F-18 pancake onto their homes.
posted by indubitable at 7:56 AM on March 10, 2017 [33 favorites]

"Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because 'healthy people are paying for sick people.'"

Well shit, mandated car insurance must fucking infuriate him.
posted by Talez at 7:57 AM on March 10, 2017 [33 favorites]

I can't believe he could be that dumb and still manage to put on a tie and find his way to work every morning. It seems more likely that he's evil.

Evil's not free-floating in the universe. It comes from somewhere. The combination of ignorance and total lack of empathy that Paul Ryan's got going is probably a pretty common source.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:01 AM on March 10, 2017 [19 favorites]

Republican Congressman John Shimkus argued that men shouldn't have to pay for that because "it doesn't affect them."

I'm waiting for John Shimkus to also declare that no men should ever be allowed to vote on abortion laws because that also doesn't affect them. I think I'll be waiting for a **long** time.

Apparently pregnancy only affects men when they can't force women to undergo it? Is that how this works John?
posted by sotonohito at 8:02 AM on March 10, 2017 [70 favorites]

Have some personal responsibility people! Letting planes fall on your home is clearly an act of God due to your moral failing.
posted by erisfree at 8:03 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people."

See, this is one of those examples of people calling themselves Christian, but their values telling a very different story.

If he were sincere about following Christ, and if the U.S. were truly founded as a Christian nation (as so many conservative evangelicals insist), then "healthy people paying for sick people" would be baked into the bedrock of the country, and would be a hill-to-die-on principle and plank of the so-called conservative party, and not spat out like an insult from the third-in-line-to-the-President Speaker of the House of Representatives.

tl,dr: Christ, what an asshole.
posted by darkstar at 8:04 AM on March 10, 2017 [76 favorites]

AG Jeff Sessions calls Guantanamo Bay a ‘very fine place’ to send captured terrorists

Could somebody photoshop Sessions onto the "this is fine" dog, but have him saying "this is a very fine place?" Also put him in an orange jumpsuit and have a sign above him saying "Guantanamo Bay, 2021" please? Thx
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:07 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

I mean, that whole part of the Bible is even printed in RED, for goodness' sake, so you'll pay special attention to it, you know?
posted by darkstar at 8:07 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

The whole point of the "sell insurance across state lines" thing is to essentially make state-level rules irrelevant. ... If Congress essentially preempts that, it allows for a race to the bottom, where some random state, say Delaware, can market itself as the least restrictive for insurance companies. All the insurance companies base themselves in Delaware and sell whatever plans they feel like into all the other states.

Yes, selling insurance across state lines is terrible policy. But the political media -- and, unfortunately, Democratic fecklessness -- have let Republicans go for years touting that very policy as if it were some kind of magic bullet.

I wonder, though, if Republicans kept pushing that policy as if it were actually an answer because, as the current mess of a health bill shows, they have nothing else at all, or if they perceive the "young healthy person willing to buy an essentially useless policy on the cheap" as a significant constituency.
posted by Gelatin at 8:11 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Also, the idea that illness, disability, poverty, and any other negative thing in life is the result of a moral failing has long been a part of many American forms of Christianity. It's sort of the dark side of the prosperity gospel movement.

Republican politicians in the past have stated outright that disabled children are inflicted by God as a punishment for women who got abortions. Republican politicians in the past have stated directly that disability is a punishment from God for moral failings.

And then there's the cartoon, apparently published in utter seriousness by some American Christians, teaching children that when they get sick it's because Jesus is spanking them for being naughty. Yes, really.

To a great many more Conservative Americans it is, literally, an article of faith that misfortune, illness, and disability, are punishments handed out by their God for moral failing. Of course they would believe we shouldn't help sick people, that's not just going against God's will, it's diverting their money to help sinners!
posted by sotonohito at 8:12 AM on March 10, 2017 [40 favorites]

He doesn't understand basic concepts like insurance because he's never had to worry about them.

I can't believe he could be that dumb and still manage to put on a tie and find his way to work every morning. It seems more likely that he's evil.

Conservative ideology rejects the concept of pooling of risk, for health insurance or for anything else. They are completely against any harm reduction policies. The conservative ideology is a self-sustaining anxiety generator --- behave "the right way" and nothing bad will happen to you; therefore, if bad things happen, they are all your fault because you didn't prevent them from happening to you (and since it's your fault, you can't ask for help); there's no need to soften the blow when bad things happen because bad things only happen to people who allow them to happen; the bad things that can happen are now way worse when they happen than they would be if we pooled risk and enacted harm reduction policies; so it's even more urgent to prevent bad things from happening to you; as a result you're even more risk averse, creating even more "rules" on how to "behave the right way"; and on and on and on. It's perfectionism as a political ideology -- pooling risk acknowledges that there is still risk, which is unacceptable.

If you say to Paul Ryan: "Some people are going to get cancer" - he'll respond "no I won't" and end the conversation. Someone who is interested in being a part of a thriving society would say "yes, this is unfortunate, how do we, in the short term, make getting cancer less bad and, in the long term, lower the likelihood of getting cancer."
posted by melissasaurus at 8:15 AM on March 10, 2017 [62 favorites]

The combination of ignorance and total lack of empathy that Paul Ryan's got going is probably a pretty common source.

I'm still convinced evil is just a species of stupidity.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:18 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people."

Just wait until he discovers car insurance. "You mean my rates are affected by people who have had accidents? No fair!"
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:19 AM on March 10, 2017 [19 favorites]

The mystery of Donald Trump and the New Jersey cemetery [Fahrenthold; WaPo]

The tomb would be versatile.

It could also be a festive wedding . . . tomb. [...]

Trump withdrew the plan to be buried in New Jersey. But five years later, he was back with another one. Now, the mausoleum was out — but, instead, he had a plan to build a large cemetery with more than 1,000 graves, including one for him. [...]

The town was, again, skeptical. So Trump whittled it down to just 10 graves, enough for himself and his family members.

Which family members, exactly?

“Only the good Trumps,” Russo said, according to a video of the town land use board. He did not elaborate. [...]

He had convinced the township to declare a farm, because some trees on the site are turned into mulch. Because of pro-farmer tax policies, Trump’s company pays just $16.31 per year in taxes on the parcel, which he bought for $461,000.

posted by melissasaurus at 8:26 AM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

Paul Ryan says Obamacare is failing because "healthy people are paying for sick people."

The neighborhood where I live is on a private road, the HOA pays for the maintenance and upkeep. It's really the only thing they collect money for, snow removal and putting away funds for eventual repaving. But a couple of families who live at the top of the street have decided that their contributions should be pro-rated for the amount of the road they use and since they live close to the county road they should be paying much less and the houses at the end of the road should be paying the majority of the costs. They couch this in the language of conservatism, about taking responsibility and paying a fair share.

Because this disagreement has devolved into an ugly and personal grudge match, this year the news just came out that they lawyers hired to mediate between the John Galts and everyone else will cost more than the annual assessment for road maintenance.

I just rent, so it's mostly funny to me.
posted by peeedro at 8:28 AM on March 10, 2017 [64 favorites]

melissasaurus Rape culture fits into that general line of thinking too. Rape happens only to bad girls who don't follow the rules. If you're "good" you won't get raped, therefore anyone who does get raped clearly must be a bad person.

In a twisty way it's a method of trying to assert control over the essentially random nature of life. The fact that we are often at the mercy of unconscious, undirected, random forces that are totally beyond our control and prediction is deeply discomforting to most people. Some people deal with that discomfort by trying to pretend that they really are in control, even if only in the negative sense that by "misbehaving" they've invited in the forces that harm them.

It's related to the fact that despite air travel being safer a lot of people **feel** less safe because they don't have the illusion of control that driving gives you.

Some people would prefer to believe that they have cancer because they looked at porn than to believe that they have cancer because of event and randomness. Believing it was something they did wrong puts the control in their hands and makes the cancer a personal thing rather than an impersonal thing.

When rape culture is defended and advanced by women, I think we see much the same sort of thinking. If rape is something that happens only to bad women, only to women who dress wrong, or who go to the wrong places, or who drink too much, or whatever, then by being "good", by dressing right, by only going to the right places, they can imagine that they are in control and that they are safe. Which is why we see so many conservative women, both online and off, trying their utmost to make any rape victim into the guilty party. If rape can happen even to "good" women, then they aren't in control and they aren't safe, therefore rape victims must always be "bad" in some way.
posted by sotonohito at 8:33 AM on March 10, 2017 [47 favorites]

I mean, that whole part of the Bible is even printed in RED, for goodness' sake, so you'll pay special attention to it, you know?
posted by darkstar

Not only that but it's even in Christ's original
King jamesian dialect of English!
posted by spitbull at 8:34 AM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

It often feels like a twilight zone where I'm the only one who has Bad News Vision and everyone else sees only sunshine. I genuinely don't understand.

I think the markets are basically seeing that (a) we're out of the Great Recession, and (b) Trump and his enablers in Congress now have almost unfettered ability to continue to deregulate so that commerce and industry will be more profitable (in the short term, anyway).

I would not be surprised at all to see a significant downturn in the markets in the next 18-24 months as the reality of trade-warring Trumpism and GOP dismantling of government begins to tarnish the gilded dream of a well-functioning market, and bubbles start to pop.
posted by darkstar at 8:34 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

poffin boffin, are you still lying on the floor eating cheese? may we join you? we can bring more cheese
posted by iffthen at 8:35 AM on March 10, 2017 [33 favorites]

Not only that but it's even in Christ's original King Jamesian dialect of English!

Hey, if it was good enough for St. Paul, it's good enough for me.
posted by darkstar at 8:35 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Ha darkstar sorry I fixed that on edit as I realized the joke was even funnier that way.
posted by spitbull at 8:36 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

how did we get to the point of having to aggressively defend the benefits of living in a goddamn society.

modern conservatism is a long concern troll about properly accounting for resource use down to the nickel while conveniently treating resources they don't want to think about as nonexistent or free.
posted by murphy slaw at 8:38 AM on March 10, 2017 [63 favorites]

saulgoodman: "I'm still convinced evil is just a species of stupidity."

Any sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from evil.
posted by mhum at 8:41 AM on March 10, 2017 [59 favorites]

In a twisty way it's a method of trying to assert control over the essentially random nature of life. The fact that we are often at the mercy of unconscious, undirected, random forces that are totally beyond our control and prediction is deeply discomforting to most people. Some people deal with that discomfort by trying to pretend that they really are in control, even if only in the negative sense that by "misbehaving" they've invited in the forces that harm them.

It's the worldview of a traumatized child, calcified, over the years, into a hard, righteous cruelty.

Why anyone should let such broken, immature people make decisions about goddamn groceries let alone the government is beyond me.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:41 AM on March 10, 2017 [34 favorites]

the rape culture analogy is also good because it's a case where conservatives say that the societal remedies (teaching men not to rape, prosecuting rape effectively) won't work and so the problem becomes one of individual vigilance and virtue.
posted by murphy slaw at 8:42 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

how did we get to the point of having to aggressively defend the benefits of living in a goddamn society.

We started insisting everyone could live equally in it.
posted by carsonb at 8:42 AM on March 10, 2017 [44 favorites]

how did we get to the point of having to aggressively defend the benefits of living in a goddamn society.

Fifty, sixty years of a culture dedicated to protecting and projecting the power of wealth.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:43 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

In which David Frum (I know) depresses everyone on Twitter

Jobs thoughts …

1) Trump’s unpopularity & lack of mandate has been a backdrop to almost all discussion of his presidency, pro & con
2) That may be about to change. Job market is revving into higher gear. Tax cuts are coming. Immigration enforcement will raise wages
3) For sure there’s a ceiling on Trump’s potential approval rating - but it’s surely well north of the low 40s, where he’s been stuck
4) He could improve those ratings even more by easy steps like laying off the Twitter, building a less unprofessional WH staff, etc.
5) It’s easy to imagine too that he will quickly separate himself from House health plan as it crashes & burns.
6) In fact, failure of House health plan may *strengthen* Trump, by discrediting Ryan and the remains of the old plutocratic GOP
7) Trump can then introduce a deficits-shmeficits tax cut, shrug off entitlements problem, focus on immigration & trade. Popular!
8) He could be at 50% in 6 months, R congressional leadership overawed, Ds at each other’s throats over how left to veer.
9) Public unlikely to react much to emoluments or Russia news, worrying as they are, in absence of some simple shocking reveal
10) And Washington establishment already accommodating itself. Was always unrealistic to imagine DC would resist “normalizing” Trump
11) Trump presidency is a fact, and DC adjusts to facts.
12) Yeah, the media will report outrage after outrage. I fully expect my Twitter TL to be just as white hot 6 months from today as now. BUT
13) … what if country does not follow? If GOP is overawed and public lulled by deficit-driven prosperity … lots of scope for Trump
14) He can quietly identify truth-tellers in national security apparatus and promote them to Ulan Bator or La Paz.
15) He can neutralize law enforcement by installing his weirdo loyalists https://www.propublica.org/article/meet-hundreds-of-officials-trump-has-quietly-installed-across-government … or by non staffing altogether
16) Presidencies have staying power in prosperous time. “Resistances” … less so.
17) Trump is much more likely to be successful in his corrosion of norms/institutions/laws/national security than to be impeached or removed
18) To adapt a line from @fakedansavage : “it gets worse” is a more plausible outlook than “it gets better.” END
posted by chaoticgood at 8:45 AM on March 10, 2017 [23 favorites]

Also, "traumatized child who never grew up" is the generous interpretation.

I think quite a few of them are simply selfish, incurious, arrogant, and lacking in empathy.

Honestly, just kind of...not good.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:45 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

how did we get to the point of having to aggressively defend the benefits of living in a goddamn society.

"There is no such thing as society." -- Thatcher.

Defenders like to give the quote in full to prove that Thatcher wasn't an anti-social Randian maniac, but actually I think it just confirms it further
posted by dis_integration at 8:47 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Trump is much more likely to be successful in his corrosion of norms/institutions/laws/national security than to be impeached or removed

This seems to assume a level of competence in not shooting one's own foot that we have yet to see from this administration.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:48 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Well shit, mandated car insurance must fucking infuriate him.

Don't give them ideas.
posted by saturday_morning at 8:49 AM on March 10, 2017

Ambassador Churkin's cause of death will not be disclosed, apparently in compliance with international law.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:51 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

I was just looking a Ryan's district map. My daughter lives in WI-1 and I'll be spending April in Racine.
Anyway, according to his district map, about a third of his district is in Lake Michigan. I wonder if there's an opportunity there. Or possibly an explanation of his cold-bloodedness.
I notice that district 6 also has substantial lake acreage, but district 4 does not.
Do you need to be a white Republican to get voters from in the lake?
posted by MtDewd at 8:52 AM on March 10, 2017

4) He could improve those ratings even more by easy steps like laying off the Twitter, building a less unprofessional WH staff, etc.

Yeah, well, he won't.
posted by saturday_morning at 8:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [17 favorites]

Our healthcare has been a cobbled together mishmash for years because our government has preferred not to be involved. The private market cannot and will not address all the problems and pretending doesn't make it so.

The Kristol memo referenced waaaaaay upthread reveals how vulnerable the Republicans perceive themselves on this issue -- and have sine the '90s at least! Rather than simply ceding the rhetorical point, Democrats need to challenge Republicans hard on their belief in the free market over all. There are lots of things that the free market alone does not do better, health care being only one.
posted by Gelatin at 8:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Trump's on Track to Deliver 25 Million Jobs in 10 Years

Those numbers are phony anyway.
posted by peeedro at 8:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

> Ambassador Churkin's cause of death will not be disclosed,

"Choked on vomit, although it was never determined whose vomit it was..."
posted by mosk at 8:54 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

CNN: Trump's on Track to Deliver 25 Million Jobs in 10 Years

CNN can never be rehabilitated. Nothing should be done to support or preserve it.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:54 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

We started insisting everyone could live equally in it.

Well, no, that was the original goal of the system, at least as far as those ambitions weren't completely compromised by the lack of self awareness that made it seem sensible originally to exclude some classes of people from full democratic participation. Either way, not doing something perfectly the first try isn't usually considered evidence the goal itself is a bad one.

The more this partisanship is playing out, the more it seems to me we've really been operating in a failure mode with the two party system from a certain point of view being the historical vestige of a counterrevolutionary schism within the revolutionary cause itself, that basically broke the system and co-founded its original intended functional design from the very outset. We've not only not been "perfecting" that original design ever since, as the power and influence of parties has grown, but that unresolved conflict has been dragging the cart slowly but steadily into a ditch ever since.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:54 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Anyway, according to his district map, about a third of his district is in Lake Michigan. I wonder if there's an opportunity there. Or possibly an explanation of his cold-bloodedness.

When he puts up a bill authorizing the Deep Ones as US citizens with voting rights, nobody will be surprised.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:55 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

MtDewd, not that I don't appreciate the point you're trying to make.. but my guess is this is jut as web-design decision. Or otherwise staff member somewhere gave the web designer the district border coordinates and they just plopped them in there.

Based on the non-cohesiveness of each page, they're all made by different designers/developers.
posted by INFJ at 8:56 AM on March 10, 2017

Here is the thing: how does Trump's "popularity" change anything? If things get worse, people of conscience will continue to fight. If this is the darkest timeline, we're still going to fight. What, we're all supposed to say, "this is so much worse than I thought, I guess that means I'll stop organizing"?

Bannon admires Lenin, right? Well, let's take a little leaf from ol' Vladmir's book: You play the long game if you can't win the short game. Lenin didn't say, oh well, it's 1893 and I've been charged with sedition, I guess I'll give up.

We'll fight until we can't and live until we die, that hasn't changed between yesterday and today. Is the world a horrible nightmare? Sure. But fundamentally we're still responsible for making meaning in our lives just as we were last year. You either fight evil to the extent of your ability or you don't; that never changes.

Every meaningful piece of social change happened because people worked and organized so that when the historical moment came round, they were ready. The historical moment is important, but it can pass by if you haven't done your work.
posted by Frowner at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2017 [74 favorites]

Some good news! BREAKING: @NILC_org legal team has been told #DanielaVargas will be released from ICE detention today! #FreeDany
posted by melissasaurus at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2017 [40 favorites]

Oh and a House panel just approved a bill that would let employers demand genetic testing as part of "wellness" programs

Daniel Davies wrote about genetic testing and health insurance a long time ago, suggesting that having it implemented on a wide scale and doing anything with that information actually kills an insurance model that works with anything smaller than the entire population. Why? Because of time and uncertainty:

Let us say that, genetically, my thyroid gland is a racing certainty to swell to the size of a balloon and require some expensive surgery. It could happen tomorrow, or it could happen in thirty years. Nobody knows what suddenly triggers these dodgy genes into action. But, from a financial point of view, this makes a hell of a difference.

posted by holgate at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2017

I've been puzzling over this one, too. Especially since we had an economic forecast meeting yesterday at work, and because my employer is heavily reliant on tourism, I was expecting that forecast to be somewhat grim. Or, at best, neutral and cautiously optimistic. But no! Our financial people are forecasting GREAT times ahead, great numbers, great great great things for business for the next fiscal year. I'm very confused, because they are experts and professionals and generally reasonable, and don't they have access to the same news I do? The same news that reports (in addition to the rest of the chaos) steep declines in tourism to the United States?

They might think a wave of nationalism will mean Americans spend more of their tourist dollars in the US. (On a side note: I still cannot get over the sheer size of the US and Canada and the amount of travelling you could do without ever leaving your own country. Coming from Ireland it was/is mindblowing.) In regard to the markets, I think beliefs that they have that much to do with long term thought or even rationality are on pretty wobbly ground and always have been. See: the South Sea Bubble, Tulipmania, etc. etc. But somehow it is always different this time.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 8:59 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Oh and a House panel just approved a bill that would let employers demand genetic testing as part of "wellness" programs (which are only voluntary if you don't mind paying the penalties).

Need to spread the word on this far and wide -- it's creepy AF and I don't think conservatives would any more inclined to support it. It hits right at the core of right-wing support - the corporate-employed rich and middle class.

Also, I think it's worthwhile to tie anything coming out of Congress to "Republicans" not "Trump" -- it both makes it harder for them to pivot post-Trump and opens a chance to wedge apart the president and his party. I don't for one second think Trump would hesitate to stab the Republican Party in the back the second he thinks it helps him in any way.
posted by msalt at 9:03 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

Ambassador Churkin's cause of death will not be disclosed, apparently in compliance with international law.

I feel like I'm watching a spellbinding, taut, political thriller, except that for sure when I leave the theatre someone will try to mug me or kill me.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:03 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I've been puzzling over this one, too. Especially since we had an economic forecast meeting yesterday at work, and because my employer is heavily reliant on tourism, I was expecting that forecast to be somewhat grim.

Those economists are probably looking more at the standard indicators -- good jobs reports, wages inches up, no inflation, easy credit, healthier household balance sheets -- and discounting negative effects of still-only-potential Trump economy wreckers like trade wars, tax cuts for the rich, and infrastructure boondoggles.
posted by notyou at 9:08 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Obama jobs added -- 237,000 in February 2016
Trump jobs added -- 235,000 in February 2017
posted by JackFlash at 9:08 AM on March 10, 2017 [17 favorites]

CNN: Trump's on Track to Deliver 25 Million Jobs in 10 Years

Comrade President Trump's 10-Year Plan is on track! Full-speed ahead to the glorious future Comrade Trump promises!
posted by octobersurprise at 9:09 AM on March 10, 2017 [20 favorites]

I am unconvinced by the prospect of a Trump popularity explosion.
posted by Artw at 9:14 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Either these people do not realise the logical consequences of enforced genetic screening combined with the banning of abortion, or they do and they're prepared to enforce a level of abject cruelty which goes beyond mere criminality.

I'd like to see someone ask them which it is.
posted by Devonian at 9:16 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

Can we circle back to that DC wine bar that filed suit against Trump?

MeFites are probably aware that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed suit against Trump three days after Trump was inaugurated.

Suing for violations of the emoluments clause is tricky business, though, since normally you have to argue that the bad behavior you're suing someone for has actually directly harmed you in order to "have standing" to sue.

"CREW says in the suit that it has been harmed by Trump's conflicts of interest because as a government-ethics watchdog, it has been forced to put more time and resources into opposing and publicizing them."

Now I could've sworn when I heard that story on NPR the CREW lawyer they were interviewing said that they weren't worried about the merits of their case so much as whether the courts would accept that argument for why they had standing to sue. And that it would be better if someone who was directly financially affected -- like a competing hotel or restaurant in Washington which was losing business from foreign diplomats -- would file suit as well. The argument that they have standing to sue would be clearer. And any evidence that they present that lobbyists and foreign dignitaries who once would have gone to their business are instead going to Trump properties to give trump money indirectly goes into the record... and could lead to a finding that Trump is violating the emoluments clause (not to mention his lease on the old post office) -- right?

This seems like a big deal to me, but I can't find a reference that confirms what I remember the CREW lawyer saying about the importance of standing or their desire to approach the emoluments clause issue from this angle. Anybody else seen any analysis like that from someone who knows whereof they speak? I'd like to think this is an effective approach.
posted by OnceUponATime at 9:19 AM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

someone in the democratic party should be buying billboards with that iconic scene from Goldfinger on them and speech balloons like this:

BOND: do you expect me to get my cancer treated at the ER?
GOLDFINGER: no, mister bond, i expect you to die!
posted by murphy slaw at 9:22 AM on March 10, 2017 [38 favorites]

Let's be honest, Ryan not having a clue on how insurance works is just his way of keeping up with Trump, who doesn't seem to know how casinos work.

(Of course, Ryan knows very well how insurance works. However, for insurance companies would be just peachy if they could get money for nothing from healthy people, and be able to decline all claims when they actually need it. All businesses are very profitable if you keep the "outcome" column blank.)
posted by lmfsilva at 9:26 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

The super-secret division in charge of the Russia investigation: One source familiar with the Russia investigation resorted to a mathematical equation to divulge -- sort of -- the number of agents assigned to the matter.

It's five to 10 fewer than were assigned to the Hillary Clinton email investigation, said the source, who is not authorized to speak publicly and did so on the condition of anonymity. There were about two dozen dedicated to that case, so that makes 15 to 20 on the Russia investigation
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:29 AM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

(By the way, CREW accepts donations. I try to do at least one thing every day to help the Resistance like calling a member of congress or my state legislature or sending a Sleeping Giants e-mail or participating in a protest of some kind... Yesterday my good deed was donating to CREW. In case anyone else is looking for ways to help...)
posted by OnceUponATime at 9:36 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

> I can't find a reference that confirms what I remember the CREW lawyer saying about the importance of standing or their desire to approach the emoluments clause issue from this angle.

Pod Save America had an episode with Norm Eisen, Obama's ethics czar, who is partnering with Bush's ethics czar on this CREW lawsuit. Scroll down to their second episode ever, "We had plenty of ethical fun":

Former Obama ethics czar Norm Eisen joins to talk about Trump’s decision to retain ownership of his business empire.

I think I remember this discussion from that podcast episode.
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:38 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

if archaeologists came across a cuneiform tablet that told the history of how Lady Hil-Aru the Smart and Reasonable was overthrown in favor of Prince Trumpu the Piss-Destroyer because it was discovered that she was using limestone cylinder seals intead of hematite we'd be like "ha! those fuckin' Mesopotamians and their silly superstitions! no wonder their civilization collapsed" but that's basically how The Future is going to look back on this whole email investigation thing
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:38 AM on March 10, 2017 [80 favorites]

Ambassador Churkin's cause of death will not be disclosed, apparently in compliance with international law.

@yashar: Just sent this to a former State Department official, their response: "I've never heard of diplomatic immunity surviving after death"

Further reading on diplomatic immunity [pdfs]:

Diplomatic and Consular Immunity: Guidance for Law Enforcement and Judicial Authorities

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961

Law review article on the Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978 (act available here)
posted by melissasaurus at 9:41 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

if archaeologists came across a cuneiform tablet that told the history of how Lady Hil-Aru the Smart and Reasonable was overthrown in favor of Prince Trumpu the Piss-Destroyer because it was discovered that she was using limestone cylinder seals instead of hematite we'd be like "ha! those fuckin' Mesopotamians and their silly superstitions! no wonder their civilization collapsed" but that's basically how The Future is going to look back on this whole email investigation thing

prize bull, I'm going to carve a clay tablet of your comment, because the future tardigrade civilization deserves to read it, too.
posted by darkstar at 9:41 AM on March 10, 2017 [18 favorites]

if you guys wanted an expert on politics, i was recently blocked by Eric Garner on twitter and am available for questions
posted by beerperson at 9:47 AM on March 10, 2017 [25 favorites]

Fifa president says US travel ban could risk 2026 World Cup bid – video: Fifa president Gianni Infantino suggests that Donald Trump’s travel ban, which blocks immigration to the US from six Muslim-majority countries, could put the nation’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup at risk. Speaking in London on Thursday, Infantino says that ‘any team ... who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country’ and suggests that countries will have to decide whether to continue their bids ‘based on the requirements’
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:51 AM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

TRUMPCARE: Make HIV AIDS Again.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:52 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

TRUMPCARE: Make HIV AIDS Again.

I would not be too shocked to see that slogan unironically adopted by Trump's core supporters.
posted by contraption at 9:54 AM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

I somehow don't think losing the World Cup bid will be something that bothers Trump. Call it a hunch.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:55 AM on March 10, 2017

actually after I posted that I had to go RTFA to double-check that it wasn't invented by them
posted by contraption at 9:55 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Fauci/Gallo jokes, in my Metafilter?
posted by rhizome at 9:57 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Trump's popularity could improve. I'd bet that we aren't so far away from his absolute minimum approval rating now. There isn't much he or anyone else could do to lower the nation's opinion of him, but there are quite a few things he could do to drastically improve it. The biggest one would be just sit down and shut up. Then let Congressional Republicans fall over themselves trying to pass this shitburger healthcare bill. If Trump just stayed out of it - no public statements, tweets, or press conferences - and the administration just chugged along silently.... then yeah, I'd bet he would climb up to near 50% approval. Lots of people just want this ugly mess to go away and stop causing so much anxiety. All Trump has to do is disappear for that to happen.

Fortunately, I doubt with every bone in my body Trump's ability to let anyone else take the spotlight. So don't worry, he'll fuck up any small rise in approval by jumping in front of a camera to proclaim how amazing he is and what a fine tuned machine he's running.
posted by Glibpaxman at 9:58 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

This is not normal, from the latest pool report:

The president thanked the pool, our sign to exit. ABCs Jonathan Karl asked POTUS whether he has any evidence to back up his claims that former President Obama tapped phone lines in Trump Tower. Trump did not respond. Another reporter asked if he knew former national security adviser Michael Flynn was technically a foreign agent due to work he was doing on behalf of the Turkish government. POTUS did not respond.

One of Trumps personal security men entered the Roosevelt Room from a door behind the pool and began yelling loudly for us to clear out. So your pooler could not make out the specifics of other questions behind shouted at the president. I am told Chairman Walden made a joke second before the pool exited, and POTUS responded with a smile - but his words were inaudible over the yelling of the security man and a bevy of final camera shutter sounds.

We knew he's got random personal security people hanging around the White House, albeit acting more as staff than security. Now they're yelling at the press?
posted by zachlipton at 10:00 AM on March 10, 2017 [45 favorites]

Trump's on Track to Deliver 25 Million Jobs in 10 Years

And 250 million jobs in 100 years!

(I think I just Gorka'd in my mouth a little bit.)
posted by diogenes at 10:06 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

AP: Trump transition was told Flynn likely needed to register as foreign agent before taking top national security role.

Oops.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:14 AM on March 10, 2017 [49 favorites]

The biggest one would be just sit down and shut up.

Yah. I mean, it can be hard to glean context from 140 characters, but if you go look at the various "Trump regrets" Twitter compilations and websites & etc., it seems like no small number of people unhappy with him are unhappy because he's spending his time and energy tweeting about dumb shit like the size of his inauguration crowds rather than actually working to fulfill his campaign promises. IOW, they want him to do more horrible shit and are mad that he's so easily distracted. If his staff can ever wrest the Twitters away from him I think his popularity would see a significant jump.

(Although right at the moment a lot of his voters seem to be mad that either 1) he isn't just eliminating Obamacare entirely or 2) the "fixed" version that's being pushed jacks up the cost of their health insurance when he promised that his new plan would be better. So that's two different groups pissed at him about Republicare.)
posted by soundguy99 at 10:15 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

god, i look at the current situation and just imagine how much worse it would be if they were just the tiniest bit smarter
posted by murphy slaw at 10:15 AM on March 10, 2017 [38 favorites]

Fortunately, I doubt with every bone in my body Trump's ability to let anyone else take the spotlight. So don't worry, he'll fuck up any small rise in approval by jumping in front of a camera to proclaim how amazing he is and what a fine tuned machine he's running.

One of the few remaining vocal trump supporters in my feed hasn't posted anything positive or defensive of him since February 9th, and that was a post that boiled down to "trump isn't literally Hitler according to this Holocaust survivor!" This is in a solid blue state, so I understand that's anecdotal at best, but I think it still indicates some flagging support even among the hardcore. That makes sense, given the fact that he basically convinced a lot of non-political people who'd given up on elections to vote. They don't tend to stick around when things get complicated and tough.
posted by codacorolla at 10:17 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Trying this out for flow/mouthfeel - "Affordable Wealthcare Act"
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:17 AM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

Also, "traumatized child who never grew up" is the generous interpretation.

Speaking as a traumatized child who did grow up, please don't imply trauma had anything to do with Trump. Much more likely being a wealthy, privileged asshole with no boundaries did that. There's no evidence Trump has PTSD. He's a narcissist. Huge difference ("tremendous," even).
posted by saulgoodman at 10:18 AM on March 10, 2017 [26 favorites]

If Trump had been just the tiniest bit smarter, could he still have been elected? I ask that both literally and seriously.
posted by nicepersonality at 10:18 AM on March 10, 2017 [19 favorites]

it wouldn't even need to be Trump being smarter, if they had a single person on the transition team that knew how the government worked, or knew how to work with congress, they could be enacting their terrible plans with so many fewer own-goals…
posted by murphy slaw at 10:20 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

If Trump had been just the tiniest bit smarter, could he still have been elected? I ask that both literally and seriously.

Probably not. Yeah, he probably wouldn't have been dumb enough to think Americans were stupid enough to elect him in the first place, and so wouldn't have run, or said any of the racist, misogynist and stupid things that made Certain People fall in fuckin' love with him....
posted by tivalasvegas at 10:21 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

If you say to Paul Ryan: "Some people are going to get cancer" - he'll respond "no I won't" and end the conversation.

He'll leave out the part that if he does, he has access to gold-plated health care courtesy the US taxpayer. But, by golly, he's a rugged individualist who deserves it!
posted by Gelatin at 10:21 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

> Trying this out for flow/mouthfeel - "~~Affordable~~ Deplorable Wealthcare Act"

ftfy
posted by tonycpsu at 10:23 AM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

how did we get to the point of having to aggressively defend the benefits of living in a goddamn society.

We started insisting everyone could live equally in it.

Quoted for truth.
posted by Gelatin at 10:25 AM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

I read every "what to call the ACA replacement" comment in Brian Griffin's voice
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:25 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

> Trying this out for flow/mouthfeel

Terrible phrasing for anything involving politics until the dossier is thoroughly debunked
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:26 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

If Trump had been just the tiniest bit smarter, could he still have been elected? I ask that both literally and seriously.

I think if he was smarter he would've dropped out of the race, or intentionally torpedoed himself, right before he took the Republican nomination. His current situation (I hope to God) leaves him at least considerably worse off after he leaves office (however that is), and maybe even results in serious legal trouble. Being the martyred true believer of the Conservative cause would've basically skyrocketed his brand as the nation gnashed teeth over Cruz or Hillary, and he could've kept eyes out of his sordid private life. That's where intelligence would've helped trump, IMO.
posted by codacorolla at 10:27 AM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

hmm, the WSJ reports that they're back to considering the plan to arm the Kurds to take Raqqa from ISIS.

This sounds suspiciously like the Obama Administration plan I was talking about the other night. You know, the plan Obama considered so important he was going to discuss it with Trump on the way to the inauguration. The one the Trump people promptly rejected. The one that would seriously anger Turkey. The one that Flynn slammed the breaks on a short time after receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to act as a foreign agent on behalf of Turkey.

And now that he's gone, the plan seems to be under consideration again.

I don't understand why this isn't a massive scandal. He clearly didn't recuse himself. Flynn took Turkish money into November, and then basically his first act on the job was to direct US military policy away from something that would go against Turkey's strategic interests.
posted by zachlipton at 10:31 AM on March 10, 2017 [94 favorites]

Much more likely being a wealthy, privileged asshole with no boundaries did that.

One wonders what his parents were thinking.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:33 AM on March 10, 2017

Spicer time.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:33 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Apart from that, trump seems uncomfortable being (easily) the stupidest and least knowledgable person in every room that he is in for the next 4 years. He hates the job, he hates the people, and he hates the location. He hates the scrutiny, and he hates being held accountable (however flaccidly that is) by outside sources like the courts the papers. He hates being hated, and right now a solid 60% of the country hates him. He most assuredly hates being the target of mockery, especially with the Hollywood and society types that he has always longingly sought to be a part of. He hates not putting his name on stuff, he hates not being able to play his schemer games with businesses, and he's in withdrawal from the adulation of deplorables, which is why he's still holding campaign rallies a solid 4 months after having secured the office. I would imagine the man is miserable, compared to his former life of being a man-child millionaire*.

A smart man wouldn't have put himself into that position. A man who's greed and hubris has exceeded their cunning, however... Unfortunately for us, we have to live in the wake of his misery.
posted by codacorolla at 10:33 AM on March 10, 2017 [33 favorites]

I still don't really grok why the markets aren't freaking out.

As the answers to most economic questions are, the answers are varied and complex. I think part of this is still momentum from Obama. The economy is a large ship and it takes a lot of weird things lining up to get it to change directions fast so you can expect the effects of the Obama admin to last for a some time.

The Fed has been very slowly raising rates. This is a signal the economy is doing well, so well in fact that we need to slow it down before it spirals out of control. Classically, those rising interest rates should be accompanied by slowly rising Fed tax rates and a slow-down of Government spending. Fewer people need help in a growing economy so cuts shouldn't be hard to make.

The problem is that all of this growth has benefitted the highest income earners almost exclusively. So we should be taxing the shit out of those people, cutting spending that doesn't benefit those with lower and middle class incomes. Basically a middle/working/poor class stimulus that cuts out the rich (or rather, milks the rich to pay for the stimulus).

What the GOP has planned is exactly the wrong thing to do and will likely result in a massive crash (just like every other time the GOP has controlled both houses and the presidency), but they haven't actually implemented anything yet and it's not totally clear that they'll be able to. So I think that a lot of analysts are basing forecasts on what they actually KNOW and a lot of that is based on historical data. Recent history has been solid, steady growth and until something changes, they expect that to continue.

Trump's policies could affect tourism and lots of people are saying that it will be effected. But by how much? When and how fast? What does that translate to in terms of $$$? Until the effects of his admin and the GOP controlled congress start showing up in the numbers used to generate these forecasts there aren't any effects on the forecasts.

So I think a lot of what you're seeing is analysts basically saying, "I have no fucking idea what this admin is actually going to affect things and the numbers say everything is rosey and will stay that way so I guess go with that until something changes."

The trick, then, will be to figure out what the leading indicators are going to be and use that as your guide of how and when to act. In "The Big Short" right the beginning, Bale's character mentions increasing fraud rates so that might be something to keep an eye on. I also know that major crashes are typically preceded by a period of de-regulation (part of what I find massively frustrating about GOP economic "theory").

On top of all of that the problem you have is timing. Even if you have access to every piece of information you need and understand it completely, the market is sometimes irrational. It WILL correct itself eventually but the saying, "The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent" is common among finance types for a reason.
posted by VTX at 10:35 AM on March 10, 2017 [29 favorites]

I read every "what to call the ACA replacement" comment in Brian Griffin's voice
Ok, here's another one. I think we should just call it by its initials but always provide the pronunciation, like this: "the AHCA, pronounced, 'ah-choo!'"
posted by Don Pepino at 10:38 AM on March 10, 2017

NYT: Sean Spicer called the jobs report “great news” 22 minutes after its release. A federal rule bars comment for 1 hour
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:38 AM on March 10, 2017 [64 favorites]

Apart from that, trump seems uncomfortable being (easily) the stupidest and least knowledgable person in every room that he is in for the next 4 years.

You don't think he'll have got used to it in the previous seventy years?
posted by tivalasvegas at 10:39 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Not tragic enough to live.
posted by newdaddy at 10:40 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Speaking as a traumatized child who did grow up, please don't imply trauma had anything to do with Trump. Much more likely being a wealthy, privileged asshole with no boundaries did that. There's no evidence Trump has PTSD. He's a narcissist. Huge difference ("tremendous," even).

I'm more than familiar with trauma and PTSD myself. I'm also familiar with the evolving view that some of the personality disorders are better understood as responses to trauma, and that some of the "untreatable" personality disorders might be so intractable because they haven't been been treated as responses to trauma.

The more important point is that experiencing trauma is not a get out of jail free card for being an asshole. Many people experience trauma. The vast majority of us do not become abusive narcissists with a hard on for racism and misogyny. He is still responsible for who he is in the world, just as you are responsible for who you are, and I am responsible for who I am.
posted by schadenfrau at 10:42 AM on March 10, 2017 [24 favorites]

A smart man wouldn't have put himself into that position. A man who's greed and hubris has exceeded their cunning, however... Unfortunately for us, we have to live in the wake of his misery.

Starting to sound like the TV series Blackadder.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:42 AM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

Why bring trauma up at all though? That's completely irrelevant here. No medical experts have even speculatively suggested Trump's anything more or less than a bog standard malignant narcissist, and that condition has no necessary connection to trauma. Completely different kind of issue.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:46 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

"the President has received a plan to defeat ISIS"

But I thought he had a secret plan to defeat ISIS already?
posted by mikepop at 10:47 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Apart from that, trump seems uncomfortable being (easily) the stupidest and least knowledgable person in every room that he is in for the next 4 years.

You don't think he'll have got used to it in the previous seventy years?

Trump has famously said that the thing about "Hire people smarter than you" is crap, because he always wants to be the smartest person in the room.
posted by Etrigan at 10:48 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Spicer time.

OMG his flag pin is on upside down. Is it a signal?
posted by anastasiav at 10:50 AM on March 10, 2017 [35 favorites]

lolz. Sean Spicer signaling distress at today's presser. [photo of his flag lapel pin, which has rotated itself upside-down]
posted by zachlipton at 10:50 AM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

>> "the President has received a plan to defeat ISIS"
> But I thought he had a secret plan to defeat ISIS already?

He's ... uhhh ... comparing this plan to his secret plan to see how good this one is. And if it's good enough, we'll go ahead and implement it.
posted by RedOrGreen at 10:50 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Blah, Blah, Blah. Yeah, We get it. We all have gotten Unicorns. Let's get to the questions.
posted by mikelieman at 10:51 AM on March 10, 2017

I love this upside-down pin as a sign of HELP idea.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Why bring trauma up at all though? That's completely irrelevant here. No medical diagnosis even speculative have suggested Trump's anything more or less than a bog standard malignant narcissist, and that condition has no necessary connection to trauma. Completely different kind of issue.

Because we were talking about the worldview of Trump supporters and conservatives, not the man himself, and those people just happily elected someone who is very obviously an abuser while the rest of us tried to get as far away from him as possible. Surely you're aware there are many responses to trauma and abuse, and that some of them involve recreating that abuse or being attracted to people who remind you of that abuser?

A certain kind of worldview looks a lot like that of a traumatized child, and that worldview aligns with support for an obvious abuser. That's highly relevant. Maybe reread that convo.
posted by schadenfrau at 10:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Word of the flag pin has reached the briefing room, and Spicer has corrected it. He assures the world it was not a promo for House of Cards.
posted by zachlipton at 10:53 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Spicey now saying that there are career civil servants in the intelligence community who "burrowed" into government over the last eight years and are enacting the Obama agenda against Trump.

!
posted by prefpara at 11:01 AM on March 10, 2017 [44 favorites]

I love this upside-down pin as a sign of HELP idea.

Is sign to Russian handler. He left the USB drive at the dead-drop as instructed.
posted by mikelieman at 11:02 AM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

He assures the world it was not a promo for House of Cards.

Heh, that's actually mildly amusing. Is our Spicer learning? Maybe he will work on figuring out how to tell the truth next.
posted by tivalasvegas at 11:02 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

He assures the world it was not a promo for House of Cards.

But was it a distress signal?
posted by nubs at 11:02 AM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Eh, he was setup for the House of Cards joke by a reporter (it was all over Twitter). He's not that clever.
posted by zachlipton at 11:04 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Re the jobs numbers, Spicey jokes that Trump recently told him that "the numbers may have been fake in the past but they're very real now."

And then there is laughter in the room, as if that was a funny joke, instead of vomiting, because oh my god.
posted by prefpara at 11:05 AM on March 10, 2017 [61 favorites]

In this administration, there are not-so-useful idiots (Flynn), emissaries from the void (Bannon), and dead-eyed mercenaries (Conway). Spicey has always struck me as one of the latter, and I like to think this inverted flag pin was fully intentional, a little hint that he knows he is a ridiculous character in a fucked-up situation, like a nonverbal "it's a living" from one of those birds on the Flintstones before Fred uses it as a can opener or whatever

sort of like when he was tweeting his passwords, he can't just straight up post one of those "I don't know what I'm doing lol" memes, has to be subtle, plausibly deniable

and yeah I know I'm charitably humanizing terrible people, but isn't it's funny that we're at a point where saying "oh, he's not a monster, just an amoral hack" is the nicest possible interpretation of somebody's actions? 2017 everybody, give it up
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:05 AM on March 10, 2017 [12 favorites]

How about instead of chuckling at Trump's quote "it's phony in the past but it is real now" about the jobs report, how about some follow up questions about the hypocrisy, press corps?

Stop normalizing that the President of the Unite States can just spout off wacky sound bites with no consequences.
posted by mikepop at 11:06 AM on March 10, 2017 [46 favorites]

2017 everybody, give it up

It'll be here all year; try the roast beef! Tip your waitress! that's her health care plan
posted by nubs at 11:07 AM on March 10, 2017 [28 favorites]

"it's phony in the past but it is real now" about the jobs report, how about some follow up questions about the hypocrisy, press corp?

Like, "will they remain real in the future, regardless of it showing good or bad economic news for this administration?"
posted by peeedro at 11:08 AM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

Hey, schadenfrau: I respect you from your comment history. Please don't be mean to me, too, okay? I'm getting that treatment from a lot of random directions already lately.

The original point was about Trump, though if we're talking about his supporters now, I might agree with your second point. I was neglected by a woman and have a history of getting into relationships with abusive women, so I completely acknowledge your argument on the second point.
posted by saulgoodman at 11:13 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Spicey is getting a lot of pressure re Flynn and is in aggro mode. Just arguing with reporters instead of answering questions. I'm just struggling today. How can anyone look at this calmly and accept it as the normal functioning of a healthy system? This is a fucking shitshow.
posted by prefpara at 11:14 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Silver lining: Spicer keeps trying to shut people down (did you know it's one question Friday?) but the reporters are following up on one another's questions, so like the last three or four in a row just keep banging on Flynn. Good work, journalists!
posted by prefpara at 11:16 AM on March 10, 2017 [52 favorites]

I still don't really grok why the markets aren't freaking out.

There is nowhere safe for the money to go.
posted by srboisvert at 11:16 AM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

Wow. Someone just asked Spicer if, given that he violated a federal rule by speaking too soon re the jobs report, he is going to be "counseled" by the president. Spicer thinks it's a silly rule and is cracking jokes.
posted by prefpara at 11:19 AM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

"I understand the rule, but..."

The GOP in summary
posted by mikepop at 11:20 AM on March 10, 2017 [58 favorites]

Spicer thinks it's a silly rule and is cracking jokes.

Which the press corps laugh along with. SNL, please for your next Spicer sketch play him as this fun friendly guy and focus your derision on making the corps look like idiots for playing along.
posted by mikepop at 11:22 AM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

>AP: Media the enemy? Trump sure is an insatiable consumer

Trump usually rises before 6 a.m. and first watches TV in the residence before later moving to a small dining room in the West Wing. A short time later, he's given a stack of newspapers — including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Washington Post and, long his favorite, The New York Post — as well as pile of printed articles from other sources including conservative online outlets like Breitbart News.

The TVs stay on all day. The president often checks in at lunch and again in the evening, when he retires to the residence, cellphone in hand.

[...]

That wasn't the only time last week when Trump put the White House stamp on a theory that originated on the edges of the conservative movement. Radio host Mark Levin voiced without evidence the idea that Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower. That accusation was picked up the next day by Breitbart News, the site formerly run by Trump's current chief strategist Steve Bannon.

An aide placed that piece in Trump's daily reading pile, said a White House official, who like other aides would not be named discussing the president's private routine. Fueled by that report on Saturday, Trump unleashed a series of jaw-dropping tweets that accused his predecessor of spying on him.

Between this and his post-Fox News tweets he's like Evil Ron Burgandy.
posted by Room 641-A at 11:22 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Quite the tweet from shortly before the briefing:

@Carrasquillo: "Fox News Radio John Decker just loudly told everyone in briefing room that Gateway Pundit is here "they hate blacks, Jews, Hispanics." Wild"

Decker also emailed the pool email list to note this fact.
posted by zachlipton at 11:23 AM on March 10, 2017 [18 favorites]

Fifa president says US travel ban could risk 2026 World Cup bid – video: Fifa president Gianni Infantino suggests that Donald Trump’s travel ban, which blocks immigration to the US from six Muslim-majority countries, could put the nation’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup at risk. Speaking in London on Thursday, Infantino says that ‘any team ... who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country’ and suggests that countries will have to decide whether to continue their bids ‘based on the requirements’

Now there is some shit that could go either way grammatically:

"You're corrupt!" "No, You're Corrupt!"

or

"Your corrupt" "No your corrupt" "No really I insist that's your corrupt" "Oh wait, that's my corrupt"
posted by srboisvert at 11:25 AM on March 10, 2017

Yes, Trump scammed many of his working-class supporters. This new analysis leaves little doubt.
posted by futz at 11:29 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

It's the worldview of a traumatized child, calcified, over the years, into a hard, righteous cruelty.

Oh my god, that's why Republicans are so opposed to accessible and de-stigmatized mental health care. The cycle of trauma is how they make new Reavers.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 11:31 AM on March 10, 2017 [20 favorites]

April Ryan, as Spicer is trying to leave: “Are you watching SNL this weekend, since you talked about moving the podium?"
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:33 AM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

is it just me or does spicey have a shifty-eyed tell?

cause his peeps were wildly darting about during some of the Flynn questions
posted by angrycat at 11:36 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't understand why this isn't a massive scandal. He clearly didn't recuse himself. Flynn took Turkish money into November, and then basically his first act on the job was to direct US military policy away from something that would go against Turkey's strategic interests.

