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Democratic Debate Open Thread

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I’m at the Roanoke Tavern this evening with a couple of friends to watch the debate (starts at 6pm local). Please join us if you wish. Otherwise, join the fun in the comment thread.

I’ll post some commentary, snark, and (mostly) other people’s excellent Tweets.

Enjoy!

5:59: I’ll be watching the debate on PBS rather than CNN. Just a personal choice (and a choice endorsed by the bar management).

6:03: Opening shot of the candidate’s backs…looking for the secret radio receivers strapped to Clinton’s back…

6:07: Sander’s opening statement “Yuuuge count”: 1

6:09: Shorter Hillary, “I’m just like him.”

6:21: Hillary is sure “we” will have the political capital to raise taxes on wealthy. Don’t think so, but probably better than Sanders.

6:43: Come’on, when is Bernie going to go all Christie on Hillary?

6:46: Will someone PLEASE ask the candidates about their position on waterboarding?!?

7:50: Man…Democrats SUCK at negative campaigning.

Election night edition of Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottle

Tonight’s the first primary of the 2016 presidential election season, and there are some local elections happening as well. So please join us for an evening of election returns and primary politics over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. We start at 8:00pm.



Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight, the nation’s newest DL addition, the Federal Way chapter meets along with the Tri-Cities and Redmond chapters. The Kent chapter meets on Thursday. And next Monday, the Aberdeen and Yakima chapters meet.

There are 187 chapters of Living Liberally, including nineteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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Congressional hits and misses of the week.

Straight outta options:

Mental Floss: Fifteen facts about coffee.

Bill Maher: Lies are the new truth.

What led to Flint, MI’s poisoned water.

Stop making guns so sick.

Minute Physics: How to discover new particles.

I Oh Wha???

Twelve minutes of Right-wing nutjob Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5) talking politics.

Stephen and Samantha Bee try out some lady euphemisms.

What the West gets wrong about Muslim women.

Obama: Employment is down to 4.9%.

Young Turks: “Pro-life” activist proves she’s not really pro-life at all.

Pap and Farron Cousins: Lunatic Michele Bachmann says Obama is about to reveal himself as Anti-Christ.

Larry Wilmore and friends: Anger and politics.

Conan meets his censor.

The 2016 Conservative Crazy Car:

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about famous companies.

Madame President.

David Hawkings Whiteboard: Here comes the budget:

Follow the money: The chemical industry writes a law.

Farron Cousins: Republicans destroy government to prove government doesn’t work.

VSauce: Math Magic.

One of these people will be President.

Thom: The Good, the Bad & the Very, Very Depascently Ugly!.

Martin Shkreli invokes his fifth amendment rights before Congressional oversight committee.

Space Station Live: African American History Month.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Low Energy

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Donald Trump has been taunting Jeb! as being low energy. Judging from the need to add a high-energy punctuation mark after his name, I’m thinking that The Donald might be right on this one.

And this is kind of embarassing:

It brings back memories of this 2008 GOP low energy superstar:

On the other hand, Ronald Reagan was pretty low energy so it isn’t like energy level is all that Trump cracks it up to be.

And at least Jeb! doesn’t suffer from an abnormal chromosomal makeup.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottle

Huh…can’t imagine what people want to talk about tonight. If you think of something, please join us for an evening of politics and conversation over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. We start at 8:00pm.




Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. The Long Beach, Tri-Cities and West Seattle chapters also meet tonight. The Lakewood chapter meets on Wednesday. And on Thursday, the Tacoma chapter meets.

There are 186 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza

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Conan and Zach Galifianakis talk about shushing the president.

Will humans be obsolete after the new industrial revolution?

Seth Meyers: Late Night Demopublican presidential debate:

Stephen gets a straight answer from Donald Rumsfeld.

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about animals.

The microbes of New York.

Trever Noah: Getting personal at the CNN Democratic Town Hall.

Honest political ads: Puppets.

The 2016 Lunatic Asylum Squad:

Maddow: Who is to blame for Flint’s water problem?

A different kind of rape control.

Seth Meyers polls some Iowans.

Stephen holds a town hall meeting.

Matthew Filipowicz: Military games in Washington state Part I.
Matthew Filipowicz: Military games in Washington state Part II.

Young Turks: Will Obama become a Supreme Court Justice.

Planned Parenthood Surprise:

Stephen: Bernie Sanders promposals.

Farron Cousins: Is Sarah Palin the worst parent EVER???


Stupidest laws in the United States.

Conviction.

White House: West Wing Week.

Mental Floss: Life hacks tested and debunked.

