Please stop by tonight’s edition of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally for an evening of political pontification over a pint.
We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the room at the rear of the tavern beginning about 8pm.
Can’t make it to Seattle? There are 254 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, seven in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or consider starting your own chapter.
Roger Rabbit almost never attends DL, so anyone stalking me is wasting his time going there — unless, of course, he only wants to drink expensive craft beer and discuss politics with liberal Ph.D.s.
Hahahahahahaha …
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/17/politics/syrian-regime-shoots-down-russian-plane/index.html
I mean, it’s too bad about the crew, but that’s what Russia gets for meddling in Syria. Recon plane shot down by “friendly” fire. Hahahahahahaha …
This sure looks like a Hail Mary play to me. This article underscores how much trouble Kavanaugh is in; and, more to the point, how weak Trump’s grip on his base is becoming.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/17/politics/brett-kavanaugh-white-house-supreme-court-nominee/index.html
And I think I know now how the Pugs found 65 women willing to vouch for Judge Raper so fast: They were on GOP payrolls. Bet some still are.
It sure looks like Pugs are betting everything on traditional “he said, she said” dynamics. No investigation, no other evidence, just put ’em on the witness stand and expect the guy to get the benefit of the doubt.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brett-kavanaugh-accuser-christine-blasey-ford-set-for-dramatic-showdown-some-democrats-balk-senate-judiciary-committee/
I’m not sure it works that way anymore. I’m not sure they think it still does, either, but I’m pretty sure they realize it’s all they’ve got.
Kavanaugh was a high-risk gamble from the start. Of the potential nominees on the short list, he was the one most likely to provoke fierce Democratic opposition, be hardest to defend — and to have skeletons. The fact they’re digging in and going for broke signals there’s no backup plan — if they lose him, they could lose the whole ballgame. Worse, even if they fail, the fact they tried will cost them women’s votes. They’ll end up frittering away a big wad of political capital for no return.
It was a stupid thing to do, and shows how incompetent Trump and his team are at politics. It results from their inexperience. It’s like sticking your head up to see if the enemy is still around; the problem is, if he is, you won’t have a head anymore. Trump isn’t much of an infantryman. Meh, I sure wouldn’t want to be in a foxhole with a dummy like him.
5,
He could have very easily avoided all the fuss and embarassment if he had just tken her out furniture shopping.
4,
According to “The Finger Rapist in Chief” the Lying Degenerate Gambler is “one of the finest people that I’ve ever known.”
So he’s got that going for him.
Which is nice.
The unintended co conspirator won’t release his tax returns, but he will release the classified and confidential messages of his political enemies.
This are republican values now. Vote
The campaign to unseat Senator Collins in 2020 got a big nod in the New York Times yesterday!
Nobel Laureate Krugman pointing out the ridiculous hypocrisy of right wing extremist groups such as the NRA, who routinely threaten lawmakers with opposition funding over their voting records, complaining about a well organized progressive campaign to do exactly the same thing.
#StopKavanaugh
Yesterday Republicans went ahead and scheduled next Monday’s rape hearing without bothering to reach out to the victim first.
She hasn’t even been able to arrange travel or security yet. Which given the seriousness of the circumstances (predictable multiple death threats, etc.) is vital to her safety.
But the Republican Chairman insists Republicans don’t give a shit. He and his staff and the rest of the Republicans are proceeding with the rape hearing whether the victim is able to attend or not. Senator Graham was quoted on the FOX Propaganda channel saying: ““She can come if she likes, but if she doesn’t want to, she doesn’t have to. Kavanaugh can come, and I think he will. We will vote on Wednesday.”
In related developments the Republican Senate leadership is fighting to suppress and conceal any testimony from the third person alleged to have been in the room during the attempted rape, cheering Doctor Blasey’s assailant on. Senate Minority Leader Schumer is seeking to have the witness, Mark Judge, give testimony at the rape hearing. But Republicans fear the lifelong alcoholic may incriminate the nominee and so far are refusing to allow him to testify.
#believethewhitemen
Meanwhile the spokespeople for the PR team doing all the political outreach, fundraising, and campaigning for the nominee are saying that the assault described by Doctor Blasey is harmless youthful conduct ranging from “Boorishness to rough horseplay”.
I want to party with that girl!
The (R) stands for Rohypnol.
“If that was true, I think it would be hard for senators to not consider who the judge is today. That’s the issue. Is this judge a really good man? And he is. And by any measure he is.”
-Sen. Orin Hatch (R) Utah
He’s saying that if the nominee got drunk and tried to rape a fifteen-year-old girl, never owned up to it, never even apologized, then spent the rest of his life denying it, including lying to the Senate about it, he would still be, “by any measure”, “a really good man”.
Trump won. Elections have consequences.
This is really who Republicans are now.
The (R) stands for Rohypnol.