More importantly, we have him pretty much dead to rights with concrete evidence, a paper trail, and his own admission via recently registering as an agent of a foreign government. There is basically none of that for the Russia thing yet, despite people having pushed that narrative for almost a year now.
posted by indubitable at 11:39 AM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

I love this upside-down pin as a sign of HELP idea.

Or it's a shout-out to sovereign citizens, who frequently display the flag upside down. Who knows? Since we're all making up our own facts these days, Ima go with that.

"Fox News Radio John Decker just loudly told everyone in briefing room that Gateway Pundit is here "

So was Sputnik News. Spicer called on him.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:48 AM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

A frightening thing buried in the healthcare bill: Most California insurance plans could be ineligible for tax credits under the GOP's new proposal

The tax credits can't be used to buy plans that cover abortion. Most all California plans are required to offer coverage for both abortion and maternal care. California has a workaround for the current system, essentially an accounting trick to ensure federal funds don't go toward abortion coverage, but the new bill would screw that up, leaving almost all the California plans ineligible for tax credits.
posted by zachlipton at 11:50 AM on March 10, 2017 [26 favorites]

Canada's highest court upholds ruling that Donald Trump did mislead investors
'Both believed that buying into the Trump project would be an excellent investment,' says Justice Paul Rouleau. 'And in time, both came to realise that they were wrong.'
posted by futz at 11:52 AM on March 10, 2017 [19 favorites]

mhm aha, brent/wti oil price is crashing along with other commodities, someone is doing something ;)
posted by xcasex at 11:55 AM on March 10, 2017

is it just me or does spicey have a shifty-eyed tell?

You mean besides you can tell when he's lying because he's talking?
posted by Etrigan at 11:56 AM on March 10, 2017 [19 favorites]

Yuk-yuk TGIF stuff from the press corps taps into David Frum's sense that an attitude can build of "well, we've got jobs, this is just what family kleptocracy looks like in America la la la".
posted by holgate at 11:57 AM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

prefpara: Silver lining: Spicer keeps trying to shut people down (did you know it's one question Friday?) but the reporters are following up on one another's questions, so like the last three or four in a row just keep banging on Flynn. Good work, journalists!

Here's the thing about making anything about Us vs Them - if you alienate enough people as Thems, they will out-number the Us, and they may well start to work together.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:59 AM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

The Atlantic: White Evangelicals Believe They Face More Discrimination Than Muslims. "A new study suggests different groups of Americans see their country in radically divergent ways."

Historical data suggests white evangelicals perceive even less discrimination against Muslims now than they did a few years ago—or before the election. When this question was asked in a December 2013 PRRI survey, 59 percent of white evangelicals said they think Muslims face a lot of discrimination. As late as last October, 56 percent said this was the case. As of February, that number had dropped by 12 percentage points. It’s possible that this finding is an anomaly—the sample size of white evangelicals in the February poll [from the Public Religion Research Institute] was smaller than in previous surveys—but it suggests a dramatic shift.

posted by ZeusHumms at 12:00 PM on March 10, 2017 [32 favorites]

White evangelicals either can't or won't tell the difference between fantasy and reality
posted by OverlappingElvis at 12:03 PM on March 10, 2017 [24 favorites]

I'm currently more angry at the white evangelicals I know (who voted for Trump) than I am at the Muslims I know (who didn't). So there's that.
posted by OnceUponATime at 12:04 PM on March 10, 2017 [20 favorites]

futz: Canada's highest court upholds ruling that Donald Trump did mislead investors 'Both believed that buying into the Trump project would be an excellent investment,' says Justice Paul Rouleau. 'And in time, both came to realise that they were wrong.'

Is this a meta-comment on US voters? Oh, it's actually about Canadian investors.

Sarbjit Singh and Se Na Lee alleged they were sold units in Toronto's, Trump International Hotel, under false pretences.

The pair claimed they were misled to believe their investments would see returns ranging from 7.7 per cent to 20.9 per cent. Instead, they said they lost a combined C$1.2m (£732,810).
...
In a document outlining the case, Justice Paul Rouleau wrote that “neither Mr Singh nor Mrs Lee were sophisticated investors, in real estate or otherwise" and "both had to borrow heavily from family to finance their purchases”.

Mr Singh had been discharged from bankruptcy three years before making the purchase and was earning around C$55,000 a year as a warehouse supervisor, it said.

He did not have enough money for the deposit for the unit and had to receive help from his father, a retired welder, who agreed to help and took out a line of credit on his own home to finance the loan.

Ms Lee was a homemaker, whose husband worked as a mortgage underwriter at the time. Her parents loaned her money for the deposit.

...
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the investors, ordering that the sale of the unit must be rescinded for Singh and damages must be paid to Lee for “negligent misrepresentation”.

In the end, isn't this true about all of Trump's gold-plated shit? (Well, except for the positive settlement in the end - these two fared better than most.)
posted by filthy light thief at 12:04 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Good news, everyone - the Independent (UK) agrees with us: Paul Ryan's healthcare PowerPoint presentation 'fails to grasp how insurance works' (video segment)

Because laughter is good, free medicine: Twitter Turns Paul Ryan’s PowerPoint On Health Care Into A Sick Meme (HuffPo)
posted by filthy light thief at 12:06 PM on March 10, 2017 [18 favorites]

The Atlantic: White Evangelicals Believe They Face More Discrimination Than Muslims

It's like they have to have the lion's share of everything, right down to victimhood.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 12:07 PM on March 10, 2017 [34 favorites]

You'll never lose money betting on the victim complex of privileged white Christian Americans. Never in all history has a group so coddled believed it was so oppressed.
posted by sotonohito at 12:08 PM on March 10, 2017 [49 favorites]

We're allowed to play music (quietly) in my office. Today I put on the Hamilton soundtrack. Co-worker didn't know it, but after I told him, turns out his family was talking over dinner just last night, about then-Senator Pence's brave handling of the situation. What situation, I asked. Apparently the cast rudely confronted him when he attended the show with his 12-year-old daughter, but he stood up for their right to free speech.

I was struck literally dumb. I avoid politics at work but wish now that I'd pushed back.
posted by Chris4d at 12:08 PM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

White evangelicals either can't or won't tell the difference between fantasy and reality

Reality: Some dude parted the sea; at one point, there were only two humans and they screwed all of us by eating an apple.

Fantasy: Racism, poverty
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:10 PM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

You'll never lose money betting on the victim complex of privileged white Christian Americans. Never in all history has a group so coddled believed it was so oppressed.

Agreed, but this is a relatively fast change. Maybe the anti-Obama propaganda factors into this.
posted by ZeusHumms at 12:10 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

You'll never lose money betting on the victim complex of privileged white Christian Americans. Never in all history has a group so coddled believed it was so oppressed.

Please don't trivialise the magnitude of the trauma of having a cashier say "Happy holidays!" instead of "BEHOLD THE GLORY OF THE CHRIST" when you leave Best Buy.
posted by PenDevil at 12:11 PM on March 10, 2017 [79 favorites]

Oh and a House panel just approved a bill that would let employers demand genetic testing as part of "wellness" programs

And now we're living in Gattaca.
posted by dirigibleman at 12:12 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

having a cashier say "Happy holidays!" instead of "BEHOLD THE GLORY OF THE CHRIST" when you leave Best Buy.

Plus you really shouldn't be using that greeting until Epiphanytide, anyway.
posted by tivalasvegas at 12:13 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

You'll never lose money betting on the victim complex of privileged white Christian Americans. Never in all history has a group so coddled believed it was so oppressed.

Agreed, but this is a relatively fast change. Maybe the anti-Obama propaganda factors into this.

Nah, they've been like this since before Obama ever ran for a seat in the state legislature.
posted by Etrigan at 12:13 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

LARPing being an oppressed minority brings with it a fantastic hit of endorphins. It makes people feel special, just like conspiracy theories do.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:14 PM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

I feel more in danger from Christians in America than from Muslims, so they do have that.
posted by thelonius at 12:16 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

A few people have mentioned the markets so I thought I would share this.

Ominous sounding ‘Ohama Titanic Syndrome’ is forming in the stock market

The article has since been updated. Here is the final paragraph from the original. (Published: Mar 8, 2017 6:47 p.m. ET):

To be sure, the Titanic Syndrome hasn’t always resulted in a downturn in the market. On its own it has had a number of false alarms, with markets continuing to maintain an uptrend. Ohama has refined the syndrome to note that new lows must exceed new highs for four out of five sessions and new highs must decline to about 1.5% of total issuance.

By that measure, the bearish signal is one day away from flashing a bright red.

I have been keeping an eye out for an update and here it is (Published: Mar 10, 2017 2:05 p.m. ET):

To be sure, the Titanic Syndrome hasn’t always resulted in a downturn in the market. On its own it has had a number of false alarms, with markets continuing to maintain an uptrend. Ohama has refined the syndrome to note that new lows must exceed new highs for four out of five sessions and new highs must decline to about 1.5% of total issuance. McClellan also says the Dow or S&P 500 must end lower for at least four out five sessions.

By those measures, the bearish signal is crystallizing.

This is just one article and I am not an expert by any stretch.
posted by futz at 12:17 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

I missed this story last week. For those thinking that Tiffany might not be one of the deplorable Trumps, I present, Trump(but not actually his) Vancouver's official opening.

Mr. Trump's daughter Tiffany sat alongside her sisters-in-law Vanessa and Lara next to Mr. Tiah's parents, while his sons Eric and Donald Jr. addressed the large crowd of media. Donald Jr. remarked that Tiffany would "soon be within the organization."
posted by Yowser at 12:18 PM on March 10, 2017

(What does Live Action Role Playing have anything to do with this?)
posted by INFJ at 12:18 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Ominous sounding ‘Ohama Titanic Syndrome’ is forming in the stock market

Benjamin Graham's Mr. Market allegory is useful in these times. The market is going to do what it's going to do and it's our job as investors to almost entirely ignore technical analysis "signals" like this.

At some point in the future there will be another recession, probably caused by Trump but maybe not. In any case, recessions are a great time to buy while everyone else is panicking.
posted by zrail at 12:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

*hurls styrofoam lightning bolt at INFJ*
posted by darkstar at 12:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

(What does Live Action Role Playing have anything to do with this?)

Fred Clark has a series of posts about why some Evangelical Christians believe such weird things. The thesis is basically that they are doing a sort of sinister version of Live Action Role Playing, where they don't admit that the monsters are just pretend, but rather fight real people while pretending to heroically fight monsters. This is one of his more chilling posts, about a crime which was committed by some teenage girls who were engaged in something similar. Here's one about why they feel the need to imagine their political opponents are Satanic Baby Killers (or kitten burners). Here's one about how this ties in with the Satanic Panic of the '80s.

It's a very convincing argument. I don't think extreme right wing Evangelicals are the only ones who do it, either. I think it explains a lot about cultist, terrorists, and con victims as well. (Fred has warned those of us in "The Resistance" to be careful not to fall into this trap.)
posted by OnceUponATime at 12:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [70 favorites]

You know, in traditional Christian teaching Jesus died at age 33. If he was born with the advent of A.D., that's 33 A.D. Add exactly 1984 years and that's 2017.

I don't know what that means but it might spook millennialists.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:30 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

I missed this story last week. For those thinking that Tiffany might not be one of the deplorable Trumps, I present, Trump(but not actually his) Vancouver's official opening.

Here's hoping Barron goes full Ron Reagan on his dear old dad.
posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 12:31 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Sessions is purging the DoJ .
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:37 PM on March 10, 2017 [12 favorites]

Couple more classic Fred Clark posts I've linked before but want to take this excuse to link again. These are about "fake news" and whether people really believe it or just pretend to believe it so hard they even fool themselves: False Witnesses and False Witnesses 2.
posted by OnceUponATime at 12:37 PM on March 10, 2017 [13 favorites]

How many US Attorneys did Obama replace? How much turnover is normal at the start of an administration?
posted by prefpara at 12:39 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

In case it hasn't been mentioned, CNN, having completely forgotten that Trump is a pathological liar and narcissist (because that tack is evidently bad for ad revenue), and seemingly ignorant of the fact that one month does not a trend make, now has this headline on their web page:

Trump's on Track to Deliver 25 Million Jobs in 10 Years

In the past couple of hours, someone at CNN got part of a clue. They have now edited that headline to say:

Trump's on Track to Deliver 25 Million Jobs in 10 Years...

And have added a second article immediately following it with the headline:

...but how much credit should he get for job production?"

By the way, CNN, the answer to that is: none. None of the credit. And shame on you for even mudying the waters on this.
posted by darkstar at 12:39 PM on March 10, 2017 [21 favorites]

Catch up:

Purge in the State department is something to watch that most media is ignoring. I know for example, that most of the people with long term structural knowledge of how the diplomatic corps work, have been shown the door. Some people with 40 years of experience were fired, they didn't resign. I think I've only really heard Maddow do much coverage of how dangerous this is.

Re markets; wti is just bouncing because of quarterly, commodities are stable, the vix is so low as to be almost record breaking. I don't understand at all the absurd optimism being shown by the market, as I have thought it was in bubble territory for years, but I'm alone is this pessimism, as the market movers do not seem to be showing any signs of hesitation.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 12:42 PM on March 10, 2017 [16 favorites]

Does anyone have a list of the resignations Sessions asked for?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:43 PM on March 10, 2017

How many US Attorneys did Obama replace? How much turnover is normal at the start of an administration?

Best I could do.

Definitely the case that US attorneys will see turnover with a new administration, I think.

But compare how Obama did it and how Sessions/Trump are doing it. Full warning, and a full effort to not disrupt the continuity of gov't, vs. a leak that Sessions is bringing down the axe.
posted by dis_integration at 12:43 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Some more background on US Attorney replacement with some Hannity-is-a-liar bonus points.
posted by dis_integration at 12:44 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

This is just one article and I am not an expert by any stretch.

Eh. That's just overfitting of the data. Which is why he has to keep "refining" it as it sends false positives.

The market may be about to tank. It may keep going up. In either case it will have nothing to do with this sort of technical analysis which is just cargo cult voodooism.
posted by Justinian at 12:44 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

The WasPost says "the Clinton administration, for instance, had taken a similar step at the start of its presidency. Sessions himself was asked to resign as the U.S. attorney in Alabama in March, 1993 by Clinton’s Attorney General Janet Reno."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:45 PM on March 10, 2017

Oh FFS. Did this fly under the radar? I searched here but didn't see it:

Politico: Former top Trump aide Jason Miller joins CNN

Jason Miller, a former top aide to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and his transition team, is joining CNN as a paid contributor, effective today, POLITICO confirmed.

A frightening thing buried in the healthcare bill: Most California insurance plans could be ineligible for tax credits under the GOP's new proposal

Cannot wait to hear what response Jerry Brown comes up with.

Twitter Turns Paul Ryan’s PowerPoint On Health Care Into A Sick Meme

Keith Ellison even got in on the act.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:51 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

Funny thing about Fred Clarke is that, while I know who he is and my husband reads his work quite a bit, I haven't really read anything by him, at least not in depth. The LARPing thing is just... It's what so many people do. Conspiracy theorists, religious fanatics, preppers. Anyone who feels entitled to a hero's journey but finds themselves not actually being sent on one, you can always just make one up for yourself. Has the bonus of being much safer than, like, actually slaying a real dragon.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:53 PM on March 10, 2017 [24 favorites]

Eh. That's just overfitting of the data. Which is why he has to keep "refining" it

Well the original article did end on the author saying that he expected the next day or so to provide more clarity so he updated it to reflect the newer information. I could also link to many more people who fear that we are in a major bubble and want Wall Street to wake the fuck up but that is a derail for this thread. Yes, I also know that you can find anyone screaming any number of things on the regular.
posted by futz at 1:00 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Has the bonus of being much safer than, like, actually slaying a real dragon.

And also it's WAY easier than dealing with actual reality. So if you care more about your Christian hero's journey than actually helping people, it's a perfect fit.

soren_lorensen's "asshole in search of a hero's journey" framing is kind of perfect.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:02 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

futz: Oh, we may be heading for a bubble. I just hate technical analysis with a passion. It's irrational thinking.

If you want a chart that shows why we might be heading into a bubble I think this one is good. It has the advantage of being simple, direct, and true. It shows that the average price to earnings ratio of S&P stocks has been higher than it is right now twice in all of history. Once was the huge bubble of 1999-2000 when prices were massively inflated. And once was the height of the financial crisis when earnings tanked so fast and so hard that the p/e ratios spiked into the stratosphere very briefly before prices came down. That's it in 130+ years.
posted by Justinian at 1:04 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Okay wait just one more reaction to that survey about Evangelicals feeling more oppressed than they think Muslims are (I have so many feelings about this! Also Fred Clark has so many good articles about this)...

What Mike Warnke did in the 1980s, going on speaking tours telling scary stories about "Satanism" to church groups who were eager to believe him? There is a group of people doing that exact same thing today. Except instead of "Satanists" they are talking about Muslims.

I think nearly all the analysis about Trump's attraction has underestimated this factor. He is tapping into this fear of Muslims, uniting disparate groups of people against this common "enemy," and that is the reason, I think, that he won the primary. All the stuff about economic anxiety and rust belt jobs and so on is missing a huge part of his appeal. He is casting Muslims as the monsters in this role-playing game and a LOT of people are excited to play. Any Trump supporter you know, ask them what they think of Islam. I've yet to find one who doesn't reply "Islam isn't a religion. It's a medieval political system. Sharia law is not compatible with Judeo Christian values."

Try it. Any Trump supporter you know! Or anyone you meet online. The wealthy suburban Ivanka voters and the super religious pro-life voters and the ex coal miners. It's just so spooky, hearing this same line over and over again from all these different people which I never heard before Trump's campaign. (I'm sure it existed at least since 9/11/01, but all of the sudden it's everywhere.)

When I read all of these hand wringing political analysis pieces about why Trump voters would vote for the guy who's going to take away their health care, etc, I can't help being reminded of Bill Clinton's "It's the economy, stupid" summary of what voters care about. Only, I don't think that's true for Trump voters right now. If I had to summarize what Trump voters care about I would without hesitation say "It's the Islamophobia, stupid." This is way more dangerous than the Satanic Panic.
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:04 PM on March 10, 2017 [57 favorites]

Perfectly normal to replace US Attorneys at the start of a new administration (like day one). Not so normal to not bother to get around to it until March, then suddenly make it an emergency as Hannity is on TV blabbering about needing to purge all the Obama people.
posted by zachlipton at 1:05 PM on March 10, 2017 [9 favorites]

Oh my god, that's why Republicans are so opposed to accessible and de-stigmatized mental health care. The cycle of trauma is how they make new Reavers.

In fairness, mental health care only works 99.9% of the time. The remaining 0.1% of the country's 320 million people had the opposite reaction to the ~~Pax~~ mental health care. Their "aggressor response" increased beyond madness, and they became mindlessly violent and aggressive without limit. Approximately 300,000 Reavers were created.

Note: This is a reference to the film Serenity which followed the cult television show Firefly. It is in no way intended to discourage people from seeking or receiving mental health care, of which I am one.

Also, you should watch Firefly.
posted by stet at 1:08 PM on March 10, 2017 [18 favorites]

How many US Attorneys did Obama replace? How much turnover is normal at the start of an administration?

United States Attorney (wiki)

The U.S. Attorney is appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments subject to confirmation by the Senate. A U.S. Attorney shall continue in office, beyond the appointed term, until a successor is appointed and qualified. By law, each United States attorney is subject to removal by the President. The Attorney General has had the authority since 1986 to appoint interim U.S. Attorneys to fill a vacancy.

It's a politically-appointed position, so high turnover with a new administration would be normal, as far as I can tell.
posted by indubitable at 1:08 PM on March 10, 2017

Being afraid of Muslims is also usually inversely proportionate to your chance of ever even stubbing your toe on a Muslim let alone actually be a victim of terrorism. This performative histrionic irrational fear is another role to play, placing little old you right into the center of this epic battle between good and evil. Aren't you so important now?

I am exactly as much of a misanthrope as I am coming off as in these comments.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:11 PM on March 10, 2017 [48 favorites]

Just reading the article posted above about Trump's private security -- so Trump now has a parallel secret service, a parallel state department, a parallel national security council, a parallel prison system, and a parallel cabinet. Am I missing anything? With ICE as his domestic military goon squad, all he needs now is a parallel judiciary, which he seems to be working on at the moment, and he has it in the bag.
posted by Dr. Send at 1:13 PM on March 10, 2017 [16 favorites]

Sessions is purging the DoJ .

The fun part will be trying to find 46 (or 20, or 10) new ones to fill those empty slots since people aren't exactly lining up to join the Trump administration.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:14 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Also, you should watch Firefly.

Especially the episode "Bushwhacked," which was my first encounter with a brilliant distillation of the cycle of violence.
But really, everyone should watch Firefly.

/Firefly derail
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 1:14 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Large Seattle synagogue vandalized with "Holocaust is fake history!" (Seattle Times story, without photo).
posted by zachlipton at 1:15 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Any Trump supporter you know, ask them what they think of Islam. I've yet to find one who doesn't reply "Islam isn't a religion. It's a medieval political system. Sharia law is not compatible with Judeo Christian values."

This morning, NPR, which is always pleased as punch to let its listeners know what Republicans think, interviewed a bunch or Trump voters in Charlotte, NC, and one of them said pretty close to (if not exactly) that.

[Host Rachel] MARTIN: Nor is this crowd concerned about the executive order that drew protesters to airports in January, the ban on travelers from some majority-Muslim countries. And while President Trump might not be talking about a Muslim ban anymore, Don Reid is pretty clear about what he thinks.

REID: I'm very concerned about Muslims. I know there are many fine Muslims. I don't know many at all, but I do know this - that Sharia law is in direct contrast to everything that we believe. And if we bring those people here, then we are in fact infecting our country with a disease that will destroy us.

MARTIN: And he knows who to blame.

REID: And because of our great desire on the part of liberals to bring diversity to the country, we may have reached the point where we are never going to be united again. That's my big concern.

posted by Gelatin at 1:16 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Fred Clark has a series of posts about why some Evangelical Christians believe such weird things. The thesis is basically that they are doing a sort of sinister version of Live Action Role Playing, where they don't admit that the monsters are just pretend, but rather fight real people while pretending to heroically fight monsters.

I listened to a podcast a few years ago, NPR I think but I'm not having luck finding it, that interviewed people engaged in "prayer walking"; I'm sure that simply walking while praying is its own, more normal thing, but the interviewees believed that their prayers were combating unseen demons in the neighborhoods where they walked. They would plan and coordinate trying to get the widest coverage they could, with multiple passes in neighborhoods deemed to be particularly demon-plagued.
posted by XMLicious at 1:17 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

White evangelicals either can't or won't tell the difference between fantasy and reality

If they could tell the difference they wouldn't be religious fanatics and literalists, would they?
posted by Talez at 1:18 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I remember that - I'm pretty sure it was on This American Life
posted by Mchelly at 1:18 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Large Seattle synagogue vandalized with "Holocaust is fake history!" (Seattle Times story, without photo).

I say forgive them, Lord, they know not what they've--

no, you know what, fuck it, Lord, be Your old testament self and smite these assholes with burning rocks and shit
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:18 PM on March 10, 2017 [29 favorites]

multiple passes in neighborhoods deemed to be particularly demon-plagued.

Yeah, Prayer Walking is a thing.
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:19 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

I think it was this episode?
posted by Mchelly at 1:20 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm sure that simply walking while praying is its own, more normal thing, but the interviewees believed that their prayers were combating unseen demons in the neighborhoods where they walked. They would plan and coordinate trying to get the widest coverage they could, with multiple passes in neighborhoods deemed to be particularly demon-plagued.

So like Ingress, except even more inconsequential.
posted by PenDevil at 1:20 PM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

It's actually HOLOCAU$T I$ FAKE HI$TORY! except they managed to fuck up the dollar signs so much they just look like little whiskers
posted by theodolite at 1:22 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think it was this episode?

That's it! I was off by a decade or so because I found it on their FTP site long after it was broadcast.
posted by XMLicious at 1:24 PM on March 10, 2017

The super duper Christian gang at my college (weirdo, small school, so this was a very tiny group) went through this whole period where they were speaking in tongues and casting out demons and prayer walking, and it reminded me of when I used to pretend I was a Ghostbuster with my friends when I was in fourth grade.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:31 PM on March 10, 2017 [29 favorites]

REID: And because of our great desire on the part of liberals to bring diversity to the country, we may have reached the point where we are never going to be united again. That's my big concern.

Homogenized. The word you're looking for is homogenized. As in, "We are never going to be homogenized again." As in, "We're losing our mandate to bully people who are different from us." As in, "We are threatened by the very existence of people who aren't identical to us because ???"

Ugh, I'm a ball of sputtering rage I don't understand anything anymore
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 1:32 PM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

Trump's economic adviser says Trump had nothing to do with Friday's strong jobs report

-- According to Gary Cohn, the head of Trump's National Economic Council, there's no reason to credit Trump for the strong report.

-- "Look, there's clearly a good February as part of the number. I'm not going to deny that," Cohn said. "But on the other hand, when you look at what we've been doing here at the White House and all of the CEOs that we've brought in — whether it be Exxon or Sprint or Intel — they've promised enormous amounts of jobs and job creation in the United States. Those hirings have not been done yet. Those are future hirings."

-- Thus the beat in the February report, according to Cohn, is on the back of the recovery from the past eight years under President Barack Obama.

"So we're still living on the hirings from the normalized economic growth that's built into the system here,"

Ruh roh.
posted by futz at 1:34 PM on March 10, 2017 [34 favorites]

Does anyone have a list of the resignations Sessions asked for?

Sessions asking for resignations. That's funny. Well, not "funny" funny, but "where's that bottle of bourbon?" funny
posted by mikelieman at 1:45 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

One thing I do NOT understand about those who espouse holocaust denial: I have seen the videos where Hitler promises to exterminate the Jewish "vermin." It was an (the most??) important goal. Why are these idiots saying he didn't accomplish it?
posted by thebrokedown at 1:47 PM on March 10, 2017

Does anyone have a list of the resignations Sessions asked for?

If they have a * by their name, they're probably an Obama appointee, so they're out
posted by dis_integration at 1:47 PM on March 10, 2017

A suspicious package was also found at the Seattle temple.
posted by monopas at 1:48 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

I mean, it's not like they actually READ the fucking book, but it's right there in Matthew 6:5:

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
posted by Celsius1414 at 1:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

Aww, this is kind of sweet and sad. Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) may have broken down in tears after accidentally missing a vote for the first time in his six-year House career. (He was outside the chamber talking to reporters.)

That guy has horrible policy ideas, but he's an honest and transparent fellow who genuinely takes his job seriously (and has been one of the few consistently anti-Trump conservatives).
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [21 favorites]

The Italian group Soviet Soviet has been denied entry, jailed and deported attempting to play SxSW:

KEXP blog
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 1:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [17 favorites]

Lord, be Your old testament self and smite these assholes with burning rocks and shit

Yeah, keep in mind that Our G-d is a Smitey G-d and doesn't have a whole lot of truck with 'forgiveness'.
posted by mikelieman at 1:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

In their reading, this basically refers to the Jews (possibly also Catholics and liberals).
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:51 PM on March 10, 2017

Lord, be Your old testament self and smite these assholes with burning rocks and shit

Except they'll just interpret said smiting as a rebuke to the Godless Liberals. Denial is a helluva drug.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 1:54 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

One thing I do NOT understand about those who espouse holocaust denial: I have seen the videos where Hitler promises to exterminate the Jewish "vermin." It was an (the most??) important goal. Why are these idiots saying he didn't do it?

You can't take what Hitler says literally.
posted by thelonius at 1:57 PM on March 10, 2017 [28 favorites]

And if we bring those people here, then we are in fact infecting our country with a disease that will destroy us.

I know it's sort of a trite joke, but no shit, you can read this in the original German.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 2:03 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

Schadenfreude: At the FDA, it looks as though Donald Trump is about to sorely disappoint his antivaccine supporters

Gottlieb is a huge shill for the pharma industry, and he's certainly not going to satisfy the antivax crowd.
posted by zachlipton at 2:07 PM on March 10, 2017

Shaun King: The Democratic Party seems to have no earthly idea why it is so damn unpopular
posted by zachlipton at 2:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [17 favorites]

Politico: Former top Trump aide Jason Miller joins CNN

I'd been giving CNN serious side-eye for quite a while, but the day I finally had enough and deleted my browser bookmark for their site was when they hired RedState's Erick Erickson to provide "balance" to their pundit chatter.
posted by darkstar at 2:36 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Fortunately, the suspicious package left at Temple De Hirsch Sinai was only a box of donated books.

And Muhammad Ali Jr was detained at an airport, again.

I can't find the right words, but I find it heartbreaking that we can't afford to trust even the best of intentions. I've always known that trust is dangerous, but I am still sad that what was once considered to be my extreme but rational paranoia by mental health professionals is now inadequate to reality.
posted by monopas at 2:41 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

If you asked Shaun King I'm pretty sure the answer would be "nominated Bernie Sanders."
posted by Justinian at 2:53 PM on March 10, 2017 [13 favorites]

honestly if a pollster contacted me to ask about the Democrats I could totally see myself answering like pfft they're SO LAME right? but I vote for them and give them money and stuff too so
posted by prize bull octorok at 2:53 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

Okay Shaun King, whatever. You win. Do whatever you want with the Democratic Party. I give it to you (because I totally have the power to do that.) I don't care anymore.

I mean I'm a moderate (by my standards, which makes me a hard-core liberal by Republican standards) who has always believed in compromise and seeing things from both sides and cautiousness and gradualism and pragmatism. I'm still that. But you can have my party. Because what good did it all do? All that willingness to listen and compromise Obama extended for eight years... I still love Obama like crazy, as much as Bernie's fans loved Bernie this year, even more than I loved Obama in 2008. And I fell in love with Hillary too, real-life Lisa Simpson that she is. And I resented all the attacks on these hard-working, smart, reasonable people that "the left" launched during the campaign, and I kept saying "C'mon, you guys. Republicans EXIST and there are a LOT of them, and we have to take them into account. It's not just you vs. 'establishment Democrats.'"

But I'm about ready to give up on the notion that I had during the election that the country still had a bell-shaped distribution of political opinions and that Democrats would lose a lot more votes from the center than we'd gain from the left, by moving leftward. It's a bi-modal distribution. There is no center. There are no "moderate" Republicans we might be able to compromise with. At least I can't find any now. So frustrating. What's the point.

You take the party. Run as socialists. What the heck. There's no middle so it hardly matters, and it would seem I'm a lot more willing to vote for socialists than you are for "establishment Democrats" so maybe you're right, and we'll pick up votes. And if you control the party, at least I won't have to hear anymore about how unfair the establishment is. So go ahead. Take it and good luck to you. Run whoever and I'll vote for them. In the meantime, excuse me, I've got to call my state legislators to stop them from gerrymandering us worse than we already are...
posted by OnceUponATime at 2:59 PM on March 10, 2017 [46 favorites]

Sure. Embrace those people more. Have the Democratic Party stand for something more than dozens of emails asking for money. I don't think the poll is particularly meaningful, but I also don't think people view the Democratic Party as a particularly useful banner to work under right now. Democrats are doing a lot of good stuff up and down the party, but the good stuff keeps getting ascribed to individuals, while the bad reflects on the party.

You know, Pelosi outright said this morning that she would have retired if Clinton won. Hey, she's got healthcare either way, so I guess it's considerate of her to stick around and fight, but maybe the best symbol of active leadership isn't someone who was about to check out in January?
posted by zachlipton at 3:03 PM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

Purge in the State department is something to watch that most media is ignoring.

More "purge of the State Department". State may continue to exist under the orange cloud, but it's not going to be doing the things it's there to do.
posted by holgate at 3:10 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

@Carrasquillo: "Fox News Radio John Decker just loudly told everyone in briefing room that Gateway Pundit is here "they hate blacks, Jews, Hispanics." Wild"

This story got significantly weirder. The Gateway Pundit guy is now claiming that Decker assaulted him and he's pressing charges.

Add this to the not normal category please.
posted by zachlipton at 3:14 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Jon Ossoff Leads Anti-Trump Resistance in Georgia. The special election in Georgia's Sixth District could be a watershed.
posted by homunculus at 3:14 PM on March 10, 2017 [28 favorites]

I'm starting to wonder if it isn't time for people to give up on the current organizational structures of the parties and start trying to build a true, apartisan populist movement to more or less reconsider everything about our current institutional systems, but I hate to say that because it sounds so much like "drain the swamp."

You'd just split the vote between establishment left and popular left and let the Republicans run roughshod over a disunited left. The Tea Party dragged the GOP kicking and screaming to the hard right by taking the highest ranking guy in the House and primarying him out. There's no way out of this that doesn't involve a lot of primary shitfights and subsequent Kumbaya after the dust settles. But the left in general fails at the first and the second. Either they complain about the milquetoast candidate on offer without actually running a firebrand in the primary and if the firebrand loses they just take their vote and go home.

There's no easy winning. Every election it's the same. The right show up and pull the lever for the R ticket. The left have to beg and cajole people out to vote. Like stopping authoritarian fascism for incremental progressivism isn't enough of a fucking draw already. "Wah! Incremental progressivism isn't good enough! Give me democratic socialism or I don't give a flying fuck!" is the literal war cry of the hard left in this country.
posted by Talez at 3:17 PM on March 10, 2017 [39 favorites]

#DRtP
posted by downtohisturtles at 3:20 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Gateway Pundit guy spelled luckily 'luckally'
posted by orange ball at 3:22 PM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

The Tea Party dragged the GOP kicking and screaming to the hard right by taking the highest ranking guy in the House and primarying him out.

Exactly. You know what would concentrate the party's attention and make a huge mark? Stop whining about Heitkamp and Manchin and primary out Diane Feinstein. It would shake the Democratic party to its core and force a leftward movement.

That's how you win.
posted by Justinian at 3:23 PM on March 10, 2017 [20 favorites]

I think this is new:

Roger Stone, President Trump’s former campaign advisor, engaged privately last year with a persona involved in hacking the Democratic National Committee, he told The Washington Times Friday, but insisted the conversations were “completely innocuous.”
posted by diogenes at 3:25 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Exactly. You know what would concentrate the party's attention and make a huge mark? Stop whining about Heitkamp and Manchin and primary out Diane Feinstein. It would shake the Democratic party to its core and force a leftward movement.

Not just that. Primary them and fucking show up even if you don't win. The Tea Party ran multiple insurgencies. Not all of them worked. But they still showed up in droves to pull that lever.
posted by Talez at 3:25 PM on March 10, 2017 [28 favorites]

OnceUponATime: nearly all the analysis about Trump's attraction has underestimated this factor. He is tapping into this fear of Muslims, uniting disparate groups of people against this common "enemy,"

I got a taste of this a couple of weeks ago. I run into my white, 30something, Trumpist neighbor about once every 6 weeks, and we've chatted, in years past, about how wary we both are of religious indoctrination and control-freak-ism. Don't worry, y'all, I have no illusions about winning him over to rationality. I just see it as a survival tactic to take his temperature periodically, to get a bead on exactly how deep in the cult he is. It's a weird measure of his comfort with me that at this point, he's willing to air his political opinions with me, because he is very conflict-averse. (All credit goes to my years of tap-dancing on eggshells, talking about sexism with men and racism with white people, all the emotional labour that goes into soothing their Me Me Me fragility. It would be helpful if more white men cultivated emotional labour skills and deployed them with people other than their bosses, frankly. )

So this time I said, "Hey, so I looked up those sites you recommended, Breitbart and Infowars, and I have a question. They put forward a lot of fundamentalist Christian views, and I am really surprised that they're your main news sources, because I thought you had a problem with religious control freaks....?" (Because of what I'd read here about those sites, I hadn't bothered reading them, but I looked them up after he suggested it because I knew it would help my discussions with him about "OK so we're both nice people and intelligent and we like each other and we disagree about this, so our sources must be different, so how do we double check that our sources are accurate?")

"I do, I do!" he said, "But they're not that bad. Infowars, maybe a little, but not Breitbart." Then, seizing the initiative on a subject he correctly figured I care about, "Muslim beliefs are really bad for women, you know."

"I would say that the moderate Muslims *I* know are great about women's rights. They're part of American society just like you and me. In my view, it's religious fundamentalists of any sort that are bad for women. Christian fundamentalist views of women freak me right out. So like I say, I was really surprised, reading Breitbart and Infowars going on about pro-life this and anti-gay that, that you don't think that's a problem. I mean, you have said that religious fanatics are scary, so...?" He gave me a pitying look but it was followed by one that said he was realizing he couldn't rebut what I'd said. So he changed the subject to how it would change the neighborhood's character if, say, Syrian refugees were to settle half of it (I know, I know). I tackled that and the rest of his points, but man, whichever of y'all characterized many right-wingers' argumentative style as a Gish Gallop was dead on.

So anyway, OnceUponATime, I couldn't agree with you more.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:25 PM on March 10, 2017 [52 favorites]

Not just that. Primary them and fucking show up even if you don't win.

Right, I thought that was implicit but you are correct that judging from recent elections it isn't.

You launch a primary challenge to Feinstein, campaign hard for her challenger, and then fucking show up to vote for Feinstein in the general if she wins the primary.
posted by Justinian at 3:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Add this to the not normal category please.

I'll try but the not normal category barns are filling up quite rapidly.

And that's after I hosed down the empty evens sheds for extra capacity.

What we need is bees; I think they can convert the not normal category stuff back into sweet batches of evens and fucks.
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:31 PM on March 10, 2017 [13 favorites]

The Washington Times article includes this line:

The Smoking Gun reported earlier this week that U.S. authorities had obtained private messages sent between the two accounts during the course of conducting a federal investigation.

Was this detail reported anywhere else? I guess it's time I took a serious look at the Smoking Gun article. I'd been hesitant so far, but if I'm understanding correctly, Stone just provided confirmation of a pretty significant detail first captured by the Smoking Gun.
posted by diogenes at 3:32 PM on March 10, 2017

Energy Department parts company with Trump appointee who called Muslims ‘maggots’

President Donald Trump appointed a massage therapist from New Hampshire with no apparent relevant experience to work at the Energy Department, but parted company with the employee Friday after a series of anti-Muslim social media posts came to light, current and former DOE employees tell POLITICO.

Sid Bowdidge had received a nameplate and taken up residence this week in the director’s office of the agency’s Office of Technology Transitions, a career DOE employee said, but it was not clear precisely when he started or what his job would be. OTT specializes in shepherding research developed at the national labs into the private sector, an area in which Bowdidge didn't seem to have any experience.
posted by futz at 3:40 PM on March 10, 2017 [41 favorites]

Trump's Plan to Slash Weather Forecast Funding

I can't coherently comment on the concept of cutting funding for weather forecasting.

There's no... I can't... it's not even politics..... in what world would you ...

Is there a more apolitical concept that we're all affected by that we...

I mean it's not even a global warming thing. Is it going to rain tomorrow? Pfft why would we need to know that, cut the funding!

How do you even explain...
There's no position...

"It's been said, 'why do we need NOAA? We can get all our information from the Weather Channel, well the Weather Channel gets all of their information from NOAA,"

So. F'ing. Angry. Because it's not even politics. Weather forecasting. 13,000 years of trying to get a better read on the sky, nah, let's just shitcan that.

You can't fix stupid. You can eradicate the goddamn carriers though.

*sigh*

My commitment to seeking peace and enlightenment took a huge hit, sorry.

...I'll be at the gym. I need to work out some things on some people. Range too maybe.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:40 PM on March 10, 2017 [110 favorites]

Talez: what I'm picturing is an overhaul of the functional design of our system itself, because I don't think the problem is ultimately the people, but the perverse incentives built into the combination of our basic constitutional design and the addition of parties. It may be my engineer's disease at work, but I honestly think there are numerous systems engineering problems in the current organization and structure of our system. There's a reason analysts keep concluding the influence of fundraising and money grubbing in the process needs to be addressed with deep systemic reforms.
posted by saulgoodman at 3:42 PM on March 10, 2017

And our electoral processes have become a joke.
posted by saulgoodman at 3:43 PM on March 10, 2017

Next big hurricane is going to be a fucking nightmare.
posted by Artw at 3:44 PM on March 10, 2017 [25 favorites]

Is there a general "primary them" fund? With like a list of "shitty but represents a reliably blue district / state" people to, you know, primary?

she asks, hopefully
posted by schadenfrau at 3:46 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

The really frustrating thing about Feinstein is that she would be a perfectly reasonable centrist Democrat from, say, Nevada or Iowa. But she's from California, so she's a waste of a Senate seat that could go to someone actually on the left.

Like, I understand the need to compromise! I do! There are tactical decisions in place, and even Ben fucking Nelson was one more seat getting us closer to control. Sure.

But when we don't need to compromise, for fuck's sake, let's not.
posted by Myca at 3:46 PM on March 10, 2017 [21 favorites]

You're on to something, saulgoodman. There is a genuine popular vitality that the parties just aren't able to channel/manage/exploit. This vitality is not very disciplined or well thought out... yet.
posted by No Robots at 3:47 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

All Things Considered's crack investigative team is seriously reporting on the rash of joke 1 star Yelp reviews for Trump properties
posted by theodolite at 3:47 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I would be delighted to vote for a better senator for my state than Feinstein, but lefty-dem enthusiasm for eating their own over defeating Republicans makes me :\
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:50 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

With California's "jungle" primaries we can have both Feinstein and an actual lefty Democrat on the ballot with no Republicans to worry about. That's pretty much how it worked this year. And the Democrat who tried to attract the centrists/Republican crossover votes lost.
posted by downtohisturtles at 3:52 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

And the Democrat who tried to attract the centrists/Republican crossover votes lost.

Well that and Sanchez is a blue dog who deviates only on immigration issues.
posted by Talez at 3:54 PM on March 10, 2017

Is there a general "primary them" fund? With like a list of "shitty but represents a reliably blue district / state" people to, you know, primary?

I was hoping to find something like that with this AskMe, but either I wasn't specific enough in my question (which included R seats that could be flipped) or it doesn't exist yet.

lefty-dem enthusiasm for eating their own over defeating Republicans makes me :\

Nominal-dems from deep blue districts appeasing an ascendant fascist autocrat make me >:[
posted by contraption at 4:00 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

There is nothing quite like the screaming mental horror of everyone infighting while DC burns.
posted by corb at 4:06 PM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

Over in the Clinton universe everyone is freaking out about the North Korea threat of a nuclear attack* and they don't even know how good they have it.

* happening right now in this universe too, but like way down people's lists of priorities.
posted by Artw at 4:08 PM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

Trump supporters protest The Man In The High Castle’s anti-Nazi radio station

...loyalists with as many as two American flag emojis in their usernames have been bravely standing up to this stupid, leftist, “don’t be a Nazi” claptrap, sneering generally at the prospect of anyone “resisting” anything, and laughing at all those idiots who just don’t get it. Idiots! Don’t these people who exist solely in a fantasy world realize they’re living in some kind of fantasy world?

posted by kirkaracha at 4:13 PM on March 10, 2017 [22 favorites]

That MoJo story on the potential cuts at NOAA linked above notes that AG lobbyists haven't really noticed. The other crew I can think of who might be a tad concerned, or ought to, are commercial and sport fishermen. During my brief time on a commercial fishing vessel, all anyone ever talked about was the weather. "How's it Joe?" "Bit choppy early, but the buoys were all sounding good*, so we went out and did okay."

I'm afraid to look at what they have planned for the mapmakers at the USGS.

Fuckers.

--------
*NWS weather radio would read out the data from a series of buoys along the coast, inner and outer waters, that an experienced listener could extrapolate from.
posted by notyou at 4:21 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

With California's "jungle" primaries we can have both Feinstein and an actual lefty Democrat on the ballot with no Republicans to worry about.

Not necessarily, if former governor Schwarzenegger decides to run for Senate as an independent.
posted by donatella at 4:21 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Art update: Shia LaBeouf's HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US fled its Season 2 location in Albuquerque after gunshots were reported in the area, though I couldn't find anything to relate the gunshots to the project. The project moved to an undisclosed location on Wednesday, where its new form was a livestream of a flagpole flying a flag with the title in block letters, against only the sky.

Anons launched an intelligence operation and by analyzing the weather, sun, stars, passing aircraft, ambient noise (frog sounds, of course), and social media OSINT were able to capture the flag in Tennessee and hoist high a MAGA hat and Trump shirt, in under two days.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 4:21 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Flynn's lawyer told Trump team about Turkish lobbying during transition
posted by futz at 4:22 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

there was a time when 4chan trolling shia labeouf would bring a smile to my face, but that was another country
posted by murphy slaw at 4:31 PM on March 10, 2017 [23 favorites]

Not necessarily, if former governor Schwarzenegger decides to run for Senate as an independent.

ahnold is remembered as a mediocre (if better than expected from a farcical election process) governor.

despite name recognition i think he would have an uphill battle running for senate against any democrat with legislative experience and a good record.
posted by murphy slaw at 4:34 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

(if better than expected from a farcical election process)

We have two parties and people complain. We have 135 candidates and people complain. There's really just no pleasing you voters.
posted by Talez at 4:39 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

The way we actually conduct elections is ridiculously non standardized and lacking in robust accountability and reliable, permanent infrastructure. Scientists and organizational engineers ought to be developing and proposing structural reforms, but all we ever do is fight over tiny policy adjustments without even touching the underlying architecture of the functional design.
posted by saulgoodman at 4:48 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

People forget how close we've been to much bigger reforms like fully funded publicly financed campaign processes. That sort of change didn't seem so completely out of reach for most of my life here in the U.S. The hard right shift has been really dramatic and mostly one-way with a few gotten victories that have been easily reversed along the way since I first got here.
posted by saulgoodman at 4:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

We're all Anakin spitballing politics with Padme on Naboo in Attack of the Clones now
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:51 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Saint Hoax: I removed the original headlines from these misogynistic advertisements and replaced them with quotes that Donald Trump said about women.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 4:51 PM on March 10, 2017 [32 favorites]

We're all Anakin spitballing politics with Padme on Naboo in Attack of the Clones now

Darkest timeline.
posted by Artw at 4:53 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

From Flynn's lawyer told Trump team about Turkish lobbying during transition:

"Let me say hearing that story today was the first I heard of it and I fully support the decision that President Trump made to ask for General Flynn's resignation," Pence said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday.

Are we sure that Travis Kalanick is no longer advising the Trump Administration?
posted by indubitable at 4:55 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

"Let me say hearing that story today was the first I heard of it and I fully support the decision that President Trump made to ask for General Flynn's resignation," Pence said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday.

Pay attention to how Pence repeats "first I heard of it" twice in 20 seconds even though he wasn't asked about it. Via John Marshall, White House Demonstrably Lying About Flynn.
posted by peeedro at 5:11 PM on March 10, 2017 [34 favorites]

ahnold is remembered as a mediocre (if better than expected from a farcical election process) governor

Plus now we all know about the secret baby he had with the housekeeper and other things he might not want to have dragged back put into the sunlight. That was a different time and a different kind of election.

despite name recognition i think he would have an uphill battle running for senate against any democrat with legislative experience and a good record.

Ted Lieu for Senate!
posted by Room 641-A at 5:12 PM on March 10, 2017 [14 favorites]

Ugh. Well that explains why the insurers have been so quiet about this.

Fuckers. It'll be worse than it was pre-ACA.
posted by notyou at 5:35 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Next Phase of Obamacare Repeal Will Target Mandate Requiring Prenatal Coverage, GOP Leader Tells Allies

Yeah, tell me one more time how very deeply you care about "the unborn," Republicans.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:44 PM on March 10, 2017 [59 favorites]

Ugh. Well that explains why the insurers have been so quiet about this.

Anthem sent a letter to the Ways & Means Committee in favor of the repel bill but so far they are in the minority from what I have read

[Anthem] Major health insurer backs GOP's Obamacare repeal bill

-- Anthem, in a letter obtained by POLITICO, endorsed major parts of the repeal bill, known as the American Health Care Act, and urged lawmakers to move the process forward “as quickly as possible.” The letter is a notable sign of support for Republicans after two major trade associations representing health insurers expressed reservations about their health plan this week.

-- America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, in separate letters to lawmakers earlier this week, expressed concern that the House bill, which would also shift Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement to a budgeted program based on number of enrollees, could lead to major coverage losses. Although AHIP said the bill included a “number of positive steps” to stabilize the insurance markets, it called for more robust tax credits to help low-income customers now receiving aid under Obamacare. It also warned that capping Medicaid could lead to “unnecessary disruptions in the coverage and care beneficiaries depend on.”

