Open Thread for Tuesday, July 16, 2019

"I've called you all hear today to announce..." Oops! wrong photo...

“I’ve called you all hear today to announce…” Oops! wrong photo…

Some things I’ve been meaning to post about the last few days, but have been too busy:

  1. Mark Sanford considers presidential run against Trump — Yikes. Beyond that, this one actually has me speechless. Of all the people out there in the GOP who probably SHOULD run — John Kasich, anyone? — this is what we get. He may run against him, and he may even do it for the right reasons (and not just, you know, for revenge). But he’s still, well, Mark Sanford….
  2. What’s up with ‘Prime Day,’ anyway? — Did any of y’all participate in this attempt to have a Black Friday in July? Did you get a good deal, or do you just feel manipulated and maybe even duped?
  3. Trump’s racist Tweets — Were they racist, or just nativist… or xenophobic? Or is that a distinction without a difference? In any case, they were stupid, crude and beyond the bounds of decent society — in other words, par for the Trump course. What bugs me is that, by attacking AOC et al., he’s distracted from the previous story I really wanted to talk about, which is…
  4. What Is Nancy Pelosi Thinking? — I thought this was a pretty stupid headline on a usually smart podcast — “The Argument” at the NYT. It refers to her coming down on the young folks who call themselves “the Squad.” Well, I’ll tell you what she’s thinking: Shes thinking she likes having a Democratic majority. You know what gave her a Democratic majority? Moderate Democrats beating Republican incumbents in purple districts. AOC didn’t do squat to help in this goal — she beat a Democratic incumbent — and daily she does all she can to endanger those essential moderates in the next election. At any other time, I would say freshmen should be seen and not heard, and not even seen much for that matter. At this moment, it goes double. Anyway, that’s what the speaker’s thinking…
  5. How Nikki went to the UN, and Henry got to be governor — You already pretty much know the story: Trump owed McMaster something fierce, for being the first statewide elected official in the country to endorse his presidential bid. And Henry wanted to be governor. So Trump made Nikki Haley, a person with no known qualifications for the job, the nation’s ambassador to the U.N. Anyway, it’s spelled out in narrative form in that book you keep hearing about.
  6. ‘I don’t care if they have to stay in these facilities for 400 days’ — Jaime Harrison, who’s running against him, brought my attention to this quote from Lindsey Graham about not caring if detainees at the border have to stay locked up. It’s a bit more nuanced than that — he was talking about a subset of men he claims are criminals. But that’s usually Trump’s excuse, too. We know for whom the dog whistle blows. It’s not for people who do nuance.

400 days

101 thoughts on “Open Thread for Tuesday, July 16, 2019

  1. Brad Warthen Post author

    After posting this, I went for a walk — 13,801 steps so far today — and started listening to “The Argument” podcast referenced above.

    And I’m stunned that the headline, “What is Nancy Pelosi Thinking?,” is an accurate reflection of the discussion. There is a distinct “what’s wrong with her (Pelosi, not AOC!)?” vibe, particularly from Michelle Goldberg, who actually seems to think that AOC and the Squad are some sort of positive force in the world, and shouldn’t be discouraged.

    Which to me seems like a position you would take only if you WANT Trump to be re-elected. Which I think Ms. Goldberg would insist is not the case…

    I also listened to another NYT podcast, “The Daily,” which reviewed the whole drama of the last couple of weeks, right up to Trump’s baiting tweets.

    And I was stunned by the lack of insight I heard there as well. It was actually suggested that Trump is trying to “drive a wedge” between Democrats…

    Say WHAT? He’s trying to do the precise OPPOSITE, and it’s WORKING!

    For a few days there, Nancy Pelosi’s campaign to let the world know that the Squad is only four votes and in no way represents the Democratic Party was getting coverage, and traction.

    So Trump tossed in a couple of grenades, of the sort that would force Pelosi and all other Democrats to EMBRACE AOC et al., and complain that Trump is being beastly to them.

    And that is what has happened. And so the Trump strategy of making the Squad the poster children of the Democratic Party is back on track.

