Rubio Out of the Race, Big Wins for Trump and Clinton, Obama to Announce SCOTUS Pick: A.M. Links

• 

  cornstalker/Flickr

  Sen. Marco Rubio has suspended his presidential campaign following a lackluster showing in his home state of Florida.

• Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were the big winners in Tuesday's primaries. Clinton bested Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina while Trump won Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina. Ohio Gov. John Kasich won his home state and votes in Missouri are still being tallied. 
• Anita Alvarez, the Chicago prosecutor who earned intense criticism for her handling of the "officer involved shooting" death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, lost in last night's primary race for Cook County State's Attorney. 
• President Obama will announce his nominee for the Supreme Court at 11 a.m. today. Though the White House has been mum, Reuters reported that the nominee would be either Judge Sri Srinivasan or Judge Merrick Garland. 
• Donald Trump's campaign barred a Politico reporter who has been covering it for months from a Tuesday press event, with the explanation that the reporter is "dishonest" and "third-rate," continuing a pattern of barring reporters access if they write about him unfavorably. 

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sen. Marco Rubio has suspended his presidential campaign following a lackluster showing in his home state of Florida.

He's leaving the race to spend more time with his Aquafina.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Hello.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Suspended? Or ended? Suspended means he may resume at some point.

[Fist of Etiquette]

2020?

[Tonio]

They always say "suspended" rather than "ended." It's one of those face-saving little lies they tell.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

I thought they said "suspended" so they could continue to solicit funds to meet payroll and or legal fees that might arise.

[Tonio]

Probably so.

[Swiss Servator]

What sloopy said.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

This

[Stormy Dragon]

"Suspended" also means their current delegates aren't released.

[Private Chipperbot]

Marco only pawn in game of life...

[Lee G]

Apparently he needs to figure out God's plan for him.

[egould310]

God's plan for Marco: shuffle around the house in an old pair of sweatpants, binge watch The Sopranos, eat leftover pizza, and sob quietly on the couch in a darkened room.

[Swiss Servator]

You forgot swigging from a half empty bottle of Jim Beam.

/Jehova

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

He's Cuban, so rum. Actually that is a question I want the candidates to answer. What is your drink? I think you can tell a lot about people by what they drink. Trump is a teetotaler and eats his steak burnt. I rest my case.

[egould310]

I wonder what Santorum drinks? Or perhaps, guzzles?

[DEATFBIRSECIA]

Santorum, of course.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Good point. Can't trust a teetotaler.

[Zeb]

And you really can't trust someone who overcooks beef.

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

That settles it. Whom do I talk to to become a reporter? I'm assuming a lobotomy is required.

[robc]

Craft beer. Steak medium rare.

[carol]

Marco has the sugar lobby waiting for him. He didn't really lose. He gained one hellava salary.

[Rich]

And Satan's plan for Hillary.

[Citizen X]

Old Scratch is terrified of Hillary, it is known.

[Tonio]

It is known.

[Lee G]

He's going to make her a blues star down in the Delta.

[Anomalous]

Do you mean this?

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

*pours some Bacardi out for Lil' Marco*

*break bottle and waves it at Kaisch*

Drop out of the fucking race, moron!

[Juvenile Bluster]

The election may suck, but I am enjoying some tasty tears from my Bernie-supporting friends.

[Tonio]

^This. But it's a small comfort.

[CE]

My check book breathed a sigh of relief at Bernie's latest round of defeats.

[Bee Tagger]

Donald Trump's campaign barred a Politico reporter who has been covering it for months

They're doing favors for reporters now. That's a nice change of pace.

[Hamster of Doom]

What can we do to get Reason barred from covering Trump?

This is a discussion we need to have,

[Bee Tagger]

Ok, but first we're going to have to find out what the millennials think. Are you sure you want this?

[Citizen X]

They think Trump is basic af.

[Restoras]

Trump is Midway Island?

[Swiss Servator]

-4 carriers

[Rich]

"Basic af"? Is that like "bae"?

[Trigger Warning]

af=as fuck. Because kids love lazy jargon. Dawg.

[Citizen X]

Trigger Warning's Millennialese literacy is on fleek.

[Rich]

Thx

[Rhywun]

What can we do to get Reason barred from covering Trump?

I dunno, they've tried the "not writing nice things" route - I'm guessing Reason is not on his radar. At all.

[Trigger Warning]

I know Reason. I've read Reason. They are, you know, they are just whatever. They say this, they say that, my poll numbers go up. So yeah, Reason, ok, that jacket guy with the hair, they are big fans.

[Libertarian]

Sad.

[Mr. Flanders]

This made me smile. 🙂

[Glide]

Trump responds to Reason

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were the big winners in Tuesday's primaries.

It's a juggertrump. A trumpernaut. A truggernump. And Clinton exists.

[Libertarian]

Donary Clintrump.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hillald Trumpton.

[SugarFree]

Sen. Marco Rubio has suspended his presidential campaign following a lackluster showing in his home state of Florida.

These masturbation euphemisms are getting out of control.

[WTF]

He lacklustered his lil' Marco?

[Citizen X]

Well, look what Florida is shaped like.

[egould310]

A bicep?

[Fist of Etiquette]

You both need to see a doctor.

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

I'm a cockologist. How can I help?

[straffinrun]

Florida was always looking for a good time. Dynomite times.

[Bee Tagger]

Reuters reported that the nominee would be either Judge Sri Srinivasan or Judge Merrick Garland.

The only thing I care about is where they stand on litmus tests.

[SugarFree]

9.5 vs. 6.8

[Lee G]

I predict a caustic confirmation process.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

I predict an acid tone in the Senate leadership's response.

[Bee Tagger]

Basically.

[Swiss Servator]

*narrows gaze*

[Rhywun]

*polite clap*

[Old Man With Candy]

litmus tests.

Obama appointment, so "blue."

