Oct. 16 Open Thread: Oh, Wait, Yeah, Right…You Mean That Journalist

Filed in National, Open Thread by on October 16, 2018

The Saudis aren’t the fastest liars on the planet, that’s for sure. It took them a week to come around to “he died under questioning by rogue elements,” which ranks with only a dog eating homework and a grandmother’s funeral in the Pantheon of Lame Excuses. Turkey found more evidence of Jamal Khashoggi’s death, so total denial was no longer feasible.

Tom Carper likes to brag about what great physical shape he’s in, but Joe Biden walks the walk. His whirlwind campaign schedule brought him yesterday to nearby Burlington County, N.J., where he made a surprise visit to a popular diner in support of former Obama White House aide Andy Kim, who’s in a tight race with incumbent Tom MacArthur for the usually safe-Republican seat.

Elizabeth Warren, contrary to right-wing belief, never intended to be a politician. She was a college professor, so she has a belief that the record needs to be kept straight and facts need to win out. If she were a politician, she would have known that you don’t get in a pissing contest with a skunk. The quick adoption of the right-wing spin by the mainstream media shows how liberal it is, I suppose, and I guess everybody already assumed Trump is the sort who would welsh on a bet anyway.

I did get one right when I predicted political violence would boil over first in the Pacific Northwest, where northwoods lumber hicks and hipsters are in close proximity. While Charlottesville bears that shame, violence remains pretty close to the surface in Portland, Ore. Police there revealed they found armed white-power group members on the roof of a parking garage overlooking the site of an August protest. Right-wingers are holding such rallies hoping to draw Antifa forces precisely so they can respond with violence, as the Proud Boys did the other night in New York, where they attacked protesters after a talk by Gavin McInnes at a Republican club. Some point out that the GOP embracing violent extremists means we’re entering Stage 2 of fascism.

Lots of questions remain surrounding the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation fight. For example, Trump accuses the Democrats of leaking the letter Christine Blasey Ford sent to Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office. The evidence, however, points to a less suspected source: the White House itself. The letter leaked almost immediately after it was placed in Kavanaugh’s FBI file, so the arithmetic isn’t hard to do.

Sussex readers, take note: While most of Mexico Beach, Fla., was wiped off the face of the earth, one house stands tall amid the wreckage. The New York Times asked the guys who built the house that survived how they did it. It boils down to spending the money and exceeding code. The house is built of reinforced poured concrete and stands 10 feet off the ground on 40-foot-deep pilings, giving it the ability to withstand winds up to an estimated 250 mph. So construction costs were about double the local norm, where buildings don’t even have to meet the South Florida 175-mph standard.

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  1. jason330 says:

    The Saudis sure don;t seem to give a fuck. “he died under questioning…(in a Saudi embassy) by rogue elements (…you know…because Saudis are real outside the box, don’t ask permission, mavericks),”

    • RE Vanella says:

      Tortured to death and hacked into pieces.

      Clear and concise political writing is always best per Orwell…

      • The WWE, yes, the pro-rasslin’ folks, sold what passes for its soul to the Saudis. This crown prince, in particular. Did a show there early this year. The commentary was literally nothing more than propaganda for the prince and the new, modern, visionary Saudi government.

        They’re got a $4oo million deal with these bastards, and they’re scheduled to go back in a few weeks’ time. This is causing them some well-deserved agita:

        https://www.si.com/wrestling/2018/10/15/wwe-saudi-arabia-crown-jewel-jamal-khashoggi-controversy

        • RE Vanella says:

          Please don’t forget the Yeminis who are being starved to death by the hundreds and incinerated from the air while basically defenseless because…

          [checks notes]

          Northrop Grumman’s stock price… and…

          [turns page, scans]

          …elites have a strange hard-on for Iran and this Saudi power “keeps” them in check.

          Because we are…. The Greatest Country on Earth™

  2. bamboozer says:

    Speaking of political violence I’m surprised we have yet to see any other than Charlottesville, as noted it’s a strong indicator of the second stage of Fascism. Note the police merely took the would be snipers weapons and told them to move on, odd behavior after finding a nest of would be killers.

  3. RE Vanella says:

    My hate is 99.94% pure today. As uncontaminated as Ivory soap.

  4. RE Vanella says:

    On the bright side, I leave for the Crescent City tomorrow morning. Tickets to see Ellis Marsalis quintet at Snug Harbor Friday.

    New Orleans will brighten my mood. Laissez les bons temps rouler.

  5. bamboozer says:

    “Laissez les bons temps rouler” Admit it took me a moment……..

  6. Been rummaging through the 30-day campaign finance reports. Carper’s throwing $600 at EVERYBODY. LBR is doing her fair share. I even see a contribution or two from Kathleen Jennings, who hasn’t yet had time to amass a huge warchest.

    Nothing from Coons, Carney or Markell. Not a penny. Haven’t checked every report, but I’ve checked the competitive races. Those three ‘Dems’ are sitting it out.

    • Mitch Crane says:

      Blue Hen State & Local PAC is Chris Coons’ PAC. It has contributed to most, if not all, Democratic candidates.

      • RE Vanella says:

        With any luck, the concept of the PAC will eventually be pulverized into dust and launched out of the solar system. The entire idea is fucking gross.

  7. RE Vanella says:

    Carper’s accumulated. They call it a war chest for a reason. He needed it for war.

    That’s Kerri driven money.

  8. RE Vanella says:

    Also, rummaging through financial reports? You OK, dawg?

    • I’ve got a cold coming on. Feel weird. Weird enough to rummage through campaign reports. But, hey, my voice likely sounds even better for broadcast, if you catch my drift…

      Hate to sound like Pollyanna, but I love the reports for Allan/Shupe. Almost all the money is from Delaware, virtually no corporate money on either side. They’ve each raised around $30 K. Don Allan obviously had a $27 contribution meme. Loads of $27 donations. I’m feeling verklempt. About to break into ‘The Way We Were’. Yes, I’m feelin’ weird.

  9. nathan arizona says:

    And Dove soap used to be one-quarter cleansing cream. Now it’s one-quarter moisturizing cream. Probably a distinction without a difference. Not sure about its percentage of purity.