Done.

So last night the likely nominee for the GOP’s presidential ticket reassured a worried nation:

trumpspenis

We are doomed.

I think Jeb Lund (my new favorite columnist) has it exactly right here, reporting the debate from the debate-watching ballroom at the CPAC conference:

Fox even demanded that Trump explain how his own absurd tax-cut giveaway to the wealthy is going to correct the federal debt, as well as account for how his prescription drug plan will save taxpayers money while covering all Americans who qualify.

That’s just how far these people have gone on beyond zebra. After a quarter century of allowing any Republican candidate to generate any trillion-dollar figure by throwing 13 dice in the air and counting whatever numbers appeared — after allowing eight years of “repeal and replace Obamacare” without giving a tinker’s damn about what the “replace” part looked like (if it even existed at all) — a conservative outlet demanded that a conservative explain how supply-side economics works, do something that looked like math and provide a plan that makes sense.

You know the instruments of the right are losing when they have to move left to correct themselves.

My publication, Bridge, runs a fact-checking feature during election seasons, the Michigan Truth Squad, similar to Politifact or any of the many other similar services provided by staid, sober, responsible news outlets. We all pick up a little of the work, and while it’s not my favorite part of my job, sometimes it brings you up close and personal with some truly vile campaign materials, and at least some readers seem to appreciate it. But when I look at things like this sad little AP fact-check of last night’s debate in Detroit — no, I didn’t go — I can’t help but think we have missed the Getting It train by not minutes, not hours, but by days, years, eras, epochs. I can imagine being the poor AP sap tasked with that literally thankless duty. It’d be like writing the copy that goes around the naked pictures in Penthouse; seriously, who is going to read this?

I’d read a fact-check of the penis thing. Maybe someone could get an ex or two on the record.

The thing is, even if by some turn of events Trump doesn’t get the nomination, or if he does and Hillary shellacks him in November, the damage has already been done. An oaf, a buffoon, has stood on what is allegedly a “debate” stage, in a contest for president of the United States, and bragged about his dick. And like Lund points out, people are eating it up:

And yet Trump won them over, time and again. Rubio had made jokes about his penis over the last week, and Trump just said, “It’s never been a problem,” and the entire room nearly whooped like a daytime talk show audience. Cruz burned him, and he burned back, and they cheered. Rubio came after him, and they cheered.

…If Trump could win points there, just imagine what happened among the people who have no fealty to movement conservatism, who have nurtured a sustained rage at being betrayed or ignored by its bromides, who have been told that conservatism is good for them even as they have seen the middle class begin to crater around them like a suburban Florida neighborhood pockmarking with sinkholes during a long drought.

This is what we’ve sunk to.

We’re doomed. Have a nice weekend. I plan to drink.

Posted at 7:33 am in Current events |
 

70 responses to “Done.”

  1. beb said on March 4, 2016 at 8:04 am

    Rubio complained that Dems had politicized the Flint Water problem and thought that was unfair because no one intentionally set out to poison Flint’s children. As if Republicans don’t ever politicize stuff. And the guy who said “what’s a few IQ points” clearly was perfectly happy to poison Flint.

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  2. Snarkworth said on March 4, 2016 at 8:37 am

    Maybe you could combine this morning’s topic with yesterday’s. It all belongs in the Phallological Museum.

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  3. BigHank53 said on March 4, 2016 at 8:39 am

    A few days ago Hilzoy (political ex-blogger from Obsidian Wings) put out this series of tweets:

    https://storify.com/AntheaButler/repubilcan-disaster

    She’s even more depressing than Jeb Lund.

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  4. Suzanne said on March 4, 2016 at 9:30 am

    I couldn’t bring myself to watch the debate. Too depressing, but not really surprising. The GOP has had years to distance themselves from Limbaugh’s ridiculous, bombastic rhetoric and they didn’t. Same with Beck, and O’Reilly, Coulter, and any other unnamed local guys/gals (Pat White/Pat Miller in NE Indiana). It got people accustomed to the screaming, yelling, & vulgarities so now, when they try to stop Trump, who is as crude, untruthful, and nasty as the jerks party elites are used to sucking up to, the masses say, “Meh. Whatever.” It’s what the likes of Fox have made a fortune promoting & now it’s put the GOP in the crosshairs. Karma.