[Swiss Servator]

*polite applause*

[Jerryskids]

From what I can tell, Garland is a white bread pick, Sri is a shit sandwich. Without the bread. But Sri would be the first Indian-American justice, so that gives Obama a little plastic trophy for his trophy case and a free racist card to play against anybody opposing his pick. Plus Sri had an easy confirmation before so that's more shit to fling at the Senate. Sri it is.

OTOH - the GOP has said no way, no how they're going to consider the nominee. What's the over/under on how long it takes the Senate to take up hearings? I'm thinking they can easily hold out until Tuesday, depending on whatever other big news story grabs anybody's attention over the weekend.

[IndyEleven]

Do Indians count in the Race Sweepstakes? I thought they were kind of like Asians or Jews. The type of 'minority' we've already got enough of thankyouverymuch--cf California uni admissions.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ohio Gov. John Kasich won his home state...

Un. Stoppable.

[straffinrun]

Denial?

[greasonable]

Joh-mentum!

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Do you think John Kasich ever reads poll or election results?? I mean, he's pretty much gotten this far just because he refused to drop out even though his numbers didn't get higher than 5%, and now his support's in the double digits just because he outlasted most of the others. Either he doesn't actually know what his poll numbers have been, or he's the most optimistic and stubborn person alive.

[This Machine]

Either he doesn't actually know what his poll numbers have been, or he's the most optimistic and stubborn person alive.

I'm gonna go with "unbridled narcissism" on this one.

[Lord Humungus]

This Urn Turns You Into A Potted Tree After You Die

The Bios Urn, made from coconut shells, compacted peat, and cellulose, holds a person's ashes along with a seed for a tree. As the urn decomposes, the tree roots take up the ashes and break through the small pod. Though the urn can be planted in the ground, the designers realized that city-dwellers not have access to land?and might want to keep a family member closer.

"The Bios Urn was designed to be planted on the ground, or in a natural setting like a forest," says Roger Molin?, co-founder of the Spain-based company. "We noticed that a lot of people wanted to have the Bios Urn, or the tree growing close to them?somewhere they could personally see it growing, and nurture it to life."

In response, they designed a new "tree incubator" called the Incube, a pot small enough to fit on a balcony or deck. The biodegradable urn fits inside. It also comes with a small kit of sensors that measure moisture, temperature, and sunlight, as well as an automatic watering system to keep the tree alive. An app allows for tracking the growth of the tree.

[SugarFree]

And then the tree dies and you make a thousand dildoes out of it.

[Shirley Knott]

No, no. Recycling is all the rage -- you make a few coffins until there are no unenlightened left.

[SugarFree]

No, you give the dildoes away and then get over your grief by getting angry that your dead husband is cheating on you with hundreds of women and a few dozen men.

Don't you know anything about the grieving process?

[Citizen X]

Man, i did it ALL wrong when my grandfather died.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Which stage of the process is that, exactly?

[Rich]

An app allows for tracking the growth of the tree.

*** facepalmtree ***

[Swiss Servator]

Nothing. You get nothing for that.

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

I said good day, sir!!!

[Rich]

Who has no expectations has no disappointments.

[EMD]

Cleveland Indians fan?

[Trigger Warning]

*widens male gaze*

[Tonio]

And for the even more ecologically correct there's a company that takes your uncremated remains, bags you up with the root ball of a sapling and buries you in the forest.

[Citizen X]

Where's the company that will grind you up into a nutritious slurry to be fed to orphans?

[Swiss Servator]

Swiss Servator's SlurryServings, Inc?

[Citizen X]

Now comes in two flavors: Milk Chocolate, and new! Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

This is how Nutella is made.

[Zeb]

Anywhere you can rent a woodchipper?

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Soylent Tree?

[Swiss Servator]

IS MADE OF...um, hey...

[Zeb]

I think that sounds like a very nice idea. Except the app, that sounds stupid.

[robc]

Niven did it.

[robc]

Read in voice from south park saying "Simpsons did it".

[Lord Humungus]

Peabody Says It May Need to File Bankruptcy Amid Coal Rout

Peabody's ability to operate as a "going concern" is in doubt, the company said in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday. "Going concern" is an accounting term used to describe a business that has the resources it needs to continue running.

St. Louis-based Peabody, which has been ravaged by the coal market's worst downturn in decades, has been seeking ways to ease its debt burden as rivals including Alpha Natural Resources Inc. and Arch Coal Inc. filed for bankruptcy. The company in recent months has struggled to close the sale of three coal mines in the western U.S. to Bowie Resource Partners and to renegotiate payment terms with its creditors.

"There can be no assurance that our plan to improve our operating performance and financial position will be successful," Peabody said in the 10-K filing. "We may need to voluntarily seek protection under Chapter 11."

[CatoTheChipper]

Fundamental transformation, baby!

[sloopyinTEXAS]

I was at the Jewett mine on Monday (Westmoreland Coal). The mood of the management there was pretty somber.

Reminded me of the look on the face of a recently castrated dog.

[Swiss Servator]

*cringes*

[commodious spittoon]

Maybe their dog tranq habit is part of the reason the mine is failing.

[Zeb]

Maybe he needs some neuticles.

[Jerryskids]

"There is no magic bullet for climate change, but there is a lethal bullet: coal."

No mention of Peabody is complete without the money quote.

[robc]

Muhlenberg County hardest hit?

[Mainer2]

Mr. Peabody's coal train has hauled it away.

[Hamster of Doom]

Donald Trump's campaign barred a Politico reporter who has been covering it for months from a Tuesday press event, with the explanation that the reporter is "dishonest" and "third-rate," continuing a pattern of barring reporters access if they write about him unfavorably.

Hey! He can't have the Most Transparent Administration Ever. That's been done already.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Most transparentest administration ever!

[Rich]

Rubio has suspended his presidential campaign

So there's a chance he might start it up again?

[Glide]

I think this was more of the type of suspension you get from a noose.

[Bee Tagger]

votes in Missouri are still being tallied.

C'mon cspan, show me.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...with the explanation that the reporter is "dishonest" and "third-rate," continuing a pattern of barring reporters access if they write about him unfavorably.

