His list of grievances.

I was working on a task that needed to be laid aside for a few minutes for the sake of my sanity, so I checked out the livestream of the surrender in Oregon. The last holdout was, I’d be willing to bet, a client of our own MMJeff at one time. (Jeff’s taking an internet fast for Lent, so I don’t know if he can stop in to illuminate us.) After all, he’s a Buckeye:

“I’m actually feeling suicidal right now,” said Mr. Fry, 27, who lives in Ohio. “It’s liberty or death. I will not go another day as a slave to this system.” He railed against taxpayer money being used for abortions and drone strikes in Pakistan, said bankers were to blame for the world wars, complained of being unable to obtain medical marijuana in his home state, and accused the government of suppressing breakthrough inventions, concealing U.F.O.’s, and “chemically castrating everybody.”

I heard a little of this before I turned it off; he was complaining that a cop once suggested he, Fry, might be a Rand Paul voter, and when Fry said he was, the cop said, “I voted for Obama.” “And this is the kind of crap I have to put up with!” Fry moaned. Imagine.

Of course this isn’t funny, even though Fry surrendered without making good on his threat. Fry is only a nuttier version of the people I’m thinking of whenever I say, What the hell are we going to do with these people? Young Mr. Fry had a place in the world of 40 or 50 years ago, but he doesn’t anymore, and he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Neither does anyone else. So he heads off to Oregon to join up with this ridiculous bunch of pissed-off grifters.

Well, at least we dispersed this group without a Waco-like level of bloodshed. Tidy up the mess, unfuck the road they cut and see if we can get the birdies and critters their refuge back.

Watching the debate now, and I can’t take my eyes off Hillary’s resplendent golden garment. She wears a lot of yellow, and I’m not sure it’s her color — I like her best in jewel tones like cobalt and emerald. The rest of the event appeared to be measured policy discussion, conducted with mutual respect and sobriety. No wonder this thing is on PBS.

A bit o’ bloggage:

Today is the 25th anniversary of the death of Gary on “thirtysomething.” Hank does a story. If you didn’t watch it, don’t tell me. It meant a lot to me, back then.

And justlikethat, the weekend is here. Enjoy yours.

Posted at 12:20 am in Current events, Television |
 

109 responses to “His list of grievances.”

  1. beb said on February 12, 2016 at 12:40 am

    “Without bloodshed…” Did you forget Finicum? Or do you mean only after Finicum’s suicide by cop?

    I’m down in Indiana (Mishawaka) to see my dad and my daughter who moved down over New Year’s weekend to housesit with him. This is her first time away from and has been doing well. Dad’s 94, blind, but is in reasonably good health. It’s c-o-l-d with some change of wind. I can’t believe I’m up this later…

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  2. Dexter said on February 12, 2016 at 3:48 am

    I was puzzled when radio hosts today described how they had listened for hours of the surrender in Oregon. Apparently that last occupier was screaming obscenities about dying before giving up, “you’ll have to kill me” stuff, and it went on and on. I just didn’t understand how, since I was on the computer off and on all throughout the day and night, how I had not been aware. Then, here, nance reports it was from a Twitter source.
    OK. I rarely go to Twitter, preferring to communicate via Facebook.
    I intended to watch the debate but I found Indiana v. Iowa men’s basketball on espn and watched that instead. Dickie V had the game. He’s way up in his 70s now and he makes frequent mistakes and sometimes lets play-by-play slide to tell stories of his favorite cause, surviving cancer, but he’s like Harry Caray was in his last years: untouchable and iconic, the lovable old guy who gets all the leeway in the world. Indiana won, beating the #4 Hawkeyes, who feature an alien from outer space named Uthoff as their best player. This creature is very odd, very strange-looking. I was sure he was wearing a giant mouthpiece, but it appears he just has a helluva set of horse teeth in his squinty-eyed triangle head. http://www3.thehawkeye.com/bohnenkamp_blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Michigan-Iowa-Basketb_Bohn1.jpg

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  3. Suzanne said on February 12, 2016 at 7:56 am

    I watched thirtysomething with religious fervor. I was hooked the first time I tuned in when one of the women characters bemoaned that she quit her job yo become a full time mom but wasn’t really any good at it. I could so relate! That and an episode when the blond (Patricia Wettig) and her husband were having troubles and she finally softened up, crawled in bed with him, snuggled, and he mentioned that her legs were awfully hairy. Real life. (As I recall my husband was watching as well, looked at me, and asked why the wife got so mad. Ugh)

    You asked the same question I’ve been asking, Nancy. What do we DO with people like this not-quite-all-there “freedom fighter” out west? You can’t force employers to hire them so they drift around and trouble often follows.

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  4. Julie Robinson said on February 12, 2016 at 8:00 am

    We caught the last 10 minutes of the game after our arrival in Orlando and it made for a happy beginning to our trip. Uthoff is just too good but really, he can’t control his appearance.

    The debate was on an adjacent TV, but without the sound all I could evaluate was the clothing, and Hillary’s jacket read acid green. Definitely not her color, nor for anyone with pale coloring. Then our son told us he won’t vote for her under any circumstances and we had our own debate. Supreme Court, I kept telling him, and I still hope to bring him around. He lives in an important swing state now and it upsets me to know he could throw his vote away and bring in the Republican Taliban.

    Thirtysomething often felt like it was lifted from our own lives and left our emotions raw. Hubby worked in advertising, I was at home with the kids, and it was the first show where the characters felt like real people. Loved it.

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  5. Deborah said on February 12, 2016 at 8:31 am

    I watched Thirty Something too. It was right at the time I was going through a divorce, it started (both divorce and show) when I was 37. I chuckled at Hank’s use of the term being “Gary’d” when a character in a show gets killed. We have an expression when while cooking you let your kitchen turn into a mess using every single pot and pan etc, we call that Tomming the kitchen because Little Bird had a friend named Tom who did that every time he cooked. After the meal is cooked and you’re ready to eat you realize the kitchen has been Tommed.

    I really wanted to watch the debate but a wave of tiredness came over me and I went to bed ridiculously early, miraculously I slept completely through until 6am. I’ve been having monumental insomnia lately so I guess it caught up with me and I needed the sleep badly.