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  5. Julie Robinson said on March 4, 2016 at 9:38 am

    ‎@michaelscherer says “In 2020, all male candidates will have to disclose penis size before Iowa caucus.”

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  6. Deborah said on March 4, 2016 at 9:42 am

    “…. have gone on beyond zebra.” That’s a good one.

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  7. Snarkworth said on March 4, 2016 at 9:43 am

    Julie Robinson: They could say they can’t disclose because they’re being audited.

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  8. Deborah said on March 4, 2016 at 10:06 am

    As much as I hate to agree with anything Trump says, I hope “Little Marco” sticks.

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  9. Heather said on March 4, 2016 at 10:18 am

    The “best” part of that AP fact check:

    “No matter how simple taxes might become, the government still has to make sure people are paying their share, and that takes a large workforce. It’s not just a matter of receiving postcards.”

    You can feel the writer banging his head on the desk as he was writing this one.

    Yes, unfortunately the tenor and substance of political discourse in this country is forever changed. Trump reminds me of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who helped mold Italian cultural life into the grotesque spectacle it is today. For Italy, it is sad. In the U.S., it’s dangerous.

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  10. MichaelG said on March 4, 2016 at 10:35 am

    I saw some clips of Romney’s speech yesterday and saw him on the Today Show this AM. I had almost forgotten what a loathsome little toad the guy is. That stupid little smirk. Everything the jerk says is either flat out wrong or a lie. And I’m trying to keep my blood pressure down. Oh well. Off to lunch with my (ex) wife who is just back from Brussels. Home of the sprouts.

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  11. Jeff Borden said on March 4, 2016 at 10:42 am

    There are two strong pieces in today’s New York Times that are worth seeking out. The first is the lead editorial, which flails Mitt Romney and rest of the GOP establishment for stoking, however more subtly, the exact fears and resentments Trump is blatantly stoking. The second is Paul Krugman’s op-ed column, which takes Romney’s “con man” line and applies it to the entire party and especially Little Marco Roboto and Tailgunner Ted Cruz, who he labels as even larger con artists than Trump. Krugman also points out the foreign policy views of these two are actually much worse than Trump’s.

    What is truly scary is that the Trump voters will not be going away regardless of what happen in the fall. They are pissed. They are motivated. And they are dangerous. The racial and sexual slurs, the pushing and shoving, the outright punching and kicking of protesters, the fury directed at the media and government isn’t likely to subside and might even ignite if their Orange Knight falls. Given their love of conspiracy theories and their rejection of facts and analysis, they’re not going to accept the verdict.

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  12. basset said on March 4, 2016 at 10:43 am

    If the Belgians just named sports teams the way we do…

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  13. Sue said on March 4, 2016 at 10:45 am

    “and bragged about his dick. And like Lund points out, people are eating it up.”
    I see what you did there.
    “Have a nice weekend. I plan to drink.”
    I started last night.

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  14. brian stouder said on March 4, 2016 at 10:48 am

    As the young folks and I discuss these things, one refrain they hear from me is – this turn in American politics is nothing new.

    The R’s and the D’s keep trading places, with regard to who wants to appeal to overtly hateful folks…

    and (my guess is) the R’s are in their Grand Finale phase of surfing that wave (for the past 50 years).

    After this election cycle ends, it will be interesting to see what sprouts up next.

    (if the R convention takes over the process, and nominates a No-Trump, then it’s re-alignment time, and everything is up for grabs)

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  15. MarkH said on March 4, 2016 at 11:00 am

    To your point, MichaelG – did Romney lie about Trump? No. Although he is a turncoat/opportunist/hypocrite of the highest order.