There's only room for so much dishonest and third-rate at a Trump event. But at least we might get the answer to the question of whether any administration could be as thin-skinned as the current one.

[WTF]

I suspect Obama might have reacted the same had the press not been perpetually lapping his balls.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Like when he tried to bar Fox News from the official White House press pool?

As opposed to keeping someone from a private event.

[WTF]

Yup.

[Lord Humungus]

David French: Keep Fighting -- There Is No Other Choice

Any normal race would be over. But this is not a normal election. We've gone from a race where the political wing of the conservative movement is at stake, to a contest where America finds itself teetering on the edge of political violence not seen since 1968. In such circumstances, patriots simply do not give up, and they especially don't give up while there are still glimmers of hope.

Trump is presently not on pace to accumulate a majority of delegates before the GOP convention, and he will face one ? and perhaps two ? losses next week in the Utah caucuses and the Arizona primaries. Mormon Utah will obliterate Trump (serving a heaping helping of humble pie to squishy Evangelicals), and Cruz should be competitive in Arizona. Any victory going forward will increase the chances of a contested convention.

The only defeat that #NeverTrump should acknowledge is final defeat in November, and even then conservatives should immediately plot their comeback. Our crisis cannot compare with the crisis faced by American patriots in 1776, but Thomas Paine's words resonate still:

[WTF]

Tools like French are responsible for Trump's rise.

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

Again, this is absolutely going to be a brokered convention. This is especially true since Rubio dropped out and there was an ABC poll showing that something like 70% of Rubio supporters would pick Cruz over Trump. That helps Cruz, although not nearly enough to give him a majority.

The issue will come down to whether the GOP establishment prefers Trump or Cruz, which is actually going to be pretty hilarious to watch.

[commodious spittoon]

They'd prefer Hillary, so Trump will get the nod.

[Overt]

like 70% of Rubio supporters would pick Cruz over Trump

I wouldn't be so sure. Kasich is now being seen as a "Sensible establishment alternative" and he is going to surge. The "Not Trump" wing is still fragmented, to Trump's benefit.

[Drake]

Kasich isn't going to win another state. I doubt he'll break 20% again. Promising amnesty isn't the inside track to the nomination this year.

His only job is to split off enough votes from Cruz to make sure Trump wins.

[Mr Drew]

You, sir, wildly underestimate the amazing milquetoast power of Kasich. I think he only won last night because of strategic voting and is only governor at all because if the R after his name.

[EMD]

His vibe in Ohio is that he's weirdly pragmatic, although he's dead to anyone with a teacher in their family because he tried to pull a Scott Walker there.

Most of my dem friends I work with Felt the Bern and were happy to tell everyone about it.

[CE]

I'm old enough to remember when Kasich was considered a rabid conservative, too dangerously right wing to be considered as a presidential nominee. Democrats were crying about the fiscal austerity he would try to inflict on the nation from Congress. Now he's just a middle of the road neocon.

[CE]

Thomas Paine would be backing Trump though.

[Bee Tagger]

with the explanation that the reporter is "dishonest" and "third-rate,"

Uh, Donald, you can't switch units of measurements on me. At what rate does one become a loser? Is this metric? IS DONALD TRUMP A EUROPHILE?

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

Slugs per fortnight.

[commodious spittoon]

+1.20650653E10^-5 kg/s

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

/Rubio stares into mirror.

'No one likes me anymore.'

/flicks both ears.

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Obama will announce his nominee for the Supreme Court at 11 a.m. today.

Burying it in the horse race coverage of yesterday's primaries.

[Rich]

Ooh, ooh, I hope he says "And if Congress won't act, I will"!

[WTF]

He's got a pen and a phone, dammit! And the current SCOTUS will hang 4 to 4 on the issue of him bypassing congressional consent, so it will likely stand.

[CE]

Stealing the narrative you mean. The primaries are now yesterday's news.

[Lord Humungus]

Byron York: Explaining Rubio's defeat

The whole episode seemed to cast doubt on Rubio's judgment. A few days ago, as he criss-crossed Florida in the campaign's final hours, Rubio stopped by a coffee shop in Lakeland. I met a man named Richard Dempsey there, who told me he was a Rubio fan ever since the candidate came to Lakeland in the 2010 Senate race. "I was so impressed with his grasp of the issues," Dempsey told me. "And so I was immensely disappointed that he aligned himself with John McCain and Lindsey Graham when he got there, and I think that's going to be the thing that he's going to live with for the rest of his life."

In his campaign's last days, Rubio seemed to point a finger at much of the political world for Trump's success. "There will be a reckoning," he told Politico. "There will be a reckoning in the mainstream media, where all these networks and cable networks are going to have to ask themselves why did they give so much coverage for the sake of ratings. There will be a reckoning in the conservative movement, where a lot of people who for a long time have espoused conservative principles seem to not care about those anymore in rallying around Donald Trump because they like his attitude.

[Shirley Knott]

He might as well have ended the speech with "and your little dog, too."
Or the closing lines from David Gilmour's 'Moribund the Burgomaster" -- "They'll be sorry. I'm make sure they're sorry."

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

"There will be a reckoning in the conservative movement, where a lot of people who for a long time have espoused conservative principles seem to not care about those anymore in rallying around Donald Trump because they like his attitude."

Hey dipshit, maybe you should have dropped out weeks ago then when it was obvious you couldn't win and thrown your support behind Cruz.

Rubio's decision to stay in the race helped Trump.

[Idle Hands]

Rubio might have been the most narcissistic person in the race.

[Drake]

Oh hell no - not even close. Listen to Kasich for 1 minute if you dare.

http://www.nationalreview.com/.....hievements

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

""How do you tell your people that are for you to go vote for somebody else?" Kasich told CNN's Jake Tapper. "And after all, I'm not into a stop Trump as more as I am be-for-Kasich movement." "

Kasich speak English good, none of you speak English so good as Kasich, reward Kasich for English speak.

[Citizen X]

Kasich is most American candidate is ever beink!