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  6. 4dbirds said on February 12, 2016 at 8:41 am

    As a fed, I would feel so violated if some squatter had a month to go through my cube. I don’t have much personal stuff but there is some. My photos, my tea and coffee staff, small mementos from co-workers that mean a lot to me. I don’t worry too much about getting into our network as our agency is ‘locked down’ security wise. I also care very much about my work and would wonder about my files, equipment and reference materials.

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  7. Connie said on February 12, 2016 at 8:49 am

    THis blonde has always thought blondes should not wear yellows/oranges. I figured out at a young age that if I wore peach my hair, my facial skin, and my clothing looked like they were all the same color. Turquoise is my best color, with purple and fuchsia right behind.

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  8. Randy said on February 12, 2016 at 9:10 am

    Gary’s death didn’t leak anywhere prior to the episode, and so it had a gut punch impact that is hard to describe in this era. Very hard to pull that off now.

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  9. Deborah said on February 12, 2016 at 9:27 am

    After watching the videos and looking at photos of Hillary from last night’s debate, I disagree I thought she looked terrific in the yellow outfit. It made her look like a dose of sunshine next to the dour, crabby Sanders. Good wardrobe choice in my mind.

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  10. Jolene said on February 12, 2016 at 9:33 am

    Prompted by Hank’s piece on Gary’s death, this week’s online chat dealt largely with how various TV shows have dealt with the death of characters and, in a few cases, the death of actors.

    Some of the instances that were mentioned weren’t familiar to me, but it was interesting to be reminded of those I remembered. People mentioned the death of the Josh Charles character on The Good Wife as an example of a recent screen death that shocked viewers as the death of Gary did.

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  11. alex said on February 12, 2016 at 10:21 am

    I thought Hillary looked like a fucking geisha in that yellow thing, pale as a ghost with her jowls and eyebags all the more prominent because her complexion looked so washed out. And ruby lipstick is not flattering on her either. I think her skin tone looks best with reds or blues, or classic black, and a more neutral lip shade.

    Totally missed out on the Thirtysomething phenomenon. That was a period of my life when I just didn’t watch TV other than for news. I was young and living in Chicago and the experience was still so novel and exciting that I was always out and about taking it all in.

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  12. brian stouder said on February 12, 2016 at 10:42 am

    Let me just state for the record a little bit of hearsay (which is actually inadmissible, as the source isn’t an NN.c person) that I’ve repeatedly heard HRC’s appearance get criticized in the other direction; too bland, too blah, ‘her suits make her look like Kim Jong-un’, etc.

    I favor her because she is fully capable of doing the job she’s seeking, on Day 1.

    Bernie is OK – but if he actually wins, he’s going to break lots of young hearts, as his policy aims and program ideas rot on the trees and on the ground

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  13. jcburns said on February 12, 2016 at 10:58 am

    My ancient TV guy theory is that PBS had a strange sense of video color balance in that debate. I tweeted that helpful correction, but they didn’t promptly make adjustments. Also the desk mics were picking up pops and thuds like crazy. You PBS tech people, get off my yard.

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  14. basset said on February 12, 2016 at 11:15 am

    Ordered a sweater over the phone from Cabela’s a few weeks ago, wasn’t sure what color I wanted and the CSR on the other end was explaining what they looked like… she asked me what color my eyes are and I had to stop talking for a second, never had that happen before. That she was a native English speaker and in the Midwest was just about as rare.

    Ended up getting dark gray. Adventurous choice, I know.

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  15. beb said on February 12, 2016 at 11:17 am

    I think I was forty-some when the thirty-something happened. I was already at an age where I was yelling at them to get off my lawn.

    Re Hillary’s gold outfit I defer to Johnny from “Airplane” “… where did you get that dress? Argh!”

    Will Bernie break hearts if elected? Of course. So will Hillary, so did Barack. As long as Republicans control the House nothing is going to get down. But you can try to nibble around the edges and – more importantly – set a level of expectation that going along with Republicans programs is not acceptable.

    The question of what separates Man from animals get murkier every year as we realize that crows use tools, elephants mourn their dead and that dogs can actually read their masters emotions. Here’s an orang-utan female sharing a moment with a nursing human
    http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/must-see-photo-orangutan-watches-mom-breastfeed-at-zoo/

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  16. beb said on February 12, 2016 at 11:27 am

    Speaking of adventurous shopping… I was at my local hardware store looking for some clothes. I mostly wear Carhart anymore because they’re the only ones who stock clothes in plus-plus sizes, when I noticed a rack of suspenders (which for our Brit readers, are not to be confused with garters.) One of them had a flame motif like you sometimes see painted on hotrods. I could not resist getting them. I’m not a flashy dresser but I like the little bit of color the suspenders add, and it’s been fun hearing people tell me they like my suspenders.

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  17. Kirk said on February 12, 2016 at 11:27 am

    What to do with Mr. Fry? Isn’t assisted suicide legal in Oregon?

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  18. Danny said on February 12, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    Vera Ellen is one blonde who rocked yellow.

    https://cinemattire.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/wc4.png

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  19. Deborah said on February 12, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    But Beb if the main reason people like Bernie are for the things that are absolutely not going to happen, at least in the next 8 years, what’s the point? I know Obama didn’t do everything he campaigned on and Hillary won’t either but she’s at least not promising pie in the sky. I think anybody has a better chance of winning when they veer towards the middle in a national election. Extremes on the outer fringe have less of a chance IMHO.

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  20. brian stouder said on February 12, 2016 at 1:34 pm

    What Deborah said!

    She hit the point much more directly than I did

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  21. Bitter Scribe said on February 12, 2016 at 1:55 pm

    Yes, what Deborah said. My big problem with Sanders is that he strikes me as nothing more than a sidelines bomb-lobber, who shirks actual political responsibility to the point of not even identifying as a Democrat in the senate. Yet he thinks he should be the party’s nominee for president. What chutzpah.

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  22. MichaelG said on February 12, 2016 at 2:06 pm

    This is an honest question. I don’t mean to come off as a smart ass but what has Sanders done to distinguish himself during his last 25 years in D.C.?

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  23. nancy said on February 12, 2016 at 2:08 pm

    He has not compromised his principles. Not once.

    Seriously, weird to see you guys commenting on last night’s debate, when the story here today is FlintFlintFlintFlintFlint. Like living in two worlds.

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  24. brian stouder said on February 12, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Nancy – I’d go on and on about Flint (“gushing” – you might say!) but doing that here at good ol’ NN.c might be a little like ‘talking about rope in a hanged man’s house’!