    From a facebook friend’s posting today, all you need to know about Trump the Insult Candidate:

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trumpery?s=t

    Feeling everyone’s pain here, so cannnot bear to watch ANY of the debates. So I don’t.

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  16. Kirk said on March 4, 2016 at 11:13 am

    Suzanne@4: Boiled down nicely.

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  17. ROGirl said on March 4, 2016 at 11:15 am

    This is so much worse than anything you could make up. I don’t want to think about Donald Trump’s penis, but it’s too late. What could possibly be next, where are we going to end up on election day?

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  18. Charlotte said on March 4, 2016 at 11:18 am

    Here’s a cheerful story about Betti Wiggins, head of nutrition for the Detroit Public Schools and how she’s bringing better food to the students, under budget, and even converting an abandoned high school to a center of food production and a place to teach kids how to grow and process food. http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/04/detroits-rebel-lunch-lady-wants-to-fix-more-than-food/

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  19. Bob (not Greene) said on March 4, 2016 at 11:37 am

    I tuned in to the debate just long enough to hear Trump brag about how he’d authorize the commission of war crimes and completely fabricate a story that family members of the 9/11 terrorists were allowed to escape the country while US air space was closed. No one called him on it. Facts and principles mean nothing. And an audience of hooting yahoos just laps it up.

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  20. Jeff Borden said on March 4, 2016 at 11:44 am

    Bob NG,

    There was little chance the folks at Faux would push Trump hard, but even if they did, his fans wouldn’t care. They are immune to facts, logic and reason. They are looking at the status quo the way the old farmers on “SCTV” did. . .they’re waiting for it to be “blowed up real good.”

    How do we integrate these know nothings into American life circa 2016? They seem convinced Trump can roll back the clock to “Happy Days” and sock hops and Jim Crow and fags in the closet and women in the kitchen. They idealize a time that never really existed. His followers honestly scare me.

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  21. Julie Robinson said on March 4, 2016 at 11:47 am

    But isn’t everything Trump says really about the size of his penis? I feel like that’s the level of all his transactions, the need to prove himself better/bigger than everyone else. Which every Psych 101 class learns is classic insecurity.

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  22. brian stouder said on March 4, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    If this were a movie, and given the almost theatrical exit from this earth of Justice Scalia, I’d say the next big plot-twist would be the silent passing of….Nancy Reagan (reminded of her by the little calendar thingy that indicates today is her and Ronnie’s anniversary; they were hitched in 1952).

    A thing like that – just before the R Convention – could possibly affect things (if only because of whispers about what she thought of the current crop)

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  23. jcburns said on March 4, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Mitch McConnell will refuse to hold hearings on replacing Nancy Reagan until after the election.

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  24. brian stouder said on March 4, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Well – if laughing out loud (and still giggling!) is the measure, JC has the Favorite Son path to Thread-Win locked up!

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  25. basset said on March 4, 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Would someone explain “beyond zebra”?

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  26. Sherri said on March 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    If the Republicans really are concerned that Trump is a threat to the country, then they should be willing to confirm Obama’s Supreme Court nominee rather than risk a Trump nominee.

    I don’t listen to words, I watch actions.

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  27. Suzanne said on March 4, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    Bingo, Sherri!

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  28. Sue said on March 4, 2016 at 2:39 pm

    basset:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Beyond_Zebra!

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  29. David C. said on March 4, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    It’s only a matter of time before Trump goes full President Camacho and shows up at a rally firing an AR-15 into the ceiling. It’s also only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured by the fans at a rally.

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  30. Joe Kobiela said on March 4, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    Could someone link to a reputable sight that confirm trump supporters beating up protesters, I couldn’t seem to find any, and for some reason I remember families of the 9/11 highjackers not being held,and allowed to go back home, checked snopes and couldn’t find anything either way on that one.
    Just tying to stay informed, not passing judgment either way,
    Cheers from Harbor Springs Michigan
    Pilot Joe

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  31. jcburns said on March 4, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Sure, Joe. Here’s the Independent, a UK paper, and here’s Slate quoting a CNN reporter… and here’s AL.com, owned by the biggest newspaper group in that state. Enough?