I can confirm that Anthem is a steaming pile of shit.
posted by futz at 5:44 PM on March 10, 2017 [20 favorites]

So not exactly 100% pro-life pre-birth then either? Got it.

GOP: pro-life-ish
posted by Hairy Lobster at 5:46 PM on March 10, 2017 [4 favorites]

Abortion is just a political poker chip; these people don't care about anyone, not even themselves.
posted by valkane at 5:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [15 favorites]

Anthem didn't exactly back everything, but was a bit more enthusiastic than their trade association. The letter is a bit more nuanced. Anthem is also looking to have their massive merger with Cigna approved and wants to curry favor with everyone.
posted by zachlipton at 5:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I can confirm that Anthem is a steaming pile of shit.

Indeed. Anthem sent 78million+ healthcare records into the internet.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 5:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

It's really kind of impressive how they want to force women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term AND make it impossible for many of them to get decent prenatal care. Maybe they can figure out some type of parental rights surrender adoption surcharge for the hat trick.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:51 PM on March 10, 2017 [26 favorites]

Yeah, essential benefits were always going to be on the chopping block: the only way "across state lines" works is if you can get a Wyoming $20/month policy that covers surgery by sending you an instructional DVD, a sewing kit and a bottle of Everclear. And however grotesque the "why should the menfolk pay for ladybit medicine?" line might be, it's clearly got a political constituency.

I can confirm that Anthem is a steaming pile of shit.

They want that merger with Cigna unblocked. Thanks for making the case that you should cease to exist, you utter bastards.
posted by holgate at 5:52 PM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

Anthem is a steaming pile of shit even in the context of health insurers which is really saying something.
posted by Justinian at 5:55 PM on March 10, 2017 [25 favorites]

These people are just begging for a Lysistrata situation. You don't want to help women get birth control or abortions or prenatal and maternity care? Well then, you clearly don't want women to have sex (I mean, they don't) under any circumstances. We can oblige.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:58 PM on March 10, 2017 [13 favorites]

They want that merger with Cigna unblocked.

Dingdingding!

Anthem, which is still seeking federal approval for its $54 billion acquisition of Cigna, is the largest insurer in the Obamacare exchanges. It has previously warned that it would pull of the marketplaces for 2018 if improvements are not made.
posted by futz at 6:04 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

Plus now we all know about the secret baby he had with the housekeeper and other things he might not want to have dragged back put into the sunlight.

Awww, it's so cute to think that a scandal would hurt a Republican after President Pussygrabber took office! Plus, Republicans love Hitler-loving Gropenführers.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:07 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Now, if they'd focus their ire at the Republicans for fucking up the ACA risk corridors and their other actions to sabotage the marketplaces, we'd be in a lot better shape.
posted by zachlipton at 6:08 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Canada says most border-crossing asylum seekers were in U.S. legally

Hmmm, what does that tell us?
posted by futz at 6:09 PM on March 10, 2017 [32 favorites]

Anthem allowed a breach of 78 million medical records?

How did the ensuing lawsuits which should have happened not bankrupt them??!!
posted by Yowser at 6:13 PM on March 10, 2017

My guess would be mandatory binding arbitration clauses.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 6:16 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

Awww, it's so cute to think that a scandal would hurt a Republican after President Pussygrabber took office! Plus, Republicans love Hitler-loving Gropenführers.

In fairness, Trump very much did not win CA.
posted by jaduncan at 6:16 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

What with allowing an MRA group to co-opt MMIW, to turning over information on refugees to America's DHA, Ralph Goodale is quickly turning into my least favourite Canadian civil servant.
posted by Yowser at 6:17 PM on March 10, 2017

The only option left would be to go it alone on healthcare as a state and that would require an absolutely heroic effort. I don't think even MA could pull it off.

Apologies as I am 400 comments back in the thread, but here is a pleasant pipe dream...

California somehow works out single payer in-state. Then, they set up a really cheesy end-run around their residence requirements, allowing pretty much any US citizen to become Californian and join the California system.

Name the system something like "California Liberal Gay Free Healthcare for All because Government Works" and get all those Mississippians and South Carolinians onboard... break the disinformation cycle and turn the tide on all this GOP bullshit propaganda!

Racists in Red States can carry on dying without healthcare if they want to pretend that California Liberal Gay Free Healthcare is some government conspiracy designed to destroy them. Those that want to live in the future are welcomed with open arms.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:19 PM on March 10, 2017 [30 favorites]

Canada says most border-crossing asylum seekers were in U.S. legally

Hmmm, what does that tell us?

I've had this argument with a random Facebook troll (named "Trace Mineral", if you can believe that), and according to that quote-person-endquote, it means that self-deportation works. The fact that they were legally in the U.S. doesn't seem to factor into it.
posted by Etrigan at 6:21 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

The fact that they were legally in the U.S. doesn't seem to factor into it.

Existing While Brown.
posted by jaduncan at 6:23 PM on March 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

It turns out Ralph Goodale was not responsible for MMIW. The llamas have been disciplined.
posted by Yowser at 6:26 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Federal judge declines to immediately apply freeze of first Trump travel ban to new order

...saying he could not do so until the state filed an amended complaint challenging the new directive head on.

The decision from U.S. District Judge James L. Robart is a modest blow to the state of Washington, which had sued over the ban, because the quickest path to success would have been getting the judge to declare that Trump’s new order was affected by the freeze he imposed previously. But Robart declined to do that only for procedural reasons and did not address the merits of any arguments.
posted by futz at 6:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

Canada says most border-crossing asylum seekers were in U.S. legally

Hmmm, what does that tell us?

They were legally in the US and seeking asylum in Canada because their cases were being adjudicated and expected to be denied flat out by SCROTUS's racist NWO.
posted by Talez at 6:30 PM on March 10, 2017 [7 favorites]

It's kind of funny because in this NYT story there's this quote:

As the family approached the border, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told them it was not legal for them to enter here. If they continued, he said, they would be arrested.

“I apologize about this,” the man replied, his voice unsure, “but I have to break your rules.”

He paused.

“I’m sorry.”

If you're apologizing for breaking the rules and entering Canada illegally you should probably be immediately granted citizenship because you damn well belong there.
posted by Talez at 6:36 PM on March 10, 2017 [129 favorites]

And Muhammad Ali Jr was detained at an airport, again. posted by monopas

I didn't see it mentioned in your link but WaPo is reporting: Muhammad Ali’s son held up at D.C. airport after testifying about first detainment

...He and his mother had come to Washington to lobby to end racial profiling, and he was trying to board a flight back to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A lawyer for Ali, Chris Mancini, said that as the son of the former heavyweight champion was trying to board a Jet Blue flight, he was detained by Department of Homeland Security officials for about 20 to 25 minutes. According to comments Mancini made to the New York Daily News, they rejected his identification and repeatedly asked where he was from, before allowing the 44-year-old to board after he produced his U.S. passport.

“None of this was happening Wednesday,” Mancini said of the Alis’ trip to D.C. in remarks to the Associated Press. “Going to Washington obviously opened up a can of worms at DHS.”

Words...I am still looking for them...
posted by futz at 6:49 PM on March 10, 2017 [33 favorites]

Awww, it's so cute to think that a scandal would hurt a Republican after President Pussygrabber took office! Plus, Republicans love Hitler-loving Gropenführers.

I said those were things he might not want to bring out. I post here in good faith; save the condescending snark for someone else.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:53 PM on March 10, 2017 [5 favorites]

I had only seen the Raw Story post and the tweet by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. That WaPo story brings an extra level.

It is either super-giant irony, or someone is the world's most epic reality troll.

This is the worst timeline. I want a refund, please.
posted by monopas at 6:58 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

SPLC: White Supremacists Protest Torres and Norton Sentencing, Threaten Judge

On February 27, a Douglas County Circuit Court judge sentenced Jose Ismael Torres and Kayla Rae Norton to more than 20 years in prison for terrorizing African Americans at a child’s birthday party in Georgia. Since then, white supremacists have come out in droves claiming the two defendants were given unjust sentences for using racial epithets and displaying the Confederate battle flag, going so far as to threaten the judge and one of the victim’s supporters.

posted by Room 641-A at 7:06 PM on March 10, 2017 [11 favorites]

Afghans Who Worked With U.S. Forces Told They Can No Longer Apply For Special Visas

Ok. There are a lot of absolutely horrible things happening all at once right now; we can all agree on that I think. This though, at least to me is a special kind of fucked up. These people put their lives on the line for the US and were promised refuge in return.

-- On Thursday, the U.S. State Department announced that it expected the visas to be depleted by June 1 and that "No further interviews for Afghan principal applicants ... will be scheduled after March 1, 2017."

-- A State Department official told NPR in an email on Thursday that more than 15,000 Afghans are currently "at some stage of the [special visa] application process" and that as of March 5, only 1,437 visas remain to be given out.

-- At the time, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement that "It is no exaggeration to say that this is a matter of life and death as Afghans who served the U.S. mission continue to be systematically hunted down by the Taliban.

-- "It's not just a quid pro quo, 'Hey you help me out [and] I'll help you get to America,' " Marine veteran Zach Iscol told Quil. "It's taking care of those who took care of us when we were in their country."

If it it is possible to put aside the moral egregiousness of denying these people and their families entry (it is impossible to me) then you would think that Congress would consider that denying these friends of ours entry puts our own goddamn troops at risk. PLUS the military members who worked with these folks are desperate to get them into the US. It is just so fucked up. FUBAR you might say.

(I should stop posting so much. I just couldn't let this one slide. I know that we have military members here. I'd be interested in their take, unfortunately continued discussion about this probably deserves its own post)
posted by futz at 7:29 PM on March 10, 2017 [82 favorites]

going so far as to threaten the judge and one of the victim’s supporters.

Boy, nothing says "Our buddies weren't threatening anybody!" like threatening everybody.
posted by Celsius1414 at 7:38 PM on March 10, 2017 [29 favorites]

I wish I had done that thing where I wrote down all the things I believed three months ago. I have the vague sense that last year corb would think I was stark raving insane if the two of us could speak.
posted by corb at 7:41 PM on March 10, 2017 [79 favorites]

God love you, corb: you're sailing rough seas. You have a steady hand, though, and I know you're following your heart. Thanks for staying part of this community!
posted by wenestvedt at 7:43 PM on March 10, 2017 [55 favorites]

Boy, nothing says "Our buddies weren't threatening anybody!" like threatening everybody.

Remember these jerks were pointing guns at little children. The gun lobby says we don't need new gun laws, we just need to enforce the ones we have. But when you try to enforce laws against dangerous gun behavior, they decide they don't really mean it.
posted by JackFlash at 8:07 PM on March 10, 2017 [28 favorites]

It's really kind of impressive how they want to force women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term AND make it impossible for many of them to get decent prenatal care.

I suspect they just want women dead. Which leads me to posting (or possibly reposting) Alexandra Petri of the Washington Post on what life is life like without women.

You could walk down the street and attend school free from the uncomfortable presence of a woman who had chosen distracting attire. There were no women in sweatpants or yoga pants or skirts of any length, with hair covered or with hair uncovered — or women, indeed, of any kind at all. Finally, you did not have to worry about feelings. The world was one big locker room.
There was no one to talk over. But also there was no one to stare rapt at you when you talked, no one who had been encouraged all her life to make you feel smart and interesting and to not take up too much space.
Statehouses began to feel bereft without women to regulate, whether on the subject of what bathrooms they could use or where they could go for reproductive care. There were no organs to restrict that the legislators did not, themselves, possess. And what was the fun of putting limitations on those? They looked for consolation to those fetuses who for many years they had ranked as full persons, but, inexplicably, they were nowhere to be found.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:14 PM on March 10, 2017 [40 favorites]

Scott Pruitt’s office deluged with angry callers after he questions the science of global warming

-- The calls to Pruitt’s main line, 202-564-4700, reached such a high volume by Friday that agency officials created an impromptu call center, according to three agency employees. The officials asked for anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

-- While constituents sometimes call lawmakers in large numbers to express outrage over contentious policy issues, it is unusual for Americans to target a Cabinet official.
posted by futz at 8:32 PM on March 10, 2017 [59 favorites]

The thought began to occur that perhaps their footsteps were missing because they were carrying you.

...and into the Crone Island bookmark folder she goes. Thanks, jenfullmoon!
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 8:41 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

The calls to Pruitt’s main line, 202-564-4700, reached such a high volume by Friday

Nice of WaPo to print the number at the top of the story for the readers' convenience! ... And again at the bottom... Wait... and with an entire call script included!?.

I hope WaPo readers are using this gift :)
posted by p3t3 at 8:58 PM on March 10, 2017 [64 favorites]

futz: President Donald Trump appointed a massage therapist from New Hampshire with no apparent relevant experience to work at the Energy Department

Related, posted earlier ... by you :)

futz: Meet the Hundreds of Officials Trump Has Quietly Installed Across the Government

A Trump campaign aide who argues that Democrats committed “ethnic cleansing” in a plot to “liquidate” the white working class. A former reality show contestant whose study of societal collapse inspired him to invent a bow-and-arrow-cum-survivalist multi-tool. A pair of healthcare industry lobbyists. A lobbyist for defense contractors. An “evangelist” and lobbyist for Palantir, the Silicon Valley company with close ties to intelligence agencies. And a New Hampshire Trump supporter who has only recently graduated from high school.

These are some of the people the Trump administration has hired for positions across the federal government, according to documents received by ProPublica through public-records requests.

Here's a direct link to ProPublica's list of 400+ hires.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:40 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

These idiots can't even extreme vet the people they put into their own government.
posted by zachlipton at 9:44 PM on March 10, 2017 [9 favorites]

The only vetting they do is to make sure the candidate hasn't posted anything negative about the God-emperor on their social media.
posted by Joey Michaels at 9:59 PM on March 10, 2017 [10 favorites]

Canada says most border-crossing asylum seekers were in U.S. legally

Futz' link from above has a picture that reminded me of something; I have a wonderful movie in my head of the Trump administration sending their Homeland Security chief to Ottawa to meet with his counterpart, and finding out his counterpart is none other than Ahmed Hussen (link to a really good profile), who came to Canada as a Somali refugee when he was 16. #canadabrag
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:13 PM on March 10, 2017 [6 favorites]

A District Court Just Ruled That Texas Gerrymandering Violated the Voting Rights Act
The long-awaited ruling dropped Friday night. BEN DREYFUSSMAR. 10, 2017 11:57 PM
posted by futz at 10:16 PM on March 10, 2017 [74 favorites]

So, Flynn had an ex-FBI agent on his payroll who just happened to be associated with the But Her Emails bullshit, and all but two of the holdover US Attorneys were told to clear their desks overnight and the White House is denying that it's because the orange menace took his cues to purge them from Potatohead Hannity. [thisisfine.gif]
posted by holgate at 10:38 PM on March 10, 2017 [23 favorites]

Except funny story, one of the US Attorneys isn't actually resigning, even though he's supposed to. Funny story, it's the one you think it is, Preet Bharara, who just so happens to be investigating Fox News, among other things. Trump met with Bharara in November and it was thought he could stay on. The New York Times links the failure to keep that promise to the souring relationship between Sen. Schumer and President Trump:

The White House officials ascribed the reversal over Mr. Bharara as emblematic of a chaotic transition process. One official said it was tied to Mr. Trump’s belief in November that he and Mr. Schumer would be able to work together.

posted by zachlipton at 10:52 PM on March 10, 2017 [8 favorites]

Thanks for the links holgate. I was chatting with someone about this a few hours ago and they couldn't or wouldn't supply links which was beyond odd. I haven't read them yet though.
posted by futz at 10:57 PM on March 10, 2017

(I should stop posting so much. I just couldn't let this one slide. I know that we have military members here. I'd be interested in their take, unfortunately continued discussion about this probably deserves its own post)

For me, it is an absolutely repellant act of treachery that goes against implicit and, in many cases, explicit promises to the people that kept both US, UK, and other NATO troops alive in a US-driven mission. It is also impressively shortsighted considering that the same administration has just deployed troops to Syria and might want some level of assistance from locals. It's leaving team members in the field to die, and that is impressively stupid given ongoing military and intelligence operations in both Syria and Iraq.

But yes, random sensible policy hat aside, my main reaction is utter disgust and sadness.
posted by jaduncan at 1:31 AM on March 11, 2017 [27 favorites]

One deleted. Let's say we don't go down the victim-blaming path.
posted by taz (staff) at 2:41 AM on March 11, 2017

I was reading, "Donald Trump appointed as massage therapist," and I thought, oh no, not that, too.
posted by Namlit at 3:34 AM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

Have they actually chopped his thumbs off post Tappgate? The quantity and quality of tweeted madness has gone into sharp decline...
posted by Devonian at 3:45 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

These idiots can't even extreme vet the people they put into their own government.

Oh no, they vet them quite well to see if they've ever publicly expressed that Trump may not be the best choice to lead our country. And I mean, that's all that matters, right?
posted by corb at 4:06 AM on March 11, 2017 [11 favorites]

Have they actually chopped his thumbs off post Tappgate? The quantity and quality of tweeted madness has gone into sharp decline...

I think people are really starting to see this is a "worst case scenario" w.r.t. mental incompetence, and he's being actively baby-sat.

http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/06/top-member-house-intel-committee-questions-trumps-mental-state-msnbc.html

By Jason Easley on Mon, Mar 6th, 2017 at 1:52 pm

During an interview on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) questioned the mental state of President Donald Trump.

posted by mikelieman at 4:45 AM on March 11, 2017 [8 favorites]

Hey all, here in Ithaca, our Trump-supporting congressman has deigned to come to a town hall in our liberal enclave, albeit in a much smaller venue than possible. The fun starts shortly, if you're interested in watching. Here.
posted by waitingtoderail at 4:47 AM on March 11, 2017 [13 favorites]

Looks like Cruz has found a new brink with which to practice his brinkmanship. At least no one will be doubt his resolve this time around.

"The move relies on a radical interpretation of the vice president’s constitutional role as presiding officer of the Senate, where he could step in and effectively overrule the chamber’s parliamentarian...

Having Pence rule against established norms for what is allowed in a reconciliation bill would undo decades of Senate tradition of deferring to the parliamentarian’s rulings. It could also potentially allow both parties far wider latitude in the future to avoid a 60-vote threshold for all sorts of provisions that don’t directly impact spending or taxes."

Yep, sound likes something right up his alley.
posted by klarck at 5:19 AM on March 11, 2017 [4 favorites]

On the plus side there was an election back home in Western Australia today. The hard right One Nation polled 4.4%. Entirely at the support of the conservatives. Who got walloped.

I have a little bit of hope but wonder how long the honeymoon will last.
posted by Talez at 5:20 AM on March 11, 2017 [15 favorites]

No kidding:

"There was a number of bad omens for the Liberals early in the day.

Premier Colin Barnett manned a BBQ at North Cottesloe Primary school and when he tried to hand a woman a sausage for her roll, she told him she was a vegetarian."

posted by moody cow at 5:33 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

I know that we have military members here. I'd be interested in their take

You'd think we military people would already have a term for "outraged yet unsurprised", since it happens so often. SNAFU comes close, but doesn't really capture the "You pigfuckers" aspect of it.
posted by Etrigan at 5:43 AM on March 11, 2017 [23 favorites]

I'm just glad ABC are broadcasting on Facebook Live. It wouldn't be an Australian election without Antony Green.
posted by Talez at 5:48 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wired: A Portable Panic Button for Immigrants Swept Up in Raids

The app allows people to select contacts they would want to notify in case of emergency and pre-load personalized messages to each recipient. A message to your lawyer would read differently, say, than a message to your spouse. Once you’ve loaded the alerts, no one else can read them. A PIN protects them in case the phone is lost or stolen, and for most users, the hope is they never have to use the app again. For those who do, a single click deploys all the messages by text in less than two seconds. Huge has also created a phone hotline for people who don’t have a phone in reach but who may be able to make a phone call later on.

posted by Room 641-A at 5:56 AM on March 11, 2017 [38 favorites]

You'd think we military people would already have a term for "outraged yet unsurprised", since it happens so often. SNAFU comes close, but doesn't really capture the "You pigfuckers" aspect of it.

BOHICA?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:02 AM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

FUBAR!
posted by C'est la D.C. at 6:04 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

if Pence lies and says that something does impact the budget when it does not, it's not clear that there would be any recourse available to stop that change, legislatively or procedurally. Perhaps judicially?

Nope. "Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings" plus "political question" makes it a non-starter. The constitution is not self-executing and the recourse is either "punish them in elections" or, in extremis, "new Guards for their future security."
posted by holgate at 6:08 AM on March 11, 2017

If I learned anything this year, it's that the law matters a whole lot less than what you can get away with. I feel a bit foolish and naive about that, but I think I have a lot of company.
posted by klarck at 6:18 AM on March 11, 2017 [78 favorites]

...the law matters a whole lot less than what you can get away with. I feel a bit foolish and naive about that, but I think I have a lot of company.

It's understandable. We're socialized to have a lot of faith in processes and the Rule of Law in the U.S. The only reason I started realizing this is because of seeing it happen, professionally, so often over the years working in/with the public sector.
posted by saulgoodman at 6:33 AM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

I learned anything this year, it's that the law matters a whole lot less than what you can get away with. I feel a bit foolish

It's what I call the Stop Sign rule. Do you come to a complete stop at the stop sign across from the police station. Of course your do. At the stop sign in the middle of nowhere at 3am? Not so much. it's why I believe the death penalty isn't a deterrent: no one commits murder believing they will get caught.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:38 AM on March 11, 2017 [17 favorites]

That 'paid protester' is actually your mom, and she's taking over Facebook to fight Trump.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:46 AM on March 11, 2017 [31 favorites]

Nice of WaPo to print the number at the top of the story for the readers' convenience! ... And again at the bottom... Wait... and with an entire call script included!?.

If you have an Amazon account it's almost too easy to subscribe to the Post. Do it. Now.
posted by photoslob at 6:50 AM on March 11, 2017 [4 favorites]

That 'paid protester' is actually your mom, and she's taking over Facebook to fight Trump.

I had to do a double take because it sounds like something you'd hear on /pol/.
posted by Talez at 6:50 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

A really-damn-on-the-nose comic from First Dog On The Moon, Guardian: The Raccoons of the Resistance return. And they are mobilizing.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:54 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

Some of that hinges on whether you think that a grassroots movement led by middle-aged-and-older women is a good or a bad thing, Talez.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:58 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

Some of that hinges on whether you think that a grassroots movement led by middle-aged-and-older women is a good or a bad thing, Talez.

I was thinking more of the mix of "paid protestor", yo momma, and Facebook activism perspective but that too.
posted by Talez at 7:03 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

The mystery of the lottery provision in TrumpCare may be solved. It would allow TrumpCare to be passed via reconciliation, avoiding the need for 60 votes in the Senate.
posted by scalefree at 7:11 AM on March 11, 2017 [10 favorites]

I don't think we need leadership as badly as specific, concrete reform proposals and consensus building. a majority of middle aged white women voted for Trump.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:14 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't think we need leadership as badly as specific, concrete reform proposals and consensus building. a majority of middle aged white women voted for Trump.

JFC that picture. You could build a "racist middle aged white woman starter pack" meme with it.
posted by Talez at 7:20 AM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

Wow. That was truly not response that I expected to that article, which mirrors my experience with Indivisible. I am also finding that a lot of members are women in red states (or red areas of my purple state) who have only recently found a community of nearby people who share their views. I think that's interesting. But I also realize that I constantly, constantly underestimate the misogyny of supposed progressives.

Out of curiosity, the majority of white men also voted for Trump. Do you think that this invalidates the leadership of white men? If you're a white man, how does it affect whether the rest of us should listen to you?

(And for what it's worth, not all the women in that article are white.)
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:26 AM on March 11, 2017 [67 favorites]

In a way, I think this election demonstrated America is more racist than sexist. The Dems have been failing badly at intersectionalism for some time now, but the fact white women went for Trump suggests either deeply fraudulent results or the whole strategy of campaigning on women's issues, fairly or unfairly, was a mistake.

My point is that group demonstrably isn't providing the leadership claimed upthread. On an individual level of course there are great women in the cause. The claim was about the current leadership from this group as a bloc as I read it. If the claim is this demographic is currently leading the resistance to Trump as a coherent bloc, that's not true.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:31 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

I feel like people think that article is about reformed Trump voters rather than women in red or purple states thinking they didn't have a voice or support?
posted by Room 641-A at 7:31 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

Nice of WaPo to print the number at the top of the story for the readers' convenience! ... And again at the bottom... Wait... and with an entire call script included!?

The only thing I can say for this timeline is that so many writers are figuring out exactly what they can get away with when it come to activist journalism.

But I also realize that I constantly, constantly underestimate the misogyny of supposed progressives.

This. After this election, this.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 7:31 AM on March 11, 2017 [21 favorites]

Otherwise I don't get the objection. (Unless I'm misreading, which is possible.)
posted by Room 641-A at 7:32 AM on March 11, 2017

it's not a global warming thing. Is it going to rain tomorrow? Pfft why would we need to know that, cut the funding!

Cue up Bobby Jindal's disastrous response to Obama's SOTU speech, wherein he dismisses pork-barrel funding for "something called volcano monitoring."

Because, as we all know, erupting "volcanoes" are a liberal hoax, like climate change and Sandy Hook.
posted by darkstar at 7:34 AM on March 11, 2017 [21 favorites]

In a way, I think this election demonstrated America is more racist than sexist.

whynotboth.gif
posted by Talez at 7:38 AM on March 11, 2017 [15 favorites]

The article is about the people who are showing up at town halls and other events, phoning their representatives, organizing mass postcard mailings, organizing demonstrations, and doing other grassroots actions. It's about the people who Republican politicians are describing as "paid protesters," because they can't figure out where the hell these angry people are coming from. It argues that many of them are women from conservative areas who have always been out-of-step with local politics but have previously not found (or in some cases felt the need for) avenues to political activism. Are you arguing that they shouldn't be doing that stuff because some of them are white women, and other white women voted for Trump? Are you arguing that we should ignore the grassroots movement that they're building because many of the participants are white women, and many other white women voted for Trump? Would you also argue that if many participants in the movement were white men, or do white women have some special requirement for demographic political purity before they're allowed to lead movements? And again, if you're a white man, why should I listen to anything you have to say, since most white men voted for Trump?
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:55 AM on March 11, 2017 [108 favorites]

Nice of WaPo to print the number at the top of the story for the readers' convenience! ... And again at the bottom... Wait... and with an entire call script included!?.

If you have an Amazon account it's almost too easy to subscribe to the Post. Do it. Now.

You can also get a free electronic subscription if you have a .edu or .mil email address.
posted by BrashTech at 7:57 AM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

Portlanders may be interested in attending Congressman Blumenauer's public forum on the 25th Amendment today.
posted by terooot at 8:08 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

Hell, I'm still regularly surprised by the misogyny in these threads. Somehow.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:11 AM on March 11, 2017 [33 favorites]

ArbitraryAndCapricious: I feel like we're talking past each other rather than trying to understand each other, so I'll give you the point and let it go.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:12 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

I feel like you didn't bother to read the article, and that's why we're talking past each other. So I'll take the point.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:14 AM on March 11, 2017 [15 favorites]

I feel like RTFA is an appropriate acronym right about now.
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:14 AM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

Speaking for myself--am I seriously seeing a white man lecturing several women on how white women have so much farther to go on intersectional political activism as a class? Is that what I am seriously seeing in this thread?

Fucking christ al-fucking-mighty. With friends like this, who needs enemies?
posted by sciatrix at 8:15 AM on March 11, 2017 [46 favorites]

One comment deleted. saulgoodman, we've talked to you about this in the past -- this needs to not loop back to your ex. Please step back from the thread.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:22 AM on March 11, 2017 [8 favorites]

am I seriously seeing a white man lecturing several women on how white women have so much farther to go on intersectional political activism as a class? Is that what I am seriously seeing in this thread?

Intersectionality, in the hands of many fauxgressive privileged white men, has become a tool they can use to argue that they alone (and not the rest of us) have the full scope of what we ought to be concerned about.

I saw a ton of it before the election. I do wish the left would snap out of it.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 8:34 AM on March 11, 2017 [23 favorites]

Here's my actual response to the article ArbitraryandCapricious linked, because I think it's a valuable piece and raises some really accurate truths:

yeah this shit is accurate. Like, okay, I keep bringing hot takes from local Texan politics and Texan organizing on the scene, but there are women exactly like this article describes everywhere I turn around when I dive deep into political discussion and organizing to actually do something. In fact, they are doing more than I can by a fucking country mile--because many of them have something that I don't have, which is time. They don't always do the best they could with more experience, but by and large I am watching them listening and doing their best to keep their emotions to themselves except where they can be useful, and they do a fuckton of super important work to keep boots on the ground and make events and town halls happen. They are, as a class, powerhouses of time and energy.

The article is correct about this huge network of women being tied into Facebook, using Facebook and Facebook groups to organize and find each other and then using those social connections to teach each other about new techniques. I see women, especially and including middle aged white women, especially and including Texan women, teaching each other about the experiences of others and taking the initiative to find and center and listen and talk about things they could do to be better, to do better, within their own community.

I also see white women fucking up, of course; that's par for the course any time you get new people engaged. But by and large I am seeing other white women take them aside and have words with them, and networks and groups that develop a reputation for not stopping and listening about race, about class, about the experiences of others are bleeding people to other networks and groups that do have a culture of doing these things and they lose people fast. Stay at home moms in particular and older female retirees are doing some fucking first-class work organizing because they have the time to do so.

The young working millennials my age are not the folks I'm seeing doing making up the most critical mass in these networks; we're too busy scrabbling to keep our jobs and maybe, desperately, make some professional progress or keep a job on the side to have as much time as we'd like to dedicate. It's the people who have enough cash to donate without destabilizing their finances and the people who have enough time to dedicate a whole part-time (or full-time!) focus on activism who are doing the lion's share of this local activism work, and they are overwhelmingly middle-class or upper-middle-class white and Latina ladies in my personal network, with a heavy emphasis put on listening to comments from anyone and everyone who is directly affected by any given initiative. They are exactly the kind of ladies who get assumed to be conservative, but they are also the sort of ladies who have the time and resources to shove behind the wheelhouse, and I am grateful for their collective action because if I donate much more of my time or cognitive capacity I am going to lose my actual job and then where will I be?

(Let me fucking stress this again for all the white dudes in the room, by the way: I see maybe 10% men in the room in these groups, and the men I do see are overwhelmingly likely to be queer men. Just so you know. I think I saw one straight man post in one of these networks since January and he was sucking up room worrying about safety in a march that he wasn't even participating in while all the women around him rolled their eyes and pointed out specific things they were doing as they geared up to keep themselves safe.)

Seriously, fucking hell, this thing is 100% accurate and it is a huge reason I have been riding herd on MeFi in particular about picking its damn targets for two years now. Think about the people you know here, for example; there's me and I'm in fuckin' Texas; think about nadawi who has repeatedly pointed out that she's a stay at home mom in Arkansas in these threads, and d'you think nadawi needs to prove her progressive know-how and her commitment to understanding people here?

You think progressives are limited to blue states? Motherfuckers, the red states in the South and Southwest have consistently yielded the angriest progressive voices out there, because we know exactly what we stand to lose if we don't carefully measure our tactics. You think progressives are only limited to young people or people of color of people who are cool enough to matter? Do you have any idea how much progressive and political organizing historically relies on volunteer labor that comes out of middle-class uncool ladies and moms using their spare time to do something important? Why the hell would you not honor that work?
posted by sciatrix at 8:35 AM on March 11, 2017 [203 favorites]

The mystery of the lottery provision in TrumpCare may be solved. It would allow TrumpCare to be passed via reconciliation, avoiding the need for 60 votes in the Senate.

The reason for the lottery rule is not that it helps the passage of TrumpCare. It is just another change among many that is permissible under reconciliation.

The reason for the lottery rule is the same as all the other repeals and changes in TrumpCare -- because Republicans really, really hate poor people and want to make getting welfare benefits as difficult and tedious as possible.

One of the greatest, most significant improvements of Obamacare is that it streamlined and made uniform the qualifications for Medicaid in every state. Previously, every state had their own convoluted and arbitrary set of rules. In general, no one got Medicaid, no matter how poor, unless they were a single parent with as child. And then there tedious rules about assets. You had to estimate the value of your car, your home or apartment if owned, any tools you had for your trade, etc. It was designed to be difficult.

Obamacare simplified that. The only thing that counts is your income. If your income is below a certain level, you get Medicaid and that's it. Very simple.

The Republicans lottery rule is just a way to trash the simplified Obamacare Medicaid qualifications. Lotteries themselves are not the real issue, but a smokescreen for the real intent. Lottery winners are one in million or ten million and a trivial concern, even if one or two of them were on Medicaid, which is unlikely.

The real target here is lump sum income by the poor. An example would be someone making $10,000 a year who also applied for disability. They would be qualified for Medicaid based on low income. But sometimes it takes months or years for disability paperwork to finish and at that time the person would get a lump sum, one time payment, say $25,000, of back payments.

Under Obamacare rules, that $25,000 would only affect one month's Medicaid eligibility since income is determined month by month. The person is still only earning less than $1000 a month so would still get Medicaid.

But under the Republican's lottery rule, they want the person to apply that lump sum over the next 12 months as income, pushing them over the income limits, which means they become ineligible for Medicaid for the next year, even though they are still earning less than $1000 a month.

The lottery rule affects a lot more than lottery winners and that's the whole point. It's just another way for Republicans to screw over the poor.
posted by JackFlash at 8:36 AM on March 11, 2017 [98 favorites]

NYT's Maggie Haberman: "Bharara is not submitting his resignation, according to several ppl briefed - WH not responding to what they'll do next."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:40 AM on March 11, 2017 [13 favorites]

I think people are really starting to see this is a "worst case scenario" w.r.t. mental incompetence, and he's being actively baby-sat.

We elected a broken stair.
posted by krinklyfig at 8:55 AM on March 11, 2017 [19 favorites]

The lottery rule affects a lot more than lottery winners and that's the whole point. It's just another way for Republicans to screw over the poor.

It also affects the CBO score, possibly enough so they can claim the Budget is affected, triggering reconciliation.

Or they could just ride roughshod over the Parliamentarian. But if that fails they still have this in their back pocket.
posted by scalefree at 8:55 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

The lottery rule affects a lot more than lottery winners and that's the whole point. It's just another way for Republicans to screw over the poor.

I'm wondering if it also screws someone who wins a bit of money in the generational lottery when a parent dies. Or people settling lawsuits or divorce deals.
posted by puddledork at 9:01 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

It also affects the CBO score, possibly enough so they can claim the Budget is affected, triggering reconciliation.

It does affect the CBO score, but that has nothing to do with "triggering" reconciliation. You don't have to trigger reconciliation. Each item in the bill stands alone. If it affects the federal spending, it qualifies for reconciliation and can be included. If it doesn't, then that item does not qualify for reconciliation and must be removed. The items are independent. The CBO score affects the public relations of selling the bill, but it doesn't affect the reconciliation process.
posted by JackFlash at 9:07 AM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

Republican Congressman John Shimkus argued that men shouldn't have to pay for that because "it doesn't affect them."

I'm going to take a wild guess that Shimkus also believes that men should have veto power over a woman's right to have an abortion.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:10 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

I'm a white woman in Mississippi with big hair, never-leave-the-house-without-makeup PROGRESSIVE friends and a mad as hell 75 year old mama. As one more data point.
posted by thebrokedown at 9:11 AM on March 11, 2017 [63 favorites]

My local experiences also reflect sciatrix's. Newly activated middle and upper middle class older white women doing a hell of a lot of work right now. Is it always perfect? Nope. Mistakes were, are and will continue to be made. (Apparently our local Indivisible group is a bit of a shit show, but also apparently it's a lot of white men who are causing it with their cluelessness.) But let me tell you, if you would have told me a year ago that I'd be on a Facebook group skewing suburban and over 55, where intersectionality was the frequent topic of urgent conversation (usually messy--it is not a safe space for people of color yet, unlearning that shit does not happen overnight) I don't think I would have believed you. If you're a woke white person wondering what work you can do to help other white people get on side for racial justice, it's not Trump voters you need to be attempting to engage in conversation, it's these women who do genuinely want to learn and grow and make change. But that does require that you see grey haired suburban white ladies as intelligent, progressive, and capable of learning. For women who, for better or for worse, have spent the past 20 years working on families and careers only to just now realize that they've been insulated and protected from a racist and misogynist reality that has just crashed through their kitchen wall like the kool aid man, it's a learning curve. You gonna help get the reachable white folks on side or are you gonna stand back and scoff because they're like old and uncool and stuff? Because I think the GOP has shown that having a reliable army of retired people to be your foot soldiers is incredibly valuable.
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:13 AM on March 11, 2017 [104 favorites]

Either these people do not realise the logical consequences of enforced genetic screening combined with the banning of abortion, or they do and they're prepared to enforce a level of abject cruelty which goes beyond mere criminality.

I'd like to see someone ask them which it is.

I'm going with the second choice.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:13 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

Let me fucking stress this again for all the white dudes in the room, by the way: I see maybe 10% men in the room in these groups, and the men I do see are overwhelmingly likely to be queer men.

Hmmmm, I went to a huddle last night with my wife, where I was the only man among about 10 women....
posted by mach at 9:14 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

JackFlash: “The lottery rule affects a lot more than lottery winners and that's the whole point. It's just another way for Republicans to screw over the poor.”

Jesus wept. Even pre-metanoia Ebeneezer Scrooge would be like, "Dude. Harsh."
posted by ob1quixote at 9:19 AM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

Newly activated middle and upper middle class older white women doing a hell of a lot of work right now.

I'd like to remind folks that my middle-class fifth-grade school teacher wife marched in the Women's March here in Florida. She didn't give a hoot about politics before Trump and is embedded deep within the wealthy white bubble of a K-12 private prep school even though she's a staunch Hillary supporter. My wife now keeps up with the daily fuckery of the Trump admin and is plugged into Pantsuit Nation on FB. She used to be all hand-wavy about my Trump panic prior to the election. Not anymore. She wants to be involved.

She's been awakened politically and if it can happen to her I'm sure it's happened to millions of other women throughout the south.

(also, Sciatrix, you are a treasure)
posted by photoslob at 9:21 AM on March 11, 2017 [30 favorites]

Sciatrix and soren_lorenson - take all my favourites! I am so sick of people shitting on the people who are trying to help. If we let the perfect be the enemy of the good, we all lose.
posted by obliquity of the ecliptic at 9:36 AM on March 11, 2017 [65 favorites]

Seriously. These white women are actually showing up. It is extremely instructive to see how easy people find it to shit on white women for showing up and being less than perfect while white men get a complete and utter pass. And then, if white dudes do do show up, they get a fucking cookie and a microphone and they expect to lead.
posted by schadenfrau at 9:46 AM on March 11, 2017 [77 favorites]

Mr. Trump is spending his day at the Trump International Golf Club in Potomac Falls, VA, per press pool.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:47 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Trump International Golf Club in Potomac Falls, VA

Spring White House?
posted by orange ball at 9:53 AM on March 11, 2017 [4 favorites]

Cue up Bobby Jindal's disastrous response to Obama's SOTU speech, wherein he dismisses pork-barrel funding for "something called volcano monitoring."

Well can you blame him, he was the Governor of a state that that totally does not get slammed by massive natural disasters every 8 - 10 years or rely on federal agencies and funds to monitor the aforementioneed natural disasters and then pay for the damage.
posted by PenDevil at 9:57 AM on March 11, 2017 [14 favorites]

Has anyone mentioned the white house intruder thing? I came here to get more info but doesn't sound like there's much at this point...CNN and MSNBC as usual are blowing their loads over it
posted by andruwjones26 at 10:03 AM on March 11, 2017

Trump International Golf Club in Potomac Falls, VA

Hey guys guys guys, I don't know, but I think Trump might be using the presidency to enrich himself. It's just a theory at this point, like gravity.
posted by Yowser at 10:03 AM on March 11, 2017 [57 favorites]

Hmmmm, I went to a huddle last night with my wife, where I was the only man among about 10 women....

Racial justice meeting back in Jan: maybe two straight cis dudes in a room of 30.

Progressive insurgency meeting for my state assembly district: the leaders were a couple straight dudes, the rest of the group was 3/4 women.

Tuesdays With Toomey is woman-led state-wide. Locally the people showing up are overwhelmingly women, mostly older. Like, the grey is very noticeable in crowd shots. (We'll see if this changes now that Toomey has moved his office downtown.)
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:11 AM on March 11, 2017 [20 favorites]

Trump International Golf Club in Potomac Falls, VA

Spring White House?

No, I don't think there is a residence there, just a clubhouse, events space, and fitness center (I lived about 3 miles away when it was being built in the late 90's, it was called Lowes Island then but there is no island either). I suspect his other seasonal white house will be either the winery in Charlottesville or the golf club in Bedminster, whichever one has a greater business upside for him.

Also, the golf course called the Trump International Golf Club is in West Palm Beach, FL. The Trump National Golf Club could be any number of places. Potomac Falls isn't really a place, it's just what the higher income McMansion dwellers decided to call their area to distinguish themselves from the more economically and racially diverse Sterling, Va.
posted by peeedro at 10:32 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

Given the relative weight of responses, I'm assuming most white dudes are on our side, but guys it is exhausting to be told you're doing it wrong no matter how you're doing it.

If you are a white dude who disagrees with folks who are claiming that white women should be shunned for whatever the reason du jour is, please stand up and argue with these ignorant dudes and take the burden off women here who are already spending all of their free time and effort dealing with the ramifications of Trump.
posted by zug at 10:33 AM on March 11, 2017 [20 favorites]

Do it even when we're not there! Allyship: not just for white women.
posted by schadenfrau at 10:38 AM on March 11, 2017 [14 favorites]

A few years ago in my own legislative district in Arizona, the whole leadership team of the Democratic Party was composed of women. Who, as far as I can tell, were doing a great job and were well respected by men and women, straight and gay, in the district.

So, from my experience, I think it's maybe not accurate to make a blanket statement that when progressive men show up, they get a cookie and a microphone, and are expected to lead.

As a guy (although gay), politics is sometimes particularly fraught - in the way it often is for many people in a minority or otherwise marginalized group. From my experience,I have often (and I mean often) been shut down or shut out of discussions of "women's issues" by women and allied men who seem to suggest that because I'm male, I can't have any valid opinions on those topics, except those that women give or endorse.

Of course, I feel that criticisms of "misogyny" and "mansplaining" are very often accurate, and point to a deep sexism permeating our culture. And I've also seen them used as easy ways to shut down male-offered viewpoints on issues that especially affect women, rather than actually engaging with the substance of the view. So I am grateful for the responses above, that actually addressed the views stated - and led to a richer exchange - rather than dismissing them with the easy epithets.

Those are my experiences and feelings on that subject, anyway. Now, back to fighting fascism!
posted by darkstar at 10:42 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Climate-Friendly Energy Star Program Could be Cut

The administration wants the program to be “zeroed out” in the 2018 Environmental Protection Agency budget, according to news reports and a memo that the EPA provided to the National Association of Clean Air Agencies last week. The EPA declined to comment.

The program is just as much about saving consumers money and cutting air pollution as it is reducing the carbon footprint of everyday household electric appliances. One of the most widely recognized and commonplace federal environmental programs, Energy Star saves consumers millions of dollars in annual energy costs and cuts U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons annually, according to the EPA.

The EPA estimated in its most recent Energy Star annual report that the program generated more than $31 billion in annual energy cost savings benefits in 2014 and cut about 5 percent of total U.S. electricity demand that year.

Well obviously cost savings and efficiency are not important to Mr. Golden Tower.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 10:55 AM on March 11, 2017 [53 favorites]

darkstar: from my experience, I think it's maybe not accurate to make a blanket statement that when progressive men show up, they get a cookie and a microphone, and are expected to lead.

Expecting, not expected. Big difference there.
And you can keep that not-all-men to yourself. We KNOW it's not all men. At the same time, it's still too many men.
posted by Too-Ticky at 11:00 AM on March 11, 2017 [29 favorites]

As someone who has recently shopped for a water heater and a refrigerator, this is truly a head-scratcher.

At a guess, it's for the entirely petty reason that the program costs money to the taxpayer. They can show that line on the budget with a strike-through. That the program saves far more than it costs is beside the point -- it's not profitable to the oligarchs and not sexy enough to bother spending money on.
posted by suelac at 11:02 AM on March 11, 2017 [11 favorites]

Yeah, darkstar, but how do you feel about straight people who rush in to give you their opinions on how much time and effort we need to spend fighting for same-sex marriage vs HIV prevention vs queer-inclusive sex ed versus any other related topic you can think of? Honest question: do you think their opinions are as important to listen to and devote conversational time and focus to as those of people who are directly affected by the topics of discussion? With limited time and focus--because I damn well don't have infinite energy, and I certainly don't have infinite time these days--how do we prioritize whose opinions to center on any given topic?

Women being in a leadership position, moreover, doesn't actually mean that men don't show up and immediately expect to lead, which is what I was explicitly talking about. I'm not saying that anyone necessarily shoves male volunteers a leadership position immediately upon them walking in the door; I'm saying that male volunteers are more likely to come in and immediately expect to be centered, demand some kind of accolade for participating, and lose a lot of enthusiasm and interest if they don't feel recognized. So the lines of evidence you're introducing aren't... actually addressing the topic that so many women here are irritated about.

This is so frustrating for me that I'm so tempted to just write #notallmen and call it a day, because like I said: limited time and energy. I'm taking the time to spell out why I am irritated here, but at this point I think I gotta go do something else for a bit.
posted by sciatrix at 11:04 AM on March 11, 2017 [30 favorites]

Climate-Friendly Energy Star Program Could be Cut

My god, we're being ruled by literal Captain Planet villains.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:15 AM on March 11, 2017 [49 favorites]

Whoof! Jared Sexton Yates takes a baseball bat to "Hillbilly Elegy."

Salon Hillbilly sellout: The politics of J. D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” are already being used to gut the working poor

As Vance writes: “I’ve seen far too many people awash in genuine desire to change only to lose their mettle when they realized just how difficult change actually is.”

Oh, the working class and their aversion to difficulty.

If only they, like Vance, could take the challenge head on and rise above their circumstances. If only they, like Vance, weren’t so worried about material things like iPhones or the “giant TVs and iPads” the author says his people buy for themselves instead of saving for the future.[...]

Though Vance’s name doesn’t appear in the Republican ACA replacement bill, the philosophy at the heart of it is certainly in tune. While the proposed bill would cost millions of Americans their access to care — Vance himself tweeted a link Tuesday to a Forbes article that stated as much while lauding the legislation — it makes sure to benefit the wealthy, gives a tax break to insurance CEOs and moves the focus of health care in America to an age-based model instead of income.

According to Yates, Vance believes that only the hard-working poor deserve help and the way to tell if someone is working hard is to look at their income. If you are not pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps then maybe that was because you were too lazy to buy yourself a pair of boots.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:16 AM on March 11, 2017 [12 favorites]

Does this thread hold any water?
posted by pxe2000 at 11:18 AM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

Out of curiosity, the majority of white men also voted for Trump. Do you think that this invalidates the leadership of white men?

i mean? yes? very much yes. send them away.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:18 AM on March 11, 2017 [26 favorites]

*tags out of leadership for all white men everywhere*
posted by XMLicious at 11:22 AM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

In case it wasn't noticed, I would like to point out that I was very careful to couch my comment in repeated subjective qualifiers, such as: I feel, in my experience, I have seen, etc.

I also said that I was grateful for the comments in this thread that provided a richer dialogue. Which, given the fact that none of us have infinite time and are all doing what we feel is important, is especially valuable, I think.

I also stressed at the end of my comment that those were simply my own experiences and my own feelings on the subject. I regret that my opinions and experiences related to the issue of women engagement in politics seem to have added to frustrations, so I will respectfully stop offering them in this forum so as to not further inflame those frustrations.

Peace.
posted by darkstar at 11:23 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

That the program saves far more than it costs is beside the point -- it's not profitable to the oligarchs and not sexy enough to bother spending money on.

It's almost as if a corporate class used to slashing expenses, paying big CEO bonuses, and then golden parachuting out as the business explodes behind them is ill-equipped to make long-term decisions as required in a healthy government...
posted by tocts at 11:33 AM on March 11, 2017 [21 favorites]

Unsurprisingly, Preet Bharara officially fired.

