From Pine View Farm

2017 archive

So Much Winning 0

Dick Polman looks back over this week in the Trumpling. A snippet:

The death of the (ACA–ed.) repeal crusade — thanks to Republican dissenters Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and John McCain (at this point, what can Trump do to him?) — marks a great day for America. McCain, casting the pivotal No and atoning for his tendency to talk rebellion and vote tribally, did a big favor for the many Republicans colleagues who hated Mitch McConnell’s craven repeal manuevers but hesitated about voting No. The big lesson last night is that the Republican Senate doesn’t fear or respect Trump; in the end, it opted to humiliate him.

Indeed, humiliation turns out to be the theme of the week. Finally, we’re starting to see some pushback, on virtually all fronts . . . .

Follow the link for his list of fronts.

By the by, I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised the John McCain finally did something McMavericky. It’s been a long time coming.

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Real Big Men, Uncivil Discourse Dept. 0

Elise Viebeck discusses the bullying behavior of the macho, macho men of the Republican Party and their nasty, nasty attitudes towards women Republican. A snippet (follow the link for the rest):

In the last week, Sen. Susan Collins has been challenged by a male lawmaker to a duel. She and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, were told they and others deserve a physical reprimand for their decisions not to support Republican health-care proposals. Murkowski, who voted with Collins against starting the health-care debate this week, was specifically called out by President Donald Trump on Twitter and told by a Cabinet official that Alaska could suffer for her choice, according to a colleague.

The language of retribution increasingly adopted by Republican men reflects Trump’s influence and underscores the challenges Republican women can face when opposing the consensus of their party, which remains dominated by men, outside experts said.

I think an argument can be made that the bullying impulses have always been there in the party of family values. What has changed is that the bullies now believe Donald Trump’s ascendency has given them permission to be what they always have been.

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The Days of Whine and Poses 0

Donald Trump holding smartphone saying,

Via Juanita Jean.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

More random acts of responsible politeness . . . .

Captain Randy Lewis said the man got out of his pickup and a shotgun fell onto the ground and discharged. A pellet struck a 31-year-old man standing at the pay station in the back. He was not seriously hurt.

The elderly driver calmly paid his bill and drove off.

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Hearts and Minds 0

What Atrios said.

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QOTD 0

John Dickson Carr:

Among unthinking chroniclers it is much the fashion, at certain movements of mysticism, to embark on a reflection as to how, if it were not for such-and-such a small thing happening, then such-and-such larger thing would not have happened, until they have ultimately proved King Priam’s bootblack responsible for the fall of Troy. Which is, demonstrably, nonsense.

Carr, John Dickson, The Blind Barber (New York: Collier Books, 1962), p. 149

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And Now, a Musical Interlude 0

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Real Big Men 0

Juanita Jean.

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A Picture Is Worth 0

Drawing of three flag-drapped coffins.  Caption:  Dear Trump Supporters . . . Which one is trans?

Via PoliticalProf.

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Elie Mystal comments on Attorney-General Sessions’s latest strategy to foster racism and bigotry. A snippet:

The cynicism at the heart of the Trump administration’s war against sanctuary cities is so naked that people have stopped pointing it out. The core conceit is that local police make their own cities less safe by refusing to report immigration status when they are busy trying to make their cities safe. In response, the administration proposes to cut off funding FOR POLICE, until they comply with the federal government’s bigotry.

It’s like saying “the races shouldn’t swim together, so I’m going to pull the lifeguards until all the non-segregated pools are forced to close down.” Even if you agreed with the disgusting point, making everybody less safe is the worst possible way to force everybody backwards.

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“Trump’d” 0

Jackie covers stories you may have missed.

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Divining Rod 0

In a remarkable and perceptive post, Josh Marshall struggles with Donald Trump’s fatal attraction. A snippet:

What is difficult to understand, what requires some explanation is the way Trump is able to destroy those around him. Not once or twice but again and again, repeatedly, in a pattern so consistent that it becomes more inexplicable over time as new victims appear insensible to the unmistakeable pattern they have seen unfold along with us.

This may be unremarkable with the toadies and acolytes. But Trump is able to take people of some apparent substance and attainment and destroy them as well. The key though is that he doesn’t destroy them. In his orbit, under some kind of spell, he makes them destroy themselves. It is always a self-destruction. He’s like a black hole. But for this there’s no ready explanation. Because what is the power? The force?

Follow the link for his answer.

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Kate for Windows 0

The KDE Project has released a Windows version of the Kate text editor, my favorite GUI text editor for Linux. If you aren’t sure what a “text editor” is, think Notepad. Then envision Notepad on steroids.

Kate is capable of tabbed editing; can hold multiple documents open and under development simultaneously; can be configured to use various mark-up languages, such as HTML and various Assembler and scripting languages; and much more.

Kate Editor

Click for a larger, slightly different image.

Follow the link above to try Kate for Windows.

H/T to SMLR for this news.

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Worst Amendment 0

Title:  Rat the President.  Man:


Click for the original image.

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QOTD 0

R. Crumb:

Violence begets violence, and then you get leaders who are violent men. And you don’t want that.

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Examples 0

Man holding newspaper with


Click for the original image.

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Health Care: Follow the Money 0

It leads right to health care CEOs.

Transcript.

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Empty Jesters, Reprise 0

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The Enronning of America 0

Thom talks to Jesse Eisinger, author of The Chickenshit Club, on how justice fails to prosecute executives in this riveting two part interview.

Part One:

Part Two:

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The Follower 0

Solomon Jones marvels at the obtuseness of John McCain.

McCain, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, had a tumor removed at the Mayo Clinic, thanks to the taxpayers who provide his salary and pay for the health-care benefits he receives as a U.S. senator. Just 11 days after that surgery, McCain traveled from Arizona to Washington to snatch health care from the very people whose taxes saved his life.

Dick Polman has more.

Read it.

Aside:

I find it puzzling that John McCain has managed to keep a reputation (at least among the media) for being a mavericky statesman, as for the past two decades his record is one of toeing the Republican Party line.

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