    Suffice it to say – I think this well and truly a national issue, and the United States government really must move decisively into the arena, and resolve it….beyond what happens at local and state-level government

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  25. Joe K said on February 12, 2016 at 2:22 pm

    Michael G,
    In all seriousness what has anyone on either side done?
    Obama had zero qualifications, just a product of the Chicago machine,
    Hillary’s only argument is “it’s my turn”, Bernie can’t produce anything he promises, I like Rubio but he is untested, Trump can promise all he wants but so far when asked for specifics can’t come up with anything, I mean really it’s a popularity contest isn’t it?
    Pilot Joe

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  26. alex said on February 12, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    Obama had zero qualifications, just a product of the Chicago machine

    Joe you are so fucking full of shit, hate to tell you. Obama was not a product of the Chicago machine. He got where he did despite the Chicago machine, which is why he has my admiration and respect. The Chicago machine had to be dragged kicking and screaming to support him when it became clear that he had popular public support without their help. But you wouldn’t know that listening to Fox News and right-wing talk radio where they’ve been repeating this same fucking lie for the past eight years.

    So fucking quit already.

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  27. Dorothy said on February 12, 2016 at 2:46 pm

    I have been over-the-top crazy busy at work so much lately, and rarely have time to read this site, let alone comment. But today is the last day I work for about a week because we are going to Puerto Rico tomorrow. It’s a honeymoon 36 years in the making. We bought a (small) house and paid for our wedding back in 1979, and then had kids and Mike had to go to night school, getting his degree in 1990. A couple of job losses, four moves in 13 years and there you have it. We cannot tell you how excited we are to go away tomorrow! I miss you all terribly, even if you’re just names on the screen. Wish us luck for a problem-free trip. And lots of sun and sand. (Sorry, polar vortex sufferers. I promise I’m not rubbing it in.)

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  28. Dexter said on February 12, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    OMG, beb…you hipster Detroit City folk and your fancy suspenders. 🙂 I have seen them but I equate them with the NASCAR crowd or the hundreds of locals here who follow the dirt track racing circuit. Of course, you’re in The Motor City, and ain’t NObody can say shit to you about those pants holder uppers. 🙂
    I have seen the Harley Davidson worshipers wearing them as well.
    I just ain’t got the balls. 🙁

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  29. nancy said on February 12, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    Yes, what Alex said. And while you didn’t say this, may I just add something? For all the use of “Chicago” as a synonym for “corrupt urban shithole,” no one ever points out that for a big city, Chicago works pretty damn well. (With some notable exceptions, which I’d argue are mostly beyond the city’s power to control, like urban poverty.) A friend who lived there for a while can do an impassioned defense of the ward system, which breaks a city of 3 million into manageable parcels, and enables residents to get small-city services as a result. It’s a system that’s ripe for abuse, but it also works. He always mentions the time he came out to find someone had parked a car in front of his alley garage door. One call to the ward office, and in 20 minutes a tow truck was there. Barely late for work.

    All over the Midwest, Chicago is known as “the broad-shouldered thief of our region’s youth.” Which is to say, kids today with a college education and a lust for life ain’t moving to Fort Wayne, baseball stadium or no baseball stadium.

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  30. Heather said on February 12, 2016 at 2:56 pm

    Yes, anyone who has lived in Chicago knows Obama was not part of the machine. He might have coexisted with it, but not a part of it. As for qualifications–http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/mar/07/obamas-20-years-experience/

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  31. Jakash said on February 12, 2016 at 3:47 pm

    I saw a funny tweet from a guy in Chicago after one of the previous Democratic debates, about foreign policy. “My problem with the candidates in a nutshell: Bernie can’t even name the capitals of all the countries where HRC would mobilize U.S. troops.”

    If Hillary manages to lose this nomination the way she lost the last one, I’d vote for Sanders. Bernie accomplishing little of his pie-in-the-sky agenda beats Cruz or Kasich accomplishing much of their old-fashioned plutocratic ones by a long shot. But, if the young’uns stay home if Hillary is the nominee, that would be infuriating. Sure, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” but 2000 and Ralph Nader’s contribution to the election of Bush aren’t exactly ancient history. Though, I suppose they may as well be. Idealism is a fine quality, until it isn’t.

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  32. brian stouder said on February 12, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    In conversations with our young folks, I absolutely will not tell them who to vote for (although I will lightly defend ‘my’ candidate, when she comes under attack by them) – but I WILL always insist that they make a choice, and then vote….and not just in the primary

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  33. Sherri said on February 12, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Jakash, 2000 isn’t ancient history to us, but my daughter will be voting in this election, and she was in kindergarten in 2000, so it sort of is ancient history to her.

    When I read how the testing process for lead in Flint was gamed to hide the problem, what I wonder is, where else is this happening?

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  34. Jakash said on February 12, 2016 at 4:26 pm

    Another tweet, illustrating the Supreme Court point. POTUS –> SCOTUS.

    https://twitter.com/mshannabrooks/status/697211774165094400

    Which, while altogether excellent, reminds one that one-termer George H. W. Bush, who, in other ways, might make one nostalgic for the days of “reasonable Republicans,” saddled us with Clarence Thomas. Bush: 4 years. Thomas: 25 years and counting…

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  35. Joe K said on February 12, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    Alex,
    Read a little of John Kass from the Trib and see how it really is in old Chicago, hell Royko used to write about the coruption and really can you quit the swearing,feel free to disagree with me but really do you need to use those words, and sorry Nance I know you love Chicago but really, the mayor sitting on the police shooting as one example? How much of the taxpayer money did he pay to the victoms family on that one,How much black on black violence, who do you have to pay off to get a operating permit for a resteraunt? The city is in massive debt, the last mayor should be in prison. It not utopia,kids moving to the big city? When did this start? Like forever? Kids have always moved to the big city, what percentage stay more than 5 yrs then move to the burbs or get out altogether?
    Pilot Joe

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  36. FDChief said on February 12, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    Hope he at least got his smoke and his Oreo: http://firedirectioncenter.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-cigarette-and-cookie.html

    But, as I point out in the link, there’s really NOTHING you can do with schlumpisch mopes like this guy. He was and is going to be tossed into the ashheap, whether it’s as a disposable draftee, disposable skill-less laborer, disposable serf…whatever, he’s…disposable. There “used to be a place” for him simply because there were ways he could make a semi-living doing whatever low-grade labor he could manage before he got too maimed or fucked-in-the-head or old or alcoholic to do that work. Then he ended up dying slowly under a bridge cadging change for a short dog of wine.

