MetaFilter

The House Dems aren't going to let that happen: they want the White House on record invoking privilege, with the alternative being a contempt citation. (But that can't compel Whitaker to answer questions.)

Contempt isn't the only reason, they also want a formal invocation of executive privilege so they can sue, and have the courts rule on whether the Trump administration has a valid privilege claim.
posted to MetaFilter by T.D. Strange at 8:35 AM on February 8, 2019

Whitaker is performing for an audience of one and a White House job once Barr's confirmed.

I wouldn't be surprised if Nadler held the committee in recess until 12.15, when I-1 is scheduled to leave for his "physical".

So what happens if privilege is asserted, besides Whitaker doesn't have to answer?

Whitaker can assert executive privilege all he wants, but it doesn't have to be taken seriously... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by holgate at 8:25 AM on February 8, 2019

Cool, more "Surely Republicans will turn on Trump if he just does any of the bad things he's already doing" fanfic.

Whether this happens depends on future events, the most ominous of which would be the discovery of clear criminality by the president or those closest to him (including family members).

Like his campaign chairman or national security adviser?

A third might be Mr.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:58 AM on February 8, 2019

In the dying days of the U.S.S.R., Palmer had watched as his old adversaries in Soviet intelligence shoveled billions from the state treasury into private accounts across Europe and the U.S.

This makes me wonder to what degree that massive infusion of money into the US and Europe helped power the boom of the '90s—the venture capital, the market boom, the real estate bubble, etc. Has anyone done any work on that?
posted to MetaFilter by octobersurprise at 8:49 AM on February 7, 2019

"America will never be a socialist country"

well, not with that attitude.
posted to MetaFilter by The Whelk at 7:42 PM on February 5, 2019

UnLike 99.99% of America, I'm not watching the Super Bowel because football. But this tweet, relevant to the current state of our politics, and apparently the current state of the Super Bowl made me laugh out loud.

@TheDweck
These teams are playing like they know whoever wins goes to the White House
9:03 PM - 3 Feb 2019
posted to MetaFilter by bluesky43 at 6:10 PM on February 3, 2019

Trump rips into Fox News over shutdown, border wall coverage

I think everyone should send supportive tweets to Trump, telling him not to take what weak-ass traitor crap from Fox News. Give 'em hell, Donny!

Also, everyone should send emails to Fox News, thanking then for telling the hard truths on the shut down and urging them not to be intimidated by Trump, we love it and that's why we watch you all day long!
posted to MetaFilter by msalt at 11:34 PM on January 27, 2019

(From the Elections Matter dept) USAToday: Senate panel subpoenas Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer
posted to MetaFilter by Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks at 9:33 AM on January 24, 2019

If there is a connection (I leave it to actual scientists to judge the quality of this research), I would use this as more ammunition to stop the inexplicable, illogical and incredibly stupid segregation of dentistry from other medical specialties. It needs to become part of regular medical care, no different from cardiac care or urology. People don't get proper dental care because it's either not covered, covered inadequately, and in general treated as a luxury option instead of standard... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by emjaybee at 7:44 AM on January 24, 2019

oh my good christ can we try to step back from the "who had it better, who is secretly at fault, here is some anecdata" generational stuff

It always, *always* leads to the same pointless circuitous back and forth

i mean, i realize that the fpp starts with the phrase "the young left" but i wish it didn't because generational divides are meaningless tripe. people are just people, no cohort is special or anointed, and a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam at 7:08 AM on January 23, 2019

No matter our age/generation, we can all agree that it's time to eat the rich.

(but I suspect you're going to need lots of dipping sauces because they are tough and gamey).

Seriously, though, it's unfair to expect Kids Today to rescue all the rest of us, so I'm assuming my job as Auntie Gen X is to support them, encourage them, translate between them and sympathetic Boomers when needed, and and otherwise (wo)man the barricades along with them.
posted to MetaFilter by emjaybee at 7:19 AM on January 23, 2019

As it dawns on Trump that this really is serious, and as he watches his supporters turn, and all of his future possibilities are only different flavors of abject failure, the narcissistic injury will render him incapable of restraint. He is going to hurt everybody he possibly can, relentlessly.

He will be especially vicious toward every powerful Republican, elected or not, who's secrets he knows or suspects. Unable to stop himself even if he wanted, his tweetstorm will... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by yesster at 12:59 AM on January 18, 2019

Before this is over, Republicans will be defending collusion as fact, and necessary to defeat Clinton, who of course would've been worse. Their base is there already, and where the base goes, all the rest will follow.

