US Politics, February 2018: Our country was founded by geniuses, but it’s being run by idiots

a “smooth transition” around Porter’s exit.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVdB8bNU0AAcU4D.jpg

i love that everyone in this photo is doing their "thing"

"Not sure about this film, we're going to need a little backstory on these characters, you can't get by on just their mannerisms."

particularly fond of lewandowski’s real-grip-action gi joe hands

(insert "Ocean's Eleven" style background music)

"We're gonna need a Boesky, two Andrettis, a Mooch and a... whatever that thing is."

"'I want to be very clear when I say this,' Willoughby said. 'I don't want to be married to him. I would not recommend anyone to date him or marry him. But I definitely want him in the White House and the position he is in. I think his integrity and ability to do his job is impeccable. And the majority of the issues he suffers from are very personal and intimate.'"

jfc we're never going to be rid of this scourge

The one thing I hate more than Trumps dumbass tweets is media doing a 'take' on it. Like this piece. All those words based on a 5 word tweet. Fuck off.

"sure he beats the shit out of me but lookit, he's a bigoted sociopath and wields an inordinate mount of power right now. let's make sure we're focusing on what's really important"

yea I still think dedicating several cable news cycles to "Did Hillary and Obama *really* create ISIS??" was the most infuriating moment of the election

lol Chuck Todd worries that Pelosi's speech will make her the "target" of GOP ads in the fall. As if she wasn't already.

Here are three Sen. Orrin Hatch statements on the abuse allegations against his former chief of staff Rob Porter.

Statement 1: Yesterday
Statement 2: 2 PM today
Statement 3: Just now pic.twitter.com/ZzmasJ4EMe

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 7, 2018

lol Chuck Todd worries that Pelosi's speech will make her the "target" of GOP ads in the fall. As if she wasn't already.

Chuck Todd is so stupid I seriously wonder if someone waters him during commercial breaks. I mean, the RNC's entire midterm playbook is (and has been for her entire tenure as Speaker and afterward) "If we haven't got anything specific on the Democrat in (insert local race here), just Photoshop 'em standing next to Pelosi."

sorry to belabor the obvious, but...so pelosi and schumer aren't in sync on this, are they? pelosi doesn't think they'll get a better chance on DACA than right now, by attaching it to the spending bill. schumer apparently either doesn't care about DACA or thinks that some sort of separate immigration deal is nigh?

Pelosi has watched the Insane Clown (aka Freedom) Caucus in action for a while now and understands what would happen to any stand-alone immigration bill if it were introduced in the House and voted purely on its own merits.

isn't it more the issue that ryan would never let it go to the floor to be voted purely on its own merits? even if there's likely a majority coalition of republicans and democrats in favor? "hastert rule" etc...

even if pelosi does think that the stand-alone bill is doomed (she may very well be right), i guess i don't understand why she's not in lockstep with schumer. it seemed like pelosi/reid made tactical moves together, for better or worse.

axl rose was right

about sessions

What defies law and common sense is Jeff Sessions himself.

— Axl Rose (@axlrose) January 17, 2018

"the majority of the issues he suffers from are very personal and intimate." ouch

I see someone's feeling the heat

Here’s the new statement from the chief of staff, saying he was “shocked” by allegations against Rob Porter: pic.twitter.com/WC7N96rH7g

— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) February 8, 2018

As was said on Twitter, "Nice to see that Captain Renault finally made four stars"

Possible solutions [to increasing polarization based on polarized news sources]:

An emphasis on reviving local news outlets, which help us break out of our national filter bubbles.
More content from businesses and employers, which have a higher level of trust than the media.

the first isn't happening so long as sinclair broadcasting is breathing

the second is a terrifying possible future

woo

In what world do businesses and employers elicit more trust than the media? I mean, I guess I trust them to tell me whatever they think will help their bottom line.

Kelly clearly can't have been 'shocked' by this as CNN now reports he's known about this for months and it's one of the reasons the guy doesn't have security clearance. (Trump on the other hand did only learn about it this week). Is Kelly done for?

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/rob-porter-white-house-who-knew/index.html

In what world do businesses and employers elicit more trust than the media?

― I'm very active in the pegasus community (Old Lunch), Thursday, February 8, 2018 3:25 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

earth 2, which is the one we appear to inhabit

https://i.imgur.com/lyfEZ4A.png

http://cms.edelman.com/sites/default/files/2018-01/2018_Edelman_Trust_Barometer_Global_Report_Jan.PDF

it's easier to trust a devil that knows he's a devil than a devil that thinks he's a saint

all alone, or in twos, the ones who really love you

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intel-committee-gop-plan-to-wall-themselves-off-from-democrats-devin-nunes-adam-schiff/

haha I just read that piece

now see that's a wall I can believe in and would fund

new board avatar

https://i.imgur.com/VMVDZDP.jpg

Kelly clearly can't have been 'shocked' by this as CNN now reports he's known about this for months and it's one of the reasons the guy doesn't have security clearance. (Trump on the other hand did only learn about it this week). Is Kelly done for?