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  32. brian stouder said on March 4, 2016 at 4:05 pm

    Joe – there’s lots and lots (and lots) of video from Trump rallies – including one just a day ago – of people being (at best) harshly banished, or (at worst) violently banished from the hall.

    Last evening I saw a relatively non-violent (but disturbing, nonetheless) ejection of a group of young folks from a Trump event. It was troubling because the young folks were genuinely not doing anything disruptive at all – other than being a group of black people at an otherwise-all-white event.

    The Trump campaign says THEY didn’t order them out, but the local police flatly state that the Trump campaign requested that they eject those kids from the venue

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  33. David C. said on March 4, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Everyone’s probably heard of this already. It’s a touching story and I’m sure there are thousands more like it, but it can’t be repeated too much.

    http://letterstopresidentobama.tumblr.com/post/140398509929/meet-brent-brown-from-mosinee-wisconsin-he-never

    To My President,

    I sincerely hope that this reaches you, as far too often praise is hard to come by. Apologies to people who deserve it perhaps even less so.

    I did not vote for you. Either time. I have voted Republican for the entirety of my life.

    I proudly wore pins and planted banners displaying my Republican loyalty. I was very vocal in my opposition to you–particularly the ACA.

    Before I briefly explain my story allow me to first say this: I am so very sorry. I understand written content cannot convey emotions very well–but my level of conviction has me in tears as I write this. I was so very wrong. So very very wrong.

    You saved my life. I want that to sink into your ears and mind. My President, you saved my life, and I am eternally grateful.

    I have a ‘pre-existing condition’ and so could never purchase health insurance. Only after the ACA came into being could I be covered. Put simply to not take up too much of your time if you are in fact taking the time to read this: I would not be alive without access to care I received due to your law.

    So thank you from a dumb young man who thought he knew it all and who said things about you that he now regrets. Thank you for serving me even when I didn’t vote for you.

    Thank you for being my President.

    Honored to have lived under your leadership and guidance,

    Brent Nathan Brown

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  34. Deborah said on March 4, 2016 at 4:59 pm

    If Trump wins the R nomination but loses the general election, which I think is a strong possibility, it is scary to think what will happen to all of the Trump supporters. Will it go back to life as usual? I wonder.

    Today is demolition day at our new place. I went over before noon and most of the mirrors were down. I went back at around 3 and it was so dusty I just stuck my head in and turned around and closed the door fast. The walls are coming down. They’re supposed to be done at 4;30 or so, I won’t go back until the dust settles. Meanwhile I was out and about searching for more material samples for the renovation. It’s times like these that I wish I wasn’t retired from the last place I worked, they had a huge resource library with color and material samples out the wazoo.

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  35. MichaelG said on March 4, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    No, MarkH @15. He didn’t lie about Trump. You’re taking things a little too literately. He was wrong or lied about what is or isn’t out of the Republican mainstream, he . . . Hell. I shouldn’t have to explain Romney to you.

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  36. beb said on March 4, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    Glenn Greenwald asks a question:
    http://gawker.com/a-thought-provoking-question-courtesy-of-glenn-greenwa-1762854775

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  37. David C. said on March 4, 2016 at 5:52 pm

    For those concerned with the low Democratic turnout compared to the Rs, Nate Silver just tweeted this.

    https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/705886964994678785

    Since 1972, the party with higher turnout in primaries has gone 4-7 in the general election.

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  38. Deborah said on March 4, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    David C., what does that mean “has gone 4-7”? I don’t understand.

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  39. David C. said on March 4, 2016 at 6:20 pm

    The party who had the highest voter turnout during the primaries in the past 11 election cycles has won 4 of those Presidential elections and lost 7. So there isn’t much correlation between party primary turnout and the election results.

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  40. Deborah said on March 4, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    Oh, ok, I get it now. But it seems like everything that has gone before is out the window now. But what do I know.