[Idle Hands]

good lord.

[Trigger Warning]

Uh, Marco, Trump is the reckoning in the conservative movement. A turd you dopes are going to end up trying to polish.

[Jerryskids]

I don't think Trump is a reckoning at all. Trump is the perfect example of what's wrong with the GOP. Attack their principles all you want, as long as you're a winner they'll not defend them but they'll support you. The "establishment candidate" is whoever gets the most votes, and what kind of principle is that when it turns out to be Trump?

[Shirley Knott]

A political principle.

[Domestic Dissident]

President Obama will announce his nominee for the Supreme Court at 11 a.m. today. Though the White House has been mum, Reuters reported that the nominee would be either Judge Sri Srinivasan or Judge Merrick Garland.

Hopefully they speak English better than the barely literate Sonia Sotomayor.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Look. Say what you will about Justice Wise Latina. She's awful in most respects. But she's the only one left on the court who actually gives the slightest damn about the 4th amendment and the rights of defendants in the criminal justice system.

[CE]

So the wisdom was real?

[Citizen X]

Oh come on, i KNOW you can come up with a gratingly dumb nickname for Sotomayor. It's like you're not even trying.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

Does Thomas qualify as "barely literate" too?

[Domestic Dissident]

Clarence Thomas can speak English at the level you would expect for a highly educated American and a Supreme Court justice, unlike Sotomayor.

Thomas knows the difference between "imminent" and "eminent", "store" and "story", "province" and "providence", etcetera.

[Lord Humungus]

Pants on fire! Plymouth man set fire to love rival's boxers in toaster

A JEALOUS man stuffed the pants of a suspected love rival in the toaster after he found them at his ex-partner's flat, a court heard.

Dean Buxton, aged 29, started a fire by deliberately burning the man's boxer shorts.

Angry Buxton also slashed the woman's bed with a knife, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

He admitted arson and burglary with intent to cause damage when he appeared for a trial.

Buxton continues to deny the more serious count of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered ? a plea accepted by the prosecution.

[Libertarian]

Apparently I'm guilty of arson every time I make toast.

[Lord Humungus]

Charles Cooke: Is Trump's Rise Giving Progressives Second Thoughts?

To listen to the manner in which our friends on the left now talk about Donald Trump is to suspect that it is not. Time and time again, Trump has been compared to Hitler, to Mussolini, to George Wallace, and to Bull Connor. Time and time again, self-described "liberals" have recoiled at the man's praise for internment, at his disrespect for minorities and dissenters, and at his enthusiasm for torture and for war crimes. Time and time again, it has been predicted ? not without merit ? that, while Trump would almost certainly lose a general election, an ill-timed recession or devastating terrorist attack could throw all bets to the curb. If one were to take literally the chatter that one hears on MSNBC and the fear that one smells in the pages of the New York Times and of the Washington Post, one would have no choice but to conclude that the progressives have joined the conservatives in worrying aloud about the wholesale abuse of power.

Hence my initial question: Have they? And, if they have, what knock-on effects has that worrying had? Having watched the rise of Trumpism ? and, now, having seen the beginning of violence in its name ? who out there is having second thoughts as to the wisdom of imbuing our central state with massive power?

[Tonio]

progressives have joined the conservatives in worrying aloud about the wholesale abuse of power

A position they will quickly forget and abandon if Trump doesn't get the nomination.

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

"Having watched the rise of Trumpism ? and, now, having seen the beginning of violence in its name"

Given that some of that violence has been caused by progressives attacking Trump supporters - often while being cheered on by other progressives - I don't think violence is what concerns the far left.

What concerns them is violence by the wrong people. When it's by the right people, it's perfectly acceptable. Which really makes some of them no different from some Trump supporters.

[Tonio]

^This. Particularly the last paragraph.

[commodious spittoon]

"I'd like to know how many fervent critics of the Second Amendment have caught themselves wondering whether the right to keep and bear arms isn't a welcome safety valve after all."

Something tells me the ickiness of picking up a gun would completely override the ickiness of government interning political dissidents, even members of their own party.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Heartiste: Donald Trump's Stone Cold Truths About Women
...My favorite part [of 'Pulp Fiction'] is when Sam has his gun out in the diner and he tells the guy to tell his girlfriend to shut up. Tell that bitch to be cool. Say: 'Bitch be cool.' I love those lines....

...Women: "You have to treat 'em like shit." (New York magazine, Nov. 9, 1992)...

[Juvenile Bluster]

So have any of these alpha PUAs ever seen a naked woman? Like in real life?

[Citizen X]

Does spying on their sisters in the bathroom count?

[Lord Humungus]

go on...

[Tonio]

[golf clap]

[Rich]

Woman's body was in Walmart parking lot for months

Warning: Automatic audio start

Salinas police said her car had dark-tinted windows, and a sunshade was covering the dashboard, making it difficult to spot someone inside.

And the Febreze-drenched seats made it difficult to smell someone inside.

[Trigger Warning]

Holy shit. Did she have it vacuum-sealed?

[WTF]

It was Walmart, how would you know whether the stench was coming from a car or the 400 pound whale next to you on a jazzy power chair?

[Lord Humungus]

The Lesson of 2016: People Are The Worst
Politics brings out the worst in Americans, and few candidates have demonstrated this better than Donald Trump.

You're free to patch together any theory you like, of course, but if you actually listen to the motivations of Trump's core fans you will not be confused: They want to destroy you. Hang you by your fancy tie. Draw and quarter your career, and scatter the pieces from sea to shining sea. But don't attack Trump supporters! They're just salt of the earth, you elitist!

Unlike professional conservative activists, journalists ? opinionators or otherwise ? have no reason to glad-hand and empathize with 40 percent or so of Republican primary voters who aren't dismayed by Trump's violent rhetoric, his authoritarianism, or his self-destructive protectionism. There's no reason to find common cause with those who don't find the idea of a president ordering soldiers to murder the innocent families of terrorists ? while countermanding American law ? to be morally troublesome.

