The Watering Hole: September 14 — Sad Mitt clown

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Even this clown knows that on the evening of September 11, 2012, Mitt Romney stood in front of a bank of microphones and destroyed any possible chance that he’ll ever be President of the United States.

I love the smell of Schadenfreude in the morning any time of day.

This is our daily open thread — Does anyone happen to have a dart?

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229 thoughts on “The Watering Hole: September 14 — Sad Mitt clown”

    • Thanks Ebb. Today is actually a workday for me. At least my work consists of cutting and arranging flowers.

  4. At least one of the people I follow on the Twitter uses that pic as an avatar.

    I wonder, when he gives his concession speech Election Night, how many times will he pause to listen to his wingnut supporters cheer while he pastes that phony smile on his face? It’s as bad as GWB’s smirk because it’s so devoid of genuine emotion.

  5. With Romney currently holding a 15 point lead over Obama in Kansas, and the National Popular Vote Act not yet law, this may not affect the outcome of the election, but still, are these people fucking stupid or what? If they try to go through with this, I hope they get humiliated in court. This has been smacked down by so many courts it’s no longer funny.

    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/14/kansas-gop-officials-consider-removing-obama-from-november-ballot/

  6. Those that vote R no matter what, will vote for Rmoney, no matter what. I agree with Wayne, what Romney said will have little impact on the election, which may depend more on what Deibold does than anything else.

    • yes, there will be a ‘finger’ on the scales of the US election – depends how much they think they can get away with. 2004 was a few % here and there in Ohio, Florida, New Mexico if you follow the statistical analysis of the exit polls.

  7. UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE:

    A top foreign policy aide to Mitt Romney suggested Thursday that the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens would never have happened if Romney were president. There wouldn’t even be anti-American protests in the Middle East if Romney were in charge, the aide said.

    “There’s a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you’d be in a different situation,” Romney adviser Richard Williamson told the Washington Post. “For the first time since Jimmy Carter, we’ve had an American ambassador assassinated.”

  10. From the AP:

    “Mitt Romney is promising to reduce taxes on middle-income Americans.

    But how does he define “middle-income”? The Republican presidential nominee defined it as income of $200,000 to $250,000 a year.

    Romney commented during an interview broadcast Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

    The Census Bureau reported this week that the median household income – the midpoint for the nation – is just over $50,000.”

    Willard, the populist.

    • Nothing like biting the hand that feeds you. Romney is no diplomat. I can’t wait to see the debates. Obama will have thoughtful responses and Romney will blurt out a talking point even when the talking point doesn’t apply to the question. Here’s how Romney will answer every question, “Obama’s record on the economy is terrible” or “I will release my tax records when Obama releases his birth certificate” or “I’ll bet you $10,000.00″.

  16. The Burden of Speech – NYTimes.com

    Free speech, when it’s abused, can lead millions of people to believe a lie. Thus, up to a third or more of Republicans still tell pollsters that they think the president of the United States is not an American citizen. This is little different from ignorant Islamists who think the American government could be behind a blunt attack on their religion.

    • Excellent piece. With the right of free speech also comes the responsibility for such speech.

      • Indeed. And this is what the right often seems to forget. Free speech is not an absolute right. There are limits.

        Now Romney’s right to be a dick… that may in fact be an absolute right.

      • We should use Mitt’s appearances as a demonstration of our commitment to free speech:

        “Hey Abdul, put that rock down and listen to this ….. can you believe we still let this asshole on TV and say whatever he wants without laughing uproariously every time he shows up?…. *thats* how committed we are to free speech. Savvy?”

  17. A WOW moment… today I witnessed an adult female cardinal teaching her chick how to pick and eat seeds. She would pick a seed for herself and then pick a seed and then offer the seed to the chick. It was a beautiful thing to watch. What a blessing from nature.

    Now back to our regularly scheduled politics of saving our nation from the Republicans.

    • The only “exotic” bird I saw on my trip to Woods Hole was a male cardinal in breeding plumage–it made dragging the binoculars along worth it just to see him. Gorgeous birds.

      • They are especially beautiful in the winter with the snow as the background. Right now, the young males are practicing their singing and getting ready to woo the right female. I believe they mate for life.

  19. In relation to the Romney’s middle income beliefs….

    here’s an interesting stat: the top 0.1% receives 53% of ALL capital gains in this country.

    • In order to outlaw porn, first you have to define it….

      “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, ….”

      —Justice Potter Stewart.

      New opportunities all over Amurka for moral, upstanding Puritans from coast-to-coast thanks to President Romney …. And a job title your family and friends will admire you for – Porn-Watcher Pursuivant!