    Nope. It’s the Fiores and the Grahams and the Rubios and the Trumps…the megaphones that we elect that are mouth-farting the gas that inflates these sorry mopes that really need to be introduced to the National Razor. THEY are the real seditious danger to republican government, and should be, in the words of G. MacDonald Fraser, “treated as a Campbell and an armed on, at that…”

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  37. brian stouder said on February 12, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    Joe – let’s grant you the point that Chicago has major issues.

    And – I’d agree with seeing Mayor Emanuel frog-marched out of office – if only for what he’s doing to the public schools over there (let alone his after-the-fact irresponsible actions with regard to the police over there)

    All that agreed – what does this mean with regard to President Obama?

    Afterall, Chicago-style politics (quite literally!) is what ultimately got us President Lincoln.

    Generally speaking – I agree with you that civil discussion beats bouquets of obscenities, but waddayagonna do, eh?

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  38. alex said on February 12, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    Joe, I can fucking talk any goddamned way I please. And so can you, but you can’t go making false allegations about President Obama without getting called out for it.

    I’ve lived in Chicago. I’ve read John Kass and I’ve read Mike Royko. I’ve experienced firsthand how fucked up things can be there. But Obama has absolutely zero zilch nada to do with it, and he is not a product of Chicago machine politics. It’s an established fact and anyone who was there when Obama got his start in politics knows it. You can’t tell me that John Kass has said this because he hasn’t.

    As for kids moving there, even if they stay they don’t come back here to this sorry-ass place. I’m the exception.

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  39. alex said on February 12, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    Even if they don’t stay. Edit button!

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  40. beb said on February 12, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    Deborah @19: One of the biggest complaints against President Obama is that for his first six years he tended to negotiated with himself before negotiating with the Republicans in Congress. Like when the first and only stimulus package were being formulated, experts were pushing for $1500 billion, Obama went for $1000 billion because he thought that was what could be passed. And ended up with something closer to $800 billion. If he had asked for $1500 billion at the start he’d have settled for $1000 instead of $800 billion. Sanders will ask for the sun and settle for the moon. Hillary, a former DLC member, would ask for the Moon and settle for the International Space Station. This is in contrast to the Republicans who would cut off their noses to spite their faces.

    Or look at this: Republicans want to cut Social Security because they hate for people to get something. For years Dems have been arguing over what kinds of cuts they might support. Then progressives started arguing that Social Security benefits needed to be increased, not cut. After a time Dems have stopped talking about what cuts they could accept, now they’re asking for increases. Who knows when SS increases will happen but getting the opposition to stop talking about cuts is an important outcome.

    Bernie is less likely to negotiate with himself; more likely to move the debate from cuts and impoverishment to how best to help the American people.

    The bottom line is that during the Primary I’ll vote for Bernie, during the General election I will vote for the Democrat.

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  41. Joe K said on February 12, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    The Obama scandals now coming to light — the IRS, the intimidation of journalists, the green-energy boondoggles such as Solyndra — could have been anticipated. “The 2008 Obama campaign perpetrated a fraud that he was a reformer,” says Chris Robling, a former journalist who has served as a Republican election commissioner. “All of the complaints — from the lack of transparency to HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s shaking down corporations to promote Obamacare — stem from the culture of the Daley Machine.” For decades, Robling says, Mayor Daley “encouraged” contributions to his favorite charities, with the implicit understanding that the “encourager” controlled the city’s inspectors and regulators. “That sounds an awful lot like what Sebelius was doing to prop up Obamacare,” Robling notes. “Obama’s ideology may come from Saul Alinsky’s acolytes, but his political tactics come straight from the Daley playbook.” Indeed, friends of Bill Daley, Mayor Daley’s brother, say that one reason Bill left his post as Obama’s White House chief of staff after only one year was that even he thought Team Obama was too much “all politics, all of the time” and not enough about governance.
    Pilot Joe

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  42. alex said on February 12, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    And what alternate universe did that piece of shit come from? It doesn’t jibe with reality, dude. In the least.

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  43. Jakash said on February 12, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    “The Obama scandals now coming to light…” Seems to me that those are neither really “scandals” nor “now coming to light.” Anyway, here’s a Republican columnist to rebut the Republican operative cited above (former executive director of the Cook County Republican Party, no less — talk about a thankless job!)

    David Brooks of the NY Times: “Many of the traits of character and leadership that Obama possesses, and that maybe we have taken too much for granted, have suddenly gone missing or are in short supply. The first and most important of these is basic integrity. The Obama administration has been remarkably scandal-free.”

    … “He and his wife have not only displayed superior integrity themselves, they have mostly attracted and hired people with high personal standards. There are all sorts of unsightly characters floating around politics, including in the Clinton camp and in Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. This sort has been blocked from team Obama.”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/opinion/i-miss-barack-obama.html?action=click&module=MostEmailed&region=Lists&pgtype=collection

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  44. alex said on February 12, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    Why here it is.

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  45. nancy said on February 12, 2016 at 7:08 pm

    Really, Joe. Cutting and pasting?

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  46. Sherri said on February 12, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    I guess the Republicans now count BENGHAZI!!!111!! as a Hillary scandal rather than an Obama scandal, but don’t forget Fast and Furious if you’re searching for non-scandals you want to promote as evidence that Obama is just a corrupt product of the Chicago machine, Boss Tweed of the 21st century.

    Even if I were to grant all of those as scandals worthy of the name, none of them touch what Bush did. I think making up shit to invade Iraq trumps all other scandals in my lifetime, even that infamous third rate burglary.

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  47. adrianne said on February 12, 2016 at 7:23 pm

    Republicans have been trying to paint Obama as a product of “Chicago-style” politics for eight years now, and it hasn’t stuck because it’s patently not true. Obama has been a lone wolf, for good and bad, but he’s not a Chicago pol. Far from it. And those alleged Obama “scandals” are pretty laughable, especially the IRS investigations. They were looking into all of the quasi-nonprofits that were fronts for political parties, including liberal ones.