    And it amazes me that anyone would have trouble seeing that…

    1. bud

      Wow what is amazing is that you really missed the point on this whole Democratic squabble. Pelosi WAS being very disrespectful to these young congresswomen and it WAS a problem of the Speaker’s making. The so called squad was rightfully upset that the Democratic controlled House voted in favor of giving Trump $4.5 billion without any guarantee as to how he would spend that money. THAT is what is stunning. And it was 90 something Democrats NOT 4 who voted no on that awful piece of legislation. For a person who is regarded as a good head counter Pelosi should know the difference between 90 and 4. So the squad as is their right as members of congress had their say. (To say that they should be seen and not heard is pretty insulting) And Pelosi acted like the octogenarian spoiled woman of privilege
      that she is and called them names. Not Nancy’s finest hour.

      But regardless of whose fault this was Trump did the Dems a favor by jumping into the middle of the circular firing squad. The Dems are now somewhat united and will vote unanimously on a meaningless measure to condemn the President for his racist remarks. Not sure how Trump’s racism helps his cause but I guess in the bizarre world of the false-equivalency crowd black can sometimes be white.

  2. Doug Ross

    I think I mentioned last week that Trump’s best strategy would be to meet with AOC and give her the perception of power. He took the opposite approach and has achieved the same effect. But the socialist genie is out the bottle now and Pelosi and Biden have no good way to counter it without coming across as relics of the old days. Every time Joe says “No Medicare for All”, he loses votes or, at best, puts a damper on voter enthusiasm. Every time Pelosi tries to minimize the new Gang of Four, she helps them play the victim card. Trump’s best ally in his path to re-election is AOC. And there is nothing old school Democrats can do about it now.

    1. bud

      Doug you are waaaaaaaaaaaay overthinking this. Trump likely wins with a healthy economy. He loses with even a modest bit of bad economic news. To suggest he has any actual “strategy’ is laughable.

      1. Brad Warthen Post author

        No, it isn’t. He has a certain low, animal cunning, and a deadly accurate sense of what his base likes, and some sense also of what can make the Democrats unattractive to people in the middle.

        And driving home the idea that “AOC is the Democratic Party, and all Democrats are AOC” is the way to do it…

        And doing something as gross as this “go back to your own country” thing is the PERFECT way to get Democrats to close ranks and reinforce that message…

        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          … while simultaneously delighting his base.

          The fact that Dems are calling him “racist” rather than, say, “nativist” just makes it perfect for him. (Not as many people are familiar with “nativist.”)

          The squad, showing their own gross tonedeafness, TRIED playing the race card against Pelosi, and enough people jumped down their throats that they may think twice before doing it again.

          But when they call TRUMP “racist,” Dems gather around and agree, and his base gets indignant, and Trump is having a good day…

          1. bud

            Trump just isn’t that savy. To suggest he has some sort of cunning is preposterous. He’s nothing but a reality star TV carnival barker. Trump’s base loves him not matter what he says be it somewhat sensible as he did on July 4 or completely disgusting as he did a couple of days ago it just doesn’t matter to them. This narrative of stimulating his base is just nonsense. They are self stimulated just by the man’s grotesque persona. As for the Dems, they will unite. They will squabble with or without Pelosi to stir them up. But ultimately they are united by Trump’s grossness. Brad you and Doug are just inventing ways to see how meaningless stuff actually matters. Trump wins or loses on the strength of the economy and nothing anyone says or does really matters. But I guess if you need to talk about something go ahead and have at it. But it’s all just window dressing. The monthly jobs report will decide this election.

            1. Brad Warthen Post author

              “Trump wins or loses on the strength of the economy and nothing anyone says or does really matters.”

              Well then why don’t we all just stop and forget all this and wait and check on the day after Election Day to see who won, since it’s all about the economy and nothing anyone can say or do will actually cause any little gray cells in the heads of voters to THINK before voting…

              Everybody could save SO much money and energy…

              1. bud

                Yep. This election truly is about turnout and a teeny slice of undecideds who will vote based on the economy. Hey I like a good political discussion about what matters and what doesn’t but the nation is so extremely polarized I can’t imagine that something like the word “socialism” or “racism” or even if Trump is a sexual predator (he is) matters. Or whether Biden’s health plan is good or bad. But if it somehow makes you feel like some sort of big time pundit to pretend that AOC is somehow a net negative in the presidential election there is nothing I can do to change your mind. But it’s crystal clear to me that AOC will absolutely NOT be a factor in next year’s election.