Since he met with Trump in November and was told he could stay on, this ought to make future appointees think twice about trusting the President.
posted by zachlipton at 11:34 AM on March 11, 2017 [27 favorites]

Folks, maybe let's move on from the earlier "white women, bad or worst? or who's the real villain in progressive movements" thing? It's not a real productive starting point. If people want to talk about ArbitaryandCapricious's actual link that's fine, but the derail over saulgoodman's generalization isn't getting more productive, let's call the point made.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:40 AM on March 11, 2017 [13 favorites]

Does the Trump Administration Want a Holy War Against Islam? It’s a Terrifying but Reasonable Guess. via Salon.
posted by adamvasco at 11:48 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would make that assumption, yes.
posted by Artw at 11:51 AM on March 11, 2017 [13 favorites]

Deus Vult.
posted by Justinian at 11:53 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

I've been taking a break from the Trumpocalypse, so maybe this has been posted under some other title, but Teaching Immigrant Kids in Sweden Was an Eye-Opening Education is a fine little comment on humanity — for sending to all those racist aunts and uncles.
posted by mumimor at 11:55 AM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

ACLU to teach anti-Trump 'resistance training'

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will livestream anti-Trump "resistance training" Saturday as it prepares to launch a grassroots mobilization campaign.

The effort, called PeoplePower, will begin in Miami on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The event will feature "resistance training" that will be livestreamed to over 2000 local meetings across the country.

The ACLU’s Next Endeavor: Organizing the People’s Power to Resist
posted by futz at 11:56 AM on March 11, 2017 [41 favorites]

Some good work from the Palm Beach Post: Trump in Palm Beach: Why did Russian pay so much for his mansion?

Meanwhile, the Washington Post digs into the weirdness of where Steve Bannon actually lived and voted: During his political rise, Stephen K. Bannon was a man with no fixed address. He's under investigation:

At the same time Bannon said he was living with his ex-wife, she was under investigation for involvement in a plot to smuggle drugs and a cellphone into a Miami jail, a law enforcement document obtained by The Post shows.

The Post learned that state prosecutors in Miami have an active investigation into Bannon’s assertions that he was a Florida resident and qualified to vote in the state from 2014 to 2016. In late August, investigators subpoenaed Bannon’s lease of a Coconut Grove home and other documents. They also contacted the landlords of that home and another that Bannon leased nearby, and sought information from a gardener and handyman who worked at one of the homes, according to documents and interviews.

Contains this mystery nobody wants to know more about: "“[E]ntire Jacuzzi bathtub seems to have been covered in acid,” the landlord wrote in the February 2015 email to Bannon."

Don't piss off your landlords, people, or they'll tell the Washington Post how you screwed up their house after you become a senior advisor the President.
posted by zachlipton at 12:13 PM on March 11, 2017 [52 favorites]

> "Well obviously cost savings and efficiency are not important to Mr. Golden Tower."

I believe that's normally spelled with an "Sh" rather than a "T".
posted by kyrademon at 12:24 PM on March 11, 2017 [9 favorites]

Contains this mystery nobody wants to know more about: "“[E]ntire Jacuzzi bathtub seems to have been covered in acid,” the landlord wrote in the February 2015 email to Bannon."

How...?

It was accidentally filled with holy water, and then Bannon got in?

Bannon didn't realize he had an open sore on his carapace until the damage had been done?

The hot tub is where he stored the oozing, noxious fleshy mass that is, after that one deal, the earthly reminder of the state of his soul, to which he is bound for the rest of his mortal life?
posted by schadenfrau at 12:24 PM on March 11, 2017 [18 favorites]

Maybe he murdered someone in it.
posted by rhizome at 12:26 PM on March 11, 2017 [37 favorites]

If we want it to sound more suspicious, I can quote the line before that too: "Padlocks had been placed on interior doors — or the doors had been removed altogether."
posted by zachlipton at 12:36 PM on March 11, 2017 [36 favorites]

Oh COME ON. Now I almost expect Russia to be involved. Are they missing anymore diplomats?
posted by schadenfrau at 12:40 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Maybe a Russian bank was using one of these as a server room?
posted by mosk at 12:43 PM on March 11, 2017

God, you can feel those WaPo reporters' mouths watering. They're so close to him they can smell it. After everything Bannon has said about them, how fucking satisfying would it be for them to take him down? I hope the back of his neck is tingling, because he is being hunted. It would be so, so, so sweet if they could take him down.

I daydream all the time about watching on TV, live, as he is led handcuffed out of a courtroom and taken to jail.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 12:48 PM on March 11, 2017 [51 favorites]

Afghans Who Worked for U.S. Are Told Not to Apply for Visas, Advocates Say. It's unclear whether this relates to the cap (yes, there's an actual cap on the number of visas for people who risked their lives to work for the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it's frightfully low) or the refugee ban or what, but the end effect is that these people are once again getting screwed, if not left to die.
posted by zachlipton at 12:53 PM on March 11, 2017 [9 favorites]

"Padlocks had been placed on interior doors — or the doors had been removed altogether."

That sounds a little methhead-ish.
posted by futz at 12:54 PM on March 11, 2017 [14 favorites]

As someone who has recently shopped for a water heater and a refrigerator, this is truly a head-scratcher. It is entirely voluntary so it isn't going to free up manufacturers from "onerous" regulations. On the other hand consumers will lose a very helpful guide to buying household appliances.

What the fuck?! This just reads as wrecking shit for the sake of wrecking shit! Oh wait, now that I remember the mention a few hundred comments back of cutting back NOAA's weather prediction programs, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Still angry, though. Difficult to express the magnitude in words right now.
posted by indubitable at 12:56 PM on March 11, 2017 [10 favorites]

Bharara was also investigating Fox News, which puts Hannity's recent actions into context.
posted by PenDevil at 12:57 PM on March 11, 2017 [18 favorites]

In the eyes of the current administration, the only good government guideline is a dead government guideline.
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:58 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

‘Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,’ Kellyanne Conway said. Then the first daughter’s fashion sales exploded.

In January, for instance, the first daughter’s fashion line ranked No. 550 based on the number of orders from Lyst, the biggest fashion e-commerce website in the world, according to Forbes.

That changed dramatically the following month.

Sales of Trump’s products skyrocketed in early February, making her Lyst’s 11th most popular brand. The biggest spike, according to Lyst, came on Feb. 9, when sales jumped by 219 percent from the day before.

Yes, Feb. 9 — the same day that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway promoted Trump’s clothing and jewelry line on “Fox & Friends.”
posted by futz at 1:05 PM on March 11, 2017 [17 favorites]

Actually, if Bannon was a meth addict it would explain his fleshy lich-like pallor.
posted by benzenedream at 1:05 PM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

Yeah, it seems really, really clear his ex-wife was involved with selling drugs at his residence. You'd think that would matter, but then, you'd think the fact that he beat up and choked his wife in the presence of his infant daughters would matter, so who really knows anymore.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 1:05 PM on March 11, 2017 [32 favorites]

Like, what's next, are they going to end NIST?
posted by indubitable at 1:09 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

The whole admin gives solid indicators that they have a stimulants problem so it makes sense.
posted by Artw at 1:10 PM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

I mean, they're not the first Nazis to be really into drugs.

But yeah. The rule of law is no more. If it ever was.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:11 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

The rule of law is no more. If it ever was.

Not even Godwin's.
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:13 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Godwin's law goes out the window the moment you have real nazis on the scene, per Godwin.
posted by Artw at 1:15 PM on March 11, 2017 [26 favorites]

The whole admin gives solid indicators that they have a stimulants problem so it makes sense.

There's an interesting book out just recently about drug use in Nazi Germany: Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich

(they also did a lot of stimulants)
posted by indubitable at 1:16 PM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

So did the Allies.
posted by rhizome at 1:22 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

didn't the Nazis invent meth and give it to Wehrmacht troops on the reg?
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:25 PM on March 11, 2017

I thought if you try to dissolve a body in acid in the bathtub you think you've been clever but in fact the acid and meat slurry would dissolve through the bathtub, then the floor, and then your partner gets another reason to glare at you and call you stupid.
posted by angrycat at 1:25 PM on March 11, 2017 [36 favorites]

Maybe fiberglass is more resilient than porcelain? That's what Jacuzzi tubs are made of, right?
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 1:27 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

What sciatrix said, and it's only partly because we're hooked into the same networks. She just made me realize I can count on one hand the number of men I've seen post in the dozen or so groups I follow. In a field of thousands. Discount this movement at your own peril.
posted by threeturtles at 1:28 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

didn't the Nazis invent meth and give it to Wehrmacht troops on the reg

The didn't invent it but they did give it to the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe commonly for the first year of the war. But they stopped doing that so much when it became apparent that people don't fight so well when they feel like they need to sleep for 18 hours.
posted by Justinian at 1:31 PM on March 11, 2017

Maybe they wanted not to dissolve the body but rather obliterate their features no ID could be made when the body was fished out some bay.

But if tweaking is involved, maybe they just thought it'd be a good way to clean the grout around the tub.

I can see either.
posted by angrycat at 1:33 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

Preet Bharara isn't with the Government anymore?

"Special Prosecutor Preet Bharara" sounds like the only way to get to the bottom of all of these Donald J. Trump scandals. Sessions lying. Appointing a foreign agent to National Security Advisor. Secret computers speaking to Russian banks... Crazy lies about his phones being tapped..."
posted by mikelieman at 1:33 PM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

Well, Bharara might've been investigating Trump already, so...
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:38 PM on March 11, 2017 [4 favorites]

I hope he spent that time in between being asked to resign and being fired making a lot of photocopies.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:39 PM on March 11, 2017 [17 favorites]

Here's the really sad part if Trump really has Alzheimer's, dementia, or any other medical condition: with my mom and her dementia, my one and only concern is her comfort and peace of mind. I do everything I can to keep her from any disturbing or stressful situations. His wife and kids and family must know something is wrong but instead of finding help for him they use him in any way they can. The fact that they could afford the best doctors and facilities and do nothing is even worse. Just encouraging him to run was a bad deed.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:41 PM on March 11, 2017 [21 favorites]

Sadly, the only people with the power to appoint special prosecutors are the very people that need to be investigated. Quis custodiet, and all that.

The unpleasant reality of total, one-party control takes on an especially depressing hue when the party in control is full of racists, sexists and the venally corrupt, and led by pathological liars, Nazis and probable foreign agents.
posted by darkstar at 1:41 PM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

"Obamacare has failed the people of Kentucky, Obamacare has failed the people of America and Obamacare must go!" the former Indiana governor declared to an enthusiastic invitation-only audience of more than 100 at a warehouse of the Harshaw Trane heating and cooling business in eastern Jefferson County.

Lies. Lies. Lies. KY CONNECT was touted as a resounding success until Gov. Fuckface Bevin was voted in and Pence's own HIP (Healthy Indiana Plan) is doing great too.

Goddamn lying pieces of shit.
posted by futz at 1:45 PM on March 11, 2017 [44 favorites]

I like the shade thrown by "an enthusiastic invitation-only audience of more than 100".
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:47 PM on March 11, 2017 [28 favorites]

I mean if I were the villain in the movie proudly announcing the destruction of millions of peoples' health care, I'd expect to do it in front of an enthusiastic invitation-only audience in a warehouse.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:48 PM on March 11, 2017 [30 favorites]

Just encouraging him to run was a bad deed.

Agree. They have to know he is unwell. If I can tell never having met the man and sitting on my couch here in Pittsburgh, there's no way they don't know. I have no great well of pity for him because he was clearly already an abusive shitbag prior to his current cognitive decline, but the people enabling him right now are doing so for their own personal gain and they are, to a person, bad people. If this situation didn't also involve taking American democracy down with him, we'd be listening to it in podcast form in about 5 years, tsking at how fucked up this entire family of vipers is.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:49 PM on March 11, 2017 [22 favorites]

an enthusiastic invitation-only audience of more than 100 at a warehouse of the Harshaw Trane heating and cooling business

Keep in mind that people who have a job and are employees of a company that provides health insurance could care less about the Obamacare program that affects a small percentage of people in the individual market (about 7%) and poor people. They have no clue how awful the individual market was before Obamacare and generally are ranting about a program about which they know absolutely nothing except that the Republican party opposes it.
posted by JackFlash at 1:54 PM on March 11, 2017 [8 favorites]

The acid hot tub thing and the padlocks are actually a brilliant trap, because either Bannon is implicated in whatever the heck was going on there (which sounds like it involved various shenanigans by his ex), or he didn't really live there and is implicated in tax and/or voter fraud.
posted by zachlipton at 2:03 PM on March 11, 2017 [41 favorites]

Keep in mind that people who have a job and are employees of a company that provides health insurance could care less about the Obamacare program that affects a small percentage of people in the individual market (about 7%) and poor people.

Many, many workers worry about losing their insurance if they get laid off or are fired. I've know people trapped in jobs they hate and are being ill-treated in because they have a pre-existing condition and won't be able to get insurance if they leave. So while some people might not care, a lot of people do.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 2:07 PM on March 11, 2017 [28 favorites]

Man arrested as suspect in hate crime at Salem restaurant
Kendall told arresting officers he entered the restaurant during a "warrior's path" walk down State Street, when he saw a woman inside who he thought was being held as a slave because of a type of blouse she was wearing. He saw the shirt as a "signal" and he knew "that is what Arabs do."

Kendall said he started yelling because he saw a "Saddam Hussein looking guy" and walked inside the restaurant to tell the young woman she was "free to leave."

Dude seems slightly crazy, but we're in the atmosphere that promotes this kind of reaction.
posted by PenDevil at 2:15 PM on March 11, 2017 [17 favorites]

I mean if I were the villain in the movie proudly announcing the destruction of millions of peoples' health care, I'd expect to do it in front of an enthusiastic invitation-only audience in a warehouse.

"What are we doing?!"
"DESTROYING OBAMACARE!"
"When?!"
"REAL SOON!"
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:16 PM on March 11, 2017 [16 favorites]

Dude seems slightly crazy,

Slightly crazy?
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 2:21 PM on March 11, 2017 [10 favorites]

Slightly crazy?

The Crazerton Window has shifted that much, yes.
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:25 PM on March 11, 2017 [22 favorites]

My local experiences also reflect sciatrix's. Newly activated middle and upper middle class older white women doing a hell of a lot of work right now.

I went to my town's Democratic caucus this morning. After the caucus, we had a meeting of the Democratic Town Committee. Well, first we created it. The committee had been defunct for years, but a few people in town had figured out how to resurrect it. They happened to be newly activated middle and upper middle class older white women :)
posted by diogenes at 2:31 PM on March 11, 2017 [40 favorites]

...a brilliant trap, because either Bannon is implicated in whatever the heck was going on there

a golden opportunity for the local sheriff to get his asset forfeiture on...no charges or indictment or conviction required!
posted by j_curiouser at 2:39 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

While I feel more than a little uneasy about diagnosing Trump from afar, I do feel this is an appropriate time to tell about my experiences with karma. For 35 years, I've been close to an inordinate number of relatives as they died. First it was scary and I tried to back off, then it became part of life, and finally I was the expert who got dragged in even when maybe someone else might have be closer and better at managing. Anyhow, after a while, I realized that you die as you live. If you are a loving and beloved person, your final hours will be angelic, even if they are painful and scary. If you are a fighter, you will struggle with those last days as were you a fighter pilot in WW2. If you are a mean conniving bitch, well that will be the framework for your last breath. Sometimes karma will show you a truth you or your relatives didn't want to know.
(This is not about pain or disease at all, it's about how it is handled)
I also learned that all the money in the world couldn't change that. One of my friends was part of a team who cared for an immensely rich blind old man. They would be there 24/7, and cater his every need. But his family hated him. So my friend and her colleagues watched as his family emptied every corner of his house that he could no longer reach, and regularly stole money out of his wallet and blamed it on his carers. My friend and her colleagues would walk around the house naked and eat his foie gras and drink his champagne (which may have been OK with him).

All of this anecdote leads to the point that I have a sense that no one in Trump's family cares for him in the way normal families care about each other, and they might not even know that they are not caring. So there is no-one there to worry about Trumps state of mind, or legacy or well-being. (One exception being Ivana, but she is also really weird, so that won't help him)
posted by mumimor at 2:53 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

A devoted Limbaugh fan follows me on Twitter. Every so often I look at that person's feed to see how people who live in that particular bubble are interpreting daily events. And this person retweets some really batshit stuff tweeted by Lou Dobbs - he's on Fox Business. I don't see people bringing him up in the same contexts as Hannity and Limbaugh, but man.

Yesterday Dobbs tweeted this poll: "Do you believe the Deep State and the left-wing national media fully intend to subvert the Trump presidency?" And also: "Liberal states betray national security – seek to block @POTUS vetting order." The kinds of things his followers believe and retweet are terrifying. They really do seem to want to destroy the US, literally.
posted by wondermouse at 2:54 PM on March 11, 2017 [14 favorites]

j_curiouser, I have a pipe dream in which, one day, a SCOTUS appointee sitting before the Judiciary Committee says something like, "well, I would never comment on any pending cases...except those involving no-charge asset seizure, 'cuz that shit is totally unconstitutional."
posted by darkstar at 2:54 PM on March 11, 2017 [8 favorites]

A new drug for the treatment of Trump-Induced Anxiety Disorder: Impeachara^®
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:40 PM on March 11, 2017 [4 favorites]

Too-Ticky: We KNOW it's not all men. At the same time, it's still too many men.

As a guy who -- reflexively, defensively -- starts to think "N.A.M...." to myself in a hurt tone of (mental) voice, I really like this point and the way you phrased it. I think from now on, this is what I will think. Thank you for a good reminder!
posted by wenestvedt at 3:55 PM on March 11, 2017 [18 favorites]

Fake news website created to test Donald Trump supporters' gullibility - Reveals they will believe anything

-- Despite aiming to write stories no-one would believe, James McDaniel found Trump supporters who believed that Barack Obama had been plotting a coup from a secret bunker near the White House, and that the British singer Adele had demanded he be jailed for such treachery.

-- “If I wrote about CNN being fake news and connected to ISIS, readers would agree wholeheartedly with my fabricated article. If I wrote about a black liberal or Obama supposedly saying something controversial, the response was unbridled racism and hatred. When I wrote about Hillary Clinton’s new emails that proved she was a child sacrificing maniac, people screamed for her head.”
posted by futz at 3:56 PM on March 11, 2017 [20 favorites]

"What are we doing?!"
"DESTROYING OBAMACARE!"
"When?!"
"REAL SOON!"
posted by Johnny Wallflower

It's a variant Lectroid name, but it checks out.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:57 PM on March 11, 2017 [12 favorites]

Fake news website

Goddammit, this guy has just reinforced the idiotic beliefs of the worst Trumpists, and for what? "Just for fun" is a sorry fucking excuse for doing real damage to political conversation. This shit isn't funny any more.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 4:07 PM on March 11, 2017 [38 favorites]

Yeah, at some point, the line between "fake news demonizing liberals for the purpose of winning elections" and "fake news demonizing liberals for the ironic lulz" becomes irrelevant.

I think that point is when a dangerously narcissistic autocrat gets elected.
posted by darkstar at 4:13 PM on March 11, 2017 [14 favorites]

I agree, that was a dangerous game he was playing and now people will go to their graves thinking that Clinton and Obama were child molesters. I wonder if it would have worked to plant some anti-Trump stuff like Clinton was in charge of a sex trafficking ring and Ivanka was their best customer. Would that get swallowed just as easily or would the Trump fans start to doubt what they were reading.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:18 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

New bill takes aim at men's masturbation habits ~ Houston's Jessica Farrar files "men's health" legislation

State Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, filed a bill Friday that would penalize men for "unregulated masturbatory emissions."

The satirical House Bill 4260 would encourage men to remain "fully abstinent" and only allow the "occasional masturbatory emissions inside health care and medical facilities," which are described in the legislation as the best way to ensure men's health.

A man would face a $100 penalty for each emission made outside of a vagina or medical facility. Such an emission would be considered "an act against an unborn child, and failing to preserve the sanctity of life," according to the legislation.

The rest of the article is terrific too.
posted by futz at 4:19 PM on March 11, 2017 [89 favorites]

One day aliens are going to come and blow up this planet because we're stupid and dangerous, and can't ever be allowed to infect the galaxy. That or we'll come last on Planet Music.

I'm starting to think that day can't come soon enough.
posted by Talez at 4:19 PM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

I just got home from the ACLU People Power training. Our local gathering included about 75 people, the vast majority of whom were white women that I'd guess were between 35-75 years old. The most inspirational thing I heard was "we cannot be bullied out of our humanity."
posted by a fish out of water at 4:25 PM on March 11, 2017 [49 favorites]

Alexandra Petri, WaPo: All your health-care questions answered

Do Democrats like it?
Democrats, seeing everyone from the AMA to hospitals come out vigorously against the bill, issued the fiery tweet that “it desperately needs revision.” This is the kind of ringing denunciation we have come to expect from the Democrats. “Mr. Gorbachev,” as Reagan so stirringly said, “This wall desperately needs revision.”
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 4:55 PM on March 11, 2017 [36 favorites]

ArbitraryAndCapricious: That 'paid protester' is actually your mom, and she's taking over Facebook to fight Trump.

So, after reading this article earlier today, I felt a little bit better than usual, and I couldn't put my finger on why. I just realized it was, though.

I've been disconsolate lately because even if Trump doesn't get us into a nuclear war, and even if the Republicans don't tank the economy, our nation is so deeply divided and bitterly angry that I haven't been able to even see a path that avoids a civil war.

This article gives me a glimmer of hope that maybe that divide is slowly, little by little, starting to get bridged.
posted by ragtag at 5:06 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

Today is our Purim Celebration. MAKE SHUSHAN GREAT AGAIN.
posted by bq at 5:26 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

These idiots have managed to make what absolutely shouldn't be a thing, replacing political appointees that are basically always replaced, into an increasingly big one.

First, Sessions reportedly assured Bharara just this week that he could keep his job.

Second, Trump, who previously met with Bharara in November and agreed to keep him on, tried to call Bharara on Thursday, in an apparent violation of protocols that the president doesn't just call up federal prosecutors:

However, there are protocols governing a president’s direct contact with federal prosecutors. According to two people with knowledge of the events who were not authorized to discuss sensitive conversations publicly, Mr. Bharara notified an adviser to the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, that the president had tried to contact him and that he would not respond because of those protocols.

posted by zachlipton at 5:59 PM on March 11, 2017 [39 favorites]

Also, Don Jr. met with the Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City yesterday afternoon. He's quoted as saying: "I thought I was out of politics after election day -- but I couldn't."

So much for that whole "off running the business" thing.
posted by zachlipton at 6:00 PM on March 11, 2017 [29 favorites]

That's the business. Family kleptocracy turns out to be both awful and banal.
posted by holgate at 6:49 PM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

The banality of weasels.
posted by BS Artisan at 7:15 PM on March 11, 2017 [13 favorites]

This Year's L.A. Pride Parade Will Be Replaced By A Resist March

Every June, about half-a-million people gather at West Hollywood Park and along Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood for the annual L.A. Pride Parade and Festival. But this year, event organizers have announced that the pride parade (one of the largest in the world) will be replaced by a protest march.

"...Given the current political climate where divisiveness and discrimination continue to be part of mainstream dialogue, CSW is determined to make the LA Pride brand a unifying force for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies across all of Los Angeles. To accomplish this goal, the organization is introducing several community-focused initiatives to continue LA Pride’s long-standing history as a voice of and for the entire LGBTQ+ community".

According to WeHoville, the annual pride parade will be replaced with the Resist March planned for the same day (June 11). The march route will begin at the Hollywood and Highland subway station in Hollywood, and traverse 3.1 miles of city streets ending at the L.A. Pride festival at West Hollywood Park.

Selfishly, I love this. I grew up in West Hollywood and it had a huge influence on me. I stopped going to Pride decades ago when the crowds started giving me panic attacks so I'm glad to be able to show my support again in person.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:21 PM on March 11, 2017 [49 favorites]

.....bringing that here, Room 641-A, just made me very excited for this year's Queerbomb. It's already something of a joyous, riotous, wild, fragmented, cheerfully unconcerned with cis straight norms sort of march, nothing like the branded, regimented companies of corporate scions parading in lockstep that Pride is. This will be my third year coming along and shouting into the darkness and cheering to anyone who sees us.

I will be fascinated and delighted to see what people choose to do and wear this year, let me bloody tell you.
posted by sciatrix at 7:59 PM on March 11, 2017 [8 favorites]

I wanted to touch on something upthread here, re: class, income, time, and the ability to organize. one of the really frustrating things about field organizing for political campaigns-- you absolutely cannot do it professionally without a profound safety net. I'm working right now with a guy who has been in field pretty much continuously since 2012, and this dude is literally selling plasma to fund his modest living expenses. that's like, gas and food. he's staying in a donated motel room. there's not even a guarantee he's going to get hired on the governor field team past the initial petition phase, despite a shockingly impressive resume. if dude's family wasn't well-off, he couldn't be doing this. the uncertainty just kills. if I wasn't in the unique position where I don't have to bring in anything like a living wage right now, there's no way I could entertain the ambition of doing field work. and last year, I was working unpaid twelve hour days. (not that paid is much better-- when you work out the average salary, it comes to significantly less than minimum wage.) I hate that this leaves out a lot of people that would be terrifyingly good at this kind of work. I know of a service industry guy in the Midwest that organized last year setting up a gofundme in the hopes of making it on a governor race in a whole other state this year.

I'm not sure what the solution here is, other than maybe paying your field team better, or even what my point is. just another data point, I suppose.

(it is kind of immensely satisfying to me, however, being a relative neophyte at the job with this hardened field vet watching me work and going 'holy shit, dogheart, you are good.' I know this, but the validation is really nice.)
posted by dogheart at 8:07 PM on March 11, 2017 [27 favorites]

So - no SNL spoilers or is there a new thread and nobody told me?

It would explain how I got to the end of the thread tho
posted by petebest at 8:19 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

It is! They're running a gofundme now to raise organizing costs for this summer's event, which won't be till June. I need to find a ten or a twenty somewhere to kick in so they can pull it off again--it keeps growing in size and enthusiasm even in just the last two or three years since I started going.
posted by sciatrix at 8:28 PM on March 11, 2017

134 foreign policy experts condemn Trump travel ban

"The revised executive order will jeopardize our relationship with allies and partners on whom we rely for vital counterterrorism cooperation and information-sharing To Muslims – including those victimized by or fighting against ISIS – it will send a message that reinforces the propaganda of ISIS and other extremist groups, that falsely claim the United States is at war with Islam," it states.

"Welcoming Muslim refugees and travelers, by contrast, exposes the lies of terrorists and counters their warped vision," it adds.

This message is so fucking obvious that my dog groks it. Trumplefuck and his puppeteers want war don't they? Unrelated, I hope that that we aren't experiencing some sort of 'calm before the storm' moment.
posted by futz at 8:30 PM on March 11, 2017 [24 favorites]

SNL chat in the politics thread is okay; try to give context instead of just reactions and if you post links try to post world-watchable links!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:30 PM on March 11, 2017 [4 favorites]

Okay, so on that favorable/unfavorable rating for the Democratic Party, there's a paragraph in the New Republic piece on "Obama's Lost Army:"

“We lost this election eight years ago,” concludes Michael Slaby, the campaign’s chief technology officer. “Our party became a national movement focused on general elections, and we lost touch with nonurban, noncoastal communities. There is a straight line between our failure to address the culture and systemic failures of Washington and this election result.”

For that matter a late friend of mine worked on the Howard Dean campaign, which also built a 50-state organization with a lot of idealistic young people, which also seems to have gone largely to waste (I mean, DFA isn't doing nothing, exactly, but didn't realize it even still existed until just now).

Until the Democratic Party can take that energy and turn it into a lasting movement with winners all the way down the ballot, they deserve their low ratings. The DNC has focused too much on the presidential race, the DCCC is utterly ineffectual, and too many Republicans run unopposed. How about they start working on a real 50-state ground game? How about they do, I dunno, something to oppose what's happening now, aside from tweeting ineffectually from the sidelines? How about they step up and state positions without having to be dragged into it by a base that no longer takes appeasement for an answer?

The DNC and the DCCC deserve the low ratings.
posted by fedward at 8:37 PM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]

Cold open was an independence style attack of aliens, with our Commander in Chief more concerned about the Black people in his army than the aliens killing everyone. I thought it was fairly mild.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:39 PM on March 11, 2017

All of Trump’s Russia Ties, in 7 Charts

More chart clarification if you need it.
posted by futz at 8:47 PM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

SNL Clip - Cold Open (aliens)

(Posted for the sake of in-thread context and completeness, but it's really not very good.)
posted by zachlipton at 8:51 PM on March 11, 2017

I thought if you try to dissolve a body in acid in the bathtub you think you've been clever but in fact the acid and meat slurry would dissolve through the bathtub, then the floor, and then your partner gets another reason to glare at you and call you stupid.

"So there's that."
posted by scalefree at 8:58 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

GOP congressman offers strange Obama conspiracy theory — and even stranger explanations

-- Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) took the White House's “deep state” conspiracy theory and added some mustard to it in a newly uncovered speech last week. Kelly said that not only is there a widespread government effort to undermine President Trump, but that it's being led by none other than former president Barack Obama — who is running a “shadow government.”

-- First, here's what Kelly said last Saturday at a local Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner:

President Obama himself said he was going to stay in Washington until his daughter graduated. I think we ought to pitch in to let him go someplace else, because he is only there for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to run a shadow government that is going to totally upset the new agenda. It just doesn’t make sense. And people sit back and they say to me, 'My gosh, why can’t you guys get this done?' I say, 'We've got a new CEO, we've got some new heads in the different departments, but the same people are there, and they don't believe that the new owners or the new managers should be running the ship.'

Reached by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kelly's office insisted the comments were supposed to be private and that he was merely reflecting Republicans' frustration with the deep state. “Rep. Kelly delivered his remarks at a private meeting to an audience of fellow Republicans. He was sharing the frustration of everyone in the room over how they believe certain Obama administration holdovers within the federal bureaucracy are attempting to upset President Trump’s agenda.”

These people are BATSHIT. Fucking. Insane.
posted by futz at 9:07 PM on March 11, 2017 [63 favorites]

oh my god, they just did a rock solid Ivanka burn via perfume commercial. look for it. so satisfying.
posted by prefpara at 9:08 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

We KNOW it's not all men. At the same time, it's still too many men.

As a guy who -- reflexively, defensively -- starts to think "N.A.M...." to myself in a hurt tone of (mental) voice, I really like this point and the way you phrased it.

Earlier today I shared an observation from this thread about white male behavior with my husband. I could see his mental Not All Men! moment happen, and he paused and said "Can you explain that?"

So I did and he thought and said "You're so right, men totally do that."

At a couple points I was very close to preemptively pointing out "not all men, obviously" or "I'm not talking about you" myself, but I held back because I wanted to give him credit that he would understand that without me saying it. And ultimately he did and we both got exactly the behavior we were talking about and how prevalent it is in too many men.

So yeah, "could you explain" is a really great alternative to a defensive reaction as well.
posted by threeturtles at 9:16 PM on March 11, 2017 [16 favorites]

...

So they're okay with Melania staying in NYC for offspring educational purposes, but if Obama does it, it's a sinister conspiracy?

Okay then.
posted by Archelaus at 9:18 PM on March 11, 2017 [30 favorites]

Kelly's office insisted the comments were supposed to be private...Rep. Kelly delivered his remarks at a private meeting to an audience of fellow Republicans.

I never understood how some people thought this was in any way supposed to be a legitimate defense of objectionable comments.

The fact that someone says something atrocious in private, or in close company, is actually MORE damning, because it shows what's really in their heart, what they really think, and are willing to say only when they think they are in supportive company where they won't be held accountable for speaking their minds.
posted by darkstar at 9:30 PM on March 11, 2017 [56 favorites]

in an apparent violation of protocols that the president doesn't just call up federal prosecutors:

Even so, this is all just another shoe dropping. Trump rope-a-doped the USAs, false confidence ensues, then cuts their legs out from under them. These guys are going to use every dirty trick, and we're all wrong-footed every time.
posted by rhizome at 9:34 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

Went to my first precinct chair training today and yeah mostly ladies, and a few guys. One guy who was Nervous Loud Joke Making Guy kept interrupting and I kept thinking "Metafilter would say he's like that because men are generally not taught how to behave themselves in groups and we're all having to do emotional labor instead of telling him to shut up for a few minutes."

Anyway, it was a really good training, and the organizer helped me quite a bit. I have been struggling with choosing between methods of resistance. I really really hate calling people to yell at them. I'm bad at it. I can march but not every day. I can send postcards. But there are so MANY FB pages and groups and things to support that I have been feeling exasperated and overwhelmed.

And the organizer said, if you are a Precinct Chair, your job is FIRST to find the registered Dems in your precinct, and get them involved and voting. Not new voter registration, not phone calls, not persuading Trump voters, but fixing our low turnout of registered Dems. And that is a Manageable Task, and important work that desperately needs people to do it.

So if you want to roll up your sleeves and get shit moving, and are overwhelmed about how to start, I suggest something like that.
posted by emjaybee at 9:35 PM on March 11, 2017 [41 favorites]

The extent to which the US Attorneys were blindsided is probably best expressed by the fact that Sessions had a conference call with all of them on Thursday and gave no indication this was going to happen. Certainly gives credence to the idea that Hannity's call for a purge turned this into an emergency.
posted by zachlipton at 9:38 PM on March 11, 2017 [33 favorites]

How are new US Attorneys appointed? I presume it takes some time to replace them even if it doesn't take a confirmation hearing. What happens to all the legal things the government has to do in the meantime?
posted by Joe in Australia at 9:49 PM on March 11, 2017

emjaybee: And the organizer said, if you are a Precinct Chair, your job is FIRST to find the registered Dems in your precinct, and get them involved and voting. Not new voter registration, not phone calls, not persuading Trump voters, but fixing our low turnout of registered Dems. And that is a Manageable Task, and important work that desperately needs people to do it.

This is our primary focus as well. We are the bluest district in Arizona, and one of the most densely populated, but we have among the lowest turnout. If we can just get everyone to the voting booth, we could single-handedly push this state into the blue zone.

We're working on it; we have a detailed action plan. Our first step is to fill our quota of Precinct Committeepersons, since we're only about halfway there--and that's with the sharp influx that's come about since the election (and of which I am a part, even though I managed to get in at the right time to vault directly into a seat on the executive board while I was at it). We're training new PCs and volunteers, trying to harness the incredible energy that's out there. I mean, we are looking for a bigger meeting space because we are now overflowing our current digs every month! Just today we started an ongoing program of biweekly canvassing events that start with training and end with a "field trip" to an underrepresented precinct. Right now we're gathering signatures for a couple of local candidates in off-season elections, but mostly it's about showing up, talking to people (and, more importantly, listening), letting folks know we're there and interested in getting things done in the community beyond just coming around asking for votes on the national ticket every couple of years.

I have a demanding (more than) full-time job, and I--a middle-aged white lady--am somehow making space I didn't think existed in my life to get this done. I'm not as present at protests, etc. as I'd like to be, but I created an action group within the LD that I thought would just be a low-key neighborhood thing with a handful of people as a way of easing into this new-to-me PC gig, but has turned into a much bigger deal with guest speakers and teams and is being used as a model for similar groups across the district.

I'm tired and trying to manage work and my introversion and impostor syndrome around all of this, but I keep pushing forward because so many people can't, and it's my duty as a human to leverage my privilege, stand up and fight for them.
Anyone who has a problem with that can bite me.
posted by Superplin at 9:58 PM on March 11, 2017 [79 favorites]

Even so, this is all just another shoe dropping. Trump rope-a-doped the USAs, false confidence ensues, then cuts their legs out from under them. These guys are going to use every dirty trick, and we're all wrong-footed every time.

I don't know. Only the Trump administration could take a thing that normally occurs - a new administration getting rid of previous US attorneys - and turn it into a major drama showing ill-thought out and poorly communicated decisions and an illegal attempt to contact one of the attorneys.

I suspect that the Trump plan was that everyone would spend the month after his address to congress and the senate talking about he was at least the semblance of a president. Instead, that narrative died a quick death, and that was all down to Trump and his team's inability to do anything even internally coherent two days in a row.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 10:04 PM on March 11, 2017 [18 favorites]

From a fellow Phoenician who went through serious burnout a few years back while serving in our LD, thank you Superplin for your work to turn this crazy state blue. Courage! (And good rest.)
posted by darkstar at 10:08 PM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

Only the Trump administration could take a thing that normally occurs - a new administration getting rid of previous US attorneys - and turn it into a major drama

Exactly, but also strategically.
posted by rhizome at 10:18 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here's the excellentSNL Ivanka fragrance ad clip (works in the US anyway, let me know if it turns out to be geoblocked).
posted by zachlipton at 10:20 PM on March 11, 2017 [7 favorites]

I haven't been on the site since yesterday so I am just seeing the earlier bit about Prayer Walking:

but the interviewees believed that their prayers were combating unseen demons in the neighborhoods where they walked

See, I think this must be fake news. If these were real Americans, they would be Prayer Driving, no?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:30 PM on March 11, 2017 [6 favorites]

How are new US Attorneys appointed?

Nominated by the president. Requires Senate hearing and confirmation like many other political appointees. The Attorney General may fill a vacancy with an interim appointee for up to 120 days. After that, if there is still no confirmation of a permanent appointee, the district judges may appoint an interim US Attorney until the vacancy is filled.
posted by JackFlash at 11:02 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

just a regular everyday sitz bath for Steve Bannon
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:10 PM on March 11, 2017 [14 favorites]

I really think the best part is his response to that email:

“I’m out of town,” Bannon replied. “is there any way u can talk with Diane and sort things out ???”

A normal person would say something like "wtf? I didn't cover my bathtub in acid. Send me pics" in response to a landlord reporting that in an email.
posted by zachlipton at 11:16 PM on March 11, 2017 [32 favorites]

That detail about the jacuzzi being "covered in acid" is so creepy. I know folks speculated about disposing of a corpse, but are there other explanations? Drug manufacture? or.... I got nothing. it's weird

There actually is an innocent reason although without more details about the 'acid' it is imossible to tell. Refinishing a fiberglass bathtub can require Muriatic Acid. A porcelain tub likely requires Hydrofluoric Acid.

So who knows.
posted by futz at 11:25 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

Texas gun-rights activist slammed for graphic film portraying shooting of a student protester
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:36 PM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]

OR Signs of a Meth Lab

These chemicals are commonly associated with meth labs:

Battery acid (sulfuric acid)
Drain cleaner (sulfuric acid or caustic soda)
Muriatic acid

So, big tub covered in acid, weird lock situations, $14 K in damages & Ex wife smuggling drugs into the jail + Bannon.

These are not the droids that you are looking for.
posted by futz at 11:36 PM on March 11, 2017 [42 favorites]

Orange is the new gold: Prison stocks the big winners in Trump's America

… Since the election, CoreCivic's stock price has climbed 120 per cent, and Geo's has gained 80 per cent. Already in 2017, CoreCivic is up about 30 per cent; Geo - which is also the largest private prison company in Australia - has gained about 20 per cent.

posted by Joe in Australia at 1:22 AM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

Here's the excellentSNL Ivanka fragrance ad clip (works in the US anyway, let me know if it turns out to be geoblocked).

Geoblocked. The only site that usually shows SNL and isn't geoblocked is Mediaite, and this week they hardly have anything. They have the full clip for the 'new US customs ad' parody, and 30 seconds of the cold open, but that's it. All the Youtube ones are either scams (screenshot of SNL clip, but the video turns out to be something different) or geoblocked official clips. It's so frustrating, because it's not like there's a legitimate official channel that shows SNL here in Australia, so I'm not costing anyone any money by watching it on youtube or whatever instead.
posted by lollusc at 3:15 AM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

of course prison stocks are up
what a fucking garbage country
posted by angrycat at 6:06 AM on March 12, 2017 [30 favorites]

Texas gun-rights activist slammed for graphic film portraying shooting of a student protester

Oh yeah these dudes definitely sound like good guys with guns. I really trust them to handle their lethal arsenals with discretion and responsibility.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:57 AM on March 12, 2017 [10 favorites]

Battery acid (sulfuric acid)
Drain cleaner (sulfuric acid or caustic soda)
Muriatic acid

So, big tub covered in acid,

All of those are used to lower and raise pH in a pool. Could have been spilled. More likely than a meth conspiracy without the giant red flag of pseudo-ephedrine feedstock. Especially since the wife was under investigation for a pot scam not meth.
posted by Talez at 7:14 AM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

That detail about the jacuzzi being "covered in acid" is so creepy. I know folks speculated about disposing of a corpse, but are there other explanations?

Bannon holding a pool party with xenomorphs. Even they said "fuck this guy, I'm out", and cut their hand on a broken bottle.
posted by lmfsilva at 7:22 AM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

All of those are used to lower and raise pH in a pool. Could have been spilled.

I figure someone dumped a shit ton of acid into the pool all at once rather than meting it out more carefully. So, metaphor.
posted by Etrigan at 7:29 AM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Bannon holding a pool party with xenomorphs

As Monica Crowley said just last week: "The reason they have to destroy him is that Donald Trump is an alien organism that has been injected into the body politic of the American people to reform it. They have swarmed him, they have swarmed everybody around him in order reject him out of the system, just like any alien organism.”

I knew to take the regime literally, but not that literally.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:32 AM on March 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

I like the shade thrown by "an enthusiastic invitation-only audience of more than 100".

Incidentally, remember that invitation only town hall I went to last week? The one for a lowly Democratic Congressional rep, not a mighty Vice President, that only really had time to get about ten questions out of Lloyd before he ran out of time on the stage and had to go keep answering questions in the parking lot?

Yeah, we got almost 700 participants at that, and all our folks had to request it ahead of time, unprompted.

Suck it, Pence.
posted by sciatrix at 7:45 AM on March 12, 2017 [30 favorites]

Re the gun nut video... I haven't been by to see the Cocks Not Glocks page in a while, but it was immediately flooded with violent threats when it went up. I remember about a year ago those assholes said they were going to hold a realistic skit of a school shooter who who would be shot down by concealed carriers in the middle of campus, complete with fake guns and blood bags; as I recall there was to be almost no warning that the incident wasn't real. There was a lot of fear and outrage among students until the administration got wind and released a press statement saying that UT Austin is not actually required to host free demonstrations from randos with no university affiliation, and if the gun loons tried their little performance on campus property they would be marched off and arrested by campus security.

I genuinely believe it is only a matter of time before a student activist or activists is killed on my campus. I will bet money that Kent State round two will happen here. And that breaks my fucking heart, but it's not making the kids less angry. I hosted a discussion on global warming in my discussion sections last week and my kids fell over themselves with frustration about the attacks on the EPA. A friend of mine from college, now doing her PhD work here on activism rhetoric in digital communities, has been absently photographing the graffiti they see on their way into campus. It is getting angrier, especially when one of the fascists gets brave enough to leave one of their damn calling cards. And the Resist fliers are papering campus.

That's the atmosphere here. It's... grim. And more than a bit of a powder keg. Fuck.
posted by sciatrix at 8:05 AM on March 12, 2017 [28 favorites]

Third edition of Charlie Warzel's report from the fever swamps of the Far Right: The State Is Lovely, Dark And Deep.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:37 AM on March 12, 2017

BuzzFeed: I Made A Facebook Profile, Started Liking Right-Wing Pages, And Radicalized My News Feed In Four Days

I started this experiment to see how filter bubbles can form. After three days, I started seeing white power memes and was asked to join a Vladimir Putin fan page. By Friday, my News Feed included an article from the Daily Stormer, an actual neo-Nazi website.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:48 AM on March 12, 2017 [40 favorites]

It's such a contrast:

President 1: I don't really think the government should be part of a prison-for-profit system. It's inhumane and we are better than this.

President 2: More prisoners! More prisons! More profits! Otherwise you're leaving money on the table, idiot!

Indeed. No doubt the corporate news is running this as an important story: America Drives Itself Into A Ditch kind of things. I'll just check.

NYT: mmmmnnnnnope. (However: "Kristof: Are Your Sperm in Trouble?" Yes, yes. Mmmm)
CNN: nöpe. ("Sherriff of Wall St. Fired", Blizzard for NY)
WaPo: nuh-uh. (N. Korea, Trump Voters Lose Healthcare, McCain Tells Trump To Shush)

Ummm . . . lessee . . Oh, MSNBC: Neww. ("GOP: Healthcare A-OK!", fired attorney, Trump's a conspiracy nut)

HuffPo?: No. (Healtcare, Sanders Voters, 100 Greatest Springsteen records . . . )

Ah! ProPublica!: Dang, no. (Healthcare deep-dives, Kushner's tightrope, The Wall)

Well, probably not important. They were both terrible anyway. More bon-bons?
posted by petebest at 8:52 AM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

Ahahaha I relayed that gun asshole threatening video story to my partner just now. Their response was "UM so about that security system we were talking about?" so now we're upgrading that priority above "fix the drainage so roomie's closet can't ever flood again" on our household repairs budget and drawing funds from that savings fund to make that happen.

What a fucking world.
posted by sciatrix at 9:34 AM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

They were both terrible anyway.

Oh, come on. Half the headlines you cited were unambiguously about how terrible Trump and his administration are -- not talking about this particular thing in the top three is a long way from "They were both terrible anyway".
posted by Etrigan at 9:38 AM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

Something you may not be able to un-hear: Mark Hamill reading Trump tweets as The Joker. (Hamill's Audio Boom account - some of the individual clips were linked previously)
posted by filthy light thief at 9:48 AM on March 12, 2017 [11 favorites]

Geo - which is also the largest private prison company in Australia - has gained about 20 per cent.

We'll see how they do after they hopefully (pleasepleaseplease) lose their lawsuit from the detainees who are forced to work for them

The plaintiffs allege that the GEO Group forced detainees to work for extremely low wages or for no wages at all, and in some cases threatened detainees with solitary confinement as punishment if they refused to work. The center holds undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

Forced to work for no wages at all? How is this not slavery?
posted by filthy light thief at 9:52 AM on March 12, 2017 [16 favorites]

Except funny story, one of the US Attorneys isn't actually resigning, even though he's supposed to. Funny story, it's the one you think it is, Preet Bharara, who just so happens to be investigating Fox News, among other things.

Bharara is also involved in the Justice Department's ongoing crusade against Russian money-laundering. Coincidentally, Trump's Taj Mahal casino recently settled federal money-laundering case with a massive fine of $10 million, and Trump's Secretary of Commerce just stepped down as board vice-chairman of a Cyprus bank that the feds had charged with money-laundering some years ago. It's as though there's a theme going on here...
posted by Doktor Zed at 10:13 AM on March 12, 2017 [37 favorites]

video: Q: How many will lose coverage under GOP health plan?

Paul Ryan: “I can't answer that question. It's up to people.”
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:40 AM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

I don't particularly like Paul Ryan.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:48 AM on March 12, 2017 [28 favorites]

Nor does Paul Ryan seem to like people much either.
posted by Namlit at 10:49 AM on March 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

Apart from himself.
posted by Namlit at 10:49 AM on March 12, 2017

I'm still waiting for Paul Ryan to sign up for another marathon so I can beat him.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:51 AM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

Paul Ryan is a sociopath.

Forced to work for no wages at all? How is this not slavery?

"except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted" makes the prison-industrial complex happy.
posted by holgate at 10:53 AM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

Apart from himself.

Pretty sure he also hates himself. No one gets shit-eating glamour shots of themselves weightlifting without a deep, dark well of self-loathing.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:55 AM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

"except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted" makes the prison-industrial complex happy.

Except ICE detainees haven't necessarily been convicted of anything, right? Details, legal loopholes, activist judges etc.
posted by jaduncan at 11:18 AM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

Hey look everyone it's a tweet from Rep Steve King about the economic anxiety his constituents face:
Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies.
posted by PenDevil at 11:21 AM on March 12, 2017 [36 favorites]

EMPATHY.
posted by Artw at 11:28 AM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

(Which, incidentally, will never the name of a warship or a huge gun or something of that nature next time I have cause to write one. That's right Neal, I'm stealing your gag.)
posted by Artw at 11:29 AM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

Forced to work for no wages at all? How is this not slavery?

It is slavery, but it's the last kind we haven't made illegal yet, so of course our neoconfederates want to take advantage of it.
posted by saulgoodman at 11:35 AM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

Come on!

US Attorney fired by Trump was banned from entering Russia by Vladimir Putin

Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who was fired by President Donald Trump over the weekend, was so despised by Vladimir Putin’s that he was banned from entering the country in 2013.

According to The New York Times, Russia banned Bharara and 17 other Americans in retaliation for U.S. sanctions over human rights violations.

Bharara, who is known for investigating officials regardless of political party, also prosecuted three Russian nationals for acting as spies in 2015.

posted by Room 641-A at 11:42 AM on March 12, 2017 [44 favorites]

So the US and Russia banning each others government workers is just a thing they do. Got it.
posted by rhizome at 11:46 AM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies.