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  48. Sherri said on February 12, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    Speaking of Presidential scandals, this seems to have been mostly covered in the sports press, but our old friend Ken Starr is currently the President of Baylor University. Seems he was much more dogged at pursuing the sexual relationship between Monica Lewinsky and the President than he is at dealing with sexual assault at Baylor: http://deadspin.com/baylor-has-mastered-the-art-of-doing-nothing-about-camp-1757738492

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  49. Deborah said on February 12, 2016 at 7:34 pm

    One other thing that is important to consider is how many tag alongs the presidential vote brings with her/him. I mean the Senators and congress critters that ride in on the coat tails. It takes someone really savvy and experienced to know how to help that happen. Don’t leave it up to chance. Calculate and strategize how your vote can best be used over all.

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  50. Sherri said on February 12, 2016 at 7:44 pm

    On a different topic, I know we have some design and architecture types around here. What do you think about the trade-offs involved in preservation of historic buildings vs. making way for new buildings? What’s historic, what’s worth preserving, and preserving for what? We recently had a to-do in Redmond over whether a building should be preserved or demolished, and the University of Washington has been having a fight over whether to demolish a Brutalist building to make room for a new CS building: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/uw-regents-vote-to-demolish-old-reactor-building-listed-as-historic/.

    I’m not a fan of Brutalist architecture, so I don’t really understand the urge to preserve the building. The building preservation fight in Redmond was really more of a proxy fight over development as the city grows rather than about the architecture of the building itself. But I’m interested in what people think about preservation?

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  51. brian stouder said on February 12, 2016 at 7:48 pm

    Seems he was much more dogged at pursuing the sexual relationship between Monica Lewinsky and the President than he is at dealing with sexual assault at Baylor

    I nominate Sherri’s ‘doggy-style’ post for Thread Win, baby!

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  52. David C. said on February 12, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    I would bet anything that twenty years after Obama is dead, the Rs, if they haven’t gone the way of the Whigs, will be claiming him as their own. Just like they do JFK and MLK. Because all they have for a hero is an Alzheimer’s addled b-movie star who couldn’t run a cabinet meeting without idiot cards.

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  53. Deborah said on February 12, 2016 at 8:15 pm

    I’m no expert Sherri, but the whole new vs historic is complex. Peter can probably weigh in with way more expertise about this. From a sustainability stand point it’s mixed. Why tear down a perfectly functional building because it’s ugly or maybe just needs a little modification. On the other hand if it has extremely antiquated energy systems it could take more to continue to use it than to tear it down and start over. When I lived in St. Louis there was a woman who ran the historic landmarks org that was impossible to deal with, if it was historic in her mind it stayed no matter how insignificant the design or how outdated the systems were and expensive and wasteful to operate. It’s all relative.

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  54. Diane said on February 12, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    What Deborah said @19 and Jakask @31.

    I know he isn’t running as a third party candidate but I feel about Bernie the way I felt about Ralph Nadar. He had to know he couldn’t win but he took just enough votes to give us W. And hence we got the Iraq war with fallout that will last for decades, a critically injured economy, and Justice Alito not to mention whatever environmental gains we lost. It took eight years and a rare and talented (but, yes, certainly not perfect) leader to drag us back to the edge of being out of that morass. We simply cannot afford a Cruz or Rubio or even Kasich empowered by a Republican Congress.

    I’m beyond caring about getting liberal goals accomplished, I just don’t want a destroyed economy and more wasted soldiers’ lives. And of course, there’s the Supreme Court. Is it really possibly that a Socialist could win a General Election for the Presidency in this country? Or, more precisely, is it worth the risk? I will of course vote for whoever the Dem is in November but if it is Bernie it will be with a sinking and fearful heart.

    (And, speaking of Bernie’s of uncompromised principles, there is the fantasy of actually achieving gun control to think about.)

    Apologies for going on so. I have lurked here for a long time but rarely comment. Today was a particularly hellacious day at work and coming here always engages my mind in something beyond the batshit craziness therevand today I had to type as well as read to get my mind to let go. Thank you nn.c community!

    Dorothy @27, have a wonderful trip.

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  55. Diane said on February 12, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    “therevand” should read “there but”

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  56. Deborah said on February 12, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    I thought this was worth passing along, it’s from a text my husband sent me today, he’s more for Hillary than I am:

    Sanders is a luxury the left cannot afford. He’s pure self-indulgence. It is discouraging that they are so impractical in the face of massive and successful conservative virulence.

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  57. Diane said on February 12, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    Deborah, yes exactly! Said succinctly and way better than I could, but yes, exactly! The price is unthinkably high.

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  58. Sue said on February 12, 2016 at 11:02 pm

    A couple of comments on the discussions of the past several days:
    Bernie is forcing discussion on items Hillary and the Dem upper echelon have been ignoring, or at best using only when it helps them. He’s pulling her to the left. He’s making her acknowledge progressive ideas, because people are so desperate for someone to hear them on these issues that they’re gravitating to him in larger numbers than anyone expected. She is way too smart not to see that she’d better grab onto that comet. And she is, already. Bernie is almost certainly not going to go the distance, but he’s done immense good just by being a thorn in her side. Good for him. We can’t get upset that we’re not being heard, that no one listens, then get upset when someone does.
    No one here is talking about the voter suppression tactics of the last few years, and as recently as… now, actually. I’m not sure Bernie and his Bros are where we should be focusing our angst.
    http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/02/02/3745296/major-voter-id-study/

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  59. MichaelG said on February 12, 2016 at 11:03 pm

    OK, so Sanders has voted his conscience for 25 years with principle. What transformative legislation has he introduced, promoted? What investigation has he led? What cause has he championed? What leadership has he demonstrated? There’s more to being in congress than voting.

    Very good, Diane. Very good. Same to you, Deborah.

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  60. Jolene said on February 12, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    A list of this year’s Oscar-nominated documentaries, all streaming on either Netflix or Amazon. Some good films here.

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  61. Jolene said on February 12, 2016 at 11:44 pm

    It’s worth noting, too, that the Rs haven’t begun to take whacks at Sanders. When they do, it won’t be pretty. Links to the Communist Party, visits to Cuba . . . You can just imagine the scare tactics.

    Of course, they are going to beat up on Hillary too, but she has already been knocked around so much, there can’t be much about her we don’t know. And her performance last night is, if nothing else, an incredible example of resilience. To,perform that well after having been trounced by 22 points is no small thing.

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  62. Jolene said on February 12, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    A theory of gift-giving, possibly useful in choosing a treat for your sweetheart.