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  41. Tim said on March 4, 2016 at 11:15 pm

    As ridiculous, boorish and self-inflated as Trump is, as often as he contradicts himself, as much as he lacks substantive plans or ideas, he’s still wildly popular. Why? It seems to me that the people who are attracted to him don’t just want answers to their questions, they want someone who will tell them they can be strong and dominant again. They want a leader who will crush his opponents. Trump presents himself as a strong, confident leader. No surprise he feels a kinship to Putin.

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  42. susan said on March 5, 2016 at 12:23 am

    Regarding Drumpf, this tweet:

    “People upset at the overt incitement to violence should consider Trump’s moderate policy commitments like making trains run on time.”

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  43. Crazycatlady said on March 5, 2016 at 3:04 am

    I watched the Detroit GOP debate with beb’s Dad while in Indiana. We both looked at each other and reacted to the ‘dick’ reference with laughter and that look of “WHAT did he just say???” Beb’s dad is 94 and a Democrat. He’s fed up with these crazy Republicans. But at least he can see the humor in it. He’s a pretty great guy.

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  44. brian stouder said on March 5, 2016 at 11:29 am

    I got this link from Diane Ravitch’s site –

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/old-timey-presidential-twitter-beefs_us_56d5e270e4b03260bf78402c?x3eopqfr

    I can’t copy/paste an example, but here’s the header; worth a chuckle or two

    If Presidential Candidates Throughout History Tweeted Like Donald Trump
    When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to drop a #sickburn

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  45. St Bitch said on March 5, 2016 at 11:49 am

    Does anyone here actually know a tRumpozite? If I do, I don’t know it and don’t want to know. One of my brothers is a businessman, hates Obama and is very angry at the establishment in general…a prime suspect. He’s also smart…but who’s to say. My other brother feels the Bern, and my two sisters are with me and Hillary. As a family, we tend to avoid political confrontations for the sake of some semblance of harmony.

    I’ve had to revise my initial impression of Rubio (as posing the biggest threat), in light of the sheer glee with which he’s embraced stand-up insult comedy. Still, he seems to be the GOP power players’ designated front man once they’ve let the remaining candidates duke it out to a contested convention; IF they haven’t already shot themselves in the foot with the ‘winner-takes-all’ strategy that was supposed to give them some sort of edge this election cycle. I had to go trawling the ‘Super Duper Tuesday’ thread to find a quote that particularly tickled me…from Scalzi via Icarus:

    “The GOP establishment certainly isn’t in the mood to learn — shit, it’s shoving all its chips onto Rubio, whose arms are probably already fitted with the titanium eye screws through which they’ll loop the strings once he’s elected.”

    If tRump doesn’t arrive at Cleveland with a majority of delegates, and maybe even if he does, I can’t underestimate the capability of the GOP to wheel-and-deal and bend the outcome to their will…not while I still feel the sting of having my vote, cast in Miami Beach with no hanging chads, hijacked in 2000 by the Supreme Court, no less. One of the pundits on MSNBC was a Republican lawyer named Ginsberg, I think, who provided fascinating insight on how they broker a convention. He struck me as cunning and ruthless.

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  46. beb said on March 5, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a42493/christie-endorses-trump/

    Let’s caption the photo as “Kiss Me Kate.”

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  47. David C. said on March 5, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    I know tRumpozites. I was talking to one of them the other day. One thing he said that caused me to almost bite my tongue off to keep from asking him if he’s crazy was “I don’t know what to do about all this sharia law stuff being passed”. I don’t have the time or inclination to have them take me on a Gish Gallop by arguing with them. I’ve found that because there are no rules or logic to nonsense, it wins every time so why bother. Considering the attitudes of most of my co-workers, I feel like if I was gay I’d have an easier time coming out than to come out as a Hillary supporter. They hate her and are very vile (and ignorant) in expressing it. The next few months are going to be really ugly, I fear.