“Rebecca White, one of Blasey Ford’s neighbors and a good friend … said that Blasey Ford had told her about the alleged assault — without naming Kavanaugh — in late 2017 during the height of the #MeToo movement and long before Kavanaugh was a Supreme Court nominee.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09/17/metoo-spurred-christine-blasey-ford-to-open-up-about-alleged-attack-year-before-kavanaugh-nomination-friends-say/
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Of course, White could be making that up. But I have a feeling she isn’t.
@10 “Republican sources on Capitol Hill say it’s uncertain if the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for next Monday to address the sexual assault accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will actually occur. Entering Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told reporters that lawmakers were meeting* to figure out the next steps — including if the hearing would proceed without Ford.”
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/18/politics/kavanaugh-hearing/index.html
Yeah, that’ll work. Sure it will. The whole country will feel reassured.
* This is a misprint. It should say “scheming”.
@12 Boy, that sure sounds like Hatch, a lawyer (who isn’t?) is waiting until he hears the evidence before making up his mind.
Long-time Utah voters who remember Hatch’s first Senate campaign won’t be surprised. Back in 1976, he ran on a platform of term limits, and claimed his opponent’s 18 years in the Senate was “long enough.”
Show me a Republican and I’ll show you a lying hypocrite.
Wherein Donny Dumbbell accuses Anderson Cooper of faking it in his Florence coverage by trotting out a 10-year-old photo.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/anderson-cooper-donald-trump-jr-florence_us_5ba06ae8e4b046313fbe8b5e
Yeah, he’s probably so stupid he didn’t think anyone would notice, least of all the guy he’s trying to call a liar.
So turns out Kavanaugh wasn’t purjuring about growing up in a violence plagued environment.
Though turns out the violence in a wealthy white prep school community happens in bedrooms. At parties. Against women.
(Here’s where the dearly departed loon would chime in with some comment about Chicago violence)
Hey Dumbfuck?
So what did Jesse Hagopian do with the $100k the city paid him after an officer used pepper spray in direct conflict with SPD regulations?
Well he took part of it and wrote a book called “Teaching For Black Lives.”
Macklemore and Michael Bennet just announced that they have together purchased a copy for every Social Studies and Language Arts middle and High School Classroom in the Seattle School District.
Side note, Hagopian was name checked in Bennett’s book, “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable.”
Seems Hagopian is an effective activist with powerful friends while a radiologist complains about his being nobody.
He was very effective at triggering the fuck out of Teh Dumbfuck!
“He was very effective at triggering the fuck out of Teh Dumbfuck!”
In the words of the late loon (RIP),
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
“KAAAAAAAAAAAAAABLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Curious.
Kavanaugh sent out a spokesman Carrie Severino to characterize the incident as “Rough Hirseplay.”
So you do remember The incident you categorically deny ever happened?
Weird side notes… spokesman Severino is a former clerk for Justice Thomas so she might know something about pubes. And we’ve come full circle.
Republicans continue to squirm, reaching for a way to put an accused would-be rapist on the Supreme Court, without looking like a bunch of smug white guys reeking of rich male privilege.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republican-senators-male-brett-kavanaugh-hearing_us_5ba16080e4b013b0977fe14a
It isn’t working. At least not with women. And women vote.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/young-stupid-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford_us_5ba12085e4b04d32ebfd335f
@18 “while a radiologist complains about his being nobody”
Not exactly. His horses tremble when he enters the barn.
@21 Hmm, that sure sounds like an admission of the crime, and of lying about it, too. Curious indeed.
@9 What your fund raisers is not the same thing. It would be perfectly legitimate if they were saying we will raise donations for the Democratic party or candidates and not give you any cash Senator Collins. But to support an unknown candidate who is running in opposition to her based on a single vote is unseemly, though well meaning. But what happens if the opponent is to the right of Collins on any number of issues. What if the candidate is an avid anti abortionist. Is a NAZI even. (It’s vaguely possible no Democrat will run against a popular Republican in the state of Maine.) It may well be a violation of election fund raising or an outright attempt to influence a sitting Senator who is not up for reelection this coming election. I’m sure there will be an investigation of this soon, perhaps after the midterms.
At least your guy is suggesting there should be a discussion and changes made to the campaign finance laws should his opinion prevail, or even conservatives have to reconsider that money in politics is not entirely speech.
@10 Sorry that is not the way it works with the Senate. After all most of the folks usually involved are within the beltway, but once the Senate decides to sit down and hear your testimony they can mean now. She is lucky they did not serve her and told her to be present for hearing , and then leave her out in the hall as they argue inside for two or three days. She opened this can of worms her bags should have been packed, and airline ticket in hand or cash for the ticket at the window. If they really really wanted her there is always a military jet or other provisions the Senate can make.
@10 Mark Judge has talked publicly. I suspect the Republicans would rather make a decision to call him after the victim has testified. If she does not come off as particularly credible they can petition the chair to proceed to a vote with no further witnesses. Guess they may call the person who conducted the truth test and there will be one or more other witnesses looking over the questions, readings and credentials of the tester.