Malicious Militia:

Stephen: A Simon & Garfunkel tune for every candidate.

Florida politicians sell out sick babies.

Why does Iowa get to pick first?

Farron Cousins and Sam Seder: Obama finally fights back against Republican obstruction.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

G.O.P. Debate (sans one Trumphole)

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Its happening tonight starting at 6pm local, another FAUX News Republican Debate.

And there WILL BE BLOOD…from whereever. (Hmmmm…reminds me of this debate from the 2008 campaign.)

There will be one notable change: There will be no Donald J. Trump at this debate. It seems that Donald Trump is afraid of a girl.

I’ll liveblog when I get the chance. Use the comment thread for your own penetrating analyses.

Or, just fling your own poo.

6:08: You can stream the debate live at foxnews.com.

6:09: Rubio, in his opening salvo, still comes off as irrationally angry and defensive like an adolescent. Or…as Atrios puts it…

6:15: Kasich is so general that is words get lost.

6:17: Ben Carson: “We need people who can think out of the box.” Let’s call it “Pyramid Thinking.”

6:19: Earth to Marco: ISIS is NOT the most dangerous terrorist group ever. Not even close.

6:30: Please, please, please, Ted…WALK OFF STAGE!!!!!

6:30: Let’s sell…Rubio attacked Ted over whining about moderators inciting attacks on Ted…

6:34: Rubio seems to think his path to electoral success is his daring stance to send people to Gitmo.

6:36: Rubio is continuing with his petulant ‘tude. Sorry, Marco, it is getting really old.

6:38: Ben Carson seems to believe we would “defeat ISIS” if only we could collectively stop being politically correct. What a moron!

6:39: Wouldn’t it be hilarious if Megyn Kelly got a nose bleed?

6:40: Someone should mention to Gov. Kasich…he is wearing his flaggy flag flag pin WAY TOO HIGH on his lapel. What a dork.

6:49: Chris Christie boasts about trashing women’s health care access in NJ. Way to go tough guy! No White House for you.

6:51: Cruz unloads a big fat lie about negatives of ObamaCare. Lies, lies, lies.

6:54: O’oh oh. We are into to the “Science Denial” segment of the debate.

6:57: Rubio talks Cap & Trade with the same petulant, alarmist tone that he talks about ISIS. Hope he can find peace-o-mind in a bunker somewhere.

7:01: Now Marco is getting defensive and angry over immigration. One trick pony!

7:01: Jeb! “I’m kind of confused…”

7:07: Ted Cruz totally dodges talking about his support of the immigration bill.

7:08: I think Rand Paul just cleaned Ted Cruz’s clock!

7:09: Ted…isn’t it about time for you to WALK OFF STAGE???

7:10: Apparently Ted Cruz flip-flopped on amnesty AND mean questions.

7:14: Jeb: “Dulce Candy is now an entrepreneur of The YouTube” (The Ghost of Ted Stevens takes notice.)

7:16: Ted: “Am not the candidate of the career politician of Washington” says the man who want to spend the next 8 years as exactly that.

7:30: Rubio delivers an ANGRY answer on how Americans are the most generous people on earth.

7:32: Aqua Buddah talks his virtuous philosophy. (Dodging the real question.)

7:34: Ben Carson: “Putin is an opportunist.” Can you say PROJECTION?

6:39: Wait…did Chris Christie just TOTALLY dodge the “ground troops Libya” question by talking about Hillary Clinton dodging questions??

7:44: The debate turns to the topic of SEX. Specifically…a brief 20 year old affair.

7:49: Cruz obfuscates his unpopular (in Iowa) position on Ethanol subsidies by confusing the hell out of everyone.

7:58: Carson just plagiarized 90% of his closing statement….

7:59:

8:02: Carson: “I’ve had more 2am phone calls than all here on the stage.” No shit. Get some sleep, man!

8:10: Megyn Kelly seems pained having an on-air conversation with Charles Krauthammer.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottleTim Eyman’s hostage anti-tax measure was declared unconstitutional, Sarah Palin has re-emerged, and we’re down to a week until the Iowa caucuses. This calls for a drink! Please join us tonight for an evening of politics and conversation over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. We start at 8:00pm.




Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities chapter also meets. On Wednesday, the Burien chapter meets. The Woodinville chapter meets on Thursday. And next Monday, the Yakima and South Bellevue chapters meet.

There are 186 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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Matthew Filipowicz: My NSFW Phone-Banking Call With An Angry Conservative.

Farron Cousins: How bad will Republican hate get in Obama’s final year?

135 years of warmin in 30 seconds.