              2. Doug Ross

                Trump likely knows the economy can’t stay on this roll and the best way to win is to position himself as the supposed protection against socialism driving the economy into the tank. So if he runs against Bernie or Warren, he can’make it all about the fear of massive overhaul. If he runs against Biden, he can’t. I think he would be more concerned about Harris or Buttigieg… But no matter what it’s going to come down to turnout in five or six states.

                1. Bill

                  I’d like to dream that America is ready for a black woman or gay man as president,and given a huge turnout that could happen,but my gut says,no,get real;and I always go with my gut…

                2. bud

                  Trump likely knows the economy can’t stay on this roll and the best way to win is to position himself as the supposed protection against socialism driving the economy into the tank.
                  -Doug

                  LOL. That is the most utterly ridiculous thing I’ve heard in a long time. You talk as if Trump is actually some savvy political mind who is carefully planning all this to some electoral effect. He’s just a ridiculous Jim Jones buffoon who happens to enthrall about 60 million voters. Another 65 million are never going to vote for him. No one is going to vote out of fear that the country will become griped by socialism. We already have socialism in many, many ways. What do you think the military is? It’s certainly not a giant military corporation. Or our roads, public schools, Medicare. If the economy tanks the remaining 5 million will break for the Democrat. It really is that simple.

                3. Doug Ross

                  Sure, bud. Everyone across the country is waiting to shut down all the major components of the u.s. economy and turn it all over to the government.

                  You seriously think Trump doesn’t have a staff that is testing out all sorts of strategies? Do you think he became a billionaire solely by his own actions? He hires people to do the thinking for him. Just like every Democrat does. You think Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren would exist without a huge staff of consultants?

                  1. Brad Warthen Post author

                    “You seriously think Trump doesn’t have a staff that is testing out all sorts of strategies?”

                    He probably does, but all the signs point to his not listening to them, and going with his gut.

                    He and his crowd are under great scrutiny by an army of journalists, but no one has identified the Atwater or Rove or other Rasputin behind him. For awhile people thought it was Steve Bannon. Sometimes people point to that creepy twerp Stephen Miller.

                    But there doesn’t seem to be a Svengali. It really seems to be Trump following his own instincts as a self-promoter…

                4. Doug Ross

                  Well, if he’s a one man show, it’s worked for him so far. I think he relies on his children as advisers (going back to his Trump, Inc. days) and they in turn farm out certain activities to consultants. There’s no way Trump has been involved in everything, all the time.

                  Trump works under the notion that there is no such thing as bad press. He thrives off the limelight. His greatest fear in life is being ignored or irrelevant.

                  1. Bill

                    His racism and bullying didn’t work in the 2018 midterms,and the more he continues with this stchick,the more pathetic he looks.Look at all the republicans going with him through their tacit(and not so)endorsements.What cowards.

                    “The same people you misuse on your way up,you might meet up,on your way down.”

                5. Doug Ross

                  Republicans still control Senate and likely will in 2020. Do you seriously think Trump cares about Congress? Until they get a veto proof majority, he’s still in control.

                  If he’s a racist, he’s doing a terrible job of it.

                  https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-celebrates-black-history-month/2019/02/21/ccfe6bdd-a258-427d-a675-a408bdd345f2_video.html?utm_term=.428d74ef1f76

                  He’s an America-first zealot… xenophobe, sure. He’s not a racist or misogynist. Every time liberals go off the deep end by throwing those terms around, it devalues their true meaning.

        2. JesseS

          Animal like cunning? No, he’s just cunning enough to persuade people to act like animals. This is the same guy who handed out glossy nudes of his mistress for his friends to paw at.

          All you gotta do is Just keep juggling shiny objects while everyone is relieved of dignity.

          1. Brad Warthen Post author

            And of course, last night his supporters chanted “send her back.”

            Does everyone understand now what Hillary Clinton was talking about when she said “deplorables?”…

            1. David T

              Unlike what Democrats constantly say about Trump. How long do you think a fat Hillary or Obama baby would have lasted? Call Trump an Orangutan and nothing is said, call Obama a chimp and you’re labeled a racist, call Hillary a Hilderbeast and you’re called offensive.