Which is basically a rewording of the 14 Words, the white supremacist credo: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."
posted by chris24 at 11:51 AM on March 12, 2017 [43 favorites]

Radicalisation at work: Steve Racist King was always a dumb bigot, but exposure to extremists has turned him into an open "14 words" neo-nazi. Clearly it's up to other House Republicans to monitor their community and report behaviour like this to the authorities.
posted by holgate at 11:54 AM on March 12, 2017 [33 favorites]

Where exactly do they get this "culture can be owned" thing?
posted by rhizome at 11:55 AM on March 12, 2017

Preet tweets: By the way, now I know what the Moreland Commission must have felt like

Referencing a commission that was tasked with looking into political shenanigans on the part of NY politicians, and which the NY governor then dismantled. Bharara criticized that move and tried to keep the investigation going.
posted by prefpara at 12:05 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

McCain on Trump-Russia probes: 'Lot of shoes to drop from this centipede'
posted by futz at 12:06 PM on March 12, 2017 [24 favorites]

Bharara, who is known for investigating officials regardless of political party

The fact that this is comment-worthy is quite the indictment of other US Attorneys.
posted by jaduncan at 12:08 PM on March 12, 2017 [10 favorites]

My hot take is, I am not comfortable with Preet insinuating political corruption in this manner. If he believes he was fired for corrupt reasons, he should say so and explain his reasons. Just being shady like this feels like an abuse of his former position as a federal prosecutor (and one of the most prominent and powerful in the country). We know he has access to confidential information. It shouldn't be ok for people in positions of trust like that to throw around these kinds of unsubstantiated accusations.
posted by prefpara at 12:08 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

McCain on Trump-Russia probes: 'Lot of shoes to drop from this centipede'

Not that he's doing anything to help, the saggy spineless has been.
posted by Artw at 12:08 PM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

I really am beginning to feel a lot of resonance with what my high school Russian emigre friends told me about what Russia was like before they emigrated. Uncanny amounts, even.
posted by corb at 12:08 PM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

McCain on Trump-Russia probes: 'Lot of shoes to drop from this centipede'

Eh heh. Directly trolling /r/The_Donald...but I'll wait for more than mere words from McCain.
posted by jaduncan at 12:09 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

I think my biggest fear is that in less than 60 days, the trumpicans have proven how delicate our rule of law was. Past tense of the verb to-be is intentional. There is clearly exhibited behaviour by this administration which breaks both law and custom. This behavior is protected and even encouraged by a political party which controls all aspects of governance. They have clearly stated and acted as though Republicans are above the law, and the law doesn't bind them if they don't feel like obeying it.

The rule of law has failed. The president is an unhinged poop flinging shit-gibbon with the mental faculties of a toddler. He is surrounded by, and enabled for the promulgation of the destruction of the union, the constitution, and thereby the country.

This path leads to war, and death, and global despair. And the republicans have joined hands and are merrily Morris-dancing us to the abyss.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 12:09 PM on March 12, 2017 [39 favorites]

I really am beginning to feel a lot of resonance with what my high school Russian emigre friends told me about what Russia was like before they emigrated. Uncanny amounts, even.

Was having a chat the other day with my Filipino boss about what growing under Marcos was like, and yeah - it's where we are heading.

Spoilers: Don't expect anyone not directly connected to Trump to ever thrive again once his regime is fully installed, and everyone get some to live in fear of being randomly disappeared.
posted by Artw at 12:14 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

I'm guessing Steve King is trying for a high-level position in the Trump administration.
posted by SisterHavana at 12:16 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

If he believes he was fired for corrupt reasons, he should say so and explain his reasons.

Yeah, we're not going to subtweet our way out of fascism.
posted by holgate at 12:16 PM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

Eh, do whatever you can do when your country is becoming a lawless gangster state all around you.
posted by Artw at 12:30 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm guessing Steve King is trying for a high-level position in the Trump administration.

As a constituent of his, I hope he gets it. He can go be just as ineffective there as he is in the House until the administration crumbles, and we'll get on with the business of getting an actual respectable human being for a representative.
posted by jason_steakums at 12:31 PM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

Finally, a link to that Ivanka bit from last night's SNL. So good.
posted by prefpara at 12:37 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

It's not that insufficient dirt isn't out in the open that Trump could TBG be taken down right now, it's that Republicans such a small himself are unwilling to do it. He wants to play the brace statesman but he's as complicit in this as the rest of them.
posted by Artw at 12:44 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

I reported a couple of days ago that the new healthcare bill didn't cover pre-natal care, that was wrong. The original version had removed that mandate but the version in front of congress now does keep maternity coverage. However during one of the committee debates, Republican Congressman John Shimkus argued that men shouldn't have to pay for that because "it doesn't affect them."

I can kind of understand the "My grandpa weren't no monkey" anti-evolution argument, but this "No man was ever a fetus" thing is in a whole new league of stupidity.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:47 PM on March 12, 2017 [34 favorites]

All of those [muriatic acid, battery acid = sulfuric acid, drain cleaner = caustic soda] are used to lower and raise pH in a pool.

I already didn't like swimming. Now I have a good reason to skip it. The Drano/caustic soda are basic, though, right? So they don't fit the vague details we have here.

[They] could have been spilled. More likely than a meth conspiracy without the giant red flag of pseudo-ephedrine feedstock. Especially since the wife was under investigation for a pot scam not meth.

The wife was smuggling pot and a cell phone into jail for a "friend" who was arrested for cocaine dealing. So I wonder: could this be part of an operation to turn powdered cocaine into crack?
posted by msalt at 1:01 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

I already didn't like swimming. Now I have a good reason to skip it.

I know. All that dihydrogen monoxide as well. Absolutely fucking terrifying.
posted by Talez at 1:10 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

msalt: No, crack is just cocaine + baking soda. No caustic ingredients.
posted by zug at 1:13 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

Shimkus argued that men shouldn't have to pay for that because "it doesn't affect them."

But what about your own pre-born children? Oh, right, the taxpayers are buying you golden insurance policies.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:24 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

Preet tweets: By the way, now I know what the Moreland Commission must have felt like

That's the biggest 'inside baseball' political burn I've ever seen. And I had thought that Preet's statement on criminal charges against Andrew Cuomo was rough.
posted by mikelieman at 1:36 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

If he believes he was fired for corrupt reasons, he should say so and explain his reasons.

Thing is, there's noting ILLEGAL about Trump changing up political appointees. And there was nothing illegal about canceling Moreland. But -- sure appears improper, doesn't it -- that's not what you're going for if a core value is 'avoid appearance of impropriety' is it?

And I'm not sure 'disclosing the facts of a (formerly) ongoing investigation' is kosher, either.
posted by mikelieman at 1:41 PM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

it's a tweet from Rep Steve King

This is for the folks who saw the Confederate flag on his desk but didn't think he was racist enough.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:42 PM on March 12, 2017 [28 favorites]

That detail about the jacuzzi being "covered in acid" is so creepy. I know folks speculated about disposing of a corpse, but are there other explanations?

an acid bath softens and smooths his leathery lizard scales.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 1:51 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

After Pledging to Donate Salary, Trump Declines to Release Proof
posted by futz at 2:12 PM on March 12, 2017 [37 favorites]

This is my shocked face. Look at how shocked I am. (-__-)
posted by soren_lorensen at 2:14 PM on March 12, 2017 [17 favorites]

This is for the folks who saw the Confederate flag on his desk but didn't think he was racist enough.

I have to say that with the recent spate of Purim anti-Semitic terrorism, and the Republican/Trump Administration's tacit support that I am going forward under the assumption that the Second Civil War has begun, and that the enemy sympathizers proudly fly the flags of armies that Americans died defeating.

I wonder what the local gun shop will recommend for my family's defense in this context?
posted by mikelieman at 2:18 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

NYT: Trump Lets Key Offices Gather Dust Amid ‘Slowest Transition in Decades’

These people are acting like leaving a few hundred senior positions unfilled is some kind of material reduction in the size of the government. There's around 1.4 million civilian federal employees. This isn't the Trump Organization. You can't just have a handful of people devoted to drawing up contracts to slap your name on things while you jet around and terrorize your hotel and club managers or chefs in brief promotional visits.
posted by zachlipton at 2:22 PM on March 12, 2017 [26 favorites]

After Pledging to Donate Salary, Trump Declines to Release Proof

Well, he didn't say who or what he'd donate it to, so donating it to himself is just fine.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 2:34 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

Kinda amazing that Republicans have openly become the party of the Confederacy, Nazis, and Russia, arguably the three biggest enemies the U.S. has faced. And yet still like to talk a big game about patriotism and real America. Racism is a helluva drug.
posted by chris24 at 2:35 PM on March 12, 2017 [129 favorites]

It's almost like Grover Norquist is this spore-producing bacterium and the GOP has inhaled him.

WTH has the fucker been doing lately anyway, haven't heard from him. Is he too busy having multiple orgasms over all this, or has he in fact been reduced to spore form and has been inhaled.
posted by angrycat at 3:20 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

These people are acting like leaving a few hundred senior positions unfilled is some kind of material reduction in the size of the government.

If federal employees aren't doing work because nobody is telling them what to do then they become eligible for downsizing.
posted by Talez at 3:31 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

"This is for the folks who saw the Confederate flag on his desk but didn't think he was racist enough."

While on second reference it's acceptable to refer to "Rep. Steve King," on first reference you should always specify "noted racist Rep. Steve King." If attempting to shame the state of Iowa into not electing him, it is acceptable to use "noted Iowa racist Rep Steve King" for all references.

(I'm going to keep doing this until it catches on.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:32 PM on March 12, 2017 [69 favorites]

Can we call them Confederazis?
posted by schadenfrau at 3:42 PM on March 12, 2017 [17 favorites]

The WSJ brings us peak Preet:

The White House appears to be unhappy with Mr. Bharara’s handling of the situation. In reference to Mr. Bharara’s ouster, the White House aide said: “The U.S. attorneys are political appointees, and all 46 of the holdovers from the Obama administration received the same resignation letter. It’s fair to say that 45 of the 46 behaved in a manner befitting the office.”

The aide added: “As much as Preet wants everything to be about Preet, everyone was treated the same way.”

Mr. Bharara, in response to the White House’s comments, said: “It was my understanding that the president himself has said anonymous sources are not to be believed.”

posted by zachlipton at 3:42 PM on March 12, 2017 [74 favorites]

Trump supporters in the heartland fear being left behind by GOP health plan

“I’m all in favor of repealing it,” she said about Republicans’ push to do away with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare. But, she said, when you talk about cutting Medicaid: “I don’t agree with that at all.”

“For Medicaid to say, ‘We’re going to spend X amount of dollars on you, and that’s all we’re going to spend’ – we’re supposed to just roll over and die because we can’t pay it ourselves?” she said. “X-rays, and MRIs, and CT scans, surgeries and stuff – we have no control over how much that is ... I would not be able to pay that out of my pocket, and I have to pay that to live ... to put a cap on it is uncalled for.”

HDHEBSIIFNXHJEEI

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN YOU VEINCNFIFOKNCHZIWKLNNCFNNN
posted by Talez at 3:44 PM on March 12, 2017 [90 favorites]

All that dihydrogen monoxide as well. Absolutely fucking terrifying.

Plus, your epidermis is showing the whole time.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:44 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

WTH has the fucker been doing lately anyway, haven't heard from him.

Burning Man
posted by thelonius at 3:44 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

The White House appears to be unhappy with Mr. Bharara’s handling of the situation.

Hit post by accident. I'd it possible that he's doing all this -- making them fire him, the sub(?)tweeting -- to position himself for a lawsuit or something? It all seems very deliberate.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:46 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

So apparently Wikileaks moved to Russian Federation hosting a week before the Podesta email leaks. Weird choice for a whistleblowing organization considering Russia's history of killing journalists!

Also, a reminder that the Podesta email leaks started an hour after Trump's Access Hollywood tape came out.
posted by bluecore at 3:52 PM on March 12, 2017 [63 favorites]

WTH has the fucker been doing lately anyway,

Talking up vaping [Real]
posted by drezdn at 3:53 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

"I'd it possible that he's doing all this -- making them fire him, the sub(?)tweeting -- to position himself for a lawsuit or something? It all seems very deliberate."

I think it's unlikely. While permanent bureaucrats have a lot of job protections, political appointees (which are a class of jobs, which includes the USAs here, who have any sort of authority over policy decision-making or implementation) have virtually no recourse when fired or dismissed; it's assumed a change in administration comes with a change in political appointees, no matter how competent the appointees are or how cordial the changeover is.

I think he's probably trying to get press and draw attention to Trump's incompetence. And maybe to get people looking at his current investigations so his successor can't abandon them.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:56 PM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

“For Medicaid to say, ‘We’re going to spend X amount of dollars on you, and that’s all we’re going to spend’ – we’re supposed to just roll over and die because we can’t pay it ourselves?” she said. “X-rays, and MRIs, and CT scans, surgeries and stuff – we have no control over how much that is ... I would not be able to pay that out of my pocket, and I have to pay that to live ... to put a cap on it is uncalled for.”

At what point do we on the left start running on the message that "they lied to you?" I know historically this is...not great, but dude. It's fucking true.*

*The whole truth being, obviously, "they lied to you and you believed them because you're that fucking bigoted"
posted by schadenfrau at 3:57 PM on March 12, 2017 [26 favorites]

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

Like always, the answer is "they believed wholeheartedly in the people who've been telling them to trust them for decades"
posted by flatluigi at 3:57 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

“I’m all in favor of repealing it,” she said about Republicans’ push to do away with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare. But, she said, when you talk about cutting Medicaid: “I don’t agree with that at all.”

Is there any way to read this except "I'm okay with those other people dying poor and without help but don't you dare cut MY benefits."

The single unifying theme among Republicans in my experience is selfishness. Well, selfishness and ignorance. Those are the two unifying themes; selfishness, ignorance, and xenophobia. Uh, among the chief unifying themes of Republicanism are selfishness, ignorance, xenophobia, and a fanatical devotion to cutting taxes.
posted by Justinian at 3:57 PM on March 12, 2017 [106 favorites]

I think he's probably trying to get press and draw attention to Trump's incompetence. And maybe to get people looking at his current investigations so his successor can't abandon them.

"Special Prosecutor Bharara" sounds like the best of all possible worlds. Senators Warren, Schumer, Sanders, et. al. take notice.
posted by mikelieman at 4:00 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

Interesting when Russia and Wikileaks try to intimidate/hack a Republican senator.

@BenSasse
Heads-up...
I've been critical of Assange & WikLeaks this week.

So...big surprise:
Am having multiple "password reset" attempts right now.
posted by chris24 at 4:03 PM on March 12, 2017 [53 favorites]

At what point do we on the left start running on the message that "they lied to you?" I know historically this is...not great, but dude. It's fucking true.*

You know why this doesn't work? Because both sides accuse the other, it muddies the waters, and you end up back at square one. Uninformed people aren't generally known for extensive legitimate research beyond their own prejudices.
posted by Talez at 4:05 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

Oh, come on. Half the headlines you cited were unambiguously about how terrible Trump and his administration are

Which ones, the "McCain tells Trump to shush", "Trump voters lose healthcare"? Okay, they're not positive takes, and I'll concede the steady wonkish tone for ProPublica, but given that The President is in bed ith the Russian mob and one of the most destabilizing nations, is straght up crazypants, is enthusiastically destroying legal American families and has stated they will drop racist police investigations while vastly expandng an explicitly racist CPB while eliminating the Weather Service and plotting to sell public land to other billionaires for nothing, oh and yes the for-profit private slavery rings he's expandng - those "top stories" couldn't be more tame if they were about The Cola Wars.

That's acceptable news coverage, then? It's a disgrace. And it's paving the way to certain misery for nothing but advertising dollars.
posted by petebest at 4:06 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

if bharara is setting up a lawsuit, the aim probably isn't 'winning' so much as 'discovery'.
posted by j_curiouser at 4:13 PM on March 12, 2017 [21 favorites]

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

That they would be exempt. That it would happen to other people. Specific kinds of people that are not like them.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:41 PM on March 12, 2017 [43 favorites]

I think he's probably trying to get press and draw attention to Trump's incompetence. And maybe to get people looking at his current investigations so his successor can't abandon them

That is a totally reasonable definition of deliberate and would explain why he didn't just resign.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:41 PM on March 12, 2017

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

This verse, same as the first: "Oh wait, I thought you could just take stuff away from those people. You mean it's everyone or no one? Fuck."
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:53 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Trump Administration Is Said to Be Working to Loosen Counterterrorism Rules

The Trump administration is exploring how to dismantle or bypass Obama-era constraints intended to prevent civilian deaths from drone attacks, commando raids and other counterterrorism missions outside conventional war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, according to officials familiar with internal deliberations.

Already, President Trump has granted a Pentagon request to declare parts of three provinces of Yemen to be an “area of active hostilities” where looser battlefield rules apply.
posted by futz at 4:55 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

Trump Administration Is Said to Be Working to Loosen Counterterrorism Rules

Remember just before the Iraq war, when it - no, not that one the other Iraq war - when it became clear we weren't going to stop the administration from fucking up in a terrible and expensively violent way? What if we got a do-over . . .
posted by petebest at 5:07 PM on March 12, 2017

Ted Lieu‏ @tedlieu
Dear Representative Steve King: These are my two babies. --Representative Ted Lieu

(Links to tweet with photo of the two greatest looking kids.)
posted by Room 641-A at 5:15 PM on March 12, 2017 [26 favorites]

Yeah, that's what you want, Donald Trump setting the ROE.
posted by valkane at 5:15 PM on March 12, 2017

Trump Press Secretary to American woman in Apple Store: “Such a great country that allows you to be here”

While shopping in an Apple Store, an American woman took advantage of a chance meeting with Donald Trump’s Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, to ask him some questions about his and the Trump administration’s actions

Notably, Spicer responded to her questioning by saying, in part: “Such a great country that allows you to be here.”

That’s right: He told an American woman of Indian descent who was literally “born in the USA” that the United States “allowed” her to be here, apparently because her skin is brown

fuck everything.
posted by futz at 5:17 PM on March 12, 2017 [110 favorites]

futz: Already, President Trump has granted a Pentagon request to declare parts of three provinces of Yemen to be an “area of active hostilities” where looser battlefield rules apply.

Yes, clearly the lesson from the failed Yemen raid was "let's make it easier to shoot kids." The mission didn't fail because of too strict ROE, the mission failed because you rushed it just so you could strut out on TV to announce a victory against terrorism like a big boy.
posted by bluecore at 5:17 PM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

>"This is for the folks who saw the Confederate flag on his desk but didn't think he was racist enough."

While on second reference it's acceptable to refer to "Rep. Steve King," on first reference you should always specify "noted racist Rep. Steve King." If attempting to shame the state of Iowa into not electing him, it is acceptable to use "noted Iowa racist Rep Steve King" for all references.

Wait, I thought this was just sort of synecdoche; does noted Iowa racist Steve King literally have a literal Confederate flag on his desk?

Is it for Iowan heritage? Because if so, I have news for him
posted by tivalasvegas at 5:17 PM on March 12, 2017 [11 favorites]

Video included!
posted by futz at 5:18 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

does noted Iowa racist Steve King literally have a literal Confederate flag on his desk?

Is it for Iowan heritage?

Yes and no.
posted by petebest at 5:18 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Yeah, that's what you want, Donald Trump setting the ROE.

What you want is Mattis* picking the people actually setting the RoE that the WH sign off on and pretend it is their plan, because at least some level of sanity is good. I'm quite sure that the WH would sign off on pretty much anything they were presented with as an option.

* and I'm not massively a fan, but I'm glad Bannon/Miller didn't pick the man in charge.
posted by jaduncan at 5:19 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

That just black people would lose their healthcare.
posted by dirigibleman at 5:20 PM on March 12, 2017 [11 favorites]

The Trump administration is exploring how to dismantle or bypass Obama-era constraints intended to prevent civilian deaths from drone attacks, commando raids and other counterterrorism missions outside conventional war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, according to officials familiar with internal deliberations.

Already, President Trump has granted a Pentagon request to declare parts of three provinces of Yemen to be an “area of active hostilities” where looser battlefield rules apply.

See, here is something that frosts me, actually, way more than the "but Hillary's emails" thing: It was transparently obvious to anyone with the slightest familiarity with US foreign policy that Trump was going to be far, far worse than Obama or Clinton, and yet how many conversations were had in which Obama's terrible foreign policy was used as a reason not to vote, to vote for Trump, to vote for Stein, etc! Admittedly, Trump has so far been worse than I even dreamed, but it was still pretty clear that his foreign policy would be more imperialist, more violent, more blatantly in service of US elites, much stupider and more ill-informed than Clinton's. This was obvious to anyone whose social world was not entirely predicated on the Democrats being literally worse than any other alternative that could possibly exist in the US.
posted by Frowner at 5:24 PM on March 12, 2017 [64 favorites]

Washington Examiner: Sean Spicer ambushed while shopping at the Apple Store
Mediaite: 'How Does it Feel to Work For a Fascist?': Sean Spicer Got Harassed ...

Only two stories for "spicer apple store" on Googly News right now.
posted by petebest at 5:27 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

King removed Confederate flag from desk after Iowa police slayings

SIOUX CITY | U.S. Rep. Steve King said he removed a Confederate flag from the desk in his Capitol Hill office in the aftermath of last fall's shooting deaths of two Des Moines area police officers by a man with ties to the controversial banner.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:30 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

SIOUX CITY | U.S. Rep. Steve King said he removed a Confederate flag from the desk in his Capitol Hill office in the aftermath of last fall's shooting deaths of two Des Moines area police officers by a man with ties to the controversial banner.

"I was shocked and appalled that the Confederate flag could be a symbol of hate in that way. I do not support the eating of THOSE faces." [fake]
posted by jaduncan at 5:32 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

King removed Confederate flag from desk after Iowa police slayings

Yeah, because the whole slavery thing just wasn't enough!
posted by valkane at 5:33 PM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

I actually don't disagree with that characterization. Even Sean Spicer enjoys a Constitutional right to privacy. What he said was gross, but what the woman did was wrong, also.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:33 PM on March 12, 2017

What he said was gross, but what the woman did was wrong, also.

Didn't we just have a discussion over how it was immoral to tell people not to punch Nazis?

If we condone punching people in the face without direct provocation, then I think we ought to be fine with ambushing White House officials in public.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 5:40 PM on March 12, 2017 [22 favorites]

I can't believe I'm defending that guy, but he probably meant the country allows people to criticize the government, not that it allows brown people in. There's plenty of stuff to hold Spicer accountable for without getting worked up over this.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:40 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

I agree that's what Spicer probably meant, although the framing of the website (which is partisan) looks worse.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:44 PM on March 12, 2017

It is a hyper partisan website.
posted by futz at 5:45 PM on March 12, 2017

The Constitution deals with what the government can do, not whether a random citizen can confront you in public.
posted by Justinian at 5:46 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

Is it for Iowan heritage?

Iowan heritage. Someone needs to remind King what side Iowa was on. That Iowans gave their lives to tear down the flag he used to show proudly on his desk.
posted by honestcoyote at 5:47 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

I don't think Steve King believes in pesky things like facts and books and stuff.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:51 PM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

I can't believe I'm defending that guy, but he probably meant the country allows people to criticize the government, not that it allows brown people in.

If that's what he meant it's a super-weird way to put it. Why would "be here" -- here, in an Apple Store -- mean "criticize the government"? Does he think a less free nation would clear the store so he could have it to himself?
posted by gerryblog at 5:56 PM on March 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

What you want is Mattis* picking the people actually setting the RoE that the WH sign off on and pretend it is their plan, because at least some level of sanity is good.

Mattis is the one who talked Trump into the Yemen raid that killed 30 civilians including 9 children. Pretty low bar for definition of sanity regarding rules of engagement.
posted by JackFlash at 6:01 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

Just for fun, one year ago today, CNBC: Trump, Sanders: More alike than you think

2016 has felt mostly like a race to the bottom, but there's no doubt there will be huge implications by the booming candidacies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders
posted by petebest at 6:02 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

What he said was gross, but what the woman did was wrong, also.

He's part of an administration that just apparently signed off on removing safeguards against civilian deaths in drone strikes, and that is authorising the detention of random brown people until they can prove their citizenship. I hope Sean Spicer reaps all the whirlwind he deserves, and saying that he shouldn't get it is just pointlessly insulating him from the damage that he and his workmates are intentionally creating so explicitly that people will 'self-deport' or leave the country of their residence just because life has become so unpleasant for them, as well as leaving Iraqi and Afghan translators to be hunted down and killed.

Given that that is accepting that they are willing to kill random people, allow allies who risked their lives to be tortured and killed, make others lose their jobs and possibly be made homeless, cut mental health funding for if people are, and make the US intolerable for people they dislike until they essentially flee the country, I feel like the violence of Sean Spicer having a hard time buying something at the Apple Store is more than fair.
posted by jaduncan at 6:02 PM on March 12, 2017 [65 favorites]

Just for fun, one year ago today, CNBC: Trump, Sanders: More alike than you think

I suspect that 97% of everything written about the election a year ago would now seem irredeemably stupid.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:03 PM on March 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

I feel like the violence of Sean Spicer having a hard time buying something at the Apple Store is more than fair.

I mean, I will agree to disagree with you. He has a right to be left alone.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:05 PM on March 12, 2017

You mean, like our government at the moment?
posted by Bella Donna at 6:06 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Mattis is the one who talked Trump into the Yemen raid that killed 30 civilians including 9 children. Pretty low bar for definition of sanity regarding rules of engagement.

Yep. Pretty low. Notice the star saying I'm glad he isn't a Bannon/Miller pick. That's the bar for me to be glad that they ended up with a relatively informed man who is, if not someone I agree with, someone who isn't the sort of know-nothing idiot who just picks someone like Gorka to write out relevant policy.
posted by jaduncan at 6:07 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

He has a right to be left alone.

And so do all the thousands of children at Jewish community centers, but the racists and the Trump administration (hah... but I repeat myself) don't seem to care much about that, do they. We're at war here. It's time we started acting like it. I think Sean Spicer can stand a little aggressive questioning at the Apple Store.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 6:10 PM on March 12, 2017 [55 favorites]

He has a right to be left alone.

He could quit working for Trump tomorrow and no one would ever think about him again.
posted by gerryblog at 6:11 PM on March 12, 2017 [79 favorites]

Steve King knows as much about Islam as he knows about getting bills out of committee, which is nothing. He's an embarrassment to the district. Unfortunately people here keep electing him, it isn't even gerrymandering since Iowa's got a good redistricting system, it's just that this district is barely more urban than rural and it's mostly small-u urban at that, so you've got to get a lot of rural people on board with booting him out to do it and he's an incumbent who only has to not fuck up on a handful of things (ag bills and gun control and abortion) to be safe. Screwing with healthcare, especially Medicaid, could make him vulnerable but I'm not holding my breath.

It sounds like Kim Weaver will make a run at him again after losing last year, and I do applaud her for realizing she can't just win on being "not Steve King" and she's 100% right that he doesn't actually do anything for Iowans, but it's an uphill battle. I'd be interested in seeing a real working class populist Dem in the Bernie mold going after him here, districts that aren't likely to flip can make for some great test cases for running more progressive candidates.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:12 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Someone punched out Spicer in an Apple Store? Excellent.

/reads

Well, that's disappointing.
posted by Artw at 6:12 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

If attempting to shame the state of Iowa into not electing him, it is acceptable to use "noted Iowa racist Rep Steve King" for all references.

Today I learned that's despite similarities, Steve King is not actually a Steve joke about Staten Island representative Peter King.
posted by corb at 6:12 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

Where did the idea that public governmental figures engaged in an effort to undermine democracy and implement a policy of white nationalism have some sort of right not to be mildly inconvenienced come from? This is why we lose elections.
posted by Justinian at 6:13 PM on March 12, 2017 [55 favorites]

He has a right to be left alone.

Oubliette? I like your thinking.
posted by Artw at 6:14 PM on March 12, 2017 [28 favorites]

I don't mean to say that he shouldn't be mildly inconvenienced. But the woman was being ridiculous. I do not believe for one second that Sean Spicer himself has engaged in treason. Baiting him like that on a weekend, I am not sure what this person expected. And the framing of his response is wrong, and is MORE the reason we lose elections.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:15 PM on March 12, 2017

guys, I think it's really important that we, as a country, don't call people out for working as high level officials in the Trump administration, especially hard working guys like Spicer who are out there every day, sweating under stage lighting and lying to our faces. the DC area is not a cheap place to live, they have mortgage payments to make, the kids' private school tuition, car payments. they've gotta consider their 401k and their broader stock market portfolio. they have careers to think about, just what do you expect them to do, you savages?
posted by indubitable at 6:16 PM on March 12, 2017 [20 favorites]

He has a right to be left alone.

What is your line? What is the point at which the administration could do something bad enough that it would be justified to ask him questions outside of his office?

Collecting money for defending ICE officers intentionally splitting children from parents at the muzzle of a gun? [hopefully not this, because that's already happening]
The deportation of millions? ICE detention camps with forced labour? A shoot to kill policy on the Mexican border and the occasional shooting of brown US residents that live nearby? Defending Jeff Sessions when he allows police departments to ignore all BLM requests and rolls back consent orders on corrupt police forces? When they change police RoE to allow for more force to be used? Another war in the ME?

This absolutely isn't a rhetorical question. I want to know to what extent his privilege not to have to face any consequences at all can extend.
posted by jaduncan at 6:16 PM on March 12, 2017 [15 favorites]

roomthreeseventeen: Sure, but you didn't say that the woman was bad at what she was attempting, you said specifically that Spicer has a right to be left alone. I agree that she was not great at her attempt at confrontation but that's a completely different argument than your previous one.
posted by Justinian at 6:16 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

You know, Spicey does have the right to be left alone, and he can exercise that right by finding a different job where people won't give a crap about him. But he wants to be the mouthpiece for this shitty administration, so he can suck it up and deal until that changes.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:19 PM on March 12, 2017 [49 favorites]

Justinian, fair enough. I"m just conceding that if people are going to confront him, they should do so without making themselves look stupid.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:20 PM on March 12, 2017

Today I learned that's despite similarities, Steve King is not actually a Steve joke about Staten Island representative Peter King.

There are two totally different terrible politicians named King! Steve King is the Nazi. Peter King is the terrorist. They're both bigots.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:21 PM on March 12, 2017 [23 favorites]

A position any less than Spicer being ashamed to show his face on the public streets is pretty weaksauce, TBH.
posted by Artw at 6:25 PM on March 12, 2017 [10 favorites]

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN YOU

that's weird, because my takeaway from that is, "this person actually wants what Democrats claim to be for, but the Democrats were either too incompetent or too arrogant to communicate that effectively". it should be cause for reflection, because that shouldn't happen.
posted by indubitable at 6:27 PM on March 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

I think this, from exactly one year ago, holds up well.
posted by tivalasvegas at 6:28 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

He has a right to be left alone.

Has there ever been a time when public officials were able to act in their official capacity without it having consequences for their private lives?

People have a right to privacy. Everyone, even Spicey and Trump. They don't have a right to go out into the public sphere where the people -- who are allegedly the sovereign -- are, and expect to be treated as if they were average every day folks. They aren't. They act in our stead as the leaders of our country. A right to privacy has nothing to do with whether or not a fascist propagandist can go for a walk without people yelling at him.

Saying they do gets us dangerously close to lèse-majesté
posted by dis_integration at 6:30 PM on March 12, 2017 [31 favorites]

I don't mean to say that he shouldn't be mildly inconvenienced. But the woman was being ridiculous.

I"m just conceding that if people are going to confront him, they should do so without making themselves look stupid.

Man referred to by his full name, woman referred to only by her gender: check.

Man's completely outrageous and incompetent behavior labeled as normal, woman's assertive behavior labeled as extreme: check.

Man's appearance not mentioned, woman's appearance judged negatively: check.

These comments meet the diagnostic criteria for Internet Misogyny.
posted by medusa at 6:35 PM on March 12, 2017 [60 favorites]

"this person actually wants what Democrats claim to be for, but the Democrats were either too incompetent or too arrogant to communicate that effectively". it should be cause for reflection, because that shouldn't happen.

Or they were unwilling to listen or otherwise bigoted. Or voted for TEH BABIEZ and the GUNS!!! instead of voting for a package that might otherwise have appealed to them.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 6:36 PM on March 12, 2017 [8 favorites]

that's weird, because my takeaway from that is, "this person actually wants what Democrats claim to be for, but the Democrats were either too incompetent or too arrogant to communicate that effectively". it should be cause for reflection, because that shouldn't happen.

While it's true that there is a tremendous amount of incompetence and arrogance on display here, none of it belongs to any Democrats.
posted by IAmUnaware at 6:44 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

"this person actually wants what Democrats claim to be for, but the Democrats were either too incompetent or too arrogant to communicate that effectively"

Well, the person quoted in the lead to the story doesn't actually want that, she just has a "fuck you, I've got mine" attitude. She doesn't appear to give a rat's ass about anyone else whose health insurance might go away if Obamacare is repealed as long as *her* public subsidized care doesn't go away.

The snake fucking told them what he was going to do. The information that her coverage is part of Obamacare is pretty freely available; at what point does their willful ignorance stop being our fault, when they won't listen to the actual words coming from Trump's mouth or dismiss everything that's not Fox News and forwarded conspiracy e-mails as false?

Five people are described in the article - two voted for Trump, two voted for Clinton, one didn't vote. The other Trump voter is an insurance broker (average income around $60K/yearly) and isn't described as being in poor health. I'd bet he gets quite nice insurance through his work.
posted by Candleman at 6:49 PM on March 12, 2017 [16 favorites]

roomthreeseventeen, stop taking on all comers and crank down the "noisy" comments that aren't adding substance. Thanks.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:51 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

If they managed to re-route Trump's twitter account to a sandbox with Russian bot feedback, how would we know? At what point do we declare a hostage situation? 24 hours since last tweet? 48? I'm making a joke, but only on the surface.
posted by erisfree at 6:51 PM on March 12, 2017

It's just mind-boggling that the president of the United States has not held a single press conference to respond to the JCCs and temples being terrorized. Not one. Never mind taking questions. Never mind pledging to catch the terrorists. Just a few fucking words of sympathy. smh
posted by Room 641-A at 6:53 PM on March 12, 2017 [37 favorites]

As long as Democrats explicitly say "we want these good things for all Americans, not just the white, Christian, straight, cis ones" there will be people happily voting for whatever isn't that. Democrats said the country was stronger with all of us working together and for one another and these folks went, "Nope, I don't like that one bit."
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:55 PM on March 12, 2017 [39 favorites]

Dem candidate recruiting in Virginia is MUCH better than in 2015 (VA has off-year elections):

“As of late last week, Democrats said they had candidates running in 43 of the 66 House districts that Republicans currently represent, more than double the 21 GOP districts Democrats contested in 2015. So far, Republicans have five challengers among the 34 Democratic-held districts.”

posted by Chrysostom at 6:56 PM on March 12, 2017 [27 favorites]

What is taking so long for this pee tape to get released and impeachment to get rolling
posted by fluttering hellfire at 6:56 PM on March 12, 2017 [25 favorites]

Indubitable, the thing I really only grokked after the election is that for a certain sort of person (ie, voters for the shitgibbon), rights are a zero-sum game. There is no rising tide that lifts all boats. Giving rights to women takes away rights from babies. Providing safety for some strips others of their right to carry assault rifles to the supermarket. Making healthcare available to some people takes it away from others. They've bought into this narrative that the offering of any benefit to anyone who isn't exactly like them strips that benefit from themselves and their communities. And they've also bought into this idea that any media beyond their own crackpot sources aren't to be trusted, so no amount of messaging or facts will persuade them. It simply won't count as evidence. Even if they die sick and starving and homeless thanks to this administration's policies, they'll believe to their last breath that some urban illegal gang member welfare queen got help instead of them.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 7:01 PM on March 12, 2017 [42 favorites]

NYT: White House Addresses Trump’s Unorthodox Call to Preet Bharara "The White House offered an explanation on Sunday for a mysterious phone call that President Trump placed to Preet Bharara a day before abruptly dismissing him and 45 other United States attorneys, saying the president was merely trying to extend his good wishes.

But Mr. Bharara indicated on Sunday evening in a statement to The New York Times that he was skeptical of the White House account, although he did not offer an alternative explanation for the president’s call."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:03 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

There is no deep state.
posted by Artw at 7:04 PM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

What is taking so long for this pee tape to get released and impeachment to get rolling

If it should exist, its release would accomplish precisely nothing. Evidence is not lacking; it is the political will we need. The House is beholden to its base, and its base has clearly indicated that they don't give a fuck about Trump's moral failings.
posted by tivalasvegas at 7:13 PM on March 12, 2017 [14 favorites]

the thing I really only grokked after the election is that for a certain sort of person (ie, voters for the shitgibbon), rights are a zero-sum game.

Agreed. I started to realize this when paying attention to the arguments around gay marriage, some time back. The notion that gay marriage devalues cis het marriage makes sense if there's a notion that there is only so much marital sanctity to go around, like an abstract but finite pool everyone's tapping. It tracks with their economic arguments too: taxation could plausibly read as theft if you don't believe that investments in education or infrastructure could increase the available pool of resources for everyone, and so on.

It's a dismal worldview, the idea that things can never actually get better, but it tracks with how these people behave.
posted by mordax at 7:20 PM on March 12, 2017 [14 favorites]

My guesses after seeing the headline but before reading the article:

1) Donnie likes his own bed & blankie
2) He's not cuisine or culturally curious to put it mildly
3) He is scared shitless that the will embarrass himself because he knows how outclassed he will be at state/diplomatic dinners etc. He would be exposed for the farce he is.

4) He's not intellectually curious enough to rectify the above to benefit our country on the world stage so he screams 'America First' when he really means 'trump first'. He is scared to death of being exposed as the charlatan that he is. He's paranoid, insulated, and the king of his own carefully curated universe.

5) His schtick only (mostly) works in america amongst a few demographics and he can't stand any opposition so why risk the certainly public humiliation that he fears most if he fucks up.

6) Rinse, repeat, destroy America.

Putting 'America First,' Trump said to plan lighter foreign travel than predecessors

-- For a businessman highly attuned to the atmospherics of power, a trip to a foreign outpost for talks could involve obstacles. As President, Trump has preferred to host his meetings in the Oval Office, a suite of stately West Wing conference rooms, or -- better yet -- the living room at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate which he owns and which is undoubtedly his own domain.

-- A person who traveled with Trump during his tenure atop the Trump Organization said the billionaire businessman did not especially enjoy foreign travel: He did not easily adjust to time zone changes, he was wary of exotic cuisines and he rarely spent more than a night in a foreign country. The person spoke anonymously to describe private details about Trump's travel.
posted by futz at 7:47 PM on March 12, 2017 [10 favorites]

Nobody wants him and no good can come of It so I guess that's okay.
posted by Artw at 7:50 PM on March 12, 2017 [13 favorites]

Again, the point of the "pee tape" or whatever the Russians might have on Trump is *not* "moral failings". It's that the Russians are blackmailing Trump (something I find quite plausible, given his behavior). If that's true, and it doesn't end his presidency (and life outside of prison), then nothing will.

As you note, though, there's already plenty of circumstantial evidence that would have already led to multiple full-scale, independent investigations under normal circumstances -- on Russia, on the emoluments, on an exhausting number of things.

It's just not going to happen, as long as Congressional Republicans believe their personal careers and/or ideological goals are better served by having Trump as President.
posted by tivalasvegas at 7:52 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

There is no deep state.

But the very reliable Sean Spicer said otherwise!

Spicer: ‘No Question’ That 'Deep State' Is Working To Undermine Trump

President Donald Trump is in fact under fire from shadowy operatives working inside the government bureaucracy and intelligence community, according to the White House.

In a Friday press briefing, Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked if the White House believes “there’s such a thing as the deep state actively working to undermine the President.”

Though he did not use the phrase "deep state" in his response to Yahoo News reporter Hunter Walker, Spicer replied affirmatively.

“I think there’s no question when you have eight years of one party in office that there are people who stay in government who are affiliated with, joined and continue to espouse the agenda of the previous administration,” he said. “So I don't think it should come as any surprise that there are people that burrowed into government during the eight years of the last administration and, you know, may have believed that agenda and want to continue to seek it."

“I don't think that should come as a surprise to anyone,” he added.
posted by futz at 8:01 PM on March 12, 2017

there are people that burrowed into government during the eight years of the last administration and, you know, may have believed that agenda and want to continue to seek it

Is THAT why Clinton couldn't get Health Care Reform in '93 and Obama couldn't close Guantanamo Bay in '09!!
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:09 PM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

tivalasvegas, I don't really trust my own judgment any more (after thinking "Trump's a clown; he'll never get the nomination" and then "well, at least he won't actually win the election"). (Okay, I *do* stand by my judgment that he's a fucking clown.)
However, I suspect that the intelligence community either already has, or will acquire, enough evidence to get Trump convicted of treason, and if Congress won't act (which so far, you're right, they won't), they'll keep leaking to the press. And they won't stop until the job is done.
posted by uosuaq at 8:09 PM on March 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

I hope you're right.
posted by tivalasvegas at 8:18 PM on March 12, 2017 [13 favorites]

Bharara, who is known for investigating officials regardless of political party

As long as that party isn't the Real Estate Party.
posted by rhizome at 8:21 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

that's weird, because my takeaway from that is, "this person actually wants what Democrats claim to be for, but the Democrats were either too incompetent or too arrogant to communicate that effectively". it should be cause for reflection, because that shouldn't happen.

yeah, no. first time voter at 55 years of age. you can't hang that on democrats, that sort of self-absorption basically defines republicans.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 8:21 PM on March 12, 2017 [22 favorites]

At what point do we on the left start running on the message that "they lied to you?"

Last year during the debates? It didn't help. The people believing the lies don't want to hear any different.
posted by fedward at 8:29 PM on March 12, 2017 [9 favorites]

Hasta la vista, baby:

Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminates Rumors Of Senate Run

I'm deeply flattered by all of the people who have approached me about running for Senate, but my mission right now is to bring sanity to Washington through redistricting reform like we passed here in California. Gerrymandering has completely broken our political system and I believe my best platform to help repair it is from the outside, by campaigning for independent redistricting commissions. Thank you for your kind messages and all of the support and I hope you'll join me in my battle against gerrymandering with the same enthusiasm.

posted by Room 641-A at 8:32 PM on March 12, 2017 [32 favorites]

Upcoming EO tomorrow: Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch

Prepare to forget about the Bannon Hot Tub Murders.
posted by rhizome at 8:36 PM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

Upcoming EO tomorrow: Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch
...based on the model of how he reorganized Atlantic City...
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:43 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Does anyone else feel like this administration is an overly long and not particularly funny episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
posted by msali at 8:44 PM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

Is this where bannon makes his move?
posted by valkane at 8:46 PM on March 12, 2017

CharDeeMacDonald, the Game of Games
posted by emelenjr at 8:55 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

You can donate to Kim Weaver who plans to run against Steve King in 2018.
posted by emjaybee at 8:57 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

I enjoyed reading this today

Trump’s Dictator Chic ~ I wrote a book about autocrats’ design tastes. The U.S. president would fit right in.

But the substantive current design had been done by one Henry Conversano, who designed extensively—and perhaps unsurprisingly—for casinos. No matter how you looked at it, the main thing this apartment said was, “I am tremendously rich and unthinkably powerful.” This was the visual language of public, not private, space. It was the language of the Eastern European and Middle Eastern nouveau riche.
posted by futz at 8:59 PM on March 12, 2017 [11 favorites]

Re, upcoming EO. No source from pownallthethings. I mean, believable, but probably not so much true.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 9:02 PM on March 12, 2017

is it possible that [Preet Bharara's] doing all this -- making them fire him, the sub(?)tweeting -- to position himself for a lawsuit or something? It all seems very deliberate.

Probably too late for the mayoral election on November 7th, but there's a governor's race in 2 years. And Bharara has convicted several officials in incumbent Andrew Cuomo's administration. He has a pretty great platform for that race.

Working as an Attorney General or federal prosecutor is probably the single most common previous job for governors. Cuomo was AG before he was governor, too; Chris Christie was a federal prosecutor before he was elected governor.
posted by msalt at 9:04 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch

Well, that doesn't sound at all terrifying or nightmare-inducing, nope. Sleep tight, everybody!
posted by FelliniBlank at 9:05 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

The source for the EO is the White House schedule for tomorrow. It's subject to change, of course, but it's officially on the schedule as happening.
posted by zachlipton at 9:08 PM on March 12, 2017 [7 favorites]

hmm, more intrigue: Trump unfollows ‘Morning Joe’ hosts Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski on Twitter. They start criticizing him and, poof, unfollowed.
posted by zachlipton at 9:10 PM on March 12, 2017 [18 favorites]

Get ready for Gauleiter Yiannopoulos
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 9:11 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

I stand corrected, and await with dread the crowning of our Dear Leader Bannon.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 9:29 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Given that it's the DC local paper, the WaPo sketches out what it expects from the EO and budget in terms of job losses and overall economic impact. Gotta free up some room to raid the Treasury.
posted by holgate at 9:30 PM on March 12, 2017

There is no deep state

Yeah, it reminds me of "peak oil". A superficially plausible thing that makes people feel smarter than others. Turns out the real problem with oil is that there is too much of it not too little, and turns out there aren't a bunch of institutions filled with shadowy career civil servants running the country. They aren't going to save us.
posted by Justinian at 9:32 PM on March 12, 2017 [4 favorites]

Kellyanne Conway suggests even wider surveillance of Trump campaign

I linked to a saved page on archive.is due to paywall.

-- In a wide-ranging interview Sunday at her home in Alpine, where she lives with her husband — a possible nominee for U.S. solicitor general —

-- Conway went on to say that the monitoring could be done with “microwaves that turn into cameras,” adding: “We know this is a fact of modern life.”

Conway did not offer any evidence to back up her claim. But her remarks are significant — and potentially explosive — because they come amid a request by the House Intelligence Committee for the White House to turn over any evidence by Monday that the phones at Trump Tower were tapped as part of what the president claims to be a secret plot by the Obama administration to monitor his campaign.

-- She said that “this whole conspiracy” is a “waste of people’s oxygen, and air and resources and time when we could be helping those who are hungry, who need health care, who are in poverty, who need tax relief, entrepreneurs who want to get off the ground.”

-- But at various points, she continued to return to a seeming favorite topic — that Democratic critics of Trump are incapable of accepting the fact that he was able to defeat Hillary Clinton

-- “It’s a big agenda,” Conway said of Trump’s first 50 days in the White House. “It’s very ambitious. And it’s very Trumpian.”

So very trumpian. so very fucked we are.
posted by futz at 9:34 PM on March 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

(Uh, I mean secretly running the country obviously. There are indeed career civil servants in institutions like the State Department. Who are being steamrolled by the Trumpists.)
posted by Justinian at 9:35 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Treason has a very narrow definition in the US Constitution and I don't think Trump could possibly be guilty of it. Other "high crimes and misdemeanors", yes. But Congress is the only body that can impeach him, and so far it seems that no revelation would be enough for them to do so.

That one tweet where he lied about Obama tapping his phones looks to me like a violation of 18 USC 1001.
So do the other tweets, appearances, and statements that are demonstrably false.

Add up all the other violations of 1001 by his administration and a great case for 18 USC 371 is there too.
posted by mikelieman at 9:42 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Don't forget bribery, right there along treason and high crimes & misdemeanors, there in the impeachment clause
posted by thelonius at 9:48 PM on March 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

Are they wearing tinfoil hats yet?
posted by Artw at 9:55 PM on March 12, 2017

The "deep state" is wishful thinking. There ain't no adults left that will save us, we will need several million people in the streets and congresspeople afraid to go outside.

Obama would have been impeached 12 times by now. The Rs won't turn on him until he's less appetizing than a bowl of polonium soup.
posted by benzenedream at 10:04 PM on March 12, 2017 [29 favorites]

-- Conway went on to say that the monitoring could be done with “microwaves that turn into cameras,” adding: “We know this is a fact of modern life.”

Yup. I *really do* feel like there's a conspiracy against the United States going on here, and it ain't the hold-overs from prior eras

If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

posted by mikelieman at 10:11 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

( That's from 18 USC 371, btw... )
posted by mikelieman at 10:13 PM on March 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

big agenda, small hands
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:48 PM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

The source for the EO is the White House schedule for tomorrow. It's subject to change, of course, but it's officially on the schedule as happening.

A part of me wonders if this is why some of the administration posts are unfilled. I am aware that this is not assuming the usual level of incompetence, so it is probably wrong.
posted by jaduncan at 11:46 PM on March 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

Agreed. I started to realize this when paying attention to the arguments around gay marriage, some time back. The notion that gay marriage devalues cis het marriage makes sense if there's a notion that there is only so much marital sanctity to go around, like an abstract but finite pool everyone's tapping. It tracks with their economic arguments too: taxation could plausibly read as theft if you don't believe that investments in education or infrastructure could increase the available pool of resources for everyone, and so on.