The 2016 G.O.P. BaffoonFest:

President Obama asked about tampon tax by YouTuber Ingrid Nilsen.

Bill Maher wants Barack Obama for his 60th birthday.

Red State Update: Benghazi movie flop.

Why?

Why #Blacklivesmatter protests are happening all over America:

How to become a millionaire in one easy step.

White House: West Wing Week.

David Pakman: Conservatives are loosing it over “gender-inclusive” bathrooms.

Malicious Militia Men:

Thom: Finding America’s missing voters.

David Hawkings’ Whiteboard: Congressional factions.

How the Tea Party is splitting the G.O.P.

This billionaire thinks you should be paid more.

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about memory.

Making a Killing: Guns, Greed & The NRA.

World of Water Woes:

Follow the money: The truth about Citizens United.

Seth Meyers: Bernie and Hillary.

Comedy Central: Wrestling with History in Whitesboro, NY.

Thom with The Good, the Bad and The Very, Very Cleocentricly Ugly!

How to build a car.

Trevor Noah: Breaking down the Republican and Democratic debates.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottle

Last week we had the first week of the WA legislative session, the State of the Union Address, Republican and Democratic debates, and big things happening on the foreign policy front. Oh…and the Seahawks. So let’s call this a Debriefing Edition of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. Stop by and chat about it.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. We start at 8:00pm.



Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities, Vancouver, WA, and Shelton chapters also meet. The Lakewood meets on Wednesday. And on Thursday, the Tacoma, Bremerton, and Spokane, chapters meet.

There are 186 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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Jimmy Dore: Republican liar claims Republicans aren’t anti-science knuckle-draggers.

The 2016 G.O.P. Clown Show:

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about beverages.

Stephen: A town called Whitesboro.

Jimmy Dore: Why Republicans never compromise and Democrats do.

Seth Meyers: El Chapo visits Late Night.

Malicious Militias:

Congressional hits and misses of the week.

Seth Meyers does Trevor Noah.

When guys go off their birth control.

John Oliver comes back for Season 3.

Baby got PACs:

Jimmy Dore: Ron Paul solves Oregon standoff with classic Ron Paul reasoning.

State O’ The Union Be Good:

Trevor Noah: The legend of Bernie Sanders.

Obama: Will Michelle run for President?

Matthew Filipowicz: Snyder administration defends water crisis handling.

Jimmy Dore: Political news (and jokes) of the week.

FAUX Business News asks most offensive question asked at a GOP debate, so far.

Obama’s biggest regret as President.

Gunz:

Mental Floss: 32 facts about body language.

Follow the Money: Big Money fighting legal pot.

Stephen with some Powerball Tips.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Republican Clown Show Open Thread

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I’m heading over to the Roanoke Park Place Tavern (our DL bar) to meet a couple of friends and watch the “debate”. Please join me if you feel so inclined. Otherwise join the fun in the comment thread below.

5:47: Talking heads populate the tube in the Roanoke.

5:53: Reince Priebus makes the laughable claim that the Republicans are the party of diversity. Riiiiiigggggghhhhht.

5:58: Goddamnit. If they are going to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the start of a debate, I fucking want a ball, referees with whistles, timeouts, injuries, and the occasional physical altercation.

6:04: What the fuck the Canadian guy dodges the question about employment and economic growth to babble about Obama not mentioning “prisoners” that Obama knew were not prisoners? What a putz!

6:08: Kasich is in a particularly babbly mood this evening. No idea what the take-home was from that.

6:10: Chris Christie thinks Americans are cowards!

6:12: It is funny watching Cruz and Christie try to make something evil out of the Iranian incident. It is like they’ve rehearsed and rehearsed and then when it turns out to be absolutely nothing, they couldn’t not go ahead with their talking points.

6:16: Rubio seems angry….

6:17: Carson suggests that we no longer have “airforces” in 21st century warfare.

6:19: Paris has the “strictest no-good policy”, says Trump? It seems Trump got together before the debate to share in his stash of babble pills.

6:21: Ted Cruz does not seem to understand the difference between the news branch and the editorial branch of the NYT.

6:22: Cruz admitted he made a “paperwork error”. He’s toast. G.O.P. rule #12, “Never admit to an error!”

6:27: Birferism! Birferism!

6:30 Holy fuck…Trump bringing up how well he is doing in the polls borders on psychopathology. Totally inappropriate and awkward.

6:32: Cruz delivers a zinger, “I’ve been arguing before the Supreme Court…and I am not going to talk legal advice from Donald Trump.”