      2. Doug Ross

        Let’s see how Nancy and Joe respond over the next six months… You understand that it’s not just Trump thinking this stuff up, right? Remember Willie Horton? John McCain’s black child? There are people using focus groups and analytics to figure out what messages will influence the voters in the way they want. The Democrats do the same thing. Trump’s worst case scenario would be AOC shutting up for a month.. he wants to run against a socialist.

          1. Brad Warthen Post author

            He was nice about it, of course, giving AOC a pat on the head while backing Nancy:

            “I think the freshman, particularly AOC, is smart as hell, really bright and really a value-added to the party in terms of her pushing the edges and pushing and pushing,” Biden said in an interview recorded Monday and televised Tuesday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

            “But Nancy knows what she’s doing,” he said. “I think she’s doing a masterful job. I have great respect for her.”

            1. Brad Warthen Post author

              Joe’s too nice to come right out and say “STFU” to the Peanut Gallery. His style is more to pat the kids on the head for being SO smart and caring SO much and trying SO hard… while being clear that they don’t represent his party…

            2. bud

              Hmm, patting her on the head? Isn’t that the kind of inappropriate touching that got him into trouble a few weeks back. 🙂

        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          “You understand that it’s not just Trump thinking this stuff up, right? Remember Willie Horton? John McCain’s black child?”

          And Doug, I hope YOU understand that what is different, is unique, is appalling about this moment in history is that POTUS himself is openly saying these things. Trump has taken our politics over a cliff.

          The Willie Horton and McCain attacks were things done by underlings with plausible deniability, with no one’s fingerprints on the deeds.

          Before 2016, it was understood that you couldn’t be caught red-handed SAYING such things and ever hope to be elected to anything. And now, that is completely changed. Because of Trump, and the people who voted for him and would do so again…

          1. bud

            Plausible deniability? Really? What a disgusting defense of two really terrible attacks. You really do give Republicans too damn much credit. And now we’re stuck with Trump.

  3. Brad Warthen Post author

    Note what Kasich said about Trump’s tweets: “What @realDonaldTrump said about Democrat women in Congress is deplorable and beneath the dignity of the office.”

    “Deplorable,” huh?

    Presumably, the people in his base who are eating this stuff up are also deplorable. Stands to reason, right?

    So… how many of them does it take to make up a rhetorical “basket?”

  4. bud

    Time for my new updated presidential rankings. Like before I’ll have 5 categories. With Swalwell out I’ll add Montana Governor Steve Bullock to make it an even 20.

    Top Tier
    Elizabeth Warren
    Kamala Harris
    Julian Castro
    Corey Booker
    Jay Inslee

    Second Tier
    Pete Buttigieg
    Amy Klobuchar
    Michael Bennet
    Beto O’Rourke
    Tulsi Gabbard

    Third Tier
    Joe Biden
    Steve Bullock
    Andrew Yang
    Kirsten Gillibrand
    Bernie Sanders

    Bottom Tier
    Tim Ryan
    Marriane Williamson
    Bill de Blasio
    John Delaney
    Steve Hickelooper

    I’m a bit shocked that I moved both Biden and Sanders up to the third tier. I have many, many reservations about both, especially their ridiculous age, but at the end of the day they are polling the best against Trump and that counts for a lot. Since I’m a man of my word and electability counts a great deal I had to move them up.

    1. David T

      Brad, is Bill your new music director for the blog? Maybe you can give him a title like Blog DJ, I don’t quite understand the need to embed a music clip with every comment.

      1. Bill

        You know what they say:God exists to prove music is real and
        ‘Music is the healing force of the universe’ (Albert Ayler)
        John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) Rest in Peace:

        1. David T

          I find it annoying as hell, especially since I don’t appreciate your crappy taste in music. You’re like what happened to MTV in the early 1990’s.

            1. David T

              So what’s the purpose of this guy embedding a crappy music video into everyone of his posts?

  5. Karen Pearson

    I wonder what John McCain would say to Graham these days.

    Bud, consider what Doug has said about voting democratic unless the democratic nominee is Warren. His position seems to be rather narrow, but I think whoever runs will have to appeal (or at least not repel) moderates as well. That why I tend to think Buttigieg or Klobuchar. I may like Warren and Harris, but I suspect they would repel too many people. I don’t agree with some of their more extreme positions, but I realize that the president is not a dictator, and will not get everything s(he) asks for. It makes me less worried about more extreme candidates. But I would prefer to see a more moderate one nominated.