Yes! I'm also beginning to suspect that this group's anxiety about the "wrong" people receiving assistance, the attitude that scans to us as "Fuck you, I got mine" is for them "Fuck you, I earned mine." Superficially this means they are entitled to government benefits because *handwave* Calvinist capitalism. Really it's because they're Real Americans. And if everything exists in "an abstract but finite pool everyone's tapping," then simply granting anyone else Real Americanness is surrendering part or all of their share. The exclusivity of the club IS its security. They need to be racist and bigoted because it's the only way they can justify closing the doors behind them.

They've bought into a worldview wherein they have to compete with others for simple human dignity. In their minds we're already scrabbling in a post-apocalyptic hellscape for the resource formerly known as inalienable rights.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 11:58 PM on March 12, 2017 [46 favorites]

“I think there’s no question when you have eight years of one party in office that there are people who stay in government who are affiliated with, joined and continue to espouse the agenda of the previous administration,” he said. “So I don't think it should come as any surprise that there are people that burrowed into government during the eight years of the last administration and, you know, may have believed that agenda and want to continue to seek it."

And yet, remarkably, the Trump administration can't seem to get around to appointing under-secretaries and other officials to counter-balance these burrowing menaces.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 12:11 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

John Oliver discusses the healthcare bill and produces a new ad to air on Fox and Friends for the president
posted by zachlipton at 12:14 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminates Rumors Of Senate Run

If you must do something like this, headline writers, "Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Rumors Of Senate Run Driven Before Him, Hears Lamentations Of Their Women" is the way to go.
posted by thelonius at 1:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [27 favorites]

The article futz linked to, about dictator style, made some pieces fall into the puzzle for me. I've been wondering about Trump's weird choices of homes. I wasn't thinking so much about interior decoration, more that he lives in these very public spaces. It seems so weird to me personally, and I have noticed that most great leaders seem to have a retreat where they can spend time away from the public eye and just be themselves. Trump retreats to Mar-a-Lago? It's strange, why would anyone do that?
First I thought it was about deducting even one's home as an expense, and that might be part of it. But the article points out how all dictators seem to live entirely in public, and always in this crazy out of touch style. And the style is another thing that has always bewildered me about Trump — someone many, many weeks ago pointed out how tacky Trump tower is, and how it was the butt of jokes among architects when it was built. It's not at all a real-estate magnate thing. They often have tacky homes, but in a different way: they are more just a bit off, compared to whatever trend is fashionable. Not completely wacky.
Maybe someone with an understanding of psychology can explain what is going on when a person has no private, intimate space, and what it does to him and his surroundings. I would go crazy within a few weeks.
When this is matched with the fact that he doesn't like to stay outside his own properties, it becomes even stranger: man, you live in a hotel, how can it be bad to live in another hotel. But I think maybe the properties are very literal projections of him in his mind. Without the house, who is he? And on the other hand now that the White House is "his" house, in his mind that is enough legitimacy for him. Maybe?
OK, I should stop rambling, but I'd appreciate if someone has actual knowledge about this phenomena.
posted by mumimor at 4:21 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

He has no interior life. He's a narcissist, other people don't exist, they're just extensions of himself. He's alone wherever he goes because he's the only real person in the world.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:38 AM on March 13, 2017 [35 favorites]

Spoilers: Don't expect anyone not directly connected to Trump to ever thrive again once his regime is fully installed,

Dems have either failed to realize or failed to care that this wasn't a creeping fascism/end of our democracy fire drill, or empty political theater, like they assumed. Putin's machine has been helping radicalize our white supremacists, just like other terrorist groups have been using the internet to recruit and radicalize jihadists, probably in part by very subtly manipulating and influencing the online media bubbles (Bannon's vague talk about "microtargeting" groups of voters to influence them) that certain more vulnerable and low information demographic groups in America live inside online without realizing it because the cultural and social changes in our expectations about news media and public information didn't keep pace with the tech developments and industry trends.
posted by saulgoodman at 4:55 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

As of late last week, Democrats said they had candidates running in 43 of the 66 House districts that Republicans currently represent

That this is touted as progress boggles my mind... so in 1/3 or so of districts they just concede from the outset??? Fuck me. And then rend their garments lamenting the voters who don't show up to the polls?? Pot / kettle.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Trump budget expected to seek historic contraction of federal workforce: Aides say that the president sees a new Washington emerging from the budget process, one that prioritizes the military and homeland security while slashing many other areas, including housing, foreign assistance, environmental programs, public broadcasting and research. Simply put, government would be smaller and less involved in regulating life in America, with private companies and states playing a much bigger role.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Yeah, putting us into a unitary executive global war posture. Makes sense, but should be horrifying to any right thinking people, especially how deceptively we're being led to this threshold. No doubt, years later, people will write about how no one could have seen it coming at the time, even though in fact it's a deliberate choice made by some of our powerful elites. So much for Tolstoy.
posted by saulgoodman at 5:18 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Senate Democrats prepare for spring battle over Trump’s border wall: The Democrats wrote Monday in a letter to Senate GOP leaders that they won’t accept any attempt to include funding for Trump’s proposed border wall in a spending bill necessary to keep the government open past April 28, according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:47 AM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

I hope Mattis has a diary that's all: Day 35-- CIC said [FUCKING CRAZY THING]. Have leaked this to WP. We're this much closer to invoking the 25th Day 36--CIC wants to nuke North Korea. I have hidden the launch codes from him and slipped him a sedative. Day 37--Dear Diary: I did it; I punched Steve Bannon repeatedly while screaming that he was a fucking Nazi Pig.

I don't know why I want Mattis to redeem himself. I guess I would like some narrative other than evil evil evil evil racist evil war evil
posted by angrycat at 5:49 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

I don't know why I want Mattis to redeem himself. I guess I would like some narrative other than evil evil evil evil racist evil war evil

Bit late for that. Supposedly Mattis pushed for the botched Yemen raid.
posted by PenDevil at 5:52 AM on March 13, 2017

Spicer: ‘No Question’ That 'Deep State' Is Working To Undermine Trump

I really think that the "deep state" is just shorthand for people who work within the Federal government who see who and what Trump is and, when they have an opportunity to do the right thing, they do the right thing. Maybe that means leaking some info, maybe it's ignoring direction from higher up, or something else but it's not co-ordinated. It's just that, when you're a shitty administration doing shitty things, a bunch of people independently going rogue to do the right thing is indistinguishable from a coordinated effort to undermine the administration.

And at no point does Trump or anyone else stop and think "what if we stopped doing shitty things?"

The whole GOP does the same thing. Their shitty policies have meant that shift demographics is eroding their support. All other things being equal, the GOP platform isn't as popular as the Democrat's platform. Rather than, you know, change the fucking platform they try to change who votes.

Rather than adopting the Democrat's platform and putting a bit of conservative polish on it to try to steal voters from the Dems, we get voter ID laws. It's always struck me as DEEPLY un-American and now this tendency appears to be straight-up fascist and probably has been all along.
posted by VTX at 6:06 AM on March 13, 2017 [44 favorites]

cultural and social changes in our expectations about news media and public information didn't keep pace with the tech developments and industry trends.

I promise this comment is only tangentially about Ted Lieu. He is only one of four House members with a CS degree. Four. Our government is basically still working on the premise that the Internet is a series of fucking tubes. As savvy as the Ds are about using tech to campaign and fundraise, maybe we should start recruiting some tech-savvy politicians who can use their knowledge to protect us. Every Dem member of congress should be able to tell you exactly what 4chan and gamergate is*. If they can't why would we expect them to understand how Twitter and Facebook can be used to harm people and this country?

*And I'm so behind on social media, those might not even be good examples anymore.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:12 AM on March 13, 2017 [10 favorites]

It is a pretty ballsy move to blame the leader of Russia for white American racism instead of, like, our hundreds of years of domestic race-based slavery followed by legally-mandated apartheid.

Russia can't create that, no, and indeed saulgoodman stated that Russia were 'helping [to] radicalize our white supremacists'. They can help by providing fake news and money, applying just a little more weight on one side of the scale. That kind of thing is serious; if that seems like a small effect then I would point to (for example) the role of the National Endowment for Democracy in the colour revolutions, or Russia in the Georgian and Ukrainian opposition...or Russia in the Baltic states, etc etc. It's effective.
posted by jaduncan at 6:14 AM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Question: if the Russians launched a cyberattack on American institutions and Trump & co. colluded with them, wouldn't that be treason, according to the constitution? I am neither American nor a lawyer.
posted by mumimor at 6:22 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

"Every Dem member of congress should be able to tell you exactly what 4chan and gamergate is*"

I truly appreciate that sentiment, but the only way to gain that kind of fluency may be procrastinating on the internets from real work for hours a day... as some of us may or not be doing.
posted by klarck at 6:27 AM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

Russia can't create that, no, and indeed saulgoodman stated that Russia were 'helping [to] radicalize our white supremacists'

Steve King, a sitting congressman, has a Confederate flag on his desk. Exactly what help does white supremacy require
posted by beerperson at 6:30 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Steve King, a sitting congressman, has a Confederate flag on his desk. Exactly what help does white supremacy require

Had a flag on his desk. He removed it after a confederate flag toting thug killed a few Iowa cops. Because that was the event which made it really unpalatable.

Also Iowa was a Union state, so his original reason for displaying it is.... *shrug*
posted by PenDevil at 6:33 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Wow shame on Putin
posted by beerperson at 6:35 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Alternative facts. Bowling Green Massacre. CIA using microwave ovens as spy cameras.

Conway: "I'm not in the job of having evidence."
posted by zakur at 6:42 AM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

hat this is touted as progress boggles my mind... so in 1/3 or so of districts they just concede from the outset??? Fuck me. And then rend their garments lamenting the voters who don't show up to the polls?? Pot / kettle.

I took "as of last week" to mean that this is an ongoing process, not that they have stopped at this number and shrugged.
posted by emjaybee at 6:46 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

@realDonaldTrump (two separate tweets)

It is amazing how rude much of the media is to my very hard working representatives. Be nice, you will do much better!

ObamaCare is imploding. It is a disaster and 2017 will be the worst year yet, by far! Republicans will come together and save the day.

"My very hard working representatives"? Dude, they work for us, not you.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:46 AM on March 13, 2017 [33 favorites]

To be fair, in deep blue districts you get the inverse where the GOP doesn't run anyone. Where I live, the Democratic primary is the election because the vast majority of seats are uncontested by any Republicans.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:47 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

...unless he's talking about Conway? I'm so confused by his English.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:48 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Dude, they work for us, not you.

He's talking about Spicy and Kellyanne. Who I guess technically work for us, but in a different way from, say, a Senator.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:48 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Conway: "I'm not in the job of having evidence."

Apparently, neither is anyone else.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:51 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

I really think that the "deep state" is just shorthand for people who work within the Federal government

To people who operate on the thinnest hairline veneers of understanding what they're doing, anything one level below them may as well be way out in the weeds. Plus "deep state" sounds way more menacing than "those people who actually studied this stuff and worked their way up."
posted by Rykey at 6:57 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

I don't even know what to do when Rs say stuff like this. This is a GOP strategist and former spokesman for Darrell Issa. Yes, he was a NeverTrumper who came out for Hillary, but this language on tax cuts from an R is interesting.

@kurtbardella
This isn't a #healthcare plan - it's a tax cut for the rich masquerading as an #obamacare repeal - all should oppose
posted by chris24 at 6:58 AM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

a tax cut for the rich masquerading as an #obamacare repeal

I haven't heard a better soundbite, and I'm hearing this one in a lot of places. It's catchy and pithy and even true.
posted by thelonius at 7:02 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Plus "deep state" sounds way more menacing than "those people who actually studied this stuff and worked their way up."

There are actually multiple numbered deep states each working against a different aspect of fascism using surplus money raised through taxes. For instance, Deep State Nine is fighting Christian Dominionism with the aid of the profits.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [30 favorites]

The last few posts by you all have scared me. I am more out of touch then I thought if we've gone from 'fighting fascism' to 'whelp we have a dictator now'

Is this stemming from the firing of all the us attorneys?
posted by INFJ at 7:04 AM on March 13, 2017

emjaybee: "I took "as of last week" to mean that this is an ongoing process, not that they have stopped at this number and shrugged."

Yeah, if I'm reading the VA requirements correctly, party candidates have until the end of March to declare.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:05 AM on March 13, 2017

Here on the blue we seesaw between despair and determination quite a bit, INFJ. We don't know any more than anyone else what's actually going to happen.
posted by emjaybee at 7:06 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

It's stemming from the time change making us nervous and cranky.
posted by notyou at 7:07 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Is this stemming from the firing of all the us attorneys?

I think people are freaking about the pending EO "reorganizing the executive branch".
posted by dis_integration at 7:08 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

It's "comprehensive", and the only one of them who can wrote anything long is Supreme Leader Bannon, so it's sure to be bad.
posted by Artw at 7:13 AM on March 13, 2017

dis-integration you just made me pause in my drinking of my morning coffee.

What pending EO about reorganizing the executive branch? Can an EO even fucking do that?
posted by INFJ at 7:13 AM on March 13, 2017

I mean, an EO can do anything until someone stops it. We don't know what the EO is. We just know that there's an item on Trump's schedule for today about an EO to reorganize the executive branch.

So the buzz on Facebook is that people are getting through to Steve King's office. If you're a constituent (and I know a couple of people here are), you can call 202.225.4426. Don't abuse the staffer: it sounds like he's having a rough morning.

In other Steve King-related news, the Iowa GOP has issued a statement condemning his tweet. King is inexplicably (or perhaps totally explicably) popular in his district, but my sense is that he's doing damage to the Republicans in the rest of the state. Most Iowa Republicans prefer their racism at the level of subtext, not text.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:18 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

What pending EO about reorganizing the executive branch? Can an EO even fucking do that?

There's something being signed today called a "Comprehensive Organization of the Executive Branch". And who the hell knows.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:21 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

The EO on reorganizing the executive branch may be less worrisome than we think.

@PressSec
.@POTUS to sign exec order today that requires thorough exam of every exec dept & agency to see where money can be saved & services improved
posted by chris24 at 7:22 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

If I have to hear Paul Ryan one more time saying that the new ACHA law will give us more choices, I am going to start screaming, and I might not be able to stop. Does a person who has fifty cents for dinner have many choices about where to dine? Does a person who has $20 a month in disposable income have the choice to find a health insurance plan that will actually cover a doctor visit, a diagnosis and some treatment? Are they going to be able to keep up with the insurance premiums when their car breaks? Do we all have the choice to switch to better paying jobs, find cheaper food and utilities without starving or freezing? Do we have the choice to have fewer children now than we already have? Did we all have the choice to attend good schools? This is some utterly fucking ridiculous 'magic of the markets' trickle-down bullshit.
posted by puddledork at 7:24 AM on March 13, 2017 [48 favorites]

.@POTUS to sign exec order today that requires thorough exam of every exec dept & agency to see where money can be saved & services improved

That's not a reorganization, then. But I guess we can't really rely on these people to use words correctly.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:27 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yeah, I don't ever want to understate the danger of DJT, but most of his executive orders have been either basically content-free or small time stuff that most other presidents would have just sent a memo to the appropriate Cabinet person about. This appears to fall into these categories.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:27 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

If I have to hear Paul Ryan one more time saying that the new ACHA law will give us more choices, I am going to start screaming, and I might not be able to stop.

Joy Reid was going off on twitter yesterday about who would give up half their subsidy for additional choices. And even said that she'd have on her show anyone on who could convince her and her producer that they were real and would honestly trade subsidy money for an additional insurance option.

I think her framing is good. If they want to talk choice, we talk tradeoff for $$$.
posted by chris24 at 7:31 AM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

> The EO on reorganizing the executive branch may be less worrisome than we think.
> @PressSec: .@POTUS to sign exec order today that requires thorough exam of every exec dept & agency to see where money can be saved & services improved

Considering that the immigration EOs were ostensibly driven by a desire to "thoroughly examine" vetting procedures, I have very little faith that this "thorough exam" will not be painful, invasive, and potentially life-threatening to the patient.
posted by Westringia F. at 7:32 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

For instance, Deep State Nine is fighting Christian Dominionism with the aid of the profits.

I see what you did there.
posted by nonasuch at 7:33 AM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

For instance, Deep State Nine is fighting Christian Dominionism with the aid of the profits.

Close, but actually backwards. Deep State Nine (AKA "Plan Nine") is the plan by aliens (AKA "Russia") to resurrect the dead (AKA "Nazis/Racists") to stop the people of earth (AKA "Democrats") from developing a doomsday device (AKA "Obamacare"), and was funded by Baptist ministers.
posted by achrise at 7:33 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Huh, sounds more like a way to stem-the-tide of leaks to me. Thanks for the context.
posted by INFJ at 7:35 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

.@POTUS to sign exec order today that requires thorough exam of every exec dept & agency to see where money can be saved & services improved

AKA Filling all these posts is hard, so we're just going to punt.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:35 AM on March 13, 2017 [18 favorites]

Considering that the immigration EOs were ostensibly driven by a desire to "thoroughly examine" vetting procedures, I have very little faith that this "thorough exam" will not be painful, invasive, and potentially life-threatening to the patient.

The EO absolutely could be cover for ratfuckery and lead to bad things. It just doesn't appear that it will actually be a reorganization today. Like Chrysostom said, at this point it seems like a lot of sound and fury but little substance. Yet. I'm guessing they made it sound like more to do a trial balloon of reaction to see what they could get away with.
posted by chris24 at 7:37 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Close, but actually backwards.

I dunno. I think all this Klingon bat'leth-rattling wouldn't be so concerning if they weren't also the ones who hacked Janeway's subspace communications. I can't help but feel like we're in the Mirror Universe, the longer the Dukat administration goes on.

(in this metaphor, Weyoun is Steve Bannon, right?)
posted by nonasuch at 7:40 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Is Trump Trolling the White House Press Corps?: One day during my time in the West Wing, a group of reporters were standing outside Spicer’s office when Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon emerged. Some reporters tried to ask them about the Administration’s alleged ties to Russia. Priebus walked away without saying a word. As Bannon left, he smiled and said, “The opposition party, all lined up.”
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:41 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

soren_lorensen: AKA Filling all these posts is hard, so we're just going to punt.

I imagine part of what makes filling positions so hard is that it's getting harder to find people who want to be associated with Trump. After all, when One of Trump's Department of Labor Appointees Apparently Graduated From High School in 2015, as linked upthread by Joe in Australia, it looks like they're already running out of people who are willing to work for this administration.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:42 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Does anyone else feel like this administration is an overly long and not particularly funny episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Mac: "Frank why the hell would you want to be president? All people do is complain and you can't actually fix anything."
Dennis: "Yeah Frank who needs that kind of thing?"
Frank: "See you don't actually WIN the presidency. You just complain a lot, people listen to you and you get money for complaining! It's fool proof! That's why I made Charlie my strategist just to make sure."
*Charlie bursts into the room*
Charlie: "Frank! We did it! You're the president! TIME TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN BABY! WOOOOOO!"

"The Gang Destroys America"
posted by Talez at 7:47 AM on March 13, 2017 [27 favorites]

I imagine part of what makes filling positions so hard is that it's getting harder to find people who want to be associated with Trump. After all, when One of Trump's Department of Labor Appointees Apparently Graduated From High School in 2015, as linked upthread by Joe in Australia, it looks like they're already running out of people who are willing to work for this administration.

My take is that it has to be people willing to work and associate with this admin AND have never said or done anything that could be remotely deemed as being critical of Trump or whatever he feels that day is critical of him and his views. It also appears that he, depending on the day and his mood, has other random criteria that may or may not come into play. (looks, dress, way of speaking, whether he's happy or mad at the advisor who says they're good or whatever else he fancies in the moment).
posted by Jalliah at 7:51 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

On the EO reorganizing the Executive Branch, remember that Trump suckled at the teat of corporate culture his whole life.

Doing a company-wide eval of efficiencies and waste is always the first step to letting people go, when you want them gone but there isn't a convenient "for cause."

He's not allowed to simply fire a bunch of civil servants without cause. But if he determines that whole sections and departments are inefficient and no longer needed, he can fire them by the boatload.

Such a review has the added bonus of striking fear in the hearts of those being reviewed, so they are more likely to be compliant in the future. And it induces the marginally disaffected to go ahead an voluntarily leave as they see which way the wind is blowing. Those left will be much less likely to rock the boat (i.e., leak).

Oh, and if it also happens to reveal areas for improving efficiency - as it probably will - then so much the better. That'll give the whole thing a veneer of legitimacy when people are being laid off.

AKA: Corporate Senior Management 101.

(On preview: what others have said)
posted by darkstar at 7:52 AM on March 13, 2017 [45 favorites]

Did Trump work his way up his father's corporation? Or was he just given some midlevel role?
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:55 AM on March 13, 2017

Doing a company-wide eval of efficiencies and waste is always the first step to letting people go

It's can also be the management equivalent of reorganizing all of the icons on your computer's desktop in order to look busy.

Such a review has the added bonus of striking fear in the hearts of those being reviewed, so they are more likely to be compliant in the future.

On the other hand, if your staff have been sniffing the wind for months and already have their resumés circulating, it's a good way to inadvertently purge everybody but deadwood from your organization in short order.
posted by murphy slaw at 7:58 AM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

Absolutely. The result of this sort of management-by-purge is that the talented usually find somewhere else to work where they don't have to deal with that shit, while the incompetent and super-loyal are the ones that remain.

Which is sadly a trade-off that many shitty senior managers are happy to make.
posted by darkstar at 8:02 AM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

ZeusHumms: Did Trump work his way up his father's corporation? Or was he just given some midlevel role?

During summers as a teen, Trump worked for his father’s company at construction sites. Influenced by his father to start a career in real estate, Trump began his career at his father’s company, “Elizabeth Trump and Son.” Before he was given control of the company in 1971, Trump worked on building projects in Manhattan. (ABC News, Jul 27, 2015)

Yeah, doesn't sound like much "working his way up" there.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Did Trump work

*snork*
posted by beerperson at 8:04 AM on March 13, 2017 [22 favorites]

"The Gang Destroys America"

Yes. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia should be added to the official roster of Things This Reality is a Horrifying Mash-up Of, along with Arrested Development and Black Mirror.
posted by tivalasvegas at 8:07 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

"The Gang Destroys America"

Frank: "Charlie, how the hell did you get me elected you numbskull? I was saying crazy racist stuff left, right and center!"
Charlie: "Well first of all, Dee just would not shut up about how she had a plan to make you look good..."
Dee: "I went on TV and every time they tried to point out how bad the things you said were, I simply pointed out how bad your opponent was and they let me do this over and over!"
Charlie: "Also, some guy with a Russian accent promised to help get you elected if we helped with some unfair sanctions or something so I said yes"
Dennis "Charlie you can't do that!"
Charlie: "Can't do what?"
Mac: "Charlie you can't get the Russians to help Frank win an election. It's illegal or something!"
Charlie: "Well one, I did. And two, Frank's president so who cares what's illegal! He can just pardon me!
Frank: "Dammit Charlie I didn't actually want to be president. I wanted to lose but keep complaining so I could make tons of cash from that complaining!"
Charlie: "But Frank you said we were gonna make America great again! That's why I agreed to help!"
Frank: "Charlie you idiot! I wasn't going to tell you the plan. You'd blow the entire deal!"
Mac: "So what now Frank?"
Frank: "I gotta end this quick. There's a lot of stuff I don't want to have surface. I had this epic bender in Moscow once and there were these prostitutes and some golden showers were involved"
Dee: "Golden showers, Dad? Ugh you're sick!"
Frank: "Yeah so this has to end as quickly as possible.
Dennis: "You could just quit"
Frank: "No. Then this will all be for nought. I'll just have to keep doing dumber and more racist things as President until those idiots in Congress impeach me. Then I can say I was robbed, keep getting paid for complaining and things go back to normal"
Mac: "Now that's a great idea, Frank! In the mean time can I be Secretary of State?"
posted by Talez at 8:08 AM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"
posted by emjaybee at 8:12 AM on March 13, 2017 [16 favorites]

Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"

What if we just gave you your own VR, Steve, and you could just lie there with an IV in your arm, "seeing" the America you would prefer? I would crowdfund that if you'd quit politics.
posted by Frowner at 8:15 AM on March 13, 2017 [34 favorites]

Steve King is a fucking Nazi. If there's still a USA in 20 years and the state of Iowa still exists, I wonder how many people will admit that they voted for him.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:17 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

What if we just gave you your own VR, Steve, and you could just lie there with an IV in your arm, "seeing" the America you would prefer? I would crowdfund that if you'd quit politics.

The Racist Matrix
posted by Servo5678 at 8:18 AM on March 13, 2017

Some things are deeply un-American. 'Alternative facts' strike me as more 'derply' un-American.

"Here, Russia has created it's own set of facts on the ground." Russia is claiming territory based on unpublished Soviet-era military maps. The Complications Of Living In Russia-Occupied South Ossetia (NPR, March 13, 2017 - no transcript up yet, but Al Jazeera had an article on the creeping Russian border in Georgia in 2015).

[Related: Inside the Secret World of Russia’s Cold War Mapmakers by Greg Miller, WIRED, previously -- some Soviet maps are online, via a dated comment on Stack Exchange]
posted by filthy light thief at 8:20 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Okay, this is petty of me, but...re: Trump's executive orders--is it just me, or does anyone else get deeply irritated at how he signs something, then holds it up and shows it to everyone in the room at three different angles like it's fucking story time at the children's library?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:21 AM on March 13, 2017 [40 favorites]

Okay, this is petty of me, but...re: Trump's executive orders--is it just me, or does anyone else get deeply irritated at how he signs something, then holds it up and shows it to everyone in the room at three different angles like it's fucking story time at the children's library?

With that giant shit eating grin on his face as well. Like a toddler that just made a boom boom.
posted by Talez at 8:23 AM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

emjaybee: Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"

Groove Armada: "If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other." (A pre-emptive musical reply, circa 1999)
posted by filthy light thief at 8:24 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Mr. Bad Example.. I recently read something, probably here on the blue.. how once you hate someone every little thing they do infuriates you. You hate everything about them, even dumb stuff that you probably shouldn't devote time or attention to.

This is in the realm of dumb-stuff he does.

And if it isn't clear, it irritates me too.
posted by INFJ at 8:25 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Yeah, it's kind of like a toddler calling you into the bathroom to show off how he made a "boom-b-

TALEZ get out of my head!!!
posted by darkstar at 8:26 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"

Not so much a defense as "I am a full on Nazi, what are you going to do about it?"
posted by Artw at 8:26 AM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

I recently read something, probably here on the blue.. how once you hate someone every little thing they do infuriates you. You hate everything about them, even dumb stuff that you probably shouldn't devote time or attention to.

That's the Bitch Eating Crackers phenomenon.
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:27 AM on March 13, 2017 [22 favorites]

From The New Yorker: The Onion Struggles to Lampoon Trump

My favorite bit:

“There were some really good Hillary-wins headlines,” Ben Berkley, the managing editor, said, pulling up a never-published front page on his laptop. In a giant font: “Desperate Woman Settles for Asshole Nation without Much Money.” Below that: “ ‘Now, Sisters, Destroy These Tools of Our Oppression!’ Shrieks Victorious Hillary Clinton While Brandishing Fistful of Severed Penises.” And beneath a headshot of a smug Trump: “Trump Immediately Concedes Election After Discovering Object of Desire is 240 Years Old.”

posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:29 AM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

The result of this sort of management-by-purge is that the talented usually find somewhere else to work where they don't have to deal with that shit, while the incompetent and super-loyal are the ones that remain.

Actually, he would be releasing alot of talent into a market that desperately needs it right now: Democratic candidates. Just as people are gearing up, getting excited about 2018 and beyond, look at this: aides, experts, and administrators appear on the horizon, all bearing that most coveted qualification (by 2018/20): experience.
posted by eclectist at 8:29 AM on March 13, 2017 [24 favorites]

Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"

So, the dirty fucking hippies are going to start getting apologies from all those moderate Republicans and centrist Democrats who insisted that the GOP's racist policies were an honest, principled stance rather than dogwhistles for white supremacy, right? Any time now, right?
posted by tobascodagama at 8:31 AM on March 13, 2017 [33 favorites]

Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"

okay everybody let's make with the fucking
posted by murphy slaw at 8:34 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Yeah, it seems that Steve King is all out of evens, now, too. He's gone from generally shitty, racist statements about cantaloupe calves, straight into gobsmackingly explicitly white supremacist statements about threatbabies and fear of loss of racial hegemony.

I think this is part of what Josh Marshall has been calling "The Great Disinhibition".
posted by darkstar at 8:37 AM on March 13, 2017 [16 favorites]

As I have recently started to lose my facial hair in patches due to the stress of this administration, I've promised my husband that I would be more measured in my reactions. I'm trying to look at some of this as having a silver lining -- like yes, there is too much bloat in government and what eclectist says above. I know it's small comfort, but I can't do this for 4 years.
posted by archimago at 8:39 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

So, the dirty fucking hippies are going to start getting apologies from all those moderate Republicans and centrist Democrats who insisted that the GOP's racist policies were an honest, principled stance rather than dogwhistles for white supremacy, right? Any time now, right?

No, they're going to say "If you hadn't abused the word 'racist' until it lost all meaning, you would have been able to call Steve King a racist and everybody would have believed you. Wait, 'then why don't we start calling him a racist too', you say? Why would we do that? You think we want to end up like you?"
posted by J.K. Seazer at 8:40 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Someone needs to ask King if he means we should secure the existence of white people and ensure a future for their children.
posted by Talez at 8:40 AM on March 13, 2017 [24 favorites]

Is Trump Trolling the White House Press Corps?

Of course he damn well is. This should have been obvious by, at the absolute latest, the time he displayed fake Trump Steaks to prove how successful he was, along with other penny ante products that were failures. That was over a year ago. I mean, there were certainly plenty of signs earlier, but the last possible moment to think he wasn't a complete troll was when his staff plunked down a bunch of random meat from the grocery store, with the non-Trump label still on it, and he described this as evidence of his great business success. At that point, there was no question this was a troll.

This article is really a lot better than its headline, and is worth reading, but the fact that anybody in the press is still asking this question is profoundly disturbing.
posted by zachlipton at 8:43 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

I'm feeling a little guilty right now that I'm not personally destroying Iowa by giving birth to 17 multiracial babies. I've missed my calling. Maybe I can adopt.

This isn't new rhetoric for King, for what it's worth. He tweeted something a couple of months ago about how Iowa was "committing cultural suicide through demographic transformation." People keep acting outraged every time he says something that sounds a bit Nazi, but he's been saying that stuff for a long time, and it's pretty clear that his constituents either agree with him or don't care.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:46 AM on March 13, 2017 [26 favorites]

My favorite is the "pieces of blank paper" trick. Someone needs to scatter those fuckers next time.
posted by Artw at 8:47 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

so the next step for these people is gonna be reclaiming the word "racist," isn't it?

"if wanting my children to grow up in an America that looks like them makes me a racist then I guess I'm a proud racist," some little walking turd with the most punchable face you've ever seen that a bunch of idiots elected to congress for some asinine reason will say

okay you know what I really gotta stop daring 2017 to be worse than my imagination
posted by prize bull octorok at 8:49 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Steve King: "I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective"

When fucking Iowa isn't "homogenous" enough for you, you may be a Nazi.
posted by chris24 at 8:49 AM on March 13, 2017 [86 favorites]

Iowa Nazis giving Illinois Nazis a run for their money
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:51 AM on March 13, 2017 [19 favorites]

ACLU is leading a million-dollar resistance effort against Trump’s policies
posted by Chrysostom at 8:51 AM on March 13, 2017 [30 favorites]

I wanted to revisit the question about the proposed Energy Star program cut. I mean, yeah, it's certainly part of the wholesale gutting of science and environmental programs at the federal level.

But I wonder if it's also possible that they want to kill it because it saves energy? Because the people with Energystar appliances actually pay lower utility bills. And so for every Energystar refrigerator, PG&E loses a few pennies a month, and thus the program is a (miniscule) hit on the profits of private utility companies.

As ridiculous as it is, this administration is so petty, and so concerned with the welfare of corporations over human beings, that it seems like this is the most likely answer.

And that just depresses the hell out of me.
posted by suelac at 9:03 AM on March 13, 2017 [22 favorites]

Want to Keep the President at Bay? Two Consultants Have an Inside Track

I don't even know what to say — grifters gotta grift?
posted by mumimor at 9:04 AM on March 13, 2017

That's a good article, Chysostom. I particularly like where the ACLU says their plan is to follow an NRA model, which I love. FUCK YEAH, let's do it that way. Let's get the ACLU up to 5-7 million people and make it so that failure to follow the agenda its membership wants can end a career in a single election.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:04 AM on March 13, 2017 [58 favorites]

mumimor: Want to Keep the President at Bay? Two Consultants Have an Inside Track

Counterpoint: Trump’s Tweets Used to Decimate Companies’ Stock Prices. Why Didn’t Nordstrom’s Plummet? (Slate, Feb. 8, 2017) Simple, one sentence answer from the article: "The market has learned to ignore Trump’s tweets in part because the histrionics haven’t been followed by meaningful action."
posted by filthy light thief at 9:08 AM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

The Energy Star thing is the same as reducing the required MPG on cars. Big Oil doesn't make money off of fuel efficient cars. Even if you want to ignore the climate effects or less-fuel-efficient cars, what person who isn't a monster is going to advocate for people spending more money on gas.

Yeah, it really is this evil.
posted by archimago at 9:11 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

I wonder if it's also possible that they want to kill it because it saves energy?

Yes. Alex Harrowell talked a little about how energy is tied to culture wars:

If there’s a constraint they like to reject above all others it’s anything to do with energy, the climate, and hence transport. In part this is explained by the fact there are major funders available who hand out cash to people who reject this constraint. Beyond cynicism, though, is it too impressionistic to imagine that some people feel experts in general just want to take their trucks and make them listen to the doctor and stop smoking? I think this is interesting, because the populist target market tends to be the same around the world – rather well-off but not particularly educated fifty-somethings, not coincidentally also a demographic that likes to jump the counter and demand a deal, and that consumes a lot of ambient media.

Rollin' coal in muh pickup. The cult of the incandescent light bulb. The celebration of coal miners (and to a lesser degree nuclear power), the sneer at solar and turbines and Priuses. Energy consumption is a proxy for identity politics.
posted by holgate at 9:15 AM on March 13, 2017 [42 favorites]

Let's get the ACLU up to 5-7 million people and make it so that failure to follow the agenda its membership wants can end a career in a single election.

Yesterday, I went to a joint birthday party in which I think both birthday celebrators got ACLU memberships* from different people (among other things). I know a third friend has gotten an ACLU membership as a gift recently, and I have a joint one with my partner. I see folks posting ACLU membership cards all the time right now and joining up whether or not they can afford to routinely donate. I see folks also making a point of donating to the Texas ACLU or cheering on the Texas ACLU's leadership efforts. I see children getting ACLU memberships as gifts, even. Swelling the organizations' membership rolls seems really possible right now.

_{admittedly one person had specifically requested donations to the ACLU in lieu of gifts, which was generally mostly honored--or at least, honored alongside donation gifts to places like the Trevor Project alongside the ACLU and small personal gifts as a show of affection.}
posted by sciatrix at 9:15 AM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

Rollin' coal in muh pickup. The cult of the incandescent light bulb. The celebration of coal miners (and to a lesser degree nuclear power), the sneer at solar and turbines and Priuses.

It's toxic masculinity all the way down.
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:18 AM on March 13, 2017 [42 favorites]

Chao says U.S. drivers may face more tolls to raise infrastructure funds (WaPo, March 4, 2017)

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao this past week raised the prospect that needed infrastructure improvements may be funded to some extent by imposing tolls on more of the nation’s roads and bridges.
...
“The federal government cannot assume the cost for all of it,” Chao said Tuesday night in a Fox News interview after Trump’s address, reiterating a point she made during her Senate confirmation hearing. She told Fox host Sean Hannity that “new and innovative ways” were necessary to find funding.
...
“Public private partnerships are a very important part of a new way of financing our roads and bridges,” she said.
...
The challenge in luring private investment to build roads and bridges is that vast portions of the country outside of high-traffic volume urban hubs would not produce the toll revenue desired by investors.

There has been strong bipartisan opposition in Congress to imposing tolls on the interstates, beyond those like the New Jersey and Pennsylvania turnpikes that were grandfathered in when they became part of the network. One senior Democratic senate aide said any plan that relies primarily on tolling is “dead on arrival.”
...
Overreliance on private funding already has been called into question by one influential senator, John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“Funding solutions that involve public-private partnerships, as have been discussed by administration officials, may be innovative solutions for crumbling inner cities, but do not work for rural areas,” Barrasso said at a committee hearing last month.

I'm thrilled that Republicans recognize that this BS won't support the space between major urban areas. But will they still sign on for major boosts to military spending? Probably so.

Oh, and don't forget about water and wastewater systems when planning that infrastructure budget. Kentucky Community Hopes Trump Infrastructure Plan Will Fix Water System (NPR, March 13, 2017)

Scott Pruitt, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, says water infrastructure is a priority. But Gail Brion of the University of Kentucky, who has worked on water treatment issues for decades, is skeptical.

She says she worries water pipes can't compete with more visible projects like roads and bridges.

"What you're seeing is a long history of non-investment that's now starting to cause long-term problems, but it's not flashy," she says. "That's one of the problems with drinking water is that it's underground — it's hidden."

State and local officials say they'll be looking out for any federal spending that could help rebuild trust in the county's tap water. The cost of rebuilding the system is estimated at $13.5 million.

And this is just one community. Multiply this by thousands, and you understand how much work there is to be done across the country for water and wastewater infrastructure. But sure, launch a few more multi-million dollar airstrikes based on dated and unverified data.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:19 AM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

SPLC probably could do with some love too.
posted by Artw at 9:22 AM on March 13, 2017 [32 favorites]

Hey look everyone it's a tweet from Rep Steve King about the economic anxiety his constituents face: Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies.

chris24: Which is basically a rewording of the 14 Words, the white supremacist credo: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

While there are many who are denouncing Iowa Racist Steve King, he also has his supporters, including former KKK grand wizard David Duke, who tweeted "GOD BLESS STEVE KING!!! #TruthRISING
posted by filthy light thief at 9:23 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

I set up a donation to CAIR as well.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:24 AM on March 13, 2017 [16 favorites]

Good call.
posted by Artw at 9:26 AM on March 13, 2017

Thanks for the nudge to join ACLU, guys. It's the one thing NC still actually has.
posted by yoga at 9:27 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

I propose that for folks already in the ACLU, that the next time you're ready to give money, find a friend who'd like to join but can't afford it and put up the money for them. There's definite value in swelling the rolls at this stage. That's what I'm going to do, anyway.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:30 AM on March 13, 2017 [33 favorites]

But I wonder if it's also possible that they want to kill it because it saves energy? Because the people with Energystar appliances actually pay lower utility bills. And so for every Energystar refrigerator, PG&E loses a few pennies a month, and thus the program is a (miniscule) hit on the profits of private utility companies.

Most utilities have programs specifically geared toward helping retail customers save energy. The explanation that I've heard for this is that it saves utilities the capital costs of having to build new capacity. From basically any angle, eliminating EnergyStar just reads like straight up nihilism.
posted by indubitable at 9:32 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

In California, at least, utilities do not profit by selling more energy. (Their profit is based on capital.) They have regulatory incentives to sell less energy, actually.
posted by samthemander at 9:34 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

Pretty sure that Bannon doesn't care and Trump doesn't know. (You can use this explanation for basically everything, actually.)
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:37 AM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

MetaFilter: histrionics haven’t been followed by meaningful action
posted by kirkaracha at 9:38 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

He's not allowed to simply fire a bunch of civil servants without cause. But if he determines that whole sections and departments are inefficient and no longer needed, he can fire them by the boatload.

The majority of government staff are in unions. Wholesale firings would probably result in a complete civil service walkout and make the current chaos looks like a well-oiled machine. He can fuck over the managment and political leadership but he really can't do much with the workers.
posted by srboisvert at 9:40 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Rumors Of Senate Run Driven Before Him, Hears Lamentations Of Their Women" is the way to go.

It still infuriates me that Schwarzenegger was able to blow off multiple reports of groping women and never faced any consequences.

How can we help make sure Trump doesn't get away with the same trick? If Peter Thiel can fund someone else's lawsuit, why can't we crowd source lawsuits against Trump? It worked with Clinton (Paula Jones, etc.) and now the president is he can't stop such suits just because he's in office.
posted by msalt at 9:43 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

The majority of government staff are in unions. Wholesale firings would probably result in a complete civil service walkout and make the current chaos looks like a well-oiled machine. He can fuck over the managment and political leadership but he really can't do much with the workers.

It's illegal for the federal civil service to strike. Taft-Hartley and all that. AFGE would be decertified so fast it would make your head spin.
posted by Talez at 9:44 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

> ... make the current chaos looks like a well-oiled machine.

I think you meant "Fine. Tuned. Machine."
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:46 AM on March 13, 2017

How can we help make sure Trump doesn't get away with the same trick?

Maybe Hannibal Buress can make some jokes about it because that seems to be one of the few successes in making rich and famous men face any consequences for sexual assault.
posted by peeedro at 9:48 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

Cosby is black. That's the only reason the sexual assault allegations against him stuck.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:51 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

considering that our local post office is already so understaffed that sometimes the mail gets delivered at 10pm on weekdays, that seems like a pretty safe bet
posted by murphy slaw at 9:56 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

How can we help make sure Trump doesn't get away with the same trick? If Peter Thiel can fund someone else's lawsuit, why can't we crowd source lawsuits against Trump? It worked with Clinton (Paula Jones, etc.) and now the president is he can't stop such suits just because he's in office.

Well one of the advantages the Confederazis have is that the left doesn't assemble into a violent, harassing swarm of crazies when they hear the right pitch of dog whistle. Somehow I don't think the women pressing such a suit against their standard-bearer would be very safe.
posted by schadenfrau at 9:56 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

As Bannon left, he smiled and said, “The opposition party, all lined up.”

Sez the guy who's gonna be first against the wall when the revolution comes.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:57 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

From basically any angle, eliminating EnergyStar just reads like straight up nihilism.

Yep. Narcissism and nihilism; aided by radical American Christianity [2012 article]:

Now, this isn't the theology of every religion in America, or of every strain of Christianity; not by a long stretch. Most Christians accept climate science and believe in protecting the environment, and many of them do so for religious as well as scientific reasons. But theirs is not the theology that holds sway in the upper reaches of the Republican party, or moves your average climate science denier Chuck. As Rick Santorum explained at an energy summit in Colorado:

"We were put on this Earth as creatures of God to have dominion over the Earth … for our benefit not for the Earth's benefit."

Why does this theology of science denial have such power? For one thing, it gives its adherents something to throw back in the face of all those obnoxious "elites", which they think are telling them what to do with their lives. There's no need to master the facts if all you need is to learn a few words of scripture.

But, perhaps, more to the point is that this kind of religion works for Chuck because it allows him to disguise the extraordinary selfishness of his position in a cloak of sanctimony. Translated into the kind of language that you can take to the shopping mall, it says that God wants you to squeeze whatever you can out of the earth – and to hell with the grandkids.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard attitudes like this from Trumpsters I know. Politicians like to use the old saw "you want a better life for your kids than you had" -- this group does not believe in that principle. They would never admit it frankly, of course. But you'll probably get a response like "Why does Jimmy Jr. need to go to college? I didn't go to college, and I'm doing fine" -- they resent the opportunities their kids have, they resent that their kids might grow up with fewer obstacles, they resent that their kids might not want to be working in mines; and they vote in accordance with that resentment. See also, A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers* Betrayed America (WaPo article about the book) *not all Boomers!
posted by melissasaurus at 9:57 AM on March 13, 2017 [43 favorites]

Thanks for the nudge to join ACLU, guys. It's the one thing NC still actually has.

The NC NAACP is doing important work there too.
posted by Candleman at 9:57 AM on March 13, 2017 [22 favorites]

But I wonder if it's also possible that they want to kill it because it saves energy? Because the people with Energystar appliances actually pay lower utility bills. And so for every Energystar refrigerator, PG&E loses a few pennies a month, and thus the program is a (miniscule) hit on the profits of private utility companies.

It could also be that GE and the other companies producing electric appliances have told the Trump administration that not having to build-in efficiencies will make them happy. I realize that the Blue Star program is voluntary but since the big names all do it, consumers today can easily shop and compare. Without the Blue Star, this would be more work.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:58 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Cosby is black. That's the only reason the sexual assault allegations against him stuck.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:51 AM on March 13 [+] [!]

He was black for the entire two decades before Burress's set, too, when there had already been multiple allegations and nobody gave a shit.
posted by schadenfrau at 9:59 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

1pm press briefing link.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:59 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Another indirect response to Iowa Racist, Steve King and his comment on "somebody else's babies": Garden City, Kansas: population 27,000 where its diverse population speaks up to 40 different languages, but its unemployment hovers around 3 percent.

The town's turning point came in the 1970s, says Sister Janice Thome, when city and church leaders debated bringing in a meatpacking plant.
...
Those leaders, as she recalls, "said, if we say 'no,' then Garden City is liable to become one of these ghost towns, like many other towns. If we say yes, then we've got a vibrant economy, but then we're going to be bringing all of, quotes, 'those people.' "

"Those people," as in immigrants, mostly poor ones, who don't speak English, and need significant help getting their footing in a new culture.

"They decided they didn't want to be a ghost town, so they would say yes, and then they said, 'OK, are we going to count the people that come in then, as a blessing or a curse?' " Sister Thome says.

Viewing them as a blessing won out. And after a lot of persistence, effort and patience, a pro-immigrant ethos has gradually taken root here.

But meat packing is is hard, dirty work, with high turnover, and without new immigrants to work in the factory, the factory could shut down.

Thanks, Trump.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:01 AM on March 13, 2017 [19 favorites]

Immigration and a functioning economy are pretty much a thing that goes hand in hand everywhere. These failed economy racist fuckers hate functioning economies almost as much as they hate brown people - it's all about resentment and deflection.
posted by Artw at 10:05 AM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Thanks, Trump.

thump
posted by murphy slaw at 10:06 AM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

These days I often check myself and ask, "Why don't I think like other white people? Why am I not like other baby boomers?" and I think the answer lies in growing up in Long Beach, California and living in cities all over So. California. I have the strong opinion that multiculturalism is a great and valuable thing, not something to be feared. People who live in rural areas in some parts of America never get to experience that and they fear other races and other religions-- hell they even fear other languages, cuisines, and music. I had hoped that the internet would break some of these barriers down but instead it seems to be enforcing the opinions inside the bubble.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 10:10 AM on March 13, 2017 [30 favorites]

Don't give them any ideas, or next thing you know Betsy DeVos is gonna make Look Around You required viewing at high schools across the nation
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:10 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Press release from NY Attorney General, on the lawsuit against new Trump travel ban
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:10 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

I have the strong opinion that multiculturalism is a great and valuable thing, not something to be feared. People who live in rural areas in some parts of America never get to experience that and they fear other races and other religions-- hell they even fear other languages, cuisines, and music. I had hoped that the internet would break some of these barriers down but instead it seems to be enforcing the opinions inside the bubble.

The most poisonous thing in small town America is the unshakeable belief their citizens have that everyone they know is pretty much everyone there is worth knowing.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:11 AM on March 13, 2017 [40 favorites]

So is regularly starting press briefings horribly late a sign of contempt for the press, chaos and confusion, or both?
posted by zachlipton at 10:21 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Who knows? The answers are pretty worthless so I'm not sure what value the ritual has anyway.
posted by Artw at 10:22 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Mostly I've been paying attention to the questions - what parts of this dumpster fire are considered relevant, what's getting coverage, what isn't.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:24 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Meanwhile, Rep. Guitierrez is apparently sitting in at the Chicago ICE office. He was one of the members blocked from attending a meeting with ICE officials at the Capitol.
posted by zachlipton at 10:27 AM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

Spicer: Trump is visiting Nashville this week to lay a wreath at Andrew Jackson's grave. BARF.
posted by melissasaurus at 10:28 AM on March 13, 2017 [29 favorites]

Immigration and a functioning economy are pretty much a thing that goes hand in hand everywhere.

So I made that point when I shared that story about Garden City with a Trump supporter. Reply:

Because of "the policy to saturate civilization with porn, abortion and birth control to quickly achieve negative population growth [...] today's dying populations need massive immigration to prop up the contracting economies."

Yes, I pointed out that "The United States is not dying off unless you only count white, native born people as a part of the United States" and that birth control is voluntary and so on.