This is your occasional reminder that 20 short years ago, nearly all Americans agreed that torture was a moral monstrosity that only America's most scurrilous enemies did, until George W. Bush's administration's incompetence and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Gelatin at 6:58 AM on January 17, 2019

Unless we eventually learn that there were factions within factions within the IC who saw in him the opportunity to push through agendas and actions long awaited, particularly on race, domestically, and globally.
posted to MetaFilter by infini at 8:15 AM on January 13, 2019

Link (reddit thread)

This is the publicly available information, put together with citations by A Person On The Internet. I think we should expect more from the Mueller investigation. It's interesting that a lot of this is sourced from NYT or wire agencies, but we won't see anything like this from any of the corporate news outlets. That's on purpose. Apologies for the length, it's just a lot of criming to get through just to put some context around it that extends... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by petebest at 1:19 PM on January 12, 2019

I thought we'd moved on to waffles... and leggo my leg. Oh.

There was an IHOP (with the high roof) close to my home growing up, but we didn't go there often. And when we did I preferred the blueberry and/or boysenberry syrup (they rarely had both at the same time, probably because they looked totally alike and tasted rather similar) to the kindamaplish... yeah, definitely Pancake Blue.

Just glad to see CRASH didn't totally wendell.
posted to MetaTalk by oneswellfoop at 4:44 PM on December 15, 2018

This is probably impossible, but could the individual states "hire" the furloughed federal workers, or those forced to work without pay, on contract, or offer interest-free loans to them until or if the federal government finally reopens again?

The only leverage that the president has is that people will suffer until he gets what he wants. If the suffering can be eliminated, there will be no incentive to cave in.
posted to MetaFilter by tallmiddleagedgeek at 6:34 AM on January 11, 2019

...something so seemingly black and white, from a moral, ethical standpoint, took ages to become apparent to her. Why is that?

from a moral/ethical standpoint all these OLC lawyers pursued careers in the office of legal counsel of the department of justice of the united states of america. i imagine the moral calculus is different than that to which, say, i -- who learned he could not work in the defense/intelligence realm because of the crazy jingoism... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by 20 year lurk at 9:27 PM on January 10, 2019

As an example: And I didn’t realize there was an anti-@KamalaHarris birther brigade, since her parents (from Jamaica and India) were both in Berkeley as international students. Harris was born in Oakland, California, USA, making her an American citizen by birth.

While I am sure there are KH birthers, this smells like Russian trolls amplifying existing signal again.
posted to MetaFilter by benzenedream at 9:18 PM on January 10, 2019

I mean, let the heavens fall. I want to know about all of it. I want to know about the Pauls, I want to know about Lindsey Graham’s abrupt change of heart, I want to know about Tom Cotton’s NRA connection — oh fuck, the NRA, then too! — I want to know about Jill Stein’s fun little junkets to Moscow where she was photographed with I think at least one current indictee? Am I remembering that right? And I want to know what Tad Devine from the Sanders campaign told Mueller about both 2016 and his... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by schadenfrau at 4:42 PM on January 10, 2019

Wouldn't this be a good time for Kentucky Democrats to place the responsibility for all of this on his shoulders?

If you think Kentucky Democrats are capable of getting any message out about anything...you're wrong. Either someone outside the traditional loser state party like Amy McGrath or radio person Matt Jones will be the nominee...or Mitch will win reelection running against the same losing, aimless, messageless campaign the same group of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by T.D. Strange at 7:32 AM on January 11, 2019

Robert Costa has a pretty good bead on Republican congressional sentiment.

The flipside to the GOP advantage in the Senate is that many of those large low-population states between the Mississippi and the coast have a large federal overlay. (Even if it's often begrudging.) Whether it's USDA or NPS or BLM or Indian Affairs or any other shuttered agency, you may see some movement from unexpected places.
posted to MetaFilter by holgate at 8:17 AM on January 9, 2019

Ronald Brownstein (Atlantic)
In 09, Dems from rural seats were > 1/3 of their House caucus. Now it's <1/6. In 09, 47 Dems held seats that voted for McCain & Bush 04. Now, just 14 hold seats that backed Trump & Romney. The 09 majority relied on seats trending away from Ds; this one on seats moving toward them
Atlantic: Why the New Democratic Majority Could Work Better Than the Last

Dave Weigel (WaPo)
Retweeted Ronald... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by chris24 at 8:52 AM on January 3, 2019

The official motto of the GOP seems to be "Look what you made me do."
posted to MetaFilter by Tabitha Someday at 10:41 AM on January 2, 2019

The GOP takes hostages it wants to shoot.