In any case you are going to have someone who is perceived to be a conservative justice nominated in place should the Kavanaugh nomination be derailed, and there is certainly time before a new congress for that to take place. And yes this will make the whole upcoming election more volatile, and McConnell could very well pull a old trick out and keep the Senate actually in session up and through the elections. You all are playing to his strength. Pay back is a bitch.
She asked for it!
She was begging for it, that bitch!
Kick her in the pooosey!!
Trump that bitch!
Trump that bitch!!!
TRUMP THAT BITCH!!!
KILL!!! KILL!!! KILL!!! BENGHAAAZIII!!!!
As always, the (R) stands for Rohypnol.
“In any case you are going to have someone who is perceived to be a conservative justice nominated in place should the Kavanaugh nomination be derailed, and there is certainly time before a new congress for that to take place.”
Which obviously begs the question: why so ride-or-die for this nominee? He appears to have lied repeatedly during the vetting process, during earlier confirmation hearings, and during these hearings. He has never adequately or credibly explained hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal debt accrued and then discharged in very brief time spans. And hundreds of his responses to QFRs remain incomplete, consisting of little more than “N/A”. There are at least a half dozen equally well qualified conservative judges without any rape/perjury/gambling baggage. Why is the PornSweat Party unwilling to even slow this schedule down to clear up a few deeply troubling loose ends?
Because the (R) stands for Rohypnol. That’s why.
For those keeping track at home, the score in the US National Amateur Rape Team Championship, under 18 class stands at 731 to 65.
Prominent Kansas Republicans are endorsing the Democrat instead of their party’s toxic nominee for governor.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/09/in-kansas-governors-race-key-republicans-are-backing-the-democrat-over-kris-kobach/
Dueling ideas
The nominee has yet to explain how $200K of credit card debt involving baseball tickets just disappeared.
BTW it’s DR. Ford.
“President Trump is vowing that … China is ‘now paying us billions of dollars in tariffs.’ China isn’t paying the tariffs, however — the duties are paid by importers … [and] it’s often U.S. consumers who are footing the bill ….”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tariffs-on-china-who-pays-tariffs-fact-check-billions-statement/
Roger Rabbit Commentary: I can’t remember the last time someone in public life was so completely full of shit. Incredibly, there are plenty of dummies who actually believe him.
The GOP is so decrepit and degenerate even their traditional base is leaving:
“Is the GOP having a senior moment? Late summer surveys by CNN and other organizations show senior voters tilting decisively towards Democratic congressional candidates.”
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/19/politics/the-gops-older-voter-problem/index.html
Roger Rabbit Commentary: We’re not talking here about a small tilt. These voters are leaning to Democrats by a HUGE margin. Read the article to find out how big the GOP’s problem is.
P.S., it probably doesn’t help to go around wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare to fund tax breaks for billionaires. This probably doesn’t help either: “Many older Americans who have retired … are returning to the workforce … [for] money ….”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-older-americans-are-unretiring/
McConnell has been in the Senate too long. He’s a holdover from what primordial life was like two billion years ago. (Think slime.)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/18/opinions/what-happens-if-mcconnell-loses-on-kavanaugh-axelrod/index.html
Now the question is how long can the GOP handlers get Trump to keep his mouth shut? Given his attitude toward uppity women — and women in general — I’m betting not long enough.
32,
Senators (mostly lawyers – and for sure those on Judiciary cmmt) on both sides are running around looking for clever lawyer shit to say on teevee about this allegation of rape against the nominee. But the thing to remember is that none of this thing is in any way a legal process. It is a political process.
Individuals with legal rights are well advised to know that and take it into account before leaping in. There is no legal, institutional process in place in the Senate to address something like this. And under Yertle’s leadership they will do what they do, which is scorched earth, no-holds-barred politics. End of story.
I don’t know enough about Doctor Blasey to say what’s in her best interests. But based on what little I know in combination with what I know about the US Senate, if I were her lawyer I’d advise her not to agree to be sworn and testify until a relevant independent investigation has been completed. If the Date Rape Party want to railroad through these hearings and put on a fake show trial for theatrical/political purposes that’s their business. They can do it without her. She should not be willing to lend her credibility to a hastily arranged political farce.
In her absence Date Rape Party members of the committee will be faced with trying to cross examine her allegation indirectly through their only witness, the accused. They’ll have a few days to prepare and test the political winds before hand. And their star witness will be capable and well prepared to meet the politics of the moment. But they will have to tread very carefully. And, of course, the Democratic Party members of the committee will come prepared as well.
This will not be an opportunity to make the nominee look better than he did before. It will become a political trial for the sympathies of non-overlapping mid term voter groups. Evangelical, paternalist, female body controlling men and their duty bound helpmeets versus independent women from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Sympathy for the accused versus sympathy for the accuser. Sympathy for Chad Thundercock- the popular, hard partying, aggressive high school jock – versus sympathy for Heather Heyer – a random do-gooder run down in the street and crushed because she didn’t “know her place”.