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  48. Sue said on March 5, 2016 at 5:36 pm

    According to the New York Times, here are some thoughts from ‘rank and file’ Republicans supporting Donald Trump:
    “There’s nothing short of Trump shooting my daughter in the street and my grandchildren — there is nothing and nobody that’s going to dissuade me from voting for Trump,”
    “I want to see Trump go up there and do damage to the Republican Party,”
    “…we’re going to use Donald Trump to either take over the G.O.P. or blow it up.”
    http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rank-and-file-republicans-tell-party-elites-we%e2%80%99re-sticking-with-donald-trump/ar-BBqmhUf

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  49. Deborah said on March 5, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    I’ve gotta quit thinking and talking about Trump, so let me say that I made Pasta this evening and used Colatura di Alici on it, wow was it good. I finally found the stuff at Eataly here in Chicago, couldn’t find it anywhere in Santa Fe. I found a recipe, used capers and sprinkled with a bit of red chili pepper flakes, also a good parm that I hand grated. I used Mario Batali brand spaghettini and that was very good too. My husband raved about it.

    If you’re not interested in interior design you might want to skip the next part of this comment: we’re shipping some of our furniture to Santa Fe because it’s too much for our new place. But the furniture is blue and I was wondering how to make it work in Santa Fe because I was afraid it wouldn’t work with the colors we have going on there already. Then I found this on line http://www.retailand.com/retail-design-blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/AlexanderHM_Girard_NYC_9_293_1456_349836_3d19c7c6-9c62-4381-ae29-49a2c916dc47_64354_0_1_PC.jpg. It’s a photo of an Alexander Girard exhibit in NYC. Girard was a designer who worked in the mid century with folks like Eames etc. If you ever visit Santa Fe, go to the Folk Art Museum which is made up of Girard’s collection. Anyway, I’ve been looking for fabrics that he designed to use on pillows etc, when I saw that photo it made me realize everything we’ve got going on will go just great with the blue furniture that we’re sending.

    And we purchased an area rug today for our new place which is exactly what I was looking for and it was on sale! That always makes me happy. Today was an inspiring day.

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  50. Dexter said on March 5, 2016 at 9:42 pm

    I have felt the wrath of Repugg security. As I began screaming at old Agnew and challenging Nixon’s bombing overkill, I was perched on a flatbed truck trailer really close to Agnew. (Fort Wayne, 1972 campaign)
    I managed to say my piece, eliciting a response from Agnew that made the Cronkite CBS Evening News, I was accosted by a bevy of beefy suits, dragged from the trailer, and quickly escorted from the rally, both my arms in the hard painful clenches of those goddam goons. My crew and I agreed they had been Allen County Republican Party security…I suppose Agnew had federal Secret Service contingents but these local guys are the ones who got me. One of those motherfuckers had a balled fist in my right kidney all the way out…that hurt for a long time. Not arrested, not a word said to me. The goons were highly professional alright.

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  51. susan said on March 6, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Ha ha ha! Make your face great again, America!. “Remember, with trumping, It’s not what you look like that makes you ugly.”

    Unfortunately she didn’t get to the Hair. Maybe that’s the next video, Completing the Look.

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  52. St Bitch said on March 6, 2016 at 11:27 am

    You can hush now, Deborah
    Hush those Colatura di Alici flavored tears
    With your Sante Fe
    Desert Sun
    Palettable
    Blues

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  53. Heather said on March 6, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Brian @22, how prescient: Nancy Reagan has passed. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/us/nancy-reagan-a-stylish-and-influential-first-lady-dies-at-94.html

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  54. brian stouder said on March 6, 2016 at 2:45 pm

    Well, wow.

    Indeed, if this were a movie, this would indeed be a major plot-twist.

    Speaking of plot twists, Pam and I marked our 23rd anniversary this weekend, and dined at Cork & Cleaver last evening, and then went to see Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, which was even a bit better than I was expecting.

    Anyway – WTF might well be what the major presidential campaigns are all muttering, about now.

    I’d love to see a personal letter (or two or three) get released, giving her thoughts on the 2016 crop of candidates (Betcha see says “Just say no” about at least a few of them)

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  55. Deborah said on March 6, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    Happy anniversary Brian.