    1. bud

      Karen I do consider that. But I also know that there are people, including some family members, who just won’t vote for Joe Biden. I doubt they will vote for Trump but instead may go stay home or go Green. And that’s the tricky thing. As noted above I don’t think the choice of candidate matters much (other stuff like AOC not at all) but they might matter a teeny tiny bit. But how is the dilemma. Polling suggests Biden is the best guy right now. That could be a name recognition thing.

          1. Brad Warthen Post author

            Doug, I’m not an expert on this, but isn’t day-old Jello every bit as good as hour-old Jello? Or however old Jello needs to be to have solidified so it’s ready to eat…

  6. Mr. Smith

    Just to put things (back) in perspective: In terms of actual policies, AOC and “the Squad” are not significantly to the left of, say, Lyndon Johnson. In other words, they are not extremists. They are part of the big Democratic “family,” not some kind of aberration to be quarantined. Medicare/Medicaid, the Great Society programs, etc. were the “socialism” of their day. Proposals for ANY type of government action will be portrayed by some the same way both now and in the future.

    But regardless of your position on that, as Robert Kagan (no lefty, he) writes:
    “Trump has given us a binary choice: Either stand with American principles, which in this case means standing in defense of the Squad, or equivocate, which means standing with Trump and white nationalism. […] Our nation won’t be undermined by anything the Squad has said or done. It will be undermined if we don’t fight back against this assault on our universal principles. Disagree with the Squad, refute them, argue with them, vote against them. But also defend them, as the founders intended. The essence of our nation is at stake.”

    1. bud

      I agree. You certainly don’t insult them by saying they should be seen and not heard. Almost as insulting as what Trump said about them.

    2. Brad Warthen Post author

      Yeah, I read the Kagan piece. And he’s completely right, and that’s why this works so beautifully for Trump.

      If you believe in America — not MAGA America, but the America that truly IS great, because of what it stands for — you have to stick up for the Squad.

      If you believe in the liberal experiment — and for those who are confused, I mean liberal democracy, not the popular sense of liberal-vs.-conservative — you have to defend them and denounce Trump.

      And he’s counting on our decency. He knew which buttons to push…

      1. Barry

        I don’t understand why an individual has to wrap themselves in the flag to please Trump and Trump supporters- and qualify as a “great American” on Fox News

        I notice Fox never interviews Tammy Baldwin. Is it possible she doesn’t qualify as a great American to them and Captain Bone Spurs?

  7. Harry Harris

    Criticizing President Trump – his conduct or his policies – is not speaking against the country. He wants to equate the two, and is getting away with it in the minds of his supporters and the cowed Republican congress members. Criticizing actions the country takes or conditions within the country is not disloyalty to the nation; it’s very often the opposite.
    Another fallacious tactic oft repeated is the distortion of claiming that criticizing the Netanyahu government is anti-semitism. It’s not. One can argue against current Israeli policies and still be pro-Israel – many Israelis do. One could argue against Israel’s existence as a nation, and still not be anti-semitic, only anti-zionist.
    The division President Trump thrives on continues, with too much binary rhetoric and too little informed thought or examination of claims.

    1. Barry

      That’s not exactly new news.

      Did you see Trump’s whites only rally tonight in Greenville, NC? In a city that is 1/3 black, that was the whitest rally since white bread day at the bakery.

  8. Doug Ross

    Tonight @8 PM, CNN will air a “Debate Draft” to assign 20 candidates to one of the two nights of the next debates.

    It’s not about money. Not at all. This is BREAKING NEWS!

    Anyone who watches CNN, MSNBC, or FOX NEWS should have their vote taken away.

    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      There are two kinds of news: stuff that’s important, and stuff that interests readers/viewers.

      Sometimes news is BOTH, but much of the time it’s just one or the other.

      The duty of a journalist is to provide the first kind. But it’s not reprehensible to cover the second kind, too. It keeps people reading/watching, which means they also see your coverage of important stuff.

      All sports coverage, for instance, fits into the second category. And while I think much sports coverage is stupid and overboard and wasteful of resources, I realize it helps hold people’s attention.

      What you have here is the politics version of what I see as one of the dumber kinds of sports coverage — breathless, wall-to-wall coverage of the NFL draft.