This is a really great summary of GOP politics, and I would amend it to "it will shoot and then successfully blame the Democrats for doing so".
posted to MetaFilter by Ouverture at 10:38 AM on January 2, 2019

I see Elizabeth Warren as less of a progressive and more someone who wants to save capitalism from its excesses. She was a devout Republican until she was 45 years old -- right through Ronald Reagan and half the Clinton era -- so I'm not so sure I can trust her instincts. I don't think Democrats need another Obama economic centrist in the White House at this time. Let her do her good deeds in the Senate. But she can certainly bring her voice to the debates as a candidate.
posted to MetaFilter by JackFlash at 8:15 PM on January 1, 2019

All the while making his point that millennials don't have it as hard as the boomers. I'm pretty comfortable saying fuck Biden at this point TBH.

Well, let's hope he continues to shoot himself in the foot. I'm not wild about any of the names being mooted right now, but I'm a lot closer to wild about someone who is not a retirement-age white centrist man. For any one of those descriptors, there's at least one candidate I like better.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Frowner at 2:59 PM on December 26, 2018

Biden stuck with the “entitled millennial” characterization while speaking on Wednesday, calling on young people to get involved in politics rather than complain.

Well, that's the end of that possible presidential run.
posted to MetaFilter by ErisLordFreedom at 2:43 PM on December 26, 2018

I was never a capital r Runner but it was something I (sort of) enjoyed doing, in the sense that it took very little effort to just open the door, go outside, and do it, especially at the weird hours I've always kept. Like a meditation for people who absolutely cannot sit still. Enjoying the quiet of the city at ridiculous hours when everywhere normally busy becomes a liminal space while the exertion pushes you outside your body.

Losing that, and so much else, to spinal... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by poffin boffin at 10:00 AM on December 26, 2018

The main thing limiting my concern about nuclear snow this Christmas is that the codes are generated daily, mixed with fake ones, and "the president must memorize where on the list the correct code is located."
posted to MetaFilter by lucidium at 9:18 AM on December 24, 2018

...in the future any AUMF, even narrower ones, should have sunset clauses which require Congress to affirmatively reauthorize the Act rather than passively accept it.

How about no bullshit AUMF's and we only do declarations of war against countries? And if a non-state actor does something like the 9/11 attacks we treat it like a crime like we should've done in first place.

It should be hard for us to commit to using military... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by kirkaracha at 6:16 PM on December 22, 2018

[Joke]
Trump wanted to repaint the White House, and received three quotes:

Chinese contractor: 3 million
German Contractor: 7 million
Russian Contractor: 10 million

So Trump asked the Chinese contractor: "Why did you bid 3 million"? The Chinese contractor said: "One million for paint, one million for labor, and one million is profit."

He then asked the German... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by growabrain at 7:13 PM on December 22, 2018

US Treasury Department officials used a Gmail back channel with the Russian government as the Kremlin sought sensitive financial information on its enemies in America and across the globe, according to documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News.

Buzzfeed's Cormier and Leopold have been consistently way ahead in their reporting of the entire field this year. Also, apparently this country has been sold out by an incompetent russophilic coup.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Harry Caul at 10:13 AM on December 20, 2018

New Jersey Democrats’ Diabolical Gerrymandering Scheme Is an Affront to Democracy

Good.

Kevin Drum: Three Cheers For New Jersey’s Appalling Gerrymandering LawBut here’s the real reason: this is the only thing that will ever get the Supreme Court off its butt to do something about gerrymandering. I’m dead serious here. Conservatives on the Supreme Court aren’t likely to ever address gerrymandering until it’s crystal clear... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by T.D. Strange at 7:48 PM on December 13, 2018

Now hiring for 'the worst job in government': Trump's chief of staff

Like anyone working for Trump, the new chief of staff runs the risk of constant humiliation and being publicly undermined by the boss. They will also be well advised to “lawyer up” as the White House braces for an onslaught of political and legal challenges in the face of the Russia investigation, multiple lawsuits and Trump’s efforts to win re-election in 2020.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by The Card Cheat at 1:08 PM on December 13, 2018

Rush is great, Yes is great, King Crimson is great, etc. etc. etc. You'll get no dissent from me on these points.

But I'm here with the likely unpopular view that the greatest prog album of all time is The Mars Volta's debut album De-Loused in the Comatorium.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sinfony at 4:03 PM on December 12, 2018

I strongly feel that the album you are looking for is Close to the Edge by Yes.

It's three tracks. Each track is long, has a bunch of sections, is completely over-the-top, and is rad. It's also got that silly "interested in eastern religions and Lord of the Rings" element common to a lot of classic hippiedom. Also, just, so prog.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Rinku at 1:44 PM on December 12, 2018

I'm trying to wrap my head around the bookkeeping. I mean, would we need to keep receipts? Would notches on the headboard count? Should we keep photographic evidence in case we ever get audited?