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/rob-porter-white-house-who-knew/index.html

― akm, Thursday, February 8, 2018 3:33 PM (thirty-nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I feel like nobody wanted to be the guy to read everything to president brain stem, bring him the executive sharpie and force him to do his job so they tolerated having this piece of garbage do it for as long as possible

lol

What CNN, MSNBC and FOX News are talking about right now ... pic.twitter.com/nFjljFNZnE

— John Wagner (@WPJohnWagner) February 8, 2018

In a sign of increasing partisan hostilities, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee plan to construct a wall – a physical partition – separating Republican and Democratic staff members in the committee’s secure spaces, according to multiple committee sources. It’s expected to happen this spring.

For now, some Republican committee members deny knowing anything about it, while strongly suggesting the division is the brainchild of the committee’s chairman, Devin Nunes, R-California. “I’m not part of that decision,” said Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas. “You’ve got to talk to Devin. I don’t know what they’re trying to do one way or the other.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intel-committee-gop-plan-to-wall-themselves-off-from-democrats-devin-nunes-adam-schiff/

And they're gonna make Mexico pay for it

Let's construct the wall, and then the side of the wall which is occupied by those who initiated the wall gets napalmed. How about that.

party leader's call for bipartisanship already have an effect eh

they are literally creating a safe space to stop other people from creating safe spaces

New: House Dem leadership urging their members to vote against budget bill because it “fails to provide a path forward on protecting DREAMers"

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 8, 2018

From the House Dem whip notice:

"Unlike in the Senate, there is no agreement that the House will even consider legislation to protect DREAMers."

"By leaving this vital issue unresolved, this package leaves DREAMers isolated, without a path to resolution in the House."

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) February 8, 2018

Gee, is @SenGillibrand so busy being outraged about @alfranken that she has no time to say anything about #RobPorter, a serial wife-beater, easily blackmailed, who controlled the flow of classified information to @realDonaldTrump

— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) February 8, 2018

what on earth

its been 12 hours

House Intel feud sounds like the worst family car trip back seat sibling squabbling ever. Someone needs to pull that car over, stat.

Later, Manigault Newman — a former contestant on Trump’s former NBC reality show, “The Apprentice" - says she can’t wash her hands of the White House turmoil even though she’d like to.

“It’s not my circus, not my monkeys,” she tells Matthews. “You know, I like to say ‘not my problem,’ but I can’t say that because it’s bad.”

Matthews, looking increasingly worried, then tries to seek reassurance about the future of the Trump White House.

“I need you to say, ‘No, it’s going to be okay,' ” Matthews says.

“No, it’s not going to be okay, it’s not,” Manigault Newman responds.

Matthews lets out a big sigh.

“It’s so bad,” Manigault Newman says.

"i mean, they hired me," says Manigault Newman, pausing for emphasis. "Think about it."

I almost get the feeling they never hired her, she just showed up every day (like Michael Wolff) and everyone just assumed she worked there. I mean, her title - "director of communications at the Office of Public Liaison" - that's clearly not a real position.

she and wolff just kind of walked in together one day and both said that the other had cleared it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU6m5UqLx9M

In better news, erstwhile metalhead and health justice advocate Tim Faust wrote a very good thing today.

“Healthcare over politics” is easy to tweet when you don’t have to spend dozens of hours a week pleading with insurers for basic care. It is the domain of those who view justice as the result of incremental policy fixes, debated about in salons by Very Serious People compromising to build a mythical Third Way toward a shared goal—a notion of America as debate club. While the dweebs twiddle their thumbs and hope for a slightly better tomorrow, they ignore the brutality and severity of the consequences forced upon the masses by Republicans who understand in their bones that politics is about manifesting power. Health justice — the reform of 18% of our national economy — is inherently political. These are the policy choices which determine who is permitted to live and die in America; whose suffering is afforded dignity; whose bodies are made safe to inhabit.

Sherman's on a roll

Trump is furious that Kelly did not tell him about Porter abuse allegations for months, sources say. Kushner and Ivanka discussing who could replace Kelly as chief of staff. https://t.co/benL2hKSL3

— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) February 8, 2018

Hicks continued to defend Porter in private, a source said, telling people she thinks the allegations aren’t true. In recent weeks, Trump has been angry at Hicks for her role in approving interviews with Michael Wolff

I dunno sounds like weak cover for prez