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  63. Carter Cleland said on February 13, 2016 at 12:37 am

    With that clip-on mic as a top button, all I could think of while watching Hillary was the fabulous Scuppers the Sailor Dog. http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1379328115l/890282.jpg

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  64. basset said on February 13, 2016 at 8:47 am

    Sherri, speaking just for myself and not my employer, that is an ugly building and looks pretty rundown as well. Don’t know what criteria to set for keeping or replacing old structures, that’s not my area, but it wouldn’t bother me if that one went. It’s not like the Manhattan Project was run out of there or anything. I did watch the demolition, some years ago, of the building in Bowling Green, Ky. where refrigerated biscuits in a can were invented… that was the story anyway… and it didn’t concern me in the least.

    Now, let me ask a completely unrelated question… Sherri, being near Seattle have you ever gone on any of the whale-watching trips or nature tours out in the islands? Mrs. B and I have been looking at pics of kayak tours off San Juan Island, we’re thinking about going this summer & it would be good to learn from others’ experience. Anyone else? Other nature/wildlife trips you would recommend? thanks

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  65. Deborah said on February 13, 2016 at 9:21 am

    Excellent idea Beb. My husband and I are going to be in Seattle for his brother’s wedding this summer and I’ve been looking around for something else to do after the big event. We’ve been there before visiting his brother so have done most of the usual stuff like taking a ferry ride, going to the Cascades and Mt. Rainier, Pikes Mkt etc etc. I’ve been looking for an Inn to Inn walking tour along the coast but haven’t yet found one. We like to walk/hike but hate to carry packs so we’re hoping to find the kind of deal where they shuttle your luggage for you. I hadn’t even thought about whale watching, that would be fantastic. I’ll look into that now.

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  66. Deborah said on February 13, 2016 at 9:22 am

    Sorry, that was Basset not Beb. Thanks for the idea Basset.

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  67. basset said on February 13, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    hope it works for you – Seem to be some nice b&bs online, if we can stay there & see whales mrs b will be happy.

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  68. Sherri said on February 13, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    basset, I haven’t gone on any of the whale-watching trips myself, but what I’ve heard from others is that they’re great. I believe there are certain times of the year when the whales are migrating, so you might want to check on that. The San Juans are beautiful, I’ve enjoyed my visits there, but I’ve never taken any tours. I just haven’t tended towards nature types of tours and vacations of late, no particular reason, just the way my interests have turned.

    I just found out yesterday that I have a spot on a bus with the ACLU to head down to Olympia to hear arguments before the WA Supreme Court on a death penalty case in a couple of weeks. The ACLU filed an amicus brief, and their lawyers will get to present oral arguments in support of the brief. The ACLU is taking a bus with staff and some supporters to view the hearing.

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  69. David C. said on February 13, 2016 at 5:00 pm

    Unconfirmed, but if true…

    http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/45600_BREAKING-_2_Sources_Report_Supreme_Court_Justice_Antonin_Scalia_Found_Dead_at_W._Texas_Ranch

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  70. David C. said on February 13, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    Now confirmed. Obama will never get anyone through this Senate, but all those possible 5-4 abominations become 4-4 and the status quo then stands. Now this Presidential election becomes real.

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  71. Sherri said on February 13, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    There are some big cases in this term, and Scalia’s death has a huge impact. I’m sure we’ll hear more about what will likely happen, but Fisher v. University of Texas would seem to be DOA now (affirmation action challenge), as would Evenwel v. Abbott (redistricting based on total voters rather than total population). The challenge to the contraceptive mandate in the ACA seems unlikely to succeed, either.

    Not just the Presidential election but Senate races have now become about the Supreme Court, with an open seat and a reminder that Scalia wasn’t the oldest justice.

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  72. Deborah said on February 13, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    Scalia!!!! Holy Cow could this get anymore interesting!! Amazing! Can’t imagine what Obama, Hillary and Bernie must be thinking right now. This is Yuuuuuge!

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  73. Sherri said on February 13, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    The Dems need to pick up 4-5 seats (4 if they hold the VP) to gain control of the Senate, but does anyone doubt that the GOP will force a 60 vote majority to confirm a Supreme Court majority? When the Dems eliminated the filibuster for most judicial appointments back when they held control of the Senate, they didn’t eliminate for the Supreme Court. If the Dems gain control, they can change the rules of the Senate with a simple majority to eliminate the filibuster, if they’re willing, which I hope they are. I think it’s time for the filibuster to go away entirely.

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  74. Suzanne said on February 13, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    Notorious RBG outlives Scalia. She really is a wonder.

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  75. Deborah said on February 13, 2016 at 6:35 pm

    Coozledad where are you? I really want to hear your take on this turn of events.

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  76. Deborah said on February 13, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    It’s breathtaking to think that the death of one person can turn the tide of politics in this country. I’m in shock.

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  77. Sherri said on February 13, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    Personally, I hope Obama does nominate someone. There’s no reason to just concede to the Republicans; make them filibuster. My favorite candidate would be Pam Karlan, but I suspect we’re still a long ways from a gay Justice. Sri Srinivasan has been mentioned before as being at the top of Obama’s shortlist. Srinavasa won confirmation to the DC Circuit 97-0 in 2013. Nobody seems to know much about where Srinavasa stands on anything, but he’s highly qualified and would be probably the only choice that has any hope of being confirmed, and that would still be a long shot. Still, nominating an Hindu Indian=American who doesn’t have a strong ideological record would be a way of making very clear the differences between the parties to an electorate who claims to be tired of gridlock and partisanship and “both sides do it”.

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  78. Sherri said on February 13, 2016 at 7:17 pm

    BTW, in case you’re wondering, Vermont fills Senate vacancies by special election, as does Texas. Florida Senate vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment until the next regular statewide election. Vermont and Texas governors may appoint an interim Senator until the special election.

    Remember the Senate!

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  79. Deborah said on February 13, 2016 at 8:29 pm

    Remember the senate, indeed!

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  80. jcburns said on February 13, 2016 at 11:17 pm

    Obama’s constitutional responsibility: nominate someone in a timely manner. Senate’s constitutional responsibility: advise and consent in a timely manner. Breathtaking to hear GOP senators and Presidential candidates advocate “delay, delay, delay” at the same time they represent themselves as Constitutional originalists. One called him a “lame duck” (no, that’s during the period between the election and the next person being sworn in.)