The way things are going, I can see a future where the most patriotic thing you can do to support the country's tax base involves a lot of pot-smoking and gay sex. And I for one am fully prepared to do my duty.
posted to MetaFilter by MrVisible at 7:43 AM on December 12, 2018

Everything will be lost.

Your childhood is lost. Your great-grandmother is lost. The blue coat you wore when you were a teenager, that you have forgotten about completely, but will remember suddenly with an astonished pang of love when you see it in a photograph; that too is lost. Your father's toys are lost, the trust you had in someone you thought could protect you is lost, the pleasure you used to take in cheap candy is lost.

You will lose... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Jane the Brown at 12:15 PM on December 6, 2018 marked best answer

So lemme get this straight. They ratfucked *cough cough* Roger Stone *cough* this caravan into existence so they could then spread racist, populist fear of an invasion to try to sway an election?
That is just straight up a terrorist attack. AND election tampering. AND either collusion or just fraud. WTF?
posted to MetaFilter by sexyrobot at 5:39 PM on December 6, 2018

Michelle Goldberg's excellent reporting on 'dominionism' from a few years ago is a great primer on what evangelicals have gathered for over this century. (tl:dr power for the rich and white.)
posted to MetaFilter by Harry Caul at 7:40 AM on December 6, 2018

We've discussed this a bunch before, but The Racial Demons that Help Explain Evangelical Support for Trump and American evangelicalism and the politics of whiteness. There is a TON of scholarship on this issue. But maybe the two key points here are that the use of the term "evangelical" has shifted from having a specific religious meaning to being so strongly politically associated that many religious evangelicals are abandoning the term; and while there's always been a racist strand... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Eyebrows McGee at 7:39 AM on December 6, 2018

So white supremacists have learned to call themselves "evangelical" to pass by?

American white supremacy has always cloaked itself in Christianity.
posted to MetaFilter by Etrigan at 7:18 AM on December 6, 2018

Nearly four dozen incoming House Democrats told their future leaders Monday that they should prioritize action on health care, immigration, gun control and other topics over investigations into the Trump administration.

Eyes front, wonks! You do understand you are here to save the Republic and prosecute this slimy grifter's row of misogynistic criminal traitors, yes? What part of "children in cages" is not klaxonning your bodies politic,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by petebest at 6:24 PM on December 3, 2018

NYT: Despite Big House Losses, G.O.P. Shows No Signs of Course Correction

Lots of GOP House folks sounding unhappy, could be a another bunch of retirements in 2020. Keep in mind most of the GOP has never been in the minority, and being in the minority in the House SUCKS.
posted to MetaFilter by Chrysostom at 7:53 PM on December 2, 2018

Alternatively we could... vote for people who aren't in their 70s to control the nuclear codes?

I've decided that if you're an elected official over the age of 60 and you're not actively grooming, or at least searching for, a hand-picked successor, then you're in denial of reality and/or you're in politics for the wrong reasons, and either way you've got to go.
posted to MetaFilter by Faint of Butt at 2:30 PM on December 2, 2018

The Whelk: the scope of the corruption makes it too big to enforce and aside from some low level fall guys nothing will happen substantively.

bluesky43: You may be right but I'm a let's wait and see kind of person.....

Well, look, the haruspex (haruspices?) among us (Justinian, I'm looking at you) would tell us that the circumstances today are at their most propitious:
It's a Friday, check.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by RedOrGreen at 8:12 AM on November 30, 2018

No politicians, or politicians spouses, in business? No corruption problems.

I get the impulse, but

1. No, not really. We still have Citizens United to contend with.

and

2. There’s literally no way to enforce this, ever. How long do you plan to ban them from business? Is it forever? No? Ways around it. Forever? Still ways around it. All of which would make the politicians... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by schadenfrau at 2:56 PM on November 29, 2018

After that one, I got a pair of earplugs to keep on my keychain.

These come in a keychain pouch. They are flanged plugs so they tend to decrease the level across the frequency spectrum, so you don't get so much of that bass-heavy, muffled sound you get with normal foam plugs. They're etymotic (made by the guy who invented the in-ear earphone), and they are very effective for the price.

I'm not personally convinced... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Lutoslawski at 7:40 AM on November 29, 2018

The anti-Schumer movement, while having far (far!) more justification than the anti-Pelosi movement, suffers from one of the same problems; there isn't anyone running against him. It's not enough to say "NOT SCHUMER", you have to find somebody to run.

Dick Durbin, current Minority Whip.

Done.

I would be all for this. I am still aggravated that Schumer leapfrogged Durbin to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by SisterHavana at 8:31 PM on November 27, 2018