      But in defense of it, I’ll say that some viewers would have natural, high interest in it, and it doesn’t reflect badly on them that they care about it. If you’re rooting for one of the marginal candidates — say, Tulsi Gabbard — you might want to watch and see if she makes it…

      1. Doug Ross

        They all are going to “make it”. This is just to determine which night they get. If the NFL draft is a 10 on a scale of importance, this is a 0.1.

        And this isn’t ESPN. This is supposed to be a “Cable NEWS Network”. Their middle name is News. They aren’t about news, they are about opinion and pushing an agenda.

        1. Doug Ross

          Here’s the lineup. I waited until the “show” was over:

          July 30

          Marianne Williamson
          John Delaney
          John Hickenlooper
          Tim Ryan
          Steve Bullock
          Amy Klobuchar
          Beto O’Rourke
          Pete Buttigieg
          Elizabeth Warren
          Bernie Sanders
          July 31

          Jay Inslee
          Kirsten Gillibrand
          Tulsi Gabbard
          Michael Bennet
          Bill de Blasio
          Cory Booker
          Andrew Yang
          Julián Castro
          Kamala Harris
          Joe Biden

          1. Larry Slaughter

            Why is that Tom Steyer isn’t in the debates (or even Bud’s listing of candidates by tiers)? Fund raising?

              1. Larry Slaughter

                lol. You don’t watch enough TV, Brad. He’s bought all kinds of time on TV here, clearly trying to make a name for himself in the SC primary. He also is popping up all over my online ads. Somehow, I must be his prime demographic.

  9. Harry Harris

    Initially after the Trump attack on the 4, I heard the same talking point rebuttal from at least four Republican spokesfolks – “They talked bad about him first,” followed by sweeping statements about their supposed disloyalty. The talking points squad has been refining the coordinated public comments ever since. Lindsey Graham’s outburst was the worst I heard; it earned him some kind of award in my mind. His seething anger level has been erupting a lot since the Kavanaugh business.

  10. Bill

    Speaking of Tammy(not the fat chick)…That was the first movie I saw at the Drive-In,and it was good.I listen to this to thwart the national bad vibes of tRump and his minions…

  11. Harry Harris

    My disdain for the actions and attitudes of “evangelical” Christians is still edging upward. Following the NC rally, a few of them are speaking out against language the President used. Not the hate speech. Not the prideful boasts. Not the distortions and outright lies. He used the GD word a couple of times, and that crossed a line for them. He took The Lord’s name in vain!! One even implied that God will get him if he doesn’t stop. What a disfigurement of the messages of the gospel and the teaching of Jesus. Use of a generic term for the diety coupled with a common cursword raises the ire of a so-called Christ-follower more than the hate-inciting speech that have become daily fare served up by President Trump. C’mon folks, “You knew darned well he was a snake before you took him in.”

  12. bud

    Remember when Hillary Clinton caught so much grief because she called Trump supporters “deplorables”? Frankly that term is too mild. These are just awful people. But what to expect when their racist, rapist leader behaves in such a disgusting manner. Cue Doug who will blather some nonsense like, “just keep on talking like that and Trump will get re-elected”. Anyone with a conscience must recognize this man for who he is. He needs to be called out. And so do his deplorable rally attendees. What a scary time to be alive when a huge crowd of people can shout “send her back” to an elected congresswomen who is a citizen.

    1. Harry Harris

      Actually, Hillary only said that a few of Trump’s supporters were deplorable – dumb statement to make in a private meeting – and she claimed the bulk were redeemable, but misled. The other campaign used it effectively against her, and her campaign didn’t have the savvy to effectively counter the mischaracterization.

    2. Doug Ross

      bud, you’re right. If you keep calling every Trump supporter a racist, you will not win a single extra vote. You’ve been doing it for 2.5 years with zero effect. Being outraged every day isn’t healthy.