      Apply here, tissues and hand lotion included – job comes with full eyecare health benefits. Resumes and references required.

    • I’m thinking the October Surprise is arriving early. And it is very likely to have some very serious unintended consequences since it involves the Middle East directly.

  22. There’s a delicious irony in Willard’s foreign policy (such as it is). The guy who profess a love of “limited government,” Willard believes our federal government can deftly finesse the direction of Middle East politics in the 21st century. But that same incompetent government that meddles in all our lives and can’t be trusted to balance the budget can reach across the ocean and create a Middle East more to its liking?

    It’s more Republican incoherence.

  24. In TPM:

    From a Foreign Service Officer …

    It’s probably not a surprise. But can I just say that if Mitt Romney wins in November, he is going to have a very chilly reception from his employees every time he goes abroad? I don’t think I can quite state the rage we’re all feeling towards him.

  26. When it comes to major events and politics I am not a believer in coincidence. The events of the past few days are not the spontaneous acts of coincidence. Willard and the Republicans are realizing they are losing and there are people who are willing to do anything to prevent that from happening. This international crisis is manufactured. They don’t think the President can respond to it effectively but I think they hit the trigger too early. There is time to deal with it and Obama is just the man for the job.

    The best part will be when it is discovered just who is behind the idiot film.

  27. In honor of Outstanding’s b-day:

    The Author, in Fancy Dress as a Side of Bacon, designed by himself, which took First Prize of Forty Guineas at the Covent Garden Fancy Dress Ball, April 1894

  28. On ABC’s “Live! With Kelly and Michael” today we learned, “What’s Romney’s guilty pleasure?”

    It’s peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate milk.

    Srsly.

  31. Rescued oiled otter amazes with birth

    Olive, a 4-year-old California sea otter, has amazed researchers by becoming the first sea otter not only to survive a dunking in oil but then also go on to deliver a healthy pup.

  32. Poll Tracker of late (see TPM) has had Obama 14 votes below the win in the Electoral College. Today, they have him at 274. Let’s hope it stays there or rises.

  34. Happy B’day Outstanding! Hope you have a fun and wonderful day, topped off with cake and ice cream!

  35. Michael Lewis’s Obama article, “Obama’s Way” is now online and worth reading in full.

    A sample:

    Lewis asked the president to “Assume that in 30 minutes you will stop being president. I will take your place. Prepare me. Teach me how to be president.” Part of Obama’s response:

    “You have to exercise,” he said, for instance. “Or at some point you’ll just break down.” You also need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day. “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” he said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” He mentioned research that shows the simple act of making decisions degrades one’s ability to make further decisions. It’s why shopping is so exhausting. “You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.” The self-discipline he believes is required to do the job well comes at a high price. “You can’t wander around,” he said. “It’s much harder to be surprised. You don’t have those moments of serendipity. You don’t bump into a friend in a restaurant you haven’t seen in years. The loss of anonymity and the loss of surprise is an unnatural state. You adapt to it, but you don’t get used to it—at least I don’t.”

    http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/10/michael-lewis-profile-barack-obama

    • That’s amazing. I can see how it would work, and it’s pure self-preservation. Good thing being president isn’t a lifetime position, cuz it wouldn’t be a long lifetime.

      And I don’t see Mitt Romney being able to do that, let alone articulate it.

    • That was a great question to ask and a very insightful answer – anyone care to paraphrase what Chimpy would have said?

      • Some ex-presidents want a relatively anonymous life, and are eager one day to get back to it. That was Reagan and the Bushes. It wasn’t Clinton or McCain. It is Obama – the sanest conservative president since Eisenhower.

  36. Happy Birthday Outstanding! And belated Birthday to nwog (How I missed this yesterday I’ll never know)!

  37. I posted this a couple hours ago — on the wrong thread. :roll:

    Happy Birthday, Outstanding!

    This is for you:

    And this is for everyone!

  38. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has downgraded the region’s air quality to unhealthy as increased smoke from fires in southern part of the state continues to roll in over Moscow and Lewiston.
    A southerly wind came in Thursday morning, bringing with it smoke from several wildfires in southern Idaho, including the Mustang Complex in the Salmon-Challis National Forest and McGuire Complex and Sheep Fire in the Nez Perce National Forest and another in New Meadows, said Amber Rand, DEQ air quality manager in Lewiston.

    *cough* *hack* *wheeze*

    • After Obama wins re-election the White House should announce the president is going on an Apology and Appeasement Worldwide Tour. Ya know, just to see how many wingnuts go into cardiac arrest.