    The NYTimes Graphics team did real journalism and got out an informative chart. President Obama has 340 days left in office, and you have to go back to Woodrow Wilson and the Brandeis nomination to get to 125 days for “advise and consent.”

    …and 17 Supreme Court Justices were confirmed by Senate during a presidential election year.

    The President and the Senate have real, non-political, constitutionally mandated jobs to do. It’s my hope that they do them.

    Let’s see how this plays out. My head hurts.

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  81. beb said on February 13, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    I have not come to praise Scalia but ti dance on his grave, spit on his corpse and drive a yuge wooden stake through his heart to make sure he doesn’t come back.

    President Obama eulogized the man then made the promise to nominate someone this year and reminded the Senate, ever so gently, that their job is to approve or reject the president’s nomination, not to pick who the nominee will be. I imagine that when Obama nominates his choice, it will be center-left and he will remind the American people that the Senate is obligated to accept or reject his choice in a timely fashion. He has only to mention the list of important cases pending this year to flog the Republicans about their shirking their responsibilities. In an election year you really don’t want that President telling the public that Republican politicians refuse to do their job.

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  82. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on February 13, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    JCB beat me to it. 17 election year justices. It’s not even a debate.

    But I’ve gotta say: that debate was up there with live feeds of Oregon malcontents . . . . except for John Kasich. I have a friend locally who keeps telling me Karen (his wife) has really changed him. Perhaps.

    But it’s not a GOP or partisan thing at all for me to be profoundly depressed that Trump has any measurable level of support.

    For what it’s worth, I’m not posting or commenting or “liking” during Lent, except for sundown Sat. to sundown Sunday. I’m checking and using messaging and direct inquiries but just trying to keep my compulsion to post down to a bare minimum through Easter. I think the primary campaign will do just as well without me, or at least six days a week without my chatter.

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  83. jcburns said on February 13, 2016 at 11:29 pm

    Hillary Clinton in Denver tonight:

    “If any of us needed a reminder of just how important it is to take back the United States Senate and hold onto the White House, just look at the Supreme Court. I know that our thoughts and prayers are with the Scalia family tonight, and I am also thinking and praying for the future of our country. It is outrageous that the Republicans in the Senate on the campaign trail have already pledged to block any replacement that President Obama nominates.

    Now I am sure we will all have a lot more to say about this in the coming days. So let me make one point. Barack Obama is president of the United States until Jan. 20, 2017. That is a fact, my friends, whether the Republicans like it or not. Elections have consequences. The president has a responsibility to nominate a new justice, and the Senate has a responsibility to vote. And all of us Democrats, we have a responsibility to make sure a Republican doesn’t win in November and rip away all of the progress we have made together.

    Let me say one last thing because I have been thinking about this for the last few hours, now, you will hear, in fact some might say, a confirmation process would take too long for this president to complete during his remaining day in office. Well the longest successful confirmation process in the last four decades was Clarence Thomas and that took roughly 100 days. There are 340 days until the next president takes office so that is plenty of time. Well then some might say, well yes, this is an election year. Okay. But the confirmation for Justice [Anthony] Kennedy took place in 1988, that was an election year, and he was confirmed 97-0.

    So as presidential candidate, a former law professor, a recovering lawyer, and frankly a citizen, to hear comments like those of [Senate Majority] Leader Mitch McConnell’s this evening is very disappointing. It is totally out of step with our history and our constitutional principles.

    Now just a few minutes ago, President Obama said he would nominate someone to the bench and that is exactly what he should be doing, and Leader McConnell should follow the constitutional process.”

    Yes. Exactly. G’night!

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  84. Sherri said on February 14, 2016 at 1:15 am

    Not only have 17 justices been confirmed in election years, Eisenhower named William Brennan to the Court with a recess appointment during an election year! (Probably not going to be an option for Obama, since the Court limited the recess appointment power.)

    I will say this for Scalia: he was often a surprising supporter of the 4th Amendment. His opinions were always entertaining, and he wasn’t as bad as Thomas or Alito.

    Argle-bargle, Justice Scalia. I hope that your afterlife meets up to your Opus Dei, Latin Mass expectations.

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  85. Deborah said on February 14, 2016 at 3:54 am

    The Republicans are acting like a bunch of babies but why would we expect anything else?

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  86. basset said on February 14, 2016 at 5:25 am

    I can only imagine the conspiracy theories which must be circulating out in the fever swamps. not gonna go look, though.

    spent most of the weekend so far at a turkey hunters’ convention in a huge meeting center, thousands of people in camo and quite a few of em working turkey calls. woulda been surreal if I wasn’t already used to it.

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  87. David C. said on February 14, 2016 at 6:41 am

    Sherri@84
    I will say this for Scalia: he was often a surprising supporter of the 4th Amendment. His opinions were always entertaining, and he wasn’t as bad as Thomas or Alito.
    And RBG considered him a close friend. No matter his many flaws as a jurist, any friend of Justice Ginsburg had to have had many redeeming qualities that weren’t evident in his public role.

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  88. Jolene said on February 14, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Unfortunately, David C., it is not his charm as a dinner companion or pleasure in a shared love of opera that most of us experienced. Instead, we must live with the decisions he made in his public role, notably Bush v. Gore and District of Columbia v. Heller.

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  89. Suzanne said on February 14, 2016 at 8:29 am

    I watched bits & pieces of the debate but that was all I could stand. As someone stated on Twitter: you could go out on the street & find an equal number of 12 year olds, dress them up, and put them on stage, and probably have the same level of maturity seen on the stage last night. Appalling.

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  90. Sue said on February 14, 2016 at 10:19 am

    Jolene:
    “Bush v. Gore”
    That’s a what-if we should think about. Another Bush v. Gore mischief-fest next November and a 4 – 4 Supreme Court. That alone should get everyone working on this pronto.

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  91. David C. said on February 14, 2016 at 10:34 am

    I agree Jolene. Just trying to be nice.

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  92. adrianne said on February 14, 2016 at 11:10 am

    Repubs are showing their true colors in unanimously saying that Obama shouldn’t nominate a successor to Scalia. Argle-bargle, as Scalia once said. Of course he should! My money’s on Sri, who was confirmed unanimously to the DC Circuit bench. They won’t confirm him, but the ensuing debate will show up how nutty they are.