But, I mean, patriarchy is a strategy that maximizes reproductive rates. Women's liberation does tend to decrease birth rates. There is a perfectly logical argument that you need patriarchy if you think your population is falling too fast. And if you only count white Americans as part of "your" population (immigrants are "someone else's babies") and if you assume the carrying-capacity of the earth is infinite, then maybe, from an economic point of view, "your" population is falling too fast! (Especially in small towns which are emptying out as people move to the cities). To refute that argument you have to refute these very fundamental assumptions about who is "us" and who is "them" and whether God would let the earth fail.

The most poisonous thing in small town America is the unshakeable belief their citizens have that everyone they know is pretty much everyone there is worth knowing.

‘Where I come from’ we claim universal generalities as our peculiar virtues
posted by OnceUponATime at 10:29 AM on March 13, 2017 [23 favorites]

I think the answer lies in growing up in Long Beach, California and living in cities all over So. California

I'm sure that's part of it, but it's not the whole story. I want to an incredibly diverse and vibrant high school, and yet I know people who graduated from that environment who are just as racial and provincial as people you'd find back in Steve King's district. And there are likely a chunk of people on that district who may not have experienced multiculturalism, but are not racist.
posted by cell divide at 10:29 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Spicer refused to answer questions about the fired attorneys, says to contact DOJ.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:29 AM on March 13, 2017

Cosby is black. That's the only reason the sexual assault allegations against him stuck.

Joe Paterno, one of the most powerful (and white) football coaches in the US, would disagree with you. He was fired in disgrace even though he personally did not abuse anyone; his crime was covering up abuse by his (white) assistant coach.
posted by msalt at 10:29 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Can someone else at an HHS related office tell me if Tom Price actually sent an email about having worked hard at 7 days of media interviews (plus putting music in the "carpeted stairwell")? Or have my divorce proceedings with reality finally run to completion?

I can confirm this. Not sure if I'm allowed to post the contents of the e-mail but it is basically entirely him going on about his totes fantastic interviews with conservative media lackeys, and "enhancing the work environment and encourag[ing] healthy living" through muzak, with a cheery "Enjoy!" at the end.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:32 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

In California, at least, utilities do not profit by selling more energy. (Their profit is based on capital.) They have regulatory incentives to sell less energy, actually.

This true of every utility company I've every heard of. They have to appeal to some government/regulatory body to be able to raise their rates so they can't just change prices in relation to changes in demand. They also need to be able to meet 100% of demand at all times.

So they have an incentive to keep expenses as low as possible and be running as close to 100% of capacity at all times. One of the ways to do that is to only fire up some of your power plants and keep others off. Some types of power plant are designed to run all the time while others can't be turned on and off much easier.

If you find that you're turning on an extra power plant every afternoon in the summer but then a bunch of customers upgrade to more efficient A/C units, it could lower demand enough that you can keep that plant dark. You've lowered expenses and increased profits. Do that well enough for long enough and you can delay building a new power-plant or invest in more efficient retrofits.

The advantage to the energy star program is that it standardises how "efficiency" is measured so you can more easily compare. For instance, the R-value of a window is the standard for how well those windows insulate that space and there are industry standards on how that's measured. Really well made windows will proudly tout their R-values but there are some brands of window that tout similar but different ways to measure the efficiency of the window (u-factor is one IIRC). The difference has to do with whether you're measuring just the glass on it's own vs. the whole window, frame and all, as it would be installed in a house. The latter is number that really affects your bottom line but the former makes the window seem like it performs better than it really does. If you dig deep enough, you can find the R-value for those windows and, unsurprisingly, it's not really close.

But if I hadn't spent hours and hours researching windows when we replaced them, it would have seemed as if I was looking at two comparably performing windows at two VERY different price points (the shady windows that buried the R-value were more expensive).

Energy star ratings make it much more difficult to game the system like that and it saves consumer a TON of time. For example, if R-value was how window manufacturers were required by regulation to measure the window's efficiency, I'd have never wondered why that one brand of window was showing something different than every other manufacturer. I never would have asked, "Are these windows using a BETTER measure of efficiency than everyone else and I'm sucker for considering other or are they using a WORSE measure and I'd be sucker to consider this option?" Maybe I would have gotten those few hours back and I could have discovered a cure for cancer or something.
posted by VTX at 10:33 AM on March 13, 2017 [22 favorites]

Breaking: President Trump would like the press corps to decide where his salary gets donated to!
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:33 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Spicer: Trump is visiting Nashville this week to lay a wreath at Andrew Jackson's grave. BARF.

Dude must know how much he's increasing the chances of being forced to perform a demeaning act on a statue of Quisling at some future date.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:34 AM on March 13, 2017

One white guy going down for letting other white guys have sex with little boys (that part is important) does not mean all white guys are now being held responsible for their sexual assaults and everything is fixed.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:34 AM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

the sneer at solar

I never got this because it's only dumbass conservatives that just hate what liberals love that don't use solar. Half the solar videos for DIY setups are fucking preppers which just makes me feel icky all over about my array.

Hell, conservatives should have a raging hard on for personal solar being one of the ultimate steps of energy self reliance.
posted by Talez at 10:34 AM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

I think if we go into "why did This Dude get in trouble for sexual assault, but not That Dude" we're going to derail really fast.

Most of it comes down to the presence and willingness of law enforcement/institutions to catch and punish abusers. Which will vary according to lots of different criteria/circumstances.
posted by emjaybee at 10:35 AM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

Yeah... the thread is starting to accelerate due to the Spicey Show, so I don't want to write something long, but I'm inclined to agree with cell divide. The inherent virtue of cities and people who live in cities is a recurring theme on MeFi, but in my small New England town the most rabidly conservative person I know moved here after growing up and living most of her life in NYC.
posted by XMLicious at 10:35 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

is the sudden popularity of Andrew Jackson in GOP circles just a combination of telling black folks to fuck off about Harriet Tubman on the 20 dollar bill + fuck you to native americans or is there something i'm missing
posted by murphy slaw at 10:36 AM on March 13, 2017 [26 favorites]

Heh, so Sean Spicer announced that DJT will be going to Mar-A-Lago this weekend. It's really great that DJT has figured out how to make being POTUS a 5 days a week job<-----sarcasm.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 10:37 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Racism and "liberal tears" explains everything GOP related. Oh, and graft. TBH sometimes the graft related stuff is the least objectionable.
posted by Artw at 10:38 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Joe Paterno, one of the most powerful (and white) football coaches in the US, would disagree with you.

Sandusky also targeted male children, not adult women, though. People tend to have very different responses to those crimes, especially when you consider the effects of misogyny.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:38 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

In California, at least, utilities do not profit by selling more energy. (Their profit is based on capital.) They have regulatory incentives to sell less energy, actually.

This true of every utility company I've every heard of. They have to appeal to some government/regulatory body to be able to raise their rates so they can't just change prices in relation to changes in demand. They also need to be able to meet 100% of demand at all times.

So they have an incentive to keep expenses as low as possible and be running as close to 100% of capacity at all times.

Can this model be applied to transportation infrastructure? Has it been already done elsewhere in the world?
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:38 AM on March 13, 2017

Like hating solar, loving Jackson is something the GOP does to make liberals mad. Your average Trump voter knows shit about Andrew Jackson except that liberals don't like him.

It's so pathetic.
posted by emjaybee at 10:38 AM on March 13, 2017 [44 favorites]

But he said it ~~jokingly~~, so who knows?

You had one too many words in that sentence. Any time anyone from the Trump admin makes any claim that appeals to any of us it should be assumed a lie until proven true.
posted by VTX at 10:39 AM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Remember all that nonsense during the campaign about reporters being unable to confirm that DJT actually gave the Vets the million bucks he promised and he had to be guilted into it? Yeah this is his MO.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 10:39 AM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Secret Life of Gravy: These days I often check myself and ask, "Why don't I think like other white people? Why am I not like other baby boomers?"

I'm not a boomer, but I really want to visit Garden City, Kansas, because it sounds wonderful. A plethora of diverse food and traditions? Sign me up!

But our president is now a man who likes well-done steaks and ketchup and isn't so keen on international travel, so King sounds like his kind of xenophobic racist.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:41 AM on March 13, 2017

Spicey is exhaling pure chaos in trying to defend the 180 on employment statistics. It's undiluted, highly-concentrated nonsense. I cannot do it justice. Find a transcript and look for it.
posted by prefpara at 10:42 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Breaking: President Trump would like the press corps to decide where his salary gets donated to!

It's $33,333 a month. He could donate it to a different cause each month and make a big deal out it ("Trump Giveaway Day!") and try to encourage more folks to donate to that same cause and you know, make it a thing about community and shared sacrifice and et cetera.

Heck, he could give it to a random MAGA hat wearer every month (less the tax hit to the giftee) and celebrate his Syncophanocracy.

But instead it's just sneering at the press.

So sick of these fuckers.
posted by notyou at 10:43 AM on March 13, 2017 [33 favorites]

"My understanding is that they will” meet today’s deadline for evidence of Trump’s surveillance tweet, Spicer says of DOJ.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:43 AM on March 13, 2017

> "My understanding is that they will” meet today’s deadline for evidence of Trump’s surveillance tweet, Spicer says of DOJ.

"And as you know, John, I don't understand too good." [Fake, but you know that's what he means.]
posted by RedOrGreen at 10:46 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Sandusky also targeted male children, not adult women, though. People tend to have very different responses to those crimes, especially when you consider the effects of misogyny.

True. I think this is much more than issue than race, given that OJ literally got away with murder, and Kobe Bryant and Nate Parker got away with rape. Wealth and fame also help.
posted by msalt at 10:47 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

He could also just give it back to the Treasury, which is what he said he would do, and it would be the best way to fulfill his pledge to not take a salary (however he chooses to resolve the tax implications).
posted by zachlipton at 10:47 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Even money says he pockets the money but "donates" the equivalent value in free golf at his clubs, which he also then deducts.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:50 AM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

I just can't get over the fact that these reporters refuse to just straight up ask the QUESTION: The president has tweeted a baseless accusation at the Obama administration and then asked other government agencies to find evidence for it. that's not an investigation, and yet the WH keeps calling it that -- Mr Spicer, where is the president's evidence? where?
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:50 AM on March 13, 2017 [10 favorites]

@davidfrum
Chinese investors forgiving 4/5 of Kushner family debt at 666 Fifth Avenue. Expect lots of smiles when Trump receives Xi this coming weekend

Bloomberg article (warning: autoplay vid)
posted by melissasaurus at 10:50 AM on March 13, 2017 [35 favorites]

Peter Alexander seems to be one of the only reporters who knows how to ask Spicer questions effectively. He was the one who asked Trump about the electoral college win numbers. Now he's asking about "phony" CBO numbers -- were they phony when you cited them two years ago, or are they phony now? Another question about the wiretap tweet.

"When can we trust the president?" "How can we believe when he says something?"
posted by melissasaurus at 10:53 AM on March 13, 2017 [38 favorites]

how energy is tied to culture wars...

To add to this thought, a couple of years ago I was at a Big Data conference and one of the presenters shared a study where homeowners were provided with anonymized energy use data for other houses in their neighbourhood. In Democratic cities/neighbourhoods this led to greater reductions in household energy use, as those residents wanted to be seen as matching or exceeding their neighbours in energy saving. In Republic cities/neighbourhoods the effect was the complete opposite: energy consumption went up as it was seen as good thing to be wasteful.
posted by Paid In Full at 10:54 AM on March 13, 2017 [26 favorites]

Spicer says you can trust what the president says "if he's not joking."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:55 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

Breaking: Michael Bay halts production of Transformers: The Last Knight to add new Decepticon that transforms from microwave into a camera.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:56 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

i am developing strong fondness for some of these journalists. how's this question for ya: "yes or no, are CBO numbers legitimate?"

spicey: [long looping it depends/it's not for me to say]
posted by prefpara at 11:04 AM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

666 5th Avenue

Come on!
posted by Room 641-A at 11:04 AM on March 13, 2017 [57 favorites]

Spicer just invited the world at large to ask him question in public.
posted by zachlipton at 11:06 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Spicer says you can trust what the president says "if he's not joking."

To be determined as convenient to the "joker".
posted by Artw at 11:06 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Spicer just invited the world at large to ask him question in public.

"As long as you stay on the 'right side' of the 1st Amendment" [real]
posted by melissasaurus at 11:08 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

To be determined as convenient to the "joker".

I'd like to know who in the administration is the Space Cowboy, the Gangster of Love, Maurice, and the Midnight Toker.
posted by Talez at 11:08 AM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

> 666 5th Avenue

Kushner: "It's modest, but it's what Gozer wanted."
posted by mosk at 11:09 AM on March 13, 2017 [32 favorites]

Maurice is definitely Priebus
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:10 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

When Spicer corrected Peter Alexander trying to quote him, saying "just want to make sure you get it right," he was wrong.

Also, please enjoy this amazing gif of John Gizzi in the briefing room.

One of the worst bits though was Spicer saying it doesn't matter whether the President is going back on his word to keep Preet Bharara on. That should reassure anybody who might be considering a job with this administration.
posted by zachlipton at 11:11 AM on March 13, 2017 [21 favorites]

@davidfrum
Chinese investors forgiving 4/5 of Kushner family debt at 666 Fifth Avenue. Expect lots of smiles when Trump receives Xi this coming weekend

The Chinese or Russians or Brazilians or whoever could literally leave bundles of $100 bills banded with snipped-up copies of the Emoluments Clause on the Oval Office desk and the Republicans would do nothing about it.

What's worse, I can't dismiss the possibility of that very thing happening.
posted by Gelatin at 11:11 AM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

Spicer says you can trust what the president says "if he's not joking."

Also: consider the possibility that the President was just playin' with you. U mad, bro?
posted by thelonius at 11:23 AM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Chinese investors forgiving 4/5 of Kushner family debt at 666 Fifth Avenue. Expect lots of smiles when Trump receives Xi this coming weekend

This building is the crown jewel in the Kushner empire, at the time the most expensive price ever paid for a commercial building in Manhattan. It was sold for $1.8bn.

So we're talking about a gift to Kushner probably in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
posted by cell divide at 11:26 AM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

"Chinese investors forgiving 4/5 of Kushner family debt at 666 Fifth Avenue. Expect lots of smiles when Trump receives Xi this coming weekend"

This made me make a thing.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:26 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

So we're talking about a gift to Kushner probably in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Forgiven debt is taxable income right?
posted by PenDevil at 11:29 AM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

Here's the video of Peter Alexander's exchange with Spicer.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:31 AM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Next question for Spicer: You said we can trust what the President says "if he's not joking." Was the President joking when he said there would be no cuts to Medicaid? If not, why is he breaking his promise?
posted by zachlipton at 11:39 AM on March 13, 2017 [18 favorites]

Chinese investors forgiving 4/5 of Kushner family debt at 666 Fifth Avenue. Expect lots of smiles when Trump receives Xi this coming weekend

Just so I'm clear, this isnt going to make anyone think about a debt jubilee that extends to any proles, right?
posted by nubs at 11:39 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Peter Alexander seems to be one of the only reporters who knows how to ask Spicer questions effectively.

They Today show this morning's chyron had "Put Up or Shut Up" as their intro to their story about whether or not Trump would be able to back up his wiretapping claims today, and Savannah Guthrie was Not Having It from Kellyanne Conway.
Why Conway was on in the first place is another question, but Guthrie roughed her up pretty good.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:39 AM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Also, please enjoy this amazing gif of John Gizzi in the briefing room.

The first response is even better.

What idiocy of Spicey's was Gizzi reacting to?
posted by Gaz Errant at 11:43 AM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

In Republic cities/neighbourhoods the effect was the complete opposite: energy consumption went up as it was seen as good thing to be wasteful.

Hey so I know this is a wildly original thought but... fuck these people. I will never understand this mindset as long as I live.

(With the preppers and solar thing, there's a few areas where the Venn diagram between "prepper" and "urban hipster" overlaps. Chickens is another. 50% of the chicken-keeping videos I watch are made by preppers. But preppers are a tiny little subset of the Right, and it's mostly white suburban and exurban assholes, really. The people who write township ordinances like one in a suburban area near me where you have to have five fucking acres in order to keep chickens. Five! Acres! My lot is 3000 sq feet and I can legall keep up to 7 chickens on my property. Or a pygmy goat. But not both. Goat or chickens: the urban hipster sophie's choice.)
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:45 AM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Gaz Errant: What idiocy of Spicey's was Gizzi reacting to?

Does it matter? I mean, there's a lot of options, are any of them better than others?
posted by filthy light thief at 11:45 AM on March 13, 2017

Here's the video of Peter Alexander's exchange with Spicer.

Everything Spicer has to say about the CBO report for Obamacare has been refuted here, No, The CBO Was Not 'Way, Way Off' On Scoring Obamacare: 1) the scoring didn't count on the 2012 Supreme Court ruling making the medicare expansion optional for states, 2) assumed more people would be dropped from employer-sponsored coverage into the individual market, this didn't happen, and 3) the individual mandate tax penalty didn't have as large an effect as assumed. These things don't indicate either a failure of Obamacare or of the CBO scoring.
posted by peeedro at 11:46 AM on March 13, 2017 [18 favorites]

Chinese investors forgiving 4/5 of Kushner family debt at 666 Fifth Avenue. Expect lots of smiles when Trump receives Xi this coming weekend

This building is the crown jewel in the Kushner empire, at the time the most expensive price ever paid for a commercial building in Manhattan. It was sold for $1.8bn.

So we're talking about a gift to Kushner probably in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

PenDevil beat me to it basically, but I was going to ask whether they'd issue the Kuchners a 1099-C, though now that I look at that guidance I wonder whether this is going to be another Trumpish way to avoid taxes for years. Because what we're thinking of here is how it behaves for individuals, not businesses.

I seriously wonder whether anyone in the Trump circle is going to be bothering to file their taxes at all anyway. Sensible people would think "we won't be on top forever" and want to protect themselves against an eventuality but I think I don't need to elaborate beyond that, do I?
posted by phearlez at 11:48 AM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

like it's fucking story time at the children's library?

This was a ways upthread, but it's not often in a Trump thread that I can speak from professional expertise:

Donald J. Trump would do a terrible storytime.

He doesn't read in a way that emphasizes structure or aids listeners' understanding, he doesn't have much tonal or emotional range, and I suspect that any voices he might use for particular characters have a good chance of being offensive. About the only thing he gets right is that he repeats himself a lot.

Barack Obama wrote a children's book, and he won a Best Spoken Word Grammy. George W. Bush wasn't perfect, but at least you could trust him to not fuck up 'The Pet Goat.' I have worked in library management for nearly my entire adult life. I would not hire Donald J. Trump for any job that included doing storytimes.
posted by box at 11:48 AM on March 13, 2017 [52 favorites]

Forgiven debt is taxable income right?

You'd need an IRS for that, though.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 12:00 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

People tend to have very different responses to those crimes, especially when you consider the effects of misogyny.

yes. that's why the same kind of assault is assault when you do it to certain classes of children and "groping" or "fondling" when you do it to women: comedy or pornography, respectively. I know most people who call it that only do it because the newspapers do and it's just ingrained. and it doesn't mean they're not against it. but it's awful and it contributes to taking it lightly and to Arnold being the big jovial joke he is allowed to be in public, still, even now, when everybody knows what he's done.
posted by queenofbithynia at 12:03 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

This shit is truely frightening. There are tribes of brainwashed zombies out there. This is what you are up against..
I Was Trained for the Culture Wars in Home School, Awaiting Someone Like Mike Pence as a Messiah.
posted by adamvasco at 12:03 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

> "I Was Trained for the Culture Wars in Home School, Awaiting Someone Like Mike Pence as a Messiah."

"To take back the country for Christ, we needed to outbreed, outvote and outactivate the other side, thus saith The Lord."

I need to double my order of barf bags.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

...does anyone else get deeply irritated at how he signs something, then holds it up and shows it to everyone in the room at three different angles like it's fucking story time at the children's library?

Yes, bugs the hell out of me. On the bright side, it's pretty easy to mess with in a way that's entertaining.
posted by VTX at 12:13 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

outbarf is not on the list, tho
posted by prefpara at 12:16 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

This is why they have DeVos dismantling education in flavour of more Jesus Schools - they want to state fund the indoctrination.
posted by Artw at 12:19 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

...does anyone else get deeply irritated at how he signs something, then holds it up and shows it to everyone in the room at three different angles like it's fucking story time at the children's library?

It doesn't bother me, but then I have always thought the whole presidential signing ceremony nonsense was kind of eye-rolly. We just now have a president who's even more in love with himself and fond of pomp and ceremony than usual.
posted by phearlez at 12:21 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

@jdawsey1: White House is bracing for bad CBO score to be released at 4 pm. Likely to show many lose health insurance in Republican plan, sources say.
posted by zombieflanders at 12:22 PM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

This is my surprised face.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:23 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

@jdawsey1: White House is bracing for bad CBO score to be released at 4 pm. Likely to show many lose health insurance in Republican plan, sources say.

"Doesn't look like anything to me" ~ All Republicans, 4:01pm
posted by melissasaurus at 12:24 PM on March 13, 2017 [39 favorites]

Wait a minute. 666 5th Avenue counts as an economically distressed area for EB-5 visa purposes? It's bloody 5th Avenue. There's a Rolex store across the street. Zega, Ferragamo, and Cartier all around it. Trump Tower four blocks away. That's crazy.

It's about the people that live there not the people who shop there. There are lots of localized pockets of unemployment all over Manhattan. The census tracts are all square and tiny. There's no gerrymandering of the districts. The EB-5 is shitty policy for generating employment but this is all above board.
posted by Talez at 12:24 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

I don't know if this has been linked yet But I found it damn heartening.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:24 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

What's the over-under on the CBO score saying 10M lose coverage?
posted by zachlipton at 12:25 PM on March 13, 2017

Over over.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

> White House is bracing for bad CBO score to be released at 4 pm. Likely to show many lose health insurance in Republican plan, sources say.

But the CBO is not accounting for the fact that so many people will have access to health insurance!

(You know, if you can pay for it. And if you can't pay for it, you should have chosen better parents. Or had bigger bootstraps.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:26 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

I have access to a private jet right now. Doesn't mean I can pay for it. But I guess Spicer thinks I should be pleased to be so free so as to have access to such great transportation choices.
posted by zachlipton at 12:30 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

@jdawsey1: White House is bracing for bad CBO score to be released at 4 pm. Likely to show many lose health insurance in Republican plan

You don't say.

Why does anyone in the media even pretend that any other outcome is possible? No, eliminating people from the pool and increasing consumer costs won't lead to move coverage, ever.
posted by Gelatin at 12:30 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

People will have access to health insurance in the same way that I have access to dating Scarlett Johansson.
posted by Justinian at 12:30 PM on March 13, 2017 [45 favorites]

Most of the time I see Eric Garland on twitter he's not being well received. I don't think he's very credible.
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:33 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

eric garland is the TIME FOR SOME GAME THEORY guy whose cogent analysis of why Obama and Clinton didn't act like Trump winning was a credible threat comes down to a 75-tweet shruggo
posted by beerperson at 12:39 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Eric Garland is a boob and a grifter whose fame comes from an interminable rant about the Russians written in lolcat. "It's time for some game theory" is a punchline. No one should take him seriously.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 12:40 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

A plug for my health policy press twitter list, which should be a good place to watch for reaction to the CBO score from people who know what to look for. Right now, it's just gifs about waiting for the CBO score...
posted by zachlipton at 12:49 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

man it would be nice if this blizzard could end this somehow. I don't know how but God it would be satisfying if it just took a Nor'easter to unravel things.

Or: somebody should tell Steve Bannon that if he gets in his car about 8 pm and drives towards NYC, he'll get a year's worth of meth. And then his connect should call him at 9:00 mid-route and say, *the year's supply of meth is hidden in a field you need to walk out into. If you see all white around you, don't worry! Those are just meth angels escorting you to methy bliss.*
posted by angrycat at 12:50 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

I try not to judge people too much but appearance but my God Eric Garland has an unbelievably punchable face. I just want to punch him so much without even stopping to think about whether or not he's a Nazi.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:50 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

greg don't even lie about how you would answer an askme re: eating a sockful of gummi worms
posted by beerperson at 12:54 PM on March 13, 2017 [34 favorites]

People will have access to health insurance in the same way that I have access to dating Scarlett Johansson.

Oh, I think you'll need more than money to win her heart. /g
posted by dis_integration at 12:54 PM on March 13, 2017

... oh, right, Eric Garland is that guy...
still - whatever else, the (potentially fantastical) idea that you know, evidence has to be gathered and stuff and that's why it's taking so long, man, is a story I can find plausible and comforting.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:55 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

witchen: "This feel like I've read mixed reviews on the Eric Garland's credibility."

Wait, where have I heard that name...?

beerperson: "eric garland is the TIME FOR SOME GAME THEORY guy"

Aaaaahahahahaha. Yeah. Ok. No, he does not have any more (and perhaps a bit less) credibility than any rando on Twitter.
posted by mhum at 12:58 PM on March 13, 2017

People are posting pics of their microwaves on Twitter, asking Obama to come back, if he's listening.
posted by emjaybee at 1:00 PM on March 13, 2017 [75 favorites]

People will have access to health insurance in the same way that I have access to dating Scarlett Johansson.

Someone should ask Spicer if the Administration believes gays should have access to marriage across state lines
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:01 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

While we all rage at the fact that it's 4:02 and the CBO score isn't posted yet, rage at this: American Citizens: U.S. Border Agents Can Search Your Cellphone

Data provided by the Department of Homeland Security shows that searches of cellphones by border agents has exploded, growing fivefold in just one year, from fewer than 5,000 in 2015 to nearly 25,000 in 2016.

According to DHS officials, 2017 will be a blockbuster year. Five-thousand devices were searched in February alone, more than in all of 2015.

NBC looked at 25 reports of such searches. 23 out of the 25 involved Muslims.
posted by zachlipton at 1:04 PM on March 13, 2017 [19 favorites]

Guys! Guys! We can install a trapdoor under Spicey's podium and dump him into FDR's swimming pool every time he lies! Who's with me?
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:05 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

will we be filling the pool with sharks, or with piranhas?
posted by emjaybee at 1:06 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

New watchdog group formed to investigate Trump conflicts

American Oversight will primarily use litigation and open records laws to “uncover and publicize information about malfeasance and corruption by administration officials,” it said in a release announcing its creation on Monday.

“Congress has abdicated its constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities of the executive branch — from failing to vet individuals before they take office to explicitly refusing to investigate conflicts of interest and misconduct,” the announcement says.
posted by futz at 1:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [27 favorites]

I try not to judge people too much but appearance but my God Eric Garland has an unbelievably punchable face.

Untouchable Face could use a 20th anniversary satirical rewrite as Punchable Face.
posted by phearlez at 1:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/costestimate/americanhealthcareact.pdf

To estimate the budgetary effects, CBO and JCT projected how the legislation would change the number of people who obtain federally subsidized health insurance through Medicaid, the nongroup market, and the employment-based market, as well as many other factors.

CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law. Most of that increase would stem from repealing the penalties associated with the individual mandate. Some of those people would choose not to have insurance because they chose to be covered by insurance under current law only to avoid paying the penalties, and some people would forgo insurance in response to higher premiums.

Later, following additional changes to subsidies for insurance purchased in the nongroup market and to the Medicaid program, the increase in the number of uninsured people relative to the number under current law would rise to 21 million in 2020 and then to 24 million in 2026. The reductions in insurance coverage between 2018 and 2026 would stem in large part from changes in Medicaid enrollment—because some states would discontinue their expansion of eligibility, some states that would have expanded eligibility in the future would choose not to do so, and per-enrollee spending in the program would be capped. In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.

posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 1:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [37 favorites]

bees that swim
posted by angrycat at 1:09 PM on March 13, 2017 [17 favorites]

will we be filling the pool with sharks, or with piranhas?

Electrified scuba bees & wasps.
posted by futz at 1:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Top line number: 14 million people would lose coverage almost right away. This would rise to 24 million by 2026.
posted by zachlipton at 1:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

It's here, it's here!

CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the
legislation than under current law. Most of that increase would stem from repealing the
penalties associated with the individual mandate. Some of those people would choose not
to have insurance because they chose to be covered by insurance under current law only to
avoid paying the penalties, and some people would forgo insurance in response to higher
premiums.
Later, following additional changes to subsidies for insurance purchased in the nongroup
market and to the Medicaid program, the increase in the number of uninsured people
relative to the number under current law would rise to 21 million in 2020 and then to
24 million in 2026. The reductions in insurance coverage between 2018 and 2026 would
stem in large part from changes in Medicaid enrollment—because some states would
discontinue their expansion of eligibility, some states that would have expanded eligibility
in the future would choose not to do so, and per-enrollee spending in the program would be
capped. In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with
28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.

posted by Rhaomi at 1:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

"CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law.........Later, following additional changes to subsidies for insurance purchased in the nongroup market and to the Medicaid program, the increase in the number of uninsured people relative to the number under current law would rise to 21 million in 2020 and then to 24 million in 2026. "

24. Million. People.
posted by Rumple at 1:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Thanks, Spicy! Today's been really shitty and I absolutely needed a good, deep, hearty belly-laugh today.

Spicer: Trump didn't mean wiretapping when he tweeted about wiretapping

Wiretapping? OH NO, WE didn't mean like .. Wire. Tapping. We meant.. like.. uhm.. they called each other and breathed heavily.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 1:11 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

No fucking shit. Now everyone in the media find the closest republican and pin it to them good and hard.
posted by lydhre at 1:11 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

will we be filling the pool with sharks, or with piranhas?

rabid sea lions with fricking lasers on their heads and when they bark they shoot bees at you
posted by entropicamericana at 1:12 PM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

will we be filling the pool with sharks, or with piranhas?

Acid.
posted by PenDevil at 1:12 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

People will have access to health insurance in the same way that I have access to dating Scarlett Johansson.

That's kind of not actually cool. I presume that you would not actually argue that dating Scarlett Johansson is a right or an entitlement. I get that you're saying that it's fucking ridiculous that you would find yourself in a position to date said actress, and I hear you and health care shouldn't be that far out of reach, but it might be less creepy to say, "in the same way I have access to a solid gold house and a rocket car" or "in the same way I have access to playing in the NBA."
posted by stet at 1:12 PM on March 13, 2017 [17 favorites]

Looks like the CBO spending score clears them to use reconciliation. Which presumably puts this down to making the Senate critters sufficiently scared to pass it. Or maybe Trump, though I'm unsure he's got it in him to change course.

I would bet a beer that we'll see silence on this from the WH till they take the public and Senate temperature, so they can leave their options open to swoop in as savior by saying they won't sign it based on this blah blah blah blah.
posted by phearlez at 1:14 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

The CBO score re: Planned Parenthood:

To the extent that there would be reductions in access to care under the legislation, they
would affect services that help women avert pregnancies. The people most likely to
experience reduced access to care would probably reside in areas without other health care
clinics or medical practitioners who serve low-income populations. CBO projects that
about 15 percent of those people would lose access to care.

posted by Rhaomi at 1:15 PM on March 13, 2017 [21 favorites]

Republicans will tout the cost savings (~$33 billion/year, mostly from cutting Medicaid) and eventual ~10% decrease in premiums (beginning in 2020), but that decrease will be heavily age-dependent:

Under the legislation, insurers would be allowed to generally charge five times more for older enrollees than younger ones rather than three times more as under current law, substantially reducing premiums for young adults and substantially raising premiums for older people.

Also notable:

Because of the magnitude of its budgetary effects, this legislation is “major legislation,” as defined in the rules of the House of Representatives. Hence, it triggers the requirement that the cost estimate, to the greatest extent practicable, include the budgetary impact of its macroeconomic effects. However, because of the very short time available to prepare this cost estimate, quantifying and incorporating those macroeconomic effects have not been practicable.

So who even knows how destabilizing this would be on the economy as a whole.
posted by jedicus at 1:15 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

Medicaid is cut by $880 billion. With a B.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:15 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

The Republicans are going to hammer home the CBO's theory that by 2026 average premiums will be 10% lower than they are now.
posted by Justinian at 1:16 PM on March 13, 2017

Man, I don't bet nothin' on "what the WH would do" you are better off betting on where a chicken will run to once you cut off its head.
posted by emjaybee at 1:16 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Woops I mean 10% lower than what they would be under Obamacare, not 10% lower than they are now.
posted by Justinian at 1:17 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

(One should note that this is not surprising. When you throw 24 million people off the rolls who are disproportionately poorer, older, and sicker and stop requiring insurance companies to cover certain things you are going to have lower costs.)
posted by Justinian at 1:18 PM on March 13, 2017 [25 favorites]

The Republicans are going to hammer home the CBO's theory that by 2026 average premiums will be 10% lower than they are now.

True, but they also estimate premiums in 2018 and 2019 being 15-20% higher than they would be now (under Obamacare). And it's really hard to spin your way out of doubling the number of uninsured people.
posted by zachlipton at 1:18 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Man, I don't bet nothin' on "what the WH would do" you are better off betting on where a chicken will run to once you cut off its head.

Why do you think I only offered to wager a beer, and didn't even specify that it could be better than a Natty Boh?
posted by phearlez at 1:23 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Trump promised "insurance for everybody...Much less expensive and much better" that would not include cuts to Medicaid.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:24 PM on March 13, 2017 [17 favorites]

will we be filling the pool with sharks, or with piranhas?

Electrified scuba bees & wasps.

Battle Geese and Laser Swans. And bees. I mean, obviously bees.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 1:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

FWIW, I saw stet's comment as a riff on George Takei's tweet about Ryan Reynolds.
posted by darkstar at 1:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

15-20% higher premiums taking effect right as we go into the midterm elections. The House GOP would have to be literally suicidal not to kill this.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:27 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Meanwhile, a quick aside:

Remember when Trump crowed about how he whipped the national debt into shape in his first month? ("The media has not reported that the National Debt in my first month went down by $12 billion vs a $200 billion increase in Obama first mo.")

In news that will surprise absolutely no one in this thread, the February deficit is $192 billion, just like February 2016. Kevin Drum mocks the ugly chart here.

But no tweet about this news? Sad!
posted by RedOrGreen at 1:27 PM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

This is an important bullet point that shows how full of it Spicer is (from a list of things in the bill):

Removing the requirement, beginning in 2020, that insurers who offer plans in the nongroup and small-group markets generally must offer plans that cover at least 60 percent of the cost of covered benefits.

Spicer has made a big deal out of the fact that just having an insurance card doesn't mean you have access to care, because costs are high even if you're insured. Current law requires that plans actually cover some amount of healthcare; you can't just sell someone "health insurance" that's a box of bandaids and a promise to bring you flowers if you're in the hospital. Get rid of that requirement and premiums will drop, but the actual coverage is worth less too. It's precisely the opposite of what Spicer is saying.

It's also unclear to me how you change this requirement under reconciliation without getting the Senate Parliamentarian really drunk first, but that's another problem.

Also, the CBO is explicitly saying that the reasons premiums will eventually drop is because older people won't be able to afford coverage.
posted by zachlipton at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

Starting in 2020, the increase in average premiums from repealing the individual mandate penalties would be more than offset by the combination of three main factors. First, the mix of people enrolled in coverage obtained in the nongroup market is anticipated to be younger, on average, than the mix under current law. Second, premiums, on average, are estimated to fall because of the elimination of actuarial value requirements, which would result in plans that cover a lower share of health care costs, on average. Third, reinsurance programs supported by the Patient and State Stability Fund are estimated to reduce premiums.

So yeah, premiums would increase at a lower rate because fewer old people would be able to afford insurance, and the insurance that is available would cover less.
posted by parallellines at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Just a quick reminder that de-funding planned parenthood leads to less access to prenatal and other services that have nothing to do with birth control or abortions. That, in turn, leads to rise in the infant mortality rate.

Defunding planned parenthood kills babies.
posted by VTX at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2017 [58 favorites]

Man, I don't bet nothin' on "what the WH would do" you are better off betting on where a chicken will run to once you cut off its head.

Why do you think I only offered to wager a beer, and didn't even specify that it could be better than a Natty Boh?

It's like stochastic terrorism. You definitely know their behavior will lead to something objectively harmful, but you can never exactly predict what it will be or just how bad.
posted by darkstar at 1:30 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

15-20% higher premiums taking effect right as we go into the midterm elections. The House GOP would have to be literally suicidal not to kill this.

Or kill elections.
posted by Artw at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Republicans will tout the cost savings (~$33 billion/year, mostly from cutting Medicaid) and eventual ~10% decrease in premiums (beginning in 2020)

What they don't say, of course, is that these plans will have lower actuarial value since they're stripping out mandated coverage items left and right. (on preview: and what people have already said about the slashing of premium subsidies.)

So, yeah, enjoy your $50/mo plan. Just don't ever need anything beyond a regular checkup and generic meds.

At this time I would like to announce TivaCare, the new health plan which will soon be available in all 50 states and the District of Colombia.

For just $10/mo, you will receive a special rock* which keeps both illness and evil spirits at bay, delivered right to your doorstep. You can also upgrade to TivaCare Deluxe at just $14/mo for the added benefit of a bi-weekly e-newsletter. Don't wait, enroll today!

*available in mountain purple, shining-sea blue and amber grain
posted by tivalasvegas at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

Spicer on CBO report: In 2026 ... 28 million would lack insurance that year under current law.

(fake, so far)
posted by JackFlash at 1:32 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Regarding the premium estimate drop,

In addition to that, the CBO notes that the expected decrease in premium increases (relative to the ACA) would be driven in part by "the elimination of the requirement for insurers to offer plans covering certain percentages of the cost of covered benefits" -- in other words, premium increases will be slowed because insurers will be allowed to offer worse plans that cover less, and people will probably opt to buy them.

Yeah and it kills me that this is one of those provisions in the ACA that is so good and what, if Dems had decided to embrace the passage of this bill and trumpet good parts, people would know about. And it's so easy to describe in a soundbite and hits something that pretty much everyone with insurance has encountered: a requirement that insurance companies spend most of the premiums that they take from you on getting you health care.

This is on page 14 of the CBO report and should be brought up every time there's some talk of lower premiums:

Because of plans’ lower average actuarial values, CBO and JCT expect that individuals’ cost-sharing payments, including deductibles, in the nongroup market would tend to be higher than those anticipated under current law. In addition, cost-sharing subsidies would be repealed in 2020, significantly increasing out-of-pocket costs for nongroup insurance for many lower-income enrollees.

In soundbite form: Premiums might be lower but that's going to be because insurance companies will now be free to spend less on getting you care and more on pay raises for their CEOs and insurance company employees who reject your claims.
posted by phearlez at 1:32 PM on March 13, 2017 [30 favorites]

Just a quick reminder that de-funding planned parenthood leads to less access to prenatal and other services that have nothing to do with birth control or abortions. That, in turn, leads to rise in the infant mortality rate.

And, you know, more actual babies. Where in the plan is increased numbers of insured children accounted for?
posted by Room 641-A at 1:33 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

The United States has a higher infant mortality rate than any of the other 27 wealthy countries, according to a 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control.

The researchers estimated that 18.5 mothers died for every 100,000 births in the U.S. in 2013, a total of almost 800 deaths. That is more than double the maternal mortality rate in Saudi Arabia and Canada, and more than triple the rate in the United Kingdom.

The Republican party does not now, nor has it ever, cared about women and babies.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 1:35 PM on March 13, 2017 [69 favorites]

It's also unclear to me how you change this requirement under reconciliation without getting the Senate Parliamentarian really drunk first, but that's another problem.

Drunk on alcohol or drunk on power? I think they've got the latter covered.
posted by VTX at 1:37 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

And, you know, more actual babies.

Well, that will make Steve King very happy, indeed!

Wait, what color were those babies? Man, keeping those pro-life principles self consistent is hard.
posted by darkstar at 1:38 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

It is a pretty ballsy move to blame the leader of Russia for white American racism

It is pretty naive to ignore the Cold War history of the Kremlin using espionage to try to trigger a race war in the U.S. That's not a controversial piece of history.

Exploiting existing sectarian divisions is routine intelligence services operating procedure and the Russian intelligence services have openly admitted they've been conducting the most extensive espionage operations in the U.S. and throughout Europe since the Cold War recently with that as their specific goal. Those goals were even stated explicitly in their operations mission statement on their public website, is my understanding. And seventeen U.S. Intelligence agencies agree. Why is this still even up for debate?
posted by saulgoodman at 1:38 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

FWIW, I saw stet's comment as a riff on George Takei's tweet about Ryan Reynolds.

If you're gonna try to defend something as not all that gross then saying that it's similar to something Takei did is probably not your best tactic. He's got a rep as being suuuuuuper creepy IRL and had been plenty problematic online a lot.
posted by phearlez at 1:40 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

I withdraw my comment, then - it's hard to keep up with exactly who is on the shit list.
posted by darkstar at 1:41 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

However, because of the very short time available to prepare this cost estimate, quantifying and incorporating those macroeconomic effects have not been practicable.

This is the CBO throwing a little shade at Republicans. Republicans have been demanding that the CBO include in their cost estimates what Republicans call "dynamic scoring." This is the magical belief that tax cuts pay for themselves because of assumptions of rapid economic growth by the jawb creators getting tax cuts.

CBO has been resisting this because it breaks with precedent. That and the fact that the anticipated growth is all smoke and mirrors and subject to the whims of whoever wants a good number.
posted by JackFlash at 1:43 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

And seventeen U.S. Intelligence agencies agree. Why is this still even up for debate?

have thirty Helens weighed in yet?
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:43 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

@SpeakerRyan: CBO report confirms it → American Health Care Act will lower premiums & improve access to quality, affordable care. [real]
posted by zombieflanders at 1:44 PM on March 13, 2017 [18 favorites]

Takei took a picture of a woman with limited mobility who was using a wheelchair who had risen out of her chair to reach a shelf in some store and blasted it all over the internet with the clear implication that the woman was faking her need for a wheelchair.

He's been bee-food to me since then.
posted by angrycat at 1:46 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

So, SpeakerRyan sent out that tweet, and the [real] tag reflects that, not what he said, right?
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:46 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Shorter Ryan: sky is green, water is dry, starve some more grannies.
posted by lydhre at 1:46 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

@DLeonhardt: Good to see the Speaker of the House endorsing the analytical powers and professionalism of the Congressional Budget Office.

I wonder how long until Ryan tries to disappear his tweet down the memory hole so that they can pretend that the CBO is a bunch of lying liars who lie. Or, because he's a horrible sociopath who maybe doesn't qualify as a human being, maybe he just won't care.
posted by zombieflanders at 1:47 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

So, the CBO report's last page is headed ESTIMATE PREPARED BY:

How long till the Deplorables start with the doxing and hit pieces?
posted by phearlez at 1:49 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

@SpeakerRyan: CBO report confirms it → American Health Care Act will lower premiums & improve access to quality, affordable care. [real]

shameless piece of shit
posted by photoslob at 1:49 PM on March 13, 2017 [21 favorites]

If Republicans pass this it will be, I think, the definitive test: Will Republican voters keep voting for ignorance and xenophobia when they themselves are being immediately harmed and slowly killed by Republican policies?

I think the answer is yes, yes they will.
posted by Justinian at 1:51 PM on March 13, 2017 [17 favorites]

Can somebody translate the "improved access" soundbite for me. What are the Republicans trying to say with that line? In what sense do people currently not have access? And how are they gaining it?
posted by diogenes at 1:51 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

How about a graph? Everybody loses their insurance, especially if you're poor.
posted by zachlipton at 1:51 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Can somebody translate the "improved access" soundbite for me. What are the Republicans trying to say with that line? In what sense do people currently not have access? And how are they gaining it?

Most of them mean nothing by it, they just think it sounds good.

When someone like Ryan is pressed on it he will turn out to mean that right now you can only get certain types of plans because Obamacare requires insurers to cover all sorts of things. But under this new plan that goes away so, if you want to buy a policy which doesn't cover mental health or whatever, those plans will be available.

TL;DR - If you want crappy garbage plans you can now buy crappy garbage plans.
posted by Justinian at 1:54 PM on March 13, 2017 [26 favorites]

I think the answer is yes, yes they will.

Kansas for instance. Republicans have driven the economy into a ditch and ripped the guts out of school funding and the people of Kansas... elected slightly more moderate Republicans.
posted by Talez at 1:56 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Under current law, a 64-year-old can generally be charged premiums that cost up to three times as much as those offered to a 21-year-old. Under the legislation, that allowable difference would shift to five times as much unless a state chose otherwise. That change would tend to reduce premiums for younger people and increase premiums for older people.

These older people, they vote right?
posted by piyushnz at 1:59 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

It's so transparently two-faced though, since Spicer and Ryan keep talking about how just having insurance doesn't mean you're covered (if you can't afford deductibles, for instance), but a key feature of this plan is to sell more insurance that covers less (higher deductibles, fewer benefits).

I was going to say that this was the "main idea" of this plan, but, and this can't be emphasized enough, the main idea of this plan is a massive tax cut for the wealthy, and everything else is secondary.
posted by zachlipton at 1:59 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

This has almost nothing to do with nothing in the grand scheme of shit, but it might elicit a wry chuckle to learn that Wesley Kjar, one of the Malheur terrorists who plead guilty last year (receiving, basically, home detention), wants to round up a band of Wyoming cowboys and make a pilgrimage to Russia, the land of peace and freedom.

I was all set to wryly chuckle but holy shit did you see the spelling and random Capitalization happening there?

pusay hats? brining in Wyoming cowboys? (I hear they are more tender if you brine them before cooking them, actually.)
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:59 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

Welp, there's the plot twist I didn't see coming in this whole mess: Deplorables wanting to immigrate to Russia.
posted by erisfree at 2:02 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Save a horse, brine a cowboy.
posted by darkstar at 2:03 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

In other news, CNN has hired Chris Cillizza away from the Washington Post.

I like to imagine every single person at the Post deadpanning, "wait, stop, don't go" without affect.
posted by fedward at 2:06 PM on March 13, 2017 [34 favorites]

Those whiny little idiots would be at the door of the American embassy begging for help after three days in Russia. Maybe two.
posted by emjaybee at 2:07 PM on March 13, 2017

FWIW, I saw stet's comment as a riff on George Takei's tweet about Ryan Reynolds.

I apologize if I was unclear. What I meant to say was that characterizing access to healthcare as analogous to being allowed access to a person is gross. And to suggest that a better analogy to something unattainable due to circumstance would be access to over-the-top symbols of wealth or the amount of skill, talent, and luck that allows one to compete at the top level of athletics. Because it doesn't suggest that women are achievements.

Women are not possessions to which one is entitled to access. Healthcare is a right.

Takei's tweet is shitty. I had not seen it before and I think less of him for it.
posted by stet at 2:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Kansas for instance. Republicans have driven the economy into a ditch and ripped the guts out of school funding and the people of Kansas... elected slightly more moderate Republicans.

Democrats gained 15 seats in the legislature here. The moderates and Democrats are on the same page regarding roads, schools, and even Medicaid expansion. Which is the vast majority of the budget and related issues. The moderates here are a pretty total rejection of not only Brownback but the Tea Party too. The current legislative makeup is enormously better than before. They're going head to head with the governor and are close to a veto proof majority in the senate, and are already veto proof in the house.

Which gives hope about how voters at large will react next year.
posted by honestcoyote at 2:09 PM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

Politico: Will Trump bungle first big snow threat like Obama did? "Presidents can find themselves in the political cross hairs if they poorly manage a weather disaster."

Eh.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:09 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

The Girl Guides of Canada are cancelling trips to the USA citing travel concerns.
posted by Cuke at 2:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [19 favorites]

In other news, CNN has hired Chris Cillizza away from the Washington Post.

Words cannot express how much happier this makes me to continue to pay for the Post.
posted by zachlipton at 2:11 PM on March 13, 2017 [16 favorites]

According to the CBO's report, approximately 7.4% (24,000,000 / 324,689,100) of Americans will lose healthcare coverage in a decade. I'm sure these bozos have not considered the effects of gutting the budgets of the CDC, EPA, and every other agency will have on people's overall health.

Having 7.4% of the country losing coverage and paying more money for less coverage, while dealing with increased disease and pollution, is sure going to reduce healthcare costs for everyone! I guess that's why Paul Ryan is so aroused by his ~~high-risk~~ death pools--easier to kill off the people he dislikes through inaction. Paul Ryan is completely hypocritical and loathsome.

...I am so fucking incensed. This ~~plan~~ tax cut for the overly wealthy is an insult.
posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 2:11 PM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

These older people, they vote right?

They vote Republican. And the Republicans are betting, with quite a bit of evidence to support it, that they will continue to vote Republican in spite of everything.
posted by Justinian at 2:13 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

Words cannot express how much happier this makes me to continue to pay for the Post.