  41. Now the Romney campaign is spreading more lies… i just had a “petition drive” from the same group that has been calling me requesting anywhere from $3 and/or takes the latest headlines and blames them on Obama and it said that Obama has been funding $1.5 Billion to the “Muslim Brotherhood groups that were behind the attacks on our Embassy.”

    “Please press one to send a message to Obama to stop this funding now.” Egypt and Syria is where they want to stop the funding…. it is my understanding that these funds go (or went) to the government rather than any so-called groups. Anyone else know anything about this?

    • ~” the latest headlines and blames them on Obama and it said that Obama has been funding $1.5 Billion to the “Muslim Brotherhood groups that were behind the attacks on our Embassy.”~

      i saw that posted somewhere yesterday, and laughed……maybe they really believe that steaming-pile-o-shit?

    • Wow, Obama is funding the assaults on the American diplomatic missions — he’s a Musselman I tell ya !!! /foaming spittle Beck off

  42. Mitt revealed:

    In an interview with Joanna Brooks, Mormon feminist Judy Dushku reflects on her personal experience with Romney, who had been her bishop and stake president in the Belmont, MA, community. Her account offers insight into both Romney’s earlier pro-choice views and how, even in the early 1990s, political calculation shaped his platform:

    “When I entered the office, there was a table to my right where I saw women from the ward working. I said, “Hi,” and he asked, “What brings you here?” I told him I was interested in politics, that I heard he was taking a pro-choice stance [in his Senate race], and that I was wondering if, as a Democrat and fellow Mormon, maybe I could work for him…. “Yes, I’m definitely for choice,” he said. And I said, “Great, we agree on that.” Then, he said, “In Salt Lake, they told me it was okay to take that position in a liberal state.” I said, “That doesn’t make me quite as happy. I’d rather know you really believe it….” And that’s why I continued to try to understand his point on the issue. I asked, “What about women who might be on public assistance?” He said, “I would never have the state provide for abortion.” I said, “For a lot of Massachusetts women that won’t work.” He got very restless and stood up and said, “I am pro-choice; is there something else?” ‘

    Dushku paints Romney as having “disinterest and a certain attitude toward frivolousness of women’s issues” that exist on a personal, as well as policy, level:

    “I’ve told reporters [looking for "the dirt" on Romney] they were barking up the wrong tree. Mitt is a loyal husband, and he is conscientious. But he is incredibly entitled and feels like his story is the most important. If you were ever at a ward party and sat down with your plate of food and found yourself at a table with Mitt and five other men, you would just expect that you wouldn’t be in the conversation. No one was particularly unkind, but there was an in-group made of up those who were in the circle of male leaders—many Harvard Business School types—and their wives. I was spouseless, and I didn’t live in Belmont, but Watertown, which is economically less privileged. I tried and always came to church, but it was often awkward….. [Referring to interviews she gave about Romney's abortion stance during his Senate run,] it was not that I had specific horrible stories to tell, it was that I felt people should know that he was not a caring man, particularly when it came to women. He once said to me, “Judy, I don’t know why you keep coming to church. You are not my kind of Mormon.” ‘

    http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/election2012/6370/mitt_romney%E2%80%99s_best-known_mormon_critic_tells_it_all._one_last_time._/

    • “In Salt Lake, they told me it was okay to take that position in a liberal state…”

      Mormon Dominionism – say whatever you need to say, lie as much as you like…. just make sure you acquire the power.

      • He thinks that by becoming President, he will be ushering in a new Era in the Mormon church….

  43. Concerning Mitt’s “middle income” comment today:

    How does that comment square with this comment?

    “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs a repair , I’ll fix it,” he said. “I’m not concerned about the very rich…. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90 to 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling.”

    CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien asked him to clarify his remarks saying, “There are lots of very poor Americans who are struggling who would say, ‘That sounds odd.’”

    Romney responded, “We will hear from the Democrat party, the plight of the poor and there’s no question it’s not good being poor… but my campaign is focused on middle income Americans… people who can’t find work, folks that have kids that are getting ready for college.”

    He went on to say that the nation has a strong safety net for the poor, including food stamps, Medicaid and housing vouchers.

    Aren’t they trying to get rid of this safety net?

  44. Mitt’s Impossible Arithimetic. An exchange from Romney’s interview with Stephanopoulos:

    GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You cite your own studies. But one of the studies you cite by Martin Feldstein at Harvard shows that to make your math work, it could work, if you eliminate the home mortgage, charity, and state and local tax deductions for everyone earning over $100,000. Is that what you propose?