Being a working class American doesn't mean you lack sense or morals. Those who treat you as if you did are the true elitists.

[Lord Humungus]

no Nikki is the worst... and then people.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Charleton Heston said it best.

"Soylent Nikki is people!"

[Azathoth!!]

You know, I read these things, like the Harsanyi piece here, and I am just stunned at how blind they are to what's driving Trump followers--and massively blind to how they, themselves are a huge part of it.

[Lord Humungus]

Fed to Signal Worst Is Over, Hikes Coming: Decision-Day Guide

This week, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and her colleagues have an opportunity to clarify where they stand on the outlook for interest rates. The message will probably be that plans for additional tightening have been postponed, but not for long.

Fed officials are expected to reduce the number of rate hikes they see in 2016 and leave the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent after a two-day gathering of the Federal Open Market Committee in Washington. Here's what to look for when the FOMC releases its post-meeting statement and updated forecasts at 2 p.m. Wednesday, and in Yellen's 2:30 p.m. press conference:

[Mr. Flanders]

TW: Auto-Play video.

[Suthenboy]

The worst is over? How many summers of recovery did we have to have in a row for that to happen?

[Brett L]

Let's just applaud the Fed moving in the generally not entirely wrong direction. I mean, the real clearing rate is probably more like 4% (maybe 3% if you think oil and other goods are flat) for traditional banking investment to work. If you think the money supply is scarily too large and you believe the Fed can affect that, we need more of a Voelkerist 12% rate.

[Lord Humungus]

Military Times survey: Troops back Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders for president

In an exclusive survey of American military personnel, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders emerged as active-duty service members' top choices to become the next commander in chief.

The Republican front runner Trump was the most popular candidate in a subscriber poll that closed Monday morning, with 27 percent saying they would back the business mogul if the election were held tomorrow. Sanders, the independent Vermont senator, was a close second at 22 percent, besting Trump among Navy and Air Force respondents. (See the service-by-service breakdown below.)

[Free Society]

Well, against all intuition he is the least war mongery of all the GOP field. He's the only one to criticize US's recent military escapades and even did a full frontal on the Iraq War. Meanwhile you have Kasich, reputed to be the mild mannered one of the bunch, promising no less than three large scale invasions upon taking office.

[Lord Humungus]

Mexico governor floats idea of medical opium growing to reduce drug violence

A senior Mexican official has said legalizing cultivation of opium poppies for medicinal purposes might help reduce violence in one of the regions most affected by brutal drug gangs that have ravaged the country for years.

Hector Astudillo, governor of Guerrero, one of the most violent states in Mexico, told Milenio television it was worth at least exploring the possibility of allowing cultivation.

"Let's do some sort of pilot scheme," Astudillo, a member of President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, told Milenio in an interview recorded last week but broadcast on Monday.

[Notorious UGCC]

A *sitting* governor? As opposed to a retired politician? (much of this reconsider-prohibition stuff tends to be uttered by politicians after they leave office)

[Rich]

LaVoy's Widow, Jeanette Finicum, to File Wrongful Death Suit against State Police: We Have Evidence that will "Shock the Conscience"

The coverage of this should be interesting.

[Tonio]

You mean the non-coverage will be infuriating.

[Drake]

The video from inside the car was pretty disturbing. They were plinking at him long before he ever tried anything. You can hear bullets bouncing off the car. Not sure if it was FBI or the Staties who lit him up first.

[Free Society]

Looked like FBI, but with all that military gear it's hard to tell.

[AlmightyJB]

Now Kasich needs to drop

http://hotair.com/archives/201.....ll-in-bro/

[Overt]

Kasich will at least stay through the next round. He is counting on a surge to make him the second choice based on his win in Ohio.

[Glide]

Not that I care much anymore because Cruz is done and Trump will win the plurality, but I strongly suspect Kasich is now in as long as necessary to become the reasonable, hugs-and-kittens VP that Trump has to embrace in order to avoid a convention revolt.

[Lord Humungus]

Paul Ryan won't categorically rule out accepting GOP nom

House Speaker Paul Ryan decided not to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, but he declined to rule out accepting it if a deadlocked party convention turns to him this summer.

"You know, I haven't given any thought to this stuff," Ryan said Tuesday night in an exclusive interview at the Capitol. "People say, 'What about the contested convention?' I say, well, there are a lot of people running for president. We'll see. Who knows."

[Lord Humungus]

related: Boehner endorses Paul Ryan for president

[Rich]

At the Republican convention, "anybody can be nominated," Boehner said

Even Hillary.

[CE]

Even Mitt.

[Juvenile Bluster]

November election: Ryan vs Biden

[Brett L]

"I've always loved you, Fredo"

[Raven Nation]

Ryan vs. Biden

[Jerryskids]

You know who else hasn't categorically ruled out accepting the GOP nomination?

[John]

I haven't. And neither has Warty.

[B.P.]

Lou Reed?

[Notorious UGCC]

From 2012, I remember that Ryan was the draconian budget cutter who hated the poor.

Sounds good.

[Lord Humungus]

Edward Luce ?@EdwardGLuce 13h13 hours ago Miami Beach, FL
Rubio outspent Trump five times yet loses home state in landslide.

[CatoTheChipper]

Yet another example of why it is so important to overturn Citizens United.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

We must do away with the First Amendment and start regulating political speech at once! KKKERPERAYSHUNZ!!!!

[Shirley Knott]

But, but, but ... the Citizen's United decision means elections are up for sale! Spending == votes!

[WTF]

Just ask JEB!

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Or House Majority Leader K Street investment banker Eric Cantor.

[Libertarian]

George Will, in his latest column:

"In Monday's Fox News town hall, when asked about Michael Bloomberg, an actual billionaire, deciding not to run for president, Sanders said: Bloomberg is a billionaire, and it is "a bad idea" that "the only people who feel in many ways that they can run for president are people who have so much money." Which is why Citizens United must be overturned, "so all people can run for office, not just people who have a lot of money." Well.