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  93. Joe K said on February 14, 2016 at 11:26 am

    I nominate Judge Judy.
    Pilot Jor

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  94. Sherri said on February 14, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    That’s probably who Trump would nominate.

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  95. susan said on February 14, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    Joe, how about Harriet Miers?

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  96. Sue said on February 14, 2016 at 4:03 pm

    I say we wait until the next election. That way, Hillary can nominate Barack.

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  97. Deborah said on February 14, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    I’m with you Sue, but that will only fly if the senate flips over to the Dems (which could happens if she wins). But wouldn’t that be grand!

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  98. David C. said on February 14, 2016 at 4:28 pm

    Sue, wouldn’t they wet themselves over that. But I can’t imagine he wouldn’t do the right thing and recuse himself from any case his administration was involved in. That would likely be a lot of cases. It’s a solid idea though. One criticism I’ve seen of the court as it is now is that none of the justices have any legislative experience and seem to have little practical knowledge how laws are actually crafted.

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  99. Jakash said on February 14, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    I remember at some point during the 2008 primary campaign when it still seemed likely that Hillary would be the nominee, and legal/political analyst Jeffrey Toobin suggested that Hillary would win and nominate Obama to the Supreme Court if the opportunity arose. Here we are, 8 years later, and that possibility seems more appealing than it did then. Not that Hillary is necessarily any closer to being the nominee than she was last time around…

    But I definitely don’t see any legitimate, non-partisan reason why a new justice shouldn’t or couldn’t be confirmed in the time Obama has left as President. The Republicans claiming that the voters should get input on this next justice via the 2016 election seem to be willfully ignoring the fact that that’s what the 2012 election was for. The voters HAD their say and they voted for Obama to be making these decisions until 2017. Since, you know, that’s what the freaking Constitution that they’re so fond of blathering about indicates.

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  100. Deborah said on February 14, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    I had a discussion with my husband via phone today about the political situation. He has an interesting theory that right now because it is so apparent that the Supreme Court appointment is so critical, the Dems should put all of their effort into one candidate who can win, for the good of the nation. In his mind that means Hillary. That Sanders should politely bow out if he really cares about the country. And Republicans would probably want to do the same, to get it down to one candidate as soon as possible. The critical thing on each side is to win the election no matter what. I have to say I find that interesting but given the egos involved, unlikely.

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  101. Sue said on February 14, 2016 at 6:24 pm

    “But I can’t imagine he wouldn’t do the right thing and recuse himself from any case his administration was involved in.”
    Why, David C.? The Wisconsin Supreme Court doesn’t think recusing themselves in cases in which they’ve had a personal interest is necessary. Cuz they’re fair and impartial and how dare anyone suggest otherwise.

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  102. Jolene said on February 14, 2016 at 6:46 pm

    Obama has been asked about the possibility of becoming a Supreme Court and has said that he’s not interested. He said that he would find being a justice “too monastic.”.

    I expect him to be very engaged in public issues–like Jimmy Carter, but different topics.

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  103. Deborah said on February 14, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    Been waiting for this Dahlia on Scalia: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2016/02/why_liberals_loved_to_hate_antonin_scalia.html

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  104. Sherri said on February 14, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    I think if there is any chance that Sanders’ Senate seat could flip, he should stay right where he is. The incumbent Democratic governor in Vermont is not running for re-election, and from what I’ve been able to tell from a quick glance around, it looks like a tough race with the GOP Lt. Gov. in the early lead. The current incumbent might be able to name an interim, but there would be a special election within 3 months. It’s a little dicey.

    The Senate is really important. The Dems must take the Senate to have a hope of getting a Supreme Court nominee confirmed. If we have a divided Presidency and Senate, we may never get another Supreme Court nominee through.

    Maybe it’s time to go to a parliamentary style government.

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  105. brian stouder said on February 14, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    Sherri – be careful what you wish for!

    There is a subset of shit-for-brains political types on the moneyed-right that would love to convene a Constitutional Convention, which would then (presumably)…..defile the Constitution

    President Obama will certainly make a credible nomination, which the R’s may well summarily reject. I’d bet the president has a list, and will simply send another nomination right after that, and drive Cruz and Rubio (et al) to distraction.

    Obama is so damned ‘uppity’, eh? Who does he think he is – President of the United States?

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  106. brian stouder said on February 14, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    RUN- don’t walk! – to that link of Deborah’s (at 103, above)

    It is short, to the point, and superb

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  107. Sherri said on February 14, 2016 at 8:26 pm

    Brian, believe me, I am not eager for a Constitutional Convention. However, our government has become so gridlocked that it seems to be exacerbating differences and lessening the potential for compromise and coalition building. The Republicans have turned into a parliamentary-style party; a Republican who votes with a Democrat is primaried out of office.

    Large portions of the electorate feel they have no voice. A parliamentary system allows a wider range of parties to have an impact. The Sandernistas and the Hillary supporters would even necessarily be in the same party, so the game would be less zero sum. Maybe there would even be a party that really was socially liberal and fiscally conservative, and we could find out what that really looks like in deeds, rather than the empty rhetoric of “compassionate conservatism.”

    I’m just feeling pessimistic about how we get out of the dysfunctional situation we’re in. A world in which Trump and Cruz can be serious candidates for President is a pretty screwed up place.

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  108. alex said on February 14, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Brian would know. Our state senate president has been making noises about getting states together for a constitutional convention. It’s sort of a carrot on a stick that he dangles in front of nutters to keep them from turning on him and threatening to hand his seat over to someone more conservative.

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  109. brian stouder said on February 14, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    Here’s a palate cleanser – a genuinely marvelous beam of light, and positive harbinger for the future:

    http://www.21alive.com/sports/Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Week-Wayne-New-Techs-Roberto-Medina-368636351.html

    click the link and watch the short video (it might be 45 seconds)

    This kiddo is a class-mate of Shelby’s, and one of her best friends (while he’s #1 in the class, she’s #10, and working to catch him)

    I’d heard about him from her, since her career at Wayne New tech began two years ago. The first time I saw him was at a football game between Wayne and South Side two years ago, wherein a kiddo was leading the cheerleaders, from the stands, on a chilly/rainy/wind-swept evening. I thought – ‘that’s gotta be Roberto’…and later, when I was in line to buy a hotdog, there he was, and when we gabbed I learned that he was indeed.

    Whatever “it” is – that young man’s got it!

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