    MITT ROMNEY: No, that’s not what I propose. And, of course, part of my plan is to stimulate economic growth. The biggest source of getting the country to a balanced budget is not by raising taxes or by cutting spending. It’s by encouraging the growth of the economy. So my tax plan is to encourage investment in growth in America, more jobs, that means more people paying taxes. So that’s a big component of what allows us to get to a balanced budget.

    GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But his study, which you’ve cited, says it can only work if you take away those deductions for everyone earning more than $100,000.

    MITT ROMNEY: Well, it doesn’t necessarily show the same growth that we’re anticipating. And I haven’t seen his precise study. But I can tell you that we can lower our rates —

    GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you cited the study, though.

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/full-transcript-george-stephanopoulos-and-mitt-romney/

    • So he’s going to hire a bunch of cheerleaders to “encourage growth?”

      I’m not a genius, but can’t you only stimulate growth by cutting taxes for the middle class or raising revenues by taxing more people? After that study that came out… yesterday… saying that the rich only stick their money in bank accounts and if you really want to stimulate growth, give the middle class a raise…

  45. Did you hear this shameless say-anythingism by “Never-speak-off-the-cuff” Willard to get some kind of news cycle buzz:

    “I think the whole film is a terrible idea. I think him making it, promoting it showing it is disrespectful to people of other faiths. I don’t think that should happen. I think people should have the common courtesy and judgment– the good judgment– not to be– not to offend other peoples’ faiths. It’s a very bad thing, I think, this guy’s doing.”

    Jeebus, quick, give that man a teleprompter.

  46. Pick your jaw up off the floor now…

    “I think the challenge that I’ll have in the debate is that the president tends to, how shall I say it, to say things that aren’t true,” Romney said. “I’ve looked at prior debates. And in that kind of case, it’s difficult to say, ‘Well, am I going to spend my time correcting things that aren’t quite accurate? Or am I going to spend my time talking about the things I want to talk about?”

    • See comment on Mormon Dominionism above. If he could get another vote by accusing the President of sucking donkey d**ks, he would. If he could get another vote by claiming that *he, himself* sucks donkey d**ks I think he would too.

    • Sounds like Palin’s: “And I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I’m going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also.”

      I don’t think you are supposed to admit that this is what your debate prep team wants you to do…

  47. the repukes remind me of the spoiled little kid who gets sent to his room. and starts throwing all of his toys out of the toy box…

    they’re almost down the last Hot Wheel…

  48. My sister is verklempt. She lives in Kansas and the Kansas state government is investigating whether to take Barack Obama off the November ballot. Birtherism shit.

    She called Brownback’s office and left a blistering message and she said they called back a while later and the staffer on the phone sounded sympathetic. He did say “they are rushing to get this settled and a press release out ASAP.”

    WTF? I haven’t seen anything about this.

      • This complainant withdrew his challenge because he couldn’t take the national attention and phone calls to his family and employer, K-STATE.

        Apparently anyone with a beef with the president in Kansas can bring a national election to a standstill. Small government, indeed.

        • I’m not convinced Mitt isn’t an alien from the Planet Bollocks. Until he shows us his last few medical checkups – I want to see his name removed from the ballot

    • Perhaps she should have said, “It IS settled! He’s an American citizen and if not, don’t you think Hillary would have put out the proof positive that he wasn’t?” Acting like there’s legitimate doubt is no better than saying he’s not a natural born citizen.

  50. I just finally got around to skimming the news and it sounds like the makers of this stupid film are Christian extremists (Who could have not seen that coming? All of us.) who intended to provoke violence and then blame it on “an Israeli Jew”. Sigh…

    Hopefully this will open the eyes of sane Christians to what they are endorsing when they vote for someone because their preachers tell them that he/she is a “good Christian”. Alas, the vast majority will just say “they aren’t real Christians” instead of owning the responsibility to shut the freaks down. Avowed atheists, agnostics, and “libruls” can’t reach these people but Christians at least have a hope of getting in a word or two.

  51. Obama schooled Morsi. Juan Cole weighs in on the ally debate:

    “Egypt is among about 14 countries designated at “major non-NATO allies” by US presidents. This status recognizes that they do joint military exercises with the US, and gives them special access to advanced US weaponry. However, some of them are not allies in the precise legal sense. That is, there is no obligation of mutual defense. A true ally, as with NATO states, is one that the allied country is pledged to defend from attack. Still, US officials typically have referred to Egypt as an ally, and the State Department made clear that it continues to do so.