Sanders does not even understand his white whale, the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. It ended prohibitions against independent (not coordinated with candidates) political advocacy by corporations and unions. It had nothing to do with what Bloomberg could have done, spend his own money on himself."

[Citizen X]

Hillary would be the Dem nominee already if not for Citizens United. Her opposition to the decision is personal rather than principled, but Bernie's opposition to it is plain idiotic.

[WTF]

Bernie's opposition to it is plain idiotic.

All that really needs to be said.

[Domestic Dissident]

Sen. Marco Rubio has suspended his presidential campaign following a lackluster showing in his home state of Florida.

You could say that he came up short.

[cavalier973]

He could see if Trump will hirehim; I hear Trump is short-handed.

[Suthenboy]

Bravo.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

In a twist that surprises no one, Barry nominates himself.

[John]

It is no longer a joke people. It really is generation retard.

Researchers at Princeton University compared test results of Americans with their peers in more than 20 advanced economies. The results pointed to an alarming trend, as young workers and students between the ages of 16 and 34 lagged far behind their peers in countries like Japan and Sweden in mathematical understanding and literacy. The report says that the results were even more surprising because millennials "have attained the most years of schooling of any cohort in American history."

"These young adults on average demonstrate relatively weak skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving in technology-rich environments compared to their international peers," the report says. "These findings hold true when looking at millennials overall, our best performing and most educated, those who are native born, and those from the highest socioeconomic background."

http://freebeacon.com/culture/.....they-were/

[Juvenile Bluster]

We need to shovel more money into public education! I mean, that's always solved the problems in the past, right?

[Lee G]

But their self-esteem is off the charts

[Lord Humungus]

+1 Masters in Puppetry

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Come crawling faster
Obey your master
Your life burns faster
Obey your master, master

Master of puppets, I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind, and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream
Master, master
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream
Master, master

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

Masters in puppets, I'm swimming in debt
A cushy new job is what I must get
Least competent person you'll ever have met
Wandering round at OWS

Masters, Masters

[Ken Shultz]

Blaster of muppets, not aiming for strings
. . .

[egould310]

Boom!

[commodious spittoon]

Masters of puppetry, I'm pouring your venti
Running your card, give you a receipt

[Rich]

The report says that the results were even more surprising because millennials "have attained the most years of schooling of any cohort in American history."

I trust that includes the nine months in the womb.

[AlmightyJB]

Actually that doesn't make the results surprising. They aren't learning math and science skills. They're learning social "jystice" and socialism nd tgat corporations are in business to destroy the earth.

[Jerryskids]

surprising

As surprised as discovering that despite the fact that a calorie is a unit of energy the people who consume the most calories aren't the most energetic people? Why am I not the least bit surprised that a bunch of academic researchers find these findings surprising? Morons.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

If they didn't say 'suprise!', no one would ever read their research.

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

"The report says that the results were even more surprising because millennials "have attained the most years of schooling of any cohort in American history.""

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is only surprising if you idiotically think sitting in a classroom magically makes you smarter through osmosis.

Maybe the reason our education sucks is because US students are being taught by people who are surprised by this.

[John]

The fact that it was "surprising" tells you that the researchers don't get out much.

[Free Society]

Think about it, how is it that with 12 years of government education that a person is almost useless to the work force? The occasional entrepreneur or successful high school (only) grad notwithstanding.

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

Social science is garbage, except for when it confirms my bias.

[John]

The data is what it is. Do you think educational tests are invalid? They can't read and they can't think and the tests show that.

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

Yeah, in this case I'll they're doing is looking at results that actually measure capability. This isn't like the skewed, experimental social science tests that tend to come in for criticism here.

Either you can read or you can't.

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

Sorry for the late response. I didn't see the study details in the linked article. Even if on the whole this cohort does less well than another, it has no predictive value because generational collectivism is as dumb as astrology.

[CatoTheChipper]

"The data is what it is. Do you think educational tests are invalid? They can't read and they can't think and the tests show that."

As well as their enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders.

[WTF]

These young adults on average demonstrate relatively weak skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving

Well, there's a shocker. We obviously need to put even more emphasis on social justice indoctrination and "other ways of knowing".

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

At least people are talking about glaciers, dude.

[Millennial Hipster Vanguard]

What was that? I was busy getting my crystal therapy from a 60's hippie.

[Lord Humungus]

Argentina coast guard sinks Chinese trawler fishing illegally

A coast guard vessel pursued the fishing vessel Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 toward international waters in a high-seas chase on Monday, firing warning shots across the Chinese boat's bow as it attempted to raise the crew by radio.

"On several occasions, the offending ship performed maneuvers designed to force a collision with the coast guard, putting at risk not only its own crew but coast guard personnel, who were then ordered to shoot parts of the vessel," the coast guard said in a statement.

It was not clear if the vessel sank on Monday or Tuesday. The crew abandoned ship when the vessel began to go down.

Four crewmen were rescued by the coast guard while others were picked up by another Chinese vessel shadowing the pursuit.

[Mr Lizard]

Probably one of those ones with the extra antenna.

[Lord Humungus]

Missy Elliott & Queen Latifah Joining Michelle Obama's SXSW Keynote

First Lady Michelle Obama will grace the SXSW stage tomorrow (March 16) for her keynote panel with a star-studded squad, including rapper Missy Elliott, songwriter phenom Diane Warren, and actress Sophia Bush, as well as moderator, the multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah.

The women will pool their life experiences together and engage in "a dialogue on finding one's passion, music, and the importance of girls' education everywhere," the event description offers. The First Lady will also be spotlighting the Obama Administration initiative Let Girls Learn, which aims to assist adolescent girls in completing their education across the globe. Hailey and Chloe Bailey -- the viral YouTube singing sister duo currently signed to Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment -- will serve as the event's opening act.

[Rich]

the multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah

?

[SugarFree]

overweight-lesbian-has-been- never-was-who-gives-a-shit

[egould310]

Actor -rapper -model -author -producer -spokesperson...