  13. Bill

    The Snake
    On her way to work one morning.
    down the path along side the lake.
    a tender hearted woman saw a poor half frozen snake
    his pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew
    “Oh well,” she cried, “I’ll take you in and I’ll take care of you”
    “Take me in oh tender woman
    Take me in, for heaven’s sake
    Take me in oh tender woman, ” sighed the snake

    She wrapped him up all cozy in a curvature of silk
    And then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk
    Now she hurried home from work that night as soon as she arrived
    She found that pretty snake she’d taking in had been revived
    “Take me in, oh tender woman
    Take me in, for heaven’s sake
    Take me in oh tender woman, ” sighed the snake

    Now she clutched him to her bosom, “You’re so beautiful,” she cried
    “But if I hadn’t brought you in by now you might have died”
    Now she stroked his pretty skin and then she kissed and held him tight
    But instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite
    “Take me in, oh tender woman
    Take me in, for heaven’s sake
    Take me in oh tender woman, ” sighed the snake

    “I saved you,” cried that woman
    “And you’ve bit me even, why?
    You know your bite is poisonous and now I’m going to die”
    “Oh shut up, silly woman,” said the reptile with a grin
    “You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in
    “Take me in, oh tender woman
    Take me in, for heaven’s sake
    Take me in oh tender woman, ” sighed the snake.

  14. bud

    Speaking of deplorable. Rand Paul showed his true asinine side by holding up a bill to fund the 9-11 victims fund. Really? His excuse – Something about ensuring the funding is available. Seriously, what a piece of excrement this guy is. He fully endorsed a multi trillion $ tax cut that went mostly to the wealthy. And of course the debt is exploding because of it. NOT because of our brave first responders who literally gave their health and ultimately their lives to clean up after the 9-11 attacks. Too bad Paul didn’t have a genuine statesman to plagiarize. If so he might not have come across as such an ass.

    1. Doug Ross

      Yeah, bud, deficits don’t matter… taking even five minutes to discuss how to pay for the 9/11 fund is not a job for a Congressman. Just sign every spending bill into law…

      In Paul’s words:

      “I’ve spent my entire Senate career putting forward ‘pay-fors’ for any time spending is expanded. I put forward a pay-for for the border funding bill.”

      He’s not saying don’t do support the program, he’s simply saying that it should be paid for. That’s called having principles.

      1. bud

        Paul is acting in bad faith here with this self aggrandizing stunt. He never suggested how to pay for the $1.5 trillion dollar giveaway to the rich. Paul is like the teenager who shot his parents and asked the court for mercy because he was an orphan. This is a pretty inexpensive and important bill to take care of our brave first responders that should easily pass unanimously regardless of the budget implications. It’s just that important and Paul knows it will eventually pass. Paul is doing nothing but conducting a political show to draw attention to his absurd, discredited Ayn Rand version of libertarianism.

  15. bud

    Ok now that I got that off my chest (for about the millionth time) it’s time for some serious advise for the Dems. Yes absolutely call the racist rapist our for his words. But spend twice as much time discussing policy. Right now the life of the ACA hangs in the balance as SCOTUS considers, again, getting rid of it. The Dems gained 40 seats in the house and gained 7 governorships largely because voters are starting to understand the GOP really is going to deny health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions. That needs to be hammered over and over again. Throw in a few stories about caging children and maybe even a shout-out to the exploding budget deficit. The dems have some great policy issues so they don’t need to obsess over the racist rapist. But reminding the voters that Trump is a racist rapist is not a bad fact to throw into the narrative.

    1. Bill

      Doug R said Trump isn’t a racist.I’m not sure about the rapin’ part,but he’ll probably tell you,AND he is NOT a Trump supporter…
      And speaking of untimely deaths and 9/11 first-responders:Officer Michael Hance,Rest In Peace,dancing at LGBT Pride parade in 2015…

      1. Doug Ross

        Talking about one person or four people doesn’t make you a racist. The funny thing is there are more self-loathing white people who are outraged on behalf of others. How about letting those who think they are being oppressed lead the charge instead of doing it for them.

        I laughed the other day when multi-millionaire Serena Williams talked about how she was fighting for equality. There hasn’t been a better period in U.S. history for a black woman to be alive. Not one day. She has hundreds of millions of dollars coming down the pike in the next decade… maybe she should give away 95% of her wealth like Bill Gates has committed to in order to prove she’s serious. I’ll wait…

        1. Bill

          How about letting those who think they are being oppressed lead the charge instead of doing it for them.

          1. Doug Ross

            Surprised you didn’t include a clip of “We Shall Overcome” sung by LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, and Colin Powell.

              1. Doug Ross

                Yeah.. Kathy Griffin, Bette Midler, and Alyssa Milano are modern day MLK’s.

