Open Thread for Monday, August 24, 2015

Biden at the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting, way back in 2006.

Biden at the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting, way back in 2006.

Some things to chat about if you’re so inclined:

  1. Markets down sharply after chaotic day — What does it all mean, Mr. Natural? I like this advice from the WSJ: Advice After Stock Market Drop: Take Some Deep Breaths, and Don’t Do a Thing
  2. Joe Biden Is Leaning Toward a 2016 Run — He keeps leaning a little more, and a little more… I hope he doesn’t fall over. And how about that meeting with Elizabeth Warren — who was courting whom, and what was being proposed? Don’t know about you, but I’d like to see him run. POTUS may not be too averse to the idea, either.
  3. U.S. train heroes get highest French honor for ‘lesson in courage’ — Enjoying this story. Very proud of these guys. Hollande gave them the Legion d’honneur.
  4. Abuse reports, cases spike at DSS — But the agency is still short-handed.

Or… whatever y’all would like to talk about…

11 thoughts on “Open Thread for Monday, August 24, 2015

  1. Norm Ivey

    Biden seems like a not-Sanders-but-at-least-he’s-not-Hillary candidate. Not sure he beats Jeb or Walker.

    1. Bryan Caskey

      If he could somehow pull off 16 consecutive years as VP, that would be the most Biden thing ever.

  2. Lynn Teague

    I wish I could erase from my mind the memory of Joe Biden chairing the Anita Hill hearings, a good-ol’-boy, smirking, showing very little respect for Hill or her testimony. Perhaps it was just the last belated expression of his adolescence.

    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      That’s not the problem I had with the hearings. The problem I had with the hearings was that we were considering a nominee for the highest court in the land, and hearing about pubic hairs and Long Dong Silver.

      I know that for many, many of my female friends this was some wonderful occasion that is still celebrated, here in the Midlands, with Anita Hill parties.

      For me, the whole thing dragged the republic just a bit lower…

      I’m all for stopping and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. I don’t see why we have to get into the salacious details in front of a Senate committee considering a Supreme Court nomination…

      1. Lynn Teague

        I find it even more annoying that a supervisor would harrass a professional colleague with that nonsense, and yet more annoying that someone of so little character and substance would be nominated for the Supreme Court. Given, however, that those things happened, opposing his nomination was a reasonable thing to do, and (assuming those nominating pay no attention to serious warning signs during initial vetting) the place that one opposes a nominee for the Supreme Court is in Senate hearings.

        I also think you badly misunderstand the nature of the Anita Hill parties. (Yes, I attend.) They certainly do not celebrate those wretched Senate hearings. I don’t know of anyone who thinks they were “wonderful.” They are a response to, not a celebration of, those hearings.

        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          Perhaps I do — misunderstand. There is much that is beyond me. Perhaps what I have perceived in some as glee was something else.

          But I really don’t care who was to blame — Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, the Bush administration, Joe Biden, Strom Thurmond or Long Dong Silver.

          It all added up to an unseemly spectacle, and a low point for the country. I’d be sorry to see anything like it in the future…

            1. Brad Warthen Post author

              Well… a party is a party — except when it’s a political party, when it sucks.

              Perhaps if I were invited to such parties, I would understand.

              But that might be a bad idea. I might be a wet blanket, muttering in the corner, nursing a glass of grog, decrying the decline of civilization…

              Besides, the first of these were at Kit’s house, right?

              I’ve got a bone to pick with her and the rest of that cabal against strong mayor…

            2. Brad Warthen

              Please, please, please make no mistake — I have nothing but opprobrium for the sort of blackguard who would introduce such subjects in conversation with a lady.

              But my disapproval is not that of a feminist — far from it. It’s more that of a Regency period gentleman. Think Mr. Darcy, who would regard such behavior as insupportable…

          1. bud

            It all added up to an unseemly spectacle, and a low point for the country. I’d be sorry to see anything like it in the future…
            -Brad

            I can think of many much, much, much lower points. There were dozens during the Bush Jr. presidency alone. Besides, what was so unseemly? Does everything we do have to conform to some artificial standards of decency? Just questions about specific behavioral. Megan Kelly just questioned Donald Trump about his calling women pigs and other assorted nastiness. Life is full of “unseemly” dialog. Don’t be such a stuffy old fossil. People say stuff. It’s time we accept it and not get all squeamish. I for one would rather hear the cuss words on TV than a bunch of bleeps.

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