[straffinrun]

Her real name was LaQueefa.

[Lee G]

whatever

[egould310]

Sxsw jumped the shark about 6 years ago. Now, it's anally raping the corpse of the shark.

[Rhywun]

I know nothing about SXSW, only that it seemed trendy for some years - but if one thing is certain it is that leftists will invade anything that's good and turn it to shit.

[Brett L]

Yes. I actually think the Twitter explosion of 2007 was the beginning of the end. Would not return.

[WTF]

The First Lady will also be spotlighting the Obama Administration initiative Let Girls Learn, which aims to assist adolescent girls in completing their education across the globe.

The boys can go fuck themselves.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

"a dialogue on finding one's passion, music, and the importance of girls' education everywhere,"

Can we get a Supreme Court ruling on how to interpret these clauses? Is one's passion music, or are they talking about finding one's passion and music, or are they just going to talk about music as a wholly separate category (and if so, why!?)?

[Notorious UGCC]

Missy Elliott - you mean this lady?

Yes, girls in poor countries should be inspired to learn STEM subjects, so that they will have the skills they need to perform songs like this:

"Phone before you come, I need to shave my chocha
You do or you don't or you will or won't you...

"If you a fly gal get your nails done
Get a pedicure, get your hair did
Boy, lift it up, let's make a toast-a
Let's get drunk, that's gonna' bring us closer"

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Somehow, I expect this conference to end up sounding bossy.

[Lord Humungus]

Calling All Ninjas: There Are Still Jobs for You in Japan

The unusual job was posted by the prefectural government in Nagoya earlier this month to kick-start what it's calling "warlords tourism" in the lead-up to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, which is expected to bring millions of tourists to Japan.

The Ieyasu Tokugawa and Hanzo Hattori Ninja Team ? named for the legendary 16th-century shogun and the equally legendary samurai who helped to propel him to power, respectively ? was formed as a tourist attraction in August, according to a brochure distributed by the prefecture.

The prefecture is accepting applications until March 22, and because the troupe sometimes performs in English, fluency in Japanese isn't necessary.

[WTF]

He was shogun in the early 17th century, not 16th.

[Notorious UGCC]

But other than that, I bet it will be a totally historically-accurate portrayal of ninjas, right?

[Azathoth!!]

It will be a totally accurate portrayal of the stagehands used to move scenery while the play is proceeding that the modern 'ninja' is based on.

Real ninja are invisible not because they wear black costumes, but because you have no idea who around you might be one.

[Juvenile Bluster]

The Economist: Ohio Man is weirder than Florida Man

I've been trying to tell you people it's all Ohio's fault, dangit!

[John]

Ohio man is Warty. Enough said.

[Citizen X]

It has already been established that Ohio is really just North Florida, so i'm not sure that this matters.

[Drake]

They even have their own Miami.

[Free Society]

Florida Man was making that claim not too long ago. His ass was getting chapped that day and he unloaded, blaming Ohioians for the latest meth fueled scuttlebutt in Florida. He's probably right, but that's no reason to let up.

[AlmightyJB]

I think we play Gators next in NIT as well.

[egould310]

What's a NIT?

[Glide]

I don't know, but it's fun to pick.

[Free Society]

Donald Trump's campaign barred a Politico reporter who has been covering it for months from a Tuesday press event, with the explanation that the reporter is "dishonest" and "third-rate," continuing a pattern of barring reporters access if they write about him unfavorably.

So fucking what? Of all the things one can criticize Trump for, and there are many, they criticize his exercise of freedom of association.

[John]

Just because the media likes a heavy hand from Obama doesn't mean they just give it away.

[Ken Shultz]

Eh, I'd like to see a President Trump take questions from the press, even if they write bad stuff about him. He can do what he wants, but he's not impressing me with that.

Maybe it's not a question of what he can do but what he should do. A society in which the executive consistently refuses to respond to press he doesn't like, probably isn't conducive to a free society.

You know who else didn't give access to reporters that were critical of him?

[Free Society]

Stalin? Mao? Pol Pot? HITLER?

[WTF]

Obama when he wanted to bar Fox from the White House press pool?

[Citizen X]

Yeezy?

[Ken Shultz]

I'm not sure if Trump won Illinois in spite of progressive organizations accusing Trump supporters of being brownshirts and shutting Trump's rally in Chicago down or if Trump won Illinois because progressive organizations did those things, but if MoveOn.org and other progressive groups aren't completely insane, they might consider using different tactics than they used in Chicago unless they want to see the same results in California.

Losing strategies lose.

[robc]

Trump won Illinois because Cruz and Kasich split the vote.

[Ken Shultz]

Cruz lost because Trump and Kasich split the vote, too.

Trump won despite MoveOn.org shenanigans and maybe because of them.

Let these two racists explain it to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ags62-VvwEY

[creech]

Instead of a brokered convention, which would upset quite a lot of GOP folks and may cause Trump to go independent , would Cruz making a deal with Kasich to be his v.p. choice - right now - be a smarter play? Let Cruz go head to head with Trump in the remaining primaries, and, if he wins, then Trump couldn't (though he still may) claim he was cheated out of the nomination.

[commodious spittoon]

Since Cruz is trying to run to the right of Trump on immigration (and everything else), enlisting a softy like Kasich would probably turn off a lot of his supporters and prove to Trumpkins that Cruz is just another establishment hack. And Kasich's single-digit share of supporters probably won't back an unlikeable firebrand like Cruz; I mean, if they were primarily concerned with disrupting the Trump train at this late date, they'd already have bailed for Cruz or Rubio.

[John]

I don't think Cruz can get a majority now.

[Ken Shultz]

Cruz got more out of Rubio leaving then he'd get out of a Kasich endorsement. Meanwhile, Kasich won't win another state.

The question is whether Rubio voters will break for Trump. I expect them to break for Cruz. The central question every Republican primary voter asks themselves is whether to vote for Trump. Those that vote Rubio are answering that question with a "no". When they say "no" to Trump in places like California, they do that by voting for Cruz.

