Thursday, June 15, 2017

John Thune Ends The Christmas Truce


One of the saddest aspects of the last 24 hours has been the fact that pretty everyone knew that all of the fine and flowery talk of Unity and Coming Together --
Trump calls for unity after GOP baseball shooting
-- was really just so much Beltway bunkum.

Just so much occasion-appropriate ritual moonshine that politicians have trained their mouths to utter:

But for me the most surreal facet so far was seeing Mike Barnicle -- about whom I have written many brutally honest things in the past -- actually fire up his lone, recessive "journalism" gene and ask Republican Senator John Thune how he felt about backing up his fine and flowery talk of Unity and Coming Together with a single, simple act of good faith.

How about letting the Democrats with whom you are now United have a look-see at the health care debacle you and the rest of your Republican pals are cooking up in secret?

Thune's answer?  

Oh hell no, but we have some empty bipartisan consolation prizes that we'd be delighted to let Democrats play with.  (h/t Susie Madrak at Crooks & Liars)


As to the rest of Morning Joe, let's just say that if it were possible to convert sanctimony and hypocrisy into electricity, today Squint and the Meat Puppet and all their little friends could have single-handedly powered the entire Eastern Seaboard.  

You see, understanding what is broken in our country it actually very simple.

To win elections, Republicans built themselves a Pretty Hate Machine which in now running completely out of control and which they are incapable of shutting off.  And for ratings and money, the Beltway media that enables the Republicans' Pretty Hate Machine have sealed themselves inside an "Always Blame Both Sides For Everything" panic room which they obdurately refuse to leave no matter what.

And until at least one of these two engines of ruin is smashed beyond repair, no matter how many times we pause for a few moments after a bloody tragedy to sing "Silent Night" at each other across No-Man's Land, there can be no peace between us.  

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

They must all be madd. Just exactly how many folks would need to be 'in' on their conspiracy theory for it to be enacted the way he/they present? Good God.

Jeff said...

A bit O/T, but I've been enjoying looking at Trump's tweets with the lies edited out. Like the ones above:

1) You are witnessing . . . American . . . history - led by . . . people!

2) They . . . found . . . the . . . story. Nice

But on-topic, I'll consider being polite to Trump and Republicans when both stop insulting me with every word they say.

Maybe.

trgahan said...

"....a Pretty Hate Machine which in now running completely out of control...."

I disagree.

An out of control Pretty Hate Machine would be in revolt right now as President Stupid has reversed himself on just about every campaign promise the former Tea Party now Economically-Anxious-White-Working-Class pretends to care about. The only thing the Pretty Hate Machine's wet dream Outside Voice Fascist "Strong Man" has done so far is allow them to be openly racist is public again and make liberals cry on social media.

In exchange, the Machine is willing to make itself significantly poorer and more insecure by letting Republicans roll back government to pre-Roosevelt years (the first one, not the second) to the thundering applause of 80+ percent approval. At least the Pretty Hate Machines in Europe are demanding the safety net get "Whites Only" slapped on it before the oligarchs start punching poor people.

So I'd say the Pretty Hate Machine is actually working all very well for its Oligarchic creators. The only Republicans worried about any of this are the ones who didn't get cut in on the deal.

Habitat Vic said...

There will be no moderation of the Hate Machine from the Republicans - its laughable for me to even write that phrase. Everything I see indicates that all national level Repubs are ready to go down with the Trump Ship. Sure, they'll get nervous a year from now, assuming Dems actually get their shit somewhat together and take advantage of the (I hope) continuing anger among the proles. But dissension in the ranks and walking away from that sweet sweet billionaire campaign money and hordes of Evangelical foot soldiers? Not a fucking chance.

The "moderate" or "reasonable" Repubs give up on Trump, or hope he will exit stage left? Hell no.. tRump is a weasel. His whole life has been spent stiffing someone else with the tab, declaring bankruptcy, using other people's money - basically moving on to the next scam and never looking back.

Mueller gets ready to bring actual charges against Trump? Fuck him, Trump will have Sessions fire Mueller if he gets too close. Ryan and McConnell will look disappointed and intone a harsh word or two - and do exactly Jack Shit. Fuck the polls and disapproval if it gets to that. So what? At the last minute - say in 2019 with a Dem House passing an Impeachment resolution (a boy can dream, no?), McTurtle will do nothing.

Christ, even if they get Donnie Two-Scoops red-handed on treason (Russia election sabotage), so what? Last minute, Trump will claim health issues, Alzheimer's onset, blame everyone/everything else, and resign for health reasons. At which point Dems will join Repubs and call for "healing" and "moving on" rather than making any Repub pay a price for what they have done to our democracy.

I think there is a hell of a bill to pay coming due for the last 40+ years of Conservative perfidy. The 99% will pay the price, as always. If we even get a chance to save our government.

Have a nice day.

Anonymous said...

"Only Repubs worried...are the ones who didn't get cut in on the deal."
Exactly.

dinthebeast said...

I'll consider being civil to them when they stop trying to kill me and 45,000 other poor people annually.
Maybe.

-Doug in Oakland

Robt said...

My nomination for the most extreme promoted and enduring "With Hunt" is ,,,,,,,,(drum roll),,,,, Benghazi.............Or was it Ben Gazzara.

It grew more legs than any centipede.

A republican Co worker came and told me a "joke" he thought was so funny. He heard it on his right wing hate radio on he way to work. He felt I was his liberal Huckleberry and was fine to provide him with someone other than his radio to converse.
This was after Giffords was shot in Arizona.
The joke;
"did you hear about the liberal congresswoman shot? Boy those Liberals are hard to kill. You can shoot them in the head and they can still survive".
(laughing at his own joke after telling it to me)

I asked, Do you think 7 year old girl shot and killed was able to decide if she was liberal or conservative? I think even though Giffords was a Democrat. Are you of the opinion that a Democratic congresswoman would not have conservative constituents?

At the time, Newt and others put out the word that the shooter was a liberal.
And the NRA was fairly silent except to point out if they all had guns, it would never have happened.
As at the GOP baseball practice, there was a armed security team.

The difference in one side view of this is,
At the Giffords shooting. There was folks armed and later said they could not get a clear shot with all the people and the people jumped the shooter when he reloaded.
-Where at the GOP ball field,
None of the GOP players were packing like the insist all of us should. They had armed security and they all ran away.

Their was one Congressman interviewed, who stated him and his son ran and ducked behind something. And he had to make clear, "his son was so brave" while they hid behind and took cover. "So brave"
Not sure what that is about? It is not like anyone expected his kid to be a hero in this. Nor did anyone mention cowardice . That congressional comment was just WIERD.

Dylan Roof, Giffords shooter, GOP ball field shooter, All the Planned Parent Hood shooter, the Dr Tiller shooter, Et Al... Have mental illness in common.
So let us omit mental illness coverage in health care. let us repeal Obama's very moderate mental illness screening when purchasing weapons.

So when "get -Gummermint- out of the way and small Gov't enthusiastic GOPers use big Gov't to Nake America Great, Again"
The Greatness of America I noticed has a different definition that how I define the meaning.