USA Politics (redux)

[T. D.]

I could link to the Washington Post article they quote or the Politico article they quote, but this deserves to be delivered Wonkette style:

and quoting (almost) in full:

Republican Senators Say 'Mean Tweets' Disqualify Biden Nominees. Make Your Own Joke, We're Fresh Out.

"The Republicans don't want to confirm "partisan" nominees to positions in the Biden administration? Really? REALLY?

Republicans are currently having a tantrum over the news that President-elect Joe Biden is nominating Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget because she said mean stuff about them on Twitter.

"I think, in light of her combative and insulting comments about many members of the Senate, mainly on our side of the aisle, that it creates certainly a problematic path," Texas Sen. John Cornyn said, calling Tanden "radioactive" and Biden's "worst nominee so far." After four years of pretending not to see the president's latest incendiary tweets, Republicans sat down with Hooked on Phonics over the holiday weekend and are suddenly able to read. Hosanna! And boy howdy are they offended.

"She's been pretty partisan in some of her previous positions. And in many cases, with respect to Republican senators who would have to vote on her potential nomination," South Dakota's John Thune told Politico, while Ohio's Rob Portman, who once headed the OMB himself, tut-tutted, "Of all the jobs, that's one where I think you would need to be careful not to have someone who's overtly partisan."

Russ Vought, the current head of OMB, was confirmed by a Republican Senate despite having said in 2016 that "Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned."

He was preceded in the position by Mick Mulvaney, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus. The same Mick Mulvaney who once described Social Security as a Ponzi scheme. The same Mick Mulvaney who accused Planned Parenthood of "trafficking in pieces of dead children." The same Mick Mulvaney who came before the American people and announced that the government had looked and looked, and the only place they could find to host the G-7 meeting was at Trump's Doral hotel. The same Mick Mulvaney who used his position to put a hold on congressionally allocated defense funds for Ukraine — you may remember something about that? — because the president was trying to squeeze that country into investigating Joe Biden.

And while we're on the subject of partisan nominees, let's talk about John Ratcliffe, the current Director of National Intelligence. Ratcliffe, who used his position on the House Intelligence Committee to run interference for Trump during the impeachment, accused Democrats of fabricating evidence in the Russia investigation, and publicly mischaracterized former DOJ employee Lisa Page's testimony about the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Ratcliffe's first nomination to DNI was scuttled after it emerged that he'd lied on his resume. The Senate only confirmed him, despite his lack of legally mandated qualifications, because otherwise Trump was going to keep that nasty Twitter troll Ric Grenell in the position indefinitely.

Grenell, perhaps the least diplomatic person alive, was confirmed 56-41 as ambassador to Germany, where he immediately set about offending one of our staunchest allies.

Mike Pompeo, who led the Benghazi hearings to prove that Hillary Clinton was somehow responsible for an attack on an embassy halfway around the world, sailed through his confirmation to head the CIA and later as secretary of State. The same Republican Senate that sat on Merrick Garland's nomination for a year was happy to bless the elevation of various purse designers, coal magnates, dermatologists, and rich donors to represent our country abroad.

Leave aside the fact that these assholes had zero problem with Trump withholding his tax returns. Forget even that the president's son-in-law, whose portfolio includes "everything," had such skeevy secrets he couldn't get a security clearance without a shove from the president.

We've got a coal lobbyist running the EPA, an oil lobbyist as Interior secretary, a corporate lobbyist running the Department of Labor, a Transportation secretary whose family runs a shipping company, a lawyer for the steel industry as the US Trade Representative, a Commerce secretary who still hasn't managed to divest himself of all his various business interests, an Energy secretary who represented an automobile trade association, and we'd still have a former Raytheon lobbyist at Defense if Trump could manage to keep help for more than five minutes.

And while we're on the topic, Republicans didn't give a rat's ass if Trump used "acting" staffers to indefinitely evade the Senate's right to vote on nominees to top jobs.

It doesn't make a damn bit of difference who Biden nominates. The GOP is already announcing its plans to obstruct the incoming administration at every turn — albeit usually less idiotically than Josh Hawley.

Senate Republicans manifestly do not care about conflicts of interest or partisanship or actual qualifications for the job. Neera Tanden is a qualified labor economist who called them names, and now they're going to sulk and play the victim. Third verse, same as the first."

The fish rots from the head. Who makes/shares more mean Tweets than Cheeto Mussolini?