Here's the latest breakdown on California I can find. It's at the bottom of the page.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/......html#4316

[Domestic Dissident]

Requiem for a lightweight.

Rubio withdrew from the presidential race Tuesday, another patch of bloodstained pavement on Trump Boulevard. Our self-described favorite son managed to lose 66 of the 67 counties in Florida to a bloated, orange buffoon with genetically-engineered hair. How did Rubio achieve this grand face-plant on his home turf? In the end, Rubio was the first Millennial presidential candidate, and he embodied the narcissistic worst of the selfie generation. He didn't accomplish anything, rarely showed up for work, and was convinced he deserved a promotion.

ROFL. Greatest summary of a failed candidacy I've seen in my lifetime.

[Irish Breaks Up W/ ESB]

My first real exposure to Rubio was when he quoted Wiz Khalifa on the Senate floor during Rand Paul's drone filibuster.

That should really tell you everything you need to know.

[John]

I love how his defenders say he got "snookered" by Schummer. How exactly does that work? It is like saying Quisling got snookered by Hitler. The first thing the guy did after being elected was try to sell his supporters out on immigration.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

In the end, Rubio was the first Millennial presidential candidate, and he embodied the narcissistic worst of the selfie generation. He didn't accomplish anything, rarely showed up for work, and was convinced he deserved a promotion.

...What?

I mean... you know who else...?

[This Machine]

And it's -

*looks at byline*

Peter Schorsch from the top ropes! With a folding chair!

[Agile Cyborg]

Somebody get a shovel. Jerry Falwell will need to spit some bars come November.

[robc]

The Cruz-Kasich ticket is now the most reasonable way to defeat Trump. Throw Rubio an AG bone or something if necessary.

[Drake]

Reasonable will have nothing to do with it. They'll fight over the 60% that don't like Trump while he continues to win states.

[Ken Shultz]

The way to defeat Trump in the primaries is not by tying yourself to the establishment.

Kasich is throwing an anchor to a drowning man.

[John]

Kasich went all in on amnesty. That means about 90% of the GOP voters will never vote for him.

[Glide]

Judging by Kasich's response to Marco Rubio's tactical voting plan, I don't think it'll happen. Kasich plays the nice guy, but he's got as big an ego as anyone else in the race.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

he's got as big an ego as anyone else in the race

A necessary prerequisite for running for president.

[Brett L]

Ambassador to Cuba?

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Rubio really fucked Cruz over by not dropping out once he saw the abysmal poll numbers in Florida. Cruz lost Missouri by fewer than 2,000 votes. I have no doubt that he would have netted at least 2,000 over Trump from Rubio's 55,000 supporters.

[CE]

North Carolina was pretty close too (40,000 votes out of 800,000+)

[Farm to Toilet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnQUwUqE1aw

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[Lee G]

On a more serious note, the implications of that statement are revealing.

I was unaware God is in control of voter preferences. That we as the electorate are just pawns in the God's great game of politics.

[Rich]

"Pie are *round*! *Cornbread* are square!"

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

I can spout gibberish about the heterociseurocentric patriarch for 50 pages at a time, and I am quite experienced in meaningless protests over any slight, real or imagined. Oh, and I'll probably find a way to sue you for some type of discrimination.

[straffinrun]

Not quite find Kevin Bacon?

[B. Woodrow Chippenhaus]

Yay! You have a degree. But what can you actually do?

After a few months of training, ineptly serve coffee at Starbucks.

[WTF]

*vomits uncontrollably*

[Rasilio]

Well there's his problem, He'd have been better off binge watching House of Cards or Game of Thrones to get some tips on being a more effective politician

[Eternal Blue Sky]

You know, you'd think Divinely Inspired Elections would require less complexity. I mean, this would imply that God can think of no more efficient method of making his will manifest than controlling slightly more than half of everyone to vote in his favor, and controlling another portion of people to vote against his own will.

I mean, compare it to Catholic Papal or Mormon Prophet elections. At least in those cases the vote has to be unanimous, so that there is no (or less) question as to whether or not God came down and rigged the election to conform to His Will.

Basically if there WAS a deity controlling American Elections, at least if the deity was sane, I'd expect it to look more like a Catholic or Mormon election, and less like the confusing mess that is "will of the people" democracy.

[Tonio]

^This. Particularly the fear of lawsuits and other trouble-making. And they will wonder why the only jobs they can find involve wearing polyester and asking customers if they want their orders super-sized.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Yet through tantrums when they don't immediately start doing "meaningful" with a six-figure salary, great benefits, and a flexible schedule.

Or when they get fired for publically trashing their company's CEO

[dan'o en barrel]

The name "Baby Einstein" infuriated me, but reading the study suggesting that the program actually lowered the IQ of toddlers was a highlight on my "tastiest shaudenfreude of the new millennium" list.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

Time for someone to light the match of freedom.

[Notorious UGCC]

Burke was sympathetically describing the American colonists in their resistance to Britain.

[Lee G]

In the case of NR, you might invoke "he who smelt it, dealt it"

[Mr. Flanders]

You do realize that you are referring to the extreme minority of my generation, right? The very, very loud and visible extreme minority of my generation. Most of us are not like this - most of us are putting our noses to the grindstone and trying to climb the ladder just like our forefathers - but everything is just a lot more expensive now.

Due to lack of economics education, we blame this on "free" market capitalism... but that's not really our fault - the government schools didn't do a good job of teaching us how markets & money work.

[Mr Drew]

I first read that as *vomits uncomfortably*, as in a nervous, embarrassed little vomiting action.

My misread was somehow much funnier. Lord knows why.

[Anomalous]

He could read Machiavelli 'til the cows come home and it wouldn't help.

[Rhywun]

Agreed. And I actually thought it was his to lose early on, before it became obvious what an empty suit he is.

[CE]

"Slightly more than half of everyone" has never voted for anyone. Barely half the eligible voters turn out, and that gets split 2 or more ways.