6:37: Really, Rubio? Common Core is a threat to our nation? Somebody’s been dipping into the Drama Pill stash.

6:43: Someone should point out to Kasich…he is the Bernie Sanders of the Republican field.

6:47: So far, Donald Trump has make a total ass of himself. Ben Carson and John Kasich have engaged in quasi-random babble. Ted Cruz has offered Trump the VP slot. Christie has endorsed Rubio. Rubio has come off as an angry psychopath. And Jeb Bush has almost smiled. Once.


(Terrible news for Puddybud)

7:03: Wait…why is Cruz babbling on about NY?

7:03: Oh…for punchline, “Not a lot of conservatives come from NY”. Trump: “Well…William F. Buckley….” Trump does a nice job modulating down to make Cruz come off as a bit hyper.

7:05: Trump goes all Rudy on us. 9/11 9/11 9/11

7:06: Jeb Bush points out that the U.S. Navy is only 1/2 the size as it was in Desert Storm. Ummm…someone should inform the Gov. that most of the decline happened under his brother.

7:13: Someone should point out to Marco Rubio during this debate that he is not running against Obama.

7:14: FAUX Business moderators went out of their way to humiliate Lindsey Graham by calling him out as an audience member. Classy!

7:15: Carson is embarrassingly clueless about all things international. Please make him stop talking…for his own sake.

7:24: Please Donald….tell us you want to torture the baby of the two TERRIBLE San Bernardino people.

7:27: Again…Rubio goes after Obama instead of Clinton. Is he fishing for the KKK demographic?

7:37: OH MY GWAD….CHINA DEVALUED THE YEN!!!!

8:04: Kasich created a task force about a year ago. Clearly qualified to be POTUS.

8:16: Holy crap…this is a Debate Moderator FILLIBUSTER!

8:22: Christie; “…fight…fight…fight…fight…fight…” Ummm…this isn’t a man I want in charge of the nuclear codes….

8:27: Trump: Iranian wise guys?!? Didn’t three of them visit Jesus?

Business Insider puts Washington state at the bottom of the list of state economies

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Business Insider has published a ranking of state economies, and Washington State is at the very bottom of their list. Right down there after 49 other states and D.C. Oh…wait, the list is in descending order of rank.

Whoa, whoa, whoa…since when did Business Insider become a socialist-loving, minimum-wage-increase-approving, leftist pinko publication?

I suppose their methods account for something like per-capita arugula sales or Kumbaya downloads, no?

We ranked the economies of all the states and DC on seven measures: unemployment rates; GDP per capita; average weekly wages; recent growth rates for nonfarm payroll jobs; GDP; house prices; and wages. For more on our methodology, click here.

What the?!?

Here’s what they found:

Washington state scored extremely well on most of our metrics. Its Q2 2015 annualized GDP growth rate was a stunning 8.0%, by far the highest among the states and DC. The November 2015 average weekly wage of $1,073 was the second highest in the country, and was 5.6% higher than the weekly wage in November 2014, the third highest wage growth rate.

Huh…there goes Seattle’s minimum wage law utterly destroying our state again.

State of the Union Open Thread

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Okay…I’m late. Long day at work and bad traffic. But here ya go!

6:16: Are you better off today then you were in 2009? Almost everyone with an income under $200,000 should say yes, unless ordinary scenescence has brought you down. And then, you have health insurance, so there ya go.

6:20: It’s hard to take Obama seriously for this State of the Union Address…what with Eddie Munster sitting behind him and all.

6:24: Obama isn’t really introducing policy…rather he is systematically laying out the case why most Americans should be Democrats.

6:32: Shit…now Republicans are going to start denying Sputnik…

6:37: Obama mentions “tea partiers”. Still conflict averse, or he would have said “tea baggers”.

6:38: I wonder if Obama, Biden, and Eddie coordinated their ties in advance….

6:58: What the fuck is up with dwelling on Kim Davis? She is a circus freak. Only deserves about 3 seconds….

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottlePlease join us this evening for a State of the Union edition of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. Normally, we start at 8:00pm…but show up early for the 6:00pm (PDT) start of Obama’s final address.

Note: We’ll have sound and video for the State of the Union address. But the pub has other customers, so the sound may not be as loud as you want, especially with the background noises of a busy tavern and peripheral conversations. If you are intent on hearing every word, I recommend you bring stuff to stream the audio. The pub has free wifi available.



Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities and Redmond chapters also meet. The Kent chapter meets on Thursday. And next Monday, the Aberdeen and Yakima chapters meet.

There are 188 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or go out and start—a chapter near you.

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