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/trump-considers-2024-campaign-kickoff-on-inauguration-day.html

[Todd]

A Teeny-Tiny Debt Sale Breathes Life Into Venezuela's Markets

Progress?

OK, technically, this is about the Venezuelan economy and markets, but now gringo currency is all official like down there.  Why, I wonder, were the securities not issued in Euros? 

[drogulus]

     Barr is still with us, so everyone can relax for the time being. That has me wondering if there was more to the meeting than Trump raging at his traitorous AG. Might Barr have had his own message to deliver? Who says he's not the Keeper of Secrets?
     

[T. D.]

     Barr is still with us, so everyone can relax for the time being. That has me wondering if there was more to the meeting than Trump raging at his traitorous AG. Might Barr have had his own message to deliver? Who says he's not the Keeper of Secrets?
   

It's surely folly to micro-analyze the statements of massive liars, but FWIW (which is to say, squat):

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/02/white-house-refuses-to-say-trump-has-faith-in-william-barr.html

When she was asked if Trump has spoken to Barr since his interview with the AP, McEnany said, "I'm not aware if they've spoken."

"I know the attorney general was here yesterday for a pre-planned meeting with the chief of staff [Mark Meadows] and they discussed an array of issues but i'm not aware if the president has spoken to him directly," McEnany said.

[BasilValentine]

A Teeny-Tiny Debt Sale Breathes Life Into Venezuela's Markets

Progress?

OK, technically, this is about the Venezuelan economy and markets, but now gringo currency is all official like down there.  Why, I wonder, were the securities not issued in Euros?

Could it have to do with what was in use already in the black market?

[Todd]

Could it have to do with what was in use already in the black market?

I do not know.  Do you know?  If so, how?

[drogulus]

Could it have to do with what was in use already in the black market?

     You're just wondering.

     I know the article says this:

The exchange in recent years has served mostly as a vehicle for Venezuelans to buy securities they hoped would protect against the almost daily depreciation in the local currency amid a staggering economic collapse.

     

[drogulus]

     What's next for the Trump cult?

     

     George Conway tweets helpfully:

it's as though he's in the bunker, his days numbered, directing ministers to destroy bridges and factories, and ordering generals to attack with armies that no longer exist

     I know it looks like that. Money is on his mind, though, hundreds of millions that will end up being used to bail out the debt-ridden Trump empire and pay for acres of expensive lawyering.

[MusicTurner]

"... a patriotic pop-up book, now a collector's item ..."

https://twitter.com/trump_see/status/1334563474773602315

Psalm 91 ("Pslam 91"):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091&version=NIV

[SimonNZ]

Not The Onion:

Roger Stone Says North Korean Boats Delivered Ballots Through Maine Harbor As Trump Boosts Fraud Claims

[Karl Henning]

Not The Onion:

Roger Stone Says North Korean Boats Delivered Ballots Through Maine Harbor As Trump Boosts Fraud Claims

On one hand, this us idiocy which doesn't pass the sniff test.
On t'other, 46.9% of the US electorate lap up this whacko shite.

[SimonNZ]

And on the third hand, let me show you this globe, Roger, indicating the US ports closest to North Korea...

[Karl Henning]

Nope, absolutely no sign of the lame needle-pecker orange man trying to steal the election here:

Wisconsin Supreme Court declines to hear Trump campaign challenge to election results

[Karl Henning]

And on the third hand, let me show you this globe, Roger, indicating the US ports closest to North Korea...

He knows the geographical literacy of his target audience ....

[BasilValentine]

And on the third hand, let me show you this globe, Roger, indicating the US ports closest to North Korea...

Globe? You think they're falling for that spherical earth BS? Not a chance.

[Karl Henning]

Globe? You think they're falling for that spherical earth BS? Not a chance.

(* chortle *)

[T. D.]

On one hand, this us idiocy which doesn't pass the sniff test.
On t'other, 46.9% of the US electorate lap up this whacko shite.

How many of the above (emphasis added) lappers up of whacko shite could locate North Korea on a map?

[71 dB]

I should stay away from this thread, but Giuliani farting is too funny to ignore. 

https://www.youtube.com/v/f6l36qCnQ5E

Empire in decline...

[T. D.]

I should stay way from this thread, but Giuliani farting is too funny to ignore. 

Empire in decline...

Thanks for posting this! I'll refrain from further comment...

[71 dB]

Thanks for posting this!

You're welcome!  0:)