    So Obama was technically correct that Egypt is not an ally in the sense that Britain or even Turkey is. But unlike what some media outlets wrote, this statement was no gaffe. Rather, Obama was playing hardball with Morsi, trying to impress upon him that the status of ‘major non-NATO ally’ is not automatic now that the Muslim Brotherhood is in control. It will have to be re-earned, at least from Obama’s point of view. And the lack of response on the embassy attack is not consistent with ally status. Non-NATO ally status is bestowed by a stroke of the presidential pen, so Obama could take it away.”

    Cole also details how he believes Morsi and his administration have finally caved to US pressure by publicly denouncing the attacks:

    “Obama has enough assets in his contest with Morsi to influence the Egypt situation– loan reduction, civilian and military aid, and the danger that a US State Department travel warning could devastate Egypt’s tourist industry, which is worth billions a year. Even Obama’s willingness to play a politics of reputation with Morsi’s Egypt seems to have had some effect. [Obama's ally comment] wasn’t a ‘gaffe.’ “

    • I noticed the options did not include “If Diebold and other easily hacked election machines dial in a key 2-3% in battleground states for the Kochsucker party”

    • The next time someone tweets that 47% of Americans don’t pay any taxes, could you remind them that the top 0.1% receive (receive not earn) 53% of ALL capital gains and need to be taxed appropriately?

  54. Ok, absolutely true. I just preparing a complex, difficult meeting and have completed the prep just an hour ago, having notified the many many particiapnats several times over the last few weeks….

    … this email just arrived:

    “BTW, did you realize that Monday the 17th is Rosh Hashanah, one of the most important Jewish holidays? I suspect most Jews, including me, will be taking that day off. ”

    Er, I am not sure I should respond …… I have *so* many different competing ideas in my mind right now, several of which Ia ma sure would ensure my summary termination :)

      • Well that’s for sure – this is actually a regular slot I have reserved for literally dozens of people for a specific purpose .. and this guy is one of those people who knows.

        So far the best, least PC response I have come up with so far is:

        “Already included in the meeting instructions is ‘If you cannot make this call yourself, please forward and ensure that your team is represented.’

        One would hope that your team has pursued a diverse hiring and staffing policy in accordance with our company’s core values.”

        • I agree completely with the first, well phrased part. But I fear the second part might get you in trouble, especially if it is misinterpreted. It can, however, be brought up after the meeting if someone complains their team had no representation at the meeting because of the holiday. If the company isn’t closed, then someone is expected to come to work.

          • I didn’t send anything in the end. This guy knows his responsibilities, if he doesn’t meet them, then he is not running his team properly – I shouldn’t have to tell him that.

            If that was me – I’d have simply declined the meeting and forwarded it to one of my team to step in.

  55. Would anybody besides me like to know which security company the retired Navy Seals worked for. And if they were still in the military would they have been left with so little help?

    • I’m sure they worked for Blackwater/Xe/Whatevertheycallthemselvesnowtodisassociatethemselvesfromtheirpreviousnames.

      One way we could reduce the defense budget is to stop hiring private mercenaries to do the work the United States Marine Corps should be doing. And this is a former Airman talking. We may have had our inter-service rivalries, but I know of no Airman who wouldn’t want a Marine to have his back.

    • I would like to know. I also suspect we’d have had enough Marines to staff our embassy security detail had we not squandered our resources in Iraq.

      • They were retired Navy seals and somehow I feel if they were still in the military they’d have had more backup.

  56. Judge strikes down Scott Walker’s union-busting law as un-Constitutional at the state and federal levels.

    Suck on that, Scottie.

    • Wanker’s response:

      The people of Wisconsin clearly spoke on June 5th. Now, they are ready to move on. Sadly a liberal activist judge in Dane County … wants to go backwards and take away the lawmaking responsibilities of the legislature and the governor. … We are confident that the state will ultimately prevail in the appeals process.

      In other words, “I got nothin’.”

      • More of the vaunted Reich-wing compartmentalization on display. Any judge who doesn’t toe the party line is automatically a “librul activist” but the ones who defy the, arguably, liberal constitution are never even mentioned.

  58. Okay, a triple shot of cuteness…

    photo/1

    photo/1

    photo/1

  66. Yes, Chris Hayes will be on Real Time with Bill Maher tonight. I wonder if Ezra will be hosting “Up w/o Chris Hayes” in the morning. Chris can;t possibly leave LA after midnight and do an 8 AM show in NY.

    • I parked a tuner on it so I wouldn’t miss it. Normally I have one on MSNBC and the other on Current anyway.

    • I remember Fugelsang’s impression of Chris Matthews from a bit he did on Nicole Sandler’s show way back when Air America was still alive.

    • That one I ‘get’. The stuff up ‘yonder’, is like hieroglyphics to me!

      You need to post these at your blog with the translations. Aziz, light! :D

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