                Trying to imagine what actual victims of racism in the 60’s would think of today’s generation’s manufactured outrage. The problem isn’t the color of their skin, it’s the thinness of it.

                1. David T

                  Doug I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s sick and tired of this guy’s need to imbed video into ever single comment he makes. I’m surprised that Brad allows it, next he’ll start allowing those posts where people tell you how much money they make working from home.

                2. Doug Ross

                  Better time for John Lewis to be alive? 1969 or 2019?

                  You understand the irony of quoting someone who has benefited greatly from the ongoing progress against racism in this country? Yes, racism exists and will always exist. But to try and turn Trump (who constantly celebrates the lowest black unemployment rate in history) into George Wallace is foolish. He says dumb stuff… he’s not a racist.

        2. Brad Warthen Post author

          “How about letting those who think they are being oppressed lead the charge instead of doing it for them.”

          Actually, I prefer the opposite. When this or that group advocates purely in behalf of itself, how are we to distinguish it from the usual clamoring for advantage between peoples throughout history?

          It’s when someone who is NOT a member of your group can see the justice in the cause, and will stand up for it, that you’re really onto something…

          And that’s the thing that is essentially American, reflecting the best of who we are. Oppressed people didn’t bring about the Civil Rights Act on their own. It took LBJ and a bunch of white congressmen to do it — and they did it not for the sake of some group to which they belonged, but because it was the right thing to do.

          I sometimes wonder whether that was Peak America — because what has happened since of that magnitude that illustrates the best of what we stand for?

          1. Brad Warthen Post author

            Of course, we had an example of that in microcosm in SC in 2015. It took something horrible happening to shock SC lawmakers into decency, and they went ahead and did what they had steadfastly refused to do for decades — take down the flag…

            And of course, terrible things happened to set up the Civil Rights Act. And I’m not just talking about the obvious, the violence that greeted the movement in the early ’60s. The generation that passed the the legislation had been through the horrors of WWII, which forged them into a cohort in which everyone saw themselves as Americans before they were Democrats or Republicans. That made them willing to take political risks and work together.

            I think the Kennedy assassination also contributed, although I don’t have a sense of to what extent — I was very young at the time, and living in another country. But I see references here and there to LBJ pushing the country to achieve JFK’s unrealized goals…

            I wonder the same thing about Apollo 11 — would we have followed through on that had JFK lived? Or did we do that impossible (and when we started, it was indeed impossible given current technology) and often unpopular thing because we felt a sacred duty to the martyred leader?…

          2. Doug Ross

            Do you believe the “Squad” is being oppressed in the same way blacks were treated 50 years ago? If lynching, segregation, and the KKK are a 10 on the racist scale, what is the current level of racism in America? From the sounds of it, we’re at 11. Because some yahoos chanted something…

            1. Brad Warthen Post author

              Because some yahoos, devoted followers of the current president, shouted something inspired by HIM – something he led them to say, and they said it to cheer him on in the course he has chosen.

              We’ve never been here before. This is new, and disgusting, territory. You really can’t compare it to anything that went before, because from 1792 to 2016, no one like this was ever elected to lead our country before…

              1. Doug Ross

                We’ve been here before. Those same yahoos didn’t develop their beliefs 2.5 years ago. Do you remember George Wallace? Do you remember FDR putting Japanese Americans into camps? Remember that little kerfuffle between the North and the South in the 1860’s? Do you remember slave owning Americans who became Presidents?

                We’re supposed to believe that Trump’s dumb statements are worse than all that? Come on.

  16. Larry Slaughter

    Doug–It was not a “few yahoos;” it was an auditorium full of the along with a stage full of political leaders. It would be difficult to compare racism 50 years ago to today. But if we called racism a 5 before the 2016 election, it’s at least a 7 today.

    1. Doug Ross

      And today Trump repudiated it. Is that the work of a racist? It was a chant. It wasn’t a lynching. There are ignorant people everywhere (shockingly, in both parties).

      1. Harry Harris

        Looks like he heard from Miller and Bannon. He un-repudiated it today, again with some lies and distortions. I don’t know if he’s racist or just clever at playing the baiting game. I think it’s probably both. I, as I suspect you are, am dismayed at hearing labels thrown around. It dumbs us all down and builds the mob mentality that’s so prevalent and so useful to shallow thinkers and scoundrels.

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