He was part of the reason we canceled our paid subscription (although the larger part was that our Sunday-only delivery was an exercise in frustration and missed parts of the paper). We've been using the free digital subscription they give people with .edu email addresses since we found out it existed, though. I guess I could think about paying again.
posted by fedward at 2:15 PM on March 13, 2017

@igorbobic: Price says “we disagree strenuously” with CBO report

Time to start the clock on how long until Trump accuses the CBO of being an enemy of the people (or something similar) because he doesn't know that the director was appointed by the House GOP over strong objections.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:16 PM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

i know that "individual choices" is just the modern GOP's cover story for destroying any signs of creeping socialism but is there any field where it is less applicable than medicine?

people don't choose to have heritable diseases. people "opting out" of insurance and healthcare has direct impact on people who don't because DISEASES ARE COMMUNICABLE. and when people who have "opted out" go to the ER to avoid dying regardless of the cost, they're clogging up emergency services with cases that could have been dealt with via preventative care.

in many ways, "health" is an attribute of populations, not individuals, and it's ridiculous to pretend that you can improve the health of a population by only offering care to people above a certain economic threshold. rich people die in influenza pandemics too.
posted by murphy slaw at 2:19 PM on March 13, 2017 [25 favorites]

Politico: Will Trump bungle first big snow threat like Obama did?

People in DC were really pissed when Obama suggested that some "flinty Chicago toughness" was all we needed to overcome an ice storm that completely paralyzed our transportation systems. I guess he should have said he supported increased assess to car wrecks and faceplants.
posted by peeedro at 2:20 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Hello, Dave here again from the Washington Post. Sorry to bother.

This man is a national treasure.
posted by lydhre at 2:22 PM on March 13, 2017 [35 favorites]

There's a nice contradiction in Price and Mulvaney's latest press conference: the CBO numbers are totally and completely wrong, unless you look at the part where it talks about how premiums will eventually decrease. That part the CBO is totally right about.

You really don't get to spend the last week discrediting the CBO, trash them right now, and then pick out the one tiny bit you like (ignoring even the part about premiums spiking next year) and say how great it is.
posted by zachlipton at 2:23 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

many taxpayers will be fortunate enough to live long enough for their premiums to decrease
posted by murphy slaw at 2:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

For reference, when Republicans start yelling about the CBO
posted by flatluigi at 2:34 PM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

They vote Republican. And the Republicans are betting, with quite a bit of evidence to support it, that they will continue to vote Republican in spite of everything.

Well, as part of the AARP demographic, I disagree.
posted by mikelieman at 2:35 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Is this the microwave spy?
posted by zachlipton at 2:37 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

@igorbobic: Price says “we disagree strenuously” with CBO report

WHY WOULD YOU DISAGREE? THEY BASICALLY SAY "IT'S GOING TO BE FUCKED UP"
posted by Talez at 2:41 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Oh wait. It's a Republican.
posted by Talez at 2:41 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

more specifically it's trump's secretary of health and human services
posted by murphy slaw at 2:42 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

we can all agree that this report is good news for john mccain, right?
posted by murphy slaw at 2:43 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Hot tip: go buy Apple stock. 24 million people won't be able to afford health insurance, but they'll have the leftover cash to buy iPhones. They can use their phones to search WebMD.
posted by zachlipton at 2:43 PM on March 13, 2017 [21 favorites]

Takei took a picture of a woman with limited mobility who was using a wheelchair who had risen out of her chair to reach a shelf in some store and blasted it all over the internet with the clear implication that the woman was faking her need for a wheelchair.

Takei apologized for sharing that wheelchair meme. We all do shitty things sometimes. It's only human. To me the question is, when someone calls you on it, do you apologize, or do you double down? Takei apologized, and I think that's all we can really ask of people. No one is perfect.

The fact that I was surprised by the response the wheelchair meme received indicates that I do indeed lack knowledge, and some sensitivity, over what is clearly a hot button issue, and that I and others can take this as an opportunity not to dig in, but rather to open up to the stories and experiences of those in the disabled community. I appreciate those who took the time to write in. I wish I’d had the chance to respond sooner, but until today I was not able to go through all the mail I’d received.

So to those who were hurt by my posts on this issue, I ask you please to accept this apology. To those who think I shouldn’t have to apologize, I want to remind you that I get to decide what I apologize for, so there’s no need to come to my defense.

posted by OnceUponATime at 2:50 PM on March 13, 2017 [54 favorites]

i get to become part of the AARP in a couple of months - woo hoo!!

I fully expect the AARP to be labeled an enemy of the GOP within 20-30 years - sort of like the ACLU and SPLC are now - as liberal Gen Xers like me begin to join their ranks, and more conservative seniors pass on.

Plus, the shenanigans that the GOP have been playing with Medicare and Social Security, once those chickens come home to roost, are going to lead to a serious senior revolution. That may happen sooner, rather than later, depending on if Ryan gets his way. I just hope millions of people don't have to get sick and/or die before it happens.
posted by darkstar at 2:51 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Guys the calendar on my wall is still on the November 2016 page. That's when time stopped.
posted by yoga at 2:52 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch / Chicago ICE sit-in, my Representative Luis Gutierrez was momentarily arrested, then un-arrested, and now still not arrested.

He seems to be having fun taunting President Trump on Twitter:

I guess @realDonaldTrump is OK to bully vulnerable children and families but afraid to arrest US citizens who stand up 4 justice #chiresist
posted by tivalasvegas at 2:54 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

I fully expect the AARP to be labeled an enemy of the GOP ~~within 20-30 years~~

You're too late by a decade.
posted by zrail at 2:58 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

I fully expect the AARP to be labeled an enemy of the GOP within 20-30 years

At this rate, I expect a 3am tweet on the matter by this weekend.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 2:59 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

rich people die in influenza pandemics too.

so what you're saying is we just need to hold out for the Masque of the Red Death scenario
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 3:00 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Tillerson Used ‘Alias’ Email for Climate Messages, N.Y. Says

Tillerson sent messages with the pseudonym account to discuss risks related to climate change while he was at Exxon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a court filing about his office’s fraud investigation of the company. Tillerson, whose middle name is Wayne, used the Wayne Tracker account on the Exxon system from at least 2008 through 2015, Schneiderman said.
posted by futz at 3:02 PM on March 13, 2017 [33 favorites]

BUT HIS EMAILS!
posted by zachlipton at 3:04 PM on March 13, 2017 [24 favorites]

Hey, in the wake of the big news on heathcare, I'm sure we're all happy that Seema Verma has been confirmed as CMS Administrator.

Happy is, as usual, a relative term.
posted by monopas at 3:06 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Kushners Set to Get $400 Million From Chinese Firm on Tower
posted by futz at 3:06 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Vox: The GOP health plan is an act of class warfare by the rich against the poor

The Congressional Budget Office’s assessment of Republicans’ plan to replace Obamacare is a description of one of the largest, most significant income redistribution programs the US government has ever considered — from the poor to the wealthy rather than the other way around.

The plan, the CBO concludes, would take more than $1 trillion away from programs targeting poor and middle-class families, to fund an $883 billion tax cut targeted at the wealthy. It is upward income redistribution of a truly massive scale.

“No legislation enacted in recent decades cut low-income programs this much — or even comes close,” Robert Greenstein, the founder and president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Washington’s leading advocate for poor and low-income Americans, says.

posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [47 favorites]

republicans don't see slashing programs to offset taxes on the rich as redistribution. it's reparations. all money naturally belongs to the rich and the sooner they can send it home, the better.
posted by murphy slaw at 3:12 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Wayne Tracker? Reminds me of Mark Trail.
posted by Miko at 3:12 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Foreign Policy: White House Seeks to Cut Billions in Funding for United Nations. They're looking for 50%+ cuts to some UN programs, and major cuts to peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and refugee programs.
posted by zachlipton at 3:15 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

Thank you, onceuponatime, for posting that about Takei's apology. He's a personal hero of mine (I have met him), and as I don't have a Twitter account, I was unaware of the controversy and his apology.

Indeed, Takei's expression of regret at what he did, and how he learned, has inspired me to make a similar confession. I apologize if this would be better placed in MeTa, but since I made the error in the thread, it seems appropriate to apologize for it here.

Earlier in this thread, I made what I thought was perhaps the mildest form of challenge that could be made to a statement that, I felt, was inappropriately perpetuating a stereotype about men, and especially progressive men, in their (our) interactions with women in politics. I felt then, and still do, that using one stereotype to defeat another one is wrong, and should be challenged, regardless of the race or gender or otherwise oppressed status of the person doing it.

I was swiftly countered with what seemed to me at the time to be completely unfounded heat. However, in two of the comments rebutting mine, the phrase "not all men" was used, one of which was specifically as a hashtag. It felt like I had unknowingly walked into a minefield.

I've spent two days now, researching the use of "notallmen" as a phrase with deep meaning in feminist writing online. I have a better appreciation now of how my earlier comment, which seemed so innocuous to me at the time, was basically like throwing a sexist grenade into the thread. I've learned something very important from this experience.

I sincerely apologize that my first impulse was a defensive one, rather than one of seeking clarification, as was suggested above. And I apologize that my comment undermines the spirit of equality, collaboration and alliance that are so important to me. And I deeply appreciate the criticisms that led me to question and understand what I had done wrong, and the patience exercised in making them - especially when this explanation is required of women so often.
posted by darkstar at 3:17 PM on March 13, 2017 [83 favorites]

Need an easy weekend DIY project?

With a few supplies from your local home improvement store, you can build a fashionable and functional french guillotine in a single afternoon!

Stay tuned after the break to learn about a FREE method for applying that authentic deep-red patina to your project.
posted by erisfree at 3:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

If you need a little levity, HuffPo has an early roundup of microwave memes. (warning: autoplay video of Kellyanne rambling and lying as per usual).
posted by TwoStride at 3:44 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

(And I'll admit that my friends and I have been all over the "I'll lecture through my microwave!" jokes in light of the school cancellations for tomorrow...)
posted by TwoStride at 3:45 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

The Congressional Budget Office’s assessment of Republicans’ plan to replace Obamacare is a description of one of the largest, most significant income redistribution programs the US government has ever considered — from the poor to the wealthy rather than the other way around.

Can someone please succinctly summarize the tax cuts involved in this transfer of wealth? I've read a fair bit about this bill, but repealing the tax on medical devices is the only cut I know.
posted by msalt at 3:48 PM on March 13, 2017

msalt: The bill would repeal a 3.8% tax on capital gains, and a 0.9% surcharge on Medicare taxes on people making over $200,000 per year.
posted by Justinian at 3:52 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Wow, I think Vox (which has had really great coverage of the different repeal/replace bill proposals all along) was all set up to attack as soon as those CBO numbers came through:

The perverse reality of the Republican health care bill

here is the one-sentence summary: Under the GOP’s bill, the more help you need, the less you get.

The AHCA would increase the uninsured population by about 24 million people — which is more people than live in New York state. But the raw numbers obscure the cruelty of the choices. The policy is particularly bad for the old, the sick, and the poor. It is particularly good for the rich, the young, and the healthy.

Paul Ryan seems to have read a more optimistic CBO report than the rest of us

Here’s how Fox Business covered the CBO report that 24 million people would lose their insurance

And there are plenty of other angles and news stories such as The House Republican website still promises their health plan won’t kick millions off insurance and The GOP Obamacare replacement defunds Planned Parenthood and restricts abortion coverage.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:53 PM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

If you need a little levity, HuffPo has an early roundup of microwave memes. (warning: autoplay video of Kellyanne rambling and lying as per usual).

This shit would be funny if it wasn't coming from a spokesperson speaking on behalf of the FUCKING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. MICROWAVES?! WTF?!

I just can't laugh at this stuff anymore. I'm convinced that laughing at these incompetent shit-gibbons is what got us in trouble in the first place.

(none of that frustration is aimed at you TwoStride)
posted by photoslob at 3:55 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

That Takei learned an Extremely Important Lesson that publicly mocking a disabled person is Wrong, well, I guess I'd find that endearing if he were thirteen. As is, he is a grown ass man who should've known better and so he wrote a nice little apology who gives a fuck.

As a wheelchair user, I feel pretty right-minded in my decision to dismiss his other public utterances and listen to other folks. YMMV.
posted by angrycat at 3:55 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

From the Vox link shared above:

The biggest tax cuts help the rich: The Republican plan would reduce federal revenues by $883 billion over 10 years. About $210 billion of that comes from eliminating the employer and individual mandates; the former is paid by companies that don’t insure their employees, and the latter is progressive, as it’s levied as a percentage of income.

But the bulk of the tax cuts would come from eliminating specific provisions meant to raise money for the Medicaid expansion and insurance subsidies in Obamacare, rather than to make sure the insurance market functions properly. The biggest of those is the 3.8 percent tax the Affordable Care Act applied to capital gains, dividend, and interest income for families with $250,000 or more in income ($125,000 for singles). The CBO finds that getting rid of this tax costs $157.6 billion over 10 years.

Repealing that tax is a change that, by definition, only helps the rich, or at least the affluent. If you’re part of a married couple and, like the vast majority of Americans, make less than $250,000 a year, or earn more than that but have little investment income, it doesn’t affect you at all. The Tax Policy Center finds that repealing the tax would amount to an average tax cut of $0 for households in the bottom 90 percent — those making $208,500 or below. A handful of people in the 80th to 95th percentiles would see cuts, but the vast majority wouldn’t.

By contrast, members of the top 0.1 percent, who each on average make more than $3.75 million annually, would get an average tax cut of $165,090.

Then there’s the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax, a hike on wage income in excess of $250,000 a year ($200,000 for unmarried people). The Republican bill would repeal this surtax, which the CBO estimates will cost $117.3 billion over 10 years. That would give everyone in the bottom 90 percent an average tax cut of $0, per the Tax Policy Center. The richest of the rich, the top 0.1 percent, would get an average cut of $30,520.

Fuckers.
posted by notyou at 3:56 PM on March 13, 2017 [36 favorites]

I'm sure we're all happy that Seema Verma has been confirmed as CMS Administrator. Happy is, as usual, a relative term.

A relative term. You can say that again. Verma said about the convoluted Indiana Medicaid waiver she created "This structure melds two themes of American society that typically collide in our healthcare system, rugged individualism and the Judeo Christian ethic."

Two great tastes that go together!

The Medicaid expansion of Obamacare is supposed to be dirt simple -- if your income is below 138% of poverty level, you get Medicaid. That's it. But Indiana decided to hold the poor hostage, refusing to accept Medicaid expansion unless they could write their own rules.

The Indiana waiver plan creates a convoluted bureaucratic obstacle course to discourage participation. For example it requires a premium payment to buy private insurance no matter how low your income. For example someone with an income below $589 (note that's annual income, less than $50 a month) must pay a $1 a month premium. And if you miss your premium payment you are kicked out for the next six months.

Think about that. Someone who earns less than $50 a month, has no checking account, maybe is homeless, has to figure out how to pay their premium every month on time to the authorities or lose their medical care.

That's just creating unnecessary hoops to jump through for the entertainment of seeing how high they will jump. But it will make sure they are rugged individualists. Only the strong survive.

The Trump administration nominations -- a welfare program for sociopaths.
posted by JackFlash at 4:11 PM on March 13, 2017 [60 favorites]

Rewire: Nevada Democrats Take Aim at Religious Imposition Against Birth Control Coverage

Insurers and the state's Medicaid program would be required to offer a 12-month supply of birth control at no charge. Nevada law today limits people to a 90-day supply.

A pair of bills heard Monday in committee would scrap a religious imposition provision in state law that allows insurers affiliated with religious organizations to object to providing contraceptive coverage. AB 249 and SB 233 require public and private health insurance to provide a year’s supply of birth control at a time, along with other reproductive care like sterilizations, with no co-pays or deductibles.

Dems hold the majority in both the House and Senate so these two bills have a decent chance at passing.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:26 PM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

I would say it again, JackFlash, but you've done a much better job of it than I can. Please accept my appreciation and thanks for explaining her utter horribleness when I couldn't find the words.
posted by monopas at 4:26 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

From the CBO report:

Effect on Health Insurance Coverage

CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law. Most of that increase would stem from repealing the penalties associated with the individual mandate. Some of those people would choose not to have insurance because they chose to be covered by insurance under current law only to avoid paying the penalties, and some people would forgo insurance in response to higher premiums.

Later, following additional changes to subsidies for insurance purchased in the nongroup market and to the Medicaid program, the increase in the number of uninsured people relative to the number under current law would rise to 21 million in 2020 and then to 24 million in 2026. The reductions in insurance coverage between 2018 and 2026 would stem in large part from changes in Medicaid enrollment—because some states would discontinue their expansion of eligibility, some states that would have expanded eligibility in the future would choose not to do so, and per-enrollee spending in the program would be capped. In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.

So when Republicans all start cheering that the CBO report says that, eventually, premiums may decrease by as much as 10% compared to the ACA, it is important to remember that such premium reductions are going to be possible only because tens of millions of people - many of them currently covered through the Medicaid expansion - simply won't have any coverage anymore, and the spending on those who ARE still covered will be capped.
posted by darkstar at 4:29 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Spicer says quotation marks justify Trump's unverified wiretapping claims

Christ, what a bunch of assholes.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 4:36 PM on March 13, 2017 [10 favorites]

You mean "President" Trump?
posted by valkane at 4:39 PM on March 13, 2017 [28 favorites]

so i guess the wp and nyt can begin using "pedophile rapist" donald trump without fear of a libel suit?
posted by j_curiouser at 4:39 PM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

Joe Walsh is on MSNBC right now, defending Rep. King, saying it's okay to demand that people come here legally and assimilate once they get here. I like Chris Matthews sometimes, but is this honestly a legitimate opinion worthy of respect on television? Why does he book Joe Walsh? He says it's not racism, it's about "values and culture."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:40 PM on March 13, 2017

Wow, I think Vox (which has had really great coverage of the different repeal/replace bill proposals all along) was all set up to attack as soon as those CBO numbers came through:

For all the jokes about Vox's "explainer" model, Ezra Klein is a self-trained healthcare policy wonk, and Dylan Matthews and Sarah Kliff have similar chops. They are very good at cutting through the weeds on this.
posted by holgate at 4:40 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Front page of Breitbart is attacking the "Paul Ryan Plan" for the CBO numbers. This is an interesting development because it is hard to tell if Brietbart is a) working on behalf of Bannon/Trump, b) working against P. Ryan or c) trying to support those who would lose their insurance.

By the way, Ryan has claimed that the CBO report proves his healthcare bill will "stabilize the market."

I don't know about that but I do know that cutting MediCaid is going to mean cuts in health care to children, disabled, and the elderly living in poverty. So when you look at the trade-offs, remember that we are talking about massive tax cuts for the wealthiest vs. health care for kids, the handicapped, and elderly. You would think this would be all the more reason to keep PP around and fully funded so that poor women could get free or subsidized B.C. and therefore there would be fewer poor children needing MediCaid but as we all know the Republicans abhor the idea of anyone having sex except themselves.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:40 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

That Takei learned an Extremely Important Lesson that publicly mocking a disabled person is Wrong

You know who else publicly mocked a disabled person?

[real/*sobs*]
posted by Room 641-A at 4:41 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

c) trying to support those who would lose their insurance.

I think we can safely set this one aside.
posted by downtohisturtles at 4:42 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Spicer says quotation marks justify Trump's unverified wiretapping claims

A fun game you can play: try to imagine how you would have interpreted this headline in your 2014 brain
posted by theodolite at 4:43 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

I was just washing off my sammich plate at the kitchen sink and imagining "it depends on what the meaning of a quotation mark is" in Bill Clinton's voice.
posted by darkstar at 4:49 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Listening to the NPR coverage of the CBO report on the way home made me almost want to drive off the road. Continued talk about savings resulting from lower premiums resulting from competition in the market, yet -no- talk about what kind of shitty-ass coverage you get for those premiums. Sure, I can pay $75/month under my employer's plan ... but I get a $6000 deductible and $15k maximum out of pocket. But if I pay $275/month, that extra $2400/year is far more than made up by lower deductibles and max out-of-pocket. I just don't understand why all the conversation is about premiums, and NOTHING about what you get for those premiums. Argh! </rant>
posted by jferg at 4:53 PM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

Does it still count if he just made the air quote motion with his fingers?

This sounds like the bullshit my little brother used to pull when he'd take his hand off a chess piece and then say he was still touching it in his mind. Or "in his mind."
posted by mosk at 4:53 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

It’s ‘nonsensical’ to cut the Coast Guard to pay for Trump’s border wall, dozens of lawmakers say.

Lawmakers argue in the letter that OMB appears to have discounted that while the Coast Guard is not a part of the Defense Department, it is part of the U.S. military and actively involved in efforts to stop illegal immigration and terrorism. Given Trump’s efforts to strengthen border security, it’s likely that the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants offshore will only increase, meriting a “sizable budget increase” to the Coast Guard, the letter said.

YA THINK?!
Sorry, former Coastie here just pounding my head into my desk at the raging stupidity.

I should also point out, since others upthread have rightfully noted the cuts to FEMA: remember any Federal agencies people weren't pissed at during & after Katrina? I could swear one of them had the initials USCG.

The thing is, my own experience picking up refugees when I was in the service has me thinking the Guard isn't really on board with Trump's "treat every migrant and refugee like shit" stance and that's part of what's behind this. Might be too idealistic of me, but these jerks are going out of their way to be the bad guys, y'know?
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:57 PM on March 13, 2017 [40 favorites]

Spicer says quotation marks justify Trump's unverified wiretapping claims

But another tweet less than half an hour later did not use quotation marks: “How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!”

And did Spicer cite any of these alleged "news outlets"?

“It is interesting how many news outlets reported that this activity was taking place during the 2016 election cycle and now are wondering where the proof is. It is many of the same outlets in this room that talked about the activities that were going on back then.”

posted by kirkaracha at 5:03 PM on March 13, 2017

> He says it's not racism, it's about "values and culture."

Pfffft. It isn't about values and culture. All over America White people have different values and cultures, from the Amish in Pennsylvania, the surfers in Huntington Beach, the Irishmen in Boston, and the Jewish retirees in Miami, we have different languages, different foods, different moral standards, different ways of dressing, and different ways of celebrating. The only thing we have in common is the color of our skin.

When we talk about American values and culture we are talking about an immense range from Tex-Mex to New York Italian. We are already a mishmash. Is Chinatown in San Francisco not really part of America? For that matter what about all those proud Americans who claim Indian blood? Does boasting that you are some fraction Cherokee mean you are less American? I don't believe King for a moment because I doubt he could define American Cultures and Values that would include all Americans yet somehow exclude all of those "other people" he is so worried about.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:03 PM on March 13, 2017 [21 favorites]

Buzzfeed: Half Of All US Attorneys Were Asked To Resign Last Week. What About The Rest?: But if Trump was looking to purge US attorney offices of high-level officials with ties to the Obama administration, the presence of at least a few of the specially appointed US attorneys still in office complicates the picture. It’s a group that includes two officials who were President Obama’s nominees to lead their respective offices — they weren’t confirmed — and more than 20 who were promoted to be in charge by former US attorney general Loretta Lynch.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:04 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

By the way, Ryan has claimed that the CBO report proves his healthcare bill will "stabilize the market."

Good for the fucking market, you self-important ghoul.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:05 PM on March 13, 2017 [17 favorites]

The problem is that a lot of data suggests that countries with more robust welfare states tend to have stronger far-right movements

I get what they mean here, but then again, how strong could the movements be if they still have robust welfare programs.
posted by dis_integration at 5:07 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

Funeral home futures are gonna go way up, though!
posted by emjaybee at 5:07 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Maybe I don't wanna give the Democratic party to Shaun King after all...

The problem is that a lot of data suggests that countries with more robust welfare states tend to have stronger far-right movements. Providing white voters with higher levels of economic security does not tamp down their anxieties about race and immigration

This doesn't totally surprise me, it really seems like the more basic needs are met and the fewer problems people have in general, the more delusional bullshit the right wing invents as problems to rally around.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Maslow's Hierarchy of Bigotry
posted by birdheist at 5:13 PM on March 13, 2017 [37 favorites]

Pfffft. It isn't about values and culture. All over America White people have different values and cultures, from the Amish in Pennsylvania, the surfers in Huntington Beach, the Irishmen in Boston, and the Jewish retirees in Miami, we have different languages, different foods, different moral standards, different ways of dressing, and different ways of celebrating. The only thing we have in common is the color of our skin.

Don't get me wrong: Steve King is a straight-up white supremacist. But I think it is partly about values and culture and that King would not be real keen on most of the people you listed, either. King's kind of Americans are white, they are Christian, and they are not from the coasts. They are not surfers in Huntington Beach. They are definitely not Jewish retirees in Miami.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:26 PM on March 13, 2017

The more I think about Steve King's recent comments, the more it just breaks my brain that an elected official would overtly make them.

I mean, if you really think the U.S. needs to be more ethnically homogeneous, and that homogeneity should look like you, what are you really saying about, for example, Native Americans? I mean, endorsing racial purging/cleansing really is just the other side of the coin, here.

It's almost* inconceivable that elected congressmen would still be able to talk openly like this, even if they believed it. Sure, Strom Thurmond was an outspoken racist, but eventually Trent Lott lost his job because he said he agreed with him.

It really casts those that voted for him in a terrible light, if he feels comfortable that he will continue to get away with it without suffering electoral consequences.

* Recent observations on Presidential politics suggest no level of scandal in political comments is truly inconceivable.
posted by darkstar at 5:30 PM on March 13, 2017 [10 favorites]

All over America White people have different values and cultures

I dare Steve King to tell me it's wrong to put fries on a salad! I will never assimilate into his fry-on-salad-less culture!

Here in the land of early European immigration we have Catholic churches across the street from other Catholic churches because the Poles couldn't deal with attending mass with the Hungarians. I don't think they felt they were part of the same culture, and given the continued existence of ethnic fraternal groups here, still don't. (My husband had been trying to get an in into the Spigno Saturnia Society down the street forever, but you don't just have to be Italian, you have to be from the actual town of Spigno Saturnia in Naples.) Tl;dr these corn fed midwestern crackers need to get off my rust belt lawn.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:31 PM on March 13, 2017 [17 favorites]

Well that's my point, he doesn't get to define "American" because when it comes right down to strict black and white lines, we don't have them. Are Mormons part of his America? Are Catholics? Are people whose ancestors were dragged here from Africa? He might try to define his tiny little sliver in Iowa, but by fuck he does not get to tell the rest of us whether or not we pass.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:31 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

Maybe I don't wanna give the Democratic party to Shaun King after all...

The problem is that a lot of data suggests that countries with more robust welfare states tend to have stronger far-right movements. Providing white voters with higher levels of economic security does not tamp down their anxieties about race and immigration

Well, it's a relief that Republicans are saving us from creeping National Socialism by repealing what little we have in the way of a social safety net.
posted by indubitable at 5:40 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

But I think it is partly about values and culture and that King would not be real keen on most of the people you listed, either. King's kind of Americans are white, they are Christian, and they are not from the coasts.

I would wager that some of King's constituents are non-white people, who aren't Christian, and are originally from a coast. Being a representative means you represent everyone in your district.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:44 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

It's funny how things fall into a sort of "just so" place of Irony.
Like the "Fail" thread Metafilter did a while back. With the fail blog, well,failing.

And now here we are on the precipice of truly falling into craptacular bullshit and oh, I know Smedleyman.

And what he might have said with Irony, I say with convition: Do you know, Sirrah what kicks the asses? For 'Tis the Bush administration. What a piece of work is Dub. How noble in reason. How infinite in faculty. In form, in moving how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel. In apprehension how like a god!

He was a man, take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again.

In the final analysis Trump's last best appeal will be to almighty god. And it will be answered in the usual manner.
posted by Smedleyman at 5:46 PM on March 13, 2017

I mean, if you really think the U.S. needs to be more ethnically homogeneous, and that homogeneity should look like you, what are you really saying about, for example, Native Americans? I mean, endorsing racial purging/cleansing really is just the other side of the coin, here.

Right. I'm not being hyperbolic when I call Steve King a Nazi. That's the logic. He thinks that only (the right kind of) white people belong in America. There are already a lot of the wrong kind of people here, and they have nowhere else to go. If you follow that logic to its natural conclusion, you end up in some pretty horrific places.

I would wager that some of King's constituents are non-white people, who aren't Christian, and are originally from a coast. Being a representative means you represent everyone in your district.

I don't live in King's district, but I am close enough that I promise you that you don't need to convince me of that.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:46 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

White House.gov:
Obamacare: Share Your Story

Obamacare has led to higher costs and fewer health insurance options for millions of Americans.

How has it impacted you? Share your story with the President.

By submitting, you agree to receive White Hosue emails about this and other issues.

Not my misspelling or typo.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:48 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

I'm sure that defunding the coastguard is actually quite intentional. None of Trump's policies are about making America safer, greater, etc. It's about deteriorating things to such a degree that they can leverage disinformation and seize power. They'll gut the coastguard, let drugs pour in, and then claim that the real problem was Obama's muslim cartel deals that enabled the creation of magic 60's cartoon villain tunnels honeycombing our border and now we need to murder Mexican civilians/impose mandatory curfew in our border regions/invade Mexico. Every disaster, every collapse they foster will be foisted upon scapegoats. It's an advance on the total usurpation of law. Every mistake they make will become a reason they were right. All the outlets will parrot the party line. Look how easily NPR rolled over.
posted by constantinescharity at 5:51 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

Not my misspelling or typo.

Also it doesn't seem to care that I can submit as many times as I want with a zip code of "fuck you"
posted by theodolite at 5:53 PM on March 13, 2017 [26 favorites]

He might try to define his tiny little sliver in Iowa, but by fuck he does not get to tell the rest of us whether or not we pass.

He can't define his district either. We're getting more multicultural all the time here. He's got a big rural voting block that can't stand that, but he doesn't speak for all of us, doesn't even care to know the real picture of his district.

It doesn't help that what passes for a big newspaper here can't even be bothered to put a local voice on reporting about it and goes with a wire story. He's skated by on the straight ticket rural Republican voters and apathetic Dems with uninspiring candidates his whole career and it kills me that even a loud resistance is like shouting into the void because too many people just don't give a shit, and probably don't even know this happened. Heads in the sand.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:56 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

Yeah I keep thinking about this viscious runaway train:

Defund CDC: Zika virus goes unchecked
Defund PP: Poor women have no access to birth control
Defund MediCaid: Poor newborns have no access to health care.

What a goddamn indictment of our "First World Country" and our "American Culture and Values" that Billionaires keeping their pocket change is more important than preventing babies from major, catastrophically bad healthcare outcomes.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:57 PM on March 13, 2017 [37 favorites]

chris24: “When fucking Iowa isn't "homogenous" enough for you, you may be a Nazi.”

The cleaning lady told me today that here in the 95+% white county we're in in the hills of Georgia, where the black population has gone up by half a percent — so like 150 people in the whole county — in the last five years, that she's seen a lot more black people around; and did I know that she read they broke into a house; and aren't there a lot more abandoned cars on the main road; and she thinks black people use those cars for drugs. Before that we had been talking about the kid being so grown up and getting ready to start school.

Here I was thinking about putting up one of those "Welcome, Neighbors" signs or maybe something bigger modeled on Yassin's Falafel House's "All Are Welcome" sign. Then I read about the goings on a couple of counties over. It's enough to make me despair, y'all.

P.S. “Nazi adapts Rep. Steve King's words as new rallying cry. "15 words" references "the 14 words," slogan via Mein Kampf. [Screencap of Richard Spencer's tweet doing that]”— Jeff Sharlet (@JeffSharlet) March 13, 2017
posted by ob1quixote at 6:00 PM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

will we be filling the pool with sharks, or with piranhas?

sharks that when they open their mouths piranha shoot out!
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 6:16 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Jesus he's even got the IA Republican party chair saying:

“First of all, I do not agree with Congressman King’s statement. We are a nation of immigrants, and diversity is the strength of any nation and any community,” Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said. “Regarding David Duke, his words and sentiments are absolute garbage. He is not welcome in our wonderful state.”

Which means nothing if they lend him any support. So, you know, empty words because of course they'll still support him. But I'm actually surprised to see it even said because that's where my expectations are now.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:17 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

President Trump's Lawyers Plan a White House Legal Attack on Federal Agency Power

White House counsel Don McGahn has assembled a team of elite lawyers with the stated goal of leading Trump Administration efforts to roll back regulatory powers across the U.S. government.

The plan of attack, run from the second floor of the West Wing, is designed to take apart what Trump advisor Stephen Bannon has called "the Administrative State," the collection of federal agencies that exists to carry out laws passed by Congress and authorities granted to the President. Trump aides argue that these bureaucracies have become an independent federal power sources that sometimes works against the intent of the U.S. Congress and U.S. Constitution.

It gets worse. Fucking blerg.
posted by futz at 6:21 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Thank you for that article about Dahlonega, ob1.

I often think about moving back to Georgia to be close to family (but not too close) when I retire in 10-12 years. Dahlonega has always held a special place in my heart since childhood, and fits the right niche in terms of small-town-close-to-big-city I'm looking for.

The political climate in Georgia looms large in such considerations, and gives me pause whenever I think about retiring there. So it is fantastic to read that there is a critical mass of good folk that live and have political power in Dahlonega that are fighting racism.
posted by darkstar at 6:21 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Yeah, as long as King still has committee assignments/etc it means the GOP isn't willing to actually do anything about him. Kick him out of the party if you don't want to support white supremacists (of course, they don't actually care about that, which is why they'll tweet a few statements and move on).
posted by thefoxgod at 6:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

President Trump's Lawyers Plan a White House Legal Attack on Federal Agency Power

Did the scheduled announcement never happen? I don't see any news stories about an announcement, just the exclusive TIME interview that futz linked to.
posted by msalt at 6:29 PM on March 13, 2017

OMG I am cackling

Former NC gov. says 'bathroom law' has made it hard for him to find job

He blamed liberal advocates who opposed the law, which requires that transgender people use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex as identified on their birth certificate, for damaging his reputation.

This fucking guy.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:33 PM on March 13, 2017 [62 favorites]

Good.
posted by indubitable at 6:38 PM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

obviously not going to link here, but the Daily Stormer headline is "Hero Steve King Calls For White Racial Supremacy" so i think we can safely say that his message is being heard loud and clear regardless of any republican attempts to sanitize it
posted by murphy slaw at 6:38 PM on March 13, 2017 [15 favorites]

That article about the KKK banner displayed in Dahlonega is well worth reading, in case you didn't notice it deep in ob1's comment. I find that kind of closeup on an incident and its aftermath much more enlightening because you learn about all of the individuals involved. It reminds me of William Sheridan Allen's book The Nazi Seizure of Power: The Experience of a Single German Town, 1922-1945.

Rollin' coal in muh pickup. The cult of the incandescent light bulb. The celebration of coal miners (and to a lesser degree nuclear power), the sneer at solar and turbines and Priuses. Energy consumption is a proxy for identity politics.

Exactly. The WaPo article on Dahlonega underlines the pickup connection:

He said he had noticed more pickup trucks roaring around during the presidential campaign, Confederate battle flags flying — “Guys I know,” he said, “saying ‘the South will rise again’ and all that stuff"
...
A black pickup truck parked across the street, and a muscular man got out, and a reporter from the local paper who’d just arrived told the women it was Chester Doles, a former leader in the Klan and a white-separatist group called the National Alliance who had gone to prison on federal weapons charges.

posted by msalt at 6:39 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

whose fault is it that people dislike me based on a bigoted law I passed?

oh right liberals

aren't they the worst
posted by en forme de poire at 6:40 PM on March 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

American Oversight will primarily use litigation and open records laws to “uncover and publicize information about malfeasance and corruption by administration officials,”

This is good news, and I fully support them and THIS IS WHAT THE PRESS IS SUPPOSED TO DO.
posted by petebest at 6:43 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

The party of personal responsibility and bravery at its finest.

"Waaaah I stood up for something [shitty] that I believed in and now people are being mean to meeeee!!!"

Call a goddamn whambulance and have the courage of your terrible convictions, assmunch.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:44 PM on March 13, 2017 [18 favorites]

White House.gov:
Obamacare: Share Your Story

I love writing essays telling the WH how much I value compassionate legislation like the ACA. It's cathartic.
posted by OHenryPacey at 6:45 PM on March 13, 2017 [11 favorites]

"Waaaah I stood up for something [shitty] that I believed in and now people are being mean to meeeee!!!"

"And when I say mean I just want to clarify that my complaint as a Republican is that non-governmental participants in a free labour market are choosing not to give me in particular money because of my track record in a previous position."

#injustice #whoaretheREALoppressors
posted by jaduncan at 6:48 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

boy, a new thread would be awesome right about now
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:51 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

People will have access to health insurance in the same way that I have access to dating Scarlett Johansson.

Dude, you were dating Scarlett Johansson? NO WAY!

Can you get me her autograph?

Because, you know, those 14M people used to have health insurance, and I don't think you used to, you know, go out with her. *sigh*
posted by wenestvedt at 6:53 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wow I enjoyed telling them how much difference ACA would have made to my parents and how much better my own healthcare has gotten since then. I enjoyed it a LOT.
posted by emjaybee at 6:56 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

This election has served to be a peak civics lesson for me. When people come out of the woodwork in positions of leadership and demonstrate the obdurate lack of compassion of Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and the dipstick who wants white women to start having babies again; I realize why I don't get out much. These kind of people want to be taken seriously on a social level, and I never want to run on to them. The creeptoid who recently opined that men should not have to pay for prenatal care, for another, badly educated spoiled louts, the lot of them. I, meanwhile, do not want to pay for their erections. They, after all, might breed. They wish to be our oppressors. When they talk of western civilization do they include tidbits like the 30 years war, the 100 years war? Do they want serf soldiers lined up in fields gunning each other down? Do they want first night privileges too? I don't need to preach a civilization lesson to this choir, but we failed in educating these dolts.
posted by Oyéah at 6:58 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Oh wait, I forgot the other guy, "Poor people don't care about their health." Also, this other guy, "Poor people, it is either health care or your I phones."
posted by Oyéah at 7:00 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Interesting piece by flippable on lessons learned in the special elections so far.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:00 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

I can make a new thread.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:04 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

uh, wow. Someone leaked the White House's own AHCA numbers to Politico. They're even worse. 26 million people losing coverage over the next 10 years, two million more people. That's a total of 54 million uninsured in 2026.
posted by zachlipton at 7:07 PM on March 13, 2017 [41 favorites]

Politico with a heck of a scoop:

The White House's own internal analysis of the GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare show even steeper coverage losses than the projections by the Congressional Budget Office, according to a document viewed by POLITICO on Monday.

The executive branch analysis forecast that 26 million people would lose coverage over the next decade, versus the 24 million CBO estimate — a finding that undermines White House efforts to discredit the forecasts from the nonpartisan CBO.

posted by fedward at 7:07 PM on March 13, 2017 [29 favorites]

The Joe Ossoff campaign is taking my inbox back to the heady days of October 2016. JUST NEED THREE MORE FROM [YOUR ZIPCOODE WHICH IS TOTALLY NOT EVEN IN GEORGIA]!!!"
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:07 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

The WH has internal analysts? I guess not for long, now.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:09 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

So I think what Politico is saying is that when Price and Mulvaney got up there and said the CBO numbers were wrong, they were sort of telling the truth: they actually think even more people will lose coverage.
posted by zachlipton at 7:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Based on the CBO's analysis, seniors are totally screwed, too: 64-year-olds could pay more than half of their annual income for TrumpCare.

Edit: OMG the Politico scoop is awesome!
posted by darkstar at 7:13 PM on March 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

IRS strips tax-exempt status from Richard Spencer's white nationalist nonprofit
posted by futz at 7:14 PM on March 13, 2017 [46 favorites]

Who knew the IRS could join in on the Nazi-punching fun? I mean, while there still is an IRS...
posted by zachlipton at 7:15 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

Wait, I think that might be old news.
posted by futz at 7:15 PM on March 13, 2017

New post for you.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:16 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

There will always be an IRS. Someone has to pay for all the bombs, guns, and Mar-a-Lago golf trips, and it won't be Trump.
posted by honestcoyote at 7:18 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

By submitting, you agree to receive White Hosue emails about this and other issues.

Have other presidents used government servers to compile campaign email lists?
posted by JackFlash at 7:19 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

The WH has internal analysts? I guess not for long, now.

Honestly that was my first response too.
posted by fedward at 7:23 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Friendly reminder, we don't do "edited to add" here. Please don't use the edit function to add or change content, it creates confusion -- just make a second comment with your desired text and flag the previous one for deletion.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:33 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Do they want first night privileges too?

FWIW, unlike the 100 Years' War and serfdom and suchlike inglorious aspects of "Western civilization", the ius primae noctis seems to have been one of those things that everyone believes was practiced by depraved aristocrats but which was never remotely a common practice, and which was more common as a thing to accuse power-mad monarchs of than something they actually did. (It's even called out in the damn Epic of Gilgamesh, making it quite possibly the oldest anti-monarchical slander in history.)

That said, it would not surprise me to see the current administration try to "revive" the practice, since they seem to base their leadership plan more or less entirely on the most horrible things power-mad leaders have ever been accused of.
posted by jackbishop at 7:53 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Steve King is a straight-up white supremacist. But I think it is partly about values and culture...

Maybe partly, but I think not much. Steve King says, "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies." So either he thinks something other than culture, something to do with who your parents are, is the most salient aspect of "our civilization," or he thinks for some reason that "somebody else's babies" are intrinsically incapable of receiving our culture or participating in our civilization. Either way, and I think it's both, that's unambiguously racist motivation.
posted by dirge at 7:55 PM on March 13, 2017 [8 favorites]

I'm not denying that Steve King is racist. He's really fucking racist. I'm objecting to a comment that seemed to suggest that Jews in Miami were part of Steve King's vision of a white America. As a Jew who is wrestling with my decision to move to and stay in Iowa, I'm really 100% clear that they're not, and I'm not, and that's something I'm going to have to deal with.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:10 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Pretty sure Baby Culture is not compatible with our Judeo-Christian American Heritage

What with the breast feeding, the pants pooping, and the patty cake

We need to put the babies in camps is what I'm saying
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 8:13 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Quite the modest proposal, Ray.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:43 PM on March 13, 2017

I think we're actually all in agreement, ArbitraryAndCapricious. I think the point that Secret Life of Gravy at 8:03 PM is trying to make, is that Steve King's apparent conception of "values and culture" is far too narrow and exclusionary to be about anything other than white ethno-nationalism. I think the intent was to invoke various white subgroups who are invisible in King's vision of America, in order to demonstrate how incoherent that vision is. I'll admit, however, that I've read it several times now, and the meaning is still not entirely clear.
posted by dirge at 8:47 PM on March 13, 2017

I've lost the actual tweet, but as someone on Twitter put it: "I love how Steve King and company keep talking about 'western civilization' like they're all sitting around reading Chaucer."
posted by Chrysostom at 8:50 PM on March 13, 2017 [16 favorites]

It's worse than that. They're trying to take credit for Chaucer. You see, the source of their authority to tell everybody else what to do is their inheritance and ownership of western culture. You know, as white people. The right sort of white people of course, unlike those coastal elites who reject judeo-christian values.

Chaucer is Steve King's gift to you.
posted by dirge at 9:05 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Yes, the idea that something like "culture" resides in your skin cells is about as stupid as...well...Steve King.
posted by uosuaq at 9:12 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

Western civilization, much of which would have been lost were it not for the Islamic scholars which preserved texts that would otherwise have been destroyed in Alexandria. And algebra. And possibly the number zero, although India has a strong claim there too.

Without Islam, there would be no western culture, is my premise here. I put it to you that European fascination with "Orientalism", runs parallel to the Enlightenment.

I further put it to you that this abomination of President, and the lackeys who support Bannon's puppeteer act, have attacked Muslims and Islam because they desire a return to the actual Dark Ages. They reject the entire Age of Reason. They don't want the 1950s y'all, they want the 1450s.

I truly believe they would be indifferent to the deaths of most of humanity. They do not care if millions get sick and die. They do not care if tap water is unsafe in huge parts of the country. They do not care that our infrastructure is pathetically behind most developed countries. They do not care. They are accelerationists. Bannon is a jar of gas, trump is a rag, and republicans are slavering over which of them gets to be the match.

We will be lucky to get out of this alive, but assuming we do, it's going to be a miracle if we can repair all the damage they've already done. I'm filled with terror when I think about how bad it is going to get if something doesn't stop this train.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 9:30 PM on March 13, 2017 [20 favorites]

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski starts a protection racket to protect businesses from attacks by Trump. Maybe those Godfather jokes weren't so far off base?
posted by scalefree at 10:11 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

THIS WAY TO THE NEW THREAD -->
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 10:44 PM on March 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Not off base at all. These people totally think of themselves as badass mafiosi. That "says who?" clip was every faux-tough wannabe gangster I knew growing up in NJ, right down to the chin-toss.

The shitgibbon almost certainly has -- or at least had -- ties with the NYC mafia. Given that his concept of New York never progressed past the 80s, I have no doubt he idealizes mafia tactics and specifically seeks out people who embrace that attitude and utilize those tactics.
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 10:49 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

The shitgibbon almost certainly has -- or at least had -- ties with the NYC mafia.

Trump rings in 2017 with Gotti associate Joseph "Joey No Socks" Cinque.
posted by scalefree at 11:41 PM on March 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

The problem is that a lot of data suggests that countries with more robust welfare states tend to have stronger far-right movements

I get what they mean here, but then again, how strong could the movements be if they still have robust welfare programs.

In my European country we sadly have a fairly strong far right movement but far-right here does not mean what it means in the US. Wilders' party wants to get rid of deductibles we have in health insurance (we have a healthcare system with mandatory health insurance with a 385 euro deductible). They are also in favor of lower rents, more money for care for elderly people, etc. What makes them far right is that they also want to "close all mosques and islamic schools and forbid the Quran".
posted by blub at 1:19 AM on March 14, 2017 [6 favorites]

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski starts a protection racket to protect businesses from attacks by Trump.

Nut graf: "Avenue Strategies’ clients often insist on nondisclosure agreements, but Mr. Bennett says most are “Fortune 100 companies.” Two that he can name are both from Ohio: Scott’s Miracle Gro and Community Choice Financial, a payday lender." Leanin' hard on Scott's Miracle Gro.

They do not care if millions get sick and die. They do not care if tap water is unsafe in huge parts of the country. They do not care that our infrastructure is pathetically behind most developed countries. They do not care.

It's a hostile takeover, the ultimate goal of which is to liquidate the property (the United States of America) and pillage whatever remains. Right now they're all like ...
posted by octobersurprise at 6:37 AM on March 14, 2017 [3 favorites]

• Marco Rubio says Snoop Dogg shouldn't have shot a toy gun at a clown dressed as President Donald Trump in a music video released over the weekend.
• Ms. Conway said she had never meant to imply that Mr. Obama had used a microwave to spy on Mr. Trump.

Just another normal day ...
posted by Kabanos at 11:09 AM on March 14, 2017 [2 favorites]

Can someone else at an HHS related office tell me if Tom Price actually sent an email about having worked hard at 7 days of media interviews (plus putting music in the "carpeted stairwell")? Or have my divorce proceedings with reality finally run to completion?

I can confirm this. Not sure if I'm allowed to post the contents of the e-mail but it is basically entirely him going on about his totes fantastic interviews with conservative media lackeys, and "enhancing the work environment and encourag[ing] healthy living" through muzak, with a cheery "Enjoy!" at the end.

That... was one of the more gobsmacking emails I've gotten at work, yes.
posted by gaspode at 1:40 PM on March 14, 2017 [3 favorites]

"I MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE VOTED" IS WRONG AND DUMB!

What's that quote? "One of the top ten tricks the devil ever pulled is convincing people they only had two choices in an election: vote for him, or don't vote."
posted by turbid dahlia at 9:00 PM on March 14, 2017 [3 favorites]

Can someone else at an HHS related office tell me if Tom Price actually sent an email about having worked hard at 7 days of media interviews (plus putting music in the "carpeted stairwell")? Or have my divorce proceedings with reality finally run to completion?

I can confirm this. Not sure if I'm allowed to post the contents of the e-mail but it is basically entirely him going on about his totes fantastic interviews with conservative media lackeys, and "enhancing the work environment and encourag[ing] healthy living" through muzak, with a cheery "Enjoy!" at the end.

gaspode, zombieflanders, & Slackermagee is there a news story/link where I can read more about this?
posted by futz at 10:57 PM on March 14, 2017

Just another normal day ...

I sometimes think about going back in time ten years and trying to explain to everyone what is coming, and I understand Cassandra better
posted by nubs at 11:04 AM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]

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Did you see the politics? It made me angry. March 8, 2017 12:48 AM Subscribe

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Did you see the politics? It made me angry.
March 8, 2017 12:48 AM Subscribe