    Cute, St. B.

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  56. alex said on March 6, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    Brian at 22: Hush! You jinxed it!

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  57. alex said on March 6, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Fuckin’ HTML!

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  58. Judybusy said on March 6, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    Deborah, keep the design updates coming–I’m living vicariously through you!

    We also made an amazing meal last night.One of our nieces gave my partner a cookbook by one the “hot” chefs in Paris right now, Greg Marchand. His nickname, the cookbook–and that of one of his restaurants–is Frenchie. We invited the niece and her boyfriend over and made a fish dish. You make a walnut pesto, saute some asparagus, and a shallot-garlic-white wine-curry sauce. Sear the fish. Place some pesto in a wide shallow bowl. Add the asparagus, then the fish. Drizzle with wine sauce. Most of the recipes are like that–little components that come together for stunning food. In case you’re interested

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  59. Deborah said on March 6, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    Susan, too funny.

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  60. Heather said on March 6, 2016 at 8:58 pm

    Judybusy–that cookbook sounds right up my alley. I like recipes that are simple and elegant.

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  61. basset said on March 6, 2016 at 9:15 pm

    Such interesting weekends for some of you. So sophisticated, so culturally rewarding. Probably you all will laugh out loud at my Saturday night, but for me it was about as good as it gets. Potluck dinner with friends in the country not quite an hour out of Nashville – brought a covered dish, a guitar, and a mandolin and spent the evening in a circle of players and singers doing everything from Marshall Tucker songs to hymns I didn’t know but jumped in on anyway once the first verse and chorus had gone by and I had some idea what was going on.

    Damn, that was fun. Pick and sing awhile, get up, get a plate, eat something and sit back down, call the tune when your turn comes around and away we go. That’s just where it’s at for me – start a song, someone you just met that night takes the harmony and it feels right, no other way to put it. Can’t beat it.

    Our dish, btw, was a fruit pizza… Mrs. B makes these and I believe I have mentioned it here before. Cookie dough for the crust, cream cheese for the tomato sauce and various fruits and berries arranged on top, I can only have a little tiny bite but it goes over well.

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  62. Jill said on March 6, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Basset, why would we laugh? Doing things you like with people you enjoy sounds like a great activity to me.

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  63. Sue said on March 6, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    Basset, that sounds so nice.
    I spent the evening binge-watching Doc Martin on Netflix, binge-knitting, and binge-drinking, which amounts to two glasses of wine.

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  64. LAMary said on March 6, 2016 at 10:15 pm

    I know I refer to NYT recipes a lot, but the recipe for Hunan Beef with cumin is really worth doing. I use tri tip and double the recipe because it’s great the next day. Still making the red lentil soup with lemon often. It’s another fast, easy and so much better than it sounds recipe. Tonight I’m trying Mark Bittman’s Chickpea and Chicken tagine. I’ll report on the results.

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  65. basset said on March 6, 2016 at 10:36 pm

    Jill@62… it’s not exactly on the level of what some of you all do, analyzing great architecture, cooking exotic recipes, going to memorable places and so on. Probably half the people in the room, including me, didn’t even have a graduate degree.

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  66. Bob (not Greene) said on March 6, 2016 at 10:52 pm

    Jesus, Basset, why do you give a fuck? You do you. I’ll do me.

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  67. Dexter said on March 6, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    Frank and Clare are at it again. No spoilers, but President Frank Underwood is vying for most underhanded, back-stabbing Washington pol since Milhous.
    “House of Cards”, S4– NETFLIX

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  68. Sherri said on March 6, 2016 at 11:51 pm

    I spent the weekend at the Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament, and enjoyed it immensely.

    And I don’t have a graduate degree either, basset. I’m a grad school dropout.

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  69. basset said on March 7, 2016 at 3:37 am

    Bob, you miss my point.

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  70. LAMary said on March 7, 2016 at 1:55 pm

    The chickpea and chicken tagine was excellent.

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